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00:00:01
Roses and Thorns
27 Plays4 months ago
The boys are back giving out roses for their biggest hits of the year and getting stung by thorns on guys they stuck their necks out for who didn't pay off.
Let us know your thoughts on the grades we gave each other and see how we made out on the year!
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Transcript
Intro
Introduction and Greetings
00:00:40
Ninja
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to a brand new edition of the ZNG Dynasty Podcast. And per usual, it's the lovely voice of the ninja on the mic with you. And we have the one, the only, our other primary host here, Lord Hinkey. How you doing, buddy?
00:01:02
Dakota Zeigler
Oh, I'm doing good as always. Back on the ones and twos. And as usual, just back to a good good old two-man show,
Mike Tomlin's Departure from Steelers
00:01:09
Dakota Zeigler
buddy. We had Dakota last week. He left us again this week. You know how it rolls. You know you can't expect much from the guy. But at least me and you are here to you know keep this podcast moving.
00:01:19
Ninja
Yeah, we have to do it. You know what? For the kid, honestly, you slide in my email account, and if I see it, I'll let you know when you can hop back on. All right? But getting back into what happened in the NFL this weekend, a weird little couple days, by couple days I mean today, from what I saw, Mike Tomlin, the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, had stepped away from coaching football. I don't know if he'll coach again, but has stepped away as a Steelers head coach.
00:01:50
Ninja
I think he's going to get fired regardless is my personal opinion. but stepped away. Is there any thoughts here for Mike Tomlin and what was a historic run for the Steelers head coach?
00:02:02
Dakota Zeigler
Yes, obviously you can sit here and say a million great things about Mike Tomlin. Obviously he was a great head coach. He's a great man, a great mentor. ran that Steelers program for, I think, almost 20 years.
00:02:13
Dakota Zeigler
I think it was 18 19 19 Never had a losing season.
00:02:16
Ninja
years.
00:02:20
Dakota Zeigler
Consistency is key. Obviously, he's a winner. He's a champion. Nothing but respect for the guy. And I think it was also pretty telling that the Steelers organization – like allowed him to step away. necessarily. They gave him that respect is what I'm trying to say. It's a respectful move to be like, hey, we're mutually parting ways rather than saying, okay, we're just firing you, Mike Tomlin.
00:02:44
Dakota Zeigler
Like you you weren't good enough. We have to fire you. They gave him the respect and was like, hey we're going to move on. well Let's say we stepped away. Let's say we mutually parted ways.
00:02:55
Dakota Zeigler
I think it's you know it's class act from the Steelers organization, which really I wouldn't expect anything less from. i guess the next thing would be, what does he do next?
00:03:06
Dakota Zeigler
What is his next steps? Does he go back into head coaching? Does he just chill for a while? Does he go into broadcasting? I could see him going into broadcasting.
00:03:16
Ninja
I don't think he'd be good in broadcasting. I really don't.
00:03:18
Dakota Zeigler
Really? you know Him and like Terry Bradshaw doing like the Sunday morning show?
00:03:23
Ninja
Oh, I'd hate it. I would never watch it.
00:03:25
Dakota Zeigler
Yeah. Yeah.
00:03:27
Ninja
I know I've never watched it.
00:03:27
Dakota Zeigler
I don't know. But the thing is, though, he's still like a younger coach. I think he's only in his like 50s, 60s.
00:03:32
Ninja
i think he's in his fifty s yeah.
00:03:34
Dakota Zeigler
Yeah. Like he's he's still got some years if he wanted to get back into it. But I don't know. I think I think he might just be i think he'll take a year hiatus and then figure it out later.
00:03:44
Ninja
Yeah, i think I think he's done for now. And by him stepping away, any team that would interview Mike Tomlin or would want him as head coach would have to trade for him, kind of like Sean Payne.
00:03:54
Ninja
They wouldn't be able to just sign him.
00:03:55
Dakota Zeigler
Oh, you're right.
00:03:56
Ninja
So
Greg Roman's Firing from Chargers
00:03:57
Dakota Zeigler
Yeah. Yeah.
00:03:57
Ninja
there'd be some picks going one way or another.
00:04:13
Ninja
I kind of feel bad, kind of happy because getting into a point I'll talk to later, kind of like him for a team. Junior.
