0:00This is an iHeart Podcast. Guaranteed Human. Valvoline Instant Oil Change presents Wisdom from the Road.
0:05Summer means wide open spaces and a whole lot of extra miles.
0:08The last place you want your engine to give out is halfway to nowhere.
0:12Out here, low oil or a weak battery is just an ambush waiting to happen.
0:17That's why every oil change at Valvoline Instant Oil Change includes an 18-point maintenance check.
0:21These techs are trained to help spot issues early and keep you riding easy.
0:25Change wisely. The Niners got a lot of the band back together, especially on defense, but what do those reunions mean for
0:31the team's hopes we discuss on this episode of The Insiders?
0:35The Jags counting down the days until they get Travis Hunter all the way back, but will he only be back on one side of the ball?
0:42We'll tell you what the Jags have to say coming up on the show.
0:47And your fantasy draft could be a few days, hours, or even minutes away.
0:51We get you set for the 2026 season on The Insiders, which starts now.
0:55Hey, everybody. Welcome to The Insiders. The return of The Insiders after a little break.
0:59Patrick Claiborne here in the NFL LA newsroom. Mike Garofalo, our insider of the day.
1:03Mike, I have missed you. The people need some contract updates, so let's start right there at the top of this show
1:10with a quarterback because that's what we enjoy doing on television, especially sports TV.
1:14Two years remaining on the contract for Lamar Jackson and the Ravens.
1:17He has a no-trade calls, a no-tag calls. Mike, the tag was a big part of the process last time.
1:23Where are the team and Lamar now? Look, I'll be honest, Patrick.
1:27This is going to be the one that I'll feel the least confident in, and the reason for that is it's a tight circle of people.
1:34It's a very small circle of people. In fact, I don't even know if you can make it a circle when there's
1:41only two people involved, and that's Lamar Jackson as well as Eric DaCosta, the general manager of the Ravens, and Nick Matteo, their contract negotiators.
1:48I guess that's three people. We can make a triangle, I suppose.
1:51But Lamar Jackson kept it really tight last time and really surprised the Ravens when the deal was all said and done.
1:58They thought that there was going to be still more work to be done, and then Eric DaCosta got a text and
2:04said, hey, I guess we're done here. So I do think that there is work that still needs to be done, and
2:11if it's not done before the start of training camp, I will not be surprised.
2:15I know the sides were hopeful, or at least the Ravens were hopeful this would get done in the spring.
2:21It did not, so they kicked the can down the road with a simple restructure there to give themselves some cap flexibility in the meantime.
2:28So the sides are going to continue to work on this one.
2:32If it carries in the training camp, Patrick, not going to be surprised at that at all.
2:37I guess the shape down in Tampa Bay where Baker Mayfield is hoping to have a date of training camp is more of a quadrilateral.
2:44That's what he said. Would like to have that done before entering the season, which will be the final year of the deal he's currently on.
2:51He said it's about finding the middle ground. How close are they, Mike, to that middle ground?
2:56Yeah, that's how it works, Baker, when it comes to negotiations.
3:00Look, I know what Baker's doing. I mean, and sometimes you've got to put a little bit of pressure on the team,
3:06even if it is a situation where you know he is going to be the guy and they know he's going to
3:12be the guy, at least for the short term.
3:15They are not close yet. I know that. Now I'm confident in that one.
3:19I can tell you that. There's a lot of work that needs to be done on this one.
3:24And we're sort of in a period where when it comes to Baker Mayfield or even Vita Veo on the other side
3:31of the ball that we've talked about. And since then, Jeffrey Simmons with the Titans has gotten extension.
3:36The Bucs are in no rush on either one of these.
3:39Now, around the start of training camp, that's where some pressure could be applied and say, hey, maybe we want to get
3:45this done and not have this be a storyline as we get ourselves into camp.
3:50But I can tell you right now where Baker and his camp, where they have in their mind where the numbers should
3:56be and where the Bucs have offered to this point.
3:59Yeah, they're not close. And it's about finding that middle ground.
4:02They're not close to that just yet. Yeah. Elsewhere in the division, Mike, the number is 40%, over 40% of Falcon and
4:09the Hawkins' offensive touches go to B'Zon Robinson. The team picked up his fifth-year option, which seemed to behoove them, Mike, to act sooner rather than later here.
4:17Yeah, they had a few contract extensions that they needed to get done this offseason, and B'Zon Robinson was a big one for them.
4:24But this one's a little bit more complicated because when you get into running back deals, there are the haves and the have-nots.
4:31And the haves and the top of that market with Saquon Barkley up there, B'Zon Robinson and Jameer Gibbs, the guy we're
4:37going to be talking about in just a second, are going to want to be there, are going to want to be over that.
4:44They're going to want to launch to the top of the running back market.
4:48The question is, which one of them winds up going first?
4:51Because you'd like to have the one guy do it.
4:54You say, all right, now I know exactly where the bar is.
4:58Now I try to clear that. So sometimes it's a standoff between the player and the team.
5:03In this case, it might be a standoff between the player and the player.
5:07Someone's got to go first. And I would expect both of these to be done before the start of the season.
5:13But this could take some time in a training camp.
5:16Then the question is, what do you want to do if you're the players?
5:20Do you want to participate? Does it want to be a hold in or whatnot?
5:24We'll see how they approach that one. But B'Zon Robinson and Jameer Gibbs, worthy of being the highest paid running backs.
5:30And I think one, if not both going to wind up doing that.
5:34Because these two are inexorably linked, just a couple of picks separating them in that 2023 draft.
