NFC North Preview

21:36He's missed some time as a pro. He might not be ready for week one. So I just think he, he puts them over the top where they could be top three, top five offense. I don't think they make sense as a team in terms of what they want to do unless they're a top five offense. You go first on Scheme Dream, as usual. You're always batting leadoff.

21:54Jourdan Rodrigue:Well, it's nice that you set me up in a positive way there, Greg, because Sam Laporta becomes really crucial to specifically what Drew Petsing likes to do and what he wants to do as an offensive coordinator. Drew Petsing is the former offensive coordinator in Arizona. What he really liked to do, and he's of the Kubiak-specific tree. So there's some crossover between Gary Kubiak and Mike Shanahan. There's all these like, you know, replicas of all the, they all kept hiring each other and working for each other and having kids. And then those kids would hire each other. And now not with each other.

22:24That's medically impossible. Sure. Like biologically.

22:27Jourdan Rodrigue:Thank you for that. Very important clarification. I don't think that our listeners would have found that to be as obvious unless you really explain that. You could adopt.

22:38Jourdan Rodrigue:Drew Petsing is of the Kubiak system. And so he really appreciates tight ends and running the offense through focal points at tight end or heavier personnel. So a lot of 12 personnel, two tight ends or 13 personnel, three tight ends when they were in Arizona and then really establishing bits and bobs at receiver kind of around all of that. But those guys are the focal point. So without Sam Laporta, that becomes obviously very concerning. And then he has to change and evolve a little bit because Amon Ra is as skilled as they come. And so maybe they treat him maybe like a hybrid tight end or like a power slot, like our friend Nate Tice likes to see.

23:16Jourdan Rodrigue:I think that Drew Petsing is a really good fit for what Jared Goff likes to do. Some of the longer bootlegs and the keepers, some of the ton of the play action that will still remain the same. And I think that it's really a good thing that the Lions have an experienced play caller again. Those are the main benefits and the ads to me that I think are positive in terms of my scheme dream. Yeah, I wanted to just believe in Dan Campbell's ability to hire last year because he's been so good. But you look at great coaches that they're not all home runs and it didn't work out last year. And it was as big a deal as everyone was making it out to be in the offseason.

23:55It took some time to get that offense going. My scheme dream is how much does Kelvin Shepard, the defensive coordinator, evolve? They're a very dramatic team. They love to rush three. They love to rush six, like nothing in between, like big blitzes, top of the league, only rushing three and dropping everyone back into coverage. Most in the league, they have three linebackers on the field. Most in the league, they don't have three good linebackers right now. So that's a little worrisome. Like they're starting Devin white right now. That gets into my things go wrong. If certainly they don't play nickel, which is means five defensive backs on the field.

24:32They play that the least. They love to have a big, you know, stack the box, stop the run. It's just dramatic. And I think it's risky, kind of like a Dennis Allen defense. Again, these teams are mirrors.

24:44Jourdan Rodrigue:Yeah. And so I think it's a boom or bust type of defense. So how does Kelvin Shepard year two calling plays evolve, I think is big. And that gets into like the things go wrong if for me, which is just the back seven of this defense, linebacker and the secondary. Getting absolutely flamed. On paper, this is a rough-looking linebacker and defensive back group. Until the safeties get healthy, I would posit if you were just drafting talent and you go linebacker and definitely the secondary before Joseph and Branch get back. I mean, it's a bottom five group. Yeah, it's a huge concern to me because Kirby Joseph and Brian Branch, they might miss into week one.

25:24Jourdan Rodrigue:We don't know. We don't really know. Oh, I think so. Yeah. The hope is that maybe branch in September, Joseph, who not like, we don't have like a real timeline. And obviously because of his legal situation, Terry and Arnold, who was depth at this point was released and he was more, you know, playing corner, but it's for me, you cannot, this, this is incongruous of a group based on where football is right now. Like they found this out and Kelvin Shepard even talked about this, the spring where they found out that you cannot play base the way that they played base defense. So the three linebackers on the field, you cannot play it this way when your division has such good tight end play.

26:03Jourdan Rodrigue:When so many players are in these mismatches coming either out of the slot and they're the tight end or they are the gigantic receiver or the mismatch receiver placed in the slot. You can't play that way. What a lot of teams around the league are going to be doing this year is maybe staying in base to defend the run, which is the two linebackers, but they will also then put a Buffalo nickel or a star player. So a larger safety, usually a safety who can cover in the slot. So when they're saying it's base, what they're really doing is playing base nickel. So really what they have to be doing is loading up their defensive backfield with those players.

26:40Jourdan Rodrigue:The problem, Greg, that you mentioned, and I know our listeners are screaming it into their phones right now. They don't have enough guys. They don't have enough guys because you really want like a Brian branch to play that position for you and they are not healthy enough to play defense the way that they should be playing defense right now, particularly in this to compete in this division. And so I am very, very concerned about this because I think Calvin Shepard has all the talent in the world, but those, those types of adjustments had to have happened. And then injuries are preventing them from maybe getting into the adjustments that they really feel like they want to.

