RC's Daily Notes 2026: For the Week of 6/8-to-6/14 ('The Week That Was')

: R.C. Fischer; FreeView; 14 June 2026

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

6/14 SUN

(8:12amET)

Today/tomorrow

-- We are excited to announce a brand-new video project: Two Scouts Talking.

We’ve quietly released our first three episodes to make sure everything was dialed in, and now we are ready to take it public. This is a separate YouTube channel strictly dedicated to one concept: two scouts putting a player/s under the microscope and debating the tape.

The idea sparked when Ross and I were doing a livestream for Day 2 of the NFL Draft. There is something incredibly valuable about bouncing live, unscripted scouting information off a colleague who does the same heavy lifting in the field.

Here is how the show works: We pick a player to scout. We take a few days to grind the tape completely independently. We do not discuss what we are seeing. Then, we hit record and reveal our findings to each other in real-time. We have no idea what the other person is going to say, and the fireworks go from there.

Sometimes we are looking at incoming draft prospects. Sometimes we are doing a deep-dive recheck on existing players. I have already found three major revelations just by isolating these players from Week 1 to their final game, and it has already changed my projections/outlooks somewhat radically. With these videos, you get to see that journey of discovery, the debates, and the exact moments where our evaluations clash.

There are no scripts and no pre-planned talking points. We just start shooting, and the conversation weaves wherever the tape dictates.

We purposely made this a public channel so the videos are easily accessible and searchable and findable for your research in the future. We’re not revealing our Fantasy projections on the player as a focus, more just trying to assess ‘how good’ they are and who they compare to, etc. We’d love for you to subscribe so you get notified when we drop a new 15-to-30-minute episode, which will happen randomly a few times a week.

If you enjoy an episode, dropping a "thumbs up" on the video is a huge help to the channel. But you will not hear me annoyingly begging for likes and subscribes during the show. There are no intro songs and no small talk about how our day was. We jump right into the topic and get after it. It is strictly scouting business.

The first three episodes are out:

#1: Is Jeremiah Smith Radically Overvalued?

https://youtu.be/On8daR80-Fo?si=47D44J3BKJZD9wK7

We look at his scouting and try to properly value him for the 2027 DRD...and whether or not people should sell the farm for a chance at him.

#2: How Good is Brendan Sorsby?

https://youtu.be/x2c70UL1WVk?si=s5Rg_lDn1Vrg8xU_

We look at him as if he were in the 2026 NFL Draft and 2026 DRD, along with just raw scouting his work.

#3: Scouting Bhayshul Tuten vs. Chris Rodriguez

https://youtu.be/Iy_qO-lUfl8?si=4EsZVfNLHRZiVtCj

This was my first real shocking moment of our studies/topics in the first three...where I saw something I had not before. I think you’ll enjoy my journey on this one.

-- A new/special ‘Top 10 Players for FF 2026’ series of reports from Ross Jacobs will run as a 10-day daily series. This series began Saturday 6/6/26, a series exclusively for the Draft Guide.

The debut/#10 was open to all subscribers...#1-9 will be for the Draft Guide package of reports only, as the drive to redraft 2026 is upon us.

-- NOTE: I’m researching and working through all the main/key injuries lingering out there in the NFL/for FF as I work on the draft guide, which has ripple effects for all rankings and ratings and betting, etc. And I am getting a lot/learning a lot from them...and GEMINI does a lot of the heavy lifting/research, so everybody wins.

I’m gonna keep them coming as we dial in the 2026 Draft Guide projections and commentaries. I’m working my way down from the major/monster ones to the more curious/suspect/double-check-and-make-sure-things-will-be-OK injury Q&A’s...like with a Bo Nix (posting today).

-- The month of June is Draft Guide prep and reporting season. It’s pushed back a little bit from usual time ranges due to the Schedule release being so much later this year.

-- A ‘Strength of Schedule’ light reporting, daily series runs through June.

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

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

NEW DISCORD NOTIFICATION SYSTEM/INVITE: FFM Discord Notification System

This is not a chat room. It is a one-way channel for FFM notifications about newly posted items and critical breaking news.

This Week’s/Month’s Agenda…

-- 2026 Draft Guide studies.

-- DRD rankings will now update rankings and add/update commentaries, etc., every THU or FRI for the rest of the preseason.

-- Dynasty and Best Ball rankings audits/updates weekly +/-.

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

-- Full scouting reports on various prospects from now until the NFL preseason. Deeper looks at Cyrus Allen and more all on deck.

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

-- New coaching staff hire’s analysis series...trying to slot/schedule this. Once the Draft Guide is set, I hope/plan to turn to this.

== NEWS & NOTES & Xs ==

-- HEADLINE: Sports Illustrated’s John Shipley believes WR Parker Washington “is set to be a core piece of what the Jaguars do in the passing game.” Per Shipley, Washington is now “in a full-time role on offense,” and believes the Jaguars are ready to let him “take his chance and run with it.”

What’s funny to me is, so you think the cat is out of the bag on this...and it is a little bit, but I see the masses comments on social media and on websites, as they weigh on ‘what they think’ (yuck) on this and THEY are not having it so much. I see there’s a BTJ believer faction, a Jakobi Meyers faction, a Travis Hunter breakout faction, and some reluctant Washington believers because of the deluge of reports last week...but they don’t really ‘believe’ in Washington.

Football fans typically believe what they are told (direct or indirect) to believe by analysts and the persuasion of consensus rankings from the jump...and it’s hard to get them to change. Parker Washington cannot be this good, per many reasons in the public’s head:. His numbers were not eyepopping...he was a day three draft pick...if he was so good why didn’t he start the season last year, etc. This (Parker Washington) is not supposed to be happening. If it is/does...then the whole football analysis and scouting system should be questioned/burned to the ground, so it’s best to stick with initial programming on the brainwash for the masses.

I see some movement on Washington as a ‘sleeper’ (to cover analyst’s and fan’s asses) but in their core, from the media to the fans, they absolutely do not believe Washington can/will be a lead or breakout WR. They do believe in BTJ...they do know Jakobi is well-paid...they do know Travis Hunter won a Heisman...those three players people have some conviction in. But Parker Washington, there is no real conviction...just flyer/dart throw opinions on the latest headlines.

My whole point of this rant...no matter how much you see PW in the Rotoblurbs and on quotes and people starting to say ‘sleeper’, at the end of the day--they don’t really believe in him. They’ve been groomed not to believe by the media and HIS OWN COACHES ignoring Parker all along.

And this is secondary FACT to consider: Everything that the new Jacksonville regime has done with any of the WRs they signed or drafted or traded for or inherited has been WRONG and/or misused and/or mishandled on starters and snaps and targets in their first year. Think about it.

-- HEADLINE: Sports Illustrated’s Jared Koch believes that early signs indicate the Texans are asking WR Jaylin Noel to handle a “significant” role this season.

You know what’s weird, sad...Houston probably has the worst passing game and offense in the league, and three great WR talents are going to FF-suffer within that because they are so comfortable with their top of the class defense.

When it was just Nico Collins to rely on, it was one thing. But now Jayden Higgins is a huge talent and Jaylin Noel, I think, is a very good+ WR prospect. They might have one of the three best WR groups in the league...but it’s stuck with an ex-defensive coordinator turned head coach mindset, along with a QB that DeMeco Ryans has coached into the ground.

Noel barely stands a chance in this WR room/on this putrid passing game/offense.

The people I see pushing Tank Dell as a ‘sleeper’ for 2026, they have to be out of their minds on so many levels.

-- Tales from the Road: RC’s Travel Diaries

And I’m back home.

My ravel group/family all made a pact to get up at 5am yesterday to be out of the hotel parking lot by 530-545amET. And we drove 7 hours...with +1.5 hours of stops. I used to be able to drive that distance/time like it was nothing, but my meds make me randomly sick and tired, so I took turns driving with my wife.

It was a pretty uneventful journey back. I have two impressions/memories from today’s travel...

1) Two more ticks to deal with. What the heck?

