Welcome to NFL Daily, where it's always West Coast, Best Coast. We are here in the Chris Westling podcast studio, and by we, I mean myself and Jordan Rodrigue of the Athletic. It's like we're back in New Orleans. Its just a two person show, the two of us.
I know, I feel like I just saw you, Greg, although you went through some things you did between the last time I saw you and now, so glad you're doing.
Better you did. You saw us on Tuesday show with Colleen Wolf. Remember that that was great. I started the show saying West Coast, best Coast. Because we're talking a little NFC West. We are continuing our off season division previews with the NFC West, a division. You have been intimately familiar with a lot of drama for the last five years as you've covered the Los Angeles Rams, and the West Coast really is the best coast. And it's not just because all you suckers back east are just
dealing with all that snow and everything like that. Like that's the number one thing, But the number two thing is the time zones is better, Like the Pacific time zone is just better for sports. And if you're listening to the show sports is probably important to you. It's important to me.
I would actually push back on that slightly.
Watching sports it's the best to be in Pacific time.
However, when you come into this time.
Of year, which we like to refer to as Greg's season, often the news happens on East Coast time, so you need to be up at an on godly hour in order to make sure that you're keeping up to pace with everything. Luckily, a lot of these NFC West teams they actually do transactions on West Coast time too, So just everyone else that you got to worry about.
That's a fair point. Now that I'm on old man time and a child's time, I'm up early anyways, so give it to me. I love it. I love it all. We're going to go through all four teams in the NFC West. We'll ask one big question about those teams. We'll look at guys that could get cut, stuff like that, and we are going to start with you. Let's start with the Seattle Seahawks. I don't want it to be predictable with you starting with the Rams. How do you want to kick it off with the switch ten minutes
on the clock, let's go. Yes.
I think the biggest question for the Seattle Seahawks actually interconnects to many other questions about how they're going to a get under the cap and then be balance their roster and the future of their roster structure. It is how will they and will they overhaul their offensive line this year? I think that they could stand to replace four of the five spots.
Now.
I don't know, greg if they can do that all in one off season between the draft and free agency.
The Chiefs had that season where they're like, we're going to fix the offensive line. We're going to do it in one year, and they did it. But yeah, good luck trying to draft Creed Humphrey and Tray Smith in the same Yeah, it's just so easy. It's not that easy. But they threw money at the problem and they did it. That is a that's one place to start. And it was really interesting listening to John Schneider speak on a
local radio show. Is the first time he had spoken since after the season, and he said, we know exactly what our deficiencies are and then immediately started talking about how good the Eagles are at developing their offensive line. So he left no mystery he knows what the problem is, and yet he's been there the whole time and it's been a problem the whole time, and he hasn't really
done a very good job. He said, we got to develop offensive lineman better, but like he's done a bad job picking them.
We're all trying to find the guy who did this right exactly. So, yeah, this is an issue. I mean, you could see where they've tried. They've tried to fill in a couple, especially their interior spots with backup middle to later round to late middle draft picks who you could see potential spurts and flashes. We'll get to that in a minute, but if you're looking at again, four of those five spots outside of left tackle and Charles
Cross is due for an extension. PFF had him rank their tenth left or their tenth tackle of one hundred and forty one tackles in the NFL this year, but everybody struggled and it derailed so much about their offense. It did not help that then coordinator Ryan Grubb just seemed to have issues finding answers and having solutions.
Running the ball was a big issue. Pass protection for.
Gino Smith was a significant issue.
It just was something we.
Talked about all last year at nauseum and they're looking at a center Connor Williams, who retired. I don't know that we've talked about that enough. Literally had a center retire on them. They just brought in to help alleviate some of those issues. And then they're struggling at their guard spots, and certainly on the right side they had no answers all year. That was the one of the worst problems anywhere along any offensive line in football was
that right side of their line. And it is interesting that you brought up John Schneider because last year, wasn't he the one that was just talking about how guards paying guards is overrated and guards are overpaid and we should draft them, and it's like we're still waiting.
Well, on one hand, he could be there's something right about him, which is the I think an offensive line coach and system can make that true. Yeah, if you can find the right one. But they never have found the right one, and so they hire Clint Kubiak. He also brought in offensive line coach John Benton, who is with him in New Orleans, who's a veteran coach. So you're hoping that that can help things out. That the offensive line was okay. In New Orleans last year they
had a center Oloatammi who helped. They had a young late pick La Maya sent Tail Mayo like, you're trying to develop these guys, you're gonna throw money out the problem. All right, Let's look big picture. Seahawks thirteen million dollars in the red as of this taping, so they are actually over the cap. They have a lot to do. They do have three comp picks coming to them this year, so that's nice. Here's some of the decisions that they'll have to make in terms of getting under that cap space.
