Welcome to NFL Daily, where we continue to make marquee additions.
We don't even put.
Our marque editions on the practice squad like they did.
With Dalvin Cook in Dallas.
We're adding members to the NFL Daily family and that includes Keegan Abdu today from Next Gen.
Stat's also got Steve Weisch.
And Jordan Rodrigue here in the Chris Westling podcast studio. And yeah, Kegan, you work here for Next and Stats and you still had no idea where the podcast studio was.
I took that as an insult.
You know, we're just very solid at the end of you within your department, and if you crossover, you might get reprimanded.
So I was excited.
Look, Kegan, I met him at get together at the Super Bowl with Nate Tice, a lot of movers and shakers at the Super Bowl.
I was like, this guy's in our building.
He's a secret weapon, a great follow on Twitter, and we've been talking about NFL Pro and Next and Stats and everything that they have awesome, So he can bring that angle to the conversation today. It's an NFC preview, your favorite conference. Jordan fresh off the Rams practice field.
Fresh being the key word yes, this week off the practice field, were you aware that you almost hit Keeky in the face like four times?
My hands fly around, Steve. Good to have you back here, having you.
I'm an NSC guy too, you know, growing up in between Manyams and Saint Louis. You know, grew up loving the NFC back when it was on CBS, I believe exclusively, long long days ago.
And then once were you ever you were based in Saint Louis? Where you ever as a professionally?
No?
No, no, okay. Once I love University Missouri, I was gone. That city was my rear view mirror. I love the Cardinals and that's about it.
So we hit the AFC on Thursday with Nick Wright. That was a lot of fun. We're going to go through same questions essentially as the NFC and go through them all today, hit every team. We're all gonna predict our seeds. Keegan's predictions hold a little more weight because they have so many numbers behind them, but we all get to make our predictions.
But we do have some news, so I want to.
Fly through the news quickly before we get to the NFC preview. I mean, it's just like we've been talking about these quarterback battles all off season. Now that they're officially over, we should at least mention it, Jordan, let's talk Patriots. Jacoby Brissett officially over Drake may I actually thought this was up in the air of the last day.
My conspiracy theory is Drod Mayo might have been more on the fence or leaning Drake may than maybe his offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, who made it very clear he wanted Jacoby Brissett, but they did end up going with Jacoby, and Mayo set in a radio interview on Wednesday, actually that the right guy for us now might not be the right guy for us down the road. With Telegraft it a little bit. It makes me think he's got a pretty short leash.
Yeah, obvious.
I mean they're trying to be safe with the guy that they're developing to be their next franchise quarterback. And I think in that same interview he didn't he say Jacoby out had outplayed Drake may.
No, he said Drake may had outplayed that day earlier this week. It's all very confusing, that's the thing. So as a Patriots fan.
You're just not trying to rush and I know you don't really want to finish that sentence as a Patriots fan, Greg, but you're not trying to rush the guy into making too many mistakes, getting a little ghosts early, anything like that that could potentially happen to set him off trajectory.
You're trying to develop him.
Yeah, you want your starting quarterback who's going to be your starter eventually to play. You want him to get reps, but you also want to protect him, sometimes from himself and sometimes from the environment around him.
And he thought Steve that Mayo stepped in it a little because he said all along, it's not about Drake May showing that he's ready, It's about who wins the competition. And that's where I think he got in trouble because the last few weeks everyone there, including jirod Mayo, say, Drake May outplayed Jacoby Brissett. That I think Jacoby and
it's a tough situation he's in. Well, it wasn't playing his best either because of all the pressure and everything that's going on, and May can make some plays and look more comfortable and by all accounts kind of outplayed him in the preseason and in practice.
Yeah, look, I think this comes back because remember I'm on the record on the show saying that Drake May should start me too. But I think they looked at the schedules, like, geez, this this is really really no joke. But you're gonna have to be thrown into it at some point. But I think they allis looked at the rest of the roster.
They really won. I don't know.
I'm a big believer in letting him play. You know, when you talk about Alex van Pelt having some sway, he had Jacoby in Cleveland as well, So there's that relationship and that familiarity and how he can deal with in game situations that Drake May has not seen in the regular season. That may be why he's slowing it down.
Over under, Drake May starts Kigan this year, I'm gonna go ten.
Okay, whoa, that's the over underlined.
I mean he's saying, yeah, Drake, I would go like fourteen or fifteen.
I think this is quick. Yeah.
I think it's like, let Drake May see what the regular season is like. It's probably not going to go that well, and that they'll be impatient. Like, what was your view on May as a prospect coming in.
I really liked Maya's prospect.
I thought that, honestly, the Daniels pick was a little bit questionably.
Hear did May's.
Tools, So I thought he was the second best quarterback in this draft, and I really wanted my Giants to go up.
And grab him. They tried. It sounds like a rumor that was happening.
Unfortunately, the Patriots, as a Giants fan, seem to have maybe gotten another franchise quarterback.
I think they will.
And that's why I think Patriots fans to just relaxed, like calm down. It's so hard to get a quarterback. Just believe that this is going to be your guy. You're not gonna win many games this year. Enjoy enjoy it. What do you what are you thinking about? He said, Patriots fans relax, Yeah, shots the.
Point do you want to address him?
I mean that is the biggest wind picked fly things. Patriots fans can't relax.
I do want to just say one thing on like, make one thing really clear. What I'm not going to do drowd Mayo's first year is like get on him for flip flopping on something He's This is also a building that never said anything to it about anything about anything about anything for years and years and years, drowd Mayo. I being a first year, he is allowed to a change his mind, B receive more information, see, consult his coaching staff, d talk to the media and change his mind.
He's allowed to develop like like, I'm not going to hold him for what he said last Wednesday and change his mind this Wednesday, especially if they're developing a plan for this guy along the wayst why I.
Like Jordan's takes a step back. She's empathetics, he sees the big picture.
You're right a feeling. I kind of like that. Mayo says, whatever is on his mind, it is a beautiful thing. He's a tough guys.
If former player they love I just want Jordan to go like on this on the steps of the city home province, Rhode Island or something and say this to the people who are kindly known as mass because they.
Are not going to be his forgiving.
Issue no to you know what, that's a miserable way to live. Because I'm the Patriots. The Celtics are the team that that has my heart the most now where I'm up and down, and you know what I saw all last season was a thousands and thousands of people who were miserable during a championship season, like, enjoy the ride.
This is gonna be a fun ride with Drake May. Just enjoy the process, all right.
