Second hour of the program, Welcome Meyer Hotline eighty six, six, eighty
three, eight forty eight forty three textas Sports Radio to twenty one thousand.
Justin Jefferson is now the highest paid non quarterback in the National Football League.
He signs a four year, one hundred and forty million dollar extension. That
means that Justin Jefferson, the average annual value of his contract exceeds i'm on
Ross Saint Brown and AJ Brown. Jefferson the average annual salary will make thirty
five million. AJ Brown of the Eagles thirty two million, I'm on Ross
Saint Brown of the Lions thirty million, along with Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle,
then DeVante Adams, Cooper Cup, Davonte Smith, Nico Collins, DK
Metcalf, No need to go really pass the top ten. Who does that
benefit besides Justin Jefferson. It benefits Ceedee Lamb and Jamar Chase right, because
those guys are going to make a case or their agents are going to make
a case to be the highest paid at their position. And I get it,
I do. I mean it's with the market. What does the market
bear? All right? Kent? What do you think your guy is worth.
Go get it if you can. What's amazing to me it's always to
look It's always easy to look back, isn't it. Honestly, it's easy
to sit there and go, well, this is what you should have done
in this type of situation when you're not faced with it at the time.
But there are certain things you look back on and you say, there's really
no excuse for it. The good example of that, I think is the
twenty twenty draft in which Justin Jefferson was chosen twenty second overall. That's the
year Jeff Okuda was taken third overall. So you could shake your head like
I do, as vigorously as you want. But what you also have to
understand is that in that draft, while he was being chosen twenty second,
there were four wide receivers taken above him. In other words, the Lions
screwed up. You and I both know that. Under Bob Quinn it's not
surprising. Under Matt Millen, it wouldn't be surprising. Chuck Schmidt wouldn't be
surprising. Russ Thomas would not surprise us. For as much mud and dirt
and crap that the Lions have had for decades after decades. Brad Holmes is
turning that around. Thankfully. He doesn't make this mistake. Not that you
would have chosen Justin Jefferson because oh where is it? What did they draft?
They drafted for need? I think the bigger mistake is not with the
Lions, even though it's a major issue. The bigger mistake is made by
the Raiders, by the Broncos, by the Cowboys, and by the Eagles.
They wanted receivers, they ranked their receivers, and they ranked them inappropriately.
Although Dallas has got an argument, the Raiders chose Henry Ruggs third twelfth
overall, we know his choose right, Okay, so he's no longer in
the league. Denver chose Jerry Judy, he's been traded. Dallas chose Seed
Lamb and he's really good. Is he as good as Justin Jefferson? Okay,
make the debate. They're both pretty damn good. I'd take either one.
Philadelphia chose Jalen Rieger, who, by the way, later played for
Minnesota and then last year New England. So in Philadelphia he played twenty eight
games, that's it, and had sixty four catches. Philadelphia viewed as a
and rightfully, so pretty well run an organization, and yet look what happened.
They made a mistake on a first round pick, on a top twenty
one pick. They took a guy who had sixty four rocks in his two
years in Philadelphia. Justin Jefferson had eighty eight his rookie year. That's how
good Jefferson was, and two years ago led the league in receptions, led
the league in yards, led the league in yards per game. I'm not
justifying thirty five million dollars a year. What I'm saying is you've got plenty
of good teams who we viewed to be reputable, run properly and winners who
make mistakes can't make them as frequently as the Lions, or you don't want
them to be viewed as a frequent misstep like some of the other teams in
this market, some of the other teams in the state. But they do
make them. Could you not make the case that the sixth wide receiver in
that draft, Brandon Ayuk, is better than all but two of the receivers
taken ahead of him. Jordan Love was taken after Brandon Ayuk. Patrick Queen
pretty good player for Baltimore when he was drafted. Hell T. Higgins has
had a decent career and he was the first pick in the second round.
Phone number on the Meyer hotline is eight sixty six eight three, eight forty
eight forty three. You can text sports radio to twenty one thousand if you
want to get involved in the conversation. So that happens every once in a
while, it happens. I don't like the headline from SI that it's something
that the Lions would have done when they had that headline back at the end
of May, before Jefferson signs the contract, I'll be waiting and looking forward
to reading why that writer was wrong, since this apparently was ten months in
the making to get Jefferson's contract done. Didn't expect that, I guess.