It’s all been in Pennsylvania from what we can tell. Didn’t have any issues at home/NC all year-to-date. Didn’t have any issues during West Virginia rest area stops or our whole time spent in New York. But our PA. stops at rest areas or just around our hotel near Pittsburgh...we kept finding them on us or the dog.

My dog got one that got attached but she’s on all the flea & tick stuff, so it died...but could transmit a disease, but so far no signs of any issues for any of us.

2) Yeah, ummm, for any of us that are being told that the economy is bad and everyone is staying home due to higher gas prices and inflation--nobody told the throngs of people out on the roads, at every Starbucks we went to, at every restaurant we stopped at, at every tourist item around the Falls, etc. -- they were all packed.

Inflation is up, but so are wages on average. It’s good to see people living their lives and supporting American commerce. But I don’t like the traffic nor long lines at the Starbucks!

It’s good to be back home.

If vacations are so great...why is it so awesome when you get home? Shouldn’t you hate being home if vacation is such a dream? My own bed and stuff are fantastic!

== 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 Athletic’s Zac Jackson reports that Browns TE Harold Fannin (undisclosed) did not participate in spring practices this year. This means that Fannin missed all of organized team activities and mandatory minicamp, which is slightly concerning.

-- Terrelle Pryor was recently arrested for drug possession.

-- Andre Rison is jailed for second offense DUI

-- “If we can harness all this energy and make sure that we can trust him and that he’s going to align where he needs to and run the route the way we need him to, we really could use him, and he could be a big weapon for us this year. But that’s what we’re trying to harness right now,” Ben Johnson told reporters of Zavion Thomas. “I think he’s developing the work ethic that we expect, not only from a receiver, but from anyone on offense, or the team.”

-- Grant Cohn covers the 49ers for Sports Illustrated, and took to his YouTube channel to discuss the potential of the 49ers acquiring Alex Highsmith.

“What I’m hearing, [the Steelers] want a second-rounder for him,” Cohn said. “And can you hear me out? F—k them picks. The Niners don’t know what to do with them… trade [the pick] for Highsmith if that’s what it takes.”

-- Davis Webb enjoys having Sean Payton as a resource while he builds his play-calling resume, and he says this is still “a Sean Payton” offense.

“No. 1, that was one reason why I wanted to be here was with Sean here,” Webb said. “I trust him; he trusts me. We think very similar. I know how he wants the game to be played. It’s the same offense for the most part, just little tweaks here and there, but this is a Sean Payton-coached football team, a Sean Payton offensive philosophy, and we’re just going to grow with our QB, and our skill players and our offensive line.”

-- Zero votes for Rookie of the Year. I don’t even think he was on the ballot. The NFL is covered by a media that is so clueless 75%+ of the time: https://x.com/Ihartitz/status/2065878798139056556

Your moment of Zen for this day...

-- https://x.com/PlanetOfMemes/status/2065463701033910534

-- https://x.com/Zigmanfreud/status/2065811285401571506

== Daily Series ==

NEW for JUNE: 2026 Strength of Schedule analysis according to FFM!

I am putting my data into GEMINI and letting it do two things...do my calculations for me on our internal NFL-based ‘Strength of Schedule’...which takes a ton of things into consideration like our current win-loss projections for all teams 2026, analysis on weather, and travel, and BYE week impacts, etc.

I’m doing a slow burn for some daily fun/fare, BUT I’m also running my AI writer/creation AI_McGillicuddy1 to take all my data and guidance/notes and then make a report on the schedule as if he is an expert schedule analyzer (with our data) and then writes it in his comedic way that I constructed him to be like...a Frankenstein writer, half robot/half football writer/comedian.

We’ll add a team’s strength of schedule per day until we’re done. But we’ll begin with the first two, to get us started, the A’s group and then their quick schedule analysis reports from AI_McGillicuddy1 will hit during the day.

How we evaluate the SOS is a winning percentage (like everyone else), but ours is weighted for certain factors on top of our own internal projections for 2026 season strength of the 32 teams. The higher the % above .500, the tougher the schedule and vice-versa.

Our FFM Internal SOS for 2026, current:

*Adding Warren Sharp’s #1-32 rank on their S.O.S. calculations just for a fun check/parallel to a football research group that also gets that S.O.S. is a whole different animal than just “what was their record last year?” For Sharp Analysis notes, it’s displayed as #1 their easiest/#32 toughest scale.

45.81% = Cincinnati Bengals (#3)

45.83% = Detroit Lions (#1)

46.38% = Indianapolis Colts (#9)

48.27% = Chicago Bears (#27)

48.74% = Baltimore Ravens (#6)

49.73% = Carolina Panthers (#30)

50.80% = Houston Texans (#26)

51.10% = Dallas Cowboys (#29)

51.21% = Cleveland Browns (#4)

52.10% = Jacksonville Jaguars (#15)

52.25% = Buffalo Bills (#14)

53.11% = Atlanta Falcons (#20)

54.50% = Denver Broncos (#11)

56.81% = Green Bay Packers (#17)

57.98% = Arizona Cardinals (#32)

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

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

*Draft Guide season access $29.99: https://ffmetrics.com/draft-guide/draft-guide

*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

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

6/13 SAT

(5:03amET)

Today/tomorrow

-- DRD rankings update tonight/Friday nightET

-- DEBUT: A new/special ‘Top 10 Players for FF 2026’ series of reports from Ross Jacobs will run as a 10-day daily series. This series began Saturday 6/6/26, a series exclusively for the Draft Guide.

The debut/#10 was open to all subscribers...#1-9 will be for the Draft Guide package of reports only, as the drive to redraft 2026 is upon us.

-- The month of June is Draft Guide prep and reporting season. It’s pushed back a little bit from usual time ranges due to the Schedule release being so much later this year.

-- A ‘Strength of Schedule’ light reporting, daily series runs through June.

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

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

NEW DISCORD NOTIFICATION SYSTEM/INVITE: FFM Discord Notification System

This is not a chat room. It is a one-way channel for FFM notifications about newly posted items and critical breaking news.

This Week’s/Month’s Agenda…

-- 2026 Draft Guide studies.

-- DRD rankings will now update rankings and add/update commentaries, etc., every THU or FRI for the rest of the preseason.

-- Dynasty and Best Ball rankings audits/updates weekly +/-.

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

-- Full scouting reports on various prospects from now until the NFL preseason. Deeper looks at Cyrus Allen and more all on deck.

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

-- New coaching staff hire’s analysis series...trying to slot/schedule this. Once the Draft Guide is set, I hope/plan to turn to this.

== NEWS & NOTES & Xs ==

-- HEADLINE: Last Man Standig’s Ben Standig reports that Commanders RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt (soft tissue) sat out the team’s three-week organized team activities program.

Whether Croskey-Merritt can participate in the Commanders’ three-day mandatory minicamp, from June 16-18, is unknown. That said, Standig believes RB coach Anthony Lynn’s “positivity is notable.” Lynn thinks the team can take Croskey-Merritt’s game “to another level and get him potentially in the lead role.” To do this, Croskey-Merritt must take on more responsibility in the passing game this summer. Lynn adds that the young back’s “hands are very good, his movement skills are very good, and there’s no reason why he couldn’t win routes.”

This is sweet news for JCM hopes. Anthony Lynn’s desire carries a ton of weight here. Everyone is scared of Lynn, so he has clout here.

This is shaky news for a full scale Rachaad White rebirth. It should be a 50/50 split, if I were the head coach or O-C...but I still feel like it’s gonna be Rachaad taking 65-70%+ of the touches early on and just being key all season and productive for PPR regardless of what happens. It just makes sense that he leads the backfield this year.

-- The Athletic’s Dan Duggan says Isaiah Likely has been Jaxson Dart’s “favorite target” in open practices this spring.

Who else does Dart have to throw to? Nabers and Slayton out. Ancient OBJ/JuJu? Shot Mooney, ignored Calvin Austin? Likely makes a ton of sense for OTAs. It doesn’t necessarily mean the most right now, but you want it to happen if you hold Likely...as I have for years, waiting for this moment.