00:04:22
Dakota Zeigler
Yeah, i I agree. I definitely think he got a bad rap there. The offense line for the Chargers was nearly like it it looked like watching a high school team try and block like a Division I college football team most of the time. It was just not good. Rashaun Slater going down for pretty much the whole year. Joe Alt was down 10.
00:04:42
Dakota Zeigler
It felt like week in and week out, and then he had the injury, which held him out for the rest of the season. Mekhi Becton, we were talking about before the podcast, has just not been playing very well for them, even though he had a massive contract.
00:04:55
Dakota Zeigler
Bring him back to the birds, please. But, yeah, I just don't think he got a good rap there. Amarion Hampton being injured, Justin Herbert dealing with injuries the whole season. I don't think he's a bad offense coordinator. I do think he'll get another job somewhere.
00:05:10
Dakota Zeigler
And I guess we can talk, you know, where that would be here soon.
00:05:14
Ninja
Yes, and we will get into that when I announce that it is official, ladies and gentlemen, we don't have to suffer anymore. We don't have long nights crying anymore.
00:05:25
Ninja
In our beds. Wondering why. Why is this happening to us? Kevin Petula officially canned.
Opinions on Kevin Petula's Firing
00:05:34
Ninja
Out. And in my notes, this will have to be edited.
00:05:37
Ninja
you stupid Kevin Petula. I'm so glad you're out. Go flip burgers, you loser. You have no business being anywhere near a football field. You absolute bum.
00:05:51
Ninja
Wow, that felt good to get out of my chest.
00:05:53
Dakota Zeigler
It was so weird to hear you like talk crap on somebody, but with the wind music playing in the background.
00:05:54
Ninja
I've been saying it for a while.
00:06:01
Ninja
It's such a win.
00:06:01
Dakota Zeigler
yeah
00:06:02
Dakota Zeigler
like Usually or it's the sad music.
00:06:02
Ninja
I've never been... like We didn't talk about this much. Obviously, we're both Eagles fans. like i I was very mellow in our weekend chats with the boys, with you, me, and Zag.
00:06:15
Ninja
Very mellow. I just said, yep, saw this coming. It's going to happen. I couldn't be happier.
00:06:21
Dakota Zeigler
Yeah.
00:06:21
Ninja
I was elated when I heard the news.
00:06:23
Dakota Zeigler
Yeah, this this is a late Christmas gift to all Eagles fans, is what this is.
00:06:24
Ninja
It's about time.
00:06:30
Ninja
I think I've been on this since week 8. So it feels good being early on this train. But yeah. Kevin Petula. Up yours buddy. I hate you. As a human being and a person. You could be great. Don't know. Don't care.
00:06:44
Dakota Zeigler
I think pra probably one of the worst offensive coordinator hirings In the NFL last year.
00:06:55
Ninja
Definitely.
00:06:55
Dakota Zeigler
Like, like the worst.
00:06:55
Ninja
And we.
00:06:57
Dakota Zeigler
I saw statistics of how our offense was like last, like obviously everyone talks about the Eagles and they, Oh, well they've had a new offensive coordinator is about to be, I think six years in a row. And yes, is it five years in a row?
00:07:08
Ninja
Five years in a row. Yeah.
00:07:10
Dakota Zeigler
And yes, and what happens when you're a good football team is that people steal your coordinators because they want also good coordinators.
00:07:11
Ninja
Yeah.
00:07:19
Dakota Zeigler
So that's happened to us about half the time. The other half is when Nick Sirianni thinks he can hire within his own organization, and hey, it turns out that quarterback's coach or that you know offensive game-playing coach doesn't really have what it takes to be an offense coordinator in the NFL.
00:08:10
Dakota Zeigler
If you have the slightest amount of good play calling and like consistent, unpredictable play calling, we could be a top five offense with the what the weapons we have.
00:08:22
Dakota Zeigler
That's realistically all we need.
00:08:25
Ninja
Yeah, I think that's a floor for sure.
00:08:25
Dakota Zeigler
we can We can kind of spitball. Yeah, that's the floor. Obviously, this year, I think we were... in the twenties, I think an offensive like production or something like that.
00:08:35
Ninja
I think we finished as 27th in offensive proficiency.
