NFL Preseason Week 3 Takeaways: Josh Jacobs Fallout, Aaron Donald Returns + Stock Watch (Ep. 2165)

0:00This is an I Heart Podcast. Guaranteed Human. Our hometown is not a test tube. 90 miles northeast of Nashville, a battle for the future of America plays out in one small town. Developers with right wing ties have purchased hundreds of acres of land. We need cities on a shining hill. This is our town. A podcast about what happens when a small town becomes the site of a social experiment and fights back. I guess you didn't move in on a bunch of dumb hillbillies now, did you? Listen to our town on the I Heart Radio app Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. It's the tailgate. I'm Chris Welsh. That's Pat Fitzmores, Scott Bogman in the house. Today we are breaking down the final bit of the preseason preseason behind us. Get the hell out of here. We don't want you anymore. But we are going to be taking a look at the big changes we're pulling out.

1:03At least one big change out of the preseason. We are going to be looking at a couple players that did stock rise up off of week three of the preseason. How that carries into the season. And really the biggest piece is a ton of the crazy stuff that has gone on about the last four or five days in the NFL. That's setting us all the big latest news. That's what we got. So sit back, rock with us, talk and tailgate here. Mr. Pat Fitzmores, Green Bay Packers have some craziness going down with them. We're going to just jump right into it here. The biggest news that dominated the weekend. And really the week leading up was this little progressive storyline of Josh Jacobs. Josh Jacobs of course, we knew that there was this issue going on that was kind of looming. And what was that going to have as far as suspension or would it be pushed to next year. Then some podcasts start to relay some information. Then we find out there's a video. And then finally slapped with the exemplest.

2:04And that is kind of the death blow of seeing Josh Jacobs this season. We have absolutely no idea if he's going to play rumors of full season, rumors of this, of hidden staying on the exemplest, maybe until the court date is settled in here. So talk to us about your initial reactions. And do you think we're going to see Josh Jacobs this year? That's so hard to tell. There's such a varied history with the exemplest. I mean, we saw Adrian Peterson miss almost a whole season. I think he was on the exemplest for 15 games we've seen. I forgot about it. Yeah, and the same year Greg Hardy was another case. And I believe that was domestic violence related to. And he was on the commissioner exemplest and basically missed the season. So that was 12 years ago. And then we've seen cases where guys were just on it for days. Tasha on Gibson was on it for four days related to a PPD thing. Jibberl Peppers was on for a month and a half. And then we saw Paul Jr. just over a month.

3:06So really hard to tell. I don't know if it's the video is just so damning that that's if the video is super damning. I think he probably misses the whole season. But is this the case of the NFL just maybe buying themselves more time to make a decision? Really hard to tell. But interesting. Who maybe think about the ramifications for the Packers. Obviously, Martian Lloyd goes from this guy who can't stay healthy to now an integral part of the Green Bay offense. They trade for Caleb Johnson from Scott Bogman's Pittsburgh Steelers who couldn't get out of the dog house after failing to field that kickoff against Seattle in week two of 2025 leading to a touchdown for the Seahawks. So they've got him. They've got Chris Brooks. They've got Pierre Strong and maybe they just throw a whole lot more this year after being I think the last two years, 31st and 22nd in pass rate over expected. Maybe they just turned Jordan Lovelace this year.

4:07Yeah, there's a lot of webs to like what this ultimately is going to be spun up for. One of the notes that came out as a word recording this is that the GM of the Packers said they have not seen the video yet, which might also be telling potentially about some of their reactions around Josh Jacobs. And you know, we heard early on like coaching being like, oh, yeah, we expect Jacobs here. And it's hard to tell without us seeing the video. Obviously, I think the NFL has seen that video for to throw him on the exemplest. But Boggs, it's a really, it's, it's an unknown situation. Like how do we navigate this, you know, Packer fans? I think that is probably the, the adjustment that's going to happen. They're going to lean on Brooks and Marsha on Lloyd to whatever degree of success they're going to find. But ultimately what that might end up doing is having this be a really pass heavy team. Do you think they are going to be successful though trying to deviate? Because this feels like the type of team that's going to continue to not try to let their game plan be changed because of Jacobs being gone.

5:08But if they find a lack of success with Lloyd and Brooks, then they're altered into having to be more of a pass heavy team. What do you think that's going to do the Packers for this coming season? Yeah, I think obviously it hammers the offense, right? We know Josh Jacobs is reliable, reliable back there in the backfield. So to not have him is going to hurt a lot. I do think they're going to pass way more like Fitsy said. I think you just kind of have to because you don't have Jacob's back there. You have Marsha on Lloyd. A guy that is not lasted in the NFL. Maybe that stuff's behind him. Obviously went to the entry camp or whatever it was in the offseason. And then you have just a lack of experience behind those guys. I mean, Pierre Strong has been in the NFL for a long time. Chris Brooks has been with Packers what three seasons, something like that, Fitsy. And Caleb Johnson just came over this week. So I think we are going to see a lot more Jordan love. But you know what, let's go ahead and send Fitsy there on Sunday to Lambo to see what's going on. Yeah. Fitsy, why don't you go ahead and check that out at Lambo?

