All right folks the draft is only three weeks away a lot of big moves have happened so far and
Stefan days goes to the Houston, Texas and Derry Brown resize for the Panthers
We're gonna talk about more all about this on the second episode of the footballs junkies podcast. I'm your host McCann. Let's go
All right, folks
This is the part of free agency that nobody really likes because guess what not a lot of things happen
You may hear this person might get signed that person might get signed this small player went to this team
This team went to that team this person retires this person is you know unhappy with the team this person's in contract negotiation
Really slow don't like it me personally. I hate it. I really do
It's not after that first week of free agency is just like yo what is going on like is
Somebody gonna make a move now you may hear you know this person may say oh
There's there's a rumor going around that you know this person might not be happy or there might be a big splash trade
It's about to happen soon, but it's like you really don't know because there's really no
No breadcrumbs to really you know look at it same. Hmm. There might be something there, but
This is the week where we've had a little bit of motion folks just
Enough just enough just enough for me to talk about
Stefan digs got traded from the Buffalo Bills to the Texas now. Let's go over the I
Can't believe I'm actually saying this is actually happened. I am so surprised so
In doing so with him getting trade to the Texas the Texas received Stefan digs and a
2024 6th and a 2025 fifth round pick while the bills receive a 2025 second round pick now
We're gonna have to decipher this
Like a surgery so let's go into it
So on one hand you have the bills who were at who are at a crossroads where they were just
done with Stefan digs as the person and the reason why I say that is because
When you have someone like a Stefan digs who multiple times have voice
You know his displeasure about about the team and how things are going on and maybe how he's being utilized
It puts you out of point to where?
You don't want to deal with the player
Granted, you know he he may you know he may be the reason why you know more people are coming to the games or
more of a reason why you guys are winning games, but it gets to a point where
It's it's just time to go it's just time to go you know your separate ways and
You know they were willing to now take on the biggest dead cap hit for a non quarterback in NFL history
You're taking they are taking over a
30-plus million dollar dead cap hit from this move now to some people you're probably wondering
How are they gonna be able to manage this well?
There's a few ways that they can go about it
They can either try to see if they can spread it out within the next few years
Which will lower the dead cap even more or they can all just you know take it on the chin take it
You know this year and then you know the next few years
They really have to worry about it you have they there are so many different ways they can do about it and they probably will now on the other hand
This affects Josh Allen even more simply because
He doesn't have a receiver that he has chemistry in the room anymore
He doesn't um
They the bills went after and they signed Mack Hollins Curtis Samuel
And probably two two or three other receivers that you know are probably going to compete for a roster spot
Which honestly that's not good enough
It's it's just not in the division in the conference that you play in you have to have a number one receiver
If you don't have a number one receiver, you are not going to be successful
you're just not and
It doesn't help that you know Josh Allen
Since since the departure of Brian Dable
He has sort of regressed a little bit and in doing so he's having to put his body out more
Just to extend the play get a first down score touchdown
Whatever the case may be which you know, he may not feel it right now
But he's gonna feel it and maybe about two or three years and this is you know, this is something that I have argued
You know with with my friends as well
The bigger these bigger quarterbacks your Josh Allen's your big Ben's your Cam Newton's your Andrew Luxe
Those those type of quarterbacks at first
You know when when when they make these these great moves and great plays and whatnot, you know, it's great at first
But once they hit a certain threshold, they can't do those type of moves anymore because why they've been punished so much
I'm gonna put it to you like this
Andrew Luck
You know a great quarterback, you know, he he he alone was was put into into a very bad situation
and I say it because
he was getting punished every single game every
Every single game he was getting punished him big Ben
Cam Newton they were getting punished because at that time the league wasn't the league rules for quarterbacks
Wasn't as strong as it is now where you can't even breathe on a quarterback now
Without getting good, you know without getting a roughing the pass or call back then you could basically close
You could still you know hit a quarterback pretty good and you wouldn't get a call for it
It's just you know, it's just football and so what what you saw was players like big Ben who you know
Their career was cut short