27:14Jourdan Rodrigue:And even when they go up against like a Minnesota, for example, which I think we'll get to this, we'll just live in 11 personnel, like which feels like a throwback at this point, you still need to be in sub packages more of the time to defend that kind of a look. And so I'm really, really concerned about this. This is my big time red flag. Things go wrong if because I love what they're doing up front and their guys that have come along. And Aiden Hutchinson is obviously a superstar. But the secondary is so concerning to me. The optimistic point of view is that Branch and and Joseph are hopefully full go, like back to who they are by the time games really matter for the lions.

27:52This is a team where the, it's about the playoffs. They have a solid cornerback in DJ Reed who they gave a lot of money to, but we're a little disappointed by how he was last year. You know, after that it's like rock gas in and Christian McCreary's back there. He's there. It's some like names you recognize of auntie Maddox. They just need to, to coach it up, but on paper, it's not the best looking group. for my lanyard. Sometimes we do just like a little extra if we have time. Tyler Lacey is starting for this team at Edge. We had talked about like the Edge battle coming into camp. He was like a waiver pickup from Jacksonville originally.

28:27Right now he's playing ahead of DJ Wanham and their second round pick, Derek Moore, who's reportedly look pretty good. So they're a little deeper, but some surprising news there. And then also I just wanted to point out their win total. And this brings us right to the ceiling floor of the Dan Campbell era. Just here are their total wins since he's coached. Three, nine, 12, 15, and then nine. So at no point in this run has any season that's followed been within three wins of the season before. You know, it's plus six, plus three, plus three, minus six. If this was like a SAT problem, like what would be next?

29:11Minus three. Either way, if they keep this up, they're either winning 12 games or they're winning six games. I hope that doesn't.

29:16Jourdan Rodrigue:I was going to say it's all multiples of three, too. So for me, I would I probably I'd say their ceiling. I would go back to 12. 12 feels right. And honestly, like, again, I hate that I became this person doing this exercise because I hate talking about the schedule before games are actually played. But the Lions are set up pretty nicely for this schedule in terms of strength of opponent. and I picked them to finish first in the NFC North as their ceiling. I think feasibly I could see that. And I think we've already seen what their floor is. It's nine wins. I agree. I think the ceiling is, yeah, winning the division.

29:54Can this team make it to the Super Bowl with this defense and this conference? It's tough, but I think so. I do think somehow they could find a way. but it feels more likely that their, that their ceiling is like a division winner and like a conference title winner. And as it goes to the, you know, schedule, look, that's the benefit of losing those games down the stretch. They got the last place schedule. So a couple of their games are different than the other teams in their division. And I know the numbers say that even like the bears, they do have a harder skill. Like those couple of games are tough, but out of division, this division has the AFC South.

30:31I mean, NFC South, that's great. And they have the AFC East, which has two of the teams that you would be expected to be favored against. So this entire division does have a chance, I think, to do what they did a year ago, which is get close to having everyone over 500. Last year, it actually happened. That's very difficult, but I think it could happen for all four of these teams.

30:51Jourdan Rodrigue:I love it. Can I actually tell you my lanyard? I know we're out on time here. Oh, no. Where are we going to play? Oh, wow. It's a hashtag noticing. Okay. I am hashtag noticing that a lot of their offensive line depth is not homegrown depth. It's a little bit of a drafting red flag to me. And they've had to, if you're drafting, you have to continue to funnel guys in there, even if you are like a pretty top-heavy team. I mean, we sort of joke about this when the 49ers sit there and they don't end up being able to play their left tackle of the future for X amount of years, but they still went out and got him.

31:28Jourdan Rodrigue:And so it's like Juice Scruggs and Ben Bartsch and Seth McLaughlin, who's the backup backup center. And Larry Borum is backing up right title. It's guys that they've gone out and acquired, and that's fine, but I am hashtag noticing that there's not a lot of draft and develop depth along the offensive line. And when we look at a team like the Los Angeles Chargers, for example, that bit them in the butt in a big way last year. A lot of misses for Brad Holmes. A lot of hits and misses in terms of the recent drafts. Eric, as we go to break here, just want you to adjudicate you know that the buzzer had already gone off we've been pretty loose with that but going back to another category to talk backup offensive linemen yay or nay is that okay I had my finger on the Canadian geese honking horn button but I felt mean I mean we've gone eight division previews I've had it hit it once we kind of just we've been like long haul truckers you just got to give me the cup of coffee I would have felt mean to be honest at some point.

32:32Just throwing it at Jordan. Eighth division preview. And all of a sudden, I'm like, hey, no, too much. Hit her with the geese. I'll let the listeners decide what they think. We will be back in, yes, the best division in football. And we will be talking about the Green Bay Packers after the break. This could have happened like 90 seconds ago.

