Dennis Koulatsos and Nestor discuss the highest bidder and what will go into the process of bidding – and paying – for Lamar Jackson and why the Ravens’ stance looks better every day as other NFL teams find quarterbacks to fill chairs in free agency.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
ravens, lamar jackson, quarterback, game, year, dennis, deal, wear, lamar, kid, thinking, people, draft picks, falcons, win, week, thursday, dan snyder, baker mayfield, draft
SPEAKERS
Dennis Koulatsos, Nestor Aparicio
Nestor Aparicio 00:00
Welcome back at W N S, T, Towson, Baltimore and Baltimore positive what a week. We have here. We have it’s a tampering week I can just say that out loud because I’m allowed to say that no tampering at the Maryland lottery though I’ll have some instant scratch offs as well as our friends or window nation as he put the crabcake tour back together. We’re gonna be doing that after we get through this Maryland thing I’m gonna be in Hollywood casino up in Perry Ville on Thursday watching all things stirpes tip offs at 1215 I’ll be there earlier than that. I’ll have free copies of Purple Rain one and two. Take what you want. I might even bring some old wacko for Flacco signs are some great 252 signs that I got laying around for old times sake but I will be wearing my Maryland Terrapins national championship had that I waited so long for from McMillan and Lucas and Elmore all the way through finally won Dixon and you know, and those guys got it for me. So I’m going to put that back on. We’re going to meet up in Perry Ville that is Kalonzo says here, you know this is one of those weeks where like I’ve got a bracket tool in front of me right? I’m trying to worry about St. Patrick’s Day and spring training and this and that and the weather break and leaves on trees and things happening out here. But this Lamar thing, it continues to just sort of dominate and every time there’s a piece of news whether it’s the Panthers deal into the one and DJ more whether it’s Jalen Ramsay and the rams and the dolphins or Baker Mayfield or the Buccaneers, it’s sort of like this is the most interesting piece. And it feels like all of this is going to happen in real quietness as all of these other pieces in the league and air all the other league business takes place. It doesn’t feel like this is the first thing it’s gonna happen. Dennis,
Dennis Koulatsos 01:45
you know, it doesn’t this I was at a baptism the other day Sunday and the reception, the conversation shifted to Lamar Jackson. Everybody wanted to know what do I think and they also were quick to give me opinions of what they thought about the whole thing where we are right now with the Ravens negotiations. What’s what’s Bushati think of the whole thing? It is still the biggest story in the NFL and curious to see will the Indianapolis replace the will they step up? How about the Washington Snyder’s the Falcons are out there right the Jets depending on what happened to with their dance with Aaron Rodgers. Lots of intrigue, lots of smoke screens, lots of lying right now. Yes.
Nestor Aparicio 02:26
Yeah. Like nobody should expect anything truthful to come out right. Like I got Peter King on later today. Right? Like, I mean, I could pray I could get Shefter I can source these guys get them. They’re getting lied to because it doesn’t benefit anyone and and we’ve really went through this at length with the Falcons jumping up right away and saying not us or getting a smokescreen out to say not us in that. Nobody wants this to turn into a bidding war. But there were four teams bidding on Deshaun Watson last year. In my mind, there’s two or three of these teams doing something. This Dan Snyder, crippling the franchise the fact that the Raiders are financially too crippled to maybe get in, that the Buccaneers may have, you know, salary cap issues that they can’t get involved. That the Ravens I don’t know where the Ravens would be on matching a deal because they don’t like the other teams draft picks? I don’t I don’t think that factors into this. I mean, they they took this deal to take the two draft picks if they’re not going to match the deal. I don’t know whether the ravens and you and I would certainly this would be a two steak dinner over to Beaumont, for you and me. But I think you and I sort of believe that the first amazing offer that comes along if the ravens are done with him, that just allows them to say he never really wanted to be here. We love the kid, we wish him well in city X, Atlanta, India, wherever it is, we’re going to take the draft. Like I think that’s a really hard thing to bring back to the fan base here. Because I think the fan base now based on the non exclusive tag, I think the pendulum has swung even further from where you and I were, which is I think both sides want a divorce. That’s what you want. I spent 90 days believing that there’s this period here over the last week where you and I start to think well, maybe nobody will come maybe it won’t be that maybe nobody will have to wonder maybe nobody will go over a bucket and maybe there’s collusion maybe he needs an agent. Well we agree with that right definitely
Dennis Koulatsos 04:36
needs an agent. There’s no that’s one thing I think everyone agrees on right now that he needs an agent and if I’m a team negotiated with him, I probably tell him or get an agent we don’t want to negotiate with you and here’s why. Because also you these quarterbacks when he signed these mega contracts at some point, they restructure to help the team Case in point Deshaun Watson has just restructured to give the Cleveland Browns 36 million large verdicts cap space, absent of a an agent, the bona fide NFL agent, Lamar Jackson will never restructure once he signed for the guaranteed money, you’re going to be stuck with a contract with no cap relief for the team. And no
Nestor Aparicio 05:13
buffer. No points here of which the caster and hardball and the shotty and James urban and and Greg Roman would probably tell you wasn’t a great thing. Now hasn’t been a great thing and would not be a great thing for any organization. And this is, this is a problem. And I think the Ravens like the kid, I think the Ravens like the player, I think the Ravens like the athlete, I think the Ravens don’t like the businessman.
