RC's Daily Notes 2026: For the Week of 6/22-to-6/28 (The Week That Was...)

: R.C. Fischer; FreeView; 28 June 2026

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

6/28 SUN

(8:22amET)

Today/tomorrow

-- OTA rumors and observations report, from me and my sources is planned to post SUN night or MON morning.

-- New Faux 2.0 Computer Simulated Season started yesterday. A multiple day series a few weeks of seasonal results at a time. Running through the end of the month.

The final regular season tallies and some gambling discussion on it.

-- Next TST video next week/MON: we likely lead off the week with our review of Luther Burden’s 2025 tape and valuation.

Nate Boerkicher scouting review yesterday: https://youtu.be/PZ-zU2yjzRM

Two Scouts Talking 2027 NFL Draft QB prospect series (there’s gonna be a ton of them): QB Dante Moore, Oregon https://youtu.be/Mb7Kk1dcpgA and re-scouting of Arch Manning https://youtu.be/Zo-54kbIQ2Y have dropped so far.

-- 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.

-- 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...version 1.0 release July 1-4 range.

-- 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: ESPN’s Brady Henderson reports that Seahawks RB George Holani “is squarely in Seattle’s backfield plans for 2026.”

I’ve now seen this note from 5+ different observers. It’s a thing. That guy is gonna play because he can block...and because Zach Charbonnet likely doesn’t even play this season. Holani might be the main starter (in a split) for the first 2-3-4-5+ games...behind a great O-Line.

You know what you don’t see news or notes concerning this? Anything about Emanuel Wilson. He’s only on a 1-yr/$1.6M deal with just $550 guaranteed. He can be a #3 RB there this year and it not be a big deal...he could also get cut and it not really matter. They are not vested in him.

More backup on this from my source’s observation in the OTA report tonight/tomm.

-- HEADLINE: ESPN’s Nick Wagoner believes 49ers WR Jacob Cowing has “a chance to carve out a role as a returner with some opportunities in the passing game.”

I’m seeing more and more word/talk on this popping up...multiple observers singing the praises of Cowing. He’s talented but also buried under ‘names’ in SF...but some of those names are hurt and are allowing Cowing to get good time with the 1st-team.

The 49ers listed starting trio is Evans-Pearsall-Kirk.

But I believe Kirk will be cut (maybe he hangs on) and if Pearsall is hurt again, then the starting three for Week 1 might be: Evans-Stribling/DRob.-Cowing (in the slot). I don’t feel like Stribling is gonna work in the slot. I’m noting that because he is seeing some OTA time at ‘big slot’. I have to see it with my own two eyes in the preseason to become a believer that ‘big slot’ is a legit position for him.

-- This story may surprise a lot of you, but after you read it realize this story will try to be suppressed BIG TIME.

https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/controversy-erupts-espn-nfl-analyst-004202514.html

I’ve worked for a few companies throughout my career, but I’ve also sold to (sales) or studied/audited many other businesses for financial deals or buyouts my employer was making. Of all the industries that I’ve been in or around, the two most repulsive off the top of my head are...

1) Food industry transportation people/managers. The margins are so thin on grocery that you will be squeezed to death by professional squeezers. Every penny counts for them. Hardest/nastiest people that I’ve ever had to deal with...especially the discounters or big box places, but especially the discount grocery stores or discount food providers.

2) Fantasy sports ‘names’. Almost every deal I’ve been involved in/pitched to me or that my friends/associates have been involved in...and the whispers we hear about people/’names’ in the industry that we haven’t come in contact with directly--it’s a cesspool of backstabbing, especially when they ‘have their own businesses’ like side websites or classes/consulting or whatever...when they try to use their ESPN or NFL or whatever platforms for their own gain.

Obviously not EVERYONE, but you would be shocked at the ‘goings on’ in this industry behind the scenes. There are some honest souls out there, but too many of the big time/name ones out there do not have the best motivations...let’s leave it at that.

I don’t wanna name names, maybe I will someday...but this tarnishing of nameless people by me deserves me naming names of some of the best companies and/or people I have worked with. In no particular order:

I have recommended, and I know many already are, playing in FFPC leagues and tournaments...they have been 1st class and earnest since I ever came across them. I’m not a paid sponsor by them or anyone, so these are my personal dealings with/feelings on. And most all my private clients play various things there and are extremely satisfied, and have been for years/decade+.

The Podfather has always been nice and gracious to me and has given me invites to be on a show when rare other would. I will always be indebted.

Advanced Sports Logic has done more for FFM behind the scenes than any Fantasy sports company. They have come up with several innovative software’s and concepts on Fantasy related things, many of it behind the scenes that you don’t know that they were the ones that built it.

I have had relationships and/or dealings with each of those companies/humans/CEOs for 10+ years, as have others. In an industry that produces a lot of failed promises and taking advantage of people (my opinion), these companies stand tall.

I really wish I could name names on the opposite side. Maybe someday.

== 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’) ==

-- Dexter Lawrence: I know my impact on the game even without sack numbers

-- O.J. Simpson will not be honored among other Buffalo Bills legends at the team's new Highmark Stadium.

"We have made an organizational decision that he is not a fit to display inside our new stadium and family circle," Bills president of business operations Pete Guelli said in a statement.

-- Brandon Aiyuk revealed that he fired his former agent, Ryan Williams, who is friends with general manager John Lynch, adding that Williams “really started this whole s–t.”

He also called Williams and Lynch “weirdos” and “creepy predators,” claiming that Williams still is trying to contact Aiyuk’s wife, Rochelle, and that Lynch recently came to his house uninvited.

“The same general manager that tried to run me down and come apologize for his head coach,” Aiyuk said, “because his head coach got a temperament of a f–king toddler and was speaking out the side of his f–king mouth to me.”

Your moment of Zen for this day...

