NFL Cover Zero: NFC North and NFC West Previews

Summary

NFL Cover Zero with Matt Jones & Drew Franklin Episode Date: August 11, 2026
Episode Title: "NFC North and NFC West Previews"
Podcast: NFL Cover Zero (iHeartPodcasts)
Hosts: Matt Jones & Drew Franklin

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Episode Overview

In this lively and humorous episode, Matt Jones and Drew Franklin recap their producer’s wedding shenanigans before diving deep into the NFC North and NFC West divisional previews for the 2026 NFL season. They discuss each team’s off-season moves, strengths, weaknesses, and playoff odds while sharing stories, cracking jokes, and offering the kind of "football talk for the rest of us" that's become their trademark. The episode also includes updates on the upcoming Cover Zero fantasy football league, breaking NFL news, Hall of Fame reflections, and a segment on quirky sports broadcasting experiences.

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Key Topics & Discussion Points

1. Billy’s Wedding Recap and Podcast Housekeeping (01:43-03:33)

• Matt and Drew open the episode noting the absence of producer Billy, who is on his honeymoon.
• They share wedding tales, including star sightings (e.g., George Kittle) and some lighthearted “celebrity event” comparisons.
• Drew: “You and I were at the wedding. Great time, star-studded affair, probably surpassed Taylor Swift and Travis Kelsey for celebrity event of the summer.” (01:54)

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2. Cover Zero Listener Fantasy League Announcement (06:16-09:58)

• Matt and Drew unveil their first-ever Cover Zero fantasy football league, inviting listeners to join.
  • Requirements: Must be available in person in Kentucky around August 30th.
  • Emphasis on fun, diversity, and active participation.
• Drew: “We want to talk a little trash… If you have something you can cook, you could bring a food product to the live draft!” (08:49)
• Email to join: coverzeroleaguemail.com

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3. Fantasy Football Magazine Banter (04:12-06:14)

• Both hosts discuss buying multiple preseason magazines, bemoan outdated content (notably Athlon missing the Miles Garrett trade to the Rams), and reminisce about football analytics site Football Outsiders, now defunct.
• Matt: “I'm reading about the Rams. Can they win the Super Bowl?... Miles Garrett hadn’t even been traded yet, so they're breaking down the defense. He’s not mentioned one time.” (05:04)

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4. NFC North Preview (10:13-27:12)

A. Detroit Lions

• Both hosts have the Lions as favorites due to their favorable schedule (fourth easiest in NFL).
• Discuss Teddy Bridgewater’s retirement (12:26) and the arrival of Josh Dobbs.
• Debate on Jared Goff’s ceiling and concerns about the defense after losing key coordinators.
  • Matt: “I'm a believer as the collective, the whole of the Lions offense, as long as they can protect him… Oddly, their defense, though, is what I mean.” (12:45, 12:56)
• Consideration of schedule disparities.
  • Matt: “Those three games can really matter where you have three really good teams.” (16:05)
• Breaking news on center Cade Mays missing first six games. (22:00)

B. Chicago Bears

• Matt places Bears second, calling Caleb Williams a “top 10 quarterback for the next decade”.
• Discussion on new head coach Ben Johnson’s positive impact and the need for improved early-game performance.
  • Drew: “It's not a winning formula… It worked a year ago, but this year they'll need to be more starting games better off offensively.” (19:22)
• Luther Burden injury watched; expected only to miss preseason.

C. Green Bay Packers

• Both see the Packers as a close third, due to potential early-season personnel losses (Micah Parsons’ availability, Josh Jacobs’ off-field issues).
• Drew notes their toughest games are stacked late in the season. (17:28-18:04)
• Deliberation over Jordan Love’s true ranking among QBs.
  • Drew: “Numbers suggest he should be better than nine or ten… He's probably had four of them in his career where he does something really dumb in a big situation.” (23:46-24:21)

D. Minnesota Vikings

• Both expect a down year with a murky QB situation: Kyler Murray vs. J.J. McCarthy.
• Matt: “I think you're wasting a good roster with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison… I just don’t think they have the guys to get him the ball.” (25:36)
• Drew: “If I could place money on quarterbacks this year that have zero chance of being good, Kyler Murray and TUA would be in a race.” (25:44)

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5. NFC West Preview (27:12-37:32)

A. Los Angeles Rams

• Consensus overwhelming favorite due to loaded roster and the addition of Miles Garrett alongside Aaron Donald.
  • Matt: “I've been looking for any reason to go against the Rams… I just think the Rams are going to get it to the Super Bowl. They might not pull it off and win it, but they are so stacked.” (27:49)
  • Drew: “That offense, we know how good it is with Devante Adams and Puka catching passes from Matthew Stafford.” (28:07)
• Debate on Matthew Stafford’s legacy—could two Super Bowls put him with the all-time greats?
  • Drew: “When you sit and think about, ok, who are the greatest quarterbacks of all time…” (29:00-30:34)

B. Seattle Seahawks

• Both expect a slight regression but have Seahawks as solid second.
• Rookie running back might influence offensive changes.
  • Matt: “I just think they (Rams) end up getting them in those [games]… They’ll just take a slight dip down.” (32:46)

C. San Francisco 49ers

• Discussion centers on the team’s relentless adversity, constant injuries, and aging core.
• Drew: “No team has had the adversity that they've had. None. And yet they just keep losing people.” (34:58)
• Cautious about competitive sustainability.

D. Arizona Cardinals

• Little optimism; QB battle between Jacoby Brissett and rookie Carson Beck with Beck likely to eventually start.
  • Matt: “They're going to suck. Why not just give it to the rookie?” (35:48)
• Running back situation: puzzlement over draft/resource usage.
• Drew: “The reality is… I haven’t watched the Cardinals game in a decade.” (36:39)

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6. News & Noteworthy Moments (40:07-58:04)

Hall of Fame Game (40:07-41:42)

• Quarterback battles: Carson Beck outshining Jacoby Brissett; Haynes King’s heroics and injury.
• Commentary on Bryce Young’s precarious future in Carolina.

Hall of Fame Inductions (42:22-44:59)

• Inductees: Drew Brees, Luke Kuechly, Larry Fitzgerald, Adam Vinatieri, Roger Craig.
• Drew jokes: “Roger Craig wasn’t in yet, but then I looked at his numbers. Now I’m shocked he got in.” (42:38)
• Vinatieri brings comedy: “He thanked Peyton Manning's forehead for being the teleprompter.” (43:51)

Mike Tomlin on TV (45:33-47:00)

• Observations on Mike Tomlin’s transition to the Football Night in America desk: “He didn't just sit there with sunglasses on, staring like he was mad at the defense. Showed some good personality I didn't know he had.” (47:00)

Training Camp Fights: Max Crosby vs. Kirk Cousins (47:10-49:17)

• Kirk Cousins gets into it with Max Crosby in Raiders camp.
• Drew: “Kirk Cousins seems like the last quarterback in the entire NFL that I think would fight.” (48:29)

Will Levis: Meme Magnet (51:41-54:17)

• Will Levis trips at Titans fan day, fueling his meme reputation.
• Drew laments running out of things to say when he bumps into Levis at events.

New Bills Stadium Sightlines (55:11-57:42)

• Fan outrage over obstructed views in the new High Mark Stadium.
• Matt: “It seems like they have several bad views in that stadium... And it's brand new.” (55:20)

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7. Preseason Gambling/Lock Talk & Random Sports Broadcasting Stories (58:04-63:19)

• Matt and Drew pick their preseason "locks of the week":
  • Matt: Titans to cover as road favorites at the 49ers. (58:54)
  • Drew: Lions as seven-point underdogs at Bengals. (59:17)
  • Parlay suggestion: Titans & Lions, both road dogs.
• Amusing flashback to the time they (unwittingly) called a Challenger-level tennis match watched mainly by international gamblers.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On NFL preseason magazines:
  “I'm reading about the Rams. Can they win the Super Bowl? … Miles Garrett hadn’t even been traded yet, so they're breaking down the defense. He’s not mentioned one time.” — Matt (05:04)
• On fantasy football and participation:
  “I don't want 10 people just sitting there staring at me. Yeah, we want to talk a little trash.” — Drew (08:42)
• On the Rams and Stafford’s reputation:
  “If they were to win the Super Bowl, you gotta at least… he's got to at least be in the group with Aaron Rodgers and Troy Aikman…” — Drew (30:06)
• On Jordan Love:
  “Numbers suggest he should be better than nine or ten… but sometimes when the lights have come on, they've needed to go make a play, he’s either turned it off, turned it..." — Matt (23:56)
• On Kyler Murray:
  “Kyler Murray's existence is to in the fourth quarter run round and it's fourth and 20 and he makes a throw and overthrows him by two yards.” — Drew (26:36)
• On obscure NFL teams:
  “I haven’t watched the Cardinals game in a decade.” — Drew (36:39)
• On obscure stadium seats:
  "I looked, and the man had his tickets directly behind the pole, and he was by himself and sitting there, and there were a million empty seats everywhere. He could have sat anywhere, but he stayed behind that pole." — Drew (57:42)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Billy’s Wedding & Opener: 01:43-03:33
• Fantasy League Announcement: 06:16-09:58
• NFC North Preview: 10:13-27:12
• NFC West Preview: 27:12-37:32
• Breaking News (Lions/Bears injuries): 22:00-22:24
• Hall of Fame Game/Inductions: 40:07-44:59
• Mike Tomlin on TV: 45:33-47:00
• Camp Fights (Crosby/Cousins): 47:10-49:17
• Will Levis Meme Watch: 51:41-54:17
• Bills Stadium Sightlines: 55:11-57:42
• Preseason Locks: 58:04-60:44

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Final Thoughts

This episode offers a wide-ranging, comedic, and insightful dive into the NFL's NFC North and West ahead of the 2026 season, with plenty of relatable takes on fantasy football, preseason optimism, doldrums of NFL fandom, and irreverent sports culture. If you're gearing up for your own league, assessing divisional odds, or just in for a few laughs, Matt and Drew's banter is both entertaining and informative.

