Hello, everybody, Welcome into the Fantasy Pros Football Podcast Microcast edition. I am Ryan Warmley, joined today by Andrew Erickson, and we are reacting to day one of NFL free agency.
It's not really day one.
It's day one of the tampering period of NFL free agency, and we're also going to be talking about some of the moves that happened over the weekend. It just gets earlier and earlier every year. Eric said, it seems like, so we've got a few different days worth of stuff coming here on this episode. We're gonna be with you every day this week, assuming there actually is news coming out. If there's a day where nothing really happens, we might
skip it. But all week long we're going to be dropping in quick microcast reacting to everything going on in the NFL offseason. Ericson what is your kind of like overall reaction to this early swarm of free agency news.
Not a lot of love for the running backs. There are not teams going after these running backs, very different from last year. I think the first signing was DeAndre Swift getting the back from the Chicago's affairs.
Yeah, that was a week.
Running back class. This running back class we know is much stronger, and I think NFL teams know that, so they're not investing their high end premium dollars into veteran running back when they know, hey, we can get these guys potentially cheaper in the NFL draft.
There also isn't a Saquon Barkley or Derrick Henry available this year in terms of the veterans, and.
That they don't do nausea like that, man, I mean I will.
Do nauja like that. I stay by it.
I want to do remind everybody before we jump into all the moves going on to stay ahead of NFL free agency with the Fantasy Pros News, Rankings and Scores app. Be among the first to know where all the major free agents sign with our real time breaking news alerts and player updates. Download the Fantasy Pro's News, Rankings and Scores app now at Fantasypros dot com, Slash apps, the App Store, or Google Play.
We obviously have a ton of names to.
Get through here ericson and a short amount of time to do it, So just to kind of let everybody know, we have more analysis on the website Fantasypros dot com. We will have other longer episodes where we can kind of dive deep into free agency winners and losers later on in the This is just kind of a quick what are we thinking, maybe some early thoughts on rankings, what's going on here in kind of this first free
agent flurry. We'll start with the quarterbacks, and we'll start with the first one of the move these moves to happen, Gino Smith goes to the Raiders for a third round pick, reunited with Pete Carroll. Obviously, it's a franchise that had a need at quarterback. Geno is somebody who's been you know, certainly better than a lot of people expected when he first.
Signed in Seattle.
He's been able to overcome a week offensive line, He's had good receiving options. What was your initial reaction to seeing this move, Ericson? Was it about where my ranking Gino Smith? Was it about what is he doing for Brock Bauers and Jacobe Meers? What are they going to do in the draft? Was the first thing that came to your mind when he saw this move?
Oh, no, I need update. I need to update my mock draft. That was the first thing that ended up happening. Because I had the Raiders going for Jue Sanders, which probably doesn't seem like the case, although them bringing in Geno doesn't necessarily mean they can't draft a rookie court by Gino Smith's coming to be thirty five years old, so he's not necessarily a spring chicken. But I think it goes back to again, we're fantasy guys we're talking about.
I don't really care.
He's going to mean the QB two range, someone that you're not going to draft in a one quarterback league. He's a pocket passer, doesn't add a lot of dalue with his legs, so it's about the pass catchers. How can he support this offense? And the one thing that Gino Smith has been his calling card the last three years in Seattle with all different offensive coordinators, is he's been super accurate, like he knows how to get the ball.
He knows to get the ball to his playmakers, and Brock Bowers and Jacoby Myers at times last year did not have that. When they had Dezen Ridder throwing in the football. I mean, you had no faith that their receivers were going to get anything done. So I think it just helps justify the cost of Rock Bowers as the tight end one. I didn't think that Gino was going to be an option when we were looking at
the landscape of potential quarterbacks. So I think that justifies him as the tight end one, and it's really good for Jacoby Myers. So that's kind of my take with Gino headaching to the.
Raiders just quickly on Bowers. Gino doesn't throw to the tight end a lot. Is that to you more reflection of the tight end room in Seattle or like, are you worried at all about that from the Bower's perspective.
Not really, because then we had this thing too with Russ when rust and throw the tight end either because of the offensive I mean, it has a.
Lot to do with Shane Waldron.
They were not a three wide receiver sets, so there's more receivers on the field.
I think that they know who the best.
Receiver on their team is and it's Brock Bowers, and Gino is going to feed that guy. And we've seen Gino put guys in position to succeed DK metcalf Lockett last year JSN, so I think Bowers will be heavily involved.
