May 28, 2026 • 39 mins
Bucky Brooks and Lance Zierlein deliver another edition of Move the Sticks — and this time, they play both sides of the ball. The MTS duo opens with an evaluation of the safety position, where today's stars like Derwin James Jr. resemble early defensive game-changers such as hall of fame defensive back LeRoy Butler. Then, Bucky and Lance each deliver their updated top five wide receivers list for the 2026 NFL season. Pass catchers the likes of Ja'Marr Chase, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Puka Nacua, Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb and Amon-Ra St. Brown are all discussed and debated.
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
Working the move to six.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
I and Bucky brought to dad as my Pardner and
my man LZ lancere line going on what's happening last not.
Speaker 3 (00:12):
Too much, not too much, just ready to get into it.
It's the off season for the NFL. But what we're
finding out is there is never an off season.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
No, there's never an off season.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
Lightly slower season, that's all.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
Yeah, slightly sort.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
I think because this week coincide with the start of OTA,
so we have people on the field. We saw helmets
and people running around, throwing it all over the yard.
We saw Pat Mahomes back on the field a little bit,
tossing it around, participating in workouts. I gotta ask you, Lance,
because we had that conversation. Let me say this, The
feedback from that conversation that we had on Pat Mahomes
(00:47):
and revisionist history was outstanding on Twitter. So I appreciated
people weighing in. But Pat Mahomes being back so quickly.
I think you know his trainer Bobby through or you're
just familiar with.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
I'm familiar with me. I don't know him personally.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
Look, I got to say this, remarkable the dudes on
the field and participating what are your thoughts.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
Initially, not surprised.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
I mean it's earlier than even I anticipate. I didn't
anticipate him missing any time. The idea he'd have to
start on a pup list for me with an ACL.
Knowing how Pat Mahomes gets after it, I never thought
for one second he is going to miss a single game.
Well that said, I thought he'd be ready, like you know,
by camp. We're talking about OTAs. We're in May. We're May.
(01:31):
That's crazy. We got vents who don't show up for OTAs. Yeah,
Pat Mahomes is back from a knee. I mean it
speaks to It speaks to three things. It speaks to
the people Pat has around him, including the medical staff.
It speaks to Pat Mahomes's desire and football character certainly,
(01:56):
which has never been in question. And it also speaks
to the modern technology when it comes to medicine and
surgical processes. It's just amazing the comebacks that that people make,
and that it used to be one year bucky with ACLS.
Then they changed it to like maybe nine to twelve months,
and that continues to shrink, the windows shrinking more and
(02:17):
more and more with ACL returns. So I just you know,
the medical side I think needs to be acknowledged as well,
that we keep getting we I'm not doing anything, but
the medical industry keeps getting better and better and better
in terms of the surgical process, and of course I
would assume the technology that goes into it.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
Yeah, it's crazy to think about, like how advanced it
with lance. It used to be not only that it
was it take a year to recover, but it would
take an additional year before we anticipated that player being
back to the level that he left at, meaning that
it was almost like a two year injury a year
to return. He'd come back and play, but he's not
going to be the same. But then the following year
(02:57):
we see him more like the way that he played
previous prior to the injury. But now with the advancements
of you talk about technology, the way people really get
after their rehab, we are seeing seeing some of these
miraculous bounce backs. And maybe it's something in the water
in Texas because Adrian Peterson was remarkable in his return
from an ACL injury that was crazy.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
Level he came back at was crazy.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
Yeah, he was like, yeah, I popped my knee, but
I'm back and I'm even better. And then to think
about Pat Mahomes potentially doing that, I don't know, Like
they always say, don't mess with Texas, but I may
give you know textans y'all like to poke out your
chests a little bit like it's a little different down
there in other parts. But it certainly appears to be
different when it comes to their ability to bounce back
from injury. Now, someone else who has some injuries early
(03:44):
in his career who has bounced back in a major way,
Derwin James. Derwin James just got a three year, seventy
five point six million dollar extension makes him the highest
paid safety in ball. I'm gonna say this, that's a
bit of a misnomer in terms of taking him as
a safety based on how they move him around. But man,
(04:04):
people breaking the bank. They are breaking the bank for
these safeties and playmakers.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
Right now, big time.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
And it's it's funny because it's a certain type of safety,
right it's. Derwin was one of the first ones that
we talked about. When did Durwin come in eighteen? I
think he was the eighteen draft When he was drafted,
I remember, you know, doing the draft coverage with you
and Money Smith at the time, and we were talking
about him number one. We thought he fell a little
(04:30):
further than kind of the hype surrounding him. He's going
a little bit earlier, but that was on the heels
of Jamal Adams was still a big name at that time,
and Jamal as a hybrid really didn't have the impact
that all of us expected him to have. But Derwin
James has and it used to be okay, well, he's
(04:52):
more of a box safety. How do you you know?
The idea of what a safety is now and what
makes a valuable safety can continues to evolve based on
the evolution of offense. An offense evolves based on the
evolution of defense. It's it's kind of a it's an
interesting ying and y yin ying yang, or it's an
(05:12):
interesting symbiotic relationship because they will these two sides will
CounterPunch based on what the other side does, and it's
like a it's a never ending Okay, now we're in
twelve and thirteen personnel good because now we've got Kyle
Hamilton who has a multifaceted safety but certainly able to
come up and lay the lumber. Derwin James hitter physical.
(05:34):
You just saw Caleb Downs hitter physical. That's never changed
like it used to be. Those physical hitting types, that's great,
but they're a little bit more limited. That's not how
they're looked at now. If you have a plus athletic
profile with it.
Speaker 1 (05:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
So what's interesting, and I'm writing about this for the
notebook this week. My teammate Hall of Fame of Leroy Butler.
Some would credit him as being the first guy that
was the star in a defense, meaning the position that
has been popularized at the collegiate level is a guy
that is like slot corner, slot safety, whatever you want
(06:10):
to deem him, but he's that fifth dB that's on
the field. Gary Patterson famously used the four two five
at TCU at Texas Christian with outstanding success and kind
of changed the way that defensive coordinators at multiple levels
thought about defense and having that fifth guy on the field.
And that fifth guy for him was a bit of
a safety, linebacker corner type that could play well. Back
(06:33):
in the mid nineties when I was playing for the
Green Bay Packers in the middle of a look a
terrific stretch, Leroy Butler was that player for delayed Fitz SHRMP,
and what Fitz did is he put Leroy down in
the line of scrimmage in the box. He used him
as an unconventional nickelback, meaning he would blitz him off
(06:54):
the edge, he would play tight ends, he would float
in zones and do a bunch of different things. And
Learroy was one of the few that had twenty sacks
and twenty interception like that is remarkable production for a
dB to make those play. He goes on and as
a four time All Pro, we see him now with
a gold jacket, but playing there and playing in that secondary,
(07:15):
watching Leroy do all the things, I was like, man,
this is very unique deployment for safety in that spot
because we're so used to talking about the undersized cornerback
being the nickel guy. Where now the league is saying, no,
we're taking safeties. We're putting them in the box, and
we use them in a variety of ways to blitz,
to stop the run, to cover slot receivers, to handle
(07:36):
tight ends, and so that guy almost has to be
a bit of a decathlete. We fast forward now we're
talking about Derwin James. When Derwin James was coming out,
and I knew Derwin from high school because he played
on at the opening one of the Nike events.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
He was on my team and I.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
Got a chance to watch this dude play wide out,
play dB, bounce around or whatever to now see how
he is. Because I'm gonna read you these alignment numbers
from paf okay, so we don't talk about them being
a safety, because that's what they said, a he's a
high spaed safety. But I'm gonna read off these numbers.
Two hundred and sixty one snaps at inside linebacker, one
hundred and thirty two snaps at outside linebacker, forty eight
(08:13):
snaps at strong safety, one hundred and twenty eight snaps
at free safety. But you know where he lined up
the most three hundred and sixty nine snaps at slock corn.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
So when we talk about this position and we talk about.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
Safeties and positional value and oh the word on Caleb Downs, Oh,
we can't take a safety that high. I hear say
that in the draft. But then a few weeks later,
Derwin James is getting a load of money to play
a prime position where he's commanding twenty five million annually
being a do it all playmaker in the defensive backer.
Speaker 3 (08:49):
You know, when you think about safeties, there there was
a time and there has been a time where tight
end safeties Obviously inside linebackers there's a devaluating of that
position running back, but when you have a really good safety,
that's a force multiplier on a defense. Me and go
all the way back to Joey Browner, which he was
this big hammer back in the day. Shout out rip
(09:12):
to Joey Browner. Bob Sanders great, just a bullet and
he was smaller than most safeties, but huge, huge difference maker.
Troy Palamalo, who the Steelers moved up for huge difference makers.
You talked about Leroy Butler, Kyle Hamilton. Is multifaceted. They're
not all the same types of safeties necessarily, although I
(09:35):
do see a lot of similar traits. Number One, they
all have alpha personalities. Whether it's in the locker room
or on the field, there's an alpha element to the
way that they play the game, a great deal of
physicality or a great deal of aggressiveness. Number Two is
even if they don't, even if they're not terrifically multifaceted,
(09:56):
with which most most of these guys are. Bob Sanders
was an enforcer who are als a ran in the
four threes, which was rare. It's still rare for a safety.
There is a certain level of physicality to each one
of these safeties that I'm talking about. It's not just
taking the ball away, it's they can come down hill
and add as an add on run defender if need be.
(10:18):
But a lot of the guys like Kyle Hamilt's and
like Derwin James, like Troy Polamalu have the ability to
move around pre and post snap. That allows defensive coordinators
to change the pictures for quarterbacks and make it more difficult.
