Running back on the field again, But is this just the latest false start in a long drive towards the deal.

We will tell you the latest on James Cook's contract talks as the NFL's leading touchdown score returns the practice.

Terry McLaurin was also.

Back on the field today, but just out there having a nice little chat with GM.

Adam Peters, still not in uniform as his hold in continues.

Hear what Commanders coach Dan Quinn had to say about the veteran wide receiver's status.

The Packers also will not have their quarterback Jordan Love on the field anytime soon thanks to surgery today for a thumb injury.

We will break down why Green Bay brass says they are not concerned about Love hurting again.

Welcome inside with the Insiders, presented by SATFA alongside Judy Batista.

I am Tom Pellisero.

Mike Girofolo will be along shortly.

We are twenty three days out right now from the opener, just three days away from the second full preseason week, and maybe just maybe a small sign of progress for one of Buffalo's most important players to be out there prior to week one.

That is running back James Cook, the pro bowler who was on the field today, had begun a hold in about a week ago by telling reporters at the time it was business well, that business is not yet complete.

He does not have a new contract, leading reporters to ask Sean mcderbott today, what changed.

I would say so, I would say so that things have changed to Lena with and yes, we've had conversations with James, good conversations, as I've mentioned before, and the information that we're getting is that he is moving in the direction of practicing today.

So this has been an ongoing process, Judy, going all the way back to February and March, where we saw all those deals the Bills got done with the likes of Christian Benford and Greg Russo in the offseason, James Cook.

Was the priority.

They couldn't get a deal done.

Then it's been this back and forth on and off between Cook and the Bills.

To me, just looking at this from the outside in, this appears to be a show of good faith from James Cook.

I'll get back on the field now, let's see if we can actually bring this thing across the goal line.

I feel like the last few weeks with all of these hold in and hold out situations where like reading the tea leaves and trying to read body language.

And I think on this one, right, this is sort of an incremental step in the right direction.

Sean McDermott was very careful to say, not to say that the hold in is over right.

They're not going to jump ahead here, but he is practicing, which is a change.

He was not practicing for a while.

Remember the game last weekend.

He dressed and then did not play in the game, which caught some of them by surprise.

So this seems to at least be a little bit of a thaw in where the relationship was just a few days ago.

And that's a good thing.

They need him.

He scored sixteen rushing touchdowns last season.

This team is ever so close to getting to the Super Bowl.

They need James Cook to be on the field.

And I know Tom, in the past you've reported they're not really that far apart.

So I mean, this certainly seems to be on the James Cook side, maybe not extending the olive branch, but at least stepping forward and trying to meet the team halfway.

As we get further into the preseason, and you get closer to the opener.

All of these teams that have these contract situations unresolved, you would think they're going to want to start to wrap things up now coming up in the next week to two weeks.

This James Cook situation is also unfolded in a rare public fashion surrounding the bills.

You have not had hold ins since Brandon Bean and Sean McDermott got there.

They've not had things play out in the media.

But of course you had some comments back in the spring, and negotiations did not go the way that James Cook wanted to.

He said at one point I want fifteen million dollars per ye, which would put him in that rare air with the likes of Christian McCaffrey and more recently Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry on their extensions.

My innerstanding is at this point he's not asking for fifteen He's looking at a number that is closer to Kyron Williams, who just got done at eleven million dollars per year.

It would seem like that created an extremely clear baseline for these negotiations here, but there's always a back and forth.

I have said it one hundred times.

I'll make it one hundred and one right here, Judy, They're not that far apart.

But there is no close.

There's only done, and this deal is not yet done.

Terry McLaurin and the Commanders, on the other hand, not seemed all that close.

In fact, have been on very different pages throughout the offseason.

Now we're putting this in the hold in bucket, even though technically Terry McLaurin is on the physically unable to perform list, had a real ankle injury and the last season rehabited for a while.

That's what he's been doing.

But today, for the first time, he was at least spotted on the field during in practice.

Here's what coach Dan Quinn had to say.

Look, you want everybody as to coach out on the field at every practice, every game.

I also know that that's that's not reality either, and so I just try to make sure a man like just keep pouring into the guys, keep digging into it.

But I know it is, you know, part of our game where you know you don't have everybody all the time.

It does in some ways there's contingencies.

How do you work how he featured guys, and so I was kind of referring to like debo maybe getting more connection time to go.

But as far as like where I'm at, I also like, I'm aware things happen, you know, and you adjust, and that's kind of what coaching is, you know, and you don't have your full roster all the time.

Mike has ended his hold in from the show about five minutes in here Mike, Terry McLaurin and the Commanders.

This one has also played up publicly.

