September 1, 2025 • 34 mins
Gregg Rosenthal and Daniel Jeremiah look ahead to the 2025 NFL season and draft who they think has the best chance at winning in the Super Bowl in the AFC.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome back to Forties and Free Agents. I am Greg Rosenthal,
joined by Daniel Jeremiah. We are just days away from kickoff.
DJ's getting on a plane to Brazil. But before Forties
takes a little break, we're gonna do something fun. You
came up with this idea, DJ. We are going to
draft the teams in the AFC and NFC AFC in
(00:26):
this show that we believe are most likely to win
the Super Bowl back and forth as our sort of
season preview. Are you ready?
Speaker 2 (00:35):
I'm ready man? By the way, uh, I'll take any
tips because I know you were. You were kind of
the podcast of Europe for Europe. So someone who's traveling
on a long distance something that you've done in brazilion
times going to Europe. I'm going to Brazil an any
fight tips for me there?
Speaker 1 (00:54):
Oh? Well, you you five private, right? You know DJ's
got that like you're.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
Moron tea plane. We're on the team plane. I'm in
the back, so I'm not in any special setup there.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
The time zone is not going to hit you in
the face as hard. Obviously, going going down to Brazil,
I I am jealous, but I am I am going
over to Dublin in London this year. I don't know
if I've even sure. Of course I am excited about that,
but yeah, you know, turn your mind off a little bit.
You've done enough prep. You're you're ready for that game.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
DJ. We're ready at a very expensive pair of headphones
because the gentleman that sits behind me on the team
plane snores like a freight train. So I made that.
That was a very expensive investment. We'll see if that
pays off. That seems like a really wise investment.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
We didn't talk about like who gets the first pick,
you know, and I just thought, as the host of
the show, I'm doing a little more work, I should
get the first pick. So I'm just going to take it.
I'm not gonna that's you would expect me to be
nice and just give it to you. I'm not giving
the former Ravens employee a chance to take my number
one overall pick. I want the Baltimore Ravens there might
pick to win the whole thing. That's my spoiler. I
(01:57):
just feel like it's time you put it all all together.
There's there's no reason to me that to think that
this team is any worse than a year ago. I
think They're the perfect company combination of talent, youth, experience,
veteran players and then the second year under Zach Orr
with the defensive coordinator. Try to find the big weakness
in this roster. I think it's difficult to do so.
(02:19):
I like the Baltimore Ravens as the most likely AFC
team to win the Super Bowl.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
That you're such a k Yeah, I mean, I just
I thought I thought it was just assumed that the
guest would go first.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
First of all, your name's first on the on the marquee,
on the you know, and it should be you know,
you get a bigger salary, you're a you're a bigger job.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
But I think if you go back and listen to
the intro to this podcast, you'll hear that I'm definitely
listed second on there.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
Well when I when I'm saying it. But I like.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
That this is already this draft is already under protest,
already under protests. One pick in never, by the way,
never even discussed beforehand, never even part of it. Just
an executive decision. What a first class jerk. Okay, I
would have done the same thing. I would have taken
Baltimore with the first overall pick. So now I'm in
(03:11):
a little bit of a spot.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
Here because me so much I love it.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
Yeah, because you know here he is. Greg's already he
can't wait to clip it off. Oh look, the voice
of the Chargers, the analyst for the Chargers, is going
to take the Kansas City Chiefs with his first pick
to win the AFC. But I'm not going to let
you do that because I'm going to take Josh Allen
and the Buffalo Bills is finally, this is really a
battle between Baltimore and Buffalo to see who can finally
(03:37):
get over that hurdle, get past Kansas City, get to
a Super Bowl. I'm going to say that this is
the year that that actually happens. I'm going to go
with the fighting. Josh Allen's a team that when I
was looking at just the roster construction and where they were,
think about what they did last year. They won thirteen games,
and they were defensively, couldn't get much worse on third down.
They were terrible on third down last year, twenty fourth
(03:59):
in past de five Like those are bad, and they
don't have to be a top five, top ten group
in those numbers, Like if they can just be middle
of the pack, which I think they will be, and
then hopefully my advice free of charge, just kind of
let's ease Joey Bosa into this thing. Let's nurse him
along and have him ready for the stretch run here
where you can have some impact. I'm gonna say this
(04:19):
is the year that the Buffalo Bills get over the hump.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
So I love that pick. And they were my AFC
pick to make the Super Bowl a year ago, and
they came up a game short. My concern and I'm
curious because you know, we didn't talk Ravens too much.
I'm assuming based on how angry you were, that you
were going to take them first.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
Overall, it's just lack of just a lack of compassionate
understanding from someone that now you confirmed I thought, but
now is confirmed someone lacks both those characteristics.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
I just like that you called yourself a guest on
the show that you co hosts. You know, I think
that was telling the difference I think between the Ravens
and the Bills. As much as I agree with you
on what you're saying on the defensive side of the Bills,
that there's room for improvement there, and I think there's
also room for concerns, certainly in their secondary even if
you called that a wash, I think of the two
(05:10):
outstanding offenses by both these teams, the two outstanding MVP
candidacies by their two quarterback the Bills more weapons in Baltimore,
it's more likely to regress, I think. I think the
Bill's offense is a little more likely to regress. They
were pretty magical DJ a year ago. Is there any
any concern that maybe they just they just come back,
(05:32):
because even if they're like the eighth or ninth best offense,
they really were outstanding last year with maybe not the
best group of wide receivers around Josh Allen.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
Look to me, they just got to keep two guys healthy.
If Josh stays healthy and if Cook stays healthy, I
think that's going to be enough. Josh, he's a freak
show superman. You know, Kaloshker is going to get his
I am kind of excited to see. I was around
Josh Palmer with the Chargers and he's not an elite
level player, but he's a reliable, dependable guy. And I
(06:02):
just think with Josh Allen, the level that he can
play at and is now as advance and developed as
he is with his freaky talent, I think he elevates
that group. I sure. I'm hoping that this is the
year that Dalton kin Kaid delivers on the hype that
I gave him before the draft, but left wait and
see on that one.
Speaker 1 (06:17):
I was right there with you on Dalton Kincaid. I
thought he was an incredible prospect. But yeah, that's partly
why I like the Ravens a little better, like Isaiah
Likely in a contract year, the depth of their receivers,
the depth of their running backs. But yes, you gave
me the absolute perfect start to my draft to take
the Kansas City Chiefs. They would have been second on
my list. No offense to the Bills fans, I don't
(06:40):
have to worry about, you know, what the Chargers fans
think or anything like that. It just feels to me
like you put Patrick Mahomes with a improved offensive line,
and I do think they will be improved with Josh
Simmons there at left tackle and a group of wide
receivers that's ultimately better than any group they've had since
(07:01):
Tyreek Hill was on the team. You could even argue
maybe better than when Tyreek was there. The last year
because it was a steep drop of I think Xavier
Worthy's going to get a lot better in year two.
I think Rashie Rice did get a lot better in
year two, and that the Chiefs have the luxury of
I don't really care about the first six games of
this season. That's not what this is about. The Chiefs
are thinking about December and January, so his suspension doesn't
(07:23):
hurt me at all. I love Hollywood Brown in a
role that he doesn't have to be as big of
a factor, and they have some good speed even off
the bench with Taekwon Thornton and ju Ju's the number five.
He's obviously not the speed guy. You don't have to
count too much on Kelsey. I just think it's really
deep overall on the offensive side, and I think we
get more explosive play out of Patrick Mahomes. We know
(07:43):
what Steve Spagnolo can do. There's a lot of continuity
on the defense. So I feel really good. Everyone's bored
of the Chiefs, but I think they're going to be
more fun to watch this year than they have in
a few years.
Speaker 2 (07:54):
Yeah, I've been lobbying for the Chiefs to just increase
the fun factor, Like I made the line last year
in the run nup for the draft, Let's make the
Chiefs fun again. Like they're winning. Obviously, you know they're
having success, but man, even as someone who's calling games
for arrival inside the division, they were must watch. It
was so much fun those the Tyreek Hill years. And
then it's kind of just become a slog. There's been
(08:14):
in no air yards, just everything underneath. Like, let's get
back to being a vertical passing attack. And I think
Xavier Worthy is ready to kind of take that next
step and can really add that element to this offense.
So I'm hoping that's the case. Is from a fans perspective,
all right, this next one, I've got several different ways
I can go here, and I could play chicken, and
I could say I won't take the Chargers because I
(08:36):
don't think Greg will take them. He's going to go
in a couple other directions and I could save them
and then I can get him with my next pick.