6:08What's the weather like in Lambo right now? It's not snowy yet, is it? Not yet, in fact, it's really humid, but it should be nice for that Notre Dame Wisconsin game that I will be attending on Sunday night at Lambo. Yeah. Oh, you know, you're going to be looking at Josh Jacobs, right? You're going to be looking into that, not drinking beers and watching the football. And by the way, this whole thing about Brian Guterkund saying that he does not have the video of this thing. It's his own player's home surveillance video. He could get that if he wanted to or he could at least ask Josh Jacobs to provide him with that. So I feel like that's kind of a dog. Like either he doesn't want to know what's on the video or actually. It smells a little bit like like you got it, but no, we're not going to have it until everybody in the public sees it because of how the reactions are. Well, I said it perfectly when you said, you know, they may be just delaying until they see the video. I think that's what the NFL is doing. I don't know if the NFL has that footage yet. But you can watch my face change live from last Friday at Q&A.

7:08Well, it was talking about it with you the other day where I didn't lie about an hour before I got on. They announced that there was video of this. And I was on with Alfredo doing a Q&A and he was talking about it. You can watch my whole demeanor change. Well, because Bob, because Bob, he's talking about it. And I was telling him it was like it was like from Interstellar. And I was Matthew McConaughey just screaming. Bogman, no, because Bogman's sitting there being like, well, you know, my opinion will change if they have video of this. And I'm like, there's video. There is video. And then Alfredo broke it to Bob. No, but it was. Yeah, it's rough. Let me ask this one then. Pat, do you think Marcian Lloyd can be the Jonathan Brooks prints that was promised? Like everything that we're putting on a guy like Jonathan, but by the way, Jonathan Brooks came up a little bit lame in practice today. Might not be anything, but like everything that we've looked at with Jonathan Brooks this season. I mean, it's a little bit different. I guess because we've seen a couple snaps of Marcian Lloyd.

8:08But there's a lot of big hyper focus on like what he is. And there's still Chuba there. Do you think Marcian Lloyd is talented enough to I'm using Jonathan Brooks as an example is I guess both like talented guys that have been hurt? But like can he fits. He filled the role of what Josh Jacobs is or is this a little bit what I've led to before? If we are without Josh Jacobs, this team struggles to find an identity in the run game and then they become more pass heavy or are we not giving enough credit to the talent? Because Marcian Lloyd in the fantasy space has moved up, but he's still not even cracking like a top 24 back in most people's mind. So is he talented enough? I'm cautiously optimistic that he is. I know he was Daniel Jeremiah's favorite running back in the class when he entered the draft and our guy Debro loved him. And the boss was really strong for him in training camp this year and they nicknamed him the yeet cannon and just said he was bringing all sorts of pizzazz to the position. Yeah, and apparently with the injury thing, he kind of did the same thing.

9:09Christian Watson did a few years ago had a bunch of like studies done on him and they found out it was the same sort of like muscle imbalance. The Christian Watson had and they adjusted his training based on that so I hate having to learn about muscle imbalance by the way. Yeah, I know I know it's and it felt really does give you a little pseudo like medical degree like if you're if you're here enough, you're going to learn about all the injuries and you could just be like, oh is that the medical carpool that you know it's like you really do sorry. I mean, I guess I don't really but why is it only the green bay packers collecting imbalanced athletes in the draft too. But yeah, I mean, I'm cautiously optimistic about him, but we know Chris Brooks is a solid professional running back who can do the third down stuff and can be used a little bit on early downs to as they have in the past and Pierre strong. Like I've seen one thing there's a you know what called cheesehead TV for Packers fans and they are suggesting that Pierre strong is probably the backup in week one and not kale Johnson.

10:11I like it. I think when you say that it's like Tim Robinson's corn cob TV and it's just green bay Packers falling through caskets or something like that you're the core cob green head cheesehead TV bugs. We the thing we kind of glossed over was Caleb Johnson from your Pittsburgh Steelers was traded to green Bay. Everyone is kind of writing on the wall as well. I mean, obviously like he didn't have a placeholder for that team and maybe his talents in question, but for green Bay to go acquire another running back. Do you think this is just fresh body new home new place or do you think Caleb Johnson actually can be a force because he's probably going to get some opportunity in some capacity this year. So like what level of like excitement does this trade actually have for green Bay Packer fans. I mean, I think you should have a little bit of excitement right Caleb Johnson was completely under utilized by Pittsburgh last season after what exactly what fit said he screwed up a kick off against Seattle. The Seahawks ended up beating the Steelers because of that and he never got out of Tomlin's dog house and then Tomlin retired and here comes Mike McCarthy with you know his own group of backs that he likes and they drafted Eli Hyden right.

11:19Lou Nichols outplayed Caleb Johnson in the preseason so and Lou Nichols didn't even make the roster either so I do think that. Caleb Johnson wasn't really given a fair shakeness first season and a half in Pittsburgh here, but I do think that he has a great opportunity. March on Lloyd has been injured a lot you know Chris Brooks has never taken a full workload neither is pierced strong so I do think there will be opportunity at some point for Caleb Johnson here, but he has to earn it because this is a teetering point in his career when you get traded like this. It's either going to be you make it with this next team or you're probably going to get kicked around and be a backup for a while so I do think he needs to make the best of this opportunity that he has to be a good. Opportunity that he has in front of him and he can really shine if he takes his chance and runs with it because I do think that in terms of ceiling on the roster that isn't Jacobs right now I think Caleb Johnson is you're running back with the highest ceiling on the Packers currently okay so final thing.

12:23True or false Fitsy Josh Jacobs plays it down in the NFL this year. I know we don't obviously fully know but guesstimation on your part. I'll say true because it would have to be like a ray rice level terrible video for I think the NFL to come down on him any harder than the normal six game suspension for domestic violence so I mean it would have to be just horrible and if it was horrible why is the why is he only getting charged with two misdemeanors instead of. So I think it's a good opportunity true false we see Josh Jacobs this year I think if it's he has right of it I do I think it might be eight games you know half the season just like James Pierce Scott. I think it's probably going to be half the season maybe more maybe 10 games maybe appeals it down to eight or something like that but I do think he ends up playing like you said unless this video is way worse than we thought.

