NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal - 40s and Free Agents: The NFC West’s 5 Impact Additions and Rookies

Episode Date: August 5, 2025

Gregg Rosenthal and Daniel Jeremiah are back! On the latest episode of 40s and Free Agents, the duo looks toward the new season and shares their picks for biggest additions to the NFC West. Find out why players like Davante Adams, Tory Horton, Bryce Huff, Josaiah Stewart, Calais Campbell and more will make a major impact for their new squad next season!NFL Daily YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/nflpodcastsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Toyota, the official automotive partner of the NFL. Visit Toyota.com slash NFL now to learn more. Welcome to 40s and Free Agents, the podcast where myself, Greg Rosenthal and Daniel Jeremiah break down all the impact of the free agency market and the NFL draft. And you might be wondering, it's August. Why are we talking about free agency and the draft? The fans demanded it, DJ, and we're back looking at the season, going over the biggest additions in the offseason and how they're going to play now that we're getting to the regular season. How was your summer, buddy? It was great, man. I will say, though, I'm a little disappointed because I didn't, for some reason, the audio

wasn't able to hear the theme song. And in terms of things I enjoy about the show, theme song is pretty high up there on that list. So not getting to hear that was painful. But I'm sure the audience heard it, and they loved it. And it is also good to see you. And the people did demand this because we talked about paper. We talked about paper all spring. Oh, paper.

This is what they got in free agency. This is what they got in the draft. You know what we get to talk about now, Greg? What they're doing on the grass. or I guess say turf or some of them, but way more fun. Yeah, we're already into the dog days of training camp and yeah, we appreciated the demand, the big pop we got from this show.

And if you like the show, do us a favor. Go ahead and subscribe to 40s and Free Agents on iTunes, Spotify, wherever you get it. I want to make it so that you don't have to subscribe to NFL daily or move the sticks that we're like a bird that can start going off on our own and subscribe to 40s and free. agents. So a lot of people don't know this about you, DJ, but you've never actually watched NFL games.

You only watch college. So I'll do all the NFL big additions. You do the college guys. And why don't you get going? We're going to do the five biggest additions in the entire division of the NFC West. And you can you can start wherever you want. So I'm doing this because we had the freedom to do how we want it. I'm not saying this is going to be five years from now the, you know, the best player because it would all be first round picks for the most part, all the talent, the up. side the ceiling. I approach this as these guys are going to have an impact right away. I'm expecting big things from these five rookies right out the shoot. So forget about what the draft status was, what round they went. I'm looking at their talent, how they're ready to get

on the field, make an impact right away. So I'll give you one to start off here, and that's a spicy one here. I'm going to start out NFC West. I'm going to go to Seattle Seahawks fifth round pick. Someone who I was much higher on during the draft process, he went much later than he should. and that is Tori Horton, a wide receiver from Colorado State, who if you go back to 23, would have been a top 50 pick. You know, if he, or sorry, go back to to, what year are we in? 24, so it would have been the 24 season, the 25. Two years ago, he was awesome.

Last year he was injured. He wasn't the same guy. Didn't have the same performance. But by all accounts, he's lighting up training camp with the Seattle Seahawks. So I'm excited to see Tori Horton. I think he has immediate impact with Sam Donald as quarterback. I love that call. And, yeah, DJ has been out on the road as part of Inside Training Camp,

and he's talking to all the GMs. And so, you know, there's always like a little something extra. I'm going to use this information on my show. I'm going to steal it. And it is interesting because they need someone to step up there. Right now, Marquez Valde Scantling is set up as their number three receiver. Jake Bobo, who I've liked as a number four. We are the Jake Bobo show of record, by the way.