The process in Pittsburgh seems less enjoyable. I thought it was really interesting after they announced Russell Wilson is the starting quarterback, which we expected Justin Fields. Keagan didn't seem like he did enough to win the job. In my opinion, he just didn't play that well in the preseason. I actually think the door was open. They opened it for him,
and he struggled too, and it's a tough situation. I thought it was interesting though, on the Rich Eisen Show that Mike Tomlin immediately threw it out there that Justin Fields is too talented to just keep on the bench. That my friend Rahee Morris and his words should be ready for you know, some Justin Fields. And maybe that's gamesmanship, but I do believe him that Justin Fields will have some role in this Steelers offense in the first month of the season.
Yeah, I can see that happening.
Also, just both quarterbacks are such a weird fit with Arthur Smith, you know, he loves to get those wide open throws over the middle.
He's in play action.
Both of those guys are not really in structure quarterbacks, so that'll be interesting to see how either of them kind of fit in that offense.
Yeah, we talked about it.
It's like everyone was like popping a tiny mini bottle of champagne every time they saw a throw between the numbers because they knew that this is what was going to be a key element of Arthur Smith's offense. What
I really hope to see, which never quite manifested. Yeah, it was a preseason but just didn't really manifest, was the ability of justin fields to be used in a multiplicity kind of way within Arthur Smith's sort of reputation or reputation among some as a run game guy and able to marry the run in the past in that way.
And we just you know, like.
You'll probably see it.
The door was open.
And in the third preseason game, which I thought was interesting because Russell Wilson comes out, leads a touchdown drive and he's out. So I was in studio work with Ron Rivera. He's like, Russell's a starter. You don't just go ahead and play him one series and take him out. If he's earning the job, he's the starter. But then when they put in Justin Fields, they did some RPO stuff. They did some stuff almost like some old school Viera option type of stuff.
So I think that's going to be part of it.
It's it's just interesting because again, when I see the Falcons preseason games, he had a chance to draft Justin Fields and wanted no part of him.
Yeah, and I don't think he's a huge.
And to that point though, Steve I did like seeing that as well.
It's just I don't think that enough of it popped for them in order for him to fully walk through the door.
Well in Ris, you know, they had they embracing on practice too, and the offensive line. I honestly think they just felt like unless Fields played excellent, not that they felt like they owed it to Russell Wilson, but this was the vision, this was the plan all along, and it was going to take something different to veer off. I do worry though. We have our predictions up on NFL dot com if you want to check it out. Keegans are in there. I don't know if Steve filled
out the email this year. He's kind of big time.
I didn't get one. I'm sure you did not get one, my friend, and check.
Right now.
Out of thirty analysts, only to even have the Steelers in the playoffs. And I think we did the opposite of what we did last year, where we overrated the Steelers because they had a nice preason. Maybe maybe we were overreacting to a bad preseason. They're still the Steelers and they have a great front seven. Quickly, I just want to go through the wide receiver drama before we
get to the NFC preview. Surprisingly, Jamar Chase and Brandon Ayuk that it's taken new turns that Jamar Chase was back practicing, then he wasn't after Zach Taylor expected him to be all systems go and said he was confident Jamar Chase was gonna be playing Week one. I wonder if those comments had something to do with him not showing back up at practice on Wednesday. He was kind of there on Thursday. You're shaking your head, yes, Steve White.
Well, I think that very much. Was like, oh, no, oh, you think I'm going to practice? Why should I? Oh, I'm under contract, Yeah, but you know I want to get paid. And I think those comments very much.
But he did practice. That was the weird thing.
And so Ayuk is in a similar situation where both teams are saying, okay, like we haven't been finding you. You've been doing this holding, which we've allowed. But Brandon, I believe in you. I believe this will get done. It's why I drafted you in the fourth round of my fantasy draft. Like people are too afraid of this contract, it'll show up. He's still a great player. A couple other items just in transactions before we take a quick break.
I mentioned Dalvin Cook, who was advertised as a big deal Marky signing and then he went to the practice squad for the Cowboys. Let's calm down there. The Commanders signed Noah Brown. There was a lot of practice squad shuffling. Nothing to me that was that crazy. But Taylor Heineke got traded to the Charges. We've been campaigning for the Chargers to get a backup, and so that's an upgrade for them.
Tyler Huntley is on the loose.
The Browns cut him after not getting a trade partner for him, so he'll probably end up somewhere else that could use a quarterback to Let's take a quick break, and then let's just have a clean start of our NFC preview. We're going to go through. We're going to tell you who makes the playoffs, who doesn't, who's gonna be a little surprising, who's gonna get.
Fired, who's gonna ruin our prime times? Hmmm, now we have to do that one too.
Yes, For years, California's most beloved football franchise has been left wanting in the playoffs, lacking protection at key moments while opponents glibly celebrate world championships. You're gonna have to deal with That's why we introduce Prop seventy one California.
Prop seventy one diverts key funds to the protection of brock Purty, resulting in a binding agreement with an institution bound for Canton, Ohio for the rest of his career, paid for by the collection of rational humans who believe Trent William should be properly compensated.
Yeah, that is a fantastic Oh my god, it's an election year, it's an important issue, and uh yeah, I think I think forty nine Ers fans and brock Purty are gonna be in big support of that prop.
So you read that fine print on those props. Yes, oh they are in California, and yeah that's a good point.
Yeah, they're not always the best written props.
I suggest anyone yet check us out on YouTube, the NFL Daily, so you can see everything that went along with that.
Thank you to.
Patrick Claybah and his campaign to protect Rock Pretty Maybe maybe they'll be an answer early on. I'm gonna start with this a team favored to make the playoffs that won't, to see if anyone actually would go as big as the forty nine ers. I do want to say, who are the teams that are favored to make the playoffs in Vegas? So the forty nine ers are the team most likely to according to the Desert, the Lions, the Eagles, the Packers, the Cowboys, and the Falcons. Those are pretty
strong six who are favored to make the playoffs. The Rams and the Bears were next. They were kind of even odds as the seven team. A little surprised the Bears were in there. We're gonna go around the room. Everyone's gonna pick one of those teams that you do not think make the playoffs.
Stevie, you look like you want to jump in.
I'm gonna go with to Cowboys. Okay, I mean it's crazy as it sounds. Here's a team that routinely wins twelve games, it only takes nine to get in.
Will they make that six game swing? They could?
I mean, I just I know they got CD back, Their offense gonna get better, young offensive line looks good.
Dovin Cook, I mean, is he your answer? And then we're groundking?
Now?
Is he gonna be better than Rico Dubell? I mean I don't know.
Yeah, I mean, I just I don't like what they have in the run game. I know Mike Zimmer is a great defensive coordinator.
I don't know.
When I look at the team say favored. I mean that's the thing. I still I personally think they are a playoff team. But when you look at the teams that's favored.
Well then I just I mean, when you when you know you gotta eliminate someone.
