PodcastFrom NFL: The Insiders
The Insiders Podcast: Training Camp Quarterback Battles and Fantasy Quarterback Tiers
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44 min
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Jul 30, 2026
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Thu, July 30, 2026
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Episode Transcript
0:00This is an iHeart Podcast. Guaranteed human. Outcomes and chat with former Raider and current Raiders broadcaster, Kirk Morrison, on today's Insiders.
0:07Hey everybody, welcome to this edition of The Insiders.
0:10Patrick Claiborne here with NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport and Judy Battista.
0:13Folks, we are three days away from Back Together Saturday, and while a lot of teams are back together on this Wednesday, not everyone's doing everything.
0:22That's what we start with here in What's New Today.
0:25Two of the best and most explosive players in the NFL that happen to play running back waiting on new contracts.
0:31Both Bijan Robinson and Jameer Gibbs not practicing as they aspire towards that goal of new deals.
0:37The Falcons and Lions now in very similar situations, Ian, but timeline wise, I guess somebody has to go first.
0:43We'll start right there. It certainly seems just based on the landscape of this thing that the Atlanta Falcons and Bajon Robinson
0:50are having more active conversations as it pertains to a long term extension.
0:54If a deal is going to get done for either of these guys, which I think it's safe to say is up
1:01in the air right now, certainly would make sense.
1:03Based on where it's going for Bajon Robinson to be first running back this offseason to get the blockbuster deal and become
1:10the highest paid running back in the NFL. Make no mistake.
1:14Both of these players, both Jameer Gibbs and Bajon Robinson are in similar situations.
1:18Both have fifth year options. Both are entering the fourth year.
1:22Both have been engaged at some point in the offseason in long term extensions and both if they get a new deal
1:28will be either close to or the highest paid running back in the NFL.
1:33We will see if the Atlanta Falcons of Bajon Robinson can end up landing that plane.
1:38As far as Jameer Gibbs, these conversations do not seem to be as active.
1:42He is holding in as well as not really taking part in practice at all.
1:47Similar to Bajon Robinson would not be surprised if we don't see Gibbs at practice, Patrick and participating in practice until they
1:54get some sort of real significant progress on a contract extension.
1:57You know, he's going to be ready physically. Both of these guys did the conditioning test.
2:02Both these guys passed the physical would not be surprised that we don't see them participate at all until they get new contracts.
2:09A lot to watch for, especially with these two players.
2:12So again, they play the running back position, but in terms of the share that they have for their offense, it is very significant for both of them.
2:21And with that Falcons offense, they have another set of issues in the quarterback position to a tongue of Iloa limited in camp with a back injury.
2:30They're still waiting for clearance for full clearance for Michael Penix Jr.
2:33He updated us on his status today. I was told that like another four weeks possibly going into that next stage.
2:40But at the same time, it could be earlier, you know, just depending on, you know, how my body is doing throughout this whole camp process.
2:48Obviously, I have a long injury history. So the last thing I want to do is try to rush back just to get out on the field.
2:57You know, I want to make sure my body is healthy so that whenever I do get on the field, I can give this team 100%.
3:05You did a very open acknowledgement there from Michael Penix Jr.
3:08citing everything that he's been through. The Falcons had a slew of quarterback transactions this week as they kind of prepare to deal with this.
3:16This is, first of all, a very unfortunate situation for Michael Penix Jr., who has had three torn ACLs.
3:22He obviously says, you know, he's got a long history and so they are not going to rush him back.
3:28What this basically means is there's no quarterback competition for the Atlanta Falcons, as we thought there might be.
3:34To a tug of eye look, who's got a back issue that flared up.
3:38So he's currently not practicing unless that sets him aside for most of training camp.
3:43He's going to be the starting quarterback at least going into the start of the season.
3:48If Michael Penix is out four weeks before he can even start practicing, well, that takes you up to about just two
3:55weeks before the season opener, before he can start practicing.
3:58So this is going to be Tua's job. They hope he will be able to start practicing by the end of this week.
4:05Maybe early next week is more likely as long as they can manage the back issue that Tua is having.
4:11It's going to be his job with Michael Penix, unfortunately, unable to even practice.
4:16Yeah. So as a part of those transactions, Cooper Rush comes in.
4:20They release former Broncos starting quarterback Trevor Simeon. We'll keep an eye on the quarterback situation there in Atlanta.
4:26Let's come back over here to the West Coast where the Los Angeles Rams training camp underway from Loyola Marymount University.
4:32As we get a chance to see the Rams quarterbacks at work, their top target, Puka Nakua, addressing some of the issues
4:39that he's had off the field, including some moments where he was asked to do anti-Semitic hand signs by Twitch streamers addressing some of those issues today.
4:47Trying to take accountability for the things that I know that I can continue to change and can grow in ways that I know that help me.
4:56I know that I know that I know that's a lot of the things that have helped me feel as best as
5:03I can when I step out here in the football field and outside of the football field.
5:08Being a father is something that has changed my life, but then also just becoming a better person, continuing to work on it.
5:15There's my therapist. I feel like we have a really good connection and just the ability to communicate in different ways and
5:22to use the safe space that I have out here and finding ways to other places that are safe space for me outside of the football field.