00:08:37
Dakota Zeigler
Yeah. Uh, just, just God awful. Uh, especially with one of the highest paid entire offenses in the NFL.
00:08:47
Ninja
Yeah, it was terrible. And I think I'm going to leave where you're going to go. Some guys we would want to see as OC. Some names to throw out there. Obviously, if Brian Dable doesn't get a head coaching job, would love him as OC. Junior said it last week. Kevin Stefanski as OC here I think would be fantastic.
00:09:08
Ninja
I even love me some Mike McDaniel after him getting fired from the Dolphins. I would love him as OC. There's so many names I would rather love. And even Greg Roman as a as a good fourth option like for this team as far as offensive coordinator goes. The way he runs his scheme I think could fit us really well.
00:09:30
Ninja
So I think it's only wheels up, but I have a bad, bad feeling that we're going to hire internally and it's going to be a little bit of the same next year. But Junior, is there any way you want to see this offensive coordinator vacancy go?
00:09:46
Ninja
Is there some names you have out there? Or do you think we're just going to be that little prima donna, you know, higher within our QB coach or whatever the heck and just suffer through the same dramatic bullshit we dealt with this year?
Candidates for Eagles' Offensive Coordinator
00:09:58
Dakota Zeigler
I don't think we're going to hire within. i haven't heard any buzz about any. Usually when you hire within, it's usually after guy gets hired and he leaves behind one or two guys that were in his staff.
00:10:11
Dakota Zeigler
like a quarterback's coach or like a you know run game coach, kind of something like that. i I haven't heard any buzz or any name that sticks out as a possible offensive coordinator job, for us at least.
00:10:24
Dakota Zeigler
And if the guy you hired as the offensive coordinator was this bad as Kevin Petula was, I don't think anybody under him would be better.
00:10:36
Ninja
Agreed.
00:10:36
Dakota Zeigler
that would That would be my mindset. So i I wouldn't want a full revamp. Obviously, for me, my one by far is Kevin Stefanski. If we can hire Kevin Stefanski as offense coordinator, I would be through the roof.
00:10:49
Dakota Zeigler
Now what that would probably end up being like a one-year rental. We'd win the Super Bowl. We'd average like 35 points per game, and it would be gorgeous.
00:10:56
Ninja
and
00:10:57
Dakota Zeigler
But he would probably get you know a head coaching job the next season, and we'd do this again next year. But at least I'd have another Super Bowl for it. But yeah, Stefanski is my number one by far. I think my number two would be Dayball. I think him being like a a Pennsylvania guy,
00:11:13
Dakota Zeigler
He has the relationship with Saquon, even though it wasn't great years, he still has like a relationship with Saquon. And he actually was the offensive coordinator at Alabama back when Jalen Hurts was a quarterback at Alabama. That was the same year he got benched in the national championship game with Tua Tagovailoa.
00:11:32
Dakota Zeigler
So I think he has enough ties to this offense to where I feel pretty good about Brian Dayball being our offensive coordinator. He's a good play caller. He's great with the Bills. Like, I'm totally cool with that. Giants years obviously didn't go well, but nothing did for the Giants.
00:12:00
Dakota Zeigler
Doug Peterson?
00:12:03
Ninja
Oh god, that's such a rough look.
00:12:05
Dakota Zeigler
Right now. After that, kind of tough. I've heard some news about Cliff Kingsbury maybe being on the outs in Washington if he hasn't been outs already.
00:12:15
Ninja
Well, he's on the outs, yeah.
00:12:18
Dakota Zeigler
If he were to somehow become available, i wouldn't hate that as an OC.
00:12:23
Ninja
I think he is available. He parted ways with the commander's
00:12:26
Dakota Zeigler
is said I thought I did see that.
00:12:29
Ninja
Yeah, that was about a week. I think I said that on last pod, but one point I wanted to throw at you. One thing I actually saw today scrolling through Instagram, and whether it's true or not, apparently Leshawn McCoy has been hearing from Eagles people in the organization that they had to dumb things down for Jalen Hurts and that Jalen Hurts can't do play calling. I just wanted to hear your opinion on that. I thought it was a bunch shit.
00:12:54
Ninja
But if there's any person who knows what shit smells like, it's my boy over there on the other side of the mic, Gary Buck. How is this smelling to you, big fella?
