Hey gridiron enthusiasts, Scott Shouse here with my sports-savvy comrade Dewey Vance, and we've just wrapped up a session that's nothing short of a touchdown dance for your ears. Get ready to ride shotgun with us through the wild plays and bold strategies of the NFL's own gladiator arena, starting with the Atlanta Falcons' game-changing acquisitions like Kirk Cousins. We don't just stop at the big names, though—we're casting a spotlight on those underdog warriors who are silently turning the tides of their teams.
Strap in for a cerebral scrimmage as we tackle the 2024 NFL Draft, tossing around our thoughts on the most promising picks and those sleeper agents ready to explode onto the scene. From dissecting Kyle Pitts' anticipated breakout season to debating Baker Mayfield's fresh chapter with the Buccaneers, we're unpacking the football smorgasbord that fans feast on. And because we're all about that crystal ball life, we're laying down our boldest predictions for the NFC South crown, with a nod to the Lions' roar in the NFC North.
As the final whistle blows on this episode, we leave no yard unturned, analyzing the strategic playbooks of the NFL's craftiest coaches and the gridiron alchemy they perform with talents like Bryce Young. Whether it's the Panthers clawing their way up the ranks or the Saints marching into new territory, you're getting the full play-by-play. So, whether you're a fantasy football wizard or just love the smack of pads on Sunday, this episode is the VIP pass you didn't know you needed. Catch you on the flip side, sports fam!
Hey gridiron enthusiasts, Scott Shouse here with my sports-savvy comrade Dewey Vance, and we've just wrapped up a session that's nothing short of a touchdown dance for your ears. Get ready to ride shotgun with us through the wild plays and bold strategies of the NFL's own gladiator arena, starting with the Atlanta Falcons' game-changing acquisitions like Kirk Cousins. We don't just stop at the big names, though—we're casting a spotlight on those underdog warriors who are silently turning the tides of their teams.
Strap in for a cerebral scrimmage as we tackle the 2024 NFL Draft, tossing around our thoughts on the most promising picks and those sleeper agents ready to explode onto the scene. From dissecting Kyle Pitts' anticipated breakout season to debating Baker Mayfield's fresh chapter with the Buccaneers, we're unpacking the football smorgasbord that fans feast on. And because we're all about that crystal ball life, we're laying down our boldest predictions for the NFC South crown, with a nod to the Lions' roar in the NFC North.
As the final whistle blows on this episode, we leave no yard unturned, analyzing the strategic playbooks of the NFL's craftiest coaches and the gridiron alchemy they perform with talents like Bryce Young. Whether it's the Panthers clawing their way up the ranks or the Saints marching into new territory, you're getting the full play-by-play. So, whether you're a fantasy football wizard or just love the smack of pads on Sunday, this episode is the VIP pass you didn't know you needed. Catch you on the flip side, sports fam!
Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. You guys know what time it is. It's time to talk some turf gridiron. I'm your boy, scott Shouse, and I'm sitting here with my co-host, my dog Dewey Vance. Dewey, what's up?
Speaker 2:Nothing much, just chilling, rainy, rainy Sunday. Not really a lot of sports on either. I've been waiting for this playoff game. Watched some UFL football earlier today. Hopefully tonight's game is pretty interesting. I know the last two games in this series with oh, we're talking about Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we don't really talk basketball, but Figured we could throw something on here. There's not really a whole lot of breaking news outside of our weekly division breakdown, so this is the battle of post-LeBron era, with Luka Doncic and Anthony Edwards, in my personal opinion, where you know, of course, I think it could have been John Morant, but that's.
Speaker 2:There's a guy in the corner of that room still waving his hand saying, hey, don't forget about me, don't forget about me. Old Jason Tatum leading the charge for his Celtics, although he does have Jalen Brown running the show with him too, but he's the head of that snake, and this is looking like their first real opportunity to win a championship.
Speaker 1:I think the defense has helped out a lot with the addition of Drew Holiday. Oh yeah, when you already have an all-defense guard with Derek Wright and then you trade for another all-NBA defense guard with Drew Holiday. Yeah, especially when you get big at that, you've got two 6'4", 6'5" guards. You know that's trouble for defenses, yeah, for NBA offenses.
Speaker 2:It's not necessarily. I mean Marcus Smart is a great defender, it's also what he does offensively too. I mean he's a guy that could honestly probably put up 18, 19 a night probably, but he's averaging 14 points a game and he's still such a threat. You still have to play him a lot harder than you do with a Marcus Smart offensively a lot more consistent of a shooter, a much better playmaker, an actual point guard. But we're not a basketball podcast. Not necessarily, yet I'm not.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So let's get to what we got, what we're here for. Let's talk some football. So we started out with the NFC East. We traveled up north, now we're going down south, and after that we're going to take care of the last division of the NFC West and then we're going to start with the big dogs over in the AFC after next week's episode. So that'll be an interesting conversation for us, because those are teams that are a little bit closer to home.
Speaker 2:A little more. I wouldn't say meet, I mean once we get on these teams, two teams will probably mean more to us. It's a little more relevant in our everyday lives. I guess I should say let's start off with the team that made the biggest signing in this division.
Speaker 1:We're going to start off with the Dirty Birds down south, the Atlanta Falcons, who had an interesting overall free agency. They planned for the short-term and the long-term.
Speaker 2:Long-term via draft, short-term via free agency. They signed Kirk Cousins.