5:31Final year of that rookie deal. Ian, looking at another contract with the off the field issues and issue in terms of that.
5:38Yeah, it certainly is. But the Los Angeles Rams really what they want to see from Puka Nakua is that he is
5:45in a better place this year than he was at any point last year.
5:49I'm not even talking about on the field, on the field.
5:52He is a superstar. He's one of the best, if not the best receiver in the NFL and certainly just based on his play deserves a huge contract.
6:01That's not really what this is about. This is about off the field.
6:05It's about him personally. And Puka Nakua mentioned some of it is work with a therapist going to rehab, taking accountability for
6:12some of the actions that he very well did last year in very public manner.
6:17That really is what the Rams want to see.
6:20And that is why my understanding of the situation.
6:22Do not expect a Puka Nakua contract extension before the season.
6:26Do not. He has one more year left on his deal.
6:29The Rams have spent a lot of money in a lot of different places on a lot of different players.
6:36I expect that to sort of be the focus this year.
6:39And we will see after this year if he ends up getting tagged or a new extension and deal from the ramps.
6:46Yeah. One of those players, most notably is Miles Garrett, his former team, the Cleveland Browns with a deal for one of
6:53his former teammates and fellow defensive players, safety Grant Delpit.
6:56And the grounds of bringing to agreeing to a deal could be worth up to forty eight million dollars over the next three years.
7:03Delpit played in all 17 games last year, had seven quarterback hits from the safety position.
7:08And speaking of hitting quarterbacks, former number one overall pick, Jadavion Clowney, visiting the Browns today, according to NFL Network Insider Mike Garofalo.
7:15J.D. Clowney had eight and a half sacks last year.
7:19Meanwhile, the Browns, they still got to figure out who they will be starting at quarterback.
7:24Let's hear from their head coach, Todd Munkin. All four quarterbacks are going to compete.
7:28They all won't get equal reps. Obviously, we will alternate just like we did in the spring with Deshaun and Shadur with the ones.
7:36We're going to have to have a start of the first game, right?
7:40I mean, ultimately, I'm not going to decide who the starter is.
7:44They decide by their play. Their play decides who the starter is.
7:47I don't I don't have any preconceived notions of how they played in the past or how they're going to play.
7:54I only can with my eyes judge and and guys got to play well around them.
7:59I think we've shored up some things up front.
8:02We've added some weapons on the perimeter. So I think that's going to help.
8:06But they'll decide who plays. I don't decide who plays.
8:09The players decide who plays. That's one way to look at it from the head coach, Judy.
8:15But before they play, they're going to have to figure out who gets a chance to play in those preseason games, because
8:21those are going to be coming on the way pretty soon.
8:25Yeah, the plan is to split the first team reps.
8:28So today it was Deshaun Watson with the first team.
8:31The reporters who were on the ground said he struggled.
8:34He threw back to back interceptions. Of course, it's the first day of practice.
8:39We will see how Shadur does when he gets with the first team.
8:43This is sort of how it went in the spring to one guy would seem to take the lead.
8:49It looked early on like Deshaun Watson was pulling ahead in the race.
8:53And then Shadur Sanders started to make some headway.
8:55Don't forget, going all the way back to the spring, originally Todd Munkin wanted to have a decision on his starting quarterback coming out of the spring.
9:04So that tells you neither one of them was able to separate himself from the other.
9:09The preseason games are going to be really important.
9:12Munkin said he's going to play his starter. So obviously these guys are going to have to show something in the preseason games to pull ahead.
9:20If neither one of them can pull ahead, that tells you this is a tough decision and probably not one that is
9:27going to land them a top tier quarterback performance.
9:30Yeah, if it is Watson in week one, he'd be only the third quarterback to start in three week ones for the Browns in the last 20 years.
9:38This is what's new today coming into the NFL LA newsroom.
9:42The Houston Texans and CJ Stroud back at work this week for training camp.
9:46The 2023 rookie of the year had his fifth year option picked up, but it's the subsequent years that are yet to be straightened out today.
9:54GM Nick Casario said they're already having some productive conversations.
9:57We've had pretty constructive discussions here over the course of the spring.
10:01So I'd say, you know, there's a possibility something can happen in training camp.
10:05It doesn't happen in training camp. And if I have to make a decision about, you know, what we feel makes the most sense.
10:13So like I said, try to take it one day at a time and, you know, if we reach an end point.
10:20Great. If we don't, you know, I think everybody understands what that will entail as well.
10:25What I've done is what I've done on the field and what I will do, you know, we'll see.
10:31So I think, you know, I've had some success and I think, you know, I'll continue to have success as a quarterback in this league.
10:39So I'm excited for the future, you know, and pass all the contracts.
10:43I love playing football. Let's welcome back Brian Baldinger into this edition of the insiders.
10:47Ian Rappaport with us as well. Ian, it feels like the expectation was a Stroud deal would come after whatever performance he provides.
10:54Could we get this sooner rather than later? We could in fact get a CJ Stroud deal sooner rather than later provided
11:01all sides agree and they are not there yet.
11:04It does not seem like they are close yet.
11:07A couple important factors are first of all, we saw CJ Stroud struggle at the end of the year for the Houston Texans.
11:14It is clear inside this organization. They view him as the franchise starter.