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How to Join Cover Zero Fantasy Football League:

• Email: coverzeroleaguemail.com
• Be in-person in Kentucky on draft weekend
• Make your case for why you’d be a fun, active participant

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(For detailed segment references, see timestamps above. All attributions and quotes are directly from Matt Jones and Drew Franklin as labeled.)

Transcript

[Matt Jones]

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[Drew Franklin]

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[Matt Jones]

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[Drew Franklin]

Yep.

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[Matt Jones]

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[Drew Franklin]

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[J.J. Zacharyssen]

The entire draft room groans because you just took the guy they wanted. There's no better feeling than crushing your fantasy football league. I'm J.J. zacharyssen, host of the award winning Late Round podcast. Before your draft are players to target target and players to avoid episodes tell you exactly who to circle and who to cross off? Listen to the Late Round fantasy football podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Drew Franklin]

NFL Cover Zero with Matt Jones and Drew Franklin is a production of the NFL and iHeart podcast. Welcome everybody. NFL it is another week of excitement right? The week before week one of the NFL preseason. Matt Jones and Drew Franklin, our co host. Well our producer slash news gatherer Billy R Sports got married yesterday or Saturday so he is gone this week and has ridden off into the sunset. And it is just us. You and I were at the wedding. Great time star studded affairs probably packed surpassed Taylor Swift and Travis Kelsey for celebrity event of the summer.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, especially any event connected to the NFL. I can't think of one bigger than Billy's wedding. What would be bigger really?

[Drew Franklin]

Did you see George Kittle?

[Matt Jones]

I did. I will say I bottled up the air and put it on ebay like

[Drew Franklin]

they did for the season. How much they go for?

[Matt Jones]

I haven't got any bites yet but that and the trash are available on my on my ebay listing, so check that out. But it was a fun time. It's good seeing little Billy all grown up and getting married and now off to a honeymoo.

[Drew Franklin]

Yeah, it was a great time we had amongst the people in our group. We had people having fun, people drinking, people running off with their girlfriend into the bathroom and locking the door. We had a little bit of all that going on. I'm not gonna say who was part of each of those, but, I mean, there were. Those things were happening.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah. I mean, I'm a big love is love guy hard once.

[Drew Franklin]

I mean, I didn't have a date there, but it could have been.

[Matt Jones]

Things happen at weddings.

[Drew Franklin]

That's right.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah. Sometimes I think some. Some people we know needed a private moment there during the reception, but a fun time overall.

[Drew Franklin]

It was so. So it's just us. And we're going to. We've got three things to accomplish. The second of which will be our NFC north and NFC west previews. And our third of which will be some news that you're gathering. It's a high standard because Billy has done a good job gathering news. I've seen you out on the trail trying to get some scoops. Do you have good stuff?

[Matt Jones]

I called all 32 teams and asked, what's your biggest piece of. None of them answered.

[Drew Franklin]

You just called the main line and

[Matt Jones]

asked for great secretaries all across the league, none of them very helpful. So I went to Google this morning instead.

[Drew Franklin]

Okay, fair enough.

[Matt Jones]

Decent topics.

[Drew Franklin]

So let's start with what I think is the most exciting thing, which is, for the first time in my life, I'm going to play seriously fantasy football. I bought a book last night. I bought a book that was called Fantasy Football Gold.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, I went and picked up a few of those myself.

[Drew Franklin]

They're proud of them. Hang on a second. You have more than one?

[Matt Jones]

I got right here in my backpack.

[Drew Franklin]

No, no, no. You can't have more than one. That's cheating.

[Matt Jones]

Oh, man. They're proud of those things, though. I got to say, when you go to pay for, you know, all the NFL previews, which one do I have here? This is. Oh, this is Athlon. Everybody knows Athlon.

[Drew Franklin]

Okay, well, I've got one you don't have. It's called gold.

[Matt Jones]

Okay, I didn't get gold, so we shouldn't have the same notes. Yeah, but it's that time of year.

[Drew Franklin]

We got to get your books early, though. Like, the 29 one is already out. You don't even know which teams. Everybody's Going to be on. What if people get hurt? I don't want to get like, be like, this player's really good. Why is he left? And they're like, well, his shoulder fell off.

[Matt Jones]

Well, can I tell you a little complaint about Athlon?

[Drew Franklin]

I bought it.

[Matt Jones]

Like I said, they' these things.

[Drew Franklin]

It was.

[Matt Jones]

It was a commitment. I'm reading. I'm reading about the Rams. Can they win the Super Bowl?

[Drew Franklin]

And they.

[Matt Jones]

Well, Miles Garrett hadn't even been traded yet, so they're breaking down the defense. He's not mentioned one time.

[Drew Franklin]

Yeah, that's a problem.

[Matt Jones]

So you see there is putting these out too early, which. Which happens.

[Drew Franklin]

But there's probably a race to. People miss football so much. So whichever one comes out first gets a little bit of a bump. You think that's probably what it is.

[Matt Jones]

I get it. But it was weird because I'm trying to get focused, laser focus on the season ahead and then missing some big news.

[Drew Franklin]

But they should have an agreement. We're all going to put these out at the same time so they don't continue to get earlier and earlier and earlier.

[Matt Jones]

That's why I like websites. You can just go back and add.

[Drew Franklin]

Yeah, they add. They. Well, I remember many years ago logging onto a website called footballoutsiders.com okay. And I was like, I'm going to go do that. Matter of fact, I'll even subscribe. That website apparently went away three years ago. You can't even find traces of it.

[Matt Jones]

I just got the heck out.

[Drew Franklin]

You put it in there and they go, that was never on the Internet. And if you tell anyone it was were coming after you.

[Matt Jones]

The Mandela effects, where you remember something one way and didn't they try to tell you.

[Drew Franklin]

I feel like there was a guy, maybe his name was Aaron Schatz. Maybe he was a figment of my imagination, too.

[Matt Jones]

Is Aaron Shots in the room with us right now? I don't know.

[Drew Franklin]

He's like, wait a minute, Brian, Billy's gone. Who's that? Is that Aaron Shots? So anyway, I. I hope that. I hope that we enjoy it. Now. We're going to do a live draft in Kentucky and we have decided to do it with ksr, not just ksr, with COVID zero listeners. Okay. Now here's what you have to do. You have to be able to be in person. I believe we're shooting for August 30th as the draft day. We might change the date, but it's going to be probably be a weekend, probably August 30th. There's a chance. August 29th. Early in the day, but probably August 30th. And we have to be in person.

[Lifelock Advertiser]

So.

[Drew Franklin]

But if. As long as you could be there in person, you can join it now. We're. I'm gonna have a team. Drew's gonna have a team. Billy's gonna have a team. And Paul has offered to run the league. Commissioner Paul. Three or four. Excuse me. I made the executive decision as not commissioner, but commissioner of the commissioner.

[Matt Jones]

Associate commissioner.

[Drew Franklin]

No, no, no. That would assume. I'm saying I'm first. I'm just not doing anything except this decision. We're going to have 14 teams.

[Matt Jones]

Okay.

[Drew Franklin]

All right. So that means 10 of our listeners will get to be in it. So here's what you have to do. The email address is cover0leaguemail.com Easy enough. What is it again? Coverzeroleaguemail.com Coverzeroleaguemail.com youm need to write. You need to commit to being here that weekend, and you need to explain why you should be it. Because the goal is for us to have the most pleasant group there will be. Unlike in the rest of society. We will have diversity initiatives. Not just. But I'm just saying people, diversity. I'd like to have a woman in the league. I think it'd be cool to have a kid in the league. You know what I'm saying? Maybe it's somebody just as many. So you're going to highlight. Why should we have you? What makes you interesting to be in the league. And then you have to commit to be here. And we'll probably pick one or two as alternates in case someone cancels. But if you cancel just officially, so you know, I will hate you.

[Matt Jones]

Yep. The only other requirement to being here is committed the whole time. We don't want you to disappear and ghosts. That's the worst.

[Drew Franklin]

You have to keep playing.

[Matt Jones]

We want your excitement in the whole season.