5:39How do we handicap it, Mike? Because as you said, they're both kind of in similar circumstances.
5:44The teams, which team I guess is in position to act first here?
5:48I would say, if I'm Jameer Gibbs, at least I have something from the team on record.
5:53And it is Dan Campbell saying that we're going to do a lot more with Jameer Gibbs.
5:58So you go, well, that's great, right? Because now it was a two-headed monster.
6:02Now it's really a 1B, if you want to call it.
6:05But Jameer Gibbs is going to be the guy in Detroit.
6:08And you're saying, oh, that's great. You're going to use me even more going forward?
6:12Here's where we're going to present that in the contract negotiations.
6:16His agent, Todd France, has done plenty of deals, plenty of lucrative deals over the course of his career.
6:21So you know he's bringing that comment back to the table and telling them, OK, then we deserve to be the highest paid guy.
6:28And we know what he's capable of doing, both as a runner and a receiver, which you're seeing on display right here.
6:35I mean, that's why when it comes to Robinson and comes to Gibbs, that's why they feel like they deserve to be
6:41at the top of the market because they provide both and their ability to be dynamic in both roles.
6:46Jameer Gibbs and having that. That's why teams sometimes are just so reluctant to praise their own guys because they know it
6:53comes right back to them at the negotiating table.
6:55Yeah. And that's probably at the negotiating table, the best place to praise your particular guys.
7:00Mike Garofalo there on some contract situations. We've got a lot more of Mike coming up.
7:05The NFL players choice begins next Monday on NFL Network.
7:08Tune in to see the players ranked the best in the game.
7:11All available for you right here on NFL Network.
7:14The 49ers rookies report to training camp on July 18th.
7:17Veterans like Mike Evans, who you'll probably see on that ranking on the 25th.
7:21Mike Evans, one of those additions on the team this offseason as we get a look at the arrivals as well as the departures.
7:28He and Christian Kirk coming into that wide receiver room.
7:31They get Drake Greenlaw back on defense. They add Nate Hobbs to see those losses.
7:35Juwan Jennings, Kendrick Bourne among others. As we welcome in our friend Steve Weiss to this edition of the Insiders.
7:41Mike Garofalo back with us as well. As we discuss some training camp storylines, how can getting some of those familiar faces
7:47back on defense change things for the better for San Francisco?
7:50Yeah, I mean, look, last year Nick Bosa goes down, you know, by the third game with a knee injury.
7:56Fred Warner, the inside linebacker, only plays in six games with an ankle injury.
8:00And Drake Greenlaw was in Denver where he only played half a season because of injuries.
8:05Now they're all going to be back. Greenlaw is back with the 49ers after his one year in Denver.
8:11And now Bosa comes back to join Fred Warner coming back.
8:14Now Greenlaw and Fred Warner, two years ago, were the best linebacker tandem in the NFL.
8:18So getting Greenlaw back with Warner back, they've got speed.
8:21They've got attacking people. Then adding Nick Bosa back, this is a team that only had 20 sacks last year.
8:27Getting Nick Bosa back, he's good for nine a season when he's healthy.
8:31That's going to turn everything up. But let's not forget the fact that they also added Raheem Morris, the former head coach
8:37of the Atlanta Falcons, as their defensive coordinator. One thing we know about Morris' defense is they generate sacks.
8:43Last year in Atlanta, a team that had problems getting to the quarterback for years, 57 sacks.
8:48And Mike, when he was a DC with the Rams, we know what he did with guys like Kobe Turner, Aaron Donald
8:54and Byron Young at getting to the quarterback. So adding these pieces back for San Francisco and Raheem Morris, this defense should
9:01once again emerge as one of the best in the NFL.
9:04You remember last year how many rookies they had on the defensive side of the ball?
9:08And they said, we're going to have to rely upon these guys.
9:12And all of a sudden it was, hey, what's up, Cam Wolf?
9:15Hey, Cam. Injury, injury, injury. And they needed to use those guys early on in the season.
9:20So all that experience that those guys got, now they carry forward with them.
9:24So I know that they're feeling good about the depth on that side of the ball.
9:29And some of those guys that were thrust into those positions, Upton Stout, the young cornerback, he did a really good job.
9:36You see him right there. I also go back to Kyle Juszczyk, who was with us on the Insiders.
9:41They canceled minicamp and we asked him about it.
9:44He said, I agree with it. He goes, I just feel like we're in a really good spot right now.
9:49We've talked so much about the Seattle Seahawks, who are the defending champions, and the Rams, who are the offseason champions, that
9:56maybe we're forgetting how much talent there is and how much pride there is and how well coached this 49ers team is.
10:02This division is going to be just fascinating to watch play.
10:05Yeah. They have that familiarity with each other. And then, in contrast, we go over to a place in our nation's capital
10:12where Dan Quinn seems like he's doing a full teardown in the hopes of restoring that defense.
10:17So kind of some defenses that he's had in the past, just not in D.C.
10:21Look at all their linebackers, including the outside linebackers.
10:24They've got four new linebackers who could end up starting in Washington.
10:27Bobby Wagner looks like he's out. They drafted Sonny Stiles of the multi-positional linebacker out of Ohio State University.
10:33But, Mike, the interesting going into training camp, the battle could be between Leo Chennault, the rotational inside-outside linebacker coming over from
10:39Kansas City, and Frankie Louvu, the inside linebacker who just two years was a second-team All-Pro.
10:44Like, Stiles, you're seeing him right here. He seems like a three-down linebacker.
10:48Chennault and Louvu are very similar. Downhill, very speedy, physical linebackers.
