October 16, 2024 • 22 mins
It's Fox Sports Radio's official fantasy football podcast! Dan Beyer and Mike Harmon dive into the fantasy implications of the Jets acquiring Davante Adams and the Bills acquiring Amari Cooper.
Hosts: Dan Beyer, Mike Harmon
Producer: Ryan Burschinger
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
You want experience during your football season, Well, buckle up,
sweet cheeks. We've got all the experience in the world.
This is I Want your Flex with Dan Bayer and
Mike Harmon. Mike and Dan break down everything you need
to set your lineups, from position rankings to starts and sits.
(00:24):
The guys help you make those hard decisions. And now
let's get your flex sod. Here's Dan Bayer and Mike Harmon.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
In a way in emergency pod.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
Welcome man, get Mike on Twitter at swollend On, you
can find me at Dan Byer on Fox and our
executive producer. We do a throwback. It's like a throwback
pod on I Want your Flex. Ryan Berschinger sitting in
today having some fun. Bursch welcome back.
Speaker 4 (00:54):
Oh, it's it's nice to jump back in with you
guys here. Of course, the breakup was heavy and dramatic,
and yes it was we thought that, you know, we
all hated each other and this would never happen again.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
No, it was fine.
Speaker 4 (01:05):
It was just a scheduling conflict is a mirror issue.
So I'm happy to jump on with you guys.
Speaker 5 (01:12):
It's a better story if we were throwing bottles at
each other in mugs.
Speaker 3 (01:17):
I was gonna say, considering the theme of this episode,
that we traded Ryan Burshing theer for Ian Roddy because
it is kind of a trade deadline sort of deal,
and the deadline's not coming up for a couple of weeks.
But the reason we have this pod is because of
the deals that have gone down that affect the fantasy world,
and full disclosure, we don't mind revealing the curtain. When
(01:38):
Mike and I record I Want Your Flex, it's usually
at about eleven o'clock Pacific time on Monday night. Takes
about two hour and a half to two hours, so
we get done in around twelve thirty one in the morning,
and then we send it out that next morning. Well,
in between that time and when we are getting together now,
which is about eleven eleven thirty on Tuesday morning, Pacific time,
(02:00):
we've had two monstrous trades and they've all taken place
on Mike's birthday. So this is just yeah, yeah, crazy stuff.
This is the gift to you NFL trades. The first
was DeVante Adams finally gets dealt and he gets dealt
by the Raiders to the New York Jets, and then
the one that came a couple of hours later. The
Buffalo Bill's getting in on the act and acquire Amari Cooper.
(02:23):
Let's start with DeVante Adams Mike in this deal. So
this deal goes down, you see it on social media.
What's the first thing that pops into your head?
Speaker 5 (02:30):
Aaron Rodgers, the petulant child gets what he wants. We
talked about it on the pod that folks can find
for the recap of the Monday night game where he
called out Mike Williams ran him over with a bus
and then backed up to make sure he got the
job done in terms of route running, etc. On the
ball that he missed Breese Hall and underthrew him. But
(02:52):
Mike Williams now on the trade block. Anybody want that? Anybody? Anybody?
Maybe the Chargers, out of desperation, bring him back for
a couple of footballs. But you know the fact that
Rogers gets what he wants immediately, you know, you raise
the eyebrows saying, ire, they're truly all in. Woody Johnson
answering at the owner's meetings of you know, trying not
(03:15):
to curse and says you could fill in the blanks
of what we're gonna do the rest of this season,
so color me intrigued. It doesn't solve the offensive line
issues and Rogers' issues to get away from blitzes and pressure,
but all of a sudden, you're looking at Garrett Wilson
probably gets a nice bump. While the number of targets
(03:36):
won't be there, the quality will be better with DeVante
Adams into the Only thing that kills me is I've
done six weeks of stump speeches for Allen Lazard, including
the podcast that we did last night, Dan, and now
I feel like maybe he becomes a lesser.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
Than I think.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
That's the dilemma fantasy wise for this is that who
is the one that's squeezed out? And Mike, I'm not
even so sure that it is Lazard, where Garrett Wilson
may be the one to really take the haircut because
of what we expected from him. Now you have Rogers
number one guy, and if he hasn't felt comfortable with
(04:15):
Wilson as much as he's felt comfortable with Lazard, I
don't know if Garrett Wilson's value is any better from
this trade. We would say that, look, he's not going
to get as many double teams or could see easier
coverage that way. But if Rogers is just throwing too familiarity,
I wonder if Wilson ends up not being the odd
(04:36):
man out but his numbers take the significant hit.
Speaker 5 (04:39):
Well, it could go to a boom Bus situation sure,
where we're looking against some of these better squads and
coming up before their next four games, Pittsburgh at home,
which was a curious one because they were the Jets
were a narrow favorite. By the way, that's the other story.
Beyond all the trades, Jerry Jones getting pissed at radio
hosts and threatening them with their jobs, you also have
(05:01):
the Pittsburgh conundrum, which we've been talking about forever. Of Hey,
Russell Wilson's now healthy, so throw that back in potentially
for Sunday as well. But they got Pittsburgh, then they
have New England, then they have Houston, then they have Arizona,
all winnable games.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
As you sit here, the funny thing about this deal
and I look at it and there are other fantasy ramifications.
I don't think it affects Breess Hall. I think that
the Jets saw what you can do if you get
Breese Hall. The football I said that, I think Braylen
Allen should have more of a roll, and we'll see
if that ends up evolving, and I don't know if
it does.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
My question is this, why did you wait until today
to do it? Jets?