[Drew Franklin]

You have to keep playing and hopefully, like, highlight that you're fun. I don't want 10 people just sitting there staring at me.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, we want to talk a little trash.

[Drew Franklin]

We want to talk trash. If you have something you can cook. Oh, okay. Like, you could bring a food product

[Matt Jones]

to the live drafts.

[Drew Franklin]

I don't know where we're going to do it. We used to do them at KS Bar, but it's closed right now. So, I mean, we could, you know, maybe some restaurant will host us.

[Matt Jones]

A lot of places have the packages where you get the big sheet and do some of the work for you. We show up and draft with their supplies. Hooters. We've done one there.

[Drew Franklin]

They still have Hooters.

[Matt Jones]

Free shout out to Hooters there.

[Drew Franklin]

I didn't know they still have those.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, I've done one there. It's a good time, but I don't

[Drew Franklin]

want, you know, I don't want to limit the thing. So. Coverzeroleaguemail.com you have for the rest of this week to get in it and then starting Monday we will start picking them and maybe by next week we will know who is in the league. But I'm excited about it. I'm for the first time going to do this. Seriously. I've been in leagues, but I really didn't know what was going on.

[Matt Jones]

You were the guy that wasn't answering, Dwayne.

[Drew Franklin]

I was often like, oh, it was the sixth round and then I would get in the draft.

[Matt Jones]

You're the auto draft guy.

[Drew Franklin]

Yeah. I would sit and go, just make sure I get Lamar. And then after that we're good. So. So I'm excited about it.

[Matt Jones]

It'll be fun. I'm coming out of retirement. It's been about 10 years. Looking forward to another reason to be locked on. The good thing about fantasy and gambling's help with this too. But when like your game's almost over and out of hand, you can flip over to Saints, Falcons and you still care about what's going on in the fourth quarter there.

[Drew Franklin]

Cover 0leaguemail.com so that is, that is coming and I'm, I'm very much looking forward to it. Now we're going to do some, some more previews. Last week we did the NFC east and the NFC south. So we will start with the NFC North. Drew, last week I would pick what the order was because I would pick my view of what the teams would be. I'm going to let you pick the order. So let's start with the NFC North. What team do you think is going to come in first place this year

[Matt Jones]

as they were last year? All these teams were clumped up. They all had winning records. Your Bears pull it off there at the end. I think we're heading for close to that again, at least with the Bears, Packers, Lions. I'm actually going to take the Lions.

[Drew Franklin]

Are you going to take the Lions for a bounce back?

[Matt Jones]

Well, they went, they were number one team in the NFC two years ago to last place in their division. Missing the playoffs. They have one of the easiest schedules in the NFL, taking advantage of the fourth easiest. So simply because of their playing all the other last place teams. I give them the slight edge, but I think Packers, Bears and Lions are just going to be coming down the final week again.

[Drew Franklin]

Well, let's start with the Lions then, since you're picking them first. Teddy Bridgewater just retired yesterday.

[Matt Jones]

Took a big hit to my Lions prediction.

[Drew Franklin]

Former U of L quarterback Louisville back in the day sort of started a mini run that Louisville had for a number of years through Charlie, through Charlie Strong and then Bobby Petrino. He seemed like a really great guy. Obviously had the horrific knee injury, retired, but then decided to come back and was a serviceable backup for a couple years. He'll be replaced, I guess by Josh Dobbs, who honestly I would have guessed was 49 years old when they. When I saw that Josh Dobbs was the replacement, I couldn't believe that was a man that still had the potential to play football.

[Matt Jones]

He was hanging around. But really the way Bridgewater played with T. Martin. No, it hadn't been quite that long for T. Martin, but it was. Honestly, even seeing Bridgewater retire is one of those. Like that guy was still giving it a go this long. Remember he stepped away, coached a high school team. I mean he seems like he was

[Drew Franklin]

in finance for a while. I had no idea he but give him credit. Like he kept coming back. He remember his thing was like he bought his mom a car I think after either U of L or the Vikings when he first went there and for a while was very, you know, very promising. Now this team, Jared Golf, their quarterback. Are you a golf believer or a golf.

[Matt Jones]

I'm a believer as the collective, the whole of. Of the Lions offense, as long as they can protect him, he's good enough. Now if he's a guy that obviously has to go out and use his legs a little bit, you're in trouble.

[Drew Franklin]

Oddly, their defense though, is what I mean. They lost both coordinators.

[Matt Jones]

That was the big hit last year.

[Drew Franklin]

Last year that was a lot of would still could still. But their defense at times just was brutal and that was their calling card for some.

[Matt Jones]

That's why I still trust golf. That may be one of the best backfill duos in the NFL. You got good receivers. LaPorta is a good tight end. I feel like that is an offense that's pretty balanced and golf still good.

[Drew Franklin]

I mean they survived losing Ben Johnson and didn't take a massive step back as Ben Johnson had success. So like clearly this was a case where, you know, maybe both Ben Johnson and the Lions offense were good. How do you explain the massive defensive laps last year after Having one of the best defenses in the league.

[Matt Jones]

Two years ago, you know, Campbell got a lot of criticism that, you know, people were saying, was it. Was it really just Ben Johnson, Aaron Glenn the whole time?

[Drew Franklin]

But then Aaron Glenn wasn't good.

[Matt Jones]

I know that's the thing. I don't think it was there. I think levels back out, we see them come back. I think they put. People put too much on those coordinators last year stepping away. And then, you know, this year, I think Campbell can show he still got it defensively, though. Part of it. I mean, they played a very tough schedule last year. The defense could have been better, but they had that number one schedule.

[Drew Franklin]

And so that's a good.

[Matt Jones]

Even the own offices they faced are good in their division.

[Drew Franklin]

I wanted to ask you what you thought about this. So two years ago, when they had that great run, their schedule was like the third easiest in the league. Then last year, I think by the metrics, they had the second hardest in the league. And now this year they're back to fourth easiest. And it's all based on what place you came in the year before in the division. Do you think that they should still do that? That way where if you come, you know, because there can be a huge difference between the schedules. The Patriots last year played like not one good team all season except the Bills and ended up in the super bowl and maybe weren't even that good. Do you think that that's the right way to do it, or.

[Matt Jones]

No, I like it with the Lions with their case of going from number one in the whole conference to last in their division. Those are two completely wild swings, but normally it's pretty fair and how it shakes out across the league.

[Drew Franklin]

And they do it so that you get the matchups. You. That way they get, you know, Chiefs, Bills, every year or, you know, whatever the top team. I mean, that's why they're doing it.

[Matt Jones]

It's. You can't make a perfect competitive balance, but I think it does a pretty good job overall. There are a few unique situations like

[Drew Franklin]

the Lions, and it only really affects, by my understanding, four games a year. It affects. So you play. You play one division, you see player, everybody in your division twice. You play one division in your conference, all four teams. You play another division in the other conference, all four teams. So that means that 14 of your 17 games are the same as everyone else. Or, excuse me, 12 of your 17 games. Am I doing that math right? Yes, 12. No, 14. So there's only three games that are different. Right. So those three games are really the only thing that determines. So sometimes we act like it's a huge difference. It's three games.

[Matt Jones]

Yep. That's why in the NFC north, where last year they're all like a game apart. Packers had a weird tie that threw it off. Those three games can really matter where you have three really good teams, like I think this division does. I think the Lions take advantage of it. I believe they only play six, maybe seven. But those three games, to be fair

[Drew Franklin]

about those three games, like the Bears this year will play three teams that won their division last year.

[Matt Jones]

Yes.

[Drew Franklin]

And the Lions will play three teams that came in last in their division last year. So that, that, that is. It can be, depending on the divisions, a big deal.

[Matt Jones]

That's why I give them the slight edge. I think those three teams are pretty comparable and how they fit in the pecking order. But getting, you know, three shots against teams that finished last, I think sets them apart.

[Drew Franklin]

All right, let's. Who you got, second, Bears or Packers?

[Matt Jones]

Eileen? Bears.

[Drew Franklin]

Okay, so you got the packers coming in third.

[Matt Jones]

Well, you know, the packers looked like a Super bowl contender last year and it falls apart at the end. Part of that was injuries. I think what's going to hurt him is earlier in the year, Micah Parsons still going to be available. I think maybe they, they, they lose their division early in the season, maybe take some losses. They shouldn't. Josh Jacobs, I don't know his situation, but he's got some off the field stuff going on. I don't know if he'll start the year. So I think with them not having their full roster early on, that's why I put them at third. But I could easily see them if they can, you know, play well without Parsons early and Love takes a step forward, I could see them back in the super bowl conversation, but I'm going to lean on them. Being hurt, you mentioned.

