March 6, 2025 • 49 mins
ESPN NFL Draft expert Field Yates returns to talk mock drafts, top prospects, free agency and so much more. Action Network hosts Chad Millman and Simon Hunter ask him about potential destinations for D.K. Metcalf, the Chicago Bears' recent moves, dynasty drafting and the upside of running back Ashton Jeanty.
And if you want to see the show live, RSVP now to join us for our free Chicago live event, Elite 8 Saturday March 29th at the popular venue Joe's On Weed. #Herd
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:08):
Welcome to The Favorites, the podcast presented by BET three
sixty five. We are part of the Volume Podcast Network.
I am Chad Milman of the Action Network. I'm live
from my Tommy John home studio, and I'm joined as
always by my co host, my companion, Mike Capadre, my
BFF professional vetter, Simon Hunter Ello.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Simon Chad, How are we doing, brother, dude?
Speaker 1 (00:31):
I'm so psyched for today's show. We are going hardcore football, hardcore,
free agency, hardcore draft. We are joined by one of
ESPN's top talent and NFL draft and fantasy analysts, one
of the swellest people in all of sports media, the
pride of the Wesleyan University Cardinals, my neighbor here in
(00:52):
West Harford, Connecticut. Welcome back to the show, Field Yates.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
It's good to be on. It's kind of like an
annual tradition. Now, I guess after you do it twice,
an annual tradition, because if memory serves, the last appearance
was around this time of the year last year, and.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
Since then we had you on, didn't we have you on?
In August?
Speaker 3 (01:09):
You know, everything is everything blur.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
Just maybe you had just injured your shoulder.
Speaker 3 (01:15):
Oh, okay, you know what, I gotta be honest with you,
that shoulder. They say that the biggest issue is, like,
you know, the actual like the capacity to come back
to one hundred percent with your shoulder. I just think
it's clouded my memory. Everything is a blur over the
last six or seven months since suffering one is considered
by many the single dumbest injury in the history of
sports media, just in sports in general.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
Well, listen, I'll tell you a story from last night. Okay,
that'll make you feel so much better. So I'm talking
to my son, my eighteen year old son. We're talking
about the Bears. Of course during the day as he's
supposed to be in school. You know, he's a second
semester senior, so he's not paying too much attention right now.
He's just texting me about the Bears trade for Joe Toney,
(01:58):
which we are going to dig into. When I mentioned
to him while I'm making dinner and he's hanging out
with me, that were having you on the show today,
and my kid says, oh, I think he's friends with
our neighbors. I saw them once and we were talking
about sports and they mentioned him and I said, yeah,
he is. I've seen Field at their house and he
lives in town. And he said to me, you don't
(02:18):
have a lot of friends. You should just hang out
with Field, and I said, I said, I said, no,
he's young, he's better looking, we're famous. It's just going
to make me feel bad about myself. And then I
did tell him that we saw you and your beautiful
family at dinner one night and you had your young
(02:38):
kids at the dinner tables about a month ago. You
had one kid in your lap, one kid was running
around the table. My wife and I actually said out loud,
we kind of felt bad about it. That looks miserable.
We would not trade places with you, no matter how
much you have going for you.
Speaker 3 (02:56):
I can remember that instance very well, and what I
will say is, as turns out, I'm once again by
myself right now with my kids. My wife doesn't travel often,
but when she does, it seems to be aligned with
when you and I are either talking or hanging out
in the same place. I learn my lesson that time.
I thought, hey, you know what, I've got both kids
to myself. I am this well established girl dad that
(03:18):
can handle anything that comes my way. Why don't I
take them out to dinner. That was a poor decision.
So the itinerary for the next three nights, because this
is now one night into a four night departure for
my wife, is to maybe, if we're feeling very adventurous,
get in the car and drive through somewhere. That's as
far as we will go. There will no be going
inside of establishments this weekend other than gymnastis, class and
(03:40):
a couple of other things that we are required to
attend as we are every single weekend.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
I'm going to stay so far away from your side
of town smart. As a reminder, the Favorite podcast is
presented by Bet three six five and now new Bet
three six five. Customers get one hundred and fifty dollars
in bonus bets when you bet five dollars, sign up
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(04:07):
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before we get to field and all the burning questions
(04:29):
from the NFL, very quickly. Reminder officially OURSVP for our
Free Favorites live show event in Chicago. This will be
for the Elite eight March Madness Games on Saturday, March
twenty ninth. Joe's Bar on Weed Street Less formally known
as Joe's on Weed near Lincoln Park in Chicago. Free event,
free drinks, free live show. I'll be there, Simon will
(04:51):
be there. Stuck, You'll be there. Jim Root from Three
Man Weave in the Big Bets on Campus podcast will
be there. R SVP to reserve your spot by clicking
in the link in the episodes description or Google Favorites
Live event, Chicago. All right, let's kick it off field
number one. Yesterday was a huge day of news in
(05:14):
the NFL. DK Metcalf wants a trade the Bears trade
for Joe Toney. But the biggest news to me, Max
Crosby signed a three year, one hundred and five million
dollar contract ninety million guaranteed. That feels like folly to me.
Your take, Okay, So.
Speaker 3 (05:33):
Here's what I would say. You know, there's been a
lot of turnover in Las Vegas, so they haven't even
been to Las Vegas Raiders for that long, and they've
had a lot of coaching and general manager changes in
that time. Josh McDaniels and Dave Zigler were replaced eventually
by Antonio Pearce and Tom to LESCo, and then they
decided to make the shift one more time. Now it's
John Spytech as their GM with Pete Carroll as their
(05:54):
head coach. Bad probably for Vibes to be making that
many changes, and not ideal for young quarterbacks to constantly
be shifting systems. Probably pretty good for star players. One
of the messages that we heard yesterday from John Spytech
and Pete Carroll was because there was a press conference
that was associated with this landmark deal, was Hey, we're
(06:16):
just getting started here, and what better way to get
started than to affirm to the entire locker room that
it's not just that Max is our most talented player,
it's that Max carries himself and puts in the work
required to be great. That if every player followed his lead,
we'd be a whole lot better. So I'm not saying
(06:38):
that the Raiders, if they had kept their prior administration,
would not have touched Max Max Crosby's contract last year.
They did the oll borrow from a future year accelerated
onto the present year, which basically forces their hand back
to the table the year later. But yeah, the Raiders
are trying to make a statement here. And one thing
(06:58):
I will say about Las Vegas and I that I
probably align closer to you with this is like, I,
if I were the Raiders, would be thinking long and
hard about what is my legitimate path towards the playoffs?
In this division, the Chiefs, despite the humble pie served
in the Super Bowl, are still the Chiefs. The Broncos
and the Chargers are two teams that both made the
(07:19):
playoffs and are on the rise. Each of those three
teams has both a young quarterback and a very accomplished
and I think we all believe still has some good
coaching left in him head coach. If you're the Raiders,
would you rather play a bit more of the long
game or try to find your way to sneak in
to the playoffs sooner than later. It sounds like when
you hire a seventy three year old head coach and
Pete Carroll, who the second he steps on this sideline
(07:41):
this fall, would be the oldest coach in league history,
and you have Tom Brady as one of your principal voices.
Your mindset is we want to win sooner rather than later,
and so the Max Crosby extension is an affirmation that
we're going to continue to build around Max and a
few other players, and we expect to win, maybe not
win big this year, but when sooner rather than later?
(08:05):
I am I would have been more inclined to soft
reset and try to build this thing organically. But that's
easy for me to say when my I'm not in
the weeds every single day competing with that locker room,
and the one who is not judged based off of
the wins and losses of the franchise, like Pete Carroll
(08:25):
and John Spytech, will be going forward.
Speaker 1 (08:28):
Simon, this feels like a tragically terrible move. Is that
cannot get it right for a player who last year,
this feels to me like the owner is constantly trying
to play Kate and be friends with the star player.
Because last year, when Antonio Pierce went from interim coach
(08:51):
to head coach, it was because Max Crosby said he
didn't want to play with the Raiders if Antonio Pierce
wasn't going to be the head coach. So we talked
about the Raiders in the mailbag, like this is creeping
up as one of the teams consistently. I feel like
as a fan, I'd never want to root for.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
Yeah, And it's it's tough if you're a Raiders fan
because you're not one or two pieces away, right, you
are multiple years away. And it's interesting that division for
the five oldest head coaches in that division, Like that's
people don't realize that's an old school type of division
now when you really think about it, where a lot
of these guys have been around forever and they're winners,
they're proven winners, and they're in a weird spot now
(09:32):
where you know, the other three teams seem like they
found their quarterback and this team here like i'd love
to get fields view on it. Are they really going
for Gino Smith? Are they really in the Sam Darnold business?
There's so many rumors and it's NonStop too. Where I
told Chad last week, I almost got caught. I almost
bet on them because I thought it was a sure
thing that Stafford was going there, that the ink was drying,
that that was a real deal move. It wasn't. That
(09:54):
was all just him leveraging his position with the Rams.
So is it true fields? Are they going after one
of these quarterbacks? Are they just you know, gonna release
Minshew here and then just roll with whatever they can
find the draft this upcoming season.
Speaker 3 (10:06):
I would imagine that the most likely thing that happens
at Geno Smith this offseason is an extension with Seattle
as opposed to being on the move. I don't know
the exact number there, but Gino is going into the
final year of a three year, one hundred million dollar deal.
There was some upside on top of that through incentives,
some of which Gino has already hit. I think you're
more likely to see Geno do a remix of that deal.
(10:27):
Maybe it's more because the quarterback market has exploded and
he is playing good football and we don't talk about
tread on the tires for quarterbacks that often, but he's
one of the least experience isn't the right word, but
the least utilized players at that position for his age, right,
because he had like basically that I don't know, seven
eight year period where he just watched most games from
(10:49):
the sideline. So Gino I think is probably gonna stick
in Seattle going forward. I think the Raiders are going
to be in the mix on some of these quarterbacks,
and really there's only one that moves the needle. That
would be Sam Darnold. I'd say this is it's possible
the Raiders could get Shador Sanders sixth overall in the draft.
It's also possible the Raiders could be motivated to try
(11:09):
to move up in the draft because the thing about
April twenty fourth through twenty sixth the Green Bay, Wisconsin
this year is, yeah, it's possible he falls to you,
but he also might not. And if you don't get
your quarterback in the draft, you did nothing in free agency.
You're basically punting on the season. No team can win
with the level of quarterback play that they had last year.
The roster is simply not nearly good enough to compete.
(11:32):
So I think there's a chance they get in the
Sam Darnold mix, and then I think if they don't,
it tells us they're feeling pretty good about how they
can plot their path in the draft. You just can't
afford to wait the Giants, the Browns, the Titans. I
reversed the order there, but I would say that those
two those three teams in that order are most desperate
(11:53):
for a quarterback. When you've got three, they pick one, two, three,
and you're at six, like you just can't settle for
the possibility of maybe a quarterback getting there. So the
Raiders are going to be aggressive. This would not be
the off season that I would be shopping for a
quarterback in an aggressive way. But they are looking at
(12:14):
it like we don't have that many strikes in our
count and we're not going to just take one before
the games have actually begun.
Speaker 1 (12:21):
So the other team that they had moved yesterday, the
Chiefs got rid of Joe Toney and they lopped off
sixteen million from the cap, which they needed to do.
