RC's Daily Notes 2026: For the Week of 2/23-3/1 (The Week That Was...)

: R.C. Fischer; FreeView; 01 March 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.

3/1 SUN

(5:55amET)

Today

-- Combine Day-3 review.

-- DT grades 1.0

-- A full scouting report.

-- Mostly will be focusing on reviewing and processing Combine results and looking at news/rumors beyond what’s taking place on the field.

This Week’s Agenda…

-- The defensive prospect grades debut...coming soon with the Combine results to work with some official numbers on them for their 1.0 grades.

-- Wrapping up and auditing Dynasty rankings 1.0. Adding the top rookies with the latest info. Probably March 3-5 range debut (projected). IDP work begins after that.

-- Holy series ‘QBs 1.0’ published last week. The RB position group 95% done, set to publish Monday. Holy RB Handcuffs after that.

-- Working on the next wave of full scouting reports...especially on prospects who did all the stuff at the Combine.

-- The next early/pre-Combine positional grades and rankings boards are underway and will have Combine data pouring in to update existing, early ratings.

-- Any FFM News & Notes or Special Reports 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.

-- New coaching staff hire’s analysis series...going through the entire staff...I am working on the framework of how I want to present that. This will be a first ever series (for me) where I go beyond ‘just the new head coaches’. ETA in March.

== NEWS & NOTES & Xs ==

-- HEADLINE: ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg believes Khalil Shakir is “likely taking on a bigger role” in 2026. Joe Brady said he was one of the team’s best football players and said that there are other ways to get the ball in his hands than just in the screen game.

So, here’s what I am just supposed to believe = The guy that designed the playbook and called the plays for Buffalo the past two years...he has now discovered there’s better ways to get Shakir the ball?

I just gotta bad feeling about where the Bills franchise is headed...a massive mistake hiring Brady.

-- Speaking of dying former/recent AFC powers...

HEADLINE: Ravens head coach Jesse Minter said “I don’t know that he needs to run more, I actually think there’s times where he can run less” when asked about Lamar Jackson running more.

If Jesse Minter really did turn down the Raiders job for the Ravens, he stands a good chance at being a defensive coordinator again in 2028. Actually, all paths for him probably lead back to D-C quickly.

I think what was missing from Lamar is: Less running, more passing...because he is such an ‘assassin’ as a pocket passer.

The Ravens, Lamar especially, are a Derrick Henry injury or age-out away from being one of the worst teams in the AFC. Henry has helped Lamar flourish when teams stack the box routinely against him with almost no fear remaining on Lamar.

-- Here are the 25 most interesting, fantasy-relevant, and impactful quotes from Day 2 (Friday, Feb 27):

On Roster Shakesups & Veterans

Jon-Eric Sullivan (Dolphins GM) on Tua: "Everything is on the table when it comes to Tua Tagovailoa... They have not, in particular, said he wants to stay."
Jon-Eric Sullivan (Dolphins GM) on Waddle/Achane: "The Dolphins are not 'actively trying to move' running back De’Von Achane or receiver Jaylen Waddle." (A classic "listening but not calling" clarification).
John Spytek (Raiders GM) on the #1 Pick: "I learned a long time ago, always listen. I'm always listening." (Confirming they aren't married to the top spot).
Brett Veach (Chiefs GM) on the Run Game: "Certainly, we want to get more explosive in the running game... Kingsley [Suamataia] took a big step... We want to impose our will."
Adam Peters (Commanders GM) on Laremy Tunsil: "We’re as motivated as ever to get that [extension] done. I don't think either side wants to drag it on."
Mike MacDonald (Seahawks HC) on the Offense: "It’s going to be built on the same [49ers-style] principles, but how it comes to life... I can’t answer that yet."
John Spytek (Raiders GM) on Maxx Crosby: "Maxx is an elite player... we're in the business of having really good players on the team, and we need a lot more of them."

On the 2026 Quarterback Class

8. Ty Simpson (Alabama QB) on his Readiness: "I’m ready. I’m a franchise quarterback... Alabama prepares you most for the NFL. I ran an NFL-type system."

9. Diego Pavia (Vanderbilt QB) on Mentorship: "He [an undisclosed veteran] checks up on me. Makes sure I'm good... He's given me some good advice, for sure."

10. John Spytek (Raiders GM) on Young QBs: "If you have a young quarterback, I’m not necessarily in favor of running him out there right away either."

11. John Spytek (Raiders GM) on Evaluation: "It’s the hardest position to evaluate... Every year we evaluate them top to bottom because you never know."

On Rising Skill Position Stars

12. Kenyon Sadiq (Oregon TE) on his Speed: Sadiq didn't need a quote to talk—his 4.39 40-yard dash (at 241 lbs) made him the fastest combine TE since 2003.

13. Eli Stowers (Vanderbilt TE) on his Vert: After jumping a record 45.5 inches, scouts called him "the ultimate red-zone mismatch."

14. Daniel Jeremiah (Analyst) on Makai Lemon (WR, USC): "He is a wideout with a running back’s body and a linebacker’s temperament. He wins in traffic."

15. Daniel Jeremiah (Analyst) on Jeremiyah Love (RB, Notre Dame): "Love is a dynamic weapon as a runner and receiver... He explodes to and through the hole."

16. Jeremiyah Love (RB, Notre Dame) on a potential Commanders fit: "Me and Jayden Daniels would pair well together. He can use his feet... and then you add me in there."

17. Carnell Tate (Ohio State WR): "I got the contested catch, I got the route running, and I also bring it in the run game. A lot of receivers don't do that."

18. Zachariah Branch (USC WR) on Work Ethic: "I’m up at 10 p.m., 11 p.m. at the facility watching film... You can’t overstudy."

19. Eli Heidenreich (Navy RB/WR) on Role: "Some [teams] view me more as a traditional running back... Some look at me more as a slot receiver."

20. Germie Bernard (Alabama WR) on Aggression: "I started off as an offensive lineman, so I have that aggression... I just translated that into blocking and running."

On Defense & Intangibles

21. Dillon Thieneman (Oregon S) on Confidence: After a stellar Friday, Mike Renner (CBS) noted: "An elite athlete who looked more like a cornerback than a safety... He’ll be a first-round pick."

22. Caleb Downs (Ohio State S) on Self-Belief: "If I would say I walked on the field and thought anyone was better than me, that’s not true."

23. John Spytek (Raiders GM) on the "Love of the Game": "Somebody who doesn't love football... those guys just don't do it for me. I'm uncompromising on those things."

24. Toriano Pride Jr. (Missouri CB) on being Overlooked: "This guy is tickled silly about that run [4.32 40]... he feels he's been a bit overlooked during the process."

25. Akheem Mesidor (Miami Edge) on being an "Old" Rookie: "You can call me a seasoned rookie... I think my age could be a plus."

-- FYI...

Speaking at the NFL Combine in February 2026, coach Robert Saleh discussed his recent conversation with Will Levis and his outlook for the quarterback.

"I just met him, I had a really good conversation with him the other day. My one exposure to him was back in '24, we played him in Week 2. I do think he's got tremendous talent, he's tremendous size, tremendous arm strength. Again, I'm looking forward to [working with] him, and I'll tell you guys the same thing I told him — just attack this offseason, have the best offseason of your life and compete your butt off and let's see what happens. But I'm really looking forward to him being part of this football team." — Robert Saleh, February 2026

Saleh added context on what he expects from Levis in a backup role:

"You're looking for a guy who can come in and win football games for you if something happens to the starter. A guy who's going to be a tremendous — who's going to support the starter, who is going to support his team, who will prepare like a starter. So you're really looking for another starter." — Robert Saleh, February 2026

General Manager Mike Borgonzi

In January 2026, GM Mike Borgonzi confirmed that Levis has a role planned for the upcoming season despite the team drafting Cam Ward first overall in the previous draft.

"He does [have a role]. I talked with Will just yesterday, and I've stayed in communication with him during his rehab. He is looking forward to getting back in here with the team." — Mike Borgonzi, January 2026

Borgonzi added that Levis is "doing well, and he's healthy."

...if I could get Tyson Bagent and Will Levis onto different teams this offseason, I would be ecstatic. But Levis coming off serious injury -- no one will touch him. Below the radar note: Brian Daboll could be a great thing for Levis too...for those who equated young, erratic Levis with young, erratic Josh Allen.

-- (same intro daily) The new ‘daily list’ item has to do with free agency. Free Agent DISRUPTORS...the most compelling free agents (to me) that where they sign will affect an NFL team and Fantasy Football immensely.

Each day, I’m going to list a DISRUPTOR player in free agency and add a note and a prediction where they are going. We’ll get 10+ players listed/profiled before the FA period opens. And I’ll rank them top to bottom most interesting/DISRUPTIVE to me, as we go along…

OC Tyler Linderbaum = He’s basically gonna choose between BAL and LAC, I think. NYG is lacking money, but they’ll try and figure something out. When Linderbaum has all teams interested to go ahead and match/try to beat the best offer...he’ll then just be picking/choosing where he wants to go at that point. He’s ‘getting paid’ no matter where he goes. In that case, I think he definitely wants to leave Lamar/the Ravens sinking ship and goes to/picks the Chargers for the weather and the title opportunity.

