Every Team's Draft Needs: Part 2

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Connor R. Albert. here, recovering from a nice master's i didn't go out of control but uh i treated myself got a nice uh pizza uh personal pizza oh nice and uh and watched uh and watched for it and i have to because the rest of my family it's normal pizza and i ate like cauliflower crust pizza Really? Oh, is that like a... It's kind of like a gluten-adjacent thing that I'm like... I was going to say, is that like an Atkins diet?

I'm trying to find, because normally when I eat pizza, I just explode as a person. I get bloated, you know? So I started eating just the cauliflower kind, but then I found a regular pizzeria. That makes really good cauliflower crust. So they can do like buffalo chicken on cauliflower crust. So you don't really know.

I don't even know. Is cauliflower crust, does it have the consistency of bread? Yeah, it tastes like pizza, but it's just made of like... tiny pieces like it's like ground up cauliflower that's like molded together and then like like baked almost. Okay. That's interesting. Yeah, I had an interesting Masters Sunday myself. I was in a... I mean, because, you know, it's mid-April. It was 40 degrees and hail.

at youth sports yesterday. So I had youth lacrosse. Actually, my son played against the town I grew up in. Nice. Yeah, which was fun. Actually, one of my oldest friends, one of the guys... Me and him go back to Sunny Hill Praise School as coach. the other team. Wow. My hometown team. So it was Duxbury versus Lincoln Sudbury and 40 degree weather hail. Shout out to Billy Spencer, who is the guy I'm talking about.

since uh sunny hill preschool and uh then i was in i was at my other son's soccer game from i think it was five to six and so we went to a buffalo wild That was close to the, uh, close to the soccer game. My, my, my kid, my eight year old wanted to go to Buffalo Wild Wings. So we went and they, you know, they've got all the TVs. So Rory misses the four-footer on 18.

And so we're getting ready for the playoff, and our food's coming out, and the fire alarm goes off. No! The Wild Wings. So for the first, like, five minutes, everybody just... but all the TVs are out. So I'm like, what are we going to do to watch the playoff hole? So then after about five minutes, they kick us all out. They say, like, the fire department's coming. It's not a big deal. No. They mandated us to kick you guys out of here. So, yeah, we went and watched the playoff hole.

No. Yeah, yeah. Well, I'll always remember Rory. and how it happened for me. What? I have so many procedural questions about this. So did they remember your order, and then once you were allowed back in, they gave you your food? Well, no, our food was already... And we had just started. So what do you do? Did you take it in the car? Did you have to leave it on the table? No, we just left it there. What?

which kind of sucked, yeah, because it wasn't immediate, you know what I mean? It was probably been, what, 20 to 30 minutes. They didn't even heat it up for you? John, Mitch, if you're wondering why my stories came in late last night, that's why. I don't think I've actually told them. This is a goddamn outrage. So they didn't heat it up for you. Yeah, and we didn't. I was actually wondering if I was... What?

Oh my God. If you're the general manager of that BW3s, you have to call headquarters and be like, dude, we just got nuked. during the playoff hole. We're like wings, beer, sports. That's our whole thing. Right, like that's also what B-Dubs has been, right? Like it's like that you go in there, the wings are good, but you have...

My goodness gracious. That is unbelievable. Wow. I remember BW3s being like, kind of when it came out, like we were just getting out of college. And like, I remember having to wait. for like 35 minutes to get in during the NBA Finals, the year that LeBron won it for the Cavaliers. Didn't he come back and win it? He left and then came back and won the, or did he win it and then leave? I don't know. I don't really care about that.

He left and came back and won it. Yeah, so that year you had to like, it was almost like a New York City nightclub, but this was just like the Buffalo Wild Wings in like Union, New Jersey, and I had to wait like 35 minutes to get in. Well, that was just when they got to the East Cup. I think they were in the Midwest when I was in college. I think. I'm not positive about that. But they just moved towards this part of the country.

yeah there's chain restaurants like i feel like this like where we're at like where you're at in jersey where i'm at here is like i i feel like this part of the country is like The last place chain restaurants come because there's so many old established restaurants everywhere. I heard that fast casual dining is dying in this

might be the reason why. Unbelievable. Bad job by Buffalo Wild Wings. We didn't really give much of an apology, but that's not like a Buffalo Wild Wings thing. That's more of like a... Like did some jagoff pull the fire alarm? No, no, no, no. There was just smoke in the kitchen. It was just whatever it was. There was smoke in the kitchen that was, I guess, not irregular, but a little over the line of what sets the alarm off. I don't know, man. That's what I said.

Man, I'm sorry, but if you're Buffalo Wild Wings, that rises to national level of importance. You know this, dude. Customer service. In this country, it sucks across the board. The idea that the customer is always right is so dead. You know what I mean? And I'm not asking for somebody to come and kiss my ass, but it's like, it's God.

where, like, they almost act like they're doing you a favor. Just by seating you? Yes. When you go into a place, you know what I mean? Yeah, I agree with that. I had, like... I'd like an interesting experience with like, I'll put it this way. So I don't like. bury anyone under the bus but like a local merchant in town recently who i've used for uh various services and this person botched something in a big spot

And then immediately just started comping a bunch of other stuff left and right. And I was like, this is what you do. This is the game. This is how it's always been. But, you know, whatever. I mean, that's why you're losing. Well, that's not the only reason you're losing.

But, you know, I only go to like five places for dinner now anyway. Anyway, we are continuing our series of draft needs. I'm a big proponent of order. So, yeah. Just now? Not just in general, but yeah. No, my wife is... It's actually funny. When we moved down here, it's like... We've been here... in the suburbs and it's like I feel like she has everything on me. It's like five times a week we have a mystery. the Porsche.

You know what I mean? It's never addressed to me. It's never, ever addressed to me. No, no. I don't even know. I don't even know how to get in. I don't even know how to make it. to me so i just kind of i just kind of let it go anyway very cool masters moment uh rory was awesome uh albert apparently watching it in his car um

But anyway, we are here to talk about NFL draft needs. If you guys didn't hear the first portion of the show, we're doing this in three parts. We did AFC South, AFC North, and AFC East. last week and then you can also find that show on youtube uh today we're going to do the afc west the nfc east and the nfc north and we'll start by closing out the AFC.

And we go bottom to top from last year. So that leaves the Las Vegas Raiders, who finished 4-13 last year. They fired head coach Antonio Pierce. They fired general manager Tom Telesco. Now the dream team of John Spitech, Pete Carroll, and Chip Kelly is in the building. And Tom Brady. And Tom Brady, yeah. Um, Noah... I think Tom's going to be upset. There's really no levers he can pull here. Like, he's not...

He can't go to a high-end ski chalet and accidentally run into a better draft prospect and help the Raiders in some way, shape, or form. You have to do this in order. You have to do this the right way. You can't do what he was trying to do with. Ben Johnson and say nice things on TV while he's calling the game, you gotta just do it by the books, Tom. I think that they could go myriad ways here.

