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This is an iHeart podcast, Guaranteed Human.
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Dish has been connecting communities like yours for the last 45 years, providing the TV you love at a price you can trust. Watch live sports news and the latest movies, plus your favorite streaming apps all in one place. Switch to DISH today and lock in the lowest price in satellite TV starting at $89.99 a month with our two year price guarantee. Call 888-Visit dish.com today.
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C
Park it right here, everybody. It's time for the tailgate. It's me, Joey P. Joe Pizza Pia with me and my two best friends, Derek Brown, Debro, the king of bros, and Andrew Erickson, the newest puppy dad. That's right, you got a puppy running the house now, which feels like a good time to talk about new things, including rookies. That's right, Andrew Erickson. How's the latest rookie holding up in the Erickson home these days?
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D
Well, he's keeping his dad away. Can't you tell by the bags underneath my eyes that I haven't slept that
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A
much over the last couple days over 33.
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D
Well, I'll be 32 at the end of May. Those keeping track at home. So I have dropped some hints here and there where my birthday is. So we'll see if the listeners have been paying attention. So, no, it's been good, it's been fun. The puppy, it's a delight of joy when he's sleeping, when he's having fun, he's behaving and then he's an absolute menace. I, I'm not sure I want to call him the prince of terror, the prince of darkness. Just there are times when, and he's a land shark, he's trying to bite everything that moves. So don't love that. My feet, my hands have been bleeding a little bit. They're dry. He keeps biting them. So. But we're improving every day.
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C
There you go. Let's see. Debra and I have had children already, so we know that that's why they make them all cute, because of the fact that they poop and pee on everything, break things and bite and everything else they do. So sometimes you got to break in some rookies. But the good news is sometimes those new things can have huge impact. So we're going to talk about what a transition that was. We're going to talk about five rookies here on different sides of the football that we think are going to make some big impacts in the NFL this year. And we're going to start here on the defensive side because, you know, on fantasy pros when you listen, everybody's always talking about the offensive side of the ball. That's what fantasy is all about. We do have a little bit of IDP here and there, but not that much. Not as much as we used to in these streets anymore. But I want to talk about Sonny Styles because I want some about real football here. So Sunny Styles, linebacker, is now Washington commander. And I've seen some of the early OTA stuff, watching some of the clips, which again, it's just kind of fun stuff. You don't want to take too much out of it. But he's been called a quote unquote stat stuffer. Right. He's a guy that Dan Quinn, I think is going to want to put in the middle of that field and use him in different ways. And he's a little bit taller too for the position that you see at linebacker, which I think is also kind of intriguing. And Dee, bro, I'm start with you on this one too because Sunny Styles was a player when we started the draft process, I remember Bogman and I were talking about like this dude feels really safe. He feels like a guy is going to go in there, have a 10 year career in the NFL. And if there's one thing the commanders really lacked, I think defensively was kind of just somebody solid that you can kind of build around. It just didn't feel like they had that dude. Do you think Sonny Styles can be that dude to make an impact on this Washington banners defense enough to kind of get them back on track after a really disappointing 2025?
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Absolutely he will. And I think just adding him to, you know, they already have Frankie Luvu adding also Leo Chanel in the off season. This linebacker group is going to be so improved and Sonny Styles is going to bring the heat, man. Like he is going to be able to like it's not only the ability of him as a run stopper but him in coverage. Like we're talking about a commander's defense that last year over the short middle of the field they gave it the sixth highest yards per attempt. And then you add Styles to the mix, man. Like he was 25th and run stop rate, he had the 10th lowest missed tackle rate. And again the commander's run defense was garbage last year. So Sunny Styles. Yes, please, we need the help.
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C
Yeah. And, and Ericson, you know he was talking just now about, oh about Luvu. You got Styles, you got Chanel, like all of a sudden the linebacker core looks a little bit better. I look at this defense and Washington, I think last Year just really kind of fell apart on both sides of the football. Ton of injuries and offense and look, when you lose your quarterback to a myriad of different injuries, there's just no way you're really going to come back from that. Everything broke right for the Commanders in Jane Daniels rookie season last year. Everything kind of broke wrong. Now you kind of are kind of refocusing. It feels like a little bit on the balance of this team. It felt to me like last year the Commanders kind of rested on the laurels of a magical 2024 season and they paid the piper in 2025 for it. Do you think that the Sunny Styles and a couple other of these moves maybe can help kind of get them back into relevance here? Because we know that there's some talent on this team and we know Jaden Daniels can be a guy that can get you to the playoffs because we've already seen it take it deep into the playoffs and Dan Quinn I think is a good football coach. So what are your thoughts on Sonny Styles and the impact he's going to make not just on the defensive side but this whole roster in terms of the makeup and mentality?