Well, okay, you know what I'm just gonna say, the Cowboys, I'm gonna say the Here's here's where I hedge because I just don't know if there's a division that's gonna give us three teams like we're gonna see in the AFC North Again, We're gonna see three teams like I just don't know if there's that division.
I think the the West or the NFC. I had the Cowboys written down too. I think they're thin at a lot of positions where one injury really hurts them. But they're their linebackers, the offensive line going from what was a strength to a weakness, the depth of the of the wide receiver group. I don't know if this is going to be a good defense in Dallas.
Yeah, I have the Cowboys written down, okay, And I really think part of it is because the specter of what could possibly become of this team is just waiting right around the corner. It feels like, you know, the coach on the final deal, the Dack situation. Here's a hypothetical. If you're Jerry Jones and they know more about this situation internally than we know publicly, clearly, right, But here's just the hypothetical, play this string out with me a
little bit. If you are clear or internally you are aware that your franchise quarterback potentially is not going to sign a deal with you, or you're not going to pay this guy. You know you already know you're not going to pay him what he's asking. Then you're collecting calls trying to see if you can recoup anything from the loss of what this player will be before November.
And you're not resigning your head coach, and you're not resigning several players, and you have a core receiver who can help a different quarterback like develop into that roster.
This is a hypothetical situation.
But I think if I'm Jerry Jones and I'm you know, talking to you know, our guy Clarence Hill about what a you know, great GM he is, and nobody you're obviously thinking about if this guy leaves, what can I recoup instead of just coming away with nothing and just having to rebuild with with no resource resources on the backside. And if I'm Dak, I do want to go and actually test free agency and actually get paid what I think I'm worth and what I think he will be worth.
Well, you mentioned those Jerry Jones quotes and he was talking about Dak Prescott this week. Let's listen to what Dak Prescott said on Thursday, courtesy of k d f W Fox for in Dallas.
Yeah, I understand that that's the business and the nature of this this game that we play. Uh yeah, I mean I stopped honestly listening to things that he says to the media a long time ago, so it doesn't really hold way with me.
I mean, it's funny. I know there were some chuckles, but there was some biting in there.
But he says he's talking about his boss, Jerry Jones. Wait was it a clean sweep? Did you write down the Cowboys too? Okay, well, we'll stop burying the Cowboys for a second.
But I'm I'm with you.
I don't know if I can get there on that they could ever trade Deck in season, that they would have to really start slow for that to happen.
If you're already committed that you're blowing up your team after this season, then you.
Were They're gonna They're going to try to make it work this year. They're they're a living the moment type of franchise. But you're right, just a coach who won't be back, a quarterback that won't be back, those are bad signs. Let's let's hear from your Kegan in terms of the team you wrote down.
All right, So the smart take I think would be the Falcons, just because I think that people are putting them in by default, and there's still a lot of questions about offense. Their defense is not gonna be as good without after losing Ryan Nielsen. But I'm gonna be start out with the boom going Eagles.
In the This is how we get the Cowboys fans back, exactly the one in the staff picks I noticed that had the missing out of thirty people.
Wow, so let me go through a little bit.
And by the way, clever that your last name is the first in every list, so you get more pop than all the other analysts and ease, I see what you're doing family anyway.
So basically like I think Kelsey being lost the lost Kelsey. Everyone talks about it, but I do think that's gonna
be a huge loss, especially with the new coordinator. This will be the first time that Jalen Hurts ever calls protections in his life, if that's up to him, if not as Cam Jurgens, who it would be his first time playing center as a NFL pro because last year when Kelsey missed the game, I think they kept him at right guard or left guard for continuity from all defensive perspective, like, I think the book might be out a little bit on Jalen Hurts.
You know, you blitzed them.
Someone said that in Mike Sandos Tiers. It was anonymous coach. It said he just cover zero blitz him. They have supreme talent, don't get me wrong. They have Saquon Barkley that's going to add explosion. But I don't think that just automatically assuming this offense, often problems are going to be fixed that we saw for the second.
Half of last season.
And then on the other side of the ball, one of the worst defense in the league last year. They you know, they invest in the secondary, have two great picks by most people's metrics in the in the draft, but you're expecting a lot out of rookies. You have two aging cornerbacks outside of that, Chauncey Gardner. Johnson's a big improvement for their slot defense, especially, and that's where they really struggled last year, Like they allowed the most
yards to slot receivers last year. But you have Fletcher Cox retiring, you have Bryce Huff who's going to be a full time player for the first time in his career, and you have really no depth beyond Jalen Carter and Jordan.
Davis, who are not. That's issue.
Full time players like Jordan Davis has never really eclipsed sixty percent snapshare in his career.
So I don't know.
I just think it's a lot more of a fragile team than people are saying. And you know, if the heat's hot, I could also see Sirianni, you know, getting canned early.
Yeah, that's a great real quick talking about the detackle lack of depth or that's an issue because behind him you don't have great lineback. I mean to Kobe, Dean is a hell of a talent, but that guy, when you look at him in person, you would think that maybe he's a slot corner, like he's about as big as Kenny Moore, and he's not.
I don't think he's going to start either, which is also a problem. I mean, I think he's coming off the bed. You're right that I think they're a little more fragile. I'm high on them because I like the talent, but yeah, I think there's a lot of teams like this, and they're similar to Dallas where just if things start going poorly, it's going to really test that coaching staff
and struck. Sure, and we know that the front office were kind of the ones pushing these coordinators, and you have some guys there that are just ready to elevate, and the vibes weren't great with hers. I'm hoping that they really integrate him into the running game and that they provide some answers that maybe Siriani didn't as a coordinator. I'll go with Falcons, by the way, anyways, just because I didn't have them in my playoffs, so I might
as well. I just think there's a lot of projection there with the defense, assuming that it's going to be a lot better in a thirty six year old Kirk Cousins, who is always an inconsistent player to me coming off in Achilles tear, I'm just not convinced that he's going to be a plus plus quarterback. And if he's an average quarterback, we'll see. All Right, let's go to positive news.
I feel like we've been so down so far. How about a team that's not favored to make the playoffs that will Let's start with you, Jordan.
I have the Seahawks.
Okay, I think the NFC West is going to be spicier than maybe people are looking at it first. Glinch, just because of how dismal the Cardinals were for much of last year. We've already talked at a nauseum about how they turned it on offensively in the back half. I think the Seahawks are gonna take take a second to get their defense figured out under this new scheme.