Unity was sort of the star of that offensive line
this year, not just for the way he was playing
a guard but for the way he shifted out to
(12:42):
left tackle and was serviceable when that was clearly the
biggest achilles heel for the Chiefs. And even if it
wasn't a great Super Bowl performance, this is a guy
who accrued so much respect in the locker room and
then throughout the league, but they had to get rid
of him as they needed to save the money. If
you're the Bears and you've got Josiah Jackson now from
(13:06):
the Rams and Joe Tooney from the Chiefs, do you
think you have solidified your interior line or have you
just taken guys who are maybe one who underperformed because
of injury and then something quirky that happened in LA
with Jackson, or a guy who's old and might have
had his last best spot and was just really expensive.
(13:27):
Like how am I supposed to feel about this as
a Bears fan?
Speaker 3 (13:31):
Really good, is what I would say. So let's talk
about this. Let's break it down in a couple of
different ways. You have this head coach and Ben Johnson,
who of course chose Chicago over pretty much any job
he wanted. Right that was substantial. It was a big
move for this franchise, and it spoke to I think
the way that Ben views the roster already and also
how I think he've used the front office and the
vision and the cohesion he felt during that interview process
(13:52):
with Ryan Poles and Kevin Warren, the GM and the
president of the Bears, amongst others who were also in
that mix. That being said, it's still important once you
land the coach that you make him happy beyond that, right, Like,
you know, you want to woo him during the interview
process to incentivize him to take this job, and then
you want to show him just how much on the
(14:12):
same page you two are. And you know, Jonah Jackson
is familiar to Ben Johnson. Four year starter for Ben
Johnson in Detroit, right, I mean the guy played left
guard for the first four years of his rookie contract.
I guess the entire day of his rookie contract with
the Lions. I'm sure that Ben had a prominent voice
in this process to acquire Jonah. It wasn't as if,
(14:33):
you know, the Bears went to him and said we're
thinking about acquiring Jonah. He said, I think I'm good
on that guy. Will maybe go a different direction. They said, no, no,
we're Acquiring him like that does not get done if
Ben Johnson was not confident in the player that he
still is Joe Tony. This is a good reminder that
circumstances are different for every single team. The Chiefs could
not go five minutes this past year without discussing just
(14:55):
how respected Joe Tooney is. He was in a locker
room that is full of future Hall of Fame player.
Certainly Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelcey and Chris Jones has
that trajectory, and maybe a couple of others get there.
By the time it's all said and done, Joe Toney
was frequently referred to as amongst the most if not
the most respected, dependable players on the entire roster. The
chief season was not falling apart. They lost one game
(15:18):
during the regular season until Week eight team when the
backups played against the Broncos. That being said, it was
clear their ceiling was not at the same level as
it had been in prior years in which they made
deep playoff runs. Because the offensive line was a disaster.
They took some swings. They have drafted in the third
and second round juan Ye Morris and Kingsley's Suamata Eya, respectively,
(15:39):
and those guys just weren't ready for prime time. So
they said, let's take our best offensive lineman, Joe Tooney
and make him a left tackle, which he was, by
the way, a first team All American at North Carolina
State way back when he came out. But Joe Tooney
has the strongest stamp of approval from Bill Belichick and
Andy Reid. I would say it's a pretty good starting point.
Does he have five years left in him? Probably not,
(16:01):
But does he have two years left in him? I
sure think so. And I think I don't know this
for a fact. I haven't seen it report anywhere. I'm
just using my common sense here. Wouldn't stun me if
the Bears and Joe too, and you find a way
to do some sort of short term pact that maybe
guarantees Joe all of this season, which he's gonna make
that money from the Bears no matter what. You don't
(16:21):
trade for a guy and then cut him, but guarantees
him this year, maybe some of next year as well.
Maybe they say, hey, we'll do a three year deal
that reduces your cap hit a little bit this year,
maybe your average annual value drops down by a little bit.
So maybe a one year, sixteen million dollar deal turns
into a three year forty two million dollar deal where
the third and final year is non guaranteed. So Joe's
(16:42):
no longer giving it. He doesn't no longer has that
elite upside in him at age thirty four or thirty five,
which you don't see many of those in the NFL
will move on. But in the short term, the Bears
have completely reconstructed not just the talent of their offensive
line room, but I really think that the I would say,
the leadership, the maturity, the intangibles to that lock to
(17:03):
that offensive line room, which when you've got a young
quarterback with so many gifts but had so many things
last year that just did not work out in his favor,
you got to find ways to pour every resource into him.
And with Ben Jonson, of these two offensive linemen, it's
a darn good start for them, really good.
Speaker 1 (17:19):
I may or may not. Yesterday after the Bears traded
for Joe Toney, have decided that the interior offensive line,
which to me might be the most important point of
sort of strategy and competence that you need to run
an offense with a guy like Kayleb Williams who got
sacked so much last year. I might have felt overconfident.
(17:42):
I may or may not have been in the Bears
to win the Super Bowl. I'm just saying, Simon, I.
Speaker 3 (17:47):
Think you're required to do so every year, right, isn't
that just like in the Milman Blood I am.
Speaker 1 (17:52):
I am required to do it. But I might have
done it yesterday with more enthusiasm than I have in
years past, sin since justin fields prior to this past year.
So it's been two years since I felt this confidence,
which is a run.
Speaker 3 (18:07):
Yeah that is.
Speaker 2 (18:09):
And they might not be done yet. Yeah, I've heard
the rumors they might go up to the center from Atlanta.
Speaker 1 (18:13):
Yes, Drew Dollman is the fourth.
Speaker 2 (18:15):
Best center of football, so that would just be huge, huge.
You keep adding that.
Speaker 1 (18:20):
Think about how many times we've talked about the Falcons
running game and the most important part of their running
game being their center in their right car. Yep, same system, Yeah,
same system scheme, Yes, exactly.
Speaker 3 (18:33):
So.
Speaker 1 (18:33):
Of course, because my kid isn't paying attention in his
ap psychology class, yesterday, we were texting about the Bears
getting Drew Dolmen and how important he has been to
the Atlanta Falcons run game. That's when I pulled the trigger,
by the way, on the Super Bowl that it was
after I decided they were getting Drew Dolman.
Speaker 3 (18:50):
Last thing, I'll say it here on the Bears. I'm
sure we want to get to other topics as well.
You can say whatever you want about Ryan Pole, So
I happened to believe has done a pretty good job
in terms of in a few ways. First of all,
they made a masterstroke trade to land Caleb Williams. He's
going to be a good player. I still believe that
was an excellent deal. On top of that, the books
are clean here in Chicago for the most part. Like
they've made two trades for guys and Jonah and Joe
(19:13):
who are counting for like thirty plus million dollars in
twenty twenty five as the contracts are currently written, they
still have like fifty million to spend. Right, And there
are some in house free agents that will see on right,
like Keenan Allen probably seems like he's not likely to return,
but we shall see, right, Like, the books have largely
(19:34):
been kept clean, and Chicago is not one of those teams.
And this is not a negative, but they don't push
all their money into the future a la Philly, Cleveland,
New Orleans, Pittsburgh, et cetera. Like they kind of keep
structure flat. So there are actually is some good wiggle
room here for this team to despite the fact that
they've already made two notable trades, do go big game
(19:55):
hunting maybe and Drew Dollman, maybe some other pieces as well.
Speaker 2 (19:59):
I know Chia was good draft before we get their chat,
I needed to know more about DK because to me,
it's a big deal where this might structure a whole division.
That division is the AFC East. Can't everyone I'm hearing
from is Bills Patriots? If they're the two teams playing
for DK field here is locked in with the Patriots?
Is that true? Is that really the guy the pitcher's
going after? Is that a smoke screen by them to
(20:21):
drive the price to the Bills try to get DK
because it's it's a last year right a DK's deal.
So if he gets traded here, he is gonna get
paid a big, big amount of money.
Speaker 3 (20:29):
Fifty factors to note here, and you're right of the
contract is I think if the Seahawks get this done,
they're gonna work very hard to make sure he's an
AFC team. It's not that you can't trade a player
from the NFC to another team in the NFC, but
there's something a little bit different about this high profile
trades where you know, if DK gets traded to the Patriots,
the Seahawks play them once every four years, they play
(20:52):
them in Seattle once every eight years. Like, I haven't
done the math or checked when New England last played
or Buffalo last played in Seattle, But I mean, it's
possible that DK could be on. He could be retired
by the time they next play in Buffalo if it
was this past year, right, that that is possible, And
it's a factor that I think teams are somewhat mindful of.
So let's start there. I think AFC would be the preference,
(21:14):
all things being equal. On top of that, you're right,
he's gonna need a new deal as well. He's scheduled
to make eighteen million bucks this year. He signed a
three year, seventy two million dollar extension a few off
seasons ago. That no longer is commensurate with the market.
It just isn't. Jamar Chase probably explode the wide receiver market,
(21:35):
but it's already boomed a lot since DK did his deal.
So if you're a team it's acquiring Dk Metcalf, you
have to account for not just the draft capital that
Seattle once, but also the fat they're gonna have to
pay Dk Metcalf, which kind of deflates the draft capital
value a little bit. You're paying double freight in this case.
DK is an interesting one, right, So such a talented player, explosive,
(21:58):
he's one of the best deep thatt receivers in the
entire NFL. He also is a player that has run
hot and cold, right. I mean, this is a guy
who at times we've been talking about him and need
to control his emotions. More so, I think he needs
to go somewhere where he feels as though he's got
a chance to win, right, And so I think New
England do they need him desperately? Yeah? They do? And
(22:18):
do I think that the Patriots have some things going
for them. Drake may certainly looks like he's a really
promising player, and Mike Vrabel is a stud head coach,
But I think they're more than Dk Metcalf away from
getting anywhere close to competing in that division. So I
think I might be looking more towards teams actually like
the Chargers, who have been reported as a DK Metcalf suitor.
I think the Texans have been mentioned. I think the
(22:39):
Bills have been mentioned. Teams like that that if you're
DK or if you're those teams, you're saying to yourself, hey,
we get this guy. We might be the team to
beat in the AFC. This is unfair to the Chiefs
in my opinion, But right now, I'm just telling you
talking to people around the NFL, this is and not
every person right I haven't canvassed every single person who
has an opinion, but I've talked to enough people that
(23:01):
feel like they're there's some sharks in the water right now,
right like they feel as though Kansas City is going
to be excellent next year, but that the Super Bowl
reminded them that you can still make the playoffs and
do some damage if you're not the Kansas City Chiefs.
And I think people feel as though, well, Casey deserves
to be the favorite, and I'm sure they will be
(23:23):
at least in the AFC West. You know, you might
be able to get them in a one game scenario
as well. And breathe some life into your franchise.
Speaker 1 (23:32):
So you were at the combine. I'm sure you were
having a lot of these conversations that give me your
most impressive prospect from the combine.
Speaker 3 (23:46):
So I did not spend a lot of time at
the podiums or the players. We're speaking to the media.
So I'll give my evaluation just from like a from
the perspective of what he did on the field. And
it's polarizing, it is, it's probably it's probably Shamar Stewart
or Matthew Golden from two separate Texas schools, Texas A
and M for Shamar Stewart and Matthew Golden at Texas.
(24:08):
And I'll lean towards Golden for this reason. Is I
prefer when the combine looks like the tape, and the
tape looks like the combine as opposed to the combine
not perfectly aligning with the tape. So Shamar Stewart, I've
used this phrase fifty times, might as well make it
fifty one times, is the most fascinating prospect in the draft.
