The 2026 TAFS Wins Pool Draft

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1:58Robert Mays: Welcome to the Athletic Football Show, brought to you by the U.S. Bank Smartly Visa Signature Card. I'm Robert Mays. We got a good one for you guys today. It's the Winspool Draft, one of my favorite things we do each and every season. We didn't really explain the rules at the top of this, so just a heads up. Each year, we pick a collection of teams, the three of us, and whoever has the least amount of wins at the end of the season has to pay off a bet on Radio Row. Last year, Derek had to wear a wolf costume because the standard of the bet was that whatever team did you in the worst, you had to dress up like a super fan of that team.

2:29Robert Mays: We're not exactly sure what the punishment is this year, but same general idea with how the competition is going to work. The only thing is we did eight teams each this year, eight good teams rather than picking a selection of bad teams. So those are the rules as we get started. One wrinkle to this. We recorded this live at Lincoln Hall in Chicago, which was great. It was really fun to do it in front of an audience. Ran into one small hiccup. There was an issue with the audio that cuts out at some point during the recording. It was right in the middle of Derek's picking the Chiefs again, which is very funny.

3:02Robert Mays: And then it missed a couple picks right after that. It's me taking the Niners and then Dave picking the Bears at 15. And then it comes back during the discussion of Dave's pick of the bears. We're sorry about this. This is obviously something we can't really control. This is just the nature of it when you're doing a live show and kind of in somebody else's hands when it comes to the audio itself. We are going to hopefully go get the actual recording off of the hard drive from the venue at some point this week and re-upload the entire show at some point if we can do that. And so apologies. Obviously, I hate when stuff like this happens, but there was really nothing we could do about it.

3:38Robert Mays: And we absolutely wanted you to have the majority of the show in your guys' feeds. Thank you so much to everyone who came out to the live show. We love doing them. We'll continue to do them in some capacity, hopefully do them in some different cities moving forward. But that's what we got today. It's the Winspool draft with a little chunk left out of the middle, which we're sorry for. Let's get to it right now.

4:04Robert Mays: I'd like to say we were cultivating an air of mystery back there, but we were just working through some technical stuff. I was trying to do my best Axl Rose impression. That's not our vibe. Far from it. It could be. I've listened to enough Guns N' Roses. You are the most mysterious rock star of the group, for sure. Sincerely appreciate all of you guys coming. We are really looking forward to this. The wind's pool is obviously an important part of the athletic football show lore and has been for many years. If you guys have forgotten what is at stake with this show and with this exercise, a quick reminder, Oh, yeah.

4:41Robert Mays: So if anyone here is unfamiliar with how this has gone, that is you. That's you, buddy. That is you dressed as a wolf on Radio Row. That is you. If anyone is unfamiliar with how... What? The hot dog. Oh, yes, exactly. So if anyone's unfamiliar with this, we have done this show for three years now. I lost the first two years. The first punishment was that I had to dress in the I think you should leave hot dog suit in a very professional environment. And the sheer amount of looks I got from people working there at the convention center in Los Angeles was worth it. The next year was actually my wife's friend's idea.

5:19Robert Mays: The punishment was we had to get our face painted like a child at a kid's birthday party. I don't know if I ever talked about this. I literally had a, I found a woman in New Orleans that would come do it at your hotel room. Great city for it. And so I had a woman come to my hotel room and paint my face. and every 10 seconds she was like, we need more glitter. And she just kept throwing it at me. She knew what this was about. I was finding glitter in my clothes for a month after we did this. And so I was so happy last year that I did not lose and that Derek actually had to bite the bullet. And you took it like a champ.

5:54Robert Mays: I wish that you had kept the wolf face more than you did, but... Well, it's hard because you want to walk the line of like make it look like a wolf but still make it obvious that it's me. If it's full wolf mask, You have to endure all the shame for sure. Nobody knows that it's you. I think what it really set in for me was maybe like 30, 45 minutes into like, cause I did a couple of laps. I'm trying to make sure that everybody sees me. You were a good support about it. And one of the Giants reporters, I forget who it was, but they had posted something on Twitter about like, that's day two at Radio Row and it's, it's me.

6:24And I'm like, I know him.

6:25Derrik Klassen: Like what, uh, what players or coaches did you have to talk to that day? Do you remember? I don't think I had any of my player stuff that day. So I didn't have to do any work in it.

6:35Robert Mays: That's a mistake on our part. We should have made that happen.

6:38Derrik Klassen: Anybody but Fred Warner, I would have been okay. You couldn't have made me do Fred Warner in that. My biggest fear with this, like, I don't take myself seriously, obviously, if you've ever looked at me. But the idea of, like, having to talk to Kyle Hamilton or somebody dressed like that just sends shivers down my spine. All pros should be off the board.

6:53Robert Mays: I did have to do it. I can't remember who it was. The hot dog suit, I definitely had to talk to someone. The fact that I can't remember is an indication that I pushed it all out of my mind. what is what's our punishment this year have we figured that out we've not figured that out yet i think it was going to be a similar sort of deal because i do like this because it changes every single year depending on the fan base and so we haven't settled on it yet if you guys have suggestions we would love to hear from you but i think we're aiming and leaning this direction super fan-ish yes okay so the nice wrinkle with this is we do not know the order that these picks are going to happen in we're all going to find that out together because we're going to do the 100-yard dash live to figure out what the draft order is.

7:34Robert Mays: Katie, you cue it up when you're ready. Now, I'm very invested in this. Oh, boy.

7:43Robert Mays: Oh, boy. Oh, God. Oh! Oh! I think this is the first time Dave has won one of these, so he's very excited.

7:54Derrik Klassen: I've been... I foresaw that this morning. I was like, I'm gonna win. This is your moment. I'm gonna win. Oh. I can't say I love that I'm wearing the same shirt.

8:05Robert Mays: I can't say I love that.

8:06Derrik Klassen: I can't say I love that.

8:07Robert Mays: I can't say I love anything about that photograph, which I communicated to Katie when I saw that she put it on there. I love you. Thank you. The best part about this is you guys have listened to the show. There's some preparation that goes into it. There are some numbers that we look up. We take it very seriously. We want to do a good job. There is nothing like that associated with this exercise. This is 100 % vibes based. I have a list of teams. There's no notes. There's no numbers. This is just all about who you want to believe in over the course of the season. And it's the most punishing show we will do.

8:40Robert Mays: We should do the most research with this. Dave literally pulled a piece of paper out of his shoe. That's what we're doing here. Like the offenses and defenses draft. If we lose, okay, we've got to buy a dinner. But that's not like emotionally and personally embarrassing. Losing this is a different level.

8:55Derrik Klassen: The late Mike Leach always said, like, you should be able to fit your offense on a five by three index card. Don't overcomplicate this. So that's what I'm doing tonight.

9:05Robert Mays: All right, well, you have the first pick. I assume I know what you're going to be doing with this.

9:08Derrik Klassen: You know, it's funny. If you've listened to the show this summer, I've been trying like hell to hedge against the LA Rams because it's terrifying to have that much expectation of success. Matthew Stafford's 38. The tackles, we know. There's a lot of old players on this team. I just want to be invested in the LA Rams and I spent the summer hedging I'm not going to overthink it tonight I want to I want to be involved with this team I want to be rooting for the Rams and enjoying watching them play football this year there are a few ways I could have gone with this to try to overthink it like I did with the bills and the offense draft I'm not doing that tonight I'm taking the LA Rams they're the Super Bowl favorite their odds are insane Aaron Donald's going to play with Miles Garrett this year.

