← The Athletic Football Show: A show about the NFL
The Athletic Football Show: A show about the NFL
The 2026 NFL Draft dust has settled, but we still have questions
00:57:11
Loading summary
Transcript153 lines
- [00:01]
Grainger Advertiser
When you manage procurement for multiple facilities, every order matters, but when it's for a hospital system, they matter even more. Grainger gets it and knows there's no time for managing multiple suppliers and no room for shipping delays. That's why Grainger offers millions of products in fast, dependable delivery so you can keep your facility stocked, safe, and running smoothly. Call 1-800-GRAINGER Click grainger.com or just stop by Granger for the ones who get it done.
- [00:32]
Bombas Customer Service
Thank you for calling the Bombas Comfort line. Bombas make socks, slippers, tees and underwear made with the highest quality materials. Press 1 for comfort, 2 for style, 3 for donation. You chose style. Bombas is style for whatever you enjoy. You can run in Bombas, lounge in Bombas, dress them up, dress them down, but always give back in Bombas because with every item purchased, another is donated. Bombas Comfort worth calling for. Go to bombas.com audio and use code audio for 20 off your first purchase. That's B O-M-B-S.com and use code audio.
- [01:02]
Catherine (Tennis Podcast Host)
Hello, this is Catherine from the Tennis Podcast. Now AI was supposed to take over the parts of the job you hate. Turns out it made your job even harder. Instead of doing the work it gave you homework, ServiceNow's AI specialists get work done from start to finish. Cases get resolved, loops get closed. No extra work for you. With ServiceNow, you can do the parts of the job you're best at and delegate the rest. To put AI to work for people, visit ServiceNow.com
- [01:36]
Robert Mays
welcome to the Athletic Football Show. I'm Robert Mays. The draft is over. We're a few days removed from the end of the draft, and we spend so much time before the draft happens thinking about team needs, what where teams are going to go in order to fill those needs. And now that the draft is done and we've seen all of these hundreds of picks slotted onto these rosters, there are still a bunch of big questions remaining. The Ravens didn't draft the center. We all assumed they would do something to replace Tyler Wendelbaum. That's just one example. There are a bunch of those. And so me and Dave today are going to sort through like the 10 or so biggest questions we still have left about these rosters. Now that the draft is over. A lot of good ones that we dug into today. Enjoyed this conversation. Hope you guys do as well. Let's get to it right now. Now that most of the dust has settled from draft weekend, we're still left with a bunch of rosters that have questions, and we're still left with a bunch of veteran free agents that now the draft has ended, can potentially find homes because teams aren't digging into compensatory pick formula, all that good stuff. So that's what we're going to do today. We are going to run through our biggest questions that we still have. Now that teams have gone through the 2026 NFL Draft, I could have come up with a hundred of these. I'm going to try to limit my list, but there are still plenty of lingering thoughts I have about where some roster issues need to be addressed with these teams. Dave?
- [03:16]
Dave
Yeah, I found myself trying to avoid overlap from conversations we've already had or things that got brought up during draft weekend. But fortunately, there's plenty of stuff to go around. There's plenty of storylines that I think are worth covering, both related to draft classes and related to free agents that are available. I think we got plenty of new territory to cover.
- [03:40]
Robert Mays
All right, so what is your big. Your. Your first question? Your big question that was a front of mind for you now that the draft has ended, is what?
- [03:46]
Dave
Okay, I just said that we had new territory to cover, but can I start with something that we've been joking about forever? I'm coming. I'm. I'm coming right at you for this one because it's your. It's your thing. And so I'm going to ask you directly, is Brandon IUK a viable answer to the. The commander's problems at this point? Like, is this. Is this an advisable idea? With everything that's been going on with Brandon Iuk since midway through last season, like, it's easy to say, oh, they'll get Brandon Iuk. What does that mean? What does that mean in 2026?
- [04:23]
Robert Mays
I think part of the problem is in order to sign Brandon Iuk to your football team, you need to be able to get in touch with Brandon Ayuk or. Or his representation, which seems to be a difficult thing for team. For people right now.
- [04:34]
Dave
I've never seen anything like this, like, dating all the way back to when he first kind of disappeared. And the Niners were like, yeah, I don't know. He. He was just kind of gone one day. And then the Niners were like another very unusual thing where John lynch and Kyle Shanahan are like, we'd be happy to trade him. We would love to do that. Please give us a phone call.
- [04:57]
Robert Mays
John lynch literally picked up his phone when explaining this and was like, please call me.
- [05:02]
Dave
And then they come back out, like, when draft weekend is over and say, yeah, I mean, if you can get in touch with him, I. We don't really know. We don't know what to do. And so look, it, it makes sense in some ways. Brandon Iuk, first of all, he's. He doesn't want to play for the 49ers would be my assumption. The Commanders have a very obvious need. I do really like the Antonio Williams draft pick. That was a guy out of Clemson that I liked a lot at pick number 71. But that's not enough. And it's also a mistake to count on a guy drafted in the third round to be a, a needle mover for you right away. And so Duke makes a ton of sense for a lot of reasons. He's close with Jaden Daniels going back to college when he was at Arizona State. We know all this stuff. My question for you is just because you can connect those dots, like a, can you do it? Like, can you, can you get Brandon Iuk on the phone? And B, at this point in his career, this far removed from the injury, this far removed from practicing and playing, what does that even mean? Like, just because we know why it makes sense for him to land there, like, is that something that's going to make a difference for the commanders in 2026?
- [06:13]
Robert Mays
I think it's more about what the alternatives are at this very moment. You know, so if I were, one of my questions was, did the Commanders do enough at receiver? Because they drafted Antonio Williams in the third round like you said, and that's really all they did. I mean, obviously they signed Chiga conquo and so you have a pass catching tight end and, you know, does that give you another viable pass catcher? Fine. But I still think at receivers specifically, it's worth wondering whether they did enough and whether they need to do more. If I'm Washington, I'm at least calling Juwan Jennings and seeing what his deal is because that's a former 49ers receiver. That's like a big bodied perimeter player that at least will answer your phone calls. Theoretically. I mean, he was visiting the Vikings this week. And so Juwan Jennings or his representation is on the other side of a phone call or a text in a way that Brandon Iukes is not right now. But if you go through those veteran receivers, and that was one of my questions too, where are these veteran receivers going to land? Like, who's interested in them? What are the most likely landing spots? Which ones make the most sense? If you go through those and you decide either those guys don't want to come play for you or for whatever reason, that's not the direction you want to go. Brandon Iuk for Washington specifically feels like a. Okay, if we're totally out of options, is this a place that we can turn? Because I think Washington might be waiting out the Niners. I think most teams could be waiting out the Niners right now just hoping that he gets released. And the Niners just seem completely steadfast in their unwillingness to let that happen, which I understand. If I'm the Niners, it's like, absolutely not. Like, we're not going to let him do this and release him for nothing when he's under contract with us. They seem hell bent on making sure that they're leaving here with something. And if I'm in the Niners position, I completely understand that based on how
- [07:53]
Dave
this has gone, at the very least, there's no reason to do it on anything resembling a friendly timeline for Brandon Iuk. Like, I don't know what the. Unless you got, like, a nice price for him if it's not Iuk. And Juwan Jennings is definitely the name worth bringing up. Is there anybody else out there that makes sense for Washington? I mean, I guess Stefan Diggs. Like, I just. I. I think you gotta do something. And it's easy to circle back on Brandon Iuk because of the amount of time we spent talking about it, but I certainly don't think that can be the end of your efforts at the position. Right.
