Just an open page for me to drop notes/ideas/things I'm hearing/seeing/working on or just caffeinated or lack of sleep thoughts on football items.
8/9 SUN
(8:04amET)
-- Dynasty Rookie Draft update today...from the tape we’ve scouted so far. I am planning to update the DRD board every day or two with more and more of this Week 1 preseason tape studied/consumed...so many games and players I’m watching pieces of but it takes time to study a game tape and write up, but if I can update the DRD board it can give a glimpse of some of the great stuff I am seeing. Might do a video on it today too. The last 24 hours there’s been a lot of exciting rookie action.
-- Dolphins at Bears today...Caleb Williams has already been announced as ‘out’/not playing. He obviously doesn’t need the work, he’s so polished and experienced...
I wonder if this is Ben Johnson putting the ball in Tyson Bagent’s court, and hoping he balls out to put even more pressure on Caleb and the whole ‘Caleb situation’. Imagine if Bagent rips it up today and then next week Caleb is flopping around...the Bears fanbase is already ready to storm the Caleb castle...and they’re gonna make Bagent their symbol of the revolution, if it unfolds the way I think it might.
I kinda think Ben Johnson is seeing it too. Go check out the quotes about Bagent coming from all angles on ‘Chalk Talk Database’...it’s getting ‘real’ now.
But if Bagent struggles today...
We’ll find out in a few hours!
-- Spencer Rattler is gonna start Sunday for the Saints, but in recent practices Tyler Shough has been taking more and 1st-team reps as he starts to get more and more comfortable as a big-league QB.
In June, I thought this was Shough 80/20 to start Week 1.
In July, I was more 65/35.
Right now, I’d say Rattler is 60/40 to start Week 1.
I think they let Rattler fight the ARI-SF-@SEA-@BUF schedule start, and flop...then send Shough to the rescue. The schedule start is wicked hard no matter who the QB is.
-- Speaking of the Saints, I thought this article was odd/interesting...
It means to me: Sean Payton is so desperately trying to recreate his Saints of old that you really have to believe him when he says that Pat Bryant is Mike Thomas and Caleb Lohner is Jimmy Graham and R.J. Harvey is Darren Sproles, especially the RJH/Sproles thing...after reading this.
We await ‘his Taysom’ and ‘his Kamara’ coming soon next year or the year after...
His next Taysom is probably THEE Taysom...either acquired in trade midseason or in free agency next year.
-- There was this odd entry on NBC football player news about starters being sat for LAR-DAL: Head coach Sean McVay is notorious for taking it easy with expected starters while exploring the full depth of his roster in the preseason, potentially signaling that Whittington is in line to start for the Rams come Week 1.
I mean...I wanna believe it, I think it should be -- but our Chalk Talk Database quotes are clear that it will be Tutu to begin the season. From there, we’ll see if ‘better Puka’ arises...
Yeah, I said it.
Maybe it’s ‘different Puka’.
‘Unique Puka’.
-- (same intro daily) Like our QB and Team hierarchy we just went through, I thought it would be interesting to go through the head coaches and rank them.
I am taking this from the perspective of: Just the head coach, not his staff...and if I were a GM and I was trying to poach a head coach away from a pool of all the NFL teams -- who would I choose to steal?
We’ll add/rank one a day, going in alphabetical order for 30 days.
Today’s add: Kansas City
2025 RC Head Coach Hierarchy:
Dan Campbell/DET, Sean Payton/DEN, Andy Reid/KC, John Harbaugh/BAL
Dave Canales/CAR, DeMeco Ryans/HOU, Matt LaFleur/GB, Ben Johnson/CHI, Sean McDermott/BUF,
Kevin Stefanski/CLE, Zac Taylor/CIN, Brian Schottenheimer/DAL, Liam Coen/JAX, Shane Steichen/IND, Jonathan Gannon/ARI, Raheem Morris/ATL
=====================
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8/8 SAT
(6:37amET)
-- We’re drowning in game tape and writing game recaps, so just a quick version of the RC notes on news items today/the next few days. I don’t have any major camp notes because the teams are preparing for their games this week (most of them this weekend). We’ll pump out the game reports all week as fast as we can.
The Jeanty debut game from THU will be out first this morning (ET), then I’m wrapping up my Shedeur vs. Tet watch. DET-ATL, WSH-NE are on the board after that.
Today, we got Jaxson Dart debut, J.J. McCarthy’s moment to rise or really drop his value of the moment, Travis Hunter’s debut, and Cam Ward’s debut among 8 games on the docket.
I got a couple bets today on preseason games. More on that in a bit, for those interested.
-- Headline: ESPN’s Stephen Holder reports Anthony Richardson (finger) could return to practice by Saturday.