There's been a recent trade request.

It's obvious everybody acknowledges that Terry McLaurin needs to get an upgrade on his contract, But there's a difference between everyone acknowledging, Hey, he does deserves more money, and how much more money that actually is?

Where do we stand right now?

For what you understand and w wasthed it?

Yeah, I wasn't asking for more money.

I just went to a parking spot.

Chris Brown, I'm at Giants.

Chris Brown's playing MetLife Stadium the night.

Who knew Chris Brown?

Still a thing?

All those people knew.

So if you sell a car driving over grass and medians and curbs, you're probably cursing me out.

I'm sorry, I wasn't going where you're going.

I'll make it up to you have a spot for you in about fifty four minutes.

As for Terry McLaren, that conversation that he had with Adam Peters on the field today at Camp, a lot of folks said, oh, that's great.

Look at that.

They're communicating.

They've been communicating.

Let's not forget Terry McLaren hugged owner Josh Harris the day that we were at camp there.

This is not something where they're just walking through the hallways and giving each other dirty looks and obscene gestures.

I mean, this has been a professional thing the whole time.

It's just business.

Tom, you talked about the numbers for James Cook.

Terry McLaren is looking at a wide receiver market that's up to forty million dollars per year.

He ain't looking for that, I can promise you he's not looking for top of the market.

But he went somewhere a little bit lower than that.

We saw DK metcalf come in the mid thirties.

So Terry McLaurin looking for something more in that neighborhood.

Washington has been obviously well below that so this conversation, sure, this is all good.

His presence, it's all good.

But like you said, Tom, there is no close until this thing gets done.

And I don't get the sense that they are close until this thing gets done.

We are not close.

This has been like the most respectful holdout hold in I've ever seen.

The reporters who were there at Commander's practice today said that that conversation that we just saw on tape there ended with the GM patting him on the back.

So that's how nice everybody's being.

Fact of the matter is they need Terry McLaurin.

As the practice today showed.

They had like an intrasquad game Burgundy versus Gold, and the reports from that game are that the defense, the first team defense, completely shut out the first team offense.

Jayden Daniels could not get any going Jade and Daniels apparently had one of his worst practices of the summer.

That is part of the problem that without Terry mcluurin, there are other than Deepo Samuel, none of the other wide receivers have really stepped forward to seize a big role.

So it's imperative that they get Terry McLaurin in He is so important to Jade and Daniel's development and his continued success.

The fact that they are not close is not great, but the fact that they have been so respectful and so professional about this at least gives you a hope that at some point they're going to be able to have a meeting of the minds because it hasn't splintered, that's for sure.

A decade ago, there was no such thing as a hold in.

Nobody did this.

It's become more commonplace, but you'd be hard pressed to find a lot of years where you're sitting there August twelfth, left and four weeks out from week one, and you got five of them.

At least.

There's some other ones that are questionable.

The guys have real injuries.

Are they choosing not to practice?

But James Cook, Terry mclaur and Michael Parsons, we'll talk about that a little later on with Jane Slater.

Trey Henderson that one's been at a standoff since he reported about a week INDO camp, and then Cam Hayward coming out publicly yesterday and saying just one year after he signed a new three year deal, he again wants his contract upgraded.

Here has not been fully participating through the course of training camp.

So five situations with five pretty big name players to keep an eye on.

No bigger name right now in Green Bay than Jordan Love, who, on this play right here where he kind of got sandwiched in the preseason oper ended up suffering what was described as.

A ligament issue in his thumb.

He is now set to go undergo surgery that happened earlier on this morning.

GM Brian Goodakoons doesn't sound all that concern.

Jordan is having a little procedure done on his left thumb that he heard in the game.

We'll put him out a little bit a while.

Hope I'm back at practice next week and shouldn't miss any reglar season time.

The hope is the Jordan Love will be back on the field in about a week or so.

The hope is that Matthew Stafford was going to only miss a week or so at the start a Rams training camp.

Yet here we are still know Matthew Stafford on the field.

This situation ramping up and maybe cause a little more concerned in the past few days given the fact that Sean McVay had said over the weekend that Stafford went through about a sixty five throw workout.

Everything went well, no restriction is going to be out there Monday to individual drills, and then Monday came and went No Stafford.

Still no Stafford today, as we welcome in our Brian Baldier to the conversation as well as Steve White.

Steve, you based out here.

You spent a lot of time around this team.

The optics are one thing, but in the building, what is the level of concern right now in Stafford?

It doesn't seem like it's a ton of concern right now.

First off, the RAMS training staff is among the best in the NFL, and these guys know Matthew Stafford.

Sean McVay is not a guy who operates out of urgency.

