40s and Free Agents: 2025's Rookie Report Card

00:00:03
Speaker 1: Welcome to Forties and free Agents.

00:00:06
Speaker 2: You're a regular podcast about the free agent market and NFL Draft.

00:00:11
Speaker 1: I am Greg Rosenthal.

00:00:12
Speaker 2: And I am with Daniel Jeremiah for the first time during this regular season, DJ, We're going to be hitting the listeners each and every week leading into free agency, leading into the draft starting in January, but the fans demanded that we stop by. We're going to do it quarterly during the regular season, kind of look back at at how last year's draft, how the free agency crop is doing right now. How are you enjoying your season without me?

00:00:42
Speaker 3: I miss you. I'll be honest with you, I do miss you. But this is like you're like the dermatologist. I just need to check in every now and then to make sure everything's okay. You know. That's that's where I am. But I'm glad I'm going to have to wait till the off season because it's fun. It's you know, you don't just you know, go back and look at it as a whole, and it's more fun when you kind of check in at the quarter marks and kind of see and we can monitor the progress for some of these guys. Who's who's kind of building up from a free agency standpoint, and then in a rookie standpoint, and who's cooling off as we go to the year. It'll be fun to follow it.

00:01:11
Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm looking forward to doing this and it's important too, you know. I'm sure your evaluations are a little more meaningful than mine. People will remember them, and you got to work on your process. I don't know if anyone's really tracking my free agency one on one to see what I did well and what I didn't, But this is going to be a fun exercise. So we thought we'd just go through each position, go position by position, pick out some of the highlights. Maybe who's been a good bargain in terms of a draft pick or a good signing in terms of a free agent.

00:01:40
Speaker 1: Why don't you get us going?

00:01:42
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, I'm just kind of looking at guys who've played and who've been kind of the top guys, and maybe you know, through some of these positions, they don't have it for all of them because they just haven't been some guys that have played some of them. I'll give you a guy who's been a little underwhelming. But the let's start with the quarterback position, Gregan, If we're looking at the draft and only really two guys talk talk about cam Ward. It's been a slog. We talked about it in the you know, after the draft and in the run up to the season. It was going to be hard for him with what they had around him. They're not good, you know, really in any department at this point in time. So because of that, you're seeing a ton of sacks and he's taking seventeen sacks. The frustration is starting to bubble up. You've seen that in some of his comments after last week's game. I still believe in his ability. It's going to require patience and they're going to need to fill a lot of holes on this roster. I don't know if I've learned anything about cam Ward what it was what I'm getting at here as a number one overall pick, and maybe in the world's defense, there's a reason why he was the least talked about over number one overall pick, because the world realized what a what a creddy group in situation.

00:02:48
Speaker 2: He was going into that press conference what you're alluding to when he said, if we're keeping it a buck, we asked, which is a classic all time quarterback quote. I I watched the whole thing, and one thing I feel differently about just because I didn't know enough about, Like I'm actually impressed about how he's addressing their difficulties. And when I watch him on a week to week besis, he does things that wow you every single week, and I think he's doing as well as you could possibly expect in a really bad situation. Their offensive line has not played well. He just doesn't have the weapons around him. The guys they brought in, for instance as a free agent Tyler Lockett no production whatsoever. So I kind of like where he is as a leader. The problem is, I don't know if that coaching staff is going to be there.

00:03:34
Speaker 3: You feel like it, it does not feel like it one of the one I'll hit quickly. I was there for Jackson darts first start and looked one of those things where if you box score scout and look at it, like I even throw for that many yards. He got sacked a bunch of times, but I'm telling you, the first thing you notice is when he jogged onto the field, it lit up the whole stadium. He brought a ton of energy and a ton of juice and inspired not only the stadium but his teammates. He ran the ball extremely well, even after he got nicked up. So the toughs in the athleticism was there some huge third downs, you know, with his arm and with his legs being able to go get some of those. So they're not protecting him with kid gloves as you would think in your first overall start. And you know, Chargers gave him a couple of gifts. They ended up with a couple of possessions starting inside the Chargers ten. But they cashed it. They cashed the chips and he did a really nice job. And I think it's exciting. And I always go back to what we say, what we said, I've tried to put you on this line of thinking, which is the cardinal sin is to be bad and boring. Don't be both. And now the Giants are exciting. They're not a boring team. And unfortunately Neighbors went down. But Jackson Dart's gonna bring some fun to that, to that franchise. That's a good thing.