I think, I don't know the last time we had an episode where Jake Bobo didn't get a shout out from Greg. He was apparently like struggling now maybe to make this roster because they are a little deeper. I guess I'll just go with Cooper Cup now then because we can just have the conversation. So we're going back and forth. And I looked at it in terms

of impact players but it doesn't have to be positive or negative. It can be a guy that can just make or break their season. And I just think Cooper Cup is so important. I've been a little skeptical that he can be close to the Cooper Cup of old. And I thought it

was interesting looking at his contract. When you really dig down, it ultimately is a one year $17 million contract and they got to make a decision very early next off season. But to me, he's ultimately playing to be part of this team. And I just think they need him, DJ. And yeah, it'd be great if Tori Horton steps up and is a nice role player. But obviously, they're not going to expect them to have the volume that a Cooper Cup has. I think when you look at this, Jackson Smith and Jigba is a really good player. I think an ascending number one. But are there two skill sets a little duplicative, redundant, however you want to say, I think they could be. And I do worry based off the film from last year that Cooper Cup isn't maybe ready to be a true number two. So he,

he to me, is going to have a huge impact on whether the Seahawks are good or bad this year. I'm a little skeptical. I know you don't agree with me there. Well, I, there's trends every year. And You're always looking to see how the game's going to change and what people are doing to spice it up a little bit. One thing I've heard in talking to some coaches on this little tour and talking to guys during training camp is because there's more guys like Cooper Cup. There's more guys who are a little bit older, don't move quite as well, but they're smart, physical, tough guys who have a good feel, right? And so the whole process was, okay, well, if we've got a slot receipt, we only got room for one of those guys. And I've talked to some teams that have toyed with the idea of we're going to use that bigger aging receiver. but we're going to take the tight end off the field

and we're going to flex him out. He's basically going to be functioning as obviously a much undersized tight end. But that gives him an opportunity to them have both that slot receiver, impact player and maybe that slower but tough physical veteran that can run those types of routes. So I'm curious to see.

I'm fascinated to see if some of these tight ends come off the field a little bit for some of these teams. It makes a lot of sense to me. And it's kind of a question of why we haven't seen something like that in the past. Yeah, that's fascinating. as the league kind of gets into these bigger personnel groups, and it's interesting,

they got rid of Noah Fant, and they have two good young tight ends in Elijah Royo and A.J. Barner, but maybe they get rid of Fant, because they see him as maybe more duplicative of... Those guys are kind of like seam stretchers, like vertical tight ends. I'm talking about, like, hey, it's third and six, and I've got option routes,

and I've got all of a sudden now I've got Cooper Cup snug on the left side, and now I've got J.S.N. Like, those are going to be tough covers with a lot of... you know, with three-way goes and a lot of field to work with. And one thing he did not slack off on when he was with the Rams is that blocking. And that's one thing. Yeah, you just, you worry a little bit at his age and he's had some of the injuries with like, you know, throwing those those big blocks, but that's what they are paying him for.

Give me another rookie that you think is going to make a big impact. Yeah, first of all, if you've, if you're using a stopwatch right now, you notice that I got maybe 45 seconds to talk about mine. We probably spent five minutes on Greg. So that's not a part for the course. I'm going to go. I mean, it's Cooper Cup versus Torrey Horton. What am I going to say about Tori Horton?

Maybe we look back at the end of the year and we re-wrack this. And we say Tori Horton end up having a pretty darn good year. All right, I'm going to go San Francisco. Fourth round pick. See, I'm not just picking these top tier guys. Fourth round pick, C.J. West, defensive tackle. This is a front for the Niners. It looks a lot different than it did.

And it's, you know, in their core group from three or four years ago. They have completely revamped it. Michael Williams, I'm excited about him. their first round pick, big heavy edge setter. I think he can kick inside and rush. He's a really good player. But C.J. West, I'm talking about somebody who's strong, who can penetrate, can get up the field inside,

and then someone who's just a little more polished. I think he's just more ready to have an immediate impact. And I think there's opportunities on this defensive line that's completely revamped over the last couple years. Yeah, there is really no one locked in there at defensive tackle. And so you look at that group and there has been good buzz so far. out of your boy, CJ West at camp.