With Pete Carroll, everyone's kind of pointing them toward a running back. This class is awesome, but is that where you see? defensive backfield here needs some help. I mean, you could ideally use a wide receiver one in this offense. I don't know. Where do you see this? Yeah, I mean, you could always add a pass rusher. You can never have enough of those, and there's going to be a good supply. I think it is instructive to look at Pete Carroll's past. I just don't know.

That, like, and look like they had Ashton Gentry in. And I think Ashton Gentry will be a consideration for him because I think for a lot of people, he's the third best player in the draft behind Carter and Hunter. So, like, it wouldn't surprise. if Chante is a strong consideration there for them next week. I'm just not sure they're at the point in their build where they can afford to take a running back that high. And what I mean by that... I just, I...

That does not feel like the first thing you do. And to be fair to Carroll, it wasn't the first thing he did when he was in Seattle. The first two draft picks that they made going back to 2010. I believe, were Russell Okung and Earl Thomas, right? Right. So I think you get a little bit of a window into... to the way that he likes to build. He has specifics for what he looks for in different positions.

the big long corners. He, you know, he can value a center fielder for like a true center field safety. The big tank of a strong safety. Obviously, Cam Chancellor is sort of an impossible prototype to have there, but he is one. You know, and so I think they can go any number of ways here just because they don't have enough good players.

And I think if they were honest with you, they would tell you we're still an offseason or two away from where we need to be. We just need to get blue chip guys here. Like, it's a long way of saying, like, if they view Armand Membu as, like, you know, like this guy could be an all-pro right tackle and maybe eventually a left tackle replacement for Colton Miller when he ages out. Or, you know, we look at Jalen Walker as a sort of movable piece that can be a pressure player in Pete Carroll's front.

Maybe sort of, you know, what Dan Quinn did with Micah Parsons, because, you know, there's obviously some scheme familiarity there for Pete. Maybe that would sort of be the blueprint with somebody like Jalen Walker. I just think, Connor, they're in this place where it's like, if they're them, they can't afford to hone in on one thing because they don't have enough good players in general. I totally agree. That's why I've seen Gentry mocked to them.

countless times and it just it just doesn't make sense to me it makes more sense to me Um... Let's throw this scenario out here. If you're the Raiders, you take one maybe on day two because this is a really deep class.

But if you're the Raiders, wouldn't you much rather? I mean, you have Geno Smith right now. Theoretically, you might want a developmental quarterback in the pipeline. But like day three, if you still haven't gotten that running back, why don't you be the ones to trade for Brees Hall? Why don't you be the ones? Because some of these other teams, these older backs, are going to look to cycle them out. Chip Kelly last year was with Trevion Henderson and Quinshot Judkins at Ohio State.

would it make sense for them to look at him in the second round? I think that that's probably, that to me makes more sense than reaching on Jante. Maybe even the second round is too high for a running back. You know, I do think that there's an advantage that they have with Chip there because not only was he at Ohio State last year, he was at UCLA for the five years before that.

I think if you look at Pete Carroll's early years in Seattle, one of the big reasons why Pete and John Schneider were so successful draft... 10 and 11 and 12 is because they had institutional knowledge on so many of the guys because pete had been in the college game and it wasn't just the guys he coached it's guys he coached against it's guys he recruited and so they do have that edge with chip

Right. Yeah, no, I think we're in lockstep there. I just think, again, this is too big for this is not your running back draft, right? And I think what's so funny about... A lot of the mock draft industry, right, is that we go back and we look at coaches' behavior and traits. But if you're Pete Carroll, you know that he was doing a deep dive and a self-assessment when he left.

and even chip kelly you brought this up a couple weeks ago used to be the master of high play counts now he was one of the lowest play count ocs like people adjust people change because they have to good people just and change because they have to so i don't think you know

Just because you did something in the past doesn't mean it's necessarily instructive of what you're going to do now. I also think, like, John Spitek, you know, coming over from Tampa, one thing the Bucs have been really good at is... If you look at their history over the last four or five years, they've done a really nice job. of building up the lines of scrimmage and when they lose people being ready for it. And so, you know, that's another thing that I think comes probably from Jason Light.

background with the Eagles, you know, and John Spitek was in Philly too, you know, so I think that that's something to just kind of file away also is the belief that Spitek has. and building up the lines of scrimmage, which obviously Pete subscribes to, too, given what some of his defensive lines look like. If your brain is at full capacity with to-dos, birthdays and dinner plans, Meet Skylight Calendar.

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Denver next. So here's what we're looking at here. This was a big offseason for the Broncos. I loved this offseason for the Broncos because it was almost the ante. it's almost the anti-commanders off season where commanders it's like okay here's you know new weapons here's all this stuff

But with the Broncos, it's like, hey, we're going to let this thing kind of cook at its own speed, and then we're just going to build up the defense because the defense is better than I think even anybody gave it credit for in the NFL. It might have been. almost as good or just as good as Brian Flores' defense in Minnesota last year. And then you add Drake Greenlaw, Hufanga from the 49ers. You're putting a lot of resources into that defense. Does that, and Sean Payton,

I've made the rounds as he does. Not really worried about, I think, letting his draft plan slip publicly, but saying that he needs that offensive weapon. Do you think that's the obvious answer for them at this point? I mean, I think if you look at Sean Payton's history, I think we've talked about this too. He has, over the years, if you really take a hard look at... Until the end in New Orleans when they were invested in Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas.

You know, really, they've invested everywhere else but the skill positions, and they've, like, largely relied. the skill positions because Sean really feels like I'm sure schematically like he can just make it work right like I don't need to have a 25 receiver or a $15 million running back. I can make it work. You know, and eventually a couple of those players like your Marcus Colson, your Jimmy Grant. Michael Thomas as your Alvin Kamara grew into players that they felt like they had to pay.

But that always happened organically, you know, versus like...

Those New Orleans teams were always so heavily invested on the offensive line, and they always had a bunch of high-paid guys on defense, too. So I think Peyton being open about using the word joker. And that's what he's looking for is like the kind of, and that can be, by the way, guys at different positions. You know, like I think Jimmy Graham was that for them. Jeremy Shockey was that for them. Alvin Kamara. You know, it's just a guy that you can move around where when you break the huddle.

And we're out. And so there are a couple of guys I'd have in mind there that I think would be interesting. Henderson is one. that I think can be kind of a Jamiro Gibbs type of running back. Camaro would be potentially another comp for him. And then Elijah Arroyo from Miami, the tight end.

He's interesting for them, too, just because he is that move type. Now, they did sign, I believe, Evan Ingram, right, to play that role for them. So I don't know if that would make it a little less likely that they got a tight end. It might be tough to use Engram and Arroyo on the field together, but Arroyo is one that sort of makes sense to me just stylistically as the sort of tight end that pays.

