Free Agency Updates! Chris Rodriguez, Aaron Jones, Rachaad White, Chig Okonkwo and More (03/12 Fantasy Football Podcast)

Summary

Fantasy Football Today – Free Agency Updates (03/12/2026)

Free Agency Updates! Chris Rodriguez, Aaron Jones, Rachaad White, Chig Okonkwo and More

Date: March 12, 2026
Hosts: Adam Aizer, Dave Richard, Jamey Eisenberg, Heath Cummings

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Episode Overview

The team breaks down the latest wave of NFL free agency moves—particularly focusing on unsettled running back committees in Jacksonville, Minnesota, and Washington—plus the fantasy football implications for players like Chris Rodriguez, Aaron Jones, Rachaad White, Keaton Mitchell, and Chigoziem Okonkwo.

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Key Discussion Points

1. Free Agency Roundup: Notable Running Back Moves

Timestamps: 01:03 – 02:40

• Chris Rodriguez to Jaguars: 2-year, $10M deal ($6.2M guaranteed).
• Aaron Jones returns to Minnesota: 1-year, $5.6M deal.
• Keaton Mitchell to Chargers: Adds speed to the backfield.
• Rachaad White to Washington: Commanders replace Rodriguez; White once finished as RB4 overall, RB10 per game in 2023.
• Chigo Okonkwo to Commanders: Moves to tight end-needy Washington.

2. Ranking the Crowded Backfields

Timestamps: 02:43 – 07:02

• Top RBs on Each Team: Staff ranks the “top two” RBs from Jacksonville, Minnesota, and Washington.
  • Washington: Bacchal (Basil) Tootin and Jakory Crosby Merritt are favored by Jamie and Dave.
  • Minnesota: Aaron Jones mentioned for per-game upside, but "how many games is that going to be?" (Heath, 03:33).
  • Jacksonville: Basil Tootin presumed RB1, Chris Rodriguez role discussed as possibly short-yardage.
  • "None of the guys on any of these teams are in my top 20. I'm not sure they're in my top 24." — Dave (06:40)
  • General tone: Skepticism and “meh” about current fantasy ceiling for these committees.

3. Could More Moves Be Coming? Uncertainty and RB Draft Outlook

Timestamps: 07:07 – 10:53

• Jamie: "There feels like there’s another shoe to drop for two of these teams... Minnesota, you kind of figure they are what they are. But I think you could see another guy go to Washington or Jacksonville."
• Possibility of Alvin Kamara being released and fitting with Jacksonville discussed.
• 2026 Draft Class: "It's a 1B draft class. You're going to get a lot of running backs who might end up being like 1B types." — Dave (09:10)
• “You’ve got Jeremiah Love, who looks like a stud... but last year’s class was supposed to be amazing, and so far not so great.” — Jamie (09:17)

4. Team-by-Team RB Outlooks and Usage Trends

Timestamps: 10:10 – 19:22

Jacksonville Jaguars

• RB target rate very low with Trevor Lawrence ("fourth lowest running back target rate in football" — Adam, 10:10)
• LaQuint Allen still expected to have the third-down role, but even he saw very few targets.

Washington Commanders

• As a team, they "have produced in the last two seasons the fifth most rushing touchdowns in the NFL" (Adam, 11:43).
• But pass-game involvement for RBs is historically minimal.
• “If Rashad White comes in and… we can build our run game around, then he's easily the best one [in Washington].” — Jamie (11:36)

Minnesota Vikings

Timestamps: 17:02 – 19:22

• Jamie: He wishes Aaron Jones hadn’t returned, preferring to see a Jordan Mason-centric backfield.
• Aaron Jones: Age/injury concerns; “I probably will end up letting somebody else take Aaron Jones…” — Jamie (17:08)
• “In the five games that Jones missed, Mason averaged over 13 PPR points per game. You can see that’s almost double what his season average was [6.8].” — Jamie (17:11)
• Whether the offense can support RB ceiling if they add (or don’t add) a mobile QB like Kyler Murray.

5. RB Profile: Efficiency vs. Opportunity

Timestamps: 19:22 – 20:58

• Chris Rodriguez: “Ranks 10th in avoid rate… but when you zoom out, sometimes guys are efficient in small samples but are just average overall playmakers.” — Adam (19:22)
• Discussion of how select stats can mislead about true RB upside when scaled up to heavier workloads.