9:54Derrik Klassen: I'm over the moon. I'm extremely jealous.

9:57Robert Mays: Yeah. Just having any sort of stake in what they are, I'm extremely jealous.

10:00Derrik Klassen: I would be so mad if I talked myself out of the Rams and then just watched them steamroll everybody all season. I don't want to do that. And, of course, it could blow up in my face, but that's a risk I'm very comfortable with.

10:11Robert Mays: The unfortunate part of having the second pick is that no matter what I do, I'm going to piss somebody off. Somebody's going to be offended that I did not choose them. You have the easy one. No one's going to be offended if you go with the Rams. Except Seahawks fans. But they're not going to be offended. They understand the regular season wins. Whether they should be the Super Bowl, all that stuff. Treating the Rams winning the Super Bowl as a foregone conclusion should piss Seahawks fans off. Picking the Rams to win the most games in the regular season in the NFL this year, I think, is a completely reasonable place to land.

10:38Robert Mays: Yeah, that's fair. I have a board, and I'm already just ignoring it. That's the beauty of the exercise. I'm just completely ignoring it already.

10:49Derrik Klassen: how how are you already second guessing this when you knew what i was gonna do to make him feel better i looked at my board just now and i have three teams in the top category and i was like maybe the fourth one is actually the one that i should be that's the problem it's essentially a

11:05Robert Mays: tier of four teams or three teams after the rams that you could choose from all right i already regret this i'm gonna go with the ravens oh man okay Okay. You heard it here, folks.

11:17Derrik Klassen: Robert May is back to the Baltimore Ravens.

11:19Robert Mays: That's the team I wanted to ride with. They have the same over-under as the Rams. It's 11 and a half. Do they really? Which would probably shock most people. Shocked me when I saw it. I feel okay about this. I believe in the Jesse Minter thing. I've hitched my wagon emotionally now to Declan Doyle, which I'm comfortable doing. I'm okay with it. I'm going to go with the Ravens. In part because the Seahawks play in the same division as the Rams and the 49ers. I just think that and the Ravens play not a first place schedule. They didn't make the playoffs last year and so this is more about the tiebreaker considerations with the Ravens compared to a team like the Seahawks I was even the Bills giddy to draft the Ravens last year

11:56Derrik Klassen: and we saw how that went so it might just be it might be sour grapes that's also part of it is

12:00Robert Mays: that they had the down year last year I don't know if it's gonna happen again and so you had to endure that I don't know if I'll have to and I also think like on a very simple level not that quarterback wins is everything but like since Lamar Jackson has been the starter they're like the second or third most winning team in the NFL. Like, they just pump out wins. Like, they will most likely be a very good football team. And this is not scientific whatsoever, but every time Lamar has had a new offensive coordinator in the last five years, he's won the MVP that season. And so I'm just, we have an on-again, off-again sort of situation with the Ravens.

12:29Robert Mays: I'm hoping this is one of the on-again seasons. You're up at three, Derek. What are you doing? That actually made my decision easier. Yes. To me, which leaves me with the Buffalo Bills, and I feel pretty good about that. I feel pretty good about taking the Buffalo Bills. There's a little bit of uncertainty. I don't know if I love Joe Brady being the head coach, but Josh Allen is consistently elite, and I'm okay riding with that. What are you thinking over there? Well, I just love the fact that you shouldn't pick the Seahawks now because mathematically, because you're limiting your chances of maximizing your win total.

13:00Derrik Klassen: I don't give a shit. They only play each other twice. I'll be okay. Sorry, we're stepping on Derek's thing. No, I mean, there's not a whole lot to say. They're the Bills. Like I, even if I have some questions about the defense, I do think that injecting some new ideas there is nice. And it's what you said on the offense show. When Josh Allen is out there, they're a top five offense every single time. I'm pretty sure so long as the defense is not a burning crater, they will be an 11 win team and I'll be okay with that. It is a pretty safe pick for that reason. I just, maybe we really do hate the Seahawks.

13:33Derrik Klassen: We just, we always let them fall in these exercises, but I won't let that happen. I'll take them right here with my, what is it? Fourth pick? Yeah. I just, they're better than fourth, right? This is not about who's the best team. This is about who's going to win the most games. These are two different questions. I think they're going to pile up wins this year. Even in the NFC West, I think it's okay. Like, they beat the -

13:54Robert Mays: I just think the division is harder. The schedule is going to be harder. They won the division last year. That was the rationale for the Ravens. It's a coin flip between the Ravens and the Seahawks. I want to be very clear about the fact that it was a coin flip between the Ravens and the Seahawks. This is mostly not for you guys. This is for the audio audience of Seahawks fans that are going to be listening to this later on.

14:12Derrik Klassen: There are real reasons to be concerned about Seattle. Like, I mean, the offense was what it was down the stretch of last year. You're changing offensive coordinators. I think Reek Willen leaving is flying so under the radar on a national level, in my opinion. And I've brought it up before, too. They were even I know they dealt with injuries at times during the season, but they were very healthy for a team that relies on guys like DeMarcus Lawrence and Leonard Williams to be a big part of the reason why they're successful. I'm still 100 % comfortable banking on this as like an 11 plus win team.

14:48Derrik Klassen: And I like the division's tough. The Rams are there. I don't really care. I think that stuff will even out in the end. I only have to sweat this twice over the course of the season.

14:55Robert Mays: I'm not even that worried about them. Again, it comes down to like some tiebreaker stuff. I would have been more than comfortable taking them a two. the corner stuff is fine the corner injuries are real and they're dealing with a lot of defensive back concerns over the course of training camp independent of the guys they lost i believe in mike mcdonnell and i'm excited about the offense you see me just trying to convince everyone that i feel better about the seahawks we're really just protecting ourselves you guys don't understand what seahawks fans were like this summer none of you understand it it was tough i would have taken them at three if if the bills were not on the board but the bills to me just felt weirdly safer even if the Seahawks are the Super Bowl winners.

15:32Robert Mays: You would have taken the Seahawks over the Ravens. My heart wants to take the Ravens because I love Lamar Jackson like one of my future children. The Seahawks feel a little bit safer given that Mike McDonald is the best defensive play caller. Alright, so I'm up at five now? Or five, right? Yes. This is an easy one for me. I'm going to take the Detroit Lions. See, the Lions schedule is horrendous. Go look at the Lions are favored in every game they play this year except for like one or two. So this is a schedule choice. I do think the Lions are going to be good, but if this is about who wins the most games in the regular season,

16:07Derrik Klassen: I feel good about this. I came in here feeling smart as hell because I thought y 'all were going to leave the Lions to me. Absolutely not. I didn't dream. I didn't dream about having the Seahawks available. I think the Lions are an amazing pick. I debated taking them a lot higher just because they're going to be scheduled merchants. They're going to win like 13 games this year. I don't know if that means they're good. Stop trying to jinx me already. They're going to win like 11 games and I'm going to be happy with it.

16:31Robert Mays: But I feel very good about if you get 11 wins from your second pick,

16:35Derrik Klassen: that's not bad at all. I picked, I think I took the Ravens first overall last year. It was so embarrassing, but good luck with that. It'll be fun.