-- The Athletic’s Nick Kosmider reports Broncos LB Jonathon Cooper was arrested on Thursday on four new charges. A week after being arrested for domestic violence and criminal mischief, Cooper again finds himself in trouble. This time, the Broncos’ pass rusher is being charged with misdemeanor harassment, violating a protective order, and a felony charge of second-degree assault has been added to his list of charges from last week.

Now, here’s a situation the media should trumpet if they want to ‘expose’ football. It looks like there are some real issues here for Cooper.

If only Cooper were a QB or RB or WR, then they could get a week of outrage reports out...but, alas, he’s just a non-Myles Garrett EDGE...so ‘who cares’.

Good news for Jonah Elliss IDP holders.

-- Tales from the Road: RC’s Travel Diaries

The day I hate...leaving day, yesterday. The day that vacation turns into me packing, cleaning someone’s house I borrowed, and then I become an Uber driver to drive the family and dog towards halfway home. The anti-vacation. A day of my ‘vacation’ doing driving planning and manual labor...that’s not a vacation!

But there was one ray of light on this trip...actually, two rays of light...

1) I stopped at a New York State Rest Area and Travel Center for lunch and a break, and it was an immaculate Travel Center, and it featured a Shake Shack, Chik Fil-A, two Starbucks, and 3-4 other nicer fast-food places.

One of the best meals I’ve had on my whole trip this past week was at a NY Travel Center, of all places...a Shake Shack double, Chik Fil-A waffle fries, and the illustrious Chik Fil-A peach milkshake (it’s back baby!!)! The hi9ghlight of my trip...oh, and Maid of the Mist.

2) But then we topped that eating event for dinner...

We went to the immortal Primanti Bros. for dinner, staying in the Pittsburgh outskirts. Pittsburgh used to be part of my territory in my corporate finance days, and I never even went to it.

And. Well.

Everyone of us proclaimed, after we finished dinner, that it was the best sandwich we ever had. My wifr had the famous Rueben. My son the Cheesesteak bomb. And I had Kielbasa & Cheese with the fries layered into it and on nice fresh sandwich bread. An amazing taste sensation.

The place was nearly packed at 5pm...for good reason.

What a wonderful day of food today!

Our family weight loss challenge starts Monday.

Woke up 5amET for a big drive to home today.

Back to work later tonight after a long drive and long nap.

== 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’) ==

-- Bryce Young on Chris Brazzell: "You would’ve thought he’d been in a pro-style system throughout his whole life. He’s coming in understanding splits, understanding landmarks, understanding route timing, route tempo, and where to be at the right time. So, I’ve been super impressed with his professionalism, the ability to do stuff, the ability for everything to translate."

-- The Denver Post’s Troy Renck believes readers should “buy” into Broncos TE Evan Engram’s performance at organized team activities.

Engram is “making light work of linebackers in coverage with eye-widening catches,” which Renck thinks could suggest Engram is headed toward a bounce-back campaign.

-- Jack Plummer’s first season in the UFL ended with the league’s top individual honor. The Orlando Storm quarterback has been named the UFL MVP.

-- (Yahoo) David Lombardi from The SF Standard is often a lightning rod in his coverage of the San Francisco 49ers. His latest take is sure to stir debate between fans of the Los Angeles Rams and within the NFC West.

“Mike Evans will likely have a bigger positive impact on the 49ers than Myles Garrett has on the Rams”

His reasoning:

It’s simple logic. LA already had a top-8 pass rush win rate late year and wasn’t deficient at DE. Jared Verse is an upper-tier player.

Meanwhile, SF was very deficient at WR—particularly the X, a spot that’ll Trigger compounding returns in (Kyle) Shanahan’s offense.

The Rams’ pass rush should be better. The 49ers’ WR corps can be transformed.

All additions happen in the context of a team sport.

-- When asked about how it’s been going up against Spencer Fano in practice, Jared Verse said:

“It was good [to go against Spencer Fano]. He’s definitely very strong, I’ll give him that. When he gets his hands on you, he’s going to hold on to you quick. His hands are very fast. He’s very athletic. I like that. I like going up against some good battles.”

Your moment of Zen for this day...

https://x.com/FeelYouHappy/status/2065469447150977265

https://x.com/EGA_82/status/2065091362995962279

== Daily Series ==

NEW for JUNE: 2026 Strength of Schedule analysis according to FFM!

Our FFM Internal SOS for 2026, current:

45.81% = Cincinnati Bengals (#3)

45.83% = Detroit Lions (#1)

48.27% = Chicago Bears (#27)

48.74% = Indianapolis Colts (#9)

48.74% = Baltimore Ravens (#6)

49.73% = Carolina Panthers (#30)

50.80% = Houston Texans (#26)

51.10% = Dallas Cowboys (#29)

51.21% = Cleveland Browns (#4)

52.25% = Buffalo Bills (#14)

53.11% = Atlanta Falcons (#20)

54.50% = Denver Broncos (#11)

56.81% = Green Bay Packers (#17)

57.98% = Arizona Cardinals (#32)

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

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

*Draft Guide season access $29.99: https://ffmetrics.com/draft-guide/draft-guide

*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

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

6/12 FRI

(5:39amET)

Today/tomorrow

-- DRD rankings update tonight/Friday nightET

The debut/#10 was open to all subscribers...#1-9 will be for the Draft Guide package of reports only, as the drive to redraft 2026 is upon us.

-- The month of June is Draft Guide prep and reporting season. It’s pushed back a little bit from usual time ranges due to the Schedule release being so much later this year.

-- A ‘Strength of Schedule’ light reporting, daily series runs through June.

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

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

NEW DISCORD NOTIFICATION SYSTEM/INVITE: FFM Discord Notification System

This is not a chat room. It is a one-way channel for FFM notifications about newly posted items and critical breaking news.

This Week’s/Month’s Agenda…

-- 2026 Draft Guide studies.

-- DRD rankings will now update rankings and add/update commentaries, etc., every THU or FRI for the rest of the preseason.

-- Dynasty and Best Ball rankings audits/updates weekly +/-.

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

-- Full scouting reports on various prospects from now until the NFL preseason. Deeper looks at Cyrus Allen and more all on deck.

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

-- New coaching staff hire’s analysis series...trying to slot/schedule this. Once the Draft Guide is set, I hope/plan to turn to this.

== NEWS & NOTES & Xs ==

-- HEADLINE: Panthers coach Dave Canales said he expects LT Ikem Ekwonu (knee) to be back “at some point” in the 2026 season.

Ekwonu ruptured his patellar tendon in the playoffs against the Rams, prompting the Panthers to sign Rasheed Walker to a one-year contract.

This is a fairly impactful injury to consider for FF 2026. When teams lose their Left Tackle, it’s massive. It affects so many NFL and FF things. Ekwonu was coming on in his career, and now it’s a setback for Carolina’s divisional repeat hopes.

-- HEADLINE: Seahawks RB George Holani took the first rep with the first-team offense throughout organized team activities and continues to do so at mandatory minicamp.

I’m sure it will be a split of some kind, but it is very possible Holani is the main back out of the gates for 1-2-3 games or so. The staff loves Holani like they do Charbonnet. Jadarius Price is a rookie and may start slow, as they tend to do. Emanuel Wilson...they are barely tied to him.

At minimum, Holani is in some kind of split with Price early on...and is probably leading that split (in touches) for at least 1-3 games.

-- HEADLINE: Titans coach Robert Saleh said RBs Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears “are the bellcows of this football team.”

I do not understand why everyone who coaches the Titans (and there have been many recently) always drags Spears into the led RB discussions, when he is clearly not a bellcow...and not in Pollard’s league...and none of these coaches ever come close to pushing Spears like a lead RB.