Speaker 3 (05:39):
Your biggest game of the season so far was the
one that was played on Monday night. And in what
you gave up, the parameters are a conditional third round
pick that could improve to a second rounder if these
things happen. Adams must be a first or second team
All Pro the season. Well, that's not going to happen. Sorry,
it's just not six games in already, it's not gonna happen.
(06:02):
Or the Jets make it to the AFC Championship Game
or the Super Bowl and Devonte Adams.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
Is on the roster.
Speaker 3 (06:10):
Guess what, that's not gonna happen either. So why doesn't
this deal just end up getting done last week? In
terms with these two teams, the Jets are gonna take
on all the salary. I felt once the Jets kicked
Sala out a ton and maybe there was too much chaos,
that they should go out and just get DeVante Adams
because obviously that's what they're all in for. The season,
and if you're the Jets, if you're Joe Douglas, your
(06:30):
jobs on the line. So who cares if you don't
have a draft pick the next year if you're not
the GM making that pick. I just didn't don't know
why you didn't do this last week when Adams had
that quote unquote hamstring injury. Heck, he was already in
New York this morning with Aaron Rodgers.
Speaker 5 (06:45):
I already showed up in the facility. Rogers claimed he
found out about one am. I don't know that I
believe any of it because you go back to even
his speech after sala you know I love him, blah
blah blah. It sounded like a political speed each admitting
to no wrongdoing throughout it. But maybe it was the
(07:06):
perception if they fired Salah and Devanta Adams showed up that, Wow,
he really is the wizard behind the curtain, and the
Jets don't want want to admit that or put that
on him for whatever reason. It's like, well, we've all
decided that you know, perceptions reality, right, So even if
you claim Joe Douglas is the guy, or Woody Johnson,
(07:27):
you know made all of these because it was his decision,
and his decision alone, without consulting or any of that
with Aaron Rodgers. None of us beat and believe that
as evidenced by the fact that he had already gotten
a nice fat paycheck for Randall Cobb, he's doing a
pretty good job in his first year as a broadcaster,
by the way, And Alan Lazard, who couldn't work with
(07:47):
a quarterback that wasn't Aaron Rodgers. Likewise, Nathaniel Hackett, guess
what doesn't work without a quarterback named Aaron Rodgers? And
now it diminished Aaron Rodgers whatever percentage you think is down,
he gets demoted. We see what the change was. And
Breise Hall except for not wanting to turn back into
a field to play and get run out of bounds
(08:08):
by wrap on what should have been a touchdown. You
know you saw the offense spring to life a little
with the run game, which makes life a little easier
for that offensive line. So yeah, I'm gonna agree with
you based on the conditions put forth to what makes
it a second round pick. I don't know how this
wasn't done. Hell, go back to the Denver game, sure right,
Go back to coming back from London after a miserable performance. Again,
(08:31):
Zerline in the middle of that mess as well. I mean,
these are all games you should have could have.
Speaker 3 (08:36):
Won, and this hamstring injury is one that is just
we just don't believe.
Speaker 5 (08:42):
Yeah, nobody buys it. Yeah, nobody bought it for a
second as soon as it popped up, and then it
starts becoming weak to week. It's like, is that depending
on what uniform he's wearing, who's throwing him the football?
Because all of a sudden, everything you hear is he'll
be ready for Sunday night, whatever package, red zone, whatever, Like, yeah,
he was hurt the whole time. My ass. He collected
(09:02):
his nine hundred and eighty three thousand dollars a week
and just watched it burn. Yeah, this is distress probas
property I put up on Twitter, distress property versus desperate measures.
Speaker 3 (09:14):
I think that you also have a factor, Mike talk
about desperation in being two and four and how many
teams are like, we're going for it at two and four.
But the Jets, obviously they are. They are, And again
I am all for them making this deal. But I
don't feel like I'm talking out of both sides of
(09:34):
my mouth when I say, I.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
Don't have great expectations for this deal.
Speaker 3 (09:39):
And now Todd Downing is at one game as a
play caller, And now where does the power shift again
in the Jets offense, back to Aaron Rodgers and probably
to Nathaniel Hackett, even though Todd Downing's going to be
calling the plays. Now you have another Rogers guy in
the building. So what's old is new is back to
old again with the New York Jets. Another piece that again,
(10:01):
I think that we are giving so much power to
Aaron Rodgers. And if Aaron Rodgers just makes a couple
of better throws last night, things are different.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
Maybe they're three and three.
Speaker 3 (10:11):
Maybe dumps it off to Bree saw something we talked
about instead of chucking it deep to Mike Williams so
he could be thrown under the bus. All of those
things could change if Aaron Rodgers made a couple of
better decisions. But now let's just empower him even more
with his favorite target.
Speaker 5 (10:25):
All of a sudden, that playbook comes out like the
briefcase at the end of pulp fiction. It's glowing. What
is it? It's the old Packers playbook. Let's go.
Speaker 3 (10:34):
It's crazy, It's crazy. All right, So that's the DeVante
Adams deal. Adam's value goes up, you would say, the.
Speaker 5 (10:41):
Fact I think where he was okay, hey, I mean
we had him as a I mean he was top ten. Sure,
So assuming that the hamstring is not real, right, which
I don't buy it. I don't either, So you know,
all that being said, that means what eight to ten
targets a week and back in the good graces. They'll
(11:01):
get their timing back in short order. I mean, Rogers
was grinning like to cheshire Cat. I don't know how
much of the video you saw, you know, And during
his appearance with McAfee, and all of a sudden he
does the little turn and there's DeVante Adams behind him.
He's like a little kid that came back to first
day of school after the summer where he hasn't seen
his best e the whole time. There he is, Donnie, Donnie,
(11:24):
you're back.
