Why the Best Move of the Offseason Almost Didn't Happen
STACKED extracted the fantasy-relevant player signal from this podcast and kept the full transcript here for context.
37 min
Duration
Estimated from transcript
Sep 2, 2026
Published
Wed, September 2, 2026
6
Player insights
6
Players mentioned
Topics
CeeDee LambDak PrescottJeremiyah LoveJordan LoveJosh JacobsTua Tagovailoa
Player analysis
Player insights
CeeDee Lamb
PositiveRole26:16
CeeDee Lamb is under contract and the team is entering the season drama-free, which Adam Schefter believes positions the Cowboys to be a dangerous and improved team.
Insight pageDak Prescott
PositiveProjection25:50
Adam Schefter expresses high confidence in the Dallas Cowboys this season, noting that the team is drama-free with Dak Prescott under contract, and expects them to be one of the better teams in the NFC.
Insight pageJeremiyah Love
NegativeValue33:59
Jeremiah Love is mentioned as a potential target for a fantasy team name concept, 'Loving This Dub,' by Michelle Beisner-Buck.
Insight pageJordan Love
NegativeValue33:56
Jordan Love is mentioned as a potential target for a fantasy team name concept, 'Loving This Dub,' by Michelle Beisner-Buck.
Insight pageJosh Jacobs
NegativeInjury14:26
Josh Jacobs has been placed on the commissioner's exempt list following legal charges. The source indicates that due to the existence of surveillance video and the NFL's focus on protecting its image, it is difficult to imagine a scenario where Jacobs plays before his next court date on November 17th.
Insight pageTua Tagovailoa
NegativeUsage24:42
The Miami Dolphins are entering a rebuilding phase and digging out from the contract of Tua Tagovailoa, which is described as part of the current mess in Miami.
Insight pageFull transcript
Episode Transcript
0:00Late Night Bites with Friends, Already Hard to Beat.
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0:22Welcome back to the Adam Schefter Podcast as we prepare to head into Labor Day weekend, which commemorates the start of the National Football League season.
0:31That never really goes away, but the games are about to begin next Wednesday night, next Thursday.
0:36A lot of topics and a lot of information to get to today.
0:41But today, we have a very special co-host. With Ty Schmidt taking a little bit of time for himself, as he should,
0:48we are joined today by my friend, my colleague, the co-host of Unsportsmanlike, Michelle Smallman for this week's Six Pack, which is brought to you by ZipRecruiter.
0:57Try it for free at ZipRecruiter.com slash Adam. Meet your match on ZipRecruiter.
1:02Michelle, welcome. Shefty, thank you for the warm welcome.
1:05I am so thrilled to be doing this with you.
1:08So honored to be filling in for Ty today.
1:11And especially with the timing of this all. We're a week away from the kickoff of the NFL season.
1:17You're the man with all the intel, so I can't wait to get into this week's Six Pack with you.
1:24And this is always to me, Michelle, the last gasp weekend where the NFL, with the exception of the San Francisco 49ers
1:31and the Los Angeles Rams, which we'll get to, always takes a little break.
1:36It's a little pause for everybody to get like a little unofficial bye weekend.
1:41Nobody calls it a bye weekend, but I'm telling you, it's a little bye weekend for everybody, especially coming off the crazy busy weekend.
1:49We had last weekend where there were 32 teams cutting 37 players each.
1:53That's 1184 roster moves minimum. There were trades, there was movement, there were all sorts of things going on.
2:00This is the weekend for everybody to catch their breath one more time before the real madness of the games begins.
2:07Well, does that mean, Adam, that your phone's quiet this week?
2:10Because I just imagine it going off at all times.
2:14I would say this to you. Look, there are times in the year when it's always going to be busier than others.
2:21Last weekend was insane. It really never stopped. Oh my, oh my God.
2:25I felt bad for my family. I felt bad.
2:28Like I was in my house all weekend and I was in my office on a Saturday and Sunday in summer on what was a beautiful weather weekend.
2:38I never really left. This weekend. I think it's going to be quiet.
