August 29, 2025 • 33 mins
The AFC East is the topic of discussion on the latest episode of 40s and Free Agents, as Gregg Rosenthal and Daniel Jeremiah cover major additions and rookies for the New England Patriots, Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins and New York Jets. The duo has analysis on players including Miami's Ollie Gordon II & Minkah Fitzpatrick, New England's Milton Williams, Carlton Davis, Kyle Williams and Craig Woodson, as well as New York's Mason Taylor and Justin Fields. All that and more on the latest 40s!
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
We are back on forties and free agents.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
I'm Greg Rosenthal alongside Daniel Jeremiah from his mansion in
the San Diego area.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
But that's not it's not public knowledge.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
We can't let anyone know where you live because you
know you rank these guys. People would get upset, they'd
come after you.
Speaker 3 (00:26):
I can't tell if that's a Tommy Bahamas shirt or
like a Janitor shirt, Like, what are we wearing here?
Speaker 1 (00:31):
Yeah, this is an audio medium. Hopefully we canet.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
Where's the patch? I feel patch on that thing?
Speaker 2 (00:36):
You know. This is the second negative comment I've gotten today,
the other one being from my wife on it.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
I got it, really, I believe in And are there
two opinions you care more about than those two?
Speaker 2 (00:46):
No, that's the top two ranked right there. Today, we
are wrapping up our division look at the twenty twenty
five season by taking a little look back of the
biggest editions in terms of veterans and rookie It is
the AFC East and now we get to do it
DJ with the knowledge of everything that happened in training
camp and the preseason and spin it forward. We are
(01:09):
so close to this season actually starting. You do the rookies,
I do the veterans. Why don't you get us going?
Speaker 3 (01:16):
Sure? I will, And I don't know if there is
video that lives on this. I know this obviously an
audio form, but if you could just move your mop
and bucket, it's in the screen a little bit, if
you just move it a little bit to the left. Thanks.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
I mean it's at least cleanly pressed and stuff. It
looks like at least I'm putting in a little bit
of effort, unlike you.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
You know, Yeah, greed to a screet I'm gonna go.
I tease this on the last one. So let's jump
right into it. Let's go to the Miami Dolphins. Let's
go to the sixth round and Ali Gordon out of
Oklahoma State, who is a big physical back as I
do again, we should have got this sponsored. Greg. I
think you came up with that idea going back through
some of these draft notes. But Oli Gordon to me
(01:54):
someone that I had it, who's one hundred and forty
one on my list. I don't know what the overall
pick was where he ended up getting picked. He's one
seventy nine, so that was still a little bit higher
on him than where he went there, but six zho
one to three. So six one and a half two
hundred and twenty six pounds ran four to six to
one in Indy, one of the slower running back times there,
(02:15):
but didn't bother me at all. When you look at
the way that he runs, He's got a huge lower half.
He's a nifty big back. So if you think about comparisons,
I wrote down le Garrett Blunt is who he reminded
me of someone who can absorb contact. He can actually
catch the ball really well. You'll see some one handed
catches when you study his film. He's aggressive and pass pro.
I just wrote he's fast enough, like he's for what
(02:35):
he does his style, he's fast enough. Senior Bowl was excellent,
had a big time game in the Senior Bowl. So
I think they got a great, great value there and
I think would have seen in the preseason this guy
runs really really hard.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
These backups that have been trying to tackle him can't
bring him down, you know, they just they just bounce
off him. Now we'll see it against better competition in
the regular season, because I think he's going to have
a chance. Jalen Wright was supposed to be the backup
there he's out right now with an injury. We'll see
if he's back for week one, but Gordon maybe won
that job anyways over Jalen Right, well, we'll see and
(03:08):
Devon h Chan is banged up right now with a
soft tissue injury, so it could be week one. Olie
Gordon getting some really big time snaps and I too
was impressed. Maybe the big back is coming back to
love it because you know, because of the extra tight
end formations, more power.
Speaker 3 (03:26):
Oh you're seeing too high safeties, the boxes. You know,
it's lighter boxes. So you get somebody who can just
kind of be a little bit of a hammer in there.
It's kind of fun.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
So the Dolphins will be using Minka Fitzpatrick quite a
bit in those two high safety formations that the Anthony
Weaver does like to run.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
And that's my pick for the Dolphins.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
There a really important year in his career and important
player for the Miami Dolphins. I think they gave up
a lot to get him in terms of Jalen Ramsey
who wasn't happy there and John hus Smith who wanted
a new home as well. And Minko Fitzpatrick has had
an interesting career. Sometimes those deep safeties.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
DJ.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
You know, you just don't hear from as much in
some years than others. But if you, you know, listen
to the reporters and some of the coaches in Pittsburgh,
I do think they were a little disappointed with Minka
Fitzpatrick over the last year or two.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
Sometimes maybe he was had one pick right.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
He sometimes he was freelancing a little bit and not
being part of the structure of the defense and not
making as many big plays after an incredible start to
his career, almost like a Hall of Fame type of
start to his career. Still relatively young, I think he's
twenty eight years old, and so they need him to
be a playmaker in a secondary that doesn't really have
any other options to be playmakers.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
I think if safety's interceptions from a scouting standpoint, there's
two types of interceptions. There's ones where the ball finds
you and there's ones where you go take the ball away.
And Mika had that production early. And that wasn't just
the ball falling in his lap, tips and overthrows like
this was him seeing things, driving on routes, making plays
on the ball like this was him as a playmaker,
(05:03):
and that we just haven't seen that the last couple
of years, so I'm hoping. I'm hoping it's in there.
I'm hoping this kind of revitalizes him, you know, going
back to Miami and we see that that old school
version of him. But I don't think he's been the
same player the last couple of years.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
You know, he got paid.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
He wanted to get paid by the way by the
Dolphins when he got there, and they essentially decided to no,
like you got to prove it this time. I think
they gave him, like they moved his money around a
little bit. But he's basically in a contract year. Can
he get one more big contract? So he'll be motivated
to get it done. And I think Anthony Weaver in
that second year in Miami, with that defensive front, one
of the best defensive fronts of everything clicks in the
(05:41):
entire league. Maybe healthy, maybe they'll be opportunities to make
some plays because of that quick pass rush.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
Go ahead with your second record.
Speaker 3 (05:49):
They just need to stay healthy too.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
Man.
Speaker 3 (05:51):
Those edge rushers are very talented. They just haven't been
able to get him on the field. So I'm gonna
go to my next one here, and again I do
not have a first round pick in this division. In
terms of my guys, I'm keeping an eye on that
I'm excited about, which is interesting. I'm gonna go to
Buffalo and I'm gonna go to land In Jackson edge
rusher out of Arkansas, a third round pick. This was
a transfer there at Arkansas who spent a lot of
(06:13):
time in the SEC's, played against great competition, and I
love the way that he played with the the the
edge that he played with, the physicality that he played with.
He's six foot six, two hundred and sixty four pounds,
he ran four six eight excellent straight line speed, had
an awesome Senior Bowl game, So that's kind of a
nice thing to see when you're going through the process.
(06:34):
He wins with a long arm rush. He crushes tight ends.
As an edge rusher, you cannot get blocked by tight ends,
and he dominated those matchups. Some angle blocks, you know,
some guys when they could, you know, block down on
him or crack on him. And he's to work on
some of his awareness there. But thought there was a
violence to the way that he played, and I thought
he played with outstanding effort. And if you think about
the Buffalo Bills, and how they play effort, physicality, it's
(06:57):
a big part of it. This is a big guy
who can run, who plays really really hard. So I'm
excited to see him in Sean McDermott's defense.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
Yeah, I think they could really use some core pieces
that pop for them that are younger, and he has
the opportunity to do so. Like my wildcard I just
got through him now is Joey Bosa, because like to me,
he's the ultimate wildcard and he's part of this conversation.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
I have been tracking.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
He had a healthy training camp, so that's a good
sign healthy preseason. I don't know if the snaps are
there for lot Lannon Jackson right off the bat, because
they have Epanessa, they have Rousseau, they have Bosa. Do
you think he's a guy that could play a little
inside and also among that trio, like they've missed some
time with injuries and so that that could open up
(07:44):
an opportunity for Jackson.