Andrew Lux career was over because he didn't want to take any more punishment. There were literally reports that were coming out
I forgot exactly what what game it was, but I'll probably have to find it. There was literally games
where Andrew Luck was so hurt that
That
He was basically pissing out blood
That's not good
I'm not a doctor never been a doctor and everyone to medical school or anything
But anytime you have a quarterback who is pissing out blood
That is not good. That means you are taking a tremendous amount of punishment and he was basically taking this punishment
You know season after season after season and mind you he was doing this on a team where they didn't have a whole lot of weapons
Let alone. They didn't have adequate protection
And so I say all that to say this with Josh Allen
you have to make sure that he is gonna be okay because
Unless you guys are about to do something, you know crazy within the draft, you know, you guys might try to
trade up and maybe try to get a receiver or
You know try to make another big splash plate
You're gonna have to do something for Josh Allen because what you have right now in the offense is not going to win you games
Let alone get you a Super Bowl, which that's a whole another topic in itself. I
Mean sure you could rely on, you know Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox and
You know and this sub par to mediocre run game that you guys have which you really don't have but that's another
Topic for another day, but that's not gonna win you games
What's gonna win you games is Josh Allen risking his body once again game after game season as season after season
To keep you close in the game and that's not gonna that's not gonna last long
It's just not on top of that. You also have to factor in that the bills did not and have not done a great job
In trying to retool and replace adequate talent on the team
May I remind you folks that this offseason alone?
The bill had to let go a lot of their key players
Simply because that they were over the cap
Just over the cap not because of age not because of where they are in their career
None of that just because they were over the cap
Later Floyd walked a Davis walk both of their savings both of their safety's walk and even today these white walked
That's not good. And so you don't and so what what what you're seeing now is
The team itself has regressed
tremendously
Are they still a playoff team? Possibly, you know, if they probably you know hit on the draft and
Maybe probably, you know do something, you know before before they get deep into the season possibly yes
But to say that, you know, they are this bona fide team that could potentially go to the Super Bowl
I don't see it. I simply don't see it simply because they still have too many holes on both sides of the ball and
they they just
They just wasn't prepared for this moment. They tried to do what the Rams tried to do
But the problem was you did it the wrong way
This is the same bills team who literally paid
Von Miller this huge deal for no reason and in doing so when with you paying him that large deal
You are basically handcuffing yourself to him for a very long time
Even though that you have restructured that's still not good enough because guess what you haven't replaced
Tremaine admins you haven't replaced both your safeties. You haven't replaced today. We as white you don't have replacements for any of those players
And then let's not even talk about the offense. You don't even have a run game
You don't have a run game. That's not good enough in the AFC
If you're a AFC team, you have to have a run game
You have to have a run game now. I'm not saying your run game has to be top five
You know the best or you know top ten or whatever
But it has to be a decent run game where you know it can get you a pivotal first down
It can get you close into the red zone. Hell, it can even get you a touchdown
You have to have that and if you don't have that well, then guess what you're just not gonna win games. You're just not I'm sorry
Um now for the Texans, this is great for them because why this adds another tool for CJ Stroud
Folks, I'm gonna say this right now
Texans is a very dangerous team
They are very dangerous team simply because they have a lot of firepower on both sides of the ball and
They have a very high draft pick
I'm telling you right now
If they go for a defensive player, which I possibly think they probably would because they do have more holes on
The defense and they do in the offense. I'm telling you
Right now. They are the best team in their division
I could probably make a strong case that they are top five in the AFC right now
I could simply say that simply because of how well that they have structured this team and
and
Not to mention they have
With this trade they have voided the last three years of Stefan Diggs's trade
I mean of his contract which would basically make him a
Free agent once the season is over while at the same time moving
Excuse me 3.5 million that he would have gotten in next year to this year, which then would boost up his guarantee money
to 22.2
52 million dollars, which I mean, you know, it's still a great payday
But at the same time this basically puts him in a situation where okay
You know once the season is over with either you could stay with the Texans or you can try free agency again
And you don't see what happens who knows?