Speaker 3 (11:25):
There's that accountability that Aaron Rodgers had always talked about
in his press conferences. Your thoughts on Garrett Wilson. So
Garrett Wilson, now, who by the way, was coming off
of a game in London where he had twenty three
targets now had ten in the game against Buffalo. Are
you up on Wilson? Are you even with Wilson? Are
(11:47):
you down on Wilson?
Speaker 5 (11:49):
I think the way you laid it out is probably perfect,
right that we still see Lazard with his six to
eight targets per game, but the fact that Adam shows
up eats into Wilson's yeah, top end, right, which to
say that he probably drifts back towards mid to late
(12:09):
our w R two. But he's going to have a
couple of games where he's top five because he's going
to hit the big play based on drawing a number
two corner. Sure, right, So it becomes a little more
boomer and boomer bust. So for rest of season, I
think the numbers will still play out. Okay, how happy
he's going to be with his target count is a
(12:31):
whole other thing. So maybe by solving one problem and
given air in his security blanket, you create another. And
then it's you know, up to downing to try to
try to make it all work, because you know he's
the next guy to get flattened by the Zamboni bus
or you know, marching band, depending on which movie you
want to steal.
Speaker 3 (12:51):
From here's and here's my comparison, and then I just
want to get your quick thoughts on the Raiders, and
then we'll take a time out and we'll do the
Amari Cooper deal. Sure, Steph Curry, when Kevin the year
before Kevin Durant came to Golden State thirty points per game.
This is in the seventy three win season. The next year,
Steph Curry twenty five points per game. Claig Thompson's numbers
didn't change in points per game.
Speaker 2 (13:13):
Steph's did. And that's why I.
Speaker 3 (13:16):
Think that when you see Garrett Wilson with Devontae Adams
coming in, I mean, I would make an argument that
Garrett Wilson probably should still be one A.
Speaker 2 (13:24):
But it's just that's not how it works.
Speaker 3 (13:25):
It's not when you bring Devanta Adams in and you
have the relationship that they have, and considering how Wilson
and Rogers have not necessarily been entirely on the same
page all season, I think that you really put Devonte
in that one A role. But I think that you
could have made an argument, if things were a little better,
that Wilson would still be the one A.
Speaker 2 (13:45):
But that's not going to be the case. Therefore, I
think he takes a hit.
Speaker 5 (13:48):
Yeah, it's the unfortunate spot of your talented Early in
the season. Remember we talked about it a lot. He
drew a couple of the best cornerbacks in the game, yes, right,
which is going to mute your numbers as well. You're
not getting that separation. And even if you break past
that first containment, there's always a second guy there because
how many weapons did you really have? Right? Williams was
(14:09):
coming off an injury, and you see how quickly they
flattened him once again. So yeah, it's interesting times. But
I like the fact that they leaned all in. They said,
we got a forty one year old quarterback. To hell
with it, we sold our soul to the devil. Yeah,
let's see what we can extract from it.
Speaker 3 (14:29):
I had too, all right, so let's take a time out.
We'll do the Raiders on the other side. Then we'll
do the Cooper deal. Here's Mike Carmen, I'm Dan Byer,
Ryan Pershing are hanging out with us as well. We'll
be back with all that next here, and I want
your flex all right, let's put the bow on. Welcome
back to I want your flex by the way, get Mike,
get swollen Dome, find me at Dan Byer on Fox.
Let's put a bow on this Raiders Jets trade Raider
(14:51):
side of things. They haven't had DeVante Adams for the
last couple of weeks. They've made a quarterback change. Anything
big on that side that you see.
Speaker 5 (14:59):
No, I mean, I guess we'll watch what Trey Tucker becomes.
He he was zerover too in his targets in this
last game, but prior to that had piled up twenty
in the previous three games. Jacobi Myers now established firmly
as your number one or I should say one A
because Brock Bauers is king.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
Yeah right, I mean that's agree with that.
Speaker 5 (15:18):
But what's the ceiling? I don't know what are they
going to score sixteen points a game? I mean just yeah,
to be blunt as I say, you know you're wishing
and hoping for the touchdown, and obviously you know O'Connell's
going to throw the ball thirty to thirty five times
a game, so you're hoping he completes eighteen of them.
That you get some share of that, and that it's
(15:40):
not all the running backs.
Speaker 3 (15:41):
Well, in a trade that I liked a lot more
the Buffalo Bills, who I said should have gone out
and gotten DeVante Atrice. But they beat the Jets last night,
so maybe they don't need to stick it to their
division rival. They go in Acchoir Almari Cooper from the
Cleveland Browns. The Browns will receive a third round pick
in twenty twenty five, and at twenty twenty six to
seventh rounder, the Bills end up getting Cooper and a
(16:04):
sixth round pick in twenty twenty five. Just a desperate,
desperate need. We've talked Josh Allen a bunch on the
last couple of pods. I felt that in the current
state of the Bills without Amari Cooper, what you got
mondayed at against the Jets is probably what you would
get on a general even Buffalo Bills Sunday. Specifically from
(16:26):
Josh Allen obviously that they didn't have James Cook that game,
but there was a ceiling when you saw the receiving numbers.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
There was an absolute ceiling.
Speaker 3 (16:33):
Now, Josh Allen I think gets a boost, Amari Cooper
obviously gets a boost.
Speaker 2 (16:37):
James Cook may receive a boost. I love this deal
for Buffalo.
Speaker 5 (16:40):
Yeah, I think all around it helps. Right, you look
at Khalil Shakir. We'll go back to picking on second
and third corners, right, because where it's curious to see
what happens with the tight ends, you know, because we've
been waiting on monster games from Kincaid. Instead. You see
Knox with the touch down. By the way, my bro
(17:01):
my cousins went to the London game for the the
Bears and the Jaguars. They wore a Johnny Knox jerseys
the old Bears receivers. Oh yeah, they also saw several
Tom Brady Bears jerseys on that he saw ago.