Dennis Koulatsos 05:45
Well, if the Ravens don’t like them, they’ve had two years to deal with them. I don’t know that they’re within five days, another team is going to be able to put this thing together because absentee of a of a deal and a $230 million guaranteed range. I don’t think he gets his attention. And then it shifts back to the Ravens what will happen then, do they does he take the 1/3 I don’t think Arthur
Nestor Aparicio 06:03
Blank sitting around today thinking like I got to get on the phone with Lamar Jackson to save my franchise. I don’t think any of them are and I don’t think Steve is going to be pushed into that and I don’t even know what that means and whether the the love the kid or they don’t and if they wind up matching a deal, it would speak volumes to me to what happened was Cincinnati would happen with all these hardball press conferences in December where he looked beleaguered and frustrated angry and I can’t you know, I don’t even know where this kid is. And I you know, like I it felt all of that to me. And that’s why it feels like to me all this is a smokescreen for the first best offer to pop up. And the ravens to have some semblance of what those draft picks would turn into and what they’re going to do with that position, but boy, oh boy doesn’t feel like we know what they’re gonna do with that position at this point, right? Like, if somehow some way Dan Snyder gets a wild hair and decides to you know, do the burgundy Bullitt and give Lamar Jackson $240 million just to do it. Because he’s that guy. You’re like, what what are the Ravens going to do a quarterback? Like let’s play that game? What what ravens do?
Dennis Koulatsos 07:20
There’s they’re free and southard Jimmy Garoppolo. Baker Mayfield there’s, there’s some freedoms out there, Taylor. Hi, Nikki. And if it is a commander’s, they’ll have a top 10 pick in the next two years.
07:33
And it doesn’t have to be this year. It doesn’t have to be this year.
Nestor Aparicio 07:37
You wonder whether someone could screw up Lamar Jackson.
Dennis Koulatsos 07:41
Oh, are you kidding me? And so next season, the quarterback class looks to be even stronger than this year’s quarterback class. I think your ravens can redshirt a year. I think the organization has burned up Wow. Or they’ll be competitive. They have enough of a team.
Nestor Aparicio 07:58
But that’s not good. If they pick 18 seasons thinking they’re getting a quarterback.
Dennis Koulatsos 08:02
No but but if you pick the top then you cannot keep my two first round draft picks. You can package and move up top I have a draft capital to go get the guy the guy which they haven’t had to do in many, many years, thankfully for the Ravens fans, but I do think that they’ll have enough and I don’t think it’s a stretch for us to imagine Stetson Bennett in a Ravens uniform.
Nestor Aparicio 08:21
We’re all about EMR you because it just makes sense. name you like his name. Be honest. I liked
Dennis Koulatsos 08:26
the fact he’s won two national championships and I like the fact that his offensive coordinator now is going to be calling the plays on the offense for the Ravens so I do like that I and I do think they have enough pieces they have they have a really good defense. Good offensive line solid running game. They just don’t need a whole lot but they definitely need a quarterback and I think we saw the Tyler Huntley is not going to be the answer quarterback. He’s going to be a career backup and I don’t what surprised me Tyler homies isn’t even on the team this season.