I wonder if, I mean, a lot of people had seen, a lot of people had initially one of the tight ends, someone like Loveland may be there too, and Loveland and Ingram would be like a... Loveland would be interesting. If he makes it to them, I think Loveland would... interesting just to see what they could do there because Joker to me and you know if you extrapolate out what like you said what Peyton is saying it's not necessarily Kamara it's just

somebody, anybody who allows you to dictate the defense's personnel, right? It doesn't really matter. And that player can be any number of people, right? You know, it can be any. player at any skill position who has the versatility to play. And, you know, so wide receiver, too, is certainly up in the air for them. And I'm not saying...

that they have a bad, you know, Marvin Mims Jr. Like, I don't think it's a bad class, but I think Cortland Sutton's on a one-year deal at this point. Like, you probably want something in the pipeline there for Bo Nix as he gets older. and matures in that offense. And I would say defensive line depth, certainly. And you'd want someone to, you know, you invested all that money in Dre Greenlaw.

Don't you want someone to protect him? And you guys, you have guys like Zach Allen, you have guys like John Franklin Myers, but you know, do you, do you want something else? Do you want some more depth?

If you get a stud there in the third round or the fourth round, someone who can grow into that role. So I don't know. I think the Broncos are actually in a really good spot, much better than I thought they were a couple of years ago. And speaking of another team that I think is sneakily in a good spot, and I can't wait to see what they do.

in this draft, is the Los Angeles Chargers. They finished last season 11-6. Jim Harbaugh is doing what Jim Harbaugh does. And at this point, I'm very curious to see where they go. Joe Alt was the pick last year. This year, it seems like... I mean guys

they let go of basically anyone who could call themselves a tight end on this roster. And you would wonder if, you know, everyone's kind of speaking of Loveland, everyone's kind of pairing Jim Harbaugh and a guy that he knows well. But I mean, personally to me, This has to be a class that you finally upgrade some of the parts around Justin Herbert. Vlad McConkie was exhausted at the end of last year and was basically the only guy capable of catching passes. Johnston, you would assume.

has to just kind of be relegated at this point to your kind of explosive gadget player until he can materialize and catch balls on a consistent basis. I mean, tight end, wide receiver, but on the other side... you know losing bosa And this was a prevalent issue back when Tom Telesco was GM. team still needs an interior. You know, Puna Ford. You lost Puna Ford this offseason. You still need that because that is elemental to the Jim Harbaugh ethos as well. Yeah, so I...

Look, I think looking at it, you're right. This could be, I think some sort of offensive skill player somewhere in the first three picks is sort of a must, right? I wouldn't rule out running back either. We know how Harbaugh values that position. They have Najee Harris and not a ton else there right now. And they've turned over that position a little bit from where they were last year. And, like, is this the year he goes and finds what he had in Frankel?

So this, on paper at least, is the draft class they're doing it. And you have three of the first 86 picks. You know, you would think maybe with one of those picks, you wind up with your running back. We know what Harbaugh's thought of the tight end position. It's been a strength for him everywhere he's gone, whether it was Vernon Davis at San Francisco, all the guys he had at Michigan.

It didn't just start with Loveland. They had guys like Schumacher. They've had guys going back years that were really good at that position, going back to Jake Butt. And then at Stanford, you know, and I don't need to go through the names like Cody Fleener and all those guys, but they were really good at that position there too. So I would not discount Jim Harbaugh's commitment to having good tight ends. and how big a role they've played in his offenses over the year.

That said, there is one guy that I just can't get out of my head if we're talking about the 22nd pick, and that's Ken. It's another Michigan guy to be coached. And if you're talking about just finding a massive guy to anchor the middle of your defensive front, you know what I mean, which I think is what you're getting at, something that they've needed for a while.

this could be the guy, you know, I mean, he's 350 some odd pounds, whatever it is. And like, I think it's just one of those things where it's like, We can do something flashier or we can take care of something that's been a problem for us for years before we got here. If you're Joe Ortiz and Jim Harbaugh, just pick it and then we don't have to worry. You know?

And you could make the argument, and this is not a fun argument to make, but this offense is a little more plotting under Harbaugh, and you got Najee Harris, and maybe you bill that as like, hey, this is kind of our... skill position upgrade at this point because if you look at the defensive line in particular right i mean khalil mac is the anchor of that but at 34 yeah i mean is that really what you want and you're you need

I mean, you need more out of your defensive front. Yeah, Tuley's a good player. I wouldn't discount Tuley opposite him. I think he had grown to the point where he was probably their second-best pass rusher last year. Right. So, and you have Bud Dupree there. So you're not like, I don't think you're desperate, but I'm with you in that.

Not desperate, but Bud Dupree's 32. It's really important, too, in that defense. You know what I mean? What Jesse Minter is doing defensively, a lot of it is based on having rugged Right, and Clio Mac's certainly that, but I don't know how much longer you can count on him being.

You know what you could do, too, if you're Jim Harbaugh and you just didn't want to spend all that money on the defense is you could just – Connor Stallions can coach in the NFL, so you could just go get him and – Don't get me in trouble here. I'm kidding. I'm kidding.

Anyway. The Kansas City Chiefs. I could spend some time on that. I'm not going to. I just love bringing up Connor Stallions in front of you. It just makes me so happy. I mean, I don't know. Like the last two national champions, there are some questions that exist with one of them that don't exist with the other. So we'll just leave it at that. Most certainly. Um, well, but why? We don't know. We're always one thing away. from another great college football scandal.

The Kansas City Chiefs are next. Finished last year 15-2. Went to the Super Bowl. But... As we saw in the Super Bowl, this was not a complete team. This was a team that struggled mightily at the trench positions, which is kind of their... something that it's hard to get premium players when you're drafting at 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, as the Kansas City Chiefs so often do. And so I think part of the greatness of that defense got exposed when you're up against really good.

generationally great Eagles offensive line. Same with the offensive line. This was just like the, uh, the, the super bowl, the COVID era super bowl where they lost to the box. So this off season you have. probably your second best offensive lineman. Joe Tooney is now in Chicago. And they made what was, to me, I think one of the more intriguing high upside signings. I actually like Jalen Moore.

He's going to get a run at left tackle for them this year with sort of the backup. He was the sixth man in San Francisco, but had to play quite a bit. Yeah. And I thought had a really good... I thought had a really good run there in San Francisco. So I think he was absolutely worth it. worth the shot and then you have you would assume that Kingsley who they drafted in 2024 in the second round will get a run at guard and then you obviously have Trey Smith

and you're still looking at Jawan Taylor on the right side. He had one of the best centers in football in Creed Humphrey. Yes. I think you nailed it when you said... that this is a position that's really hard to take care of if you're drafting when they're drafting because if you have good tackles in particular, you're not letting them go. It's very rare that premium tackles become available in the market. The guys that really hit and become all pros are drafted in the first half.

round so like how do you find those guys if you're the Chiefs it's a challenge and I think that's why they've it really almost feels like they've been chasing since Eric Fisher Schwartz, where those guys were such anchors for Andy Reid. One was a free agent signing, the other was... The other was the first pick in the draft. So it's almost like they've been chasing that issue since they got...

since, you know, since those guys left after the 2020 season. So, you know, I think the way you address it, if you're the Chiefs, and this is why I like the Jalen Moore signings, you just start throwing guards. again you know what i mean like and so hey look like you know like that's why i think like somebody like jock

is really intriguing to me for them. Or even a Josh Connerly. Both those guys, I think, are high upside guys that really athletically have a lot. Now, I don't think Connerly is a finished product.

his body a little bit more Simmons is coming off the injury there's some maturity questions but like that's why I I just I I would like to see them take another tackle and throw see what happens because i do think those two guys i mentioned Like, just from having talked to people, it sounds to me like those guys have every bit the opposite. The Will Campbell or Armand member. So I think that that's where you just take another shot here. And yeah, there are other...

they could address there at the bottom of the first round. But to me, I still think like protecting Patrick Mahomes is parent. And I'm taking care of that first and foremost. At some of my other needs, like corner would be a big one. You know, like corner would be a big one. Maybe like finding, you know, some more interior defensive line and they lose.

