RC's streaming note board on football, and other, things going on this week...
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.
SUN 2/23/25
(8:23amET)
-- A few interesting trade rumors that some sources have floated to me on things ‘supposedly’ being discussed. The validity of the rumors? Who knows. But these are items this week that were interesting and came from sources that aren’t too crazy...
1) Seattle and the Giants talking about an exchange of players, whether traded for each other or just one of them sent for considerations, but...
Geno Smith to NYG, where his deal would be reworked, FOR Kayvon Thibodeaux.
Smith is on the final year of a deal that is very expensive for 2025: $44.5M (or cut for $13.5M)...and he wants a new deal/commitment.
Thibodeaux is on the final year of his rookie deal that pays $10M...but there’s also the club option that could be enacted, which would pay him $16M in 2026.
Seattle would then enter the QB sweepstakes about to happen in a few weeks when the free agency period hits.
I do believe NYG wants to move Thibodeaux, another overpaid, mostly useless EDGE rusher who was way over-drafted...as they all are, to me. But I’m not sure Seattle lets Geno go...because how can they do better in 2025 with a weak draft for QBs and everyone about to go crazy after Sam Darnold?
If they trade Geno and miss on Darnold...Russ isn’t returning and the Rams wouldn’t trade Stafford in-division. So, Seattle is at a crossroads...likely backed into a corner to stick with Geno on a re-worked deal.
Geno would likely LOVE to be cut and hit free agency...the QB desperation is gonna be frenetic this next month as people ‘turn’ (negative) more and more on the QBs in this draft class.
2) A lot of people like Matt Stafford to the Giants, and I think NYG would absolutely want that -- but I don’t think Stafford would. So, with that in mind...try this rumor on for size:
Matthew Stafford traded out of the NFC, staying out West, continuing to play in a dome...with him getting traded to Las Vegas for the #7 pick overall...and other picks.
*I still think Stafford stays with the Rams. I know they are letting him seek a trade, but that usually is to set the market price for a new deal where they stay put. But it is off the way the Rams and Stafford (and Kupp) are treating each other. McVay also blew it/blew off Jared Goff when he 'got tired of playing with that toy, and wanted a new toy'. So who knows what fickle HC's will do with QB decisions.
If Tom Brady is ‘in charge’ of the Raiders -- of all the QBs available in free agency or the draft...or in trade...if Brady is a QB connoisseur, who do you think he would say is the best QB available? Stafford or Rodgers or Darnold?
I was curious what might come of a thought I had...so, I asked Grok 3...
Q: what has tom brady ever said about matthew stafford?
A: Tom Brady has made several public comments about Matthew Stafford over the years, reflecting a mix of respect, competitive acknowledgment, and light-hearted advice. As of February 22, 2025, at 12:56 PM EST, here’s a compilation of notable instances where Brady has spoken about Stafford, drawn from various interviews, broadcasts, and social media interactions:
1. Respect for Stafford’s Talent and Career Move (2021)
Context: Ahead of the Rams vs. Buccaneers game on September 26, 2021 (Week 3), Brady praised Stafford’s transition from the Detroit Lions to the Los Angeles Rams.
Quote: “I have a ton of respect for him. Anywhere he goes, he’s gonna be playing at a high level. There’s no question about that,” Brady said, as reported by Turf Show Times (September 23, 2021). This came after Stafford’s trade to the Rams, a move Brady could relate to having left the Patriots for the Buccaneers in 2020.
Details: Stafford outdueled Brady in that game, throwing for 343 yards and 4 touchdowns in a 34-24 Rams win, while Brady had 432 yards and 1 touchdown. Brady’s comments highlighted Stafford’s ability to adapt and perform, mirroring his own late-career success.
2. Playoff Praise and Competitive Nod (2022)
Context: After the Rams defeated the Buccaneers 30-27 in the NFC Divisional Round on January 23, 2022—en route to Stafford’s Super Bowl win—Brady acknowledged Stafford’s clutch performance.
Quote: While not a direct quote from Brady in post-game remarks, Stafford later recounted Brady’s respect in a February 2022 interview with The Athletic. Stafford said Brady texted him after the game, implying admiration for the 44-yard game-winning pass to Cooper Kupp with 28 seconds left. Stafford noted, “He’s been great to me over the years,” suggesting private encouragement from Brady (The Athletic, February 10, 2022).
Details: This game ended Brady’s title defense, and Stafford’s poise under pressure likely earned Brady’s professional respect, given Brady’s own reputation for late-game heroics.
3. Super Bowl Parade Advice (2022)
Context: During the Rams’ Super Bowl LVI victory parade on February 16, 2022, Brady commented on Stafford’s celebratory demeanor via Twitter.
Quote: “Mix in a water Matt…trust me,” Brady tweeted, responding to an NFL video of Stafford smoking a cigar and holding a beer, looking visibly intoxicated (Today.com, February 17, 2022).
Details: This playful jab came from Brady’s experience—after his own boozy Tampa Bay parade in 2021, where he tossed the Lombardi Trophy between boats. Stafford’s wife, Kelly, jokingly replied on Instagram, “Hey
@TomBrady
.. can you tell him that 24 hours beforehand?!” Brady’s comment was both a tease and a nod to Stafford joining the Super Bowl champion club.
4. Broadcast Commentary (2024)
Context: As a FOX broadcaster during the Rams vs. Giants game on December 31, 2024 (Week 17), Brady analyzed Stafford’s play in a 25-10 Rams win.
Quote: “He’s such a great player to watch… That’s why Stafford’s so good—he can make every throw on the field,” Brady said on air, per a clip shared on X by
@NFLonFOX
. He highlighted Stafford’s arm strength and decision-making, noting a specific play where Stafford adjusted pre-snap and delivered a precise pass.
Details: Stafford threw for 242 yards and 2 touchdowns that game, and Brady’s commentary reflected admiration for his skill at 36, echoing sentiments from their playing matchups.