Speaking of football, NFC rookies picked after the NFL Draft Day one, who
could earn key roles? Who would that be for the Lions. CBA Sports
broke down every team in the NFC, which guy is going to come in
and be an impact player for their team if they were taken after the first
round. For example, Washington Mike Sandras still out of Michigan number fifty second
round. He's the guy who's going to make an impact for Washington. Who
will that be for the Lions. It's ten after the hour. We'll get
to that when we come back on Exus and Bros. Across the great state
of Michigan. After this, there's a new player in town. I'm Hember
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We're teeing off our tenth year at the Meyer LPGA Classic for simply give.
Get ready for the best who are yet to help neighbors in need while enjoying
golf, food and family fun. Join us June thirteenth through the sixteenth at
Blakefield Country Club for fabulous food, discoveryland for kids, and of course,
elite women golfers from around the world. Competing to help feed our neighbors.
Get your tickets now at Meyer LPGA Classic dot comish I've said before on this
program how impressed you must be with a National footballer for so many reasons,
not just because of what they do financially, not because they have their players
out there getting endorsements, but just keeping the league top mind awareness. It's
a constant discussing point, not just on this program, but on sports talk
radio throughout the country, on television podcasts, all those things. I suppose
that's easy to do for a lot of leagues, but there's always it seems
like, I should say, it seems like there's just a ton to discuss
when it comes to the National Football League that Justin Jefferson is the latest.
We talked about the passing, unfortunately of Larry Allen and what a great player
he was and how that position is really underrated. Well, if you look
and you're kind of do some homework, not homework, but if you're interested
in some good reading sports reading on websites, a lot of them have different
NFL articles to kind of peruse and then maybe to discuss with friends. Most
of the time, when I'm looking at a lot of these websites, and
I'm reading a lot of these articles. I try to put myself not as
a talk show host, but in the shoes of you a fan and on
a Friday or Saturday night and you're kind of hanging out with some buddies or
you and your wife go to a you know, a gathering. What is
the topic of discussion going to be? And then I like, I like
to get your thoughts on that. So there's a couple of articles that caught
my eye Sleeper NFC Rookies who could Shine? Chris Tarapo Uh teapso Uh had
an article on that. But the one that I want to talk about is
written by Trepasso on CBS and he goes through every team and which team or
which pick after the first round has the chance to make the biggest impact.
And I mentioned Mike Sanders still for Washington. Who do you think it would
be for the Lions? I remember this, The Lions had six picks in
this past twenty twenty four draft. You're not taking Tirian Arnold because he's the
first rounder. You and your buddies are sitting there talking. Are you talking
about Ennis Reichstraw, who is the second pick? Sixty first overall, right,
Giovanni Manu the fourth round choice, Ciomvaki another fourth round pick, Mecky
Wingo a sixth round pick, or Christian Mahogany another six round choice. Well,
CBS chose the guy that I would have picked, and the reason I
would pick him is because of development, purposes, need and attitude slash scouting
report. Overall, The Lions moved up in Day three to get what many
consider one of the bigger steals of the draft. I don't know, honestly,
and I don't think anybody does. They traded with the Texans. They
gave up their seventh round pick to move up to one point eighty nine in
the sixth round. And what did they do. They drafted a defensive lineman,
Mackay Wingo. Is it a need? Absolutely? Will it payoff this
year? I doubt? But according to most Dame Brugler does a really good
job on his draft guide. He's of CBS Sports. If you go back
and you look at what Dame Brugler has written, he gets really deep into
the various nuances of the draft class, feeling like he can explain it in
terms that you and I would would appreciate. And understand a little bit more.
This is what he wrote about Wingo. He wrote his coaches rave about
his work and practice happens his work ethic earned him the twenty twenty two Iron
Tiger Award LSU. Instead of packing it in and preparing for the NFL Draft,
he rehabbed his tail off to return to LSU's bowl game. Now he's
not huge, He's not I love this one, blocking out the Sun.
I remember when the Lions chose Stocker McDougall, an offensive tackle out of Oklahoma,
a mammoth of a man block out the sun. Aaron Gibson out of
Wisconsin blocked out the sun. Neither one worked out. You have to be
more than just big. But I would also suggest that you remember that there's
a lot of really good players who kind of break the mold. They may
not be the biggest, but they were the best. Aaron Donald is a
really good example. Now I'm please, I am not comparing Aaron Donald,
one of the greatest defensive linemen of all time, to Mecha bing Wingo.