32:53Jourdan Rodrigue:Yeah, well, sorry you lost that 90 seconds.

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35:36Back on NFL Daily, the Green Bay Packers are a team that's already given joy to Jordan Rodrigue in this month because she got to visit them to hang out at Lambeau to talk to Jordan Love. What specifically, I guess, are you going to highlight here about this team as we see the legend Steve Weiss coming back?

35:59Jourdan Rodrigue:Hall of Famer. We are working on securing him as our designated QB Island hitter. We're returning on QB Island soon. Can't wait. What is bringing me joy about the Green Bay Packers is Jordan Love. Honestly, because I think he is so poised to have a truly incredible season. I think that as the season continues and if everybody stays healthy, which is our big caveat here, he will be talked about as an MVP candidate. and I just have to say like being around him I could really understand why people in that building talk about him the way that they do he is so calm and but it's not it does not come without an edge he reaches every person in that locker room he has just this incredible poise and confidence and it's like it's not a it's not a demeanor that is maybe a pushover and it's not it's very it's of himself, very sure of himself.

36:58Jourdan Rodrigue:And I think that that has had a positive effect on everybody in that building. And it certainly has impacted the receiver clarity that we're now seeing. We'll get to that in a minute, but he absolutely is going to be one of my favorite players to watch all season. I hope he has the season that I am expecting him to have because I think he's poised for truly great things this year. Yeah. He plays like he presents as a person, which is just a cool cockiness. I mean, he's always played with crazy confidence in what he is willing to try. But I love that we have made it to this moment in his career where it does feel like all the learning under Aaron Rodgers, all the experience now that he's had over the last few years.

37:38Statistically, you know, he was there with the top five quarterbacks in the NFL last year on a rate basis. And yet I do think they're going to need to crank him up a little bit, rely less on the running game and to stay that efficient while just passing more. I mean, when I looked at his final numbers last year, I was kind of shocked at how little he threw the ball. And yet my most important non-quarterback is going to be a man by the name of Luke Butkus. Not a lot of heat for their offensive line coach, Luke Butkus, even though he's done a great job over the last few years and his name is Butkus.

38:14Jourdan Rodrigue:I can't believe you gave me crap for having an offensive line coach when one when one team later, you also had an offensive line coach. I did refer to the fact I think I've had an offensive line coach at some point in the process, and this was it. I can't keep it all together. Listeners, this is a little slice of life for me and Greg Rosenthal right now. Consistency. I need to work on that. They have done a great job of like they'll figure it out. Every year there's questions about, okay, who's here? Who's there? This group? Oh, and then in the end, it's greater than the sum of their parts. They are second, and this is from the team.

38:48So, of course, it's going to be favorable, but it's just a fact. Since they hired Luke Buckus, who doesn't get a lot of pop as one of the top offensive line coaches, they're second in the NFL in sack percentage allowed, sacks high allowed last season, very high in percentage of explosive runs and passes. That's been a little more up and down while he's been there. So they've always managed to figure it out. And yet, like you like Zach Baco Morgan, Baco Bialole. I should have written it down. That was from memory. So I'll accept any criticism there. At right tackle, the former Zach Tom. And then Sean Ryan is a guy who had never played center before, but they loved what they saw and gave him a long-term conjuring.

39:29Okay, there's two spots that you feel pretty good about. After that, it's trying out their former left tackle, first-round pick Jordan Morgan for the first time at that position as a pro. It's a lot of questions. It's a battle at guard. They might have depth, but they're figuring it out. They're figuring it out.

39:44Jourdan Rodrigue:Jagger Burton is going to probably take that guard spot. That's one of the spots that's open. And it's fine. But I just think to your Hank Fraley point before, they've kind of relied on having a top 10 offensive line. And on paper, my guy Luke got a lot of work to do. Yeah, it's going to be a huge part of what they do. It kind of goes hand in hand with my most important non-quarterback, as we see Andrew Siciliano now outside the glass. This is fun. We have everybody visiting us today. The season's about to start. By the way, Luke Buckus, nephew of Dick Buckus. Not the son, not the grandson, but the nephew of Hall of Famer, Dick Buckus.

40:21Jourdan Rodrigue:Wow. Just wanted to get that in there. Big shoes to fill. In terms of some of the things you mentioned with the run game, it was funny in talking to Matt LaFleur at Packers camp, it was like he sort of was sarcastically self-aware about how much he ran the ball, maybe overly ran the ball last year. He's like, well, and you know, I do tend to run the ball a lot. And I go, you? No. Oh, and that's what one thing that they're going to have to really think about this year. It goes into my one of my most important non-quarterbacks slash even things go wrong if and talking about Marshawn Lloyd, for example, the running back who has not been hurt or has not been healthy for multiple years now who they've had high expectations and the expectation of really a large level of productivity for them, but has just hasn't been able to get on the field and had a clean training camp and an exciting training camp with Josh Jacobs still going through the process of potential suspension for some really, really serious legal issues.

