0:00Good morning, Matt Waldman. Hello, everybody. I'm Bob Harris. He is Matt Waldman. This is the Fielder [ __ ] Podcast. We're going to run through some
0:06players tell you what's good and what's not so good and what's real and what's not so real.
0:12Uh, and all kinds of fun stuff. Matt, what's going on right now at the Rookie Scouting Portfolio?
0:16>> Well, you know, I mean, projections are out and we got the scouting report on Brandon Sorensen that is no longer
0:22necessary, but um >> [laughter] >> at least for this year. CFL blocked him, too. So, you know, >> Don't bet >> [laughter]
0:30>> on it.
0:31Exactly. Um but yeah, you can go to Matt Waldman RSP you can go to mattwaldman.com actually and you can order the Rookie Scouting
0:40Portfolio pre-draft and post-draft guide for $21.95 or you can order the um projections and rankings that are updated throughout the year for $24.95
0:49or you can order both and get great companion products that will get you ready for redraft and mostly dynasty, but it'll help you in redraft, too.
1:00Equally, I think actually, I think equally as well. Um and then uh you know, rankings are rankings and commentary. I've commented on probably
1:08nearly 500 players at Footballguys with rankings of that many running backs, wide receivers, quarterbacks, and tight ends. And you can see where I stand on those. And the
1:19gut check came out on the 10 best bargain wide receivers from the early, middle, and late rounds of drafts thus far.
1:27>> This week's fantasy notebook series will be on underrated wide receivers. Uh there might be some Matt Waldman quotes in that very article over the course of
1:35the week. If you've been following along, the notebook comes out daily now then the reassembled at the end of the week for for those who like to get the
1:42full the full blast all at one time. So, we accommodate you everybody. Also, the award-winning draft guide is back at Footballguys for 2026.
1:51Uh printed draft guide we call it a magazine seems like a an unfair comparison. So, >> [laughter] >> it's like a collector's edition,
1:59beautifully designed, collector-worthy guide packed with expert analysis, cheat sheets, proven strategies give you the edge this season. Matt Waldman has some
2:06fantastic end game ideas for you. I We look at who you can trust or what you can trust. A lot of things Jason Woods
2:14projections, tons of great stuff, so check that out. Order it footballguys.com, and also find my fantasy notebook there, the gut check
2:21there, our rankings there, Matt's comments there. I steal all of his work is fantastic. Um so, let's dive into this stuff today, Matt. It's a It's a
2:31It's It's like the quiet time, but it never gets all the way quiet. There's some stories One of the bigger kind of off-season
2:39you know, drum beats has been Brian Thomas Jr. in Jacksonville. There will be a rebound coming that he's working on his chemistry with one Trevor Lawrence,
2:47which would be necessary for this all to happen. I mean, that seemed to be you know, we all saw his rise as a rookie.
2:54Most of that came with Mac Jones at quarterback.
2:57I think it was a 10-game span where he really came on. That was when he moved into wide receiver two status last year,
3:03fell short, Parker Washington rose, Jakobi Meyers arrived. Brian Thomas will rebound in 2026, feel the [ __ ] >> I'm feeling it, but I don't know if he's
3:11going to I don't think he's going to rebound to his 2024 season. Um I think that what you're going to see is that
3:18it's going to be an even split of one and two on paper between Thomas and Parker Washington. Um but Thomas is the more boom-bust player,
3:27mainly because he is the one that's going to get more of the vertical targets, and Trevor Lawrence and Thomas have to prove that they can be on the
3:36same page. It's not just whether whether Lawrence is accurate, but whether Thomas and Lawrence also read the coverage the right way, because
3:44that's what we saw last year several times where Thomas broke on a route based on where the where the safety or
3:51the cornerback were playing and and Lawrence threw to a different direction thinking it was going to be a different type of route. So, that's got to be
4:00fixed. I think that will be fixed. Then now what we're down to is accuracy and that's where that's more on Lawrence and
4:08I don't know if that's his game. There's some concerns that that may not be his game. So, for me I've got Brian Thomas
4:15right now at about close to 120 targets, close to 70 catches. He's catching under 60% because he's going to be that deep
4:23threat. And just a little over 1,000 yards and seven touchdowns. So, what that says to me, you know, relative to the other players on on the depth chart,
4:33I have Parker Washington at over 140 targets, nearly 100 catches, 1,200 yards, and eight touchdowns. Um so, you
4:43can see one two there with Myers being the guy that could backfill if Thomas really struggles and they decide this just doesn't fit our offense. Let's
4:52trade him, get some capital, and we'll roll with what we got.
4:56>> And there there were rumors about that persistent throughout the off season and even late last year. So, you made a great point, too. I think
5:05people really overlook. I mean, interceptions are individual stats for quarterbacks, but they are not individual accomplishments and and everyone's got to be on the same page,
5:14read things the same way, see the coverage is the same. So, there's a lot going on there. We'll see if Brian Thomas can rebound. Right now
5:21you're you're looking at I think he's around wide receiver 31. Washington's going slightly after him. I think they're both in the seventh round. Que
5:28Kobe Myers going in the eighth round of your fantasy draft. Remember what James Glass still told us. His superpower is catching the football.
