Tough Cover Show: Farmageddon, Week 0, Fantasy Football, and More - 08/23/25

Mark Henry Jr., Sean Barnard, and Nick McClay talk Farmageddon, Week 0, Fantasy Football, and more.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Number one on your car radio preset hand the new
and improved Iheard Radio.

Speaker 2 (00:04):
App w D AS and w D two seven three
D Philadelpia.

Speaker 1 (00:07):
I is Fox Sports Radio. Like Gambler, we have left
you want to talk right down to.

Speaker 3 (00:15):
That and a language that everybody here can adily understand.

Speaker 1 (00:36):
Hello, and welcome to the Tough Cover Radio Show. I
am your host, as always, Mark Henry Junior. You can
follow me on Twitter at Mark Henry Jr.

Speaker 2 (00:47):
NFL.

Speaker 1 (00:48):
You can follow my co host Sean Bernard over on
Twitter at Sean Underscore Bernard One. We got him on
the right side and on the left side. We got
our producer for on the ones and twos, our guy
the cyclone himself. On the day of Pharmageddon, we've got
Nick McClay. You can follow our guy Nick at Nick

(01:09):
McClay twenty two. Check out all the stuff he's got
going on at Beef up Front.

Speaker 2 (01:15):
And I got to start with our guy.

Speaker 1 (01:18):
Let us here on the ones and twos, huge, huge
game for Nick McClay. For those who don't know, you
see the hat. If you're watching along on YouTube, you
see the shirt as well. But if you're listening on
iHeartRadio out there. You don't see that. Nick McClay, huge
Iowa State guy, big Cyclones fan. First of all, let.

Speaker 2 (01:40):
The people know, how did that start?

Speaker 1 (01:43):
How did you become a Cyclone?

Speaker 4 (01:44):
So I started.

Speaker 3 (01:45):
It started probably like twenty seventeen, twenty eighteen, whenever they
won the Big Twelve in basketball, they won me a
lot of money for a college kid, and I just
ran with him. They had a kid, Isaiah Brockington, He's
from the area, went to Archbishop Bryant, so was fine him.
And then once I just won when they won the
Big Twelve, and I just I just kept running with it.
Had you know, Haliburton after that. That was one of

(02:07):
the funnest, you know times that I've watched a college bed.
I was never really was a college team, never really
had a team. So I finished, you know, might as
well just stick with the Clones here at this point,
why not?

Speaker 2 (02:18):
And I'm kind of in the same boat.

Speaker 1 (02:20):
I The only reason I became a Villanova fan is
Ryan Archidiacino went to my high school, best player in
the history of my high school, and then went to
Villanova and became a Villanova fan from that. I before
that just rooted for any Philly team. That made a run,
like when LaSalle had the Southwest Philly floater that that, Yeah,
I was.

Speaker 2 (02:39):
In on that team.

Speaker 1 (02:39):
My dad went to LaSalle, my mom went to Temple,
So anytime Temple had a run, I had family that
went to Saint Joe's, so Jimi or Nelson I was
in on that.

Speaker 2 (02:48):
Obviously, Scottie Reynolds that was fun as well.

Speaker 1 (02:52):
But before Ryan Arch, I didn't really have a team.
So I was the same way and I ended up
sticking with Villanova. Now I've kind of fallen off the
bandwagon there too, i'd say, And now I'm kind of
back on an island where I don't have a team.
But Nick McLay has an interesting, interesting path here because
Iowa State, I'd argue maybe their biggest game of the
year here today. Kansas State is currently the odds on.

Speaker 2 (03:15):
Favorite to win the Big Twelve.

Speaker 1 (03:17):
I have Iowa State finishing nine to three as one
of the top teams in the Big Twelve, right there
behind Kansas State. If you and I said this on
the show with Sean Brayson Beef, I said, if they
can go ahead and win this game, the schedule sets
up really nicely for that first half of the year
for maybe even eight games, taking the Iowa game out

(03:39):
because that doesn't count for the Big twelve anyway. If
you can win this game, it really really sets Iowa
State up pretty nicely. You're in the situation I'm in
Every year. Notre Dame plays one of their two biggest
games of the year every single year in August, and
I have to get up after an offseason of not
watching football, and all of a sudden, I'm like, well,

(04:00):
we're in the biggest game of the year. This is
going to decide if we're a playoff team this year.
And you're getting right into it. How does it feel
to know after an offseason where you no Eagles football,
no Cyclones football for six seven months, whatever it is,
and now you're dropping right into a huge game. Yeah.

Speaker 4 (04:16):
Man, it's tough.

Speaker 3 (04:17):
You're you're starting the year off, like you said, one
of the toughest games that you'll have. You later in
the season, you Arizona State comes to you. So, I mean,
I know Arizona State right now projected to be at
the top, so it was Kansas State, but having that
game at home means a lot more than in a
game in Ireland where you don't really have that home
crowd advantage maybe at this point, but like you said,

(04:39):
it's gonna be tough. Just jumping right into it. Game
one against Kansas State, Avery Johnson, I think is a
guy that is worth kind of maybe a sprinkle on
at plus five thousand for the Heisman. I think he's
someone that could really put up numbers. Hasn't really produced
that much first year starter last year. This year, you know,
another year under his belt, get a little more experience,
you know. I think I think Kansas City could you know,

(05:02):
come out and just roll of his Iowa State team,
which would make me very upset. But Iowa State lost
a lot, they lost two a thousand yard receivers. It's
really hard to you know, bounce back from that. But
I think there with Rocko Beck, Matt Campbell, their defense too,
they're just a tough team.

Speaker 4 (05:17):
That's what you really need in this Big twelve.

Speaker 3 (05:19):
Big twelve's a scrappy league where you just got to,
you know, grind out wins, and if you can do that,
you'll be successful in this league. And with like you said,
the schedule that Iowa State has, if you win this game,
it does set yourself up that outlook for the rest
of the season looks a lot different than obviously if
you lose this.

Speaker 1 (05:35):
Game, and Sean Bernard on my right here, I'll ask you,
because I'll save my take overall on week zero, what's
your take on week zero on a little appetizer for
the full course that is next weekend?

Speaker 2 (05:51):
Well, what's kind of what's your take on it?

Speaker 5 (05:53):
Yeah? I do think that's the way to put it,
that this week is the appetizer for next week being
the main event of college football, where you do get
the big dogs run against each other in some top
matchups and all that say, I will say from a
fandom perspective, got some interest in Western Kentucky today. I'm
Maverick mcgiver. Stud was the standard at Aline Christian last year,
and it's jar and studio with you there, Nick mcclechch.

Speaker 4 (06:14):
He's not he left.

Speaker 6 (06:15):
He just left, Okay, gotcha?

Speaker 5 (06:17):
So his tie is my freshman year roommate, was his
best friend in college.

Speaker 6 (06:22):
Uh there's.

Speaker 5 (06:23):
He went on to become the special teams coordinator for
Eveline Christian currently, So I've kind of followed that team
a little bit and keep it in touch with him.
But this Maverick mcgiver, guys had some stuff to him.
Transferred to Western Kentucky. The offensive coordinator went with him.
So I have my eyes on on that game a
little bit.

Speaker 1 (06:37):
That's fun.

Speaker 4 (06:38):
That's awesome name too, That name is awesome.

Speaker 1 (06:40):
That's incredible name. Yeah, that's absolutely a plus name. That's like,
what's the name that brace is in love with bear Bachmeyer?
A Brace is in love with that.

Speaker 2 (06:52):
But yeah, It's my take is.

Speaker 1 (06:57):
Do we need this doing week zero? Do we need
four games if we're gonna get if we're gonna do
week zero? I think we need fifteen games.

Speaker 6 (07:06):
I think we feel.

Speaker 5 (07:07):
Did you feel a twinkle in your stomach when you
woke up today that there's football or did you not?

Speaker 6 (07:12):
I do you know what I did see?

Speaker 1 (07:14):
Oh?

Speaker 2 (07:14):
Yeah, Nick, definitely did.

Speaker 1 (07:17):
I had a slight a slight excitement. I can't lie
and I shouldn't cross promote for a show that's on
at the same time as us. When I saw them,
there's no college game day, I can't lie. It made
me take the college slate a little less seriously. It's like,
we can't get we can't bother Pat McAfee andrs Davis
and Kirktin go to Dublin. It's that I that matchup,

(07:38):
It's seventeen verse twenty two. It's a huge Big twelve game.
It's one of the biggest Big twelve games we're getting
all season long. I really do believe that. And we're
just no one were sitting Dusty divorceeck out into the
streets of Dublin. Oh are you excited about football? Like?
What are we doing in ESPN? And that's pathetic. It's
week zero, treated like it matters. If it does matter,

(08:00):
and if it doesn't matter, take it off to TV.
That's kind of where I'm at. I don't know, I'm
a little is that going too far?

Speaker 6 (08:09):
I get where you're coming from.

Speaker 5 (08:10):
I do agree on the college game day thing that
I think if you're gonna do it, do it right,
like get the full set up, get the whole production,
everything in the way that you're saying. So, I think
that was a miss from just kind of the entire
outlook of things. But I do think that there's a
little something too having a small slate to get things
rolling and then launch into it next week.

Speaker 6 (08:26):
That I am excited.

Speaker 5 (08:27):
I'm thrilled that there's actual football that matters on today.
It may not be the biggest matchups or the college
football games will remember at the end of the season here,
but it's something to get us rolling here and it
feels like that time of year, so I'm not as
up in arms against it, but do agree it was
a miss on college game.

Speaker 1 (08:42):
Dad, I'm excited about the Farmageddon game. I am excited
to watch Farmageddon. Beyond that, it's tough for me. Jalen
Daniels Kansas Preston State like that. You have to get
in on that, UNLV. Are they going to be like
a real deal contender that could, you know, make the
playoff from the G five? They were my pick to

(09:05):
make the G five or make the player from the
G five?

Speaker 6 (09:07):
Why are you sneaky too there?

Speaker 1 (09:09):
There? They should beat Stanford. I would think that line
has swung pretty violently. I'm pretty sure.

Speaker 2 (09:17):
But yeah, we're.

Speaker 1 (09:19):
Gonna talk some college football futures and some some big
picture stuff. I don't have a bet on farm again.
Where are you guys going?

Speaker 3 (09:27):
Personally, I'm an emotional hedge guy, so I always go
against Iowa State. But this game, I'm just not doing anything.
I'm not doing anything. I'm watching it. I'm being a fan.
Probably by halftime, depending on how the game goes. Maybe
I'll throw a live bet in there. But I just
for my heart's sake, I can't.

Speaker 4 (09:45):
I can't. I can't took place a bet on Iowa
State right now.

Speaker 6 (09:50):
I hear you.

Speaker 5 (09:50):
There is a part of you the things that Avery
Johnson just puts it together this year and looks like
right out of the gates one of the more like
dangerous quarterbacks in college football.

Speaker 1 (09:59):
There Edwards behind them, it's a dangerous running combo.

Speaker 5 (10:03):
Yeah, so my head does push me towards Kansas State there,
but for our guy McLay, I'll root on Iowa State today.
This isn't one that I have like a hard take on.
I do picks for both Kansas and Western Kentucky. I
have some actual logic behind betting both those teams to
cover this was alsome, So the Western Kentucky one, I
mentioned the Maverick mcgiver transfer there. I do think Sam

(10:24):
Houston is going to take a bit of a step back.

Speaker 6 (10:26):
Last year.

Speaker 5 (10:26):
They went nine to three, they went six to zero
one score games last season. It feels like you're due
for a bit of aggression, and they had a regression,
and they had a coaching change as well, So the
program's starting from scratch, a little bit Western Kentucky, I
do think is putting it together. The nine and a
half does not scare me, and I do think Maverick
mcgiver is going to raise the standard of quarterback play
from what that program has seen in quite some time.
So I love that they stuck the offensive coordinator and

(10:48):
quarterback together. I think they get rolling right out of
the gates and put up points to the level that
the Bearcats cannot match.

Speaker 6 (10:53):
And then as far as Kansas.

Speaker 5 (10:54):
I know, Jalen Edwards or Jalen Daniels has the turnover concerns.
Guess what, so does each Warner man. And that's who
he's gonna be squared up against. I'm not a believer
in any Jay Warner pretty much whatsoever. They're also Chanford. Yeah,
I do feel like Danson a little bit. But thirty
seven interceptions and thirty two college starts and now taking
a bit of a leap in competition here, I don't
love the recipe for that. So I think every concern

(11:16):
that I have for Daniels is even larger with Warner there.
I think there's more to Kansas's roster as a whole
that Presno State is a team that's starting from a
scratching an extent here. So I think Kansas gets out
the gates and rolls a little bit today.

Speaker 1 (11:28):
And then McLay, you got anything else on the rest
of the car today.

Speaker 3 (11:31):
Only other bet I have is Hawaii over Stanford. I
just think Stanford's just a terrible team. I know it's
an ACC team coming to you know, Hawaii, but I
still I just think Hi is a better team.

Speaker 4 (11:42):
Stanford doesn't have much.

Speaker 3 (11:43):
I do think Stanford heading in the right direction with
Andrew Lucky, you know, at the No leading things over
down there in Stanford.

Speaker 4 (11:50):
So not this year, though maybe next year.

Speaker 3 (11:53):
I just I just don't think that their roster has
really anything that really jumps out to me.

Speaker 1 (11:59):
Yeah, everything's gone last year, so it's tough tough to
see them really having much of a season this year.
But we're gonna talk some college football futures in the
second hour. We're gonna do our AFC wind totals. We
did our NFC win totals a couple of weeks ago.
We're gonna wrap that up with the AFC. Maybe at

(12:19):
the end we'll do a wrap up of our few
favorite overall wind totals on either side. I've got some
fantasy nuggets that I want to throw at people. I'm
gonna drop them in here. And the reason may I
think part of me doesn't like the college football started
taking this weekend because this is a fantasy draft weekend.

(12:39):
It is, This is a fantasy football weekend, and like,
I love this time of year where people are actually
like casuals. Even though where people are ranked. You're having conversations, Oh,
is he a top ten guy? Is he a first
round or second?

Speaker 2 (12:53):
I love this stuff.

Speaker 1 (12:55):
I'm getting all the text from my friends helping them
out in their drafts.

Speaker 2 (12:58):
Most people don't like that.

Speaker 1 (12:59):
I enjoy it. I just I love the draft. That's
why I'm in. I don't know eight of them. Too
many leagues. How many are you guys in this year?

Speaker 6 (13:08):
I mean I swimmed down to two this year to.

Speaker 1 (13:11):
Five. I think five. I think my dog disagrees. I
think four is the right number. I've always said I
think four is the right number. Maybe three, but yeah,
I mean so, I don't have a lot of room.

Speaker 6 (13:26):
It's addicted too.

Speaker 1 (13:28):
Many leagues and it's hard to cut back and I
ended up joining to this year that I probably shouldn't have,
but got two drafts tonight. Well, we'll see how that goes.

Speaker 2 (13:37):
Let's just run down this is just there's no order.

Speaker 1 (13:41):
Actually there is an order for this. It's just my
overall order. There's no order of the facts that I'm
giving the people here, but some interesting nuggets. I wrote
a lot of these down for the Fantasy stream this week,
which everybody can go back and check out. By the way,
we did a mock draft this week. Pretty I don't
think anything really has changed since then. So Robinson, Brian, Yeah,

(14:02):
you're right, Actually, real quick, Brian Robinson, what do your
guys takes on that trade? As I get something out
of my dog's mouth?

Speaker 2 (14:08):
Yet again, I think they didn't.

Speaker 3 (14:10):
Give up forty Nineers, didn't give up anything six round
pick for him. I mean, I think it's a I do.
I'm not too high on Brian Robinson, but we know
the injury history with CMC. We know that, honestly, the
whole entire forty nine ers roster supposed to be hurt.
So you bring in a running back that has been
you know, productive, and you only give up a six
round pick. I think no brainer honestly, and if it works,

(14:32):
it works, it doesn't.