Right, like would you go like Walter Nolan or would you go someone like Derek Harmon from Oregon? He's another one who's got like high upside, you know what I mean? Because you're such an established place and because you have such a good locker room, you can bet on...

So I don't mind the idea of that either. I mean, if the tackles are gone, yeah, I could certainly see that. But I think first and foremost, if there's an offensive tackle you think that can grow into a starting left tackle, like O'Connor later, like a... you take a shot and I may even entertain trading up for one of those guys.

It drives me nuts when everybody says, ah, the Chiefs need more weapons for Patrick Mahomes. And it's like, Rashi Rice is going to be back. I mean, he was on pace for an absolute horrid season last year. Rashi Rice is a really good player and Xavier worthy. I think you started to see the vision for Xavier Worthy come into focus. Hollywood Brown's there. They still have Kelsey. I know he's not what he was.

I think they're okay. And, and look like tight end, maybe, maybe, I mean, they've re-signed Noah Gray. So Noah Gray is going to be in the fold, but I don't know, like you couldn't, you know, in a strong year for tight end. Third round, you know, they've got two third round picks. Maybe take a flyer.

All right, let's move on to the NFC North. We have the Chicago Bears sitting at 5-12 at the bottom of their division. Ben Johnson comes in. Also, an entirely new offensive line comes in. and did a lot of work in the trenches during free agency, possibly to free themselves up to explore some other options. uh in the draft what are your thoughts on the chicago bears i mean you know and again too

Just because you did something in free agency doesn't mean you're done. I mean, Ryan Poles, he's done a nice job in the mid to late rounds here with guys and making those picks count. Could you hit that position offensive line again in the later rounds? I think for sure. Where do you think they're going? So, like, I think a lot of this is going to come down to the new coaching staff's evaluation.

right um because yes they have reworked their offensive line and bringing in jonah jackson joe tooney and and drew dolman's a big deal right like I think that that's great. The tackle position for them, I still think that Braxton Jones going into a contract year, the jury's sort of out on him as a left tackle. Darnell Wright still has a ton of upside. We'll see if he gets there. So I think a lot of this is going to come down to how the new staff...

those two guys because if a Campbell or if a Membo false them, then I think that they've got to take a hard look at that. A lot of people are saying running back. I wouldn't... I wouldn't... Because I do think it's a way of investing in your young quarterback. So if Ashton Gentile were to make it there to 10,

I don't hate the idea of it. I also think, like, if you're going to look at Ben Johnson's history, like, so where they were in Detroit, they were, they built the lines of scrimmage first. So I think that's where we have to look first here, right? Like, we have to look offensive, defensive line first.

And they did add, you know, they did add Grady Jarrett to the defensive line, but that's a very short-term answer. You know what I mean? So, like, interior defensive line is something I would think I would definitely look at. Tackle.

But running back is a spot like you look at what he was able to get out of Jameer Gibbs. And that was not that that that taking Jameer Gibbs where the Lions took him. A lot of people looked at that side eye, you know, and it wound up really working out. I don't hate the idea of what somebody like Gentry could do for a young quarterback just in taking the pressure off of him and putting him in a position where he's going to have a great...

It's going to be interesting, right? Because Ben Johnson really slow played, or the Lions slow played, the Jameer Gibbs thing. And almost... to the point where you would go and you would watch the team during camp, and you would see how dynamic that offense could be. And you could even see it when David Montgomery was out. I'm not saying they were better without David Montgomery, but I'm just saying that...

there were more possibilities when Jameer Gibbs was on the field. And I think they were harder to defend. But David Montgomery kind of presented some different issues, right, for a defense. That was a slow play. And I do think that if it's Gentee, Then Ben Johnson, like you said, really has to believe that this offensive line is ready now. I think the defensive line is just as interesting because you had guys that you drafted for Matt Eberflus' system in particular, right? And Matt Eberflus...

was kind of one of those old, oh God, the Rod Marinelli guys, right? And defensive tackles were its own thing and doing different stuff with their defensive tackles than everybody else. So someone like Gervin Dexter, who had a good year last year, do you just plug him in next to Grady Jarrett and you assume that the new regime is just going to go? Or...

Do you kind of pepper that side of the ball a little bit too? Because, I mean, you have a lot of money invested at off-ball linebacker. Do you want to protect those guys a little bit and start to kind of hit that defensive tackle position, that edge position?

I mean, listen, Tyreek Stevenson is still one of your... cornerbacks that you're depending a lot on after everything that happened last year is he a ben johnson guy i don't know um but you have kyler gordon and you have jalen johnson who are great right and so but

It was interesting how they paid Kyler Gordon, you know, because it's like he has sort of settled in to become their nickel. Right. It just sort of shows how Dennis Allen maybe values that position as a full-time position. like the edge question is interesting to me just because of like They bring in Dayo Odayingbo at, what, $18 million a year, I think it was, right? Somewhere around there. And he comes over from Indianapolis, and they're betting on the come with him, right? They're betting.

Like his upside is going to hit playing opposite Montez Sweat. Does that take care of the edge position then? Or do you think you could still... Well, I think Ben Johnson probably also, because we look at what he did in Detroit or what the Lions did in Detroit.

But it's also like, what did the Lions not do, right? And I think part of that is, hey, we found that we are one or two injuries away from being a team that struggles to do certain things. And so do you want to major in those things? And do you... Do you feel like they just keep kind of cracking at the offensive line and the defensive line until they get something that they're a little bit more confident in? I don't know, but I do think that Chicago remains one of those teams that...

I think is way more wide open than anybody else is giving them credit for. Right. And I think it's interesting because they've got a general manager who's been building there. This will be his fourth draft. You've got a new coaching staff that's going to have, like you said, that fresh set of eyes on everybody that kind of maybe means you're resetting with a bunch of pieces of your roster that haven't been established.