5:35I don't think that was a not an subtle message for some of the other receivers named Brian Thomas Jr.
5:41Moving on to Dallas where Ryan Flournoy is generating a ton of buzz this off season and rightfully so, I guess, after, you know, he showed up, you know,
5:49showed up when they needed him last year.
5:52Uh we've already got CeeDee Lamb, we've got George Pickens.
5:55Is there room for a third 1,000-yard receiver in this offense?
5:59>> I don't think so, and I think it's because they have a strong tight end in Jake Ferguson. And if that guy gets
6:05hurt, they have an even better athlete in Michael Trigg, um who people should be >> The undrafted >> Yeah, they should be considering this
6:14guy late in dynasty leagues, and maybe if with a good camp in redraft leagues, too, as a at least a guy to monitor on
6:22for your waiver wire early if something happens to Ferguson.
6:26>> I've taken that Trigg advice. But but back to Flournoy, so what is he, you know, fantasy-wise, what's his value? Is
6:32there any bye week filler?
6:34>> Yeah, I mean, I think any receiver who can get you over 500 yards worth of um yardage, and then somewhere around three
6:42to five touchdowns, that maybe you can find There might be possibilities where you can use him as a bye week option for
6:50certain mat- matchups, and especially if there's a player on the depth chart who's hurt, banged up, and maybe struggling a little bit. That's where
7:00Flournoy might be able to come into play. Now, this is really how I have it on the surface. I have him as like the
7:08fourth leading the fourth target getter on the roster right now, behind, of course, Lamb and Pickens and Ferguson.
7:16Um and then and then even just ahead of Jevonte Williams, cuz Williams isn't going to be a big target getter. But the thing is is
7:25that the [clears throat] the the key here is to watch Pickens and Lamb. I mean, if either of those guys gets hurt, Flournoy
7:32suddenly becomes a low-end starter.
7:34>> I do think you I think we saw the signs that I think that's the thing you know, we usually talk about contingent upside
7:40with regard to running backs, because they're at the position where there's the most most likely injuries or something. But in Dallas, he does have
7:47some of that contingent upside. They're going to throw the ball a ton. They're going to run the ball a ton. That's
7:50going to be a prolific offense with the great Dak Prescott at the helm calling the mighty Brian Schottenheimer scheme.
7:57And which like I say that only half facetiously, but I mean there was a lot of people last heading into last season
8:03thought it was going to be a pretty mundane, you know, run-of-the-mill offense and it they certainly exceeded all that maybe by
8:10>> Offenses look good when your offensive line actually plays well.
8:14>> Yeah, Clayton Adams, the offensive coordinator, came from Arizona where he was the offensive line coach. That's a big part of what he put together there
8:20as well. So So yeah, I'm with you. I think we I think we see this the same. I mean Flournoy is going as wide receiver
8:2572 and the 200th pick overall. So if you're so predisposed, please. It won't cost you anything to find out. Kyle Williams kind of in the same boat in New
8:34England. Um Do we feel like he's not going to get a consistent role because of the logjam at the top of the depth chart? Feel it,
8:41it.
8:42>> Um I'd say on the surface I feel it, but when you dig a little deeper, I'd say that. The reason that there is a
8:48logjam at the top of the depth chart is because Kyle Williams can't catch.
8:53And it's not that he can't catch. It's that he fights the ball a little too often for their liking. You heard all
9:01the the romance from the from the beat writers last spring heading into the summer. And then it just fell silent.
9:09>> [laughter] >> talk about a number of those guys.
9:11>> Yeah, it just >> There that's a that's a thing annually though. That you know, people fall in love with some of these
9:18young prospects who are getting opportunities that they will that will vanish >> Yeah.
9:22>> once the snaps start mattering.
9:23>> And one of the reasons that they vanishes is either they can't run the routes on the same page as the
9:29quarterback, you know, RE Bryan Thomas and Trevor Lawrence last year on a high-profile level with deep routes, but they do it everywhere else.
9:37Um or B, they can't catch the ball. And I think Kyle Williams catches the ball reasonably well in certain in certain settings, but when
9:49he's covered tightly, when he's in a situation where he's got to make that play that's going to separate a starter from a reserve, there's too many clap
9:57attacks. There's too many of that and too many even when he clap he clap tax just about everything and he fights the
10:04ball a lot. Go back to look at his Washington State tape and you just you watch spectacular catches, but you also
10:12see him clapping on it. And when the coverage gets tighter, you have to think more or react more to different information.
10:20You know, the bandwidth gets clogged up and you get overloaded and then the mistakes get um magnified. And so his his existing flaws, the clap attack,
10:32he's got to fix that. And if he can, he's talented enough otherwise to move up this depth chart. Like to me, if you
10:39could if you if he had Romeo Dobbs Well, I won't say that. If he had A.J. Brown's hands, he would be in a tight battle with Romeo
10:49Dobbs right now. Yeah.