10:51How is that going to work out? Because the training, the mini-camp reports, you're hearing about Louvu could end up being the play caller.
10:58So are they going to go with three linebackers and Durante Jones, a new defensive quarter, his new system?
11:03Or is there going to be some type of competition with Chennault and Louvu?
11:07That's going to be something, again, going into training camp, I think all eyes need to watch that linebacker battle as Dan
11:14Quinn and the commanders retool that defense. Talked about the 49ers depth and what they needed when guys went down last year.
11:20That's what Dan Quinn has been asking about from his coaches.
11:23And that's why this mini-camp, he had the starters just go through a walkthrough pace and had more live reps for some of these other guys.
11:31Because last year they had all those injuries and the guys that stepped up did not play well.
11:36And that's a big reason why they attacked this offseason the way that they did, Steve.
11:41And they added so many of those guys on defense.
11:44They wanted to get younger. They wanted to get faster.
11:47They wanted to get more dynamic on defense. And they feel like they did that via free agency.
11:52Well, now all those guys and these other guys, you know, can you rely upon some of these reserves?
11:57And maybe we've got to coach them up a little bit more in training camp.
12:02And maybe we feel like, oh, that guy's ready to go.
12:05That's a guy that can be an integral part of our defense moving forward.
12:09So it was a transformative spring in a lot of ways for Washington.
12:13And that's going to continue into training camp. One of the teams that when I do make that stop down there are
12:19going to be fascinated to see how it looks once these guys throw the pads on.
12:24And Mike, one thing you said that's very important when you talk about Washington's defense, it should be much faster.
12:30The speed they added. Remember, Durante Jones is a Brian Flores disciple.
12:33The key to Flores' defense is speed and also intellect.
12:36Those are the types of players that they added to really get things corrected on that side of the ball.
12:42A team that was bottom 10 and missed tackle rate.
12:45The worst tackling defense that Dan Quinn has had since 2018 in Atlanta.
12:49We will take a break here on the Insiders when we come back.
12:52An opportunity to look ahead. Yes, a much discussed all season trade, but what does it actually mean?
12:58We got a sneak peek at Cam Wolf. We'll actually hear from Cam Wolf when we come back on NFL Network.
13:04Valvoline instant oil change presents wisdom from the road.
13:06Summer means wide open spaces and a whole lot of extra miles.
13:10The last place you want your engine to give out is halfway to nowhere.
13:14Out here, low oil or a weak battery is just an ambush waiting to happen.
13:18That's why every oil change at Valvoline instant oil change includes an 18 point maintenance check.
13:23These techs are trained to help spot issues early and keep your riding easy.
13:27Change wisely. Back here on the Insiders, here's what's new today coming into the NFL LA newsroom.
13:32Former Lions cornerback Terion Arnold has cleared waivers. Now a free agent according to NFL Network insider Mike Garofalo.
13:38Arnold is currently out on bond as he faces multiple felony charges in Florida.
13:42And what an opportunity to have access to NFL Network insider Mike Garofalo.
13:45Where do we go from here as this process continues to play itself out legally, Mike?
13:50Well, you've probably seen that teams are interested in Terion Arnold, Patrick, and you say, well, why wouldn't they just claim him?
13:56Well, if you claim him, you're taking on the whole roster or the whole contract, excuse me, including all the guaranteed money as well.
14:03There are teams that would be interested in, let's say, for the minimum deal and taking on very little risk with Terion Arnold potentially moving forward.
14:11In addition to a lot of questions that are unanswered right now when it comes to the legal process, there was a
14:17hearing that was supposed to be today that got pushed back to Friday as far as whether he'll have to wear an ankle monitor throughout the process.
14:25So some of these teams, yes, will be interested, but not at the rate that they would have had him at if they had claimed him on waiver.
14:33So I think this will be a relatively slow process for Arnold as teams go to compile information and wait for the
14:40legal process to play out a little bit. Because remember, the NFL in a lot of cases will wait until the legal
14:46process plays out before levying a suspension. But sometimes in the meantime can say, no, the commissioner is exemplist because there's just
14:53too much evidence right now that just doesn't look really good in our opinion or whatnot.
14:57So teams waiting to get a little bit more answers before we get a resolution on his future in the NFL, Patrick.
15:04Yeah. And while that process continues to play out, the NFL and cornerback world keeps spinning as we go to veteran cornerback
15:10Rasul Douglas coming back to the NFC East to play for the Washington Commanders.
15:14ESPN's Adam Schefter reporting it's a one year deal worth up to three point eight million dollars.
15:19The 31 year old once drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2017.
15:23Elsewhere, former NFL safety and pediatric neurosurgeon Dr. Myron Roll coming aboard the NFL PA as a strategic advisor focusing on player
15:29health and preventative care for active players. And a statement he said he is honored to advance a future where every player's
15:35health is protected with the highest standard of care.
15:38Back now with Mike Garofalo, Cam Wolf joining us.
15:41Good evening to you, Cam. Let's get to the AFC East because there were some big moves.
15:46What is the impact of all of these wide receiver trades going to be, Cam?
15:50Patrick, first let's keep an eye on the Patriots and A.J.
15:53Brown, the one that we talked about all offseason.
15:56I talked to a Patriots staffer who said they watched A.J.
15:59Brown a couple of weeks in practice and he looked different.
16:02They said he looked explosive and athletic. He said he looked at him in practice compared to that Eagles tape last year
16:09and he wondered maybe he was going through the motions in Philly.
16:12They think they are going to unlock the twenty three twenty version twenty four version of A.J.
16:17Brown, who could be that elite number one receiver.