Speaker 1:Before year $180 million. $180 million, 100 guaranteed. Mr Krabs, yeah, no, no, no, yeah, that's going to be, and you've already seen the videos of Kyle Pitts and the OTAs making unbelievable catches. I think if he comes in, he doesn't skip a beat. Drake London is going to make that step up where he can be a top 15.
Speaker 2:Top 15,.
Speaker 1:I think it says four Top 10 receiver to finish the season. Okay, so I really like Drake London A. Michael Pittman. Mike Evans clone yeah, see, I thought he was the best receiver coming out of his draft. Yeah, absolutely so. I thought I had already had high expectations for him. Didn't really foresee him going to Atlanta when he was drafted. I thought they should have zigged where they should have zagged. Me personally, I would have went after Jordan Davis from Georgia, who's in there from home. Their defense has been a liability forever. Yeah, you know, since their 26th. I think it was the 2016 Super Bowl where they had Vic Beasley. Yeah, that's it.
Speaker 2:Where Vic?
Speaker 1:Beasley led the league in sacks Years and years ago, but over the last couple years they've revamped that defense. They brought in my boy, Jesse Bates. I'm glad he's coming into his own. I'm glad he's got his bag and he's showing why he's proved it. It's just unfortunate that he couldn't get it from us, but we had other priorities. David Aminata they got Calais Campbell to help.
Speaker 2:I think this might be his. I think he's still in free agency. I think he's unsigned.
Speaker 1:Is he still unsigned? I thought he was out there to help with the Young.
Speaker 2:Boys. I think he was there last year.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I know he was there last year.
Speaker 2:They had Darnell Mooney to our receiver group to help out Drake London. I think he might have a breakout resurgence of maybe what he was about two or three years ago, potentially.
Speaker 1:And they fleeced Arizona. I don't know what the hell they told Arizona to be able to get Rondell Moore for Desmond Ritter. I don't know what the hell they told him to be able to make that trade, but I thought that's an explosive piece to an offense. That's going to help out too. And an interesting free agent or a guy they brought back nate landman, undrafted free agent from colorado where he's in his going into his. This would be his third year.
Speaker 1:He got a lot of his action when troy anderson got hurt and he was a restrictive rights free agent. They brought him back on a one-year 985 000 contract and he kind of had a breakout campaign during his. He played all 16 games. He ended with 14 starts. He ended with 110 tackles, two sacks, two forced fumbles and a pick on the season. Not a lot of you know that's a low-risk, high-reward signing. I think and he's only I think he's only. He'll be 26 this year, yeah, so he's pretty young and he's already got a. This will be again his third year in the league. So I think that'll be a piece where that's a guy to watch out, that's a guy to look out for Nate Langman everybody.
Speaker 2:Okay, I like that.
Speaker 1:They brought in also Ray Ray McLeod to help with the.
Speaker 2:Return team. And also they have a new head coach, raheem Morris, who Kind of didn't follow the trend necessarily Of the whole defensive Coach hiring as head coaches In the NFL recently Been a really offensive resurgence. But Raheem Morris, he has a background of coaching offense. He has a little bit of background as passing game coordinator Previously I'm pretty sure actually it was with Atlanta, if I'm not mistaken. Yeah, and then that ultimately leads to arguably the most controversial pick, first round pick. It's not arguably, yeah, I mean.
Speaker 2:I'm talking about a couple years, maybe even oh yeah, this might be the most controversial, I mean, maybe since Jordan Love or Trey Lance getting drafted, them trading up to draft Trey Lance, maybe. I mean, and a lot of people thought they should have went and got defense. But obviously I mean a lot of teams didn't value defense as much this year and a lot of teams didn't value the corners as in the Kool-Aid McKinstry dropping to a second round when back in January.
Speaker 2:He was a mid-first round pick, exactly, yeah, so I mean, but they did try to go after defense later in the draft though. So they got Braylon Trice from Washington Michael Panik's teammate on the edge. They got Ruka Rohuro from Clemson in the second round, who some people had as a first-round grade a couple months ago. I mean, they got a lot of talent around this team. I like the Pennix pick. I'm a big fan, but we already talked about that quite a bit.
Speaker 1:I was a Pennix fan too coming in here. I just wasn't a Pennix fan as a Falcon, okay. So I wasn't necessarily saying that he was going to be a bust. Yeah, I think the experience and I think he's got that drive to show to where. You know, yeah, I've had these injuries. You know Frank Gore had two ACL injuries coming into the league and, look, he finished top five rushing all time. So I do think there's some adversity and I like what he was bringing. I just didn't like him in Atlanta. I would have liked him way better in Vegas.
Speaker 2:They got more weapons in Atlanta right now.
Speaker 1:They do have more weapons in.
Speaker 2:Atlanta, but I'm talking about it If.
Speaker 1:I'm talking right now as a week one for anybody to bring in and you might have mentioned, and you argue he might not be ready to play. If you ask him that I'd be willing to say he'd beg to differ.
Speaker 2:Oh, I mean also, I do think if I had to throw any quarterback in the game right now, it's either him or probably Caleb who I'm trusting the most. But I mean, I don't know, I like him not getting thrown to the Wolves in Vegas and immediately having to go play Pat twice a year and go in there undermanned.
