RC's Daily Notes 2026: For the Week of 1/26-2/1 (The Week That Was...)

: R.C. Fischer; FreeView; 01 February 2026

RC's daily streaming notes 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 to start the days with.

2/1 SUN

(7:08amET)

-- Today’s Agenda…

Senior Bowl Preview Scouting Reports...will continue to post this week and into next week I suspect. They are all guys going to the Combine, so I want to be sure to see all of them before that event and I will update any player previews on prospects that radically impress or not during the Senior Bowl week.

Next Senior Bowl practice notes/report the next day or two...Senior Bowl report later this week. No need to rush these things.

Any FFM News & Notes during the day as I get them.

My Jacksonville daily diary at the very end for me recording this journey for future reading/memory and sharing how things are going with everyone.

Fernando Mendoza full scouting report will post later today.

-- HEADLINE: Jordan Schultz reports the Giants will interview Chargers QBs coach Shane Day for their offensive coordinator vacancy.

If the Giants snag Day...John Harbaugh and NYG are ready to roll. A fresh, promising staff will have been put in place.

Here’s some GEMINI research on Day:

Shane Day is a highly respected NFL quarterback specialist currently serving as the Quarterbacks Coach for the Los Angeles Chargers. A former two-sport athlete at Rhodes College and an English graduate from Kansas State, Day transitioned from high school coaching to the NFL in 2007 with the San Francisco 49ers.

He has built a reputation as a "QB guru" through his extensive work across the league, most notably during his two stints with Justin Herbert. Under Day’s guidance, Herbert achieved elite production and multiple Pro Bowl honors. Day also played a pivotal role as a Senior Offensive Assistant for the Houston Texans in 2023, helping C.J. Stroud to one of the greatest rookie seasons in NFL history.

Now a recurring name in offensive coordinator searches, Day is recognized for his technical teaching and schematic versatility, having also coached tight ends and offensive line play throughout his nearly two-decade professional career.

-- HEADLINE: Steelers agreed to terms with former Raiders DC Patrick Graham to the same position.

All the key positions on the coaching staff, including the head coach, are vacant. Las Vegas has waited (against their nwill) this long to hire a coach...it may be an issue even if they get Klint Kubiak, because all the good (and bad) staff candidates around the league are getting scarfed up. Guys wanna know they have jobs.

Now losing Patrick Graham, the one pretty good coach they had...what is going on in Las Vegas?

My two-cent guess is...they are waiting for Tom Brady to do things/approve things/give his stamp on major items, and Brady is busy and is not fully vested in this...but wants to be/has some power. He has absolutely no idea how to run a giant, flawed corporation like the Raiders...and neither does the owner, hell he doesn’t even know how to get a proper haircut...you think nepo-baby knows how to properly run, or cares to, a giant corporation?

What are the qualifications of these people?

Owner/CEO = inherited company from dad.

Tom Brady = Football player, focused on reversing the aging process (so a lot of working out and ‘medical appointments’ (which we’d all do if we had the $$$), broadcaster, star of several commercials, dad, dater of women, angel investor, vacationer, and lastly...minority owner of the Raiders -- expected to close deals on coaches, mentor QBs, light a fire for the team and organization.

The GM = friend of Tom.

Good luck with the main people (Mark Davis and Brady), who have no experience in running a major company and are rich beyond belief...so do you think they really care? You think they are grinding for 20 hours a day on ‘Raiders stuff’? Did you see the staff they put together for 2025? Ben Johnson RAN from this situation...he could’ve had this job IN. THE. BAG. Ben Johnson is 10,000 times more important than Tom Brady for an NFL organization in 2025-2026+.

Good coaching candidates may be turned off by this ‘malaise’...all this foot dragging and weak ‘sales pitch’. So far, we know that Ben Johnson and Jesse Minter have turned them down to go elsewhere in the past two cycles.

This is all just a guess on my part, but something is going on...and your guess is as good as mine.

Man, if Kubiak turns them down for Arizona instead...

-- A little turmoil in Denver?

https://x.com/nflfrascella/status/2016848544800338306?s=43

-- This is quite the interesting infographic...

https://x.com/draftkings/status/2017285680578125944?s=43

-- You might find this interesting:

https://x.com/nflfrascella/status/2017266789407723848?s=43

I thought this was just an interesting look at all the QBs 'available' (some are a stretch to be available) in the football world...they range from 'no way' (for me) to 'I could see that QB starting for ___' in 2026.

The era of QB inflation is upon us. There would be nothing like this 10 years ago available...and wait until you see this type of list in 2 years, and 3 years...

-- There are no words for the way the Jets are being run by Aaron Glenn and Woody Johnson. The GM is not the main issue here...just part of the chain. https://x.com/snyjets/status/2016580263887691993?s=43

-- FYI, from the offices of the NFL (if you haven’t seen it yet)...

https://x.com/49ersSportsTalk/status/2017276808853405950

== HEAD COACH HIRING BOARD ==

The latest on the HC openings, and my current guesses/predictions...

(jobs listed by job or ‘the situation’ and/or the organizational respect among the league/candidates):

LV = Klint Kubiak...Davis Webb dropped out. All the Raiders have left is Kubiak...they’ve missed on everyone else. No new news on this until after the Super Bowl it looks like?

If Kubiak turns them down, it’s likely Ejiro Evero.

The Raiders have backed themselves into a corner...Kubiak is holding all the cards...he may go to the Cards if they make a wild/big offer to him.

Prediction Market favorite = Klint Kubiak $0.84 (Kalshi)...up +.01 from yesterday.

-----------------------------------------------------------

ARI = Mike LaFleur...suddenly the clear favorite, which is surreal.

Arizona is down to guys who aren’t serious options for the other desired jobs. If I’m LaFleur, I would beg for this chance...one he may never get ever again.

That’s what has become of the Arizona Cardinals. Unless Arizona backs up the truck for Kubiak and the Raiders miss out on another top coaching candidate for like the 5th time in two years.

I think Kubiak is way too smart to ever think about going here...unless it was ridiculous money.

Prediction Market favorite = Mike LaFleur $0.55 (on Kalshi) ...up +.01 from yesterday.

-----------------------------------------------------------

-- Dynasty Owners...

Make sure you’ve read this message: https://ffmetrics.com/total-football-advisor/6341-2026-conference-playoff-week-daily-news-and-comments-stream-mon-charbonnet-dynasty-kcs-new-o-c-nightmare

AND I’m gonna keep it on here at the end of this daily report every day to have it as a reminder to get through the next 2-3 weeks.

I know you want to storm the castle and make 152 trades right now.

BE PATIENT!!!!! Too many unknowns in the NFL right now to act in a lot of cases, on the big things/thoughts.

-- A loaded and bloated free agency class leads to my new daily segment...

(*same intro every day) A new daily segment that will take us up to near the beginning of free agency. I’ll go team-by-team, alphabetically, and list the key players who have contracts that are begging or almost assuredly are gonna get them cut. I’m going to list more of the FF ones of interest, but I will list any interesting IDPs or OLs.

We’re looking at players who...

*Still have some life/name appeal but are late/last year into their contracts and they will either make an excessive amount of money in 2026 or would only cost a minor hit to just outright cut them.

*I will also include guys who are not logical, contractually to cut, but they are hated and expensive and getting cut.

*Some of these guys might work out a new/reasonable deal before getting released, but I want to show the explosion of guys that might hit the market...and there is already a surge of talent in natural free agency, especially at RB...which is gonna turn FF upside down when all these guys have nowhere to go and sign cheap in places that will FF-piss us off.

We’ll list by position, and I’ll put in order of most likely in-demand after getting cut. We’ll build the list daily. You and I might be shocked by the time we complete this exercise...

(intro end)

---------------------------------

Today’s look: Denver

(other notes)

-- The opportunity to trim contract fat is minimal here. SAF Brandon Jones may go ($8M for 2026 or cut for $1M). They may figure out how to ditch Evan Engram, but it’s not obvious/as easy to cut EE...but I’m going to guess they trade or cut him somehow.

QB:

Joe Flacco (free agent)

Kyler Murray ($47M post-June 1st hit, and $7M hit in 2027)

Kirk Cousins? ($24.6M pay or cut for $25M hit post-June 1st)

RB:

Javonte Williams (free agent, but I highly assume Dallas will sign him long-term)

Rico Dowdle (free agent)

James Conner ($10.3M keep, $2.3M cut post-June 1st)

Jerome Ford (free agent)

Justice Hill (3.9M keep for 1-yr or cut for $667k)...enjoy New York.

WR:

George Pickens (free agent, but I can’t imagine Dallas lets him go to FA)

Curtis Samuel ($8M pay for 2026, cut for $3.5M)

TE:

Kyle Pitts (free agent)

Isaiah Likely (free agent)

Evan Engram? ($14M pay for 2026 or cut for $10M hit, which they can maneuver with a post-June 1st cut)

David Njoku (free agent)

Mike Gesicki ($7.7M pay or cut for $4.3M)

Tommy Tremble ($8M pay for 2026 or cut for $2.2M hit post-June 1st)

Other:

Trey Hendrickson (free agent)

========================

-- RC Daily JAX Diary...

(same intro every day)

At the very end of RC’s NOTES, for the next 50-60 days...I will share my little diary of my time in Jacksonville (for those who don’t know) getting radiation treatment for my battle with prostate cancer that I am winning -- I am figuratively off to a big 1st-quarter lead and looking strong into the 2nd-quarter of this football game analogy/cancer battle...but just like the Packers-Bears playoff game...it’s not over ‘til it’s over/we got a ways to go.

I am keeping these daily notes so that I might look back over time at this odd, unplanned event in my life. 40 straight weekdays of radiation scheduled, weekends off, unknown side effects ahead...some short-term, with a somewhat scary risk of long-term effects. It’s gonna be a wild ride.

I’m trying to treat this like a vacation, of sorts. Some people save up for a special trip to Hawaii or a European excursion...I could care less about those things. I saved for a rainy day for my protection...and, well... https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxLdSXQWUapDe0CcQznO8Kuqzht631AnEz?si=MqnycTkzVD5mzPnF

(end of intro)

1/31/26, Day 8 in JAX

4 of 39 radiation treatments done so far. No radiation on weekends.

Two major highlights of the day that I want to remember, so I will note them here...

1) It’s frickin freezing here. The wind is going 15-20 mph, and the temps fell below 30 on their way down to low 20s early morning...which is when my dog will suddenly need to go to the bathroom.

One of the coldest days they’ve had here in a long time...and ‘lucky me’, I’m here for it. Two days ago, I walked my dog in shorts and t-shirt.

I don’t care that it is a recent record snow back home in the Carolinas...I signed up for January weather I could brag about to all my Northeast and Midwest homies. I probably still can, but I’m not really enjoying the Florida cold.

The second memorable item I need to document in the food dairy section, because that’s where it belongs...

My daily food dairy...

Woke up at 4:15am this day...’just because’...that’s my life now. My big plan for food today was: go free hotel breakfast then trek out to the lone Raising Canes in Jacksonville for early lunch.

So, at 7am, I go down to the breakfast bar...nobody there on an early Saturday morning. Ok, I’ll do it again...I just can’t do those powdered eggs. I made my own waffles, in peace. I brought my dog some powdered eggs and bacon.