41:19Jourdan Rodrigue:This is really, really important because he's also not just crucial depth for them, but he is their best, I would say their best zone runner that they have on this roster. And the way that Matt LaFleur likes to run his offense, the wide zone and the zone run specifically are directly tied to what they call their transportation schemes, which are the sweeps and the screens and all of the misdirection things that they like to do in order to make everything look like it could be either run or pass. So it's a huge element of their playbook that is really predicated on a, to your point, the offensive line doing what it needs to do.

41:55Jourdan Rodrigue:And also this running back who they are taking a gamble on, even though he has not been healthy for several years. And so to me, it's a lot of things at once. It's scheme dream. It's most important on quarterback. It's offensive line, like you mentioned, but that's kind of the Packers for you. Their questions that they have are big, big questions. They are. Marshawn Lloyd's been a guy who hasn't been able to stay healthy. I've watched every one of his preseason carries. You know, he's kind of picking and choosing. He's had good holes to run through. I think he needs to be a little more decisive.

42:29I do wonder if they will look for a veteran or if they're confident in Josh Jacobs who hasn't been healthy. Josh Jacobs faces five criminal charges including strangulation and suffocation. It was a domestic disturbance initially. It's complicated how, whether they're charged in an investigation and allegations, but these are the initial charges. Battery domestic abuse, critical damage to a property, domestic abuse, disorderly kind of, it was a lot. Intimidation of a victim. And whether the NFL waits for that legal process to wait out, I kind of hate that we're back in the place of the NFL that like if a video came out that showed Josh Jacobs, it would be the Ray Rice thing all over again.

43:10But because we don't see a video, it doesn't get mentioned too much and that they're of course just going to play him. But I think it's fair to have some criticism of the Packers just being like, okay, that's fine. We're just going to move on from that. And also he just hasn't been healthy. So it's a complicated football and off-field issue for Josh Jacobs. but that makes me think they should get another player in there. Either way, just get it either way. My scheme dream. I'll go first this time. I say I get it every time. Well, just how aggressive is Jonathan Gannon? What is Jonathan Gannon in 2026?

43:47Jonathan Gannon was the Cardinals head coach last year. He came from Philadelphia where he went back and forth based on the talent that he had of like, I'm just going to sit back and let everything happen and hopefully let my offense cook. And then sometimes he was aggressive, you know, certainly in Arizona. Him and Nick Rallis were very creative. I think he's going to have to provide an advantage because you've mentioned on the show, they might have a pre-Mica Parsons plan. Yeah. And a post-Mica Parsons plan. Micah Parsons, their best player, is coming off, you know, that serious ACL. And he had said week six, I believe it is, against the Cowboys is probably the earliest he could get back.

44:28The schedule helps early in the season at Minnesota, at the Jets versus Atlanta, at the Bucs. In terms of offenses you face, like that's manageable for the defense. I'm not saying it's all easy overall teams, but you could survive that early portion of the season. But on paper, they're going to need their coach to be coaching because I don't really see the pass rush.

44:50Jourdan Rodrigue:Well, it's such a dire situation to the level that they've already shown some of what they're going to rely on And in the preseason, you don't see them playing as vanilla as some of these other teams in the preseason. You're seeing Jonathan Gannon blitz. He doesn't really like to blitz. Like I say, he hasn't tendencies, has not had tendencies towards blitzing too much. Now, what they have loved to do is have moved players. And so the combination of manufacturing pressure is going to be really, really important. And when I was at training camp was incredible. It was it was a significant uptick in anything I'd ever seen from them in this era and anything I'd seen from Jonathan.

45:27Jourdan Rodrigue:and Gannon in his coaching style either. And then also leaning on the three safeties that they're going to start, which Evan Williams, Xavier McKinney, and Javon Bullard and Javon Bullard, who I just talked about the importance of like a Buffalo nickel or a star to me would be that player. Although Evan Williams and Xavier McKinney can move around to this to me accidentally sets them up in the perfect, uh, meeting of the moment of where they need, how they need to be covering teams anyway. It just stinks for them that their pressure isn't going to be there right away. unless it's manufactured.

45:58Jourdan Rodrigue:So for me, having those three safety looks and then keeping Edge Cooper on the field in that quote unquote base nickel that I just talked about, that's their money plan to me and certainly their pre-Mica Parsons plan because Edge Cooper, even though he'll play off ball, will still rush the passer and then they'll have the extra defensive back to either cover or defend the run like they want to be able to do without having to overcomplicate it. Some of the pressure will be more complicated than we've seen when it's being designed. But I think this is such a simple solution to what is a huge problem for them.

