40s and Free Agents: Offseason Approaches for All 14 Playoff Teams

00:00:06
Speaker 1: Welcome to forties and free agents. I'm Greg Rosenthal with Daniel Jeremiah. My favorite time of the week. I was on vacation with my family, and you know, my wife wanted to stay a couple extra days. I said, no, I got to get back to DJ. This is where I should be right now. Welcome DJ.

00:00:22
Speaker 2: It's good to see you, buddy. I know you. I know you enjoyed a little getaway there in the beautiful Islands, but it's nice to have you back because it's it's getting close. Man like you got to lock in. Let's focus now, Let's put the put the suntan lotion off to the side, and let's let's dig in and get ready for the draft.

00:00:38
Speaker 1: It is awesome that it's only a couple of weeks away now, and today.

00:00:42
Speaker 3: We are gonna let me carry the load a little bit heavier.

00:00:44
Speaker 1: We're going to talk about the pro side of things, what the playoff teams from a year ago have done so far this offseason, and then looking ahead to the draft, kind of what they need to work on. So let's just get into it. The producers really trusting us here. We did a exercise like this with set teams with the new coaches. We're doing all fourteen playoff teams, so we got to keep this thing moving.

00:01:04
Speaker 3: I know anybody on the.

00:01:05
Speaker 2: Schedule already, but we will.

00:01:07
Speaker 3: We'll start with the Chiefs. Okay.

00:01:10
Speaker 1: The Chiefs in the offseason made a surprising pickup at left tackle Jalen Moore, after the rumors in reports that they were looking at Ronnie Stanley potentially at left tackle. So when we look at what the Chiefs want to do, I think tackle is still one of their biggest needs. Jalen Moore was a guy for the forty nine ers who got five starts late last season. But you look at their right tackle, it's Juwan Taylor. I don't know if that's a total great long term solution. I could see defensive line outside of Chris Jones and George carloftis still.

00:01:41
Speaker 3: A little thin there.

00:01:42
Speaker 1: Running back maybe a sneaky need. Where are you looking where the Chiefs really came up short last season?

00:01:48
Speaker 3: And then what they need to look at this season.

00:01:50
Speaker 2: Well a couple things. Number One, Yeah, they make the move. They get Jalen Moore. Jalen Moore's twelve career starts, So I'm not putting all my eggs in that basket and as full as the true cases in Kansas City, they have two more trophies in there if they can protect a quarterback. They lost the game against Tampa, they lost the Super Bowl against Philly for the same reason. You need as much insurance as absolutely possible. So when I look at them in the draft, and I can look at some of these other positions, but I just came down to Josh Simmons from Ohio State or Josh Connelly from Oregon, one of you guys is going to be picked thirty first by the Kansas City Chiefs. I just can't see them going in any other direction. So that's why to me that they're one of the teams I don't want to say the most glaring need because they have guys to occupy those positions, but it seems like the directions pretty obvious of where they're going to go.

00:02:39
Speaker 3: Yeah, I hear you.

00:02:41
Speaker 1: And yet I look at all the teams that we're going to talk about them today at the end of the first round, and so many need offensive linemen, whether it's interior, whether it's tackles. And I look at Simmons, who has a really high ceiling, maybe the highest of any of these.

00:02:56
Speaker 3: Look at Connor who right? Who? People? I trust? He's some team's favorites.

00:03:01
Speaker 1: I would I would say, out there are close to it, and I do wonder if if it even gets there, and if those guys are off the board, you know, where do they look? It could be a defensive lineman, I think, or maybe running back.

00:03:13
Speaker 3: Maybe not that early in.

00:03:14
Speaker 1: The draft for the Chiefs, but I could see them going running back at some point in the first three or four rounds.

00:03:20
Speaker 2: No, I just look at it too. They're kind of sneaky bat on third down last year on defense, So again, more guys who can rush in the AFC, knowing who you got to go through. Obviously they're at the top of the mountain, but everybody else you got to go through there. You got to get to the quarterback because of all the talent of the position. So I would look defensive line. If they did not go there.

00:03:38
Speaker 3: Yeah, I do have to correct you.

00:03:39
Speaker 1: They'd actually have three more rings if their defense could get a stop off of Tom Brady and Robber. In two thousand at and AFC Championship, people still dog the Patriots were not scoring in that Super Bowl.

00:03:53
Speaker 3: How about there when they're going up and down the field of the Chiefs.

00:03:56
Speaker 1: Well, fair point, let's go to the Bills. This is an ideal situation I think for the Bills. If you look at what got in their way last year, I mean in the playoffs, it might have been offensive explosion. But I look at their team, I see a lot of very good positions on the roster, not a lot of great so they could go anywhere. If I was looking at one particular need, it's probably the cornerback position opposite Christian Benford, who they just locked up.

00:04:22
Speaker 3: Where do you think they look in the first round.

00:04:24
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think that's an option. I just look at them. To me, they're an intriguing team because they have the two second round picks, and this is kind of the sweet spot to me of this draft is like the early part of the second round. So yes, they have two second round picks, but they're both towards the bottom of the round. They're fifty six and sixty two. So when I was looking at them and looking at what direction they could go, I was looking along the defensive line, and to me, like Derek Harmon, Walter Nolan, one of those guys, if they happen to be there as a defensive tackle at pick number thirty. Add them to the mix. They've got those. You know, they got two talented defensive lines suspended the first six, so man, that helps offset that right away. And if you wanted to come up for another edge, I know they went out and got Joey Bosa, but you can't count on the fact that Joey's going to be able to run out their seventeen weeks. I wouldn't mind, Greg if they use those two second round picks, a combination of one of those picks and something else and came back up to the top of the second round, because I think that's where you're going to see that little sweet spot of edge rushers. Whether that's JT. Tuamalau from Ohio State, where that's Nick Scorton from Texas A and M Lannon Jackson from Arkansas. I think all those names are kind of top of the second round and when they if they just sit and wait to where they're picking in round two, I think they miss out on a good bunch of those guys.

00:05:40
Speaker 1: Yeah, they have a pretty good edge group, but Joey Bosa, you don't know what you're going to get out of him.

00:05:46
Speaker 3: That's a one year deal. You mentioned this expension.