Gino Smith, do you extend him? Do you do that to lower his cap number which is forty four million dollars right now? Just see how he looks in the new system. Tyler Lockett a seventeen million dollar cap hit, probably gonna get cut. Draymont Jones sixteen million dollars in savings if you cut him. There's two guys right there where I just lopped off about thirty three million dollars. Even when teams are over, it's not that hard to
get under. But those are some of the decisions in terms of veterans on their roster they can address to get under that.
You know, it's easy to get under the cap. But in terms of the investments that Seattle might have to make in free agency with this offensive line some of the top tier guys, I don't even know if they're going to be able to truly go after them unless they significantly restructure the way that they're going to handle
this cap situation. Not just a release of Tyler Lockette which would save them seventeen million dollars, not just the Jones release, not just a potential what would the numbers on a potential Geno Smith contract extension look like in
twenty twenty five versus in the year's past. That would it help alleviate issues in twenty twenty five, But then you know, he's what thirty five years old, and you have to think about what comes after twenty twenty five, especially pairing him with a third offensive coordinator in three seasons, and you can't be certain that you actually have fixed the offensive line at that What do you think?
Do you think they want to commit to Geno pass this year or not?
I don't I couldn't tell you what they're thinking.
Yeah, but what do you do?
I would I mean I would.
I would say he could probably play till he's probably thirty eight. And I think what you can see sometimes with a lot of these veteran players is the preference to do some of these two or three year deals.
Now would he take that?
Now? I can't speak for what you know would or would not, except he's been through it the last couple of years. Had to put a lot on his shoulders that there's been some chaos and dysfunction around him. But they also have a lot of players coming up that they have to start thinking about beyond this year. Boya, Mafe, Rikuol and DK Metcalf, they're all entering their contract years. We haven't even talked about yet whether they're going to
potentially re sign inside linebacker Ernest Jones. He's going to be a free agent who clearly thinks he can get a good price on the market, because they were in contract discussions and then they paused them, probably because his agent learned that he could he would have a nice little market and be able to maybe get some more money out of whichever team, including Seattle. So they're thinking
they have to think in twenty twenty five. How they can navigate this, not just get under the cap, but actually invest in key positions that would help Geno Smith. But then they also have to think about Geno Smith and what load that contract is beyond this year when some of their star players at premium positions are are due.
Yeah, Gino, like I said, forty four million dollars cap hit, they could lower that by extending them out another year. They're also being risky. If he looks great in this system, then he could suddenly, like you, be headed to free agency and they'd be worried about having to be in a bidding war for him. My guess is they'll want to see how he looks here and maybe just live with that cap number. But I think it makes sense if you wanted to extend about I think he'd take whatever,
not not whatever. But he's at that mid level quarterback. He's not going to make the Joe Burrow money. But his money, which you know this year is going to be plenty of salary, is not that far below like he's in that you know, forty to fifty million dollar range. If they wanted to extend that out another year or two,
I guess they would do it. You you have a good point mentioning Riequill, and I think both him and DK Metcalf are sneaky trade possibilities if you didn't think you were going to pay both of them.
It is interesting though, because you can tell based on listening to Clint Kubiak, who spent a little time with Justsin Jefferson, Like you can tell that he really wants to work with him. Now, whether that's I don't think Gina with DK, oh with DK, I don't think, Yeah, why wouldn't you.
By the way, everyone in Seattle who's like, how come they don't trade DK metcal It's like, why would he trade?
He's a monster?
Like, yeah, he's not quite a J Brown, He's not. He's certainly not Jamar Chase. But having a top fifteen wide receiver with a very defined skill set is very valuable.
And all I'm saying is, I don't think that Clint is coming in there, you know, his first day on the job and throwing smoke screens out there, Like I just don't think that they operate.
I don't think it's going anywhere.
To be cleary, yeah and so, but yes, obviously he will receive interest every year that they don't have an extension done with him, and he will be due for one after this season. But it's interesting because I don't know how this Kubiak Gino Smith pairing is going to go. I don't know that I would necessarily tie my quarterback's future with somebody who struggled last season in New Orleans. And it's interesting because they have to find this synchronicity.
They have to find a collaboration, and I have no doubt that Gino Smith will be able to work in whatever system with whoever, but to have if you're Gino and you're thinking, okay, if they're going to wait on my extension, if they're going to wait for this to possibly work, I don't know how I would personally feel about that if I'm in that position, because you're handing this guy his third offensive coordinator in three seasons and you've asked him to put everything on his back the
two of the last three and haven't protected him.
Okay, time flu Oh my god, I know.
