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- [00:00]
Steph Curry
Make some noise for the greatest shooter of all time, Steph Curry. We went live from All Star Weekend for a new podcast called Goat Greatest of Their Era. And we ranked our top five shooters from the 2000s.
- [00:13]
Peja Stojaković
Peja 5, Dirk Ford.
- [00:14]
Dirk Nowitzki
Peja is alone.
- [00:15]
Steph Curry
You won't believe who Steph left off his list.
- [00:18]
Peja Stojaković
That's so tough. That's why we have these conversations.
- [00:21]
Steph Curry
Yes, absolutely.
- [00:22]
Peja Stojaković
Love it.
- [00:22]
Steph Curry
Listen to Goat G O T E Greatest of Their era on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [00:30]
Greg Rosenthal
What's up everyone? It's Greg Rosenthal and I'm teaming up with the King of spring, Daniel Jeremiah. He requires me to say that we're going to be bringing you 40s and free agents, the only podcast you'll need this NFL draft season. From DJs mock drafts to my top 101, free agents will have it covered for you with all new episodes every Thursday keeping you up to date as we head to the NFL Draft. Listen to 40s and free agents starting on March 6th on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.
- [01:00]
Julie Stewart-Banks
What's up everyone? Julius Ripps here, along with former NHL player Nate Thompson.
- [01:05]
Nate Thompson
We're doing a new podcast together. Here we go.
- [01:08]
Julie Stewart-Banks
The name Energy Line with Nate and jsb.
- [01:11]
Nate Thompson
Each week we'll get together and talk about hockey life. All topics are fair game, right?
- [01:17]
Julie Stewart-Banks
Exactly. And you'll never know who will drop by to join us.
- [01:20]
Nate Thompson
Julie is pretty well connected. She has text threads going that you wouldn't believe.
- [01:25]
Julie Stewart-Banks
Listen to Energy Line with Nate and jsb on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [01:32]
Ashlyn Harris
We all have a moment that splits us wide open. On my new podcast, Wide Open with Ashlyn Harris, I'll sit down with trailblazers from sports, music, fashion, entertainment and politics to explore their toughest moments and the incredible comebacks that followed. Listen to Wide Open with Ashlyn Harris, an iHeart women's sports production on the iHeartradio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Elf Beauty, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports.
- [02:12]
Chad Millman
Welcome to the favorites the podcast presented by bet365. We are part of the volume podcast network. I am Chad Millman of the Action Network. I am live from my Tommy John home studio and I'm joined as always by my co host, my companion, my compadre, my BFF Professional Better Simon Hunter. Hello, Simon.
- [02:32]
Simon Hunter
Chad. How we doing, brother?
- [02:34]
Chad Millman
Dude, I'm so psyched for today's show. We're going hardcore football, hardcore free agency, hardcore draft. We are joined by one of ESPN's top talent and NFL draft and fantasy analysts, one of the swellest people in all the sports media. The pride of the Wesleyan University Cardinals, my neighbor here in West Hartford, Connecticut. Welcome back to the show. Feel Yates, it's good to be on.
- [03:00]
Dirk Nowitzki
It's kind of like an annual tradition now. I guess after you do it twice, it becomes an annual tradition because if memory serves, the last appearance was around this time of the year last year.
- [03:08]
Chad Millman
And since then we had, you want, didn't we have you on in August? You know, everything is just, maybe you had just injured your shoulder.
- [03:18]
Dirk Nowitzki
Oh, okay. You know what, I gotta be honest with you. That shoulder, they say that the biggest issue is like, you know, the actual, like the capacity to come back to 100% with your shoulder. I just think it's clouded my memory. Everything is a blur over the last six or seven months since suffering what is considered by many the single dumbest injury in the history of sports media. Just in sports in general.
- [03:38]
Chad Millman
Well, listen, I'll tell you a story from last night that'll make you feel so much better. So I'm talking to my son, my 18 year old son. We're talking about the Bears, of course, during the day as he's supposed to be in school. He's a second semester senior so he's not paying too much attention right now. He's just texting me about the Bears trade for Joe Tuney, which we are going to dig into. And I mentioned to him while I'm making dinner and he's hanging out with me that we're having you on the show today. And my kid says, oh, I think he's friends with our neighbors like I saw, I saw them once and we were talking about sports and they mentioned him and I said, yeah, he is. I've seen Field at their house and he lives in town. And he said to me, you don't have a lot of friends, you should just hang out with Field. And I said, I said, I said, no, he's young, he's better looking, more famous. It's just going to make me feel bad at my about myself. And then I did tell him that we saw you and your beautiful family at dinner one night and you had your young kids at the dinner table. This was about a month ago, you had one kid in your lap. One kid was running around the table. My wife and I actually said out loud, we kind of felt bad about it. That looks miserable we would not trade places with you no matter how much you have going for you.
- [04:59]
Dirk Nowitzki
I can remember that instance very well and what I will say is, as it turns out, I'm once again by myself right now with my my kids. My wife doesn't travel often, but when she does it seems to be aligned with when you and I are either talking or hanging out in the same place. I learned a lesson that time. I thought, hey, you know what? I've got both kids to myself. I am this well established girl dad that can handle anything that comes my way. Why don't I take them out to dinner? That was a poor decision. So the itinerary for the next three nights because this is now one night into a four night departure for my wife, is to maybe if we're feeling very adventurous, get in the car and drive through somewhere. That's as far as we will go. There will not be going inside of establishments this weekend other than gymnastics class and a couple of other things that we are required to attend as we are every single weekend.
- [05:48]
Chad Millman
I'm going to stay so far away from your side of town. Smart. As a reminder, the Favorites podcast is presented by bet365 and now new bet365. Customers get $150 in bonus bets when you bet $5. Sign up using promo code favorites, deposit $10, place a bet for $5. Get $150 in bonus bets. Those bonus bets can be used on spreads, totals, player pros, futures and more. Whatever the moment, it's Never ordinary at bet365 must be 21 or older and present in Arizona, Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, North Carolina, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia or 18 and older in Kentucky. Gambling problem. Call 1-800- GAMBLER or 1-800-BITS OFF in Iowa. Terms conditions, restrictions apply. All right, before we get to field and all the burning questions from the NFL. Very quickly, reminder Officially RSVP for our free Favorites Live show event in Chicago. This will be for the Elite Eight March Madness games on Saturday, March 29. Joe's Bar on Weed street, less formally known as Joe's on Weed near Lincoln park in Chicago. Free event, free drinks, free live show. I'll be there. Simon will be there. Stuckey will be there. Jim Root from Three Man Weave and the Big Bets on Campus Podcast will be there. RSVP to reserve your spot by clicking in the link in the episode's description or Google Favorites Live Event Chicago all right, let's kick it off. Field number one. Yesterday was a huge day of news in the NFL DK Metcalf wants a trade. The Bears trade for Joe Tuney. But the biggest news to me, Max Crosby signed a three year, $105 million contract, 90 million guaranteed. That feels like folly to me. Your take?