But I'm gonna do this just from a standpoint of
absolute belief and confidence and not you know who's going
to be there and try and manipulate the situation. I
would take the Chargers next, and that's wow for me
having a peak behind the curtain. I think people forget
(08:57):
this is the number one defense in the league last
year and defense, when you looked at it, you go, Okay, well,
Khalil Max, you know, still playing at a solid level,
high level. You've got Derwin James plays at an elite level.
Dyon Henley I think is a vastly underrated, potential superstar linebacker.
But you didn't have premier corners, you know, against a
run last year. I think yards per carry, they were
(09:18):
down towards the bottom of the league, so there were
still areas that they can improve. Now they've got more
depth at corner. They've added some big bodies to their
defensive tackle group, so they've gotten a lot bigger there.
They've got a lot of depth along that defensive group.
I do think you're going to see Henley take a
He's going to be a I think pro bowler is
underselling it. I think he's got a chance to be
(09:38):
an All Pro for them this year. So I'm very confident.
I think Jesse Menners is good at defensive coach as
we have in the league, even though he's in his
second year. With what he showed last year, so I'm
bullish on this defense. And I know people are going
to talk about Slater. Yes, you lost a Pro Bowl,
All Pro left tackle, you're going to replace him with
a Pro Bowl All Pro tackle. Joe All looks better
at left than you did it right. He looks very
(10:00):
comfortable and confidence. So you've got the hole now on
there at the right tackle position. With Pipkins. I've seen
Justin Herbert in the past take a much less talented
group to the postseason. I think they're gonna be okay there.
And the secret sauce that nobody you got a little
glimpse of it, Greg, just a little taste of Amorian Hampton,
But people don't know how good this kid is. He
is going to be fix So this is a team
(10:22):
last year that was good, that was a playoff team,
eleven win team, and I think they're better. You know,
winning the division is going to be a challenge with
Kansas City there, we'll see if they can push them.
But I think they're in the playoffs and I think
they make some noise. I'm gonna go to the Chargers.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
I love that you are starting off the draft hot.
Just admitting your biases take the Chiefs because you're afraid
and that you're taking the Chargers. But no, to be real,
your confidence here is giving me a little more confidence
in the Charges. I love what you.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
Just feel like nobody's talking about it's just Denver, Denver, Denver, Denver,
and we're kind of forgetting about the Chargers a little
bit through this thing.
Speaker 1 (10:59):
That's a good place to be for the Chargers because,
as you know, year after year after year after year,
they are the media preseason Darling. And it's a good point.
I didn't think about that that this year the Broncos
have replaced them as the preseason Darling. I had the
Chargers certainly higher than the Broncos would have been pretty
high on my list. I do have them in the playoffs.
(11:19):
You know, we're not making official playoff predictions. It's about
who could win the Super Bowl. I think their ceiling
is quite high, and I like everything sidebar.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
Who's going to be the first team to blink and
take another AFC East team? Go ahead, it's going to
be the first one to blink and do it. How
long will it be a litle while? It'll be a
little while. I did want to ask you because you
know so much about this steament. You said you feel
better about their defensive tackle spot after losing do An
Afford because the Rams think they've solved everything by getting
Why is that? Why is that because they've done it
(11:49):
with numbers and depth they've got. They've just got more
guys they can roll through there, and they're bigger, they're
more physical. I found I was referencing the number. They
were twenty seventh in yards per carry last year. They
play with those light boxes. So Puna is a really
good player, a good individual player, But I think they've
gotten collectively bigger and there's a lot more depth there.
Speaker 1 (12:10):
Okay, so I'm debating. I'll put my cards on the
table between the Texans and the Bengals, and this is
a most likely to win the Super Bowl, which is
maybe a little It's potentially different than where they finish
in the standings. Like, is the Bengals ceiling high enough
that they should overtake a team that I ultimately feel
is more complete the Houston Texans. I'm going to say no,
(12:33):
because the Houston Texans are just more likely to win
their division, get a home game in the playoffs, and
ultimately I trust the overall structure and foundation better. So
I'm going to take the Houston Texans. I'm doing my
work out loud as we speak. They have a quarterback
that I believe is talented and smart enough and has
the experience to be a super Bowl quarterback. I think
(12:57):
the system will take little time to get going, but
ultimately I think the system and some of the talent,
even if it's not huge names like Rante Ersrie you
know I left tackle now, will help their offensive line.
I just think it's about players, not just scheme and man.
The players on this defense are so freaking good. If
(13:17):
you're looking for a defense that I think the Bills,
the Chiefs, the Ravens, Bengals, anyone should be afraid of.
And the Chargers know this well. It is the Houston Texans.
So could I see them getting like a tour or
a three seed only needing to win one road game,
ripping off with a crazy defense on the road and
making it to the Super Bowl. I can see that,
and I am taking the Houston Texans.
Speaker 2 (13:39):
Yeah, that would have been my pick, So I can't
smirch your choice there. That was the most dominant defense
I saw in that playoff game last year against the
charges them. It was just overwhelming, and they especially at home,
and you bring up a great point where they're you know,
if all the teams you feel the most confident about
winning their division, I would say Buffalo would be number
one on the list of teams that I'm very confident
(14:01):
it's going to win their division. And in the AFC,
I would put Houston at number two, even ahead of Baltimore.
I just feel like that there's such a gap between
them and everybody else in that division. So they're going
to be at home there in the postseason. So I
get that pick. I'm gonna pick the one that you
left out, and that Cincinnati, And you know, maybe I'm
just I'm going to buy into this hole. Let's just
let's get nice and loosened up and limbered up in
(14:24):
the preseason. Let's get Joe Burrow a lot of action
out there where it looked like it was it was
a like a father son picnic game out there watching
Joe Burrow and all their starters just destroy all the
backup players they were playing against in the preseason. But hey,
if they get off to a decent start, we know
what this offense is capable of, the defense just it's
(14:44):
just a law of averages, like they can't be that bad.
And I don't think it was lou Anromo's fault by
any stretch, but I do think you bring in Al
Golden to someone who can work with younger players that
are going to rely a lot on. They got the
Trey Hendrickson deal done last year year. It's kind of
just a mess and they won nine games. This is
talent wise offensively this team could carry them to eleven
(15:06):
twelve wins.
Speaker 1 (15:08):
So I got warmed up for this show last week
with my friend maybe our friend, I don't know, if
you know Nick Wright. We did the over under win totals.
We were going through some teams with that, and he
was on the underside, and I ultimately agreed with him.
He wouldn't have been They wouldn't have been a team
I felt strongly about. There is something there and I
(15:28):
hate that this is just part of my thinking organizationally
that like the foundation of it, there's something just bengalsy
that I don't trust that it could crumble a little bit,
that the defensive talent just isn't good enough. I don't
think that will happen. They would have been my pick,
as I said, but I just think they are a
higher variants. I think we've gone through what I would
(15:51):
consider the Big six in the AFC, where it's going
to be a big disappointment for any of these teams
if they don't make the playoffs. But to me, of
these teams, the Bengals are easily the most likely team
not to make the playoffs. I just think more things
can go wrong, even though their ceiling is higher. So
we get to the seventh pick, I say there's a
big six. Will Broncos fans take that as an insult?
They probably will, but not as much as a pick.
(16:14):
I'm going to make over the Broncos next, because.
Speaker 2 (16:17):
You gotta take the Steelers. I can see it in
your eyes. I am.
Speaker 1 (16:20):
Actually, you're right, exercise I am, he nailed it. This
exercise is different. So the exercises who could make the
Super Bowl?
Speaker 2 (16:30):
Is it?
Speaker 1 (16:30):
Who can make it? Who can win it?
Speaker 2 (16:31):
I don't know who can win the Super Bowl. There's
only one winner in this and we have two drafts
and there will be one winner, and it's just simply
which team wins the super Bowl.
Speaker 1 (16:39):
Okay, I think if it's just winning the super Bowl
as much as I don't personally believe in Aaron Rodgers
as the solution to get this thing going, I obviously
don't know what the heck's going to happen. And I
think if you're looking at the ceiling and the variance
and the talent and the coaching staff and the young
offensive line that I don't think people are talking enough
(17:01):
about where they're really excited about really young players throughout
their offensive line. I think left tackle PROGERC. Jones is
the big question mark that they're given a chance to
But the upside for that offensive line I think is
quite high. The front sevens top to bottom, probably the
best in the entire NFL. We love the coaching you
bring in Jalen Ramsey. There is a lot to like.