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D
Well, when I think or when I look at the odds for him to win Defensive Rookie of the Year, among the favorites from this year's class, I think he's the guy I kind of gravitate towards the most looking at 8 to 1 plus 850 on betting pros. The thing that I look at is the comparison to Fred Warner and Adam Peters who was formerly with the 49ers when they drafted Fred Warner. He's the commander's general manager, so I really like him in this type of scheme. You look at the new defensive coordinator that's coming over Durante Jones, 2022, 2025 with the Minnesota Vikings. What are the Vikings known for with Brian Flores is these hybrid defense approaches where they're putting players in certain positions and as a chess piece, as a movable object. And I think that Sonny Styles look at the athleticism that he has to bring to the table. I feel like he can move a lot and play a lot of different roles for this team while also playing that traditional middle linebacker position. So one thing that I thought was really interesting too that I remember seeing on X during the pre draft process. This was from David Siversten from It's Our Lads Underscore sy on X. So Styles actually if you look at his pass rushing snaps at Ohio State, 169 pass for snaps, 39 pressures, 10 sacks and that was lining up on the edge at 370 times over his career. That was pretty close to what Arvell Reese did at Ohio State when he lined up as an edge rusher. So although Arvo Reese is kind of getting the attention for, well, he's going to play off ball linebacker for the New York Giants. Styles going to do something similar for the Commanders with that linebacker depth that Debroach kind of laid out. I think there's opportunities for Styles to put his hand in the dirt on certain plays and go after that pass rush or go after that quarterback because of the athleticism he has to offer. So I, I like him a lot at +850s. Obviously I love the long shots, but I think that if you're looking at some of these favorites, Sonny Styles to me kind of pops out.
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That's a good shout out, Erickson. I freaking love that. And especially when you highlighted the athleticism, because as good as Bobby Wagner has been over the last two years of the Commanders, the problem with, with him was the physical limitations and the ability to, to play sideline in the sideline. Like he got by based off of like having that, that veteran savvy and knowing where to be and stuff that kind of covered up things. But Styles through the athleticism, he is going to be a monster all over the field.
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C
Yeah, agreed on all fronts. And again, we, I've targeted five of these guys that I think are going to make these big impacts here. So there's a lot of talent. Arvell Reese is a very talented player. He's going to make an impact, but we're not talking about him today. Ruben Bane can make a big impact. There's a lot of guys out there, but I want to focus on these five because I think it's more about really turning things around. The next guy we're going to talk about is one of those dudes too. And if you like this kind of conversation, well, the tailgate's for you. So make sure you subscribe to the tailgate show, of course, wherever you get your podcast and of course our new YouTube channel and share it around too. This is not the best kept secret here. This is football talk. So it's not like fantasy pros where you're trying to like say, oh, you know, I don't want everyone else to get an edge in my league. No, no, this is just us talking ball. So if you love football, share these videos. Like these videos. Again, comment wherever you are getting your podcast. But of course, the YouTube channel, super important to us. So make sure you go check it out. And when you drop your comments and subscribe, we got new stuff to give away, including a Jamar Chase signed Bengals jersey. All right, this is a big one right here. Signed by Jamar chase himself from pristineauction.com all you have to do, again, subscribe to the Tailgate YouTube. Drop your comment below. That is it. That's all you got to do. And ring the bell till it goes ding for notifications so we can let you know if you are are the big winner of the Jamar Chase jersey. And these giveaways are way easier to get than the FP side of things because we're a new channel. So Jamar Chase, it's a big deal. One go get it. Telling you right now. Uncle Joey told you so. Next guy I want to talk about is Caleb Downs. Now, Caleb Downs again, a lot of guys from the Ohio State University, we, we know that. But the one thing that I think we all agree on is that Dallas Cowboys offense last year was fun, mostly due in part because the Dallas Cowboys defense was not so fun. I mean, they could not hold a lead to save their mom's lives. Like, it was just terrible out there. Like terrible situation for them. They've gone and addressed a couple things. You're looking now, you know, even last year, Quinn and Williams, that addition there, you start to look around too of, you know, they got Drum Bland, they've got Caleb Downs now here. So Caleb Downs, to me, I feel like, Andrew, you can take this one first. Seems like one of the best fits for a team that really needed some help in the secondary. One player doesn't fix everything, but certainly the deficit. There was absolutely secondary play and now it feels like Caleb Downs can at least help you in coverage. He can. He can help you in run support. He can help you across the board. He comes from a winning culture, too, which you love too. You play in Alabama too. So like he's come from the cultures that are about winning. So in your opinion, how much of an impact can can Caleb Downs make here? As a rookie with the Dallas Cowboys,