QB Malik Willis = I really don’t think the market is that hot for Willis as it’s being portrayed -- there’s more heat after Mac Jones and Tyson Bagent. It’s probably Miami or bust for Willis...bust being CLE or NYJ. I think he signs with Miami...because Miami is ‘Miami’ always.

TE Isaiah Likely = Definitely not going back to Baltimore. I don't know why he'd go to the Giants where John Harbaugh never featured him, so I don't believe he's going to NYG at all. He’s going to the highest bidder...the team/franchise talent levels don’t matter as long as he is assured he is highly paid and told he’ll be the featured starter...but the key part is ‘and paid like it’. Likely has to cash this FA period in because he’s likely irrelevant in another 1-3 years with the talent flood at TE is just expanding like a balloon about to pop. Teams in the running: PHI, CIN, DEN, TB. My guess is: Cincinnati Bengals.

-- 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)

2/28/26, Day 36 in JAX

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

5 weeks down, 3 more to go.

This will be known as the day where...

Nothing interesting happened! Finally, a day of peace. No hospital visit. No visitors in for the weekend. Just me and the Combine...and sleep. My biggest moment of the day...I drove 30 minutes with my dog to go to Raising Canes to have ‘brunch’. I had Raisin Bran for breakfast at 5am...then lunch at 10:30am.

You know you have a good product when people are willing to travel that far for something so ‘basic’...a chicken tender (or really ‘that sauce’).

I talked to my wife on the way...and she said, well you know we’ll be going there when I come in next weekend! My wife is coming into Jacksonville for the first time in 2 weeks and she is already laying claim to -- we gotta go to Raising Canes (we don’t/didn’t have one within 3 hours at home, BUT one just opened 45 minutes away a week ago).

For those who saw the note from earlier in the week, her 87-year-old dad took a radical turn for the better the next day from that note...and has been a bit up-and-down all week since but gaining ground. Should be released from the hospital and going to a care rehab for a week...and then it looks like back to his regular life.

My daily food diary...

Day 36 food spend = $13

BREAKFAST = Raisin Bran

LUNCH = $13 Raising Canes (not gonna think of the gas cost to get there...)

DINNER = Hot Dog and Beans...much better today!

Month #2 (through 8 days) = $146 total spend...now at $18.25 per day average. Two days in a row now under my $20 per day avg. budget per day.

35-day total food spend = $747...$21.34 per day average.

Month #1 closed. I have 56 days here total, so I am breaking it into two 28 day months/halves. Trying to keep it to $20 a day which I got all kinds of gift cards for it from family and friends during the holidays, etc., to cover approx. $20 a day.

*28-day month #1 of 2 here, final tally = Overbudget/goal by $44 total. Not bad.

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2/28 SAT

(5:40amET)

Today

-- Mostly will be focused on reviewing and processing Combine results and looking at news/rumors beyond what’s taking place on the field.

I am shutting down scouting reports and positional grades for a day or so...gonna wait to get these official numbers from the Combine participants and work on downloading them into our system to do more grading and update grades of existing graded players based on estimates.

The defensive prospect grades debut...coming soon with the Combine results to work with some official numbers on them for their 1.0 grades.

I used this past weekend to crunch a lot of Dynasty rankings trying to get them done, version 1.0, to be published before month’s end...with rookies integrated. Made great progress and charging hard to be done by the end of month. We’ll see. Probably March 3-4, after the Combine results are all in to update the first wave of rookies that will be in the Dynasty rankings.

This Week’s Agenda…

-- Holy series ‘QBs 1.0’ published last week. The RB position group will be after that...working on that now. Holy RB Handcuffs after that.

-- Working on the next wave of full scouting reports...especially on prospects who did all the stuff at the Combine.

-- The next early/pre-Combine positional grades and rankings boards are underway and will have Combine data pouring in to update existing, early ratings.

-- Any FFM News & Notes or Special Reports 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.

== NEWS & NOTES & Xs ==

-- HEADLINE: NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe reports Anthony Richardson and the Vikings have “mutual interest” in a trade.

I think this has steam. I think this is gonna happen. Indy will be kind to Richardson and send him where he wants to go and KOC is de facto in charge of the Vikings now...so he’ll approve it. KOC has always been very nice to Anthony Richardson, and I think he’d love to help him try to rehab his career. It won’t cost much to acquire Richardson...and he makes a nice backup QB with upside.

But for those who think, if/when this happens, that the situation is now locked...JJM9 vs. AR15 for the job...I don’t think that’s what’s gonna happen. I have a different theory...

I believe Minnesota will acquire AR as a rehab project for like a 4th or 5th-round pick. Then I theorize that there will be another move that is gonna end result in three QBs being sent to teams because the QB’s current HCs are being very gracious to the QBs.

I theorize the moves that will happen outside of the AR deal will be...

Minnesota sends JJM to the Chargers to be with Jim Harbaugh...for like a 3rd-round pick. And then the Vikings use that asset to help acquire Mac Jones.

Indy does right by sending AR to KOC...and not Aaron Glenn or Todd Monken. Richardson will be thrilled/thankful.

O’Connell does the right thing and sends JJM to his college coach who adores him, so that JJM can bake in the over longer a la Darnold, etc., and LAC will flip him later or just let him go to free agency if there is a better/higher paid home for him. JJM will be beyond grateful to go rehab himself behind Herbert and with Harbaugh.

Kyle Shanahan does the right thing by Mac Jones and sends him to KOC to be the franchise QB, a perfect fit. Richardson is not being brought in to be a starter...he’s being rehabbed, a multi-year project to fix and then goes on like KOC has done for other QBs like Darnold, like Dan Jones.

If this happens it’s high-level/top head coaches doing the right things by the QBs. Like what Belichick did for Jimmy Garoppolo, sending him to Kyle Shanahan for what was then an outrageous ‘giveaway’ (per the media) by Belichick. BB was doing JG right...instead of screwing Jimmy G., by sending him to some Siberia just to get a little better draft pick.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/L2kAy3CT1sk

-- Please read my Parker Washington vs. Jakobi vs. BTJ special report...we may not have the time we thought.

https://x.com/ThePoniExpress/status/2027036739701707230

A lot of chatter from Indy/the Combine about a BTJ trade coming...

-- HEADLINE: Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs believes the Bears would probably need “a second-round pick (or two picks equaling that value)” to make it “worthwhile” to trade Tyson Bagent.

It looks like this is happening. Chicago has been reportedly making backup QB plans for the eventual move.

Because Ben Johnson is in the tradition of my aforementioned ‘good dudes’, he will send Bagent to the best fit/a place Bagent agrees with.

He’s not gonna send him to MIN...same division. Although KOC would probably be interested in him as a Plan-B to the ‘acquire Mac Jones’ Plan-A.

I think a Bagent trade has ‘to Arizona’ written all over it. Possibly Miami.

Not ATL, not NYJ, not CLE.

-- HEADLINE: The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane believes a decision by the Eagles on keeping or trading A.J. Brown will be made “in the next 10 days” ahead of the start of the legal tampering period.

This too is happening...we’re only days away from the best offseason of trading in the history of the league. It’s still muted and sad overall (the trade activity in the NFL), but we’re inching towards GMs having a spine in some places.

Where is AJB going? Wherever Philly gets the best offer from. This will not be them consulting with AJB to make him happy...he’s being punted from this team. TEN, NE, SF, and PIT are among the names I like for this move. Again, it will be to the highest bidder...hot ‘what AJB wants’, but AJB can let potential suitors know he’ll be ‘unhappy’ if he goes to ___ team, so that they know not to bother bidding for him.

-- I don’t know what it is, but the more we go in this process...the more I like Diego Pavia, when I hated him at first sight. If I am Aaron Glenn and I’ve got like 6-8 weeks into the season before I get the boot unless something magical happens...I think Pavia could electrify the fan base and be a legit starter right away.

If Carolina takes a shot at him...he’ll wrest that team away from Bryce in no time. It would be a clever way to draft a QB day three of the draft and have it not look like a total threat to Bryce, but it would be intentional by management...a silent coup attempt.

I love this interview with Pavia...

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/48054269/polarizing-qb-diego-pavia-not-toning-things-combine

-- RC Daily JAX Diary...

(same intro every day)

(end of intro)

2/27/26, Day 35 in JAX

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

5 weeks down, 3 more to go.

This will be known as the day where...

I fought with a can of beans.

Yep. That’s my life now. Actually, for me undergoing the treatments that I am -- if this is the worst thing to happen in a day is being in a battle versus baked beans...then life ain’t bad.

A couple days ago, I picked up some all-beef hot dogs, plus a pack of split top hot dog rolls, and a larger can of Bush’s baked beans. I should get about four cheaper meals out of that when I don’t wanna leave the hotel. And today for lunch was going to be the debut of my first ‘real’ cooking since I've been here...a real gourmet meal I was whipping up.

I had seen in the drawers in the kitchen of my hotel room that there was one of those hand crank can openers...so, I knew buying a can of beans would be fine. Except, I would quickly come to find out the can opener was all but broken/useless.

When I tried to clamp it on the top and start turning the device to start opening the can...the handle just twisted with no effectiveness. It had no grip or traction to make the can opener do what it needed to do. I could kind of puncture in to start the procedure but then I couldn't do anything else. So, I thought I would just make a bunch of punctures and get it partway open and just pry open space and pour it in the pan from there. Easier said than done.

