August 19, 2020 • 48 mins
Mike Blewitt and George Kurtz are back again for another edition of Football Full Circle! In this episode, the guys discuss all things fantasy. Mike and George talk about the different types of leagues that you can play in, focusing on Dynasty leagues and Superflex leagues. Then, Ryan Talbot joins the show to discuss Sean McDermott and the Buffalo Bills. What can we expect from Josh Allen and the Bills this year?
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Sports grid dot Com Betting insights and entertainment at your
fingertips as our team covers the most important topics in
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and more. Want the edge than get on the grid
sports grid dot Com. Hey, everybody, welcome to another edition
(00:22):
of Football Full Circle. Mike and George, I'm going at
you talking about to write a different copies across the NFL.
We're gonna have Ryan Talbot up this hour. Bryan Talbot
writes for New York up State and does Bills Update,
so he's our build beat writer and he's gonna give
us some insight on Sean McDermott, Josh Allen, everybody else
that is important to the bill success this season. But
(00:44):
we started off George kicking it old school for you
and me. It's not really that old school, but we're
gonna talk a little bit of fantasy out of the gate,
simply because we talked in the previous hour of this show,
and we talked at times about I don't know how
many games they're gonna play. What if they play only
thirteen games? What happens in the NFL? Well, what happens.
(01:06):
If you're in a fantasy league and some guys are out,
how are you going to adjust your league? What if
the league gets shut down and they've only played twelve
or nine or whatever games, or teams have played a
bunch of different types of a bunch of different number
of games, and we're set there with a league that
(01:27):
looks like it's had a hammer taken to it. So
I'll lay it all out for you. In fact, what
are the things that you're going for leagues to make
sure that people can still have fun with it and
not be worried I got screwed out of my hundred dollars.
What are you gonna do? Well, First, if you're playing
with some kind of prize money, you better have rules
in place. It's that simple. If you're not playing for
(01:50):
prize money, it's just for bragging rights. Well, if you
have to change anything, you do whatever you want to do. Yeah. Well,
if you're playing the prize money, you better have the
rules you've been have them written out in your constitution
that everybody understands. Where the season doesn't go sixteen weeks,
sixteen games, you know. Uh, Once again, when fantasy genly
we end at the end of week sixteen. That's when
your championship and championship is I need the easiest thing
(02:12):
for you to do. First off, go to a points
league this year. Don't do head to head. It solves
all your problems. You go to a points league, you'll
have a winner, you'll have a loser. Then you need
to vote on how many weeks need to be played
for the season's account. My home league is a points league.
First thing I did. I gave everybody a choice at
a vote how many weeks need to be played for
the season's account for prizes to be handed out. And
(02:34):
the vote came down to twelve three quarters, you know,
So we need twelve games week twelve to be finished,
not twelve games will be some bye weeks. But now
I think that's less than half. Eight is seventeen, So
that was I thought ten might get the vote here,
you know, But twelve was the vote and it was
(02:54):
by unanimous. It was. It wasn't even close in my
league for what ever reason. That's what it came down to.
So if we only played ten weeks, everyone gets their
hundred dollars back. But whatever the entry fee is, that's
what we've done. That's what we've decided, and that's fair. Now,
I think your bigger problem is if you want to
keep the head format, what if one of the two
of those leagues, Georgia is really light. Like yeah, technically
(03:18):
games are played on twelve weeks, but in that twelve
week there was only six teams left because the other
twenty six teams are quarantined or can't feel well, I
assume that the league is canceled, you know, to worry
about it. That definition there, but it's uh trying to
keep all of my situations alive. Here. We didn't cover
something like that. It's week twelve, so twelve weeks of
(03:40):
the NFL season have to be completed. I guess you
could make an argument, well, week twelve we had seventeen
games schedule, we only played six. Where about the other
eleven have to wait for those. We'll see what happens there,
you know, but I don't think once again, by rule
it says week twelve has to be completed. So if
we twelve was completed, there you go. You know you're
going to play here. I know in my baseball league
to a points league, we did cover this topic, you
(04:03):
know where it was once again, forty games have to
be played on average, not weeks, not right, So you
have you have to actually count every the game for
every games played for every team, divided by thirty. How
many baseball teams do you get? If you get above forty, well,
then you have your winner because you got it's gonna
be more for a forty Now, because the Cardinals aren't
(04:24):
gonna play forty games by the time everybody else does.
Neither with the Miami Marlins. So you're probably gonna have
to average forty two forty three games for most teams
other than those two teams. But in football, we did
not do that. That wasn't the of the vote there.
Now you're right, Mike, maybe at the draft I do
bring that up, that we're gonna do the saying sort
of thing where twelve games played for each team. That
might be an easier thing. It is that that you
(04:44):
brought up. That's probably correct in case more than one
team of quite a few teams do miss games here, Yes,
we might bring that up. We'll see well how that
happens there. But this is what why I keep saying
you better have these rules in your league. Head to
head leagues are tougher, because what if you end up
the week of well, you didn't have a championship any seasons, dune,
but you didn't grant a chance, but you played twelve games.
(05:06):
You probably but have a rule that says, well, in
this circumstance, we revert to a points league, and once
again it goes by points. Who goes? Because that's the
only way you can do it. You know, it's only
fair way here. And it's also why I just think
it's makes sense for one year for the COVID year, right,
this is a bad year, rather than not playing, just
convert to a points league for one season and go
(05:27):
from there. Hey, if you're saying, oh, I don't I
don't know a point like, well, then make it for
a lesser price. Instead of a hundred hours whatever you
might normally play, make it for fifty bucks one of
the home leagues. I mean, I suggested maybe lowering the price,
but there's only a hundred dollars. Nobody really seemed to
care all that much about the money itself. I suggested
that you add COVID extra I R spots. I would
(05:50):
go in limited. I think uh I wanted more than that.
They we already had one, they said we'll add another one.
I would go more, Um, just because a player has
to be considered out to be put on those lists
anyway by most of these programs. I think we use
ESPN in that league. But um, you know, if I
have three or four guys that are on COVID because
(06:10):
they tested positive the morning up, I can't. I can't
feel the team. You know, I'm taking an Now, Fantasy
football is always there's already a lot of luck. Could
you have to stay healthy. It's not like base where
you can survive injuries, and football you can't because you
need to win these weeks. Here, I would just go unlimited.
I'm already audience, by the way's already interrupt Good, I'm
a believer it unlimited, all your slots anyway. I want
(06:31):
to take luck out of it. I don't like teams
being eliminated because of injuries that you mentioned. There'll be
a teams that have four or five six guys on
COVID and now you can't replace them. I think that's
just I think it's unfair. Yeah, uh so, something to
think about for your leagues out there. We just wanted
to spend a couple of minutes. George and I've been
playing fantasy for a really long period of time. That's
how people sort of got to know us on air.
(06:54):
It's guys that were fantasy experts, as I put that
in air quotes. But uh, something to consider for your league.
I think points league is a really interesting way to
make that adjustment, even if you're not used to it.
It's very easy to track. It's no more difficult to
track than head to edits. All of these sites do
it for you. So we're gonna come back. Sports grid
(07:15):
dot Com Betting insights and entertainment at your fingertips as
our team covers the most important topics in sports wagering,
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Want the edge than get on the grid. Sports grid
dot Com Back on the Grid Michael George talking fantasy football. So,
(07:45):
I buddy of mine, George couple of days ago, reached
out to me. You know, as I played fantasy football.
I'm in a league with him. He's never played in
a dynasty fantasy football league before and he's entering into one.
It's a super flex league. He got the second pick overall,
so he was asking for strategy advice and walking. We're
trying to walk through players, what should I do? When
(08:08):
should I take the quarterbacks? And he his thought processes.
If Barkley is there, I'm taking Barkley. So if the
first person picks McCaffrey or Mahomes or somebody like that,
he's taking Barkley. But if Barkley goes number one overall
possibility obviously for in a dynasty league. He wanted to
know if he should take Mahomes or not, and I
(08:30):
thought it was a fair question, and it got me
to thinking about rankings and everything else. And it turns
out my Clay Espn. I think a lot of people
know who he is that play Fantasy came out with
his Dynasty rankings just a couple of days ago, so
I thought we could review him here. But to explain
in general terms, for the crowd out there is like,
why does this guy keep saying Dynasty Fantasy Football? What
(08:52):
is he talking about? I'll let you explain. Well, there
are really three different types of leaks. There's your red
draft league, and everybody go back into the pool every year,
so you have a complete player pool to draft from.
There an abundance of people play in those leagues. There
are keeper leagues, which are more and more prevalent nowadays.
That varies from league. The league where you keep a
(09:14):
certain amount of players for a certain amount of time
year after year. Could be three players for three years,
they players for five years. Whatever rule. Your league wants
to be a round association with them as well, you
have to give up this draft pick or to keep
the players. Sometimes I would hope, I would hope there's
a certain penalty, but not all leagues have that. But yes,
I like the penalty for a phase of it. And
then there are dynasty leagues, and and those leagues you
(09:34):
can keep everybody forever. Dynasty, you know, I like all three.
I prefer some kind of keeper lead mentality, including dynasty leagues.
I think they're fun. I think they're more strategy wise.
The only the biggest strategy for your friend I would
come and do is this not so much who to take.
But first you need to realize, just of course you
(09:55):
quote a dynasty league doesn't mean it's gonna last forever.
And I'm not just talking about your friend dynasty leagues.
Mike and I have been involved in industry dynasty leagues
which don't last more than a couple of years because
teams they're bad, you know, and they don't want to
play anymore. And you get three or four of those
teams like that the league has dissolved or the league
wasn't set up. Well, uh you got rushed to the
(10:18):
starting line. The bad rules, the rosters are too big,
it becomes hard to manage, it's on a bad website. Whatever,
We've all things they could go wrong with the Dynast League.
So before you start drafting, I would ask yourself, do
you truly believe this league is going to be around
five years from now? That's why I usually tell people
Mike when it comes to a Dynasty League draft, to
(10:38):
win this year. Worry about next year, next year, worry
about three years down the line. Three years down the line.
You know, you don't need the leagues aren't going to
be around then. It's the old saying in Fantasy Flags,
fly forever. I and I. That's the first thing I
told him. I was like, you don't know what's gonna
happen in this league three years from now. Uh so
try to win now, don't There There are people that
(10:59):
come up with a strategy and at the league, um
if the league does exist for a long period of time,
if you draft young early than that they make, those
players may come into fruition. You may have a good
team a few years from now. But in the dynasty
league that George and I both compete, and he's in
a good spot right now, I'm rebuilding. In fact, I
ditched some guys this year because we were going into
(11:21):
a season that we didn't know what it was going
to look like. I was already sort on the fence
to make the playoffs, so I'm punting on But uh,
I think when you're starting in a dynasty league, I
think it is important to know that, yes, try to
win now, but definitely have an eye on the future.
You can, if you're trying to win now, have more
(11:44):
veterans than some of your peers may have in that league,
because you shouldn't dismiss those. In fact, I got another
question earlier today on Twitter from someone about this, and
I said, what do you think of this dynasty team?
And I said, you drafted a whole bunch of rookie
wide receivers that can't possibly work out well this year.
A bunch of rookie wide receivers aren't gonna hit on
(12:05):
the same team, you'd have to be extraordinarily lucky. So
you can't be afraid of older players at the skill positions. George,
I think you take I think you keep in mind
of players experience and age when you're drafting. That's something
you would never do during a redraft league. I think
you attempt to have a bunch of players under twenty five.
