Fantasy Football Podcast 2017 - NFL Coaching Changes, Fantasy Impact

Summary

Fantasy Football Podcast 2017 - NFL Coaching Changes, Fantasy Impact

Release Date: February 28, 2017

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Overview

In this episode of the Fantasy Footballers Podcast, hosts Andy Holloway, Jason Moore, and Mike "The Fantasy Hitman" Wright delve deep into the recent NFL coaching changes and their implications for fantasy football enthusiasts. Focusing primarily on the offensive transformations of various teams, they analyze how new coaching hires might influence player performances, draft strategies, and overall fantasy outcomes for the upcoming season.

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Coaching Changes and Their Fantasy Impact

San Francisco 49ers: Kyle Shanahan Takes the Helm

The 49ers made a significant move by replacing Chip Kelly with the renowned offensive mind, Kyle Shanahan. Mike Wright highlights Shanahan's impressive track record:

“Kyle Shanahan has been an OC nine years before he got this head coaching job. Six of those nine years, his teams were top 10 in yards. Five of those nine years, they were top eight in passing yards.” (22:24)

Despite Shanahan’s history of fostering top-tier quarterbacks like Matt Schaub and Robert Griffin III, Jason Moore expresses caution:

“I think I am not going to buy into the rhetoric of Kyle Shanahan makes Colin Kaepernick great... Maybe Carlos Hyde will have a high level year with Shanahan coming in too.” (26:40)

The hosts agree that while Shanahan brings optimism, the immediate impact on fantasy football remains uncertain due to existing team dynamics and quarterback uncertainties.

Los Angeles Chargers: Anthony Lynn Replaces Mike McCoy

The Chargers' decision to appoint Anthony Lynn as the new head coach marks a shift towards a more balanced offensive strategy. Mike Wright praises Lynn's extensive experience with running backs:

“Anthony Lynn has been a running back coach since 2003 and six of his eight years his teams have been top six in rushing production.” (28:12)

Andy Holloway notes the potential for improved efficiency in the Chargers' running game, especially with Melvin Gordon benefiting from Lynn's expertise.

Los Angeles Rams: Sean McVay Brings Youth and Innovation

Sean McVay's appointment as the Rams' head coach introduces a fresh, youthful perspective to the team. Jason Moore emphasizes the challenges McVay may face:

“At 31 years old, McVay is super young, and there are players on his team older than him trying to coach and get their respect.” (31:17)

Despite concerns, Mike Wright remains optimistic about McVay's ability to develop the Rams' offense, drawing parallels to successful transitions in other teams.

Buffalo Bills: Sean McDermott Takes Over from Rex Ryan

The Bills' transition to Sean McDermott as head coach signifies a move to maintain their defensive strengths while subtly tweaking their offensive strategies. Rick Dennison’s role as offensive coordinator brings hope for a more disciplined and effective offense:

“Rick Dennison is the Offensive Coordinator... He was the Texans offensive coordinator from 2010 to 2013.” (37:11)

Jason Moore believes that these changes will stabilize the Bills' offense, potentially enhancing performances from key players like Shady McCoy and Sammy Watkins.

Denver Broncos: Vance Joseph Replaces Gary Kubiak

Denver's decision to part ways with Gary Kubiak in favor of Vance Joseph raises concerns about the Broncos' offensive future. The hosts express skepticism about Joseph's ability to fill Kubiak's shoes:

“I trust John Elway at this point. I think most people do. It is only out of that respect that I can say, okay, Vance Joseph as the head coach.” (43:46)

They discuss the uncertainty surrounding the quarterback position and how it might affect the team's offensive strategies and fantasy player value.

Jacksonville Jaguars: Doug Marrone and Nathaniel Hackett Join

With Doug Marrone taking over as head coach and Nathaniel Hackett as offensive coordinator, the Jaguars aim to revitalize their offense. Mike Wright is optimistic about Hackett’s influence:

“Rick Dennison... was the Texans offensive coordinator from 2010 to 2013... This just for me confirms that Shady McCoy should still be thought of as a top five running back...” (38:37)

The trio anticipates improved offensive coherence, which could benefit fantasy players like Allen Robinson and Emmanuel Sanders.

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Player News and Updates

Melvin Gordon vs. Jordan Howard: Risk Analysis

A significant portion of the episode focuses on comparing running backs Melvin Gordon and Jordan Howard, debating which player poses more risk for fantasy owners.

Andy Holloway poses the question:

“Who's riskier in your mind? Melvin Gordon or Jordan Howard?” (04:12)

Jason Moore leans towards Gordon, citing his versatility and improved offensive coaching in San Diego:

“I believe more in the offense in San Diego. I like some of the coaching changes for Melvin Gordon.” (05:23)

Mike Wright agrees, emphasizing Jordan Howard's dependency on red zone opportunities:

“I think it's Jordan Howard is the riskier guy, but it's a great debate.” (07:15)

Le'Veon Bell Returns to the Steelers

The return of Le'Veon Bell to Pittsburgh is met with enthusiasm. Jason Moore reflects:

“You've been dreaming about that move... Le'Veon Bell keeper owners are happy and ecstatic that he is back in Pittsburgh.” (09:35)

Antonio Brown’s Contract Extension

Antonio Brown secured a four-year, $68 million extension, becoming the highest-paid wide receiver in the league. Andy Holloway highlights Brown's enduring performance:

“He is not dependent on the athleticism to be amazing.” (10:44)

Bears and Alshon Jeffries

The Bears decided not to use the franchise tag on Alshon Jeffries, sparking discussions about his future and the team's wide receiver depth.

Mike Wright remarks:

“Kevin White is still there. And he's sometimes undrafted.” (12:05)

Kenny Stills’ Future with Miami

Kenny Stills may not return to the Dolphins due to potential excessive market demands. Jason Moore expresses hope for Stills' return:

“I really hope he comes back to the Dolphins. I want to see him in year two with Adam Gaze.” (13:21)

Latavius Murray Testing Free Agency

Latency Murray is expected to test the open market, with discussions on his true performance and reliance on the Oakland offensive line.

Andy Holloway questions:

“That is the question. And if you have a team that already has kind of an ancillary backfield piece, you wonder why would you pay versus drafting a guy.” (16:26)

Kirk Cousins and the 49ers

Reports suggest Kirk Cousins may sign a long-term deal with the 49ers, raising questions about his impact on the team's offense.

Mike Wright muses:

“Kirk Cousins, maybe he feeds the tight end position again.” (17:24)

Browns Place Second-Round Tender on Isaiah Crowell

The Browns have placed a second-round tender on Isaiah Crowell, indicating their intent to retain his services amidst free agency rumors.

Andy Holloway reports:

“The Browns have placed a second round tender on superstar Isaiah Crowell.” (39:37)

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Insights and Strategic Recommendations

Throughout the episode, the hosts provide strategic insights for fantasy football managers:

• Assessing Coaching Impact: Understanding new offensive philosophies helps in evaluating player potential and drafting strategies.

• Risk Management: Balancing players like Melvin Gordon and Jordan Howard based on their offensive environments and coaching stability.

• Monitoring Player News: Staying updated with player movements and contract situations can offer early advantages in drafts and trades.

Andy Holloway emphasizes the importance of community and independent strategy development:

“This show is all about community. It's about making your league better. It's about making your strategies better so that you can develop them on your own.” (07:25)

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Conclusion

The episode wraps up with a reminder of the importance of staying engaged with the fantasy football community and leveraging the insights provided by the Fantasy Footballers. The hosts encourage listeners to join their community at jointhefoot.com and follow them on social media for ongoing updates and strategies.

Andy Holloway concludes:

“We have a great Fantasy Footballers podcast episode for you today... We encourage you to stay tuned for the show after the show only on YouTube this offseason.” (41:18)

Listeners are invited to participate in upcoming debates and further discussions to enhance their fantasy football prowess.