16:20And he certainly has something to prove. He's in a place he wants to play with the quarterback.
16:25He wants to play with and a guy they feel like can help Drake may not only be a contender for MVP,
16:31but be the best quarterback in football. A guy who can explode across the middle of the field playmaking big ball grabbing over the middle of the field.
16:39So can he be that guy that helps the Patriots who are now playing a first place schedule this year?
16:45Remember schedule was a big talking point for them last year.
16:48Can they repeat in the AFC East against tougher opponents?
16:51They think A.J. Brown's going to be that cog to help them over the top.
16:56How quickly does he and Drake may how quickly is he and Josh McDaniel Joe is something that I can't wait to see in training camp.
17:03And then the other team that's probably going to be their top competition.
17:07The Buffalo Bills made the big trade for D.J.
17:10Moore. He's back with the familiar face and Joe Brady offensive coordinator that he had a lot of success with when he was in Carolina.
17:17Now his head coach from what I've heard. It's been a work in progress from their chemistry so far, but they love what D.J.
17:24Moore can do as a man beater. They haven't had a true man beater who can separate since Stefan Diggs is there.
17:30Josh Allen may be the best quarterback in football right now, and he's had to do it with a collection of receivers
17:37who haven't really excelled for him at the right time.
17:40Is D.J. Moore enough to help the Buffalo Bills get back over the top in the AFC East?
17:45I can't wait to get down there and Buffalo area and see that battle and see that development between those receiver and
17:51that quarterback and that those two moves may decide who wins the AFC East.
17:55As much as they throw the ball right, they need a high volume guy and I know that they feel good about D.J.
18:02Moore being that high volume guy for them that that production type guy.
18:06He's been that guy throughout his career. He's incredibly reliable.
18:09He can make plays for you down the field.
18:11So that is going to be a big part of what they're expecting from D.J.
18:16Moore and that's a big reason why they made that trade for him with regard to A.J.
18:21Brown. That also is a guy like both of these are really good fits for the offense and for what they bring
18:27and for what the offense is needed when it comes to Brown.
18:31It's the catch the run after the catch. Excuse me.
18:33He's been a big part of what he is.
18:36He's a physical bowling ball sometimes when he gets that ball in his hands and he's moving down the field.
18:42So I expect that to be a big element of what he does and what Drake may is going to rely upon
18:48him to do to add a physical element to their receiving core.
18:52Let's go over to the defensive side of the ball specifically that defense just to mention the Houston Texans defense can be
18:58everything that they needed to be in order to win.
19:01Can the offense be consistent enough and maybe physical enough for them to be contenders this year?
19:06Absolutely Patrick don't be surprised if Houston Texans are in the Super Bowl next year.
19:10That's really the buzz that I've been hearing around the league.
19:14They've already got a defense that is elite top three maybe best in football last year.
19:18Why were they not like Seattle? Why were they not like New England?
19:22The offense wasn't physical enough. The quarterback didn't play well enough in the playoffs.
19:26And so this is a prove it year for CJ Stroud who is awaiting a new contract.
19:31This is a prove it year for that offense.
19:34Can they get better in year two under Nick Haley, the offensive coordinator?
19:37They made a lot of moves this offseason to get physical like their defenses and the two that I'm eyeing is an offensive line improvement.
19:45Two or three new pieces including their first round pick Keelan Rutledge and David Montgomery.
19:49I haven't heard anything but good praise about David Montgomery who should set up as their feature back.
19:54They believe that getting him going and getting that run game going will make things a lot easier for CJ Stroud.
20:00Talking to a defensive coordinator, he said that it looked like CJ Stroud had too much on his plate last year from
20:07protections to trying to throw everything in difficult routes.
20:10Easier plays happen when your run game has good success and your offensive line has good protection.
20:14They should be much better in both areas and hopefully that allows CJ Stroud to be a lot more effective over the
20:21middle of the field with intermediate routes. Something that he was really good at in his rookie year.
20:26And if he is, then maybe he can be back at the table next offseason for a contract conversation and say yesterday's
20:32price is not today's price and rack up. Yeah, it's exactly where I'm going because we started this show talking about a
20:39couple of potential contract extensions in Lamar Jackson and Baker Mayfield, which I think will happen at least before the start of the season.
20:46We didn't mention CJ Stroud because I don't think it's going to happen before the start of the season because it doesn't
20:52really make sense for either side right now. Now, when I talk to people in Houston, they say there was absolutely no
20:59wavering during that playoff game that maybe we would bench him because I thought maybe they'd bench him for Davis Mills there.
21:05But you do that, then you lose him for good, right?
21:08Like you don't want that to have to make that decision.
21:11Now you come into the offseason and if you're stradding, you take a deal.
21:16It's not going to be tomorrow's price like Cam's talking about if you come out and you play well this year.
21:22So this is a lot on the line for CJ Stroud and for the Texans, they're going to say that's a good problem.
21:28Make us pay you top of the market quarterback money next offseason because that means that you came out and played a
21:35lot better than you did this past offseason. I expect that to be where this one heads.
21:40CJ Stroud, I mean, boom or bust when it comes to the earnings and even bust is not bad, right?
21:46Because you're still making a ton of money as a quarterback who's competing for a starting job somewhere.
21:51So that's a good safety net to have. One thing that would help him in that process, Woody Marks had a loss
21:57or no gain in eight of his 14 carries against New England.
22:01Perhaps some success on the ground would go a long way towards success for the financial prospects of one CJ Stroud.
22:07Thanks to Cam Wolf. We'll be back here on the Insiders with more.
