The NFL draft is upon is. It’s happening this week. And, therefore, Conor and Gary have no choice but to unveil this year’s edition of the people’s podcast: The Mock Draft Show Series. Part I will cover 16 teams and 21 picks, delving into draft needs for each team and weighing the pros and cons of some of the prospects who might fit. Do the Jaguars go offense or defense with the first pick? Will the Texans make a selection with their current coaching staff or their next coaching staff in mind? D...
Apr 25, 2022•1 hr 28 min
One of the biggest stories of the 2022 offseason: The bizarre twists and turns of the wide receiver market. After seeing Christian Kirk (among others) get unexpectedly paid, and teams dole out draft capital and big-money contracts for Davante Adams and Tyreek Hill, it’s time for the star wideouts of the 2019 draft to get theirs. That starts with Deebo Samuel, who made a shocking trade demand for reasons that remain a mystery. The questions: Will other, inferior coaching staffs be able to maximiz...
Apr 21, 2022•40 min
Every draft season, humans who can block other humans are at a premium. But are there certain teams and certain quarterbacks who need great offensive linemen, while others simply need “good enough” up front? How do you separate the lineman from the QB and the system? And what might we learn from watching Austin Corbett in 2022? Conor and Gary get existential in the offensive line draft preview, but then they get down to business. A look at the top prospects in this draft class, and why the Jagua...
Apr 18, 2022•34 min
Derek Carr signed a new contract that is in some ways big, in some ways not so much, in some ways team-friendly, and in some ways a really neat win for the quarterback. Conor and Gary discuss one of the most underappreciated quarterbacks in the NFL. It starts with a discussion of the contract and what it means as far as how the Raiders view Carr, and how Carr is now set up in the event of a divorce. But it’s also a discussion of how Carr is viewed, in a larger sense, as a good but not quite supe...
Apr 14, 2022•50 min
It’s a draft show, but before Conor and Gary get to the prospects themselves, a draft-adjacent discussion surrounding the very strange wide receiver market. It was setting up to be another down market for wideouts, even after the Christian Kirk deal happened. But then, Davante Adams and Tyreek Hill brought it not only big-money deals but were acquired for significant draft capital. Will that trend hold up going forward? Then, a discussion of the five first-round candidates in this class of wideo...
Apr 07, 2022•45 min
Due to an absurd second wave of free-agency news, NFL draft season was delayed. It officially starts… now. Conor and Gary dive into the biggest storylines of the draft. That starts with examining the claim that it’s not a particularly good draft, and what effects that could have on the teams (most of them) that wouldn’t mind getting the heck out of Round 1. As always, any first-round shuffling will be quarterback centric—a look at the five potential first-rounders among this class of passers. Sp...
Apr 04, 2022•42 min
Conor Orr and special guest co-host John Gonzalez of the Sports Illustrated Weekly Podcast dig into the stunning retirement of Bruce Arians, what kind of legacy he leaves behind in the coaching world, and whether the timing was strange or suspicious. Conor also tries to navigate a long-winded Office analogy involving the show's famous "Pretzel Day" episode. article: Bruce Arians Left the NFL Coaching World Better Than He Found It Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Pr...
Apr 01, 2022•44 min
We’re doing another Deshaun Watson episode because it’s an incredibly important story that goes beyond football. And, we’re doing it now because, on Friday, Watson was formally introduced as the Browns’ new quarterback, in a press conference that provided few direct answers. That made this show the perfect time to bring New York Times reporter, former MMQB podcaster and all-around wonderful person Jenny Vrentas back for a guest appearance, seeing as she has led the way on Watson reporting throug...
Mar 28, 2022•36 min
With Terron Armstead signed and Tyreek Hill acquired via trade, all eyes are on the Dolphins. That’s why Conor and Gary welcomed a very special guest to this show: NBA writer, podcaster, esteemed colleague, friend of the show, and expert in all things Miami: Rohan Nadkarni. The three-man booth discusses, among other things: Was the Hill trade worth it? Does it make sense considering the quarterback situation? Who should be the starting quarterback for the Dolphins anyway? And what do we make of ...
Mar 24, 2022•43 min
Conor and Gary start things off with a discussion of the Browns, from their stunning decision to pursue Deshaun Watson while the quarterback is under the cloud of 22 civil lawsuits alleging sexual misconduct, to their stunning decision to award him an unprecedented contract, to their off-putting decision to build the contract around a likely suspension. Then, the Davante Adams trade to the Raiders, what sense it could make for Vegas, and why it’s an even more significant setback for the Packers ...
