Game On Rewind: Joe Dolan from FantasyPoints.com joins the show! 2025-3-6

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's time to get back down to the business of
the NFL offseason, and of course we like to invite
all of our friends back into the show this time
of year to talk not only NFL Draft, combine sort
of takeaways which just happened this weekend, and then what
I think has been one of the busiest pre tampering
period free agent trade weeks that I can remember with

(00:21):
some big time names. Well, here he is the guy
from Fantasy Points, the owner and everything that's Fantasy Points
is Joe Dolan, one of the best in the business. Joe,
Welcome back to the program, Bud. How you been doing.

Speaker 2 (00:34):
Great, guys, Glad to be Glad to be with you.
I needed some positive interaction here because I had the
plumber out today and he told me that the shower
in my master bathroom was installed terribly and now there's
a hole in my ceiling and they probably need to
tear out my master my master shower.

Speaker 1 (00:54):
So going, I.

Speaker 2 (00:56):
Wish I was. I wish I was an NFL free
agent getting the seven figure payday that's not coming anytime soon.
I don't think I'm about it a lot.

Speaker 1 (01:05):
Jerry Joneson's thoughts and prayers and condolences as he's always
thinking about it. The shower Joe Dolan, aside from having
some plumbing issues, you can find him at Fantasy points
dot Com. Will promote all the work they're doing, including
the uh the the ass index. I believe it is
average separation in terms of receivers and much much more.

(01:26):
You guys do a hell of a job here we go.
Something that is not ass is this free agent market.
There are some big names, especially when it comes to
the storylines. Now, the players on the quarterback side may
not measure up in terms of what they can do.
I'm gonna start first and foremost with the guy that
we all talk about all the time, Aaron Rodgers. Love
him or hate him. He's gonna play again this year,

(01:47):
we think, and I'm starting to sense that it's gonna
be the Giants. Do you agree or do you see
another path? I don't know, and I'm.

Speaker 2 (01:56):
Gonna tell you why. It's because I think the Giants.
If I were to make a guess right now, I
don't think John mara is going to let Joe Shane
and Brian Davile put a band aid on this. And
what do they say? A band aid for a bullet wound.
I don't think that's I don't think he's gonna let

(02:18):
him do that, going to try to go in and
do surgery, and that will be I think they're going
to trade up with cam Moore, who I think is overwhelmingly,
based on what I'm hearing, what I've seen, who I've
talked to, overwhelmingly going to be the number one quarterback
off the board. I don't think it's going to be
close at this point, and I think that's what the
Giants are going to do now. That begs another question

(02:39):
which we've seen in the past with some other teams,
most most recently the Chicago Bears. Why would you bring
back your head coach if you're just going to draft
a quarterback?

Speaker 1 (02:51):
Thank you.

Speaker 2 (02:53):
Put it all together. Put it. It didn't work out
great with with with the Panthers, but there at least
seem to be on the right rack now. But why
would you do that? Why would you bring him back
and say because he has to win games this year.
If he doesn't win games this year, he's going to
be fired regardless of how cam Ward plays. So but
I think that's what the Giants are going to do,
And honestly, the thing. The thing about with Aaron Rodgers

(03:15):
is guys, you know, musical chairs, somebody's left standing at
the end. And when I sort through these spots for
Aaron Rodgers, I start to wonder, where actually is he
going to go? But like one of the why would
the Tennessee Titans sign him? Like why why wouldn't he

(03:36):
do that? One of the Brown's gonna do have the
single least popular quarterback room and a history.

Speaker 1 (03:41):
Of the urt like I want to go.

Speaker 2 (03:47):
Like, there's no way they're going to do that. So
I just kind of feel like Aaron Rodgers might run
out of places to go and he'll end up on
a podcast somewhere.