6. Chigo Okonkwo: Tight End Landing Spot Analysis

Timestamps: 21:18 – 25:43

• Opportunity in a stripped-down Washington WR corps; possibility to emerge as a streaming TE.
• “Chig Okonkwo can be Zach Ertz… there’s probably a dozen tight ends that are outside the top 12 you could say that about.” — Heath (21:55)
• Jamie: “He’s still one of the fastest tight ends… he just has a hard time catching the ball which is clearly important… I think he’ll end up being a waiver wire addition if he has a couple of good games in a row.” (23:18)
• If Washington brings in a WR like Brandon Aiyuk, “you can say goodbye to whoever is at tight end… being a factor.” — Dave (25:00)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “None of the guys on any of these teams are in my top 20. I'm not sure they're in my top 24.” — Dave (06:40)
• “There feels like there’s another shoe to drop for two of these teams.” — Jamie (07:07)
• “It might be time to legitimately be excited about Trevor Lawrence… This team could end up throwing the ball a lot next year.” — Dave (08:34)
• “If Rashad White comes in and… we can build our run game around, then he’s easily the best one.” — Jamie (11:36)
• “Aaron Jones… going to be 32 at the end of this year… I probably will end up letting somebody else take Aaron Jones.” — Jamie (17:08)
• “Jordan Mason… in the five games that Jones missed, Mason averaged over 13 PPR points per game.” — Jamie (17:11)
• “It’s a great landing spot just because of the opportunity [for Okonkwo]… this receiving core is really stripped down right now.” — Jamie (23:18)

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Running Back Upside & Roles (By Team)

Jacksonville Jaguars

• RB1: Bacchal Tootin (projected)
• Role clarity: LaQuint Allen likely 3rd down, Chris Rodriguez possibly short yardage, but not as passing-game weapons.
• “Tootin wasn’t terrible in short yardage situations... but I’d be startled if [Rodriguez] ended up displacing Tootin as main running back there.” — Dave (05:13)

Minnesota Vikings

• RB1: Aaron Jones
• RB2: Jordan Mason
• Age/injury risk for Jones; Mason productive when starting but labeled “very average at everything” — Heath (19:03).

Washington Commanders

• RB1: Rashad White (potential, but not entrenched)
• Competition: Jacory Kroski-Merritt, Rodriguez’s replacement
• “You could definitely see another guy go to Washington.” — Jamie (07:07)

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Chig Okonkwo & Washington Tight Ends

• “As of right now, this looks like a pretty good place to be Zach Ertz because it’s kind of Terry McLaurin and nobody else.” — Heath (21:55)
• Team could sign another major pass-catcher (e.g., Brandon Aiyuk), which would hurt Okonkwo’s upside.

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Fantasy Takeaways

• Current depth charts are extremely fluid. Both Jacksonville and Washington may add another back or see roles shift via draft or further signings.
• Aaron Jones is a risky bet due to age and injuries; Jordan Mason is intriguing but neither back offers “must-start” upside unless one takes over the job fully.
• Chigo Okonkwo is a deep streaming candidate, not a priority fantasy tight end, unless Washington’s WR group stays thin.
• Offense and game script matter: low RB pass-game usage in Jacksonville and Washington caps fantasy RB ceilings.

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For Deeper League Managers

• Watch depth chart news; Tootin, Mason, Crosby-Merritt, and Rodriguez are all dart throws with upside if opportunity increases.
• Okonkwo is a viable late-round TE or waiver wire watch list addition.
• Prepare to pivot on running back rankings if teams add more significant talent before Week 1.

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Summary Table: Key Fantasy Football Impacts

| Team | RB Depth Chart | Highest Upside RB | Notable WR/TE Moves | Offense Note | |--------------|-------------------------------|------------------------|--------------------------|-----------------------------------------| | Jaguars | Tootin, Rodriguez, Allen | Tootin | N/A | Lowest RB target % (Lawrence-led) | | Vikings | Jones, Mason | Jones (inj risk) | N/A | May add mobile QB; run game in flux | | Commanders | White, Crosby-Merritt | White (in PPR) | Okonkwo (TE) | Top 5 in rushing TDs, no RB targets |

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Listener Utility

• No RB in these committees ranks as a top-20 fantasy pick right now.
• Monitor preseason depth charts closely. Opportunity and late additions will shift value.
• Chig Okonkwo: Late-round best ball target or streamer, depending on further Commanders WR moves.
• Don’t overvalue past efficiency stats in small samples (especially for Rodriguez/Mason).