And they can match up on a variety of different
types of players as well. It may not be for
you may not want Derwin on, you know, a slot
(10:38):
receiver long term for a ton of snaps and over
long executed routes, but they can do it in a
certain modicum of time, which makes them that much more valuable.
Speaker 1 (10:51):
Yeah, man, I think it just changes everything. A lot
of times.
Speaker 2 (10:54):
We always talk about the trickle down effect from the
pros to college, but I think is really the trickle
up what we're seeing at the Kylee. This game is
now filtering in to what we're doing in the pros.
Think about the three high safety looks that John Heacock
was doing at Iowa State and how that has kind
of become a mix where people are using three safeties
and deploying them differently. You look at the utilization of
(11:14):
nick and man Warrior. You talked about Kyle Hamilton and
Derwin James in h Town. Jalen Peatree, who would dropped
down and make it happen, isn't afraid of the smoke
at all. So if you don't have one of those guys,
it's really hard to play defense in the modern era
because the offenses are doing so much with multiple tidy
ends and slots and all those things. It's one of
(11:36):
the positions that we haven't acknowledged yet, but it's one
that I'll hold a fight for a man.
Speaker 1 (11:41):
Safeties are valuable, and these safeties.
Speaker 2 (11:43):
That we're calling stars, we're seeing their value is look
increasingly higher, not only in the draft, as Caleb Downs
will eventually attest to, but the way people are paying them.
I mean, I think what Derck Singley's like at thirty
million for during James to be a twin if I mean, look,
we're getting closer to those those worlds colliding when it
(12:05):
comes to safeties and corners and the value that they
bring to the team.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
No doubt. And this is why I was so excited
about this year's safety class. I'm used to seeing weak
safety classes, but this year's class, Caleb Downs, Uh, Emmanuel McNeil,
Warren dan Dylan Daneman, they all play slightly different than
each other, and there's different elements like emw just has
you know, some rare heightweight link physicality to them. The
(12:31):
nimen is a is a is A is a piece
that you can move all over the field. Caleb Downs
is an aggressive enforcer who can play big nickel. Then
you you look at the next level and Trey down Stukes,
who some haven't listened as a corners safety, I mean
Bud Clark, ballhawk, AJ Halsey does a little bit of
everything for you. And then Jalen Kilgore's got some some
(12:51):
rare physical capabilities. I think, just like it speaks to
your trickle up theory, because what what college football has
already been doing for a while for six They've been
using big nickel stuff for a while forever, all the
way back in nineteen remember John Abram and what was
his name for Yeah, John Abram from Mississippi State. He
(13:14):
was a big nickel all the way back then from
Mississippi State, back in the nineteen draft and it was
the twenty nineteen draft or twenty draft. I think it
was the nineteen draft. Yeah, that was way back when.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
Yeah, And you know, the unfortunate thing for him, I
don't know if he ever found a role to fit
his game. But when you did watch him Misisppi State man,
he would not to taste out your mouth. He would
come downhill and do all these things. And you know,
it's funny because we talked about Jamal Adams and whatever
people think about Jamal Adams as it was with the Seahawks,
I think you have to remember Greg Williams used him
(13:47):
perfectly for the New York.
Speaker 1 (13:48):
Jets that year.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
He had six seven eight sacks coming off the edge,
had him at the line of sniffing around. Pete Carroll
also tried to utilize them, like Troy Palomalo before the
injuries just kind of took over. But yeah, you're looking
for those guys that can mix it up and make
it happen. And as we're looking at the college game
and we're looking at the way that it changes. I mean,
(14:09):
look here, we can say this Sunny Styles was a safety.
They didn't move the weekside linebacker like right, we can
call him a bunch of different things, but he's a
tweener and a hybrid.
Speaker 3 (14:19):
So Bucky, you're into different sports as well. That's why
I love the way sports is no longer about you know,
I'm not somebody that's real big and putting people in
a box. I always like to look at other sports
because I think you can pull from other sports. Yes,
basketball went through a shift in the nineties where they
started going to more stretch fours, right, and the three
was turning it into the four because they were trying
(14:41):
to mismatch defenders on the court. You had the point
guard became a lead guard and AI. They took a
small AI and put him. You know, the same thing
that Steph Curry had happened, where Curry was sometimes a
point and sometimes he wasn't a point. If you get
bogged down with positions and silos that are very specific,
you limit your ability to to I think, to morph
(15:05):
on the move, to CounterPunch, to to react and respond
to what the other team is doing. Similarly, if you
are a morphine type of defense or offense where you
have no idea what you're going to get on any
given week. That makes you much tougher to beat in
any sport. So you know, Bill Belichick did a lot
(15:25):
of that. My dad, who had to go up against
him a few times when he was an O line
coach in the league, said he would never You never
what you could watch tape all you wanted on New England,
you were not going to get the same draft, the
same blitz packages that you saw at any point during
the season. He came in with something brand new, and
so there's different ways to be varied. But now the
(15:46):
personnel variance and not putting people in boxes like you
said with sunny styles. Okay, he was a safety, now
he's a linebacker. I just know that he is a
formidable talent because he can do multiple So whether you're
blitzing him, whether you're covering with him, or whether he's
just dropping and using that link and range to cause
(16:08):
problems in zone. I mean, he's factoring in on more
than one level. And that's what's important.
Speaker 1 (16:15):
Yeah, it is really important.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
And people have attributed some of the things that we're
seeing in basketball, like the Golden State Warriors positionless basketball,
their death lineup where they moved Draymond Green to the five,
and how they just had all wing guys. I heard
Jay then Rose long time ago talk about the perfect
basketball team would be five guys that were six seven, six'
eight with link that could put it on the floor
(16:37):
and shoot it and you could switch on defense and create.
Problems we're seeing that and football is becoming.
Speaker 1 (16:44):
That with these.
Speaker 2 (16:46):
Hybrids you can whether you call them, safeties whether you
call them, linebackers but all these dudes look the. Same
WHEN i look at Him Nicki Man, warry he looked
just like a. LINEBACKER i look At Derwin, james we
could Say Derwin james is a puffed up he could
be a, linebacker and certain Regard Kyle hamilton is a.
Linebacker all these guys physically look like they're just in
an amba. Defense and because now they've even changed the
(17:09):
numbers where now these dudes can wear single digits and
low digits and you can't tell who's a linebacker. Whatever
it's almost like looking at THE cfl in a way
in terms of watching these guys move. Around, yeah crafty
and creative defensive coordinators are finding a way to take
advantage of the star position and now follow the.
Speaker 1 (17:26):
Money When Derwin james gets broke off like, that you're.
Speaker 2 (17:29):
Gonna have more people volunteering to occupy and play those
roles where before that role wasn't a, throwaway but it
was one that had a very small.
Speaker 1 (17:39):
And specific job description that everyone didn't qualify. For we'll
see that kind of open.
Speaker 2 (17:44):
Up all, Right, lance it's time for how TO i
brought to you By Basabi Hot Cloud, storage and we
can go right in your.
Speaker 1 (17:55):
Town H.
Speaker 2 (17:55):
Town Nico, collins wide receiver for The Houston, texans reworks
his contract and gets more guaranteed money and a pay.
Raise The texans are given him a nine million dollar
cash increase in twenty twenty six and eight million dollar
rays in twenty twenty. Seven they had to bring up
his new deal to a twenty nine point nine million
in twenty twenty, six with his fifth highest paid among.
Speaker 1 (18:17):
Receivers you're, there, man what's the buzz like in the
streets In?
Speaker 3 (18:20):
Houston you, know people happy with. IT i think this
is a move really where The. TEXANS i, REMEMBER i
remember back in Oh, MAN i think it was like
two thousand and, ten or. Eleven Andre, johnson they had
his the guy who did his contract didn't do a
great contract For andre And Rick smith and the team
(18:42):
really didn't have to go back and redo his, contract
but they did just because they wanted to do right By.
Andre but that's you, know it's not the. Teams there's
not a whole lot of agents who are giving money
back if their player doesn't play, well so you, know
on the contract is in the player's.
Speaker 1 (18:58):
Favor SO i.
Speaker 3 (19:00):
Think this is another situation Where nico got a good,
contract but things are changing so quickly in terms of
the rate of. PAY i think this is really nothing
more Than Nick cassari on The texans wanting to do
right By Nico collins because he is a good soldier
for the. Team he will play hurt when he needs.
(19:20):
To he doesn't make a lot of noise Like Andre.
Johnson he just comes, in punches in and goes to.
Work and then it's also they clearly want to make
sure that during these next two years where they feel
like they have a real true window to compete for a.
CHAMPIONSHIP i think they want everyone on the same, page everyone.
Focused so if there's any concern over money that's taken
(19:41):
care of For Nico. Collins he's going to be, happy
his agent's going to be, happy and the team is
headed in the right. DIRECTION i think the money stuff is.
SET cj is going to get his down the road
and everyone should be all on the same page to
lock in and run for a. Title so it's just
a matter of tightening, up tightening up the money because
(20:03):
the contracts are skyrocketing so quickly that they want to
keep a good wide receiver inside the top five of
wide receivers. Paid that's really all it is Is nick just, saying,
hey shout out to, You. Nico we like the way you.
Play we want to make sure and take care of,
you show our love and appreciation for. YOU i think
that's all it.
Speaker 2 (20:20):
Is, Yeah, no LOOK i think there is something definitely to,
That AND i like being proactive if you're The texans
being proactive getting ahead of this because you don't want
this to be a protracted contract holdout or some kind
of impass that impacts the way that he can elevated
C J, Stroud Nick casario And diminko. Around, Certainly i'm
(20:40):
saying this is a pivotal year FOR. Cj, stroud and
the only way you can see the best of him
is you've got to have all the weapons. Available and
we have seen he's a different player When nico is
on the field compared to When nico is on the. Sideline,
now the thing About Nico collins is he's, big he's.
