PodcastFrom NFL: The Insiders
The Insiders Podcast: Brandon Aiyuk Speaks on His Contract Situation, Saints DE Chase Young and Broncos lineman Garett Bolles Join the Insiders
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44 min
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Jun 9, 2026
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Tue, June 9, 2026
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Full transcript
Episode Transcript
0:00This is an iHeart Podcast. Guaranteed Human. And what that means for your fantasy rosters as drafts loom.
0:06We are weaving up a Monday edition of the Insiders here on NFL Network.
0:10Patrick Claibon here in the NFL LA newsroom alongside our insiders.
0:14This is Tom Pellicero, Ian Rappaport and Judy Batista who joins us live from the Giants facility in East Rutherford, which is
0:21where we start with what is new today because we had the Giants starting, yes, their minicamp today, the first official and
0:28mandatory team wide work of the John Harbaugh era that actually included back there Odell Beckham Jr.
0:33No, no Photoshop. That's actually Odell in a Giants jersey.
0:36Now his head coach providing his thoughts on how things went today.
0:40They competed. The biggest challenge for us as coaches on these kind of days is to keep them, you know, within the
0:47framework of what we're trying to do and not get too physical, right?
0:51Because these are not live contact practices. So we're trying to talk to them all day and I thought they did a
0:58good job for the most part trying to avoid, you know, taking it too far.
1:03But they're competitors. They want to do well. The White House made some catches.
1:08The DBs made some plays on the ball. It was good to see everybody was flying around.
1:13Flying around thoughts from the head coach Judy Batista able to get her first impressions of the Harbaugh minicamp era.
1:19How did it go today Judy? Well, my first impression is it was a really long practice almost two and a half hours.
1:27So we'll see if they keep up that pace.
1:30But that is certainly longer than for instance, we've seen in the last few years around here.
1:35Let's do some injury updates. It's early June, but we've already got an injury report.
1:40Abdul Carter, their star pass rusher went off early in the practice.
1:44He twisted his left ankle, but John Harbaugh said they do not believe it is serious.
1:49Better news running back Cam Scadaboo, who you remember, suffered that gruesome ankle fracture about eight months ago.
1:54He was doing light drills on the field today.
1:57So that is certainly promising for his timeline and what we expect to be his readiness for training camp.
2:03As for what we saw today, it was really competitive.
2:07Brian Burns said there's a lot of curiosity and interest about this team.
2:11He actually thought that is why two all time Giants greats Lawrence Taylor and Harry Carson were at the practice.
2:17Those two spoke to the team after the practice about what it is to be a giant, what it means to play for the city of New York.
2:26And we asked Brian Burns, well, do you feel differently about this team right now?
2:31And he said, well, all 32 teams are optimistic at this time of the year.
2:36He's always optimistic at this time of the year.
2:38Remember, though, Brian Burns has only known losing season since he got to the New York Giants.
2:44And he said, I'd be lying if I didn't say that this doesn't feel different.
2:49He says, I expect very highly of this team this season.
2:52He says, we've got to prove it on the field.
2:55But certainly there is a different feeling as they open mini camp with John Harbaugh.
3:00And Judy, you mentioned the competition for the team.
3:03A lot of competition at wide receiver. They have six new ones, including Odell Beckham Jr.
3:08How did that go today? Well, first of all, let's start with the fact Malik Nabors and Darius Slayton, who are both injured, both recovering from surgeries.
3:17They did not practice. They're not going to practice.
3:19But we did see them on the field working out with trainers just doing a little bit of exercise.
3:26So it was good to see them moving around.
3:28They have an incredibly crowded wide receiver room. Malachi Fields, who is the rookie, he actually had some flashes today in practice.
3:35He looked pretty good. They are jammed at wide receiver.
3:39And that includes the three veterans that they brought in, which of course includes Odell Beckham that they signed last week.
3:45Odell Beckham, obviously Odell is the fan favorite and sort of the sentimental favorite.
3:50But there is going to be real competition for the spots on the roster.
3:54As John Harbaugh said, when you get all those guys back healthy, Malik Nabors and Darius Slayton, he said there are five you feel really good about.
4:03And then there's a lot of competition for one or two spots.
4:07So this is just the beginning of that competition.
4:10Obviously, we will see how it shakes out as we go further into the summer and deeper into training camp.
4:16But it is no guarantee that any of those headline making veterans that we saw sign last week are going to make the roster.
4:24Yeah, no guarantee about a lot of spots on the roster, including potential trades, which is a discussion we will have coming
4:31up as we continue this edition of the insider.
4:33The insider is Judy Batista live there in East Rutherford, also in action this week.
4:38A voluntary OTA is not a place that you were going to find Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett, but in attendance for mandatory
4:45minicamp as he continues to look for a new deal to bring it more in line, his compensation more in line with other starting quarterbacks around the NFL.
4:54So let's get back with Ian Rappaport and Tom Pellicero in what does this move do for Jacoby's quest to get a new deal?
5:02No, first of all, Jacoby Brissett showed up today so he wouldn't get fined in the words of our great sir, Marshawn Lynch.
5:09So this I don't think really means a ton.