(12:26):
But a good mix of veteran and young is fine
for this see for me, I attack it like I
would have read draft league. I'm not worried about the
young players. I'm not worried about two three years down
the line. Here. I want to win now. You know,
I always feel I'm good at what I'll make the
adjustments I need to make here. Now. If it's a
coin flip situation where it's close, of course, I'll go
(12:46):
with the younger player. I'll go with the rookie here
because hey, I have something to lose there. I think
it's close anyway, I'll take the play. It's gonna be
around three or four year five years. But when I
have founded dynasty leagues, the first year of dynasty league
is generally I do pretty damn well on them because
everyone's taking younger players. To hear the word dynasty and
they automatically think, oh, I think Ceedee Lamb in the
first round. Yes, that's not what you should be doing here.
(13:10):
You still want to win now, you still want to
the guys who were going to produce Now, For example,
Julio Jones is still far better than Ceedee Lamb is.
Right now, you take Julio Jones, you don't take Ceedee Lamb.
I know it's an extreme example, but we're trying to
make a point to not just load up on young players.
It could work down the road, but it won't work
this year. We know that, and it might not work
(13:31):
next year. And then then the league folds and you're like,
I never even got out of the gate with this team.
I thought I was gonna nail it three years from now. Well,
we told you I want to win. I said it
would be different, Like I said, you may know your
guys all this league is definitely gonna be going to
be around ten years. If you know that, then you
can maybe dread a little differently. But from my experience
of dynasty leagues, I said, I played in a bunch,
(13:54):
but I'm only in one right now. That to tell
you something, and I've never left the league, that the
league has always be disbanded. The only one I'm in
is the one with you, which I love. I think
it's it's one of my all right, it's it's a
fun league to be in. And every least, like Mike,
Mike is rebuilding. This year, I've had to rebuild, and
I was willing to accept that that it took me
two or three years to rebuild, you know, and I
that was sort of the fun for me, that I
(14:16):
took those years to rebuild my team and I ended
up being the Buffalo Bills, and that I looked in
the championship game three straight years, Mike, So I was frustrating,
but it was part of the fund. So you have
to real life. You'll come to Jesus moment. But that's
also why I keep saying play to win now, worry
about next year, worry about three years down the line
when that time comes. You know, you don't know if
the league is going to be there. And you were
(14:38):
the perfect example. You've got Ceedee Lamb. Well, by the
time he becomes the player we think he's going to become,
league is not even around anymore. And you never even
got to see what he could become. So we'll take
a look at Mike Clay's rankings, which can see up
here on the screen, and we'll continue it into the
next segment as well. We'll spend some time on this.
But as you can see, running back and elite wide
(15:01):
receivers are extremely valuable in these leagues if you're in
a twelve team league. For example, George and I play
in sixteen team leagues, but if you're in a twelve
team league, uh, those guys go early. So the workhorse
running backs, how very few of them there are, are
extremely valuable. They get taken right out of the gate.
So you can see right here, McCaffrey, Barkley, Michael Thomas
(15:22):
is a lone wide receiver, Zeke Dalvin Cook, Alvin Kamara,
Josh Jacobs, Joe Mix, and Nick Chubb, and then Davante Adams,
uh cleans out the top ten. You see that you
don't have the first quarterback until Mahomes at thirteen. Considering
who Pat Mahomes is and what he can do, he's
still not even in the first round technically in a
(15:43):
league like this, if it went according to Plant. Now
keep in mind. We look at ESPNS rankings unless they
tell you differently. This is a one quarterback league full
points where a touchdown pass, so things would change drastically.
My favorite type of league by far as a super
flex league, especially in this day and age when we
have so many good, too great quarterbacks. I think it's
(16:03):
kind of silly that we don't have where two quarterbacks
are eligible to play, because I'm gonna I'm gonna be
one of those guys who just harps on it over
and over again. You're putting one quarterback league right, no
strategy wait forever. I don't care. When I get a
quarterback twelve quarterback, I could find it's probably Roethlisberg or
someone like that, and I can win with Ben and
it allows me to get guys like McCaffrey, Barkley, Thomas, whoever.
It might be at the top of my draft the
(16:25):
first couple of rounds, while someone else will worry about
taking my homes. There's no doubt my home's gonna put
up more points, but comparatively. But Ben can do what
another quarterback can do. It's not anywhere near the difference
of what are running back and do to another running back,
So that's the strategy there. So uh, with only a
minute to go, I'll ask you if you're that guy
(16:45):
in this super flex league in the startup second pick, Uh,
say Barkley goes first, hed take Pat Holmes. And if
uh somebody other than Barkley went first, and say it's
McCaffrey ormah Homes, who would you take? You this reason
dynasty league? Theoretically it's gonna be around for a while.
(17:06):
It's a super flex league with automatic pushed the quarterbacks out,
quarterbacks last forever. What if Mahomes going first would take
Probably not, but I don't think he's gonna be healthy
all the time. I probably would go McCaffrey in that direction,
he would take McCaffrey second. So for you, the top
two our Mahomes, McCaffrey in a league like that super flex. Yes, Okay,
we'll come back talk more about this and other stories
(17:29):
that hit the news this week. In the NFL. It's
Mike and George on the Grid. We're coming right back
with for sports grid dot Com, betting insides and entertainment
at your fingertips as our team covers the most important
topics in sports wagering. Real time odds predictive betting models,
expert picks, and more want the edge than get on
the grid. Sports grid dot Com. M you're watching Sports Grade.
(18:11):
Back on the grade. We're talking about dynasty fantasy football,
and then we'll get into some news and notes with
the NFL this week. But George, so you said that
my friend, my friend Jeremy who reached out to me
earlier this week, you would take Mahomes if he's at
number two, right, So you got that, uh, and then
you're coming back around. So it's twelve team league, he'll
(18:33):
have the then twenty uh three, and then he'll have
twenty six. So as it comes back to I'm looking
at Mike Clay's rankings, obviously he Scott Mahomes is the
only quarterback there at thirteen. The next QB he has, gosh,
I can't even find it. Where's Lamar Mark Jack's at? Oh?
(18:55):
I missed it? Okay, Uh, So unlikely he's gonna get
Lamar are coming back. Would you, though, be motivated to
get a second quarterback there? Would you want Russell Wilson
potentially to pair with Pat Mahomes or Kyler Murray or
somebody like that. Well, you know how this game is
gonna be played. Now we need to know who else
is there by going to direction down going. If you're
(19:16):
gonna take my homes at two, you're probably screwed at
running back. I don't think it's gonna be much there,
and I'm not gonna reach for one. I will not
reach for a running back now I know Mike Clay's rankings. Here.
Once again, this is geared towards a one quarterback lad
so there will be other players there. The other qbs
will be gone to right right, I mean where quarterbacks going,
but there also other players that available. Obviously the quarterbacks
(19:38):
went earlier than other players slid down here, right, he
has Aaron Jones. Now he's not great for a dynasty league.
He's not great for a keeper league right now, because
there's a reason why green Bay drafted right, there's a
reason why green Bay drafts and m Jones. And now
it's gonna be free agents. They certainly expect one to leave,
if not both, so there could be a problem there.
But Aaron Jones could theoretically slide there. Kind of a
(20:00):
brilliant strategy if if a team employees that we're just
going to use running backs on their rookie deals talented
running backs. It's kind of kind of a smart strategy anyway,
that's on a quick as side. If it works out,
we'll see. Yeah, I have to keep getting it right.
That's the dangerous uh So I'm just looking at running
backs that could possibly slide down there, Mike, Mike has
(20:22):
Derrick Henry at twenty eight. I don't see that. Weston Eckler,
you'd be thrilled, I mean absolutely thrilled if either one
of those guys felt you a three right and I
would take that to heartbeat and I saw I was
your running back. Probably still have a decent army one
especially doesn't get enough love. I tell you, the man
gets enough love as he should have there. I would
love them the full to me at three and in
the second round, I would take him in a heartbeat,
(20:42):
you know. Then the top of the third and when
you go three picks later, then you could sort of
make the decision you're talking about here where you could
take a very good second quarterback. Doesn't bother me to
do that. I've done that. A lot of super reflect
leagues load up on quarterbacks, go from there or maybe
get the top wide receivering there should be plenty of them,
as a wide receiver is deep anyway, my listen, the
basic thing for me is, Mike, I'm gonna take my
(21:04):
homes at two and then it's b P A. If
it's the quarterback, fine, but I'm really looking for the
running back in the second round, and certainly b P
A third round quarterback is deep. I'm not going to
reach for one. I think Russell Wilson'll be gone by then,
so I don't think you got to worry about it.
But after that, you're gonna find us six to eight
to ten quarterbacks that you'll like that are all just
about the same. Now you guys like more than others,
(21:26):
but they're all about the same. And you know what,
I'm willing to take my top wide receiver and went
to the fourth round to get that second quarterback because
I'm still gonna end up with somebody that I don't mind.
I think you think I'm just wondering, like, can you
get Mattie Ice or somebody like that. I don't know
about Ryan, He'll he'll be gone. I think Ryan will
be gone. I agree with that. But but if you
(21:46):
look at the quarterbacks here, I mean, you're not gonna
have my Homes. You're not gonna get Jackson, You're not
gonna get Ryan. I don't you look, Rodders really should
be there because he's not that same player anymore. Yeah,
he's really falling up, and I can see him being
This is the key to This is the key with
the strategy here. You don't have to just keep getting
young guys. It doesn't have to be Mahomes and Kyler
(22:07):
Murray for you to last in the league. That would
be the most ideal scenario in my mind, to be honest,
But you can. If you have Mahomes, you can pair
him up with Aaron Rodgers said, he might hold him.
I wouldn't be afraid of take of Tom Brady if
you felt I want to win now, you know, don't
worry about next year. Next year, but guys like Matthew
(22:30):
Stafford could certainly be there. Daniel Jones. We may think
the Giants are a terrible football team, but they're gonna
have to throw the ball over and over. I think
Daniel Jones is gonna end up being a top twelve
Fantasy quarterback and us in fourth round. You might be
able to get him later than that. By the way,
one hour, one hour Dynasty league because of Blake Bortles, right,
I mean, he don't eat that top quarterback there, Cam
(22:52):
do it. Maybe, So when you want to take a
shot on Baker Mayfield, I don't mind him. You can
win with Kirk Cousins as your second quarterback. You might
be able with Derek Carr. I think it's pushing it
a little bit, but I'm just trying to show you
not all these quarterbacks is gonna be taken so quickly.
You can look at you Scott fish Ball. You'll get
an idea when these quarterbacks are going to go. Yes,
every super flex league is drafted differently. Some leagues of
(23:14):
the quarterbacks fly, some leagues they stay around forever. There's
no real way of knowing. You sort of have to
read the tea leaves here in the first round. Tell
you my Scott Fishball draft, which is super flex. Granted
it's not Dynasty. You get a million extra points for quarterbacks.
I'd have been I'd have been dying for quarterbacks in
Scott fish This year, Mahomes went four, Lamar Jackson five,
(23:35):
Dak Prescott seven, DeShawn Watson eleventh. This is overall four
quarterbacks in the first round. Yeah, then Breeze. Then I
took Murray, I have six, then Wilson, so that's seven
in the first round and a half. Then there was
a little break. So I'll let you know that that
even in a Scott Fish which is more quarterback friendly
than any other, with all the points for completions and
(23:57):
all this other stuff he has, they're still only seven
and went in your league. Now they were what a
hundred and twenty draction that league. You have to really
average it out. But let you know that you can't
wait for that second quarterback. There will be alone there.