I am shocked by this news. When I saw the pictures of Richardson’s crooked pinky, dislocated...I thought he'd be out for 2-3 weeks...especially with the injury happening to his throwing hand. But they say he might be back today or tomorrow.
AR needs to return ASAP to stay up in that competition with Dan Dimes...a competition he should win easily, but it’s a war of attrition right now on who is ‘less worse’.
-- After watching the IND-BAL game live and then rewatching it for study purposes...I have to take down the projections of Josh Downs and Michael Pittman, and Tyler Warren some. Those QBs are so bad that it cannot help any of those receivers for consistency.
-- From an NBC report: Keenan Allen was seen lining up out wide as the Chargers’ Z-receiver on Thursday, Ladd McConkey lined up in the slot.
This is what I wanted to see/be sure of...that there wouldn’t be a swerve where they put Keenan in the slot and sent Ladd outside, which hurt Ladd for FF/help Keenan. I didn’t think they would, but I needed to be sure.
-- We launched our new project ‘Chalk Talk Database’ (my abbreviation for it is CT-d) yesterday, on Discord.
Link to the project overview/description if you’re interested: https://ffmetrics.com/5776-new-ffm-offering-subscription-chalk-talk-database
I used the intrasearch bar inside Chalk Talk to look up all the things the coaches, etc., were saying about Kyle Pitts for FF research and we had six different groups of quotes on Pitts this summer...from the HC, O-C, and GM.
It’s kinda fascinating to read the progression of comments from various Atlanta sources on Pitts...it’s interesting to try to interpret what they are trying to tell us...without coming out and telling us.
This one particular day of Pitts quotes (copy & paste version below) really stuck with/scared me a little on getting too excited on Pitts, as I tend to get with him (from July 24th)...
===================
7/24/25
HC Raheem Morris
__**Kyle Pitts**__
* Everybody is trying to duplicate his rookie season, but I think Kyle's just got to go out and be the best version of himself(when asked how Pitts takes another step)
* It's not that it has to change cause Kyle's definitely a part of those heavy wideout sets as well cause he plays in our 11 package (3 WRs, 1 TE, 1 RB) a bunch. Obviously we have Charlie [Woerner] so we'll mix him in there, but we do have 12 (1 RB, 2 WRs, 2 TEs), we do have 21 (2 RBs, 1 TE, 2 WRs). We have a bunch of different sets that we can get into that we did last year as well (when asked if the offense could change with Pitts from the WR heavy sets Zac Robinson ran with the Rams)
(Commentary added from Ross) ***Commentary: I'm not entirely sure what Morris is trying to say here, but it sounds like perhaps Pitts is going to split with Charlie Woerner. That would align with the snap counts towards the end of 2024 where Woerner was consistently over 50% of the snaps and Pitts was under 50%***
RC Note: Did you know Pitts was playing less snaps than Woerner as the season went on? Did you know that the unofficial depth chart just released has Woerner and Pitts both listed as starters?
===================
-- (same intro daily) Like our QB and Team hierarchy we just went through, I thought it would be interesting to go through the head coaches and rank them.
I am taking this from the perspective of: Just the head coach, not his staff...and if I were a GM and I was trying to poach a head coach away from a pool of all the NFL teams -- who would I choose to steal?
We’ll add/rank one a day, going in alphabetical order for 30 days.
Today’s add: Jacksonville
2025 RC Head Coach Hierarchy:
Dan Campbell/DET, Sean Payton/DEN, John Harbaugh/BAL
Dave Canales/CAR, DeMeco Ryans/HOU, Matt LaFleur/GB, Sean McDermott/BUF, Ben Johnson/CHI
Kevin Stefanski/CLE, Zac Taylor/CIN, Brian Schottenheimer/DAL, Liam Coen/JAX, Shane Steichen/IND, Jonathan Gannon/ARI, Raheem Morris/ATL
=====================
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*Our new 2025 project launch, ‘Chalk Talk Database’: https://ffmetrics.com/5776-new-ffm-offering-subscription-chalk-talk-database
8/7 FRI
(7:59amET)
-- The first week of preseason games kicked off last night. I should have two of them scouted and reported out in Game Recaps by end of day. IND-BAL midday (eastern) and LV-SEA in the evening. Ross is working on CIN-PHI, which I will also watch/scout as well sometime today.
Game recaps will happen 2-3 a day approx. all through the preseason as we scout/study every game.
-- Headline: Chargers OT Rashawn Slater will miss the 2025 NFL season after suffering a torn patellar tendon.
This is a massive blow. O-Line, Pro Bowl-level Left Tackles are the most important thing after QB. The Chargers were just zapped of a major advantage. It affects their outlook to take down KC in the AFC West and FF outputs for Justin Herbert and the run game. Just how much it affects all of that will take some study of what the Chargers do at LT for replacement. If they swing Joe Alt there, it may not be as bad of an impact...if Alt is OK at LT. We’ll study the Chargers tape from their game this week and see what they let us see.