Green Bay Packers are next. 11-6 last year. Typical Packers offseason, I feel like, in that you felt like... I love their fans, right? It's always like, hey, maybe we'll bring Devontae Adams back. Maybe we'll get, you know... Maybe we'll get one of these top flight wide receivers, but really it's Mecole Hardman. And then you pay four years and $77 million for Aaron Banks to shore up the middle. You let Eric Stokes, your former first-round pick, walk.

and you get Nate Hobbs on a four-year, $48 million deal. This, you know, they need the rest of this roster to come around. They were the youngest team in the NFL last year. I believe the Eagles were the youngest. You also don't have a resolution.

So you wonder if they're just painted into a corner at that position and they're going to have to force something. The problem they have is that position is not great in this year's class. So you would think by the time they're picking, where are they at, they're number 23. Yeah. Are they, like, is Will Johnson gone? Is Jedi Baron gone? I would think so. And so now you're talking about, are we better off taking maybe a receiver instead of a corner? They haven't taken a receiver in the first.

I think Javon Walker in 2004. And then I think offensive line is always a possibility for them. Sure. They just spent the money on Aaron Banks. Josh Myers is gone at center. Right now, you know, I mean, you're going to move Alton Jenkins over. Do you... do you view... Another guard is a possibility. Or are you out in tackle? I believe Rasheed Walker is coming to the end of his deal. So, like, I think tackle is, to me, like, I think offensive line.

corner receiver like they could go in any of those directions corner by far is the most pressing need um but it might not be the one that that i think has the the best set of options there I thought our guy Bill Huber, who covers the Packers for On SI, had an interesting note, I think from one of the press conferences about Matt LaFleur and Jeff Halfley were talking about how they had to...

kind of switched their plan defensively last year because of the fact that they weren't getting what they wanted from the defensive interior. And I think that could be a sneaky kind of third option. that we're looking at, where they had to play certain coverages, they had to play games in a certain way because

They just weren't getting what they wanted up front. And I think that could be one of those things where let's say the top corners, some of the safeties are gone. They can't really fix anything in the secondary, in the immediate, and you wait until the talent catches up with your draft slot.

I don't know. I think that might be an to look there um the minnesota vikings next 14 and 3 but you get rid of sam darnold uh you bring in jj well you elevate jj mccarthy to the starting spot Are you, at this point, Aaron Rodgers, question mark? I don't know. And still, I mean, there has to be a reason why he hasn't signed yet, right? I mean, that's where he wants to be. Right. You're asking me.

He more or less told the Vikings that, so I don't... I do have it in the back of my head, like, would he do a farm retirement? And then if JJ McCarthy has a rough spring, all of a sudden the motorcade is pulling up to, the Brent Favre motorcade is pulling up to Vikings camp. August you know yeah I don't know I mean like I don't think that's gonna happen I think JJ is gonna have a good spring and I think they're gonna be fine yeah this is a team without a lot of holes

Certainly. And here's the thing, though. I think that they told you where they were going with this pick, at least personally. Because you look at, as soon as the season was over last year, They looked at their situation. They said, okay, we're bringing in Jonathan Allen. Okay, we're bringing in Javon Hargrave. Okay, we're shoring up. The middle of this offensive line. They want to get bigger and tougher in the middle. Yes. But then there's the other.

The other part of this is that, okay, you re-sign Byron Murphy, but then here's what I always think. When I see teams doing stuff like, okay, you're signing Jeff Okuda and just praying that. Something clicks with that guy. I think what you're really saying is I need more at that position and Brian Flores needs more at that position.

Brian Flores' strength has been a year-to-year evolution where every year he'll take a little spin on this defense and take a little twist on this defense. Some of your secondary is getting a little bit older. Harrison Smith, you know. God love him is coming back again, but it's not a long-term answer at that position. I think they're going to hit the defensive secondary in the draft personally. So like one guy like that kind of like...

makes some sense to me for them would be Malachi Starks from Georgia, a guy who's a really heady, smart player. And because of the volume that Brian Flores puts on his players, right, like he... That's why Harrison Smith's been perfect for him. You know what I mean? Harrison Smith's been perfect for him because he's heady, he's experienced, he's in the right place consistently. So he's one that I look at like, yeah, that would make all the sense in the world.

I mean, if Will Johnson made it to them, I think that'd be another one. You've got the injury concern with him. He doesn't have great long speed, but he's a really smart player. Bigger, longer player that maybe would remind. Just from a dimension standpoint.

Flores, a little bit of what he had in Steph Gilmore. And then, like, Maxwell Harrison, who has, like, great measurables, and you maybe feel like you can develop them a little bit. Like, those would be guys, like, I think, like, that would be... you maybe look like right in that range like that's That's the type of guy you can... You know, South Carolina is pretty good too.

Yeah, the tank, Nick Imanuri, or however you pronounce it, yeah. Like, he is, he's a physical freak. Could you imagine, like, Brian Flores with his hands on that guy? So, yeah, like, I think that would be, like, Pat Chung for him, right? Right. Super size.

him so yeah i mean i think that would make some sense too like i i think the idea of adding to the secondary 100 makes some sense i think they're okay on the off now like it wouldn't totally stun me if they were like yeah we're really going to shore up the interior and you know maybe that's like donovan jackson from ohio state then Zabel from North Dakota State. But they did add Will Fries and Ryan Kelly.

So they're all right there. Again, like this is like, they're in a great position because they don't have to press anything. You know, like they're, I mean, they're going to be able to add a good player. and do it like in a way where it's, yeah, we don't need to force something here. We can just let the draft...

The Lions are their final team in the NFC North here that we're looking at. Do they, to you, have the most obvious set of needs of any team and i'm not saying obvious in terms of like all this team is terrible and they need guys to fill their holes but like I feel like Detroit broke down last year in a very specific way that we all saw. And that's, you know, because this is a team that we're all projecting to go to the Super Bowl.

definitely on that kind of a torrid stretch last year i mean do you see edge rusher do you see defensive line do you see defensive secondary as this is almost certainly where they're going Well, so you would hope at corner you get some, you know, some, some natural, some natural.

progress from the guys you drafted last year so you had terry and arnold and right and ns rakes cross your first two picks and so you would hope like you'll take those guys will take steps so you lose carlton davis so Your hope is that the draft pick capital you invested in those spots is going to pay. I think they're good at safety. I mean, they do lose. I think they lost up Milifonwu, right? But, like, they're, I mean, with Brian Branch back there.

They're still in good shape. They add DJ Reed. So I think the edge rusher position, I think it's going to match up nicely where there's going to be a decent option for them at the end of the first round, right? Yeah. In a weird way, their loss in the playoffs. sort of gives them a better chance to wind up with, you know, taking him and being able to take advantage of the depth of the edge rusher spot. So, you know, obviously I think guys like Shamar Stewart will be long gone.