Physical he's really a better anticipated number one, RECEIVER i
(21:01):
would say down In houston in terms of how he
has grown and blossomed into that. Role but now it's
about availability if he can find a way to be
available for all seventeen because they really need that.
Speaker 1 (21:11):
Production on the.
Speaker 2 (21:11):
Outside despite the young guys they have around, them it
is clear he's the, centerpiece the focal point of that
passing game and FOR. Cj stroud to be at his
best man they need big them a twelve out there
making it.
Speaker 3 (21:22):
Happen they, do and he really, did you, know looking
back on, it just to remind, everyone he went out
his junior, year but he had played mainly two. Years
he had thirty eight catches his sophomore, year thirty seven
catches his junior, year did not play in twenty twenty at,
all and then was. Drafted at that. Point that was
a really big. Deal when guys didn't play in twenty
(21:42):
twenty and you were still going to take. Him but
his improvement has been. Substantial he always had this build
up speed that made him a real threat down the,
field and for his size that's really really important because
he's a big wide receiver who can build up and
win down the. Field, now what's happened over the last
couple of years TO. Cj stroud and TO nfl quarterbacks in,
(22:02):
general is that shell coverages have taken that element away
from some, teams and so on, paper you would Say CJ's,
loss Rather Nico collins has lost some of his. Value
but that's why you bring In David, montgomery because you
want to run the ball and say, no, no, no no,
no we're going to break up this shell. Coverage you
(22:24):
guys can sit deep if you. Want we're going to
beat you up With David, montgomery hit you in the,
body hit you with body. Blows when you drop your,
Hands we're going to try to throw a haymaker at
you over the top With. Nico SO i think that
was there was a calculated effort to do, that AND
i think more and MORE nfl teams are, understanding all,
Right we've got to be able to run the ball
against shell coverages so we can open up the field
(22:44):
because it's hard to sustain drives for twelve, thirteen fourteen
plays for a. Touchdown it's really difficult to do. That
you got to have those. Explosives AND i think one
of the reasons that the running games coming back is
because there's a there's a desire FOR nfl teams to
force teams out of the shell coverages so they can
(23:06):
open up those explosives down the. Field and you, know
that's SOMETHING i know The texans are trying to, do
but that's something THAT i think ALL nfl. Teams there's
a reason we saw more running game and we see
more emphasis on tight ends now is because they want
to force teams defenses out of doing what they've been
comfortable doing in the last couple of. Years it's crazy
when you Look Bucky Fantasy. Football if you look at
(23:29):
the statistics for quarterbacks where we were in twenty three
versus where we've been in twenty four and twenty. Five
that's what Makes Matthew stafford season last year so, crazy
because so few quarterbacks were putting up those kind of,
numbers right it's a much smaller percentage of quarterbacks hitting
those crazy fantasy numbers that we saw.
Speaker 2 (23:47):
Before, YEAH i mean they're not hinding because you are
seeing more teams play TWO i. Safety they're taking away
the deep, ball and so you have to be able
to get those explosive plays in other, areas, meaning, hey
we got to run the ball enough that we can
create those big playerspportunities off play actions because the safety is,
nosy or you have to throw it underneath and hope
that you have a wide receiver and a playmaker that
can make it happen as a catch and run specialist
(24:08):
that they can do it on you, know yards have
to catch and those kinds of. Things that's why to,
Me Nico collins is very valuable to The. Texans he's
not only a chain, over but when you look up,
man he makes so many big plays for.
Speaker 1 (24:21):
Them they have to figure out a way to unlock LIKE.
Speaker 2 (24:25):
Cj shroud this, year and some of that is what
you talked about With David montgomery coming on. Board if
you Get David montgomery and the running game, solid you
should see more opportunities For Nico collins and that is
always a good.
Speaker 1 (24:37):
Thing that was this week's how did our?
Speaker 2 (24:38):
Segment brought to you by With Sabi Hot cloud, Storage
store more and do more with your. Data try them
for free at With sabi Dot. Com Now, lance coming
off of that conversation With Nico, COLLINS i want to
talk about like top five receivers because like where we
said his money fell in, line it was going to
put him like fifth amongst the, wideouts and so looking
(25:01):
at that and thinking about, that it made me think
about not only like where he stacks in terms of
like the, landscape but like who are the new top
five receivers because it changes not, groups but.
Speaker 1 (25:14):
Just receivers based on.
Speaker 2 (25:15):
Whatever Because Jackson smith And jigba kind of took the
lead by, Storm BUT i kind of, wonder do you
see him as the number one in the?
Speaker 1 (25:24):
League?
Speaker 3 (25:26):
Man this is you, know it's funny because the wide
receiver position is the one THAT i think is the
most fluid from year to. Year there was a time
where it Was, megatron Was Andre, Johnson, Harrison Marvin harrison
for a, spell and then there was talking about was
it Maybe Reggie wayne and it's it's it's, incredible it's.
Incredible first of, all the wide receivers we Have Justin
(25:46):
jefferson was everyone's top wide receiver a couple of years,
ago but then it was or was It Jamar. Chase,
now how do you not say It's Puka nakua with
what he continues to, Do but Then Jackson smith and
jack but good luck covering him like he's not gone.
Artile so that's a really tough. Question and it's crazy
how year after year we have slight alterations in the.
(26:07):
Ranks it doesn't just lock in. Cleanly here's What i'm gonna.
Say i'm gonna go. With SO i prefer players who
are three level. Players you can you can do something
on the first level on the possession stuff when you need,
it maybe even a catch and run type situation because
you're big and strong guys who can get those intermediate,
throws and players who have the deep ball. Capability So
(26:30):
i'm gonna Go. Jamar i'm still Going Jamar chase number.
ONE i know That Joe burrow didn't have the same
year we had injuries and all that stuff that. Happened
but If i'm gonna start Every i'm gonna start it all.
Up i'm Going Jamar chase. One number Two i'm gonna Take,
Honestly i'm TAKING jsn number, two number, Three i'm going Justin,
(26:52):
jefferson number, Four Hohoka, nakua and number. FIVE i don't
think It's nico collinsnumber. Five who AM i going? With number?
Five who AM i missing? HERE i can't. Say, OH
i GOTTA i gotta. Go i'm Going Ceedee lamb number. Five,
Okay AND i got an ra like you just Mentioned George.
Speaker 1 (27:16):
Pickens we got some.
Speaker 3 (27:18):
Receivers in this.
Speaker 1 (27:19):
League, yeah we do have some receivers in this. League
and top?
Speaker 3 (27:22):
Five how are you Gonna you can run that completely
different five if you, wanted and it would still be
a really good top.
Speaker 1 (27:28):
Five so it's gonna it's gonna be a little different from.
Yours BUT i know.
Speaker 2 (27:31):
This If i'm Round Saint brown sees this clipp and
he sees that you left him off top, five you're
definitely gonna get some.
Speaker 1 (27:38):
Smoke the rest going back TO i had him in a.
Speaker 3 (27:40):
SECOND i had to put a second round grade on
him to he's gonna come, see he's already gonna have
spoke for.
Speaker 1 (27:44):
Me so my top, FIVE i got JS.
Speaker 2 (27:47):
N THEN i Have Jamar, CHASE i have pookin the
coop with three have Aman Ro Saint brown, four and
Then Justin JEFFERSON i have. Five the REASON i had
j s n at the top man you talk about
three level. PLAYMAKERS i just think this dude is remarkable
in terms of how he's continued to. Grow he went
from being a slot receiver two years ago to being
(28:09):
an outside receiver last year in Kink kubek's.
Speaker 1 (28:11):
Offense the way that he is able to run, routes
the way that.
Speaker 2 (28:14):
He can give you the big play fact the average
over fifteen yards a, catch he had ten, touchdowns and
to do it week after week when let's be, honest
they didn't really have a credible threat on the other
side where you couldn't double team him all the.
Speaker 1 (28:27):
Time but he continued to. Win so that's what impressed
me about.
Speaker 2 (28:30):
Him Jamar chase is he is just a physical, freak
Right LIKE i go in there and when you look
at him as you talk about body type in as a,
scout he is built like a running.
Speaker 1 (28:41):
Back he has like a, thick sturdy.
Speaker 2 (28:44):
Trunk his lower body is thick and, flashy his arms
and all, that and he runs through. Contact last, year
lands this dude had six hundred and forty yards after the.
Speaker 1 (28:53):
Catch he does a great job of making it happen in.
Speaker 2 (28:57):
Space so he is, Second phukanakua, Third And i'm gonna
say this about poking the, coop like you can make
the case that he's number one because he's a yes round.
Speaker 1 (29:05):
Pick he does it.
Speaker 2 (29:07):
Consistently time after. Time i'm looking at these numbers and it's, crazy.
Right SO i just talked About Jamar chase and yards
have to, catch being at six forty the, leader.
Speaker 1 (29:17):
Poking the coup six sixty. Six this dude's not even.
Speaker 2 (29:21):
Fast he averages like right around twelve at, catch but
one hundred and twenty nine, catches so he's always getting,
open always finding a way to make it. Happen For Matthew,
stafford he had over seventeen hundred, yards ten. TOUCHDOWNS i
mean just everything kind of changes the way that you.
Speaker 1 (29:34):
Look and we talk about. Speed so he's third for.
Speaker 2 (29:37):
Me Amar Mesam Saint brown is fourth because he's the
best slot receiver in. Football he had eleven, touchdowns he
had fourteen hundred. Yards he's having in twelve yards of.
Catch and we talk about these guys being, specialists guys
that are chain movers that can get open and do these.
Things that's him and Without Ben, johnson because, look their
offense was a hodgepodge of what they used to do
and what they wanted to. Do it didn't really look,
(29:58):
great but he still found a way to p be
productive AND i think that's what the great ones.