And you just look at the list of quarterbacks here
after the top ten. These are guys who on the
I'm looking at the ESPN cheat sheet here that are
not in the top ten for quarterbacks here on Fantasy Breeze, Stafford, Rogers, Jones, Roethlisberger, Tannehill,
(24:23):
Cam Baker, Mayfield, Cousins. These are guys car rivers if
you if you believe in them. But these are guys
that as a second quarterback you're okay with that you
don't actually need the pair of Mahomes with Watson, Murray,
Dak Russell, Brady, Matt Ryan, Wentz as a cautionary tale.
As a cautionary tale, I drafted Phil Rivers and Mr
Trabiski and Scott Fishball last year and did not work out.
(24:45):
So you can't. I mean, I had the Mariotta Tannehill thing.
We've talked about it before. It's good to see you've
gotten over with that, Mike. I haven't so uh so Murray,
then Maddie Ice after well, sorry, Murray Wilson and Maddie Ice.
Carson Wentz. I took Aaron Rodgers as the tenth QB.
I had both my QB's and then it's Stafford, Tannehill, Cousins,
(25:09):
s Brady car Alan Goff, Bridgewater, lock Garoppolo. That's your
top twenty. It took a full eight rounds in order
to get the qbs. Yeah, I mean, listen, in a
super flex league, I like to lock up my quarterbacks,
I do, but I do like to read the draft,
you know, see what's happening here. You know, I generally
(25:30):
my first quarterback will be a top quarterback. You know,
it may it's usually in the first round. Now. When
I did playing the Scott fish bowlt last year, I
got Pat Mahomes and I got him in the second
round because once again I read the draft and I think, well,
I think I got four overall or something like that.
And when by the time my pick came up in
the first round, which was like ninth or so, no
quarterbacks have been taken, and I just read it, I'm like, wow,
(25:52):
we're not taking quarterbacks this year. So I waited. It
was sort of a gamble, but I waited. I think
I took Derrek Cary that year, I'm not positive. Uh,
And it's like a round came up, still no quarterbacks.
I grabbed Pat Mahomes and then I waited probably about
five six rounds before my second quarterback, and I got Roethlisberger.
Now he had a big he got hurt that year,
so I didn't work out well for me, But it
just showed that the strategy worked. To read your draft
(26:15):
to understand that not every suit reflex league you're gonna
have five six quarterbacks taken in the first first round.
Was seven taken in the first eighteen picks, and seven
in your league. But you just don't know when that
runs going to begin. It's gonna happen. You just don't know.
It could be the first could be in the second
a f C East I thinking of transition. We have
Ryan Talbot coming up in the next segment. We're going
(26:37):
to talk about the Bills. But a piece of a
f C East news that popped up this week. Denzel MIBs,
the Jets rookie wide receiver in second round draft pick,
suffered by hamstring injury. Adam Gaze says as I viam
Niche Maida of the New York Daily News. Gay says
sim suffered as hamstring injury a couple of days running
a couple of days ago. I suppose running routes on air.
(26:59):
What that makes sense? Make running routes on air. We're
just going to have to see how long it takes.
Gore was usually run routes on the ground than I
am so um, We're just going to have to see
how long it takes. Is coach speak for stop asking me,
it's none of your business. Or it's also coach speak
for he's actually hurt or he just actually hurt. We'll
(27:21):
see how long it takes. I mean, it's the soft
tissue injuries are always concerning. It is only what wegus here.
You've got four weeks, give a take before the seat
and starts here. But what's most concerned with the rookie
is he's not gonna be able to get on the
practice field, right, not gonna be able to learn those
routes or get in the chemistry with Sam Donald there.
So that's what worries me more than anything else here.
(27:43):
Not that you would think you're drafting Mims anyway in
a draft league, a keeper league or dynasty legue, certainly
I could see that. But are we expecting big things
out of the passing game of the Jets anyway? No,
But this is this is why I brought it up.
You got Vincent Smith, who I think is another player
for the Jets who's banged up. You got Mims is out,
and you're giving Sam Donald in his third year. He
(28:06):
had mono last year, his receiving course, Jamison Crowder, Denzel Mims,
and Brashad Perraman. Now Perraman flashed late in the year
with the Bucks, but where was he for his entire
career before then? They the Bucks got so passed happy
with Jamis. I don't really know what to think of Pereman.
It's a one year deal. I don't think it's a
bad signing, but I don't have that much faith in him.
(28:29):
Jamison Crowder is a good ball possession guy. Mims is
really supposed to be their number one wide receiver moving forward,
and now he's out. I just I brought it up
because the discussion is that every time I come back
to the Jets, I'm like, how is Donald supposed to
be successful? The best weapon he has is still levy
On Bell. You didn't know from me, you know how
(28:51):
I feel about the Jets? So what did they do
for this guy? I think they've heard him not giving
the players aroundable. Don't think Adam Gaze has helped him
any you know of the get mems, I mean Levan Bell.
Maybe he has a year, maybe he does it, but
your team is not playing to win this year. You
pretty much announced that when you made the trade of
two number one to Jamal Automs or can you still avou?
Can you evaluate him even this year? Can you evaluate
(29:13):
him based on this team? And they signed a bunch
of offensive linemen and they signed they acquired three different
wide receivers. But who's scared of this offense? Unless the
offensive line is good and levy On Bell is Levan Bell,
that's that's their only path through, and you won't get
much out of Donald. You won't be able to evaluate
him much. I mean, listen the offensive lineman they signed.
(29:35):
Let's face it, you're hoping the sum is better than
the uh you know each INDIVI the individual parts, you know,
the hoping that. I think the Jets are a train
wreck this year. I think everything that he is going
to change anyway, including I have the GM or the
coach or the GM's aren't done an. I think he's
done a good job. I think he's done a good job.
I thought he did a good job in the draft.
I just don't know. I'm complaining because they didn't give
(29:57):
enough to evaluate Darnald anyway. Bryan Talbot with talking about
the Bills next, A good team an even Sports grid
dot Com Betting insights and entertainment at your fingertips seven
as our team covers the most important topics in sports wagering,
real time odds, predictive betting models, expert picks, and more.
(30:18):
Want the edge than get on the grid sports grid
dot Com. Hey everybody, welcome back to the grid. Bringing
in a guest of ours today, Ryan Talbot. You can
find Ryan Talbot on Twitter at Ryan Talbot Bills and
he's Bills writer for a New York up State and
(30:39):
builds updates. He's not been on the show with us
many times. Thanks for joining us on the Grid today, Ryan, Hey,
thanks for having me in. Yeah, excited to talk to
you a little bit about this. So in a previous program,
we updated everybody as to the extensions with Sean McDermott
and Dion Dawkins. But George and I talked have talked
quite a bit about the Bills this off season because
(31:02):
there's obviously newfound expectations for this team given the changing
dynamics of the division. But I give them a lot
of credit for extending McDermott here because I think he
is evidence. He and Brandon being are evidence of what
you can do in a relatively short period of time
when everybody in the building is on the same page.
Do I have that right correct? You know? He even
(31:25):
acknowledged that this week. He said when he came in,
he knew he had to make some decisions that weren't
going to be popular. Uh. And it was just about
a three year anniversary of the date where they traded
Sammy Watkins and Ronald Darby on the same day, who
at that time were expected to be their number one
wide receiver and their number one cornerback. So when that
had happened, being a first year coach, I think a
(31:46):
lot of the expectations were all boy, this team isn't
looking forward to competing in two seventeen. But it was
the exact opposite. They were looking for players that fit
that culture, that fit the mold of what they wanted,
and sure enough, you know, they kind of backed into
a playoffs spot that first year. But Sean McDermott breaks
the seventeen year playoff throughout in year one, they play
(32:07):
with a rookie in in his second season, they go
six and ten. But they bounced back this past year
when ten ten wins the first time since n and
now two playoff appearances in three seasons. So absolutely McDermott
has preached culture and it's pretty clear that they've come
a long way in a short time under this regime
of McDermott and Brendan bean Ryan. It's so hard not
(32:30):
to like what Buffalo has done. I think unless you're
a Patriots fan, you love what Buffalo has done. Right.
It's finally give the Patriots a run for their money,
and I think Buffalo is a better team. Wick. I
think Buffalo is right up there, maybe a notch below
with Chiefs and the Ravens there were their team to
be reckoned with here talk about stuff on Dix. What
do you think he can how he can change this
office to make them maybe even better than they were
(32:51):
last year? Oh yeah, absolutely. I mean look no further
than last year's playoff lost the Houston Texans. The Bills
have John Down, they have Cold Beasley, but who ends
up leading in targets that day, Duke Williams. Duke Williams
has ten targets. I think he haulds in four of them,
had passed the ends and that he should have hauled
in for a touchdown. But at the end of the day,
(33:12):
the Bills fell short, and it's because they were lacking
that true number one wide receiver. Diggs comes in and
that all changes. Brian Deable can run that eleven personnel
that he he has loved to run in the past
when he's had the right players. You have guys like
John Brown who had a career year across the board
last year with Josh Allen and as his quarterback, Cole
Beasley who had a career year in certain categories last year.
(33:35):
So you know, you know, I know a lot of
the naysayers, the people that don't believe in Josh Allen, say, oh,
you know what, what is Diggs really gonna be in
for this season? Well, if it's anything like what John
Brown and Beasley experienced, this is the guy that could
have a career year here in Buffalo. He's going to
get the ball a lot. Brian Able talked today about
how they'll adjust week by week based on what opposing
(33:57):
defenses do. It. If they're gonna be playing tough on
the outside, then Cole Beasley is gonna feast on these
opposing defenses and maybe Dawson Knox. But if they're playing
a certain way, then you had Digs and Brown are
going to be in for for big years as well.
But you know, I just think you can look at
that playoff game and say, if they had Stefan Digs
in that game, yeah, they clearly defeat the Texans, and
(34:18):
who knows what happens after that. But right now, this
is a team that I agree with you. I don't
necessarily think they're on the same level as the Chiefs
of the Ravens, but there's no reason they can't compete
for that number three seat in the a f C. Right,
So again we're with Ryan Talbot. You can find them
on Twitter at Ryan Talbot Bills does updates for does
(34:40):
Bills updates and rites for New York Upstate. So two
part question here, it's all sort of the same thing.
Do you get the sense that the players coaches understand
that they're receiving more hype than they have in the past,
and do you feel that they are well for paired
(35:00):
to handle it. They definitely know that, you know, there's
been a few players that have said, we know that
there's a bulls on our back this year. In fact,
thing it was Dan Dawkins that said that in his
prox or before his extension. But at the same time,
the Bills are also doing the right thing. They're not
giving any bolton board material. They're saying, you know, until
we defeat the Patriots, were not the favorites and two
(35:21):
there you know to that belief. I think there's some
legitimacy to that because they couldn't knock off the Patriots
with Tom Brady in these last few seasons. They were
close both games last year. Should they have one at
least one of those two games. Yeah, realistically probably they
should have, but they fell short. So now it's a
much different Patriots team. Tom Brady has gone, Dante Scarnekia,
(35:42):
the possibly the grace offensive line coach in NFL history,
has gone, and they lost some significant names in those
opt outs. So if you're asking me who should be
the favorite, it should be the Bills. But at the
same time, they're trying to temper those expectations and say,
until we defeat the team that has reigned over this
division and rule this division for about, you know, the
the last decade plus, we haven't done anything yet. So
(36:06):
they're definitely being realistic about it. But at the same time,
they know that they are probably viewed as the favorite
to win this division for the first time in a
long time. You know, it's funny you should mention that now.