[Drew Franklin]

Yeah, you mentioned them being hurt early in the season. So then the question is, who do. How do they start the season? They actually have a relatively good schedule considering they could be out. People at the Vikings at the Jets, Falcons at home, at the Bucks, Bears at home, Cowboys at home. So that's not a terrible start. If you're going to. Let's say Michael Parsons doesn't come back till November. I mean, their tough games are on the back half of the schedule. They play the Rams, the Bills, the Bears again, the Texans, Lions, like they play all those in the back half. So I do think if they were going to not have a guy, the way it worked out probably was good for them.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, no, it lines up but if you were to slip up in one of those games, you wouldn't lose otherwise. If you're at full strength, that could be the whole difference maker how you finish here. So again I think all three are very close. I'll slide them at third just for that reason.

[Drew Franklin]

I don't want to skip over my Bears. Caleb Williams took a massive step up. I think what's interesting about Caleb Williams is he's a perfect example of a guy who I think is now going to be a top 10 consort quarterback for the next decade. But I do think Ben Johnson deserves a lot of credit about that with that. I mean there, there are certain guys like Patrick Mahomes, you know, Peyton Manning that you probably could have put with anyone and they would have had a great career. But then there are guys that I think had their career not gone with the coach they got might have been different. So I wonder if Tom Brady is Tom Brady. If he doesn't get Belichick right at the beginning. I don't, I don't know for sure. I think the same thing's true with Caleb Williams. I'm not sure if he kept with the Matt Eber flu says of the world what his career would have been. But you give him Ben Johnson, clearly he feels comfortable with him and I think he's only going to continue to get better.

[Matt Jones]

And that offense is loaded. No. Well, I guess Luther Burden got hurt today. I don't know how much he'll be out.

[Drew Franklin]

Yeah, we don't know how long that is.

[Matt Jones]

But if their defense can step up, Bears could be very good. One thing question about them just going

[Drew Franklin]

to miss the preseason play Week one.

[Matt Jones]

Okay, then that should hurt them too bad. But they're all they need to start games better. It was fun watching their miraculous comebacks. But that's not a winning formula of let's start the fourth quarter down every week and come back. It worked a year ago, but this year they'll need to be more starting games better off offensively and not having to rely on that because the percentage wise you can't just continue to come back and win like they did a year ago, even though it was impressive.

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[J.J. Zacharyssen]

You know the feeling. You make a pick in your fantasy draft and the entire room groans because they wanted that player. Or you grab a small school rookie off waivers and you start him right before he goes off in primetime. There's no better feeling than crushing your fantasy football league. I'm J.J. zacharyssen, host of the Late Round Fantasy Football podcast. Before your draft, our players to target and players to avoid episodes tell you exactly who to circle and who to cross off. We've got data driven analysis, historical trends and the strategies of that separate winners from the rest. And your dominance doesn't stop with the draft. All season long we have our 15 transactions, 10 trends sleepers and the mailbag data driven Quick hitting episodes to help bring home that league trophy. Listen to the Late Round Fantasy Football podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Drew Franklin]

More breaking news the Detroit Lions center Cade Mays will miss the first six games of the season. That's a big deal.

[Matt Jones]

It's a big time.

[Drew Franklin]

You lose your center keeping golf protected. Isaac Isaiah Pacheco will miss at least the first four games of the season or no, excuse me week. He will no try to be back for week one. We'll miss four games of preseason, so you know, we'll see.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, the burden news, if it's only preseason, won't hurt the offense too bad, but they just can't rely on those comebacks. It was an amazing year from I don't know how many times they finished last in the Vision, but they stunk before Ben Johnson got there and they

[Drew Franklin]

and they had a lot of comebacks. You know, they had a lot of games at the end. You do worry about that sometimes they

[Matt Jones]

had more points in the fourth quarter than the first three quarters combined.

[Drew Franklin]

You saw the Chiefs have that two years ago and then it came back and sort of bit them this year. So you. And you do wonder. I'm going to go ahead and say, though, I think second is the right spot for him. I was actually going to have the packers first in the division, but I, I think the Bears make the playoffs and will stabilize. I think their super bowl year is next season. I think this is one more year where they're kind of continuing to improve and stabilize. And I think you try to make a jump next year, which will be the last year you get Caleb on his rookie deal so you can go maybe get a star. Wide receiver D.J. moore is gone and I think the Bears fans generally are happy. Packers no better third place team in the league. Jordan Love. He's another one. The nerds in, in. In football say Jordan Love is like the fifth best quarterback. Doesn't always feel like that. But then you look at the numbers. He's got crazy good numbers. Do you think Jordan Love is top five? 10.

[Matt Jones]

I put him in 10. When we did our quarterback draft, he was right on the verge of that.

[Drew Franklin]

Numbers suggest he should be better than nine or ten. I mean, his numbers are right there with like Joe Burrow, Justin.

[Matt Jones]

Okay, one thing he'll have to be better at because overall. Yeah, just you just look at stats. He has great stats, but sometimes when the lights have come on, they've needed to go make a play. He's either turned it off, turned it

[Drew Franklin]

over, but he's played well in the playoffs.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, for the most part. I like, I like Love a lot. That's why this division was so hard to pick. I think if he has a complete year and they don't dodge an early season win or loss like I think they might end up taking, that could be a Super bowl team.

[Drew Franklin]

He does have those moments that he has that moment. He's probably had four of them in his career where he does something really dumb in a big situation and I think it just sticks in your mind.

[Matt Jones]

It's trying to do too much.

[Drew Franklin]

Like James Harden, you know, game seven, misses ten threes and you forget that he's averaged 40 points a game to get there. But then in that game and then you end up going well, James Harden can't make plays when it matters. I kind of think there's a little bit of that with, with Jordan Love,

[Matt Jones]

but he could just clean that up. I mean, I think he's already good enough and clearly the franchise quarterback.

[Drew Franklin]

Let's go. The Minnesota Vikings in last. It's looking like Kyler Murray is going to win that job. I think people thought it would go all through training camp and now it seems like if you read the reports, it seems like Murray is almost one at JJ McCarthy probably just needs to start selling insurance at Ann Arbor. Right? Like that's. Yeah, that's his future.

[Matt Jones]

I think Vikings have a lot of good players. I think they're in for a bad season just because quarterback play nine as Billy calls him McCarthy. He's kind of becoming a. And we hadn't even started the preseason yet with that team and maybe you believe in a collar resurgence. He's on like a one year league minimum deal. I don't know how motivated he is,

[Drew Franklin]

but I should be motivated if he ever wants to make any more money.

[Matt Jones]

I think you're wasting a good roster with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. I just don't think they have the guys to get him the ball. I don't trust either one of those quarterbacks.

[Drew Franklin]

If I could place money on quarterbacks this year that have zero chance of being. Being good, Kyler Murray and TUA would be in a race. Like there's a world where J.J. mcCarthy,

[Matt Jones]

who knows, fingers it out.

[Drew Franklin]

Still young maybe same with like Michael Penck Jr. I do not think Shador would be. Will be good. But you never know. I mean he's a second year guy, you know, you could even if you wanted to like throw morality out the door, make a case for Deshaun Watson. I just don't think there's any case for KYLER MURRAY or to. I just. Kyler Murray. Kyler Murray's existence is to in the fourth quarter run round and it's fourth and 20 and he makes a throw and overthrows him by two yards. And then the game ends. And you know, that's what his. That's what, that's what his destiny is.

[Matt Jones]

And now he's coming off an injury. He had a foot injury, leg injury last year.

[Drew Franklin]

He's already like the physically most, least imposed, least imposing quarterback and now he's injured.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah. So I don't have much faith in them. They won nine games a year ago.

[Drew Franklin]

I think people don't realize they had a winning record.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, I'd take. I'll go under on. I think their team total this year is eight and a half. I'll go under.

[Drew Franklin]

Yeah. So I mean, is this Kevin o'?

[Matt Jones]

Connell? I mean he's been good and got on the playoff. I don't think he has any playoff wins. So he's putting his. I don't think he'd get fired, but his job's going to get a little hot and he's riding with KYLER Murray or McCarthy this year if they don't win.

[Drew Franklin]

Well, this is, this is a very. It's the hardest division by far. And if you go look at the strength of schedules, the AFC and NFC teams that got paired with this division all are ranked at the top hardest schedules because they're on it. All right, let's go to the NFC West. If it's not the north, it's the hardest. It's the west, where you have three teams that on paper go into the year thinking they're super bowl contenders. One of them has had a miserable last couple of weeks, which we'll get to, but Rams, Seahawks, 49ers, Cardinals. Who would you pick for the preseason favorite in that division?

[Matt Jones]

I've been looking for any reason to go against the Rams because they're such an overwhelming favorite just to win the whole thing. And I can't bet against them. I just think the Rams are going to get it to the Super Bowl. They might not pull it off and win it, but they are so stacked. They're returning basically their whole team while adding Miles Garrett.

[Drew Franklin]

Pretty good. And Aaron Donald.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, and Aaron Donald. I just. That offense, we know how good it is with Devonte Adams and Puka catching passes from Matthew Stafford. I just think we're in for a year where they're going to win a ton of games.

[Drew Franklin]

I feel like this will be Matthew Stafford's last year. I mean, it's not like he's told me, we don't, we don't talk a lot, but it just feels like that would make sense, you know, if he could win a Super bowl here. His stature on the list of all time quarterbacks rises insanely high. I mean, because I think when you sit and think about, okay, who are the greatest quarterbacks of all time, you know, some people will say, why A Tittle? I can't throw him in there because I just. Have you ever seen.