-- https://x.com/oiluiz/status/2070837004422565970

== 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)

45.88% = New Orleans Saints (#2)

46.05% = San Francisco 49ers (#8)

46.38% = Indianapolis Colts (#9)

47.40% = NY Giants (#24)

48.23% = Green Bay Packers (#17)

48.27% = Chicago Bears (#27)

48.74% = Baltimore Ravens (#6)

49.08% = Philadelphia Eagles (#7)

49.41% = NY Jets (#5)

49.73% = Carolina Panthers (#30)

49.75% = LA Chargers (#21)

49.75% = Pittsburgh Steelers (#18)

49.99% = LA Rams (#28)

50.25% = New England Patriots (#12)

51.22% = Cleveland Browns (#4)

50.80% = Houston Texans (#26)

51.10% = Dallas Cowboys (#29)

51.26% = Seattle Seahawks (#22)

51.38% = Kansas City Chiefs (#10)

51.90% = Miami Dolphins (#31)

52.10% = Jacksonville Jaguars (#15)

52.25% = Buffalo Bills (#14)

52.94% = Las Vegas Raiders (#19)

53.11% = Atlanta Falcons (#20)

53.29% = Minnesota Vikings (#16)

54.50% = Denver Broncos (#11)

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

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

6/27 SAT

(7:15amET)

Today/tomorrow

-- New Faux 2.0 Computer Simulated Season started yesterday. A multiple day series a few weeks of seasonal results at a time. Running through the end of the month.

-- Next TST video is a scouting a rookie TE from this last draft coming up today. Next week: we likely lead off the week with a review of Luther Burden’s 2025 tape.

New Two Scouts Talking Video dropped yesterday: QB Dante Moore, Oregon https://youtu.be/Mb7Kk1dcpgA

Re-scouting of Arch Manning for the start of a summer long series on scouting the 2027 NFL Draft QB prospects begins (and it’s not looking great). https://youtu.be/Zo-54kbIQ2Y

-- New DRD Mock Draft series, a five-round draft post-OTAs, started 6/16 TUE and runs one-a-day until we get through all 12 spots to draft from.

-- 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...version 1.0 release July 1-4 range.

-- 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 ==

-- C.J. Stroud negotiations? https://x.com/jasrifootball/status/2069855035505197165?s=43

I’d feel a lot better if Stroud recognized he has some struggles in 2025 and he’s working hard to correct the mistakes and get better. The quote in here of: “I think I’ve held my bargain up.” is silly...part of the culture that just cannot admit mistakes or shortcomings. Who is buying this?

Stroud is mistaking ‘wins’ for playing good football...he has fallen to the bottom 10 of all QBs in my book. He can dig himself out of his hole because the issue is correctable (the yips and bad coaching), but not as simple to fix if he thinks he’s playing great football.

If Stroud actually ‘finds himself’ (not likely to happen with this awful offensive coaching staff) and gets back to his 2023 self...the Texans may be the best team in the NFL top-to-bottom. And if Stroud stumbles again...Davis Mills is gonna become the starter.

-- HEADLINE: The CFL announced it will not allow teams to sign former Texas Tech QB Brendan Sorsby. The league released a statement saying, “Upholding the integrity of the league and ensuring fair competition are paramount to the CFL. The allegations involving Brendan Sorsby are serious and concerning. At this time, the CFL will not register a contract for him, and no team will be permitted to add him to its negotiations list.”

Wow. I don’t think the UFL will take him either. I think the CFL and UFL don’t want to upset the NFL, so Sorsby looks like he’ll be blocked from 2026 altogether...not even becoming a free agent.

If I were him, I’d try to play in college back at Texas Tech, and if they didn’t let me do that...I’d just take the year to fully prep for the NFL Draft.

Actually, what I would do if were Sorsby, if they don’t let him play college this season...take the year off like a redshirt year and get fully eligible for 2027, sign a big deal with whatever college team and make $5-10M and then go to the NFL in 2028. Likely, all the money Sorsby will make in football just happened last year and if he can get another year in college.

-- HEADLINE: The NFL announced the dates for the 2027 NFL Draft, which will be held in Washington, D.C. The league announced in May that Washington, D.C., would be the host site for next year’s draft. Now, the league has announced that the three-day event will kick off on Thursday, April 29th, and conclude on Saturday, May 1st

Nice! Congrats to them. D.C. got cleaned up and you can now go to visit there (mostly) safely again. My son went there recently and was shocked how cleaned up and orderly it was. I’m sure that played a big part in DC getting an honor. I don’t know how it works, but my gut says because it’s now safer for everyone so they can go for it while the iron is hot.

-- HEADLINE: Speaking on the New Heights podcast, Zach Ertz said “I’m doing everything I can” to get back on the field this season.

No way a 35+ year old TE with a later season ACL is getting back to playing shape/full abilities this season. No way.

== 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’) ==

-- Brandon Aiyuk said he will not return to California if there is indeed a warrant out for his arrest.

-- ESPN’s Courtney Cronin listed Bears WR Zavion Thomas as the team’s “biggest surprise” player in spring practices.

-- “I think what DJ’s going to bring to us, obviously veteran leadership,” Josh Allen told NFL Media. “He’s been in the league as long as I’ve been in the league, and he’s produced at such a high level for the last eight years. Just really getting to know him. We’re locker mates, and to have that relationship that we already have, it’s a pretty seamless fit. I’m excited to continue to get to work with him. He’s going to be a huge help for us this next season and seasons to come.”

-- “I'm going into Year 10, and I can say wholeheartedly that grass feels way better than turf," Eluemunor noted, per NBC News. "With MetLife getting grass, obviously it's cool for FIFA and the World Cup. It's one of the biggest stages in the world but, at the same time, the NFL as a whole is one of the most profitable businesses in the world, and so you would think that us as players would have a say in the fields that we get to play on."

-- David Blough on Terry McLaurin: “This thing's going to be built around how do we get Terry 10 targets a game and get him explosive receptions after explosive receptions to kind of flip the field"

-- But Christian McCaffrey’s former running backs coach, Jake Peetz, was able to find a weakness in the superstar’s game while they worked together with the Carolina Panthers.

“You can ask him this,” Peetz stated on NFL Spotlight with Ari Meirov. “I said, ‘I think you’re one of the worst running backs in the league at pass protection.’ What do I know about running back pass protection? Nothing.”

Your moment of Zen for this day...

-- Read the lead-in comments, then watch and you’ll be fascinated by this more: https://x.com/super70ssports/status/2070180291440685136?s=43

== 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)

45.88% = New Orleans Saints (#2)

46.05% = San Francisco 49ers (#8)

46.38% = Indianapolis Colts (#9)

47.40% = NY Giants (#24)

48.23% = Green Bay Packers (#17)

48.27% = Chicago Bears (#27)

48.74% = Baltimore Ravens (#6)

49.08% = Philadelphia Eagles (#7)

49.41% = NY Jets (#5)

49.73% = Carolina Panthers (#30)

49.75% = LA Chargers (#21)

49.75% = Pittsburgh Steelers (#18)

49.99% = LA Rams (#28)

50.25% = New England Patriots (#12)

51.22% = Cleveland Browns (#4)

50.80% = Houston Texans (#26)

51.10% = Dallas Cowboys (#29)

51.38% = Kansas City Chiefs (#10)

51.90% = Miami Dolphins (#31)

52.10% = Jacksonville Jaguars (#15)

52.25% = Buffalo Bills (#14)

52.94% = Las Vegas Raiders (#19)

53.11% = Atlanta Falcons (#20)

53.29% = Minnesota Vikings (#16)

54.50% = Denver Broncos (#11)

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

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

6/26 FRI

( 6:44amET)

Today/tomorrow

-- DRD top 300 update today.