He six foot five. He dropped from two hundred and
(24:30):
eighty pounds to two hundred and sixty four pounds from
the senior Bowl to the combine, which is like a
month apart, so he may have been like in combine
training mode, but still at two hundred and sixty four pounds,
you were in a four to six oh forty. He
had one of the best vertical jumps of any defensive
player at like forty or forty one inches. His broad
jump was eleven feet. The guy, if you saw him,
(24:52):
is one of the most impressive looking humans that you
will see. He had four and a half sacks in
his career though four and a half, one and a
half in each of his three seasons at A and M,
so you're gonna pay the guy to be a pass rusher,
and he had just one and a half sacks each
of his three college seasons. He's a really, really talented
player and a really solid kid too. This is not
(25:15):
a kid who just didn't produce because he wasn't engaged.
It was just couldn't quite finish the job on these sacks.
I think he's gonna end up going as high as
like pick seven, eight, ten. I have him a little
bit lower in the rankings because I'm just a bit
more risk averse pulling. You know, that would be a
big bet on a guy who had such a modest
(25:36):
college career. Matthew Golden from Texas at one hundred and
ninety one pounds. We're going to four two nine forty
and this kid can scoot. He had a really good season.
He had just one year at Texas. He was previously
at Houston, but he had a great finish to the year.
In two of the final four games Texas played, he
had one hundred and forty nine or more receiving yards.
(25:57):
I wish he had gotten to one hundred and fifty
because one hundred and forty nine just sounds a little
bit awkward. That being said, you guys get the point.
He was big when it mattered most for Texas, and
he can fly like that is clear on tape. He
was the second fastest player in Indianapolis, behind only Max Harriston,
a guy who I've loved throughout the process from Kentucky
at four to eight. That being said, Golden, a guy
(26:20):
who I think I who grew on me throughout the
year because his play improved throughout the year, shouldn't be viewed,
at least in my estimation, as a first round lock.
Speaker 1 (26:29):
Don't we have enough evidence at this point of guys
who are physical freaks and didn't perform in college not
being the best reaches for the NFL draft.
Speaker 3 (26:41):
Yeah. Yes, that being said, there are like things that
are tantalizing in life that we consistently go back to
all the time. Right, it's just hard not to, you know, Like,
you know, or do you prefer fashion over function when
it comes to your car, or you know things like that, right,
or like people will sacrifice warmth or comfort with their
clothing to look a little bit cooler. You know, it's
(27:02):
like it's just hard not to, you know. So I
think probably the truth is that Shamar Stewart, he's going
to be one of those guys that a GM either
gets the feather in the cap or perhaps the walking
papers from a few years from now. Right, you either
sit there you look at genius because you were audacious
enough to take a kid whose skills were so so enticing,
(27:22):
or hey, the guy ends up in three years with
just four and a half sacks at the NFL level
and that's just not good enough from a first round pick.
It was paid to rush the passer.
Speaker 2 (27:31):
It's like that James Harris quote chat it's I'm not
a model. That's why I wasn't a buddy in the combine.
I'm a football player.
Speaker 3 (27:37):
Yeah, yeah, that's an issue. Right.
Speaker 2 (27:38):
There's a couple of guys that looked the part. Are
they a football player? So yeah, I mean off that topic.
You know, I've heard Quinn yrr is the guy who
heard his draft prospect of the combine. Are there anyone
that jumps out through that really hurt their draft stock
from the combine? Because we know that, you know, guys
are sitting out the combine nowadays because of this fear,
this exact fear of hurting their own draft stock.
Speaker 3 (27:58):
You know, I'll give you a few guys performed or
didn't perform in the way in which I think he
could helped them or hurt them, or help them by
doing the opposite. Here, I love Tyler Booker. He's a
really good player from Alabama. I think he still goes
in the first round, but he ended up doing all
the testing after measuring at like six', five you're hundred
and twenty five. Pounds he's a big. Human he's A
connecticut kid by the way as. WELL i think he's new.
(28:20):
Haveymn but this is like this guy is hard to
miss and he had a great college career At. ALABAMA
i mean you hear, IT i mean they just they love.
Him Nick, saban who will be on the Broadcast i'm,
sure will have glowing things to say About. Booker athletic
testing though just wasn't Great and there are teams that
are just a little bit scared on guards who aren't that.
Explosive he ran a five three nine. Forty doesn't matter
(28:41):
how fast you are as a, Guard, no but you
know it also suggests that your foot quickness is not
in line with where some of these defensive tackles. ARE
i still think he goes to the first, round BUT
i moved him down from like maybe a guy that
could go as high as like thirteen fourteen to maybe
a guy that ends up going like twenty twenty. One
Teammate Jalen, MILROE i think actually would have benefited from
(29:02):
doing some stuff at the. Combine the throwing is always
going to be a hot, topic but don't you guys
Think AND i don't want to put words into your,
mouth so if you disagree vehemently let me. Know but
If Jalen milroe had gone to the combine and run
a four three five, FORTY i think it would have
helped him a lot because it would have been a
reminder to people that for the deficiency he does have
(29:25):
right now is a pocket and rhythm. Passer he's one
of the most explosive players in THE. Nfl in the,
draft he just is like i'd be If i'm Taking
Jalen milroe AND i haven't. Finished i'm working on my
top one hundred right. Now it's not, finished it won't
be for some. Time there's a lot of work to
be done. There but you can tell Me jalen deserves
to be. Fortieth you could also say he might be
(29:46):
closer to seventy. Fifth he's such a tantalizing. GUY i
think if he had, run it really would have helped
remind us of why he is so. Intriguing and you,
know just generally, speaking like running backs and wide receivers
that don't run great to come out of the combine
feel a little bit. Different Caleb johnson From iowa's a
really great. Player it was just like a perfect fit
for a zone. Scheme he just wants to put one
(30:08):
foot in the ground and just it's get a great,
vision just hit the hole and go run a four or, five,
seven not a great number for. Him so running backs
and wide receivers that missed that speed mark are always
going to be impacted in a negative. Way. Unfortunately we
just you just don't see many four or five or
faster excuse, me four or five or slower wide receivers
going round. One and if you're closer to four to
(30:28):
six than four or, five it might mean That Caleb
johnson goes sixtieth as opposed TO i thought maybe thirty
Fifth at one point during the, PROCESS.
Speaker 1 (30:36):
I feel, like h everybody would be better. Off maybe
you disagree with, This, okay everyone would be better off
if nobody worked out at the combine and you just
used film that you had and the players on the
field and what you did at the, Combine you did your,
Interviews you got to meet with the players one on.
(30:57):
One you got to know them, Personally you got to
get a sen to who they. Are you got to
see how they perform in front of the. MEDIA i
think the combine creates such recency bias that he screws
up the metrics and the measurements and the feelings for
all the people who have been doing the work all
season long and changes the calculus on this. STUFF i
(31:17):
think it's a terrible way to try to manage the
draft because you go into it, thinking oh my, GOD
i just saw a Superhero Jalen. Milroe judgement on what you.
Saw we've got so much film On Jalen. Milroe if
you need the combine In Jalen milroe to run a four,
three five point forty to, decide oh my, god we
(31:38):
have to get this. Guy and then you get him
in a camp and, realize wait a, second he's not
an accurate. Passer he's just a really dynamic. Athlete shame on,
you not your, field but on the.
Speaker 3 (31:48):
Scouts So i'll take it one step. Further we're in
the same vicinity, here but a little bit. Different i've
wondered why we don't have the draft five days after
The National championship, game, Right and you, THINK i wonder, if,
like AND i hope this has not come across as
piling on BECAUSE i was incredibly, optimistic like in a
detrimental manner On Anthony richardson for fantasy football purposes last,
(32:11):
Year does that guy go? Forth? Overall if the combine
is excuse, me if the draft is done On january,
twentieth as opposed To april. Twentieth you have three months
to think and overthink, stuff you, Know And i'm sitting
here thinking to, Myself, okay, YEAH i, mean it is
impressive that some of these Guys Chamar stewart And Anthony
richardson can run as fast as they can at that.
Size but if every coach AND gm says the starting
(32:34):
point of the evaluation is the, tape maybe it'll be.
Different and you, know the is it a shorter window to?
EVALUATE i, mean, yes for the first, time but it
won't be for every year after, that. Right it just
means that your scouts startup on the twenty twenty sixth
draft On january thirtieth of twenty twenty, five as opposed
To april thirtieth of twenty twenty. Five so it is
(32:59):
an interesting. Debate AND i do wonder about how the
combine will look in future years because of the number
of players that are opting out AND i meet optioning
out of the testing of, course because they all still showed.
Up but last, YEAR i, Mean Marvin Harrison junior showed,
up did interviews? MEASURED i think just Left Jaden daniels
from the. League neighbors didn't even take, measurements and those
(33:20):
guys had two of the greatest rookie seasons we've ever.
Seen so it's sort of, like if those guys are
gonna be completely unbothered by their participation or lacked the
up with the, combine what is the point of. It
it's a fascinating. Debate you. KNOW i like the combine
still because of you, know the intel, gathering AND i
do enjoy seeing some of these kids who are more
(33:41):
Like day three players who can reaffirm or boost their.
Stock that being, said it's it's a very different event
when you're sitting there and each position group that comes,
by you're, like, okay so my top wide, receiver no
sign of, him top quarterbacks no sign of. Them it
just it just hits a little bit. Differently there's no
two ways around.
Speaker 2 (33:59):
Me WHEN i talked to Coaches chad the, combine, honestly
it's mental. Warfare it's not really about on the. Field
it's about making these kids, uncomfortable asking them crazy, questions
honestly talking shit to. Them like a lot of these
drills you see ON. Tv sometimes there are at ten
o'clock at, night like it's just messing with these kids'
heads and it always cracks me. Up but it's the
(34:21):
great part of that Movie Draft. Day did they go
to the kid's birthday? Party like that's what this three
months is. About all the stupid. Shit wonn't even think
about it to them trying to figure out who this
person is as a, man how are they mentally and
what will they be coming out of? It So i'm with, You.
CHAD i get like the combine can be a little
bit much at, times but OVERALL i love the idea
(34:41):
of it of they're just trying to poke and prong
with these guys and really figure stuff out what kind
of man they are because it is so. Mental and
you know a guy we heard a ton About chad
that might have not done the best of the combine Is, sanders,
RIGHT i mean this is a quarterback. Position he's polarizing
a lot of front. Offices what's your view on that? Field,
(35:01):
like what are you hearing about him right? Now Where
i'm of the mindset of teams that love him are
gonna absolutely talk about him and bash him to the
media right, now because that is the game of the,
draft Right they're gonna say they don't like the way
he spoke that he's, arrogant that he's two. Cocky they
probably love. That behind closed, doors they're just like, thinking of,
COURSE i don't be trading up to number one or
(35:21):
number two to get this. Kid so what are you
hearing about him right?
Speaker 3 (35:24):
Now? YEAH i take a lot of that stuff with
a grain of. Salts what's what's, Reported And i'm not
talking about the. People i'm just talking about like the
people that are. Reporting i'm just, saying like the content
because of what you're describing, silent is that like there
might be some, motivation, right there might be a motivation
to get this guy to, fall you, know like because
it's it's a completely unpredictable event and you're at the
(35:46):
mercy of. Others if you want to shift your draft, order,
right if you want to go from six to four
and you're The, raiders you got to convince The patriots
to do a. Trade you can't just, say, hey well
we'll slip, flop.
