Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - NFL SQUAD: Running Back Has STRONGEST Positional Value In 2025 NFL Draft

Episode Date: March 27, 2025

In this week's NFL Squad, the crew discusses whether or not tight end or running back possesses the best overall positional value in the 2025 NFL Draft and what position groups teams should avoid. Plus, Russell Wilson has landed with the New York Giants. Does this eliminate them from taking a quarterback in the draft?Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!GametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNBA for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime. Monarch MoneyTake control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use code LOCKEDONNFL at monarchmoney.com for 50% off your first year.FanDuelRight now, new customers can get TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS in BONUS BETS when your first FIVE DOLLAR BET WINS! Download the app or head to FANDUEL.COM to get started. Bet with FanDuel—Official Partner of the NBA. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

Running back or tied in the positional value between these two positions is a hot topic and we're gonna break it all down here on today's latest NFL squad. You are talking ball with the NFL squad sponsored by Game Time. From the Chiefs to the Bills, Falcons to the 49ers and everyone else around the NFL. It's the local experts of the Locked On Podcast Network bringing you scoops, breakdowns and the most comprehensive preview of the upcoming weekend for hard hitting football with our harder hitting takes. Buckle up. It's the NFL squad. Then we have a seat for you. No hurt feelings allowed. Squad up. You're part of the NFL squad. What's happening everyone. Welcome to another episode of NFL Squad here on the locked on podcast network where you know

It is your team every day today squad show is brought to you by our friends over there at the game time app Make sure you use code locked on NFL at checkoff for $20 off your first purchase and what you're gonna get on today's install We got jam-packed NFL draft conversation heading your way. We're going to preview which position has the most value running back or tight in. We'll talk about which position groups maybe teams should look at avoiding in round one and we'll debate Russ Jamis in New York. What does that mean for guys like Cam Moore, Shadoor Sanders, do the Giants look at the path of a QB steal.

We'll break all that down on today's squad show. And as always folks, grab your favorite beverage, your favorite snack, sit back, relax, and get ready for some NFL conversation or NFL panel here today. Aaron Freeman of Locked On Falcons, Kevin Ostreicher of Locked On Ravens, Mike Debate of Locked On Patriots,

and our special guest to preview the NFL draft we're just four weeks away folks. That is Keith Sanchez, one of the hosts of their Lockdown NFL draft alongside our guy, Dame, who could not be here today. We're going to get some great insight here from Keith. I'm Cody Rokos the Lockdown Broncos. So let's get into the conversation here. Uh, a lot of conversation on social media, which I feel like has only amplified a

little bit more gentleman about positional value. And obviously some of these teams know a lot about some of the positions we're about to talk about running back tight end two positions that I think have a lot of players that could obviously have a big impact for several teams in need of those positions in this year's NFL draft. But Keith, when it comes to positional value this year, does the running back position or the tight end position have the better value?

I'll say the running back position just because we I just did this exercise that locked on NFL draft Right me and Dame We ranked our top 10 running backs and then when I put two list together I hated it because I left off like six guys that I really wanted to put on the list, right? And I think it just goes that deep. I think you're talking about 15 to 20 running backs to where if they get the right opportunity, they can be good starters that come out of nowhere. I think about, and I know Aaron is going to remember this, but

just remember the years of Devontae Freeman, right? I feel like he came out of nowhere for teams and then he had a stretch where he was one of the best running backs in the NFL. And there's probably 10 to 12 guys that I can say could potentially have that type of career arc to where they wanted a better running backs in the NFL. So I'd definitely say running back. Well, Aaron, you knew obviously a little bit of B John Robinson. We were having some conversations here on NFL squad as the Falcons were

approaching B January. Unfortunately, those plans never materialize into anything going into the mid parts of that month there. You know about running backs, obviously a good friend Kevin knows about running backs with Derek Henry, Mike debate, we used to have those conversations about Ramon Drey Stevenson at one point, but in your opinions too, we'll start with you, Aaron. When you look at the value of these positions, it could either be on your own team or it can be even in this year's draft, which position does hold the value for your team probably the most?