Right now it's looking very dangerous for the Texans
because
Now they have a receiving core where you have John Mitchie the third Noah Brown, Tane Dell, Stefan Diggs and
Nico Collin and you traded for Joe Mixon. That's dangerous
That's that is a high that is a high caliber high fire a firepower
Office that you won't be able to stop in on top of that you got CJ Stral
So not trying to gaslight CJ Stral not trying to hype him up or anything
But on paper, this is a very dangerous offense a very dangerous offense in a division where the division written that strong
Where you can easily steamroll the Titans because they're still rebuilding
you
You can sort of you're sort of gonna be at odds with the Colts and possibly the Jaguars
But not as much as what people think it is
So we'll probably well, you know, we'll see how the season goes and then we'll just go from there now
Fast forward to the breaking news that just broke before before we recorded this episode
Derek Brown defensive tackle for the Carolina Panthers has signed a four-year
$96 million deal with 63.1 million guaranteed
Which makes which rounds about
Mm-hmm, question the numbers 24 million a year
That's about the average which makes him the fifth highest paid defensive tackle in NFL right now
I'm gonna try to be as
Humble as I possibly can with this very quick read
Why in the world are the Panthers paying Derek Brown all this money?
But they didn't but but but they wasn't able to try to pay
Brian Burns some money
Now granted I understand, you know
GM's value certain positions more than others. I get that that's perfectly fine
But Brian burns
If I'm not mistaken has been a very very very very very effective player
Compared to what Derek Brown has been
I'm gonna read you the stats for Derek Brown. Okay this season and then
Probably the last few season that Derek Brown has played in the 2023 season
Derek Brown had two sacks 57 solo tackles one interception. Okay
Now when you look at it since he's gotten into the league in 2020
The most sacks that he's had is three
The most, you know total tackles that he's had which was this past season, which was 103. Okay, cool perfectly fine
Going over to Brian Burns. Okay, Brian Burns in 2023 had 32 solo tackles eight sacks one force fumble. Okay, cool in
2019 his first year his rookie year. He had seven and a half sacks in
2022 he had 12 and a half sacks in 2020 and 2021 he had nine sacks
What are we talking about here folks? That is it's
It shows how dysfunctional and how and how the team does not value someone like a Brian Burns
And I say that because instead of you at least trading him away because
During last season the Rams were you know, they had a trade package
Available, you know, and they really wanted Brian Burns, but the Panther said no
So when the news broke, you know, I was definitely thinking oh, okay
The Panthers are gonna try to you know, do right by Brian Burns and they're gonna pay him. No, they didn't it didn't pay them and
Instead what they did was they basically traded him to the Giants
The Giants New York Giants and they paid him
so
It's not like the Panthers are in a situation where you know, they have all these big contracts and you know
They got to take care of this person and that person and all and you know, you know
These three players and and this and that no, they don't they don't have any big contracts. They don't
So why in the world? Couldn't you lock? Couldn't you try to lock up both Brian Burns and Derek Brown?
Brian Burns should have been the priority first. He should have been
Derek Brown
Hey, you getting where you fit in kid. It's it's it's I'm trying to find the words
I'm trying to stay positive in this situation
But again, this goes back to what I said in the first episode
Pay the player who was the most who who who has the most presence on the field
if Brian Burns is creating the most is you know, creating the most pressure and
You know offenses are targeting him more
Then that is the person that you need to take care of
Simple as that now. It's one thing if Brian Burns said, you know, I want to be making, you know, 30 30 million a year or
You know, I want to be making 40 million year, you know a crazy number. Okay, then it's like, okay
You're bugging right now. We'll just let you walk and let somebody else try to pay you that
But I guarantee you if you probably had a simple conversation with him
You could probably he'll probably say I didn't want a whole lot of money. I just want to get paid
I just want to get paid for what I did on the field and the panthers run were unable to do so and this
Continues to show why the Panthers are a very dysfunctional organization from the front office
To ownership to coaching to every single level you could possibly think of is a very dysfunctional organization
And it will continue to be a very dysfunctional organization
But I'm done talking about the Panthers because the Panthers are trash. Let's talk about mock drafts
Let's talk about the draft because that's what we really care about, right?