11:18No question. The player who led them to the playoffs multiple years in a row who is entrenched at that position and
11:25those guys, those franchise starters who were young, we're looking at new contracts.
11:29They essentially make in the fifties based on new money average.
11:33I'm talking about the Jared Goffs of the world and Jordan love and Trevor Lawrence certainly seems like that would be the category of CJ Stroud.
11:41Will he end up being able to get a deal with the Texans?
11:45We simply don't know. It seems like both sides are comfortable making an attempt at it that if it doesn't happen by the season, that is okay.
11:53They will try again next year. But the fact that talks are going on is I would say at least extremely noteworthy for Houston's belief in CJ Stroud.
12:02And Baldy, if we're going to create a circumstance where those conversations are very amenable for CJ Stroud, what needs to change?
12:09Well, the people around them have to change. I mean, they went from Laramie Tunsil at left tackle last year to a rookie in Ariante Ursary.
12:17They're rebuilding their offensive line again this year. They got a rookie Keelan Rutledge at center going to start.
12:23That's never an easy transition to go from guarding Kyle's to starting center with CJ.
12:28I think that's a great deal. I think that's a great deal.
12:31I think the running gate has to pick up.
12:34You look at that last defeat against the Patriots right there with those interceptions.
12:39They ran the ball for 42 yards that day.
12:41They didn't run the ball well at all last year at the very bottom of the league.
12:47They've got to run the ball better. They've got to protect better.
12:50I have no question that CJ Stroud knows how to go through progressions, knows how to pull the open receiver, has great arm strength and touch.
12:59Like those things haven't changed, but the pieces around them have to get better.
13:03And if they do, I think you'll see a real uptick in CJ's play.
13:07Plenty of aspects statistically where CJ Stroud was still maintaining the success he's had early in his career last year.
13:14That's the latest on Stroud and the Texans with Ian Rappaport and Brian Balding.
13:18The one thing I really love about the Cowboys fan base is it's that or nothing.
13:23I love those expectations. Sometimes you've got to go out and do some things.
13:27The Cowboys did that. Time is up the essence and it's now or never.
13:32That, Prescott, you better cash in right now while you have this opportunity.
13:36I will prevail. Everybody came into Oxnard yesterday, the first day of practice for the Dallas Cowboys in Oxnard, California, and well,
13:43as well as the birthday for their starting quarterback.
13:45We're not over the top guys. It's your birthday today.
13:48What's your wish this year? One day, win. So happy birthday to Dak Prescott at training camp annual circumstances.
13:54We are back in Oxnard with Jane Slater after the first day of practice.
13:59Good evening to you, Jane. How'd it go? Well, good evening to you.
14:03Here's what I'll say. There are no pods yet.
14:06That comes on Saturday, Patrick, but there's still a lot to light from day one, including this.
14:11I know this is going to excite the fans.
14:14We have gotten George Pickens here, and if you'll pay attention, this is their first connection of training camp.
14:20Pickens slips the defender there along the sideline, turns it upfield for extra yards.
14:24And this was the part that got the fans really, really hype.
14:28The stuff that we've been seeing in practice when he showed up to mini camp, that celebration, a little bit of his personality.
14:35And when he's not making plays, he and 88, well, they're constantly talking between reps and feeding off one another throughout practice.
14:42Whether Pickens is playing for a long-term future in Dallas or simply resetting his value ahead of free agency, Brian Schottenheimer says
14:49he's seeing a player who's dialed in. I think you're going to see a very motivated George Pickens going into the season,
14:56and I think that's great news for us and maybe bad news for the rest of the league.
15:01Second year running back Jaden Blue also answered a challenge from his head coach.
15:06After admitting he got off to a slow start as a rookie and was even a healthy scratch at times, Blue opened
15:13up camp with that explosive run right there. He told me this coaching staff has challenged him to become a more complete back, particularly in the passing game.
15:21Think cleaner routes, better timing, and creating more opportunities on screens and checkdowns to make this offense even more versatile.
15:28Now, I did have to ask Blue about the admission by his head coach last year that he was wearing Louis Vuitton
15:34cleats in practice that led to blisters, and he had to sit out a bit.
15:39He laughed about it, but he said, guys, what happened there was that you've got to size up when it's Louis Vuitton.
15:46He says it's not the brand's problem. It was his problem.
15:49They were ill-fitted, so he will size up, but those are just some of the things.
15:54He's got his head on straight this year, and he really wants to make an impression, and he certainly did that on
16:01the first day back to camp in his second year.
16:04Yes, a great opportunity for all of us who plan intently on having Louis Vuitton footwear when we were playing an athletic competition.
16:12I appreciate him looking out for all of us, Shane Slater, with the latest on the Dallas Cowboys, their first day of practice in Oxnard.
16:19When we come back, there's a couple of MVP winners drafted in 2018.
16:23Both of them had their longtime coaches replaced, so just how different are things in Baltimore and Buffalo?
16:29We hear from Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson coming up next on The Insider.
16:33I love the Raiders. I love the city. This is the team that drafted me.
16:38Gotta get my money right. They need to get a long-term extension in place.
16:43There's so much at stake. Gotta get my money right.
16:46The extension is gonna get done, or he's going somewhere else.