Speaker 1 (03:56):
Yeah, And you know, Art Stapleton was on McAfee and
take it with a grin saw, but he was really
pushing in the narrative that you know, of the Giants
and Mara wouldn't mind the McAfee appearances and all that,
And of course he said it on McAfee show. So
there you have it. I have no idea where Rogers
ends up. I do think he can still play small ball,
sort of like you know Alex Smith did at the

(04:16):
end of his career, But I don't know if you're
getting anything that couldn't be an upgrade over maybe one
of these rookies or even some of the other guys available.
Speaking which, let's have the Sam Darnold talk. Man. We've
been talking about Sam since the old Panthers days, and certainly,
you know he had some good moments in Carolina towards
the end once Matt Ruhle went back to the college

(04:37):
world and got the hill out of the way. And
I'll say this, I'm happy for his progress. I'm happy
to see the progression. I am highly skeptical, and it's
not just the last two games. Give me you thoughts
on taking him out of that environment in Minnesota, putting
him like a Tennessee or maybe a Las Vegas, and
that's can he survive that?

Speaker 2 (04:57):
That's a really good question. And I almost wonder if
it's gonna end up being kind of similar for Sam
Darnold as it was this year. I think he'll get
a longer term contract than he did obviously he had
like the one year deal with the Vikings. I think
he's probably earned a longer term and at least a
bigger money contract than that. But I almost wonder if
he ends up in a place like Vegas. Does that

(05:18):
preclude Vegas from drafting should Sanders?

Speaker 1 (05:22):
I don't think so.

Speaker 2 (05:23):
No, especially as shoulder and we're starting to hear buzz
that he might end up falling to the back end
of the first round.

Speaker 1 (05:31):
I've heard sixth round, Joe, seventh round. It's crazy season.

Speaker 2 (05:34):
Yeah, that's not going to happen, like maybe back into
the first round, you know. And do you know what
that becomes? That becomes trade back season, So that becomes
like a team like Philadelphia, for instance, at thirty two.
The last time the Eagles won the Super Bowl, they
actually traded out of the thirty second pick for a
team who traded back into the first round for a quarterback.

Speaker 1 (05:54):
Yep.

Speaker 2 (05:54):
Remember that pick was Lamar Jackson. So Baltimore traded back
to number thirty two. And I wonder could that happen
again with another team, like, for instance, the Raiders. That
means probably the best spot. Like can you imagine if
Sam Don? How why would Sam Donald go back to
New York?

Speaker 1 (06:12):
That's the other team.

Speaker 2 (06:13):
It's not going to be the jet but would it
be the Giants? Like, oh, so, I'm just gonna throw
myself right back into the Mike Franz novin grinder again.

Speaker 1 (06:21):
No, he went to relatively moderate markets Charlotte and Minneapolis,
where he was able to blend in and feel comfortable.
And I think he would tell you that that New
York the lights were bright, the ghosts were bright, and
it was time for a change of scenery. And I
think the Carolina experience down the stretch with Steve Wilkes
and Ben mca who really helped his confidence because he

(06:41):
won some big games for this team. He was part
of it, and I'm proud of him because I covered him.
He's a good dude and I think he'd be a
great guy to have alongside of, like a shooter of Sanders.
They would compliment each other very well. Speaking of Sanders
and Ward and the host of others, the combine came
and went. It's the underwear Olympics. You learn things about
certain players. There is mostly meetings, mostly medicals, and a

(07:02):
lot of it is just getting to know who these
people are and if they fit your operation. Some great
testing numbers, but let's stick to quarterbacks. Where's your board
right now? Is it Cam and Shoudur and then everybody else?
Or do you see it differently?

Speaker 2 (07:17):
Mine is mine? Personally is Cam and Shouldar as one
and two. Those are the two best prospects in my opinion.
Our guy, our draft guy at Fantasy Points, Brent Whitefield
love Jackson Dart. He thinks Jackson Dart has first round tape.
I know people in the industry who actually think Tyler
Shuck from Louisville obviously we saw them play against Clemson.
They believe he has good tape, and I think those

(07:39):
are the clear top four for a lot of people.
And then, of course the walk part is Jalen Milroe,
who can run out of the building, can jump out
of the building, can throw the ball out of the building,
but doesn't know where it's going. I think Jalen Milroe's
traits will really appeal to somebody. But guys, I'm not
gonna I'm not going to go against what is the
conventional wisdom. I don't think it's a great quarterback class

(08:00):
really go Obviouslyers comes with perceived baggage in that he
has a he's a cocky confidence.