-- I keep hearing the same thing about the Commanders corners...
Trey Amos = a standout in camp...a super-bright light...a definite starter.
Mike Sainristil = future pro bowl’er
Marshon Lattimore = I dunno...this guy looks ‘washed’.
Other Commander notes of interest...
A lot of Jayden-Ertz connection talk this week and from the joint practices with NE...but there’s no Terry McLaurin there, which is likely forcing Daniels to Ertz and Deebo a lot. Luke McCaffrey is mostly ‘crickets’.
Rookie Josh Conerly is making a move on becoming a starter faster than expected.
Laremy Tunsil is starting to get back to capturing attention with dominant blocking.
Brian Robinson is becoming a visible leader on the team.
-- Malik Nabers note of interest (cough-cough)...
https://x.com/JordanRaanan/status/1953128881843585227
-- The mainstream should do more reports/articles like this. You’ll enjoy/take interest in reading through this one: https://www.phillyvoice.com/eagles-training-camp-player-stock-stock-down-media-poll-2025-moro-ojomo-kenyon-green/
-- MarShawn Lloyd was back at practice today...but off to the side, not in the action. FYI.
-- Not gonna lie, this was kinda funny from Tyreek...then Achane’s response: https://youtu.be/TOPxs6moWlM?si=6bCawWTrS9QErcz-
Good Lord...has Tyreek been hitting the weight room or what?...he should be the goal line back.
-- We launched our new project ‘Chalk Talk Database’ (CT-d) yesterday.
Link to the project overview/description if you’re interested: https://ffmetrics.com/5776-new-ffm-offering-subscription-chalk-talk-database
I’m posting a sample of something Ross found/researched and posted on CT-d yesterday. When I read it, I was blown away with how much the coaches, in this case the Cardinals Off. Coordinator, just freely tells us everything...sometimes it’s parsed and sometimes it’s just -- in your face.
I’m not going to analyze it...I’ll let you read it for yourself and come to conclusions...and two major things should just kinda blow you back on the clarity of some things...one of them was just innocently sitting there and I kinda went past it at first, then I went ‘wait, did I read that right? Did he just say that?’ And I read it again and it kinda blew me away.
Copying and pasting from CT-d below, but it looks prettier on CT-d/Discord.
========================
8/6/25
OC Drew Petzing
__**Tip Reimann**__
* He's a guy who keeps his head down and works his tail off. I think you see that in the way that he plays the game. It's violent. It's aggressive. He plays with unbelievable effort and finish. Certainly a big part of who we want to be on offense comes through in the way he plays the game
* Absolutely. Even on limited reps last year in the passing game, when the ball's in his hands he made positive things happen. So excited to see that continue
__**Trey Benson**__
* I think in a major way, and certainly when the pads come on and its live you're hoping to see another jump. But I think from an assignment standpoint, his eyes, understanding what to do and how to do it has been really good. The limited reps you can manufacture in practice I think he's done a great job of stepping up and being physical. Certainly want that to continue
__**Trey McBride**__
* He's one of our best players if not our best player, so we're always going to try to have him be an emphasis in the gameplan, try to make sure he touches the ball and affects the game. He's also pretty dynamic in the run game so I think that's always going to be a focal point
========================
-- The NFL season is upon us when ‘Pittsburgh Dad’ is back in RC Notes. This made me chuckle a few times in a 2-minute video: https://youtu.be/-0gKcErQtxk?si=KtishB5-3wG_UJ7w
-- (same intro daily) Like our QB and Team hierarchy we just went through, I thought it would be interesting to go through the head coaches and rank them.
I am taking this from the perspective of: Just the head coach, not his staff...and if I were a GM and I was trying to poach a head coach away from a pool of all the NFL teams -- who would I choose to steal?
We’ll add/rank one a day, going in alphabetical order for 30 days.