5. General Respect Over the Years
Context: Brady and Stafford faced off five times in the regular season (Brady leads 3-2), with Stafford notably beating Brady in 2018 (Lions) and 2021 (Rams), contributing to Brady’s retirement narrative after the 2022 playoff loss.
Quote: In a 2021 pre-game presser before their Week 3 clash, Brady said via NBC Sports, “He’s a great quarterback… He’s got a great arm, makes a lot of plays,” acknowledging Stafford’s talent ahead of their first matchup as Rams vs. Bucs (September 23, 2021).
Details: Stafford’s 3-2 record against Brady (including a 2018 upset) likely fueled Brady’s respect, though Brady won Super Bowls in the two seasons he beat Stafford (2014, 2020), a stat Stafford flipped in 2021 en route to his own title.
Broader Insights
Mutual Michigan Ties: Both attended rival schools (Brady at Michigan, Stafford at Georgia), and their careers intersected frequently in the NFC. Stafford has echoed this respect, saying in 2020, “It’s incredible what he’s been able to do… I’m not sure how he’s doing it, but it’s impressive,” per MLive.com (January 22, 2022).
Career Parallels: Brady’s comments often frame Stafford as a talented peer who, like him, thrived after a team change—Brady from New England to Tampa, Stafford from Detroit to L.A. This shared narrative of redemption adds depth to Brady’s praise.
Summary
Tom Brady has consistently praised Matthew Stafford for his talent, arm strength, and competitiveness, from pre-game respect in 2021 (“a ton of respect for him”) to post-Super Bowl banter in 2022 (“mix in a water”) and broadcast admiration in 2024 (“makes every throw”). Their five head-to-head games and Stafford’s role in ending Brady’s title reign in 2022 underscore a professional rivalry tempered by mutual regard. No new quotes have emerged today, but these instances capture Brady’s view of Stafford as a formidable quarterback. Want me to dig deeper into a specific moment or check X for fresher takes?
-- Coming up on FFM today...
Next Scouting Report will post tiday.
Our new daily series continues for the next week+ -- a top 25 ‘draft’, a 2023 and 2024 Dynasty Rookie Draft mash-up draft...with the rookies from those two years drafted as we know them now. After this mash-up mock we’ll then add the 2025 rookies into it (as we know them pre-draft) after the Combine...just to get some concepts to think about before the actual NFL and DRD draft.
Our 2025 Combine positional previews will publish randomly all week (as we get them done). Still have QB, WR, LB, EDGE, DT left to go before these groups have their Combine day THU-SUN.
Working on my team-by-team studies to launch the top 600 Dynasty valuations/rankings (offense) debut for 2025...which will include the rookies. ETA for the debut is the day or two after the NFL Combine, to get the best data in for the rookie projections start point. *IDP top 500 will debut in late March.
SAT 2/22/25
(8:40amET)
-- And just like that, after me complaining about it yesterday...we have the first national Shedeur critic that I have come across, who said part of the truth/issue out loud.
Will Deion respond...or ignore, because the analyst is lower on the nation food chain?
Will others in the media start poking this with a stick a little more and starting asking even harder questions and questioning all the ‘issues’ with Shedeur’s life a little more?
Here’s the first (minor) shot across the bow, potentially...
-- This helps explain my/our best (and lost) Super Bowl bet on the Nolan Smith sack, at least. Just our (betting) luck...
https://x.com/MikeGarafolo/status/1893065884526157976
-- A shameless plug for Grok 3...sharing some/giving an example of the info it gave me on some basic research...
If you don’t know what Grok 3 is, it’s Elon Musk’s AI version of like ChatGPT (the term/thing that more people are familiar with in this arena). I have been testing the new Grok version 3.0...and it is insanely good...blows my mind, actually.
I have started to use/figure out how to use Grok, ChapGPT, and CoPilot as AI tools to speed up research...to save clicking around for basic info on prospects. I tried to use ChatGPT last year at this time to get basic prospect information, but it was so erratic and basic...it was easier to do the old-fashioned Google searches.
But late last year, the AI helpers have been getting better and better as the top competing companies keep releasing updated, improved versions. But, still, they were no real help for my research...per se, but it was definitely better/more useful late last year than early last year. I could see the improvements for sure.
With the late 2024 improvements, I started using ChatGPT40, CoPilot, and Grok 2.0 to get some basic info on prospects for 2025...but the big breakthrough was using Grok 2.0 (because it was free to use for me vs. spending on the other’s premium options) to create some of the pictures/images that could go with my articles/report releases as well...and that was mind blowing on how good/fast it was coming up with various image options off my basic requests...that would then suck me in playing around with the image requests and asking for various alternatives, and seeing what this new AI tool would come up with. Sometimes good, oftentimes a ‘good try’ but weird/off. But AI was making its first foray into helping me with something -- and I was grateful, but still felt it had a ways to go.
Then Grok 3.0 was released like last week. So, I requested some basic background data on prospects and ‘boom’...perfect quick responses on birthdates or injury history. Then I played around with some bigger requests, just to see what Grok 3.0 would do...and oh my goodness...the future is arriving...and it will only get better from here.
I asked Grok 3.0 to do a scouting report on a player, just to see what it would send me -- and I was completely floored with how good it was (formatting and detail). The AI scouting info is a consolidation of the mainstream, so it wasn’t that I was looking for -- but all the info it gave and the way it was laid out...mainstream middle-of-the-road sites will no longer need writers or scouts...they can just ‘steal’ all of the public echo chamber scouting takes of the mainstream that get consolidated by AI and have a full 1000+ word report in detail in 5 seconds on a player.
I sent my testing/findings to Ross Jacobs, AI skeptic, and he couldn’t believe it either...how good the presentation and research and flow were.