But could you wind up with, like, a Donovan Azaraku from Boston College? You know, somebody like that, I think, could wind up, you know, being a nice bucket. because, you know, Aiden, coming back off the injury, I think you are going to do that.

pressure off of him. Obviously, Louis McNeil is also coming back off of a pretty serious injury. So anything you can do to kind of add a little juice to your defensive front, I think would be really helpful. And it wouldn't surprise me either, Connor, if we see that. I, you know, if you remember like the first draft for Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell, they took Panay Sewell.

defensive linemen back-to-back with McNeil and Levi there in the second and third rounds. It wouldn't surprise me if they doubled down with a couple of picks in the top 100. They could also just be fun. Like this team, we have no idea what they could do, right? Now you lose Kevin Zeitler, and so you have Graham Glasgow as your... left guard I guess penciled in at this point.

And, well, I guess you could really say, I mean, you have questions at both of the guard spots at this point. I mean, there's really no, you're not settled at any of those interior spots. Which is weird, which almost seems weird to say because it's been such a... Like a bedrock of who they are. I mean, the offensive line's been so good for so long, but yeah.

It wouldn't be stunning. And again, they're another release team with the Vikings. They have obvious needs, but they don't have a lot of them. So if you're them and you reason, okay, there's a great guard. like say like a Zabel or a Jackson makes it to them, then you could theoretically say, yeah, there's a good supply of edge rushers. We should be able to get one in the second round. So we're going to take a guard here.

Oh, man. Could you imagine my guy, Gray Zabel, ending up in Detroit? What a match that would be. That's my guy. That's my ore grinder. Now we're doing the NFC East, starting from the bottom up, New York Giants. draft needs everything at this point, right? I mean, you know, it's, and I loved how this was like a It's a funny thing because when you're the GM of a team, you have to play the game. And sometimes you can sort of trick...

The media, not trick is the right word, but you can use a convincing set of arguments to say like, you know, we're doing a really good job here, and now here's where it turns the corner. And I think Shane's thing this offseason where he said, wow, I had to draft for need in so many of these drafts because, you know, of what we were left with. And now...

we have the chance to pivot. It's like, I don't know, man, it still looks to me like you're drafting for need. I see a lot of holes on this roster. I mean, gosh, where do we start? I mean, the Giants need a quarterback. They need offensive line help. They need help for Dexter Lawrence on the defensive line in the interior. They need a linebacker. They need a couple wide receivers. Like, this team needs everything. And that's why I think if you're that...

You are praying that Travis Hunter makes it, too. Right? Because, like, I just think Travis Hunter... would help you address multiple things at once, however you want to address. You want to start them on offense and moonlight them on defense or the other way around. You've got needs on both sides. that you can take care of with one player. And, you know, I think you're going to make your quarterback better by doing that and whoever the quarterback is.

And you have a chance to maybe push Deontay Banks and get a little bit more out of him finally. The idea of that makes the most sense. I do think they'll take Abdul Carter if gun to their head. I think so, too. Why wouldn't you? And I don't hate the idea of it. I mean, remember, this is the franchise that... drafted Matthias Kiwanuka when it had Michael Strahan, Justin Tuck, and OCU manure on the roster, and then did the same.

a couple years later with Jason Pierre-Paul. So this is a franchise that's done that before. I also think, and this is the interesting thing about Carter, You could see around. play him as an off-ball linebacker, which is in need of yours. and then have him kind of as a jack of all, kind of like a movable piece in the nickel. And can you imagine if they had like, you know, what you call like a NASCAR package with Burns, Thibodeau?

uh dexter lawrence and and and and carter on third down like that sounds pretty good to me that's going to make the rest of your defense better so it sounds good i certainly think like whichever one of those two falls to them

This is the one they take. And I think if for some reason the two of them both made it to them, Hunter. It's going to be so annoying because on draft day, when they take Abdul Carter, right, there's going to be the mind-blowing emoji. This is my favorite thing. You and I talk about it all the time. Who is going to stop the Giants now? It's like Kayvon Thibodeau, Brian Burns.

it's like well probably a lot of people you know uh i mean because a lot of people stopped the two of them last year it's not like you know well let's dive into the corner If they took a quarterback at three, that would be a catastrophic franchise-destroying maneuver. Did I do this with you? Because I did it with a couple people. Did I game this out with you? how it makes no sense for them to take a quarterback.

It makes no sense for them to take a quarterback. If you are going to build a quarterback room for a rookie quarterback, is that how you do it? Jameis Winston and Russell Wilson. Jameis Winston and Russell Wilson, who have never had... highly drafted young quarterbacks behind them right have spent 90 of their careers as starters right not only that but on contracts that are heavily weighted on play

Yep. Like, and so like, to me, it's like, okay, like, so maybe you do that and redshirt the quarterback, but it would make, would it make any sense for Joe Shane and Brian Dable to draft someone third overall? No. No. It never has. It doesn't make any sense. It never has. That's why it drives me. This whole thing, it's amazing to me. it's I'm telling you like I think it's going to be, it might wind up being the story of the draft. I should do with Sandra Sliding. And I, can you imagine?

What? But it's not a slide. It's not a slide. It's not a slide because he never... It's because... The media is, and I'm part of the media, the media took a while to catch up to how the league really views him. And that's the shame of it is it makes it look like the kid's stock. It just was never in the place that a lot of people were putting it in the first place.

I put, you know, like Daniel Jeremiah does a great job. He's my favorite draft guy. And he had Shader Sanders, I think, generously listed as his 20th best prospect on his top 50, which is revered around the industry. Okay? So people are saying he's going to slide to the Steelers, but the Steelers are picking at 20. That's where he was, you know, that's where a lot of smart people thought that he was.

the context of this class and if you add in the fact that yes he's got a famous parent who's probably gonna verbalize his disappointment when he's not playing that's gonna impact your draft stock it always was

It always was. And so that's built in. I'm so glad, by the way, because I think I said on this podcast that I would sell my house for a dollar if the Giants drafted Shitter Sanders. I said on another show that I'm a part of, He the Call, that I would... eat a jar of olives live on YouTube on draft night if they drafted Chitter Sanders. I hate olives. Now I have to root for it to happen. I hate olives.

How big a jar? It never made sense to me. It never made sense to me. Can you imagine? How big a jar? I went with, I, I, I, I. That'd be a bad job, my dad. if he didn't specify the biggest shot. It was one of those, like, you know, the ones that you would get for, like, a family of four for, like, taco night or, like, to make, like, a salad, you know? Because I hate olives. I can't digest them. I think they're absolutely... I think it's garbage food. But... I, you know, can you imagine?

So putting that on Brian Dable's plate then and then saddling the next coaching staff with that, if this doesn't work out for Brian Dable and Joe Shane, like, no. I think this is your fastest path, Abdul Carter or Travis Hunter, to a season where you look kind of spunky and you win seven or eight games. And then you figure it out. And then you figure it out.

And like next year, it looks like that. Then you trade up. Next year, yeah. Like next year, you look at it and you say, okay, like now we've got something. And you never know, like another Matthew Stafford type of opportunity.

where it's all right like now we've got something to sell a veteran quarterback you know like i i do think like stafford's mindset like and In January, if the Giants were like 9-8 last year, I think like Stafford had been sort of pushed to the point where he might have considered. As much as he loves living in California. likes playing for Sean McVay. I think of like the Giants were winning.

and they were, again, say like 9-8 last year, that might have played out a little bit differently. So you do have the potential to take advantage of an opportunity like that if you could just start winning, which I think you add a Hunter or a Carter. You're going to give yourself... I think my dream scenario if I'm the Giants is that I get... I get...