-- New Faux 2.0 Computer Simulated Season started yesterday. A multiple day series a few weeks of seasonal results at a time. Running through the end of the month.

-- New Two Scouts Talking Video dropped yesterday: QB Dante Moore, Oregon https://youtu.be/Mb7Kk1dcpgA

Next TST video is a scouting a rookie TE from this last draft coming up on Saturday. Next week: we likely lead off the week with a review of Luther Burden’s 2025 tape.

Re-scouting of Arch Manning for the start of a summer long series on the 2027 NFL Draft QB prospects dropped TUE. https://youtu.be/Zo-54kbIQ2Y

-- New DRD Mock Draft series, a five-round draft post-OTAs, started 6/16 TUE and runs one-a-day until we get through all 12 spots to draft from.

-- 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...version 1.0 release July 1-4 range.

-- 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 Nate Atkins believes Rams RB Blake Corum “could push for his first 1,000-yard rushing season this year.”

I just want to note here, again... One of the hottest FF-players of the offseason going into training camps is going to be Corum. A hotter name than Jon Brooks.

Corum and Brooks are names that everyone thinks they ONLY know the news about and assume those player’s current owners don’t--so they ask for them in trade like they are nobodies that they just happened to make the current owner an offer on for no particular reason.

Other player names I am seeing in deals all this week--ones that my clients already own but are being sent unsolicited offers for these players: Rachaad White and Parker Washington.

Corum is worth 2x whatever anyone sees in rankings or trade evaluator software, etc.

-- HEADLINE: Brandon Aiyuk said he would “sign with the Commanders tomorrow” if the 49ers cut him today.

If Aiyuk thinks another team is going to sign him if/when SF cuts him...he’s got another thing coming.

The reason Aiyuk is going even more bananas lately, I think is because (according to GEMINI): By simply doing nothing and keeping him on the Reserve list, John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan can let Aiyuk sit at home, keep his contract frozen, and ensure he doesn't step foot on an NFL field until they decide they are ready to let him go.

The Reinstatement Process

If Aiyuk wants to force his way onto the property to create a distraction, he cannot just show up at the facility gate with his gear. The administrative rules of the Reserve/Left Squad list dictate a strict sequence:

Step 1: The Paperwork: Aiyuk must first file official paperwork with the league office requesting to be removed from the Left Squad list. As of right now, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler confirms Aiyuk hasn't even taken this step.

Step 2: League Approval: Commissioner Roger Goodell must formally approve his reinstatement.

Step 3: The 5-Day Window: Once approved, the 49ers are granted a standard 5-day roster exemption window to decide what to do with him.

What Happens When the Window Opens?

Once that 5-day clock starts, the 49ers have complete control over his physical presence. They do not have to let him transition into a toxic "hold-in" where he sits in meetings and poisons the locker room.

Instead, John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan can exercise the following options:

Activate Him but Bar Him (The Maples Resort Treatment)

The 49ers can formally activate him to the roster to prevent his contract from tolling but immediately issue a team mandate telling him to stay away from the facility. They can legally say, "You are on the roster, but you are barred from practices, meetings, and the building. Stay home, and we will mail you your game checks." Because his guarantees were voided, they would only be paying him the bare minimum, completely neutralizing his ability to disrupt the team. *If the 49ers or any other team were to strictly pay him the base veteran league minimum for the 2026 season without any additional bonuses, his salary would be exactly $1,215,000. (If I were the 49ers, I would pay him the league minimum for as long as I could to ruin his career, and I would go get a court order to have him keep a legal distance from the facilities or the coaches for as long as I could.)

File for Conduct Detrimental Immediately

If he shows up at the facility without league clearance or starts screaming at staff outside the gates, the 49ers can instantly hit him with a team suspension for conduct detrimental to the squad. This allows them to ban him from the premises for up to four weeks per violation while completely withholding his pay.

The Reality: Aiyuk's only card to play is the threat of showing up on July 25 to cause a media circus. In actual practice, the 49ers have the legal and procedural authority to keep him entirely on the outside looking in, ensuring he never steps foot on their field again until they decide to cut him.

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

They can effectively keep him frozen on the minimum—or pay him absolutely nothing—for the next three seasons, controlling his rights through the 2028 season.

Because Aiyuk signed a four-year, $120 million extension just before the 2024 season, he remains legally under contract with San Francisco for a long time. By combining the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) rules with the fact that they successfully voided all his guaranteed cash, the 49ers hold a massive hammer to derail his career trajectory.

Here is exactly how they can drag this out to maximize the damage:

1. The "Zero Dollar" Freeze (The Current Status)

The 49ers don't even have to pay him the minimum right now. Because he walked away from his knee rehab and they placed him on the Reserve/Left Squad list, his contract is entirely paused.

As long as he sits at home and refuses to file reinstatement paperwork with Roger Goodell, the 49ers owe him $0.

The most devastating part for Aiyuk? The contract tolls (pauses in time). If he stays on the Left Squad list for the entire 2026 season, that year doesn't count. When 2027 rolls around, he will still owe the 49ers three years on his contract. They could theoretically leave him out in the cold indefinitely without spending a single dollar.

2. The Three-Year Veteran Minimum Grind (2026–2028)

If Aiyuk swallows his pride, forces reinstatement, and reports to training camp on July 25 to protect his contract from freezing, the 49ers can pivot to the veteran minimum strategy. They can activate him but completely bury him.

The Setup: They pay him his tier-minimum base salary ($1,215,000 for a 4–6 year veteran) instead of his original non-guaranteed premium numbers.

The Treatment: They order him to stay away from the facilities, ban him from practice, and tell him to watch games from his couch.

The Career Damage: They can repeat this process week after week, season after season, all the way through 2028. By the time he finally hits free agency in 2029, he will be a 31-year-old wide receiver who hasn't put on pads or caught a live NFL pass since his ACL tear in October 2024.