5:12He was always going to show up, does not want to get the almost hundred thousand dollar fines that players who skip minicamp get.
5:20And I wouldn't expect him to really do anything.
5:22And then this storyline, Tom, is going to ramp up again as we get closer to training camp because Jacoby Brissett, I know the team's record was bad.
5:31They really didn't play any defense at the end of the year.
5:35This was probably the best year of Jacoby Brissett's career.
5:38Ninety four million dollar ninety four passer rating. Obviously, the wins did not come.
5:43The offensive production did. He is due to make five point four million dollars.
5:47He wants a significant raise to put more in line with a starting quarterback.
5:52Remains to be seen what the Cardinals are willing to do.
5:55Certainly seems like they're willing to do something. Considering his place in the rotation as the starting quarterback, although they really have
6:02not named him, wants a new deal. Want to keep pushing for this as we get closer to the start of camp.
6:09Meanwhile, Tom, Josh Swett, a veteran pass rusher who has been in all sorts of online rumors about potentially getting traded, is
6:16not getting traded, did show up to mandatory minicamp.
6:19Just kind of doing his own thing as he tends to do.
6:23But he was back with the Arizona Cardinals today.
6:26If I'm Jacoby Brissett, the player, I'm probably not thrilled with Jacoby Brissett, the agent for signing a two year deal last
6:33year going into an Arizona team that quite frankly was entering sort of a pivot point with Kyler Murray, even if he had not ended up getting injured.
6:42Last year, Jacoby Brissett obviously had a lot of production, but on a bad team that was constantly having to throw the ball because they were behind.
6:50And if I'm the Cardinals, we're having an awkward conversation again with Jacoby Brissett, the agent, I'm reminding him we were one
6:57in 11 with you as the starter last year.
7:00He's due over $5 million this season. If he were to get cut tomorrow, I'm not sure how many places he could
7:07go and even get that same money. And by the way, by not being there through the course of the spring, it's
7:14allowed Arizona to take a longer look at their third round draft pick.
7:18Carson Beck, who never lost 11 games in his entire college career, playing big time games at Georgia and Miami.
7:25Those additional reps, if you ask me to guess right now in early June, which rookie quarterback sees the field first of
7:32all the ones drafted this year, I'd probably say Carson Beck because this is an Arizona team that fairly.
7:38And again, you don't want to write anybody off at this stage in the offseason, but they're probably going to take their lumps.
7:45They're probably looking at another high draft pick. They're going to want to get an evaluation on Beck throughout the course of the season.
7:53Brissett has to know that. Gardner Minshew is in the building as well.
7:57Can they manage to thread the needle here and find a contract that makes sense for both sides?
8:03If not, you've got a 33-year-old who, by all accounts, doesn't seem to necessarily care all that much if he ends up
8:10playing anywhere, much less in Arizona this season. All right.
8:13We'll have to see how the Cardinals approach that circumstance with their rookie quarterback or Gardner Minshew.
8:18The court has provided Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Soresby with an injunction that will allow him to play the 2026 season after
8:25he admitted to placing over $90,000 in wagers in violation of the NCAA rules at his previous institution.
8:31The NCAA said they disagreed with the ruling in a statement.
8:35So, Ian, there will be no supplemental draft for Soresby.
8:38He'll be able to play after a two-game suspension.
8:41What do we think happens here? First, the legal situation.
8:44This isn't necessarily over yet. I would expect the NCAA to appeal this decision to an appellate court.
8:50And if they end up winning that legal matter, which right now it certainly seems like they are a little bit behind the eight ball.
8:58But if they win that one, it likely is appealed to the Supreme Court, which gets interesting because the ruling on that
9:05one, if it did end up going in front of the Supreme Court, it would be after the deadline to apply to
9:12the NFL supplemental draft, which is usually around July.
9:14Now, as far as Soresby goes, this time is a really fascinating NFL issue, along with being an unbelievably fascinating and potentially game-changing college football issue.
9:23Soresby could be one of the top quarterbacks in college football.
9:26If he was in the supplemental draft, I believe at least one team, probably more, would be willing to give a second rounder for him.
9:34If he goes into this college football season and plays really well, he could be a first-round pick, go into the combine, and face unprecedented questions.
9:43Now, he has obviously been to treatment. He is saying that he has gotten better from his gambling addiction.
9:49This is a storyline that is not going away for a very talented quarterback.
9:53I talked to some scouts before this draft who said if Brendan Soresby had come out this year, there would have been
10:00a debate, at least in their buildings, about whether him or Fernando Mendoza belonged as the number one quarterback in this class.
10:07Now, Soresby clearly made mistakes. He's gone to get help and gone into rehab for gambling addiction.
10:12But this is not Pete Rose here. He did not bet on games once he was on the travel roster back at Indiana.
10:20He's agreed to a two-game suspension based on a bet that was placed four years ago.
10:25You have an NCAA right now that is continuing to lose in court and is effectively masquerading as vice cops here.
10:32Like most vices, the punishment is inherent with gambling.
10:34Not only did Soresby lose a bunch of money on bets, he's lost millions of dollars in endorsement money.
10:41He has spent millions of dollars in legal fees.
10:43He will have this attached to his name forever.