Speaker 1 (35:55):
Right SO.
Speaker 3 (35:58):
I have NOT i had a conversation with somebody WHO
i spent time With shador and explicitly has said to
me something that has negatively impacted my evaluation of. HIM
i Like schodor as a. Player i'm not as bullish
on either of the quarterbacks at the top AS i
was the first three last, year WHICH i think is
in line with where most people wind. UP i and
(36:22):
that has nothing to do with them as humans and
has she. Has it's just from a pure football from
a football talent evaluation. Standpoint so Cam, ward my top
thirty two will drop tomorrow ON espn sometime. Soon if not,
tomorrow it's very. Soon and Cam ward Is i'm, SORRY
i should know better six or, seven And shador is.
Seventeenth so AND i last, YEAR i mean those guys
(36:42):
at the. Top from the day the draft order was,
SAID i, said let's just move on to pick, four
because in some order is going to Be, Caleb Jaden.
Drake you decide which order it actually. Is more of
the question was would it Be jaden Or drake it
picked number. Two so, ANYWAYS i think those guys both.
GO i think Cam ward's going first. OVER i just
think that's where we've. LANDED i don't know to, who
but if to, somebody and The titans have found themselves
(37:05):
in a pretty good position, actually BECAUSE i do, believe
and again there's no such thing as a unanimous sentiment
in THE, nfl BUT i spoke to significantly more people
that if they had the option to choose Between Cam
mooord Or shoot Or, sanders would Prefer ward To sanders
while still Liking. Sanders it's not, like, HEY i Like
(37:25):
cam And schador does nothing for. Me it's just if
you're giving me the option one or the, other it's
a binary decision. Here i'm Taking Cam. Morton AND i
also think that because teams with their quarterback preferences in
some cases it is like you like one guy and
you don't like the. Other it's like house, hunting right
you might see two houses for homes for similar. Value
(37:48):
you really like, one but the other lacks three features
that you really feel are must and you're not going
to have any interest in. It SO i think The,
titans whether they want to take camboard or whether they
find a team that prefers cam word enough that they
would move ahead Of, cleveland who of course has number,
two they can get a pretty decent trade package. Here
but it wouldn't surprise me if the first three picks
(38:09):
in the draft are two quarterbacks and then one Of
Travis hunter Or Abdul, carter which means despite The patriots
winning In week eighteen and pushing them down to one to,
four they may well end up with one of to,
me the two best players in the. DRAFT i still
View Abdul carter Well Travis hunter first and Then Abdul
carter second is the two best players in this. Class.
Speaker 1 (38:31):
Simon even for elite, prospects THE nfl draft can be
a nerve racking. Experience think about. It after years of hard, work,
preparation and physical, sacrifice you endure the invasive poking and
prodding of the combine, process and then one day In,
april you get all dressed, up surrounded by loved ones
and hangers, on and you anxiously wait for the phone
to ring and your life to. Change and if front
(38:53):
offices don't like what they, see if they sent you
lack the proper, confidence that agonizing weight can turn into public. Humiliation,
Simon hunter And Field. YATES i can tell by the
looks on your faces you're thinking What i'm. Thinking it's
the same situation with our. Underpants if we work, hard
we make. Sacrifices we enjoyed the pokes and prods of
(39:13):
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surrounded by our own loved ones and hangers. On if
we lack the elite downstairs preparation and undercarriage confidence of, flexible,
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Speaker 3 (39:54):
Five because comfort is.
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Speaker 3 (40:14):
You really it did well done By Matt.
Speaker 1 (40:17):
FIELD i want to switch quickly to fantasy for a
second dynasty. Draft, yeah THE nfl draft is a great
time to start thinking about dynasty. Draft if you are
drafting number one on the dynasty draft right, now who
do you? TAKE i THINK i know exactly who should. Go,
Okay i'm Curious simon's. TAKE i want your.
Speaker 3 (40:38):
Take rookie only or is this just or is this in?
General like, HEY i would.
Speaker 1 (40:42):
SAY i think it's, both like start from scratch and
then rookie.
Speaker 3 (40:46):
Only, Okay so If i'm starting from, scratch It's Jamar,
Chase i'm going to lean wide. Receiver just in, general
they're just a much longer shelf. Life and While Justin
jefferson And Jamar chase is a healthy, debate he's one year.
Younger more quarterback certainty there, right not that you, Know
Sam darnold showed last year that they know what they're
doing in terms of quarterback evaluation of. Development SO jj
(41:07):
could be, Great But Joe burrow is a you, know
AN NFL mvp or candidate to be AN NFL. Mvp
so that duo should go nowhere for a long. Time
that rookie, dynasty It's Ashton denty and it's not, close
especially because Maybe i'll be, surprised but it just feels
like he's gonna end up in a spot where like
(41:29):
if he goes To, VEGAS i might adjust my my
sentiment a little. Bit and Like omari And hampton went To,
denver they had the number one run block win rate
offensive line last, year and they need a, GUY i
might flip, that but without knowing where they're going to.
Land It's Ashton, denty WHO i think is truly in
a class of his own in this historic running back.
Class like this guy is not, good he's not, great
(41:51):
he is super. Elite that's.
Speaker 1 (41:54):
Interesting, Oh Diamon, simon do you have thoughts on that
you're a draft, Guy you're a dynasty draft.
Speaker 3 (41:59):
Guy, yeah it's.
Speaker 2 (42:01):
AGAIN i, Mean field's doing it the nicest way to
you chat where it's like you need so much info,
nowadays all in your league in the settings that it's
really hard to say what you should do in your rookie.
Draft like in my league last, YEAR i had the
fifth pick in this nice League i've had with my
buddies for fifteen, years AND i luckily worked my magic
Got Jane daniels BECAUSE i just kept talking about everyone.
(42:23):
ELSE i, go you're looking at Pass On, harrison all time, receiver,
neighbors all time my, receiver And Jane daniels felt to.
Me and it's in a TWO qb, league and NOW
i might have a top five guy for the next
ten to fifteen.
Speaker 3 (42:34):
Years so my view of it.
Speaker 2 (42:36):
IS i probably would go what he talked. About if
we're doing overall, Right Chase jefferson always go. Receiver receiver
is by far the safest spot right in the Dynasty.
League you want someone that's going to play for a
long time and their injury risk is. Mitigated and you,
know on the flip, side looking at this draft and
just this upcoming, SEASON i would just Love this is
(42:59):
a personal. Question is not a, Dude i'm not gonna
help anyone. Else Brian Thompson. Junior where do you put
him on this level wide? Receivers BECAUSE i got him
as a steal my dynasty. LEAGUE i love. HIM i
feel like it doesn't matter whose quarterback is gonna. Be
this kid's talent is just out of when we saw
it last. Year Mac jones came. In, yeah, still this
guy was putting up insane. Numbers what's your view on.
(43:19):
Him is he already a top five receiver in fantasy
football or is he more top ten back in top?
Speaker 3 (43:24):
TEN i, MEAN i think he's got a chance to
be in that top, Five AND i actually think my
favorite calls in fantasy are NOT i, MEAN i would
have loved to have been all Over pokinakua last year
going into his rookie season and been, LIKE i think
the guy's got top ten, upside and then have him
be whatever it was wide receiver for or. Something BUT
i actually think the calls that are to me more
(43:48):
satisfying are the ones where it's there's a guy who's
really good, already we know, that, right but when you
build your list from, scratch he doesn't quite crack THE. Si,
Right he's the really awesome, player but not quite in
that same, cut because those are the more likely, jumps, Right,
like that's much more likely than some fifth round wide
(44:09):
receiver becoming a top five play again this. Season SO
i admit that this time of the YEAR i focus
much more of my draft rankings than my fantasy. Rankings
BUT i would imagine off tough that the first three
receivers and some first four receivers in some order are
going to Be Jamar, Chase, Justin, JEFFERSON. C. D, lamb
(44:29):
And Aman Ross Saint, brown and THEN i would say
that fifth is open Between. Pooka probably pook would be.
Five then it would be some sort of combination Of
Brian Thomas. JUNIOR i PROBABLY Aj brown will be in that.
CONVERSATION i, mean that's the kind of tier that we're talking,
About like IT'S Aj, Brown Brian Thomas. Jr i'm sure
(44:52):
forgetting A Malik neighbors of, course like a few others
in that same. Category BUT btj is, awesome and you,
know he really did show that quarterback quarterback agnostic value
That i'm not saying it's the fault of receivers when
they can't overcome poor quarterback, play but, man is it
a comforting feeling when you see them ball with you,
(45:12):
know sub standard at best quarterback play for much of the.
Speaker 1 (45:14):
Year football is the fucking.
Speaker 3 (45:18):
Best amend better.
Speaker 1 (45:20):
Myself oh my, GOD i just love the. Best like
thinking About Brian thomas and the plays he was making last.
Year he was A he was a, miracle he really.
Speaker 3 (45:30):
Was AND i mean the only good thing about that
offense Once Trevor lawrence went down Was Brian. Thomas YOU i,
mean they were a mess across the board, basically and
you know that's a team that has some optimism right.
Now they got to nail this. Draft but the only
THING i can count on For jacksonville going forward Is
Brian Thomas junior is the.
Speaker 2 (45:48):
Man and gives him love to our Guy Chris raybond
who loved him last year and gave out another. GUY
i want to talk About Buck Irving and you, know
are we in a new age here field of running
back WHERE i was someone who's made a lot of
money doing season long best ball leagues WHERE i would
take a running back around one or two and then
not take another running back until round twelve or, thirteen,
(46:10):
right kind of basically fade running, backs take the. Backups
guys always get. Hurt last, year no one got hurt.
Hurt studs played out and their value shifted. Tremendously where
are we in a year now where we're gonna have
five six guys running backs in the first round once,
again like it's two thousand and, Eight like what's are?
Speaker 3 (46:27):
Happening we? Are and by the, way before people get, mad,
yes we Know christian McCaffrey missed all of last year, basically,
Right so other than, him, though when you think about
the top Dog, Saque Derek henry And Jamior gibbs And James,
connor on on on and, on the guys who were
like in the top ten by the end of the,
season they played all. Year i'm missing, others of, course
but you get the. POINT i think, SO i really
do think. So LIKE i think that people are gonna
(46:49):
say you just have to have them because they show
there in This we talked about recency bias earlier in
the idea of the combine and how it influences draft.
Sock but, YES i believe we're gonna see a very
running back heavy start next, year especially because one factor
we probably don't have him play next year is Like
Travis kelce being like a top five. Pick, Right it's
(47:11):
gonna be Brought bowers but a little bit lower than.
That and you might make the case, that like there
is After, brock there are more quality. Options you, know
kill was right there as well on the points per game,
basis but there just have been. More we'll see probably
more quarterback fades this year, Too Like lamar was great last,
Year Josh allen was great last. Year Jayden daniels was,
(47:31):
Great Jalen hurst was. Great but you may say to, yourself,
like we don't have the one supernova that quarterback that
you have to draft him, early and that's the edge you.
GAIN i think the edge you're going to gain in
people's minds going into the season is you either have
running back depth or you. Don't and next thing you,
know It's week two of the playoffs and you're starting
The cardinals third string running back even Though James, connor you,
(47:54):
know it's still. Healthy like, That that's WHERE i think
things are going to land this.