[Matt Jones]

You're a Wiley Tittle hater, But have

[Drew Franklin]

you ever seen the picture of Wiley Tittle? I mean, he's like bald with a horseshoe and he's 30 and looks 59. And I've never seen a picture of him where he was not laying on the ground crying.

[Matt Jones]

They didn't have as many cameras back then to catch his finer moments.

[Drew Franklin]

Yeah, it was like the Civil War. They'd have one bulb and it would explode and then they'd be done. But then you go to like, okay, well it's Johnny United, Marino, Montana, Brady, Manning, Mahomes. Is there anyone else that deserves to be on that list? I mean, you had like, do I have to throw them in? I mean like five, four or five straight years of being bad at the end though does matter, doesn't it?

[Matt Jones]

Oh, yeah. As Russell Wilson, about how the end of your career matters.

[Drew Franklin]

He may play his way out of the hall of Fame. Russell Wilson. All right, I mean, I'll. Okay, fine. I'll throw in Aaron Rodgers then. I mean like Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman and Terry Bradshaw, they were kind of products of their team to some extent. My point is no one would put Matthew Stafford in that group. But if they were to win the super bowl, like you got to at least he's got to at least be in the group with Aaron Rodgers and Troy Aikman and whoever else, Right.

[Matt Jones]

I think he'd be up there. I mean, he's already got an mvp. He's already got one Super Bowl.

[Drew Franklin]

Allen.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, he's had several years where he's been the league leader. You know, he's been the offensive player of the year. His trophy case is about as good as anyone.

[Drew Franklin]

That's another one that would be in

[Matt Jones]

that group if he were to add another Super Bowl. Especially just. It's a guy who's done it his whole career. I mean, the Lions didn't have a lot of team success, but he was good with the Lions. And now he's 38, 39. If he's still getting rings at that age, I think you have to put him in there.

[Drew Franklin]

And he's still playing a style that guys don't play anymore. I mean the drop back passer. I don't know. I mean, I guess Arch Manning could, could, could end up being. But even he is more mobile than Stafford. I mean, you kind of wonder is, is Matthew Stafford the last of the sort of drop back your, your traditional Montana Brady, sort of that, that type of quarterback? He might be the last one, right?

[Matt Jones]

Yeah. Now you almost have to be a little bit of dual threat to be any good.

[Drew Franklin]

Nobody comes out now that can't move a little.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, you have to make plays with your feet. And he's still dropped back also. Not that this matters for putting him in the legendary conversation, but just the way it throws like he did. He did a no look pass in the Super Bowl. Like he's just, he's just kind of got that playmaking ability with his arm that you don't see from any guys.

[Drew Franklin]

You and I watch the super bowl in such a weird way because the NFL sends us to the super bowl and then we fly home during the Super Bowl.

[Matt Jones]

We watched in the Atlanta airport last

[Drew Franklin]

night in the Atlanta airport with a woman who I still found fascinating because she cheered both teams. She just cheered good plays. She's like, if my mom was watching the game, she's like, everyone just keep going.

[Matt Jones]

I think it might have something to do with the drinks at the airport bar.

[Drew Franklin]

She's like, just everyone. We love it. Yeah. So.

[Matt Jones]

So they're the favorites LA this year. We could be sticking around.

[Drew Franklin]

Well, I mean, that could be. They still, the super bowl will be in LA and they still won't have home field advantage because they don't have any. Like, there are no fans in la. Miles Garrett and Aaron Donald. Do you. I mean, when we hear those names, those are two hall of Famers. Are they going to be playing like hall of Famers?

[Matt Jones]

I think so. Miles especially because he didn't take any time off. But I think Aaron Donald is just such a freak of nature. Those two were like the biggest defensive freaks the leagues had in several years. Them teaming up, that's. I wanted to not just be like, yeah, the Rams are going to win again, because that's no fun. I tried to think of ways to bet against them, but they're just too stacked.

[Drew Franklin]

All right, so then second, I assume you're going to take the Seahawks, right?

[Matt Jones]

I think so. I think they're going to come down a little bit, though. They won like 14.

[Drew Franklin]

They essentially have their same team, too. I mean, they, you know, Kenneth Walker, that's it. That's the only one.

[Matt Jones]

Rookie running back is a big change. I just think they getting the Rams twice and I think games, it's like they won by like a total of three points in those two games. I think the Rams end up getting them in those. They'll just take a slight dip down. They won't win 14 games in the super bowl again.

[Drew Franklin]

Are they going to be the most, like, disrespected super bowl winner of all time? When we're, you know, in 25 years when our children are hosting this show, why do I have to say why they could be legitimate. Why didn't I just. I don't know why I said that. Did I take my name? Like, why is that the future of say, I was going to have illegitimate children and it's also their Nepo. Illegitimate children because they're getting a job. But people are trying to name super bowl winners. They're going to be like the year that the Raiders played the Bucks in the super bowl and no one remembers it happening. Brad Johnson versus Rich Gannon. And don't you think in some ways that Seahawks, Patriots, super bowl is going to be like that? Like, we're just going to forget it occurred.

[Matt Jones]

There's a good chance that game stunk. Even if you love those teams, that was not a fun game. So kind of a new nameless coach at the time. Not nameless now, but he was new head coach. I think if they just fizzle out and aren't good the next couple of years, it'll definitely be like that. They'll be like, Sam Darnold was in the Super Bowl.

[Drew Franklin]

Yeah, but they were really good for two years. Like, really good. But again, like, Rich Gannon was really good for two years. He had like two insanely good years.

[Matt Jones]

That's why I think if they're in the mix this year and next, you'll remember a little better. But if they just fall off and are in the conversation again, that will definitely be a Super bowl.

[Drew Franklin]

We forget about 49ers. I assume you're going to have third.

[Matt Jones]

They just.

[Drew Franklin]

I mean, they just keep losing. They lose guys every day.

[Matt Jones]

Their coach wrecked. I mean, it's.

[Drew Franklin]

Yeah, they're even affected their coach driving adversity.

[Matt Jones]

They've had to go through the last couple years. I mean, we had him on the show at the Super Bowl. Kendricks comes in and makes the play to upset the Eagles in the wild card, but they just pulled him off the street. Remember, he thought he was done playing football. It's amazing they've been able to keep winning. I think they won 12 games last year, but no team has had the adversity that they've had.

[Drew Franklin]

None. And yet they just keep losing people. They lost Pascal. Pascal. Sorry.

[Matt Jones]

Well, even just like Brandon Oak, you know, a little.

[Drew Franklin]

Yeah. What happened to him? And then McCaffrey. When's the last time McCaffrey was not hurt in a season? I mean, when he plays, he plays amazing.

[Matt Jones]

He always missed some games and then something. They're getting pretty old. McCaffrey, Kittle, they're all old. You ain't got Mike Evans, really. We've. They've had big names we've known for a long time, but they're all over the age of 30 and kind of in need to win now mode.

[Drew Franklin]

Then the Cardinals, Jacoby Brissette went does. Is he going to get passed by Carson Beckett? I mean, Carson Beck Had a great hall of Fame game, I think.

[Matt Jones]

So we got a new coach there. They're going to suck. Why not just give it to the rookie?

[Drew Franklin]

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, there's no positive in continuing to play Jacoby Brissette.

[Matt Jones]

No, they paid him. Like, he's going to be a starter, so good for him. But.

[Drew Franklin]

And they picked the running back, Jeremiah Love. They picked him third. But then didn't the coach say that. Who was it? A.J. dillon or whatever? Like, was going to be the starter? Why are you picking that guy third and then having, you know, Tim Dillon as the. As the starting running back?

[Matt Jones]

Like, no one has you going to the playoffs. Yeah, just play back in Love. Maybe you got something there.

[Drew Franklin]

There's no reason not to play the young guys. I wouldn't. Unless you don't want to get them hurt.

[Matt Jones]

And the Seahawks, in this division, drafted Notre Dame's other running back. So Love's kind of got this competition. You were my backup in South Bend. I can't be, you know, falling behind in Arizona while you're starting for the Seahawks.

[Drew Franklin]

The reality is, is. And you know, most people that host an NFL podcast wouldn't have missed. I haven't watched the Cardinals game in a decade.

[Matt Jones]

I haven't.

[Drew Franklin]

I watched the hall of Fame game his first time. I was like, so Larry Fitzgerald is in the go. He's not. He doesn't play for him anymore.

[Matt Jones]

Say, it's been five days since I watched the Cardinals game. What are you talking about?

[Drew Franklin]

I'm just saying, like, I can't get into. They're always the extra game on Fox.

[Matt Jones]

They've got some key. Some. Some weapons on offense if they. If Beck wanted to pan out. I know Trey McBride's one of the better tight ends in the NFL, but

[Drew Franklin]

I mean, I'm doing a topic later today on my espn. Joe, what would be the saddest fan base to root for? I mean, they're in the conversation.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah. Well, Trey McBride said earlier this summer that we don't have fans. It's like.