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“Remember Bracket Challenge Join the Podcast League. Win the Bracket Challenge…” — Adam Aizer (29:37)

Full show, stats, and more at CBS Sports Fantasy Football Today

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Transcript

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[A]

Off to the races and he stays on his feet. This is gonna go the distance. Now here's some combination of Adam, Dave, Jamie and Heath. Here we are in day four of free agency for 2026. Kind of a slow drip of news, but it is dripping in Chris Rodriguez to the Jaguars, two year $10 million deal, 6.2 million guaranteed. Minnesota giving Aaron Jones about half of that, a one year $5.6 million deal. We thought he'd be gone, but he is back with the Vikings. The Chargers signed Keaton Mitchell, get a little speed in their backfield. The Commanders signed Rashad White after losing Chris Rodriguez. Completely different running backs but Rashad White going to Washington. My one of my favorite stats guys. Rashad White was once upon a time the number four overall running back. Just researching all these free agents, that was one thing I just won't now I won't forget. He was the number four running back in fantasy number 10 per game in 2023 when he had 272 carries and 64 catches. Commanders also signed Chigo. Conquo Good. Good afternoon, Heath Cummings.

[D]

Hey, Adam Mazer.

[A]

Looks like you got a haircut.

[C]

I did.

[A]

Looking good shaped. What's the biggest news? Also Dave and Jamie here. What's the biggest news of what I

[D]

just discussed the biggest news probably Rashad White to Washington, I guess.

[A]

Yeah, Dave, what's the biggest news?

[C]

That he's got a haircut. He looks much better now. Way to go, Heath.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[C]

Jamie I would, I would agree. I think Rashad White going to Washington is interesting.

[B]

Jamie, I think it's Chris Rodriguez. You know, this is all Jacksonville does. This is great for Basil Tooting.

[A]

How would you rank the four running? No, you know what, let's make it the six running backs. You have to give me all six. But who's give me the top two? Washington with Jakori Crosby, Merritt and Chris Rod and Rashad White. Minnesota with Jordan Mason and Aaron Jones and Jacksonville with Basil Tutin and Chris Rodriguez. We'll go in reverse order here. Jamie, Dave, Heath, give me your top two for Washington, Minnesota and Jacksonville.

[B]

Top two overall running backs of those three teams. Yeah. It will be Bacchal Tootin one and Jacquari Crosby Merrick two.

[C]

Dave, I agree

[D]

that's probably where I'll be. I think probably Aaron Jones might be this one of the top two on a per game basis next year, but how many games is that going to be?

[C]

That's what it might be the case if the commanders add another running back that isn't Jeremiah Love or anybody else that they might take on day two that could displace Crosky Merit.

[A]

How come if they take Love then

[C]

you know, the number one running back is going to be.

[A]

How come we're discounting the Chris Rodriguez role here because I could make the case for Jaquori Kroski Merit to be number one on these three teams because Aaron Jones is going to split carries with Jordan Mason maybe even more than he did last year down the stretch. Let me see, last eight games where the two of them played together healthy, Aaron Jones had more carries. Here we go. Jordan Mason had 59, Aaron Jones had 80. That's a pace of only 170 carries for Jones and only 125 for Mason. They weren't a very good offense. They were terrible. They didn't run a lot of plays. But that was a split there you've got Chris Rodriguez who outplayed Jakory Crosby, Merritt last year, right. Took the job from him when he was healthy, has averaged 4.6 yards per carry in his career, albeit only 198 carries. But he's, he's built to, to, you know, carry the ball. He's not going to catch passes. He has in his career, six, six catches. Chris Rodriguez and then you have Rashad White who's a complimentary running back, who's a receiving back, who's a third down back. Does Jakory Crosby Merit, Dave. Not have the clearest path to the most carries among the running backs on these three teams.