00:04:41
Speaker 2: Yeah, it was a timto t Bowie and kind of game for him at least in terms of the box score, and like the way that they won it. But obviously I think he's going to have more skills throwing the ball than TB Man.

00:04:51
Speaker 1: You were.

00:04:52
Speaker 2: You were kind of the bad luck charm this weekend. Not to not to pick on you. You're at the Riders up on Saturday, and then tough Davis.

00:04:59
Speaker 3: So I we'll explain that. So as you know of a man of faith. And I was on the plane heading over to New York and I said, Lord, I would love for the US Ryder Cup team to win, and I would love for the Padres to beat the Cubs. And he said, I can only give you one. And so I apologize to all the American golf fans out there.

00:05:19
Speaker 1: I didn't know you had that sort of a direct line.

00:05:22
Speaker 2: Another quarterback who also as a man of faith, Russell Wilson.

00:05:27
Speaker 1: Just since you're talking to Jackson Dark.

00:05:29
Speaker 2: Transitioning to the free agents, if you think about how this free agent, you know, quarterback market went, and you think, well, the Steelers kind of chose Fields over Aaron Rodgers initially like they supposedly wanted him. But then Aaron Rodgers ends up obviously with Pittsburgh because Fields gets paid more by the Jets. And then Russell Wilson was kind of the last in that little group, he ends up going to New York. I never bought the argument, and we talked about this on the show, that he was going to be sort of upgrade even on what they had a year ago. That proved to be true, and then Dark gets in there. Initially, I think the Steelers are ultimately happy with Aaron Rodgers, even if he's not a top level quarterback, and Justin Fields has kind of been what you expected, some ups and some downs. I will point out, though DJ and I will eat some humble pie that the.

00:06:21
Speaker 3: Let's go to the Pacific Northwest ladies and gentlemen.

00:06:23
Speaker 1: So I'm taping this in London.

00:06:25
Speaker 2: That's the dedication I have for forties and free agents. I'm at talkSPORT too, where I'll be calling the game by the way, like Daniel Jeremiah on Sunday game over in London. So I woke up Friday morning to watch that Seahawks game and it was just another great Sam Darnold performance. He's given them everything that they want. They're not putting too much on his plate. But I also won't pretend that he's not making at least four to five high level plays each week. So he's really cut down on the mistakes and he's made some wow plays without needing to throw twenty five to thirty times a game because they have such a good defense that has really worked out for them.

00:07:03
Speaker 3: He's been excellent to me. I was I was watching Bears tape the other day and I brought this up with somebody. I said, this sounds interesting. I guess it would be the word I would use, But I would have Caleb watch Sam because some of the Sam issues that he had when he was really young in the NFL was he was too frenetic, it was too fast, and then now you look at there's a poison, a calm, and a quietness to him, like especially from his lower body, he kind of just gets relaxed, gets his cleats in the ground, He's comfortable, and it's made him more accurate with that. I think Caleb could learn a lot from Sam, which is pretty incredible that Sam from where he was a couple of years ago with somebody, I would recommend his teaching tape for a young quarterback who's been on a little bit of a roller coaster ride. The The other thing I was gonna give you, just because you mentioned you're going to be calling the game. I'm thinking you can take advantage of this because this will be on in Europe, right, this will be on Uh it's not an American broadcast, correct, am I? Right?

00:07:56
Speaker 1: Yeah?

00:07:57
Speaker 2: I mean it's it's you could get it on YouTube if you're a big fan, but you.

00:08:01
Speaker 3: Can use you can recycle all of the great American calls and they're like, this guy's the greatest broadcast of all, Like how about like there's there's do you believe in miracles?

00:08:12
Speaker 2: Yes?

00:08:12
Speaker 3: And then you can come back with I.

00:08:14
Speaker 1: Can't believe what I just saw and.

00:08:16
Speaker 3: Then finish it off with there are no flags on the field, it's a miracle. You can just recycle all of them and just claim them all as your own, Like nobody over there is gonna know.

00:08:27
Speaker 1: DJ's got bits. I love it.