Long story short, a 10-minute event that I dug my heels in on...splattering bean juice all over the place, trying not to slice my hand apart, eventually using a Corkscrew/bottle opener apparatus to try to pry the can open piece by piece... I finally got it open just enough to start pouring out the beans slowly like from a small spout, having to prod the bean flow with a knife every few seconds to break the incessant bean bottlenecks...but eventually I defeated the ornery can.

I was so mad about the whole process because I just got home from radiation and was tired and I needed to walk the dog, but I was hungry...the mental toll led to me thinking I was eating the worst batch of beans I'd ever had in my life. I make hot dogs and beans all the time at home because it's an easy fix for lunch for me but this event so aggravated me I couldn't even enjoy my meal.

Serves me right for breaking my code of never gonna cook one thing while I was here the whole time. I have two codes I'm trying to live my life by, no…make that three:

1) I never want to cook a meal ever again...I hate the cooking process...it wastes a ton of time...I don’t like food when I am the one to cook it, something about being the part of the process. I only want to find a way to cost-effectively eat out every meal or heat up the left overs from those meals. It’s a lofty goal that I hope to achieve one day/year/rest of life.

2) I never want to wear pants that have some type of fastener or zipper or button or snap or could use the aid of a belt ever again. I'm over one year now in this lifetime achievement goal.

3) I never want to fly again. I hate everything about the flying process and chiefly the sitting too close together for a long period of time crammed into a small leg room area. Traveling by plane is barbaric. We’re treated like a bunch of disgusting cattle. If I ever do have to fly again I will try to have it be first class (which has never happened to me ever in all my former flying for my corporate job) because it's going to be such a rare event. Hopefully it's an event that never happens again.

My daily food diary...

Day 35 food spend = $0 !!

BREAKFAST = Eggs/Sausage/Bacon in my hotel room.

LUNCH: Hot Dogs and beans

DINNER: $32 Mexican dinner...damn...it’s a great place, but $32 with tip to go sit down by myself and eat?...the $9 chorizo queso is so good though, I had to order it with my dinner to dip chips and everything else in.

Month #2 (through 7 days) = $133 total spend...now at $19.00 per day average. Two days in a row now under my $20 per day avg. budget per day.

35-day total food spend = $747...$21.34 per day average.

*28-day month #1 of 2 here, final tally = Overbudget/goal by $44 total. Not bad.

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2/27 FRI

(5:44amET)

Today

-- Mostly will be focused on reviewing and processing Combine results and looking at news/rumors beyond what’s taking place on the field.

I am shutting down scouting reports and positional grades for a day...gonna wait to get these official numbers from the Combine participants and work on downloading them into our system to do more grading and update grades of existing graded players based on estimates.

The defensive prospect grades debut...coming soon with the Combine results to work with some official numbers on them for their 1.0 grades.

This Week’s Agenda…

-- Holy series ‘QBs 1.0’ published last week. The RB position group will be after that...working on that now. Holy RB Handcuffs after that.

-- Working on the next wave of full scouting reports...as I start to knock more of the full reports down now.

-- The next early/pre-Combine positional grades and rankings boards are underway and will have Combine data pouring in to update existing, early ratings.

-- Any FFM News & Notes or Special Reports 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.

== NEWS & NOTES & Xs ==

-- I’ll have a review of the biggest things that got my attention from Combine day one posted a little later today.

All I know is, first reaction... I could summarize day one of the Combine in one sentence: everyone is super-fast as the prospect groups are getting faster and faster. The speed and movement skills we're seeing out of these sized guys is ridiculous. The 40-times were silly enough with the DLs and LBs but they're also combining that with terrific 3-cone times.

-- Notes & Quotes from Wednesday media action in Indy...

Tuesday focused on the high-level GM posturing, Wednesday saw the arrival of the defensive prospects and more nuanced commentary from coordinators and analysts on how the 2026 rookie class will integrate into NFL (and fantasy-relevant) roles.

Here’s the most interesting/intriguing of the quotes that I heard/saw:

"On ability, Jeremiyah Love is the second-best player in this draft... He’s kind of like Reggie Bush was, only bigger."

Speaker: Daniel Jeremiah (NFL Network)
Context: Evaluating the Notre Dame RB's fantasy ceiling.

RC NOTE: I had to double check this quote information because we had a nearly identical quote yesterday attributed to Mel Kiper. So, I asked Gemini to Fact Check it... And this one is real as well. Both Mel Kiper and Daniel Jeremiah are saying the same exact things about love...the same ranking noise and the same ‘bigger’ Reggie Bush comp.

I definitely do not agree with either of those things. Not that I think Jeremiah Love is a bad prospect, but the hype is getting out of control. Maybe I’ll be the fool when he does his Combine or Pro Day (if he does either). Also remember -- they ALL saw Marvin Harrison Jr. as a generational talent that could surely run 4.3s and was uncoverable...the best WR prospect in years or a decade+...they ALL saw that in MHJ.

I do know this: when this type of hype happens then the rest of the league will adopt the same thought process...Love is now unquestioned. And then the football community and dynasty owners outside of FFM are going to adopt the same thought process on him.

All this adds up to: Jeremiah Love is the absolute lock at the 1.01. The value of that DRD pick, to trade it away, has doubled in the last 48 hours because of the hype.

"We technically are on the Aaron Rodgers clock... [The] feeling is he should be mid-March. Feeling is it should be Pittsburgh."

Speaker: Adam Schefter (ESPN)
Context: Discussing Rodgers’ decision timeline and his likely destination.

AND...

"That’s the interesting one to me. I don’t know how Aaron Rodgers feels... but do [the Vikings] still feel the same way? Or is Aaron Rodgers more in the conversation?"

Speaker: Adam Schefter (ESPN)
Context: Speculating on the Vikings as a dark horse for Rodgers.

RC NOTE: I think this is all far-reaching speculation (on MIN), as it is that time of the season. I will stand firm on the fact that there is only one way Mike McCarthy got hired as the Pittsburgh Steelers new head coach...and that is because they've already got a commitment from Aaron Rodgers. If there weren't one, there's no way Mike McCarthy would be the new head coach there.

Likely, Aaron Rodgers is using the Vikings as suckers...putting that false hope out there to make sure to drive a deal with the Steelers to the moon for himself. He is grifting the Steelers like a maestro...like he did the Jets. And I’m not saying that negative -- Aaron Rodgers is smarter, more cunning than virtually every GM out there.

"We made a market-setting offer to [Tyler Linderbaum]... he’s the anchor of what we do."

Speaker: Eric DeCosta (GM, Ravens)
Context: Addressing the potential loss of their All-Pro Center in free agency.

RC NOTE: Where Tyler Linderbaum ends up is arguably the biggest free agent story of the 2026 season.

And the fact that the Ravens made an offer, that was apparently quite large, and they're out in public talking about the offer...it kind of makes me feel like they don't have Linderbaum locked up, and that they're trying to woo him in public and let the fans know how aggressive they've been...in case Linderbaum passes up their offer.

There's no reason for the GM to be out talking this way if he had this deal locked down. All he's done is send notice to the Giants and the Chargers and others that they're going to have to beat the Ravens offer... Which the Chargers are absolutely in position to do with currently the third most cap space available in the league...four times the amount of cap space the Ravens have right now and 12+ times the amount of cap space the Giants have.

I think if all the deals are equal or close enough, Linderbaum is leaving the sinking Ravens ship and going to play for a big-time contender like the Chargers.

The Ravens could franchise tag him but it would be very expensive and they've already come out and said that they weren't going to do that.

If Linderbaum ends up on the Chargers you're going to hear a gigantic booming scream of joy coming from the northern Florida area...

-- The new ‘daily list’ item has to do with free agency. Free Agent DISRUPTORS...the most compelling free agents (to me) that where they sign will affect an NFL team and Fantasy Football immensely.

The first player, at random...

-- RC Daily JAX Diary...

(same intro every day)

(end of intro)

2/26/26, Day 34 in JAX

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

4+ weeks down, 3+ more to go.

This will be known as the day where...

1) Final day of my carpet bombing radiation, which means the peak of the worst situation my body will be in for recovery from all the side effects is happening over the next week and then I should start to see side effects declining in about a week and a total system recovery from all the radiation late April at the earliest, end of May at the latest.

2) One of my favorite things of my JAX time happened this day/night (THU)... I got to meet up with a long-time customer/FFM supporter for dinner and conversation in Jacksonville.

Many of you reading this have been with me for a decade or more now...you've been through all the different iterations/attempts at new websites and product offerings and rolled with us with any/all on technology issues in the growing phases -- the core group of you guys/gals that have been with me for five+ and 10+ and some O.G.’s in the 15+ years range...I can never properly thank you for the support, for keeping me in the business as I watch all of the independent people/sites that I came up with through the ranks now all falling apart and becoming either bankrupt or had to become ‘pop up ad’ and ‘commercial read’ slaves as they net lose customers every year because at the end of the day the customers didn't see the value in their analysis, or the analysis shrunk and is buried under commercials/pop ups/ad reads. 15+ years ago, it was the Wild Wild West where an individual writer/published report could be the top search item on a random Google player name search with a simple/good or smart SEO laced article...and careers could get started out of nothing with good content that had potential to reach everyone. I used to be the #1 top search item on so many player searches 15+ years ago.