2:42Like a couple of things. I'm hoping for everybody's sake that nothing happens, that there are no trades, no moves, no arrests, no nothing, no trouble.
2:51Like we have a nice peaceful weekend. We celebrate Labor Day by not laboring and then we get ready to go at it Tuesday.
2:59Full throttle. Well, Adam, while people are relaxing over Labor Day weekend, they're going to be listening to this podcast to get
3:06geared up for week one to kick off next week.
3:09So let's get to this week's six pack. Topic number one.
3:13You mentioned the 49ers and the LA Rams. They leave for Australia today.
3:17The 49ers do because it's one week until kickoff.
3:21What do you think about that? The 49ers plan for them to leave today in advance of the game next week.
3:28First, I can't believe we're taping this Wednesday, September 2nd and the first NFL road trip of the regular season is taking place today.
3:36San Francisco will leave later tonight. They don't arrive in Australia until Friday morning.
3:40Can you imagine that leaving Wednesday and getting to another place on Friday?
3:45Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Rams are not leaving until Wednesday, September 9th.
3:49So they're leaving a full week after the 49ers.
3:52Both teams have done a lot of research into this.
3:55Both teams have talked to scientists and looked at the data.
3:59I've talked to their players, have gone through as many exercises as you can and come out in entirely different spots.
4:06And I think they have because, I mean, this is the information that the 49ers have, but the Rams, they went to
4:13London last year and they arrived the day before the game from LA and they won the game against Jacksonville by about 40 points.
4:21So their experience is we don't have to get in early.
4:25We don't have to reset our body clocks. We don't have to reacclimate and readjust.
4:30We just go in, take care of our business and then come back.
4:34And it's interesting because when you go to Europe, Jordan Rogers was saying on get up this morning that when he went
4:42to Ireland last week to call the North Carolina win that when he got there, his body was a mess for two days.
4:49Like he was all screwed up, but it's like a, what a six hour flight, seven hour flight, whatever it may be.
4:57And he felt out of whack for two days.
5:00When you're flying to Australia is that flight doubles.
5:03And then some, it's like an, it's like an 18 hour flight, 20 hour flight.
5:08It's a 14 hour time difference from the East coast.
5:11And so you can literally go to bed on the plane and sleep the entire time.
5:16I went to Australia with the Denver Broncos in the late 1990s.
5:20And I do remember that going there did not seem to be a big adjustment, but coming back, that took me as
5:28long as anywhere I've ever been to recover. And I was much younger back then.
5:33And so I think that's going to be the real adjustment for these teams.
5:37And I wonder how it'll impact both of them, especially the 49ers, because they're going to be there for a longer time.
5:45In week two, the 49ers play the Miami Dolphins.
5:48Let's see if they come out and are flat in that game, but I think they'll be able to, they'll be adjusted.
5:55And the question is whether the Rams will be adjusted, but the Rams have bet that they will, but it's just two
6:03entirely different approaches that the teams are taking. You know, by the way, the 49ers for all their injury questions, I was
6:10told on Tuesday night that all the players were supposed to be making this trip.
6:15So they all should be there and they all should be gearing up to play next Thursday night in the States, next
6:22Friday morning in Australia, as we get ready for a little 49ers Rams action.
6:27I can't wait to see how each of these teams are affected, Adam, because as you mentioned, you've done it.
6:34You've been to Australia. I haven't been to Australia, but I took a flight from Hong Kong or from New York City to Hong Kong.
6:42I did Hong Kong and Thailand and I had the perfect sleep strategy.
6:46I took my sleeping pill when I needed to.
6:49I slept the entire time. We arrived early in the morning and it still took me over three days to get acclimated.
6:57I felt like I was underwater the entire time.
7:00So I think the 49ers having more time, more runway to get acclimated is interesting.
7:05Now the Rams, fresh off the plane, we're getting ready to play.
7:09Let's see if that works out for them. But let's jump to topic number two, Adam.
7:14Speaking of the Los Angeles Rams, Aaron Donald, the biggest move of the offseason that we've been tracking so much, especially here on your podcast.