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he's another player I looked at the odds that I was strongly considering. Although I do prefer styles just a little bit more. I think that Caleb Downs, what he projects to do in this Dallas Cowboys defense with the new DC Coming in. Christian Parker from the Philadelphia Eagles think it's kind of like a glove fit with him in a Cooper Dean escrow where he's really lining up in the nickel. You have Bland and Siobhan Ravel as the perimeter corners for the Dallas Cowboys. I think Dallas has done a pretty good job of rebuilding their front seven with the players obviously trading away Micah Parsons, losing that type of impact player, but then acquiring Ken Williams before the trade deadline last year, adding a couple pieces here, drafting Malachi Lawrence as another pass rusher in the draft with their other first round pick. So I mean, as a rookie, Dejan or Gene was fourth in Defensive Rookie of the Year votes and I think that he actually just kind of drew a bad hand because he was overshadowed, I think, by another cornerback on that team, Quinion Mitchell, who got more votes for Defensive Rookie of the Year that particular season. So although I thought it was close and I think that Dallas usually just gets more eyeballs on them as a franchise than you're going to see from the Washington commanders. I think when you're looking at who wins this award, more often than not, if it's not a pass rusher, it's a linebacker that gets a ton of tackles, usually leads the league in tackles or is very, very high up. Look at last year, right, who won Carson because he had a ton of tackles, wore the green dot, called the plays. I think Sonny Styles profiles that a little bit more than Caleb Downs does in year one. I'll say he can't be an impact player and he's going to get a lot of credit for the turnaround for the Dallas Cowboys secondary. But yeah, it's going to put Dallas back into contention as long as our offense continues to cook and continues to stay healthy.
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C
Debro on the NFC Power Ranking show We had a conversation about this division, right? And the Eagles are the first team in 20 years to win it back to back years. It feels like if the Cowboys could just get that defense right, there's absolutely a reason to believe that they could be the team that wins this division this year. Especially with the Eagles maybe looking like a team that's kind of not taking a step back, but maybe not quite as strong heading into the year as they were heading into last year.
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Yeah, I think the Cowboys should be looked at as the favorite to take the East. That could be controversial but like we're talking about a team that is a top three to five offense. The all the additions including Gale Downs and you want to talk about and discuss like what how Dallas's season last year unfolded. I mean we talked about this ad nauseam guys like going into the year they were going to be the Cincinnati Bengals of the nfc where it was all offense, no defense. And you add Caleb Downs to this secondary and all the other improvements they've had on the defense. Dallas gave up the fourth most touchdowns and the second highest pass rating to the slot last year. So Caleb Downs, is he going to play like full time nickel? Probably, but they could also move him around like they have Jaylen Thompson and Malik Hooker as well at safety. Caleb Downs could be a chess piece for this defense with the new DC coming in and downs 78.1 pass to rating allowed in slot coverage in 2025. This guy is also going to improve the run defense, which. How many years in a row have we said Dallas cannot stop the run. They can't stop the run. They can't stop the run. They made a ton of improvements and Caleb Downs is one of those to hopefully this year not only shore up their ability to cover the slot, but to stop the freaking run.
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C
Yes, we'd like to see that. I'm sure Cowboys fans would love to see that as well. We got one more player to talk about on the defensive side. Then I promise you everybody, we will get to some offensive names, the sexy names and all that stuff. But we're talking about like really kind of turning things around. And the turnover with the Kansas City Chiefs is going to be a process here. We know that. We. We know they're an older team. We know they're way over the cap. We knew this year was going to be about trying to retool a little bit. And now we're in what, like the part two of the Patrick Mahomes era, part one, incredibly successful. And there's certainly a platform there laid out with the Tom Brady Patriots of old that you can have a second life here if you are the Kansas City Chiefs and get to a whole lot more Super Bowls. You got to be kind of ruthless when it comes to cap, though. You got to make some tough decision. You got to get rid of some good players and turn things over. But before they start to expire. And I think one of the things that we saw this year with the offseason is DBro. We saw that they were willing to move some of those older pieces and they had to replace one at corner and they replaced one with Manor Delaine, a player that I know you and I really liked quite a bit going into this process. We thought this was a terrific pick by the Chiefs and there were gaps. We know this in the Kansas City secondary. He can play press man coverage. We. Which is also something that, you know, not every guy who comes into the league nowadays can do because everybody's Just so used to playing all the zones stuff. So the fact you can have a press corner like a man or Delaine is really important. He had a great college career. And it feels like this is a very integral part of this new version of the Chiefs where we're going to get a little younger, we're going to get more athletic and we're going to get cheaper. And this is kind of just the beginning of this process. But I think this is like that first step towards making a big impact for the Chiefs that if Mahomes can get healthy, all of a sudden we got a good opportunity here for that defense to kind of reinvigorate itself year over year.
