RC's Daily Notes 2026: For the Week of 04/27-5/3 (The week that was...)

: R.C. Fischer; FreeView; 03 May 2026

RC's daily streaming notes on football, and other, things going on this week...

5/3 SUN

(8:43amET)

Today/tomorrow

-- We reached the top 300 prospect level of our initial DRD rankings. I’m going to audit the list a little every day this weekend and upcoming week (as we get any info from rookie minicamps and tryout guys signing or getting cut, etc.) plus add 2-3 or so prospect commentaries per day including more special ‘twist’ non-rookie options.

After this upcoming week of daily tweaking, we’ll then settle into once a week publishing the DRD top 300+ updates and adding/updating commentaries, etc.

-- Our post-Draft mock DRD series from the 12 draft spots/5 rounds will have #11 slot today and wraps up with #12 post tomorrow.

Monday May 4th starts Round-2/2.0 of the post-NFL Draft mock DRD series...this time we do SuperFlex but it’s also really doing a recheck of the flows and movements we’re seeing at all the positions since the euphoria of the post-NFL Draft week. And I’m going to use it as a platform to take alternative players to the ones I am usually/foundationally taking in version 1.0, so we can talk about some fresh names.

One-a-day mocks from the 12 draft spots on the 2.0 SuperFlex version. And we will have just a select few higher probability TWIST players available to take in this one to spice it up as well.

-- NFL DRAFT TEAM GRADES...running behind due to all the DRD work, but I’ll have it done this weekend (hopefully) with some new metrics/twists this year planned. The DRD boards are our priority.

I’m gonna set this aside until the weekend, once I have the DRD boards up and running for everyone’s DRDs happening.

Our NFL Draft team grades are nothing like the mainstream ones where everyone gets an A or B or C...because they are paid by the thing they are supposed to be critiquing (the league)...although there might be actual Ds and this year because this was the stupidest draft on execution that I’ve ever seen in a draft in my career.

We use calculations/algorithms to put real grades on the teams based on our perfect draft criteria and average draft criteria, etc., blended into a grade based on our valuations. There will be F grades (gasp)...probably several of them.

-- The NFL Draft impact/changes to the Dynasty rankings...will be working on those all week trying to have the first wave of impacts considered/newly valued by the 5/2-4 range, trying to get done by the weekend end as well.

-- Miscellaneous reports on things that come my way and more scouting reports to come. I have a backlog of them to get published already.

This Week’s/Month’s Agenda…

-- DRD valuations/rankings top 300+ board updates/adds to everyday post-NFL Draft week and every week through the entire offseason.

-- DRD 5-round Mock Draft currently underway, once complete it will be followed by a SuperFlex 12-episode series.

-- Prospect grades by position and rookie rankings boards are being debuted, updated and added to daily/weekly up to kickoff 2026.

-- Dynasty and Best Ball rankings audits/updates daily/weekly. IDP studies/projections are trying to get done by the end of April, but may not hit until early May.

-- Holy series QB and RB done. Holy RB Handcuffs underway (on hold for draft, since we’re this close)

-- Full scouting reports on prospects from now until the NFL preseason.

-- Any FFM News & Notes or Special Reports during the day as I get them.

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

== NEWS & NOTES & Xs ==

-- HEADLINE: NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports free agent TE David Njoku will visit with the Chargers Monday.

Dude, are you serious? Harbaugh...are you kidding me? Stop with this ‘another TE’ stuff. I don’t think he is stopping. I’m FF-scared to death now for Gadsden. They seem hellbent on adding another TE because ‘McVay did TE things last year, and we must copy it with no real plan of our own besides ‘words’/good intentions.

-- The Athletic’s Nate Atkins expects Rams RB Blake Corum to operate as “a change-of-pace option with explosive capabilities” in “more of a 50-50 split” this season.

The Athletic’s Nate Atkins expects Rams RB Kyren Williams to be the “primary third-down back and between-the-tackles runner” in “more of a 50-50 split” this season.

It was running about 60/40 carries and 70/30 pass game favor to Kyren late last season and into the playoffs, but you could see Corum was just better with the ball. Kyren may be the better blocker, but that’s about it.

This is just a writer saying it, but I believe it is true as well. And do you know why it is important, if true?

You saw how almost all NFL teams drafted 117 TEs to swell their TE room to an overload/oversupply? Why? Because NFL coaches and GMs have no original ideas, they just try to copy Sean McVay (used to be trying to copying Bill Belichick, and never getting close to successfully doing so). Once (if) McVay runs a pure 50/50 split backfield...guess what a lot of other teams will do? Move from 70/30 or 60/40 and go 50/50, no longer beholden to the veteran/experienced lead getting all the snaps/touches.

You saw how bad the Rams NFL Draft was, right? The rest of the league copied that too.

-- I totally get this, which is the danger of having absolutely over-busy NFL head coaches scouting the NFL Draft:

https://x.com/backcountryfam/status/2049946837843378204?s=43

Having been doing this for 15+ years now, I totally get the ‘if their highlights don’t impress me, then I don’t watch any more of their work’ thought process. I kinda start out that way with the scouting process each year as well. But there’s several different times/causes for me to go back and relook at things as I go, it’s built into my process...I can’t have the full arrogance or lack of time to think ‘my first watch/impression’ is LAW from here on in.

Sometimes you watch tape and you’re physically sick that day or got in a fight with a spouse/partner or the kids drive you crazy or you’re too euphoric that day or you don’t want to work that day so you’re half-assing it to check a box. It’s a whole 10+ hour a day process that NFL coaches, nor scouts, nor GMs, nor media have or take time for...to scout EVERYTHING over-and-over-and-over.

People are getting onto Kyle for this, but he represents all the head coaches with his admission/words. They cannot spend the time needed because they don’t have the time. I don’t have the time. I wish I could work 40 hours per DAY in scouting, for the draft or in-season.

-- Again, I say...the 2026 NFL Draft was the absolute dumbest, most poorly strategized and executed NFL Draft of my professional history. There is no excuse for this following statement/excuse by the Ravens GM. There are so many wrong/dumb things wrong with this statement it absolutely blows my mind:

https://x.com/mysportsupdate/status/2049859380288307485?s=43

They lost their ace center in free agency (Linderbaum) and didn’t prioritize drafting the high end centers in a deep class of centers. But there were more good center options remaining in a very deep class of them, so they just didn’t draft a center. It’s beyond the pale of utter stupidity. They could’ve drafted the highly lauded center Trey Zuhn (who went #90) at their #80 pick, instead they took Ja’Kobi freaking Lane...I mean, you gotta be absolute imbeciles.

Oh, then at pick #115 they took Elijah Sarratt! Great, more mediocre WRs...just what they needed!!! At pick #128, 13 picks later from Baltimore, the Bengals got arguably the best center in the draft with Connor Lew (who fell that far because he tore his ACL last college season).

The Ravens are now in the running for the dumbest team in the entire NFL. Their offseason is like the owner picked up a crack addiction after they lost to the Steelers Week 18.

-- My medical condition update, for those following along...

Topside = All good. The main fight vs. the cancer is probably still in the undetectable stages. My next check up specifically for that is in late June.

They’re gonna check every quarter to see if my PSA has budged and it should likely not have moved this quarter -- but we gotta make sure. The 6-months from radiation and beyond tests are the ‘big ones’ -- tests to see is the cancer trying to make a comeback? Did they not kill some of it/missed it? Did the cancer figure out how to adapt to the therapies/chemo-like pills I take?

I have thought/been telling people that I still had radiation in my body that was needing to flush out and that’s why I still had up-and-down sick hours and days, but I am finding out that I was completely wrong about that (found out this week). The after effect of radiation treatment is a lot more due to all the cellular damage that was done by the radiation...my body is primarily going through a process of going after the leftover dead/dying cancer cells and cleaning them up and flushing them out. My body, my good cells are working overtime to do the clean-up...and my whole body feels the effects...and I’m on so many hormone/body changing meds that my ability for my cells to battle, clean up things is highly altered.

I’m gaining weight and losing physical strength at a rapid pace now...the meds are a big culprit for what they are doing to my normal functions.

With all this going on, I feel seasick randomly and then very tired/need to lay down...I never know at what point it’s gonna hit and for how long. Yesterday, I went to the grocery store with my wife. I felt fine. I was comparing two brand’s size of their torpedo rolls side-by-side. I put one of them back on the shelf and went to put the other in the cart, but then I had a new thought about my choice/comparison so I pivoted and did a 180 to re-check that other bread out and that spin move made me instantly, incredibly sick right there in the store...I was shivering, seasick, losing focus, leaning on the cart...using it like a walker. I had to be helped back to my car. I got in the car to lay back for a moment, as my wife loaded all the groceries...so I looked like a useless fool, in my mind. And then I was sick for like half the day. All because I swung my body around at high speed to go look at some bread. This is my life. When I’m feeling good, I forget that I have to take everything slow and also avoid doing certain trigger things. When I am sitting down working...it’s the best I feel in a day. Any movement is trouble lurking.