I I completely agree with you. I would sing it forever.
I think the Bills maybe even walk through this division. Here, Patriots,
you said it. They've lost so many people. Know Tom Brady,
(36:27):
we don't know about Cam Newton. We are a gambling
network and right now on fan Duel, the Patriots over
under the Wind is nine and a half. The Bills
is eight and a half. I have the over on
the Bills. I have the under on the Patriots. That's
how much I believe in them here. But everything you're
talking about here, do you think I know they're gonna
sail the right things to the media. Could they be
overconfident and knowing, hey is no Tom Brady there? You know,
(36:50):
maybe Cams Cam, Maybe Cam's not Cam. They've lost eight
players who are opted out here this is our year.
Do you think overconfidence could be a problem. You know,
maybe a few players could get overconfident, But I just
don't see Sea mc dermott letting them get letting that
get to their heads. He's that guy that preaches h
it's a week to week league, it's a it's a
(37:11):
day to daily you know, things change so quickly, and
it all takes is one injury to change the entire landscape,
not only for the Bills but for every team. One
one injury is all you need to go from being
a favorite to all of a sudden not knowing what's
going to happen in your season. So I can't see
Sea McDermott letting the players get too full of themselves.
Now that side is is a schedule a lot more
(37:32):
difficult this year than it wasn't in absolutely, but the
Bills should be looking to rise to the occasion because
this is a loaded roster. I can't remember the last
time that they've had this much starting talent, but also
depth across the board, whether you're talking offensive line, whether
you're talking defensive line. They invested heavily their defensive It's crazy. Yeah.
(37:56):
I mean, you go out and you get a Quentin Jefferson,
who's a versatile piece that comes out of Seattle, says
he wants to join the playoff team, which you know,
I can't remember the last time the Bills have had
players wanting to come here because they've been a playoff
team to of the last three seasons. Vernon Butler, who
right now he might see a bigger role because Star
Latula opts out uh six sacks season last year under
(38:16):
Eric Washington, who now is the Buffalo Bills defensive line coach,
so he's familiar with those with obviously Vernon Butler, but
the big piece obviously this offseason was adding Mario Addison
no fewer the nine sacks of the last four years
that's the one thing that this defensive line has been
lacking as a consistent pass rush. So if you have
Addison and a healthy Hughes on the outside at Oliver
(38:39):
and year two who really came on in that second
half of the season, and those other players Jefferson and
Butler that I already mentioned, not to mention Harrison Phillips
returning and another even I don't think the hell I
don't necessarily make it um but they have some other
players to their Trent on the outside who really came
(39:00):
on late in the year. But with the salary kept
looking the way it is, I think they'll end up
probably cutting him, saving that seven seven and a half
million dollars. But he's even an option. So there's a
lot of depth on the outside and on the inside
and that secondary. Even if you don't know quite right
now who's gonna be quarterback to you have a top
safety duo and you have a true elite number one
(39:21):
cornerback in Tredevius White. So a lot of promise there
on this defense. And obviously drafted a j F and
SSA in that second round as well, so adding a
talented rookie. George started alluding to it if we'd have
to ask this question about Cam Newton, if only because
Brandon being and uh Sean McDermott have close personal contact
(39:43):
with Cam. Obviously he was on the defensive side of
the ball, but they both are in the same building
at camp as Cam at one point. I feel like
it gives him any advantage at least knowing Cam's personality
his tendencies in order to help try to coach against
him a couple of times this year. Yeah, I would
think so. I mean, like you said, it was the
opposite side of the ball for McDermott, but he coached
against him in practices and things like that for quite
(40:05):
a few years, so I'm sure he knows what makes
him a little bit uncomfortable or what are some of
his weaknesses are. But you've thrown the fact that Newton
hasn't been healthy over the last few years either, so
we might not see the same kind of mobility out
of him that might that might benefit the Bills as well.
But I think mcdermot's gonna have all bases covered in
terms of here's what I've seen out of him in
(40:27):
his career, here's what he does really really well, and
here's how we're gonna play that in those two weeks
in the regular season when we do match up with
the Patriot. Okay, now we've mentioned his name a time
or two here, but we haven't really talked about him here.
It's the NFL quarterbacks dominate, all right. Do you think
Josh Allen's, when I say, ready to make that next step?
(40:49):
I'm not talking into Hall of Fame territory or even
a top eight quarterback in the NFL, But is he
ready to get better, maybe to bring I don't think
they need a Pat Mahomes in order to compete that
defensive legit, it's probably the best of the league. He's
got good weapons around him, Singletary, Morris, Brown, Digs Beasley,
even Dorson knocks the tight end. I think it's a
solid tight end. But they need Alan to be better,
(41:10):
maybe not do some of the silly things he's done.
Do you think he's ready to take that next step
into that category? I do you know? And we we
did see some of that silliness as you put it
in the playoffs where he tried to pitch the ball
the Dawston Knox late in the game, where he was
trying to make a play, and I like that about
him sometimes because it's that old gun slinger mentality of
(41:30):
I need to make a play here? What can I do?
But those things he does have to to improve on now.
To his credit, interceptions he ended up with nine last year.
I want to say six of them were in that
first half of the season. He really cut down interceptions
in the second half of the year. He has to
be smarter though, when he's running with the ball or
when he has someone coming after him, because he does
(41:51):
have over twenty fumbles in his first two seasons. Many
of them have been recovered by the Bills, but that's
worries and that's something he has to monitor. As a
past her. He improved significantly in the intermediate range last year.
You had Stefan digs in the mix. I would like
to think that that's going to improve. Like he's even
go up even higher in the intermediate area. The short game,
he can be better on that. He says sometimes early
(42:13):
in games is too hyped up, so sometimes he missed.
He overthrows as those intended guys in the short area,
so he needs to kind of let it fire. He
needs to take a hit. But the big area that
he needs to make the biggest improvement, in my opinion
is that deep passing game. He was very inaccurate there
last season and and we really need to see that
improved now. Should Digs and Brown on the outside help
(42:35):
that absolutely knocks in the middle as you mentioned as well,
and even after the catch with Beasley, So yeah, there's
room for improvement, absolutely, But I like the strides that
we saw from year one to year two, so uh
good stuff they are again, as Ryan Talbot follow him
on Twitter at Ryan Talbot Bills, So one last one, Um,
I've got a fought fantasy players who watched this network
(42:56):
as well. What is this running back scenario gonna look like?
You you know, in a typical year, I think it
would have been closer to a fifty fifty split sooner
rather than later. But if I'm playing fantasy football and
I'm thinking only this season, I'm taking Devin Singletary, I
think they're going to give him a heavy workload early
on in the year, as you ease Zack mosson because
(43:16):
this has not been a typical offseason. As you guys know,
there's a lot to do with Blitz pick up, there's
a lot to do with knowing the hot reads and
things like that and what adjustments he has to make,
and I'm not sure he's gonna be ready to do
that week one. By week eight. Could we be seeing
more and more of him? Uh? In this lineup? Absolutely,
but early on, I think Singletary is the guy that
you want in your fantasy lineup. He's the guy that
(43:38):
ended up with over five yards per carry last year.
Mind you didn't have the kind of workload that Derrick
Henry did, but he finished the same yards per carry
as Henry last year. I think he's your guy if
you're looking to win your fantasy league here and stuff,
so it was a lot. I appreciate you covering so
much in a short period of time. Again, find him
on Twitter at Ryan Talbot's Bills. He's a bills writer
(44:02):
for Bills updates on Twitter, and you find his articles
at New York Upstate. We'll talk to you again sometimes soon, Ryan.
Appreciate you joining us each and every summer, and have
a good rest of the summer before you have to
work your fingers to the bone writing updates. Thanks again
to see you next time. But thank you all right, folks,
will be back on the grid After this, George and
I will react to Ryan's breakdown of the bill. Next
(44:24):
on the Grid Sports grid dot Com Betting insights and
entertainment at your fingertips seven as our team covers the
most important topics in sports wagering, real time odds, predictive
betting models, expert picks, and more. Want the edge than
get on the Grid sports grid dot Com. Just have
(44:46):
Ryan Talbot on here. From Ryan Talbot Bills on Twitter.
He does those updates for bills updates and New York Upstate.
But good breakdown there, George, I think, look, I I
don't think he told me anything that stunned me, but
he really affirmed some of the things that we thought
about this team. Interesting though, on the running back scenario,
(45:08):
he said that Singletary is really going to be the
guy until Zack Moss gets I guess used to the system.
That's going to be the case for a lot of
rookies that didn't have access. Yeah, if you're a fantasy
you know that's what you wanted to hear, right, You
want to which running back was going to be the
guy there? He actually said it. He thought it was
gonna but now I think it's gonna be singletary, So
secretary is the main guy that was a complimentary guy.
Obviously an injury replaced, but should that occur here? So
(45:30):
that's uh, fantasy wise, That's what I wanted to hear.
I also wanted to hear about Josh Allen, what he
thought that could Josh Allen take that next step? I
keep saying it over and over again. I don't think
we need him to be great. You know, we don't
need him to be Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady,
but we need him to take that next step. He
put up an interesting point that the septions went down
the second half last year, so maybe he was maturing
(45:51):
that way. I can understand we make fun of that
play he made in the playoffs way he threw the
ball backwards precious day, you're trying to make the play.
Things aren't going your way. I can't do those things,
but I understand the mentality behind it. But it was
good to hear about that too. And this team is
going to be a better team the addition of Stefon Diggs,
Brown Beasley, They're going to be an interesting offensive team
now that you're gonna want to hop on these guys
(46:12):
and you know earlier, and really, who's the earliest fantasy
pick here? Probably Digs round three. You know, I don't
Somewhere around there, I'm Singletary will be valuable because once
again we all cry for running backs. The only question
I really wanted to ask him is sort of a hypothetical,
if the Bills have a bad season, why will that be?
(46:33):
And the reality is it will probably because the passing
game isn't working, right. I just think that they were
a low volume passing team last year, that most passing
attempts in the league. Stefon Digg is gonna get ticked
off about that, like he wasn't to get the He
might get the most targets, but he's gonna get the
(46:54):
most targets on a team and storing as bad as
much as his old team did and doesn't have some
at the offense there right, doesn't have Dalvid Cook to
bring the safety's down low. Yeah, he got offensive line.
But if you're worried about Digs being unhappy, you're right.
I mean, he's not gonna be any happier here. He
was upset that the bull what's it coming to him
in Minnesota? And let's face it, the bill is gonna
(47:14):
want to win on defense and not have mistakes made.