13:23It's the most fun thing to talk about before the NFL season when these type of things go down don't love it don't love it at all. The other big piece of news this was like elephant in the room level things that like we all knew like Rams knew Aaron Donald knew we knew they just didn't write pen to paper but it officially happened Aaron Donald is coming out of retirement and he agreed to a one year 20 million dollar deal within incentives. Did the Rams become the Dodgers by the way and that they can just they have funny money here a total value of 30 million potential dollars attached to Aaron Donald so much around it they become obviously like the best defensive unit the best defensive line I saw this really interesting narrative and I feel like it's still been a little bit wishy washing in it but in the the betting market. Aaron Donald got thrown into a comeback player of the year but apparently he's not eligible I don't if you know about this 50 like I from NFL rules it's saying that he's actually not eligible for coming out of retirement to do come back player the year yet we've seen him pop up in some books or something like that so that would be kind of a dead bet.

14:36So I don't know if you know anything about that I do not I do not that that's I think that is the one future I would never bet come back with player the air of the air and Andrew Erickson is touting a Travis Hunter bet for come back player the year award. Oh I mean I he got hurt so he's eligible for but I believe the rule is is guys coming back from retirement are not eligible. Yeah I think that is just the official rule so but if you can slap plus 700 on it sticking on your website my guess I'm not sure but this this unit looks absolutely insane it is a unit of unit with Garrett and Donald there it it is affected obviously odd Super Bowl odds in here so Fitsy any thoughts on Aaron Donald coming out of retirement and what this does for this defense is there anything over played with it and do you think this I don't know if you can get it. This I don't know shows up just one more extra piece that the Rams now become you know just a hard hard core favorite across the NFL is a Super Bowl contender I think that's my takeaway Welsh that they are the hard core favorites now like far and away.

15:47And maybe they shouldn't be over the team from their own division that beat them and as the Super Bowl title so but boy I mean you take what was already a really good team and add miles Garrett and add Aaron Donald and oh by the way like it happened before those two things so we forget that they poached the chief starting cornerbacks with Trent McDelphian and Jalen Watson like this defense is loaded for bear and I think that's the best thing for me. So I'm going to put it for bear and to go with the offensive genius of Sean McVey and all the talent on that side of the ball boy of the Rams scary this year. Yeah I've been screaming about in the fantasy streets when we talk about Matthew Stafford like I still can understand Matthew Stafford is like now like the 16th quarterback and nothing's changed like he's older and his back is probably a little bit more dicey but nothing's changed and he was so efficient they have that offense but the scariest part about the defensive front now bugs is the bugs is that Aaron Donald creates the lack of ability for more double teams on Garrett or you're just going to have offensive lines what double team Donald double team Garrett and they're going to have to leave out two more tight ends to cover the rest of the defensive line like if they're running for

17:02me in front out there Donald makes Garrett even more scary because of the attention he's going to garner unless he's lost a step do you kind of do buy what I'm selling there. Oh yeah yeah and have you ever heard Jason Kelsey talk about who the hardest defender it was for him to play against it was a forward. Pune for the nose tackle because he's short and squatty and got leverage underneath Kelsey and that was his specialty was I get you know I get the leverage and they can't come after me well Pune for is here in the middle clogging everything up right and for miles Garrett and Aaron and by the way by run young is really really good we would be talking about by run young if he wasn't on this line with miles Garrett and Aaron Donald here and by the way Bobby Wagner still free agent they've got $5 million in cap space apparently so they can go add Bobby Wagner and put him in the middle inside linebacker if they want to he can go ring chasing if they want and like 50 said they added the two corners for Kansas City that made that defense dangerous last year.

18:12Can curl took a big step up. Can kitchens is going into his third season should take a nice step up as well so what's a better defensive line. Gary think about what's a better defensive line you guys can recall. I mean you're going to throw old like 70 Steelers like the I mean I think that's where you have to go right like in recent history it's been miles Garrett and TJ Watt have been really good. The you're you're two best defensive line may Willie Anderson the Texans really have a scary line to 50 can you this good I mean I went back to like old steel like is there a defensive line you can recall in recent history dominating defensive tackle Aaron Donald miles Garrett young I mean is there a better defensive line you can think of in the last 20 30 years without having to go deeper. Yeah I mean I'm trying to think of the 2000 Ravens that was probably the best if not you know the 85 bears 2000 Ravens were probably the second best defensive my lifetime against you know the turn of the millennium but I mean I just like that was also the secondary being so good having ed read back there having Ray Lewis at linebacker so wasn't necessarily like great defensive line to but not not like this.

19:27Man I just thought I was like 85 but 41 years ago the 85 bears are I mean it just I'm a couple years older only a couple years older than that and I'm like oh 30 years and I was like oh yeah good call Fancy the bear 85 that's not even 30 years it's 41 years ago that that was it time is a depressing circle bubble. I haven't seen Aaron Donald play in a couple seasons maybe he's lost a step. Yeah that's what I was saying like there's always the chance that you know maybe there's a degradation of skills and maybe you know losing that time maybe it's 90% of the workload but on paper you look at that defensive line you look at what they built in the secondary if they were to go get a guy like Bobby Wagner it's like what's the whole outside of a bunch of aging dudes that might have back problems like where's the where's the whole I mean the 49ers got injury problems are not that old. Yeah I mean they like if Stafford had a season ending injury that would be the biggest thing because behind him is just steps and Ben and Tyson but they would probably go trade for Joe Flacco or somebody you know what I mean if that happened because the window is kicked wide open here with the squad so crazy you know backup quarterback is probably the only issue they have and they spent a first round pick on it this year.

