December 19, 2025 • 18 mins
In this edition of the Top Ten Players, the guys give you their ten best players for the matchup between the Panthers and Buccaneers on Sunday.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now it is time to turn the page for Panthers
Buccaneers top ten, and I got a feeling this is
going to be a spicy one. As the kids say, walcomell,
I believe you started off the last top ten, so
I am going to start it off this time. And
I love when that music comes in. It just gives
me chills when I hear it. Number ten. For me,
it's Baker Mayfield, sixth in the league and big time
(00:23):
throws of twenty four, he's got twenty two passing touchdowns,
it's tied for seventh and all of the NFL. And
he's got seven interceptions this season. He's fifteenth in QBR
and we know that he's got the AC joint. He's
had receivers out a lot this season as well. So
I graded him just a little bit on a curve.
But Baker Mayfield number ten as we start off this time.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Here's some foreshadowing. I grated him on just a little
bit more of a curve, not a lot more, but
a little bit more of a curve than you did.
I have Damian Lewis come in at number ten. I
think that's representative of just how good the Tampa Bay
Buccaneers are on paper at least, Damian Lewis very very
well rounded overall than run blocking and pass protecting. I
think you could afford to lose him, as much as
(01:07):
I would hate it, I think you could afford to
lose him more than the next guy on my list
at number nine. It was very close. He's a very
good football player. Damian Lewis comes in at ten.
Speaker 1 (01:17):
Okay, all right, Number nine for me, the rook a
Mecca a book He's time for second in the league
in twenty plus yards receptions, He's got thirty three of
his catches have been for first downs. He's got eight
hundred and seventy yards of fifteen yards a clip, and
he's also twelfth in a league in yax. So when
he catches the ball, he knows what to do with it.
A Mecca Booker.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
Number nine.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
Taylor Moten Number nine, Taylor Moten continue to just be
rock solid, one of the best pass protectors in the.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
League, even though last game he allowed a few more pressures.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
I think at the beginning of the year he was
allowing more pressures than what we had become accustomed to.
Then really hit his stride in the middle last game.
He was responsible for a couple of those pressures. I
think there was a BS flag called on him. Only
one penalty last season, five so far this year, so
litle more undisciplined. Also, if you do care about the
run block grade, that's a lot better than what we've
(02:05):
seen from him in the past. Taylor Moten really good
football player, you know, he's one of my favorites. He
sneaks in right inside the top ten and number.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
Nine, number eight.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
For me, I've got Tetoroa McMillan fifty nine catches, that's
top twenty five in the league, eight fifty one receiving yards,
fourteen point four per clip, and he's fit in twenty
yard receiving plays in forty seven of his receptions have
been for first downs.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
The rook Tetoroa is number eight, number nine, and number
eight spider Man Meme right tackles. Luke Godkey comes in
at number eight. Their numbers are very similar in terms
of pressure is allowed. I will say Taylor Moten's pressure
allowed per snap is better than god Key. But both
of these guys have the pedigree over just being awesome
(02:51):
all in the last three four A little bit more
for TMO because he's older. But these guys are the
Spider Man meme. When you look at all the grades,
all of the stats. Just Godkey was it was a
big deal for Tampa two when he went out. They
didn't have a great answer when he was injured earlier
in the season. And I just feel like he's had
a slightly better year with what he's graded out as,
(03:13):
and like you've had some kind of some uncharacteristic games
from Timo this season in pass protection god Keys number.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
Eight, guard guard shaman, Damian Lewis, by the way, we'll
good to that love Damiens all right, number seven from
a Derek Brown. And you know, I went back and
forth with how high or low to put him. We
know about the numbers. He's got twenty five stops on
a year, he's got four sacks. But the last six games,
if you care about PFF, as we like to say,
(03:41):
he has not graded above US sixty five. He's got
five games below sixty and one game graded at a
forty one. And he was once PFF's number two rated
interior defensive lineman.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
He is now seventeenth. Now.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
The reason why I continue to put him in this
top ten even though the last month change he has
not been great. Is because of the fact that I
think that the knee is bothering him more than he
is letting on and so I think that that has
affected his play. But when you just want to go
on the surface and if you take all that away
and say, hey, if you're suiting up, then you shouldn't
have any excuses to play. He's not been that great
(04:17):
over the last five or six games.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
Baker Mayfield number seven, he was an MVP candidate at
the beginning of the year. That he was it's gone
away a little bit, and I think a lot of
that has to do with all of the injuries that
this team has suffered. Specifically offensively. I hate to say
about your boy over there, Flounder, the North Carolina offensive
lineman who stepped in. I'm forgetting his name, Charlie Heck. Yeah,
(04:41):
one of the worst tackles in the league, and they
had to rely on him for a long time at
least just with the amount of pressures. If you look
at him being on an island and that just continuing
to be a turnstile, it's rough. It's a rough life
for Baker Mayfield, constantly running away from him, without Tristan
Wurfs who's on the list, Without Luke Godkey who's on
my list, without Mike Evans who's on the list, and
(05:02):
without Chris Godwin, who I'll just go ahead and say
miss the list because of all of the things that
he's dealt with, I'm sure. But Godwin is still a
big time absence, and Baker still is trying his best.