00:08:29
Speaker 2: I do wonder you know, if you're an American football fan over here. I find them to be better fans than the casual ones back home. And they have been listening to American broadcast, so they might they might catch on to that. But I'll give it a shot and see if I get any responsible. One last thing on the quarterback cycle and then we'll move. You mentioned getting quieter feet, get a little better under pressure. I'm not saying Daniel Jones is all the way there yet, but he is a much calmer quarterback for the Colts. And thinking back to Hit, he was a backup with with the VIK. They didn't want to pay him that top level backup money. It was sort of in between fourteen million dollars. Obviously, that's been a transformative decision by the Indianapolis Colts to get him on a fourteen million dollar deal and he's playing the way that he is. I think he has looked a little calmer when he's been under pressure this year.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, and it's been the theme if you're looking for the recycled quarterback escape from New York Man, it's Gino was able to do it. You've seen Sam do it, and now you're seeing Daniel Jones do it. So there's a lot of pressure that comes with that market, and we've seen some guys leave there and have success outside of it. Let's jump to the receivers and I'll pick up the pace for us here. Greg. The three guys I'm going to hit on real quick. Tedo and McMillan has been clearly the number one. The team stinks, Caroline Panthers aren't any good, but he's had a couple drops, but overall he looks the part of someone who was picked where he was picked. I feel very good about that one. If you were the Panthers. Abuka has been awesome. I mean he's been to me, the most impressive overall. He's I think, what about eight yards behind McMillan, But with all the different guys they have there in Tampa, I think what he's done has been more impressive. Some big time, big time impressive catches. And then Travis Hunter was the third one. Just you know, the production hasn't jumped off the screen yet. Thirteen for a buck eighteen. But he to me, everybody's like he needs to side one or the other. I hear that argument. Just to me, he just needs time. He needs time. He's not you know, just just let it settle in. Brian Thomas Junior can't catch the ball. He's been you know, gosh, I thought he was gonna have a monster year. That has not happened. But just be patient with Travis Hunter on that side of the ball. He's been good on defense from what I've seen. And then the one I put one that I'm just personally a little disappointed in and maybe there's more to come here, But like Jayden Higgins has five for eighty nine and I know they have guys there, but he's had one target, even throwing the ball once and eat of the last three games. Like I thought he would be more a piece of their offense and a focal point. Now I did get in the end zone, but he has not been really any type of feature guy there.

00:10:57
Speaker 2: Yeah, they don't have a lot going on offense in terms of their passing game, but you're right, even in the first couple of games where Christian Kirk was not out there, his snaps were like in half, you know, they were somewhat limited, not getting a ton of targets. Aguca might be he's got a chance to be Rookie of the Year. He has been that good. So I need to do some self scouting DJ because all off season, you know who was a top my free agency wide receiver list, if if you didn't count T Higgins who ended up resigning, he was not signed by any team in the NFL, it was Amari Cooper. In the preseason, they kept putting it across the bottom line of NFL Best Available I'm like number, but that's where you know, I didn't know that the game just maybe wasn't in him anymore, and he got back to the Raiders and ended up retiring quickly. So I will point out Stefan Diggs in this last week for the Patriots got a big deal. It's kind of a year by year deal where he got about eighteen twenty million dollars a year. He's still less than a year away from his ACL surgery, and he's not a burner by any means, but he is the best receiver on that roster, and he's hard enough to know where the openings and zone coverage are. And I think ultimately they're going to be happy with Stefan Diggs. I think that signing, like a lot of their signings, is working out right now.

00:12:10
Speaker 3: Yeah, I don't know how long term wise, if he's going to be in their plans. Is they kind of get these young guys to develop and continue to add to that core as they go forward. But they needed dudes. They just needed some help at this point time, and the quarterback has played really well.

00:12:22
Speaker 2: I do want to point out the best bargain at this position plays for your Los Angeles.

00:12:28
Speaker 3: Child Keenan Allen Man, I.

00:12:30
Speaker 2: Mean the production that they are getting from Keenan Allen.

00:12:33
Speaker 1: I say, I say it every year.

00:12:34
Speaker 2: The best values in free agency are always the year by year guys in their early to mid thirties.

00:12:40
Speaker 1: You think, Okay, that's the end of their career.

00:12:42
Speaker 2: I mean, he's going to produce better than a lot of these twenty million dollar guys.

00:12:46
Speaker 1: He has been excellent for them.

00:12:48
Speaker 3: Yeah, and this proof of concept, you know, I always say, oh, you want somebody that's been in the system, or maybe he has a relationship with the quarterback, or in this case, you get a guy who's you know, the greatest, you know, arguably the greatest receiver in the history of the franchise, come right back and picks up right where he left off. So he's been awesome and well received inside the locker room as well.

00:13:06
Speaker 2: You want to talk any running backs, Your old guy JK.

00:13:11
Speaker 1: Dobbins is doing a good job in Denver.