Those days are long gone.

The ‘Big Football’ sites bought their way to the top of Google searches and then technology allowed a billion people to be ‘football analysts’ and made it impossible for any independent to survive. With A.I./ChatGPT coming to wipe out Google search -- whatever independents/non-ESPN or NFL.com (now virtually one in the same) things out there that survived the Google search favoring the ‘big’ will get crushed by A.I. PFF just sold itself this week...a brilliant move, because they were next to fall/already dying. Against all odds, we're (FFM) still standing because of the faithfulness of the OG's who never left our side.

And over the years, through e-mail and/or the video shows, I’ve become friends with many of you...a borderline family developed/a part of a friendly cult happened. We’ve been friends throughout the years battling through fantasy seasons together day-to-day in season and offseason, but I rarely get a chance to meet anyone in person and then be able to personally thank them for their support. But I got to do just that Thursday night.

My FFM friend and I never even talked about football for 3 hours. We talked family, backgrounds, and about this great Jacksonville area that I'm in/they live in. We had a great time eating and talking. Well, I should say a great time eating and shouting at each other.

I picked the restaurant in the area to meet at...a sports bar type of place. I figured on a Thursday night during the off season of most sports and it being later at night that it wouldn't be that busy and it would be a nice place to eat and chat the night away. Little did I know I picked the night and the location that is popular and just so happened to have their trivia night/contest happening just as we sat down...and they were nice enough to seat us right next to the trivia master who was shouting questions and doing crowd work on the microphone at a decibel level made worse by us being literally within punching distance of the emcee. We were able to block out the noise for the most part and talk...as we eventually outlasted the festivities and it quieted down for our final stretch there.

Good times, good food, good company... And it was so meaningful for me because I'm here all alone through the week, so it's great to have someone to talk to. But that's the thing about the area of Jacksonville that I'm in. I think they put something in the water here and changed everyone just for me...because I've never been to a place in all of my travels that has been as consistently nice, pleasant people across the board of all races, colors, and creeds. There is no animosity, no maniacal urgency, no people driving like maniacs to get to work or to get wherever,...only the utmost friendliness at fast food places and gas stations and retail stores from the employees or customers. It's like everybody's on their best behavior just for me to try to convince me to move down here or something.

I'm here alone but I feel like I have a developing friend network to lean on from actual customers who live down here who reached out to wanna meet up for a meal and conversation, to the employees at the hotel front desk, to so many people at MD Anderson, to strangers that I met at restaurants who invited me to sit with them when they learned I was there alone and we broke bread together and even exchanged numbers -- and I get random texts from them when they're back at the restaurant we met at taunting me that (example that happened Monday) they’re at the infamous Picassos (where we first met) and they sent me a note wishing me well and wished I was there/playfully taunting that they were eating the good stuff!

All this is not happening in little random spread out moments...it's like consistently happening everywhere here in Jacksonville. It's like everybody's on happy pills. I know it's not just a Florida thing with the weather -- because I visit my son in Orlando near Disney and everyone is going insane between the lost, slow tourists and the locals trying to live their lives around the gawking at everything tourists. Everything in Orlando seems like it's going at light speed, and it stresses me out. Everything in Jacksonville is happening in slow motion like some mellow Jimmy Buffett song. We're all just chilling down here. It's a great place to fight cancer at.

Thank you to my dinner date for a great time last night, and for respecting my budget battle and insisting on picking up the tab. There's just something about these people here in Jacksonville.

I'm very seriously considering joining them and becoming a member of the Jacksonville cult. Hell, I might even like Trevor Lawrence after my 2-month stint here...well...let's not get too far ahead of ourselves. Maybe I'll get an official Parker Washington jersey to commemorate my time here?

My daily food diary...

Day 34 food spend = $0 !!

BREAKFAST = Eggs/Sausage/Bacon in my hotel room.

LUNCH: Leftover Pizza and chips.

DINNER: Compliments of my friend/fellow FFMer!

Month #2 (through 6 days) = $111 total spend...now down to $18.50 per day average. The first time ever that I’ve been under my $20 per day budget the entire time!

34-day total food spend = $715...$21.02 per day average....a new low average for my stint here so far.

*28-day month #1 of 2 here, final tally = Overbudget/goal by $44 total. Not bad.

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2/26 THU

(4:55amET)...yes, very early...it was ‘one of those nights’...hot flashes, etc. It just means I’m taking a long nap this afternoon after treatment. To my dinner date tonight...this doesn’t change anything. I’ll sleep a bunch this afternoon and be more than ready for dinner.

Today

-- Mostly will be focused on getting out Combine news/rumors beyond what’s taking place on the field.

QB prospect early grades 1.0 out today.

The defensive prospect grades...I’m just gonna wait for the Combine results and then work with some official numbers on them for their 1.0 grades. We’re close enough not the Combine now to just wait for a batch of official numbers from the event.

I used this past weekend to crunch a lot of Dynasty rankings trying to get them done, version 1.0, to be published before month’s end...with rookies integrated. Made great progress and charging hard to be done by the end of month. We’ll see. Probably March 2-4, after the Combine results are in to update the first wave of rookies that will be in the Dynasty rankings.

This Week’s Agenda…

-- Holy series ‘QBs 1.0’ published last week. The RB position group will be after that...working on that now. Holy RB Handcuffs after that.

-- Working on the next wave of full scouting reports...as I start to knock more of the full reports down now.

-- The next early/pre-Combine positional grades and rankings boards are underway and will have Combine data pouring in to update existing, early ratings.

-- Any FFM News & Notes or Special Reports 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.

== NEWS & NOTES & Xs ==

My most interesting ‘quotes’ from coaches, GMs, or analysts at the NFL Combine from Tuesday 2/24...

"We’re exploring every option that could be out there. It’s casting a wide net, I guess I would say."

Speaker: Rob Brzezinski (EVP of Player Personnel, Vikings)

Context: Addressing the Vikings' QB room and J.J. McCarthy.

RC NOTE: The Vikings are ‘over’ JJ McCarthy as their franchise QB...for now. I think they are willing to let him bake in the oven a bit longer, while bringing in another QB.

Everything they are talking about the QB position or JJM during Combine week is all very cautious and curated.

I think they would sell their soul for Mac Jones. And if that happens, I wouldn’t be surprised if they then traded JJM to the very willing Chargers to go be a backup there to rehab his career. He almost needs that fresh place...like Mac Jones did.

Minnesota MUST get Mac Jones...or they are likely two-years away from finding their legit QB...given the weaker draft and free agency that doesn’t have their style QB sitting there for a Daniel Jones or Sam Darnold type event to rehappen. Kyler and Willis are absolutely not the style QBs for KOC.

"Certainly, we want to get more explosive in the running game."

Speaker: Brett Veach (GM, Chiefs)

Context: Discussing the offensive focus for 2026.

Veach specifically mentioned relying on the interior O-line to "impose their will."

RC NOTE: I really do not understand how the Chiefs were a dominant team the prior few years. They possess, arguably, the single most talented QB in the game...of this decade. And what are they out there talking about? More run game! They were saying that in-season 2025 as well. And now with Eric Bieniemy inexplicably back...it’s a run game they shall pursue.

KC has not given Mahomes, who should be EVERYTHING for them, a very good WR group to work with.

What NFL teams are building their path to the Super Bowl through ‘strong, punishing run game’?

What also struck me about the conversation is -- there seems to be zero interest in Brashard Smith as a main part of this future backfield.

"On ability, [Jeremiyah Love] is the second-best player in this draft... He’s kind of like Reggie Bush was, only bigger."

Speaker: Mel Kiper Jr. (via ESPN/Combine coverage)

Context: Evaluating the Notre Dame RB.

RC NOTE: You have got to be kidding me. On so many levels...you have got to be kidding me. 2nd best player in the draft is insane. I’m not even sure he’s the 2nd-best RB in this draft class. And even if he is a gem, in no world is a running back the 2ns-best player in this or any draft. It’s ludicrous and out-of-touch.

"The plan is to put Sinnott in motion more often... unleash that athleticism."

Speaker: Adam Peters (GM, Commanders) / Dan Quinn (HC)

Context: On TE Ben Sinnott’s role in David Blough’s offense.

RC NOTE: Well...this is a change of tone. David Blough was less than enthralled with Sinnott at his press conference. The GM and HC are ready to ‘unleash that athleticism’! I like the sound of that. Doesn’t seem like ‘TE’ will be high on their draft board?

And it sounds like we’re back in the game with Sinnott, to some degree.

"We’re going to move people all over the place. You saw how Klint [Kubiak] used JSN."

Speaker: John Spytek (GM, Raiders)

Context: Discussing WR Jack Bech and the Raiders' new offense.

Indicates Bech will be the "chess piece" in the Raiders' passing game under Klint Kubiak.

I asked GEMINI for more detail on why there was Jack Bech talk happening, and well... you gotta love this!

Gemini said...

During his press conference at the NFL Combine on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, Raiders GM John Spytek provided specific insight into how the team views second-year wide receiver Jack Bech following a coaching change to Klint Kubiak.