00:05:48
Speaker 1: So they signed Larry Ogan Jobi who's defensive tackle. He suspended Michael Hoyt, who will play some edge. He suspended Ajpanessa. He's in a contract year. So a lot of these players that they're counting on aren't on necessarily on the roster for twenty twenty six.

00:06:02
Speaker 3: I hear you there.

00:06:03
Speaker 1: And the cornerback need reminds me a little bit of a few years back where they really needed cornerbacks going into the draft. They take Kayer Elam that did not work out in the first round. He's no longer even on the roster, but they double up and they took Benford on Day three and that ended up working out. So I do think they will get cornerbacks at some point in this draft. Let's move on to the team used to root for right and work for the Baltimore.

00:06:25
Speaker 2: You really root for him when you work for him, trust me.

00:06:29
Speaker 3: I mean you're probably still rooting for him. You got buddies there.

00:06:31
Speaker 1: You always have a good line into the Ravens and they do this thing in free agency every year. They love compensatory picks more than any team that's ever been and because of that, they don't do a lot in free agency. DeAndre Hopkins comes in, Tchadobi Woozy, kind of these typical just take a shot on some veteran guys that aren't going to hurt your compensatory pick formula. But they really haven't done much in free agency. Where do you look first on a team that doesn't have huge needs, but definitely have I think on the defensive side has some places to shore up.

00:07:03
Speaker 2: Yeah, you hit it defensive side of the ball, thirty first in pass defense, twenty fifth in pressure rate, So you'd like to see him juice that up a little bit. They've got bodies, they've got names. You saw Oway take a step forward last year. Obviously Matty Bikes is an elite, elite player, but I think continue to add to that front. Nick Gordon's the name of a guy who kind of fits that rugged style that they play. Or if they wanted another fastball, if you want to go out there and put two fastballs out there with Oway on one side, James Pierce on the other, James Pierce out of Tennessee, that could make some sense. The other name I wrote down was Ben Morrison is a corner out of Notre Dame, who the Ravens are really good at finding value, and if he had had a healthy season. He had a hip so he only played a few games. But if he had had a healthy run through the process, I think he would have been a lock as a first round pick. So they could afford to do that. Pair him up with Wiggins, you've got two young corners. And the last little note I wrote down about Baltimore in terms of the draft, a Ravens thing to do, like the typical Ravens thing to do, is knowing that they have Isaiah likely this is the total they will trade Mark Andrews, Like it makes all the sense in the world. In a deep tight end draft, you offload Mark Andrews and then you go pick somebody in the fifth or sixth round, and a very deep tight end draft likely gets bumped up you get a cheaper option at the position. In a mid round pick. I would guess you probably get a three, three or a four for a guy like Mark Andrews. So there's no information from the building that's given me that that just having known this organization makes all the sense in the world of a typical Ravens move.

00:08:33
Speaker 1: Yeah, and early in the off season there were a lot of questions about whether Andrews could be moved. Eventually they paid him a roster bonus, which seemed to put him on the roster, but then again it might help his trade value because now the contract is easier for another teer to take on. Probably they have said, yeah, they expect him to be there, but that's kind of because they were in front of microphones. Again, what else are you going to say? And you mentioned the edge position. One thing I did want to ask about the Ravens specifically. They say to like to double up at positions, and I didn't notice oway Is is a free agent. I believe after this year. Kyle van Noy is a free agent. David Ajabo is a free agent.

00:09:10
Speaker 3: So that that's one. They're very good at planning ahead.

00:09:12
Speaker 1: Do you think maybe that's a position they could they could take a couple guys at.

00:09:16
Speaker 2: Yeah, one hundred percent makes all the sense in the world. And they've done it, you know. I remember being there when we took Ben Grubbs and then turn around and took Marshall Yonda a couple rounds later. And then they've done it with the tight ends a zillion times. I think there's three different occasions where they've taken two tight ends in the same draft, and on every occasion, if I'm not mistaken, the second tight end has had a better career than the first tight end. So they're rewarded for doubling down at deep positions.

00:09:40
Speaker 1: Well and famously, Yeah, they took a tight end ahead of Lamar Jackson Hayden Hurst. That worked out pretty well. Quietly, one thing just to keep an eye on that slipped through the Raiders. I don't think a lot of fans know Michael Pierce retired this offseason, a great interior run stopper for them, so that could be another position that they look at to find a run stopper.

00:09:59
Speaker 3: Let's talk about the Texans.

00:10:00
Speaker 1: I love that they looked at this offensive line, and I know Laramie Tunzel is a talented player, but they said almost everyone involved with this group.

00:10:10
Speaker 3: We just need to start over.

00:10:12
Speaker 1: So we need to start over with the coaches, We need to start over with the talent. They not only trade Laramie tunseel at left tackle, they trade Kendrick Green. They got rid of Keyon Green, they got rid of all the Greens, and I got to think even though they brought in a lot of guys DJ Kim Robinson is there on a one year deal, and then just some flyers on guys like Trent brown Lake and Tomlinson at Ingram, guys who have played a lot in the NFL. I gotta think that's what killed them last year. That's where they'll be looking first this year too.

00:10:39
Speaker 2: Yeah, not only were they not good, a lot of it was the same thing when you watched them. Obviously you had the penalties. Tunsol had a lot of penalties and some other issues as they had a little bit of a revolving dot right tackle. But in getting ready for that playoff game when they played the Chargers, man, they were so bad against games and communicating, so to me, smart, tough, interior offensive line and make a lot of sense.

00:11:02
Speaker 1: Yeah, and they bring in Christen Kirk at wide receiver this offseason, which I think was a good pick up for them. They don't know if they're going to have Tanked Dell available Stefan Diggs, who they were in on that negotiation, but they weren't willing to go as far as the Patriots, where they're a little thin at wide receiver.

00:11:20
Speaker 3: Do you think twenty.

00:11:22
Speaker 1: Five, is that a spot where value might meet up with need, Because I do think on defense, other than maybe defensive tackle, they're pretty loaded. I can't see them going defense that early unless it was a defensive tackle.