I think he does a good job of picking up
first downs with his legs when they need him to,
and he's having to navigate through all.
Speaker 3 (05:20):
Of the injuries.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
It took me a while to buy in because of
what everything I saw from him in a Carolina Panther uniform.
But I think he's really battled. I respect his game.
Baker Mayfield comes in at seven, all right, number six
for me. The big fella Vita Veya.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
He's got four sacks, he's twelfth among interior defensive linemen
and quarterback hits, and he's.
Speaker 3 (05:42):
Sixth and pressures. He's got forty seven pressures.
Speaker 1 (05:44):
That's impressive for a man as big as Vita Veya.
He's got nineteen stops as well, and as far as
his accomplishments, he's a two time Pro Bowler and also
a member of the NFL Top one hundred, so the
players respect him too as well.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
I've got Tykee Smith. I think the safety tandem. People
are saying that it's the best safety tandem in all
of football with what they have in Tyke and the
other guy that might be on this list. Also, what
he's done has been very impressive. Now, I guess the
Taikey injury stuff here, and he played against New Orleans. Actually,
I don't think he's on the injury report. He did
play against New Orleans. We did not see him play
against Atlanta. I got to check that. So he might
(06:21):
be ineligible to be on this list because he didn't
play the last game. And if that's the case, then
I'll tell you who honorable mention is that slides and
moves everybody up. But he is a very good football player,
and I think because those guys play so well off
of one another, even with rookie corners some of the
injuries that they've had on the outside, I think that
they've relied on both anchline Winfield and Tyke Smith to
(06:42):
really help him out on the back end. You're clear
he played was a full participant in practice on Wednesday
and Thursday.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
You'd imagine he'd be a full participant today.
Speaker 1 (06:49):
I'm sure that this is probably the most the biggest
differentia that we've had in Top ten as we go
through this, which is good. I mean, you know, varieties,
the spice of life. I think we have a value.
Mad at me though, because you get mad, you get
mad at me. I thought you were gonna give me
a hard time with Derek Brown. I did think that
when I put that down this morning, I say, yes,
this one.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
It's like, do I just I know what's coming. Man,
get Derek Brown. He's gonna get slided. I'm gonna slight
Damien Lewis. How am I all right? I'm gonna slight
the running back position you're gonna I'm actually it's a
little freaky Friday is with me putting a quarterback ahead
of you. Usually if a quarterback is anything, he's number one,
all right.
Speaker 1 (07:27):
Number five for me. I'm gonna put the man in
his appropriate spot. Damian Lewis, he has been good all
season long. PFF six rated guard. He's the third rated
pass blocker, thirteenth in the run. He's only allowed one sack,
two hits and ten pressures. That's fifth among guards, and yes,
as a tackle, Yes, I do think that we are
the glamour position on the offensive line. But I gotta
(07:48):
give the guards doing the dirty work down there in
the middle, especially when he's got to block a big
old rascal like Vida Veya all night long. I'm gonna
give Damian Lewis his credit. He's playing at a pro
Bowl level there, all pro level if you really want
to get technical with it. So I've got him at
number no disrespect. He's so massive. Yeah, maybe I am.
Speaker 3 (08:09):
I'm I is. I love Jamie Lewis, and that's what
I love. He's a fire hydrant.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
He's That's one of my favorite things to bring up
when they signed him is that I think he's in
the fifth percentile heighthwise. Just a shorty out there, but
a whitey if you will, wid e wy Jes so
we're clear on the pronunciation, all right. Number six is
Tyke Smith, Number five sneaking in there, Anton Winfield junior
and immediately stepping onto the football field, has been one
(08:34):
of the best safeties in all of the NFL. Really
free range guy. I think they used him in a
lot of different ways. I really like the Queens on
the chess board type of pieces that played the safety position.
I know we had some reverence from Buddha Baker a
while back when we did the Cardinal thing. So give
me Antroon Winfield Junior one of the best defenders in all.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
At number four, I've got Jamel Dean and he is
PFF's number three corner. He's nineteenth in lockdown percentage, was
two fumbles, tops among corners. He's only missed three tackles
this season as well, he's got three picks and only
allowed a passer rating of thirty seven point two. So
he's having a really nice year and pretty consistent as well.
(09:12):
He's normally in that top twenty, but in a lot
of years he's also in that top ten fifteen as well.
Speaker 3 (09:18):
Well. The thing about Jamel Dean is he playing with
the injury report.
Speaker 1 (09:21):
That was my is you had the injury report up
as I was making this and he was not on it.
Speaker 3 (09:27):
Okay, so he is not there.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
Well, they're starting a couple of outside or they're starting
some rookie corners, so I didn't have Jamal Dean here
because of that. But Jamal Dean was on the list
I did look at I did do the research, so
that was just a mistake, and I didn't forget about him.
I promise people I didn't forget about him this time.
Jamel Dean deserves to be on this list. So if
that were the case, then sorry, Damon Lewis, I guess
(09:50):
you're outside the top ten. I don't like it, but
I would put Jamal Dean you definite. I don't even
want to because I love Damian Lewis. I think he's
very good. I just I don't know, he's just gone.