It’s like a warning label moment...like a government regulation telling you ‘not to drink bleach’...you have to, as a Titans coach, federally mandate say that Spears is ‘like a lead back/like we have two lead backs’. They always say it...then they always say they’re gonna get him more involved...and then not one of Spears’ coaches in his career has ever treated him like that, but they always say it. I do not understand why and what this is.

-- HEADLINE: Falcons acquired OT Wanya Morris and a 2027 seventh-round pick from the Chiefs in exchange for a 2027 sixth-round pick.

Morris was on the verge of being cut, so this KC sending one of the worst pass blockers in the NFL to the Falcons to see what they might do with him. No big deal.

-- HEADLINE: Buccaneers RB Bucky Irving (shoulder) participated in organized team activities for the first time this offseason on Thursday.

This should help get Bucky’s FF value propped up a bit after the mild hemorrhaging he had been experiencing.

He was ‘there’...around it...but he’s nowhere near ready to practice, and the Bucs have no reason to push him.

-- Tales from the Road: RC’s Travel Diaries

Final full day in Niagara Falls yesterday. We went to downtown Niagara Falls area and walked around and went by some walking paths that ran along the Falls. It was a quiet, uneventful a day...the kinda day on vacation that felt like ‘we’ve done everything and this is the last day, so we gotta do something’ day. So, we manufactured something to do...but my mind was already on what I needed to do for the exit/leave strategy for today...and then the very early Saturday long drive home.

I hate that about vacations. There’s always that day where you have a final full day, but you can’t enjoy it because you go into planning mode, and you realize the chore of travel days are coming.

I have thoughts on my entire trip to the Falls, but I want a few days to soak it in, think about it all while travelling home and report on it this weekend. For now, I gotta pack this morning and put these people’s very nice house back in order like we weren’t even here and then try and get out and beat the traffic.

== 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’) ==

-- I am becoming a big-time Caleb Williams fan, after being a big-time detractor. I think with Ben Johnson he’ll keep taking steps that other young QBs won’t get...like Jaxson Dart is great too, but he doesn’t have what Caleb has for a coaching staff.

I like to hear/see these kinds of stories with young, emotional QBs: https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/49035127/bears-caleb-williams-eyes-taking-leadership-next-level-season

-- Chiefs WR Xavier Worthy on rookie WR Cyrus Allen: "He's an electric route runner... He does a lot of the things Coach Reid was getting on me for when I was younger... He definitely has a special ability to him."

-- “I’ve been wanting to be MIKE for the longest, since my rookie year,” DeMarvion Overshown said, via Tommy Yarrish of the team website. “I felt like it was going to come to a time where I wore the “C” on my chest and I had the green dot, and now I’ve got it. I’m excited.”

Your moment of Zen for this day...

-- https://youtu.be/au7eZtOhU20?si=g3hZXJ8DF5AIYkzE

-- https://x.com/historydefined/status/1634562628092678145

== Daily Series ==

NEW for JUNE: 2026 Strength of Schedule analysis according to FFM!

Our FFM Internal SOS for 2026, current:

45.81% = Cincinnati Bengals (#3)

45.83% = Detroit Lions (#1)...skipped them in alpha order, doing them today.

48.27% = Chicago Bears (#27)

48.74% = Baltimore Ravens (#6)

49.73% = Carolina Panthers (#30)

50.80% = Houston Texans (#26)

51.10% = Dallas Cowboys (#29)

51.21% = Cleveland Browns (#4)

52.25% = Buffalo Bills (#14)

53.11% = Atlanta Falcons (#20)

54.50% = Denver Broncos (#11)

56.81% = Green Bay Packers (#17)

57.98% = Arizona Cardinals (#32)

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

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

*Draft Guide season access $29.99: https://ffmetrics.com/draft-guide/draft-guide

*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

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

6/11 THU

(8:06amET)

Today/tomorrow

The debut/#10 was open to all subscribers...#1-9 will be for the Draft Guide package of reports only, as the drive to redraft 2026 is upon us.

-- The month of June is Draft Guide prep and reporting season. It’s pushed back a little bit from usual time ranges due to the Schedule release being so much later this year.

-- A ‘Strength of Schedule’ light reporting, daily series runs through June.

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

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

NEW DISCORD NOTIFICATION SYSTEM/INVITE: FFM Discord Notification System

This is not a chat room. It is a one-way channel for FFM notifications about newly posted items and critical breaking news.

This Week’s/Month’s Agenda…

-- 2026 Draft Guide studies.

-- DRD rankings will now update rankings and add/update commentaries, etc., every THU or FRI for the rest of the preseason.

-- Dynasty and Best Ball rankings audits/updates weekly +/-.

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

-- Full scouting reports on various prospects from now until the NFL preseason. Deeper looks at Cyrus Allen and more all on deck.

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

-- New coaching staff hire’s analysis series...trying to slot/schedule this. Once the Draft Guide is set, I hope/plan to turn to this.

== NEWS & NOTES & Xs ==

-- HEADLINE: The Athletic’s Zach Berman reports Eagles LT Lane Johnson (foot) “feels healthy” during offseason practices.

It’s a huge thing for FF. A healthy Lane Johnson changes everything for Saquon Barkley and Jalen Hurts. Two years ago, a healthy Johnson helped lead the way to a huge Saquon season and a Super Bowl. An injury riddled 2025 led to a disappointing Saquon drop and Hurts fade and a Philly letdown.

As Lane Johnson goes, at age 35+, so goes the Eagles offense at a high level. They were OK without him, but much better when he’s fully healthy.

-- HEADLINE: ESPN’s Todd Archer reports that Cowboys RB Phil Mafah took the first rep with the first-team offense on Tuesday. Cowboys starting RB Javonte Williams was absent. Archer notes that fellow backups, RB Jaydon Blue and RB Malik Davis, also got some work.

https://youtu.be/nFTRwD85AQ4?si=ak5gupiSjX1Rj8Bk

I’m saying there is a chance.

Also, Bet The Close Chris sent me this: https://thelandryhat.com/jaydon-blue-has-company-dallas-cowboys-otas-reveal-another-rb-standout-phil-mafah

-- HEADLINE: Braelon Allen said he is up to 250 pounds and is the biggest, strongest, and fastest he has ever been. Despite adding 15 pounds since entering the NFL, Allen said this is the lowest his body fat percentage has ever been.

This sounds/looks like a move to fullback?

Which...why not? He’s got 2 more years behind Breece Hall...and I think he’s behind Isaiah Davis too.

Maybe a move to ‘move’ TE?

-- HEADLINE: Sports Illustrated’s John Shipley believes Brenton Strange will be a “key piece of everything the Jaguars do on offense” in 2026.

My opinion on that: https://youtu.be/-rT-KHV5kAc?si=RZZ1RkHOFYUWV99d

It’s why they drafted several TEs, one highly...to feature Strange. And with their 4-5 deep WR group (if you include Hunter). Out of all that, they will feature a very mediocre Brenton Strange.

Why now? Why not last season? What’s the catalyst?

So dumb.

Media...calm down on the TEs please! Yes, every team says they are gonna do the McVay thing...but then they won’t and/or can’t.

-- Tales from the Road: RC’s Travel Diaries

This is a day I will remember for the rest of my life.

Yesterday was the day we planned to do the full Niagara Falls experience. And let me tell you, it did not disappoint.

First, we went to the Cave of the Winds. It’s a walking tour across a deck and stair system built directly alongside the falls. You get these vast, incredible vantage points looking out over the gorge, standing right next to rushing torrents of white water. The best part was how the experience built as we went. We got a little more mist and water drops on us with every step, leading up to the ultimate payoff: walking right under a section of the falls and getting absolutely soaked.

Thanks to our ponchos, our upper bodies stayed reasonably dry, but our feet were completely drenched. Fortunately, we came prepared—we all had water shoes or Crocs on to handle the deluge. Soaked heads, soaked feet, but it was incredibly refreshing. There is a pure, simple joy in getting sprayed by rushing fresh water and heavy mist when it isn't freezing cold outside. We all walked away boasting about how incredibly refreshed we felt after our mild natural shower. Everyone was just genuinely happy.