Mar 21, 2022•58 min
At the time of taping this episode, a Deshaun Watson decision was imminent. While it was unclear who Watson would pick, there was one interested team Conor and Gary knew was already out of the running: Cleveland. The Browns lowered themselves into the sewer that was the Watson sweepstakes surely knowing that, if they missed out, there was no way they could turn back to Baker Mayfield. Assuming they didn’t want to keep Mayfield anyway, was it a wise move now that they’ll have to turn to Plan B? A...
Mar 17, 2022•1 hr 4 min
Conor and Gary planned on a good, ol' fashioned free agency preview show, but Tom Brady was having none of it. Sizing up the 2022 Bucs with Brady under center. But also a discussion of why Brady announced his retirement in the first place, the timing of his return announcement, and what the deal is if he really wasn’t interested in returning to Tampa for another season. Then, a breakdown of three trades that went down late last week: Carson Wentz to the Commanders, Khalil Mack to the Charger...
Mar 13, 2022•1 hr 23 min
Tuesday ended up being all the most interesting news of the NFL offseason crammed into a three-hour span. Conor and Gary got together in the dead of night to discuss Russell Wilson: traded, Aaron Rodgers: staying, and how the moves (or, move and non-move) affect the quarterback landscape. First, a look at the Broncos, who get a franchise QB for the first time since Peyton Manning retired, and where they now sit in a stacked AFC West. Then, the Seahawks’ rebuild, their approach to their next quar...
Mar 09, 2022•57 min
In Part 1 of the two-part free agency epic, Conor and Gary run through which will be the biggest (or, at least most interesting) teams when free agency opens. The Dolphins are the team with the most effective cap space, the most drastic change at head coach and the most glaring holes on the roster. The Bengals’ window is wide-open and, suddenly, they’re a draw coming off a run to the Super Bowl. The Steelers have cap room for the first time in a long time, but that won’t necessarily answer their...
Mar 07, 2022•45 min
Conor has made the mad dash back from the NFL combine in Indianapolis, and he joins Gary to breathlessly recap all the most important things that he heard over the course of the week. First, is the era of QB empowerment already over? A discussion of the Seahawks’ stance with Russell Wilson and whether or not it makes sense for player or team to run it back again. Also, why Aaron Rodgers is very, very, very likely to return to Green Bay after all (and he did get some stuff along the way!). Then, ...
Mar 03, 2022•38 min
The first stunner of the NFL offseason came in the broadcast booth, as Troy Aikman is set to leave FOX for Monday Night Football. Thus, Conor and Gary brought in friend of the show Jimmy Traina, host of the SI Media Podcast, to tell us what it all means. A discussion of some of the forces outside of simply what ESPN wanted that made the deal happen, plus Joe Buck’s contract situation and the chances that the Buck-Aikman team will reunite on MNF. Also, with FOX now staring down a gaping hole on t...
Feb 28, 2022•36 min
It’s the end of February, which means opening day for NFL Offseason Takes is right around the corner. Conor and Gary spent an afternoon trying out their newest material surrounding the combine, draft season, free agency and more. Then, the first-ever Free Agency Preview… Preview! Gary unveils the preliminary Sports Illustrated free agent rankings to Conor, who gives his reactions in real-time, live (but on a podcast, so recorded). Have a comment, critique or question for a future mailbag? Email ...
Feb 24, 2022•44 min
As the 2021 NFL season and Super Bowl LVI become but a faint memory in our collective consciousness, Conor and Gary take one last trip through the biggest developments of the season past and spin them forward to project how they’ll affect football in 2022. For a second straight year, a veteran quarterback found his way to a new home and immediately won the Super Bowl—was Russell Wilson paying attention? Does the Packers’ success in 2021 all but guarantee Aaron Rodgers is coming back for (at leas...
Feb 21, 2022•46 min
It was a slog. It was a battle of attrition. There were a half-dozen players on the field who probably shouldn’t be playing in a Super Bowl. But in the end, three superstars carried the night and led the Rams to a Super Bowl title. Conor and Gary break it all down, from the near-impossible Stafford-to-Kupp game-winning drive, to the impact of the Odell Beckham Jr. injury, to Raheem Morris and the L.A. defense figuring things out then shutting the Bengals down. But also, where do the aggressive R...
Feb 14, 2022•39 min
This weekend, Super Bowl LVI descends on Inglewood, Calif., and gleaming SoFi Stadium. For NFL fans with money to burn, this is the party of a lifetime. For the residents who never got a vote on this stadium, they’re left to deal with the aftermath. In conversations with residents, business owners, the mayor and more, John Gonzalez went to Inglewood to learn first-hand what’s happening to the people who live, work and worship there as so much in their city changes. Have a comment, critique or qu...
