00:00So, Ben Solak, ESPN, and he puts a disclaimer here.
00:04He says, try, try not, saying they will.
00:09He says, I think, quote, or he goes, I think, dot, dot, dot,
00:13the Browns, Jets, and Vikings should all try to trade for Justin Herbert.
00:19And he said, I don't think the Chargers will trade Herbert.
00:21In fact, I don't think the Chargers will trade anyone, really.
00:26ESPN Adam Schefter reported Monday on McAfee
00:29that the Chargers are likely disinterested in dealing players.
00:34Goes on forward, though.
00:36Talks about what it might cost to get Justin Herbert.
00:42He said he posted this question on X, formerly known as Twitter,
00:45where I always go when I want a balanced and reasonable survey of opinions.
00:48Most rational responders included two first-round picks.
00:52They asked Albert Breer this on afternoon drive.
00:54Here's what Albert had to say.
00:56It'd be hard, right?
00:57You'd be talking at least three first-round picks.
01:00And then, like, what else?
01:01I don't think there's any way the Chargers would say yes.
01:03There's almost no reason not to.
01:05If you don't have a quarterback, you'd really like him.
01:06And if they say no, they'd say no.
01:08But I don't see why you wouldn't at least try.
01:10And chances are the conversation is going to be a short one for the last 90 seconds.
01:14And at that point, you walk away and that's that.
01:17But at the very least, you knew you'd try.
01:19How bad would you feel if you were a GM right now who loved Jeffrey Simmons,
01:22who could use Jeffrey Simmons, and he didn't go to every length?
01:25Like the Giants, for example.
01:27I'd say they sleep relatively well at night knowing at least we made those phone calls.
01:31You know, at least Joe Shane called.
01:33Mike Borgazzi, at least the head coach.
01:36And it's sort of a faux pas what he did.
01:38But at least the head coach called the other team's owner.
01:40And it didn't work out.
01:41But, you know, at least we swung.
01:43And maybe your one second guess, a few of them, would be like,
01:46well, we should have put something on the table.
01:47And they didn't.
01:48But, you know, at least you tried.
01:50And I think, like, what happened with the Titans and Bears is a good example of, like,
01:54I guess it's like that.
01:56I was going to say Michael Scott.
01:57I know it's Wayne Gretzky, but the Michael Scott thing, right?
02:01He missed 100% of the shots you don't take.
02:04Again, that's Albert Breer on Afternoon Drive.
02:06Again, trade deadline conversation on 92.3 The Fan brought to you by Hands Free Sketchers.
02:13Slip-ins, just step in and go.
02:15They make it that easy for you, Hands Free Sketchers.
02:19Would you trade for Justin Herbert?
02:21And if you would, what would you give up?
02:22So I'd definitely think about it.
02:24You'd think about it.
02:25That's it.
02:26You'd only think about it.
02:27Well, I'd definitely think about it.
02:28But there's so many considerations here.
02:31I hope so.
02:32He looks like a broken quarterback.
02:33You know, when we traded for Deshaun Watson,
02:35Deshaun Watson did not look like a broken quarterback.
02:37Deshaun Watson was playing like a top five quarterback.
02:40Well, he was playing like a top five quarterback a year before because he didn't play that year.
02:43Yeah.
02:45Justin Herbert right now looks like he's broken and looks like he's not playing with any fun.
02:52Like there's no zest for the game of football.
02:56He's on a winless team.
02:58He's a big reason why they're winless.
03:00So it's hard.
03:01But a lot of what we do in football is about traits and talent.
03:07And he has been good.
03:10I don't think he's been top five like Deshaun Watson had been.
03:14So this makes it hard.
03:16And when you start throwing at me two first-round picks, is that what Breer said?
03:21Yeah.
03:21No, he said three.
03:22Three?
03:23He said three.
03:23Yeah.
03:23I can't do that.
03:24I just can't do it because I don't have enough faith that Todd Munkin could rescue him at this stage.
03:31Wait a minute.
03:32I think – see that – now here we go.
03:36I kind of have to disagree with you there to a certain degree.
03:39Anthony, is that on Todd or is that on Justin?
03:42It's a combination of both, I would have to say.
03:45I'm sorry.
03:46I think Todd has done a good job making Deshaun Watson just somewhat palatable again.