16:42Robert Mays: I feel okay about it. I think the offense, the floor of the offense is extremely last year. They fired the offensive coordinator like six weeks into the season and they were the third highest scoring offense in the league or some bullshit. I mean, they were so good offensively and in a down year,

16:58Derrik Klassen: The pressure is completely off when I don't have to worry about whether you're going to win the Super Bowl. Just like, oh, yeah, they're going to win 12 plus games. They get to play like the Giants and the Titans. This is going to be great. The defense might be a flaming wreckage of a disaster.

17:10Robert Mays: Sure. But I'm OK with that. I think the offense will be good enough. And with the schedule, that was it was an easy choice for me. You're up at six, Derek. What are you thinking? This is the worst spot in the draft. I disagree. I don't know. To me, there were five teams where I was like, I would feel electric if I got any of these with my first two pick. And I think this next year, there are like eight teams here I feel pretty good about. But to me, it's a pretty precipitous drop. That being said, I think I'm going to take the Houston Texans.

17:37Derrik Klassen: I just I can read you like a book. I mean, listen, I believe that that defensive will be the best in the NFL again. And like even if the offense is. Eight percent better than it was last year, I think that that's enough for them to win 11 games again. I'm not saying you're wrong, but you just want to root for the Texans. Absolutely.

17:55Robert Mays: That is part of this exercise. Because, listen, if part of this is going to be, I'm going to lose how I want to lose, last year I picked the Bengals, and they f***ed me, and I don't like that team. There's your first F-bomb, Katie. The best part about this is I just know that there are landmines that you won't choose. Oh, probably. And so it does make the draft a little bit easier to predict, and the Bengals are the most obvious example. And you just never do that again. No, I won't do it again. And if I'm going to go down, I can go down with D 'Amico Ryans and his defense. That's fine by me. I can't remember an offense with this level of uncertainty going this high in the wins pool draft.

18:34Robert Mays: And they probably shouldn't. It is a signal of what the defense could potentially be.

18:39Derrik Klassen: It's going to be great sitting in the studio on Sundays watching Derek watch the fourth quarter of like a 1916 Texans game. That's the problem.

18:48Robert Mays: Is that even if the defense is phenomenal, the amount of just disgusting football games you may have to be emotionally invested in, you're going to be torn in two directions. You want to believe in the defense, but just you should have thought more about the in-the-moment experience that you're going to have to endure with this. It's not going to be good. Football season has arrived, and with the U.S. Bank's Smartly Visa signature card, you earn an unlimited 2 % cash back on every purchase, including at the stadium or at home watching on a brand new TV. Score big with unlimited 2 % cash back on every purchase.

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22:04all right so Dave you're up at seven there's two teams I could pick I I think I know the two teams

22:11Derrik Klassen: that you're picking between and I'm comfortable with either of them and so I feel okay about this I've been kissing their asses all off season so I don't think it's a big mystery

22:23Derrik Klassen: i am i'm i'm gonna i could say put my money with my where my mouth is with all of these teams but i really i believe in denver i believe oh that's shocking that is not what i expected you to do i believe in the denver broncos i think like the defense is what it is and the offense is going to be better this year jalen waddle go burr wow that's surprising to me i don't i don't think it's I don't think it's terribly surprising at all.

22:47Robert Mays: I don't want to give away who I thought you were going to take because I'm going to wait.

22:50Derrik Klassen: Well, the fact that you felt comfortable with the other team, we're just giving away all of our strategy here. But I could have taken Philly. I assume that's what you think I'm talking about. No. No. That is what I should have done and would have been a lot more reasonable and rational. But again, if I'm going to go down with someone, it's not going to be Bo Nix. See? See? See? See? Here's my take. I'm just... I did do that last year, to be fair. I didn't have the Broncos, and it was really good for me.

23:21Robert Mays: This is not... As we've gotten deeper and deeper into the exercise, and we've done it over multiple years, this is no longer about winning. This is about being comfortable with the way you are going to lose. That is 100 % what this is about now.

23:34Derrik Klassen: And that's... Bo Nix is orange Jalen Hurts at this point. And like... Yeah? That's exactly right. I don't care if you don't like the way it looks. Does it work? And it does work. I don't think they're going to win 14 games this year, but they are one of the most complete teams in the entire league.

23:52Robert Mays: I appreciate you because Derek and I, and I say this with all the self-awareness in the world and understanding that is a fault of mine. Derek and I have a very hard time separating the aesthetic from the practical. Correct. And you do not have that problem. And it's almost a superpower in something like this. but I envy it

24:11Derrik Klassen: but I also wouldn't want to live that way picture a Sunday night and like Denver just did some Denver bullshit and Mays and Derek are just like they're not four touchdowns of the Giants and then come back and win

24:22Robert Mays: just infuriating but I'll benefit from it it's okay alright so talking about putting our money where our mouth is I've done it all off season oh the other oh okay if I wasn't going to believe in it now was it ever even real. I hate myself for doing this. I've hated myself for believing in them the entire summer. I'm going to take the Dallas Cowboys. The degree

24:49Derrik Klassen: to which this show has put the Cowboys into this echelon. It is gross. And like I have I have personal stakes in the Cowboys being good. It would be fun for me if they were. But like taking them eighth overall in an exercise like this coming off of last season is a bridge too far for me. I just can't. And you know what? What is the obvious choice? We've already... I put them on the table over the Eagles.

25:16Robert Mays: Who else would I even pick?

25:18Derrik Klassen: The other team that you hate. New England. Oh, absolutely not. Absolutely not. See, that's the landline he's not going to step on.

25:25Robert Mays: There's a couple where you guys just know I'm not going to take them as high as you will,

25:28Derrik Klassen: especially you. You took Seattle last year and it's why you won the wins pool because you saw that coming better than we did. So maybe you're right, but I just... I can't wholeheartedly believe in such a drastic change on one side of the ball. It's too much for me.

25:45Robert Mays: We do this every preseason, and it kind of drives me nuts. The NFL changes so much from year to year. It changes so much. Somebody is going to be this year's commanders. That's going to happen. Some team that was wildly successful, we just get into this place, And I think part of it is that you don't want to be the contrarian that's going against it because the idea of spitting in the face of a fan base that made the playoffs last year feels cruel and rude. But at the same time, that's just not the way the league works. Like there are going to be teams that were borderline. The Seahawks were not a dominant, clear favorite to win the Super Bowl last year.

26:25Robert Mays: Like this happens every single year. And so just going based on what happened last season, there's a safety to that, but there's also limitations to that.

26:33Derrik Klassen: Right around the time, I don't remember if it was Tucker Craft or Luke Musgrave, but a tight end for Green Bay caught a pass in that playoff game against Dallas where there was nobody else in the screen. Like, there was no one standing by him. And when that happened, I was like, I'm never believing in this team again until somebody gives me a reason to.

26:53Robert Mays: There's a chance. This is one of those where if it goes poorly, the level of self-loathing that I will have to endure over the course of the season. There's a lot of risk involved in this, And it's not just about the results. It's about the process of actually having to live it every single week. But I've got so much shit out there on record at this point. Like in for a penny, in for a pound. Let's do it.

27:13Derrik Klassen: It's, it's like a fantasy football draft where you draft your guy in every league. Like that's what you're doing with the Cowboys. And I respect it. I've done it. I've committed to it.

27:21Robert Mays: There's no walking it back now. All right, Derek, you're up at nine. What do you got? Nothing good.

27:27Derrik Klassen: Um, man, you guys are so mean. There's still like five teams. I mean, there's plenty of teams. There's good teams, but all of them at this point, you're making a bet on something. And it's not low enough in the order that you feel OK just taking bets like this is like you really want to land it. I think because of some of the other teams that I've taken. I think I'm actually going to take the Los Angeles Chargers.