Yeah, it does go fast. When I thought about some free agents they might look at, like Drew Dollman is going to be the top center. That's gonna cost a ton of money, but that would be a perfect fit for the Clint Kubiak system, kind of a zone running scheme. DJ Reid, who's a former Seahawk, would they I know they're they're good at cornerback, but that would be something where maybe they would swap him out for Reek. One positive though, is that they don't really have many key
free agents. You mentioned Ernest Jones. Really him and Jaron Reid, their defensive tackle are really their only key free agency. Only two in my top one to one. Ernest Jones is pretty high. But that's good. So they don't have a lot of issues. They have a lot of great players coming back, especially on offense. Really on both sides of the ball.
I should say I would keep an eye to on left guard Aaron Banks, who Clint Kubiak is familiar with from time together at the forty nine Ers. Those all those interior spots have to be figured out, and right tackle and he might.
Be a little uh cheaper zero perfect. Let's talk Cardinals. The question I'm gonna ask is how does Monty season play out? And this is Monty Asin for a guy who's barely been mentioned on this show because the Cardinals have been lying in the Weeds just collecting war chests of cap space and not really spending and adding all these small little players. And but this is his third offseason. This is the season that Monty asen for is gonna push. So it's not just the regular season, the regular season.
I love that so much.
Oh my gosh.
Shout out to Jackson Bevans, our friend who owns the Garth Thoughts. He sent me that idea.
I was like, Oh, I'm going with I know Jackson, hopefully we did the Seahawks justice. I know he's like way more in the Weeds on it than I own.
It's the regular season, okay, Manti asin For. They have sixty nine million dollars in cap space right now, that's the fourth most and they can actually open up quite a bit more, or if they would like to Jonah Williams, for instance, that could they could save ten million dollars seas coming off a huge injury. And so how does Monty season look? Because the Cardinals would be high on my list of teams that are gonna be in the mix this offseason, and to me, there's kind of two
different routes that they could go. Is it spreading that money out with about five, six, seven starters, and I do think that's the type of aggression we're going to see out of the Cardinals. Or are they gonna be one of the teams that goes really big splash, you know, a couple other starters and then you know lower level players. How does Monty season play out? Because this team, to me, third year, the way they've built it up, it's like go time for the entire organization.
I think the smart thing and what I would do if I were Monty I am not, as that is hopefully very clear to people watching and listening.
Is a bald man.
Yes, but I would do the latter because I don't think this is a particularly deep or very very strong free agency class. I think that they could be ready to win if they make a couple of win a lot of games, if they if they make a couple of key additions and like little prune and tweak and a couple of key spots which we'll get to. So I think that this is one of those teams that you can make a big splash. I think that they could potentially be in the marketer, in the running for
like a Milton Williams for example. Okay, somebody who will come in and be a day one investment, a difference maker, someone that Jonathan Gannon will have been watching Vic Fangio go through the second half of this past season and watching his old his old coworker go into the postseason with this really strong defensive line that became a defining characteristic of this team. And I also think that you
know that's a player. He is a player that you would potentially make a significant investment in, and then with such a ripple effect, you then prune and pick elsewhere. They have six draft picks, so they're going to have to make the most of every single one of those.
So this is why it's great to have you aboard have two people thinking about this. I somehow didn't even think about the fact that it's Jonathan Gannon running this team in a year where all these Eagles defenders are available. I know, because it's not just Milton Williams, it's John to have money, it's Josh Sweat, Like they could certainly be a Josh Sweat team. Zach Bond I think would fit in terms of versatility what they do, So that
might be someone that they're negotiating against. They can have their cake and eat it too. Though, like I was saying, it's a decision like do they go big and then it's a couple like lesser ones seventy million. They have too much cap space everyone that is that high up there. There's just not enough good players that you're going to be able to keep in so you can have your cake and eat it too. I think they're one of the more likely teams to go after a Micah Parsons
if he's available. A Max Cross you're.
Really pushing that one. I've noticed that that's a.
That's it's intriguing a T. Higgins if he's like there actually isn't a position and I went through other than quarterback that I'm like, no, that wouldn't make sense. So any of the top level, but Jeffrey Simmons would make sense. Like they can do multiple things. It's a really I wouldn't say a great cornerback class in terms of freegency, but that's where there is a little bit of depth
and they could certainly use a cornerback. So whether it's a DJ Reid or a Paulson A Debo or a Carlton Davis, Like there are five six, seven pretty high quality cornerbacks to go after. And this is a team that, look, if they just decide they want T Higgins, they could decide to be that team to go get T Higgins and just go over the top, whether it's with a draft pick and money in his case probably or just with money.
Yeah, And I would like to see them build out that offensive corps past Trey McBride and like sometimes Marvin Harrison on a good day when he and Kyler have actually spoken that week, let's.
Recap it quickly, Connor is there? Yeah, in the backfield, the trade Benson McBride, the great young tight end, Marvin Harrison, you're going to want to see him improve, Michael Wilson a piece there. And Greg Dortch, who they they can't keep but yet not a much.