[C]

You're squinting when you look at Chris Rodriguez and expect him to be in a. In a large role for Jacksonville. Let's go back to 2021. Chris Rodriguez was at the University of Kentucky. Liam Cohen landed there. He's calling plays for them. Rodriguez had his best year in college with Cohen, so they know each other. I think Cohen's familiarity with Rodriguez made him a fit in Jacksonville, but I'd be startled if. If he ended up displacing Basil Tutin as the main running back there. Is it possible? Of course it is. And, and certainly he could be the short yardage guy. And La Quint Allen isn't going anywhere either. That's going to be your third down running back for the Jaguars next year. But I, I still see volume going Tootin's way. He's an explosive runner. He wasn't terrible.

[B]

I don't.

[C]

I don't think he was terrible in short yardage situations. Give me a chance to double check that or you might already have it. I don't know.

[A]

Yeah, I do.

[C]

Okay, so what is it? Was he good or did he stink there?

[A]

I don't know. He was fine.

[B]

Gosh.

[C]

Well, he's not gonna do it anymore now.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Yeah. Jacksonville at the goal line. He had four carries. He scored three touchdowns. That's very good. Jackson. Travis Etn had seven carries. Yeah, it's very small. Right. But he did not struggle. He did not struggle at the goal line. I just don't know. You're acting like he's entrenched as RB1 there.

[D]

No, I, I don't. I'm not convinced that he's better than Bill. And we saw Rodriguez take work away from Bill.

[C]

It.

[D]

Me putting him first was not like excitement about him as a must start running back. None of the guys on any of these teams are in my top 20. I'm not sure they're in my top 24.

[C]

Yeah, they're not in my top 24.

[B]

No, I have two in the 24 right now.

[A]

Yeah, it's okay. We're talking about that range here.

[D]

So it's like we don't. We don't really love anybody.

[A]

But you know what, Heath, we had to do an episode at some point.

[B]

I think there's. There feels like there's another shoe to drop for two of these teams. Minnesota, you kind of figure they are what they are at this point. You know that by bringing back Aaron Jones, like that's what they're going to be is the same duo. I think you could see another guy go to Washington potentially, I think you could definitely see another guy go to Jacksonville. Like, there's such little investment financially in that position right now after losing Travis Etienne. And so who's out there? That's the question, you know, so the one name that makes some sense would probably be Alvin Kamara. If he's set free from New Orleans because they can move on from him. And, you know, that's a guy that can sort of do some similar things to what Travis Etan did. The. There's. There's a lot of uncertainty right now because Tutin really did not do a lot in the minimal opportunities that he had. And Rodriguez, the sample size of his career is just not very great. So, I mean, the, the one benefit for both of these guys is this is the running back that they chose from their first draft in Tutin. And this is a running back, as Dave alluded to, that has a history with Cohen from Kentucky. So there's obvious connections to why these two players have some upside. But I think you're just looking at it as this feels like a huge step down from what Travis ETN did a year ago for an offense that looks very poised to continue what it was starting to do last year. So I just think the next guy that joins the roster might be the one that we're the most excited about.

[C]

And if there isn't a guy who joins the roster, it might be time to legitimately be excited about Trevor Lawrence, who's for me, already a top 12 quarterback. But some people might be skeptical because it's Trevor Lawrence. He's had some bad years. Hi, Heath, how are you? But it would be a sign to me if all they've got is Tootin, C, Rod and La Quint Allen. This team could end up throwing the ball a lot next year.

[A]

And for those of you who are just kind of more casual and, and don't know, Andy just mentioned in the chat, it's a bad draft. It looks like, looks like a bad running back draft class.

[C]

It's a, it's a, it's a 1B draft class. Going to get a lot of running backs who might end up being like 1B types.

[B]

Right.

[A]

You've got Jeremiah Love, who's looks like a stud.

[C]

He's a 1A. He's a stud.

[B]

But you know what, though? Last year's class was supposed to be amazing and so far, not so great.

[C]

Yeah, but a lot of guys are still potential 1A's in that class, including a guy who got Keaton Mitchell as a teammate.

[A]

No, certainly I understand your point, Jim. You never know until it absolutely actually plays out. But it's not as easy to just upgrade it to running back position at least.