10:46And if you think that the NFL is going to wave the flag here and just say, Patrick, we can't touch Brendan
10:53Soresby now because of a gambling addiction, I would remind you, several years ago, Calvin Ridley served a one-game suspension in the
11:00NFL, and it was a similar type of pattern.
11:03It was a bunch of bets placed on other sports.
11:06It was him gambling in parlays while he was on injured reserve.
11:10Ridley went out and signed a big-money contract after a year in Jacksonville.
11:14Fully anticipated Soresby plays well. He'll be a top prospect like he always was.
11:19Well, his first eligible game will be, as of now, September 18th against the Houston Cougars.
11:24As we move to a team that becomes the odds-on favorite to win the Super Bowl, the Los Angeles Rams, after they acquire one, Miles Garrett, the single-season.
11:33Zach King had an opportunity in a Kobe Bryant t-shirt to throw out the first pitch before the Dodgers win over the
11:40Angels last week as they get a chance to see him in a more traditional Rams garb as we get Miles Garrett
11:47in that 95 jersey as he will play edge rusher and defensive end for the Los Angeles Rams.
11:53Let's get our front office view and welcome in Mark Ross's, Mark the Rams, Les Snead, Sean McVay.
11:58They got a very, very good player. Did they give up too much already considering they took a quarterback in round one to get Miles Garrett?
12:07Absolutely not. Very, very good player. Sell them a little bit short there, Patrick.
12:11This is a game-changer that is equal to the franchise quarterbacks, the top-tier, top-five franchise quarterbacks in the league of what Miles
12:18Garrett can impact, what he's done with Cleveland with always being behind on a losing team, not much talent.
12:24And you see how he racked up the production in Cleveland with being the guy and always being behind.
12:30Now he's going to go to a Rams team that seemingly will be ahead in games and winning games.
12:36And here Miles Garrett can just go hunt sacks and go produce when they have the lead as opposed to always being behind.
12:44And look, there's no value of a franchise quarterback no matter how much you give up for them.
12:49Once they produce, you forget about that. The same thing will be said for Miles Garrett once he gets on the field and he produces.
12:57Rams win the Super Bowl. They've done this before, Patrick.
13:00The 2022 formula of F those picks. They went and did it with a whole bunch of veterans gave up the picks.
13:07This has even taken that to an extreme level with a certain Hall of Fame, maybe the best defensive player when it's
13:14all said and done in the history of the league.
13:18Yeah, and it all feels very familiar as the Super Bowl was at SoFi Stadium.
13:22And this year, the Super Bowl will be at SoFi Stadium.
13:26Rams very active in acquiring one of the best players in the NFL.
13:30Thanks to Mark Ross. We'll take a break here on the Insiders.
13:34When we come back, Love Island makes its return.
13:37Cam Wolf tells us which bombshells in the NFL are his favorite.
13:41And Chase Young provides us what motivated the Saints' strong finish to last season, as well as asks us to relay this message.
13:48I'm back. I'm back to him. Let him know.
13:51Let him know. Let him know. Young. Finally makes it first down and 20.
13:55Ward in trouble. Chase. Six. And now Chase Young, who we call Ones the Hump, comes around from the other side with the awareness, CB.
14:03Oh, great defensive play down the stretch from Chase Young.
14:06The kind of no-sold with the smile there. Here he is at offensive, the organized team activities as he went defense to
14:13offense in that late season game against the Tennessee Titans.
14:17The Saints tweet. A guy that gets to the quarterback.
14:20He also gets to the team cam to have a discussion with NFL Network insider Ian Rappaport.
14:25And I, here on this edition of the Insiders, it is Saints Edge.
14:29Chase Young spending time with us going into season number six.
14:33Chase, what have the offseason been like for you as we get ready for the 2026 season in New Orleans?
14:39Yeah, man. Just grinding, man. Knowing what we're putting together here in New Orleans, you know, we all can see what's going on.
14:47You know, Coach Kellen, he's leading us. And honestly, man, we're just grinding, man.
14:51We're just grinding. Chase, I want to go back a couple seasons real quick.
14:55Back in 2023, I think it was safe to say a weird season.
15:00You got traded. You know, there was definitely some questions about what kind of player you would end up being.
15:06Well, it turns out you were injured. You had neck surgery before the 2024 season.
15:11Last year, you had the best season you've ever had.
15:14Fourth in QB pressure. Ten sacks. Do you finally feel like physically you are able to be the player that everybody always thought you would be?
15:22See, that's it. Yes. And, you know, I never really chased that, right?
15:26Playing ball, obviously, you know, a lot of us played since we was kids.
15:31It was just, I was just always trying to be me, the best Chase that I can be.
15:37So, you know, I definitely feel like I'm ready to rock.
15:40I definitely feel that I'm right where I need to be.
15:44All of us guys are playing. In terms of where you need to be, literally being there in Louisiana, Chase, being a
15:51part of that community, that team, do you feel like as we get the deal reworked that you found a real home
15:58in the NFL where it's been tough to look back as things have gone to find that?
16:03Yeah, man. I'm definitely blessed. I found an organization that believes in me.
16:07You know, that has my back. And, you know, a coach like Coach Staley who believes in me.