Speaker 1 (30:01):
Do and Then Justin, JEFFERSON i know he was hamstrung
by the quarterback.
Speaker 2 (30:05):
Play the frustration is, palpable AND i think we can
have a later conversation ABOUT jj McCarthy And Cala murray's
Interview Kler murray's about the.
Speaker 1 (30:13):
TEAM jj McCarthy is very awkward when he talked about
those things that was not.
Speaker 2 (30:19):
Good he's sucking and pouting, already so we already know
what it's going to. Be But Justin jefferson still being
able to be productive six one thousand yard, Seasons so,
Look i'm gonna give him his flowers just on the.
Consistency they're not many who can match what he does
year and year out and last. YEAR i mean really
his entire, career he hasn't done it with like a
level quarterback. Play so give him a credit for elevating
(30:40):
those that are throwing the ball to him as opposed
to them elevating.
Speaker 3 (30:43):
Him, Yeah Nico collins is he's he's been talked. About,
he's you, know he's on that next. Level but so
It's Davante adams is still playing at a really high.
Level davante has to you, know deserves a. MENTION i
Think terry mccluch when he's back and, healthy obviously deserves a.
Mention are we just gonna forget ABOUT Aj? Brown future
(31:05):
PATRIOT Aj? Brown you, know so they say, so they,
say shout Out Jalen, wattle WHO i think is gonna you,
Know Jayleen wattle just very quietly puts those numbers together
on a very regular. Basis, guys some, great great wide
receivers in this. League Garrett wilson doesn't get mentioned. Enough
(31:25):
but when we start talking about the, Units, bucky if
we start talking about, units it kind of changes some things,
up maybe a little. Bit oh and we didn't talk
About George.
Speaker 1 (31:33):
Pickens oh so here's the.
Speaker 2 (31:36):
Thing His the thing About George, pickens like his numbers
are the second most up. THERE i, mean he's putting
a crazy. Production and you, know like they talked In, dallas,
like oh we got ONE a and ONE. B i
don't know IF Cd lamb wants to hear, it BUT
i think you certainly can make the case With. PICKENS
i think The cowboys are doing what we all should
do when it comes To. Pickens let's wait and see
about the. Consistency let's make sure he can do it,
(31:56):
again because they have to stroke a big check and
it's gonna be huge by. Waiting BUT i think you
still want to make sure that the guy we saw last,
year it's go meet the guy that shows. Up And
i'm gonna say, this knowing, playmaker for years of working
AN nfl, Network George pickens has mastered the art of
running the. SLANT i want to see if they can
continue to feed him on those those quick slants because
(32:17):
he was giving problems on That.
Speaker 3 (32:20):
Underrount, YEAH i Know i'm going to get some pushback
On Ceede lamb just Because lamb's. Numbers you, know he's
missed some. Time he missed two games in twenty, four
he missed three games in twenty, Five so MAYBE i
have maybe he doesn't deserve to be in the top.
Five the touchdown numbers are not as good as they
probably should. BE i just know every year he just steps.
(32:44):
UP i mean when he's, healthy he just goes to.
Work But pickens really lifted a lot of those numbers
off his off his Show man nine touchdowns to three,
touchdowns fourteen hundred yards to one thousand and seventy. Seven you,
Know pickens was in the nineties catches And lamb was
in the. SEVENTIES i, mean, Honestly i'm kind of counting myself.
Here you could really Put pickens in there ahead Of
(33:04):
lamb to be, honestly just based on the.
Speaker 2 (33:06):
Number, YEAH i, mean based on the, numbers you absolutely
can do. It and it's about like roles and responsibilities
and how you do. It AND i think defensive coordinators
have a tough time when it comes to The cowboys, Deciding,
hey who's the one that we really have to take?
Speaker 1 (33:18):
Away who do we want to blot?
Speaker 2 (33:20):
Out because if you blot OUT Cd, lamb you Got
George pickens going crazy over the top of the. Defense
you Take George pickens, away then a HEALTHY Cd lamb
is doing all kinds of, things catching and, running making
people miss in, space they have a.
Speaker 1 (33:33):
Problem, LOOK i think This dallas offense is.
Speaker 2 (33:36):
Dynamic it has the potential to be electric If Dak
prescott stays healthy and if they can just find a
way to run the ball consistently like they did a
little bit With Javontay. Williams, yeah they're a, problem BUT Td,
Lamb George, Pickens Picky, poison one of those guys certainly
deserves to be in the top.
Speaker 3 (33:51):
Five, yeah, yeah no. Doubt and then but from a,
unit we're gonna do, Units, bucker we stop right.
Speaker 1 (33:57):
Here we're just gonna we're just gonna end it with
the top.
Speaker 3 (33:59):
Five do that because the, UNITS i, mean we're still
dealing With we're still dealing with a lot of the same, Teams, Rams,
vikings you're dealing with The. Bengals we didn't talk about
T i, mean.
Speaker 1 (34:12):
Oh but it's nice.
Speaker 2 (34:13):
COMPLIMENTS i think the bigger thing and when we do
eventually talk about the, UNITS i think the bigger thing
that is showing up. Now for so long everyone talked
about having one. Receiver it is almost as important when
you're building your. Offense you got to have two receivers
that are high end playmakers to be able to do
it because if the drop off is, significant that number
(34:34):
one is never going to get Off and as you
talked about with The, Cowboys.
Speaker 1 (34:38):
Lamb And pickens being able to be a dynamic.
Speaker 2 (34:41):
Duo we've talked about others where you talked about Look,
Amaro Saint brown And Jameson. Williams both of those guys
win over one thousand yards and giving people the. BLUES
T higgins And Jamar chase. Problematic you can't deal with
them up In. Cincinnati The rams combination of not only
the two wide Receivers Devontae adams and but all the
dog going tight ends that they can throw at.
Speaker 1 (35:03):
You you have to have a complete core to be
able to succeed in this. League is just hard to
do it with a one man.
Speaker 3 (35:10):
Show, yeah and it's kind of dating and you, know
going back to our previous discussion about being, positionless the
line's been blurred a little bit between x's and z's
also Because George pickens can do now he's A, z
but he's not in that same like he's not just
to put the foot in the ground and run as
fast as you can vertical like it's a it's a
(35:31):
little different type of. Game you got two ex'es basically
In Puka nakua and And Devanta, adams two guys who
can do the same same basic.
Speaker 1 (35:39):
THINGS i.
Speaker 3 (35:39):
KNOW i watched The texans Draft Jaden, higgins who really
frankly plays very similarly similarly To Nico. Collins so there
are some teams who carry less about having the old
basketball team, mentality as you've talked about. BEFORE i always
like having the different you, know being able to to
to throw different types of wide receivers out. There it's still,
(36:00):
there we still see. That but there are a lot
of teams now just saying let's just get good wide
receivers on the, field let's not worry too much about
if they fit a certain type of wide, receiver and
then let's be willing to pay two wide. Receivers because
when you have two really good wide, receivers it just
for the amount of pressure it puts on. Teams but
(36:20):
you can't pay everybody right paying two wide. Receiver that's
why The cowboys With dak And, lamb you, know they
kind of they've kind of pulled up short On George,
pickens at least for this, year so he'll be playing
on a he'll be playing on that franchise. Tag we'll
see if they decide to pull the trigger and make
all three of them payday players quarterback wide receivers like
(36:41):
The Cincinnati bengals did With joe t And Jamar chase
because a lot of people didn't think T higgins was
gonna get that second. Contract, yeah there he is with
a big.
Speaker 1 (36:50):
Contract, yeah and so now they have to look at.
That is that a caution in your?
Speaker 2 (36:54):
Tail because they did, that then their defense went to.
Poop so, yeah what will The cowboys? Do will The
cowboys be able to Pay pickins And lamb and still
have the kind of defense that they want to have
or that they need to have to be able to
beet in THE Nfc. East there are a lot of
teams that are gonna have to make those struggles because
as the money continues to, increase you have to make card.
Speaker 1 (37:12):
Decisions and the other thing that.
Speaker 2 (37:14):
We're eventually gonna see is gonna be a trickle down
effect that impacts the. Draft how many teams are going
to move off of that second receiver and say that
he with all the young guys coming in having immediate
Production Like ted, McMillan, mom we just draft one. Early
so you have the established number one and then the
(37:34):
young guy that is drafted high and those are you
two guys that you kind of.
Speaker 3 (37:38):
Make that's How i'm doing it. Work If i'm building a,
Team that's exactly How i'm doing A. BUCKY i, Mean
i'm paying, Tackles i'm finding guards and. Centers i'm paying
wide receiver one and quarterback. One i'm finding wide receiver
two IF i need.
Speaker 2 (37:52):
To you have.
Speaker 3 (37:53):
To you can't pay. Everybody you have to make a
decision on where you're going to be cheaper and where
you're going to spend your.
Speaker 1 (37:58):
Money you have.
Speaker 3 (37:59):
To and when you're on rookie, contract, man you can
open that window wide for five you, know for usually
by the time you know you've got a, guy you
can open that window wide for at least three years
where you're paying guys and paying guys and paying. Guys
once that quarterback comes, up we're coming like Pac, man.
Speaker 1 (38:21):
Eating up those other.
Speaker 2 (38:21):
Salaries, yes and, look it's part of a great discussion
when it comes to team building how you have to
make hard decisions and how as a team builder you
have to not only understand who you are when it
comes to your ability to select players in the draft
based on your draft and development model with your coaches
(38:42):
and your, scouts BUT a DO i need ready made
guys that can come and play because we're not as
good at developing and helping our guys go to the next.
Level they have to kind of come in and be
what they already are or what they are already going
to be from the.
Speaker 1 (38:57):
Jump. Uh this is.