[B]

Right. Like if they, if they get Washington from where's the Arkansas and. Or Price, you know, from Notre Dame, like, you know, these are the, the second options, at least second and third options behind Jeremiah Love, like Love can go to a crappy situation. And while we love his talent and we'll probably still draft him first, like you go to be the starter in Jacksonville, that's a pretty good landing spot, even if you're not the best prospect coming out of the, you know, draft class.

[A]

Just one thing about being the starter in Jacksonville. Trevor Lawrence, in his five years in the NFL since he came into the NFL, he has the fourth lowest running back target rate in football. Matthew Stafford, by the way, is, is the lowest. So obviously you can be good without catching a lot of passes, but he doesn't throw to his running backs much. And the Quint Allen owned the third down role last year, never got a target, but he did own the third down role. So you might have all these guys, might not see them really catch a lot of passes. Yeah. So I don't know, I don't want to go around in circles here, but that's how you guys have it. Basil Tootin, what do you think as the number one guy? Probably could change for you guys, but right now, Baja Tutin, number one in these three backfields, it could be Rashad White.

[B]

I mean, you mentioned that his, his, his time when he was featured was a very good pass catcher, you know, showed that in the first couple years of his career in Tampa Bay and there's a history of him and Jane Daniels, they played together in college. So does he step into what Austin Eckler's role was supposed to be and what we saw flashes of obviously a much younger player. Yep. And you are talking about, yes, Crosby Merit probably should not have been a seventh round pick in the NFL draft, but still was a seventh round pick in the NFL draft, there's not a lot of, you know, reason to be committed to him. If Rashad White comes in and hey, this is a pretty electric type of player and somebody that we can, you know, build our run game around then he's easily the best one.

[A]

The commanders throw to the running backs even less than, than Jacksonville so far, but good. Here's a cool stat for Washington.

[B]

Two years different coordinator though.

[A]

Yeah, it is a different coordinator. He's the quarterbacks coach the last couple years but it is different coordinator. They just don't really throw all that much so because you know with mobile quarterbacks but they've, they have produced in the last two seasons the fifth most rushing touchdowns in the NFL and the fifth most running back rushing touchdowns in the NFL. So that's cool, right? I mean we saw like Brian Robinson Jr. Have a, have a good season where he was on pace for double digit touchdowns last year was kind of a mess but they still managed to score some rushing touchdowns. I think they had 20 rushing touchdowns last year as a team. So that's good stuff. But they don't throw to their running backs. All right, we'll talk about chigo conko and a little bit more just on upside of these guys when we come back after this break on fantasy football

[B]

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[A]

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[A]

What is it?

[C]

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[A]

Yeah, Spot the podcast league. Heath, what's. What do you think Basil Tutin's upside is this year? Do you think he has stud potential?

[D]

I think he could be Travis ETN from last year.

[A]

So what's.

[D]

I don't even remember where Travis ETN finished, but I'm thinking like the. The top of the upside might be right around RB15.

[C]

Oh, that's almost 15 PPR points per game for ETN last year.

[A]

Good guess, Heath. He was 14th per game in PPR. 12th and non. 13th and half. It is ETN and 14th in. In full PPR. He had a kind of a low catch rate, but he had 36 catches. I think he had about 52 targets in 17 games. Travis Etn. All right, Keaton Mitchell, Jamie to the Chargers. Anything to discuss there? They've been busy, like picking up resigning backups. I think Jarrett Patterson and Kymani Vidal as well. Now they have Keaton Mitchell.

[B]

I mean, obviously he's got a lot of upside if he gets work, but I don't know how much work he's going to get. You know, I think that's the biggest issue. I would have preferred to see him stay in Baltimore just in case something happened to Derrick Henry and then maybe get a chance to play behind him. But look, if something happens to Martin Hampton again, this could be an opportunity for him to, you know, showcase some of his skills. He looked like he was building towards something before he had the injury at the end of the 2023 season. Didn't do much in 2024 and or played in 2024 toward the end of the year and then didn't do much last year. He's a guy that'll play on special teams, so they can use him in the return game. Right now, if I was drafting a handcuff to Hampton, it would still be Kamani by now.

[A]

Okay. Is there anything else you guys would like to say about the running backs?

[B]

I think Minnesota is worth discussing a little more.

[A]

Okay. What else would you like to discuss there with.

