April 6, 2022 • 41 mins
In this episode, we kick off Part 1 of our four-part “Roster Reset” series where we’ll go in-depth on the offseason moves made by all 32 teams, and how they could impact the upcoming season. Today, host Rhett Lewis is joined by insider Steve Wyche and NFL.com writer Kevin Patra to discuss moves made by the NFC North and South teams. They start off answering which teams can dethrone the Packers and Bucs in their respective divisions. Later, Steve and Kevin hand out grades to each team, with Kevin explaining which Bucs signing was the “steal of the offseason.” And, with less than a month until the 2022 NFL Draft, the guys go deep on what each team needs to address when they’re on the clock, with Steve saying why he thinks "Malik Willis is going to be real tempting for [the Falcons] at #8." Thursday, in Part 2 of the series, we’ll go in-depth on the NFC West and East. You can read more about the “Roster Reset” series on NFL.com/rosterreset.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
NFL Inside Report is the production of the NFL in
partnership with I Heart Radio. I'm Rertt Lewis and this
is NFL Inside Report. Today. We're kicking off a series
(00:25):
we're calling Roster Reset, and over the next two weeks
we'll cover all thirty two teams and look at out
their off season moves will translate to the upcoming season.
This week it is NFC Weed. They will cover the
NFC North and NFC South squads. Tomorrow we'll talk about
moves made by the NFC West and NFC East teams.
Next week we'll sort through all sixteen teams in the
(00:48):
a f C. And with us today to help us
make sense of the NFC North and South is Steve
Whitch and NFL dot Com writer Kevin Patro. Before we
get started, though, let's look at some of the biggest
offseason moves in the division. The Green a Packers primed
to take the North again following their third straight division title.
(01:09):
Aaron Rodgers is back, but he'll be without his top target,
to Vante Adams, who was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders.
The top ten defense returns to its stars with linebacker
Devondre Campbell and pass rusher Preston Smith, both signing lucrative
contract extensions. It's a new era in Minnesota under new
(01:29):
GM quasy A Dolpha Mensa and new head coach Kevin O'Connell.
Kark cousins back on a one year deal and hopes
that the Vikings can get back to the playoffs for
the first time since adopo Mensa's work to improve the
defense this offseason, signing former Packers pass rushers that Darius Smith,
former Bills d tackle Harrison Phillips, and resigning corner Patrick Peterson.
(01:54):
The Chicago Bears also seeing regime change. New GM Ryan
Poles and new head coach Matt eber Flues take over
a team that went six and eleven last season. Also
gone veterans Khalil Mack, who was traded to the Chargers,
linebacker Danny Trevathan, and defensive tackle Eddie Goldman. Running Back
Terek Cohen also on the way out on offense, the
(02:15):
Bears signing quarterback Trevor Simeon to back up Justin Fields,
and the Bears one of eight teams without a first
round pick in this year's draft, as the order currently
stands A three thirteen and one record calls for a
lot of improvement in Detroit. Offensively, Lions quarterback Jared Golf
(02:35):
will have plenty of weapons now at wide receiver, with
d J. Chark added to a group that includes resigned
pass catchers Josh Reynolds and Calif Raymond, as well as
last year's fourth round pick a monra st Brown linebacker
Jared Davis and dB Mike Hughes among the signings to
add some depth defensively, and g M Brad Holmes facing
the pressure of hitting on two first round picks in
(02:57):
this year's draft at number two and thirty two overall.
All right, Steve Kevin, let's start year with a look,
kind of a global look at the NFC North, which
has been run by the Green Bay Packers the last
few years since Matt Lafleur has come on as the
head coach. Steve, starting with you here for anybody who
(03:18):
can step up to the plate here in the NFC
North and knock off the Green Bay Packers considering the
moves that we've seen now, the comings and the goings
in this division. Yeah, I think the most of Vikings can,
I mean, and this is where you know, look at
you look at all the close games that the Vikings lost,
you know over the past couple years, all these three
point games in last possession games, So they were close, right,
(03:39):
So now they come up with Kevin O'Connell, they figure
they're can open up this offense a little bit. They're
gonna go a lot more eleven personnel. Dalvin Cooke is
gonna be you know, if he stays healthy. You know,
we know they're a different team with Dalvin Cook and
you know, you look defensively, they added, said Arias Smith,
him and Danielle Hunter can be healthy, they're gonna cause problems.
So I think Minnesota is the one team in the
division that right now is right to give the Packers
(04:02):
a challenge. That's think there's no question about that, especially
considering the state of the other two teams in the division.
So if you're gonna pick when you're definitely picking the Vikings.
But I do like what they did in in uh
upgrading a defense that just couldn't get stops down the end.
We saw that when they almost lost the lines and
they did lose to the Lions, couldn't get stops at
the end. I think adding serious Smith is underrated, not
(04:25):
only because of what he brings off the edge, but
his versatility along the line, like you can line him
up next to the Neil Hunter and please try to
block that go ahead offense UM and you know Jordan
Hicks can clean up in the middle. UM. They do
have questions on the back end Pat Pete coming back.
I think it's a solid start. I think we need
to see what they do in the draft to add
to that secondary. But I think the offense, there's little
(04:47):
question about it. I think the offensive line is gonna
get better, and like we said, they have a ton
of weapons. Mr Jefferson, justin Jefferson, I'm sorry. Uh and
Adam Feeling are too of the top receiver are going
to be the most dynamic receiver duo in the league
this year, I think, in my opinion, and I think
they can overcome any shortcomings that you have with Kirk
Cousins and the questions. We've seen other guys go deep
(05:09):
into the playoffs with maybe not the star quarterback. I
think Kirk Cousins is that second tier sort of guy
that can get there and guys, to me, it feels
like and uh, and you'll love you get your thought
here that the Aaron Rodgers coming back was certainly, you know,
the biggest piece of the off season for the Green
Bay Packers, but the shock that followed with Davante Adams
(05:33):
on the exit and until I see the succession plan,
if you will, or the replacement plan at wide receiver,
Like to me, it feels like, whoa, why do we
do one without the other here? And maybe there is
a plan there to figure out a way to get
better at wide receiver in the draft, and we'll get
to that in a second, but to me, it feels
(05:54):
like without you know, Davante Adams, I mean, is the
championship window closing a lot faster here on Rogers's run
Steve with the Packers. It's interesting because some people will
look at, you know, Matt Lafleur's offense, you know, which
is Shaun Evey's offense, Skyle Shanahan's offense, Mike jane Hand's offense,
say they can win without that standout receiver. Okay, and
(06:15):
we know they've got two really good running backs, but
that is not the identity of Aaron Rodgers. He's not
gonna turn it off or turn around and hand the
ball off thirty five times a game. Or throw thirty
five swinging passes. He's someone who's got to be able
to scramble create kind of have that adjunct option. Um
when he's throwing the ball and I don't see you know,
Davantae Adams withdraw double coverages. Now teams can defend this
(06:38):
team completely differently and to the point where team can
stack the box. Say Aaron Rodgers beat us. Um. So
unless they've got some other plan, which is why, you know,
I thought that'd be on a DeVante Parker. Um. You
know who just got traded to the Patriots. Maybe they
were and they they Yeah, So you know, I think
they're still gonna be in the wide receiver market. Um
(06:59):
to see what happens. You know, maybe the Julio Jones,
who knows, But um, I think you know, drafting receiver
Aaron Rodgers has a trust issue, right, so a guy
coming out of the gate. That's another part of the problem.
So they're still gonna be a good football team. They're
a good defensive football team, right they take them all away,
(07:19):
they do some things to get the ball back to Rogers.
But in terms of competing with some of the other
big boys, I do think that window is closing. An
interesting thing with the Davante Adams deal was that that
that kind of cast skating effect on the Packers. I
think they were gonna get Velda's scandling back and that
was their plan, but then Tyreek Hill wantsed a raise,
(07:40):
so they get up over the top and that's a chain.
I think they thought, Okay, well we'll get MVS back
and that's something, and then he got scooped up by
by the Chiefs after the domino has happened. So I
think that was part of their plan that just didn't
work out. And another I think another thing with the receivers,
we kind of overlook a Maria Rodgers is a third
round pick. The Packers have this draft and we're gonna
(08:02):
draft and develop, right, draft and developed, well, they draft
to them. Now let's see if they can develop him
as they have other guys in the past. I think
he's I think he's a wild card in this whole
scenario if the coaching staff believes that they can develop. Okay, guys,
I'm gonna kind of split this up here, and since
we got two of you on here, I'm gonna Kevin,
I'm gonna give you the Packers and the Bears, and Steve,
(08:24):
I'm gonna give you the Vikings and the Lions, okay,
And I want first to start with just a grade
on the off seasons based on additions and subtractions, and
then we'll get into draft priority using the same team
assignments there. So Kevin, let me start with you, since
we we've been kind of gearing this first part of
the conversation on the Packers, how would you ultimately evaluate
what we've seen offseason moves thus far. I mean I
(08:49):
had them as a minus roster at the end of
last year, and I would say they've dropped to at
least to be maybe a B minus. I think Davante
Adams is a huge part of that. I think he's
a whole letter grade almost like that's the type of
He's the best ride receiver in the in my opinion,
that the number one ride receiver, and you lost him
and you didn't replace him. So I think that's where
(09:09):
you start. Um. But I think one underrated thing that
I would give the Packers a boost for. I think
Rich Pisaccia coming in as your special teams coordinator answers
a huge question and I know that's not necessarily a
roster part, but they were the worst special teams team
in the league last year. He immediately boost that. So
I think that's an underrated part of their off season,
(09:31):
that they got a coach who we all believe in,
in trust that he can make one of the three
key elements of football into if not average, at least
average may be better. And I think we got to
give them some credit to for the re signings, right
Preston Smith coming back over, you know, um and you know,
(09:52):
on an extension of Andre Campbell, I think Jr. Alexander
was ing on the pike here at some point. Did
Andre Campbell one of the best, you know, kind of
under the radar acquisitions of the entire season last year?