Today’s add: Indianapolis
2025 RC Head Coach Hierarchy:
Dan Campbell/DET, Sean Payton/DEN, John Harbaugh/BAL
Dave Canales/CAR, DeMeco Ryans/HOU, Matt LaFleur/GB, Sean McDermott/BUF, Ben Johnson/CHI
Kevin Stefanski/CLE, Zac Taylor/CIN, Brian Schottenheimer/DAL, Shane Steichen/IND, Jonathan Gannon/ARI, Raheem Morris/ATL
=====================
*How to sign up for our monthly or annual access: https://ffmetrics.com/total-football-advisor/total-football-advisor
*How to sign up for our Draft Guide package of reports: https://ffmetrics.com/draft-guide/draft-guide
*How to get the free FFM App and FAQs on how to use: https://ffmetrics.com/5663-how-to-get-the-free-ffm-app
*Our Betting Subscription offering (including private Discord chat access): https://ffmetrics.com/betting/betting
*For those into Best Ball and Unique FF tourney action...It’s FastDraft, from our friends at PlayerProfiler. https://ffmetrics.com/5680-the-fastdraft-best-ball-and-specialized-tournament-style-fantasy-action-and-promo-code
*Our new 2025 project launch, ‘Chalk Talk Database’: https://ffmetrics.com/5776-new-ffm-offering-subscription-chalk-talk-database
8/6 THU
(7:45amET)
-- Here we go... The preseason games are upon us! Three games tonight, three games tomorrow, a cluster of games Saturday, and two final ones on Sunday. Week 1 of the preseason.
We’ll be doing our world famous ‘Game Recap’ scouting and analysis of each and every game and publishing those reports as fast as we get through the tape and write them up or talk about them in a video (on occasion, it will be via video).
-- We will update the Dynasty Rookie Draft top 350 rankings today, before the games kickoff tonight...and may do a DRD update every day or two the following week as we go through the tape/get to see tape on all the rookies.
-- BETTING Subscribers/Discord members -- I have created a special ‘Preseason Games 2025’ channel for those who are watching the games and want to chat about them. I’ll be watching that channel and posting comments as I watch things live. I’m sure Ross will jump in with comments as he can as well.
If/whatever I’m betting on with any of these games, I’ll post it there if anyone is looking for info. And if anyone has a strong tip on things, let us all know there! I like to bet even $1 on preseason stuff just to keep my interest level up a notch watching the games live.
The FFM Betting Discord group is available to those who are subscribed to our Betting info, if you’re into that or your state even lets you partake! But also, it’s just a place where people can hang out and watch games and comment or ask questions back-and-forth with other like-minded FFMers. Some members don’t bet on football at all, they just like a place to chat about the games and cut up and ask questions, etc.
Subscription page/access for ‘Betting’ here (link): https://ffmetrics.com/betting/betting
Email me if you have any questions about the Betting Subscription side of things, if you’re wondering more about what it is, etc. Here’s some intro/overview info on our subscription: https://ffmetrics.com/betting/5453-the-2025-betting-subscription-season-is-now-open
*Random Camps/Joint Practice notes...*
-- ESPN’s Dan Graziano reports the Buccaneers believe “there’s a chance” Chris Godwin (ankle) could miss a couple games at the start of the season.
This is a projection that I have been leaning more towards since that second surgery was announced on his foot for ‘clean up’. Now, there’s a worry it will be 2-6 weeks...and then how long will it take to get up to speed...and then how good will Emeka Egbuka have become by then?
I’ve gone from Godwin as a hot undervalue in the Spring to (virtually) do-not-draft in August.
-- More than one source has told me: This is looking like the (Steelers LB) Payton Wilson breakout season. He’s looking very good in camp.
-- NBC Headline: ESPN’s David Newton believes WR Tetairoa McMillan has been Carolina’s standout performer in training camp.
Newton goes on to note that McMillan has “shown flashes of greatness that [Bryce] Young didn’t have available at receiver a year ago.”
RC Note: I don’t know who David Newton or what he knows about football, but it fits with mostly what I am hearing/seeing from Panthers camp.
-- KaVontae Turpin got a good amount of time on offense in the joint practices against the Rams. He may be the real #3 WR for Dallas, creating quite a trio of weapons for Dak/Dallas.
-- NBC Headline: NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports Rams QB Matthew Stafford is dealing with an aggravated disc in his back.
Rapoport said Stafford, who has been sidelined for weeks while dealing with the lingering back issue, has received an epidural for the discomfort of the injury. Stafford, according to Rapoport, “plans” to suit up for Week 1 against the Texans, who sport one of the NFL’s best pass rushes.
RC Note: I just don’t like the verbiage around Stafford. It’s more hedging than confident sounding. Could be I’m reading too much into it, but it’s a HUGE issue for those who bet on the Rams again this season...or are banking on Puka for FF.
-- Colin Cowherd is back on his rants about the way players and/or coaches were their ballcaps...straight forward, or (to his disdain) a hat on backwards. In this case, what I saw the other day was him going off on Brian Schottenheimer for wearing his visor on backwards at practice and for the presser afterwards.