(17:22):
If Rogers can just be anywhere near like confident in
just hanging in the pocket a little longer, win from
the neck up, but also make a few more plays
with his legs and be the old Aaron Rodgers, it
all comes together and they make the Super Bowl. I
think they have a higher ceiling than the Denver Broncos
and some of the other teams left.
Speaker 2 (17:42):
Yeah, I would have gone Again, I hate agreeing with
you but I would have gone in that direction. You
haven't really straight from my list of how these teams stacked.
The thing I would point out the Steelers, and I
think we've had this conversation before, is if you look
at what they've done in the offseason with DK Metcalf
at receiver, Caleb Johnson at the back, then you go
Derek Harmon and Ya Black at defensive on the defensive front,
(18:05):
Jack Sawyer on the edge. This is this has been
a physicality based off season. They've gotten bigger, they've gotten
more physical, They've kind of gotten back to who they
are as the Pittsburgh Steelers. So I love what they've done.
I saw a stat of the day too. I think
this is the thirty year in a row that all
the draft picks made the team. They've done a really
good job of picking players over the last couple of years.
(18:26):
And you know, I'm bullish on that. It comes down
to Aaron like how you know how well he plays
as he stay healthy. In terms of the ceiling, I
think they have a very high floor. Like I don't
envision any where they win nine to ten wins. I
think they woke up this morning with nine or ten wins. Then,
however Aaron Rodgers plays determines where they go from there.
Speaker 1 (18:46):
Wow, we disagree there. I do think there's variance where
it could go sideways. But yeah, in the league where
everyone's going two tight ends, the Steelers will top you.
They got three or four of them that they can
put out there and they can match you. I love
Mount Washington, Tay an extra tackle. Washington is he's playing,
he's a third tackle. And I don't know, I mean Greg,
Greg is uh, you know, clearly allergic to the sun,
(19:07):
while Mike Tomlin's allergic to a losing season. So I mean,
there's no there's no, there's no way this team is
under five hundred. That does what is that like a lighting?
A lighting?
Speaker 2 (19:17):
Take there the lights shining on your little pop there.
We gotta we gotta lower that heat on that light
a little bit or no? Do you what what what
it makes? It warms you up? Would that be more
more light?
Speaker 1 (19:30):
I'm not going in the sun. All right, You're you're
gonna wrap up the first half of this draft.
Speaker 2 (19:34):
With I'm gonna take I'm taking Denver Break, I'm taking Denver.
Speaker 1 (19:38):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (19:38):
I think the defense is gonna be awesome. We talked
about it in terms of one of my favorite players
in the draft, Jeda Baron, and like, I don't shout,
I don't know exactly what is uh, his role is
going to be. Like they they got to squeeze him
in because they have so much talent on their secondary
and you know, he can play in the nickel, he
can play outside. But they have got embarrassment of riches.
They have a lot of speed in their front seven.
(20:00):
They're very well coordinated and coached. And it's year two
Sean Payton, uh with with bon Nix. I was talking
to Bucky about this the other day. If you if
you're looking at offensive mind wise, you know who are
the two guys, the two coaches you would point to
over the last you know, fifteen years in terms of
longevity and success, It's Andy Reid and Sean Payton. And
(20:21):
I do find it fascinating if both of those guys
have built their offenses inside out, you know, with with
you know, tight ends, you know, look at slot receivers,
running backs. With Sean Payton, obviously Kelsey, that offense has
gone through him, you know, for for a decade here.
So I think Sean Payton's kind of got the personnel
that he likes. And I think from a fantasy standpoint,
(20:41):
if you're if you're if you haven't had your fantasy
draft yet, take Evan Ingram. Evan Ingram is going to
have a monster season in this system.
Speaker 1 (20:50):
That's great news. My son took him.
Speaker 2 (20:52):
So I like, here you go. I like that call.
Speaker 1 (20:53):
And when you say from the inside out too, you know,
Sean Payton just loves paying those guards in New Orleans
and developing those guards, and he's done the exact same
in Denver. They are great from the inside out. Yeah,
I'm not like I had the Broncos actually written down
ahead of the Steelers, and then when I thought about it,
I'm not there yet. I'm just I'm just not there
enough to see bo Nicks winning a Super Bowl. Maybe
(21:16):
he'll prove me wrong. And so I think the ceiling
is just a little bit lower. We're going to take
a quick break. We'll be back with the rest of
the AFC draft.
Speaker 2 (21:30):
All right, Greg, We're gonna keep this thing rolling here.
I just picked Denver, but I was thinking about this,
where would be the cutoff on the players all the
teams we have picked so far? Right, we got eight
is that right, we've got eight off the board, four piece.
If I were to say the rest of these teams,
so the remaining teams or one team, so you get
(21:51):
the one team or the field. Where is the cutoff
line where you would take eight of these teams? Like
obviously I would still I would take Baltimore, Buffalo, in
the city, all all versus this whole field. But is
there is there? Where does the line stop? Where you go?
You know what? I think I would take these other
eight teams versus this one team.
Speaker 1 (22:08):
I would still take the Texans over everyone. I would
still take the Bengals. I just yeah, I think there's
only so many teams. I think i'd even take like
the Chargers over the rest of these teams. I just
think there's only so many teams.
Speaker 2 (22:23):
Pittsburgh the line is like, we have Pittsburgh Denver, Like,
would you take me.
Speaker 1 (22:27):
Now taking the deal along with Pittsburgh. I don't believe
in Pittsburgh enough.
Speaker 2 (22:31):
I would take the field's So that tells us that
we have six teams one, two, three, four, five, six,
and that's the line.
Speaker 1 (22:38):
Yeah. Yeah, maybe the Broncos don't even make it for me.
They you know, we like to have this idea that
anyone could make it, and anyone could but to win.
I feel like there's about eleven twelve teams every year.
That's a lot of teams. The NBA's got like four
every year, but it's not bigger than that, which makes
me feel better about I might as well just take
the Patriots now, like I got to take someone, and
(22:59):
I I do. I'm that I'm not as high on
them as people there locally are. I think the expectations
are out of whack. I think an eight and nine
season for a team that's won eight games combined over
the last two years should be absolutely looked at as
like a step forward. And as long as Drake May
plays well something, you know that they can build the
depth of this team out long term, and I think
(23:21):
that's about where they'll land eight or nine wins. And yet, man,
I do think Drake May is special, So I can't
talk out of both sides of my mouth. If if
any of these teams remaining, he is the quarterback. I
believe that could just take the biggest leap play at
the highest level. And they did invest a lot and
have a lot of talent on the defense, could it
(23:43):
all come together with an easy schedule where you get
a pretty nice record and you scare some teams in
the playoffs. It could happen. I don't expect it to happen,
but I think they have a better path than any
of the rest of these teams.
Speaker 2 (23:54):
Yeah, I don't love my options here at this point
in time, and I would agree in terms of if
you're going to take these eight teams and have a
quarterback draft for these eight teams, Drake May would be
the first pick of group.
Speaker 1 (24:06):
He's taking Drake May over Trevor Lawrence in twenty twenty.
Speaker 2 (24:09):
Five, I will, I would, But then again, this is
not who's going to have the best record in order here.
This is a chance to win the Super Bowl. So
I'm looking at upside and I'm looking at you know, how,
how is a path that they do this? How do
they accomplish this? So I'm going to take Jacksonville next.
(24:30):
And again I don't love this, but I know that
he hasn't played to it. But there's been glimpses that
we've seen Trevor play at a high level. I saw
him after a terrible start to a playoff game, orchestrate
a huge comeback and they want. I've seen this organization
obviously a lot of different all new faces, totally different leadership,
but I've seen this organization with a surprise appearance in
(24:52):
an AFC championship game, kind of out of nowhere, the
Blake Bortles year. So they have a little bit of
that DNA in their organization of kind of an out
of nowhere season and it's not hard to envision. And
they don't want anybody to get hurt. But if CJ.
Strou will somehow get hurt in this season, like I
think they they would win that division. They would win
that division. Of all the teams that are remaining, I
(25:13):
think they have a more plausible path to win a division,
get a home playoff game, and then maybe you get
Trevor Lawrence on a heater, which he did in college.
Maybe he finds that. So I don't love the I
don't love the options remaining, but I would go with Jacksonville.