The first couple weeks back from radiation were OK...up-and-down. But the past week or so has been the worst...seasick feeling and ultra tired, which I didn’t have time for with the NFL Draft. I make it harder on myself by trying to jam coffee and energy drinks to stay awake through important events. The best medicine I can give my body is sleep...and I have been starving it of that very sleep it needs -- trying to be a workhorse and plow through the ‘tired’. I think that has caught up to me the past week+...my body is working OT (they say it’s like you’re running a marathon internally while you’re sitting/laying down/doing nothing) and me trying to force it to stay awake to get more work done is not smart...but some of that caused by the freaking identity theft event that I got hit with and that I had to make a ton of calls on, getting transferred around, getting dropped, getting to the wrong connection, etc.

The exact time my body needs rest the most...I am forcing it to stay awake like what they do to captured enemy soldiers they are trying to break. Not good.

At the exact time my mind and body need ‘no stress’...I’m forcing it awake as much as I can and am fighting a very annoying, persistent, and so far unsuccessful identity thief.

I gotta slow myself down to get through this post-radiation recovery. I’m gonna try to ease up in the NFL ‘slow months’ of May-June and into July to be better equipped for the upcoming season. Just 8-10+ hours days instead of 12-14+. I gotta get more sleep and more exercise. Ross Jacobs is busting his butt to help pick up some slack.

Despite me pushing myself too much... Despite identity theft breaching my gates... Despite the hourly/daily on-and-off sickness. I’m still here. I’m still ‘winning’. I’m still in the fight. Like Jim Harbaugh says: Whose got it better than us? I am whining about things happening to me...and then I get contacted yesterday that a 12-year-old kid I got to know just had his massive cancer tumor removed and lost his leg and part of his hip. But I’m ‘tired’ and ‘seasick’ a lot...boo hoo. That kid would trade for my life in a heartbeat.

I’ve already ‘won’ at life, no matter what happens. God owes me nothing at this point. He blessed my life way beyond my wildest dreams with family and friends and experiences I thought I’d never have. I’m just trying to play this game some more with extended/bonus time. I wanna write a book someday, I want to go through that experience...it’s my only real bucket list item. Someday I will. Right now, I need to get some more sleep.

== QUOTES & QUOTABLES (pulled from an internet A.I. search, I try to make sure it’s accurate but some of it is ‘trust in AI’) ==

-- Fernando Mendoza, the No. 1 overall pick, is passing on a chance to accompany his former teammates to the White House.

Indiana will take the customary visit to Washington, D.C., on May 11.

The Heisman Trophy winner was asked whether he would take the trip, and his answer incorrectly stated that as the start of the Raiders’ organized team activities. Their OTAs actually begin a week later, on May 18.

“I’m on the bottom of the totem pole here. I’ve got to prove myself,” Mendoza told reporters Saturday. “I can’t miss practice. I don’t have the calendar, but as a rookie, I don’t think that’s a good look. I want to try to best serve my teammates, and I don’t know if that’d be accomplishing that goal.”

-- (unreal...) The Browns have hired longtime NFL executive Trent Baalke in a “consultant-like capacity,” Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports reports.

-- (Speaking of things that trigger me to get sick...) The Cleveland Browns quarterback took the stage at Colorado on Saturday, graduating with a sociology degree. Shedeur Sanders posted a video of himself with other students as they prepared to receive their diplomas.

"What's up? We at graduation," he said. "It's called excellence, man. It's excellence."

-- Diego Pavia signed with the Ravens this week after becoming the first Heisman Trophy finalist to go undrafted in 12 years. He is currently competing with Connecticut's Joe Fagnano for Baltimore's No. 3 quarterback job, although the Ravens could look at more quarterbacks this offseason.

"So now he's in the door and it's like, 'Show us what you can do,'" Jessie Minter said Saturday. "And just like all the undrafted rookies, that's what I would say."

(The best thing the Ravens did this offseason, happened by pure accident)

-- Offensive tackle Dawand Jones and the Browns have come to agreement on a revised contract for the 2026 season.

Jones was set to make $3.674 million for the coming season after hitting escalators in his deal, but he has agreed to take a pay cut in exchange for having most of his salary guaranteed. Tom Pelissero of NFL Media reports that Jones is now set to make $1.5 million with $1.15 million in guaranteed money. (he should fire his agent)

Your moment of Zen for this day...

A never-ending supply of this DNA, apparently: https://x.com/ustadium/status/2050175974969340405?s=43

== New Daily Series ==

Let’s rank The Best players/The Most Important players in the NFL!

The NFL does that series each summer where the players (and maybe others?) vote on the top 100 for the prior season, and the outcome (to me) is like a voting by people who never watch football besides highlights and people without a clue voting in very bizarre ways. You know this series, right?

Well, I was wanting to do a kinda top 100 type thing myself, but I am going to tone it down to the top 64...but using two players from each team, so it may be more of a true top 40-50(?) with some forced stragglers on there for the player’s after 40-50+...but it should be ‘close enough’ and ‘interesting enough’, and I guarantee my rankings will be way different than the NFL voting.

I’ll do a team a day, two players from it and when we get enough you’ll see 4-5 tiers develop. I’ll go alphabetical order, but to switch up my usual pattern...I’ll do a reverse alphabetical order. We start with Washington and add two more each day until we get to Arizona.

*When I have an offensive lineman, I’m going to add their overall grades from PFF last year for some context...XX Overall Grade/rank at their position...XX/x, XX/x Pass/Run Block grade with the rank at their position for 2025.

Trent Williams (92/3rd, OT, 80/12th, 93/2nd), Tristan Wirfs (93/2nd OT...85/4th, 92/3rd), Baker Mayfield, Cam Ward, Jayden Daniels

Laremy Tunsil (85/6th OT...89/2nd, 75/21st), Grey Zabel (From Wk14 on, the SEA march to SB...82/8th OG, 79/10th, 82/5th...9 grades in the playoffs), Brock Purdy, Peter Skoronski (79/5th OG...85/2nd, 73/10th)

Sam Darnold, Aaron Rodgers, Joey Porter Jr.

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

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

5/2 SAT

(6:22amET)

Today/tomorrow

-- We reached the top 300 prospect level of our initial DRD rankings. I’m going to audit the list a little every day this weekend and upcoming week (as we get any info from rookie minicamps and tryout guys signing or getting cut, etc.) plus add 2-3 or so prospect commentaries including more special ‘twist’ non-rookie options.

After this next week, we’ll then settle into more once a week published updates for my week’s work and adding commentaries, etc.

-- Our post-Draft mock DRD series from the 12 draft spots/5 rounds will have #11 slot today and wraps up with #12 post tomorrow.

Monday May 4th starts Round-2/2.0 of the post-NFL Draft mock DRD series...this time we do SuperFlex but it’s also really doing a recheck of the flows and movements we’re seeing at all the positions since the euphoria of the post-NFL Draft week. And I’m going to use it as a platform to take alternative players to the ones I am foundationally taking in version 1.0, so we can talk about some fresh names. One-a-day from the 12 draft spots on the 2.0 SuperFlex. And we will have just a select few higher probability TWIST players available to take in this one to spice it up as well.

I’m gonna set this aside until the weekend, once I have the DRD boards up and running for everyone’s DRDs happening.

-- The NFL Draft impact/changes to the Dynasty rankings...will be working on those all week trying to have the first wave of impacts considered/newly valued by the 5/2-4, trying to get done by the weekend as well.

-- Miscellaneous reports on things that come my way and more scouting reports to come. I have a backlog of them to get publish already.

This Week’s/Month’s Agenda…

-- DRD valuations/rankings top 300+ board updates/adds to everyday post-NFL Draft week and every week through the entire offseason.

-- DRD 5-round Mock Draft currently underway, once complete it will be followed by a SuperFlex 12-episode series.

-- Prospect grades by position and rookie rankings boards are being debuted, updated and added to daily/weekly up to kickoff 2026.

-- Dynasty and Best Ball rankings audits/updates daily/weekly. IDP studies/projections are trying to get done by the end of April, but may not hit until early May.

-- Holy series QB and RB done. Holy RB Handcuffs underway (on hold for draft, since we’re this close)

-- Full scouting reports on prospects from now until the NFL preseason.