- [08:30]
Robert Mays
I mean, you're looking at it right now. Those are the two names that really stick out to me. I mean, DeAndre Hopkins is still out there, right? Like, DeAndre Hopkins was at least playable for the Ravens last year. And so if you just need a body, I think that he's somebody that you could potentially toss out there. But other than that, I mean, we're kind of scraping the bottom of the barrel here. Like, Jennings and Diggs are absolutely at the top of that list, and Brandon Cooks was played by the football.
- [08:57]
Dave
Like, don't. Don't laugh at me, but Brandon Cooks, considering the state of the Commander's depth chart at receiver, I think that's probably something worth considering.
- [09:08]
Robert Mays
So I think Jennings and Diggs are the two guys that have an eye on. Again, Jennings visited the Vikings this week, which I think he absolutely makes sense for the Vikings as a third receiver. When you think about what Jefferson is, what Jordan Addison is, the team that I had in mind when thinking about where the veteran receivers are going to land, what are the Raiders going to do? Are the Raiders just going to roll with the group they currently have? Is it just going to be some combination of Jalen Naylor, Trey Tucker and Jack Besh for a guy that you drafted number one overall and even if he's not going to start the season, I assume he's going to play at some point this year. And so the Raiders pass catchers and whether they're a team that would be interested in going out and getting a Stefan Diggs. That's something I'd be at least asking if I were the Raiders because as it currently stands, you know I think a lot of people liked many of the moves that the Raiders made on draft weekend. Like you know Traden Stukes is a fun player and Kieran Crawford is a fun is a good player and an exciting player. But they did not over leverage themselves to make sure they were filling every single hole on the offense knowing that the number one pick was going to step in there. Like we'll see what happens with Zun and whether he can be a starter for them but even if he is, you know you're right tackle is now a a competition between G DJ Glaze and a third round pick from last year who didn't play. And so what the Raiders do with those pass catching spots and if they do anything else to sh up other question marks on their offense that's one of the bigger questions that I had.
- [10:34]
Dave
It was probably too tidy of us to think the Raiders would get their hands on an Indiana receiver but the they had, they had chances. They did like the Surat thing just made too much sense and it was not saying that that they made a mistake cause who knows but it just would have been fun and it and and it fit a need and something that they needed to do at some point. This actually this ties back to I have another veteran receiver thing but let's, let's save it. We don't have to knock it all out here at the top of the show.
- [11:09]
Robert Mays
So you look at the just the draft in general. The Raiders had three picks in the third round and two picks in the fourth round including the first pick in the fourth round cause they traded up for Jamad McCoy. So they had four different chances to go get a guy like Elijah Surat. And if they wanted to be a little bit more aggressive Mike Washington went eight picks after Surat did or seven picks after surrounded in the fourth round. And so they just I under and I understand what they did like the guys that they drafted in the with those third Round picks, like we talked about it, Crawford, I think, brings a lot of juice. You know, Zun is a versatile piece on the offensive line that could play guard for you. You need a starting guard on that team. McCoy is the biggest upside swing in the entire draft. If you're the Raiders and you're at this stage of the team building process, trying to get as much bang for your buck with some of those picks, I think makes total sense. But to see them a shoe receiver in the way that they did all the way until the sixth round. There are other teams that, when they've been in this position where they have a highly drafted quarterback, like they're leveraging themselves to make sure they're filling some of these holes to guarantee that, all right, at least we're giving this guy a workable option at all 10 of the other spots on offense, knowing that we're going to drop him in here at some point this year. And the Raiders just, at this point have not done that. And I think you could argue that that's an okay way to approach it. But that still leaves you with the question marks that we're talking about.
- [12:31]
Dave
That's. It's so fun to look at this stuff in detail now that the draft is over, because I don't know this for sure, but it seems totally plausible that Elijah Surratt is pick 122 instead of Mike Washington if he hadn't gone off the board to Baltimore. And if you want to take him before that, that's the Jermod McCoy pick. Right. And so what do you weigh more heavily there? A chance at the steal of the draft due to injury or getting your quarterback his college teammate who fits a need really nicely? I'll be interested to see how that ages. Yeah.
- [13:07]
Robert Mays
And let's be honest with ourselves. What is a fourth round receiver really going to do for you? And you sure, of course, probably not a lot. So at the end of the day, like them gesturing at the idea that like, oh, we got, we got a guy, like, we got a receiver to give our quarterback a chance. If you're picking that guy at 1:15, it's more than likely that he's not going to be an impactful player for you in the short term anyway. And I think that potentially pushes you to the veteran free agent pool where you can find somebody who's going to be more of an immediate contributor.
- [13:35]
Dave
And I think the only reason this gets talked about as much as it does is because it was Fernando Mendoza's college teammate. Like if it was just if it was any fourth round receiver, it would be like, well, no, of course you're going to take the swing on the elite talent cornerback who only fell because of injury, like that's a no brainer. And I think that's probably right. And yeah, like there's, there's half a dozen ways you can try to address this both big and small. So I think it makes sense.
- [14:03]
Robert Mays
The other pass catcher I would throw out, we talked about Diggs, talked about Jennings. I'm wondering what happens with Njoku. Like I think he's still got enough.
- [14:10]
Dave
Holy cow, I forgot he was out there.
- [14:14]
Robert Mays
He's still out there. And if you look at it, because every team in the NFL took a tight end on day three, on day two, there are fewer teams that have like a screaming need at tight end. The team that I was just going through all the tight end depth charts and I was like, all right, who could still use like a credible two way guy to go along with the rest of their tight end room as it's currently constructed. And the team I landed on Chargers, maybe because Gadsden's not really that guy. They signed Charlie Colin free agency, but so you throw and Joku in there and you have one more guy that again could credibly be like an inline two way tight end for you where Gadson isn't really that sort of player. That was the team that kind of came to mind, but there weren't that many others where I was like, oh yeah, this absolutely makes sense because so many teams were intentional about adding tight end depth during the draft.
- [15:02]
Dave
Is tight end the new safety where five guys that I love are just sitting out there until training camp waiting for somebody to offer him a deal.
- [15:11]
Robert Mays
Who else is there other than Ajoku?
- [15:15]
Dave
Johnny Smith is still available, is he not?
- [15:18]
Robert Mays
Yeah, Johnny Smith's out there.
- [15:20]
Dave
Will. Will Disley. I mean, maybe I'm getting too excited about half a season of work in Miami, but Darren Waller's still available.
- [15:29]
Robert Mays
What a fascinating collection of names.
- [15:32]
Dave
It's, it's not as, it's not as deep as the safety class occasionally is, but like, I don't know, like David and Joku is more than good enough to be like be in a meaningful slot on a team right now. Other than that, I assume NFL teams are just trying to get younger and cheaper at the position.
- [15:49]
Robert Mays
David joker's not even 30.
- [15:51]
Dave
Exactly.
- [15:52]
Robert Mays
He came into league super young, but David and Joke was not even 30. But this collection of guys among the best available, best available being like highest market value players on spot Track David and Joku, Darren Waller, Zach Ertz and Taysom Hill are four of the top six names. There's just a lot of, like, weird NFL history involved in the collection of names at the top of that bin.
- [16:13]
Dave
With love and respect for Zach Ertz. He's officially at the age, though. Like, David Njoku is old in the funny way where it's like, LOL. This guy's not even 30 yet. Zach Ertz is working on 36. Like, Zach Ertz was drafted in 2013. It is legitimately, legitimately amazing that he's not officially retired yet. Good for him.