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Notable Quotes:

• Jason Moore (02:45): “This is one of our more important off season Shows every single year.”

• Andy Holloway (04:12): “Who’s riskier in your mind? Melvin Gordon or Jordan Howard?”

• Mike Wright (28:12): “Anthony Lynn has been a running back coach since 2003 and six of his eight years his teams have been top six in rushing production.”

• Jason Moore (05:23): “I believe more in the offense in San Diego. I like some of the coaching changes for Melvin Gordon.”

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This detailed analysis provides fantasy football managers with crucial information on how recent NFL coaching changes may influence player performances and overall fantasy strategies for the 2017 season.

Transcript

[Andy Holloway]

Before we start today's show, I just want to remind you that you can Pre order the 2017 Ultimate Draft Kit.

[Jason Moore]

Ultimate Draft Kit.

[Andy Holloway]

It's. It's pretty cool. There's premium position rankings. We got our top 200s, 100 plus player profile videos. We've got sleepers, breakouts, busts and values. We got scoring projections. And this year, we got Matt Harmon's reception perception delivered on a silver platter exclusively to the 2017 Ultimate Draft Kit. So go to ultimate draft kit.com and get in on the early bird pricing. Check it out. We know you'll love it. Everybody who got it last year loves it. So that means I'm right. Check it out.

[Jason Moore]

Welcome to the Fantasy Footballers Podcast coming to you from the fantasyjocks.com studios with your hosts, Andy Holloway, Jason Moore and Mike Wright.

[Andy Holloway]

Happy Tuesday. Welcome in. We're back again.

[Mike Wright]

What a day to be alive.

[Andy Holloway]

It's a strange day in Arizona when it rains like it's raining today. Jason, there's one question I have for you and it's which pair of flip flops did you wear today?

[Jason Moore]

Oh, my only pair of flip flops. They might as well be tattoos because that's all I wear.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, man. Flip flop tattoos, flip flop. That would be ridiculous.

[Mike Wright]

You have no idea how ridiculous this man, Jason Moore is. Yesterday it was raining as well.

[Jason Moore]

It's gloomy.

[Mike Wright]

It's a little bit cold for Arizona in the 50s, the normal Arizona weather. And he, we're inside, he's wearing a T shirt, shorts and flip flops. Like, why is it so cold?

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, that's true. You were complaining about the cold because we were inside.

[Jason Moore]

We have a heater. We should not have to be cold inside just because it's cold outside. But we have the technology.

[Mike Wright]

But you still dress appropriately.

[Jason Moore]

No, no, I don't. And I think we've established that I do not dress appropriately for anything.

[Andy Holloway]

Welcome to the show. We have a great Fantasy Footballers podcast episode for you today, Andy, Mike and Jason bringing you the coaching changes that have transpired over the last couple of months and the fantasy football implications of those changes. Primarily looking to the offensive side of the ball. Obviously, we are looking at head coaches, offensive coordinators, the players that those changes impact, the history of these coaches and how it might change the offensive philosophy of these teams that might give you an advantage as a fantasy football owner in terms of which players to draft, which players have upside, which are possibly have downside based on the coaching that is coming into.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, this is one of our more important off season Shows every single year. And, you know, we're. We get a lot of feedback of how important this is. And sometimes, you know, I was telling my friend, he's like, oh, what's your next draw? He's like, we're finally doing the coaching changes episode. And he goes, oh, really? Like, it was like, it was like, not interesting. And I'm going. We have been waiting. We've been pushing this back weeks, for weeks at a time because we wanted to wait until kind of the super bowl lull was over and people are getting back into it. You know, what happens to what starts today?

[Mike Wright]

Oh, combine.

[Jason Moore]

The combine is here, gentlemen. It's air. It starts being aired tomorrow, but it is here.

[Andy Holloway]

The players are going to say the new season of Overwatch begins.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, man, this is a great day to be alive because all of that.

[Andy Holloway]

So the combine. Yeah. Getting started. I can't look. We're almost in March.

[Mike Wright]

Almost.

[Andy Holloway]

Well, you know, it's in April.

[Mike Wright]

The wait. Is the draft in April?

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. Okay.

[Mike Wright]

I was. For some reason, I had it locked in May.

[Jason Moore]

Well, it's okay, but I think it's end of April.

[Mike Wright]

Traverses the line.

[Jason Moore]

I believe so.

[Andy Holloway]

Traverses.

[Mike Wright]

Well, it's like the four corners. You know, we can be in four states at the same time.

[Andy Holloway]

By the way, after Today's show on YouTube, we have a show after the show and we will be debating who would survive the longest in the wild. That's going to be the topic. So you bring up words like traverse and we speak of Jason's well equipped, his flip flops, shorts.

[Jason Moore]

I got some ammo for that. You guys are going down.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, we'll see. We'll talk about that after. Quick question of the day, guys. Who's riskier in your mind? Melvin Gordon or Jordan Howard? Who is the riskier pick in your mind? I don't know if Jason's exclamation there is. My exclamation is that it's hard or easy.

[Jason Moore]

Is that. It's a great question.

[Andy Holloway]

Okay.

[Jason Moore]

It's a question that literally this morning I was looking.

[Andy Holloway]

Hear that, Brooks? It's a great quick question.

[Jason Moore]

I was looking this morning at those two players. Someone had written in saying, you know, would you rather have Melvin Gordon for an eighth or Jordan Howard for a tenth? And I really had to pause at that because when you're in the eighth or the 10th round value, you're pretty much the same. I don't care so much about whether I'm giving up my 8th or 10th. I want the better player. And so I was like, clearly, I'm going to go with dot, dot, dot. Like, man, who is it? You got Melvin Gordon, who's had a great year and a bad year. Jordan Howard, who's only had a great year. I think at the end of the day, I believe more in the offense in San Diego. I like some of the coaching changes for Melvin Gordon. We'll get into that later. So I would lean Melvin Gordon, but it's close.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, I think I lean Melvin Gordon, too. And when you talk about risk, you factor in.

[Mike Wright]

As in who's riskier.

[Andy Holloway]

No, I'm sorry. As in who I would go with. I would choose the riskier player, to me is Jordan Howard, not because of talent, not because of ability, but because of red zone opportunities. If the right quarterback isn't in place, at least in Los Angeles, you know that Philip Rivers is the quarterback. And so when you talk about risk, you factor in the pieces around the player. And so for that reason, I would say that Jordan Howard is riskier. But I think it's a great debate.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah. And I tend to agree. I mean, you. But on the flip side, you have how unbelievably productive Jordan Howard was and you had Melvin Gordon, who if I know he was killing it for fantasy, but you have to remember the guy was scoring like multiple times every week and that's what was really boosting his value at times. There would be games where he would, you know, his overall efficiency and production would be down, but he just kept scoring at this insane pace, which was saving you. Meanwhile, Jordan Howard is just gashing people, bloodying faces with a when he should not be with a bad offense.

[Andy Holloway]

I think that illustrates the point completely. Yeah, Melvin Gordon scores a bunch. Jordan Howard only had six touchdowns, but.

[Mike Wright]

Will Melvin Gordon continue to do that? Me there. The running back core in San Diego just was eviscerated by injury.

[Andy Holloway]

Well, you would lean on the side that efficiency is the better route to follow for risk versus scoring dependency.

[Jason Moore]

I agree.

[Mike Wright]

True.

[Andy Holloway]

Unless you're on the Patriots.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, of course. But to me, I mean, Jordan Howard is probably still the riskier guy. Despite that, the argument where all signs to me point that Gordon would be the riskier guy, but I lean. It's Jordan, right? Jordan Howard right now.

[Andy Holloway]

So I guess that's not the same. So saying who's riskier isn't the same question of who you draft, who I would draft. So who would you draft of those two guys? I'll take Melvin Gordon.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, it's going to be Gordon right now.