Speaking of the Seahawks and quarterback, they spent over a hundred million dollars on Sam Darnald. I think it was something like fifty five million of that guaranteed over three years. Donald coming off a great year in Minnesota, but he was surrounded by great talent. He had awesome pass catchers, a good offensive line, a great play caller. I don't know if any of those is true for the current
iteration of the Seahawks. I don't really understand this move from the franchise perspective, and I don't know that I can really get too behind it and optimistic from a fantasy perspective.
What was your reaction to Darnald.
His numbers are gonna be way worse with the Seattle Seahawks. This team, I think that you said at the top, the Vikings situation is the best you could ask for a quarterback. So wherever he goes, even if he went somewhere that was still kind of good, it was still gonna be a downgrade going anywhere from Minnesota. He has JSN that's his only wide receiver that he has to
work with. I don't even it's not even worth me the listing off the other guys on the Seahawks' depth chart for receivers because they need to add to that position because of is.
Jake Bobo their wide receiver two right now?
Right now, Jake Bobo is the current wide receiver too. I know there's some Jake Bobo Truther's out there, but I mean going into the season as a wide receiver two, I don't love that for Sam Donald. So for me, it's definitely concerning with Donald. I don't think that it's going to I think it's good for the players like Jasn, like he's really the main guy we're drafting for fantasy purposes. We saw Sam Donald fuel a bunch of receivers to
success multiple guys. So now if those targets are concentrated on Jsn, I mean, jaysm was averaging over eighteen points per game and half PPR when he got double digit targets. So although this offense with Klint Kubiak projects to be run heavy, they want to feature Ken Walker, feature Zach Sharbina. It had its moments last year when Derek Carr was actually playing with healthy receivers. Wasn't that long, but he did have his moments. So I don't think that Donald
is going to be horrible. But I don't think he's going to be a top twenty four fantasy quarterback. I don't think he's gonna be getting close to his numbers, But I think he's gonna be able to support the guys we care about in the Seattle offense, assuming and this all predicates on they have to make the offensive line.
I really worry about Donald behind this current offensive live.
Yes, that is the that's priority one, two and three for the rest of this offseason for them.
Yes, another quarterback here, Justin Field signs with the Jets for two years, forty million. This is a prediction that fits has made a lot this offseason as the next Jets started quarterback was going to be Justin Fields reunited with his college wide receiver Garrett Wilson. Obviously, Fields has been just like a remarkable fantasy asset to watch in the last few years.
In terms of when.
He's running, he looks like a top five fantasy quarterback. He's often not the starter, he hasn't been accurate, just a really difficult guy to to put your finger on. Over the last couple of years. He was somebody that I really liked in the class and actually thought the Jets should have drafted instead of Zach Wilson in that twenty twenty one class.
So now they get their chance to unite in the NFL.
Is field somebody that you see as hey, if he's a starter, just like the running is what it is. He is a top twelve fantasy quarterback as long as he's a starter or are you more hesitant?
Now he's got the Konami code, he's got the running ability. And it's funny you mentioned he should have been drafted by the Jets way back when. That's why the Jersey swap pictures came out so quickly on social media because everybody had them in the queue ready to go from all those years ago when the Jets should have drafted him in the first place instead of Zack Wilson. So I don't think we need overthink it. He's a mobile quarterback.
Because of the stink on his play the last couple of years, I don't think that he'll be that expensive as he should be. And he'd be reunited with Jarrett Wilson. Right, he played with Garret Wilson Ohio State. So we saw the chemistry with some of these receivers and quarterbacks. It translates to the field. I think we're gonna see that. So last year we got Arre Wilson wasn't the guy,
he was DeVonta Adams. That's not gonna be the case, Like Garret Wilson is going to be the guy here with Justin Fields and are gonna be played.
With yet again the best quarterback of his career so far. Is that the argument? So I do like this for Garrett Wilson.
For Breese Hall, I don't love it from a pass game perspective with him because I don't expect Fields necessarily checked the ball down as much as some of these non mobile quarterbacks. So I will say I don't necessarily like this for Breese Hall, but definitely boost for Garrett Wilson.
One other kind of quarterback adjacent move here, the Commanders traded for Laramie Tunsel right before we started recording. By the way, just to give everybody a sense, it's about four o'clock eastern, So any moves that come later on in the evening will hit on those tomorrow in that recap.