Nestor Aparicio 08:56
That is Kalonzo says here on my show. I will be on his show. He’s here on Thursday from three to five. And then of course on the weekends on Sunday morning. length with me last week and length of Luke, we continue to go at length with all of these things. But the league churns out right like you start to see where the value is and where the number one pick is and what the Panthers were doing when they said they were out that they’re going for the number one pick, it starts to feel like these top quarterbacks are gonna go at the top of the top and there’s not going to be anything left other than Tyler Hanna key and Jimmy Garoppolo and whatever else is out on the market at this point.
Dennis Koulatsos 09:33
No question about it. What’s your friend up Mike Brown done over there in Cincinnati something I’ve saw blurb about labor laws or whatnot. Here’s a guy notoriously cheap but we’ve been talking about it for weeks can wait for the job burn negotiation. People think it’s gonna be easy. It’s not going to be easy. It’s going to be like pulling teeth from the cheapest owner and all a professional sport Nestor
Nestor Aparicio 09:53
What do you say he’s so he’s so tidy creaks when he walks? Oh my God.
Dennis Koulatsos 09:57
He took out a $5 bill the other day He took out a $5 bill and the a blink has started blinking. He hadn’t seen daylight and so many years been decades. So good luck with that. So and that’s the other thing with their payments if Lamar does, in fact, doesn’t get an offer, and he has to play or not on the 30 cumulate. Our deal, I think some of these deals at these quarterbacks are going to sign are going to be eye opening, because I don’t think they’re going to bring the kind of capital that was given to Deshaun. Watson, they’re gonna be more in line with the Russell Wilson and Kyler Murray deals that they received a look at the last few I don’t know if they’re below market, but they’re not what what what Lamar Jackson would think would be appropriate for his talents anyway?
Nestor Aparicio 10:37
Well, I mean, the Ravens have tried and I again and again, and they’re still out in the media trying and there’s this last week of the nonexclusive I think it’s changed people to think he really will be back that that’s where this thing’s gonna go. Meanwhile, the guns gonna go off middle of the week, and people are going to be going places and cap situations may cost the ravens and Marcus Peters or may, you know, people may wait and see who’s going to be there whether I want to play there or not. And then there’s the draft itself, which we spent a lot oxygen two weeks ago, right in Indianapolis, watching the underwear Olympics and watching where all these players are. And the Hammar things amazing because it’s so foundational it’s an every conversation I’m in on the air off the air anywhere I go. I went out to get Chinese food the other night, people want to talk Lamar with me, right? I would just say the Ravens have other fish fry in year right on the back end on their offensive line, your wide receiver game in the draft itself. You know, the line, you’re getting more depth, all of these other issues, installing a new offense and a new whole offensive system. There’s a lot of things are going to be talked about. After Lamar.
Dennis Koulatsos 11:55
Yeah, there’s no doubt about that. Then the under the radar is Patrick queen, of course. He’s scrubbed his account, free of the Ravens. He’s out fishing, he’s posting pictures of himself fishing. I can see Patrick clean package with probably a draft pick and being shipped out to someone for maybe a second round draft pick that the Ravens would love to recoup. And the real Quan Smith trade from a year ago.
Nestor Aparicio 12:16
That’s amazing. All he did was pray for ro Quan ro Quan comes in it’s got his money literally right. Yeah,
Dennis Koulatsos 12:21
that’s there’s no no question about that. So, like you said, they still have to put together a competitive football team, which we have all the confidence in the world that the will the ravens are not a cheap organization, regardless of what some people are saying out there, but this has been very polarizing. For the fan base for sure.
Nestor Aparicio 12:38
Well, chirps will keep us interested for at least a couple hours right? trips.
Dennis Koulatsos 12:43
I don’t know anybody who doesn’t love the Terps.