But that said, the RAMS aren't if they're not worried.

About Matthew Stafford.

Possibly get in Week one, that's one thing, but can he get through Week seventeen that's the other thing.

Let's not forget Matthew Stafford is thirty seven years old.

And Baldy, when I look at this, I just can't think of how we.

Kind of downplayed matt Ryan at the end of his career when he was around the same age with shoulder injuries, Drew Brees the same, Aaron Rodgers the same look.

As you age, you don't heal as quickly or as strongly.

I think with Matthew Stafford, the issue, more so when it comes to concern, is getting him through the season, because this is a vastly different team with Matthew Stafford and a healthy Matthew Stafford and not having him or at least having him where he's actually capable and functioning like Matthew Stafford.

So here's the big question here, Baldy, there's an unknown.

Of course, it's a low back issue.

These can be unpredictable.

I speak on that from experience and not even play quarterback in the NFL.

In the world though, where Matthew Stafford is not ready to go, how big of a drop off is it to the number two option, a guy in Jimmy Garoppolo, who in a very similar system we've seen play well enough to get to a Super Bowl.

Well, I mean, Jimmy's got over sixty career starts, so he started a game for the Rams a year ago.

At the end of the season.

They're capable hands, but there is no replacing matt Stafford in his arm and his vision and how he sees the field and the timing that he has with Puka and some of the receivers is it's very rare.

His anticipation they're throwing it to a spot.

I mean, he's rare.

To Steve's point here, I'm not concerned.

I mean, anytime you have a disc injury, you're concerned about the health of the player, like that's not to be fooled around with him.

They're not.

But at the same time, this might almost be a blessing and that it's all about getting this team to the postseason.

Stafford has played seven postseason games for the Rams.

They've got a Super Bowl, they won another one, and so missing time right now isn't paramount.

It's not urgent.

I believe that if he sat out up until September fifth, he'd be ready to go against Buffalo, you know, in that opening game of the season.

And so just because of his ability to see the field and make every throw, he can still do all of that.

But Jimmy Garoppolo's next guy up.

Tom They'll ride Jimmy if there is any issues this year.

He's been really very healthy.

Talking about Stafford, very healthy the last two years, a lot of playoff appearances, six playoff games the last two years, and a Super Bowl.

So he has figured out how to manage the season.

That's what they're trying to do right now.

As Sean McVay said on Monday, when I asked about the possibility surgery, that's not been any part of the conversation.

If some of this did become long term and the coaches weren't comfortable with Jimmy Garoppolo, there is a guy in Atlanta who's had some success playing this exact offense, is currently making twenty seven point five million dollars as a backup.

We'll stay tuned on that.

We are still looking back here, Balty.

We have not talked to you since Week one of the preseason ended.

Here.

What's your biggest takeaway?

What were you saying coming out of that first week?

Well, you know, the team that I saw in my training camp tour was and the best team I saw was Baltimore.

And when you watch Baltimore and you watch him practice, and you know obviously Lamar and Derrick Henry and you know all the big names, but this Mike Green, the rookie Mike Green, Marshall, their second round pick who fell to them because of some off the field issues in college.

I mean I watched him.

He played thirty three snaps in the opening preseason game, and he threw every kind of pass rush move you could throw at somebody.

I saw five different moves like he had no fear, Like this spin right there, obviously against Ohio State was caught a lot of people's eyes.

But I saw him spin.

I saw him speed, the power.

I saw him dip and rip, I saw him crosschop.

I mean, he was not afraid to throw his repertoire in the preseason, and it caught my eye because he's being coached by Chuck Smith, who's a great pass rush specialist coach to begin with.

He's in an organization that recognizes what a true edge pass rusher looks like.

They led the league in sacks two years ago in this type of defense.

I just think that he's got a very bright future.

Sometimes it takes a rookie defensive lineman a red shirt year to figure it out, but I'm not going to be surprised if he has success this year with his ability.

Right now, Baldy, I love you talking about edge.

You guys.

That means I get to talk about offensive lineman.

And I want to go to the Minnesota Vikings because in watching their preseason game, first off, JJ McCarthy coming back, he looked very clean thirteen play opening drive.

In their series.

But let's go guard center guard all three new players, right They've got Will Fryes, the rookie Donovan Scott and then Ryan Kelly and Bawd.

You know this, More and more teams are building their team guard to guard guard center guard, and they look real solid right there.

So that's a good thing for McCarthy.

You're seeing it bouncing it a little bit here, but this is going to help their run game.

This is going to stop some those a gap blat a gap blitzes that teams like to get through.

And I also want to make a note on the other side of the ball.

