May 5, 2026 • 51 mins
This week we dive into the NFL Draft selection of every team in a special two-part episode, starting with the NFC in this episode, sponsored by ZBiotics. Go to https://zbiotics.com/SHARPORSQUARE and use SHARPORSQUARE at checkout for 15% off any first time orders of ZBiotics probiotics.
Today betting expert Chad Millman and professional gambler Simon Hunter discuss the picks they loved and hated, including the L.A. Rams trading up for Ty Simpson, the Arizona Cardinals paying dearly for Jeremiyah Love, and Caleb Downs going to the Dallas Cowboys.
Plus, our duo argue whether New York Giants coach John Harbaugh is overrated, cover the San Francisco 49ers' incoherent draft strategy, and Simon informs us that the Green Bay Packers could snag A.J. Brown in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles instead of the New England Patriots. #Volume
0:00:00 - START
0:04:00 - ARIZONA CARDINALS DRAFT RECAP
0:06:02 - ATLANTA FALCONS DRAFT RECAP
0:08:02 - CAROLINA PANTHERS DRAFT RECAP
0:10:20 - CHICAGO BEARS DRAFT RECAP
0:13:22 - DALLAS COWBOYS DRAFT RECAP
0:16:12 - DETROIT LIONS DRAFT RECAP
0:19:55 - GREEN BAY PACKERS DRAFT RECAP
0:22:00 - LOS ANGELES RAMS DRAFT RECAP
0:23:50 - MINNESOTA VIKINGS DRAFT RECAP
0:25:50 - NEW ORLEANS SAINTS DRAFT RECAP
0:27:50 - NEW YORK GIANTS DRAFT RECAP
0:34:00 - PHILADELPHIA EAGLES DRAFT RECAP
0:39:00 - SEATTLE SEAHAWKS DRAFT RECAP
0:42:00 - SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS DRAFT RECAP
0:45:00 - TAMPA BAY BUCS DRAFT RECAP
0:48:00 - WASHINGTON COMMANDERS DRAFT RECAP
-- All lines provided by Hard Rock Bet
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to Sharper Square, presented by hard Rock Back. We
are part of the Volume podcast network. This is the
show that makes the square sharper. It makes the wise
guys pay attention. I am Shadmullman. I am joined as
always by my co host, my bff, my companion, my
compadre professional better signmon on dark Eto, So Imon, how
(00:23):
we doing, my brother. There's going to be a lot
to discuss in the NFL, you know, conversations about the
schedules and how that impacts everything when the schedules do
come out as we get into the latter half of May.
But I want to put a bow on our draft
(00:43):
coverage because I do think it's worth There's people doing
Dynasty league stuff. There's people trying to get ahead on
what's really going to make an impact for season win totals,
how they want a position for winning the division, et cetera,
et cetera. We've laid some breadcrumbs on teams we think
might have an option both in the NFC and THEFC.
So we're going to do a couple back to a
couple of shows about digging a little bit deeper on
(01:08):
NFC and AFC. This week we're doing the NFC. Thursday
will be our part two covering the AFC. We've got
James Weaver from James Weaver from Sports Info Solutions. Today
is part one. We'll cover the NF the NFC. This
is a betting show. We like the draft as football fans.
(01:33):
We love the draft because we can bet on it.
You and Derek Brown gave great advice, crushed it. We
cannot bet on draft recaps. We cannot bet on grading
draft recaps. More importantly, we know and Matt Mitchell and
I had a long conversation about this. We were talking
about draft recap shows. We have no idea how these
(01:58):
drafts are going to play out out, how any team's
draft actually worked out for at least three seasons. Immediate
evaluation generally kind of silly. For example, And I mentioned
this with Derek the other day. You know, I'm PMT.
They talked about the twenty twelve Seattle Draft with Bruce Irvan,
(02:19):
Bobby Wagner, Russell Wilson. They also traded away a fifth
rounder to Buffalo Or They traded away a fifth rounder
from Marshawn Lynch. Despite this, they received an f from
(02:40):
Bleacher Report for their draft that year, the key line
Pete Carroll was proving why he didn't make it in
the NFL the first time. The point is all those
guys became hugely important to the Seahawks winning the Super
Bowl within a couple of years. That same year, the
forty nine Ers got a C plus for their draft,
(03:01):
which is now considered the worst draft by any modern
NFL team. Seven drafted players that garnered four total starts
for the Niners. Five of those seven players were gone
before the next season. Aj Jenkins was the top pick.
He was their wide receiver. He declined the offer to
(03:21):
work out with forty nine Ers legend Jerry Rice in
the offseason caught zero passes for the Niners before getting
traded to Kansas City. That's my point. Aj Jenkins picked
first fixed in the first round, Lemichael James, Darius Fleming,
(03:41):
and the list goes on right. So we do this
in the spirit of fun, in the spirit of debate,
in the spirit of what a lot of media is today,
and hopefully people can listen in. They can have their
own opinions. They can hate us for what we're saying,
they can love us because they agree with us, et cetera,
et cetera. We have spent a lot of time talking
about how idiotic it was of the Cardinals to take
(04:03):
Jeremiah Love number three. Overall, the salvey doesn't match, the
strategy doesn't match. They don't have a quarterback. They're collecting talent,
and they have no way to get anyone in the
ball Simon Cardinals, once upon a time might have been
a team we wanted to see some upside in. Nothing
about their draft. In addition to Love, I they got
(04:26):
Carson Beck. You know they got I don't know, nothing
too exciting in their draft.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
For me, yeah, and for a gammer's perspective, I love
the Beck pick because to me, fifteen to one for
him to be a Rookie of the year, that's a
live number. This is just like Freanan Mendoza. He's probably
the most ready now quarterback in this draft class right
and he's not an opportunity that the quarterback ahead of
(04:55):
him is disgruntled. First Set ONTs money now I even
showing him to volunteer camps. They're not going to give
him any type of money vers set is. I mean,
he doesn't understand. He's just he's a one year guy
there for them, they're not there's zero future plans with
him and Sam could be for Beck here where it's
like zero expectations. They're not gonna be that good. They're
(05:15):
probably in the artist division of football. If he can
get three wins and a class that no other quarterback
is going to play, right if Randon Mendoza might not
play possibility and ty Simpson we're most likely not going
to play right behind Stafford. There is some value there
if you want to take a long shot on Beck,
who might end up playing his way into being their
starting quarterback because they're that terrible and they kind of
(05:38):
do want to lose games, right, and he'd be perfe
for that. Like he's he's got big weaknesses. So yeah,
in a draft I hate and it's hard to find value.
Like ch I was saying in these type of conversations,
I do think there is value here on Beck at
fifteen to one. I could see those odds jumping very
high if he has named their starter.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
Before Tyler shuck vibes.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
Yeah, right, right's perfect anology.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
Tyler suck Vibes. The Atlanta Falcons. I actually think the
Falcons at least like on paper, Again, this is always
on paper they filled needs. They got Avian Terrell, who
is brother of aj Terrell, the cornerback. Their defense continued
to get better. Last year. They got the kid Zachariah
(06:26):
Branch from Georgia, who dropped a little bit because of
it off the field issues just before the draft. To me,
that alone, like at the top, you know, good job
for them. Matt Ryan might have been a little bit
too enthusiastic about some of the picks they were getting
and acting like they had just won the Super Bowl.
But if they can figure out you know, they've got
(06:48):
the quarterback issues. But like defensively in their wide receiver room,
I do believe it got a little bit better. And
I betting on the Falcons to win the NFC South
because they drafted a cornerback and a wide receiver in
the first two rounds. Probably not because I still like
the Carolina Panthers.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
I'm with you, though, I'm excited for this new front office.
Right the last one left them in a hole without
a first round pick, and they did the best they
could with the players available, So I'm ready with there
with you. Like to me, their biggest weakness is defense.
Basically took that one receiver in the third round. The
rest of their pictures spent on defensive players. So even
if they're hopeful, right and they get one, maybe two
hits here of these guys right at one of these
(07:25):
corners and one of these d tackles hits, it's all good.
And that's that's a good draft by them. So I'm
with you, though, the Matt Ryan I get it though.
It's a lot of work behind the scenes, and it's
probably his first draft room he's ever been, so yeah,
he was pretty fired up about their round picks.
Speaker 1 (07:41):
It is interesting, like they've done a lot of work
on defense and that what they did last year in
their defensive line, going from a team that for half
a decade was one of the worst teams in the
NFL in terms of pass rush, so last year being
an excellent pass rush. You can see the Seeds, right.
You can see them building into something where they don't
have to be so reliant on an explosive offense week
(08:02):
after week after week, staying in the NFC South We're
Carolina Panthers podcast. It wasn't the most exciting draft for
the Panthers. Their first round pick, Monroe Freeling, and offensive
tackle from Georgia their second round pick, Lee Hunter, a
(08:22):
defensive tackle from Texas Tech. Like they're doing the things
that we like the Panthers to be doing, which is
improving in the trenches. We talk about it all the time.
I know you think it's a sucker pick to take
the Panthers to win the NFC South, But I don't
think they did themselves a disservice out of the draft
(08:43):
to make their chances worse. Like they filled in areas
they definitely need to fill in. They're improving consistently.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
Yeah, and this is, like I said, this is what
it's going to take for them to get back to
where they were last year when the division and making
the playoffs. Like they need to nail the draft. And
I said, Bryshaun, he's going to have to level up,
which is going to be really tough because last year
he had some incredible, incredible games. Right, So this draft
to me, you know I talk all the time. I
(09:10):
think the most two important things to address is the
offensive line in the D line. First two picks for
them offensive tackle and a d tackle. So right there,
I'm a sucker. I love it the fact that they
want to guy the receiver who a lot of people
at the second round. Great, and I believe Yeah, they
got him in the third round. Yes, that's those are
the things you're looking for, right, I mean, it's a
need and it also dropped them. They didn't force the pick.
(09:32):
So if I'm a Panthers fan, I would be very
very excited. Like it does seem like your owner has
hired the right people and has taken a step back
and is letting them make the picks down. I think
he's learned his lesson about getting involved in the draft.
Speaker 1 (09:46):
Do you feel like my pick of the Panthers to
win the NFC South is a little bit less of
a sucker bet?
Speaker 2 (09:55):
It is? The soccer bet wasn't on the South. The
soccer bet you took was the over six and a
half O because this is Carolina Panthers show. I just
told you the reason they gave you that number was
they're playing a first place schedule.
Speaker 1 (10:08):
You're right, you're right, you're right, you're right.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
Yeah, you're right.
Speaker 1 (10:13):
Simon. How many podcasts can say they are a literate
sports betting podcast that is also dedicated to the Carolina Panthers.
I think there's one. I think we're the number one
ranked literate sports betting podcast dedicated to the Carolina Panthers.
We can put that on our Wikipedia pages. These Chicago Bears. Look,
(10:35):
we took the kid from Oregon, Dylan Daneman the safety.
I have no issue with that. We need help in
the defensive backfield. Both of our safeties have left. We
were already not very good in the defensive backfield. Second
pick Logan Jones, Iowa Center. I love getting a center.