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A
I absolutely agree, Joe. And when we've seen Spags at the height of his powers in Kansas City and this defense like just cooking like hitting on all cylinders, they've had a press shutdown. Number one corner that can shadow number one wide receivers. Look back to not, not not only McDuffie but Lujarius Sneed when he was blowing it up like it not like two, three years ago and he was shutting down every wide receiver one in the NFL. You talked about it. The man coverage rates, the press coverage rates, the ability to take away the top option man can do that for them. Like last year, a man coverage at LSU, 42.9% catch rate, 28.3 pass rating allowed in man coverage. KC was 11th in man coverage rate last year, only 28% of their snaps. This year they could get back to yesteryear's versions in that mid-30s high like almost touching 40% man coverage rate. And if Delaine could walk in from day one and especially in this draft class A after we learn like how much the McCoy health stuff, him being the runaway CB1 of this class, if he can walk in from day one and be like have a sauce gardener type of rookie season where he just steps in and he is the dude it could play. It could absolutely pay dividends for Kansas City from the jump and Andrew.
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C
I think it also helps everybody up front too. I Chris Jones is another year older, right? Carloftis like you want to get these guys after the quarterback, right? And a great way to do that is to take away one of those big time wide receivers. So they've got to start checking down, they got to start making some better looks, some different looks. And it feels like that is another like that trickle down effect that you when you draft a really good corner, they could shut some guys down and all of a sudden it automatically helps improve the front of that defense as well, which again, Chris Jones, all world, but another year older, another full season there, you know, in the NFL. I think we got to start helping him out a little bit too. I'd like to see him draft another edge rusher next year potentially. We'll see how that goes. But do you see that trickle down effect happening here for the Kansas City Chiefs?
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D
Yeah, because I was looking at some of these long shots to win defensive rookie of the year. I look at our Mason Thomas, a player that they drafted in the second round as an edge rusher. What did they add during free agency? Kyrus Tunga, Chris Jones, they already had Peter woods they drafted. It seems like this defensive tier is pretty, pretty good, but they didn't really have that much of additions of edge rusher. It's still really George Carloftis and then a bunch of guys that they're hoping maybe pan out. Maybe this guy will be healthy in 2026. So I look at Armason Thomas as this guy was profiling as an explosive edge rusher, like that's what he did. So I like him a lot in terms of his impact. And, and to be honest, I. I think this chief sector is going to have some growing pains. So I'm not ready to just drop man Delaine in week one, be like, all right, well be deus and shut down the number one asking a lot. So that's the thing. Is he going to be Trent McDuffie in year one? I don't think the Chiefs on paper right now are a better team with Mansoor Delaine and not Trent McDuffie. Now that doesn't mean that this is a bad pick because you're not just playing for 2026 in the NFL Draft. You're playing for 2026, 2027, 2028. So yeah, it makes sense to. Let's get younger. We're not going to pay Trent McDuffie. We're going to trade him for assets, move up, get his replacement. And I think that you're hoping that Delane is Trent McDuffie and he is an elite cornerback. But week one, the first month of the season, especially with that secondary, there's a lot of turnover. They lost a lot of veterans in that secondary. Starting safety Brian Cook is gone. They lost another cornerback that was a starter last year to the Los Angeles Rams. So I think there's going to be some growing pains with Mansoor Delane and again, not to say, oh, he's going to be a bus. He's not going to come through. But when I'm looking at corners who can make immediate impact d' Angelo Ponce, New York jets how is he not going to get the first interception for the New York jets in the Aaron Glenn era? And and to me, when I'm thinking about impact, where do corners make the biggest impact when they turn the side of the field with interceptions. So it would not surprise me at all if Deja Long Ponds leads his class in interceptions as rookie.
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C
Well, they're certainly overdue. I'll put it to you that way. All right.
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D
Joe is undefeated. The regression is undefeated.