16:49Back here on The Insiders, what's new today? Well, what's new with Lamar's contract?
16:53He's not telling us. Swat practices at training camp.
16:56Says he's gonna keep the contract extension discussions private, but the thing he is very willing to discuss is new play caller, Declan Doyle.
17:04I don't think we carried over anything, man. It's Declan like a wizard.
17:08You know, he's trying to get the best out of all of us.
17:12You know, not just the quarterbacks, but every aspect of the offense.
17:16And I feel like he's doing a great job at that, challenging us each and every play.
17:21You know, even with the huddle, how the huddle is set up.
17:25He's challenging us, man. Get to the line of scrimmage, facts.
17:28Execute. Break down, you know, break down the defense process, everything.
17:32It's like a process of elimination when we get into the line of scrimmage, so it's great.
17:37Each and every year, you're getting older. Your mind is getting sharpened.
17:41Everything is slowing down even more. It's like you done seen everything, you know, or anything a defense can bring at you.
17:47The only thing different now is just the new offense.
17:51So once I get that down pack, I feel like there's no room for error with us.
17:56Keep stacking. Judy, everybody isn't still there from that historic 2024 offense, but there are pieces available to Declan Doyle who've played at a very high level.
18:04Yeah, well, you just heard Lamar talk about fast tempo in practice.
18:08That's how they want to play. Fast tempo, under center, pre-snap motion, explosiveness.
18:12They want to get the explosiveness back into that offense.
18:15But I actually think the most important piece of this is how locked in Lamar Jackson has been all offseason.
18:22He is so bought in that he participated in the offseason program, which he has not always done.
18:27And Jesse Minter, the new head coach, talked today about how, you know, sometimes when you have to learn something new, that
18:34energizes you because you know you have to learn something by a deadline, right?
18:38You've got to know it by the time the games start.
18:42He was talking about Lamar there. He has been very energized by where they are right now, by this new offense, by
18:49the new coaching staff, to the point where Lamar said Jesse Minter took him aside and said, let's meet in the office
18:56and I'm going to show you defenses. That way Lamar can learn defenses, can understand defenses more than he has before.
19:02Lamar's really into it. So I think that is a really important component of what we're going to see this year from Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens.
19:11Another bit of exciting news for the Baltimore Ravens and their fan base after recovering from a career-threatening neck injury.
19:17Two-time all-pro defensive tackle Nnamdi Matabike practiced for the first time in 10 months this week after passing his physical and coming off of the pup list.
19:26So great news for Nnamdi Matabike. Hopefully a great and healthy return for him.
19:30We'll be back with Judy Batista as we continue this edition of the Insiders.
19:34Let's get to Lamar's 2018 draft. Staff classmate in Josh Allen, first training camp under new head coach and former OC Joe Brady.
19:42As the Bills see some changes, Josh Allen on those changes and some of the reasons for them.
19:47We talked about this earlier in OTAs, just the vibe, the energy.
19:51You know, it's different. It's not, I'm not saying it's better, it's worse, it's different.
19:56And, you know, as a new head coach for a team, I think that's a smart decision to make things different.
20:02You know, this isn't the same place and you have to make it feel differently because, you know, doing the same thing, it obviously didn't work.
20:10So got to change it up and try to find new ways to make it work.
20:15One way to make it work is to provide NFL Network insider Ian Rappaport with a spectacular umbrella.
20:21As Ian Rappaport there as the Bills worked towards 2026.
20:242026, Ian, what did you learn besides protecting oneself?
20:27Well, I learned, Patrick, when you're going to go on a road trip that includes many, many cities, you should probably bring
20:34at least one coat or maybe an umbrella so you don't have to swipe one from a local Rochester TV reporter.
20:40Thanks. I appreciate the umbrella. Let's talk about the Buffalo Bills.
20:44Listening to Josh Allen talk about the change in the organization.
20:47I mean, that really has resonated throughout the organization.
20:50Here is what I essentially came away from today with this, besides the fact that it was incredibly rainy and cold and everybody seemed fine with it.
20:58Sean McDermott is universally respected inside the building and change is okay.
21:02Change is necessary. They won a lot. It was not enough.
21:06And when it came time to pick a head coach, they went with Joe Brady, who's got a lot of juice, who
21:12certainly brings a lot more excitement to the organization than Sean McDermott did.
21:16The offense is going to be similar. That was rolling last year, bringing Jim Leonard for a defense that my understanding when
21:23they did the coach search, they really found that a lot of the feedback was their defense was too predictable.
21:30Jim Leonard, one of the top defensive coordinator candidates around, he ends up getting hired by the Bills.
21:35There's a lot of excitement there. What he can bring, the attacking style, the versatileness for his defense.
21:41There's a lot of optimism in Buffalo with this new staff or in Rochester, which I was today.
21:46Yeah. A very rainy Rochester today. Again, Ian provided with that protection.
21:50Thanks to Ian. We'll be back. As the Insiders continues, we'll get to the Philadelphia Eagles making news yesterday.
21:56Jalen Carter gets a new deal. Could be worth up to $160 million over four years.
22:01The Eagles already extended defensive tackle Jordan Davis this offseason.
22:04Clearly a position of value, as Howie Roseman noted today.
