The Athletic Football Show: A show about the NFL

Behind the scenes at the combine with ESPN's Dan Graziano; What do the Ravens need to do to get over the hump?

Feb 28, 2025

Join ESPN's Dan Graziano, a master in NFL analysis, and Jeff Zrebiec, The Athletic's keen Ravens beat writer, as they dive into the bustling Combine in Indianapolis. They dissect the backroom conversations about potential trades involving big names like Matthew Stafford and Tee Higgins. The duo also tackles the Ravens' critical strategies for breaking their playoff barriers, focusing on roster needs and Lamar Jackson's evolution as they aim for championship glory. Get ready for some insightful NFL intel!

01:27:24

Creator website

Episode guests

Jeff Zrebiec

Dan Graziano

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Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

The NFL Combine serves as a crucial platform for not only evaluating draft prospects, but also for discussing potentially pivotal trades involving established players like Matthew Stafford and Kirk Cousins.

As the Ravens aim to enhance their roster, focusing on defensive improvements and possibly strategic trades will be essential to overcome previous challenges and achieve playoff success in the future.

Contract negotiations for key players like Ronnie Stanley and Mark Andrews pose significant implications for the Ravens' salary cap, influencing their overall roster strategy for the upcoming season.

Deep dives

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Intro

4min

Navigating the NFL Landscape

29min

Navigating Quarterback Trade Scenarios

9min

Exploring Trade Rumors and Contract Negotiations in the NFL

10min

Strategizing Success: NFL Combine Insights and Roster Building

6min

Ravens Draft Strategies and Roster Challenges

20min

Lamar Jackson: Evolution and Playoff Potential

5min

Navigating Offseason Challenges and Coaching Changes

3min

The combine may be a draft event, but behind the scenes it's as much about the players already in the league as it is anything else. So what discussions are going on in back rooms in Indianapolis about Matthew Stafford, Kirk Cousins, Sam Darnold, Tee Higgins, Trey Smith, and the other big names who could be on the move in the next month or so? Dan Graziano of ESPN joins Robert Mays to dig into all that on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.

Then, The Athletic's Ravens beat writer Jeff Zrebiec joins Robert to discuss what the Ravens need to do to get over the hump in 2025.

Host: Robert Mays

Co-Host: Derrik Klassen

With: Dan Graziano and Jeff Zrebiec

Executive Producer: Michael Beller

Producer: Michael Beller

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Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social

Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social

Follow Robert on X: @robertmays

Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass

Theme song: Haunted

Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs

Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC

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