[Drew Franklin]

And that. And he said it in like a. I just want to have one person know who I am.

[Matt Jones]

They drafted Love just so they could feel some love in that locker room because they don't get it from.

[Drew Franklin]

Every game you play is a road game, just not. It's not a fun existence for those guys. All right, well, that's your NFC west and North preview. And remember, coverzeroleaguemail.com is fantasy.

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[J.J. Zacharyssen]

You know the feeling. You make a pick in your fantasy draft in the entire room groans because they wanted that player. Or you grab a small school rookie off waivers and you start him right before he goes off in prime time. There's no better feeling than crushing your fantasy football league. I'm J.J. zacharyssen, host of the Late Round Fantasy Football podcast. Before your draft, our players to target and players to avoid episodes tell you exactly who to circle and who to cross off. We've got data driven analysis, historical trends and the strategies that separate winners from the rest. And your dominance doesn't stop with the draft. All season long we have our 15 transactions, 10 trends, sleepers and the mailbag data driven quick hitting episodes to help bring home that league trophy. Listen to the Late Round Fantasy football podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Drew Franklin]

So Drew, now let's do let's do some news.

[Matt Jones]

All right. I have a random just list of topics. Some newsies, others just things that popped up since we last spoke. I'll start since you just brought it up. The hall of Fame game was last Thursday where got see a little Cardinals Panthers. Carson Beck looked really good. If I was Jacoby Brissette, I'd be nervous about my job in the Carson Beck Haynes King. Haynes King. Put Bryce Young on the hot seat too while we're at it.

[Drew Franklin]

I love Haynes King. I love ACC Network. Roddy Jones calling Georgia Tech versus Boston College right before they lead into Virginia Cal and then you get a little

[Matt Jones]

Haynes King put his body on the line, he scores the game touchdown, his time expires and now he's hurt. Hurt his hammy on that play.

[Drew Franklin]

Oh, I didn't know.

[Matt Jones]

He got game winning td, no time on the clock.

[Drew Franklin]

Is he out?

[Matt Jones]

He's not going to miss too much, but he did hurt his hammy.

[Drew Franklin]

But what a glorious way to go out.

[Matt Jones]

Through two touchdowns, ran for one, winning

[Drew Franklin]

the hall of Fame game.

[Matt Jones]

Could Haynes King versus Carson Beck, as good as they both looked, be the future of the NFL?

[Drew Franklin]

Unlikely. Bryce Young, where do you what do you have him? He didn't play?

[Matt Jones]

No, he did not play because he's too good.

[Drew Franklin]

Collinsworth. I like to listen to Collins Worth talk about quarterbacks because he'll never say anything bad but you can tell when he's not a huge fan. And he was kind of like that with Bryce Young. He was like, you know, that's a God though. He'll give it his all,

[Matt Jones]

lay it

[Drew Franklin]

all on the line. Well, it's good.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, we picked that division last week. I believe in him to win the division, but I do not believe in him beyond that. Well, they're going to have to make a decision at the end of this year. His contract's up. Is Bryce Young still your future? I think he'll have a good year, but I still think they need to revisit the future of the quarterbacks.

[Drew Franklin]

It's exciting to see that Kenny Pickett and his will be hands are still playing.

[Matt Jones]

That was good in a slovis side. Yeah, he finished the game.

[Drew Franklin]

How about Xavier Legrette? Leggett, who based on his voice is a star but based on his production, apparently they're thinking about cutting him. Second round pick just like a year or two ago, wasn't he?

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, he was a fan favorite out of that draft, mostly for his voice. But he had a good college career. They haven't got as much out of him really.

[Drew Franklin]

He's thinking about you may.

[Matt Jones]

He may get cut change when he looks at Haynes King, he might turn it on. Yeah. We'll leave it in Canton for the hall of Fame. Speeches heard from Drew Brees, Lou Keakley, Larry Fitzgerald, Adam Venateri and Roger Craig.

[Drew Franklin]

I was shocked. Roger Craig wasn't in yet, but then I looked at his numbers. Now I'm shocked he got in this

[Matt Jones]

28th year of eligibility.

[Drew Franklin]

Well, I can see why, like his numbers are like four touchdowns. I mean he was on a great team and because he was on a great team, he made it like there's like, 10 Steelers from that run in the 70s. But I would have thought, just as a kid, I knew who Roger Craig was, and then. But he really is an example of. The name is a lot bigger than the talent or that. Well, not the talent, but the stats.

[Matt Jones]

They announced him as the senior inductee. They have, like, a special spot just

[Drew Franklin]

for 20 years or 25 years. You can get in, and then old people can go, well, he was like an old boy.

[Matt Jones]

You get one.

[Drew Franklin]

They have that. And that doesn't make me, like. It's shocking to me. Roger Craig's been 28 years since he was eligible. It's been 33 years since he played.

[J.J. Zacharyssen]

Yeah.

[Matt Jones]

For me, the big takeaway was Adam Vinatieri was turning it into a roast.

[Drew Franklin]

So what'd you think of that? Some people didn't like it. Some people thought it was funny. I mean, but he was definitely roasting. People made a joke about. Bill Belichick was at his girlfriend's soccer game, cheerleading competition, and he thanked Peyton

[Matt Jones]

Manning's forehead for being the teleprompter.

[Drew Franklin]

You like. I mean, you're a comedy guy. Do you like getting up there and kind of being like, bada bing, bada boom? Yeah.

[Matt Jones]

It's his moment. If he wants to do the emotion, cry and thank your teammates, all power to you. But if you're a fun guy that wants to cut up a little bit with your teammates in that spot, I think you can go either direction. I didn't have a problem.

[Drew Franklin]

Some people were really offended. It was like, that year I hosted Fancy Farm, the political event here in Kentucky, and people were like, how dare you make fun of Mitch McConnell. Since when was that hall of Fame, like, so sacred that. I also think because he's a kicker, people are like, you should just be happy that you're here.

[Matt Jones]

Well, he was making fun of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, too. It's like, okay, they can handle a couple jokes here.

[Drew Franklin]

And, um. Well, okay, so. And then you had Drew Brees. Did you see? He hired a. He had a party that night to celebrate, and he hired Trombone Shorty to create a New Orleans dance line to walk him in.

[Matt Jones]

I like that.

[Drew Franklin]

Which was very cool, except Drew Brees is, like, the whitest guy on earth, and he walks in there, and he's like, here we go.

[Matt Jones]

But Drew Brees can go to the cookout forever in New Orleans. That's a Saints legend.

[Drew Franklin]

I forgot that he played for the Chargers.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah.

[Drew Franklin]

Like, you just think of him only with the Saints, but played for the

[Matt Jones]

Chargers for like three years. Yep.

[Drew Franklin]

It was almost out of the league when. When the Saints brought him.

[Matt Jones]

Poor Chargers. Just. Just hang on to it.

[Drew Franklin]

It's another sad one. They're never very happy.

[Matt Jones]

Breeze's mom was cool. His son. It's a famous photo where he kissed him when they went to Super Bowl. Saw him interviewed. Overall, it was just. I watched a lot of the speeches. Even one thing that's on my topic, just having the feel of an NFL game on again. I watched the pregame show. It was good to. Even if it wasn't was cartoon.

[Drew Franklin]

What did you think?

[Matt Jones]

That was my next on my list of Tomlinson.

[Drew Franklin]

I don't want to steal it. Go ahead.

[Matt Jones]

No, I'll just go right into it. I've made sure to watch Tomlin on football night in America. The pregame. Going into it. That's a guy I never thought has personality. I don't think he.

[Drew Franklin]

Did he have personality? I didn't see.

[Matt Jones]

He did more than I thought. I think he's going to be fine. They even asked him if he misses, you know, coaching. He kind of wasn't very shy about it. He's like, no.

[Drew Franklin]

Does he have a choice?

[Matt Jones]

I don't remember.

[Drew Franklin]

I feel like he always looks like he has a chalk.

[Matt Jones]

He could have. He could have been discreet about it. But he said something like, I don't miss the dorm room and whatever college they go to every year for camp. You know, some coaches, they're basically. You can feel the regret when they quit coaching. It feels like Tomlin's ready to be a TV guy.

[Drew Franklin]

Like all these guys come back.

[Matt Jones]

He said he hadn't really thought about it yet.

[Drew Franklin]

Well, I mean, it's not.

[Matt Jones]

No. He hadn't thought about how he's missed the game yet. He's like, he's really enjoying tv. He's like. It hadn't crossed my mind that I missed it.

[Drew Franklin]

I'd be like, well, it's your first game. See what you think when they tell you to go to New England in November when they play the Jets.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah. But I think he'll be pretty good. It was good to watch him.

[Drew Franklin]

They got rid of what, Tony Duny?

[Matt Jones]

Yes. Trying to think, if I saw him,

[Drew Franklin]

I don't even know who's on it. They used to have one of the

[Matt Jones]

Sims kids, pretty much Tony Dungey. Maria Taylor was the host.