22:07Howie, the decision to give Jalen Carter the contract.
22:10No, no, no, no. Welcome back. No, no, no.
22:13Hey guys, how's it going? How's everyone summer? We've got football back in Philadelphia.
22:17It's a beautiful thing. Right through it. Right through it.
22:21Right through that. The defense tackle position in the league, in college football, it's a deficient position.
22:26There's hard to find guys like that. And so we feel like it was a priority.
22:31Where the market was when March opened was kind of in transition.
22:35You had guys like Dex ready to sign, obviously Simmons.
22:38And so some of the reasons that it got to this point were just because we were trying to figure out the market.
22:45And from his perspective, he was trying to figure out the market.
22:49There hadn't been a big jump in the market.
22:51And so we like to do contracts in March and April, obviously get that situated before we go into the draft, before we go into our summer.
23:00This is a unique situation by the same token.
23:03Getting this done before camp was important for all of us.
23:06You know, good things happen when you get things off your plate and you're able to focus on football.
23:12Let's get Brian Baldinger back in here as the Eagles go into 2026.
23:16Nick Sirianni having now answered some of the biggest contract questions this offseason, albeit not to Howie's timeline, but they still got it done.
23:24Yeah, they did. And, you know, the nickname for Jalen Carter is the bread man.
23:28And he just got the bread man. And to Howie's credit, since under his leadership, when a young player that's drafted high performs well, they don't wait around.
23:37They extend it. Landon Dickerson, Jordan Davis this year.
23:40I mean, you just go through the roster and they extend their players.
23:44And rightfully so. The market exploded this year with Dexter Lawrence, Jeffrey Simmons, Jordan Davis earlier this year.
23:50And Jalen Carter is probably better than all of them when he's full strength.
23:54He was banged up last year, wasn't quite the same guy.
23:57But I'll say this about Jalen Carter. If you don't double team him, Patrick, you do so at your own peril.
24:04Because there's not a single guy one-on-one that can really effectively block Jalen Carter.
24:08And so he's going to draw an awful lot of double teams.
24:12And he knows how to beat him. And he makes everybody else around him better.
24:17This was a good move by Philadelphia, locking him up, getting him and Davis in the middle for the long term right here.
24:24As they keep the foundation of this defense intact going forward.
24:27Yeah, the cornerstone, the centerpiece of a defense that won the Super Bowl.
24:31A lot of people seem to forget it wasn't that long ago.
24:35It was the Philadelphia Eagles hoisting the Lombardi Trophy.
24:38Brian Baldinger with us here. Football is back. Back Together weekend kicks off August 1st.
24:43Live coverage from NFL training camps across the league.
24:45Tune in Saturday starting at 9 a.m. Eastern on ESPN and NFL Network.
24:50Coverage continues throughout the weekend right here on NFL Network.
24:53Looking forward to Back Together Saturday as well as Inside Training Camp.
24:56Coming your way next week here on NFL Network.
24:59As for today, what's coming into our newsroom. Let's go a couple miles southwest to El Segundo.
25:05That's where the Chargers are back at work. Look at Quentin Johnson, friend of the show.
25:10Making that one-handed grab, a little celebration. They are glad to be more healthy than they were in the middle and late part of the 2025 season.
25:18A vast majority of the snaps did not feature either Joe Alt or Rashawn Slater.
25:23Jim Harbaugh, to put it bluntly, likes his tackles.
25:25Everybody's cleared past physical and ready to roll. It's like a plane just starting on a runway.
25:31It's going to get moving and it's going to get going.
25:34And then it's going to start going so fast it's just going to take off and be flying.
25:40But, yeah, we're not going to. There's a ramp up.
25:43They're not too far from the flight path from LAX there.
25:46And El Segundo, as Coach Harbaugh has planes on the brain.
25:50I was wondering where that was going. Yeah, not sure, Ian, but the injury submarine them in 2025.
25:55Glad to have a lot of guys back healthy.
25:58I thought he was comparing his two superstar tackles to enormous planes who are on the runway.
26:04Once they get going, you can't stop them because they're so big and they're so fast and they're so good.
26:10That analogy actually makes a lot more sense than using it to ramp up.
26:14But I digress. The reason we're talking about this is because the Chargers last year for all the success and all the
26:21games they won did so without two of the best tackles in football.
26:25It was really an incredible thing that they ended up getting done.
26:29And in the end, they got Justin Herbert hit far more than they ever wanted to do, but still made things happen on offense.
26:36They go into this year with a couple changes.
26:39One, both those guys are healthy, creating what is one of the best offensive lines in the NFL.
26:45No doubt about it, just based on personnel. And the fact that they have Mike McDaniel as an offensive coordinator and basically
26:52created this offense in his image really is going to determine where this Los Angeles Chargers offense goes.
26:57There's a lot of excitement. There's a lot of talent.
27:00He was no doubt the top coordinator hired after the Miami Dolphins fired him as the head coach.
27:06If they stay healthy, we will see what this offense is actually capable of.
27:10And man, it is going to be like planes taking off and then like going higher and just flying.
27:16Yeah. Planes flying. Continue the analogy. I guess the gear would come out at some point and then you land and you refuel.
27:24Sure. Take right back off again on the other side of the division.
