8/23 Hour 1: Los Angeles Chargers, Fantasy Football Drafts, & More

Mike Blewitt and George Kurtz are back again for another edition of Football Full Circle! In this episode, the guys take a deep look at the Los Angeles Chargers. What can we expect from the Chargers this year? Mike and George get you ready for fantasy football season as they discuss the "Zero RB Strategy" and some running back handcuffs.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
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(00:21):
right here on the grid. Mike Blue to George Kurd's
taking around the world in the NFL for the next
couple of hours, and uh, we're gonna get started with
big story in the news with the Los Angeles Chargers, George.
They've been a team that we've been looking at, specifically
in terms of sort of long term continuity. Right. We

(00:41):
think that there's a lot of talent on this team,
but there were several players that were coming up for
potential contract extensions. They get the Joey Boson contract extension done.
That happened live on Hard Knocks and everybody got to
see him signed the papers. And then Melvin Ingram, his
linematee was sitting out of practice, wasn't doing any live drills,

(01:01):
and the Chargers, in an effort of good faith, it seems,
have moved uh guaranteed this year's salary of fourteen million,
which allowed him to, in his mind, returned to practice.
So we thought that we were headed down this path
where they were looking to guarantee some of the money
so that he wouldn't be in a situation where he

(01:22):
could lose out on any money due to lost games
or anything along those lines. So a little more money
in Melbot Ingram's pocket doesn't say anything about what his
long term future is, but he feels safe and secure,
and I would suggest it is an act of good
faith in an effort to keep him down the road. Yeah,
I think it's exactly what it was. It charges really

(01:44):
don't lose anything. He unless they were planning on cutting
Ingram at some point this season, which I find highly unlikely.
So let's give his guaranteed money. So if it makes
the player happy, and you don't, you don't. Doesn't cous
to anything. Rugs off on both sides, right, So I
think it's really much ado about nothing here, Oh Graham,
I don't know why he felt they feel like they
were going to COTTI he was still one of the

(02:04):
better passed rushers. He may not be the same player
he was a couple of years ago. I think players
like him with no long term prospect of an extension,
at least at the moment, are looking at this season,
say all right, what if we knock out eight games
off this season? Am I gonna lose money? Depending how structured? Right,
you and I both know that people look at guaranteed

(02:25):
money in different ways, and you start to dive into
a deeper. Some of these guarantees are like, it's a
game bonus, so like, yeah, we're not gonna we're not
gonna cut you, but you gotta play in that game.
And some of these players guarantees are tied into the
number of games that they play for each individualist season.
So if the Chargers only played twelve games out of

(02:46):
the six team because of COVID reasons, and frankly, George
and I were talking about these complications right before we
got on air, players could lose out on some money.
So he gets the good faith that guarantee all the
four team million. Yeah, I think good faith is really
what it is here, right. It makes both sides happy.
The Charge don't want to lose them. The Charges. They're
a strange team because this team has talent almost everywhere.

(03:09):
We just don't know about the most important position. That's quarterback.
You know, we don't know what tailors can do. You know,
we don't know. Uh it is Herbert kind of coming
and be that guy. Is it gonna take him half
a season, two seasons? We just don't know? This is
it worth bring him in right away? Here in a
season where you're not even a few things go well,
you're not gonna catch Casey anyway. You're playing for the
one of the wild cards. There are three, so maybe

(03:32):
the it's a tough decision for the Chargers. You see
what because like I said, you got income, you got post.
My defense is good. It's not Buffalo Bills good, but
it's good. The talent is there. The offense at the
skill positions looks good. It looks like a good running
back where you know they're receiving quote Keenan Allen, solid hunting,
having a tight end, solid, The players are there really
to make a run. But quarterback is still gonna be

(03:53):
a question mark this season. And watching Hard Knocks, which
I know you're not a regular viewer, but it was
there was an interesting moment because they profiled Austin Ekeler
uh for a few minutes there, and it is a
reminder to a lot of people that Eckler was a
Division two player who made an impact during preseason games,

(04:17):
notably the fourth preseason game of his rookie season, and
Anthony Lynn was even saying something to the effect of
without those preseason games, we probably wouldn't have Austin Ekeler.
He'd just be gone. So that was a reminder. Back
to the salary cap situation for a moment. They have
sixty six million in cap room next year. We all

(04:39):
know that there could be issues with the amount of
It's projected right now via over the cap to be
two fifteen, but all of us know that's probably not
a real number. It will probably will be closer to
the one this year, might be as far down as
one seventy five due to lack of revenue that's incoming.

(05:00):
That's still a moving target. But the Chargers, to put
it more succinctly, have the sixth most cap room of
all the teams that right seven six or seven right
in that range, tied with the Bengals a couple of
dollars off either way, so they do have some money
to sign some players. But Melvin Ingram and Keenan Allen

(05:21):
are really first or one, A, and one be on
that list. Yeah, I mean Melvin Ingram will be thirty
two before next season. Yeah right, so I mean that's
up there, you know, so maybe he won't be as
important as people think. I know. I think the cap
is gonna be around one eighty one. Seventy five is
the floor. Some teams are going to have fans in
the stands that will be somewhat more revenue for the NFL.