Speaker 1:See. But is it really thrown to the wolves, though? At this point I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt right now of this culture change, because I was skeptical when, from a fan of what we could call a bottom, one of the worst organizations running football yeah, you know you would throw the Bengals in there. Bengals, raiders, washington Lions, but a lot of these teams that are at the bottom of the barrel they're going through culture changes right now. Look at what the Lions have done. Look at what we've done. The commanders have a new owner. They've made some nice moves. I'm willing to give the Raiders the benefit of the doubt of this coach, because Max Crosby said if you don't bring this guy back, I want out.
Speaker 2:I'm not saying it's not a culture change, but I think scenario for his sake it's probably better to go Atlanta for his potential and for his play style to play behind that offensive line, even though maybe by the time he gets there they might have a couple of changes around the team. But that's a good system for him to walk into play with multiple pass catchers, playmakers who can get out in space.
Speaker 1:I guess it just depends on how many productive years you get out of Kirk Cousins, if he comes in and he struggles for the first four or five games. Maybe you look at I comes in and he struggles for the first four or five games. Maybe you look at I don't think he struggles?
Speaker 2:I don't think he struggles.
Speaker 1:I don't think he does. I'm just saying, if that's the scenario, because he's ready. I know he's sat on the sidelines long enough. I'm just going from how I would feel. I've gone through four injuries. I'm a five-year-old, I'm ready to go.
Speaker 2:They got two other later picks I really like too. They got Brandon Dorlis from Oregon, a guy who can play anywhere on the defensive line. He plays defensive tackle, he plays defensive end. That later pick that's a little versatile Should be intriguing to, maybe if he makes a team. And then my sleeper pick of this team, I like Casey Washington Wires here from Illinois. He didn't score a touchdown until last year in college, but a bigger wide receiver, 6'2", and didn't really put up like a whole lot of yards even when he did kind of have his takeoff year. But they were rotating in and out quarterbacks. I think Illinois might have started three different quarterbacks all year and I think they still might have made a bowl game even so. That just yeah, just shows how good of a playmaker he has potential to be.
Speaker 1:That just yeah, just shows how good of a playmaker he has potential to be. I'm interesting to see because I'm seeing a lot of hate, especially when we circle back to how Kyle Pitts was looking at him. He made that amazing catch in the OTAs. You know I wasn't big on Kyle Pitts last year. A lot of people were bought into the fantasy hype again. Me personally, I didn't think Desmond Ritter could. I wasn't really too high on Desmond Ritter, I think. You know it was like a maybe kind of thing. But I think Kyle Pitts blows up this year. Okay, that's fair. I think Kyle Pitts has a big year.
Speaker 2:Yeah, this is I. I mean he played with a very Older Matt Ryan and then Matt Ryan and Kirk Cousins have a very similar I mean Matt Ryan's a little more athletic Than Kirk Cousins in their peak but he didn't play with the peak Matt Ryan. He didn't play with the MVP Matt Ryan. He played with the old Matt Ryan and Julio was on his way out. Calvin Ridley was going through all the suspensions and stuff. So this is his first time being in actually a complete offense with a veteran quarterback when it's not just him.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and there's a guy that can get you the ball.
Speaker 2:It's not just him and Drake, Like all right, bro, somehow we got to do this. And Bijan, who doesn't? I mean, Bijan's going to get used this year. Bijan's going to get used this year. This should be an interesting team. It should be a very interesting offense and their defense is already a pretty tight unit. No longer a liability yeah, no longer a liability. Exactly On to the champs.
Speaker 1:The champs, the 9-8 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where I was happy for Baker because I 100% believe that he was scapegoated out of Cleveland. They wasn't necessarily worried about the fact that he played through a torn labrum, they didn't care about that, but they didn't like him as a person. Personality issues, but my issue is that if you were personality concerned which they were Well, he's matured a lot.
Speaker 2:He has matured a lot. He's matured a lot. He's matured a lot.
Speaker 1:I do believe getting out of Cleveland helped him a lot Getting off.
Speaker 2:Twitter helped him a lot. Yeah, that too. Yeah, getting off.
Speaker 1:Twitter helped him a lot. Yeah, that too. Yeah Him going back and forth yeah, because him and Colin Coward are great, great friends.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but I mean, yeah, he didn't make an argument with Cleveland reporters on Twitter and just going back and forth, it's just like very.
Speaker 1:I believe, bouncing from team to team and going to two teams in the same season and going from he went from a number one pick to Heisman to looking to be a journeyman he was looking to be a journeyman quarterback to finding his home in Tampa Bay where he really settled in.
Speaker 2:He came a long way from being in a quarterback battle last year with Kyle Trask, who's never even started in an NFL game.
Speaker 1:A lot of people he was drafted in the second round thought that he was going to be the guy to take over when Brady was ready to retire.
Speaker 2:COVID. Hey, we're going to make a whole video about that, probably later on. That COVID draft, very interesting draft, and who's came out of that draft? But?
Speaker 1:they brought in their defense was an issue last year. It hasn't been the same elite Bucs defense that we've been seeing the last, you know, two or three years. But to help with that they did bring back. They brought back Jordan Whitehead who looked like he was going to have a great year, remember he?
Speaker 2:got all his. He got his three his incentives in week one.
Speaker 1:Week one yeah, picking off Josh.
Speaker 2:Allen three times.
Speaker 1:Three times.
Speaker 2:Yeah, killed my parlay yeah.
Speaker 1:I think he killed Taylor's week one in fantasy too, I mean, he ended up winning the whole shebang, so I guess it wasn't that much of an issue. They brought back Jordan Whitehead, they brought in Randy Gregory I like that, that's good and they made Antoine Winfield the highest paid DB in NFL history and it's the first time it's ever been a safety and they gave him right around the ballpark $21 million a year.