They're gonna trying to open up this offense here. So
here I can see things being a little unhappy. And
Bills have fourth most passing attempts in the league in
twenty nineteen. Where do you think the Vikings were? I
know Zione wants to run the ball. I would say
they're worse. It's identical basically. So that's it for this
(47:35):
hour of football full Circle. Thank you to Ryan Talbot
and on behalf of Brian Rokowski and George Kurt's on
Mike Blewett. Thanks for watching Get on the Grid sports
grid dot Com Betting insights and entertainment at your fingertips
seven as our team covers the most important topics in
sports wagering, real time odds, predictive betting models, expert picks,
and more want the edge than Get on the Grid
(47:56):
sports grid dot Com two
Sports grid dot Com Betting insights and entertainment at your
fingertips as our team covers the most important topics in
sports wagering, real time odds, predictive betting models, expert picks,
and more. Want the edge than get on the grid
sports grid dot Com. Hey, everybody, welcome to another edition
(00:22):
of Football Full Circle. Mike and George, I'm going at
you talking about to write a different copies across the NFL.
We're gonna have Ryan Talbot up this hour. Bryan Talbot
writes for New York up State and does Bills Update,
so he's our build beat writer and he's gonna give
us some insight on Sean McDermott, Josh Allen, everybody else
that is important to the bill success this season. But
(00:44):
we started off George kicking it old school for you
and me. It's not really that old school, but we're
gonna talk a little bit of fantasy out of the gate,
simply because we talked in the previous hour of this show,
and we talked at times about I don't know how
many games they're gonna play. What if they play only
thirteen games? What happens in the NFL? Well, what happens.
(01:06):
If you're in a fantasy league and some guys are out,
how are you going to adjust your league? What if
the league gets shut down and they've only played twelve
or nine or whatever games, or teams have played a
bunch of different types of a bunch of different number
of games, and we're set there with a league that
(01:27):
looks like it's had a hammer taken to it. So
I'll lay it all out for you. In fact, what
are the things that you're going for leagues to make
sure that people can still have fun with it and
not be worried I got screwed out of my hundred dollars.
What are you gonna do? Well, First, if you're playing
with some kind of prize money, you better have rules
in place. It's that simple. If you're not playing for
(01:50):
prize money, it's just for bragging rights. Well, if you
have to change anything, you do whatever you want to do. Yeah. Well,
if you're playing the prize money, you better have the
rules you've been have them written out in your constitution
that everybody understands. Where the season doesn't go sixteen weeks,
sixteen games, you know. Uh, Once again, when fantasy genly
we end at the end of week sixteen. That's when
your championship and championship is I need the easiest thing
(02:12):
for you to do. First off, go to a points
league this year. Don't do head to head. It solves
all your problems. You go to a points league, you'll
have a winner, you'll have a loser. Then you need
to vote on how many weeks need to be played
for the season's account. My home league is a points league.
First thing I did. I gave everybody a choice at
a vote how many weeks need to be played for
the season's account for prizes to be handed out. And
(02:34):
the vote came down to twelve three quarters, you know,
So we need twelve games week twelve to be finished,
not twelve games will be some bye weeks. But now
I think that's less than half. Eight is seventeen, So
that was I thought ten might get the vote here,
you know, But twelve was the vote and it was
(02:54):
by unanimous. It was. It wasn't even close in my
league for what ever reason. That's what it came down to.
So if we only played ten weeks, everyone gets their
hundred dollars back. But whatever the entry fee is, that's
what we've done. That's what we've decided, and that's fair. Now,
I think your bigger problem is if you want to
keep the head format, what if one of the two
of those leagues, Georgia is really light. Like yeah, technically
(03:18):
games are played on twelve weeks, but in that twelve
week there was only six teams left because the other
twenty six teams are quarantined or can't feel well, I
assume that the league is canceled, you know, to worry
about it. That definition there, but it's uh trying to
keep all of my situations alive. Here. We didn't cover
something like that. It's week twelve, so twelve weeks of
(03:40):
the NFL season have to be completed. I guess you
could make an argument, well, week twelve we had seventeen
games schedule, we only played six. Where about the other
eleven have to wait for those. We'll see what happens there,
you know, but I don't think once again, by rule
it says week twelve has to be completed. So if
we twelve was completed, there you go. You know you're
going to play here. I know in my baseball league
to a points league, we did cover this topic, you
(04:03):
know where it was once again, forty games have to
be played on average, not weeks, not right, So you
have you have to actually count every the game for
every games played for every team, divided by thirty. How
many baseball teams do you get? If you get above forty, well,
then you have your winner because you got it's gonna
be more for a forty Now, because the Cardinals aren't
(04:24):
gonna play forty games by the time everybody else does.
Neither with the Miami Marlins. So you're probably gonna have
to average forty two forty three games for most teams
other than those two teams. But in football, we did
not do that. That wasn't the of the vote there.
Now you're right, Mike, maybe at the draft I do
bring that up, that we're gonna do the saying sort
of thing where twelve games played for each team. That
might be an easier thing. It is that that you
(04:44):
brought up. That's probably correct in case more than one
team of quite a few teams do miss games here, Yes,
we might bring that up. We'll see well how that
happens there. But this is what why I keep saying
you better have these rules in your league. Head to
head leagues are tougher, because what if you end up
the week of well, you didn't have a championship any seasons, dune,
but you didn't grant a chance, but you played twelve games.
(05:06):
You probably but have a rule that says, well, in
this circumstance, we revert to a points league, and once
again it goes by points. Who goes? Because that's the
only way you can do it. You know, it's only
fair way here. And it's also why I just think
it's makes sense for one year for the COVID year, right,
this is a bad year, rather than not playing, just
convert to a points league for one season and go
(05:27):
from there. Hey, if you're saying, oh, I don't I
don't know a point like, well, then make it for
a lesser price. Instead of a hundred hours whatever you
might normally play, make it for fifty bucks one of
the home leagues. I mean, I suggested maybe lowering the price,
but there's only a hundred dollars. Nobody really seemed to
care all that much about the money itself. I suggested
that you add COVID extra I R spots. I would
(05:50):
go in limited. I think uh I wanted more than that.
They we already had one, they said we'll add another one.
I would go more, Um, just because a player has
to be considered out to be put on those lists
anyway by most of these programs. I think we use
ESPN in that league. But um, you know, if I
have three or four guys that are on COVID because
(06:10):
they tested positive the morning up, I can't. I can't
feel the team. You know, I'm taking an Now, Fantasy
football is always there's already a lot of luck. Could
you have to stay healthy. It's not like base where
you can survive injuries, and football you can't because you
need to win these weeks. Here, I would just go unlimited.
I'm already audience, by the way's already interrupt Good, I'm
a believer it unlimited, all your slots anyway. I want
(06:31):
to take luck out of it. I don't like teams
being eliminated because of injuries that you mentioned. There'll be
a teams that have four or five six guys on
COVID and now you can't replace them. I think that's
just I think it's unfair. Yeah, uh so, something to
think about for your leagues out there. We just wanted
to spend a couple of minutes. George and I've been
playing fantasy for a really long period of time. That's
how people sort of got to know us on air.
(06:54):
It's guys that were fantasy experts, as I put that
in air quotes. But uh, something to consider for your league.
I think points league is a really interesting way to
make that adjustment, even if you're not used to it.
It's very easy to track. It's no more difficult to
track than head to edits. All of these sites do
it for you. So we're gonna come back. Sports grid
(07:15):
dot Com Betting insights and entertainment at your fingertips as
our team covers the most important topics in sports wagering,
real time odds, predictive betting models, expert picks, and more.
Want the edge than get on the grid. Sports grid
dot Com Back on the Grid Michael George talking fantasy football. So,
(07:45):
I buddy of mine, George couple of days ago, reached
out to me. You know, as I played fantasy football.
I'm in a league with him. He's never played in
a dynasty fantasy football league before and he's entering into one.
It's a super flex league. He got the second pick overall,
so he was asking for strategy advice and walking. We're
trying to walk through players, what should I do? When
(08:08):
should I take the quarterbacks? And he his thought processes.
If Barkley is there, I'm taking Barkley. So if the
first person picks McCaffrey or Mahomes or somebody like that,
he's taking Barkley. But if Barkley goes number one overall
possibility obviously for in a dynasty league. He wanted to
know if he should take Mahomes or not, and I
(08:30):
thought it was a fair question, and it got me
to thinking about rankings and everything else. And it turns
out my Clay Espn. I think a lot of people
know who he is that play Fantasy came out with
his Dynasty rankings just a couple of days ago, so
I thought we could review him here. But to explain
in general terms, for the crowd out there is like,
why does this guy keep saying Dynasty Fantasy Football? What
(08:52):
is he talking about? I'll let you explain. Well, there
are really three different types of leaks. There's your red
draft league, and everybody go back into the pool every year,
so you have a complete player pool to draft from.
There an abundance of people play in those leagues. There
are keeper leagues, which are more and more prevalent nowadays.
That varies from league. The league where you keep a
(09:14):
certain amount of players for a certain amount of time
year after year. Could be three players for three years,
they players for five years. Whatever rule. Your league wants
to be a round association with them as well, you
have to give up this draft pick or to keep
the players. Sometimes I would hope, I would hope there's
a certain penalty, but not all leagues have that. But yes,
I like the penalty for a phase of it. And
then there are dynasty leagues, and and those leagues you
(09:34):
can keep everybody forever. Dynasty, you know, I like all three.
I prefer some kind of keeper lead mentality, including dynasty leagues.
I think they're fun. I think they're more strategy wise.
The only the biggest strategy for your friend I would
come and do is this not so much who to take.
But first you need to realize, just of course you
(09:55):
quote a dynasty league doesn't mean it's gonna last forever.
And I'm not just talking about your friend dynasty leagues.
Mike and I have been involved in industry dynasty leagues
which don't last more than a couple of years because
teams they're bad, you know, and they don't want to
play anymore. And you get three or four of those
teams like that the league has dissolved or the league
wasn't set up. Well, uh you got rushed to the
(10:18):
starting line. The bad rules, the rosters are too big,
it becomes hard to manage, it's on a bad website. Whatever,
We've all things they could go wrong with the Dynast League.
So before you start drafting, I would ask yourself, do
you truly believe this league is going to be around
five years from now? That's why I usually tell people
Mike when it comes to a Dynasty League draft, to
(10:38):
win this year. Worry about next year, next year, worry
about three years down the line. Three years down the line.
You know, you don't need the leagues aren't going to
be around then. It's the old saying in Fantasy Flags,
fly forever. I and I. That's the first thing I
told him. I was like, you don't know what's gonna
happen in this league three years from now. Uh so
try to win now, don't There There are people that
(10:59):
come up with a strategy and at the league, um
if the league does exist for a long period of time,
if you draft young early than that they make, those
players may come into fruition. You may have a good
team a few years from now. But in the dynasty
league that George and I both compete, and he's in
a good spot right now, I'm rebuilding. In fact, I
ditched some guys this year because we were going into
(11:21):
a season that we didn't know what it was going
to look like. I was already sort on the fence
to make the playoffs, so I'm punting on But uh,
I think when you're starting in a dynasty league, I
think it is important to know that, yes, try to
win now, but definitely have an eye on the future.
You can, if you're trying to win now, have more
(11:44):
veterans than some of your peers may have in that league,
because you shouldn't dismiss those. In fact, I got another
question earlier today on Twitter from someone about this, and
I said, what do you think of this dynasty team?
And I said, you drafted a whole bunch of rookie
wide receivers that can't possibly work out well this year.
A bunch of rookie wide receivers aren't gonna hit on
(12:05):
the same team, you'd have to be extraordinarily lucky. So
you can't be afraid of older players at the skill positions. George,
I think you take I think you keep in mind
of players experience and age when you're drafting. That's something
you would never do during a redraft league. I think
you attempt to have a bunch of players under twenty five.