You also Greg Dortch, the rare fan favorite in Arizona. Everyone loves Greg dorts You always like, Yeah, keep keep him as the five. You could use another, yes, they could. You can see what I do like about this Cardinals roster, even though they underwhelmed in my opinion last season. And part of that too, I know we'll get into when we talk about the coordinators and all of that coming back for another year, but it it was you could see where their holes were. It's almost like they were
showing their work. They've done this, They've been this team that's done this the last two seasons. Is the first year they had, you know, nobody, especially on defense, and you're basically just trying stuff and seeing what sticks.
You're doing the walk around defense thing.
You're just doing trying whatever you can and see, okay, what actually fits and who actually we have that we can build around. And then the second year you could start to see them a couple more pieces together. You could see these players who they are going to keep, some of the cornerstone pieces at James Connor, for example, a Trey McBride really emerging as like heartbeats of this roster.
And this year you still see when you go over, like you said, position by position, you could see where they need to fill these holes.
Pretty much the whole defense except the secondary, I mean the front seven and the defense. They need a lot of work.
Yeah, and going back you probably can to only be able to pick one really one of those. You could probably plug the back end with some of these cheaper veteran corners that'll be on the market. If I'm Jonathan Gannon, and I invest in the front and I think a lot of teams are going to be looking, especially at
what the Eagles have done. And Jonathan Gannon knows that building intimately, like we mentioned, and I think that they're going to look at that front seven and I think that's where the money is going to go.
The interesting thing is, I think some of this, too is premeditated.
When you're looking at all of the different books around the league and you're looking at all the contracts and everything. If you're an executive, you know what a lot of people don't. I don't know what year the Cardinals as an organization are in this spending window, but every three years you have.
To take time. It's time to spend. They need to do.
Every three years you have to hit a minimum spending threshold. And they certainly have not been spending over the last couple of years. So this is something where they could be ready to max out and they could have been waiting for this moment for when these Eagles players fail.
I actually like this exercise. I just said that they're going to be one of the most agressive even I must want to rank like who I think is going to be in the centerpieces of a lot of these discussions this offseason, like the top ten teams, because I think the Cardinals would be one of them. Now. They have a lot of good continuity, as you mentioned with the coaching staff. That's why it's a push year. They have good continuity on offense. They're really bringing back almost
all their starters. Defense needs a lot of work. They have a left tackle they love in Paris Johnson, a center they love infro hole. You could certainly improve along the edges with the offensive line, especially at right tackle. Some decisions to make Kaisier White. I mean, you named your kid after him. If you're the coordinator, you kind of should bring him. I would think that's good leverage.
But who knows, they might look to upgrade. There actually are a lot of good off ball linebackers available, so that that's a possibility. There will Hernandez is a guy that's been good for them and was hurt last year. Maybe you bring him back and you're not losing many good players. I mean, Baron Browning I think was the only Cardinal on my top one oh one, and he was a mid season trade acquisition that really didn't do well.
And I'm only putting m on the one oh one just because he poss ye, he's never really produced.
I keep waiting for him to take that next step because you see, you see the tools, and I keep waiting for him to put it together.
So they are in a really great position where the kind of the world is their oyster and the Austin Fork connection. I knew there was a reason I wrote Simmons down. He was with Jeffrey Simmons in Tennessee as the director of player personnel, and that's a player that might be available. But I think you're absolutely right. They could really use some linemen, and they could use edge guys, and they could especially use like three down, you know,
just bigger like run stoppers. They are gonna be adding. Maybe they're not all gonna be big splashes, but I think there's gonna be some big splashes. I'm excited about the Cardinals.
Yeah, I'm always excited about the Cardinals bait when this new regime came in because I really like the way that they think.
I like the way that they game plan.
I like the way that they are super fluid and multidirectional, multifunctional on offense and defense, even though they've been super limited and personnel on defense. And I think that Drew Petsing and Nick Rollis and them coming back as these young offensive and defensive coordinators, Jonathan Gannon now having some more head coaching experience under his belt. I think it's all good things for Arizona. They just can't flail in the middle of the season. They can't just lose steam because.
They had they had the NFC West. They had it.
They did and if you look at the whole picture, they had the progress that they should have had. Like this roster, like I was saying, especially on defense, was not great. They've played about it was lacking. I think, yeah, like they've played over their skis really so overall, I like that it's been steady progress. You didn't think we would be able to do this in under ten minutes. You thought we'd honk too much. But we're having great pace here. Let's take a quick break, just count it down.