[Andy Holloway]

Jason Unanimous. All Right. Hey, if you want to become a part of our fantasy football community, check it [e-mail] this show is all about community. This show has always been about doing something more than just giving you advice on a fantasy football player. Right. It's about making your league better. It's about making your strategies better so that you can develop them on your own. We're not telling you what to do. We're telling you how to play or how we play so that you can develop your own strategies. That's what our community is all about. That's what this show is all about. If you want to get connected with us, there's an easy way to do that. You can go to Twitter. The FFballers hang out with us on Twitter. We also are on what? We're on Snapchat, we're on Instagram, we're on Twitter, we're on Facebook, we're on Twitch. Because this show is all about community. That's why it's a year round show.

[Mike Wright]

And having fun and being united.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. I can't be friends with people for half a year. Not the whole year.

[Jason Moore]

No, no, no.

[Mike Wright]

And the last point here because I finally got my stats open to talk about the efficiency. Jordan Howard had two less carries than Melvin Gordon, yet 300 more rushing yards.

[Andy Holloway]

Did you say Jeremy Hill did or Jordan Howard?

[Mike Wright]

Jordan Howard. I meant to say Jordan Howard.

[Andy Holloway]

Jeremy Hill from his first year.

[Mike Wright]

No, no, no, no. Jordan Howard was just a beast.

[Andy Holloway]

No, I know, I know. And those numbers look amazing, but it's not going to happen his whole career.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, I agree.

[Andy Holloway]

All right, let's talk news.

[Jason Moore]

News and notes from around the league.

[Andy Holloway]

Do you think that my fantasy leaning is more to the pessimistic? Because that's what that sounded like there, right? Like I look at Jordan Howard and then I. What do I see? I see Jeremy Hill off of his rookie year and how everybody. Or Eddie Lacy off of his rookie year and then you look at him and you go, well, let's temper that. Expect you don't think I'm. I'm not fantasy pessimist.

[Jason Moore]

No, because you, you go both sides of it, right? I mean, take, take Tyreek Hill.

[Andy Holloway]

True.

[Jason Moore]

You are the optimist. We are the pessimist. I think we try to take everything on a case by case basis. All three of us are willing to be optimistic on someone or pessimistic based on what we believe the numbers in the film bear out.

[Andy Holloway]

What's more fun, though? It's more fun. It's more fun. To buy into the upside, isn't it?

[Mike Wright]

Yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

All right, let's talk. Le'Veon Bell has been franchised. Man, who would have thought he'd be a Steeler at this point in his career, huh?

[Jason Moore]

Jason, I know this is shocking to everyone.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, shocking.

[Jason Moore]

But man, that one on one dynasty rookie draft pick would have been great if they let Love Bell go.

[Andy Holloway]

You've been dreaming about that.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. No, but it was the obvious move. So all Love Bell keeper owners are happy and ecstatic that he is back in Pittsburgh. Not Bumblebee, unfortunately.

[Andy Holloway]

Shocking news, guys. Listen to this very well known team annoyance. One of the worst people in the league from my understanding.

[Mike Wright]

He's a giant distraction. The team is tired of his antics.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. Well, Antonio Brown we're talking about. Obviously he got somehow managed to get a four year, 68 million dollar extension despite those rumors. So now he's the highest paid wide receiver in the league.

[Mike Wright]

Congratulations.

[Andy Holloway]

Congratulations. Yeah, those antics, they're real tough when you want the ball so you can score.

[Mike Wright]

He just has been unbelievably dominant the last three years and he's.

[Andy Holloway]

He's a Jerry Rice esque type of guy who will age well and so the money is much more worth it to. He's not an athletic. I mean he is an athletic freak, but he is not dependent on the athleticism to be amazing.

[Mike Wright]

Yes.

[Andy Holloway]

And what were those numbers you pulled up about his 2014-2016 season?

[Mike Wright]

Well, in season you have just standard number one. Number one, number three that we're talking the last three years.

[Andy Holloway]

Right.

[Mike Wright]

And so in the. Just go to PPR, which if people are playing PPR, they know number one. Number one. Number one, Antonio Brown.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

That seems to be the highest you could get.

[Jason Moore]

It's a good couple days for Steelers fans. Completely un, Completely unrelated, you know, Big Ben is not retiring.

[Andy Holloway]

Is that official news?

[Jason Moore]

No, that's not.

[Mike Wright]

It will be.

[Jason Moore]

It's. It's obvious news.

[Andy Holloway]

All right. The. The Bears are not going to use the franchise tag on Alshon. Jeffrey.

[Jason Moore]

That was expected.

[Mike Wright]

Not surprising. It'll be way too much cash to double franchise Alshon.

[Jason Moore]

I think the most interesting thing is going to be not so much where Alshon goes, but I want to see what happens happens to the ADP of Cameron Meredith. They'll bring someone else in, whether through the draft.

[Mike Wright]

Kevin White is still there. And Kevin White is still.

[Jason Moore]

Because right now floating the hype so low.

[Mike Wright]

Yes.

[Jason Moore]

He's sometimes undrafted.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, it's ridiculous. We actually just put up very quietly our initial 2017 rankings. On the website, the fantasy footballers.com so you can go, you can go peer at those. They are very raw because there is so much that needs to happen between the draft and free agency that you know, one or two moves by a team changes everything. For for example, the ranking of a guy like, I don't know, like Jordan Matthews is going to be impacted by who Philadelphia brings in at the wide receiver position. Who does Kirk Cousins have to throw the ball to in, in Washington and Tony Romo.

[Mike Wright]

I mean yeah, I have Tony Romo basically unranked right now. Guys like don't know where he's going to go.

[Andy Holloway]

Demarius, Thomas, Emanuel, Sanders, what quarterback will.

[Mike Wright]

Be throwing him skyrocket.

[Andy Holloway]

But I bring this up only to say Cameron Meredith, when you look at the consensus of experts, initial rankings is nowhere to be found. And he's one of the guys that instantly I moved up because I think obviously he has the opportunity to step into Alshon Jeffries, Giant, sometimes injured shoes. All right, let's talk about Kenny Stills, your guys favorite player. It looks like Kenny Stills is not going to be back to Miami because Miami is expecting the market to be excessive in signing 24 year old Kenny Stills.

[Jason Moore]

Miami has said that it's a priority for them to resign him. That now I agree the market might say hey, I'm going to give you too much money and I would not overpay for Kenny Stills. I am a believer in him. I know Mike, you are as well. We've said for many years that he's a, a good wide receiver. Andy, you contend that he's replaceable which I agree to a point. He does have really good speed. But what's crazy is that, you know, he's played in the league for a while and he's had since he's been.

[Mike Wright]

In the league for 10 years.

[Jason Moore]

That's what it feels like since he was 14.

[Andy Holloway]

Yes.

[Jason Moore]

And he's 24 years old. He's a young guy so he might end up commanding too much money because of his age. But he's, he's talented. I really hope he comes back to the Dolphins. I want to see him in year two with Adam Gaze. I think that he would be draftable worthy if he was a Dolphin.

[Andy Holloway]

Let me ask you this question just in light of the Kenny still situation because some people are saying he's going to command 12 million a year.

[Mike Wright]

I think that's Kenny Stills saying that.

[Jason Moore]

Exactly.

[Andy Holloway]

I mean do you believe when Washington signed Pierre Garcon that that signing and the money they paid him in the end was worth it.

[Mike Wright]

You're talking the couple years ago when they signed him, right?

[Andy Holloway]

When they took him away from Indy.

[Mike Wright]

I would say probably. I mean you had that. You did have the season where he led the league in receptions. I mean he just was an absolute force and they, he just, they kind of started scheming the offense away from, away from Garcon. But I think he still had that talent and the ability and he was still a great player for their offense.