7:23It finally happened. The three-time defensive player of the year, future Hall of Famer Aaron Donald has returned to the Rams.
7:30Take us through how this went down and what stands out to you.
7:34Well, what's interesting is I think we all thought we'd get to this spot.
7:39This is not a surprise to anybody that we hear Aaron Donald is back.
7:43He and Miles Garrett now form the 2026 version of the terrible twosome for the franchise that once had the fearsome foursome.
7:51So that's where we're kind of at today. But let me just say that last weekend, everybody knew that we had to
7:58get to a spot where there was going to be an answer from Aaron Donald.
8:03The final roster moves are being made. The rosters are being pared down to 53 players on Sunday.
8:09Aaron Donald was going to give an answer. And in speaking to various people on Saturday over the weekend when I was
8:16stuck in my office on a beautiful weather weekend working away, I was told that Aaron Donald wanted to sleep on the decision.
8:24Now, listen, Michelle, if you're going to sleep on a big decision, you may have an idea of what you're going to do.
8:32But that also means that you're not 100 percent convicted on what you're going to do.
8:37Correct? Sure. You're doing the right thing. Right. That you could change your mind.
8:42Well, the Rams. I think they thought he would come back, but I'm telling you right now that they spent the day Saturday going over contract.
8:51And like, this is our final offer. We're not adding anything.
8:54We're not changing. This is it. And Aaron Donald wanted to sleep on it.
8:59And that may have just been a negotiating strategy by Aaron Donald's agent, Todd France, to try to get more guaranteed money or more incentives or more whatever.
9:08But the Rams were of the mind that Aaron Donald needed to take that night to think about it and sleep on it before he gave an answer.
9:18And then on Sunday, all the Rams are gathered in their offices.
9:22And Aaron Donald was in the building. And at noon Pacific, 3 Eastern, Aaron Donald comes through, daps him up and says, take care, guys.
9:30And leaves. Just leaves. Doesn't say, I'm thinking of taking the offer.
9:34I'm hoping that you could sweeten the pot, add more incentive, whatever.
9:38Just leaves. leaves. And I'm just telling you that in that hour, speaking to some of those people, I thought, they thought, they thought, he's not coming back.
9:47They thought they were of the mind that this might be done.
9:51And I spoke to some of them like, yeah, I don't know.
9:55I said, well, I think he is coming back.
9:59And they're like, he just left here. Like, left.
10:02Say goodbye. Where's he going? We're practicing this afternoon.
10:05We're starting practice for the 49ers. Like, he left.
10:08So, I think you're wrong. Okay, well, we'll see.
10:11Well, at 4 Eastern, 1 Pacific on Sunday, Aaron Donald took to Instagram to announce that he was, in fact, coming back.
10:18And, obviously, I don't think this move ever happens.
10:21This all got started the day that the Rams traded for Miles Garrett, in my mind.
10:26Because that was where all the talk started from.
10:29You never heard anything about Aaron Donald coming back two years ago or last year.
10:34And the Rams had good teams. Where was all the talk about Aaron Donald coming back then?
10:40It didn't exist. You never heard it come up.
10:43And, in fact, when it did come up to either the team or to Aaron Donald, everybody was very quick to squash it.
10:51But after the trade for Miles Garrett, when the topic came up, nobody squashed it.
10:56In fact, they fueled it. And it grew. And it became one of the biggest storylines of NFL training camps this summer.
11:03Until he posted that announcement that he was coming back, which I know people will be skeptical.
11:09I'm telling you, surprised some within the Rams organization.
11:12Adam, that is a fascinating look behind the scenes.
11:15Because I think, like you said, most people assumed the second we heard about Aaron Donald considering coming back, we thought, okay,
11:22this has to be a done deal. He's at the facility.
11:26He's working out. He looks like he never took a snap off.
11:30The way that Sean McVay was talking about Aaron Donald's return.
11:34It felt imminent. It felt inevitable. So the fact that the Rams had questions or concerns all the way up until the announcement really is intriguing.