- [16:33]
Robert Mays
And then the one spot further down in that is Mercedes Lewis, who's 42.
- [16:37]
Dave
Sure. Yeah. The ageless wonder himself.
- [16:40]
Robert Mays
All right, we both just like threw out a bunch of them right there. So what's your next one?
- [16:47]
Dave
Well, all right, let's, let's keep it, let's just keep it going and knock all of this out then. Because a big one for me. And it sounds, it sounds like it's going to reach the inevitable conclusion that we've been talking about. But what is the official conclusion of the A.J. brown thing? Like, I know Adam Shafter that should it be that easy? Is it definitely that easy? How come nobody else, how come nobody else wants A.J. brown? Like, why does it have to be New England?
- [17:18]
Robert Mays
The only reason that I wouldn't call it like a done deal, first of all, like after the Max Crosby thing, there are no done deals until the, the ink is dry in this day and age. So I, the rumor was, I think that's what Adam Schepter said is as a 2028 first round pick going from the Eagles to the Patriots, which shouldn't necessarily be surprising because I think teams are hoarding those 2027 first round picks like Gollum with the ring because of what they look at with next year's class. So the only thing that I think should, couldn't, could and should throw a wrench in this, because this is kind of one of my other like half questions. If those 2027 picks are so valuable and you know that you no longer have to seek out a quarterback in that draft. Yes. You're the Rams.
- [18:05]
Dave
Yes.
- [18:05]
Robert Mays
Why wouldn't you call and offer next year's first for A.J.
- [18:09]
Dave
brown? So I gotta, I gotta give credit where it's due to our wonderful friend Deontay Lee, who tweeted something similar during. I think it was the day after, so day two of the draft, Deontay tweeted basically that where it was like, if you have. For better or for worse, whatever your feelings of Ty Simpson are, the Rams now have some sort of plan at quarterback over the next two to five years. Like you're no longer dealing with the existential dread of what happens if Stafford gets hurt, what happens if Stafford retires again? It really has nothing to do with how good you think Ty Simpson is. That's just the allocation of resources. So if that's the case, and barring a catastrophe, the absolute worst the Rams are picking in the draft is like the absolute worst is like 27th. But realistically, you could be talking about 29 to 32. If that is the case, what is stopping the Fuck Them Picks team from saying, you're going to wait until 2028 for that first round pick? We'll give it to you right now. We'll give you next year's one. If you're cool with it being pick 32, why the hell not? And then the Rams can have their cake and eat it, too, and say, not only did we get our developmental upside swing at pick 13 this year, but we went and added a true needle mover where everybody said we needed one. Like everybody in the world was mad at us for not drafting a receiver. Or maybe Kenyon Siddiq at pick 13. Well, here you go. And now we got A.J. brown. I mean, I'm tempted to think it's not possible because smart people who make a lot of money are telling me that the Patriots thing is a done deal, but maybe it shouldn't be. Maybe a couple teams like the LA Rams should be like, oh, we can beat that price.
- [20:00]
Robert Mays
The only problem is not the only problem, but one of the problems is the Rams have already dealt their three next year to the Chiefs in the Trent McDuffie deal. And so now you're looking at this draft that everyone is so, so excited about. And even, like, we do this every year. But I. There are people that I really trust. Like, even Dane is like, not. Guys, I'm telling you, the players in next year's draft are really good. So I do think that if you're the Rams, how many of the picks in that draft are you willing to trade away before we even get to July 1st, before we even get to training camp, that you feel good about it.
- [20:29]
Dave
It doesn't sound like the Rams. I know. That's all I'm saying.
- [20:33]
Robert Mays
Listen, 13th overall, we've turned over a new leaf.
- [20:37]
Dave
I get it. But I did like, I guess that's really my point. And for that matter, I guess the Raiders, it Makes a little less sense to do something like that because even if they're surprisingly good this year, you don't want to get rid of a chance to draft top 20 in the, in the 2027 draft. I understand that, but I don't know if, if, if A.J. brown's willing to sign in Vegas and, and maybe he would be. Cause here's another thought. Like A.J. brown, I mean he said himself like after the Eagles won that super bowl, as much as he wants to win, like he wants to be the guy, he wants to like dominate and be the top receiver in football. Obviously that's not happening at a place like la. It would happen in New England, which is I'm sure an exciting prospect for him. But it would also. That would be the case for the Raiders as well with a young quarterback who. We don't know anything about Fernando Mendoza's NFL career, but he would at least have a chance to be an exciting young quarterback who could really make his receiver look good.
- [21:37]
Robert Mays
So we're coming off a season where Clint Kubiak's number one receiver got like 41% of the targets.
- [21:43]
Dave
Great point. Great point.
- [21:45]
Robert Mays
So I, if you're, if you want to go to a place where they're going to force feed the best player, I think he's shown a willingness to
- [21:50]
Dave
do that getting rid of like, I don't know that the Raiders should get rid of a 20, 27 one. But I don't know, it just seem, it seems weird to me that somebody of A.J. brown's caliber is clearly available and everybody's just like, well, yeah, that's that, that'll. It'll be the Patriots when we get to June, but nobody else wants him. And I'm just like, should it be
- [22:09]
Robert Mays
that eas though it's funny that Stefan Diggs and AJ Brown have both been the. We're going to supercharge this for a young quarterback receivers and draft a first round pick to get this guy. But they did it like three lifetimes ago. Like they were just very different players. I mean they were second contract guy. St. Diggs was technically a third contract guy. When that happened, he signed that like bullshit second deal with Minnesota that where he was vastly underpaid. But what that was 2020 that Diggs got traded to the Bills. So how old is Stefan Diggs now? He's 32 now. So he was 26 when that trade happened. So even if he was technically a third contract player, he was still young. So there, it's. There are. I don't think there's that sort of trade waiting for the Raiders and that's why I think maybe something like a Diggs or a Brown to try to get everything you can out of that young quarterback should at least be on their minds.
- [23:04]
Dave
And the Kings one's free if the. Well, yeah, I mean, and that's why ultimately I think there's ways the Raiders can do that without leveraging a very good looking draft. And it makes a little less sense for a team like the Raiders. But even still, if. If the Eagles are willing to wait until 2028 to recoup payment for A.J. brown, I don't get why there wouldn't be more teams in on that or I don't get why there wouldn't be more teams trying to beat that price.
- [23:34]
Robert Mays
The actual like real thing that, that, that the Raiders could do that like is within the realm of possibility. And it just isn't us like screwing around because it's April 29th and we're trying to have a good time. Is, can you trade a fifth round pick for Case on Booty? Like, it's that type of stuff that they actually probably should be thinking about, not the pie in the sky. Like, can they snatch away AJ Brown from the Patriots? It's not going to happen.
- [23:59]
Dave
I mean, if A.J. brown really is just already a Patriot and there's nothing anybody can do about it, then Kayshawn Booty becomes a little more expendable, that's for sure.
- [24:09]
Robert Mays
I'm just looking at guys that are hitting free agency next year. Like, Booty is one of those guys. And the Patriots have kind of already dangled out the fact that he might be available because of the A.J. brown thing, or at least other people have. And then the other guys who are free agents coming out of this year, I think most of them will be getting paid by their teams or are in a weird spot like the George Pickens thing. But Puka, Chris Olave, Drake, London, Michael Wilson's an interesting one.
- [24:35]
Dave
Other than. Other than what that would say to me about the Cardinals. I would just be mad at the Cardinals for getting rid of Michael Wilson.