The language of the new scheme. Although Mike McDonald his teaching tools, his teaching progression, you hear people rave about it inside coaching circles across the league, and everybody he's worked with just raves about how you're one. You can start to see it come together. Year two is when you really start to see this thing take off and players understand where they're supposed to be. I think that
this offense is going to be really fun. I think the combination of Ryan Grubb, who was doing a lot of things that mary very well in NFL world, less so even in a collegiate world, because he's not necessarily
exploiting the different hash marks in college. Instead, he's using his motions and shifts as it would adhere to an NFL field, and he's changing formations all of his top receivers, which, by the way, the Seahawks have three very good receivers all of those guys, you know, the concept record, like the concepts you can see, like the philosophy behind what
they might try to do. And they also brought a former Rams past game courtenator Jake Pizza up to Ryan Grubb's staff to talk about the little intricacies like spacing, like how to spring people people out of different concepts and give them space in the second and third levels of the field out of those cut splits by moving like one inch to the left, let's go. And I
think that that's something that's really really significant. If this offensive line can block anybody this year, which is always a question with this team, I do think that this is going to be a really fun year to watch for the Seahawks. I think they're going to be frisky, really really tough out, especially down the back half. And Gino Smiths a great quarterback.
There it is you said it all for me.
There might pick too.
I think the coaching is so key, and I'm in we're taking a leap of faith, certainly on both sides of the ball, but especially on offense, where you need Grub and their scheme to make the offensive line passable. It doesn't need to be great, but it needs to be not league worst, like PFF ranked just pure offensive line talent, and they had him thirty second and that's
a problem. And they played like that last year and it's why Gino Smith struggled so much on third down and in long distance situations, because otherwise I think they're going to be a very difficult team to prepare for. I do think new coaching staffs sometimes have an advantage that way. I think it's just such a great division. But yeah, if you look at just the players, just like think of players and coaches that could win awards yor like make a Pro Bowl team on that team. Yeah, Witherspoon,
I think Riekuilan can be a Pro Bowler. Byron Murphy, I think could be like a defensive Rookie of the Year DK Gino ken Walker. It's like they have guys, and I think the defensive line is is actually a lot of fun. I know it's not superstars, but once Nuos is back and it sounds like he's not going to be out long. You got him, you got Leonard Williams, you got Draymond Jones, Like you have a lot to work with there, and uh yeah, I'm going with them.
To win the division. I don't give you know, let's go.
I am you know, I've been high on Seattle the whole time. I'm like, why aren't we talking about the Seattle Seahawks Because you look at McDonald where he's coming from. You talked about all that front seven talent that they have on defense. That's where Baltimore, where he came from, you know, makes its money. And now he's got a stunt. I've talked to people up there. I mean, what they're going to do with Devin Witherspoon is very similar from the corner what the Ravens did with Coyle Hamilton at
the safety spot. Look, this guy's going to be in contention for Defensive Player of the Year. Yeah, I'm calling that shot right now.
And I'm with you.
Offensively, Gino's going to be fine if this offensive line can do things anything in that run game, which they got two stud running backs telling you, man, Seattle's going to be a pain.
Do you put them in the playoffs? Kigga good or I don't like all this agreement. I don't want to be uh you know, oh.
We did this. We planned this on purpose, so you'd have to pick against them.
No, I will not pick against them. I mean, we got our picks out there, it's on it's online. All right, give me a team. Do you have another one that?
Uh, the Cardinals are going to be interesting.
I think I'm to make the playoffs, not to make the playoffs, but I think they'll be competitive and maybe in the wild card race. I'm looking about their defense. That's really my only what's holding me back. But I mean, a full year Kyler with Drew Petsing as a coordinator, you got Marvin Harrison, you got Trey McBride, like I'm excited for.
Yeah, Okay, let's search that division race then, because my answer is NFC West. And to me, this is just from a dorky matchup perspective.
It's the coaches, it's the players.
Every one of these matchups is compelling to me because also it's one of the few divisions where there's four good quarterbacks for really good quarterbacks, so that that helps a lot. It's always going to make it more watchable. So I'm going around the room for best division race. But to me, these are all blockbuster box office because to me, even if the Cardinals don't win a ton
of games, I'm not as you know, high on. You like them taking a big step in the win, Like they're going to be fun to watch.
I think that the history is getting really juicy between all of the coaches in this division versus just two of them. Yeah, I think that this is going to be really really interesting. Some of the game planning they're starting. Finally it's always been sort of Seawan and Kyle, but then not even really Sean and Kyle, and like you're
like hiring off of each other's staffs. They're starting to hire off of each other's staffs a little bit, which you only saw that like a couple of years removed out of any one Kyle staff or Sean's staff, it would be Rams forty nine ers.
Now you're starting to see them like.
Sort of pluck each other's staff a little bit, start sort of trying to get each other's ideas in the building. I think just on a coaching level, I mean, quarterbacks.
A little going on.
I even noticed how that she's talking about the second edition of her Right Playmakers.
Too, you know, kind of in twenty twenty six.
It's personal.
Yeah, like even the the four I like the other Rams, you know, claim the forty nine ers running back slash return guys like I see.
What you saw one see how preseason game these couple of run concepts. Man, go back and watch the twenty twenty three Rams film. It's it's very, very interesting.
Anyone. I feel like the Rams are a team. A lot of people steal from the same thing with forty nine ers, like around the whole league, not even just because all.
The coaches are everywhere. They're running kind of the same stuff. Anyone to have a different division. I do like the best race. I do.
We're talking about the most competitive and it's because it's mediocrity.
It's the NFC South.
Okay, you've got three Look, look you've got you've got three defensive coaches. Right, you have three defensive coaches down, so probably probably the only division in the NFL you have three defensive head coaches. You've got the one offensive head coaches. Hot stuff going to Carolina where they're gonna be better. I mean, they're not gonna be a two win team, they're gonna be better. I just think it's gonna be like it's been eight to nine, might be
the best you get. So when you talk about the best overall race, I think it's gonna be those four teams kind of stumbling over each other.
That's just ugly football. I don't I don't want I love it.
I love Hey, that was question man, that it's true.
And I like a good ugly division.
That's division race, right, not the most competitive. Well, I misinterpret that now.
I think there's room for interpretation however you want it. Like, I am totally down with like a season where when the Panthers when they were like four and ten with Ron Rivera and then they won three straight to make the playoffs or something like that.
It's like, I'm fine with some ugly give me mess. I'm with you. I like it. I got NFC North, Okay, I liked that. I almost went there.
I honestly think that the Packers and the Lions might be the two best teams in the conference this year. Wow that at the top. That and I also think I'm really high in the Bears this year. I mean, I think over those second half of last season, after they traded him on to Sweat arguably the top five defense they.
Reteamed run defense in the NFL.
Sick run defense ever Fliss he figured it out near the end, and I think from an offensive perspective, you get o'doons, you get Keenan Allen as the third wide receiver. That's a great place for him to be in this this part in his career.
I think Cabe is really set up to hit the ground running.
You have all these stats gigging in front of you, these crazy next and stat like, when are you gonna break them out? You know you're like you're like pulling from all these this crazy information. I want this version of next instances?