Why the 49ers Won't Actually Drag It Out for Three Years

While John Lynch legally has the power to run this exact scenario and completely torpedo Aiyuk's professional future, NFL insiders indicate the team is finally ready to wash its hands of the headache.

Because Aiyuk’s social media rants have completely tanked his trade value—leaving league executives labeling him "untradeable" right now—the 49ers are widely expected to simply cut bait and release him ahead of training camp in July. Since cutting him saves $6.3 million on the cap while taking a minor $7.36 million dead money hit, San Francisco will likely choose to just erase the drama, let him go to Washington or free agency on a cheap minimum deal, and move forward with their newly reshaped wide receiver room.

-- Speaking of players who are ‘acting’ their way out of the league...

For those interested, here’s way more detail on the Terrion Arnold story...

https://x.com/mysportsupdate/status/2069980229544575415?s=43

This one looks like a suspension and cut coming but also jail time...just what it looks like on the surface.

== 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’) ==

-- “[Malik Willis] was about to get signed. Right at 12:00 P.M., he got a call from the Dolphins brass, and it’s Jon-Eric Sullivan and Jeff Hafley and the whole crew, and at 12:00 P.M. on the dot, they say, ‘Hey, we want you to be here. We want you to be part of it. We want you to help us win this thing for many years to come. And we believe in you.’ He hangs up the phone and throws another 10-15 minutes without routes. And then his agent calls and says, ‘Hey, this what we’re going to be doing. This is what the numbers [are].’ He takes the phone call. His quarterback coach is like, ‘Hey, you want to just, like, put this training session for later? Like, this is probably the biggest day of your life…’ He’s like, ‘Nah, man. I’ll worry about it later. My agent is doing that.’

Wolfe continued:

“He didn’t actually end up talking to his agent and saying yes until about an hour later because he wanted to finish the throwing session. So, I think to me, you learn a little bit about who this guy is as a person. What makes him tick.”

-- Appearing on Cam Heyward’s “Not Just Football” podcast, Eric Ebron blasted the Steelers decision to draft Freiermuth over current Kansas City Chiefs All-Pro center Creed Humphrey.

“Instead of getting Humphrey, we get Freiermuth, as if we needed a tight end,” he said. “We needed to protect this old mother f****r , and I don’t have a problem with him being the quarterback, but then make the right decisions to protect his a**. Do you feel what I’m saying? We don’t need more weapons. He could barely get it to the ones we had. We needed to protect him. I felt like if we could have protected him, he’s still Ben Roethlisberger, then we get that extra second or two, create a little space, get open.”

-- Lions CB Terrion Arnold being held without bond after kidnapping charges

Your moment of Zen for this day...

-- https://x.com/Bitcoin_Teddy/status/2056692089656877140

== 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)

45.88% = New Orleans Saints (#2)

46.38% = Indianapolis Colts (#9)

47.40% = NY Giants (#24)

48.23% = Green Bay Packers (#17) *updated/re-audited a 3rd-time.

48.27% = Chicago Bears (#27)

48.74% = Baltimore Ravens (#6)

49.08% = Philadelphia Eagles (#7)

49.41% = NY Jets (#5)

49.73% = Carolina Panthers (#30)

49.75% = LA Chargers (#21)

49.75% = Pittsburgh Steelers (#18)

49.99% = LA Rams (#28)

50.25% = New England Patriots (#12)

51.22% = Cleveland Browns (#4)

50.80% = Houston Texans (#26)

51.10% = Dallas Cowboys (#29)

51.38% = Kansas City Chiefs (#10)

51.90% = Miami Dolphins (#31)

52.10% = Jacksonville Jaguars (#15)

52.25% = Buffalo Bills (#14)

52.94% = Las Vegas Raiders (#19)

53.11% = Atlanta Falcons (#20)

53.29% = Minnesota Vikings (#16)

54.50% = Denver Broncos (#11)

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

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

6/25 THU

(7:36amET)

Today/tomorrow

-- DRD rankings update tomorrow/FRI

-- New Faux 2.0 Computer Simulated Season started yesterday. A multiple day series a few weeks of seasonal results at a time. Running through the end of the month.

-- New Two Scouts Talking Video drop today: QB Dante Moore, Oregon

Re-scouting of Arch Manning for the start of a summer long series on the 2027 NFL Draft QB prospects dropped TUE. https://youtu.be/Zo-54kbIQ2Y

-- New DRD Mock Draft series, a five-round draft post-OTAs, started 6/16 TUE and runs one-a-day until we get through all 12 spots to draft from.

-- 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...version 1.0 release July 1-4 range.

-- 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 ==

-- My first quarter (post-radiation) medical report from Jacksonville...

The first post-radiation quarterly checkup/testing results are in, and I passed everything with flying colors… an A+ report.

PSA = still the lowest reading they have/classification = undetectable, so no movement higher here…which is THE key and will be every quarter.

All my other key vitals either had not changed or they’ve improved—so the meds are doing their job, my body is not trying to figure a way around the meds nor is the cancer finding a way around anything to try to make a comeback. Blood pressure numbers were my best of the year.

Everybody that I met with from the oncology team to the radiation team told me everything looks great and to just keep doing what I am doing until the next check in Sept.
1.5 to 2 more years of these quarterly checks to go!

Thank you everybody for your continual prayers, we’re still winning by a big margin right now!!

According to my AI, which has all my reports, results, scans, meds, etc., these first post-radiation results took my likelihood of the cancer returning within a year from ending radiation from 5-10% to 3-7%. The odds the cancer returns between year one and two from radiation went from 10-20% to 7-15%.

Every quarterly report moves the needle good/bad for the next 1.5-2 years of testing.

Next week, I will get a full medical check/annual physical to go deeper on how my body is fully doing with the side effects, etc. It’s a race against time, to a degree: the defeat/eradication of the cancer vs. the damage the meds and radiation did to my body long term. There’s a chance, based on my medical team’s skill and luck/prayer, that I could win both of those races--which from where I started from about a year ago and how bad the first wave of info was, is a damn miracle.

Even if I take a hit in some area...kidney issues, diabetes (the meds bringing that on is a big concern in general for all people going through it), some other internal issue from a weakened internal area due to the radiation treatments...even if I get a bad news item from somewhere due to all this, but take out the cancer: I still ‘win’ overall.

I don’t want to get too cocky, but...as for just this day’s/week’s quarterly earnings, I mean ‘medical results’ report...I say to cancer: https://youtu.be/OKKSBHlxRdg?si=7jiTOjWi51gMDDcS

We’re on to September 2026 for the next showdown/results.

