Purple Insider - a Minnesota Vikings and NFL podcast - Clay's Corner: Biggest winners and losers of Free Agency, so far

Episode Date: March 14, 2025

Matthew Coller is joined by Intern Clay to discuss which teams have come out of the early days of free agency as the biggest winners and which teams are the biggest losers.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

So why don't we, why don't I do this? We'll bring in a intern clay. He's got his list of teams that he thinks are the winners and losers of free agency, but I'll continue to answer your questions. Uh, well, clay is here as well. So intern clay, former Penn football player currently in a dorm room at the University of Pennsylvania. And now to bring Ivy league analysis to the show. What is going on, Clay? How are you? I'm good. I'm good. Thanks for having me back. Of course. So your assignment

for this evening was to come up with through the first couple of days of free agency, your three biggest winning teams, your three biggest losing teams. Why don't we start with the losing teams where do you want to begin with the teams that have lost free agency so far. Yeah I want to start with my favorite team to talk smack about this offseason which is the Cowboys. They reconstructed Dak and see these contracts for what seems no reason. And they let go of Demarcus Lawrence and instead they kept Kavante Turpin, making him the highest paid special teamer. And I get he's good and all, but what's more important here? And the only additions or notable additions that I saw was a a year alum and Javante Williams.

So the more and more as this off season goes, it just seems like Jerry doesn't have a real plan for this team. Either him or whoever is actually running the team for him. Is it his son, Steven Jones? I have no idea, but I had an expectation that they would be big players this year. After last year, they just didn't do anything. I also think though that agents and players, they pay attention to what's going on.

Who has seen the Cowboys over the last year from the outside and gone, you know what? That's where I want to go. They can't even fix their issue with light being in the face of their quarterback and wide receivers. They, I think they can't get people to go play there. It's a circus. They're not going to pay you what other teams are paying. They clearly are pinching pennies or their negotiating tactics are just weird

where they wait forever. They could have gotten Dak Prescott at probably 45 million two years ago. And instead they ended up paying 60 because they just screwed around. And I don't know if you do something in a game, like a Parsons might just do a podcast about you. I mean, it's an odd, it's an odd place right now. And what CD lamb tweeted after they restructured his contract was, Hey, want, want to get money to win

games, to get players and stuff. Now he probably didn't have a choice just because of how restructures working those contracts, but at least he thought, okay, we're making some cap space, we're going to make some moves here. My guess is no one wants to go there. And DeMarcus Lawrence in doing his press conference in Seattle, he said something like, yeah, I knew we weren't going to win in Dallas. Wow. I mean, what a thing to say about a team that just a couple of years ago looked

like they were on the brink, but I think this is a great selection by you. The Dallas Cowboys, huge losers. They either didn't want to go out and spend the money or could not convince anyone to come there, which is what I think happened. Yeah, I can see that when you have again, just your team owner, your GM just always in the media saying controversial things, it's not something you want. It's like the opposite of the Vikings. The Vikings have set up a organization that everybody wants to be a part of, and the Cowboys are just doing the opposite. So for the next team that I have,

I have the Los Angeles Chargers. I really thought it was time for them to go out and make a power move, but it seems like they whiffed. They missed out on DK and Devonte Adams. And they need wide receiver help badly. And it doesn't help that their response to that was bringing back Mike Williams, which I don't really think he's going to do anything.

I think he's kind of passed his window, but I think they're being a little too patient during the Herber era. Yeah. And that one also made me wonder about, I mean, Jim Harbaugh, do people want to go play for Jim Harbaugh these days? Or just is it seen as kind of another team in the league? Or did they not really want to pony up for the players that are out there? They will likely draft a wide receiver. I would expect when you look at the wide receivers who are available,

it's just not a good list. It's a very bad list. So the biggest thing that they were able to do is bring in Najee Harris, who will play better there than he did for Pittsburgh. I mean, if you're running back for the Los Angeles Chargers, they have built their entire line to be a run blocking line. You've got Herbert as your quarterback. They're gonna run a lot of play action stuff off that. But the running backs there were very successful last year.