16:13And, you know, as a player, that's all I need.
16:16One of the ongoing situations around the New Orleans Saints, and there's a lot of good happening.
16:22We will no doubt get to that in a second.
16:25But certainly some uncertainty surrounding Cam Jordan, veteran leader, all-time sackmaster and all-around good guy.
16:29Still, as of right now, unsigned. What are your thoughts on his situation?
16:34And have you heard anything about when he might be coming back to New Orleans?
16:38Yeah, man, you know, it's a lot of rumors going around.
16:42But Cam, what he's done for this organization the past 15 years is phenomenal.
16:46The guy who leads the locker room, he's a big brother to me.
16:51I've learned a lot from Cam. And, you know, he's a gold jacket guy, man.
16:55And that's just always somebody that, you know, that experience that you need in the building.
17:00So, you know, if it was me, I would love to get OG back in the building.
17:06And, Chase, a part of that defense last year where you were the defensive player of the month in the NFC in December.
17:13You guys went 4-1. Nobody scored more than 20 points there in New Orleans playing against you guys.
17:19But specifically, if you had to pick one thing from the end of the Saints season that made you guys different than
17:26the team you were earlier in it, what was that?
17:29I think it was the will just to keep pursuing, right?
17:33Just to stay consistent. No matter what was going on, just keep our head down and keep fighting.
17:38The only thing that we can do was just to do our 111th.
17:42And that was me doing my job, Cam doing his job, you know, Grando doing his job.
17:48And really just doing our job is the greatest that we can do it.
17:52And just to keep our heads down and just stay consistent.
17:56Block out the noise. Just keep going. And we found out that we can be a real good team.
18:02Real good defense for sure. As Patrick said, one of the big stories of the year last year was how you guys clamped down on that unit.
18:10On the offensive side of the ball, there was a lot of improvement, too.
18:15Tyler Shook has played himself into being one of the better young quarterbacks in the NFL in this offseason.
18:21On offense, you guys got some big-time firepower from Jordan Tyson and Travis H in.
18:26Got some offensive line help as well. Knowing that the defense is pretty much locked down, what do you think of this
18:33offense that you are seeing every day in practice?
18:36Now you're getting ready to see every day in training camp.
18:39Yeah, nah, man. I'm definitely excited. You know, Shook leading the way.
18:43Young guy, Jordan Tyson. You know, we definitely brought in a lot of QPs that we needed.
18:48Travis. So, as everybody on defense, we're all excited just to watch our offense go.
18:53You know, even in 7-on-7, we can feel that it's more heat just going behind us.
18:58And things, this ball is going over our head.
19:01And there's a lot more going on. So, we're definitely just excited to see them guys rock.
19:07Yeah, a lot of excitement for the 2026 season there in New Orleans.
19:11You guys have OTAs today. So, Chase, we appreciate you taking part of your busy schedule and making that with us here on The Insiders.
19:19Good luck coming up in the 2026 season. Thank you.
19:22Thanks for having me. Speaking of schedules, what about the 2026 NFL schedule?
19:26Here's the full one available on ESPN, ABC, and NFL Network all the way to the Super Bowl, which is in that
19:33beautiful building across the street from me, SoFi Stadium, to see who will be the champion this year.
19:39But we're talking another schedule with Cam Wolfe, who joins us now here on The Insiders.
19:44As a lot of folks know, Love Island has made its return.
19:48And some of you are probably already behind in catching up with the show.
19:52But when a bombshell comes on, there's all sorts of changes.
19:56It changes the game within the establishment. So, we have that in the NFL.
20:00New people who change the game. And Cam has his favorite bombshells for us on the inside.
20:06Yeah, Patrick, Love Island is my summer guilty pleasure show.
20:09And look, you talked about it. The bombshell enters the villa.
20:12For people who haven't seen the show, it's essentially a really desirable person who comes into the house, shakes things up with the goal of winning.
20:21And a lot of times, it gets really spicy and fun.
20:24So, let's do this NFL edition. New players coming to new teams who could really shake up the entire league.
20:30And let's focus on the AFC. Trey Hendrickson with the Baltimore Ravens is where I want to start.
20:36The first bombshell into the villa. And I asked one key Ravens person the early impact of Hendrickson this offseason.
20:42He said, the dude hasn't missed a day. A stud.
20:46He's exceeded every preconceived notion I may have had.
20:49This is the most talented pass rusher the Ravens have had in years.
20:53And remember this. The last two fully healthy years he's had, 23 and 24.
20:5717 and a half sacks each year. He's working with a rising star defensive coordinator and Anthony Weaver to help raise a
21:04pass attack, a pass rush for the Ravens that really struggled.
21:08The early feel is if Henderson can be himself, then he can help the Ravens win for four.
21:13And he can also attack his former quarterback, Joe Burrow.
21:17Now, let's go to David Montgomery with the Houston Texans.
21:20That's the latest bombshell to enter the villa. He is set to be the lead running back for the Houston Texans.
21:26A huge role. This is a team that ran the ball 389 times last year.
21:31They just weren't very effective. Enter David Montgomery, who is already getting rave reviews from his offensive coordinator, Nick Cayley.
21:38He raved about his ability to run through tackles, his intelligence, setting up blocks.