10:51>> Oh, I mean, you know how I'm going to view him. I'm going to view him as fast.
10:57Regular listeners will realize it. At 21.78 mph uh per hour on a 72-yard touchdown last season was one of the fastest speeds by a ball carrier in the
11:07league last year. Um so he has that going for him. I think uh Easy now. But but here's the thing.
11:15As as much as I'm into the speed and everything, there's lots of fast guys.
11:19And it's one component that is necessary and he's got to work on the other components for sure. And uh we'll see if
11:25he gets there or if he gets the opportunities to get there. And Ihmir Mitchell's going to get the opportunities to get there. Sounds like
11:30he's locked in as a wide receiver two.
11:32Some positive buzz, some comments by coaches and and local observers. Do you believe he'll keep the wide receiver two role all year long in New York? Feel or
11:41it?
11:41>> As long as he doesn't rise to wide receiver two fantasy value or even wide receiver three fantasy value in drafts,
11:49I'm open to taking the chance on that.
11:51I'd rather take him at the level of a wide receiver four in fantasy, mainly because he does have a history of
11:57dropping the ball. And practice usually isn't the time where guys are dropping the ball a lot. Usually what we see in
12:04practice is the guys who drop the ball a lot in real games are catching it and looking great. And then the guys who
12:10normally catch the ball reliably during the season are the ones that we get reported on dropping the ball.
12:16Um with concerns. I mean, I've seen that at least I see that with young players. I remember that with um Jamar Chase.
12:23Everybody was worried about him dropping the ball. He didn't drop the ball in LSU. Um but everybody was worried about it his first year. It wasn't a big deal.
12:31It turned out, you know. But meanwhile, Quentin Johnston's going to be great, you know, and it took him a few years.
12:37So I'm willing to go I'm willing to go that the Adonai Mitchell um track will be more like Quentin Johnston's and and maybe now he's
12:45developed there. But I'd be cautious about how high I would go, especially considering what's going on with Geno Smith and the Jets in general, and then
12:55what they have behind him. Cade Klubnik might be a nice late round get in a dynasty league. I drafted him in the
13:01eighth round of a dynasty league yesterday, but I mean >> I'm feeling like Geno's a bridge at best. And Matt refers to some off-field
13:09issues, you know, that we haven't heard much about since they happened. There conflicting, you'll be surprised to learn, uh stories on that as well. But, you
13:18know, like you know, at the very least Geno is an upgrade over what they had last year with Justin Fields, Brady Cook, and
13:26Tyrod Taylor. And at best, I mean, in Seattle, he led the league in completion percentage twice in 3 years. So, I think
13:34there is, you know, there's some at least some hope there.
13:36>> As long as the offensive line's good, which looks good on paper, he should be pretty good.
13:40>> Yeah, it's an upgrade, for sure. I I don't want to I don't want to get too far in front of this one, but I do have high
13:45hopes for some of the pieces there, including Garrett Wilson, who you'll hear about in this week's Fantasy Notebook, for sure. You'll also
13:52hear about this guy, Michael Wilson, who I think is totally disrespected. All right, like so, but but I get why. I
13:59mean, maybe it's a mirage. Maybe it's a mirage. Wide receiver six overall in 12 games. Jacoby Brissett started last year.
14:05Was a dominant force, even with Trey McBride doing great things.
14:09And I'm in on him. I think the price is one of the reasons his flex play valuation from consensus is chicken [ __ ] Do you
14:16feel it in your pocket?
14:17>> Oh, I totally feel it is chicken [ __ ] because people are afraid it is a one-year wonder situation. They look at Brissett,
14:24how many targets that he got, then when Harrison was out, Wilson got a lot of targets. But when when Harrison got
14:32back, he Harrison got targeted a lot more. So, they think, "Oh, well, Wilson's got his targets because of Harrison being gone and struggling, and
14:42this is just a one-year deal. It's a new offense. We don't know if Brissett's going to be there the full year." But
14:48let's break this down a little, Bob, because what First of all, they've First of all, um one of it was also garbage time. I
14:59know one of the brought up was, "Oh, Michael Harris >> terrible defense, and they were losing every game. Yeah, Jacoby Brissett went
15:04one and 11 in his 12 starts. So, in in those 12 games, and he was what, quarterback I want to say quarterback
15:09six?
15:10>> Six.
15:10>> Right. So, and and Wilson also wide receiver six. He was wide receiver two during the final eight weeks. But now
15:18with Mike LaFleur coming in and the the McVay offense being installed, we can all start saying, "Who's Puka Nacua?"
15:24And it turns out the Z will be filled by Michael Wilson X the X position that you know Davante Adams playing right now
15:30will be filled by Marvin Harrison Jr. Does that workload transfer over to Michael Wilson?
15:37>> Absolutely, it does. Because Puka Nacua was averaging somewhere around a little more than 10 targets per game. Wilson Wilson was pretty close to that last
15:48year.