Aaron, let's start off with you. Yeah, well, I'm in a unique position where the Atlanta Falcons have used top 10 picks on a running back and a tight end in the last four years. So it's one of those things where I think if you're just looking at it from at least the Falcons lens and the bias, right? No one's sitting here questioning the Bajan Robinson pick at this current time, based off of how the first two years

of his interval career have gone. But a lot of people look back at that Kyle Pitts pick and look at some of the players that were taken after Kyle is like Jamar Chase and Devontae Smith and Peney Sewell and Micah Parsons and Patrick Sertan. And they're like, hmm, that, that Pitt's pick does not look as good in retrospect in hindsight. And I think when you're having this conversation

about value, you know, I think traditionally we sort of put the running back position at the bottom. And it's understandable that when you look at, say, having a high end tight end, like the Falcons thought they were getting in Kyle Pitts, that that seems to be a little bit more valuable than sort of your run of the mill, tight end versus a running back that even having a high end running back, maybe not as valuable as sort of your replacement level running back that you

could probably get in the third or fourth round. But I think part of that conversation, it's just kind of easier to get your running back involved in an offense. So if you're a team drafting a running, you're choosing between drafting a running back or a tight end high, maybe higher than people want, you know, the tight end, obviously, because of the pass catching ability and potential. Yeah. You, you sort of look at that as say, if we hit on this,

this could be a huge boost to our offense. But I think kind of the ceiling might be higher with a tight end, but the floor is so much higher with a running back. And so I think when you're having that conversation between these two position groups, I kind of veer more towards the running back position, having a little bit more value in that regard, just because it's just so much easier to get a running back to football in your offense compared to a tight end, especially if you have good wide receivers.

So there's only one football to go around and whatnot. So I do feel like running back edges out the tight end just slightly, even if that is unconventional wisdom. Kevin Ostryker of locked on Ravens. It's not every day you have Derek Henry fall into your lap to pair

alongside a guy like Lamar Jackson, though we have seen you know in the past here with the Ravens they have kind of had a committee approach. Used to have the. Dobbins, the Gus Edwards rotation there and injuries certainly have played a factor into that. But for you, knowing what you know now, like outside of the anomaly of landing a guy like Derek Henry to pair alongside the skill set and the threat that is Lamar Jackson, where would you go? Because obviously the Ravens, you look at them right now, they have a really, really good running back in Derek Henry.

They had a really good tight end there, obviously, and Mark Andrews, who's still on the team, Isaiah Leichle is ascending there. Where would you feel like if that was a position of need for the Ravens this year, where would you be leaning between these two groups? I think that if you're looking at it from a Baltimore perspective, I think with Lamar Jackson, who was obviously such a unique talent, you can put a bunch of running backs in the backfield with him and he will make something, whether it is a Derek Henry or JK Dobbins, JK and Gus Edwards were

great players while they were in Baltimore. And we saw JK have a resurgent season in Los Angeles. I think having a player like Mark Andrews and Isaiah likely is really valuable for what Baltimore does. And I think Aaron makes a great point and I'll kind of piggyback off of it. Of it also depends on this type of offense you're running. Where a tight end or multiple tight ends might not mean a lot to you if you want to run a bunch of three wide receiver sets or all out, but for a Baltimore team that says yes we can go out there and take a Mark Andrews in the third round in 2018, you

supplement that with Isaiah likely in the fourth, I think with this class, yeah the running back class, there are so many guys you can point to, whether that is a high first round pick with a player like him, Ashton Gentry, or whether it's a Marian Hampton and one of those players, or you could say, what about in the second round? Could we take a second round tight end or a third round tight end that could supplant someone on our roster already?

I think it is interesting though, because you look at some of these top tight ends in the league, Mark Ganges was a third round pick, George Kittle was a fifth round pick, Travis Kelce was also a third round pick. That doesn't mean there aren't good tight ends drafted high. I mean, Brock Bowers is the most recent example of that, and he is pretty good over there in Las Vegas right now. But I think when you talk about like the Bijon Robinson's, the Saquon Barkley's, those like top level talents, I think Ash and Gentie is going to fall into this conversation when it's all said and done after night one of the drafts. The value that

Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry, Josh Jacobs have given back to the running back position after the years that we've spent talking about the positional value being at an all time low. I think that running back right now in this draft is the one that has more value because I think that we're starting to see those contracts. I mean we saw it with Saquon this off season. Derrick Henry is going to get an extension with Baltimore. That is going to be a big one too. You know, the ratings got Derek Henry for $8 million a season. Derek Henry's one of the all-time running backs we've ever seen.