00:13:13
Speaker 2: He's really the one that that stands out to me as a guy who I think they got a good value. It's that year two after the surgery, and I think he fits that system really nice.

00:13:21
Speaker 1: Yeah.

00:13:21
Speaker 3: I just hope he can stay healthy. If he stays healthy, he's always been productive. It's just a matter of being able to get him out there each and every week. I would to me, I like the idea of lighting his load as you go through, kind of manage him so that you have him as you get to the more meaningful section of the season. The running backs from the draft, it's a really good group genty. Both him and Hampton had big games last week. They're both you know, playing well. Judkins since he's got signed as he's been excellent Scataboo. The numbers aren't wowing, but just again seeing it in person, he's in. He brings a lot of juice and energy and toughness. Watch him as a lead blocker now with Jackson Dart running the ball a little bit, he's like a To me, he's like Mike Alstott you left in the drier too long, Like just like a little shrunken down version of that. But he's fun. He is a fun watch with what he's done. The one that I wrote down that's been just a little bit of a bummer. And it's not that he's been terrible, but I wrote thought Crayon Henderson was going to pop more than he has so far, He's got one hundred and five yards on the ground.

00:14:17
Speaker 1: It's coming a little more each week.

00:14:20
Speaker 2: He had a couple of really bad pass blocking reps, which I was thinking about the best.

00:14:25
Speaker 3: Pass blocking back in the that I've seen.

00:14:28
Speaker 2: I remember that and and I remember Rabel getting on him in a posting pressure, so I decided to go back and watch it. It was only three reps DJ and he had like catastrophic mistakes on all three, and then they just didn't play him for a couple of weeks on passing downs because of it. He had a penalty, he had missed the assignment where he gave up a sack and another pressure, and then back they played him again more this week. He looks explosive to me, so I'm not too worried. What other great value that I just did not expect was Javonte Williams is running really hard for the Dallas Cowboys. So some of these these mid career cheap backs that you always say like you can find it back, and you really can.

00:15:03
Speaker 1: Javonte Williams has been good for the Cowboys.

00:15:05
Speaker 3: And to be honest, before he popped his achilles, Naji Harrison was running the ball well for the Chargers as well. So another one of those kind of mid mid to mid career guys. Do we have let's go tight ends real quick. Tyler Warren has been everything as advertised. Harold Fannon has been awesome with Cleveland. Both those guys are you know, key parts of their offense, focal points. And then the disappointment would be Colson Lovelin three catches through four weeks like that. You know, you take a guy in the first round that high, even with all the other pieces they have. It just he hasn't really been a factor at all.

00:15:36
Speaker 2: Not an exciting position at free agency at tight end. So I'll just throw the Warren thing back at you. You are so high at on Warren and he's one of those guys that even watch him in the preseason, I think you could realize, oh, this is gonna work. And I kind of think he's the most important player on their offense, I guess other than quarterback, but it seems like so much of their offense is around him. He is a special little player, another possibility to win Offensive Rookie of the Year.

00:16:03
Speaker 3: And I think he's one of those weird guys that, like you got to watch a ton of him to appreciate him, you know, because if you're just looking at like, who's the silky smooth like a dynamic like, he doesn't fit any of those narratives. He's just a really really good player who understands how to play in space. He understands how to keep guys on his back when he's going to get the football. He's tough to get on the ground after the catch. He's a really, really, really good football player. So that was a perfect fit. That's one of those things we said it in one of the first episodes we did right after the draft, which was this was the ideal need and value marrying up for them with where they were in the draft, and Chris Ballard nailed that one. You want to do some offensive lineman.

00:16:40
Speaker 2: Greg, I only have bad news for offensive linemen, but they were so some of my strongest takes. Basically, you do not want to find offensive lineman and free agency, Now this isn't every single year, but you do tend to overpay. And if you think about the teams that win in the most, it was the Vikings and it was the Bears, and I don't think either one of them are feeling too good about their investments. Will Fryes has been okay. Maybe I'm sticking in my head because I was at the game. It's a beautiful view. When you're calling the game, you can really see it. I know what DJ experiences every week. Man, they were getting caved in even before Ryan Kelly left the game, and he's had a couple concussions.

00:17:16
Speaker 1: Now. Early Will Fryes has struggled. And then the Bears.

00:17:19
Speaker 2: You remember we thought, well did they fix their offensive line? They got Tony and Drew Dolman and Jodan Jackson. I would say all three, to varying degrees, have struggled. Tony's been okay, and the other two in general, their offensive line not really playing well on the interior. So it is tough to buy an offensive line, is kinda my takeaway, especially on the interior.