(10:55):
Centers are becoming more and more important in the NFL.
We've seen their salaries skyrocketing because they are starting to
be recognized as the lynch pin of that offensive line,
not just because of the way they are situated, but
their ability to communicate with the quarterback. They're getting their due.
It's fantastic, usually the smartest person on the field. The
(11:17):
Bears did not do a great job of going to
improve their edge rush, and I'm curious for your take.
Will that be the reason they don't get to the
Super Bowl this year?
Speaker 2 (11:30):
It could be, But this draft, to me, it just
looks like it was a lot of Ben Johnson's fingerprints. Right.
They needed to address the defense. That's there still questions
obviously offensively, but that feels like the weakness of the
team right is defense. Like last year they lived and
died on turnovers. That was, without turnovers, they were giving
up hundreds of yards on the ground or tons of
(11:51):
yards through the area. It was just all about the
turnovers that really saved them. And this draft, I love
your first round pick honestly, Like safeties to me are
always undervalued. He probably is worth a mid level pick.
He fell to you guys at twenty five because he
is a safety and that's the way it is with
that position. But he ends up being a stud honestly
(12:11):
pays for the rest of the draft because it's like
you said, you guys went center, tight end, the receiver.
It was just funny where like Ben Johnson just couldn't
help himself. Where it's like, you know, if it's a
weak class defensively, especially the d end position, I get
it right, you're just not trying to force picks, chat.
I think that's that's a sign of a well run organization.
It didn't feel like any of your guys' picts were
(12:31):
honestly forced. A couple of them were players that fell
to you guys. So yeah, there's still a lot of
questions about polls. Right now. But he's done stuff over
the years that really nailed it, and I obviously evaluated
the right talent for your guys team. Right, He's hit
on a couple of picks now, so he's getting to
that spot where you still get question stuff. Right, every
gym is going to miss on picks or overall, I
(12:53):
think he's earned it where you can trust them, where
it's like, Okay, they didn't address a lot of the
needs on defense. Maybe he's just like Nextre's class is
so loaded defensively. I'm not going to force it this show.
I'm just gonna take best available.
Speaker 1 (13:04):
I don't feel when I watch Poles like he's making
desperation plays anymore. You know, he knows enough about his team,
and he knows enough about the holes and enough about
the talent that's available. I'm getting more comfortable that he
can make the right call. I'm going to be less
dramatic about it over the course of a weekend, speaking
(13:26):
of safety. Speaking of safety is dropping. I know we
like to bash the Dallas Cowboys, and everyone likes to
bash Jerry Jones because they have not been able to
sustain any success in the postseason since he really decided
he was going to be in charge of everything. But
you're getting Caleb Downs outside the top ten. I mean
(13:47):
that feels like you've won the draft. Forget about everything
else just because of that.
Speaker 2 (13:53):
Love that pick. But did you see I saw a
club Nick Saban, they know his mic was hot, and
he was criticizing them for their Lawrence pick, which I
totally agree with, which is this edge that you know
has some talent, but felt like a bit of a
reach to a lot of people. I know, tons of scouts.
I had third round grades on them, a couple had
(14:13):
second round grades on them. They took him in you know,
high twenty three, twenty four. I picked it with the
Eagles to take So does that mean they're really looking
at taking him at twenty which would have been a
horrible pick, but still felt like a little bit of
reach there. But yeah, if if if you're a Cowboys fan,
I mean I'd be over the moon. I hate all
(14:33):
those Ohio State guys went in the Eagles division, right,
The Giants took one, Washington took one, and the Cowboys
took one. So that all American, all pro, incredible defense
from college. Now you know it's just gonna be an
NFC East, Like literally, Sonny Styles went to Washington, and
you know, I look at this pick here and downs
and it's just a great pick by Jerry right let
(14:55):
the best player drop to him. And I said, Jerry,
I don't love the way he drafts obviously throughout the draft,
but overall his first round picks he tends to do
really well. Like he tends to let the guys follow
him and take the best athlete available. And to me,
might not be the best athlete in downs, but he
definitely has in my mind the smartest football player only
behind him for Nanda Mendoza, like that to me is
(15:17):
the ultimate cheeko. Do you get a guy that smart
running your defense? He could change their entire defensive makeup. Right,
this is a big deal for a Cowboys fan getting
this type of player.
Speaker 1 (15:27):
Well, that's the question, Like, is it game changing enough
for the Cowboys to leap frog the Eagles in the NFCS.
Speaker 2 (15:36):
Yeah, it's it's still there's still so many unknowns with them.
But if they if they do get pickings back, and
if they do make you know, another move, try to
get another portrayed for another player for that defense, because
it still feels like maybe they are one or two
players short, but they've been attacking. And not only last
year were they adding guys obviously in trading draft picks,
but even in this year in the offseason, they've spent
(15:57):
money to try to upgrade that defense. So it's it's
all about pickings really, like they need him to come back.
He was such a huge deal for that offense. It
was really incredible him mcd It's just it's impossible to
take both of them away. One of them is going
to get theirs Detroit.
Speaker 1 (16:13):
All throughout the year last year, we kept waiting for
Detroit's offensive line to get a little bit better. We
kept betting into the Lions thinking that their offense was
going to turn around because their offensive line was going
to get better. It never did. First pick Blake Miller
tackle from Clemson. They also had tremendous depth issues. Like
(16:34):
when you're losing thirteen fourteen guys for the year on defense,
you're going to have issues. That's what happened to them
last year. So they went offensive tackle, edge, linebacker, cornerback.
That to me, I can't evaluate the players, but in
terms of strategy, it seemed like the Lions did exactly
(16:55):
what they had to do.
Speaker 2 (16:57):
Yeah, this is an easy one. I was a Detroit fan,
I'd be very happy. It's like, you guys needed to
address the O line. They're trying their best. They took
the best player they think they have graded at that position.
I'd be pretty excited if I was a Detroit fan,
because it's just if they would have gone another position,
I would have been upset. Like they had to go
offensive line. You have to protect golf. We just know
(17:18):
we have the data. He is a totally different quarterback
when he has time in the pocket to set his
feet and find open guys. It's just when he gets
pressure totally, he's totally different players. So uh yeah, the
fact that they went oh line and they just went
all defense, I love it. It's like it's you don't
need to keep approving your offense line you have. I mean,
you do need to prove your offense line, but weapon wise,
you don't need another receiver, you don't need another tight end,
(17:40):
you don't need another running back. Stop wasting picks on
those positions. Just address the defense, which feels like every
year we're talking about Chad, they just have so many injuries,
so many guys going down they need depth. So this
this to me, couldn't have dropped at a better draft
for this Detroit team. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:56):
Like, to me, this was a draft of confidence. Teams
that know what they need, Teams that know who they are.
They're not trying to please a fan base with some
fancy name. They're just trying to fill the holes because
they know how close they can be and that the
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(20:08):
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Green Bay Packers. Look, they didn't have a pick in
the first round, so they didn't get a lot of
attention this week. And when they did pick their first
three picks rounds two, three, and four, they went cornerback,
defensive tackle, edge rusher, a center, and then they went
(20:32):
back to defensive back, and then they went placekicker. So
they had six picks and they focused basically on defense
and special teams. I think they did the same exact
thing the Lions did. They know what their weaknesses are,
they're trying to fix.
Speaker 2 (20:49):
Them, and they're a sleeper team. I know everyone swears
Aj is going to the Patriots. I've heard whispers about
Green really team that's sneakily in the conversation for AJ Brown,
and obviously he was already have a relationship. They just
traded for wicks from the Screen Bay team. But when
I heard that, it made sense after I saw what
(21:10):
happened in the draft, right, they didn't really do anything offensively,
Like to them, they love their offense that come back
from the Bears in the playoffs, which is haunting their dreams.
Clearly was all in the defense, right The defense fell apart,
and they also had terrible injuries as well as the
offense last year. So I think they're from the right viewpoint.
It's like, if we can get healthier, if that aj
(21:30):
stuff is real, I mean I would love that from them.
They desperately need a number one like him on the outside.
And you know, I know is what Reid. I know
they just paid somebody some receiero. But like they're they
got golden from last year, like they have the weapons offensively,
the defense is what they needed to address. So I'm
right there with you. It's like, we have no idea
if any of these guys are going to hit, but
the fact that they're trying to address it and just
(21:52):
fill all these holes they have right now. We know
when Parsons in there fully healthy, that defense was an
absolute game wrecker, just on a tear for the five
six weeks of the season until the injuries caught up
to him. So I like to keep trying to attack
that defense, which just seems like year in year out.
That's been a weakness for them.
Speaker 1 (22:09):
That NFC North could be so good next year. Like,
my goodness, if one or two of these picks pan
out and sort of have the ability to play make
for defensively for defensively for the Packers, or if Blake
Miller works out for the lines and all of a
sudden their offensive line has changed dramatically, Like those are
things that just completely transform both of those teams. They
(22:30):
might not end up losing to the Bears the way
they did last year. We talked about Tie Simpson to
the Rams. Look, this felt a little bit like a
draft where they feel really good about everything and they're
drafting for depth.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
It could be just from a Rams perspective, I would
hate this draft with a passion. I just you already
have five good tight ends. We really just took another.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
I know.
Speaker 2 (23:01):
I get why fans were pulling their hair out where
it's like, my god, we're we're a two point or
two point conversion away from being the number one seed
and probably going to the Super Bowl last year. Like
I can't try to get a d N can't try
to get another receiver, Like the Lemon pick honestly did
make sense to me for them. It's like if they
had Lemon Puka and DeVante, oh my god for Stafford,
(23:25):
like that makes sense, but instead they took a guy
who's gonna rude on their bench for two years. So
I understand why Rams fans were upset and they're getting
a lot of pushback. But like you just said, Chad,
it's let's need the organization. You just have to trust them,
and that's that's what they're doing, right. They took the
best available in their draft grade board. If it doesn't
make sense to us to take a quarterback, then a
(23:45):
tight end. That's their their their highest graded guys. But
it's just bizarre, like in a draft that you only
had five picks, you go quarterback, tight end, and then
you know it's it's just weird. Like offensive line made sense, right,
that was in the third round. Yeah, receiver d end ended,
it's just the tackle ended. It's just a little bit
of a weird draft for me. For a Rams scen
(24:06):
that just feels like they're right there and they need
a guy that could get in there right now and
help this team. But I get it, you always need
to keep an eye on that future, and that's what
this draft was This draft truly was just simply for
the future and not right now.
Speaker 1 (24:19):
The Minnesota Vikings nine picks, four of the first five.
We're on defense. I mean, look, the Vikings seem like
a team where it doesn't really matter. Their defense had
(24:41):
holes for sure. Last year. They had trouble getting too
the quarterback unless they were blitzing. They had a lot
of trouble in the defensive backfield, but the issue was quarterback.
Like if JJ McCarthy is a little bit better when
he's not injured, there's less pressure on the defense. Kyler
Murray ended up being like, that's really who they drafted, right.
(25:03):
You could argue their number one overall pick was Kyler
Murray and that's the only thing that really matters. Everything
else is window dressing.