Speaker 3 (07:45):
And to me, look the Bosa and I've been around
you know, Joey for every game that he's played, you know,
going through his career here or I guess I think
maybe not even maybe missed his first year or so
but he uh. He to me, you signed Joey Bosa
for the playoffs. You sign him to get him, manage
him through the season, you load management, whatever term you
want to use, but you want him healthy and ready
(08:05):
to rock when you get into those meaningful late season games,
and healthy into the postseason the playoffs. So I would
say it behooves them to roll guys through. And I
think I really think he'll earn a role. He can
rush inside if you want him to. I don't have
the numbers in front of me, but I think he
had like eight or nine pressures in the preseason when
I was going through some of the rookie numbers the
other day. So he's he's shown some signs he's going
(08:26):
to be able to get out there and help them.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
I hold it against Landon Jackson though, that during the
initial run of forties in free agents, you know, I
called him Donovan Jackson or vice versa.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
So many times. It was just heart. There's also like
Landon Donovan, it's just.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
Someone's got to choose, someone's got to change it. Maybe
that's a me problem. I think it is a me problem,
but I just it's too confusing.
Speaker 3 (08:51):
Well, I can see how you would be easily confused.
What's who's next?
Speaker 1 (08:55):
Well, I threw out Bosa as my wife.
Speaker 3 (08:57):
Yeah, we're counting bosas. So then I get to go
with my next one. There, I'm gonna go to a
team that I said at the time, and Jack Andraid,
who does all the research, backed it up in terms
of just the raw numbers. The New England Patriots, based
off just how I saw players going through the draft process,
had the best draft in the NFL in terms of
the quality of player and the value with where they
(09:18):
got the players in this draft class. So I've got
two of them there. I'm gonna go two skill guys
on offense. Obviously Will Campbell is going to be a
big part as their left tackle, but Travon Henderson at
running back. You saw it early in the preseason when
he took a kick to the house, like he is
a dynamic weapon and you're gonna see him big time
in the pass game. You know, I mentioned it. I
(09:39):
go back through my notes. He's the best pass protecting
running back I've ever evaluated coming out.
Speaker 1 (09:43):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (09:44):
So and that's what the number one thing that keeps
rookie running backs from getting playtime or getting on the
field is the trust of the coordinator in the quarterback
and pass protection. This guy is elite, elite, elite in
pass pro, big time speed, versatility. He can run every
route out of the backfield. It's not just you know
he's running an option route. You can split him out,
(10:05):
let him run receiver routes. He's got home run speed.
He ran four four three. He plays much faster than that.
So he just got to keep his feet alive a
little bit on inside runs. There's times where his feet
can go dead. He's not gonna be a ware you
down runner, but he is a fine decrease and and
create a bunch of explosives. He's gonna be fun for
Patriot fans to watch man.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
He could not have gotten Patriots fans more excited with
this preseason that he had not just on the field
in the games where he showed a variety of different
types of plays, like inside runs where he did do
a good job fighting through and scoring in the red zone.
Also running I forget what cornerback it was on the
(10:45):
vikings over but just like steam rolling in with a
rugged run. But then also these wheel routes and busting
open the kickoff like you said, and he's he's gonna
be a much different player than a Shane Veren and
Danny Woodhead and these guys. But Josh McDaniels has brought
up those and if you can add, you know, his
(11:09):
speed to some of the skill set that those guys had,
Like watch out, there's gonna be a lot of Patriots
in this in this show. I hate to bring it
to you because they were they were so active and
they need to have a good draft.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
By the way, Drake may.
Speaker 2 (11:21):
Literally might be the only twenty twenty four draft class
member to make this team.
Speaker 1 (11:27):
Saw that that's not a good look bananas. I will
go with Milton Williams.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
Look, he was at the top of my free agency
list and he got taken by the Patriots.
Speaker 1 (11:37):
They went over the top to get him.
Speaker 2 (11:39):
He wasn't the top of my original list, but all
the re signings happened and the franchise tags, and it's
the type of guy I think that you should overpay
in free agency, and I think ultimately they did overpay him.
Speaker 1 (11:49):
If they get a version of him.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
DJ Between the Milton Williams we saw for the first
twelve weeks of last season and then the Milton Williams.
Speaker 1 (11:58):
We saw down the stretch and the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
If it's somewhere in between, I think they should be happy.
And I think those that is the type of player
that they should bet on. But I can imagine the
Boston Sports radio, Yeaho's being like, well, what's this guy.
He's you know, he's got some pressures. He's he's got
like four sacks. Because I don't think he's going to
be an All Pro player. I just think he's going
to be a good plus starter and if you have
(12:21):
the money, spend it, because it's hard to find those
guys in free agency.
Speaker 3 (12:26):
Dynamic, explosive. I remember when he was coming out into
the process being he was like one of my favorite
players that I watched in that cycle, and I remember
talking to the guys in Philadelphia, you know, before, during,
and after they got him in there, and I mean,
he's such a good kid, and he just got better
and better and better. The explosiveness was always there, and
then you just started seeing the playmaking come along with it.
(12:48):
I think you were right to have him as highly
rated as you did through the free agency process. This
is the way my mind works. It's kind of weird, Greg,
but I was just sitting there thinking he was going
to sign with the Panthers, right, that was everything's going
that way. He ends up signing with the Patriots. So
James Taylor wrote the song in my mind, I'm going
(13:09):
to Carolina. But where's James Taylor from and who's a
fan of He's a Patriots guy. So literally, in his
mind he was going to Carolina.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
He's on that mask playing from Stockbridge to Boston.
Speaker 3 (13:23):
Yes, exactly. So again that's uh, if we had the
music rights, I'm sure we don't. Maybe with all that
ESPN money coming in there, we can get the rights
to that song. We could just drop it right in
the episode. But I don't think that's finalized yet.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
I wouldn't have thought that my parents, you know, playing
James Taylor NonStop in the car, dragging me.
Speaker 3 (13:42):
In former free agency thoughts.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
To some concerts at Tanglewood back back in the day,
when I was like, ah, do we have to do?
Speaker 1 (13:49):
That'll be okay, and.
Speaker 3 (13:51):
You'll stand up at a concert because I've I've never
been to a James Taylor concert, but it feels I
went to a Vince Gill concert and it was very
much just kind of sit down enjoyable, like in like enjoyable,
really talented musician, but not really a stand up situation.
Speaker 1 (14:04):
I don't remember I was a kid.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
My guess is he's sitting, Yeah, those are those are
soft tunes. The crowd that's definitely showing that they're they're
drinking wine. You know. Milton Williams was maybe the second
best like defensive player in that stretch in the playoffs
for the Eagles, next to Jalen Carter. Like he just
was so good, and so you do wonder like how
much of that was the Eagles and the attention to Carter.
Speaker 1 (14:26):
Well, he's got Christian Barmore next to him here.
Speaker 2 (14:28):
He's a pretty good defensive line there with with Harold
Landry who was also a pickup. And you know, I
just hope that the expectations aren't so high that people
are disappointing, because I think if he's just like a
really good player, that that's that's what they needed. They
had more than enough cap space, and they they spent
so much money in free agency. I'll just throw out
(14:49):
another one too, because to me, it was all combined.
Carlton Davis was another one on their defense, and so
you spent it on Williams, Harold Landry, and Davis. Davis
was the one I'm choosing as as one of my
five kind of a boomer bus player that they're gonna
really need to stay healthy and hold up. Is good
in man coverage, but how how important is like man
(15:10):
coverage in twenty twenty five being that kind of cornerback DJ, Well.
Speaker 3 (15:15):
It depends. There's there's very few teams that are just
gonna let you go nose to nose and play me
in coverage the whole time, so not as useful for
the majority of teams. It's it's nice, it's a great luxury.
I think, given their druthers, most teams would love to
have corners where you can line up and do that,
but not many teams have it. So that's just kind
of the way the game's played right now. I'm gonna
go Patriots. Last one here. Kyle Williams, who I know
(15:39):
is a favorite of yours as well, receiver. He was
my fifty seventh overall player. He was the sixty ninth pick,
so again just kind of another example of I thought
they kind of knocked it out of the park in
terms of the value where they found these guys a
little bit under five eleven hundred and ninety pounds, ran
four to four flat, played inside and outside. He was
excellent in his release is getting away from press. He's
(16:01):
got vertical speed, he can separate. I love his ability
to win early on routes. You want to run a slant,
you want to get on top of guys, he can
do it right away. He's got burst with a ball
in his hands, you know, for run after catch. He
was excellent again at the Senior Bowl, which you kind
of see a theme here. A lot of these guys
that do really well in that setting. It does bode
well for their future and his ability. This is kind
(16:23):
of a kind of a I try to think of
the right ways to describe this, but you know it
when you see it. So I like guys who can
go from a static position to a burst. You know,
Like think about just if you're if you're running a
curl route, you face up, you catch the ball, You
catch the ball, your static your feet are in the ground.