Speaker 1 (47:57):
Year this is the greatest football Conversation i've had in a.
Speaker 3 (48:03):
Months, yesterday since yesterday with your.
Speaker 1 (48:06):
SUN i was talking to my son at dinner last. Night,
yeah this is.
Speaker 3 (48:11):
Great i'll see it A West Harford pizza establishment later.
On they'll do it. Again.
Speaker 1 (48:16):
Absolutely as a, reminder The favorite podcast is presented By
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Welcome to The Favorites, the podcast presented by BET three
sixty five. We are part of the Volume Podcast Network.
I am Chad Milman of the Action Network. I'm live
from my Tommy John home studio, and I'm joined as
always by my co host, my companion, Mike Capadre, my
BFF professional vetter, Simon Hunter Ello.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Simon Chad, How are we doing, brother, dude?
Speaker 1 (00:31):
I'm so psyched for today's show. We are going hardcore football, hardcore,
free agency, hardcore draft. We are joined by one of
ESPN's top talent and NFL draft and fantasy analysts, one
of the swellest people in all of sports media, the
pride of the Wesleyan University Cardinals, my neighbor here in
(00:52):
West Harford, Connecticut. Welcome back to the show, Field Yates.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
It's good to be on. It's kind of like an
annual tradition. Now, I guess after you do it twice,
an annual tradition, because if memory serves, the last appearance
was around this time of the year last year, and.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
Since then we had you on, didn't we have you on?
In August?
Speaker 3 (01:09):
You know, everything is everything blur.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
Just maybe you had just injured your shoulder.
Speaker 3 (01:15):
Oh, okay, you know what, I gotta be honest with you,
that shoulder. They say that the biggest issue is, like,
you know, the actual like the capacity to come back
to one hundred percent with your shoulder. I just think
it's clouded my memory. Everything is a blur over the
last six or seven months since suffering one is considered
by many the single dumbest injury in the history of
sports media, just in sports in general.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
Well, listen, I'll tell you a story from last night. Okay,
that'll make you feel so much better. So I'm talking
to my son, my eighteen year old son. We're talking
about the Bears. Of course during the day as he's
supposed to be in school. You know, he's a second
semester senior, so he's not paying too much attention right now.
He's just texting me about the Bears trade for Joe Toney,
(01:58):
which we are going to dig into. When I mentioned
to him while I'm making dinner and he's hanging out
with me, that were having you on the show today,
and my kid says, oh, I think he's friends with
our neighbors. I saw them once and we were talking
about sports and they mentioned him and I said, yeah,
he is. I've seen Field at their house and he
lives in town. And he said to me, you don't
(02:18):
have a lot of friends. You should just hang out
with Field, and I said, I said, I said, no,
he's young, he's better looking, we're famous. It's just going
to make me feel bad about myself. And then I
did tell him that we saw you and your beautiful
family at dinner one night and you had your young
(02:38):
kids at the dinner tables about a month ago. You
had one kid in your lap, one kid was running
around the table. My wife and I actually said out loud,
we kind of felt bad about it. That looks miserable.
We would not trade places with you, no matter how
much you have going for you.
Speaker 3 (02:56):
I can remember that instance very well, and what I
will say is, as turns out, I'm once again by
myself right now with my kids. My wife doesn't travel often,
but when she does, it seems to be aligned with
when you and I are either talking or hanging out
in the same place. I learn my lesson that time.
I thought, hey, you know what, I've got both kids
to myself. I am this well established girl dad that
(03:18):
can handle anything that comes my way. Why don't I
take them out to dinner. That was a poor decision.
So the itinerary for the next three nights, because this
is now one night into a four night departure for
my wife, is to maybe, if we're feeling very adventurous,
get in the car and drive through somewhere. That's as
far as we will go. There will no be going
inside of establishments this weekend other than gymnastis, class and
(03:40):
a couple of other things that we are required to
attend as we are every single weekend.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
I'm going to stay so far away from your side
of town smart. As a reminder, the Favorite podcast is
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before we get to field and all the burning questions
(04:29):
from the NFL, very quickly. Reminder officially OURSVP for our
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(04:51):
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Live event, Chicago. All right, let's kick it off field
number one. Yesterday was a huge day of news in
(05:14):
the NFL. DK Metcalf wants a trade the Bears trade
for Joe Toney. But the biggest news to me, Max
Crosby signed a three year, one hundred and five million
dollar contract ninety million guaranteed. That feels like folly to me.
Your take, Okay, So.
Speaker 3 (05:33):
Here's what I would say. You know, there's been a
lot of turnover in Las Vegas, so they haven't even
been to Las Vegas Raiders for that long, and they've
had a lot of coaching and general manager changes in
that time. Josh McDaniels and Dave Zigler were replaced eventually
by Antonio Pearce and Tom to LESCo, and then they
decided to make the shift one more time. Now it's
John Spytech as their GM with Pete Carroll as their
(05:54):
head coach. Bad probably for Vibes to be making that
many changes, and not ideal for young quarterbacks to constantly
be shifting systems. Probably pretty good for star players. One
of the messages that we heard yesterday from John Spytech
and Pete Carroll was because there was a press conference
that was associated with this landmark deal, was Hey, we're
(06:16):
just getting started here, and what better way to get
started than to affirm to the entire locker room that
it's not just that Max is our most talented player,
it's that Max carries himself and puts in the work
required to be great. That if every player followed his lead,
we'd be a whole lot better. So I'm not saying
(06:38):
that the Raiders, if they had kept their prior administration,
would not have touched Max Max Crosby's contract last year.
They did the oll borrow from a future year accelerated
onto the present year, which basically forces their hand back
to the table the year later. But yeah, the Raiders
are trying to make a statement here. And one thing
(06:58):
I will say about Las Vegas and I that I
probably align closer to you with this is like, I,
if I were the Raiders, would be thinking long and
hard about what is my legitimate path towards the playoffs?
In this division, the Chiefs, despite the humble pie served
in the Super Bowl, are still the Chiefs. The Broncos
and the Chargers are two teams that both made the
(07:19):
playoffs and are on the rise. Each of those three
teams has both a young quarterback and a very accomplished
and I think we all believe still has some good
coaching left in him head coach. If you're the Raiders,
would you rather play a bit more of the long
game or try to find your way to sneak in
to the playoffs sooner than later. It sounds like when
you hire a seventy three year old head coach and
Pete Carroll, who the second he steps on this sideline
(07:41):
this fall, would be the oldest coach in league history,
and you have Tom Brady as one of your principal voices.
Your mindset is we want to win sooner rather than later,
and so the Max Crosby extension is an affirmation that
we're going to continue to build around Max and a
few other players, and we expect to win, maybe not
win big this year, but when sooner rather than later?
(08:05):
I am I would have been more inclined to soft
reset and try to build this thing organically. But that's
easy for me to say when my I'm not in
the weeds every single day competing with that locker room,
and the one who is not judged based off of
the wins and losses of the franchise, like Pete Carroll
(08:25):
and John Spytech, will be going forward.
Speaker 1 (08:28):
Simon, this feels like a tragically terrible move. Is that
cannot get it right for a player who last year,
this feels to me like the owner is constantly trying
to play Kate and be friends with the star player.
Because last year, when Antonio Pierce went from interim coach
(08:51):
to head coach, it was because Max Crosby said he
didn't want to play with the Raiders if Antonio Pierce
wasn't going to be the head coach. So we talked
about the Raiders in the mailbag, like this is creeping
up as one of the teams consistently. I feel like
as a fan, I'd never want to root for.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
Yeah, And it's it's tough if you're a Raiders fan
because you're not one or two pieces away, right, you
are multiple years away. And it's interesting that division for
the five oldest head coaches in that division, Like that's
people don't realize that's an old school type of division
now when you really think about it, where a lot
of these guys have been around forever and they're winners,
they're proven winners, and they're in a weird spot now
(09:32):
where you know, the other three teams seem like they
found their quarterback and this team here like i'd love
to get fields view on it. Are they really going
for Gino Smith? Are they really in the Sam Darnold business?
There's so many rumors and it's NonStop too. Where I
told Chad last week, I almost got caught. I almost
bet on them because I thought it was a sure
thing that Stafford was going there, that the ink was drying,
that that was a real deal move. It wasn't. That
(09:54):
was all just him leveraging his position with the Rams.
So is it true fields? Are they going after one
of these quarterbacks? Are they just you know, gonna release
Minshew here and then just roll with whatever they can
find the draft this upcoming season.
Speaker 3 (10:06):
I would imagine that the most likely thing that happens
at Geno Smith this offseason is an extension with Seattle
as opposed to being on the move. I don't know
the exact number there, but Gino is going into the
final year of a three year, one hundred million dollar deal.
There was some upside on top of that through incentives,
some of which Gino has already hit. I think you're
more likely to see Geno do a remix of that deal.
(10:27):
Maybe it's more because the quarterback market has exploded and
he is playing good football and we don't talk about
tread on the tires for quarterbacks that often, but he's
one of the least experience isn't the right word, but
the least utilized players at that position for his age, right,
because he had like basically that I don't know, seven
eight year period where he just watched most games from
(10:49):
the sideline. So Gino I think is probably gonna stick
in Seattle going forward. I think the Raiders are going
to be in the mix on some of these quarterbacks,
and really there's only one that moves the needle. That
would be Sam Darnold. I'd say this is it's possible
the Raiders could get Shador Sanders sixth overall in the draft.
It's also possible the Raiders could be motivated to try
(11:09):
to move up in the draft because the thing about
April twenty fourth through twenty sixth the Green Bay, Wisconsin
this year is, yeah, it's possible he falls to you,
but he also might not. And if you don't get
your quarterback in the draft, you did nothing in free agency.
You're basically punting on the season. No team can win
with the level of quarterback play that they had last year.
The roster is simply not nearly good enough to compete.
(11:32):
So I think there's a chance they get in the
Sam Darnold mix, and then I think if they don't,
it tells us they're feeling pretty good about how they
can plot their path in the draft. You just can't
afford to wait the Giants, the Browns, the Titans. I
reversed the order there, but I would say that those
two those three teams in that order are most desperate
(11:53):
for a quarterback. When you've got three, they pick one, two, three,
and you're at six, like you just can't settle for
the possibility of maybe a quarterback getting there. So the
Raiders are going to be aggressive. This would not be
the off season that I would be shopping for a
quarterback in an aggressive way. But they are looking at
(12:14):
it like we don't have that many strikes in our
count and we're not going to just take one before
the games have actually begun.
Speaker 1 (12:21):
So the other team that they had moved yesterday, the
Chiefs got rid of Joe Toney and they lopped off
sixteen million from the cap, which they needed to do.
Unity was sort of the star of that offensive line
this year, not just for the way he was playing
a guard but for the way he shifted out to
(12:42):
left tackle and was serviceable when that was clearly the
biggest achilles heel for the Chiefs. And even if it
wasn't a great Super Bowl performance, this is a guy
who accrued so much respect in the locker room and
then throughout the league, but they had to get rid
of him as they needed to save the money. If
you're the Bears and you've got Josiah Jackson now from
(13:06):
the Rams and Joe Tooney from the Chiefs, do you
think you have solidified your interior line or have you
just taken guys who are maybe one who underperformed because
of injury and then something quirky that happened in LA
with Jackson, or a guy who's old and might have
had his last best spot and was just really expensive.
(13:27):
Like how am I supposed to feel about this as
a Bears fan?