They also drafted Alfred Collins, who's kind of a, maybe a different sort of defensive tag. More of a plugger. You could explain that to me. And then they have these veterans, Jordan Elliott, Kevin Givens,

like not top level starter types. To me, it's one of the huge questions for the 49ers. Like, can this defensive line be great looking at three rookies potentially starting eventually?

Or certainly at least playing a lot. I was just going back through and looking at my, I know it's not that I wasn't listening to you, but the fact that he's able to function in a phone booth and be kind of stout and strong. But then again, it's that quickness. Trying to find interior pass rush, especially when you got, you know, guys like Kyler Murray running around inside this division. There's value there. See, we're first day at training camp right now.

We haven't gotten the reps. Like, I would have kept talking longer if I knew you were looking at your notes. But you just scolding me very subtly about talking too much. so I tried to be a little quicker. I have a lunch appointment two hours, so let's see you can get through your second guy here. What do you got? So we're going to stay thematic here

because we were thinking about similar position groups. And I'm actually going to go with a trade acquisition we never got a chance to talk about. It was Bryce Huff. Bryce Huff with the 49ers to me plays a crucial role because I know Michael Williams, they're very excited about how tough he is and setting the edge.

Maybe they didn't have the, the best one-on-one pass rush moves, at least yet on that film. That's not why they took him so high. And this defensive line just needs some juice. Robert Sala's back there. Everyone is excited about Robert Sala being there. And he brings in a guy in Bryce Huff, who played his best football under him with the Jets.

And I just think you need two, three edge rushers. And right now he's probably number two behind Bosa. He's probably not starting, but he's going to have a big role on a per snap basis. He was fantastic. I'm ready to just throw out whatever happened in Philadelphia

now that he's back with his buddy, Robert Sala. Yeah, and I think he's best on a pitch count. I think he's best, you know, just rotate him in, give him those 20 snaps, let him just be the fastball that he is off the edge.

They just, I don't think he was really rugged enough for Phillies liking. And it just didn't really, they had so many guys to that, you know, even like Nolan Smith, who was not the biggest guy in the world,

was a savage. You know, you look at him, how he treated like polars and how strong he was. I don't think that was really Huff's game. Huff's game is I'm going to throw fastballs as a rusher off the edge. And I think by the fact of limiting that a little bit, I think that's who he is. And I think there's a sweet spot in some of these guys' careers, too, Greg, where it's like, I've excelled in this role. Okay, let's expand the role. Didn't work.

That's not really who I am. Now he should know exactly who he is. And Robert Sallon knows who he is. So I like that fit. And I like the fact that they gave up something for him. It was a mid to late round pick. They never did announce what the exact pick was. But if I had to guess, it's probably a fourth or a fifth round pick.

And they're paying them $8 million. They're splitting the money with the Eagles. But that's not nothing. They're pot committed. Right. They're putting resources into him. I think he is going to have a sneaky big impact on that defense getting a lot better. I'm pretty optimistic about the 49ers this year.

All right. Who else he got? All right. I've got a couple Rams coming up here. So I'm going to start first of all, third rounder Josiah Stewart out of Michigan. Again, personal favorite of mine, just the way he played in

the fall. Now, he did not test for a long period of time, then he tested late, did not test well. I think that's one of the reasons why he was available there in the third round. Undersized someone who I think some people dismissed because of that, and I think Les Sneed has proven over the years. You look at Kairn Williams

who didn't run very fast. He's been able to find these just really, really good football players who maybe don't fit the height, weight, speed, for a lot of these teams around the league. And this is based off, and I haven't talked to anybody at Rams Camp. I don't know. I haven't seen, you know, his name pop up as someone who's lighting it up at training camp.

I just know the type of player that they've hit on, and this fits that to a T. So I'm going to go Josiah Stewart, finding a role on this very talented, fast athletic front seven. I love doing this show with you because I'm learning. And, you know, first I get a little Tori Horton pop, which I like, that things are going well. I haven't heard, you know, we were out at Rams Camp. I haven't heard anything in particular with Josiah Stewart. He's in a perfect situation, maybe a Bryce Huff type of situation

where he's behind two good Edd Rushers and Byron Young and Jared Verst, but maybe it's a way that they mix him in. Roll them through. Like what style of play? Because I'm not as familiar with him. What kind of player is Josiah Stewart? So I'll give you, I'll just pull up my notes.