Nestor Aparicio 12:45
Well, this has been a reawakening for a brand right and this is where the Orioles are, I guess in keeping Haydn Elias around as foundational guys, with watchmen and Gunnar Henderson selling jerseys and selling enthusiasm. And I even said John means to to Luke Jones. And where’s he you know, is he going to come back and pitch this year and Grayson Rodriguez and DL Hall we have these names, right. And the Ravens birth Lamar and they’ve had all this stuff, the Terps, this Kevin Willard thing and the NIHL and the big 10, which was always a little muddied water where, where there was no Duke or any of this, this feels like a little bit of an awakening for them. And they don’t shoot the ball well on the road and it got to Vegas, get through West Virginia. But having a play against Alabama in Birmingham, it was not a great draw for them. But it does make for a great memory to say, you know if if they can pull off that kind of the only way you you pull off that kind of an upset is to have it presented to you. And then if they can earn that opportunity by winning on Thursday, I think Saturday is an interesting gauge of where the program is good bad lose by 30 win by a bucket, have some excitement, lose by eight, whatever it would be to be in that kind of a tournament game where there’s going to be a crowd, there’s going to be vibe, there’s going to be Mojo. I’d love to see them earn that on Thursday.
Dennis Koulatsos 14:07
Oh, no question about it. Nestor. Kevin Willard has brought back the excitement of College Park to ravens trips basketball rather. And he also had the fantastic recruiting class coming in. So he’s laid the foundation this year. He’s one heck of a coach. And look, it’s great to see the Terps back in the tournament, was thrilled to be watching and hopefully like you said, they can beat West Virginia and then Alabama wins or draw. They’re gonna be on national television and we’ll all be watching and like always, when you get on that court. You have a puncher’s chance of taking them down and thinking to figure out how to shoot some threes. They can take some trouble up there against the against Alabama, but they got to get past West Virginia first.
Nestor Aparicio 14:45
You said when loser draw they’re right there on television. Not spring training. Not Oriole baseball not wait, no, no, no, not in spring.
Dennis Koulatsos 14:54
Memorial baseball. There you go. See? Look, I’m optimistic about the O’s they’re going to rely on That young talent then hopefully I’m excited about Dr. Hall and Grayson Rodriguez for sure. Did you
Nestor Aparicio 15:05
say you’re going to games this year? You’re on the record. You bought a package right? Teen pack? Absolutely. All right. Do you know what games you’re the flex thing where you pick when you go I mean
Dennis Koulatsos 15:15
it’s the flex thing just like electricity or it’s the flex thing so lights go out. Yeah, man it says so powerful. It makes the lights go out but yes, so looking forward to it the sitting behind home plate and look it’s great gone to Camden Yards it always it’s always a fun time.
Nestor Aparicio 15:30
All right, well, I maybe that’s our night to have proper, you know, Roma sausage out on the street and you know, get some peanuts and go down there and park it all have a pregame beverage with some suds on Tom all about it, then it’s like, it’s, I feel like I’ve been cooped up winter Right. Like it’s starting to feel like the colds lingering longer. We got the sun coming up later staying up later. I’m ready for baseball psychologically. I’m ready for baseball.
Dennis Koulatsos 15:56
Yeah, you know what? It’s it’s they’re competitive. I don’t know if they’ll win 8587 90 games this year, but their competitive teams are fun to watch. The younger guys are going to they’re here older now. Right? rutschman and whatnot. So we’re looking for big things out of them. And, you know, Jackson holidays see him doing some great things. Ghana in Florida.
Nestor Aparicio 16:13
Well, you’re a man. You’re You’re a good man, your man of your word. You said when they tried hard, you would come back.
16:20
I like I like
Dennis Koulatsos 16:21
the sick. I like just coming. I like to see competition. Even when I’m watching any kind of game NFL. I want to see a competitive game. A lot of times I don’t even care who wins or loses. Just like the Super Bowl we just had between the chiefs. And the Eagles. I wanted to see a competitive game. I didn’t want to see a three touchdown blowout, right, that type of a difference. I love competitive games. Keep it close until the very end.
Nestor Aparicio 16:42
My wife and I were watching chirps ladies, we wanted to Nacho Mama’s last Saturday and you know was just the game was on it was a big 10 women’s game. And I said their tournament a tournament they don’t they don’t need to when it’s taught you know, and they’re playing out in believes Minnesota the Iowa team was there. And you know, it’s an eight point game then it was a two point game. It’s a basketball game, you know? And like all of a sudden, there’s eight minutes left to go in the game and we’re, we send the bartender Hey, man, can you move the bottle the bottle is in the way of the clock score. We want to like we want to get zoned in on this. And then you could bet on it now I’m just kidding. Yeah, you know, but like, but like I see our people that that if you love sports, you just give me the last eight minutes of a competitive basketball game. It can be I will Maryland women’s in a tournament, but you’re gonna have a lot of that going on this weekend. DENNIS I went old school. I got the printer.