27:28If people think the Chargers had some changes, the shifts a bit more significant in Las Vegas is Kirk Cousins taking first
27:34team reps for Clint Kubiak's Raiders team. Imagine hearing that sentence about a year ago, but things change quickly.
27:40And if anyone's well aware of that, it's Kirk Cousins.
27:44Clint pretty definitively named you the starter. Just kind of what does it mean to you to have that opportunity and have that confidence from the coaching staff?
27:52Yeah, I think in this league, it's kind of one day at a time.
27:57So you're only as good as your last throw, your last practice.
28:00So, you know, you try to every day go out and earn that opportunity and never take anything for granted.
28:07Las Vegas Raiders veterans report this week. Yes, that now includes Ashton Gentry as his rookie season is done.
28:13Listed as a vet. Brock Bowers making his way in.
28:16Also including the man named as the starting quarterback, Kirk Cousins.
28:19But that's not the Kirk that we are focusing on.
28:22That is Kirk Morrison, the former Raiders linebacker. Part of the broadcast team joining us here on the Insiders.
28:28Thanks for joining us, Kirk. It's been a whirlwind year.
28:31It's about this time you got added to the broadcast team.
28:35Once a Raider, always a Raider. A lot has changed.
28:38What's it been like seeing all of these things happen over the past year?
28:42Yeah, Patrick. I mean, you mentioned it in a year how quickly things have changed.
28:47Last year, we're talking about Pete Carroll and the start of his era of Raider football as the head coach.
28:53You fast forward to now, and this is now Clint Kubiak's team as he's coming in off of winning a Super Bowl
29:00as an offensive coordinator with the Seattle Seahawks. It's a different mindset.
29:04He's now establishing his new culture, and you mentioned it.
29:07A lot of guys last year who were young players are now veterans, no longer rookies, who are going to add to,
29:14I think, a lot of depth that this football team, I think, didn't really have a season ago.
29:19Kubiak has been adamant that Kirk Cousins is the starting quarterback for this team.
29:24Tell us where Fernando Mendoza is in his development and maybe what he has to do to push Kirk Cousins early in the season.
29:31Well, I think the big thing, Judy, is that Clint Kubiak started this whole thing out by saying, look, when we start
29:38training camp, Kirk Cousins will be our starting quarterback at the moment.
29:42And what that tells me is that they're giving Fernando Mendoza an opportunity to really start to develop and understand the nuances of this offense.
29:50We all know the ability of Fernando Mendoza, and honestly, I believe that his opportunity to start a quarterback will present itself in due time.
29:58But right now, if you're looking at this roster and saying, if you had a game tomorrow, Kirk Cousins is your best option at quarterback.
30:05And that just basically takes the pressure off of everybody.
30:09Kirk gets the majority of those first team reps, but like practice just ended now, and you're seeing Fernando Mendoza taking reps
30:15with the second and third team and fully developing early on as a young quarterback and learning how to continue to take those snaps for center.
30:23Today, you saw a little bit of the rust for a rookie going in there and making some throws and understanding the timing that's needed.
30:31It's all part of that process, Judy. Just excited to see it in person now.
30:36Also get a chance to see in person Max Crosby, a franchise cornerstone.
30:40The franchise has decided to part ways with, finds his way back.
30:44And now we've had a conversation with Jerry Jones yesterday, mentioning talented defensive players that the Cowboys might be interested in.
30:50How do you think they're handling things in Las Vegas with the relative interest in Max Crosby, but also having a franchise
30:57cornerstone who got back on the franchise? You know, Patrick, I had a chance to talk with the team yesterday, just about,
31:04you know, the media requirements that are upon all NFL players, the obligation to talk to the media.
31:10But I really just let the guys know that no matter what happens during the season, that the conversation is always going to be around certain players.
31:18And Max Crosby has actually earned that conversation because of the type of player that he is.
31:23One of the best players in the NFL on the defensive side, getting after the passer, being a disruptor on defense that
31:30a lot of teams would love to have a number 98 Max Crosby on that roster.
31:35That being said, we have to handle the day-to-day of Max Crosby as a Raider.
31:40I think we all know what happened this offseason, the trade that was made that didn't end up happening.
31:46And Max Crosby is back home where he always wanted to be with the silver and black.
31:51So, look, it's going to be rumors. There's going to be trade thoughts.
31:55There's teams that are going to make some assumptions on what could happen.
31:59But right now, we know that Max Crosby is a Raider, and I think that's where the focus will need to stay
32:06as the season continues to roll along. It's Clint Kubiak's first training camp with the Raiders.
32:11What are you going to be looking for? What's the vibe around Clint Kubiak's camp?
32:16It is all ball. Like, Judy, no lie. It is all ball here in Las Vegas.
32:21They don't talk about anything else. It is all about the ball.
32:25Practice starts at 730 a.m., obviously, because of weather, how hot it gets during the summer months.
32:30But these guys are here early, and they're all about executing, developing, creating a culture.
32:35Just obviously all about team, team building, team camaraderie.
32:38There was no I. They said the I is not in the building.
32:42It is all about team, and that's the culture that he wants to present.
32:46We saw what it looked like with the Seattle Seahawks, with Mike McDonald as head coach, Clint Kubiak as offensive coordinator.