- [24:43]
Robert Mays
It's a new staff and so like, that's one where I would at least be like, hey, do you guys like Michael Wilson? Does. Does Michael Fleur, Mike like Michael Wilson? And if not, like, what does that look like? That's a, that's one I'd at least make a call about. None of the other guys on this list are particularly interesting. I love Josh Downs, but I assume Josh Downs will be back because The Cole's offensive depth chart is not in a position to lose Josh Downs in the long term.
- [25:07]
Dave
That is, that's all my receiver related stuff. So we just knocked.
- [25:12]
Robert Mays
You best believe I got more. You ready? You best believe I got a couple more of them. Are the Chiefs just done. Is this, is this just it? Are we in like we got Kenneth Walker? We're good.
- [25:23]
Dave
We kind of, we kind of touched on that when we talked about stuff coming out of the draft and I, I'm inclined to think so.
- [25:32]
Robert Mays
How do you feel about that?
- [25:34]
Dave
How healthy is Patrick Mahomes? That's, that's how I feel about it.
- [25:39]
Robert Mays
When it's third and eight and Kenneth Walker's no longer an option, who's going to get open against man coverage? Have we solved that problem?
- [25:49]
Dave
Yeah, that's, I mean, hoping for, hoping for more from Xavier Worthy, I guess, would be my answer.
- [25:56]
Robert Mays
That's an interesting strategy. I, I, that the Kenneth Walker is, is doing enough for you on early downs. Maybe the hope is just we're avoiding third and eight entirely because we signed a running back to a big deal.
- [26:06]
Dave
Yeah, there you go. Just live in third and manageable. Forget about third and long.
- [26:10]
Robert Mays
Kenneth Walker is definitely a high success rate running back. That's going to get you like five and a half yards of carry. That's definitely what he's been known for.
- [26:16]
Dave
I mean, are we just, are we just talking about all these same guys that we just rehashed or is there something more grand in your plans for the Chiefs?
- [26:25]
Robert Mays
I don't, I, for me, I kind of defaulted. The idea that they might just be done, I mean the fact that they didn't seem to prioritize it at all. Like Juwan Jennings was the name I threw out from the beginning for them. But I wouldn't be surprised if they were not in that sort of market that they were just rolling what they got considering how they approached the draft. So I, I've kind of given up hope that it's going to look any different than just having Kenneth Walker and maybe potentially hopefully a couple new ideas on offense.
- [26:52]
Dave
That's, I, I just, I don't see, I, I, I don't see the signing that gets me super excited. I got we can say Juwan Jennings more one more time. But that's not even something like, I don't know, I mean it, it moves the needle but, but it, it's, it doesn't feel like some big cure all for me.
- [27:15]
Robert Mays
My last one on the receiver front do the Miami Dolphins on April 29 have the worst receiving core in recent NFL history. For would. Would this be the worst receiving core in recent NFL history? If the Dolphins had to play a game tomorrow, I think you could make a solid, serious argument that the best receiver on the Dolphins is a player coming off of a torn ACL that we've never seen play in the NFL.
- [27:44]
Dave
That's Chris, that's, that's two. Two Atwell Erasure. He had the longest receiving touchdown of the 2025 season. I'll have you know this is terrifying.
- [27:54]
Robert Mays
And I, we, we have some good recent examples. I was trying to think of a couple other ones. The, the 2022 Chicago Bears. Go take a look at that. Darnell Mooney, Equiminius St. Brown. Like we've had some tough ones recently, but the Dolphins rolling into this with the group that they currently have and a quarterback that they just paid $20 million a year. I, I'm not sure how much we're going to find out about Malik Willis. With this group. The Dolphins are going to run the ball 40 times a game. They're going to be the 2025 Jets.
- [28:21]
Dave
I appreciate you bringing this to my attention because it's easy to get draft glasses and, and fall in love with the decisions team makes teams make during. You know, the, the Dolphins said today that Kaden Proctor is going to start out at guard and you're like, okay, that's, that's exciting. I, I like the thought of Kaden Proctor playing some guard and they draft Jacob Rodriguez and Chris Johnson and they've just got all like, they got all these guys that you feel good about and then you go look at the roster and it is undoubtedly improved. But yeah, looking at that receiver, Corey, you're still just like right. Like you can't fix all of this in one weekend.
- [29:01]
Robert Mays
And that's exactly it. It's not even a criticism. I'm not like, oh man, the Dolphins, it's malpractice. How could the Dolphins not draft the receiver they a single position.
- [29:11]
Dave
It is the reality of a tear down like this. I mean they tre. They got rid of the foundations of their passing game in two months.
- [29:22]
Robert Mays
Every single way that the Dolphins went with their picks in the top 100 with those six top 100 picks that they ended up with because they ended up trading down. But every single one of those, none of them is like, oh man, why'd they do that? Not, not a single one of those decisions. It's like oh man, they didn't need one of those. They needed one of everything. And so there are only so many things you can fit in the cart on the way out, no matter how many draft picks you have.
- [29:46]
Dave
Yeah, it's. I mean, I'll be interested to see how quickly Chris Bell can get on the field, because I do. I love him, but I would assume it's not going to be, you know, ready for training camp, ready for week one type of deal.
- [30:03]
Robert Mays
I mean, they're, they're going to build this thing out of a bunch of big dudes, a fast running back and Malik Willis in the legs. And that's okay. I'm actually kind of interested in watching what that looks like. But the pass catching room has a lot to be desired.
- [30:13]
Dave
They really did. Like, they made a lot of exciting picks, though, like Will. Will Kazmark as like a blocking demon to help your run game out. I'm pretty in on that. I said the defensive picks. Kyle Lewis is a really fun player, but yeah, it's, it's not going to happen overnight in Miami. Even if this looks like an intriguing
- [30:34]
Robert Mays
first step, it's just a profoundly weird team. But that's always going to happen. When you tear it down to this extent, like, it's all going to be just like, theory and like, oh, man, I wonder how this works out. Like, that was always going to be the end point with the Dolphins. Again, it's not a criticism, it's just we. Now you see it all laid out in front of you. It's like, oh, man, this is, this is what we got. This is what we got to work with in certain areas of the roster heading into the season. All right, let's take our first quick break and I want to come back and chat a little bit about what the heck the Giants are going to do without Dexter Lawrence.
- [31:05]
BetterHelp Advertiser
This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Life is a journey. Some days feel good and others can feel overwhelming. Whatever's keeping you up at night, it's easy to feel like you have to figure it all out on your own. But the truth is, no one has all the answers and no journey journey should be taken alone. Having someone with you to listen, to understand, and to support you can make all the difference. May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and it's as good an opportunity as ever to check in with yourself and understand where you are right now. BetterHelp therapists work according to a strict code of conduct and are fully licensed in the US BetterHelp does the initial matching work for you so you can focus on your therapy goals. A short questionnaire helps identify your needs and preferences and their 12 plus years of experience and industry leading match fulfillment rate means they typically get it right the first time. If you aren't happy with your match, switch to a different therapist at any time from their tailored recommendations. With more than 30,000 therapists, BetterHelp is the world's largest online therapy platform, having served more than 6 million people globally. And it works with an average rating of 4.9 out of 5 for a live session based on more than 1.7 million client reviews. You don't have to be on this journey alone. Find support and have someone with you in therapy. Sign up and get 10% off at betterhelp.com maze that's betterhelp.commays Look, I'm a sports media guy and so that means I've got, I don't know, 20, 30 hoodies in my closet. They all serve a purpose, but I want that one that I'm just gonna live in, really live in, on the couch, on a plane, out for a hike, playing with my kids, whatever the case might be. That's the one that, that I'm looking for. And I finally found one with Pakka. Pakka makes outdoor and lifestyle apparel from Alpaca Fiber, one of the world's most sustainable natural fibers. Their best selling hoodie is softer than cashmere, warmer than wool, and breathable. The hoodie is built for real life, thermo regulating, odor resistant, durable, and made to last. Each one is made start to finish in Peru and features an Inca ID that's hand woven by artisans, honoring generations of knowledge and traditions and connecting you closer to where your clothing comes from. Over 250,000 people have picked up the Packa hoodie. What makes it even better, it's what I said off the top of this ad. The fact that you can wear it really wherever you want to go. It doesn't matter what you're doing. The Packa hoodie is going to be a hoodie that you reach for when you reach for over and over and over again. If you've been thinking up leveling your hoodie game, this is your sign to do it. To grab your Packa hoodie, go to www.paca apparel.com. that's www.p a k a apparel.com.