Speaker 2:I like that. I like that too. I mean safeties are kind of safeties might be back in the next couple years.
Speaker 1:honestly, there have been a lot of guys who have been up and coming at that position making a lot of plays so, with that being said, he was the second to last player that was on a franchise tag to strike a long-term deal. There's only one player that's looking to play on the franchise tag, and I'm devastated about it. Pay the man, pay the man, yeah, pay the man. Give him his 19. Give him 19, 20 million for upside.
Speaker 2:He's worth every bit of 20 million. They also, the Bucs, suffered quite a few losses this year. They lost their offense coordinator to David Chanales, to Carolina Panthers, become Panthers head coach, and then they lost Shaq Barrett. And then they also lost. He went to Philly, I believe, yeah, he went to Philly. They traded away Carlton Davis and they also lost Devin.
Speaker 1:No, Devin White went to Philly. Yeah, Devin White went to Philly. That's where I got it.
Speaker 2:That's where I got it confused.
Speaker 1:I was just getting ready to say no, we just did a video about that she's a shoe on that team too, yeah for sure.
Speaker 2:But yeah, so those are two mainstays. I mean they still have Javante David, but they lost. That was a hell of a trio for the last five years. Six years. Shaq Barrett ended with Miami, yeah, so it'll be interesting. I think them losing their offense coordinator is going to be big. I'm going to tell you guys why in a little bit. But I like what they did in the draft. I will say that they might have one of the sneakier drafts. They drafted Chris Braswell, linebacker. They drafted Graham Darden, the guard from Duke in the first round. I really like that pick, especially still if I'm the offensive line, because they didn't really have like a. Like I said, the DBs were kind of back in the draft. No one was really confident. That made defense players. So they kind of took what a lot of people thought was the best player available and he kind of fits right into what they needed.
Speaker 1:That's going to help, because they did struggle creating separation in the run game for Rashad White as well. Yeah, and that's going to help. That's going to help him out a lot.
Speaker 2:And they drafted Tykee Smith, who in college was essentially a nickel back 80% of his snaps were from the nickel. Keith Smith, who in college was essentially a nickelback 80% of his snaps were from the nickel. And then they drafted one of Michael Panik's targets, jalen McMillan, yrc. They're going to be good. And then they have another guy who I really, really like that they drafted and I know you're real big on their running back. You're a fancy guy, I know you're big on him, but Bucky Irving from Oregon might be the sleeper running back in this draft class.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I've seen a couple things. I think he's going to be a nice complimentary piece to him, but as far as I see, unless something happens, unless an injury or something is, this is Rashad.
Speaker 2:White's backfield. I don't know man, this guy's a beast, I don't know. He's been a great college football since 2022 and forced missed tackles Didn't really test very well in the timing and the 40 and all that the combine. But on tape he's fast, like and that's what really and the game he's fast. He plays faster than what he tests. So that should be it. I think this team I think this team potentially just stays kind of the same. Their defense might take a step back because they're getting a little younger and kind of. You know some old, new faces and just mix and match in some guys.
Speaker 1:Right around that 8-9, 9-8 area. Yeah, I think that's about it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think this team will probably be the same. I mean, yeah, I think probably about maybe they'll surprise somebody, maybe they'll run the ball a little more effectively this year, maybe, since they have multiple backs.
Speaker 1:Well, we can talk about go down to the now, travel on down to the bayou, Down to good old New.
Speaker 2:Orleans. You can almost hear the crickets from all the moves they made Swamp crickets.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I had a guy. I was actually talking to a guy at work and I was talking to him about Chase Young and they gave him a fully guaranteed it was what? $18 million, fully guaranteed and I didn't even know we had the cap space to bring him in. You know, we must have gotten to the Hurricane Katrina fund to be able to bring him in like that. That's crazy.
Speaker 2:I will say, though I like that they at least tried. They brought in some things that they're kind of weak at. They brought in Chase Young to help their pass rush, to add to their defense, which is always usually consistently pretty, all right.
Speaker 1:They also brought in Jonathan Abram and Willie Gay.
Speaker 2:Yeah well, jonathan Abram. He played there last year. I think he started the last half of the year and he played pretty dang good they ended up bringing him back to how well he played.
Speaker 1:This could be a resurgence of his career, you know, hopefully, maybe We'll see.
Speaker 2:And then they got a two-time Super Bowl champion, Willie Gay I do like that, I did like that move. Yeah, that's a solid move. Veteran guy who's been around the league knows how to win.
Speaker 1:That's going to help it. I think DeMario Davis is still there. Yeah, that's a solid move. Veteran guy who's been around the league knows how to win. That's going to help it. I think DeMario Davis is still there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, DeMario Davis is still there. He has another vet to go along with him. Yeah, I think they might be in camp. They still have Cam Hayward and then another guy that some people may have forgotten about, Cedric Wilson. But some people may have forgotten about Cedric Wilson, who really kind of got buried on the depth chart in Miami, I mean.
Speaker 1:I mean he'll have a little bit more opportunity, I guess with Olave. He's a speedster. Yeah, I mean that's pretty much what this offense has been trying to build off of the speed with Chris Olave, rashid Shaheed and also now Cedric Wilson.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'd say okay, well, I'm in that and I mean he might have just been a little too slow to be on Miami's track team.