So you can, I don't want to like speak out of school here. So let's just go right to where I had him here. Josiah Stewart. All right. So he's 6-1, 249 pounds, undersized bolt of lightning. Plays, can I say balls to the wall?

I think I can on 40s and free agents. It's a podcast. Yeah, it's a podcast. Shake bowl power, got a dip rip. He plays much bigger than his size. He attacks blocks. And then I put in all caps energy, Greg. Like he plays with passion and energy.

Think about, obviously, Jared Verst on another level as a talent. But I think one of the first few words we would use to describe Jared Verse after we called him a bad man and explosive would be the energy part of it and this guy brings that same type of energy. I just think you'll roll him through he'll fit right in. It might almost be too much energy. I mean that defense

they're wild. I don't know. Can you have too much energy? Maybe at like a training camp practice where guys are flying around and possibly hurting. By the way, quick question for you. Yeah. It does surprise me you're not as familiar with Josiah Stewart's game considering you spent a good three months on 40s and free agents just eviscerating

his teammate Mason Graham so I don't know. how you didn't notice him but you know i was scouting the players that you had ranked too high if you had had stewart like a little bit higher it was in my top 50 at one point time okay that's a good call you you did a good job with some of your guys i'm already seen but i know what you often say in the preseason don't start it's a liar it's a liar don't start pat in your back yeah here's what i do i don't need to see anything in the preseason anything in practice from devante adams to me this is the number one if we were ranking it we're just going back and forth it's not a ranking but to me the the biggest addition in the off season, this entire division,

forget even Sam Darnold, is Devante Adams. And I think on film the last couple years that he has shown that he is still a top 15 wide receiver. I think people just weren't watching the Jets. They weren't watching the all 22. That's such a random number, by the way. Why? You set it up for such a power statement. Like, he is still, and I'm like, he's going to say a top three receiver.

Maybe he's going to go top five. He is still a top 15. They just didn't have the punch. The way you set that up and the way you delivered it didn't match. It's good coaching by you. It's just I don't like to be that guy because when you actually make the list, it's like, is he better than Nico Collins? Is he better than Brian Thomas Jr.?

To me, he's in that category of guys after the very top. But I could go 10. I could go 10 if that makes he feel better. So your parents, you come home from school. Gregory, how'd you do on the test? Oh, Mom. was amazing. I knew I just I crushed it. I felt so confident. I already got my grade back. It was unblood. What did you get? Greg? You get it 100 and 98. I got 84. Like that was not,

it just doesn't marry the hype that was given at the front. That's first of all, uh, three G's and Greg 60% G that that just closed the name right there. There's no Gregory. Second, it is a good life lesson. It set expectations very low. Yeah. And then and then go over. Under promise over deliver, Greg. I want to put the expectations for Adams very high. So I was saying on film he looks great and then. Yeah. He's a perfect fit for that system. I mean, come on. Everything you hear from the Rams so far when we were out there, like he was taking a veteran rest day. So, you know, I didn't get to see him playing, but you see him coaching up like immediately the Jordan Winnington's and the younger players on the roster. I saw a couple of them, you know, they were walking right by

our studio, like in a deep conversation about the different types of routes that weren't working that day for some of the young receivers. And so I think he brings all the knowledge in the world. But he also, to me, is a canvas for Sean McVeigh and Mike LaFleur, who we had Mike LaFleur on NFL Daily to create really difficult matchups with him in Pukanakua. Those two guys together, if it's 1A, 1B, I think they complement each other so well. And I really am looking forward to how the Rams change their offense up a little bit, each and every season. to stay ahead and what they're going to do to stay ahead of defenses. What do you think it'll look like with Adams and Pooka together?