11:42Yep. But he did come back. And he'll be on that plane to Australia next Wednesday.
11:48And the question will be whether he'll play. And I think Dan Graziano mentioned that he might not play until week two or three.
11:56And we'll see where that goes. I'm going to guess week one, I'm going to guess he's out there.
12:02Like, he came back last week. He's been gearing up for this all summer.
12:07I'm not telling you he's going to be out there a lot, but you're telling me that Aaron Donald can't get out
12:14there for 12 plays in week one? We'll see how they handle it.
12:18We'll see how he handles it. We'll see how his body reacts over the next week.
12:24But I think once the Rams go there, my guess is he plays, and we'll see if that turns out to be right.
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14:17Compatibility and availability varies 18+. Well, let's move on to topic number three.
14:21Another storyline, Adam, we've been paying attention to. Josh Jacobs, Packers running back.
14:26He was placed on the commissioner's exempt list on Sunday.
14:29This is three days after he was formally charged with two misdemeanors that stemmed from an alleged incident with a woman in May.
14:37We're going to let all the legal proceedings play out, Adam, but what can you tell us about how long Josh Jacobs
14:44will miss in terms of games for the Packers?
14:47Well, Michelle, what happens here is when the NFL places somebody on the commissioner exempt list, what that is doing is that
14:54is pushing pause on that particular player's career. That is saying, essentially, we're not sure what happened here.
15:00We don't know when we're going to let him back on the field.
15:05We need to gather more information. And the information that's out there, I think, has been disturbing by many standards, by what's in the police report.
15:13If you look at it, the surveillance video from the garage confirmed that there were certain portions of the woman's account from the altercation that were accurate.
15:23She said to police that he grabbed her by the arm, he threw her down, and that's when she hit her head on the ground.
15:31And the video, apparently, according to the district attorney's office, showed her on the floor with Jacobs taking her phone and coming
15:38back about 40 seconds later after damaging it. Again, we'll let the police, the DA's office, his lawyers, the NFL figure out what's right and what's wrong.
15:47We do not know. What we do know is that, again, there is a video.
15:52It has been seen by others. It would be interesting to see if that video does surface, which in this day and
16:00age, you have to figure it will. The Green Bay Packers have stood behind Josh Jacobs, though they have not yet seen the video and whatever's on it.
16:09And they have said that they believe he'll be back this season.
16:13He's next scheduled to appear in court in Green Bay, November 17th.
16:17Now, I don't know how that plays out. Here we are in September.
16:21That's over two months from now. It's hard to imagine a scenario unless there's some sort of development where the woman drops
16:29charges, the charges are dropped, or something happens that he's playing before then.
16:33Right? Like, what scenario could that be? I'm just, we're talking out loud here.
16:38I'm trying to figure it out. You tell me, is there a scenario in your mind where all of a sudden the league, it's hard to imagine.
16:47Like, the league, and I've had people in Green Bay raise the question, okay, you know, why is he being placed in
16:54that commissioner exemplus when other players have not been?
16:57And I think it goes back to Ray Rice.
17:00Because when there's a video, and there is in this particular case apparently, and people have seen it, when there's a video,
17:08the league is all about making sure that it's protecting the shield and enforcing the law and making sure that the perception
17:15that they're handling it the right way is appropriate and accurate.
17:19And so if there's a video, the league is going to err to the side of caution, even if it means the
17:26Green Bay Packers won't have their running back for two plus months.
17:30The league doesn't care about that. The league cares about its image, its perception, doing the right thing.
17:36So my guess is he's out for a short period of time, minimum.
17:40We don't know if this case will proceed, how it will proceed, what will come out of it.
17:46But again, today, and these things change regularly, I don't know how he's playing before that time, right?
17:52Like what scenario would that be? I just have a hard time with that.
17:57So we'll see. And then again, and if the video surfaces at some point in time, what happens then?
18:04We've never seen it. We don't know what's on it.
18:07But if it is what the DA says, then that raises a whole nother set of questions.