How quick can then you get out and go? And
(16:44):
this guy has exceptional ability to do that. So I'm
a big fan of his game. I'll be honest, I
have not seen him in the in the preseason. I
have not watched their stuff with him, so I don't
know how he's done. I haven't seen the reports in camp.
This is basically solely off my evaluation of him as
a college play.
Speaker 1 (17:00):
Well.
Speaker 2 (17:00):
He had a concussion in practice after the Vikings game,
which was the second week, but he is now back
at practice, so that that cost him a week. But
I think it's been really positive. Actually, that preseason game
against the Vikings was part of a trend that we've
heard at camp where he is winning in terms of
those releases. He is stacking the cornerbacks and a couple
times in that game he was wide open going down
(17:23):
the field and Josh Thobbs couldn't hit him either time.
One time that the cornerback had like the worst pass
interference that you've ever seen. They didn't call it, but
I feel like in a big game they would have
called it. I guess it was a preseason they should
have called it. But either way, you saw what you
wanted to see. I think they like what they've seen
out of him so far. Him and Kashan Boody are
both going to get reps on the outside. MATC Collins
(17:43):
is as well but I think it's a matter of
time before Williams gets more and more of those reps.
So I think all systems are going in terms of
Kyle Williams, and you're.
Speaker 1 (17:53):
Right, I planted my flag at him.
Speaker 2 (17:55):
We had a show, yeah, I mentioned on our last
show with Me to Kimes, where we each picked our
favorite player. HER's with Jagod Campbell. I went Kyle Williams.
I don't remember who your pick was.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
Do you? You did so many shows.
Speaker 3 (18:05):
It's kind of tough to I remember a lot of those,
but put.
Speaker 2 (18:08):
You on the spot. I think it was Jday Baron.
I do listen to you.
Speaker 3 (18:12):
Okay, do you like Jday Baron? It could have been
this next guy who was my wow who? I'm gonna
skip ahead to my wildcard because I just felt weird
having three Patriots in the in the in the five,
so I just have one as a wildcard. Who was Again,
one of my favorite players was Craig Woodson, safety from
cal So. I'll let producer Drew pull up when he
was picked what number overall he was? I like giving
(18:34):
Drew homework while we're.
Speaker 2 (18:35):
Live and another you know segment that should be sponsored,
although like I could easily Google. I don't think you
need to have a researching background to do this, but
we'll let him do the do the work.
Speaker 3 (18:44):
He was one oh six according to Drew, he was
my ninetieth player. Again, kind of stay with that theme.
If I thought the Patriots, you know, found value all
throughout the draft six ohoh one, two hundred uh so,
six foot eight, two hundred Punds ran four four five
in Indianapolis as a safety. Let's start here. Leader smart
the first two things, and that's from talking to everybody
(19:04):
at CAL. He's a little bit older, so he's been
you know, you see this a little bit with the
last couple of years with COVID and all that, you
get some guys who are a little bit older, a
little more mature. I thought this guy could play in
the deep half. He's open and smooth. He's he's got
speed and physicality when he's working downhill until the alleys,
takes great angles. He has a lot of underneath PBUs.
He's a real firm tackler. And I thought the intelligence
(19:27):
wasn't just you know, off the field stuff. This is
someone who plays with excellent instincts on the field, which
is huge for a safety. To me, I just looked
at this cal sneakily had a lot of safeties that
have ended up being starters in the last five six years.
It's been a nice little factory there. I thought this
guy was ready made, ready to go step on the
field and play. And it sounds like from what I
have heard on him is that he's earning some time there.
Speaker 1 (19:50):
Oh, I think he's starting week one.
Speaker 2 (19:53):
He's certainly playing in their you know, din packages is
probably their nickel, but like it sounds like he is
going to be a week one starter there with Jabrill
Peppers also at safety. But he beat out some veterans
and everything that you said, that's what you hear from
the coaches, and it was kind of an immediate guy
that like, whoa, this is a dude. And yes, after
(20:15):
a rough draft class a year ago, they're gonna have
a lot of rookie starters this year, maybe two on
the offensive line with Jared Wilson alongside Will Campbell and
then you mentioned Craig Woodson. Let's take a break, we'll
be back on the other side with our remaining veteran
and rookie additions back on forties and free agents. DJ,
(20:45):
you felt bad about doing a bunch of Patriots and round.
I don't feel bad. They're the team that made all
the moves this offseason. So I've got one more veteran
addition to talk about here.
Speaker 1 (20:56):
It's Stefon Diggs.
Speaker 2 (20:57):
It's a contract, when you look under the hood, is
more of a one year deal. I think he was
a very good third receiver type, really a slot receiver
in Houston. So coming off of torn ACL getting back
on the field rather early in that recovery, earlier than
people expected to start training camp, what you saw, I
(21:18):
think as camp went on was what you see a
lot of times. Yeah, that you can get back on
the field, but maybe the confidence wasn't there, the ability
to play at game speed day after day after day.
And so we'll see what he is going to give
this team early in the season, how he fits in
to their receiver rotation. He's not the high ceiling guy
that he was early in his career, but they could
(21:39):
really use a guy that Drake May trusts and knows
where he's gonna be on the field. And that's what
they're counting on Stefan Diggs to do. Because even if
he's not a true wide receiver one like, who's getting
the most targets there, it's him, It's de Mario Douglas.
It would probably be my pick right now, I mean,
which is crazy pop Douglas as their one receiver. So
(21:59):
the op opportunity is there for Digs to have a
really big role and maybe it'll increase as the season
gets on and he's a little further away from that surgery.
Speaker 3 (22:07):
Well, all those points just go back to my previous
point that I think if you just look at raw
talent and where they are right now in their ability levels,
I think Kyle Williams is their real talented receiver.
Speaker 2 (22:15):
Look at that. I loved I loved hearing that. And
that doesn't mean it's a bad signing. This is just
how free agency works. No, if they get eight hundred
yards out of Stefan Diggs in fifty five catches, and
he's also and you can see it him talking to
the like a very smart route runner and talking to
the younger guys in that room and get helping them
(22:36):
out too, Like you have to overpay to find guys.
And their roster was so diminished from the drafts that
they've had recently, and really verble wanting to get rid
of every guy that Bill Belichick brought in essentially that
that's what you do in free agency. So I think
if he's a solid enough player, that's a win. They'd
obviously like a little more. And then he would you
would be with the Patriots for more than one year, and.
Speaker 3 (22:58):
I do something that could be dated and they can
easily clip out of this. Sure by the time this
thing hits the waves. You saw what Elliot Wolf said
the other day when he said, Hey, we'd be willing to,
you know, part with a high pick for a for
a star player if that player would become available. A.
What did you think of that? And then B do
you think where this roster is right now that would
(23:20):
make sense.
Speaker 2 (23:22):
It depends who it was. I think it was in
the context of Terry McLaurin, who we as we know,
have since since signed with Washington Commanders. It's a really
case by case situation, but there aren't many where I
think it would make sense for this roster. It'd have
to be for a younger player that you're ready to
give a huge contract, like I mean, Michael Parsons would come.
Speaker 3 (23:43):
That's what I said, That's what I tweeted, That's what
I tweeted because when I saw that, when I saw
that comment, and everybody freaked out, but I was like, well,
I'm just taking it at face value. So if you're
going to say that, I'm like, well, Okay, Trey Hendrickson,
Terry McLaurin, I'm like, well, if you really want to
make an aggressive move looking at window and talent, like
I would at least call the Cowboys first. I mean,
(24:04):
they might not take my call, but that would be
my first call if that was something they were considering.
Speaker 2 (24:07):
Yes, I mean I think if you have a chance,
and because they have so much cap space this year,
Michael Parsons is an all time player that you would
have to think about that. Brandon Ayuk was another one
that they were rumored to be talking about before he
signed that long term deal at some point coming off
that injury, Like could could that make sense for them?
If the forty nine ers. I don't think it's crazy.
(24:30):
I think I think sometimes you guys in the draft
industrial complex and these NFL teams, they get a little
too precious about the draft picks and sometimes a bird
in the hand, is it's worth something here?
Speaker 1 (24:39):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (24:39):
I no, trust me. I'm I use this phrase with
baseball all the time, which is, prospects are fun, parades
are more fun. Like, yeah, that's less.
Speaker 1 (24:50):
Snead agrees. You know the Eagles, they're always used to And.
Speaker 3 (24:53):
Then he flipped the script on it and then started
getting a bunch of.
Speaker 1 (24:56):
Case by case basis, like I said, give me another rookie,
though you're.
Speaker 3 (24:59):
Excited, this is my wild this is my last one.