Speaker 1 (08:07):
Where are you at it? Joe just got me, stop
you where where are you with that? Damian Parson and
I talked about this yesterday on the show, and he
had some strong thoughts on the whole Combine process, and look,
I don't know Shuldar Sanders personally. I just have a
hard time believing that that's a liability. Being the son
of Dion Sanders. I think whatever you say doesn't matter.
Can you play? Are you tough on the field. I

(08:28):
thought he was one of the most physically tough players
on tape last year. But absolutely that's I think the tape,
like the Caleb Williams discussion last year, same sort of
a smear going on. I feel like it's a bit
of a smear.

Speaker 2 (08:40):
I do. I would agree with that. Now I have
heard from people and I want I want you to
understand this. This is not firsthand that I'm hearing this.
This is second hand, third hand that I'm hearing this
noted I have. I haven't talked to one person. I
haven't talked to anybody who said they've heard Shador had
a good Combine interview. And now that's from that second hand.

(09:04):
I didn't talk to any teams that met with him,
so I have to throw that out there.

Speaker 1 (09:08):
But I do talk to those that want him to
fall down the board. That's what that is. Right.

Speaker 2 (09:14):
Then there's another thing, that makes me. That makes me
wonder though you do have this cloud of Dion hanging there,
and I don't even necessarily think, guys that it's Oh,
if Shouldar has a bad game, Dion's gonna go on
video and flap his gums about how the organization is
letting him down and all this. I think it might

(09:35):
be a coach like Brian Davil who's like, well, crap,
if we draft Sugar Sanders and we win five games,
my ass is grass and they're replacing me, would be gone.

Speaker 1 (09:45):
Woam that angle as well? Yeah?

Speaker 2 (09:49):
I wonder if some coaches are.

Speaker 1 (09:50):
Thinking that way, that that's actually a decent angle to
look at this from. That's why it's ever. There's thirty
two teams, thirty two relatively unique perspectives, but they're there
is some group think involved. You know that with the
draft community and with these front offices. Trey Falco, my man,
it's time to dive into your Steelers digest with Joe Dolan.
Take it away and let's see how we can fix

(10:11):
this depressing fan base and give them what the hell
they want more than ten wins.

Speaker 3 (10:15):
Go well, obviously, sitting there at the twenty first pick,
overall in the draft the Steelers. I've heard a lot
of talk about wide receiver, a lot to talk about
defensive line. Obviously, the Steelers have a lot of holes
that they need to fill. Is there like a sleeper
position that you're seeing there at twenty one that maybe
people aren't talking about enough that the Steelers could go
after there and then move over like swing into free agency.

(10:37):
Is there maybe a free agency pickup that you could
foresee the Steelers maybe going after that could help alleviate
some of those holes so that maybe not everything is
on the draft that they have to fix everything.

Speaker 1 (10:46):
Right here with the first overall or the first pick
in the twenty five drafts.

Speaker 2 (10:51):
Perfectly because I'll tell you who my sleeper is for
the Pittsburgh Steelers in the draft.

Speaker 1 (10:55):
Okays, oh really, I've seen them monked' that's tasty. Mike
Tomlin got to get the relationship.

Speaker 2 (11:04):
There with right Tomlin. Mike Tomlin's handled big personalities.

Speaker 1 (11:09):
That's a great observation, Joe, he might be the O.

Speaker 2 (11:12):
And I know Steelers fans are criticizing and like they're like, well,
he hasn't won a playoff game, and then what does
he do? But like I mean, this is the guy
who seemed to be keeping Antonio Brown together.

Speaker 1 (11:22):
That's what he was. That's why I couldn't that's the
trade off. But I didn't win your playoff game reviews.
But I kept you in the playoffs and relevant and
you weren't in the tank. And oh yeah, deal with
that nut taste. Go ahead, Joseph.