From a Stage 4/Gleason 9 start about a year ago to now in the lead...thank you to modern medical advancements, thank you to the USA and capitalism (if someone says within my ear shot that our medical system sucks and is broken, I will literally fist fight you on the spot and then ride away on a bald eagle), thank you to my friends and family and FFM family and strangers who joined in with prayers for little ol’ me.

-- HEADLINE: Broncos WR Marvin Mims said this was possibly “my last year” in Denver so “I’m just going to enjoy it to the fullest.”

Mims also said: “Sometimes I am a little irritated with my situation,” Mims added. “But at the end of the day, I’m blessed to be where I am.” *Hey, Marvin! I understand that sentiment fully!!!

I had a note about Mims’ situation for an OTA rumor report I’m wrapping up for this week, but I’ll just share it here now since it’s public...

My note for that report written 2-3 days ago: I am told that Marvin Mims is preparing to get out of Denver after this season because he's not being taken seriously as a starting WR. Which makes sense because he's been perpetually screwed by Sean Payton the past couple seasons. For me, for fantasy purposes, I can't take him seriously for FF 2026, but I would want in on him for Dynasty (cheap) going into his 2027 free agency.

GEMINI INFO: Mims sparked some speculation on wanting a contract extension or preparing for 2027 free agency in the second week of June by changing his agency representation to Athletes First.

Earlier in the offseason, Mims admitted there had been a total lack of extension talks: "Not really. I mean, it’s been weird because... So, I’ve been basically just showing up every day. Really, talks and discussions, personally, I haven’t had [them]. Maybe with my agent."

-- HEADLINE: Jaguars signed Brenton Strange to a three-year contract extension.

Per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, the deal is worth “up to” $48 million. A chunk of that figure is presumably based on incentives. The contract includes $25 million guaranteed.

A lesser deal than Kyle Pitts’ yesterday...but not bad for Strange. He had to take it with the two TEs that were drafted this year.

I’m not bullish on Strange, but not radically against either. I’m just not possessing him...too many other WAY interesting TE options.

-- LATE NEWS: This is unreal, and not good for Detroit: https://x.com/mysportsupdate/status/2069970837373915640?s=42

== 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’) ==

-- Signs point to Travis Kelce-Taylor Swift wedding at Madison Square Garden on July 4 weekend

-- (PFT) Brandon Aiyuk Says He’ll Sign With Commanders Immediately If 49ers Release Him

Aiyuk could put pressure on the 49ers to make a decision if he shows up when the 49ers report to training camp on July 25. Until he reports, the 49ers can keep him on the reserve list without him counting to the salary cap or the roster limits.

-- (PFT) Brendan Sorsby case puts NFLPA in an awkward spot, since he’s not a union member

-- Matt Stafford shut down any retirement rumors during his MVP speech, saying he would play in 2026. He admits that it'll be a year-to-year decision, wanting to evaluate after each season how he feels mentally, physically and emotionally, while also consulting his family on the matter.

"It is year-to-year because I think it's fair to the team, I think it's fair to me, my family — I don't want to sit there and say, OK, 24 months from now, I've got to be ready to play another football season," he said on former Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year recipient and two-time Super Bowl champion Chris Long's podcast, Green Light. "I'm like, phew, that just seems like a lot. I know that I'm ready to play this year. And hopefully, I feel great at the end of next year, and I'm ready to play another one after that. And then maybe we just kind of keep going like that. But, committing to more than that feels a little bit daunting. And I think a little bit unfair to the team and myself."

-- https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/new-york-times-calls-dianna-russini-enlisting-a-coach-to-get-out-of-a-ticket-unacceptable-conduct

Your moment of Zen for this day...

-- I swear the first time I saw a glimpse of this, when I didn’t know who it was, I thought it was like an older coach or fan somewhere acting goofy. I had no idea it was an NFL QB who is set to be in-demand next offseason as a free agent.

Warning: This is very odd...and you may need to see it 2-3x to fully appreciate. https://www.reddit.com/r/TheNFLVibes/s/b7QQSGER5M

== 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)

45.88% = New Orleans Saints (#2)

46.38% = Indianapolis Colts (#9)

47.40% = NY Giants (#24)

48.27% = Chicago Bears (#27)

48.74% = Baltimore Ravens (#6)

49.08% = Philly (#7)

49.41% = NY Jets (#5)

49.73% = Carolina Panthers (#30)

49.75% = LA Chargers (#21)

49.99% = LA Rams (#28)

50.25% = New England Patriots (#12)

50.31% = Green Bay Packers (#17) *updated/re-audited, not as bad as first reported

51.22% = Cleveland Browns (#4)

50.80% = Houston Texans (#26)

51.10% = Dallas Cowboys (#29)

51.38% = Kansas City Chiefs (#10)

51.90% = Miami Dolphins (#31)

52.10% = Jacksonville Jaguars (#15)

52.25% = Buffalo Bills (#14)

52.94% = Las Vegas Raiders (#19)

53.11% = Atlanta Falcons (#20)

53.29% = Minnesota Vikings (#16)

54.50% = Denver Broncos (#11)

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

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

6/24 WED

(6:27amET)

Today/tomorrow

-- New Faux 2.0 Computer Simulated Season started yesterday. A multiple day series a few weeks of seasonal results at a time. Running through the end of the month.

-- New Two Scouts Talking Video yesterday: Re-scouting of Arch Manning for the start of a summer long series on the 2027 NFL Draft QB prospects (there’s a hundred QBs the media claims are 1st rounders). https://youtu.be/Zo-54kbIQ2Y

Next up, releasing THU, we studied Dante Moore...the universal #2 QB prospect for 2027.

-- New DRD Mock Draft series, a five-round draft post-OTAs, started 6/16 TUE and runs one-a-day until we get through all 12 spots to draft from.

-- 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...version 1.0 release July 1-4 range.

-- 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 NFL is declining to hold a supplemental draft this summer.

HEADLINE: Brendan Sorsby’s attorney, Jeffrey Kessler, said the NFL’s decision to not hold a supplemental draft is “a violation of the CBA and the law.”

I’m getting quite weary of this changing story every week. Could somebody please make a decision and let this kid then make his decision?

My main job is to deal with him in DRDs and figure him out/his impact to FF 2026. I can do none of that properly...again. I’m on hold until it’s officially official. I don’t know if he’ll get back into college. I don’t know if the courts will force a supplemental draft. I don’t know if he just becomes a free agent. I’ll wait for an official move.