- [07:36]
Dirk Nowitzki
Okay, so here's what I would say. You know, there's been a lot of turnover in Las Vegas. They haven't even been to Las Vegas Raiders for that long. And they've had a lot of coaching and general manager changes in that time. Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziggler were replaced eventually by Antonio Pierce and Tom Tesco and then they decided to make the shift one more time. Now it's John Spyt as their GM with Pete Carroll as their head coach. Bad probably for vibes to be making that many changes and not ideal for young quarterbacks to constantly be shifting systems. Probably pretty good for star players. One of the messages that we heard yesterday from John Spytak and Pete Carroll was because there was a press conference that was associated with this landmark deal was hey, we're just getting started here. And what better way to get started than to affirm to the entire locker room that it's not just that Max is our most talented player, it's that Max carries himself and puts in the work required to be great. That if every player followed his lead, we'd be a whole lot better. So I'm not saying that the Raiders, if they had kept their prior administration, would not have touched Max Max Crosby's contract last year. They did the o borrow from a future year accelerated onto the present year, which basically forces their hand back to the table the year later. But yeah, the Raiders are trying to make a statement here and one thing I will say about Las Vegas and I think that we, I probably align closer to you with this is like I, if I were the Raiders, would be thinking long and hard about what is my legitimate path towards the playoffs in this division. The Chiefs, despite the humble pie served in the super bowl, are still the Chiefs. The Broncos and the Chargers are two teams that both made the playoffs and are on the rise. Each of those three teams has both a young quarterback and a very accomplished and I think we all believe still has some good coaching left in him. Head coach, if you're the Raiders, would you rather play a bit more of the long game or try to find your way to sneak in to the playoffs sooner than later? It sounds like when you hire a 73 year old head coach in Pete Carroll who the second he steps on the sideline this fall will be the oldest coach in league history and you have Tom Brady as one of your principal voices. Your mindset is we want to win sooner rather than later. And so the Max Crosby extension is an affirmation that we're going to continue to build around Max and a few other players and we expect to win. Maybe not win big this year, but win sooner rather than later. I would have been more inclined to soft reset and try to build this thing organically, but that's easy for me to say when my I'm not in the weeds every single day competing with that locker room and the one who is not judged based off of the wins and losses of the franchise like Pete Carroll and John Spytak will be going forward.
- [10:31]
Chad Millman
Simon this feels like a tragically terrible move that cannot get it right for a player who last year this feels to me like the owner is constantly trying to placate and be friends with the star player because last year when Antonio Pierce was went from interim coach to head coach it was because Max Crosby said he didn't want to play with the Raiders if Antonio Pierce wasn't going to be the head coach. So we talked about the Raiders in the mailbag. Like this is creeping up as one of the teams consistently I feel like as a fan I'd never want to root for.
- [11:13]
Simon Hunter
Yeah and it's, it's tough if you're a Raiders fan because you're not one or two pieces away. Right. You are multiple years away. And it's interesting that Division 4 of the five oldest head coaches in that division like that's people don't realize that's an old school type of division now when you really think about it where a lot of these guys have been around forever and they're winners, they're proven winners and they're in a weird spot now where you know, the other three teams seem like they found their quarterback and this team here, like I'd love to get Fields view on it. Are they really going for Geno Smith? Are they really in the Sam Darnold business? There's so many rumors and it's non stop too where I told Chad last week I almost got caught. I almost bet on them because I thought it was a sure thing that Stafford was going there, that the link was drying, that that was a real deal move. It wasn't. That was all just him leveraging his position with the Rams. So is it true Fields, are they going after one of these quarterbacks? Are they just, you know going to release Minshew here and then just roll with whatever they can find in the draft this upcoming season.
- [12:09]
Dirk Nowitzki
I would imagine that the most likely thing that happens to Geno Smith this offseason is an extension with Seattle as opposed to being on the move. I don't know the exact number there, but Gino is going into the final year of a three year, $100 million deal. There was some upside on top of that through incentives, some of which Gino has already hit. I think you're more likely to see Gino do a remix of that deal. Maybe it's more because the quarterback market has exploded and he is playing good football and we don't talk about tread on the tires for quarterbacks that often, but he's one of the least experienced, isn't the right word, but the least utilized players at that position for his age. Right. Because he had like, basically, I don't know, seven, eight year period where he just watched most games from the sideline. So Gino, I think, is probably going to stick in Seattle going forward. I think the Raiders are going to be in the mix on some of these quarterbacks. And really there's only one that moves a needle. That would be Sam Darnold. And I'd say this is. It's possible the Raiders could get Shador Sanders sixth overall in the draft. It's also possible the Raiders could be motivated to try to move up in the draft. Because the thing about April 24th or 26th in Green Bay, Wisconsin this year is, yeah, it's possible he falls to you, but he also might not. And if you don't get your quarterback in the draft, you did nothing in free agency. You're basically punting on the season. No team can win with the level of quarterback play that they had last year. The roster is simply not nearly good enough to compete. So I think there's a chance they get in the Sam Darnold mix. And then I think if they don't, it tells us they're feeling pretty good about how they can plot their path in the draft. You just can't afford to wait. The Giants, the Browns, the Titans. I reverse the order there, but I would say that those two, those three teams in that order are most desperate for a quarterback. When you've got three that pick, 1, 2, 3, and you're at 6. Like you just can't settle for the possibility of maybe a quarterback getting there. So the Raiders are going to be aggressive. This would not be the off season that I would be shopping for a quarterback in a. In an aggressive way. But they are looking at it like we don't have that many strikes in our count and we're not going to just take one before the games have actually begun.
- [14:25]
Chad Millman
So the other team that made moves yesterday, the Chiefs, got rid of Joe Tuney and they lopped off 16 million from the cap, which they needed to do. Rooney was sort of the star of that offensive line this year, not just for the way he was playing at guard, but for the way he shifted out to left tackle and was serviceable when that was clearly the, the biggest Achilles heel for the Chiefs. And even if it wasn't a great super bowl performance, this is a guy who accrued so much respect in the locker room and then throughout the league, but they had to get rid of him because they needed to save the money. If you're the Bears and you've got Josiah Jackson now from the Rams and Joe Tuney from the Chiefs, do you think you have solidified your interior line or have you just taken guys who are maybe one who underperformed because of injury and then something quirky that happened in LA with Jackson or a guy who's old and might have had his last best spot and was just really expensive, like, how am I supposed to feel about this as a Bears fan?
- [15:34]
Dirk Nowitzki
Really good is what I would say. So let's talk about this. Let's break it down in a couple of different ways. You have this head coach and Ben Johnson, who of course chose Chicago over pretty much any job he wanted. Right. That was substantial. It was a big move for this franchise. And it spoke to, I think, the way that Ben views the roster already and also how I think he views the front office and the vision and the cohesion he felt during that interview process with Ryan Poles and Kevin Warren, the GM and the president of the Bears, amongst others, who were also in that mix. That being said, it's still important once you land the coach that you make him happy beyond that. Right. Like, you know, you want to woo him during the interview process to incentivize him to take this job and then you want to show him just how much on the same page you two are. And you know Jonah Jackson is familiar to Ben Johnson, four year starter for Ben Johnson in Detroit.