32:53That's something that worked in Seattle. I think he's bringing some of that, not all of it, but some of that down here to Las Vegas.
33:01And you can see the players are buying in big time.
33:04They're all about what Clint preaches. The expectations within this building are extremely high, maybe not outside of the locker room when
33:11it comes nationally, but the way the guys are so receptive of what Clint has been preaching.
33:16I'm excited. I told him I'd suit up for him, you know, hearing him talk in the team meeting.
33:22So excited to what he's been able to, I think, implement so far in the early stages of training camp.
33:28We'll get to see more of that training camp coming up.
33:32We'll get to see you on the road as your camp tour goes on, including that week two opponent, the division rival Los Angeles Chargers, Kirk Morrison.
33:40Thanks for joining us here on this edition of the Insiders.
33:44Thank you both. Appreciate it. One thing that's big in fantasy football, tears.
33:48No, not crying when you lose, but actual top tier quarterback lists.
33:52Michael F. Florio has the best list. He'll tell you who's on it.
33:56Coming up next on the Insiders. Back on the Insiders, here are the top 10 quarterbacks according to Madden NFL 27 ratings.
34:02How do some of these guys stay on the list?
34:06Answer is a little different for a few of them.
34:09Here's what we heard from the top quarterbacks this week.
34:12Yeah, it's an exciting feeling. But like we talked about today and yesterday, it doesn't matter now.
34:17You know, we had a great offseason on paper, but, you know, now we have to go and put all these pieces
34:24together and have individual improvement, have cohesive improvement, and, you know, find out who we are as a team and jump.
34:31Just hit the easy ones, you know, when they're there.
34:34Be in rhythm with myself. Be confident in my guys.
34:37Be confident within the play. Deliver a good ball.
34:40Deliver a catchable ball. And then from there, when things happen, I put on a cape and go do my thing.
34:46Staying sharp on everything so I can play fast like I was at the end of the season.
34:52And the chemistry and just the rapport with me and the skill guys is so important.
34:57And just really tapping into that all throughout training camp and making sure that we're on the same page.
35:03Because you saw when we started clicking at the end of the last season, you know, how efficient and how sharp we were.
35:10And some of the plays we were able to make.
35:13So just starting that now and trying to practice like that every day, you know, so we can start the season that
35:20way and not take a few weeks to get there.
35:23100% alignment and zero entitlement. And so as a team, that's what everybody's pushing.
35:27I talked to Saquon, and he's talking about just us being disciplined and us going out there and fighting for one another and executing.
35:35So, you know, that's a bigger picture standpoint. And, you know, I think Coach Sirianni is starting with him, obviously.
35:41But we just want to take it a day at a time and being able to onboard everything we're doing and continue to deposit daily.
35:49Let's onboard your fantasy football primer process as we continue our push towards your fantasy draft.
35:54Michael F. Florio back here in studio with us as one of the most easily applied draft strategies is to have tiers for your quarterbacks.
36:02And I feel like you got one that probably stands above the rest.
36:06Yeah, there's one name in my tier one at quarterback.
36:09You could probably guess who it is. It's Josh Allen.
36:12Why? Because his worst fantasy finish in any of the last six years is QB2 overall.
36:17And there's other quarterbacks that may bring similar upside, but no one brings the combination of high floor and ceiling like Allen.
36:24He is the highest fantasy point game ever by a quarterback.
36:2712 or more rushing touchdowns in each of the last three seasons.
36:31Something that we didn't see him doing in the start of the run was putting up rushing touchdowns like that.
36:37But with DJ Moore and a potentially more aggressive passing attack, we could see him reach new heights because we've seen him put up big rushing numbers.
36:46Touchdown wise and big other years put up big passing numbers.
36:49We haven't seen him kind of put it all together at once.
36:53But he's in tier one by himself. All right, let's get to the second tier because you got multiple options for folks picking later probably in the draft.
37:02Yeah, this is Lamar, Jaden and Drake May here.
37:05They are all elite running and passing quarterbacks. Any of them can put up numbers similar to a Josh Allen.
37:11It's just not as secure. Like two years ago, Lamar Jackson scored the most fantasy points ever by a quarterback and reports are that he could throw more.
37:20Jaden Daniels had arguably the greatest rookie season ever by a quarterback.
37:23And he scored 19 or more fantasy points in 80% of the games that he has finished.
37:29And May was the QB two last week, last year with the most top 12 finishes.
37:34And he added AJ Brown. So really a lot of optimism for all of those guys.
37:39And important as you noted there in the start of that, any one of those guys can score comparably.
37:45Comparably similar to Josh Allen, but it's just on a weekend week out basis.
37:49Josh Allen stands alone by himself. Then we get some more options in the second tier.
37:54Who do you have in your third tier? I think this rounds up the elites at the position.
38:00It is Joe Burrow and Jalen Hurts. And both of them on any given week could put up numbers like the others.
38:06The difference is you don't get the passing and rushing production like you do from the top four.
38:12Like, look, Joe Burrow tied to a great offense.
38:15Maybe the best one-two punch at wide receiver in the NFL and a defense with questions.
38:20But why is he tier three? Because two years ago, he put up the best passing numbers of anyone in the NFL.