[Jason Moore]

And it didn't seem to crush them cap wise. So I think it was actually nothing.

[Andy Holloway]

Crushes Washington cap wise. I'm always intrigued by the how much money do you spend on the wide receiver to type of player versus getting that value in the draft having a guy be able to step in. So. But Kenny Stills has the potential. Look, you're going to pay a guy. There's an opportunity there.

[Mike Wright]

So thousand yards, nine touchdowns, I mean that's. Those are good numbers.

[Andy Holloway]

Yes, they are. Let's talk about Latavius Murray expected to test the open market. Just a confirmation of what we kind of expected. It seems like Oakland's been willing to let him do that. I don't think it's impossible for him to resign in Oakland. Personally, the open mic, I don't know if the market's going to be there.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, it might not be too kind with as deep as this year's 2017 rookie running back class is. You know, last year was a pretty highly touted running back class and everyone acknowledges that this year trumps it greatly. That the level of running backs, with the sole exception of Zeke, are just head and shoulders. The top six or seven are much better than the just prospect wise going into the year. We don't know where they'll land and how they'll turn out. Obviously Jordan Howard had a great rookie year, but with that teams might not be willing to sign Latavius Murray to a large money contract on his Is.

[Mike Wright]

Latavius Murray actually that good or is he a product of his offensive line which has been one of the best for years The Raiders.

[Andy Holloway]

That is. That is the question. And if you have a team that already has kind of an ancillary backfield piece like Ty Montgomery or Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington? You wonder why would you pay versus drafting a guy like if you are a team that is completely devoid in the backfield, maybe you're investing in an Eddie Lacy or Latavius Murray for a one or two year opportunity. Those are the teams that I'd be looking for comedically. I'VE thought to myself, wow, if the market's dried up, could they swap teams?

[Mike Wright]

Sure.

[Andy Holloway]

Because we've heard rumors of Latavius Murray in Green Bay, but Eddie Lacy, you know, he says that the packers have been very vocal about re signing him. So we'll see what transpires. You know, it's obviously an advantage when these guys know the offense already. Let's talk about Kirk Cousins. A report from ESPN's John Kime says that the only team that Kirk Cousins is willing to sign a long term contract with this offseason is the 49ers.

[Mike Wright]

Yep.

[Andy Holloway]

Reunion.

[Mike Wright]

He want, he wants it on that Kyle Shanahan action.

[Andy Holloway]

What do you do with Kirk Cousins if he got in on that Kyle Shanahan action? Because does he have, is it the. You gonna be excited about Kirk cousins throwing advance McDonald all season long?

[Jason Moore]

Not overly excited particularly, but to Alshon Jeffrey.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, I think long term, long term, he'll, he'll be fine because I think Kirk Cousins is a good quarterback. They clearly have some building to do in San Francisco, but it wouldn't, I don't think it would take a ton because look, Tori Smith can still be that deep route guy. So you have that Desean Jackson role covered. Vance McDonald, they just gave him a big contract and we've seen flashes of talent with Vance McDonald. Kirk Cousins, maybe he feeds the tight end position again. So they, Carlos Hyde, they have some guys there. Where I don't think you're talking a I'm abandoning Kirk Cousins for three years type of a situation.

[Andy Holloway]

No, but I'm not excited about him facing Seattle, Arizona and St. Louis six games during the year. Also, Rob Gronkowski has now broken the record for the most rumors related to his Week 1 availability in the history of fantasy football. He says he'll for sure be ready to play week one, so we'll be reporting on that weekly as required by the National Fantasy Football Association.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. Just for context, though, it does well fit his timeline. He should. From the surgery he had and the time that he had it, he should be absolutely fine. No problem. Unless there are new setbacks.

[Mike Wright]

Okay, before we jump into talking about these coaching changes, I want to thank today's sponsor, Pristine Auction, the absolute best, most dynamic sports memorabilia site anywhere in the planet in the universe. I'm talking anywhere. And these prices are unbelievable, people. What you can get for a fully 100% authentic autograph from your favorite players on jerseys, on photos. I'm scrolling through what's available right now. And the aforementioned Jordan Howard has a jersey on here. And as of right now, the recording, this thing's at 45 bucks for 45. So you can get in on this auction for Jordan Howard. I mean, there's the classic David Johnson, J Ajayi. They got the goat. Jerry Rice.

[Andy Holloway]

I mean, I just saw one of our listeners got a full size Jerry Rice, signed logo, football for under $100.

[Jason Moore]

It's.

[Mike Wright]

It's B nanas. The deals that you can get on Pristine Auction. Spruce up that office. You're just your house. It's the ultimate site for a sports fan. So head on over Pristine Auction. P R I S T I n e auction.com. make a completely free account. There's no jokering going around. You just make your free account. You let them know that the fantasy footballers sent you.

[Andy Holloway]

No Jared Leto to be found.

[Mike Wright]

Nope. Nope.

[Andy Holloway]

All right, before we jump into the coaching changes, I am going to introduce the segment with the identical drop that we used last year. And this is a test for Jason. I don't think Mike even remembers what we use.

[Mike Wright]

No, I do not.

[Andy Holloway]

But he did. This was a pinnacle moment. So we'll see if Jason remembers this.

[Jason Moore]

Wow.

[Mike Wright]

Jason's now heard this song twice.

[Andy Holloway]

Yes, I know he's heard it twice. So does he remember who sings this song?

[Jason Moore]

Who sings it?

[Andy Holloway]

Yes.

[Jason Moore]

That's a joke, right? Because of course I don't. No chance. That I remember who sings this. Oh, it's the Beatles.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, gosh. I just heard Brooks. Brooks, are you doing okay over there? That hurts me, Jason.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, my apologies to the world.

[Andy Holloway]

Brooks, why don't you tell everybody who's actually sings that song and tell Jason.

[Mike Wright]

Oh, man.

[Andy Holloway]

It's David Bowie. Jason.

[Jason Moore]

All right. Okay. Well.

[Andy Holloway]

And, Mike, last year when this happened on the same episode, you called Jason something.

[Mike Wright]

Oh, is this the.

[Andy Holloway]

This is when you called him uncultured swine.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, was that the originator?

[Andy Holloway]

I will say that you have not.

[Mike Wright]

Changed in your year.

[Jason Moore]

In fairness, I gave you time to change.

[Mike Wright]

Jason.

[Jason Moore]

In fairness to myself, I will be willing and capable of giving this joy to us every year forever. Because I promise you, by the. By the time next year rolls around.

[Andy Holloway]

David.

[Jason Moore]

David Bowie.

[Andy Holloway]

Bowie.

[Jason Moore]

David Bowie. All right, got it.

[Andy Holloway]

All right, moving on. Let's talk. Let's start with the 49ers. I mean, we just brought up the Kirk cousins rumors, so let's talk about Chip Kelly out the door. Kyle Shanahan is the head coach. He's the offensive coordinator. Mike, you were. You were.

[Jason Moore]

He's the general manager. Almost.

[Andy Holloway]

You were spitting out. He kind of Is. I mean, with lynch there, you were spitting out all sorts of Kyle Shanahan news. It seems like you are the. You have the floweriest of Kyle Shanahan perspectives.

[Mike Wright]

Well, it's. We have, you know, some. Some very strong numbers to back up Kyle Shanahan and why I always want a piece of Kyle Shanahan's offense. I love his quarterbacks. So he's been an OC nine years before he got this head coaching job. Six of those nine years, his teams were top 10 in yards. Five of those nine years, they were. His teams were top eight in passing yards. Kyle Shanahan has a great history for fantasy quarterbacks. In 2008, Matt Schaub, he only played the 10 games, so he didn't get to do a full season, but he was on pace to be the quarterback. Five, he. And the very next year, Matt Schaub led the league in passing. Matt Schaub led the league and was the quarterback for. You have just great history. Only four times, though unlucky for Shanahan, but only four times he's had a quarterback make it through the whole season. But three of those four years, his quarterback was top five for fantasy. Matt Schaub, Matt Ryan and Robert Griffin. There's just a lot of signs. His offense is so dynamic. We've seen great things from him. So I'm excited for what can happen eventually in San Francisco.