- [16:24]
Simon Hunter
Right.
- [16:24]
Dirk Nowitzki
I mean, the guy played left guard for the first four years of his rookie contract, I guess the entirety of his rookie contract with the Lions. I'm sure that Ben had a prominent voice in this process to acquire Jonah. It wasn't as if the Bears went to him and said, we're thinking about acquiring Jonah. He said, I think I'm good on that guy. We'll maybe go a different direction. They said, no, no, we're acquiring him. Like that does not get done. If Ben Johnson was not confident in the player that he still is, Joe Tuney, this is a good reminder that circumstances are different for every single team. The Chiefs could not go five minutes this past year without discussing just how respected Joe Tuney is. He was in a locker room that is full of future hall of Fame players. Certainly Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce and Chris Jones has that trajectory and maybe a couple of others get there by the time it's all said and done. Joe Tunney was frequently referred to as amongst the most, if not the most respected dependable players on the entire roster. The chief season was not falling apart. They lost one game during the regular season until week 18 when the backups played against the Broncos. That being said, it was clear their ceiling was not at the same level as it had been in prior years in which they made deep playoff runs because the offensive line was a disaster. They took some swings. They have drafted in the third and second round Wanye Morris and Kingsley Suamataia respectively, and those guys just weren't ready for prime time. So they said let's take our best offensive lineman, Joe Tuney and make him a left tackle. Which he was, by the way, first team All American at North Carolina State way back when he came out. But Joe Tunney has the strongest stamp of approval from Bill Belichick and Andy Reid. I would say that's a pretty good starting point. Does he have five years left in him? Probably not. But does he have two years left in him? I sure think so. And I think I don't know this for a fact. I haven't seen it reported anywhere. I'm just using my common sense here. Wouldn't stun me if the Bears and Joe Tunney find a way to do some sort of short term pact that maybe guarantees Joe all of this season, which he he's going to make that money from the Bears no matter what. You don't trade for a guy and then cut him, but guarantees him this year, maybe some of next year as well. Maybe they say, hey, we'll do a three year deal that reduces your cap hit a little bit this year. Maybe your average annual value drops down by a little bit. So maybe a one year $16 million deal turns into a three year $42 million deal where the third and final year is non guaranteed. So if Joe's no longer giving it, he doesn't no longer has that elite upside in him at age 34 or 35, which you don't see many of those in the NFL. We'll move on. But in the short term, the Bears have completely reconstructed not just the talent of their offensive line room, but I really think that the, I would say the leadership, the maturity, the intangibles to that lock to that offensive line room, which when you've got a young quarterback with so many gifts but had so many things last year that just did not work out in his favor, you got to find ways to pour every resource into him. And with Ben Johnson and these two offensive linemen, it's a darn good start for them. Really good.
- [19:22]
Chad Millman
I may or may not yesterday, after the Bears traded for Joe Tuney, have decided that the interior offensive line, which to me might be the most important point of sort of strategy and competence that you need to run an offense with a guy like Caleb Williams, who got sacked so much last year, I might have felt overconfident. I may or may not have bet on the Bears to win the Super Bowl. I'm just saying, Simon, I think you're.
- [19:50]
Dirk Nowitzki
Required to do so every year. Right. Isn't that just like in the Millman blood?
- [19:54]
Chad Millman
I am. I am required to do it, but I might have done it yesterday with more enthusiasm than I have in years past, since Justin Fields prior to this past year. So it's been two years since I felt this confidence. Which is a run.
- [20:11]
Dirk Nowitzki
Yeah, that is.
- [20:12]
Simon Hunter
And they might not be done yet. I've heard the rumors they might go up to the center from Atlanta.
- [20:16]
Chad Millman
Yes.
- [20:16]
Simon Hunter
Drew Dahlman is the fourth best center of football. So that would just be huge. Huge to keep adding to that interior.
- [20:24]
Chad Millman
Think about how many times we've talked about the Falcons running game and the most important part of their running game being their center in their right guard.
- [20:32]
Dirk Nowitzki
Yeah, same system.
- [20:33]
Chad Millman
Yeah, same system.
- [20:34]
Dirk Nowitzki
Zone scheme. Yep. Yep.
- [20:35]
Chad Millman
Yes, exactly. So of course, because my kid isn't paying attention in his AP psychology class yesterday, we were texting about the Bears getting Drew Dahlman and how important he has been to the Atlanta Falcons run game. That's when I pulled the trigger, by the way, on the Super Bowl. That was after I decided they were getting Drew Dahlman.
- [20:53]
Dirk Nowitzki
Last thing I'll say here on the Bears. I'm sure we want to get to other topics as well. You can say whatever you want about Ryan Poll. So I happen to believe has done a pretty good job in terms of. In a few ways. First of all, they made a master stroke trade to land Caleb Williams. He's going to be a good player. I still believe that was an excellent deal. On top of that, the books are clean here in Chicago for the most part. Like they've made two trades for guys and Jonah and Joe who are accounting for like 30 plus million dollars in 2025 as the contracts are currently written. They still have like 50 million to spend, right? And there are some in house free agents that we'll see on right? Like Kenan Allen, pro seems like he's not likely to return, but we shall see, right? Like the books have largely been kept clean and Chicago is not one of those teams and this is not a negative, but they don't push all their money into the future a la Philly, Cleveland, New Orleans, Pittsburgh, etc. Like they kind of keep structure flat. So there actually is some good wiggle room here for this team to, despite the fact that they've already made two notable trades, do go big game hunting. Maybe a Drew Dolman, maybe some other pieces as well. Check Engine Light on Take the guesswork.
- [22:08]
Ashlyn Harris
Out of your Check engine light with O'Reilly Veriscan.
- [22:11]
Dirk Nowitzki
It's free and provides a report with solutions based on over 650 million vehicle scans verified by ASE certified master technicians. And if you need help, we can recommend a shop for you. Ask for O'Reilly Veriscan today.
- [22:27]
Steph Curry
O'Reilly Auto Parts make some noise for the greatest shooter of all time, Steph Curry. We went live for an all Star weekend for a new podcast called goat greatest of their era and we ranked our top five shooters from the 2000s.
- [22:45]
Peja Stojaković
Peja 5 Dirk Ford.
- [22:47]
Dirk Nowitzki
Peja is elite.
- [22:48]
Steph Curry
Okay, okay, I'm mad him. I left him off my list, but I still like my list. You won't believe who Steph left off his list.
- [22:56]
Peja Stojaković
That's so tough. That's why we have these conversations.
- [22:58]
Steph Curry
Yes, absolutely.
- [22:59]
Peja Stojaković
Love it.
- [23:00]
Steph Curry
Steph talked about what separates the truly elite NBA shooters.
- [23:04]
Peja Stojaković
When you have a scouting report and you're on the list as not just a shooter, but we have specific rules for how we guard you. There's a fear factor that's associated with anytime you're wide open, like, you might as well just count that and get back on defense.
- [23:19]
Steph Curry
Listen to Goat G o T E Greatest of Their era on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [23:27]
Julie Stewart-Banks
It's Julie Stewart Banks. I'm doing a new podcast from iHeart Podcasts and the National Hockey League and I'm paired up with one of My favorite players, the always quotable Nate Thompson.