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C
I don't know you know who is defeated? The Jets. Let's talk about Hard Rock Bet they are. Florida Sportsbook and the NBA playoffs are in full swing right now. You can get all the action right now on the hardwood that you can get at Hard Rock Bet. Make sure you go and download it right now and if you bet five bucks and you win new users when you sign up, you get 150 in bonus bets right now. And of course they've got same game parlay stuff you could do. They got in game live betting. So if you don't get your bets in before, well, guess once the tip off happens you could still bet all the way until the final buzzer. And of course MLB actions going on there as well. Check it out right now at Hard Rock Bet. You can get it in Florida. You can get it in Ohio, Arizona, New Jersey, Indiana, Tennessee, Virginia, Illinois, Colorado and Michigan. More states on the way every single day. So make sure you download the Hard Rock Bet app today. Payable and bonus bets Not a cash offer offered by the Seminole Tribe of Florida in Florida offered by the Seminole Hard Rock Digital LLC and other states must be 21 plus in physically present in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee or Virginia. Play terms and conditions apply. Concern about gambling in Florida. Call 1-833-PLAY-WISE in Indiana. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem wants help, call 1-800-9- GAMBLING PROBLEM. Call 1-800- GAMBLER in Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia.
- [19:59]
B
Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy not quite on Humor Me with Robert Smigel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier this week. My guests, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel help an acapella band with their between songs banter.
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D
Where does your group perform?
- [20:19]
C
We do some recording retirement homes.
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B
Those people are starving for banter. Listen to Humor Me with Robert Smigel and friends on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [20:29]
E
Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the Internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source. The athletes themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight reel. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context, and ask the questions everybody wants answered. Sports Slice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to Sports slice on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo slice Life, the TikTok podcast network on TikTok.
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C
All right, let's talk about Jeremiah Love. Because it does feel when you use that kind of draft capital on a running back, that it's going to be a big impact thing. My thing is there's that little voice inside my head that's like, hey, don't you remember every rookie running back, no matter how good they are, every couple years we get the same problem where the first couple weeks is kind of lackluster right now. Eventually they do make it big. Eventually. We saw Jameer Gibbs make a big impact. Eventually. Bijan Robinson. Could the Jeremiah Love situation be different? It doesn't feel like it will be right away because there's so many bodies there. But, Andrew, you and I both know that trades can happen, injuries can happen, and next thing you know, Jeremiah Love could be the only running back in that backfield. Hopefully he's the guy that stays healthy in. In training camp. But we've seen crazy things happen here. Jeremiah loves talent, is off the chain. There's no reason for this new regime not to come in and use him right away. If that's the guy that they wanted, that's what they targeted. How impactful can he be right away for this Cardinals offense?
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D
It's a really loaded question how impactful? It's not going to help them win games. So if you mean in the win loss column we talked about, in our power rankings, who is number last? Number last?
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C
Well, we don't do. Overall, they were 16 in the NFC.
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D
I. I mean, so. So Dolphins, Cardinals, the Cardinals are going to be favorites with Carson, Beck, Jacoby Brissette as they're starting.
- [22:41]
C
I think the Dolphins are worse than
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D
the Dolphins are trying to lose. So I think.
- [22:45]
C
I think the Dolphins are worse than. Because. So let's say they are 31st, right?
- [22:49]
D
I. It's okay, 31st.
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A
They're no higher than 30th. I think we all agree on that number.
- [22:53]
C
Last.
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D
So sure, he's, they're gonna give him a decent amount of a lot of touches and Tyler's year is going to be annoying. I think the other thing too with him is maybe he doesn't get an Ash and Genti level workload because Genti had no competition in his backfield last year. So I think that's a big difference. Like Tyler Azir is better than any other running back on the Raiders not named Ashton Gentee. Tyler Azir was a thorn in the side of Bijan Robinson, who is viewed as one of the, if not the best running back in the NFL. His head coach would constantly say that, yeah, Bijan's the best running back in the NFL and we're going to still get the ball to Talia Algier, who has been very dependent as a running back. 6th in the NFL and rushing success rate 11th in EPA per rush since he entered the NFL. He's one of three running backs with more than 500 carries in the last four seasons who has not fumbled the ball once. Seems like a guy that the coaches are going to want to put on the field. And why Give Jeremiah love 300, 400 touches when he's their highest. He's the highest paid running back in the NFL. He hasn't even taken a snap yet. Let's damage all of him right now. Let's run him into the ground on his rookie contract when we're already paying him all this money. That doesn't make any sense. So I didn't like the pick. Didn't make a lot of sense for him based on the Cardinals timeline. And this is the issue that you're running into with these teams that are, oh well, we're let's draft a running back. He's the best player on our board. But is he the best player for the Arizona Cardinals franchise to get out of mediocrity or the bottom of the barrel? And I, I don't really see it that way. So I think when it comes to Jeremiah Love, yeah, he's going to be relevant because he's going to get a lot of snaps, he's going to generate explosive plays Especially as a pass catcher. But for me, when it comes to fantasy, too, it's. It's about this. It's a full four with him. It's not the ceiling with Jeremiah Love. This is not going to be his ceiling year. I don't think that's a hot take, saying that Jeremiah Love is not going to have a monster 2026, 78% of top 12 running backs finish top 12 in year one when they're selected inside the top 12. So you feel good about that. But is he going to be a top five running back in year one? I highly doubt that. Just based on the situation that he's in in Arizona with the quarterback play. Still have some question marks on the offensive line. I think there's going to be some type of split with Tali Algier Debro.