27:53Robert Mays: I think that's fair. They're in like this little grouping that I had here. there's all of these teams have something but something about the vibes about the chargers just feel better i think i just like mike mcdaniel it's a lot of it speaking of things we do every offseason justin derek watched the one justin herbert 65 yard throw and everything that's happened in the last five years ceased to matter to quinton johnston who might be good now it's i i'm gonna be the person even though i did draft justin herbert in every single fantasy league It was kind of accidental. I don't believe in them to this extent, but I'm trying to keep the Chargers at arm's length as much as I can.

28:35Robert Mays: If it happens and I wasn't on the train, I'm fine living that way. I can't do it again. And listen, I don't even think that they're going to be an elite team or contender or anything like that. But this team consistently won 10 games with whatever they were doing the last couple of years. And I know that Jesse Minter was a big part of that, but if you can tell me we can supercharge the Justin Herbert offense, I think that they will get at least to that level again. I feel pretty good about that. It feels like a safe pick. Yeah. That famous last words potentially, but it feels like a fairly high floor pick.

29:03Robert Mays: Chargers and safe being lumped in together. But I'm talking about the wins they've had. They haven't reached the heights that they want to. They've been a playoff team the last couple years. If we were picking Super Bowl champion, I'd put them a little bit lower down the rung.

29:16Derrik Klassen: But Jim Harbaugh and Justin Herbert are going to win 10 games. Back-to-back 11 win seasons, right? Can do it again. You could do a lot worse than that. All right, so Dave, you're up. All right, this is pick 10. Y 'all are making this easy. I didn't think I'd get both of them, but I'm ecstatic to take. Oh, oh, no. I guess I'll just take the MVP runner up who added AJ Brown to his team. Yeah, I'm cool with that. I'll take New England.

29:37Robert Mays: This is okay with me because I was never going to pick them. So that's why I'm fine with this. I only didn't because I have Buffalo and like that was kind of the tiebreaker. That's fair. I didn't think about that.

29:51Derrik Klassen: I get to root for Drake May and the Rams this year who's got it better than me

29:59Robert Mays: I had a pretty obvious choice of who I was going to take next and now I have to second guess it they do only play twice though

30:03Derrik Klassen: it's two games dude and you're guaranteed a win it's less than you think but those games feel bad that week when you roll up to the looking at the win pool you can do is one and one yes when you look at the windspool spreadsheet and you've got like two auto losses you're like this this is how i know this is how i know y 'all aren't like gifted slackers because like a guaranteed b is great like no oh i don't have to worry about this i'm guaranteed a one and one no we're high rolling no i'm fine with that i the two teams that i was picking between

30:39Robert Mays: a round ago you did not mention either of those teams and the fact that i have both of them now because the team I'm going to take with my next pick is terrifying because they are the same team. They have been the same team in every way over the last three years. This is partially schedule-driven. Their schedule is also hot garbage, and I'm betting on that, and I do think they will be better. I'm picking the Cincinnati Bengals.

31:05Derrik Klassen: I wish I could go back to January and tell you that you are going to get up here in front of so many wonderful people and the Tafts audience in general and back the Cowboys and the Bengals together at the same time. I just said the self-loathing that's going to happen

31:22Robert Mays: with the Cowboys is extreme.

31:24Derrik Klassen: I'm owning all of this. Now that, look, I mean, okay, so it's the team that I covered for a decade and the team that employs all of my favorite players. So now that I have been too cowardly to draft them, they're both going to just go apeshit this year and win like 12 plus games and you're going to benefit. at least. So congrats.

31:42Robert Mays: Joe Burrow getting hurt is the only thing I'm worried about. And you should be worried about that. I mean, it happens like every 10 minutes, but I think that it feels a little bit sturdier this year than it has felt. I think the defensive improvements personnel wise, this is not winning the Superbowl, by the way, this is a different exercise. So the idea of their defense being good enough to win the Superbowl, we're not talking about that. I'm talking about them winning 10 games with a terrible schedule because they have the 18th best defense, Joe Burrow, Jamar Chase, and T. Higgins.

32:11Derrik Klassen: And I do think that is possible. I'm just imagining Zach Taylor playing for field goals from the 35-yard line in overtime.

32:20Robert Mays: I didn't think about that part. In terms of what it looks like, that part of it might not be very fun. I actually do think that they are in for an 11-win season, so long as Joe plays 14, 15 games. I don't know how it ends, but I feel decent about that sort of outcome. And this is bad strategy, but because of what they did to me last year, like they would have needed to, I think go around for me to feel better. You absolutely can't do it. It would have just hurt. Speaking of teams that have hurt you, I'm curious what your next pick is going to be here. Yeah. I'm in a pretty weird position here.

32:51Um, man,

32:57it's, it's, it's, oh man, it's either a team I really don't enjoy. I think I have to take one team. I don't enjoy. I'll take the Philadelphia Eagles okay

33:10Robert Mays: that is surprising I don't feel good about it I don't feel good about it but I do think and maybe I'm gaming myself too much about like which to who how many teams I have in each division and all that stuff but I do think that there's a chance that the defense is really really good and I don't believe in the offense but I don't know if I need to believe in the offense that much when they have four scheduled wins and maybe the best defense in football

33:34Derrik Klassen: I would have taken him if you hadn't like don't that does make me feel better don't overthink it you are more clear eyed than me so the best one you know i wouldn't have because you are with me on the jalen hurts

33:45Robert Mays: thing and i've just again i'm just i'm not gonna fly in the face of things i've been saying all offseason like we had a fantasy draft last night i refused to pick any eagles offensive players

33:54Derrik Klassen: because i was like i either believe it or i don't yeah i got don tavian wicks late and i'm elated i

33:59Robert Mays: was a little bit jealous about that that is the one guy where it's like i do i still have a candle I just think inevitably we're picking eight teams. There's going to be one or two of them I don't feel that good about. And last year I did not feel very good about picking the Denver Broncos. And this is a similar-ish sort of team to me. And so, again, I don't feel great about it, but I'll take it.

34:19Derrik Klassen: So you didn't feel good about picking the team that went 14-3? Well, going into it, I was like, it's the Bo Nix team, and I know the defense is good but not elite. There's a lesson in there, is there not? We'll see. He's still lost. I didn't feel good about the Bengals and then they won six games. That's fair.

34:37Robert Mays: All right. So Europe. No, we're reversing it now. So this was always the plan. We were going to reverse the order after the first 12 picks in order to make it seem fair, even though I really don't care. Like the idea that we should do more snake drafts with this. I got this is a fake wins pool draft on a podcast. I do. Okay. The competitive integrity of this exercise is not important to me.

34:57Derrik Klassen: When we're wagering dinner in LA, I don't really care that much. but like with if I have to got the first pick you give a shit I mean yeah I'm looking for every advantage I can get I mean if we didn't reverse it you wouldn't have had the advantage the whole time oh wow shit I'm arguing against myself no I'm I don't like this because I don't want to dress up like uh Patriot Pat or whatever his name is I don't know that would be a terrible one we'll get

35:24Robert Mays: there that's a tough one oh my god that's actually one of the best ones you have to dress like a Minute man. I don't know if they'd let you bring the musket to Radio Row.

35:31Derrik Klassen: No, that would be a tough sell. You're not up, by the way. I signed up for my own punishment. So I'm up again.