I was gonna go get my new meds at the Publix across the street at 9am, then come back home/hotel to work, and wait to dispatch for Raising Canes around 10am to get there at 10:30 opening. But at 8am, I was so exhausted, so tired...it just comes on like a ton of bricks randomly now...I couldn’t take it, so I rolled into bed at 8:15am...next thing I knew...it was 11am. This is my life...two chunks of sleeping each day. Canes plan foiled. Off to Publix to get my meds.

Oh yeah, and next to Publix is a bunch of businesses...one of them is ‘Duck Donuts’. Haven’t been to one of those in a while. Not bad. I brought home a couple donuts, I won’t say how many, and ate them all by day’s end...but you don’t know how many that was so there’s no way to judge me. No...it wasn’t six donuts. Why would you even guess that? Even if it were 6 donuts...they were small-ish anyway. And if you give some pieces to your dog, it is like each donut is really only like a half a donut for the counting really. That was ‘lunch’...and ‘snacks’ and ‘take my meds with food throughout the day/night’.

Then there was the dinner event...my memorable event of the day.

My son and daughter-in-law sent me a $50 DoorDash gift text...so I would stay in/out of the cold to eat. So nice of them. I took a peek at the App, and then it just jumped out at me...The Juicy Crab...their famous Country Boil. Can you DoorDash a Country Boil? Yes. Yes you can.

I love a boil...I was starving...several partial donuts for lunch don’t fill you up like you’d think. It arrived...I was so excited. Unbagged it and it was this huge bag of shrimp, sausage, corn, potatoes, and the abundance of boil sauce/juice it marinates in...oh yeah, and a giant half a king crab legs. I didn’t want the crab honestly, too much work, but for the fairly reasonable price for the boil, I’d take it.

One of the things they don’t teach you school...you just have to live and learn -- is how does one eat a Country Boil bag of hot liquid and all the ‘food’ contents when you eat your meals in a small long-term stay hotel room? My eating space is at the work desk...by my computers and equipment, so I can watch whatever on the screens when I eat...and I wanted to watch the Senior Bowl and eat a giant boil.

Wait. I don’t have a bowl in my hotel room to put this giant feast in? I can’t eat it out of the bag. Thankfully, they had a giant glass mixing bowl randomly among my kitchen options...perfect. Defeated that obstacle. OK, next I went to get towels and plastic bags to cover my equipment...because I was sure I’d splash something. So, I go and cover all my technology like an assassin preps a room for a hit they’ll have to clean up after.

But if there is high splash potential...I don’t want to ruin my clothes either...I aint getting no boil juice on Lululemon sweats. No way. I don’t have a bib. It’s not a great, large space to eat this easily. So...and I hope you’re not eating while you read this, but my solution was...I know I’ll make a mess potentially, so I’ll turn up the heat/room temperature a bit and eat this boil shirtless. Quite the visual. But hey...it’s just me and the dog. Time was wasting...the boil was getting cooler by the minute as I had to do 20 minutes of prep before the first bite...after it traveled 20 minutes to get to me.

Because I reasoned that you can’t eat boil topless AND only wearing underwear...I put some gym shorts on and got a hotel towel and laid it across my waste...and here we go. I might have made more money streaming this meal on Only Fans than I do with football analysis in a year.

So, I started to consume. Gotta peel the shrimp...have a shells discard bag all set up. All is good off the bat. Grabbed a crab leg, cracked it with my bare hands just right and pulled out the meat cleanly (a miracle) and consumed. My son called on his way to somewhere, and I thanked him for the dinner that I was eating. We talked, I ate, speakerphone going, food being consumed...not a drop of issue anywhere.

My son arrived at his destination, and had to hang up...I said to him, I just finished everything except a few of the crab legs. We said goodbye, and then I made a grave error.

I got cocky.

I hung up with him, grabbed a skinny-ish crab leg...I was determined that I was gonna get that thimble of crab out of there (which I really needed it after a ton of shrimp, sausage, corn, potatoes)...I was gonna bare hand crack it like I had been doing the whole time, clean every time. So, I took this leg piece, and even took extra caution to try to cover it with both hands and started applying pressure to pop it open.

I didn’t rush in...I slowly applied pressure to find the sweet spot to crack it. As I was feeling my way into it making the break and nabbing a final pencil eraser’s worth of crab, I (honest-to-God) thought to myself -- I cannot believe I ate this entire boil with no real mess SNAP CRACKLE POP...a shotgun blast sound...I cracked this leg in a manner that somehow caused a miracle amount of (red) boil sauce to be shot in every direction.

I looked like I had just been the one assassinated in my hotel room like in a mafia movie...red liquid was all over my chest...how...why? Well, good thing I had the hotel towel in my lap...it was bone dry but it wasn’t gonna be for long...not after I cleaned off my gunshot wound to the chest/country boil defying physics juice off of me...of course, when I went to apply this seafood tourniquet, and mop up the ‘clean up on aisle five’ off my chest...some of it dripped right onto my shorts. The towels and bags I had covering all my equipment, I now see it got secondhand splash as well...I don’t know how. If someone would’ve walked in they would’ve thought they had walked into an episode of Dexter being filmed. There were red and orange boil juice on towels and bags all over...and still some on my chest.

I raced the orange/red splattered towels and my dripped-onto shorts into the bathroom and gave them a private shower trying to save any of them from the stain setting in. We’ll know tomorrow if I did. I don’t feel good about it.

I. AM. AN. IDIOT.

It was good food though, before the last act.

Day 8 spend = HOTEL Breakfast. $8 for donuts/lunch, FREE DINNER...dinner was only $32 for the boil + $5+ fees, with crab legs. Not bad for delivery. And all quality food. +$10 tip, and almost all $50 was gone off the card.

8-day total food spend = $200...$25.00 per day average...I’m still off track of my $20 per day avg. goal for this 2-month existence, but if I decide to boost my budget to $25 per day...I’m right there.

Gonna go walk the dog now...in 23 degrees and 20 mph winds.

1/31 SAT

(6:17amET)

-- Today’s Agenda…

Senior Bowl practice notes/report.

FFM News & Notes during the day as I get them.

My Jacksonville daily diary at the very end for me recording this journey for future reading/memory and sharing how things are going with everyone.

Fernando Mendoza full scouting report will post this weekend/Sunday likely.

== NEWS & NOTES ==

-- HEADLINE: Ravens hired Bears offensive coordinator Declan Doyle as their offensive coordinator.

After Doyle said he was staying in Baltimore/no good jobs came his way...the Ravens threw some good money at him and Jesse Minter won him over. Doyle gets to finally call plays on his own.

All the young up-and-coming offensive wiz kids coaching prospects...if they were the O-C in name only/the HC actually called plays...they didn’t get hired this cycle. If Doyle wants to be an HC someday, he has to go call plays somewhere...he never would with Ben Johnson.

A nice hire/grab for the new Minter regime.

-- HEADLINE: Vikings fired GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.

This was a shock, to me, when it hit. Not that he didn’t deserve it or that we hadn’t been railing on the Vikings management problems for two+ weeks now...more a shock that it actually happened.

GMs are pretty much the worst...for every team. There’s a reason why John Harbaugh cut the testicles off of GM Joe Schoen before accepting the NYG job.

Who is a GM you really respect in the NFL right now...name him...go...who is it? You got no GM you really love/respect.

If I asked you to name the head coach you most respect/consider elite, you’d have at least 1-3 answers in a blink.

The best GM of our collective lifetimes? A head coach...Bill Belichick...who got rid of the GM type structure once he had the power.

Kevin O’Connell can now get back on the track of rebuilding this team...this GM was totally killing him. And if this is true: https://x.com/jasrifootball/status/2017321682902335789?s=43

...then it’s ‘curtains’ for JJ McCarthy. The countdown to him being traded to be mentored by Justin Herbert is on.

https://x.com/underdognfl/status/2017296297523298703?s=43

-- HEADLINE: Browns head coach Todd Monken told Shedeur Sanders “we tried to draft” you in the 2025 NFL Draft.

I’m sure these two will get along like ‘peas and carrots’...and NO WAY that Deion will ever weigh in on this during the season.

This is gonna be a combustible situation eventually.

I stand by my sources...Lamar hated Monken. Lamar was lazy and sloppy and pissed Monken off. If Lamar wanted Monken to stay...he’d be there instead. Lamar ran everyone off.

-- HEADLINE: Bills hired former Broncos senior offensive assistant Pete Carmichael as offensive coordinator.

Don’t you find it odd that Payton fired his long-time O-C Joe Lombardi...and then didn’t fill the spot with Carmichael, who has been with him even longer?

Carmichael has never impressed me at all.

His history:

Buffalo Bills (2026–Present): Offensive Coordinator.

Denver Broncos (2024–2025): Senior Offensive Assistant (reunited with Sean Payton).

New Orleans Saints (2006–2023): * Offensive Coordinator (2009–2023), Passing Game Coordinator (2007–2008), Quarterbacks Coach (2006)

San Diego Chargers (2002–2005): Offensive Assistant / Wide Receivers.

Washington Redskins (2001): Quality Control.

Cleveland Browns (2000): Tight Ends / Offensive Assistant.

Louisiana Tech (1995–1999): Quarterbacks Coach.

The connection to Joe Brady:

Pete Carmichael and Joe Brady connected in their time with the New Orleans Saints.

The two worked together on Sean Payton's staff during the 2017 and 2018 seasons. At that time, Carmichael was the Saints' Offensive Coordinator, and Brady was an Offensive Assistant in his first NFL job.

Brady has credited his time working under Carmichael and Payton as a major influence on his coaching style, once stating that he earned a "doctorate in offense" while in New Orleans.

While Carmichael holds the OC title and will help shape the strategy, Brady has confirmed he will continue to call the plays for Josh Allen and the Bills' offense.

The Sean Payton ‘tree’ is in Buffalo...ewww. Denver continues to find ways to beat Buffalo in the past few weeks.

== HEAD COACH HIRING BOARD ==

The latest on the HC openings, and my current guesses/predictions...

(jobs listed by job or ‘the situation’ and/or the organizational respect among the league/candidates):

LV = Klint Kubiak...Davis Webb dropped out. All the Raiders have left is Kubiak...they’ve missed on everyone else.

Prediction Market favorite = Klint Kubiak $0.81 (Kalshi)...up +.01 from yesterday.

-----------------------------------------------------------

ARI = Mike LaFleur...suddenly the clear favorite, which is surreal.

I wonder if Sean McDermott soars in here at the last second?

Arizona is down to guys who aren’t serious options for the other desired jobs. If I’m LaFleur, I would beg for this chance...one he may never get ever again.

That’s what has become of the Arizona Cardinals. Unless Arizona backs up the truck for Kubiak and the Raiders miss out on another top coaching candidate for like the 5th time in two years.

I think Kubiak is way too smart to ever think about going here...unless it was ridiculous money.

Prediction Market favorite = Mike LaFleur $0.54 (on Kalshi) ...down +.11 from yesterday.

-----------------------------------------------------------

-- Dynasty Owners...

Make sure you’ve read this message: https://ffmetrics.com/total-football-advisor/6341-2026-conference-playoff-week-daily-news-and-comments-stream-mon-charbonnet-dynasty-kcs-new-o-c-nightmare

AND I’m gonna keep it on here at the end of this daily report every day to have it as a reminder to get through the next 2-3 weeks.

I know you want to storm the castle and make 152 trades right now.

BE PATIENT!!!!! Too many unknowns in the NFL right now to act in a lot of cases, on the big things/thoughts.