Speaker 6 (14:33):
You also a six round pick, so be it. Yeah,
I like it.

Speaker 5 (14:36):
For San Francisco, I do think CMC is the guy
that you should head your bet as much as possible.
From an injury perspective, I agree. I don't think Brian
Robinson Junior is anything special here, but I do think
he's a guy that can fill in if has to
do it. And from Washington's perspective, I do think this
vote of confidence for argoy our guy Phil Decory Merritt there.
I do think there's a chance this guy ends up
like both a fantasy football and like NFL sort of

(14:58):
darling this year if he is that type of guy.
I know Eckler is still around Chris Rodriguez getting a
little bit of buzz Damn Campbell talking about using him
as a potential goal line back there, But I do
think that could be the guy and pretty fascinating when
I was.

Speaker 6 (15:10):
Reading up on him.

Speaker 5 (15:11):
Ruled at a completely ineligible last year, so he played
one game at Arizona, but he stuck ground from start
to finish last year and suit it up as the Scout.

Speaker 6 (15:18):
Team running back all season.

Speaker 5 (15:20):
I do think that's something like that shows you guy
that loves football a little bit.

Speaker 6 (15:23):
There.

Speaker 5 (15:23):
He's getting his chance down and the talent is far
more than a seventh rounder in the where he was selected,
So I'm buying a little bit of stock there.

Speaker 1 (15:29):
My take on Booth, I'm out on the Commander's backfield.
The krosskey Merritt's is now going to go too high.
I think for me to jump in on him when
there's just not enough there that's tangible. Eckler I think
is washed, but I think he'll probably be annoying and
get a lot of touches. So I'm kind of passing
on the Commander's backfield. And I'm annoyed because I like
Grendo as an upside like Cancuff. If CMC went out,

(15:53):
I thought he'd be the full time guy. Now I
think Robinson and Grendo are going to eat into each other.
I know Grenda's hurt right now, but yeah, I think
Robinson might be the third string guy there, to be honest,
So I mean he went for a six sound pick too.
It's not like he went for anything legitimate. But here
are some stats starting with just is my number two
overall guy Jon Robinson, here's the entire lit I shouldn't

(16:15):
have said that it gave away the game. Here.

Speaker 2 (16:17):
Here's the entire list of non quarterbacks have had.

Speaker 1 (16:19):
At least twenty fantasy points in ten games last Yearjon Robinson.
Here's the entire list of running backs last season to
rank top five at the position in both rush attempts
and targets.

Speaker 2 (16:30):
Jean Robinson.

Speaker 1 (16:31):
He is very clearly to me RB one and it's
pretty far ahead of RB two. And I think Nick
McClay drafted him.

Speaker 3 (16:40):
The other times say he is on my fantasy team.
So I'm glad to hear those stats. I love those stats.

Speaker 1 (16:46):
Yeah, I think he's no doubt about it the second
or third pick, and that really just comes down to
So this is an interesting just overall conversation. And I
don't have a stat for Jefferson, so it's a good
conversation to have. I think Bjon Jefferson is the debate
it too. I think a lot of people think it's
Bjon or Gibbs or Bjon or Saquan or Jon or
whoever you want to say to me, it comes down to,

(17:07):
I think you need one of the top ten receivers.
I think it's so important to get one of those
ten guys. I think it really falls off when we're
getting to the JSNS and Garrett Wilson and Mike Evans
and t and Ladd and those guys, Whereas all those
guys I think are really solid wide receiver eleven to
fifteen or twenty wherever I have them. But I do
think there's a big drop off after that top ten.

(17:29):
I think all those ten guys can finish wide receiver
one potentially. And I find myself, even though I prefer
Bijon to Jefferson, I find myself liking the team I
draft more when I have Jefferson at two than Bjeon,
because i'musually able to get at Chase Brown, Josh Jacobs,
Kyron Williams, something like that to come back to me

(17:52):
at the second round turn. And I don't want to
go running back running back when I think that I
need to get one of those elite receivers. It's something
I'm struggling with picking my biggest league coming up soon,
five overall big money league, and I am thinking I'm
probably gonna take Ceedee Lamb over an Ashton Gente or
a Saquan or a Gibbs because I think I need

(18:12):
to start the draft off with a receiver. It's kind
of that's the that's the.

Speaker 2 (18:18):
The struggle of picking early.

Speaker 1 (18:20):
I think this season is that you feel, even though
you want to draft these insanely talented running backs, there's
a poll to want to get one of those top receivers.

Speaker 2 (18:30):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (18:30):
I mean, that's what I kind of struggled with in ours.
I had had Bijean it too, and then it came
back to me and I wanted to pair him up
with Chase Brown.

Speaker 4 (18:38):
I think Bernard took him right before me. It was
either between.

Speaker 3 (18:42):
I think Bucky was one of the best running backs available,
and then there was a huge drop off after that.
But the receivers weren't really coming out like it was.
Ladd McConkie I think, was there, so I paired him
with Bucky and then Ladd was still there.

Speaker 4 (18:54):
So my wide receiver one is Lad.

Speaker 3 (18:56):
So I don't have really that top, top wide receiver,
but I just the middle middle guys, and I don't
know how I really want to how I how confident
I am in that honestly.

Speaker 1 (19:07):
But you have my RB one in my RB eleven,
So maybe I'm wrong this year. Maybe I'm placing too
much of an emphasis on getting one of those top
ten receivers. That's kind of been my mindset. Chumbernard, how
do you feel about that?

Speaker 5 (19:18):
Yeah, I still stand in the running back truther camp
here that I think it's still so few of guys
that you know are gonna be every down running backs
or get like a level of touches that are pretty
much guarantees production that I still kind of lean on
the Saquon Barkleys, the Derek Henry's, the b Jon Robinson,
the guys at the very top. It doesn't feel to
me like there's as much middle class of running backs

(19:38):
as there is for wide receivers.

Speaker 6 (19:40):
And I get your point.

Speaker 1 (19:40):
I agree there, Yeah, I disagree there.

Speaker 5 (19:43):
Like who would you consider in that like middle class
of wide receiver, Like I guess like the Drake London's
of the world.

Speaker 6 (19:48):
Who has Drakes And.

Speaker 1 (19:52):
Drake's my wide receiver, my wide receiver eight, So I like.

Speaker 5 (19:55):
Like, I guess I'll put it this way, like the
drop I feel like the drop off from the top
running back to the to the like mid middle class
here is more significant than wide receivers.

Speaker 6 (20:05):
You don't feel that way.

Speaker 1 (20:06):
So I guess I'll ask you this, So I'll run
down my list, and this is not where I think
it's an interesting conversation. I think this is actually just
as interesting as what I was planning. So my running
back list goes Bijon Genti, Sa Kuon Gibbs. I think
that's the elite tier, but I don't think there's that
big of a gap between that to Henry, Chase Brown,

(20:27):
Devon a Chan, Kyn Williams, Josh Jacobs. I have McCaffrey
a little lower. If you want to throw mccafrey higher,
then Christian McCaffrey comes in, Jonathan Taylor, Bucky Irving, and
then I think there's a tier break. But to me,
I think there's a lot of value to be had
in o'mary and Hampton at RB thirteen. For me, Breece

(20:48):
Hall at RB fourteen, James Connor at RB fifteen. I'm
a little lower on James Cook. He's probably RB eleven
ish for most people. I have him RB sixteen. If
he was going at RB sixteen, I think there'd be
a value on James, but he's going almost with that
with that higher tier. In my like, I don't think
James Cook should be going near like Josh Jacobs, and
he's going pretty close to Josh Jacobs. RJ. Harvey, I'm

(21:10):
I'm really in on that Denver backfield. Alvin Kamara, I'm
so out on the Saints, but Alvin Kamara has been
so consistently top twelve every single year. I'm not going
to draft him, but it's hard for me to say
that you don't feel good about that.

Speaker 2 (21:26):
Kenneth Walker.

Speaker 1 (21:27):
I'm not a Kenneth Walker guy, but he's been productive
when he's healthy. Aaron Jones, I'm in on Aaron Jones.
A lot of people aren't. Trevion I'm a little less
in than people are. Buddy's a starter to be. Huggard,
I think he's a starter. David Montgomery, I think he's
a starter. Then you don't have anything after the top
twenty three running backs.

Speaker 2 (21:44):
Those guys like we're talking.

Speaker 1 (21:46):
Caleb Johnson, Tony Pollard, DeAndre Swift, camp's gotta be JK. Dobbins,
Jordan Mason, Zax Sharvin and Travis etn Ramandre, Jaydon Blue, Javonte,
Rashad White, Jayalen Wore and Nausey, Brian Robinson, Tracy, all
those guys are in the same tier to me where
I don't really care if I pick between RB twenty
five and RB forty of those guys. But to me
wide receiver, like after the top ten, I don't think

(22:10):
there's that big of a difference between JSN who I
have at eleven and uh, I'll drop it down and
say Calvin Ridley at thirty five. My wide receiver thirty
five is Calvin Ridley, and I don't think there's that
big of a difference between the upsides for those players.

Speaker 6 (22:31):
So I guess trying to like properly phrase my take here,
why I.

Speaker 1 (22:34):
Think I as I was describing that, I do think
we're kind of saying a little bit of different things.

Speaker 5 (22:39):
But yeah, like I prioritize because of that running back
drop off that you have to get a top guy
is sort of the way that I'm looking at it.

Speaker 1 (22:47):
My big checklist, I think you need one of my
top ten receivers, two of my top I'll say, if
we're being comp if we're being kind, we could say
twenty three, but I'll say seventeen, two of my top
seventeen running backs and one of my.

Speaker 2 (23:07):
Top ten receivers.

Speaker 1 (23:08):
So I find myself prioritizing wide receiver round one, running
back round two to fourish kind of because I think
when round five comes around and you can get Davante Smith,
you can get Jamison Williams. Ted McMillan to.

Speaker 5 (23:28):
Me, in that tier of wide receivers are miles better
than what you're getting at the running back spot.

Speaker 1 (23:32):
For that, I agree.

Speaker 2 (23:33):
I agree in round five, six, seven, But I want.

Speaker 1 (23:36):
To have that elite receiver early with those guys.

Speaker 2 (23:39):
That's my thing.

Speaker 1 (23:40):
Like, I want to kind of get the elite receiver
and then give me two of let's say, Chase Brown
and Breese Hall, or Kyrin Williams and Omarian Hampton or
Josh Jacobs and James Connor or like I kind of
that's kind of where I've been living in my strategy.

Speaker 2 (23:58):
Obviously, you pick high, you pick low, you pick.

Speaker 1 (23:59):
In the middle, depends where you're picking on what the
strategy should be. But I think that was an interesting conversation.
I think that's something that people. I heard a variation
of that conversation on a fantasy podcast I listened to,
and I think it kind of changed the way I
think of it. So I hope people, I hope it
made people think a little bit Ashton Gensy. Fun fact,
the last eight rookie running backs drafted as a top

(24:21):
ten fantasy running back have finished as a top ten
fantasy running back. Since twenty twelve, to five of the
seven running backs drafted inside the top ten averaged at
least nineteen touches per game. All five of those seven
finished in the top seven in points per game. During
Chip Kelly's three year Eagles tenure, Philadelphia's backfields ranked third

(24:43):
in fantasy points per game at twenty seven points seven
fantasy points per game. That includes the twenty thirteen season
where Lashawn McCoy led the NFL in carries at three
hundred and fourteen and rushing yards at sixteen hundred and seven.
So there's a stat out there. I think people are
being I think there's a little bit too much like, oh,
don't trust drafting genty.

Speaker 6 (25:04):
Early is a rookie.

Speaker 1 (25:05):
History tells you that doesn't really matter with these blue chip,
true true blue stars. And by the way, like that
includes Trent Richardson that had that good of a year
in his rookie year. So I know sometimes we think
of rookie guys, oh it didn't pan out most of
the time it did at Ashton Genty. Am I too
high on Ashton Genty? I have him fifth overall.

Speaker 5 (25:27):
All time fall off Trent Richardson, Yeah, I'm in on
he is that superior talent. I do think this is
a better situation than it's kind of being recognized. Like
I'm not gonna say I think the Raiders is gonna
be good, but I think they'll be like in the
mix to an extent, Like I could see them going
like eight to nine maybe this year or something like that,
which I think that a lot of.

Speaker 6 (25:46):
People view them as like a bottom feeder type team.

Speaker 5 (25:48):
So I think the Raider is gonna be sneaky like
in the mix to an extent this year. Gino Smith
changes things, Pete Carroll changes things. The roster talent as
a whole is not that bad. When he dived down
to Max Carowsby's the brock Powers. It's a decent team there.
So I think all signs are turning in the right
direction for the Raiders there. Dant is a guy that
when you take a running back at that level, it's.

Speaker 6 (26:07):
For a reason that you're gonna use him.

Speaker 5 (26:08):
You're gonna give him the football there, and he's going
to deliver in those opportunities that we know who this
guy is.

Speaker 6 (26:13):
He was unbelievable at boys.

Speaker 5 (26:14):
He state one of the more impressive individual seasons we've
ever seen. I think that carries right to the NFL
level and he has a chance to be like one
of the top.

Speaker 6 (26:21):
Three rushers in all football this year. Would not shock
me whatsoever.

Speaker 3 (26:24):
Yeah, completely with you, And I think even Mark has
said it before. He's worth a stab at Offensive Player
of the Year, let alone just rookie year one.

Speaker 6 (26:32):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (26:32):
Like, I think that's not a bad bet at all.

Speaker 3 (26:34):
And like you said, this revamped roster you bring in
he Carol to lead him to Gino Smith comes in.
Have one of the best tight end prospects that we've
seen in the last couple of seasons. Jacobe Myers, I
think is someone that really needs to be valued in
fantasy drafts as well.

Speaker 1 (26:49):
Oh, we'll get to him brother, that he's.

Speaker 4 (26:51):
One of my favorite. I think his line was at
eight fifty eight to seventy five.

Speaker 3 (26:55):
I hammered it. I think he goes over a thousand. Again,
you drafted him, right, I did draft him? Yep, Yeah,
yes I did. But I mean, like you said, like
Bernard was saying, looking at the schedule, I think my
initial reaction was like seven wins for this was seven
eight wins, and I think they could I see, I
think they could get above that, you know what I
mean with what they have defensively as well they get

(27:18):
they get to the quarterback. So I don't know if
I'm gonna say I'm buying into this Raiders team, but
I think they could surprise some people as a C zone.

Speaker 1 (27:27):
The big problem with them is the back seven is
it's not a lot of experience, not a lot of
NFL like the experienced starters there. It actually traded us
one of the guys who had had some experience at
corner and Jacoury and Bennett there draft and port didn't
fit the didn't fit the Pete Carroll scheme apparently, so

(27:48):
that's why, and Bennett is in Philadelphia. I trust Pete
Carroll to get the defense just not bottom seven or eight. Like,
if you can just get that defense to be the
twentieth best defense, I think that offense is going to
get you to eight or nine wins. I really do
the Raiders. I love them. In Week one, by the way,
one of my favorite, one of my favorite bets. In

(28:08):
Week one, it is let me make sure I'm getting
the home away right there. They played the Patriots on
the road, Give me the Raiders plus three in that game.

Speaker 3 (28:18):
And so they play I think seven of their last
eight games indoors, and I saw Geno Smith, the QBR
of overall hundred in his career when playing indoors.

Speaker 1 (28:28):
Much better indoors. Yeah. I don't even want to have
a conversation on this one because it sounds like I'm
a hater. But Saquon Barkley, he was stopped on the
one thirteen times for more than any running back last season.
I think a lot of people are saying, oh, touchdown regression.
He's gonna have more touchdowns this year. I think he's
a bad short yard of running back. I don't want

(28:49):
to like yell that out loud. He's been if you
look at his career in New York, it was kind
of the same thing.

Speaker 6 (28:55):
They're too easy. He doesn't want tho he's amazing at
breaking them.