35:37Robert Mays: You're up twice. Now we'll just reverse the order for the next four rounds. So now you have two picks in a row.

35:48I think I'm going to bet on the best quarterback in football. I'm shocked that you didn't do this with your last pick. Maybe subconsciously I knew that I had two picks. You did not know that.

35:58Robert Mays: I'm going to say that I knew that now. I'm shocked that you didn't do this with your last pick. And I'm a little bit pissed off because I was ready to take them. Yeah, I'm going to take the Kansas City Chiefs. And there again, they're a team I feel weird about. But if we're talking about teams that I am backing what I've said, I've said a lot this offseason. Like, anytime Mahomes is out there, I believe the offense will be fine. And I believe in the defense. Like, a lot of the young players they're bringing in, Spagnuolo has done this a million times before. So I don't love that I already have a team in the division.

36:22But, like, at this point, you're kind of just going to be stuck doing that. So I will bet on Patrick Mahomes bouncing back.

36:28Robert Mays: Yeah, I think that's completely a reasonable thing to do. Yeah. And even if you look at the record last year, I think a lot of people are going to say, well, they were going to miss the playoffs even before Mahomes got hurt. Yes. The Chiefs were a very frustrating team last year. If you look at the luck-based numbers for them last season, it was the exact opposite spectrum of what had happened the previous couple of years. Their record in one score games last year is hilarious.

36:50Derrik Klassen: They lost every single one of them. Is that like the biggest oscillation between winning every close game and losing? Oh, I'm sure there's plenty of examples of it. Because the year before, they were like 11-0 or something. People were trying to boycott the NFL over the Chiefs' close game luck in 2024. And that's my other thing. I get why there are parts of the Chiefs that feel like maybe the dynasty is over. I think it's just like, I think it's more likely the team that was the best in the NFL for six years is probably going to be good after one mediocre season. Keep talking. I don't like what might be happening here.

37:27Are you on the phone?

37:28Robert Mays: Hey, I have a quick question for you. Here we go. The Chiefs vacillation, but just by the way, you're on speakerphone in front of 200 people at our live show in Lincoln Hall in Chicago.

37:41Robert Mays: So the Chiefs going to what, the Chiefs score in one score games was what last year? Bad. What was it though? You know what it was. It was like one in seven or something? It was like one in eight. Okay. Is that the difference between last year and the year before? Is that the biggest one-year swing you can remember? It is the biggest one-year swing, and it's not particularly close. Is that Bill? Yeah. Hey, Bill, thank you for making me feel better about my pick. We figured you would know the answer, so I just wanted to call and get it just so we knew. Thank you. Enjoy the show. Thanks, buddy. Appreciate you.

38:13Robert Mays: That was Bill Barnwell. Friend of the show, Bill Barnwell. I would like to thank Bill for making me feel significantly better about my pick. I already felt good about riding with Patrick Mahomes, but, you know. I knew he would know that do you know how many people in your life would pick up the phone on the first ring without any sort of like notice or whatever it's like it's my mom and bill barnwell like the two people in my life that would actually do that and be ready with obscure stats about the Kansas City Chiefs I deeply love him all right so you you pick the Chiefs which I think is the correct choice and I absolutely would have picked them if you did not now we're in really painful territory.

38:52Robert Mays: I just want to let you guys know right now, other than like a precipitous fall, I cannot pick the Chicago Bears. I just want you guys to know this.

39:04Robert Mays: Explain to me the upside of doing that. Put yourself in but if they win 14 games, I'm already enjoying it. If they win six, then I get f***ed twice. That's two f-bombs katie i i can't do it i cannot do it this man understands me i believe i believe i believe so much i don't need to be invested here

39:30Derrik Klassen: that's how much i believe i can't do it i don't believe in the concept of an emotional hedge it's not going to make you feel any better that we are wired like very different people yeah i don't know i i talked about this before consolidate everything all of the players i love put them on my fantasy team, draft all the players. Screw it.

39:47Robert Mays: Picking them in the offenses draft, which has no stakes whatsoever except one bill, was hard for me. What if I had to dress... Who's the bear man? No, the guy with the claws. He's called bear man. The idea of having to dress like the bear claw guy at Radio Row, that's embarrassing for me on multiple different levels. There's no way. I could not do it. That part is worse if you have to do your own team For that reason, I get what you're saying. I can't do that. Oh, man. I can't do it.

40:17Derrik Klassen: Yeah, like people know you're a Bears fan, too. So, like, if you were on Radio Row dressed like the Bear man. It's already unprofessional. Yeah.

40:24Robert Mays: It takes it to an entirely different level if I have to do that. I kind of want it now. Like, I want to see that. Part of the reason that I'm doing this is that I'm stalling because I don't feel good about any of the next choices. All right. All right. I already picked them in the offenses draft. And so I'm already invested in them. No.

40:54Robert Mays: This is the tough spot. I was so excited about being able to pick the chiefs and now I'm, I really don't like any of the options that are left.

41:03Robert Mays: I am going to choose. the San Francisco 49ers. Ooh. It's the right pick. This is your version of the Eagles in some sense. We're pretending the substation doesn't exist. You said all offseason, I don't know about the 49ers. And then I picked them in the offenses draft. Yes. Honestly, the fact that, what pick is this? This is the 14th pick? I feel okay about 14. The conversation was like them being the 8th best team in the league. I think I'm okay with this. I also feel a kinship with the roster as my body starts to break down. I think I feel closer to them as an idea as every part on me stops working.

41:47Mike Evans being held out of practice as like a precautionary thing most days. That's how I feel every single day.

41:53Derrik Klassen: You and the Niners both do your stretching like 15 minutes every morning. Derek was stretch shaming us backstage.

42:00Robert Mays: He was talking about how he stretches every single day as if he's not 10 years younger than all of us. real self-care moment. I'm going to go with the Niners. I think that the offense, even if we have so many concerns about how they look going into it, we have such a floor with them when they're even moderately healthy. They were a top seven offense last year. I think just by DVOA, but if you look at other numbers, they were even better than that. Especially when Brock Purdy got back. The stripling stuff, I'm kind of buying into it. Not in terms of what he is in the hierarchy of NFL receivers but compared to what they had last year i think he could be even like more dynamic and useful than some of those guys he just has to in in like what you're talking about if he's just like better than kendrick born that's what i'm saying that's what i'm saying if he's just like if he's slightly more giddy up juan jennings by the end of the season like that's probably enough with evans with kettleback i feel i don't feel good about this but i think it's my favorite pick that's still remains i am into my 40s now but i still love getting out and playing basketball as much as I can.

43:02Pick up, rec leagues, even just shooting around by myself, whatever I can get in, I want to get in. And I actually do love that shooting around by myself, partially because I've devised a great one-person workout that I am able to do. Over the years, I used to be flying blind with it. I'd get out there, I'd put some shots up, I'd try to move around, but I just didn't have a plan. And now that I have a plan for it, it is legitimately my favorite workout and occasionally my favorite way to play basketball. Now, I got to admit, it does take my legs a little bit longer to recover than it used to. And I've been trying to figure out ways to get better with that.

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46:15Robert Mays: Hey guys, it's Robert. just a heads up, this is where the audio cuts out. So the picks discussed during this were Derek taking the Chiefs at 13, me taking the 49ers at 14, and then Dave taking the Bears at 15. You'll hear the end of that. Again, apologies. Wish this didn't happen, but we're hopefully going to rectify it at some point this week.