-- Any FFM News & Notes or Special Reports during the day as I get them.

== NEWS & NOTES & Xs ==

-- HEADLINE: Steelers declined the fifth-year option for LT Broderick Jones.

Another Georgia 1st-round pick/high pick overhyped or ‘bust’ pick for the NFL. Remember when we had a like 2-year span where you had to take all the players from the Georgia Bulldogs? That was fun...

The door is opening for rookie Max Iheanachor to probably be a starter a little quicker than expected. The Eagles trading in front of the Steelers to snipe Makai Lemon may have saved the Steelers franchise...

The only way the NFL makes good draft picks/moves is on ‘accident’ more than it is total savvy, cunning planning. I always suspected it, but the 2026 NFL Draft just proved it all the way for me. The 2026 NFL Draft was collectively the dumbest overall draft I’ve ever seen from all the league’s teams...poorly executed, so lacking in business sense. What a mess.

-- HEADLINE: Free agent WR Chase Claypool is trying out for the Packers in rookie minicamp.

A cautionary tale for those who drool over big, tall, 4.3s running Wunder-athletes...like I used to.

His talent (in this case) wasn’t the issue, per se...it was his brain/emotional EQ. And that’s the hardest thing of all to judge in the scouting process. We don’t get to sit in on their team interviews, but I do watch a lot of their media interviews and do background checks, etc. You’d think a guy who went to Notre Dame would have a better head on his shoulders.

The new era WRs...it’s more about IQ, routes, and hands. 40-time doesn’t mean $#& really...as long as you run a 4.6 or less and have great other attributes.

-- Just for kicks rumor: I had a source talk to me about the potential landing spots for Tyreek Hill, once he’s cleared for action. We talked about two interesting, more obvious ones...but then he got to the one he heard some inside/intel buzz on that caught me a little by surprise.

The three teams discussed:

1) Hill would go back to KC in a heartbeat if they asked. But they don’t want him, supposedly.

2) The Rams have been sniffing around for an instant help WR...fears of Davante Adams ‘cooked’ and Puka is so erratic...thus their interest in AJ Brown, which got VERY close (he said), but there was a medical concern.

3) My source’s favorite spot/prediction: Tampa Bay. Close to his home/in Florida. And Bruce Arians collects head cases as the Bucs ‘advisor’. Todd Bowles is/would ‘be down for it’ because he is on super-thin-ice and has to splash now...he’d do a deal with the devil/Tyreek, at this stage.

It got me thinking about it...

If Tyreek were to land in TB...it blows up the Egbuka FF-narrative. Really, just about anywhere he lands he blows up narratives for an existing ace FF WR.

== QUOTES & QUOTABLES (pulled from an internet A.I. search, I try to make sure it’s accurate but some of it is ‘trust in AI’) ==

-- Anticipation is building across the NFL as fans eagerly await the official release of the Los Angeles Rams’ 2026–2027 schedule, one of the most exciting moments of the offseason. While the league has not confirmed an exact date, reports indicate the full schedule is expected to drop in mid-May—likely between May 12 and May 14—continuing a recent trend of prime-time announcements that generate league-wide buzz.

-- One of the most unusual stories that emerged from the 2026 draft in Pittsburgh originated in Pittsburgh, where the Steelers called receiver Makai Lemon before the Steelers were on the clock. The Eagles traded up to take Lemon, one spot before the Steelers at No. 21. Mike Sando of The Athletic reports the move may not have been unprecedented.

Multiple unnamed sources “suggested” that the Steelers have done it before.

“They think they are tying up the phone lines so the other team moves on because they can’t get in touch with the player,” one unnamed executive told Sando. “All it takes is you to call the player, and if another team calls the agent and they’re like, ‘Oh, he’s on the phone with so-and-so,’ now they know who you’re picking.”

Either way, there’s a belief that it’s not something that should be done.

“You don’t make the call until you’re on the clock,” another unnamed executive said. “It’s crazy.”

Again, I say...the single dumbest draft execution and plan, collectively of all 32 teams, of any draft I’ve ever seen/analyzed.

-- At Kalshi, the question of who the Patriots coach will be as of Week 1 2026 has Mike Vrabel at 77 percent. That’s a surprisingly low percentage, given that, a month ago, it was a given that Vrabel would be the coach in New England for years to come. Polymarket poses the question as whether Vrabel will be out by December 31, 2026. “Yes” is currently at 23 percent.

-- Following Thursday’s report from Front Office Sports that Meta mogul Mark Zuckerberg is exploring the possibility of making a bid for the Seahawks, a Meta spokesperson told Bloomberg that Zuckerberg is not interested.

-- As of April 1, ESPN assumed control of NFL Network. As of May 1, NFL Network disappeared from a major cable provider.

Via Ryan Glasspiegel of Front Office Sports, NFL Network has gone dark on Comcast’s Xfinity service amid a carriage dispute. And it’s not an NFL Network issue. It’s an ESPN/Disney issue.

-- From the perspective of Matthew Stafford’s wife Kelly, he could still be starting for the Los Angeles Rams when Ty Simpson’s rookie contract expires. During an Instagram Q&A, Kelly Stafford was asked if her husband could play at least 4 more years, to which she responded “I could see that happening” on the contingency that it’s what’s best for their four daughters together.

-- Rams RBs Kyren Williams and Blake Corum are expected to operate in "more of a 50-50 split" this season. (via @TheAthletic) https://x.com/SleeperNFL/status/2050371287479161079

-- My medical update planned to post here tomorrow.

Your moment of Zen for this day...

https://x.com/yura_elkin/status/2050083133689638938

https://x.com/FFDynastyGrill/status/2050182144304042276

https://x.com/kevin_barral/status/2050351041309179970

== New Daily Series ==

Let’s rank The Best players/The Most Important players in the NFL!

Trent Williams (92/3rd, OT, 80/12th, 93/2nd), Tristan Wirfs (93/2nd OT...85/4th, 92/3rd), Baker Mayfield, Cam Ward, Jayden Daniels

Laremy Tunsil (85/6th OT...89/2nd, 75/21st), Grey Zabel (From Wk14 on, the SEA march to SB...82/8th OG, 79/10th, 82/5th...9 grades in the playoffs), Brock Purdy, Peter Skoronski (79/5th OG...85/2nd, 73/10th)

Sam Darnold

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

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

5/1 FRI

(7:33amET)

Today/tomorrow

-- The next wave of DRD rankings hits today as we move to the top 275 then top 300 by day's end...and then we’ve reached our cruising altitude for a bit...the top 300. We’ll move to the top 350 but I need time to go through and audit some of the lower ranks for team/contract (vs. invite, and did they then get a contract) and some I want to look at a little tape of if I have not before.

6.0 = Expands to the top 275 with more TWIST commentary added, and player valuations still being audited/calculated. This will post approx. midday/early eve ET.

6.1 = Expands to top 300 with more commentary added, and player valuations still being audited/calculated. This will post eveningET.

We’ll keep expanding the DRD rankings to the top 300+ with commentaries added each day of the week by week’s end (5/3). Then we’ll settle in at that 300+ level for the whole offseason and update/add to weekly up to kickoff.

-- Our post-Draft mock DRD series from the 12 draft spots/5 rounds started Monday...two or more slots done per day to get through all 12 slots by the weekend of 5/2-3 for those first DRDs going off.

I’m gonna set this aside until the weekend, once I have the DRD boards up and running for everyone’s DRDs happening.

Busy week ahead.

This Week’s/Month’s Agenda…

-- DRD valuations/rankings top 300+ board updates/adds to everyday post-NFL Draft week and every week through the entire offseason.

-- DRD 5-round Mock Draft currently underway, once complete it will be followed by a SuperFlex 12-episode series.

-- Prospect grades by position and rookie rankings boards are being debuted, updated and added to daily/weekly up to kickoff 2026.

-- Dynasty and Best Ball rankings audits/updates daily/weekly. IDP studies/projections are trying to get done by the end of April, but may not hit until early May.

-- Holy series QB and RB done. Holy RB Handcuffs underway (on hold for draft, since we’re this close)

-- Full scouting reports on prospects from now until the NFL preseason.

-- Any FFM News & Notes or Special Reports during the day as I get them.

== NEWS & NOTES & Xs ==

-- On Sunday morning RC Notes, I will update everyone on my medical things and my post-radiation weeks trying to get it flushed from my system. It has been way more difficult than I expected. Still beating the cancer, but the post-radiation era is trying to beat me off-and-on.

More details on it Sunday with the light news cycle that will be Saturday.