22:11In fact, when we come back, you're unprepared for the test that is your fantasy draft.
22:15No worries. We got a cheat sheet of draft prep coming up with Adam Rank and Michael F.
22:20Florio next on the Insiders. Valvoline Instant Oil Change presents Wisdom from the Road.
22:25Summer means wide open spaces and a whole lot of extra miles.
22:28The last place you want your engine to give out is halfway to nowhere.
22:32Out here, low oil or a weak battery is just an ambush waiting to happen.
22:36That's why every oil change at Valvoline Instant Oil Change includes an 18-point maintenance check.
22:41These techs are trained to help spot issues early and keep your riding easy.
22:45Change wisely. Back on the Insiders, flag football is the fastest growing sport in the world.
22:50The third annual NFL flag football championships will be on ABC, ESPN, NFL Network, and ESPN2.
22:54July 24th through the 26th, ESPN Deportes, and the Disney Networks will have additional coverage each day.
22:59With all games on the ESPN app, for more information, go to NFLflag.com.
23:03We have three in studio for a 2026 fantasy football primer.
23:06Myself, Michael F. Florio, and Adam Rank. Sometimes we didn't even get three folks together on Fantasy Lab, but we got them on this show.
23:13I have already been asked, Rick, for a response from one of your tweets that you shared with the people saying the SFB 16 has started.
23:21I already hate my team. What do you mean by that?
23:24Very true, yeah. For anybody who has spent time on social media today, in between the World Cup takes, the Scott Fish Bowl kicked off today.
23:32The 16th year of one of the largest organized fantasy football leagues.
23:35Actually, there's many different leagues that are a part of this.
23:38It all is to benefit Fantasy Cares, an organization that Scott Fish has started or is a big part of.
23:44And it's just a bunch of people coming together, drafting fantasy football leagues, raising money for charity, having a good time.
23:50I have my own league, and I'm the pick 12, and I just don't like the way that it started.
23:56Already reeling one day into it. Yeah, I traditionally hate my SFB teams as well.
24:01So let's get people going so they don't hate their draft.
24:04We'll get started with an ideal three-round start for a draft, Rick.
24:07How would you set that up? Well, one of the first things I will tell anybody is that you have to realize
24:14what your scoring setting is, whether you're playing in a super flex league, which means that you could start two quarterbacks.
24:20Is it a tight end premium? Are you starting three receivers, two receivers?
24:24But based on, let's say, a league where you're going with two wide receiver, a couple of flex spots, I like going wide receiver, wide receiver.
24:31I think that's the best way. As I've done multitudes of mock drafts this year, I've decided that the running backs that
24:37I get in the second round, I can easily replicate there in the third and fourth round.
24:42So I love going wide receiver, wide receiver. And based on what I'm seeing today in the Scott Fish Bowl, everybody is going wide receiver.
24:50I actually went tight end quarterback in Scott Fish.
24:52I got weird. But that's a super, it's a super flex for a tight end premium.
24:57It's very weird. Don't count that for your regular dress.
25:00I kind of agree, but a little different. I like getting two wide receivers in the first three rounds, but I like
25:06a running back in round two because in the first round, then I could get one of the top six wide receivers.
25:13I think those are the elite guys at the position.
25:16But then in round two, there's running backs like Hampton, Chase Brown, Saquon, H, and the list goes on that I would
25:22argue a lot of those guys, you can make a case of first round talents that are falling.
25:27And then in round three, like I love Chris Olave, but there's a lot of good wide receivers you could get in that range.
25:34Yeah, a lot of good wide receivers, which is why I had George Pickens as the third option in my three round
25:41ideal, where you start with Jamar Chase at the top.
25:44It's like, oh, you have the three pick. You don't get Bajon or Jameer.
25:48Well, you have to settle for the overall wide receiver.
25:51Oh, boo-hoo considering that. And then in the middle of that, getting Kenneth Walker, where there's a lot of people are paying up for opportunity.
25:58Well, here's a guy. We wanted this position. We wanted the running back of the Kansas City Chiefs.
26:03This one we think can actually be productive. So that's where I go.
26:07But speaking of RB1s, let's go overall RBs and opportunity.
26:10Who are the new RB1s that you need to have on your team?
26:13A lot of the similar names from last year in my top 12, which is what an RB1 is for fantasy purposes.
26:20But you hit them. Kenneth Walker is now in there for me.
26:23Jeremiah Love is in my – he just barely makes it, but he's in my top 12.
26:28And then Omari and Hampton is someone that I'm really pushing up.
26:32I am very bullish on Omari and Hampton this year because, look, he was a first-round pick in the NFL draft.
26:38We know he could play, and he was performing like an RB1 until he got hurt.
26:43But the reason I'm so excited is because of Mike McDaniel, who is there and who features running backs in the passing game at a very high rate.
26:51In fact, in the last two years, Devon HN has more targets than any running back in the NFL.
26:56Plus, even before HN, three years in a row, Mike McDaniel's lead running back has been top five in fantasy because he
27:03just – he finds one guy and he force-feeds him, and I think that'll be Hampton this year.
27:08And he's one of those things, too, you've got to watch out for because Hampton, his ADP is going to be rising throughout the summer.
27:15He's going to be one of those players that you'll have to get in the second round.
27:20So if you're willing to make him a second-round pick, then more power to you.
27:24I think that I tend to lean towards waiting again for the running backs.
27:29And one of the guys that I'm very, very excited to be able to draft, David Montgomery.
27:34My guy, David Montgomery, I can fully go out there and invest in him.