Speaker 1 (28:58):
He's not a good like get your two yards guy
or get your one yard guy like he just isn't.
I mean, how many times did were we on the
two or three. I mean, there you go, thirteen times
he stopped on the one. But sometimes I think their
stats are a little unfair because it's like a twenty
four yard run and you get tackled and you're on
the wall. But I do think there is more than
people want to admit of him getting to a carry

(29:20):
from the two or a carry from the three and
not punching it in. But I don't expect him to
have some like big touchdown jump and I do sadly
expect him to lose some production in the in the
yardage end of things. And by the way, I hope
he does, because I hope the Eagles keep the guy
fresh and I don't want to be running him four
hundred carries a year every every year. But six of

(29:43):
the eight players the two thousand yards lost eight hundred
plus yards the next year. And for some reason, I
feel like Saquon people like have removed the injury risk
thing from his name because he had a healthy season.

Speaker 6 (29:58):
God, I've played a met life anymore.

Speaker 1 (30:00):
The guy missed like half of his games as a Giant.
Like I, I do get concerned. I'm not gonna be
the guy who drafts Saquon well.

Speaker 4 (30:11):
Well, I'm speaking for someone.

Speaker 6 (30:13):
I am the guy that drafts.

Speaker 5 (30:14):
Here to stick up for my third overall pick A
little bit. I think it's fair like a lot of
what you're.

Speaker 6 (30:20):
Saying, and I do think he doesn't replicate quite what
he did last year.

Speaker 5 (30:23):
That that was an absurd season that he delivered at
a ridiculous rate, and like some of those just all
of a sudden, one yard game turns into an eighty
yard touchdown. The way that he made that look casually
was just absolutely nuts last year. There's still a part
of me that like, you're I think you're right about
like the goal line take to an extent. But then
I just sit back and think, like you're telling me,
this guy one on one in a hole against the
defender is not winning that match up with Henry.

Speaker 2 (30:47):
Henry's not that good at it either.

Speaker 6 (30:49):
Weirdly enough, it is strange. So I don't know.

Speaker 5 (30:52):
I think it's fair to be concerned about the injuries.
I do think it's likely that he takes some sort
of step back. But I just sat there and looked
at if Saquon Barkley is healthy. There's no if, but
today's going to be one of the more productive running
backs in football. I'll continue rock with that guy, and
I won't mind rooting for him in an every week basis.

Speaker 1 (31:06):
Of course, I saw him sixth overall, but he's just
most of the time, if I'm picking six one of
the guys from my top five are going to be
there most drafts. He's not going to go behind Ashton
GenZ is really the main crux of why I won't
end up with Saquon in many drafts there. Ceedee Lamb,
I said something on here with Roy earlier in the
offseason where I was kind of I was a little

(31:27):
more skeptical early in the off season on CD and
Nick knows how low I am on Dallas sorta Sean.
I've talked at length here how low I am on
the Cowboys this year. But Ceedee Lamb finished this wide
receiver eight last year with only a half season from
Dak Prescott. He was wide receiver five with Dak last year.
I'm kind of out on the running back room, or
at least taking them in at a real cost. Joy,

(31:49):
I don't think Jake Ferguson's really draftable. I'm really low
on Dak this year from a fantasy standpoint. I have
in QB sixteen. I'm not in on Pickings. I've seen.

Speaker 2 (31:59):
I got Josh cho fantasy guy on Twitter.

Speaker 1 (32:02):
I don't know, I've never seen him before this week,
but he was telling me how George Pickens is gonna
have a better fantasy season than DeVante Smith, and I
was like, you want the number two guy in that
offense instead of the number two guy ours when I
think there's less of a gap between the targets AJ
and DeVante get than CD and Pickens the only guy.

Speaker 6 (32:22):
Pickens not that good, Like he's.

Speaker 2 (32:25):
Agree, I agree, he's.

Speaker 5 (32:26):
A but yeah, but I agree. I've seen a lot
of this talking him up like he could be a
wide receiver one type guy who was in the right guy.
I just don't see it, Like I don't think he's
that level of town.

Speaker 1 (32:36):
I am like wide receiver thirty two something in that range.
So I'm not gonna end up with Pickens. He would
be on my hate list, by the way, and I
didn't know that until like the last week or so,
where I've seen he's.

Speaker 2 (32:47):
Going high in the drafts I've done.

Speaker 1 (32:49):
People are talking about him online like he should be
going like a fifth, sixth round.

Speaker 5 (32:52):
Like I don't get it same dude that like a
Hail Mary with the game on the line, is just
throwing fists with people like, Yeah, the George Pickens experience
is not a straight line here.

Speaker 1 (33:01):
Well, the Cowboys run the Cowboys run a tight ship.
The owner treats everybody with class and knows how to
handle specific case negotiations. Yeah yeah, uh, jamiir get And
so that all to say is this wide receiver eight
with only half a season of Dak. I was kind
of worried, like part of the value with CD for
so long, with that he's the only guy in Dallas.

(33:22):
I think whatever you want to say offsets that. With
adding Pickens, I think we'll probably more than anything I've
landed on. I think Pickens being there probably helped ceede
Lamb's efficiency more than anything else.

Speaker 3 (33:33):
So I took CD for most receiving yards this season
pretty much based off the fact that I know George
Pickens isn't all that, but the defenses are gonna have
to look at him, They're gonna have to keep eyes
on him. They're gonna have and that opens up a
lot for CD. And we saw what he can do.
Dak is a target or he Dak just loves to
feed him. We know he does the feed him. He's
not gonna have any problem doing it again. So that's

(33:55):
why I took CD for most receiving yards this season.

Speaker 2 (33:58):
Jamier Gibbs skeptical stat here.

Speaker 1 (34:01):
Gibbs was on pace for two hundred and twenty carries
and only forty six catches when David Montgomery was on
the field last year. All the stats that you're seeing
on you know, he could be RB one and he's
a top three running back. So all based on the
time Montgomery missed, you look at when Montgomery plays, they're
pretty close to fifty to fifty. Yeah, Iowa State they
split the carries really evenly when Montgomery's healthy. Now a

(34:23):
new offensive coordinator. Does that mean Montgomery gets phased out?
I don't think so.

Speaker 6 (34:28):
I would know you either.

Speaker 5 (34:29):
No, No, yeah, I still think that they like David
Montgomery to the extent they're gonna like make sure they
use it.

Speaker 6 (34:35):
And he's fine. Like he Jamiir Gibbs.

Speaker 5 (34:37):
There's like a special level of explosiveness athleticism that does
pop off the screen.

Speaker 6 (34:41):
But Montgomery would be a clear cut RB one a
lot of teams in the NFL.

Speaker 5 (34:44):
But he's He's a good running back there, so I
kind of respect that the way that they did balance
it last year. I do think that the loss of
Ben Johnson changes the entire just construction to that offense
and the way that they want to go about it there.
When you have weapons like I'm in Ross Saint Brown,
like Jameis and Williams, there are a lot of Manu
the feed in there in Detroit there. But I think
ultimately that like I don't see Gibbs taking that next

(35:05):
step to being the Clayer cut guy. So I think
it's gonna be still a toss up, but all guys
I mentioned are gonna be effective.

Speaker 1 (35:11):
And then Pooka Akua. I've ended up with Puka in
both of the leagues I've drafted so far, so I
guess I'm all in on mall in on Puka.

Speaker 2 (35:20):
Who is a fantasy fantasy team named cheat Code.

Speaker 1 (35:22):
By the way, my team name in the you know
Ball Troilbro Dude League is Cup of JMO made me Pooka,
So that that's a that's a little if you get Cooper, Cup,
Jamison Williams, and Puco on the team, there's a suggestion
out there for you.

Speaker 2 (35:38):
Drake London and or No.

Speaker 1 (35:40):
I didn't even say this that Poker finished wide receiver
three last year above Justin Jefferson in points per game.
He had three touchdowns. In that he only had three touchdowns,
and he finished wide receiver three points per game. On
top of that, in two of the it's either eleven
or twelve games he played.

Speaker 2 (35:56):
I'd have to see exactly how many games he played.

Speaker 1 (35:58):
In two of the games he played, he got hurt
in the second quarter in one and got ejected in
the third quarter of another. And that's two of the
eleven or twelve games he played. He's still finished above
Justin Jefferson in points per game. It's unbelievable. If Puka
scores as many touchdowns as he did as a rookie,
which was seven, he has wide receiver one should be

(36:21):
number one overall pick upside.

Speaker 2 (36:23):
That's how good of a year he's.

Speaker 1 (36:25):
I don't know what his Offensive Player of the Year
odds are, if either you want to pull that up,
but he's a guy I would take a swing on,
and if I was looking at another guy, maybe to
take a long shot swing on for Offensive Player of
the Year. Drake London thirty one targets over the last
two weeks with Michael Pennocks thirty nine targets over his
three weeks total, he finishes a top five receiver last year.

(36:47):
I will say it's a little fake because he actually
would have been wide receiver thirteen in points per game
he just played every single game, So it's a little
bit of fake.

Speaker 2 (36:55):
But his pace with Pennix would.

Speaker 1 (36:57):
Have basically put him virtual tied with Jamar Chase as
the number one player in fantasy football the last season.
Obviously three games. But I do think there are there
is a chance for both Puka and Drake London to
finish his wide receiver one and to win Offensive Player
of the Year.

Speaker 6 (37:16):
Puka, Yeah, I like that one.

Speaker 3 (37:18):
Oh sorry, Sean, He's eighteen to one and Drake London's
fifty to one for offensive player.

Speaker 1 (37:22):
You're interesting.

Speaker 6 (37:23):
Interesting.

Speaker 5 (37:24):
I think I'm more open minded to the Drake London
case here. I do believe that there's something to the
level that Penix targets him, and Pet's like, we'll see
what he actually is this year, but that dude's gonna
sling the rock man. He is going to let it fly,
and it's gonna be pretty fun to watch there. So
I'm very excited by the Atlanta Falcons process. The biggest
pushback that I'll give you on the Puka conversation, my

(37:45):
spidy senses are tingling about Matt Stafford.

Speaker 6 (37:47):
Man, I don't.

Speaker 1 (37:48):
Feel like what we've gotten over the last week. Though
it's been good stuff with how he's looked in practice,
he's slinging it.

Speaker 2 (37:55):
I think he looks like himself now.

Speaker 5 (37:57):
I just think he's thirty seven years old going into
a season with the back injury here, and I haven't
just loved the process to this point. I mean, at
the end of the day, he's still Matt Stafford, and
like in a one game situation, he can still look
like one of the best quarterbacks on the planet.

Speaker 6 (38:11):
I just have my concerns over the duration.

Speaker 5 (38:13):
Of a seventeen game season in playoffs, if he's gonna
be capable of looking like that guy the entire time.

Speaker 1 (38:18):
My issue is, I've done that before and I'm just done.
I guess I'm done doubting it. He's done this like
three straight years where he's kind of come into the
year with an injury like I trust and beyond that,
I'll even say this, if Matt staff I don't think
the other thing is like Stafford's playing for his career too,
Like next year his contract is going to be directly
tied to what he does this year, so he's not

(38:38):
gonna want to sit out. I will say, if he
gets hurt and it's only a let's say, a four
to six week situation of the year, I trust Sean
McVay to get the ball to Puka Nakua even with
Jimmy g out there. I obviously his production would drop
down without Stafford. But I do think this is not

(38:58):
you know, the Tampa Bay Bucks, sir, that's a wrong situation.
But like there you have like a genius offensive mind
sitting right there. I think Sean mc I mean, we
saw what he did with Baker on on like two
days rest at that time on Monday night football seable
one of my one of the coolest like non important
football games I've ever watched. But yeah, I yeah, I

(39:21):
think Sean mcvay' is a genius. So I kind of
I've decided to be less excited or less uh less
worried about that.

Speaker 5 (39:29):
Okay, I can love with that, but yeah, I will
just say my my eyebrows first raised when they kind
of didn't seem like they were that committed to pang
Stafford this offseason. That it was like one of those animals,
see what happens, and then I just have loved all
the phrasing and terminology all camp. Maybe I'm panicking over nothing,
but that is something I definitely have bookmark on.

Speaker 6 (39:46):
In the air.

Speaker 1 (39:48):
Uh, let's take a break and on the other side,
we'll bring it back with some more some more fantasy
talk The Gambler, Philly's home for all things sports Gambler.

(40:10):
Welcome back to the tough cover radio show right here
on The Gambler, breaking it all down. Let's real quick
before well, we'll go back to the fantasy of it all.

Speaker 2 (40:23):
Well, we kind of touched on.

Speaker 1 (40:25):
Everybody that's in my I guess it's my top fifteen
so far. We'll get back to that. But Phillies, unfortunately,
last night, let's jab on this before the end of
the first hour. I I think I'm supposed to come
on here and get upset.

Speaker 2 (40:41):
I'm not.

Speaker 1 (40:41):
I wasn't even on Duran. He gave up two base hits.
JT over Yeah, the JT overthrow really hurt there. Honestly,
I think I'm supposed to be mad right now about
that loss.

Speaker 6 (40:52):
You one got out of the way, got it out
of the way.

Speaker 1 (40:56):
I like that they fought back JT with the big
home or the swag from j that Homer was unbelievable
feeling it right now, So yeah, I'll throw it to
you guys. How'd you feel about it about the loss
last night?

Speaker 6 (41:09):
It was deflating.

Speaker 5 (41:10):
It was new territory, like after the pomp and circumstance,
the seeing the intro and everything that we all love about,
it doesn't quite hit the same when it ends up
with the loss on the other side of that. But
with that said, like I didn't think Thuran looked concerning
to any extent here. He got hit hard on basically
well probably would have been like a bloop single against
most pictures. But the fact that it's coming in like
one hundred and ten miles per hour, that it kind

(41:31):
of blasted right down the line there, and then it
really is on JT. For why the go ahead run
score that it very uncharacteristic of him. He probably should
have just taken the loss that he was going to
get the runner anyway and not made to throw whatsoever.
But he tried to get it down and the out
ultimately overthrow, and that was to go ahead run there.
I mean, I'm still very confident in this Phillies team,

(41:52):
and I think like the outfield picture is the biggest
thing they're probably still sorting through. But ultimately, last night
doesn't change the way that I feel. And if you
want to feel any better to flip on a Mets
game for a couple of.

Speaker 3 (42:01):
Years, Yeah, I'm in the same bed as you. Didn't
really move the neal too much. Obviously you do want
to win that game, but you know, stuff happens. Get
out the way JT with that overthrow. It happens, you know,
learn from it. Offensively, he's been raking. Stott's been raking.
So it's good to see them, you know, as the
season gets on, start to get a little hotter. But yeah,
you know, whatever it happened, move on, shake it. I

(42:24):
think I think we're so good.

Speaker 1 (42:26):
Let's get it back to the fantasy. Let's get it
back to the fantasy. I really didn't have much on
the game. It would have been fun to talk about
a fun win on today's show, and you know, it
would have went along with the game of everything that's
been going on the last week.

Speaker 5 (42:39):
But Taiwan's still still being all right there. Taiwan's still
hanging in there.

Speaker 1 (42:47):
In the first inning and then doesn't give up another
runs every time I watch them. I don't know how
that doesn't happen on.

Speaker 6 (42:53):
Every strikeouts last night.

Speaker 1 (42:55):
Let's go it's absolutely unbelievable, but not a skeptical that.
Let's get back to the fantasy year before we take
a break for the second hour. Nico Collins. Nico averaged
twenty one point four over the first five weeks. That
dropped to fourteen point seven when they came back over
the last seven weeks.

Speaker 2 (43:13):
So he just wasn't the same guy down the second half.

Speaker 1 (43:15):
Of the year when he came back from injury. I
don't he's my wide receiver ten, and he's very pretty
solidly behind that top nine, but still very much solidly
ahead of wide receiver eleven because of that upside. Moving
on to let's stop being skeptical, Well, let's let's be positive.
Let's be positive. My all guy, my number one guy

(43:38):
in all of fantasy football this year, my guy, Chase Brown.
I'm a Chase Brown Truther. Bengals offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher
compared him to Austin Eckler, and if you take out
his first three games where he only had nineteen touches,
he finished fourth in Fantasy No. Sixth in Fantasy points
per game among running backs. Over the final eight games

(43:59):
of the twenty twenty four season, he averaged twenty point
six points per game RB four over that span twenty
three point six touches over the game.

Speaker 2 (44:07):
And the number one thing I.

Speaker 1 (44:08):
Like about Chase Brown, I like about this Bengals offense
and why I'm so comfortable saying I don't see any scenario,
barring injury, that Chase Brown's not a top ten running back.
From weeks nine through seventeen of last season, all Bengals
running backs not named Chase Brown combined for nine total touches.
That is, one point one touch per game from the

(44:31):
non Chase Brown running backs that catches or carries. They
didn't give anyone in the ball that wasn't Chase Brown.
Starting in Week nind of last season, Chase Brown played
over eighty five percent of the snap so that means
the only times they took him off the field were
empty sets or to block. And by the way, he's
a great blocker, so they weren't taking them off the
field of block that much. So Chase Brown is the man.

(44:55):
I love Chase Brown. Haven't ended up with him.

Speaker 4 (44:57):
I'm completely with you.

Speaker 3 (44:58):
And he's another one that I took to his rushing
line at eight seventy five. He had nine to ninety
last year, and I think it said that he only
actually officially started like ten games, which is crazy for
putting up just under a thousand yards. But like touching
on one, Mark said, he's the clear RB one. Not
much competition, and you have that passing threat game with
Higgins and Chase and Burrow that you know they're gonna

(45:21):
have to be in games with that defense that they have,
So he's gonna be involved heavily from the start of
the game to the finish of the game. So I'm
with you Mark that Chase Brown. I think he's a
Fantasy League winner in my opinion.

Speaker 6 (45:34):
Wow. Yeah.

Speaker 5 (45:35):
And across the board, I think Cincinnati is a team
that grab as many offensive talents as you can, and
that team is legitially going to have to put up
forty five plus points in multiple weeks this season because
that's what the defensive unit currently looks like there. And
by the way, still dealing with the Trey Hendrickson situation,
a couple other things going on out there. So not
exactly the model of how an organization should be around
me either, but nonetheless Chase Brown will be a huge

(45:57):
beneficiary of it.

Speaker 6 (45:58):
I do believe that his diverse.

Speaker 5 (46:00):
Girl set in terms of being able to catch the ball,
being able to run between the tackles taken on the top,
he can do just about whatever you ask him to.
And I think like he's more explosive than Austin Eckler,
But I do see the comparison stylistically for having views there,
and Eckler is a guy that, like I get now
he's not what he once was, but he's put up some.

Speaker 2 (46:17):
Pretty That's what I was about to tell you.

Speaker 1 (46:19):
When he said he's more explosive than Eckler, I was like,
I think I agree, But man, he had a couple
of years there. I'm trying to figure out what he
actually never had a thousand yards rushing, but.

Speaker 5 (46:28):
That just goes to show the scrimmage he's had like
fifteen though, Yeah.

Speaker 1 (46:32):
For sure, I'm trying to see the most. Yeah, from
twenty nineteen he had fifteen hundred and fifty twenty twenty one,
fifteen fifty eight, twenty twenty two, sixteen thirty seven. He
had eleven twenty and eighteen total touchdowns in those years
like he had he had some top three running back
season from fantasy for sure, he was the man. Another
positive stature, a couple of positive stats in a row,
Devon ah Chan. They might be missing some time, so

(46:55):
we don't know what's going on with that injury there.
But then to A he's Dan. He's darned near elite
in the sport when it comes to running backs. Was
on face for two h twenty six carries on one
hundred and four catches when Tua was on the field.
Tua loved Devon ai Chan. Last year another guy and
I have him too low. I have him running back eight.

Speaker 2 (47:16):
This is my guy.

Speaker 1 (47:17):
I've got a T shirt of this guy. One of
my favorite Notre Dame players of all time, the best
Notre Dame Fantasy football player of all time. Kyrian Williams
finished in twenty twenty three. His rookie year is RB four.
Last year twenty twenty four, he finished his RB seven and.

Speaker 2 (47:32):
I have him an rbaight.

Speaker 1 (47:33):
Why I'm I'm like relatively way higher than consensus on
our Kien Williams. He's probably RB twelve for most people,
and I'm ranking him lower than he's ever finished in
the season. So even I am disrespecting Kyrien Williams when
we're talking fantasy this year, you should be happy at
the end of the second round with Kyon Williams. Even
if he's your RB one. No one's challenging him for

(47:55):
carries in that offense. How do you guys feel about Kyen.

Speaker 6 (48:00):
Not as gung ho as you are.

Speaker 5 (48:01):
I'll say that I think it ties to some of
the Stafford conversation and sort of just concern overall.

Speaker 6 (48:08):
I also, like, I don't know, I think he's good.

Speaker 5 (48:11):
I'm with you in the right spot in the draft,
like I would take him comfortably. He's not a guy
that I see taking such significant step forwards.

Speaker 6 (48:17):
I think in the way that you're trying to take.

Speaker 1 (48:19):
No, I'm not saying he's taking step He's finished as
RB four and RB seven, is two years in the league,
and I don't think anything's really changed about his situation.

Speaker 3 (48:26):
Yeah, I think he's going around the same the same,
Like he put up what thirteen hundred yards last year
fourteen touchdowns.

Speaker 4 (48:33):
Fourteen touchdowns is a lot. I don't know, you know, there's.

Speaker 1 (48:36):
Put up a lot his first year.

Speaker 3 (48:37):
Yeah, I mean he's a touchdown machine. Like, if he
can continue to do that, he's going to be well
in the top eight of running backs.

Speaker 2 (48:44):
I think he reminds me of MJD so much.

Speaker 1 (48:49):
M JD was better, I'd say, but there's the legs,
the way that he turns on the short yard and
he's he's a perfect short yardage guy. A negative stat here.
Actually it's not even a it's not even a stuff.
But Bucky Irving finished RB nineteen in Fantasy points per
game last year. I'm a little worried that we've elevated

(49:09):
him a little too quickly and that we think, you know,
it kind of goes back to the Gibbs Montgomery thing,
like we think, oh, just because Bucky's so good, that
means Rashad White doesn't exist, whereas Gibbs is still fighting
off Montgomery. Now, Montgomery's better than Mishad White, but it's uh,
I still have Marbi twelve, so I think I probably

(49:30):
have him higher than I think. Maybe Kyron was still
on the board when Nick drafted Bucky. Besides that. I
don't think there were many guys ahead of him that
I had still on the board. But I struggle with
some of the I've seen Bucky go higher than I'm
comfortable with in some drafts, not in the and not
in the one we did.

Speaker 3 (49:47):
Yeah, I was a little skeptical on Bucky going into
our draft.

Speaker 4 (49:51):
I felt like I was a little lower on him.

Speaker 3 (49:53):
And then once you know, the draft kind of shakes out,
you know, all all whatever happens happens. I see him,
I'm like, you know, last season, if he could do
what he can do in the receiving game as well.
I mean, also the receivers are hurt too, so he
I think, is gonna have to step up in that
aspect even more than he already has. Rashad White doesn't
really move the needle behind me, but I do have
Rashad White as that backup option on.

Speaker 4 (50:15):
The fantasy team.

Speaker 3 (50:15):
So if you were to go get someone like Bucky,
I think it would be smart to get that Rashad
White at the townend of your draft, just in case,
you know, anything can happen. And I have Beijean and
I really wanted to get Algier right before Luke hops
on the stream, Boom takes him right away. So I
wanted to get those two backups to kind of handcuff them.
But I think I think that both of them bucky.

(50:36):
If he does, you know, stay healthy, I think he's
gonna be our top ten RB. I think he'll be
comfortably in that as well.

Speaker 1 (50:44):
Wrapping up my top twenty five before we take a
break here, Omarion Hampton's floor to me feels like what JK.
Dobbins did last year, which was RB eighteen on the season,
and he had Gus Edwards to fight with.

Speaker 2 (50:57):
And JK.

Speaker 1 (50:58):
Dobbins is never going to get the full compliment carries
like a Amaron Hampton could because people are always gonna
worry about his health. So I and so I just
think the floor to me for Amaron Hampton is RB eighteen.
He's drafted around like RB fourteen, RB fifteen. I think
that could end up being a league winning value and
he could come out and be a top three running
back this season.

Speaker 2 (51:17):
I think his upside is pretty close to Ashton Genties.

Speaker 6 (51:22):
Wow.

Speaker 5 (51:22):
Yeah, And it's another one of those like when you
invest highly in a rookie running back, you were going
to use him. I understand that Omaron was not quite
to the level that we should look at Gentts.

Speaker 6 (51:32):
That isn't like another.

Speaker 5 (51:33):
Stratuspere there, but this is still a guy that they're
counting on to be the dude, and they've gone a
couple of seasons without having that clear cut back. I
guess they invested in Dobbins if you want to look
at it as that last year, but this is another
level of that that Omaron Hampton is their guy and
they're gonna utilize him as such.

Speaker 3 (51:48):
Yeah, I'm with the same page as both of you guys.

Speaker 1 (51:55):
Yeah, and Dobbins was just that was just a roll
of dice.

Speaker 2 (51:58):
Can he stay healthy?

Speaker 1 (51:59):
And it worked out for than well, but I think
he didn't have quite the wiggle that he had earlier
in his career.

Speaker 2 (52:05):
One last one, actually, I just saw this out there.
James Connor.

Speaker 1 (52:07):
Last year, twenty nine year old James Connor was a
top three running back in both avoided tackle rate and
percentage of runs gaining ten plus yards.

Speaker 2 (52:14):
I think people think of him as.

Speaker 1 (52:15):
This plotting running back and a progress stopper and a
boring pick. And I'm here to tell you I don't
think he's any of that.

Speaker 2 (52:22):
Since coming to twenty.

Speaker 1 (52:22):
Since coming to Arizona in twenty twenty one, James Connor's
had at least a thousand yards from scrimmage and at
least eight touchdowns every single year while finishing as a
top fifteen running back every single year in Arizona's he
gonna finish top five?

Speaker 2 (52:35):
Probably not?

Speaker 1 (52:35):
Is he gonna finish top fifteen? Absolutely?

Speaker 5 (52:38):
I really struggled to put my finger on why that's
the case that he has looked at as like such
a boring pick and like it it's Pittsburgh.

Speaker 1 (52:44):
I think it has something to do with the start
of his career in Pittsburgh. And did he share carries
at the end with Nause too?

Speaker 5 (52:51):
That sounds right, I believe so, yeah, I believe they'la there,
But I don't know, like you're right, the production does
not match the way that he's talked about whatsoever. And
it's now been several that he's just been consistently good
for your fantasy team there. So I don't understand the
gap in what the James counter experience actually is versus
what it's talked about.

Speaker 4 (53:08):
I think it's probably just because he's on the Cardinals
and they don't.

Speaker 1 (53:11):
Really mean that's a big thing too.

Speaker 4 (53:12):
Yeah, Like he can be numbers and it just goes on.
It just swept right under the rug.

Speaker 1 (53:17):
He doesn't have people being like, oh, that's our guy,
because the fans, they don't have fans.

Speaker 2 (53:21):
The fans don't exist.

Speaker 1 (53:22):
As I've said a million times the airs, that the
Cardinals are the only media market in the country that
was going to be able to return Kyler Murray, Jonathan
Gannon and their offensive coordinator Drew pets Sing after going
eleven and fourteen over the last two years and games
that Kyler's played, and no one cares. Nobody's even talking
about Gannon as a hot seat guy. Nobody's saying, oh,

(53:42):
how is pets still to play color? Nobody's like, oh,
should they move on from Kyler? Nobody cares. Let me
talking about Cardinals. They're gonna be horrible here anyway. I
like James Connor. Let's take a break on the other
side back after this on a tougher radio show. Spreads
total and all the prop betsive between the Galer.

Speaker 2 (54:02):
Chicken Man and last Night.

Speaker 1 (54:06):
This House Too for Walker. Welcome back to the Talk
Cover radio show, and we've got our guy, Nick McLay
living and dieing where he's got far Mageddon?

Speaker 2 (54:22):
Do you got you got it on?

Speaker 4 (54:23):
In the studio there and in the studio we got
it on. Don't worry coming out now onto the field, baby,
they look good, they look good in their white.

Speaker 2 (54:31):
We love it, We love it.

Speaker 1 (54:33):
I also, yeah, I didn't want to bet against Kansas
State and root against Nick McClay while we're on there
for the hour, so all.

Speaker 4 (54:40):
My roommates were on Kansas State.

Speaker 6 (54:42):
So don't worry.

Speaker 1 (54:43):
Oh, no speech of bat guy. Let's be honest about it.

Speaker 6 (54:47):
He is an Abra Johnson guy, though he depends.

Speaker 1 (54:49):
I saw him in the group chat though, making fun
of the Cyclones for having their first double digit win.

Speaker 6 (54:54):
You're like, what are we doing? Can we go up?

Speaker 4 (54:56):
We can only go up? Come on, yeah, what are
we doing? U? Matt Campbell, come on, come on.

Speaker 1 (55:02):
I will be honest. I've never talked about this with mccloch.

Speaker 4 (55:06):
Don't tell me.

Speaker 1 (55:08):
I'm not a Macy. I've always thought that guy is
so over. I will say, I think it's calmed down.
People aren't putting him as like the top coach and
like every every big name that comes up now like like,
but I also Joe Tansey said this week on our
summer school thing that we do that he thinks he'said

(55:30):
Iowa State for life and that he thinks he can't
get a big job now, And I was like, Ah,
they win the Big twelve. I think he'll be right
back in the mix for big jobs personally. But I
do think the hype on him has calmed down. There
was a time where, I mean, he hadn't won double
digit games, and I thought he was getting a lot
of credit for winning seven eight games. And I know
Iowa State was a rebuild and he did a lot
to get them there. But there was a time where

(55:51):
I thought, and there's also some stats out there when
the spread is between minus three and plus three, those
like toss up games, I know he's really struggled in
those those tight games. I know this is one where
it's it's it's right outside of that, right is it
three and a half for Case State?

Speaker 2 (56:09):
So it's right outside of that number.

Speaker 1 (56:10):
I know the Bear always tweets that out about Matt Campbell,
but his number is his sense of spread. Numbers outside
of that, when he's a dog of more than three
or a favorite of more than three, are excellent outside
of that situation, but in the tight toss up matchups,
he's really struggled. So that's been something I've I've faded
for a couple of years, but last year was really impressive.

(56:31):
It seemed like he that Matt cambell Aire seemed done.
He yelled at the one. It was it two years
ago where he yelled at the one fan. Yeah, on.

Speaker 4 (56:41):
Turned around and just started yelling.

Speaker 1 (56:43):
I think I might have turned on him a little
bit that moment when he let that, when he let
that fan have it, I was like, all Right, this
guy's got something. He's got some fire film. But I've
turned around a little bit on Matt Campbell. Let's get
back because we're gonna do anc wins. This is pretty
much gonna be NFL all second hour. He we hit
the Week zero, we hit the Phillies. We're gonna do

(57:05):
a lot of NFL here. I may have a couple
more of these left.

Speaker 2 (57:08):
Joe Burrow.

Speaker 1 (57:09):
We're doing fantasy nuggets that you should remember for your
draft year. Joe Burrow finished zero point four Fantasy points
per game, ahead of Baker Mayfield. Last year. You would
think Joe Burrow had this historic year. He had to
have been QB one in fantasy right, No, he was
QB five and he was barely better than Baker Mayfield.

(57:30):
Like it, I would not be drafting Joe.

Speaker 2 (57:33):
Burrow if I'm being honest, Like, if I'm gonna draft
the top.

Speaker 1 (57:36):
Quarterback, I'll go around earlier and I'll go get Jail,
I'll go get Jaden even because I do think there's
a higher upside with them just with what they do
with their legs. But with Joe Burrow, I'm not interested
in drafting QB five, Honestly. I'd rather that stat more
than anything as a Baker stat. I'd rather draft Baker
three rounds later or two rounds later than Burrow.

Speaker 2 (57:57):
Is where I'm at.

Speaker 6 (57:58):
Yeah, I think that's fair.

Speaker 5 (57:59):
And I'll us a note for all the quarterback conversations
back to back seasons without making the playoffs here, so
we'll see big season for Joe Burrow here.

Speaker 2 (58:09):
Well that's you know, we don't really, we don't.

Speaker 1 (58:11):
We don't talk about we don't blame Joe Burrow for
anything where it's not allowed sean.

Speaker 6 (58:16):
Not allowed seems that way, not.

Speaker 1 (58:18):
Allowed to say anything negative about Joe Burrow. It's illegal. Uh,
in this country. But al Kamara, let's move on to
another one skeptical stat again here has never played fewer
than thirteen games. That's a positive stat, but the negative
stat Kellen Moore. Every single running back that Kellen Moore
takes over averages less targets the year he gets there

(58:42):
than the year prior. It happened with Zeke in Dallas,
it happened with Tony Pollard, it happened with Saquon Barkley.

Speaker 2 (58:48):
You can look at a lot of different.

Speaker 1 (58:49):
Guys and it's happened with pretty much all of them,
where the targets go down once they're in the Kellen
Moore offense. He doesn't love to throw it to the
running back, so that really hurts Alvin Kamara. And now
could that be different when he's the only player that's
at all talented out there to throw it to. Maybe,
but it's a reason to be a little skeptical. I'll
throw this. This is cham Bernard stat. Yere, cham Bernard

(59:11):
is in my longtime, longtime keeper league. We are year nineteen.
This year of this league, schaum Bernard year two for Chamernard, rebuilding, rebuilding.

Speaker 5 (59:21):
I was making some moves last night, even though he
didn't draft yet, just at the free agency market.

Speaker 6 (59:26):
Make sure I'm in the right sin but.

Speaker 1 (59:27):
Rebuilding season for Sean and he's got the first pick
and he made a trade for a keeper.

Speaker 2 (59:31):
He traded for.

Speaker 1 (59:32):
Jamison Williams in the tenth round and Jameis and Williams
is a guy that I love. This season, he finished
his wide receiver twenty five, but he actually over the
last ten games would have been good for wide receiver
sixteen and from week ten on he would have had
eighty one catches, thirteen hundred and nine yards and eight
touchdowns would have been good for wide receiver five over

(59:53):
that last eight games. So Jamison Williams is a guy
who if I'm looking at, if I'm trying to be
skeptical about the Lions offense, it's actually coming from gibbson
a manra being as elite and efficient as they have
been in the past. I still think Golf is going
to have a good season, and I still think Jamison
Williams is incredibly relevant, and I think David Montgomery's probably

(01:00:13):
being a.

Speaker 2 (01:00:13):
Little bit underdrafted as well.

Speaker 1 (01:00:15):
So I find myself drafting the Lions who go a
little later on, maybe fading gibbson a Monra in the
first round. So that's kind of what I've what I've
been doing. Teed McMillan. Wait, I'll throw it to either
of those stats strike either of you.

Speaker 5 (01:00:29):
Yeah, I was gonna give both sides of the Jamison
Williams experience.

Speaker 6 (01:00:32):
That on one hand, here it.

Speaker 5 (01:00:34):
Does not feel like these kind of guys generally work
out that they are the PreK athletes that are sort
of a you know, the skill set's absurd, but he
is not the most powished route runner, does not have
the clearest like what is your role in the offense?
And I also don't think he's a guy who's quick,
you know, turned the maturity page yet that there are
some concerns with Jameson Williams all across the board here.

(01:00:54):
On the other hand, when he touches the football man,
he's one of the more excited players I've ever seen that.
There's when he gets to full speed sprinting here, it's like,
I don't know if I've seen very many guys move
like that, And I do think when you're that level
of talent, you find ways to make it happen. And
he seemed to get better as the year progressed last
year for finding a fit and being effective there. So
I am hesitantly taking another risk at Jamis and Williams

(01:01:17):
experience continuing on.

Speaker 6 (01:01:18):
I hope that is the case. There is some concern
in the back of my mind. I won't lie up.

Speaker 3 (01:01:23):
Yeah, I'm a big JMO guy. Drafted him in our league.
I think I drafted him before Xavier Worthy too. I
think I'm a lot higher on him than I mean,
somewhat similar play styles, but I think he's.

Speaker 2 (01:01:33):
Just I would much prefer James.

Speaker 3 (01:01:35):
You know, last year he went over one thousand and
only I think fifteen fourteen games, played second on the
team in target behind obviously Amen Raw and he was
twelve in yards after catch with four hundred and forty
seven while being fortieth in the NFL and targets, so
once he gets the ball in his hands, the guy
could move. Had seven targets in eight of fifteen games played,
so volume was also there.

Speaker 4 (01:01:57):
I think, you know, with.

Speaker 3 (01:01:59):
All the guys that are in that line's backfield, on
On Gibbs, on Laporta, this is for Jamison Williams.

Speaker 4 (01:02:05):
It hit those go routes, hit those seam routes.

Speaker 3 (01:02:08):
We've we've seen it before where GoF just stands back
there and just let something loose.

Speaker 4 (01:02:12):
Jamison finds a way to run under it.

Speaker 1 (01:02:15):
So I think that on this Sam Laporta is being overdrafted.

Speaker 2 (01:02:19):
People need to chill on Sam.

Speaker 1 (01:02:21):
He was mad for like the first ten weeks last year.
People were joking about how high he went last year,
like at the halfway point. He had a good last
two months, but he was horrible for the first You
were not in a position that those weeks mattered if
you drafted Sam Laporta in the second third round turn
where he was going last year. So I guess I'll

(01:02:42):
just say, like people, if you draft Travis Kelce, people
like make fun of you in a draft, and if
you draft.

Speaker 2 (01:02:47):
Sam Laporta, it's like, oh, good pick. It's like Travis
cause was.

Speaker 1 (01:02:50):
Better than Sam Laporta last year. Like I and I
actually have them like just even in my rankings. But
Laporta is going way ahead at Kelsey, So I would
I won't end up with either of them, really, but
just something I've been surprised about.

Speaker 3 (01:03:04):
I do not to cut you off. I have a
cyclone update. E punt it punt it. Kansas State now
bobbled it, muffed it, Iowa State ball inside the ten?

Speaker 1 (01:03:14):
Wow, wow, huge, huge stuff. That's awesome.

Speaker 4 (01:03:23):
If we can just start every drive in the ten,
I'm good.

Speaker 6 (01:03:25):
Yeah, good, There you go.

Speaker 1 (01:03:28):
A couple, a couple more finished up before we go
to the win totals Ted McMillan. The last eight wide
receivers to be drafted inside the top ten all saw
one hundred plus targets as rookies, so none of them
totally flamed out as rookies. All got enough targets to
be fantasy relevant. Jacoby Myers. If it wasn't for Chase Brown,
Jacobe would be my number one guy in the twenty

(01:03:49):
twenty five season. He was wide receiver nineteen last season
with the worst TV play in football and terrible coaching.
You add Geno to the mix. I think last year's
close to his floor. In the games with out Devantae
Adams was Actually he was actually wide receiver fifteen in
those games, so I think he's the only wide receiver there.
I think he's going to get a whole ton of targets.

(01:04:10):
Every ball that isn't run by Ashton genty or caught
by Brock Bauers. I think he's going to Jacoby Myers,
So I really really like the value on Jacoby Myers.

Speaker 2 (01:04:19):
I know Nick is and then Nick's a big Jacoby
guy as well.

Speaker 6 (01:04:23):
Big time.

Speaker 3 (01:04:23):
I have him on a fantasy league on our fantasy team.
I was a big guy on him or big on
him last year too. With you know what, they got
a feed in the middle of the field. Now bringing
in genty and his slinger in Gino Smith, they were
one of the worst passing offenses that we have seen
in recent years.

Speaker 4 (01:04:38):
Like that was one of that was a terrible offense.

Speaker 3 (01:04:41):
Now you bring in at least a guy that can
be suitable, and you know, you bring in a supporting
cast around him to draw draw eyes away. So I'm
being on Jacoby as well as you or Mark just
a couple more here.

Speaker 1 (01:04:52):
Jordan Addison finishes why received twenty one last year, and
I think people are way off to bring up Howkinson
as a concern, Like I think that's a big reas
and why he's ranked as lowly as he is. Outside
of the suspension, he averaged under ten floint fantasy points
per game in the first half.

Speaker 2 (01:05:06):
Without TJ.

Speaker 1 (01:05:06):
Hawkinson, he averaged over sixteen fantasy points per game in
the games with TJ. Howkinson, so he was actually a
better player when they had Hockinson out there as well.
I'm going to save the biggest one for last. Dallas
got tight end seven for me. If you removed the
games he got injured and had zero points the one
game he got injured at zero points, I should say
he would have finished tight end eight in fantasy points

(01:05:28):
per game, while Saque had two thousand yards rushing and
they were thirty first in passing passing attempts. I can't
speak right now, but I think the Eagles is going
to pass much more, just naturally. We've talked about that
a lot on this show. Being more close games, the
defense probably won't be quite as elite. They're going to
be in more shootouts, so I think they're going to
pass it a whole lot more. They're not going to
be chasing two thousand yards. I don't think Dallas got

(01:05:50):
Her finished his tight end eight last year in fantasy
points per game. I think that's his floor in terms
of it went barring you know, barring injury. So Dallas
got It's a guy, and it's shame for us because
in Eagle his fan leagues, he's not gonna Oh no,
bat what happened?

Speaker 5 (01:06:04):
Oh no, oh no, back football is back.

Speaker 1 (01:06:13):
I got a notification for Daniel Jeremiah saying case State
flying off the edge, and I was like, oh, they
must have got a sack.

Speaker 3 (01:06:20):
Yes, And then we got past interference which got us
inside the five. First Pilly fumble. We try to do
an HP toss, Rocco throws it over his head.

Speaker 6 (01:06:31):
Oh boy, so we are back.

Speaker 5 (01:06:37):
I almost am jealous of McLeay being able to live
and die with football this quickly here, like you're you're
getting right in this.

Speaker 1 (01:06:43):
I'm not. I have it next Sunday and I'm dreading it.
Notre Dame at Miami next Sunday night. I am dreading
and I can't even put it into words. But a
couple of more. These are all mostly mostly quarterbacks, like
Jordan Love finished QB five in twenty twenty three, and
he's being drafted like QUB seventeen. I think there's a

(01:07:04):
chance Jordan Love just bounces right back and he's just
what he was in twenty twenty three again, where he's
a super fantasy relevant quarterback.

Speaker 5 (01:07:11):
And was banged up like all of last year, like
right from Week one with that matchup with the Eagles.
They felt like he never really fully got right last year,
and you know, the production was still relatively solid there.

Speaker 1 (01:07:20):
Yeah, I think there's a chance he's being way way
underdrafted this year in fantasy JJ McCarty Sam Donald finished
his QB nine last year.

Speaker 5 (01:07:29):
Is there a chance Sam Donald is comfortably better at
football than JJ McCarthy.

Speaker 1 (01:07:33):
Yeah, Yeah, there's a thing. I would bet no, but
there's a chance. I don't think Sam Donald's good. It's
kind of where or do I?

Speaker 6 (01:07:40):
I don't think J. J. McCarthy's good either.

Speaker 2 (01:07:42):
I don't either.

Speaker 1 (01:07:43):
Well, I didn't like him as a draft prospect at least,
But if he's gonna be good anywhere, it's gonna be
with Kevin O'Connell callin plays with Justin Jefferson catching passes.

Speaker 2 (01:07:53):
So that's kind of where I'm at.

Speaker 6 (01:07:55):
You're right about that.

Speaker 5 (01:07:56):
I think we've seen the Chiefs push this like theory
of it doesn't matter who the wide receivers are around
Patrick Mahomes, he's gonna make them competent. We're now seeing
the Vikings push the theory of it does not matter
who the quarterback. Is Kevin O'Connell can make anybody look
at least competent there.

Speaker 6 (01:08:10):
We're gonna see if that's true or not this season.

Speaker 1 (01:08:12):
But I think for fantasy especially, I do think JJ's
gonna run. I do think he gets like a party
level run, like maybe four hundred yards, five or six touchdowns.
Like I think he will provide value with his legs
for fantasy purposes. This is a Caleb Johnson stat more
than anything, but Pittsburgh's given Jalen war In fewer than
fifteen touches in eighty three percent of his career games.

(01:08:34):
And now all of a sudden, Naji Harris has gone,
you draft a second round running back and we're supposed
to think jail and they all of a sudden want
to give Jaalen Warren all these touches when they never
have his entire career. He averaged ten touches per game
last year with Nause playing terribly on the team. Like
if they wanted to give Jalen Warren a lion's share
of the carries, they would have given Jalen Warren a

(01:08:55):
lion's share of the carries in the past. Maybe he
gets it the first couple of weeks, I'm more confident
than ever, especially as Caleb Johnson's dropping like a rock
in rankings, that the running back you want to draft
in that system is Caleb Johnson, and by week seven
you'll be happy you did.

Speaker 6 (01:09:11):
Yeah, I don't hate that.

Speaker 5 (01:09:12):
I will say I'm a little bit cautious about Pittsburgh
Steelers across the board this year that I don't I.

Speaker 6 (01:09:17):
Don't fully see the vision.

Speaker 5 (01:09:18):
I think it's gonna be some boring, ugly football and
they kind of just limp their way to being right
in that like right around the playoff makes maybe a
nine to eight season there that Tomlin finds a way
to do it. Again, I don't have high expectations for
like any individual player in it, but I don't hate
where your heads at.

Speaker 6 (01:09:32):
And do you think that Johnson's the guy if you're
gonna make a selection.

Speaker 4 (01:09:35):
Yeah, I'm with both of you.

Speaker 3 (01:09:36):
And like you said, a typical Mike Tomlin season that
they'll probably end eight to nine, nine and eight right
around hovering you know that five hundred mark. But a
guy in that backfield to target would be Caleb Johnson
rather than Jalen Warren.

Speaker 4 (01:09:48):
Even receivers like dk Metcalf.

Speaker 3 (01:09:50):
I'm not too high on Pat farm If I'm not
high on nothing really jumps out to me. If you
were to go someone, I guess.

Speaker 1 (01:09:56):
It would be Caleb Johnson in this offense, that's from
that only guy I'm I'm really looking at. I don't
even want to draft this guy. But I heard the
stats all throw it out there. Michael Pittman. He had
three straight top twenty seasons before last year, and we're
all throwing them out I think kind rightfully. So though,
because there's like four receivers there, it's Josh Downs, Fallop Peers,
Dady Mitchell, it's him, and they don't have a quarterbacks.

Speaker 6 (01:10:16):
So Daniel Joe quarterback.

Speaker 3 (01:10:18):
I'm a big Josh Downs guy. I really I love
Josh Downs.

Speaker 4 (01:10:21):
I think he's a talenter.

Speaker 1 (01:10:22):
I don't think it matters there though.

Speaker 4 (01:10:24):
You're right it doesn't. It doesn't, but him, you know,
as a player.

Speaker 3 (01:10:29):
You know when Flaco came in with him, he targeted
him that whole entire time over Pittman. So I think
that's you know, it's just a short checkdown drag routes.
I think he's someone that Daniel Jones doesn't have to
throw deep bulls too, just you know, get him the ball.

Speaker 4 (01:10:42):
Whatever happens, happens. But you still all talent.

Speaker 1 (01:10:46):
I think Aidan Mitchell's talented, like he was a guy
people love, and apparently he's killing training camp.

Speaker 2 (01:10:51):
Doesn't matter.

Speaker 1 (01:10:52):
We get thirty five catches, so it's it's a joke
the Colts. What a joke?

Speaker 2 (01:10:58):
Zach Ertz over the.

Speaker 6 (01:11:00):
Quick follow up question, what's next for Anthony Richardson? Do
we see him this season? You think so?

Speaker 1 (01:11:05):
No or maybe, but it doesn't matter. He's going to
be traded for like a sixth tiths.

Speaker 3 (01:11:09):
He needs to do, he needs a new scene. He
can't he can't stay there in situation.

Speaker 1 (01:11:14):
He's gonna go be a backup somewhere and then not
ever get time, and then go somewhere else and be
a backup and then probably flame out of the league eventually.

Speaker 3 (01:11:21):
I tried to be the biggest Anthony Richardson guy, and
he just gave me nothing to support.

Speaker 4 (01:11:27):
I tried, I really, I saw's just.

Speaker 6 (01:11:28):
Never been good at I just never been good.

Speaker 1 (01:11:31):
He was the last the last half of his first
year at Florida with Dan Mullen, and then they fired
Dan Mullen and he was never the same.

Speaker 5 (01:11:39):
But he still finished with like a fifty two completion
and throw the ball.

Speaker 6 (01:11:43):
He's just gonna look at his.

Speaker 1 (01:11:45):
Death in the Mullen year. I'd have to look in
that first Florida year. That that's an interesting uh. I
always felt like that was when that's I still think
that's why people have like hope for him, because the
first time we saw him he was electric.

Speaker 6 (01:11:58):
And he's so young. He's still very young.

Speaker 1 (01:12:00):
But yeah, I never I was never that bigber me neither, And.

Speaker 5 (01:12:04):
I think they've messed it up to like the largest
extent they possibly could like their game plan to have.

Speaker 6 (01:12:10):
They went about this was wrong right from the start.

Speaker 1 (01:12:12):
Yeah, I totally agree. Boring stat zach Ertz. You don't
want to draft him, but maybe you should. Over the
last twelve weeks, he averaged eleven point nine Fantasy points
per game, which will be tight end seven on a
points per game basis. All that changing that offense they
added fat Debo. I don't know if that matters. He
was tight end nine anyway and tight end seven overall,
so he actually would have been tight in five overall

(01:12:34):
on that pace. But yeah, zach Ertz was way better
than people think last year and the last stat that
I'll talk about before we switch it over justin fields.
As everybody knows, I am a big preacher of the
weight on QB for justin fields strategy. Maybe you could
say he's my rider or die guy over Chase Brown.
Even you could make that argument. But he finished seventh

(01:12:55):
in fantasy points per game in his starts in Pittsburgh
last year in his six starts. Like that is, he's
never not been a top ten quarterback when he has
been a starting fantasy or when he has been a
starting quarterback in the NFL. QB five in fantasy points
per game in twenty twenty two, QB nine in fantasy
points per game in twenty twenty three. He is one

(01:13:16):
of three quarterbacks in NFL history to average fifty rushing
yards per game. This is a fun one. Since the
Detroit Lions bye week in the twenty twenty two season,
they have allowed a player to reach one hundred plus
rushing yards against them six times in forty six games.
Justin Fields was three of those six games. Wow, who

(01:13:40):
was the Lions defensive coordinator in that stretch? Glenn Jets
head coach Daron Glenn.

Speaker 2 (01:13:47):
I think we are going to.

Speaker 1 (01:13:48):
See Justin Field's run like you've never seen a quarterback
run before. They have no investment in this guy. If
he gets hurt, whatever, they'll tank anyway. I think Justin
Field is going to average seventy plus yards per game.
And by the way, it's not crazy because he averages
like sixty plus yards per game over his career on
the ground. So Justin Fields, I think has a special

(01:14:11):
season for fantasy owners this year.

Speaker 6 (01:14:14):
I like it. I've been a Fields guy.

Speaker 5 (01:14:16):
I've been waiting for the breakout I would love to
happen this year, and I do think that there is
like the Jets are going to be a strange watch
this year. I think they're gonna be an interesting team,
Like I think they could be kind of sneaky, a
little bit of a challenge on a week to week
basis that any given week Justin Fields can look like
he can be the franchise quarterback. There's also gonna be
given weeks where he looks like there's no chance of

(01:14:36):
that being true. So we'll see how it shakes out there.
But I have my eyes on this New York Jets
team and would love for Justin Fields for the full
research and story.

Speaker 6 (01:14:43):
To be a part of it.

Speaker 3 (01:14:44):
Yeah, I'm on both of your guys side. I think
the Jets. I think what there were win totals at
five and a half. I mean we're gonna talk about
win totals. But I love they're over with the just
pretty much new revamped organization there with like you already
touched on an Aaron Clinton coming in, Fields coming in.
I love Briest Hall in that mix in that offense
as well. I think their running game is just going
to be so good. They really attack the offensive line too,

(01:15:07):
So like you said that, they're just going to shore
up that offensive.

Speaker 4 (01:15:09):
Line and run right behind them. They're not gonna stop.

Speaker 1 (01:15:13):
And I mean we could just all we're all going
over there on the Jets. We'll start the AFC wind
totals right there. I think we all just talked about
it because I have the Jets at nine wins. They're
one of my favorite win totals on the entire board
would be the Jets. So Shambernard, you're going over there
as well, I'm assuming I am.

Speaker 6 (01:15:30):
I am, of course I'm back in the Jets.

Speaker 1 (01:15:32):
That's for anyone who doesn't know, justin Fields is Chambernards.
Maybe number one guy out there up there, the top guy.

Speaker 4 (01:15:40):
Right behind Justin.

Speaker 6 (01:15:41):
Herbert, Yeah, exactly loves the Justins.

Speaker 1 (01:15:45):
Passionate about Justin's. But let's get to the top of
the AFC East. Now we will do the buff below Bills,
who are on the most boring season of hard knocks
in NFL history.

Speaker 2 (01:16:00):
Am I?

Speaker 1 (01:16:01):
I'm using Vegas Insider, which does lea a collection of
all the sports book Am I correct to say?

Speaker 2 (01:16:07):
The Bills are at twelve and a half as their
win total?

Speaker 4 (01:16:09):
Yep, yeah, plus that's rare plus one twenty five. I
saw that. I'm gonna see what that's rare.

Speaker 2 (01:16:16):
I'm taking the over, but I would not bet that.

Speaker 3 (01:16:20):
Yeah, I think, uh yeah, twelve and a half plus
one twenty five. Still, I agree with you. I don't
think I'll actually touch it, but I would. I would
lean towards the over. I think six of their first
seven opponents missed the playoffs last year, and four of
their last five opponents didn't make the playoffs. So schedule
isn't the toughest. I think you know, you open up
obviously against the Ravens.

Speaker 4 (01:16:41):
Tough one.

Speaker 3 (01:16:42):
Whatever happens happens there but after that, I think they're
just clear runaway favorite in this AFC East. I would
take the over it twelve and a half there added
some nice pieces to Joey Bosa. Will see how that
kind of works out, But I do think with the
schedule and the roster, I think twelve and a half
I would take dead.

Speaker 6 (01:17:01):
Yeah.

Speaker 5 (01:17:01):
I will know they have won thirteen games in three
of their past five years there, they've won double digits
and six straight to this point, They're going to be
a team right in that upper echelon and in the mix.

Speaker 6 (01:17:10):
We know the deal with Buffalo.

Speaker 5 (01:17:11):
To this point, I do lean the over, but I'm
on the same boat as Mark that I don't think
I would touch that for that high of a number there,
that feels like a lot.

Speaker 1 (01:17:17):
That is, I mean, the Eagles are eleven and a
half plus money. I mean that's like that. We have
a much harder schedule, but that is that's a pretty
stunning I don't know. I can't tell you how many
times I've seen twelve and a half. I think one
of the Chiefs teams of these last couple of years
had it. But it's pretty rare. It's definitely gre like,
like I said, if we're like for the purpose of

(01:17:39):
this exercise where we're picking every win total and trying
to you know, win as many as we can, then
you take the over. Wouldn't bet this at all, wouldn't
even think about it. The New England Patriots. The New
England Patriots are sitting at eight and a half at
plus money.

Speaker 2 (01:17:59):
This is one of the tougher ones on the board
for me. I'll throw it to you guys first.

Speaker 6 (01:18:03):
I yeah, this is one of my favorites that I
love the over.

Speaker 4 (01:18:06):
I love the over two and I love it.

Speaker 3 (01:18:08):
I think they with their schedule two they have I
saw this stat here, CBS said, teams with the easiest
schedule in the AFC have finished with a winning record
in seven straight seasons, so they have the easiest schedule,
according to CBS, with that easiest schedule. I think with
Drake may coming in, with the guys that they bring in,
I love, I mean, Diggs is still old, but he's

(01:18:28):
still a reliable guy. They bring in some young guys
shore up that offensive line.

Speaker 4 (01:18:32):
I think. You know, also in the in the.

Speaker 3 (01:18:35):
Free agency, they spent in free agency Milton Williams, especially
on the defensive side of the ball Carlton Davis too,
But I think with Raywell coming in this new New
England offense that you know, dog type of style, uh,
you know, grit and grind win those tough games in
a tough division. I think I would lean over eight
and a half here.

Speaker 6 (01:18:54):
Yeah, I'm all in on that.

Speaker 5 (01:18:55):
I do believe there's tangible reasons to believe this team
can take striveforward. For what was seen for Drake Man
in the second half of the season last year. Trayvon Henderson,
I'm all the way in on that. I've been trying
to frame work how to exactly phrase this or how
we could create something. But I don't think there's a
zero percent chance that he doesn't outperform Omarion Hampton from
a statistical standpoint this year. I think you could end
up being like that good. As far as the rookie

(01:19:17):
class of running backs and is a complete They paid
Stefan Dicks, they went out and got a legitimate wide receiver,
one form defensively that they invested in the trenches.

Speaker 6 (01:19:24):
This team is building the right direction.

Speaker 5 (01:19:26):
I think they've gone about it the right way and
I think this is the season they start to creep
back to relevancy from an NFL perspective, give me the
over eight and a half.

Speaker 2 (01:19:34):
This is another one I wouldn't bet.

Speaker 1 (01:19:36):
I'm going very very slight under I have them eight
and nine.

Speaker 2 (01:19:42):
I didn't.

Speaker 1 (01:19:44):
I just don't think the roster is good enough yet
to get to where Vrabel is good enough to take
the team and where May I think can get. I
also think May, as much as I love them, I
think I'm probably the highest on May on this podcast.
Long term. Like I still I've said this, it's not
out of the question Drake May ends up as a
better long term quarterback than jayde and Daniels. I'll still

(01:20:05):
say that that's still on the table. I think a
lot of people would hear that and think that's crazy.
That's still on the table to me. But I do
think he's a little bit more of a project. I
think this is like we see development, Like I think
there's eight and nine and you feel great about how
you feel coming out of the year about Travion, about
Drake Man, I'm a little lower on Trevion than Sean Bernard,

(01:20:27):
Like I don't look at him as I do think
he's a little tier down from the Gentian ome. What
I'll say is I think Omarian's closer to gent than
Travion is to a Marian.

Speaker 5 (01:20:37):
For me, I think it more comes down to like
the guaranteed touches thing is like why that's the case.
But I think Travion is special man, like some of
I mean his first preseason touch he took for a
touchdown there, like there's some like The more I watch
the highlights, the more I look up things about this dude,
the more I believe in it.

Speaker 1 (01:20:56):
It's funny because it was a hot take for me
at one point that I was Travion over Judkins in
the draft.

Speaker 2 (01:21:00):
I think most people were Judkins over Travion.

Speaker 1 (01:21:03):
Obviously, Judkins different situation going on there right now, he
would have had any touches he wanted there in Cleveland.
But who knows who knows up in the year we
need to sign the contract or they need I don't
know what's going on there. That is a that is
a mess. But a team that I expect to be
an unmitigated mess and a full on disaster is the

(01:21:27):
Miami Dolphins. The Miami Dolphins, this is a win total
that everybody's bet down. It's at seven and a half now,
you can still get it. It was at eight and
a half earlier this offseason. I'm still going comfortably under
seven and a half.

Speaker 6 (01:21:41):
Yeah me as well. I think there's a chance they
win like four games this year.

Speaker 5 (01:21:44):
Like I could see this being a disaster right from
the Star where they never get out of the gates there.
The Tyreek Hill is saying headlines that Mike McDaniel is
like preparing to be fired the TUA who knows how
many games he played. I think everything that could go
wrong very well might this year and the under and
feel pretty great about.

Speaker 3 (01:22:01):
It completely with both of you. I think I already
tweeted about this. I think this is one of my
favorite unders this season is Miami. I think they could,
like you said, just be a dumpster fire. They could
end up with three four wins. I think maybe maximum
five wins in my opinion, with all that they got
going on, the injuries that they always go through. They
can never you know, seem to be healthy to it.

(01:22:23):
Can't really throw right now. I mean he doesn't really
even have a brain anymore. Eachan we don't know what
the calf.

Speaker 4 (01:22:30):
The calf lower leag injuries. Yeah, for an explosive Fary
is very, very scary.

Speaker 3 (01:22:36):
And Tyreek is always you know, we have no clue
what goes on in his head. So I just think
that there's so many question marks with that Miami team.

Speaker 2 (01:22:46):
Yeah, I want no no parts of that.

Speaker 1 (01:22:49):
Intu, who by the way, comfortably got rid of the
ball last year first in the NFL, the quickest in
the NFL, has spent the entire offseason saying what if
I can get rid of it quicker? What if I
got rid of it faster? And it's just like, probably
not a good thing to it if you got rid
of it faster, if we're being honest, like probably probably

(01:23:10):
don't want to do that. Maybe get maybe let guys
get four yards down the field instead of two yards
down the field. But we're all going under there and
a team that just like Buffalo high number here, but
eleven and a half for Baltimore and it's a little
juiced up to minus one fifteen. Now I'm taking the over,
but just like just like Buffalo, I wouldn't bet this one.

Speaker 5 (01:23:31):
Yeah, it's another sort of hold my breath spot for me.
I probably lean the same way, but I think if
I'm comparing the two, I feel better about the bet
on the Bills there that I could see, like it's
a competitive or competitive division that they're working with with
Baltimore there. I do think Cincinnati's gonna get out of
the gates. I do think Pittsburgh's a team to watch.
I lean I'm thinking it's like a direct coin flip

(01:23:52):
that one I would stay away with. If you maybe
pick right now, I probably still go over, but I
don't feel great about it.

Speaker 1 (01:23:57):
I think the divisions are about comparable to me. I
think Steelers in Bengals while I'm higher on the Jets
is what it comes down to, because I think the
Steelers and Bengals are gonna be neck and neck with
the Jets and Patriots, Like I think all four of
those teams finished between eight and nine wins.

Speaker 6 (01:24:10):
For me, yeah, similar.

Speaker 5 (01:24:13):
I think Cincinnati's the only team I would throw in
a slightly different tier like I could yeah theoretical as well,
but we'll.

Speaker 1 (01:24:20):
Say yeah, yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:24:21):
I think Steelers are a team that I was not
very high on. I think they're a team to watch,
just really based off of their defense, Like their defense
is really good and if Aaron Rodgers can just put
up close to twenty points a game, I think they
could compete in games, but all in all, I think
it's just the I think the Ravens over anyone. I
think honestly, to me, right now, I think Ravens win

(01:24:42):
the AFC same, So I think personally I.

Speaker 4 (01:24:45):
Would probably lean the over.

Speaker 3 (01:24:46):
I don't know if I would actually take it, but
right now I would go that over for the Ravens.
Just their offenses. Obviously you have Lamar, Obviously you have
Derek Henry. Not really much. Sorry, Iowa State just scored touchdown. Yeah,
so sorry, Let's go the Ravens defense. Their defense is scary,
and their cornerback's scary. And now you bring in tell

(01:25:07):
you're Alexander if he can stay healthy, and they're they're
young guy. Their safeties Kyle Hamilton and Malachi Starts. It's
going to be impossible to throw over the top to them,
even inside the box, like they can tackle in the box.

Speaker 4 (01:25:19):
So I think that seems scary.

Speaker 1 (01:25:21):
Yeah, I think the defense is gonna be special and
it's funny. So I don't want to pick Kansas City
this year doing the accuse. I actually do think that
the roster's not quite what it's been the last couple
of years. When you go through it, the depth isn't there.
It's a little bit more stars and scrubs now, and
it's always going to get that away with the Mahomes
contract eventually. But I don't want to pick Cannas City.
I love the Chargers all offseason. I'm not going to

(01:25:42):
pick them without their best player. So now it comes
down to I have to pick Buffalo or Baltimore. And
Sean Bernard's going to tell me that Lamar can't win
the AFC and he's a loser, and.

Speaker 6 (01:25:52):
I would like to see him. I would like to
see him.

Speaker 1 (01:25:54):
The bigger problem to me, I don't think Sean McDermott
can win the af C. I've always said he is
holding them back. You see it in every big moment.
That defense fails in big spots, And they tried to
fail against Baltimore at the end of that game and
Mark Andrews dropped the ball like that. Buff I'll never

(01:26:16):
I'll never forget all those Chiefs moments where they've failed
against the Chiefs and they almost failed against the Ravens,
and they've failed other times in the playoffs, and it's
all the defense, and it's to me, that's a direct
thing to McDermott, and eventually they're gonna lose Joe Brady
there because they stupidly let the play caller go and
they keep Sean McDermott around. I think Sean McDermott is

(01:26:36):
nothing special whatsoever.

Speaker 6 (01:26:39):
Yeah, I think that's a fair take there.

Speaker 5 (01:26:41):
I do think that's a legitimate reason for concern, and
I'm kind of surprised, like how secure his job has
been talked about to this point.

Speaker 6 (01:26:47):
I get like, you said, what was that you gave?

Speaker 5 (01:26:50):
They've won thirteen games and double digits and six straight
thirteen games, three of the last five. Yeah, like you
can't argue with that, but it does feel like it's
the same issues and there's so close And I understand
that Patrick Mahomes will forever be that the you know,
evil empire that you have to take down that sky
high standard that you have to reach, But if anyone's
gonna do it, it probably should be Buffalo. That Josh Allen

(01:27:11):
and Sean McDermott should be exploring every single angle to
give themselves the best chance.

Speaker 6 (01:27:15):
And I don't feel like that's been the case.

Speaker 5 (01:27:17):
It's felt like the same playbook for how do we
take down this team, and it has not worked to
this point.

Speaker 6 (01:27:21):
So I don't know.

Speaker 5 (01:27:23):
It's interesting. I don't see a well way it changes.
But I think probably the path that I do is
more to your point about the Chiefs getting worse here.
I think they continue to double down on this tactic
of it does not matter who we have around Patrick Mahomes,
He's gonna uplift this roster to be a contender. To
this point, you can't argue with the result, but it
does feel like those lines continue to get more extreme.

Speaker 1 (01:27:42):
Well, they've lost pieces on the line, they've lost pieces
on the defense. Seven Now the l Jerry Snead two
years ago. You already saw the kind of pee that
the results of that in the Super Bowl. I'd say,
like a I just think year after year, it's hard
to when you're this good for that long, it's hard
to keep all those guys like England constantly retooled and constantly.

Speaker 2 (01:28:02):
Got rid of guys a year early, and you'll see
that f Kansas City.

Speaker 1 (01:28:05):
And I'm sure over the long term, I think they're
probably right like on their team building. I just think
this might be like an in between year where they're
a little bit less talented than they have been, especially
the last couple of years.

Speaker 5 (01:28:16):
I think we should turn up the heat a little
bit on the scrutiny for the Chiefs drafting though, because
I think that's where this falls short, like they need
to hit on guys for that skymore big one. Yeah,
Xavier Worthy hasn't been what we hoped it could be.
We'll see what happens this year.

Speaker 6 (01:28:31):
I don't know. I feel like across the board, their
hit rate is not what it needs to be for
this plan.

Speaker 1 (01:28:35):
To weark It was when they had the era where
they were drafting defense and O line, when they went
out and they did McDuffie and George Carlroftis and create
Humphrey tray Smith like that early twenty twenties, Like right
after they won their first one. They were on a
roll up until I'd say they beat us after twenty

(01:28:56):
twenty three. The last two years, and then we'll see
this year, because I do think they got Josh We're
on a tangent here, but they got Bosh Simmons at
thirty one. Overall, he's a guy who without his injury concerns,
would have went top ten. He was, in my opinion,
maybe the most talented tackle in the draft. I'd say
over Membo, over Well Campbell. I think he was more

(01:29:19):
talented than the guys who went in the top ten,
but he went thirty one. Reminds me very much of
when we took Landon Dickerson early in the second round,
a guy who, if he had a fully healthy college career,
he would have been a top ten pick even as
an interior aligneman. He had no flaws on his tape
as an offensive lineman. Kind of feel the same about
Josh Simmons, and apparently the word out of Kansas City

(01:29:40):
training camp is like, oh my god, this guy is unbelievable.

Speaker 2 (01:29:43):
He's the best tackle Mahomes He's ever had.

Speaker 1 (01:29:45):
So that's a big X factor if they might have nailed,
and it's not even They just took the guy who
was the best player available, and he shouldn't have been
there at thirty one, but they treated.

Speaker 6 (01:29:56):
To take that approach.

Speaker 5 (01:29:57):
By the way, more teams should just accept, Hey, this
guy really good notes taking them, Let's do it.

Speaker 6 (01:30:01):
Let's do it.

Speaker 1 (01:30:02):
Yeah, I totally agree. Let's let's move on here. We
mentioned Fittsburgh. Let's be brief on them. We kind of
already have talked about it. I'm going very, very very
slightly over here. It's at eight and a half. I
have him at nine and eight. I wouldn't bet this.

Speaker 6 (01:30:21):
Yeah, I'll do the same. I don't feel great about it.

Speaker 5 (01:30:23):
It's going to come down to probably the last game
of the season one way or another on this win
total here. But the Timelin track record for finishing about
five hundred and get into the playoffs pretty much speaks
for itself. He's done it in far worse situations than
will be the case this year. I think he finds
a way to limp there, even if I'm not in
on the Aaron Rodgers experience and everything going on with
that team.

Speaker 4 (01:30:41):
Yeah, he touched on it earlier. I'm slightly only the
over two.

Speaker 3 (01:30:44):
I just don't There's no way I'll be I'll throw
any money on it just based off of I'm only
saying that it's over because of them. Like Tomlin history
with he finds ways to go over five hundred somehow,
some way, whatever roster he has, he's over five hundred
or right around. But with the roster that they have,
I really do a touch on an earlier love their defense.

(01:31:05):
Their defense is very you know, pretty grind out wins,
and if they can just score seventeen to twenty points
a game, maybe you know they can compete in games,
especially in a tough AFC North. So I had to
go slightly over with no really you know, no heavy
heavy bet there.

Speaker 1 (01:31:22):
We've talked about this team a lot, so we won't
spend a lot of time the Bengals at nine and
a half. We all know what they are on offense,
we all know what they are on defense. I'm going
comfortable under I have them winning eight games. I could
see them. I'm I think it's more likely they win
seven games than eleven games.

Speaker 6 (01:31:38):
I'll go to the opposite. I'll take the over that.

Speaker 5 (01:31:40):
I feel like that they have to have learned their
lesson for the past couple of seasons, and we cannot
get out of the gates slow, which has been the
biggest problem. That they've dug themselves deeper holes and then
been able to dig themselves out of these past few years,
with last year especially being the case. They played very
good football that final stretch of the season. But you
cannot allow yourself to be behind the eight ball the
way they have.

Speaker 6 (01:32:00):
They get out strong this season.

Speaker 5 (01:32:01):
I do see a clear pathway that being right back
in this top tier playoff mix. But it's got to
happen right in these first couple of weeks. So I'll
take the over, but I get where you're coming from.

Speaker 1 (01:32:09):
For sure.

Speaker 3 (01:32:09):
I'm gonna go slight under with the Bengals. Just their
offense is awesome. I guess there are four guys on
offense are awesome, and then their offensive line is very shaky,
and the defense there's not really anyone that jumps out.
I mean, obviously the Trey Hendrickson situation, what's gonna happen there?
Schamar Stewart, he has no like I was very high

(01:32:29):
on some like him, just based off of his athletic ability,
his talent, but he also didn't produce in college like
Mark shown, he didn't produce at all. So he's coming
into it already behind the eight ball, and he's coming
into it with no you know, negotiation or you know,
having trouble negotiating. You know, that just doesn't it's not
a good look for this Bengals one organization and two

(01:32:50):
just Bengals defense in general.

Speaker 4 (01:32:51):
So I'm gonna go slight under on the Bengals right there.

Speaker 1 (01:32:54):
Switching over oh wait, I was about to literally just
skip the Browns all right, ten seconds or less. Cleveland
five and a half over under.

Speaker 6 (01:33:03):
Under under.

Speaker 5 (01:33:05):
I think they'll be a little bit more exciting than
they've been in past year, though I give me the
Chador experience.

Speaker 1 (01:33:09):
I think they're comfortably the second worst team in the league.
They're not worse than the Saints, but I don't think
the Titans or Giants are close to as bad as
they are.

Speaker 6 (01:33:18):
I would agree with that. I think that's kay all under.

Speaker 1 (01:33:21):
Let's get to the most exciting division in sports, the
AFC South Houston Texans. The Houston Texans are the odds
on favorite to win this division nine and a half.
I am going.

Speaker 2 (01:33:38):
I'll go I'll go under, I'll go under. I have
them at nine and eight.

Speaker 1 (01:33:40):
I was making sure because I knew I had them
at nine or ten wins. I didn't want us to
give the wrong answer. I'll go under.

Speaker 5 (01:33:46):
Give me the over, give me some CJ. Stroudstock right
along with it. I don't think he was as bad
last year as it has talked about.

Speaker 6 (01:33:53):
He wasn't going to keep up what he did his
rookie season.

Speaker 5 (01:33:55):
It was absurd leading the league in interception rate being
one of the better rookie season we've seen all the time.
There he was due for some sort of setback. I
do think he gets right back on the right track.
That was some significant wide receiver injuries last year to
the Tank Dells, Nico Collins, defon DA all those guys
banged up a little bit. I think things go better
for Houston this year. I like them to win double
digits and get back to the playoffs.

Speaker 4 (01:34:15):
Yeah, I'm with you, Bernard. I think I like a
bounce back year for Stroud.

Speaker 3 (01:34:18):
I think with you know, Nico Collins coming back, hopefully
he is healthy. I know Mark touched on an earlier
when he came back from his injury last year.

Speaker 4 (01:34:25):
He wasn't really the same player.

Speaker 3 (01:34:28):
He was, you know, suitable, very very good receiver, but
he wasn't really that top guy that he wasn't that
the flashes that he showed. Their offensive line scares me
a lot. Defense. I like their defensive backs, but the
offensive line is what really kind of will hold this
team is that offensive line.

Speaker 4 (01:34:44):
There's no one on there.

Speaker 3 (01:34:45):
So if they can protect CJ, if they can get
the run game going, we don't know. With Nick Chubb,
obviously the Joe Mixon, he's going to be out, Nick Chubb,
Woodie Marx who's going to be in that backfield. But
I like the receivers, obviously from an Iowa State guy.
They bring in the Iowa State duo that kind of
takes away eyes from Nico Collins and that can make
Nico kind of run wild. So I'm gonna buy stock

(01:35:06):
in that Texans bounce back a year. I guess CJ.
Stroud as a whole, as a bounce back year over.

Speaker 1 (01:35:12):
The last eleven games last year, Stroud was fifty nine
percent completion percentage averaged under two hundred passing yards per
game averaged ten. He had ten touchdowns in his last
eleven games and eight interceptions with three fumbles lost, so
he had more turnovers than touchdowns over his last eleven
games there, and the Texans went five and six in

(01:35:33):
that stretch. I think we saw real problems with the
way ce Stroud process, and.

Speaker 2 (01:35:38):
A lot of it's not on him.

Speaker 1 (01:35:40):
A lot of it's on the offensive line, which got
worse this offseason. So that that's kind of my problem.

Speaker 2 (01:35:44):
And by the way, I have n't win in the division.

Speaker 1 (01:35:46):
I just haven't.

Speaker 2 (01:35:47):
I just have it at nine to eight.

Speaker 5 (01:35:49):
Yea, it was not great, like they're fair points there
for sure, But I do believe he can find a
little bit of what he found his first year.

Speaker 1 (01:35:55):
More than I like the guy him, I won another
fantasy relet quarterback. I thought we had another, you know,
top flight. I ranked them fifth last year or sixth,
I think when we did our quarterback rankings. But it's
I actually think in some ways, I think it's being
underplayed how much he regressed at the end of at
the end of last year. But like I said, I
have them, have them winning the division the right If

(01:36:16):
you made me say, outside the top three AFC teams,
who are you most sure is going to be in
the playoffs, it would be the Houston Texans. But I
think more of that has to do with these teams
coming up here, the Indianapolis Colts. We've obviously talked at
length here about Daniel Jones already with the other receivers
and how it affects the rest of the offense. I
struggle with this one. It's seven and a half. I'm

(01:36:37):
going under. I actually think a lot of people expect
this to be like a three or four win team.
I think Stiking's too good of a coach for that
to happen. I feel horrible for Stiking that they just
haven't figured it out and he's going to get fired
this year, and he went what did He went? Nine
and eight the first year and eight and nine last year.
He's five hundred as a coach, with his quarterbacks being
Anthony Richardson, Gardner, Minshew and Joe Flacco.

Speaker 6 (01:36:59):
Like it.

Speaker 2 (01:37:00):
Feel horrible for the guy.

Speaker 1 (01:37:01):
I think he he's like if I was, he should
come well when he comes back next year, after Kevin
Patulo gets a head coaching job, Stiken comes home. He's
our offensive coordinator. We put him in the Jalen Hurts
reclamation program. He fixes him, and then he gets hired
elsewhere as a head coach. I would if I was
an owner, I would look at him as like a
second chance guy in the future, because I think that

(01:37:23):
guy's a genius and I think there he's too good
of a coach for them to fully bottom out. Even
with Daniel Jones at the Helm, So get me, he's
still still hunder but I have them at seven wins.
I wouldn't bet that.

Speaker 6 (01:37:34):
I don't know, Uh, Daniel Jones man with.

Speaker 1 (01:37:37):
Did you hear the quarterbacks they've had though, it's been Richardson,
it's been Flacco, it's been Gardner Minshew.

Speaker 5 (01:37:44):
Like, I do think Daniel Jones is worse than Joe
black On Gardner Minshew.

Speaker 1 (01:37:48):
I mean, I think they're in the same ballpark. I
think they're all parking in the same parking pay him
like fourteen million dollars. They're paying too much.

Speaker 5 (01:37:58):
Yeah, I agree, that's so My gut reaction lays out.
My gut reaction is definitely under. You lay out a
pretty compelling case, and I do like going under. Yeah, yeah, fair, Yeah,
I'm locking in the under. I feel bad for Styking
as well. It's not gonna be his fault whatsoever. I
think they have mismanaged this Anthony Richardson situation of the fullest.

Speaker 6 (01:38:16):
Extent and are paying for it right now.

Speaker 5 (01:38:19):
But ultimately, like I see way more pathways to this
season going off the rails than I see it being
successful for Indy Napolis.