It was such a key player for the Packers and
now getting you know, his uh, his chance to cash
in there in Green Bay. All right, Steve, let's move
to the Vikings. Let's get her off season great there, yeah, look,
let's go be right. Okay, So so you change leadership.
(10:14):
First off, I'm starting there, right, Kevin O'Connell and uh
at crazy the new GM we don't know about them, right,
but the one thing you heard all last year is
they need a breath of fresh air. You know, Mike
Zimmer and you know Rick Spielman is kind of that
whole leadership. So let's let's give them an atmospheric change here. Okay,
Now they're going to go on the offensive head coach,
and everyone will tell you Kevin O'Connell is the real deal.
(10:37):
Kirk Cousins loves Kirk Cousins was the biggest lobbyist, you
know in the Senate hearings. That was the you know,
the Vikings decision making to get Kevin O'Connell um in there.
So now you've got an offensive head coach with Kirk
Cousins up there at Donna tells coming in defensively to
run a thirty four offensive. They get to Darius Smith
(10:58):
on a low key sign they made that's gonna be big.
Is Jordan Hicks at linebacker? Al right, he comes over
from Arizona. Great leader, right of veteran player, but a
great leader. You lose Anthony Barr. That's a tough hit, okay,
but you've got some other players there again, you got
the guys up front. You got some issues in the
second year. It's a grade wise I'm gonna say that
they were about a b um, a B coming in,
(11:21):
you know, maybe even a B minus. I'm gonna give
him a B plus just because I just think the
whole atmosphere of change there, it's gonna be a positive
move for that. All right, Kevin, back to you here
with the Chicago Bears, what do you got? I mean,
this was a C S C minus roster coming in,
and I don't think they've done anything. But I kind
(11:42):
of feel bad for Ryan Poles. He's in a bad
spot and as the first time GM and so I
got him dropping down to a C minus D plus area.
They just haven't the whole goal of this offseason. Buffer
justin fields, right, you got you finally got this guy
we think can be a franchise quarterback. Buffer him, build
up the old line, give him some receivers. They've done
very minimal. They lost their best offensive lineman and James Daniels. Uh,
(12:07):
they lost Allen Robinson, They traded Khalil Mack. You brought
in Lucas Patrick. Okay, fine, you you missed out on
Ryan Bates, a guard that you tried to sign away
from Buffalo. Uh. The wide receivers. All they really added
was Byron Pringle. They signed Equanimius st. Brown away from
the Packers, and to tell you about that deal, Packers
fans didn't even care. These are fan bases that wouldn't
(12:29):
share the mustard for a hot They don't even care
that they signed them away. So they haven't had any
money to do anything, and they haven't done what we
wanted them to do, which was put pieces around Justin
Fields to make him thrive. I don't see other than
Darneld Mooney where the offense is gonna move. They're gonna
have to be a run first, run always sort of
(12:50):
game plan, and and then asked Justin Fields to make
plays at the end, and no first round draft pick.
That's brutal b if you if you go through the
names of the guys that are still free agents for them,
Alex Oldiltry, Danny Treate and Troron Gibson, Eddie Goldman, Scheam Hicks,
Timmy Jimmy Graham, Jesse James, Jermaine and Fettie. These are
(13:10):
guys we know. These are guys that they haven't got
signed in the first or second or third wave of
free agency that are going to have to wait until
probably after the draft to get picked up. I mean,
that just tells you the type of team they had
last year, and then where are we going from there?
And they don't have the money to resign a lot
of guys. It's just kind of a fans in Chicago.
I think our understanding this is going to be another
(13:32):
holding pattern sort of year. Hopefully the new staff and
you see Justin Fields develop from a progressing standpoint, going
through his reads and all that sort of things, and
then you build for the next year when they have
a first round pick and they have some capital leaf. Yeah,
it's a tough. It was tough off season to be
a Bears fan um to see so much go and
(13:52):
very little come back in return. Let's move to the
Detroit Lions, who who didn't make some moves Again, they weren't,
you know, huge spenders in free agency, but some kind
of measured moves. Steve Whitch, what do you give them? Yeah, Look,
getting DJ Shark, we know he wasn't great in Jacksonville,
but do we know anything about Jacksonville's players in terms
(14:13):
of development, because we just don't know what they were,
So I think it would be able to pair him
with him on st. Brown. They signed back Josh Reynolds,
who's a very good special team is a nice two
or three wide receiver. Yeah. So you know, I spoke
to brat Home, to gm Um of the Lions at
the league meetings, and he was like, look, we're at
the point now where everyone loves the enthusiasm. They love
the way we finished, they love the way we play hard.
(14:35):
We gotta win. We have to win ballgames. So I
think they're setting the plan in motion. We know they
got the two first round draft picks. Um, they just
have a ton of trade capital, I mean draft capital.
We'll see, But I mean I think they've improved. I
mean just because the culture there it is such It's
(14:56):
been such a negative culture for so long. I've heard
this from people from like Jim Caldwell, who's like the
most positive human being ever. Like, boy, you talk about
a culture change, that's that's the one of all time.
And in Dan Campbell and that leadership group seems to
have done it. So some of the moves they have
been subtle. I like the fact that they're not swinging
and missing because they know the roster still has a
lot of holes right now. But they they've got a
(15:19):
certain type of character that seems to be developed where
I think they could be better. So, um, you know
the Lions, I I think they're they're they're in that
C category. It's still kind of a wait to see
what I think they're in that C category. Steve gonna
come right back to you with the draft prospects here
for these teams in the NFC North. Here on the
(15:40):
roster reset, Steve Kevin patra Red Louis here with you
on NFL Inside Report. Let's take a quick look here
at the Lions because they kind of book in the
first round right two and thirty two. They have the
highest draft pick in the NFC North. But for me,
this is a really intriguing team to watch because I
feel like that thirty two spot, if their guy is
their quarterback, watch out. I think that's a real interesting
(16:01):
spot for one fifth year option develop under Jared Gone
and then number two, I mean, like go get them
or the or the best. If the Jaguars take a tackle, right,
what do you think? Yeah? I mean, look, they're gonna
get an age Dresher, I think right here, especially with
the Jacks did and in free agency, they're probably gonna
get eight and Hutchinson. Uh, you know out of Michigan,
(16:22):
So take your pick, right. I mean, he had Penny
Sewell last year. I one loves with Penny se Will
developed into the way he progressed at offensive tack. So
go get the edge rusher, develop that type of tough
guy defense, keep getting better up front. So I think,
you know edge and I love the thirty two quarterback pick,
and he may be able to trade back into the
(16:43):
early part of the second round, get a little more
draft equity and and get your quarterback you know, right there.
So I think that's that's a very very good situation.
Some of these wide receivers might be there right there
as well, or a corner if you want to do
that there on that back end of the second round draft.
So I think I think they're in. Uh, it's a
real real sweet spot when it comes to the draft,
no question. Um. Let's move then to the other team
(17:06):
with multiple first round draft picks here. Of course, this
was courtesy of the Davante Adams trade for the Green
Bay Packers Kevin who picked up the extra first round picks.
So now sitting at twenty two and overall, they have
not drafted a wide receiver in the first round. Since
Javon Walker back in two thousand two. So hey, Kevin,
no better time than the twenty anniversary, right right? I
(17:27):
mean remember Aaron Rodgers a couple of years ago talking
about how he was getting drunk and waiting for them
to pick a wide receiver and then they didn't. Can
you imagine if they went through two wide receivers and
or went to to two first round picks and they
didn't take a wide receiver this year with the need hole,
I have to believe that they've they promised him, and
I would hope that that you know, they they've asked him,
(17:49):
which guys they they've looked at, had him looked at?
I mean, they can't come out of the first round
without a wide receiver. I just can't imagine unless they
do something between now and the draft. It's just such
a glaring, glaring hole, and you've got a few guys
in the middle of the round that I think they
can plug it and play immediately. Like Steve mentioned before,
there is a trust issue with Rogers. But if he's
(18:11):
got no choice, if this is your guy, you got
to build him like we invested in you, now, please
invest back in. There are guys can't. And then I
think the other the other thing is maybe an offensive
lineman if one slips to the mid round or replenish
the trenches. I think on the defensive side of the
ball would be where you go with the other pick
Vikings at number twelve, Man, it feels like defense to me, Steve,
(18:34):
it's a slam dug. It's God, they gotta go corner.
I mean, there's there's too many good guys are gonna
be there. I mean Stingley could be there. I don't
think Sauce Gardner makes it down. I don't even know Dave.
They've got to get a corner there. At Don Tel's
is a dB specialist. You know, as they kind of
get through the draft, I think you've gotta get into
They've got to, you know, refurbished that interior offensive line.
(18:55):
They've been working on the tackles um and then another
wide receiver. It's crazy, it sounds. I mean, you can't
have enough of them for the system that they run.
You know, again, look at how many the niners in
the ramps turned through and they develop them all. So
I think at some point mid rounds you get a
wide receiver, but early on you you've got to you've
got to hit corner, you hit the edge rushers. You've
(19:16):
got to hit a corner who can get his hands
on the ball make place. And Stingley is a guy
like that. Yeah, And from what I understand DJ was
talking to us, UM, you know, one of the big
reasons that they might have resigned a guy like Patrick
Peterson was to give a support system to a guy
like Derek Stingley. Where and where did they both go
to school? There at DBU They're in bad Ridge. All right,
(19:38):
let's finish up Kevin real quick. Look, no first round
pick for the Bears. As we talked about there on
the clock at thirty nine. In the second round, I mean,
like just a thought there, what what might make the
most sensors, most pressing need. I mean, the most pressing
need wouldn't to me, would be another receiver. If we'll
we'll see if one of those top guys falls. I mean,
there's questions about the depth you can go one way
(20:00):
or the other. So if one of the top guys falls,
I think that's a no brainer to grab a wide
receiver that spot. Um. But again, I think replenishing the
old line. If there's somebody there that would be would
be step number two. If there's none of your wide
receivers are there, Yeah, I think you could possibly be
in the Christian Watson category there. The sky More David
(20:21):
Bell situation there, receiver in the second round, certainly something
to think about. So that's a look at the NFC
North as the rosters have been reset. When we come back,
I'm gonna look at the NFC South and is it
the Bucks division to lose once again? Alright, back here
(20:50):
with you on NFL Inside Report with our roster reset
series continuing. Steve White and Kevin Patrack with us on
this episode, taking a look at the off season moves
by NFC teams and how they're going to translate to
the upcoming season. Last segment, we hit the NFC North.
