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- [00:00]
James Palmer
Avoiding your unfinished home projects because you're not sure where to start. Thumbtack knows home so you don't have.
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Zach Berman
To don't know the difference between matte.
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James Palmer
Paint, finish and satin or what that clunking sound from your dryer is.
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Zach Berman
With Thumbtack, you don't have to be a home pro.
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James Palmer
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Jake Seeley
Did you know adults 60 plus lose more than $60 billion each year to financial exploitation?
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James Palmer
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Jake Seeley
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James Palmer
Get peace of mind today@greenlight.com protect. That's greenlight.com protect hey, it's Marc Maron from WTF here to let you know that this podcast is brought to you by Progressive Insurance.
- [00:51]
Jake Seeley
And I'm sure the reason you're listening.
- [00:53]
James Palmer
To this podcast right now is because you chose it well. Choose Progressives.
- [00:57]
Jake Seeley
Name your price tool and you could.
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James Palmer
Find insurance options that fit your budget.
- [01:02]
Zach Berman
So you can pick the best one for your situation.
- [01:05]
James Palmer
Who doesn't like choice? Try it@progressive.com and now some legal info. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Price and coverage match limited by state law. Not available in all states. You're not back at school, right? I mean, not yet. Next week after Labor Day, man. That was the whole deal. We've been back for like two weeks.
- [01:27]
Zach Berman
Yeah. Difference between Philly and Denver, Right?
- [01:29]
James Palmer
Right. I mean, I was like, when I moved out here, I was like, what do you mean? Before Labor Day? What's going on here? It's a Thursday. Welcome into Scoop City. I'm James Palmer. Don't forget to like, don't forget to subscribe. Hit that smash button they always say, right? I think that's everybody my son listens to says that, so I'll say it as well. Another edition of Scoop City on a Thursday. We're going to get to Kyle Hamilton. We talked about the contract on Wednesday a little bit, but I get on my soapbox about why a player like him is so valuable to a defense and how players like him are changing the way defenses play. That'll be at the end of the show, so stick around. We'll also have Jake Seeley talking about some fantasy sleepers. Oh, my draft is on Sunday, so I'm going to need to use everything that he tells Us in my, in my, in my Snake draft on Sunday. But we're going to start things off with senior NFL writer Zach Berman covers the Eagles. Good friend spent a ton of time with Zach over the years. Zach, how you doing, man?
- [02:30]
Zach Berman
I'm doing great. Thanks for having me on my Scoop City debut.
- [02:33]
James Palmer
I know but well, you listen, I'm just a rookie here on, on Scoop City as well, so we're going to kind of get our feet wet together. I wanted to. We'll obviously get into the Eagles and the defending super bowl champs who I feel like are not getting talked about enough for winning the super bowl, which has been interesting. But I want to start off with the division because nobody's won it back to back years. You know that since 04 when Philly run it four straight times. What, what, what will the division shake out to be? Is Philly definitely the front runner or could you see somebody else winning the division?
- [03:06]
Zach Berman
I think that they're the clear front runner. When you look at the talent, they return the top heavy talent that they have. Obviously if there are injuries, especially you know, the offensive line, defensive line, the Eagles have such blue chip players that there's a drop off there. But as long as they stay healthy, I think that they break that streak and they win back to back division championships. I think Dallas is probably better than they're getting credit for. I can see Washington taking a bit of a step back and then the Giants are the clear number four team. But if the Eagles do stay healthy, I don't think there's a team that talent wise compares to them.
- [03:44]
James Palmer
Yeah, real quick, you mentioned Washington potentially taking a step back. I kind of agree. Is it because so much fell their way? I'm not just saying Hail Marys, but is it just hard to replicate the way things went there?
- [03:56]
Zach Berman
Yeah, I, I think, you know, when, when you're that team that emerges onto the scene. All right, now people are aware of Jaden Daniels. They're aware of how that offense and defense both function. I understand the personnel's, you know, has, has been upgraded, but it is an older team too. Right. So you want to see how, how some of those players is, is their regression. Are they on the wrong side of the age curve? And I think Dallas is a team that was, you know, 12 wins. 12 wins, 12 wins. Then their quarterback gets hurt. Right. So if Dak stays healthy, I think that's a team that might be beat. That that's, that's being slept on right now.
- [04:31]
James Palmer
I think so too. I mean they still won seven Games, I think it was last year. Right. And Dak since 2021 is 14 and two against the rest of the division. I mean, it's funny talking to people down in Dallas. They did tell me, you know, outside of the Micah thing, we've actually had a pretty decent camp, but nobody's really paid attention to us and what we've done. And I mentioned Micah. That's who you guys start against in. In Dallas and Philadelphia. You'll be there when the banner goes up at Lincoln Financial Field. Is there talk of Micah in that locker room? Just what's going on? Because other players have mentioned it to me, like, what do you think's happening? Or also, it's. It's scheme. Right. It's. It's what you're going to face on Thursday. Are they talking about it in that locker room in Philadelphia?