Speaker 3 (17:17):
That's what I love about the London games, just all
the random teams being worn in the stands.
Speaker 5 (17:22):
Yeah. I told them they need to send me the
photos because they said they were taking them of some
great old school vintage jerseys legends that were walking around.
So so we'll see if we can get that for
the next time we convene. But in the interim, yeah,
I mean for Cooper, he gets out of hell, and
you know, folks can point to stats and say, well,
(17:44):
he's the worst rated this that the other his quarterback stakes. Okay,
the offense has been putrid Kevin Stefanski went from being
the coach of the year to a guy who's, as
we record this, the third favor to be the next
guy fired. Sure, even though he's done, has bidding at
every turn. Deshaun Watson gives us the best chance to win.
(18:06):
Did I sell that well enough that that was very good? Yeah? No,
that's about it. That's what he sounds like. It's like,
please send help. I'm blinking in morse code. But for
Amari Cooper, yeah, it's a new lease on life. For
Josh Allen, he's got a guy that can go up
and get it. You know, Cooper's track record obviously not
the greatest during his time at the end it going
(18:26):
back to his Raider days. So a little bit of
reputation of maybe he's got a little quittnam now and again,
but you can't blame him for this current circumstance. So
new lease on life and trying to re establish himself.
I think it's a win all around for the Bills.
Speaker 3 (18:43):
Let me give you the last three games that Amari
Cooper played with Joe Flacco last season. Fourteen targets, seven receptions,
seventy seven yards, eight targets, four receptions one hundred and
nine yards in a score on fifteen targets. He had
eleven catches two hundred and sixty five yards and two
touchdowns in a win against Houston and in the playoffs
(19:06):
a very modest four catches for fifty nine yards, but
significant numbers with Joe Flacco this season. Just in the
last four games, we've had seven catches on twelve targets
eighty six yards, two touchdowns.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
That's the high.
Speaker 3 (19:22):
The low is four catches on eight targets thirty five yards,
four catches on ten targets sixty yards, four catches on
six targets forty two yards. Significantly better with Joe Flacco
as your quarterback. And you laid out the entire indictment
on Deshaun Watson. Amari Cooper was not the problem in Cleveland.
I expect him to flourish in Buffalo.
Speaker 5 (19:42):
Yeah. I think it'll be fun to watch him go
back to work again, because remember, this guy was the
top five receiver at one point. He was a guy
that we were looking at and wondering what the ceiling
would be for the career. And Josh Allen, he's taking
care of the football, the turnover worthy throws are low
and all of those things, but giving him a number
one dies get wide once again.
Speaker 3 (20:04):
Ryan Berschinger is our fill in executive producer and our
throwback edition persch Welcome back.
Speaker 2 (20:10):
What do you got on you Firsch?
Speaker 3 (20:11):
Hi?
Speaker 4 (20:11):
Guys, Yes, I just want this note on Amari Cooper
in his time with Cleveland this season. Amari Cooper And
this comes from Graham Barfield on Twitter. A Mari Cooper
has the fifth lowest catchable target rate among wide receivers,
sixty two percent. Josh Allen's fifty nine percent highly accurate
throw rate on throws beyond the line of scrimmage is
(20:32):
second best. Deshaun Watson, of course, forty four percent is
a twenty sixth of thirty one quarterback in the league.
Speaker 5 (20:40):
So surprise he's that high. Good for him.
Speaker 4 (20:42):
So yeah, A Mari Cooper is is finding himself in
an incredit. I believe he's in the top ten, maybe
top five in targets this season, but as that stat shows,
a lot of those are just kind of in his
general direction and not in any way catchable. So he's
finding himself in a situation where, yeah, as you guys said,
I think this is a situation that lifts all boats
in that receiving staff. For the Bills, Khalil Shakir gets
(21:05):
an upgrade. I think Dalton Kin kid gets an upgrade.
I think everyone, unless you're a mccollins owner, I think
that you're happy about this one. So yeah, I really
like this for Cooper and the Bills.
Speaker 3 (21:15):
A great deal, especially on the heels the timing of it.
We thought it's going to be all about DeVante Adams
and the Jets and Raiders, and it still will be
because of the drama and everything else that comes with
it football wise, the Cooper deal is much more impactful
in my eyes.
Speaker 5 (21:29):
So great, isn't the great? Yeah? You know, we get
up on a Tuesday, first stories, all the Jerry Jones
bickering with radio hosts, and then all of a sudden bam,
and then you wait and then you get another punch
to the face. I mean, this is fantastic. We get
a new host for the Super Bowl announced later on
in the rotation. I mean, I mean, it's just an
(21:50):
action pack Tuesday.
Speaker 2 (21:52):
Well, I'll tell you what.
Speaker 3 (21:53):
By the time this drops on Wednesday, hopefully we don't
have any more traits that go down. So We'll just
keep our fingers crossed because we were kind of jinxed
in that portion of it. But hey, guess what an
extra big week if I want your flex? And there's
nothing wrong with that. So Bursch, thanks for coming back,
and you'll be back at various points of the season
as well.
Speaker 4 (22:11):
Absolutely thanks for having guys.
Speaker 2 (22:13):
He's Ryan Berschinger, Mike.
Speaker 3 (22:14):
Enjoy the rest of your birthday and we'll be back
at it later on in the week with some rankings
and plus our special one third of the season review
of what's gone down in fantasy football so far in
twenty twenty four.
Speaker 5 (22:24):
Fantastic stuff. Thanks Dan, get.