- [33:42]
Lost Person
We're lost and kickoff's coming up. I don't want to miss the lineup. I'm gonna ask that man for directions. Hi there. We're trying to get to the stadium.
- [33:52]
Helpful Local
Well, you're going to take a left at the old oak tree at this Here road. Nah, I'm just kidding. Let me get my phone out.
- [33:58]
Lost Person
How is there signal out here?
- [34:00]
Helpful Local
T Mobile and US Cellular are coming together so the network out here is huge. We get the same great signal as the city. Saving a boatload with benefits. And there's a five year price guarantee too. Okay, here's the turn.
- [34:12]
Lost Person
Actually, can you pull up the way to a T Mobile store?
- [34:16]
T Mobile Advertiser
America's best network just got bigger. Switch to T Mobile today and get built in benefits the other guys leave out plus our five year price guarantee. And now T mobile is available at US Cellular stores in Hermiston. Best mobile network Based on analysis by Ooklo Speed test intelligence data second half of 2025 bigger network. The combination of T Mobile's and US Cellular's network footprints will enhance the T Mobile network's coverage price guarantee on talk text and data exclusions like taxes and fees apply. CT mobile.com for details.
- [34:47]
Robert Mays
All right, so we were wondering in the second round of the draft if the Giants were going to be the team that made a play for a Kaden McDonald or, you know, was a little bit aggressive in finding one of those big bodied run stuffers in this draft. That did not happen. You know, in the second round they went with Colton Hood, 37th overall. They got Malachi Fields. I believe they traded up for Malachi fields in the third round, took him 74th and they didn't pick again until the sixth round. And so we left this draft without any clear replacement for Dexter Lawrence from the Giants. There's a ton of smoke about DJ Reader ending up there. I mean, some people reported it was already done. Dan Duggan, who covers the Giants for us after they signed Shelby Harris this morning, we're recording this at 2:50 P or 2 2:40pm Central Time. He noted that. All right, that's one. You know, is Dexter Lawrence the guy. Jesus, is D.J. reader the guy that they're eyeing at the nose tackle spot? So it seems like they do have a potential solution. But as it currently stands, DJ Reader is not a member of the Giants.
- [35:48]
Dave
It would have ma like, I don't know. I, I feel like that will happen in due time though. I mean this is exactly what we talked about during draft weekend where once you're done making the picks, you can go and add those sorts of guys. And I mean adding. I don't want to, I don't want to speak too, too highly but like even getting Shelby Harris makes me feel better about the overall situation than I did on Saturday evening, you know, and
- [36:14]
Robert Mays
so this Shelby Harris at this point, he's 34. He'll be 35 this year.
- [36:22]
Dave
He's a, he's a D tackle though. Like, these guys can play forever. That's, it's. I mean, Marseille, we're talking about all the oldest players in the league right now. Mercedes Lewis, like tight ends. D tackles.
- [36:33]
Robert Mays
Calais Campbell, come on down.
- [36:35]
Dave
I was going to say Claest. Campbell's still doing it, so why can't Shelby Harris. I mean, like I said, it's not a cure all. And I think you got to have your eyes wide open when you trade Dexter Lawrence away that you are, you know, you're giving yourselves some work to do. And we mentioned that earlier this week too. I guess we don't know for sure that Kaden McDonald would be a Giant right now if Houston hadn't traded up. But Houston certainly seemed convicted that they, that that was a risk if they didn't do something proactive to go get their guy. So I think it's, it's the cost of doing business. It's the cost of being willing to make a trade like that where this unit is taking a little bit of a step back and if you can stop, gap it for a year while you come up with a longer term solution, I think, I think that's fine. I think what's funny about the Giants and I feel like we've been saying this for a couple of years here, is like, what, what's the expectation for them? Because depending on who you ask, particularly if they live in the Tri State area, it just seems like some people expect the Giants to be way further along in this thing than I do. And the fact that they hired John Harbaugh and are rebooting this thing seems to signal to me like it's okay if you are the fourth best team in the division right now. Like you don't. We don't have to be sneaking up on people or be saying the Giants are a surprise playoff team. And if they are, then that probably says something amazing about Jackson Dart. But I think it's okay to admit where you are in this process right now. And if the Giants are a competently bad team, I think, I think that's fine. And I think there's been some disconnect there over the last couple years where we spend the off season arguing about why aren't you giving the Giants enough respect as a potential playoff team. Hopefully we can leave that behind us while John Harbaugh gets his feet underneath him. That's how I feel about sure we
- [38:31]
Robert Mays
can, I'm not sure that's going to happen. I think that enough people are going to get excited about this. We're going to be dragged back into that discussion, which I, maybe it is a little bit different now than it was before, but I, I, I think I pretty consistently over the last couple years as everyone was trying to make the Giants into this top five defense was like, really, we sure. And that obviously never unfolded in the way the Giants fans wanted. I also agree with you. Like, I don't think the Giants are in a spot where they should be making decisions about how they're building this roster with who are going to be our starting 11 players in week one. We need to prioritize that right now. Like, they're way too early in this process to be thinking about it that way. Like, just because you had starting corners doesn't mean Colton Hood wasn't the right move for you. Greg Newsom's on a one year deal. Like go, go draft the players that are going to be the most important part of your nucleus over the next two to three seasons. You shouldn't be overextending yourself to fill needs because of the aspirations that you have for 2026. That's not the, the position this team is in, nor should it be.
- [39:31]
Dave
I don't want to rule out the possibility that the Giants are surprisingly good entirely, but I just don't think they need to move as though they're supposed to be. And I don't think we need to wait those moves as if that's what's supposed to happen. I mean, to go back to the Bears conversation we keep having, I get it. If there's existential, I want to keep having it. By the way, I mean it's not, it's not just about you. It's just, it's an interesting thing coming out of the draft. Like when a team that nearly made the NFC title game doesn't address its biggest weakness. I get why that is a conversation that keeps coming up. We don't have to think about the Giants that way where it's like, ah, like they were, they were really close. They like the next moves need to be about getting over the top. No, the Giants weren't close and they don't look that close right now, especially after trading away a player of Dexter Lawrence's caliber. So just let this season be about laying a foundation and hoping Jackson Dart, among others, can surprise you. So like, yeah, I, it, it doesn't look great without Dexter Lawrence there. But I just think that's that's where you are after your conscious decisions to kind of retool this thing.
- [40:46]
Robert Mays
Trading Dexter Lawrence a week before the draft and then signing DJ Reader as a replacement is like a perfectly acceptable series of events for the New York Giants. Like, that's more than okay. All right, what's your next one?