I know it's the some positions, man, I just don't
give a lot of respect to you.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
Number four. I have Derek Brown number four. They're noticed.
Speaker 4 (10:08):
There's somebody else at that position that I haven't put yet,
just letting you know. Okay, So it's it's understandable that
I would have Derek Brown here and not in the
top three. But look, man, I just think that he
has to do so much for this defensive line that
I don't know, if you saw the havoc stat where
it's all about splash plays, Panthers are dead last at
having a havoc play only what is it like, twenty
(10:29):
six percent of their snaps, which is dead last in
the league. If you're double teaming Derek Brown constantly, and
you also have done a nice job at stopping the
run overall as a team this year, Derek Brown accounts
for a lot of that. I know what the grades say.
I just watch it, and I don't feel like Derek
Brown is getting moved off of his spot getting destroyed
by offensive lineman.
Speaker 3 (10:48):
I don't watch that.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
Did you see on a touchdown run by the New
Orleans Saints, he was, you know, running I'm not going
to say gingerly down the line, but he definitely looked
like he wasn't trying to mix up too much because
I think that me I did.
Speaker 3 (10:58):
I'm trying to give him credit. I'm saying his name. Well, no,
I saw it as well.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
They ran away from him, and then Derek Brown is
moving on the other side, and then he was right
there at the goal line because they run away from him.
Speaker 3 (11:08):
But that was on his side. No, I don't if
I'm not mistaken, that was on his side. And then
they ran to the right. Derek Brown at the line
of scrimmage Devin Neil's touchdown. Yeah, that's what I saw.
Speaker 2 (11:18):
Just saying He's still a fantastic football player that makes
a monster. What would this defense do without Derek Brown.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
Be as bad as they've been win like twenty fifth
in yards per play aloud.
Speaker 3 (11:30):
Against the run? Like last year? They would be like
last year?
Speaker 2 (11:32):
Right, I mean not as bad, but I'm just saying
last year Derek Brown didn't play and they were historically
the burst. I'm just you know, let me do this
with Baldy. Baldy would agree with me. He knows about
football too, all right, what you mean, Fitty.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
Every time? Number three for me, I've.
Speaker 1 (11:48):
Got Antoine Winfield here all Pro and twenty twenty three
eighteenth and stops amongst safeties. He's got thirteen pressures as well,
speaking to that versatility that you speak on, he has
only a missed four attack and he's got two interceptions
this year as well.
Speaker 2 (12:03):
Vdave is having a better year and actually a better
year than what we're accustomed to from him. And he's
always just been a rock solid to even very very
good defensive tackle. The thing about him is that he's
mixing it up in the past rush game. I think
run defense. You do get a little walkie in terms
of grades. What do you agree with grades on and
what is more accurate, right, I think defensive backs are
(12:24):
often inaccurate. I think run defense is also pretty tough.
With that being said, Videvea just plugging holes constantly on
up front where he's got to account for a lot.
Man klash Kanzi not good against the run. The edge
rushers that you have, the small guys like a Hassan
Reddick not good against the run. It's Vidavea man, he's
got to do it all and he's getting back in
(12:45):
the backfield. I think Veya is having a better overall
year than Derek Brown. Vitavea comes at number three yea.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
I think defensive backs is easy because once the boss snap,
you can tell what covers Darien and what they're supposed
to do because there aren't but so many coverages.
Speaker 2 (12:56):
No, I think because you're trying to quantify what doesn't happen,
then we try to figure out what is their fault
and what isn't and what their placement and alls of
the field, which is why we've had this debate about
how much j C. Horn is that fault with lining
up where he did. If he's pressured, then okay, if
he's lining up closer to a lave well that goes
on a varo more than it goes on JC Horn.
Speaker 1 (13:16):
I also think for guard appreciation, I think we should
have you go down to the practice facility, suit up,
and you know you can block Derek Brown for a
few reps, and then let you go a few rounds
with Vida Vea and then ask Damian Lewis, you know
how much should I value?
Speaker 2 (13:29):
Can you imagine how much I would be destroyed if
I did that? If I went up, what do you
think would be worse? Yeah, It'd be blocking more so
than it would be trying to protect than it would
be trying to go at Damian Lewis, although Damian Lewis
wild pancake me every time.
Speaker 1 (13:44):
Yeah, yeah, No, I'm just saying you would do his job,
and then I would go whisper stuff in Vida Vea
and Derek Brown's it to tell them how easy you
think the guard position is, so that they would make
sure to put a little extra.
Speaker 3 (13:57):
Sting through that.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
And I'll tell Derek Brown that Wes Bryant used to
not like you because you weren't getting enough sacks, and
now you have enough sacks. Now he doesn't like you,
because that needs a little bothered. Show him how bad
your need is. Show Wes Broyan how bad your need is.
Speaker 1 (14:10):
Right, they hit that breastplate just right with those those
violent hands, all right.
Speaker 3 (14:14):
Number two for me.
Speaker 1 (14:16):
Mike Evans during Week fourteen, in his first action, says
breaking his collar bone six catches one hundred.
Speaker 3 (14:21):
And thirty two yards.
Speaker 1 (14:22):
But he's got eleven consecutive one thousand yards seasons, so
I'm gonna pay him his proper respect.