So I know Jets fans are going did you forget
about us at this point in time? I haven't. I'm
gonna go to their second round. Pick someone who I
loved watching. I feel a lot of these guys I
said the same things in terms of that. But Mason
Taylor cool story, you know, with his dad and going
to the Jets. To me, I think again, pros pro
(25:19):
someone who's ready and developed and good to go right now,
go to my notes. He was my third tight end
in the draft, behind Tyler Warren and Colson Lovelin. He
was my twenty ninth overall player. Good size at a
little over sixty five two hundred and fifty one pounds,
he ran for six to eight just a big, athletic
tight end. The first time I kind of stepped on
my radar was as a freshman guy catches the game
(25:40):
when he touchdown against Bama night game at LSU. Doesn't
get bigger than that, So that tells you the moments
don't get to this dude at all. Just real, smooth, reliable.
He's got a nice catch radius. He can catch the
ball low, which is hard for bigger tight ends, which
is good to see. He can make you miss out
in open spaces. He's functional as a blocker. He's not
gonna in that sense. Very few of these titands coming
(26:02):
to the NFL do. But again I thought somebody that
was polished and just a pro ready to go.
Speaker 2 (26:08):
So you call him a pro, does that mean you
think he can handle all the responsibilities as a blocker.
But also just like knowing all the assignments, you hear
this a lot with young tight ends that it's it's
a lot that they throw out him early, so it's
tough sometimes for them to make an impact early.
Speaker 3 (26:23):
I think he'll learn very quickly, and I think he's
a you know, he's a mirror blocker. He's not gonna,
he's not collapsing the line. He's not you know when
he's two hundred and seventy pounds. He's not Will Disley.
That's not his style. You're gonna flex him out, You're
gonna let him run routes, You're gonna let him win.
But I think of you know, the offense they can run,
it would make sense to be lean into the RPOs
(26:45):
a little bit. And uh, and this is someone in RPOs.
You leak him into the flat, you catch him on
a little you know, a little slant route in the
middle of the field. Like just to me, that's where
he's going to make his living.
Speaker 2 (26:57):
And he's got open targets there. Really sounds like he
is going to start or close to it at tight
end play plenty. And they don't really have even a
second wide receiver.
Speaker 3 (27:06):
That's lots of Wilson. That's why I think he could
slide into that second option.
Speaker 2 (27:10):
He could be that guy. So I'll pick his quarterback
as my final choice. If you, if you, if you
sign a starting quarterback in free agency, you make it
into the five you know, biggest impact list. I thought
Justin Fields' free agency was fascinating. Number One, that a
team believed in him enough to give him about a
twenty million dollar contract, which is right in between real
(27:32):
starter and high condo.
Speaker 3 (27:34):
It's our condo contract. We're trying to make this stick.
We haven't done it.
Speaker 2 (27:38):
It's the condo contract, but it's it's below like the
Geno first contract that he had even or you know
Sam Darnold last year with Minnesota. It's even below that,
but it's above where the Daniel Jones is at and
they had to make it a little higher. It'll be
fascinating to look back at the end of the season
because the Pittsburgh Steelers, what did you think about this?
(27:59):
That the report was that they gave Justin Fields a
pretty good contract offer. They didn't want Russell Wilson back,
even though they had bench Russell Wilson, I mean bench
Justin Fields for Russell Wilson, but actually that they gave
him a pretty good offer back and that the Jets
came over the top of it. What did what did
you think about all that? Because I found that fascinating
(28:20):
from the Steelers and the Jets perspective.
Speaker 3 (28:22):
Yeah, I think the Jets are sorry. The Steelers kind
of had a three man race here in terms of
the quarterbacks, and it sounded like they prioritize fields in
Sam Darnold, you know, in whichever one of those you
know was was top of their list, I don't know,
but those seemed to be the that was plan A
was one of those two guys. They both decided to
go to separate coasts and then that's when they kind
(28:43):
of pivoted to Aaron Rodgers at that point in time.
But I think they, you know, they they took a
look back at it, and they saw so much of
Russell Wilson. They felt like, this is that's who he is,
and that's probably if it's trending anywhere, it's going to
trend south. Whereas with with Justin saw some good things.
They probably in hindsight should have stuck with him, but
I think they also saw, Okay, there's still more growth here,
(29:07):
Like there's a chance there's more in the tank, and
we can put better pieces around him.
Speaker 2 (29:10):
The thing I like about the Jets going over the
top giving him a real contract is at least for
this year, they're building the offense in part around his strengths. Look,
they want to be a running team. It matches up
with what I think is a really good offensive line
and a really good backfield with Brest Hall and Brailen
Allen and that might be one A, one B with
(29:31):
Allen in the one A spot.
Speaker 1 (29:33):
And that's a fun group. And you know, Aaron Glenn wants.
Speaker 2 (29:36):
To run the ball and defense, and Justin Field is
one of the most dynamic running quarterbacks ever. And I
think they're really going to give him a chance to
make this year work. Now, if it doesn't work, then
they'll move on. But I do like that they're not
just trying to run their quote unquote offense. It's Tanner
Kstron from the Lions. They're gonna run an offense. I
think around Justin Field's strengths give him a chance to
(29:58):
succeed in this group.
Speaker 3 (30:01):
Yeah, I'm I'm excited to see how it all comes
together and see what it looks like Justin Fields. I
feel like there's there's still a large fan club out
there that feels like just hasn't been the right fit,
hasn't been the right offense, hasn't been the right players
around him, or the offensive line, or you know, just
letting him play.
Speaker 1 (30:18):
He is one of those guys kind of like Donald is.
Speaker 3 (30:20):
There is a very good comparison and.
Speaker 2 (30:23):
Donald and You're I included you in the Donald Hive.
I don't know if you're in the field type. I
feel like you had him pretty highly rated though when he.
Speaker 3 (30:29):
Was I liked fields, he wont to. He was my
he was my eighth, he was my eighth, eighth overall player.
It's very good, the five star kid. Explosive arm and legs,
excellent on the move. He can drive the ball, holds
the ball a little bit too long. He's late uh
late movement issues. Defensively changing the scene gave him some trouble.
(30:50):
Played a little bit of hero ball, but he was
extremely tough. So it's interesting looking back on that one man.
I had Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Trey Lance justin fields,
and Trevor's the only one still on the existing on
his existing team, obviously the only one who got paid big,
and then there's questions about him that are that are
(31:11):
still out there.
Speaker 2 (31:12):
Sometimes it's just a bad year for you to draft
a quarterback because everyone thought that class was amazing, and
the entire NFL agreed with you. And if you were
looking for a quarterback and you had an NFL team,
they would have taken Zach Wilson. They would have taken
Trey Lance, they would have taken Mac Jons.
Speaker 3 (31:27):
Some of these guys are on their third, third teams, right.
Speaker 1 (31:30):
That's absolutely true.
Speaker 3 (31:33):
All of lake hold On, Justin Fields is on his
third team. Zach Wilson is Jets, Broncos, Dolphins. He's on
his third team. Trey Lance is Niners, Cowboys, Chargers, He's
on his third team. That's crazy.
Speaker 2 (31:46):
Well, don't forget the guy who came in second place,
mac offensive Rookie of the Year that.
Speaker 1 (31:49):
Year, Mac Jones.
Speaker 3 (31:50):
Yeah, is he on his third one.
Speaker 2 (31:51):
I'll never forget the article in I forget where it
was in Boston where it was like Mac Jones deserves
the Rookie of the Year over Jamar Chase. It was
like Week fifteen kind of fell apart after that, but
that didn't make So.
Speaker 3 (32:03):
Four of the top five quarterbacks are all on their
third team, and the guy who's stuck is probably one
of the more more criticized scrutinized quarterbacks in the NFL.
Speaker 1 (32:13):
Right now, it was the wrong year to need a quarterback.
Speaker 2 (32:16):
It is never the wrong year to listen to Daniel
Jeremiah's draft takes.
Speaker 1 (32:20):
He nailed them all this year.
Speaker 2 (32:21):
They're all going to be correct on both forties and
free Agents and move the sticks check out of course, DJ.
As the season builds up, he's going to be with
Bucky there. I'm going to be on NFL daily. But
we're not done here. Forties in free Agents two more
episodes before the season in your feed On Monday and Tuesday,
(32:42):
we are going to be doing a draft of the
teams that we think are most likely to win the
Super Bowl in the AFC and the NFC.
Speaker 1 (32:50):
Should be a lot of fun.
Speaker 3 (32:52):
We will see then, well, hold on, hold on before
we go.
Speaker 1 (32:55):
Okay, I thought that was a good ending.
Speaker 3 (32:56):
I thought that good ending.
Speaker 1 (32:58):
They were playing the music.