- [23:37]
Nate Thompson
I wore nine NHL sweaters and I have story after story to share. And believe it or not, I have plenty to say. And not just about hockey.
- [23:45]
Julie Stewart-Banks
Believe me, he does. Energy Line with Nate and JSB is the name of the podcast and it's gonna be, well, it's gonna be quite the ride. We're officially linemates, Nate. We're the Energy Line.
- [23:57]
Nate Thompson
We'll have plenty of folks join us, current players, some of my former teammates, hall of Famers. And wait till you see some of the connections that Julie has. She has quite the Rolodex.
- [24:06]
Julie Stewart-Banks
Okay, we'll lean into Nate's playing experience and tap into our interests away from hockey and try to do what energy lines are supposed to do, provide an emotional boost. How do you feel about all that, Nate?
- [24:18]
Nate Thompson
I'm vibing, Julie. I'm ready to roll.
- [24:20]
Julie Stewart-Banks
Listen to EnergyLine with Nate and JSB on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [24:28]
Mel Reid
Hey, this is Mel Reed, LPGA Tour winner and six time ladies European Tour.
- [24:32]
Ashlyn Harris
Winner and Kyra K. Dixon, NBC sports reporter and host.
- [24:36]
Mel Reid
You forgot to say all my Miss America, by the way. And we've got a new podcast, Quiet Please with Mel and Kira.
- [24:43]
Ashlyn Harris
We are bringing you spicy takes on sports and pop culture, some golf haps and interviews with incredible people who have figured out how to make golf their.
- [24:51]
Mel Reid
Superpower or just people we like. Plus tales from the road and everything in between. By the way, golf isn't just for the dads, Brads and chads.
- [24:58]
Ashlyn Harris
Yeah, it's actually life's cheat code. And we're not going to be quiet about it on or off the course. We're bringing on some of our friends like Michelle We, Heather McMahon, Amanda Baliotis.
- [25:09]
Mel Reid
So if you want to keep up with us, and here is yap, tune into our new podcast, Listen to Quiet.
- [25:14]
Ashlyn Harris
Please with Mel and Kira, an iHeart women's sports production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You can find us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports.
- [25:28]
Simon Hunter
I know Chad wants to get the draft before we get there. Chad, I need to know more about dk because to me, it's a big deal where this might structure a whole division. That division is the AFC East. Again, everyone I'm hearing from is Bill's Patriots. If they're going to be the two teams playing for DK Field years locked in with the Patriots. Is that true? Is that really the guy the pitcher is going after? Is that a smokescreen by them to drive up the price to the Bills try to get DK because it's a last year, right? DK's deal. So if he gets traded here, he's going to get paid a big, big amount of money.
- [25:59]
Dirk Nowitzki
You have two factors to note here, and you're right on the contract is I think if the Seahawks get this done, they're going to work very hard to make sure it's an AFC team. It's not that you can't trade a player from the NFC to another team in the nfc, but there's something a little bit different about this high profile trades where, you know, if DK gets traded to the Patriots, the Seahawks play them once every four years. They play them in Seattle once every eight years. Like I haven't done the math or checked when New England last played or Buffalo last played in Seattle. But I mean it's possible that, see DK could be on. He could be retired by the time they next play in Buffalo if it was this past year. Right. Like that is. That is possible and it's a factor that I think teams are somewhat mindful of. So let's start there. I think AFC would be the preference, all things being equal. On top of that, you're right, he's going to need a new deal as well. He's scheduled to make 18 million bucks this year. He signed a three year, $72 million extension a few offseasons ago. That no longer is commensurate with the market. It just isn't. Jamar Chase probably explode the wide receiver market, but it's already boomed a lot since DK did his deal. So if you're a team to acquire DK Metcalfe, you have to account for not just the draft capital that Seattle wants, but also the fact you're going to have to pay DK Metcalfe, which kind of deflates the draft capital value a little bit. You're paying double freight in this case. DK is an interesting one, right? So such a talented player, explosive. He's one of the best deep threat receivers in the entire NFL. He also is a player that has run hot and cold. Right. I mean, this is a guy who at times we've been talking about him and need to control his emotions more. So I think he needs to go somewhere where he feels as though he's got a chance to win. Right. And so I think New England, do they need him desperately. Yeah. They do. And do. I think that the Patriots have some things going for them. Drake may certainly looks like he's a really promising player and Mike Vrabel is a stud head coach, but I think they're more than DK Metcalf away from getting anywhere close to competing in that division. So I think I might be looking more towards teams actually like the Chargers who have been reported as a DK Metcalf suitor. I think the Texans have been mentioned, I think the Bills have been mentioned. Teams like that, that if you're DK or if you're those teams, you're saying to yourself, hey, we get this guy, we might be the team to beat in the afc. This is unfair to the Chiefs in my opinion. But right now I'm just telling you, talking to people around the NFL, this is and not not every person. Right. I haven't canvassed every single person who has an opinion, but I've talked to enough people that feel like they're there's some sharks in the water right now, right. Like they feel as though Kansas City is going to be excellent next year, but the super bowl reminded them that you can still make the playoffs and do some damage if you're not the Kansas City Chiefs. And I think people feel as though while KC deserves to be the favorite and I'm sure they will be at least in the AFC west, you know, you might be able to get them in a one game scenario as well and breathe some life into your franchise.
- [29:02]
Chad Millman
So you were at the combine where I'm sure, I'm sure you were having a lot of these conversations. Give me your most impressive prospect from the combine.
- [29:16]
Dirk Nowitzki
So I did not spend a lot of time at the podiums or the players were speaking to the media. So I keep, I'll give my evaluation just from like day from the perspective of what he did on the field. And it's polarizing. It is. It's probably, it's probably Shemar Stewart or Matthew golden from two separate Texas schools, Texas A and M for Shemar Stewart and Matthew golden at Texas. And I'll lean towards golden for this reason is I prefer when the combine looks like the tape and the tape looks like the combine as opposed to the combine not perfectly aligning with the tape. So Shemar Stewart, I've used this phrase 50 times. Might as well make it 51 times. Is the most fascinating prospect in the draft. He 6 foot 5. He dropped from 280 pounds to 264 pounds from the senior bowl to the combine, which is like a month apart. So he may have been like in combine training mode, but still at 264 pounds, he ran a 460 40. He had one of the best vertical jumps of any defensive player at like 40 or 41 inches. His broad jump was 11ft. The guy, if you saw him, is one of the most impressive looking humans that you will see. He had four and a half sacks in his career though. Four and a half, one and a half in each of his three seasons at A and M. So you're going to pay the guy to be a pass rusher. And he had just one and a half sacks each of his three college seasons. He's a really, really talented player and a really solid kid too. This is not a kid who just didn't produce because he wasn't engaged. It was just couldn't quite finish the job on these sacks. I think he's going to end up going as high as like pick 7, 8, 10. I have him a little bit lower in the rankings because I'm just a bit more risk averse. Pulling that would be a big bet on a guy who had such a modest college career. Matthew golden from Texas at 191lbs ran a 42940 and this kid can scoot. He had a really good season. He had just one year at Texas. He was previously at Houston, but he had a great finish to the year. In two of the final four games Texas played, he had 149 or more receiving yards. I wish he had gotten to 150 because 149 just sounds a little bit awkward. That being said, you guys get the point. He was big when it mattered most for Texas and he can fly like that is clear on tape. He was the second fastest player in Indianapolis behind only Max Hairston, a guy who I've loved throughout the process from Kentucky at 428. That being said, Golden, a guy who I think I who grew on me throughout the year because his play improved throughout the year should be viewed at least in my estimation as a first round lock.