Speaker 2 (11:35):
So I think he's somewhaty. Who who who can follow
the Steelers? Obviously wide receiver at Uka from from at
This class of wide receivers is not nearly as good
as last year. There's a lot of different flavors of players,
so players you might like, if you like more of
a flock eye, well, Jalen Nole from from Iowa State,
who was a huge winner of a combine, could fit there,

(11:57):
maybe in the second round. But another player I want
the highlights who the Steelers. The Steelers did not extend
the the the fifty year option to Najie Harris right
for a thousand yards and meet to his first four years. Well,
that's exactly what I was gonna say. You want to
talk about a winner from the combine. Amarion Hampton is

(12:18):
six foot nearly two hundred and thirty pounds and he
ran sub four or five and if you if you
turn his his tape on, like, I'm not a guy
who makes like I don't consider I'm not mel Kiper.
You know, I'm not Todd McShay or Daniel Wheremiah I like.
But when a comparison comes to mind for me, I'll
throw it out there. O'marion Hampton looks to.

Speaker 1 (12:38):
Me like the calister, like that's a good one, big.

Speaker 2 (12:43):
Fast, powerful And you know, I was actually at the
North Carolina game last year when Nate Wiggins ran him
down from behind that. Yeah, you look at that and
you're like, oh, man, Hampton, well you didn't break well.
Then Nate Wiggins went out ran up four two three,
and then all of a sudden you see that he
was one of the few players in the country who
could catch a Marion Hampton.

Speaker 1 (13:04):
Yeah, and yeah, that's what some people like to to
find one little moment with Hampton. And then Hampton came
back and ran for like five thousand yards last year
and sending at that great combine time Dray Steelers.

Speaker 2 (13:14):
I'll tell you guys, I know the running back position
is not well after what Saquan and Derek Henry and
Josh Jacobs did this year. There's a lot of oh
what it was O. Marion Hampton's not making it out
of the first round. He will be a first round pick,
and that's for our purposes at fantasy football. That's wonderful
because he's gonna go. I think I'm eyeing Pittsburgh at
twenty one. You have a Denver at twenty and the

(13:38):
Chargers at twenty two. All could use a running back.
All three would be phenomenal fits for Amaron Hampton.

Speaker 1 (13:43):
Mead Heead is back, Sorry nerds, the meat head is back.

Speaker 2 (13:46):
Now.

Speaker 3 (13:47):
This is this goes to show exactly what the combine
does when they're putting up all these magical, crazy numbers.
And this is what you do for your draft stock.
If em and Warry is there at twenty one, if
you're the Steelers, do you take him just based off
of just potential ceiling and upside? Obviously you've got Menka
Fitzpatrick there, but I mean he's not getting any younger.
He didn't produce as much last year as he has

(14:07):
in years past. That is an eventual need for the Steelers.
Would you take an em and Worry?

Speaker 1 (14:12):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (14:12):
Em and war is going to be interesting because the
safety is talked about in ways kind of like the
running back position. Oh, you know, you could find them
on Day two and Day three. But then when you
take a look at this draft class in general, which
is a lot less top heavy yep, and you see
a guy like em and Wory who's just as freakish

(14:33):
athletic ability. You know, I think you don't look at needs.
You're like, all right, we're thinking about this the wrong way.
We don't need a hole that this guy fits in
because he fits in all of them. So he can
play a little linebacker, he can play a little safety,
he can move all around the formation. He's just one
of those guys where I could see a team like

(14:56):
the Steelers who are like, all right, we don't have
huge holes. We have deficiencies, but we don't have huge holes.
But we're not going to take a B prospect over
an A prospect just because we have a we have
a need on the offensive line or whatever. I can
see any team drafting him just like as like, hey,
we'll find a spot for you. You just play your game.

Speaker 1 (15:18):
Yeah. And then there's certain guys that we evaluate this
stuff and we have collective opinions and then we have
different opinions on difference makers, elevators, guys that you know,
like an m and Moory who could be like a
Kyle Hamilton, perhaps not in size and frame, but just
in you know, ability to control the game and make
an impact. And that's the most important thing I think
for a lot of these teams is okay position, Yeah,

(15:40):
maybe unless it gets like Tyler Warren is a great example.
The things you can do with that guy potentially could
change everything about the future of your team, or maybe
it doesn't work out, but the stats and the tape
are pretty you know, damning when it comes to Tyler Warren,
quickly before we let you go the tight end group,
it's a deep class war. Do you think he goes
top ten? Do you think a team like the Panthers

(16:03):
would look there? Maybe they're just thinking best defensive tackle
because they've got to stop the run.