So I've been looking at a lot of a lot of mock drafts lately
Which a lot of them are starting to be more consistent
Some of them are a little bit are still a little bit more outlanders than others
Don't really care about those we care about the the main ones from you know, the main insiders. So a
Lot of them, you know, of course all of them are going to have Kayla Williams going number one
Which we all universally knows Kayla Williams is going to be drafted by the Chicago Bears now
When it gets to the second and third and fourth picks
That's where things get a little bit rocky because you you know, there's a little bit of inconsistent
inconsistency there
I've seen some mock drafts having you know, Jaden Daniels get drafted
To the commanders. I've seen Drake may go to the commanders. I've seen Jaden Daniels
Drop, you know, drop down a little bit. I've seen Drake may go up a little bit
I'm I've even started to see JJ McCarthy
Recently starting to climb up a little bit more in that top five range and the only reason why I say that is because I
Think teams are starting to value
What JJ McCarthy can bring to a team
JJ McCarthy is a true leader
He's a leader. He his skill set is very, you know, it's very intact. There's not a lot of red flags to his game
And I think he's someone that you can you know, you can instantly start him week one
And you can probably you know really see something you can really see some flashes with him compared to
Someone like a Drake may someone like a Jaden Daniels one not the problem is with a lot of these quarterbacks
Is and this is this will probably be an episode
Then I'll probably have to really get into is that a lot of the expectation for a lot of these players is
They have to be instant starters. They have to be instant stars
Overnight and it doesn't work like that. Some of them may take a little bit longer than others
and so
the problem the problem with the
With the top five picks is they can go anyway
Because of course, you know, they're always going to say, you know, we're open to trading down, you know for the right price
You know just throwing out a whole bunch of smoke screens while at the same time entertaining and seeing okay
Who was going to be who would be willing to give up the most?
You know just to get this spot because whether we want to admit or not the top five range is a very lucrative
You know position four teams that might be lower in the draft who have a very bigger need
Than what the teams in the top five have so for instance the Arizona Cardinals, right?
the Arizona Cardinals they have a top five pick but
What they could do and what they should do as I'm putting on my GM hat once again
They should trade down they should trade down a little bit more and I say that because from a roster standpoint
They're not in a position right now where they can
Be competitive within their own division and that they have so many holes on both sides of the team
That at this point the rebuild that they're going through, you know, right now
It's gonna take them about two or three draft cycles to really get things going
So why not start the process now by just trading down?
Because most likely you'll get another first round pick for next year
and
Then you'll probably get some more picks as well
And I would just maybe if if teams aren't you know more willing to do so keep trading down and I and I say that because
When you're a team that is you know really going through
Through what the Cardinals are going through and they really don't have a whole lot and there's a and they have a lot of needs
Sometimes it's just best to just you know entertain see what happens if nobody is really giving you what you're really looking for work
Then okay make a pick and just go on from there, but that's just me personally
You have other teams like the Chargers who?
Yes, they have a high pick and yes, you know, they have a few needs
But at the same time they could probably entertain the idea of also trading down as well
So the draft honestly speaking is going to get it's gonna be crazy
It is because you have a team like the Vikings who?