- [05:09]
Zach Berman
It's. It's not something that is a major talking point from them. But. But certainly now that they're a week out from the game, game planning's going on, it's something you have to factor in. And I think they're expecting Parsons to be out there. Right.
- [05:22]
James Palmer
Okay.
- [05:23]
Zach Berman
It's. It's. But obviously we'll. We'll see how this week materializes. It's a big storyline whenever the Eagles play the Cowboys, and they've had games in the past where they've literally left Parsons unblocked and kind of focused on. On everyone else. And then he. He was the read player for them. Right. So Jalen Hurts would read him and then dictate it from. From there. But you. You know that Lane Johnson's going to have a tough match up here. Right. And, and, you know, when he moves sides, he, you know, Jordan Mylotta is going to have a tough matchup. It's someone that they see every year. There's a lot of respect for him in this building, but I think the expectation as of now is that Parsons out there is.
- [06:00]
James Palmer
Is.
- [06:01]
Zach Berman
Is out there.
- [06:02]
James Palmer
Yeah. That. That's going to be fun to watch. Right. How much does he play? Do you run, Adam? Do you try to wear him out since he hasn't been in really football shape? There's. There's a variety of things that Philly could do to try to see and test Michael Parsons if he is out there. Last one, before we get really into Philly, is. Is. We mentioned the East. How about the entire nfc? Who. Who is Philly's biggest threat to get, you know, to get back to the super bowl, coming out of their own conference, in your mind yeah.
- [06:27]
Zach Berman
So we mentioned Washington before, and Washington upset Detroit last year, and I think there was a lot of anticipation for a Lions Eagles game in the postseason.
- [06:36]
Jake Seeley
Oh, yeah, right.
- [06:36]
Zach Berman
Because the way those two offenses can look. Right. The toughness of both teams, I think Detroit is, Is the biggest contender for the Eagles. Now, obviously, they lost both their offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator. The Eagles have been in that position before and have seen the downside of it. But, but there's, there's clear talent there. There's an identity on that team. They do play in the regular season. But I think that's the, The. The. The clear threat for the Eagles. When you look at it, too, though, San Francisco has been a team that has been a rival for the Eagles. Before the Eagles beat them in the championship game three seasons ago, The Eagles played the Rams in the postseason last year. That was a close game. But I, I still think the, The. The Lions matchup is, Is one that really looms as the threat for the Eagles.
- [07:22]
James Palmer
I agree. And those rivalry uniforms that came out, by the way, the Niners ones are awesome. Those things are. Are really, really sweet looking. And I agree with you because talking to people around the league, it's. I don't think Jared Goff takes a step back without Ben Johnson. They've been preparing for his departure for a little while, and that's an interesting kind of one we want to keep our eye on. And speaking of quarterbacks, your quarterback is maybe one of the most polarizing players in this entire league. Everybody you talk to has an opinion one way or the other. Right. About Jalen wanted you to kind of dive in, being somebody that's there and covers this team better than anybody. Just what makes Jalen great and does he get enough credit for what he does? And are we going to maybe see them throw the football a little bit more this season and not rely so much on Saquon?
- [08:06]
Zach Berman
Yeah, all. All good questions there. And as far as three of them at you. No, no, as, as. As far as what makes him great, it's that he's in the winner's circle so often. Right? Like, and you, you talk to Jalen, he identifies himself as a winner. Like, that's, that's part of his identity. And if you, if you look, going back to college, the amount of times that he's in a postseason, the amount of times that he's in a championship game, it's not a coincidence. I know he's played on great teams, but. But there's a certain character to him, a certain toughness to him. He's in the winner circle often. And I think back, there's this scene after the, the day after the super bowl last year when he's getting presented the Super Bowl MVP trophy and it's a photo op and he's. He's taking a photo there. The photo ops finished. He says. He says, wait, can I take a photo with that? And it was the Lombardi Trophy. He said, that's the one that matters. Right? And that's really the way he's. He's, he's wired. As far as the second part of the question, the respect that he gets, I. I think part of it is because it is such a talented team that when you watch Mahomes or you watch Josh Allen or you watch Lamar Jackson, there's a thought that, you know, they're carrying everyone else. And then when you look at the Eagles roster and you see the best offensive line in the league and you see A.J. brown and you see Devonte Smith and Saquon Barkley and Dallas Goddard, there's a, There's a. A thought there that, that they're carrying Jalen. That said, I've, I've seen, you know, I've seen the AB data, if you will. Right? I've seen this offense without Jalen out there. I've seen when it's Gardner Minshu or, or, or, you know, Kenny Pickett over the years, and it's, it's not always the same. And I, I think what. What Jalen provides in the run game with the plus one element, I think his. His ability to throw the deep ball. I think last year, you. You saw him really handle the blitz much better. I don't think Jalen necessarily gets the credit he deserves. You know, Mike Sando does the great quarterback tier of rankings, and I, I thought Jalen should have been higher. Now, I'm not saying he should be in there over Mahomes or Lamar Jackson or Josh Allen or Joe Burrow, but I don't know how, how you give me a number five over Jalen Hurts. When he was the Super Bowl MVP last year. If you think back to the 2022 season, he could have been the MVP that year. He was in contention there. And I'll say this. I've covered every game Jones played in the NFL. The two best games he's played have been the two Super Bowls. Right? I think there's, there's something to be said about that, is that he's become a big stage player. And, and that does matter to me. And then to the third part of the question. I expect them to pass the ball more. Expecting to pass the more I expect him to pass the ball more. With Kevin Patuo, I. I think that the way the offense worked last year is it. Is it was a. A welcome change. And Saquon Barkley was so good. A. I don't think you can count on Saquon having quite the season he had last year. I also think when you have AJ Brown and Devontae Smith and you're paying them what they're paying them, you're paying them to be premier wide receivers. And I expect the next the the evolution of this offense because one thing Nick Sirianni has said is they can't just do what they did last year. They need to evolve. And I think the evolution is throwing the ball and in particular throwing the ball downfield because that's Jalen hurts strength. And when you look at Kevin Patolo's background with Chan Gailey, the way Ryan Fitz, the way Fitzpatrick played, this could be a vertical offense. So I'm expecting that to be something to pay attention to with Eagles.