46:35Derrik Klassen: I have post-pick clarity right now, and I'm just thinking about... I'm thinking about the defense.

46:42Robert Mays: I'm thinking about Kyler Goers. This is going to be fun, because I'm going to get to counsel you as you're working through these things, because these are all experiences that I've had before. Just ignore it. Just every time that thought crosses your mind, just think about what Colson Loveland was in the playoffs. That's all. That's all you have to do. That's all I do. Every time this is true, by the way, every time I have sat there this offseason and thought about the depth chart or when the Kobe Bryant news came across the funniest part about that day was that so many people when it came out that he was not out for the season were like oh this isn't that bad and on the show I was like this is a disaster and it was a disaster and so many things about the defense are disasters and every time I think about them I just go back to the dozen or so conversations I had with people in the NFL this offseason about Ben Johnson and it soothes me like what they say I don't know if you guys saw this I tweeted it out the other day it was very funny because I said something on the show about Declan Doyle being a member of the Ben Johnson coaching tree.

47:44Robert Mays: And people were like, well, actually, uh, he's part of the Sean Payton coaching tree. And then like three days later, Ben Johnson or Declan Doyle had a profile written of him on the Baltimore Ravens official website. The things he said about Ben Johnson and that profile are the things that I would reserve for like my father and the thing and the impact he had on my life and how he was a great man and how everything he taught me is why I am the person that I am, except it was Declan Doyle talking about Ben Johnson. So every time I get a little bit worried about what Cam Lewis is going to look like, I find real comfort in knowing that Ben Johnson is the person that he is.

48:21Robert Mays: I feel better. Thank you. That's it. See, whenever this comes up, I will be there to help you and there to counsel you. Derek, you are up again. You have the first pick in these rounds. We're at 19 now? Yeah, and I think... 16. Thanks, Mom. Dave talked about the Jaguars. I'm already emotionally invested in them, and I think they will be good, I think I'm going to swing for the fences a little bit. I think I'm going to take the Minnesota Vikings. Wow. Whoa.

48:47Derrik Klassen: Wow. Can you imagine a Packer fan listening to the Bears and Vikings go off the board ahead of Green Bay? They won, what, eight, nine games last year with the worst quarterback play I've ever seen. Kyler Murray at worst is an average NFL quarterback Justin Jefferson when he has anyone but J.J. McCarthy playing quarterback averages like 100 catches, 1600 yards and 10 touchdowns.

49:16Robert Mays: We're doing that at C. North. They will be electric. This is just a preview of what my life is going to feel like when Derek is talking about just talking himself into Kyler Murray instantly. Immediately. He's never been a bad player. And I just believe that like he wasn't great last year. He was okay. He wasn't but even it wasn't as bad as people say that it was. He's better than J.J. McCarthy. He's not any worse than Sam Darnold. There is a... Oh, they didn't like that one. This is a controversial stance of his. Does anybody remember Sam Darnold playing football before this year? Yes. It was mostly not that good until the Minnesota year.

49:54Robert Mays: I'm not letting you do that. Yes, in Minnesota. That's what I'm saying. The Minnesota year was electrifying. Yes, it was good. Sam Darnold was good that season.

50:01Derrik Klassen: Yes, and Kyler Murray was better than that for like 80 % of his career. Kyler Murray was also, like statistically, go look it up, Kyler Murray was that good in Arizona in 2024. Yeah, we're going to talk about that tomorrow. The numbers are actually weirdly similar. I'm mainly just mad. Like I want my bit to be that I like the Vikings, and Derek just one-upped me and took them way before I would have.

50:24Robert Mays: So this is about the range where I had the Vikings. I have other teams. Just talk me through Vikings over Packers. Just talk me through that. You're trying to convince yourself that Kyler Murray is good. Jordan Love is just good. Yes, he's incredible. The Packers' floor is higher. I'm pretty sure the Packers are going to win, even in a disaster season, eight games. A disaster season for the Vikings might mean like six or five. But I do think that there's a chance that the Vikings are really good on offense and defense. I cannot get there at all with the Packers. I do not think the Packers' defense has that set of talent or defensive play calling.

50:58Robert Mays: the Vikings I was about to tell you the Packers defensive talent is actually better than the Vikings but they have Brian Flores yes I say this because I was just staring at the Vikings depth chart upstairs because I was prepping for tomorrow's podcast it's a dark situation yes Brian Flores we should build his hall of fame bust now if this is a top eight defense again which it might be and I don't even think they'll be top eight necessarily they're like 12 I can totally see that I just think that the offense has a much higher gear to them than they showed definitely last year. And I think they can even be better, much better than they were in 2024.

51:31There's an argument for that. I just think there's a lot of guesswork involved. There is definitely a lot of guesswork. I just think that the bar has been set so, so low for them because the Vikings offense last year was the worst we'd ever seen it under Kevin O 'Connell and Kyler Murray was the worst he'd ever been. And I think it's easy to be like, well, those two things will just stay the same. I'm just betting that that's for 85 % of both of their careers before that. It was much, much better than it was last year. I will give them each a mulligan. I think they're going to be pretty good.

51:57Robert Mays: This is genuinely shocking for you to pick them over Green Bay, just solely based on the quarterback. This is also a reminder that your sizism thing does not apply. Kyler Murray is an exception to this rule. Yes. You don't watch Kyler Murray with disgust the way that you walk in Bryce Young. Because he's talented. Most of the other small players are not that talented, especially a quarterback.

52:18Derrik Klassen: Kyler does have like an elite trait for a guy his size. Multiple.

52:22Robert Mays: I'm not dismissing that. I'm just saying he is the exception. All the other small guys. Derek's like, they should live. Most positions, I have like one. Like running back, Devon H. Unbelievable player. I absolutely love him. He's like 185 pounds. There's one slot every year. One slot, there's one guy. In each position. We're going to build that team this year. We can do it. That's a bit middle of the season. Bauer, write it down. Who is the one exception for size in every position in the NFL for Derek? We know it's Kyler Murray and Devon H.

52:50Derrik Klassen: That's some really great late May content right there.

52:54Robert Mays: now we're gonna do a week one in the recap all right so i'm up again i would pick the packers here if i didn't already have the lions so just want to want to be very clear about that as packers fans get more progressively pissed off um i'm gonna pick the team you were gonna pick sure because of all the teams that are left they're the best team on the board they're the best team they're the best i think the packers you can make an argument but again i'm not going to do that with the nfc north i have no other teams in this division. I'm going to pick the Jacksonville Jaguars. I don't feel super great about the Jags just overall heading into the year.

53:32Robert Mays: It's flimsy. It's like the offensive line stuff is real. The defense played at the highest level it possibly could last year. I really do. I mean, I really like the coaching staff. I think that's also part of it. Even if the talent leaves somebody to be desired in some important spots, I think that the overall, like what they have on offense, what they have on defense, maximizing the players. I believe in that. So I feel like they're the last team other than Green Bay and like a very hard line tier for me before we get to a whole subset of teams that I would feel disgusting having a draft and we will in a second so that I'm going to go with the Jags.

54:06Robert Mays: The Jags are the only team left to me other than Green Bay. Just keep saying that maybe one other team where I feel like they have the ceiling for like a top five to top three offense. The Jags have that. There's no Everyone else other than the Packers that's left here. I had it in one, maybe one team that I could say that about.

54:24Derrik Klassen: I broke my list up into tears and Jacksonville was, is like a whole tier higher than everybody else left on the board.