-- HEADLINE: TE Kyle Pitts and the Atlanta Falcons reached agreement today on a three-year, $54 million contract that includes $36 million fully guaranteed. It is the largest three-year contract for a tight end in NFL history.

They were already gonna pay him $15M guaranteed for just this season on the franchise tag. This just makes it a bit more official, and they retain/control him for 2027 with this...and then they could be done with him in 2028 if it’s not working out.

This made me think...

I’ll bet the combination of two thoughts brought this about: (1) Every team trying to chase TEs helped push this AND (2) The new regime in ATL fell in love with Pitts in their worst scenario/Pitts’ dream scenario...they loved how he looked in OTAs, especially when they saw him against their awful WR group outside of Drake London. Pitts is an OTA god.

-- OK, I did my blood test Tuesday. I get the results mid-morning today and depending on those results I get my specific ‘next steps’ or ‘stay the course’ strategy from the doctors.

I had the weirdest 2 experiences that I've had in a while going in for my blood collection yesterday morning...

1) I have to admit, it was super weird driving the same route that I drove every day for two months getting radiation here (in JAX) earlier in the year. It's so odd that that was such a major part of my existence and then all of the sudden it ended and I went back home and just started to forget about it all and just got back on with my normal life.

Driving that same path brought back all of the memories and the gravity of everything that happened months ago. And then going into that parking deck like I did 40+ different times earlier this year and walking the same path to get to the elevator to get to the hospital entrance and then walking down the same hallway to go over to the radiation department. All very odd...it’s like going back to your high school a year after graduation. It was your everything for 4 years...then you go back and feel the old feelings/memories, but they’ve all moved on...it’s just ‘their job’.

I didn't have to go to the radiation department yesterday but I wanted to go poke my head in and say hey to all the people that were such a huge part of my life for two months and to drop off the giant bag of Werther’s originals candy then I brought to contribute to the radiation patients candy dish.

It seems weird/odd, but it's kind of a lonely event to go to (39 radiation sessions) and it’s a ‘weight of the universe’ type of thing to go through every day...every day hoping I got my body prepared with enough water the way that they wanted it so that they could do the best job for radiation...knowing my the future was literally in their hands as the better they did at their job of targeted radiation the better the odds of my longevity and beating cancer.

All those heavy weights thoughts to deal with for two months and within my little routine I followed every day, there was an odd, very minor bright spot -- a candy dish that they put out at the radiation check-in area. Sometimes they had that unmarked garbage bulk candy but sometimes they had the good stuff--lifesavers, name brand butterscotch candy, jolly ranchers, etc. There was a certain joy when I'd go to the candy dish, and it was filled with all these great options and I would take a moment to fish through it and take a piece as I was released to go back to the radiation waiting area. Once I got back to that waiting area, it was usually me and anywhere from one to four other guys waiting to be called back--all very quiet/stoic. We all knew what we were there for and we didn't want to bother anybody else with our problems or asking them about theirs. So, I would head back there and before going in a I would open up my candy and use the empty wrapper to put my gum in, because we weren't allowed to have gum during radiation, and then I’d go into the ‘guys’ holding tank’ and I tossed the gum in the same trash can every time and then I'd sit there quietly and enjoy my hard candy whilst scrolling on my phone waiting for my name to be called.

A couple weeks into that routine, I decided it was too quiet back there. Everybody was being too solemn. We needed to kinda become foxhole friends and have a smile or a laugh before going in for the seriousness of our radiation. One day, I broke the ice and started talking to the people I would see there every day, ask them how they were doing or talk about the parking issue or whatever. They were quite at first, but eventually they would start to chime in. One day, I talked about how much I was enjoying my candy and most of them didn't even realize there was a candy dish or they didn't feel like they should take any because it's kind of childish, but once I broke the ice about that--then other people started having candy in the back and the candy dish started to become a bit of a thing. Then I learned that the two main front desk clerks for the radiation area were spending money out of their own pocket to put candy in a dish for the patients. So, I decided I could buy good candy from Amazon in bulk and give it to them so they wouldn't have to spend their money on it and I could upgrade the candy options for our little group.

So, when I went back to radiation for the first time in three months yesterday, I made sure to bring a giant bag of name brand candy as my ongoing contribution to all the helpful people that work there but also, but more so for all the patients to come after me so they could maybe have that little daily moment of joy as well.

But going back to the place that was so the center of my life for two straight months with the gravity of the entire situation thick in the air... It was really weird to walk back in there three months later and trying to see everybody. Some of the workers there that were the people I used to speak to every day like we were best friends--they thought they recognized me but weren't sure. They only see about a billion people coming in and out of there daily, so I can't complain that some of them didn't remember me per se...but it was still a bit jarring. But there were others who saw me coming down the hallway right away and got up and ran over to give me a hug. It was a weird, beautiful movement all at the same time going back to MD Anderson 3 months after going there every weekday for 2-months.

2) After I visited radiation and dropped off the candy, and went to go to the waiting room to get my blood drawn... It was like 10-12 vials of blood. That was not the weird part, I'm used to having to give a lot of blood to get all the various testing I need to have done.

What was weird was, for the first time in my life, the person drawing the blood assessed my arms to see where there was a vein that they could go and plant the needle in and get all my blood. This nurse didn't go for the crevice of my arm/elbow like most of them do nor did they go to the top of my hand like they sometimes have to do because I don't have a lot of veins showing in my arm. No...this person decided they were going to put the needle in my palm’s up forearm area...as their preference.

I thought to myself, that's weird. But I also thought...well, they know what they're doing. She put the needle in and instantly got blood, and it wasn't that painful--so I was like wow why don't more nurses do this? Then I quickly ran out of giving good flowing blood after about 3 vials and then she had at the start moving the needle around while it was in my arm trying to find a flow and all that hurt like an SOB and she had to press on different parts of my arm to kind of get the blood flowing back in it again and finally we got everything drawn after an ordeal. I was kinda pissed.

During this adventure, before it went sideways, I asked her--why don't most nurses do this kind of forearm blood draw? She said they are advised not to do this as a preference because it leads to a lot of bruising and pooling of blood from where it was drawn, but she said it like--that's what other people deal with but I'm so good you're not gonna have to deal with that.

So, guess what my forearm looks like today... A giant dark purple bruise and blood pooling and inflamed sensitivity.