00:11:35
Speaker 2: I don't know how you look your quarterback in the eye and not go offensive line with his first pick. And that's why to me, I just wrote down Tyler Booker coming out of Alabama. Think about Demico Ryans and his pipeline and information at Alabama, and when they tell me that he was the caliber of leader, in the caliber of work ethic, in bringing others along as a guy that the Houston Texans have playing a defensive end for him, and that type of and that type of guy. And I think it's worked out pretty well for him there with will Anderson. This is at Alabama's they tell you this is the will Anderson of offense. There at a position of need, I would think if Booker's there, that's a that's a no doubter. And then grays Abel was the other one out of North Dakota State who has legitimate five position flex You can play him all over the place. You know, smart, tough, He's not gonna have issues with some of those games that were befuddling to that group last year.

00:12:27
Speaker 1: Yeah, and I, you know, listened to Tamiko Ryans. I listened to him at the scouting combine and throughout the offseason. He did think that they ultimately were a little too soft in the middle.

00:12:37
Speaker 3: So he's a defensive guy.

00:12:39
Speaker 1: If they go defense at any point, I think it'll be defensive tackle. They brought in Sheldon Rankins this offseason as a free agent, but in terms of like long term foundation pieces, the rest of the defense is so loaded that secondary, to me is the best in the league, at least in terms of young overall talent.

00:12:56
Speaker 3: And the line I saw the edges are incredible.

00:12:59
Speaker 2: I saw him up close, and that was as fast of a defense as I saw all year long, Like they were flying around the field. So I think, Demiko, yeah, you could get a defensive tackle. You know, Walter Nolan kind of fits a Matt Burke style where you want to get up the field and really attack. But Greg, how do you not go offensive line? I mean you read off some of the names they brought in and guys that have some service time in this league, but not not long term answers by any stretch.

00:13:28
Speaker 1: Yeah, and they're hoping the new coaching staff, led by the coordinator Nick Kayley, can can improve things on picking up the stunt stuff like that. And they do have some young players there that they're hoping to develop. But I'm with you, that makes the most sense to me.

00:13:42
Speaker 3: And let's flip.

00:13:43
Speaker 1: It to the team that they beat that you were watching in that playoff game.

00:13:47
Speaker 3: And I went back.

00:13:48
Speaker 1: To this for this exercise a lot like what did what did the coach say right after the season? And I don't know if you remember this. You know you were probably doing the post game with our friend Matt Money. But Jim Hart on that post game and he doesn't want to blame it on Herbert, you know who I am always defending and that was a tough game to defend. Was his worst game of the year, no question. In the playoffs. Not what you want to see. But the first thing Jim Harbaugh said was our guy had no space in the pocket to step up and throw. That we were too soft on the interior. And when that's the last image that the coach has Harbaugh in his head as the season ends, I think about that might be the first thing that he is thinking about on drafted. Do you think like interior line is still that big of a priority.

00:14:33
Speaker 3: For the Chargers.

00:14:34
Speaker 2: I think they'll pick one up along the way, But you know, with the plan to move Zion Johnson at least audition him at center that you hope gives you a little more firmness there at the center position, and then at you know, at right guard, you go out and get Mackay becked and they've addressed it in their own way there. I think Andre James was brought in as well, so they've got some guys there. I think they're already better on paper right now than they were at the end of the year. But to me, that feels more like a you know, a along the path of the draft they will find an interior offensive lineman. I don't feel like it's a necessity right there at the first pick. In fact, I think that game underscored another issue where Will Disley was the focal point of the passing attack for a large portion of that game. They've got to get guys who can win one on one to compliment Lad McConkie, who had I think he had two hundred yards or close to two hundred yards in that ball game. It was you know he is, he is outstanding, but they need to get him a running mate. And that's why I wrote down three names of mismatch players. Guys, if you want to line up and play man coverage, we need to give Herbert more answers to that test. And Colston Lovelin is the name you hear often mentioned with them, not just because of the Michigan connection with Jim Harbaugh. His skill set would be a beautiful compliment to what they have. I'm a Mason Taylor fan out of LSU. I think he's really really smart. I think he sees the field well as a tight end. He understands how to find space. I think he's quick enough to win. He ran in the low four to sixes to me be a perfect piece in this offense. You know, maybe it's a little early where they're picking and one maybe you trade back just a little bit. You could go in that direction. And the last one I wrote down was Travon Henderson as a running back who not only can get out in the route, really catch the ball. Some of these creases you're going to see creases with Mackay Beckton next to Joe Wall in that offensive line and with Rashawn Slater there's creases that exist. You want somebody who can cash those in with some home runs. They didn't really have that last year. You go out and get Nagie Harris. He's not that type of back, So Travon Henderson pass protect use him in the route hit home runs. That's another one that would make sense. So those are some of the guys I like on the offensive side of the ball. If for some reason they wanted to go the defensive side of the ball, greg this is a team last year that was thirty first in terms of how often they lined up and played man coverage. This is a zone team, and if you're looking for the best zone corner in this draft, it's Will Johnson from Michigan. Again, the connections of the familiarity. If he starts to drop a little bit and drift a little bit, as some questions about his speed exist, not having a full healthy process, that would be one of those ones that wouldn't shock me. If the Chargers, hey, he's starting to drop a little bit, we can go up a few spots and get a guy in now.

00:17:09
Speaker 1: Hm, I love that and I do like that running back connection that you made. Whether it's Trevon Henderson who knows that, Mario and Hampton, just just give our guy Herbo some firepower, just just something they.

00:17:21
Speaker 2: Need to get fast.

00:17:22
Speaker 3: Let's wrap up.

00:17:22
Speaker 2: They need to get faster on offense. That was my takeaway on the postgame show with the aforementioned Matt Money Smith. This team has got to get more dynamic on offense.

00:17:31
Speaker 1: I will never forget the sun the Sunday night I'm driving home. I want to I gotta be honest, Chargers are playing Sunday night. I want to beat the traffic. I'm gonna I'm gonna get out of there. I'm not I'm not at the game, and I'm listening to you and Money do a great job. And you're saying at halftime they got to get Stone Spark more involved in this game because he's the most And you know what you called you called your shot. I don't know if it was your money. What are you called your shot? I think it was Bunny, And yeah, you got to get him involved.

00:17:59
Speaker 3: He could run.

00:18:00
Speaker 1: But you're not in a great spot if you're talking at halftime that we got to get Stone Smart more involved.

00:18:04
Speaker 2: Yeah, they need to change that conversation and Stone smart gut. They go a loption in a free agency where you go to the Jets. He went somewhere, but.

00:18:11
Speaker 3: Yeah, he went to the Jets. I like that pick up for them.