Speaker 2 (25:11):
To me, yeah, I'm probably the same bit easier Worth, like,
I don't know enough about these guys they drafted to
really give an opinion. I do obviously know Banks, and
that that to me is good. Address the defense. Like
you said, there was some games where they simply could
not stop the run. They just could not stop it.
And you know, Harris and Smith coming back. I know
(25:32):
a lot of the fans of the Vikings want of
them to take a safety because they don't even know
if they're their best safety is coming back, he might
be retiring. So yeah, it's it's a draft you look
at it where they clearly just went we're loading up
on the defense. If Kyler or JJ can't succeed with
the weapons we've already taken over the last three years offensively,
that's not on us, right because they do have the receivers,
(25:53):
they have the offensive line. It's the weapons are all there,
like you just said, Chat, it's all about the execution
from the quarterback position. So yeah, this draft to me
is is one where it's like, okay, got to address
the defense. Have a tunnel hole, is have a ton
of people leaving, right, They've had a guys, they've traded in,
a lost and free agency. So yeah, their draft honestly
made sense to me, just going very very heavy to
(26:14):
the defense.
Speaker 1 (26:15):
The New Orleans Saints, I think we have to basically
decide that Tyler Shock is who they believe in because
they went to get him a weapon with Jordan Tyson
in the top ten, the kid from Arizona State as
the wide receiver. Then they followed that up getting him
a getting him a tight end Oscar Delp from Georgia
at the third round, and they also went to guard
(26:37):
in the fourth round and then another receiver in the
back of the fourth round. They're just saying, Tyler Shock
is our guy and this is how we're going to
support him. Are you feeling like the Saints are a
sleeper team in the South.
Speaker 2 (26:55):
They could be, but we've talked about like it's so good.
I mean, this is gonna be a hyperbolic to people,
but I I think this is the best the NFC
has ever been in my lifetime. Like the Bears, the
North is brutally tough, the West is brutally tough. The
NFC East, which you can say is a bad division.
Jalen Hurts, Jane Daniels, Dak Prescott giving her take. They're
(27:19):
all rated pretty highly at the quarterback position. And now
you have people in national media picking the Giants to
come out of the East or to at least make
the playoffs, Like that's a real conversation. People actually believe
in the Giants right now. So it's like, I can't
get over how tough the NFC is. And then you
look at this division with Atlanta the Saints, Carolina, and
the Bucks. I think me and you both agree, Chad,
(27:41):
we really don't know any for of these teams could
hit it, could win this division, like if it breaks right,
like if Tule finds it. Yeah, could Atlanta pulled off, sure,
But of all the teams, I probably put Atlanta at
the lowest because of the questions I have right now
the quarterback position. Me and you are probably the same, Bill.
We have a lot of questions obviously about Chuck and
he's just gonna be a one hit wonder right the
(28:01):
tape all the offseason. These guys are excitting the tape.
They're gonna make a very difficult Himick and call them Moore.
But the Saints, like you just said, they are showing
to you they're all in on this kid and them
going through receivers as well in the draft. I love it.
It's like, Okay, we're just trying to hopefully hit on
one of these guys for him and for the future
and let him grow with this kid as his receiver.
(28:22):
So the Saints could either win this division or have
the number two pick next year and take Archie Manning.
Like that, to me, is that's what I see with
this team, they could fall off an absolute cliff next
year because they basically got hot just the the end
of the year. Me and chadber just back up the
brinks truck fading them for the first four weeks of
the season. They're horrible, so they could be a bottom
(28:43):
feeding team, or they could easily win this division. It's
all about shuck. Like we just talked about, it's it's
a really fun upside team.
Speaker 1 (28:48):
Well, look, you mentioned the Giants, and they're a compliment
to the Giants in the same way that they're all
in on Shock in New Orleans, they're all in on
Jackson Dart. Doesn't it feel premature to be saying that
the Giants are all of a sudden contenders in the
NFC East. I get Harbaugh, I get the new coach,
(29:09):
different attitude, different set of priorities, how he's gonna organize
that team, But it's still Jackson Dart, who couldn't be
knocked out of any game at any time. I just
don't know why there's so much momentum for this team
(29:30):
from national media.
Speaker 2 (29:33):
Yeah, and I could eat this in three months, but
right now, all the pros I talk to, it's very
few and forearm between that are actually heavily backing this
team and excited for him. Right, It's a lot of
people back the new coach bump, Right, So it is just.
Speaker 1 (29:46):
The media because like I'm with the wise guys here,
none of this makes sense to me. Like it's not
a good roster. It hasn't been a good roster. I'm
not sold on Jackson Dart and Harbaugh is not going
to be the miracle worker who turns this team around
in the year.
Speaker 2 (30:02):
And why does Harball get all these good graces. He
was winning the organization with an amazing front office and
he didn't win. Yeah, that's the complete opposite of the Giants.
The Giants and the Jets. They have the least amount
of wins in the last ten years. Those two organizations
the thirty second, thirty first and the least amount of wins.
Horribly run organizations right now, So I'm right there with you,
(30:22):
chaed I. I couldn't believe it's it's not just one
or two people, right, it's multiple people now are trying
to give this Giants team some credence and some hype.
And I already told you Ron that it's one of
my favorite unders. So I already hit it at seven
and a half, it gets up to eight, eight and
a half, it's going to be a pretty heavily bet
spot for me. I'm right there with you. Like Dart,
he hasn't proven that he can stay healthy, and they
(30:43):
have so many holes on this team. And Reese might
be a great pick, but he might not be in
a d end if that's true. They've taken a d
end in the first round, but four out of the
five last years.
Speaker 1 (30:54):
Yeah, Thibodeau and then they will Thibodeau and then Carter
and then traded for Burns and then they added.
Speaker 2 (31:03):
It's just it doesn't make sense right there. They have
horrible cornerbacks. I mean, elite Neighbors is an incredible weapon
of offense. They probably should have done more to help
that offense, right. So Yeah, for this draft, I would
say the Rees picks nice, right, because a lot of
people had that that was all as if you fell
to them, right, the fact that a team probably should
(31:24):
have taken him in the Cardinals and instead it took
a running back. Yeah, on the graded board, Reese is
a much better pick. But you know the fact that
you get him and the pick you trade away to
sin or the pick you get from Cincinnati, you're taking
offensive lineman. That that makes me happy. It's like, okay,
at least they're trying to help out this get dark
because that's the first pick didn't make sense where it's like,
(31:45):
I get it, you're trying to help the defense, but
you need to if you believe in the quarterback, just
push the chips and go all in. You should have
at that pick five, you could have took Tate the receiver.
Now you got neighbors on one side, Tate and the
other and then you take an offensive tackle. That's that's
pretty nice to be back in your quarterback with that.
But again, I can't hate the respick, right, He's a
(32:05):
highly talented kid. And they could have screwed up those
draft picks. To me, they didn't. They nailed the first
round of the fact that they are going to be
getting better. And uh, I get why the media pupondents
want them to be better, right, we want New York
to be good at football, the biggest market in football.
But they just seems like they can't get out of
the way, get out of their way in the sense
that it feels like we're a year or two earlier.
(32:26):
They need some more time. In my opinion, the Giants.
Speaker 1 (32:29):
I feel like when the Giants are good doesn't have
the same impact as the Eagles, or the Bears or
the Packers, Like it's just a different New York is
a Yankees in Knickstown. To me, that's what drives the
excitement for other leagues. When the Yankees are good and
the city gets behind the Yankees, that's when baseball gets exciting.
(32:50):
When the Knicks are good and MSG is amped up
to the rafters, that's when the NBA is great. To me,
the Giants are characterless team. And I don't mean they
have bad character. I mean you're playing in the meadowlands.
The stadium is like, the stadium is irrelevant. It doesn't
get loud, people come late, they leave early. It's a
(33:14):
shitty environment. The Giants being good doesn't amp up the
league in the same way that other places when they
get loud, amp up the league.
Speaker 2 (33:22):
I guess I wish I could agree with you, but
unfortunately it's it's not true. They're the Giants. They do
move the needle when they're good. They are beloved, beloved
like when I literally grew up through it. Those two
Super Bowls. I worked on the jerseys for the TV
show Every Beach House, Chad had a Giants like. Everyone
(33:42):
was repping Eli jerseys, Plexico jerseys, the whole nine yards,
Strayhan jerseys. It was everywhere. That's the organization where you
just talked about, that's how much they've ruined football in
New York City because that's how bad the Jets in
York have been. You just don't see that anymore. Like
I'm with you. I don't see New York year like
I used to. It's more often now I'm gonna see
Nick's jerseys. Yeah, Nik's jersey. So you're right about that.
(34:04):
But they're way for that right player, right Like Odell
Beckham's the type of guy. He can only have that
moment in New York City if he had that same
catch for the Arizona Cardinals. It's not the same thing
on a Monday night football, but because it is New York,
it amplifies everything. It's the biggest media conglomerate in America.
So they've just lost their way organization. So I'm with you.
(34:26):
It's dead like it is, not like it used to be.
But they're waiting. They're in hibernation right now, they're begging
for Jackson Dark to lead them out of the darkness.
Speaker 1 (34:34):
You know who hasn't lost their way? Philadelphia Iggles overall,
Malachi Lemon, Eli Stowers like top of the draft, two guys.
We talked about this with Derek Brown. You said it,
I thought brilliantly the other day. They are high floor guys.
We don't know what their ceiling is, but they are
going to be really competent football players who on the
(34:58):
level should be consummate professionals.
Speaker 2 (35:02):
Yeah, it's just it feels That's why I love so
much about how He's It feels like he really trust
his coaching staff, where he's like, I'm gonna get these
guys who have the talent, it's up to you and
make them into the best football players they can possibly be.
And you know the Lemon trade up, I would say
any other organization you could get a little weary about it, right,
trading up with a divisional foe to go get a guy.
(35:25):
But when it's Howie, it's like, Okay, he must have
good reason here. He must really love this guy, and
it's not a need, right, it doesn't We don't we
already have a number one if AJ leaves in Devonte Smith.
But that's what I love about Howie. It's like he
just always wants to go tick the best player available
and never reach for a guy or overdraft the player.
It's just can we get the best guy we have
(35:46):
on our highest grade boards. So yeah, I don't need
to beat it in right. People know my view. I
just most people have the same view. It's just I'm
with you. I can't wait if I was another team
until how he retires. It just seems like every year
he gets better in his craft, and he just he
grows the more confidence. My favorite thing I saw about
how he was h he's gonna interviewed me, talks on
years where he doesn't have you know, say they take
(36:07):
a guy in the second round, they have another pick
again for forty picks, He'll go take laps and walk
around the field outside without a cell phone, Chad, So
he's not texting and calling people to try to trade
up and get rid of draft picks. He just says
he's addicted to it. He always wants to be in
the clock and always wants to be taking guys. And
that's the kind of guy you want to run to.
Your front office, right, someone that's just they live and
die for the draft. They know that this is their
(36:29):
super Bowl. So he I feel like he nailed this one.
And you know, I was hoping we're gonna get more
defensive guys. But I'm never gonna complain about getting, arguably
some people's opinions, the best receiver in the class and
the best tight end of the class. So yeah, it
looks like he did pretty good in the first two rounds.