Speaker 3 (01:38:25):
Yeah, I mean, just piggybacking off of you guys the
same under that they don't really have anything going for
him With Daniel Jones, I was. I'm a big fan
of Jonathan Taylor. I just don't really see it right
now with what they have going on. I like their
pass catchers as well as we touched on earlier with Pittman,
ad Mitchell, Josh Sawns, like.

Speaker 4 (01:38:42):
Pierce Tyler Warren, Tyler Warren, you know what I mean.

Speaker 3 (01:38:45):
Like they got some guys, it's just can they put
it all together? Defense isn't all really there. They spend
money on the offensive line too, So still I'm just
gonna lean the under in this one.

Speaker 4 (01:38:55):
Seven and a half.

Speaker 1 (01:38:57):
The Jags seven and a half. I would love to
be banging the drum.

Speaker 2 (01:39:02):
I would love to be the Jags guy.

Speaker 1 (01:39:04):
I'd be jagging everywhere. I was gonna say another word,
but I'll leave it out. I would be mister Jags
if they didn't do the Travis Hunter thing.

Speaker 2 (01:39:15):
I'll be honest.

Speaker 1 (01:39:16):
If this team would have done a normal path where
you do Ashton Genty or you bring in maybe just
an elite offensive lineman and defensive lineman, someone in the trenches.

Speaker 2 (01:39:25):
This team's not good enough in the trenches.

Speaker 1 (01:39:27):
And they gave away their second round pick in that trade,
and they gave away picks for next year in that trade,
and they didn't fix the trenches. Their running back situation
still leaves a lot to be desired. With an ETN
Bigsby touton, well do that the big thing is gonna
be hal Liam Cohen, who I do think is a
great hire.

Speaker 2 (01:39:47):
I have the Jagson eight nine.

Speaker 1 (01:39:50):
Duval, but I think he's.

Speaker 2 (01:39:53):
A really smart guy. I think that Trevor will be better.

Speaker 1 (01:39:59):
But I don't think you have enough on the defensive
line to get to the quarterback outside of Josh Allen
and to stop the run especially. That's really the main
problem they have on that defense. One of the worst
run stuffing defenses of all time last year. I'm pretty
sure there was like some pretty historic stats about that.
But I just I don't think they have enough in

(01:40:20):
the trenches. I want to be in new head coach
like they fit all the bills for like the first
year head coach who takes a jump and takes this
team that was actually better than they looked. And I
don't know how much talent there is outside of the
obvious piece. Brian Thomas Junior is awesome. I think the
Travis Huner thing is going to be much more of
a project this year than people want to admit. I

(01:40:43):
don't think with that high of a pick, that was
the path I would have taken. I think it's one
of the well, outside of what they given Outside of
what they gave up, I think it's one of the
worst trades ever made. But in terms of the short
term impact of what a top five pick could have been,
I think Travis Hunter is low on the list compared
to the other guys they could have taken.

Speaker 5 (01:41:04):
I'm just not willing to go there yet until I
see what the full plan is for how they're going
to use him. Like your overall point, I hear you,
I just do think there's a pathway where you can
make the case where he's far more impactful than what
a typical top five pick if he plays role in
the defense and in the offense, and is able to
hold up physically and all these things. So I'm just
kind of leaving the Travis Hunter situation open until I

(01:41:26):
actually see how it plays out. I like him as
a talent, I like him as a guy. I'm rooting
for Travis Hunter. I would think it'd be awesome if
you can do something that we really haven't seen in
NFL football for quite some time, and him doing it
at a level or if it plays out as hoped here,
like at a more regular rate than really anyone I
can think of here.

Speaker 6 (01:41:43):
So I'm hoping that the Travis Hunter think plays itself out.

Speaker 5 (01:41:46):
I do think it is fair to be concerned, and
I did want to bring up, like, when is it
fair for me to ultimately sit here and say we
need to have a Trevor Lawrence conversation that this guy
is just not Yeah, I think a couple weeks into
the season, if there's not some stride in the right direction,
that conversation that you do at you.

Speaker 1 (01:42:01):
Didn't rank him that low when we did quarterback rankings.
And the reason the reason that it's hard to just
completely throw him in the trash, and we don't have
a lot of time for this conversation. It's a nuanced conversation,
but I want to get the stats right. I'm pulling
up his game logs. The reason that it's hard to
throw Trevor Lawrence in the trash is the stretch we

(01:42:21):
saw from mid twenty twenty two to the stretch we
saw to mid twenty twenty three. There is a seventeen
so right here, I have it as a nineteen game stretch.
I think there's a seventeen game stretch that's actually a
little better.

Speaker 2 (01:42:35):
But in nineteen game stretch.

Speaker 1 (01:42:36):
From mid twenty twenty two to mid twenty twenty three,
the Jags went fourteen and five. He completed sixty nine
percent of his passes, he had forty six hundred and
fifty five yards, twenty six touchdowns and eight interceptions, with
five hundred rushing yards and four touchdowns. That that's and
I think, like I said, I think there's a seventeen
game sample sized out of that nineteen that's actually a

(01:42:58):
little more favorable. And it's a little easier to think
about because it's just a season of stats where you
can look at the line there. But they went fourteen
and five in that stretch and then they they collapsed
after that, and he hasn't been the same way in
the same kind of thing that we saw with Carson
Wentz under Doug Peterson.

Speaker 2 (01:43:14):
It's bizarrely similar.

Speaker 5 (01:43:16):
I was gonna say, I actually think that's like a
very app comparison there.

Speaker 1 (01:43:20):
And yeah, I think that Trevor was just as good
as Wentz was when Wentz was at his peak too.
I'd say, like in just his dynamic and I'd really
like to see Trevor get back there. I'm skeptical I'll
ever get back to that because that that guy was
an arguable top five quarterback when he was doing that.
So now I think I had I think when we
did it, I had him ranked lower than you, like,
I think I had him like seventeenth or something like that,

(01:43:42):
because it's hard for me to he's been so bad
for the last.

Speaker 2 (01:43:45):
Year and a half.

Speaker 1 (01:43:46):
But I can't really throw them away.

Speaker 6 (01:43:48):
That's what you're right.

Speaker 5 (01:43:49):
There's certainly been encouraging stretches, but I think there's more
evidence to be doubtful.

Speaker 6 (01:43:52):
Like this dude led the nfound interceptions his rookie season.

Speaker 4 (01:43:55):
And they're bad and good.

Speaker 2 (01:43:56):
It's just the good was great.

Speaker 6 (01:43:58):
Yeah, that's fair. That's what's going to continue.

Speaker 5 (01:44:01):
Like even if he is to flame out of Jacksonville
this year, another team will give him a chance, no
doubt about it. He's got fourteen million this year and
he started just got fourteen million. Sam Donold's gonna be
the starting quarterback. Gino, you can go down the list,
but by whoa whoa, well.

Speaker 6 (01:44:16):
You know, don't be Gino.

Speaker 1 (01:44:17):
You know, don't be mean the Gino.

Speaker 5 (01:44:19):
I mean Gino was in a similar boat here not
too long ago, Like let's not forget that here.

Speaker 6 (01:44:24):
Yeah, yeah, that was.

Speaker 5 (01:44:25):
More of my my point with it. I just the
Trevor Lawrence. I think the same way that you said
about Stroud. I feel about Lawrence that there is not
it's not talked about for how bad it actually was
like last year specifically and really more of his time
as they start.

Speaker 1 (01:44:40):
I think people talk about I think people are pretty
low on Shrevor at this point. He's like barely being
drafted in fantasy.

Speaker 6 (01:44:46):
Yeah, yeah, we'll see this big, big year for Trevor Lawrence.

Speaker 1 (01:44:49):
Absolutely absolutely, I haven't. I'm going very slight over where
you guys are.

Speaker 4 (01:44:54):
Yeah, I'm slight over too.

Speaker 3 (01:44:55):
I'm slight over just I I we don't like what
they do in the trenches really, But we talked about
this before in the pre draft. Whyat Mullum, I think
why Mullem someone that could be I love that starter
on this team in day day one. Maybe he's not right,
you know, maybe they want him to be a little
bit of a project, but I think he's someone on
that offensive like and that can be a cornerstone not

(01:45:17):
really have anyone surrounding them. On the offensive line, but
slight over for me, just based off of the talent
that they have on offense. Running back situation is weird,
but I think they're all somewhat talented enough to be
able to be suitable. None of them are gonna put
up creasy numbers, but I think just in the end,
they'll be hovering around eight wins, seven, eight wins.

Speaker 2 (01:45:37):
The Tennessee Titans.

Speaker 1 (01:45:39):
Tennessee Titans, they are at they are at a five
and a half, five and a half, juiced up to
the over. I'm gonna go under there at five and
a half. I think this is probably a three win team.

Speaker 4 (01:45:51):
Yeah, I'll go slight over.

Speaker 5 (01:45:52):
I'm a Camore believer a little bit. I think he'll
air it out to the extent. I think they kind
of limp their way into like a you know, sticks
and eleven records and ten maybe if fulfhill and super
optimistic here. I don't think they're gonna be in the
mix or anything like that, but I think it'll be
encouraging strides down in Tennessee.

Speaker 3 (01:46:06):
Yeah, I'm more on the under I do. I'm a
big fan of kme Hoard. I wasn't really in the
draft process until he kind of started coming out in
these like press conferences. The way he talks, the way
he holds himself. I'm really starting to draw more, you know,
a love for a came Ward.

Speaker 4 (01:46:23):
I wasn't really too high on his.

Speaker 3 (01:46:24):
Game overall, but I think i'm kind of you know,
I'm hoping that he does well longevity wise. I don't
think it'll be this year, but in his you know, career,
I think I think he's gonna be successful. I'll leave
it at that, he'll be a successful quarterback.

Speaker 6 (01:46:39):
We have three more.

Speaker 2 (01:46:39):
We're going rapid fire.

Speaker 1 (01:46:40):
We all took the over on the Raiders. We already
kind of talked about that, so we'll go back to that.
But Chiefs, we've talked about it already. Rapid Fire. I
am going with the it is if I could find
the numbers eleven and a half, eleven and a half,
I am going with a very very slight over I
have in the twelve wins, but went under. I wouldn't
be surprised at all.

Speaker 6 (01:47:01):
Yeah, I'm going under, but think it's gonna be close
as well.

Speaker 4 (01:47:04):
I'm gonna go under too, just slightly under.

Speaker 1 (01:47:08):
And then the La Chargers it is at nine and
a half going over, still one of my favorite overs
on the board. Jim Harball is second year. Everywhere he's
been has really taken a step, and it's gonna be
hard to do that because they wont eleven games last year.
But I do think I find it hard to believe
that they're gonna not I think they're not a contender

(01:47:28):
anymore without this, with the Slater injury, I find it
hard to believe that they're gonna be much worse than
they were last year. I think that the amount of
talent they added should at least make up for losing Slater,
but it won't make up enough to be, you know,
a real contender.

Speaker 3 (01:47:42):
Yeah, I think I'm in the same boat as you,
slightly over, But I was very high on this Chargers team.
I think I already took them to win it before
all the injuries happened. So I'm a little less confident
in them right now, but I still would lean that
over for the Chargers right now.

Speaker 6 (01:47:59):
Yeah, I'm going under here.

Speaker 5 (01:48:01):
I'm obviously rooting for this team, want the best for
them and everything like that. I do think that there's
a chance that they could sneak through the back door
into the postseason. I do hope that's gonna be the case.
We can see some more historic stuff put forth on
the football field there, But ultimately the Slater injury is
a big deal to the extent that this is a
team that wants to pound the rock, wants to run
the ball as much as possible, not allowed their fringe

(01:48:23):
starting caliber quarterbacky is less fifteen games. I guess I
say all this to say I'm under on the Chargers
last one.

Speaker 1 (01:48:30):
Do we have the green legion coming up in a
minute here, by the way, I do not know.

Speaker 2 (01:48:35):
I don't think so real.

Speaker 1 (01:48:38):
I know Sean's got to hop off the last over
under here. The Denver Broncos. I just want to throw
this out there. Everybody's throwing them out as a super
Bowl contender. They're the sexy team this year. Everybody's looking
for that fourth team in the AFC. It is not
the Denver Broncos. It's my one of my favorite unders
we've talked about so far. The quarterbacks the Broncos beat
in twenty twenty four.

Speaker 2 (01:48:56):
There's one good one. His name is Baker Mayfield.

Speaker 1 (01:48:58):
Other than that, Rogers Gardner, Minshew, Derek Carr, Bryce Young
before he was benched, washed Kirk Cousins before he was benched,
Gardner Minshew again, Jameis Winston, Anthony Richardson, and Carson Wentz
with the Chiefs backups. Those are the ten wins that
the Denver Broncos had last season. They were fake, they
were phony, they were frauds. And we're gonna be singing

(01:49:21):
a different tune about bo Knicks when they go seven
to ten. Even if he puts up the same stats
that he did last year. People aren't gonna be oh
bo gooks top ten quarterback if they go seven to
ten next year. Also, the main reason here, they're so
relying on an elite defense. And I say this about
the Broncos, about the Vikings, it's creeping in my mind
about the Eagles as a concern, but.

Speaker 2 (01:49:41):
I think it's a little bit of a different situation.

Speaker 1 (01:49:43):
Twenty percent of top five defenses finish top ten the
next season. So eighty percent of top five defenses do
not finish top ten the next season. It's incredibly rare
to repeat elite defensive performance. I get the Broncos certain
they got a lot of talented guys, really hard and
really schedule based, and this year their schedule is much harder.

(01:50:06):
I don't think that defense is going to be nearly
what it was last season, despite the additions that they made.
Give me the under comfortably on the Denver Broncos last
place in the division.

Speaker 6 (01:50:16):
Oh really last place? So were the Raiders.

Speaker 1 (01:50:18):
I like to have the Raiders in nine wins. I'm
in the Raiders with that, I.

Speaker 3 (01:50:22):
Think I'm slightly under on the Broncos, not comfortably as
you are. I'm slightly under just based off like what
you said, the schedule. But I really like this defense.
I know you just gave up that stat. That's a
great stat to know.

Speaker 4 (01:50:34):
I didn't know that.

Speaker 3 (01:50:35):
But I think what they also bring in from the
draft too. I love what they did or j Harvey,
Pat Bryant, Jaday Baron. I love that three guys. I
think each of them can be contributors from the start.
I think, especially with the trade that they just made
right now, don't vle go into.

Speaker 4 (01:50:51):
The Saints, I think.

Speaker 3 (01:50:52):
And also, you still got Marvin Minimes, you got Troy
frank and I think there are pieces there, not enough
for me to take this over though, in my opinion, yeah.

Speaker 6 (01:51:02):
I get the case for the under.

Speaker 5 (01:51:03):
I'm still gonna sip a little bit of the Denver
Broncos cool aid there that I think this team's gonna
be pretty good. I respect Sean Payton. I do think
bo Nix was far better than I expect to be
the case. And I do think that defense is pretty
legit after leading the league in sacks last year. It
is a good statuty throughout their mark, and the quarterback
play is certainly worth noting there. I just kind of
think that they're gonna be right there in the mix,
right there, competent. I'll go under on the total, but

(01:51:25):
I could see this team being a playoff team for sure.

Speaker 1 (01:51:27):
Yeah. And I have less of a problem with people
being like, oh, they'll be the same team again and
they'll go ten and seven.

Speaker 2 (01:51:33):
I have more of a problem with.

Speaker 1 (01:51:34):
The people elevating them where it's like, oh, now they're
taking over the division and they're gonna beat the Chiefs
and they're gonna win the AFC and compete like Bill
Simmons and some people have been really, really really pushing
the Broncos narrative. But that's gonna do it for the
Tough Cover Radio show. Thanks to Nick McClay, Thanks to
Sean Bernard, follow Nick McLay at nica Clay twenty two.
Follows Sean Bernard at Shawn Underscript Bernard one.

Speaker 6 (01:51:55):
You follow me on.

Speaker 1 (01:51:56):
Twitter at markmv Junior, NFL. That's gonna do it for
the Tough Cover Show, Tough Cover Country Rode