00:17:41
Speaker 3: How old were you when you got married, Greg?

00:17:44
Speaker 2: Pretty young for this generation, although I'm not in this generation anymore. I think twenty seven, twenty seven, Okay, yeah.

00:17:49
Speaker 3: I was twenty two, but I remember I used to always hear people say like, oh, you better find your person. You don't want to be looking shopping when you're forties. There's not a lot of there's a reason why people are single in forties. You don't want to marry them. And I'm sitting here going like that's offensive line. Like, if you're a decent offensive lineman, you don't get nobody lets you out of the building. So if you're out there and available for the most part, there's a pretty good reason for it. And it's a little bit of a buyer beware there.

00:18:14
Speaker 2: So Dan Moore is another one which we criticized at the time, wondering why he got so much money and he's struggled for the Titans.

00:18:20
Speaker 3: Left not good enough for the rookies. Look Will Campbell, Membo and Josh Simmons. I saw Josh Simmons live and person he's going to be We've said it. He's going to be really, really good, provided he can be out there and be healthy. He is very talented. It's the I think he's the best left tackle the Chiefs have had. I don't even know how long it goes way back with how well he's played. And then you know one that I wasn't in love with at the time and who struggled as ursery. You know, I was not an ursery guy coming out you know, even some of the statistical stuff, it shows that at his pressure rates over ten, it's giving up four sacks. He's played on the left and the right side, which isn't really fair to a young player to have to bounce around a little bit. So sometimes it takes long, guys, DT's and ots, there can be a little bit longer development process there. So you never want to give up on somebody early. And we've only been four games in, so let's let's track him as he goes through the year hopefully gets better.

00:19:12
Speaker 2: Yeah, there's a lot of offensive line stories. Andrew Thomas really sticks out to me as a guy who after his rookie year, Giants fans thought he was a bust. He turned into one of the best players in the entire league at its position. I've seen that quite a bit. All right, let's go to defense. You want to, let's let's do edges that you go first with your draft pick.

00:19:33
Speaker 1: Edges.

00:19:33
Speaker 3: Yeah, we're going to jump into edges. But before we do that, let's hear let's hear this amazing advertisement.

00:19:52
Speaker 2: We are back on forties and free agents and I'm here in shame in London because DJ is the one on top of things, and I actually through it to the break.

00:20:01
Speaker 3: Well, it's hard. I mean, look, you're not playing a home game, You're on the road, and you got to step up, gotta help out your team. It's something in the US Ryder Cup team wasn't able to do. You know, you hit it in the woods and I got us back. I got us back in the fairway. Man, That's all I'm trying to do.

00:20:14
Speaker 2: I wish I knew more about what went on there, but I was not. I was not locked in like a lot of the players.

00:20:20
Speaker 3: All right, hold on, hold on before you start, Can I show you who I'm the favorite person I saw at the Ryder Cup. Ken Griffy Junior was doing his photographer thing walking around. I'm like, hey, it's Ken Griffy came over. Nicest guy in the world. And to be honest with you, last golf take of the day, if Ken Griffy Junior played instead of Scottie Schffler would have scored the same amount of points.

00:20:38
Speaker 2: So unfortunately, why do so many great all time athletes become professional photographer?

00:20:44
Speaker 1: And you got Marshay Johnson?

00:20:46
Speaker 3: Yeah, is it Marshawn? Yeah, it's a fun hobby.

00:20:51
Speaker 1: It's a fun It's a fun job for these guys.

00:20:53
Speaker 2: All right, I'm gonna I'm gonna throw out the defensive end that you go out to me the most. It's actually a combination of the two Cardinals pick ups Kalais Campbell and Josh Sweat.

00:21:02
Speaker 1: They have both delivered.

00:21:04
Speaker 2: Campbell makes my point that I said earlier, the best values in free agency are often these these guys towards the end of their career. They only have to pay him five and a half million dollars. I mean, he's playing like a pro bowler. He's he's helped really win their two games that they won were largely because of Kalais Campbell and Josh Sweat. Josh Swett has had consistent pressure sacks, basically been exactly what they wanted. They got other issues on that team, but those two guys together and Campbell, who is a guest on NFL Daily this week with Jordan Jordan Rodrigue doing the interview. Just thought i'd give him a plug. But he's been incredible.

00:21:36
Speaker 1: Again.