[Drew Franklin]

They were like, Rodney Harrison.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah. They've rotated those guys around.

[Drew Franklin]

Did they have the other, like, Nico Collinsworth? What's Jacko.

[Matt Jones]

What's Chris Collinsworth's kid's name Jack, but I think he spells it funny.

[Drew Franklin]

Yeah, Jacko. Well, it's nice to have Mike Tomlin.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, I thought he did good. He didn't just sit there with sunglasses on, staring like he was mad at the defense. Showed some good personality I didn't know he had.

[Drew Franklin]

He was next.

[Matt Jones]

How about a little fight in preseason training camp? Camps are going on now. I brought that because there's fights everywhere. It's not news when there's a fight, but this one was Max Crosby versus Kirk Cousins.

[Drew Franklin]

Those are big names and Kirk people.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, and kind of opposite ends of the spectrum, personality wise. Kirk Cousins shopping at Kohl's.

[Drew Franklin]

Crosby, I didn't see it, but I would have to assume Max Crosby got. I would hope he got the better of it.

[Matt Jones]

Well, the story is Max had hit Kirk a few too many times. You know, hey, don't hit me. It's year 20 for me. Got my red jersey on and Cousins kind of went at him like, tired of you hitting me.

[Drew Franklin]

Yeah, but he doesn't want that. He doesn't want that lie.

[Matt Jones]

He wasn't labeled a loser. In fact, they both lost. They were suspended the following day's practice.

[Drew Franklin]

So, Mendoza, you got to know who you are. Like, I don't see a scenario where I'm going to get in a fist fight with anyone on ESPN Radio, but if I do, I ain't challenging Chris Canty. But, you know, he was a defensive lineman. I'm going to be like, hey, Rich Eisen, you want a piece? I'm not going to Chris Canty. I'm just, I feel like Kirk Cousins, you want to fight somebody on the Raiders, don't choose Max Crosby.

[Matt Jones]

But doesn't this give him a little street cred that he did go at Crosby? It's kind of been maybe team maybe because Kirk Cousins seems like the last quarterback in the entire NFL that I think would fight.

[Drew Franklin]

It's weird because when I think of the Raiders, I think of like hard nosed run up against the law, hard Scrabble figures. And their two quarterbacks are Kirk Cousins and Fernando Mendoza.

[Matt Jones]

So maybe the Raiders culture is wearing off on Cousin.

[Drew Franklin]

Much more likely to have a Bible study than even, you know, than even play smack hands with each other.

[Matt Jones]

That Vegas air is getting to him. Cousins.

[Drew Franklin]

Oh, you think later in the year we're going to see him at the Bellagio?

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, I mean, we got Kirk Cousins fighting something. I didn't think it was imaginable.

[Drew Franklin]

Yeah, I didn't either.

[Matt Jones]

I thought it was just more like

[Drew Franklin]

did they make up? Did they both say we're good? Good.

[Matt Jones]

They did make up, but they had to sit out. Sitting out. Two of your star players, they got suspended.

[Drew Franklin]

Oh, they set them both out.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah.

[Drew Franklin]

Well, that's a coach trying to establish a culture, right?

[Matt Jones]

You sit down and calm down. This is not how we do it.

[Drew Franklin]

Yeah, I. I have to do that a lot, too, with people.

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[J.J. Zacharyssen]

You know the feeling. You make a pick in your fantasy draft and the entire room groans because they wanted that player. Or you grab a small school rookie off waivers and you start him right before he goes off in prime time. There's no better feeling than crushing your fantasy football league. I'm J.J. zachary. Since host of the late round fantasy football podcast. Before your draft, our players to target and players to avoid episodes tell you exactly who to circle and who to cross off. We've got data driven analysis, historical trends, and the strategies that separate winners from the rest. And your dominance doesn't stop with the draft. All season long we have our 15 transactions, 10 trends sleepers, and the mailbag data driven quick hitting episodes to help bring home that league trophy. Listen to the late round fantasy football podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Drew Franklin]

Okay, what's next?

[Matt Jones]

This one isn't so much as a news topic, but I wrote it down since we just talked about him. But our guy Will Levis can't quit Being a mean. Oh, man, it happened again. It's just a little fan day out there. Wearing the new Titans jersey, and he was backpedaling and tripped over his own feet. And the Internet. Internet was mean to him again, it seems like, kind of like for the deep cuts that follow the NBA, Brandon Knight just became a meme. I feel like Will Levis, he deserves better. I still believe in him, but he just keeps memeing himself.

[Drew Franklin]

You know, you and I have been invited over the years to various DraftKings parties, right? So we went to the one at the Super Bowl. You and I went to a barstool one. I went to one at the derby. And I. And I always see Will, like, he's. I literally think he's been at every one of those.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah.

[Drew Franklin]

And you know Will. I liked Will when he was here, and I know Will, but I know him on that level that it's like you're excited to see him. Him, and then you don't have one other thing to say to each other. So I, you know, I look at him and I'm like. He's like. And then I go, yeah. How's everything going?

[Matt Jones]

How's that show? What country music you listen to these days?

[Drew Franklin]

Are you, like, playing good? Like. Like I become the guy that comes up to someone. Hey, you remember when you were in the Beatles? Like, I don't have. Except the problem is, what am I supposed to say? Like, you falling down still?

[Matt Jones]

Yeah. Then you're both just like, nodding your head, looking around the room.

[Drew Franklin]

Well, man, it's good to see you

[Matt Jones]

take a fake sip of your drink.

[Drew Franklin]

And I need. So I need him to do something besides fall down so that when I see him at the next party, whatever it is, I'll be able to have some sort of a conversation with him beyond. Because I've run out of things to say.

[Matt Jones]

Well, he keeps going viral for the wrong reasons.

[Drew Franklin]

Yeah. You talk to him longer than I do. What do you all talk about?

[Matt Jones]

About staying on our feet. No, he did at the super bowl party. He wasn't sure his future at that time because there talks Titans might move him. He's really.

[Drew Franklin]

He thought he might get traded.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, he's really looking for an opportunity to prove himself again. Then he gets stuck behind Cam Warden.

[Drew Franklin]

Nashville, you know the Titans better than any of us. Is there any chance he plays? Only if Cam gets hurt.

[Matt Jones]

Only if Cam.

[Drew Franklin]

Is he going to be even the backup?

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, he should be the backup.

[Drew Franklin]

Okay.

[Matt Jones]

But I. They really like Cam. So we take an injury now, if Will wants to go to Minnesota with KYLER Murray and McCarthy or, you know, one of these other places. Maybe he get another chance. But I don't think it'll be.

[Drew Franklin]

If I were him would try to book my way to Atlanta because there is no way to. Michael Pinnock's are not both getting there without question by week three.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, there's also talk people are already saying, could. Could your boy Aaron Rodgers go to one of those teams if the Steelers year and going well into the season. One of those teams trade for Aaron

[Drew Franklin]

Rodgers for go get a stupid Covid podcast. Bore everyone to tears.

[Matt Jones]

You couldn't see the Vikings trying to make a move for Aaron Rodgers late in the season.

[Drew Franklin]

Yeah, again, I, he, he. I saw him again yesterday. He was talking about COVID It's like, dude, he's focused. Who. Why are you still talking about this? I mean, it's like when me. It's like me talking about the bola trade. You remember the Spanish flu? I was right about it. What's next?

[Matt Jones]

How about the seating in the Bill's new High Mark stadium?

[Drew Franklin]

I saw that everybody was excited for

[Matt Jones]

the opening of the stadium. They got the entrance with the folding table.

[Drew Franklin]

That was cool.

[Matt Jones]

They left it open after they talked about having a dome so Bills fans can still feel the elements. And this happens occasionally where stadium seat has a bad view. But it seems like they have several bad views in that stadium. And it's brand new and people have been sharing their photos.

[Drew Franklin]

There was one seat in particular where the bar was like halfway over. The guy feels like they could have just taken that one out.

[Matt Jones]

That and a lot of like landing areas where people will be standing. They're just like the top of some steps. It's like right in front of people. So you almost. They're gonna have to tell people they can't walk down the aisle during the game. Like in baseball, if a pitcher's pitching, you can't just walk through the front row. They almost have to do that if they care about some of these seats.

[Drew Franklin]

Yeah, you know, it's gonna be really nice. I'm glad make it a dome because I think the natural inclination would have been to do it. But then you missed some of the Buffalo.

[Matt Jones]

They started soon people, like, righted.

[Drew Franklin]

Well, they should have. I mean, it's. There's supposed to be a Buffalo.

[Matt Jones]

That's an advantage for you.

[Drew Franklin]

Why were people in there? I mean, there was no game right now.

[Matt Jones]

The preseason starts this week. They do equivalent like a fan day inner squad scrimmage. I think they Called that Red and Blue Day in Buffalo.

[Drew Franklin]

Well, it's kind of unfortunate because it should be very exciting to have your new stadium. And then people just go find the one seat and go, hey, this place is a disaster.

[Matt Jones]

Would you complain or just kind of take it for.