20:42Alright couple other pieces of news and notes where we're letting it cook a little bit on the news and notes at the front because those are some really big pieces going into the season. We didn't get a little bit more clarity in the see Hawks backfield speaking of that see Hawks team with Zach Sharpenay going on the pop there were quite a few we had all the you know like these guys are waves picked up players were put on the pop. I hated to see tank Dell but you know the one I think that means the most is for is for anybody is to Jerry price because Zach Sharpenay goes on the the pop he's out at least four games there's also reports about Hallani getting a decent amount of run here so if it's how are you breaking down that situation quickly are you worried about Charbonne's full season look is this full go for Jerry price or is a lot really going to get a little bit more run than anybody was expecting. I think pop makes sense there were reports that he might be ready for week one and wouldn't have to go on pop that seemed pretty real unrealistic for Sharpenay considering that he have the surgery I want to say in like mid February so maybe he's ready to go soon after pop and it's going to be fascinating to see whether Giderian price can just take that job and literally run with it in the early weeks of the season and turn Sharpenay into a backup or.

21:54It's price disappointing and maybe Sharpenay comes back as sort of at least the the one a if not the lead guy once he's ramped up and you know gets a couple weeks where I'm sure they limit as snaps but. Maybe by Thanksgiving or sooner he's he's back to being the main guy like prices just fascinating for me because he's such a you know black box prospect you just don't know what you're going to find. Once you let him roll because he was Jeremiah loves backup in college you know he was drafting the first round but kind of pushed up by a. You know running back needy team that's always been aggressive in drafting running backs with John Schneider is GM so. I'm really interested to see how it's going to play out. Our town is small taters by most standards right but to the people who grew up here it's everything what happens when a quiet Tennessee town becomes the front line in a battle over the future of America. Developers with right wing ties have purchased hundreds of acres of land in the area the first thing you see when it pops up is high nears and apple at you but they weren't just planning houses.

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25:33Listen to the late round fantasy football podcast on the I heart radio app Apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. It's funny I think of like the Peter Griffin thing where they're like would you like Ken Walker or would you like this mystery box of Gdarian price and he's like mystery box it could be anything even Ken Walker could be even Ken Walker because it's like I think Gdarian price is I've kind of always thought this a man your dream would have been box like 20 plus touches but like the halani news and do anything to me because it's like yeah I bet they do use him on some early downs and they want price to come in. Four or five plays in because he's built to be explosive and if it's like halani gets 10 touches price gets somewhere between you you want more than 18 but 12 to 18 so that doesn't seem like a crazy output where people should be freaking out or anything like that but do you think that's how it's going to play out in Gdarian price can kind of take that role or I know you've been kind of negative about sharpen even able to like come back early in the season. Yeah, I mean this this injury has happened so late in the playoffs and then he waited until February to get the surgery for it so it's just as always seem like our goal should be Thanksgiving not before that you know maybe with the way guys are progressing faster I mean we see Chris Bell coming back from eight months from an ACL maybe it's closer to Halloween then it is Thanksgiving that he gets back but even then if that's his first week back then they're probably going to eat it.

27:00He's him in like Fitsie said he's not really a thing until Thanksgiving so look he sharp and he's a great back and I'm really excited for his future specifically in dynasty I have him ranked higher than most because he's a free agent next year but let's say you're excited when he's not a see hawk and yeah I think someone's going to spend money and I think you spend a first round pick on Gdarian price because you're probably letting charbonne walk coming out off of this ACL surgery unless he's really good down the stretch and in the playoffs if that's the case and you know you can resign him at that point but I do think that in this backfield yes maybe it's going to be an ugly mix to start but the way running back always works is whoever is running the best gets the ball and Gdarian price is going to be running the ball better than anybody else on this roster this year so I do expect a lot of touches for price you just worry if like you know they use price maybe actually early in sets and they get inside the 20 and it goes to halani or even a bigger night. What they did last year yeah yeah it's what I'm saying or even a bigger nightmare it's more for like the fantasy side it would be like a manual Wilson coming in is the goal line back yeah they use the other two backs right yeah like it's price on far down's

28:12halani inside the 20 and then inside the five it's a manual Wilson and everyone's just like you know just like it's a nightmare but that's probably what they're going to end up doing the final two pieces outside of you know players being put on puppet whatever was between players not making and making the roster so in an inverse way these were two probably of the most surprising make the roster not make the roster Odele Beckham Jr. made the giants roster I'm just more shocked about it than anybody and Joe Milton quarter back up quarterback for the Cowboys did not make the roster and Bogman almost lost it yesterday when Milton got cut I know fits is with me fits when you see what when you saw that totally shocked the idea that Sam Howell is a better for gives you a better chance to win game how we fit eight also like what what did Joe Milton have to do like he had a great preseason I think he was like 29 for 43 for like 200 and some yards three touchdowns

29:13known reception he runs he's probably got the strongest arm of any quarterback is kind of can it do like 80 yards like and just feel like a Jerry Jones the cop for his arm strength isn't football Jacob Mizorowski like that so I just but like he had shown signs of turning an uidies and pass or two I don't understand it and I would imagine that someone's going to pick pick up Joe Melon what wild well you're going to be seeing Odele Beckham out there and maybe you're going to see Joe Milton getting picked up on all the weird quarterback situations it would Joe Milton be the best quarterback in Cleveland right now I think I might be I mean that's that's why that's why like what what what yesterday gave me a little crap about this because we're recording a show and I look at my phone like what he was like ready to interrupt me as I'm talking on a show and I was like he made it out like Christian McCaffrey Tories AC like I was when he when the words came out of his mouth what happened I was just in shock I was like listen this is