- [41:00]
Dave
It's actually about something they did instead of, like, instead of somebody they lost. It's about guys that they added. But speaking of positions that give a fan base existential dread, I'm curious how this offensive line retool for the Chargers is going to work exactly. I do. I. And I want to be clear. I trust Mike McDaniel a lot. And if Mike McDaniel has an idea, then I'm willing to hear it out. And I'm not here to say that it's not going to work, but I think it's very interesting that Tyler Biotish was cut by the Commanders and the Chargers identified him and. And got him signed on a $30 million deal before free agency even opened. Like they felt that strongly about it and were that certain that he was the guy that they wanted at center, which is great. He's a good player. And then with the 63rd overall pick, they take Jake Slaughter out of Florida, who only ever played games at center throughout his college career. And I just. I think that's interesting and I'm curious to see how it's going to work. Like the idea of addressing a big, big hole at guard with a center after using pretty big resources at center. Clearly, Mike McDaniel and Jim Harbaugh have a plan for this and feel a certain type of way about it. But I think it's interesting if you look at the way that the guards
- [42:27]
Robert Mays
came off the board.
- [42:28]
Dave
Right.
- [42:28]
Robert Mays
And so I can understand if you're the Chargers and you look at the way that the 2026 draft can go. I'm trying to stall as I look this up. No, no.
- [42:37]
Dave
I actually. So I'm glad you're bringing this up. Cause it was going to note, to be fair to the Chargers in this circumstance, there weren't a ton of options. So Emanuel Pregnon out of Oregon goes 88th after the Chargers take Jake Slaughter and Trey Zun, who played tackle in college and most people think could play all five spots. He was taken 91st and a like. Other than that, th. Those are really your Options@Pick63 if you're not going to take Jake Slaughter. So I understand that there wasn't this wealth of guards available, but I don't Know, maybe that goes back to the idea of not being willing to spend more money in free agency, that maybe this felt like your best choice. Let's, let's take the center and move him to guard. We think he has that type of flexibility. So I, I, I understand the choices that were in front of them in the draft, but it speaks to the overall approach going back to March, in my opinion.
- [43:36]
Robert Mays
You look at it like pregnant's not a slug by any stretch, right? I mean, like his, some of his explosion testing is really good, but I mean, you look at the testing for Slaughter specifically, like he's just a mover, right? I mean, and for an undersized guy, that would make sense, right? And, but I'm not surprised to see them prioritize that skill set over a guy who has played guard. Like, I think it's, how well do you move, can we fit you into this offense? Was probably the thought process, if I had to guess why they ended up there. And so I think that prioritizing the pass rusher that you think is in a different tier of player at 22 with Hakeem Mazador and then waiting to get a skill set at guard that you think fits, what would you want to be on offense, I don't think that's crazy. Even if there's going to be a lot of guesswork involved in how it's going to work out.
- [44:22]
Dave
They also, you know, Cole Strange is with the Chargers now as well. He's on a two year, $13 million deal and they went back to back in the sixth round at guard. Logan Taylor and Alex Harkey are both guys that you would expect to play guard in the NFL. So they wound up spending a fair amount of resources on it. I'm just curious about how it's all going to work. And I'll say again, I don't hate it. I'm not, I'm trying not to shit on it. I just think it's interesting because Jake Slaughter was Dane's top center in this draft and again, like they did a, they did some guard stuff with him at the Senior bowl and he did say after he was drafted that he practiced at guard occasionally at Florida, but he's only ever played games at center. And so I just, I, I think that's interesting. To draft him that highly to move him to left guard doesn't mean that it won't work. I just, I'm interested to see what the whole thing looks like by the time we get to training camp.
- [45:20]
Robert Mays
Sometimes with guard like those Centers that they have to be center only just because of what their frame looks like. I mean, Jake Slaughter has 32 and three 8 inch arms. Like he's six five. Like in terms of his like physical makeup, I don't think there's anything really indicating that he can't play guard except the fact that he just never did it while he was in college.
- [45:39]
Dave
That's what he said at his post draft availability as well. And again, it's not to say that he can't do it. I just made me curious. Just the, the allocation of resources there to prioritize a center. And then I guess he would have been the second center off the board after Logan Jones. But take one of the top two or three centers to, you know, to move positions. It just, I, I clocked it.
- [46:07]
Robert Mays
I would say let's stick on centers. Who's playing center for the Ravens?
- [46:15]
Dave
Well, that's a great question. And actually it ties into what we just said about the Chargers because Eric D. Costa said at one of his post draft availabilities that I, you know, guy GMs don't like to say the name of players after they get drafted by other teams. But he was intimating that he was a little caught off guard by how quickly Logan Jones and Jake Slaughter went off the board. Like maybe the Ravens thought they'd have a shot at one of those guys later. And they didn't because of how the Bears and Chargers prioritized those picks.
- [46:46]
Robert Mays
I mean, he also came out this week. It was like, we'll probably have to do some work there. Whether that's with a late signing, some sort of trade. Like I would assume the starting center for the Ravens is not currently on the Ravens roster. And what that means, I think we have yet to find out. Ethan Pochic is still a free agent. And then I'd look around the league and be like, all right, who are guys that a played center could maybe get by that their team for whatever reason would be willing to part with them? I'd at least call the Bears about Bradbury, right? Maybe it gets a little bit closer to training camp.
- [47:20]
Dave
I'd at least you're trying, you're, you're trying so hard to fire Bradbury. It's the second time this week.
- [47:26]
Robert Mays
It's more so. I mean, they gave up a fifth round pick for him. That's not nothing. But I also think that when you find a guy in the second round, a second round center is like, that's a lot to spend on a center. And you don't want to throw that guy into the mix right away. But if I I would at least call now that the Bears had addressed that early in the draft a couple other guys I'd at least mention maybe the Lions with Juice Scruggs like he was a throw in pick in the Montgomery trade. Obviously they signed Cade Maze in free agency. The Lions did and so is that interior offensive lineup they don't necessarily need o Timmy from the Seahawks, you know he's at least played and now they, you know he's now put in a backup role there. So just like names I would throw out calls I would make if I were the Ravens and like Bradbury is one where I would at least make a phone call about it. Now that the Bears have addressed it in the draft, there's a chance they tell you to off like we're not going to start a second round pick like we traded a fifth round pick to this guy for a reason. But it's at least a phone call I would make if I were the Ravens.
- [48:24]
Dave
I'm just trying to think of other guys that are worth mentioning that you haven't brought up which it my other takeaway from this is and look, the Tyler Bish got just such a ungodly contract and you know we just mentioned the way the board fell for the Ravens at the position during the course of the draft. It is a little surprising to me that the Ravens would be in this situation. Like the Ravens I think of as a team that covers all their bases and makes sure that they're not in a situation where they have to do something like this. I mean that's the old cliche about good drafting team go into the draft with obvious needs so you don't A wind up reaching for players that don't deserve to be picked that highly but B come out of the draft with glaring weaknesses like this where you might have to leverage yourself in a trade or you know, pay too much money for a veteran that's available. It's not to say that it like that they can't fix it but I just that doesn't sound like the Ravens process to me.
- [49:32]
Robert Mays
No, and I listen there, there are plenty of ways that they could potentially solve this. It's just you're looking at that team and you're looking at the expectations that they have. I mean it to me it's one of the most glaring holes on a team that has real super bowl aspirations is what the Ravens are going to do at center. Like I don't know how many more like screaming needs on teams with top eight super bowl odds, you can find that are more glaring than what that looks like for the Ravens right now.