And we were just talking about J.K. Dobbins, got a lot of big plays, revamped his career. But Harris is pretty mid as a player and not somebody who's just going to change your life. I think he was in tough in Pittsburgh cause they couldn't pass the football, but even then, even if he's 25% better, he's not a game changer. They signed him for very little money, which kind of told you what the league

thought of him. That's been their biggest move. They just, you're right. Hey, they resigned Troy die, former Viking special teamer. They just don't have a lot of signings so far that would move the needle at all. So I agree with that. That's pretty, that's a pretty good pick. Who's number three? Yeah. Um, let's keep it in the division. I want to say the Raiders. I thought they were going to be a team looking to be aggressive in free agency, but it seems like they just lost

players and trading for Gino Smith for a third rounder, I get you don't have a quarterback, but I think third rounder is pretty valuable. And I'm just not Geno Smith is not going to go win you games. Like, yes, I think he's a good quarterback and all, but he's just not the guy to go carry the team and win games. So given up a third rounder for an old quarterback like that, I just don't agree with. And then not being able to keep Spillane and Morig in the building really hurts too.

Yeah, with Morig, I mean, he was one of my top guys of Harrison Smith retired. Go get him. I mean, he's a playmaker. He's a box safety. With Geno Smith, the tough part of that is that Geno Smith will raise your floor to, you're going to compete and Vikings fans know all about this world where you're going to

compete and you're going to be in a playoff race and you'll be in the hunt and it will be a season that doesn't feel lost from the start. But is it really a team that's fighting for a Super Bowl? And not not really. No, if Gino Smith is your quarterback, you're not really fighting for a Super Bowl, especially with what they have around him. Is it Jacobi Myers is their top wide receiver? They're just not. I mean, that's not even close to D.K.

Metcalf and Jackson Smith and the Jigba. It should be mentioned that he's had a good setup with Seattle, not a great line, but a good setup in terms of wide receivers. And he's not going to have that unless the Raiders do something great. And I see, well, they might draft Ash and Gentile. That doesn't help.

Gino Smith, a ton like wide receivers would, and they just don't have it. They are looking to just make a playoffs. It's been so long. So that's where I did understand it. And when you look at the draft, I'm not very high on Chaudhuri Sanders. I'm not very high on Cam Ward either

as being top quarterbacks. Tennessee looks like they have to take Cam Ward. They look like they have no other choice. They just have to take Cam Ward. So he's going gonna be off the board Should err being way way overdrafted. Is that a better option? I mean when you look around you go Russell Wilson Joe Flacco Aaron Rogers Kirk They picked a fine

Like I don't disagree with what you're saying You're kind of locking yourself into being mid, but they weren't going to tank with Tom Brady there. It's kind of the only thing that they could do. The team I probably would have replaced that with, cause I didn't mind your first two teams. And I don't mind that one either, but I think the Bengals are probably a bigger loser here. They resigned BJ Hill and then,

Trugs, they need an offensive line terribly. They need defensive talent terribly. They had one of the worst defense they went from going from Talking about how brilliant their defensive coordinator was all this Lou whatever his name is He's really great and all this stuff got him to the Super Bowl to Firing him because they just lost all their talent and what have they done to replace it nothing nothing of significance I think that they have really struggled here And I am surprised that you clay because I know you don't like the Packers

I thought you would have I would have put the Packers what have the Packers done that has moved the needle at all I think you were being polite. I think you were being nice by not putting the Packers there But you don't have to be on this show I think they belong as a team that needed to go out and find a receiver, needed to go out and add more talent around their quarterback. And instead they released their center who's pretty bad or lost them in free agency. They overspent big time on a very mediocre guard and crickets. Other than that for the Green Bay Packers.

Yeah, you're right. I did miss a chance to go in on the Packers, but you said it best and I'll leave it at that. All right. What do we got for winners? Yeah. So the winners, I think with the Chargers and Raiders kind of being iffy, I think the Broncos did a really good job. I think Talanoa Ufanga is a really talented player. He has to find a way to stay healthy, but if they can get him to that 2022 version of him, then this defense is going to be something different, especially with Drake Greenlaw also coming over. I know he only played one game last year too, but he had an 87.6 grade in that game.

So I'm not too, and it was later in the year when he came back. So I'm not too concerned about him missing a lot of time last year. So, and then they added Evan Ingram, which is kind of, you know, So I'm not too and it was later in the year when he came back. So I'm not too concerned about him Missing a lot of time last year. So and then they added Evan Ingram, which is kind of and but they really had no one At that position last year. So it's a big upgrade regardless Well and Evan Ingram fits exactly what they want to do with Bo Nicks I mean Bo Nicks is throwing the ball a lot short and then the occasional deep ball and the occasional scramble and A lot of that could go to the tight end. They're kind of a possession and play defense type of team with Bo Nix.