Speaker 2 (38:58):
Fun last it's always fun like chopping out with you
talking about all these things as it relates to The
National Football.
Speaker 1 (39:03):
League we're going to do it again next.
Speaker 2 (39:05):
Week thank you guys for popping on and joining me
and l z On mo the sticks to next week
with ch out
Working the move to six.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
I and Bucky brought to dad as my Pardner and
my man LZ lancere line going on what's happening last not.
Speaker 3 (00:12):
Too much, not too much, just ready to get into it.
It's the off season for the NFL. But what we're
finding out is there is never an off season.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
No, there's never an off season.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
Lightly slower season, that's all.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
Yeah, slightly sort.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
I think because this week coincide with the start of OTA,
so we have people on the field. We saw helmets
and people running around, throwing it all over the yard.
We saw Pat Mahomes back on the field a little bit,
tossing it around, participating in workouts. I gotta ask you, Lance,
because we had that conversation. Let me say this, The
feedback from that conversation that we had on Pat Mahomes
(00:47):
and revisionist history was outstanding on Twitter. So I appreciated
people weighing in. But Pat Mahomes being back so quickly.
I think you know his trainer Bobby through or you're
just familiar with.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
I'm familiar with me. I don't know him personally.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
Look, I got to say this, remarkable the dudes on
the field and participating what are your thoughts.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
Initially, not surprised.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
I mean it's earlier than even I anticipate. I didn't
anticipate him missing any time. The idea he'd have to
start on a pup list for me with an ACL.
Knowing how Pat Mahomes gets after it, I never thought
for one second he is going to miss a single game.
Well that said, I thought he'd be ready, like you know,
by camp. We're talking about OTAs. We're in May. We're May.
(01:31):
That's crazy. We got vents who don't show up for OTAs. Yeah,
Pat Mahomes is back from a knee. I mean it
speaks to It speaks to three things. It speaks to
the people Pat has around him, including the medical staff.
It speaks to Pat Mahomes's desire and football character certainly,
(01:56):
which has never been in question. And it also speaks
to the modern technology when it comes to medicine and
surgical processes. It's just amazing the comebacks that that people make,
and that it used to be one year bucky with ACLS.
Then they changed it to like maybe nine to twelve months,
and that continues to shrink, the windows shrinking more and
(02:17):
more and more with ACL returns. So I just you know,
the medical side I think needs to be acknowledged as well,
that we keep getting we I'm not doing anything, but
the medical industry keeps getting better and better and better
in terms of the surgical process, and of course I
would assume the technology that goes into it.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
Yeah, it's crazy to think about, like how advanced it
with lance. It used to be not only that it
was it take a year to recover, but it would
take an additional year before we anticipated that player being
back to the level that he left at, meaning that
it was almost like a two year injury a year
to return. He'd come back and play, but he's not
going to be the same. But then the following year
(02:57):
we see him more like the way that he played
previous prior to the injury. But now with the advancements
of you talk about technology, the way people really get
after their rehab, we are seeing seeing some of these
miraculous bounce backs. And maybe it's something in the water
in Texas because Adrian Peterson was remarkable in his return
from an ACL injury that was crazy.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
Level he came back at was crazy.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
Yeah, he was like, yeah, I popped my knee, but
I'm back and I'm even better. And then to think
about Pat Mahomes potentially doing that, I don't know, Like
they always say, don't mess with Texas, but I may
give you know textans y'all like to poke out your
chests a little bit like it's a little different down
there in other parts. But it certainly appears to be
different when it comes to their ability to bounce back
from injury. Now, someone else who has some injuries early
(03:44):
in his career who has bounced back in a major way,
Derwin James. Derwin James just got a three year, seventy
five point six million dollar extension makes him the highest
paid safety in ball. I'm gonna say this, that's a
bit of a misnomer in terms of taking him as
a safety based on how they move him around. But man,
(04:04):
people breaking the bank. They are breaking the bank for
these safeties and playmakers.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
Right now, big time.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
And it's it's funny because it's a certain type of safety,
right it's. Derwin was one of the first ones that
we talked about. When did Durwin come in eighteen? I
think he was the eighteen draft When he was drafted,
I remember, you know, doing the draft coverage with you
and Money Smith at the time, and we were talking
about him number one. We thought he fell a little
(04:30):
further than kind of the hype surrounding him. He's going
a little bit earlier, but that was on the heels
of Jamal Adams was still a big name at that time,
and Jamal as a hybrid really didn't have the impact
that all of us expected him to have. But Derwin
James has and it used to be okay, well, he's
(04:52):
more of a box safety. How do you you know?
The idea of what a safety is now and what
makes a valuable safety can continues to evolve based on
the evolution of offense. An offense evolves based on the
evolution of defense. It's it's kind of a it's an
interesting ying and y yin ying yang, or it's an
(05:12):
interesting symbiotic relationship because they will these two sides will
CounterPunch based on what the other side does, and it's
like a it's a never ending Okay, now we're in
twelve and thirteen personnel good because now we've got Kyle
Hamilton who has a multifaceted safety but certainly able to
come up and lay the lumber. Derwin James hitter physical.
(05:34):
You just saw Caleb Downs hitter physical. That's never changed
like it used to be. Those physical hitting types, that's great,
but they're a little bit more limited. That's not how
they're looked at now. If you have a plus athletic
profile with it.
Speaker 1 (05:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
So what's interesting, and I'm writing about this for the
notebook this week. My teammate Hall of Fame of Leroy Butler.
Some would credit him as being the first guy that
was the star in a defense, meaning the position that
has been popularized at the collegiate level is a guy
that is like slot corner, slot safety, whatever you want
(06:10):
to deem him, but he's that fifth dB that's on
the field. Gary Patterson famously used the four two five
at TCU at Texas Christian with outstanding success and kind
of changed the way that defensive coordinators at multiple levels
thought about defense and having that fifth guy on the field.
And that fifth guy for him was a bit of
a safety, linebacker corner type that could play well. Back
(06:33):
in the mid nineties when I was playing for the
Green Bay Packers in the middle of a look a
terrific stretch, Leroy Butler was that player for delayed Fitz SHRMP,
and what Fitz did is he put Leroy down in
the line of scrimmage in the box. He used him
as an unconventional nickelback, meaning he would blitz him off
(06:54):
the edge, he would play tight ends, he would float
in zones and do a bunch of different things. And
Learroy was one of the few that had twenty sacks
and twenty interception like that is remarkable production for a
dB to make those play. He goes on and as
a four time All Pro, we see him now with
a gold jacket, but playing there and playing in that secondary,
(07:15):
watching Leroy do all the things, I was like, man,
this is very unique deployment for safety in that spot
because we're so used to talking about the undersized cornerback
being the nickel guy. Where now the league is saying, no,
we're taking safeties. We're putting them in the box, and
we use them in a variety of ways to blitz,
to stop the run, to cover slot receivers, to handle
(07:36):
tight ends, and so that guy almost has to be
a bit of a decathlete. We fast forward now we're
talking about Derwin James. When Derwin James was coming out,
and I knew Derwin from high school because he played
on at the opening one of the Nike events.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
He was on my team and I.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
Got a chance to watch this dude play wide out,
play dB, bounce around or whatever to now see how
he is. Because I'm gonna read you these alignment numbers
from paf okay, so we don't talk about them being
a safety, because that's what they said, a he's a
high spaed safety. But I'm gonna read off these numbers.
Two hundred and sixty one snaps at inside linebacker, one
hundred and thirty two snaps at outside linebacker, forty eight
(08:13):
snaps at strong safety, one hundred and twenty eight snaps
at free safety. But you know where he lined up
the most three hundred and sixty nine snaps at slock corn.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
So when we talk about this position and we talk about.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
Safeties and positional value and oh the word on Caleb Downs, Oh,
we can't take a safety that high. I hear say
that in the draft. But then a few weeks later,
Derwin James is getting a load of money to play
a prime position where he's commanding twenty five million annually
being a do it all playmaker in the defensive backer.
Speaker 3 (08:49):
You know, when you think about safeties, there there was
a time and there has been a time where tight
end safeties Obviously inside linebackers there's a devaluating of that
position running back, but when you have a really good safety,
that's a force multiplier on a defense. Me and go
all the way back to Joey Browner, which he was
this big hammer back in the day. Shout out rip
(09:12):
to Joey Browner. Bob Sanders great, just a bullet and
he was smaller than most safeties, but huge, huge difference maker.
Troy Palamalo, who the Steelers moved up for huge difference makers.
You talked about Leroy Butler, Kyle Hamilton. Is multifaceted. They're
not all the same types of safeties necessarily, although I
(09:35):
do see a lot of similar traits. Number One, they
all have alpha personalities. Whether it's in the locker room
or on the field, there's an alpha element to the
way that they play the game, a great deal of
physicality or a great deal of aggressiveness. Number Two is
even if they don't, even if they're not terrifically multifaceted,
(09:56):
with which most most of these guys are. Bob Sanders
was an enforcer who are als a ran in the
four threes, which was rare. It's still rare for a safety.
There is a certain level of physicality to each one
of these safeties that I'm talking about. It's not just
taking the ball away, it's they can come down hill
and add as an add on run defender if need be.
(10:18):
But a lot of the guys like Kyle Hamilt's and
like Derwin James, like Troy Polamalu have the ability to
move around pre and post snap. That allows defensive coordinators
to change the pictures for quarterbacks and make it more difficult.
And they can match up on a variety of different
types of players as well. It may not be for
you may not want Derwin on, you know, a slot
(10:38):
receiver long term for a ton of snaps and over
long executed routes, but they can do it in a
certain modicum of time, which makes them that much more valuable.
Speaker 1 (10:51):
Yeah, man, I think it just changes everything. A lot
of times.