15:49>> 11 targets over the last eight games.
15:50>> Yes, exactly. So, he and he was close to it even before that. So, you know, you look at this and you understand that Wilson's the
16:01superior route runner to Marvin Harrison. It's not even close. Harrison is a limited route runner.
16:07Will Wilson is one of the best route runners in the league that people don't know about. He understands how to set
16:13things up. He has a good feel for working inside and outside. He had the second best contested catch rate last year, tied with George Pickens. Okay?
16:24So, when you think about, "Oh, I'm garbage time." What do you think of?
16:28Defenses playing off, being lax, you know, maybe backups are in there, that kind of thing, and they're just giving up targets to to keep to keep the clock
16:40running.
16:41Michael Wilson again, that kind of counters that with contested catches.
16:46He's making the tougher catches and he's leading the league he's one of the two best two to three best in the league
16:52at that last year. So, you have that going for him. And now you have an offense where yes, he's now the number
16:59one read on a lot of looks instead of the number two number three read on a lot of looks compared to last year. Cuz last
17:09year, really the past few years, Wilson has been the number two or number three look at best. And what we saw is that
17:17Kyler Murray didn't show confidence in Marvin Harrison as reported by Trey McBride saying, "I wasn't the top read on a lot of these looks. It was Marvin
17:27Harrison, but Kyler immediately checked to me um on a lot of these reads.
17:32Why is that? Cuz part part of you know, we we we banging up on Kyler Murray, but part of the reason is he didn't have confidence in
17:40Marvin Harrison to do to to be where he needed to be and do what he needed to do to get open on those first reads or he
17:46wasn't getting it done.
17:48Um Wilson on the other hand was getting it done when Harrison was gone and he's getting that pole position now.
17:58So, even if Joe Kobe Brissett gets benched, okay, even though they're working on an extension for him, even if he gets
18:06benched, which tells you that maybe Carson Beck isn't in their immediate plans. Um but if he gets benched and Carson Beck
18:13get gets shown, "Hey, let's see what the kids got." Or let's put Gardner Minshew in there, the first read's going to be Wilson.
18:22He's the best route runner. That means he reads the field well. That means that that's the guy who's going to get the
18:27most targets. And if even if he just plays like a wide receiver three in fantasy, that's his value right now. I think he's
18:37going to be a >> He's outside wide receiver three territory >> Yeah, he he's still a value then. And to me, he's to me, he's a top 12 wide
18:45receiver this year um as long as as either Brissett stays in place or the backup isn't absolutely horrible.
18:54>> I I think that's something to keep in mind. I mentioned the 1 and 11 as a starter. He's not going to get that
19:00opportunity again. All right? Not not with a new coaching staff coming in. So, so he'll need to do they'll need to be
19:05better. They probably need to play a little more defense too. Maybe that'll have an impact on the offense. There's another team where they play a ton of
19:11defense. They brought in David Montgomery. I think they're just playing defense and running the ball, but Matt, C.J. Stroud, who actually threw the ball, I think
19:18they had the eighth most pass attempts in the league last year on a team that plays a lot of defense. He'll be better
19:24because the Texans offensive line will be better. Feel or [ __ ] it?
19:27>> Feel it. Absolutely. This is the rebound year for C.J. Stroud.
19:32As long as that line's intact, he's going to rebound. They, you know, because look, Higgins is one year better. Jaylen Nowell is probably the
19:40biggest bargain in fantasy drafts right now as a late round guy.
19:45And you've got Nico Collins. I mean, this is They may have David Montgomery to run the ball, but what they actually
19:53did is they just said, "We believe we can upgrade our running game and have a little more power and not only that and get a couple years out
20:01of a guy now who's like what Nick Chubb brought to the table for us for one year and we can we can enhance that behind our line."
20:11C.J. Stroud hasn't had time to throw for the past cup, really the every year he's been in the league. It's just that teams
20:17got a little bit of a better bead on what they got to do to stop Stroud after year one. Stroud played on fire in year
20:24one despite the pressure and then the pressure just got worse in years two and years three. Now in year four, I think
20:32we're going to see we're going to see him rebound to what we saw in the first season.
20:37>> Rookie of the year honors that year. And good receiving core from rising talent there in Jaylen Higgins and Jaylen Nowell and maybe we'll get Tank Dell
20:45back. Nico Collins already on board. So I would like to see this and I think you are correct. I think that that is the
20:50key to this. And by the way, here, you know, if you if you feel strongly about about C.J. Stroud, you don't have to pay strongly for him.
21:00Going at the tail end of the quarterback two range right now. Youngster in Chicago is talking about fast guys. As as soon as the
21:08two is the number after the four, I'm excited in the 40. 428 would be Zayvian Thomas' speed. He seems to be gaining a
21:15little bit of a little bit of buzz.
21:19I don't know that he has all the attributes. What do we What do we make of Zayvian Thomas? Is he something that
21:24we should be paying attention to, or should we just be very careful about how it's being reported?