I’m just noting...if you haven’t tried Grok 3.0 (a separate app and on your Twitter/X account as a menu option), which I think is free use for a bit to show what people what it can do, you should check it out. It is stunning.
I am going to give an example (below), of a real/basic request and you will see the answer I got ...which I think contains some interesting, specific info that I didn’t know the full extent of before Grok 3.0 sent it to me as an adjunct to what I was asking for. You’ll see...
A Grok 3.0 example...
Q: has jordan palmer said anything about working with will levis (this is the way I typed it exactly)
*I wanted to see any latest info on this for various reasons. This is what Grok 3.0 sent me about 5 seconds later after I hit enter on my question...
A: Yes, Jordan Palmer has spoken about working with Will Levis on multiple occasions, particularly highlighting his potential and their ongoing collaboration. Here’s what’s known based on available information:
Jordan Palmer, a former NFL quarterback turned prominent quarterback coach, has been involved with Levis since his pre-draft preparation for the 2023 NFL Draft. In an exclusive interview with Broadway Sports Media on May 10, 2023, Palmer expressed optimism about Levis’ fit with the Tennessee Titans after they selected him 33rd overall. He praised Levis’ exceptional arm strength and ability to process information, calling the latter his "No. 1 strength." Palmer noted Levis’ experience handling protection responsibilities at Kentucky, his opportunistic playmaking, leadership, and work ethic—evidenced by a 3.99 GPA and a Master’s degree. He also identified areas for improvement, though specifics weren’t detailed beyond the need for NFL seasoning.
More recently, with Levis set to train with Palmer during the 2025 offseason, Palmer has continued to voice support. In a video posted on April 20, 2024, on social media (captured by Titans Wire), Palmer shared footage of Levis working out with Titans receiver Kyle Philips, captioning it, “Work always comes first with this dude. Year 2 loading…” This suggests Palmer’s confidence in Levis’ dedication as he prepared for his second NFL season. While no direct quotes from Palmer about the 2025 offseason sessions (starting March 2, 2025, for six weeks) are widely publicized yet, Titans head coach Brian Callahan confirmed the plan on January 28, 2025, at the Senior Bowl, calling Palmer “one of the better guys out there right now in terms of working with pro quarterbacks.” Levis himself, speaking at Super Bowl LIX on February 5, 2025, expressed comfort with Palmer’s methods, citing their prior work in 2023 and anticipating benefits in pocket movement and leadership development.
Palmer’s broader comments on Levis align with his track record of elevating quarterbacks like Josh Allen and Sam Darnold. In the 2023 Broadway interview, he emphasized Levis’ fit with the Titans’ system under then-coach Mike Vrabel, suggesting a belief in his long-term potential. While Palmer hasn’t released a detailed public statement specific to the 2025 sessions as of February 21, 2025, his consistent involvement and prior praise indicate a strong endorsement of Levis’ capabilities. If you’re looking for more current remarks, I could search X or other sources for anything posted after early February 2025—would you like me to do that?
...I had forgotten Palmer had been working with Sam Darnold for the past few years and was telling anyone who would listen that he was as good as any starting QB out there, he just needed a new chance.
...the time Grok 3.0 saves me is beautiful for basic searches of things for research on articles I’m working on, etc.
I just wanted to share the good things out there on things that I encounter...things that I think some people may benefit from or find interesting...things that deserve a recommendation for being ‘good’. And pointing out the technological revolution that is happening at a rapid pace.
-- Coming up on FFM today...
Next Scouting Report will post Sunday.
Our new daily series continues for the next week+ -- a top 25 ‘draft’, a 2023 and 2024 Dynasty Rookie Draft mash-up draft...with the rookies from those two years drafted as we know them now. After this mash-up mock we’ll then add the 2025 rookies into it (as we know them pre-draft) after the Combine...just to get some concepts to think about before the actual NFL and DRD draft.
Our 2025 Combine positional previews will publish randomly all week (as we get them done).
Working on my team-by-team studies to launch the top 600 Dynasty valuations/rankings (offense) debut for 2025...which will include the rookies. ETA for the debut is the day after the NFL Combine, to get the best data in for the rookie projections start point. *IDP top 500 will debut in late March.
FRI 2/21/25
(7:40amET)
-- Just for kicks, I took some of the top, workhorse RBs from college/this draft and did a simple fuzzy math extrapolation...I took the top producers and boosted their actual season output numbers by a ‘what if’ they got as many carries as Ashton Jeanty did...because Jeanty got a TON of carries last season.
Yes, this is super simplistic...we don’t know whether these backs could’ve held up as well with 50-100+ more carries in a season, etc., but I wanted to put some perspective/thought into how big of a slice of Jeanty’s deep draft love is his ‘big’ numbers from 2024 and that ‘love’ being (somewhat) just a function of getting more carries than anyone else did, by a distance?
So, because this struck me...and I played around with it...
374 carries, 2,601 yards, 29 rushing TDs = Ashton Jeanty, Boise State
374 carries, 2,542 yards, 35 rushing TDs = R.J. Harvey, Central Florida
374 carries, 2,395 yards, 33 rushing TDs = Kaleb Johnson, Iowa
374 carries, 2,273 yards, 28 rushing TDs = Ollie Gordon, Oklahoma State (2023)
374 carries, 2,209 yards, 20 rushing TDs = Omarion Hampton, UNC
374 carries, 2,184 yards, 27 rushing TDs = Cam Skattebo, Arizona State
374 carries, 2,161 yards, 32 rushing TDs = Dylan Sampson, Tennessee
-- Some quick thoughts on the latest info items on Shedeur Sanders...
1) Yesterday, Sanders reiterated that he was not attending the NFL Draft. He said he wouldn’t in early January, and it was a story Thursday on SS speaking about why he was making that decision.
I don’t think that him skipping the draft is any extra insight on whether he’s going #1 or not (but I still believe he is not...not even close).