I think it's going to work and I think you've got interchangeable guys. I think the fact that I think they're both capable of going outside and winning out there playing inside. My question is I don't, I think they're going to win a lot at the intermediate and underneath level. I don't know how much vertically on top of guys they're going to get unless they're just running crossers and picking guys off and all that kind of stuff. So who's going to fill that role for this team right now?

It's the $10 million man, Tutu Atwell. I don't know if they ran a play, the practice I was there where Tutu Atwell was not in motion. Whether it works or not, I think this group is determined to make that signing, which some people made fun of a little bit, kind of set the market for a number three, four receiver. I think they're determined to make that work. I haven't been out there, as I mentioned. Does he have like cookies or what, like, what's his apology to Jimmy Garoppel in his locker? Did he put anything in there?

Like, hey, sorry about that, dude. Like, we're good now. They're saying all the right things, but I had to admit watching it and seeing Pooka Nakua just absolutely dust some of these Rams cornerbacks and then stop so quickly and just wide open. No one's even near him. And then Jimmy throws him the ball and it's like an intermediate like 20 yard throw and he's just waiting. He's just waiting for that ball to get there. And the defenders are coming in and I was thinking about some of those clips from the Devante Adams Jimmy Garapolo era. Have we talked?

I know this is, I don't want to get too off topic. We talked about the one stat that I'm going to question now forever because I just had an epiphany on it at some point in time which was because I was doing a college quarterback I remember who it was but it was I questioned his arm strength but his tight window throw percentage was excellent and it finally hit me Greg on that particular stat and you talk to Mina about this too because I think she'd get it on this discussion I think we need to distinguish tight window throws

I think there are when the ball is released what the coverage is and I think when the ball is caught where the coverage is because one of them tight window throws is arm arrogance and arm talent the other one is a result of a lack of arm strength which is allowed defenders to converge

to make an unnecessary tight window throw so that's my soapbox I'll get off of it I love that and I think the two Rams quarterbacks and I am a little worried about Matthew Stafford still out with a back injury They would be perfect examples of the two different types of ways you can win against tight window throws. Jimmy Garapolo and Matthew Stafford. I thought you were going to say yards per attempt, which is a pretty basic stat, DJ.

Yeah. Because Jimmy Garapolo still ranks first among all active players in yards per attempt and first in the history of the NFL post merger. Now you want to put them behind Otto Graham and Sid Luckman? You can. But Jimmy Garapolo in a very basic. Like popular stat is the greatest of all time in yards per attempt. Yeah, that was Kyle Shanahan Hayday unleashed on the league before they knew, you know, before nine of his assistant coaches were coaching around the national football league

and people got a little more familiar with what they were doing. Still, it's absolutely insane. Let's put a pin in that. Let's take one quick break and we will be back to to wrap up the five biggest impact rookies and additions in the NFC West this off. Hey, this is Matt Jones. Now I'm Drew Franklin, and this is NFL Cover Zero. We're just here to try to give you an NFL perspective a little bit different.

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Toyota, the official automotive partner of the NFL. Visit Toyota.com slash NFL now to learn more. What's up, everybody? Daniel Jeremiah here. And I'm Bucky Brooks. On Move the Sticks, we take you inside the game from scouting reports and player development to team building philosophies, coaching trends, and how front offices construct winning rosters. Every week we study the tape, talk to decision makers, and share the insights you won't find

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All right, we are back on 40s and free agents. We're going to be here all August, twice a week, previewing the season going through each division. We're starting with the NFC West, biggest impact players that are going to be rookies and free agents or trade acquisitions. Give me another rookie, DJ. All right. So this one, again, I'm going to go back to the Rams.

And this is, as I've mentioned, I have not been out to training camp. I have not heard, I've not talked to anybody that's provided the buzz here. This is my working theory because it's been pretty accurate over the years. In the run-up to the draft, And I'll tell you the name, it's Jarquez Hunter, the running back.