To me, I do get why someone would want to wear a hat a certain way to send a message...now/today and especially back years ago. But this is a new era. CEOs of the most impressive companies trading on the stock market, the new breed companies, the disruptors -- they really don’t wear suits anymore. They purposefully wear relaxed clothing for comfort, lack of pretense, and to basically say to people -- they don’t give a $#!t what you think, they are creating the future...they are grinding...and they want you to be impressed with their product or service, not BS’d by their suits or wooing clients with golf and steak dinners. That’s the old economy...the old mentality. Colin is stuck in the past. He’s behind the times. It happens to all of us. When texting first came out and we got my kids flip phones at a very young age, and they texted up a storm -- I wondered, “What adults are ever gonna text...that’s stupid, just dial the phone and call someone if you have a message!”
Fast-forward to today (or about a month after I said that a long time ago)...please don’t call me, just text...
Bill Belichick coached in a hoodie with the sleeves cut off by a kindergartener (it looked like). He gave press conferences where he mumbled nonsense to get it over with...he was purposefully not giving any info or insight at all. He now has a girlfriend like 50+ years younger than him. Belichick doesn’t really care about ‘the norms’.
So, Brian Schottenheimer wore his visor on backwards the other day...who cares? If he’s a bad coach, his visor direction won’t matter. He didn’t show up to his job interview or intro press conference for the Dallas HC job with a visor on backwards. He knows what to wear when. Out in the blazing sun, wearing shorts and shirt, running around the field managing the team...he turned his visor around...big deal. Talking to the press afterwards, he still had it on backwards. Who cares? The press dresses like hobos, so Schottenheimer is not in an environment that calls for a step up in fashion while at an lowly organized, outdoor 10-minute Q&A with the media.
The whole notion of the hat thing, by Colin, is mostly silly...these days. Judge them on their talents first, then dissect the smaller stuff.
-- After I published my AFC notes on the unofficial depth chart, the missing one/team (Denver) posted theirs about 5-10 minutes later.
Nothing of real note on the Broncos’ depth chart release. They do it the right way...they just list all the rookies at the bottom of the depth chart (example RJ Harvey is the #5 RB), at this stage...and they put all the obvious/the veterans as the starters. So, there is nothing to take away from their depth chart release...which is smart. No reason to telegraph or confirm anything at this stage.
NFC analysis today.
.
-- Here’s a ‘take’ you won’t see in the typical ‘team centric’ site/camp coverage...
https://www.steelernation.com/2025/08/04/steelers-concerned-aaron-rodgers-alarming
I cannot swear to this ’take’/what this writer sees, but it made me pause and see if I could get more confirmation from my sources. I have heard things have been ‘typical’ at camp...and that ‘typical’ for Rodgers is ‘not as good as the old Rodgers (from years ago)’. The Steelers might be 1-to-3 years too late on this.
-- (same intro daily) Like our QB and Team hierarchy we just went through, I thought it would be interesting to go through the head coaches and rank them.
I am taking this from the perspective of: Just the head coach, not his staff...and if I were a GM and I was trying to poach a head coach away from a pool of all the NFL teams -- who would I choose to steal?
We’ll add/rank one a day, going in alphabetical order for 30 days.
Today’s add: Houston
2025 RC Head Coach Hierarchy:
Dan Campbell/DET, Sean Payton/DEN, John Harbaugh/BAL
Dave Canales/CAR, DeMeco Ryans/HOU, Matt LaFleur/GB, Sean McDermott/BUF, Ben Johnson/CHI
Kevin Stefanski/CLE, Zac Taylor/CIN, Brian Schottenheimer/DAL, Jonathan Gannon/ARI, Raheem Morris/ATL
=====================
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8/6 WED
(6:18amET)
-- I’ve been and will be going through all the unofficial depth chart releases and making comments on them the next day or two. I’ll note anything catching my eyes as a surprise, or odd or encouraging, etc.
-- Last night, the Chargers signed Keenan Allen to a pretty good deal (1-yr/$8M+). I discussed the big question on how this affects Ladd McConkey, Tre Harris, etc., for FF purposes. It leads off my commentary on last night’s Video Q&A show if you want to watch/listen to it. It’s on-demand to watch/listen to at any time.
-- Raiders traded CB Jakorian Bennett to the Eagles for DT Thomas Booker.
I think this is a seismic shift...and nuclear weapon of a story from the NFL yesterday, and it feels like no one even cares among the mainstream.
First off, to set the table...Jakorian Bennett is good, possibly really good. And the Eagles just got him for virtually nothing. Booker is OK, but there’s a million DTs out there just like him.
In a time period/right this moment where so many teams have CBs down with injuries...and some teams down their two outside starting guys with injury...teams like Dallas (key injuries) and Miami (lack of talent) don’t hardly have a recognizable and/or healthy starting corner on the depth chart -- all those teams in need of CB help, and yet it seems they didn’t inquire about and/or the ‘brilliant’ Las Vegas brain trust didn’t hustle the phone lines and leverage this effective 2024 starter (Bennett), who had a very nice cover numbers (he held QBs to a 67.7 QB rtg against, 52.3% Comp. Pct.) last season to make a more impactful trade? I mean, read the room Las Vegas...read the NFL landscape...(starting) outside CB is the most injured position in the league this preseason, and the Raiders had a quality starter from 2024 they were dumping, and they just give him away?