Speaker 2 (10:54):
We always talk about the trickle down effect from the
pros to college, but I think is really the trickle
up what we're seeing at the Kylee. This game is
now filtering in to what we're doing in the pros.
Think about the three high safety looks that John Heacock
was doing at Iowa State and how that has kind
of become a mix where people are using three safeties
and deploying them differently. You look at the utilization of
(11:14):
nick and man Warrior. You talked about Kyle Hamilton and
Derwin James in h Town. Jalen Peatree, who would dropped
down and make it happen, isn't afraid of the smoke
at all. So if you don't have one of those guys,
it's really hard to play defense in the modern era
because the offenses are doing so much with multiple tidy
ends and slots and all those things. It's one of
(11:36):
the positions that we haven't acknowledged yet, but it's one
that I'll hold a fight for a man.
Speaker 1 (11:41):
Safeties are valuable, and these safeties.
Speaker 2 (11:43):
That we're calling stars, we're seeing their value is look
increasingly higher, not only in the draft, as Caleb Downs
will eventually attest to, but the way people are paying them.
I mean, I think what Derck Singley's like at thirty
million for during James to be a twin if I mean, look,
we're getting closer to those those worlds colliding when it
(12:05):
comes to safeties and corners and the value that they
bring to the team.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
No doubt. And this is why I was so excited
about this year's safety class. I'm used to seeing weak
safety classes, but this year's class, Caleb Downs, Uh, Emmanuel McNeil,
Warren dan Dylan Daneman, they all play slightly different than
each other, and there's different elements like emw just has
you know, some rare heightweight link physicality to them. The
(12:31):
nimen is a is a is A is a piece
that you can move all over the field. Caleb Downs
is an aggressive enforcer who can play big nickel. Then
you you look at the next level and Trey down Stukes,
who some haven't listened as a corners safety, I mean
Bud Clark, ballhawk, AJ Halsey does a little bit of
everything for you. And then Jalen Kilgore's got some some
(12:51):
rare physical capabilities. I think, just like it speaks to
your trickle up theory, because what what college football has
already been doing for a while for six They've been
using big nickel stuff for a while forever, all the
way back in nineteen remember John Abram and what was
his name for Yeah, John Abram from Mississippi State. He
(13:14):
was a big nickel all the way back then from
Mississippi State, back in the nineteen draft and it was
the twenty nineteen draft or twenty draft. I think it
was the nineteen draft. Yeah, that was way back when.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
Yeah, And you know, the unfortunate thing for him, I
don't know if he ever found a role to fit
his game. But when you did watch him Misisppi State man,
he would not to taste out your mouth. He would
come downhill and do all these things. And you know,
it's funny because we talked about Jamal Adams and whatever
people think about Jamal Adams as it was with the Seahawks,
I think you have to remember Greg Williams used him
(13:47):
perfectly for the New York.
Speaker 1 (13:48):
Jets that year.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
He had six seven eight sacks coming off the edge,
had him at the line of sniffing around. Pete Carroll
also tried to utilize them, like Troy Palomalo before the
injuries just kind of took over. But yeah, you're looking
for those guys that can mix it up and make
it happen. And as we're looking at the college game
and we're looking at the way that it changes. I mean,
(14:09):
look here, we can say this Sunny Styles was a safety.
They didn't move the weekside linebacker like right, we can
call him a bunch of different things, but he's a
tweener and a hybrid.
Speaker 3 (14:19):
So Bucky, you're into different sports as well. That's why
I love the way sports is no longer about you know,
I'm not somebody that's real big and putting people in
a box. I always like to look at other sports
because I think you can pull from other sports. Yes,
basketball went through a shift in the nineties where they
started going to more stretch fours, right, and the three
was turning it into the four because they were trying
(14:41):
to mismatch defenders on the court. You had the point
guard became a lead guard and AI. They took a
small AI and put him. You know, the same thing
that Steph Curry had happened, where Curry was sometimes a
point and sometimes he wasn't a point. If you get
bogged down with positions and silos that are very specific,
you limit your ability to to I think, to morph
(15:05):
on the move, to CounterPunch, to to react and respond
to what the other team is doing. Similarly, if you
are a morphine type of defense or offense where you
have no idea what you're going to get on any
given week. That makes you much tougher to beat in
any sport. So you know, Bill Belichick did a lot
(15:25):
of that. My dad, who had to go up against
him a few times when he was an O line
coach in the league, said he would never You never
what you could watch tape all you wanted on New England,
you were not going to get the same draft, the
same blitz packages that you saw at any point during
the season. He came in with something brand new, and
so there's different ways to be varied. But now the
(15:46):
personnel variance and not putting people in boxes like you
said with sunny styles. Okay, he was a safety, now
he's a linebacker. I just know that he is a
formidable talent because he can do multiple So whether you're
blitzing him, whether you're covering with him, or whether he's
just dropping and using that link and range to cause
(16:08):
problems in zone. I mean, he's factoring in on more
than one level. And that's what's important.
Speaker 1 (16:15):
Yeah, it is really important.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
And people have attributed some of the things that we're
seeing in basketball, like the Golden State Warriors positionless basketball,
their death lineup where they moved Draymond Green to the five,
and how they just had all wing guys. I heard
Jay then Rose long time ago talk about the perfect
basketball team would be five guys that were six seven, six'
eight with link that could put it on the floor
(16:37):
and shoot it and you could switch on defense and create.
Problems we're seeing that and football is becoming.
Speaker 1 (16:44):
That with these.
Speaker 2 (16:46):
Hybrids you can whether you call them, safeties whether you
call them, linebackers but all these dudes look the. Same
WHEN i look at Him Nicki Man, warry he looked
just like a. LINEBACKER i look At Derwin, james we
could Say Derwin james is a puffed up he could
be a, linebacker and certain Regard Kyle hamilton is a.
Linebacker all these guys physically look like they're just in
an amba. Defense and because now they've even changed the
(17:09):
numbers where now these dudes can wear single digits and
low digits and you can't tell who's a linebacker. Whatever
it's almost like looking at THE cfl in a way
in terms of watching these guys move. Around, yeah crafty
and creative defensive coordinators are finding a way to take
advantage of the star position and now follow the.
Speaker 1 (17:26):
Money When Derwin james gets broke off like, that you're.
Speaker 2 (17:29):
Gonna have more people volunteering to occupy and play those
roles where before that role wasn't a, throwaway but it
was one that had a very small.
Speaker 1 (17:39):
And specific job description that everyone didn't qualify. For we'll
see that kind of open.
Speaker 2 (17:44):
Up all, Right, lance it's time for how TO i
brought to you By Basabi Hot Cloud, storage and we
can go right in your.
Speaker 1 (17:55):
Town H.
Speaker 2 (17:55):
Town Nico, collins wide receiver for The Houston, texans reworks
his contract and gets more guaranteed money and a pay.
Raise The texans are given him a nine million dollar
cash increase in twenty twenty six and eight million dollar
rays in twenty twenty. Seven they had to bring up
his new deal to a twenty nine point nine million
in twenty twenty, six with his fifth highest paid among.
Speaker 1 (18:17):
Receivers you're, there, man what's the buzz like in the
streets In?
Speaker 3 (18:20):
Houston you, know people happy with. IT i think this
is a move really where The. TEXANS i, REMEMBER i
remember back in Oh, MAN i think it was like
two thousand and, ten or. Eleven Andre, johnson they had
his the guy who did his contract didn't do a
great contract For andre And Rick smith and the team
(18:42):
really didn't have to go back and redo his, contract
but they did just because they wanted to do right By.
Andre but that's you, know it's not the. Teams there's
not a whole lot of agents who are giving money
back if their player doesn't play, well so you, know
on the contract is in the player's.
Speaker 1 (18:58):
Favor SO i.
Speaker 3 (19:00):
Think this is another situation Where nico got a good,
contract but things are changing so quickly in terms of
the rate of. PAY i think this is really nothing
more Than Nick cassari on The texans wanting to do
right By Nico collins because he is a good soldier
for the. Team he will play hurt when he needs.
(19:20):
To he doesn't make a lot of noise Like Andre.
Johnson he just comes, in punches in and goes to.
Work and then it's also they clearly want to make
sure that during these next two years where they feel
like they have a real true window to compete for a.
CHAMPIONSHIP i think they want everyone on the same, page everyone.
Focused so if there's any concern over money that's taken
(19:41):
care of For Nico. Collins he's going to be, happy
his agent's going to be, happy and the team is
headed in the right. DIRECTION i think the money stuff is.
SET cj is going to get his down the road
and everyone should be all on the same page to
lock in and run for a. Title so it's just
a matter of tightening, up tightening up the money because
(20:03):
the contracts are skyrocketing so quickly that they want to
keep a good wide receiver inside the top five of
wide receivers. Paid that's really all it is Is nick just, saying,
hey shout out to, You. Nico we like the way you.
Play we want to make sure and take care of,
you show our love and appreciation for. YOU i think
that's all it.
Speaker 2 (20:20):
Is, Yeah, no LOOK i think there is something definitely to,
That AND i like being proactive if you're The texans
being proactive getting ahead of this because you don't want
this to be a protracted contract holdout or some kind
of impass that impacts the way that he can elevated
C J, Stroud Nick casario And diminko. Around, Certainly i'm
(20:40):
saying this is a pivotal year FOR. Cj, stroud and
the only way you can see the best of him
is you've got to have all the weapons. Available and
we have seen he's a different player When nico is
on the field compared to When nico is on the. Sideline,
now the thing About Nico collins is he's, big he's.
Physical he's really a better anticipated number one, RECEIVER i
(21:01):
would say down In houston in terms of how he
has grown and blossomed into that. Role but now it's
about availability if he can find a way to be
available for all seventeen because they really need that.
Speaker 1 (21:11):
Production on the.