Speaker 3 (32:59):
I want, I want people to know this is the
only podcast that you can come to that is led
and run by a man with the watch of a
CEO and the shirt of a custodian. There's no one
else that can offer that. We offer it right here
on Forties and free Agents and we'll see you next time.
We are back on forties and free agents.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
I'm Greg Rosenthal alongside Daniel Jeremiah from his mansion in
the San Diego area.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
But that's not it's not public knowledge.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
We can't let anyone know where you live because you
know you rank these guys. People would get upset, they'd
come after you.
Speaker 3 (00:26):
I can't tell if that's a Tommy Bahamas shirt or
like a Janitor shirt, Like, what are we wearing here?
Speaker 1 (00:31):
Yeah, this is an audio medium. Hopefully we canet.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
Where's the patch? I feel patch on that thing?
Speaker 2 (00:36):
You know. This is the second negative comment I've gotten today,
the other one being from my wife on it.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
I got it, really, I believe in And are there
two opinions you care more about than those two?
Speaker 2 (00:46):
No, that's the top two ranked right there. Today, we
are wrapping up our division look at the twenty twenty
five season by taking a little look back of the
biggest editions in terms of veterans and rookie It is
the AFC East and now we get to do it
DJ with the knowledge of everything that happened in training
camp and the preseason and spin it forward. We are
(01:09):
so close to this season actually starting. You do the rookies,
I do the veterans. Why don't you get us going?
Speaker 3 (01:16):
Sure? I will, And I don't know if there is
video that lives on this. I know this obviously an
audio form, but if you could just move your mop
and bucket, it's in the screen a little bit, if
you just move it a little bit to the left. Thanks.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
I mean it's at least cleanly pressed and stuff. It
looks like at least I'm putting in a little bit
of effort, unlike you.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
You know, Yeah, greed to a screet I'm gonna go.
I tease this on the last one. So let's jump
right into it. Let's go to the Miami Dolphins. Let's
go to the sixth round and Ali Gordon out of
Oklahoma State, who is a big physical back as I
do again, we should have got this sponsored. Greg. I
think you came up with that idea going back through
some of these draft notes. But Oli Gordon to me
(01:54):
someone that I had it, who's one hundred and forty
one on my list. I don't know what the overall
pick was where he ended up getting picked. He's one
seventy nine, so that was still a little bit higher
on him than where he went there, but six zho
one to three. So six one and a half two
hundred and twenty six pounds ran four to six to
one in Indy, one of the slower running back times there,
(02:15):
but didn't bother me at all. When you look at
the way that he runs, He's got a huge lower half.
He's a nifty big back. So if you think about comparisons,
I wrote down le Garrett Blunt is who he reminded
me of someone who can absorb contact. He can actually
catch the ball really well. You'll see some one handed
catches when you study his film. He's aggressive and pass pro.
I just wrote he's fast enough, like he's for what
(02:35):
he does his style, he's fast enough. Senior Bowl was excellent,
had a big time game in the Senior Bowl. So
I think they got a great, great value there and
I think would have seen in the preseason this guy
runs really really hard.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
These backups that have been trying to tackle him can't
bring him down, you know, they just they just bounce
off him. Now we'll see it against better competition in
the regular season, because I think he's going to have
a chance. Jalen Wright was supposed to be the backup
there he's out right now with an injury. We'll see
if he's back for week one, but Gordon maybe won
that job anyways over Jalen Right, well, we'll see and
(03:08):
Devon h Chan is banged up right now with a
soft tissue injury, so it could be week one. Olie
Gordon getting some really big time snaps and I too
was impressed. Maybe the big back is coming back to
love it because you know, because of the extra tight
end formations, more power.
Speaker 3 (03:26):
Oh you're seeing too high safeties, the boxes. You know,
it's lighter boxes. So you get somebody who can just
kind of be a little bit of a hammer in there.
It's kind of fun.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
So the Dolphins will be using Minka Fitzpatrick quite a
bit in those two high safety formations that the Anthony
Weaver does like to run.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
And that's my pick for the Dolphins.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
There a really important year in his career and important
player for the Miami Dolphins. I think they gave up
a lot to get him in terms of Jalen Ramsey
who wasn't happy there and John hus Smith who wanted
a new home as well. And Minko Fitzpatrick has had
an interesting career. Sometimes those deep safeties.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
DJ.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
You know, you just don't hear from as much in
some years than others. But if you, you know, listen
to the reporters and some of the coaches in Pittsburgh,
I do think they were a little disappointed with Minka
Fitzpatrick over the last year or two.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
Sometimes maybe he was had one pick right.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
He sometimes he was freelancing a little bit and not
being part of the structure of the defense and not
making as many big plays after an incredible start to
his career, almost like a Hall of Fame type of
start to his career. Still relatively young, I think he's
twenty eight years old, and so they need him to
be a playmaker in a secondary that doesn't really have
any other options to be playmakers.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
I think if safety's interceptions from a scouting standpoint, there's
two types of interceptions. There's ones where the ball finds
you and there's ones where you go take the ball away.
And Mika had that production early. And that wasn't just
the ball falling in his lap, tips and overthrows like
this was him seeing things, driving on routes, making plays
on the ball like this was him as a playmaker,
(05:03):
and that we just haven't seen that the last couple
of years, so I'm hoping. I'm hoping it's in there.
I'm hoping this kind of revitalizes him, you know, going
back to Miami and we see that that old school
version of him. But I don't think he's been the
same player the last couple of years.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
You know, he got paid.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
He wanted to get paid by the way by the
Dolphins when he got there, and they essentially decided to no,
like you got to prove it this time. I think
they gave him, like they moved his money around a
little bit. But he's basically in a contract year. Can
he get one more big contract? So he'll be motivated
to get it done. And I think Anthony Weaver in
that second year in Miami, with that defensive front, one
of the best defensive fronts of everything clicks in the
(05:41):
entire league. Maybe healthy, maybe they'll be opportunities to make
some plays because of that quick pass rush.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
Go ahead with your second record.
Speaker 3 (05:49):
They just need to stay healthy too.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
Man.
Speaker 3 (05:51):
Those edge rushers are very talented. They just haven't been
able to get him on the field. So I'm gonna
go to my next one here, and again I do
not have a first round pick in this division. In
terms of my guys, I'm keeping an eye on that
I'm excited about, which is interesting. I'm gonna go to
Buffalo and I'm gonna go to land In Jackson edge
rusher out of Arkansas, a third round pick. This was
a transfer there at Arkansas who spent a lot of
(06:13):
time in the SEC's, played against great competition, and I
love the way that he played with the the the
edge that he played with, the physicality that he played with.
He's six foot six, two hundred and sixty four pounds,
he ran four six eight excellent straight line speed, had
an awesome Senior Bowl game, So that's kind of a
nice thing to see when you're going through the process.
(06:34):
He wins with a long arm rush. He crushes tight ends.
As an edge rusher, you cannot get blocked by tight ends,
and he dominated those matchups. Some angle blocks, you know,
some guys when they could, you know, block down on
him or crack on him. And he's to work on
some of his awareness there. But thought there was a
violence to the way that he played, and I thought
he played with outstanding effort. And if you think about
the Buffalo Bills, and how they play effort, physicality, it's
(06:57):
a big part of it. This is a big guy
who can run, who plays really really hard. So I'm
excited to see him in Sean McDermott's defense.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
Yeah, I think they could really use some core pieces
that pop for them that are younger, and he has
the opportunity to do so. Like my wildcard I just
got through him now is Joey Bosa, because like to me,
he's the ultimate wildcard and he's part of this conversation.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
I have been tracking.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
He had a healthy training camp, so that's a good
sign healthy preseason. I don't know if the snaps are
there for lot Lannon Jackson right off the bat, because
they have Epanessa, they have Rousseau, they have Bosa. Do
you think he's a guy that could play a little
inside and also among that trio, like they've missed some
time with injuries and so that that could open up
(07:44):
an opportunity for Jackson.
Speaker 3 (07:45):
And to me, look the Bosa and I've been around
you know, Joey for every game that he's played, you know,
going through his career here or I guess I think
maybe not even maybe missed his first year or so
but he uh. He to me, you signed Joey Bosa
for the playoffs. You sign him to get him, manage
him through the season, you load management, whatever term you
want to use, but you want him healthy and ready
(08:05):
to rock when you get into those meaningful late season games,
and healthy into the postseason the playoffs. So I would
say it behooves them to roll guys through. And I
think I really think he'll earn a role. He can
rush inside if you want him to. I don't have
the numbers in front of me, but I think he
had like eight or nine pressures in the preseason when
I was going through some of the rookie numbers the
other day. So he's he's shown some signs he's going
(08:26):
to be able to get out there and help them.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
I hold it against Landon Jackson though, that during the
initial run of forties in free agents, you know, I
called him Donovan Jackson or vice versa.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
So many times. It was just heart. There's also like
Landon Donovan, it's just.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
Someone's got to choose, someone's got to change it. Maybe
that's a me problem. I think it is a me problem,
but I just it's too confusing.