- [11:28]
James Palmer
I like that. I like that. One thing sticks out to me, Zach, about Jalen. I was hosting the 101 awards. The one that the Hunt family gives out in Kansas City a couple years ago was the one after Jalen loses the super bowl to Kansas City. He does show up as the NFC player of the year. He comes into Kansas City after he gets beaten by the Chiefs, which I think shows a lot of his character. And I remember interviewing Andy Reid on that stage in front of 2,000 people. And Andy Reid points at Jalen and goes, your performance is the greatest super bowl performance I've ever seen.
- [11:59]
Zach Berman
Wow.
- [12:00]
James Palmer
I mean, like to say that in Kansas City to Jalen hurts. It just kind of sticks. Sticks with me about what Jalen's been able to do on the big stage. I think you're exactly right. You mentioned the way they throw the ball and the way they could potentially even be more of a downfield threat. One of the things. And you being in the locker room every day, have a better sense of this than anybody. You have Devonta Smith, who most people I talk to around the league say that is a surefire one. That is a number one receiver in the NFL. You have Dallas Goddard, when I talk to people say that's a top five, top seven tight end in the league. But you have A.J. brown and you have Saquon Barkley and they both demand targets. How do they make this work? How do we never hear anything from Smitty or ever hear anything from Dallas about lack of targets and lack of being a focal point in this offense? Because it's almost part of the secret sauce, I think that allows us to work. Because you don't hear anything.
- [12:49]
Zach Berman
It's a great question because you don't hear as much when they win. Right? And I, and I think that's great point. The key, that's the key. If, if they're winning at the rate they did last year, if they're, that's, that's when you don't hear it. But when you have the collapse that you had two years ago, that's when those, those, those questions start to pop up. And I, I think it's, it's part of being in this offense is, you know, there's, there's so much talent and if I'm being honest, I, I, I think a key is that everyone's been paid, right? The Eagles paid A.J.
- [13:20]
James Palmer
Brown.
- [13:21]
Zach Berman
They paid Devonte Smith two years ago. This past offseason, they gave Saquan an extension, made him the highest paid running back in the NFL. Really, the only one who has not been paid is, is Dallas Goddard. But I, I, I think that factors into it too because it's, it's not as if AJ or devonte are playing for their contract. It's not as if Saquon's playing for their contract. But the, the way it's always worked out is that there's going to be days where it's AJ's day. There's going to be days when it's, it's, it's devonte's day. Last year was a little different with how much they ran the ball, but if, if the team stays healthy over the course of the season, everyone's going to get their, their, their numbers. It might not be 2000 rushing yards for Saquon Barkley, it might not be 1500 receiving yards for AJ Brown, but everyone's going to get their numbers and if they stay healthy and if they keep winning.
- [14:09]
James Palmer
Yeah, you mentioned all of those guys and they're all stars. And this roster has a lot of stars to it. And I remember, you know, you asked around the league, Zach, when Cut down day happens, there's a lot of pride that happens in front offices when guys that you cut get picked up by other teams. That usually means you have a very deep roster. Does Philly have a deep roster? Can they sustain an injury to a star player or is this top heavy? How does this roster kind of feel to you?
- [14:35]
Zach Berman
You hit it on the head. This is top heavy. This is, this is not a particularly deep team. And to the point that you mentioned, they did not have anyone claimed off, off waivers. And I think it's just the nature of the way this roster has been been constructed is that they have more players making 20 plus million, I believe, than anyone in the NFL. I would imagine they're, they're, they're starting lineup is the best in the NFL. They have, they have 10 of 11 starters returning and I think there's, there's legitimately 10. All 10 of those guys you can make an argument should or none of those guys you can make an argument should be Pro bowl players. Right? Everyone outside of Johan Dotson and Tyler Steen on offense are Pro bowl caliber players. On defense, they have, they have blue chip players at every single level. Jalen Carter on the defensive line, Zach Bonnet linebacker, Cooper the Jean and Quinon Mitchell in the defensive backfield. This is the problem when you have so many good players. And it's a good problem to have. Right? It's a champagne problem.