Speaker 1 (36:43):
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Speaker 2 (37:56):
I did.
Speaker 3 (37:56):
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And I was out with a friend and he we
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He goes, I'm just.
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Drinking this thing that helps when work out drinking.
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And I said, is it ze Biotics? He said, yeah, yeah,
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and use the code sharp or square at checkout for
fifteen percent off. All right, Look, the biggest bet in
terms of price that you gave out was over to
running over one and a half running backs in the
first round of plus five hundred. The Seattle Seahawks made
you wait, but they paid it off by drafting to
(39:42):
Darien Price, the number two running back at Notre Dame,
who still got into the first round. Look that they
just won the Super Bowl and their their biggest off
season moves were Kobe Bryant, their safety, leaving for the Bears,
and Kenneth Edwards, the Super Bowl MVP, leaving for the Chiefs.
(40:03):
So what do they do They draft a running back
in the first round, they draft a safety in the
second round. This to me, feels like really smart drafting,
knowing your roster and understanding sort of how to play
within the framework of the game that you've been presented with.
I liked what they did.
Speaker 2 (40:22):
Yeah, like we said, these these well run organizations, it
carries over to the draft, right, It's what makes them
so great. It all starts at the draft, getting the
right players, the right personalities, and like you said, they
had guys leave and they just filled those holes, right,
guys that project out the guys they really love. And
you know Price, which I didn't have a first round
great on him. I was joking with Chat before the show,
(40:45):
I wish I'd put more on it because it was
like the most open known thing in all of sports media,
right that they were going to take a running back
or a d end if that's who fell to them
at that pick. And it's like it worked out right.
Everyone thought they were going to trade down. They didn't.
They stayed right there guy they wanted. And you know
the Seattle team people say it was a little fluky
(41:06):
what happened last year with them making it to the
super Bowl, which you know, any year, you can see
it any year flu right, Well, in the sense that
that it came down the two pointer.
Speaker 1 (41:16):
Right, Yeah, it's always going to be something that that's once.
Speaker 2 (41:20):
In a lifetime. We will never see a backward pass
that didn't go backwards. Actually, Ford and the guy walked
in from version to win their division. That was like
once in a lifetime. But like we said, the you know,
Sam Darnold, but you have fourteen interceptions last year. You
saw the second half. They wanted to be more of
a run heavy team. So it makes me happy to
(41:41):
see that they try and go get a running back
to lean into that. Right, Charbona is a really good back.
He's used to splitting carries. He's not never been a
lead back.
Speaker 1 (41:50):
Also, who knows when he's coming back because of the
torn a cl.
Speaker 2 (41:53):
That's so true. I didn't even think about it. So
you know, it's a need that they had and they
took the guy they wanted in Pro and everything I've seen,
this kid could be an absolute freak. Right. The questions
with him are receiving at the backfield in his pass blocking,
which with the right coaching, all the money these teams have,
they can they can. I'm sure they'll better figure that out.
(42:14):
If that's truly his biggest weakness. But yeah, what else
can you say about the Seattle team That just feels
like they went into the draft they had a couple
of needs, they didn't the holes they needed to fill,
and they got every single guy they wanted to fill
in those holes. So I'm sure they are later right now,
and so is their fan base.
Speaker 1 (42:31):
Meanwhile, the San Francisco forty nine Ers, John Lynch was
basically getting heckled by the media in San Francisco asking
why he reached the way he did for players in
the draft this year, which seems to be a habit
that we have talked about again and again and again.
Last year, you talked about the niners opportunity to win
(42:51):
the division really coming down to how well the rookies played.
Everybody got hurt, so it kind of didn't play out
that way. But again, it's going to be up to
the development of some very young players who not a
lot of people think the Niners did a good job
of evaluating.
Speaker 2 (43:11):
Yeah, they're looking thin just overall, because like you just said,
Lynch has reached over the years and he's had some
big misses, and you know, normally you trade away a
bunch of first round picks, you take Trey Lance, your
job is over in this league. But Rock Purty, the
saving grace is what's yeah right, and has kept him
around all this time. And you know, in this draft,
(43:34):
who are we to say who's reaching for? I'm just
saying that people who do this for a living that
study these players, go on TV and talk about it.
They're all saying that they are reaching for these certain
different players. So that's what we have to go off of.
And you know, I look at this team and I
youk situation. If that was happening in Philadelphia, that would
be on the front of the newspaper every single day.
(43:55):
Oh yeah, And they've done a really really good job
of just keep it in the background. No one's really
talking about that often. But it's a huge deal. They
gave this guy a ton of money and he's never
showed up and he's just basically being held by them
hostage because they hate him too. They're like, we're not
releasing the US. You can go to Washington and go
play with your friends, like you're staying here and if
you want to do nothing good, get fat. I don't
(44:16):
know if you saw pictures of him, Yeah, yeah, he's
put on thirty pounds, not a good thirty pounds of muscles.
It's all in his stomach, in his face. So ory Niners.
We've talked about this. They are always the Sea Saw team,
and last year they were also a play away from
being the one seat despite all their injuries. Yeah, now
(44:36):
that's not gonna be true. Right, They have a pretty
tough schedule and it's we'll see if they can stay healthy. Yeah,
they can be a good team. Right. They have some
of the best coaches in all football defensive being offensively.
But I look at this draft and a lot of
these guys they took a round ahead of where not
just high graded people that do scouting for a living
at graded. So you're either a genius Chile Lynch, or
(44:59):
you truly are the legitiot and you think are smart
to everyone else, and you keep reaching in the draft
for these guys and you're just all you keep doing
is stead of your franchise back. So it'll be interesting
where they go from here, because obviously John Lynch has
nailed some picks, that's why they are still a good team.
But I think Shannon covers up a lot of his mistakes,
and Ali Salah has left that defense again, it's gonna
be interesting what this defense is like this season because
(45:21):
they do have a lot of young guys on that defense.
Speaker 1 (45:24):
Tampa Bay Bucks Warren Sap esque deja vu moment Rubin
Bain drops to the middle of the first round. We
had talked a lot about Ruben Bain, and I don't
know if sort of the news about the trap, the
the car crash he was in in which someone was
killed a couple of years ago, that just started to
(45:45):
leak out or become sort of bigger news. In the
days leading up to the draft, he was projected anywhere
from you know, long shot four to middle of the
first round. The Bucks got him there, it seemed like
a little bit to drop. He's one of those guys.
To me, every time I saw him play, he dominated.
(46:06):
I'm obviously not a scout. I'm just a average fan.
But I am a guy who has followed the NFL
long enough and reported on the NFL long enough to
know that when a guy with that kind of talent
also shows up on tape, there's very It's talking about
a floor. There's just a floor there. I feel like
they got a great pick. Now, is it going to
(46:27):
make the difference? For them in the NFC South, who knows,
but I feel good for them that they got him
at fifteen.
Speaker 2 (46:34):
Yeah. I love the pick, and I think what you
said is true. It might be some outfield stuff, but
a lot of it too is measurable stuff, right, And
that's what at the end of the day. A lot
of these teams they do care about that. And he's
basically his arm length. I think he's in the one
percent down that's not the good one percent, Yeah, one
percent off. He is insanely short arms. I think they
call it t rex arms, which is just a brutal
(46:54):
thing to have hanging over you, being called t rex arms.
But he does have a He's a weird body that way.
And I'm with you. It's like, I get the measurable
stuff matters, but the football stuff matters. Like he is,
like you said, through and through, a great football player,
a smart football player that just he sees things that
other guys don't. He can bend away, bend a certain
(47:16):
way that a lot of guys can't when they're rushing
the quarterback.
Speaker 1 (47:19):
And ain'to flexibility.
Speaker 2 (47:22):
Yeah, and that's why I was just like, Yeah, I
was shocked to see him fall to fifteen, So you know,
the Bucks, to me, that's a steal. I heard whispers
to the Eagles that was another guy Howie was going
to try to trade up and get. So the Bucks
taking him there, That's that's the dream, right, Just have
a guy like him like that fall to you because
his other greatest measurables and he might have done things
(47:44):
off field. He's a changed man and we've seen the
talent and the product production on the field. Could be
a home run, right, the kind of a guy that
in five years now when they redo the draft, he's
got top three, top four picks. So I'd be pretty
happy as a Bucks fan and just the rest of
the draft, right, Trotter, that's another good pick, right, yeah, Linebackeren,
you know the wide receiver position for this Bucks team.
(48:07):
Every year they're taking guys, So I have no idea
if this is a good pick taking a wide receiver
in the third round. But I think this Bucks team
they're kind of showing their hand here that now that
Mike Evans is left, they're getting a little older in
the wire receiving corps. I mecha, Buka. They do love them,
but they want another guy running aside him. So I
feel like every year and now we're going to see
them just trying to take a guy in these three
(48:29):
four round see if they can hit on one of
these guys. So, yeah, if I'm a Bucks fan, I'd
be pretty happy with this draft.
Speaker 1 (48:35):
One guy with the Washington Commanders who had been connected
to them the entire time was Sunny Styles at Ohio State.
Everyone loves Sonny Styles. The Commanders need help on defense.
They got Sunny Styles. They got exactly what they wanted.
Speaker 2 (48:53):
To me.
Speaker 1 (48:54):
That's really interesting the pick you should make. Did you
know that k Tron Allen who is their pick in
the sixth round, the running back from Penn State. He's
the all time leading rusher at Penn State. I read
that and I was shocked that that's the guy who
is the all time leading rusher considering the Hall of
(49:15):
Fame running backs they've had at Penn State.
Speaker 2 (49:19):
Yeah, you just not to a lot of those. All
of those hallo from running backs either left early or
it It was just it wasn't played as many games, right,
There's just so many games now in college football. But yeah,
another pick I was miserable about. I knew they're going
to get some great defender.
Speaker 1 (49:33):
Right.
Speaker 2 (49:34):
Having that seventh pick, yeah, part of me was like, well,
maybe I'll take a receiver here, which I was really
hoping for. But no, Sonny Styles is just the best pick,
the right pick there's everyone could be a bust, right,
you never know. He just feels like another guaranteed guy, like,
at worst he's a pro bowler and the peak would
be all Pro. Right, It's just his floor feels so low.
(49:56):
He's so football smart, so athletic, well, I mean all
of it. He's just he could be an instant leader
of that defense. And that's just a huge pick for
Washington because you're their defense is just awful. Like the
year they made that Super Bowl run, you know, their
their strength probably was the linebacking corps, but it was
a Bobby Wagner I think it was. It was that's
(50:18):
just older and it's like, okay, last year you saw
his legs. Everything really caught up to him. He just
looked like a thirty five year old linebacker. So yeah,
home run. If you're a Washington fan, like the rest
of your draft can be terrible, you nail that first
round pick on a linebacker that could potentially be an
All Pro who cares like, that's exactly what that defense is.
Need a true leader and a young guy to lead
(50:39):
that team, Simon.
Speaker 1 (50:41):
We started the show talking about Bobby Wagner as a
brilliant pick for the Seattle Seahawks. We ended with the
Bobby Wagner reference. That's the beauty of going full circle.