(05:44):
I'll bump it up a little bit to one eight.
It's certainly not gonna be two fifteen. That's not gonna happen.
So there is they still have money that are what
they are, sixties sixty six million or to fifteen, so
that thirty six they really a thirty million in my mind,
which is good, certainly better than a lot of teams.
All that's gonna be in cap hell next year. Yeah,
I'm dying to see what's gonna happen next year, Mike,
with all these teams that are already at or above

(06:06):
the cap. Now, Cowboys are going to have problems. Eagles.
I think of some like two h sixty something million
next year right now with all the contracts, that's a
lot of restructure, a lot of players gonna be put
on the wave wire here as we welcome in our
radio audience. Uh So, I think it's gonna be very
interesting to see how teams or how general managers, how
the capitologists adjust to this. Well, this is this, it's

(06:27):
gonna be an exit. They're gonna think slew of cuts
unlest to see unless they we do a c B A.
If the NFL p A and the owners can come
to an agreement, they change things around. But if they don't,
we're gonna see a slew of cuts. After the season.
I'll give you a little question here before we had
had to break. You can sign one or two of
these players, Melvin Ingram, Keenan Allen Hunter, Henry moving forward

(06:50):
long term, who do you got? Can sign all three?
You know Keen Allen it will be his birthday is
a day after Melvin Income Just go figure gonna signed
the wide receiver. You need it. You have the young quarterback,
and I'm gonna assuming Engra doesn't his play doesn't tap off,
I'm signing him to need the pass rusher. Alright, Henry goes,
so George and I will come back. We'll talk about

(07:12):
the Washington football team. Right after they saw on the
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(07:39):
Talking with George Kurtz here about Los Angeles Charges. We're
gonna get into Washington or a moment, but I'd like
everybody to follow us on Twitter at sports grid, on Instagram,
at sports grid TV. I'm at Mike Blewett, he's at
George Kurtz. So he felt like I cut you short
on the Chargers, so I'm gonna give you a little
extra time. I said, you can keep one or two

(07:59):
of those player is long term. I don't know if
they can keep too with all these caps situations. But
the Chargers have six or seventh most. Again, it's like
off by a few bucks six or seventh most cap
room going into next year, and those are the three
guys that are going to be their top priorities. Right.
We know Derwin James will eventually get a long term deal.
It doesn't have to happen necessarily this offseason. This will

(08:22):
be his second, this will be his third year actually,
so I gotta start thinking about it, but thinking fifth
year option him whatever, they can wait. But Henry Ingram
Alan are all up. Henry's on the tag now, Alan
and Ingram are up after this year, and you think
you would keep Alan Ingram that priority because but you

(08:42):
were saying during the break you really would like to
keep Henry too, So explain that logic. Yeah, First of all,
I think, Uh, anybody who's not do who's not whose
contract is not coming due next year, you're not getting
extended because all most team not all, but most tams
I mean salary cap help, which we've very difficult to sign.
Anybody be quotes the cap is gonna come down, Um

(09:03):
I am be being generous. I think it's gonna and
eight maybe we'll be down on We really don't know,
but it's not going up. We know that that's not
happen unless they read they read jiggered the c b A,
which maybe they'll do, maybe they won't, So we'll see
what happens there. So Derren James is which is uh,
maybe a charge would light to it, ain't happening. And
that's for any other player. You're signed the next year,
you're signed for next year. Teams aren't going to have

(09:24):
the luxury of redoing contracts. I just don't see it.
That's also assuming the charges believe in paying the safety.
We don't know that. Because they drafted him don't mean
they are planning on paying him. We've seen that with
other safeties that go by by. Think Jamal Adams, think
Landon Collins. You know guys like this who didn't get
their second contract for the team. So anyway, I think
what's the problem is all three players have value. Ingram,

(09:47):
Allen Henry right, you want the pass Russia, but he's
gonna be thirty two. That's why I think Angram really
depends on what he does this season. Allen, I think
you have to resign, right, you got a young quarterback
in Herbert. You need to have that top wide receive
a parent with them. I know you can make the
argy with that. Will what a top tight end be
important as well? It is? It really is, because once again,

(10:07):
he's that when healthy. That's the issue. He's not healthy
a lot he is. He's not George Kittle, He's not
he's zach Ertz something. Not Kelsey either, who is a
you know, gonna catch bulls. He's not quite that player here.
So I think in your scenario there, and I agree
with you. By the way, they'd be lucky to be
able to sign one. I would put it in order,

(10:30):
Alan Ingram Henry, I'd like to sign all three, but
that's the order I'm going in, Alan Ingram Henry. Yeah. Interesting,
give you a sense to the Chargers cap or him
right now? Right now, they're active cap spending is one
hundred and eighty million dollars. They have eight and a
half in dead money. That's for the base salary cap

(10:53):
of so they have thirteen million left over. That's right now.
So imagine teams like them which are having all this
money clear off the cap next year. Now they have
the sixties six million we're talking about diverting back. Whatever
the money is is just called Ingram's salary flat and

(11:13):
keenan Allen salary flat. You're adding twenty you're taking right off,
maybe more fourteen plus. I mean, Allen's gonna get in
the fifteen range, right right. I think that's fair. So
we're taking thirty off right there and now, so then

(11:34):
we're talking that they only have third and Henry as well.
So Henry goes, you're taking thirty five and cap space
off of two fifteen. That's exactly one. So if they did,
if everybody keeps their salary right now, and Henry goes,
you're at the number that you said earlier, George. So

(11:54):
it shows you how complicated this is getting that's anybody else,
that's whose contract is up. We can't sign you anybody else.
It's here. We might have to restructure to get the right. Right,
you got to restructure your deal because we don't have
any money. A many problems with all these teams and
what's gonna charges. As you said earlier, they're actually in