The Full Quote

When asked if Bech could develop into a primary "No. 1" outside receiver for the Raiders, Spytek responded:

"I trust Jack Bech, the football player, you know? I mean, where he aligns, we’re going to move people all over the place. I think you guys saw how Klint [Kubiak] used JSN [Jaxson Smith-Njigba]. They’re going to move him all over the place. So, we’re not going to be an offense where we just stick a guy, and he’s the No. 1 guy on the outside."

"I also don’t think there are many of those guys walking around on the face of the earth like you’re talking about—the true Xs. So, if you’re lucky enough to get one of them, you hold on to them for dear life. And if you don’t, then you make it work with what you got."

RC NOTE: Thank the Lord! They needed to fire Chip Kelly and Pete Carroll so hard for pushing Donte Thornton over Jack Bech...then ancient Tyler Lockett over Jack Bech. Bech has a new lease on life, hopefully.

"Wide receiver is really, really good... I had 19 guys with grades in the top three-round range."

Speaker: Daniel Jeremiah (NFL Network)

Context: On the 2026 WR class depth.

RC NOTE: There’s a lot of B/C grade WRs in this draft...a few could be As...more will fall to Cs. Because there is no obvious ‘A’, people think this is a bad draft for WR. It is if you’re looking for a Malik Nabers or Jeremiah Smith, but this draft is still gonna have an impact because the Bs invasion is gonna just fill up/overflow the WR depth charts of so many teams.

More than we’d think, the best WR from a draft ends up coming after the 1st-round...when looked back on over time.

2022 = George Pickens 2nd/#52

2023 = Puka 5th/#177, Michael Wilson 3rd/#94

2024 = Probably will be Nabers, but Ladd 2nd/#34

2025 = Tet 1st/#8

"I think the age thing in years past maybe was a bigger issue... teams are going to look beyond that."

Speaker: Daniel Jeremiah (NFL Network)

Context: On 24/25-year-old prospects like Tyler Shough.

RC NOTE: I would like my vindication from the past 3-4 years when I would be mocked on podcasts or wherever for my disregard/worship of ‘age’... I didn’t buy into breakout age theory...nor the fear of age/was early to lean into the new ‘age is just a number’ revolution...it’s a case-by-case human body situation and the rise of stem cells and HGH were changing everything radically.

I wonder what all the people who worshipped and built apps around ‘break out age’ and trying to chart the fall-off age by position are gonna do now...now that it was all exposed as being as valuable as astrology/your horoscope?

I think they’ll likely stick with it for 1-2 more years before turning to more AirDOT worship or some other simplistic acronym. Probably, they’ll just keep running charts of things over the past 10-20 years to show proof of how it predicts today...and it continues to be meaningless, but gives impressive (A.I. asked) infographics to post on X that everyone will forget about 10 seconds after they looked at it.

‘Age’ used to matter...it used to be a little more trackable and predictable-ish...but then it wasn’t starting in and around 2020. Things changed in the modern era. A good QB is going to play up to/into their 40s now. About 5 years ago, everyone freaked out when a QB hit their early 30s. RBs and WRs are blowing past age 30 run fine, where it not-too-long-ago was a death sentence.

*I’m working on the next ‘daily list’ item. Likely debuts tomorrow surrounding free agency, to run up to free agency.*

-- RC Daily JAX Diary...

(same intro every day)

(end of intro)

2/25/26, Day 33 in JAX

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

4+ weeks down, 3+ more to go.

This will be known as the day where...

I had my weekly/Wednesday follow up with the doctor and team, where I was told Thursday/today is my final day of the carpet-bombing radiation...Friday begins the targeted prostate only radiation, which means less devastation of my surrounding cells, which means quicker recovery from radiation treatments and side effects starting to decline in intensity. And by quick I mean a 2-3 month full process for my body to fully take back over, but it will get slightly better every day.

I’ll have another week or so of dealing with the cumulative effects of the carpet-bombing radiation days, despite them not doing it anymore...and then I should start seeing slight, daily improvement on all side-effect fronts. It takes a bit to wash it out of the system...time for my fighter cells to get back to fighting shape and larger numbers.

But what I will really cherish from this day is a weird complement I received...it’s funny, but it’s also serious.

When I was told they would be switching the type of radiation on Friday (per normal scheduling laid out in advance), I asked the radiation tech -- if I still needed to drink and hold all the water ahead of time/treatment? They said it wasn’t as important in this phase but probably a good idea to stick to the program -- a full bladder pushes the organs and surrounding things around which allows them to get a cleaner shot at the things or find things that are hiding.

So, I replied that I would just stick to what I am doing because I’m in a routine and I want to make it as easy for them to do their job (because IT’S LIFE AND DEATH!). When I told my radiation tech I’d just stick to my routine, he said...that’s good...(he paused)...and then he said, “Mr. Fischer...I don’t think I can recall anyone who has had their body/bladder/insides as consistent for daily treatment as you have had in many a year here.”

I was taken aback. Finally, I was good at something in my life.

He added, “You’d think it wouldn’t be true for most everyone...but we see so many people that got the same instructions for this radiation -- they’re full bladder one day, empty the next, and all over the place day-to-day and it makes are job/our effectiveness more difficult to work around.”

Honestly, I was stunned.

I’m the absolute worst on following directions of anything, but I’ll guarantee you I was/am laser focused on their bladder and intestines instructions...when they explained how it helped them do battle, how could I not do my simple part to help them and my help own self?

It made me wonder how many people maybe lose ground in the cancer battle...or may lose the war…because over the 8-weeks of treatment because they didn’t take their insides prep seriously?

I follow the same pattern every morning: eating, bathroom, shower, 24oz+ ice water prep to take on the car ride...and even though I HATE water, I am drinking it down at the needed time all car drive, and drinking while walking from the parking deck to sitting in the waiting room...I drink it down until my special water bottle is empty 15-20 minutes before radiation time. I’m militaristic about it. And I was lauded for it today, but instead of savoring the compliment...I was just miffed at all the people who didn’t take the instructions seriously or maybe couldn’t hold water that long. How many people didn’t get the full save/benefit from radiation because they didn’t drink and hold the water like they should have?

Probably the same people who complain about our medical system not being top notch. YOU HAD ONE JOB in this people!

Onward we go with the water overload for 17 more events.

The biggest fear is, after the initial therapies...after the radiation...after all the therapies are done -- when you stop taking the therapies completely, after 2 years, does the cancer make a comeback...does it adapt. The more they radiate/blast away the cancer...the better odds it cannot comeback, and then you don’t have to try and do this all over again...or, worse, you can’t kill it off/you can’t beat it...you missed your shot to take it out...potentially (me speaking) because you didn’t follow the water/bladder advice.

My daily food diary...

Day 33 food spend = $20

BREAKFAST = Raisin Bran breakfast in my hotel room.

LUNCH: Five Guys burger-fry-drink-peanuts for $20. I debated just hitting Wendy’s for like a $12 meal to save money -- but then I defaulted to my personal mission: Do not reward the businesses who are falling in quality/who don’t care about their customers/who treat their customers to slop to try and make the P&L look good for the stock market. I much more enjoy/enjoyed the food and atmosphere and service at Five Guys.

DINNER: Sam’s Club leftover Pizza and chips.

Month #2 (through 5 days) = $111 total spend...now down to $22.20 per day average. No visitors this weekend, so my food costs will be down for a stretch I hope.

33-day total food spend = $715...$21.66 per day average.

*28-day month #1 of 2 here, final tally = Overbudget/goal by $44 total. Not bad.

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2/25 WED

(6:58amET)

Today

-- Several reports in progress, not sure which one makes it to print first.

RB-s early grades, pre-Combine rankings will post today.

Hoping to get QB prospect grades 1.0 out tonight.

This Week’s Agenda…

-- Holy series ‘QBs 1.0’ published last week. The RB position group will be after that...working on that now. Holy RB Handcuffs after that.

-- Working on the next wave of full scouting reports...as I start to knock more of the full reports down now.

-- The next early/pre-Combine positional grades and rankings boards are underway and will have Combine data pouring in to update existing, early ratings.

-- Any FFM News & Notes or Special Reports 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.

-- New coaching staff hire’s analysis series...going through the entire staffs...I am working on the framework of how I want to present that. This will be a first ever series (for me) where I go beyond ‘just the new head coaches’. ETA in March.

== NEWS & NOTES & Xs ==

-- HEADLINE: Falcons general manager Ian Cunningham said the team will release QB Kirk Cousins.

Well, now add the Falcons to the list of teams who will be looking for a QB…but not a new franchise QB…a fail safe temp starter, who knows his place after Penix is back. And I think I know who it might be...or who they may make a run at.

I am going to share that theory with some of my source’s speculative info too...later today...on a separate report because it may have some Dynasty ramifications to consider.

-- HEADLINE: The Dallas Morning News’ Calvin Watkins reports Cowboys K Brandon Aubrey is seeking $10 million per season in a contract extension.

Well...it’s about time. The top kicker in the game is worth more than most every (or every) NFL RB, as an example. Kickers score more points than RBs and top kickers are way more ‘rare earth’ than the easily replaceable good/starting RBs.

-- Yesterday was bad news for an injured RB day (Zach Charbonnet)...today it is good news day for an injured RB who will see a little heat in free agency, I suspect...like a one-year, minor deal type thing.

https://x.com/dhendrickson41/status/2026013253881770250?s=43

Would he go back to the Chargers? Doubtful. I don’t think they’re interested...nor would he be. I think Najee thinks he’s a clear starting RB, so he won’t go to LAC...he’ll go to some team where the opportunity is vast, as he perceives it, so he can shine and try not get a big contract in the years to come.