You be back in a second. Back on NFL Daily previewing the off season for the NFC West. Still in the mix, I think as the best division in football. I know they're not coming off their best season. Got a lot of teams in this division where you would say it wouldn't be that surprising if they were playing in the division round. I think all four teams you
could say that. There aren't many divisions like that. We're gonna go to the forty nine Ers, one of the best teams in the NFL over the last decade, really half decade, and coming off a brutal season. But they have a lot going on this off season. Let's start the clock here, Eric, forty three million dollars in cap space already, and uh, you know, can can open up more room? Uh inn extra three compicks. They've already redone a lot of their deals that they've signed, so actually
they're a team that can't restructure too many guys. They've they've they've gotten to the bank so many times. Fred Warner is actually the one guy I think they can go to the bank for and open up even more space.
But NFL Daily Star Fred Warner, Yeah.
They don't have a fifth round pick. I learned this. I didn't know this because they quote unquote miscalculated the salary cap last year. But they weren't found to have done nothing wrong. They just miss calculated. Why is it always the forty nine ers.
By the way, the wrong button on the calculator.
Yeah, I don't know about that. So they had their fifth round pick taken away. My big question is how does a team that needs to get younger get younger in free agency, Because this is a team that's gonna have to be a free agency.
They will, but I don't know that that's the best spot to be in again with this free agency class. And you know that's that's I think the biggest question, because they need some youth, they need some revitalization, they need some energy. To me, when I look at the forty nine ers and they've been such a powerhouse for so many years, and really the aggressors to so many teams across the entire league, not just the NFC West,
I see burnout. I see a team that is just it's burnt out, that's tired, that really needs to commit one way or another to either infusing with this draft class and infusing with that kind of personnel and really nailing that class to to kind of replace it or eventually replace in the next two years or so some of the aging stars that have been so productive for them for so long, or again they're going to keep patching this with older players, and I don't know in
this free agency class that that's necessarily the best thing to do.
Say burnout and I just have the image of Kyle Shanahanson's not just looking out into the This was a burnt out team last year. Now I think they're gonna at least talk a big game all off season of like we're revived. We you know, we had a shorter off season, like we're ready to come back. But how do you infuse the team with youth when you're gonna
have to fill some real holes in free agency? And that's by not going after the Leonard Floyd's and maybe the I guess you Grossmatos wasn't like an older free agent. They've they've had a tendency to go after older free agents like Trent Williams. They're gonna have to find some younger free agents that can play for them, Like if it was a Diodengbo from Indianapolis some of the whether it's Diami Brown not that they're probably going after a
wide receiver. Thos a bad example some of the younger free agents, because they absolutely will be going after free agents to cut to address a number of news moves. I'm gonna lists some players I think are likely gone from this team. Number one, Charvarius Ward. He says he wants to leave. He's one of the best free agent cornerbacks out there. Had personal tragh kind of a heartbreaking Yeah, and he said it's really been hard for him to be in California after the tragic loss of his kid.
You really feel for him. Talana Hufanga, they're pretty good at safety right now. He's been injured after that All Pro season. Probably gone. Javon Hargrave. They say they're either going to cut him or he'll accept a pay cut to stay. Most likely he'll hit free agency. And then Aaron Banks, their guard who they mentioned earlier. Deebo Samuel also is very likely to get traded if he doesn't
get cut. Leonard Floyd likely to get cut. So there's a lot of players that had pretty big roles that probably will not be on this team next year.
Yeah, and it's interesting there are some replacements that you could see potentially taking over for some of those guys. I know that they really love Hufanga, but he just might have a pricier market than they're willing to pay. Brown would probably be back starting for them in that case, and then their receiving corps. That's where I have a lot of questions. Actually, I mean everywhere on this roster.
I I have a lot of questions. But their receiving corps is Brandon Ayuk, who significantly underwhelmed after signing that deal, Juwan Jennings, Ricky Pier saw Jacob Cowing.
And then I think they're good there. Honestly, I'm not. That's one position group, but.
They'll have to play different They're going to be playing differently. They have to play differently.
They gotta get better playing in.
The past that those guys do have to get better.
But also they're becoming with those players, they're more of a perimeter team than necessarily some of the like the Yak Bros. Style that we saw with Debo, with Kittle, with McCaffrey when he came in as a receiving threat as well. They're just gonna have to shift their place down now. I do think that brock Purty showed he can be that type of a thrower at the beginning
of this season. I think he was making the most of a sort of a sketchy situation up there with some of the just alternating personnel, and he was throwing the ball downfield in a way that we hadn't necessarily. You know, there was a lot of chatter we I think, we like brock Purty, but there's a lot of chatter about can he actually do this? So that's where some of the like new blood I guess will come from, some of those younger receivers. I could see them drafting a running back as well.
I mean, you can't.
I'm not saying Christian McCaffrey is like done for at all, but that's a scary injury, and we see when he's at his best he is the best. But I could definitely see them getting younger and infusing a little bit more in there too. Well.
It HiT's Kyle Shanahan, so he always loves to draft a running back, whether it's in the you know, third round, fourth round, fifth round. Grendo last year was a fourth round pick, Jordan Mason. It was pretty good as a backup.
