 What's up everybody it's Scott Bayer here your host of Falcons final whistle and before we dive into this episode a quick listener note Tory Chris and I recorded this episode before Tuesday morning's announcement by Tom Brady that he has officially retired So there is some outdated discussion about whether he will or won't come back for the 2022 season Now it's official and the core of this episode Remains intact as we discussed how the Falcons will be impacted by Tom Brady retiring and by Sean Payton stepping away as Saints head coach What's up everybody and welcome to another edition of the Falcons finalist podcast. I'm Scotty bear Steering via zoom Ed Torrey Macklainy and Chris rim is in Mobile, Alabama at senior bowl. What on guys Chris? How how was Alabama so far? Sorry Never been here before never thought I would be You know, I'm a couple hours in so, you know, just surviving out. It's pretty good Let's let's try to keep the expenses to a reasonable amount Maybe possibly. I don't know you and Terry font. No, maybe out until the wee hours of the morning But just use his corporate card. Okay There's only really one way to say like anything about being in Alabama. It's just like, oh, you're in Alabama and it's like, yes I'm here. Yeah, that's all you have to say. You don't say anything else and We planned on doing the second question of the week and have it be senior bowl slash NFL draft related and Then Sean Payton did a thing and then Tom Brady did like another thing. Maybe probably yeah, maybe a thing We don't know if it's a thing yet because The goat hasn't announced it's a thing, but nonetheless Sean Payton earlier last week and then that's officially official He's stepping away from the Saints as their longtime head coach the man who brought them a Super Bowl Who partnered with with Drew Brees to make the Saints a very good team for a very long time? He is officially stepping away At least for the year. He's not going to be a head coach anywhere The Saints that's a big transition for somebody who is an institution Down in New Orleans and then on Saturday afternoon anybody with a phone or ears Heard that according to him. I have to phrase this appropriately, right? Right. Yeah in report by Adam Schefter and Jeff Darlington citing multiple sources I'm not gonna say it this way every time they said that Tom Brady is Going to retire after 22 seasons Chris was were you born when when he was playing? I have no clue, but that's my entire life. So yeah I don't remember a time when Tom Brady wasn't playing I think I was because I'm 26 So I was like four years old. Oh, that's adorable. Please don't tell Drew Bledsoe those facts. He won't appreciate but nonetheless it From Adam Schefter and ESPN that he's expected to retire And if I'm not we're kind of back that up as well We're gonna see on all that but nonetheless There is a very strong or there's a possibility that the NFC South could look a lot different Just with those two guys taking off. So we have changed things up We're going with this as our question of the week that we are going to Dive into over the course of this Falcons Final Whistle podcast for those of you used to the post game Pod format with all the ticking clocks and buzzers We were skipping that during the offseason, but the final whistle because we have the final word on this Okay, what we say goes That's important for everyone to know I'm glad you're making that stand Yeah, I am. Well, I'm trying to keep the Falcons final whistle the name of the podcast relevant Right, I got it Yeah, it's like we can't just we can't follow the same format as what we were doing But we still have to keep the name because people know the name now exactly subscribe and all that stuff but anyway Initial thoughts, I guess Chris will start with you initial thoughts on the news of the week whether Brady Peyton both What was your take on all that kind of coming down over the course of one week? Well, I think it's a obviously a crazy news week for people doing breaking news and that But I think that the Brady's retirement is expected and I don't think that Jeff Darlington and Adam Schefter What have reported that without having credible sources because this Tom Brady's retirement It's not something that you want to be wrong about especially from two guys who have proven Their credibility on on this on these type of things in terms of breaking news. They're usually accurate. So I think the Tom's Tom Brady's dad coming out and Reports coming out that he called the Bucks I think though that could possibly be because he wanted to do it on his own terms. He has this video He has resolved he comes out with cool videos He has the man of the arena So it could could be one of those things and then as for Sean Sean Peyton Obviously, he like you said, he's an institution in New Orleans took that franchise from from nothing and change things around So obviously a crazy week for the NFC South We're gonna dive into all that stuff really we're gonna talk about How Brady is gonna impact the Bucks how losing Sean Peyton is gonna impact the Saints. You're the Falcons. What are you thinking about all this? And does this news change anything about? How the Falcons should proceed over the course of this offseason before we do all that we got to thank our sponsor Sick and with us a big thank you to our sponsor Microsoft Windows 11 the official operating system of the NFL and the Atlanta Falcons The all-new Windows 11 is here to bring your you closer to what you love like this Falcons final whistle podcast Learn all about the awesome new features of Windows 11 at Windows com so Now we can get into this we've already kind of touched on it, right? Is Tom gonna retire or not, right? And it's again Adam Schefter. He's pretty dialed in I would say Make according to my sources Adam Schefter is very good at his job and so nonetheless The expectation is that Brady will retire Tom Brady is Tom Brady you never know But let's operate under the assumption here So we don't have to keep repeating reported and ESPN all that But let's just assume that the expectation is that and for this conversation that he's going to retire If he doesn't we'll have a whole nother pot and