And Saquon and Josh Jacobs got over 10 million each. But if we were talking corners or wide receivers, those guys would be a hundred million dollar players and we wouldn't think twice about it. So I'm glad the running back position is getting some recognition here. I definitely go with there. Obviously, Mike debate of lockdown Patriots. You got a young quarterback there in Drake, May in New England, and certainly a new head coach in Mike Vrabel. The idea of trying to build this team around Drake May. What's the more important piece in your opinion running back or tight end at this point for your squad? Well, I think a more immediate need right now is running back. You've got Ramundry Stevenson at the top of that running back room right now in

New England with Antonio Gibson backing him up and that's a pretty good one two combination. However, a lot of that combo being put together last year was predicated on an Alex Van Belt offense, which is so predicated on outside zone. Josh McDaniel's coming back into the fold now, kind of throws a wrinkle into those plans a little bit. Are they going to continue to push the outside zone, or are they going to mix it up a little bit? If they're going to, yeah, they're going to need to change a pace back. And I expect them to be in the market for that right around the middle part of this draft, the mid rounds. Maybe someone like a Trevor Etienne out of Georgia, or maybe someone like a Devin Neal out of Kansas. These are the names right now that are being bandied about in New England. But this tight end class is deep as well.

And look, Connor Henry is not getting any younger. Austin Hooper is signed up for a year, and he's kind of on a year-to-year basis. So do you see someone, maybe in that early part of the draft, that could end up being a staple in this offense for many years to come? Drake May loves to use the tight end as his security blanket. Josh McDaniels has had some great success with tight ends here in New England. So do they look at a guy like Mason Taylor or Gunnar Helm and say, Yeah, you know what, we're going to go to Gammon. We're going to take advantage of a deep, tight end class and try to bring someone in.

I think the needs for the New England Patriots are very out there right now. I think they're all over the place, and any position that they fill is going to help this team moving forward. But I go back to what Keith said earlier, that depth where you see guys like 10, 15 deep at this running back class. This is a really phenomenally talented group and guys that can help so many teams out in so many different ways. Well, Keith, I'm going to throw it back to you here before obviously we get to our next topic here. We saw, I think the more recent example, I feel like the Detroit Lions, when they took Jameer Gibbs, a lot of people were like, why are they taking a running back in round one? That used to be the link.

The line of thinking is don't take a running back round one. I even remember the Steelers got some flack when they initially took Najee Harris, you know, years back. Do you think that is now something that's going to be changing from NFL teams, especially with the deep class like we've got this year, you got the genties, you got Omar and Hampton, you even got the Trevion, Henderson's, the Quinshawn, Judkins. Do we think that that traditional line of thinking of don't draft the running back around one's going to go out the door going forward?

Yeah, I think so. And I hope so. Because I'm of the notion of take elite players, man. Because I'm looking at all you guys, right? All of your different teams and y'all have had success in the past and it's been in different ways, right? Cody talking about the Denver Broncos. They won with Peyton Manning and had the noodle warm, right?

Not when he threw 50 touchdowns and then the Baltimore Ravens have been a definition of ground and pound and punch you in the face consistently. And then you look at Mike, right? With the, with the Patriots, they've won in multiple different ways, dating back all the way to 2000 and you watch the evolution of them. So I think about teams and it's just like, Hey, construct your team, the best way to put elite players on your team and then figure it out from there. So I hope so. Like if it's elite running backs, like with Aaron, or you have a chance at a Bijon Robinson or Jameer Gibbs, take them and use them, right? He's a good football player.

Let's take them and use them. And we were going to say to Aaron, you know, back when, you know, they had that 28, three lead over the Patriots, they should have just kept running the ball, you know, invest in the running back position. I felt disrespected when when Keith skipped over the the success of all these teams. And I'm like, it's understandable. And then, Cody, you just got to throw it in my face. I'm sorry. It was that I was I was coming back to you. I was tying it all in together. I was tying it all up.