2) Sanders is maintaining his #4 spot in the sports betting odds to go #1...
Cam Ward -140
Abdul Carter +165
Travis Hunter +550
Shedeur Sanders +650
Then a giant fall to #5 Jaxon Dart +5000.
It won’t be long before Shedeur is +1,000, in my opinion.
3) I’ve have listened to 5+ different ‘expert’ analysis (on YouTube shows or Podcasts) discussing where Shedeur will be drafted, and debating him as the top QB in the class, etc. But not once...NOT ONCE has any serious/name analyst (or any analyst at all) brought up or even approached the X-factor -- that if you draft Shedeur, you get the Deion Sanders circus that goes with it...which should be seen as a huge negative ...but it isn’t if no one is talking about it (out loud).
Are they scared to say something bad for fear of the ‘wrath of Deion’ (W.O.D.)...or have such a lack of understanding about running a business, locker room dynamics, etc., that they don’t even register it as an issue? Or both?
It may be just good old ‘protect the former employee’...Sanders used to work for NFL Network. Sanders used to work for the NFL. Criticizing how Deion will be a ‘big problem’...saying it out loud, it is likely a no-no.
Who wants to take on Deion, anyway? Deion has a big megaphone...and a big mouth. He will quickly comment on any lowly media member that were to criticize him. Deion knows he has ‘free reign’ (because everyone is scared of him, and rightfully so to a degree) and he will comment on Shedeur’s new team’s every play, game, practice, etc., AND...the day after the draft, the pot begins to stir on ‘when is Shedeur’s new team gonna fire ___ at the end of the season and hire Deion’...and Deion may take the job for $1 a year to be back coaching his baby (his words, not mine).
People may not be talking about it out loud, but I guarantee you half+ of the league’s ownership and upper management are very aware and likely have Sanders in the ‘undraftable’ pile...for a bunch of reasons, but ‘Deion’ chief among them.
It only takes one moronic team to make this move, up high in the draft...and there are plenty of those types of teams out there...and they are typically drafting in the top 10 nearly every year.
4) How is this (link below) not a major concern in every war room considering Shedeur? Deion has created/raised a ‘monster’ -- ego and pompousness and limited skills handed starting jobs because of daddy.
If you read my scouting report, you know how deep this is running/going. Is this what NFL GMs or head coaches want to see in a rookie QB’s off-field activities? https://www.si.com/college/colorado/buffs-social/shedeur-sanders-goes-luxury-car-shopping-in-las-vegas-amid-nfl-draft-buzz
I still think there’s a chance Shedeur falls to the 2nd-round...but trying to apply logic to NFL upper management is a fool’s errand, so he probably does go top 5...and the circus will begin.
-- I’m just sayin’... https://sports.yahoo.com/rising-qb-could-sleeper-option-143243129.html
-- *Follow up to yesterday’s ‘Wendy’s v. McDonald’s while driving the interstates’ tirade...and my McDonald’s ban I want to organize...I got feedback on that many of you have already instituted that ban, or are willing to join the fight, but I also realized I need to make one executive caveat...
Early breakfast is the only allowable exemption from the proposed McDonald’s ban tyat I’ve instituted. I love their Sausage, Egg, and Cheese biscuit too much...and the 6-8am hours have the better workers, the ones who are the early birds and throngs of customers aren’t overwhelming them at that hour! I needed to note that exemption in case I run into someone at a McDonald’s early morn.
-- Coming up on FFM today...
Next Scouting Report will post today...NOT a running back!
Our new daily series continues for the next week+ -- a top 25 ‘draft’, a 2023 and 2024 Dynasty Rookie Draft mash-up draft...with the rookies from those two years drafted as we know them now. After this mash-up mock we’ll then add the 2025 rookies into it (as we know them pre-draft) after the Combine...just to get some concepts to think about before the actual NFL and DRD draft.
Our 2025 Combine positional previews will publish randomly all week (as we get them done).
Working on my team-by-team studies to launch the top 600 Dynasty valuations/rankings (offense) debut for 2025...which will include the rookies. ETA for the debut is the day after the NFL Combine, to get the best data in for the rookie projections start point. *IDP top 500 will debut in late March.
THU 2/20/25
(7:50amET)
-- Carolina signed Andy Dalton to a two-year, $8M contract with $6M guaranteed. The fail-safe plan if Bryce Young turns back into a pumpkin.
Bryce did play better later last season, but not as good as what everyone was doing backflips over. I think Bryce getting thrown back into the mix late last season set the Panthers back a year+ in a retool. I believe they were gonna ditch Bryce this offseason and move on to greener pastures, but Bryce boxed them in by Andy Dalton getting hurt, Bryce forced back in...and playing better, and the team overall playing better and winning some games...and the lack of QBs available in this year’s draft is helping Carolina just stick with what they got.
So, the prudent thing to do for the Panthers getting backed backed into a QB corner -- just let Bryce play to start 2025...and if he gets better, then they’re ‘winners’/smarter than everyone...but if he flops, Bryce will take the heat and they can make a change next season...when, hopefully, there are more QB options to turn to.
I think you’ll see the Bryce Young ‘concerns’ manifest itself in the draft when Carolina takes a QB on day three -- like a Riley Leonard or Tyler Shough, etc., to go with Dalton.
-- Tales from the road...
*I had this ‘complaint from the road’ partially written up last week, but didn’t get a chance to finish it. I will finish it/post it today...on a light news day. A tale with hopefully a little truth to Fantasy Football management, but mostly me complaining about some recent life events...
So, I was driving (for hours) along to my first stop on my Super Bowl week trip/meetings, and around lunchtime I’m excitedly declared...I can do whatever I want! When my wife travels with me...a congressional hearing and wrangling of votes has to occur to settle on a quick lunch stop choice. And the usual winner is ‘McDonalds’. We’d do Chik Fil A over them, but they aren’t as prevalent AND their parking lot is usually so packed it’s hard to even get into them around lunch time -- still, we will dive into the Chik Fil A fray if there’s the option...but there usually is not. But there’s a McDonald’s everywhere.