that'll be fun. Yeah. Well, we'll read we won't redo the pod We'll just continue the same pod and you can just like You can just listen to it back to back that way one continuation So if we're operating under the expectation that he is going to retire and make his announcements and that Peyton is leaving The first question written by Tori McLean if you're the Falcons How do you feel about Peyton and Brady retiring as you go into the offseason if you're Arthur Smith and Matt Ryan and Terry Font know what's your reaction to the news over the course of the last week? So There's this picture of Arthur Smith that I find to be the funniest picture in the history of the 2021 football season and it's a picture that it's like a screen grab of a press conference that we had with him Probably a month and a half ago two months ago now and it's this really like sinister like looking like small smile and It's perfect. It's the perfect picture in my mind And I tweeted out quite often so if y'all don't follow me on Twitter go go to my like Twitter account And it'll be on there because I've already tweeted it But that picture is how I feel the Falcons organization feels about the Saints no longer having Sean Peyton and The Bucks no longer having Tom Brady It's just like this sinister little smile that you're not like it's not an overly expressive smile But the smile is there and that's how I feel like they feel about this. Yeah, it'll be in the promotional Tweet thread of the pods so you can see About dial it right in there. It's it's it's a rice mile. He he's in on a secret Yeah, he knows something that we don't yeah, but nonetheless, I think it's it can't be anything But good for the Falcons, right? I'm sure that they're excited about the prospect because they had the greatest of all time and the reigning Super Bowl champs in the division And they had a team that's been a perennial playoff contender for I don't know ever Basically right over the last 10 or 15 years. They've always been in it and when you have Those types and you could take Drew Brees departure from a year before as another Sign of those teams weakening so I think they have to be excited about it about the prospects of being able To move up within their own division winning the division is the only way you're gonna get a home game And so it's a good thing. I don't think You know We should start rearranging the divisional hierarchy just yet or assuming the Falcons are gonna jump right to the front Chris, you know kind of what's your take on all this if you're Go go ins on the mind of Terry fontanel of the Falcons brass, you know Like their reaction to this and what is a realistic expectation of where the Falcons sit after these Two pieces of big news. I mean, I think they should be popping bottles I Mean Now the expectation has changed because the as I think we're gonna get there, but the books have 19 free agents Oh, yep, of which Ryan Jensen Domicons sue Chris Godwin Leonard for Ned Gronk, O. J. Howard It's not just Brady who's leaving that if it was just Brady who was leaving the books would be a very attractive team for a Superstar quarterback who would want to leave ie one in Green Bay one in Seattle You know, but with all those guys gone It's not an ideal situation for any quarterback much less, you know, Kyle Trask or or however They might want to bring in the Saints on the other hand have a Cap situation as well as they still have to two great playmakers obviously on the offensive end and Michael Thomas and Alvin Khmer, but I think like I said, I think the burgers feel really good and they should be popping bottles Like I said, and they should feel really about their chances. I think what I was thinking earlier is their mindset should change I don't think I think they should believe that they have a shot a better shot than they did coming into this season I would in the division Yeah, it's is Matt Ryan the best quarterback in the division. I think right now. That's unquestioned now There will be moves to be made Bruce Arias we Stories birthday yesterday, so the three of us were hanging out a little bit. Happy birthday. We thank you. Thank you Are we gonna sing? No, we're not Listeners don't want to hear that but one thing that a topic that did get brought up is I mean like Bruce Arias is walking on the sideline like with some help like with slings and braces and things and it's like Does he I would like to ask him does he have the motivation to want to bring up a young 22 year old pup and develop payment and do a longer term thing or does he want Somebody who can get in there and make another go at it and and that was kind of said under the ascent Forgetting everything that Chris just brought up right that they were holding that that defense Which was old in general and all these for agents kind of holding it together with with duct tape and to get that To get that next ring right now. Maybe that all falls apart because Brady leaves So I there are many more dominoes to fall here and I think it's gonna be interesting You know to see how this plays out But I really think Tampa could definitely take a couple steps back that said they still got some weapons But that team could look a lot different and a lot more vulnerable Moving forward Yeah, and I think like you think about it I think they look vulnerable and then I know I said this in our little So for for these podcasts, we always do like a written round table that goes along with these podcasts and We talk about a lot of the same questions and something that I said in regards to the saints is that like I don't I feel like Sean Payton was the same and I felt like when you had Sean Payton as this offensive play caller Who I personally think like you got to put respect on Sean Payton's name as being one of the the best I think offensive play callers of the last decade I mean I I really do think that you can put that respect on his name to be that kind of guy and When you have that kind of guy who Like what we were talking talking about earlier had drew breeze and had all these different weapons and And then drew breeze or tires and now Sean Payton retires And it's like the saints look very different than what they did and