From the Eagles standpoint, they were among the teams dying to pair a legit CB starter to go with the one ace CB (Quinyon) they already had...like so many teams that have one ace CB on one side and a statue/question mark on the other side, the Eagles had a great need and they just fixed it...for near nothing in cost...one of the best defenses in the NFL that had one issue kinda hanging out there, the #2 corner...and they just went and stole, arguably, the Raiders most talented CB. The Eagles may have just fixed their only real issue...and may have just positioned themselves to be headed back to the Super Bowl for sure now.
Unreal.
Unless the Raiders know something going on off the field with Bennett (always possible), this trade looks and seems totally ridiculous by Las Vegas’s new regime...and is a coup for the Eagles. I guess the rest of the league just wants to hand the Eagles the title again.
-- Two Titans camp things I have been told by a couple sources (in no particular order)...
1) Rookie Chimere Dike is killing it...looks like he could be the #2 target on the team, behind Calvin Ridley.
2) Chig Okonkwo is fine, but the newer TEs are putting some pressure on him...that may not matter Week 1, but 2nd-half of the 2025 season or in 2026 it might be a ‘take over’ of Chig.
Gunner Helm is getting a ton of praise, but so too is one of my favorite UDFAs from 2024 David Martin-Robinson.
3) Tony Pollard is treated with #1 RB reverence, and Tyjae Spears is getting a lot of work to prove himself and taking unnecessary August workload off Pollard.
4) We finally have signs of life from LB Cedric Gray, with some recent praise after a quiet camp prior...but it’s been mixed scouting from people talking to me about Titans things -- and the proof of the doubt or critique is...2nd Year, 7th-Round former SAF turned LB, James Williams, was listed as an ILB starter on the unofficial depth chart release.
-- 49ers notes, just conveying what a source is telling me...
Jauan Jennings is very likely just a ‘hold out’ ploy...not a real injury. Don’t rule out a possible trade of Jennings, if there are any takers. The Jennings arrow is pointing straight down...especially because he’s opened the door to DeMarcus Robinson getting attention in camp, and DRob can step right into JJ’s role.
The last few practices, Ricky Pearsall has been getting a ton of targets and looks great...but he’s also facing 3rd-team or lower DBs with all of the 49ers injuries. Pearsall does look good, but it’s hard to judge with all the 49ers injury issues on defense.
Rookie Upton Stout is winning the battle for a starting job...he’s already listed as the starting slot corner. He looks terrific in camp.
-- Head Coaching Hierarchy...
(same intro daily) Like our QB and Team hierarchy we just went through, I thought it would be interesting to go through the head coaches and rank them.
I am taking this from the perspective of: Just the head coach, not his staff...and if I were a GM and I was trying to poach a head coach away from a pool of all the NFL teams -- who would I choose to steal?
We’ll add/rank one a day, going in alphabetical order for 30 days.
Today’s add: Green Bay
2025 RC Head Coach Hierarchy:
Dan Campbell/DET, Sean Payton/DEN, John Harbaugh/BAL
Dave Canales/CAR, Matt LaFleur/GB, Sean McDermott/BUF, Ben Johnson/CHI
Kevin Stefanski/CLE, Zac Taylor/CIN, Brian Schottenheimer/DAL, Jonathan Gannon/ARI, Raheem Morris/ATL
=====================
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8/5 TUE
(7:24amET)
-- Tuesday Night Video Q&A Show 8:30pmET...show access posted 15-30 min prior to show.
-- Saints camp talk...
Right now, Spencer Rattler is running ahead of Tyler Shough. My confidence in Shough starting Week 1 is buckling a little bit, but let’s see what happens when real football occurs the next few weeks.
I’m torn because I want Shough to win over Rattler, so that football justice is served.
BUT...
If Rattler starts Week 1...it’s vs. the emerging Arizona DST!!! All my Week 1 Cardinals bets and Cardinals DST plays are locks if this happens.
It may be better for Shough if Rattler gets thrown to the Broncos Week 1 ‘wolves’...and let Rattler implode and then let Shough come in more relief from a failed Rattler rather than vice-versa.
-- HEADLINE: ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports “the Vikings are bracing for roughly a three-game suspension” for Jordan Addison.
The Vikings must know something for this to leak out. I thought it might be 1-2 games, but they are bracing for 3.