After heading back up to land to dry off and grab some lunch, we moved on to our primo event: the infamous Maid of the Mist boat tour. This is where you get right down into the basin, directly next to the roaring falls.

The views from that boat were spectacular. The light mist quickly turned into a heavy spray, which turned into what felt like standing in a tropical downpour. But knowing it was coming made it an absolute blast. There we were—four adults of various ages—acting like giddy little kids jumping through a backyard water sprinkler. Only this water had a hell of a lot more force and coverage than a sprinkler.

I really want to log that phrase in this diary: giddy like little kids.

For a day... for an hour... really, for about 15 minutes, it was all that mattered. We had the time of our lives experiencing a natural wonder, getting absolutely drenched, and loving every single second of it. For just a little while, the bills to pay, the NFL offseason OTA rumors, the daily battle with AI, a down stock market—none of it existed. It was just our tight-knit family acting like kids. I don’t think I’ll ever fully appreciate how wonderful, and how truly blessed, that moment was.

When I stop and reflect on it, it hits me deeply. Just about a year ago, my prostate cancer journey started with a pretty bleak, terrifying outlook. I can’t help but be cliché at times like this and just feel profoundly blessed that I’m still here.

It forces my brain into a specific space: While I am still alive, I want to do things. I want to experience things. Health and age are eventually coming to take away our ability to enjoy this world to the fullest.

I don't need to travel the seven seas in search of every generic tourist trap on earth; that has never been my jam. But I want to capture my moments.

Example: Out of nowhere, my youngest son has gotten heavily into baseball here in 2026. He was the absolute last person on earth I ever thought would care about sports. He claimed the Pittsburgh Pirates as his team, completely because he fell in love with their new City Connect uniforms. Hey, I don’t care what the reason is—I am just absolutely thrilled he’s into baseball.

Now, I want to take him on a quick road trip. I want to drive with him to a Pirates game, explore downtown Pittsburgh, get a ridiculous sandwich at Primanti Bros., sit in some great seats, place a few silly in-game prop bets, and just take it all in together. I want to do that while I can. And I’m going to make it happen ASAP...I need to make great use of the football calendar while it is in its brief dead zone before the chaotic, six-month sprint of the season rises up in August.

I used to always say "in two years" or "in five years" on things, pushing them off into the future like a diet that starts on Monday (you say on Saturday) that never does start. But honestly, in my situation, you view time differently. I might have 30 years left. I might have 10 years left. Or, things could take a sudden turn and I might have two years left. Even though I am absolutely killing it right now in my fight against this prostate cancer, we are on constant, unblinking watch to ensure the disease doesn't adapt around my medications and attempt a comeback.

Even if the timeline isn't actually short, I can’t help but take a "my time is limited" approach to life more and more.

Some people might look at that mindset and say I'm being melodramatic. Maybe I am. But I read an article the other day that instantly grabbed my attention, and it puts things into perspective all over again.

If you put yourself in my shoes as a Stage 3.5/4.0 prostate cancer battler, read this health update shared by NFL legend Tony Gonzalez regarding his family:

Link: Tony Gonzalez Shares Crucial Prostate Cancer Health Update

Every single time I read the words "...and passed away from prostate cancer" anywhere on the internet, it hits me like a brutal punch to the gut. And when people talk about the phrase "...and the cancer came back," it means 1,000 times more to me today than it did at this time last year. Sometimes life grabs you by the collar and shakes you until you wake up.

Guys, listen to me. Especially if you are over 40—though no age is truly too young to be safe—make sure you ask for a simple blood test at your next annual physical.

There is no more need for the old-school digital exam. The finger up the tailpipe is no longer the standard. We have technology and modern science on our side now. There are zero excuses.

I skipped my annual physical in 2024 because I told myself I was "too busy" with fantasy football work and because "I feel fine." By doing that, I mistakenly gave the cancer two full years to take a firm hold and spread through my body. If I had caught it earlier, I could have gone through a hell of a lot less physical trauma, lower medical costs, and avoided the constant, cyclical sickness and exhaustion that comes with these intense therapies.

I almost skipped my 2025 physical too, telling myself the exact same lies: "I'm too busy with football" and "I feel completely fine." I could have skipped doing that one extra scouting report on a UDFA safety in the summer of 2024 and gone to see my doctor instead.

I will never, ever make that mistake again.

And I implore you, from the bottom of my heart: do not make that mistake either. Go get checked..., and also = GO. LIVE. LIFE. as best you can.

== 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’) ==

-- (YAHOO) From OTA observations: Odell Beckham is not dominating the action daily like he once might have. He does, though, have a chance to make the roster. He is practicing every day. He is showing that he still has good hands, and the ability to run routes and find open spaces in the secondary. He also showed a more mature attitude when he spoke to the media.

Second-year kicker was a God-send to the Giants at the end of last season, calming down a turbulent kicking situation. This spring, though, Sauls has been shockingly inaccurate. Harbaugh says it is the same miss — wide left — over and over, and is correctable. Still, Ben Sauls’ struggles and Zvada’s strong spring mean Sauls is going to have to be near-perfect this summer to have a chance to win the placekicking competition.

Dominic Zvada — The undrafted rookie free agent placekicker went 13 of 13 on field-goal attempts over the first two days of mandatory minicamp. You can’t kick the ball better than that.

-- Luke McCaffrey pitch: https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/tyler-don-t-sleep-luke-110000031.html

-- “Rashid (Shaheed), he deserves a lot of credit,” coach Mike Macdonald told reporters on Wednesday. “He’s been here the whole time. He’s had a great attitude. He’s had a lot of personal records in our offseason training program. The timing of our plays look like it should, given the amount of reps that are invested into it. I know I’m as excited as heck to see where it goes.”

-- Saints coach Kellen Moore said WR Chris Olave is “still recovering” from the blood clot that sidelined him in Week 18 last year.

Your moment of Zen for this day...

-- This was the intro video we saw before one of the tours we took at Niagara Falls. I didn’t expect much at all, but I thought it was a brilliant telling of a short story, with visuals, on how Niagara Falls turned around from once being kinda overindustrialized and a dumping ground to a political movement and then one of the great achievements of modern history was birthed there.

I had no idea.

They did not tell this story in my history classes (or I didn’t pay attention).

This is a cause for celebration of the U-S-A. I tried to lead a USA chant after the video.

A trip to the Falls is not Disney world or anything but It’s a natural icon, an impressive thing to see up close and with the different tour options you can see/taste it up close on a 1-2 day visit/tour. An iconic American and Canadian landmark that has to be seen and felt up close to be comprehended.

This video is not totally smooth because it’s a recorded/bootleg of our intro video I found on the web, but I hope you try to watch/listen to this story because it is quite interesting. At least, I thought so. It’s only a few minutes long...

https://youtu.be/SfmAwsPKPEU?si=hh0T93ljqT2DKXf6

== Daily Series ==

NEW for JUNE: 2026 Strength of Schedule analysis according to FFM!

Our FFM Internal SOS for 2026, current:

45.81% = Cincinnati Bengals (#3)

48.27% = Chicago Bears (#27)

48.74% = Baltimore Ravens (#6)

49.73% = Carolina Panthers (#30)

50.80% = Houston Texans (#26) *Fixed AI error

51.10% = Dallas Cowboys (#29)

51.21% = Cleveland Browns (#4)

52.25% = Buffalo Bills (#14)

53.11% = Atlanta Falcons (#20)

54.50% = Denver Broncos (#11)

56.81% = Green Bay Packers (#17)

57.98% = Arizona Cardinals (#32)

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

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

*Draft Guide season access $29.99: https://ffmetrics.com/draft-guide/draft-guide

*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

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

6/10 WED

(7:12amET)

Today/tomorrow

-- DEBUT: A new/special ‘Top 10 Players for FF 2026’ series of reports from Ross Jacobs will drop this week and run as a 10-day daily series. This series began Saturday 6/6/26, a series exclusively for the Draft Guide.