That was their one and only time they're gonna do a blood draw like that to me. I'd like to see them try when I go back in about 3 months to get my next blood work done. I hope to complain about it to the doctors and assistants I meet with today, if/when they notice the bruise. The blood/lab part is not MD Anderson; it is a Quest lab/facility operating inside the hospital with preference to MDA...and they never seem to have the same quality as the hospital maintains.

== 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’) ==

-- George Kittle on if Commanders fan PFT Commenter should be excited for Brandon Aiyuk: “You guys have fun with that, I guess. You have fun with all that comes with it.”

-- (random pundit) On George Holani:

“The Seahawks are confident that Holani has not acquired the experience, but he has gained the confidence needed to play as a first-team back. The plan is for him to share the backfield with Price with the first-team offense during the season while Charbonnet recovers from his injury.”

-- https://x.com/FB_FilmAnalysis/status/2069456598872006850

-- The Athletic’s Nate Atkins says neither Ty Simpson or Stetson Bennett have been able to “stand out ahead of the other” in the Rams quarterback room.

-- George Pickens will be only player to play on franchise tag in 2026

Your moment of Zen for this day...

-- I didn’t even realize they had a Combine for this now...

https://x.com/MLBNetwork/status/2069481613067518189

-- Also, this is probably true: https://x.com/LangmanVince/status/2069465525550293455

== 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)

45.88% = New Orleans Saints (#2)

46.38% = Indianapolis Colts (#9)

47.40% = NY Giants (#24)

48.27% = Chicago Bears (#27)

48.74% = Baltimore Ravens (#6)

49.41% = NY Jets (#5)

49.73% = Carolina Panthers (#30)

49.75% = LA Chargers (#21)

49.99% = LA Rams (#28)

50.25% = New England Patriots (#12)

50.31% = Green Bay Packers (#17) *updated/re-audited, not as bad as first reported

51.22% = Cleveland Browns (#4)

50.80% = Houston Texans (#26)

51.10% = Dallas Cowboys (#29)

51.38% = Kansas City Chiefs (#10)

51.90% = Miami Dolphins (#31)

52.10% = Jacksonville Jaguars (#15)

52.25% = Buffalo Bills (#14)

52.94% = Las Vegas Raiders (#19)

53.11% = Atlanta Falcons (#20)

53.29% = Minnesota Vikings (#16)

54.50% = Denver Broncos (#11)

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

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

6/23 TUE

(8:16amET)

Today/tomorrow

-- New Faux 2.0 Computer Simulated Season starts TUE or WED. A multiple day series a few weeks of results at a time.

-- New Two Scouts Talking Video today: Re-scouting of Arch Manning for the start of a summer long series on the 2027 NFL Draft QB prospects (there’s a hundred QBs the media claims are 1st rounders). Taking them in some consensus ranking order for approx. 10-15 QB prospects.

-- New DRD Mock Draft series, a five-round draft post-OTAs, started 6/16 TUE and runs one-a-day until we get through all 12 spots to draft from.

-- 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...version 1.0 release July 1-4 range.

-- 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 ==

-- Blood test and poking and prodding day in Jacksonville. Tomorrow my first report card post-radiation in the prostate cancer battle.

I’m favored -950 on Kalshi to win those results tomorrow.

Next quarter, I will be like a -850 odds. The next quarter after that, -750?

-- HEADLINE: Jets QB Geno Smith was reportedly investigated for allegations of assault.

https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/geno-smith-allegations-explained-jets-140712339.html

MY 2 cent OPINION, I have no facts: It looks like another case of argument between people in a relationship and the female makes a ton of claims to put pressure on the player for jealousy and/or financial gain.

I’m not saying the players are innocent doves...actually, they’re complete and total testosterone-fueled idiots in many cases. Most of them don’t know what targets they are from opportunistic females because of the players public earnings/money...and the players and they are hound dogs who make several bad decisions. But most all of these allegations are just heated arguments (like what’s captured in the video on the report) and the vindictive, opportunistic female makes up wild claims because they can...makes things up against the idiotic, brazen, aggressive, user of partners playboy/man-whore.

There are no winners here, but there is not criminal activity in 95%+ of the cases...despite sites like Pro Football Talk trumpeting every one of these up against the players.

-- Jayden Higgins is really talented, like #1 WR talented...he’s likely going to be FF-better than Nico Collins at some point, I think (but it could be 3-5 years from now). But CJ Stroud is tied to Nico. For FF, right now, you want Nico...but Higgins-Noel are gonna take some target share in a weak passing game.

If CJ Stroud gets replaced with Davis Mills, then it’s a reset that may launch Higgins to the new #1.

https://x.com/dhananizain/status/2069080216845103494?s=43

Beyond the Tweet, you can click to Albert Breer’s interesting report/read in there as well if you didn’t see it. I thought it was something decent to read/take in.

-- Devontez Walker, Isiah Bond, Ryan Flournoy, Brian Thomas all ‘looking great’ reports from OTAs and earning headlines = I could not care less. A lot of these receivers that beat writer observers are gushing about are those speedy, wispy, outside receivers that really looked good in non contact OTAs.

I take mental note of it but unless I hear something special from my sources all these little blurbs slash headlines are pretty meaningless to me. OTA's is the worst place to try to scout football talent. All I care about are notations and who's in the starting group or not when it comes to prospect WR as I'm interested in or RB battles, etc.

== 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’) ==

-- Lamar Jackson said offensive coordinator Declan Doyle’s play calling is “mind blowing.”

Who’s gonna say it first?

I guess I will.

This statement translation: Todd Monken is not mind-blowing and sucks, he should never get a head coaching job.

CUE THE BROWNS AWESOME MANAGEMENT!

-- (PFT) Tom Brady: “I think there’s no greater passer of the football than Aaron Rodgers,” Brady said, via Troy Montgomery of Steelers Depot. “There’s certain people, you see everyone do it, and then you see one person throw the ball that much better. Aaron Rodgers was incredible.”

Brady says it like Rodgers isn’t still playing. For at least one more year, Rodgers will continue to be spinning it for the Steelers.

"[It’s] hard to put into words how incredible he passes the ball,” Brady said. “The way it comes out of his hand, the way it spins and delivers with the pace and the accuracy. . . . There’s only probably three people in the history of the NFL that could do it like him.”