- [49:58]
Dave
Now I'm just trying to think of outside of the box alternatives you could come up with. Like, for instance, what would the jets want for Joe Tippman, who has played center before and has that type of flexibility? He's in the last year of his rookie deal. Do you have plans to extend him? And if you don't, what would you be willing to part with him for? And obviously, I mean, that's a guy who starts for the Jets. I get it. But for where the jets are in their build and what they need and all the stuff that they've got going on, would they rather have an extra pick next year than Joe Tippmann? And would the Ravens be willing to meet that price? Just. Or, or if there are any other options like that available, like, you know, going along with what you were saying,
- [50:42]
Robert Mays
he has one more year left in his deal after this one. Oh, no, no. This is the final year of Joe Tubman's rookie contract. So yeah, that's probably a phone call that's worth making. I mean, he played well enough at guard last year where I, I think I would be inclined to hang on to him if I were the Jets.
- [50:55]
Dave
I get it. I'm, I, I'm not saying he's a bad player at all, but I get like, that's the calculus a team like the jets has to do is. Yeah, I mean, it would hurt us to trade him. Do we have plans to hold on to him? Is it worth at grabbing and you know, whatever that would be worth, like a third or fourth round pick in next year's draft. Whatever.
- [51:16]
Robert Mays
Let's take one more quick break and then come back and hit a couple more of these big questions that we still have.
- [51:24]
Lost Person
We're lost and kickoff's coming up. I don't want to miss the lineup. I'm gonna ask that man for directions. Hi there. We're trying to get to the stadium.
- [51:33]
Helpful Local
Well, you're going to take a left at the old oak tree at this here road. Nah, I'm just kidding. Let me get my phone out.
- [51:40]
Lost Person
How is there signal out here?
- [51:42]
Helpful Local
T Mobile and US Cellular are coming together, so the network out here is huge. We can get the same great signal as the city, saving a boatload with benefits. And there's a five year price guarantee too. Okay, here's the turn.
- [51:54]
Lost Person
Actually, can you pull up the way to a T Mobile store?
- [51:57]
T Mobile Advertiser
America's best network just got bigger. Switch to T Mobile today and get built in benefits the other guys leave out. Plus our 5 year price guarantee and now T Mobile is available at U S Cellular stores in Hermiston. Best Mobile Network based on analysis by UK Speed Test Intelligence data. Second half of 2025 bigger network the combination of T Mobile's and US Cellular's network footprints will enhance the T Mobile network's coverage price guarantee on talk, text and data exclusions like taxes and fees. Apply CT mobile.com for details.
- [52:22]
Bombas Sport Advertiser
You're a pro at running your life. At committing to your workout. At showing up every day. At Bombas, we're pros too. Pros at making socks. Our sport assortment has specialized socks for whatever sport you're committed to running, hiking, golf, Pilates and so much more. Made with sweat, wicking yarns, blister fighting details and targeted art support. Bombus Sport is pro level socks from the Pros of Socks. For another pro, you go to bombas.com audio and use code audio for 20% off your first purchase. That's bombas.com and use code Audio support
- [52:53]
Grainger Advertiser
for this podcast is brought to you by Walden University. Ever catch yourself thinking, what if I could go after what I actually want and really make a difference? You're not alone. And that's exactly why I want to tell you about Walden University. For over 50 years, Walden has helped working adults like you get the W with the knowledge and skills to build the future you want and make a difference where it matters most. If you've been waiting for the right moment, this is it. Head to WaldenU.edu and take the first step. Walden University set a course for change. Certified to operate by Chev.
- [53:33]
Robert Mays
All right, so I had the Raven Center. What was your next one?
- [53:37]
Dave
Similar to year one with the Chiefs. I would like to talk for a minute about the Jacksonville Jaguars. And I wonder, are the Jacksonville Jaguars done? And listen, I'm not interested, I'm really not very interested in talking about the Jags draft class. I like you and you and Fran Duffy talked about it on on the show this week and it's been like the argument of the week in NFL circles. I'm not interested in that. But going through, just going through rosters and looking around the league, getting ready for this show, I was struck by the fact that the Jaguars are, I think, the only team in the NFL or at the very least it's a short list where I don't think that they have a guaranteed starter from outside the building coming onto the roster in 2026 like they've made additions, don't get me wrong. Like Chris Rodriguez at running back. They swapped Mason Smith for Ruka Roro and they do have a sizable draft class, but none of those guys are guaranteed to be day one big time starters like you would guess for where he was drafted. Nate Borkircher is going to play in 12 personnel, but he's not going to be the guy on the field in 11 over Breton strange, if Brenton Strange is healthy. And so I just look around at the Jags roster and I'm like, okay, a fully healthy Travis Hunter who plays a whole season for you and is at one position, maybe that makes a huge difference for your defense. You've got some draft picks coming back from last year that were hurt, be it Caleb Ransom, the secondary, or Jalen McLeod who, who didn't really have a rookie season at linebacker. So, like, you've got guys coming in who can play big roles who didn't do a lot for you last year. It's just interesting that in terms of major additions from outside, there's not a whole lot. And that's very unusual in the NFL today. And so I'm wondering if, if they're just like, yeah, we're, we're just going to roll the ball out. We love our last two draft classes. Travers, Travis Hunter's healthy, let's go kick some ass. Or do you have something else in mind for improving this roster between now and August?
- [55:55]
Robert Mays
It's a great question. I think if you were trying to cope, if you were a Jags fan, in terms of the roster being better than it was last year, the team being better than it was last year, I would say two things. You could make an argument that your two most important off season additions are Travis Hunter, like you said, and the Jacoby Myers trade that you made at the deadline.
- [56:15]
Dave
Right?
- [56:15]
Robert Mays
Like that's, that's the move that you made to feel a little bit different than you did at the start of the 2025 season. But it's a great question, right? Like they're drafted pregnant in, in the third round and so could he be in the mix for one of those guard spots? If you wanted like a slight upgrade there in terms of like the pop in the middle of your offensive line. But the defensive line is another area that I think Jags fans wanted them to address this off season. And while they drafted a couple guys at those spots, like, like you said, are, are Albert Regis or Wesley Williams going to make that group feel appreciably different than it did Last year. I think it's a worthwhile question.
- [56:50]
Dave
It's just like, like you just don't see examples very often of teams coming back with all the same guys and, and it's not even completely the same. Obviously Travis Hn is a saint now and Devin Lloyd is up in Carolina. So you lose two huge players from last season and even like, you know, I, I love baseball. Tutin Laquin Allen was great as a rookie and like I already mentioned Chris Rodriguez. It's not like they don't have stuff there but I don't know, it's, it's interesting to look over a team's roster and they're too deep and outside of the incoming draft picks you're just like ah, they really felt good about last year's team. There's not a whole lot of new here.
- [57:29]
Robert Mays
I think part of this is, I mean we, you can understand how they arrive here when it comes to the draft. Like they didn't have a first round pick and they use their second round pick on a what many people think is a vastly overdrafted Y tight end. And so if those are going to be, if that's going to be what happened to you in the first two rounds of the draft, it becomes a little bit easier to find yourself in this situation where you look at the off season additions and think who's really going to be a needle mover here? Because that's where you're supposed to get those guys.
- [57:57]
Dave
I mean to your point, I think you could say similar things about the Colts. Like their roster looks fairly similar but even the Colts, I mean if, even if they're not every snap starters and all rookie team guys like you would expect C.J. allen and A.J. hulsey to have major roles on the Colts immediately. And I just, I think it's a little bit harder to find the guy on the Jags roster where you're like yes, that is a every down starter. That is a, a difference maker from the jump.
