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Hacksaw’s Thursday Podcast…1:30pm
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“NFL Free Agent Updates”
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“RAIDERS-RAVENS..WAR OF WORDS”
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The blockbuster trade of the off season was followed 48-hours later by the blockbuster bulletin…the Raiders deal of star pass rusher Maxx Crosby to the Ravens was cancelled.

Reverberations everywhere.
Salary cap troubles of big time implications.
Rumors-innuendos-accusations non stop.

The Raiders spent (231M) in free agency to acquire 6-players a day after the Crosby trade for #1-1 draft picks.

Now Crosby and his (30M) salary and his (35.8M) cap figure revert back to the Silver & Black.

The anger Crosby may have shown in the last 3-months, the aftermath of all the losing he has endured for 7-years, may go away.  The team he was on last Friday is sure different than the one he could play on this year.

The Raiders may have to ask him to restructure his contract down or extend out to help them with other off season deals they may still want to make.

But the Raiders, who were counting on drafting 1-14-36 at the top of the board, won’t have that luxury.

If Crosby does not want to play there, it’s obvious his market value has dropped.  Somebody may offer a #1 but nothing beyond that.

Baltimore doesn’t really get burned in the deal,.  They turned around and signed Bengals DE-Trey Hendrickson to a (28M) a year deal, but the reality it, he is not the athlete Crosby is, a different kind of pass rusher who does not play the run very well.

Baltimore is trying to float the story their blueprint was to trade for Crosby and then sign the Bengals pass rusher, but that would have been nearly (60M) in cash for pass rushers-quite pricey considering what they pay the quarterback and their running back.

The rationale for nixing the deal, the Ravens doctors did not like what they saw on the MRI-and-X rays in the aftermath of Crosby’s late season knee surgery.  Makes sense even more so now with reports 3-different doctors consulted including an independent surgeon.

It was meniscus surgery to start.  But there may be cartilage deterioration there.  There may be impending arthritis, considering all the miles on those wheels of that pass rusher.  It may be that long term issues would get worse, even if he played this year.

So we sit here now waiting for the Raiders next move, roster related,cap related, draft pick related.

If they keep Mad Maxx, then suddenly they look like a really different defensive team, and they will use their picks to add to the offensive line.

Baltimore is the real mess, not because of the decision, but because they kept their picks, but lost 9-players in the first two days of free agency.  They have holes everywhere.

It was wild drama, and the complete story has yet to be told

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“NFL-QB-MUSICAL CHAIRS”
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The game of Quarterback Carousel has just begun across the NFL.  All these teams shopping for a bridge QB, to get them to next year’s draft, or to prevent the franchise from falling into the abyss.

A scorecard as the music has started on the QB-merry-go-round.

ATLANTA..First one to make a deal, a 1-year, prove yourself rental to get Tua Tagovailoa of Miami.  Kevin Stefanski has a reputation as a QB-friendly-fix it head coach.  So he gets a close up look now at Tua and Michael Penix.  Next to move will be Kirk Cousins and his money-bag buyout.

MIAMI..Tua exited, here comes unproven Malik Willis of the Packers on a 3-year deal.

NY JETS..The trade for Geno Smith brings a veteran QB to a bad team, but he has a chance to buy himself a couple of years of starts. Exit right will be Justin Fields.

ARIZONA..This may be trade day-or-release day for Kyler Murray, who may have the most upside of any QB on this carousel.  He may have to go to the right offense, or play under the right coach to grow.  Might that be Kevin O’Connell in Minnesota?.  Or the new leadership in Pittsburgh?  The Cardinals are staying with journeyman Jacoby Brissett.

VIKINGS..No one is sure if JJ McCarthy is the right guy, so some veteran will come in the front door.  A relink with Kirk Cousins?  Kyler Murray on a rental deal-prove it deal?  The lost soul that is Anthony Richardson of the Colts?

STEELERS..Hard to get a read as to whether they are willing to wait on Aaron Rodgers, playing the ‘love me-love me not game’.  Or maybe. make a trade for ex Saints-QB-Derek Carr considering a comeback?  Or is Will Howard a project Mike McCarthy would like to develop?  They have upgraded the WR-TE-RB department, now they need someone to play QB.

BROWNS..1-more year of living in ‘Salary Cap Hell’ with Deshaun Watson, for it has been so long since he did anything…(9-10) in Cleveland…3-injuries…11-game suspension and the mess left behind in Houston.  It’s been a really quiet off season around Shedeur Sanders-but he did not do much in his end of season starts.  Might there be a draft pick QB coming in the door

COLTS…Nearly (39M) for Daniel Jones-that seems like alot of money for a top of the Tier Two list of QBs-but that’s the choice, but they have to keep him healthy.