Speaker 3 (08:51):
Well, I can see how you would be easily confused.
What's who's next?
Speaker 1 (08:55):
Well, I threw out Bosa as my wife.
Speaker 3 (08:57):
Yeah, we're counting bosas. So then I get to go
with my next one. There, I'm gonna go to a
team that I said at the time, and Jack Andraid,
who does all the research, backed it up in terms
of just the raw numbers. The New England Patriots, based
off just how I saw players going through the draft process,
had the best draft in the NFL in terms of
the quality of player and the value with where they
(09:18):
got the players in this draft class. So I've got
two of them there. I'm gonna go two skill guys
on offense. Obviously Will Campbell is going to be a
big part as their left tackle, but Travon Henderson at
running back. You saw it early in the preseason when
he took a kick to the house, like he is
a dynamic weapon and you're gonna see him big time
in the pass game. You know, I mentioned it. I
(09:39):
go back through my notes. He's the best pass protecting
running back I've ever evaluated coming out.
Speaker 1 (09:43):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (09:44):
So and that's what the number one thing that keeps
rookie running backs from getting playtime or getting on the
field is the trust of the coordinator in the quarterback
and pass protection. This guy is elite, elite, elite in
pass pro, big time speed, versatility. He can run every
route out of the backfield. It's not just you know
he's running an option route. You can split him out,
(10:05):
let him run receiver routes. He's got home run speed.
He ran four four three. He plays much faster than that.
So he just got to keep his feet alive a
little bit on inside runs. There's times where his feet
can go dead. He's not gonna be a ware you
down runner, but he is a fine decrease and and
create a bunch of explosives. He's gonna be fun for
Patriot fans to watch man.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
He could not have gotten Patriots fans more excited with
this preseason that he had not just on the field
in the games where he showed a variety of different
types of plays, like inside runs where he did do
a good job fighting through and scoring in the red zone.
Also running I forget what cornerback it was on the
(10:45):
vikings over but just like steam rolling in with a
rugged run. But then also these wheel routes and busting
open the kickoff like you said, and he's he's gonna
be a much different player than a Shane Veren and
Danny Woodhead and these guys. But Josh McDaniels has brought
up those and if you can add, you know, his
(11:09):
speed to some of the skill set that those guys had,
Like watch out, there's gonna be a lot of Patriots
in this in this show. I hate to bring it
to you because they were they were so active and
they need to have a good draft.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
By the way, Drake may.
Speaker 2 (11:21):
Literally might be the only twenty twenty four draft class
member to make this team.
Speaker 1 (11:27):
Saw that that's not a good look bananas. I will
go with Milton Williams.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
Look, he was at the top of my free agency
list and he got taken by the Patriots.
Speaker 1 (11:37):
They went over the top to get him.
Speaker 2 (11:39):
He wasn't the top of my original list, but all
the re signings happened and the franchise tags, and it's
the type of guy I think that you should overpay
in free agency, and I think ultimately they did overpay him.
Speaker 1 (11:49):
If they get a version of him.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
DJ Between the Milton Williams we saw for the first
twelve weeks of last season and then the Milton Williams.
Speaker 1 (11:58):
We saw down the stretch and the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
If it's somewhere in between, I think they should be happy.
And I think those that is the type of player
that they should bet on. But I can imagine the
Boston Sports radio, Yeaho's being like, well, what's this guy.
He's you know, he's got some pressures. He's he's got
like four sacks. Because I don't think he's going to
be an All Pro player. I just think he's going
to be a good plus starter and if you have
(12:21):
the money, spend it, because it's hard to find those
guys in free agency.
Speaker 3 (12:26):
Dynamic, explosive. I remember when he was coming out into
the process being he was like one of my favorite
players that I watched in that cycle, and I remember
talking to the guys in Philadelphia, you know, before, during,
and after they got him in there, and I mean,
he's such a good kid, and he just got better
and better and better. The explosiveness was always there, and
then you just started seeing the playmaking come along with it.
(12:48):
I think you were right to have him as highly
rated as you did through the free agency process. This
is the way my mind works. It's kind of weird, Greg,
but I was just sitting there thinking he was going
to sign with the Panthers, right, that was everything's going
that way. He ends up signing with the Patriots. So
James Taylor wrote the song in my mind, I'm going
(13:09):
to Carolina. But where's James Taylor from and who's a
fan of He's a Patriots guy. So literally, in his
mind he was going to Carolina.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
He's on that mask playing from Stockbridge to Boston.
Speaker 3 (13:23):
Yes, exactly. So again that's uh, if we had the
music rights, I'm sure we don't. Maybe with all that
ESPN money coming in there, we can get the rights
to that song. We could just drop it right in
the episode. But I don't think that's finalized yet.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
I wouldn't have thought that my parents, you know, playing
James Taylor NonStop in the car, dragging me.
Speaker 3 (13:42):
In former free agency thoughts.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
To some concerts at Tanglewood back back in the day,
when I was like, ah, do we have to do?
Speaker 1 (13:49):
That'll be okay, and.
Speaker 3 (13:51):
You'll stand up at a concert because I've I've never
been to a James Taylor concert, but it feels I
went to a Vince Gill concert and it was very
much just kind of sit down enjoyable, like in like enjoyable,
really talented musician, but not really a stand up situation.
Speaker 1 (14:04):
I don't remember I was a kid.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
My guess is he's sitting, Yeah, those are those are
soft tunes. The crowd that's definitely showing that they're they're
drinking wine. You know. Milton Williams was maybe the second
best like defensive player in that stretch in the playoffs
for the Eagles, next to Jalen Carter. Like he just
was so good, and so you do wonder like how
much of that was the Eagles and the attention to Carter.
Speaker 1 (14:26):
Well, he's got Christian Barmore next to him here.
Speaker 2 (14:28):
He's a pretty good defensive line there with with Harold
Landry who was also a pickup. And you know, I
just hope that the expectations aren't so high that people
are disappointing, because I think if he's just like a
really good player, that that's that's what they needed. They
had more than enough cap space, and they they spent
so much money in free agency. I'll just throw out
(14:49):
another one too, because to me, it was all combined.
Carlton Davis was another one on their defense, and so
you spent it on Williams, Harold Landry, and Davis. Davis
was the one I'm choosing as as one of my
five kind of a boomer bus player that they're gonna
really need to stay healthy and hold up. Is good
in man coverage, but how how important is like man
(15:10):
coverage in twenty twenty five being that kind of cornerback DJ, Well.
Speaker 3 (15:15):
It depends. There's there's very few teams that are just
gonna let you go nose to nose and play me
in coverage the whole time, so not as useful for
the majority of teams. It's it's nice, it's a great luxury.
I think, given their druthers, most teams would love to
have corners where you can line up and do that,
but not many teams have it. So that's just kind
of the way the game's played right now. I'm gonna
go Patriots. Last one here. Kyle Williams, who I know
(15:39):
is a favorite of yours as well, receiver. He was
my fifty seventh overall player. He was the sixty ninth pick,
so again just kind of another example of I thought
they kind of knocked it out of the park in
terms of the value where they found these guys a
little bit under five eleven hundred and ninety pounds, ran
four to four flat, played inside and outside. He was
excellent in his release is getting away from press. He's
(16:01):
got vertical speed, he can separate. I love his ability
to win early on routes. You want to run a slant,
you want to get on top of guys, he can
do it right away. He's got burst with a ball
in his hands, you know, for run after catch. He
was excellent again at the Senior Bowl, which you kind
of see a theme here. A lot of these guys
that do really well in that setting. It does bode
well for their future and his ability. This is kind
(16:23):
of a kind of a I try to think of
the right ways to describe this, but you know it
when you see it. So I like guys who can
go from a static position to a burst. You know,
Like think about just if you're if you're running a
curl route, you face up, you catch the ball, You
catch the ball, your static your feet are in the ground.
How quick can then you get out and go? And
(16:44):
this guy has exceptional ability to do that. So I'm
a big fan of his game. I'll be honest, I
have not seen him in the in the preseason. I
have not watched their stuff with him, so I don't
know how he's done. I haven't seen the reports in camp.
This is basically solely off my evaluation of him as
a college play.
Speaker 1 (17:00):
Well.