One thing the Vikings do well is they're undrafted free agent takes.

Elijah Williams upper ninety nine, the defensive tackle out of Morgan State, the MIAC Defensive Player of the Year, showed up two tackles, two quarterback hits, someone to keep an eye on.

To add to depth of a very strong defensive front.

Hard Grave, Jonathan Allen together editions.

They're trying to build it.

This is what they analyzed in the offseason was we need to get bigger and more physical on the interior of booth lines.

There's been a lot of money to do it.

We'll see how that shakes.

We get to the real thing.

Monday Night football in week one.

And half for the.

Giants back to throw Dart out of the shotgun, goes to the left side, touchdown Giants, but.

Jordan Huckphrey pulling it in.

And Jackson dot Texas Steel on his big blue Korea said hey, that's it.

There's let's do it again.

Go through first touch past bringing down Darty.

He love you all boys, now step stacking.

Here we go big.

All four Giants quarterbacks played last week and pretty good outing by all of them.

Of course, that is the past, the touchdown pass that everybody is talking about Jackson Dart.

Here is Brian Dabele on his rookie quarterback.

Just to continue to improve, be some good learning experiences like there for every practice or every preseason game, and go out there and compete and you know, probably make some mistakes, learn from them and continue to grow everything.

Every practice every preseason game, every joint practice is important, particularly for a young quarterback.

Mike and Baldy join me, Judy Batista.

All right, Mike, you and I were out at the Giants a few times.

We know how excited they are about Russell Wilson and Jackson Dart.

Russ is the current starter.

Jackson Dart they hope is the future starter.

But they've got four guys on the roster right now.

How does all of this shakeout, Judy?

I mean, you're gonna have to make a tough decision at some point if you're the Giants, because let's say it's Tommy DeVito, who's fourth in the pecking order right now, a guy that has won games for your franchise before.

I mean potentially, and there are teams with some quarterback needs out there.

This could be a cutdown day type of thing, and maybe some kind of a pick swap and you're getting some value.

I know that there's been people talking about Jamis, but I know they love what Jamis brings to this building, what Jamis brings to that quarterback room, So I just don't see them moving him at that point.

So maybe you get.

Some value for DeVito, or maybe you've got to move on from him, and he needs to get a fresh start somewhere else.

But I know that when they're looking at Jackson Dart.

Right now and Jamis was listed as the two, could Dart show them enough or has he showed them enough?

And can he continue to do that?

Baldy to say, this is a guy that you're confident in as your number two, that if something happens to Russell Wilson early in the season, that you can go right to Jackson Dart.

Can he show that.

He's able to run the operation as smoothly as he did in Buffalo.

He gonna be a challenge for him the next couple of games here.

Well, he played thirty snaps Mike, and you know, obviously in a second drive he threw the touchdown to little Jordan Humphrey.

It was a great throw and he got hit on the play.

He stood tall in the pocket, took the hit.

I don't even think he saw the completion he was on the ground.

However, he did a great job of taking care of the ball, protecting the ball under pressure, navigating the pocket for some scrambles, led the team in rushing with three scrambles.

He did a lot of good things, and so you know what Mike said in what Brian Dables said was, you know, continue to improve.

Everybody wants to see him this weekend.

I'm going to see himorrow morning with a scrimmage to the Jets.

I'm looking forward to seeing just how he practices, if some of the things we saw on tape this weekend carry over to the practice field and then carry over to the preseason game against the Jets.

But there's a lot of optimism because of all the little things that he did, protecting the ball, navigating the pocket, not taking off when protection broke down a little bit.

I thought it was really.

Really a clean game on his part and a reason why I think every Giant fan is excited at this point.

And the fact that he broke the team down one, two, three, Go Blue.

I mean, that's got to be a good feeling right there in that locker room amongst a lot of veteran players.

All Right, the Giants and Jets are actually having joint practices.

They had one today, they will have one tomorrow, and then of course they play the Giants Jets game this weekend.

So let's talk about the Jets.

They have a new quarterback too, and he did pretty well in week one.

Also Justin Fields.

Here's Aaron Glenn on his quarterback.

It seemed like I keep telling you guys the same thing every day about who he is.

He's a mature man and the outside noise does not bother him.

And I don't know how many times I got to say this, but it's not going to change with him.

He's going to continue to get better and better and better and not allow anything on the outside to bother him and just do his job and keep improving.

Man, those are.

Like, really some trace that I liked about him, that he's just unphased and he's always.

Here, all right, Pauldi, you and I were out there back together weekend at the Jets, so we got an early glimpse of Justin Fields.

Where were your impressions of how he and the offense operated this weekend?

Well?

The offensive line played well.