- [58:29]
Robert Mays
I don't disagree with you, but does that also you in. In that conversation? I think you also have to acknowledge part of that conversation is also that the Colts had glaring needs at those spots and so the second and third round picks have to be slotted in there. The Jags didn't have those necessarily and so maybe that's why guys picked on day two, late on day two don't have to be day one starters for the Jags.
- [58:54]
Dave
Maybe that's the cognitive dissonance is it's just wild to think of the Jags as a team that want to roll the ball back out there with last year's team. But if it's the team from the second half of the season where they just were on an unbelievable tear, I understand that. And it's worth saying, I think a, a fully healthy and available Travis Hunter is something worth being excited about, even if it doesn't feel shiny and new anymore.
- [59:20]
Robert Mays
Yeah, I mean that's huge. I mean him being like a difference making corner for you and they brought back Monteric Brown and free agency and so they just, I mean the, the moves that they made were again, the trade for Jacoby Myers and then getting Travis Hunter back. And like the, the things that are going to make this team feel a little bit different, I think are hopefully in house solutions. I, I think that's probably the argument that they're making. We'll see if it actually works out that way.
- [59:45]
Dave
That's definitely the argument that they're making. Like, I'm sure they would tell me they would lift list off all these 26 draft picks. And like I said, there's, there's two or three guys that they felt good about last year who for one reason or another just didn't have a huge chance to make an impact. And so teams love to view those guys as like, you know, additions for this year. Like, ah, don't, don't forget about him. He got hurt during training camp and now he's available. And I get it. There's, there's plenty of young options that can take a step forward for the Jags. But it is, it's just interesting to see a 13 win team with no outside additions to really speak of.
- [60:25]
Robert Mays
All right, let's speak. Let's stay in the AFC South. You just mentioned this team. My next one is can the Colts find one more pass rusher? They were in the Trey Hendrickson conversation before he signed with the Ravens. They didn't really add that player in the draft anywhere high. We just talked about the fact that they needed to address linebacker and safety. And so are they going to be one of these teams that's in the market for one of the veteran pass rushers that's still available? And so that kind of dovetails into what happens with the veteran pass rushers that are currently on the market. Where does Joey Bosa end up? Dante Fowler is like to see end up be being a Seahawk because we talked about them not addressing past rush on day two in favor of going running back in the first round and then defensive back on day two. So where do these guys end up? And are the Colts one of the teams that adds one of these veteran players? They had your Debian Clowney team because after swinging and missing on Hendrickson and then not really addressing it early in the draft, I think that's probably the one spot on the Colts roster where it's like they probably need one more body here.
- [61:24]
Dave
There's the list of available edge rushers who you don't think of as big time names who I'm really intrigued by. It's, it's. I think it's a good list this year. Like, like Joey Bosa is the obvious headliner. Jadevian Clowney is. He's going to be out there until the end of time. Same thing with Leonard Floyd. Like those guys are just going to be available every year. But outside of that, again, these are not the sexy names that are going to come in and get double digit sacks for you. But some, Somebody good should want AJ Epanessa on their team. Somebody good should want Yator Gross Matos on their team. Derek Barnett did some wonderful stuff for the Texans and I throw him out here with guys that are always available. But like if you're in dire straits, Kyle Van, Kyle Van Noy is probably worth some kind of contract to go give you something. So it's, I mean it's, it's an interesting list. And that doesn't even include. But the, another big, big name in Cam Jordan. I'll, I'll be interested to see what type of team might be interested in him and what the market might look like. I mean, if he's, if he's purely a pass rusher guy at this point in his career who's not carrying a heavy load, but could come in and, and give you some pass rush juice at that age for the right type of team. I think that's interesting. And so it's, it's a pretty long list for, for teams like the Colts, for teams like the Bears. I'm. Yeah, this was one of my questions too. I'm interested to see where. Go and win.
- [62:55]
Robert Mays
When did Cam Jordan and Von Miller get to be 37 years old?
- [62:59]
Dave
2011 was a uncomfortable, uncomfortably long time ago.
- [63:04]
Robert Mays
My God. Makes my bones hurt. All right, do you have any more?
- [63:11]
Dave
I think the, this edge rusher one was the last one for me.
- [63:14]
Robert Mays
Okay, so there we go. We both had that on our minds at the end here. All right. Those are the big questions. I, I think those are most of them. I, the ones that like the, the, the Ravens center, things like that. Where it's just like, all right, we need to figure this out. I think those are the ones that first came to mind. So I think we did hit a majority of the holes that are still left on a lot of these rosters. We're going to start addressing just overall off season plans from teams tomorrow. We did this last year. We did a buy or sell on every team in the NFL's off season over a four week period. And we're going to be doing the exact same thing this year. We're breaking it up into four different shows, eight teams per show. We're doing it pretty much solely by super bowl odds. So if your team is in the rebuilding team section tomorrow, take it up with the people who make the odds. And if your team is not in the super bowl contender show three weeks from now, again, take it up with the people who make the odds. This is a clean way to do it. So we'll be doing four shows over the next month or so, buying or selling every single team's off season in the entire league. And that starts for us tomorrow. So very much looking forward to that. For now, that's all we got. Appreciate you guys listening. We'll talk to you very soon. Thanks for tuning in. Make sure to hit that subscribe or follow button so you never miss an episode. If you enjoyed what you heard, please like comment and leave a rating. We'll see you next time.
- [64:37]
Lost Person
We're lost and kickoff's coming up. I don't want to miss the lineup. I'm gonna ask that man for directions. Hi there. We're trying to get to the station.
- [64:47]
Helpful Local
Well, you're going to take a left at the old oak tree at this here road. Nah, I'm just kidding. Let me get my phone out.
- [64:53]
Lost Person
How is there signal out here?
- [64:56]
Helpful Local
T mobile and US Cellular are coming together so the network out here is huge. We get the same great signal as the city, saving a boatload with benefits. And there's a five year price guarantee too. Okay, here's the turn.
- [65:08]
Lost Person
Actually, can you pull up the way to a T mobile store?
- [65:11]
T Mobile Advertiser
America's best B test network just got bigger. Switch to T mobile today and get built in benefits the other guys leave out plus our five year price guarantee. And now T mobile is available at u S Cellular stores in hermiston Best mobile network Based on analysis by Ooklo Speed s intelligence data second half of 2025 bigger network. The combination of T mobile's and US cellular's network footprints will enhance the T mobile network's coverage price guarantee. On talk, text and data exclusions like taxes and fees apply. See t mobile.com for details.
- [65:36]
GNC Advertiser
We all know winning means showing up stronger, faster, better than before. And when you're chasing that edge, the Drop by GNC cuts through the noise, bringing you the best new innovations in sports, nutrition and performance. From muscle building and strength support to improved recovery and focus, we curate the newest drops from GNC Amp Pro Performance and Mega Men plus Ghost Raw Nutrition, Bucked up and the top new brands. Changing the game. No guesswork, just leveling up. Check out the Drop by GNC for what's new, you, what works and what's next.
- [66:10]
Babbel Advertiser
Par le tu francais hablas Espanol Parliament if you've used Babbel, you would Babbel's conversation based technique teaches you useful words and phrases to get you speaking quickly about the things you actually talk about in the real world. With lessons handcrafted by over 200 language experts and voiced by real native speakers, Babbel is like having a private tutor in your pocket. Kit Start speaking with Babel today. Get up to 55% off your Babel subscription right now at babel.com acast spelled b a b b e l.com acast rules and restrictions may apply.