27:38And one of the things that I love is he's going to a team in a situation in Houston where he's by
27:44far going to be their RB1, but they're also a defensive-oriented team, which means they're going to want to slow down a
27:50lot of these games, let the defense go out there and do a lot of the work, which means you bleed the clock.
27:57And if they get into a lead and they're trying to salt away a game, that means more opportunities for David Montgomery.
28:03He's going to be their goal line back. So I really love him in that situation.
28:08But I also love some rookie running backs as well.
28:11We talked about Jeremiah Love a moment ago. Jadarian Price is another guy that I'm looking forward to.
28:16Again, if you can get him at the right price, I'm really worried.
28:20Again, once we get in to the late August months, this is one of the advantages of doing drafts right now is
28:26that the price for guys like Jadarian have not been elevated, which means you can go out there and get him right
28:33now, except that all the guys in my league now will take him.
28:37I'm going to throw an asterisk game because it's not technically an RB1 playing behind Chuba Hubbard, but I think folks have forgotten generally about Jonathan Brooks.
28:44And I think you can get a real value proposition for a guy who's playing behind a guy who didn't ultimately end
28:51up being the RB1 on his team last year.
28:54That wound up being Rico Dowdle. I think they want to split carries and opportunities there.
28:58So maybe get some shares of Jonathan Brooks. Just a note, as folks are drafting a lot of guys, especially these rookies, pretty early on.
29:05Let's go to quarterbacks because so many of them are coming back from injury.
29:10Are you concerned? Which ones would you target? You know what?
29:13I'm going to say something about Kyler Murray, and I don't know if it's necessarily about Kyler Murray.
29:18I love KOC. KOC to me is like the Bill Lawrence of the NFL.
29:22If you're not familiar with who Bill Lawrence is, he's one of the creators behind Scrubs, Shrinking, Ted Lasso.
29:28I'm looking at his Wikipedia right now. Yeah. He woke friends.
29:31Yeah. Of course, obviously. Yeah. Season one of friends.
29:33Yeah. The best season. We talked about it. The best season of Chandler.
29:37This is going to be the best season of Kyler Murray.
29:40One of the things that I really like about this, this is the first time that KOC is going to have a quarterback who has that running option.
29:49No disrespect to Kirk Cousins and Sam Darnold, but this is a real opportunity for him to go out there, take advantage
29:55of a guy's running skill set to go along with his ability.
29:58I think it mashes up really well. So I love Kyler Murray this year.
30:02Yeah. I'm fully in agreement. I love Kyler. We're going to probably be trying to draft him in our leagues together.
30:09And for me though, it always depends on the quarterback, right?
30:12Cause like I love Kyler Murray this year. I love Jaden Daniels this year.
30:16And I think Jaden's upside is matched by like Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson.
30:20And that's it. I would say. I also really like Jackson dart, right?
30:23Like these are all quarterbacks who are coming off of injury that I don't think it's going to impact this year.
30:30I expect all three of these guys to run a whole bunch.
30:33I love their offenses that they're a part of.
30:36And for a lot of them missing time last year tends to lead to a buying opportunity this year, except for one I'm fading Patrick Mahomes at cost.
30:44Like coming off the ACL running is what made him so special last year.
30:48And I have big, I think Kenneth Walker is going to get force fed and they're the chiefs.
30:53They don't care about anything until January. They're going to be like Patrick wait until December to start running.
30:59Yeah. Just kind of extracting that value from Patrick Mahomes and putting it back into Kenneth Walker.
31:04Just generally. I think if the quarterback is playing and you just kind of get rid of the concerns about injury, right?
31:10Joe burrow being a two time comeback player of the year.
31:13Lamar Jackson comes back from starting those 12 games.
31:16Oh yeah. It has back-to-back great fantasy football seasons.
31:18And so I just think if you get the player and you like the situation, you just kind of stick there and
31:25feel good about the opportunity that the players can have.
31:28And sometimes they have those opportunities with rookies are rookie wide receivers might worth the risk right now.
31:33Just the unknown. Yeah, I think they are like, especially this year, the big three in that rookie class, like we all
31:39heard about it all March and April, Tyson Tate and lemon.
31:43And for me, all three are wide receiver threes in my rankings.
31:46They're all between 30 and 35. And Tate is my favorite post NFL draft because every rookie since 2010, taken in the
31:52top five has seen at least 115 targets if they stayed healthy.
31:56And Brian Dable has just a huge history of force feeding his wide receiver ones, the ball, even when he had Malik neighbors, who was a rookie.
32:04Jordan Tyson was my favorite as a prospect though.
32:06And I just really think he could play the saints through at the six highest rate last year.
32:12I think he is going to be a big complimentary piece.
32:15And then lemon is my least favorite of the three, but he's tied to the best offense of them all.
32:21So I think all three are high upside wide receiver threes.
32:24You know, I was going to be able to, I was going to run in here and just talk about, you know,
32:30the rookie wall and all those wide receivers running smack into it.
32:34But at the same time, what are you talking about with Malik neighbors?
32:38There are players who have excelled. I mean, last year, Emeka Abuka fell off tremendously and cost a lot of people, mostly me.
32:44But like you said, Malik neighbors a couple of years ago was somebody who did play well in the fantasy playoffs.
32:50I just don't think that these three guys match that.
32:53I don't think they're on the same caliber. So for me, I'm going to let the rookie wide receivers kind of fall
33:00by the wayside, but there is one. I really do like it is Casey Concepcion, who is playing for the Cleveland Browns.
33:06Now, when you look at this situation, the quarterbacks, the quarterback thing is a little murky there to put it mildly.