That's what we do here. We're going to go through
the AFC Draft on Thursday with James Weaver from Sports
(51:04):
Info Solutions. This has been Sharper Square part of the
Volume podcast network. Watch or listen on YouTube at Sharper
STARp or Square. Like this video, subscribe to the channel,
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Speaker 2 (51:24):
I think it's a typical cult move.
Speaker 3 (51:25):
I mean, here's a team that needed a franchise quarterback
to pass up a Trent.
Speaker 2 (51:29):
Dilfer when all you have is Jim Harball, give me
a break. That's why the cults are picking second every
year in the draft, not battling for the Super Bowl
like other clubs.
Welcome to Sharper Square, presented by hard Rock Back. We
are part of the Volume podcast network. This is the
show that makes the square sharper. It makes the wise
guys pay attention. I am Shadmullman. I am joined as
always by my co host, my bff, my companion, my
compadre professional better signmon on dark Eto, So Imon, how
(00:23):
we doing, my brother. There's going to be a lot
to discuss in the NFL, you know, conversations about the
schedules and how that impacts everything when the schedules do
come out as we get into the latter half of May.
But I want to put a bow on our draft
(00:43):
coverage because I do think it's worth There's people doing
Dynasty league stuff. There's people trying to get ahead on
what's really going to make an impact for season win totals,
how they want a position for winning the division, et cetera,
et cetera. We've laid some breadcrumbs on teams we think
might have an option both in the NFC and THEFC.
So we're going to do a couple back to a
couple of shows about digging a little bit deeper on
(01:08):
NFC and AFC. This week we're doing the NFC. Thursday
will be our part two covering the AFC. We've got
James Weaver from James Weaver from Sports Info Solutions. Today
is part one. We'll cover the NF the NFC. This
is a betting show. We like the draft as football fans.
(01:33):
We love the draft because we can bet on it.
You and Derek Brown gave great advice, crushed it. We
cannot bet on draft recaps. We cannot bet on grading
draft recaps. More importantly, we know and Matt Mitchell and
I had a long conversation about this. We were talking
about draft recap shows. We have no idea how these
(01:58):
drafts are going to play out out, how any team's
draft actually worked out for at least three seasons. Immediate
evaluation generally kind of silly. For example, And I mentioned
this with Derek the other day. You know, I'm PMT.
They talked about the twenty twelve Seattle Draft with Bruce Irvan,
(02:19):
Bobby Wagner, Russell Wilson. They also traded away a fifth
rounder to Buffalo Or They traded away a fifth rounder
from Marshawn Lynch. Despite this, they received an f from
(02:40):
Bleacher Report for their draft that year, the key line
Pete Carroll was proving why he didn't make it in
the NFL the first time. The point is all those
guys became hugely important to the Seahawks winning the Super
Bowl within a couple of years. That same year, the
forty nine Ers got a C plus for their draft,
(03:01):
which is now considered the worst draft by any modern
NFL team. Seven drafted players that garnered four total starts
for the Niners. Five of those seven players were gone
before the next season. Aj Jenkins was the top pick.
He was their wide receiver. He declined the offer to
(03:21):
work out with forty nine Ers legend Jerry Rice in
the offseason caught zero passes for the Niners before getting
traded to Kansas City. That's my point. Aj Jenkins picked
first fixed in the first round, Lemichael James, Darius Fleming,
(03:41):
and the list goes on right. So we do this
in the spirit of fun, in the spirit of debate,
in the spirit of what a lot of media is today,
and hopefully people can listen in. They can have their
own opinions. They can hate us for what we're saying,
they can love us because they agree with us, et cetera,
et cetera. We have spent a lot of time talking
about how idiotic it was of the Cardinals to take
(04:03):
Jeremiah Love number three. Overall, the salvey doesn't match, the
strategy doesn't match. They don't have a quarterback. They're collecting talent,
and they have no way to get anyone in the
ball Simon Cardinals, once upon a time might have been
a team we wanted to see some upside in. Nothing
about their draft. In addition to Love, I they got
(04:26):
Carson Beck. You know they got I don't know, nothing
too exciting in their draft.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
For me, yeah, and for a gammer's perspective, I love
the Beck pick because to me, fifteen to one for
him to be a Rookie of the year, that's a
live number. This is just like Freanan Mendoza. He's probably
the most ready now quarterback in this draft class right
and he's not an opportunity that the quarterback ahead of
(04:55):
him is disgruntled. First Set ONTs money now I even
showing him to volunteer camps. They're not going to give
him any type of money vers set is. I mean,
he doesn't understand. He's just he's a one year guy
there for them, they're not there's zero future plans with
him and Sam could be for Beck here where it's
like zero expectations. They're not gonna be that good. They're
(05:15):
probably in the artist division of football. If he can
get three wins and a class that no other quarterback
is going to play, right if Randon Mendoza might not
play possibility and ty Simpson we're most likely not going
to play right behind Stafford. There is some value there
if you want to take a long shot on Beck,
who might end up playing his way into being their
starting quarterback because they're that terrible and they kind of
(05:38):
do want to lose games, right, and he'd be perfe
for that. Like he's he's got big weaknesses. So yeah,
in a draft I hate and it's hard to find value.
Like ch I was saying in these type of conversations,
I do think there is value here on Beck at
fifteen to one. I could see those odds jumping very
high if he has named their starter.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
Before Tyler shuck vibes.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
Yeah, right, right's perfect anology.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
Tyler suck Vibes. The Atlanta Falcons. I actually think the
Falcons at least like on paper, Again, this is always
on paper they filled needs. They got Avian Terrell, who
is brother of aj Terrell, the cornerback. Their defense continued
to get better. Last year. They got the kid Zachariah
(06:26):
Branch from Georgia, who dropped a little bit because of
it off the field issues just before the draft. To me,
that alone, like at the top, you know, good job
for them. Matt Ryan might have been a little bit
too enthusiastic about some of the picks they were getting
and acting like they had just won the Super Bowl.
But if they can figure out you know, they've got
(06:48):
the quarterback issues. But like defensively in their wide receiver room,
I do believe it got a little bit better. And
I betting on the Falcons to win the NFC South
because they drafted a cornerback and a wide receiver in
the first two rounds. Probably not because I still like
the Carolina Panthers.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
I'm with you, though, I'm excited for this new front office.
Right the last one left them in a hole without
a first round pick, and they did the best they
could with the players available, So I'm ready with there
with you. Like to me, their biggest weakness is defense.
Basically took that one receiver in the third round. The
rest of their pictures spent on defensive players. So even
if they're hopeful, right and they get one, maybe two
hits here of these guys right at one of these
(07:25):
corners and one of these d tackles hits, it's all good.
And that's that's a good draft by them. So I'm
with you, though, the Matt Ryan I get it though.
It's a lot of work behind the scenes, and it's
probably his first draft room he's ever been, so yeah,
he was pretty fired up about their round picks.
Speaker 1 (07:41):
It is interesting, like they've done a lot of work
on defense and that what they did last year in
their defensive line, going from a team that for half
a decade was one of the worst teams in the
NFL in terms of pass rush, so last year being
an excellent pass rush. You can see the Seeds, right.
You can see them building into something where they don't
have to be so reliant on an explosive offense week
(08:02):
after week after week, staying in the NFC South We're
Carolina Panthers podcast. It wasn't the most exciting draft for
the Panthers. Their first round pick, Monroe Freeling, and offensive
tackle from Georgia their second round pick, Lee Hunter, a
(08:22):
defensive tackle from Texas Tech. Like they're doing the things
that we like the Panthers to be doing, which is
improving in the trenches. We talk about it all the time.
I know you think it's a sucker pick to take
the Panthers to win the NFC South, But I don't
think they did themselves a disservice out of the draft
(08:43):
to make their chances worse. Like they filled in areas
they definitely need to fill in. They're improving consistently.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
Yeah, and this is, like I said, this is what
it's going to take for them to get back to
where they were last year when the division and making
the playoffs. Like they need to nail the draft. And
I said, Bryshaun, he's going to have to level up,
which is going to be really tough because last year
he had some incredible, incredible games. Right, So this draft
to me, you know I talk all the time. I
(09:10):
think the most two important things to address is the
offensive line in the D line. First two picks for
them offensive tackle and a d tackle. So right there,
I'm a sucker. I love it the fact that they
want to guy the receiver who a lot of people
at the second round. Great, and I believe Yeah, they
got him in the third round. Yes, that's those are
the things you're looking for, right, I mean, it's a
need and it also dropped them. They didn't force the pick.
(09:32):
So if I'm a Panthers fan, I would be very
very excited. Like it does seem like your owner has
hired the right people and has taken a step back
and is letting them make the picks down. I think
he's learned his lesson about getting involved in the draft.
Speaker 1 (09:46):
Do you feel like my pick of the Panthers to
win the NFC South is a little bit less of
a sucker bet?
Speaker 2 (09:55):
It is? The soccer bet wasn't on the South. The
soccer bet you took was the over six and a
half O because this is Carolina Panthers show. I just
told you the reason they gave you that number was
they're playing a first place schedule.
Speaker 1 (10:08):
You're right, you're right, you're right, you're right.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
Yeah, you're right.
Speaker 1 (10:13):
Simon. How many podcasts can say they are a literate
sports betting podcast that is also dedicated to the Carolina Panthers.
I think there's one. I think we're the number one
ranked literate sports betting podcast dedicated to the Carolina Panthers.
We can put that on our Wikipedia pages. These Chicago Bears. Look,
(10:35):
we took the kid from Oregon, Dylan Daneman the safety.
I have no issue with that. We need help in
the defensive backfield. Both of our safeties have left. We
were already not very good in the defensive backfield. Second
pick Logan Jones, Iowa Center. I love getting a center.
(10:55):
Centers are becoming more and more important in the NFL.
We've seen their salaries skyrocketing because they are starting to
be recognized as the lynch pin of that offensive line,
not just because of the way they are situated, but
their ability to communicate with the quarterback. They're getting their due.
It's fantastic, usually the smartest person on the field. The
(11:17):
Bears did not do a great job of going to
improve their edge rush, and I'm curious for your take.
Will that be the reason they don't get to the
Super Bowl this year?
Speaker 2 (11:30):
It could be, But this draft, to me, it just
looks like it was a lot of Ben Johnson's fingerprints. Right.
They needed to address the defense. That's there still questions
obviously offensively, but that feels like the weakness of the
team right is defense. Like last year they lived and
died on turnovers. That was, without turnovers, they were giving
up hundreds of yards on the ground or tons of
(11:51):
yards through the area. It was just all about the
turnovers that really saved them. And this draft, I love
your first round pick honestly, Like safeties to me are
always undervalued. He probably is worth a mid level pick.
He fell to you guys at twenty five because he
is a safety and that's the way it is with
that position. But he ends up being a stud honestly
(12:11):
pays for the rest of the draft because it's like
you said, you guys went center, tight end, the receiver.
It was just funny where like Ben Johnson just couldn't
help himself. Where it's like, you know, if it's a
weak class defensively, especially the d end position, I get
it right, you're just not trying to force picks, chat.