00:13:09
Dakota Zeigler
It smells like a suppose like a clogged toilet is what that smells like. There's there's absolutely no way Jalen Hurts needed an offense to be dumbed down for him when he was an MVP candidate last season.
00:13:23
Dakota Zeigler
Under, oh my God, his name's blanking me. Who's the? Kellen Moore.
00:13:27
Ninja
Calamoria.
00:13:27
Dakota Zeigler
Colin Moore does not run a very basic offense. there's a lot of motion. There's a lot of options. There's a lot of RPOs, which is Jalen Hurts game, but it's not like a dumbed down offense. Like he still has to react on instinct. He has to read defenses. He needs to make checks at the line there.
00:13:44
Dakota Zeigler
I think it's a big fat lie. And it's kind of you know, I hate that LaShawn McCoy, being a former Eagle, is out here talking shit on his own former team.
00:13:58
Ninja
hey He's going for clout.
00:13:58
Dakota Zeigler
Like, like even even if it is true, why put that out there?
00:14:00
Ninja
He's going for clout. And i I could have called it, but...
00:14:05
Ninja
Hey, man, he's in that broadcast role. And, man, money talks, man. And like like I said in this podcast before, at least one time, bullshit talks and money takes...
00:14:10
Dakota Zeigler
It's sad.
00:14:14
Ninja
Or money talks and bullshit takes the bus. So maybe he's just getting paid to, you know, say some wild things about Eagles people to get us ramped up.
00:14:24
Ninja
But enough about that, because I'm pretty happy leaving Kevin Patula out there in the rainstorm working at McDonald's, because who cares about that guy?
00:14:30
Dakota Zeigler
Yeah.
00:14:32
Ninja
There's so many curse words there. Sorry, Zig. Whatever, time frame.
00:14:35
Dakota Zeigler
Yeah. Sorry, Zig. Love you.
00:14:38
Ninja
Love you, buddy. But I figure for our next segment, it's a segment you brought into this podcast. We'll go one for one here, and we'll kind of... just loop in off each other, add exactly what we want to say to each person.
00:14:56
Dakota Zeigler
You're...
00:14:57
Ninja
This is called the Roses and Thorns podcast. We're going to go on, yes, yes, all the rounds of applause for Junior. This was entirely his idea. We're going to go over, I think it's mainly people that we were fans of, and just see if there's any little thorns sticking out of the roses that we picked early in this season. And as me and him were talking earlier, it's hard to find guys that we didn't like. a Junior.
00:15:24
Dakota Zeigler
Yeah, so this segment is going to be you know roses and thorns. You've heard us say it on the podcast before where we have to say, well, we have to give this guy his flowers because you know he called this pretty early.
00:15:36
Dakota Zeigler
And it's you usually with Damian predicting some fourth-round rookie to be the starting wide receiver of the Texans. But it's, yeah, it's, we always say give that guy his flowers.
00:15:42
Ninja
Let's go.
00:15:47
Dakota Zeigler
So I kind of came up with the idea of, like well, let's give let's give each other flowers on our own picks from earlier on in the year, now that the season is over. And the Thorns pick is, you know, a few of these picks that didn't go well, which are mainly the picks that I made.
00:16:01
Dakota Zeigler
So...
00:16:01
Ninja
Yeah, yeah, hate to see it, but so the viewers kind of know how we're going. We each gave ourselves a grade for how the like individual grades for these people. So if I say a name, I made the grade, and obviously the person can rebuttal on if I'm absolutely lying and full of garbage, or if it's an actual good grade. We tried to make it decent grades for you guys. like We're not trying to blow anything out of the water here. But I'll start us off in my first. I'm going to consider a rose. Dare I say gem.
00:16:34
Ninja
I found and I've been on early. is my boy Jaden Higgins out of the Houston Texans organization. I gave myself an A- minus grade, and I said i couldn't do much better.
00:16:47
Ninja
i Showed flashes of elite athleticism and deep ball ability. Perfect compliment to Nico. Lacks some production in the earlier part of the year, but if there's a buy I'm having this offseason, it's Jaden Higgins.
00:17:02
Ninja
I think his production, especially in the latter half of the year,
00:17:03
Dakota Zeigler
Thank you.