Speaker 3 (14:28):
I wanted to put him.
Speaker 1 (14:29):
Number one, but because you know the guy I have
at number one, I feel like it's worthy of being there.
And also, Mike Evans, you know he's had a bit
of a full sauce, so I had to give him
a little bit.
Speaker 3 (14:38):
Of a de mariage. I got to be a guard
with all that love you have for guards right now,
I do. I love all my offensive linemen.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
Man.
Speaker 1 (14:44):
Okay, we're all underappreciated, but the tacklers do get the
chip and dip ads more than anybody else.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
Tie goes to the Hall of Famer. Tristan Worf's is
number two. Okay, could have gone either way. I'm not
gonna get mad at you. Tristan Worf's is number two.
He is an excellent football player, one of the crazier
athletes in all of the NFL. Doesn't matter if it's
right tackle or left tackle. When he's out, they are
really really hurting Tristan Worf's What else can you say?
(15:13):
He'll be in Hall of Famer as long as he
stays on the field as much as he possibly can.
Speaker 1 (15:17):
Tristan Worf's number two. Yeah, he's my number one. Like
I said, he three time All Pro, four time Pro Bowler.
This season, he's only allowed two sacks, four hits, and
twenty one pressures. He is the number two rated tackle
in all of Pro football according to PFL.
Speaker 3 (15:31):
Mike Evans is number one.
Speaker 2 (15:33):
It'd be interesting to see how I would have grated
it if I felt like the injuries were really hurting
him in last week's game. But all he did was
show up in the game immediately upon returning from his injury.
It doesn't matter if people are covering him. It doesn't
matter if people are pretty sticky. He's going to go
up and he's going to catch the football over you
because he is a constant one thousand yard receiver. Even
(15:55):
for somebody that wants Tampa to lose quite frequently. I
kind of like seeing Mike have that clean pro football
reference page that he's not going to have this year
because of the injuries. Yeah, Mike Evans number one.
Speaker 1 (16:07):
So to recap for you my top ten, Baker Mayfield
at ten and make a book at nine, tele Roy
McMillan eight, Derek Brown seven, b to Vea six, Damian
Lewis five, Jamel Dean four, Antoine Winfield Junior three, Mike
Evans two, and Tristan Worf's number one.
Speaker 2 (16:23):
Sorry, Damian Lewis, I love you, but I got Taylor
to Moten at number ten, Luke Godkey at number nine,
Baker Mayfield at number eight, I have Tykee Smith at
number seven, I have Jamel d number six, Antoine Winfield
number five, Derek Brown four, VI Tovea three, Tristan Worf's two,
Mike Evans number one.
Speaker 3 (16:40):
All right.
Speaker 1 (16:40):
So yeah, man, So that is our top ten for
this week, one of our more differentiating top tens between
the two of us. Did you have any god Key
for me was the biggest one that I had trouble
leaving out as well, and I originally, you know, because
sometimes when we do this, I go right off the
top of the domin and I just how to put
(17:00):
down a ten or twelve players that I think I
did have Bryce Young in at first, but then he
ended up getting eliminated after I went back through and
looked at some of the players and stuff like that.
But was there anybody that you really fought with that
you kept out?
Speaker 2 (17:13):
Well, Damien Lewis, he's a top ten worthy player. I
just Tampa Bay's got good players, so that's why he's out.
Uh t Mac, I think he matters and he's not here.
Neither one and I didn't even pay attention today. You
left team back out good players man, obviously defensive line
more than you do.
Speaker 3 (17:30):
I put god Key here and I put a lot alignment.
Speaker 1 (17:33):
I know, well you think about that flyne leaving out
ted Roy McMillan, I'm shocked by that.
Speaker 3 (17:38):
You wouldn't have a book, and either did you. I
did not. I'm objective, man, I love Team Max.
Speaker 2 (17:43):
That completely would have been on this list, Travis.
Speaker 3 (17:47):
That's right.
Speaker 2 (17:48):
Travian Henderson would have been on, especially after those two
games over one hundred.
Speaker 3 (17:52):
That's right now. At first, ye, I don't need to
pay attention to the first eight.
Speaker 2 (17:56):
Weeks, but the last few weeks, Travion Henderson would be
yeah TM mac rico'dowdell not being on the list.
Speaker 3 (18:03):
Yeah doubt because I mean, you slow down so much. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (18:07):
Is he the guy that the Panthers need to really
break out and have a big game? Because I mean
it feels like Panther fans have been waiting on him
to continue to play well. Because I gotta say, Panther fans,
I got to call y'all out now. When Tuba huff
It was going through his struggles, y'all wanted him out
of town. You talk about trading him and all that
type of stuff. But now Rico dadis slowed down, and
I'm not hearing that same energy.
Speaker 2 (18:28):
I don't care where it comes from Cuba and Rico.
I don't think Rico needs to have the great game.
I just think both of them need to provide some production.
It just doesn't matter to me. I love a split
back system. I love keeping fresh bodies in there toting
the rock. So as long as they're good at running
the football, which I think they will be, then that's
the only thing that matters to me. I don't care
who's getting all right.