But yeah, just before we started taping, Laramie Tunseel trade to the Commanders obviously a boost for Jaden Daniels Tunzel wasn't his like same crazy dominantself last year as he was, you know, maybe in twenty twenty three, So obviously they are kind of banking on him bouncing back to that level. But Tunsll is very very talented player. I think he's what only like thirty ish or something like that still, so it's not like he's old. He could be a real boost to this offense.
I agree.
Look, they they need to build around Jade and Daniels. You have the quarterback on the rookie contract, so let's get in these players that we can establish as starters. Upgrades at receiver, at offensive line, no arguments for me. This is obviously boost for Jade Daniels, even though they didn't go after Again, we learned this last year where you can get all the flashy receivers for guys like Caleb Williams, but if the offensive line isn't intact, it
doesn't matter. So I kind of like how the commanders are going about this, making sure his protection is good to go.
Moving on from the quarterback position, I want to talk about some of these wide receivers. The biggest news probably maybe yet. I tell me if you disagree in terms of just strictly fantasy impact. Is DK Metcalf being traded to Pittsburgh Steelers gave up a second round pick. He's now currently as of right now paired with George Pickens. I know there was some talk online of maybe they're going to look to flip Pickens for picks. Don't know if that will happen or not, but right now it's DK,
Mecha and George Pickens in that wide receiver room. What was your reaction to this one? Was it more about what it means for DK Metcalf? Was it more about what it means for the guys he's even behind in Seattle and namely JSN. Was it more about how this impacts George Pickens? What was kind of the first takeaway?
I'm just kind of looking at Metcalf as a receiver. It's kind of always been that cusp of ahwa is he going to be a top five guy? He's always kind of been more of that fantasy back end, fantasy wide receiver one. I think the conversation we've always had is, well, him and Tyre Lockett just put up the same numbers every single year, but we always draft lock it way way way later. So I think Metcalf has left some
to be desired with what the expectations have been. I think that might be the case here again with Pittsburgh, we know that's not going to be justin fields as his quarterback, so we still need to kind of put that to the test. We'll see who's throwing him the football. But I don't think I'm going out in a limb saying that. There's obviously an overlapping skill set between him and George Pickens. So it wouldn't surprise me if they
moved on for Pickins. They traded him, And if there's anyone that knows when to Gophers receivers and when to get rid of them, it's Pittsburgh Steelers. So the fact that they trade for Metcalf instead of extending George Pickens first, that tells me they viewed Metcalf as the alpha. So if these guys are playing together, it's no contest for me who the guy I want would be, and that would be Metcalf. And obviously that's going to be dependent
on who the quarterback is. With a couple guys thrown out here in some rumors.
Yeah, well, we'll have to see the quarterback as to really kind of reacting further, and maybe that's something we'll find out by this time tomorrow. By the way, just going backwards of it, because I meant to ask this and I don't want to ignore this side of it. On that Laramie Tunsil trade, quickly, what do you think about CJ. Stroud as a result of this?
Because the offensive line.
Was already bad last year and it was a real problem for that offense. Like, are you worried Tunsil is not a very easy guy to replace?
I wouldn't think so.
I think the thing with the Texans, and I thought that was really interesting, was so in twenty twenty three, so they hit a rookie year. The Texans offensive line was really injured, yes, but it ended up not playing that horribly last year. They actually had most of their guys for the most of the season. They just all played terrible. So I think it was really more of
a schematic thing than anything else. So I think that this is a move for Houston looking ahead, saying I don't know if Tunsel fits what we want to try and do and implement here with our new offensive coordinator coming from the Rams, I don't know if this is the right guy that we need for our new offense and kind of what we're gonna do to help protect CJ. So that would be my take on it. Again, you're still losing a talented guy, but like you said, he
was there last year and didn't help. So maybe this is a way that the textas are trying to cut their losses with the player that in the market is viewed higher than you in the building.
Back to the receivers. Devanta Adams another big name on the move. He signs with the Rams two years, forty six million. The you know talk from pretty much everybody is going to slot right into that Cooper Cup role. Does this knock Puka down a few spots for you just because now there is and Devanta Adams, Like, I know the offense is that he was in last year, weren't that productive. He's still a good player, Like maybe he's not what he was in his prime, but he's
a good player. Matthew Stafford is a good quarterback, Like this seems like a really attractive landing spot pretty much all the way around, even on the Puka side, Like we'll take away some targets, yes, but now Puka's not the only option in this offense.