Speaker 1 (25:27):
I mean, it wasn't long ago they were in the
divisional round. I agree with you. I actually think they're
more likely to make the playoffs than the Patriots. I
have them in the playoffs. I know this is that
what we're doing here? Yeah, yeah, I think they have
some upside. Their front with Trevn Walker gets better every year,
Josh Heinz Allen and then Ark Armstead. What we've heard
out of camp lately is really positive. And then you
(25:49):
add Travis Hunter to that secondary. They like Jordan Lewis,
it's Tyson Campbell's healthy again. I actually think the defense
is my biggest concern, and I think there's a path
to them be an averager above average, and then yeah,
it's all about Trevor and the offensive scheme helping out.
It's an easy schedule. I think they can win ten
games this year because of we're not picking the records.
(26:10):
Like you said, I'm really not that high on the
Dolphins this year. But if I'm picking a team out
of the rest of them that everything could go right
and win the Super Bowl and make the Super Bowl,
it is definitely the Dolphins because of not just the
talent and the production that we've seen is proven out
of that passing game and the running game at least
a couple of years ago. But they need to get
that going again. But I do think the defense has
(26:32):
some upside. The secondary is thin, but year two of this,
Ravens like scheme with Anthony Weaver, with the amount of
players that they have on the front, adding a healthy
Jalen Phillips to a group that already had Chop Robinson
and Zach Seeler is really effective. Even if they don't
get a ton out of Bradley Chubb, like, there is
a lot of talent there. They love Jordan Brooks. I
(26:55):
think if you just like add up the rankings of
the players on the team DJ, the Dolphins are pretty
talented team. They may be are less than the some
of their parts, but they're a pretty talented team.
Speaker 2 (27:05):
Yeah. And I heard Chris Greed of the day talking
about their focus was trying to get younger and faster
and more athletic. They're playing some younger guys, so it'll
be good to see. We talked about Minka. Can he
get back to kind of who he was a few
years ago will be key for them. But again, at
this point in time, and I'm not going to trash
all these teams, but I don't love love the choices
that I'm faced with here. I'm gonna give you a
peek behind the curtain, and my choice with this next one,
(27:27):
I think it's very clearly between I would say Vegas
in Cleveland for me and Wow Cleveland. I would make
the argument that you know, you're hoping that there's just
some magic Joe Flacco carpet ride and that Miles Garrett
and this defense with Jim Schwartz, they keep scores lower
and then somehow ninety year old Joe Flacco is functional
(27:51):
for them. I can't, I can't get there with that.
So I'm gonna go with Pete Carroll with the confetti falling,
and Pete Carroll and Gino Smith, you know, on the stage.
Do you remember when the Eagles won and Kevin Hart
tried to get up on the stage and then they
kept him from getting there. If Gino Smith is hosting
the trophy, I don't care how big your bodyguards are, NFL,
(28:14):
You're not keeping Greg Rosenthal from that stage. He is
just I'm talking about a club rip, move on one guard.
I'm thinking about at a little slap swim over another one,
and then just going underneath the legs of the third
guard and then just bear hugging Gino Smith as he's
hoisting the trophy, looking and going what the heck is
this guy doing?
Speaker 1 (28:32):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (28:32):
It's Greg, My biggest supporter. You can hang up here, Greg,
no problem.
Speaker 1 (28:36):
I mean he follows me on Twitter, so there's a
chance that he knows who I am. Maybe I would
aim lower, maybe just try to get him as a
guest on the postgame Super Bowl NFL Daily, which that
would be very difficult to do as well, but we
we somehow got to the A.
Speaker 2 (28:51):
I think you have better odds of dodging some guards.
Speaker 1 (28:55):
I mean, I know you've noticed I you know I
have been working out a little one, so I don't
know if I can get best security. I like that
if any of these teams are going to just have
a magic carpet ride, why not the Raiders. I'm gonna
go with the Jets.
Speaker 2 (29:13):
Let's go.
Speaker 1 (29:14):
I think they're gonna overachieve this year. So I think
they actually of the teams that have like an over
under win total under let's say six and a half
or so, there's probably like eight nine teams in the
NFL this year. With that, I think they're the most
likely to make the playoffs. I think they have a
good offensive line. I think sometimes culture change can matter
(29:35):
a lot uh in covering up, and then schedule can
cover up a lot. And they have a very easy
schedule on paper. I think the offensive line, like I
mentioned that they know what they want to be offensively,
and Robert Sala and Joe Douglas left around a lot
of defensive talent on that team. I don't think it's
a bad team. I think they're going to win, you know, seven,
eight games something like that this year if I had
(29:56):
to guess, But I'll go Jets.
Speaker 2 (30:00):
All right, I'm changing my tune because I did. I
missed one team on my list here that I was
looking at, and uh.
Speaker 1 (30:05):
You said you're taking Browns. I was leaving.
Speaker 2 (30:07):
I was like, I was going to take then, but
see I was comparing. I thought my choice was going
to be Jets, Browns, Titans, and I forgot. We haven't
picked the Colts yet. Uh, And the Colts won eight
games last year. I mean that I got to take
the Colts and Danny Dimes here that they're going to
emerge out of a very suspect average division with really
(30:28):
kind of one one top team there in Houston, So
I can I can find a path for them to
get to the postseason. I mean, they're kind of a
boring team, to be honest, but I am excited to
see one of my favorite players in the draft, and
Tyler Warren, see what he does there for this offense.
So I'm gonna go there. He's gonna be a good player,
(30:50):
so I'm gonna I'm gonna go Indy. But again, you
can kind of sense in our voices the lack of
enthusiasm as we get to this portion of the draft.
Speaker 1 (30:59):
Well, you know, every teams beautiful going into Week one,
you never know exactly what they're going to look like.
I think the Colts actually have more talent than the
rest of the teams here. They're the team though that
I worry about being less than the some of their parts,
and just that there's been a lot of drama and
is everyone on the same page in the building. There's
just a lot of tension. That said, they change Stikeens
(31:20):
won a lot of games with Gardner Minshew and struggling
Anthony Richardson and Joe Flacco last year as a good coach.
It's a fair point that, look, they've they've managed to
be a five hundred team. I'll go Titans next. I'll
leave the Browns for you. I believe this is the
fifteenth pick. What a story would be the Callahan coach
and his dad up on the podium. I mean, would
(31:42):
be the most stunning Super Bowl champion I think ever,
it would pass the ninety nine Rams, that one that
was pretty wild at the time if you take yourself
back to that moment at least how that season started.
They have a quarterback, and they've got a pretty talented
offensive line. I think if you're a Tennessee Titans fan,
I think there are things to be excited about to
(32:03):
watch with this team. The younger players developed, like a
JC Latham and a cam Ward and you can feel
good potentially at the end of the season even if
they only win six or seven games. As long as cam.
Speaker 2 (32:12):
Ward plays, well, wow, they're gonna be fun. And that's
my take that I've had all off season with them,
is that they're not gonna be good, but they're gonna
be fun. Cam Ward is gonna make them fun to watch,
and some of those young receivers as well. So you
left me Cleveland, I'm going to take them the last
pick here, and I can only give you the image
that would just make my life, and that is the
(32:36):
Cleveland Browns on a magic carpet ride. Joe Flackle got
hurt halfway through the year, Gabriel takes over and Dylan
Gabriel goes on this epic run as this point guard
point guard quarterback. Jerry Judy's getting the rock and Joeku's
getting going. Somehow, they magically get their second round pick,
quin Shawn Judkins in the organization, and he's running the
(32:58):
ball really well. In the second half of the season.
Miles Garrett is the game plan him in the Super Bowl.
We can't we can't let Miles Garrett beat us, ladies
and gentlemen, your Super Bowl MVP Mason Graham. And then
my life is complete. I'm good to go. I retire
from the NFL network slash Disney and uh and I'm
done because I just want to be I want to
(33:19):
see Greg's reaction to Mason Graham winning the Super Bowl MVP.
That's my last pick.
Speaker 1 (33:24):
Yeah, after what like a half tackle, you know in
the beginning, but he took up blockers. He took up
some blockers. I know you were honking about that first
preseason game. Twelve snaps, every.
Speaker 2 (33:37):
Every sack and tackle for loss. I'm gonna can you
set up your phone to get like an alert for that?
I might set my phone up to get an alert
so that I can just text Greg while I'm calling
a Charger game that Mason Graham just had to tackle
for loss.
Speaker 1 (33:49):
I was wondering where you're going with that whole Browns thing.
I was, I was along for the ride, and you
landed that plane. That was That was magical. All right,
that's the AFC. We have one more forties and free agents.
Speaker 2 (34:00):
Before I better get the first pick. In the next one.
Speaker 1 (34:03):
You can have the first pick that will be going
up tomorrow morning, Tuesday, so check out our NFC draft.