They're not just dropping back 50 times launching it down the field. Did they make a move at running back because their running situation was pretty brutal. Maybe they're a team that has to draft one. They were one that was talked about with Aaron Jones and I didn't see anybody that would be a game changer for them. So they've still got work to do. But I agree with you stacking up their defense, getting a few more playmakers, getting somebody for Bo Nicks. And that and that's what a lot of the teams have done that have these rookie quarterbacks

is they've gone out and they've made moves. Another loser though could be the Falcons. They lost Drew Delman. Not a lot else that they have done around, but they don't have the rookie contract because they're gonna pay Kirk Cousins until the end of their lives in Atlanta. But that would be another team that would fall under the loser category for me.

Okay, who's your next winner? Yeah, the next one might be the biggest winner with the New England Patriots going out. Carlton Davis Milton Williams Belaine and Harold Landry just add key pieces to one of the worst defenses in the league and That's something you should do when you have a young quarterback and you can you're trying to help him out as much as you can So when your defense improves you could afford to be more aggressive and it takes some of the pressure off of Drake May They need to find

people to help Drake May. I totally agree with you. Patriots are a winner of free agency. They've brought in a lot of talent. They also have a coach now who knows what he's doing as opposed to last year where that just went so horribly for Gerard Mayo. But even when you look at that roster, what was Gerard Mayo supposed to do with that roster? So building up their defensive side is a great idea. I didn't think that any of the contracts they gave out outside of Williams was a lot, but you need to do it. If you're the Patriots, you have to overspend, you have to overpay.

They also had more cap space than anybody else. So even though I would have been a little bit leery of the Vikings spending 26 a year on Milton Williams. The fact that the Patriots did it, you go, well, they don't have a budget. They just have all the money that they can spend, but they still don't have an offensive line for Drake May. And I don't know how they're going to get one. They trade for Garrett Bradbury, maybe.

I mean, I really don't know how they're going to build up around him. And if you're wondering, this would be a name that Clay, you would not recognize, but maybe Vikings fans would. But Darian Lowe is still there starting left tackle. He was a guy that the Vikings drafted in the sixth round. And I think either released or traded to the Patriots for nothing a couple of years ago, because they were like, this guy's not really a player.

And they've started him and played him a bunch and like he's their guy right now. So they desperately need online, but I think that's going to be in the next wave for them. Who is winner number three? Yeah, I couldn't avoid it. I had to throw the Chicago bears on here. Um, Drew Dalman, that most seems to complete the offensive line rebuild and he's one of the best centers in the game. So that should be a good move for them.

And then they also got Grady Jarrett, which was a pretty whirlwind like move. And obviously this isn't prime Grady Jarrett, but I think he'll be a good complimentary piece to Andrew Billings and Jervon Dexter, allowing more of a rotation. So I think he's good. And then Deo Odeyingbo, I think they definitely overpaid for him, but they desperately need guys that can get after the quarterback. And he had eight sacks in twenty twenty three. He's also still twenty five. So we'll see if he can take a next step or something like that for Chicago.

I would also include Chicago as a winner of this. And congratulations to them for their 14th straight off season that they've won. Back to back to back chance. Right. Every year, man, that's Chicago. You know, they went out and got those free agents. So they've they have been doing this for a long time. In comparison, though, where would you and I would put Washington and part of it is a trade.

So it's more of we've been talking about free agency, but Chicago with their trades as well. that discussion. I would put Washington getting Laramie Tunsel as a huge move for them. And they've lost a couple pieces. They brought in a couple pieces, but they, I think, have done the thing of getting better. Well, Jane Daniels, we know is going to come into his prime and be elite. But where would you, because I didn't tell you put the Vikings on there or don't put the Vikings on there. Obviously, you talked a ton about them. So I figured you would not include the Vikings as a winner.

But if you did, where would they be? Yeah, Vikings are one, two, if not like getting Wilfries and Ryan Kelly is huge, especially when you already have like that's automatically one of the best O-lines in football and then you go out and get Jonathan Allen and Hargrave so And here's it like there's just so many A.N.'s that come with it So it's like they did a really good job So I think they're top two of free agency winners and I still like their move for Isaiah Rogers

Which was a low key that was their first move move. And everyone's like, is this it? Is this all they're going to do? Not that social media overreacts to anything, but that was funny to watch that sort of play out. They're like, oh, it took them one more day than you thought it was going to. Let me get to some questions here and we'll we'll talk about some of the moves that happened today and how those impact the Vikings. What's left, what the next move is.

Let's see. James asked with Harrison Smith coming back for one last ride, what do you think we need to do for the, I assume you mean the rest of the off season to get him a ring. For me, the answer is on the offensive side, draft a guard and a running back who could be potential right away impact players. If they don't have another plan for a different guard, I still think another veteran guard needs to come in here. Maybe they still like Blake Brandel.

