Evan & Tiki
Evan & Tiki Short: It's Russell Wilson Day!
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I think Russell Wilson is interesting only because of what you just said, Evan. He has had a lot of success in his career. And there was points where we thought he was shoeing Hall of Famer. Yes. I mean, he won Super Bowls. He went to another if it wasn't for, I don't know whose play call it was, handing it off at the goal or trying to throw it at the goal line as opposed to handing it off to Marshawn Lance. He'd be a two time Super Bowl champion. And they felt like, God, this guy can do anything. He throws these deep like moon balls that somehow always land on target. And eventually it just seemed like all of that petered out. It's like he wanted to become more of a pocket passer and more of a MVP type quarterback candidate. And it derailed his career. And over the last four years, he's left a lot to be desired as a quarterback. But he still is a Super Bowl champion and has a history of winning. Even in even in Pittsburgh last year. Well, that's what I'm going to bring up to you because maybe I'm being too simplistic here. Maybe I haven't watched enough tape, which I haven't. I'm not going to lie to you. I haven't watched Denver Bronco and Stealer tape. But I see a guy who while he's getting up there in age, over the last two seasons, he's gone out and not that his team has been elite, but he won seven games in Denver. Last year, he was six and five after replacing Justin Fields. And he continues something he did early in his career, which doesn't turn the ball over. Russell Wilson is not James Winston. He doesn't turn the ball over. So you look at his stats over the last two years in Denver in Pittsburgh. He's done 32 touchdown passes. He's done 13 interceptions. He's basically 500. Now, that's not all him, obviously. He's also quarterbacking 18. But I see that. And while he's not the guy he was, or at least the guy we thought he was a decade ago, that still seems like a major upgrade. And it still seems like something that would stabilize the New York football drive. And it might, I think the thing you worry about is what happens if he truly falls off the cliff, right? Because it felt it feels like he's hanging on, you know, not like ascending, definitely not ascending, not like stable, just kind of the same player every year. It's like he's hanging on to being good. And at some point, it happens to everybody, by the way, it's whether it's age or injury or whatever, you just, you just lose the ability to hang on and you fall and you stink. And I don't want that to happen with the New York Giants, because it's felt like it's happening the last four years. It hasn't, but it's felt like he's hanging on to being a good player. Well, that may be the case. What wouldn't worry me is I think the Giants plan, and it would certainly be my plan. And I think this is what the Giants are doing, is they're adding a veteran quarterback and they're going to drive someone, whether it's at three or it's in the second round, they're bringing a young man into the room with Russell Wilson, with Tommy DeVito that they're hoping to develop. In the worst case scenario that you're right, that this hanging before he falls off the cliff, if that occurs, he gets replaced. Yeah. Like he's a bridge, but is that solving what the Giants need right now? Is any veteran quarterback out there solving their issue was really going to solve their issues developing? The only one is, is, er, Rod, because it feels like it, at least he's, like he's not done, done. I feel, I don't, sometimes I just look at, I watch Russell Wilson, and I say to myself, this guy is just done. And, and I guess if he comes to the Giants, you'd, you'd find the beauty in it, right? You say, this is what he can provide. Well, as fans, you have no other choice, maybe, but I mean, there are other choices, obviously. No, no, I mean, if they sign him, right, we yell, we scream, we're mad, and then after five days, you're like, all right, I got to rationalize this crap. Exactly. If you don't like the move, obviously. Yeah, but, but at the same time, you do know that he has history of winning. And as corny as he may be at times, he's sending the right message. It's not like he's corny and being a jerk. He's being quiet, positive. Okay. So let me ask you this about the corny stuff. And we will address the corny stuff because coming up a little bit later on, and I'll guarantee it here in this two o'clock hour, we've compiled a list of the corny as stuff Russell Wilson has ever done. But does that really, other than us having a laugh and us, you're joking about it and people making fun of it on social media, does the corny stuff hurt a room? And is it more distracting than any of the other quote, unquote distractions that say Aaron Rogers only only if he's bad and he hasn't been bad. Right. It's only it only becomes an issue if he's bad quarterback. Right. And then that making fun of him becomes like mocking. Sure. And making fun of and mocking are two different things. And so that's the last thing you want, because it just creates a divide. So that's like, I'm trying to think if I've ever had this kind of player in my locker. Yeah, if you had a cringe teammate, where'd you get those shoots? Easy. They're from DSW because DSW has the exact right shoes for whatever you're into right now. You know, like the sneakers that make office hours feel like happy hour. The boots, the turn grocery aisles into runways, and all the styles that show off the many sides of you. From daydreamer to multitasker and everything in between, because you do it all in really great shoes. Find a shoe for every you at your DSW store or DSW.com. 