[B]

I didn't really want to see Aaron Jones back, personally. I wanted to see if Jordan Mason and somebody else, or somebody else, period, would have gone in there. But, you know, he's going to be 32 at the end of this year. Clearly had worst year of his career since his rookie season. Miss another five games due to injury. He's obviously a great locker room guy. They love him and I think he's got a, probably a great career coming in broadcasting. But, you know, I, I, I probably will end up letting somebody else take Aaron Jones and, and look for Jordan Mason again. In the five games that Jones missed, Mason averaged over 13 PPR points per game. You can see that's almost double what his season average was, 6.8. So don't love him either as a, you know, mustard guy if he was going to be the featured option. But still better than dealing with Jones and the nagging injuries that are probably going to creep up once again. So I'd love to see Aaron Jones have one more great season and go out with, you know, a solid showing before maybe retirement. But this just feels like they, they settled as opposed to targeting somebody. And then if they get Kyler Murray, it goes even, it gets even worse because of the, you know, potential of a rushing quarterback and not a lot of passes to the running back.

[A]

Yeah, Jordan Mason also. First seven games of the 2024 season with San Francisco, he was on pace for 311 carries, 1620 yards and seven touchdowns. Only 24 catches, but he averaged 5.2 yards per carry. He was so good. And that includes one game he left early with an injury. I think it was against Seattle, and about a half he had 80 yards or something crazy like that. So Mason's, Mason's been really good. He's, he's averaged 6, 6, 5.2, 5.2 and 4.8 yards per carry in four seasons, but two of those seasons were less than 50 carries.

[D]

So I must disagreed in the chat.

[A]

Thomas, what says, oh, he doesn't like Jordan Mason.

[D]

About the time you said he's been very good, it was fantastic.

[A]

What's going on, Thomas? What am I missing?

[D]

He's just very average at everything. And the Vikings offense just isn't, isn't a, like a very good run running team even, you know, since we've had Kevin o'. Connell. So yeah, I, I'm, I'm worried about the, the backfield and we'll see if we get Kyler Murray.

[A]

But yeah, look, I think I, I'll read the stats, but I don't, I don't necessarily think they say the whole picture because Chris Rodriguez has some amazing stats. For example, like, let me just tell you, this will make you laugh. Chris Rodriguez, we love running backs who can make him miss and break tackles. So he has for his career 198 carries over the last. That's in three seasons for Rodriguez. In those three seasons, there have been 87 running backs with 100 or more carries. And Chris Rodriguez ranks 10th in a void rate. And that's really good. But number one is Kendry Miller, number five is Tank Bigsby, number seven is Antonio Gibson, and number eight is Jaleel McLaughlin. I think that Mason, I don't know, I hope Mason's a little bit. Got a little more juice than Rodriguez. But these guys have had good numbers and they've done really well. But I think maybe they are average at everything. Maybe they're just not, you know, actual game changers. If they ever got like 300 carries, it wouldn't look quite the same, you know. Is that kind of. Because we've really discounted Chris Rodriguez, but he's been very efficient whenever he's run the ball, you know what I mean? So I don't know. My. Am I kind of hitting. Am I kind of saying what we've been trying to say without that, but didn't say out loud that he's just not like that. As good as the numbers, basically.

[D]

I mean, the, the thing I would think is the offense would be a little bit more capable of sustaining drives and having, you know, not going three and out and not having to punt as much. So maybe Jordan Mason could actually be better. But you know, I think he's a little average. But the offense can't be worse is what I'm trying to say, I guess.

[A]

All right, but you can't like, you can't Be in the fft. You can't be in the chat here. Thomas as fantasy football today going, mason isn't good. And then coming on the show and going, he's average.

[B]

I'm talking.

[D]

Yeah, I was talking to myself. Johnny Airport.

[A]

All right, guys. Chico Conqueror, another guy. His rookie year he had 47 targets, I think, and his metrics were through the roof. He was one of the most efficient tight ends in fantasy. He has come nowhere close to that the last three years. Three straight years for Okonkwo with 70 to 79 targets in the 530 yard range, two to three touchdowns. Heath, you think there's a chance that the commanders can unlock something with Chigokonkwo and he can be somebody we're starting somewhat regularly in fantasy, like Zach Ertz.