-- I cannot confirm or deny this, but I saw (and maybe you did too online) a pic of Bo Nix’s leg and it looked a little warped. But then someone threw this log on the fire...

https://x.com/theponiexpress/status/2049479123454595354?s=46

-- HEADLINE: 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said TE George Kittle (Achilles) has “a chance” to play in Week 1 against the Rams.

I keep getting conflicting reports about Kittle, and we it in the media too...first he’s gonna definitely be on PUP...the next report he’s got a good shot at Week 1. I have no clue. It feels like he’ll miss some time but also not necessarily be at the top of his game upon return, at his age.

Jake Tonges value hangs in the balance.

-- HEADLINE: ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports the Raiders are “optimistic” about rookie CB Jermod McCoy’s chances to play in 2026.

What a huge thing for Vegas if McCoy is good-to-go to play with a summer off. LV needs not be in any major rush...they can give him the whole season. I’m sure they’re all aiming for 2027+ anyway. They can treat 2026 as a ‘practice year’ for the organization. A ‘gap year’.

-- I wonder what would happen if the NFL let some real businesspeople into their little ‘club’?

Zuckerberg would use all the latest technologies and possibly change the game finally...

https://nypost.com/2026/04/30/sports/mark-zuckerberg-tim-cook-linked-to-potential-10b-seahawks-bidding-war/

== QUOTES & QUOTABLES (pulled from an internet A.I. search, I try to make sure it’s accurate but some of it is ‘trust in AI’) ==

-- “Appreciate the Eagles so much, Nick Foles especially, to pass that number down, because I know he could have easily kept that number to himself. Such a great player when he was here wearing that No. 9. Led them to the Super Bowl, so I appreciate him so much. “I definitely cherish that and I’ll represent the 9 well … I’m just super excited to get that number.” -- Makai Lemon

ABSOLUTE HERESY

-- Report: Free agent RB Austin Ekeler fully cleared, plans to play in 2026

-- “I’m not spending any of my NFL checks,” Jeremiyah Love told BRGridiron. “All that money, my financial advisor’s going to take care of all of that. I don’t know about it, it ain’t my job. It’s going to be there making more and more money.”

The money Love spends during his career will come from his endorsements, and Love said even with that money, he’s not particularly concerned about what he’s going to buy himself.

“First thing I might buy with my marketing money is a house for my parents, car for my dad,” Love said. “Shoot, I’m gonna put myself last. I’m going to take care of my family first.”

-- ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reports that the sense around the Seahawks is that Jadarian Price "won't have to be a bell cow right away."

-- M. Berry’s Love/Hate post:

2026 NFL Draft Quarterbacks I Hate After The NFL Draft

Malik Willis, Miami

The Dolphins continue to express full confidence in Malik Willis as their franchise quarterback. But maybe they’re actually too confident in Willis? Because it seems they think he’s good enough to succeed with nary a shred of talent around him. Well, De'Von Achane is a great talent, sure. But in the passing game? Malik Washington is the only WR on the roster who caught more than 20 balls last season, and he finished with just 317 receiving yards. So, surely the Dolphins would load up on pass catchers in the draft, right? Ehhhhh. Miami didn’t take any receivers until Caleb Douglas in the third round – a selection judged by most every draftnik to be a massive reach. They also took Louisville WR Chris Bell late in the third, but he’s coming off of a torn ACL and may not be ready for the start of the season. Yes, Willis will run. He’ll run and run and run. Because there’s no one to pass to. Sigh. Imagine you’re Malik Willis. After years of being an NFL backup, you finally are a franchise quarterback … for the Miami Dolphins. Congratulations? I guess? Maybe?

RC NOTE: An early gift to us!

Your moment of Zen for this day...

https://youtu.be/gQmetCvnfZE?si=4SXLSedbfziyh8nw

== New Daily Series ==

Let’s rank The Best players/The Most Important players in the NFL!

Tristan Wirfs (93/2nd OT...85/4th, 92/3rd), Baker Mayfield, Cam Ward, Jayden Daniels

Laremy Tunsil (85/6th OT...89/2nd, 75/21st), Grey Zabel (From Wk14 on, the SEA march to SB...82/8th OG, 79/10th, 82/5th...9 grades in the playoffs), Peter Skoronski (79/5th OG...85/2nd, 73/10th)

Sam Darnold

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

*How to sign up for our monthly or annual access: https://ffmetrics.com/total-football-advisor/total-football-advisor

*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

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

4/30 THU

(6:07amET)

Today/tomorrow

-- The next wave of DRD rankings hits today as we move to the top 225 then top 250 by day's end.

5.0 = Expands to the top 225 with more TWIST commentary added, and player valuations still being audited/calculated. This will post approx. midday/early eve ET.

5.1 = Expands to top 250 with more commentary added, and player valuations still being audited/calculated. This will post eveningET.

I’m gonna set this aside until the weekend, once I have the DRD boards up and running for everyone’s DRDs happening.

Busy week ahead.

This Week’s/Month’s Agenda…

-- DRD valuations/rankings top 300+ board updates/adds to everyday post-NFL Draft week and every week through the entire offseason.

-- DRD 5-round Mock Draft currently underway, once complete it will be followed by a SuperFlex 12-episode series.

-- Prospect grades by position and rookie rankings boards are being debuted, updated and added to daily/weekly up to kickoff 2026.

-- Dynasty and Best Ball rankings audits/updates daily/weekly. IDP studies/projections are trying to get done by the end of April, but may not hit until early May.

-- Holy series QB and RB done. Holy RB Handcuffs underway (on hold for draft, since we’re this close)

-- Full scouting reports on prospects from now until the NFL preseason.

-- Any FFM News & Notes or Special Reports during the day as I get them.

== NEWS & NOTES & Xs ==

-- HEADLINE: Panthers exercised QB Bryce Young’s fifth-year team option.

The most depressing but not shocking, FF-news of the day. Poor Tet...a governor on his upside. He won OROY with Bryce, as a testament to how amazing McMillan is.

I think back to the scouts I was fighting nationally a year ago on my belief Tet was fairly ‘generational’, while they pushed the great Matthew Golden as the obvious top guy.

Are you sure you’re ready to believe THEM on Jeremiah Smith...are you sure about Jeremiah Smith on a supernatural plateau above Zeus? https://youtu.be/ti9bzNWWTDY?si=fysMvukMyNN3v3Me

-- HEADLINE: Cowboys WR George Pickens signs franchise tag, will be guaranteed $27.3 million in 2026.

Officially good news for Dak and the Dallas offense, and Javonte.

-- QUOTE: “Just really excited to add him (Carson Beck) to the group,” Arizona GM Monti Ossenfort said. “We’ve got two guys that have played and started a lot of games in the NFL in Jacoby and Gardner. I think that’s gonna be a great competition. We’ll add him in here, and we’ll bring him in and see how much he can handle. We’ll just see how that competition plays out in that room. In the end, the guy who’s gonna give us the best chance to win, that's who’s gonna be out there on Sundays.”

Arizona is in the running for stupidest team in the NFL. They pissed off the free agent they courted/paid in veteran Tyler Allgeier by panic (over)drafting Jeremiyah Love. James Conner reportedly put his Arizona house up for sale. They pissed off Jacoby Brissett by not treating him like a starter or paying him more like one, even if low level. They chickened out on drafting Ty Simpson (their big plan, not mine).

Children (HC and O-C) and goofs (President/owner and GM) are running this team.

-- HEADLINE: Officially, the Green Bay Packers gave Jayden Reed a three-year, $50.25 million contract extension when the deal was submitted to the league. This move was reported five days ago, but the details of the contract have only just become public.

As reported originally, he earned $20 million in full guarantees, $16.5 million of which comes in the form of a signing bonus. Here’s a full breakdown of his cap hits moving forward.

That’s the guaranteed money of a semi-respected low-level WR starter, not a big commitment to a guy they are super thrilled with.

#4 WRs on NFL teams with some upside hopes for a new team in free agency get around a 1-year/$10M+ guaranteed for the season (Tutu/25, Dyami/25, Jahan Dotson/26, Mooney/26 types).

Real, respected WRs get $30M+ guaranteed. Rashid Shaheed got $35M guaranteed in free agency. WanDale $38M guaranteed. Jakobi $40M late last year. Romeo Doubs $39M this free agency period. Alec Pierce got $84M this free agency period.

You know who gets in the $20M guaranteed range at WR (like Reed just did)? Darius Slayton ($22M). Hell, Jalen Nailor just got $23M from Las Vegas...Nailor got more commitment/respect than Reed this year. Rashod Bateman ($20M). Josh Palmer ($18M). You get the point.

Several people asking me about Jayden Reed because of his new deal.

No one asking me about Jalen Nailor.