[Andy Holloway]

So how immediate could this impact be and how much do you project that onto? Let's say it's Kaepernick next year if Kaepernick's back. You know, they've talked about, oh, we've had good meetings. Colin Kaepernick, The Kirk Cousins rumors don't come to fruition. They can't trade for Garoppolo. These things don't happen. How much do you, you know, project immediately? Because, I mean, this is a team with a wide receiver core that has Tory Smith signed and Bruce Ellington signed and Rod Streeter signed. I mean, this is not a Chris Harper signed. I mean, this is not it. Yeah, I could name some. Put a name out there right now, you wouldn't know if I'm telling the truth. That's what the wide receivers look like. So talk to me about that.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, they absolutely need a number one. But with Shanahan and assuming it's Colin Kaepernick, I'm okay with that. For fantasy, maybe that not a draftable type of a guy. I mean, if you want to draft Kaepernick, I'm sure that he will be 100% free. But we saw even last year, once Kaepernick really started to shake the dust off, he. He was a fantasy force. I mean, he runs so much that maybe Kyle Shanahan can improve that passing game just enough that Kaepernick becomes really usable.

[Jason Moore]

I will say one of the things that's nice for Kaepernick if he is the starter is that Shanahan does use movement with the quarterback a lot. A lot of rollouts, a lot of things that would lead to his strengths. So from the passing game. But this being said, I think the weapons are too big a hurdle to ignore or to say Shanahan could come in and make it good. We've seen Shanahan in the past. Obviously, he came into Atlanta as the oc. They were all right. It took two years, really, before that system clicked. You know, he wasn't able to go. You know, he was with Cleveland, right, for a season. That's probably the most accurate analogy that we should be. We shouldn't be looking at, well, how is Kyle Shanahan with, you know, the super bowl losing Atlanta Falcons? We should say, well, how was Kyle Shanahan when he was the offensive coordinator with the Cleveland Browns? Because they're about as good as the San Francisco 49ers. And in that single season that he had them, they were middle of the pack. You know, they were 23rd in total, total yards on the offense. And. And so I, you know, when I look at this, I think I am not going to buy into the rhetoric of Kyle Shanahan makes Colin Kaepernick great, makes Carlos Hyde great. If anything, I think that Carlos. While Kyle Shanahan has had some successful running back systems before, he's had some.

[Mike Wright]

Very successful running backs.

[Jason Moore]

He's had some very bad ones, too, though, in fairness, if you look through his record and you're losing Chip Kelly, who was an offensive mind who gave you extra snaps and extra plays. So to me, I see that Most of the 49ers players about the same as I did last year. Next year, 2018, I will buy in a little bit more as he gets his system more in, he gets more players in, and hopefully they get a little bit more talent.

[Mike Wright]

That's how I see it. The last thing I'll say for Shanahan being in what it changes, I guess it doesn't change the fact I already liked Carlos Hyde as a player and a talent, but I'm still very in on him. Even though Chip Kelly is gone, who has been, you know, pretty solid for running back fantasy production. But with Shanahan coming in, I still think Carlos Hyde will have a high.

[Andy Holloway]

Level year with Shanahan coming in too. We've been here two years ago and I think it would be wrong to have the fantasy perspective with all the hurdles that he has in San Francisco with the division, the quarterback, the personnel. It would be wrong to go all in on a Kyle Shanahan adjustment here. Matt Ryan was the quarterback, 19 in his first year with Kyle Shanahan with weapons, and then last year was QB2. So I'm with Jason. I'd be holding that. I'd be hesitating for a couple years until you see momentum on the offensive side of the ball. But that was one of the bigger off season changes. Let's take a look now. You guys want to talk about the Los Angeles Chargers? Stay out there in California.

[Mike Wright]

Yep.

[Jason Moore]

It's weird, man. Still weird. The Los Angeles Chargers just sounds and feels weird. The Los Angeles Rams was fine. That was like, okay, this one's been.

[Andy Holloway]

Easier for me to not make mistakes about. So for whatever reason, yeah, Mike McCoy is out. Say goodbye. Anthony Lynn is in. Head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers. Ken Wizen Hunt stays as the offensive coordinator. What do we know about Anthony Lynn and how will this offense be impacted?

[Mike Wright]

So Anthony Lynn has been a running back coach since 2003 and six of his eight years his teams have been top six in rushing production. I mean, this guy, when you go back and you look at the, at the running backs he has coached and what he's gotten out of these guys, it's unbelievable. Fred Taylor, the Julius Jones, Marion Barber combo, Jamal Lewis, Thomas Jones newer Chris Ivory and Blah Powell, and of course Shady McCoy. And not to mention he got two 1000 yard seasons out of Sean Green. That's my favorite. He was part of that. Right. He was part of that system with, with Rex Ryan. So when we're talking about that question of Melvin Gordon versus Jordan Howard, this.

[Andy Holloway]

Is a check mark in the Melvin Gordon column.

[Mike Wright]

It is absolutely a check mark for me. You still have the stability of Ken Wizen Hunt. We've seen Wizen Hunt do great things as an O coordinator. Now you have Anthony Lynn coming in, who is the running back guy. But we have. What we've seen from the Chargers at least the last couple years is they've kind of gotten away from just running the ball a ton. They've really gone to Philip Rivers. So now you have a head coach who I think can come in stand for that. Hey, hey. Wizen Hunt Run the freaking ball.

[Andy Holloway]

Ken Wizen Hunt has struggled historically to find a runner and to utilize the running game. I mean, back to the days of Beanie Wells. Beanie Wells and utilizing multiple backfield mates inefficiently. So, I mean, I do like that Anthony Lynn's coming in. The focus is going to be there. At least the balance is going to be there.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, that's. That's what I'm excited about is just the balance. I don't think everything is just. It's a complete 180. And now Melvin Gordon, they've. They've switched to it. Just. We're going to grind you out, team. It's.

[Jason Moore]

But.

[Mike Wright]

But you have a guy who's on team running back.

[Andy Holloway]

And I like. You know, I like the list of names that you gave me because it was filled with guys that really didn't have success outside of his system. Yeah. Okay. Lashan McCoy. I can kind of throw that out. I think Lashan McCoy probably would have had some success in Buffalo regardless of Anthony Lynn, but somebody like Sean Green, you know, Thomas Jones, is some of his good years. Seeing what Ivory did last year versus his time with Lynn, there are reasons to be optimistic for Melvin Gordon in the future there and building that relationship with Anthony Lynn. So let's move on. Let's. I say move on, but we're staying in the same state because everybody, every team in the NFL has moved to Los Angeles.

[Jason Moore]

And if you're in California, it's a rule. You must get rid of your head coach.

[Andy Holloway]

Yep.

[Jason Moore]

That was a rule this year.

[Andy Holloway]

Unfortunately, it wasn't a rule. Like two years.

[Jason Moore]

Sorry, Jack Del Rio.

[Mike Wright]

Except for Oakland, but I mean, 3.

[Andy Holloway]

3.

[Jason Moore]

75%.

[Andy Holloway]

Jeff Fisher is gone from the LA Rams. We know this. Sean McVeigh is the head coach.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, yes.

[Mike Wright]

Let's do this.

[Jason Moore]

What's my age again?

[Andy Holloway]

All right, guess the age of Sean McVeigh. I don't know why I'm saying this, because I don't remember the age. And you wrote that in there, so.

[Mike Wright]

And I. I wrote it in there.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, he's super young. He's got.