Speaker 1:See, here's the thing you know. And they also have Alvin Kamara in there. But if this offense underperforms, do we see him on the move for rebuilding future To rebuild, because the running back market is clearly down right now. They could still get a, two or a three out of him.
Speaker 2:Yeah, especially come midseason, maybe four or five weeks in the season.
Speaker 1:I don't know if they could use his services. Give somebody you know you can probably get like a three and a five out of him.
Speaker 2:Well, yeah, so they're taking a lot of money.
Speaker 1:Yeah, exactly they're going to take a big, pretty chunky contract right there.
Speaker 2:Their draft didn't really happen. I mean, they had a lot of picks but they didn't really have. They allowed more in the later rounds. Like I said, they're doing what they had they drafted. I'm probably going to butcher this Talese, Fuaga I don't think I did.
Speaker 1:No, you did not. Talese Fuaga hey, yeah, no, good job on that one, talese Fuaga. Yeah, yeah, I'll take that one, yeah, good. Yeah, tackle from Oregon State I liked him coming out of his draft too, I was hoping he slipped to us. I'm okay with Amarius Mims too, but I was hoping Cincinnati if he was there. I never thought he would.
Speaker 2:I didn't think he would and that Oregon State they played in a very traditional style offense he can run, protect. He can pass, protect. He does it all. He's a pretty good tackle and I will say their second, their draft, was actually all right from what they made the most of it.
Speaker 1:Their second-round pick they got Kool-Aid McKinstry who yeah, that'll be, that's going to be a nice pairing. Go with Marshawn Lattimore, but outside of him, it was outside of him. The secondary is pretty rough up there, yeah, especially after they lost over the, especially over the last few. They've lost pieces on that defense. They've lost Trey Hendrickson, they've lost Vaughn Bell, they just lost Marcus Williams last year to Baltimore. So that secondary was looking pretty rough for a little bit. And Marshawn Lattimore he was hurt last year.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and this is a guy who. Again what we just talked about a few minutes ago. He was just like a mid-round first pick, exactly yeah. And then all of a sudden, I mean the DB market just kind of flipped unexpectedly during the draft.
Speaker 1:I don't think it necessarily flipped. I think the offensive market blew up. Yeah, yeah, I don't think the DBs did anything wrong or anybody in the defense did wrong. I just think because, like what were we just talking about? You know what's a tradition?
Speaker 2:I've heard of the past few years offensive, offensive minded coaches.
Speaker 1:They want to find their, they want to find offensive pieces and the draft in this year was just so thick in the first, especially the first, offensive talent that's true, yeah, yeah, so especially with the, especially the quarterbacks being taken right then there. So we've talked about, because there's a a lot of teams that got. You know nice uh value in the second round. Cooper Dejean went in the second round AD Mitchell yeah, ad Mitchell. Yeah, ad Mitchell was there in the second round.
Speaker 1:Tavondre Sweat fell to the second round there was a lot of Great players that very well could have been first-round picks in any other normal draft. Probably would have been first-round picks in some of last year's draft.
Speaker 2:Yeah, very nice top-heavy draft. This draft was.
Speaker 1:Or maybe even next year's draft, because we know the quarterback class in next year's draft is expected to be weak, so next year's draft is probably going to be defensive-oriented. Yeah.
Speaker 2:And then the last draft pick I'll harp on from the Saints a guy who I really really like. I think he could potentially be one of the better quarterbacks in this draft class, given the time and if he gets a chance to play. I mean, if it's kind of like last year, we might see him play. This year, we might see him play a little bit.
Speaker 1:Spencer Rattler from South Carolina I do remember you talked about where he could potentially be the second best quarterback in this draft class. I do remember you saying that yeah, whose draft stock dropped, apparently after a Netflix documentary that came out over him when he was 17?
Speaker 2:Yeah, 17, 16 years old in high school. Was 17? Yeah, 17, 16 years old in high school. Uh, when everyone kind of around him probably kissed the ground, he walked on. So I mean I mean, yeah, we're not, yeah, anyway that if that's true, that's kind of ridiculous because, yeah, like, like we said, he's 17 years old and I can't, I can't name a, especially an, an athlete, a 16 year, I can't.
Speaker 1:I can't really name. There's some, you know, a lot of cocky. Athletes are good, the 16-year-olds are cocky.
Speaker 2:Well, I want to know what in the hell the people evaluating him were doing when they were 17. Because like that's crazy to me, like they were going to judge it ain't like he was getting in trouble.
Speaker 1:He just had a big head. Yeah, he was him and he knew it was him and he knew it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, he was. He was, people were calling it. He was the first person that at least I recall. Like not like you know on youtube, like people were literally like this is patrick mahomes, like this is like the closest thing to it, like I might get gassed up a little bit too, like I don't blame him, but yeah, this is a guy who could potentially be a starter or just have a long NFL career. For sure, I think he's potentially got a lot of upside.
Speaker 1:Post Derek Carr in New Orleans.
Speaker 2:Post. Derek Carr maybe, or maybe why bro's on the team for a little bit, who knows. I mean Jameis started last year a couple games. I mean Jameis is gone. Taysom Hill's not a quarterback. They drafted Jake Heiner from Fresno State, I think, last year and he didn't play much last year. But I like Spencer Rattler's upside more than his and I mean they wouldn't probably draft quarterback back-to-back years if they didn't think, you know, this guy ain't potential.