Speaker 2 (22:26):
Them up at Swollen don't find me at Dan Byer
on Fox. That's it for this emergency pod. If I
want your flex, talk to you next time. Have a
good week.
You want experience during your football season, Well, buckle up,
sweet cheeks. We've got all the experience in the world.
This is I Want your Flex with Dan Bayer and
Mike Harmon. Mike and Dan break down everything you need
to set your lineups, from position rankings to starts and sits.
(00:24):
The guys help you make those hard decisions. And now
let's get your flex sod. Here's Dan Bayer and Mike Harmon.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
In a way in emergency pod.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
Welcome man, get Mike on Twitter at swollend On, you
can find me at Dan Byer on Fox and our
executive producer. We do a throwback. It's like a throwback
pod on I Want your Flex. Ryan Berschinger sitting in
today having some fun. Bursch welcome back.
Speaker 4 (00:54):
Oh, it's it's nice to jump back in with you
guys here. Of course, the breakup was heavy and dramatic,
and yes it was we thought that, you know, we
all hated each other and this would never happen again.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
No, it was fine.
Speaker 4 (01:05):
It was just a scheduling conflict is a mirror issue.
So I'm happy to jump on with you guys.
Speaker 5 (01:12):
It's a better story if we were throwing bottles at
each other in mugs.
Speaker 3 (01:17):
I was gonna say, considering the theme of this episode,
that we traded Ryan Burshing theer for Ian Roddy because
it is kind of a trade deadline sort of deal,
and the deadline's not coming up for a couple of weeks.
But the reason we have this pod is because of
the deals that have gone down that affect the fantasy world,
and full disclosure, we don't mind revealing the curtain. When
(01:38):
Mike and I record I Want Your Flex, it's usually
at about eleven o'clock Pacific time on Monday night. Takes
about two hour and a half to two hours, so
we get done in around twelve thirty one in the morning,
and then we send it out that next morning. Well,
in between that time and when we are getting together now,
which is about eleven eleven thirty on Tuesday morning, Pacific time,
(02:00):
we've had two monstrous trades and they've all taken place
on Mike's birthday. So this is just yeah, yeah, crazy stuff.
This is the gift to you NFL trades. The first
was DeVante Adams finally gets dealt and he gets dealt
by the Raiders to the New York Jets, and then
the one that came a couple of hours later. The
Buffalo Bill's getting in on the act and acquire Amari Cooper.
(02:23):
Let's start with DeVante Adams Mike in this deal. So
this deal goes down, you see it on social media.
What's the first thing that pops into your head?
Speaker 5 (02:30):
Aaron Rodgers, the petulant child gets what he wants. We
talked about it on the pod that folks can find
for the recap of the Monday night game where he
called out Mike Williams ran him over with a bus
and then backed up to make sure he got the
job done in terms of route running, etc. On the
ball that he missed Breese Hall and underthrew him. But
(02:52):
Mike Williams now on the trade block. Anybody want that? Anybody? Anybody?
Maybe the Chargers, out of desperation, bring him back for
a couple of footballs. But you know the fact that
Rogers gets what he wants immediately, you know, you raise
the eyebrows saying, ire, they're truly all in. Woody Johnson
answering at the owner's meetings of you know, trying not
(03:15):
to curse and says you could fill in the blanks
of what we're gonna do the rest of this season,
so color me intrigued. It doesn't solve the offensive line
issues and Rogers' issues to get away from blitzes and pressure,
but all of a sudden, you're looking at Garrett Wilson
probably gets a nice bump. While the number of targets
(03:36):
won't be there, the quality will be better with DeVante
Adams into the Only thing that kills me is I've
done six weeks of stump speeches for Allen Lazard, including
the podcast that we did last night, Dan, and now
I feel like maybe he becomes a lesser.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
Than I think.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
That's the dilemma fantasy wise for this is that who
is the one that's squeezed out? And Mike, I'm not
even so sure that it is Lazard, where Garrett Wilson
may be the one to really take the haircut because
of what we expected from him. Now you have Rogers
number one guy, and if he hasn't felt comfortable with
(04:15):
Wilson as much as he's felt comfortable with Lazard, I
don't know if Garrett Wilson's value is any better from
this trade. We would say that, look, he's not going
to get as many double teams or could see easier
coverage that way. But if Rogers is just throwing too familiarity,
I wonder if Wilson ends up not being the odd
(04:36):
man out but his numbers take the significant hit.
Speaker 5 (04:39):
Well, it could go to a boom Bus situation sure,
where we're looking against some of these better squads and
coming up before their next four games, Pittsburgh at home,
which was a curious one because they were the Jets
were a narrow favorite. By the way, that's the other story.
Beyond all the trades, Jerry Jones getting pissed at radio
hosts and threatening them with their jobs, you also have
(05:01):
the Pittsburgh conundrum, which we've been talking about forever. Of Hey,
Russell Wilson's now healthy, so throw that back in potentially
for Sunday as well. But they got Pittsburgh, then they
have New England, then they have Houston, then they have Arizona,
all winnable games.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
As you sit here, the funny thing about this deal
and I look at it and there are other fantasy ramifications.
I don't think it affects Breess Hall. I think that
the Jets saw what you can do if you get
Breese Hall. The football I said that, I think Braylen
Allen should have more of a roll, and we'll see
if that ends up evolving, and I don't know if
it does.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
My question is this, why did you wait until today
to do it? Jets?
Speaker 3 (05:39):
Your biggest game of the season so far was the
one that was played on Monday night. And in what
you gave up, the parameters are a conditional third round
pick that could improve to a second rounder if these
things happen. Adams must be a first or second team
All Pro the season. Well, that's not going to happen. Sorry,
it's just not six games in already, it's not gonna happen.