21:29>> I think both. Really, because we should pay attention to the fact that he does have 428 speed, and he can carry the
21:36ball, and moves well in the open field.
21:39So, when he catches the ball, and he gets in an open space, he can be a big play machine, and occasionally give you
21:45huge numbers if he's finds a gadget role, or a third role in the wide receiving core. But, let's remember something, the reporting of that we we
21:55the headline it's kind of like the carpet doesn't match the drapes situation. This is one of those deals, because the the drapes basically said,
22:05you know, buzz buzz buzz, this guy is going to have a role, big role, or big opportunity. And then Ben Johnson's
22:13like, as long as he can understand the offense, run the right routes, be where he's supposed to be, do the things he's
22:20supposed to do. This is what I hear every year from coaches, which is basically saying we're excited about his athletic ability. We can see the
22:27possibilities with him. He definitely has a special teams role in the return game for us, and we want to see him get
22:34better so that maybe that we can put him into games. Right now, he said the same things about Luther Burden, and it took
22:41half the season for that to happen. And Luther Burden is a better talent than Zayvian Thomas. So, and also was slotted
22:51for a different role.
22:54>> Likely, what what are the odds we'll see him some in the backfield?
22:57>> Oh, I think we'll see some of that.
22:58We're going We're going to see him on jet sweeps. We might see him on some little flare outs as the running back
23:04flaring outside. But, you know, Kalif Raymond guys a good receiver. DeAndre Swift's a good receiver. Um I don't think it's going to be a massive amount
23:14for him. So, you're you're really looking at it as a you're really looking at this guy as kind of a waiver wire
23:19pick up and if they have to go with him as like a starting receiver, I would bet it would be after they try
23:28J'Day Walker or they try Kalif Raymond um or they try even Scotty Miller. But, we'll find out.
23:35>> Fair enough. Chris Brazell in Carolina, big, tall, uh drawing raves at OTAs. Uh but, is the buzz is the buzz like worthy does it merit
23:46our attention after Jaylen Coker just got paid in this offense?
23:50>> It does, I think. Um but, you're going to have to assume some rational coaching which can sometimes go wrong, okay? Cuz
23:57the rational coaching to me would be Totoro McMillan. Totoro McMillan, he should be the big slot in this offense.
24:05He should be playing the Drake London role and if he does, he's a wide recei- fantasy wide receiver one. If they're
24:12going to keep him in the role that they had with him, um then it gets a little more cloudy.
24:18Um but, with Bra- Brazell, Brazell is kind of the key to this cuz Coker's good at beating man-to-man. We know that's
24:27established.
24:28Brazell should be too. He should develop into that and rather quickly and he's also a an excellent contested catch guy with some YAC skills. He's a He's the
24:38outside receiver people think Totoro McMillan was supposed to be.
24:43Um I think Brazell can become that.
24:46Whereas, McMillan I think can be the best receiver on the team and one of the best receivers in the league if they put
24:52him inside. We just don't know if that's going to happen yet. So, if Brazell has a good training camp, we could see that happen. Um or we may
25:01see elements of that already beginning to happen. And then that'll work out.
25:05But again, probably for right now, you're looking at him as a boom-bust guy that you put at the end of your roster
25:13and hope we see more from cuz first he's got to beat out Xavier Leggette. That seems to be the the big talk is
25:20>> Right.
25:20>> that competition. If he beats it out, that's great. The question what we haven't heard is whether they're putting McMillan inside. You would think they
25:28would have already said that or would have learned that by now if he was going to do it. So, again, assumption of
25:34rational coaching, the rational part isn't there yet.
25:37>> Well, we'll see if it gets there, the rational part of the reporting often not there this time of year. As I mentioned,
25:42Ryan McFadden of ESPN uh reporting that um Malik Benson, your Oregon wide receiver, could be a vertical threat who opens up the offense
25:51and makes explosive plays. Showcased that ability throughout OTAs and mini camp. He was Fernando Mendoza's go-to targets during team drills, especially
25:59over the middle of the field. Uh are you buying all this, Matt?
26:02>> Yes, I am actually cuz it's so it's so cheap to buy.
26:07You can get this guy in dynasty leagues in the seventh or eighth round of a rookie draft. That's where I got him
26:13earlier um this weekend.
26:15And he's competing with Dante Thornton.
26:17Dante Thornton >> Yeah.
26:19>> everyone talks about his separation skills, but he or his speed, but he doesn't seem to you have that translate to the field. And I know that we've got
26:27>> college, but it's not it definitely did not last year on a team that needed somebody to do that.
26:34>> Yeah, and he's a little one-dimensional if you ask me. I I just think that Benson showed a little bit more as an
26:39inside-outside receiver at Florida State and at and at Oregon. Um mostly at Florida State you saw more of that, but he's a guy with good YAC skills. I think
26:49he's a little bit better as a route runner. Um I think he I think there's a chance that he can be somewhat electric,
26:54actually. Um, and that would be something that, you know, he's going to be behind Naylor and Tucker, and you've got Jack Besh still part of
27:05the program there, but long-term he's someone to keep an eye on. And if he has a strong camp, and he could leapfrog a
27:12couple people and be a factor.