18:13So a lot to be answered. I think for now, when you're on the commissioner exemplus, as we talked about, the league
18:20has hit pause and it's going to stay on pause for a indefinite amount of time.
18:25I can imagine that the NFL, the Packers, all the powers that be here want to make sure to respect the legal process.
18:33But as you said, Adam, based on past instances of domestic violence and the video with Ray Rice, that they want to
18:40make sure to treat this with the delicacy that it deserves.
18:44And sensitivities. Absolutely. That's what the league is going to do.
18:48Topic four, Adam, here on the Six Pack. There's always a bunch of trades made before all 32 teams have to cut their rosters down to 53.
18:57So what stood out to you about the trades that were made this time?
19:01Well, our friend and colleague, Phil Yates, also pointed this out.
19:05I think it's something that's really interesting to keep in mind.
19:09But if you notice all the trades that were made over the weekend, many of them involved draft picks, not in 2027, but in 2028.
19:17And even if we go back to the draft in April, it was similar then, if I recall, that there were draft picks in 2028.
19:26And do you know what that means, Michelle? No, tell me.
19:29It means that teams want to hold on to their picks in 2027 because that is the draft that everybody has been waiting for with all the quarterbacks.
19:39Teams want to hoard picks in 2027, not discard them, even late round picks.
19:43And here we have the New York Jets sitting with three coveted ones, one from the Dallas Cowboys for Quinn and Williams,
19:51one from the Colts for Sauce Gardner and their own.
19:54We had the Cleveland Browns sitting there with double ones in 2027.
19:58And this is the draft that everybody wants to make sure that they are as armed as possible with as many picks
20:05as possible, with as much draft capital as possible.
20:08So if the time comes that they need a quarterback, and many of these teams do, we know the Jets and Browns will be in that market.
20:17They're going to be able to move around that draft board to try to get the quarterback they want in one of
20:25the most anticipated quarterback drafts in recent memory. Now, the draft that had Caleb Williams, Jaden Daniels, Drake May, Bo Nix, Michael Penix, J.J.
20:33McCarthy, that was one of those quarterback drafts. This is going to be another one of those drafts.
20:39I don't know whether it'll be better or worse.
20:42And then, of course, there's the famous quarterback draft class from 1983, where we had Jim Kelly, John Elway, Dan Marino, Tony
20:49Eason, Ken O'Brien, Todd Blackledge, some great quarterbacks in that draft class.
20:53This draft class is shaping up to be that kind of class.
20:57Talent all across the board. Now, we'll see how the college football season plays out, which quarterbacks will emerge and ascend, which
21:05will sink, because every year there's certain guys where their stock rises.
21:09Other stock fall at this time last year. Nobody's talking about Fernando Mendoza, and he goes on to become the number one overall pick.
21:17I do think Dante Moore heads into the season as the top quarterback prospect, but he easily could be dethroned and unseated,
21:24and we'll see how that plays out. But these teams have been waiting for the draft of 2027, and it's been reflected
21:31in the way they've handled their draft picks during cutdown weekend, during the last NFL draft.
21:37And it'll be interesting to watch that again as trade deadline day approaches, how many teams or how few teams there are
21:44that are willing to part ways with the coveted 2027 draft capital.
21:48So much excitement heading into this college football season.
21:51All these quarterbacks that you were talking about, people are going to be monitoring, and some of those players that you mentioned
21:59we thought were going to come out last year.
22:02But now, because of NIL and the money that they're making in college football, they're afforded the luxury to go back and make sure they're honing their craft.
22:11That's a great point, too, because there are some quarterbacks we will be expecting to come out.
22:17Arch Manning could decide, you know what? It's not worth it.
22:20I'll make more Texas next year in 27. And so while we've been expecting him to be a part of this draft
22:28class, I don't think it would surprise anybody if he stayed at Texas and was part of the draft class of 2028.
22:35When we look into that trick, great point on your part.
22:39All right. Thank you, Adam. Let's move to topic number five.
22:42It's no secret that the Dolphins are hitting the reset button this year.