Speaker 1:I'm going to talk about unless you had anything else to touch bases on with New Orleans, because I believe I think we've covered everything that I've wanted to really really cover. Maybe it's crickets for me. Yeah, that's what I'm saying. I was real big on. I can't keep supporting Derek Carr, especially after how he played last year and I've talked about this. I was a real big Derek Carr. I liked Derek Carr. He never had a fighting chance in Vegas, oakland or his time with the Raiders. He never played with a top 10 defense, top 15 defense at that.
Speaker 1:He never had a defense rank in the top half of the league, let alone the top 10.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so they were.
Speaker 1:They had a few players on defense here and there, but they were never yeah, as a whole, they got Crosby's hand, but outside of that, you know pretty much, you just double him, put an extra guy on him and I can go anywhere where he's not on the field. That's so, yeah. So we're going to go on to what was ranked the worst team in the NFL. Back-to-back years, back-to-back years at Pat yeah, is that in the NFL? Because back to back years at Pat, yeah, um, wah, wah wah well, no, they had not.
Speaker 2:To me they were, though well, no, they weren't.
Speaker 1:The year before the Bears were, they ended up trading and they traded for that pick my mistake, my mistake, my mistake.
Speaker 2:They weren't very good the year prior. No, they were not very good so an organization that's arguably made the horrible.
Speaker 1:they have single-handedly provided Chicago's rebuild for them with the decision that they made to trade up for the number one pick. But with that being, they're doing a little bit stuff. Here and there they're trying to add bets around. For the short term they're not going to be able to do anything. In the draft they didn't have a first round pick. They had to trade up with Buffalo to even be able to get into it. They had to give something up to be able to get somebody in the first round.
Speaker 1:I can't remember they traded up for somebody, or who was it? Xavier Legend? So they traded up to try to get their guy. Could he come in to be the target to be the big guy for Bryce Young? Because I will say I did. Like the free agency. They brought in a couple of guys to revamp that interior offensive line. They had a circle, a revolving door of interior guards and they don't have to worry about that no more because they brought in Robert Hunt from Miami. They gave him a five-year $100 million contract. Who's a 6'6", 330-pound guard? That's a big guy for a guard.
Speaker 2:Started over 10 games last year in Miami.
Speaker 1:Yeah, won 90% of his pass blocking box. And then they also brought in Damian Lewis.
Speaker 2:They gave him a four-year $53 million contract to help with that offensive line, to help sure that in he was also with Dave Channels when he was in Seattle as a passing game coordinator and the quarterback coach.
Speaker 2:I really like I'm sorry no, no, go ahead the trade they made for Deontay to acquire Deontay Johnson. That's kind of a little risk reward situation. I know you kind of had those locker room issues or locker room flare outs in Pittsburgh. It's kind of understandably so. When you're super talented and you go from Ben Roethlisberger and you're one of the up-and-coming guys in the league, people are talking about you a lot and you're going to be the next. Especially, steelers are known for getting wide receivers.
Speaker 1:And if I would have to say I don't think him and George Pickett probably didn't get along too, because I think that's two egos right there. And then when you have a quarterback that can't really feed you, that's going to cause some problems in the locker room in general.
Speaker 2:They also brought in Jadavion Clowney to help that pass rush out a little bit. I know they lost Brian Burnt and Jeremy Chin.
Speaker 1:Not only did they bring in Jadavion Cllein, they brought in A'shaun Robinson.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, I think you can tell they're trying a lot more than they did last year. It looks like the effort to put a little more supporting cast around.
Speaker 1:I don't think it's necessarily that they haven't been trying, they've just been making the wrong moves.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they made the wrong moves.
Speaker 1:Because, david Tepper, I don't. That was a lot to give up to go for number one, oh yeah, yeah, when, to be quite honest, to give up what you gave up, you know, two second-round picks, two first-round picks, dj Moore, when you were honestly probably better off just trying to draft Will.
Speaker 2:Levis, if I'm not mistaken. They actually weren't that bad. They won like six games. I mean a lot better than the worst team.
Speaker 1:I think they would have picked at like nine, you know. But you go out and you try to draft Will Levis. You try to bring in the offensive line and try to sure hit. You know, bolster up the line as it is and at least he's got somebody to throw to. But Bryce Young, he does have some upside. He made a lot of plays. He did make a lot of plays. He was the second most sacked quarterback in the league.
Speaker 2:And those guys dropped a lot of balls, those wide receivers, especially with Thielen being in and out of the lineup and, like you said, second most sacked quarterback in the league behind Sam Howell, and he missed games. He did miss, he did miss, he missed a lot of missing games.
Speaker 1:Yes, he did miss. I do believe he missed a game or two where Andy Dalton had the best game thrown for a quarterback and there was allegedly rumors that there was reports coming out, I think, where they said that the coaching staff was gearing towards Andy Dalton to start for the season but that Frank Reich was more worried about Bryce Young's development. He wasn't worried about wins of time, he was worried about his development, which kind of makes it does Look see it makes sense not to get sacked. 62 times.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'd say not to throw him to the wolves. I'd say if you're going to let him play, at least let him play and let him be able to just kind of be comfortable.
Speaker 1:Yeah, there wasn't anything to go, At least give him, if you're putting Andy Dalton out there, at least he'll see, he'll be able to see looks and he'll know what to do in situations that Bryce Young wouldn't.
Speaker 2:Yeah he'll make the anticipation throws because he's not out there with Bryce Young's used to having guys out there. He's out there with Adam Thielen, terrence Marshall and.