03:50I think he has two.
03:51I think he's done a tremendous job.
03:52But am I trading three first-round picks just to make Justin Herbert palatable?
03:56Well, that's my issue.
03:58Dammit.
03:59Fool me once.
04:00Shame on you.
04:01Fool me twice.
04:02You fool me once, King.
04:03Fool me once.
04:05Shame on – shame on you.
04:09If you fool me, we can't get fooled again.
04:11I wonder what he's thinking this morning.
04:14Dane Brugler going to join us at 9.
04:15We will go around the AFC North at 8 o'clock.
04:18I kind of want to ask them what each one of them thinks the Browns would give up.
04:21So, I – for a multitude of reasons, I'm not giving up three first-round picks.
04:27For not a multitude of reasons, but for a very specific reason, I am not giving up two first-round
04:33picks over two years.
04:34Okay.
04:35All right?
04:36If I'm going to give up two first-round picks for Justin Herbert – like, I think Justin Herbert's a
04:41good quarterback.
04:41I also agree with everything you just said.
04:44Because I think at one point, Deshaun Watson was a really talented quarterback.
04:47And once guys are broken, it's hard to put Humpty Dumpty back together.
04:51And to trade two first-round picks for a quote-unquote broken quarterback seems to be crazy.
04:58Seems to be absolutely nuts.
05:00All right.
05:01Let's work through it, though.
05:02So, it wasn't just guys that they gave up three first-round choices for Deshaun Watson.
05:07It's that you gave them up in successive years.
05:10So, you had three years.
05:12There's good drafts.
05:14There's bad drafts.
05:15There's ugly drafts.
05:16There's great drafts.
05:17And over three years, three opportunities to make this team better.
05:21You think about this.
05:22They have below-average quarterback play right now.
05:25If you had Kirk Cousins, if you had Sam Darnold, if you had a lot of guys right now on
05:33this team,
05:33and those three first-round picks, as well as all the guys that you have right now,
05:38how much different would people see the Browns?
05:40How much different as a contender?
05:42So, there's no doubt.
05:43Like, there's people who, they hate Watson, and they cannot believe we give them any credit at all.
05:47And I go, guys, no one on this show, we've said he's been good at times.
05:52We haven't said he's good.
05:54Because he really ain't.
05:55At best, he's average.
05:57And the bar, because he was at one point scared to death to play the position, is extremely low.
06:04So, if you're going to give up, I understand the price is hefty.
06:07He's got a lot of talent.
06:09There's a lot of arm power there.
06:11There's a lot of things that a lot of scouts love about Justin Herbert.
06:14So, I know it's going to start at two first-round picks, or it's going to be two first-round
06:19picks.
06:19I'd give up, if we're really going to do it, I'd be willing to give up the two this year.
06:25And get it over with.
06:26And go into 20-28 with the first-round pick.
06:30I'm not going over a couple years.
06:33I just can't.
06:34I can't.
06:35And I don't know if Andrew Barry would do that, just because I'm looking at it going,
06:39I mean, you almost, I can't believe you didn't lose your job.
06:42Frankly, I can't believe it.
06:44And I like him, and I think that a lot of people around the league would go, yeah, we like
06:47Andrew too.
06:48We really can't believe he still has his job, considering guys who lost their jobs.
06:51So, you went through three first-round picks.
06:53Yeah, who would fans rather have next year, though?
06:56Would they rather have Deshaun Watson?
06:58Or Justin Herbert.
06:59Or Justin Herbert.
06:59They'd rather have Justin Herbert.
07:00But why I bulk at some of the other stuff is like, man, you know, you need a bunch of
07:05people around him.
07:06We're having the same conversation.
07:08You're like, yeah, you got Denzel Boston with him.
07:10You'd have KC Concepcion and Harold Fannin Jr. with him.
07:14Obviously, Justin Herbert is a guy who needs offensive line help and needs a lot of offensive line help.
07:18Now, they've had some really bad luck on their offensive line.
07:21Who's to say that we won't have bad luck on our offensive line?
07:24Our offensive line is rough enough as it is.
07:26And if you start losing guys, which every offensive line does, boy, you're going to have some serious problems there.