46:32Jourdan Rodrigue:And I would hope that they don't overthink it or overcomplicate it. Yeah, my things go wrong if is just asking a couple rhetorical questions. Who is their best defensive lineman? It's like Devante Wyatt, they gave a contract to. So I guess he's probably it right now. You know, the other options would be Lucas Van Ness, Baylen Terrell. And then the other question would be, who is their best cornerback? Sissy. Brandon Cissé, second round pick. Cissé, I say it wrong every single time. A very boom or bust prospect who may or may not start. It probably is starting. If he's healthy, he's going to start, I bet.

47:14But yeah, if you're counting on a second round rookie to be your best cornerback.

47:17Jourdan Rodrigue:No, they have huge, huge issues. It's trouble. I'm glad you brought that up because they do have huge depth issues. And that's again, why I think they're just going to lean, they're going to totally funnel this entire plan through the safeties, um, because they are really strong there and really depend on at least one of those players being a move player. Like how I had mentioned, you know, back when I was reporting on this, that, that they use that Gannon use Buddha Baker, for example, um, which is not going to fix everything, but you can't expect to fix everything before Micah Parsons returns.

47:48Jourdan Rodrigue:And even then you might not be able to fix everything because corner to me is a huge, concern. Where I'm not as concerned anymore is at their receiver position. Because not only did I see clarity in that group, but it also is showing up in the preseason as well. What clarity they have with Matthew Golden in a more defined role. With Christian Watson playing the role that he seems very, very equipped and built for. I think Sky Moore makes this team. I mentioned the transportation schemes. And then I really actually appreciated what I saw from Savion Williams who's been hurt, but he's big. he's fast he's strong I just think he could really contribute to this group um if he's if he's asked Jaden Reed still in the mix yeah the defined roles like their their route to being as good as they want to be is a extremely efficient and I think higher volume passing attack they've already been efficient and love just being like an MVP candidate I now going through the exercise these three teams at the top of the division if we're considering Minnesota in terms of looking at Vegas in terms of the odds are expected to come in fourth.

48:55They're all so similar. They all just need their defense to be good enough. I think the Packers have higher hopes eventually, but I don't know. They might all just cancel each other out a little bit where the ceiling is more of, yeah, they can win the division. It's a little hard to see this team making the Super Bowl. And the floor, I do think, is last place in this division, which would cause some real soul searching for this organization?

49:21Jourdan Rodrigue:I think that their biggest weak spot is no longer going to be a weak spot in October when Micah Parsons comes back. And I think that with Micah Parsons and then someone who we didn't mention, but absolutely should, Tucker Craft, being back in the mix on this offense, this to me is one of the most high ceiling teams in this division. And certainly one of the most high ceiling teams in the NFL. That doesn't mean that they have... So you think they have a higher ceiling than the Bears? Yes. And then how about the Lions? About tied. About tied. And that's why this division is hard. But that's the thing.

49:58Jourdan Rodrigue:It doesn't mean they don't have glaring weaknesses. It's just that I think that their best players are so much better than so many other best players. And with the quarterback, that to me makes them Super Bowl potential once everybody's back. I buy that. It's one of those divisions, like I said, You could tell me anything. Matt LaFleur has provided such a high floor for this team. I think that's underrated. Just contending each and every year. Eventually, you figure that they'll break through. Then they really haven't, you know, they haven't had the real down year. And so I don't expect that to happen.

50:34I think this is a playoff team, but I think that about the first three teams. And I know when we get to the end of this month and are picking like our playoff teams, Like it's hard to squeeze three teams from the same division and let, unless you're keeping like the, the Seahawks or the Rams out, you know, you could do it. You could find a way to do it.

50:51Jourdan Rodrigue:What about the ultimate X factor? Trey smack. Oh yeah. Trey smack. Talk about a gamer guy that was struggling in practice. You put them out there in the preseason and he looks like a Brandon Aubrey part two. Love it. Minnesota Vikings. Like I said, in Vegas, the, the odds are pretty close in this division, but they are, you know, it's kind of the big three. And then the Vikings, What is bringing you joy about this team? Brian Flores' contract extension. Oh, okay. I like that. Which is kind of a deep winter throwback. I forgot it ever happened. Exactly. I was going to say, it really, really went under the radar and was sort of forgotten about.

51:28Jourdan Rodrigue:It was one of the best hires a team could make in the moment, and it has remained that because this group doesn't let you down. Where you're supposed to think about regression or things not being sticky, quote-unquote, for defenses and certain things that like high volume pressure versus more conservative play, like things that are high variance versus not. Like Brian Flores just says, maybe we'll regress between like week seven and nine and then we're fine again. Like he really does not give a hoot about your regression. I love it. Not a word I think Brian Flores would use. Yeah, right. I'm working on the live calling.

52:09Jourdan Rodrigue:I'm working on not swearing as much. I think that's important. I think it's good for Eric as well. Yes. Yes. So, but I just think it was such a, again, it went under the radar. I wanted to bring it up here. He has been such an asset for this group and he's going to have his work cut out for him this year with a couple of big personnel questions on that side of the ball. Yeah. He, he is part of my things go wrong. If like him, not just being spinning some magic, but in terms of joy, it's just Justin Jefferson with a quarterback. And that's, that's, you know, a little bit of hope is built into me saying that I believe that Kyler can feed him the ball that Kyler can do enough.