Speaker 2 (34:10):
In just another we'll take the Eagles.
Welcome back to Forties and Free Agents. I am Greg Rosenthal,
joined by Daniel Jeremiah. We are just days away from kickoff.
DJ's getting on a plane to Brazil. But before Forties
takes a little break, we're gonna do something fun. You
came up with this idea, DJ. We are going to
draft the teams in the AFC and NFC AFC in
(00:26):
this show that we believe are most likely to win
the Super Bowl back and forth as our sort of
season preview. Are you ready?
Speaker 2 (00:35):
I'm ready man? By the way, uh, I'll take any
tips because I know you were. You were kind of
the podcast of Europe for Europe. So someone who's traveling
on a long distance something that you've done in brazilion
times going to Europe. I'm going to Brazil an any
fight tips for me there?
Speaker 1 (00:54):
Oh? Well, you you five private, right? You know DJ's
got that like you're.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
Moron tea plane. We're on the team plane. I'm in
the back, so I'm not in any special setup there.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
The time zone is not going to hit you in
the face as hard. Obviously, going going down to Brazil,
I I am jealous, but I am I am going
over to Dublin in London this year. I don't know
if I've even sure. Of course I am excited about that,
but yeah, you know, turn your mind off a little bit.
You've done enough prep. You're you're ready for that game.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
DJ. We're ready at a very expensive pair of headphones
because the gentleman that sits behind me on the team
plane snores like a freight train. So I made that.
That was a very expensive investment. We'll see if that
pays off. That seems like a really wise investment.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
We didn't talk about like who gets the first pick,
you know, and I just thought, as the host of
the show, I'm doing a little more work, I should
get the first pick. So I'm just going to take it.
I'm not gonna that's you would expect me to be
nice and just give it to you. I'm not giving
the former Ravens employee a chance to take my number
one overall pick. I want the Baltimore Ravens there might
pick to win the whole thing. That's my spoiler. I
(01:57):
just feel like it's time you put it all all together.
There's there's no reason to me that to think that
this team is any worse than a year ago. I
think They're the perfect company combination of talent, youth, experience,
veteran players and then the second year under Zach Orr
with the defensive coordinator. Try to find the big weakness
in this roster. I think it's difficult to do so.
(02:19):
I like the Baltimore Ravens as the most likely AFC
team to win the Super Bowl.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
That you're such a k Yeah, I mean, I just
I thought I thought it was just assumed that the
guest would go first.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
First of all, your name's first on the on the marquee,
on the you know, and it should be you know,
you get a bigger salary, you're a you're a bigger job.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
But I think if you go back and listen to
the intro to this podcast, you'll hear that I'm definitely
listed second on there.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
Well when I when I'm saying it. But I like.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
That this is already this draft is already under protest,
already under protests. One pick in never, by the way,
never even discussed beforehand, never even part of it. Just
an executive decision. What a first class jerk. Okay, I
would have done the same thing. I would have taken
Baltimore with the first overall pick. So now I'm in
(03:11):
a little bit of a spot.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
Here because me so much I love it.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
Yeah, because you know here he is. Greg's already he
can't wait to clip it off. Oh look, the voice
of the Chargers, the analyst for the Chargers, is going
to take the Kansas City Chiefs with his first pick
to win the AFC. But I'm not going to let
you do that because I'm going to take Josh Allen
and the Buffalo Bills is finally, this is really a
battle between Baltimore and Buffalo to see who can finally
(03:37):
get over that hurdle, get past Kansas City, get to
a Super Bowl. I'm going to say that this is
the year that that actually happens. I'm going to go
with the fighting. Josh Allen's a team that when I
was looking at just the roster construction and where they were,
think about what they did last year. They won thirteen games,
and they were defensively, couldn't get much worse on third down.
They were terrible on third down last year, twenty fourth
(03:59):
in past de five Like those are bad, and they
don't have to be a top five, top ten group
in those numbers, Like if they can just be middle
of the pack, which I think they will be, and
then hopefully my advice free of charge, just kind of
let's ease Joey Bosa into this thing. Let's nurse him
along and have him ready for the stretch run here
where you can have some impact. I'm gonna say this
(04:19):
is the year that the Buffalo Bills get over the hump.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
So I love that pick. And they were my AFC
pick to make the Super Bowl a year ago, and
they came up a game short. My concern and I'm
curious because you know, we didn't talk Ravens too much.
I'm assuming based on how angry you were, that you
were going to take them first.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
Overall, it's just lack of just a lack of compassionate
understanding from someone that now you confirmed I thought, but
now is confirmed someone lacks both those characteristics.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
I just like that you called yourself a guest on
the show that you co hosts. You know, I think
that was telling the difference I think between the Ravens
and the Bills. As much as I agree with you
on what you're saying on the defensive side of the Bills,
that there's room for improvement there, and I think there's
also room for concerns, certainly in their secondary even if
you called that a wash, I think of the two
(05:10):
outstanding offenses by both these teams, the two outstanding MVP
candidacies by their two quarterback the Bills more weapons in Baltimore,
it's more likely to regress, I think. I think the
Bill's offense is a little more likely to regress. They
were pretty magical DJ a year ago. Is there any
any concern that maybe they just they just come back,
(05:32):
because even if they're like the eighth or ninth best offense,
they really were outstanding last year with maybe not the
best group of wide receivers around Josh Allen.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
Look to me, they just got to keep two guys healthy.
If Josh stays healthy and if Cook stays healthy, I
think that's going to be enough. Josh, he's a freak
show superman. You know, Kaloshker is going to get his
I am kind of excited to see. I was around
Josh Palmer with the Chargers and he's not an elite
level player, but he's a reliable, dependable guy. And I
(06:02):
just think with Josh Allen, the level that he can
play at and is now as advance and developed as
he is with his freaky talent, I think he elevates
that group. I sure. I'm hoping that this is the
year that Dalton kin Kaid delivers on the hype that
I gave him before the draft, but left wait and
see on that one.
Speaker 1 (06:17):
I was right there with you on Dalton Kincaid. I
thought he was an incredible prospect. But yeah, that's partly
why I like the Ravens a little better, like Isaiah
Likely in a contract year, the depth of their receivers,
the depth of their running backs. But yes, you gave
me the absolute perfect start to my draft to take
the Kansas City Chiefs. They would have been second on
my list. No offense to the Bills fans, I don't
(06:40):
have to worry about, you know, what the Chargers fans
think or anything like that. It just feels to me
like you put Patrick Mahomes with a improved offensive line,
and I do think they will be improved with Josh
Simmons there at left tackle and a group of wide
receivers that's ultimately better than any group they've had since
(07:01):
Tyreek Hill was on the team. You could even argue
maybe better than when Tyreek was there. The last year
because it was a steep drop of I think Xavier
Worthy's going to get a lot better in year two.
I think Rashie Rice did get a lot better in
year two, and that the Chiefs have the luxury of
I don't really care about the first six games of
this season. That's not what this is about. The Chiefs
are thinking about December and January, so his suspension doesn't
(07:23):
hurt me at all. I love Hollywood Brown in a
role that he doesn't have to be as big of
a factor, and they have some good speed even off
the bench with Taekwon Thornton and ju Ju's the number five.
He's obviously not the speed guy. You don't have to
count too much on Kelsey. I just think it's really
deep overall on the offensive side, and I think we
get more explosive play out of Patrick Mahomes. We know
(07:43):
what Steve Spagnolo can do. There's a lot of continuity
on the defense. So I feel really good. Everyone's bored
of the Chiefs, but I think they're going to be
more fun to watch this year than they have in
a few years.
Speaker 2 (07:54):
Yeah, I've been lobbying for the Chiefs to just increase
the fun factor, Like I made the line last year
in the run nup for the draft, Let's make the
Chiefs fun again. Like they're winning. Obviously, you know they're
having success, but man, even as someone who's calling games
for arrival inside the division, they were must watch. It
was so much fun those the Tyreek Hill years. And
then it's kind of just become a slog. There's been
(08:14):
in no air yards, just everything underneath. Like, let's get
back to being a vertical passing attack. And I think
Xavier Worthy is ready to kind of take that next
step and can really add that element to this offense.
So I'm hoping that's the case. Is from a fans perspective,
all right, this next one, I've got several different ways
I can go here, and I could play chicken, and
I could say I won't take the Chargers because I
(08:36):
don't think Greg will take them. He's going to go
in a couple other directions and I could save them
and then I can get him with my next pick.