I don't know, but I think another guard has to come in here. A running back who could be an instant impact player. And I do think this wide receiver three position could be upgraded. It really comes down to just continuing to build the thickest, deepest, best roster you possibly can. To give Harrison Smith the best shot, because that's my joke every year when we get to the Super Bowl. What's the model for winning the Super Bowl? Oh, it's having the best roster kind of shocker,

having great coaching and the best roster, that'll do it for you folks. It's the easiest way from point A to point B. But they do have to hit on some draft picks who can help them right away. And they do have to improve their depth still. Right now, Ivan Pace or Blake Cashman goes out. I mean, you or I are playing linebacker for them. They do need, you know, and, and Kerpluppy brings up Dalton Reisner. I would not mind seeing Dalton Reisner coming back. He is a weird story every year because he always has great pass blocking numbers and then he has these bad run blocking numbers and no one ever pays him because he's not a run blocker. So, uh, I wouldn't mind seeing

Dalton Reisner back because you know that he can pass block at an exceptional level and really it comes down to how much can they do around their quarterback Travis's TJ Hockinson is Rudolph 2.0 catch and tackle it's Usually not that way when you look at him when they got him and in his first year is yards after catcher a strength for him but last year he was playing on the repaired acl i think that will change that uh john says with cooper cup problem solved hey receiver guy what do you think of cooper cup in the vikings clay i think that would be a perfect fit um anytime he can be your go to security blanket. It doesn't matter what team it is.

That's a that's a great addition. So but especially in the Vikings case with the young quarterback like JJ McCarthy, I think it would be a perfect move for them. What what do you think? He has left because his team is moving on from him. He's a legend on that team and they're going out and getting Devante Adams, which probably justified your love for Devante Adams. A few weeks ago, you said you thought that he still had it in the tank

and the Rams apparently thought it was an upgrade to go to Devante Adams from Cooper Cup contract is involved in that as well. The question has to be how much is Cooper Cup fallen off from being the guy in 2021, but now we are several years separated. For me, I don't need that to happen. I don't need them like for him to be that guy from 2021. If he was the Rams wouldn't have gotten rid of him. I need him to be reliable underneath open

Somebody who's a security type of blanket for your quarterback? And then I'll let just the Jefferson and Jordan Addison do all the downfield stuff. But what do you think he's got left? Yeah, I think he he's definitely lost a step, but he's still a heck of a receiver like He's definitely lost his step, but he's still a heck of a receiver. Like he, he's not going to, he's not going to be a burner, but he never was. And his game is the intermediate game, the knowing which space to find. And you can do that.

Like we saw with Keenan Allen, like, like, yes, he's slow, but he knows how to break down a defense and that's really what matters. He's such a smart player and he'll be able to use that to his advantage. So I think he'll be fine. And it's hard to say with the later half of the season, because I really didn't give him the ball much. And I got to go back and check the film and see why, if he was just covered up or not, but early on in the season, um, like after, like right when he came back, he looked good.

So it's hard to say. Yeah. I mean, I thought that when you put up 67 catches, he was still a top 40 wide receiver in the league by PFF, which when you think about 32 teams, that's like a wide receiver to ish. Maybe on a team like this, you're certainly a wide receiver three. But what I do wonder about Cup is what is the interest around the league? It sounds like there's going to be a bunch of teams that are in on him And there's probably some teams that are going to

Be able to pay him more or give him more opportunity So does he want to get a lot of catches or does he want to compete for a Super Bowl? Is he interested in playing with a veteran quarterback who he knows is good because the opportunities out there We just don't know what he wants I do know that the Vikings coaching staff loves him the Vikings coaching staff is borderline obsessed with the Cooper Cup. So if They want him they could try like a kind of a full-court press recruiting type of effort. Why? Excuse me. Why don't we go through the players that signed today? You've got a list and we can kind of rapid fire through that and answer a few more questions. If you guys have questions for the show, question, comments,

feel free to throw those in there now, but let's, let's just go through like what happened today, who signed where, and get kind of an update on that. So go ahead with your list of people who signed today. So the first one I have is Joshua Joshua Uche. He signed with the Eagles. And how do you feel about that one? I mean, that's just a classic Eagles. It's like I was saying earlier that the Eagles always go, oh, a pass rusher.