(12:26):
But a good mix of veteran and young is fine
for this see for me, I attack it like I
would have read draft league. I'm not worried about the
young players. I'm not worried about two three years down
the line. Here. I want to win now. You know,
I always feel I'm good at what I'll make the
adjustments I need to make here. Now. If it's a
coin flip situation where it's close, of course, I'll go
(12:46):
with the younger player. I'll go with the rookie here
because hey, I have something to lose there. I think
it's close anyway, I'll take the play. It's gonna be
around three or four year five years. But when I
have founded dynasty leagues, the first year of dynasty league
is generally I do pretty damn well on them because
everyone's taking younger players. To hear the word dynasty and
they automatically think, oh, I think Ceedee Lamb in the
first round. Yes, that's not what you should be doing here.
(13:10):
You still want to win now, you still want to
the guys who were going to produce Now, For example,
Julio Jones is still far better than Ceedee Lamb is.
Right now, you take Julio Jones, you don't take Ceedee Lamb.
I know it's an extreme example, but we're trying to
make a point to not just load up on young players.
It could work down the road, but it won't work
this year. We know that, and it might not work
(13:31):
next year. And then then the league folds and you're like,
I never even got out of the gate with this team.
I thought I was gonna nail it three years from now. Well,
we told you I want to win. I said it
would be different, Like I said, you may know your
guys all this league is definitely gonna be going to
be around ten years. If you know that, then you
can maybe dread a little differently. But from my experience
of dynasty leagues, I said, I played in a bunch,
(13:54):
but I'm only in one right now. That to tell
you something, and I've never left the league, that the
league has always be disbanded. The only one I'm in
is the one with you, which I love. I think
it's it's one of my all right, it's it's a
fun league to be in. And every least, like Mike,
Mike is rebuilding. This year, I've had to rebuild, and
I was willing to accept that that it took me
two or three years to rebuild, you know, and I
that was sort of the fun for me, that I
(14:16):
took those years to rebuild my team and I ended
up being the Buffalo Bills, and that I looked in
the championship game three straight years, Mike, So I was frustrating,
but it was part of the fund. So you have
to real life. You'll come to Jesus moment. But that's
also why I keep saying play to win now, worry
about next year, worry about three years down the line
when that time comes. You know, you don't know if
the league is going to be there. And you were
(14:38):
the perfect example. You've got Ceedee Lamb. Well, by the
time he becomes the player we think he's going to become,
league is not even around anymore. And you never even
got to see what he could become. So we'll take
a look at Mike Clay's rankings, which can see up
here on the screen, and we'll continue it into the
next segment as well. We'll spend some time on this.
But as you can see, running back and elite wide
(15:01):
receivers are extremely valuable in these leagues if you're in
a twelve team league. For example, George and I play
in sixteen team leagues, but if you're in a twelve
team league, uh, those guys go early. So the workhorse
running backs, how very few of them there are, are
extremely valuable. They get taken right out of the gate.
So you can see right here, McCaffrey, Barkley, Michael Thomas
(15:22):
is a lone wide receiver, Zeke Dalvin Cook, Alvin Kamara,
Josh Jacobs, Joe Mix, and Nick Chubb, and then Davante Adams,
uh cleans out the top ten. You see that you
don't have the first quarterback until Mahomes at thirteen. Considering
who Pat Mahomes is and what he can do, he's
still not even in the first round technically in a
(15:43):
league like this, if it went according to Plant. Now
keep in mind. We look at ESPNS rankings unless they
tell you differently. This is a one quarterback league full
points where a touchdown pass, so things would change drastically.
My favorite type of league by far as a super
flex league, especially in this day and age when we
have so many good, too great quarterbacks. I think it's
(16:03):
kind of silly that we don't have where two quarterbacks
are eligible to play, because I'm gonna I'm gonna be
one of those guys who just harps on it over
and over again. You're putting one quarterback league right, no
strategy wait forever. I don't care. When I get a
quarterback twelve quarterback, I could find it's probably Roethlisberg or
someone like that, and I can win with Ben and
it allows me to get guys like McCaffrey, Barkley, Thomas, whoever.
It might be at the top of my draft the
(16:25):
first couple of rounds, while someone else will worry about
taking my homes. There's no doubt my home's gonna put
up more points, but comparatively. But Ben can do what
another quarterback can do. It's not anywhere near the difference
of what are running back and do to another running back,
So that's the strategy there. So uh, with only a
minute to go, I'll ask you if you're that guy
(16:45):
in this super flex league in the startup second pick, Uh,
say Barkley goes first, hed take Pat Holmes. And if
uh somebody other than Barkley went first, and say it's
McCaffrey ormah Homes, who would you take? You this reason
dynasty league? Theoretically it's gonna be around for a while.
(17:06):
It's a super flex league with automatic pushed the quarterbacks out,
quarterbacks last forever. What if Mahomes going first would take
Probably not, but I don't think he's gonna be healthy
all the time. I probably would go McCaffrey in that direction,
he would take McCaffrey second. So for you, the top
two our Mahomes, McCaffrey in a league like that super flex. Yes, Okay,
we'll come back talk more about this and other stories
(17:29):
that hit the news this week. In the NFL. It's
Mike and George on the Grid. We're coming right back
with for sports grid dot Com, betting insides and entertainment
at your fingertips as our team covers the most important
topics in sports wagering. Real time odds predictive betting models,
expert picks, and more want the edge than get on
the grid. Sports grid dot Com. M you're watching Sports Grade.
(18:11):
Back on the grade. We're talking about dynasty fantasy football,
and then we'll get into some news and notes with
the NFL this week. But George, so you said that
my friend, my friend Jeremy who reached out to me
earlier this week, you would take Mahomes if he's at
number two, right, So you got that, uh, and then
you're coming back around. So it's twelve team league, he'll
(18:33):
have the then twenty uh three, and then he'll have
twenty six. So as it comes back to I'm looking
at Mike Clay's rankings, obviously he Scott Mahomes is the
only quarterback there at thirteen. The next QB he has, gosh,
I can't even find it. Where's Lamar Mark Jack's at? Oh?
(18:55):
I missed it? Okay, Uh, So unlikely he's gonna get
Lamar are coming back. Would you, though, be motivated to
get a second quarterback there? Would you want Russell Wilson
potentially to pair with Pat Mahomes or Kyler Murray or
somebody like that. Well, you know how this game is
gonna be played. Now we need to know who else
is there by going to direction down going. If you're
(19:16):
gonna take my homes at two, you're probably screwed at
running back. I don't think it's gonna be much there,
and I'm not gonna reach for one. I will not
reach for a running back now I know Mike Clay's rankings. Here.
Once again, this is geared towards a one quarterback lad
so there will be other players there. The other qbs
will be gone to right right, I mean where quarterbacks going,
but there also other players that available. Obviously the quarterbacks
(19:38):
went earlier than other players slid down here, right, he
has Aaron Jones. Now he's not great for a dynasty league.
He's not great for a keeper league right now, because
there's a reason why green Bay drafted right, there's a
reason why green Bay drafts and m Jones. And now
it's gonna be free agents. They certainly expect one to leave,
if not both, so there could be a problem there.
But Aaron Jones could theoretically slide there. Kind of a
(20:00):
brilliant strategy if if a team employees that we're just
going to use running backs on their rookie deals talented
running backs. It's kind of kind of a smart strategy anyway,
that's on a quick as side. If it works out,
we'll see. Yeah, I have to keep getting it right.
That's the dangerous uh So I'm just looking at running
backs that could possibly slide down there, Mike, Mike has
(20:22):
Derrick Henry at twenty eight. I don't see that. Weston Eckler,
you'd be thrilled, I mean absolutely thrilled if either one
of those guys felt you a three right and I
would take that to heartbeat and I saw I was
your running back. Probably still have a decent army one
especially doesn't get enough love. I tell you, the man
gets enough love as he should have there. I would
love them the full to me at three and in
the second round, I would take him in a heartbeat,
(20:42):
you know. Then the top of the third and when
you go three picks later, then you could sort of
make the decision you're talking about here where you could
take a very good second quarterback. Doesn't bother me to
do that. I've done that. A lot of super reflect
leagues load up on quarterbacks, go from there or maybe
get the top wide receivering there should be plenty of them,
as a wide receiver is deep anyway, my listen, the
basic thing for me is, Mike, I'm gonna take my
(21:04):
homes at two and then it's b P A. If
it's the quarterback, fine, but I'm really looking for the
running back in the second round, and certainly b P
A third round quarterback is deep. I'm not going to
reach for one. I think Russell Wilson'll be gone by then,
so I don't think you got to worry about it.
But after that, you're gonna find us six to eight
to ten quarterbacks that you'll like that are all just
about the same. Now you guys like more than others,
(21:26):
but they're all about the same. And you know what,
I'm willing to take my top wide receiver and went
to the fourth round to get that second quarterback because
I'm still gonna end up with somebody that I don't mind.
I think you think I'm just wondering, like, can you
get Mattie Ice or somebody like that. I don't know
about Ryan, He'll he'll be gone. I think Ryan will
be gone. I agree with that. But but if you
(21:46):
look at the quarterbacks here, I mean, you're not gonna
have my Homes. You're not gonna get Jackson, You're not
gonna get Ryan. I don't you look, Rodders really should
be there because he's not that same player anymore. Yeah,
he's really falling up, and I can see him being
This is the key to This is the key with
the strategy here. You don't have to just keep getting
young guys. It doesn't have to be Mahomes and Kyler
(22:07):
Murray for you to last in the league. That would
be the most ideal scenario in my mind, to be honest,
But you can. If you have Mahomes, you can pair
him up with Aaron Rodgers said, he might hold him.
I wouldn't be afraid of take of Tom Brady if
you felt I want to win now, you know, don't
worry about next year. Next year, but guys like Matthew
(22:30):
Stafford could certainly be there. Daniel Jones. We may think
the Giants are a terrible football team, but they're gonna
have to throw the ball over and over. I think
Daniel Jones is gonna end up being a top twelve
Fantasy quarterback and us in fourth round. You might be
able to get him later than that. By the way,
one hour, one hour Dynasty league because of Blake Bortles, right,
I mean, he don't eat that top quarterback there, Cam
(22:52):
do it. Maybe, So when you want to take a
shot on Baker Mayfield, I don't mind him. You can
win with Kirk Cousins as your second quarterback. You might
be able with Derek Carr. I think it's pushing it
a little bit, but I'm just trying to show you
not all these quarterbacks is gonna be taken so quickly.
You can look at you Scott fish Ball. You'll get
an idea when these quarterbacks are going to go. Yes,
every super flex league is drafted differently. Some leagues of
(23:14):
the quarterbacks fly, some leagues they stay around forever. There's
no real way of knowing. You sort of have to
read the tea leaves here in the first round. Tell
you my Scott Fishball draft, which is super flex. Granted
it's not Dynasty. You get a million extra points for quarterbacks.
I'd have been I'd have been dying for quarterbacks in
Scott fish This year, Mahomes went four, Lamar Jackson five,
(23:35):
Dak Prescott seven, DeShawn Watson eleventh. This is overall four
quarterbacks in the first round. Yeah, then Breeze. Then I
took Murray, I have six, then Wilson, so that's seven
in the first round and a half. Then there was
a little break. So I'll let you know that that
even in a Scott Fish which is more quarterback friendly
than any other, with all the points for completions and
(23:57):
all this other stuff he has, they're still only seven
and went in your league. Now they were what a
hundred and twenty draction that league. You have to really
average it out. But let you know that you can't
wait for that second quarterback. There will be alone there.