30:16the one but your dynasty guy your dynasty when your team is desperately searching for a quarterback and Joe Milton is better than everyone that is in a Rogers on your team you are shocked that somebody else lets him go now Pittsburgh is going to pick him up because they already have four I don't think Cleveland does it either but someone is going to pick up Joe Milton for sure your stealer should infinity gauntlet it they should just pick up a fifth and by the way the Cowboys gave up a fifth a fifth round pick in 2025 they did get a seventh round pick that year back in the draft but you still give up a fifth which is not nothing develops Joe Milton for two years after trading for him and then just let him go okay I got I got a great question even keel offense I don't want to get like two different offensive sides so put them on a median team out there and say the Vikings who has a better career or better season if they are given the opportunity to start every game Joe Milton or

31:18Jay Jay McCarthy Fitsy I'm going mill you guys are both going Milton over Jay Jay McCarthy yeah look I think Jay Jay McCarthy could be a good quarterback in the future but he needed to sit and develop for two to three years right they threw him in way too fast last season but Joe Milton has been sitting two or three years he's ready I feel like so I would plug him right in that can you imagine Milton balls to Jefferson and the weird thing is is like as good as Milton's armed strength is he's not one to rocket every throw like he'll actually use touch and layer some throws and and you know the dump offs are thrown like he throws a catchable ball which Jay Jay McCarthy does not how do the Saints not immediately add him Spencer Ratler is your back up Zach Wilson's behind him the Saints should be the first team out there snap it up Joe Milton I love the thought of Joe Milton over Jay Jay McCarthy given a full season of success I am dying to hear in the okay you know what now comments below Joe Milton or Jay Jay McCarthy 17 games season can we get madden up here can we simulate the sea you know what Fitsy you got madden you

32:27you got friends at work over at madden you I don't have the new game you have it I want you to simulate put Joe Milton on the Vikings and for a full season probably give it a cut Kyler you got cut cut cut them and then do Jay Jay McCarthy or someone here can do that if you want in the comments I got to see what the simulated season looks like under the Minnesota Vikings with either one is quarter back let me know and then also Joe Milton or Jay Jay McCarthy who's the better full season starter that'll get some let me get some conversation riled up there we are going to be talking about what we learned out of the preseason one big take away from the preseason as a whole and we've got three more stock up players before the season starts but it's give away time we've been talking all August about the Lydany and Tomlinson autograph Jersey well it is the time for the actual giveaway and got another one right after so the winner of the Lydany and Tomlinson autograph Jersey giveaway is Sergio Gera Sergio Gera please get in touch with our customer support agents at mailbag at fantasy prose dot com

33:27with your mailing address and a screenshot of your YouTube account while logged in once we've confirmed it you're going to get taken care of again congrats to Sergio Gera GUE RRA hopefully I'm saying your last name correctly Sergio you rock you win but if you others listening didn't win here's an opportunity for you to win our brand new giveaway a Todd Gurley signed Rams Jersey this is awesome I still can't get over the that shot of the Georgia running backs with Sony Michelle him and Nick Chubb and they're all like under 34 and they're all retired and what could have been with Todd Gurley but what is is he is great and his autograph Jersey could be yours here's what you got to do subscribe to the tailgate youtube channel do it right now drop a comment below would give you a couple reasons to comment or you could just say you love the channel or whatever it is and that's it and you're going to be in or then we'll be announcing a winner right here on the channel so make sure you turn on notifications so you know when new videos are up and you can clean your prize just like Sergio did with the LT Jersey so congratulations to him congratulations to you guys that are going to be taken home whoever it is

34:33that Todd Gurley autograph Jersey all right the preseason is over we've kind of weekend and week out talked about some things we've learned on an individual basis what I want to do now is let's just do a big macro takeaway there's been tons of action tons of action that hasn't mattered some that we are going to make it bigger than it probably is but I want to look from a macro perspective at a takeaway from each one of us to a specific team one thing that you think can carry over it could be maybe a specific player it could be the usage of a player it could be the usage from a team perspective but through three preseason games FITZY we will start with you give us a macro preseason as a whole takeaway that you're going to carry into the regular season I just thought it was interesting that in the final preseason game for the Eagles this was all all starters sitting except for McCye lemon who had been side-learned by hamstring injury for most to train and camp in the preseason so they wanted him to get a little taste of action they played

35:35McCye lemon in their final game and you would think the McCye lemon would primarily be the slot guy but he played 15 snaps lined up outside for nine of them in the slot for six of them and you know he's come and expected to be the primary slot guy and maybe he will be and and lineup you know undoubtedly in the slot for good percentage of regular season snaps but the outside usage kind of hints that davonte smith is going to play a lot of slot snaps to and it kind of hints that things are going to be unpredictable and interchangeable in the shamanian offense and philly which probably bodes well for both davonte smith and McCye lemon just gets me a little more excited about what the philly offense could be and I think we need that excitement after your Kevin Pettillon calling the place yeah I thought McCye lemon look really interesting too because it seemed it felt like there's like a lot of like negativity floating around like very very early on in the preseason and then the usage kind of seems to be moving around what do you think about that as a whole