I think that's that's a sign of a well run organization.
It didn't feel like any of your guys' picts were
(12:31):
honestly forced. A couple of them were players that fell
to you guys. So yeah, there's still a lot of
questions about polls. Right now. But he's done stuff over
the years that really nailed it, and I obviously evaluated
the right talent for your guys team. Right, He's hit
on a couple of picks now, so he's getting to
that spot where you still get question stuff. Right, every
gym is going to miss on picks or overall, I
(12:53):
think he's earned it where you can trust them, where
it's like, Okay, they didn't address a lot of the
needs on defense. Maybe he's just like Nextre's class is
so loaded defensively. I'm not going to force it this show.
I'm just gonna take best available.
Speaker 1 (13:04):
I don't feel when I watch Poles like he's making
desperation plays anymore. You know, he knows enough about his team,
and he knows enough about the holes and enough about
the talent that's available. I'm getting more comfortable that he
can make the right call. I'm going to be less
dramatic about it over the course of a weekend, speaking
(13:26):
of safety. Speaking of safety is dropping. I know we
like to bash the Dallas Cowboys, and everyone likes to
bash Jerry Jones because they have not been able to
sustain any success in the postseason since he really decided
he was going to be in charge of everything. But
you're getting Caleb Downs outside the top ten. I mean
(13:47):
that feels like you've won the draft. Forget about everything
else just because of that.
Speaker 2 (13:53):
Love that pick. But did you see I saw a
club Nick Saban, they know his mic was hot, and
he was criticizing them for their Lawrence pick, which I
totally agree with, which is this edge that you know
has some talent, but felt like a bit of a
reach to a lot of people. I know, tons of scouts.
I had third round grades on them, a couple had
(14:13):
second round grades on them. They took him in you know,
high twenty three, twenty four. I picked it with the
Eagles to take So does that mean they're really looking
at taking him at twenty which would have been a
horrible pick, but still felt like a little bit of
reach there. But yeah, if if if you're a Cowboys fan,
I mean I'd be over the moon. I hate all
(14:33):
those Ohio State guys went in the Eagles division, right,
The Giants took one, Washington took one, and the Cowboys
took one. So that all American, all pro, incredible defense
from college. Now you know it's just gonna be an
NFC East, Like literally, Sonny Styles went to Washington, and
you know, I look at this pick here and downs
and it's just a great pick by Jerry right let
(14:55):
the best player drop to him. And I said, Jerry,
I don't love the way he drafts obviously throughout the draft,
but overall his first round picks he tends to do
really well. Like he tends to let the guys follow
him and take the best athlete available. And to me,
might not be the best athlete in downs, but he
definitely has in my mind the smartest football player only
behind him for Nanda Mendoza, like that to me is
(15:17):
the ultimate cheeko. Do you get a guy that smart
running your defense? He could change their entire defensive makeup. Right,
this is a big deal for a Cowboys fan getting
this type of player.
Speaker 1 (15:27):
Well, that's the question, Like, is it game changing enough
for the Cowboys to leap frog the Eagles in the NFCS.
Speaker 2 (15:36):
Yeah, it's it's still there's still so many unknowns with them.
But if they if they do get pickings back, and
if they do make you know, another move, try to
get another portrayed for another player for that defense, because
it still feels like maybe they are one or two
players short, but they've been attacking. And not only last
year were they adding guys obviously in trading draft picks,
but even in this year in the offseason, they've spent
(15:57):
money to try to upgrade that defense. So it's it's
all about pickings really, like they need him to come back.
He was such a huge deal for that offense. It
was really incredible him mcd It's just it's impossible to
take both of them away. One of them is going
to get theirs Detroit.
Speaker 1 (16:13):
All throughout the year last year, we kept waiting for
Detroit's offensive line to get a little bit better. We
kept betting into the Lions thinking that their offense was
going to turn around because their offensive line was going
to get better. It never did. First pick Blake Miller
tackle from Clemson. They also had tremendous depth issues. Like
(16:34):
when you're losing thirteen fourteen guys for the year on defense,
you're going to have issues. That's what happened to them
last year. So they went offensive tackle, edge, linebacker, cornerback.
That to me, I can't evaluate the players, but in
terms of strategy, it seemed like the Lions did exactly
(16:55):
what they had to do.
Speaker 2 (16:57):
Yeah, this is an easy one. I was a Detroit fan,
I'd be very happy. It's like, you guys needed to
address the O line. They're trying their best. They took
the best player they think they have graded at that position.
I'd be pretty excited if I was a Detroit fan,
because it's just if they would have gone another position,
I would have been upset. Like they had to go
offensive line. You have to protect golf. We just know
(17:18):
we have the data. He is a totally different quarterback
when he has time in the pocket to set his
feet and find open guys. It's just when he gets
pressure totally, he's totally different players. So uh yeah, the
fact that they went oh line and they just went
all defense, I love it. It's like it's you don't
need to keep approving your offense line you have. I mean,
you do need to prove your offense line, but weapon wise,
you don't need another receiver, you don't need another tight end,
(17:40):
you don't need another running back. Stop wasting picks on
those positions. Just address the defense, which feels like every
year we're talking about Chad, they just have so many injuries,
so many guys going down they need depth. So this
this to me, couldn't have dropped at a better draft
for this Detroit team. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:56):
Like, to me, this was a draft of confidence. Teams
that know what they need, Teams that know who they are.
They're not trying to please a fan base with some
fancy name. They're just trying to fill the holes because
they know how close they can be and that the
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gambler in Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, Tennessee, and Virginia.
Green Bay Packers. Look, they didn't have a pick in
the first round, so they didn't get a lot of
attention this week. And when they did pick their first
three picks rounds two, three, and four, they went cornerback,
defensive tackle, edge rusher, a center, and then they went
(20:32):
back to defensive back, and then they went placekicker. So
they had six picks and they focused basically on defense
and special teams. I think they did the same exact
thing the Lions did. They know what their weaknesses are,
they're trying to fix.
Speaker 2 (20:49):
Them, and they're a sleeper team. I know everyone swears
Aj is going to the Patriots. I've heard whispers about
Green really team that's sneakily in the conversation for AJ Brown,
and obviously he was already have a relationship. They just
traded for wicks from the Screen Bay team. But when
I heard that, it made sense after I saw what
(21:10):
happened in the draft, right, they didn't really do anything offensively,
Like to them, they love their offense that come back
from the Bears in the playoffs, which is haunting their dreams.
Clearly was all in the defense, right The defense fell apart,
and they also had terrible injuries as well as the
offense last year. So I think they're from the right viewpoint.
It's like, if we can get healthier, if that aj
(21:30):
stuff is real, I mean I would love that from them.
They desperately need a number one like him on the outside.
And you know, I know is what Reid. I know
they just paid somebody some receiero. But like they're they
got golden from last year, like they have the weapons offensively,
the defense is what they needed to address. So I'm
right there with you. It's like, we have no idea
if any of these guys are going to hit, but
the fact that they're trying to address it and just
(21:52):
fill all these holes they have right now. We know
when Parsons in there fully healthy, that defense was an
absolute game wrecker, just on a tear for the five
six weeks of the season until the injuries caught up
to him. So I like to keep trying to attack
that defense, which just seems like year in year out.
That's been a weakness for them.
Speaker 1 (22:09):
That NFC North could be so good next year. Like,
my goodness, if one or two of these picks pan
out and sort of have the ability to play make
for defensively for defensively for the Packers, or if Blake
Miller works out for the lines and all of a
sudden their offensive line has changed dramatically, Like those are
things that just completely transform both of those teams. They
(22:30):
might not end up losing to the Bears the way
they did last year. We talked about Tie Simpson to
the Rams. Look, this felt a little bit like a
draft where they feel really good about everything and they're
drafting for depth.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
It could be just from a Rams perspective, I would
hate this draft with a passion. I just you already
have five good tight ends. We really just took another.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
I know.
Speaker 2 (23:01):
I get why fans were pulling their hair out where
it's like, my god, we're we're a two point or
two point conversion away from being the number one seed
and probably going to the Super Bowl last year. Like
I can't try to get a d N can't try
to get another receiver, Like the Lemon pick honestly did
make sense to me for them. It's like if they
had Lemon Puka and DeVante, oh my god for Stafford,
(23:25):
like that makes sense, but instead they took a guy
who's gonna rude on their bench for two years. So
I understand why Rams fans were upset and they're getting
a lot of pushback. But like you just said, Chad,
it's let's need the organization. You just have to trust them,
and that's that's what they're doing, right. They took the
best available in their draft grade board. If it doesn't
make sense to us to take a quarterback, then a
(23:45):
tight end. That's their their their highest graded guys. But
it's just bizarre, like in a draft that you only
had five picks, you go quarterback, tight end, and then
you know it's it's just weird. Like offensive line made sense, right,
that was in the third round. Yeah, receiver d end ended,
it's just the tackle ended. It's just a little bit
of a weird draft for me. For a Rams scen
(24:06):
that just feels like they're right there and they need
a guy that could get in there right now and
help this team. But I get it, you always need
to keep an eye on that future, and that's what
this draft was This draft truly was just simply for
the future and not right now.
Speaker 1 (24:19):
The Minnesota Vikings nine picks, four of the first five.
We're on defense. I mean, look, the Vikings seem like
a team where it doesn't really matter. Their defense had
(24:41):
holes for sure. Last year. They had trouble getting too
the quarterback unless they were blitzing. They had a lot
of trouble in the defensive backfield, but the issue was quarterback.
Like if JJ McCarthy is a little bit better when
he's not injured, there's less pressure on the defense. Kyler
Murray ended up being like, that's really who they drafted, right.
(25:03):
You could argue their number one overall pick was Kyler
Murray and that's the only thing that really matters. Everything
else is window dressing.
Speaker 2 (25:11):
To me, yeah, I'm probably the same bit easier Worth, like,
I don't know enough about these guys they drafted to
really give an opinion. I do obviously know Banks, and
that that to me is good. Address the defense. Like
you said, there was some games where they simply could
not stop the run. They just could not stop it.
And you know, Harris and Smith coming back. I know
(25:32):
a lot of the fans of the Vikings want of
them to take a safety because they don't even know
if they're their best safety is coming back, he might
be retiring. So yeah, it's it's a draft you look
at it where they clearly just went we're loading up
on the defense. If Kyler or JJ can't succeed with
the weapons we've already taken over the last three years offensively,
that's not on us, right because they do have the receivers,
(25:53):
they have the offensive line. It's the weapons are all there,
like you just said, Chat, it's all about the execution
from the quarterback position. So yeah, this draft to me
is is one where it's like, okay, got to address
the defense. Have a tunnel hole, is have a ton
of people leaving, right, They've had a guys, they've traded in,
a lost and free agency. So yeah, their draft honestly
made sense to me, just going very very heavy to
(26:14):
the defense.