00:21:37
Speaker 3: Well, there you go, these veteran guys making an impact, and I think it's been good so far. From the rookies as well. Abdul Carter. I saw him in person, and that that get off is real. You know, he had to play off the ball the previous week because of injuries. But I'm curious to see I think I don't know for sure, but I believe Thibodeau's I don't think they picked up as fifth year option. I think he's up after this year. Interest to see what they do there because it is the best part of their defense is their front. When Dexter Lawrence is starting to play a little bit better, but man, it's like every rep you can get Abdul Carter off the edge and on the opposite side of Burns is It's fun to watch. And Tibdau is playing well too. Don't get me wrong, but Abdul Carter's got twenty one pressures, nine more than any other rookie. Like he's been clearly with this defensive pass rusher.

00:22:22
Speaker 2: He won that game for them. I just watched that today and he was he was impressive. They did pick up Thibadeau's fifth year option, which I think they'll feel good about. You know, some games they've they've used Carter at linebacker. They're rushing him on the inside. In some games he's been at edge. I mean, that's a great trio to be rushing the passer.

00:22:40
Speaker 3: It's fun. I just to me, I wish they could just let him just purely just rush outside and get comfortable. He can win so many different ways. He's been awesome. James Pierce, you know, I think probably the most pressure of anybody, not that pass rush preser, the most, the most riding on a selection would be James Pierce because they traded a future one with the Rams to go get a second pass rusher after Walker, who they took, who's been good. But Pierce got twelve pressures. He's got a twenty one percent pressure rate, which is incredibly high. So if you're just looking at some of the numbers and stuff, he's been good there. Mikel Williams has been good with San Francisco your favorite in mind, Mason Graham has been excellent as a defensive tackle.

00:23:19
Speaker 2: That I think that's I think that's over selling it because we have something on the line here.

00:23:25
Speaker 1: He's been He's been fine.

00:23:27
Speaker 3: Okay, so he only has seven pressures, that is tied for the most among defensive tackles. He does have three tackles for loss, which is also the most among amongst all rookies. So I mean, yeah, I mean technically he's first and everything, but you know, for Greg's point, he wants to make and he's going to die on this hill?

00:23:42
Speaker 2: Is it?

00:23:42
Speaker 3: Somehow this wasn't a good pick. But that's that's where we are. If you, I mean, the numbers and the tape doesn't match that, but that but that's you know, that's your take.

00:23:50
Speaker 2: Because I'm locked into this and emotionally connected. I'm tracking it. And he had a really good Week three. That was against green Bay. People notice that was against backups, but you know green Bay. The other games he's been quite quiet. And if you look at like the FF grades for what for what it's worth, the pass rush, win ray, the overall grade for better, he's been okay. I don't think he's one of the top three rookies on the Browns.

00:24:15
Speaker 3: I mean, we're we're gonna get to some of these other guys.

00:24:19
Speaker 1: It's been even better. Last one, I'll say.

00:24:22
Speaker 2: On the lineman, Milton Williams has come as advertised, he has really been consistently pushing the pocket. And I was thinking in that game against Carolina that was really the Milton Williams Bowl. They they wanted to pay him and he has helped out that whole line. Really, their big ticket signings have worked. Harrol Landry's played very well for the Patriots too, so they're happy. And then again it's in my head because I was watching it, but Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen really struggled in that game against the Steelers on Sunday, and in general this year, not a ton of production from those two guys. At the Vikings signed on their defensive interior, Yeah, they were very active.

00:24:58
Speaker 3: The Vikings were the one disappointment, I would say on the on the pass rush side, and again I kind of just grouped all the pass rush inside outside, all those guys all together, Schamar Stewart just because you had the contracts always like getting there every thing. He has ankle injury, so it just hasn't really got off the you know, off the mat yet, so just kind of a slow start there. But hopefully he comes back he's healthy and makes an impact for them.

00:25:19
Speaker 1: I did want to give one shout out by the way, it was a trade.

00:25:21
Speaker 2: I don't know if accounts in fregency, but Bryce Huf Bryce Huff has been fantastic for the forty nine ers. He's right back to being like Robert Salab, Bryce Uff and the Jets.

00:25:30
Speaker 1: Yes, yeah, it's perfect.