21:42They need that. D'Amico Ryans desperately wants that running back to be able to create the physicality that they have on the defensive side of the ball.
21:51Maybe the best defensive football. They need somebody to help CJ Stroud, and they think David Montgomery is ready to be potential
21:58three down back if needed in a lot of these key roles.
22:02And finally, let's go to Jalen Waddell with the Denver Broncos.
22:05The big splash trade from earlier in the offseason.
22:08The AFC West may not have seen an elite speed number one receiver like Jalen Waddell since Tyree Kill with the Chiefs.
22:15And he gives defenses something else to think about.
22:18I spent a lot of time covering him here in Miami.
22:21He is a great personality, a guy that doesn't have the extra ego.
22:25And he's going to gel well with Bo Nix once he's healthy and getting the flow.
22:31The biggest thing for this offense, they now have an immediate home run threat.
22:35A guy that can win in breaking routes and short and immediate routes.
22:39And a guy that can help them swing offensively with the top elite teams in the AFC.
22:45And so bombshells all around in the NFL. And let's see if they can shake up the league.
22:50They'll have a chance to talk one of those bombshells with his new teammate Garrett Bowles coming up here on the Insiders.
22:57And what I liked about your bombshell rating process, Cam, it's open.
23:01It's available. It's not like the nebulous Love Island voting where they say that America said a certain thing.
23:07We just check the box. Either way, we can trust you.
23:11Cam Wolf joining us here on this edition of the Insiders.
23:14More to come on the show. Like, it finally happened after months of discussion.
23:19The A.J. Brown trade actually went through. Mark Ross provides his front office view of whether they paid too much.
23:25That's coming up next on the inside. Coming in new today to the NFL LA newsroom.
23:30A return, a reunion as Ian Rappaport says. The Chiefs planning to sign cornerback LeJarius Sneed where he played including a year
23:37with the franchise tag before signing a big free agent contract with the Tennessee Titans.
23:42He is back. Also back working with the team.
23:45Jacoby Brissett at mandatory minicamp per Ian. So he won't get fined.
23:49Still looking for a new contract and a new beginning in East Rutherford as the Giants had their first mandatory full team
23:56work under new head coach John Harbaugh. Judy Batista there for the festivities today.
24:00She is back with us here on the Insiders.
24:03Head coach John Harbaugh said the headline. He made headlines this offseason saying everybody's tradable.
24:08That includes Kayvon Thibodeau. How is the former first round pick handling that?
24:12Well, that was actually one of the themes today is how well Kayvon is handling the uncertainty about his future.
24:18For what it's worth, the Giants have said they are not going to trade Kayvon Thibodeau.
24:23But certainly the uncertainty has been swirling really since they selected Abdul Carter last year and certainly since they took Arvel Reese this year in the first round.
24:32But John Harbaugh today praised how silky smooth he was, how fast he was pursuing a bootleg.
24:38And he said he is a premier player. He said he knows he needs to have a great season.
24:44Nobody knows what the future holds. The future holds a lot of games that he's going to play a lot of snaps in.
24:51And Brian Burns went further. He said he's been an inspiration how he has handled it.
24:56And he said going back to last season, Kayvon Thibodeau has outworked everybody on the defense in practice day in and day out.
25:03He said he's really proud of how he has handled it.
25:07And obviously it is a difficult situation for Kayvon Thibodeau.
25:10He is looking to make the best of it and have the best possible season he can.
25:16And looking forward to it where we've heard from multiple guys on that team about what they can do at that position.
25:23Hopefully we'll see how Kayvon Thibodeau and the rest of the Giants handle season one under coach John Harbaugh.
25:29That is Judy Batista live from East Rutherford. We'll go elsewhere all the way across the country where Brandon Iyuk is on
25:36the reserve slash left squad list, which prevents him from being paid for the 49ers.
25:40This is coming after they voided $27 million from his contract, citing repeated absences.
25:45He made his first public statements on this issue on Instagram this weekend.
25:49We're dealing with, you know, like them kids and they don't get picked for the basketball game at the court.
25:55But they're the ones that brought the ball. So they're like, all right, y'all don't want to pick me?
26:01I'm taking my ball. I'm going home. Boys. Boys.
26:04It's about 91 seconds of Brandon Iyuk's thoughts on the circumstances.
26:08We're back with Tom Pellicero and Ian Rappaport. Ian, what do both sides hope to accomplish here in the next few weeks?
26:15I mean, I think we'd all like to avoid some similar IG messaging from Brandon Iyuk.
26:20We'd rather this situation be settled rather than have this drag on through the summer.
26:25But that's the way I see this going on.
26:28First of all, here's what the San Francisco 49ers would like.
26:31They have his rights. He's not doing any guaranteed money because he forfeited that by not showing up to his rehab.
26:38So they would like to trade him probably to the commanders with his old friend Jaden Daniels and an organization that obviously
26:45knows him well considering Adam Peters was in San Francisco and all of that.
26:49What the commanders would like to do is sign him without having to trade him.
26:54So, Tom, we're in a situation where nobody wants to move at all.
26:58They're all staring at each other. There's really no deadline to make a move at all.