49ers…Do you keep the insurance policy that is Mac Jones, who played well because Brock Purdy keeps getting hurt, or do you turn him into draft picks?  And where does Jim Garoppolo fit into all this now?

RAIDERS…’With the 1st pick in the 2026-NFL Draft..the Raiders select Fernando Mendoza’

Alot of moving parts effective at this hour.  Now we see who makes the first bold move (Kyler Murray) and what happens after that.  Carousel spinning round and round.

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Hacksaw’s Monday Bonus Podcast
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“NFL-FREE AGENCY-QUESTIONS FOR THE AFC WEST TEAMS”
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What a spending spree in day one across the NFL.
A quick look at what happened across the AFC-West landscape

RAIDERS..They spent (231M) on day one, bought themselves the best center on the board, and brought in 4-likely starters on defense.  They had to because the product and past drafts have been so bad.  In the NFL the left tackle is your ‘Gold Standard’ player, meaning he gets the payday.  Not the Raiders way.  They just paid Ravens OC-Tyler Linderbaum (3Y-81M)-money never ever spent like that on a center.  That is left tackle money.  Money talks-people walk, even to the Black Hole.  That’s four likely starters on defense in Kwity Paye, Quay Walker, Nakobe Dean and Taron Johnson.  But none of those guys is equal to the talent and skill and passion that left with the Maxx Crosby trade to Baltimore.  And they will have those two #1 draft picks to use in April.  Grade (B) so far.  See if there is anything else out there they can find.

CHARGERS…Active but huge question for Joe Hortiz, are you better now on the roster with what you brought in, or are you less considering who-what you lost.  Hate to see Odafe Oweh leave, but how can you rationalize paying him (25M) a year after just a half year’s quality work for the Bolts?  OC-Tyler Biadasz is an upgrade over what was there.  But Cole Strange is not the equal of Zion Johnson.  A blocking TE and a blocking FB are okay, but Justin Herbert will throw the ball more than his team runs the ball in this new offense.  Just don’t think they are a better team at this hour, and alot of free agents are off the board already.  Grade (C)

CHIEFS..Wow-they definitely are changing the personality of the offense.  They want to play some power ball so the theft of Seahawks star Kenneth Walker at running back makes sense, even at a pricey number.  But they still need upgrades upfront.  And they have the unresolved mess with WR-Rashee Rice and his lawsuit.  And as the sun comes up in the morning, they are down 4-DBs, and I mean four quality athletes who can run.  This truly won’t be the same team next year.  Yes a running back, but holes lots of other places.  Grade (C)..would have been even worse had it not be for Walker coming in.

BRONCOS…Surprise of the day had to be ‘Denver did nothing’ from the outside, and this is far from a complete football team.  Did re-sign JK Dobbins and brought back Alex Singleton.  Maybe they make a run at 2nd tier wide receivers and go get some depth in the defensive front.  Really strange in they have needs regardless of last year’s Bo Nix-led record.  Grade (D)..Pending future moves.

Day one was wild..80-players changed teams.  Now GMs go shopping for values.
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Hacksaw’s Monday  Bonus Podcast…Starts 1:30pm
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Hot Topics..Stay for Fans Forum
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“NFL..OFF SEASON BEGINS”
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Let the Wheeling & Dealing begin in the NFL.

The Free Agent Window opens at 9am-Monday…it’s Green Light Go time for General Managers…the Salary Cap is now at (301M) total-a raise of 22M from last year.

Trades have started..Free Agent Visits are beginning…QBs are being released.

Lots of stories-lot of places-bookmark these cities:

RAIDERS..Trade their best player for two #1 picks.  Goodbye Maxx Crosby.  You deplete a poor roster by dealing away your top player-emotional leader?  The incompetence continues, and now you can start grading Tom Brady, who has input.  Since he has been brought in to help bail this team out..the Raiders burned (40M) on Geno Smith, hired-fired Pete Carroll, hired-fired Chip Kelly, traded WR-Jacoby Myers, wasted free agent money on journeyman players, wound up at (3-14) in year one of the Brady era.

CHIEFS…You don’t give up star defensive players, but they did in dealing CB-Trent McDuffie for a load of Rams draft picks.  They say they will change the personna of the offense, and started by eating (20M) in getting rid of OT-Jawaan Taylor, DE-Mike Danna and more.  Interesting off season coming in terms of retooling, adding people for Patrick Mahomes’ offense, and waiting for the NFL to unload on troubling WR-Rashee Rice.

DENVER..Got to add to the skill people around QB-Bo Nix and still in search of anyone to catch the ball consistently.  Also interesting to see Coach Sean Payton given up play calling.