52:49And if, if Kyler doesn't perform as well as Vikings fans want, I still think there's going to be a lot of highlights with Justin Jefferson. When Kyler has had like real deal receivers and he really hasn't that often in his career, if you look back, cause it was like the end of Fitzgerald, just like one year, He had that 1400 yard year with DeAndre Hopkins and then Hopkins got hurt and kind of was never the same again. When Trey McBride emerged, it was catching 111 passes from Kyler. So he is not afraid to go to his best players. And if you think about Kyler's career and look at those Cardinals team, it is easily the deepest group of weapons and that he's ever had.

53:29And he's someone that's not afraid to throw it. So I think he's receiver friendly, whether like he's reading the defense and getting all the operation and not making mistakes. That's kind of what's going to determine if they win or lose. But from a pure numbers and like enjoying watching on Sunday, I'm just happy to have the best receiver in football, Justin Jefferson with a quarterback. And yes, that was, you know, just like the mildest of shots to Jamar Chaser and any other receiver that wants to believe that they're the best. I still stick with Justin.

53:59Jourdan Rodrigue:Well, I just can't wait to see him do his thing the way we know he can and not sort of have to bandaid over certain things that they struggled with J.D. McCarthy, you know, at the at the wheel last season. For me, this kind of goes into my a little bit of my scheme dream. Go for it. Just do it. I have just my hot take about this group is that every other team in this division is going to load up and play heavier personnel all the time. And the Vikings should not. They should not do that. And I don't think they want to based on looking at their roster construction. It's Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and Juwan Jennings.

54:29Jourdan Rodrigue:like is the sneaky one of the best three receiver groups in the NFL when you think about how high Justin Jefferson's ceiling is and Juwan Jennings is a really really solid receiver too a good to be the best a good to great one and I think and Jordan Addison we've seen big potential for him from him too they will will be and should be one of the rare teams that does live in 11 this year and actually bodes well for them because every other defense in the league is preparing to for an onslaught of heavier personnel. And so getting the speed and the mismatches with these players is going to be, to me, kind of a little bit of a secret weapon.

55:07Jourdan Rodrigue:And it's where Kevin O 'Connell wants to live there too. He loves playing in 11. It's slept on how loaded this offense is if Kyler can deliver. I think Jordan Addison is very underrated. He's made some knuckleheaded decisions off the field with the speeding and everything, like when he was young. And yet, like he is better than his numbers say. He is one of the better number twos in the league. I think Jennings is one of the better threes. They've said they've loved this camp from Miles Price, who is like an undrafted free agent, who I think is going to be a little bit of a factor. They even had, you know, they had Ty Felton, third round pick a year goes improving.

55:42And then TJ Hawkins is a year healthier, hopefully. He's obviously not as very peak, but him and Josh Oliver are a good combination when you need, want to use the receivers. So like the tight end at receiver. So I like all that. and my scheme dream is the running side with Frank Smith. Actually, we've hit Frank Smith in their zone running. They want to do so much in the camp. I'm going to go back to Flores and just say it's rare to have so much continuity. I know they've lost some players. They got rid of Grenard because of finances. Harrison Smith retires. We'll see if he comes back. But it's pretty rare to have a guy who now has so many of his guys just year after year.

56:23since he took over Flores and they were 24th in efficiency when he took over 11 third second. I mean, this is an elite defense. And so his guys, I would include Josh Metellus, the safety, Byron Murphy, the cornerback, Andrew Van Ginkle. These are all guys they brought in. Blake Cashman. I mean, Eric Wilson is a linebacker. Flores is great identifying talent that's going to work because I think he's big on bringing these players in. They're not stars, but they get his system and they're all back together again.

56:51Jourdan Rodrigue:Well, and I even trust him to make the most with some of the personnel shuffling that they've had to do because I loved the identification and wanting to bring in a guy like Jamal Adams, who if you're going to be a guy who is blitzing a lot and you are going to come only do that essentially for a defense, it's going to be the Brian Flores defense. And obviously he got hurt. So that was really unfortunate, but I always pay attention to, especially my colleague, Alec Lewis and some of the, the camp reports, because Alec is really good at saying the thing without overtly saying the thing. Cause PR would, you know, the, the, what a lot of people don't know is the condition of the credential is you can't report certain scheme things if you're a beat writer, but you can hint at it.

57:31Jourdan Rodrigue:And Alec is so good at it. And he just has these little hint sprinkles of players who it is very clear. They are Flores guys. And it's this kid, Jacob Thomas, an undrafted free agent out of James Madison. Let's go. It was basically like running the show at safety at a certain point and commanding all the rotations of the funky stuff that they like to do. And I'm looking at James Madison and the history of that defense and how they overachieved. And I'm sitting there and I'm like the Dukes. I'm like, oh, duh. Of course, he's a Brian Flores guy. And I sit there and I love this about Brian Flores is that he can he can basically ID exactly what will work specific to his thing.