Can I have this?
I can get it? Yeah, okay, it's good, I can. I can get it. I'm excited.
All Right, let's go.
You mentioned you think the Lions and Packers might be the best teams in the NFC. Should we go number one seed? I'll throw out mine. I'm gonna go Lions. I just think the NFC is so much weaker than the AFC overall, Like there's a lot of good teams, but I obviously think the forty nine ers are coming back to the pack. If I have the Seahawks winning the division and the Lions are the team, it sounds
so crazy to say that. I just trust the most that if if you told me they had a losing record, more than any team in the NFC.
It would surprise me.
So ultimately, I'm just gonna put my faith in continuity in this system, being really ready to go both sides of the ball. Really like the Lions on both sides of the ball. I'm going to go Lions in one seed.
I picked that as well.
I hate that we've agreed on almost everything to this point, but I do agree with you. I also, if the Trent Williams and Brandon and Ny situation weren't unfolding, I would have picked the forty nine ers here, but I picked the Lions. Line play quarterback has certainly raised the floor from several years ago, and they have their faith in him as a city and as a team coordinator, continuity fix some of the holes in their defense, I.
Mean the secondary. They I love them well.
I love that Their biggest problem this spring was or this summer was like, oh, who's our third receiver? You know, like that's luxury Now for the Lions, that's what we're asking, like, that's a good football team.
They brought in Tim Patrick rather that and their practice squad, So that's just it.
That's a guy who can dig out a safety or two they're going to use.
Him, ye, coming off some big injuries, but that would be great to see Tim Patrick in a big spot. They need James and Williams to come through, but I think they will. Why are you so high?
I'm Kigan, I'm the Lions.
I think the secondary, as you said, I think that's gonna like allow Terall Austin for the first time and his few years as coordinator lean more into mand coverage, which I think he wants to play, and he's shown that over the course of the years. And they've just struggled to do that. I mean when you had who was the guy? Who are their cornerbacks?
Last year? I can't even they all got hurt.
Emmanuel Moseley was in and out now and was a.
Real quick Aaron gland Is to d you see their Tarol Austin's in anyone? I have a different number, seed I do?
All right, Well we both do. Yeah, go ahead, I'm going with the Packers. Okay, I'm betting on second half of the year. Jordan Love, you want to talk about stats. He was second in EPA over the second half of the season after starting.
I think he had one or two games.
With the above US fifty percent success rate in his first eight games finishes the year seven of his last ten. Above that, he ends up top five in that metric in terms of consistency, because that's what was lacking over the first You saw the flashes over the first eight weeks, but the consistency of getting rid of the ball quickly, trusting the short game, and trusting his receivers. I think all his receivers are so young. I mean, that was
one of the youngest receiving corps last year. Hopefully they all take a step up. I love Jayden Reid this year in terms of his dynamic abilities.
That tight end room, I mean, Tucker Craft and Luke.
Dust Grave is awesome. Always have one of the best offensive lines. And now you know, you get Josh Jacobs, probably a little out of lateral move from Aaron Jones might play in the field more. The defense, I'm a little bit more worried about, But I trust that offense to be among you know, a top three unit in the league, and I'm gonna ride them.
And they would be feeling like they're just so back if they're a one seed at at this age, it is just crazy. Randy's going crazy back there.
Yeah, I'm going off the grid with my number one seed.
And I know you talked about you didn't love them.
I think the Eagles gonna be the number one about them because they played a division where I think they honestly could be the only team for their division to get into the playoffs, right the other two teams because each have two even if you go to the so you could hit Atlanta in Tampa. You talked about Green Bay in Detroit in the North. In the West, you could have your choice of Seattle, the Niners in the Rams.
So that's why I think the Eagles are going to have an easier opportunity to become the number one seed if some of those injuries and those key spots. You know, they can't be weak up the middle on defense and right now that's a sauce spot.
Potentially they are thinner than they've been.
They used to have the big rotations, and they have a coordinator now in Vic Fangio who doesn't really rotate is much. So it's a different philosophy than Howie Roseman had. Can you mentioned it? Can those guys can? Can the edge guys be good enough? Otherwise though, I think you're onto something that the schedule I think is overall going to be pretty favorable, especially if we're projecting the Cowboys to be worse, then it's suddenly the easiest division in
the league. You get the Carolina Panthers in the entire NFC South out of division, Like I don't hate that at all, some of the out of division games, like just because there's schedule, like the Jet I'm in. I'm in on the Eagles maybe being the one seed, but it could go in a million different directions. All right, last one before taking one last break here, let's go first QB to be benched.
If if any I got one, please Derek car there it is. I knew it was coming. Yeah, it's happened before.
First of all, he's got the Saints I think are over ninety million over the cap next year already.
Okay, I will push back on that. That's every year though, that was yeah, clean it up. I mean, this is this is the last year.
Easiest I'd like, easiest move you can make.
That's sixty million, uh in terms of dead cap after this season. I mean, but you're going to be paying him fifty million either way. So I think in general, also Carr like having Kamara the whole year is going to play to his worst instincts. When Kamara was on the field last year, Carr got rid of the ball zero point three seconds faster, which is an eternity over the course of a lot of drop back. He just is so much more willing to check the ball down.
When Kamari's Kamara is a little bit older, he's going to be checked down. Car And I think Dennis Allen eventually is going to try and pull the plug.
And maybe if he's there to pull the.
I know, I feel like those two guys are kind of connected at the hip. But yeah, there's been more than a few people in the media. They're pushing hashtag the agenda and that is spend He's not a normal fifth round pick and the Saints Black Party podcast for starting this. But the agenda is strong. If Carr struggles, that is not a popular quarterback.
Yeah, and play the string out if another coach comes in, of course he is going to play Spencer Ratler like you're gonna get the breadth of fresh air. If if another coach or an interim coach comes in, of course you are going to do that.
I put him third on my list. Actually, I had Daniel Jones is the most likely.
I said, I said, Daniel Jones most likely.
But usually when you pull your quarterback, you've got a succession plan, Tommy and Andrew.
Drew Locke is not here.
Yeah, but you know, it's like telling it's kind of sad that I actually completely forgot about Daniel Jones. Yeah, I have Derek Carr on my list. I wouldn't disagree with Daniel Jones. I still think it's Derek Carr, but I gotta say, like it's uh, I don't know. We heard whispers or Daniel Jeremiah heard whispers even at the around draft time that Drew Locke might play some games for the Yeah.
I think they signed up to your lock with the idea of playing him at some point. I don't think they were encouraged by him and then he got hurt a little bit, although he should be back soon in that.
He's a talented dude.