27:03So until and unless everyone gets tired of Brandon Iyuk sending Instagram messages, this is going to be a storyline that takes us through the summer.
27:12The reality is this. You have a player who, regardless of what his contract says, he's a minimum type player at this point with some potential upside.
27:20That's not a guy you generally trade for. And even if you're the commanders, and Jaden Daniels is a close friend of
27:27his here, you have to start to have some real questions about exactly what you're bringing in, not just physically.
27:34The guy hasn't played in a year and a half.
27:37He never got healthy enough to get on the field and play last season.
27:41But also on the mental side of things, given everything that transpired in San Francisco, things that led up to voiding his
27:48guarantees, now the message is now, is this a guy we're going to be babysitting and going to be having to manage
27:55at a time to get a first-time offensive coordinator?
27:58You've got huge changes in a pivotal year for that coaching staff.
28:02It may well all end up, Patrick, with Brandon Ayuk basically getting a shot in the commander's camp.
28:08But the 49ers, as Ian said, hold the rights, and they can take as long as they want to to decide exactly
28:15what they're going to do with them. Yeah, I guess the health being the biggest determining factor here, where it was an
28:22ACL, MCL, and meniscus tear in that knee in 2024.
28:25We'll see how the recovery goes and what part teams are willing to take.
28:29With regards to Brandon Ayuk, for more on this, let's get the front office view with Mark Ross back with us here on the Insiders.
28:37You just heard the Insiders' thoughts, Mark, on whether or not a team would be willing to make a deal in any aspect for Brandon Ayuk.
28:46What do you see of this circumstance? Yeah, as those guys laid out, look, the 49ers hold all the cards because they're
28:53not paying Ayuk, and he's not counting against the roster.
28:56Those are two most important things when you're evaluating a player and his value.
29:00But the problem is, if they're holding on to him, there is no value for him.
29:05They're mentioning the commanders, but even they don't really want to give up anything for Ayuk.
29:10So for the 49ers, you're just stuck in this spot.
29:14Well, we don't want to give up this asset for nothing, but nobody wants this asset.
29:19So what is the value of that? So really, Patrick, what it's going to come down to is, at some point, the
29:2649ers have to outweigh whether the distractions of Brandon Ayuk outweigh us saying, we're still holding on to him because as a
29:33team, you want as minimal distractions as possible. It's impossible not to have distractions, but when you can just get rid of
29:40one, that could even benefit the team even more so than holding on to him.
29:45And perhaps this was Brandon Ayuk trying to provide some incentive to have the 49ers part ways so that the commanders can
29:52make a move and ultimately get their guys. Speaking of a wide receiver that did make a move after months of discussion with regards to A.J.
30:00Brown, the Patriots now have access to the Super Bowl champion with the Philadelphia Eagles.
30:05And earlier in the show, you said it was no question that the Rams didn't overpay for Miles Garrett.
30:11How do you feel about the price the Patriots gave up to get A.J.
30:15Brown? Well, it was steep. And you have to look at it for what the Eagles got A.J.
30:21Brown for, Patrick. They gave up a one and a three for A.J.
30:25Brown and now just traded him for one and a five.
30:29And from what they gave up, essentially two-round difference of a late pick with four years, 5,000 yards, 32 touchdowns, two Super
30:36Bowl appearances, one Super Bowl win, and four playoffs.
30:38So you got the prime years of A.J. Brown and then just turned around and said, well, let me just get the
30:45same value that I got him for. So I thought this was incredible by how he rose to pull this off and get that value.
30:53And for the Patriots, does he even worth maybe even more so than what Stefan Diggs gave them last year?
31:00That's what they're hoping on, but I just don't know if I see it at this point.
31:05In terms of the value, it's tough to argue with the Eagles essentially getting what they got to get A.J.
31:12Brown in the very first place before he had all that success.
31:15That's the front office view with Mark Ross here on The Insiders.
31:19Thanks, Mark, for your work today. Let's go. Here we go.
31:23And here comes Benito, and Benito's got Geno, and down Smith goes.
31:27Let's go. Let's go. Don't let up. Let's go.
31:29You've got to smell it now. No. Blitz coming.
31:32Bills pick it up. Allen looking deep down the field.
31:35He's got Cooks who goes up and makes an unbelievable.
31:39No. Is it intercepted? That legend here. An incredible season for the 2025 Denver Broncos went all the way to the AFC Championship game.
31:46Here is what the 2026 season will look like, starting with a week one matchup in the division against the divisional rival, the Kansas City Chiefs.
31:55Here to discuss the 2026 season as well as some more, it is the starting tackle for the Denver Broncos.
32:01Garrett Bowles spending time with Ian and I here on The Insiders.
32:05It's season number 10, Garrett. So, this makes 10 minicamps.
32:08Sure, you're well aware. Biggest lesson, I guess, if you want to wind back all the way to minicamp number one and
32:15tell Garrett Bowles what Garrett Bowles thinks about what he should do.
32:19Just the little things, man. I think just, you know, just get your feet right, get your body right, get your mind right.
32:26Spend as much quality time, you know, in the areas of what your foundation is.
32:31You know, mind's faith, family football. So, making sure I'm doing all three of those things so that when the season does
32:38come, I'm ready to rock and load and do what I'm supposed to do.