But I'm gonna do this just from a standpoint of
absolute belief and confidence and not you know who's going
to be there and try and manipulate the situation. I
would take the Chargers next, and that's wow for me
having a peak behind the curtain. I think people forget
(08:57):
this is the number one defense in the league last
year and defense, when you looked at it, you go, Okay, well,
Khalil Max, you know, still playing at a solid level,
high level. You've got Derwin James plays at an elite level.
Dyon Henley I think is a vastly underrated, potential superstar linebacker.
But you didn't have premier corners, you know, against a
run last year. I think yards per carry, they were
(09:18):
down towards the bottom of the league, so there were
still areas that they can improve. Now they've got more
depth at corner. They've added some big bodies to their
defensive tackle group, so they've gotten a lot bigger there.
They've got a lot of depth along that defensive group.
I do think you're going to see Henley take a
He's going to be a I think pro bowler is
underselling it. I think he's got a chance to be
(09:38):
an All Pro for them this year. So I'm very confident.
I think Jesse Menners is good at defensive coach as
we have in the league, even though he's in his
second year. With what he showed last year, so I'm
bullish on this defense. And I know people are going
to talk about Slater. Yes, you lost a Pro Bowl,
All Pro left tackle, you're going to replace him with
a Pro Bowl All Pro tackle. Joe All looks better
at left than you did it right. He looks very
(10:00):
comfortable and confidence. So you've got the hole now on
there at the right tackle position. With Pipkins. I've seen
Justin Herbert in the past take a much less talented
group to the postseason. I think they're gonna be okay there.
And the secret sauce that nobody you got a little
glimpse of it, Greg, just a little taste of Amorian Hampton,
But people don't know how good this kid is. He
is going to be fix So this is a team
(10:22):
last year that was good, that was a playoff team,
eleven win team, and I think they're better. You know,
winning the division is going to be a challenge with
Kansas City there, we'll see if they can push them.
But I think they're in the playoffs and I think
they make some noise. I'm gonna go to the Chargers.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
I love that you are starting off the draft hot.
Just admitting your biases take the Chiefs because you're afraid
and that you're taking the Chargers. But no, to be real,
your confidence here is giving me a little more confidence
in the Charges. I love what you.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
Just feel like nobody's talking about it's just Denver, Denver, Denver, Denver,
and we're kind of forgetting about the Chargers a little
bit through this thing.
Speaker 1 (10:59):
That's a good place to be for the Chargers because,
as you know, year after year after year after year,
they are the media preseason Darling. And it's a good point.
I didn't think about that that this year the Broncos
have replaced them as the preseason Darling. I had the
Chargers certainly higher than the Broncos would have been pretty
high on my list. I do have them in the playoffs.
(11:19):
You know, we're not making official playoff predictions. It's about
who could win the Super Bowl. I think their ceiling
is quite high, and I like everything sidebar.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
Who's going to be the first team to blink and
take another AFC East team? Go ahead, it's going to
be the first one to blink and do it. How
long will it be a litle while? It'll be a
little while. I did want to ask you because you
know so much about this steament. You said you feel
better about their defensive tackle spot after losing do An
Afford because the Rams think they've solved everything by getting
Why is that? Why is that because they've done it
(11:49):
with numbers and depth they've got. They've just got more
guys they can roll through there, and they're bigger, they're
more physical. I found I was referencing the number. They
were twenty seventh in yards per carry last year. They
play with those light boxes. So Puna is a really
good player, a good individual player, But I think they've
gotten collectively bigger and there's a lot more depth there.
Speaker 1 (12:10):
Okay, so I'm debating. I'll put my cards on the
table between the Texans and the Bengals, and this is
a most likely to win the Super Bowl, which is
maybe a little It's potentially different than where they finish
in the standings. Like, is the Bengals ceiling high enough
that they should overtake a team that I ultimately feel
is more complete the Houston Texans. I'm going to say no,
(12:33):
because the Houston Texans are just more likely to win
their division, get a home game in the playoffs, and
ultimately I trust the overall structure and foundation better. So
I'm going to take the Houston Texans. I'm doing my
work out loud as we speak. They have a quarterback
that I believe is talented and smart enough and has
the experience to be a super Bowl quarterback. I think
(12:57):
the system will take little time to get going, but
ultimately I think the system and some of the talent,
even if it's not huge names like Rante Ersrie you
know I left tackle now, will help their offensive line.
I just think it's about players, not just scheme and man.
The players on this defense are so freaking good. If
(13:17):
you're looking for a defense that I think the Bills,
the Chiefs, the Ravens, Bengals, anyone should be afraid of.
And the Chargers know this well. It is the Houston Texans.
So could I see them getting like a tour or
a three seed only needing to win one road game,
ripping off with a crazy defense on the road and
making it to the Super Bowl. I can see that,
and I am taking the Houston Texans.
Speaker 2 (13:39):
Yeah, that would have been my pick, So I can't
smirch your choice there. That was the most dominant defense
I saw in that playoff game last year against the
charges them. It was just overwhelming, and they especially at home,
and you bring up a great point where they're you know,
if all the teams you feel the most confident about
winning their division, I would say Buffalo would be number
one on the list of teams that I'm very confident
(14:01):
it's going to win their division. And in the AFC,
I would put Houston at number two, even ahead of Baltimore.
I just feel like that there's such a gap between
them and everybody else in that division. So they're going
to be at home there in the postseason. So I
get that pick. I'm gonna pick the one that you
left out, and that Cincinnati, And you know, maybe I'm
just I'm going to buy into this hole. Let's just
let's get nice and loosened up and limbered up in
(14:24):
the preseason. Let's get Joe Burrow a lot of action
out there where it looked like it was it was
a like a father son picnic game out there watching
Joe Burrow and all their starters just destroy all the
backup players they were playing against in the preseason. But hey,
if they get off to a decent start, we know
what this offense is capable of, the defense just it's
(14:44):
just a law of averages, like they can't be that bad.
And I don't think it was lou Anromo's fault by
any stretch, but I do think you bring in Al
Golden to someone who can work with younger players that
are going to rely a lot on. They got the
Trey Hendrickson deal done last year year. It's kind of
just a mess and they won nine games. This is
talent wise offensively this team could carry them to eleven
(15:06):
twelve wins.
Speaker 1 (15:08):
So I got warmed up for this show last week
with my friend maybe our friend, I don't know, if
you know Nick Wright. We did the over under win totals.
We were going through some teams with that, and he
was on the underside, and I ultimately agreed with him.
He wouldn't have been They wouldn't have been a team
I felt strongly about. There is something there and I
(15:28):
hate that this is just part of my thinking organizationally
that like the foundation of it, there's something just bengalsy
that I don't trust that it could crumble a little bit,
that the defensive talent just isn't good enough. I don't
think that will happen. They would have been my pick,
as I said, but I just think they are a
higher variants. I think we've gone through what I would
(15:51):
consider the Big six in the AFC, where it's going
to be a big disappointment for any of these teams
if they don't make the playoffs. But to me, of
these teams, the Bengals are easily the most likely team
not to make the playoffs. I just think more things
can go wrong, even though their ceiling is higher. So
we get to the seventh pick, I say there's a
big six. Will Broncos fans take that as an insult?
They probably will, but not as much as a pick.
(16:14):
I'm going to make over the Broncos next, because.
Speaker 2 (16:17):
You gotta take the Steelers. I can see it in
your eyes. I am.
Speaker 1 (16:20):
Actually, you're right, exercise I am, he nailed it. This
exercise is different. So the exercises who could make the
Super Bowl?
Speaker 2 (16:30):
Is it?
Speaker 1 (16:30):
Who can make it? Who can win it?
Speaker 2 (16:31):
I don't know who can win the Super Bowl. There's
only one winner in this and we have two drafts
and there will be one winner, and it's just simply
which team wins the super Bowl.
Speaker 1 (16:39):
Okay, I think if it's just winning the super Bowl
as much as I don't personally believe in Aaron Rodgers
as the solution to get this thing going, I obviously
don't know what the heck's going to happen. And I
think if you're looking at the ceiling and the variance
and the talent and the coaching staff and the young
offensive line that I don't think people are talking enough
(17:01):
about where they're really excited about really young players throughout
their offensive line. I think left tackle PROGERC. Jones is
the big question mark that they're given a chance to
But the upside for that offensive line I think is
quite high. The front sevens top to bottom, probably the
best in the entire NFL. We love the coaching you
bring in Jalen Ramsey. There is a lot to like.
(17:22):
If Rogers can just be anywhere near like confident in
just hanging in the pocket a little longer, win from
the neck up, but also make a few more plays
with his legs and be the old Aaron Rodgers, it
all comes together and they make the Super Bowl. I
think they have a higher ceiling than the Denver Broncos
and some of the other teams left.