00:18:14
Speaker 1: Another team that needs a little more like on the offensive side is the Pittsburgh Steelers, where look there, their biggest issue last season was their quarterback position and then the defense not really being as good as they expected when when it really came down to it at the very end of the season, they haven't addressed quarterback yet. We don't need to go into the Aaron Rodgers of it all. It sounds like they feel like he's going to be their guy. I would say, though, beyond the weapons and we're we're wondering if George Pickens is going to be on this roster in twenty twenty five. I think you could look at that playoff game and in general the way the season and then they couldn't really stop the run. Rooney talked about it a little bit again. I go back to the quotes from the people that matter. When you're when your owners talking about not being will stop the run that matter? So to me, I'm thinking either it's an offensive weapon, or maybe it's a spot for Kenneth Grant. I'm throwing out names here at DJ What do you think of that.

00:19:10
Speaker 2: I hate it when we completely agree on something, because I literally in my notes here I've got nuggets on, you know, the passing yards per game, offensively being an obviously an issue. We'll see what happens with the quarterback. We assume it's going to be Aaron Rodgers as we're recording this. That's not done yet. I do like the offensive line, especially if they get Fatanu back healthy for a whole year. I think they've got a talented young group, kind of an underrated, good young offensive line I think is going to take the next step forward. But this is a team with the twenty first pick. I wrote down, if offensively Omarion Hampton to give him some juice and some firepower. In the past, they've had to choose between the quickness of Jalen Warren or the power of Najee Harris. Now you get to have both in one body here in Omarion Hampton. But the other thing I wrote down, unfortunately, you beat me to the punch. Cam Hayward being thirty five years old, Kenneth Grant. He just there's certain guys that feel like Pittsburgh Steelers. And when I watched Kenneth Grant and looked at this roster, I was like, mm, that one makes a lot of sense.

00:20:09
Speaker 1: Yeah, It's funny whatever's old becomes new again in the NFL. And for so long, these run stoppers who you would call two down players, two gap guys, they kind of go out of fash and they start, you know, falling in the draft and not getting as big contracts. And now you got all these defense who want to play light up front, and suddenly you need those guys again. And man, there aren't many like him that are that big, that's strong. It seems like he's gonna go high somewhere. They could use some secondary depth to the Other thing that doesn't make sense to me with the Steelers that I've heard in the draft process is their love of Jalen Milroe. I like Jalen Milroe a lot. I'm gonna be looking forward to who gives him a chance. But they don't have a second round pick. That feels like a little bit of a luxury situation. I don't know where they take Jalen Milroe even if he falls to them in the third round, you're gonna take a development quarterback as one of your only.

00:21:02
Speaker 2: I can I just put a little water on that can I put a little water on that fire. So I you talk to people throughout this process. A lot of people are in town during pro days and at different times of the year. And I talked to somebody who happened to be in the restaurant when the Pittsburgh Steelers were having dinner as it was reported with Jalen Milroe. Only the little tidbit that seemed to be left out was there were like six other Alabama players there with them eating dinner. So I was like, you know, that's a that's kind of draft season and in nutshell right there.

00:21:34
Speaker 1: Yeah, that's that's why I took just a few days off here. We pre taped some shows for NFL Daily. We're doing that, but this is the time of year where like visits are being reported as headline news. It's like, just all right, get me to Green Bay, let's go to Denver. My my biggest issue watching them, and they were a pretty complete team in terms of I don't think they had major weaknesses. They have a nice looking roster. They're feeling themselves. More on that in a second, but I would say it's just a little more pop on the offense.

00:22:04
Speaker 3: The offense.

00:22:05
Speaker 1: To me, bow Knicks symbolizes this offense a good player, but maybe you need a little more explosive ability around bow Knicks. It's a good, not great offense. So I think they need to go look for some great players on offense wherever they can find them, not on the offensive line where they're looking pretty good overall.

00:22:23
Speaker 2: I just look at Sean Payton's best teams and I feel like they're built inside out. We've talked about it over the years, right you know, hey, strong interior, you want a nice firm pocket for Drew Brees. That's where you're going to invest. Then you look at the weapons the offense a lot of times running through tight ends, running through big slot receiver with Mike Thomas running through. You know, a guy like Reggie Bush in the backfield is a mismatch player. So finding mismatches with a slot with a tight end with a back So they go out and they spend money on Evan Ingram. I don't know that that takes them out on a guy like Colston levelin who would be that type of player. I would think that would still be very much a possibility. But I tweeted this out Greg. When I'm going through these teams and I'm looking at a guy who could fit and could make a lot of sense, man, Trayvon Henderson's name comes up an awful lot of like you just try and envision what people would look like in the offense, and I'm sitting here going man for a guy who used to draw up plays for Reggie Bush, it would be pretty fun to have a guy like Trayvon Henderson all that he can do.

00:23:20
Speaker 1: Yeah, And we've talked on this show about what teams do in free agency tells you maybe what they're looking at for the draft. And when Denver essentially decided to pass on running backs in free agents at least in terms of meaningful ones that you would expect to start, kind of like the Titans, you know, signing Brandon Allen at quarterback. It told me they're probably looking at running back, whether it's pick one or pick two. I think it's gonna be early. They're a little on my radar just for like they're feeling themselves right now. I think they are super Bowl contenders. When you look at this roster. I'm just curious what you think whether they're at that stage, because on paper it looks all great. I don't know if they have enough difference making players. I don't see them in that in that category. It's harder to me to go from good to a true Super Bowl contender than it is to go what they did, which was from pretty mediocre to good.

00:24:12
Speaker 2: Yeah. Look, the defense is really talented. They have a lot of good players at all levels of their defense. So I think it's you know, it's a team on the defensive side of the ball I could feel pretty good about. And when you have a corner like that, it makes life easier on you. I just I see this team twice a year and doing the Charger games. I don't know that at the present moment. And tell me if you can think of one I don't know of a guy that you're like, oh crap, we better slow this guy down offensively, Like, who is the one guy that strikes fear in you at that on that team? They got some good players, no question, but there's nobody that I'm like, man, we better put a game plan together to slow this guy down.