54:31Robert Mays: And boy, about the Packers.

54:32Derrik Klassen: Yeah, I have, there's too many questions with the Packers for me to like, what's my, what's your pick right now? Are we going here now? Okay. Having said that, yes, I dropped the Packers a tier because of the injuries and the offensive line and so many other things. The Packers are a fun thing that happens during a draft. Like last night, you look at the board and you're like, I can't take Alec Pierce here. He hasn't had a training camp. And then three rounds later, you're like, come on, Alec Pierce. Just get to me. Let's go. And that's how I feel about Green Bay. And I'm thrilled to take Green Bay here because they are not.

55:07Derrik Klassen: I know. I know. We're in Chicago. You already took the Bears. Let's see. I'm just pitting. I'm pitting everybody against each other.

55:15Robert Mays: It's so telling that any goodwill you had bought immediately is gone. Immediately.

55:20Derrik Klassen: This is also, this reminds me of drafting. Like, I am a caricature of myself. I drafted Jordan Tyson last night, and I was like, oh, I'll just stash him on IR. I'm stashing Green Bay on IR until Micah Parsons is healthy. The Packers at 18 is pretty good. It's fantastic.

55:37Robert Mays: That's really, really good.

55:38Derrik Klassen: This is amazing value. I love Katie editorializing in the pick section. With the frowning face. Yes. When Parsons comes back, Tucker Craft is talking about playing week one. Like at this draft slot, this is phenomenal value for Green Bay.

55:52Robert Mays: I agree with that. Again, the only reason I didn't take them is because I already had the Lions, but I feel okay about the Jags at 17 as well. All right, Derek, you're up again, buddy. That to me was the tear break. The tregs are left. Typically we cut it off at 15. That's most years we've done this. We decided to extend it a little bit because we thought that being invested, if you didn't listen to the other versions of this, We used to pick a group of bad teams and we just didn't want to live that way again. So we just decided to extend it to 24. It sucks so bad. But we did not really consider the fact that after you hit a certain line, you are going to have to pick some teams that even if they are not markedly or nominally bad, you don't feel good about yourself after picking them.

56:33Having said that, I think I'm going to take the Tampa Bay Bucs. That's fair. I have said all offseason, I kind of believe in the defense. like not to the extent that they will be elite but that they will be significantly better than they have been the last couple of years and i just think that like i think their offense is probably imperfect i don't know how good zach robinson is going to be as a play caller for them but last year they started off incredibly hot and when that offensive line is healthy yeah it can make a lot of other things just look pretty good they are a special line

57:04Robert Mays: games just win the division i think i understand that as as a thought process here they probably should have been higher. I just thought it'd be funny to put all the NFC South teams in a row. Make them 21, 22, 23, 24. That's what I did. I was mostly going for a bit just for myself and how I was ranking them, but I do think the Bucs are probably the right pick here. I just think that because last year ended so stinky, I think it's easy. And I think we've been questioning bowls for a couple of years now. Nobody thinks that Baker is like this elite quarterback, but I just think that the roster is like still relatively healthy and I do feel good about some of the young players they're bringing in.

57:37Derrik Klassen: If the Bucs offensive line is okay, I think they could be a much better team than we give them credit for. Like they were abysmal to watch in the second half of last year, but there are reasons why that happened that you can, like you feel good about heading into a new season. I would, I would have taken them with my next pick.

57:54Robert Mays: I'm going to stick in the NFC South. And why I'm very excited about this pick is that when we were doing the NFC South preview, we do a category for all of the teams and it's what is keeping you up at night about this team. and the only team I couldn't figure out an answer to was the Saints. Because in my mind, it's like, how bad could it be for you to feel bad? Right? It's like, what could happen this Saints season where you're just like, man, I'm really disappointed. If the Saints won like six games, be like, I mean, that's fine. I don't, but I, so at this point, getting them at 20 or whatever, I kind of am in the same boat where I'm just like, well, whatever.

58:33Robert Mays: Like if they win seven games, I'm not that disappointed. but I also get to chase the high of them being like the team du jour and them being the fun team this year. And so I'm going to ride with the Tyler Shuck experience. I enjoyed it last year, and I'm ready to try to enjoy it again. So I'm going to go with the Saints.

58:49Derrik Klassen: I had the Saints last year, and I did not enjoy it at all. You picked them as a bad team, and it's the only reason you didn't have to be the Chiefs guy. That is true. That is true. What are you talking about? The Saints were a fine bad team experience last year. They were pretty bad until December. I'll give him that. Until December, it was tough. The Saints, I felt like I was about to go to the gallows, and the Saints were like a pardon at the last minute. I was like, oh, my God, Tyler Shuck, thank you. You're saving me at the last minute. I don't want to risk that again. I'm fine letting you take them.

59:18Robert Mays: All right, so this is 21. You're up at 21, Dave. This is pick 21? 21. So this is my last pick. Your last pick. No, you have one more pick. You have the last pick. You'll get 24. You have the last pick. This is the last pick of the seventh round, and then Derek will start again for round eight.

59:37they're

59:38Robert Mays: they're on the list there is nothing I would hate more than watching Aaron Rodgers do this this year having my fate tied to watching him play the way that he plays right now I refuse there's no way

59:53Derrik Klassen: you know what for similar reasons we and you guys can listen to it tomorrow we did the AFC South today and there's a There's a floor in Indianapolis that you can talk yourself into.

1:00:08Robert Mays: So part of the reason I took the Saints is that after recording the show today, I didn't think either of you would take the Colts, and I thought I could get them with my next pick.

1:00:16Derrik Klassen: I might despise myself in a month, but if Daniel Jones is as healthy as everybody keeps telling me he is, Jonathan Taylor still kicks ass. I don't think this will be an outright abysmal team. They might not be the best team in the AFC at the midpoint of the season. I really regret my choices. I don't think they'll be awful. And so, I mean, I have to keep reminding myself this is pick 21. Like, this is a perfectly valid place to take the Colts, and that's what I will do.

1:00:42Robert Mays: I really, the Saints probably would have been there at 23. I really should have waited because now I'm sad. I thought I was going to be able to get the Colts at 23. As far as teams that are left, that's probably the highest upside that you can get. Absolutely. Like, if Daniel Jones is healthy and the offensive line looks good and Pierce comes back healthy by, you know, early October, it's like, okay, this could be a pretty good team again. I don't know if I believe that but at least that's on paper somewhere

1:01:06Derrik Klassen: it's okay Jordan Tyson will be back eventually but it's not about that it's about the next choice I have to make because you were gaming the system I thought I was going to be able to get the Colts coming back around

1:01:16Robert Mays: because you guys have shat on them for half an hour

1:01:18Derrik Klassen: today we were pretty mean to the Colts today through the many drafts I came out of it though but it's pick 21 you gotta pick somebody They have a ceiling that is higher than anybody left you can take. Through the many drafts that we've done, I've realized that even if I can read you two, trying to game it is not a worthwhile exercise for me. I'm not going to do that.

1:01:46Robert Mays: I'm not looking forward to it. So I'm up with my last pick. You're the last pick of the last round. I will take the Pittsburgh Steelers. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. All right. There we go. I don't believe in the ceiling at all, really. I don't believe in them whatsoever. but I will take them. Aaron Rodgers. I'm paraphrasing Derek. Aaron Rodgers at this stage, I don't know what the ceiling is, but like I really do believe in that offensive line. I think bringing in Pittman and Jeremy Bernard, who I know it's preseason, looks awesome with the ball in his hands. And that's all that Aaron Rodgers is going to do.