(06:02):
Or the Jets make it to the AFC Championship Game
or the Super Bowl and Devonte Adams.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
Is on the roster.
Speaker 3 (06:10):
Guess what, that's not gonna happen either. So why doesn't
this deal just end up getting done last week? In
terms with these two teams, the Jets are gonna take
on all the salary. I felt once the Jets kicked
Sala out a ton and maybe there was too much chaos,
that they should go out and just get DeVante Adams
because obviously that's what they're all in for. The season,
and if you're the Jets, if you're Joe Douglas, your
(06:30):
jobs on the line. So who cares if you don't
have a draft pick the next year if you're not
the GM making that pick. I just didn't don't know
why you didn't do this last week when Adams had
that quote unquote hamstring injury. Heck, he was already in
New York this morning with Aaron Rodgers.
Speaker 5 (06:45):
I already showed up in the facility. Rogers claimed he
found out about one am. I don't know that I
believe any of it because you go back to even
his speech after sala you know I love him, blah
blah blah. It sounded like a political speed each admitting
to no wrongdoing throughout it. But maybe it was the
(07:06):
perception if they fired Salah and Devanta Adams showed up that, Wow,
he really is the wizard behind the curtain, and the
Jets don't want want to admit that or put that
on him for whatever reason. It's like, well, we've all
decided that you know, perceptions reality, right, So even if
you claim Joe Douglas is the guy, or Woody Johnson,
(07:27):
you know made all of these because it was his decision,
and his decision alone, without consulting or any of that
with Aaron Rodgers. None of us beat and believe that
as evidenced by the fact that he had already gotten
a nice fat paycheck for Randall Cobb, he's doing a
pretty good job in his first year as a broadcaster,
by the way, And Alan Lazard, who couldn't work with
(07:47):
a quarterback that wasn't Aaron Rodgers. Likewise, Nathaniel Hackett, guess
what doesn't work without a quarterback named Aaron Rodgers? And
now it diminished Aaron Rodgers whatever percentage you think is down,
he gets demoted. We see what the change was. And
Breise Hall except for not wanting to turn back into
a field to play and get run out of bounds
(08:08):
by wrap on what should have been a touchdown. You
know you saw the offense spring to life a little
with the run game, which makes life a little easier
for that offensive line. So yeah, I'm gonna agree with
you based on the conditions put forth to what makes
it a second round pick. I don't know how this
wasn't done. Hell, go back to the Denver game, sure right,
Go back to coming back from London after a miserable performance. Again,
(08:31):
Zerline in the middle of that mess as well. I mean,
these are all games you should have could have.
Speaker 3 (08:36):
Won, and this hamstring injury is one that is just
we just don't believe.
Speaker 5 (08:42):
Yeah, nobody buys it. Yeah, nobody bought it for a
second as soon as it popped up, and then it
starts becoming weak to week. It's like, is that depending
on what uniform he's wearing, who's throwing him the football?
Because all of a sudden, everything you hear is he'll
be ready for Sunday night, whatever package, red zone, whatever, Like, yeah,
he was hurt the whole time. My ass. He collected
(09:02):
his nine hundred and eighty three thousand dollars a week
and just watched it burn. Yeah, this is distress probas
property I put up on Twitter, distress property versus desperate measures.
Speaker 3 (09:14):
I think that you also have a factor, Mike talk
about desperation in being two and four and how many
teams are like, we're going for it at two and four.
But the Jets, obviously they are. They are, And again
I am all for them making this deal. But I
don't feel like I'm talking out of both sides of
(09:34):
my mouth when I say, I.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
Don't have great expectations for this deal.
Speaker 3 (09:39):
And now Todd Downing is at one game as a
play caller, And now where does the power shift again
in the Jets offense, back to Aaron Rodgers and probably
to Nathaniel Hackett, even though Todd Downing's going to be
calling the plays. Now you have another Rogers guy in
the building. So what's old is new is back to
old again with the New York Jets. Another piece that again,
(10:01):
I think that we are giving so much power to
Aaron Rodgers. And if Aaron Rodgers just makes a couple
of better throws last night, things are different.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
Maybe they're three and three.
Speaker 3 (10:11):
Maybe dumps it off to Bree saw something we talked
about instead of chucking it deep to Mike Williams so
he could be thrown under the bus. All of those
things could change if Aaron Rodgers made a couple of
better decisions. But now let's just empower him even more
with his favorite target.
Speaker 5 (10:25):
All of a sudden, that playbook comes out like the
briefcase at the end of pulp fiction. It's glowing. What
is it? It's the old Packers playbook. Let's go.
Speaker 3 (10:34):
It's crazy, It's crazy. All right, So that's the DeVante
Adams deal. Adam's value goes up, you would say, the.
Speaker 5 (10:41):
Fact I think where he was okay, hey, I mean
we had him as a I mean he was top ten. Sure,
So assuming that the hamstring is not real, right, which
I don't buy it. I don't either, So you know,
all that being said, that means what eight to ten
targets a week and back in the good graces. They'll
(11:01):
get their timing back in short order. I mean, Rogers
was grinning like to cheshire Cat. I don't know how
much of the video you saw, you know, And during
his appearance with McAfee, and all of a sudden he
does the little turn and there's DeVante Adams behind him.
He's like a little kid that came back to first
day of school after the summer where he hasn't seen
his best e the whole time. There he is, Donnie, Donnie,
(11:24):
you're back.
Speaker 3 (11:25):
There's that accountability that Aaron Rodgers had always talked about
in his press conferences. Your thoughts on Garrett Wilson. So
Garrett Wilson, now, who by the way, was coming off
of a game in London where he had twenty three
targets now had ten in the game against Buffalo. Are
you up on Wilson? Are you even with Wilson? Are
(11:47):
you down on Wilson?