00:24:49
Speaker 1: Right, it's more about the scheme, it's more about the line put together. I mean that that contract they gave Quinn Minors a year ago at guard looks like a total bargain. They know how to evaluate Sean Payton. That the thing he builds up those lines. And that's why defensive line is another thing to keep an eye on, just because Zach Allen, Jonathan Franklin, Myers, Malcolm Roach, all good players for them all have their contracts ending. So when I see a pattern like that on a roster, that that's another position that they could look at. But they're in a good position. We're in a good spot. We actually did that AFC pretty quickly. We're going to take a quick break and we'll be back and do the NFC playoff teams back on forties and free agents. And yes, it's Daniel Jeremiah season, the busiest man in show business this time of year. We're putting him to work today. We're going through all the playoff teams from a year ago. We're looking at where they fell short and maybe where they will be looking in the draft. And so we get to the Detroit Lions and for this exercise, I was like, well, what got in the way of this team last year. Obviously it's injuries number one, But if I had to look at something else, maybe it's past rush depth. They could go in a lot of directions. DJ, I don't know where you looked right off.

00:26:05
Speaker 2: The top, Yeah, I mean to me, it's just pass rush. I mean, this is a team that was thirtieth in passing yards per game, tied for twenty third, and sacks. Obviously, hudginson injury is a big part of that. It was nice to see the video of him running the other day. He looked pretty good, but I think you still have to bake in some more insurance there. So when I looked at this team, I think edge rusher. I also, you know, I mentioned that the top of the second round is kind of a sweet spot for edge rushers and a lot of drafts, and especially in this draft, I think there's some good quality players to be found there. So I just kicked around the idea of, Hey, let's see, does a team want to come up. You know, you've got some tackle teams picking behind him, so maybe there's an offensive tackle there somebody would want to move up for. You also, have you know, we always discuss is there a team coming in to get a quarterback get extra year on that contract. They would be a team to me that would make sense to try and trade back. And when I was looking at guys that fit Landing Accent's body type, like if you just saw the silhouettes, he would look very similar to Hutchinson. Now, he's not as loose as Bendy and as good of a player as a guy who was you know, I thought was the best player in his draft class in Aidan Hutchinson. But he kind of cuts that image. He fits that that style of what they look for in edge rushers and plays really really hard, which I think, you know, Dan Campbell would appreciate. So they were a team that I thought could be a trade back candidate when I was looking at it that.

00:27:26
Speaker 3: That makes a lot of sense.

00:27:27
Speaker 1: Also, the way you patted yourself on the back there for being so right about Aiden Hutchinson, I saw that that was good.

00:27:33
Speaker 2: No, I did. It was not a pick?

00:27:34
Speaker 1: Was this?

00:27:35
Speaker 2: What was he the second pick?

00:27:37
Speaker 3: Yeah?

00:27:37
Speaker 2: I mean just like my first I mean, come on, it's not like you knew he.

00:27:43
Speaker 3: Was going to be that good. All right.

00:27:44
Speaker 1: My hottest Lions take is that their offensive line was like a smidge overrated last year, like very good pass protecting team, but I think the scheme helps them.

00:27:55
Speaker 3: They're getting a little older.

00:27:57
Speaker 1: I think if you have the same offensive line, obviously it's fantas for continuity sake, But I wouldn't be surprised if they refresh that offensive line. They think like the Eagles, where they want to build up front and maybe not as good I think upfront in terms of the run blocking the interior maybe as they were in the past.

00:28:15
Speaker 3: So wouldn't surprise me.

00:28:16
Speaker 1: You keep mentioning Tyler Booker, they seem like they could be a possible team for him as well.

00:28:22
Speaker 2: Yeah, I don't think he'll get there. I don't. I don't think Tyler Booker makes it to pick number twenty eight, So that could be, you know, part of the challenge there. I think maybe Donovan Jackson would be someone that would be more in that range. They they should know him very well in terms of proximity to where they are. And I saw I was at a Michigan Oregon game. I saw Brad Holmes out there as a GM. He gets out man, he gets out and scouts and doesn't just stay in his comfortable office there. So I know he's been out and seeing all these guys and that wouldn't totally shock me. You know, the elephant in the room with this team, we're talking about what they did and you know, we're looking at him in free agency and who they lost, who they brought in, and who they could draft. Greg the coordinators there, that's a big deal, man, Like that's TBD. You know you've got, you know, new offensive coordinator, new defensive coordinator, and a team that we would probably agrees, but one of the best, you know, run best coach teams in the NFL. That's a little bit up in the air.

00:29:17
Speaker 1: Yeah, And as Dan Campbell will say, look, it's guys that have been in the building. Kelvin Shepherd is their new defensive coordinator. He's been there, They believe in him, They are developing their coaches. He's done a great job building that stuff. And then John Morton a little older, the offensive coordinator, but he was there in the building as well as they were building up the Lions a couple of years back before he went to the Broncos. So some continuity, I'm with you. They also mentioned wide receivers. It's an expensive position. Is Jamison Williams going to get a long term deal there that at some point they might look to go back there.

00:29:47
Speaker 3: Let's go to the Bucks though. We got to keep this thing the Bucks.

00:29:50
Speaker 1: Said publicly Todd Bowles that is that they're not going to pass on offense if it's the right value. That Bowls as a defensive coach knows they have big defensive needs, but he's learned that scoring points will make your defense look a lot better. I feel like that's lip service, and he's saying that because they know they need defense. You never know how the board is gonna fall. But it could be a pass rusher, it could be a cornerback. In general, I think the defense hasn't drafted enough difference makers and they're thin at a couple spots.

00:30:21
Speaker 3: Where do you have them looking.

00:30:22
Speaker 2: So you know they had Reddick, which I think getting a full offseason in there and getting comfortable that'll help them For a team that was twenty ninth in pass defense last year. I wrote down Donovanizeraku from Boston College as a guy who makes a lot of sense for them, who just knows is real, polished by the way, polarizing player. There are some teams that are not as high on him because they don't think he plays with a lot of power. But to me, he knows how to rush, he knows how to win, He's instinctive, he could finish by all accounts to like, character, work, ethic, all that stuff off the charts. So to me, he felt like just a great fit there for where they're picking at number nineteen. And I saw this team in person last year Greg doing the Charger games and studying them and then seeing them live and in person. This is one of the most physical teams in the NFL. I mean when you look at what Vitavea can do defensively, and that offensive line will maul you. They will beat you up with werfs in company, that I just think that is I don't know if that's talked about. We think about the tough, rugged teams, We think about AFC North and some of those. This Tampa Bay Bucks team can fight with anybody. I mean they are a physical, physical bunch.