But with this trip, I’ve got a dictatorship going on for my lunch decision -- because I’m traveling solo...so, I can go anywhere I want. And one of my favorite quick fast-food stops, because burgers are my #1 pick usually, is Wendy’s...and whaddya know, just as I got the hunger urge...next exit showed having a Wendy’s...so Wendy’s it was.
11:30amET...into the Wendy’s I go. One other customer in the whole store. A clean store. I ordered my Dave’s Double Combo and went and chose my favorite drink from that wonderful jukebox machine of ten thousand soda flavors...*sidebar: someday if I ever hit that 7-leg long-shot parlay...I want to put one of those drink machines in my spacious home or home office*. At the Wendy’s jukebox o’ drink choices, I made my new favorite soda concoction: 80% Fanta Zero Sugar Peach with a 20% splash of Fanta Zero Sugar Pineapple.
By the time I got my soda creation and found my seat, they were calling out that my order was ready...a fresh, perfectly cooked burger and fresh fries. I sat in total peace and quiet and ate...on my side of the store. The only other customer sat on one side of the Wendy’s, so I went all the way to the other side and we both ate in peace...sharing an entire, quiet Wendy’s facility.
It got me thinking...why do I (or we/wife) skip on going to Wendy’s in favor of McDonald’s on the road? I think I agree to it (besides my wife always winning the voting) because I can get a burger and fries and drink for about half the price or so of the same thing at Wendy’s. Yeah, I am saving money...but the meal and the visit are not at all alike at Wendy’s v. McD.
When have you ever gotten a freshly cooked, fresh bun, delightful burger from McDonalds off a major highway? I usually get a disappointing (poorly cooked or poorly presented) burger and a 50/50 shot at fresh fries. I never get ‘sat around in the bin for the last 15 minutes’ burgers from Wendy’s.
And I have to usually wait in a long line at the off-the-highway McDonald’s...because the workers are typically slow moving and unmotivated...or they are trying their best, but they are radically understaffed for the throng of orders -- because McDonald’s does not care about service anymore. They treat all of us like animals. I know they do/think this because have you seen the new store remodels?
At my local McD’s they just did a remodel -- they took out the front counter...there is no cash register/s...no one visible to take or help you with your order...the staff is now hidden behind a wall/blockade...and you WILL use the giant computer screen to order. The touch screen doesn’t bother me, I actually prefer the touch screen order (actually I always order via the App) -- but when I have an issue with something, there’s no one visible to turn to. No front counter...just a giant space of racks and counter they throw your food onto and either the order moved to ‘ready’ on a computer screen OR someone may shout out your number in a shrill voice that cuts through the restaurant so you can't eat in peace...you can’t eat in peace at a McDonald’s anyway due to the mob of kids on the loose at the typical McDonald’s. Why am I supporting McDonald’s terrible treatment of us all? Why give money to this terrible atmosphere of chaos? At the Wendy’s, I sat quietly listening to low volume classical music over their speaker system. At McDonald’s...it was literally like a farm with a bunch of cattle being yelled at and various animals on the loose, overcrowded, roaming the fields.
And, of course, you have to use the restroom when you stop -- so, that’s a delightful ‘crime scene’ at a typical McDonald’s, with a wait in line sometimes. At Wendy’s I immediately went into a private one-person-at-a-time men’s room and used it in peace.
And now...do you know what’s even worse at our local McDonald’s/being rolled out at McDonald’s everywhere -- you order your drink, and they prepare it in the back and put it on the tray with your food and slide it out on a counter for you to go retrieve. There are no more drink machines where you can control your own drink destiny. ..they took them out, they are planning to take them out everywhere...us ‘animals’ can’t be trusted to make their own drinks...someone is probably ordering a water/cup and getting soda in it instead! We’ll make everyone pay for that crime...we’ll take away the soda machine for all! Corporate quarterly profits may go up one whole penny per share!
Why do I want to support a business (McDonald’s) that thinks we are all the scourge of the earth? At Wendy’s, I have 100+ drink options to choose from at my leisure. At Chik Fil’ A...it’s ‘their pleasure’ to refill my drink as soon as they see that’s what I need. At McDonald’s...no soup/drink for you...unless you buy another one...via the App...made the way THEY decided to make it.
So, I am trying to ban McDonald’s as a stop from our road trips...I ask that you join the fight! *Unless you have small children, then I get feeding them cheap and letting them go wild in the playland. When the best thing about your restaurant is ‘a playland’...you’ve got issues.
There’s an FF lesson in all of this -- we can’t be afraid to overpay or properly pay for elite things in Fantasy Football...whether that is a Dynasty trade or redrafting a player 1-2-3 rounds higher ‘than you’re supposed to’. Always looking for a deal isn’t usually what it is cracked up to be.
Quality over quantity.
‘Excellent acquisition of what you want’ OVER ‘trying to get a steal of a deal’ all the time (and then never making a deal because all the offers are terribly cheap/insulting -- and then complaining...’my league never trades’). Be willing to pay a fair, or higher, price for quality.
It’s true of food and Fantasy.
I see this warped sentiment of ‘getting/wanting a deal’ in the stock market ALL THE TIME. People never want to buy a stock at its new all-time high price...they always want to ‘wait for it to come down’ to a better/lower price. The thing is...most all stocks that are hitting all-time highs FOR A GOOD REASON. And the comedy is...the people that talked about wanting a particular stock they love/want to drop 20% so they can ‘buy it cheaper’...when it does have that 20% drop point at one brief window of time -- they still don’t buy it...because ‘what if it keeps going down?’/’what’s wrong with this stock?’