When this move went down, my immediate thought was Devanta Adams already one free agency before it started. Like that was my initial reaction to it. So I was I thought this was the best landing spot that he could get. You made a point where if he's in this Cooper cup role, we've seen Matthew Stafford. This guy turns anybody into a receiver god when it comes to fantasy production. Remember Kenny Galladay, remember him, Yeah, he was good with
Maview Stafford. So I think that Devanta Adams, yes, exactly, and Matthew Stafford made him a thousand yard receiver catching double digit touchdowns. So I love this move for Adams. I think that he's hardly he's very far from wash. And even though it's not Aaron Rodgers, not Derek Carr throwing him the football, it's Matthew Stafford. So I don't even really see necessarily. Maybe he's not jammed as many targets in the red zone as Rogers would do, but
Stafford is definitely good enough to help support him. We've seen him support double digit or two up to two fantasy wide receiver ones. I'm not sure if that'll be the case. But just imagine this Ryan, where there's a week where pokin Aakua misses a game where you're ranking Devanta Adams.
In your rankings that week.
I mean, for sure sure top five.
I was gonna say easily top eight, probably higher exactly.
So if you have that scenario where I Pooka misses a bunch of games, this is a month because of the way that he plays, Oh wow, now you have that other element of Adams game where yeah, I think that both guys into your first point, your first question. It does knock Pooka Nikoua down a little bit just because Adams is such an alpha. But if the trade off is, okay, he's not averaging top three production, but maybe he stays a little bit healthier because he's not
being thrown as many targets. We know the Rams like to have the concent traded offenses anyway, So I think both guys are going to eat and I think I want to draft both of them.
I think it's clear of the quarterbacks we've talked about so far that Sam Darnold is the guy you're gonna rank lowest and Field is the guy you're gonna rank highest. Outside of Jane Daniels, who we just kind of hit on tangentially, But those other two, Gino Smith and Matthew Stafford, who do you prefer out of those two?
Stafford?
You like Stafford better?
For Matthew Stafford, yeah, I still think.
That I would have him there too. I just wanted to make sure.
Yeah, I still think with I mean, we'll see how the Chip Kelly offense, the rumblings in terms of what they're going to be offense, pass heavy or run heavy, things like that.
I think just Stafford.
To me, it's about the touchdowns, right, and when you have Davante Adams and Pokinaku as your top two wide receivers, I think that Matthew Stafford could throw a lot of touchdowns.
Really. That's uh so that's kind of my take.
Another wide receiver going to a new team, a guy you and I have talked about on many occasions on various iterations of the show. Josh Palmer signs at the Bills three years, thirty six million. I regret to inform you as a Ravens fan, I love this move for the Bills. I think it's a great signing. I think he's going to help this team I think Palmer is
a good player. I don't know as far as fantasy goes, because Josh Allen like part of what led him to winning his fraudulent MVP last season was the fact that he spread the ball around so much.
There wasn't that Sefon Diggs type.
Obviously now that Josh Palmer was Stefan Diggs, you know, before coming to Buffalo. But I would imagine this is still a scenario where they are just taking what defenses are giving them with the soabigns whoever is open. But at the end of the day, I think Palmer is a good player and he makes this offense better.
I agree.
I think it's a good real life signing. The Bills needed to add another pass catcher. If anything, the fact that it's Josh Palmer more of a complimentary receiver. I know, I was really high in him last year. He ended up not firing. It was Mconkie and Quentin Johnson and I'm having the best seasons. I know that Palmer was also kind of banged up again, so that's the other thing with him. He is constantly kind of dealing and
playing through injuries, but he's flashed ceilings at times. So we'll see we're gonna have to be digging through all the off season reports to try to figure out which one of these Bills receivers is going to step up for me. It still goes back to I'm willing to go back to the Dalton King Kid well because everything that they've talked about with him last year was this guy was so injured that he could barely function. So if I'm looking for, what do I win when I win?
If I win with Dalton Kid Kinkaid being the guy that's the main pass catcher besides Khalil Shakir at tight end, that's the biggest win in my estimate. And trying to guess, oh, I hit on the right Bills wide receiver, Well, there's other receivers I could draft. Whereas if I hit on King Kid and he actually does emerge as that tight end one, well, now I have an advantage at the tight end position with King k now going outside the top ten tight ends, or at least that's what I would guess.