00:31:30
Speaker 1: Yeah, you just need like you're you're absolutely right at just a little more juice. They drafted Chris braswell as an edge guy.

00:31:36
Speaker 3: You mentioned.

00:31:36
Speaker 1: They brought in Hassan Redick, so it might not be ed. Jayad Diabi has developed into a good young player. He Todd Bowles, that is, put his cornerback Jamel Deanon notice publicly saying he's gonna have to fight for his spot, that he's not really the number one cornerback anymore, which is kind of fighting where it's publicly. So cornerback could be another position today, Barron, do you think. I don't know if he falls this far, but he'd be an interesting thing. I feel like to us would know what to do with him.

00:32:02
Speaker 2: I would run that one up there. I would have fun with that one. Run it right up there.

00:32:07
Speaker 3: That would be fun, all right.

00:32:08
Speaker 1: The Rams publicly last week at the owners meetings, rather had Sean McVay say and he hasn't studied quarterbacks very hard, which is interesting. My mock draft that I did with with Nate Tye an NFL Daily earlier this week, I gave him Shdur Sanders because he fell that far to them in that exercise. But maybe mcveigh's just trying to throw us off the send. Their biggest issue in the playoffs was stopping the run. Now they signed Poona Ford. I don't know that that means you don't look at that position in the draft. I don't know where you see their biggest need.

00:32:39
Speaker 2: Yeah, you look at some of the numbers, I mean defensively twenty sixth total yards per game, which seems which kind of stunned me because we know how good that young defensive line is, so obviously you've got some issues that can be address.

00:32:52
Speaker 1: That Bill's game, DJ, that Bill's game where they put up about seven hundred yards.

00:32:56
Speaker 2: That hurt the numbers. I looked at the two spots. I looked at the secondary. I looked at Trey Amos as a guy who just kind of felt like their type of player out of Old miss. This is a guy who's got really really good eyes, sees everything well, and then can play off and drive on the football. This is a RAMS team that's a Cover three, you know, quarter quarter half team. They're not going to just line up there and go knows and nose and play man coverage. And I think that's the only area where a guy like Amos could get exposed a little bit. So to me, he just felt like a perfect fit for what they do and how they played defensively. And then I also wrote down, you know, Josh Connerly. I know, you know they paid the left tackle Eric Jackson, but you know, I look on the other side and having stains a good player. I think he's maybe thirty two. But continuing to add to that offensive line, I think Connorly, if you needed him to, you know, he could move around, but just continue to add quality players along the line of scrimmage is not a bad way to go.

00:33:55
Speaker 1: Yeah, and you mentioned trading back for the Lions. I feel like the Rams would be another possiblit because they don't have a second round pick. They lost it last year in a trade up, you know, and they're loving those defensive a lignemen that they drafted, but they're missing their second round pick. And Lesnied always says, you know, we have this amount of picks, eight picks right now, but he's always making trades. So it wouldn't surprise me if he traded back. And maybe you take a cornerback then in the second round, because they're a team that kind of stayed away from cornerbacks. They've gotten cheap, like they've been going with a Kella Witherspoon and bringing back Darius Williams and they made it work.

00:34:30
Speaker 3: But maybe they trade back to do that. What do you think that's possible.

00:34:33
Speaker 2: The other thing, and I'm not saying this with them in particular, but I would not be surprised if in this draft there's a team that looks at the lack of tackles in this draft and decides, Okay, I can maybe upgrade one of my tackles. I can take a player in this draft and guess what, now, my maybe aging veteran is going to have value on the trade market because at least you have a starting caliber player and other teams are going to miss out on that tackle run. I don't know. It's one of those kind of outside the box things you think about. As a team that maybe has a tackle on the wrong side of thirty, we can upgrade it, we can get younger, we can get cheaper and maybe a little bit better, and then also have an asset that we could move and get something for.

00:35:14
Speaker 3: Yeah, that makes a lot of sense.

00:35:15
Speaker 1: I just think the Rams are gonna look at this as a as go time, and they're going to try to build.

00:35:20
Speaker 3: For now, but build for the future, but especially for now.

00:35:23
Speaker 2: Yeah, go time. That's why you had them taking That's why I had them taking a quarterback in your mock draft now go time? Is that? Is that how you're phrasing?

00:35:28
Speaker 3: Well, it just it was like what we would do.

00:35:31
Speaker 1: And I just thought, at that point in the draft, you know, the value think about the future.

00:35:35
Speaker 3: But you're right, maybe.

00:35:36
Speaker 2: Sure Stafford would just be elated with that, with with your selection.

00:35:41
Speaker 3: It's a good point. The more the more I thought about it, the less it made sense.

00:35:45
Speaker 2: Workshop those things by me, you know, I got I know you're on vacation, but just shoot me a text workshop these these.

00:35:51
Speaker 3: Wasn't it was.

00:35:52
Speaker 1: It was it was before that. And yeah, Jimmy g is a pretty well paid backup. They still have Stetson Bennett. Doesn't really make a lot of sense, make a lot of sense if the Vikings took a quarterback either they've got their guy for now, for the future, for JJ McCarthy. They have the fewest picks in the.

00:36:08
Speaker 3: Draft, picks four. Yeah, four, that's it.

00:36:11
Speaker 1: And they they knew that, and so they spent huge money on the interior on the offensive line and.

00:36:18
Speaker 3: The defensive line.

00:36:19
Speaker 1: They brought in that Colts you know, interior line group on offense, and then they brought a couple of big names Javon Hargrave Jonathan Allen on defense, and yet I don't necessarily think that stops them from looking at those positions for the future. They're a tough team to come up with the biggest need. I have my pick, but I'm gonna let you go first.

00:36:40
Speaker 3: What do you get?

00:36:41
Speaker 2: Well, first of all three hundred million dollars in free agency, just to put a number to how aggressive they were and what they did, knowing that they didn't have draft picks to address things. So they were very aggressive in the offseason on the front end. Now the back end not as many picks. I just look at Harrison Smith as a thirty six year old, and I look at versatile athletic safeties can do different things, and there's two of them in this draft that are first round caliber players. That's Emon Warri from South Carolina, who I would love to see in this Brian Flores defense just as a blitzer and how they could incorporate him and use him. I mean he is he is a dynamic player at that size at two hundred and twenty pounds who can run, make plays on the ball as well as again play the run and blitz him in that scheme. I thought would just be a lot of fun. And then Malachi Starks from Georgia a different safety, more of a high safety. Good play him as a nickel if you wanted to, but to me, float over the top, let him range and make plays. But those two safeties, to me, I just thought would make sense. With Harrison Smith at thirty six years old.