Speaker 1:And he's been in this situation with you know, back in his days with us, with AJ Green being out, and he had to make plays with Mahama Sanu and Marvin Jones, or in Chicago, even Even though they weren't.
Speaker 2:But he's been there. They weren't too good, he's been there, he's done that. Yeah yeah, they just kind of they kind of threw Bryce to wolves last year. They kind of did what my Colts did. We went about, you know, we went about it way worse. We hired a guy from ESPN, but I don't think Frank Wright should have been.
Speaker 1:I mean, I love Jeff Sarri, that was a PR move. I feel like that was a PR move.
Speaker 2:That wasn't a coaching move, that was just like, yeah, I think Frank Wright has, I mean, got fired a little too early this time, too Middle of the year. I mean didn't even give him at least a season. Like Hugh Jackson got two seasons. Hugh Jackson went 0-16., yeah and got another season, yeah and got another season. Like you got to kind of have some sort of like understanding that this takes time.
Speaker 1:Like, and you guys aren't the most attractive place for the best, you're the one that, you're the one that gave up. You know your, your your wide receiver one. So you knew you was going to go into the situation. What did you think? What did you think? What do you think adam feeling was going to give you 1500 yards? Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 2:Um, yeah, it's just. But I will say that, that, like you said, this year for agency, they they seem to have more of an understanding and they've got a lot more pieces around him, especially in the tier where that's. I think if they can cut those sacks even down to 15 less sacks, 20 less sacks, I mean, it's going to look a lot more. You're going to be able to tell if he can play or not a little bit better. But I will tell you what, though, I do like. I do like their draft From what they, from the picks that they made. They made picks for Bryce Young. It seemed like they drafted Jonathan Brooks, who I know. I made that bold prediction on our mock draft that there wasn't going to be a running back draft until the third round. I think I was, you were almost there, I was like 12 picks off.
Speaker 1:And they traded up for him. And they traded up for him, yeah. So you know a lot of people were. I'd seen them talking about what's this mean for Chuba Hubbard? I don't think it means a damn thing for Chuba Hubbard. What's his need for Miles Sanders is what I'm saying.
Speaker 2:He might be a well Jonathan Brooks has come off an ACL injury but he should be ready to go by season starts. He might be Miles Sanders, might be Camp cut Maybe Obviously we talked about the Xavier legend, the Hadley Trey up to draft him, a guy who I mean some people talk about earlier in the first round, maybe 10 picks ahead from where he went. Guy can make a lot of big plays Potentially. I mean might walk in there and be the number he's probably going to walk in there and be the number two, number three I mean Adam Thielen's still there. They'll have Thielen. Deontay Johnson.
Speaker 1:We'll see.
Speaker 2:There was still hope that Jonathan Mingo could try to come into, but that's a lot better looking receiving core than what Bryce Young walked into last year Even. Yeah, and then another. They got Jatavion Sanders the tight end from yeah, I think he.
Speaker 1:There was a couple of tight ends that I really liked coming into this year, and he was, you know. There was Brock Bowers. I liked my boy from Penn, Theo Johnson from.
Speaker 2:Penn State. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:And I also was I really, really I liked Jatavion Sanders out of Texas. I liked what he was bringing to the yeah, that's a good pick.
Speaker 2:Yes, it was. It was a great pick. I think they really took a lot of consideration in the Bryce this year. Like, all right, we got to get him young. Like we got to get him some guys to grow with him. You're not going to be able to just put in a bunch of veterans and this and that mix and match a bunch of guys, this and that mix and match a bunch of guys. I mean they did add Deontay Johnson, which I think that's going to be significant.
Speaker 2:But overall I think I'm not saying it's a playoff team. By any means. Don't get it twisted. I don't think it's a playoff team, but I think this is a team that could. They might be they're not a playoff team but they could upset a lot. They could upset some teams on their schedule. I could see them playing spoilers some teams towards the end of the season. They're going to be playing meaningful football come November November's not too far into the year but they're not going to be looking back and halfway through the season like, well, our season's fucking cooked. There's not even a mathematically way we can make the playoffs.
Speaker 1:Yeah, maybe in November, I don't think so. Come December, I think they'll be out of it. I think they'll be out of it come December. I don't think they'll be in the same position that they were.
Speaker 2:I think this year he might be able to prove Bryce Young can play a little bit. I think he shows flashes.
Speaker 1:We, I think he shows flashes and we're going to get here in a second, once we finish up our rankings for the South. So we'll start from the bottom. We'll start from the bottom up. So, dooley, you're number four for the NFC South.
Speaker 2:I'm going to go Saints.
Speaker 1:I'm going to go Carolina.
Speaker 2:Really Well what's so?
Speaker 1:but let me explain Okay go ahead. So I don't think they're going to be able to win a lot of games. Like I said they might be. I think they could be one of the worst teams. Still, I like them for 2025 to potentially, if they make that step up this year because I did like them going in last year and they were one of the worst teams in the league. So if they take the step and we show Bryce can play, I like them going from worst to first in 2025.
Speaker 2:Okay, what if I? Told you first in 2025. Okay, what if I told you, I think, ultimately, what will prove superior between those two teams? I think Bryce Young is going to be better than Derek Carr this year by a lot, and I think I mean.
Speaker 1:I could see it, maybe if he can get past the New Orleans defense because, like what we were talking about, they brought in some vets. They still got some good.