Speaker 5 (11:49):
I think the way you laid it out is probably perfect,
right that we still see Lazard with his six to
eight targets per game, but the fact that Adam shows
up eats into Wilson's yeah, top end, right, which to
say that he probably drifts back towards mid to late
(12:09):
our w R two. But he's going to have a
couple of games where he's top five because he's going
to hit the big play based on drawing a number
two corner. Sure, right, So it becomes a little more
boomer and boomer bust. So for rest of season, I
think the numbers will still play out. Okay, how happy
he's going to be with his target count is a
(12:31):
whole other thing. So maybe by solving one problem and
given air in his security blanket, you create another. And
then it's you know, up to downing to try to
try to make it all work, because you know he's
the next guy to get flattened by the Zamboni bus
or you know, marching band, depending on which movie you
want to steal.
Speaker 3 (12:51):
From here's and here's my comparison, and then I just
want to get your quick thoughts on the Raiders, and
then we'll take a time out and we'll do the
Amari Cooper deal. Sure, Steph Curry, when Kevin the year
before Kevin Durant came to Golden State thirty points per game.
This is in the seventy three win season. The next year,
Steph Curry twenty five points per game. Claig Thompson's numbers
didn't change in points per game.
Speaker 2 (13:13):
Steph's did. And that's why I.
Speaker 3 (13:16):
Think that when you see Garrett Wilson with Devontae Adams
coming in, I mean, I would make an argument that
Garrett Wilson probably should still be one A.
Speaker 2 (13:24):
But it's just that's not how it works.
Speaker 3 (13:25):
It's not when you bring Devanta Adams in and you
have the relationship that they have, and considering how Wilson
and Rogers have not necessarily been entirely on the same
page all season, I think that you really put Devonte
in that one A role. But I think that you
could have made an argument, if things were a little better,
that Wilson would still be the one A.
Speaker 2 (13:45):
But that's not going to be the case. Therefore, I
think he takes a hit.
Speaker 5 (13:48):
Yeah, it's the unfortunate spot of your talented Early in
the season. Remember we talked about it a lot. He
drew a couple of the best cornerbacks in the game, yes, right,
which is going to mute your numbers as well. You're
not getting that separation. And even if you break past
that first containment, there's always a second guy there because
how many weapons did you really have? Right? Williams was
(14:09):
coming off an injury, and you see how quickly they
flattened him once again. So yeah, it's interesting times. But
I like the fact that they leaned all in. They said,
we got a forty one year old quarterback. To hell
with it, we sold our soul to the devil. Yeah,
let's see what we can extract from it.
Speaker 3 (14:29):
I had too, all right, so let's take a time out.
We'll do the Raiders on the other side. Then we'll
do the Cooper deal. Here's Mike Carmen, I'm Dan Byer,
Ryan Pershing are hanging out with us as well. We'll
be back with all that next here, and I want
your flex all right, let's put the bow on. Welcome
back to I want your flex by the way, get Mike,
get swollen Dome, find me at Dan Byer on Fox.
Let's put a bow on this Raiders Jets trade Raider
(14:51):
side of things. They haven't had DeVante Adams for the
last couple of weeks. They've made a quarterback change. Anything
big on that side that you see.
Speaker 5 (14:59):
No, I mean, I guess we'll watch what Trey Tucker becomes.
He he was zerover too in his targets in this
last game, but prior to that had piled up twenty
in the previous three games. Jacobi Myers now established firmly
as your number one or I should say one A
because Brock Bauers is king.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
Yeah right, I mean that's agree with that.
Speaker 5 (15:18):
But what's the ceiling? I don't know what are they
going to score sixteen points a game? I mean just yeah,
to be blunt as I say, you know you're wishing
and hoping for the touchdown, and obviously you know O'Connell's
going to throw the ball thirty to thirty five times
a game, so you're hoping he completes eighteen of them.
That you get some share of that, and that it's
(15:40):
not all the running backs.
Speaker 3 (15:41):
Well, in a trade that I liked a lot more
the Buffalo Bills, who I said should have gone out
and gotten DeVante Atrice. But they beat the Jets last night,
so maybe they don't need to stick it to their
division rival. They go in Acchoir Almari Cooper from the
Cleveland Browns. The Browns will receive a third round pick
in twenty twenty five, and at twenty twenty six to
seventh rounder, the Bills end up getting Cooper and a
(16:04):
sixth round pick in twenty twenty five. Just a desperate,
desperate need. We've talked Josh Allen a bunch on the
last couple of pods. I felt that in the current
state of the Bills without Amari Cooper, what you got
mondayed at against the Jets is probably what you would
get on a general even Buffalo Bills Sunday. Specifically from
(16:26):
Josh Allen obviously that they didn't have James Cook that game,
but there was a ceiling when you saw the receiving numbers.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
There was an absolute ceiling.
Speaker 3 (16:33):
Now, Josh Allen I think gets a boost, Amari Cooper
obviously gets a boost.
Speaker 2 (16:37):
James Cook may receive a boost. I love this deal
for Buffalo.
Speaker 5 (16:40):
Yeah, I think all around it helps. Right, you look
at Khalil Shakir. We'll go back to picking on second
and third corners, right, because where it's curious to see
what happens with the tight ends, you know, because we've
been waiting on monster games from Kincaid. Instead. You see
Knox with the touch down. By the way, my bro
(17:01):
my cousins went to the London game for the the
Bears and the Jaguars. They wore a Johnny Knox jerseys
the old Bears receivers. Oh yeah, they also saw several
Tom Brady Bears jerseys on that he saw ago.