32:42And that's protect Bow with everything I got and to help this team get back to where we belong.
32:48You mentioned protecting Bow, Garrett, and obviously that is a huge part of what you and your fellow offensive linemen do.
32:55So, so important to the success of this really, really talented team.
32:59Obviously, he's going through an offseason where he's had a couple surgeries on his ankle.
33:04Seems to be doing very well, but hasn't participated much.
33:07How is he doing as someone who has seen him up close and personal every day in a way that we have not?
33:14Like I said, man, that dude's a warrior. Every single day, you know, he...
33:19He puts in the work on the field, off the field, and in all three areas of his life.
33:25I mean, he's a dad now. So, you know, it's fun to see him and talk to him about, you know, being
33:32a dad since I got three of my own kids and, you know, him doing that and just talking to him about that.
33:39But listen, man, he's going to be ready to roll.
33:42I'm excited for him. I'm excited to see what he can do for us again.
33:47I know he's going to be out there slinging the balls sooner than later.
33:52But I know that he's doing whatever he has to do to get back onto the field.
33:57Like I said, he doesn't get too high with the highs or too low with the lows.
34:02He's just an even-kill dude. Just one of my favorite teammates.
34:06And I'm just excited that I get to protect a dude like that, that just brings, you know, fire into our team
34:13and does everything possible to help us. Well, I mean, he's a great winner.
34:17And he's going to do whatever he can to make sure that his body is mine and everything's ready to rock and
34:24roll when it needs to be time to rock and roll.
34:28Yeah, it's been a lot to watch him grow in his career as a quarterback, growing those relationships with you guys and his coaching staff.
34:36A little bit of a change, though, is that Davis Webb is going to take over as the play caller.
34:42Sean Payton's been calling plays every single year. He's been the head coach since 2006.
34:47What's the biggest change with Davis Webb going into that position?
34:50I mean, the nice thing is our office hasn't changed too much, right?
34:55Just because they want to keep it as similar as possible.
34:58But there's obviously some changes, different terminologies that we all got to get used to.
35:03But I love Davis Webb. He's young. He's been in the league before.
35:07He knows exactly what we go through on a regular basis.
35:11He knows what works. You know, he's also played quarterback in this league.
35:15And to play quarterback in this league, it's not an easy task at all.
35:19And, you know, there's so many different little things that you didn't really realize when you hear from a quarterback as your OC.
35:26So seeing that, hearing that, and being a part of that is special.
35:31Obviously, you know, Coach Payton did a phenomenal job.
35:33He's one of the best to ever do in this league.
35:37And, you know, he's going to be right there cheering us on and doing everything that we need to do to get right.
35:44But I love him. I love Davis Webb. And I'm just really excited to see what this team can do.
35:51You know, we have everything going for us in all four corners.
35:55And we just got to continue to get this car, continue to move, and let this truck do what it does.
36:01And so I'm excited. I'm looking forward to this season and seeing what we can do.
36:06You guys had a relatively splashy offseason with an addition such as Jalen Waddell.
36:11Obviously, a lot to like there. But one of the things you guys did not change was the offensive line.
36:17Going to return basically the same group from last year.
36:20Really, really successful, cohesive group. How much does that help as far as unlocking weapons such as Jalen Waddell and others?
36:27I mean, our team was just missing one piece.
36:30And we were missing that Jalen Waddell. You know, we were missing that electrifying dude that can, you know, come across the
36:37middle, can get the deep ball, can have that speed around the edge.
36:41When we hand it off to him, when he comes to motion, you know, and all of the above.
36:47I mean, the dude is electrifying, and he's one of the nicest dudes I've ever met.
36:52And I know him and Cortland, which I've had a relationship with Cortland for so many years.
36:58And seeing what he can do. And those two are just freaks and acres, man.
37:02I mean, it's going to be really hard for defenses to try to scheme us up when you have two electrifying receivers like that.
37:10And you've got Marvin Mams. You've got Pat Bryant.
37:13And, you know, you talk about a receiver core that's just, you know, humble and hungry and ready to rock and roll
37:20by two leaders in Cortland and Waddell. So, I'm so excited he's a part of our team.
37:25He brings that juice. He brings a smile on his face every single day.
37:30And having him in the huddle is electrifying. We couldn't be more blessed to have a guy like that, a big-time playmaker for us.
37:37And definitely when we have this tough schedule coming up for us.
37:41And, Garrett, speaking of leadership, we've got to include you, man.
37:45This week we've got the GB3 Youth Camp going on this week.
37:49What can people expect? Yeah, I'm really looking forward to it.
37:52It's my second year that I've launched my foundation here in Denver, Colorado.
37:56You know, this city has given me everything. This team has given me everything.
38:01So, to be able to give back to the youth in my community means the world to me.
38:06You know, it's at Legend High School, which is a local high school here, not too far from our facility.
38:13It's going to be about 300 to about 320 kids.
38:16It's a free camp. I don't charge anything. I just want kids that, you know, never have an opportunity to be around professional athletes, have that opportunity.
38:25And my teammates will come out. My coaches will be there.
38:28Show the community what we're about and just teaching kids about football, a life.