-- A loaded and bloated free agency class leads to my new daily segment...

We’re looking at players who...

*Still have some life/name appeal but are late/last year into their contracts and they will either make an excessive amount of money in 2026 or would only cost a minor hit to just outright cut them.

*I will also include guys who are not logical, contractually to cut, but they are hated and expensive and getting cut.

We’ll list by position, and I’ll put in order of most likely in-demand after getting cut. We’ll build the list daily. You and I might be shocked by the time we complete this exercise...

(intro end)

---------------------------------

Today’s look: Dallas

(other notes)

-- Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark...great acquisitions...and they both have 2-years left on their contract, but almost no guaranteed money due...so they BOTH likely want new contracts...and they have Pickens and Javonte to deal with...and Aubrey.

It could be an expensive, rowdy offseason for Jerry Jones…which I think he enjoys the attention of this mayhem he keeps putting himself into (speaking of useless, detrimental GMs).

QB:

Joe Flacco (free agent)

Kyler Murray ($47M post-June 1st hit, and $7M hit in 2027)

Kirk Cousins? ($24.6M pay or cut for $25M hit post-June 1st)

RB:

Javonte Williams (free agent, but I highly assume Dallas will sign him long-term)

Rico Dowdle (free agent)

James Conner ($10.3M keep, $2.3M cut post-June 1st)

Jerome Ford (free agent)

Justice Hill (3.9M keep for 1-yr or cut for $667k)...enjoy New York.

WR:

George Pickens (free agent, but I can’t imagine Dallas lets him go to FA)

Curtis Samuel ($8M pay for 2026, cut for $3.5M)

TE:

Kyle Pitts (free agent)

Isaiah Likely (free agent)

David Njoku (free agent)

Mike Gesicki ($7.7M pay or cut for $4.3M)

Tommy Tremble ($8M pay for 2026 or cut for $2.2M hit post-June 1st)

Other:

Trey Hendrickson (free agent)

========================

-- RC Daily JAX Diary...

(same intro every day)

(end of intro)

1/30/26, Day 7 in JAX

This was Day 5 of radiation...

Actually, it was not Day 5 of radiation.

So, I get a call from the hospital at 10am...there’s an issue with the equipment and they are cancelling all the radiation appointments for that machine. So, my 10:45am appointment is cancelled. Great! A free morning to not drink all that water and deal with that, etc.

...except I received the call as I was pulling into the parking lot.

So, I went back to the hotel and ate...worked for 30 minutes...laid down for a nap, and 3 hours later I was awake and back to work watching Senior Bowl tape. What a life. I’m in a weird pattern of sleeping 4-5 hours overnight...then needing a 1-3 hour nap midday...trying to get to a total combined of 6-8 hours per day.

I have to say, it is peaceful being up and working at 4-5am. It’s very quiet. I feel like I have the world to myself. My dog is still sleeping and not bothering me. It’s nice. Then the dog wants to go out around 6am, and these days I’m greeted by a Florida cold front in the a.m. Hey, I didn’t sign up for double layering to walk my dog in Florida! A perk in this was supposed to be 50+ degrees at all times! I might see some snowflakes on my upcoming Sunday 6am dog walk.

I’ve got the weekend (every weekend) off of radiation too...recovery days...as every week is going to get a little harder, more side effects. One week of radiation down, 7 more to go.

My family was supposed to come visit, but the snowstorms hitting the east U.S. -- we had to delay it again. Next week they’ll be here and I’ll be watching the Super Bowl with my son, which will be special.

My daily food dairy...

I did it. I said I would never again, but I did it. The hotel food lobby is pretty well maintained and stocked. They seem to care a little bit. And when I went down for my typical giant bowl of oatmeal, the breakfast area was unusually/fairly empty. It was now-or-never...I needed a break from oatmeal and powdered eggs and tasteless bacon, so I gave in. I made the make-your-own waffles.

As soon as I poured in the batter and flipped the thing to start the cooking process...it was a siren call to the waffle-zombie hordes to come down...families, little kids, the elderly...all beelining to the waffle area. Suddenly, I was surrounded. I’m just trying to get my waffles and get out of there. So, I free my waffles from their griddle captivity and go to leave...wait, no syrup cup thingies for me to grab and then head back to my room? None...there were just the small syrup bottles you might see at like an IHOP. And there was like only one there by the waffle machine...and it was surrounded. I thought about just dumping the waffles and getting out of there because there was suddenly like 17 people in a small space all perusing the hotel breakfast offerings like they were judging the creations on the food network, looking at each item as if they were visiting an art museum and they were taking it all in one-by-one...dude it’s waffles, cereal, fruit, toast, powdered eggs, and tasteless bacon...choose and move on. You can go back and get ‘more’ or ‘other’.

I was not quitting this day. I grabbed a juice cup like a I got a handoff at tailback, sliced between the guard and center (literally the people were that big...but not football players at all...or males for that matter) and grabbed the one syrup bottle in sight...then poured a big ‘ol cup of syrup and dashed away back to my room.

Back to the room where I consumed some tasteless waffles...basically tasteless sponges where they are just conduits for me to imbibe syrup. I should’ve just drunk the syrup from the cup and tossed the waffles.

Chipotle burrito lunch.

Made my own fruit bowl dinner from my supplies. Chocolate chip muffin from the breakfast bar for dessert/to take my final night’s meds with.

Day 7 spend = $12

7-day total food spend = $192...$27.43 per day average...I’m off track of my $20 per day avg. goal for this 2-month existence with my grocery run the day prior. The price of soda these days is killing me. I might need to adjust my goal to $25 per day, so I don’t pressure myself too hard.

Here comes the weekend.

----------------------------------------------------------

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*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

1/30 FRI

(7:40amET)

-- Today’s Agenda…

Senior Bowl practice notes/report

FFM News & Notes during the day as I get them.

LAR-SEA Game Report.

My Jacksonville daily diary at the very end for me recording this journey for future reading/memory and sharing how things are going with everyone.

== NEWS & NOTES ==

-- My series on the HOLY players for FF 2026 (and beyond) is being researched and starting to be written. It’s going to be an important piece this offseason.

You will be surprised by some of the names on...and left off of the HOLY list.

I am hoping/planning that this series begins publishing next week (Monday)...a look at all the positions a report at a time.

-- HEADLINE: Giants requested an interview with Colts pass-game coordinator Alex Tanney for their offensive coordinator vacancy.

John Harbaugh’s coordinators the last two seasons in Baltimore = bad. How bad? One was so bad that the Cleveland Browns hired him to be their head coach!

D-C Dennard Wilson hired = upgrade for Harbaugh vs. his BAL D-C.

I was so worried that Todd Monken would be his O-C, but that bullet has been dodged. Tanney is an interesting interview. I like to see these fresh ideas from Harbaugh...both Harbaughs.

Speaking of the Harbaugh’s...nice job by Jim with his yesterday hire of Western Michigan D-C Chris O’Leary. Let’s see if John gets ‘fresh’ at O-C...a guy like Tanney is a ‘fresh’ thought.

Possibly the best thing to happen to the NY Giants’ future is that the Browns hired Monken, so that there was no chance Jaxson Dart could get torpedoed from within.

-- HEADLINE: ESPN’s Dan Graziano reports that the Dolphins are hiring Nathaniel Hackett as their new quarterback’s coach.

I mean...

I’ll do a full report-out on this team’s new regime, but my early impression of this new Miami regime...but from what I’ve seen so far, what I noted about their intro press conference...ummm, no thanks.

I would NEVER hire a defensive coordinator guy/mind to be my NFL head coach in the 2020s. They almost always have no feel for the offense and no good contacts to hire to run the offense/be the offensive coordinator (see: Mike Tomlin).

I say that, and there’s Mike Vrabel v. Mike Macdonald in the Super Bowl. Still, I would not do it. Those guys coin-flipping their way to the finals doesn’t sway me on how I would run an NFL team.

And if you want an absolute ‘tell’ of trouble ahead for an NFL franchise...look no further than ‘hired Nathaniel Hackett’. His last three major jobs, 2022-2024, Den HC for about half+ a season then Jets O-C for two seasons, his offenses finished #32-29-24 in points scored. Enjoy!

This Miami new regime feels a lot like a worse version of the Jonathan Gannon regime in Arizona. Gannon had some really good initial offensive coach hires...and they all got stripped away from him quickly.

-- HEADLINE: ESPN’s Todd Archer believes Cowboys RB Jaydon Blue “comes into camp as the No. 3 back at best.”

There was this little nugget on NBC. Wow. They’re saying it out loud.

We’ve been on this story/issue in detail since the 2025 preseason.

Hmmm...? Who should be consider the Cowboys #2 RB right now?

-- There is some interesting discourse here, put to text by the writer...

https://www.prideofdetroit.com/detroit-lions-news/156374/fred-warner-lions-coach-dan-campbell-needs-to-come-to-his-senses

-- Finally, something in the NFL I enjoyed...but it’s fake, but it’s also probably the realest thing presented this year... *WARNING LANGUAGE*

https://x.com/notthefakeDNP/status/2016585381433442375

== HEAD COACH HIRING BOARD ==

The latest on the HC openings, and my current guesses/predictions...

(jobs listed by job or ‘the situation’ and/or the organizational respect among the league/candidates):

LV = Klint Kubiak...Davis Webb dropped out. All the Raiders have left is Kubiak...they’ve missed on everyone else.

Prediction Market favorite = Klint Kubiak $0.80 (Robinhood)

-----------------------------------------------------------

ARI = Mike LaFleur...suddenly the clear favorite, which is surreal.

Arizona is down to guys who aren’t serious options for the other desired jobs. If I’m LaFleur, I would beg for this chance...one he may never get ever again.

That’s what has become of the Arizona Cardinals. Unless Arizona backs up the truck for Kubiak and the Raiders miss out on another top coaching candidate for like the 5th time in two years.

I think Kubiak is way too smart to ever think about going here...unless it was ridiculous money.

Prediction Market favorite = Mike LaFleur $0.65 (on Kalshi)

-----------------------------------------------------------

-- Dynasty Owners...

Make sure you’ve read this message: https://ffmetrics.com/total-football-advisor/6341-2026-conference-playoff-week-daily-news-and-comments-stream-mon-charbonnet-dynasty-kcs-new-o-c-nightmare

AND I’m gonna keep it on here at the end of this daily report every day to have it as a reminder to get through the next 2-3 weeks.

I know you want to storm the castle and make 152 trades right now.

BE PATIENT!!!!! Too many unknowns in the NFL right now to act in a lot of cases, on the big things/thoughts.

-- A loaded and bloated free agency class leads to my new daily segment...

We’re looking at players who...

*Still have some life/name appeal but are late/last year into their contracts and they will either make an excessive amount of money in 2026 or would only cost a minor hit to just outright cut them.

*I will also include guys who are not logical, contractually to cut, but they are hated and expensive and getting cut.

We’ll list by position, and I’ll put in order of most likely in-demand after getting cut. We’ll build the list daily. You and I might be shocked by the time we complete this exercise...

(intro end)

---------------------------------

Today’s look: Cleveland

(other notes)

-- This franchise...

One of the worst O-Lines in the NFL in 2026, some of that due to injury...and they are set to lose 5 offensive linemen to free agency. Unreal.

-- Deshaun Watson only costs $80.7M to play/pay this 2026 season...and costs that much if they cut him. He’s not out of the question to be the Week 1 QB for this sad franchise.