I don’t think so...he’s a Marvin Harrison Jr. fraud/creation of the media...but Najee, like others, actually believes it.

-- Just an FYI:

*My Gemini research notes from some Vikings things that I was working on...

As of late February 2026, the Minnesota Vikings do not currently have a permanent general manager.

The team fired Kwesi Adofo-Mensah on January 30, 2026, following a 9-8 season and cited a cumulative look at his four-year tenure—specifically struggles with early-round drafting—as the reason for the move.

The Current Leadership

Interim Head of Football Operations: Rob Brzezinski. Brzezinski is a longtime Vikings executive (with the team since 1999) and a well-known "salary cap wizard." Ownership has tasked him with leading the front office through free agency and the 2026 NFL Draft.

Special Consultant: Matt Thomas. In early February, the Vikings hired Thomas (a former Seahawks executive) as a consultant to assist Brzezinski with cap and contract negotiations through the draft.

What’s Next?

Owners Zygi and Mark Wilf stated they will not start a formal search for a permanent GM until after the 2026 NFL Draft in late April. This structure effectively hands significant personnel influence to Head Coach Kevin O'Connell and Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores for the upcoming draft cycle.

-- 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: Washington

(other notes)

-- Currently #5 in CAP space, and they have a chance to move up a few spots when they cut Marshon Lattimore (will save/add $18M more).

A very interesting opportunity for them this offseason...after a terrific debut FA period by GM Adam Peters in 2024, but it was ‘not good’ in 2025.

Deebo Samuel, Bobby Wagner, Marcus Mariota, Zach Ertz, Austin Ekeler, and Von Miller are all free agents that likely leave in free agency/don’t come back to the team on the team’s choice.

Keep an eye on Austin Ekeler signing a cheap deal to return to the Chargers to try to go for a title in his remaining year/s in the NFL.

QB:

Joe Flacco (free agent)

Geno Smith ($26.5M to pay, $18M hit to release)

Malik Willis (free agent)

Russell Wilson (free agent)

Marcus Mariota (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)...wouldn’t be surprised if he retires either.

Justin Fields (likely cut)

RB:

Kenneth Walker (free agent?)

Rachaad White (free agent)

Rico Dowdle (free agent)

Travis Etienne (free agent)

David Montgomery? ($8.4M pay to play 2026 or cut for $4.9M hit, split in half on a past-June 1st cut)

Brian Robinson (free agent)

Najee Harris (free agent)

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

Kareem Hunt (free agent)

Austin Ekeler (free agent)

Jerome Ford (free agent)

Aaron Jones (likely cut, then a free agent)

Devin Singletary ($6.5M to pay to play, $1.3M to cut)

Nick Chubb (free agent)

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

Joe Mixon ($10M pay to play 2026, or $2M hit to cut)...can he ever play again anyway?

WR:

George Pickens (free agent or available in trade)

Wan’Dale Robinson (free agent...he will go to highest bidder/the Titans)

A.J. Brown (available in trade)

Deebo Samuel (free agent)

Tyreek Hill (free agent)

Michael Pittman or Alec Pierce

Christian Watson (free agent...but doubtful GB lets him go)

Mike Evans (free agent)

Rashid Shaheed (free agent)

Jordan Addison (available in trade?) or Jalen Nailor (goes if Addison stays).

Jauan Jennings (free agent)

Stefon Diggs ($26.5M to play this year or $8M to cut)

Romeo Doubs (free agent)

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

Christian Kirk (free agent)

Keenan Allen (free agent)

Kendrick Bourne (free agent)

Brandon Aiyuk (?)

Calvin Ridley (free agent to be/cut?)

Tutu Atwell (free agent)

Marquise Brown (free agent)

Jahan Dotson (free agent)

TE:

Kyle Pitts (free agent)

Isaiah Likely (free agent)

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

Jonnu Smith ($10.8M to play or cut for $3.9M)

David Njoku (free agent)

Dallas Goedert (free agent)

Daniel Bellinger (free agent)

Hunter Henry ? ($11.8M to play in 2026, $2.5M to cut)

Cade Otton (free agent)

Zach Ertz (free agent)

Taysom Hill (free agent)

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

Chig Okonkwo (free agent)

Darren Waller (free agent)

Tyler Higbee (free agent)

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

Other (that there is possible-to-good-to-great likelihood they won’t get an extension or tag):

OT Rasheed Walker (free agent, but I cannot imagine GB lets him get here...but it’s up in the air)

OL Braden Smith (free agent)

CB Greg Newsome (free agent)

EDGE Trey Hendrickson (free agent)

CB Rasul Douglas (free agent)

CB Adoree Jackson (free agent)

EDGE Jaelan Phillips (free agent)

EDGE Odafe Oweh (free agent)

CB Tariq Woolen (free agent)

LB Bobby Wagner (free agent)

DL Cam Jordan (free agent)

LB Nakobe Dean (free agent)

SAF Reed Blankenship (free agent)

-- RC Daily JAX Diary...

(same intro every day)

(end of intro)

2/24/26, Day 32 in JAX

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

4 weeks down, 4 more to go.

This will be known as the day that started out rough, but then had a miraculous moment...

On the rough side of the day, I am slowing down bit-by-bit...I can really feel it. The radiation is killing my cancer, but the beams also hit a lot of my good cells and wipe them out daily and the mass radiation kills a lot of cells in general/in the area, the good cells...so the remaining ones I have then have to work double-time to help me function...thus the fatigue.

GROK says (which has my entire medical (cancer) history saved):

Yes — the increasing fatigue you're feeling this week is very normal and expected at this point in your radiation course.

Here's exactly why it's happening and what it means for you:

Why Fatigue Is Getting Worse Every Day Right Now

You started radiation on Jan 26, 2026, so you're now in Week 5. This is the classic time when fatigue starts to build and becomes more noticeable for most men. The reasons in your specific case:

Cumulative radiation dose: Every session adds damage to normal cells in the pelvis (prostate, bladder, rectum, and nearby muscles). Your body is working hard to repair that daily damage — this creates inflammation and energy drain that accumulates. Week 3-4-5 is when most people start feeling the buildup.

ADT synergy: Your lower testosterone (from your therapies) reduces muscle strength and recovery capacity, so the radiation fatigue feels stronger and comes on faster than it would in someone not on hormones.

This is the hardest part of the 8 weeks for most guys, but you're already handling it better than average. The fatigue is temporary and a sign the treatment is doing its job.

I just gotta buckle down and grind through it.

It was a tiring, weary day for me...but then some great news at dinner time -- my Father-In-Law had a bad fall a few days ago and it set off a lot of medical/physical things, he has a few ‘preconditions’ he battles/has battled for a long time and yet ‘keeps on trucking’ living an independent life into his upper 80’s. Well, he wasn’t trucking very well for the last few days post-fall and doctors were struggling to figure out a battle plan to help him/not set off something else...but some new meds yesterday had him up and alert yesterday early evening, and according to reports from my wife he was looking and acting and moving 1000% better than the prior two days. A miraculous recovery/turn today!

I appreciate your prayers for me.

I’d love for you to consider prayers for my Father-In-Law...who has beat so many odds-against medical things in his life that I think he and cockroaches will be the lone survivors of the upcoming A.I. driven nuclear holocaust, but he could use your prayers as he is not out of the woods yet...and has a long road of recovery he has to go through.

But mostly, would you consider praying for my wife -- she’s got me and the dog fighting cancer down in Florida, and now she has her dad in the hospital where she has been spending much of her free time this week so far...and sleeping overnight there in rotation with her siblings...all while continuing to go to work because with all the dang medical things happening to our family this school year, she’s out of PTO time. She’s being a warrior and having a lot thrown at her she has to deal with...much less the rowdy 5th-graders she teaches science and bible to.

My daily food diary...

Day 32 food spend = $10

BREAKFAST = Free Eggs/Bacon/Cereal breakfast in my hotel room.

LUNCH: Sam Club entire pizza $10...should get a few meals off that one.

DINNER: Pizza, Cereal

Month #2 (through 4 days) = $91 total spend...now down to $22.75 per day average. No visitors this weekend, so my food costs will be down for a stretch I hope.

32-day total food spend = $695...$21.71 per day average.

*28-day month #1 of 2 here, final tally = Overbudget/goal by $44 total. Not bad.

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

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2/24 TUE

(7:48amET)

Today

-- Several reports in progress, not sure which one makes it to print first...a surprise post midday.

A next wave of top RB early grades.

This Week’s Agenda…

-- Holy series ‘QBs 1.0’ published last week. The RB position group will be after that...working on that now. Holy RB Handcuffs after that.

-- Working on the next wave of full scouting reports...as I start to knock more of the full reports down now.

-- The next early/pre-Combine positional grades and rankings boards are underway and 2-3 more of them will be out this week.

-- Any FFM News & Notes or Special Reports 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.

== NEWS & NOTES & Xs ==

-- Wow...I didn’t realize Zach Charbonnet hadn’t had his ACL surgery until late February.

https://x.com/jmthrivept/status/2025763166928732241

Basically, Charbs had all his FF momentum sucked from his soul and swapped with Kenneth Walker when he got the ACL later in the 2025 season. Had Charbonnet not gotten hurt...Walker is not the MVP of the Super Bowl, Walker is allowed to ‘walk’ in free agency, Charbonnet is then set to the clear Seattle RB1 in 2026...finally.