27:13>> I think you you you you you don't have to leap very high to leapfrog people in that in that offense right now, at least
27:18at that position. He'll not leapfrog Brock Bowers, uh, but uh, he plays a different spot, so uh, that'll work out well. Uh, we talked, uh, I think it was
27:28a week ago about Khalil Young, the Bengals uh, wide receiver, uh, drawing some buzz. Joe Burrow, uh, this past week, uh,
27:35uh, had nothing but good things to say about Andre Yashiva. The man [laughter] that Kobe Young Kobe Young is competing against. What
27:43are we What are we reading into this situation?
27:45>> It was like my dog checking out the new trees in the garden, and my wife turning on the sprinkler. It was like
27:51>> [laughter] >> Um, yeah. I mean, it was one of those deals where you know, I I think Khalil Young is a
27:59player that that's going to make the roster, and maybe get a chance to grow from there, and develop into the third
28:04receiver eventually, but um, this is part of the big man, big, long, tall, catch catch ball high over the head of people OTA buzz that happens
28:16regularly. We got a long way to go before we start saying there's a real competition between him and Yashiva.
28:23>> More buzz in Buffalo, where we keep hearing great things about Keon Coleman.
28:27I feel like this is the desired outcome.
28:30We can go all the way back to the press conference immediately after Sean McDermott's firing, where the owner and GM both claimed that, you know, that
28:38that that that this was not a big issue for them. Uh, Josh Allen's been on his side. He's had his trou struggles so
28:45far. He hasn't been very, uh, productive.
28:47Um but he looked really good uh, uh in OTAs this year. Is this something we should be paying attention to?
28:54>> Yes, but the OTA stuff probably not just because we already know what he is and can be to a degree that we don't with
29:02say a Kobe Young or a Chris Brazzle, but he fits in that that realm. What's more important is what you stated in the
29:09beginning because did Keon Coleman just like put something bad in Sean McDermott's coffee? You know, it's kind of one of those deals
29:18that you wonder the the way the team's supporting him, the way that the the the executive staff, the way that um
29:28Josh Allen is supporting him, it kind of comes across way back in the day when I remember a uh a heralded head coach or at least a
29:38popular head coach in the media, one Jerry Glanville talking about that there would have to be like a plane crash where everybody died before Brett
29:47Favre would get a chance to see the field in Atlanta. Um you know, and I understand that Brett was going out to
29:54Buckhead and down here in Atlanta and getting drunk and showing up showing up a little rough in practices, things that you wouldn't do nowadays. And so that
30:04probably had a little bit to do with it, but a lot of that was happening was said about him before he even showed up
30:10>> Correct.
30:11>> So you you got to understand that >> Some of it is still said now.
30:15>> Yes, exactly. Yes. But uh but you sometimes people rub each other the wrong way. Sometimes there's a just a player they a coach didn't want. You
30:26know, when I talked about Sam LaPorta in in the RSP a few years ago, I had a scout say to me, he goes, "Listen, you
30:32know, the way you wrote up LaPorta, you said he's one of those guys that he's got to have the right fit because he could turn
30:39into the coach GM argument center epicenter of a coach GM argument where the coach didn't want that player. The GM shoves him down his gullet and the GM
30:49and the coach says, "Fine. You're going to give me that player? I'm going to make that guy bulk up and lose
30:54everything that he was good at for doing and be something else and just to prove my point that he wasn't good and wasn't
31:01a good fit for what we did." And maybe there was a little bit of that going on between um McDermott and the and the GM.
31:09We'll find out. Um but Coleman does have ability. I think he's a good football player. I think if he's he's if he's
31:16used well, he could be one of the top three receivers, if not the top touchdown getter on this team. Um he's the one of the
31:24best contested catch players that we haven't talked about who've who hasn't established himself in the league yet.
31:32Um he's that good.
31:34>> I think I think there's, you know, there like one of the reasons I pay so much attention to speed is because you know,
31:39the whole coaching cliche, there's two things you can't coach, size and speed.
31:43And so if you have one or both of those, and Coleman definitely has one of those, he's a dominant force, so a physically
31:49imposing player in those contested catch situations. And and I'm I'm with you, I think I feel like he I feel like they
31:56want to make this happen and and and you know, I know it's a it's a vibey thing, but desired outcomes matter. Teams will
32:02go to great lengths to make their desired outcomes happen if they possibly can, so we'll see if they do.
32:09Los Angeles, the Rams desired outcome is every tight end all the time, apparently. They drafted this year to go with a room already loaded with What do
32:19we got? Colby Parkinson, the the Tyler Higbee, David Allen.
32:25And now we have Terrance Ferguson there as he's going into his second year.
32:29Tyler Higbee thinks he's going to make a big second year leap. Are you on board with that? Feel it or [ __ ] it?
32:34>> I'm going to say [ __ ] it. Um, think he's going to he's going to increase his value, but I think Colby Parkinson
32:40played well enough >> I do, too.