[D]

Yeah, I think there's a chance that Chico conquo can be Zach Ertz. I'm not sure. I mean, there's probably a dozen tight ends that are outside of the top 12 that you could say that about. As of right now, this looks like a pretty good place to be Zach Ertz because it's kind of Terry McLaurin and nobody else. And Jaden Daniels has shown a willingness to throw the ball to the tight end. As Jamie mentioned earlier, it is a new offensive coordinator, so it's hard to necessarily count on the same targets going to the position as they have in past years. But this, this has been a team over the last two or three years. They're throwing the ball. The tight end is slightly above average rate. Algonquo certainly has more athleticism and ability after the catch than his accurate does. But still, if he gets drafted, it'll be in the last two or three rounds.

[A]

Yeah, there's nothing too much to say, but you know, Zach Ertz, for what it's worth, led all tight ends in adot last year and he was second worst in Yak. He was worst in in Yak two years ago. So he just mentioned Okonkwo can. Can do some stuff after the catch. He's good at that. But he's been a lower, a dot high yak guy. The complete opposite of what Zach Ertz was with the Commanders. Jamie, any thoughts on on Chigo Conquo because actually Ertz Earth was a top 12 tight end per game in 2024 and he was 20th per game last year.

[B]

It's a great landing spot just because of the opportunity. As Heath alluded to, this receiving core is really stripped down right now, so there's a chance for him to earn Targets. I was hoping to see Ben Senate get an opportunity to be featured and doesn't seem like they obviously feel that way about him because, you know, this contract speaks to him stepping in as a starter. And I also wouldn't rule out maybe Earth's coming back on a, you know, one year minimum type deal just to stay in the same place and you know, maybe get an opportunity as well just seeing that he wants to play. So this could be bad across the board for both of those guys potentially. But I think in the case of Okonko, if he is the featured tight end here, we saw some moments at the end of the season last year. We've seen moments from him during his tenure with with the Titans. He's still one of the fastest tight ends. When he, you know, tested at the combine, he had the fastest time of all the tight ends there. So he obviously can move. He just has a hard time catching the ball which is clearly important. So I think he'll end up being a waiver wire addition if he has a couple of good games in a row. You might consider starting him as the season moves on. But I think he said it best. You know, this has been a very tight end friendly offense. It's been a quarterback that's leaned on that position and if he is that guy without any significant competition, then there's a lot to like about the situation going into the year.

[A]

And then Dave, unless you have anything to say about Okonkwo, how about the.

[C]

Well, what are the odds that he completely takes over the Ertz role and he's a top two target getter in Washington

[D]

right now they're pretty high.

[A]

They're not that bad.

[C]

Now add Brandon Iuk to Washington.

[A]

Yeah, now they're not so good which

[C]

it sounds like they're trying to get Jayden Daniel's friends to join him in decent.

[B]

That always works out well.

[C]

Yeah. Oh, I'm not saying that's going to work out great. I'm just saying that that's what.

[A]

Dude, I don't, I, I don't know.

[C]

It might end up happening and if it does, then obviously if Ayuk and McLaurin are on the team, you can say goodbye to whoever is at tight end in Washington being a factor. The other thing to remember is that Jayden Daniels loved throwing to Zach Hurts like that was his huggy bear. Whenever there was any trouble. No one's open downfield when he was under pressure, that's who got the ball. And it's very clear that the situation has changed. They just added Rashad White. He's going to be a guy that gets a few targets anyway from Jane Daniels. So I, I, I'm, I'm inclined to agree with Jamie that Okonkwo. Maybe you'll draft him late if he's got a great week one matchup. Otherwise he's going to be a streamer. Yeah.

[A]

Is there like, think about this. If, you know, as a Giants fan I would, I would love to see it. But if you're just an NFL fan out there, is there a team if you're, is there like an NFL fan or NFL fan base and sure, like maybe the Bengals, they don't need or whoever, but who wouldn't want their team to take a one year flyer on Brandon Iuk? You know, I don't know what he's going to get paid.

[C]

Niners.

[A]

Yeah, the Niners. But I would love that, I mean I would love that for any team that needs a receiver. Sure. The guy was, was really, really good and he's still young enough. I mean.

[B]

Yeah, I just wonder where his head's at right now after everything.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

Or where his legs at.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Right.