(12:16):
good shape. What do you think about a cap at
these two guys right, and the other teams cannot right,
they can't now backload and contracts that players hate. You'll
be the you know the credit card coming. Do you
gotta see that you also have charges can carry over
with some money, right, if they don't go to the
full cap this year, they'll be able to carry some

(12:37):
money over a little bit, so that it's not a
hell of a lot, but it's some. It'll help you
know it's gonna be Like I said, Mike, I, this
one's gonna be like h off season that we've we've
never seen before because I think they're gonna be a
lot of players put on. I used gonna drive down
salaries by the way, because it's gonna be a lot
of free agents out there. I'm not took the top guys,
but there could be some decent players out there that

(12:57):
can help teams, and they'll be multiple. Is that the
same position and what's good? That's not good for free agency?
Guys are gonna take less money. It's just a good
it's a bad deal. I think you see a lot
of one two year deals. That's why I was talking
about with backloaded contracts. Players might take backloaded contracts, which
sure they'll hate to do, but get get locked in

(13:19):
in some way for a two to three year deal
where it's backloaded. You can still get cut. It's still
a bad deal for you, but maybe you can hang
in there and negotiate with the team, say guarantee at
all and you can guarantee it year over year sort
of like you know, like we talked about how Mahomes
deal is team friendly. If Pat Mahomes stays on the team.

(13:40):
He's still fine, right, but it's team friendly because they
don't owe him a lot early and they don't owe
him a lot guaranteed overall. Compared to what we thought
he was going to get, he's getting one forty fully guaranteed.
We thought, we guessed. I guess around. That's why all
of the team friendly deal, because I think that's what

(14:02):
the market was. You said as much as two hundreds,
so just saw the money moves around here. Anyway, I
think we've covered I think beat the Chargers salary cap
issues dead, but it is something to keep tracking because
I think your team out there, to those listening and watching,
is going to be severely impacted. The Browns ironically are
at the top of the list with cap room for

(14:24):
this year, but next year. The teams that are really
in good shape the Colts. The Colts have one hundred
and fourteen million dollars in cap space for next year.
I don't think they planned on there being a pandemic
that was going to impact the finances in the NFL,
but they had a lot of room left for next year. Jaguars, Patriots, Jets, Bengals, Chargers.
That's the top of the list, and the next team

(14:46):
on the list is Washington, who will transition to talking
about right now. So sad story with them, George, is
that Ron rivera there Brands bank and new head coach,
was diagnosed with squamas self cancer. It is thought to
be very treatable, so that is good news. But it
just feels like one story after another with this team.

(15:07):
We have a positive story, which we'll try to end
on if we have time, but one thing after another
with Washington, and uh, this is a guy who I
think us as football fans have learned to really like,
even more so because of all the amazing things that
everybody said about him when he was leaving Carolina. It
really he's done so much charitable work. It's a military family.

(15:30):
He's a guy that played in the league one of
Super Bowl there was inches away sort of from winning
as a coach. And it's a sad story, but I'm
glad that the prognosis is positive. Long term. Yeah, every
very just can't catch a break. I mean everything I
think I brought up to you on a past show

(15:51):
where if he had to do it all over again,
would he accept this job? And I think there's no
way in helly Wood because everything that's gone on here.
I mean, if the cancer is the cancer, I'm not
blaming the cancer. What's going on there that that happens,
you know, and hopefully he does recover fully from that.
But as you said, he is very well liked in
NFL circles. You don't hear it negative thing about the man.
He's handled what's going on in Washington with really, I mean,

(16:14):
he's done a great job right down, A fantastic job.
Is no way he expected. Oh my god, we're gonna
have to change the name. Oh my god. Oh the
things going on the front doors, with the possible harassment suits,
you know, Oh my god, my running back, he's got
problems with him Oe. We had to release him, and
he's handled that all very well, you know. So we
certainly hope things work out for Round Rivera. But one

(16:36):
thing I'll tell you, I don't see him coaching this year,
not the full year. Sooner or later he's gonna have
to undergo treatment. And when you're going to go treatment,
you're not gonna be a coach, you know. I hope
he can. I truly do want like watching him coach.
He's a great coach, but I don't see how that's
gonna happen. And he's gonna take care of himself first.
Worry about his health has to converse. Now, that's really
the most important thing here. He has to worry about

(16:57):
team and everything else. Second, put people in place, you
have to hire where people take over the indicial jobs. Fine,
but he needs to worry about his health first, especially
especially this team where you're you've signed a long term deal.
This isn't about this season. It doesn't mean you're gonna
punt the season because of this situation, but you are

(17:18):
the face of this franchise to some extent long term,
and it's better off that being healthy if you have
to take a few weeks off and uh didn't have
to deal with bigger problems down the line. Georgian and
I'll come back talk fantasy sports right after this fantasy
football season. We'll be right back sports grid dot com
betting insights and entertainment at your fingertips as our team

(17:40):
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. Welcome
back to football full circle on the grid, Welcome me
in our radio audience. So, George, it's fantasy football season.