They are very desperate in finding a quarterback even though they say even though they they sign
Sam Darno that doesn't instantly mean that okay. He's the quarterback. No
They want their quarterback for the future and they believe that their quarterback who I you know
I also believe with them as well is either going to be Michael Pinnick's or J. J. McCarthy one of the two
One of those two quarterbacks is going to fall to the Vikings one of those two
and even then I've even started to see
Some mock drafts where Michael Pinnick doesn't get drafted in the first round. He actually falls out the first round
And I've seen somewhere he's get where he gets drafted in the second round
I've seen somewhere. He's even gotten drafted in the third round
This is what I'll say
Michael Pinnick's is a is a great quarterback prospect, you know, he ran a good 40 time in everything
However, I think what what's making teams very, you know
Weary about possibly drafting him high in the first round is because his extensive history
his extensive injury history when he was in Indiana as well as
Just you know his performance in the national championship because let's let let's call it for what is had Michael Pinnick's one the national
national championship against Michigan
We would be talking about him more and
And you know in a much positive light than what people are talking about him right now and
so
teams, you know teams are valuing okay, is it because of the situation that he was in or is it because of
You know x y and z so you just have to factor in a lot of those different things now me personally
Do I think Michael Pinnick's?
Potentially is the first round pick. I don't know I
Don't know I think he is a player where he has to be put into the right situation
I really do he has he Michael Pinnick has to be drafted by offensive coach. He has to
He has to be drafted by an offensive coach and I only say that because the problem with defensive coaches is
They don't that of course they're not going to value
You know offensive pieces as much and sometimes they may neglect
The quarterback and and sometimes when they do the quarterback regresses now, of course, you're gonna have you know your outliers
You know your Tom Brady's your Ben Roffels burgers your Russell Wilson's and whatnot
But even then at some point in their careers there was a point where they didn't
They may they may were unable to get you know certain weapons or
You know, they're often started to regress a little bit more and in doing so their play regress
So there's so many different things that you have to factor in with someone like a Michael Pinnick's and I think I think we also
Have to tack on and I briefly talked about it his injury history. I think the injury history
Alone is making a lot of people very wary
Just you know just about him simply because
He's he's been hurt a lot. He is he's been hurt a lot
And I think that makes team a little bit concerned to the point where you know, they may not be
Open to wanting to go after him, but you know, we'll see what happens. Well, we'll definitely see what happens
I'm very optimistic
For Michael Pinnick's and honestly all the quarterbacks the top quarterbacks not all the quarterbacks
But for the top quarterbacks, I'm very optimistic for them except for Kaylee Williams
but that's gonna be another episode that we'll have to talk about because I
I just don't see it. I don't see it with with Kayla Williams. I don't know what I'm talking about
I just don't see it. I really do not see it with Kayla Williams
All right, folks. Well, I
Decided to do something a little bit different and I'm probably gonna do this
For the for the you know up until the draft. I'm gonna try to you know pick pick a different team. So
Comment down below what's your favorite team and I'll do a mock draft simulator for them
So I decided to do of course Pittsburgh Steelers because why I'm a Pittsburgh Steelers fan
And so I did two different versions
I did a traditional one and I did one where I was you know, I was making a couple trades
So with the traditional one the 20th pick first round pick. I chose Nate Wiggins
The second pick I chose offensive tackle offensive tackle not tackle tackle
Roger
Rosenstein tackle from Washington third pick. I chose Xavier Leggett wide receiver, South Carolina
Then with the fourth pick I chose Kyrie Jackson corner from Oregon
I chose Jada Hicks safety Washington State
Tory Taylor punner Iowa Joe Milton the third quarterback and
Finished it off with a center Kingsley
Yukon from Florida now
This is what I the the reason why I decided to do this experiment is because I
Wanted to see exactly how would the draft play out if the Steelers were to
Not to make any trades and not try to trade up in the draft to try to acquire somebody and it actually worked
However, the problem was when I decided to do this
Once it got time for me to draft
There are all the good tackles all the other good right tackles were gone
They had all been drafted and so what you were stuck with
Really wasn't it was sort of the second tier
Right tackles, which even then you know, they're still good as well
But it's those it's those those first tier right tackles the tallowee's foo wagas the JC Latham's
That are just like I mean you you you want those guys those guys
Those guys are movers those guys are mallers because they're there's so much uncertainty with Ryan Ramchex's knee
That I think the Saints can't they they can't take that risk. So I think they'll just draft one
And you know, that's perfectly fine, but if your team like the Pittsburgh Steelers, um, you're gonna need to trade up
You're gonna need to you're gonna need to trade up and you're gonna need it
You're gonna need to get a right tackle. You have to you have to get a right tackle because if you don't and if you wait
Later into the draft, you're gonna have you're gonna be in a situation where you're not gonna have a right tackle
Who you could just plug and play you're not you're gonna have a right tackle who?