Speaker 2 (21:11):
Outside despite the young guys they have around, them it
is clear he's the, centerpiece the focal point of that
passing game and FOR. Cj stroud to be at his
best man they need big them a twelve out there
making it.
Speaker 3 (21:22):
Happen they, do and he really, did you, know looking
back on, it just to remind, everyone he went out
his junior, year but he had played mainly two. Years
he had thirty eight catches his sophomore, year thirty seven
catches his junior, year did not play in twenty twenty at,
all and then was. Drafted at that. Point that was
a really big. Deal when guys didn't play in twenty
(21:42):
twenty and you were still going to take. Him but
his improvement has been. Substantial he always had this build
up speed that made him a real threat down the,
field and for his size that's really really important because
he's a big wide receiver who can build up and
win down the. Field, now what's happened over the last
couple of years TO. Cj stroud and TO nfl quarterbacks in,
(22:02):
general is that shell coverages have taken that element away
from some, teams and so on, paper you would Say CJ's,
loss Rather Nico collins has lost some of his. Value
but that's why you bring In David, montgomery because you
want to run the ball and say, no, no, no no,
no we're going to break up this shell. Coverage you
(22:24):
guys can sit deep if you. Want we're going to
beat you up With David, montgomery hit you in the,
body hit you with body. Blows when you drop your,
Hands we're going to try to throw a haymaker at
you over the top With. Nico SO i think that
was there was a calculated effort to do, that AND
i think more and MORE nfl teams are, understanding all,
Right we've got to be able to run the ball
against shell coverages so we can open up the field
(22:44):
because it's hard to sustain drives for twelve, thirteen fourteen
plays for a. Touchdown it's really difficult to do. That
you got to have those. Explosives AND i think one
of the reasons that the running games coming back is
because there's a there's a desire FOR nfl teams to
force teams out of the shell coverages so they can
(23:06):
open up those explosives down the. Field and you, know
that's SOMETHING i know The texans are trying to, do
but that's something THAT i think ALL nfl. Teams there's
a reason we saw more running game and we see
more emphasis on tight ends now is because they want
to force teams defenses out of doing what they've been
comfortable doing in the last couple of. Years it's crazy
when you Look Bucky Fantasy. Football if you look at
(23:29):
the statistics for quarterbacks where we were in twenty three
versus where we've been in twenty four and twenty. Five
that's what Makes Matthew stafford season last year so, crazy
because so few quarterbacks were putting up those kind of,
numbers right it's a much smaller percentage of quarterbacks hitting
those crazy fantasy numbers that we saw.
Speaker 2 (23:47):
Before, YEAH i mean they're not hinding because you are
seeing more teams play TWO i. Safety they're taking away
the deep, ball and so you have to be able
to get those explosive plays in other, areas, meaning, hey
we got to run the ball enough that we can
create those big playerspportunities off play actions because the safety is,
nosy or you have to throw it underneath and hope
that you have a wide receiver and a playmaker that
can make it happen as a catch and run specialist
(24:08):
that they can do it on you, know yards have
to catch and those kinds of. Things that's why to,
Me Nico collins is very valuable to The. Texans he's
not only a chain, over but when you look up,
man he makes so many big plays for.
Speaker 1 (24:21):
Them they have to figure out a way to unlock LIKE.
Speaker 2 (24:25):
Cj shroud this, year and some of that is what
you talked about With David montgomery coming on. Board if
you Get David montgomery and the running game, solid you
should see more opportunities For Nico collins and that is
always a good.
Speaker 1 (24:37):
Thing that was this week's how did our?
Speaker 2 (24:38):
Segment brought to you by With Sabi Hot cloud, Storage
store more and do more with your. Data try them
for free at With sabi Dot. Com Now, lance coming
off of that conversation With Nico, COLLINS i want to
talk about like top five receivers because like where we
said his money fell in, line it was going to
put him like fifth amongst the, wideouts and so looking
(25:01):
at that and thinking about, that it made me think
about not only like where he stacks in terms of
like the, landscape but like who are the new top
five receivers because it changes not, groups but.
Speaker 1 (25:14):
Just receivers based on.
Speaker 2 (25:15):
Whatever Because Jackson smith And jigba kind of took the
lead by, Storm BUT i kind of, wonder do you
see him as the number one in the?
Speaker 1 (25:24):
League?
Speaker 3 (25:26):
Man this is you, know it's funny because the wide
receiver position is the one THAT i think is the
most fluid from year to. Year there was a time
where it Was, megatron Was Andre, Johnson, Harrison Marvin harrison
for a, spell and then there was talking about was
it Maybe Reggie wayne and it's it's it's, incredible it's.
Incredible first of, all the wide receivers we Have Justin
(25:46):
jefferson was everyone's top wide receiver a couple of years,
ago but then it was or was It Jamar. Chase,
now how do you not say It's Puka nakua with
what he continues to, Do but Then Jackson smith and
jack but good luck covering him like he's not gone.
Artile so that's a really tough. Question and it's crazy
how year after year we have slight alterations in the.
(26:07):
Ranks it doesn't just lock in. Cleanly here's What i'm gonna.
Say i'm gonna go. With SO i prefer players who
are three level. Players you can you can do something
on the first level on the possession stuff when you need,
it maybe even a catch and run type situation because
you're big and strong guys who can get those intermediate,
throws and players who have the deep ball. Capability So
(26:30):
i'm gonna Go. Jamar i'm still Going Jamar chase number.
ONE i know That Joe burrow didn't have the same
year we had injuries and all that stuff that. Happened
but If i'm gonna start Every i'm gonna start it all.
Up i'm Going Jamar chase. One number Two i'm gonna Take,
Honestly i'm TAKING jsn number, two number, Three i'm going Justin,
(26:52):
jefferson number, Four Hohoka, nakua and number. FIVE i don't
think It's nico collinsnumber. Five who AM i going? With number?
Five who AM i missing? HERE i can't. Say, OH
i GOTTA i gotta. Go i'm Going Ceedee lamb number. Five,
Okay AND i got an ra like you just Mentioned George.
Speaker 1 (27:16):
Pickens we got some.
Speaker 3 (27:18):
Receivers in this.
Speaker 1 (27:19):
League, yeah we do have some receivers in this. League
and top?
Speaker 3 (27:22):
Five how are you Gonna you can run that completely
different five if you, wanted and it would still be
a really good top.
Speaker 1 (27:28):
Five so it's gonna it's gonna be a little different from.
Yours BUT i know.
Speaker 2 (27:31):
This If i'm Round Saint brown sees this clipp and
he sees that you left him off top, five you're
definitely gonna get some.
Speaker 1 (27:38):
Smoke the rest going back TO i had him in a.
Speaker 3 (27:40):
SECOND i had to put a second round grade on
him to he's gonna come, see he's already gonna have
spoke for.
Speaker 1 (27:44):
Me so my top, FIVE i got JS.
Speaker 2 (27:47):
N THEN i Have Jamar, CHASE i have pookin the
coop with three have Aman Ro Saint brown, four and
Then Justin JEFFERSON i have. Five the REASON i had
j s n at the top man you talk about
three level. PLAYMAKERS i just think this dude is remarkable
in terms of how he's continued to. Grow he went
from being a slot receiver two years ago to being
(28:09):
an outside receiver last year in Kink kubek's.
Speaker 1 (28:11):
Offense the way that he is able to run, routes
the way that.
Speaker 2 (28:14):
He can give you the big play fact the average
over fifteen yards a, catch he had ten, touchdowns and
to do it week after week when let's be, honest
they didn't really have a credible threat on the other
side where you couldn't double team him all the.
Speaker 1 (28:27):
Time but he continued to. Win so that's what impressed
me about.
Speaker 2 (28:30):
Him Jamar chase is he is just a physical, freak
Right LIKE i go in there and when you look
at him as you talk about body type in as a,
scout he is built like a running.
Speaker 1 (28:41):
Back he has like a, thick sturdy.
Speaker 2 (28:44):
Trunk his lower body is thick and, flashy his arms
and all, that and he runs through. Contact last, year
lands this dude had six hundred and forty yards after the.
Speaker 1 (28:53):
Catch he does a great job of making it happen in.
Speaker 2 (28:57):
Space so he is, Second phukanakua, Third And i'm gonna
say this about poking the, coop like you can make
the case that he's number one because he's a yes round.
Speaker 1 (29:05):
Pick he does it.
Speaker 2 (29:07):
Consistently time after. Time i'm looking at these numbers and it's, crazy.
Right SO i just talked About Jamar chase and yards
have to, catch being at six forty the, leader.
Speaker 1 (29:17):
Poking the coup six sixty. Six this dude's not even.
Speaker 2 (29:21):
Fast he averages like right around twelve at, catch but
one hundred and twenty nine, catches so he's always getting,
open always finding a way to make it. Happen For Matthew,
stafford he had over seventeen hundred, yards ten. TOUCHDOWNS i
mean just everything kind of changes the way that you.
Speaker 1 (29:34):
Look and we talk about. Speed so he's third for.
Speaker 2 (29:37):
Me Amar Mesam Saint brown is fourth because he's the
best slot receiver in. Football he had eleven, touchdowns he
had fourteen hundred. Yards he's having in twelve yards of.
Catch and we talk about these guys being, specialists guys
that are chain movers that can get open and do these.
Things that's him and Without Ben, johnson because, look their
offense was a hodgepodge of what they used to do
and what they wanted to. Do it didn't really look,
(29:58):
great but he still found a way to p be
productive AND i think that's what the great ones.
Speaker 1 (30:01):
Do and Then Justin, JEFFERSON i know he was hamstrung
by the quarterback.
Speaker 2 (30:05):
Play the frustration is, palpable AND i think we can
have a later conversation ABOUT jj McCarthy And Cala murray's
Interview Kler murray's about the.