The debut/#10 was open to all subscribers...#1-9 will be for the Draft Guide package of reports only, as the drive to redraft 2026 is upon us.

-- The month of June is Draft Guide prep and reporting season. It’s pushed back a little bit from usual time ranges due to the Schedule release being so much later this year.

-- A ‘Strength of Schedule’ light reporting, daily series runs through June.

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

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

NEW DISCORD NOTIFICATION SYSTEM/INVITE: FFM Discord Notification System

This is not a chat room. It is a one-way channel for FFM notifications about newly posted items and critical breaking news.

This Week’s/Month’s Agenda…

-- 2026 Draft Guide studies.

-- DRD rankings will now update rankings and add/update commentaries, etc., every THU or FRI for the rest of the preseason.

-- Dynasty and Best Ball rankings audits/updates weekly +/-.

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

-- Full scouting reports on various prospects from now until the NFL preseason. Deeper looks at Cyrus Allen and more all on deck.

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

-- New coaching staff hire’s analysis series...trying to slot/schedule this. Once the Draft Guide is set, I hope/plan to turn to this.

== NEWS & NOTES & Xs ==

Here are two recent headlines that represent the absolute pinnacle of classic OTA head fakes...

HEADLINE: The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec believes Devontez Walker is the favorite for the team’s No. 3 WR role.

HEADLINE: Browns offensive coordinator Todd Monken singled out Isaiah Bond as a player who’s shown massive improvement this spring.

Let’s be real... OTAs are fundamentally built for speedy, non-technical wide receivers to look like superstars. So it is zero surprise that Devontez Walker and Isaiah Bond—two pure speed merchants who tumbled down draft boards because their catching skills and route mechanics are subpar—are currently 'looking great' to coaches and media observers. Of course they look good right now... there are no pads and nobody is allowed to touch them. Just wait until August when they are allowed to hit each other and defensive backs actually press them at the line of scrimmage. Don’t’e Thornton called... he wants his 2025 summer hype back.

-- HEADLINE: Rams left tackle Alaric Jackson was arrested Monday night on a felony domestic violence charge.

This is massive, franchise-altering news... and it exposes the massive problem with how the public and the media look at an NFL roster. Right now, it is just an unverified claim and a charge, much like the recent noise surrounding Josh Jacobs... but that is entirely my point. Alaric Jackson is an incredibly vital piece of that football machine... way more important to his team's success than Josh Jacobs is to Green Bay. Yet, hardly any online justice warriors or media do-gooders will be breathlessly calling for Jackson to be cut or banished before his June 30 court date... but they were doing exactly that to Jacobs the second his name hit the wire.

The lack of public awareness regarding how easy it is for high-profile players to become targets for false or exaggerated claims is a growing issue. The media never even considers that angle. Combine that with the complete lack of attention this case will get simply because Jackson plays a boring, unsexy position like offensive tackle, and it highlights the sheer ignorance of mainstream football analysts. They only understand the game through the lens of 'QB', 'RB', and 'WR'.

We spent a solid week celebrating Myles Garrett going to Los Angeles, and the media is still hyperventilating over whether Aaron Donald will come out of retirement to play alongside him... it is all so absolutely ridiculous. Is Donald going to say, "Well, I thought about coming back to chasing a ring, but I’m going to wait for the left tackle's legal investigation to play out"? No, he’s not... because football players are just like the public, completely swayed by the media hype telling them who is important. Jackson, today, is way more important than Myles Garrett or Aaron Donald for the Rams title hopes.

Make no mistake: if Alaric Jackson goes down or faces a lengthy league suspension, it is an absolute bombshell for the Rams' season. He probably won’t go down any more than Jacobs will—I'm just betting the historical odds and trends here—but the media's total silence on the actual importance of this arrest tells you everything you need to know.

-- Tales from the Road: RC’s Travel Diaries

This day will be remembered for three distinct things...

1) My son finally rolled in past midnight after enduring several brutal flight delays. As is his usual norm, he was absolutely starving the second he arrived. To my genuine shock, in this nice, sleepy town of Towanda... there is actually a 24-hour McDonald's. We all decided to make the late-night run, albeit with heavy reservations about how good a 1:00 AM fast-food experience could possibly be. Stunned is an understatement. It was literally the best, friendliest service I’ve had at a McDonald’s in years, and the food was completely fresh and piping hot.

2) Because of the late-night arrival, we decided to completely skip the big opening day of doing all the intense Niagara Falls sightseeing on Tuesday and just opted for a chill day around town instead. We walked the dog early in the morning and stumbled right into a quaint little downtown area with a fantastic local coffee shop... just incredibly friendly service and genuinely nice people all around. I could honestly retire to a quiet town like this... if it weren't for the sky-high state taxes and the reality of crap weather for nine out of twelve months of the year.

3) We did ultimately head to the top of the Falls later in the evening to catch the fireworks show, arriving a good 60+ minutes early to secure a spot. With only about 30 minutes left to go, the sky opened up and started pouring... sending a massive wave of people packing back to their hotels. We decided to tough it out and stay. Sure enough, the rain completely stopped after about five or six minutes. Because the crowd had cleared out, we walked right up to the edge and got completely unobstructed, front-row views of the lit-up Falls and a beautiful fireworks show.

All in all... a very serene, pleasant, and memorable day. Of course, it was perfectly capped off by me getting severely sick at 11:00 PM on the ride home, forcing me to pull over on the highway and let my son drive. This is just my life... I’m out here having a great time and then BAM. It was entirely triggered by my heavy-duty nightly meds mixing with a ton of movement out in the damp Falls air later in the evening. It was a brutal hour between 11:00 and midnight... but a fantastic trip all the way up until that point. A small price to pay for a great memory.

== 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’) ==

-- "I try not to look into the number stuff too much," Christian Watson said Tuesday while speaking to reporters for the first time since signing his four-year extension last week. "I take it week by week. But if I’m really searching and I want to set personal goals, I definitely want to have double-digit touchdowns and I want to have over 1,100 yards."

-- Bears HC Ben Johnson on Colston Loveland: “I love what he brings to the table. He’s one of the most consistent players I’ve been around… he’s in early, he’s always in his playbook, he’s always taking notes.” “We’re going to take his route tree to the next level.”

-- (YAHOO) “He’s (Darnell Washington) a complete Y tight end. I’ve been so impressed with him,” Mike McCarthy told Brenden Howe of SteelersNow on Tuesday. “To have a tight end that can line up next to the tackle and block a defensive end, that’s not been the norm in the last couple of decades in the National Football League. He gives you the ability to play under center offense the way it was played in the ’90s. That’s something I’m looking forward to. But he’s done everything else. He’s been here every day during the offseason program. He’s been a pro. His attention to detail in the meetings. He doesn’t say a whole lot, but I’ve been impressed with his work ethic. He’s a problem, a matchup problem. He’s a matchup problem in the pass game, especially in the red zone. Third-down situations, so he has a lot of value. A lot of value for our offense.”

Your moment of Zen for this day...

-- https://x.com/netflixsports/status/2064372048596709568

== Daily Series ==

NEW for JUNE: 2026 Strength of Schedule analysis according to FFM!

Our FFM Internal SOS for 2026, current:

45.81% = Cincinnati Bengals (#3) re-audited/correct/fine

48.27% = Chicago Bears (#27)

48.74% = Baltimore Ravens (#6)

49.73% = Carolina Panthers (#30)

51.10% = Dallas Cowboys (#29) *Updated/fixed AI error.

51.21% = Cleveland Browns (#4)

52.25% = Buffalo Bills (#14)

53.11% = Atlanta Falcons (#20)

54.50% = Denver Broncos (#11) *Updated/fixed AI error.

56.81% = Green Bay Packers (#17) new/today/triple checked

57.98% = Arizona Cardinals (#32)

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

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

*Draft Guide season access $29.99: https://ffmetrics.com/draft-guide/draft-guide

*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

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

6/9 TUE

(7:59amET)

Today/tomorrow

The debut/#10 was open to all subscribers...#1-9 will be for the Draft Guide package of reports only, as the drive to redraft 2026 is upon us.