- [15:37]
Jake Seeley
Yeah.
- [15:37]
Zach Berman
As Howie Roseman might say, it's complaining about the yacht. But if Lane Johnson goes down, if Jalen Carter goes down, if Saquon Barkley goes down, there's such a delta, you know, if Will Shipley is your top running back, the offense looks a little different. If Fred Johnson's your right tackle, the offense looks different. If Jalen Carter is not out there commanding double teams, the defense is different. So that's, that's a way of saying that I think they're really trusting their coaching staff in terms of development for the bottom of the roster there. And Howie Roseman does a lot in terms of practice squad elevations and they can plug things throughout the year. But you think back to the super bowl last year they had 21 of 22 starters healthy for the Super Bowl. You really didn't see that depth tested the way it is in some other years. And frankly, this is my 14th year covering the Eagles. In those, in those past 13 years, there's only been two seasons that had been really bad. We're talking about like top five in the draft bad. And both years the offensive line was decimated by injuries. So if you see something where Lane Johnson's out, Jordan, my lot is Outlandon, Dickerson's out, camp Jurgens is out. It's hard to withstand the, that type of, you know, the injuries when you have so many blue chip players. So I'm real curious to see how that looks this year.
- [16:52]
James Palmer
Yeah, that's Interesting. Before I let you go real quick, you mentioned Landon Dickerson. I was talking to my buddy Mark Schlerith the other day who was like, I think Lando might be the best guard in football. That's how talented he is. In Schleris mind, he goes down with the, with the knee. What's the latest real quick injury wise with with landon Dickerson and A.J. brown?
- [17:09]
Zach Berman
Yeah, good question. I was on the practice field yesterday. They returned to practice for the first time in nearly a week. Both players were practicing, so that's a positive sign for the Eagles. The only potential starter who was not out there was Drew Makuba, the rookie safety. He's. He's still coming back from a hamstring injury. But A.J. brown and Landon Dickerson, who missed a lot of time in camp, they're progressing and it looks like they'll be on the field. Week one killer.
- [17:32]
James Palmer
That's huge for Eagles fans. It's. It's big for everybody that I'm friends with back home. Zach, good to chat with you, man. Appreciate it. And before I let you go, I just want a yes or no answer. Do they repeat as super bowl champs?
- [17:42]
Zach Berman
No, no, it's. It's hard to do that.
- [17:45]
James Palmer
I said one word, Zach. Yeah, no, it's tough. It's tough. It's tough. Appreciate it, man. Appreciate it. All right, coming up, more Scoop City. We have Jake Seeley giving us our steals and sleepers in the fantasy world. If you still have your draft, might want to stay tuned.
- [18:02]
Zach Berman
I wish somebody taught me how to regulate my emotions.
- [18:04]
James Palmer
No one ever taught me that you're allowed to be sad. Heartbreak hits hard, and yet managing romantic grief is so often left out of the conversation. On the season finale of Mind if We Talk, host and licensed therapist He Soo Jo is joined by dating coach and podcast host Sabrina Zohar. Together, they unpack her journey through heartbreak, the boundaries she's built, and the self worth she's reclaimed. The end of a relationship might break you in the moment, but. But looking for help with the grief can bring some fresh perspective and build you in the long run. Catch every single episode of Mind if We Talk, including this one. Wherever you get your podcasts, listen and follow. Today, a real lemonade pet insurance review by Madison H. You know, I thought it was a little ridiculous to get pet insurance, but I really didn't want to not take my little kitten to the vet because of money. In the last eight months, I've taken him in six times because of ear infections and saved literally hundreds of dollars you may even need to get surgery. And I couldn't consider it without lemonade's help. I recommend lemonade to all my friends constantly. And now I'm recommending it to you. Check it out@lemonade.com pet hey, it's Matt.
- [19:17]
Zach Berman
Here from P1 with Matt and Tommy. And this episode is sponsored by ebay. You're halfway through a DIY car fix, tools scattered everywhere, and boom, you realise you're missing a part. It's okay because, you know, whatever it.
- [19:31]
James Palmer
Is, it's on ebay. They've got everything.
- [19:33]
Zach Berman
Brakes, headlights, cold air intakes, whatever you need.
- [19:37]
Jake Seeley
And it's guaranteed to fit.
- [19:38]
Zach Berman
Which means no more crossing your fingers.
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James Palmer
And hoping you ordered the right thing.
- [19:43]
Zach Berman
All the parts you need at prices you'll love. Guaranteed to fit every time. Ebay. Things people love.
- [19:55]
James Palmer
Welcome back to Scoop City. I am James Palmer. I am joined now for the very first time on Scoop City, along with myself is Jake Seeley, the athletics senior fantasy writer. And Jake, I gotta talk about the shirt first. I mean, this Tribe Called Quest situation we got going on and, ooh, are we a Tribe fan? I mean, are we just a peanut.