Now?

Nope.

2026 is already a lost year for Charbonnet. He won’t FF matter until 2027...where he will be a free agent and likely doomed to be a part of an RB duo for forever.

Does this mean Kenneth Walker is sticking with Seattle? Probably...likely they franchise tag Walker, is my guess. One-year deal, essentially.

-- Who would’ve guessed, this time last year, that Malik Willis would be the central figure in the free agent sweepstakes?

The planets have aligned in a 1-2 punch...

1) Weak draft for QB availability.

2) Two teams that are about to cut their franchise QB and eat a ton of CAP space to do it, and now need a new franchise QB both have ties to Malik Willis...

Arizona = The GM was part of the original personnel team (Titans) that drafted him.

Miami = The new regime is mostly Green Bay cast-offs, where they intimately know Willis.

I don’t think this is a Minnesota involvement at all.

We don’t know if the now Arizona’s GM even liked Willis when the Titans people above him made the call to draft Willis.

The Green Bay Dolphins HC and GM both have intimate knowledge of everything Willis...and he with them. If it’s a favorable relationship, which I assume it would be because whether Willis is a franchise QB or not...he’s a great young man, checks all the off-field boxes and then some.

Where do QBs who are primarily known for their running skills go/get taken most seriously? They are adored by defensive-minded head coaches. Offensive-minded head coaches cannot run their holy playbook and complex system when the QB has two programming modes...’drop back to pass, consider first look, if not there then run’.

Justin Fields...retained by Matt Eberflus’s Chicago staff when it made no sense to...traded for by Mike Tomlin...then given a ridiculous big contract in free agency by Aaron Glenn.

Lamar Jackson...John Harbaugh.

Jalen Milroe...drafted by Mike Macdonald.

Anthony Richardson attempt by Shane Steichen...blew up in his face and benched. Ditto Trey Lance for Kyle Shanahan.

QBs who can run well but are/were higher level passers are a different story. We’re talking QBs whose primary attribute is -- high level runners that you have to dumb down/simplify the passing game system and let them be free to run. Ex-Defensive Coordinators turned head coaches tend to hire run game/old school O-Cs who don’t have complex pass game systems...they are annoyed by passing the ball and are happy if everyone runs the ball (RBs and QBs).

If Malik Willis goes to Arizona...Michael Wilson is destroyed for 2026, so too Trey McBride. The new coaches there are passing game and offensive system guys, and I’ve heard Mike LaFleur talk at length about the passing game coming in Arizona with the weaponry they have to throw to. They are not signing Malik Willis to be the QB for that...near-zero chance.

Everyone thinks there is a big Malik Willis market, but there isn’t...it’s Miami versus themselves...or versus the Jets, but Willis would choose to go to Miami in that case unless the deal was like 2x the offer…but even then Willis may choose his sanity over MORE money.

-- Why Offensive Lineman scouting reports from me over the past few days with so many QB-RB-WR-TEs that could be done?

I think the O-Line now deserves equal billing, in a sense. I think it’s the most important position/thing in the current NFL...and is quite important for FF.

Just look at the Chargers 2025: Lost Rashawn Slater before the season, but we knew they had Joe Alt who could slide over to left tackle...to keep the offensive functional. LAC started out undefeated with Alt, lost games when he got hurt...Herbert was the #1-2 QB in FF with Alt out of the gates...then faded without Alt, then re-rose with Alt, then died off when Alt and others went down and out for good for 2025.

Monitoring O-Line in-season and offseason is critical, and I am spending some of my offseason research time trying to ‘metrics it’ better than I had prior. I am taking some time away from defensive studies and allocating that to the O-Line. I think it’s a must.

There’s plenty of offensive skill position scouting reports to come, but looking at a few of the soon-to-be top picked OLs is important as well.

-- 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: Tennessee

(other notes)

-- The top CAP space team in the league right now, and they should be able to attract free agents nicely...especially WRs.

Before it’s time to send, it’s current roster/CAP analysis time. The Titans’ headline items going into free agency period...

They will re-do a deal and give Tony Pollard some decent money to stay. He has a year left on his deal, but it’s not a good/proper deal for him. He deserves a little love. He should get it there.

Calvin Ridley will likely be a post-June-1st cut, which will give more CAP space to the Titans. Also, the disastrous L’Jarius Snead deal will be cut to give even more CAP space.

The Titans are #1 now in CAP space, and they will still be heading into the free agent period as well...I predict (after more players are cut around the league to change all the CAP space numbers).

There’s no real free agent big name Titan hitting the market from them...I guess Chig Okonkwo is the biggest FF name on the move. Someone will likely give Ridley a cheap 1-year deal a few months from now.

QB:

Joe Flacco (free agent)

Geno Smith ($26.5M to pay, $18M hit to release)

Malik Willis (free agent)

Russell Wilson (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)...wouldn’t be surprised if he retires either.

Justin Fields (likely cut)

RB:

Kenneth Walker (free agent?)

Rachaad White (free agent)

Rico Dowdle (free agent)

Travis Etienne (free agent)

David Montgomery? ($8.4M pay to play 2026 or cut for $4.9M hit, split in half on a past-June 1st cut)

Brian Robinson (free agent)

Najee Harris (free agent)

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

Kareem Hunt (free agent)

Jerome Ford (free agent)

Aaron Jones (likely cut, then a free agent)

Devin Singletary ($6.5M to pay to play, $1.3M to cut)

Nick Chubb (free agent)

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

Joe Mixon ($10M pay to play 2026, or $2M hit to cut)...can he ever play again anyway?

WR:

George Pickens (free agent or available in trade)

Wan’Dale Robinson (free agent...he will go to highest bidder/the Titans)

A.J. Brown (available in trade)

Tyreek Hill (free agent)

Michael Pittman or Alec Pierce

Christian Watson (free agent...but doubtful GB lets him go)

Mike Evans (free agent)

Rashid Shaheed (free agent)

Jordan Addison (available in trade?) or Jalen Nailor (goes if Addison stays).

Jauan Jennings (free agent)

Stefon Diggs ($26.5M to play this year or $8M to cut)

Romeo Doubs (free agent)

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

Christian Kirk (free agent)

Keenan Allen (free agent)

Kendrick Bourne (free agent)

Brandon Aiyuk (?)

Calvin Ridley (free agent to be/cut?)

Tutu Atwell (free agent)

Marquise Brown (free agent)

Jahan Dotson (free agent)

TE:

Kyle Pitts (free agent)

Isaiah Likely (free agent)

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

Jonnu Smith ($10.8M to play or cut for $3.9M)

David Njoku (free agent)

Dallas Goedert (free agent)

Daniel Bellinger (free agent)

Hunter Henry ? ($11.8M to play in 2026, $2.5M to cut)

Cade Otton (free agent)

Taysom Hill (free agent)

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

Chig Okonkwo (free agent)

Darren Waller (free agent)

Tyler Higbee (free agent)

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

Other (that there is possible-to-good-to-great likelihood they won’t get an extension or tag):

OT Rasheed Walker (free agent, but I cannot imagine GB lets him get here...but it’s up in the air)

OL Braden Smith (free agent)

CB Greg Newsome (free agent)

EDGE Trey Hendrickson (free agent)

CB Rasul Douglas (free agent)

CB Adoree Jackson (free agent)

EDGE Jaelan Phillips (free agent)

EDGE Odafe Oweh (free agent)

CB Tariq Woolen (free agent)

DL Cam Jordan (free agent)

LB Nakobe Dean (free agent)

SAF Reed Blankenship (free agent)

-- RC Daily JAX Diary...

(same intro every day)

(end of intro)

2/23/26, Day 31 in JAX

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

4 weeks down, 4 more to go.

This will be known as the day that I...

Started the toughest two weeks stretch of radiation...the side effects will be at their maximum the next 2-3 weeks.

How did that play out today? I was so tired after treatment, I got a burrito to go on the way to the hotel, went up to the room, ate it...and then told the dog -- I hope you’re OK on potty breaks because I gotta lay down...and she was good, and she loves ‘naptime’...all I gotta do is say the words ‘naptime’ and she’s headed towards ‘our’ bed. I fell asleep in about a minute of hitting the pillow. Just shy of 4 hours later, I got up to start the second half of my day...by taking the dog out.

Radiation has become a full time, first shift job. From the make sure I eat at this specific time, to my shower, to make sure I start my heavy duty water drinking regiment (and cannot go to the bathroom until radiation is done an hour+ later), to the 2+ hour round trip to drive to the hospital for my radiation treatment and then return to the hotel...then feed and walk the dog, feed me...then I fall asleep for 3-4 hours. From like 8am-4pm range, I’m in the ‘radiation mode’. From like 5pm on to midnight, I am fully alert and working. Then I get up anywhere from 5-6am and start working until the ‘radiation routine’ starts again around 8am. It’s getting to be like a version of the Groundhog Day movie from 8am-4pm.