-- The month of June is Draft Guide prep and reporting season. It’s pushed back a little bit from usual time ranges due to the Schedule release being so much later this year.

-- A ‘Strength of Schedule’ light reporting, daily series runs through June.

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

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

NEW DISCORD NOTIFICATION SYSTEM/INVITE: FFM Discord Notification System

This is not a chat room. It is a one-way channel for FFM notifications about newly posted items and critical breaking news.

This Week’s/Month’s Agenda…

-- 2026 Draft Guide studies.

-- DRD rankings will now update rankings and add/update commentaries, etc., every THU or FRI for the rest of the preseason.

-- Dynasty and Best Ball rankings audits/updates weekly +/-.

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

-- Full scouting reports on various prospects from now until the NFL preseason. Deeper looks at Cyrus Allen and more all on deck.

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

-- New coaching staff hire’s analysis series...trying to slot/schedule this. Once the Draft Guide is set, I hope/plan to turn to this.

== NEWS & NOTES & Xs ==

-- HEADLINE: A to Z Sports’ Charles Goldman believes Emari Demercado “is closer to RB2 in Kansas City than any other prospect.”

Goldman added that the team is “very high” on Demercado before noting his spot as the No. 2 back in every drill of note during OTAs.

I am a ‘fan’ of Emari Demercado...in the sense that I think he’s a lot better than the garbage treatment the Cardinals/Jon Gannon specifically gave him. So, him running as a #2 in KC OTAs rotations right now...I get it, but also they are likely going by ‘experience’. They are not going to bum rush rookie Emmett Johnson (who I think is overrated) to the #2 spot immediately at this stage in OTAs.

Again, OTA reporting is so ridiculous...but I love it, so that ‘fake news’ can get spread and opportunities for us to ‘play the news’ continues to present itself. And the writer only said he was closer to being #2 than anyone else...but the statement/headline is being taken as = Demercado has shot up to the #2 spot!!

The #2 RB in KC for Week 1 is likely ‘unknown’ at this time, A whole lot of camps and stuff to go before they have to decide.

-- HEADLINE: The NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe reports the Panthers have expectations of Jonathon Brooks “potentially being the lead back over Chuba Hubbard.”

Yep, that’s why when they paid Hubbard a boatload of RB money back when Brooks WAS HEALTHY/starting to debut, coming off his college ACL...that was their signal how much they loved Brooks over Hubbard, was to midseason extend/pay Chuba starting RB money. And now two ACLs in, yep...I’m sure all Carolina is thinking is how to replace the effective team leader Hubbard for the 2x ACL guy who has done $#!& in the league so far.

That’s how it works.

The media and fans want two things to happen this season more than anything else...

1) Brooks to start over Hubbard...so much so they are basically saying it will happen.

AND

2) Tuten to be the full starter over Chris Rodriguez.

All reports are slanted with that view/bias/hopeium.

-- HEADLINE: Jacksonville.com’s Ryan O’Halloran reports the Jaguars expect Chris Rodriguez (foot) to be a “full-go” by training camp.

Rodriguez underwent a surgical procedure on his left foot earlier this offseason and has been sidelined for OTAs as a result.

This injury has been very tight lipped, and it sounds like not a major item...but ‘foot’ and ‘surgery’ and ‘RB’ are things I don’t want hear/see.

When I get more info, I’ll let you know. Should be fine but we can’t confidentially project until we hear more.

-- Tales from the road/RC’s travel diary...

Traveled from Pittsburgh into Niagara Falls area. All we did this day is get checked into our house rental and buy supplies, and I took a long nap after doing all the driving, etc.

This day will be known for two things...

1) While driving to the Falls area, about 2 hours into the 4-hour trip, for some reason I messed with my ear and felt something odd. Felt like a scab, a bigger one, but I didn’t remember cutting my ear or anything...it didn’t hurt, so I kinda picked at it to assess, and then it made me wonder if it was some food or something because it didn’t hurt/wasn’t sore or anything. So, I gave it some pressure and popped this thing away from my ear and was able to keep the ‘thing’ in my possession (while driving) then went to look at what this odd thing was...and yes...it was a tick. So I then righteously had a mini-freakout.

It just got attached to my ear, but I was able to get it off and stuck to my hand fortunately and it was crawling around and I quickly opened my window and flicked it out to the interstate.

I thought I probably got it at the rest area we stopped at to take the dog for a potty break. Then I thought, I wonder if the dog got hit too. I asked my son to check her over in the back seat. A minute later, he’s like...I think she’s got one on her right arm. We had to pull over at the next exit and examine her thoroughly, and we found the tick and destroyed it.

This, after I posted that weird tick video the other day!!!

I did eat a chili dog for dinner, and it was good...so, I didn’t get that weird disease where you suddenly don’t like meat.

2) We found out why the prices in this area where our rental house is was such a bargain! It’s a great house. Awesome. On the lake. Great views. Great space. But...

Every first 2 weeks of June approx. a two-week swarm of sandflies hatch and they are flying around all over the place in the hole giant Lake Niagara area. The most annoying near the lake...which is right out our backdoor/yard. It’s not too bad...but not wonderful. I think they hang at the lake areas where they are born (and live for like 2 weeks). I don’t think they’ll be an issue at the actual Falls themselves...we hope.

== 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’) ==

-- As expected, the NCAA has appealed the court decision restoring the eligibility of Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby.

Via Justin Williams of The Athletic, the NCAA has filed an official appeal to the Court of Appeals for the Seventh District of Texas.

The appeal is described as “accelerated.” Which is necessary in this case. One way or the other, Sorsby needs a final ruling by June 22, the deadline for applying for th NFL’s supplemental draft.

-- “He (Kyler) understands the game,” Justin Jefferson said. “He understands the defenses. He understands just how to put touch on the ball, just enough to where it gets to where it gotta go, without making it difficult for us. So, he understands the game a lot more just because he’s been in the game for a couple of years now. So, he kinda throws the ball before you even get out of that break. Throws you open for sure. He’s a smart guy, and he’s a competitor just like me.”

“I’m looking forward to see how good (JJM) he does in training camp. I’m looking forward to J.J., seeing his improvements and seeing the different things that he has picked up over the offseason. I’m excited for the competition. I’m excited for that to go on in training camp and see the different plays that they make.”

-- “It’s tough to have a competition when both guys aren’t competing at the same level right now,” Van Pelt said, via Marc Raimondi of ESPN. “So, it’s hard, and it’ll come. It’ll happen at some point. Mike’s (Penix) done a great job of getting himself to where he is right now. Really impressive to take 7-on-7 reps and go out and compete. That’s been great. But really, there’s no competition until we can actually evaluate him equally.”

-- The Kansas City Chiefs are signing L'Jarius Sneed to a one-year deal worth up to $5 million, his agents, the Katz Brothers, told ESPN's Adam Schefter, reuniting the cornerback with the team that drafted him in 2020.

Your moment of Zen for this day...

-- I’m so fascinated with Robotaxi, and this was a nice video of it in action with a lot of interesting takes by the passenger.

https://youtu.be/ZQdk3UFdXGQ?si=O9PeufHRyfTNkBhF

== Daily Series ==

NEW for JUNE: 2026 Strength of Schedule analysis according to FFM!

Our FFM Internal SOS for 2026, current:

45.81% = Cincinnati Bengals (#3)

48.27% = Chicago Bears (#27)

48.74% = Baltimore Ravens (#6)

49.73% = Carolina Panthers (#30)

51.10% = Dallas Cowboys (#29) *Updated/fixed AI error.

51.21% = Cleveland Browns (#4)

52.25% = Buffalo Bills (#14)

53.11% = Atlanta Falcons (#20)

54.50% = Denver Broncos (#11) *Updated/fixed AI error.