(18:02):
I know you have, uh, but four drafts coming up
in the next week or so. Basically, yeah, I have
one draft Monday's road a Wire, uh, then to my
two home Lenk drafts, and then another I think with CBS.
I think that's next. I think it's Ferrario fans. So yeah,
four drafts in the next seven or ten days and
looking forward to it. You know, you and I discussed

(18:23):
on yesterday show. I don't know if we because of
what's going on with COVID and the pandemic, if we
weren't expecting football or where we were expecting at the
start on time it see me a little slower this
season than normal? Right where and now now right later
days late to see the starting for the second week
in September. So maybe all that put together here, But
the juices are flowing now right. You start looking at

(18:45):
put my players into I have my rankings anyway, but
start putting those players and tears looking about where my
draft pick is, who might go before me, strategies I
might want to employ here, stuff like that. Well kind
of league is it super flex keep the leagues, and
you mentioned yesterday I gotta get my keepers together. Guys,
I got a hand in here, and the two of
these leagues they'll keep you for next season. So looking

(19:05):
very much looking forward to draft season. Yeah. So Davis Maddock,
who we had on this show yesterday, we took us
through a whole bunch of stuff guys that he likes.
We talked, we talked around a lot of different scenarios
and he's really kind of been on record during his
podcast again. You follow him on Twitter at Davis Mattock
m A T T e K A potential lack of

(19:29):
viable zero RB candidates. You know, there's been a a
shift over the years, George of everybody drafting running backs
in the first round and then the upside wins championships
component of fantasy football, which is real is was trying
to go the other route and saying you can pick
up running backs a little bit later. If you lose
that first round running back gets hurt, you're up the

(19:52):
creek without a paddle anyway, So why don't you just
pass on that stack some of the shore fire wide
receivers and tight ends and you can pick up the
running backs that can get later. I never subscribe to that.
I understood its viability, but I think marrying yourself to
any one strategy when you're playing games like this doesn't
make sense. I think you have to be flexible the

(20:13):
way things are being drafted, and zero r B, while
I have employed it in some instances, I'm more likely
to do a hybrid, which means take one and then
wait for a really long time to take the second. Yeah,
I listen. I think the most important part of your
statement there is you have to adapt to your draft. Yeah.
We never know, really sure how every draft is going
to work out. I know I have a plan coming

(20:33):
into a draft that generally I'm gonna take a running
back first round. The only time that changes is if
it's a super flex league, which is what I prefer.
I believe the four drafts I have coming up to
our super flex there with two are normal. I could
be wrong about that. The road of wire one might
be super flux. Uh. In that case, there is a
chance that I could take a quarterback at the end
of the first round, a chance who it depends how

(20:54):
things work out. I wouldn't take quarterback in the first
half of the first round, but at the end, I
might quarterback is deep, I'm generally going to wait. That's
not to say that I wouldn't draft Pat Mahomes. Let's
say if he's still there. If I playing in a
league where everyone's sticking like me and they're waiting on quarterback,
Mahomes might be there in round three. That's what I
would have to start to look at it. Okay, Mahnes
felt in super flex league. In a regular league one

(21:16):
quarterback league, that probably has to fold around five where Okay,
even though generally I don't want to a quarterback, probably
a double digit rounds. If my Homes happened to slip
because everyone looks that same wave length at me and
he's there at the end of round four, early round five, yeah,
I might pull that trigger because the value now is
there for me at quarterback. But I, like you, I
think I've done zero. If I've done a hundred drafts
in the last let's say ten years. If I've done

(21:39):
zero running back once or twice, it was by mistake.
And what I mean by that is every time I
pick came up, it just wasn't running back. There. There
was another player there who was an obviously better player,
and he wasn't a running back a wide receiver for instance.
All that quarterback, maybe I went wide receiver. Tight end
wide receiver certainly can happen here. I am a value person.
I'm looking for the best BP, a best nice player

(22:00):
veil at that time. I'm not going to take a
lesser running back over Mike Thomas. He falls and you know,
and the Livin pick in the first dround. I'm not
gonna do that. I was targeting DeAndre Hopkins and Mike
Thomas in the first round last year because, as it happened,
I didn't really draw the long straw in any of
my drafts. I just wasn't up in the top three

(22:21):
or four. So I wasn't getting uh McCaffrey or s
Quan which he was right at the top of the
draft last year, or Zeke or even Kamara. I really
wasn't getting any of those, so I was more on
the Mike Thomas DeAndre Hopkins train worked out for me.
I obviously wish I had McCaffrey, but those other ones
worked out. Yeah, I mean, it's it's a fun part.

(22:45):
Like I said, you can this more than one way
to win a league. And you can make an argue
by the way of taking running backs early is dangerous.
They get hurt more than any other positions they do.
That's that's why zero RB really got started. That was
the impetus for that movement, that you there's so much
volatility in taking a running back in the first round
who then gets hurt that why not go safer? Wide

(23:07):
receivers on average misless games. Let's take somebody that is
likely to play more games. That's really the impetus for it, George, Yeah,
it is, and wide receivers generally, let's face it, it's
a quarterback league, pass happy league. All the rules are
set for the quarterbacks and the wide receivers. They can't
be touched and you can't even hit them hard anymore. Right,
So I get it. The only issue with it is

(23:28):
that you know, why receiver pretty good? He's still not bad.
Whoever that place that might might be that I'm looking
here for me as DK metcalf on Seattle. It's still
a pretty good wide receiver and do some damage running back. Well,
now you're at the backups, David Montgomery at Chicago, maybe
cam Akers, Ronald Jones. There's a big difference there between

(23:51):
running back one and running back twenty five. You could
survive it. Why would see? Why was even going to
the forties where you can find useful players, you know,
thinking about it the thirties here, Michael Galaco be a
starter for a lot of teams. Will Fuller, who might
be the guy to get in Houston here? Uh Deevo
Saduel if he was in health, If he was healthy,
you go on and on here, Brandon Cooks on Houston,
Julian and those guys are gonna knock out thousand yard

(24:13):
receiving seasons, right, and you go with the potentially score
six touchdowns. David Montgomery. I think things will be better
for him potentially, but we don't have any faith in
the offense because we frankly is the only team in
the whole league. George, we don't know exactly as playing
quarterback you want to throw out in New England on

(24:34):
that pile, be my guest. I'm not because I know
playing Quarterbam. Yeah, I'll be shocked. It's not camp. I
mean it's camp. They don't have a choice. They need
and they need Cam to be can, especially now that
um stid him through seven picks in the first seventy
two hours of training camp and now he's hurt what.