== QUOTES & QUOTABLES (pulled from an internet A.I. search, I try to make sure it’s accurate but some of it is ‘trust in AI’) ==

-- "We've been in contact with Aaron (Rodgers) on a regular basis," Owner Art Rooney told NFL Media's Tom Pelissero and Judy Battista. "He's been keeping us up to date on his plans. Even though I thought it probably would have been concluded by now, I think we will come to a conclusion here in the next few weeks."

-- "There wasn’t that a-ha moment, it was a combination of the work," Sean McVay said. "You like the body of work, and you say ‘Hey, this guy’s got the potential to develop one day into what we would deem a possible starting quarterback.’ We’ll welcome Ty into the building with open arms, but what I did think what was important for me to make sure that there was clarity on was, let's not get it twisted. We're trying to win right now, and we've got decisions for the short and long term."

-- Former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger weighed in on Footbahlin’ with Ben Roethlisberger, saying he isn’t quite sold on Drew Allar.

“This is one that I’m not sure yet if I love it or hate it,” Roethlisberger said. “I don’t watch a lot of Penn State games. When I did watch, he never jumped off the page to me. Is he big? Can he move? Can he throw? Yes. But there was never a time where I was like, ‘Whoa.'”

Roethlisberger adds that he thinks Will Howard is the better quarterback.

“Will Howard jumped off the tape to me way more than Drew did.”

-- Deepak Chona (Medical Expert) on Draft Prospect Medicals: "Several teams flagged 'hidden' shoulder issues during the re-checks. This impacted the slide of a few top-tier pass rushers."

-- Mike LaFleur (Cardinals HC) on drafting RB Jeremiyah Love: "I'll be honest with you, I was hoping nobody called, and I really didn't care what the offer was because of how I feel about the guy that we got." (Source: The Rich Eisen Show, April 28)

BAD LIAR

-- Peter Schrager (FOX/NFLN) on the 49ers' aggressive front office mentality: "San Francisco's not wearing underwear anymore, they're just f---in' free-ballin' it." (Source: The Bill Simmons Podcast, April 29)

Your moment of Zen for this day...

https://x.com/TitleTalkTCL/status/2049519721033195895

(read down the comments under the lead on this one...) https://x.com/NFL_DovKleiman/status/2049547871385530513

== New Daily Series ==

Let’s rank The Best players/The Most Important players in the NFL!

Tristan Wirfs (93/2nd OT...85/4th, 92/3rd), Baker Mayfield, Cam Ward, Jayden Daniels

Laremy Tunsil (85/6th OT...89/2nd, 75/21st), Peter Skoronski (79/5th OG...85/2nd, 73/10th)

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

*How to sign up for our monthly or annual access: https://ffmetrics.com/total-football-advisor/total-football-advisor

*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

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

4/29 WED

(7:10amET)

Today/tomorrow

-- The next wave of DRD rankings hits today as we move to the top 175 then top 200 by days end.

4.0 = Expands to the top 175 with more commentary added, and player valuations still being audited/calculated. This will post approx. midday/early eve ET.

4.1 = Expands to top 200 with more commentary added, and player valuations still being audited/calculated. This will post eveningET.

We’ll keep expanding the DRD rankings to the top 200, then top 250, then top 300+ with commentaries added each day of the week by week’s end. Then we’ll settle in at that 300+ level for the whole offseason and update weekly up to kickoff.

There’s a TWIST being added to the DRD rankings today, I’ll explain down below in a moment.

-- Our post-Draft mock DRD series from the 12 draft spots/5 rounds started Monday...two or more slots a day to get through all 12 slots by the weekend of 5/2-3 for those first DRDs going off.

-- NFL DRAFT TEAM GRADES...running behind due to all the DRD work, but I’ll have it done this week (hopefully) with some new metrics/twists this year planned. The DRD boards are the priority.

I’m gonna set this aside until the weekend, once I have the DRD boards up and running for everyone’s DRDs happening.

Busy week ahead.

This Week’s/Month’s Agenda…

-- DRD valuations/rankings top 300+ board updates/adds to everyday post-NFL Draft week and every week through the entire offseason.

-- DRD 5-round Mock Draft currently underway, once complete it will be followed by a SuperFlex 12-episode series.

-- Prospect grades by position and rookie rankings boards are being debuted, updated and added to daily/weekly up to kickoff 2026.

-- Dynasty and Best Ball rankings audits/updates daily/weekly. IDP studies/projections are trying to get done by end of April, but may not hit until early May.

-- Holy series QB and RB done. Holy RB Handcuffs underway (on hold for draft, since we’re this close)

-- Full scouting reports on prospects from now until the NFL preseason.

-- Any FFM News & Notes or Special Reports during the day as I get them.

== NEWS & NOTES & Xs ==

-- DRD TWIST: First time ever...a special twist coming to the DRD rankings today!

For the first time in my many years doing the DRD top 300+, this year’s DRD rankings will include a certain group of key EXISTING/non-rookie players that are WAY undervalued and/or might be available in a typical 12-team, 25 +/- man roster DRD.

I’m putting them on there to show some of their values (to us) and to stoke possible trade thoughts of your picks for these players.

I plan to add like 3 of them per day for the next 3 days (W-Th-Fri) and if any more players hit me that I think should be on there after this week, we’ll put them on there.

-- DISCORD: For the ‘Betting Subscribers’...the ‘DRD Intel and Questions’ thread/chat room is open. Anything of interest you’re seeing in your DRDs taking place, please continue to put into the chat room as some have begun to do as their drafts have already started. Any questions on DRD players or trades, etc., feel free to put it in there and everyone in the chat room feels free to weigh in on items put out for help, as always. Also, if you can put a snapshot/post of a completed entire draft in there for people to see, it’s always a help if you want to help.

If you subscribed to our ‘Betting’ subscription and are not using the Discord option because you’ve not done so before...email me, it’s part of your subscription, and it’s super easy/stable to use for a chat room/club platform -- use on one of the most stable Apps and PC platforms. It’s a great platform I’m gonna try to use more and more for things/notifications, etc.

I call it ‘betting’ as that is how it started as a focus, but it’s half for that and half a place that people can hang out and discuss topics and ask questions for me, Ross, and the group via Discord...if you have an interest email me for more info on getting into this ‘club’.

-- HEADLINE: ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports Cardinals RB Tyler Allgeier believed he would be the team’s lead back in 2026.

This falls in line with what I thought/what I was told by an insider pre-NFL Draft -- the Cardinals never intended to draft Jeremiyah Love. They invested in Allgeier and kept James Conner and still have Trey Benson. This is now a mess. Allgeier gets screwed once again, because Arizona is run by a bunch of dopes.

Instead of trading back with someone and taking the Ty Simpson they wanted, they got scared and took/over-drafted Love when it was not a need at all. One of the truly dumbest things of the NFL Draft.

Next Dynasty update you will see Allgeier drop way down in value, sadly.

-- HEADLINE: Panthers RB Jonathon Brooks (knee) said he’s been fully cleared to play in Carolina’s offseason program and feels “close to 100 percent.”

There are two things that I get asked about or the topics talked about the most post-NFL Draft week...

1) People who are already trying to tank 2026 just to get a shot at Jeremiah Smith in 2027 (which is insane, but is very real). Since they can’t start losing games on purpose yet, they settle for trying to trade everything they have for anyone else’s 2027 1st-round picks...but so is everyone else trying to do the same for the same reason.

*FF Commissioners...or concerned FF-citizens...so many teams are gonna try to tank 2027 when they start out (0-3) or (1-3), etc., that if you don’t have a system in place anyway...you should consider putting in some kind of season end tournament for the #1 pick among the non-playoff qualifiers, to keep the ‘great tank’ mayhem away.

2) People who are totally fired about Jon Brooks’ return. Don’t overlook him in DRDs. Especially if you have Chuba Hubbard.

-- I’m starting to get a little agitated at the Chargers’ wealth of FF assets they have. How are they getting them all the ball with FF-gusto for any one of them among the WRs?

https://x.com/chargers/status/2048136157767332018

Then I see this... Chargers exercised Quentin Johnston’s fifth-year option for 2027. Johnston will make a fully guaranteed $18 million in 2027.

Ladd-Harris-Gadsden-Hampton-Mitchell-Vidal-Kolar...QJ? Thompson? KSL?

Seriously?

== QUOTES & QUOTABLES (pulled from an internet A.I. search, I try to make sure it’s accurate but some of it is ‘trust in AI’) ==

-- ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports the Steelers “placed the rare right-of-first-refusal tender” on QB Aaron Rodgers.