Feb 11, 2022•35 min
The strangest coaching cycle in recent memory came to a close this week. Conor and Gary break down a bad organization hiring a good coach—the Dolphins nab Mike McDaniel as they look for a way to make it work with Tua Tagovailoa; a strange organization does the weirdest thing possible as the Texans promote Lovie Smith after firing David Culley; and the Saints go the continuity route with Dennis Allen as they (might, maybe) be looking to win a very weak NFC South in 2022. Then, friend of the show ...
Feb 10, 2022•1 hr 2 min
The Rams are—rightfully—the favorites in Super Bowl XLVI. Most of the scenarios that have them losing involve Joe Burrow’s superpowers. On this show, Conor and Gary look past that, and discuss how *else* L.A. could suffer an upset loss. In other words: a talk about how the Rams suck. First, their struggle to tackle (sometimes) and how they can be out-physicaled by a Bengals offensive line that has some issues in pass protection but is sometimes pretty O.K. in the run game. And what are the chanc...
Feb 07, 2022•34 min
Tuesday’s revelation that former Dolphins coach Brian Flores is suing the NFL for racial discrimination rocked the football world. Conor and Gary are joined by special guest John Gonzalez to discuss, among other things: The impact of the suit from a big-picture standpoint, the fact that it’s Flores sticking his neck out, why the Rooney Rule isn’t working, and the potential fallout for both Flores, minority coaching candidates and the NFL as a whole—will the league take a long look at the hiring ...
Feb 03, 2022•38 min
Super Bowl LVI is set, and Conor and Gary break down everything that happened in the conference title games. In the NFC, how Raheem Morris dialed up the right blitz at the right time—again—to put away the 49ers on an otherwise off-night for the Rams. Plus, the likely end of the Jimmy Garoppolo era, and how Kyle Shanahan basically maxed out this team. In the AFC, never pick against the Bengals again. How the Cincy defense foiled Patrick Mahomes with three- and four-man rushes, and how Joe Burrow ...
Jan 31, 2022•51 min
Here's a sneak peek at SI's newest podcast, Sports Illustrated Weekly! Featuring storytelling, interviews, and unforgettable sports moments – SI Weekly is everything you love about the iconic sports magazine, now in podcast form. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy...
Jan 28, 2022•2 min
This week’s news that Sean Payton would be stepping down as head coach of the Saints came with a fair amount of shockwaves. Conor (the man who predicted it) and Gary break down what it all means for the Saints, for Payton, and for a handful of coaches who will likely enter 2023 on the hot seat (sorry Mike McCarthy, but we’re looking in your direction). Then, a preview of Conference Championship Sunday. Can Ja’Marr Chase go off again—and do the Bengals need him to if they’re going to pull off the...
Jan 27, 2022•35 min
After about 40 minutes to compose themselves, Conor and Gary eventually get to the quartet of mind-melting games we just witnessed this weekend. First, the spectacular display in Kansas City between the Chiefs and Bills, and what the Mahomes-Josh Allen rivalry means for the near- to medium-future of the NFL. On Buffalo’s late-game inefficiencies, but also how the two quarterbacks and Tyreek Hill time and time again did the impossible. Then, the Rams’ near-meltdown and how they, ultimately, outcl...
Jan 24, 2022•1 hr 10 min
Conference Semifinals Weekend is almost here, but first, a look back at Monday night, and the final moments of the Cardinals’ months-long collapse. Conor and Gary take a step back to examine the good and bad of Kyler Murray three seasons in, the strengths and shortcomings of Kliff Kingsbury, and whether this year should be considered progress for the Cardinals. Then, a look at the conference semifinal games. Whether the Titans are ready for Joe Burrow, why these 49ers are not like the teams that...
Jan 20, 2022•58 min
Five of the six Wild-Card games are in the books, and Conor and Gary are diving into what went down. Which included Dak Prescott. A second too late. A discussion of the buffonish inefficiency of the Cowboys’ final play selection, as well as the performance of one team that wasn’t prepared, and another that seemed uninterested in closing them out. Then, the Bucs outclass the Eagles in a bitter end for Philly’s season, as Tom Brady continues to be often unstoppable and incredibly boring to watch. ...
Jan 17, 2022•58 min
We were shocked by Brian Flores’s dismissal. We were shocked by the lack of a Joe Judge dismissal until he was dismissed. Conor and Gary discuss the very strange situations with the Dolphins and Giants, and what’s fair and what isn’t when it comes to longevity in the NFL coaching world. Then, an assessment of the six head-coach openings in the NFL. Which jobs are good? Which jobs were bad? Which one would allow you to most closely mimic the work-life balance of Craig T. Nelson in Coach? Then, a ...
Jan 13, 2022•58 min