38:33Putting a smile on their face and giving them a why and why they do what they do.
38:38That's what my foundation is, is understanding, you know, mind, faith, family, football.
38:42Yours can be something else. But if you have a triangle of three things that become your why and why you do
38:49what you do, you can overcome anything in your life and live your dream like I am.
38:55So being around these kids, the next generation is truly inspiring.
38:58They give me so much motivation to go out there and play on Sundays.
39:03And I'm really looking forward to interacting with these kids and seeing what these kids can bring.
39:08And it's always fun to watch these kids put a smile on their face and doing all these drills and being around professional athletes.
39:16So it's amazing. And I love doing it for this community.
39:19And, you know, it's my second year. I'm looking forward to it.
39:23Garrett, we appreciate the work you do in the community.
39:26We appreciate you spending time with us here on The Insiders.
39:30Good luck for the Denver Broncos 2026 season. Thanks for joining us, man.
39:34Appreciate you all. Love you guys always. It's time to go inside with Fantasy Live.
39:39Joining us now, NFL Fantasy Podcast host and also one of my co-hosts of NFL Fantasy Live.
39:44It is Michael F. Florio here to break down some position battles.
39:48Not just break them down, but answer them, Mike.
39:51And provide us with the fantasy insight into how that matters.
39:54So let's start. Who's the quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings?
39:58Look, I'm team short Kings, right? Me, Jalen Brunson walking down a literal giant.
40:02And Kyler Murray winning the Vikings quarterback job. And if that happens, it means great things for both Kyler and Justin Jefferson's fantasy value.
40:10First, Kyler has never finished out, not as a QB1 in any full season.
40:14And last year, which was a very weird year for him, was the first time he's ever been not top 12 in points per game.
40:22I would argue KOC system is the best he is going to play in.
40:27And the Vikings also have one of the best wide receiver rooms in the NFL.
40:31And as for Jefferson, fifth lowest catchable target rate last season.
40:35McCarthy and Jefferson combined for the lowest passer rating of any quarterback wide receiver duo in the NFL.
40:41I think to me, this locks Justin Jefferson is as a top six wide receiver back to a first round pick.
40:47And I think he has overall wide receiver one upside.
40:51And then I have Kyler Murray in my top 10 quarterbacks, although his ADP is outside the top 15, cheaper than he's ever been.
40:58And then in Atlanta, I am rooting for Michael Penix Jr.
41:02to win this camp battle. And I think everyone who wants to draft Drake London should be as well.
41:08Since 2024, London has averaged 20.5 fantasy points per game with Michael Penix.
41:12That drops to 14 per game with any other quarterback in that span.
41:16Plus Penix throws the ball out wide more 48% compared to 37% from Tua in the last two years.
41:22He airs it out more 9.3 compared to 6.1 air yards per attempt.
41:26London last year played almost 60% of his snaps out wide.
41:30He is one of the best downfield targets. I just think Penix fits his skill better.
41:35There's chemistry there. And if you watch Tua, you know, there's a lot of questions.
41:40And then the Browns. I think Deshaun Watson actually wins this job out of camp.
41:44And that is a potentially bad thing for Harold Fannin Jr.
41:48Because Fannin averaged 15 fantasy points per game with Chador Sanders last year.
41:52That dropped to 10 per game with any other quarterback.
41:55Four of his six touchdowns came with Sanders. And Sanders threw 18% of his passes to tight ends last year.
42:02Watson as a Brown has never been higher than 13%.
42:05Historically, he's thrown a lot more out wide. He airs it out more.
42:09So if you like Judy Concepcion or Denzel Boston, I guess you're rooting for Deshaun Watson.
42:14But are you really? Like, we've all watched him play.
42:17It hasn't been all that pretty. So while I think he wins it, team Chador here.
42:22Yeah, it's an are you really for a lot.
42:25But we'll see how the fantasy viable members of the 2026 Cleveland Browns are.
42:30There is a look into the fantasy world with Michael F.
42:33Florio. Congratulations to the 2026 class of the Black College Football Hall of Fame, Tyrone Poole, Nick Collins, Rudy Hubbard, Eddie Robinson
42:40Jr., Jimmy Smith, and our very own Steve Weiss.
42:43Congratulations to Steve. There's his before and after. And here's a look at what Steve had to say in his induction speech.
42:50Everyone in the class of the 2026 is 8-3-8, right?
42:53So to be able to go in with a guy like Nick Collins, who's in the Packers ring of honor?
43:00Think about that. Right? Eddie Robinson Jr., Jimmy Smith, I don't go to the cover.
43:04It's weird because I do the doorknob to the football Hall of Fame.
43:09I think the emotion. Such a Steve move as he talks about other people and the feelings.
43:14But we want to celebrate you, Steve. So congratulations to Steve Weiss going into the 2026 class of the Black College Football Hall of Fame.
43:22We are out of time on this edition of Insiders.
43:25But thanks to Tom Pelcero, Ian Rappaport, Judy Batista, Michael F.
43:29Florio, Mark Ross. We're back tomorrow live from Chicago in the Minnesota Vikings.
43:33This is an iHeart Podcast. Guaranteed human.