The right-of-first-refusal tender will force Rodgers, 42, to “accept a 10 percent raise off last year’s salary, which would pay him about $15 million this season, and the Steelers also now will have the right to match any offer sheet he would sign with another team,” according to Schefter. “As another condition of the tender, Rodgers would only be able to sign with the Steelers once training camp begins.”

-- Broncos head coach Sean Payton said RB Jonah Coleman “can play on third downs.”

“Normally, you have to project that,” Payton said of Coleman, the 109th pick in the 2026 draft out of Washington. “A lot of these guys, in college, maybe the protection plan’s different or limited. So you have to develop that, and that’s fine, but (Coleman’s) frame is such that, when you see him, he does a really good job in blocking pressure looks.”

-- An in-depth interview with Sean Payton where he talks a lot about Jonah Coleman and their scouting process on him, plus other things...

https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/everything-know-denver-broncos-rb-235326739.html

-- The Athletic’s Dan Duggan reports the Giants were seeking a second-round pick for EDGE Kayvon Thibodeaux during the draft.

-- ESPN's Adam Schefter joined "The Pat McAfee Show" on Monday and shared the latest on Brandon Aiyuk's situation, which remains unresolved as the 49ers hold out hope that they still can trade him.

"Well, we know he's not going to be back in San Francisco," Schefter said. "We know that the team is ready to move on from him, and they've advertised, including this weekend, at every turn that they would trade him for whatever they could get back for him. And I think the reason a team's not trading for him right now is they don't want to assume the current contract that he has, and so it's a situation where he hasn't been in clear, constant communication with the Niners, they've had a hard time getting ahold of him. Other teams, I think, have attempted to reach out, they've had a hard time getting ahold of him."

-- (Keep tabs on this one for DRDs?)

FROM A CBS REPORT: There's a chance Brendan Sorsby's college football career could be over, and if that happens, there may be a path for the Texas Tech quarterback to enter the NFL this summer.

Sorsby is currently under investigation by the NCAA for gambling. He allegedly wagered on several collegiate sporting events, including at least one Indiana game in 2022 while he was on the Hoosiers' roster, per multiple reports. The NCAA has a strict policy against gambling, and anyone found to have bet on their own team can "potentially face permanent loss of collegiate eligibility in all sports."

With the NCAA's strict policy in place, it's possible Sorsby could be ruled permanently ineligible. If that happens, it could open the door for him to enter the NFL Supplemental Draft.

Although Sorsby would likely qualify, there's no guarantee the NFL would approve him to enter. Given the gambling allegations, CBS Sports Lead NFL Insider Jonathan Jones reported that league sources view approval as highly unlikely.

"If he wanted to apply to the NFL for the supplemental draft, folks I talked to believe he would not be approved," Jones said. "So the supplemental draft seems like an extremely unlikely pathway this summer. And here's why: The NFL is obviously very hard on those who gamble on NFL games... If you are in the NFL and you do bet on your team -- win or lose -- you are banned a minimum of two years. That's how seriously the league takes this."

Even if Sorsby gained approval, a team would still need to draft him, which could prove equally difficult.

Before the gambling investigation surfaced, Sorsby was projected to be a first-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft (we had him going No. 8 overall in our way-too-early mock), and that outlook could still hold if he's ultimately cleared to play this season. However, if the NCAA imposes a ban, teams could soon face a far more complicated decision about whether his talent outweighs the significant off-field risk.

Your moment of Zen for this day...

(dumb but kinda chuckle inducing)

https://x.com/sweettexanrose/status/2048409952931254698?s=43

== New Daily Series ==

Let’s rank The Best players/The Most Important players in the NFL!

Cam Ward, Jayden Daniels

Laremy Tunsil (85/6th OT...89/2nd, 75/21st), Peter Skoronski (79/5th OG...85/2nd, 73/10th)

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

*How to sign up for our monthly or annual access: https://ffmetrics.com/total-football-advisor/total-football-advisor

*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

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

4/28 TUE

(8:10amET)

Today/tomorrow

-- The next wave of DRD rankings hits today as we move to the top 125 then top 150 by days end.

3.0 = Expands to the top 125 with more commentary added, and player valuations still being audited/calculated. This will post middayET.

3.1 = Expands to top 150 with more commentary added, and player valuations still being audited/calculated. This will post eveningET.

-- NFL DRAFT TEAM GRADES...running behind due to all the DRD work, but I’ll have it done this week (hopefully) with some new metrics/twists this year planned. The DRD boards are the priority.

-- Our post-Draft mock DRD series from the 12 draft spots/5 rounds started Monday...two or more slots a day to get through all 12 slots by the weekend of 5/2-3 for those first DRDs going off.

-- The NFL Draft impact/changes to the Dynasty rankings...will be working on those all week trying to have the first wave of impacts considered/newly valued by the 5/2-3 weekend as well.

Busy week ahead.

This Week’s/Month’s Agenda…

-- DRD valuations/rankings top 300+ board updates/adds to everyday post-NFL Draft week and every week through the entire offseason.

-- DRD 5-round Mock Draft, 12-episode series begins Monday 4/27

-- Prospect grades by position and rookie rankings boards are being debuted, updated and added to daily/weekly up to kickoff 2026.

-- Dynasty and Best Ball rankings audits/updates daily/weekly. IDP studies trying to get done by end of April.

-- Holy series QB and RB done. Holy RB Handcuffs underway (on hold for draft, since we’re this close)

-- Full scouting reports on prospects from now until the NFL preseason.

-- Any FFM News & Notes or Special Reports during the day as I get them.

== NEWS & NOTES & Xs ==

-- FYI, I’m gonna be planning out our annual ‘offseason moves’ studies/tournament for 2026. This is my favorite thing to do in the summer...I really settle in and study all the team’s free agent ins and outs and draft picks and UDFAs and trades they made to determine which team did the best in the offseason...I try to do it parallel with my draft guide studies and writing commentaries for the 2026 redrafts, etc.

That series will be upcoming ASAP. It’s the best thing I do to get myself prepared for the 2026 season and especially helping make bets on teams and individual player props.

-- The whole Sean McVay didn’t agree with the drafting of Ty Simpson thing has been exposed as a fraud. He was in on it. He’s guilty of the same crime as Les Snead.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/48613148/ty-simpson-had-secret-meeting-rams-mcvay-draft

-- NEWS: The first round of the NFL draft averaged 13.2 million viewers across television and digital platforms, according to the league and Nielsen.

It was the third-most watched first round on record, behind 2020's audience of 15.5 million and last year's 13.6 million.

The league also said there was record attendance of 805,000 in Pittsburgh across the three days of the draft, including a record 320,000 for Thursday's first round.

OK, do you realize the context of this viewership number? The #1 TV show (non-news) is a show called ‘Tracker’...it does approx. 8 million views per week. The NFL Draft did 13.2m, which will make it the #1 TV event of the week when the official rankings come out.

The March Madness final did 18.3m.

The MLB World Series games last year averaged 12.4m viewers in the U.S...saved by a doubling of their U.S. viewers for their exciting game 7. The NFL Draft beat the World Series average viewership.

The NBA Finals averaged over 10m+ in 2025. Another NFL Draft beat.

The Oscars did 19.7m in 2025.

The 2025 NFL opener (PHI v. DAL) did 28.3m on NBC.

Football rules.

I say it often...the best TV series/drama on television each year is the NFL week-to-week. Better than any scripted show ever created…except maybe Better Call Saul.

== QUOTES & QUOTABLES (pulled from an internet A.I. search, I try to make sure it’s accurate but some of it is ‘trust in AI’) ==

-- THE DEFINITION OF HOPEIUM: ...a whopping 88 percent of (GB Packers website) readers gave the Packers either an A or B grade, with the As holding a very slim lead at 45% to 43%. Only 7 percent of survey respondents gave it a C, with three percent at a D grade and two percent at an F.

-- Kaytron Allen himself explained to the media, “I was a fat baby, and everybody in the town called me Fatman. Hopefully, I keep it going in Washington and they call me Fatman. And you know, when I score, all you hear is Fatman.”

-- Cincy GM Tobin said the Bengals did not “want to be reliant” on rookies starting right away and that getting a finished product in Dexter Lawrence was a better fit than developing a younger player.

“It’s one of the attractive things about trading a 10th pick for an All-Pro,” Tobin said, via the team’s website. “You know exactly what you’re getting. And you’re getting immediate impact. That was something that was a big decision point for us. We get immediate impact instead of impact as we go. So that was important.”

Your moment of Zen for this day...