Joe Tipman played left guard for John Simpson.

He played very well.

Armand Membu the rookie played very well.

They ran the ball very well this past weekend, and Justin Fields was a benefactor of all of that.

They protected him very well up front.

Right here, he took what the defense gave him up in lambeau Field finished the drive off with this scramble right here of thirteen yards for a touchdown.

AG knows coach Aaron Glenn knows that he could do this.

He did this as the Chicago Bear against the Lions quite a bit.

But I thought he saw the field very well.

He took what the defense gave him.

It was a very productive opening drive there, and I thought the offensive line really played well as a group.

And you could see that right side of Ali Vera Tucker along with armand Membu.

You can see the development and the timing between those two players right there.

And then you know, Josh Myers is a competition at center right now.

Josh looked very good.

He was former Green Bay Packers starting center.

He was in there this weekend.

But I thought the group played real well, including the tight ends.

And so that's promising right now because if they can run the ball the way they want to with three good backs, I think that they've got the potential being a really good offense.

Yeah, and if he continues to play well in the preseason, he'll get his confidence up.

Their confidence in him.

You heard Eron Glenn talk about that they have a similar disposition Aaron Glenn and Justin Field.

Glenn probably a little bit more fiery, right, and he comes from that defensive my frame.

But this is a good match and they felt like that.

This has been a good match this entire offseason and into the summer between these two guys, and they knew each other well.

I mean, Aaron Glenn a game planned against Justin Field, so he knew what he could bring.

And I agree with that, and I know that they feel that about Fields is that he's unwavering and he's confident in himself.

Like you can have your criticisms about Justin Fields maybe not playing up to his draft potential over this first portion of his career, but it's not because he melted.

It's not because of a lack of confidence.

It's not because he can't handle being a starting quarterback mentally in the NFL.

He can.

And that's why they.

Feel like they've got a good base to work with.

And all these stops that he's made along the way, I mean a.

Couple of stops.

There's my two stops along the way have only prepared him for right now and what he is going to be for the Jets.

They feel good about their starting quarterback right now and his performance in Week one of the preseasons.

Cemented that I agree, Aaron Glenn has been high on Justin Fields really since they got Fields into the building.

Mike Baldi, thank you very much.

I know you guys will both be back.

And when we are back, did you hear that Shador Sanders had a really good NFL debut where you're going to hear even more of it, and then Michael.

F Florio is going to join us.

We're going to be talking about fantasy over reactions when we return on The Insiders presented by Softcay.

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Browns fans, if you want to see Chador Sanders this preseason, maybe the regular season.

The way that he's playing, I wouldn't say necessarily Week one, but certainly an impressive debut for Sanders week one of the preseason, and even Miles Garrett was impressed.

I want to feel one of those swipes though, one of his aggressive, like you know grabs.

I want to just see if I can get out of it.

Du you a good kid.

I don't want to hurt you.

Can't put your teammates in the in the graveyard there, Miles, trust me, he's impressed.

Michael f Florio, I'm always impressed with you, and it is time for Week one overreaction.

Wait, and that's supposed to wait till Week one of the regular season.

Well, I guess we can do that in the preseason as well.

Some folks already overreacting against they're getting ready for their fantasy drafts.

A lot of folks said, Ashton Genty going to hit the ground running in the NFL.

Wait a second, am I overreacting to say he should be lowered on some draft boards because of his Week one preseason performance.

Ashton Genty right now is free falling faster than my Mets because everyone knows that three preseason calgories matters more than running for twenty seven hundred yards and thirty touchdowns in college, breaking the PFF mistackle sports record, and being the sixth overall pick right like, it's a huge overreaction.

It is three carries, who cares.

No one is going to remember this a week from now, let alone when week one of the regular season hits.

But people are wondering where to draft ash and gent and I think he is a good target in the second round.

He is going to be the focal point of this offense.

Pete Carroll loves to feed his RB one during his heyday in Seattle when the Seahawks were at their best, the Seahawks routinely were top three in rushing attempts.

Chip Kelly runs the ball a lot.

He is my RB eight, fine second round pick.

But Traveon Henderson he is climbing up draft boards for me.

I love Traveon Henderson.

I will keep saying it.

It's like he was built in a lab to succeed for fantasy football purposes.

He has the elusiveness and the high end speed for plenty of big plays.

Strong pass blocker will get him on the field in passing downs.

Good receiver that should lead to plenty of PPR points.

And he is on Mike Rabral's offense.

Those teams have never ranked worse than eleventh in rushing attempts in Rabel's entire time as a head coach.

He will be my most drafted running back this summer.

I have him ranked at RB fifteen and I'm considering bumping him up.