Really, Greg, What I'm curious about here with the forty nine ers is do you think that they're maybe going to be stronger in the trade market than necessary they would be in free agency. My colleague at the athletic Matt Barrows. He actually sees them being interested in a Miles Garrett getting on the phone for a Miles Garrett. I know that Miles Garrett is like again, another older player,
but he's Miles freaking Garrett. So but I wonder if that's where they're kind of maybe looking to just infuse other personnel into this roster, just to do something a little different, to shake it things up a little bit, move the furniture around a bit.
I think it makes sense for them to go big on defense. When you look at their offense, it's all coming back basically except for Aaron Banks and Debo, but they've really prepared for the Debo. Defense, to me is almost a bigger concern from a team building perspective. That defensive line that they were known for year after year really calcified. I mean, even when Hargrave was healthy, they
were thinner than before. But then Hargrave got hurt and suddenly it was Nick Bosa in three or four replacement level veterans. So I look at both their lines as something they could really stand to improve. They've never really invested like a ton of resources outside of Trent Williams and you know, some early ist draft picks, but not a ton. I really feel like they need to rejuvenate their lines, ideally with draft picks to get younger. But
maybe maybe it'll be with a big time player. And it's a theme with all these conversations that if it's not Garrett like, it could be a different edge like a like a Trey Hendrick center.
Yeah. Well, and then but I mean in free agency they will have they will be competitive. I think for some of the guys, the Josh Schwetz that that kind of a player. At the same time, like, we can't forget that Bob sala is back there a defensive coordinators, So they're going to go back to that sort of
og wide nine that they were playing. So they need to add at least one more strong, if not very strong, edge rusher and probably draft somebody to eventually, you know, fill in once they enter a world without Nick Bosa. You're not going to obviously replace him one to one, but you got to at least start onboarding somebody to take maybe some snaps eventually if you need to.
And they also don't need a really.
Stout, strong, aggressive, disruptive defensive tackle like just because those edges are what everyone looks at in the wide nine. You mentioned this, You know, some of the personnel shifting that they did on the interior the last couple of years really hurt them. And they absolutely need a disruptive like three tech or like a nose hybrid player in order to really make that thing.
Saying they have a lot of needs, I mean, their best defensive tackle right now is Malik Collins. Second best is like Jordan Elliott. They don't they don't even have a second EDG Dresher. I guess it's your tur Gross Moados, but they could cut him. In addition to Leonard Floyd, who I mentioned, I fully expect will get cut this off season. One name I didn't mention that I should have in terms of free agents is Drake green Law. And the word is that, yeah, your boy, Bob Sala
wants him back. That's going to be a tricky contract because if you remember, he tore his achilles during the Super Bowl and he returned last year and for the three quarters he would on the field. He actually looked like the best linebacker in football for the three quarters. They're like, wow, he's over the achilles, But he quickly reinjured his calf, which is, you know, in the same area, didn't play the rest of the season, and will be someone I think teams that run this defense across the
league will be looking at. So he won't necessarily be easy to keep. So they they have a lot going on this offseason. It's it's gonna be tricky. Is John Lynch gonna just be their GM forever? Does he? Not so much would they get rid of him, but more like does he want the job forever? He a former announcer and stuff. Here's some whispers he might not be there forever.
So that's interesting, Yeah, because I honestly, when I always look at the power structure up there, everything goes through Kyle Shanahan and the owner.
So that's where all the more reason to think, like maybe John Lynch isn't there forever, even if it's his decision, like he's not the one running the show.
Yeah, it is an interesting question. And then should be noted too that Josh Williams, who is kind of his number two out there, is in the final list interviews for that Jaguars GM job. So is there a contingency plan? This is they have sort of one foot in their previous era and one foot that needs to step into their new era. And I think that's really fascinating for them because any sort of pivot into a half measure I don't think is going to.
Work right, because they actually have drafted some players to prepare for this day, Ronardo Green, leonor Malik Mustafa in the second half. I love some some good young players, obviously Brock Purdy, you know, some of their wide receivers. And yet who are their best players. It's it's Trent Williams. It's George Kittle, it's Nick Bosa, it's Fred Warner. It's still all those guys, and they're not going anywhere. I
should mention before we go to the next team. The word from the forty nine ers is they do expect Trent Williams to return to the team next year, and John Lynch made it clear they are welcoming him back under his big salary. So that that's big off season news for them. Let's wrap up with them.
Nicely done.
That's an experienced veteran host right there. Incredible. Yeah, So my big question for the Rams is actually kind of interestingly similar to the forty nine ers, which is will they keep one foot split into their previous Super Bowl era with a couple of their aging stars, not just Matthew Stafford, but also Rob Havenstein and Tyler Higbee.