(another one where you’ll probably be hooked quickly...this one is only 8+ minutes)

https://youtu.be/MD62UZFEvd0?si=CdmVmgv31XO4mg2c

== New Daily Series ==

Let’s rank The Best players/The Most Important players in the NFL!

Laremy Tunsil (85/6th...89/2nd, 75/21st)

Jayden Daniels

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

*How to sign up for our monthly or annual access: https://ffmetrics.com/total-football-advisor/total-football-advisor

*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

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

4/27 MON

(7:49amET)

Today/tomorrow

-- The first wave of DRD rankings hit yesterday. Wave 2 hits today as we expand to the top 100, bringing in the IDPs, getting official contract info on UDFAs. We will likely push two updates today...

2.0 = Expands to the top 75 with more commentary added, and player valuations still being audited/calculated. This will post middayET.

2.1 = Expands to top 100 with more commentary added, and player valuations still being audited/calculated. This will post eveningET.

We’ll keep expanding the DRD rankings to the top 150, then top 200, then top 250, then top 300+ with commentaries added each day of the week next week. Then we’ll settle in at that 300+ level for the whole offseason and update weekly up to kickoff.

-- NFL DRAFT TEAM GRADES...will be out potentially on Monday. Tuesday is a hopeful worst case. Wednesday is not out of the question. The DRD boards are the priority.

Our draft grades are nothing like the mainstream ones where everyone gets an A or B or C (although there might be actual Ds from the paid-by-thing-they-have-to-critique because this was the stupidest draft on execution that I’ve ever seen in a draft in my career). We use calculations/algorithms to put real grades on the teams based on our perfect draft criteria and average draft criteria, etc., blended into a grade based on our valuations. There will be F grades (gasp)...probably several of them.

-- My post-Draft mock DRD series from the 12 draft spots/5 rounds will start Monday...two or more slots a day to get through all 12 slots by the weekend of 5/2-3 for those first DRDs going off.

-- The NFL Draft impact/changes to the Dynasty rankings...will be working on those all week trying to have the first wave of impacts considered/newly valued by the 5/2-3 weekend as well.

Busy week ahead.

This Week’s/Month’s Agenda…

-- DRD valuations/rankings top 300+ board updates/adds to everyday post-NFL Draft week and every week through the entire offseason.

-- DRD 5-round Mock Draft, 12-episode series begins Monday 4/27

-- Prospect grades by position and rookie rankings boards are being debuted, updated and added to daily/weekly up to kickoff 2026.

-- Dynasty and Best Ball rankings audits/updates daily/weekly. IDP studies trying to get done by end of April.

-- Holy series QB and RB done. Holy RB Handcuffs underway (on hold for draft, since we’re this close)

-- Full scouting reports on prospects from now until the NFL preseason.

-- Any FFM News & Notes or Special Reports during the day as I get them.

== NEWS & NOTES & Xs ==

-- HEADLINE: Ravens’ Ryan Mink reports that team owner Steve Bisciotti was allowed to draft a player for the first time ever this year and chose former Clemson RB Adam Randall.

You have to now value Randall a little higher for FF consideration if the OWNER made the pick. Biscotti apparently knows the Clemson coach/es and did studies, and this was his first ever pick. And...well...now there is quite an investment in the young man.

From NBC: General Manager Eric DeCosta said in a press conference that selecting former Clemson running back Adam Randall was Bisciotti’s call. “When we were down in Florida, Steve was begging for a draft pick and he owns the team,” DeCosta said, via the team’s website. “I said, ‘Yes, Steve, of course you can have a draft pick.’ So, we decided on our last fifth-round pick. He did his research and studied the tape, talked to people. He has a really good relationship with the Clemson head coach.

-- HEADLINE: Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia will attend Ravens rookie minicamp.

Another Ravens’ noteworthy event today in the news.

It sickens me that no one gave Pavia a chance because, reportedly, he was saying he would come to a team’s roster and try to win the QB job. You should want that...but not in the frightened cat that is NFL management.

Rashee Rice is welcomed every day with open arms. Diego Pavia can only get an invite to try out. Totally ridiculous. Some of the guys who get invited to camp compared to Pavia isn’t even a comparison. What’s the harm of inviting him in for the summer and if he gets out of line, per their fears, they send him packing and his career would be over if his first chance team abruptly fired him. You have to take a chance for the price.

You can’t tell me Pavia is better for a team than ‘Snoop’ Huntley. Give me a break.

If the Ravens don’t officially have him on the 90-man roster after the invite to tryout, then I bet he goes to the CFL to draw money and try to gain attention...or maybe to the UFL or whatever minor league football is still alive.

== QUOTES & QUOTABLES (pulled from an internet A.I. search, I try to make sure it’s accurate but some of it is ‘trust in AI’) ==

-- “If you had a gun to my head, I’d say AR [will be the Steelers’ quarterback],” Mike Tomlin said. “I just think being around him for the 12 months I was around him, he’s got as love affair with the game of football. And not only the game, but the process. The informal moments of the development of younger guys. The interaction with teammates. I think he has an addiction to that, and there’s only one way to feed it…”

-- NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport is reporting that UAB running back Isaiah Jacobs, brother of Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs, is going to get a tryout opportunity at the Packers’ rookie minicamp next week. For those not in the know, rookie minicamp is a week of practices when the team gets hands-on work with its rookie class, but it’s also the only opportunity for teams to have tryout players in for a full practice without them being members of the offseason roster.

-- Drew Allar is an in-state draft pick, his connection to the Steelers dates back to when he was in high school and Steelers quarterbacks coach Tom Arth recruited him while he was the head coach at the University of Akron.

“I’ve been watching Drew since he was probably 14 or 15 years old,” Arth said after the Steelers drafted the Medina, OH native. “[I] offered him [a scholarship] as a college coach. And it’s just amazing to see how far he’s come.“

When discussing the traits he loves about Allar, Arth raved about his arm talent.

“He throws it as well as any quarterback in this draft class,” Arth said. “He has an effortless arm. He can make every single throw on the field. And he’s a better athlete than I think [he’s] given credit for.”

-- In 2025, Hall of Famer Deion Sanders finished his third season as the head coach at Colorado. His most recent team produced no NFL draft picks.

None. Not one. Which doesn’t speak well of the recruiting efforts, either from the high school ranks prior to the 2023 season or from the transfer portal via one- or two-year players.

-- “It wasn’t that we intentionally didn’t draft a safety because we feel good about them [Joseph and Branch]. I feel like they’re both trending in the right direction, but it just didn’t line up,” Lions GM Brad Holmes said. “Just like it hasn’t lined up at other positions in the past, we didn’t ignore it. There were some good ones that were out there that just got picked before we were able to, but it just didn’t quite line up. I didn’t really think that class was as deep either, so it had to line up and you had to strike right.”

Your moment of Zen for this day...

(20+ minute video and you will enjoy it...a good time waster/enhancer at work today)

https://youtu.be/2JdufPA5EWU?si=6c_f7RlMTz9ebL3j

== New Short-Term Daily Series ==

This is gonna be an odd short series but consider it a Public Service Announcement...another PSA story from me this year, and this PSA may be worse than my other PSA (prostate cancer) issue.

My PSA for the next few days will be about...Identity Theft.

Someone made an attempt on me and I’m going to share how it unfolded and my journey into learning about what to do and the nightmare of things I had to do.

Part 1: The Intrusion...

So, before I go to bed every night...I spend 30-60 minutes on my phone. Two primary functions doing that...(1) Catch up on the world news of the day that I might have missed in my football cocoon all day, and (2) Clear all my personal/non-football emails...look for key emails and read them and then possibly send them to myself to deal with the next day.

So, Sunday night I was clearing my emails when I saw a Credit Karma alert...about an inquiry into my credit by some company. I thought ‘that’s odd’...I didn’t recall anything that would trigger that, but I wasn’t immediately thrown/shook by it...until I read the email and saw it was an inquiry from a Credit Card company that I have no association with. Then...it was FREAK OUT TIME.

I wanted to intervene before the inquiry turned into an official account. I was in a frenzy.

The inquiry on my credit report gave the number of the credit card company, so I called and eventually got to their 24-hour fraud alert line and...and to say they were less than helpful would be an understatement. Four transfers/four different phone numbers people from ‘International Call Centers’ gave to me to call. None of them came up with anything useful for my investigation.

I knew I should probably just call in the morning (Monday) when the full staff would be around.

I did a GEMINI research into what to do about a fraud breach... And it came back that I should urgently/primarily check all the three credit reporting agencies and consider freezing my credit.

So, I started to do just that... I had to make online accounts with the three credit bureaus, at 1am...dog tired but heart racing to the point of fear of a heart attack -- the meds I’m on for the cancer fight mess with my heart if I put any strain on it...I thought that was just a concern if I did something physical, but this mental freak out moment was making my heart hurt bad.