Speaker 1 (30:13):
TEAM jj McCarthy is very awkward when he talked about
those things that was not.
Speaker 2 (30:19):
Good he's sucking and pouting, already so we already know
what it's going to. Be But Justin jefferson still being
able to be productive six one thousand yard, Seasons so,
Look i'm gonna give him his flowers just on the.
Consistency they're not many who can match what he does
year and year out and last. YEAR i mean really
his entire, career he hasn't done it with like a
level quarterback. Play so give him a credit for elevating
(30:40):
those that are throwing the ball to him as opposed
to them elevating.
Speaker 3 (30:43):
Him, Yeah Nico collins is he's he's been talked. About,
he's you, know he's on that next. Level but so
It's Davante adams is still playing at a really high.
Level davante has to you, know deserves a. MENTION i
Think terry mccluch when he's back and, healthy obviously deserves a.
Mention are we just gonna forget ABOUT Aj? Brown future
(31:05):
PATRIOT Aj? Brown you, know so they say, so they,
say shout Out Jalen, wattle WHO i think is gonna you,
Know Jayleen wattle just very quietly puts those numbers together
on a very regular. Basis, guys some, great great wide
receivers in this. League Garrett wilson doesn't get mentioned. Enough
(31:25):
but when we start talking about the, Units, bucky if
we start talking about, units it kind of changes some things,
up maybe a little. Bit oh and we didn't talk
About George.
Speaker 1 (31:33):
Pickens oh so here's the.
Speaker 2 (31:36):
Thing His the thing About George, pickens like his numbers
are the second most up. THERE i, mean he's putting
a crazy. Production and you, know like they talked In, dallas,
like oh we got ONE a and ONE. B i
don't know IF Cd lamb wants to hear, it BUT
i think you certainly can make the case With. PICKENS
i think The cowboys are doing what we all should
do when it comes To. Pickens let's wait and see
about the. Consistency let's make sure he can do it,
(31:56):
again because they have to stroke a big check and
it's gonna be huge by. Waiting BUT i think you
still want to make sure that the guy we saw last,
year it's go meet the guy that shows. Up And
i'm gonna say, this knowing, playmaker for years of working
AN nfl, Network George pickens has mastered the art of
running the. SLANT i want to see if they can
continue to feed him on those those quick slants because
(32:17):
he was giving problems on That.
Speaker 3 (32:20):
Underrount, YEAH i Know i'm going to get some pushback
On Ceede lamb just Because lamb's. Numbers you, know he's
missed some. Time he missed two games in twenty, four
he missed three games in twenty, Five so MAYBE i
have maybe he doesn't deserve to be in the top.
Five the touchdown numbers are not as good as they
probably should. BE i just know every year he just steps.
(32:44):
UP i mean when he's, healthy he just goes to.
Work But pickens really lifted a lot of those numbers
off his off his Show man nine touchdowns to three,
touchdowns fourteen hundred yards to one thousand and seventy. Seven you,
Know pickens was in the nineties catches And lamb was
in the. SEVENTIES i, mean, Honestly i'm kind of counting myself.
Here you could really Put pickens in there ahead Of
(33:04):
lamb to be, honestly just based on the.
Speaker 2 (33:06):
Number, YEAH i, mean based on the, numbers you absolutely
can do. It and it's about like roles and responsibilities
and how you do. It AND i think defensive coordinators
have a tough time when it comes to The cowboys, Deciding,
hey who's the one that we really have to take?
Speaker 1 (33:18):
Away who do we want to blot?
Speaker 2 (33:20):
Out because if you blot OUT Cd, lamb you Got
George pickens going crazy over the top of the. Defense
you Take George pickens, away then a HEALTHY Cd lamb
is doing all kinds of, things catching and, running making
people miss in, space they have a.
Speaker 1 (33:33):
Problem, LOOK i think This dallas offense is.
Speaker 2 (33:36):
Dynamic it has the potential to be electric If Dak
prescott stays healthy and if they can just find a
way to run the ball consistently like they did a
little bit With Javontay. Williams, yeah they're a, problem BUT Td,
Lamb George, Pickens Picky, poison one of those guys certainly
deserves to be in the top.
Speaker 3 (33:51):
Five, yeah, yeah no. Doubt and then but from a,
unit we're gonna do, Units, bucker we stop right.
Speaker 1 (33:57):
Here we're just gonna we're just gonna end it with
the top.
Speaker 3 (33:59):
Five do that because the, UNITS i, mean we're still
dealing With we're still dealing with a lot of the same, Teams, Rams,
vikings you're dealing with The. Bengals we didn't talk about
T i, mean.
Speaker 1 (34:12):
Oh but it's nice.
Speaker 2 (34:13):
COMPLIMENTS i think the bigger thing and when we do
eventually talk about the, UNITS i think the bigger thing
that is showing up. Now for so long everyone talked
about having one. Receiver it is almost as important when
you're building your. Offense you got to have two receivers
that are high end playmakers to be able to do
it because if the drop off is, significant that number
(34:34):
one is never going to get Off and as you
talked about with The, Cowboys.
Speaker 1 (34:38):
Lamb And pickens being able to be a dynamic.
Speaker 2 (34:41):
Duo we've talked about others where you talked about Look,
Amaro Saint brown And Jameson. Williams both of those guys
win over one thousand yards and giving people the. BLUES
T higgins And Jamar chase. Problematic you can't deal with
them up In. Cincinnati The rams combination of not only
the two wide Receivers Devontae adams and but all the
dog going tight ends that they can throw at.
Speaker 1 (35:03):
You you have to have a complete core to be
able to succeed in this. League is just hard to
do it with a one man.
Speaker 3 (35:10):
Show, yeah and it's kind of dating and you, know
going back to our previous discussion about being, positionless the
line's been blurred a little bit between x's and z's
also Because George pickens can do now he's A, z
but he's not in that same like he's not just
to put the foot in the ground and run as
fast as you can vertical like it's a it's a
(35:31):
little different type of. Game you got two ex'es basically
In Puka nakua and And Devanta, adams two guys who
can do the same same basic.
Speaker 1 (35:39):
THINGS i.
Speaker 3 (35:39):
KNOW i watched The texans Draft Jaden, higgins who really
frankly plays very similarly similarly To Nico. Collins so there
are some teams who carry less about having the old
basketball team, mentality as you've talked about. BEFORE i always
like having the different you, know being able to to
to throw different types of wide receivers out. There it's still,
(36:00):
there we still see. That but there are a lot
of teams now just saying let's just get good wide
receivers on the, field let's not worry too much about
if they fit a certain type of wide, receiver and
then let's be willing to pay two wide. Receivers because
when you have two really good wide, receivers it just
for the amount of pressure it puts on. Teams but
(36:20):
you can't pay everybody right paying two wide. Receiver that's
why The cowboys With dak And, lamb you, know they
kind of they've kind of pulled up short On George,
pickens at least for this, year so he'll be playing
on a he'll be playing on that franchise. Tag we'll
see if they decide to pull the trigger and make
all three of them payday players quarterback wide receivers like
(36:41):
The Cincinnati bengals did With joe t And Jamar chase
because a lot of people didn't think T higgins was
gonna get that second. Contract, yeah there he is with
a big.
Speaker 1 (36:50):
Contract, yeah and so now they have to look at.
That is that a caution in your?
Speaker 2 (36:54):
Tail because they did, that then their defense went to.
Poop so, yeah what will The cowboys? Do will The
cowboys be able to Pay pickins And lamb and still
have the kind of defense that they want to have
or that they need to have to be able to
beet in THE Nfc. East there are a lot of
teams that are gonna have to make those struggles because
as the money continues to, increase you have to make card.
Speaker 1 (37:12):
Decisions and the other thing that.
Speaker 2 (37:14):
We're eventually gonna see is gonna be a trickle down
effect that impacts the. Draft how many teams are going
to move off of that second receiver and say that
he with all the young guys coming in having immediate
Production Like ted, McMillan, mom we just draft one. Early
so you have the established number one and then the
(37:34):
young guy that is drafted high and those are you
two guys that you kind of.
Speaker 3 (37:38):
Make that's How i'm doing it. Work If i'm building a,
Team that's exactly How i'm doing A. BUCKY i, Mean
i'm paying, Tackles i'm finding guards and. Centers i'm paying
wide receiver one and quarterback. One i'm finding wide receiver
two IF i need.
Speaker 2 (37:52):
To you have.
Speaker 3 (37:53):
To you can't pay. Everybody you have to make a
decision on where you're going to be cheaper and where
you're going to spend your.
Speaker 1 (37:58):
Money you have.
Speaker 3 (37:59):
To and when you're on rookie, contract, man you can
open that window wide for five you, know for usually
by the time you know you've got a, guy you
can open that window wide for at least three years
where you're paying guys and paying guys and paying. Guys
once that quarterback comes, up we're coming like Pac, man.
Speaker 1 (38:21):
Eating up those other.
Speaker 2 (38:21):
Salaries, yes and, look it's part of a great discussion
when it comes to team building how you have to
make hard decisions and how as a team builder you
have to not only understand who you are when it
comes to your ability to select players in the draft
based on your draft and development model with your coaches
(38:42):
and your, scouts BUT a DO i need ready made
guys that can come and play because we're not as
good at developing and helping our guys go to the next.
Level they have to kind of come in and be
what they already are or what they are already going
to be from the.
Speaker 1 (38:57):
Jump. Uh this is.
Speaker 2 (38:58):
Fun last it's always fun like chopping out with you
talking about all these things as it relates to The
National Football.
Speaker 1 (39:03):
League we're going to do it again next.
Speaker 2 (39:05):
Week thank you guys for popping on and joining me
and l z On mo the sticks to next week
with ch out
Hosts And Creators
Daniel Jeremiah
Bucky Brooks
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