00:17:05
Ninja
you have to at least anticipate that to continue or at least be on par. And I think he's Nico Collins 2.0, and it's why I fell in love with him in the first place. I think he does all the things Nico does exceptionally well. Like, he does them on par with Nico, and this is what I saw. So I'm not upset with a little bit of slow production because this is what my Nico shares have all done.
00:17:31
Ninja
i think it's... i This is Niko 2.0, and he just so happens to be with Niko himself. I'm so happy with what I saw, and he is definitely my buy this offseason. If i he's not somehow if somehow he's not on my team already, I'm finding a way. i will trade a 26 first for this kid, and I don't care.
Drake May's Stellar Season
00:17:53
Ninja
But, Junior, is there anything you have to say about my first rose, Jaden Higgins?
00:17:59
Dakota Zeigler
I like it. I agree. Obviously, he is a definitely considered a rose. I don't know if I would have given it an A-. minus I think he definitely had a good year. Showed some flashes, like you said. Yeah.
00:18:12
Dakota Zeigler
I completely agree with him being a buy over this off season. I'd send maybe an early second for Jaden Higgins. There's a lot of wide receivers in this draft class that I love that I don't know if I'd be willing to trade away knowing I'm getting back Jaden Higgins.
00:18:28
Dakota Zeigler
But with that being said, Great deep ball ability. He showed, the i think Nico missed a handful of games this season. And in those games, Higgins definitely stepped up and was able to you know contribute right in that role right away.
00:18:41
Ninja
Thank you.
00:18:42
Dakota Zeigler
Even playing well with Nico in the lineup, I think that once those Texans can actually fulfill like a full offense down there, Higgins would be a very, very good wide receiver two option for sure.
00:18:56
Dakota Zeigler
And I guess moving on to my next, my first rose, which I don't know about you, but might be the biggest rose in this entire bouquet.
00:19:07
Ninja
Hit it for yourself. Hit it.
00:19:10
Dakota Zeigler
think I have to.
00:19:11
Dakota Zeigler
little this.
00:19:13
Ninja
little bit of that.
00:19:15
Dakota Zeigler
Drake. Drake May. May. I gave myself an A with five pluses in the chat. I don't think I could have hit this nail even harder under this coffin if I wanted to, which is the funniest bit. I don't know why I keep saying that bit, but it's just so funny to me. Yeah.
00:19:36
Dakota Zeigler
But I said on the hot takes pod, I thought he would be a top five quarterback. And even that was just too low. he ended up being a top two QB this season. MVP candidate for the Patriots. Basically him and Matthew Stafford just competing it out for like the obvious but most valuable player in the league.
00:19:55
Dakota Zeigler
Couldn't just an incredible season led that Patriots team to a number two seed in the playoffs. Fantasy wise, finished as a QB to.
00:20:06
Dakota Zeigler
31 passing touchdowns.
00:20:09
Dakota Zeigler
That's incredible. I couldn't have asked for a better season for Drake May. If you didn't buy him during the offseason, I'm sorry. I told you to. You should have. To be fair, I only think I have like one share of Drake May.
00:20:19
Dakota Zeigler
But incredible year. Only really had like Stefan Diggs as a good wide receiver, consistent wide receiver option. And even then it was spotty.
00:20:30
Dakota Zeigler
Double H, nothing crazy. Running game was like okay. The guy was just doing it all himself. He looked like Josh Allen just taking that offense on on his back, or running it the entire season, doing exactly what needed to be done, rushing, throwing the ball, not turning the ball over. Thanks, kitty cat, just running right into my microphone like it's not here. But, yeah, Drake May, couldn't have had a better year for me.
00:20:56
Dakota Zeigler
i actually underestimated him in my hot takes pod, which I didn't think was possible.
00:21:01
Ninja
Yeah, definitely a good run. I don't know if I would have gave you the five A-pluses. I don't know if I would have gone that far. I think you're a solid A-plus. So...
00:21:12
Ninja
well Let's not get ourselves. Me and you have been talking about this guy for a while. We both loved him coming out of our process, out of our draft. I it was also a Drake May guy. just happen to like another guy just a touch more, just a tad bit more. But I think with the wide receiver play, with the scheme, with everything that that goes on there, i don't disagree with