00:25:33
Speaker 3: We use the phrase. We use the phrase in the personnel department, like sponsors, like you got to have a sponsor. And you can see it with guys. You'll see it with backup quarterbacks, Like a backup quarterback that has the sponsor, like they could hang around forever man because you just got a coach that loves him and he'll always have work. And so in this case, it is a great fit because it's just all get off. Just that to help Bryce Huff wins. We're not worried about you holding up and playing the point of attack. Just get off the rock and go. And that's where he's been excellent. You want to go to linebackers, Yeah, let's do it. I think good for the rookies. Swetzinger's been the best one, you know, as you referenced, he's been awesome, and it's everything he can run and cover. He's got range, his eyes work well, he's got great instincts. He's been awesome. Johdan Campbell has done some stuff in coverage that's been outstanding. Was a favorite of ours coming through the draft process with the Eagles, and he gets to play next to an absolute stud. There's no better person for him to play next to in Zach Bond to learn from him, and Demetrius Knight, I think has done a nice job as well. So there's three off the ball linebackers for rookies, which is not always easy to do. I think all three of those guys who played really well.

00:26:34
Speaker 2: I feel like off ball linebackers are back. We're seeing some young, really good players in the league. When you think about Eddrian Cooper, you seem like you're under selling John Campbell. I feel like for a rookie position, he's impressive.

00:26:48
Speaker 1: He's impressive.

00:26:49
Speaker 3: He the only thing he's got going against him is the guy he's playing next to, who makes you know, twice as many incredible wild plays, none of his fault, but just that's how good Bond is. But he's been really good.

00:27:01
Speaker 2: Yeah, there weren't a lot of big splashes in terms of the free agent market. Drake Greenlaw that was a risky contract that they brought him in to Denver with and he has not been healthy. He was not healthy a year ago, so that's kind of an incomplete but right now it's not working out well for them. Jamien Sherwood is a guy who I've noticed been on the wrong end of a lot of bad plays against the Jets this year. They re signed him to pretty good money and then on the positive side that way, I thought the Ernest Jones contract for Seattle was quietly important for what they're doing, and he is right in the middle of one of the best defenses in the league, so that in terms of the money that they gave him, which was not too much, I thought that turned out.

00:27:42
Speaker 1: To be a really good value so far.

00:27:44
Speaker 3: I love Ernest Jones and I've always won. I didn't understand why he kept bouncing around because everywhere he was I felt like he played really well. But we got to get rid of thirteen. Something about it. Off the ball linebacker worth thirteen. It's just not a good look.

00:27:55
Speaker 2: Okay, So you're using the term off ball linebacker, and I've used that term a long time. And then some guy on Twitter I don't know when it was, replied to something I said, you know recently and was like, Greg, you're sounding like an like you're not a ball No where nobody says, off ball linebacker anymore. That's not a term that like real football people use anymore. I was like, did I miss the meeting? Did I not get invited? That we're not using that term anyway? You're using it?

00:28:22
Speaker 1: How much more real football can you get?

00:28:24
Speaker 3: Well, everybody I knows, everybody I know and talk to in the NFL used it. So maybe maybe maybe Greg's putting a little too much emphasis and credence into what's being said online, which I wouldn't think you would do. After Nick Benito just tried to drag you on social media. That thing has over a million views right now after for those you know, three days ago, Greg, the Vikings defense is so good, Jake Browning will be relieved to face the Broncos. Then after the game you get Nick Benito retweeting it with the crying laughing emoji. Do we have an updated number on the views? Can Gavin give me an update? Because the screen grab I got was from an hour ago, it was only a million time. Don't know if we've maybe got another hundred thousand since then or not.

00:29:03
Speaker 1: You are breaking this news to me.

00:29:05
Speaker 3: You do not know this.

00:29:06
Speaker 1: I did not know this.

00:29:08
Speaker 3: Oh yeah, Nick Benito he had, and he had to have had its stories at one point one. He had to have had that store you said three days ago.

00:29:17
Speaker 2: I did notice. I haven't been online much.

00:29:20
Speaker 3: Like a troll. You're just like a you know, your hot take troll guy. Now I don't even know who you are.

00:29:26
Speaker 2: I did notice there were a decent like there were a handful of Broncos fans in my mention, but they're always chirpy anyways, And I haven't been too locked in, you know.

00:29:34
Speaker 1: It was really more about the Vikings defense.

00:29:36
Speaker 3: The point was this, Nick didn't see it that way.

00:29:39
Speaker 1: It's so great that like the Broncos.

00:29:42
Speaker 2: What I didn't consider DJ is that Jake Browning and the Bengals offense is actually the common denominator here. If you want to see what the best defense in the NFL is, it's whoever's playing Jake Browning and the Bengals. At least the last two weeks, literally the best two defensive performances of the entire seat are against Jake Browning and that Bengals offense.