Speaker 1 (18:47):
Wall says on the Fando text on, sounds like the
Bucks should be winning going away based off the top
ten
Now it is time to turn the page for Panthers
Buccaneers top ten, and I got a feeling this is
going to be a spicy one. As the kids say, walcomell,
I believe you started off the last top ten, so
I am going to start it off this time. And
I love when that music comes in. It just gives
me chills when I hear it. Number ten. For me,
it's Baker Mayfield, sixth in the league and big time
(00:23):
throws of twenty four, he's got twenty two passing touchdowns,
it's tied for seventh and all of the NFL. And
he's got seven interceptions this season. He's fifteenth in QBR
and we know that he's got the AC joint. He's
had receivers out a lot this season as well. So
I graded him just a little bit on a curve.
But Baker Mayfield number ten as we start off this time.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Here's some foreshadowing. I grated him on just a little
bit more of a curve, not a lot more, but
a little bit more of a curve than you did.
I have Damian Lewis come in at number ten. I
think that's representative of just how good the Tampa Bay
Buccaneers are on paper at least, Damian Lewis very very
well rounded overall than run blocking and pass protecting. I
think you could afford to lose him, as much as
(01:07):
I would hate it, I think you could afford to
lose him more than the next guy on my list
at number nine. It was very close. He's a very
good football player. Damian Lewis comes in at ten.
Speaker 1 (01:17):
Okay, all right, Number nine for me, the rook a
Mecca a book He's time for second in the league
in twenty plus yards receptions, He's got thirty three of
his catches have been for first downs. He's got eight
hundred and seventy yards of fifteen yards a clip, and
he's also twelfth in a league in yax. So when
he catches the ball, he knows what to do with it.
A Mecca Booker.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
Number nine.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
Taylor Moten Number nine, Taylor Moten continue to just be
rock solid, one of the best pass protectors in the.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
League, even though last game he allowed a few more pressures.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
I think at the beginning of the year he was
allowing more pressures than what we had become accustomed to.
Then really hit his stride in the middle last game.
He was responsible for a couple of those pressures. I
think there was a BS flag called on him. Only
one penalty last season, five so far this year, so
litle more undisciplined. Also, if you do care about the
run block grade, that's a lot better than what we've
(02:05):
seen from him in the past. Taylor Moten really good
football player, you know, he's one of my favorites. He
sneaks in right inside the top ten and number.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
Nine, number eight.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
For me, I've got Tetoroa McMillan fifty nine catches, that's
top twenty five in the league, eight fifty one receiving yards,
fourteen point four per clip, and he's fit in twenty
yard receiving plays in forty seven of his receptions have
been for first downs.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
The rook Tetoroa is number eight, number nine, and number
eight spider Man Meme right tackles. Luke Godkey comes in
at number eight. Their numbers are very similar in terms
of pressure is allowed. I will say Taylor Moten's pressure
allowed per snap is better than god Key. But both
of these guys have the pedigree over just being awesome
(02:51):
all in the last three four A little bit more
for TMO because he's older. But these guys are the
Spider Man meme. When you look at all the grades,
all of the stats. Just Godkey was it was a
big deal for Tampa two when he went out. They
didn't have a great answer when he was injured earlier
in the season. And I just feel like he's had
a slightly better year with what he's graded out as,
(03:13):
and like you've had some kind of some uncharacteristic games
from Timo this season in pass protection god Keys number.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
Eight, guard guard shaman, Damian Lewis, by the way, we'll
good to that love Damiens all right, number seven from
a Derek Brown. And you know, I went back and
forth with how high or low to put him. We
know about the numbers. He's got twenty five stops on
a year, he's got four sacks. But the last six games,
if you care about PFF, as we like to say,
(03:41):
he has not graded above US sixty five. He's got
five games below sixty and one game graded at a
forty one. And he was once PFF's number two rated
interior defensive lineman.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
He is now seventeenth. Now.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
The reason why I continue to put him in this
top ten even though the last month change he has
not been great. Is because of the fact that I
think that the knee is bothering him more than he
is letting on and so I think that that has
affected his play. But when you just want to go
on the surface and if you take all that away
and say, hey, if you're suiting up, then you shouldn't
have any excuses to play. He's not been that great
(04:17):
over the last five or six games.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
Baker Mayfield number seven, he was an MVP candidate at
the beginning of the year. That he was it's gone
away a little bit, and I think a lot of
that has to do with all of the injuries that
this team has suffered. Specifically offensively. I hate to say
about your boy over there, Flounder, the North Carolina offensive
lineman who stepped in. I'm forgetting his name, Charlie Heck. Yeah,
(04:41):
one of the worst tackles in the league, and they
had to rely on him for a long time at
least just with the amount of pressures. If you look
at him being on an island and that just continuing
to be a turnstile, it's rough. It's a rough life
for Baker Mayfield, constantly running away from him, without Tristan
Wurfs who's on the list, Without Luke Godkey who's on
my list, without Mike Evans who's on the list, and
(05:02):
without Chris Godwin, who I'll just go ahead and say
miss the list because of all of the things that
he's dealt with, I'm sure. But Godwin is still a
big time absence, and Baker still is trying his best.
I think he does a good job of picking up
first downs with his legs when they need him to,
and he's having to navigate through all.