Travis Hunter at number three, or Abdul Carter, really. I mean, that feels like a situation that you can't screw up because you just take the one that the Browns don't take, right? And you still have a potentially generational player that can help your team right away. And then in the second round, you... you are able to get one of those guys on the fringe of that tackle class, maybe someone with some interior versatility just to compete.

and then maybe you make it back up into the second round again, and you end up with someone like Jalen Milrow, who you can run in a red zone package, something like that. and let Brian Dable cook with him just a little bit, because there's some stuff that he can do with the read option offense, there's some stuff that he can do in the RPO game that's interesting, and then kind of let him develop in the background, you know, and I don't know, I think that's...

That's attractive to me. I like that. Next up on our list, the Dallas Cowboys, 7-10 last year. New head coach coming in, Brian Schottenheimer. Where do you see Dallas? Do you look at this as a situation where, I mean... Is it skill position, skill position, skill position? I mean, do you need someone? Javante Williams is currently your... RB1, I guess, or Miles Sanders.

which seems like a little bit of a running on fume situation. You don't have anybody next to CeeDee Lamb that really scares anyone. And your defensive line, historically, and your linebacking core, which was five. five, six years ago was really good. All that stuff's kind of decaying too. So what are your thoughts on that, on Dallas in particular? Yeah, I mean, I think, like, in general, you know, picking 12... Um...

They typically don't pick this high, so I don't think... They're right on the fringe of relevance in this class, right? Like 12 seems to be like, that's where the cliff is, right? Right, like the second... I think Hunter Carter, there's a cliff after that. Maybe a second cliff is right there. I think you have to get a guy that you think is a difference maker. Maybe it's an edge rusher to put in there.

They brought back Dante Fowler, but do they have a whole lot else to threaten losing to Marcus Lawrence with opposite Micah Parsons? I don't know that you really have that guy right now. So if a Mikel Williams makes it there, do you take a flyer on him? Do you look at Ashton Janty, who's from the Dallas area? As Matthew Golden makes sense, it's kind of this burner that you can put opposite C.D. Lamb. There are a ton of ways they can go with this.

I do think because of the position that they're in, because they do have More than just a couple of needs. And this is like, I think this is the toughest spot that roster has been in a few years. And this is the highest they picked in a few years. It's really incumbent on them to just get. maker out of this class. I know they've said that with a few of these teams. I don't think they're in the dire straits that New England or the Raiders are.

you know again like we just need blow chippers but it because of the age and some spots that are roster they are sort of So, yeah, I mean, like as a Mikael Williams, a guy that you think playing opposite Micah Parsons could develop into a really great player. If so, maybe you just sit there and take it.

Is Astrid Gentry the kind of guy that's going to help you settle in with some moving pieces on your offensive line? If so, maybe you take him. Is Matthew Golden somebody who's going to take the pressure off of C.D. Lane? and really kind of open things up in your running game because they're not going to be able to creep towards the line of scrimmage anymore.

That's something to consider. I just think finding a difference maker, again, it's a different spot than Vegas or New England, but sort of the same idea. They just need to get young boys.

This is not going to happen, but it's just going to be fun for me to bring this up. Micah Parsons is at the star today. Probably won't leave with a contract. I wouldn't practice if I were Micah Parsons without a contract. Let's just say Jerry Jones is like, hmm, I just want to completely blow this thing.

And you're getting towards the beginning of the draft. And one of the interesting things that I think not a lot of people talk about is when Richard Thaler and all those guys did that seminal paper on the value of trading. assets for draft picks. One of the things that wasn't really discussed in the paper was the extreme value in delaying your gratification and trading for picks in later drafts because

Teams are more willing to sacrifice something that they can't put their hands around, right? This class is somewhat underwhelming. You don't really know what's going to happen. and every class is a mystery, certainly, but do you think you could get three first-round picks from Micah Parsons if you put him on the block? right now or let's say the clock starts ticking maybe not quite just because I think you have to consider that you have to get

And that there's really, and he's going to have a lot of leverage if you're trying to negotiate a trade. So, I mean, what are you talking about? Like maybe 42 million a year, right? a combination now of we know now we're not just looking at giving up the draft picks we're looking We're looking at pulling multiple levers here and giving up assets on both ends of it. So I think you get two first-round picks and then some for him. I don't know about three.

Okay. I'm just curious. You do figure it's like a bad team isn't going to bring them in, right? So probably the team that would bring them in, whoever it is. Say it's Detroit, right? Like, you know, you're talking about end of the first round pick. So maybe that, that's like Chicago. You know? Chicago. So you can move up two spots this year, and then you get two ones after that.

I mean, it's not something that they would do. This is like one of those like asinine scenarios because it's absolutely not going to happen. And Jerry Jones is not going to miss out on the chance to tell someone that he. signed the richest non-quarterback in NFL history. This is something that he lives for and probably creates because he delays the signings of these so many times.

You know, I don't know, man. I was going to say, I was going to say, I was going to say what about Philly, but oh my God. I had that thought. Well, the Eagles, and then I was like, yeah. the Eagles, but... I mean... Like Chicago, again, they're already really invested on the edges. So then do you play Micah off the ball? Like what we just talked about with Abdul Carter, do you play him off the ball and move him around? Are you getting the most out? I don't know about the FEC quite as much there.

What about the chart? I mean, that's the thing, right? But then you're expecting late first round return, right? It's like, it's got to be that team in a sweet spot, you know, where you're like, uh...

Maybe there's something there. I don't know. But anyway, that's just something fun to discuss that definitely is absolutely never going to happen. The Washington Commanders, 12-5 last year. NFC. Near NFC champions. NFC finalists. That's a cool banner. The Colts banners, yeah. The NFC finalists. NFC finalist. A lot of movement on the defense this offseason, and you have a defensive line now of Javon Kinlaw, Jerzon Newton. And you have Deron Payne. Yep. Is that...

Do you think where you go at this point? Because this team's done a lot of work. I mean, Debo Samuel is now in with Terry McLaurin on the wide receiver core and then Noah Brown. And then, you know, you bring back Austin Eckler. You had Austin Eckler in a contract. You bring back Zach Ertz. you know, what, what are your thoughts here? Because I mean, in theory, this is like flashing lights, like edge rusher, right? The team does have, I would say, a few more needs than me.