So the theory is this. When I talked to, and I talked to almost every single GM around the league as we get closer to the draft. And they will go over a lot of players, mention a lot of names. Sometimes they mention a player they might draft, but they don't go on an effusive because they were trying to keep their cards close. On occasion, there's some players that, and they're not talking about first round players, but mid-round players that they love so much that they can't help but even talk about them. And then they end up coming up, and then they end up taking that player. And the odds are there's such a love there from the team side, and they believe how well that player matches and fits what they do,

that if they do get married on a roster, it ends up working out pretty well. And in talking to Les in the run-up to the draft, and I thought maybe it's because he's an Auburn guy, and Les is an Auburn guy. But he talked a lot about Jarquez Hunter and how excited he was about him and how hard he ran, how physical he was. so that stuck in the back of my mind to the point

when he gets picked in the fourth round like I know you got Cameron Williams but I think this Hunter I think they really really like him I think they have a vision for him and I'm excited to see what he does you're getting a little bit of Blake Corum pop in camp he's a third round pick

who kind of had a slow start to his rookie year that happens a lot where that the second year guys naturally get a lot of kind of features written about them that they've figured some things out is Hunter a big play type of guy because that is something where it was really noticeable. They were top, I think, six or seven.

Do you know what their yards were over-expected for Karen Williams last year? No. Zero. Yeah, double-checked me on that. You can pull that up and you can correct it if I'm wrong. But I believe in the draft prep last year that there was literally nothing that wasn't there that he was providing. Which is something maybe they're going to bring up in contract negotiation.

Supposedly, they've made some progress. I think that deal is actually going to get done, but it might be because Kai when Williams is not looking to totally break the bank. Yeah, they're very high DJ in success rate, like top six or seven, which means, you know, did you get four yards on first down? But bottom five in explosive play rate, like just, they're just not hitting anything down the field. Do you think Hunter can be that sort of guy for that?

For four, four. Hunter ran four-four-four-four. He's got speed. He's downhill. He can extend and pluck in the past game as well. I only fumbled the ball one time. I thought he had a good cutback vision. and kind of a decisive runner. But yeah, 4-4 speed, like legit speed.

And when you look at their offensive line and how they've kind of mauled people as they've gotten bigger and embraced a different style of run being more gap scheme than they were traditionally, I think they left some yards out there, man. And I think you throw a dynamic player in that mix. Some of those 8, 10, 12s, 15s turn into 30s, 40s, 50s.

Yeah, that would be huge for them. That, to me, is typical of this roster. I think they, with the exception of the Cowboys, are maybe the biggest boomer bust team in the NFL because Stafford's back thing worries me a little bit at his age. I think it should.

Alarick, you know, there are two tackles. Alarick Jackson has this blood clot issue that he's working back from and Robin Haventstein is up there in years. Like, that's kind of a boom or bust position. But man, if everything goes well, they have the talent,

certainly on offense. They're mauling. Can Steve Avila get back to kind of where he was as a rookie? Like, they have the talent to be one of the best teams in the league to make the Super Bowl. And yet I think there are some, routes there it could go wrong hold on hold on greg because uh i was trying to look this up while

you were talking before i could look it up producer drew you know there's a researcher background there right yeah you can take you can take drew out of the research but you can't take the research out of i don't know somebody uh so only other 1,000 yard rusher without any yards over expected last year naji harris so and if we've talked about naji the the talking point with Nodgy has been, look, you need three yards, he'll get you three yards. You need six yards. You'll get you three yards. Like, that's just kind of been the talking point. And we don't think about that with Karen Williams, but that's what the, that's what the number say. I will not stand for this Kyron Williams slander. But there is something you know.

Yeah, if he, when he gets 12, it's not going to be 40. That, that's, that's kind of the issue with Kyron Williams. So who you got? My pick, like, if you're just going by the money, Josh Sweat would be the logical defensive player. And actually, if you're just going by the money, the next most logical two defensive players for the Cardinals would be Dalvin Tomlinson and Baron Browning, who they brought back. And yet, year after year, a team signs Callais Campbell.