1:02:18If Jeremy Bernard gets all of the Kenny Gainwell touches from last year, I know they play different positions, but like that's a proposition that I'm willing to live with relative to where we're at in the draft. and I do think the defense can be like pretty good again and so I don't think it's going to be football that I want to watch I might just have to turn it off and hope that they win this is a fine choice I think right now they feel the safest to me weirdly like the Steelers defense is easily

1:02:43Robert Mays: the best unit left on the board yeah easily like by far and so I completely understand that as part

1:02:49Derrik Klassen: of the thought process what does it say that the Steelers have made the playoffs I think is it two years in a row or three we got a Steelers fan in the house is it two years in a row or three too. But also like five out of the last six years, they make the playoffs. Hang the banner. Well, for this exercise, I will. We're talking about winning games, not championships. If my eighth pick gets me nine wins, cash it.

1:03:16Robert Mays: I really, really wish I had picked the Colts with my last pick because I think the Saints, would you have picked the Saints over the Steelers? I'm talking to Derek. Me? Absolutely not. it's unfortunate i think i think it's easier to see the ceiling with them but i just it's i don't know if i believe it as much as to me picking a team du jour in the nfc south feels like a fool's errand it's the nfc south i really thought i was gonna be able to get the colts coming back around um so i have well this is so yes so i have i'm between two teams here one is in its division that i just picked a team in and i think that would be a bad choice the other is a team that is terrifying oh they're all terrifying the feel good team still sitting out there but which team in the NFL over the last month would you say has the most rancid vibes about it what is coming out of their training camp and what people are saying about the Browns don't count a team that theoretically has actual hopes to win football games this year it's Washington by far and yet I'm going to take the Commanders.

1:04:27Robert Mays: Oh, no. I just can't. I don't want to take the Panthers because I just took the Saints. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That makes sense. I mean, I guess I took the Cowboys, too. But taking two teams in the same division makes sense. When you can convince yourself they might both win 12 games. When you are hoping they both win nine games, I think that's a tougher proposition. I also just think I'm picking the best quarterback that I think is left. Jaden Daniels is a good player. And so I feel comfortable doing that. It could be an absolute horror show. I'm open to that. But I don't like any of the other teams that I would be on the pick.

1:05:01Derrik Klassen: I'm not saying Washington's going to go 12-5, but it perked me up a little bit when I thought about how good Stephon Diggs was last year. And Stephon Diggs and Terry McLaurin, they qualify for the early bird special at this point, but that's not a bad receiver duo. And Jaden didn't even have Laramie Tunsil in 2024. for. So like if I'm trying to talk myself into some shit at the end of this draft, I don't think that's crazy.

1:05:26Robert Mays: I could have picked the Giants, I guess. I wouldn't have felt good about that either. I don't think you want to do that either. When you get down to this part of it, there's just nothing's going to make you feel good. All right. Is it the last pick?

1:05:40Derrik Klassen: Last pick of the draft? I have one team remaining on my board. Yeah, there were 24 picks. Does that make sense? Shut up. I thought that sounded It sounded really profound in the moment.

1:05:52Robert Mays: I ranked 24 teams, and I have one more.

1:05:56Derrik Klassen: Okay, I do feel good. All my teams, even my mid-teams, got picked. So we were pretty well aligned here. So I can't say I feel good about this, but I didn't take another team in their division, and he's my guy. So I'm going to ride with Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers. Okay. See what happens. I can't say I feel great about it. But when we were getting down here and no one was going to be happy about their choices. No, I do think. I don't know. I think I think six wins is the Panthers. Five or six wins is probably their floor. I think of the teams remaining, they are the healthiest overall roster.

1:06:34I have expressed my concerns about the quarterback, but like quarterback aside, I think they're pretty clearly the healthiest roster. I agree.

1:06:41Robert Mays: I'm making the exact opposite choice. Yeah. By picking the commanders over the Panthers, I'm making the exact opposite choice where I believe in the quarterback. and his ability to bounce back, and I don't believe in so many other things about the roster. You're betting on a decent football team. Bryce Young isn't embarrassing. Bryce Young is fine, but you're betting on the rest of the roster here, which I completely understand. I'm just trying to figure out how bad I should feel about myself. Did you see Katie's

1:07:07Derrik Klassen: editorializing with the Saints? I did. Sad, yes. Thanks, Mom.

1:07:13Derrik Klassen: I am sad. I wish I would have picked in the Colts, but that's okay. Cowboys-Bingles back-to-back is fantastic.

1:07:19Robert Mays: Cowboys, Bengals, Niners. I have set myself up for Jags. I've set myself up

1:07:24Derrik Klassen: for some real disappointment. Seeing it all laid out for you is humbling. Something about seeing Chiefs and then Vikings makes me feel weird. It didn't feel that weird to me picking the Vikings in the moment, but for some reason, seeing the Chiefs there feels weird.

1:07:40Robert Mays: Who do you guys feel best about as you look at these teams? Oh, no. Jared! no one's no one thinks me what's that

1:07:56Derrik Klassen: oh i know we just said what i looked at go the same i i looked at it and i was like man i'm i'm really banking on last year or this year playing out exactly the same as last year which is probably probably bad actually i this will this will be the year no matter how it goes

1:08:15Robert Mays: that I went in on. I chose to believe in the Cowboys. This will be the year where it happened. And I think it will come with profound regret.

1:08:25Derrik Klassen: But I'm leaning into it. Maybe this is what we were waiting on this entire time. Maybe the Cowboys just had to win you over to get over that hump. I would think about the exact opposite way. I've also not realized...

1:08:38Robert Mays: The fact that now I'm in means it's never been more over. I've also not realized that because we've done so many drafts, we've done this, the offenses draft and the defenses draft. What we're actually rooting for is so tangled that I'm not even sure what I want on a given week.

1:08:50Derrik Klassen: This is priority, but it's still a lot. If I have to buy you dinner, I'm not going to worry that much about it.

1:09:00Robert Mays: It's going to go horribly. I already know it. All right, that's all we got. I just wanted to say thank you so much to everyone for coming. We're on the eve of another season.

1:09:13Robert Mays: This is year seven of doing the podcast. I had never been anywhere for more than four years before I got this job. And I cannot tell you guys how incredibly rewarding and satisfying it is to be able to do the show we do on our terms and talk about things the way we want to talk about them and talk about things in a way that feels authentic to us. I say this to people behind the scenes all the time, and this is true. And Beller can tell you this as well. we've gotten, I've never gotten a single note content wise about like, what if you guys did this? You know, what if you made it a little spicier?

1:09:50Robert Mays: What if you were a little bit more controversial? What if there were a couple more hot takes, never one time. And it is so incredibly gratifying. And I feel so much gratitude about the fact that we are able to do this, how we want to, and in a way that feels true to us and still have it be sustainable. And that is only possible because people are invested in it, because you guys are willing to listen, because you guys are here. And so I can't even describe to you how much I appreciate that. Like getting to do it this way, I know how lucky we are. And I know that it may not be like this forever.

1:10:23Robert Mays: And so I sincerely appreciate everybody who has ever listened, ever put the time in, ever shown us any sort of love because that's what makes it possible. And it puts us in a place where I just feel so, so lucky. so thank you to everybody for coming thank you for listening we're incredibly excited about the season uh we'll be out there in a little bit and we'd love for you guys to come say hi

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