Invest in quality...invest in what you want...you won’t regret it. Trying to get a knock off version or waiting for a surprise flash sale moment -- you’ll miss out/the time won’t ever come and/or won’t be happy.
-- Coming up on FFM today...
Next Scouting Report will post today...another RB (TreVeyon). I’ve been doing several RBs in a row over the past few days, after this TreVeyon Henderson report, I will then take a break on the RBs and transition to a few of the higher/highest ranked prospects at any position that I haven’t done yet.
Our new daily series continues for the next week+ -- a top 25 ‘draft’, a 2023 and 2024 Dynasty Rookie Draft mash-up draft...with the rookies from those two years drafted as we know them now. After this mash-up mock we’ll then add the 2025 rookies into it (as we know them pre-draft) after the Combine...just to get some concepts to think about before the actual NFL and DRD draft.
Our 2025 Combine positional previews will publish randomly all week (as we get them done).
Working on my team-by-team studies to launch the top 600 Dynasty valuations/rankings (offense) debut for 2025...which will include the rookies. ETA for the debut is the day after the NFL Combine, to get the best data in for the rookie projections start point. *IDP top 500 will debut in late March.
-- A quick reminder about the Betting Subscribers from 2024...the 2024 betting subscription ‘season’ ended Feb 17th, 2025/a week after the Super Bowl.
New Betting subscriptions for 2025 season (goes until Mid-Feb. 2026) will be available in March, and we’ll let you know all about sign-ups, etc., prior.
We’ll be opening back up in-time for NFL Draft betting and the early Prop and team bets that come out in April and May, and the rest of the offseason into the preseason and through the regular and postseason.
Your Discord access will stay intact all February (and beyond) while we get set for the new betting subscription season.
WED 2/19/25
(7:05amET)
-- A follow up from yesterday’s insider note on the Chiefs inquiring about Kyle Pitts in a trade...
I didn’t mention the other ripple effects of that (after the whole Kelce angle)...two other things...
1) If KC is reaching out to teams/going after TEs, it means they do not see Noah Gray as the answer (which he isn’t)...and that Jared Wiley isn’t ready yet (and he’s rehabbing an ACL, so who knows what his 2025 status will be, and when).
2) I have also heard (from a suspect source) that KC is also sniffing around Evan Engram as well. If KC got EE...you know I’d lose my mind with utter joy.
-- Here are some nice, encouraging words from Sean Payton about Marvin Mims:
https://www.si.com/nfl/broncos/news/sean-payton-classifies-broncos-marvin-mims-as-elite-playmaker
I need Sean Payton to ‘make me a full believer’...not in Mims, I’m already there with that...as most of you know from our FF and betting escapades with Mims late in the 2024 regular season. No, I need to believe Payton is going to push this further, and stop playing footsies with it, as he did too much late last season -- he had a nuclear bomb on his hands (Mims) and rarely pushed the button to deploy it early or fully or constantly on opponents...he just dabbled in it most of the time.
-- Coming up on FFM today...
Next Scouting Report will post today...another RB (Judkins). I’ve been doing several RBs in a row over the past few days, after my TreVeyon Henderson report (after Judkins), I will then take a break on the RBs and transition to a few of the higher/highest ranked prospects at any position that I haven’t done yet.
Our new daily series continues for the next week+ -- a top 25 ‘draft’, a 2023 and 2024 Dynasty Rookie Draft mash-up draft...with the rookies from those two years drafted as we know them now. After this mash-up mock we’ll then add the 2025 rookies into it (as we know them pre-draft) after the Combine...just to get some concepts to think about before the actual NFL and DRD draft.
Our 2025 Combine positional previews will publish randomly all week (as we get them done).
Working on my team-by-team studies to launch the top 600 Dynasty valuations/rankings (offense) debut for 2025...which will include the rookies. ETA for the debut is the day after the NFL Combine, to get the best data in for the rookie projections start point. *IDP top 500 will debut late March.
-- A quick reminder about the Betting Subscribers from 2024...the 2024 betting subscription ‘season’ ended Feb 17th, 2025/a week after the Super Bowl.
New Betting subscriptions for 2025 season (goes until Mid-Feb. 2026) will be available in March, and we’ll let you know all about sign-ups, etc., prior.
We’ll be opening back up in-time for NFL Draft betting and the early Prop and team bets that come out in April and May, and the rest of the offseason into the preseason and through the regular and postseason.
Your Discord access will stay intact all February (and beyond) while we get set for the new betting subscription season.
TUE 2/18/25
(7:57amET)
-- Our friend/Falcons analyst Jeff Benedict dropped this nugget on X yesterday. And Jeff has a high batting average for dropping info on the Falcons, so I just trust his info without much doubt.
https://x.com/JMB_CU16/status/1891481353901776971
We can debate the legitimacy of whether Kyle Pitts is worthy of any of us, or the Chiefs, thinking ‘Pitts just needs _____’. No player has FF-burned me more in the past 4 years than Kyle Pitts. I was with the world off the bat -- that this guy was maybe the greatest TE weapon I’ve ever scouted.
First excuses were: Well, he’s a rookie...but he showed flashes. And Matt Ryan is shot.
Second was: Well, Art Smith and Desmond Ridder.
Last was: Kirk Cousins and a new staff will certainly fix this!
Same old disappointing Pitts every iteration. By the end of last season, Charlie Woerner was playing more snaps in a game. A new regime that was so high on him coming in...effectively benched him at the end of their first season together.
But...I do know, if you own Pitts, when (if) this news hits the mainstream -- Pitts’ valuation will soar once again. I’d be a Dynasty seller into real valuation strength.
AND...this is another piece of evidence that KC is effectively moving on from Travis Kelce....and/or Kelce is moving on from the NFL. I said Kelce was 60/40 gone from the NFL the other day...I’d put that at 65/35 now. If he does return, it will be on a dirt-cheap deal where he will be a rotational TE...a ceremonial starter then plays about 20-30 snaps a game.
