4/20 MON
(6:41amET)
Today/tomorrow
-- New series underway: A ‘special’ Dynasty Rookie Draft...
A DRD with the rookies from 2025 + 2026 + a special group of specially selected players outside of that. +2 more picks every day.
-- Next Scouting Report ASAP...trying to go through a surge of pro Day data and tapes to get grades on all the prospects and try to find a needle in the haystack for FF.
-- NFL Draft position grades = CB and SAF updates wrapping up ASAP. audits/rechecks QB board adds and update all planned for today.
-- Working on NFL Draft valuations for Big Board 1.0 (Monday post)
This Week’s/Month’s Agenda…
-- Prospect grades by position and rookie rankings boards are being debuted, updated and added to daily/weekly up to kickoff 2026.
-- Dynasty and Best Ball rankings audits/updates daily/weekly. Starting up the IDP studies to try to get them done by early/mid-April.
-- Holy series QB and RB done. Holy RB Handcuffs underway.
-- Full scouting reports on prospects from now until the NFL preseason.
-- Any FFM News & Notes or Special Reports during the day as I get them.
-- New coaching staff hire’s analysis series...going through the entire staff...I am working on the framework of how I want to present that. This will be a first ever series (for me) where I go beyond ‘just the new head coaches’. ETA in May/June to start it up.
-- More head coaching pressers from 3/30-31 analyzed.
== NEWS & NOTES & Xs ==
-- Draft week...and time is running out before the big day/s!
I am trying to wrap up the latest surge of prospects from the Pro Days to get a good 500 +/- prospects graded and then valued specifically for our NFL Draft valuation Big Board. Trying to put version 1.0 out today, but it might Tuesday.
I lost time Sunday with the NFL Draft betting opportunity/inside intel that came my way and various other conversations pressing my sources/contacts for anything they know or are theorizing.
This is gonna be a crazy week. I’m gonna try to get as much done ahead of Thursday as I can. Any deep prospects we might miss, ones that get drafted that we don’t have grades on...I be grading them ASAP, same day or as fast as I can...and we’ll continue to look at prospects and scout them, grade them, get all the covered up medical data that releases AFTER the draft...we’ll be tilling the draft soli from now until opening day. It doesn’t end with the draft.
-- HEADLINE: ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports Dexter Lawrence is signing a one-year, $28 million contract extension with the Bengals.
So, the Bengals won’t pay Trey Hendrickson but will pay a similar amount to Dexter Lawrence...and give up a #10 overall pick to do it. Got it. makes perfect sense.
I guess after drafting Shermar Stewart 1st-round 2025, bypassing Grey Zabel among others. And then drafting Adarius Mims 1st-round 2024...it’s probably best if Cincy doesn’t have their 1st-round pick...it just goes to waste in their hands.
-- HEADLINE: Georgia WR Zachariah Branch was arrested for misdemeanor obstruction in Athens, GA, on Saturday.
The question isn’t “Why did the police hassle him/ask to move from obstructing an area...were they overbearing?” The question is, “If a guy is days away from a major event like the draft where any little thing/action could cost you hundreds of millions of dollars, and there are cameras everywhere -- why would you make a stand with the police over a simple or a stupid request?”
A situation that required quick thinking and risk management...Branch got on the wrong side of. If he was unfairly targeted, I’m sure there will be video. If he was in the wrong, I’m sure there will be video.
It’s gonna hurt his draft stock a bit, whether it’s fair or unfair. The separation between him and other WRs like him is so thin...this could cause a little tumble behind the pack he runs in for this draft.
-- HEADLINE: New York Daily News’ Pat Leonard reports that Giants general manager Joe Schoen “could be done” after the 2026 NFL Draft.
The speculation comes from “a few league sources.” When John Harbaugh accepted the Giants’ head coaching role, he got it in writing that he would report to owner John Mara, not Schoen. After signing on the dotted line, Harbaugh hired NFL chief football administrative officer Dawn Aponte as the Giants’ new senior vice president of football operations and strategy. Per Leonard, “while Schoen is still running the scouting staff and working some phones, the bulk of the Giants’ operation otherwise reports to Aponte.” Schoen is in the final year of his contract and reportedly has a good relationship with some in the Giants’ ownership group, but his polling among players is not good. They reportedly gave his performance in March a D+ grade, which he refused to “give validity.”
Schoen is effectively ‘done’...just hanging on for a paycheck...whether he lasts past the draft or just the end of the 2026 season. It’s over with him having anything to do with anything real for NYG. Smart move by Harbaugh.
And it shows how utterly weak the owner is...if your players grade the GM a ‘D+’ and your new, long-time respected head coach wants it in writing that the guy has no authority over him -- why are you still paying him?
Schoen got exposed in the Hard Knocks show...and it’s been downhill ever since.
== QUOTES & QUOTABLES (pulled from an internet A.I. search, I try to make sure it’s accurate but some of it is ‘trust in AI’) ==
-- Chargers GM Joe Hortiz said “there are a number of guys out there that are still available” when asked about wideouts and didn’t rule out a reunion with Keenan Allen. “I wouldn’t say the room is complete,” he added.
-- The Athletic’s Daniel Popper also mentioned Jauan Jennings, Deebo Samuel, and Tyreek Hill as “unsigned veteran receivers with scheme familiarity” for new OC Mike McDaniel.
-- Joe Schoen (Giants GM) on the RB room: "We like our running back room now. [Cam] Skattebo had a really good rookie year; Tyrone Tracy has been a 1,000-yard guy. We'll see what happens on draft night." Source: Giants.com / Pre-Draft Presser (4/17)
-- Mike Borgonzi (Titans GM) on Arvell Reese (Ohio State EDGE): "When you look at the physical tools... he's one of the more explosive players I've ever seen in terms of burst and ability to close. He has all the tools."
-- Report: Agent prevented John Harbaugh from talking to Dexter Lawrence.
-- “I know they gave up a lot for me, and I appreciate that. I don’t take that for granted. I have a fire in me,” Dexter Lawrence, who is under contract through 2028, told Geoff Hobson of the team website. “I picked up a little turf on the field. I got chills when I went out there. I just see myself helping this team be where it’s supposed to be. . . . I enjoy pressure. I enjoy being under that type of light. I write down notes, and my notes are, ‘Let my light shine all the time.’ And keep joy. Don’t let anything steal your joy.”
Your moment of Zen for this day...
https://youtube.com/shorts/gckphTrpu2I?si=VJogOyjepFAJ8jiJ
So, there was a coordinated coverup, but only one person gets any punishment?
== New Daily Ranking Series ==
(same intro everyday) Re-doing the 2025 NFL Draft before the 2026 Draft begins...just for fun.
I’m gonna take the 4 picks per day for 8 days and rank them as if I were an NFL GM (NOT Fantasy). We’ll start with 1-4 and do 4 more each day until we end with re-ranking picks 29-32 into the mix.
I will rank them tiers and move them around as we go/as it unfolds.
Today: Picks #17-20
Cam Ward (1), Grey Zabel (18), Travis Hunter (2), Tet McMillan (8), Kelvin Banks (9), Armand Membou (7), Tyler Booker (12), Emeka Egbuka (19)
Ashton Jeanty (6), Abdul Carter (3), Walter Nolen (16), Mykel Williams (11), Jahdae Barron (20), Colston Loveland (10), Tyler Warren (14)
Will Campbell (4), Jalon Walker (15), Mason Graham (5), Kenneth Grant (13), Shermar Stewart (17)
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