-- Brendan Sorsby’s agent on whether NFL will reject application for supplemental draft: “I would hope not”

Important read:

https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/brendan-sorsbys-agent-on-whether-nfl-will-reject-application-for-supplemental-draft-i-would-hope-not

-- The Browns are reportedly receiving trade calls about Pro-Bowl QB Shedeur Sanders. “There are talks. Ongoing calls about the availability of Shedeur Sanders. The Browns, for whatever reason, don’t think he’s the guy that, that’s my opinion.” (via Tony Rizzo/ESPN Cleveland)

-- Jeremiyah Love on being in the NFL, via @JABergman: "Just being in the big leagues, all the pressure is not going to be on me ... We can split some carries, if need be, which I always like. You don't need just one guy going out there and getting 30 carries a game."

-- (PFT) “I got a run today, hit over 16 miles an hour,” George Kittle said on the Pardon My Take podcast over the weekend, via David Bonilla of 49erswebzone.com. “That was pretty sick.”

Kittle said the workout was held in cleats on a field, another positive sign in his return.

“I’m 21 weeks out, and I’m running over 16 miles an hour, so I’m having a great time,” Kittle said. “Single-leg box jumps. We’re cutting again. We’re having some fun.”

Your moment of Zen for this day...

-- I went to Bubba Gump Shrimp Company for dinner Monday night, and it was really good. Hadn’t been there in years...didn’t know it was still in business, but I guess they are making a bit of expansion/push again under new owners.

It was good. Here’s some video of the event.

https://youtu.be/z6Drkj80qlQ?si=7iGmoc39VZDOeO7E

== 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)

45.88% = New Orleans Saints (#2)

46.38% = Indianapolis Colts (#9)

47.40% = NY Giants (#24)

48.27% = Chicago Bears (#27)

48.74% = Baltimore Ravens (#6)

49.73% = Carolina Panthers (#30)

49.75% = LA Chargers (#21)

49.99% = LA Rams (#28)

50.25% = New England Patriots (#12)

51.22% = Cleveland Browns (#4)

50.80% = Houston Texans (#26)

51.10% = Dallas Cowboys (#29)

51.38% = Kansas City Chiefs (#10)

51.90% = Miami Dolphins (#31)

52.10% = Jacksonville Jaguars (#15)

52.25% = Buffalo Bills (#14)

52.94% = Las Vegas Raiders (#19)

53.11% = Atlanta Falcons (#20)

53.29% = Minnesota Vikings (#16)

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

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

6/22 MON

(6:55amET)

Today/tomorrow

-- New DRD Mock Draft series, a five-round draft post-OTAs, started 6/16 TUE and runs one-a-day until we get through all 12 spots to draft from.

-- 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...version 1.0 release July 1-4 range.

-- 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 ==

-- Sports Illustrated’s Nick Arvin anticipates the Titans using “a more balanced committee approach” in the backfield this season.

How ‘bout...NO.

Tony Pollard will lead this backfield with the other guys sprinkling in, and doubtful Nick Singleton sees much time at all.

Everyone/media/fan is typically trying to overthrow an older RB. For what Pollard has done the past 4 years, and for what he has done for the Titans the last 2 years versus what ‘nothing’ Tyjae Spears has done ever...it’s an absolute insult to think Pollard will suddenly be sharing heavy or getting surpassed. Give me a break. Just because a rookie like Nick Singleton sees a lot of snaps in OTAs doesn’t mean ‘he’s gonna play a lot more you think’...it’s because they don’t want or need Pollard taking any toll on his body for no reason, and OTAs are NO REASON. This may be one of the stupidest blurbs I read this year...because there was plenty of Singleton focus in the details of the headline item.

-- ESPN’s Rich Cimini reports a “person close to the situation” doubted the Jets’ interest in Texas Tech QB Brendan Sorsby.

Aaron Glenn has the power still in New York, but he’s also under the gun...the fans are turning on him, but management is still with him. It’s tenuous. You could tell by free agency and what they did to address the QB situation that Glenn is still in control inside the building. I think everything is gonna turn on him quickly if they out of the gates and go (0-4) or (1-5) start, etc., and for sure if they have another bottom 3-5 finish.

In order for Aaron Glenn to keep that job he has to get out to a quick start. He's not worried about the future; he's worried about now. Sorsby cannot help him now and Aaron Glenn has no interest or ability in developing QB for the future so I can buy rumor that The Jets are not interested.

That means, of the bad teams that need QB's/a Sorsby, it's coming down to the Cardinals or the Browns. I take the Cardinals in that choice situation. I still think Sorsby can get claimed in the late first round by a good team from 2025 that would sacrifice their 2027 first round pick because they (think they) know they're going to be nowhere near the top of the draft for a QB next year (Steelers, Eagles, Jags, Panthers). And from what I've seen so far, Sorsby has a case to be the QB with the best physical tools set out there among the 2027 group. It's just that teams have to determine what's going on in his head and is he worth the risk to try to develop.

When there's a QB with a quick release and big arm and good feet--there will be a team interested in his services.

== 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’) ==

-- 20.68 million watched Friday afternoon’s U.S. World Cup win

-- https://youtu.be/sp9FasMf3W8?si=ZR-S6KFfUxfPA3Ap

-- Good God Mike McDaniel is unlikable to me. If a video were to be the visual definition of the phrase PLEASE SHUT THE F... Up, here it is: https://x.com/rshereme/status/2068764179557699723

I’m shocked no one bought into the total bull $#!% in Miami.

He may be solid as an O-C...or just carried by the talent, but man I do not like him/his personality.

My 2022 new hire assessment of Mike McDaniel: https://ffmetrics.com/1097-2022-new-hire-nfl-head-coach-analysis-1-mike-mcdaniel-miami

Your moment of Zen for this day...

-- https://youtu.be/OAi7-8vm9RU?si=wrX1JDWNFoSd0bHv

== 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)

45.88% = New Orleans Saints (#2)

46.38% = Indianapolis Colts (#9)

48.27% = Chicago Bears (#27)

48.74% = Baltimore Ravens (#6)

49.73% = Carolina Panthers (#30)

49.75% = LA Chargers (#21)

49.99% = LA Rams (#28)

50.25% = New England Patriots (#12)

51.22% = Cleveland Browns (#4)

50.80% = Houston Texans (#26)

51.10% = Dallas Cowboys (#29)

51.38% = Kansas City Chiefs (#10)

51.90% = Miami Dolphins (#31)

52.10% = Jacksonville Jaguars (#15)

52.25% = Buffalo Bills (#14)

52.94% = Las Vegas Raiders (#19)

53.11% = Atlanta Falcons (#20)

53.29% = Minnesota Vikings (#16)

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

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