Yes. Oh, another guy that we could put on the interior or on the edge or whatever, like somebody who even if he's going to play 300 snaps, they'll just sign him. UJ is not good and has not been good. But when the Eagles sign them you go, oh wait, what if he is though? Because he had some moments with the Patriots. The Chiefs are another one of those teams that seems to

just pick up everybody else's junk. Like, oh, this guy was a top draft pick. Why don't we just try it? And every once in a while, they'll get something out of one of those guys like a Kaderius Tony. So I don't think that he's good, but I think there he might be able to contribute something. And it's the very Eagles-y type of move. And that's why everybody else in the league with D-line is always kind of chasing them. Like, oh, they have nine rotational pass rushers and they just bring them in and bring them in. And that's why the Vikings drafted a

defensive tackle or the fact that they have Dallas turn. It's like, you don't just have to have the start. It's not madden with injuries off. You don't have to just have the starters and play them all the time. And I think the Eagles really believe in that. All right, who's next? Yeah, Next up, we have a Dory Jackson, which is another coward. It's like, I don't think he's that good of a player, but he went to the Eagles. Well, they needed depth after Isaiah Rogers left and Darius Slay. Darius Slay signed with the Steelers Steelers. OK, so they needed a depth player.

A Dory Jackson is that he's one of those. Hey, three years ago, he was really good, but has not been good the last couple of years. I think he's probably he was a college football legend and then came in the league and had his moments, but has never really become that type of player that everybody thought he was going to be. So he's a guy that every year I feel like the Vikings looked at in free agency or we look that for the Vikings with the Dory Jackson never really came to fruition, but just kind of a depth type of player

Yep, and then next up I have a Mac Jones. He signed with the 49ers It finally came to fruition everybody thought they were trading up for Mac Jones a couple years ago They end up taking Trey Lance. I will always wonder. I might be wrong. I will always wonder if they got bullied out of taking Mac Jones. I wonder if Mac Jones was the guy they wanted to take and then everyone was like, you can't trade up that much for Mac Jones. They were like, oh, yeah, an athlete is what we were really

looking for Trey Lance. It probably doesn't work that way. But I've always wondered since every reporter thought they were doing it for Mack Jones Here's another thing you wonder after Brock Purdy becomes as great as he does would Mack Jones have been Brock Purdy if he was drafted with that pick because Similarly, he's an accurate quarterback who's kind of known for his processing and stuff He's just given horrible teams since New England. But would he in San Francisco have looked like a Jimmy Garoppolo except for cheap

and they would have built this roster around him? Kind of funny that I'm sure Mac Jones was thinking about that when he signed there. But the completion of the story and just the the backup quarterbacks are flying off the shelf. That is happening. And I don't know who the Vikings will be left with. I guess we will see. Shout out to Rick for trading down and not drafting Mack Jones. That is true. That is true. On draft night, I wondered about the Vikings drafting Mack Jones

instead of taking Christian Derrissa. Now Derrissa, of course, becomes one of the best tackles in the league. But the point was they didn't have an answer quarterback into the future. And maybe you should draft a quarterback. But obviously the limitations physically for Mack Jones were problematic there. So who else? The next backup quarterback is Gardner Binsu. He signed with the Chiefs. How do we feel about that? Wand him for the Vikings. Understand why anyone would sign with the Chiefs, especially since Patrick Mahomes always gets an ankle injury or two.

You just come in, make one play. You get to be a chiefs legends like Chad Henney or something. Or you get to play week 18 because they're not fighting for a playoff spot. That's always great for the backup quarterback. But yeah, I don't blame anybody for wanting to go to the Chiefs and try to win a Super Bowl there. Just thought that he was somebody who worked with, Jalen Hurts early in his career.

And he's kind of that 500-ish type of quarterback that you don't want to start for full seasons. But if you have to start for a short period of time, he's going to be your guy, enthusiastic fella. But he was at the top of my list for guys that could be the backup for J.J. McCarthy. Yeah, I'm happy for Garner. I said backing up the best quarterback in the league

is still one of more select on jobs in the league. So I'm happy for him. The next step, we have a Loviska Chanel. He went to the bills. He was intriguing for me because we've talked so much about this. Well, who's going to be that underneath guy? And you know, Rob says a Cooper cup

on a reduced snap count would be perfect here. Yeah. I mean, I, I, I like that idea for the underneath possession receiver but I also kind of liked the idea of somebody who can be a yards after catch guy. And for a minute there, Loviska Chanal when he was with must've been Carolina, he had some moments where he really flashed some exciting ability with the football,

or was it Jacksonville? Jacksonville, right? One of the 95 expansion teams he was with. And he flashed some exciting yards after catch ability. If that's in there for a quick pass screen guy, they do a lot of that in Buffalo, so I can see why they would want him. But I thought that might have been a nice idea

for the Vikings to get somebody like that, he ends up going to Buffalo. There's not too many guys who fall under that category, though, where they are explosive enough and talented enough to be a short pass yards after catch. That's the Debo Samuel a couple of years ago. Usually route running is what always is going to win for wide receivers. But that was one that I thought of.