But what this really made me think is...if Addison is getting 2-3 games, more of a worse case scenario suspension for his issues -- then how bad will Rashee Rice’s more awful event get hit? If I knew for sure Addison was getting a 3-game suspension. My guess on Rashee would be more 6-8 games...and a full season not off the table. The guy was sentenced to prison after all.
We should know soon.
Rashee’s...and Xavier Worthy’s...and Jalen Royals’ FF-valuations hang in the balance waiting to find out.
-- My quick impressions of the way Liam Coen talks about his WRs...
Brian Thomas = He’s our #1, he’s the guy, things revolve around him.
Travis Hunter = He’s doing good.
Dyami Brown = Oh my God, he’s doing so great...what a player.
It’s really, really weird the way he talks about his WRs and RBs. You’d think he’d be over-the-top about Hunter, who I understand is doing really well in camp...but he’s just ‘chill’ about him -- but gushing over everyone else.
-- Tyler Johnson was listed as a starter on the Jets latest depth chart. Allen Lazard is a 2nd-teamer. Malachi Corley is also 2nd-team.
Mason Taylor is listed as the #1 TE.
-- Remember, from a few days ago, when Tyreek Hill was talking about how De’Von Achane needs to come out of the game in short yardage situations (and Jaylen Wright go in)...and when I saw that, I couldn’t believe Tyreek was shooting his mouth/opinions off about things that don’t necessarily concern him.
Well...
Here’s the (reported) response from the head coach, showing that he is in control of things and not Tyreek:
Mike McDaniel says Tyreek Hill’s suggestion of Jaylen Wright in short yardage was in line with RB coach Eric Studesville’s approach in that situation in practice earlier that day.
What do you think Bill Belichick would do if a WR talked in the media about what the RB workloads should be?
-- Head Coaching Hierarchy...
(same intro daily) Like our QB and Team hierarchy we just went through, I thought it would be interesting to go through the head coaches and rank them.
I am taking this from the perspective of: Just the head coach, not his staff...and if I were a GM and I was trying to poach a head coach away from a pool of all the NFL teams -- who would I choose to steal?
We’ll add/rank one a day, going in alphabetical order for 30 days.
Today’s add: Detroit
2025 RC Head Coach Hierarchy:
Dan Campbell/DET, Sean Payton/DEN, John Harbaugh/BAL
Dave Canales/CAR, Sean McDermott/BUF, Ben Johnson/CHI
Kevin Stefanski/CLE, Zac Taylor/CIN, Brian Schottenheimer/DAL, Jonathan Gannon/ARI, Raheem Morris/ATL
=====================
*How to sign up for our monthly or annual access: https://ffmetrics.com/total-football-advisor/total-football-advisor
*How to sign up for our Draft Guide package of reports: https://ffmetrics.com/draft-guide/draft-guide
*How to get the free FFM App and FAQs on how to use: https://ffmetrics.com/5663-how-to-get-the-free-ffm-app
*For those into Best Ball and Unique FF tourney action...It’s FastDraft, from our friends at PlayerProfiler. https://ffmetrics.com/5680-the-fastdraft-best-ball-and-specialized-tournament-style-fantasy-action-and-promo-code
8/4 MON
(7:49amET)
-- FYI: Video show Tuesday nights 8:30pmET. Access will be posted about 15-30 minutes prior to showtime.
-- Special Subscriber only video shooting/releasing midday:
We need to talk about...
Malik Nabers, Isiah Pacheco, James Conner, Marvin Mims, JJ McCarthy, and Matt Stafford especially.
-- Micah trade rumor from Atlanta...
The Falcons offered Kyle Pitts, Tyler Allgeier, a 2027 1st, 2026 2nd, and some kind of 2026 3rd/4th swap for Micah Parsons.
The Falcons have been long rumored to be aggressively trying to get Parsons for over a year now.
In the end, I don't think Jerry Jones has the footBALLS to trade Parsons...if he was going to be a maverick/cutting edge on not paying pass rushers, he would’ve traded Parsons last season/year.
-- Seattle Seahawks ‘Fan Fest’/’Scrimmage’ Notes...
*This was more of a glorified practice not a real scrimmage. Pete Carroll used to run a scrimmage with a clock and a score...Mike Macdonald does a lot of individual and small group drills + 11-on-11 situational stuff...not a real ‘game’ atmosphere. FYI
Elijah Arroyo was shaky...not catching the ball smoothly, dropped a pass...unlike him. A.J. Barner seemed more settled in the offense. It’s not a concern for Arroyo long-term, but if you’re hoping for Arroyo to fire out of the gates as ‘the man’ at TE...it’s likely not gonna happen. It will be a slower ‘get up to speed’ as it is with most rookie TEs. Might be by Week 4 he’s a god...but just noting -- Arroyo is not gonna be the Week 1 starter, main snap player...Barner will be. Eventually, it will be Arroyo FF-time, but not likely off the jump.