- [31:58]
Chad Millman
Don't we have enough evidence at this point of guys who are physical freaks and didn't perform in college not being the best reaches for the NFL draft.
- [32:11]
Dirk Nowitzki
Yeah. Yes. That being said, there are like things that are tantalizing in life that we consistently go back to all the time. Right. It's just hard not to, you know, like, you know. Or do you prefer fashion over function when it comes to your car or you know, things like that. Right. Or like people will sacrifice warmth or comfort with their clothing to look a little bit cooler. You know, it's like, it's just hard not to, you know. So I think probably the truth is that Shemar Stewart, he's going to be one of those guys that a GM either gets the feather in the cap or perhaps the walking papers from a few years from now, Right. You either sit there, you look like a genius because you are audacious enough to take a kid whose skills were so, so enticing, or, hey, a guy ends up in three years with just four and a half sacks at the NFL level and that's just not good enough from a first round pick who was paid to rush the passer.
- [33:01]
Simon Hunter
It's like that James Harris quote, Chad, it's, I'm not a model. That's why I wasn't invited to the combine. I'm a football player. That's the issue. Right. There's a couple guys, they look the part. Are they a football player? So, I mean, off that topic, you know, I've heard Quinn years, the guy who heard his draft prospect at combine. Are there anyone that jumps out through that really hurt their draft stock from the combine? Because we know that, you know, guys are sitting out the combine nowadays because of this fear, this exact fear of hurting their own draft stock.
- [33:28]
Dirk Nowitzki
Yeah, I'll give you a few guys that performed or didn't perform in the way in which I think it could have helped them or hurt them or help them by doing the opposite here. I love Tyler Booker. He's a really good player from Alabama. I think he so goes in the first, first round, but he ended up doing all the testing after measuring at like 6, 5, 325 pounds. He's a big human. He's a Connecticut kid, by the way as well. I think he's new Haven, but this is like, this guy is hard to miss. And he had a great college career at Alabama. I mean, you hear, I mean, they just, they love him. Nick Saban, who will be on the broadcast, I'm sure, will have glowing things to say about Booker. Athletic testing, though, just wasn't great. And there are teams that are just a little bit scared on guards who aren't that explosive. He ran a 53940. Doesn't matter how fast you are as a guard. No, but you know, it also suggests that your foot quickness is not in line with where some of these defensive tackles are. I still think he goes in the first round, but I moved him down from like maybe a guy that could go as high as like 13, 14 to maybe a guy that ends up going like 20, 21. His teammate Jaylen Milro, I think actually would have benefited from doing some stuff at the combine. The throwing is always going to be a hot topic. But don't you guys think. And I don't want to put words into your mouth, so if you disagree vehemently, let me know. But if Jill Morrow had gone to. Gone to the combine and run a 43540, I think it would have helped him a lot because it would have been a reminder to people that for the deficiency he does have right now as a, as a pocket and rhythm passer, he's one of the most explosive players in the NFL in the, in the draft. He just is like, I'd be. If I'm taking Jalen Milroe and I haven't finished. I'm working on my top 100 right now. It's not finished. It won't be for some time. There's a lot of work to be done there. But, like, you could tell me Jalen deserves to be 40th. You could also say he might be closer to 75th. He's such a tantalizing guy. I think if he had run, it really would have helped remind us of why he is so intriguing. And, you know, just generally speaking, like, running backs and wide receivers that don't run great are going to come out of the combine feel a little bit different. Caleb Johnson from Iowa is a really great player who's just a perfect fit for a zone scheme. He just wants to put one foot in the ground and just. He's got great vision. Just hit the, hit the hole and go run a 4, 5, 7. Not a great number for him. So running backs and wide receivers that miss that speed mark are always going to be impacted in a negative way. Unfortunately, we just, you just don't see many four, five or faster, excuse me, four or five or slower wide receivers going round one. If you're closer to four, six than four, five, it might mean that Caleb Johnson goes 60th as opposed to, I thought maybe 35th at one point during the process.
- [36:06]
Chad Millman
I feel like everybody would be better off. Maybe you disagree with this. Everyone would be better off if nobody worked out at the combine and you just used film that you had and the players on the field and what you did at the combine. You did your interviews. You got to meet with the players one on one. You got to know them personally. You got to get a sense of who they are. You got to see how they perform in front of the media. I think the combine creates such recency bias that it screws up the metrics and the measurements and the feelings for all the people who have been doing the work all season long and changes the calculus on this stuff. I think it's a terrible way to try to manage the draft because you go into it thinking, oh, my God, I just saw a superhero. Jalen Milroe. Judge him on what you saw. We've got so much film on Jalen Milroe. If you need the combine in Jalen Milroe to run a 43540 to decide, oh, my God, we have to get this guy. And then you get him in a camp and realize, wait a second, he's not an accurate passer. He's just a really dynamic athlete. Shame on you. Not you feel, but on the scouts.
- [37:19]
Dirk Nowitzki
So I'll take it one step further. We're in the same vicinity here, but a little bit different. I've wondered why we don't have the draft five days after the national championship game. Right. And you think, I wonder if, like. And I hope this does not come across as piling on because I was incredibly optimistic, like in a detrimental manner on. On Anthony Richardson for fantasy football purposes last year. Does that guy go forth overall? If the combine is. Excuse me, if the draft is done on January 20th as opposed to April 20th, you have three months to think and overthink stuff, you know, And I'm sitting here thinking to myself, okay, yeah, I mean, it is impressive that some of these guys, Shamar Stewart, Anthony Richardson can run as fast as they can at that size. But if. If every coach and GM says the starting point of the evaluation is the tape, maybe it'll be different. And, you know, the. Is it a shorter window to evaluate? I mean, yes, for the first time, but it won't be for every year after that. Right. It just means that your scouts start up on the 2026 draft on January 30 of 2025 as opposed to April 30 of 2025. So it is an interesting debate, and I do wonder about how the combine will look in future years because of the number of players that are opting out. And I mean opting out of the testing, of course, because they all still showed up. But last year, I mean, Marvin Harrison Jr. Showed up, did interviews, measured, I think just left Jayden Daniels from Malik Neighbors didn't even take measurements, and those guys had two of the greatest rookie seasons we've ever seen. So it's Sort of like, if those guys are going to be completely unbothered by their participation or lack thereof at the combine, what is the point of it? It's a fascinating debate. You know, I like the combine still because of, you know, the intel gathering. And I do enjoy seeing some of these, these kids who are more like day three players who can reaffirm or boost their stock. That being said, it's. It's a very different event when you're sitting there and each position group that comes by, you're like, okay, so my top wide receiver, no sign of him. Top quarterbacks, no sign of them. It just, it just hits a little bit differently. There's no two ways around it. Yeah.