Speaker 1 (26:15):
The New Orleans Saints, I think we have to basically
decide that Tyler Shock is who they believe in because
they went to get him a weapon with Jordan Tyson
in the top ten, the kid from Arizona State as
the wide receiver. Then they followed that up getting him
a getting him a tight end Oscar Delp from Georgia
at the third round, and they also went to guard
(26:37):
in the fourth round and then another receiver in the
back of the fourth round. They're just saying, Tyler Shock
is our guy and this is how we're going to
support him. Are you feeling like the Saints are a
sleeper team in the South.
Speaker 2 (26:55):
They could be, but we've talked about like it's so good.
I mean, this is gonna be a hyperbolic to people,
but I I think this is the best the NFC
has ever been in my lifetime. Like the Bears, the
North is brutally tough, the West is brutally tough. The
NFC East, which you can say is a bad division.
Jalen Hurts, Jane Daniels, Dak Prescott giving her take. They're
(27:19):
all rated pretty highly at the quarterback position. And now
you have people in national media picking the Giants to
come out of the East or to at least make
the playoffs, Like that's a real conversation. People actually believe
in the Giants right now. So it's like, I can't
get over how tough the NFC is. And then you
look at this division with Atlanta the Saints, Carolina, and
the Bucks. I think me and you both agree, Chad,
(27:41):
we really don't know any for of these teams could
hit it, could win this division, like if it breaks right,
like if Tule finds it. Yeah, could Atlanta pulled off, sure,
But of all the teams, I probably put Atlanta at
the lowest because of the questions I have right now
the quarterback position. Me and you are probably the same, Bill.
We have a lot of questions obviously about Chuck and
he's just gonna be a one hit wonder right the
(28:01):
tape all the offseason. These guys are excitting the tape.
They're gonna make a very difficult Himick and call them Moore.
But the Saints, like you just said, they are showing
to you they're all in on this kid and them
going through receivers as well in the draft. I love it.
It's like, Okay, we're just trying to hopefully hit on
one of these guys for him and for the future
and let him grow with this kid as his receiver.
(28:22):
So the Saints could either win this division or have
the number two pick next year and take Archie Manning.
Like that, to me, is that's what I see with
this team, they could fall off an absolute cliff next
year because they basically got hot just the the end
of the year. Me and chadber just back up the
brinks truck fading them for the first four weeks of
the season. They're horrible, so they could be a bottom
(28:43):
feeding team, or they could easily win this division. It's
all about shuck. Like we just talked about, it's it's
a really fun upside team.
Speaker 1 (28:48):
Well, look, you mentioned the Giants, and they're a compliment
to the Giants in the same way that they're all
in on Shock in New Orleans, they're all in on
Jackson Dart. Doesn't it feel premature to be saying that
the Giants are all of a sudden contenders in the
NFC East. I get Harbaugh, I get the new coach,
(29:09):
different attitude, different set of priorities, how he's gonna organize
that team, But it's still Jackson Dart, who couldn't be
knocked out of any game at any time. I just
don't know why there's so much momentum for this team
(29:30):
from national media.
Speaker 2 (29:33):
Yeah, and I could eat this in three months, but
right now, all the pros I talk to, it's very
few and forearm between that are actually heavily backing this
team and excited for him. Right, It's a lot of
people back the new coach bump, Right, So it is just.
Speaker 1 (29:46):
The media because like I'm with the wise guys here,
none of this makes sense to me. Like it's not
a good roster. It hasn't been a good roster. I'm
not sold on Jackson Dart and Harbaugh is not going
to be the miracle worker who turns this team around
in the year.
Speaker 2 (30:02):
And why does Harball get all these good graces. He
was winning the organization with an amazing front office and
he didn't win. Yeah, that's the complete opposite of the Giants.
The Giants and the Jets. They have the least amount
of wins in the last ten years. Those two organizations
the thirty second, thirty first and the least amount of wins.
Horribly run organizations right now, So I'm right there with you,
(30:22):
chaed I. I couldn't believe it's it's not just one
or two people, right, it's multiple people now are trying
to give this Giants team some credence and some hype.
And I already told you Ron that it's one of
my favorite unders. So I already hit it at seven
and a half, it gets up to eight, eight and
a half, it's going to be a pretty heavily bet
spot for me. I'm right there with you. Like Dart,
he hasn't proven that he can stay healthy, and they
(30:43):
have so many holes on this team. And Reese might
be a great pick, but he might not be in
a d end if that's true. They've taken a d
end in the first round, but four out of the
five last years.
Speaker 1 (30:54):
Yeah, Thibodeau and then they will Thibodeau and then Carter
and then traded for Burns and then they added.
Speaker 2 (31:03):
It's just it doesn't make sense right there. They have
horrible cornerbacks. I mean, elite Neighbors is an incredible weapon
of offense. They probably should have done more to help
that offense, right. So Yeah, for this draft, I would
say the Rees picks nice, right, because a lot of
people had that that was all as if you fell
to them, right, the fact that a team probably should
(31:24):
have taken him in the Cardinals and instead it took
a running back. Yeah, on the graded board, Reese is
a much better pick. But you know the fact that
you get him and the pick you trade away to
sin or the pick you get from Cincinnati, you're taking
offensive lineman. That that makes me happy. It's like, okay,
at least they're trying to help out this get dark
because that's the first pick didn't make sense where it's like,
(31:45):
I get it, you're trying to help the defense, but
you need to if you believe in the quarterback, just
push the chips and go all in. You should have
at that pick five, you could have took Tate the receiver.
Now you got neighbors on one side, Tate and the
other and then you take an offensive tackle. That's that's
pretty nice to be back in your quarterback with that.
But again, I can't hate the respick, right, He's a
(32:05):
highly talented kid. And they could have screwed up those
draft picks. To me, they didn't. They nailed the first
round of the fact that they are going to be
getting better. And uh, I get why the media pupondents
want them to be better, right, we want New York
to be good at football, the biggest market in football.
But they just seems like they can't get out of
the way, get out of their way in the sense
that it feels like we're a year or two earlier.
(32:26):
They need some more time. In my opinion, the Giants.
Speaker 1 (32:29):
I feel like when the Giants are good doesn't have
the same impact as the Eagles, or the Bears or
the Packers, Like it's just a different New York is
a Yankees in Knickstown. To me, that's what drives the
excitement for other leagues. When the Yankees are good and
the city gets behind the Yankees, that's when baseball gets exciting.
(32:50):
When the Knicks are good and MSG is amped up
to the rafters, that's when the NBA is great. To me,
the Giants are characterless team. And I don't mean they
have bad character. I mean you're playing in the meadowlands.
The stadium is like, the stadium is irrelevant. It doesn't
get loud, people come late, they leave early. It's a
(33:14):
shitty environment. The Giants being good doesn't amp up the
league in the same way that other places when they
get loud, amp up the league.
Speaker 2 (33:22):
I guess I wish I could agree with you, but
unfortunately it's it's not true. They're the Giants. They do
move the needle when they're good. They are beloved, beloved
like when I literally grew up through it. Those two
Super Bowls. I worked on the jerseys for the TV
show Every Beach House, Chad had a Giants like. Everyone
(33:42):
was repping Eli jerseys, Plexico jerseys, the whole nine yards,
Strayhan jerseys. It was everywhere. That's the organization where you
just talked about, that's how much they've ruined football in
New York City because that's how bad the Jets in
York have been. You just don't see that anymore. Like
I'm with you. I don't see New York year like
I used to. It's more often now I'm gonna see
Nick's jerseys. Yeah, Nik's jersey. So you're right about that.
(34:04):
But they're way for that right player, right Like Odell
Beckham's the type of guy. He can only have that
moment in New York City if he had that same
catch for the Arizona Cardinals. It's not the same thing
on a Monday night football, but because it is New York,
it amplifies everything. It's the biggest media conglomerate in America.
So they've just lost their way organization. So I'm with you.
(34:26):
It's dead like it is, not like it used to be.
But they're waiting. They're in hibernation right now, they're begging
for Jackson Dark to lead them out of the darkness.
Speaker 1 (34:34):
You know who hasn't lost their way? Philadelphia Iggles overall,
Malachi Lemon, Eli Stowers like top of the draft, two guys.
We talked about this with Derek Brown. You said it,
I thought brilliantly the other day. They are high floor guys.
We don't know what their ceiling is, but they are
going to be really competent football players who on the
(34:58):
level should be consummate professionals.
Speaker 2 (35:02):
Yeah, it's just it feels That's why I love so
much about how He's It feels like he really trust
his coaching staff, where he's like, I'm gonna get these
guys who have the talent, it's up to you and
make them into the best football players they can possibly be.
And you know the Lemon trade up, I would say
any other organization you could get a little weary about it, right,
trading up with a divisional foe to go get a guy.
(35:25):
But when it's Howie, it's like, Okay, he must have
good reason here. He must really love this guy, and
it's not a need, right, it doesn't We don't we
already have a number one if AJ leaves in Devonte Smith.
But that's what I love about Howie. It's like he
just always wants to go tick the best player available
and never reach for a guy or overdraft the player.
It's just can we get the best guy we have
(35:46):
on our highest grade boards. So yeah, I don't need
to beat it in right. People know my view. I
just most people have the same view. It's just I'm
with you. I can't wait if I was another team
until how he retires. It just seems like every year
he gets better in his craft, and he just he
grows the more confidence. My favorite thing I saw about
how he was h he's gonna interviewed me, talks on
years where he doesn't have you know, say they take
(36:07):
a guy in the second round, they have another pick
again for forty picks, He'll go take laps and walk
around the field outside without a cell phone, Chad, So
he's not texting and calling people to try to trade
up and get rid of draft picks. He just says
he's addicted to it. He always wants to be in
the clock and always wants to be taking guys. And
that's the kind of guy you want to run to.
Your front office, right, someone that's just they live and
die for the draft. They know that this is their
(36:29):
super Bowl. So he I feel like he nailed this one.
And you know, I was hoping we're gonna get more
defensive guys. But I'm never gonna complain about getting, arguably
some people's opinions, the best receiver in the class and
the best tight end of the class. So yeah, it
looks like he did pretty good in the first two rounds.
Speaker 1 (36:43):
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(37:54):
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Speaker 2 (37:56):
I did.
Speaker 3 (37:56):
I have enjoyed zbiotics uh myself for all several months now.
And I was out with a friend and he we
were in like a like a booth, and he turned
and drink and drank something which is like an unusual
thing to see somebody do in a bar setting. I said, well,
what was that?
Speaker 2 (38:13):
He goes, I'm just.
Speaker 3 (38:14):
Drinking this thing that helps when work out drinking.
Speaker 2 (38:17):
And I said, is it ze Biotics? He said, yeah, yeah,
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I said, yeah, I had one before we came out,
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to feel my best to the next day, which you know,
we don't bounce back like we used to, like you said, Jed.
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(39:19):
and use the code sharp or square at checkout for
fifteen percent off. All right, Look, the biggest bet in
terms of price that you gave out was over to
running over one and a half running backs in the
first round of plus five hundred. The Seattle Seahawks made
you wait, but they paid it off by drafting to
(39:42):
Darien Price, the number two running back at Notre Dame,
who still got into the first round. Look that they
just won the Super Bowl and their their biggest off
season moves were Kobe Bryant, their safety, leaving for the Bears,
and Kenneth Edwards, the Super Bowl MVP, leaving for the Chiefs.