Or will they.
Completely move into this readier to win sooner than expected era of young players because they've nailed the last two draft classes. Obviously, the question starts and ends with Matthew Stafford. We've talked so much about Matthew Stafford that I don't really think we need to do a ton more other than sort of maybe refreshing that conversation. But they if they do decide to step into this new era, they're gonna have holes to fill at both tackle spots, right.
They're gonna need a bona fide tight end because Sean McVay is tired of rotating three tight ends who are like subpar, and they're gonna need a new number two receiver to be in tandem with puku Akua.
And a number three receiver.
And a number three, number four and a number four.
Received Marcus Robinson, who was productive for them, and too Too at Well are both free agents in addition to Cooper Cup expecting to get traded or cut if they can't find a trade from more than anything. When I was looking at the Rams roster and situation, they have thirty seven million dollars in cap space, which is which is a ton, which is more than enough, and they can open up some more. They do not have a second rap pick. More than anything, I thought, Man, it's
hard to rebuild the team on the fly. What are you laughing at?
My advice to the Rams is, don't go spend that money yet, because their second second year players that like ten of them start for them are gonna come do and a couple of them, including Steve Avula, Puka, Kobe Turner, they're gonna be due Byron Young Doe for early extensions. And they just started that, like that spending window, that
three year window, the minimum threshold window. They just started it last season and they did not spend other than on a guard that does not play for them currently, which we'll get to in a minute.
But my advice is, don't go spend in free agency.
Don't go by because they don't have a good track record when they actually go out and acquire veteran free agents. That third tier is where their money is made. There, the picking up cheap veterans, the Achello, Witherspoons, some of the guys they brought in in twenty twenty three to help supplement that young.
Marcus Rabbins rising, guys.
Like that, role players when they've gone out and actually spent big money on free agents. And I fully expect them, by the way, to overhaul this process, similar to when they overhauled their draft process a couple of years ago under James Gladstone. I feel like they have to just avoid it right now because it's Alan Robinson, it's Bobby Wagner, it's Jonah Jackson, who again they have to figure out what to do with. That's a three year, fifty one
million dollar guard. If you cut him or trade him before June first, it's an eleven and a half million dollar in dead money hit and then you have dead money in the you know, in the coming year too, And it's basically like you're not playing him, So what are you gonna do?
What do you? What do you write? They would save nine million dollars to the cap at least you know you're spending a lot of cash. If they spread that out as a post to June first, you mentioned Hanstein, they would save nine million dollars if you cut him, they're left tackle. Alerc Jackson, an undrafted player who's played pretty well for them, is a free agent. Do you think they might keep him or no? Because he actually
is the Is he my top tackle available? Because he's young and he's been serviceable and there just aren't guys like that. Cam Robinson I believe I have ranked ahead of him, but Alaric Jackson, He's.
Gonna have a market. That's the thing.
I don't think they're willing to be super competitive in that market, but they don't have a plan behind it.
They have huge needs. That's the thing. It shows how hard it is, and that's what I was trying to get to, that how hard it is to rebuild on the fly. Because their last couple drafts could not have gone better. Practically everyone they've drafted has been an offensive or de defensive. Rookie of the Year finalists. Pukinakua, Steve Avuola, he wasn't a finalist, but he could have been, Kobe Turner, Braden Fisk, and Jared Verse. All these like massive hits.
Although they are missing their second round pick this year because they use that to trade up for Braiden Fists, so it's a good, good job that you hit on that guy. I hate doing yeh, I get it. Two picks for one guys.
For a defensive Rookie of the Year finalists, you got to hit probably would have.
Won it, depending on you gotta hit. It's very risky, and they did it. They do have an extra third round compensatory pick because Raheem Morris took that job with Atlanta and as part of the Rooney rule that that's something they get, so that that's a positive. But man, despite all that, they have some massive issues cornerback. They don't really have cornerstone guys to build around linebackers. They
literally just don't even have any linebackers. You mentioned tackle wide receivers like and and then oh, by the way, quarterbacks. So despite all of the good things that they've done, and they could have won the Super Bowl in the last couple of years potentially if things had gone right. They weren't in the top three or fourteens, but they were in kind of that six, seven eight range when the season ended. It didn't happen for them, and they still have a lot to work on.
I would say for the Rams, if I were them, I would operate. I would go into this off season as if they have like literally zero players at left or right tackle. And I say that because they are simply not going to get into a high dollar, super competitive market with Aleric Jackson. If if he wants to stay, and if like they want to try to extend him before free agency hits, if if it's a good fit, if he liked you know, there's all these other variables that could come into play.
But I have to work ahead a little bit.