As I made accounts with the Big 3 credit places...I started to discover there were a total of five other hard inquiries...four for different credit cards and one for Carvana, but the Carvana one was attempted 4 different times/locations. All of it happening on Sunday 4/19...which is a good day to make a run at someone because who's working full steam at places on a Sunday?

If I was panicked before and my heart was stinging me a bit...once I discovered all these other attempts, my heart was in real pain, I could hardly sleep. I was stuck in the wee hours of the morning Sunday into Monday with this knowledge...knowing I needed to go after it on Monday morning when these places had staff I could talk to. But I did freeze all my credit at 1-2am, so the spigot was at least shut off...but the existing attempts were live wires/active volcanos to deal with.

Advice-to-you #1: The Credit Karma App is free, and I’ve had it for years and it has been very good alerting me to things I knew/was OK with. This was the first problem...and thank God I had them give me an alert or I would have had no idea it was happening.

If you don’t have it already: YOU NEED the FREE Credit Karma App (or equivalent) and you need to get the notifications flowing and you need to take their notifications seriously, just to be sure. It’s the first line of defense-for free.

Tomorrow we’ll pick up tomorrow with Part 2: Monday Morning Phone Call Mania...

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

Part 2: Monday Morning Phone Call Mania...

So now it was MY job to call all these credit card companies and Carvana all Monday morning...so, I did.

Trying to scout draft prospects, write draft reports, deal with radiation sickness...and call all these corporations in desperation to find out info and stop the bad guys/gals...what a wonderful day.

So, I called every one of the companies to follow up on the ‘Hard Inquires’ (someone applied for credit in my name)

Carvana = Gave me an email to their fraud department. Couldn’t contact them direct. So, I emailed and waited for a response. Credit to them they emailed back quickly for additional info and said they would look into and get back to me.

Two Bank Credit Card companies, bigger names = Transferred to 1-2 other departments/people. No record of anything (apply or actual account)...but I could clearly see there was an application at least. What could I do? They had no info.

Crypto account/credit card = Transferred to 4 different divisions. One person in the chain told me, “Oh, yeah. Sorry about that. We are constantly getting people trying to open up fraudulent accounts.” My heart was about to explode when I found out this was a credit line to buy crypto. No records of anyone with my name/last 4 social. Seriously? I can see the hit/inquiry on my credit!

Credit Bureau = I thought 4 attempts at different Carvana’s was bad. Then I thought the Crypto account thing was really bad. Then when I realized they may have tried to buy my credit report from one of the Big 3, it made me sick. They tried to use my identity info/credentials to buy access to my full credit/everything. Think about the ramifications! Devious/smart on their end. Made a person fighting cancer on a lot of chemically altering meds the most anxious, heart-pounding he’s been since I first got the information I had Stage 4 prostate cancer.

And then get this...contacting the credit bureau to see what happened and if the bad guys got access -- it was the least inviting/able to access anyone company there was.

I felt like the clock was ticking to contact all of them at this stage because I had no idea if they actually got lines of credit or access to my full credit/history or what? I was calling them all to find out info, stop things...I leapt into action. And what did that get me? Basically nowhere. Constant transfers or giving me phone numbers to call...speaking to outsources in other countries, so I had a hard time understanding/following the conversation...I never really got ‘real’ information. Not one company, on the spot, could tell me if an account was opened or attempted to be opened in my name. Not that they wouldn’t...they didn’t have systems or headcount or concern in place to be able to tell me anything. Their fraud departments were ‘nothing’, in my opinion. Except one, which we’ll get to in a bit.

SUNDAY = I got alerted.

MONDAY wee hours = I froze all my credit.

MONDAY all day = Constant calls, transfers, on hold, dead ends, really not one real piece of info from anyone.

Now what do I do?

Tomorrow we’ll pick up tomorrow with Part 3: Credit Protection Firm Shopping...

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

Part 3: Credit Protection Firm Shopping...

When I got the first alert of an identity issue very late Sunday night, I asked GEMINI what I should do given the situations...it told me to set up FREE accounts on the Big 3 credit bureaus and (1) Freeze my credit with all 3, and (2) Put a Fraud Alert on my credit bureaus accounts, so I did.

Freezing means NO company can see your credit. You have to go in and unfreeze it if you’re really going to apply for credit for something. Freezing closes the gates 100% from any fraud attempts going forward...but the ones prior are still alive.

Fraud Alert means = when a business sees a fraud alert activated on your report, they are legally required to take "reasonable steps" to verify your identity before granting new credit. This usually means they will call you at a phone number you provided when you set up the alert. I wonder how hard they really try to get a hold of a person...

But then I asked GEMINI to recommend an identity theft monitoring company that insures me for losses. I thought LifeLock was the leader, but it insisted it is a company called AURA, insisted it by a mile from the other options. So, I signed up with them and am just getting started...but apparently they would have helped me make those individual phone calls to all the businesses that the thieves tried to sign up for credit with by having access to a ‘white glove’ service where they will help me dispute the ‘hard inquiries’ if I want them to.

If anyone has good or bad experience with AURA, drop me an email–I’d like to see what real people think. Online, everyone pretty much has AURA rated #1.

I thought I could get away with not having paid-for credit protection since I had the free Credit Karma that does so much, but they just alert after-the-fact...they don’t defend and/or assist.

I am going to have them assist me later next week when I get past the NFL Draft processing crunch. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Tomorrow we’ll conclude with the ‘outcome’ of all this: Part 4: So, what happened to the thieves attempts to open all these accounts, how much money did they get?

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

Part 4: So, what happened to the thieves attempts to open all these accounts, how much money did they get?

Well, I thought I was in the clear. I checked my credit stuff multiple times a day looking for bad accounts that were opened. Nothing. I thought maybe all these companies caught the fraud with ease. Each day of the week that went by clean was a little relief for me. But then...

I was really sick all day Saturday...one of my worst days since I’ve been back from radiation. Out of the blue. I just stayed in place. Limited my movements. I didn't walk the dog, which means I didn’t get the mail Saturday. I still felt bad Sunday, but I needed to get some fresh air and sun, so I took an abbreviated walk Sunday...then got the mail on the way back in, and there it was -- a ‘welcome to your new credit card’ letter with an attached card to activate (from one of the places that had a hard inquiry).

What a way to start a Sunday.

I started panic-calling. I eventually got through to this major bank’s fraud department. I gave them the info on the situation and the card number, and they said...sorry, we can’t help you...you gotta call the ____ company. It was a credit card for a retail company thru this major bank as the issuer, which then means the bank issuer is hand’s off...you gotta contact the retailer’s finance department. And of course they aren’t around on weekends.

It’s smart of the thieves...direct accounts with major banks would likely catch the fraud with several steps to being able to use the card. Major retailers not in the real banking system can’t wait to open an account and make a sale…they must have much lower credit standards and less protection of the consumer.

I now have to take another Monday morning change of plans to play phone tag with this retailer. Also, I need to take a meeting with AURA protection company to see what they can do because this may be the first open account I’m alerted to with 2-3 of them to come/already happened but I don't know it.

I thought the story was over/had a lucky ending by today...but now it’s still alive and really kicking. I’ll end this little series here but will update the final events as they happen.

But I wanted to suggest, in the end...

1) Be sure to take advantage of the FREE Credit Karma App (or equivalent, but I think they are the top dog). Enable the notifications, etc. I would have had no idea what was happening until I opened that ‘welcome to your new credit card’ letter a week after things had happened...a week they would’ve had to do more damage.

2) Sign up for an identity theft/credit management protection agency proactively. I can’t give you a real review of AURA yet, but an FFMer did email me to say they had good experience with and recommended.

AURA also has it where you can get a family plan and get a spouse and up to (I think) 3 other family members included. And a million dollars each insurance on any breaches, issues, theft, etc., with AURA...and for each family member on the family plan.

3) Whether you sign up for pay-for credit monitoring or not...from everything I can tell from research and discussions with people in credit/finance (among the FFM nation), at a minimum, you should consider three FREE things...(a) Credit Karma App and (b) making an account with the three credit agencies (which is the typical username/password sign up but with some minor identity questions/confirmation) and FREEZE your credit with all 3. You can temp ‘unfreeze’ your credit with them with ease, to allow a real inquiry through then have the gate close/credit refreeze automatically. But (c) the first thing to do after seeing my recommendations -- have a conversation with ChatGPT or GEMINI, etc., about your situation and recommended options that fits your needs and is highly rated and why, etc. It’s like a free financial advisor in your pocket or on screen, etc.

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