But I'm already the high guy on Trevion Henderson.

You saw why last Friday.

Make sure to target him in the middle rounds of your fantasy drafts this summer.

Rimandre s Davis has still there expected to see the football.

But yeah, I understand your optimism on Henderson after his Week one performance.

I was in Baltimore for the Colts Ravens game and I saw Tyler Warren catch three balls for forty yards, and I said, you know what size jacket is?

He start fitting them for Cannon Ken overreaction or not that he's the next great tight end.

I was in Canton this past weekend.

I think they were already sizing it up for him.

Yeah, I don't think this is an overreaction at all.

I love Tyler Warren heading into this season.

It didn't matter who was in at quarterback on Thursday, he was the top target and I think that could be the case when the season starts, because Warren is a huge target who can operate well in the middle of the field and is a yak monster.

And that matters because both Colts quarterbacks, statistically in their career are at their best when they are targeting the middle of the field.

He is my tight end six, and I think he continues this run of great rookie tight ends for fantasies we've seen in recent years Kyle Pitts, Sam Laporter, Brock Bauers, Tyler Warren, and then cam Ward Right the least talked about number one overall pick in sports history.

He looks good, but making him a QB one in fantasy would be a big overreaction.

Look.

I know he's got a strong arm.

He could run a bit.

He's not going to run enough to become a fantasy QB one like Jayden Daniels or bow Knicks did last year.

I still have him as a QB two, a low end one at that, but there is upsid here and what I love more than anything, he is going to help elevate the Titans pass catchers.

He was targeting Calvin Ridley early.

Calvin Ridley, I have him as a top twenty wide receiver even though he's being drafted closer to thirty.

And then Chig Aquonco, the big talented tight end there.

He is a sleeper in this offense as well.

So cam Ward means good things for all those Titan pass catchers.

Yeah, last year, Michael f Florio, you helped me draft my team, which, by the way, I think I may need you to do again.

We're Friday, I'm ready night at seven o'clock Eastern.

I think we have a show, so we may do it live again.

But we hit on Jaydon Daniels last year, so you can hit on a rookie and he can carry your team if you get it right, and Michael left Floria often gets it right.

Thank you very much.

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Joe Milton did so many positive things in his preseason Cowboys debut that Jerry Jones said after the game he's got to pinch himself that they were able to get Milton away from the New England Patriots seventeen of twenty nine, a touchdown, an interception and a stake to the claim of being the number two quarterback.

Perhaps, I think you know our plan all along has been that we need to find out about Joe Milton.

And again, under no circumstance do I am I panicked or worried about Joe Milton.

Joe Milton played really well in the second half.

He did some really good things.

He calmed down, he figured it out.

But I'd be crazy if I didn't say to you how impressed them with Will Greer.

I mean, all the guy does is when given opportunities, And like I said, we communicate very clearly with our players.

So like the scrimmage against the Rams, we told them, hey, man, bunch, you drink some water and hang out, and next thing you know, he's in the game.

Welcome back to the Insiders, presented by Santa Tom Pelliserra here in Los Angeles, joined now by Jane Slater Jay And this is the first time in a number of years, the Cowboys haven't had one of the more stable backup quarterback situations in the NFL, with Cooper Rush having been there and answered when called upon when Dak Prescott has been hurt basia what you saw from Joe Milton to what you're hearing right now, where do we stand in terms of the backup plan behind Deck?

I think it's still to be determined.

Brian Schottenheimer was asked this week if he was going to start this weekend who his backups were, and Shoddy essentially said that he doesn't feel pressed to make that decision right now.

He doesn't have to.

What they're trying to do with the preseason is a true evaluation of their quarterback situation.

If you think about it, Tom, you know you have OTAs with Will Greer and of course Joe Milton, but you don't have a lot of live action.

So that's why you're getting him in the preseason now.

Shoddy also pointed out he had his fastball, but at times he needs to change it up.

That's what we've seen in the times.

I've been at camp, when I've looked at some of these videos at some of the beat guys have put out he's got an arm.

I mean it's a cannon.

I don't think I can say on air what it's a golf term that Schottenheimer used to describe it last week.

I'll start it with a P missile.

How's that that works?

So if you're familiar with the term and golf.

But the issue at times has been there, you go.

The issue at times has been his accuracy, and so I think they liked that he just settled in a bit.

He looked better towards the end.

But why are we talking importance of a backup quarterback?

Well, thanks to our research department, I had him look this up.

Nine teams had a backup QB as their starter by the end of the season, and almost half of the league had their backup start a game at some point during the season.

And we have certainly seen in Dallas Dak Prescott with some of his injuries, but also Dak Prescott in his rookie campaign that twenty sixteen year.