- [39:29]
Simon Hunter
When I talk to coaches, Chad, the combine, honestly, it's mental warfare. It's not really about on the field. It's about making these kids uncomfortable, asking them crazy questions, honestly, talking to them. Like a lot of these drills you see on TV, sometimes they're at 10 o'clock at night. Like, it's just messing with these kids heads. And it always cracks me up. But it's, it's the great part of that, that movie Draft Day, did they go to the kid's birthday party? Like, that's what this three months is about. All the stupid willing to think about. It's them trying to figure out who this person is as a man. How are they mentally and what will they be coming out of it. So I'm, I'm with you, Chad. I get like the, the combine can be a little bit much at times, but overall, I love the idea of it, of they're just trying to poke and prong these guys and really figure stuff out what kind of man they are because it is so mental. And you know, a guy we heard a ton about, Chad, that might have not done the best at the combine is Sanders. Right. I mean, this is a quarterback position. He's polarizing a lot of front offices. What's your view on that field? Like, what are you hearing about him right now? Where I'm of the mindset of teams that love him are going to absolutely talk shit about him and bash them to the media right now, because that is the game of the draft. Right? They're going to say they didn't like the way he spoke, that he's arrogant, that he's too cocky. They probably love that behind closed doors, they're just like thinking, of course I don't be trading up to number one or number two to get this kid. So what's. What are you hearing? About him right now.
- [40:54]
Dirk Nowitzki
Yeah, I take a lot of that stuff with a grain of salt. What's. What's reported and not. And I'm not talking about the people, I'm just talking about like the people that are reporting. I'm just saying, like the content, because of what you're describing, Simon, is that like, there might be some motivation, right? There might be motivation to get this guy to fall, you know, like, because it's a completely unpredictable event and you're at the mercy of others. If you want to shift your draft order, right? If you want to go from six to four and you're the Raiders, you got to convince the Patriots to do a trade. You can't just say, hey, we'll, we, we'll, we'll flip flop, right? So I have not had a conversation with somebody who has spent time with Shador and explicitly has said to me something that has negatively impacted my evaluation of him. I like Shador as a player. I'm not as bullish on either of the quarterbacks at the top as I was the first three last year, which I think is in line with where most people wind up. I. And that has nothing to do with them as humans. It actually has. It's just from a pure football, from a football talent evaluation standpoint. So Cam ward, my top 32 will drop tomorrow on ESPN sometime soon. If not tomorrow, it's very soon. And Cam Ward is, I'm sorry, I should know this better. Six or seven, and Shador is 17th, so. And I. Last year, I mean, those guys at the top, from the day the draft order was set, I said, let's just move on to pick four because in some order it's going to be Caleb, Jaden, Drake, you decide which order it actually is. More of the question was, would it be Jaden or Drake at pick number two? So anyways, I think those guys both go. I think Cam Ward's going first overall. I just think that's where we've landed. I don't know to who, but it's to somebody. And the Titans have found themselves in a pretty good position, actually, because I do believe. And again, there's no such thing as a unanimous sentiment in the NFL, but I spoke to significantly more people that if they had the option to choose between Cam Ward or Sudor Sanders would prefer Ward to Sanders while still liking Sanders. It's not like, hey, I like Cam and Shador does nothing for me. It's just if you're giving me the option one or the other, it's a binary decision here. I'm taking Kim Ward and I also think that because teams with their quarterback preferences, in some cases it is like you like one guy and you don't like the other. It's like house hunting, right? You might see two houses for homes for similar value. You really like one, but the other lacks three features that you really feel are must and you're not going to have any interest in it. So I think the Titans, whether they want to take Cam Ord or whether they find a team that prefers Cam Ward enough that they would move ahead of Cleveland, who of course has number two, they can get a pretty decent trade package here. But it wouldn't surprise me if the first three picks in the draft are two quarterbacks and then one of Travis Hunter or Abdul Carter. Which means despite the Patriots winning in week 18 and pushing them down to one to four, they may well end up with one of to me, the two best players in the draft, I still view Abdul Carter well, Travis Hunter first and then Abdul Carter second is the two best players in this class.
- [44:00]
Chad Millman
Simon Even for elite prospects, the NFL draft can be a nerve wracking experience. Think about it. After years of hard work, preparation and physical sacrifice, you endure the invasive poking and prodding of the combine process. And then one day in April, you get all dressed up, surrounded by loved ones and hangers on, and you anxiously wait for the phone to ring and your life to change. And if front offices don't like what they see, if they sense you lack the proper confidence, that agonizing weight can turn into public humiliation. Simon Hunter and Field Yates I can tell by the looks on your faces you're thinking what I'm thinking. It's the same situation with our underpants. We work hard, we make sacrifices, we endure the pokes and prods of a demanding lifestyle. But even when we're all dressed up, surrounded by our own loved ones and hangers on, if we lack the elite downstairs preparation and undercarriage confidence of flexible, breathable, top quality underwear, we too run the risk of lowered expectations of public humiliation. Luckily, our beloved sponsor, Tommy Johnson can end your agonizing wait. Every day they make the metaphorical call, offering you the assurance of best in class underwear and casual essentials. With Tommy John, you effortlessly stride across the stage of life, greeting the Commissioner of Comfort with the confident handshake of a man whose downstairs affairs are in order. Simon, why will you be wearing more Tommy John in 2025?
- [45:24]
Simon Hunter
Because comfort is king.
- [45:26]
Chad Millman
Right now you can. Yeah, right now you can shop. Tommyjohn.com favorites and get 25 off your first order. That's right. Top five value at third round prices. Save 25 at tommyjohn.com favorites that's tommyjohn.com favorites Matt Mitchell had a good time with that one.
- [45:44]
Dirk Nowitzki
He really, he did. Well done by Matt.
- [45:47]
Steph Curry
Make some noise for the greatest shooter of all time, Steph Curry. We went live from all Star weekend to our new podcast called Goat Greatest of their era. And we ranked our top five shooters from the 2000s.
- [46:00]
Peja Stojaković
Peja 5 Dirk Ford.
- [46:01]
Dirk Nowitzki
Peja is elite.
- [46:02]
Steph Curry
Okay, okay.
- [46:03]
Simon Hunter
I'm mad him.
- [46:03]
Steph Curry
I left him off my list, but I still like my list. You won't believe who Steph left off his list.
- [46:10]
Peja Stojaković
That's so tough. That's why we have these conversations.
- [46:13]
Steph Curry
Yes, absolutely.
- [46:14]
Peja Stojaković
Love it.
- [46:15]
Steph Curry
Steph talked about what separates the truly elite NBA shooters.
- [46:18]
Peja Stojaković
When you have a scouting report and you're on the list as not just a shooter, but we have specific rules for how we guard you. There's a fear factor that's associated with anytime you're wide open. Like you might as well just count that and get on back on defense.