17:33
I practice
Dennis Koulatsos 17:35
bracketology snare right
Nestor Aparicio 17:36
and I’m bringing my buddy Dave Preston on. I have a free plug for him. He’s down at WT op in DC. He does this. He is a Styrofoam cup. And he puts the bracket on a Styrofoam cup and he color coordinates it every year on the internet. He’s been doing this for 15 years. So I’m bringing him on and we’re gonna do bracketology around cups and brackets but I’m gonna be at the Hollywood casino having a good time. Beer wings, burgers, basketball. St. Patrick’s Day weekend you’re selling car. Tell me something. What’s going on? I’ll tell you this. We were driving around town and my wife saw a Bronco and I’m not kidding you. It was Houston Oiler blue with a white. Like canopy top on it. It looked like an old like 70s wagoneer kind of thing
Dennis Koulatsos 18:24
got what in stock. It’s called a heritage edition. I’ve got a I’ve got Okay,
Nestor Aparicio 18:28
so tell me what this is. If my honey if you can hear this come in. Dennis is telling me because I okay. If not, I’ll just tell her to go watch.
Dennis Koulatsos 18:35
It’s a heritage edition. It’s a limited edition, a production model of the Broncos sport. Carolina blue. It’s got a white roof. It’s got white wheels. It’s got a special trim package on the interior. We also have a light yellow and looks like Ronald McDonald mobile. Oh,
Nestor Aparicio 18:50
you see Carolina but you met Euler blue. Yes. I’m sorry. I
Dennis Koulatsos 18:53
digress. Sorry about that. We’ve been put some red pinstripes on the fourth if you like but yeah, it’s a real showstopper and a real head turner. It’s priced right I think it’s right around 40 grand a lot a lot of vehicle for the money for sure. You have one of those I have one i You can’t miss it when it pulls up you kind of do a double take like what is that? It’s got heated seats got aircon which Oh yeah, it’s got just it’s a modern vehicle with a retro look and you’ll you’ll see for doing that they’re going to bring back the the old style Bronco to where the original at some point so say I’m afraid
Nestor Aparicio 19:24
of picking my nose in a car like that or like doing something wrong or like checking my phone and having somebody that you know I did I drove that Bronco down the beach two summers ago. Never. I thought like Ric Flair I felt like everywhere I went I was yelling
Dennis Koulatsos 19:41
Funny thing is you had no idea initially did you? Did they took
Nestor Aparicio 19:44
me and I’m like yeah, help them sell cars. But like I mean, how?
Dennis Koulatsos 19:52
How rare is one of the it was one of the few Broncos on the street in the United States of America in the
Nestor Aparicio 19:57
first few months parked it. I had pictures of people come An up and going like this into the car. And I’m thinking, I don’t know if I can own this car because it’s two people, it’s too much traction. So I thought that about this beautiful blue thing. But I do want to let you know that don’t be half of you listening. I haven’t gotten the button up the Euler button up with the big Derrick on it. And by that I won the Warren Moon auction. So good for you next time we get together here might be Thursday might be next next, next Monday. Hey, Lamar Jackson might be wearing a titan Jersey by then who knows? Right. So it so either way, I have a Warren Moon roadie white number one. I think it’s going to fit me it’s a medium. I hope it’s gonna kids medium but I ordered it. 30 bucks 3790 something delivered. I got it and I’m gonna wear it and treasure it in the same way that some Falcons fan is gonna get a larger and I’m just making that up. I don’t know.
Dennis Koulatsos 20:55
Maybe. Maybe it’s not a stretch. It’s an it’s in place on the table. Put it to you that
Nestor Aparicio 21:01
way. All right, Dennis. Look, I give lottery tickets out. I mentioned wagering I know you’re not a gambling guy. Right now. You and I are gonna make a friendly bet over a Beaumont burger at lunch. I’m not going to hit you up for the deep fried. The special lobster dead lobster to pour. They do ridiculous. Amazing.