[Andy Holloway]

He's 32.

[Jason Moore]

He's got to be, like, 35.

[Andy Holloway]

I think he's 32.

[Jason Moore]

No, I know the answer.

[Mike Wright]

Do you?

[Jason Moore]

Yes.

[Mike Wright]

Oh, Brooks has said that he's 31. We need to vet this.

[Andy Holloway]

Someone is 31. He is 31 years old.

[Mike Wright]

So the three of us are older.

[Andy Holloway]

All right, then that's.

[Jason Moore]

Bro. Shut. Shut your mouth. You are on timeout from talking on this podcast for one.

[Andy Holloway]

How dare you, sir, you're old enough to be his. I'm old enough to be much older brother.

[Jason Moore]

Yes, that is very, very true. Honestly, Sean McVay, this hiring is. Dude, they are reaching for the stars here. They are wanting to find the diamond in the rough, get the guy who is the young gun. And. And look, when this hire was made, I was against it. I was very much saying there's a difference between a young coach and a baby. Because a young coach comes in.

[Andy Holloway]

Tell me more.

[Jason Moore]

He's 35 years old. He's really, really young. Right. Babies pooping their diapers. There aren't players on his team older than him. Right. But at 31, there's going to be players on his team that he is younger than. Trying to coach them, trying to get their respect and all of that. Now, once they. Once they made the best defensive coordinator, their defensive coordinator in the league, and they've got a good defense. I think the Rams are okay. They also brought in Matt LaFleur, who was great as the quarterbacks coach. I think he's who should have been the offensive coordinator for Atlanta. So they stole him together. I think they've pieced a good head coaching team together. Or not head coaching, but coaching staff. Sean McVeigh, he was the offensive coordinator.

[Mike Wright]

For the Washington Redskins from 2014 through 2016.

[Jason Moore]

They were all right, but this is. I mean, make no mistake, there's a lot of nepotism in this hire. This is not talent alone. Right. He would not have got those gigs if he wasn't. I think he's the grandson of famed 49er GM. I believe that's. That's from memory.

[Andy Holloway]

I'll make a bold claim like that. You better be able to back it up.

[Jason Moore]

I would like that.

[Mike Wright]

I disagree. I think McVeigh was. Was great in Washington.

[Andy Holloway]

Here. Here's what I'll say. This hiring reminds me so much of when Josh McDaniels.

[Mike Wright]

I was gonna say McDaniels because when.

[Andy Holloway]

McDaniels went to Denver, he was 33 years old. We forget that. Like, he's 40 now. He still looks like he's 33 years old. But he was 33 when he went to Denver. And it didn't work. It did not. It started nice.

[Mike Wright]

Well, I mean, when you.

[Andy Holloway]

But it fell apart quick when Bill.

[Mike Wright]

Belichick tricks you into drafting Tim Tebow.

[Andy Holloway]

He started, what, seven and. Oh, in Denver? Something like that that year. But it fell apart really quickly. It's. It reminds me of them trying to catch. You know, Jason made the comparison. It's like a lightning in a bottle situation. You want to get the. The potential star young coach.

[Mike Wright]

Right.

[Andy Holloway]

Talk about a contrast between Jeff Fisher and your, you know, you've just old school squeezed out the last drop from the rag.

[Mike Wright]

So McVay in Washington his first year, I mean, they were a struggling offense. They were 26th in points his first year, the second year up to 10th, and then they were 12th the following two years. He had the passing yards 11th, 11th, 2nd. They're much lower middle of the pack in rushing yards in those years when McVeigh was the OC of Washington. So you don't see like a huge natural bump for Gurley the way I feel about Melvin Gordon getting a new head coach. But there's just, there's some hope. I mean, the guy knows how to scheme a passing, a passing offense. He was a tight end coach prior to being the OC in Washington. And Jason and I have a little bit of sleeper hope for Lance Kendricks.

[Jason Moore]

Which coming from Jordan Reed being fed the ball a ton.

[Mike Wright]

I mean, so that, that may or may not happen. But I just, I have at least, I have more hope and faith in Sean McVay producing an offense that at least gives you something as opposed to Jeff Fisher.

[Jason Moore]

When you look at fantasy football, I mean, you know how everybody finished last year for the Los Angeles Rams and you say, are they better or are they worse? And you know, that's yet to be seen. There's still more offseason. How do they do in the draft? Are they going to resign their number one wide receiver who certainly is not Tavon Austin?

[Mike Wright]

No, I don't. And I don't think they're Brick and.

[Jason Moore]

I don't think they are signing Kenny Britt. No. Who had a very good season. They still have Jared Goff. They still have, you know, a poor O line. They still have the same Todd Gurley.

[Mike Wright]

So they still have Jared Goff. He's been in the league for one year.

[Jason Moore]

But that's my point.

[Mike Wright]

It's like it's a ball.

[Andy Holloway]

Jared Goff is the reason this hire made sense to them, too. They brought in a guy who can be, you know, build a relationship with their young, high draft investment and hopefully buddies.

[Mike Wright]

Right?

[Andy Holloway]

Hopefully develop.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, maybe best friends. They're the same age group.

[Mike Wright]

Teach them where the sun rises and sets and other really basic science facts.

[Andy Holloway]

But we need to move on, though. We need to talk about the Bills and the Rex Ryan hire. But did you have a finishing thought for la?

[Jason Moore]

There is hope because Jeff Fisher is gone. It's not so much what Sean McVeigh brings, it's basically what Jeff Fisher being gone and allowing that team to be a little bit more aggressive. And that's the only hope that I have in the LA Rams. Changing for fantasy.

[Andy Holloway]

All right, let's talk about Rex Ryan leaving buffalo. Sean McDermott became the head coach. Rick Denison is now the offensive coordinator. What do you see happening with this offense? Let's say Tyrod Taylor's back. We have Sammy Watkins, let's project some health for him if we can. And Lashelle McCoy. So where do you see this offense heading in 2017, Mr. Wright?

[Mike Wright]

Well, what's interesting is, I mean normally you see when a head coach is fired, a team will go, we're changing everything. We're going 180, going opposite. You saw the Rams, they took one of the oldest coaches and they said, we're bringing in the youngest coach in NFL history. And a lot of times when you see a defensive minded head coach out, they flip. They bring in, okay, we want an offensive minded head coach. They have not done this in Buffalo. Rex Ryan, all of his notables and like his medals of honor are defense related or they're supposed to be defense related. And you bring in Sean McDermott, who was the defensive coordinator for Carolina, who had an elite level defense from last year. It kind of fell apart. But you had a three year run of them being an elite level defense. So they keep that kind of status quo there. That's who they want to be. And then they bring in Rick Dennison, who perfect.

[Jason Moore]

Anthony Lynn, replacement.

[Mike Wright]

Right.

[Jason Moore]

Like same, same, same type of guy.

[Mike Wright]

What got me the most excited about Rick Denison is just remembering, you know, of his, of his history was an offensive coordinator for the Broncos. For a while he's been an offensive line coach. But the creme de la creme for Rick Denison is he was the Texans offensive coordinator from 2010 to 2013.

[Jason Moore]

You should love him, Andy.

[Mike Wright]

There is a notable thing that happened for the Houston Texans in those three years. It was called Arian Foster.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

Just got the ball.

[Mike Wright]

Dominated.

[Jason Moore]

Got the ball. Got the ball.

[Mike Wright]

Yes. So if you are concerned about a, an offensive coordinator's want or desire to feed one person the ball 10,000 times, you should not be. And this, this just for me confirms that Shady McCoy should still be thought of as a top five running back for this coming year if he's on the Bills. What are you talking about? That ridiculous tweet?

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. There have been some rumors that they may the cap numbers so big for Shady that they may, you know, go another direction.

[Mike Wright]

Oh, that's. That's ridiculous.