00:37:39
Speaker 1: Yeah, and they're playing almost positionless football. Harrison Smith and the Vikings maybe bond conversation about whether he even was gonna play this year or not. So it feels like this might be his last season, and you got to plan for the future. And if you look at cornerback and I kind of mix them all together with the way they use their nickelback, Makai Blackman's coming off of an injury, and Brian Flores apparently really targeted Isaiah Rodgers from the Charger, I mean from the Eagles rather, who was once on the Colts, and so he's probably gonna be a good player for them. But you're counting on those two guys to play a lot of snaps. That's a little it's a little risky. I like this Vikings team. I couldn't believe they're over under it was eight and a half wins. Not that you're getting into the over under, but I was like, I do not see this team as as less than the rest of this division.

00:38:26
Speaker 3: Really, I think they're right up there with them.

00:38:28
Speaker 2: Well, I think that's probably a reflection on what they think of the rest of the division and how stacked it is, So that's part of the counts. But they're right, They're right, we've got an unknown. We liked what we saw on a very small sample size of JJ McCarthy, but we don't know.

00:38:45
Speaker 3: That's fair.

00:38:45
Speaker 1: The Packers were obviously right there with the Vikings last year. Defensively, they just feel like they need more juice at a number of positions. I feel like we could just say this every year at draft time. Brian Goodakun says done a great job overall, and yet he has taken a lot of swings on the defensive side of the ball, and I still don't feel like they have their total core pieces at a number of positions. So I'm curious where you think they would target first out of the defensive side.

00:39:15
Speaker 2: They just have a pattern. They love you know athletic in you know front seven sec players. So I just wrote down Walter Nolan. I'm like, just throw them into that mix of all those guys. You know, you got a bunch of really athletic, explosive players in that front seven. Now you like to see it all come together. Edrin Cooper, by the way, is going to be awesome. So they've they've got a lot of talent there. It hasn't all kind of bubbled up to the surface yet, but I think they just continue to throw more guys into the mix. So that's that's the direction I went. I wouldn't sleep on a corner there either. But where they're picking, kind of the twenty third pick, they missed kind of the you know, the early wave of the top two guys, and then it's kind of in that in between spot of where you go there. Max Harriston, you know, could make some sense the corner out of Kentucky who can really really run again, just just find a real athletic traitcy uh sec defensive player and throw them in there.

00:40:10
Speaker 1: Right And they they did an address cornerback somewhat in the offseason with Nate Hobbs, who they're saying they could play him on the outside. They don't see him as just an inside player. We don't know. If JayR Alexander could be moved on draft Day, wouldn't be a total surprise if he ends up going for like a Day three pick in that in that game in the in the playoffs that they lost to the Eagles, their their interior offensive line got got carved in. So they they signed Aaron Banks. But I still think it both be positions that they go for. Yeah, and in the pass rush, like they've invested a lot DJ and they didn't get a ton of production last week.

00:40:46
Speaker 2: Go on, Yeah, no again, That's what I'm saying. The the talent hasn't the performance hasn't married the talent. There is talent. I do believe that this is a talented group, but they just haven't got that production performance out of it yet.

00:40:59
Speaker 1: Yeah, and they and they were better last year after the change in defensive coordinator, just not as good as they were hoping to be. More to come on forties in free agents. Back in a minute, we are back on forties and free agency. All right, let's talk commanders. Their biggest needs are clearly on the defensive side. You made it all the way to the NFC Championship game without really having your defense be good all season. It was an offense first team and the defense was just hanging on and trying to make opportunistic plays. And so as big a need as I think any team we've talked about today is their edge position where Dorrin's Armstrong is their number one edge. I don't even know who you would put as their number two, but to me, that's probably their biggest need. Is there is there a guy you think fits there at edge? I'm gonna put you on the spot.

00:41:54
Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah, there's some definitely some guys there. Nick s Gorton is the name that I that I jotted down with that ninth overall pick that I thought, you know, he's kind of climbed up into that realm, which I should explain by the way. Nick Gordon is like one of those fascinating stories where I watched him on the tape this fall. I did not love him. He was just outside my top fifty. I ended up he's like forty nine, forty eight, forty nine, somewhere in that range, and you kind of you're gathering information as you go through the process. Well, I see him at the Pro day and saw a picture of him, and I was like, holy crud like he looked he looked really good, like just not only you know the way he moved around, and you hear about that, but just body type wise. Then you find out he played like two eighty. They built they they wanted to really kind of bulk him up at A and M, and he's at his pro day at two fifty seven. This guy's like a toy. He looks like a totally different human being. So then you talk to teams and D line coaches and they're like, well, go back and watch him at Purdue before he transferred. He was a different body type there. He moved around better. So you go through the whole process. I'm like, Okay, now this kind of makes sense of why you're hearing him get some of this attention in this buzz. You know, he's just he's a literally a different human being than the one that I watched in the fall. So long story short, Nick Gorton to me, would make some sense there, But I wanted to on this team. Greg, go back to what you said a few episodes ago. I want to say, which is this Washington team's done all these one year deals. So I got me thinking as I was getting ready for this, I'm like, Okay, why are they doing that? What's going on? Let me just read off the names of the first round picks they had before Adam Peters and Dan Quinn showed up in twenty twenty. It was Chase Young, who's been a good player obviously just got paid no longer there, Jame and Davis linebacker, Johan Dottson receiver, Emmanuel Forbes corner. The reason they're going out and side all these guys because they had literally they inherited like a blank broster, like they had to just overhaul the entire thing, and in order to make all it all work, just get a bunch of these veterans, put them in these short term deals. I think, you know, everybody wants to play the comp pit game. You gotta be patient with the with Washington because they have to build up their core. They don't have their That's amazing. They went to the championship game last year and they don't even really have like a core, Like they're still building the core part of this thing. That's how good the quarterback is.