I started with the past, you made your present. By omitting the Falcons in that, you weren't disrespecting me in my time, like Cody just did. So I agree with you. Yeah, Cody, you can move me to where Aaron is and put Aaron next to each other so we can have this conversation themself.

Hey, I want it on record. The Patriots guy was the last one to bring up 28th. I could have called that right from the beginning, right when I saw Aaron pop up on the screen. No, I'm not going to do that to my good friend. It's all fun. We always have a blast here on the NFL Squad Show. Coming up next one thing we are going to discuss here. What position groups should teams that are in need, should they avoid here in round one of this year's NFL Draft? draft will break all it down much more on today's NFL squad part of the Lockdown podcast network your team every day Today's NFL squad show is brought to you by our friends over there at the game time app and look folks

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NFL squad continues here today on the Locked On Podcast Network. Just a reminder that you can check out your favorite shows and your favorite teams every day all year long, even in the off season, because for the true fan, there is never an off season. And for the build up to the NFL draft, make sure you all check out the locked on NFL draft with Keith Sanchez and our good friend, Dame. They bring the heat every single day when it comes to the draft.

And obviously player breakdowns, positional rankings, things like that. They've done a really good job of expanding that conversation there. Plus mock drafts where you have a chance to get involved as well. We're gonna continue the draft theme here today by really kind of focusing in on positional value of maybe some positions that aren't as top heavy as people have said before in this year's draft. And Keith, I think first and foremost, a lot of people, there's a lot of debate right now about this year's wide receiver class, whether or

not it's something that you should avoid. Who's the top heavy guys? We're seeing guys being critiqued about their 40 yard dash times. Are you a big believer into that? Do you think that the wide receiver position isn't as strong this year as maybe it has been in years past? Unfortunately, yes, I believe so. And what I try not to do is force it, right? I'm not going to try to go against the grain and be the guy that argues with everybody on Twitter that's saying it's good when it's not, right? It just kinda is what it is. I think this is a good draft

if you're trying to find wire receiver two and three, right? For your roster and you're trying to round out some wire receiver cores. Now, is it top heavy, right? If you talk about a potential Travis Hunter, Matthew Golden, I like a whole lot. And I'm still in on Teotora McMillan. I think he has opportunity to be a dominant wide receiver, but I have those

three guys and then I will probably put in Mecca and maybe Luther Byrne and kind of their bucket by themselves. And then I think it goes into the next tier, which are Jayden Higgins, Jalen Nowells, Jalen Royals, guys like that. I think it's a good wide receiver court, but I think to think that you're potentially drafting a bunch of ones throughout this entire draft is, I don't think that part is accurate. I even want to go to this conversation too.

Like, so out of all the positions, do you feel like wide receiver is the one that maybe teams should avoid? Or is there another position that's more glaring that stands out to you? Yeah, so I talked about the running back rankings we just did. We also just did

the cornerback rankings and that one was really tough for me. I felt like I had a lot more questions than answers with this cornerback class and that's one class that's been deep since probably 2022. Right. And you go back to the Derrick Stingley, Sal's Gardner, Trent McDuffie, Kyle LaGordon, like there's been really deep classes. Oh, but year, I just have a lot of question marks and just wonder if some guys are scheme specific, right? And then just you have injuries to Benjamin Morrison. A lot of people, you know, like Siobhan Revel, but you're talking about small school, also coming off of ACL. Also, so it's just question marks. And I'll probably put, I'll probably put corners above wide receivers as far as even more question marks to kind of figure out.