- [24:55]
C
I've been accused now on this show of asking loaded questions. So I'm gonna ask another loaded question to you. You ready for it? Let's go. It is. Who is more impactful this year at the running back position for their team? Is it Jeremiah Love or is it Jadarian Price?
- [25:09]
A
Oh, loaded question. In terms of wins and losses or their impact to the offense, how do you want to frame this?
- [25:20]
C
Let's say wins and losses because, I mean, this is the NFL. This is what it's about. It's about wins, wins and losses.
- [25:25]
A
It's Jadarian Price, the, the ability to raise the floor and ceiling in their offense. I will still go with Jeremiah Love, though. And for everything that, like, we're all talking about Tyler Alier and the sins of yesteryear, like Bro Raheem Morris and
- [25:40]
C
our love, that movie Tyler. Al, this sounds like a, like a romance novel. It's Go Gone with Tyler Aler and the Sins of Yesteryear.
- [25:47]
D
Wow.
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A
Yes.
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C
Yes.
- [25:49]
A
It's called the Arthur Smith Raheem Morris sequel.
- [25:52]
C
It was like one of those young fantasy novels as well.
- [25:55]
A
But I think we go back to like, we're putting a lot of what Algier has done in Atlanta onto the new landing spot in Arizona. It's a different coaching staff. It's not either one of these moron coaches of Morris or Smith that are doing this in the floor. We'll see. It's, you know, his book is yet to be written. Whether he is another moron or he's good, we shall see.
- [26:16]
C
But I don't want to put all
- [26:17]
A
the, the moronic stuff on him at this point because for everything that, that you laid out, Ericson, that's positive about Alier, I'll also give you the other side of that coin with other stats amongst 49 qualifying running backs, Tyler Alier, 36 in explosive run rate, 39th and missed tackles forced 43rd in yards or to contact per attempt. None of those stats are good. So Alier gets a lot of puff and praise for the success rate of yeah, Kareem Hunt's got a great success rate. Okay cool. He can get three yards when he's supposed to get three yards and get four yards when he's supposed to get four yards and he's not getting crap else outside of that and he get touchdowns where they're at the goal line. Hooray. That's not difference making. I don't think James Connor is going to be on it's okay, fine. Like the other part of it that gets lost in all of that with all the touchdowns of the goal line success rates and stuff. How much of that is also a result of your offensive line doing what the hell they're supposed to do and actually opening up a hole or for said running back when they're supposed to versus him running into a brick wall. But anyway conversation for a different day. But Jeremiah Love I still think can make a big impact for this offense both as a runner as a pass catcher. Is that going to leave Arizona like a good team this year? No. But if you're talking about building up for next year when they airdrop a quarterback, an actual quarterback, not Jacoby Brissette and Carson Beck and whoever the hell else or mustache mania, we're not talking about any one of those guys starting in 2027. Jeremiah Love is an addition for your addition to the quarterback next year of what he will be in that offense. When you have an offense you're airdropping the quarterback into with love, McBride, Wilson, Harrison Jr. Yes please. So while we for sure exactly. So like we all talk about like should Arizona done it at three? No, I'm fine with them not going with a running back at three. I think we all agree with that. But if they couldn't trade out of the pick we can also also say like look he was the best player on a lot of boards in this draft class so there's a lot of push and pull there. So like I think your Love could still have a very impactful rookie season. But again like you talked about Joe, like loaded question is it going to matter as much in win in the wins and losses? No, but that's a lot more of a conversation for the crappy defense and
- [28:35]
C
the crappy quarterback play.
- [28:36]
D
Was anybody slamming the over on the Cardinals win total after they drafted Jeremiah Love?
- [28:40]
C
No. No.
- [28:41]
A
But again, the quarterback play and the defense are more the conversation with that too. Not so much more.