22:47I'm calling them Lambeau South, Adam, because they've taken so many pieces from Green Bay.
22:52Front office, coaching staff, quarterback, they're Lambeau South in my mind.
22:55What have you made about all the moves that they've made, though, over this past week?
23:01Well, first of all, I don't remember the last time that I saw one team claim seven players in the final wave
23:08of cutdowns as the Miami Dolphins did on Monday.
23:11Seven players. So that means, what is it, 12% of their roster are players that they picked up that were released from
23:19other teams that they're just adding to their roster now.
23:22They may have 10 rookies starting on opening day.
23:25They already have $182 million in dead cap space, more dead cap space than any NFL team ever has had in a single season.
23:33And we've had their head coach, Jeff Halfley, already come out and say that this season won't be measured in wins and losses.
23:41Because I think everybody knows what's coming in Miami this season.
23:44A lot of losses. And the Dolphins right now, going into this season, are the team to beat for the number one
23:52overall draft pick in the 2027 NFL draft. That is the coveted NFL draft that everybody's anticipating for.
23:58I almost could hear it now in Washington, D.C.
24:01If you close your eyes and really listen, you could hear it now, Michelle.
24:05The Miami Dolphins are on the clock. You could almost hear it right now.
24:10They are the favorite to have the number one pick.
24:13They are entering a rebuilding phase. Their general manager, John Eric Sullivan, knew what this would be about.
24:19Their head coach, Jeff Halfley, knew what this would be about.
24:23And we're starting to see the little signs of it with them picking up seven players.
24:28Seven players on waivers. With them leaning on all the rookies that they're going to lean on.
24:34And they've got some good young talent. But it's going to be a long year in Miami as they begin to dig
24:42out from the Tua Tungabailoa contract and the mess that is there right now.
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25:35Wayfair, every style, every home. Let's close things out with topic number six.
25:39How about the Dallas Cowboys, Adam? They're always a juicy topic.
25:43Brian Schottenheimer, their head coach, was on a podcast.
25:46He said, Valentine's Day, Super Bowl, expect us to be there.
25:50Dak Prescott is saying, Gotti, we're going to be the greatest offense there is.
25:55What are your expectations for the Dallas Cowboys this season?
25:58Cowboy up, Michelle, because I think they're coming. And I said that on Get Up This Morning.
26:04I'm like, I got bad news. I got bad news for Stephen A.
26:08Smith. The Dallas Cowboys are coming. And they're coming because, if you think about it, the last couple of summers, there was all that drama surrounding C.D.
26:17Lamb being in camp, not being in camp, whether he got paid, and he got paid at the end of the summer.
26:24There was all the drama surrounding Dak Prescott, whether or not he would get paid.
26:29And lo and behold, hours before the Cowboys opened their regular season, two seasons ago in Cleveland, they get done a deal
26:37with Dak Prescott to make him, at that time, the highest paid player in football.
26:42Last summer, Micah Parsons dominated the NFL landscape. It was all about what was going to happen with Micah, whether he was going to get paid.
26:50And then eventually, he does get traded to the Green Bay Packers.
26:54And how would this trade impact Dallas' fortunes in the 2025 season?
26:58And how would they fare? This summer, Michelle, drama-free Dallas.
27:02Like, we have not heard of any sort of issues.
27:05George Pickens was as close as it came, and he signed his franchise tender, can't do a contract extension.
27:12So there's really not a lot of drama there.
27:15That's on hold until after the season. Dak's under contract.
27:18CeeDee's under contract. And you know what? They've rebuilt the defense, too.
27:22And I think the defense is actually going to be better than people think.
27:27Caleb Downs is going to be an impact player right away.
27:30Malachi Lawrence is going to come on. Jalen Thompson.
27:33The players they had, this is going to be a good defense.
27:37Not to mention the defensive coordinator that they brought in from under Vic Fangio, Christian Parker from the Eagles.
27:44I think the Dallas Cowboys are dangerous. And when I said that on GetUp this morning, I aimed it at one person in particular, Stephen A.