Okay. I like that. Kevin Ostreicher of Lockdown Ravens, turning the conversation now to you. probably put corners above wide receivers as far as even more question marks to kind of figure out. Okay, I like that. Kevin Ostryker of Lockdown Ravens turning the conversation now to you. You know, obviously as the Baltimore Ravens are looking for an edge rusher at this point, is this the year for them to go out and get one or how do you feel about it? Yeah, you know, the Ravens always put themselves in such a unique position when it comes to their drafts because they're a best player available team through and through. They do that every single season. I mean, I can give you tens of examples, hundreds even of examples of them doing that throughout all seven rounds. I mean, Kyle Hamilton is the perfect one. They didn't need a safety that year. When a top five talent falls to you because they can't run in a straight line from 40 yards as fast as other guys,

you say, you know what, we're going to take the talent. We'll figure it out later. And it's worked out pretty well for them. They could take an edge in round one they could also go with offensive linemen although that's less of a need now that Ronnie Stanley is back you don't have to feel like you're pigeonholed into that. Safety is one again this season you know you look at guys if Amalekai Starks falls or Nicky Manwari I think both guys different skill sets but really intriguing fits next to Kyle Hamilton and Ardarius Washington in that system. This defensive line class is also just unbelievable.

I mean, you talk about Keith, you're doing rankings. I'm sure your D-line rankings, you got like 20 guys. You're like, this guy could go around two, this guy could go around three, but they're waiting until round five to get picked because that's how deep it is. And I feel like Baltimore losing Michael Pierce, Brent Urban's a free agent. You do have Nandumete BK and Travis Jones. Baltimore does need edge help,

but you also are kind of still working through some of your young guys there too. Like David Ajaba, who they picked coming off of his injury out of Michigan a couple years ago, really hasn't returned to form. And it's kind of a question mark if they still want to go whip that project or get someone more experienced. Tavius Robinson, who just flashed and run defense for them last season after being a fourth rounder, he's expected to have a bigger role, but they don't have that guy. They don't have the Miles Garrett that Cleveland does or the T.J. Watt that Pittsburgh does or even Trey Hendrickson. I mean, every other team in the division has of the guy at pass rusher pending the Cincinnati situation And what happens with Trey Hendrickson, but they're the one team that doesn't have that. So is there a guy in this class?

They're not getting up to a quarter. So is there a guy in this class that they feel comfortable with? Maybe but I'm not sure if that's around one. All right, Aaron Freeman turn the conversation to you What is one position you hope that the Atlanta Falcons absolutely avoid taking in round one? I would go with linebacker at this point in time. I feel like when you look at the last decade plus of first round linebackers, that hit rate is not particularly good, right? It's just one of those things where there seems to be a lot more Kenneth Murrays than Roquan Smiths. And even when you think about a player like Roquan Smith, who was a top 10 pick for the Chicago Bears, rather than paying him the bajillion

dollars that he wanted to make, they traded him to Kevin's team, the Baltimore Ravens, and they were able to get more out of him than even the Bears were able to get out of him. And so he's a relative success as a first round linebacker. But then even then, for the team that drafted him, it didn't quite work out. And so I think at this stage linebackers kind of, I think becoming the running back of the defense where it's just like, you can justify taking them at some point in the draft, but taking them in round one, they have to kind of be that sort of elite prospect. And I think right now the Falcons with Kay Nellis coming off of

And I think right now the Falcons with Kay Nellis coming off of this season as a pass rusher, them adding Divine Diablo to just give them some competent play at that position to sort of raise the floor. That's kind of all what you need at that position. I think at this point in time, everybody would love a Roquan Smith or Fred Warner type of player. And you can, I'm not saying that you're likely to find another Fred Warner in the third round. But it is at least possible for you to be able to find an athletic linebacker and develop that guy into a difference maker. So I feel like linebackers kind of the running back of the defense where it's like, yeah, we'll wait till day two.

We'll wait till the fourth round to take that player as opposed to using a first round pick on it. Well, you gotta say thanks to Bo Nix for really sparking that player as opposed to using a first round pick on it. Well, you know, you gotta say thanks to Bo Nicks for, uh, you know, really sparking that Falcons defense to get their pass rush going in the second half of the season after that one game. I'm sorry, Aaron. I feel like I'm just throwing a shot at you guys today. Lockdown Falcons is just me dumping on the Falcons. So if you dumping on the Falcons is nothing.

Mike debate locked on Patriots, obviously is a Mike rebel looks to build this team the right way here, taking over as head coach around Drake May. What is one position you think that the Patriots should avoid here in the draft? I think the Patriots need to go best player available. I don't think there's any position that they should avoid. I mean, obviously, you've got your quarterback of the future. So you're not going to be in that market. But I really do believe that the Patriots could help themselves by taking pretty much anybody at this point. If they are gifted the opportunity to get a generational talent like an Abdul Carter or Travis Hunter, you take that with both hands and you figure out the best way to use that type of talent on your team.