especially when you're taking away The offensive mind that is Sean Payton. I think this saints team Also, I can't help but think that they would take a step back regardless of who comes in because I feel like when you have a guy like Sean Payton He attracts these offensive players that I think would mean a lot to what the saints are doing And I don't know if you have that anymore. So I think if you're looking at the saints too, like they also I think are in a really Weird situation. We obviously know how Bad the cap is in New Orleans. Like we all we obviously know of that situation So the fact that all these things are kind of compounded together You have Brady live leaving with a bunch of free agents leaving over there You have Sean Payton leaving and the saints being in salary cap hell. I mean I just I'm I'm with chris. Like if you're the Falcons, you're sitting there like we feel like we're on the up and up Whereas I don't know if the bucks and the saints would feel that way right now right now the question is if you looked at Where the like where the Falcons were sitting within the division And areas where they struggled and we've taken a look and written a lot about The Falcons needs and the falcon salary cap situation and a lot of different things And the the fact that they're a bit hamstrung by you know Really quote-unquote going for it. But do they have the resources required to be able to make The upgrades necessary to jump into that championship spot. I mean that's a question I'm not really sure where I sit there. You know, I'm you know in terms of going for it That's another thing. I think they should stay as disciplined as possible We can kind of spend you know, the last portion of it kind of falconizing this whole thing You know, so do they have enough resources to get the type of things that they need I think they've got to be disciplined though for as much as you could say All right, these two things are leaving They're these two big names and big important parts of those teams are leaving Does that mean that they like do some more salary cap trickery or do they Try to get out of the situation that they're in do they try to build the team The old-fashioned way or does this change their mindset? I think it should stay I think their mindset mindset should remain and not change Yeah, well, I mean you think about it like when you think about it like the The bucks and the saints are going to do it They got to do in order to win in order to rebuild with like their teams So like everybody's following kind of the same pattern here where they want to build championship level teams and winning teams And competitive teams and et cetera et cetera and all the cliches that we hear all the time They're all wanting to do the exact same same same thing So the falcons should absolutely want to stick to their own personal blueprint and path that they want to follow With terry faunone arthur smith and so I think like I I agree I don't think anything that happens with the saints anything that happens with tampa bay Changes the falcons overall plan. I think it's going to be interesting because I think it honestly puts matt ryan In his future in a honestly a little bit more secure space And I may be the only one who thinks that but when I think about the fact that when you look at the quarterbacks Across this division and you have matt ryan and then you have everybody else like a couple rungs down in terms of experience And production If you're the falcons and you're sitting there and you have matt ryan for you know At least two years if you want to play if you want to go to the end of his contract I mean I think that's a pretty good position to be in especially if you can build Around and this goes back to what we were talking about in the former fought the the last podcast We did where I was saying build around matt ryan so that when you do have But his successor coming in there's pieces already in place and you're not rebuilding a full team You're just getting a guy at the quarterback position who can grow into this team that you already kind of have built around him So I think that to me is almost reinforcing what I think we talked about last week Yeah, I was going to say too. I don't I don't think it's necessary but the falcons don't have to deviate from their plan at all to At hypothetically when to or to think that they can win the division next year the falcons can stick to to what they to their plan Because I don't think that like I said before that It's very possible Tom tom brady attracted a lot of people to that team Now a lot of those people are not going to to be attracted to that team anymore. I mean outside of the weather The the saints are mentioned their cap situation They may be in a situation where they bring on someone and maybe they they want to get rid of some of those You know bigger contracts like a Williams Williams contract or who knows they might be in a situation where they want to get rid of those contracts Those teams might look a lot different next year. The falcons don't need to go out and More get something or or or deviate from whatever they're doing I just think they should think that with the guys we have and whatever we do with with what we have We have a team here that can compete in this division a lot better than we did coming into last season I think I said shift Yeah, and and I think that that's That's better said than how I put it because like that is true and the the question I asked was Can they with the resources they have can they make the upgrades required? and the way to To more success for them. I think is is more firepower in areas where They've been lacking which is obviously in the pass rush They got a restock at wide receiver no matter what happens. You look at you look at what diva samuels been able to do right You look at what arthur smith had success with i mean aj browns He's a big dude, you know Get some people who can go out there break some tackles get some people who can dominate the line of scrimmage That they can find ways To to get those things done even if it's on you know one-year contracts or whatever to find pieces that can That can achieve those goals Then yeah, I mean it in terms of that mindset shift It is crazy to think that these two things and the dominoes that may fall afterward from what chris was saying is that you feel like Maybe they can make a run at it man. Maybe they can I mean Cincinnati's in the super bowl. They were 10-7, right? Yeah, I was I wasn't I wasn't talking about a super bowl. No, I mean no, but like I'm just saying like I'm just saying like they can get to 10 wins, right? 