Speaker 2 (17:42):
Yeah, I would have gone Again, I hate agreeing with
you but I would have gone in that direction. You
haven't really straight from my list of how these teams stacked.
The thing I would point out the Steelers, and I
think we've had this conversation before, is if you look
at what they've done in the offseason with DK Metcalf
at receiver, Caleb Johnson at the back, then you go
Derek Harmon and Ya Black at defensive on the defensive front,
(18:05):
Jack Sawyer on the edge. This is this has been
a physicality based off season. They've gotten bigger, they've gotten
more physical, They've kind of gotten back to who they
are as the Pittsburgh Steelers. So I love what they've done.
I saw a stat of the day too. I think
this is the thirty year in a row that all
the draft picks made the team. They've done a really
good job of picking players over the last couple of years.
(18:26):
And you know, I'm bullish on that. It comes down
to Aaron like how you know how well he plays
as he stay healthy. In terms of the ceiling, I
think they have a very high floor. Like I don't
envision any where they win nine to ten wins. I
think they woke up this morning with nine or ten wins. Then,
however Aaron Rodgers plays determines where they go from there.
Speaker 1 (18:46):
Wow, we disagree there. I do think there's variance where
it could go sideways. But yeah, in the league where
everyone's going two tight ends, the Steelers will top you.
They got three or four of them that they can
put out there and they can match you. I love
Mount Washington, Tay an extra tackle. Washington is he's playing,
he's a third tackle. And I don't know, I mean Greg,
Greg is uh, you know, clearly allergic to the sun,
(19:07):
while Mike Tomlin's allergic to a losing season. So I mean,
there's no there's no, there's no way this team is
under five hundred. That does what is that like a lighting?
A lighting?
Speaker 2 (19:17):
Take there the lights shining on your little pop there.
We gotta we gotta lower that heat on that light
a little bit or no? Do you what what what
it makes? It warms you up? Would that be more
more light?
Speaker 1 (19:30):
I'm not going in the sun. All right, You're you're
gonna wrap up the first half of this draft.
Speaker 2 (19:34):
With I'm gonna take I'm taking Denver Break, I'm taking Denver.
Speaker 1 (19:38):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (19:38):
I think the defense is gonna be awesome. We talked
about it in terms of one of my favorite players
in the draft, Jeda Baron, and like, I don't shout,
I don't know exactly what is uh, his role is
going to be. Like they they got to squeeze him
in because they have so much talent on their secondary
and you know, he can play in the nickel, he
can play outside. But they have got embarrassment of riches.
They have a lot of speed in their front seven.
(20:00):
They're very well coordinated and coached. And it's year two
Sean Payton, uh with with bon Nix. I was talking
to Bucky about this the other day. If you if
you're looking at offensive mind wise, you know who are
the two guys, the two coaches you would point to
over the last you know, fifteen years in terms of
longevity and success, It's Andy Reid and Sean Payton. And
(20:21):
I do find it fascinating if both of those guys
have built their offenses inside out, you know, with with
you know, tight ends, you know, look at slot receivers,
running backs. With Sean Payton, obviously Kelsey, that offense has
gone through him, you know, for for a decade here.
So I think Sean Payton's kind of got the personnel
that he likes. And I think from a fantasy standpoint,
(20:41):
if you're if you're if you haven't had your fantasy
draft yet, take Evan Ingram. Evan Ingram is going to
have a monster season in this system.
Speaker 1 (20:50):
That's great news. My son took him.
Speaker 2 (20:52):
So I like, here you go. I like that call.
Speaker 1 (20:53):
And when you say from the inside out too, you know,
Sean Payton just loves paying those guards in New Orleans
and developing those guards, and he's done the exact same
in Denver. They are great from the inside out. Yeah,
I'm not like I had the Broncos actually written down
ahead of the Steelers, and then when I thought about it,
I'm not there yet. I'm just I'm just not there
enough to see bo Nicks winning a Super Bowl. Maybe
(21:16):
he'll prove me wrong. And so I think the ceiling
is just a little bit lower. We're going to take
a quick break. We'll be back with the rest of
the AFC draft.
Speaker 2 (21:30):
All right, Greg, We're gonna keep this thing rolling here.
I just picked Denver, but I was thinking about this,
where would be the cutoff on the players all the
teams we have picked so far? Right, we got eight
is that right, we've got eight off the board, four piece.
If I were to say the rest of these teams,
so the remaining teams or one team, so you get
(21:51):
the one team or the field. Where is the cutoff
line where you would take eight of these teams? Like
obviously I would still I would take Baltimore, Buffalo, in
the city, all all versus this whole field. But is
there is there? Where does the line stop? Where you go?
You know what? I think I would take these other
eight teams versus this one team.
Speaker 1 (22:08):
I would still take the Texans over everyone. I would
still take the Bengals. I just yeah, I think there's
only so many teams. I think i'd even take like
the Chargers over the rest of these teams. I just
think there's only so many teams.
Speaker 2 (22:23):
Pittsburgh the line is like, we have Pittsburgh Denver, Like,
would you take me.
Speaker 1 (22:27):
Now taking the deal along with Pittsburgh. I don't believe
in Pittsburgh enough.
Speaker 2 (22:31):
I would take the field's So that tells us that
we have six teams one, two, three, four, five, six,
and that's the line.
Speaker 1 (22:38):
Yeah. Yeah, maybe the Broncos don't even make it for me.
They you know, we like to have this idea that
anyone could make it, and anyone could but to win.
I feel like there's about eleven twelve teams every year.
That's a lot of teams. The NBA's got like four
every year, but it's not bigger than that, which makes
me feel better about I might as well just take
the Patriots now, like I got to take someone, and
(22:59):
I I do. I'm that I'm not as high on
them as people there locally are. I think the expectations
are out of whack. I think an eight and nine
season for a team that's won eight games combined over
the last two years should be absolutely looked at as
like a step forward. And as long as Drake May
plays well something, you know that they can build the
depth of this team out long term, and I think
(23:21):
that's about where they'll land eight or nine wins. And yet, man,
I do think Drake May is special, So I can't
talk out of both sides of my mouth. If if
any of these teams remaining, he is the quarterback. I
believe that could just take the biggest leap play at
the highest level. And they did invest a lot and
have a lot of talent on the defense, could it
(23:43):
all come together with an easy schedule where you get
a pretty nice record and you scare some teams in
the playoffs. It could happen. I don't expect it to happen,
but I think they have a better path than any
of the rest of these teams.
Speaker 2 (23:54):
Yeah, I don't love my options here at this point
in time, and I would agree in terms of if
you're going to take these eight teams and have a
quarterback draft for these eight teams, Drake May would be
the first pick of group.
Speaker 1 (24:06):
He's taking Drake May over Trevor Lawrence in twenty twenty.
Speaker 2 (24:09):
Five, I will, I would, But then again, this is
not who's going to have the best record in order here.
This is a chance to win the Super Bowl. So
I'm looking at upside and I'm looking at you know, how,
how is a path that they do this? How do
they accomplish this? So I'm going to take Jacksonville next.
(24:30):
And again I don't love this, but I know that
he hasn't played to it. But there's been glimpses that
we've seen Trevor play at a high level. I saw
him after a terrible start to a playoff game, orchestrate
a huge comeback and they want. I've seen this organization
obviously a lot of different all new faces, totally different leadership,
but I've seen this organization with a surprise appearance in
(24:52):
an AFC championship game, kind of out of nowhere, the
Blake Bortles year. So they have a little bit of
that DNA in their organization of kind of an out
of nowhere season and it's not hard to envision. And
they don't want anybody to get hurt. But if CJ.
Strou will somehow get hurt in this season, like I
think they they would win that division. They would win
that division. Of all the teams that are remaining, I
(25:13):
think they have a more plausible path to win a division,
get a home playoff game, and then maybe you get
Trevor Lawrence on a heater, which he did in college.
Maybe he finds that. So I don't love the I
don't love the options remaining, but I would go with Jacksonville.
Speaker 1 (25:27):
I mean, it wasn't long ago they were in the
divisional round. I agree with you. I actually think they're
more likely to make the playoffs than the Patriots. I
have them in the playoffs. I know this is that
what we're doing here? Yeah, yeah, I think they have
some upside. Their front with Trevn Walker gets better every year,
Josh Heinz Allen and then Ark Armstead. What we've heard
out of camp lately is really positive. And then you
(25:49):
add Travis Hunter to that secondary. They like Jordan Lewis,
it's Tyson Campbell's healthy again. I actually think the defense
is my biggest concern, and I think there's a path
to them be an averager above average, and then yeah,
it's all about Trevor and the offensive scheme helping out.