Tony Horton is about to jump MVS on the depth chart and into the starting lineup. Horton worked ahead of MVS a bunch here, it looked like. Ricky White is a ghost so far in the summer.
Kenneth Walker missed the event with a minor foot injury.
Seattle may have lost an up-and-coming young OL prospect (from 2024 draft) when A.J. Finley was carted off with what looks like a knee injury. Players were in prayer, etc. Not good.
JSN was clearly the main WR look for Sam Darnold.
WR Dareke Young...memba him? The small-school (Lenoir Rhyne) uber-athlete? 6’2”/224, 4.44 40-time, 6.88 three-cone, 22 bench reps, 37” vertical, 11’3” broad? Elite workout numbers...and an NFL career mired in injury and missed opportunity...FYI, he had 5 practice TDs in his last 4 practices going into this event. Young is coming on. He’s working on the 2nd-team with Jalen Milroe. Young is working ahead of Ricky White...Ricky may be headed to the practice squad.
Jalen Milroe is working the Trey Lance-type passing game...micromanaged short passes and occasional ‘prayer’ deep shots, but the passing game is secondary to him running (as it should be). He is not anywhere close to beating out Sam Darnold this summer.
LB Drake Thomas got to work with the 1s with Ernest Jones out...he is impressing/gonna make this team as a backup ILB. In 2022, he made 101 tackles with 19.0 TFLs and 7.5 sacks with 4 PDs...for NC State.
-- NBC Headline: Cardinals RB James Conner said the team “can’t shy away” from being a co-RB1 with Trey Benson this season.
I’m going to discuss this on the video coming midday.
-- Jets Green & White scrimmage notes...
Most observers told me: Sloppy was the word to describe the event. Lots of penalties and a struggling pass game.
Biggest player-related thing is...all three RBs are being used, and that includes Isaiah Davis...very much including Isaiah Davis. The three-headed monster backfield is real, but Breece Hall will be the head of it. BUT...Braelon Allen got nicked up early and they pulled him, which opened the door for more Davis. It may not be as much of a three-headed monster as it appears when Braelon is healthy/clean.
Justin Fields erratic as a passer but running around fine...which means Garrett Wilson being starved for targets/output here. I think Wilson only had one catch in ‘the game’.
Malachi Corley is running 3rd-team.
Mason Taylor is everyone’s ‘favorite’ player, locally. The rookie hype is strong. It’s all anyone seems to talk about for the Jets...that is a big topic as is the ‘Aaron Glenn is so good because he’s bringing discipline to the Jets’ (and then they looked terrible in this showcase). Rookie Derangement Syndrome, a term I coined about a decade ago, is real. But so-to is NHCDS...New Head Coach Derangement Syndrome. Oh, how we love tough talking new head coaches and their non-tolerance of penalties and turnovers. Aaron Glenn is NOT Dan Campbell. The Jets can talk all they want -- their decision to invest in Justin Fields will be their undoing, and they did it to themselves.
-- It.
Is.
Happening.
The groundswell is beginning.
https://www.si.com/nfl/bears/sharpest-player-in-the-bears-qb-room-might-not-be-caleb-williams
The NFL analysts are gonna be rocked to their core with this one...
Nahh...they’ll move on, ignore the grave error, and not be held accountable at all. As Ryan Poles sits back and counts his money while lighting cigars up with $100 bills.
-- Head Coaching Hierarchy...
(same intro daily) Like our QB and Team hierarchy we just went through, I thought it would be interesting to go through the head coaches and rank them.
I am taking this from the perspective of: Just the head coach, not his staff...and if I were a GM and I was trying to poach a head coach away from a pool of all the NFL teams -- who would I choose to steal?
We’ll add/rank one a day, going in alphabetical order for 30 days.
Today’s add: Denver
2025 RC Head Coach Hierarchy:
Sean Payton/DEN, John Harbaugh/BAL, Dave Canales/CAR
Sean McDermott/BUF, Ben Johnson/CHI
Kevin Stefanski/CLE, Zac Taylor/CIN, Brian Schottenheimer/DAL, Jonathan Gannon/ARI, Raheem Morris/ATL
=====================
*How to sign up for our monthly or annual access: https://ffmetrics.com/total-football-advisor/total-football-advisor
*How to sign up for our Draft Guide package of reports: https://ffmetrics.com/draft-guide/draft-guide
*How to get the free FFM App and FAQs on how to use: https://ffmetrics.com/5663-how-to-get-the-free-ffm-app
*For those into Best Ball and Unique FF tourney action...It’s FastDraft, from our friends at PlayerProfiler. https://ffmetrics.com/5680-the-fastdraft-best-ball-and-specialized-tournament-style-fantasy-action-and-promo-code