Speaker 2 (17:00):
He had a concussion in practice after the Vikings game,
which was the second week, but he is now back
at practice, so that that cost him a week. But
I think it's been really positive. Actually, that preseason game
against the Vikings was part of a trend that we've
heard at camp where he is winning in terms of
those releases. He is stacking the cornerbacks and a couple
times in that game he was wide open going down
(17:23):
the field and Josh Thobbs couldn't hit him either time.
One time that the cornerback had like the worst pass
interference that you've ever seen. They didn't call it, but
I feel like in a big game they would have
called it. I guess it was a preseason they should
have called it. But either way, you saw what you
wanted to see. I think they like what they've seen
out of him so far. Him and Kashan Boody are
both going to get reps on the outside. MATC Collins
(17:43):
is as well but I think it's a matter of
time before Williams gets more and more of those reps.
So I think all systems are going in terms of
Kyle Williams, and you're.
Speaker 1 (17:53):
Right, I planted my flag at him.
Speaker 2 (17:55):
We had a show, yeah, I mentioned on our last
show with Me to Kimes, where we each picked our
favorite player. HER's with Jagod Campbell. I went Kyle Williams.
I don't remember who your pick was.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
Do you? You did so many shows.
Speaker 3 (18:05):
It's kind of tough to I remember a lot of those,
but put.
Speaker 2 (18:08):
You on the spot. I think it was Jday Baron.
I do listen to you.
Speaker 3 (18:12):
Okay, do you like Jday Baron? It could have been
this next guy who was my wow who? I'm gonna
skip ahead to my wildcard because I just felt weird
having three Patriots in the in the in the five,
so I just have one as a wildcard. Who was Again,
one of my favorite players was Craig Woodson, safety from
cal So. I'll let producer Drew pull up when he
was picked what number overall he was? I like giving
(18:34):
Drew homework while we're.
Speaker 2 (18:35):
Live and another you know segment that should be sponsored,
although like I could easily Google. I don't think you
need to have a researching background to do this, but
we'll let him do the do the work.
Speaker 3 (18:44):
He was one oh six according to Drew, he was
my ninetieth player. Again, kind of stay with that theme.
If I thought the Patriots, you know, found value all
throughout the draft six ohoh one, two hundred uh so,
six foot eight, two hundred Punds ran four four five
in Indianapolis as a safety. Let's start here. Leader smart
the first two things, and that's from talking to everybody
(19:04):
at CAL. He's a little bit older, so he's been
you know, you see this a little bit with the
last couple of years with COVID and all that, you
get some guys who are a little bit older, a
little more mature. I thought this guy could play in
the deep half. He's open and smooth. He's he's got
speed and physicality when he's working downhill until the alleys,
takes great angles. He has a lot of underneath PBUs.
He's a real firm tackler. And I thought the intelligence
(19:27):
wasn't just you know, off the field stuff. This is
someone who plays with excellent instincts on the field, which
is huge for a safety. To me, I just looked
at this cal sneakily had a lot of safeties that
have ended up being starters in the last five six years.
It's been a nice little factory there. I thought this
guy was ready made, ready to go step on the
field and play. And it sounds like from what I
have heard on him is that he's earning some time there.
Speaker 1 (19:50):
Oh, I think he's starting week one.
Speaker 2 (19:53):
He's certainly playing in their you know, din packages is
probably their nickel, but like it sounds like he is
going to be a week one starter there with Jabrill
Peppers also at safety. But he beat out some veterans
and everything that you said, that's what you hear from
the coaches, and it was kind of an immediate guy
that like, whoa, this is a dude. And yes, after
(20:15):
a rough draft class a year ago, they're gonna have
a lot of rookie starters this year, maybe two on
the offensive line with Jared Wilson alongside Will Campbell and
then you mentioned Craig Woodson. Let's take a break, we'll
be back on the other side with our remaining veteran
and rookie additions back on forties and free agents. DJ,
(20:45):
you felt bad about doing a bunch of Patriots and round.
I don't feel bad. They're the team that made all
the moves this offseason. So I've got one more veteran
addition to talk about here.
Speaker 1 (20:56):
It's Stefon Diggs.
Speaker 2 (20:57):
It's a contract, when you look under the hood, is
more of a one year deal. I think he was
a very good third receiver type, really a slot receiver
in Houston. So coming off of torn ACL getting back
on the field rather early in that recovery, earlier than
people expected to start training camp, what you saw, I
(21:18):
think as camp went on was what you see a
lot of times. Yeah, that you can get back on
the field, but maybe the confidence wasn't there, the ability
to play at game speed day after day after day.
And so we'll see what he is going to give
this team early in the season, how he fits in
to their receiver rotation. He's not the high ceiling guy
that he was early in his career, but they could
(21:39):
really use a guy that Drake May trusts and knows
where he's gonna be on the field. And that's what
they're counting on Stefan Diggs to do. Because even if
he's not a true wide receiver one like, who's getting
the most targets there, it's him, It's de Mario Douglas.
It would probably be my pick right now, I mean,
which is crazy pop Douglas as their one receiver. So
(21:59):
the op opportunity is there for Digs to have a
really big role and maybe it'll increase as the season
gets on and he's a little further away from that surgery.
Speaker 3 (22:07):
Well, all those points just go back to my previous
point that I think if you just look at raw
talent and where they are right now in their ability levels,
I think Kyle Williams is their real talented receiver.
Speaker 2 (22:15):
Look at that. I loved I loved hearing that. And
that doesn't mean it's a bad signing. This is just
how free agency works. No, if they get eight hundred
yards out of Stefan Diggs in fifty five catches, and
he's also and you can see it him talking to
the like a very smart route runner and talking to
the younger guys in that room and get helping them
(22:36):
out too, Like you have to overpay to find guys.
And their roster was so diminished from the drafts that
they've had recently, and really verble wanting to get rid
of every guy that Bill Belichick brought in essentially that
that's what you do in free agency. So I think
if he's a solid enough player, that's a win. They'd
obviously like a little more. And then he would you
would be with the Patriots for more than one year, and.
Speaker 3 (22:58):
I do something that could be dated and they can
easily clip out of this. Sure by the time this
thing hits the waves. You saw what Elliot Wolf said
the other day when he said, Hey, we'd be willing to,
you know, part with a high pick for a for
a star player if that player would become available. A.
What did you think of that? And then B do
you think where this roster is right now that would
(23:20):
make sense.
Speaker 2 (23:22):
It depends who it was. I think it was in
the context of Terry McLaurin, who we as we know,
have since since signed with Washington Commanders. It's a really
case by case situation, but there aren't many where I
think it would make sense for this roster. It'd have
to be for a younger player that you're ready to
give a huge contract, like I mean, Michael Parsons would come.
Speaker 3 (23:43):
That's what I said, That's what I tweeted, That's what
I tweeted because when I saw that, when I saw
that comment, and everybody freaked out, but I was like, well,
I'm just taking it at face value. So if you're
going to say that, I'm like, well, Okay, Trey Hendrickson,
Terry McLaurin, I'm like, well, if you really want to
make an aggressive move looking at window and talent, like
I would at least call the Cowboys first. I mean,
(24:04):
they might not take my call, but that would be
my first call if that was something they were considering.
Speaker 2 (24:07):
Yes, I mean I think if you have a chance,
and because they have so much cap space this year,
Michael Parsons is an all time player that you would
have to think about that. Brandon Ayuk was another one
that they were rumored to be talking about before he
signed that long term deal at some point coming off
that injury, Like could could that make sense for them?
If the forty nine ers. I don't think it's crazy.
(24:30):
I think I think sometimes you guys in the draft
industrial complex and these NFL teams, they get a little
too precious about the draft picks and sometimes a bird
in the hand, is it's worth something here?
Speaker 1 (24:39):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (24:39):
I no, trust me. I'm I use this phrase with
baseball all the time, which is, prospects are fun, parades
are more fun. Like, yeah, that's less.
Speaker 1 (24:50):
Snead agrees. You know the Eagles, they're always used to And.
Speaker 3 (24:53):
Then he flipped the script on it and then started
getting a bunch of.
Speaker 1 (24:56):
Case by case basis, like I said, give me another rookie,
though you're.
Speaker 3 (24:59):
Excited, this is my wild this is my last one.