- [46:34]
Steph Curry
Listen to Goat G O T e Greatest of their era on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [46:42]
Julie Stewart-Banks
It's Julie Stewart Banks. I'm doing a new podcast from iHeart podcasts and in the National Hockey League and I'm paired up with one of my favorite players, the always quotable Nate Thompson.
- [46:52]
Nate Thompson
I wore nine NHL sweaters and I have story after story to share. And believe it or not, I have plenty to say and not just about hockey.
- [46:59]
Julie Stewart-Banks
Believe me, he does Energy Line with Nate and JSB is the name of the podcast and it's gonna be, well, it's gonna be quite the ride. We're officially linemates, Nate. We're the energy line.
- [47:11]
Nate Thompson
We'll have plenty of folks join us, current players, some of my former teammates, hall of Famers and wait to see some of the connections that Julie has. She has quite the Rolodex.
- [47:20]
Julie Stewart-Banks
Okay, we'll lean into Nate's playing experience and tap into our interests away from hockey and try to do what energy lines are supposed to do, provide an emotional boost. How do you feel about all that, Nate?
- [47:32]
Nate Thompson
I'm vibing Julie. I'm ready to roll.
- [47:35]
Julie Stewart-Banks
Listen to Energy Line with Nate and Jay at on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [47:43]
Mel Reid
Hey, this is Mel Reid, LPGA tour winner and six time ladies European tour.
- [47:47]
Ashlyn Harris
Winner and Kyra K. Dixon, NBC Sports reporter and host.
- [47:51]
Mel Reid
You forgot to say warmer. Miss America, by the way. And we've got a new podcast, Quiet Please with Mel and Kira.
- [47:58]
Ashlyn Harris
We are bringing you spicy takes on sports and pop culture, some golf haps and interviews with incredible people who have figured out how to make golf their superpower.
- [48:06]
Mel Reid
Or just people we like, plus tales from the road and everything in between. By the way, golf isn't just for the dads, Brads and chads.
- [48:13]
Ashlyn Harris
Yeah, it's actually life's cheat code. And we're not going to be quiet about it on or off the course. We're bringing on some of our friends like Michelle We, Heather McMahon, Amanda Baliotis.
- [48:23]
Mel Reid
So if you want to keep up with us, and here is yap, tune into our new podcast.
- [48:27]
Ashlyn Harris
Listen to Quiet Please with Mel and Kira, an iHeart women's sports production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You can find us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports. I'm Tisha Allen, former golf professional and the host of welcome to the party, your newest obsession about the wonderful world that is women's golf, featuring interviews with top players on tour like LPGA superstar Angel Yin.
- [48:57]
Dirk Nowitzki
I really just sat myself down at.
- [48:59]
Simon Hunter
The end of 2022 and I was like, look, either we make it or we quit.
- [49:03]
Ashlyn Harris
Expert tips to help improve your swing and the craziest stories to come out of your friendly neighborhood country club. The drinks were flowing, twerking all over the place, vaping. They're shotgunning. Women's golf is a wild ride full of big personalities, remarkable athletic cynicism, fierce competition, and a generation of women hell bent on shaking that glass ceiling. Welcome to the Party with Tisha Allen is an I heart women's sports production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. Listen to welcome to the Party. That's P A R T E e on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Presented by Elf Beauty, founding partner of.
- [49:42]
Chad Millman
Iheart Women's Sports Field. I want to switch quickly to Fantasy for a second Dynasty draft. Yeah, the NFL draft is a great time to start thinking about Dynasty draft. If you were drafting number one on a Dynasty draft right now, who do you take? I think I know exactly who should go. Okay, here is Simon's take. I want your take.
- [50:05]
Dirk Nowitzki
Rookie only. Or is this just. Or is this in general, like, hey, start.
- [50:08]
Chad Millman
I would say I think it's both. Like, start from scratch and then Rookie Only.
- [50:13]
Dirk Nowitzki
Okay, so if I'm starting from scratch, it's Jamar Chase. I'm going to lean wide receiver just in general. There's just a much longer shelf life. And while Justin Jefferson and Jamar Chase is a healthy debate, he's one year younger. More quarterback certainty there, right? Not that, you know, Sam Darnold showed last year that they, they know what they're doing in terms of quarterback evaluation and development. So JJ could be great, but Joe Burrow is a, you know, an NFL MVP or candidate to be an NFL mvp. So that duo should go nowhere for a long time. Rookie dynasty. It's Aston Genty and it's not close especially because maybe I'll be surprised, but it just feels like he's gonna end up in a spot where like if he goes to Vegas I might adjust my, my sentiment a little bit. And like Omari and Hampton went to Denver, they had the number one run block, win rate offensive line last year and they need a guy. I might flip that. But without knowing where they're going to land, it's Ashton Denty who I think is truly in a class of his own in this historic running back class. Like this guy is not good. He's not great. He is super elite.
- [51:20]
Chad Millman
That's interesting. Oh, Simon, do you have thoughts on that? You're a draft guy. You're a dynasty draft guy.
- [51:27]
Simon Hunter
Yeah, it's again, I mean field's doing it the nicest way to you Chad, where it's like you need so much info nowadays on your league in the settings that it's really hard to say what you should do in your rookie draft. Like in my league last year I had the fifth pick in this nice league I've had with my buddies for 15 years and I luckily worked my magic. Got it. Got Jane Daniels because I just kept talking about everyone else. I go, you're going to pass on Harrison all time receiver neighbors all time wide receiver. And Jane Daniels felt to me and it's in a 2 QB league and now I might have a top 5 guy for the next 10, 15 years. So my view of it is I probably would go what he talked about if we're doing overall, right. Chase Jefferson always go receiver. Receiver is by far the safest spot right in the dynasty league. You want someone that's going to play for a long time and their injury risk is mitigated. And you know, on the flip side, looking at this draft and just this upcoming season, I would just love this is a personal question that's not, not due to not going to help anyone else. Brian Thompson Jr. Where do you put him on this level? Wide receivers Because I got him as a steal in my dynasty league. I love him. I feel like it doesn't matter who his quarterback is going to be. This kid's talent is just out of sword. We saw it last year. Mac Jones came in.
- [52:42]
Dirk Nowitzki
Yeah.
- [52:43]
Simon Hunter
Still this guy was putting up insane numbers. What's your view on him? Is he already a top five receiver in fantasy football or is he more top 10 back in top 10?
- [52:51]
Dirk Nowitzki
I mean I think he's got a chance to be in that top five and I actually think my favorite calls in fantasy are not. And I mean I would have loved to have been all over Pukinakua last year going into his rookie season and been like I think the guy's got top 10 upside and then have him be whatever it was, wide receiver four or something. But I actually think the calls that are to me more satisfying are the ones where it's there's a guy who's really good already. We know that. Right. But when you build your list from scratch, he doesn't quite crack the S tier. Right. He's the really awesome player but not quite in that same cut because those are the more likely jumps. Right. Like that's much more likely than some fifth round wide receiver becoming a top five play again this season. So I, I admit that this time of the year I focus much more on my draft rankings than my fantasy rankings. But I would imagine off cuff that the first three receivers and some first four receivers in some order are going to be Jamar chase, Justin Jefferson, CD Lamb and Aman Ross St. Brown. And then I would say that 5th is open between Puka, probably Puka B5. Then it will be some sort of combination of Brian Thomas Jr. Probably A.J. brown will be in that conversation. I mean that's the kind of tier that we're talking about. Like it's AJ Brown, Brian Thomas Jr. I'm sure I'm forgetting a Malik neighbors of course like a few others in that same category but BTJ is awesome and you know he, he really did show that quarter quarterback agnostic value that I'm not saying it's the fault of receivers when they can't overcome poor quarterback play but man is it a comforting feeling when you see them ball with you know, substandard at best quarterback play.