Now we go in depth on the NFC South. First up,
some of the biggest moves each team is made. The
(21:13):
Tampa Bay Buccaneers making some noise this offseason. Tom Brady retired.
Then his unretirement came six weeks later. Some of his
buddy he's also returning, like running back Leonard four Nette,
receiver Chris Godwin, center Ryan Jensen, and dbat Carlton Davis
and in receiver Russell Gage, who comes over from the
division rival Atlanta Falcons, and corner Logan Ryan, a former
(21:36):
teammate of Tom Brady in New England, and the Bucks
should be solid again in two. The Saints of May
moves to help new head coach Dennis Allen compete with
the Bucks that resigned Jamis Winston to shore up the
quarterback spot, while also bringing in Andy Dalton as a
steady backup. New Orleans signed safety Marcus May to share
up the back end of the defense that loses Malcolm
(21:58):
Jenkins to retirement and Marcus Williams to the Baltimore Ravens
via free agency. Then there was the trade of draft
picks with the Philadelphia Eagles that now give the Saints
to first round draft picks in the swap at numbers
sixteen and nineteen. Overall, a surprising turn of events unfolding
(22:19):
in Atlanta, the Falcons failing to land to Shaun Watson,
then trading former m v P Matt Ryan to the
Indianapolis Colts. Falcons then signing Marcus Mariota to compete for
their starting quarterback spot next season. The real question is
will they take a quarterback with the eighth overall pick
in the draft as the other piece of that QB
(22:41):
competition the Carolina Panthers picking sixth in the first round,
and they could be in the quarterback market with Sam
Donald playing on his fifth year option this coming season.
They also made a bevy of moves, no bigger than
that of signing d J. Moore, their stud wide receiver,
to a three year, sixty one million dollar contract extension.
(23:04):
Now venturing into the NFC South where obviously the biggest
transaction that was made was the one that was very
short lived, and that was the retirement of Tom Brady.
He is back, and now what does this mean here
for the rest of the division as they are all
searching for a long term answer at quarterback. Meanwhile, though
(23:25):
Steve and then Kevin love to have you jump in here,
the Bucks are sitting pretty Even though Bruce arians retired
as the head coach and moved into the front office role.
Todd Bowle steps in as the new head coach, it
still feels like continuity there in Tampa. So is this
the Bucks division to lose? Steve? Yeah, this is this
is like the most slam duck slam duck affirmative answer
(23:47):
we can have here in the NFL this year. And
and it's so funny because before Bruce arians uh retired
or transitioned, I spoke to him about this. I was like,
you know, come on, I mean, every other quarterback in
the division, he's like to either all they're all high
first round picks, you know, jamis Okay. Yeah. It was like, okay, Bruce,
(24:08):
you're you're you. I don't think you're gonna be selling
selling the ocean to the folks, you know why right
now with that one? But I mean, come on, I mean,
you have Brady, you have continuity, very little change on
the coaching staff. So yes, this is their division to lose.
If nothing else, who's gonna stop them? Well a defense,
(24:30):
I mean the STS have. The Saints are acting like
a team that thinks they can compete. Whether you believe
that they can or not, it doesn't matter, because they
are acting like a team that they're gonna get two
first round picks. Now if they bring in Tyronne Matthew,
which they're visiting with them, who knows that they can
spend the money like they're they're all their actions suggest
that they believe we can go get the Bucks. I
(24:51):
don't know what. They beat the Bush they beat no
matter what it is, they beat the Bucks. I don't
know what that is. Whether we believe that they can
or not. They certainly believe that they have the firepower
to go do it. They're acting like a team that does.
At least. It's pressed for me to find a team
that I'll be like, Okay, I mean, yeah, it's the Saints.
Saints would be the biggest competition in my mind. They'll
(25:12):
have some continuity at quarterback with if Jameis Winston is
good to go, and he was, Look, he was playing
well before he got injured. But who's gonna block Shack Barrett?
Great question. I think we're all in agreement here that
the we could just go ahead and uh and put
it in Penn. Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the champions of
the NFC South, and if they're not, this clip will
(25:33):
be replayed forever. Okay, but so, uh, let's get a
glimpse at what the South now looks like with some
of the movement that we've seen here, kind of like
we did in our last segment. Uh, Kevin's gonna take
the Bucks and the Panthers and assign some grades to them,
and Steve's got the Saints and the Falcons. So since
(25:53):
we're keeping with the Bucks conversation here, Kevin, what do
you make of this offseason and again has been very
similar to the one we saw last year and bringing
guys back. I mean you just said everybody's coming back.
I mean, you lose a couple of eyes on the line,
only my pet retires. That's not an easy fix. But
then you go trade for check Mason. The Patriots basically
given to you. So I mean that that everything we saw,
(26:13):
the continuity is huge. I don't want to be I'm
not trying to dance on Bruce arians Grave or anything,
but to me, Todd Bowles taken over as an upgrade,
I just think with his I think that that's gonna
work out well. You're gonna give Brady a little more
autonomy with um left, which I don't even it doesn't
(26:33):
even have to be a rift. I just think that
I think that it's gonna be a smooth, smoother sailing
where where you know the captain necessarily wasn't there. It's fine.
So that's where I personally stand. I don't care about
the rift, but I think it's gonna be an upgrade
at at that position, and they've done everything they need.
They keep kept all the guys that god one's not
(26:54):
going anywhere. Uh grab and Russell Gauge from the Falcons
was a steel in my opinion, maybe the steel of
the off season that nobody's talking about. Like he is
a legit receiver and to be a number three in
that offense. We saw what they needed when Antonio Brown
wasn't there and the how they lost a little bit.
He's gonna slide right in and be awesome, I think
in that offense. I think Bucks fans need to keep
an eye on that because he's very very good. Um.
(27:16):
Outside of some online uh questions going into the draft
and the defensive line that I'm sure that they'll pluck
a few veterans, maybe Suit comes back later on in
the process, there's really not a question um with Carlton
Davis coming back in the secondary, there's not really huge
question marks moving forward. I think this was an uh
A minus roster going in and I think I keep
(27:39):
him right there right. Not much just not much has
changed in my opinion. Okay, Steve, if we view the
Saints is the biggest competition then to the bucks. Let's
move there in the pecking order in this division. How
do you view what happened now as we begin to
Dennis Allen era with Sean Payton out of the picture. Yeah,
I mean, of course that's the biggest change. You're talking
to Mickey Loomis at the League meetings. He's like this,
it's going to be completely different because you know, Sean
(28:01):
had the authoritorian rule. Um, you know, not that he
ruled it like an authoritorian, but he had all wielding power.
That's not going to be the case with Dennis Allen.
Is gonna be more of a shared branches of government,
so to speak. It's a change. But if James comes
back healthy. Um, they did themselves safety by you know
safety by signing signing Andy Dalton case, there's you know
(28:23):
some leeway there. Um signing Marcus may have safety have
to losing Marcus Williams. I love that was a great moves. Great,
it was a great move because Marcus, you know, Marcus
Williams is going to Baltimore. That's a dude who covers
a lot of territory because his hands on balls. Marcus
may and what Dennis Allen does with the type of
pressure they can get up front, is gonna be good.
But of course the big questions losing Toront arms and
(28:43):
left tackle, Um, it was just a great player, a
great athlete, great pass protector. That's clearly gonna be a
draft neither there So coming in, I look at the roster,
it's kind of a B minus type of roster. I
gotta I gotta drop him down a little bit because
losing Toront Armstead is is mccollan, you got, You've got
a Pro Bowl left tackle and he goes because you
(29:05):
can't afford and that's a that's a tough blow. Yeah, yeah,
no doubt. And you know, like he's missed some games
in his career, a couple of games here in the
last few years, but Andrews Pete has also missed times.
So like that less side is really kind of tenuous
in terms of continuity and in terms of durability, uh
and staying power for a full sixteen games real quick, though,
(29:25):
I do not want to take away anything from that defense.
That defense is one of the best in the NFL,
and we continue to overlook you know, Damorio Davis, you know,
and all those guys should great players. I just wanted
a question, are we just assuming Michael Thomas is coming
back and going to be fully healthy? And because that
feels like the saint No no he no, no, that
(29:46):
and that's a Gra's a great point. I mean, Michael
Thomas is is huge. Yeah, the factor, catching, run guy,
tough guy, that's huge for whoever's coming in. So it's
the year. So I just I just wonder if we're
all always assuming that he's going to be dominant, m
VP sort of guy. And he missed a whole year
with a foot injury, which you know he most of
two years. Like, I feel like we haven't really seen
(30:08):
him since he set the record against the Panthers. I'm
assuming he is going to be gangbusters. He's that dude.
I like it. I like it. All right. Let's move
back then to the Panthers here Kevin Um, who have
sort of swung and missed in the quarterback market a
number of times here, at least reportedly Um for Shawn Watson,
(30:30):
for Russell Wilson, for whomever else was available out there.
And so here they sit now with Sam donald Um
still on the roster. What do you make of the
moves that they have made outside of that QB spot.
I really liked the roster outside of two things, the
quarterback and the offensive line. Unfortunately, that's massively how often
(30:50):
teams succeed in the NFL is the quarterback in blocking
for the quarterback. So that's that's huge. I mean, I
love the defense. Bringing back Dante Jackson was a big signing.
I think to solidify that back end. D J Moore
is is the man. I think he's so underrated. We
don't talk about him enough, and getting resigning him was huge.
(31:11):
Um On a extension, I think most of what the
Panthers have done this season is like mid level ads
like Mattonia's Littleton, Damian Williams, Xavier Woods on defense, like
kind of just plugging these middle guys, adding Deonte Foreman
in the backfield to pair with Christian McCaffrey. Mccathery's health
as always his huge role. I mean, I just I
(31:32):
this is a C plus roster to me, and I
hate to kind of repeat what I did, and it's
a C plus roster again. And the only reason it's
that because I don't trust Sam Donald. To me, he's
not the answer. The Panthers have told us everything they've
tried to do that. He's not the answer to them either,
trying to go after Watson, trying to get you know,
calling about Rogers and all Russell Wilson, all these things.
For two years, they've tried to not have him be
(31:53):
the quarterback, and he's still the quarterback. So to me,
that we'll get into it when we get to their
draft pick. But it has to be quarterback early to me.
And if not. Offensive line is a huge issue as well.
And until they fix those two things, like I like,
like I said, I love the rest of the roster,
I just can't get behind it until those two issues
are Yeah, they weren't. I like Taylor Moulton over there
(32:15):
on the right side the right time you do on
the left side, what do you do with the left? Right?
You spend big money on the right side. Now, how
do we fix the left side? Certainly part of the
equation there. Let's move to the Atlanta Falcons. Wanna talk
about a team in transition? Now? Is they going to
year two with Terry fontno is the GM, Arthur Smith
as the head coach, but without Steve White Matt Ryan
as the face of the franchise. What do you got
(32:38):
here for the Atlanta Falcons. Yeah, this this isn't good
because you know, no one's gonna fall them for taking
a shout out to Saunt Watson, but having trade Matt
Ryan and it didn't seem like they had a plan
be in place, right, and it just it just optically
looks terrible. You know, sign in Casey Hayward at a corner,
that's nice. It's a nice buffer because a J. Terrell,
(32:58):
you know, you talked about a player, you know, the
best cornerbacks in the NFL, Nood he knows his name.
This guy was one of the best defensive players in
the NFL. Um So that helps. But they got no
edge rusher. You know, Grady Jarrett, very good defensive tackle.
You lose your best player on defense than a J. Drell,
Foyo Loui khan um. So their defense is weekend. They've signed.
(33:19):
They did what they had to do because they have
no money, right, so their piecemealing guys one year deals.
Marcus Mariotte is now your quarterback. He actually fits the system.
But then we know when him as a starter, he's
got durability issues. Who's behind him? You know you're good,
You're good Frank's yeah, all right, okay, so right out
(33:40):
of the booth, get shocking, come out of the booth.
So you know you got those issues you resigned, Corderel Patterson.
That's great. Oh wait, who's catching the ball for you?
Cordell Patterson again. I mean they're skilled positions. Find your roster.
In the NFL, it has less threatening skilled positions. You know,
they got Damian Williams. I like him at running back,
(34:00):
but they came in with a C minus roster. They
dropped down to a d um you know, because of
the quarterback situation. Yeah, the guys, this reminds me the
Raiders back when Reggie McKenzie and Dennis Salence took over
in two thousand twelve, where they are in salary cap hell.
They couldn't fix it for two years. They had to
sign guys on one year deals before they found a quarterback.
(34:22):
And then all of a sudden the hit the Motherlow
with Clil McK and Amari Cooper and Derek Carr. But
then again they get rid of Cooper. I don't think
that's gonna happen there. But so you know, asking waiting
until next year is always a dangerous thing for me
because you just don't know. The guys you like in
the draft can turn out to have bad seasons. You
get hurt um. So they better be real effective here.
(34:43):
I mean they've got they've got t Ammo to do it,
but they better nail it. It's pin the tail on
the donkey. When it comes to their draft board. You
can just put a you can put that tack anywhere
and you can you can hit it. Well, let's do
it right there at eight. Since since we're talking about
it there with the Falcons, they're not the first team
on the board in the NFC South. We'll get to
the Panthers here in just a moment at number six,
but let's just since we're talking Falcons, let's go eight.
I look, I think wide receiver. You could get the
(35:05):
first wide receiver off the board at number eight. In
less you love one of these quarterbacks, Steve White, I
think I think the Lake Willis is gonna be real
tempting for them today because of the system they play, right,
you know, the mobile quarterback system. They know today's football game.
You've got a guy who can press with the run
but also have the big arm. But he'll admit it,
Hugh Freeze, his coach at Liberty will admit it he
(35:26):
didn't see any type of tough defenses in terms of
scheme because of the run threat at that level, you
got a spy on him and everything else was base.
He was not seeing a lot of blitzes and mixed coverages.
So this is a developmental year. If they were to
go that route, I think, you know, it's gonna be
hard for them. If Cavon Thibodeaux, I one of these
edge rushers is sitting there at a for them to pass,
(35:49):
or or you know, one of the top dbs, it's
gonna be I think getting Casey here. Weary could put
the DV part until later rounds, but they gotta go
edge or they gotta go o line here. Kevin the
Carolina Panthers city at number six. Matt Rules saying at
the league meeting of this past week that he expects
a quarterback to be taken in the top ten should
be him. Is he going to be the one to take?
(36:11):
I would think so, I mean I think so. Maybe
that's where Kenny Pickett jumps in Mali Willis can can
Matt Rule afford to get take a bye a bye
year and a developmental year with a guy like Willis.
But then David Tepper, I think he's kind of the
wild card and he's he gonna be like that. I'm
the owner. I want this guy. I think he's gonna
be a dynamic player and you're gonna take him and
we're gonna you might not be here when he's good,
(36:32):
but but this is the guy I want. I think
you have to go QB and I guess if they
don't believe that answer, then you go out offensive tackle,
which whoever, whoever is the next up on the board
at six. But I can't. I just can't get around
them what they've done at quarterback this offseason and during
the season, shuffling in and out. Cam Newton say, I'm
(36:53):
Donald in out, and to believe that they're gonna stick
with Donald here, I just don't believe it. YEA, let's
move to the Saints, then, Steve White, as we look
at the move that they made with the Phil Delfie Eagles,
giving up a future one and a future two to
take one of the Eagles UH two picks, that would
really take two of their picks and then also give
them their eighteen so that the Saints end up with
(37:16):
sixteen and nineteen, Eagles end up with fifteen and eighteen.
It seems like such a weird trade to make at
this point. That feels like something you maybe would have
seemed like on Draft night two spots right. So to
me and we were talking about this on path of
the draft, Steve, it feels like maybe this is a
move like the Bills made when they moved up from
twenty one to twelve and then to seven to take
(37:37):
Josh Allen in the top ten, or like the Eagles
did when they went from you know what was it,
thirteen to eight and then two to take Carson Wentz.
Do they love one of these quarterbacks? Again? It's the
kind of big that's the thing. Yeah, you're not gonna
need all that. I think you're not gonna need all that, right,
(37:58):
you know that if if you love them, you're not
I mean, I'm not gonna can't seem to say you're
not gonna need all that because somebody make it up there.
But this clearly, you know, and speaking to some folks,
this is for flexibility for them to move up or down.
So maybe you can use one of these picks. You
know that that ninety pick or whatever something else to
(38:19):
move up into the top twelve. If you get one
of these offensive tackles, I cannot see them going quarterback
right now. This team is in win now mode. You
look at the age of the players on that defense. Um,
I think this is this is probably something where they're
gonna try to upgrade at tackle, maybe at a wide receiver.
That team as well, Kevin, let's finish it up here
(38:40):
with the Tampa Bay Bucks and a team that finished
uh and and now we'll sit as the twenty seventh
overall pick here in the first round. I think again,
the roster it's in a pretty good spot. Um, you know,
to kind of take you know, whoever the best player
on their board is, as every team says they do anyway,
But how do you see it? I think you got
you go defensive line, maybe Ed Rusher, you build on Droy,
(39:03):
try on Shinink that you brought in last year. At
the end of the first round, you you know, you
figure at some point Shack Barrett will have to move on,
and you know JPP is still a free agent, so
you were plenished there or you or if if one
of the guard you like drops and that's a spot
where you can plug and play or or build for
the future when you know some guys are gonna move on. Uh,
(39:23):
they're in a great spot with depths. I don't think
you can go wrong. I don't think they could go
I think Jason lights in a great spot where, you know,
even if somebody wanted to jump back into the first
round from the low end of the second, I can
see them being like, Okay, we'll move back and add
another third rounder dark. I can also see them saying
kind of to your point, Um, you know this again,
this is this is a really good roster. Who's you know,
(39:44):
in good shape really at all the starting twenty two
offense defense and saying, you know what, maybe down the road,
you know, Shack Barrett will move on, and you know,
we don't know what's going to happen, you know, outside
of tri and showing ago. What if we go David
a Jabo here from Michigan, knowing that we may not
need him right away, and you know, we give him
some time to rehab that rupture to kill his tendon,
(40:06):
and then you know he comes back year two and man,
we've got either three really good edge rushers here, um
or you know, we've got one we could slide into
a starting lineup. I mean, Titans did that with Simmons
and they they Yeah, so I think that's a great point. Yeah.
So I certainly wanted to look at there with the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and that is a look at the
NFC South and and really taking care of both the
(40:29):
half of the NFC here, NFC North and South though
in the books. In our first episode here if our
roster reset, Steve Kevin, thanks so much for your time, guys,
appreciate it. Got it right, all right, that's gonna do
it for this episode of NFL Inside Report. Thanks so
(40:50):
much for being with this reminder to download, rate, and
review our show and the I Heart Radio app on
Apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcast We appreciate
you guys being along for the ride. For our producers
Thomas Warren, Tim Peraca, and Harrison Sanford. I'm your host,
Fred Lewis. We'll catch you next time. NFL Inside Report
is the production of the NFL and partnership with I
Heart Radio. For more official podcasts from the NFL, visit
(41:14):
the I Heart Radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you
get your podcasts.
NFL Inside Report is the production of the NFL in
partnership with I Heart Radio. I'm Rertt Lewis and this
is NFL Inside Report. Today. We're kicking off a series
(00:25):
we're calling Roster Reset, and over the next two weeks
we'll cover all thirty two teams and look at out
their off season moves will translate to the upcoming season.
This week it is NFC Weed. They will cover the
NFC North and NFC South squads. Tomorrow we'll talk about
moves made by the NFC West and NFC East teams.
Next week we'll sort through all sixteen teams in the
(00:48):
a f C. And with us today to help us
make sense of the NFC North and South is Steve
Whitch and NFL dot Com writer Kevin Patro. Before we
get started, though, let's look at some of the biggest
offseason moves in the division. The Green a Packers primed
to take the North again following their third straight division title.
(01:09):
Aaron Rodgers is back, but he'll be without his top target,
to Vante Adams, who was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders.
The top ten defense returns to its stars with linebacker
Devondre Campbell and pass rusher Preston Smith, both signing lucrative
contract extensions. It's a new era in Minnesota under new
(01:29):
GM quasy A Dolpha Mensa and new head coach Kevin O'Connell.
Kark cousins back on a one year deal and hopes
that the Vikings can get back to the playoffs for
the first time since adopo Mensa's work to improve the
defense this offseason, signing former Packers pass rushers that Darius Smith,
former Bills d tackle Harrison Phillips, and resigning corner Patrick Peterson.
(01:54):
The Chicago Bears also seeing regime change. New GM Ryan
Poles and new head coach Matt eber Flues take over
a team that went six and eleven last season. Also
gone veterans Khalil Mack, who was traded to the Chargers,
linebacker Danny Trevathan, and defensive tackle Eddie Goldman. Running Back
Terek Cohen also on the way out on offense, the
(02:15):
Bears signing quarterback Trevor Simeon to back up Justin Fields,
and the Bears one of eight teams without a first
round pick in this year's draft, as the order currently
stands A three thirteen and one record calls for a
lot of improvement in Detroit. Offensively, Lions quarterback Jared Golf
(02:35):
will have plenty of weapons now at wide receiver, with
d J. Chark added to a group that includes resigned
pass catchers Josh Reynolds and Calif Raymond, as well as
last year's fourth round pick a monra st Brown linebacker
Jared Davis and dB Mike Hughes among the signings to
add some depth defensively, and g M Brad Holmes facing
the pressure of hitting on two first round picks in
(02:57):
this year's draft at number two and thirty two overall.
All right, Steve Kevin, let's start year with a look,
kind of a global look at the NFC North, which
has been run by the Green Bay Packers the last
few years since Matt Lafleur has come on as the
head coach. Steve, starting with you here for anybody who
(03:18):
can step up to the plate here in the NFC
North and knock off the Green Bay Packers considering the
moves that we've seen now, the comings and the goings
in this division. Yeah, I think the most of Vikings can,
I mean, and this is where you know, look at
you look at all the close games that the Vikings lost,
you know over the past couple years, all these three
point games in last possession games, So they were close, right,
(03:39):
So now they come up with Kevin O'Connell, they figure
they're can open up this offense a little bit. They're
gonna go a lot more eleven personnel. Dalvin Cooke is
gonna be you know, if he stays healthy. You know,
we know they're a different team with Dalvin Cook and
you know, you look defensively, they added, said Arias Smith,
him and Danielle Hunter can be healthy, they're gonna cause problems.
So I think Minnesota is the one team in the
division that right now is right to give the Packers
(04:02):
a challenge. That's think there's no question about that, especially
considering the state of the other two teams in the division.
So if you're gonna pick when you're definitely picking the Vikings.
But I do like what they did in in uh
upgrading a defense that just couldn't get stops down the end.
We saw that when they almost lost the lines and
they did lose to the Lions, couldn't get stops at
the end. I think adding serious Smith is underrated, not
(04:25):
only because of what he brings off the edge, but
his versatility along the line, like you can line him
up next to the Neil Hunter and please try to
block that go ahead offense UM and you know Jordan
Hicks can clean up in the middle. UM. They do
have questions on the back end Pat Pete coming back.
I think it's a solid start. I think we need
to see what they do in the draft to add
to that secondary. But I think the offense, there's little
(04:47):
question about it. I think the offensive line is gonna
get better, and like we said, they have a ton
of weapons. Mr Jefferson, justin Jefferson, I'm sorry. Uh and
Adam Feeling are too of the top receiver are going
to be the most dynamic receiver duo in the league
this year, I think, in my opinion, and I think
they can overcome any shortcomings that you have with Kirk
Cousins and the questions. We've seen other guys go deep
(05:09):
into the playoffs with maybe not the star quarterback. I
think Kirk Cousins is that second tier sort of guy
that can get there and guys, to me, it feels
like and uh, and you'll love you get your thought
here that the Aaron Rodgers coming back was certainly, you know,
the biggest piece of the off season for the Green
Bay Packers, but the shock that followed with Davante Adams
(05:33):
on the exit and until I see the succession plan,
if you will, or the replacement plan at wide receiver,
Like to me, it feels like, whoa, why do we
do one without the other here? And maybe there is
a plan there to figure out a way to get
better at wide receiver in the draft, and we'll get
to that in a second, but to me, it feels
(05:54):
like without you know, Davante Adams, I mean, is the
championship window closing a lot faster here on Rogers's run
Steve with the Packers. It's interesting because some people will
look at, you know, Matt Lafleur's offense, you know, which
is Shaun Evey's offense, Skyle Shanahan's offense, Mike jane Hand's offense,
say they can win without that standout receiver. Okay, and
(06:15):
we know they've got two really good running backs, but
that is not the identity of Aaron Rodgers. He's not
gonna turn it off or turn around and hand the
ball off thirty five times a game. Or throw thirty
five swinging passes. He's someone who's got to be able
to scramble create kind of have that adjunct option. Um
when he's throwing the ball and I don't see you know,
Davantae Adams withdraw double coverages. Now teams can defend this
(06:38):
team completely differently and to the point where team can
stack the box. Say Aaron Rodgers beat us. Um. So
unless they've got some other plan, which is why, you know,
I thought that'd be on a DeVante Parker. Um. You
know who just got traded to the Patriots. Maybe they
were and they they Yeah, So you know, I think
they're still gonna be in the wide receiver market. Um
(06:59):
to see what happens. You know, maybe the Julio Jones,
who knows, But um, I think you know, drafting receiver
Aaron Rodgers has a trust issue, right, so a guy
coming out of the gate. That's another part of the problem.
So they're still gonna be a good football team. They're
a good defensive football team, right they take them all away,
(07:19):
they do some things to get the ball back to Rogers.
But in terms of competing with some of the other
big boys, I do think that window is closing. An
interesting thing with the Davante Adams deal was that that
that kind of cast skating effect on the Packers. I
think they were gonna get Velda's scandling back and that
was their plan, but then Tyreek Hill wantsed a raise,
(07:40):
so they get up over the top and that's a chain.
I think they thought, Okay, well we'll get MVS back
and that's something, and then he got scooped up by
by the Chiefs after the domino has happened. So I
think that was part of their plan that just didn't
work out. And another I think another thing with the receivers,
we kind of overlook a Maria Rodgers is a third
round pick. The Packers have this draft and we're gonna
(08:02):
draft and develop, right, draft and developed, well, they draft
to them. Now let's see if they can develop him
as they have other guys in the past. I think
he's I think he's a wild card in this whole
scenario if the coaching staff believes that they can develop. Okay, guys,
I'm gonna kind of split this up here, and since
we got two of you on here, I'm gonna Kevin,
I'm gonna give you the Packers and the Bears, and Steve,
(08:24):
I'm gonna give you the Vikings and the Lions, okay,
And I want first to start with just a grade
on the off seasons based on additions and subtractions, and
then we'll get into draft priority using the same team
assignments there. So Kevin, let me start with you, since
we we've been kind of gearing this first part of
the conversation on the Packers, how would you ultimately evaluate
what we've seen offseason moves thus far. I mean I
(08:49):
had them as a minus roster at the end of
last year, and I would say they've dropped to at
least to be maybe a B minus. I think Davante
Adams is a huge part of that. I think he's
a whole letter grade almost like that's the type of
He's the best ride receiver in the in my opinion,
that the number one ride receiver, and you lost him
and you didn't replace him. So I think that's where
(09:09):
you start. Um. But I think one underrated thing that
I would give the Packers a boost for. I think
Rich Pisaccia coming in as your special teams coordinator answers
a huge question and I know that's not necessarily a
roster part, but they were the worst special teams team
in the league last year. He immediately boost that. So
I think that's an underrated part of their off season,
(09:31):
that they got a coach who we all believe in,
in trust that he can make one of the three
key elements of football into if not average, at least
average may be better. And I think we got to
give them some credit to for the re signings, right
Preston Smith coming back over, you know, um and you know,
(09:52):
on an extension of Andre Campbell, I think Jr. Alexander
was ing on the pike here at some point. Did
Andre Campbell one of the best, you know, kind of
under the radar acquisitions of the entire season last year?
It was such a key player for the Packers and
now getting you know, his uh, his chance to cash
in there in Green Bay. All right, Steve, let's move
to the Vikings. Let's get her off season great there, yeah, look,
let's go be right. Okay, So so you change leadership.
(10:14):
First off, I'm starting there, right, Kevin O'Connell and uh
at crazy the new GM we don't know about them, right,
but the one thing you heard all last year is
they need a breath of fresh air. You know, Mike
Zimmer and you know Rick Spielman is kind of that
whole leadership. So let's let's give them an atmospheric change here. Okay,
Now they're going to go on the offensive head coach,
and everyone will tell you Kevin O'Connell is the real deal.
(10:37):
Kirk Cousins loves Kirk Cousins was the biggest lobbyist, you
know in the Senate hearings. That was the you know,
the Vikings decision making to get Kevin O'Connell um in there.
So now you've got an offensive head coach with Kirk
Cousins up there at Donna tells coming in defensively to
run a thirty four offensive. They get to Darius Smith
(10:58):
on a low key sign they made that's gonna be big.
Is Jordan Hicks at linebacker? Al right, he comes over
from Arizona. Great leader, right of veteran player, but a
great leader. You lose Anthony Barr. That's a tough hit, okay,
but you've got some other players there again, you got
the guys up front. You got some issues in the
second year. It's a grade wise I'm gonna say that
they were about a b um, a B coming in,
(11:21):
you know, maybe even a B minus. I'm gonna give
him a B plus just because I just think the
whole atmosphere of change there, it's gonna be a positive
move for that. All right, Kevin, back to you here
with the Chicago Bears, what do you got? I mean,
this was a C S C minus roster coming in,
and I don't think they've done anything. But I kind
(11:42):
of feel bad for Ryan Poles. He's in a bad
spot and as the first time GM and so I
got him dropping down to a C minus D plus area.
They just haven't the whole goal of this offseason. Buffer
justin fields, right, you got you finally got this guy
we think can be a franchise quarterback. Buffer him, build
up the old line, give him some receivers. They've done
very minimal. They lost their best offensive lineman and James Daniels. Uh,
(12:07):
they lost Allen Robinson, They traded Khalil Mack. You brought
in Lucas Patrick. Okay, fine, you you missed out on
Ryan Bates, a guard that you tried to sign away
from Buffalo. Uh. The wide receivers. All they really added
was Byron Pringle. They signed Equanimius st. Brown away from
the Packers, and to tell you about that deal, Packers
fans didn't even care. These are fan bases that wouldn't
(12:29):
share the mustard for a hot They don't even care
that they signed them away. So they haven't had any
money to do anything, and they haven't done what we
wanted them to do, which was put pieces around Justin
Fields to make him thrive. I don't see other than
Darneld Mooney where the offense is gonna move. They're gonna
have to be a run first, run always sort of
(12:50):
game plan, and and then asked Justin Fields to make
plays at the end, and no first round draft pick.
That's brutal b if you if you go through the
names of the guys that are still free agents for them,
Alex Oldiltry, Danny Treate and Troron Gibson, Eddie Goldman, Scheam Hicks,
Timmy Jimmy Graham, Jesse James, Jermaine and Fettie. These are
(13:10):
guys we know. These are guys that they haven't got
signed in the first or second or third wave of
free agency that are going to have to wait until
probably after the draft to get picked up. I mean,
that just tells you the type of team they had
last year, and then where are we going from there?
And they don't have the money to resign a lot
of guys. It's just kind of a fans in Chicago.
I think our understanding this is going to be another
(13:32):
holding pattern sort of year. Hopefully the new staff and
you see Justin Fields develop from a progressing standpoint, going
through his reads and all that sort of things, and
then you build for the next year when they have
a first round pick and they have some capital leaf. Yeah,
it's a tough. It was tough off season to be
a Bears fan um to see so much go and
(13:52):
very little come back in return. Let's move to the
Detroit Lions, who who didn't make some moves Again, they weren't,
you know, huge spenders in free agency, but some kind
of measured moves. Steve Whitch, what do you give them? Yeah, Look,
getting DJ Shark, we know he wasn't great in Jacksonville,
but do we know anything about Jacksonville's players in terms
(14:13):
of development, because we just don't know what they were,
So I think it would be able to pair him
with him on st. Brown. They signed back Josh Reynolds,
who's a very good special team is a nice two
or three wide receiver. Yeah. So you know, I spoke
to brat Home, to gm Um of the Lions at
the league meetings, and he was like, look, we're at
the point now where everyone loves the enthusiasm. They love
the way we finished, they love the way we play hard.
(14:35):
We gotta win. We have to win ballgames. So I
think they're setting the plan in motion. We know they
got the two first round draft picks. Um, they just
have a ton of trade capital, I mean draft capital.
We'll see, But I mean I think they've improved. I
mean just because the culture there it is such It's
(14:56):
been such a negative culture for so long. I've heard
this from people from like Jim Caldwell, who's like the
most positive human being ever. Like, boy, you talk about
a culture change, that's that's the one of all time.
And in Dan Campbell and that leadership group seems to
have done it. So some of the moves they have
been subtle. I like the fact that they're not swinging
and missing because they know the roster still has a
lot of holes right now. But they they've got a
(15:19):
certain type of character that seems to be developed where
I think they could be better. So, um, you know
the Lions, I I think they're they're they're in that
C category. It's still kind of a wait to see
what I think they're in that C category. Steve gonna
come right back to you with the draft prospects here
for these teams in the NFC North. Here on the
(15:40):
roster reset, Steve Kevin patra Red Louis here with you
on NFL Inside Report. Let's take a quick look here
at the Lions because they kind of book in the
first round right two and thirty two. They have the
highest draft pick in the NFC North. But for me,
this is a really intriguing team to watch because I
feel like that thirty two spot, if their guy is
their quarterback, watch out. I think that's a real interesting
(16:01):
spot for one fifth year option develop under Jared Gone
and then number two, I mean, like go get them
or the or the best. If the Jaguars take a tackle, right,
what do you think? Yeah? I mean, look, they're gonna
get an age Dresher, I think right here, especially with
the Jacks did and in free agency, they're probably gonna
get eight and Hutchinson. Uh, you know out of Michigan,
(16:22):
So take your pick, right. I mean, he had Penny
Sewell last year. I one loves with Penny se Will
developed into the way he progressed at offensive tack. So
go get the edge rusher, develop that type of tough
guy defense, keep getting better up front. So I think,
you know edge and I love the thirty two quarterback pick,
and he may be able to trade back into the
(16:43):
early part of the second round, get a little more
draft equity and and get your quarterback you know, right there.
So I think that's that's a very very good situation.
Some of these wide receivers might be there right there
as well, or a corner if you want to do
that there on that back end of the second round draft.
So I think I think they're in. Uh, it's a
real real sweet spot when it comes to the draft,
no question. Um. Let's move then to the other team
(17:06):
with multiple first round draft picks here. Of course, this
was courtesy of the Davante Adams trade for the Green
Bay Packers Kevin who picked up the extra first round picks.
So now sitting at twenty two and overall, they have
not drafted a wide receiver in the first round. Since
Javon Walker back in two thousand two. So hey, Kevin,
no better time than the twenty anniversary, right right? I
(17:27):
mean remember Aaron Rodgers a couple of years ago talking
about how he was getting drunk and waiting for them
to pick a wide receiver and then they didn't. Can
you imagine if they went through two wide receivers and
or went to to two first round picks and they
didn't take a wide receiver this year with the need hole,
I have to believe that they've they promised him, and
I would hope that that you know, they they've asked him,
(17:49):
which guys they they've looked at, had him looked at?
I mean, they can't come out of the first round
without a wide receiver. I just can't imagine unless they
do something between now and the draft. It's just such
a glaring, glaring hole, and you've got a few guys
in the middle of the round that I think they
can plug it and play immediately. Like Steve mentioned before,
there is a trust issue with Rogers. But if he's
(18:11):
got no choice, if this is your guy, you got
to build him like we invested in you, now, please
invest back in. There are guys can't. And then I
think the other the other thing is maybe an offensive
lineman if one slips to the mid round or replenish
the trenches. I think on the defensive side of the
ball would be where you go with the other pick
Vikings at number twelve, Man, it feels like defense to me, Steve,
(18:34):
it's a slam dug. It's God, they gotta go corner.
I mean, there's there's too many good guys are gonna
be there. I mean Stingley could be there. I don't
think Sauce Gardner makes it down. I don't even know Dave.
They've got to get a corner there. At Don Tel's
is a dB specialist. You know, as they kind of
get through the draft, I think you've gotta get into
They've got to, you know, refurbished that interior offensive line.
(18:55):
They've been working on the tackles um and then another
wide receiver. It's crazy, it sounds. I mean, you can't
have enough of them for the system that they run.
You know, again, look at how many the niners in
the ramps turned through and they develop them all. So
I think at some point mid rounds you get a
wide receiver, but early on you you've got to you've
got to hit corner, you hit the edge rushers. You've
(19:16):
got to hit a corner who can get his hands
on the ball make place. And Stingley is a guy
like that. Yeah, And from what I understand DJ was
talking to us, UM, you know, one of the big
reasons that they might have resigned a guy like Patrick
Peterson was to give a support system to a guy
like Derek Stingley. Where and where did they both go
to school? There at DBU They're in bad Ridge. All right,
(19:38):
let's finish up Kevin real quick. Look, no first round
pick for the Bears. As we talked about there on
the clock at thirty nine. In the second round, I mean,
like just a thought there, what what might make the
most sensors, most pressing need. I mean, the most pressing
need wouldn't to me, would be another receiver. If we'll
we'll see if one of those top guys falls. I mean,
there's questions about the depth you can go one way
(20:00):
or the other. So if one of the top guys falls,
I think that's a no brainer to grab a wide
receiver that spot. Um. But again, I think replenishing the
old line. If there's somebody there that would be would
be step number two. If there's none of your wide
receivers are there, Yeah, I think you could possibly be
in the Christian Watson category there. The sky More David
(20:21):
Bell situation there, receiver in the second round, certainly something
to think about. So that's a look at the NFC
North as the rosters have been reset. When we come back,
I'm gonna look at the NFC South and is it
the Bucks division to lose once again? Alright, back here
(20:50):
with you on NFL Inside Report with our roster reset
series continuing. Steve White and Kevin Patrack with us on
this episode, taking a look at the off season moves
by NFC teams and how they're going to translate to
the upcoming season. Last segment, we hit the NFC North.
Now we go in depth on the NFC South. First up,
some of the biggest moves each team is made. The
(21:13):
Tampa Bay Buccaneers making some noise this offseason. Tom Brady retired.
Then his unretirement came six weeks later. Some of his
buddy he's also returning, like running back Leonard four Nette,
receiver Chris Godwin, center Ryan Jensen, and dbat Carlton Davis
and in receiver Russell Gage, who comes over from the
division rival Atlanta Falcons, and corner Logan Ryan, a former
(21:36):
teammate of Tom Brady in New England, and the Bucks
should be solid again in two. The Saints of May
moves to help new head coach Dennis Allen compete with
the Bucks that resigned Jamis Winston to shore up the
quarterback spot, while also bringing in Andy Dalton as a
steady backup. New Orleans signed safety Marcus May to share
up the back end of the defense that loses Malcolm
(21:58):
Jenkins to retirement and Marcus Williams to the Baltimore Ravens
via free agency. Then there was the trade of draft
picks with the Philadelphia Eagles that now give the Saints
to first round draft picks in the swap at numbers
sixteen and nineteen. Overall, a surprising turn of events unfolding
(22:19):
in Atlanta, the Falcons failing to land to Shaun Watson,
then trading former m v P Matt Ryan to the
Indianapolis Colts. Falcons then signing Marcus Mariota to compete for
their starting quarterback spot next season. The real question is
will they take a quarterback with the eighth overall pick
in the draft as the other piece of that QB
(22:41):
competition the Carolina Panthers picking sixth in the first round,
and they could be in the quarterback market with Sam
Donald playing on his fifth year option this coming season.
They also made a bevy of moves, no bigger than
that of signing d J. Moore, their stud wide receiver,
to a three year, sixty one million dollar contract extension.
(23:04):
Now venturing into the NFC South where obviously the biggest
transaction that was made was the one that was very
short lived, and that was the retirement of Tom Brady.
He is back, and now what does this mean here
for the rest of the division as they are all
searching for a long term answer at quarterback. Meanwhile, though
(23:25):
Steve and then Kevin love to have you jump in here,
the Bucks are sitting pretty Even though Bruce arians retired
as the head coach and moved into the front office role.
Todd Bowle steps in as the new head coach, it
still feels like continuity there in Tampa. So is this
the Bucks division to lose? Steve? Yeah, this is this
is like the most slam duck slam duck affirmative answer
(23:47):
we can have here in the NFL this year. And
and it's so funny because before Bruce arians uh retired
or transitioned, I spoke to him about this. I was like,
you know, come on, I mean, every other quarterback in
the division, he's like to either all they're all high
first round picks, you know, jamis Okay. Yeah. It was like, okay, Bruce,
(24:08):
you're you're you. I don't think you're gonna be selling
selling the ocean to the folks, you know why right
now with that one? But I mean, come on, I mean,
you have Brady, you have continuity, very little change on
the coaching staff. So yes, this is their division to lose.
If nothing else, who's gonna stop them? Well a defense,
(24:30):
I mean the STS have. The Saints are acting like
a team that thinks they can compete. Whether you believe
that they can or not, it doesn't matter, because they
are acting like a team that they're gonna get two
first round picks. Now if they bring in Tyronne Matthew,
which they're visiting with them, who knows that they can
spend the money like they're they're all their actions suggest
that they believe we can go get the Bucks. I
(24:51):
don't know what. They beat the Bush they beat no
matter what it is, they beat the Bucks. I don't
know what that is. Whether we believe that they can
or not. They certainly believe that they have the firepower
to go do it. They're acting like a team that does.
At least. It's pressed for me to find a team
that I'll be like, Okay, I mean, yeah, it's the Saints.
Saints would be the biggest competition in my mind. They'll
(25:12):
have some continuity at quarterback with if Jameis Winston is
good to go, and he was, Look, he was playing
well before he got injured. But who's gonna block Shack Barrett?
Great question. I think we're all in agreement here that
the we could just go ahead and uh and put
it in Penn. Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the champions of
the NFC South, and if they're not, this clip will
(25:33):
be replayed forever. Okay, but so, uh, let's get a
glimpse at what the South now looks like with some
of the movement that we've seen here, kind of like
we did in our last segment. Uh, Kevin's gonna take
the Bucks and the Panthers and assign some grades to them,
and Steve's got the Saints and the Falcons. So since
(25:53):
we're keeping with the Bucks conversation here, Kevin, what do
you make of this offseason and again has been very
similar to the one we saw last year and bringing
guys back. I mean you just said everybody's coming back.
I mean, you lose a couple of eyes on the line,
only my pet retires. That's not an easy fix. But
then you go trade for check Mason. The Patriots basically
given to you. So I mean that that everything we saw,
(26:13):
the continuity is huge. I don't want to be I'm
not trying to dance on Bruce arians Grave or anything,
but to me, Todd Bowles taken over as an upgrade,
I just think with his I think that that's gonna
work out well. You're gonna give Brady a little more
autonomy with um left, which I don't even it doesn't
(26:33):
even have to be a rift. I just think that
I think that it's gonna be a smooth, smoother sailing
where where you know the captain necessarily wasn't there. It's fine.
So that's where I personally stand. I don't care about
the rift, but I think it's gonna be an upgrade
at at that position, and they've done everything they need.
They keep kept all the guys that god one's not
(26:54):
going anywhere. Uh grab and Russell Gauge from the Falcons
was a steel in my opinion, maybe the steel of
the off season that nobody's talking about. Like he is
a legit receiver and to be a number three in
that offense. We saw what they needed when Antonio Brown
wasn't there and the how they lost a little bit.
He's gonna slide right in and be awesome, I think
in that offense. I think Bucks fans need to keep
an eye on that because he's very very good. Um.
(27:16):
Outside of some online uh questions going into the draft
and the defensive line that I'm sure that they'll pluck
a few veterans, maybe Suit comes back later on in
the process, there's really not a question um with Carlton
Davis coming back in the secondary, there's not really huge
question marks moving forward. I think this was an uh
A minus roster going in and I think I keep
(27:39):
him right there right. Not much just not much has
changed in my opinion. Okay, Steve, if we view the
Saints is the biggest competition then to the bucks. Let's
move there in the pecking order in this division. How
do you view what happened now as we begin to
Dennis Allen era with Sean Payton out of the picture. Yeah,
I mean, of course that's the biggest change. You're talking
to Mickey Loomis at the League meetings. He's like this,
it's going to be completely different because you know, Sean
(28:01):
had the authoritorian rule. Um, you know, not that he
ruled it like an authoritorian, but he had all wielding power.
That's not going to be the case with Dennis Allen.
Is gonna be more of a shared branches of government,
so to speak. It's a change. But if James comes
back healthy. Um, they did themselves safety by you know
safety by signing signing Andy Dalton case, there's you know
(28:23):
some leeway there. Um signing Marcus may have safety have
to losing Marcus Williams. I love that was a great moves. Great,
it was a great move because Marcus, you know, Marcus
Williams is going to Baltimore. That's a dude who covers
a lot of territory because his hands on balls. Marcus
may and what Dennis Allen does with the type of
pressure they can get up front, is gonna be good.
But of course the big questions losing Toront arms and
(28:43):
left tackle, Um, it was just a great player, a
great athlete, great pass protector. That's clearly gonna be a
draft neither there So coming in, I look at the roster,
it's kind of a B minus type of roster. I
gotta I gotta drop him down a little bit because
losing Toront Armstead is is mccollan, you got, You've got
a Pro Bowl left tackle and he goes because you
(29:05):
can't afford and that's a that's a tough blow. Yeah, yeah,
no doubt. And you know, like he's missed some games
in his career, a couple of games here in the
last few years, but Andrews Pete has also missed times.
So like that less side is really kind of tenuous
in terms of continuity and in terms of durability, uh
and staying power for a full sixteen games real quick, though,
(29:25):
I do not want to take away anything from that defense.
That defense is one of the best in the NFL,
and we continue to overlook you know, Damorio Davis, you know,
and all those guys should great players. I just wanted
a question, are we just assuming Michael Thomas is coming
back and going to be fully healthy? And because that
feels like the saint No no he no, no, that
(29:46):
and that's a Gra's a great point. I mean, Michael
Thomas is is huge. Yeah, the factor, catching, run guy,
tough guy, that's huge for whoever's coming in. So it's
the year. So I just I just wonder if we're
all always assuming that he's going to be dominant, m
VP sort of guy. And he missed a whole year
with a foot injury, which you know he most of
two years. Like, I feel like we haven't really seen
(30:08):
him since he set the record against the Panthers. I'm
assuming he is going to be gangbusters. He's that dude.
I like it. I like it. All right. Let's move
back then to the Panthers here Kevin Um, who have
sort of swung and missed in the quarterback market a
number of times here, at least reportedly Um for Shawn Watson,
(30:30):
for Russell Wilson, for whomever else was available out there.
And so here they sit now with Sam donald Um
still on the roster. What do you make of the
moves that they have made outside of that QB spot.
I really liked the roster outside of two things, the
quarterback and the offensive line. Unfortunately, that's massively how often
(30:50):
teams succeed in the NFL is the quarterback in blocking
for the quarterback. So that's that's huge. I mean, I
love the defense. Bringing back Dante Jackson was a big signing.
I think to solidify that back end. D J Moore
is is the man. I think he's so underrated. We
don't talk about him enough, and getting resigning him was huge.