Speaker 3 (13:31):
Really good, is what I would say. So let's talk
about this. Let's break it down in a couple of
different ways. You have this head coach and Ben Johnson,
who of course chose Chicago over pretty much any job
he wanted. Right that was substantial. It was a big
move for this franchise, and it spoke to I think
the way that Ben views the roster already and also
how I think he've used the front office and the
vision and the cohesion he felt during that interview process
(13:52):
with Ryan Poles and Kevin Warren, the GM and the
president of the Bears, amongst others who were also in
that mix. That being said, it's still important once you
land the coach that you make him happy beyond that, right, Like,
you know, you want to woo him during the interview
process to incentivize him to take this job, and then
you want to show him just how much on the
(14:12):
same page you two are. And you know, Jonah Jackson
is familiar to Ben Johnson. Four year starter for Ben
Johnson in Detroit, right, I mean the guy played left
guard for the first four years of his rookie contract.
I guess the entire day of his rookie contract with
the Lions. I'm sure that Ben had a prominent voice
in this process to acquire Jonah. It wasn't as if,
(14:33):
you know, the Bears went to him and said we're
thinking about acquiring Jonah. He said, I think I'm good
on that guy. Will maybe go a different direction. They said, no, no,
we're Acquiring him like that does not get done if
Ben Johnson was not confident in the player that he
still is Joe Tony. This is a good reminder that
circumstances are different for every single team. The Chiefs could
not go five minutes this past year without discussing just
(14:55):
how respected Joe Tooney is. He was in a locker
room that is full of future Hall of Fame player.
Certainly Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelcey and Chris Jones has
that trajectory, and maybe a couple of others get there.
By the time it's all said and done, Joe Toney
was frequently referred to as amongst the most if not
the most respected, dependable players on the entire roster. The
chief season was not falling apart. They lost one game
(15:18):
during the regular season until Week eight team when the
backups played against the Broncos. That being said, it was
clear their ceiling was not at the same level as
it had been in prior years in which they made
deep playoff runs. Because the offensive line was a disaster.
They took some swings. They have drafted in the third
and second round juan Ye Morris and Kingsley's Suamata Eya, respectively,
(15:39):
and those guys just weren't ready for prime time. So
they said, let's take our best offensive lineman, Joe Tooney
and make him a left tackle, which he was, by
the way, a first team All American at North Carolina
State way back when he came out. But Joe Tooney
has the strongest stamp of approval from Bill Belichick and
Andy Reid. I would say it's a pretty good starting point.
Does he have five years left in him? Probably not,
(16:01):
But does he have two years left in him? I
sure think so. And I think I don't know this
for a fact. I haven't seen it report anywhere. I'm
just using my common sense here. Wouldn't stun me if
the Bears and Joe too, and you find a way
to do some sort of short term pact that maybe
guarantees Joe all of this season, which he's gonna make
that money from the Bears no matter what. You don't
(16:21):
trade for a guy and then cut him, but guarantees
him this year, maybe some of next year as well.
Maybe they say, hey, we'll do a three year deal
that reduces your cap hit a little bit this year,
maybe your average annual value drops down by a little bit.
So maybe a one year, sixteen million dollar deal turns
into a three year forty two million dollar deal where
the third and final year is non guaranteed. So Joe's
(16:42):
no longer giving it. He doesn't no longer has that
elite upside in him at age thirty four or thirty five,
which you don't see many of those in the NFL
will move on. But in the short term, the Bears
have completely reconstructed not just the talent of their offensive
line room, but I really think that the I would say,
the leadership, the maturity, the intangibles to that lock to
(17:03):
that offensive line room, which when you've got a young
quarterback with so many gifts but had so many things
last year that just did not work out in his favor,
you got to find ways to pour every resource into him.
And with Ben Jonson, of these two offensive linemen, it's
a darn good start for them, really good.
Speaker 1 (17:19):
I may or may not. Yesterday after the Bears traded
for Joe Toney, have decided that the interior offensive line,
which to me might be the most important point of
sort of strategy and competence that you need to run
an offense with a guy like Kayleb Williams who got
sacked so much last year. I might have felt overconfident.
(17:42):
I may or may not have been in the Bears
to win the Super Bowl. I'm just saying, Simon, I.
Speaker 3 (17:47):
Think you're required to do so every year, right, isn't
that just like in the Milman Blood I am.
Speaker 1 (17:52):
I am required to do it. But I might have
done it yesterday with more enthusiasm than I have in
years past, sin since justin fields prior to this past year.
So it's been two years since I felt this confidence,
which is a run.
Speaker 3 (18:07):
Yeah that is.
Speaker 2 (18:09):
And they might not be done yet. Yeah, I've heard
the rumors they might go up to the center from Atlanta.
Speaker 1 (18:13):
Yes, Drew Dollman is the fourth.
Speaker 2 (18:15):
Best center of football, so that would just be huge, huge.
You keep adding that.
Speaker 1 (18:20):
Think about how many times we've talked about the Falcons
running game and the most important part of their running
game being their center in their right car. Yep, same system, Yeah,
same system scheme, Yes, exactly.
Speaker 3 (18:33):
So.
Speaker 1 (18:33):
Of course, because my kid isn't paying attention in his
ap psychology class, yesterday, we were texting about the Bears
getting Drew Dolmen and how important he has been to
the Atlanta Falcons run game. That's when I pulled the trigger,
by the way, on the Super Bowl that it was
after I decided they were getting Drew Dolman.
Speaker 3 (18:50):
Last thing, I'll say it here on the Bears. I'm
sure we want to get to other topics as well.
You can say whatever you want about Ryan Pole, So
I happened to believe has done a pretty good job
in terms of in a few ways. First of all,
they made a masterstroke trade to land Caleb Williams. He's
going to be a good player. I still believe that
was an excellent deal. On top of that, the books
are clean here in Chicago for the most part. Like
they've made two trades for guys and Jonah and Joe
(19:13):
who are counting for like thirty plus million dollars in
twenty twenty five as the contracts are currently written, they
still have like fifty million to spend. Right, And there
are some in house free agents that will see on right,
like Keenan Allen probably seems like he's not likely to return,
but we shall see, right, Like, the books have largely
(19:34):
been kept clean, and Chicago is not one of those teams.
And this is not a negative, but they don't push
all their money into the future a la Philly, Cleveland,
New Orleans, Pittsburgh, et cetera. Like they kind of keep
structure flat. So there are actually is some good wiggle
room here for this team to despite the fact that
they've already made two notable trades, do go big game
(19:55):
hunting maybe and Drew Dollman, maybe some other pieces as well.
Speaker 2 (19:59):
I know Chia was good draft before we get their chat,
I needed to know more about DK because to me,
it's a big deal where this might structure a whole division.
That division is the AFC East. Can't everyone I'm hearing
from is Bills Patriots? If they're the two teams playing
for DK field here is locked in with the Patriots?
Is that true? Is that really the guy the pitcher's
going after? Is that a smoke screen by them to
(20:21):
drive the price to the Bills try to get DK
because it's it's a last year right a DK's deal.
So if he gets traded here, he is gonna get
paid a big, big amount of money.
Speaker 3 (20:29):
Fifty factors to note here, and you're right of the
contract is I think if the Seahawks get this done,
they're gonna work very hard to make sure he's an
AFC team. It's not that you can't trade a player
from the NFC to another team in the NFC, but
there's something a little bit different about this high profile
trades where you know, if DK gets traded to the Patriots,
the Seahawks play them once every four years, they play
(20:52):
them in Seattle once every eight years. Like, I haven't
done the math or checked when New England last played
or Buffalo last played in Seattle, But I mean, it's
possible that DK could be on. He could be retired
by the time they next play in Buffalo if it
was this past year, right, that that is possible, And
it's a factor that I think teams are somewhat mindful of.
So let's start there. I think AFC would be the preference,
(21:14):
all things being equal. On top of that, you're right,
he's gonna need a new deal as well. He's scheduled
to make eighteen million bucks this year. He signed a
three year, seventy two million dollar extension a few off
seasons ago. That no longer is commensurate with the market.
It just isn't. Jamar Chase probably explode the wide receiver market,
(21:35):
but it's already boomed a lot since DK did his deal.
So if you're a team it's acquiring Dk Metcalf, you
have to account for not just the draft capital that
Seattle once, but also the fat they're gonna have to
pay Dk Metcalf, which kind of deflates the draft capital
value a little bit. You're paying double freight in this case.
DK is an interesting one, right, So such a talented player, explosive,
(21:58):
he's one of the best deep thatt receivers in the
entire NFL. He also is a player that has run
hot and cold, right. I mean, this is a guy
who at times we've been talking about him and need
to control his emotions. More so, I think he needs
to go somewhere where he feels as though he's got
a chance to win, right, And so I think New
England do they need him desperately? Yeah? They do? And
(22:18):
do I think that the Patriots have some things going
for them. Drake may certainly looks like he's a really
promising player, and Mike Vrabel is a stud head coach,
But I think they're more than Dk Metcalf away from
getting anywhere close to competing in that division. So I
think I might be looking more towards teams actually like
the Chargers, who have been reported as a DK Metcalf suitor.
I think the Texans have been mentioned. I think the
(22:39):
Bills have been mentioned. Teams like that that if you're
DK or if you're those teams, you're saying to yourself, hey,
we get this guy. We might be the team to
beat in the AFC. This is unfair to the Chiefs
in my opinion, But right now, I'm just telling you
talking to people around the NFL, this is and not
every person right I haven't canvassed every single person who
has an opinion, but I've talked to enough people that
(23:01):
feel like they're there's some sharks in the water right now,
right like they feel as though Kansas City is going
to be excellent next year, but that the Super Bowl
reminded them that you can still make the playoffs and
do some damage if you're not the Kansas City Chiefs.
And I think people feel as though, well, Casey deserves
to be the favorite, and I'm sure they will be
(23:23):
at least in the AFC West. You know, you might
be able to get them in a one game scenario
as well. And breathe some life into your franchise.
Speaker 1 (23:32):
So you were at the combine. I'm sure you were
having a lot of these conversations that give me your
most impressive prospect from the combine.
Speaker 3 (23:46):
So I did not spend a lot of time at
the podiums or the players. We're speaking to the media.
So I'll give my evaluation just from like a from
the perspective of what he did on the field. And
it's polarizing, it is, it's probably it's probably Shamar Stewart
or Matthew Golden from two separate Texas schools, Texas A
and M for Shamar Stewart and Matthew Golden at Texas.
(24:08):
And I'll lean towards Golden for this reason. Is I
prefer when the combine looks like the tape, and the
tape looks like the combine as opposed to the combine
not perfectly aligning with the tape. So Shamar Stewart, I've
used this phrase fifty times, might as well make it
fifty one times, is the most fascinating prospect in the draft.
He six foot five. He dropped from two hundred and
(24:30):
eighty pounds to two hundred and sixty four pounds from
the senior Bowl to the combine, which is like a
month apart, so he may have been like in combine
training mode, but still at two hundred and sixty four pounds,
you were in a four to six oh forty. He
had one of the best vertical jumps of any defensive
player at like forty or forty one inches. His broad
jump was eleven feet. The guy, if you saw him,
(24:52):
is one of the most impressive looking humans that you
will see. He had four and a half sacks in
his career though four and a half, one and a
half in each of his three seasons at A and M,
so you're gonna pay the guy to be a pass rusher,
and he had just one and a half sacks each
of his three college seasons. He's a really, really talented
player and a really solid kid too. This is not
(25:15):
a kid who just didn't produce because he wasn't engaged.