And you just look at the list of quarterbacks here
after the top ten. These are guys who on the
I'm looking at the ESPN cheat sheet here that are
not in the top ten for quarterbacks here on Fantasy Breeze, Stafford, Rogers, Jones, Roethlisberger, Tannehill,
(24:23):
Cam Baker, Mayfield, Cousins. These are guys car rivers if
you if you believe in them. But these are guys
that as a second quarterback you're okay with that you
don't actually need the pair of Mahomes with Watson, Murray,
Dak Russell, Brady, Matt Ryan, Wentz as a cautionary tale.
As a cautionary tale, I drafted Phil Rivers and Mr
Trabiski and Scott Fishball last year and did not work out.
(24:45):
So you can't. I mean, I had the Mariotta Tannehill thing.
We've talked about it before. It's good to see you've
gotten over with that, Mike. I haven't so uh so Murray,
then Maddie Ice after well, sorry, Murray Wilson and Maddie Ice.
Carson Wentz. I took Aaron Rodgers as the tenth QB.
I had both my QB's and then it's Stafford, Tannehill, Cousins,
(25:09):
s Brady car Alan Goff, Bridgewater, lock Garoppolo. That's your
top twenty. It took a full eight rounds in order
to get the qbs. Yeah, I mean, listen, in a
super flex league, I like to lock up my quarterbacks,
I do, but I do like to read the draft,
you know, see what's happening here. You know, I generally
(25:30):
my first quarterback will be a top quarterback. You know,
it may it's usually in the first round. Now. When
I did playing the Scott fish bowlt last year, I
got Pat Mahomes and I got him in the second
round because once again I read the draft and I think, well,
I think I got four overall or something like that.
And when by the time my pick came up in
the first round, which was like ninth or so, no
quarterbacks have been taken, and I just read it, I'm like, wow,
(25:52):
we're not taking quarterbacks this year. So I waited. It
was sort of a gamble, but I waited. I think
I took Derrek Cary that year, I'm not positive. Uh,
And it's like a round came up, still no quarterbacks.
I grabbed Pat Mahomes and then I waited probably about
five six rounds before my second quarterback, and I got Roethlisberger.
Now he had a big he got hurt that year,
so I didn't work out well for me, But it
just showed that the strategy worked. To read your draft
(26:15):
to understand that not every suit reflex league you're gonna
have five six quarterbacks taken in the first first round.
Was seven taken in the first eighteen picks, and seven
in your league. But you just don't know when that
runs going to begin. It's gonna happen. You just don't know.
It could be the first could be in the second
a f C East I thinking of transition. We have
Ryan Talbot coming up in the next segment. We're going
(26:37):
to talk about the Bills. But a piece of a
f C East news that popped up this week. Denzel MIBs,
the Jets rookie wide receiver in second round draft pick,
suffered by hamstring injury. Adam Gaze says as I viam
Niche Maida of the New York Daily News. Gay says
sim suffered as hamstring injury a couple of days running
a couple of days ago. I suppose running routes on air.
(26:59):
What that makes sense? Make running routes on air. We're
just going to have to see how long it takes.
Gore was usually run routes on the ground than I
am so um, We're just going to have to see
how long it takes. Is coach speak for stop asking me,
it's none of your business. Or it's also coach speak
for he's actually hurt or he just actually hurt. We'll
(27:21):
see how long it takes. I mean, it's the soft
tissue injuries are always concerning. It is only what wegus here.
You've got four weeks, give a take before the seat
and starts here. But what's most concerned with the rookie
is he's not gonna be able to get on the
practice field, right, not gonna be able to learn those
routes or get in the chemistry with Sam Donald there.
So that's what worries me more than anything else here.
(27:43):
Not that you would think you're drafting Mims anyway in
a draft league, a keeper league or dynasty legue, certainly
I could see that. But are we expecting big things
out of the passing game of the Jets anyway? No,
But this is this is why I brought it up.
You got Vincent Smith, who I think is another player
for the Jets who's banged up. You got Mims is out,
and you're giving Sam Donald in his third year. He
(28:06):
had mono last year, his receiving course, Jamison Crowder, Denzel Mims,
and Brashad Perraman. Now Perraman flashed late in the year
with the Bucks, but where was he for his entire
career before then? They the Bucks got so passed happy
with Jamis. I don't really know what to think of Pereman.
It's a one year deal. I don't think it's a
bad signing, but I don't have that much faith in him.
(28:29):
Jamison Crowder is a good ball possession guy. Mims is
really supposed to be their number one wide receiver moving forward,
and now he's out. I just I brought it up
because the discussion is that every time I come back
to the Jets, I'm like, how is Donald supposed to
be successful? The best weapon he has is still levy
On Bell. You didn't know from me, you know how
(28:51):
I feel about the Jets? So what did they do
for this guy? I think they've heard him not giving
the players aroundable. Don't think Adam Gaze has helped him
any you know of the get mems, I mean Levan Bell.
Maybe he has a year, maybe he does it, but
your team is not playing to win this year. You
pretty much announced that when you made the trade of
two number one to Jamal Automs or can you still avou?
Can you evaluate him even this year? Can you evaluate
(29:13):
him based on this team? And they signed a bunch
of offensive linemen and they signed they acquired three different
wide receivers. But who's scared of this offense? Unless the
offensive line is good and levy On Bell is Levan Bell,
that's that's their only path through, and you won't get
much out of Donald. You won't be able to evaluate
him much. I mean, listen the offensive lineman they signed.
(29:35):
Let's face it, you're hoping the sum is better than
the uh you know each INDIVI the individual parts, you know,
the hoping that. I think the Jets are a train
wreck this year. I think everything that he is going
to change anyway, including I have the GM or the
coach or the GM's aren't done an. I think he's
done a good job. I think he's done a good job.
I thought he did a good job in the draft.
I just don't know. I'm complaining because they didn't give
(29:57):
enough to evaluate Darnald anyway. Bryan Talbot with talking about
the Bills next, A good team an even Sports grid
dot Com Betting insights and entertainment at your fingertips seven
as our team covers the most important topics in sports wagering,
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(30:18):
Want the edge than get on the grid sports grid
dot Com. Hey everybody, welcome back to the grid. Bringing
in a guest of ours today, Ryan Talbot. You can
find Ryan Talbot on Twitter at Ryan Talbot Bills and
he's Bills writer for a New York up State and
(30:39):
builds updates. He's not been on the show with us
many times. Thanks for joining us on the Grid today, Ryan, Hey,
thanks for having me in. Yeah, excited to talk to
you a little bit about this. So in a previous program,
we updated everybody as to the extensions with Sean McDermott
and Dion Dawkins. But George and I talked have talked
quite a bit about the Bills this off season because
(31:02):
there's obviously newfound expectations for this team given the changing
dynamics of the division. But I give them a lot
of credit for extending McDermott here because I think he
is evidence. He and Brandon being are evidence of what
you can do in a relatively short period of time
when everybody in the building is on the same page.
Do I have that right correct? You know? He even
(31:25):
acknowledged that this week. He said when he came in,
he knew he had to make some decisions that weren't
going to be popular. Uh. And it was just about
a three year anniversary of the date where they traded
Sammy Watkins and Ronald Darby on the same day, who
at that time were expected to be their number one
wide receiver and their number one cornerback. So when that
had happened, being a first year coach, I think a
(31:46):
lot of the expectations were all boy, this team isn't
looking forward to competing in two seventeen. But it was
the exact opposite. They were looking for players that fit
that culture, that fit the mold of what they wanted,
and sure enough, you know, they kind of backed into
a playoffs spot that first year. But Sean McDermott breaks
the seventeen year playoff throughout in year one, they play
(32:07):
with a rookie in in his second season, they go
six and ten. But they bounced back this past year
when ten ten wins the first time since n and
now two playoff appearances in three seasons. So absolutely McDermott
has preached culture and it's pretty clear that they've come
a long way in a short time under this regime
of McDermott and Brendan bean Ryan. It's so hard not
(32:30):
to like what Buffalo has done. I think unless you're
a Patriots fan, you love what Buffalo has done. Right.
It's finally give the Patriots a run for their money,
and I think Buffalo is a better team. Wick. I
think Buffalo is right up there, maybe a notch below
with Chiefs and the Ravens there were their team to
be reckoned with here talk about stuff on Dix. What
do you think he can how he can change this
office to make them maybe even better than they were
(32:51):
last year? Oh yeah, absolutely. I mean look no further
than last year's playoff lost the Houston Texans. The Bills
have John Down, they have Cold Beasley, but who ends
up leading in targets that day, Duke Williams. Duke Williams
has ten targets. I think he haulds in four of them,
had passed the ends and that he should have hauled
in for a touchdown. But at the end of the day,
(33:12):
the Bills fell short, and it's because they were lacking
that true number one wide receiver. Diggs comes in and
that all changes. Brian Deable can run that eleven personnel
that he he has loved to run in the past
when he's had the right players. You have guys like
John Brown who had a career year across the board
last year with Josh Allen and as his quarterback, Cole
Beasley who had a career year in certain categories last year.
(33:35):
So you know, you know, I know a lot of
the naysayers, the people that don't believe in Josh Allen, say, oh,
you know what, what is Diggs really gonna be in
for this season? Well, if it's anything like what John
Brown and Beasley experienced, this is the guy that could
have a career year here in Buffalo. He's going to
get the ball a lot. Brian Able talked today about
how they'll adjust week by week based on what opposing
(33:57):
defenses do. It. If they're gonna be playing tough on
the outside, then Cole Beasley is gonna feast on these
opposing defenses and maybe Dawson Knox. But if they're playing
a certain way, then you had Digs and Brown are
going to be in for for big years as well.
But you know, I just think you can look at
that playoff game and say, if they had Stefan Digs
in that game, yeah, they clearly defeat the Texans, and
(34:18):
who knows what happens after that. But right now, this
is a team that I agree with you. I don't
necessarily think they're on the same level as the Chiefs
of the Ravens, but there's no reason they can't compete
for that number three seat in the a f C. Right,
So again we're with Ryan Talbot. You can find them
on Twitter at Ryan Talbot Bills does updates for does
(34:40):
Bills updates and rites for New York Upstate. So two
part question here, it's all sort of the same thing.
Do you get the sense that the players coaches understand
that they're receiving more hype than they have in the past,
and do you feel that they are well for paired
(35:00):
to handle it. They definitely know that, you know, there's
been a few players that have said, we know that
there's a bulls on our back this year. In fact,
thing it was Dan Dawkins that said that in his
prox or before his extension. But at the same time,
the Bills are also doing the right thing. They're not
giving any bolton board material. They're saying, you know, until
we defeat the Patriots, were not the favorites and two
(35:21):
there you know to that belief. I think there's some
legitimacy to that because they couldn't knock off the Patriots
with Tom Brady in these last few seasons. They were
close both games last year. Should they have one at
least one of those two games. Yeah, realistically probably they
should have, but they fell short. So now it's a
much different Patriots team. Tom Brady has gone, Dante Scarnekia,
(35:42):
the possibly the grace offensive line coach in NFL history,
has gone, and they lost some significant names in those
opt outs. So if you're asking me who should be
the favorite, it should be the Bills. But at the
same time, they're trying to temper those expectations and say,
until we defeat the team that has reigned over this
division and rule this division for about, you know, the
the last decade plus, we haven't done anything yet. So
(36:06):
they're definitely being realistic about it. But at the same time,
they know that they are probably viewed as the favorite
to win this division for the first time in a
long time. You know, it's funny you should mention that now.