All I'm talking about is that Aaron Donald was viewed as an undersized Is it
fair to say an undersized defensive lineman and yes, the Lions had a chance
to take him to and they did not, as we all know, unfortunately.
But this is a guy who I'm not going to tell you he could
be like this, like Aaron Donald. It would be great if he was.
But if he's got that motor, if he's got that work ethic,
if he's got that chip on his shoulder, he can be much more effective
than he would be as a six round pick. Thus the steal right.
He's six feet about two hundred and eighty five pounds. He's going to learn
from DJ Reader, He's gonna he's gonna learn from Alee McNeil. Most analysts.
Draft analysts had him for a grade that would be two rounds higher than
where the Lions got him. So that's pretty cool, that's fantastic. I
mean that that's what you want. You want to be able to get value
later on in a draft, and the Lions were able to do that.
So that would be the choice. That's the CBS choice. Maybe you've got
one different. Love to hear it on the Meyer Hotline eight sixty six eight
three forty eight forty three. You can text the program Sports Radio to twenty
one thousand. Pressure self induced or outside influences. One of the Lions coaches
understands it, welcomes it, embraces it, and we'll have all kinds of
it in twenty twenty four. We'll tell you what we mean when we come
back on Access and Bros. We're on throughout the great state of Michigan.
Glad you're with us on a Tuesday morning. Look forward to the conversation throughout
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r at roastnumber dot com. What's up, Michigan. You're listening to my
good friend Shep. The huge show is coming up later today at three right
here on the Michigan Sports Network tomorrow morning with Jim Leyland will join US eight
five to talk about his uniform, his jersey number ten, being retired at
Comerica Park later this summer before a game against the Kansas City Royals eight thirty
five tomorrow, Jim Leland here on x'es and bros. What athlete has ever
changed your mind about them? How much do you keep an open mind when
it comes to sports? Because sports is really emotional, right. We all
get caught up in moments. Everybody does. Fans, players, coaches,
media, We all get caught up in it. Anybody who says they don't
is lying. It's okay, it's what's beautiful. But there are certain people
you say to yourself at the time, I can't stand that guy that comes
one of yours. Chris Chellils is a really good example, right, I
mean, have you when Chris Chilli has played for the black Hawks, how
many of you liked him? Come on, no way, I hated him?
Yeah you hated him. Yeah he became a red wing. You loved
him, didn't you? Yes? Exactly? Oh agree, one hundred percent.
You're too young for this, I'm sure, But not that he was
a big name. But Bill Lambier when he played for Cleveland, you didn't
like him. Rick Mahorn when he played for Washington, you did not like
him. Stop it. He became one of yours, you loved him.
I get it. There might be some other examples. There are certain guys
you really respect. Dominic Kashik playing for Buffalo Holy Cow winning Vesna after Vesna.
Love to see him in a Red Wings uniform. He comes there,
wins a cup and you're like, yes, always liked him, fair enough.
But there are certain players on certain teams who you could not stand,
could not stomach, but as soon as they became one of yours, you
loved him. I think that's natural. I think it's normal. I think
it's what just about every fan base would deal with. But I really like
and respect athletes who can admit. Anybody who can admit you know what I
was wrong. Kyrie Irving is that kind of guy. Now we've got a
couple of days before Game one of the NBA Finals to me, too long
of a break. But the NBA has to plan for just in case a
seven game series. Why you can't adjust on the fly. For rights holders
who carry the rights to the broadcast on TV. I don't know, man,
I don't know what other programming they have planned. But I'm not so
naive to think that it's just easy as snapping your fingers, making a switch
and boom you're done. I don't like the Stanley Cup Finals isn't played until
Saturday, all right? I think it can affect the product. I mean,
what's it been seven days for Dallas when things tip off. Yes,
it'll be nine days for Boston. Do you remember when the Tigers played the
Cardinals in the World Series in two thousand and six and they had all that
time off. They didn't come out and play roll? Well, did they?
Now? Both these teams, in fairness, have a lot of time
off. We just may not see the best version of themselves in the very
first game. But I digress. Kyrie Irving is a primary, along with
Luka Donc's, reason why Dallas is where they are. Some have on the
broadcast publicly argued that it's the best scoring tandem in NBA history. I'm not
going to overreact, Reggie Miller said it. Stam Van Gundy said, I'm
not going to overreact and say that's true. But they're pretty damn dynamic.