00:44:05
Speaker 1: By the way, right, it was like the quarterback and the marriage of him and the scheme and having a true number one receiver in Terry McLaurin. But after that, like the offense needed more pop, they bring in Deebo Samuel.

00:44:19
Speaker 3: We'll see how that works out.

00:44:20
Speaker 1: Laramie Tunsel is obviously a multi year solution at left tackle and an upgrade. And so it's not like they're totally done on defense. But then I mean on offense rather, But I do look at the defense, whether it's getting younger at linebacker. They bring in Jonathan Jones, a former Patriot, to place them at cornerback, but you're kind of old there in the secondary with him and Marshawn Lattimore getting so many snaps, so you could absolutely add another cornerback. To me, it's it's pretty wide open. I just hope Commanders fans need to have like a reasonable expectations of where this team goes from there, like just just be happy you've got Jayden Daniels.

00:44:55
Speaker 2: Yeah, they're gonna be long term bet on this team long term, but they still they're still build like this is this is going to be a process and maybe a little bit ahead of schedule. To me, I looked at two players that I love for them on the offensive side of the ball. Surprise, surprise, Trayvon Henderson. The fact that I've mentioned him with the darn near all these playoff teams, I'm convinced of the fact this guy's going to go much higher than you think because he just compliments so many of these rosters. But he would be a great fit there. Think of like a young, you know, fresh leg at Austin Eckler, what he was with the Chargers. You get some of that there with Trayvon Henderson. And then the other name that I wrote down was Okay, think about how they use Ertz and what Ertz has done and been that security blanket there for Jaden Daniels. Now Ertz is not young. You know how much longer is he going to play Mason Taylor? To me, his comp was Zach Ertz, someone who's smart, dependable. They're gonna throw all those little underneath routes that he likes to throw, all those RPOs and different things. Mason Taylor catches zillion balls and play with Jaden Daniels for a long time. By the way, where did Mason Taylor go to college? Greg?

00:45:56
Speaker 3: There you go allis.

00:45:57
Speaker 2: Yeah, where Jaden Daniels go to college?

00:46:00
Speaker 1: Okay, Okay, So now I'm hearing this twice where you're throwing out Mason Taylor as a possible first round pick, that's something you see as a as a possibility.

00:46:09
Speaker 2: Now I love him. He's going to be one of my top thirty two players. So people always ask me, which I always laugh when people say, okay, a first round pick or a second pick. Oh, he's a first I have him as a first round guy. Well, he's your forty fifth player, So no, you can't. Yeah, there's literally a numbers to this thing. There's only thirty two slots in the first round. So if you say he's you think he's a first round player in this draft needs to be within those top thirty two picks, which he will be when my final list comes out.

00:46:35
Speaker 1: One, just quick one because it popped in my head as you're talking about Nick Skorzen, who I haven't heard a lot about. Would you rather have him or Shamar Stewart for talking about A and M guys.

00:46:43
Speaker 2: H Shamar Stewart was to me, the tape was more impressive with Shamar Stewart, just to you know how explosive and dynamic he was. Scorton obviously has a history of production that Shamar Stewart does not possess. So the greater conversation is probably twenty three Scort versus twenty four Shamar Stewart. But I have Stewart over him.

00:47:03
Speaker 3: Okay.

00:47:03
Speaker 1: I want to wrap up with another team near and dear to your heart, another former employer of yours. Before you know, they let us get a hold of you at NFL Network, it's the Eagles, and we could look at like, what's their needs? Obviously they didn't have anything that got in their way. They steamrolled to that title those last two games. On paper, their safety nickel spot maybe has an opening. They're probably promoting Sydney Brown to one of the starting jobs. But you lost a couple guys. He traded away Chauncey Gardner Johnson this offseason. And yet that's not really where I see them investing premium draft resources necessarily. You would think they're just going to look at offensive line, defensive line and start replenishing for the future.

00:47:44
Speaker 3: What do you think?

00:47:45
Speaker 2: I just I don't know this to be true, but I just imagine that what happens is how he just calls the you know, offensive line coaches, defensive line coaches. He sits at like a table with a robe on and just says, make your case going to take either an offensive lineman or a defensive lineman. You tell me why you love your guys. You tell me why you love your guys, and then I'll decide between the two. Who are picks going to be? To me? I looked at it and like an institution for this team for the last decade plus has been Brandon Graham and I know missed the majority of the season last year, you know, famously came back and played in the Super Bowl and kind of fought through it. But I was looking at this team and okay, who is that type of a player? And Scorton's name is another one that came up again in this spot and then J T. Tuamalau, you know that maybe is a little early at thirty two again could be a team and I think how we would gladly take a phone call and you know, just slide back a few spots. But those guys were Brandon Graham types in terms of the rugged nature in which they play off the edge to you know, to really compliment. And I'm telling you Nolan Smith's going to be a star. We saw that in the postseason he's just getting going and still developing and still improving. But I'm I'm really excited for his future, and I just think they look for somebody along that defensive front to to play along with him.

00:49:02
Speaker 3: Yeah, you lose Josh Sweatt and Milton Williams in free agency. You actually could look at Edge.

00:49:06
Speaker 1: I know Milton Williams is on the interior, but you could look at Edge as a need or defensive tackle. And they're a team that thinks long term. They're able to take a guy like Nolan Smith and almost give him a red shirt year where he wasn't quite ready to have a big role as a rookie, and then he comes on as a second year player and he's just incredible. That that's why they're they're the champs and they're contending year after year. We did it, DJ. We got through all fourteen nice playoff contenders and we solved all their problems.

00:49:34
Speaker 2: Yeah, you know what, this is fun. This is to be honest with you. Look, I love doing the show, but this is really helpful for me just in draft preparation because we talk about the players and then you then we you know, we have some discussions about free agency and the teams. This is the first time as we're getting you know, within a couple of weeks here getting locked in of being like, okay, this this is a direction. I can definitely see this team going. What's their type of player they historically look at. It's fun to start, you know, putting the puzzle together.

00:50:04
Speaker 1: It is that time of year and we're we're just getting cranked up. Only a few episodes left until the NFL Draft.

00:50:11
Speaker 3: We have a special guest.

00:50:13
Speaker 1: Mina Climes, joining us next week on forties and from ESPN. She's gonna class up the joint.

00:50:19
Speaker 3: We will see you next time.