-- All their top/most expensive contracts are all upside down and can’t be naturally, smartly gotten rid of. They will get CAP space via all the OLs leaving in free agency, none will want to return here...unless they get radically overpaid to stay.

QB:

Joe Flacco (free agent)

Kyler Murray ($47M post-June 1st hit, and $7M hit in 2027)

Kirk Cousins? ($24.6M pay or cut for $25M hit post-June 1st)

RB:

Rico Dowdle (free agent)

James Conner ($10.3M keep, $2.3M cut post-June 1st)

Jerome Ford (free agent)

Justice Hill (3.9M keep for 1-yr or cut for $667k)...enjoy New York.

WR:

Curtis Samuel ($8M pay for 2026, cut for $3.5M)

TE:

Kyle Pitts (free agent)

Isaiah Likely (free agent)

David Njoku (free agent)

Mike Gesicki ($7.7M pay or cut for $4.3M)

Tommy Tremble ($8M pay for 2026 or cut for $2.2M hit post-June 1st)

Other:

Trey Hendrickson (free agent)

========================

-- RC Daily JAX Diary...

(same intro every day)

(end of intro)

1/29/26, Day 6 in JAX

Yesterday was Day 4 of radiation...

All went well. My memory of this day was...I have to drink 24oz of water 30+ minutes before laying on the radiation table to have a full bladder to help the bladder push away from things to expose more things for the radiation techs to blast away it. They take the bladder size (filled with water) VERY seriously.

So, I have been commended for my bladder fullness every day I’ve been there, and they really mean it...I’m so proud now...apparently it’s my best feature...it will go on my dating profile, if I ever need to do that someday. Well, this particular day was a real challenge of my golden bladder.

I did my same daily pre-radiation routine as I was instructed...drank all my water and held it. I went back to the special waiting area minutes before my 10:45am start time, which has been ‘on the money’ start time every day...until this day. I’m ‘patiently’ waiting to be called back.10:45...10:46...10:47...10:50...I know these times because with every passing minute my bladder is trying to ‘release the hounds’, but I have to keep it full/held. I ask a random nurse to check and be sure they know I’m here...apparently there was an issue with the person prior...10:55...11am...finally they call me back, I jump up onto the table. I’m lying there thinking...please don’t pee yourself lying on this radiation table, please don’t...which the constant thinking about it was making it worse.

Finally, it was over. Every tech on the 3-person team came over to get me up and ready to depart...and everyone one of them was like WOW, thank you...your bladder was so full...great job...it really helps us. I’m like (in my head) please stop complementing me...I know my bladder is special, but I gotta go hit the rest room like RIGHT NOW.

As I scurried out the door looking for the facilities, the main radiation boss came out as I was scurrying away and ran up to me to apologize for the delay, and then slapped me on the back and said -- great job with your bladder today, really great.

We all have to be good at something, I guess.

My daily food dairy...

Free hotel oatmeal & eggs breakfast. Early morning Publix grocery run for $30 after. I made an Acai base fruit bowl from some of my grocery run items for my lunch and took a nap post-radiation.

Then I went to a local Mexican restaurant for dinner. A highly rated on Google. I walked in and it was this giant place with a ton of tables, but no one at them (granted it was 4pm, my normal eating time...so I was an early bird). And I was tempted to walk right back out. I was trying to see where the host was to be seated or how seating worked in this giant, clean empty place, and then I saw it was this an order at the counter and they will bring it to you place...with a nice digital menu board and a little weird bar area with one TV with two people there laughing hysterically at nothing. I wanted some ‘realer’ Mexican food/experience...but all eyes were on me since I was the only real customer that may have walked in that day, so I was pressured (by self) into giving it a shot.

I ordered a ’create your own burrito’ and they delivered within 5 minutes to my table -- I got a burrito that was 1/3rd less size than a Chipotle burrito...for 1/3rd more cost. This better be a burrito so good it rivaled my talented bladder.

It wasn’t.

It was one of those food items that makes me mad -- whether it’s hamburgers or hot dogs or tacos or whatever...I want to enjoy the actual food item on its own merits...I don’t want to have to drop a metric ton of mustard and ketchup and sauces and veggies on my protein to try to do all the ‘taste work’ to prop a food item up. I like a plain beef hot dog grilled to perfection...I like a plain cheeseburger. If someone likes ONE condiment or topping on something...cool, me too. But when my wife gets a single burger from Five Guys it’s packed with mayo, ketchup, mustard, pickles, lettuce, tomato, and onion...I don’t get it. Would you eat all those things in a sandwich without the burger? I don’t even see where the burger is.

This place brought me a chicken burrito with tasteless/unseasoned chicken, tasteless/generic black beans and refried beans, and generic rice with an OK tortilla and tasteless cheese. What do people have against basic spices for food? Salt & Pepper can turn most things into a decent experience, but nope...not here. No basic spices detected. And the classic of too many non-chain restaurants: cheap ingredients causing tastelessness. Bland food. Big facility. ‘TV with sports on’ because we’re still doing that in restaurants that aren’t sports bars. Thanks for a no volume version of ‘First Take’ on the TV...really makes a difference/sets the atmosphere.

But to make up for the lack of taste they did have 20 different sauces you could utilize to try to bring flavor to the food. It was a sauce rack like a buffet, around the corner...out of sight of the workers...20 open-air trays of sauces you scoop as many as you want, as much as you want into a small cup and take back to your seat. The amount of germs that were probably present all over the stack of sauce cups you had to try to pry just one away to use while touching the other 10 below it and all the hands that touched all the scoopers/ladles sitting in each of the individual sauces -- their sauce bar would be its own CSI episode.

I left thinking...how does this place exist? Or more so...why does this place exist? Better service than Chipotle (because no one was there to hold things up) but not better food, and for a more expensive price. I will probably have Chipotle tomorrow just to erase that memory out of my system.

And also to erase the thought that I paid $17 to eat a mid-size burrito there.

Day 5 spend = $67

Six-day total food spend = $179...$29.90 per day average...got off track of my $20 per fay avg. goal for this 2-month existence with my grocery run this day. The price of soda these days are killing me.

Onto day five of radiation.

----------------------------------------------------------

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==========================

1/29 THU

(7:55amET)

-- Today’s Agenda…

FFM News & Notes during the day as I get them.

Playoff Game Reports will be out this week when they’re finished.

My Jacksonville daily diary at the very end for me recording this journey for future reading/memory and sharing how things are going with everyone.

-- Just a note...my 2+ hour podcast with the Podfather was posted on FFM yesterday and will be out in audio version and YouTube among other places you can find it.

It was 2.5+ hours in total because we have a preshow prep where we’re getting audio/video things together/ready. It’s a long event. I enjoy my time talking about football on all the random topics. But this was my first podcast where I’m on the medications and doing radiation, etc. -- and felt like there were times I was having a hard time putting ‘2 and 2’ together. I could see the ‘2s’ but I wasn’t always rapid in putting them together to communicate, I think...it felt like (but I can write/type words and thoughts with no issue).

I also have an occasional very hard time processing what people are saying to me on these cancer-fighting hormone therapies, it’s weird...like instructions or questions...sometimes I miss 5+ seconds of what people are saying to me and it’s not that I’m thinking about something else...but it’s like figurative static...I hear words but they aren’t tally connecting for me. I wish I had a quick rewind button on people speaking to me right now – which that is all a side effect of things I’m going through (temporarily), but it was really put to the test in a 2+ hour podcast where you gotta be on your toes and have no idea what’s gonna be fired at you next.

Hopefully, it is a fun listen/watch for you.

I was so exhausted after, both physically and mentally. You’d think that is silly or whiny, but there’s all the prep and stress of making sure your camera and audio work ahead...taking it on the road, in a hotel. Then I’m amped/excited to ride-the-ride...live...so my adrenaline was flowing, but because I’m having all my hormones jumbled up daily...my body doesn’t know how to deal well any with surge in adrenaline or reaction to sudden physical activity/excursion or anger (driving in traffic) or tiredness or whatever is happening at any moment. It’s very weird. I have tried to explain it as...you’re in your own skin/body for a lifetime, like you’re driving the spaceship that is your body and mind...but all these therapies and radiation, I sometimes feel like I’m driving the spaceship of my body and everything is great...then sometimes I feel like I am not driving, I’m just a passenger in the thing I have driven all my life.

It won’t be forever...just gotta grind through it.

I will be taking a little more time off today (and last night/post show) to recover and get centered/balanced again. Words I never thought I would ever speak or think...’get centered and balanced’.

It’s a brave new world for me.

-- HEADLINE: The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reports the Browns will hire former Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken as the team’s head coach.

I mean...it’s like every day...just when I think the NFL can't be run any worse, we find another layer.

Jim Schwartz is leaving because of this...he is the one guy connected to some of the team, mostly on defense, a guy I would suspect most of the team respects -- the one guy willing to work there and want the job when most everyone didn’t/bailed out on it.

Schwartz was a layup hire for the moment until (if) they get some respect back to the franchise and maybe hire some young coaching talent as assistants this year who could become eventual replacements.

Nope.

Let’s hire a guy (Monken) that people and players in Baltimore didn’t like so he can walk into a Browns franchise that will already be against him because they feel bad for Schwartz, and/or liked Schwartz.

Cleveland constantly finds new ways to completely butcher this team.

-- HEADLINE: ESPN’s Don Van Natta and Seth Wickersham report Bill Belichick was not voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on the first ballot.

I was going to make a quick comment on this nonsense and be done with it, but this seems to be a developing story on a concerted effort to do this by the voters...people in some cahoots to ‘send messages’ and others exercising petty spite.

I want to take more time to get some more facts and rumors.

== HEAD COACH HIRING BOARD ==

The latest on the HC openings, and my current guesses/predictions...

(jobs listed by job or ‘the situation’ and/or the organizational respect among the league/candidates):

LV = Klint Kubiak...Denver fired Sean Payton’s version of what Greg Roman was for Jim Harbaugh...Joe Lombardi is now gone, about 10 years overdue. The Broncos did that to elevate Davis Webb to O-C and Asst HC, I assume. So, no Webb here apparently.

All the Raiders have left is Kubiak...they’ve missed on everyone else.

Prediction Market favorite = Klint Kubiak 0.82

-----------------------------------------------------------

ARI = Raheem Morris or Mike LaFleur...Anthony Campanile is headed back to JAX, so Arizona is running out of candidates too. I think they will go defensive-minded with the choice...because only defensive coordinators can appreciate this roster...offensive coordinator types repel at this current Arizona situation.

Prediction Market favorite = Vance Joseph 0.12 (Raheem nor LaFleur are options on my Robinhood acct)

-----------------------------------------------------------

-- Dynasty Owners...

Make sure you’ve read this message: https://ffmetrics.com/total-football-advisor/6341-2026-conference-playoff-week-daily-news-and-comments-stream-mon-charbonnet-dynasty-kcs-new-o-c-nightmare

AND I’m gonna keep it on here at the end of this daily report every day to have it as a reminder to get through the next 2-3 weeks.

I know you want to storm the castle and make 152 trades right now.

BE PATIENT!!!!! Too many unknowns in the NFL right now to act in a lot of cases, on the big things/thoughts.

-- A loaded and bloated free agency class leads to my new daily segment...

We’re looking at players who...

*Still have some life/name appeal but are late/last year into their contracts and they will either make an excessive amount of money in 2026 or would only cost a minor hit to just outright cut them.