We'll wrap it fire through the rest of these to make sure we get out on time. The other two names that changed teams that at least wanted to mention Elijah Mitchell going to the Chiefs. I think it's probably a good thing for Pacheco. Mitchell's not going to steal any of the pass catching work from him, so maybe that's an opportunity for Pacheco. And then Deanmie Brown to the Jags one year deal. You know, he's a fine piece any just great quick thoughts on Mitchell or Brown.
Elijah Mitchell will not be this year's JK. Dobbins, I'm afraid to report. I don't think that's going to be the case here. I think the thing with Dobbins and even Cream Hunt, when these guys signed with their teams, they had coaching connections to them that made me more bullish or at least bullsh on JK. Dobbins because he was getting reunited with Greg Rohman. That was the reason why I was like picking back. I'm like, why did I end up turning a little bit? And obviously you
were in my ear about JK. Dobbins as well, and I was thinking about Shad Mitchell be that guy that's been injured for so long? Do you think he could come back and be this player? And then I thought about it more. I'm like, doesn't really have any coaching connections. To me, it seems like more like, hey, he's free, he's a depth piece. Let's Adam. We had a bunch of running back injuries, so I agree with him. Not
super into Mitchell and Dimie Brown. Yeah, I think that he's a you know, wide receiver.
Three.
He's a deep threat, combinedary piece to Brian Thomas, who's going to get all the targets in Jacksonville.
Just gotta read through some of these other ones. Jalen Warren's second round tender from the Steelers. Aaron Jones resigns with the Vikings. A couple of tight ends. Zach Ertz resigns with the Commanders, Mike Sicki resigns with the Bengals. Marquise Brown is back in Kansas City, so myajp Rhyan does not go to Tampa.
He resigns with the Bengals.
The last one that I can get your thoughts on before we wrap up, Chris Godwin resigns with the Bucks three years, sixty six million, one of the bigger moves of the day. Sticking in Tampa Bay. Apparently turned down more money he could have gotten from the Patriots, which I would have loved as a big Drake May investor. What were your thoughts seeing Godwin stick around? And you know, obviously Liam Cohen has gone, offense might look a little different.
What do you think about this one.
I don't know why nobody wants to play with the Patriots. It was almost sixty degrees today. Man, this is the warm weather right here in March. So blows my mind. No one wants to play with Drake May. Couldn't be me. I think that it's a great signing for Chris Gobin to go back to the Buccaneers again. It seemed like there was a chance he was going to go elsewhere. Like you said, the Patriots were offering him more money. But he wants to succeed and he knows he's gonna
find success in Tampa Bay. I know that Liam Cohen's gone, maybe his role is a little bit different with the new officic coordinator coming in, but he was with the team last year, and before that he was with Miami, and you know, Miami had a couple good receiver seasons between Jalen Wall and Tarry Kill over the last couple of seasons. So I'm confident that this Buccaneer's offense with
Baker Mayfield still at the helm. Again, I sometimes think we over evaluate the coaching thing a little bit when we don't look at, well, who's the quarterback, like he's the one that matters. Like Baker mayfield'sen getting guys jobs left and right because he's been playing well. So Godwin was the he led the NFL receptions before his injury last year. And I know it's his second season ending injury, but ankle dislocation a little bit different than like a
horn acl injury or something along those lines. So I'm excited for Chris Goblin. I think that the fact that it's Godwin, Evans and Ngelackmillan all back, I think it's gonna suppress their prices. I do think this hurts McMillan a little bit in terms of his second year breakout potential, just because there's two alphas in front of him. But I think that I want pieces of all these really
productive guys. They're all really good players, and Godwin was on such a tear before his injury last year, and he's only twenty nine.
So you did hear me say rabbit fire right? Just just clarify, I did say that, man, you got me on.
Chris Cobbin, you got me on the Patriots like that rabbid fire does not exist.
We're off of there.
Today's episode a little bit longer than the other ones will be this week because obviously we had some of the weekend stuff to hit as well, and then also just it being day one, so.
Stick with us all week long.
We bring more of these microcasts to you, and again check out Fantasypros dot com for all the covers we got. I feel free to reach out to us on discord as well. If you have additional questions we did. Can get to for ericson I'm Ryn Warmly. We'll see again tomorrow. Thanks for listening to the Fantasy Pros Fantasy Football Podcast. If you love the show, the best free way to support us is by leaving a positive review on Apple po podcast at Fantasypros dot com, slash review or on Spotify.
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