It was just couldn't quite finish the job on these sacks.
I think he's gonna end up going as high as
like pick seven, eight, ten. I have him a little
bit lower in the rankings because I'm just a bit
more risk averse pulling. You know, that would be a
big bet on a guy who had such a modest
(25:36):
college career. Matthew Golden from Texas at one hundred and
ninety one pounds. We're going to four two nine forty
and this kid can scoot. He had a really good season.
He had just one year at Texas. He was previously
at Houston, but he had a great finish to the year.
In two of the final four games Texas played, he
had one hundred and forty nine or more receiving yards.
(25:57):
I wish he had gotten to one hundred and fifty
because one hundred and forty nine just sounds a little
bit awkward. That being said, you guys get the point.
He was big when it mattered most for Texas, and
he can fly like that is clear on tape. He
was the second fastest player in Indianapolis, behind only Max Harriston,
a guy who I've loved throughout the process from Kentucky
at four to eight. That being said, Golden, a guy
(26:20):
who I think I who grew on me throughout the
year because his play improved throughout the year, shouldn't be viewed,
at least in my estimation, as a first round lock.
Speaker 1 (26:29):
Don't we have enough evidence at this point of guys
who are physical freaks and didn't perform in college not
being the best reaches for the NFL draft.
Speaker 3 (26:41):
Yeah. Yes, that being said, there are like things that
are tantalizing in life that we consistently go back to
all the time. Right, it's just hard not to, you know, Like,
you know, or do you prefer fashion over function when
it comes to your car, or you know things like that, right,
or like people will sacrifice warmth or comfort with their
clothing to look a little bit cooler. You know, it's
(27:02):
like it's just hard not to, you know. So I
think probably the truth is that Shamar Stewart, he's going
to be one of those guys that a GM either
gets the feather in the cap or perhaps the walking
papers from a few years from now. Right, you either
sit there you look at genius because you were audacious
enough to take a kid whose skills were so so enticing,
(27:22):
or hey, the guy ends up in three years with
just four and a half sacks at the NFL level
and that's just not good enough from a first round pick.
It was paid to rush the passer.
Speaker 2 (27:31):
It's like that James Harris quote chat it's I'm not
a model. That's why I wasn't a buddy in the combine.
I'm a football player.
Speaker 3 (27:37):
Yeah, yeah, that's an issue. Right.
Speaker 2 (27:38):
There's a couple of guys that looked the part. Are
they a football player? So yeah, I mean off that topic.
You know, I've heard Quinn yrr is the guy who
heard his draft prospect of the combine. Are there anyone
that jumps out through that really hurt their draft stock
from the combine? Because we know that, you know, guys
are sitting out the combine nowadays because of this fear,
this exact fear of hurting their own draft stock.
Speaker 3 (27:58):
You know, I'll give you a few guys performed or
didn't perform in the way in which I think he
could helped them or hurt them, or help them by
doing the opposite. Here, I love Tyler Booker. He's a
really good player from Alabama. I think he still goes
in the first round, but he ended up doing all
the testing after measuring at like six', five you're hundred
and twenty five. Pounds he's a big. Human he's A
connecticut kid by the way as. WELL i think he's new.
(28:20):
Haveymn but this is like this guy is hard to
miss and he had a great college career At. ALABAMA
i mean you hear, IT i mean they just they love.
Him Nick, saban who will be on the Broadcast i'm,
sure will have glowing things to say About. Booker athletic
testing though just wasn't Great and there are teams that
are just a little bit scared on guards who aren't that.
Explosive he ran a five three nine. Forty doesn't matter
(28:41):
how fast you are as a, Guard, no but you
know it also suggests that your foot quickness is not
in line with where some of these defensive tackles. ARE
i still think he goes to the first, round BUT
i moved him down from like maybe a guy that
could go as high as like thirteen fourteen to maybe
a guy that ends up going like twenty twenty. One
Teammate Jalen, MILROE i think actually would have benefited from
(29:02):
doing some stuff at the. Combine the throwing is always
going to be a hot, topic but don't you guys
Think AND i don't want to put words into your,
mouth so if you disagree vehemently let me. Know but
If Jalen milroe had gone to the combine and run
a four three five, FORTY i think it would have
helped him a lot because it would have been a
reminder to people that for the deficiency he does have
(29:25):
right now is a pocket and rhythm. Passer he's one
of the most explosive players in THE. Nfl in the,
draft he just is like i'd be If i'm Taking
Jalen milroe AND i haven't. Finished i'm working on my
top one hundred right. Now it's not, finished it won't
be for some. Time there's a lot of work to
be done. There but you can tell Me jalen deserves
to be. Fortieth you could also say he might be
(29:46):
closer to seventy. Fifth he's such a tantalizing. GUY i
think if he had, run it really would have helped
remind us of why he is so. Intriguing and you,
know just generally, speaking like running backs and wide receivers
that don't run great to come out of the combine
feel a little bit. Different Caleb johnson From iowa's a
really great. Player it was just like a perfect fit
for a zone. Scheme he just wants to put one
(30:08):
foot in the ground and just it's get a great,
vision just hit the hole and go run a four or, five,
seven not a great number for. Him so running backs
and wide receivers that missed that speed mark are always
going to be impacted in a negative. Way. Unfortunately we
just you just don't see many four or five or
faster excuse, me four or five or slower wide receivers
going round. One and if you're closer to four to
(30:28):
six than four or, five it might mean That Caleb
johnson goes sixtieth as opposed TO i thought maybe thirty
Fifth at one point during the, PROCESS.
Speaker 1 (30:36):
I feel, like h everybody would be better. Off maybe
you disagree with, This, okay everyone would be better off
if nobody worked out at the combine and you just
used film that you had and the players on the
field and what you did at the, Combine you did your,
Interviews you got to meet with the players one on.
(30:57):
One you got to know them, Personally you got to
get a sen to who they. Are you got to
see how they perform in front of the. MEDIA i
think the combine creates such recency bias that he screws
up the metrics and the measurements and the feelings for
all the people who have been doing the work all
season long and changes the calculus on this. STUFF i
(31:17):
think it's a terrible way to try to manage the
draft because you go into it, thinking oh my, GOD
i just saw a Superhero Jalen. Milroe judgement on what you.
Saw we've got so much film On Jalen. Milroe if
you need the combine In Jalen milroe to run a four,
three five point forty to, decide oh my, god we
(31:38):
have to get this. Guy and then you get him
in a camp and, realize wait a, second he's not
an accurate. Passer he's just a really dynamic. Athlete shame on,
you not your, field but on the.
Speaker 3 (31:48):
Scouts So i'll take it one step. Further we're in
the same vicinity, here but a little bit. Different i've
wondered why we don't have the draft five days after
The National championship, game, Right and you, THINK i wonder, if,
like AND i hope this has not come across as
piling on BECAUSE i was incredibly, optimistic like in a
detrimental manner On Anthony richardson for fantasy football purposes last,
(32:11):
Year does that guy go? Forth? Overall if the combine
is excuse, me if the draft is done On january,
twentieth as opposed To april. Twentieth you have three months
to think and overthink, stuff you, Know And i'm sitting
here thinking to, Myself, okay, YEAH i, mean it is
impressive that some of these Guys Chamar stewart And Anthony
richardson can run as fast as they can at that.
Size but if every coach AND gm says the starting
(32:34):
point of the evaluation is the, tape maybe it'll be.
Different and you, know the is it a shorter window to?
EVALUATE i, mean, yes for the first, time but it
won't be for every year after, that. Right it just
means that your scouts startup on the twenty twenty sixth
draft On january thirtieth of twenty twenty, five as opposed
To april thirtieth of twenty twenty. Five so it is
(32:59):
an interesting. Debate AND i do wonder about how the
combine will look in future years because of the number
of players that are opting out AND i meet optioning
out of the testing of, course because they all still showed.
Up but last, YEAR i, Mean Marvin Harrison junior showed,
up did interviews? MEASURED i think just Left Jaden daniels
from the. League neighbors didn't even take, measurements and those
(33:20):
guys had two of the greatest rookie seasons we've ever.
Seen so it's sort of, like if those guys are
gonna be completely unbothered by their participation or lacked the
up with the, combine what is the point of. It
it's a fascinating. Debate you. KNOW i like the combine
still because of you, know the intel, gathering AND i
do enjoy seeing some of these kids who are more
(33:41):
Like day three players who can reaffirm or boost their.
Stock that being, said it's it's a very different event
when you're sitting there and each position group that comes,
by you're, like, okay so my top wide, receiver no
sign of, him top quarterbacks no sign of. Them it
just it just hits a little bit. Differently there's no
two ways around.
Speaker 2 (33:59):
Me WHEN i talked to Coaches chad the, combine, honestly
it's mental. Warfare it's not really about on the. Field
it's about making these kids, uncomfortable asking them crazy, questions
honestly talking shit to. Them like a lot of these
drills you see ON. Tv sometimes there are at ten
o'clock at, night like it's just messing with these kids'
heads and it always cracks me. Up but it's the
(34:21):
great part of that Movie Draft. Day did they go
to the kid's birthday? Party like that's what this three
months is. About all the stupid. Shit wonn't even think
about it to them trying to figure out who this
person is as a, man how are they mentally and
what will they be coming out of? It So i'm with, You.
CHAD i get like the combine can be a little
bit much at, times but OVERALL i love the idea
(34:41):
of it of they're just trying to poke and prong
with these guys and really figure stuff out what kind
of man they are because it is so. Mental and
you know a guy we heard a ton About chad
that might have not done the best of the combine Is, sanders,
RIGHT i mean this is a quarterback. Position he's polarizing
a lot of front. Offices what's your view on that? Field,
(35:01):
like what are you hearing about him right? Now Where
i'm of the mindset of teams that love him are
gonna absolutely talk about him and bash him to the
media right, now because that is the game of the,
draft Right they're gonna say they don't like the way
he spoke that he's, arrogant that he's two. Cocky they
probably love. That behind closed, doors they're just like, thinking of,
COURSE i don't be trading up to number one or
(35:21):
number two to get this. Kid so what are you
hearing about him right?
Speaker 3 (35:24):
Now? YEAH i take a lot of that stuff with
a grain of. Salts what's what's, Reported And i'm not
talking about the. People i'm just talking about like the
people that are. Reporting i'm just, saying like the content
because of what you're describing, silent is that like there
might be some, motivation, right there might be a motivation
to get this guy to, fall you, know like because
it's it's a completely unpredictable event and you're at the
(35:46):
mercy of. Others if you want to shift your draft, order,
right if you want to go from six to four
and you're The, raiders you got to convince The patriots
to do a. Trade you can't just, say, hey well
we'll slip, flop.
Speaker 1 (35:55):
Right SO.
Speaker 3 (35:58):
I have NOT i had a conversation with somebody WHO
i spent time With shador and explicitly has said to
me something that has negatively impacted my evaluation of. HIM
i Like schodor as a. Player i'm not as bullish
on either of the quarterbacks at the top AS i
was the first three last, year WHICH i think is
in line with where most people wind. UP i and
(36:22):
that has nothing to do with them as humans and
has she. Has it's just from a pure football from
a football talent evaluation. Standpoint so Cam, ward my top
thirty two will drop tomorrow ON espn sometime. Soon if not,
tomorrow it's very. Soon and Cam ward Is i'm, SORRY
i should know better six or, seven And shador is.