33:12But at the same time, I went back and started watching a lot of Casey's tape at Texas A&M.
33:18And Lance Zerline made the comp to Doug Baldwin.
33:20And now I can't unsee it. So if I get an opportunity to go after Casey Concepcion at the end of my
33:27draft, I'm going to go out and do it.
33:29And that's the place for a lot of these rookies is those late round flyer type situations.
33:34Cause you don't know. I just think the knowns are so prevalent, especially in that range where like Romo Dunze is there.
33:41You can get an Alec Pierce around 39 in ADP guys who are going to get more opportunity where it's just so much of the unknown.
33:48You can kind of go with what, you know, depending on the circumstance.
33:52Let's wrap this up with some of these premium tight ends.
33:55Who is your favorite right now? Is this a serious question?
33:58We don't got to ask. Let's go. No, I'm just saying Colson Loveland is going to be my guy.
34:04I had a conversation with Stacy Dales on Friday, talking about the impact that Colson Loveland had last year.
34:09And one of the big things that obviously they went out there and they drafted Sam Rauch and they've got three tight
34:16ends and people are, are they going to trade Cole?
34:19Come out. They're not, they're going to run all three.
34:22They're going to run a lot of 13 personnel.
34:24The one thing you have to remember is that Colson Loveland is basically their slot receiver.
34:29If you go back to his time at Michigan, he ran about 50% of his routes from the slot position.
34:35Ben Johnson started doing that at the end of last year.
34:38As a matter of fact, there were games last season where Colson Loveland out snap Cole commit.
34:43This is going to be the pass catcher that you want to get from the Chicago bears.
34:48Yeah. And I'm going to go with the tight end.
34:51That's going to be tied to Colson Loveland, probably their entire career in Tyler Warren.
34:55And to me, both of these two are the next two after Bowers and McBride at the tight end position.
35:01But I really like Warren. And I think Michael Pittman jr.
35:04Being gone is huge because the two of them were eating off of each other's plates on the short to intermediate targets.
35:11Warren isn't going to excel downfield. He can be used there, but short to intermediate is where he's going to eat.
35:17And people might be like, Oh, well he fell off as the year went on.
35:21Yeah. That's when Daniel Jones got hurt. He was a top tight end prior to that injury.
35:26And then I also really liked Sam Laporta, who I think is getting overlooked right now.
35:31Last season, he had a career high in receiving yards per game.
35:34He has the third most touchdowns at the position since he entered the NFL and drew Petsing.
35:39Look, I'm not going to say he's Sam Laporta is going to become Trey McBride, but drew Petsing really dialed up the
35:46tight end number a lot in Arizona. And more than anything, he's just tied to a really good offense.
35:51It's going to score a lot of points. So give me the probably top red zone target for the Detroit lions.
35:57Yeah. I think in terms of premium options, sometimes you have to seek a value proposition.
36:02I know it's like, Oh, Patrick's always shopped in the bargain basement.
36:05Tucker craft was dominating for so long. And so many people are going to focus on, well, we don't necessarily know when he's going back.
36:13If you get Tucker craft and yeah, you have a few losses in the first three weeks of the season, you're trying to win championships.
36:20I think there's a value here and people perhaps sleeping on, on Tucker craft.
36:24And you can get a premium tight end in a value spot.
36:27We'd like to provide value here. So I'm glad to have you guys with me on this.
36:32I'm required to say Kyle fits too. Yes. I'm back in baby.
36:36Just all the way in. No context, just purely Kyle fits as a statement.
36:40Adam rank, Michael F. Florio here on the insiders.
36:43Thank you for coming. Thank you for the support.
36:45Thank you for coming. Thank you for making it across the world.
36:49You're the best, baby. Oh my God. The absolute best.
36:52Was it electric? It was unbelievable. Travis and Taylor got married over the holiday weekend at Madison square guarding last Friday.
36:58Yep. Third of July. None of these pictures from the wedding.
37:01How do I know that? Because no pictures of the wedding are actually out there.
37:05Although some of the guests, including our rich Eisen have posted a few of themselves.
37:10So still waiting for the dress drop, the Dior dress drop.
37:13That is to come in the meantime. Here are a bunch of Travis Kelsey's top plays from good morning football.
37:19My pick for the top Travis Kelsey play is his winner that he scored in overtime against the bills back in 2021, the AFC divisional round.
37:26They were in Arrowhead and the crowd went absolutely nuts.
37:29As you can imagine, let's go ahead and take a look.
37:32Mahomes will be in the shotgun. McKinnon's alone running back.
37:3536, 36 tie in overtime. Chiefs first down and goal to go.
37:39Mahomes looks to throw it. Pump faking right side.
37:41He wants it. Come back. It is good by Kelsey.
37:44Touchdown. Kansas city. One of the greatest duos in the history of the national foot.
37:49Travis Kelsey on a push fade comeback. And the chiefs have won.
37:52This incredible divisional play. It was awesome. I'm going with another overtime win.
37:56However, this one was against a division rival. Let's see it.
37:59First in 10. Chiefs at the charger. 34. A TD wins it.
38:0328, 28, 28 time. In overtime. Edwards Hilaire, the running back to the left of Mahomes.
38:07Mahomes takes the snap at his right thigh. Dumps it over the middle.
38:11Caught by Kelsey at the 30. Spins back. And Kelsey at the 15 yard.
38:15Touchdown. Kansas. AFC West game in five years. The chiefs put Kelsey with a gutsy, gutsy, gutsy win in overtime.
38:21Theron James is like, I have another play that I would like to show at the goal line with Travis Kelsey, but
38:27it wouldn't involve a Travis Kelsey top play. Those are fantastic, but I want to go not just with the score, but also with big time athleticism.