-- Time for a little levity. I had this clip pop up in my YouTube feed...it’s from the Saturday Night Live SNL 50th anniversary event held on Sunday. The clip features Bill Murray doing a sketch on weekend update.
I’m guessing most of you have watched SNL at various points in your life, and one way or the other you know who Bill Murray is. So, I was watching this clip while walking the dog and I was cracking up and amazed.
Amazed at the still impeccable comedic timing of Mr. Bill Murray. I hope you’ve watched enough SNL to know how funny this little segment really was (because there’s a lot of SNL history here)...but I also hope you can savor just how great Murray’s delivery and timing and cadence are...
https://youtu.be/4rXBddwSWCg?si=wFRlQSZ8TL0nkbgu
I posted that not only because I so thoroughly enjoyed it, comedically...but I also marveled at the fact = do you know how old Bill Murray is? 74. Seventy-four years old and his comedic cadence hasn’t changed, his wit is rapier sharp, his delivery and performance on live television...flawless.
Shouldn’t 74-year-olds be retired and playing golf or napping a lot...and unable to function at their craft anywhere near as well at their prime years (whatever ‘prime years’ are any more)?
In the crowd at SNL50 was 77-year-old Larry David from ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’, and his best friend 70-year-old Jerry Seinfeld. Neither have lost their fastball for comedy.
I recently watched 73-year-old Pete Carroll handle an intro press conference like a pro...and he looks ready to roll for his new head coaching gig. You have to agree with the crowd...he doesn’t look or act like we think 70+ year olds should.
Whether you like or hate Donald Trump, you do have to give him credit -- does anyone work longer or harder at any age, much less him being the leader of the free world at age 78? I watched him do a 2–3-hour podcast with Joe Rogan before the election...and he was never at a loss for words and was willing to converse about any topic...and Rogan said he was amazed that Trump never took a drink of water or asked for a break or went to the bathroom in that near 3-hour session.
In my mind, growing up/living life into my 20s, 30s, 40s -- I thought I’d be long retired by age 70, and for sure by age 75...and, admittedly thinking I would surely be ‘losing my fastball’ by then. I guess I just kinda held onto that thought for years...without giving it a lot of thought in this current era. But I’m not sure why I have recently taken notice of all the 70+ year old talents thriving and succeeding into their 70’s over the past year+...it has hit me like a ton of bricks -- there’s a long runway ahead for success if we’re all lucky to keep our health in decent shape.
All those successful 70+ers that I mentioned -- they are thriving doing what they love/enjoy.
I used to think about retirement a lot...when I hated my corporate job/life. ‘Retirement’ was the carrot on a stick for me to keep plugging...save-save-save in that 401K, so that I could escape corporate as fast as I could one day into the vast future. Some of you can probably attest to this feeling at the workplace...
But thinking back on it...I had it all wrong. It wasn’t the corporate job’s fault, per se. It was my fault: I was doing something I really didn’t enjoy all that much, but it paid pretty well, so I kept plugging...until I didn’t. I made a big, seemingly stupid change from safe corporate to the unknown, landmine-filled world of doing something I loved as a business...and taking a huge economic haircut to do it. And financially, it’s still not been the ‘right’ move.
But you know what never happens to me now? I NEVER wake up and hate to go to work. Not once. I used to almost always hate to get up for work...unless my aggravating boss was on vacation, then it was semi-enjoyable to wake up and go in. I don’t experience that dread at all working in the football field.
Why am I typing all this from a Bill Murray skit?
Honestly, I don’t know. It just happened. It is ‘RC’s notes, so RC can do what he wants...even refer to himself in the 3rd-person.
I am just marveling at how much more time to thrive we all have...the opportunity. The opportunity to go and find your ‘thing’...even while working a bad job to pay the bills now...I know I did for many years...saving and scratching and clawing to one day try to make my great escape from a job I didn’t love/like...and into a side hustle I had been building in my spare time, that grew into a main hustle. We’ve got more time than we think to find our ‘thing’, to try new things (if we can keep our health, God willing). I pray that we all can find that thing that keeps us energized and challenged into our 70s and beyond.
No more doubts from me about Pete Carroll. I kinda hope he succeeds in Vegas and becomes a bit of a role model on this vibe that’s captivated me of late -- the vibe that we’re in an era of the rise of the 70+ year olds! The vibe that I have a bunch of years ahead of me to succeed and reinvent...and enjoy. Traditional retirement doesn’t have to be the end goal.
I really don’t like shuffleboard anyway...or golf.
Or ‘traveling’.
I’d rather watch football tape or write about football or win money on football betting...I’d rather spend every day of the season just watching football on ever-growing-in-size-televisions!
I watched the Super Bowl on someone’s new 98-inch television. Imagine the size TV there will be in my 70s! It only gets better from here, if we pursue it! Thank you Bill Murray, for that reminder/inspiration!
-- A quick reminder about the Betting Subscribers from 2024...the 2024 betting subscription ‘season’ ended Feb 17th, 2025/a week after the Super Bowl.
New Betting subscriptions for 2025 season (goes until Mid-Feb. 2026) will be available in March, and we’ll let you know all about sign-ups, etc., prior.
We’ll be opening back up in-time for NFL Draft betting and the early Prop and team bets that come out in April and May, and the rest of the offseason into the preseason and through the regular and postseason.
Your Discord access will stay intact all February (and beyond) while we get set for the new betting subscription season.
-- Coming up on FFM today...
Next Scouting Report will post today or WED...another RB. I’m doing several RBs in a row over the next few days, then taking a break and transitioning to higher/highest ranked prospects at any position.