The Cowboys saw Tony Rummel get injured and then Kellen wore and then obviously that led to the ascension of Dak Prescott.

So a backup quarterback in the absence of someone that Cooper Rush, who has been so reliable for them had been.

It's important to figure out who your backup guy is, and that's why we're talking about him here on The Insiders, Tom, you.

Know, the backup quarterback.

When we're talking about that with the Cowboys, that means there's not a ton of other issues, but they do have one kind of big one here, and that is Micah Parsons, who still is not practicing, has been on and off the field because of supposed back soreness.

Clearly, he has made abundantly clear that he is not happy with where things are at from a contract negotiation standpoint, something that owner Jerry Jones has kind of danced around, including last night at his Netflix documentary premiere.

You have bigger risk to paint or trade Figer.

You talk about risk, You know about risks.

As far as it is today, you've.

Got all of outs.

So there's Jerry.

We have not really heard anything direct at this point, Jane in terms of the Cowboys even being willing to consider trade talks.

We know Jerry has tamped all of it down.

Where do we stand right now from the team's respectives, well with Mike's perspective about the lack of really even communication in terms of trying to get an extension done.

You know, this trade talks interesting.

You and I have talked about this offline over the last two years Micah, about Micah and this possibility of trade.

In other words, there were whispers of it, but Jerry was the one to shoot it down.

And why was MICA's name getting tossed around.

Well, he's probably their best player that they've had in a He's a generational player, and if you're kind of resetting the team as they did with Shotenheimer and some of the moves that they've made in the off season, he'd make a lot of sense.

I mean, you could get a generational haul for him.

So trading him now doesn't make a lot of sense, Tom, And that's because the Cowboys still have the rights to his contract.

He has one more year.

They have two franchise tags that they can use.

Micah is saying and maintains that he has a back issue.

So that's why we haven't seen him at practice.

It hasn't been a hold.

In so to speak, but the body language on the sidelines you can tell it's he's getting frustrated.

I think more than anything, both sides are shocked, quite frankly, that it's gotten to this point.

If you listen to these guys talk about their relationship throughout the last two years.

You know, I had Micah Parsons talking about me and in his box the Super Bowl and bragg that he had Jerry Jones's cell phone number, and Jerry bragging that he's one of the few players that had the cell phone number.

So the question is, why can't you just work this thing out?

I still maintain we've got August nineteenth to circle.

That's when the Gambler comes out.

That'd be really good press buzz for the Netflix.

And if you laugh at that notion and the possibility of that, all I have to tell you is he essentially said what he has told us for years.

This is not me being tongue in cheek.

He will tell you when there's not something to talk about with the Cowboys, he will find you something.

It is a soap opera around here, and so I think it is very possible that we could still see that.

Keep in mind Seedee Lamb August twenty seventh, that got done, and it was September tenth for Dak Prescott.

So I am still not pressed about this, and I find it hard to believe that Micah would want to miss a game check.

I was at the premiere last night for that Netflix documentary that dropped next Tuesday, was in Hollywood.

Jerry talked a lot about, and it's in the documentary, about how much he values the marketing and the salesmanship of this.

So on some level, you don't have to pay in Jerry.

Right now you can make an objective argument that he has the least interesting team, even within his own division.

Let's see what the next do twenty three days or so bring before that season opener.

Jane, thank you very much.

I'm sure we'll be talking with you about this more again soon.

Let's keep talking about Tyler Shock, who had a bit of a roller coaster debut as the Saints at this time number two quarterback, the rookie second round pick, throwing that ugly pick six, and then coming back with this one, the deep shot.

That's what they're looking for.

Kellen Morris expressed that he was very pleased with how Tyler Schuck bounced back from that early mistake on a throw that Chuck said himself, he's.

Still make nine times out of ten.

Sometimes the defensive player makes the play, as we welcome our Steve Whites.

Back to the conversation Steve, when I was at Saints camp a week ago and get in this game, it was Spencer Ratler the first time out, but you got to think the time is coming here to roll out Tyler Shock.

Let him go with the ones or what's available to them of the ones, give him an opportunity that since Draft day has seemed like it's sooner than.

Last I totally agree with you, Tom.

I mean, frankly, you look at the Saints roster and this is a veteran laden roster that's really built to get after it this year, and so, frankly, I think they should trade for Jamis Winston with a Giants who maybe the odd man out with the sension to Jackson Dart on that roster.

However, let's go back to the current roster and tylership.

We talked about the.

Amount of time he played in week one.

He didn't start, but he got more and more reps, right, so he saw some things with some defenses, He got into the flow of the game, he got better as the game went a long time.