38:35And we look no further than an AFC title game just a couple of years ago, back in 2023 against the Baltimore
38:42Ravens, always known for their physical defense. Well, Travis Kelsey set the tone against Baltimore.
38:46Mahomes to throw against a four man rush. Fires it near side to Kelsey.
38:50Comes back to the ball. And holds it in.
38:53Touchdown. Kansas City. Absolutely took duct tape and just wrapped Travis Kelsey for a 19 yard touchdown.
38:58Outstanding job. A lot of contact down the sideline.
39:00Sticks it right on his back hip. It is one of the great catches by Kelsey.
39:05From Travis to Travis, Travis Hunter. Yeah. Red, white and Duval over the 4th of July.
39:09Hunter, who season ended prematurely this last year, his rookie season because of a knee injury.
39:14You see what he did. Offensive snaps, defensive snaps.
39:17A lot of talk this spring about more of a focus for him.
39:21Defensively. Steve Weiss. Come on in. As we talk about Travis Hunter year number two for the two way player there in Jacksonville.
39:27What can we expect? What do we think about everything we're hearing with regard to more of an emphasis on defense for him?
39:34Yeah, Mike, it's a shame he got injured because all signs are showing he was on an uptick on both sides of the ball.
39:41He was playing last year as a rookie. Now, there has been a lot of conversation about him being more, more used, more primarily on defense.
39:48But there's been no real official ruling on that.
39:51The main thing is he's got to return from that LCL healthy.
39:55He barely participated in field drills, you know, during the offseason work.
39:58So they want to make sure he's healthy. He's projected to be healthy when training camp starts.
40:03But again, if he plays more so on defense, that will fall in line, Mike, because you know this with a lot
40:09of talent evaluators when he was coming out as a rookie who felt he could have more of an immediate impact as
40:16a cornerback, a lockdown cornerback and man and zone coverages, even though he's such an athletic freak, you see right here what
40:22he can do with his hands on the ball as a receiver.
40:26Also look at Jacksonville's receiving room. Last year, the trade for Jacoby Myers was a difference maker for them.
40:31They have Brian Thomas, junior Parker, Washington. Don't forget they signed tight end Brent strange, that big extension recently.
40:37So that's a crowded space, but he could be used there also on offense, but defensively again, that's a good secondary.
40:43He's got past rushers up front and Mike, should he open the season at corner?
40:47Look at the Jaguar schedule. Some of the receivers he'd have to face out of the gate.
40:52The Browns rookies, Casey Concepcion and Denzel Boston, Jalen Waddell and Cortland Sutton of the Broncos, AJ Brown and Romeo doves, doves
40:59of the Patriots, T Higgins and Jamar chase with the Bengals, Devante Smith, Malachi Lennon with the Eagles and Nico Collins in the first six games.
41:06I mean, that's why Jacksonville got him because he can play DB and match up with those guys, but he'll be put to the test.
41:13If that's his primary spot, but Mike, again, you know, this a lot of evaluators thought he was a more natural corner
41:20than he was an impactful receiver early on in his career.
41:23Yeah. He was asked after he was drafted by the Jacksonville media, who would win Travis Hunter, the cornerback or Travis Hunter, the wide receiver.
41:30If Travis Hunter covered Travis Hunter, he replied, Travis Hunter.
41:33I still want to know the real answer. Like in his mind, does he think he'd win defensively or offensively?
41:39The next time I get a chance to interview, I'm going to re-ask that question, especially now with that emphasis more on
41:45defense veterans report there for the Jaguars. July 28th.
41:48Training camp is drawing closer. We hope everyone had a safe and happy 4th of July.
41:53The nationwide love going out from the Seattle Seahawks.
41:55Of course, Lumen Field is Seattle stadium tonight. The home of the game between Belgium and the U S men's national team.
42:02Good luck going out from the Seahawks. And probably a lot of folks in Seattle and across those status Unidos.
42:08Hey, a funny story happened. So Olivia Coppoletti is getting married in New York.
42:12Turns out the, the presidential suite. She reserved was booked up by the Cardinals when they have those road games in New York.
42:18So she sends a heartfelt email to Matt LaFleur.
42:21Cause that's who she thought the room was for.
42:24Turns out it was actually for the boss, Michael Bidwell, who had a fun response for her.
42:28Hi, Olivia. I'm Michael Bidwell from the Arizona Cardinals.
42:31Your email, which I absolutely loved made its way to me.
42:34I looked into it. The situation's a little complicated.
42:37The suite you requested wasn't reserved for the coach of the Cardinals, but rather the owner of the Cardinals.
42:42The good news is that's me. And I'm happy to give it up to you and your bridesmaids to use during your wedding weekend.
42:49Congrats and enjoy your special day. Right. So we, Michael Bidwell has earned a new Cardinals fan for, for that special day.
42:56Mike. Don't stop Olivia. Keep going. He can fly planes.
42:59He can fly you to your honeymoon private. Keep pushing for more negotiate.
43:03You got this Olivia. Yeah. And it's, it's, it's one of those things where deadlines spur action.
43:07We've, we've talked about a lot of contract deals, Olivia.
43:10I will echo Mike's sentiments. We can get more out of this.
43:14You want more insiders, a Texans linebacker, Henry toe toe and his bride join the show as we will keep things marriage
43:20themed here in this final bit of the insiders from my careful, Steve.
43:24We're just camo. I'm Patrick. We'll see you tomorrow.
43:27This is an I heart podcast. Guaranteed human.