ARIZONA..Of all the QBs going on the open market, Kyler Murray seems to still have upside despite a (38-48) career record, lots of TDs, Turnovers, Sacks.  He is only 25.  Maybe the Jets-maybe the Vikings. Costing the Cardinals (38M) in goodbye money.

MIAMI..Alot to prove if he gets the chance.  The first two years of big stats seems like a decade ago, replaced by concussions, injuries, poor play and bad team chemistry involving Tua Tagovailoa.  Who knows where he lands and what chance he has. That is a (99M) cap hit regardless of how you divide it up over the next couple of years.

ATLANTA…Yeah that was a good decision, all that money to QB-Kirk Cousins and then the drafting of Michael Penix right after that.  What a bad corporate decision.  Somebody will rent him for the minimum and maybe he has a good stat year left in him..

LA RAMS..Pretty bold to make that McDuffie-Chiefs trade.  Still the big question, can they afford (40M) a year deals for both Matthew Stafford-Puka Nacua.

SEATTLE…Hard to believe RB-Kenneth Walker asking price is (20M) per year after one really good season for the Seahawks.  Hard to believe he would leave a Super Bowl team. Hard to believe they might lose Rashid Shaheed.

COLTS..Way big money (38.7M) on a 1-year deal for Daniel Jones, and now it may cost them WR-Alec Pierce as a free agent. Should have moved on the pass catcher a year ago.

EAGLES…Who’s the bigger problem in Philadelphia, WR-AJ Brown and his antics-attitude or the up and down play of QB-Jalen Hurts?  Rumors will not go away ‘Patriots-get-Brown’.  Just not sure you can be dumping a star player.

PACKERS..QB-Malik Willis gets a second chance, but wants (30M) for a guy who has started just 6-games in his career.  That would be a reach at that price.

BENGALS..End of the run with DE-Trey Hendrickson and his high motor efforts that ended in acrimony over money.  He can bring it still and will get a payday.

CHARGERS..Taking care of in house business and spending a real chunk of their free agent money to retain Teair Tart and Khalil Mack.  Interesting to see if they think OG-Zion Johnson is worth (15-20M) a year?  Admitted (20M) mistake on Mekhi Becton.  And how much do you pay (10M-15M) for the half season of good play LB-Odafe Oweh gave you?  Interesting weeks ahead for GM-Joe Hortiz.  Interesting season ahead after Jim Harbaugh blew up his offensive coaching staff and lost his brilliant defensive coordinator.

TAMPA BAY..Big bidding war coming for WR-Mike Evans and his illustrious career.  Stay with Bucs or go to 49ers-Patriots-Raiders?

NAMES TO WATCH..DE-Cam Jordan..DE-Kwity Paye..DT-Jonathon Allen..LB-Alex Anzalone..CB-Alonte Taylor…S-Kevin Bayard..RB-Rico Dowdle..WR-Juwan Jennings-Christian Kirk-Romeo Doubs-Rashid Shaheed-Isaiah Likely-Hollywood Brown-TE-David Njoku..OG-Issac Seumalo-Ali Vera Tucker.

Let the bidding begin-it will be fast-furious and at high prices.
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Hacksaw’s Great Sports Weekend Podcast
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Hacksaw on TV..Saturday..6:30am..KUSI Sports
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“BASEBALL–AT ITS WORST
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The late great Jerry Coleman used to say…’come to a ballgame-you will see something you’ve never seen before’.

Rightfully so on a Thursday afternoon in the Cactus League, and it was on TV for all of us to see.

Padres 27-Mariners 6

How absurd to see the Padres lineup abuse the Mariners minor league pitching.

Don’t think I have ever seen a 12-run inning, but that’s what the second inning was.  And it continued the rest of the afternoon as Seattle paraded one minor league pitcher out to the mound after another.  Same result.

The Friars had 28-hits…hit a club record 8-home runs in a game.

I tuned in to see Walker Buehler’s debut and it was pretty solid.  Never expected to see light hitting catcher Freddy Fermin go 3-for-3 and knock in 6-runs.

Pleased to see rookie Sung-mun Song hit a 430′ bomb thru the wind, but hated to find out he retweaked his oblique and had to come out of the game.

It was a hit parade beyond belief, but it was spring training.  And the caveat, the wind was blowing 20-miles an hour out in Peoria.

And to prove a point, cross town in the Cactus League, The Dodgers-Reds game had 10-home runs in it.  And the Angels were outslugged 16-11 by the A’s in another gale force windy day.

None of it counts in the opening day standings, but the fans  got their moneys worth of home run balls to chase over the fence.

Like Jerry Coleman said.  I have never seen 27-runs scored in game

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