[Andy Holloway]

I mean his agent doesn't agree, but.

[Jason Moore]

That would blow me away.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, that would be absolutely shocking if LaShawn McCoy was not on the Buffalo Bills.

[Andy Holloway]

I do have a little bit of breaking news real quick to jump in here. The Browns.

[Mike Wright]

Where's the button?

[Andy Holloway]

The Browns? Well, I don't, I don't know.

[Jason Moore]

It's not. But breaking newsworthy.

[Andy Holloway]

It's the Browns. The Browns placed a second round tender on Isaiah Crowell.

[Mike Wright]

Did they really?

[Andy Holloway]

They did.

[Jason Moore]

How is.

[Mike Wright]

That's big.

[Andy Holloway]

They're working on a long term deal. Wait, do you want me to start that over again? Hold on.

[Jason Moore]

Breaking news.

[Andy Holloway]

The Browns have placed a second round tinder on superstar Isaiah Crowell.

[Mike Wright]

It's not, not necessarily superstar, but him moving teams was going to be very interesting. So. So the Browns are keeping him. He's had production.

[Jason Moore]

Wait, wait, wait. You don't think people are going to go and offer their second round pick and a big sum of money for Isaiah Correll?

[Mike Wright]

I do not.

[Jason Moore]

I agree.

[Andy Holloway]

He had a very good year.

[Jason Moore]

He sure did.

[Andy Holloway]

He had over 1200 total yards.

[Mike Wright]

I mean they showed a lot of promise in the running game in Cleveland.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, I mean this might. What's nice about that commitment is I think you'll have like last off season, remember the way people looked at Crowell and Duke Johnson as you know, 1A, 1B, right. Or in Brown State it was 2A, 2B.

[Mike Wright]

People wanted Duke.

[Andy Holloway]

So. Yeah. Kind of interesting news.

[Jason Moore]

All right.

[Andy Holloway]

I do want to circle back though. Sorry about the detour there. Sorry. You make a great point that I hijacked by the rumors about Shady being dropped. He's probably going to be back in Buffalo and the, the history of Denison and what he's done with the running back position. You know, we talked about, you know, Anthony Lynn came in with a history. Shady McCoy is not going to get in the way of what they want to do with the running back position. Do we see things shaking out differently for any other pieces of the offense? I mean, is Sammy Watkins, is his fantasy football success simply tied to being healthy for 16 games more than it is with this offensive change?

[Jason Moore]

More than anything, it's his health. I would say the second most important thing is going to be more who the quarterback is. You know, we don't know if it's going to be Tyrod Taylor trending to be. Seems like it will be Tyrod Taylor, which.

[Mike Wright]

Good for you, Buffalo, right? I mean, good for you for not trying to reset on your quarterback.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. The way that I see all these changes, I mean, you get a new offensive coordinator, a new head coach in Buffalo, and it feels like the exact same team. And honestly, I really like what they did. I think that they made for the. Just for NFL football. If I'm a Buffalo Bills fan, I think they've kept what works together, but they've replaced with some new blood. I like it, but fantasy won't change that much there.

[Andy Holloway]

Do you guys remember what the Buffalo Bills record was last year?

[Jason Moore]

Not the best.

[Andy Holloway]

I want to see how you feel about it.

[Mike Wright]

I feel like it was middle of the pack. I'm trying to feel like they were like a six win team.

[Andy Holloway]

Seven and nine.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. I was going to go seven.

[Andy Holloway]

So, I mean, you're talking about a team that wasn't at the basement.

[Mike Wright]

Right.

[Andy Holloway]

So it just adds to Jason's point that maybe changing everything up isn't the solution. Maybe just getting, you know, Rex Ryan out. All right, The Broncos.

[Mike Wright]

Ryan needs to stop bringing his brother with him. Seriously.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. That doesn't work. You know that. I think Jeff Fisher's son is still the DB coach for the Rams, by the way. So there's still some of that blood.

[Mike Wright]

Drain the swamp.

[Andy Holloway]

Poor guy. Trying to make it in this world.

[Mike Wright]

I know.

[Jason Moore]

So we've been talking about a lot of teams that I think have made impress or sideways moves. Let's talk about a team that in my opinion has hurt itself with their head coaching changes and really.

[Andy Holloway]

Well, they didn't have a choice.

[Jason Moore]

That's true. It's not their fault. I just believe that for the Denver Broncos to lose, Gary Kubiak is a big deal. I think Gary Kubiak's a great coach. He's not just flat, easily replaceable. I am not. Here's the deal. I trust John Elway at this point. I think most people do. He's made enough good moves from head coach, from coordinators, from draft picks where he has earned that respect. It is only out of that respect that I can say, okay, Vance Joseph as the head coach. I assume it could be okay because everything else I look at, I don't get it. I don't get Vance Joseph as The pick, Mike McCoy coming in as the offensive coordinator. At least you've got enough experience there for not coming back.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. As not a very experienced head coach. So for me, I just. I worry about this team unless it.

[Andy Holloway]

Gets Tony Romo, you know, I. Yeah, I mean, I think this. That does come down to the quarterback position. I think this team's going to be fine.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

I mean, I do. I think this team has the potential to win the super bowl if they bring in the right quarterback very easily.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah. And I'm with you. I. I like.

[Andy Holloway]

Let's not forget what this defense is.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, let's not forget they lost the best defensive coordinator in the league as well.

[Andy Holloway]

You have a defensive mind with Vance Joseph. I mean, you do bring in a guy who. His whole history since 2006 has been, you know, DBs or D coordinators. So I just think it's a. It's a team with incredible defensive weapons. But that is not, you know, we're not talking defense, starting strategy for fantasy football. We're talking about the offensive side of the ball. And. And if your team is built around defense, you do cap your upside sometimes. Unless you have a guy like Tony Romo that can walk in, make Demaryius Thomas relevant again, make Emmanuel Sanders more relevant again. I would say I'm kind of holding back judgment here because the quarterback situation so uncertain now.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, it's definitely uncertain if it. Even if it ends up being Trevor Simeon again. We saw at least some games that they say he's capable, give him another full off season of. I mean, he wasn't. They weren't even 100% sure he was going to be the starting quarterback. If he goes into camp, you're the starter. Let's treat you as such. You're not trying to earn this job. You're just trying to get better. I think that's an improvement. Mike McCoy to me is probably more similar to Ken Wisenhunt, where not a great head coach, but a tremendous offensive coordinator. You look at his passing yard rankings of his entire career as either an OC or head coach. 13 seventh. Here's the one that sticks out. 31st. But you can explain that away because Tim Tebow was his quarterback, which I will throw out. The year that Tim Tebow was his quarterback, he had the best rushing team in the league because he is good. He didn't try and say, tim Tebow, you have to do this. You need to be the prototype quarterback. I will mold to your skill set. And then after Tebow passing yard ranks fifth, fourth, tenth, fourth and eighth. I mean, he. He gets it done in the passing. Even that for fantasy football, that. That's what I want.

[Andy Holloway]

I like that they put. McCoy is the perfect complement to Joseph. When you lose Kubiak because Kubiak had the ability to, you know, help mold that quarterback. And now McCoy can come in and do the same thing, whether it is Paxton lynch, whether it's Simeon, whether it's somebody else. So I think Elway finds himself in the precarious position of, boy, we might be able to get another one if I commit two years to Tony Romo, but we might hijack kind of the transition to the future.

[Mike Wright]

I like how the. The rumors have slowly started to soften as well. But it was originally. It was reports from Elway. Our quarterbacks are Trevor Simeon and Paxton Lynch. That's it. Period. Like, well, if. If Tony Romo does become a free.

[Jason Moore]

At least.

[Mike Wright]

Look, we'll think about it. We'll think about throwing him a boatload of money immediately.