58:08Jourdan Rodrigue:And nobody else even knows what the hell that is because he has no tendencies. He's so hard to predict because he loves five-man fronts or six-man fronts. He loves dropping everybody. He loves blitzing on early downs or then sometimes not. Like, it's just, it's fantastic. I'd like to see them continue to improve up front as well. It sounds like Dallas Turner is having an awesome camp. I know you love your guy, Big Citrus, as well. Dominique Orange. I have Turner as my most important non-quarterback. Okay, great. Just because I just think he's an ascending third-year pass rusher, and they've had a history of really great pass rushes, and they're thinner than they've been in the past.

58:45And so can he get to... I think he can definitely get to a Jonathan Grenard level. Can he get to like a Daniil Hunter back in the day type level where you're a top 5 to 10 pass rush? I don't know, but he's been an ascending player, and I think they need him to be great.

58:59Jourdan Rodrigue:Yeah. I think my things go wrong if, unfortunately, has a lot to do with the position that somewhat ironically is always the biggest question with this team, with the head coach that has talked so much about developing quarterbacks and working with quarterbacks. And that is Kyler Murray. If we get a streaky Kyler Murray season, but it's not just Kyler. And I appreciate what we've seen with them from the offseason that they are working on rebuilding this run game with Aaron Jones, with Jordan Mason, who I think Jordan Mason is still a little bit underrated and this type of system, he can really thrive in it.

59:35Jourdan Rodrigue:But for me, trying to lift the floor as much as possible with a better run game and then adding Kyler to the mix as a runner is a really, really exciting concept. Not just that he's going to be taking off on like these zone reads all the time, but the threat of him taking off is so significant because of what he still can do. My biggest concern and question is, is he, if he's streaky, if we get eight or nine really, really good games, really good Kyler games, and then we get streakiness or potential injury, the rest of it, because if he's just there for as of now of one year, they are going to push hard to try to maximize what he does.

1:00:14Jourdan Rodrigue:And I have concern about that on his body. Um, but we'll see, we will see and I just I really want using him to run more yeah and I but I really want to see this I really want every I want this to be a best case scenario because it's more fun for us because how fun would that be to see him extend plays and just like throw the ball the hell down the field to like a Justin Jefferson or Jordan Addison like it there's so much fun potential in what this offense can be he's going to align from everywhere it's just going to be it's exciting to think about and I hope they can meet the potential. Huge year in his career.

1:00:47It's really, uh, what direction is the rest of your career going to take year for him and possibly KOC because, you know, things go wrong. If for me is like, if it's all just like a little too much, the, the natives are a little restless there in Minnesota and just there, there could be, can he handle any negativity? Can Kyler handle if, if it doesn't start great, I could just, it's such a tough division that I could just see things spiraling a little and being dramatic but oh I like that Kyler I was trying to think who's had a career like Kyler and like this is like the inflection point the best I could come up with while you were talking was Carson Palmer and because

1:01:27Jourdan Rodrigue:nice to know you were paying attention no I was listening but I'm also thinking of like Kyle I totally agree with what you're saying yeah because it's not Sam Darnold Sam Darnold was more prototypical of what KOC wanted but also like he hadn't been that guy before Minnesota. Kyler Murray is the number one pick who's produced at a really high level and had MVP streaks in him, which is similar to Palmer for me. But think how much different we think of Carson Palmer because of the Arizona days. Can Kyler Murray have kind of his act two Arizona days where actually this turns into a three or four year really productive big number run?

1:01:59I think he has that in him.

1:02:00Jourdan Rodrigue:Yeah, I think that's, if we're talking about floors and ceilings, I think that's Kyler's ceiling. And, you know, I just, I hope that he stays healthy because I would like to see what he can do. and how he's learned to maybe mitigate some of that streakiness he's run into that's not injury related and what he can do when he has a great supporting cast. And like I mentioned, a higher floor, this is the one time a team is like, we're redoing our run game where I actually believe it. I truly do believe that this, you know, Kevin, including Kevin O 'Connell, he said it for like three years and then it never quite took off.

1:02:32Jourdan Rodrigue:This is the year that I actually, it's going to be different even if it doesn't work. Hopefully it works. A little Lanny up here, the, uh, James Madison Dukes. I strongly considered going to James Madison at one point because my main criteria was a warm city. And that's not really a city there, so that hurt, but I just wanted somewhere warm. Mostly it was like the South. I wasn't really thinking California, but I thought hard on James Madison. You could give me 60 guesses and I wouldn't be able to guess where James Madison is. I'm not even totally sure right now. Somewhere in Virginia, though, for sure.