I mean, my whole thing of though, is just after seeing the hard knocks, they are this is like it is all about Daniel Jones or all Audie. I mean I think they are. They have hitched their wagon to him, and if he makes it.
If they're one and seven, though, and that contract is not guaranteed for injury, they just going he might make a business that everybody's good points.
Steve brings up a good point though, I mean that's like the emotional attachment to it. If you've made your cards that clear that this has to work no matter what, then yeah, you're gonna stick with that guy a little bit longer.
And they already have stuck with him.
I think Kirk is more likely than Derek Carr to get benchedally, no, not less it's an injury think. I think if if something went out there, I think they're just gonna love Michael PENNOCKX and if they're losing with the love they love possible scenario. I don't really expect it, but if they're losing, I could see them going to Penis.
It would be crazy, I think. I don't. The head coaches got too much, too much grace period down there.
They're not okay speaking of head coaches with grace period, I get this one's too obvious. If in negative a first coach, if any to get fired, Dennis Allen I think would be be the favorite there stable maybe if things went really south, let's zoom past that. Well, let's take one more break and then we're gonna come back and we will be wrapping up the show, getting all of our playoff seats.
You will learn who wins the NFC Championship. A lot to be with all of you today.
There's been a lot of talk about the road we've traveled on the road ahead for America's team. Let me ask you all one question. If all we do is choke and lose, then who is the one truly living in the past? If we are the bandwagon, then shouldn't it be more fun?
If you want fun, ask yourself this, why not? Now?
What would be more Dallas than a season born of contract disputes resulting in the ultimate goal before it all falls apart? They want audacity? What about the audacity of cope?
That is the campaign for the Dallas Cowboys, and I like it. Patrick Claybon putting himself, that's a smart take corner right now is actually to be big in on the Cowboys because no one is. And they still have Dak Prescott as their quarterback and a whole lot of talent, and they have had a history of winning through the drama over the years.
I thought that was a Richard Nixon AI voiceover that was that was very well done.
I'm almost annoyed that Patrick claibon has won Today's show m VP without even having to show up for work.
No, it's it's a great thing.
I love that Patrick gets such a huge part of the show, and he's going to be with me on our previews show each and every week starting next week. So I'm really excited about that and getting them back in here. All right, Uh, let's throw out a team that you just don't know what the hell to do
with that. You know, I'm gonna throw out the Saints because I was there at their camp and I think people who are around that team see a scenario where it goes really bad and they have a top three or top five pick and yet like you look beneath the hood. I don't know what the next gen stats say, but for instance, like the Football Outsider's number, they're they're
projected wins. You look at the players they brought in, how consistent Dennis Allen's defense has been, how it's pretty loaded defense, and like their win projection over at FTN is I think winning the like they like they're over nine, and I can kind of see it because the whole point of this franchise year after year is to keep Mickey Loomis employed.
That to me is.
Everything is geared towards getting to that ninth win, getting to that tenth win, just keeping the party going that Sean Payton started. And I can kind of see it like it's a bad division, and so I don't know what to do with them. They could be three wins, they could be nine or ten wins. That was the team that came to mind for me.
They fall below that line for me, just because we can see very clearly, even outside looking in, what should have been done with this team, what continues to should should be done with this team. This is the time to capitalize and punish the rest of the NFC South. This was last year was the time.
It would basically be their defense being the road for them. To me, is their defense being a top three to five defense.
They've they've been a top five to eight for like seven years and they're great.
And let me not discount that because they are. I've said this before on this show. That's a badass defense.
Yes, it is.
Ever that can be a little bit of a firefly situation just to continue to kick the can, continue to just okay, well this we've got this going for us.
Awesome, that's great. But also again this if you're looking at.
The division itself for the last two three years, especially as the Carolina Panthers continue to struggle the way that they have and be kind of like dipped in chaos every every year, this and last year and the year before that, this has been the time to punish the rest of the division, to really make those sort of really strong moves and those really like aggressive moves that show either you're ripping it up and starting over, or you're making a push over a different personnel, or you're
getting the you know, up and coming young.
Bright head coat or whatever that this last these.
Last is running it back to try to get to nine.
Win has been the time. That's that time.
So that's what I mean.
Though, if they do it, they employed again, anyone have a different team.
You don't know what the hell to do.
The Vikings, Oh yeah, that's a good I mean, the Minister of the Vikings. I think there's talented football team. They've got a very good offensive line, two very good tackles, the best wide receiver in the NFL, great young wide receiver in Jordan Addison.
TJ.
Hockkinson is coming back at some point. They've got Aaron Jones at running back. I mean they've you know, if Sam Donald could play seventeen games at a halfway decent level. Like, they've got some players on defense now, those safeties at that Tannem Harrison Smith and and and buying them.
I think it's the best division in football. I don't think it's the best race because I do think the Lions and Packers are ahead.
But I think it's the best. Yeah.
I mean the Vikings and they're coaching. I mean you can see the shay what ever. I mean, Brian Flores is damn good. And Kevin O'Connell, hey man, he showed me last year that he is nobody messed with as a hell of a head coach.
I think Kevin O'Connell is the coach of the year front runner. Yeah, I think I think that, especially if he can coax some things make polenta with Sam Donald, Like I said on previous you got to.
Win like ten games. Though he's been a candidate every year he's coach.
He was freaking close last year the front runner. Yeah, and do you have them in the playoffs?
I don't have them.
I don't have in the playoffs.
But I think that like every year, there's been people that you know, have just been close and just missed it that should have deserved it. And then you know teams that won maybe more games and the other We're not going to get into this argument right now, but I have takes on that once we do get to it. But I have I do have the Eagles as a team that I don't know what to do with that. I am not discounting their talent. They have so much talent on the offensive side. I do have a big
question about the center situation. I question the secondary less now that they've sort of overhauled that position, some of that young talent coming up, I do not question it as much as I probably would have had they made different decisions or not brought in a new coordinator and not had the DB's assistant coaches that Vic Fangio then
brought with him. However, I think that the weird thing about the Eagles for me, or the thing that I can't quite square, is like we've seen their ceiling, right, but I think their floor can be potentially a lot lower than some of these other teams that are maybe in the middle of this of.
They showed it last year where they were one of the very nast teams in the NFL. That's over a
six week period, which is a crazy thing to envision. Shiocopatia, who does a great job over the Ringer at the Ringer and lives in Philly, that he he feels like he always has a good read on what the Eagles are going to be like going into the year, and he says he can't remember a year where he has less of a feel, which I think gets to what you're saying, and that the people there even are just like it makes sense, but we're not really sure how that's.
Going to go.
Do you have a different team, I have the Cowboys, okay in division points. First of all, the defensive philosophy change and how the personnel fits within that. You go from one of the most single high safety teams in terms of their coverage job press corner to Mike Zimmer who was the only guy back way before all these teams started, you know, moving towards more split safety coverages.