They are really fun to watch. They are almost impossible to guard. So
I am greatly looking forward to seeing how Boston tries to handle that. But
Kyrie Irving is going back. It's not home. But he did play in
Boston for a couple of years. While in Boston, he wasn't afraid to
say, this is where I envisioned finishing my career. He wasn't afraid to
say I vowed to have my jersey retired and hang from the rafters. I
don't know how people in Boston felt about that. Maybe they lapped it up,
maybe they were skeptical, maybe they smile. I don't out. He
said he planned on re signing with the Celtics and then months later said I
got to do its best for me. Ends up signing with the Brooklyn Nets
in twenty nineteen. Now he goes back to Boston and they are going to
boo him lustlessly. But Irving did say this after a practice recently. I
don't mind after a few years taking the brunt of the blame for my time
in Boston. I'm one of the best players in the world, so I
know what comes with that fair criticism. It's just a little bit more grace
could have been extended my way, especially with what I was dealing with during
the time. As a human being. What was he dealing with. He
had lost his grandmother and that greatly affected him. He said, I know
sometimes in sports it's literally about the end goal and result in what you accomplish,
and that's one thing, but we're all still human. I wasn't my
best self during that time in Boston. When I look back on it,
I just see it as a time where I learned how to get out of
thing or let go of things rather and learn how to talk through my emotions.
There were huge expectations when he was traded from Cleveland to Boston. He
had just won a championship twenty sixteen with Lebron James and the Cavaliers. He
arrives in Boston in twenty seventeen and it didn't go real well. Doesn't mean
he was a really good player, because he was, but he didn't handle
things very well, and neither did the organization. I gave him a lot
of credit for owning it. Now, some of you may say, that's
just natural, that's what you should do. You're right, you absolutely should.
So does that mean he gets a ton of credit just for doing what
you're supposed to do, not necessarily. But how many times in our society
today, especially the athletes, are they defensive, unwilling to own it,
unwilling to say, you know what, my bad And I don't mean just
on the floor with a bad shot or a bad pass where they just tap
their heart and say, that's on me. I'm talking about in life in
general. Something he did, he recognizes that he wasn't his best self.
Then he said something pretty interesting, he said, moving on to the next
thing and learning how to move and let go of the past. It could
cripple you if you allow it to. I have been bombarded with Boston questions
since I left, people trying to figure out what actually happened. I think
the full story will come out, probably when I'm retired or when it's appropriate.
So leaves you hang in a little bit like a good movie, I
suppose, looking for a sequel. But overall, what he is basically saying
is I learned from that experience. Don't we all learn from experiences? I
hope. So what you have to do better next time, what you should
have done the first time, all those things. I'm looking forward to the
NBA Finals. I'm looking forward to the Stanley Cup Finals. I wish it
wouldn't take quite as long, but I'm glad they're closing in all right.
Speaking of owning it and dealing with pressure, because that's what he had to
do. He had to deal with some pressure. There's going to be a
lot of pressure on one specific person in the Allions organization in twenty twenty four.
There's always pressure. You know that. You deal with it probably at
work every single day, so there's always pressure. Dan Campbell's going to feel
it. Brad Well, I mean, he got a contract extension. You
still want to win. Brad Holmes will feel it. He got a contract
extension, still wants to win. Ben Johnson, the offensive coordinator. No
one will feel it more. I don't believe than Aaron Glenn, the defensive
coordinator for the Lions, who needed help on his side of the ball in
an area of pass coverage, got it. He got it with the first
two picks of the draft. It wasn't long ago after the draft. Meant
to get to this a while back, but we just never had the time.
We got caught up in baseball and got caught up in a few other
things. But Aaron Glenn was asked shortly thereafter the draft, hey, what
do you think about two corners potentially being starters? Added to your bullpin if
you will, using a different sport analogy to help you climb over the top.
Quote unquote, Glenn says, Look, it's the NFL. It's always
pressure, So that doesn't matter to me. Anytime we get players on this
team, you try to put them in a position to do what they do
best. So as a player, as a coordinator, this is the NFL.
Each week, there's pressure, agreed, no doubt. Is there extra
pressure? How do you determine that? How do you determine what is extra
It's pressure, There's no extra pressure. It's pressure. This is it.
Though, for Aaron Glenn, who aspires to be a head coach for him
and he's had interviews for him to kick that proverbial door down, I believe
he has this window, and I think the win. I'm not a big
windows guy. I think you can continue to have an open window to challenge
for championships if you're front office and coaching is in alignment. It's it's what
you really respect about certain organizations. And I don't mean that the ones that
go out there and pay like it's easy to respect the Dodgers winning division titles
regularly. They also lead the league in spending as well. There's not many
teams that can go out there and say, I want to sign Show,
Hey, O Tom, I want to update Annie for Mookie Bets and Freddie
Freeman and I'm gonna I'm not worried about losing Will Smith behind the plate all
those things. That's not the norm. And please don't take it out of
context. I'm not saying it's easy to win that way. You still have
to win that way. Just because you have money, just because you spend
it doesn't mean that it's the right fit. Otherwise the Dodgers would win every
year. Otherwise the Mets would be winning. Otherwise the Yankees would be winning.
And they are winning, but they're not winning championships. So let's just
keep it to what we're talking about here. A lot of the organizations that
are in a line have a philosophy and a belief of what should be doing.
What you're supposed to do to be a sustainable championship contender, whether that
be in the Division A league either one. Cleveland Guardians are pretty good at
that, and they don't spend a lot of money. Now, granted they
don't win championships, not league championships, but they're giving themselves a chance to
win every single year for the most part. Right, Can we agree with
that? So I don't believe in windows for teams all the time. I
think there's a lot of teams that when you can, when you're doing what
you're supposed to do, when you've got a front office like Brad Holmes.
Let's use Brad Holmes as an example. When you got a guy like that
who knows what the hell he's doing, builds for the current and the future
at the same time, which is very doable, trust his scouts, trust
his front office personnel, and has an alignment with his head coach. That
there is a wider window than most people would immediately think, Oh, your
windows only we just make it up four or five years. Got to take
advantage of it because the window of opportunity is right now. That window can
stay open. People said that about the San Francisco forty nine ers. They
said it at the end of last year, their windows closing, and now
they're the favorite to win the Super Bowl this year. Doesn't mean they will,
but they're still pretty damn good. So I'm not a huge believer in
that window. But for Aaron Glenn, who wants to be a head coach,
there is a window individually. I don't know if it's immediately after this
year, but I do know this, when an organization recognizes what they're lacking
and in this case cover corners and then address it as vigorously as they did
trading up to get two guys they feel can be contributors right away, one
a starter right away, using those draft picks, using these resources, other
high draft picks, Hutchinson, Campbell, whatever, you've better take advantage of
it because you've been part of it. So I don't think there's extra pressure,
and I think there always is pressure for those guys, but it's heightened
a little bit. It is laser focused on Aaron Glenn this year. He
welcomes it, understands it because he had input on this. Our phone number
on the Meyer hotline eight sixty six eight three eight forty eight forty three.
Our text is sports Radio twenty one thousand. That's all you gotta do.
Text Sports Radio to twenty one thousand to jump on board and be part of
the conversation. We've gone in a lot of different directions. Just a reminder,
Jim Leland will join us tomorrow eight thirty five to talk about what an
honor it is for him to have his jersey retired. And we started this
in the six o'clock hour. We'll dip back into it a little bit when
we come back. Some of the other Tigers or other athletes in Michigan,
in Detroit, who you think should have their number retired. Here's the other
thing. And I know there's a lot of folks on the west side of
the state who listen to our program. There's something interesting taking place in Chicago.
How many of you are are Chicago fans, I'm not sure, but
there is something interesting taking place in Chicago to help the viewing audience of their
sports teams. We know the issues that have taken place with the ballet sports
department. I could speak firsthand to that and now and there's been others at
and t got out of it. The NBC affiliates, a lot of them
are saying, you know what, we got to be careful here, very
expensive. Something's been done about it in Chicago. I wonder if it might
be in the works in Detroit. We'll talk of that when we return for
the final hour of X'es and Bros. It comes your way throughout the great
state of Michigan on the Michigan Sports Network. After this, we're teeing off
our tent here at the Meyer PGA Classic for simply Give. Get ready for
the best who are yet to help neighbors in need while enjoying golf, food
and family fun. Join us June thirteenth through the sixteenth at Blakefield Country Club
for fabulous food, discoveryland for kids, and of course, elite women golfers
from around the world competing to help feed our neighbors. Get your tickets now,
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