32:41>> that that he may still be the sneaky guy.
32:45is interesting to keep an eye on to see if he has a good camp. Um, and Higbee, I mean, listen, Higbee's a good tight end,
32:52so his frame of reference as a tight end is probably like, "Look, this guy is big, he's fast. Um, he can catch the
32:59ball over his head. There There's some nice things here." But, I I you know, my last idea of Tyler Higbee
33:08as an individual, and it may not be fair because people have room to mature, but his my last idea is him beating somebody
33:16up in a bar and and being um, pretty xenophobic on top of it um, while he was doing so. Um, so I'm I'm not really I don't really
33:27take his assessments of things with I kind of take it with a little bit of a grain of salt in terms of how he sees
33:34the world, how he sees people, what what he he, you know, how he how he processes things maturity wise.
33:41So, he's a he's a good football player who hasn't been able to stay healthy. I don't know about him as an individual
33:47enough to trust how I feel about his assessment of another player, especially when players assessments are rife with he's big, he's tall, he's fast, but I
33:56don't talk about technique. But, he's in the mix. Like, I think I think there's not a big difference.
34:02Right now, I have Ferguson ahead of Colby um, Parkinson in yardage, but I have Parkinson ahead of him in targets, receptions, and um,
34:14and touchdowns. Ferguson's going to be the big play guy.
34:17>> Yeah, there was a there was a stretch, I think it started week 10 last year where Parkinson had three straight games with
34:21touchdowns. Everyone kind of jumped on the bandwagon, then he had one dud game, I think uh, week 13 against uh, Carolina. He didn't
34:30show up, and then everyone got off the bandwagon, and the next week he scored a touchdown. The week after that he scored
34:34two touchdowns. Scored a couple of week 18s. So, I'm with you. I kind of like Colby Parkinson in this group. But,
34:39they're going to play a lot of tight ends, and and Ferguson is somebody they invested in, and they seem to like, and
34:44and and has all the magical talents that you would want. It's just opportunity is going to be the key to me for him. And I
34:50don't know if he's going to get enough to get me excited. Tez Johnson, seems like he's drawing some buzz, too.
34:57Will he be a second contract starter in the slot?
35:00>> I think he has a shot because he's one of those guys that you just watch him at Oregon. He's fearless over the middle.
35:08He reminds me of Gerald Ice Cube McNeil, a name that lasts from the past in the '80s who was a Pro Bowl returner. We
35:15talked about him ages ago on this show in in this sense and compared him to Gerald Ice Cube McNeil, who was lighter
35:24than Tez Johnson was in a rougher era of the game. So, I think that if you know, Chris Godwin starts to have a downturn
35:32quickly or McMillan doesn't take the next step, Johnson's going to get a shot and run with it and could wind up
35:39solidifying a role on this team. But, I think the more likely outcome is that he'll play just well enough here that we'll see enough moments and the
35:48team will take a chance on him as a second contract starter. And with injuries, we'll see him maybe get a chance, but the Buccaneers look at him
35:56and go, "Ah, I don't know. Maybe we want a bigger guy." But, they may take a chance on him. So, I'd say he's he's a
36:02guy just to monitor from afar, but when you you see the opportunity for him, don't write him off.
36:10>> Yeah, five touchdowns last year pressed into action, got a little more work than anybody might have expected. Uh, and we'll see there there's some vacated
36:17targets in Tampa Bay. Um, Vikings rookie receiver Dylan Bell, uh, does he deserve a closer look, Matt?
36:23>> He does deserve a closer look. I don't think he deserves getting added to a roster at any point just yet unless it's
36:30maybe you have room for 60 players on your dynasty roster and you just want a guy that you can watch during camp cuz if
36:37he's getting a chance to compete with the likes of, you know, Ty Felton for the number four spot, that means that
36:45he's probably catching the ball better than Felton. Felton's a very good route runner. Um Bell's going to have to show that he can be
36:52close to Felton as a route runner or at least close to him and more reliable as a pass catcher. So, that's what we could
36:58keep an eye on.
37:00>> That's fair enough. All right. Uh let's go to New Orleans. Bryce Lance, Trey's little brother, uh closer to a rookie
37:07year Christian Watson than the public realizes. Feel it or [ __ ] it.
37:10>> I'm feeling it. I think so. I think they were both They're I know they both came from North Dakota State and it sounds
37:15like logo scouting, but when you watch their games, they're long, lengthy, good athletes. Watson was probably a little bit of a bigger, stronger athlete, um a
37:23little more solid at that point than what um Lance is right now, but not that far away. I think Lance wasn't at Lance
37:31fights the ball like um Watkins or Watson did, um but maybe not as bad at some points. Um I think there's a
37:40you know, I think there's enough similarities there that I would not be surprised at all if Lance is the number three receiver or
37:47used often as a third receiver in sets this year and we see him develop into a starter by year three.