I I completely agree with you. I would sing it forever.
I think the Bills maybe even walk through this division. Here, Patriots,
you said it. They've lost so many people. Know Tom Brady,
(36:27):
we don't know about Cam Newton. We are a gambling
network and right now on fan Duel, the Patriots over
under the Wind is nine and a half. The Bills
is eight and a half. I have the over on
the Bills. I have the under on the Patriots. That's
how much I believe in them here. But everything you're
talking about here, do you think I know they're gonna
sail the right things to the media. Could they be
overconfident and knowing, hey is no Tom Brady there? You know,
(36:50):
maybe Cams Cam, Maybe Cam's not Cam. They've lost eight
players who are opted out here this is our year.
Do you think overconfidence could be a problem. You know,
maybe a few players could get overconfident, But I just
don't see Sea mc dermott letting them get letting that
get to their heads. He's that guy that preaches h
it's a week to week league, it's a it's a
(37:11):
day to daily you know, things change so quickly, and
it all takes is one injury to change the entire landscape,
not only for the Bills but for every team. One
one injury is all you need to go from being
a favorite to all of a sudden not knowing what's
going to happen in your season. So I can't see
Sea McDermott letting the players get too full of themselves.
Now that side is is a schedule a lot more
(37:32):
difficult this year than it wasn't in absolutely, but the
Bills should be looking to rise to the occasion because
this is a loaded roster. I can't remember the last
time that they've had this much starting talent, but also
depth across the board, whether you're talking offensive line, whether
you're talking defensive line. They invested heavily their defensive It's crazy. Yeah.
(37:56):
I mean, you go out and you get a Quentin Jefferson,
who's a versatile piece that comes out of Seattle, says
he wants to join the playoff team, which you know,
I can't remember the last time the Bills have had
players wanting to come here because they've been a playoff
team to of the last three seasons. Vernon Butler, who
right now he might see a bigger role because Star
Latula opts out uh six sacks season last year under
(38:16):
Eric Washington, who now is the Buffalo Bills defensive line coach,
so he's familiar with those with obviously Vernon Butler, but
the big piece obviously this offseason was adding Mario Addison
no fewer the nine sacks of the last four years
that's the one thing that this defensive line has been
lacking as a consistent pass rush. So if you have
Addison and a healthy Hughes on the outside at Oliver
(38:39):
and year two who really came on in that second
half of the season, and those other players Jefferson and
Butler that I already mentioned, not to mention Harrison Phillips
returning and another even I don't think the hell I
don't necessarily make it um but they have some other
players to their Trent on the outside who really came
(39:00):
on late in the year. But with the salary kept
looking the way it is, I think they'll end up
probably cutting him, saving that seven seven and a half
million dollars. But he's even an option. So there's a
lot of depth on the outside and on the inside
and that secondary. Even if you don't know quite right
now who's gonna be quarterback to you have a top
safety duo and you have a true elite number one
(39:21):
cornerback in Tredevius White. So a lot of promise there
on this defense. And obviously drafted a j F and
SSA in that second round as well, so adding a
talented rookie. George started alluding to it if we'd have
to ask this question about Cam Newton, if only because
Brandon being and uh Sean McDermott have close personal contact
(39:43):
with Cam. Obviously he was on the defensive side of
the ball, but they both are in the same building
at camp as Cam at one point. I feel like
it gives him any advantage at least knowing Cam's personality
his tendencies in order to help try to coach against
him a couple of times this year. Yeah, I would
think so. I mean, like you said, it was the
opposite side of the ball for McDermott, but he coached
against him in practices and things like that for quite
(40:05):
a few years, so I'm sure he knows what makes
him a little bit uncomfortable or what are some of
his weaknesses are. But you've thrown the fact that Newton
hasn't been healthy over the last few years either, so
we might not see the same kind of mobility out
of him that might that might benefit the Bills as well.
But I think mcdermot's gonna have all bases covered in
terms of here's what I've seen out of him in
(40:27):
his career, here's what he does really really well, and
here's how we're gonna play that in those two weeks
in the regular season when we do match up with
the Patriot. Okay, now we've mentioned his name a time
or two here, but we haven't really talked about him here.
It's the NFL quarterbacks dominate, all right. Do you think
Josh Allen's, when I say, ready to make that next step?
(40:49):
I'm not talking into Hall of Fame territory or even
a top eight quarterback in the NFL, But is he
ready to get better, maybe to bring I don't think
they need a Pat Mahomes in order to compete that
defensive legit, it's probably the best of the league. He's
got good weapons around him, Singletary, Morris, Brown, Digs Beasley,
even Dorson knocks the tight end. I think it's a
solid tight end. But they need Alan to be better,
(41:10):
maybe not do some of the silly things he's done.
Do you think he's ready to take that next step
into that category? I do you know? And we we
did see some of that silliness as you put it
in the playoffs where he tried to pitch the ball
the Dawston Knox late in the game, where he was
trying to make a play, and I like that about
him sometimes because it's that old gun slinger mentality of
(41:30):
I need to make a play here? What can I do?
But those things he does have to to improve on now.
To his credit, interceptions he ended up with nine last year.
I want to say six of them were in that
first half of the season. He really cut down interceptions
in the second half of the year. He has to
be smarter though, when he's running with the ball or
when he has someone coming after him, because he does
(41:51):
have over twenty fumbles in his first two seasons. Many
of them have been recovered by the Bills, but that's
worries and that's something he has to monitor. As a
past her. He improved significantly in the intermediate range last year.
You had Stefan digs in the mix. I would like
to think that that's going to improve. Like he's even
go up even higher in the intermediate area. The short game,
he can be better on that. He says sometimes early
(42:13):
in games is too hyped up, so sometimes he missed.
He overthrows as those intended guys in the short area,
so he needs to kind of let it fire. He
needs to take a hit. But the big area that
he needs to make the biggest improvement, in my opinion
is that deep passing game. He was very inaccurate there
last season and and we really need to see that
improved now. Should Digs and Brown on the outside help
(42:35):
that absolutely knocks in the middle as you mentioned as well,
and even after the catch with Beasley, So yeah, there's
room for improvement, absolutely, But I like the strides that
we saw from year one to year two, so uh
good stuff they are again, as Ryan Talbot follow him
on Twitter at Ryan Talbot Bills, So one last one, Um,
I've got a fought fantasy players who watched this network
(42:56):
as well. What is this running back scenario gonna look like?
You you know, in a typical year, I think it
would have been closer to a fifty fifty split sooner
rather than later. But if I'm playing fantasy football and
I'm thinking only this season, I'm taking Devin Singletary, I
think they're going to give him a heavy workload early
on in the year, as you ease Zack mosson because
(43:16):
this has not been a typical offseason. As you guys know,
there's a lot to do with Blitz pick up, there's
a lot to do with knowing the hot reads and
things like that and what adjustments he has to make,
and I'm not sure he's gonna be ready to do
that week one. By week eight. Could we be seeing
more and more of him? Uh? In this lineup? Absolutely,
but early on, I think Singletary is the guy that
you want in your fantasy lineup. He's the guy that
(43:38):
ended up with over five yards per carry last year.
Mind you didn't have the kind of workload that Derrick
Henry did, but he finished the same yards per carry
as Henry last year. I think he's your guy if
you're looking to win your fantasy league here and stuff,
so it was a lot. I appreciate you covering so
much in a short period of time. Again, find him
on Twitter at Ryan Talbot's Bills. He's a bills writer
(44:02):
for Bills updates on Twitter, and you find his articles
at New York Upstate. We'll talk to you again sometimes soon, Ryan.
Appreciate you joining us each and every summer, and have
a good rest of the summer before you have to
work your fingers to the bone writing updates. Thanks again
to see you next time. But thank you all right, folks,
will be back on the grid After this, George and
I will react to Ryan's breakdown of the bill. Next
(44:24):
on the Grid Sports grid dot Com Betting insights and
entertainment at your fingertips seven as our team covers the
most important topics in sports wagering, real time odds, predictive
betting models, expert picks, and more. Want the edge than
get on the Grid sports grid dot Com. Just have
(44:46):
Ryan Talbot on here. From Ryan Talbot Bills on Twitter.
He does those updates for bills updates and New York Upstate.
But good breakdown there, George, I think, look, I I
don't think he told me anything that stunned me, but
he really affirmed some of the things that we thought
about this team. Interesting though, on the running back scenario,
(45:08):
he said that Singletary is really going to be the
guy until Zack Moss gets I guess used to the system.
That's going to be the case for a lot of
rookies that didn't have access. Yeah, if you're a fantasy
you know that's what you wanted to hear, right, You
want to which running back was going to be the
guy there? He actually said it. He thought it was
gonna but now I think it's gonna be singletary, So
secretary is the main guy that was a complimentary guy.
Obviously an injury replaced, but should that occur here? So
(45:30):
that's uh, fantasy wise, That's what I wanted to hear.
I also wanted to hear about Josh Allen, what he
thought that could Josh Allen take that next step? I
keep saying it over and over again. I don't think
we need him to be great. You know, we don't
need him to be Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady,
but we need him to take that next step. He
put up an interesting point that the septions went down
the second half last year, so maybe he was maturing
(45:51):
that way. I can understand we make fun of that
play he made in the playoffs way he threw the
ball backwards precious day, you're trying to make the play.
Things aren't going your way. I can't do those things,
but I understand the mentality behind it. But it was
good to hear about that too. And this team is
going to be a better team the addition of Stefon Diggs,
Brown Beasley, They're going to be an interesting offensive team
now that you're gonna want to hop on these guys
(46:12):
and you know earlier, and really, who's the earliest fantasy
pick here? Probably Digs round three. You know, I don't
Somewhere around there, I'm Singletary will be valuable because once
again we all cry for running backs. The only question
I really wanted to ask him is sort of a hypothetical,
if the Bills have a bad season, why will that be?
(46:33):
And the reality is it will probably because the passing
game isn't working, right. I just think that they were
a low volume passing team last year, that most passing
attempts in the league. Stefon Digg is gonna get ticked
off about that, like he wasn't to get the He
might get the most targets, but he's gonna get the
(46:54):
most targets on a team and storing as bad as
much as his old team did and doesn't have some
at the offense there right, doesn't have Dalvid Cook to
bring the safety's down low. Yeah, he got offensive line.
But if you're worried about Digs being unhappy, you're right.
I mean, he's not gonna be any happier here. He
was upset that the bull what's it coming to him
in Minnesota? And let's face it, the bill is gonna
(47:14):
want to win on defense and not have mistakes made.
They're gonna trying to open up this offense here. So
here I can see things being a little unhappy. And
Bills have fourth most passing attempts in the league in
twenty nineteen. Where do you think the Vikings were? I
know Zione wants to run the ball. I would say
they're worse. It's identical basically. So that's it for this
(47:35):
hour of football full Circle. Thank you to Ryan Talbot
and on behalf of Brian Rokowski and George Kurt's on
Mike Blewett. Thanks for watching Get on the Grid sports
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