But you could take someone on the defensive line because the Patriots still need help there. Obviously, their glaring hole is on the offensive line right now, especially at left tackle. That may be their best option in order to invest high level draft capital to be able to fill that. My listeners right now are probably screaming at whatever device they're listening to and saying don't take a wide receiver in round one. There's still snake bit from Nikhil Harry a couple of of years ago This goes all the way back to 2006 when chad jackson was a first rounder for the for the second rounder for the new england patriots It just hasn't worked out well taking draft taking that type of draft capital and investing it in a receiver But you've got some guys in that room now that can be elder statesmen

Maybe give you the opportunity to groom some of these young talents. But Stefan Diggs in the mix, you never know somebody like a Javon Baker from last year could end up emerging. You get a guy like Tet Macmillan coming in. If he can teach him how to run a route a little bit better, maybe he is a fit for the future. So I think the paths are really wide open right now. I wouldn't tell them to stay away from anything. Just go for the best guy available.

Well, that seems to be a strategy for a lot of NFL teams. This year's draft class is going to be very interesting in every step of the way, your favorite teams will be breaking them down for their respective teams as well on the Lockdown Podcast Network. We're not done yet though, NFL squad. Up next, we're going to discuss the New York Giants situation. They've got Russ, they've got Jameis, motivational speeches left and right. It's going to be entertaining, but does that take quarterback off the board for them?

And this year's NFL draft will debate and discuss here on today's episode of the NFL squad. Back at it for the fourth quarter action of today's NFL squad here on the Lockdown Podcast Network where you know it is your team every day. Thank you so much to all the every dayers out there for your respective teams. Thank you for tuning in, making us part of your daily routine, however you choose to do so. Make sure you subscribe or follow so you never miss out on what's going on with your favorite teams, news, the hard hitting

takes and all the insight and action from the local experts on the biggest story on the Lockdown Podcast Network. Wrapping up today's NFL squad show talking about the New York Giants and they are riding with Russell Wilson. They're also eating W's here with Jameis Winston. That quarterback situation has kind of played itself out here this off season with Brian Dable and Joe Shane. Their backs against the wall here. Keith, I want to throw it to you here to discuss this because you get two veteran guys on the free agency market here here to discuss this because you get two veteran guys on the free agency market here are arguably that their jobs at stake here. Does this eliminate them from taking a quarterback this year in the first round or even maybe even in the second round?

Not at all. Um, I think what you said was accurate, right? That their backs were against the wall. And can you imagine the draft room if they put all of their money on should door Sanders being there at three and then the Cleveland Browns take Shador Sanders, right? There's complete panic and havoc going on. And I think what they did was they bought themselves kind of out and kind of unleveraged themselves to be at the mercy of Tennessee and at Cleveland. Right. So now they can say, OK, cool. If Shador is there, we could potentially take them, but we have a pick at the top of the second round. And if we like Jalen Miro or Jackson Dart or Will Howard or Tyler Shuck, any of these guys, right?

We can take them at the top of the second round and we don't have to one move up or two, just be sitting there in position to pray and hope. Well, my question and my debate too, and we'll throw it to the panel for this one is, let's say that you have Russell Wilson,is Winston, and you don't win games in New York. New York's going to have a relatively tough schedule this upcoming season. Some of the opponents that they're going to face having a veteran quarterback certainly does

help. But let's say that, you know, ownership in New York decides to move on from Brian Daville, Joe Shane, and they still take a quarterback in this year's draft. Let's say they take one in round one. Is there the appeal there? Like how challenging will that be? If you're going to hire your next head coach where your head coach coming in is not necessarily married to the idea of the quarterback that you just drafted. I don't know if any of our teams have been in this like era frame. I'm gonna throw it to you for a sincere team. I'll see that, you know, the signed Kirk cousins, give him the, you know, big time contract. Then they go on to get Michael Pennex Jr.