So I think they're gonna keep on ramping it up.

They've got a joint practice this week with the Rams before they get into this weekend's preseason game.

We'll see what the.

Reps look like.

But again, I think with Shuck getting more and more of them, he's going to get better.

The roster is built to win this year.

After this year, it could be.

Complete resets of getting Shuck started out as TV can play.

That might be the best Courseback and los Als remembered a couple of months he turns twenty six years old.

He spent seven years in college football.

Usually they call those people doctors.

In this case, we call him quite possibly a rookie starting quarterback for the Saints.

Welcome back to the Insiders, presented by SATFA Our buddy Chad Ryter doled out some rookie grades coming out of Week one game.

We were just talking about Ty Warren.

Not a surprise that he got an A.

Chad gave Shador a B plus, which I think is actually a higher grade than Shador gave himself.

Schmar Stewart, who held out of the early part of camp, got a C plus.

But you know what, it's time to talk about rookies who could use a well rested win.

It's time for well rested wins, presented by SATFA.

I'm joined by Steve and Baldy.

All right, Steve, let's start with you.

What rookie in week two could use a well rested win.

A rookie hooper form well in week one, and that's Carolina Panthers wide receiver tenor Roland McMillan.

He had two catches for forty three yards, including a thirty yarder, but he ever looked a part of the eighth overall pick.

You see over the shoulder with the boundary give him a tight window on a great throw.

And then here I think if he continues to grow, they're playing the Texans, so they got joint practices.

He's going up against Derek Stingley and Petrie and these guys this week to help him get better.

He's somebody in the week two who's going to continue to elevate and help out that offense.

Well, Steve, the guy that was picked right before t Mac was armand Membu at a Missouri by the New York Jets, and he played very well in his debut this past weekend against Green Bay.

You know, we knew he was a powerful run blocker, and then you know, he got working on his pass sets there a little bit, so he got his feet wet at lambeau Field against Rashan Gary, some really good players.

He went toe to toe with some good players, a pro bowler in Rashan Gary.

But I'm really excited to.

See him in tomorrow's scrimmage against the New York Giants, and see him against Kavon, to see him against Bernsey, to see him against Abdul Carter.

He'll probably see all those guys in the scrimmage and then maybe the game as well, so he'll get well tested against the Giants and some of the guys that will be coming off the edge for them.

I want to see how he stands up and holds up against some elite pass rushers.

All right, Steve Baldy, you guys deserve well rusted wins.

Thank you both.

When we return, we're going to talk about Taylor Swift because everybody else in the United States of America is talking about Taylor Swift today.

We are going to join in when we return on The Insiders presented by SOFTBA, the.

NFL preseason rolls on with seven live games on NFL Network in week two.

A new era is taking shape with rickey classes looking to show out.

Don't miss your chance to catch some of the biggest names during Week two of NFL preseason live on NFL Network.

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Such a nice color on you.

Yes, I know, it's the color of your eyes, Sweete.

So well.

Now, congratulations to Travis Kelcey, the biggest catch of his career.

Having Taylor Swift on the New Heights podcast.

Everybody going wild over Taylor Swift, who announced her latest album.

They're posting things in.

Orange, including of course, the NFL Game Day account.

The Cleveland Browns were called brown, but they got orange helmets.

Of course, you got the bird to orange in Texas.

You get the point.

Everybody's going orange for Taylor Swift.

Yes, we got it.

We got a controller of a lot of people.

Yep, it's a lot.

It's all the social media.

Everything you see, it's all orange.

And in honor of that Judy, none of us wore orange.

I just was thinking that that I actually have an orange jacket I could have put on anyway.

I am very excited about this.

I read something that the most listened to podcast episode in history is one hundred and forty four million views on YouTube.

And the question is ken NFL fans and Swifty's break that on New Heights.

Next, what's the one mark four millions?

Mike?

Do you know?

No idea?

What is it?

What's the one hundred and forty four million?

I think it was something like how to succeed in relationships.

It was something that was done in Arabic and English.

Okay, not as good as Taylor smell does not, so I get asked so terrible.

You can ask Ai that these days you don't have to listen to a whole podcast.

They can deal with that.

It's I'm a huge Flyers fan.

They popped up on Instagram.

They had an orange jersey with sparkles on it.

I didn't understand it.

I just figured out what it's about.

I had no idea.

I'm letting in on the joke.

So you learn things when you watch the inside it.

And here we thought that this storyline was going to stop in twenty twenty three.

You grabs the.

Taylor and I guess Travis forgetting her on the podcast.

All right, we're back tomorrow.

Send me of Eastern time.

See you, everybody