[A]

But he's now what, two years, almost two years removed from a torn acl or a year and a half. Okay.

[D]

I think that was part of the whole problem though was that he wasn't at the facility doing his rehab.

[A]

Yeah. Yeah, you're right.

[D]

Kind of a mystery still.

[A]

But if it's a one year, 12 million dollar deal for Brandon Iuk or something, I have no idea what it's going to be. Can be worth up to 18 million or something like. I would, I would take that, I would do that.

[C]

Who are you as agent?

[A]

Would you pay that much?

[B]

Would you rather have or Cardinal tight? I'd rather take.

[A]

Yeah, Tate.

[B]

I'm gonna rather have Ayuka in your situation and another player, another position with the fifth pick. Or would you rather have Tate five?

[A]

Yeah, listen, you can make fun of me for this. It's the fifth pick in the draft. You're talking about elite players. I don't want in a, in a wide receiver class that's like the fastest in history. I don't want the guy I win a 4, 5, 3 5th overall. So start talking 10th overall maybe, but 5th overall. I do not want the Giants to take Carnell Tate. You got to be an elite player with elite traits.

[C]

You don't have to.

[D]

You don't have to. You don't have to be an elite 40 guy to be an elite wide receiver.

[A]

That is True, but it. But it helps. You don't have to be elite, but that's like close to.

[B]

Adam wants Matthew golden and Xavier worthy.

[D]

You don't have to be a lead for the Giants.

[C]

What's Darius Hayward Bay up to these days?

[B]

No, I don't know.

[A]

You guys are misinterpreting. And they have John Ross. It's not about being fast. It's about. It's not about being fast. It's about being not slow. I don't care about how fast a guy is. I care about how slow a guy is. And no, he wasn't.

[C]

How many games have you watched?

[A]

I haven't watched Carnell Tate yet other than watching football.

[C]

Get back to me and tell me if you.

[A]

I'm saying he's not adding the aether

[D]

takes that four, five, three is slow.

[A]

He's not. No, I. Again, you're not listening to what I'm saying. I didn't say he was slow. But 40 time is important. Not. I don't care about the high end. I don't care about the high end. I care about the low end. He ran a very slow 40. Well, he ran a slow 44 this class because guys were blazing at the combine this year. And I'm just saying with the fifth pick. No, I think I want a better. I think I want an elite trait guy like Sonny Styles, hopefully.

[C]

Okay, that's fair.

[A]

That's what I'm saying. With the fifth pick.

[D]

Just to answer your original question, I'm going to need to see Brandon Iuk like post a ladder drill on social media or something.

[B]

What did Puka run like?

[A]

Very slow. The slowest 40 in the class. And yes, you could always. You could always be that guy who comes up with the one example to prove the theory wrong.

[D]

No, there's lots of good wide rece receivers who have run in the fourth place. Great.

[A]

I know I brought it up when we talked about it. He can absolutely be great. I'm just saying with the fifth pick, I would like someone with. With elite traits.

[D]

Also, Brandon, IU grant a 4-50-which is fat.

[A]

Which is fat. Faster or slower than a four, five.

[D]

Indistinguishable.

[A]

He didn't get. He didn't get taken in the top five though. By the way, I'm now hosting a podcast called with the fifth pick if anybody is interested. I need to find a former gm. Take love. I'm a little more open to that. Yeah, see, like he's got. He's got elite traits, right?

[C]

Yeah, I agree.

[A]

All right. That's it for our show. Remember Bracket Challenge Join the Podcast League. Win the Bracket Challenge. We'll send out details when the brackets come out next week and have a great day. We'll talk to you soon. Still a lot of news that we need to cover. Whenever Kyler Murray gets signed, whenever Tyler Till gets signed, Brandon Ayuk whatever it is, we'll be back sooner rather than later. See you later. Paramount Podcasts this episode is brought to you by Athletic Brewing Co. No matter how you do game day, on the couch, in the crowd or manning the snack table, Athletic Brewing fits right in with a full lineup of non alcoholic beer styles. You can enjoy bold flavors all game long. No hangovers, no buzz, no subbing out for water in the second half. Stock the fridge for tip off with a variety of non alcoholic craft styles. Available at your local grocery store or online at athleticbrewing.com near Beer Fit for All Times.