Seventeenth so AND i last, YEAR i mean those guys
(36:42):
at the. Top from the day the draft order was,
SAID i, said let's just move on to pick, four
because in some order is going to Be, Caleb Jaden.
Drake you decide which order it actually. Is more of
the question was would it Be jaden Or drake it
picked number. Two so, ANYWAYS i think those guys both.
GO i think Cam ward's going first. OVER i just
think that's where we've. LANDED i don't know to, who
but if to, somebody and The titans have found themselves
(37:05):
in a pretty good position, actually BECAUSE i do, believe
and again there's no such thing as a unanimous sentiment
in THE, nfl BUT i spoke to significantly more people
that if they had the option to choose Between Cam
mooord Or shoot Or, sanders would Prefer ward To sanders
while still Liking. Sanders it's not, like, HEY i Like
(37:25):
cam And schador does nothing for. Me it's just if
you're giving me the option one or the, other it's
a binary decision. Here i'm Taking Cam. Morton AND i
also think that because teams with their quarterback preferences in
some cases it is like you like one guy and
you don't like the. Other it's like house, hunting right
you might see two houses for homes for similar. Value
(37:48):
you really like, one but the other lacks three features
that you really feel are must and you're not going
to have any interest in. It SO i think The,
titans whether they want to take camboard or whether they
find a team that prefers cam word enough that they
would move ahead Of, cleveland who of course has number,
two they can get a pretty decent trade package. Here
but it wouldn't surprise me if the first three picks
(38:09):
in the draft are two quarterbacks and then one Of
Travis hunter Or Abdul, carter which means despite The patriots
winning In week eighteen and pushing them down to one to,
four they may well end up with one of to,
me the two best players in the. DRAFT i still
View Abdul carter Well Travis hunter first and Then Abdul
carter second is the two best players in this. Class.
Speaker 1 (38:31):
Simon even for elite, prospects THE nfl draft can be
a nerve racking. Experience think about. It after years of hard, work,
preparation and physical, sacrifice you endure the invasive poking and
prodding of the combine, process and then one day In,
april you get all dressed, up surrounded by loved ones
and hangers, on and you anxiously wait for the phone
to ring and your life to. Change and if front
(38:53):
offices don't like what they, see if they sent you
lack the proper, confidence that agonizing weight can turn into public. Humiliation,
Simon hunter And Field. YATES i can tell by the
looks on your faces you're thinking What i'm. Thinking it's
the same situation with our. Underpants if we work, hard
we make. Sacrifices we enjoyed the pokes and prods of
(39:13):
a demanding. Lifestyle but even when we're all dressed, up
surrounded by our own loved ones and hangers. On if
we lack the elite downstairs preparation and undercarriage confidence of, flexible,
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affairs are in. Order, simon why will you be wearing
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Speaker 3 (39:54):
Five because comfort is.
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com slash. Favorites Matt mitchell had a good time with that, one.
Speaker 3 (40:14):
You really it did well done By Matt.
Speaker 1 (40:17):
FIELD i want to switch quickly to fantasy for a
second dynasty. Draft, yeah THE nfl draft is a great
time to start thinking about dynasty. Draft if you are
drafting number one on the dynasty draft right, now who
do you? TAKE i THINK i know exactly who should. Go,
Okay i'm Curious simon's. TAKE i want your.
Speaker 3 (40:38):
Take rookie only or is this just or is this in?
General like, HEY i would.
Speaker 1 (40:42):
SAY i think it's, both like start from scratch and
then rookie.
Speaker 3 (40:46):
Only, Okay so If i'm starting from, scratch It's Jamar,
Chase i'm going to lean wide. Receiver just in, general
they're just a much longer shelf. Life and While Justin
jefferson And Jamar chase is a healthy, debate he's one year.
Younger more quarterback certainty there, right not that you, Know
Sam darnold showed last year that they know what they're
doing in terms of quarterback evaluation of. Development SO jj
(41:07):
could be, Great But Joe burrow is a you, know
AN NFL mvp or candidate to be AN NFL. Mvp
so that duo should go nowhere for a long. Time
that rookie, dynasty It's Ashton denty and it's not, close
especially because Maybe i'll be, surprised but it just feels
like he's gonna end up in a spot where like
(41:29):
if he goes To, VEGAS i might adjust my my
sentiment a little. Bit and Like omari And hampton went To,
denver they had the number one run block win rate
offensive line last, year and they need a, GUY i
might flip, that but without knowing where they're going to.
Land It's Ashton, denty WHO i think is truly in
a class of his own in this historic running back.
Class like this guy is not, good he's not, great
(41:51):
he is super. Elite that's.
Speaker 1 (41:54):
Interesting, Oh Diamon, simon do you have thoughts on that
you're a draft, Guy you're a dynasty draft.
Speaker 3 (41:59):
Guy, yeah it's.
Speaker 2 (42:01):
AGAIN i, Mean field's doing it the nicest way to
you chat where it's like you need so much info,
nowadays all in your league in the settings that it's
really hard to say what you should do in your rookie.
Draft like in my league last, YEAR i had the
fifth pick in this nice League i've had with my
buddies for fifteen, years AND i luckily worked my magic
Got Jane daniels BECAUSE i just kept talking about everyone.
(42:23):
ELSE i, go you're looking at Pass On, harrison all time, receiver,
neighbors all time my, receiver And Jane daniels felt to.
Me and it's in a TWO qb, league and NOW
i might have a top five guy for the next
ten to fifteen.
Speaker 3 (42:34):
Years so my view of it.
Speaker 2 (42:36):
IS i probably would go what he talked. About if
we're doing overall, Right Chase jefferson always go. Receiver receiver
is by far the safest spot right in the Dynasty.
League you want someone that's going to play for a
long time and their injury risk is. Mitigated and you,
know on the flip, side looking at this draft and
just this upcoming, SEASON i would just Love this is
(42:59):
a personal. Question is not a, Dude i'm not gonna
help anyone. Else Brian Thompson. Junior where do you put
him on this level wide? Receivers BECAUSE i got him
as a steal my dynasty. LEAGUE i love. HIM i
feel like it doesn't matter whose quarterback is gonna. Be
this kid's talent is just out of when we saw
it last. Year Mac jones came. In, yeah, still this
guy was putting up insane. Numbers what's your view on.
(43:19):
Him is he already a top five receiver in fantasy
football or is he more top ten back in top?
Speaker 3 (43:24):
TEN i, MEAN i think he's got a chance to
be in that top, Five AND i actually think my
favorite calls in fantasy are NOT i, MEAN i would
have loved to have been all Over pokinakua last year
going into his rookie season and been, LIKE i think
the guy's got top ten, upside and then have him
be whatever it was wide receiver for or. Something BUT
i actually think the calls that are to me more
(43:48):
satisfying are the ones where it's there's a guy who's
really good, already we know, that, right but when you
build your list from, scratch he doesn't quite crack THE. Si,
Right he's the really awesome, player but not quite in
that same, cut because those are the more likely, jumps, Right,
like that's much more likely than some fifth round wide
(44:09):
receiver becoming a top five play again this. Season SO
i admit that this time of the YEAR i focus
much more of my draft rankings than my fantasy. Rankings
BUT i would imagine off tough that the first three
receivers and some first four receivers in some order are
going to Be Jamar, Chase, Justin, JEFFERSON. C. D, lamb
(44:29):
And Aman Ross Saint, brown and THEN i would say
that fifth is open Between. Pooka probably pook would be.
Five then it would be some sort of combination Of
Brian Thomas. JUNIOR i PROBABLY Aj brown will be in that.
CONVERSATION i, mean that's the kind of tier that we're talking,
About like IT'S Aj, Brown Brian Thomas. Jr i'm sure
(44:52):
forgetting A Malik neighbors of, course like a few others
in that same. Category BUT btj is, awesome and you,
know he really did show that quarterback quarterback agnostic value
That i'm not saying it's the fault of receivers when
they can't overcome poor quarterback, play but, man is it
a comforting feeling when you see them ball with you,
(45:12):
know sub standard at best quarterback play for much of the.
Speaker 1 (45:14):
Year football is the fucking.
Speaker 3 (45:18):
Best amend better.
Speaker 1 (45:20):
Myself oh my, GOD i just love the. Best like
thinking About Brian thomas and the plays he was making last.
Year he was A he was a, miracle he really.
Speaker 3 (45:30):
Was AND i mean the only good thing about that
offense Once Trevor lawrence went down Was Brian. Thomas YOU i,
mean they were a mess across the board, basically and
you know that's a team that has some optimism right.
Now they got to nail this. Draft but the only
THING i can count on For jacksonville going forward Is
Brian Thomas junior is the.
Speaker 2 (45:48):
Man and gives him love to our Guy Chris raybond
who loved him last year and gave out another. GUY
i want to talk About Buck Irving and you, know
are we in a new age here field of running
back WHERE i was someone who's made a lot of
money doing season long best ball leagues WHERE i would
take a running back around one or two and then
not take another running back until round twelve or, thirteen,
(46:10):
right kind of basically fade running, backs take the. Backups
guys always get. Hurt last, year no one got hurt.
Hurt studs played out and their value shifted. Tremendously where
are we in a year now where we're gonna have
five six guys running backs in the first round once,
again like it's two thousand and, Eight like what's are?
Speaker 3 (46:27):
Happening we? Are and by the, way before people get, mad,
yes we Know christian McCaffrey missed all of last year, basically,
Right so other than, him, though when you think about
the top Dog, Saque Derek henry And Jamior gibbs And James,
connor on on on and, on the guys who were
like in the top ten by the end of the,
season they played all. Year i'm missing, others of, course
but you get the. POINT i think, SO i really
do think. So LIKE i think that people are gonna
(46:49):
say you just have to have them because they show
there in This we talked about recency bias earlier in
the idea of the combine and how it influences draft.
Sock but, YES i believe we're gonna see a very
running back heavy start next, year especially because one factor
we probably don't have him play next year is Like
Travis kelce being like a top five. Pick, Right it's
(47:11):
gonna be Brought bowers but a little bit lower than.
That and you might make the case, that like there
is After, brock there are more quality. Options you, know
kill was right there as well on the points per game,
basis but there just have been. More we'll see probably
more quarterback fades this year, Too Like lamar was great last,
Year Josh allen was great last. Year Jayden daniels was,
(47:31):
Great Jalen hurst was. Great but you may say to, yourself,
like we don't have the one supernova that quarterback that
you have to draft him, early and that's the edge you.
GAIN i think the edge you're going to gain in
people's minds going into the season is you either have
running back depth or you. Don't and next thing you,
know It's week two of the playoffs and you're starting
The cardinals third string running back even Though James, connor you,
(47:54):
know it's still. Healthy like, That that's WHERE i think
things are going to land this.
Speaker 1 (47:57):
Year this is the greatest football Conversation i've had in a.
Speaker 3 (48:03):
Months, yesterday since yesterday with your.
Speaker 1 (48:06):
SUN i was talking to my son at dinner last. Night,
yeah this is.
Speaker 3 (48:11):
Great i'll see it A West Harford pizza establishment later.
On they'll do it. Again.
Speaker 1 (48:16):
Absolutely as a, reminder The favorite podcast is presented By
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(48:57):
David Schwartz, tuesday one thirty Pm. Eastern download us From,
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