Speaker 2 (16:08):
Yeah, I think the thing for Carolina guys, and I'm
sure you've discussed this plenty. I feel like Dave Canalis
and the entire organization would would would strap a jet
pack to their backs and fire fire up to the podium.
Miss Mason Graham's there. Yes, Yeah, I feel like, that's

(16:28):
that's the that's the dream guy. I'm sure you talked
about Ted McMillan, But here's the thing with Tyler for Warren,
the Jacks suddenly very interesting because Kirk to the Texans
today and they just cut Evan Ingram.

Speaker 1 (16:45):
Oh wow, that just came down. Ingram was a high
volume player for them. So that, yeah, there you go, Jack.

Speaker 2 (16:53):
Could they be McMillan spot as well? So warren't believe me.
I'm a Penn State alum, So I know what Kyle
Warren do.

Speaker 1 (17:00):
I did it.

Speaker 2 (17:01):
He's a jack of all trades. And I feel like,
let's put it this way, guys, He's a football player.
And they're gonna be coaches who are just sitting there
watching their tape and they're they're not even gonna be
making words when they're watching the tape. It's just gonna
be like, yeah, like you're just like grunting at Tyler

(17:22):
Larren and what he's doing.

Speaker 1 (17:23):
Like I can hear Dan right now.

Speaker 2 (17:26):
There's a fifteen minute video on YouTube of every grunt
from Home Improvement that scouts watching Tyler Warren.

Speaker 1 (17:33):
That is perfect. Just in a dark room, oh, in
this depressing dark no windows now it's three in the
afternoon and everybody's enjoying their life. And you got an
area scout.

Speaker 2 (17:46):
Oh yeah, he's just he's just absolutely just making the
most inhumane noises. Their guys sound the guy sounds like
a Neanderthal. But now, I mean the dancers, I could see,
you know, you want to Panthers are in a tough
spot because, like I think, I talked to you guys
last year about how what I'm feeling at age thirty

(18:07):
three can't be your best offensive player, and then he
finally did it again. I think I thinking credit to
be covered a lot for the improvements that he made,
and he was on to me. Schuba Hubbard was kind
of the heart beat of that Panther offense. But then
you know, you still look at Adam feeling and he
could still play, and he very clearly has a good
relationship with Bryce Young. But you have to plan for

(18:30):
the future, and I thought Leguet had a nice rookie season.
I don't know if you could say, well, he's are
number one locked.

Speaker 1 (18:35):
In for the rest there time.

Speaker 2 (18:37):
I don't think you can do that. So I think
a Tech McMillan or a Tyler Warren would make sense
for the Panthers, even if Mason Graham fits their most
immediate knee. Now, let me tell you, if all three
of those players are available for the Panthers, I take
Mason Grant.

Speaker 1 (18:51):
I would too, And I'm question. I'm under the assumption
that that Graham is gone by eight. But and I
don't think Carolina after what happened a couple of years ago,
ever trade up ever again for the next twenty years.
It's like a charter that somebody put down to Temper's
desk and said, no more, no more trading up. We
trade back from that on Joe Dolan, Look, Joe Dolan,

(19:11):
we got to hit We got to hit it. Man
the owner and operator of Fantasy Points dot Com and
has done such a great job building that wonderful publication up.
And you guys are doing so much right now. What's
going on these days? I guess there's a lot going
on free agency draft analysis. Just a few highlights before
we get you out of here.

Speaker 2 (19:30):
Yeah, we're we're getting heavy into the multimedia with our
podcasts and talking best bets and stuff like that at
Futures Awards Bets. But we're going to be hitting the
draft really hard at fantasy points, and we're gonna be
using all of our proprietary data to project these guys
to the NFL and help you win your fantasy leagues.
That's what we ultimately do.

Speaker 1 (19:49):
We lack the sound of it, man, and we like
to hear your voice as always. Joe right up the
road there in our neck of the woods, but he
is a globally renowned as one of the NFL greats. Joe,
be well, my friend, and get that shower fixed.

Speaker 2 (20:00):
I can't wait. Guys. Thanks