It's an easy schedule. I think they can win ten
games this year because of we're not picking the records.
(26:10):
Like you said, I'm really not that high on the
Dolphins this year. But if I'm picking a team out
of the rest of them that everything could go right
and win the Super Bowl and make the Super Bowl,
it is definitely the Dolphins because of not just the
talent and the production that we've seen is proven out
of that passing game and the running game at least
a couple of years ago. But they need to get
that going again. But I do think the defense has
(26:32):
some upside. The secondary is thin, but year two of this,
Ravens like scheme with Anthony Weaver, with the amount of
players that they have on the front, adding a healthy
Jalen Phillips to a group that already had Chop Robinson
and Zach Seeler is really effective. Even if they don't
get a ton out of Bradley Chubb, like, there is
a lot of talent there. They love Jordan Brooks. I
(26:55):
think if you just like add up the rankings of
the players on the team DJ, the Dolphins are pretty
talented team. They may be are less than the some
of their parts, but they're a pretty talented team.
Speaker 2 (27:05):
Yeah. And I heard Chris Greed of the day talking
about their focus was trying to get younger and faster
and more athletic. They're playing some younger guys, so it'll
be good to see. We talked about Minka. Can he
get back to kind of who he was a few
years ago will be key for them. But again, at
this point in time, and I'm not going to trash
all these teams, but I don't love love the choices
that I'm faced with here. I'm gonna give you a
peek behind the curtain, and my choice with this next one,
(27:27):
I think it's very clearly between I would say Vegas
in Cleveland for me and Wow Cleveland. I would make
the argument that you know, you're hoping that there's just
some magic Joe Flacco carpet ride and that Miles Garrett
and this defense with Jim Schwartz, they keep scores lower
and then somehow ninety year old Joe Flacco is functional
(27:51):
for them. I can't, I can't get there with that.
So I'm gonna go with Pete Carroll with the confetti falling,
and Pete Carroll and Gino Smith, you know, on the stage.
Do you remember when the Eagles won and Kevin Hart
tried to get up on the stage and then they
kept him from getting there. If Gino Smith is hosting
the trophy, I don't care how big your bodyguards are, NFL,
(28:14):
You're not keeping Greg Rosenthal from that stage. He is
just I'm talking about a club rip, move on one guard.
I'm thinking about at a little slap swim over another one,
and then just going underneath the legs of the third
guard and then just bear hugging Gino Smith as he's
hoisting the trophy, looking and going what the heck is
this guy doing?
Speaker 1 (28:32):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (28:32):
It's Greg, My biggest supporter. You can hang up here, Greg,
no problem.
Speaker 1 (28:36):
I mean he follows me on Twitter, so there's a
chance that he knows who I am. Maybe I would
aim lower, maybe just try to get him as a
guest on the postgame Super Bowl NFL Daily, which that
would be very difficult to do as well, but we
we somehow got to the A.
Speaker 2 (28:51):
I think you have better odds of dodging some guards.
Speaker 1 (28:55):
I mean, I know you've noticed I you know I
have been working out a little one, so I don't
know if I can get best security. I like that
if any of these teams are going to just have
a magic carpet ride, why not the Raiders. I'm gonna
go with the Jets.
Speaker 2 (29:13):
Let's go.
Speaker 1 (29:14):
I think they're gonna overachieve this year. So I think
they actually of the teams that have like an over
under win total under let's say six and a half
or so, there's probably like eight nine teams in the
NFL this year. With that, I think they're the most
likely to make the playoffs. I think they have a
good offensive line. I think sometimes culture change can matter
(29:35):
a lot uh in covering up, and then schedule can
cover up a lot. And they have a very easy
schedule on paper. I think the offensive line, like I
mentioned that they know what they want to be offensively,
and Robert Sala and Joe Douglas left around a lot
of defensive talent on that team. I don't think it's
a bad team. I think they're going to win, you know, seven,
eight games something like that this year if I had
(29:56):
to guess, But I'll go Jets.
Speaker 2 (30:00):
All right, I'm changing my tune because I did. I
missed one team on my list here that I was
looking at, and uh.
Speaker 1 (30:05):
You said you're taking Browns. I was leaving.
Speaker 2 (30:07):
I was like, I was going to take then, but
see I was comparing. I thought my choice was going
to be Jets, Browns, Titans, and I forgot. We haven't
picked the Colts yet. Uh, And the Colts won eight
games last year. I mean that I got to take
the Colts and Danny Dimes here that they're going to
emerge out of a very suspect average division with really
(30:28):
kind of one one top team there in Houston, So
I can I can find a path for them to
get to the postseason. I mean, they're kind of a
boring team, to be honest, but I am excited to
see one of my favorite players in the draft, and
Tyler Warren, see what he does there for this offense.
So I'm gonna go there. He's gonna be a good player,
(30:50):
so I'm gonna I'm gonna go Indy. But again, you
can kind of sense in our voices the lack of
enthusiasm as we get to this portion of the draft.
Speaker 1 (30:59):
Well, you know, every teams beautiful going into Week one,
you never know exactly what they're going to look like.
I think the Colts actually have more talent than the
rest of the teams here. They're the team though that
I worry about being less than the some of their parts,
and just that there's been a lot of drama and
is everyone on the same page in the building. There's
just a lot of tension. That said, they change Stikeens
(31:20):
won a lot of games with Gardner Minshew and struggling
Anthony Richardson and Joe Flacco last year as a good coach.
It's a fair point that, look, they've they've managed to
be a five hundred team. I'll go Titans next. I'll
leave the Browns for you. I believe this is the
fifteenth pick. What a story would be the Callahan coach
and his dad up on the podium. I mean, would
(31:42):
be the most stunning Super Bowl champion I think ever,
it would pass the ninety nine Rams, that one that
was pretty wild at the time if you take yourself
back to that moment at least how that season started.
They have a quarterback, and they've got a pretty talented
offensive line. I think if you're a Tennessee Titans fan,
I think there are things to be excited about to
(32:03):
watch with this team. The younger players developed, like a
JC Latham and a cam Ward and you can feel
good potentially at the end of the season even if
they only win six or seven games. As long as cam.
Speaker 2 (32:12):
Ward plays, well, wow, they're gonna be fun. And that's
my take that I've had all off season with them,
is that they're not gonna be good, but they're gonna
be fun. Cam Ward is gonna make them fun to watch,
and some of those young receivers as well. So you
left me Cleveland, I'm going to take them the last
pick here, and I can only give you the image
that would just make my life, and that is the
(32:36):
Cleveland Browns on a magic carpet ride. Joe Flackle got
hurt halfway through the year, Gabriel takes over and Dylan
Gabriel goes on this epic run as this point guard
point guard quarterback. Jerry Judy's getting the rock and Joeku's
getting going. Somehow, they magically get their second round pick,
quin Shawn Judkins in the organization, and he's running the
(32:58):
ball really well. In the second half of the season.
Miles Garrett is the game plan him in the Super Bowl.
We can't we can't let Miles Garrett beat us, ladies
and gentlemen, your Super Bowl MVP Mason Graham. And then
my life is complete. I'm good to go. I retire
from the NFL network slash Disney and uh and I'm
done because I just want to be I want to
(33:19):
see Greg's reaction to Mason Graham winning the Super Bowl MVP.
That's my last pick.
Speaker 1 (33:24):
Yeah, after what like a half tackle, you know in
the beginning, but he took up blockers. He took up
some blockers. I know you were honking about that first
preseason game. Twelve snaps, every.
Speaker 2 (33:37):
Every sack and tackle for loss. I'm gonna can you
set up your phone to get like an alert for that?
I might set my phone up to get an alert
so that I can just text Greg while I'm calling
a Charger game that Mason Graham just had to tackle
for loss.
Speaker 1 (33:49):
I was wondering where you're going with that whole Browns thing.
I was, I was along for the ride, and you
landed that plane. That was That was magical. All right,
that's the AFC. We have one more forties and free agents.
Speaker 2 (34:00):
Before I better get the first pick. In the next one.
Speaker 1 (34:03):
You can have the first pick that will be going
up tomorrow morning, Tuesday, so check out our NFC draft.
Speaker 2 (34:10):
In just another we'll take the Eagles.
Hosts And Creators
Gregg Rosenthal
Daniel Jeremiah
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