I expect these moves, but I expect him to have a robust market, and it's just not something as of my last understanding and my last reporting on this, it's not something that they're gonna like get into the highest levels of salary with him. And then Rob Havenstein's entering the last y're on his deal now. The right the offensive line was far less functional statistically, and you could see it a Olliver the tape when he was not on the field versus when he was on the field.
But he's had trouble staying on the field for the last couple of seasons, and he is one of those players along with the Tyler Higbee, who are again similar to Cooper Cup representative of that previous era of this RAMS roster when they have showed no qualms about moving forward into this new phase. But I would operate as if they have no tackles because I don't think their backups are good options.
War McClendon.
And then it was Joe Noteboom on the left side who was just not a good again, another free agent signing that they paid that they should not have paid, and then became a backup left tackle and it just it didn't work out for them. And so they have to operate as if they have a surplus at guard, which they do because now bo Limmer will probably be their their full time starter moving forward, and he's a
fifth round pick from last year. He started most of the season, played well other than the last two snaps of that Eagles game when he fell for Jalen Carter's fake step, and are set at left and right guard. They need those tackles and that to me is the absolute number one priority.
And it also think quarterback would be high up there though if they don't have one.
But well, I'm glad they all these other things.
Glad that you jumped in to finish my sentence before and actually finished it, but that the number one thing that they have to do is figure out what that left and right tackle financial structure is going to look like in tandem with whatever their plan is for either a year to year situation with Matthew Stafford, a two year that's front loaded with him, or or trading him.
I think they could be Why not be a Kirk team. They're kind of a sneaky then the Weeds. Why not because if they're if they have all these other issues and they're still sort of rebuilding, and they seem very open to moving on from Matthew Stafford and maybe getting younger too, with some picks that they could get back for him. I think this feels like an in between year, and Jimmy g seems like the most likely guy with a pick potentially, but Kirk Cousins is potentially another.
I think that they watched him play football, and they know Raheem Morris and Zach Robinson really well, and I don't think anyone is rushing to endorse that situation, but I do think that a bridge quarterback could be a solution for them if they do decide to move on from Matthew Stafford, which again, the best way that they stay competitive is.
Getting a deal done with Alerc Jackson.
I'm not sure they're going to be able to do that, and also getting a deal done with Matthew Stafford and kind of just running this group back for another shot and figuring out what you're going to do with Jona Jackson, and then maybe bringing in a run stopping, disruptive defensive tackle who you don't actually need to play a full snapshare because you've got the middle of that short up on pass rushed down.
Yeah, their linebackers get picked on. They need some young cornerstones at cornerback. It's just a lot. There are a million kind of bridge quarterbacks available though, so that is one thing. There's a lot of They've got that going for to justin feel it's a jamis you know a Mariota.
Daniel Jones, I think he really great fit.
Then draft a second round quarterback or something with your Stafford pick, you know, you know, some sort of combination.
Yeah, And they have Darius Williams in the second year of a three year deal. So and he played really well down this backstretch when after he came back from the hamstring injury. But they usually only pay one corner at a time, so I would expect them to go deep into the draft in that position. They tried that three years ago. None of those picks really panned out. Kobe Durant is solid, but he was in a rotational role by the end of last season.
They're good. I think they're good.
They're set at safety because of some of the again, some of the drafting that they did and some of the undrafted free agents that I brought. They brought in Jayalen McCullough and then Cam Kitchens was their third round pick.
It's interesting because they do have so many questions that inside linebacker yet again, and they they were the team that infamously chipped out Ernest Jones, probably too early, you know, weird, but they did it because they believed in Omar Spates and Omar Spates really emerged.
But they need a second line back.
We ended the NFC West recap the only way we could with an in depth Omar Spates discussion. I love it. That was the NFC West. I keep like going through these divisions and thinking, man, this team's got a lot of to do. Man, this team's going to be in the mix. Like it's a big off season. Every every team thinks they're having a big off season, that's what
it's just, it's just not easy. Like these four teams especially, I think the Seahawks are in a kind of a medium position, that the Cardinals are in a kind of a great position where where you want to be, where it's all push, all additive, Whereas the forty nine ers in the Rams are having to do a lot of different things, holding on while pushing forward at the same time. And let's need John Lynch, monte Asin fort and yes, John Schneider, They're all be earning their salaries this offseason.
It is interesting.
We presented a lot of problems right for them to solve. But it kind of feels like all of these teams, any one of them, are maybe one or two correct decisions away from being ultra competitive again if they already, if they weren't already. And so that I think is the sign of a really strong NFC West. It's a sign of really strong team building for the most part all around.
I I'm always fascinated by this division. That's it for our NFC West off season.
We did it in time, We're alive, plenty of time.
We're going to keep these off season previews going. We're going to have some NFC South talk coming up, but this is it for today's show. Look, when we're criticizing Mantyasen for it's regular season, that didn't make any sense. I wasn't criticizing him.
We like him.