Speaker 3 (05:20):
Of the injuries.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
It took me a while to buy in because of
what everything I saw from him in a Carolina Panther uniform.
But I think he's really battled. I respect his game.
Baker Mayfield comes in at seven, all right, number six
for me. The big fella Vita Veya.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
He's got four sacks, he's twelfth among interior defensive linemen
and quarterback hits, and he's.
Speaker 3 (05:42):
Sixth and pressures. He's got forty seven pressures.
Speaker 1 (05:44):
That's impressive for a man as big as Vita Veya.
He's got nineteen stops as well, and as far as
his accomplishments, he's a two time Pro Bowler and also
a member of the NFL Top one hundred, so the
players respect him too as well.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
I've got Tykee Smith. I think the safety tandem. People
are saying that it's the best safety tandem in all
of football with what they have in Tyke and the
other guy that might be on this list. Also, what
he's done has been very impressive. Now, I guess the
Taikey injury stuff here, and he played against New Orleans. Actually,
I don't think he's on the injury report. He did
play against New Orleans. We did not see him play
against Atlanta. I got to check that. So he might
(06:21):
be ineligible to be on this list because he didn't
play the last game. And if that's the case, then
I'll tell you who honorable mention is that slides and
moves everybody up. But he is a very good football player,
and I think because those guys play so well off
of one another, even with rookie corners some of the
injuries that they've had on the outside, I think that
they've relied on both anchline Winfield and Tyke Smith to
(06:42):
really help him out on the back end. You're clear
he played was a full participant in practice on Wednesday
and Thursday.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
You'd imagine he'd be a full participant today.
Speaker 1 (06:49):
I'm sure that this is probably the most the biggest
differentia that we've had in Top ten as we go
through this, which is good. I mean, you know, varieties,
the spice of life. I think we have a value.
Mad at me though, because you get mad, you get
mad at me. I thought you were gonna give me
a hard time with Derek Brown. I did think that
when I put that down this morning, I say, yes,
this one.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
It's like, do I just I know what's coming. Man,
get Derek Brown. He's gonna get slided. I'm gonna slight
Damien Lewis. How am I all right? I'm gonna slight
the running back position you're gonna I'm actually it's a
little freaky Friday is with me putting a quarterback ahead
of you. Usually if a quarterback is anything, he's number one,
all right.
Speaker 1 (07:27):
Number five for me. I'm gonna put the man in
his appropriate spot. Damian Lewis, he has been good all
season long. PFF six rated guard. He's the third rated
pass blocker, thirteenth in the run. He's only allowed one sack,
two hits and ten pressures. That's fifth among guards, and yes,
as a tackle, Yes, I do think that we are
the glamour position on the offensive line. But I gotta
(07:48):
give the guards doing the dirty work down there in
the middle, especially when he's got to block a big
old rascal like Vida Veya all night long. I'm gonna
give Damian Lewis his credit. He's playing at a pro
Bowl level there, all pro level if you really want
to get technical with it. So I've got him at
number no disrespect. He's so massive. Yeah, maybe I am.
Speaker 3 (08:09):
I'm I is. I love Jamie Lewis, and that's what
I love. He's a fire hydrant.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
He's That's one of my favorite things to bring up
when they signed him is that I think he's in
the fifth percentile heighthwise. Just a shorty out there, but
a whitey if you will, wid e wy Jes so
we're clear on the pronunciation, all right. Number six is
Tyke Smith, Number five sneaking in there, Anton Winfield junior
and immediately stepping onto the football field, has been one
(08:34):
of the best safeties in all of the NFL. Really
free range guy. I think they used him in a
lot of different ways. I really like the Queens on
the chess board type of pieces that played the safety position.
I know we had some reverence from Buddha Baker a
while back when we did the Cardinal thing. So give
me Antroon Winfield Junior one of the best defenders in all.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
At number four, I've got Jamel Dean and he is
PFF's number three corner. He's nineteenth in lockdown percentage, was
two fumbles, tops among corners. He's only missed three tackles
this season as well, he's got three picks and only
allowed a passer rating of thirty seven point two. So
he's having a really nice year and pretty consistent as well.
(09:12):
He's normally in that top twenty, but in a lot
of years he's also in that top ten fifteen as well.
Speaker 3 (09:18):
Well. The thing about Jamel Dean is he playing with
the injury report.
Speaker 1 (09:21):
That was my is you had the injury report up
as I was making this and he was not on it.
Speaker 3 (09:27):
Okay, so he is not there.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
Well, they're starting a couple of outside or they're starting
some rookie corners, so I didn't have Jamal Dean here
because of that. But Jamal Dean was on the list
I did look at I did do the research, so
that was just a mistake, and I didn't forget about him.
I promise people I didn't forget about him this time.
Jamel Dean deserves to be on this list. So if
that were the case, then sorry, Damon Lewis, I guess
(09:50):
you're outside the top ten. I don't like it, but
I would put Jamal Dean you definite. I don't even
want to because I love Damian Lewis. I think he's
very good. I just I don't know, he's just gone.
I know it's the some positions, man, I just don't
give a lot of respect to you.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
Number four. I have Derek Brown number four. They're noticed.