Speaker 2:All the different scenarios. Dave Canales, he has a record of turnaround guys. Yes, yes, last year he turned around Baker.
Speaker 1:He did turn around Baker. I could see him taking that step up with Bryce Young.
Speaker 2:People forget the year before that he turned Geno Smith into a Pro Bowl quarterback as a quarterback coach and he has history with Russ too, and Russ's best year in football was when he was the passing game coordinator and the ruster for 40 touchdowns that year. Interesting, yeah, and we've never seen him. And after that Russ I mean he left.
Speaker 1:And then Russ left, gina took over, gina becomes a pro bowler, see but they did bring in Hunt and they brought in Damian Lewis, who again was actually from Seattle. Yeah, who they brought in from Seattle so there is some familiarity there. Yeah, I'm still worried about the rest of the line, dude I'm worried about because they did have a rotating door with 62 sacks that's not going to fix with just two players.
Speaker 2:I think that, yeah, but I think that defense will, but also you get the ball out quicker and you have playmakers on the outside. Xavier Leggett they got Deontay Johnson who was a borderline pro bowler and I think he was a pro bowler one year in Pittsburgh. I want to say he was, I think was a pro bowler one year in Pittsburgh. I want to say he was.
Speaker 1:I think I mean, See, but I'll take the vets for now in New Orleans.
Speaker 2:Derek Carter didn't play like no vet last year.
Speaker 1:I'm not talking about this vet. I'm talking about the team over in Denver. Carolina's a really young team right now. Yeah, they're a really young team. So I'm not talking about just him. I'm talking about Cam Jordan, I'm talking about the Mario Davis Willie.
Speaker 2:Gay, I'm not talking about them. That defense, yeah, the defense.
Speaker 1:I don't think if Derek Carr can fix his woes. I'd say okay if Derek Carr can fix his woes, if Derek Carr can fix it, can right the ship after one year, after going into a new season. He didn't have Alva Kamara for the first three games. He'll have Alva Kamara for the first, you know, full season. So for right now, give me Panthers four, give me Saints three.
Speaker 2:Okay, so then, obviously, I think, obviously I got Panthers three.
Speaker 1:We talked about the.
Speaker 2:Bucs being up around eight and nine. So yeah, got the Buccaneers. They could be a sneaky team that wins ten games or something. Potentially, I think them losing Dave Chenoweth as well.
Speaker 1:Well, see, any team, any one of these teams could win, could potentially win ten games or division, especially the Falcons, yeah, and the Bucs. They could potentially, you know, almost sweep their division. Yeah, you know, I think they could go one and one with Tampa Bay. You know, mike Evans and Marshawn Lattimore usually, usually try to play their best.
Speaker 2:I think it's between those two teams, the top division. But, like you said, those teams always do kind of sneak each other. I mean, yeah, they do consistently sneak each other, even when the teams are bad. I'm pretty sure they didn't yeah.
Speaker 1:Brady didn't win that Brady. That was the first time Brady as a starter didn't win his division.
Speaker 2:Yeah, exactly. So, yeah, that's a.
Speaker 1:Against Hall of Fame. First about Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees, only quarterback in NFL history with a winning record against Goat Brady. Yeah, I throw that out there, Besides Eli.
Speaker 2:Manning at the Super Bowl. But yeah, I think, yeah, I got Tampa probably finished in second, probably 8-9 or 9-8, 8-9 type of deal. And then obviously you got number one Falcons I think their look he's heading the shoulders above the other competition really.
Speaker 1:Yeah, at this point, especially with adding Kirk Cousins, and then at worst they still have Michael.
Speaker 2:Penix, Because they weren't presentable offensively but record-wise they weren't 10.
Speaker 1:They were 7-10, with a good defense and mediocre quarterback play.
Speaker 2:Mediocre is being pretty nice. This is bottom tier, but also really really bad play calling. I'm not going to just blame all this on Desmond Ritter. Taylor Heineke also got him a couple games in there too. Yeah, they didn't try to get their guys to ball.
Speaker 1:They didn't try. They're using him as decoys for Michael Pruitt.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so, yeah, so that, yeah. So this should be a new look, new look Falcons team. I think they'll run the division and honestly they might be a team that makes some noise this year in the playoffs. Maybe Kirk Cousins gets rid of that whole label that he can't play in the playoffs. Now he's got some, got a more consistent team.
Speaker 1:I mean it looked like it might have been last year, if maybe Kirk Cousins was part of it, because they were only, they were 4-4 when he got hurt. Yeah, I'd say, yeah, I know, they was Jefferson that got hurt against Kansas City.
Speaker 2:They started off a little slow too in the season, but they were. They, even towards the end of the year, with Nick Mullins and Joshua Dobbs, were looking like, oh, this team might make the playoffs Maybe.
Speaker 1:Josh Dobbs. Nick Mullins was out there.
Speaker 2:I don't know what he was out there doing, yeah yeah, yeah, it's crazy because when he was in San Francisco, it looked like he might be all right.
Speaker 1:So so far on our division breakdown. Before we wrap up, we have done the NFC East, where we have where me and Dewey have mutually agreed, where we have the Eagles taking that division. We went up north to the NFC North and we mutually agreed for, but we have the Lions taking that division and now, mark it on here, the Atlanta Falcons are taking the NFC South. Book it, book it, put it on the board. Well, this is going to be Wrap it up for tonight's episode of Turf Talk, sayonara.
Speaker 2:Bye.