- [20:15]
Jake Seeley
Fan or a little bit of both? I actually go far enough back that, yes, I am that old to know Tribe Called Quest. Can I kick it? Yes, I can. And a few others.
- [20:25]
James Palmer
So.
- [20:25]
Jake Seeley
But yes, this was more so. Football season's here and even though I hate kickers, I had to wear this shirt.
- [20:31]
James Palmer
Oh, okay. I was our team's high school kicker as well. But that's okay. I won't take any offense. I also love when the song. Thank you. I love when the song drops in Mutant Mayhem with the Ninja Turtles, by the way. It's a phenomenal little drop of soundtrack if anybody ever listens to that one.
- [20:42]
Jake Seeley
I will be wearing a Turtles shirt next time then.
- [20:44]
James Palmer
Oh, see, look at this. We're already gelling. Here we go. I want to throw a curveball at you before we get into your sleepers and your steals. I'm playing in a new fantasy league this year. I'm going to be co owners with my wife, which sounds like a nightmare of a situation for our marriage, but this is a new group of people, right? New guys. So while I'm going through my draft on Sunday, what are some tells that can maybe indicate who you're playing with? Do you get what I'm saying? Like what type of players you're joining? Do you have any secret sauce that I can maybe see and be like, oh, I know who these guys are.
- [21:21]
Jake Seeley
So if you want the super inexperienced tell, they're bringing a magazine that was on the stands three months ago. That's a super, super big tell right there. If you have the paper printouts with rankings and they're crossing them off, they probably really know what they're doing because they've been doing it for a while and they want to make sure that they're not missing anybody. So if anybody's already got notes as they come in, those are your sharper players. And then the one, the ones on the apps are kind of like your in betweeners.
- [21:47]
James Palmer
Gotcha. In betweeners. Got it. I got it, I got it, I got it. Because I get judged in there already. Anyways, just entering, I'm going to need and I know you do too because this is what you do. You're better than anybody sleepers that you have on your radar right now. People I should be looking at later rounds of my draft.
- [22:04]
Jake Seeley
Yeah, I got to start running back Ali Gordon. I mean he's not as much as a sleeper. He was three weeks ago. It was funny about a month ago I got pushed back saying I thought he was a better fit for the Raheem Mostert role and well, it doesn't matter now because Jalen Wright did everything he could to look like the worst running back in football during the preseason and is now hurt. And hn's a question mark for week one, which even if he's out there, you know this as much as anybody. This is still a backfield that's very similar to the Lions where everybody wants David Montgomery. Why don't we want the second piece in that backfield for the Dolphins and especially somebody who could have the touchdown equity. So I think if you look at Ollie Gordon, potentially somebody has standalone value and then if anything were to happen to a Chan or this injury is worse than they're letting on, you could have an RB2 on your hands. I'll go wide receiver next. Ricky Pearsall. He's climbing up the draft boards. You're gonna have to probably take him in the mid rounds as opposed to rounds later, double digit rounds a few weeks ago. But I really liked him for this reason and I wonder if you agree, but the fact that when Brandon IU comes back, I always said was a threat to Juwan Jennings. I thought Piercer's role was safe no matter what. I'm going to pause there because I want to get your opinion on that before I get to the last sleeper.
- [23:11]
James Palmer
Totally. No, I, I, you're talking to a big Ricky Piersol fan. I host a show with Steve Smith Sr. Who loves Ricky Piersoll, loves his fit in the offense. I think he was drafted where he was drafted with a specific role in mind. I think you're right and I think things we've seen have changed. It was always kind of that route runner can thrive there. You saw it with IUK a few years ago and I think Ricky's going to be that guy that kind of steps into being exactly where he's supposed to be. Where Kyle Shanahan wants that receiver to be. Exactly where he's supposed to be. By the way. By the way Brock Purdy plays it. So I'm in agreeance with you on, on, on. I have a big jump for Ricky Pierce on year two because year one was. We're just happy Ricky's with us in year two. I think we're gonna have a big jump here. I agree.
- [23:55]
Jake Seeley
Yeah. And the biggest thing I like about him is he stopped running through the zone. He actually found the space and he stopped just running straight. Yeah, I'm open but I'm going to keep going. Quarterback. Look, this is the difference between fantasy and reality. I actually think he gets too much hate as a passer. I think Justin Fields is a fine, capable passer. But we know in fantasy we're not drafting him for that. We're drafting for the fact of 1000 yard rushing upside. And the reason I like Fields is because of that. Because I go back to the Daniel Jones days. He ran for 700 yards and seven touchdowns one season. Didn't even throw a touchdown per game and finished as a top 10 quarterback. If you run, it takes. It takes everything away from needing your arm. And the biggest thing here is I don't think he's losing the job. They didn't bring him in to be like, oh, you know, it's not working through week six. We're turning to tie rod. Like, no, it's going to be Justin Fields unless he gets hurt. But that's the risk is everybody's worried about the injury and then they say, oh, he can't throw. I think DJ Moore knows he can throw the ball. So I think that looking at Garrett Wilson as his top new DJ Moore, I think Justin Fields is going to be just fine in a QB one.