1:03:06Jourdan Rodrigue:You think that's warm? Oh, it's, I mean, compared to Massachusetts, it's a pretty big difference, yeah. Where is it? Now I'm really, it's sad that at one point, I obviously knew it well, the college. Big, big school. Harrisonburg. Harrisonburg, Virginia. Of course it's warm. What are you talking about? It doesn't, I thought it snows in Virginia. I mean, it like, you have a winter compared to certainly New Orleans or LA, the places I ended up. Ceiling floor. but it's still warmer. This is not a team that I thought, now I love their skill guys, but this was not a team that I thought, oh yeah, it's a given.

1:03:46Jourdan Rodrigue:I could totally see this team in the Super Bowl. That was the one, this was the one that was a little sticky for me. Now I still, what's funny is I still see their ceiling as in the mix to be leaders in this. I mean, that's not getting on the, you know, in the mix to be leaders. There's a lot of qualifiers there. Well, that's I love I love that a number on it. I love those. So you think they can win the division? Yeah, like that's their ceiling. I could see it. And if again, if all the things we're talking about go right, like I could see it because they'll be able to do something different on offense than everybody else.

1:04:18Biggest variance team in this division to me could I think they could make the Super Bowl. I mean, it would be surprising, but I think their ceiling is quite high. I think the offense could be dramatically improved. And then if the defense is anywhere close. I do think the defense at some point, like it's, it's a risky type of defense. They could have a bad year. One of these years, like we've seen it with these types of coaches that I'll believe it when I

1:04:45Jourdan Rodrigue:see it. Right. But if they had a bad year, then this team could be seven and 10, you know, certainly I like the Vikings. It's kind of one of those things. If I'm willing to believe that they're going to fix the run game after saying it so many years, I am also willing to believe and, and in probably more enthusiasm that Brian Flores is not going to have a bad year. Okay. I like that. And that probably would indicate you don't have them in last place. So I mentioned the odds. The odds are a little surprising. Just checked them. I think they're quite schedule related, but the Lions are the favorites in the division.

1:05:26The Packers are second. The Bears are third. And they're kind of equally spaced out. not that that close to each other and the Vikings are not a distant fourth you know better than most fourth place teams but there is a big gap at least in terms of the odds I will have you go first

1:05:42Jourdan Rodrigue:picking this order one two three you love I love picking so much um yeah this might surprise you actually Greg because I put the Lions first okay I put the Packers second you said you were gonna surprise me I don't know if the Lions surprised me you're right I guess if I had to guess I thought you were going to go Packers. No, I put the Packers second. I put the Bears third. And I put the Vikings fourth. Now, that said, the first three teams I could see being in the Super Bowl. I know. I like the Bears and yet I feel like I need to spice things up a little bit. Like I want to put the Vikings maybe in the playoffs in some way.

1:06:23I don't feel good about any of this in this division.

1:06:26Jourdan Rodrigue:No matter what we pick, we're going to be wrong because it's that wild of a division. Wow. It's freedom. You don't know. That's true. Let go a little bit, you know? Okay. I'll go Lions, Vikings, Bears, Packers. That hurt. Out of all the division previews, that's going to be the graphic we put out. No, it's not. Please don't. Vikings in second. Please don't because the Packers fans we know are extremely online. I like the Packers. I always pick the Packers to do well. I can't even abide by that. I'm flipping it. I'm flipping the Packers at least and putting the Bears in last. either way. The Bears last?

1:06:59Well, someone's got to be last if I put the Vikings second.

1:07:01Jourdan Rodrigue:Oh, I don't think the Bears are going to be last. I've gotten very chalk with these Ben Johnson's going to come for you. Think of the Ben Johnson stare and then see if you want to reconsider. Well, I am really hoping I'm wrong, at least statistically, because I went early with a Caleb Williams, Colston Loveland stack on my fantasy team. So I will be watching those Bears and rooting for... See, this is what we call the Rosenthal hedge, where he picks someone and someone's going to get mad except they can't really get mad because you guys were first on my fantasy team. I will try to make that the last time I talk about my fantasy team.

1:07:35It's like come up three times today. Nobody wants to hear about your fantasy team and yet we're going to be doing our fantasy preview later on this week. Hit that music. Good show, Jordan. It's good to be back in the studio. Also in the studio is where you will be conducting a big time interview. Quickly. Tell them about it.

1:07:56Jourdan Rodrigue:Yeah, we got Adam Barry, assistant GM of the Philadelphia Eagles, coming up on Power Play. That is next. And then, yes, we're going to do another fantasy football preview later in the week. See you then.

1:08:11The entire draft room groans because you just took the guy they wanted. There's no better feeling than crushing your fantasy football league. I'm JJ Zachary Eason, host of the award-winning Late Round Podcast. Before your draft, our players to target and players to avoid episodes tell you exactly who to circle and who to cross off. Listen to the Late Round Fantasy Football Podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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