So I know Jets fans are going did you forget
about us at this point in time? I haven't. I'm
gonna go to their second round. Pick someone who I
loved watching. I feel a lot of these guys I
said the same things in terms of that. But Mason
Taylor cool story, you know, with his dad and going
to the Jets. To me, I think again, pros pro
(25:19):
someone who's ready and developed and good to go right now,
go to my notes. He was my third tight end
in the draft, behind Tyler Warren and Colson Lovelin. He
was my twenty ninth overall player. Good size at a
little over sixty five two hundred and fifty one pounds,
he ran for six to eight just a big, athletic
tight end. The first time I kind of stepped on
my radar was as a freshman guy catches the game
(25:40):
when he touchdown against Bama night game at LSU. Doesn't
get bigger than that, So that tells you the moments
don't get to this dude at all. Just real, smooth, reliable.
He's got a nice catch radius. He can catch the
ball low, which is hard for bigger tight ends, which
is good to see. He can make you miss out
in open spaces. He's functional as a blocker. He's not
gonna in that sense. Very few of these titands coming
(26:02):
to the NFL do. But again I thought somebody that
was polished and just a pro ready to go.
Speaker 2 (26:08):
So you call him a pro, does that mean you
think he can handle all the responsibilities as a blocker.
But also just like knowing all the assignments, you hear
this a lot with young tight ends that it's it's
a lot that they throw out him early, so it's
tough sometimes for them to make an impact early.
Speaker 3 (26:23):
I think he'll learn very quickly, and I think he's
a you know, he's a mirror blocker. He's not gonna,
he's not collapsing the line. He's not you know when
he's two hundred and seventy pounds. He's not Will Disley.
That's not his style. You're gonna flex him out, You're
gonna let him run routes, You're gonna let him win.
But I think of you know, the offense they can run,
it would make sense to be lean into the RPOs
(26:45):
a little bit. And uh, and this is someone in RPOs.
You leak him into the flat, you catch him on
a little you know, a little slant route in the
middle of the field. Like just to me, that's where
he's going to make his living.
Speaker 2 (26:57):
And he's got open targets there. Really sounds like he
is going to start or close to it at tight
end play plenty. And they don't really have even a
second wide receiver.
Speaker 3 (27:06):
That's lots of Wilson. That's why I think he could
slide into that second option.
Speaker 2 (27:10):
He could be that guy. So I'll pick his quarterback
as my final choice. If you, if you, if you
sign a starting quarterback in free agency, you make it
into the five you know, biggest impact list. I thought
Justin Fields' free agency was fascinating. Number One, that a
team believed in him enough to give him about a
twenty million dollar contract, which is right in between real
(27:32):
starter and high condo.
Speaker 3 (27:34):
It's our condo contract. We're trying to make this stick.
We haven't done it.
Speaker 2 (27:38):
It's the condo contract, but it's it's below like the
Geno first contract that he had even or you know
Sam Darnold last year with Minnesota. It's even below that,
but it's above where the Daniel Jones is at and
they had to make it a little higher. It'll be
fascinating to look back at the end of the season
because the Pittsburgh Steelers, what did you think about this?
(27:59):
That the report was that they gave Justin Fields a
pretty good contract offer. They didn't want Russell Wilson back,
even though they had bench Russell Wilson, I mean bench
Justin Fields for Russell Wilson, but actually that they gave
him a pretty good offer back and that the Jets
came over the top of it. What did what did
you think about all that? Because I found that fascinating
(28:20):
from the Steelers and the Jets perspective.
Speaker 3 (28:22):
Yeah, I think the Jets are sorry. The Steelers kind
of had a three man race here in terms of
the quarterbacks, and it sounded like they prioritize fields in
Sam Darnold, you know, in whichever one of those you
know was was top of their list, I don't know,
but those seemed to be the that was plan A
was one of those two guys. They both decided to
go to separate coasts and then that's when they kind
(28:43):
of pivoted to Aaron Rodgers at that point in time.
But I think they, you know, they they took a
look back at it, and they saw so much of
Russell Wilson. They felt like, this is that's who he is,
and that's probably if it's trending anywhere, it's going to
trend south. Whereas with with Justin saw some good things.
They probably in hindsight should have stuck with him, but
I think they also saw, Okay, there's still more growth here,
(29:07):
Like there's a chance there's more in the tank, and
we can put better pieces around him.
Speaker 2 (29:10):
The thing I like about the Jets going over the
top giving him a real contract is at least for
this year, they're building the offense in part around his strengths. Look,
they want to be a running team. It matches up
with what I think is a really good offensive line
and a really good backfield with Brest Hall and Brailen
Allen and that might be one A, one B with
(29:31):
Allen in the one A spot.
Speaker 1 (29:33):
And that's a fun group. And you know, Aaron Glenn wants.
Speaker 2 (29:36):
To run the ball and defense, and Justin Field is
one of the most dynamic running quarterbacks ever. And I
think they're really going to give him a chance to
make this year work. Now, if it doesn't work, then
they'll move on. But I do like that they're not
just trying to run their quote unquote offense. It's Tanner
Kstron from the Lions. They're gonna run an offense. I
think around Justin Field's strengths give him a chance to
(29:58):
succeed in this group.
Speaker 3 (30:01):
Yeah, I'm I'm excited to see how it all comes
together and see what it looks like Justin Fields. I
feel like there's there's still a large fan club out
there that feels like just hasn't been the right fit,
hasn't been the right offense, hasn't been the right players
around him, or the offensive line, or you know, just
letting him play.
Speaker 1 (30:18):
He is one of those guys kind of like Donald is.
Speaker 3 (30:20):
There is a very good comparison and.
Speaker 2 (30:23):
Donald and You're I included you in the Donald Hive.
I don't know if you're in the field type. I
feel like you had him pretty highly rated though when he.
Speaker 3 (30:29):
Was I liked fields, he wont to. He was my
he was my eighth, he was my eighth, eighth overall player.
It's very good, the five star kid. Explosive arm and legs,
excellent on the move. He can drive the ball, holds
the ball a little bit too long. He's late uh
late movement issues. Defensively changing the scene gave him some trouble.
(30:50):
Played a little bit of hero ball, but he was
extremely tough. So it's interesting looking back on that one man.
I had Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Trey Lance justin fields,
and Trevor's the only one still on the existing on
his existing team, obviously the only one who got paid big,
and then there's questions about him that are that are
(31:11):
still out there.
Speaker 2 (31:12):
Sometimes it's just a bad year for you to draft
a quarterback because everyone thought that class was amazing, and
the entire NFL agreed with you. And if you were
looking for a quarterback and you had an NFL team,
they would have taken Zach Wilson. They would have taken
Trey Lance, they would have taken Mac Jons.
Speaker 3 (31:27):
Some of these guys are on their third, third teams, right.
Speaker 1 (31:30):
That's absolutely true.
Speaker 3 (31:33):
All of lake hold On, Justin Fields is on his
third team. Zach Wilson is Jets, Broncos, Dolphins. He's on
his third team. Trey Lance is Niners, Cowboys, Chargers, He's
on his third team. That's crazy.
Speaker 2 (31:46):
Well, don't forget the guy who came in second place,
mac offensive Rookie of the Year that.
Speaker 1 (31:49):
Year, Mac Jones.
Speaker 3 (31:50):
Yeah, is he on his third one.
Speaker 2 (31:51):
I'll never forget the article in I forget where it
was in Boston where it was like Mac Jones deserves
the Rookie of the Year over Jamar Chase. It was
like Week fifteen kind of fell apart after that, but
that didn't make So.
Speaker 3 (32:03):
Four of the top five quarterbacks are all on their
third team, and the guy who's stuck is probably one
of the more more criticized scrutinized quarterbacks in the NFL.
Speaker 1 (32:13):
Right now, it was the wrong year to need a quarterback.
Speaker 2 (32:16):
It is never the wrong year to listen to Daniel
Jeremiah's draft takes.
Speaker 1 (32:20):
He nailed them all this year.
Speaker 2 (32:21):
They're all going to be correct on both forties and
free Agents and move the sticks check out of course, DJ.
As the season builds up, he's going to be with
Bucky there. I'm going to be on NFL daily. But
we're not done here. Forties in free Agents two more
episodes before the season in your feed On Monday and Tuesday,
(32:42):
we are going to be doing a draft of the
teams that we think are most likely to win the
Super Bowl in the AFC and the NFC.
Speaker 1 (32:50):
Should be a lot of fun.
Speaker 3 (32:52):
We will see then, well, hold on, hold on before
we go.
Speaker 1 (32:55):
Okay, I thought that was a good ending.
Speaker 3 (32:56):
I thought that good ending.
Speaker 1 (32:58):
They were playing the music.
Speaker 3 (32:59):
I want, I want people to know this is the
only podcast that you can come to that is led
and run by a man with the watch of a
CEO and the shirt of a custodian. There's no one
else that can offer that. We offer it right here
on Forties and free Agents and we'll see you next time.
Host
Gregg Rosenthal
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