- [28:46]
C
I think he makes them more dangerous offensively too. And. And they were already kind of dangerous offensively with the weapons they have. Let's be honest. I mean, if Marvin Harrison is somehow unlocked a little bit better by this new coaching staff, if Jacoby's Brissette plays what he did last year with Michael Wilson, you have Trey McBride. Now you had Jeremiah Love. Like almost said, like, that's again, wins and losses might not equate to it, but competitive nature. They were competitive in some games last year that I think surprised a lot of people. All right, last guy to talk about probably the most important one, the most impactful is quarterback position because it's the NFL. I keep holding true about Fernando Mendoza playing Week 1 because I've seen enough Kirk Cousins now and I think he's done. So let's talk about really what kind of impact he can make here in the early going because I think it's not just about the wins and losses here, but dbro, to me, this is about turning around the feel of an organization. I think there's been. I mean, it's been a long time. It's been a couple years now since I think Derek Carr was the last guy that gave you any hope with the Raiders. Right. That's a long time ago. Right, Because Derek Carr retired as a saint. All right. So it's a while. So I think now that you have Mendoza, I think you're trying to change this outlook of the organization. I still don't love the wide receiver core, but you have Bowers, you have Genti. I think there's some momentum going and I think more than anything, it's changing the mindset of this organization. I think Mendoza is going to be able to do so from the impact standpoint there. He's going to bring a whole different vibe to this team that I don't think they've. They're. I don't even know if they're ready for it. I don't think Raider Nation's ready for it. They're going to turn the black hole into a bunch of guys who could go out there, you know, doing toy drives like that. That's what it feels like right now. And you know what? It just might work. Maybe that's exactly what you need, is the, oh, gosh, gee whiz, Fernando Mendoza to come in there and just be completely unflappable because there will be some losing here. But I think it's turning around that mental side of the game here that's really important for the Raiders organization. What do you think?
- [30:39]
A
Hearts and minds, Joe. You got to change hearts and minds and Fernando Mendoza can do that. And I just can't wait to see and you know we got schedule release coming up later this week. I can't wait to see who the Raiders are playing week one because I'm. I'm waiting for the. I want them to win in week one only because I want the locker room video of him and Kirk Cousins donning the chains and dancing in the locker room. I want that on my timeline. And you talked about this but like yes, like Mendoza offers this franchise actual discernible hope tied to an offensive minded head coach that's not 85 years old. Like yeah, there's lots of hope for the Raiders right now. Now his far as far as his impact on the field, you and I see this very, very differently. I think they're going to protect Mendoza. I think Tom Brady is the one that's really going to like be the one that, that tells the tale of when he actually sees the field not the fan base clamoring to see Mendoza or the win loss record. So his own field impact in. In impact in 2026. We shall see. I. I think he is not going to start at least until mid season, probably later because they're not going to run him out there just to get better battered and beaten and especially when Tom Brady has come out and been very, very adamant about protecting a young quarterback and allowing them to learn. And we want to talk about basically how Indiana's offense ran RPO heavy and transitioning to more under center with Kubiak. All of the screams. They are going to give him as much leeway and time to learn and grow as he needs.
- [32:16]
C
Well here, here's the truth. A Tom Brady. They make it a lot about Tom Brady and the ownership and all that stuff. Like he's still a very, very minority owner in this organization.
- [32:27]
A
A you think he has a minority voice in that room though? That's my bigger question. I don't care his ownership stakes.
- [32:33]
C
I think the media is making the voice of Brady a little bit bigger.
- [32:36]
A
Come on dude.
- [32:37]
C
I do. No, I've got this.
- [32:39]
A
Tom Brady was a minority owner of the Patriots. Would you still say that?
- [32:42]
C
Only, only Derrick Brown will put me in a position where I'm taking shots at my all time favorite players.
- [32:47]
A
I know that's what I'm saying, like
- [32:48]
C
you will cable Tom Brady relationship we have.
- [32:51]
A
He doesn't have a voice in the room.
- [32:52]
C
Come on. First I'm defending Daniel Jones, and then a week later I'm taking shots at Tom Brady. But here's the truth, Andrew Erickson. Here's the truth that Derrick Brown doesn't want to turn his pretty little face towards. When you get selected number one overall as a quarterback in this league, the trend is you play. Do you know the last guy who was selected number one as a quarterback who did not play week one and start for his team? Any. Any guests? Gentlemen, you want to take a shot at this?
- [33:16]
A
I'm sure AI helped you get this answer.
- [33:18]
C
Go ahead.
- [33:19]
D
That's a good question. Wait, let me think.
- [33:21]
C
Because it ain't Cam Ward.
- [33:23]
A
Let me pull the Joe. Let me google it real fast.