00:30:02
Speaker 3: So more this is more of an NFL Daily topic, But would you trade for.

00:30:06
Speaker 1: Jamis if I was the Bengals watching.

00:30:10
Speaker 3: Jake Browning play every week.

00:30:12
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's it.

00:30:14
Speaker 2: It really seems like it's more. Though Jamis would not Jamis would help them, but.

00:30:21
Speaker 3: He'd be like Jamar Chase, I'm gonna give you fifteen targets every game.

00:30:24
Speaker 2: This is what the offensive line, it's the system, and then it's the defense. It's it's everything there is not good really except for the receivers. All right, let's wrap it up with the defensive backs.

00:30:35
Speaker 3: Go ahead, I'll uh, I'll just rip through three guys here real quick. The couple safeties there with Xavier Watson Billy bow would have been excellent. So they're fun like those guys. Will Johnson slipped because he didn't run fast, but has been a good player, got his hand on a bunch of footballs. He's played well on what I've seen of him. So those are three names, not you know, not first round picks, but three good secondary players for you right there.

00:31:00
Speaker 2: Honestly, I'm still just scrambling and now I'm looking, you know, I want to find this Nick Benito tweet.

00:31:04
Speaker 3: I'm I'm all over, I'm.

00:31:09
Speaker 2: I'm on till and I'm annoyed too because I've used every platform that i have. DJ NFL Daily NFL Game debut to talk about how great Nick Bonito is this year. That he was I think second or third in Defensive Player of the Year last year, and I think he's taken it to another level. He might be like like the best pure press rusher in the NFL along with Micah right now. Defensive, yeah, that none of that's going to matter the defensive backs. You know, a couple signings stuck out with me for the Giants that really haven't turned around their defensive backfield. Paulson Adiebo was a big risk and Javon Holland really hasn't helped their secondary out too much. I feel like that's another position that it's very difficult to find like a great.

00:31:57
Speaker 1: Value in freegency.

00:31:58
Speaker 2: But I do like what the the Indianapolis Colts did. Chris Ballard has really had like a great offseason. If you look at their secondary, Tarvarius Ward and cam Binam have been extremely competitive, especially Tarvarius Ward, and overall has has upgraded a group that without them would would really be struggling.

00:32:18
Speaker 1: So give the Colts some credit there.

00:32:20
Speaker 3: Yeah, they've done a nice job. And not only what the moves they've made in the off season with the draft and free agency that have been heralded in our conversation, but it's it's just translated overall how they've played on the field. And I think you got to give the combination of Chris Ballard gets a lot of grief and I thought you did a nice job this offseason. And I actually think Shane Steichen is one of the best in game coaches of how you know, how he can design things and call plays. He's done a really really good job.

00:32:45
Speaker 2: Well you know who they used to say that about too, you know.

00:32:49
Speaker 1: Their defensive.

00:32:52
Speaker 2: So overall, it's a much more talented group, I would say. And it's funny, I'm looking at this free agency list out there and then you realize, like a Sante Samuel Junior, he's not even on a team. Stephan Gilmore is not even on a team. Some of these guys I thought that were pretty good pickups never even got signed.

00:33:09
Speaker 1: So free agency never ends. You.

00:33:12
Speaker 2: You know that you were in the front office, the pro personnel department is scouring for picks right now.

00:33:18
Speaker 3: Think about it. If we were in the same type of environment as the teams are, Like say, you know, for instance, hypothetically, if you were ever a podcasting free agent. You know, like, hey, we don't we don't. We don't like you enough to just give you the contract, but we'll give you you come in and work out for us a little bit. Let's just come in here workshop a couple of segments and we'll see you might be on our ready list. You might just be on the ready list that if in the future we feel like you know, we did an extra podcast, we would we'd bring you in.

00:33:46
Speaker 1: This would not be the tape that I would submit.

00:33:48
Speaker 3: DJ isn't what you get getting crushed by Nick Benito. It's not that that's not the audition tape.

00:33:54
Speaker 2: I've been until ever since that moment happened.

00:33:58
Speaker 1: It was a pleasure. We are going to do this again.

00:33:59
Speaker 2: Like I said about halfway through the season, I think it's on the books for the beginning of November. So keep studying, keep listening, to move the sticks.

00:34:11
Speaker 1: Everyone out there.

00:34:11
Speaker 2: We'll be back with another NFL Daily very shortly. And yes we'll be on a one month break from forties and free agents.

00:34:19
Speaker 1: We'll see you next day.