57.98% = Arizona Cardinals (#32)

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

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

*Draft Guide season access $29.99: https://ffmetrics.com/draft-guide/draft-guide

*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

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

6/8 MON

(8:05amET)

Today/tomorrow

The debut/#10 was open to all subscribers...#1-9 will be for the Draft Guide package of reports only, as the drive to redraft 2026 is upon us.

-- The month of June is Draft Guide prep and reporting season. It’s pushed back a little bit from usual time ranges due to the Schedule release being so much later this year.

-- A ‘Strength of Schedule’ light reporting, daily series runs through June.

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

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

NEW DISCORD NOTIFICATION SYSTEM/INVITE: FFM Discord Notification System

This is not a chat room. It is a one-way channel for FFM notifications about newly posted items and critical breaking news.

This Week’s/Month’s Agenda…

-- 2026 Draft Guide studies.

-- DRD rankings will now update rankings and add/update commentaries, etc., every THU or FRI for the rest of the preseason.

-- Dynasty and Best Ball rankings audits/updates weekly +/-.

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

-- Full scouting reports on various prospects from now until the NFL preseason. Deeper looks at Cyrus Allen and more all on deck.

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

-- New coaching staff hire’s analysis series...trying to slot/schedule this. Once the Draft Guide is set, I hope/plan to turn to this.

== NEWS & NOTES & Xs ==

-- HEADLINE/NBC REPORT: NBC Sports Houston’s Aaron Wilson believes Texans WR Jayden Higgins “could be poised for a breakout” season in 2026.

Wilson began today’s report by recounting a successful fade route Higgins ran from the slot at organized team activities. Per Higgins, the Texans view him as a versatile receiver and plan to deploy him at multiple spots this year. Per PFF, Higgins ran 79.2 percent of his routes from the perimeter and 20.4 percent from the slot.

My take... I’ve always liked Nico Collins, back to scouting him up close at his Senior Bowl...a highly rated prospect for us, graded well ahead of the mainstream. He may always be Stroud’s #1 look because they came up together and they’re connected, but the more talented of the two WRs is Jayden Higgins...and if they are gonna run him out of the slot, which they should...it’s genius, because he has high-end movement skills and can get open on anyone with a giant target range body--watch out!

-- HEADLINE: Sports Illustrated’s John Shipley reports that Jaguars RB Bhayshul Tuten “certainly looked like he was picking up steam” at organized team activities.

Again, these OTA reports are virtually meaningless on how players ‘look’, especially at RB where there is no contact, etc.

I am interested in rotations and who is being treated as the lead/starter, but in this case...Chris Rodriguez is out with a suspected foot injury, likely minor...so no reason to put him on the practice field.

BUT I can tell from football message board brigades...this headline is moving the market. The masses LOVE Tuten...and Jon Brooks.

-- HEADLINE: The Miami Herald’s Omar Kelly believes Dolphins rookie WR Kevin Coleman Jr. should be the team’s starting slot receiver this season.

I have some thoughts about this headline/story/opinion: https://youtu.be/-rT-KHV5kAc?si=RZZ1RkHOFYUWV99d

He’s not beating about Malik Washington. Not even close. Get out of here.

-- Tales from the road/travel diary on my 30th Anniversary Trip to Niagara Falls:

Drove to Pittsburgh area for a stopping point, and we’ll drive into Niagara Falls tomorrow. Went through West Virginia then to PA/Pittsburgh.

It was a fairly uneventful, pleasant trip. But there are three things this leg of my trip will be known for...

1) I went up I-77 to I-79 through West Virginia, and there was like no traffic at all. Even the ‘closed to one lane’ due to road work...no real lines or stop-and-go, just slow down and no brakes/just going. It was awesome!

2) If you were worried that the U.S. has no trees left, don’t worry...I found them! They’re all in West Virginia on I-79 and route 19 (I think). What gorgeous tree lined driving. It did have a minor Deliverance (the movie) feel at times...like I pray I don’t breakdown out there, but visually wonderful.

3) So, when you’re out in God’s Country, there’s a lot of trees...but not necessarily a lot of stops for gas and food. As we were hitting 11am, we all determined we needed a pitstop and food. And there was a LOVE’S travel stop ahead in a few minutes, and my son researched on his phone and said, ‘it has an Arby’s in it’. And not many other options for a while.

Both my wife and I said...”the other day we were just talking about--why don’t we go to Arby’s ever?”. Last time we went, 7+ years ago, it was OK. I’ve heard some good things on it of late. My son balked, but we pitched it hard and ultimately did the stop and got our gas & lunch there.

My personal review: Terrible (Bacon burger). My wife’s personal review: Terrible (pulled pork sandwich). My son’s personal review: I told you so (chicken tenders).

It was all ‘school cafeteria’ quality/taste food. None of us finished our items. We trashed half or so of it. We then decided... that Arby’s...

You.

Are.

Banned.

Never going again, unless there is some kind of a food emergency.

https://youtu.be/Ts8rvpY73Iw?si=O4_twRLjtRRmFpFY

== 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’) ==

-- (YAHOO) Two weeks ago, Klint Kubiak provided insight on how his Las Vegas Raiders would earn their roles over the course of the offseason.

“Yeah, we’re counting on them. We’re counting on them to produce for us,” the Raiders head coach responded when asked how important it is for second-year players to make a sophomore leap. “The good thing is there’s competition with (Jack) Bech and with DT (Dont’e Thornton Jr.). There’s a lot of competition in that receiver room, and may the best man win.”

Just a few days later, Kubiak’s trusted offensive coordinator Andrew Janocko echoed similar sentiments when broached with the topic of Bech and Thornton Jr. — the two 2025 NFL draft selections, taken 58th and 108th overall picks, respectively.

“Yeah, I think all those guys are competing their butts off. Every day they come to work they put in time, you can tell they’re studying at night because they come in with a notebook full of questions,” Janocko said. “They’re always peppering Coach (Zach) Azzanni with questions. It’s not just those two, but that whole position group is exciting because they’re guys that really work hard.”

Azzanni, the coach charged with the development of the Raiders’ wide receiver room, noted earlier this week at this stage of the offseason, it’s a clean slate and proving grounds.

“It’s all open for business,” he said on Tuesday, stressing there are no established roles.

RC NOTE: I do not like the sound of this for Bech. I’ve heard NOTHING heartwarming about Bech yet.

-- (PFT) Via Rich Cimini of ESPN, Jets coach Aaron Glenn views the absence of night games pragmatically.

“To me, it’s more of you earn the right,” Aaron Glenn said, per Cimini. “And, yes, you can use that as motivation, but you earn the right. That’s the good thing about this league. You earn your right -- players, coaches, everybody. You earn your right to get what you get in this league.”

-- "I definitely still want to be here," Denzel Ward said, per ESPN's Daniel Oyefusi. "Myles is a good friend of mine, a great teammate, but things aren't lost. It's Ohio against the world. So people could doubt us, but we're going out there still trying to play our best ball and bring wins to the city."

-- “This offseason is different than last,” Josh McDaniels said. “Last offseason, we were just getting to know the language and learning how to operate within a system of offensive football. This year, we’re trying to take that and then go to the next phase of that, the next level of that, in his case which is obviously playing the position of quarterback. He (Maye) knows a hell of a lot more than he did last year at this time. He’s trying to either really turn the corner and perfect some things that he has an opportunity to do that with, or trying to learn a few new things and evolve as a player and as an offense. He’s had a great attitude. Super fun to be around every day. Fun like he was last year, but it’s a more accelerated version.”

Your moment of Zen for this day...

-- https://x.com/hoodwild_/status/2063686175014199690

https://x.com/MLFootball/status/2063701397862793274

== Daily Series ==

NEW for JUNE: 2026 Strength of Schedule analysis according to FFM!

Our FFM Internal SOS for 2026, current:

44.20% = Dallas Cowboys (#29)

45.81% = Cincinnati Bengals (#3)

48.27% = Chicago Bears (#27)

48.74% = Baltimore Ravens (#6)

49.73% = Carolina Panthers (#30)

51.21% = Cleveland Browns (#4)