And by the end of the year, you think, man, this guy actually is the best defensive lineman on this team or the second best defensive lineman on this team and is building up a Hall of Fame case and is a Walter Payton man of the year type of guy and changes the locker room. And so ultimately, when we're talking impact, I decided to go Calais Campbell.

Now he's representing a Cardinals defense that I think is a lot more exciting. I mentioned the additions that they made up front. I think they're more talented. They've been really creative. But don't like get a twisted. On the field, Calais Campbell was awesome for the dolphins last year.

If you go back and watch that Dolphins, like he is still wreck and shop, pushing the pocket, great in run defense. obviously more of an interior player but when it's three down linemen he's on the outside like he can do everything

and he's just the man so I'm not going to doubt Kaleas Campbell being the biggest impact player and I think that was an under the radar signing I really love from the Cardinals yeah I know in baseball they say speed never goes in a slump

and football you can say size never really goes in a slum he's going to be all of six foot eight 300 plus pounds each and every time he steps out onto the field and he's going to make an impact and he's just he's been such a consistent player

throughout his career. He's not the dominant guy that he was, but he's still a consistent player. You've got to worry about him. So I'm going to stay with the Cardinals for my last one. I'm going to go Will Johnson, who's someone that would have gone in the first round if he was healthy and had a healthy process. You know, some issues on physicals that showed up, wasn't able to work out at all. There's some speed questions there. You know, some tackling wasn't great his last year at Michigan.

But do you go back the year before? All he did was make a zillion plays on the ball. Super instinctive. I think he's a top-down corner. use that size and length. He can clog lanes. He can see routes. He'll jump throws. He did it last year against SC with a pick six. I think in this defense,

if they can get all this talent in the front seven to get some pass rush, I think you look up at the end of the year and Will Johnson's had four or five picks. Their secondary is really intriguing to me. Now, they lost a couple players, which you hate to do in the off season, for the season that were projected to play a lot for them.

Starling Thomas, who's a veteran, and Sean Murphy Bunting. And yet, the guys that they still have there are extremely talented. Will Johnson, like you mentioned how high level of a prospect he was. Garrett Williams has been one of the best young nickelbacks in the league that people don't know about. And Max Melton played really well for a second round pick there. And then they're great at safety, of course, with Buda Baker, Jalen Thompson. So it's a young, fast, like dynamic group.

I know we're not predicting, like, who wins this division? at least not right now. Maybe later in the month. We'll see if we could make you. But like, where do you see the Cardinals in general? Because I'm really intrigued by this team. So I look at teams this type of year and I kind of go, okay, there's the there's the knowns at the tops and the bottoms, right?

Like I feel pretty good. These teams are going to be top, you know, five teams in their conference. I feel the bottom five teams. The Cardinals are in that swing zone where if I told you at the end of the year, the Cardinals won 11 games. I wouldn't be shocked. I think if you told you. that they won, you know, six or seven games.

I think there's more variance with them. I think in golf, they refer to it as dispersion, right? Shot dispersion. I feel like with the Cardinals, you know, you could go off the right side or the left side of the fairway. You don't know where that's going. I feel that. I was saying I think the Rams are maybe an extreme example,

that the downside for them is similarly bad, but the upside is playing in the Super Bowl, which would be great for them in their rival stadium up in Santa Clara. All right, let's wrap it up with, I'm going to Marcus Lawrence. Now, I could go, Sam Darnold. I'm thinking about this podcast for people who are coming back to the NFL. It's August trying to catch up.

And I feel like the DeMarcus Lawrence signing has been pretty under the radar. And he's a great player. Similar to Cooper Cup, it's kind of like a one-year deal that if he plays well, we'll turn into a three-year type of deal. And I know he was fighting through the injury last year. But everyone there in camp is already saying, this is the best practice player we've ever had. Like, Mike McDonald cannot stop talking about DeMarcus Lawrence,

that he is literally changing their culture in terms of his attention to detail, his energy, everything you ever heard about him. It kind of reminds me of a Callais Campbell type that like if DeMarcus Lawrence is on the field in an NFL game, he, to me, is an impact player. I think one of the most underrated players of his generation. And it's one of those rare deals in free agency that might be a good value. Like these aging guys who have one or two good years and you add him to a group, DJ, that's pretty deep.