Speaker 4 (10:08):
There's somebody else at that position that I haven't put yet,
just letting you know. Okay, So it's it's understandable that
I would have Derek Brown here and not in the
top three. But look, man, I just think that he
has to do so much for this defensive line that
I don't know, if you saw the havoc stat where
it's all about splash plays, Panthers are dead last at
having a havoc play only what is it like, twenty
(10:29):
six percent of their snaps, which is dead last in
the league. If you're double teaming Derek Brown constantly, and
you also have done a nice job at stopping the
run overall as a team this year, Derek Brown accounts
for a lot of that. I know what the grades say.
I just watch it, and I don't feel like Derek
Brown is getting moved off of his spot getting destroyed
by offensive lineman.
Speaker 3 (10:48):
I don't watch that.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
Did you see on a touchdown run by the New
Orleans Saints, he was, you know, running I'm not going
to say gingerly down the line, but he definitely looked
like he wasn't trying to mix up too much because
I think that me I did.
Speaker 3 (10:58):
I'm trying to give him credit. I'm saying his name. Well, no,
I saw it as well.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
They ran away from him, and then Derek Brown is
moving on the other side, and then he was right
there at the goal line because they run away from him.
Speaker 3 (11:08):
But that was on his side. No, I don't if
I'm not mistaken, that was on his side. And then
they ran to the right. Derek Brown at the line
of scrimmage Devin Neil's touchdown. Yeah, that's what I saw.
Speaker 2 (11:18):
Just saying He's still a fantastic football player that makes
a monster. What would this defense do without Derek Brown.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
Be as bad as they've been win like twenty fifth
in yards per play aloud.
Speaker 3 (11:30):
Against the run? Like last year? They would be like
last year?
Speaker 2 (11:32):
Right, I mean not as bad, but I'm just saying
last year Derek Brown didn't play and they were historically
the burst. I'm just you know, let me do this
with Baldy. Baldy would agree with me. He knows about
football too, all right, what you mean, Fitty.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
Every time? Number three for me, I've.
Speaker 1 (11:48):
Got Antoine Winfield here all Pro and twenty twenty three
eighteenth and stops amongst safeties. He's got thirteen pressures as well,
speaking to that versatility that you speak on, he has
only a missed four attack and he's got two interceptions
this year as well.
Speaker 2 (12:03):
Vdave is having a better year and actually a better
year than what we're accustomed to from him. And he's
always just been a rock solid to even very very
good defensive tackle. The thing about him is that he's
mixing it up in the past rush game. I think
run defense. You do get a little walkie in terms
of grades. What do you agree with grades on and
what is more accurate, right, I think defensive backs are
(12:24):
often inaccurate. I think run defense is also pretty tough.
With that being said, Videvea just plugging holes constantly on
up front where he's got to account for a lot.
Man klash Kanzi not good against the run. The edge
rushers that you have, the small guys like a Hassan
Reddick not good against the run. It's Vidavea man, he's
got to do it all and he's getting back in
(12:45):
the backfield. I think Veya is having a better overall
year than Derek Brown. Vitavea comes at number three yea.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
I think defensive backs is easy because once the boss snap,
you can tell what covers Darien and what they're supposed
to do because there aren't but so many coverages.
Speaker 2 (12:56):
No, I think because you're trying to quantify what doesn't happen,
then we try to figure out what is their fault
and what isn't and what their placement and alls of
the field, which is why we've had this debate about
how much j C. Horn is that fault with lining
up where he did. If he's pressured, then okay, if
he's lining up closer to a lave well that goes
on a varo more than it goes on JC Horn.
Speaker 1 (13:16):
I also think for guard appreciation, I think we should
have you go down to the practice facility, suit up,
and you know you can block Derek Brown for a
few reps, and then let you go a few rounds
with Vida Vea and then ask Damian Lewis, you know
how much should I value?
Speaker 2 (13:29):
Can you imagine how much I would be destroyed if
I did that? If I went up, what do you
think would be worse? Yeah, It'd be blocking more so
than it would be trying to protect than it would
be trying to go at Damian Lewis, although Damian Lewis
wild pancake me every time.
Speaker 1 (13:44):
Yeah, yeah, No, I'm just saying you would do his job,
and then I would go whisper stuff in Vida Vea
and Derek Brown's it to tell them how easy you
think the guard position is, so that they would make
sure to put a little extra.
Speaker 3 (13:57):
Sting through that.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
And I'll tell Derek Brown that Wes Bryant used to
not like you because you weren't getting enough sacks, and
now you have enough sacks. Now he doesn't like you,
because that needs a little bothered. Show him how bad
your need is. Show Wes Broyan how bad your need is.
Speaker 1 (14:10):
Right, they hit that breastplate just right with those those
violent hands, all right.
Speaker 3 (14:14):
Number two for me.
Speaker 1 (14:16):
Mike Evans during Week fourteen, in his first action, says
breaking his collar bone six catches one hundred.
Speaker 3 (14:21):
And thirty two yards.
Speaker 1 (14:22):
But he's got eleven consecutive one thousand yards seasons, so
I'm gonna pay him his proper respect.
Speaker 3 (14:28):
I wanted to put him.