- [33:25]
C
It ain't Caleb Williams, it ain't Bryce Young, it ain't Trevor Lawrence, it ain't Joe Burrow, and it ain't Kyler Murray. You got to go back to 2018, Baker Mayfield for the guy who did. That's the last guy who got drafted number one overall who did not start week one for his team. So my point is this. We could talk about it all we want, but at the end of the day, the data shows us when you invest number one overall pick in qb, number one overall QB pick plays week one in the NFL, Andrew. That's all I'm saying.
- [33:59]
D
I agree with you. And even if it isn't week one, I think that the leash on Kirk Cousins is not going to be super long because we watched him play football, and we're all going to watch him play football, and we're going to realize sooner rather than later that this guy is cooked. 38 years old at the start of the season last year, yards per attempt, passer rating were the second lowest of his career, along with his average depth of target. So what happens when you tear your Achilles? You lose the power in your lower half, and that translates to not being able to throw the ball downfield as effectively. You're not trying to get hit. So is Kurt. I mean, is Kirk Cousins gonna last till halfway through the year?
- [34:36]
C
I don't know. Might not last halfway through the first game, but I still. I don't think he's gonna make it there, period.
- [34:41]
D
He's no spring chicken. So look, last year, 29th at EPA per play, 26 success rate, 28th incompletion rate, 32nd yards per attempt. Why do we want this guy starting with my quarterback? On my team.
- [34:51]
C
Why I don't Brady does not the head coach. Tom Brady's not the general manager. Tom Brady is an advisor and he's the I mean look how many minority owners period. I don't care what their stock is quote unquote in terms of their notoriety. Get get a say in things at the end of the day. Cuz the truth is Tom Brady is somewhere on his yacht or somewhere in one of his many houses or or partying in IA or somewhere else and then he's going to go do all the games for Fox and he. He can't do much then Kenny right? I mean am I crazy here boys?
- [35:29]
A
My cre Ericson loves my my documentation of your craziness is well noted.
- [35:36]
C
But when he starts week one. When he starts week one, we'll see.
- [35:39]
A
I will eat the l if he starts. Don't see it happening.
- [35:42]
D
One last question for you. So right now you got to bet Offensive rookie of the year Jeremiah Love or friend Fernando Mendoza. Francisco I'm not the only one that's done it. I've heard it. I've heard other people say it too. I'm not the only one that make the mistake. Mistakes.
- [35:58]
A
Jeff's going full Ray.
- [36:01]
C
I love when you do it. It's. It's Mendoza.
- [36:04]
D
Betting odds disagree because he's not the favorites. Jeremiah.
- [36:07]
C
That's right. Betting odds also told me that Jaden Daniels wasn't the rookie of the year and I picked him too. And I won money on that. So I'm happy, very happy to take that wager. So drop your comments. Do you think that Fernando Mendoza is going to start week one like I do? A pessimist living in a sad state of affairs like Derrick Brown. Drop your comments. We love to hear from you. Subscribe to the channel here. Tailgate NFL and subscribe on your social media platforms too. Tailgate NFL show. We love having you here. We love the discussions that'll do it for us cuz they're kicking us out of the parking lot. We'll see you next time, kids.
- [36:54]
B
Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy not quite on Humor Me with Robert Smigel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier this week. My guests, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel help an acapella band with their between songs banter.
- [37:13]
D
Where does your group perform?
- [37:14]
C
We do some retirement homes.
- [37:16]
B
Those people are starving for banter. Listen to Humor Me with Robert Smigel and friends on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [37:25]
E
Last night, a blown call changed the game. This morning, the Internet lost its mind, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo, and every episode we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the biggest moments in sports and giving you the real story behind the headlines. And we're going straight to the source. The athletes themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions in the moment, and the stuff nobody gets to hear. Listen to Sports slice on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo, Slice Life 12, and the TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok.
- [38:00]
D
Hey, it's Edwin Castro, also known as Castro 1021, and I'm Conky, his best friend and business manager. And we've got a new show called the 1021 podcast. I'm taking you behind the scenes on how I became one of Twitch's most popular streamers. We also love sports, and with the World cup right around the corner, we'll be breaking down the biggest storylines ahead of the big tournament here in the USA. Listen to the 1021 podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Joey Dardano, and on my new podcast, Ho From a Hypocrite, I'll be changing lives, helping people in need with thoughtful solutions.
- [38:44]
C
Psych.
- [38:44]
D
I'm a comedian. I'm not qualified to give good advice. Join me and my comedian friends as we riff, rant and recommend some of the most legally dubious advice known to man. This is Help from a Hypocrite, the worst advice from the dumbest people you know. Listen to Help From a Hypocrite Wednesdays on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [39:05]
C
This is an iHeart podcast.
- [39:08]
A
Guaranteed Human.