I mean, they have a lot of different ways they can attack you. I think he's a nice final piece to Marcus Lawrence to what, to me, could be a top five defense. Yeah, and talking some guys up there too in the draft, a lot of the edge rushers, there was a lot of guys that had some

physical questions that showed up in terms of the physicals and not passing and concerns, longevity. Then you had some guys with, you know, other issues may it be off the field or what have you. There just weren't as many clean guys. a lot of guys with very deep class, but there was enough, you know, cause or concern that I think that's when they looked at it and said, look, we know exactly what we're getting here in Tank

Lawrence. Like, we, we know who he is and what he is. And there's some certainty that they bought there. So I thought that that made sense. They know exactly who he is and what he is. And I do find it on brand that even when you don't even have him as one of the five impact guys, he kind of took a Sam Darnold shot in there. Like, it was just kind of a way for you to get you dig in there? Like I could have gone with him, but I don't want to do that. Well, it's like everyone's heard enough about Darnold. We already talked about Cup in the passing it. We can't go to Seahawks Heavy. But yeah, Tank Lawrence. I agree with you. You cannot go to Seahawks Heavy, which is going to get me to the

player I'm keeping an eye on. Shalen Milrow is my player that I'm keeping an eye on. Just because I look, are we going to see him at all? Don't know. Is he going to start a game or two? Does Sam get hurt? Does he get some action there? Are they going to have him in some, I feel like every year we have a quarterback. We talk about. that's going to be the short yardage red zone we're going to pop it never happens ever it's always talked about it never is executed what about Lamar's rookie year before he actually was starting that's that it did happen there a little bit remember how much he was even really it's like five plays a game but he would like get a first down run or whatever for eight yards

but you're right it wasn't it wasn't it doesn't happen very often and ever i can literally every single year there's someone who's talked about like this so yeah we'll see that's why to me it's uh it was presented to me as the five guys to impact and then it was who you're keeping an eye on. So keeping an eye on means not going to start, not going to be in the mix, but I'm keeping an eye to see if and how they use Jalen Miller. It's just a wild card.

I don't know what it says about me, but if you tell me that give me a list of five, then I just want to do six. I don't know why. So my wild card is also a quarterback who won't be starting. It's not Jacoby Brissette, who is the new backup in Arizona. Good backup.

Did not know that. Yeah. Good knowledge. It's Mack Jones. We're here in the Good Camp report reports. Kyle Shanahan finally got his guy, Mack Jones, five years after they took Tray Lance over him, the 49ers reporters are like,

hey, Mac Jones looks pretty good. I'm just saying, I hope he doesn't get into the lineup because that would mean Brock Purdy is hurt. There's no competition. I think Brock Purdy has turned into a legit top 10 quarterback in the league. But I just wouldn't be surprised, DJ. If everyone's tuning in to some random Thursday night football

in November, Brock Purdy's out one or two weeks, and all of America is like, Mac Jones is on the 49ers, and he's lighting him up. He's looking good again. Mac Jones in the right system that made Jimmy Garapolo the all-time leader in yards per attempt. That's fun. That's a good wild card.

You finished strong. I didn't think it was your best show, but I thought you finished with some gusto. You don't seem like you're that convinced. I'll try to make it up to you, DJ. Later this week, we are doing the AFC West, five biggest impact players from the draft and from free agency. going to be fun. We're back, DJ. You asked for it.

Look, I didn't. I mean, the people wanted it, man. But again, to reiterate what you said at the top, subscribe to the, to this feed. Yes. We don't want to keep having a crosspost. We got to convince him that we don't need to do that anymore. Forties and free agents. We will be back later this week.

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