Speaker 1 (14:29):
Number one, but because you know the guy I have
at number one, I feel like it's worthy of being there.
And also, Mike Evans, you know he's had a bit
of a full sauce, so I had to give him
a little bit.
Speaker 3 (14:38):
Of a de mariage. I got to be a guard
with all that love you have for guards right now,
I do. I love all my offensive linemen.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
Man.
Speaker 1 (14:44):
Okay, we're all underappreciated, but the tacklers do get the
chip and dip ads more than anybody else.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
Tie goes to the Hall of Famer. Tristan Worf's is
number two. Okay, could have gone either way. I'm not
gonna get mad at you. Tristan Worf's is number two.
He is an excellent football player, one of the crazier
athletes in all of the NFL. Doesn't matter if it's
right tackle or left tackle. When he's out, they are
really really hurting Tristan Worf's What else can you say?
(15:13):
He'll be in Hall of Famer as long as he
stays on the field as much as he possibly can.
Speaker 1 (15:17):
Tristan Worf's number two. Yeah, he's my number one. Like
I said, he three time All Pro, four time Pro Bowler.
This season, he's only allowed two sacks, four hits, and
twenty one pressures. He is the number two rated tackle
in all of Pro football according to PFL.
Speaker 3 (15:31):
Mike Evans is number one.
Speaker 2 (15:33):
It'd be interesting to see how I would have grated
it if I felt like the injuries were really hurting
him in last week's game. But all he did was
show up in the game immediately upon returning from his injury.
It doesn't matter if people are covering him. It doesn't
matter if people are pretty sticky. He's going to go
up and he's going to catch the football over you
because he is a constant one thousand yard receiver. Even
(15:55):
for somebody that wants Tampa to lose quite frequently. I
kind of like seeing Mike have that clean pro football
reference page that he's not going to have this year
because of the injuries. Yeah, Mike Evans number one.
Speaker 1 (16:07):
So to recap for you my top ten, Baker Mayfield
at ten and make a book at nine, tele Roy
McMillan eight, Derek Brown seven, b to Vea six, Damian
Lewis five, Jamel Dean four, Antoine Winfield Junior three, Mike
Evans two, and Tristan Worf's number one.
Speaker 2 (16:23):
Sorry, Damian Lewis, I love you, but I got Taylor
to Moten at number ten, Luke Godkey at number nine,
Baker Mayfield at number eight, I have Tykee Smith at
number seven, I have Jamel d number six, Antoine Winfield
number five, Derek Brown four, VI Tovea three, Tristan Worf's two,
Mike Evans number one.
Speaker 3 (16:40):
All right.
Speaker 1 (16:40):
So yeah, man, So that is our top ten for
this week, one of our more differentiating top tens between
the two of us. Did you have any god Key
for me was the biggest one that I had trouble
leaving out as well, and I originally, you know, because
sometimes when we do this, I go right off the
top of the domin and I just how to put
(17:00):
down a ten or twelve players that I think I
did have Bryce Young in at first, but then he
ended up getting eliminated after I went back through and
looked at some of the players and stuff like that.
But was there anybody that you really fought with that
you kept out?
Speaker 2 (17:13):
Well, Damien Lewis, he's a top ten worthy player. I
just Tampa Bay's got good players, so that's why he's out.
Uh t Mac, I think he matters and he's not here.
Neither one and I didn't even pay attention today. You
left team back out good players man, obviously defensive line
more than you do.
Speaker 3 (17:30):
I put god Key here and I put a lot alignment.
Speaker 1 (17:33):
I know, well you think about that flyne leaving out
ted Roy McMillan, I'm shocked by that.
Speaker 3 (17:38):
You wouldn't have a book, and either did you. I
did not. I'm objective, man, I love Team Max.
Speaker 2 (17:43):
That completely would have been on this list, Travis.
Speaker 3 (17:47):
That's right.
Speaker 2 (17:48):
Travian Henderson would have been on, especially after those two
games over one hundred.
Speaker 3 (17:52):
That's right now. At first, ye, I don't need to
pay attention to the first eight.
Speaker 2 (17:56):
Weeks, but the last few weeks, Travion Henderson would be
yeah TM mac rico'dowdell not being on the list.
Speaker 3 (18:03):
Yeah doubt because I mean, you slow down so much. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (18:07):
Is he the guy that the Panthers need to really
break out and have a big game? Because I mean
it feels like Panther fans have been waiting on him
to continue to play well. Because I gotta say, Panther fans,
I got to call y'all out now. When Tuba huff
It was going through his struggles, y'all wanted him out
of town. You talk about trading him and all that
type of stuff. But now Rico dadis slowed down, and
I'm not hearing that same energy.
Speaker 2 (18:28):
I don't care where it comes from Cuba and Rico.
I don't think Rico needs to have the great game.
I just think both of them need to provide some production.
It just doesn't matter to me. I love a split
back system. I love keeping fresh bodies in there toting
the rock. So as long as they're good at running
the football, which I think they will be, then that's
the only thing that matters to me. I don't care
who's getting all right.
Speaker 1 (18:47):
Wall says on the Fando text on, sounds like the
Bucks should be winning going away based off the top
ten
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