27:52Smith. And I said, Stephen A. Smith, the Dallas Cowboys are coming.
27:56And of course, Stephen A. must have been watching GetUp leading into first take because he then tweeted, OMG, Adam Schefter has
28:04to get tested in all capital letters. Tested. He just went on GetUp, mentioned my name in all capital letters and swore
28:11that the Dallas Cowboys are coming like I'm supposed to be worried.
28:15They've got the great Shefty hooked now. So sad.
28:18So sad. I can't believe I have to tell him.
28:21Just be patient. Wait for the fall. It's coming.
28:24I've been right for 30 years going on 31!
28:27Exclamation! Exclamation! Exclamation! Exclamation! And he may be right again.
28:31The chances are Stephen A. is going to be right because to get to the Super Bowl is very hard.
28:38But I just think the Dallas Cowboy team is going to be one of the better teams in football.
28:44It's going to be one of the best teams in the NFC.
28:48And when it is one of the better teams in football, and it is one of the best teams in the NFC, Stephen A.
28:56is going to be a little nervous that the Cowboys are coming.
29:00Because if they win the Super Bowl, that's going to be a tough day for Stephen A.
29:06A tough day for Stephen A. It may be coming, Michelle.
29:09We'll see if the Cowboys can make that happen.
29:12But I think they're going to be really improved.
29:15I think they're going to be a really good team this season.
29:19I'm with you. I think they're going to be much improved.
29:23And Brian Schottenheimer and his coaching debut last season dealt a lot of difficult instances.
29:28There were a lot of obstacles, and he handled himself really well.
29:32I think the team has responded to him. And while Stephen A.
29:36does have history on his side, we're talking three decades here of the Cowboys getting in their own way, you brought up the key factor, Adam.
29:45A lot of the Cowboys getting in their own way is Jerry Jones talking.
29:50And he's been eerily quiet this offseason. We on Unsportsmanlike, on ESPN Radio in the summertime, could always count on some Jerry Jones soundbites to get us going.
29:59There's been nothing, Adam. It's been shocking. It's been very quiet because I think they probably know that they have a really good chance.
30:07I mean, they could feel it. They know it's coming.
30:10I know it's coming. You know it's coming. They're going to be good.
30:15I'm just telling you. And being good doesn't assure you of anything.
30:19You may not make it to the NFC Championship game again.
30:22You may not make it to the... But I just think they're going to have a real chance to win that division.
30:30They're going to have a real chance to win the NFC.
30:33And they're going to have a real chance to make Stephen A sweat.
30:38And let's see if they could ultimately get that done.
30:41All right, Michelle. You know what else next week is?
30:44Truly one of my very favorite nights of the year.
30:48The only night where I do my very best not to answer my telephone a single time where I would love to
30:55put up a do not disturb and do not bother me sign on it for the rest of the night.
31:02You know what that is? What is it, Adam?
31:05Fantasy football draft night. Two drafts. Oh. Tuesday night.
31:08Starts at 530. First one. Second one's at 8.
31:11That's, to me, that's about as much of a national holiday as anything else.
31:16And I am fired up for my two drafts.
31:19In the first draft with a bunch of friends.
31:2212-team league. We have the fifth overall selection. We've got conference calls Thursday to start talking about our draft strategy.
31:28And then the team that I have in the ESPN league, 16 teams.
31:33I am holding the 13th draft slot. I think I know already at 13, the player that I'm going to be taking at 13.
31:41I think I can answer that right now, which very rarely am I convicted.
31:45So if the guy is snubbed before me, I'll be disappointed.
31:49But, you know, he's projected as a 15, 16, 17 player.
31:53I think there's a decent chance he'll be there.
31:56And if he is, I'll know my pick. But that's all I want to say about that for right now.
32:02Because I'm just telling you, that night, that night, Michelle, that is a sacred night.
32:07That is a night that I look forward to all year long.
32:11And that is the night where you draft these players that you are connected to for the next four months.
32:18You live and die with them. And every little practice update that comes in, this guy's hamstring is about that.