36:37an interchangeability with McCye lemon and davonte smith and what he can end up being box yeah I mean I think it's a great point right and this is kind of you have hollywood brown thrown into this mix as well right so like all these guys that can kind of interchange where they're lining up I think is very smart for this offense obviously sake one is still going to be number one in the pecking order jalen hurts is still going to have a lot of those push push first downs and touchdowns and everything but I like like 50 said he just had to be less vanilla than what you were last season you got to change things up and I think you know losing a talent like a j brown is never it it never makes things better on you know as a whole but I do think that just getting that negativity out of the locker room whatever the deal was between him and jalen I think it's just going to help I think it's going to help aj brown to get out of there and I think it's going to help the Eagles for him to be gone as well so I do think that you know the changes should benefit this

37:40offense specifically with new play calling me if we all been sleeping on McCye lemon too I don't want to make it into like a big fantasy thing one point the cough for last year over Jeremiah Smith which is kind of crazy but is anybody ever like is anybody hurt themselves more than having being the biggest weirdo like just like yeah like just speaking alone dropped him like 10 spots and people's perception and it felt very weird but like you know there's a lot of like it's carnal tape it's Jordan Tyson and then the whole time like McCye lemon might be one of the really sneaky rookies that's floating out there if that offense goes from vanilla to maybe a little vanilla chocolate swirl and you know that's a little bit more exciting because there's nothing more boring than vanilla but you get a little swirl action in here they start rolling maybe McCye lemon is the rookie we've been sleeping on here that's where you were kind of alluding too Fitsy yeah and I do think he's the rookie we've been sleeping on and it was maybe the personality and then couple that with the hamstring injury early on so there's not that much enthusiasm about his season but

38:44I've told a couple people you want to get excited about McCye lemon go watch the USC Iowa game from last year and lemon was just jaw dropping in that game like his hands people think about him is like this this catch and run guy this guy who gets open really easily his hands are amazing like suction cups so I'm excited about him I think he's going to be a really good player I wouldn't be surprised if we look back on this draft and declare McCye lemon to a bend the best wide receiver in the class season not talk just don't talk and it'd be good and it'll be absolutely golden please get him a book on the sideline that's always work for the Eagles right yeah yeah to get a Lebron can do the godfather whatever godfather he likes to do it wasn't that AJ Browns thing too wasn't that his like yeah very good very good very good all right bugs macro macro preseason take away what team and what are you looking at you know it's funny when watching the Browns this week and I've seen this clip and played everywhere Ryan Fitzpatrick talking about how

39:45well you know DeShawn Watson is going to be the quarterback when he fails they're going to go to spent uh to Shadour Sanders and then I also think that Dylan Gabriel is going to get to play as well and I can't remember who was in the booth with Fitz Fitzpatrick but they said uh so you just think Watson's going to fail and he goes yeah I do uh I also think Dylan Gabriel I have a chance to play and it was just so nonchalant it was so not what an announcer does he's right though right if you're the Browns and you have this massive incoming crop of quarterbacks next season right and I think all the awards the post draft awards all went to the Browns for the way that they drafted in 2026 which I don't think has ever been set into a microphone before 2026 by the way they've not had very good draft classes throughout that their existence even when they went away and came back you thought maybe that would increase things it didn't they were the same Browns it was crazy

40:46but things seem to be turning around in adding the correct personnel it's this one spot that has dog them for years and years and years obviously continues to do that so why not see what everybody has all right we paid Watson all of this money let's see what we have out of him I know he's not popular with the fans he can be the first one to start and it'll also be the first one we bench right I think that's where we're at with Watson I don't think he's long for this job four to five weeks then we're gonna see Shadour well when they don't win games with Shadour then do we go to tailing green because we saw little Dylan Gabriel last year I do think we go to tailing green first and then Dylan Gabriel maybe it's last but I think all four of these Cubis are going to play I think it's gonna be a long year for the Browns again I think they're gonna be bottom feeders and they will add a great quarterback next year which I kind of don't like I I hope that they have the Steelers you know just above 500 seasons to not get one of these quarterbacks but they're gonna be picking high they're gonna be a Dante Moore Archmaning team for sure I had to look at this as soon as you said that I had to look

41:50and I typed in what what are the best Browns draft class in history and then I did over last 30 years because the response I got was the 1957 draft class which had Jim Brown and then Jean Hickerson who's the ninth round pick by the way when they had nine you know multiple rounds like that but then I did the last 30 years can you guys guess the year of 26 incorrect Fitsy whatever you they took Joe Thomas yeah I think that's it's also incorrect but I'll tell you this I mean it's all subjective too by the way yeah sure I'll tell you're not a good guess okay okay 2018 where the one one was Baker Mayfield the one four was Denzel Ward and then the two uh the second round pick at 35 was Nick Chubb so those were their first three picks that I mean they've had some spots but to your point though like we can't annoying 2026 yet but we're like getting into that spot where what they've done across the board might look similar to one of those no

42:52this team could have used last couple years Baker Mayfield really could have used Baker Mayfield last few years would have been great and he beat Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh how do you let that guy walk you might be the he might be and I think I think this might be where he's gearing to he might be the Steelers quarterback next year Baker Mayfield because yeah I mean it works because Tampa Bay refused to do the deal with him and he wants to get revenge on Cleveland so yeah they're dragged last year by the way not not too bad with our Carson Schwestinger already huge different different things yeah okay Judkins who was carrying a running game Harold Fanon who was an amazing third round all right Mason Graham Mason Graham was just okay like if he takes a step up yeah I mean I mean I don't like this trend of the Browns having a draft classes is two years in a row I hate it yeah no pun intended to having Dishon Watson and Vince McMahon a like here but I was Vince McMahon mean when you were doing that I was like at each time you see that mean we're I'm like oh