(24:57):
I don't know the extent of the end. We don't
know the injury yet, right, it is likely to be minor.
But seven picks, I mean, you gotta he just got
a gift from God. You've got a gift from God
that cameras available. It's the right whole season for him. Uh.
He had the ankle surgery, had the shoulder surgery. No
one could bring him in for a look, so he
had to sign for the minimum here. I guess it's

(25:18):
a gift from God. If Cam is the camp of Old,
I understand that's asking a lot. I don't think he is.
But if he is, my God, they lose Tom Brady
and they get Cam. I mean, it's like, you've gotta
be kidding me. It's it's not fair. It's like once
again the Colts when they lost Peyton Manning they got
Andrew Luck. You know, it's just not fair when these
things happen. You're supposed to be. It's not what the
work out that way way far off d Aaron Rodgers,

(25:39):
you know the same thing here. So uh, and I
had my doubts about camp, you know, I don't know
if he because I think the problem for me with
Cam is he needs the shoulder to be able to
throw the bull because his accuracy is not all that
great anyway, and he needs to be able to run
with the ankle. Like we talk about with Davis Maddock,
there is risk. You have to swallow the risk if
you're going to draft Cam. But no that if it

(26:02):
does work out, it's a bonanza. You're not paying a
hefty price for him, and he could have a lot
of touchdown equity, running, throwing and everything else. Do I
think they're going to be a tremendous offense. No, I
don't think the offensive line is as good. I don't
think he has as many weapons. But if he develops
some rapport with Nikila Harry, who was a first round

(26:23):
traffic was just hurt, and maybe Edelman, if Edelman can
be right physically and some new we had higher expectations
for last year, but Brady and the offensive line we're
not good. At the end of the year, which is
basically when Sho was on the team. We'll see I've
got Snu in some best ball scenarios. Really late paying
a low price for him. I'll take you know, catches

(26:47):
and really more of the touchdown equity that he can provide.
I'm in so, um, let's talk. Let's go back a
little bit more towards the zero RB discussion. We can
continue this through the next segment as well. Um this
article by Anthony Amiko, who writes for Sportscred. You find
all this stuff on sports Grid, a lot of NFL
content related to fantasy. This is a zero RB backfield reports.

(27:11):
So the a f C South start down the line,
the Houston Texans step charges David Johnson, Duke Johnson, Karen Higden.
As he says here, the Texans made one of the
biggest splashes with the DeAndre Hopkins trade, leading to the
only two DJ backfield in the NFL, Duke and David
uh So. Uh one would expect the former cardinal to

(27:31):
lead RBS in touch as he says here, after Carlos
Hide racked up two and tandem with Duke, but uh
it could Duke could certainly be a part of this,
according to his article, here could happen if anything happens
to David Johnson. So the reality of when you're talking
about zero RB, George, is you're thinking of the opportunities

(27:54):
for a guy that you're drafting later is you're trying
to see the path towards him being a starter and
a surprise huge fantasy scorer. And you would have to say,
based on his injury history that Duke Johnson is at
least a candidate. Yes, oh great, I think he's your
running back guy. We know he has some talent here.
It never really gets the full chance here. Now he's

(28:14):
not gonna start to start to start the season. He's
not for couple of reasons. David Johnson does have more
talent as a running back, not not a pans Cact
has a running back than Duke. And also after they
made that trade, that trade which they've been vilified for. Right,
we've we've crushed with everyone's crushed, Hi when you gave
away to Hopkins. You know David Johnson is getting the

(28:34):
ball because they need just not to get ridiculed anymore.
More talented he is, he is. But that being said,
as you just said, he gets hurt. David Johnson does
get hurt when he's on the field. He's generally productive here,
but we're looking at his uh, you know, his games
played here. He gets hurt, Like last ye. Last year
he was solidless. I haven't a couple of fantasy teams.

(28:56):
Last year. I was happy with him until he got
hurt and then Kenyan Drake ran with it. But he
missed three games. He missed fifteen and two thousand and seventeen.
Now you know he's played full season three out of
five years. It's just been that one. It's has been
two thousand seventeen where he got crushed. Yeah, right that
he's only missed three games in four years. Right, NFF
c ADP Right now, David Johnson, this is in the

(29:17):
last ten days, Duke Johnson. So, Duke Johnson is clearly
a depth running back the way he's being drafted. David
Johnson clearly a starter the way he's being drafted. If
you had a choice between the two, he would you
take David at two? Duke at forty five? And are
you bullish on Duke? I would take David. I think

(29:39):
that's a great price that you can around around four.
I'll take that gladly, Duke because someone I uh, If
I have David, I don't mind adding him later. Yeah,
would you consider it as all right? We'll come back
talk more fantasy right after this sports grid dot Com
Betting insights and entertainment at your fingertips seven as our
team covers the most topics in sports wagering, real time odds,