- [24:56]
James Palmer
Yeah. And right. That existing relationship back from their days at Ohio State together, there's a lot of trust between the two of them. I think they're going to run the hell out of the ball as an entire offense. And I think Justin will be a big Part of that, the part that really I remember is talking to people in Pittsburgh and how bad Arthur Smith actually wanted Justin Fields back because he actually had a plan for how he wanted to use them. Let's see if there's a distinct plan that fits this right in what the jets wanted. And they kind of outbid the Steelers a little bit. So maybe they do have an exact plan about what they want to do with Justin Fields. How about players to kind of avoid based on asking price? Because I do know that varies.
- [25:33]
Jake Seeley
Yeah, this is a big one. But the asking price is pretty constant across all drafts, so this is an easy avoid for me. People need to stop with Zay Flowers. Look like, I get it. You put them on 20 other teams and like Zay Flowers, top 20 wide receiver. Love the talent, hate the team. And I keep saying, can we stop wanting Ravens wide receivers in fantasy? Like, it just doesn't happen. And the biggest thing is I go back to lamar just threw 41 touchdowns. 41. Everybody like, like, let that sink in for a second. Zay Flowers was still Outside the top 35 wide receivers in points per game just because he's not the touchdown option. This is a team that spreads it around to the multitude of options because Lamar is so good at doing so and just.
- [26:14]
Zach Berman
I get it.
- [26:14]
Jake Seeley
But Zay Flowers is just not a wide receiver too. And everybody keeps paying the price.
- [26:19]
James Palmer
Okay, this is where my, like being a football nerd gets in the way of my fantasy team because I know he's a good football player.
- [26:26]
Jake Seeley
Right.
- [26:26]
James Palmer
And I know the things he does for this offense on the outside. That helps out the other two tight ends. It helps out the run game with Derrick Henry, but it doesn't help out your fantasy team. It can look great and coaches could be very happy with him, but. But it doesn't mean it's going to equate to points. I want to stick with the Ravens. Real quick and just, just thoughts on Lamar. Like, where should Lamar go? Like, just. Yeah, I'm just curious, like, where is the proper point to pull the trigger on Lamar?
- [26:55]
Jake Seeley
So I am. Okay, So I go with the Ricky Bobby approach, first or last at quarterback. And then if you get the elite quarterback, the top four, maybe Joe Burrow, if you're in a six point passing touchdown league. But those top four, I'm okay in the third round, preferably late third. Most drafts are not going to be that way. If you want to say the early third because you really want to get them. I get it. I understand it. Lamar Jaden, if you Want to go Josh Allen, whatever it might be the big four hertz and then burrow those are the big five. If I don't get one of them I'm waiting till a double digit rounds and taking a field. Just Jordan love, Drake May, Caleb like the big upside and I'll double down on those. But Lamar, I'm okay in the third round. I will say where I'm more okay. Getting him close to the second round is if you're in a 10 team league because in a 10 team league it's harder to get that edge over everybody because everybody's got like more talent than they would in a 12 team league. So I'm more okay with quarterbacks at that two three turn range. If you're in a 10 team league.
- [27:49]
James Palmer
And I am in this new league it's new 10.
- [27:51]
Jake Seeley
There you go.
- [27:52]
James Palmer
I had Lamar last year and I won it so I might have to try to get. I would like him to be a back to back winner for me. Hopefully we'll see. How about later draft steals like late two, three type of. Type of range.
- [28:05]
Jake Seeley
Yeah so I had three guys just over on the Athletic and I had 17 humble brag real quick 11 for 15 last year 11 for 50.
- [28:13]
James Palmer
Listen to the man people. Let's go.
- [28:17]
Jake Seeley
I am actually going to surprisingly double dip on the Browns to start. We are. I know I'm ready. We are waiting on Quinshon Judkins still and I will say I initially thought that this would get cleared up because they let Pierre strong go and I was like oh okay maybe they know the NFL is coming along with a two game suspension or whatever it might be. But then they went and grabbed Raheem Sanders off the waivers when the cuts were done and like okay, maybe not so even when Judkins comes back. The one thing I like about this backfield is Dylan Sampson I think is going to be a timeshare piece no matter what. I compared him a little bit to Tajie Spears and I said this. If Tajie Spears was on the Browns right now, everybody would be drafting him in the middle of rounds because he's the best talent. I put that in quotes. I think he has plenty of upside to be an RB3 usable most weeks in half and full point PPR. And then why I'm going to double dip because Joe Flacco is the quarterback and I say this a lot. His last 17 starts, granted that spans four seasons but his last 17 starts Joe Flacco's thrown over 4400 yards some of those starts with the Browns. He is going to chuck it, he's going to throw it. This offense isn't as bad as people want to make it out to be. And Cedric Tillman last year, four games, 40 targets. It was the excite, it was the post hype sleeper. We were all excited for the talent, the raw talent of Cedric Tillman. And I'm not saying that he's going to go out there and get 170 targets and I don't think he's going to be a top 20 wide receiver. But the reason I bring them up is because they're free. They're your last two or three rounds you'd get Cedric Tillman and he can be one of those. I get you a lot, like 20 points as your wide receiver for one week, five the next. But you can live with it because you're your wide receiver four.