43:53oh every time you were saying one of those picks I was getting kind of excited about that um yeah I mean I love looking at draft classes the Browns are a really interesting one so it's just funny to think like this is the big one but you know if you take last year's class and this year's class that could be the big change what what's the change they need though they need a quarterback they need which is something that is like they're you know it's a kryptonite it has been a kryptonite for years and years and years that they can build these teams get this structure and they just never have a good quarterback around or they make the wrong move and let a guy like Baker go my big macro takeaway and this might this one might be the dumbest of all of them because some of you guys might already be there but I've had this slow burn over this preseason of just a realization with the chargers and maybe more specifically with what this offense is going to look like in that what was it like a couple of years ago was run heavy we thought it was going to be a lot more run heavy with harbock coming in all the sudden they're past heavy lad kind of tapers back you know herberts good looks fine everything like that there's something I was talking with boggling about

44:56this there's something now to me about McDaniel in this offense and the owing and awing that her bird is done that I feel like there's an unleashing that's about to happen because you know Daniel's been held back by having to a to us for it I mean horrific I mean eight o't like under seven can't throw the ball deep when he did it just air balls and it was like well how did they what was the majority of of anything that was done on the dolphins team it was like 15 yard out at most and let guys like Tyree kill and Jalen Waddle have some yak but he has a team now with wide receivers that have step he has got a quarterback now that can make the big throws I think he's going to sling the ever living crap out of ball with this team and it's interesting I was looking at herbert he was eighth in ariards last year but thirty third in overall a dot at 8.2 I think that is going to completely change I think you might end up seeing him be like top three and deep balls thrown that eight odds going to go up and I specifically think quentin johnson

46:01actually might be in for a bigger year than I had been giving him credit for I'm a little anti I'm not anti lad because I love lad but I'm I'm anti like lad being what he was two years ago where's a 29% target share I just don't think that's going to happen but you've also got tray Harris who could spread the field I don't think that's going to be very good but they got some tight ends that can do some business I just think that as fun as the run game is it's kind of this younger you know maybe there's a little bit of a rotation that happens a tiny bit with Keaton Mitchell all I feel like mcdanis has been talking about is the big playmakers that are going to do stuff probably catching the ball Keaton Mitchell's going to probably do it at a screen passes quentin johnson's going to do it big so yes the chargers heavy pass heavy I think it is going to be a to a bigger degree but I don't think it's going to be to a big playmaking degree this year and you kind of saw that right at the end of the preseason where there's let herbert slaying the you know in his few attempts out there slaying the ball was at 60 yards deep to quentin johnson I think we're going to see a lot more of that than we have seen in the past and that whole

47:03a dot bottom 30 quarterbacks all of that is going to change this year and I think the charges are going to be high flying fits here you you we're kind of shaken maybe you're an agreement or maybe you have a retort no I'm excited about it I agree with you and just think that under mic mcdaniel to a tongue of value lowell led the NFL in passing yardage and he did it with a pasta arm and now you've got a guy who's got a rocket launcher attached to his shoulder and I'm not the first person to say this I think they touched on this in the athletic football podcast last week where they were saying like mcdaniel can just expand his playbook so much because with the dolphins he had to do it with all these you know shallow crossers where he was just finding all this space for for Tyree kill and jail and waddle and letting them do their magic after the catch just in herbert can access parts of the field that to a could not so out more eloquently said then what I was attempting to allude to that's it right there it's the the the the tree the route tree the playbook

48:06opens and expands when you have a quarterback like this right so just think of the creativity mcdaniel is going to be able to use it's really exciting and a multitude of really good receivers to it's not just like it's based on a one player it's like the lat I mean you know we we look at lad is kind of like a slot merchant you know catch the ball fall down or whatever but like we've seen big plays lad can stretch the field tray Harris can be able to stretch the field so bogs any thoughts on you know I think there might be a legitimate shot and saying I mean I'm not a big futures guy but there's a little part of me that wants to go put it like Justin Herbert leads the NFL and passing yards MVP maybe yeah I mean maybe take a look at those odds maybe a little little nice little sprinkle on top of the other future bets on top there I look I think the beautiful thing about mcdaniel is that he doesn't really have a system per se he he leans into the strengths of the the players that he has which is why we sought to lead the NFL in passing yards because he knew exactly what to do all right let's get these shallow crossers into the hands of these amazing

49:11playmakers I'm not going to have a quarterback with a rock and arm I'm going to throw short passes and let these guys take it I'm going to work within the run game right and what we saw from what we've seen from Herbert in most of his career you know everybody gives the bangles crap about not fixing their offensive line right the chargers have made attempts and it hasn't worked that's you know went out and got slated and they got alt and they both got hurt last year that's why you saw short passes from Herbert it wasn't didn't have anything to do with the talent around him it was he had no miscicippies to throw the damn ball and with the specifically the type of wide receivers that you have on this team that are guys that are going to stretch the field a little bit more nothing works right Hampton was hurt you don't have your grinder and you don't have your line to push the grinder through and you have these guys that run deep routes and they have to run shallower routes because we have no time to throw the damn ball it was the disaster last year I think it's going to be the opposite of that this year and this offense is going to be a lot of fun to watch so I'm absolutely