That's obviously caused a little bit of a, you know, some waves there in Atlanta. What is your thoughts here on that situation if the Giants do move on from their coach and obviously the front office personnel this upcoming season? Well, I think the first I'll commend the Giants for not doing what the learning from the Falcons mistake where the Falcons gave Kirk Cousins two years of guaranteed money and then moved off to Kirk cousins before the first year was up. And now they're stuck trying to figure out what do we do with Kirk cousins? Are we going to trade them to the Browns? All that stuff.

So the giants basically did the smart thing by basically saying, we're going to give Russell Wilson one year guaranteed money. Uh, Jamis Winston plate being paid like a backup. So that's pretty much nothing. And so if we do get a quarterback, if we do decide to move off of Ross or Jamis and go to that Shador Sanders, presumably, as Keith said, you know, they're not gonna be financially debilitated in the future from doing that.

So that's a smart move, I think, on their front to leave those doors wide open for them. But I think with the conversation at hand, when you're talking about what the Falcons have done, like the Falcons made this bet on Kirk Cousins and they were very confident that, hey, we're gonna get two years of playoff caliber play from Kirk Cousins and then we'll be able to plug in

Michael Penick's three years down the road. And it was just always this narrow bullseye and this tight rope game that the Falcons were going to have difficulty walking. And they didn't, unfortunately, because of what Bo Nix was able to do to them in Denver, they weren't able to necessarily walk that tight rope. So I do feel like, you know, these teams moving forward when it comes to double dipping, I think you're going to see more of that in the future with what the Packers model is with the Jordan Love situation with the Falcons doing that with Kirk Cousins and Michael Pinnix. I just think they have to be smarter about how much money they're spending on some of those veteran guys, if they're going to go for some of those young quarterbacks.

Kevin throwing it to you now. Your thoughts on this situation too, because you've seen Russell Wilson, you've seen Jameis Winston. Do you think that gives New York a viable chance this upcoming season inside the NFC East? I don't think it gives them a viable shot to win the division. I think you're still very far off of Billy and obviously Washington showed so much last season and even whatever Dallas decides to do, there's always going to be a storyline. So we're always going to be talking about him here and everyone's going to be talking about him there. But I do think it's an interesting point you brought up, Cody, about if Brian Dable and Joe Shane get moved off of this upcoming offseason, next offseason, and they do draft Shader Sanders, that that's how it happens. We've seen this happen before. I mean, obviously, for example, Josh Rosen was the Cardinals guy, and then everybody new comes in and all of a sudden Josh Rosen's not the guy anymore.

You've already wasted a pick on him. Now you have to ship him off and get less value. I'm not saying that's going to happen, especially because Josh Rosen, you know, the Cardinals didn't have time to wait. They wanted to move off. They wanted to make a decision that best reflected the new people that came in. But I think that with younger quarterbacks, we are seeing an accelerated timeline with less room for them to make mistakes. And so, you know, you see even now with, I mean, Anthony Richardson is an interesting example of this where he was forced in, he was clearly not ready coming out of Florida. He was forced into a spot. He's been kind of tugged around left and right. Hey, you're the backup. Actually, no, you're back to start and actually, oh, we don't really know

what we want here. It's about belief in these guys. And I think that if the Giants do take Sanders and Dable gets let go, a guy that comes in, it just depends on who is available because sometimes you hire coaches because they are the guy, like a veteran. Like, let's just throw an example out of Bill Belichick leaves North Carolina after one season and he comes to New York. He's going to want his quarterback in there, but are the giants going to say, uh, actually the giants probably say, well, we're going to have to choose between Bill Belichick and Shredder Sanders.

What is the choice they're going to make? How much do they believe in their young quarterback versus how much do they believe in a top head coach coming in and turning their program around? So I think that young quarterbacks have gotten an unfair shake over the last couple of seasons. Even a guy, Cody, I know we've talked about Zach Wilson now in Denver. You know, he's a guy that with the Jets, that leash was so short there and that's just the New York will chew you up and spit you out. The New York media is ruthless and that is both the Jets and the Giants. It's all New York in general. So I think that for me, the situation is interesting because they put themselves in the position not to be at the