32:25That's just a knife in my heart every time it happens to one of my players.
32:30I can only imagine what the coaches and GMs who have these guys who are relying on these guys feel.
32:37But I can tell you, I'm there with them.
32:40I feel all that pain. And we at ESPN, we won't be the only ones having their fantasy draft that night.
32:47I think Tuesday is like the draft day. I know a lot of people have done their drafts this week or doing
32:54them this weekend, Labor Day weekend, Labor Day, whatever it may be.
32:58Tuesday, that's the day to do it. And we are gearing up for that.
33:03And we are. Are you playing a fancy football league at all or no?
33:08So I might do it for the first time this year.
33:11I've only done it once in my entire life.
33:14When I was hosting the morning show in St.
33:17Louis, my co-host, Randy Carriker, and I were part of Adam Wainwright's incredible Cardinals pitcher for many years.
33:23He had a fantasy football league for charity. And he used to come on our show every week.
33:29So we did it with him. I forgot to set the lineup every week.
33:34So Randy would swoop in and save the day.
33:37But Courtney Cronin, who you see on various platforms here at ESPN, covers the Chicago Bears, is trying to get us to do a league.
33:45And I have a team name that I really like.
33:49So I think this is the year I might jump in, Adam.
33:53Let me float it by you. I'm a Packers fan.
33:56And I'm from St. Louis. Packers quarterback Jordan Love.
33:59St. Louis star running back for the Arizona Cardinals Jeremiah Love.
34:03If I can get one of those two, I want to call the team Loving This Dub, like the famous Usher song, Loving This Club.
34:11What do you think? Michelle, I think it's awesome.
34:14I highly recommend you do it. Love the name.
34:17And we'd love to see you get back involved with fantasy football.
34:21I'll say this. I was talking with Louis Riddick this morning.
34:25He's got the ninth pick in the War Room League.
34:28And he was bemoaning the fact that he's never won the league in fantasy.
34:33By the way, I've never won the league. I've reached the finals two or three times.
34:38Wow. That shacks me because you're so good at fantasy basketball per sources.
34:43Thank you. Right? Five championships in nine years at Dynasty.
34:46But in football, can't do it. Can't do it.
34:49Just doesn't happen. Wow. And football, you've got to be good and you've got to be lucky because there are so many injuries.
34:57And the fantasy football gods in football never have smiled down at me.
35:01They want to torture me. My dear friend Mort, he never won the league.
35:06There was a year where he was in the finals against Michael Smith.
35:10I'll never forget it. He had the game in hand.
35:14It was a Monday night game. The 49ers were playing somebody.
35:17And it was over. And then all of a sudden, Michael Smith with some on-site kick made some improbable comeback and won.
35:25Mort didn't win. I haven't won. It's a tough thing.
35:28But we're going to take our chances on Tuesday night.
35:31I'm picking 13th, 20th, 44, 51. I actually have an idea, a game plan.
35:36Now, that's the great part about fantasy drafts. You go in thinking you might know who you're going to be taking.
35:43And then certain guys go. And certain guys are on the board.
35:47And it never goes the way that you anticipated, ever.
35:50Just the way it kind of goes. But it's exciting to think about.
35:55Michelle, I have to tell you, great, great, great job today filling in for Tyson.
36:00Thank you. Outstanding. Much respect. I salute you for doing a great job today.
36:04I want to thank our great producer, Dan Stanzik.
36:07I want to thank Rob Lorenzo for helping out here.
36:11Ben Smith and all the people who continue to another Adam Schefter podcast today.
36:15We'll be back in this spot next week with a football season preview.
36:20Another All 32 podcast where we provide information on all 32 teams.
36:24Some intel leading into the regular season about all 32 teams in this spot next week.
36:29Until then, oh, and also please remember to rate, review, and subscribe to the Adam Schefter podcast.
36:35Can't leave this podcast without saying that. Good luck to everybody on their fancy football drafts.
36:40Happy Labor Day weekend, and we'll be back for the preparation of week.
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