Loviska Chanel. I don't think he's going to stay healthy, though. So maybe that's a reason they stayed away from him. Yeah, I feel like the bills are will sign every receiver except a true number one. Yeah, yeah. That's kind of how I feel like the bills are will sign every receiver except a true number one. Yeah, yeah. That's kind of how I feel about it. But another receiver got signed.

Olamide Zaccheaus. He signed a one year deal to the Bears. Another guy who's like underneath, hey, this will be all of Cato Williams. Uh, short passes will go to Zaccheaus. One million of them. All one million of them. That's, you know, you know what Ben Johnson, you could already see the Ben Johnson like wheels turning is they are going to run the football 55, 60% of the time

and they're going to run play actions where Caleb Williams can roll out and scramble and take a shot down field or they are going to screen pass to daylight. I mean, that's what I mean. It's kind of what they did in Detroit. Tons of screen passes, lots of play actions. And then when it had to be on Jared Goff shoulders, he was often able to come through,

not in the last game against Washington, but over the years, he is able to come through. That's what they're going to do with Caleb Williams, it seems. And I feel like Zacchaeus, even though it's such an under the radar type of signing, him being a short underneath quick pass guy is kind of telling that they want to build that screen and short passing game for Caleb Williams.

Yeah. And it just gives Ben Johnson some more speed, which I think the bears need on the outside. Um, so I don't know how impactful he'll really be, but he did have a one of his better years last year, you know, like 500 yards, three touchdowns. So I think it'll be interesting to keep an eye on him and then the net I don't know if this was today or yesterday, but AJ Dylan he went to the Eagles on a one-year deal How do you feel about that? I wish him the best of luck

He was never good in Green Bay and when he was on the field instead of Aaron Jones You were happy if you're playing against them. You're like, good. OK. I mean, somebody goes to the Eagles with that offensive line, you just assume it's going to work. And it might for him. Did he even play last year? He was like out of the league, maybe an injury for last year. I don't remember seeing him at all. So I don't know. It feels like one of those guys a couple of years ago, they picked up the guy from was it Miami. They picked up a guy from Miami and he was good for a year for them

They kind of do this all the time. I just don't really see it with AJ Dylan I've never seen it for him being a good running back. The Packers were kind of obsessed it actually is a point that I made earlier in the show about Ed Ingram and how you draft them and you feel like you have to use them. Running backs are the same way where if a team drafts a running back, even if he's not good, they'll keep playing him and Green Bay did for years. So I don't know. I mean, it's fine, but he just has never that slower guy who you're like, oh, he's just going to run through people. Does that happen in the NFL? I don't think it really does. I think explosiveness usually wins in the NFL. Yeah, I'm genuinely curious on if they're actually going to hand them the rock

or if it's just a push push signing. It was already hard to stop Jalen Hurts and say one. But now you had another guy who squats a million pounds and it's like. The Packers are really going to be like, that's unfair now. Yeah, right. The Packers are really going to cry some tears. Rob mentions that the Theo Jackson deal is out the other night. Rob, when that was announced, Ben Gessling said it was three years. So I had gone on the assumption it was three years.

Maybe there were some other places that said it was two. But yeah, it's three years. And it's a it's a great deal for a starting safety. It looks like I guess we'll see if they do anything else at that position. But I mean, if you're only paying on the salary cap less than five million for three years, it's it's a very Josh Mattel, a C type of deal where they're trying to get ahead of it, sign him to the big or big ish contract for him right now.

But it won't look big very soon. What else we got? All right. I think this is the last player I have from today. Kyle used check. He was released by the 49ers, but he met with the Steelers today. Didn't hear anything after that. But how do you feel? Where would you like to see him end up?

I mean, I don't know if he still got it. I don't think that he does. But what a last beacon of hope for the fullback position. It is this is this is an age gap between us. Fullback position is near and dear to my heart and soul of watching football. In the era that I grew up in, there were so many great fullbacks who were impact players from the Mike All-Stars, the Tom Rathmann, these the classic Tony Richardson, all sorts of them. They were either big blockers.