mercy of anybody, Keith, I 1000% agree and that's what they should have done. But what does this look like after a season if Dable and Shane should have been let go? I think they should have been let go this season, but you know, here we are with another year of it, seemingly like delaying the inevitable in my opinion. Giants ownership might be saying let's ride to those guys here in a little bit of time if it doesn't come to pass. Mike debate obviously, your team took Drake May last year. In your opinion, if they didn't have Drake May,

let's talk about a hypothetical here. Do you feel like this would be a rough year to try to need a quarterback if you're really trying to build around a team? Or is there a guy that you're looking at in this year's draft that you feel like, hey, if Drake may wasn't here, this is a guy we could build around? Well, yeah, I mean, you look at the top two guys in this draft, you look at Cam Ward, you look at Shadura Sanders, depending on the type of style that the New England Patriots would play, if assuming Mike Grable is going to be the head coach this year, I think you

can probably make it work with either one of those guys. Cam Ward, obviously being probably the more preferable because I think it would fit, maybe Josh McDaniel's a little bit better than Shador. But Shador is someone that I think can excel in this league as well. So you look at what New England did last year with Drake May now and securing that,

they feel very confident heading into this draft that all of the other positions that they need to fill are where they should be spending their time. And I think, Kevin, also, you bring up an interesting point about Bill Belichick maybe heading to the blue side of the Meadowlands. I always said that while he was here, that was the only concern that I had, and the only job that I really feared that Bill Belichick would leave New England for. So I'm going to remember that you said that and we may revisit this in another year. Bookmark this one folks, but no all kidding aside Cody to answer your question with regard to to Drake, I think Patriots fans will join me in saying we're glad we got the guy that we have at the helm right now. Now it's time to fill the other positions and for one, hope the Giants do select Chidura Sanders with the number three

pick because it means that either Abdul Carter or Travis Hunter could slip to the New England Patriots at number four and you get that generational talent. Is it going to happen? Maybe not, but at this point, you know, New England Patriots fans continue to live in hope we have to, after what we saw the last couple of seasons here in the way. Yeah. Broncos country is also in that same boat. very happy that they got Bo Nix is their quarterback here with Sean Payton and not having to go into this year's draft as many people wanted

them to trade back say oh you could wait another year away for next year's class. I'm glad personally Denver's not in that boat here. Last question here I'll throw it to you Keith once again locked on NFL draft. This conversation you probably get asked about this on Twitter or whatever social media sites are out there a lot these days. Who is, in your opinion, the best quarterback in this year's draft? Is it Shador or is it Cam Ward? And who do you think will probably have a little bit more of a sustainable environment that they're going to probably go into? Yeah, I'm going with Shador Sanders as my QB one, and it doesn't have to deal with the physical part, right? And we talked about cities like New York and media and things like that to where

you see some of these guys nose dive, right? We just cut the pressure of being QB one being a face of a franchise and things like that. And for all of the things that Deion Sanders has done, right? I think inadvertently, he's prepared should or for these situations, meaning that like all of the putting a spotlight on him, right? Like all of the trash talking and doing different things like that. I think he's inadvertently put Shador in tough situations to where he's had to

answer to the media, right? Or he has to answer the criticism and I think that him dealing with adversity, it won't cause him to spiral. I think Shador has all of the necessary and requisite tools to be an NFL starting quarterback and most of these guys do right when you watch them through all these guys can throw it's about the guys that can handle the game from the neck up and I just have maybe just a slight margin Ward room for an entire year regardless of the situations or have them do a weekly show together because the trash talk between those two guys, it's hilarious to watch. It moves the needle for me here. But obviously we want to know here on today's NFL squad, which teams, which positions would

you prefer your team obviously favor? Which one has the best values at running back tight end? Which position should your team avoid? And also what do you think of the New York Giants situation? It was Russell Wilson, Jamis Winston, and this year's quarterback class. Thank you for tuning in today's NFL squad. Make sure you tune into your favorite teams show every single day here in the Lockdown podcast network.

You know, we got you covered every step of the way and make sure once again, you hit the Lockdown NFL draft podcast for all that you need to know leading up to the draft, which is officially one month away. It's going to be fun and Locked On Podcast Network. We got some fun things in store coming your way as it pertains to the draft. With that said, we'll be back next week for another topic here on the NFL Squad Show.