07:32So, I don't think it would be, like, when they traded for Deshaun Watson, there was a lot of, it's
07:36cut, it's dry,
07:37this team can make a playoff run right now, depending on how this all shakes out, that's the way it's
07:41going to be.
07:42I can't guarantee that.
07:43This thing was set up to be successful with the Chargers.
07:46Now, I don't think that they'd entertain it.
07:49Because I think that he's a talented quarterback, and they know that they don't just fall off of trees, these
07:53talented quarterbacks.
07:54But, if they were going to entertain it, listen, I'll give you two first-round picks this year, if we're
07:58going to do it, and then that's it.
08:00Okay, I guess I'll throw in a couple of sweeteners here and there, elsewhere.
08:04But, man, I can't be going into 28 and still paying the fiddler for Justin Herbert.
08:10I can't be going into 29 and still be paying it for Justin Herbert.
08:14Like, I need top-quality talent to put around Justin Herbert.
08:17I'll take a bit of a hit this year.
08:18There's some guys coming off the books.
08:20Maybe I can help myself out a little bit in free agency in this coming year, or even in 2028.
08:25I can't do that right now, no.
08:28Now, what's funny is, I asked, who would you rather have next year?
08:30So, we're talking about Herbert being broken.
08:32So, Deshaun Watson, right now, EPA per play, is 20th.
08:36In the NFL, Herbert is 34th.
08:39One spot ahead of Baker Mayfield.
08:44Yeah, baby.
08:47I don't know if I really want to give up anything for him right now.
08:50I can't believe I'm saying that.
08:53I can't believe I'm saying it.
08:56It's just so hard.
08:57You're seeing him at his absolute worst.
08:59Owen's laughing at me, and I'm going,
09:00I agree with you.
09:01Because this hasn't been the place we fix quarterbacks.
09:03I've been saying that to people for the last how many years?
09:05I go, yeah, we're going to be the one to fix.
09:06Did I say it when we argued about Tua and Kyler and all these other guys?
09:10I go, yeah, we're the place where they go to find salvation.
09:12The Cleveland Browns, that's where quarterbacks go to reset their careers.
09:19And now I'm going to do that with Justin.
09:20You know what?
09:25I'll give you some picks.
09:26I might give you one of my first rounders next year.
09:29No, let's.
09:30Because if it's a non-starter, you're going to hang up.
09:32So, I guess we're not trading for Justin.
09:33I'm not doing it.
09:34That would be the end of the conversation.
09:35Yeah, I'm not doing it.
09:362-1-6-4-7-4-0-0-92.
09:38Do you think I'm nuts?
09:4012 weeks ago, I was willing to do anything to not have Deshaun Watson be the quarterback anymore.
09:46That included trading for a guy in Justin Herbert who I've not been high on.
09:51And now I don't know.
09:54He's a poor man's Jared.
09:55Or he's a poor man's Phillip Rivers.
09:57Phillip Rivers got to the playoffs.
09:58Phillip Rivers carried his football team to the postseason.
10:00A really poor man's Phillip Rivers.
10:01There you go.
10:02Who's a rich man, by the way.
10:04Might end up being the NC State head football coach.
10:06More about that than about last night, because there's another former quarterback there interviewing,
10:09which is, oh, God.
10:11They can't get anything right football-wise in the state of North Carolina, except for Duke.
10:16Damn.
10:17Both those programs are goofy outside of them.
10:20Oh, yeah.
10:20Jake Dickert is doing a good job at Wake Forest.
10:23I forgot.
10:23Yeah, they're in North Carolina, too.
10:252-1-6-4-7-4-0-0-92.
10:27All right.
10:27Would you trade for Justin Herbert?
10:29And what would you trade for Justin Herbert?
10:31Are we stoned to sit here and go, nah, I'll stick for the rest of this year,
10:37and maybe I'm going to go in a different direction if it's going to cost that much for Justin Herbert?
10:42It's not like, would you take Justin Herbert for nothing?
10:44All of us would take Justin Herbert for nothing.
10:47To give that up, considering our recent history, I'm sorry, it's stuck in my head.
10:52I know they're different players.
10:53I know they come with much different baggage.
10:56I can't.
10:57I can't do it.
10:58I think he's broken.
10:59Ken Carman, Anthony Lima, take us with you to work on the absolutely free Odyssey app.
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