(30:02):
predictive betting models, expert picks, and more. Want the edge,
then get on the grid. Sports grid dot Com back
on the grid talking about zero RB for your fantasy
football league. Zero RB potentially waiting on running backs, seeing
who you get a little bit later. So we're mining
the a f C South for candidates right now. Duke

(30:24):
Johnson possibility there if we all acknowledge, for whatever reason,
we think that the Texans offense is going to be
ramped up. I tend to think that Deshaun Watson is
going to throw more this year than he ever has.
I think that's good, frankly for guys like David and
Duke Johnson. Duke Johnson did catch forty four passes last year,
but we definitely think he's zero RB candidates. So the

(30:47):
next team is the Indianapolis Colts. This one's tough. You
got Jonathan Taylor, Marlon Mack, naim Hines. I think we
know the naim Heinz experiment is what it is. I
think he's a depth running back who can pick up
a few carries in certain scenarios, but it's more of
the past catcher. That's what he is. Like. Marlon Mack

(31:10):
would be interesting, but I wouldn't consider him zero RB
if for no other reason, then let me find out
what his price is. Right now, I'm trying to look
it up. Mac h he's the thirty third running back
off the board, so he's going to start doing the
math twelve. It's just at the end of the middle

(31:33):
of the seventh round, basically, George or the early eight
twelve it's uh seven eight round, yes, the beginning of
the eighth. Um. I don't know if he's really a
zero RB candidate. And what is your expectation of how
much Taylor takes over and win? Well, that's the question

(31:54):
because now you're playing the game of what does Frank
Reich want to do? When is he going to admit
that Jon and Taylor is the guy? Yeah, John Taylor
is your prototypical back. So that's the questionnaire, is it
right away? Does he does? He feels some elitiance to
Marlon mac is mom and mac cann eventually just be
the you know, the backup guy and on the wrong
side of that, you know, we don't know when that's

(32:14):
going to be, So that's really my problem here. I
think I think Tail us the guy. He should be
the guy. I'm not when I say the guy. He's
not Barkley, he's not Ellie, He's not that guy. But
he's so the next tier down there. This is a
good team. This is one of the best teams I
think in the NFL as far as they don't have
any obvious week This is anywhere, good defense, good offense.
The question walk is Philip Rivers. I think they're based

(32:35):
on their personnel, George, they could be a bottom five
passing volume team. I think they could just run and
run and run and run. I think that should be
the plan of attack. Um, which is odd because I
am it is I consider myself modern in my thought process.
But they could mirror what the Titans did last year

(32:57):
because of Taylor and Mac. Now mat X not nobody
hears a really good zero RB candidate, necessarily because I
don't see any massive upside for Mac with the exception
of Taylor getting hurt. The problem for me with Taylor
and I'm trying to look at his price right now
when it is Jonathan Taylor going He's going twenty. It
so just in front of David Johnson and we just

(33:19):
spoke about, yea that I don't know about Taylor's upside
because of mac. Mac is in the last year of
his deal. If I'm the Colts, I'm giving him the
ball two hundred times, and Taylor the ball two hundred
times maximally caught fifty two passes in three years is
just not part of his game. I agree with you,
you only need an injury here for that really to
take off there. I think Taylor is gonna play more

(33:39):
and more and more the year goes on. I think
that's way it's going to big. I think, you know rank,
it's not gonna though not rug your running backs. Can
you pick up the blitz and really the only and
you know you can hit the whole? Can you pick
up the blitz? He can pick up the blitz. He's
going to play. That's really what it is, Dad, because
I kind of agree with you, They're not gonna want
to air it out with Philip Rivers. He can't do
that anymore. Know, the offensive line is top five and

(34:02):
that might be being mean, maybe top three in the NFL.
You know, maybe the best in the NFL. It's that good.
They'll open up holes for this running game. The defense
is legit. It's good. They're gonna go after the opposing quarterback.
They may feel the only way we lose games is
a Philip Philip Rivers does twenty exceptions again, you know
he's been gonna be Jameis Winston. Light can't have that.
I liked that receiving group, t Y Hilton, he can

(34:24):
stay healthy, Pittman, They drafted Campbell Pascal, the solid group there,
Jack Doyle. I'm a fan of the tight end. So
they could throw the wall they want, but I think
that would be a mistake to become a passing team.
I think they do want to become a running team.
With passing supplement. They can pass the ball here. So
I read it the same as you here. I don't
see a good RB zero guy here. I think I
think the only way Matt truly pays off, even if

(34:46):
you believe he's a running back zero candidate, and I don't,
but the only way he truly pays what was it
a tail that gets injured? Jacksonville Jaguars for net rich
Well Armstead, Chris Thompson Armstead is really the only guy
that you would evaluate here. Obviously a lot of strife
between for Net and the Jaguars, but he's playing out
this year. I think if you're the Jags, um, I

(35:08):
guess the difficult part for me with the Jaguars is
we don't expect them to be successful. They're not going
to be particularly good defensively and they're not going to
be particularly good offensively. I would just say that at
a team, the team that's built like this, which we
think might have the least wins in the entire league,

(35:29):
normally that means George that they'll throw a lot. So
to say, right, well, Armstead if for Net gets hurt,
Armstead's got huge upside. But the upsided in and of
itself isn't that great unless he catches a billion passes.
We just haven't seen that yet from him. Well, I
could see both sides here about whether or not he's