10 wins can win that division I I was not I'm not saying anything about 10 wins or anything like that Chris is pumping the brakes, man That boat at all. I'm think I was thinking more. I'm thinking more like You know This is this is a division that could that could look a lot like how people look at the nfc east a few years ago Is what I'm thinking. Okay So everything comes down as opposed to the falcons surging up. That's yeah That I'm not saying that the falcons aren't going to get better. I'm just saying that I don't think that Yeah, I wasn't saying like true boring that I'm just saying that they can compete in this division what they have And they like I don't think they need to make moves. I wasn't thinking too. Who knows maybe but I wasn't I was thinking that not saying wrong just saying I was Find like one sentence that you said and then I'll pull it take it out of context and like Have our folks like make a graphic and to be like yeah Chris rim dot dot dot super bowl dot dot dot falcons victory I'll find a way to put you in a bad position I honestly don't I don't think that I've ever seen Chris rim sweat as much as he's sweating right now like I Like honestly like Chris is the like most calm cool and collective of us three and he was really worried about that just now I I had to point it out. No, I'm definitely gonna do it. I'm definitely gonna do it. Yeah, no I mean I really You know, I'm just taking like leaps on the moon, you know Oh, hey ten wins Cincinnati got to ten wins Joe burrow Joe burrow Joe burrow Joe burrow I do see what you're saying though that that this division could look more like What the nfc east has recently really what the um What the afc south has kind of looked like it at times in the recent past So I think for all those things it's going to be fascinating And I think that the nfc south as we kind of wrap this thing up here I think the nfc south Is going to be a really interesting division to watch this off season now, right because the falcons have That they have what are they going to do with calvin midley, right? What are they going to do with that number eight overall pick? Who's the saint's coach going to be or who's the offensive coordinator if it's denis allen, right? Who's going to be the buccaneers quarterback? there's a lot of major questions that are going to have an impact on How this thing plays out and to Maybe if I can get chris's point correctly at this time that there's a Heading into last season you really felt like okay tom brady, right? Like the the bucks are the reigning super bowl champs. They are expected to be the nfc south Champions right that that was a fair and accurate assumption You can walk into this season depending upon how it all shakes out and you can be like like who's going to win the nfc south? Be like, I don't know I have no idea and that makes for fun football even if it's very close to 500 football I mean, I think you I think you think back to even like this whole entire season I tell people all the time like this entire like nfl season was one of the weirdest seasons because you always felt like At any point in time during Every single sunday somebody could come out of left field and beat somebody else and it never like and it never felt like there was Like significant front runners even I don't know even as we came down the stretch. It felt that way Uh, so the more of that we get I think the better the nfl is overall I mean you look at these Playoff games that have just been absolutely amazing football over the course of the last like what month and I'm here if everybody wants to beat up on everybody. I am here for it Yeah, I think it's gonna be interesting. I think uh You know as chris said the falcons are going to win the super bowl. I think that's important quote chris ram quote chris ram, uh super bowl Nonetheless, um, yeah, I think it was a fun timely discussion. I think it really it does As you guys both said that you stick to the plan, but there has to be a mindset shift, right? That there has to be a thing like Okay, like it's there for us And that's obviously what the falcons have what terry fontano has always said was that He doesn't use the word rebuild thinks it's insulting and he wants to try to win as many games And be as competitive as possible while he gets this team right for a prolonged period of sustained success if you can jump in and get into the Get into the you know serious playoff contention, right? Or you can really fight for the division in year two and then still continue to evolve and develop, you know That's really You know the way to go. So moral of the story what we've learned stick to the plan change your mindset and you know, maybe Good things can come of it. So As always, thank you guys so much for for joining us on another edition of the falcons final whistle podcast Do what you do what we'd like you to do. Hopefully five star Rating nice review pretty pleased. We've gotten some recently and thank you very much for that We also had a lot of good engagement and interaction with fans in the mailbag and yeah About the last pod. So I'm really glad that you that you all like this off-season format We're going to keep coming about different stuff as well Everyone was really invested in my dating app stories. So if I get any more, I'll make sure and pass it along on the pod I think that is required. Absolutely Apps gotta do it. So, uh, thank you guys so much for joining in. Don't forget take a look at the story Which is on the website. We get a bunch of cool stuff coming up here Chris is in alabama for the senior bowl. So look out for content on that We got some pro bowlers coming up in vegas next week. Uh, the NFL season never stops really so anyway Thank you guys for joining talk to you next week