[Andy Holloway]

Now, I am just shocked at this next report, guys. Gus Bradley apparently is no longer the head coach of the Jacksonville Man Jaguars. Now. I, I mean, I just still.

[Mike Wright]

We still haven't gotten over this.

[Andy Holloway]

Dear Dia, Gus is gone, and with him, my hopes and dreams for a championship for Jacksonville have just improved. Have just improved. No, I.

[Jason Moore]

You know what?

[Andy Holloway]

It's my last chance to say anything about Gus.

[Jason Moore]

We're only talking about the offensive side of the ball here. But don't forget, he got. He got his. He got a head coaching or a defensive coordinator job for the Chargers, right?

[Andy Holloway]

No, he is. He's the D coordinator for the Los Angeles Chargers. Should have brought him up before.

[Jason Moore]

You're still there, Gus. You're still. Sorry.

[Andy Holloway]

All right. Doug Marone is the head coach in Jacksonville. Nathaniel Hackett is offensive coordinator. Look, last year, it was. It was a very tumultuous year. That's probably the best way to put it for Alan Robinson and Alan Hearns and Blake Portals, Blake Bortles and T.J. eldon and the Chris Ivory optimism and all of these things that were wrapped up in this offense that looked like it might not be a winning team, but it looked like it would at least be that Washington Redskins powerhouse type of. You know, the offense is going to have yardage, and that yardage is going to provide for multiple fantasy football options on that roster. Last year was disappointing in our initial ranks. I am taking the optimistic perspective on Allen Robinson. He had a better second half of the season, I think. I think I'm going to believe that Blake Bortles can get it together a little bit here under Nathaniel Hackett.

[Mike Wright]

The latest reports out of Jacksonville are Tom Coughlin, who was hired for some.

[Andy Holloway]

The general manager position.

[Mike Wright]

Yes. To be a. To wear the britches over there in Jacksonville.

[Andy Holloway]

That's a good way to put it.

[Mike Wright]

He is. He's putting Blake Bortles on notice and essentially said, you improve or you're going to be out. So it's. Maybe that will light the fire.

[Andy Holloway]

If Blake Bortles doesn't know that by this point in his career, thank goodness Tom Coughlin came along. Because, you know, a lot of these guys, they do kind of, you know, when you've dominated at every level and then you're a high draft pick, you just think you're the guy for a while. I mean, Blake Bortles has to fix it or get out. Hey, out the door.

[Jason Moore]

I say get out. I would take him. You, Blake Bortles to Arizona.

[Mike Wright]

What?

[Jason Moore]

He's got. He's got the tools. He's a 24 year old.

[Andy Holloway]

Define the tools.

[Jason Moore]

He's got the arm strength.

[Andy Holloway]

He throws real far, but at different arm angles on different. By different feet.

[Jason Moore]

I mean, I think he was hurt this last year.

[Andy Holloway]

Let me, Let me throw this out. Okay? You can expect a rebound. I don't think anybody. I think you're the first person that after watching what he did last year, said the words, I'll take him. Let's put it that way.

[Mike Wright]

Yes.

[Andy Holloway]

Especially when Tom Coughlin comes in and says, maybe get out of here.

[Jason Moore]

So I promise you, there are plenty of other NFL teams that. No, I would say that. And if he went on the open market, he would get a lot of.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, just like Jay Cutler, he's brought a lot of playoff success.

[Mike Wright]

So Doug Marone.

[Andy Holloway]

Jay Cutler.

[Mike Wright]

By the way, Doug Marone has had some success on this over Blake Bortles.

[Andy Holloway]

Not in general.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. I don't think many people watched Jay Cutler.

[Andy Holloway]

Give me the best. Tasting terrible.

[Jason Moore]

Give me the 24 year old on.

[Mike Wright]

The offensive side of the ball. He was the OC in New Orleans for a few years and surprise, surprise, things went very well.

[Jason Moore]

Really? When they, when you, when you got.

[Mike Wright]

A Hall of Fame level quarter, you.

[Andy Holloway]

Talk about Doug Marone. Yeah, Doug Marone, he got a raw deal in Buffalo. That's my opinion. I think Doug Marone is a.

[Jason Moore]

Didn't he, like, just leave Buffalo? I feel like he didn't get a raw deal. He gave a raw deal. But he was doing well in Buffalo. I think he was. I mean, yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

I guess my perspective is that they view Doug Marone as a failure because of the head coaching switches. But I think Doug Marone was a good head coach. I think. I think you saw his impact on the very successful offense for Jacksonville in 2015. So I'm optimistic.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, I'm optimistic.

[Andy Holloway]

I think Gus Bradley had to get out of the way. I don't think he. I think he's a defensive coordinator.

[Mike Wright]

I like the fact that. So Nathaniel Hackett is the oc. Doug Marone and Hackett have worked together before. There was reports that. That's a lot of why Marone went with Hackett. You know, there was the rumors that Chip Kelly to was going to be the OC for Jacksonville, but Marone went with the. Someone who he's worked with before. Maybe we have some more cohesion there. And you had. Hackett was the quarterback coach, for better or worse. I mean, how you think of the development of Blake Bortles, but at least they're staying in. In. In that straight line where we've seen so many promising quarterbacks. So they switch the OC on them every single year and you just absolutely destroy their career. So to me, for Blank Bortles, this is the, the optimal, optimal situation if you are changing coaches.

[Jason Moore]

I agree. I agree. And that's part of why I expect the rebound. I think he was hurt last year. I think they weren't being creative. And you saw some changes happen when they let Gus Bradley go. They start moving Allen Robinson around the line and getting a little.

[Mike Wright]

Wasn't there the report of like, how did Alan Robinson have a little bit more success after they had fired Greg Olson? Well, we moved him around.

[Jason Moore]

That's exactly. Yeah. It took you a little while to make that decision, huh?

[Mike Wright]

I did coaching things.

[Andy Holloway]

I will always remember the Toby Gerhardt goal line.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, my goodness gracious. That was where he got three. Was three in a row.

[Andy Holloway]

Yelden. Right. Who had brought it right down to the one.

[Mike Wright]

And they were.

[Andy Holloway]

They were not giving TJ Elden goal line carries. And it was four carries in a row.

[Jason Moore]

I think it was four Toby Gerhardt.

[Andy Holloway]

Carries on one yard line their ball. And then you imagine TJ Eldon had just ran it down the whole field and he's standing on the sideline. Probably just. Yeah, he's losing his mind.

[Mike Wright]

This is fine. This is fine.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, gosh.

[Jason Moore]

All right, all right.

[Andy Holloway]

I think that's going to be. That's going to be it for the coaching changes perspective. We'll catch you up with more things that happen. And as we talk about players, we're obviously going to bring these topics back up. Things like, okay, we talked about Kyle Shanahan going to San Francisco, but you know, when we talk about Matt Ryan and the Falcons offense, we're going to talk about the impact of him leaving Atlanta as well. So Sarkeesian being the new offensive coordinator there. So we will get into more of the details, but hopefully this gives you a nice overview of what's taken place this last offseason. We encourage you to stay tuned for the show after the show only on YouTube this offseason. Yeah, you get a few extra moments with us today. We'll be debating a very fun topic. It's not fantasy football related. It is more of a fantasy because neither of us are outdoorsmen. So we will debate who will survive the longest in the wild here on YouTube. So thanks for tuning in. We appreciate your reviews on itunes. Follow us on twitter @the ffballer. Check out the website the fantasy footballers.com and as always, as we depart, we encourage you to check out fantasy jocks. If you need a trophy, a ring, a championship belt, any of those things, they're the place to go. And footballers, that is right. We'll catch you later.

[Jason Moore]

Thank you for listening to another episode of the Fantasy Footballers Podcast. Join our fantasy football community on jointhefoot. Com and follow us on twitter @the ffballers.