Because it did seem like last year they did a really good job of rebuilding the roster on the fly. And they were able to... kind of create a baseline where they didn't have a lot of holes. They may not have been great in certain areas, but they didn't have a lot of holes, but they did it with older players. some of those guys.

your deals some of those guys are gone now um and the edge spot is certainly one of them where you look at it and say okay like they're eventually gonna have to take care of this long term so i think the best the best uh scenario for them is like that some edge rusher falls into their lap. You know, now maybe it's... Yeah, James Pearce has the character issue, but he's super

So does Dan Quinn look at it and say, we've got the culture right. We can take a chance on a kid and roll the dice. If he slides to us, we can be ready. you know what i mean like that that might make some sense because you'd be able to get some value or like the guy might be a middle of the first round player who falls into your lap

and say, okay, we've got the culture right. We're going to be able to bring in a guy like that and make it work. If it's not there, Connor, I mean, I don't see a ton of other areas where it's just like, all right, they have to. You know what I mean? You know, like every team could always use some help on the offensive line. So, you know, I guess, you know, they could add somebody there.

depth at receiver you know like i mean that's a big one because i think you're aren't your top three of your top four wide receivers are on expiring contracts right and i mean you assume mclaurin is going to get done so that's not going to be a problem but yeah i mean that's something you look at you know, is that Emeka Abuka, you know, at the end of the first round who can be a slot for you and I think a really effective one and be a security.

for your young quarterback. Tight end, another one where you look at it and you say, okay, they're fine now, but what's that going to look like in a couple years? What are they going to get up from Ben Sinat this year?

you know one of the guys they drafted last year so i think you know like they're they've got the one again it's a kind of again flashing lights the edge rusher spot but then other than that they've also got areas where it's like You may have to draft a year ahead because it may not be a problem now, but it could be. I think if you're Washington, the dream scenario has to be... Like you said, someone like Jalen Walker, someone at the edge spot that Dan Quinn can use.

and start right away, and then you get that developmental wide receiver, at least in the pipeline, and get him working with Terry McLaurin, because Deebo Samuel just seems like such a short-term rental to me. And then I think you got to hit the cornerback position at some point too. Right. I mean, I think that that's one of those spots where, I mean, you have Sandra still.

as your second round pick last year. But again, I mean, this whole thing needs to come together. I think you need some depth at some of those critical positions. Last but not least,

The defending Super Bowl champions, Philadelphia Eagles, 14-3 last year. Super Bowl. This was a, it's a difficult win the Super Bowl offseason where you lose your offensive coordinator, you have to pay Zach Bond commensurate with. the top of the league after having him for a few nickels and a pastrami sandwich last year. And yet, you know, I always look to Howie Rosen and the Eagles to say, show me where the NFL is now going. Like, what's your idea? Where do you think the NFL is going now?

I don't think this team is without needs, certainly, but it's a team that probably has fewer needs. Safety, defensive line, cornerback. edge, and then at some point, you have to replenish this offensive line. I don't know. Where do you think they're going? I'd say edge is probably...

You know what I mean? Like where you're looking at it and you're saying, okay, like they lose, they lose Josh Sweat. Brandon Graham. For them, they lose Brandon Graham, right? Like, what do you think JLX Hunt's going to bring you? Like, what do you, what do you think? I mean, what do you legitimately see Bryce Hoff doing for you? You know, like, which, I mean, was a bit of a swing and a miss.

Is Nolan Smith really going to grow into being the guy? I think there are a lot of moving parts at the edge spot. And again, they're in this position where obviously they've done such a good job building up the roster that they don't really need to force anything. But you do look at that one position. they could do something there.

The rest of them, to me, it's sort of like depth. They're always going to be looking at offensive linemen, no question about it. You can expect that maybe this is the year they find the right tackle that will eventually replace. You know, they could use some more depth at corner. They drafted two guys last year. They did great with those two. They lose Isaiah Rogers, you know, so beyond. You know, Mitchell and Gene, where are they at at the other outside corner?

So those are the types of questions though, you know what I mean? Like there's not, I don't feel like there's anything here where you say like, yeah, they need to take care of this outside of maybe Edge. You know, like I think they'd like to come away from, say, And this is the funny thing about it. It's like, like what some of these teams are saying, like, yeah, they definitely need to take care of this in the first round. Like, it's like, they'd be great if they got an edge in the top.

You know what I mean? Like, that's really what we're talking about here. And, you know, I don't know. Like, they've done such a great job of building the roster. They've got a ton of cash. and they've got four fifth-round picks on top of picks in each of the first four rounds. So they've got some wiggle room to move around. How is Howie Roseman going to do that?

he's going to do something, right? I mean, the team just won a Super Bowl. Now, I don't know if he's the... Maybe he sees this as, okay, this is the...

this is the reset year. This is the year that the guys have to kind of develop on their own. We're losing some of the veterans, you know, the important guys. And I mean, Brandon Graham's around. He can just come and be in the facility. It's not like... you can't prevent him from coming back and being a coach or some sort of developmental guy like Connor Barwin, whatever.

But maybe this is the year that, okay, we reset, we recalibrate, we let the young guys take over. Or is this just another Howie Sunglasses moment where he goes in and breaks up the draft and you're like, how the hell did that happen? I don't know. Where do you see this? Yeah, I think it's... You can count it out, right? Yeah, this just feels like a depth draft to me for them. Because I know what you're saying. Is there a big swing coming? I think they've always done a good job.

their spots with that and this isn't a great draft class or it's not seen. and seen as one where You know, you can really make hay at the end of the first round where they're sitting. And on the second day, you know, you can find starters there. So like I got the way I look at it for the Eagles is like, yes, they've always sort.

They always find a way to stay loose for the big swing, you know, when it's there to be taken. I just don't know that this is a year where you want to be taking the big swing. Which is fine. They don't need to take a big swipe. It's fine. It's just not like Howie Roseman. I always look at like... I mean, it is, right? This does not feel like the year, you know what I mean?

Right. It's just, you know, I don't know. And here we go. And they're going to wind up trading up and getting like freaking Travis Hunter now that I said that. But like, you know, like it's, I just does not feel. Like, they're so, like, I don't know. There's so many good.

Next year's free agency class is shaping up to be pretty solid. And this is before a lot of... contracts and a lot of stuff gets done and the Eagles certainly have guys of their own design but like gosh what if they were the ones that came away with Trey Hendrickson and all this you know what if they were the ones that

That's not the worst idea in the world. I mean, the one thing I can be concerned about a little bit is like, okay, like now you're paying him and are you paying him in a way that's going to upset your salary structure? That's, I think, the question. But I think it's certainly something they would take a look at based on the way they're off.

We shall see. We are now, as we finish recording this, 10 days. Away. from night one of the NFL draft. Unbelievable. Can't believe it's here. We are going to wrap up our draft needs special with a Wednesday, Thursday, Thursday show. um later on this week and then monday the following we can come back and uh and we'll actually talk some mock drafts here and uh we'll put these guys in order so

Thank you, as always, for listening. Come find us on YouTube. Leave some comments. Let us know what you think. And one of yours might be read on a show. And also rate us and review us on Apple Podcasts. it just helps other people find the show yeah and uh yeah hopefully albert gets uh some uh just some sort of a makeup experience from buffalo wild wings buffalo Yeah, if you guys want to come on and address this at some point, let us know.

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