Our new daily series continues for the next week+ -- a top 25 ‘draft’, a 2023 and 2024 Dynasty Rookie Draft mash-up draft...with the rookies from those two years drafted as we know them now. After this mash-up mock we’ll then add the 2025 rookies into it (as we know them pre-draft) after the Combine...just to get some concepts to think about before the actual NFL and DRD draft.
Our 2025 Combine positional previews are set to begin this upcoming week.
Working on my team-by-team studies to launch the top 600 Dynasty valuations/rankings debut in a week or so...which will include the rookies.
MON 2/17/25
(7:27amET)
-- Read this first, it was ‘a thing’ about a week ago...for some reason: https://syndication.bleacherreport.com/amp/10153578-nfl-rumors-patriots-to-consider-joe-milton-trade-execs-project-3rd-round-price-tag.amp.html
First off, Joe Milton is awful/not an NFL QB.
Second, I do believe New England will trade him (if they can).
Third, If NFL execs think Milton is worth a 3rd-round pick...if that’s real...it’s further proof NFL people, from the scouts to the GMs to the coaches to the owners, know as much about scouting as throwing a dart at a dart board -- and I’ve got about 15 years in the business now...so I know this to be true...it’s shocking how bad/random NFL scouting is.
And as a scout, myself...yes, I want to be right about everything all the time -- but that’s not possible. My job, my goal is to be ‘more right’ than anyone else walking the planet. And that may mean a 70-80% hit rate, where the NFL and other analysts are 50%...60% on the really good ones.
And scouting is not just about ‘Who got it right?’ in March/April...although, that’s a big test...but I’m also maniacal about ‘continuous scouting’. We gotta keep watching and scouting into a rookie’s preseason work and with their week-to-week NFL work. Not just rookies but all players. Players evolve, improve, get hurt, have personal issues, and get constant different coaches, etc. It’s an everlasting, ever-evolving scouting.
I want to be right first, but then after that...I want to be right quickly on something I missed/misread. There is zero valor in making a prediction on...let’s use the example of Anthony Richardson...and just sticking with it to my own peril. I thought he would be a superstar NFL player, a dual-threat QB that would be stunning for FF. But then we find out in his NFL year two that he has study and effort and injury issues...none of which was on the board pre-Draft, at least wasn’t on my radar...and it would’ve changed my (and the Colts’/the NFLs) thinking pre-Draft. Sometimes ‘money’ is the biggest ‘change’ pressure on a prospect...or it reveals a true character that was hiding prior.
So, mid-2024 season, I had to make a new call on AR, which I did...I sold out. Took a loss on the sale but got out quicker than others who stuck by him and saw his value continue to decline. Could he turn back around? Sure. But the ‘new scouting’ or the ‘current’ Richardson had me make a decision in the other direction.
I live and die betting on players for FF and Props. I cannot afford to be 50/50 on scouting upfront and I cannot afford to hold on to a bad prior scouting, when something has changed the game in the ‘current’. Too much of my money and your money at stake.
I don’t know why Joe Milton triggered that stream of consciousness...but he did. I know I’m not wrong about Milton...upfront or ‘current’. He’s not a 3rd-round level QB acquisition. But I wouldn’t put it past some NFL teams...
-- Here’s another example of bad scouting...one where EVERYBODY agreed and had no doubts at all. But now, conveniently, the doubts are coming...on Mr. Marv Harrison.
Just see what an opposing CB thinks of Marv...and the CB is a Pro Bowl’er...and one who faced Marv in college and in the pros. He hits the Marv scouting right on the head: https://x.com/new_era72/status/1890196974357668104
It goes without saying that this made my day.
-- A quick reminder to the Betting Subscribers from 2024...the 2024 betting subscription runs until Feb 17th, 2025/a week after the Super Bowl.
New Betting subscriptions for 2025 season (goes until Mid-Feb. 2026) will be available in March, and we’ll let you know all about sign-ups, etc., prior.
We’ll be opening back up in-time for NFL Draft betting and the early Prop and team bets that come out in May, and the rest of the offseason into the preseason and through the regular and postseason.
Your Discord access will stay intact all February (and beyond) while we get set for the new betting subscription season.
-- Coming up on FFM today...
Next Scouting Report will post today...another RB. I’m doing several RBs in a row over the next few days, then taking a break and transitioning to
Our new daily series continues for the next week+ -- a top 25 ‘draft’, a 2023 and 2024 Dynasty Rookie Draft mash-up draft...with the rookies from those two years drafted as we know them now. After this mash-up mock we’ll then add the 2025 rookies into it (as we know them pre-draft) after the Combine...just to get some concepts to think about before the actual NFL and DRD draft.
Our 2025 Combine positional previews are set to begin this upcoming week.
Working on my team-by-team studies to launch the top 600 Dynasty valuations/rankings debut in a week or so...which will include the rookies.
-- Crumbl Scouting Report...
I have a four-week streak going of no Crumbl, but not always for a lack of effort...too much travel, too much work of late. One of my attempts to acquire some in the past few weeks...they were sold out of most items on a Saturday night/end of the Crumbl week.
I need to stay away, for weight loss hope...so I was hoping to get to a 5th week of a streak staying away this week ahead -- but...then Crumbl hit me in the gut with this week’s offerings:
Tres Leche Cake is back! My single favorite. I don’t know how I can stay away...
Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie is making a debut, I believe...it looks good.
Key Lime Pie Cookie...no way for me, I hate key lime.
Chocolate Cake Batter Cookie...I’m not a chocolate guy, per se...but man does this look good.
Kit Kat cookie...a cookie filled with Kit Kat and topped with Kit Kat? I love a Kit Kat, but can they pull this off? I may have to find out.
Iced Oatmeal Cookie...ouch, another punch to the gut...I LOVE Oatmeal Cookies, especially ‘iced’ just right.
I have a feeling the streak is going down as soon as a couple hours from this post...
What it looks like on video: https://youtu.be/rmxqnyVMLFI?si=-yE5oj1VHMVJkuhA