You had like your Kimball Anders, your Larry centers, your Sam Gash. They kind of came in all shapes and sizes where some of the guys would be pure blockers and snowplows in the backfield. Other guys would be receivers out of the backfield. They'd be like underneath, catch a lot of passes, do a lot of stuff. And use check was that type of guy where he would do a lot of different things. He could line up in the slot and they'd throw him a quick pass or he could block in different spots or hand him the football.

And it was it was fun. I just think he was a really fun and unique and interesting player for San Francisco. He's done. I think it's over for Kyle use check, but I enjoyed his career and there's almost nobody like him. And I don't know how many people are going to be like him into the future, because the Vikings are one of maybe five, six teams that still uses a fullback in CJ Ham and they don't use him for anything more than blocking.

So I will always appreciate what Kyle use check brought to the San Francisco 49ers. The fact that I knew like little to none of the guys that you mentioned show kind of just how far removed the fullback position is. But yeah, he's a fan favorite and I would love for him to just get one year with Andy Reid or maybe like a Ben Johnson to just cook up some cool plays for him just to have one one final go. Well, what we need to do is get you a PlayStation two and Madden. Oh, three. And you got the old fullbacks and some of the guys that were still around from that time and just play Madden

out of the eye formation all day long. And we'll show you who the great full backs were. It was a great position once upon a time, but you know, things change in life. So here's a question for you before we wrap up the show. Thanks everybody for great audience. We didn't have the, well, can you believe the Vikings just did this thing? We didn't have that today, but we still had a lot of fun with the discussion, a lot more open conversation, I think, but we still had a lot of fun with the discussion a lot more open conversation i think which will have a lot of going forward and make sure that you go back and check out my conversation with jeremiah serles a lot of you were asking hey when serles coming

on to break down the o line and d line so i did that earlier today we reacted to the ed ingram trade so make sure you go and check that out. How about the NFC North clay? I want your opinion right now at this very second and moment on how you would rank the NFC North teams. If you just got to pick right now how they're going to finish for next year and how far back are the Bears of everybody else? I'm trolling you because you grew up in part in Chicago, but. Bears aren't last. You don't think so. You don't think so.

Who? Well, it is hard to make an argument, though. It is hard to make an argument when you look at what the other quarterbacks in Detroit and Green Bay have proven and what the Vikings have as a roster. But there's been a massive roster improvement in Chicago and coach. This is the best division in football. It's not close.

In fact, how many other divisions can you name? Let's go through it right now real quick. We got time. Everybody's got time. They're here. They've got time. Other division in football where all four teams, their fan bases are pretty pumped about what's coming up next.

Now, I follow a lot of Packers people. They're pissed because they wanted more and they wanted receivers. But you know, the Packers fans, they always think that they're going to win. Always. They always think that they're going to win the Super Bowl. But even then, like they still feel like they're going to be a top contending team. I don't know that I could think of another one I mean the Jets signed Justin Fields Once again best of luck to them and best of luck to Justin Fields

But you can't be high on that the Cleveland Browns have to be distraught with their fans Maybe the West because Raiders fans are just in the desert with no water And so someone just handed them a warm cup of water and oh a Gino Smith, but this could get us to nine wins This is amazing. So maybe they're maybe they're excited. I don't know Yeah, I think I think the NFC North might be the only one where everybody's pumped right now Yeah, there's always like one at least one other team and all these other divisions where it's like, yeah They just have no chance. So it's going to be really interesting.

I, I gotta go one. This hurts. It's really hard to see the lions without Ben Johnson. I feel like people might underestimate the impact that he had on that team. I'll go, I'll go Vikings one. Purely because I believe in JJ McCarthy's mindset and Kevin O'Connell and the improvements that they made to their interior line. Two, two I'm gonna go to Chicago.

I'm gonna do it. I'm going to Chicago. You think the Lions are falling off that bad because of Ben Johnson? I don't think it'll be that I think it'll be close between the two and three, whoever ends up there. It's just we saw Jared Goff in a in a prime click like got to have a game and he fell apart. And that's I mean, their defense also fell apart.

But he was a big reason why they they didn't come up in that Washington game. So it's just hard and like the schemes, yes, they're gonna be able to retain some of it, but just him calling the game and having that feel for the game is gonna be a lot different. So having him with the Bears and the revamped offensive line, I think their defenses or at least their secondary and their linebackers are already really good. We'll see how the D line improves or continues to improve. But I'm. I think I think it's going to be a big surprise to a lot of people in the league.