*I will also include guys who are not logical, contractually to cut, but they are hated and expensive and getting cut.

We’ll list by position, and I’ll put in order of most likely in-demand after getting cut. We’ll build the list daily. You and I might be shocked by the time we complete this exercise...

(intro end)

---------------------------------

Today’s look: Cincinnati

(other notes)

-- The Bengals are in a weird spot...they have some CAP space...they have guys they can cut for more CAP space, but they also have several star/key players who will want to be paid. It will be some nuisance to 2026, but it’s going to be a full scale 4-alarm fire to deal with or take impacts on in 2027-2028...some players will have to GO.

For 2026:

Trey Hendrickson...again. They’ll likely let him go to free agency (he’s an FA now). I don't think he'll re-sign here no matter how much money they offer him.

D.J. Turner became a star (2025) just in time for 1-year remaining on his deal…he’ll likely hold out this preseason.

Chase Brown is going into his final year...is this gonna be an issue/will Brown be on another team in 2027? For 2026, he’s here. Brown’s value changes radically with Burrow or without.

QB:

Joe Flacco (free agent)

Kyler Murray ($47M post-June 1st hit, and $7M hit in 2027)

Kirk Cousins? ($24.6M pay or cut for $25M hit post-June 1st)

RB:

Rico Dowdle (free agent)

James Conner ($10.3M keep, $2.3M cut post-June 1st)

Justice Hill (3.9M keep for 1-yr or cut for $667k)...enjoy New York.

WR:

Curtis Samuel ($8M pay for 2026, cut for $3.5M)

TE:

Kyle Pitts (free agent)

Isaiah Likely (free agent)

Mike Gesicki ($7.7M pay or cut for $4.3M)

Tommy Tremble ($8M pay for 2026 or cut for $2.2M hit post-June 1st)

Other:

Trey Hendrickson (free agent)

========================

-- RC Daily JAX Diary...

(same intro every day)

(end of intro)

1/28/26, Day 5 in JAX

Yesterday was Day 3 of radiation..

All went well. Had a full doctor visit after, which they schedule every week to check my vitals and go over any issues I’m having. It is amazing service, quality care and attention and detail being provided. I didn’t wait to see the doctor...he was on-time, and not hurried/haggard/bothered entering the room. Everything is checking out fine for the most part. Possibly some meds are going to be given for the first signs of side effects from radiation, but overall they are pleased with the results.

My food day...

Free hotel oatmeal breakfast. A $20 lunch (left a great tip for great service at MOD pizza). Already ‘paid for’ dinner of cereal from my weekend grocery run and a chocolate chip muffin I horded from the breakfast bar. Day 5 spend = $20

Five-day total food spend = $122...$24.50 per day average...continuing getting back on track, but a grocery run happening today for more beverages so trouble coming to the short-term budget for the moment.

Onto day four of radiation.

----------------------------------------------------------

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*Our Betting Subscription offering (including private Discord chat access): https://ffmetrics.com/betting/betting

==============================

1/28 WED

(8:11amET)

-- Today’s Agenda…

Senior Bowl Preview Scouting Reports...will continue to post this week and into next week I suspect. They are all guys going to the Combine, so I want to be sure to see all of them before that event and I will update any player previews that radically impressed or not during the Senior Bowl week.

FFM News & Notes during the day as I get them.

Playoff Game Reports will be out this week when they’re finished.

Anything else that pops up, and any betting opportunities I might see.

My Jacksonville daily diary at the very end for me recording this journey for future reading/memory and sharing how things are going with everyone.

-- Needless to say, I was shocked when I got out of radiation and saw a message from AndrewDFS that Joe Brady had been hired by the Raiders to be head coach...at least that’s what my mind perceived it as trying to look at it while driving. But then I knew something was wrong...and I re-looked to see Brady had been hired by the Bills.

Literally...W-T-F. The most textbook use of that acronym applies here, for me.

The very first Bills interview for Joe Brady was on 1/21 for Buffalo. If he was such a special candidate, and he literally worked for you the past few years...why would you wait a week to make this move? Why would you waste Philip Rivers’ time? Why would you waste several candidate’s time? I know you have to get the ‘Rooney Rule’ candidates in, a rule that’s really everything that is wrong-thinking about the NFL or Corporate America -- a sweet notion that has absolutely backfired and has no real results...the Bills could’ve Zoom called those interviews real quick...literally ‘phoning it in’ and then hired Brady. Were the Bills hoping someone could ‘interview’ so well that it would move them off knowing/having three years spent with Brady in their employ? Can one interview change the 7-figure-paid leadership decision for a billion-dollar business? An interview? Seriously? Yep...

I saw it all the time when I worked in Corporate. I think NFL GMs (and most ‘decision makers’) love the power of people coming in to professionally grovel at their feet, so they will schedule 5-10 interviews to get the ego stroke AND it looks like they’re really being thorough at their job. And bosses are so arrogant to think that they can judge the future from a 30-60 minute ‘first date’, that they alone are the only ones who can pull the sword from the stone and make THEE greatest decision...because they are the most intuitive among the human race.

I saw a lot of people great at their job specialty or even good-to-great high-level bosses conduct a job search and do the interviews -- and they almost always made horrible choices and conducted dreadful interviews, the ones where the interviewer does all the talking. The hiring/search process was all of their achilles heel. When I designed a different approach to do my hiring, to be as much of a recruiter of talent as I was ‘picker’ of people...when I took every candidate out for a lunch for their first interview, even for the lowest level of jobs I had to hire for, so I could observe in a more natural setting, when I designed totally new questions for the interviews versus going off the given script by HR...when I did all that -- I was admonished for wasting time and money.

When I ended up having the single greatest hiring history/tree of employees in the company...one person from corporate came out to see ‘how I had such off the charts hiring success, and those people getting promoted success’...I never heard from them again and nothing was changed in the company. Why did nothing change in my corporation...because all the levels of bosses didn’t believe anything could top ‘their judgment’ from them interviewing.

So why should we think the NFL is any different or ever going to change human/boss nature? The GMs are killing NFL teams...and it’s the owner’s fault for hiring them.

Hey, the fans lap it up and don’t ask many questions, so...the wheels on the bus go round and round...

I’m not willing to give a thumbs up or down on Brady as an HC yet, because I don’t know enough about him as a leader...because I didn’t look deep yet...because I never thought he would be an NFL HC.

This Brady hiring ‘feels like’ it could be Brian Callahan 2.0 -- the young O-C ‘drafting’ off a great QB’s performances they were randomly lucky enough to be around and they get credit for making ‘it’ happen.

If I am hiring a young O-C to be an HC, I better see evidence where they took a turd QB/offense and polished it up and made a miracle happen. Where is that with Brady?

Brady’s first NFL job was him coming off the LSU ‘greatest college team ever’ with Burrow and friends and thus getting hired as O-C by new Carolina coach Matt Rhule in 2020.

2020...Carolina had the #23 offense with Teddy Bridgewater and a really good cast of WRs and CMC to start the season but then he was traded to SF.

2021...OK, don’t judge Brady totally by his first season. In his 2nd season, he gets Sam Darnold and guides him to a disaster season and the #27 ranked offense. Can you blame him for the Darnold disaster? I mean, how could anyone be expected to turn that guy around? Where’d that Darnold guy even wind up at anyway?

Oh, and Brady was so good at O-C-ing that he was fired midseason 2021.

2022...he took a step back to be QB coach for Buffalo.

(this is a real great NFL resume to this point)

2023...Ken Dorsey, one of the worst O-Cs that I’ve ever seen, was fired midseason and Brady was ‘there’ and was promoted to interim O-C then officially the O-C for 2024-2025.

The Bills led the league in scoring in 2021 (Daboll O-C) and 2022 (Dorsey)...while Brady’s three years as O-C (23-24-25) the Bills were #4-3-5 in scoring...still very good, but is the O-C really the mastermind of all this? 2024 and 2025 represent Josh Allen’s two worst yards passing per game and pass TDs per game since becoming a breakout star in 2020 (Daboll) -- the decline taking place under Brady. Allen was sacked an all-time high 40 times in 2025 (was only 14 times in 2024).

...and you can’t blame McDermott for having some negative effect because the Bills were dominant with and for Allen, statistically, in 2020 and 2021 and 2022 under two different/other O-Cs...the mild declines started happening the season Brady took over midway 2023 (but he was better than Dorsey).

Has anyone watched Bills games, watched their offense in the past three years, and thought -- wow, who is the play caller there? Mostly people have either said, ‘Wow, Josh Allen is a Superman’ or ‘What happened to Josh Allen...he used to be such a Superman?’ There’s been a lot more ‘What’s happened to Allen...?’ questions under Joe Brady.

I don’t get this hiring at all except -- this must have been what Josh Allen was good with and what GM Brandon Beane wanted...someone he could control better. Brian Daboll and Davis Webb probably would have been too adversarial/independent working with/against what’s turning out to be one of the league’s worst GMs. Daboll and Webb both knew Beane from working there prior and may have been hesitant to work with him again...not that they turned down an offer, but that they may have had things they wanted control of that Beane wasn’t yielding. Just a wondering/theory.

This looks like a ‘The Bills choose Brady!’ moment...but it might be that Daboll and Webb knew the GM/situation and tried to demand control over some things that the GM was not giving up and the Bills may have been backed into a corner and/or subverted by a terrible GM trying to retain power over his situation...which he clearly has the weak owner ‘conned’ in this dance as well.

When the Bills continue to fall short, you need look no further than this GM...who lucked into Josh Allen...and that’s hidden the GM’s decline of the roster talent levels year-after-year since Allen broke out and Daboll left.

The Buffalo Bills are rapidly turning into the ‘Canadian Cincinnati Bengals’...we have an elite QB, and we got close to the Super Bowl at their peak...but have been fading ever since.

You know what’s looking like a better and better and better hire this cycle? John Harbaugh.

The Giants have a passive, weak-willed owner (like Buffalo does), and NYG probably has the weakest personality GM in the NFL (and that’s saying something)...and Harbaugh negotiated a deal that effectively rendered the GM useless and to-be-fired/replaced next year if Harbaugh has a decent season and gets even more power. Harbaugh contractually answers to the owner now...who is a pushover. Harbaugh now runs the Giants, for better or for worse. Considering how bad every GM is in the NFL...it can’t be for the worse.

Also, the NYG GM is a disciple/friend of the BUF GM.

The best thing the weak Giants’ owner could have done is give all the power to somebody, anybody else to run things. Clearly his GM has no answers...just excuses.

Owners bond with the GMs because GMs are corporate suck ups and owners rarely ever bond with a head coach because it’s two different worlds that don’t mesh. That’s why coaches often get 1-3 years to produce/please and GMs get 5+ years all the time.

The NFL is run very poorly...but what business in America are you seeing that are getting better run, providing better service as they mature?

In other news, Shedeur Sanders is a Pro Bowl QB for this giant business entity.

-- I am going through the Day 1 practice tape of the Senior Bowl and will report out on things I saw today or tomorrow. I am hoping today, but I gotta shoot the Podfather podcast in the afternoon so we’ll see. My practice reports might be out later today...or not, but they will be out eventually.