- [29:56]
James Palmer
Okay, before I let you go, he's the least talked about number one overall pick we've had in recent memory. Probably in Cam Ward. Is this somebody that I could maybe like. I feel like nobody's paid attention and couldn't put up numbers.
- [30:10]
Jake Seeley
I love it. Cam Ward is also in that piece. Cam Ward, yes. He's like I said, like, you know, here's the comparison I said for fantasy purposes and I'm not calling him this player specifically, but what his production could be if he hits is what we saw last year in college is Dak Prescott, is that he throws over 4,000 yards. He throws big plays. We've already seen the connection to Calvin Ridley who by the way is one of my favorite values too, if you want to grab him this weekend. The guy had 100, 120 targets last year. Four red zone and one end zone target. Like this is ridiculous for how bad it was for Ridley Kim. Word, big army, 44,000 yards, 4,400 yards is in play. I would be surprised, but it's in play. And then the touchdowns there and then he'll sprinkle in. You know this, he'll sprinkle in 300 on the ground, maybe four or five touchdowns at best. But it's a sprinkle in that helps his value. And yeah, I, if I'm waiting, I, I'm grabbing Cam Ward in a couple spots. When I was talking about that double dipping on the late round quarterbacks, I love that.
- [31:08]
James Palmer
And with the team's losing, hey, you know he's going to chuck it, he's going to throw it. I love it, Jake. Appreciate it. He is going to be here on Scoop City guys a lot this season. So we're going to be at a ch to chat. We'll probably talk turtles. We'll probably talk. What do you got, Captain America back there? Yeah, we'll probably talk some Avengers.
- [31:23]
Jake Seeley
Captain America. Oh, if I leave back over here, I actually have the Ronin series. The Ronin series from Turtles. Yeah. Oh, yeah. This is going to be something for the entire year.
- [31:30]
James Palmer
I'm excited. I'm excited. I love it. Jake, appreciate it. Thank you for joining us. Coming up, my final thoughts on Kyle Hamilton and what that contract kind of meant for where the league is heading for players like him and how hard they are to find. And that's coming up next on Scoop City. When you're a forward thinker, you don't.
- [31:50]
Zach Berman
Just bring your A game, you bring your AI game.
- [31:53]
James Palmer
Workday is the AI platform that transforms the way you manage your people, money and agents so you can transform tomorrow Workday moving business forever forward.
- [32:03]
Jake Seeley
I can't believe they're having a gender.
- [32:05]
James Palmer
Reveal for their dog. No, no, no, no.
- [32:06]
Zach Berman
This is a breed reveal.
- [32:08]
James Palmer
Oh.
- [32:09]
Zach Berman
So, yeah, they're finding out the breed of the puppy they're rescuing so they.
- [32:13]
Jake Seeley
Could just be spending all their money.
- [32:14]
James Palmer
On like pet insurance.
- [32:15]
Zach Berman
Instead, we got lemonade for Roscoe and it covered vaccines, microchipping. We saved 90% on vet bills.
- [32:22]
James Palmer
Oh, here we go.
- [32:25]
Jake Seeley
What do you think beige confetti means?
- [32:28]
James Palmer
I don't know.
- [32:29]
Zach Berman
That we'll never get this Saturday back.
- [32:30]
Jake Seeley
Get a quote for any breed@lemonade.com pet.