(35:50):
a good RB zero or not a good Arby zero.
As you just said, Jackson was not gonna be a
good team. They're gonna be trailing in the second half.
How many running opportunities are gonna have no matter who
the running back is, right, I mean they've been trailing
in the second half at a minimum of double digit games.
I was thinking twelve and sixteen rights of the game.
I would say the first number popped in my head

(36:11):
was fourteen games. Doesn't mean they can't come back and
win a couple, but I think they can be trailing
in as many as fourteen games in the second half,
and some of those trailers are gonna be by you know,
double digit points, where they just have to throw them
all to stay in the game. Uh So I think
that's going to be an issue here, uh where they
just not gonna run the ball. I don't know how
much they want to win. I think it's another team
once again that would get rid of anybody not nailed

(36:32):
down because they want that number one pick next year.
You know, a tank for Trevor, you know it fields
which whichever quarter Likeck you want that you believe is
the guy you're gonna want that guy lose for Lawrence.
So I can see that now. I can see the
other way too, that it could be good for Armstead.
You know what you have a for net you don't
like the guy you tried to trade them during the draft.
Maybe you gotta see what you have here in Armstead,

(36:53):
so you gotta play him a little bit. Yeah, I
gotta find out do I need a running back in
next year's draft as well? So almost it plays a
little bit more. I can see that. You know. Well,
so once again you want to lose, So for us,
the better back you sit here on, the best play
at all set gives you a better chance to lose. Yeah,
I can see that obvious passing downs that Chris Thompson
is gonna be in there and catch it. That's the
other problem, and you just said it. The next problem.

(37:15):
I don't know how any pass catch uport. He is
gonna be in there from even he can catch him
any Chris Thompson is in there to catch all the
running back passes. I agree, So I like as it's
more of a dynasty play keeper league play. You know,
it might be the starter next year. Yeah, he shows
something this year, but that's for a on RB zero guy.
Once again, you probably need for Nett either to get

(37:38):
hurt or be gone. Yeah, last one in the NFC
South Derrick Henry Dearrnson, Evans, David flew Ellen. Your only
option there is, I mean flew Ellen. You know that's
a depth flyer. You're not going to draft him in
in any league. Darnton Evans. Though, right now in the NFFC,
Darrnton Evans is going, I'll do Fantasy pros for this

(37:58):
one PPR leagues, He's going running back. That's really late.
Excuse me, that's really late, George. But in a twelve
team league, fifty seven running backs could get drafted. That's
five running backs a team. You can get sixty running
backs drafted onto teams, no problem, um in fact that
you're going to hit that in basically every league. So

(38:19):
he's the guy that you would say, look at the
workload they give to the starting running back. If anything
happens to Derrick Henry, Darnton Evans comes in there, even
if he's not as good. He'll touch the ball two
hundred times. But what do you think of Darrynton Evans.
I think it is more of a handcuff for me
than it arms. Here. Once again, this team lives through Henry.
He's going to carry the ball. They just down to

(38:40):
a new contract. He's going to carry the ball. They
need him to carry the ball. You know, I think
they rely on him. I think they made the number
one team in the league that relies in their running back.
They used to run game to get the passing game going,
not vice versa. So I don't know if it was
anything more than a handicap handicap than a back up somebody,

(39:00):
a good fantasy guy you want on your team there
case Henry goes down, that's the way I sit here.
It can be Derrick Henry insurance. But I would also
say to fantasy owners that are looking for a little
bit of a different strategy. I'm not a huge proponent
of having to handcuff your guy. If Darrenton Evans is
sitting there in the fifteenth round and you've drafted Derrick Henry,

(39:22):
go for it. But I would also say that if
you're somebody that is looking for different types of strategy.
Now Tennessee is unique in that they're very run heavy team,
and it's a heavy amount of touches concentrated at the
running back position. But it would also say to people
out there that are looking for a little bit of
a different strategy, feel free to draft the running backs

(39:44):
on other teams. If you don't have Zeke Elliott, draft
Tony Pollard. If you don't have Derrick Henry, draft Darnton
Evans because it gives you the opportunity with your running
starting running backs that are potentially getting healthy, grabbing a
share of another backfield. If you have Henry and Evans,
that's fine for protection, but it is still just one

(40:04):
backfield in this instance a very high volume rushing attack.
But in general, George, I am a proponent and I
have utilized this already this season of drafting the backups
on other teams to compliment my starters, which don't aren't
necessarily the handcuff. I do have Tony Pollard and not
Zeke Elliott. I will potentially have Darren's and Evans and

(40:25):
not Derrick Henry. It's just it's a way to employee
strategy to grab ahold of multiple back fields. Yeah, I'm
not a big believer in automatically for getting the backup
if I was top running back, Yeah, I'm not a Really,
I want a guy who I think is the most productive.
You know, the only time I would do that is
if I have a start who gets hurt all the time.