Speaker 3 (17:17):
That's what I love about the London games, just all
the random teams being worn in the stands.
Speaker 5 (17:22):
Yeah. I told them they need to send me the
photos because they said they were taking them of some
great old school vintage jerseys legends that were walking around.
So so we'll see if we can get that for
the next time we convene. But in the interim, yeah,
I mean for Cooper, he gets out of hell, and
you know, folks can point to stats and say, well,
(17:44):
he's the worst rated this that the other his quarterback stakes. Okay,
the offense has been putrid Kevin Stefanski went from being
the coach of the year to a guy who's, as
we record this, the third favor to be the next
guy fired. Sure, even though he's done, has bidding at
every turn. Deshaun Watson gives us the best chance to win.
(18:06):
Did I sell that well enough that that was very good? Yeah? No,
that's about it. That's what he sounds like. It's like,
please send help. I'm blinking in morse code. But for
Amari Cooper, yeah, it's a new lease on life. For
Josh Allen, he's got a guy that can go up
and get it. You know, Cooper's track record obviously not
the greatest during his time at the end it going
(18:26):
back to his Raider days. So a little bit of
reputation of maybe he's got a little quittnam now and again,
but you can't blame him for this current circumstance. So
new lease on life and trying to re establish himself.
I think it's a win all around for the Bills.
Speaker 3 (18:43):
Let me give you the last three games that Amari
Cooper played with Joe Flacco last season. Fourteen targets, seven receptions,
seventy seven yards, eight targets, four receptions one hundred and
nine yards in a score on fifteen targets. He had
eleven catches two hundred and sixty five yards and two
touchdowns in a win against Houston and in the playoffs
(19:06):
a very modest four catches for fifty nine yards, but
significant numbers with Joe Flacco this season. Just in the
last four games, we've had seven catches on twelve targets
eighty six yards, two touchdowns.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
That's the high.
Speaker 3 (19:22):
The low is four catches on eight targets thirty five yards,
four catches on ten targets sixty yards, four catches on
six targets forty two yards. Significantly better with Joe Flacco
as your quarterback. And you laid out the entire indictment
on Deshaun Watson. Amari Cooper was not the problem in Cleveland.
I expect him to flourish in Buffalo.
Speaker 5 (19:42):
Yeah. I think it'll be fun to watch him go
back to work again, because remember, this guy was the
top five receiver at one point. He was a guy
that we were looking at and wondering what the ceiling
would be for the career. And Josh Allen, he's taking
care of the football, the turnover worthy throws are low
and all of those things, but giving him a number
one dies get wide once again.
Speaker 3 (20:04):
Ryan Berschinger is our fill in executive producer and our
throwback edition persch Welcome back.
Speaker 2 (20:10):
What do you got on you Firsch?
Speaker 3 (20:11):
Hi?
Speaker 4 (20:11):
Guys, Yes, I just want this note on Amari Cooper
in his time with Cleveland this season. Amari Cooper And
this comes from Graham Barfield on Twitter. A Mari Cooper
has the fifth lowest catchable target rate among wide receivers,
sixty two percent. Josh Allen's fifty nine percent highly accurate
throw rate on throws beyond the line of scrimmage is
(20:32):
second best. Deshaun Watson, of course, forty four percent is
a twenty sixth of thirty one quarterback in the league.
Speaker 5 (20:40):
So surprise he's that high. Good for him.
Speaker 4 (20:42):
So yeah, A Mari Cooper is is finding himself in
an incredit. I believe he's in the top ten, maybe
top five in targets this season, but as that stat shows,
a lot of those are just kind of in his
general direction and not in any way catchable. So he's
finding himself in a situation where, yeah, as you guys said,
I think this is a situation that lifts all boats
in that receiving staff. For the Bills, Khalil Shakir gets
(21:05):
an upgrade. I think Dalton Kin kid gets an upgrade.
I think everyone, unless you're a mccollins owner, I think
that you're happy about this one. So yeah, I really
like this for Cooper and the Bills.
Speaker 3 (21:15):
A great deal, especially on the heels the timing of it.
We thought it's going to be all about DeVante Adams
and the Jets and Raiders, and it still will be
because of the drama and everything else that comes with
it football wise, the Cooper deal is much more impactful
in my eyes.
Speaker 5 (21:29):
So great, isn't the great? Yeah? You know, we get
up on a Tuesday, first stories, all the Jerry Jones
bickering with radio hosts, and then all of a sudden bam,
and then you wait and then you get another punch
to the face. I mean, this is fantastic. We get
a new host for the Super Bowl announced later on
in the rotation. I mean, I mean, it's just an
(21:50):
action pack Tuesday.
Speaker 2 (21:52):
Well, I'll tell you what.
Speaker 3 (21:53):
By the time this drops on Wednesday, hopefully we don't
have any more traits that go down. So We'll just
keep our fingers crossed because we were kind of jinxed
in that portion of it. But hey, guess what an
extra big week if I want your flex? And there's
nothing wrong with that. So Bursch, thanks for coming back,
and you'll be back at various points of the season
as well.
Speaker 4 (22:11):
Absolutely thanks for having guys.
Speaker 2 (22:13):
He's Ryan Berschinger, Mike.
Speaker 3 (22:14):
Enjoy the rest of your birthday and we'll be back
at it later on in the week with some rankings
and plus our special one third of the season review
of what's gone down in fantasy football so far in
twenty twenty four.
Speaker 5 (22:24):
Fantastic stuff. Thanks Dan, get.
Speaker 2 (22:26):
Them up at Swollen don't find me at Dan Byer
on Fox. That's it for this emergency pod. If I
want your flex, talk to you next time. Have a
good week.
Hosts And Creators
Jason Smith
Mike Harmon
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