- [32:35]
James Palmer
If you're a lineman in charge of keeping the lights on, Grainger understands that you go to great lengths sometimes heights to ensure the power is always flowing. Which is why you can count on Grainger for professional grade products and next day delivery. So you have everything you need to get the job done. Call 1-800-GRAINGER clickgrainger.com or just stop by Grainger for the ones who get it done. James Palmer here with you as we close things out on a Thursday on Scoop City. Now, Diana Rossini and I talked about the massive contract that Kyle Hamilton received on Wednesday. Highest paid safety in the history of the NFL. Over $100 million. Tons of guarantees in there and it's well earned. He is a unbelievable chess piece on that Ravens defense. He's unbelievably smart, he's versatile. He can do so many different things. And it got me thinking about where a player like that's value is now in today's NFL and where defenses are trying to be as versatile as possible to defend the chess pieces that have emerged on the offensive side of the ball. So let me start there. And that's this evolution of tight ends. I'm not breaking any news with this right saying the tight ends become extremely valuable in the NFL. First there were guys like Gronk that caught a ton of balls and did it differently. Travis Kelsey, George Kittle, Zach Ertz, they're all still doing it at a high level, those three. But now you're seeing these tight ends become even more valuable and intricate as a part of these offenses. And look at some of these younger guys that are coming along. And you have Brock Bowers, who, when I talk to people around the league when I was at games last year, it was, he's, he's the best tight end in football already in his rookie year and he's the best pass catcher to come out of this draft. And it included Malik Neighbors and Brian Thomas Jr. And you look at what his importance is going to be with the Raiders because of their lack of talent and depth at the wide receiver spot. He's going to be everywhere and he's too big for corners and he's too fast for linebackers and safety, struggle keeping up with them. And then you have guys like Sam Laporta, if you remember when Ben Johnson was with him two years ago and he had 120 targets. You look at who Ben Johnson's with now and Colston Loveland, who's picked 10th overall, runs routes like a wide receiver, I'm told. I had a long conversation with Greg Olson about Loveland. He told me he's going to be a focal point of this Bears offense and it's because of the way he plays the position and it's such a difficult mismatch. You also look at the guy taking 14th in this draft in Tyler Warren going to the Colts, and he's going to line up in the backfield. Out wide as a tight end is a massive part of this offense for Shane Steichen and the safety valve really for Daniel Jones and all of those guys. And you could throw Trey McBride in there as well, who just got a massive contract. And I watched him in the joint practices against Denver where one of the best defenses in football, football, had trouble covering him and finding somebody that could stay with him. They not only are hard to cover, but these tight ends that move all over are also used as ways offensive coordinators and quarterbacks can find tells in defenses and they can find tells pre snap and defenses on how teams are going to guard these top tier tight ends. That you got to pick away, that you're going to cover them unless you have a Kyle Hamilton. And so what we're seeing now is the adverse move against the way these players are used by defenses around the league. And I mentioned Denver and the reason they picked JADE Baron at 20th overall, who's, when I did my draft research, talked about as the best corner by several people I talked to in this draft was because of his versatility. When I talked to defensive coordinator Vance Joseph there, he said he plays inside, he plays outside, he plays the nickel, he plays safety. We can be more versatile to hide what we want to do on the back end. And so when you see players like that becoming more and more valuable around the league, I think it's a trend that we're going to see continue to happen. As they try to guard these tight ends, you look at Tech, you look at the Houston Texans, they're going to go out and try to be as versatile as a secondary as they can be, and they can do it because they have different types of corners and safeties and a variety of guys. Kyle Hamilton is part of an entire secondary in Baltimore that can be so malleable and can move guys from Marlon Humphrey to Starks, the rookies all over that secondary. And why do you think they know that so well? Because they have two really good tight ends on their team that they know how hard they are to cover. So it's been a fascinating evolution the way we've seen tight ends used. And now we see these type of players that are specific, like Kyle Hampton, like, say, a Patrick Surtan will probably, who is a corner will probably be lined up shadowing Brock Bowers this season because he has the size and the IQ and the ability to do it. You look at a player like Trent McDuffie in Kansas City. I actually talked to Sir Tan the other day who told me McDuffie is one of the players he studies because he loves his game, about how he can play the run, how he can play tight ends, how he can play inside, do all these different things. The versatility of these guys in the secondary that I'm talking about are getting highly compensated. The price of nickel corners are going up. Cooper De Jean in Philadelphia, it's another team that's going to be versatile because Cooper De Jean's iq, spatial awareness, ability to play in the middle of the field is so valuable to what Vic Fangio wants to do. They can do a variety of things with their secondary. So I think it's going to be really, really fun. To watch this continue because the talent and uniqueness of these tight ends keeps getting better. And the talent and uniqueness is something that these defenses are trying to find. And you found it in Kyle Hamilton in Baltimore and maybe the Chiefs found it in Trent McDuffie in Kansas City. And these players are going to be sought after coming out. Look at Caleb Downs coming up in this big showdown that's happening at the Shoe. Oh, I don't have a dog in the fight. Yes, I do. Two degrees from Ohio State. Caleb Downs is one of the best players in all of college football, the safety for Ohio State, and you look at what he's going to be able to do against a really talented Texas team, what he does the entire season, all eyes are going to be on him. Brian Branch with the Lions just coming out a couple years ago, these safeties can do a lot of different things. The Shoe is going to be rocking on Saturday. The two players that really might be the best players on the field are guys we're not going to see in the draft, by the way, in 2026. 1. Jeremiah Smith, who's the best player in college football, probably by a long shot. The wide receiver for Ohio State who could have played in the NFL. When I talked to NFL people, by the way, last year, at 18, 19 years old as a freshman at Ohio State, that's how talented he is. He's not allowed to come out until the 2027 draft. He could have been a top five pick. I was told this last draft and he can't come out in the next one. But enjoy him on Saturday. And Arch Manning, the other one, he can come out, but most people I talked to believe he's not going to. But this season will tell. If maybe the Saints have the number one pick, maybe he will come out all right. For Zach Berman For Jake Seely, I'm James Palmer. Another edition of Scoop City on a Thursday in books. Make sure you what is it like? And subscribe. Think enterprise software is too costly, too complex and takes too long to get up and running? Think again. Workday Go makes simplifying your small or mid sized business simple. HR and finance together on one powerful.
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