- [54:40]
Chad Millman
For much of the year football is the best.
- [54:45]
Dirk Nowitzki
Amen. Could have said it better myself.
- [54:47]
Chad Millman
Oh my God. I just love but like thinking about Brian Thomas and the plays he was making last year. He was a, he was a miracle.
- [54:56]
Dirk Nowitzki
He really was. And I mean the only good thing about that offense once Trevor Lawrence went down was Brian Thomas Jr. I mean they were a mess across the board basically. And you know, that's a team that has some optimism right now. They got to nail this draft. But the only thing I can count on for Jacksonville going forward is Brian Thomas Jr. Is the man.
- [55:15]
Simon Hunter
And give some love to our guy Chris Raybon, who, let's go, loved him last year and gave out another guy. I want to talk about Buck Irving. You know, are we in a new age here field of running back where I was someone who's made a lot of money doing season long best ball leagues where I would take a running back around one or two and then not take another running back until round 12 or 13, right?
- [55:37]
Dirk Nowitzki
I kind of like basically fade running.
- [55:38]
Simon Hunter
Backs, take the backups. Guys always get hurt. Last year no one got hurt, no one got hurt. Studs played out and their value shifted tremendously. Where are we in a year now where we're gonna have five, six guys running backs in the first round once again, like it's 2008, like what happened Field we are.
- [55:55]
Dirk Nowitzki
And by the way, before people get mad, yes, we know Christian McCaffrey missed all of last year basically, right. So other than him though, when you think about the top dog, Saquon, Derrick Henry and Jameer Gibson, James Connor and on, on, on the guys who were like in the top 10 by the end of the season, they played all year. I'm missing others of course, but you get the point. I think so. I really do think so. Like I think that people are going to say you just have to have them because they show in this. We talked about recency bias earlier and the idea of the combine, how it influences draft stock. But yes, I believe we're going to see a very running back heavy start next year especially because one factor we probably don't have in play next year is like Travis Kelsey being like a top five pick, right? It's going to be Brock Bowers, but a little bit lower than that. And you might make the case that like there is after Brock there are more quality options. You know, Kittle was right there as well on a points per game basis. But there just have been more, we'll see probably more quarterback fades this year too. Like Lamar was great last year, Josh Allen was great last year, Jaden Daniels was great, Jalen Hurts was great. But you may say to yourself like we don't have the one supernova at quarterback that you have to draft him early and that's the edge you gain. I think the edge you're going to gain in people's minds going into the season is you either have running back depth or you don't. And next thing you know, it's week two of the playoffs and you're starting the Cardinals third string running back even though James Conner, you know, is still healthy like that. That's where I think things are going to land this year.
- [57:25]
Chad Millman
This is the greatest football conversation I've had in a month.
- [57:29]
Dirk Nowitzki
Since yesterday. Oh, since you're with your son?
- [57:34]
Chad Millman
Since I was talking to my son at dinner last night. Yeah. This is great.
- [57:38]
Dirk Nowitzki
I'll see you at a West Hartford pizza establishment later on. They'll do it again.
- [57:42]
Chad Millman
Absolutely. As a reminder, the Favorites podcast is presented by bet365 and now new bet365. Customers get 150 in bonus bets when you bet$5. Sign up using promo code Favorites Deposit$10 Place a bet for $5 to get $150 in bonus bets. Those bonus bets can be used on spreads, totals, player, Prof. Futures and more. Whatever the moment, it's never ordinary. At bet365 must be 21 or older. Present in Arizona, Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, North Carolina, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia or 18 and older in Kentucky. Gambling problem. Call 1-800- gambler or 1-800-bets off in Iowa. Terms conditions restrictions apply. Simon and I will return with our next episode of the Favorites on the Action Network YouTube page to discuss gambling's wild history with David Schwartz. Tuesday 1:30pm Eastern. Download us from Spotify, Apple Pods wherever you get your pods. Rate Review, Subscribe Leave us. Five stars. Say whatever you want. Feedback is a gift. Until next time. Love you.
- [58:41]
Dirk Nowitzki
Action Network reminds you Please gamble responsibly.
- [58:45]
Ashlyn Harris
If you or someone you care about.
- [58:46]
Dirk Nowitzki
Has a gambling problem, help is available 24. 7 at 1-800- gambler.
- [58:52]
Steph Curry
Make some noise for the greatest shooter of all time, Steph Curry. We went live from All Star Weekend for a new podcast called Goat Greatest of Their Era. And we ranked our top five shooters from the 2000s.
- [59:04]
Peja Stojaković
Peja 5 Dirk Ford.
- [59:06]
Dirk Nowitzki
Peja is elite.
- [59:07]
Steph Curry
You won't believe who Steph left off his list.
- [59:09]
Peja Stojaković
That's so tough. That's why we have these conversations.
- [59:12]
Steph Curry
That's why we have Love it. Listen to Goat G O T E Greatest of their era on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [59:21]
Greg Rosenthal
What's up everyone? It's Greg Rosenthal, and I'm teaming up with the King of Spring, Daniel Jeremiah. He requires me to say that we're going to be bringing you 40s and free agents, the only podcast you'll need this NFL draft season. From DJs mock drafts to my top 101, free agents will have it covered for you with all new episodes every Thursday keeping you up to date as we head to the NFL Draft. Listen to 40s and free agents starting on March 6th on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.
- [59:52]
Julie Stewart-Banks
What's up everyone? Julie swearbinks here, along with former NHL player Nate Thompson.
- [59:57]
Nate Thompson
We're doing a new podcast together. Here we go.
- [60:00]
Julie Stewart-Banks
The name Energy Line with Nate and jsb.
- [60:03]
Nate Thompson
Each week we'll get together and talk about hockey life. All topics are fair game, right?
- [60:08]
Julie Stewart-Banks
Exactly, and you'll never know who will drop by to join us.
- [60:12]
Nate Thompson
Julie is pretty well connected. She has text threads going that you wouldn't believe.
- [60:17]
Julie Stewart-Banks
Listen to Energy Line with Nate and jsb on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [60:24]
Ashlyn Harris
We all have a moment that splits us wide open. On my new podcast, Wide Open with Ashlyn Harris, I'll sit down with trailblazers from sports, music, fashion, entertainment and politics to explore their toughest moments and the incredible comebacks that followed. Listen to Wide Open with Ashlyn Harris, an iHeart women's sports production on the iHeartradio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Elf Beauty, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports.