Preseason and Camp Takeaways for All 32 Teams

21:28Right. And like, I think use Kalen Black more often when McCaffrey's healthy. And then also, yeah, you have, you have a good backup if, if he does get hurt. They Shanahan has talked over and over about wanting to do that for McCaffrey. We have a comment here that it's the first time joining the YouTube and no, that is not at all how I expected Nick shook to look. I mean, I've tried to talk about Nick as a, he's the bouncer at the strip club. yeah i am have you ever worked as a bouncer like you should i actually have worked security too

21:59Nick Shook:late uh about seven years ago i worked security for a little bit but i actually somebody was funny i was out in cleveland like a month ago and somebody just came up to me he goes hey i'm a rapper i want you to work security for my shows and i said i have enough work to do already but thank you we are uh getting chook's work in here he's writing he's doing power rankings he's on nfl daily all the time he's gonna be on NFL channel all the time like forget it you're too smart shook to you know not that security guys aren't smart yeah you think you got a good view of how I look now you wait you wait a couple weeks James you wait let's go to the Chargers first of all big joint practice win we're still deciding who wins the joint practices it was uh I think it was a one-day affair.

22:45Some of the teams did the two-day joint practices this week. And unfortunately, it was the day that Tyler Biotish suffered what now we know is a season-ending ACL injury. They put him on injured reserve, their center. And we did talk about that on the show after it happened. That was the joint practice day. It was reportedly the best day that the Chargers offense had all camp, that they went up and down the field on the 49ers. So they get the joint practice win. Their backups, for the most part, were awful in the game. 49ers win 41-17. But Justin Herbert only played one series. It ended up being only three plays.

23:24Three snaps, yeah. Yeah, because he went deep on third down. They didn't hit. Didn't happen. Really good news on the injury front other than Biotis on Sunday. Trey Harris back at practice, their receiver, making a bunch of catches. Hakeem Mesidor back at practice, their first-round pick, missed close to a week, but reportedly looked awesome on Sunday, according to the ESPN Chargers reporter, Chris Rimes. So he's back and healthy. And then the biggest news, Rashawn Slater, not taking every rep as the starting left tackle, but did take team reps, the first first team reps. That is the first time Slater has practiced since the very beginning of the month, maybe even late July.

24:06So that is a big step for him. Quinton Johnston and Brendan Thompson, their two receivers are both hurt. Thompson got hurt in the game. I don't know how serious either one of those, so it's not all good news when it comes to the Chargers, but at least trying to give some good news in terms of the injuries. Slater is huge, and I think Chargers fans came out of this game a little panicked, Shook, because when the starters were in, and now the starters include second-round pick Jake Slaughter. He's the new center. They drafted him as a backup at center and a starter at guard, he is now the starting center, even though he hasn't been playing center all camp.

24:43In that first drive, the interior line did not play well. When they stayed out there a little longer, they didn't play well. David Njoku got blown up as a blocking play. The offensive line, especially on the interior, is still a bit of a concern.

24:58Nick Shook:All the optimism with the Chargers offense is all going to revolve around how well that five can play. because if you even if you have your healthy tackles if your interior three are bad doesn't really matter that much like last year was the inverse the interior three were like average the tackle play was bad because you lost your starting tackles and this is why the beatish injury hurts so much because of what you just described you have to kick slaughter back over to center which is what he played in college but wasn't playing here you have to turn to guys like uh former high pick uh for the patriots cole strange to play right guard i was she because that left guard like there's a lot of uncertainty like if you just scan this depth chart and think about it on paper i just did it as you were you know bringing it up and i'm thinking oh oh oh buddy i don't know and they got trevor penning as a backup we know what his journey's been like and it's just like oh i don't know can i interest you in a little trey pipkins i think took the first no no you can't i've seen enough of the chargers so awosika is seems like he's the favorite but it could be Trey Pickens.

25:57Either way, I, even as a Herbert fan, as it stands now, I don't think there will need to be the same excuses as before. Yes, Cole Strange could turn out to be a bad free agent signing and the interior could struggle. All your points are correct. If the tackles are healthy and the weapons that they have in year three, like I think they got enough to overcome it. I don't think he'll need the excuses. It's different when the entire offensive line is a disaster because you don't have those two tackles and you don't have the weapons. And we'll see. Lad McConkie's healthy. Like, we'll see. I'm not giving him any excuses.

26:35Look, they're good enough that Aranda Gadsden, their rookie tight end, is their third tight end right now. Very clearly.

26:40Nick Shook:Yeah, playing the second half of that game. Yeah, he is pretty clearly their third tight end. All right, those were the Thursday games. Since we started this way, we're just going to go backwards and go through the Friday games. A little less on these. the Packers crushed the Broncos. The Broncos have been outstanding in the preseason under Sean Payton. He was not happy afterwards. He likes to win in the preseason, but he feels better about this preseason loss because when Bo Nix was out there, and this was just for fans, probably the best preseason game of the week because we got long drives from Bo Nix and Jordan Love, like real deal players on both sides.

27:13We had Jordan Love picking on Patrick Sertan for a couple snaps. I mean, I don't know about picking. They were like crossing routes in zone and everything, But Patrick Sertan was the man in coverage on two gainers. So you just don't see that too often. And Jordan Love not afraid to make those throws. But let's start with the Broncos. Bo Nix, 10 points in two drives. Had no pressure facing him whatsoever. Had a huge gainer to Jalen Waddell. Had a great touchdown throw on a wheel route to RJ Harvey. Pat Bryant is clearly the wide receiver three. That's a camp battle that looks over over Troy Franklin.

27:47Jonah Coleman is a rookie running back. only had a few carries because last week Sean Payton said, I've seen enough of Jonah Coleman. I know who he is. I like Jonah Coleman. So Jonah Coleman is going to have a factor, a role on this team along with J.K. Dobbins and R.J. Harvey. I am drafting Jonah Coleman late in fantasy leagues. And, yeah, just kind of check the box for me, for the Broncos in the preseason. Even though their starting defense did give up a long touchdown drive.

28:14Nick Shook:That big ganner to Jalen Waddell was that classic welcome to your new town moment for jalen waddle because the the way the crowd reacted and the way the broadcast crew reacted oh they were over the moon to see him catch a pass for a big game like oh this is only the beginning keep keep an eye on it because and it's going to be explosive it was nice to see bo nicks back out there healthy and doing what he does best and not taking like i don't know three quarters given it's a preseason game but you know to wake up like he was in a rhythm from the beginning and that pass to harvey great catch by harvey but a dime on that wheel route so it's it's good to see this offense kind of you know in rhythm and i wouldn't say a well old machine but they're in a good place right now but i do want to stand up for patrick sartan for just a second okay come on because he was the man in coverage and he did give up catches but he was out there hitting like it was the playoffs yes flying around at one point he nearly had a strip after a catch.

29:10Nick Shook:It looked like it was going to be a huge turnover. It didn't end up being a takeaway for the Broncos. I was shocked that he was out there that long, frankly. Last week was too. That drive was long. Yeah. And I was like, you know what? All right. He's given up a couple of... Look, they're going after him. Good for them. It's the preseason. It doesn't matter. I guess this is the time to go after him. But I was like, man, I didn't realize he was such a hitter. Like, okay. He's gotten more physical as his career has gone on. And I think he's so tough. And yeah, you mentioned it was a slant that Christian Watson might have been the first pass of the game by Jordan Love, and it looked like he forced a turnover, but they ruled that Watson was down on that play.

29:46I love that we're just breaking down. Sean Payton's one of the last old-school coaches out there. He's playing his starters. Sertan played a decent amount last week, too, and I think the best defense in the league or one of them, and they don't mind. They did give up a 17-play drive. You kind of don't want your starters to be out there that long. It kept being third down, fourth down penalties, and eventually the Packers moved the ball. Jordan Love looked awesome. So did Matthew Golden. So did Christian Watson made a couple catches, one on the sideline. So it was all great to see. And I love Love just going for like the hardest pass possible.

30:21I think it was to Golden on either a third and 10 or a fourth and 10. And it's like, okay, that's the Jordan Love I know and love. So bad news though. And the catch that Golden made too, which was like down on his hip. And I was like, oh, good hands. Good hand, not just a burner. Good hands. All right. Can you tell that we're desperate to talk real football? Because this was the most real football of the weekend. We'll move on from most of these preseason games quicker in terms of the on-field action. I did want to mention Riley Moss hurt his rib in that game. So he was definitely the starter.

30:50I thought that was going to be a position battle there, potentially. He's reportedly had a great training camp. He had a very good season last year. We'll see how serious that injury is. Marshawn Lloyd was the primary running back for the Packers because Josh Jacobs has been out. He's supposed to be back next week. We're still waiting to hear if he's suspended. Marshawn Lloyd, I think he looks okay. Not amazing. If Josh Jacobs was out, I don't know how I'd feel about that Packers running game. Tucker Craft also not yet practicing on 11 on 11s. And he mentioned he could be on a snap count for a while.

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34:18Nick Shook:you exactly who to circle and who to cross off. We've got data-driven analysis, historical trends, and the strategies that separate winners from the rest. And your dominance doesn't stop with the draft. All season long, we have our 15 transactions, 10 trends, sleepers, and the mailbag. Data-driven, quick-hitting episodes to help bring home that league trophy. Listen to the Late Round Fantasy Football Podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Let's go to the Jets. I can't believe I waited this long to talk about the resurgent New York Jets. Not only are we having the Aaron Glennaissance on defense, but Geno Smith with the drive of the week.

35:02Let's listen to the call and the shutout victory for the Jets.

35:06Nick Shook:First and 10, ball at the 13-yard line. Smith rolling, throwing, open man right there. It's going to be Jelani Woods. and Jelani Woods gets in for a touchdown. They just put him into the game and right off the bat, guy out of the University of Virginia, scores the first points of this game on a very nice drive, engineered by Geno Smith. It's always tough when the Steelers announcers are the ones that we get on NFL Network. And so he's so unexcited when he should be through the moon for the seven for seven, what was it, 65-yard drive that Geno Smith authored against the Steelers starters. It was starters on starters.

35:47Let's go.

35:48Nick Shook:I enjoyed, too, how he did one of those, like, I'm not excited about this. This was not a good showing for the Steelers defense, so I'm going to give you the background on Jelani Woods so I can pass the time until he kicked the extra points. Yeah, it was an impressive drive. I'm actually kind of excited, because we talked about this in previous weeks where it was the Jets' offense is dominating their defense. They must be back. And then we get to the first preseason game, and it's like, oh, it's actually that defense is just bad. Maybe it's not the Jets offense. And then we get this this week and you're like, oh, all right.

36:20Nick Shook:Now we're kind of back toward the center. And this is why we need the regular season to get here tomorrow so we can actually get some real tests. Right. I very often have noticed a trend in preseason, which is if one team is terrible one week, they always come out and try harder the next week. And in the preseason, that's all you need. Like that will carry you. Like, I'm not into these things. Like, people that are getting into the preseason and picking the games in Vegas and whatnot, you know, that's like, that's another level. People are into it. Seek help. The Sharps are into it. But, like, the Falcons, for instance, after what happened last week with the Falcons, I was like, oh, they're going to come out this week and kill a team in the preseason just because they're just going to want to shut everyone up.

37:01But Geno Smith, to be real, looked more athletic on a throw out to his right that was improvised to Garrett Wilson than I think he's looked for the last two years. He actually looked a little bit faster. He also hung in the pocket on a third down and delivered a really nice ball while taking a hit. That's never really been his problem. His problem is that those passes sometimes go in the arms of defenders. He'll always hang in there. But I thought he looked better. He knew where he was going, and it's a preseason drive, but you at least feel good. I think he looks healthy. He looks a little fresher than he did a year ago.

37:40Nick Shook:The two most interesting things with this Jets offense this year for me are going to be can Geno prove that he was just stuck behind a terrible offensive line last year and that he still got it, and can A.D. Mitchell capitalize on playing with Geno Smith? That's what I'm paying the most attention to with this group. I think A.D. Mitchell is going to have a big season. He made plays here. He's been getting the most targets of anyone but Garrett Wilson. I'm definitely going to keep an eye on Kenyon Sadiq and Brees Hall. They're both overcoming injuries. There's optimism they'll be back for week one.

38:12We just don't know. David Bailey, their second overall pick, has been great in practices. He was very good in a brief stint last week with the pressure. and in this game he had a sack where he beat Broderick Jones, the tackle for the Steelers. So that was nice to see. In fact, the Jets defense, I mean, this is where I really know I'm being stupid. Five series this preseason, zero points allowed. We're halfway to a shutout for the Aaron Glenn defense.

38:41Nick Shook:Can you mention who the Jets defense was facing at quarterback? It was Will Howard. Who was it last week? I don't remember. I think it was some starters last week. you know. I just want to say anything that's done against the Steelers offense on Aaron Rodgers and on the field, take it with a grain of salt because they are working through that backup situation. Hey, look, Will Howard and Drew Aller played well last week. This time, Will Howard got the whole game, the whole first half. Drew Aller got the second half. They both were rough. It's so funny how the preseason is such a liar even from one week to the next because both of them had awesome first preseason appearances.

39:21Howard, I actually thought looked, he took a bad sack. They were punting. But then he. The picks were bad. He looked like a normal quarterback on these drives. And then the picks were awful to end each drive. Whereas Drew Aller just looked overwhelmed and inaccurate. And the offensive line was struggling.

39:42Nick Shook:Unless you looked at social media and you saw that one throw he made out of structure down the sideline. At the very end, he had one nice play, but he took three sacks. That one shot in golf that you have when you finish your round, and you're like, oh, man, I stuck that on the green, and it keeps you coming back. That was the Drew Aller experience in this game. Yeah. There was a report from Jerry Dulick, who has covered this team forever, that said his source reports that both Aller and Will Howard are making the team. It's a very interesting report to have a week before cut-down day. Like, why is the team letting that be known?

40:18Maybe they just don't want Will Howard and Drew Aller to be freaking out, or Will Howard specifically. Maybe they think he can. No. They're driving the phone calls for Mason Rudolph. Okay. But are they really that comfortable with Mason Rudolph not being there if these are how the young guys look? I guess what's the point? You're right. If you can get anything for Mason Rudolph, just take it. Yeah. Don't have a lot else on this game. Jeremy Bernard and Roman Wilson are splitting the wide receiver three reps. But as you can probably guess, there wasn't a lot of offense here. Dylan Cook is probably this team's right tackle because their first round pick, Max Ihanachor, is working his way back from an injury.

40:59Although he was seen, I think did some things at practice last week. So could he get into the preseason finale and finally get that job? If not, it's a bad start to this draft because they took Jennings Dunker and Ihanachor so high in the draft. And Jennings Dunker was a guard that everyone got excited about because he doesn't have teeth and he's got long hair and stuff. And I've seen some reporting that suggests, like, if he was not a second-round pick or was he a third-round pick, either way, he was a day-two pick, that he would not make this team, that he's, like, the fifth or sixth guard right now.

41:32Nick Shook:Mm-hmm. And that's why we have to be careful about falling in love with guys with long mullets and no teeth. They can't all be Cody Mock. They can't all be Quinn Miners, which he didn't have exactly that combo, but people just loved the belly and everything back in the day. It was very similar Senior Bowl Darling vibes, and he turned into an all-pro. Speaking of not making the team, Caleb Johnson, the running back from a couple years ago taking high. I'm not sure he's making this team. And we haven't seen Joey Porter Jr. in a while. I think he's hurt. Maybe he's holding in. just keep an eye on it hashtag noticing important player for them for sure but we haven't seen him all month and Keanu Benton is a guy who just popped in this preseason tape I'm just going to keep an eye on him they I think they used him in a incorrect way in the past John Ledyard and in his audibles and analytics uh Steelers podcast have been all over this that they kind of were trying to have him like you know at the nose and occupying blockers with the old staff and And now he's better like being kind of a down defensive end and rushing the passer a little bit in a 3-4.

42:41And they just gave him a big contract, which is really interesting for a new staff. And there is a thought that you get that contract done early because you think this guy is about to have a monster season in a role that makes sense. So he's a steadily improving player. Nick Schuch, I know he's a Midwest guy. You've probably always had your eye on Keanu Benton.

43:01Nick Shook:yeah um i have to a degree um their defensive line depth and the guys that they've tried to add to this group over the last few years they haven't really hit on a lot of guys um there's been a lot of players who are there for two three you know maybe the rookie deal never quite rise to the capability and production that they expect and then they end up going somewhere else benton i i felt like flashed um in you know last year and was kind of moving in that direction So I think that you're right about the contract coming now, trying to get ahead of it, but we'll see. We'll see. We're at about a two and a half hour pace here.

43:38I need to speed things up. It's in my head. And I'm also thinking of the nightmare scenario. We got some crazy weather here across the country. We're hitting triple digits this week in LA. We got a storm rolling in in Cleveland. So if we lose power for Shook, I'm finishing this thing out with all my notes solo. Sorry, the show must go on, Shook, without you.

44:02Nick Shook:No, I know that you are fully capable of doing a one-man band show. I don't want to. But the rain is very loud right now. Okay, convenient that the Panthers and Jags didn't give us a lot to talk about in terms of their preseason game. 34-17, the Panthers win. Bryce Young did play two full drives. The Jaguars played deep backups the whole time. Bryce Young had a quick punt on in the first drive and then a touchdown on the second drive. They played five drives this preseason. It took them until their fifth drive to get more than a first down. But they did get a touchdown on that drive. Jimmy Horn's been used a lot at wide receiver three.

44:43Teteroa McMillan in the slot made a big catch, which I like to see. And then Jonathan Brookswatch, who we've been keeping an eye on this third-year player who's had injuries really ruined his career. and I thought he had a little more juice this week. You know, he looks the part. Not on the field on passing downs much, but an interesting player to see his development. Thought he looked a little more comfortable this week. Had one longer run and an interesting guy who might be the week one starter, Jonathan Brooks for the Panthers.

45:11Nick Shook:Yeah, this is, I think the Panthers preseason is an interesting study in how your approach can maybe kind of slow your start with your starters on offense, but also can open a window for a guy like Jimmy Horn to climb the death chart because they have had very little, they didn't play any of their starters in the hall of fame game. They played Bryce and company briefly last week and they did nothing. The offense didn't even have any life until Kenny Pickett came in. I can't believe I'm saying that in 2026. And on the flip side, Jimmy Horn's playing into the second half of the hall of fame game.

45:44Nick Shook:And now is in the conversation for the top three. Like that's just how weird the preseason can be sometimes. Yep. And, and it's a good one. It's not a good sign for them that they're looking for wide receiver three that much. I think it's Xavier Leggett if he's healthy, but he hasn't been healthy for much of his career, including the last week. Got another joint practice victory to award. It's the Jaguars. I'm going to say this was like a solid victory. If it was a game, it was by like nine points. Like not a blowout, but a two score win. The best practice of Basial Tootin's career, according to our friend John Shipley at SI.com.

46:19The reason why I know it was a good practice for the Jags is Liam Cohen was effusive about the running game afterwards. And they've had a ton of injuries on their offensive line. So the fact that their running game was mauling the Panthers, that gave them the win. Their offensive line is very much not set. But here's an item I haven't mentioned on this show. Anton Harrison, who's played three years at right tackle, is their left tackle this year, has been their best offensive lineman. They have moved him to left tackle, partly because of an injury to Colvan Lannan. We don't know when he's going to return.

46:48But when he does, he's probably going to be on the other side. Right now, they're using Walker Little at right tackle. The rookie, Emmanuel Pregnon, is going to be probably a starting guard, even though he was like eighth or ninth on the depth chart. But because of all the injuries, he's moved up. And so a lot of uncertainty. Jacoby Myers has a hand injury. Don't know how long that's going to keep him out. Parker Washington is returning to practice this week from an injury. And yet, despite all that, the offense in general, it sounds like, has been cooking at camp. And it's partly because of these young guys.

47:22C.J. Williams and Josh Cameron are two late round picks who've been killing it in practice. It's what camp's all about. They killed it in the preseason game. And even with Myers and Washington in and out, like Travis Hunter has had zero offensive team snaps in team reps in the last few practices. That includes Sunday. And I got to think at least it's a little bit because these younger receivers are stepping up and we're like, we don't even need Travis Hunter. Let's focus on making him the best cornerback in the league.

47:53Nick Shook:That's exactly what it is. And I think that's the goal when you're building a roster and you're getting through camp is can we get these depth guys to become contributors to the point where we don't have to not stretch, you know, a player's limits? But can we just keep him on the side of the ball that we prefer him on instead of having to have him as somebody that we rely on on both sides of the field? and I mean that's that's an ideal situation for this team especially when you're dealing with so many injuries if you can come in prepared with a group of five that you feel very good about because of what you saw in the preseason then you're in a much better place and you have every reason to feel good about it but I do actually think that a lot of this does point back to Bachel Tudon because this is a guy who struggled with ball security early last year and then you know was playing a 1b role behind ETN which is now HN by the way still training my brain on that And I think that's been the biggest question mark with this group because it's been a team filled with continuity.

48:45Nick Shook:You know, they didn't make a ton of moves, but he, you know, rises to the role of starter. He's got to have, you know, a strong season to justify that promotion and also keep this offensive flow. So while you get good production from your depth guys at receiver, you feel good about that depth. It really all does come back to tooting. It all comes back to whether you can still be a balanced offense, especially with that offensive line in the question marks. So to come away from a joint practice where the running game looks great. yeah if I was Liam Cohn I'd be over the moon for 24 hours until we get back out there and test it again right and then they get out there and the backups were you know not great in the game but they didn't yeah I don't really care and yes I do think the plan is going to be to play a lot of heavy tight end you know formations with this Jaguars team uh Borkercher uh reportedly had his best practice of camp on Sunday too that was according to John Shipley and uh Trevor Lawrence I think has had a good camp.

49:36And I'm really curious to watch this team early. Let's get to the Saturday games. Patriots get a last-second score with the deep backups, 24-21. That was the good news. Also, I'm awarding a joint practice victory for the Patriots over the Eagles. And that's impressive because those are two real-deal teams. This was a two-day joint practice. I listened to a lot of coverage from both sides because these are two of the teams. I follow the best and, frankly, have some of the best podcasts and local coverage out there. Step up, other cities, if you think I'm wrong. It was really the Patriots offense on the first joint practice day that sounded like it really lit up the Eagles defense in a way that was more decisive than any other side.

50:18The rest of the practices, I think on both sides, and on the second day, sounded like it was good action back and forth pretty even. But Drake May, Dobbs, A.J. Brown, it's been a drumbeat that they've really gotten in sync as camp has gone on. The bad news here is Christian Gonzalez is still out. In the preseason game, it was all backups, but the Eagles dog-walked the Patriots while it was the second team out there. The first half of the game was like a joke on both sides of the ball. The Patriots were just getting absolutely dominated, and Mike Rabel was not happy about it afterwards. This was an epic Mike Rabel press conference in general.

50:56Here was a taste of it.

50:57Nick Shook:Mike, toward the end of the first quarter, you called a timeout, and you had a conversation with your defensive unit on the side. So what did you see at that moment made you feel like a conversation was needed? I saw dog s*** defense and I wanted to talk to him. And I figured that if I didn't call a timeout, that I wouldn't be able to get what I wanted to say off my chest. I love Vrabel right now. He also said during the same press conference, asking about some of what went on in the game, he just said, well, I don't think we're very deep right now. We're not a deep team. it's like no that's fair because the way britain covey took a screen into the end zone and then mike frable's reaction was not good he just did one of those classic like you gotta be freaking kidding me looks and that that fits the whole why he called a timeout yeah i mean like man this is still a team that overachieved last year and really got there with a collection of some young guys but a lot of veterans that just you know bought into variable system and maximize their potential.

51:58Nick Shook:They're not a team that's super deep. And it's also hard to be a very deep team in the NFL and on a quick turnaround like that. Yes, they've hit on so many free agents that that is important. But the lack of young players that they've drafted really shows up. If you look at this depth chart at cornerback on the offensive line, edge defensive line right now, their first round draft pick, Caleb Lomu, it feels like it's kind of been a disastrous camp for him. He would be tackle four right now, and he has been. But Marcus Bryant, who was like a seventh rounder a year ago, got hurt in this game. Lomo hasn't looked good in practice, hasn't looked good on the field.

52:36They hope they don't need him much, but they might. Kyle Williams, never given up on him. Rollercoaster, as always, he's out there. He's going to make the team. He's their third round pick from a year ago. But he doesn't fight for a couple passes. I don't know if you would call one a drop, but maybe. but then he hits like a I don't know how long that touchdown was but it might have been like 70 yards. 69. Every catch he has is a long touchdown so if like every time four times he catches the ball it's like a 70 yard touchdown you know what you do Shook?

53:09Nick Shook:You're getting paid? No. You throw him the ball more like that's like if we go one for four with a 70 yard touchdown every time just like throw him four passes you know we got a touchdown That's the Taz Walker story. That's how he started his career in Baltimore. It's funny because if you watch preseason, you just watch the highlights, you'd have no idea that Kyle Williams is up and down. You think he's having the best preseason of anybody in the NFL right now because he does make big plays. It's just not consistent. Yeah, and he may, I think last week he was good in the game, but the practices, Mike Vrabel's kind of talked about it.

53:44It's certain plays that they talked about that showed up again in this game. But then, you know, he has something that no one else on that team has, which is he can get loose right away off the line of scrimmage and go deep. And I do think Keyshawn Booty will be an ex-patriot if they get, like I said, a third. But I don't think anyone's given up a third for Keyshawn Booty. I don't think it makes sense to trade a fourth for him, but they might get a fourth for him. We'll see.

54:10Nick Shook:I mean, I like the Texans connection because Casario's history with them too. That feels like the place is going to happen. But I would honestly rather have a year of Keyshawn Booty than a fourth round pick. You're so greedy. You are so greedy. You got enough. This is a battle royale at receiver already. Here's why. How many fourth round picks do the Patriots have on their roster this year? You know what I mean? Like how many, what are the odds of your fourth round pick contributing to your team as much as Keishon Booty does in one season? Like maybe it's 50%, but I don't know. At least I know what I got with Keishon Booty.

54:47You're trying to win games right now.

54:49Nick Shook:But how much is Kayshaun Booty contributing with A.J. Brown and Romeo Dobbs? He'll contribute plenty. I think he'll be a key. Kyle Williams is like wide receiver six right now. That's a joke. I think Kayshaun Booty will help this team. And you never know. If A.J. Brown gets hurt, he's had some injuries, he would be very valuable. Jonathan Grenard could be out into the season, according to Vic Fangio, who is like press conference all-star, just says what he wants. The Eagles hasn't said anything about Grenard. But Fangio keeps saying, yeah, he might not be out until the season. He also described a guy, Ty Robinson.

55:21I don't know if you're familiar with Ty Robinson. After last week, he had a sack in the preseason. And Vic was like, yeah, that was good to see because he's been on life support here.

55:32Nick Shook:Because he had one this week too. He had, I think, butter two this week. It was like the longest sack ever. It was like a delayed stunt where he's just like kind of in the interior lineman's pads, just like not really doing anything. And then he lets go as the stunt arrives and crushes that guy and he wraps around and gets a sack. And I was like, who's 95? It's Ty Robinson, the guy on life support. I think he had another half sack in the game where it was actually a better rush, if I'm remembering correctly, and two guys got there. But just cracking me up that Vic Finchier said that out loud. Injury-wise, the Eagles, yeah, their running game reportedly looked really good in that first practice with the Patriots joint practice.

56:11So that's good to hear with Saquon Barkley. Makai Lemon working his way back. We don't know when he's going to be 100%. He's closer to getting back on the field. But, you know, I think it's pretty clear Dontavian Wicks is wide receiver, too, right now. Devontae Smith is practicing again. Their second-round pick. We keep continuing some of the same stories, but I'd like to reinforce it for people who are joining and say that they're continuing. Eli Stowers, their second-round pick at tight end, I don't think is going to have any impact with this team. Their lines are deep. That's why their backups dominated the Patriots.

56:42I've heard some negative things. Jimmy Kemski was one of them at phillyvoice.com that maybe Landon Dickerson has been kind of the one guy who's struggled a little bit new system he's had a lot of injuries might not be the same guy that he used to be we'll see just something I'm watching I'm also watching Andy Dalton stink in the preseason I mean I know I know Tanner McKee's like not the best quarterback in the world but I think Andy Dalton went three for ten in this game so can we can we end this quarterback battle and no one's no one's trading for Andy Dalton well yeah but the only problem is that

57:13Nick Shook:when they played tanner mckee last year he was a disaster and it completely tanked the value that he had built the preseason sure but just i'd rather have tanner mckee than andy dalton so cutting yeah at this stage yeah lions beat the commander 17 to 13 i was excited to see jayden daniels play football again shook and all right i got three plays one of them included dj want him sacking jaden daniels who just kind of stood there for a 10 yard sack and then they ran on third and 20 and then the drive ended and terry mclaurin went into the blue medical tent yeah everything is perfectly fine that still wasn't the worst drop back of the week i think that belonged to jake browning he dropped back about 25 yards before getting sacked uh this is this is a weird situation for the commanders and i've heard a lot of this from commanders fans who didn't like where i put them in the power rankings to start there's just a lot of things that they're still figuring out i mean you are in the preseason it is a small sample size and everything jaden's coming off of multiple injuries and everything else but all those good vibes from a couple of seasons ago they're gonna have to really dig to bring them back i'm not gonna overreact to three plays i don't love the terry mclaurin no i don't think it's serious didn't sound like it was serious it's just like three plays this is a guy who's really struggled to stay on the field lately so you're concerned trail on burke started for them and actually stayed on the field when stefan diggs went off the field like on a running down stefan diggs in the slot so you got a some clues here about how they're going to use players uh both bill krosky merit and rashad white the running backs were hurt and you know before and so they didn't even play in this game and then johnny newton is a guy i was really excited about as a draft prospect defensive tackle who just has not been able to stay healthy as a pro he has a torn pectoral muscle.

59:05He's going to be out a long time. Sam Laporta could be out a while. This one really slipped under the radar. Like, was this made a bigger deal at any point? Like, Dan Campbell on Thursday said he's not sure if Sam Laporta is going to be ready for the season. I saw that. I was like, Did I miss this in the ESPN NFL.com stacks? Maybe I did. And I just caught it on Sunday. But that's awful news there for a team that's had his share of injury news this preseason.

59:34Nick Shook:That missed him last year too. I think it's slipped on the radar because it just wasn't a big talking point earlier. But the Lions have been kind of quiet throughout preseason anyway. Which is usually the mark of a team that's like, yeah, we know what we're doing. We're about our business. we're getting ready for the regular season but when things like this pop up you're like oh no it's kind of like what happened with Cade Mays like that takes a little bit of the good vibes out of there too because that was a huge addition at center they lose him for an extended amount of time and suddenly I've got worries about the offensive line again so there's some slight reason to be a little unsettled going into the regular season at this point for Lions fans I think they're a team that should be better later in the season than they are at the beginning because of the Cade Mays injury Laporta I'm a little worried about and then most importantly the two safeties, Brian Branch and Kirby Joseph.

1:00:21We have no idea how they're going to be. I think there's some other good signs, though, from their defensive front. They didn't play starters in this game. I happened to watch this, and Josh Dobbs had one of the worst two-play sequences you'll ever want to see. A fumble returned for a touchdown, and then an awful interception, like Will Levis-style throwing across his body that was picked off the next drive. So it wasn't great for the Lions, but I'm not going to worry too much. If we want some positivity, Aiden Hutchinson, he's still Aiden Hutchinson. All the reporters there say like he maybe has cranked it up another notch in practice and just watch out.

1:01:01You know, he's not coming off an injury this year. I'm excited to see what he can do. Every player in the league has a scouting report. Strengths, weaknesses, history, tendencies, everything an opponent wants to know. But what if somebody built a scouting report on you? Data brokers collect your personal stats, your name, address, phone number, family details, and other private information. Then they package it up and legally sell it to anyone willing to pay, sometimes just for pennies. And then what? The person buying your information may not be looking to draft you. They may be looking to scam you, steal your identity, and start using your name like it belongs to them.

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1:02:12Nick Shook:This episode sponsored by Marathon Sports. Runners know the feeling. That moment when the shoe disappears, your stride feels smooth, your breathing settles in, and the run just clicks. That's what Marathon Sports has been helping runners find for over 50 years. At Marathon Sports, their expert team uses the right fit process to match you with shoes and gear built for the way your body actually moves. No guesswork, no generic recommendations, just real guidance from people who live and breathe running. Whether you're training for your next marathon, getting back into running, or chasing a better everyday run, Marathon Sports helps you find what works for you.

1:02:52Nick Shook:Visit MarathonSports.com or stop into a Marathon Sports store today and experience the difference the right fit can make. You know the feeling. You make a pick in your fantasy draft and the entire room groans because they wanted that player. Or you grab a small school rookie off waivers and you start him right before he goes off in primetime. There's no better feeling than crushing your fantasy football league. I'm JJ Zachary Eason, host of the Late Round Fantasy Football Podcast. Before your draft, our players to target and players to avoid episodes tell you exactly who to circle and who to cross off.

1:03:28Nick Shook:We've got data-driven analysis, historical trends, and the strategies that separate winners from the rest. And your dominance doesn't stop with the draft. All season long, we have our 15 transactions, 10 trends, sleepers, and the mailbag. Data-driven, quick-hitting episodes to help bring home that league trophy. Listen to the Late Round Fantasy Football Podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. let's get to the bills and the browns the the sean watson train has gone off the tracks we're taping this sunday evening so i don't want to spend too much of this segment shook like predicting what's going to happen because todd munkin says he's announcing the starter on monday so we're going to find out soon enough but as bad as the entire deshaun watson era has been in cleveland this almost felt like a new low what happened on saturday you're laughing but 31 to 7 two three because i was there oh you were there i need to give you the floor okay before we hear from deshaun watson and talk about that what was it like to be there okay um first off let me just set the weather scene for you national anthems playing and it starts torrentially downpouring a lightning delay ensues after about a minute into the game about an hour delay offense comes back out shador looks pretty good playing against backups has about four seconds to throw every time he drops back never really gets pressured has some success halftime arrives it rains again torrentially stops just in time for the third quarter to start i am walking down one of the tunnels seeing the field in my view and as i walk toward the stairs i'm hearing fans booing as the offense takes the field because deshaun watson is leading them out there that set the stage for then one of the worst preseason performances for somebody battling for a starting job against third stringers that i've ever seen at field level he is slower in movement and in processing than anybody else out on the field.

1:05:37Nick Shook:The ball does not look good out of his hand. He did not look confident. I thought he was okay last week. He looked worse than ever this week. And then he goes to the press conference and does this. Man, I didn't have no reaction. I think the biggest thing is, I think you guys know too. And I think the whole world knows it has nothing to do about the performance. It's a little bit personal than that. So I think that's a disrespectful thing. So, yeah, I mean, I'm going to keep whatever I feel with me and my family internally on how I feel about that. And, yeah, just move on. Except he doesn't keep it internal.

1:06:19Right, keep it how he felt internally. He's always lying to himself because he even said during the week, I don't care what the response is going to be. and the most real moment he had of the press conference which no matter what you think of Deshaun Watson I can't imagine there's many Deshaun Watson like supporters out there but I I'd rather hear him at least be real and when he brought up how they cheered him cheered when he tore his Achilles a couple years ago and he said like these are the same fans that cheered when I tore my Achilles a couple years ago there was like real emotion in his voice and you understand like that has stuck with him.

1:06:57And he also talked about, I thought the charity work, everything I've done out in the city, like that, that would have made a difference and not. And so then he's telling you, okay, it actually does matter to me. And we can get into that. But I actually thought this comment, which didn't make as many headlines, was the most telling, the most damning, and ultimately like, it should be the final thing to say goodbye to Deshaun Watson in Cleveland. Quarterback job is tough enough. Can you defeat that negativity? I don't know.

1:07:29Nick Shook:I don't know. You know, it's a mental battle every day. You know, I feel like I get more love on road games than I do home games. So if it is my spot and he does make me the name, maybe it's 17 away games then. I don't know. I don't know. It sounds like a guy who doesn't want to be there. Yep. Right? And that's what it looked like on the field on Saturday. Doesn't want the job. And so Jimmy Haslam wouldn't cut him. Andrew Barry, who everyone was giving flowers to all offseason and is still in charge of the front office that decided to roll out Deshaun Watson for this training camp. Oh, yeah, Andrew Barry, he's getting a great, yeah.

1:08:09Like, he's casting a pall on the entire season by going through with this plan. He didn't cut him. The previous coaches didn't cut him. Munkin didn't cut him. You know who's going to end up cutting him? If they do, man, they should. Is the people that you were with in the stadium. The fans would cut them. If it actually happens that way, and this would be a fascinating moment in the Browns' history, and they probably won't, and I don't want to predict what's going to happen, but if they actually did move on now, it really would be the fans that made it happen. because because of his response to them and they just it became untenable which in the history of

1:08:57Nick Shook:the browns since they returned in 1999 that has that often been the case um i have spent many a sunday listening to fans chant so angrily that people lost their jobs the next day that maybe wouldn't have lost their jobs um and so this would only be the latest instance and i think this would probably be the first time in which the fans are right as opposed to previous scenarios now they can't cut him this is the problem the fans know this that they're stuck with him for one more year because if they cut him it's 127 million dollars in dead no but you could put it's 86 million dollars against the cap it's a contract that already has four void years on it including 36 million and 51 million dollar cap hits in the next two years a you could just do it stop stop being so just just do it like yeah you're gonna have all this cap pain just do it do something right for once because if you had it you're gonna have to do it somehow there's also a world where they just work out something with him where he just kind of goes away and they can keep that cap hit until next year but and that's what's gonna happen you just put him on in you know whatever He's just going to go away.

1:10:09You just put him on injured reserve. You pay him his money. I don't know how it would work, frankly, but you just go away.

1:10:17Nick Shook:Yeah. Congrats, Jadar Sanders. You are the starter. And frankly, I think you earned it with this performance. Okay. I don't know. We'll hit that on our next show because I just don't trust the Browns ever to do the right thing. No. I just don't. So I, because I went into this game and it's really interesting how they structured it because Watson still got most of, you know, they, they've been splitting first team reps. They put them out there with like the threes and the fours. Just that was strange. Cause I went into the game, assuming Deshaun Watson was the week one starter. I really did. Like all the reporting was Watson had some moments and that they were leaning Watson going into this.

1:11:05and but the way they put him in a position to fail and then he did and then the response Todd Munkin spoke on Sunday said he'll make an announcement on Monday said some weird comments that I frankly just didn't understand and we'll find out later but the thing that go ahead well

1:11:24Nick Shook:I think this is an interesting examination of Todd Munkin's first friction point as a head coach because either it's coaching malpractice, putting out a guy that you think is the week one starter with the thirds and fours, you know, and letting him, you know, kind of just torch himself. Or that's what you wanted to do all along. And because you committed to starting him the week prior. Exactly. So which one was it? I don't know. Maybe it's that they actually were leaning Shadour, that they're not putting Watson out there to fail. but maybe they were leaning Chador and just no one had an idea. We'll find out.

1:12:04We'll find out on Monday. That's why you don't commit to starting one guy one week and the other guy

1:12:09Nick Shook:the next. Right. Watson also said when asked if he regrets coming to Cleveland, that he doesn't regret anything that he's done in his life. I don't, I don't have, he says, I don't have any regrets. And to me, that was the most telling thing. And Deshaun Watson's talking about like, this is personal. Yeah, of course it's personal, but it's also performance. That performance was terrible. If you perform better, they would shut up. They would cheer. It's, it's obviously both, but it is personal because Deshaun Watson never took accountability. Like he never once said that he made a mistake for the accusations and the assault that ultimately got him suspended, the sexual assault accusations that got him suspended.

1:13:04He never once made a real like owning up to what he did. And that's the difference. I had someone come at me in the comments about like, well, you know, like people cheered Michael Vick. It's like Michael Vick owned up to it, and he tried to make amends, and Watson never did. It's dime store psychology, but I'll always believe that that and the negativity that he feels, and probably feels like, without even admitting to himself, but the negativity all around him, that's all impacted the lack of confidence that he clearly shows as a player. That's the thing. You don't even need to talk about any of the rest of it.

1:13:47he has no confidence whatsoever and hasn't for years as a football player. So he's, he's not helping your team. Okay. I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Chuck.

1:13:55Nick Shook:No, it's, it's, it's, it's a great explanation of it, I think. And he's one of those people that I think in his own personal happiness will probably be happier when he moves on from football, whenever he decides to do that. Yep. Totally agree. You know, who's making me happy as a, someone who wants you to be happy. Casey Concepcion and Denzel Boston. Those two guys look like dudes. Joint practice, they played well. Unfortunately, joint practice, there was also an injury to Alex Wright. We don't know how serious that one is. Monken's not talking about it, but he's a starting edge, and it sounds like it could be serious.

1:14:30There's so much going on with the Browns. It's like story number six that they cut a player this week that is now going to play at LSU. Daquan Wright, like what? That's insane. We don't have time enough to dive into that, but that's insane that that's being allowed to happen because of a court ruling. And then, oh, by the way, Nick Chubb retired since we last taped. Let's let's just play a Nick Chubb great run as chosen by Browns fan Nick Shook.

1:15:03Nick Shook:Second down and 10 takes the snap, gives it. Chubb runs. He's at a 10, 15. He's at a 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50. There goes Chubb. He's at a 30, 20, 10, 5. Touchdown. Chubba Lava Hub. 92 yards. Pretty unbelievable. He has a second gear. I just got hit more by you than I did in my 14 years in the NFL. that uh i mean that was the that was the peak of the browns becoming a competitive team that was the late jim donovan on the call with doug deacon two phenomenal individuals that i was privileged to work with and you know what nick chubb was pretty awesome too now i was told when i arrived in berea that he was pretty reserved kind of a hard guy to crack but i cracked him and got to know him and he was an awesome guy sneaky funny just a good dude and a damn good running back in his peak.

1:16:02I I'm glad we just have the opportunity on this show to kind of say goodbye to these players when they do retire. And he was with the Texans didn't get signed this off season. It's hard not to think about the injury that changed the course of his career. I was on live television at the time in the UK and I'll never forget that night. Like it was devastating and he was never the same after those sort of injuries still happen. But at his peak, I don't even think it's a question like he's on the very short list of the best pure runners of the last decade and I think you can extend it out to like just at their peak running the ball toughness and just running ability it's a very short list before you get to Nick Chubb of like the last 25 years and so those players that make an impact that he made with the Browns and their fans like that's worth more sometimes than all the numbers that the cumulative stats and even some guys that get into the hall of fame like nick chubb had a bigger impact and reached higher level of football than some guys who do make the hall of fame and so just happy retirement chubb

1:17:14Nick Shook:yeah i was happy to see a lot of people wearing 24 jerseys on saturday it was a nice little reminder of what he did for this city so bill's fans are probably wondering hey we won 31 to 7 You're not talking about us in this preseason game. Well, they are the team that Shook is talking about. I was thinking about this. It's been a really quiet camp for the Bills. I find that a good sign. A new coach, too. I thought Joe Brady was going to be getting all crazy, saying things and stuff. It's been business as usual. Josh Allen's super happy. The Athletics' Joe Basalia says Dalton Kincaid, their tight end, has had a really great camp.

1:17:51Khalil Shakir's been out a little bit lately. They got a joint practice win, another win for the Bills, not only in the game, but the rare joint practice and preseason game doubling up. Although, by all accounts, including from Zach Jackson, it was pretty competitive practice. Like, the Bills started out really fast on offense, but otherwise, like, it was competitive to the point where the Browns starters actually felt, I think, pretty good about the joint practice. But overall, a couple Ws there, and then you don't really play any starters in the preseason. That's a recipe for a quiet camp. Some guys that you might know that might not even make this team because it's so deep.

1:18:26Geno Stone at safety. McCole Hardman at wide receiver. And then I thought it was interesting reading that Maxwell Hairston, last year's first-round pick, who I'm really high on, might not be even locked in to being their starting cornerback right now. It might be Davison Igbenosan, the second-round pick, maybe.

1:18:46Nick Shook:Yeah, okay. Yeah, Igbenosan. And he was a very handsy defensive back at Ohio State two years ago. And then his final year with the Buckeyes, he got cleaner in coverage. That's actually that's surprising, but in a good way. That's encouraging. You're right. The Bills are doing, I think, everything right. But I do think that it's I'm glad you brought up Mikko Hardman there as one of these notes, because I'm sitting at the game on Saturday and I'm messaging Kevin Patra, fellow NFL dot com writer. And I'm just saying, yeah, I think it might be time for Hardman to call it like he had a bad couple of drops.

1:19:17Nick Shook:and then he scores on a screen and i'm like oh well maybe i was wrong well he will always have a super bowl ending catch not many people in nfl history have that super bowl ending play i mean how many are there there's only two overtimes so it's probably just him and james white like literally the last play i guess kicks would count there but as just like a regular scoring a touchdown on the last play of the Super Bowl. Not many people have done that. So, you know, he had his fun. Also, I wanted to send our thoughts out. We heard the tragic news of Ed Oliver's son passing. It had happened apparently previously, and then the news came out.

1:20:02The Bills sent out a statement. His two-year-old son died this summer, and just the most tragic, awful news that you can think of. So thinking of Ed Oliver, who has been with the team and his teammates also really said they support him and they're just trying to stand behind him as much as they can. Let's go to the Rams and the Saints. The Rams in a game I attended. I don't know if you knew that. 34 to nothing. Me, Walker, a couple of his friends. Nothing like being the neighborhood dad bringing some kids to a preseason game. Cool dad. Plenty of good seats available at SoFi for this one where...

1:20:42In terms of the game, the only thing that was really interesting was the Stetson Bennett-Ty Simpson situation. Stetson Bennett got the first half. Ty Simpson got the second half. And yes, Stetson Bennett ran in for a couple touchdowns, including one where our friend Jordan Rodriguez was on the call.

1:21:01Nick Shook:Drop that game. Third down. Stetson's already scrambled for one. Stetson goes in again. The stash is loose.

1:21:11there's jordan with a call that we absolutely will be using please on this show please yes i

1:21:19Nick Shook:was gonna say please make it a little sound drop as soon as i heard it when i was watching this back i was like oh please that's got to be a feature on the show yes i was i was gonna say and jordan did a great job uh again brenda song joined the booth for the third quarter a lot going on there in that booth. But the only problem with that call is Stetson Bennett probably not going to be scoring a lot of touchdowns in the regular season, but it could work for anyone with a mustache. Jackson Dart. Mustache is loose. Jackson Dart has a mustache right now. Jalen Hurts has a mustache right now. Does George Kittle have a mustache again?

1:21:54Right. Like mustaches are, they're back. They are in. They are in. They're very in. So it doesn't have to be Stetson Bennett. Although, if you listen to Dan Orlovsky, and I've seen this bubble up in a couple places, the Falcons should trade for Stetson Bennett. Some teams should trade for Stetson Bennett. I smell something rotten here with this, like Stetson Bennett should be traded, Doc.

1:22:18Nick Shook:I don't like that idea because I, and this is no knock on Stetson Bennett, but I do think that there are certain situations in the NFL in which backups look especially good in a system that they've gotten to know, that they've gotten reps with, and a team takes a swing on them, and it fails tragically. Let's not do that. Let's just let the Rams have two backups that they like. Has he even looked that good, though? Even at the game, I know he had one beautiful layered throw on a third down, I think, to Tyler Scott. That was, like, next level. He had a deep ball, too, that Scott kind of messed up, that his numbers would have looked better.

1:22:52I think it was a good pass by Bennett. But I'm not going to get carried away about how Bennett's looked in the preseason. He's looked fine. And practice, like, he's been fine. He had his share of struggles. Maybe I'm being affected by the day I'm out there, but there was reports he was struggling a little bit for more than that. This sounds like someone from the tree, the Shanahan tree, the McVay tree, like trying to shake a pick loose. No one's trading for Stetson Bennett, anything significant. I just don't believe it. I don't believe that that's something another team would do. If you want to tell me someone would give up a sixth round pick or a sixth, seventh swap, sure.

1:23:28But that's, it's basically like. At that point, it's not worth it. Just keep him. But like, what are the Rams doing with Ty Simpson? I don't like it. You draft him 13th overall. And what are you getting out of these preseason reps with the third and fourth string where it's all just these rollouts? And he was fine. I just felt like, like, what's the point? Don't you want to be developing this guy as much as possible? He didn't get that many reps during training camp either. So you want to get it with the preseason. But why isn't he getting more reps during training camp? Like he's the 13th overall pick.

1:24:04Nick Shook:Would you be surprised if you saw him going with the de facto starters in week three? I feel like it's been an acclimation. Yeah, but they don't play any of the starters. So I would rather starters. Right. I would rather get them. I'd rather have him get better snaps like in the first half of this game. I'd rather him get the entire week three game. Right. And see if he can put it together for four quarters. Yeah, and I don't think he's looked bad. I've just been a little confounded about what happened. There was a moment in this game that was first and goal at the half-yard line, and I said to my friend who came to the game with me next to me that if they run the ball here, McVay wants Ty Simpson to be the backup, the quarterback too, like a first and goal at the half-yard line.

1:24:52and if they pass the ball here they want Stetson Bennett to to be the uh quarterback to you know fluff up his stats and they did what they did they called they called a rollout he he ran it in for a touchdown instead but it was like it was almost like a you know if if the receivers open pass it if not run it and so Bennett got his touchdown so or maybe they're trying to fluff

1:25:11Nick Shook:up his value then no that's the thing is I they've because they've rolled out tie a lot like more than you see an average rookie quarterback and I know it's been in like second half you know with the third stringers, but what they've asked him to do is more complex than what you usually see from a first-round pick who's behind an entrenched starter. I kind of feel like that type of scenario is one of the ones where it's like, hey, let's test the mobilities here. He's seen if he can win a race down the line. Sure. Yeah, and that was Bennett. They have some similarities to them in that play. Maybe, though, the theory is actually they're trying to puff up his value, make him look great in this game so that they could trade him.

1:25:47Who knows? The joint practice. The stash is loose! The joint practice victory between the Rams and the Saints this week. We're going to give it to the Rams. Matthew Stafford. Every time that Matthew Stafford's like practiced this offseason, everyone said he's looked incredible, and that's continued. Jordan continues to beat the drum of Terrence Ferguson. He is definitely one of our guys here at NFL Daily. They're a young tight end. I think he's going to have a big role. Pukunakua and Miles Garrett have now been out for two straight weeks. You know, I wouldn't panic, but yeah, let's keep an eye on that.

1:26:21Like that's not ideal. Alvin Kamara for the Saints is going to miss four to six weeks with an injury. Odrick Estame, who is looking like they're running back three, who would be elevated with Kamara out, has also been hurt. Kendry Miller was out there. Jordan Tyson, we know, is going to be out for much of this season. So at wide receiver Bryce Lance, the brother of Trey Lance, stepping up.

1:26:45Nick Shook:Couple of catches. A couple of catches in an offense that I think this is what preseason is perfect for for some of these teams where you're just kind of figuring out. You're taking stock of everything. Now, you don't want to have to do that because of injury, but that's where they are now. It's a couple of these positions where they're like, OK, well, one of the guys we were counting on to start is not going to be available for most of the season. Figure out what else we have. Lance had two catches. He looked all right. But this is a this is a backup receiving group that I'm very confused on how it's going to shake.

1:27:15I mean, they might not be backups. him and Barry and Brown, I think are going to play for this team who are two rookies. I mentioned the bills, you know, having rookies that are probably going to contribute right away. I think these receivers are going to be at least asked to do some things. This was a rough performance to watch in person. The Zach Wilson hype train that Saints fans were feeling for one week after the preseason did not last. And Spencer Rattler, he moved the ball, but then he threw a pick six. It was bad. It was a bad pick six.

1:27:43Nick Shook:And I want Rattler to be good somewhere, but that was bad. That was bad. I think the Saints did something that no team's ever done before. Tell me if I'm wrong, anyone that knows differently out there. They had two joint practices in the same week with two different teams. Never heard of such a thing. So maybe they were tired. I'm not even joking. They had one on Tuesday and fought like 10 times with the Cowboys and got fined$500 ,000 for those fights. And then they had another joint practice on Thursday. Granted, it's most of the starters doing the work there. But maybe they were just tired by the time they got to the weekend.

1:28:18I've got an update. This is important, Shook.

1:28:21Nick Shook:Okay. We always want to be accurate with our information. Do you know why Terry McLaurin went to the blue medical tent? Probably not. Tell me it was something trivial. He went pee-pee. Yes, trivial. Perfect. Better than taking a knee on the sideline like Josh Lambeau once did. Wasn't that Josh Lambeau? I don't know why I decided to speak like a six-year-old for a second. The Falcons, like I said, tried a lot harder in the preseason this week. They beat the Colts 34-6. That's the good news. The unfortunate news is that they took an L in the joint practice. There was a sad Tua Tungabailoa clip going around of the Colts rushing him, and he's just like moving around, not knowing what to do, not looking too smooth.

1:29:10reportedly didn't have a great completion percentage in that practice and was definitely not going down the field at all. Is it too late for Michael Penix? Supposedly he's progressing to 11-on-11s this week. So basically the expectation is Michael Penix is practicing fully this week. I feel like it's too late, but maybe not. You've got a couple weeks of practice.

1:29:33Nick Shook:If he was an established starter, it wouldn't be too late. with there's a lot of unknown here because you have new staff new competition into a who has not looked good right I think desperation might say no it's not too late by the standard timeline it feels too late yes I also would like to give just one small shout out to the guy whose name nobody knew at the start of training camp Jack Strand 12 for 17 for 212 yards and a touchdown good let's go let's go kevin stefanski cracks me up because the storyline around falcons practices have apparently been that they've just been like dead like no juice like no energy at practice that's kind of kevin stefanski in a nutshell and they wanted like matt ryan even talked about it like we wanted more energy at practice this is these are one of the things maybe you shouldn't talk about publicly.

1:30:29So Stefanski told his team, because he wants more juice, that he'll allow for one celebration penalty in this game. And so if you look at the long score, I think it was the first one that the Falcons scored. They went absolutely nuts. It's a great clip. So they took advantage. They're all running on the field and they all get like, you know, you can only give them 15 yard penalty. But it's just hilarious to me that Kevin Stefanski brings so little juice to the table that he said okay you can get one penalty it's a preseason game i want you guys celebrating like he has to incentivize them to actually celebrate playing football that that

1:31:05Nick Shook:tracks and i don't know how i feel about that i don't like it i mean i do like it because it's so it's taking preseason uh for what it's worth but it's stupid no that part's fine it's just the lack of energy thing that makes me a little concerned it's uh that this is a guy who won coach the year twice but also got the worst grade among coaches on the nflpa report card so yeah i don't know jack strand would be a great detective name uh supposedly a lot of screens in this offense uh to kyle pitts for people watching and practices zachariah branch we've talked about the rookie he's being treated as a starter had like a couple quick catches and then taken out a big takeaway for the colts was that riley leonard has been so bad in the preseason and pretty bad in camp and this is according to the athletic james boyd writes there that you kind of have to keep anthony Richardson now Anthony Richardson was awful in this game too they went 10 for 23 for 84 yards combined but I guess Richardson's first preseason game was better and he's been better in practice so you know sometimes you just there's no point in trading these guys you might as well keep them both this is one of those situations where it's not great behind Daniel Jones and you have to kind of brace for not having Daniel Jones for an entire season and just hope that you can survive because this doesn't sound good right now it could get better Riley Leonard did look good better in game action last year, but not super encouraging at this point.

1:32:28They also have a lot of injury concerns. Tyler Warren, the hope and the expectation is he's back for week one, but he's got a groin strain. Charverius Ward, I miss this, but he's been out indefinitely with a back injury for weeks. Like, it's just one of those quiet things that, okay, he missed one day and then one day turned into four days and no one really said what his injury was. And then they finally said, oh, it's a back. We're not sure when he's going to be back. It's been like two or three weeks. This guy's barely played any football in years, so it's a little concerning for a really important cornerback for this team.

1:33:01And then I did note C.J. Allen, who I was so high on at linebacker in the draft process, they drafted him to start. Right now he is not with the starters. He is like linebacker three or four coming back from an injury. We'll see if that changes in the next couple of days. The old guys are healthy, though. DeVorest Buckner is healthy, at least. Yeah, I mean, I don't know how to feel about a lot of the Colts defense

1:33:24Nick Shook:because of what you just listed and the idea that like some of their draft picks just have not become the guys that you expected. JTT to Amalo is a guy who hasn't made a step and isn't playing much for their team. No, I think come on. Second round pick. But no, but here's the issue is that he was really good as an underclassman at Ohio State. And then that was it. But by the time he left Ohio State, he still went in the second round because of potential. But I kind of felt like he already maxed out what he had. Maybe he could take the next step in the NFL. And it seems like he hasn't. So this is one of those groups where I'm like, I don't know.

1:34:01I thought he had such play strength, like a strong guy. But sometimes you don't know what separates a good prospect from a pro that just doesn't work. Sometimes it's not about the physicality. It's not the fit. Who knows what it is? But yeah, he has not been able to pop. The Ravens and the Vikings played football this week. They had a joint practice. And I'm giving a tight win to the Ravens. This was like a last second. If it was a game, Tyler loop field goal to get it for the Ravens. Sounds like it was pretty even. Both teams, it was very low scoring. If this was a game, it would have been like 12-9.

1:34:43Essentially, and this is a little surprising for the Ravens offense. that they struggled so much, but then you think about, okay, they're a new offense, and they're facing Brian Flores, who doesn't mess around in these training camp and joint practice settings. Neither offense could really get much done either way, but they were better. Marlon Humphrey said he hasn't been, like, he thought it was the most electric practice that he's had in 10 years, their joint practice on defense.

1:35:12Nick Shook:There's a lot of shade being thrown at John Harbaugh by veterans with the Ravens right now. Rashad Bateman came out and kind of buried the previous staff last week. You got Humphrey saying this now. It's good because you have the new staff and they're in the honeymoon period and everything's different. So they're all having fun and they're a good team. They should enjoy this, but it's just very interesting the way that they're kind of throwing shade at Harbaugh. They have absolutely thrown shade at the offensive staff too because they're like, Like, oh, we're on our detail. You know, on both sides of the staff, they're like, they're teaching us the details, actually teaching us what to do, like not letting things slide in a way that is totally new.

1:35:54And it's hard not to take that as a little bit of shade. Tyler Loop, yeah, at practice and then I think in the game, too, he might have had a job saving game here with one of his long field goals because he struggled after ending the season with a miss last year. Last week, he missed a 49 yard field goal in the preseason. And then his preseason game this week started with a 49-yard field goal. It was one of those moments where, like, if he misses this one, they're bringing in a kicker this week. But he hit it, and he hit all his kicks in the game. It was confirmed that Danny Pinter, their center, has a torn patella tendon.

1:36:29He is out for the season. He was the favorite to start at center to replace Tyler Linderbaum. The new favorite is Ethan Pochick, who's coming off a torn Achilles of his own only eight months ago, but he did play in this game, so that's a pretty big step forward to winning that job. J.J. McCarthy played at quarterback. They didn't play Kyler Murray. Reportedly, Kyler Murray ended the joint practice. It was pretty up and down. I think it was a couple days, too. It was pretty up and down overall, but he made a couple big plays to end it, including an improvised 40-yard throw down the field. I forget if it was to Addison or Jefferson.

1:37:04It was kind of like one of those plays practice ended that way, and everyone was like, okay, that's why we have Kyler Murray. At least he can make those sort of plays. Who do you think the backup quarterback is week one, J.J. McCarthy or Carson Wentz?

1:37:19Nick Shook:J.J. McCarthy, I think. He had a, speaking of improvised plays, he had a bomb to Ty Felton in this game. There was a little bit of juice in this game early. I think that they're going to be going with J.J. as the backup with the security and safety and the cozy, warm blanket feeling of, yeah, we got Carson Wentz, you know, in case it doesn't work out. I look at the Ravens and I think, you know, even though the Vikings weren't playing starters, I think like the preseason dynasty that John Harbaugh established, that's continuing. They just continue to keep winning games. The Vikings takeaways like from the game, i listen to purple daily and they say right now big orange uh who's your guy big citrus rather not big orange why am i calling him big big citrus uh what's what's our guy there who am i talking about you just about caleb banks no not caleb banks big citrus on the vikings um dominique orange of course um might be ahead of news to me i didn't know that was his nickname oh yeah big big citrus is is the man uh looks like he's got to contribute right away you never know with your draft picks because he was what a third round pick fourth round pick and yeah and Caleb Banks was their first round pick Caleb Banks looks like a project that's not going to help this team at all and yet you know Orange the third round pick and then their sixth round cornerback Charles Deming looks uh like he's going to make a big impact right away so you just you just never know and that Kyler Murray throw uh had Alec Lewis from the Athletics saying that the arc of Kyler murray's camp including the battle the slow start like hating some big plays in joint practice is eerily similar to sam darnold's arc oh his first camp with the vikings because it was kind of if you remember back to that camp it was our first nfl daily camp it was very similar to darnold had a slow start and then joint practices came and it was like a steady build and then he started hitting some plays started understanding the offense well i mean in that year we didn't even expect Sam Darnold to play it wasn't until McCarthy had a knee injury in his first preseason game which that performance by the way wowed everybody that it became clear that Darnold was going to have to play and the rest is history so okay okay I don't know if I'm gonna buy completely into that but all right okay we are we are having a monster show here on this Sunday night uh let's get to the Cowboys Cardinals but first I did want to mention you you had said Rashad Bateman earlier he is now facing three charges, including family violence after allegedly breaking the windshield of a car carrying his three-month-old daughter and her mother, according to court documents that were obtained by The Athletic on Friday.

1:40:06So it remains to be seen whether he faces legal punishment, whether the Ravens suspend him. They have said they're aware of it. The NFL is aware of it. There was some interest from the Texans in him in a trade that I'm sure is gone now. And so we'll see something to keep an eye on there. The Cowboys and the Cardinals played. The Cowboys are dominant in the preseason right now, in part because Joe Milton has put an end to this quarterback two battle. Joe Milton with the game of his life against Arizona. He had a bomb so good that Eric Roberts said this throw needs to be in the show. Let's see it.

1:40:41If you are watching on YouTube, you will see him about 60 yards in the air. And Joe Milton can spin it. Like if you're just talking about like throwing uh a go route joe milton would be pretty high on the list of just who can throw the ball the furthest in the nfl no one ever doubted that and this this receiver group's been pretty deep right now for for the cowboys i don't even know who's going to make this team that was jonathan mingo right catching that touchdown i believe that was uh joe milton's

1:41:09Nick Shook:greatest strength coming out of tennessee in fact when he arrived that was the talk in knoxville was oh he's got a cannon for an arm but we know what's happened with his career since then um i love the the preseason arc of Joe Milton and year two under Brian Schottenheimer. Not that I ever want to see him on the field, but if they have to play him, if Dak can't play for whatever reason, yeah, there's no freaking way that he's not the backup quarterback. It matches style of play, potential to push the ball down the field. Imagine him with CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens. It would be fun. Periods of it would be fun.

1:41:44Yes, it would be box office. It would be interesting. It would be fun seeing him develop. So Malik Davis is reportedly the favorite to be the running back too here. But Jaden Blue did have a good game here. Jayshon Barham is a linebacker we're keeping an eye on. He looked awesome in this game for the Cowboys. And I thought it was interesting. Brian Schottenheimer was asked, what guys have exceeded expectations in camp? Caleb Downs was the first guy he mentioned. Okay, Caleb Downs' expectations were already high. And I like Siobhan Revell was on the list too. But Caleb Downs, very exciting.

1:42:16Nick Shook:Yeah, Revell had a pick in this game. because the guy that Gardner Minshew was targeting fell down. But it was a nice play by him to be in the right place at the right time. Not surprised at all by Downs because I feel like he's been unfairly underrated even though he was one of the best defensive players in college football because of his size. It was all related to size. The kid could play at all three levels. I don't know why he fell to the point he didn't. The Cowboys were happy to scoop him up. But that was my number one note, which is Barham. Jumps off the screen. And maybe it's partially because of his hair.

1:42:45Nick Shook:That's fine. I love that kid. I totally see why he's in the mix right now. DeMarvion Overshown is probably the middle linebacker to start the season, but Jayshon Barham is pushing, and the two of them are both exciting players. I think you can figure out how to use them both. Another guy on Schottenheimer's list was Tyler Guyton. Jaden Blue was not a guy that he listed. The running backs, it's a mystery to me. I'm not sure Jaden Blue has much of a role at this point. I don't think he's the running back, too. I wouldn't be surprised if they pick up someone on waivers and blue is on their practice squad or is kind of running back three or four.

1:43:21It was a cool story here that a prospect by the name of Shiaz Pete is believed to be the first tribe member of the Navajo Nation to be on an NFL roster, had an entire section of fans, and they're well represented in Arizona, just giving him a huge standing ovation late in the game right behind the Cowboys bench. and very cool moment. He comes into the game late, helps to block on a late touchdown. They're chanting his name and he breaks down the team afterwards. And you got to find a spot for this guy on the practice squad because his teammates love him. And if nothing else, he gives better post locker room speeches than any player I've seen.

1:44:10So just keep him around for that. Very cool story. And a guy who picked up football late and it was like a walk-on in college. And I hope his story continues, one of the cool training camp stories out there. For the Cardinals, like sloppy practices and a really sloppy game. Like they struggled just to like snap the football, penalties, operation. And when I say sloppy practices, that's what Michael Fleur said. He said, our team knows we had a bad practice week. We've been sloppy all week. It carried over into the game. It's hard to have too many takeaways here. There was Noah Carson Beck again.

1:44:46Garrett Williams, their young cornerback, returned to practice at some level this week, returning from an Achilles injury. We haven't heard from Josh Sweat, their edge rusher. But right now we're just kind of waiting and seeing if Jeremiah Love can get ready for week one. But otherwise, I don't have a lot to say about this Cardinals performance.

1:45:04Nick Shook:I did think it was interesting that you threw Algier in there as a potential trade candidate for another team that needs a running back because the rest of this group all has some sort of health question at this point. Um, and I know that's not really a takeaway from the preseason action, but it's like, if you're taking full stock of this team right now, it's a sloppy operation, had a sloppy week, doesn't really have a healthy running back room. How do you calm down offense? You run the ball well. Right. So it's, it's interesting, but it's year one, you know, you're going to take your lumps in year one.

1:45:34Good point. They kind of need Tyler Algier. They also already like paid him is guaranteed money for this year. So the Bengals and the Bears played, and the Bengals won that game. The Bears starters were out there initially. Joe Burrow, though, I thought was more interesting than anything that happened in the game, talking about the urgency that he is looking for this season. I'm trying to put it out into the world. I'm trying to manifest it. I'm trying to show our guys the urgency that I have and that I want us to have as an organization to go and make it happen. You can keep pushing it down the road or you can talk about it now and say this is the year.

1:46:17I'm tired of saying next year, next year, next year. This is it. Your life is too short to keep pushing things down the road. and I'm trying to instill some urgency and some intensity in everybody to go and be great every day and try to go make it happen.

1:46:39What's up?

1:46:41Nick Shook:Maybe it's because I watched Friday Night Lights in the last week, but I can't help but just keep thinking about Billy Bob Thornton going, can you be perfect? Can you win state? I haven't ever, you know what's crazy? I've never watched a movie. It's way better than the TV series. way better the tv series is incredible i've watched the tv series at least twice in full like one of my all-time favorites gotta watch the movie okay but yeah his his and i get it like he feels confident and he's been like this the entire off season really since they traded for dexter lawrence he looks at them on paper and he says this is a defense that can compete and i know we have offensively now is the time let's go to it but the fact that you have to say publicly that you're trying to get the sense of urgency up is a little just a little unsettling for me zach taylor doesn't give you a great sense of urgency but no it's been i think they've had a great camp by all accounts like there's a couple issues tackle is one like they don't have a third tackle i think they feel a little bit better about their cornerback depth like we will well there's some questions about the defense but they feel good about the defensive line the offense they're really deep at receiver dexter lawrence by all accounts has had a monster training camp was great in the joint practice.

1:47:53I'm giving them the joint practice victory, according to all the reports, because of the Bengals' defense ultimately was kind of the biggest difference-making group there. And you just wouldn't expect that necessarily, that they played that well against the Chicago Bears' offense. But there is a little part of me that hears all this from Joe Burrow, and maybe it's unfair to Bengals fans, but hears it in a way that's like, or else, you know? Yeah, well, because it got pretty close to or else last year. Like, this better be the year or else I'm not going to be happy about it. Not just like who's my coach and stuff, but maybe I don't want to be here.

1:48:34But that's probably unfair. I'm sure Joe Burrow isn't consciously thinking that, but I can't help but think it. Joey B is happy. Joey B is happy. That's a drop I completely forgot exists. I love the receiver depth, by the way. Andre Yoshivas. I'm not even sure if he's the third receiver anymore. Dante Myers is there. I love Dante Myers. Kobe Young is a young player. They're good at finding receivers, and Joe Burrow is good at finding them on the field too. The starters for the Bears gave up 14 plays and 67 yards to Josh Johnson, the Bengals' third quarterback. They're playing all the backups in this game.

1:49:13Not like the best sign in the world. Caleb Williams played in this game, but Ben Johnson said after the game with some tough love that he thought Caleb Williams made the wrong read on what was a busted coverage that Caleb Williams tried to take advantage of and threw to Colston Loveland but he just didn't make the right read he Ben Johnson said look there's two receivers underneath that that's where your priorities should have been and they were wide open and the drive ended with that so some tough love there by Ben Johnson and Stacey dales on the broadcast saying and she knows this team better than anyone they are waiting for someone to step up at left tackle and it hasn't happened yet they've actually added contenders to the left tackle spot there are four players in the mix including braxton jones who's back from an injury and struggled in this game but they all look like they struggled in this game that makes

1:50:03Nick Shook:you a little worried for caleb williams it does a little bit but i i feel like i anticipated some uncertainty in this position and i think they did too because braxton jones was coming back from injury um and they tried to kind of prepare for this to happen by giving themselves options it is a little concerning that they haven't figured out at this point but i mean sometimes that just happens sometimes you don't guys don't come in and just crush their position every year and when there's some uncertainty sometimes nobody emerges from the pack and you just kind of have to choose the best or who's got the hot hand and figure it out as the season goes on but the thing is is like teams are figuring out as the season goes on across all positions because injuries happen everywhere So it's not the worst thing in the world.

1:50:43Yeah, I have my concerns, but I also think Ben Johnson makes them less important. They'll scheme around it. He'll scheme around it. But I do wonder if they're going to miss Drew Dahlman at center. It was a surprise retirement. It's Garrett Bradbury. He didn't look good in this preseason game either. And they have a lot of injuries, guys who are week to week for them. Kyle Monungay, their running back. Tyreek Stevenson, their cornerback. Kyler Gordon has been out forever. Luther Burden is uncertain for week one. It's the left tackle situation. There's just a lot of injuries right now, especially in the secondary.

1:51:13Let's go to the Giants and Dolphins. We have two more games to get through. Eric is going to kill me. I love everyone who is this deep into the podcast, who's with us live, but more just like in their ears. It's like the third listen because it's your third different drive to work, and it's taken that long to get through this entire podcast. This probably will be our longest podcast of the entire season. And it's preseason week to catching you up of an entire week. But this to me is like, it's what the sickos are all about. And I should, I should just be shutting up.

1:51:49Nick Shook:And I hope that you didn't lose your place listener. No, this is, this is your one moment in the, in the podcast. Remember me saying this now so that when you get out of the car and go into work, I hope your coffee's hot. I hope the weather's good. And I hope you don't lose. I mean, do you not listen to podcasts? It's not like they start over, Shook. I mean, I need you to be listening to more podcasts. What if they're getting out of the car right now and they turn it off and they walk into their office job or whatever they do, this is going to stick in their head and they'll be like, all right, I got to come back for the last two games.

1:52:18Okay, okay, yeah, you're right. Come back for Giants-Dolphins. 26 to three, Giants doing the double duty. They won the joint practice. They won the game even more decisively. The Giants reporters were taking victory laps that they crushed this joint practice. And it sounds like the Miami offense in the joint practices couldn't do anything. Malik Willis couldn't do anything. That's the second time that's happened in the joint practices, which is a little concerning. First time was a couple of weeks ago. But they also were saying it was Jackson Dart's best performance. And offensively, they looked pretty good.

1:52:53I think the running game was good. That's great to hear. But that it was their best performance throwing the ball. and I heard a breakdown on three yards per carry, this Dolphins, you know, podcast. There were zero touchdowns thrown by either quarterback, by either team. I've never heard of a joint practice where there's zero touchdowns thrown. How good of a victory could it be? How good could your offense be if you went 0-4 in the red zone period, like the Giants? So there's like, that's a tough joint practice, an entire joint practice without touchdowns.

1:53:26Nick Shook:that is a beat searching for positives because there's no scoring and let me tell you grain of salt think about who you're competing against maybe it was just the the red zone but the red zone periods usually get like 12 to 15 plays there was a famous to a tongue of iloa joint practice a couple years ago where i think he went like he hit 12 touchdowns in like 15 plays against the eagles and afterwards they talked about this on the podcast the eagles were talking about that team's going to the Super Bowl and they did start out the season with an awesome offense but they did not go to the Super Bowl narrator says but that's what you could do in these red zone periods and both teams went over I don't know what else to take from this game other than I can't wait to watch Arvel Reese play football on a week-to-week basis another couple snaps where he just absolutely destroys like a fullback in the hole and he is just a tough tough player i want to give a shout out to joe shane for getting the sixth round pick for daniel filele in the trade to the jaguars although it was probably more john harbaugh and his friends since daniel filele was like a raven and it's all yep yep uh raven following harbaugh to new york yeah and flipping it to a team in need probably a panic move to be honest with you um hashtag noticing tyrone tracy's uh precipitous fall down the depth chart this preseason now behind devin singletary in terms of who's getting snaps at what stage in the game and not helping himself by fumbling the football one week after blowing a block so bad that it sent jackson dart to the medical tent uh rough preseason for him yeah uh it doesn't get much more rough than that and yeah the fumble the nausea errors that that is tough also saw demotion darius alexander last year's third round pick another senior bowl hero uh who was starting for a while he's behind Chauncey Golston now Odell Beckham dropped a potential touchdown in this game and at this point it'd be surprising I think if he made the roster you know it's it's harsh to call that a drop he's he's leaping it would have been difficult but it's the type of plays that you know Odell Beckham used to make and it just doesn't seem like there's you know a spot for him on this team he was out of football last year so the expectations are probably always a little unfair if he wants to be on the practice squad like i could see that it's possible if he wants to keep playing football and work yeah because if you're on the practice squad you can get a job somewhere else too if they need you so it's better than being out of football entirely and getting those reps um look father time comes for everybody no del's been through it health-wise over the last few years which has really been on you know unfortunate for his career path um um And I also will say that, yes, he dropped that ball in the end zone, but he did have a catch.

1:56:13Nick Shook:It might have been earlier in that drive or maybe just earlier in the half where he made a guy miss. And I and I immediately like I knew it was him, but like he made he did a little step back. And I was like, oh, that's the Odell I saw in Cleveland in 2019. Like, I remember those fast feet. He still got a little bit in there. Let's go. I did see more than one. In fact, exactly two Odell Beckham, three jerseys at SoFi Stadium. I mean, he was barely with the Rams, and he was a big part of them winning that Super Bowl, the run, and then specifically the Super Bowl itself. But still, I was a little surprised to see a couple of Odell Beckham jerseys out there with a lot of the Cooper Cups still getting worn.

1:56:52What the heck? Let's listen to Odell Beckham. Let's go two hours on this. Let's make it Michael Mann heat. I'm never going to be 23-year-old me, but I'm very comfortable and confident in this version of myself. I'm pissed. This is the one that keeps me up at night. It's a play that I know I can make. Just felt like I was hanging so long. Didn't want to see you get your feet down. You take it on the chin like a man. Confidence is still there. And I know that I'll make that play next time. Not a lot to take from the Dolphins week. I don't know if Tutu Atwell is making this team. If you're curious, it kind of seems like he's not.

1:57:29Quinn Ewers is their backup quarterback. He could be back from an injury this week. I don't think the backup quarterback for this team is necessarily on their roster right now. The Dolphins defense had some moments in the joint practice, and Chop Robinson keeps getting a lot of love for how he's played this week. But if you are wondering how the Dolphins' week went between the joint practice and then this game, the Palm Beach Post ran a column on Sunday. Could the Dolphins go 0-17? What's your interest?

1:57:57Nick Shook:They could. No, you're wrong. They could. I hate it, but they could. I saw someone be like, this week should not have you adjust your over-under down from five to two. I agree. I think they're going to win three or four games. Let's calm down. Yeah. Zero is hard. I saw two teams do it, but you've got to have an extra stroke or two of bad luck to go. Oh, and 17 now with the extra game. But when you look at all the teams in the NFL, I know roster-wise which one's the worst as of now. The Bucks and Chiefs played, and we did see some starters, not Patrick Mahomes, but starters for both teams were in this game that made it more interesting.

1:58:40I thought our Mason Thomas, their pass rusher, the Chiefs, that they took high is flashing, like flashing again, which is good to see. Look, their first-round pick from four years ago, Felix Anadike Uzama is finally making some plays in the preseason. We'll see. Like, I didn't even know if he was going to make the team. I think he's going to make the team now. Harrison Bucker ended the first half with a 69-yarder, but he has not been as good in recent years. And then he missed the 43-yarder that would have won them this crucial preseason game, potentially. There was like three minutes left, but he missed it.

1:59:12He's had a lot of misses lately. Mansour Delane, their top pick, was out there. He looked good. And then their right tackle position seems like it's a problem. They have not found their right tackle. Jalen Moore, Khalil Benson, Esa Poole, all playing in this game, all struggling in this game. And that coincides with another point. If you're watching us, we appreciate you. Give us a like late in the show if you're still with us and that you get to see this Reuben Bain highlight of him just getting back to the quarterback. And I just feel like he's a quarterback, I mean, an edge rusher that I'm going to enjoy watching, you know, just push the defender back into the quarterback.

1:59:59This is a double win, really, between him and Yaya Diaby at the same time. And that's the type of pass rush I think this Bucs team could have, Shook.

2:00:08Nick Shook:Yeah, that is precisely what he did at Miami. He is not a guy who is super long. He's not a guy who's going to win with incredible Ben. He's going to get between your shoulders and win with power. And that's exactly what he did there, just shoving aside the offensive lineman in front of him to get inside. I think it this is going to be the first year in which they have a legitimate rusher opposite a guy like Diaby and a legitimate group that it strikes some fear in the hearts of opposing offenses since like the end of the Shaq Barrett era with them and the JPP time with them. And it's been a few years since then.

2:00:43Nick Shook:Major win for this side of the of the ball. They desperately needed it. And Bain is exactly what I thought he was going to be. All I want for them is to stay healthy and maximize production. It's good to see flashes in the preseason. Yeah, I think this pass rush could be one of the most improved groups in the entire NFL. David Walker was cooking a big spin move in this game. Diaby, Bain, Kalajic, Kanti. And yes, they got their guy, Vitavia, locked up long term, two years,$48 million. It's almost all guaranteed. I was close, Chuck. I said, in the end, they just got to give him a big one-year raise and get on with it.

2:01:21They did one year better. They gave him a nice raise for this season, and they gave him a nice guaranteed season next year, and then it's over. So terrific bit of business. Good holdout. As holdouts go, I think it was perfectly placed. Trade request, well done. He's back with plenty of time before the season starts. And Jalen Daniels will wrap here. could be the quarterback too of this team. Where did he play? Kansas? Was he Kansas? Yep.

2:01:50Nick Shook:And he was one half of why Kansas was a really fun team to watch and a more enjoyable team to fantasize about their potential that they never quite reached when he was playing quarterback and Devin Neal was at running back. I love watching Jalen Daniels play football. He's having a really good preseason. And I know that he's making a difference when my Buccaneer fan friends text me Jalen Daniels for starter because they're being facetious. But it's still that's good. It's good news. They're saying actually that they want him to be QB2 over Jake Browning. I don't think that's going to happen, but I think he's probably earned his way onto the team.

2:02:24Nick Shook:I don't know, man. I don't like Browning's fitness offense based on what I saw this weekend. Browning hasn't looked like that little surge of a three to five game sequence where he was winning games with Jamar Chase. T. Higgins where the numbers didn't look much worse with him compared to Burrow. we are wrapping this show up and we're going to finish in just under two hours with the Titans and the Seahawks. Now we have to be real shook. You're not prepped for this. We've taped the show as kickoff happened in this game. And so I'm not going to pretend like I have massive takeaways from a game where cam ward was out there for three drives.

2:03:06I did go check and they only ended up with three points. I think it's fair to say like the Cam Ward camp and preseason has been frustrating for its lack of production and the up and down practices. And we'll see like what it looks like when when live bullets are out there. But he was out there and and they didn't get it done. Some starters out there for the Seahawks, but not many. Maybe not the best sign in the world either that drew lock, you know, drove right down the field against the Titans starters and had a touchdown. Don't want to overreact to the preseason, but it hasn't been a great one for the Titans.

2:03:40Nick Shook:Offensively, I would say trust the process. Give this time. This is not going to happen overnight with the new staff and Brian Dable and everything. Defensively, I would be a little bit more concerned because that's the side that you invest in a lot to get a lot of Robert Saul's guys. We'll see. We'll see right now. New staff, you've got to give it time, but I think I would have a lot more patience with the offensive side with Cam Ward and not hit the panic button too much. It is fun, though. It's a nice little example of how we do this, how the cake is baked, that we may or may not get a highlight from a game that happened while we were doing this.

2:04:15Nick Shook:And it may have come from none other than Drew Locke. Our producer, Eric Roberts, is so good that he has a Drew Locke touchdown ready for us. Why not? If you stuck around this long, let's enjoy some Sunday night football. Fuck! From the 36. No! Off the play fake. Catch is made and is taken into the end zone by Arroyo for a Seahawks touchdown. Arroyo. Arroyo, baby. Let's go. My guy. I think he's going to be great. Man, that kid moves like you want your tight end to move in the year 2026. I think he can make it happen in year two. Not what you want to see out of the defense. Totally blown coverage there by the Titans.

2:04:59Not supposed to be that complicated a defense. I don't know. You say trust the process. I hate to say it, but Tennessee has kind of reached the point where they're like the Jets and the Browns to me, where it's like, I'm not, I'm not trusting the process just because of the uniforms until they prove otherwise. I'm sorry. Well, it's a new staff. I'm going to give them some. I know, but like, it's just, I, I've been hurt before by, by trusting the Titans process. it for today's show. Thank you, Shook, for hanging out. Thank you to my family who've been knocking on the garage door. Aren't you done?

2:05:35We were supposed to go do something. Thank you to everyone who tuned in live. We love to do it on Sunday nights. It's not going to be our last Sunday night episode of the season. Next week, we will be here recapping Cutdown Day. That'll be same time Sunday at 8 p.m. Eastern, but we're going to be in your ears all week long. Really exciting set of shows, including the NFC North, our final division preview with superstar Jordan Rodrigue that is coming on Monday. See you then.

2:06:08This is an iHeart Podcast. Guaranteed human.