37:56>> Yeah, him and Devante Valdes-Scantling do different things, right? So, so so there might be room for both of them. Uh
38:02but I'm with you, the uh the downfield ability maybe will be the thing that sets Lance apart. Valdes-Scantling more uh more of a blocker uh than he is than
38:11the youngster is. So, we'll see how that one plays out with the great Tyler Shuck as their triggerman. Who knows? There
38:17may be funny things >> Javonte Williams special right there, right baby.
38:20>> Uh Jeremy Bernard, uh the Pittsburgh rookie, uh getting mentored by Aaron Rodgers. Will that make a difference in the short term? Field or [ __ ] it?
38:27>> I'm going to say [ __ ] it. I think it's going to make a difference in the long term. Um but short term I I just think
38:33that there's there's a lot to process.
38:38And I think that he's getting shown things, but we see veteran quarterbacks do that with young players all the time.
38:45I mean if if my buddy Chad Spann from back in the day, running back who from IU who led the NCAA in touchdowns, who
38:53was you know, an undrafted free agent for the Colts. If if he was actually like a third round pick and people said,
39:00"Peyton Manning's working individually with Chad Spann every day."
39:05You could report that and it sounds great. And that's actually what was happening. But um but the fact of the matter was is what he was working on
39:14with him were things that would be helpful, but not necessarily helpful short term. You know what I mean? Like some of it was, but not enough to make a
39:23huge difference. There's a lot of layers to this. So, Bernard looks like he's I think he's going to beat Roman Wilson
39:29like a drum for the third role. I don't think it's going to be even close. I think he's going to get close to 75
39:36targets. So, and about 600 yards and four touchdowns. He's a He's a guy you want to add.
39:42>> Everything we hoped Calvin Austin III would be in this offense, Jeremy Bernard might be.
39:46>> I would say he's going to be what Calvin Austin was right now this year. Um but that was disappointing for Austin.
39:55>> Right.
39:55>> And and >> And us.
39:56>> And us. But it's going to seem hopeful with Bernard because now they've got Pittman and Metcalf in there. So, it's
40:02going to be like the same tomato, but from a different perspective.
40:06>> All right, they all get to catch up.
40:08Uh that's the best fun I could come up with on a brief moment.
40:11>> That's a That's quite a dad joke from Bob.
40:14>> Says more about me than than anything else. All right, everybody, that's it for this week. We'll be back next week.
40:20Training camps open in what? Less than a month? We'll start seeing rookies reporting. I want to say around the 18th of July, veterans start reporting
40:28shortly thereafter. Uh so, we'll have some more grist for the mill when that happens. But, in the meantime, still plenty of things to kick through and we
40:35will. Uh check out the Gut Check at uh Footballguys. Check out the Fantasy Notebook, and the daily installments of the notebook. There's no end to Bob
40:43Harris or Matt Waldman on that side, especially when you check the rankings, you'll find a ton of comments. Uh you'll also find many of those comments
40:50appearing in the news section at Footballguys after I go find something about players that nobody else is talking about, and Matt Waldman has been. Uh check out the
41:00Footballguys 2026 Draft Guide, award-winning uh publication last year.
41:04It's not fair to call it a magazine.
41:06It's huge. It's immense. It's high-quality.
41:09>> Uh and uh that's edited by and constructed much from Bob Harris.
41:13>> Yes, but also >> A big team of folks, too. Yes.
41:16>> Yeah, great great group of contributors.
41:19Sigmund Bloom, Matt Waldman, Adam Harstad, your Joe Bryant, Jeff Bell, Drew Davenport, Dave Kluge, the whole crew. Who?
41:28Who? You're pointing at at at Hugo. Hugo had nothing to do with this.
41:32>> [laughter] >> I'm Yeah, okay. We'll we'll we'll go that route.
41:38>> [laughter] >> We'll we'll go that route. We'll make Bob feel good that he doesn't get praised, okay? That's That's the That
41:43That That's the fun thing is I troll Bob every week cuz he tries to fight me from praising him and how good he is at what
41:50he does. Do people real People If you're new to this show, I'm just going to say this, and I'm really going to piss Bob
41:57off, but the the inspiration for me to even get into fantasy football was reading Bob Harris. Okay? So, you know, and probably one of the biggest thrills
42:06I had when I first started in this in this space was when Bob Harris asked me to write for his magazine years ago with
42:14Emil Kadlec um when they did that. So, that was when I knew I had a shot of maybe being able to do something with
42:19this. Um so, yeah, Bob continues to do fantastic work. And um you know, and I appreciate you, Bob. And we're going to
42:28get out of this before we get Bob >> very self-deprecating. But instead, I'll just say the Football Diehards program, me and the Mike Dempsey, returns to
42:36Sirius on Monday next week 7-6. That's pretty >> It's pretty good, too. Yeah, we're on every We'll be on every weekday
42:42throughout the summer. Then you'll be hearing me 7 days a week once the season starts. So, enjoy your weekends while you can. I'm Bob Harris, he's Matt
42:50Waldman. Over and out. Love you, bye.
42:52>> Love you, bye.