[Drew Franklin]

Well, I went to the SEC tournament once. This was before you started going with this. And it used to be that on the very first night, when all the bad teams are playing, almost no one would go. And in Nashville, there was a seat, which I think they've since taken out, but it was right behind a pole. Like, directly behind a pole. You couldn't even see the court. And it was Wednesday night, and there might have been 2,000 people in the arena. Like, it was like Mississippi State versus Georgia or something. Something. And we went to our regular seats to sit there, and I looked, and the man had his tickets directly behind the pole, and he was by himself and sitting there, and there were a million empty seats everywhere. He could have sat anywhere, but he stayed behind that pole. And it was like a half of the game, and he was in behind the pole. So finally I went up to him, and I was like, you know, man, I mean, I don't work here, but I assume if you scoot a few seats down to where you can see, they'll be fine. And he goes, I want to get used to my ticket. And he sat there the whole night just sitting behind a pole, which made me think maybe he liked the privacy.

[Matt Jones]

Maybe his team was losing.

[Drew Franklin]

He just liked the protection because he's also by himself. So I feel like whoever sits there at the Bills game now, it's almost a point of pride. You're behind the pole, and it's okay.

[Matt Jones]

He's like, man, George is playing South Carolina basketball. I actually don't want to watch it. I'm glad that the poll is here in front of me.

[Drew Franklin]

I'm trying to read. I don't want anybody to leave me. I want everybody to leave me alone. So. Oh, well. All right. Anything else?

[Matt Jones]

I didn't know if you want to make a game out of this or talk about the big ones, but we do have our first full slate of football coming up this week. So this is the preseason, including my Titans. Their only primetime game all year were the Thursday night game on.

[Drew Franklin]

I think what we need to do is, since it's preseason, we need to make our lock of the preseason.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, I mean, your Bears play the Browns. I know you're locked in for that one.

[Drew Franklin]

No, I have different locks.

[Matt Jones]

We got Cowboys versus The Super Bowl.

[Drew Franklin]

Let's do. I'll let you go first. Let's do our preseason lock of the week. I have the lines. Every game for the Most part is minus 1.5. Except a couple are different. But who you got? What's the one?

[Matt Jones]

You know, I'm just gonna go with it because I just said it. We have the Tennessee Titans traveling to Levi's Stadium.

[Drew Franklin]

49ers.

[Matt Jones]

Yep.

[Drew Franklin]

Tennessee. Tennessee, oddly, is a three point favorite.

[Matt Jones]

That's because we're so bad we have to play our actual team in the preseason to get them reps. But this is where Carnell Tate, this is where he lands on the NFL map. Top draft pick for the Titans, maybe even some Wandell Robinson. I think we're going to see that offense looking good. I will take my Titans as a road favorite against the team that is beat up and injured.

[Drew Franklin]

All right. I'm just going to go with the very first game I see on here. The Lions. Lions are seven point dogs at the Bengals. How you giving up seven in a preseason game especially?

[Matt Jones]

We saw Burrow flirting with his. He brought his girlfriend to practice this week.

[Drew Franklin]

So the Lions are going to be like, they're. They're going to be testing Josh Dobbs, right? And I think that's the seven because they're like, well, Josh Dobbs hasn't been playing.

[Matt Jones]

He's focused.

[Drew Franklin]

Oh, he's been playing. You just didn't know the lines. Cover the 7 in Cincinnati and I dance to the bank. Who lines plus seven.

[Matt Jones]

Who even plays? Cause Flacco is the backup. They can't use old man Flacco in the preseason. That's probably why.

[Drew Franklin]

That's what I'm saying. You go, what's wrong with you?

[Matt Jones]

I don't even know who's third.

[Drew Franklin]

Is it that one guy who's. Whose girlfriend always wears the suits?

[Matt Jones]

No, they got rid of him. That was Browning.

[Drew Franklin]

Well, they got rid of him.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah.

[Drew Franklin]

Well, then who else is there?

[Matt Jones]

I don't know, but surely won't be flack over Burrow.

[Drew Franklin]

So do you like my line? So let's do a parlay. A week one parlay line. Lions, Titans, both dogs. Road dog preseason action on Thursday. So Titans and the Lions on the road to cover the spread.

[Matt Jones]

I love bet on NFL preseason.

[Drew Franklin]

It's really.

[Matt Jones]

It's so fun when it's fourth quarter and you don't know anyone that's out there on the field.

[Drew Franklin]

And it's also a sign that you have a problem.

[Matt Jones]

No, no, no. Sign that I love the NFL.

[Drew Franklin]

Yeah. And that you have a problem on

[Matt Jones]

the hall of Fame night.

[Drew Franklin]

You should not. There's no preseason. Anyone you remember, for people listening, they don't know this, but many years ago, Drew and I were asked as like a promotional thing to call a challenger level tennis tournament. So Lexington has a professional tennis tournament that was. It's basically like the G League of, of tennis. It's called the Challenger Tour. And every week there are like literally 12 tournaments around the world that are all challengers. There are thousands of players that play in the challengers, and there's usually always one in North America, either in Canada, Mexico or. So Lexington hosts one. And they asked Drew and I to call like a match. And you remember, we went and the play by play woman was, was serious.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, very serious. She was good at her job.

[Drew Franklin]

She was British. Right. And then they just said to her, these two, two yokels are going to sit here with you. And this is like 2011. Like, Drew was probably drunk when we did it. I mean, it was like you were a kid. And I was just getting started. And we were, we, we were talking and, you know, our assumption was no one is watching this. Like, who is watching this? Because it was like a Russian guy playing a Czech guy at three in the afternoon in Lexington, Kentucky. And online we could see the streams and they were like 2,000 people streaming this. And I was. And we, I, I said to the woman, I'm like, who is watching this? In our whole first segment, she's trying to go, you know, fault. She's trying to take it seriously. And we're just like, who are the, who are you people? And then finally during the break, you remember, she just goes, these are intense gamblers, some of which are likely involved in illegal gambling operations across the world. World. Be careful what you say.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah. Like, take it seriously. There's people that have $10,000 on the ones.

[Drew Franklin]

And later, the New York Times had a story about how like the most corrupt sport in the world for gambling is minor league tennis, because they basically pay players to lose.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah. They're not making enough to play.

[Drew Franklin]

Yeah. So some of these people make more money to go throw games at. And when you. And I had no idea we were going to be part of an international, like, crime ring.

[Matt Jones]

No, we were just trying to have some fun. She was so serious. I just kept shouting out the sponsors when I didn't know what else to say because there was a lot of sponsors. So I just thought I'd thank them any moment I could.

[Drew Franklin]

Just kept thinking, the sponsors.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah. Anytime they'd go to me and I didn't have anything else to say about the serve. I just wanted to thank whatever bank it was. That was fun. I want to do more random jobs like that. I don't know, like talking about the NFL.

[Drew Franklin]

I was watching. They had something on that ESPN Ocho Huffing Hour. Watching it. It was a 55 year old man, he was playing against a 13 year old boy in pop darts. Have you seen that?

[Matt Jones]

No.

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[Matt Jones]

I know what pop darts are.

[Drew Franklin]

These little suction cups.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah.

[Drew Franklin]

And so it was the world pop darts champion. And any sport that you get a 55 year old against a 13 year old is weird because everyone's rooting for the 13 year old. The 55 year old just looks like the most and they're wearing like bowling shirts. And there were two announcers and I was saying to hubby, how do you get that job? Like, because they look like professionals. And I thought, you know, that's probably my destiny is the ESPN will be like, all right, we got something for you. What? College football game of the week. Pop darts championship in Rock Hill, South Carolina. 55 year old versus the 13 year old.

[Matt Jones]

You know they always say to get the job you want, just get a foot in the door. Those are the people who are like literally anything. I will call anything for you.

[Drew Franklin]

People don't know that's how Joe Buckhead started.

[Matt Jones]

And Billy.

[Drew Franklin]

That's right. Well, thank you to Gus for sitting in here for Billy today for Cover Zero. Drew, well done with the news.

[Matt Jones]

Thank you.

[Drew Franklin]

Coverzeroleaguemail.com if you want to be part of the first ever Cover 0 fantasy football league, remember you have to be able to be here last in in Lexington, Kentucky the last weekend of August to be part of the league.

[Matt Jones]

It's going to be fun, Tom. Draft's going to be fun. Then we're gonna have a whole season of talking trash.

[Drew Franklin]

That's right.

[Matt Jones]

Might even come with like a wager for the loser, you know, that's always a fun.

[Drew Franklin]

Yeah, we definitely will do that. So we'll see you next week. TFL Cover 0. NFL Cover 0 with Matt Jones and Drew Franklin is a production of the NFL and iHeart Podcast. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.

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[J.J. Zacharyssen]

The entire draft room groans because you just took the guy they wanted. There's no better feeling than crushing your fantasy football league. I'm J.J. zachary, host of the award winning Late Round Podcast. Before your draft, our players determine target and players, to avoid episodes, tell you exactly who to circle and who to cross off. Listen to the Late Round Fantasy Football podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Matt Jones]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.