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So they're just kind of gone and I don't know. They don't they don't belongs. They don't last but Russ is he's lasted. I also think and there's something to that by the way and this is the way I look at Russell Wilson and the way I look at Aaron Rodgers. So I think most of us would agree if you're looking for that short term success while you're developing a young quarterback those two guys give you a much better chance than any of the other veterans out there. No doubt. Like the Giants met with Joe Flacco yesterday. Give me a freaking break. I've seen Joe Flacco. We've all seen Joe Flacco. Joe Flacco is not helping you win games in the short term the way a Russell Wilson can and the way Aaron Rodgers can. I believe that Aaron Rodgers is much as you tell him. Hey, you're coming here. We want to win but let's see where the season goes. We are drafting someone or we're likely to draft somebody we may replace you. I think Aaron Rodgers is going to have a harder time facing that reality than Russell Wilson. And the reason I think that is because Russell Wilson is a journeyman now. Yeah, like he was in Denver. It didn't work. They benched him while they still sort of had a chance for salary cap and injury related reasons. He goes to Pittsburgh where at first we thought they weren't playing him right away because well let me see if we got more out of Justin Fierce and then they finally go to Russell Wilson and now Ross is in Cleveland. He's going to meet with the Giants today. It feels like he's actually at a different part of his career than Rodgers is in which benching him is actually going to be easier than benching Aaron Rodgers because Aaron we still don't know how he's perceived. We know that he had injury filled seasons over the last couple of years. But we don't know what an organization thinks about him. I think we know what an organization thinks about Russell Wilson because multiple of them have gotten rid of him. Multiple teams have gotten rid of him. And also let's think about the current marketplace for Russell Wilson and Aaron Rodgers. In the case of Aaron Rodgers, the Steelers are clearly interested. The Giants are clearly interested. And as reported by numerous people, including Albert Breyer and lately Diana Rucini, the Vikings are considering it and Rodgers would welcome going to Minnesota. So think about the teams that are interested in Aaron Rodgers, a team from the playoffs last year in the Pittsburgh Steelers with one of the great coaches in the sport who just made a trade for DK Matt Gaff. Yep. They're trying to win. They're trying to win. The Steelers are trying to win. You see it in what they've done in their in the offseason. And they were a playoff team last year. Team number two, interested in Aaron Rodgers, potentially the Minnesota Vikings. A team that won a hell of a lot of games last year until it came crashing down at the end with Sam Donald. Again, another team Toronto win. And then you got the Giants. The Cleveland Browns are the only linked team right now to Russell Wilson. Now, the Steelers may be treating him as a backup plan in case they fail on Rodgers. Yes. So the marketplace is telling you how they view Ross versus Aaron Rodgers, which would tell me, because again, my view is, and I think most trans fans agree with this, you're drafting a young quarterback. This is the veteran who's going to hold the fort down, maybe quarterback the entire year. If you guys have success, can't rule it out, but you're drafting a young quarterback who may replace. Wilson is more at the point in his career in which he's replaceable than Aaron Rodgers. Yeah, it's almost an easier transition if it just doesn't feel right. Now, if he's winning games, you just roll with him. You let the young kids sit. It is what it is. Whoever that young player is, you're not worried about them, right? Because you have time. And I think all of these kids coming out this year, whether it's the top of the quarterback class or the middle or even the bot, they all need, they all need work, right? They all will benefit from, from, from sitting and learning. Now, if they happen to surprise the hell out of you and OTAs and mini camp and in training camp, and they end up starting over whoever veteran you signed, fine. That's a great thing. And you know what's funny? Think about Russell Wilson's really, really, really, really beginning of his career. Yes, he knows all about that. Exactly that. Because the Seattle Seahawks signed a veteran free aging quarterback, Matt Flynn. Matt Flynn, who was coming off for like 30 seconds of success. Yeah, he had like half a game. And Seattle was like, yeah, right. We'll give you a lot of money. And Russell Wilson was drafted, not the first round and was so impressive in camp that he took the job. So I think Russell Wilson eyes wide open, especially at this point of his career has to understand that situation could happen with the Giants. The best case scenario for the Giants is that they bring in a veteran, whether it's Wilson or Rogers, they draft a young quarterback and they win games. And the vision that some of the optimistic giant fans have, I heard Peter Schrager say this the other day, and he's not a giant fan. He's just an analyst. He said, hey, I think the Giants have a really talented roster. I think they're a quarterback away. Now, I don't share that view. Clearly you don't base an action. I think there's depth issues. I think they're each right though. It's a talented roster. You look at some of the positions, you know, like, all right, these two kids, they drafted in the secondary last year, they're pretty damn good, right? They're defensive front. It's pretty damn good, right? With Dexter Lawrence and Rakeem and all those other guys, linebacker, Michael McFadden, it's pretty good, right? Offensive, they got one of the best wide receivers in football. They got a good running back who they kind of stole late in the draft. Offensive line, they have it all pro at one of their, you know, positions, but it's just, it's the depth. It's like the glue in between the big pieces. That's not there yet. Well, that matters because we saw what happened last year when Andrew Thomas went down in the offensive line crumbled. But I think the best case scenario is that view is correct. And the Giants add a veteran quarterback. He doesn't play like an MVP. People plays well enough. And the Giants win eight or nine games. And we're sitting here in January, maybe talking about a playoff game, we're talking about what was a fun, successful season. And then you're thinking yourself, Oh, we got that young kid waiting. Yeah, that's your door, Sanders, that Jackson dart. He hasn't played at all. But man, I'm so ready. Gables, proven he could coach, Shane's proven he can find some talent. And that is the best case scenario. And by the way, you're saying the body of the veteran, you say to Russell Wilson or Aaron Rodgers, thank you. You gave us a quality year, right? Well, you appreciate it. See you later. Now the new era begins. The Kurt Warner, the Kurt Warner situation. I would say better than Kurt Warner, because you actually complete the year with a veteran. And then right, right, right, right. Hiring is a lonely business, posting jobs, sifting through resumes, interviews with unqualified applicants, being ghosted. What if you could link with dozens of qualified candidates who are ready to work right now with just one connection? That's express employment professionals. Find us at expresspros.com. 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Evan and Tiki discuss the merits of Russell Wilson possibly being signed by the Giants after his visit to the team today.