Dennis Koulatsos 21:19
All right, I’m
Nestor Aparicio 21:20
gonna add that in. So for a burger and lobster tempura. Okay, winner take all and I’m gonna I’m on the hook for the 50 bucks. It’s gonna cost me if I lose this bet. Are you going to wear your Lamar Jackson, Raven jersey. To another day, you’re going to put that on and have him be a raven again, in your mind in your heart. Because you bought that literally famously told me. You bought that at 1151 that night on you literally put them bought it. That’s how excited you were. If you’re going to have to give that up and not wear that again, as Where are you on that? Is it going to happen? Or is it
Dennis Koulatsos 21:55
No, no, I have a closet full of jerseys from former ravens whether they retired or went someplace else. So I will I won’t wear too if he does not recycle the Ravens. I will not wear it again. But I’ll keep it I mean also have autographed Jersey Baltimore Jackson,
Nestor Aparicio 22:12
what do you think you wear it again? Do you think right now you’re going to put that jersey on?
Dennis Koulatsos 22:18
Man? That’s a great question. You know what? I don’t think so. I still don’t think so. Okay. I just don’t think so. I think the ravens are looking for now. I think they’re hoping that somebody says okay, it’s 200 guaranteed or 225. Guaranteed so that way they don’t have to match. I think they’re hoping that somebody whether it’s Atlanta or Washington or New York, somebody steps up.
Nestor Aparicio 22:37
What do you think they would know that instead of hope that
Dennis Koulatsos 22:40
it’s hard to say because of all the action that Deshaun Watson got last year, a year ago,
Nestor Aparicio 22:45
and I don’t think any Bluff is bluffs Eric de Costa in Indianapolis over coffee, about whether they really want him especially when they know the price. The price is to two picks and negotiate with the kid. That’s literally the price right? So they’re not they’re not negotiating on anything other than what Team X is going to pay Lamar and whether that’s realistic or not, right. Like Eric knew when he tagged them last week, whether he’s keeping them or not. I Eric Koston knows whether Lamar is going to be his quarterback right i i would feel like he has to know that
Dennis Koulatsos 23:16
maybe said the farmer and the folks that are not who don’t know what that means. Google it maybe said the farmer. It’s a it’s a good tale. And I think it’s appropriate situation because let’s keep in mind a Joe Douglas and Robert Sally up there in New York. They have to win now if they don’t win this year. Both can be jobless a year from now. So if this thing with Aaron Rodgers falls through, their only option is going to be Lamar Jackson. Jim Ursi up there hasn’t had a winner and how long has had the quarterback since Andrew Luck. They own the fourth pick of the draft. You have a brand new coach that just came out of Philadelphia, who was used to working with a running quarterback like Jalen Hertz. They they need to win soon, right? They need to sell some tickets up there in India, no place. The Falcons Arthur Blank. They haven’t done anything in years. So you got Desmond Ritter at quarterback. There are players out there. Nestor that I think it’s fascinating. I’m thinking the ravens are praying and hoping that somebody steps up so they can save face and move away and gain some picks. The ravens are also hoping that more than one team gets into the fracas so they can actually train him and maybe get a player or additional draft picks. That’s what they’re hoping Lamar Jackson. All he needs is one. The Ravens need two suitors to play this game properly.
Nestor Aparicio 24:24
Dennis was some wisdom as always, you’ll sell your car including the heritage blue with my wife years this I mean, to me it looks like a 60 or 70 thing I said to her that’s expensive.
Dennis Koulatsos 24:34
I know where to send it today if she wants it.
Nestor Aparicio 24:38
He sells cars I you know I mean, she couldn’t stop looking at it when she’s
Dennis Koulatsos 24:45
got an idea
Nestor Aparicio 24:48
that it’s Euler blue. I’ll get
Dennis Koulatsos 24:49
behind. Oh, man. That sounds like a deal to me.
Nestor Aparicio 24:52
I see a derrick I could put on the side pull off when she’s not looking. Dennis Colossus here you’ll be your own Thursday and on Sunday I’ll be on my Warren Moon jersey and if I’m not too much of a cheapskate I can’t believe over eight bucks I don’t have that pull over I think I’m just gonna go click we are wn sta and 1570 Towson Baltimore we never stop talking Baltimore positive