And then I'll go. Line three real quick on Chicago. The thing about Caleb Williams is that we have kind of decided what we think of Caleb Williams already because we saw him for a year and just the way football works and no matter who it applies to, it can be Sam Darnold. Sam Darnold's last two games were bad. Like officer stinks.

Like that's just how we are with everything in week one. Whatever the results are, like, is that team in trouble? Is that coach on the hot seat? It's been two games and they're one and one, right? This, we always overreact. That's why football's great. But with Caleb Williams, he was one of the youngest quarterbacks and he had horrendous coaching, horrible culture, total laughing stock last year inside that room. And I would point to Bryce Young as reason to not maybe overreact to what happened last year. Caleb Williams was still the most talented quarterback in that draft. Him and Jaden Daniels probably pretty darn close, but still the guy that they talked about as being the most talented. So we can't just write off like, oh, well, he's probably going to get sacked 68 times again.

If he doesn't and it clicks, it's probably gonna get sacked 68 times again. If he doesn't and it clicks, it's gonna be a problem for everybody else. So I think what you're projecting is that it will start to click for him. And if it starts to click for him, then they can finish second in the NFC North. I just don't think the Lions are gonna drop off that far

because of the roster they have. I think their roster is so much better than Chicago still, even after these additions. But are we picking the Packers as the fourth best team here then? So you're picking the Packers as fourth. Wow. Yeah, for sure. I mean, they, I mean, it's going to have to be a really good draft for them. Um, cause receiver it's still, it's looking rough and Christian Watson is going to be out the whole year, maybe with his ACL.

Um, and then I just think they're, they're not as, when I think of the Vikings and I think of the lions and now the bears new culture, I feel like they're all on the rise, like they're all, you know, what type of mindset these teams are going to have. The Packers are kind of all over the place. Like they kind of dysfunctional locker room, players are saying stuff to the media. So I just feel like they're not where they need to be mentally to keep up with the rest of the guys in these divisions. I still think they're going to be a good team, but, but not, uh, up to the NFC North new standards. But they're long held approach of not really doing anything in free agency.

It might come back to get them at some point and maybe they'll draft a receiver and maybe it'll be the next Devante Adams or Jordy Nelson or whoever else. But I am a little skeptical of just their roster strength and where it's going to go into the future and if it can hang on. And so that I mean that's but the thing with Caleb Williams, my point is not that he was better than Jayden Daniels. Of course not. But coming into the draft, if Jayden Daniels was more talented in the evaluation, he would

have gone number one and not number two. And so Caleb was thought of as being the most talented player. And if that clicks, then it's going to be really, really good. But I think, you know, Peter is pushing back on the the Dolman thing. The thing about Dolman and he's so you Peter, you're not quite right on the pass blocking. He was not above average on the pass blocking, but he was okay. I'll call this up for you. Last year with Drew Dolman where he ranked because I think he was

More like in the middle of the league. Let me check. Oh, he didn't play Let me check it because I looked this up. I think he was just okay last year and Now I'm now my search function is being a Little tricky. Oh, I know that's because that includes every position. Everyone just wait quietly while I look this up, okay? Yeah, he was 13th last year in pass blocking. So it's not like he was some sort of travesty. But the thing about Drew Dahlman is that he improves the run game so much. so do the other guys Jackson was good in the run game in

in Detroit and then Joe Tooney is one of the best over the last ten years They are way better on the interior in terms of their run blocking than they were pass blocking They were probably fine It really comes down to whether the guy gets rid of the football or not which before we run clay You have a piece and I helped you out a little with the data over there over purple insider dot football, the newsletter where we looked deep diving into the history of quarterbacks who get sacked as much as Caleb Williams.

It's not great for Caleb Williams and they are trying to prevent history from repeating itself with some of the other quarterbacks who got drafted high and then were sacked like crazy. So, anyway, well, great stuff, Clay and you're gonna have more stuff over at purple insider dot football on the NFC North. Soon enough is the next piece that you're working on. So, that's cool and we will we'll see what happens about going live. If there's more moves tomorrow, we'll probably do it. Usually, in the off season,

it's gonna be Monday and Thursday, are gonna be the nights where we're live here and doing chats with you guys. Of course, lately it's been every night because free agency has been an amazing thing for the Minnesota Vikings and us and our conversations. But we'll see. We'll see if there's more to come on Friday.

So thanks for your time, Clay. Appreciate you. Good job again. Intern Clay from the University of Pennsylvania doing his thing and avoided police sirens today. A big win for Intern Clay and free agency. So thanks everybody for your time. Purpleinsider.football, the newsletter. Make sure you go check that out and we will talk to you all soon. Thanks very much.

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