It's gonna take them a while to you know to be pushed into the starting lineup
Which you don't want because you need an instant starter for right tackle right now
Right now as we speak
So there's that and then for the second mock drafts, which
It was a little
It was a little weird a little weird, but we'll go over it. So with again first round pick JC Latham
Second pick I chose center
Cedric van Prian from Georgia third pick. I chose Jalen McMillan receiver from Washington
With the fourth pick I chose Carvijac in again
Cornerback from Oregon and with the final pick. I chose Tiki Smith safety
From Georgia now even with this one
I like this one a little bit more than the first one and the reason why I say that is because you're addressing
Your three most
Poor important needs in the first three rounds. You're getting your instant. You're starting right tackle
You're getting your center who you know, he could start but at the same time
It'll be best if you just maybe sit under a starting center, you know, hopefully praying praying the guy that we sign one
But who knows that that's another another story for another day, but we're not gonna get into it
I'm not gonna ran about my Steelers
So you address both both offensive line needs, which is great
Awesome amazing while at the same time you're also drafting a receiver because let's be real here
We have been hitting our receivers
And if you don't believe me check the history books
Check the history books folks. Yes, I'm saying it check the history books, you know, it's person Antonio Brown 84
You know what I mean?
But I'm
And then you also draft Kari Jackson who is a bigger bigger body corner, which you know, that's what you need
And then you also draft
A taiki Smith who is a dog a dog of a safety you want to talk you want to talk about somebody who has a dog mentality
He has a dog mentality
He wants to go and make up either he wants to hit you
Tackle you stop you whatever the case may be
Once he got his eyes locked on you. He's going in for the kill folks. That's who he is
And so I say all that to say this just because you know, you may look at a mock draft and the mock draft
You know might have something crazy or be like oh
Michael Pennix might might get drafted to
Raiders or oh
You know the first round there won't be any right tackles taken or whatever the case may be don't believe it
don't
half of half of the teams between the
10 to 20 ish
Point of the draft they all need an offensive lineman at some point now
It doesn't necessarily all have to be right tackles
But they do need you know could be a guard could be a center could be left tackle could be right tackle
Whatever the case may be they all need offensive lineman. You can never have
Enough offensive lineman. You just can't I don't care what anyone said. I don't care what any
Analyst says foreign players is you can never have offensive lineman simply because you know
they can go down in the instant and it's not like a receiver or
You know or or a running back where you know they can they can still play through certain injuries that are often some linemen
You know suffers they may not be able to play through or it might be you know season-endering or you might be in a situation
like a Ryan Ramcheck who he suffers a major injury and
You know, he may not be able to play anymore. So you always have to value in those type of things, but I'm gonna end the episode right here
Thank you guys as always
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I think you guys so much
We're gonna probably do more more draft drafting type
Episodes leading up to the draft and then we're gonna try to try to do something special on the night of the draft can't tell you guys yet
Because I'm not ruined the surprise. We might have a special guest for the next episode. Who knows can't won't reveal it right now
But who knows stay tuned. Love you guys