(31:11):
Um On a extension, I think most of what the
Panthers have done this season is like mid level ads
like Mattonia's Littleton, Damian Williams, Xavier Woods on defense, like
kind of just plugging these middle guys, adding Deonte Foreman
in the backfield to pair with Christian McCaffrey. Mccathery's health
as always his huge role. I mean, I just I
(31:32):
this is a C plus roster to me, and I
hate to kind of repeat what I did, and it's
a C plus roster again. And the only reason it's
that because I don't trust Sam Donald. To me, he's
not the answer. The Panthers have told us everything they've
tried to do that. He's not the answer to them either,
trying to go after Watson, trying to get you know,
calling about Rogers and all Russell Wilson, all these things.
For two years, they've tried to not have him be
(31:53):
the quarterback, and he's still the quarterback. So to me,
that we'll get into it when we get to their
draft pick. But it has to be quarterback early to me.
And if not. Offensive line is a huge issue as well.
And until they fix those two things, like I like,
like I said, I love the rest of the roster,
I just can't get behind it until those two issues
are Yeah, they weren't. I like Taylor Moulton over there
(32:15):
on the right side the right time you do on
the left side, what do you do with the left? Right?
You spend big money on the right side. Now, how
do we fix the left side? Certainly part of the
equation there. Let's move to the Atlanta Falcons. Wanna talk
about a team in transition? Now? Is they going to
year two with Terry fontno is the GM, Arthur Smith
as the head coach, but without Steve White Matt Ryan
as the face of the franchise. What do you got
(32:38):
here for the Atlanta Falcons. Yeah, this this isn't good
because you know, no one's gonna fall them for taking
a shout out to Saunt Watson, but having trade Matt
Ryan and it didn't seem like they had a plan
be in place, right, and it just it just optically
looks terrible. You know, sign in Casey Hayward at a corner,
that's nice. It's a nice buffer because a J. Terrell,
(32:58):
you know, you talked about a player, you know, the
best cornerbacks in the NFL, Nood he knows his name.
This guy was one of the best defensive players in
the NFL. Um So that helps. But they got no
edge rusher. You know, Grady Jarrett, very good defensive tackle.
You lose your best player on defense than a J. Drell,
Foyo Loui khan um. So their defense is weekend. They've signed.
(33:19):
They did what they had to do because they have
no money, right, so their piecemealing guys one year deals.
Marcus Mariotte is now your quarterback. He actually fits the system.
But then we know when him as a starter, he's
got durability issues. Who's behind him? You know you're good,
You're good Frank's yeah, all right, okay, so right out
(33:40):
of the booth, get shocking, come out of the booth.
So you know you got those issues you resigned, Corderel Patterson.
That's great. Oh wait, who's catching the ball for you?
Cordell Patterson again. I mean they're skilled positions. Find your roster.
In the NFL, it has less threatening skilled positions. You know,
they got Damian Williams. I like him at running back,
(34:00):
but they came in with a C minus roster. They
dropped down to a d um you know, because of
the quarterback situation. Yeah, the guys, this reminds me the
Raiders back when Reggie McKenzie and Dennis Salence took over
in two thousand twelve, where they are in salary cap hell.
They couldn't fix it for two years. They had to
sign guys on one year deals before they found a quarterback.
(34:22):
And then all of a sudden the hit the Motherlow
with Clil McK and Amari Cooper and Derek Carr. But
then again they get rid of Cooper. I don't think
that's gonna happen there. But so you know, asking waiting
until next year is always a dangerous thing for me
because you just don't know. The guys you like in
the draft can turn out to have bad seasons. You
get hurt um. So they better be real effective here.
(34:43):
I mean they've got they've got t Ammo to do it,
but they better nail it. It's pin the tail on
the donkey. When it comes to their draft board. You
can just put a you can put that tack anywhere
and you can you can hit it. Well, let's do
it right there at eight. Since since we're talking about
it there with the Falcons, they're not the first team
on the board in the NFC South. We'll get to
the Panthers here in just a moment at number six,
but let's just since we're talking Falcons, let's go eight.
I look, I think wide receiver. You could get the
(35:05):
first wide receiver off the board at number eight. In
less you love one of these quarterbacks, Steve White, I
think I think the Lake Willis is gonna be real
tempting for them today because of the system they play, right,
you know, the mobile quarterback system. They know today's football game.
You've got a guy who can press with the run
but also have the big arm. But he'll admit it,
Hugh Freeze, his coach at Liberty will admit it he
(35:26):
didn't see any type of tough defenses in terms of
scheme because of the run threat at that level, you
got a spy on him and everything else was base.
He was not seeing a lot of blitzes and mixed coverages.
So this is a developmental year. If they were to
go that route, I think, you know, it's gonna be
hard for them. If Cavon Thibodeaux, I one of these
edge rushers is sitting there at a for them to pass,
(35:49):
or or you know, one of the top dbs, it's
gonna be I think getting Casey here. Weary could put
the DV part until later rounds, but they gotta go
edge or they gotta go o line here. Kevin the
Carolina Panthers city at number six. Matt Rules saying at
the league meeting of this past week that he expects
a quarterback to be taken in the top ten should
be him. Is he going to be the one to take?
(36:11):
I would think so, I mean I think so. Maybe
that's where Kenny Pickett jumps in Mali Willis can can
Matt Rule afford to get take a bye a bye
year and a developmental year with a guy like Willis.
But then David Tepper, I think he's kind of the
wild card and he's he gonna be like that. I'm
the owner. I want this guy. I think he's gonna
be a dynamic player and you're gonna take him and
we're gonna you might not be here when he's good,
(36:32):
but but this is the guy I want. I think
you have to go QB and I guess if they
don't believe that answer, then you go out offensive tackle,
which whoever, whoever is the next up on the board
at six. But I can't. I just can't get around
them what they've done at quarterback this offseason and during
the season, shuffling in and out. Cam Newton say, I'm
(36:53):
Donald in out, and to believe that they're gonna stick
with Donald here, I just don't believe it. YEA, let's
move to the Saints, then, Steve White, as we look
at the move that they made with the Phil Delfie Eagles,
giving up a future one and a future two to
take one of the Eagles UH two picks, that would
really take two of their picks and then also give
them their eighteen so that the Saints end up with
(37:16):
sixteen and nineteen, Eagles end up with fifteen and eighteen.
It seems like such a weird trade to make at
this point. That feels like something you maybe would have
seemed like on Draft night two spots right. So to
me and we were talking about this on path of
the draft, Steve, it feels like maybe this is a
move like the Bills made when they moved up from
twenty one to twelve and then to seven to take
(37:37):
Josh Allen in the top ten, or like the Eagles
did when they went from you know what was it,
thirteen to eight and then two to take Carson Wentz.
Do they love one of these quarterbacks? Again? It's the
kind of big that's the thing. Yeah, you're not gonna
need all that. I think you're not gonna need all that, right,
(37:58):
you know that if if you love them, you're not
I mean, I'm not gonna can't seem to say you're
not gonna need all that because somebody make it up there.
But this clearly, you know, and speaking to some folks,
this is for flexibility for them to move up or down.
So maybe you can use one of these picks. You
know that that ninety pick or whatever something else to
(38:19):
move up into the top twelve. If you get one
of these offensive tackles, I cannot see them going quarterback
right now. This team is in win now mode. You
look at the age of the players on that defense. Um,
I think this is this is probably something where they're
gonna try to upgrade at tackle, maybe at a wide receiver.
That team as well, Kevin, let's finish it up here
(38:40):
with the Tampa Bay Bucks and a team that finished
uh and and now we'll sit as the twenty seventh
overall pick here in the first round. I think again,
the roster it's in a pretty good spot. Um, you know,
to kind of take you know, whoever the best player
on their board is, as every team says they do anyway,
But how do you see it? I think you got
you go defensive line, maybe Ed Rusher, you build on Droy,
(39:03):
try on Shinink that you brought in last year. At
the end of the first round, you you know, you
figure at some point Shack Barrett will have to move on,
and you know JPP is still a free agent, so
you were plenished there or you or if if one
of the guard you like drops and that's a spot
where you can plug and play or or build for
the future when you know some guys are gonna move on. Uh,
(39:23):
they're in a great spot with depths. I don't think
you can go wrong. I don't think they could go
I think Jason lights in a great spot where, you know,
even if somebody wanted to jump back into the first
round from the low end of the second, I can
see them being like, Okay, we'll move back and add
another third rounder dark. I can also see them saying
kind of to your point, Um, you know this again,
this is this is a really good roster. Who's you know,
(39:44):
in good shape really at all the starting twenty two
offense defense and saying, you know what, maybe down the road,
you know, Shack Barrett will move on, and you know,
we don't know what's going to happen, you know, outside
of tri and showing ago. What if we go David
a Jabo here from Michigan, knowing that we may not
need him right away, and you know, we give him
some time to rehab that rupture to kill his tendon,
(40:06):
and then you know he comes back year two and man,
we've got either three really good edge rushers here, um
or you know, we've got one we could slide into
a starting lineup. I mean, Titans did that with Simmons
and they they Yeah, so I think that's a great point. Yeah.
So I certainly wanted to look at there with the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and that is a look at the
NFC South and and really taking care of both the
(40:29):
half of the NFC here, NFC North and South though
in the books. In our first episode here if our
roster reset, Steve Kevin, thanks so much for your time, guys,
appreciate it. Got it right, all right, that's gonna do
it for this episode of NFL Inside Report. Thanks so
(40:50):
much for being with this reminder to download, rate, and
review our show and the I Heart Radio app on
Apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcast We appreciate
you guys being along for the ride. For our producers
Thomas Warren, Tim Peraca, and Harrison Sanford. I'm your host,
Fred Lewis. We'll catch you next time. NFL Inside Report
is the production of the NFL and partnership with I
Heart Radio. For more official podcasts from the NFL, visit
(41:14):
the I Heart Radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you
get your podcasts.
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