I am taking a different approach with the Senior Bowl coverage/study this year...I’m taking the approach many coaches do -- this event, on the field scouting, is losing all of its relevance, so I’ll just check out the tape of it as I go, like the coaches and scouts mostly do...no need to stop my entire life to watch it in real time, with limited views of only ONE thing at a time, and then cram some report outs to be early to market with a lot of ‘this guy looked good’ bullet points/fawning. I want to take my time with these players/their scouting. Speed of reporting is what junior, young football writers/analysts try to do with this two-hand-touch event (and I was one of them). I’ve been around long enough now, and I’ve been physically at that event several times, to now know...’speed of reporting kills’. There’s no need to rush this.

The things I like to look at/focus on from the Senior Bowl practices...it takes time for my sources to send me good tape to watch the things I want to watch...and watch again...and rewind and focus on nuances.

I’ll let the other football writers/observers submit their ChatGPT reports immediately with ‘stock up/stock down’ posts after one day based on a good catch they saw. I will report out on things when I’m ready to...I’m not going to get trapped by my mind saying ‘you got hurry, you gotta be early and brilliant with your observations’. ‘Early’ and ‘hurried’ are the enemy of ‘brilliant’.

I have been racing against time with the Senior Bowl coverage for years...I’m not sure how it happened, it just happened...I created the narrative in my mind and just kept doing it and killing myself, schedule-wise, in the process. But, in 2026, I have been going through everything I normally do in an offseason, and the way and the timing that I do it -- and I am asking myself, ‘Why are you doing this...this way?’ and ‘Is this really a time sensitive item?’ and ‘Is this the most important spend of your time today/this week, or are their other things as/more important?’ and ‘Is this thing you’re doing still relevant?’

Honestly, I think the coaching research I’ve been doing and my preparation for my upcoming ‘The Holy Players of 2026’ series I’m doing are more important to Dynasty/Fantasy 2026. And that’s not me just working on which coach is going where type of matchmaking ‘coaching research’...no, I’m doing the most research I ever have into the assistant coaches/candidates. Who they are, what’s their tree, what’s their claim to fame/real success, what are their tendencies? The new head coaches and new coordinators have as much bearing on a player’s output as the player’s talent does. I wish it wasn’t so, but the coaches are the gatekeepers and the catalysts that can make or break (mostly break) talent...just ask Michael Wilson’s career arc.

I don’t want to be ‘first to market’ with Senior Bowl notes...and just dish out harried slop. I don’t need to be ‘first to market’, I don’t have a deadline from an employer -- I have the luxury to be ‘best to market’ and whatever time that takes, it takes. Because the Senior Bowl study/dissection was where I ‘found’ the proper appreciation and knew to really dive deep on a Michael Wilson before his draft...while everyone covering the event was falling all over Jayden Reed instead. It’s where I found the early ‘divine revelations/visions’ of David Johnson...and Nico Collins and Grey Zabel, and many others.

This is a message to ME directly, and a notice to you (my faithful supporters) -- the Senior Bowl analysis will be posted when it’s good and ready to be. The clock/calendar is not gonna be my boss in this arena. The key CTQ/‘critical to quality’ thing is not ‘hurry’.

That being said, I will share this little blip...I watched the first practice of the day, the National Team...and I have covered the Senior Bowl for like 15+ years now...and this was the sloppiest 11-on-11 practice I’m sure I’ve ever seen from Mobile. Fumbles, bad exchanges, offsides, etc. But it is ‘frickin freezing’ down there right now. I’m glad I’m not there in person...I’ve been there in the stands, among the scouts and personnel people, in blazing heat and a frozen tundra, and everything in-between. The freezing part is thee worst...those metal bleachers on 30-degree temps...not good.

== HEAD COACH HIRING BOARD ==

The latest on the HC openings, and my current guesses/predictions...

(jobs listed by job or ‘the situation’ and/or the organizational respect among the league/candidates):

All the Raiders have left is Kubiak...they’ve missed on everyone else.

Prediction Market favorite = Klint Kubiak 0.82

-----------------------------------------------------------

ARI = Raheem Morris or Mike LaFleur...Anthony Campanile appears headed back to JAX, so Arizona is running out of candidates too. I think they will go defensive-minded with the choice...because only defensive coordinators can appreciate this roster...offensive coordinator types repel at this current Arizona situation.

Prediction Market favorite = Vance Joseph 0.12 (Raheem nor LaFleur are options on my Robinhood acct)

-----------------------------------------------------------

CLE = Jim Schwartz or Nate Scheelhaase (but they want a guy like Scheelhaase or Udinski, but those guys will turn the Browns down...they’re too good of candidates to take this bottom feeder ownership/organization job. Udinski officially turned them down.)

Schwartz is there when no one else wants the job. https://x.com/jasrifootball/status/2014096757257367828?s=43

Prediction Market favorite = Jim Schwartz 0.62

-----------------------------------------------------------

-- Dynasty Owners...

Make sure you’ve read this message: https://ffmetrics.com/total-football-advisor/6341-2026-conference-playoff-week-daily-news-and-comments-stream-mon-charbonnet-dynasty-kcs-new-o-c-nightmare

AND I’m gonna keep it on here at the end of this daily report every day to have it as a reminder to get through the next 2-3 weeks.

I know you want to storm the castle and make 152 trades right now.

BE PATIENT!!!!! Too many unknowns in the NFL right now to act in a lot of cases, on the big things/thoughts.

-- A loaded and bloated free agency class leads to my new daily segment...

We’re looking at players who...

*Still have some life/name appeal but are late/last year into their contracts and they will either make an excessive amount of money in 2026 or would only cost a minor hit to just outright cut them.

*I will also include guys who are not logical, contractually to cut, but they are hated and expensive and getting cut.

We’ll list by position, and I’ll put in order of most likely in-demand after getting cut. We’ll build the list daily. You and I might be shocked by the time we complete this exercise...

(intro end)

---------------------------------

Today’s look: Carolina

(other notes)

-- The Panthers aren’t in bad shape. They got some guys to pay, but also some players they can cut and save chunks of CAP space.

-- The only possible trade I see coming is them dumping Xavier Legette if they find a taker of his payroll...they’ll probably keep him just to see if a ‘turn’ comes; he’s not that expensive to take another look.

QB:

Kyler Murray ($47M post-June 1st hit, and $7M hit in 2027)

Kirk Cousins? ($24.6M pay or cut for $25M hit post-June 1st)

RB:

Rico Dowdle (free agent)

James Conner ($10.3M keep, $2.3M cut post-June 1st)

Justice Hill (3.9M keep for 1-yr or cut for $667k)...enjoy New York.

WR:

Curtis Samuel ($8M pay for 2026, cut for $3.5M)

TE:

Kyle Pitts (free agent)

Isaiah Likely (free agent)

Tommy Tremble ($8M pay for 2026, or cut for $2.2M hit post-June 1st)

Other:

========================

-- RC Daily JAX Diary...

(same intro every day)

(end of intro)

1/27/26, Day 4

Yesterday was Day 2 of radiation. Went by pretty well. No major items to report. Only minor...

1) I got up at 4:15am yesterday...not because I wanted to, but because my sleep patterns are all out of whack. Took the dog out at 4:30am in the 30-degree Jacksonville weather...Noooooooo!! My first two days it was 60s low and about 80 high...shorts and t-shirt walking of the dog. Not anymore...not for like the next 2 weeks.

2) Heading back from radiation, I thought...man that Steak N Shake burger was so good yesterday...let’s do that again. The sequel is never as good as the original. I need to put some space in-between repeat visits.

I decided to have cereal for dinner as my penance, and to save money on my food budget.

A $12 lunch. A $6 coffee for a ‘reward’ for getting up at 4+am, and they made it bad...it was bad. Already ‘paid for’ dinner of cereal from my grocery run. Day 4 spend = $18

Another day under my $20 per day goal for food costs for 50 days. Two in-a-row.

Four-day total food spend = $102...$25.50 per day average...getting back on track.

Onto day three of radiation.

----------------------------------------------------------

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1/27 TUE

(6:29amET)

-- Today’s Agenda…

Senior Bowl Preview Reports...Senior Bowl Week this week. I will not have all the offensive Senior Bowl prospect reports done ahead of the first practice, and that’s OK...I am taking my time with the prospects, not rushing to beat deadlines...quality over speed. We got 9 million other things as/more pressing in football going on to cover/stay up with too.

FFM News & Notes during the day as I get them.

Playoff Game Reports will be out this week.

Anything else that pops up, and any betting opportunities I might see.

My Jacksonville daily diary at the very end for me recording this journey for future reading/memory and sharing how things are going with everyone.

Dynasty Stash report update

== NEWS & NOTES & Xs ==

-- Side note: If all timings work out and I’m in good stamina shape...Wednesday 1/28, I will be reappearing on a podcast episode with The Podfather.

Not sure if it is live or recorded for later posting (later afternoon ET)...because they are working around my radiation schedule. I don’t ask questions; I just show up when asked.

-- Another side note: I am also posting any published reports of note onto Twitter/X, as well as using our App notifications like normal...just an FYI if you want to follow FFM on Twitter to get report post notices that way.

Just trying to make notifications easier/more universal. Not doing it for ‘follows’, I don’t even look at our Twitter/X and I don’t allow comments on our notifications so I don’t see the cesspool of social media critics...it’s just a stable/universal notification system most people use on their phones that we can utilize for free.

I’m also working on a big-time/improved option for ALL notifications that I think you’ll like. We should be running trials of it early February, for February implementation for everyone to use if they wish. No cost or anything...just an improved option in every way.

-- HEADLINE: ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss reports the price for Kyler Murray in trade “starts with a third-round pick.”

Furthermore: “That source compared Murray’s situation with Geno Smith’s when he was traded from Seattle to Las Vegas last March for a third-round pick.

It’s not 2024 or the 10+ years prior. The desperation by teams for QBs is dwindling...most every team has at least one. And the teams that don’t are ready to draft them or sign a veteran or lure Hall of Famers out of retirement.

What team is looking for a giant payroll, immature QB to lead their team? I know Cleveland and the Jets are dupes...but hold on a second. Why would any team be interested in trading Arizona for Kyler, if Arizona (also a dupe team) doesn’t want him? Has no one learned from the Carson Wentz chronicles of a few years ago? Arizona needs a QB, and they don’t even want him...in fact they now hate him so much they are gonna take a payroll bath to get rid of him.

And this source comparing Kyler to Geno Smith isn’t a logical thing, but it proves the point of what a waste of a move that Geno trade was. The Raiders traded for Geno last offseason, and it went so well they are literally picking #1 in this year’s draft and taking a QB. But Geno Smith had the heart of Pete Carroll, and given the stupidity of the Brady-led ‘management team’...so, Pete got what he wanted (then got what he deserved after Week 18 finished). Who is Kyler tied to...who is making a big move for him? Is Kliff Kingsbury getting a head coaching job I don’t know about?

Kyler is getting outright cut or traded for like a day three pick with Arizona footing the bill for much payroll.

Who even needs a QB right now?

Miami...Kyler not likely a Jeff Hafley player. Malik Willis is a very likely signing there.

The Jets...Aaron Glenn would have zero interest in a disinterested, non-hard working/studying player like Kyler.

Cleveland...hell, they already have a 2025 Pro Bowl QB as it is! (I‘ll get to that sometime this week).

Las Vegas...they have Geno...and the #1 pick.

Minnesota...not Kyler. They’d stick with JJM before that.

No NFC team even needs a QB...besides...Arizona. Maybe they go with Brissett, maybe they don’t. What head coach prospect wants the Cardinals job with Brissett at QB as their big lure to hire them?