50:15with you all right stock watch time three players coming off of the final set of the preseason we were I mean obviously we threw some players in there as we're looking at kind of a macro perspective this is honing back in after the final preseason game our final stock watch from the preseason three players that we are keeping an eye on here Fitsy kick us off here stock watch who is up or down for you Ravens kicker Tyler loop is down he missed field goals of 58 and 51 yards in the preseason finale for the Ravens miss three total kicks in the preseason although they were all 49 yards or longer but we know how the Ravens season ended last year right bogs the miss by Tyler loop bad 44 yard miss for him after the Ravens declined to try to get some extra yards with there a canry just took a knee to set up that 44 yard try that missed badly and you know so by all accounts loop had a good training camp but now with the with the shanks in the preseason they have

51:19brought in a guy beloved to all 49ers fans right well Jake moody former Michigan everybody loves them yeah so our moody didn't fair to well in San Francisco did a little better in a short stint with the commanders but now he's signed to I believe the practice squad so loops got moody looking over shoulder I can't think of anyone going into the regular season with more pressure on them than Tyler loop was moody the highest drafted special teams player in recent history who was the highest drafted like kicker a hunter little Janet Kowski yeah oh yeah what first he was about to say it was the first right yeah yeah dude was he like John Groot and told that story about him coming in hungover yeah I was about to say it wasn't like rip in six and just like drunken stuff he was like he was essentially the construction worker he was like from the replacements he was that guy from the replacements yes yeah yeah yeah 100% way fatter but yes yeah and uh Groot now the story about him coming in hungover and he went to go kick a feel goal and he's like he's hung

52:22over he's gonna miss it it's 52 yards he's like I wanted to miss it and he nails it he comes over he's like great kick man you know uh the Groot and face and everything we yeah the Tyler loop uh you know what sometimes it just takes one bad bad kick he needs dr sharn from Ted last so I think alright boxer stock up this is a player that you're pretty locked into but what did precede what did the third preseason games uh stock up this player for you yeah it wasn't necessarily the third preseason game but it's just Emmett Johnson Emmett Johnson has been incredible in the preseason here has the second most mistackles forced among backs with 20 carries tomorrow which there are 37 of them yet the fourth highest elusive rating I think he was seventh in yards per contact uh yards after contact per attempt and he is the handcuffed that you want if you are drafting Ken Walker and fantasy drafts and I do think he's going to have a role because we've seen Ken Walker um you know he he has peaked to 255 touches and if you want to keep this guy around

53:25for the entire season in his career he has shown to break down if you give him too many touches I think Emmett Johnson is going to have a decent role here he had 297 touches in his last season that Nebraska for short Smith was the only guy behind him we knew Karim Hunt didn't have a lot left in the gas tank he even had a trial with the lions and didn't make it which is is probably the end for Karim Hunt but that's the guy that you would say hey let's bring in this guy in case you know anything happens to Ken Walker and they didn't even do it I think uh I think Emmett Johnson is going to have a bigger year than people expect him to and I think he's already your number two back in KC yeah you've been big on Emmett Johnson final one for me here uh it was very week three of the preseason relevant love this one yeah and I you know I kind of actually thought I might even be stealing this from bogs I actually put this on the sheet but I love it because I fit see doesn't like this guy and I've been positive on on the dynasty pod the entire off season so you picking him I didn't even get mad I went I just did this yeah well I also drafted him in art we have the 16

54:30team giant IDP league and I ended up getting him in like I don't know 15th round or 20th round or something crazy but Chris Bell with a Miami Dolphins injury designated pretty much all preseason gets in and really what stood out was the target share he ended up getting five targets in the first 10 minutes they I think it was the first play they had like a nice hitch route then it was post and maybe more importantly a couple of people noted this he went between like X Z slot I mean Z can move round to that but like they were using him in multiple spots it is the most talentless wide receiver core maybe in the history of the NFL uh definitely in the last 10 years if you look and if you if you were to go into Miami and interview a hundred people to say tell me the two tell me two wide receivers on the Miami Dolphins I would bet you 95 of those 100 would not be able to even say one so because of that if we do believe that Malik Willis can be solid if we do believe the Devon H&K

55:31can still hold his value there's got to be something from somewhere else and Chris Bell might be that guy he look good early on in this game they thought these injuries might keep him way much longer they used him in multiple spots ball control to him look I think there is going to be early targets and if he's out there Malik Willis is going to target him and for them to move him around if whether it's X and they want him to run big giant post or they're going to move around to get the ball I think they want to get the ball in his hands and there's just not a lot of other guys out there so I think this is one of those few situations because so much time was missed he gets in and they immediately get him the ball I mean first quarter it's it's Chris Bell Chris Bell Chris Bell he has a real chance to be their number one which in reality is probably like you know statistically low number two wide receiver on another team but I think we got to stock up on Chris Bell no one is talking about him we haven't talked at least much about him maybe dynasty street you have but I think we got to start paying attention so Fitsy has anything changed in your hate for Chris Bell

56:31yeah I don't hate him one of the most physically gifted receivers in this draft but I think the weakness he has in his game is route running and I worried that with his injury it was not great for a guy who needs to improve his route running to be missing training camp in the preseason great that he was able to come back so early and I think that bodes well for his chances of making some sort of impact right away I'm open minded about him for sure I just I know when I was watching Louisville last year I was not particularly impressed but again one of the most physically gifted receivers in the class all right stock up if you guys have your opinions on any players that the final pre season week got you excited about drop them in the comments below make sure if you guys have enjoyed this leave your comments below because you get opportunities to win like our brand new give away the Todd Gurley sign Rams jersey just by subscribing and commenting below you've got your opportunity and if you can you can rate and review on the podcast side we really appreciate talking

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