I’m ready for it to be over and go home...but I respect the process and I just keep grinding. No complaints from me. I get more and more tired these days, so I lean into the sleep I need and work and do everything else around it. If that's the worst side effect I deal with...it ain’t so bad. There are other side effects I have to deal with, but let’s not talk about those...they’re manageable. I’m telling you MEN, support the females in your life going through the hot flash stage of things. I’ve been to the other side guys, it’s no joke.

My daily food diary...

Day 31 food spend = $15

BREAKFAST = Eggs/Bacon/Cereal breakfast in my hotel room.

LUNCH: Chipotle

DINNER: Cereal, fruit, chips and an ice cream sandwich

Publix grocery run for $90, but Mom’s special gift card sent last week is wonderful/took care of that! So, no effect to my pre-set budget rules.

Month #2 (through 3 days) = $81 total spend...so my bad start day-1 is now down to $27.00 per day average start to this cycle. If I do a zero tomorrow, I’ll be down to the $20 a day average for this cycle.

31-day total food spend = $685...$22.10 per day average.

*28-day month #1 of 2 here, final tally = Overbudget/goal by $44 total. Not bad.

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

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2/23 MON

(6:09amET)

Today

-- Ross Jacobs debut 2026 1st-round mock.

The first wave of early grades on the consensus top RB-p.

I used this weekend to crunch a lot of Dynasty rankings trying to get them done, version 1.0, to be published before month’s end...with rookies integrated. Made great progress and charging hard to be done by end of month. We’ll see.

This Week’s Agenda…

-- Holy series ‘QBs 1.0’ published last week. The RB position group will be after that...working on that now. Holy RB Handcuffs after that.

-- Working on the next wave of full scouting reports...as I start to knock more of the full reports down now.

-- The next early/pre-Combine positional grades and rankings boards are underway and 2-3 more of them will be out this week.

-- Any FFM News & Notes or Special Reports 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.

== NEWS & NOTES & Xs ==

-- Combine Week...long weekend of events ahead of measurables and drills.

I’m gonna go ahead and agree with what Sean McVay set in motion a long time ago (and Liam Coen and James Gladstone are taking up as well)...attending the Combine, watching it live to see who runs fast -- it’s a waste of precious time, and we’re (me and McVay and others) are not doing it anymore.

The information is not a waste of time, not at all...I need that information -- but we all don’t have to watch it live to get said info. It’s not like global events happening and it affects the stock market, and we need to trade on that info immediately/next day market opening. We got days and weeks and weeks to digest this info.

PLUS...the top prospects are more and more not participating in any on-field anything, and if I were advising them they would definitely not (why risk injury?). Most of them will wait until their Pro Day.

The Combine relevance is falling, as a watch event...but the data from it is ultimately still very relevant, which makes it frustrating when the top guys can skip that. They could’ve found the fraud Marv Harrison Jr. issue if he had to run and get timed, etc. He conned every single man, woman, and child in an entire industry. Except for one...

-- ESPN’s Kris Rhim believes the Chargers could “make a push” to sign Ravens C Tyler Linderbaum in free agency.

This one little line/speculation may have come and gone in the breeze, but if LAC can pull this off somehow...it’s not a bomb dropped on the NFL and a massive ‘win’ for the LAC outlook for 2026, it’s an arsenal of nuclear bombs headed towards LAC’s 2026 opponents.

LAC has the 4th most CAP space in football right now. They’ll have the $$. This may be the single biggest watch item of free agency.

-- ESPN’s Nick Wagoner believes “it’s reasonable” to think George Kittle (Achilles) could return in Week 5 “or so.”

Kittle is still talking Week 1. Maybe...but this news and situation increases the value of Jake Tonges more and more if the rehab is slower than hoped...or slower than Kittle is hoping. Tonges as viable out of the gates, for a pinch.

-- 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: Tampa Bay

(other notes)

-- The Bucs are running middle of the pack on CAP space as of this writing...but the situation is worse than that for them because they have no real natural way to get more space, but they could redo some deals...but the big thing is that they have a LOT of issues to deal with in terms of good free agents wanting more money.

Mike Evans is a free agent. Vita Vea is in the final year of a cheap deal; he’ll want more money. Jamel Dean was a top CB performer in 2025; he’s now a free agent. Rachaad White is definitely going in free agency.

I assume they’ll pay Dean and Vea, but then that pretty much forces Evans out the door. They’d love to have Cade Otton back, but they likely can’t afford him...but they’ll try because he is beloved.

QB:

Joe Flacco (free agent)

Geno Smith ($26.5M to pay, $18M hit to release)

Malik Willis (free agent)

Russell Wilson (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)...wouldn’t be surprised if he retires either.

Justin Fields (likely cut)

RB:

Kenneth Walker (free agent?)

Rachaad White (free agent)

Rico Dowdle (free agent)

Travis Etienne (free agent)

David Montgomery? ($8.4M pay to play 2026 or cut for $4.9M hit, split in half on a past-June 1st cut)

Brian Robinson (free agent)

Najee Harris (free agent)

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

Kareem Hunt (free agent)

Jerome Ford (free agent)

Aaron Jones (likely cut, then a free agent)

Devin Singletary ($6.5M to pay to play, $1.3M to cut)

Nick Chubb (free agent)

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

Joe Mixon ($10M pay to play 2026, or $2M hit to cut)...can he ever play again anyway?

WR:

George Pickens (free agent or available in trade)

Wan’Dale Robinson (free agent...he will go to highest bidder/the Titans)

A.J. Brown (available in trade)

Tyreek Hill (free agent)

Michael Pittman or Alec Pierce

Christian Watson (free agent...but doubtful GB lets him go)

Mike Evans (free agent)

Rashid Shaheed (free agent)

Jordan Addison (available in trade?) or Jalen Nailor (goes if Addison stays).

Jauan Jennings (free agent)

Stefon Diggs ($26.5M to play this year or $8M to cut)

Romeo Doubs (free agent)

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

Christian Kirk (free agent)

Keenan Allen (free agent)

Kendrick Bourne (free agent)

Brandon Aiyuk (?)

Tutu Atwell (free agent)

Marquise Brown (free agent)

Jahan Dotson (free agent)

TE:

Kyle Pitts (free agent)

Isaiah Likely (free agent)

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

Jonnu Smith ($10.8M to play or cut for $3.9M)

David Njoku (free agent)

Dallas Goedert (free agent)

Daniel Bellinger (free agent)

Hunter Henry ? ($11.8M to play in 2026, $2.5M to cut)

Cade Otton (free agent)

Taysom Hill (free agent)

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

Darren Waller (free agent)

Tyler Higbee (free agent)

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

Other (that there is possible-to-good-to-great likelihood they won’t get an extension or tag):

OT Rasheed Walker (free agent, but I cannot imagine GB lets him get here...but it’s up in the air)

OL Braden Smith (free agent)

CB Greg Newsome (free agent)

EDGE Trey Hendrickson (free agent)

CB Rasul Douglas (free agent)

CB Adoree Jackson (free agent)

EDGE Jaelan Phillips (free agent)

EDGE Odafe Oweh (free agent)

CB Tariq Woolen (free agent)

DL Cam Jordan (free agent)

LB Nakobe Dean (free agent)

SAF Reed Blankenship (free agent)

-- RC Daily JAX Diary...

(same intro every day)

(end of intro)

2/22/26, Day 30 in JAX

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

4 weeks down, 4 more to go.

This will be known as the day that I...

Watched the Olympics Men Hockey Finals and got to watch a great American sport moment...the boys did it! They won the gold medal for the U.S. for the first time since the ‘Miracle on Ice’ group in 1980.

Hats off to Canada, the dominant force in world hockey...they played the better game, on a judge’s scorecard -- but the U.S. threw the knockout punch to steal the gold.

There is just something about playoffs and/or meaningful hockey games. One of the greatest sports watch events there is...when you’re into the result/tension.

When the U.S. team won in OT and all went into a group hug frenzy, I teared up a little. But when they took their team photo and went and got the small children of one of the players who had died in an accident, and they had them in the group photo and had their dad’s jersey in hand and on display for the photo -- I cried like a baby.

I’m also having my hormones messed with, so I’m an extra sensitive soul these days.

Everything else about this day, I put aside...and I just want to remember it for the great moment for USA sport...and I’m so fortunate that I got to see it! I’m so glad I can look back on this diary, or my kids or kids’ kids and they can see this entry and perhaps go watch a recap on YouTube or something.

https://youtu.be/8c47m212Mkk?si=lr8wtheNvj2y_25c

Still, nothing will ever match the greatest single sport moment in U.S. history...that ‘Miracle on Ice’ victory in the semis over Russia (spoiler alert: and then they’d go on to win the finals). If you haven’t watched the movie ‘Miracle’ with an outstanding job by Kurt Russell in that...please go do that.

Wait? How did I not know this was just released: https://youtu.be/40ZWbeMFJ6I?si=m5wkC-Ka1e4ojTOZ

My daily food diary...

Day 30 food spend = $0

BREAKFAST = Eggs/Bacon/Cereal breakfast in my hotel room.

LUNCH: Mexican food leftovers

DINNER: Cereal, fruit, chips

Month #2 (through 2 days) = $66 total spend...so yesterday’s bad start cut in half to a $33 per day average start with my $0 day Sunday.

30-day total food spend = $670...$22.30 per day average.

*28-day month #1 of 2 here, final tally = Overbudget/goal by $44 total. Not bad.