There’s nowhere for Kyler to go...but to...Arizona.

And all those potential QB job openings we mentioned...there is Flacco, Mac Jones, Jameis, Willis, among other options.

Here’s a clip of the Cardinals GM telling Kyler they are trading or cutting him, and his reaction: https://youtube.com/shorts/i8Kr1BVlnnA?si=9d0LnHRnAtMG6v_R

Maybe that baseball dream is still alive for Kyler?

--HEADLINE: Bears offensive coordinator Declan Doyle has removed his name from the Eagles’ offensive-coordinator search.

I wondered why he was even bothering with other O-C jobs. Just stick with Ben Johnson, and everything will be fine for jobs down the road.

No one wants the Cleveland head coaching job, nor the Arizona head coaching job, and apparently not the Eagles offensive coordinator job either.

== HEAD COACH HIRING BOARD ==

The latest on the HC openings, and my current guesses/predictions...

(jobs listed by job or ‘the situation’ and/or the organizational respect among the league/candidates):

BUF = Brian Daboll or Davis Webb...I’ve already written a lot on this already. I can add something new today: the Grant Udinski Twitter love racing him to the leader of the social media army predictions now...it’s a bored fan’s hope/fantasy...’we want something new! And we don’t know who or what a Davis Webb is...our overlords in NFL media haven’t spoon-fed us info to fawn over this Webb guy yet’. Well, I’ve been talking about Webb as an HC happening in 2026 for what?...2 weeks now?

Prediction Market favorite = Grant Udinski .45 (was .64 at a peak MON)

-----------------------------------------------------------

LV = Davis Webb or Klint Kubiak...if Webb doesn’t get this, he might be the Bills new O-C and Ass’t Coach in training...maybe.

Vegas is running out of options and Tom Brady keeps broadcasting Seattle games/Kubiak.

The fact that Udinski isn’t even interviewing here or with Arizona, shows he has NO real hiring heat.

Prediction Market favorite = Klint Kubiak 0.44

-----------------------------------------------------------

ARI = Raheem Morris/Vance Joseph or Anthony Campanile...young coaches are reluctant to go to take on McVay-Shanahan-Macdonald. You’ll know that’s true if Arizona is forced to go with a retread…or young guy no one else is giving big attention too.

And I think they will go defensive-minded...because only defensive coordinators can appreciate this roster...offensive coordinator types repel at this current Arizona situation.

Prediction Market favorite = Anthony Campanile 0.23

-----------------------------------------------------------

Schwartz is there when no one else wants the job. https://x.com/jasrifootball/status/2014096757257367828?s=43

Prediction Market favorite = Jim Schwartz 0.62

-----------------------------------------------------------

-- Dynasty Owners...

Make sure you’ve read this message: https://ffmetrics.com/total-football-advisor/6341-2026-conference-playoff-week-daily-news-and-comments-stream-mon-charbonnet-dynasty-kcs-new-o-c-nightmare

AND I’m gonna keep it on here at the end of this daily report every day to have it as a reminder to get through the next 2-3 weeks.

I know you want to storm the castle and make 152 trades right now.

BE PATIENT!!!!! Too many unknowns in the NFL right now to act in a lot of cases, on the big things/thoughts.

-- A loaded and bloated free agency class leads to my new daily segment...

We’re looking at players who...

*Still have some life/name appeal but are late/last year into their contracts and they will either make an excessive amount of money in 2026 or would only cost a minor hit to just outright cut them.

*I will also include guys who are not logical, contractually to cut, but they are hated and expensive and getting cut.

We’ll list by position, and I’ll put in order of most likely in-demand after getting cut. We’ll build the list daily. You and I might be shocked by the time we complete this exercise...

(intro end)

---------------------------------

Today’s look: Buffalo

(other notes)

-- The Bills salary cap for 2026 isn’t looking great right now, but I assume the GM will now gut the roster of the ‘McDermott guys’ and most of those are defensive players. The new HC and D-C can rebuild a lot of this defense in their image quickly.

-- I’m looking at their Josh Palmer deal and just shaking my head...they gave him 2-years/$18M. This GM has blood on his hands for this missed opportunity mess of the past few years too.

-- Only Curtis Samuel is added to the list below.

QB:

Kyler Murray ($47M post-June 1st hit, and $7M hit in 2027)

Kirk Cousins? ($24.6M pay or cut for $25M hit post-June 1st)

RB:

James Conner ($10.3M keep, $2.3M cut post-June 1st)

Justice Hill (3.9M keep for 1-yr or cut for $667k)...enjoy New York.

WR:

Curtis Samuel ($8M pay for 2026, cut for $3.5M)

TE:

Kyle Pitts (free agent)

Isaiah Likely (free agent)

Other:

========================

-- RC Daily JAX Diary...

(same intro every day)

(end of intro)

1/27/26, Day 3

Alright, I had my first radiation treatment yesterday. I’m going to give two analyses of the day/things that stuck out to me the most...

(1) I totally lucked out with the place I found to stay short-term in J-Ville. Easy access to the main roads to get straight to the hospital (MD Anderson) downtown.

And I totally lucked out by luckily getting a recommendation to apply to MD Anderson (MDA) as my care choice. When I got to MDA, it was 10:00am, and the place was calm, serene, no fighting for parking spots...no mass of humanity waiting in line or overcrowding the waiting rooms or check in areas...plenty of employees to take care of everyone, whereas most hospitals I have been to feel like they are squeezing the $$ for efficiency with staff -- MDA is overstaffed by comparison, and I mean that in the best way I could say that. Every employee seems happy to be there. Everyone is smiling and asking how they can help.

My message to you, if you get cancer and if you are able to...go to MD Anderson or (probably) any of the other top/elite hospitals that specialize in JUST cancer. Even if you have extra cost to do so...try to find a way. This is a serious thing...you want the best. Likely, when I am done here...I will donate money to MDA on a regular basis. I’ll probably up my St. Jude giving as well.

You have no idea what a godsend these places are for people in minor and major crises. They have free housing/apartment like options for 1-2 weeks or more for people who need/want it at MDA. St. Jude’s...no one gets a bill for things, so I understand it. I didn’t understand the beauty of that until I got into this unwanted battle...and I have it way better than most everyone I see here.

So, I got checked in and I only have one requirement ahead of time...for the 45+ minutes beforehand radiation -- drink 24oz of water...AND HOLD IT. They need you to have a full bladder because that bloated organ then pushes things out and makes my specific radiation maneuvers easier for the robots/doctors...they are VERY serious about your water levels prior to treatment. Water is my natural enemy...can’t stand it...but I gotta do what I gotta do.

I went into the radiation room which, the best way I can describe it, was like I was captured by aliens and taken to their exam room and laid on a table and then this giant open air machine with like five high tech ‘tentacles’ (the radiation lasers) moves around me like a technologically advanced symphony, so quiet, so smooth, able to go into various angles, all swirling around me. My very tough job during this is = ‘lay still’.

So, 20+ minutes of lying still later, it was over. Now, I was allowed to go deal with all that water. So, I did...then off to the parking deck...no swarming traffic aggressively wanting my spot, I easily pulled out of my spot and got on the highway headed for (new)home.

(2) So, they told me of the possible side effects from radiation...things that would/could probably happen in a few weeks as the radiation built/wore on over time. As I left the hospital, I felt totally normal. As I approached the hotel...around noonET, I started yawning. OK, let’s take a nap. I only slept 5 hours overnight because of hot flashes, among other things, disrupting my sleep...so a midday nap was definitely in order.

I was gonna work for a few, then lie down...was my plan as I pulled into the hotel. By the time I got to my room, I was like...sorry (my)dog, I gotta lay down...3 hours later of solid uninterrupted deep sleep later (rare)...I woke up in a stupor like I’d been run over by a truck, but in a kinda good way. I didn’t know where I was or what time it was for like 2-3 minutes before I ‘came to’. I was fine the rest of the night but definitely felt ‘off’/not 100%. If this is day one of this for fatigue, and they warned me that fatigue wouldn’t probably hit until Week 3...now I am worried what Week 3 will really be like. But hopefully my body adjusts/adapts quickly, but my defenses are down from the hormone therapies.

So much going on...the war for my ‘self’ is underway.

On to more serious matters, like my food choices and spending budget for Day 3. Yesterday/after Day 2, I was already over budget...but blame an initial grocery supply run throwing things off for a bit. My two-day tally was $72...$36.0 per day...trying to stay in a $1K spend for two months, about $20 a day with all my gift cards and other gits family gave to me for the holidays, etc.

So, I was driving home from the hospital when one of the first warned side effects popped up...maybe. How do I say this in case you’re eating while reading, it won’t be too bad...but I started to realize that I had more of my guzzled 24oz of water to get rid of. I thought I did at the hospital, but suddenly I had a small urge...then one of the other warned of side effects a minute later -- a major urgent urge, I was getting off the next exit manically.

Just so happens that exit had a restaurant I hadn’t been to in years...one I used to like OK = Steak N Shake. So, I decided I would go there and also get some lunch. How convenient! I don’t know if it was the radiation or what, but that was arguably the best burger I have had in a long time. So dang good. Good service, great food...had the option to pay in Bitcoin but I went old fashioned with just a regular old credit card. Nice job Steak N Shake. I heard they were improving all facets...and a big ‘thumbs up’ from me...and a possible next visit after treatment today.

A $12 lunch. No coffee at all for the day. FREE dinner...using points at Chipotle for a chicken bowl...and that was great too. Does radiation make your taste buds get warped into everything tastes amazing? Day 3 spend = $12

Three-day total food spend = $84...$28.0 per day average...getting back on track.

I typed this when I woke up this morning...at 4:15amET...after 5 hours of sleep. Man, is this gonna be a trying day/week/2 months.

Onto day two of radiation.

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1/26 MON

(7:19amET)

-- Today’s Agenda…

Senior Bowl Preview Reports...Senior Bowl week this week.

FFM News & Notes during the day as I get them.

Anything else that pops up, and any betting opportunities I might see.

My Jacksonville daily diary at the very end for me recording this journey for future reading/memory and sharing how things are going with everyone.

-- ALERT: New hire coaching scouting from me...

We’ve got a ton of coaching changes happening and still to come, obviously, and I’m making some quick reaction/commentary on them along the way as it ‘strikes me’ to...but I just wanted make note -- I will be going very in-depth on the new coaching hires AND (as importantly) their staffs and reporting out on it all probably in later February and into March.

These reports are gonna be an all new (for me) format, a very in-depth look at these coaches/coaching staffs and projections on their impact on the FF players.

We can’t just ‘kinda study’ the head coaches anymore...we have to dissect and dismantle them and their entire staff. It will be a huge undertaking, because I think in this new era it needs to be. I just wanted to put that out there as an FYI.

== SUNDAY FINAL FOUR GAMES, FIRST REACTIONS ==

NE-DEN

-- From (3-14) and the #2 pick in the draft, that they trade away to drop down...new coach/staff, great free agent session...and now onto the Super Bowl for the Patriots. https://x.com/sleeperhq/status/2015567380848452000?s=43

-- The outcome might have been different if Bo Nix played...might have been different even without Nix if there was not a blizzard after halftime...might have been different if Sean Payton kicks a FG to go up 10-0 early...might have been different if the refs got the call right on a Drake Maye 4th & 1 stuffed, but they let him squirm for an extra minute...then the refs hurried to get the next playoff without even a measurement...then the red flag...then we see Maye stuffed from a camera shot above...then New York doesn’t reverse it.