He was the only team from twenty eighteen to twenty twenty one to play split safety coverage is on a majority of drop through The through the preseason showed a similar thing. You normally see teams play a lot more vanilla coverages. He's still doing it on over half of his dropbacks. They actually played I think more cover six or almost as much Cover six in the preseason in three games as Dan Quinn did in three total seasons as wow coordinator.
And they lost their best dB and does.
Yeah, that's always a problem when you bring in a new coordinator to do the pieces still fit.
And they also lost all of their pass rush steps. I mean, they were the best pass rush by pressure rate we've seen in the last five years last year and only beating themselves the year before. They lose Dorance Armstrong, they lose Dante Fowler, and Sam Williams goes out with a acl TA. I think they lost all their pass rush DEPP, but they still have Micah Parsons. And what the hell is Mike Zimmer gonna.
Do with Mikeah Parsons.
Is you gotta line them up over the A gap and do a bunch of double mug fronts. Is he going to move them on around or is he just say pen.
Your ears back. We needed to get pressure because we have no other way to get pressure now that we lost all.
Those antler pieces. Also, what the hell are they gonna do? Who's playing linebacker for that team?
Like I think Micah Parsons might be a little bit not not all the time. He'll move them, he'll move them wrong. He'll be a chess peace.
More than he's been. I like that pick quickly. Let's just do a speed round of this one. Biggest win increase in the in the comedy. This one was tough because I just had a hard time going against Chock. When I looked at the wins from a year ago, this was a tough one. I'm just gonna throw out a tough yeah. Even though I'm down in the Falcons, I don't think it'll be the Falcons. They won seven games last year.
They have a chance.
I think the Panthers have a pretty good chance. They only wont two games last year.
I just think it.
I've always said it, like, it's really hard not to win five games in the NFL.
Coaches are always.
Like it's the hardest thing to do in the NFL, or in all of sports, is to win a game in the NFL. Nope, it's the exact same as every other sport. It's a fifty percent of the team's win. It's exactly the same, and usually you win five and it's a bad division, so they could get to five, which that's a three win win increase three right there. The Commanders I think have a chance. We haven't mentioned them all. They and yet I just believe enough in the like the dan Quinn, like Juju and culture and
energy and Jayden Daniels. Even though I don't think that team is very good. They strike me as a team that's not going to be good, and their analytics profile says they should be a three and fourteen team. But they end up winning a bunch of close games and win six, which you know that would be an increase, So they got a chance.
Those are some teams, So you're going plus three.
I just said I'm going speed round and then went on a long rant amount So that really sums up NFL Daily.
I don't have a comment on that.
I say Carolina because bless their hearts, first of all, and then second of all, I think I absolutely see them winning at least three more games. Hell, make it four more games.
Okay, that would do it. I'm going Cardinals win team last year, I think they could easily get call. I won Arizona and Washington plus four.
I worry about the Arizona defensive talent and they've had a lot of injuries.
Good coach.
I get too spooked by Oh August really changes me. Like I'd be higher on the Rams right now if they haven't had such a strange one. Maybe we'll get to that with the playoff seed, because I'm sure one of us at least has the Rams. We haven't mentioned them at all. Let's all go through our playoff seeds in order. Well, let's go a reverse order revorse order, and we'll we'll each say ours and say our NFC championship. We'll have a quick discussion about each of ours, and
then we take a turn. So why don't we start with Keegan. I'll start with the Seahawks. It is a seventh seed. A lot of the things you guys said.
Earlier in terms of I mean, I think Witherspoon's going to be awesome in this defense and Gino in that offense.
I'm really bullish on that. The Bears is my sixth seed.
Nice, I do think Caleb has a like very high level rookie year.
I mean, maybe not c J.
Strau because that was historic, but like he shows us why he was considered a generational prospect. Lions at the five seed just miss it out. They still might have the second best record in this and that's tough.
Three teams in the same division in the playoffs, but it's possible.
It doesn't really make that much sense, but just in terms of like team ratings and how I'm rating them, I think the Lions might be the second bet.
They could all roll out of division and that's how it happens, and we've seen it before.
Buccaneers at fourth. I just don't know what to do with the NFC West and South. I defer to who won last year, and I don't think they got that much worse. I like Grant Barton a lot. Maybe the run game can be a little bit better this year. Cowboys at three again don't really know what the hell to do with them, but still trust in Dak and Micah Parsons enough to and Mike Zimmer to kind of screen together a division title in a very weak division. Forty nine Ers at two, we haven't talked that much
about him. I'm not picking them as the one seed for all the holdouts and stuff.
I could be completely proven wrong. They could be a juggernaut again.
But I also think that team is a little bit more fragile and has a little bit of a Super Bowl hangover.
And the Packers at WANs I love that. I like that Kikan was bold. No Rams in there, no Falcons in there, some different teams like the Bears, and having the Packers won.
That's fun.
And your NFC championship will haul those. Actually I'll go my list seven Packers, six Rams. If my daughter wasn't fan, I don't know, maybe I would be harder on them. A lot of talent, I mean a lot of talent in terms of the coaching staff and stafford. It's still hard to totally go against him. Five to forty nine Ers, four Bucks. I went with the Bucks as well. I think they're a good defense, a good enough offense, a
lot of continuity, like the coaching staff. Three Seahawks winning that division, two Eagles and number one Lions.
What do you got, Jordan, Well.
I'm just gonna tell you who my playoff teams are. Lions, Niners, Rams, Packers, Falcons, Eagles, Seahawks.
Okay, yeah, a lot of Seahawks off here. What do you got.
Seven is Cowboys, six, Seattle five, Green Bay for Atlanta.
I like it.
Three nine Ers, two Lions, one Eagles.
Okay, so a lot of agreement, and I haven't seen online. It makes sense. I think it was hard. I'm glad you got the Bears in there. I feel like they should be represented. I do think that the Vikings like have at least a better chance than people are giving, but I'm not ready to go there. There's really only three teams in this entire conference that I'm like, are four teams rather that I feel like have no almost no chance to make the playoffs.
Just Washington Giants, I think.
The Cardinals that you wouldn't throw them in there, and then the Panthers as well. So it's a fairly open conference. You want to go your NFC championship game.
Get the lines with the Niners.
Okay, yeah, I think I think the Niners are going to be red hot halfway through the season. They get all these guys back in Clinton Toano Whu fungo, but just not enough. I think Detroit it's their time.
I have Lions over Niners as well, and I think it's you know, you sort of see these like poetic arcs every once in a while in the league. You saw it a few years ago when the Rams beat the forty nine ers for the first time in what seven attempts to actually you know, advance to the Super Bowl. There's some poetry sometimes in this sport, and I think the Lions get theirs back.