38:27And he was still just a QB three because he doesn't run.
38:31Hurts top five in points per game each of the three of the last four years.
38:36The rushing touchdowns pushed him up, but he hasn't put up the big passing numbers like, say, Drake May and Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen.
38:43So that's why he's in tier three. And then tier four is huge.
38:47I think it's over 12 names in my tier four.
38:51It is all of these are guys that have finished as QB ones before.
38:55We know they have the ability to do so.
38:58Justin Herbert is who I rank the highest of the bunch.
39:01And he's the one I like the most. But at cost, because that matters.
39:06I like Jackson Dart and Kyler Murray the most in this group.
39:09But just last year, Stafford Lawrence and Caleb were top five at the quarterback position.
39:14We've seen Dak and Mahomes do that. Purdy and Bo Nix have top seven finishes under their belt.
39:20Jared Goff is perhaps the safest quarterback in all of fantasy.
39:23So any of these guys, if you wait on quarterback, you could feel comfortable with them being your weekly starter.
39:29And for the folks that are like, wow, we got 13 guys in one tier.
39:34There's plenty of two quarterback leagues. We don't know your settings.
39:37Plenty of two quarterback leagues. A lot of super flex leagues.
39:41There's plenty of different ways for you to participate in fantasy football.
39:45But considering the volume of names in tier four, it feels like it's rough news for anybody that finds themselves in the fifth tier.
39:52So tier five is names that I still like, but they're not quite as proven as the names in tier four.
39:59Like, I really like Malik Willis. I think he's going to have to run a bunch.
40:04I came on this show and said I think he finishes top 12 this year.
40:08But you don't have to pay that price for him.
40:11Tyler Shuck and Cam Ward also bring low-end QB1 upside in improved situations from last year.
40:16The rest are more safe floor options that you could plug in in a pinch, like a bye-week replacement or an injury replacement.
40:24And I know there's a lot of names there, but if you wait, it's never a bad idea to take two quarterbacks and kind of play the matchup.
40:32One will get hot or something like that. So that's what I, if I'm not getting elite, I like to wait in
40:39my tier four and grab two names. High upside is where we get the value add and no better value add on this show than Michael F.
40:48Florio joining us here as we get you ready for your fantasy draft.
40:52Folks, ESPN Fantasy Football, now the official fantasy game of the NFL and new this season, knockout leagues, where each week the
40:59lowest scoring team is eliminated until only one is left standing.
41:02Download the ESPN Fantasy app for free today. Sign up to play the number one fantasy game.
41:07Before we go, let's get you some news. What's new today in to do with our newsroom.
41:13Bengals defenseman Shamar Stewart still awaiting a prognosis on a left leg injury after he was carted off today.
41:19Best wishes to Shamar Stewart. We already have the bad news for Brian Brzee.
41:23It is feared to be a torn ACL, according to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapport and Mike Garofalo, would end his 2026 season.
41:30Also, Panthers rookie Chris Brazile had an LCL tear in his left knee.
41:34Per Joe Pearson, it's believed to be unrelated to earlier knee issue for him.
41:39Good injury news. Malik Nabors not being placed on the physically unable to perform list.
41:43We have video of him practicing. Joe Shane on the decision to not place him on the pup list.
41:49We've got a really good plan for him. The medical staff has a really good plan for him.
41:55And, you know, we're going to always say listen to the patient.
41:59So we're going to we're going to see how he reacts.
42:02And, you know, we got again, we got a good plan in place.
42:06So as long as everything goes as planned, you know, we'll listen to the to Malik and his body.
42:12And, you know, again, hopefully he'll be ready. And, you know, we'll see how it plays out.
42:17But no predictions right now just because we have a long way to go still on a lot of camp.
42:24Buck star defensive tackle Vita Vea has been trying to get a new contract earlier this week.
42:29Did request a trade. Didn't practice Wednesday with a back issue.
42:32Here's his head coach, Todd Bowles, on Vita Vea.
42:35What reports that Vita Vea wants to be traded?
42:38What's your reaction to that? Comes up every year.
42:41That usually takes care of itself. Our job is to get the guys ready to play for camp.
42:46Vita's here. We're getting him ready. He's engaged in the meetings.
42:50He understands everything. He helps all the guys out.
42:53So we're getting ready to play the season with him.
42:56Todd Bowles wants to play the season with him.
42:59What's your view, Ian? Where things stand now? That is my expectation to rarely do good teams, trade really, really good players.
43:05Vita Vea, a really, really good player. Wanted a contract extension duty.
43:09Just not going to happen. So he's never seen that, you know, back injury until he ends up practicing until they fix it.
43:16Back injury. Todd Bowles is a very good head coach and very much a player's head coach who would go out there and say, tweaked his back.
43:25Yeah, the Bucs will continue to navigate that. We will navigate towards tomorrow, which takes us one week away from the start
43:32of the preseason and the 2026 Hall of Fame game.
43:35We'll see you back here tomorrow. Same time on The Insiders for NFL Network Insider, Ian Rappaport, Judy Batista.
43:41I'm Patrick Claibon. Thanks for watching The Insiders. See you tomorrow.
43:44Night, everybody. This is an iHeart Podcast. Guaranteed human.