All games are 50/50 in these playoffs...and outcomes have/had nothing to do with the teams/rosters/matchups.

-- When it mattered, Drake Maye made the plays needed to win...mostly with his feet...he is now the Josh Allen of the NFL.

https://x.com/anthonydabbundo/status/2015562605423686110?s=43

-- Sean Payton coached some of the worst football, made the worst decisions throughout the season...and it finally caught up to him.

https://x.com/panasonicdx4500/status/2015559243013771313?s=43

https://x.com/ihartitz/status/2015525041983602716?s=43

https://x.com/notthefakednp/status/2015534184014496191?s=43

LAR-SEA

-- Another 50/50 game...both playoff games this weekend were coin flip games determined by things that had nothing to prove which teams were better. New England and Seattle are very good teams and deserve to be here...but it so easily could’ve been Bills, Broncos, Rams, Texans, Bears, or Packers here. Not so sure the Panthers couldn’t have gotten on a roll to get to the finals either, with a little luck.

The only team, looking back on it, that had little-to-no chance to get to the Super Bowl, even with some luck, was the Chargers...because of the state of the O-Line.

And that’s a wild statement considering that I also think a healthy Chargers O-Line would have made the LAC the Super Bowl favorite/best team in the NFL.

https://x.com/doug_clawson/status/2015623331546882267?s=43

https://x.com/sharpfootball/status/2015619277944930733?s=43

-- We have a memory of Kenneth Walker dominating in this game...and he looked great on that first drive...but he ended up with his typical 2025 Seahawks game = 19 carries for 61 yards and a measly 3.3 yards per carry...but the memory will be (mostly from the first drive) = Walker is a god, I hope my team signs him in free agency.

The best, most talented RB in this game isn’t even a starter...Blake Corum.

-- Sam Darnold is going to the Super Bowl...Vikings and Jets fans are crying about it. But why?

(1) You didn’t/don’t have the coaching or ownership/management or infrastructure to be where Seattle is at. No more ‘you can’t criticize Kevin O’Connell’...you can. It’s a big deal now/in retrospect that he chose JJM over Darnold/Dan Jones...and you have to get a load of that GM’s awful drafts since he took over...and also notice the coaching staff turmoil that has happened in Minnesota this past few weeks.

Vikings fans...you have bigger issues than just 'we should've kept Darnold!' If you think Seattle is now the best/holy franchise to aspire to because they are progressing in a coin flip tournament...you're missing the mark...the NFL reality is passing you by while you're stuck in the 2000s-2024. It's entirely possible the three best teams, truly, in the NFL in 2025 are: A healthy Chargers team/O-Line, the Daniel Jones-led Colts (how good were they, and we all just 'forget'), and the Chicago Bears not losing their linebackers and secondary on-and-off all season, and then losing their key linebacker/team leader and starting OL (Trapilo) in the Packers game/before the Rams game. Teams/fans should be aspiring to those 2025 teams as well as Seattle and New England, but nope...we're all just gonna fawn exclusively over the Super Bowl combatants because that's what we're trained to do.

https://x.com/kalebnfl/status/2015637236683866298?s=43

https://x.com/_mnmuse/status/2015619415887220948?s=43

(2) The public is gonna take years to realize a truth right now, spawned from the 2025 season...the QB position/importance has changed rapidly to ‘not that important, as long as you have a competent one’. We came very close to seeing Stidham beat Maye and we did see Darnold defeat Stafford, despite insane numbers by Stafford.

-- I joked after Rashid Shaheed opened the game with that 51-yard catch...well, there’s his one target/catch for the game. Shaheed ended the game with one catch for 51 yards.

-- This Seattle win is not helping Klint Kubiak exercise real leverage over the coaching market.

-- The way the Rams were planned/schemed/coached this past 5 weeks, since the Seattle Week 16 debacle, I don’t see any reason to rush out and hire all the spawns of McVay over the other legit young coaches: Udinski, Webb, Kubiak.

Warren Sharp has been on this for weeks too: https://x.com/sharpfootball/status/2015592914823352688?s=43

Other weird notes on the Rams loss:

https://x.com/sarahbarshop/status/2015643237932052904?s=43

https://x.com/shootermcgavin/status/2015620922082799983?s=43

https://x.com/schultz_report/status/2015629668167393618?s=43

https://x.com/bgrisaktst/status/2015623770682085404?s=43

https://x.com/camdasilva/status/2015623865167131009?s=43

Wrapping up the weekend...

https://x.com/billshanks/status/2015620262771720389?s=43

== NEWS & NOTES & Xs ==

-- The 49ers are taking a beating on social media from this weekend’s events...

https://x.com/jnay_lss/status/2015622781447123225?s=43

https://x.com/grantcohn/status/2015588487836442697?s=43

https://x.com/jasrifootball/status/2015467782494707751?s=43

https://x.com/chase_senior/status/2015641732008853942?s=43

-- HEADLINE: Giants hired former Titans DC Dennard Wilson to the same position.

I mentioned him as a LAC potential, but I forgot he had stronger ties to John Harbaugh...but Mike McDaniel has stronger ties to Shanahan/Saleh and went with the LAC situation.

I’m glad Wilson is getting a chance to erase the Titans years from his memory banks.

-- Pitch Perfect from SNL or the NFL: https://youtu.be/daXHsQYQbjc?si=1sIOQz_bB85wDMmA

== HEAD COACH HIRING BOARD ==

The latest on the HC openings, and my current guesses/predictions...

(jobs listed by job or ‘the situation’ and/or the organizational respect among the league/candidates):

BUF = Brian Daboll...this is making more and more sense to me. It won’t be a young guy, unless Davis Webb. If it’s a retread...it has to be Daboll. Josh Allen is making this decision.

Prediction Market favorite = Brian Daboll 0.37

-----------------------------------------------------------

LV = Davis Webb or Klint Kubiak...if Webb doesn’t get this, he might be the Bills new O-C and Asst Coach in training...maybe.

Vegas is running out of options Tom Brady keeps broadcasting Seattle games/Kubiak.

Prediction Market favorite = Klint Kubiak 0.68

-----------------------------------------------------------

ARI = Klint Kubiak or Grant Udinski...young coaches are reluctant to go take on McVay-Shanahan-Macdonald. You’ll know that’s true if Arizona is forced to go with a retread.

Prediction Market favorite = Anthony Campanile 0.35

-----------------------------------------------------------

CLE = Jim Schwartz (but they want a guy like Scheelhaase or Udinski, but those guys will turn the Browns down...they’re too good of candidates to take this bottom feeder ownership/organization job...but maybe they throw enough money at Udinski...).

Schwartz is there when no one else wants the job. https://x.com/jasrifootball/status/2014096757257367828?s=43

Prediction Market favorite = Nate Scheelhaase 0.54

-----------------------------------------------------------

-- Dynasty Owners...

Make sure you’ve read this message: https://ffmetrics.com/total-football-advisor/6341-2026-conference-playoff-week-daily-news-and-comments-stream-mon-charbonnet-dynasty-kcs-new-o-c-nightmare

AND I’m gonna keep it on here at the end of this daily report every day to have it as a reminder to get through the next 2-3 weeks.

I know you want to storm the castle and make 152 trades right now.

BE PATIENT!!!!! Too many unknowns in the NFL right now to act in a lot of cases, on the big things/thoughts.

-- A loaded and bloated free agency class leads to my new daily segment...

We’re looking at players who...

*Still have some life/name appeal but are late/last year into their contracts and they will either make an excessive amount of money in 2026 or would only cost a minor hit to just outright cut them.

*I will also include guys who are not logical, contractually to cut, but they are hated and expensive and getting cut.

We’ll list by position, and I’ll put in order of most likely in-demand after getting cut. We’ll build the list daily. You and I might be shocked by the time we complete this exercise...

(intro end)

---------------------------------

Today’s look: Baltimore

(other notes)

-- A collection of OK and terrible contracts that they really can’t get out of smoothly this year...and the contracts explode on them in 2027 and 2028. This team is hurdling to a disaster. When you’re next 2-3 years money is tied up in Mark Andrews and Rashod Bateman...and Derrick Henry’s deal exposed (GUAR) in 2027-2028.

They need to maneuver some of these deals, re-do them to be in a position to rid themselves of overpaid junk.

John Harbaugh knew what he was doing getting out of this situation.

QB:

Kyler Murray ($47M post-June 1st hit, and $7M hit in 2027)

Kirk Cousins? ($24.6M pay or cut for $25M hit post-June 1st)

RB:

James Conner ($10.3M keep, $2.3M cut post-June 1st)

Justice Hill (3.9M keep for 1-yr or cut for $667k)...enjoy New York.

WR:

TE:

Kyle Pitts (free agent)

Isaiah Likely (free agent)

Other:

========================

-- RC Daily JAX Diary...

(same intro every day)

(end of intro)

1/25/26, Day 2

Writing this on Sunday, tomorrow (today) is day one of my radiation treatments. I’m going to the hospital very early to get a feel for the drive, check in early and take care of any initial paperwork things that tend to crop up.

Sunday is/was a busy day to try to get stuff done before the playoff games. Did a little grocery shopping, then did a bunch of work and then a nap before the playoff games. The only real money I had riding was early year bets on the Rams to go to the Super Bowl, so that money got right up to the finish line and then got slapped away. Every gained dollar is going to a good cause -- all my health care costs with the new year, deductible begins anew with the new calendar year, everything costs me now. Soon it won’t. I’ll be at my deductible pretty quickly!

My wife asked me if I was ‘ready’ for the big day (radiation start). I kinda haven’t been thinking about it in my solitary confinement at the hotel...too busy trying to get a feel for things in my ‘new home’. I wonder if it will hit me as I drive there this morning...or when I walk in the hospital main door.

Will the feeling hit me that -- this is the next kill shot...a major kill shot. When I walk in the door to the hospital and get on the bed for the robot guided radiating -- that doctor is gonna be like the old Mariano Rivera game entry, or whatever baseball closer you like, coming into finish off the big lead we have through my successful therapies reaction so far...or he could blow the save...or he get the save but I take on some internal damage and having lasting ramifications I don’t want to think about...BUT, the goal is to win the game, no matter what else happens.

Today is the start of radiation...the potential ‘beginning of the end’.

My vision of my entry into the hospital is this with all the people who have prayed for me and wished well for me as the people in the stands as I enter the facility...

https://youtu.be/kjcwXPyKQ58?si=OZ9hTLByIQMRI1Rh&t=29

Wish me luck, throw me a prayer today!

The food budget went off the rails Sunday, two days in, but I got an excuse...had to get some initial groceries. I’m trying to stay around $20 per day over 50 days...$1k gifted in gift cards and cash by family members, Christmas presents, etc., for this event.

I spent $26 day one.

Day 2...grocery store trip for $29 to start the day. Coffee for $6. Wendy’s Baconator for dinner (at 2:30 to get it in before the game), plus fry was $11. My two-day tally is $72...$36.0 per day. I’m gonna need a cheap day to swing the numbers back my way...or I need the Bills to hire Brian Daboll as HC to get a nice payout on those bets for some cushion.

I will absolutely not cook for myself. That’s a side goal of all this. I hate cooking, and the whole process leading up to it.

Man, Wendy’s is really going downhill. Haven’t been there in a while. Not great. No workers. Mediocre food now.