(40:46):
Then maybe you know Zike got hurt all the time
yet that I might want to Pollard, But I agree
with you, I'd rather have Pollod on his own if
I don't have Elliott, because you know he's gonna get
eight touches a game, and he could do something with
those touches. Polo's a good running back in his own
Madison for Cook, I said, I think mass is very
great running back on his own as well here, but
I might consider that more if I Cook right, I'd

(41:08):
want Madison only goes Cook does get hurt, and I
don't want to cover myself without the problem though, is
but Madison, he's not going around fourteen. You probably been
around eight. And I picked to get him. You know
that's a problem here. That's the premium pick. You gotta
go there. And I don't like doing that. You know,
I don't like order Matthew doing that with the guy
who wanted will be other right. So that's a running

(41:30):
back three running back four twelve team leaks. You know,
I understand most leagues attend team leagues. Sevens. Running back
off the board in almost every league every year prior
to this is starting in your flex. That's a starting
flex guy in a lot of leaks, which Alexander Madison
might not play much if if if Tvin Cook plays

(41:51):
full boat every week, Alexander Madison's touches are going to
be really low. Yeah, you're praying that he gets in
the end zone. Really if Cook is playing uh, and
it's tough to do that. That's why I don't like.
You know, most days we only have five bench spots.
Maybe you're gonna have more this year because of COVID
and you'll be able to spread around a little bit.
But I don't like. Uh. I don't like using a
bench spot when those valuable bench spots on someone, you

(42:13):
know what in week flour with the by start, I
might end up releasing because I have a body that
he's not gonna help me. Now it is a better
play on the wire, and I don't want to get
zero because I'm one and two or oh and three
and I need to win now. To wrap up my
my previous point about grabbing somebody that's a different team's
backup from maybe what your start is the culture primary example,
would you draft Marlon Mack and Jonathan Taylor? Now it's

(42:36):
a bad call, yes, to get a whole bunch of touches,
but you are limiting the upside from Jonathan Taylor is
going twentieth, Marlon Mack is going thirty, third. So you're
spending a uh let's do the math here, a late
third round pick in Jonathan Taylor and a early eighth
round pick on Marlon Max. So five rounds apart, you're

(42:59):
grabbing two guys the same team to try to get
upside to win a title. It isn't gonna work. The
math won't work out. They won't see enough touches to
get you to the upside that you need from those picks.
It makes sense, George, Yeah, what's gonna it is to
doing the math there? It just can't work out, you know.
The only I mean the only way it would if
just once you get an injury there you got halfway through.
He's but one thing, Hey, I had the backup. I'm
good there. You can feel good about yourself. But on

(43:20):
a game, the game, I think we forget that. Once
the bye week start, we all get nervous. We don't
like taking zeros because oh my god, I don't have
anybody to replace this guy. You canna ret least these
guys anyway. We see it over and over again. That's
why I tend to stay away from that unless I
feel the guy's going to get hurt, said Madison. Would
be a guy. Yes, I'd want because I do the gull.
Cook gets hurt, but Pollard not an automatically I love him.

(43:42):
But Elliott doesn't get hurt. He's going to play. He's
gonna be in there when it matters. Yeah, I agreed.
So all right, we're gonna wrap up the hour after this.
We'll get a final thought a couple of running backs
that George may or may not like for this fantasy season.
Be right back on the grid after this. It's football
Full Circle sports grid dot Com Betting insights and entertainment

(44:06):
at your fingertips as our team covers the most important
topics in sports wagering, real time odds, predictive betting models,
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the grid sports grid dot Com. George, You're gonna close
out on something positive in this hour of football Full Circle.

(44:27):
Washington Football team. We talked about Ron rivera earlier, but
they did hire new team president, Historic Higher, the first
black president in NFL team history, Jason Wright, who spent
seven years as an NFL running back. He earned his
NBA with high honors from the University of Chicago Booth
School of Business as a fancy school. George. He became

(44:48):
a partner for the Global Strategy and Management consulting from
McKenzie and Company. Is now president the Washington football team.
I believe he played football in college at Northwestern African.
We forgot that wrong, but I think that's right. So, uh, Nonetheless,
a historic higher and it looks like they are the
Look they've turned over a ton of personnel in this building.

(45:08):
As much as people want that owner to sell, forcing
that owner to sell doesn't appear to be happening. But
he's trying to put the right people in place. Yeah,
he got the right people right, That's the most important thing.
I do think he hit a home running Rivere, even
though he saw he hired rivera before any of this
really happened here. And now we'll see what Jason right

(45:29):
if he made another home run here. I mean, you
have to take the job if you're Jason right. But man,
this is a mess you're coming into. You've got a
lot of work to do, and you know a lot
of fires to put out here. And I wonder that's
going to Hamper's ability because he really just can't be GM.
He's got I think he's gotta worry about rather than
what's on the field, you know, And that's that's a

(45:50):
lot to ask of anybody. And I wonder if almost anyone,
who almost anybody who's going to take this job. It's
just a sacrificial land. They're not gonna be able to
handle everything. You know, they'll be there a couple of
years and not to move on and get somebody else
who hope maybe we'll reap the benefits of what Jason does. Yeah,
he's responsible for leading the organization's business divisions, including OPS, finance, sales,
and marketing. So, uh, trying to get all those things

(46:14):
lined up is going to be tough, especially at you're
like this, George. We know that anybody that's in this
position is going to add a lot of challenges when
it comes to business ventures. He's got a rebranding to do,
they got to find a name. All that kind of
stuff is really going to fall under his purviews. So
congratulations to him, uh, and a historic higher But I

(46:36):
don't know, like you said, a lot of challenges with
this team. But as I used to spend a lot
of time in college athletics and talking to athletic directors,
and I remember one of them saying upon him getting
a new job, he said, you know, you don't get
this job because things are running really smoothly. Generally, there's
only so many of these jobs available, and you're not

(46:58):
getting unless somebody tires and they're just up there in
years and they want to walk away and hand this
diamond to somebody else. Then maybe, but generally things went
gone sideways, and certainly have in Washington. Good luck to
Jason write a half of Brian Rokowski and George Kurtz
on Mike Blewett. Thanks for watching this our football full
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