(40:03):
So what do they do They draft a running back
in the first round, they draft a safety in the
second round. This to me, feels like really smart drafting,
knowing your roster and understanding sort of how to play
within the framework of the game that you've been presented with.
I liked what they did.
Speaker 2 (40:22):
Yeah, like we said, these these well run organizations, it
carries over to the draft, right, It's what makes them
so great. It all starts at the draft, getting the
right players, the right personalities, and like you said, they
had guys leave and they just filled those holes, right,
guys that project out the guys they really love. And
you know Price, which I didn't have a first round
great on him. I was joking with Chat before the show,
(40:45):
I wish I'd put more on it because it was
like the most open known thing in all of sports media,
right that they were going to take a running back
or a d end if that's who fell to them
at that pick. And it's like it worked out right.
Everyone thought they were going to trade down. They didn't.
They stayed right there guy they wanted. And you know
the Seattle team people say it was a little fluky
(41:06):
what happened last year with them making it to the
super Bowl, which you know, any year, you can see
it any year flu right, Well, in the sense that
that it came down the two pointer.
Speaker 1 (41:16):
Right, Yeah, it's always going to be something that that's once.
Speaker 2 (41:20):
In a lifetime. We will never see a backward pass
that didn't go backwards. Actually, Ford and the guy walked
in from version to win their division. That was like
once in a lifetime. But like we said, the you know,
Sam Darnold, but you have fourteen interceptions last year. You
saw the second half. They wanted to be more of
a run heavy team. So it makes me happy to
(41:41):
see that they try and go get a running back
to lean into that. Right, Charbona is a really good back.
He's used to splitting carries. He's not never been a
lead back.
Speaker 1 (41:50):
Also, who knows when he's coming back because of the
torn a cl.
Speaker 2 (41:53):
That's so true. I didn't even think about it. So
you know, it's a need that they had and they
took the guy they wanted in Pro and everything I've seen,
this kid could be an absolute freak. Right. The questions
with him are receiving at the backfield in his pass blocking,
which with the right coaching, all the money these teams have,
they can they can. I'm sure they'll better figure that out.
(42:14):
If that's truly his biggest weakness. But yeah, what else
can you say about the Seattle team That just feels
like they went into the draft they had a couple
of needs, they didn't the holes they needed to fill,
and they got every single guy they wanted to fill
in those holes. So I'm sure they are later right now,
and so is their fan base.
Speaker 1 (42:31):
Meanwhile, the San Francisco forty nine Ers, John Lynch was
basically getting heckled by the media in San Francisco asking
why he reached the way he did for players in
the draft this year, which seems to be a habit
that we have talked about again and again and again.
Last year, you talked about the niners opportunity to win
(42:51):
the division really coming down to how well the rookies played.
Everybody got hurt, so it kind of didn't play out
that way. But again, it's going to be up to
the development of some very young players who not a
lot of people think the Niners did a good job
of evaluating.
Speaker 2 (43:11):
Yeah, they're looking thin just overall, because like you just said,
Lynch has reached over the years and he's had some
big misses, and you know, normally you trade away a
bunch of first round picks, you take Trey Lance, your
job is over in this league. But Rock Purty, the
saving grace is what's yeah right, and has kept him
around all this time. And you know, in this draft,
(43:34):
who are we to say who's reaching for? I'm just
saying that people who do this for a living that
study these players, go on TV and talk about it.
They're all saying that they are reaching for these certain
different players. So that's what we have to go off of.
And you know, I look at this team and I
youk situation. If that was happening in Philadelphia, that would
be on the front of the newspaper every single day.
(43:55):
Oh yeah, And they've done a really really good job
of just keep it in the background. No one's really
talking about that often. But it's a huge deal. They
gave this guy a ton of money and he's never
showed up and he's just basically being held by them
hostage because they hate him too. They're like, we're not
releasing the US. You can go to Washington and go
play with your friends, like you're staying here and if
you want to do nothing good, get fat. I don't
(44:16):
know if you saw pictures of him, Yeah, yeah, he's
put on thirty pounds, not a good thirty pounds of muscles.
It's all in his stomach, in his face. So ory Niners.
We've talked about this. They are always the Sea Saw team,
and last year they were also a play away from
being the one seat despite all their injuries. Yeah, now
(44:36):
that's not gonna be true. Right, They have a pretty
tough schedule and it's we'll see if they can stay healthy. Yeah,
they can be a good team. Right. They have some
of the best coaches in all football defensive being offensively.
But I look at this draft and a lot of
these guys they took a round ahead of where not
just high graded people that do scouting for a living
at graded. So you're either a genius Chile Lynch, or
(44:59):
you truly are the legitiot and you think are smart
to everyone else, and you keep reaching in the draft
for these guys and you're just all you keep doing
is stead of your franchise back. So it'll be interesting
where they go from here, because obviously John Lynch has
nailed some picks, that's why they are still a good team.
But I think Shannon covers up a lot of his mistakes,
and Ali Salah has left that defense again, it's gonna
be interesting what this defense is like this season because
(45:21):
they do have a lot of young guys on that defense.
Speaker 1 (45:24):
Tampa Bay Bucks Warren Sap esque deja vu moment Rubin
Bain drops to the middle of the first round. We
had talked a lot about Ruben Bain, and I don't
know if sort of the news about the trap, the
the car crash he was in in which someone was
killed a couple of years ago, that just started to
(45:45):
leak out or become sort of bigger news. In the
days leading up to the draft, he was projected anywhere
from you know, long shot four to middle of the
first round. The Bucks got him there, it seemed like
a little bit to drop. He's one of those guys.
To me, every time I saw him play, he dominated.
(46:06):
I'm obviously not a scout. I'm just a average fan.
But I am a guy who has followed the NFL
long enough and reported on the NFL long enough to
know that when a guy with that kind of talent
also shows up on tape, there's very It's talking about
a floor. There's just a floor there. I feel like
they got a great pick. Now, is it going to
(46:27):
make the difference? For them in the NFC South, who knows,
but I feel good for them that they got him
at fifteen.
Speaker 2 (46:34):
Yeah. I love the pick, and I think what you
said is true. It might be some outfield stuff, but
a lot of it too is measurable stuff, right, And
that's what at the end of the day. A lot
of these teams they do care about that. And he's
basically his arm length. I think he's in the one
percent down that's not the good one percent, Yeah, one
percent off. He is insanely short arms. I think they
call it t rex arms, which is just a brutal
(46:54):
thing to have hanging over you, being called t rex arms.
But he does have a He's a weird body that way.
And I'm with you. It's like, I get the measurable
stuff matters, but the football stuff matters. Like he is,
like you said, through and through, a great football player,
a smart football player that just he sees things that
other guys don't. He can bend away, bend a certain
(47:16):
way that a lot of guys can't when they're rushing
the quarterback.
Speaker 1 (47:19):
And ain'to flexibility.
Speaker 2 (47:22):
Yeah, and that's why I was just like, Yeah, I
was shocked to see him fall to fifteen, So you know,
the Bucks, to me, that's a steal. I heard whispers
to the Eagles that was another guy Howie was going
to try to trade up and get. So the Bucks
taking him there, That's that's the dream, right, Just have
a guy like him like that fall to you because
his other greatest measurables and he might have done things
(47:44):
off field. He's a changed man and we've seen the
talent and the product production on the field. Could be
a home run, right, the kind of a guy that
in five years now when they redo the draft, he's
got top three, top four picks. So I'd be pretty
happy as a Bucks fan and just the rest of
the draft, right, Trotter, that's another good pick, right, yeah, Linebackeren,
you know the wide receiver position for this Bucks team.
(48:07):
Every year they're taking guys, So I have no idea
if this is a good pick taking a wide receiver
in the third round. But I think this Bucks team
they're kind of showing their hand here that now that
Mike Evans is left, they're getting a little older in
the wire receiving corps. I mecha, Buka. They do love them,
but they want another guy running aside him. So I
feel like every year and now we're going to see
them just trying to take a guy in these three
(48:29):
four round see if they can hit on one of
these guys. So, yeah, if I'm a Bucks fan, I'd
be pretty happy with this draft.
Speaker 1 (48:35):
One guy with the Washington Commanders who had been connected
to them the entire time was Sunny Styles at Ohio State.
Everyone loves Sonny Styles. The Commanders need help on defense.
They got Sunny Styles. They got exactly what they wanted.
Speaker 2 (48:53):
To me.
Speaker 1 (48:54):
That's really interesting the pick you should make. Did you
know that k Tron Allen who is their pick in
the sixth round, the running back from Penn State. He's
the all time leading rusher at Penn State. I read
that and I was shocked that that's the guy who
is the all time leading rusher considering the Hall of
(49:15):
Fame running backs they've had at Penn State.
Speaker 2 (49:19):
Yeah, you just not to a lot of those. All
of those hallo from running backs either left early or
it It was just it wasn't played as many games, right,
There's just so many games now in college football. But yeah,
another pick I was miserable about. I knew they're going
to get some great defender.
Speaker 1 (49:33):
Right.
Speaker 2 (49:34):
Having that seventh pick, yeah, part of me was like, well,
maybe I'll take a receiver here, which I was really
hoping for. But no, Sonny Styles is just the best pick,
the right pick there's everyone could be a bust, right,
you never know. He just feels like another guaranteed guy, like,
at worst he's a pro bowler and the peak would
be all Pro. Right, It's just his floor feels so low.
(49:56):
He's so football smart, so athletic, well, I mean all
of it. He's just he could be an instant leader
of that defense. And that's just a huge pick for
Washington because you're their defense is just awful. Like the
year they made that Super Bowl run, you know, their
their strength probably was the linebacking corps, but it was
a Bobby Wagner I think it was. It was that's
(50:18):
just older and it's like, okay, last year you saw
his legs. Everything really caught up to him. He just
looked like a thirty five year old linebacker. So yeah,
home run. If you're a Washington fan, like the rest
of your draft can be terrible, you nail that first
round pick on a linebacker that could potentially be an
All Pro who cares like, that's exactly what that defense is.
Need a true leader and a young guy to lead
(50:39):
that team, Simon.
Speaker 1 (50:41):
We started the show talking about Bobby Wagner as a
brilliant pick for the Seattle Seahawks. We ended with the
Bobby Wagner reference. That's the beauty of going full circle.
That's what we do here. We're going to go through
the AFC Draft on Thursday with James Weaver from Sports
(51:04):
Info Solutions. This has been Sharper Square part of the
Volume podcast network. Watch or listen on YouTube at Sharper
STARp or Square. Like this video, subscribe to the channel,
download us some Spotify, Apple Pods, wherever you get your
POD's rate review subscribe, leave us five stars, say whatever
you want. Feedback is a gift until next time. I
love you.
Speaker 2 (51:24):
I think it's a typical cult move.
Speaker 3 (51:25):
I mean, here's a team that needed a franchise quarterback
to pass up a Trent.
Speaker 2 (51:29):
Dilfer when all you have is Jim Harball, give me
a break. That's why the cults are picking second every
year in the draft, not battling for the Super Bowl
like other clubs.
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