Linons would be a whole lot more than poetry. I'm with the that would be his history book could be beautiful.
And usually I'm afraid of the team that proved so much from one season to the next.
It's it's kind of hard to yeah, but they've done it.
They They've been one of the few teams greg that have done it successfully in steps. It has not been one seize micleap after one size.
You know, they remind me of more than anyone is Joe Shane and when he was in Buffalo as the assistant GM and that Bills team, but they never really quite got over the hump. They just kind of stayed at that level. I also have the Lions winning the NFC. Man, I thought a lot of people would take the Packers this year. Okay, I got the Packers. Packers over the line, so we all four of us have the Lions in the NFC Championship. I had the lines over the Eagles in mind. That is fun we have.
As we're taping, we.
Have breaking news. I'm so glad this happened before we left the studio. This is like we always complain about it. This is like a sign. It's like groundhog Day that we're gonna have a great NFL season. Brandon Ayuk is staying in San Francisco.
No surprise there.
The deal is done four years, worth one hundred and twenty million. It's reportedly front loaded, according to Ian Rappaport and Mike Gara Folo. I don't even care about all the details. It's front loaded. It's about thirty million dollars a year. You can tell that number meant a lot to Ayuk. I think it's the right average because it's a tick abu. It's quite above the guys like Jalen Wattle and DeVonta Smith who signed earlier, who had two
years left on their contract. And I would say we're just like a little tick below where Ayuk is as a player. But it's not quite where Jefferson and Ceedee Lamb is. In fact, it's significantly short of that. And that's fine. Not everyone needs to make thirty three million. Thirty sounds about right for Brandon Ayuk, and it's another
reminder Keegan, just sign them earlier in the process. I can guarantee you if they had offered the Brandon Ayuk about twenty nine with its front loaded twenty eight like the forty nine, ers could have saved money if they had just done this a little earlier.
But it's all happening in the end. And that's my wide receiver.
Three on my fantasy team because everyone was too afraid of him in the draft. Have a long term vision. That's what you need as a fantasy owner and as a GM. But everyone's happy here. Yeah, I mean, that's awesome.
He was just electric downfield last year, leading in a breakout year, let in a lot of our metrics. Very awesome to see that happen. What metrics like the downfield throws.
Basically I think he had more yards.
I'd have to double check this, but like more yards over ten are yards than almost any player in the league.
He became that guy Brack Purty wants to go down the field, almost to his detriment. I think sometimes, but you like that out of a quarterback. You'd rather have them take that out of it. And yet Debo's not really that guy. Juwan Jennings is not really that guy. George Kittle. You can scheme it up, but he's not really that guy in the same way, and Ayuki.
Is exactly he's actually in that intermediate area NFL pro shout out.
That was really quick.
He had over one hundred yards more than any other player in the intermediate.
Area last year.
Yeah, adds a dimension to their offense. Frankly ads help for the quarterback. And I actually look at this from like a microscopic and telescopic a little bit with this, because the forty nine ers not only got this done, which should have been done way sooner than this, our long national nightmare of hearing about this is over.
Thank God, Lamar Chase, you're up next.
But I will say at you know, on the other side of this. As the months and even the next year or so continues, all the teams that came out of the woodwork to show their card, their own cards to the forty nine ers about what they would potentially do for a player of brandan Ayux caliber. They have all that information now. So let's say, and I think he will maximize this contract. He's a great player. I think he's a great receiver and you know, deserves this payday.
Let's say, in a small chance or an alternate world that he doesn't well, or that they move on, or that they, hey, we have to pay our quarterback, or that something happens down the road, and they now know what other teams are willing to do to get a player of that caliber, and those other teams know what he'll be paid. So I think this is like one of those win win wins. You do wish it happened earlier. This is also probably the best case scenario for brock Purty right now.
It's fine in the end, Like we get bothered by it because there's these upstairs, these down.
Yeah, they're probably not bothered by it one bit.
I mean the forty nine ers I think were you could.
I think I'm talking about some timing, like yeah, like and they're not going to be reliigating the timing over this.
You know, maybe he's not fully up to speed.
Week one, he has a little bit slow to start, They're not worried just about week one.
It's great.
I do think Deebo Samuel is going to be the odd man out, depends how this season goes, certainly. I just think it's going to be very difficult to keep paying everyone if Trent Williams is going to be around there for a long time and Nick Bosa. I do think Deebo Samuel could be a guy that is on the trade market next offseason. But we'll see, because I to me has become that guy. And I think the reason they were so annoyed in part was because of how much Brandon Ayuk means to them and means to
their development. Kyle Shannon was so hard on this kid. It was his hand pick kid that he wanted, the perfect one for his offense out of Arizona State.
Was a surprise pick.
It was so hard on him, was in the doghouse, wouldn't play him, like God on him. And then he slowly got better and better and better to the point where he developed into exactly what Kyle Shanahan imagine. To Ayuk's credit that he improved so much as a route runner, and then right when it gets there, he wants to get out. And it's just like a lot of feelings, it's the one that you love that hurt you the most.
Jordan, Well, I mean, I love that Brandon Ayuk did this, and you're putting it in that context because hey, he'll be hard on your right back. Then it's time to pay up and all of that work and sweat equity that he did put in to become the exact perfect player for them, which probably came up in negotiations. By the way, Well, of course, absolutely he's going to get what he is owed and make him sweat a little bit.
And perhaps that's where some of the annoyance leaks out a little bit, is yeah, okay, you're gonna have to sweat for a second and then pay the player.
And by the way, like I think Brandon Ayuk was annoyed how the forty nine Ers tend to place things through the media sometimes and you know that's not gonna make your players happy. But in the end, the Steelers, if they had just given up more, probably could have had him. Brown's Patriots didn't sound like he was going there in any scenario. Just wasn't interested in a fun show.
Today.
We did it, We predicted exactly what's going to happen in the NFC this season. Congratulations Kegan, amazing performance. And I should have mentioned Steve Weisch is no longer with us on this show, but he is.
Okay, sorry, shut that poorly.
He's on the Insiders. You know, he's so popular. We were so happy to have Fine, he's totally fine. If you're watching on YouTube and he just disappeared, it's like that that weird three men in a baby thing where.
It looks like there's a ghost, it's a it's fine. He just laughed. So now you're doing the verbal means.
Yeah, let's let's say goodbye, Randy. I'm really excited, uh to we have a nice little weekend here, but then we're coming back on Monday. I'm gonna start looking ahead to Week one with Ali Connelly. That's gonna be a fun show. We're not quite into our Week one schedule, but we're close. We're just days away from the scenes starting for Steve, for Jordan, for Keegan.
I'm Greg Rosenthal. Football is back.