Building the Ideal 53-man Roster with Jourdan Rodrigue

Published Sep 3, 2024, 7:20 AM

Gregg Rosenthal is joined by Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic as they assemble the first Preseason NFL Daily Platonic Ideal Roster! First our experts address who will be under center and leading their team at quarterback (1:48), following that they decide which running backs they want to have (6:19). Next, they decide on their wide receivers (12:10) and tight ends (18:58), and cap off their offensive side of the ball by establishing their offensive line (23:11). Our hosts then settle on their picks for the defensive side of the ball, starting with the defensive line (28:53) , followed by their picks for linebacker (31:50) and secondary (35:09). And finally, they pick their punter (39:30) , kicker (40:53) and long snapper (41:30).

Welcome to NFL Daily, where we're in a mood to agree. We're not going to disagree once on this whole show. It's a mutually agreeable show. I'm Greg Rosenthal in the Chris Westling podcast studio and joined So Lucky today by Jordan Rodrigue of The Athletic Welcome, Jordan.

It's so nice to see you, is it.

Though.

We wanted to have a show and I feel like we're feeling a little loopy today off different jobs and lack of sleep. We want to have a show where we don't bicker, where you don't tell me I'm an idiot for my opinions on the RAMS off air and for my behavior.

Well, I really think the world of you, Greg, Thank you Hi.

Starting out strong, I thought it would be fun to just put a flag down, you know, right before the season starts, and decide the best players in the NFL. It's more of a thought exercise that I hope the listeners enjoy too. That we look at this team, it's almost like a mid season all Pro team. I mean a preseason all Pro team, which they only have in college, and then at the end of the season we see how much it changed. But it's not a preseason all pro team because we're building a fifty three man roster.

We're taking over.

If there's any gms or assistant gms out there, this is our resume.

We're going to build a team.

Yeah, our cap space is like twenty billion. Yes, because we talked about potentially doing like starters and backups, but then we thought that's what's the point. And then the mental image of you know, superstar quarterback is your full time starter, and then two more superstar quarterbacks.

Okay, well, let' let's get to it. Then, like, let's start with the quarterbacks.

I agree, we should start with the quarterbacks. See, I'm I'm already doing it.

We are going to agree this whole show, and if not, we're going to be polite when we disagree. I went Mahomes, Josh Allen, and Lamar Jackson and again to explain it to all you out there, tell us where you disagree, certainly politely, very politely. Fifty three man roster. We're gonna build it with the best players in the NFL. Who are the best players right now that the guys we would want on our roster, and Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen were an easy one two for me, and I went with Lamar Jackson as my third. And yeah, I didn't really think about it in the sense of Josh is gonna, like maybe not be suited up for game day because I kind of want Lamar as my backup just as a change of pace, Like I think it'd be harder to deal with Lamar and you can always bring him in like in this scenario, he's totally.

Happy backing up Patrick Mahomes. It's a super team.

I would put Josh Allen at full back.

Okay, see that's fun too, But it.

Is funny to think of, you know, the Tom Brady the iconic photo where he's wearing like that giant rectangular jacket, yes to keep him warm on the sideline. Like if I just ficed Patrick Mahomes is on the field and then Josh and Lamar are standing there just like Stutu esque, I.

Could see Lamar. Actually, I have seen Lamar look very cold on sidelines. He happens to look cold that It's actually a good point that Josh Allen would be great to have as a Taysom Hill like option every now and then. But have they kind of cemented themselves like coming into this season, we'll see how it's coming out of the season. As as the three dudes, it's kind of yeah, I think so Lamar has been a little more up and down throughout the course of his career, but he's obviously coming off an MVP season in a system that I think is going to help him for the rest of his career.

They've verbalized I agree with you on that, by the way, but they've also verbalized what their goal is here with Lamar, and I have also Patrick Mahomes, La Mar Jackson and Josh Allen as we.

Agree because we're we're not building different teams.

We have to we are building the same rosters. Okay, so it's fish we're sitting in the same office here, and I do think that these are the three guys. But to my earlier point, they've been very open. John Harba has been very open. They're trying they're going for legacy at this point, they're cementing Lamar Jackson. They're not just going for Super Bowls right now, and he needs to get one, but they're going for legacy in terms of the capability and the ability of Lamar Jackson as a player. He was very open about that when he started out training camp.

I love that, and uh, you know you'd love to see a playoff run.

But this is a this is a regular season team.

Let me ask you this because I know you tracked this and for a lot longer than I have, You've had your finger on the pulse of the entire league. I'm being so polite to you. Don't you just love this?

Please?

Please more more? What what do you make of this sort of flare up every few weeks months. It's been years at this point of the whispers about Josh Allen, or the voters saying one thing about Josh Allen, or the players like.

The anonymous gms that, or the.

Players saying that on the ESPN poll like this is an overrated eleven players or something said he's an overrated Like I kind of why why are we debating this? Why are we discussing this?

Because I think he has.

I don't know if he has limitations, but I think he's still been growing as a quarterback. But he's also the type of quarterback usually other players respect the most, which is just like, oh, you can't do anything with him because he's like Cam Newton essentially, and He's a guy that hasn't always won from the neck up, but I think he's like getting there now. So I honestly think it's just a sign that there are more people in Tell me if you disagree in the NFL that really don't know more than like we do, like me and you like they might know less because they don't really watch the other two. Like, there's a surprising amount of people that work in the NFL that have a relatively basic level of like opinions on other teams. They know their teams, that they know their specific little job, but of them talk about other teams and they kind of say, what what your average Like drive time radio host says.

This might be a really great story idea for me over at the Athletic kind of digging into how siloed these these teams really are from each other.

That would be fun.

All right, we agree on our quarterbacks as mahomes Lamar and josh al Oh my god, all right, running backs. You know, at first I thought we'd have four running backs. Most NFL teams do that. The position's so thin. Now I'm going to try to save a spot elsewhere because I think it's even hard to get to three. There's such a drop from Christian McCaffrey. We're agreed on Christian McCaffrey.

We are agreed on Christian McCaffrey.

Okay, So I would go Jonathan Taylor and Bajohn Robinson. It's a little bit of a projection with Bajhon Robinson. I would listen to Saquon Barkley and listen to anyone that you would have to say, but those were the ones that came to my mind.

Yeah, and Greg, by the way, great jacket that you're wearing.

Right it is jacket season. I now feel like T shirt only some days of the week, but not every day of the week.

I mean, this is how we lift you up. Right before, I politely disagree while still being agreeable, you know, with your premise here. But I actually looked at this as building out a room a little bit instead of for best. And I know that's probably not fair because some positions I'm looking at X amount of best players. In this one in particular, I was looking at sort of building out the room.

You know.

I know the injury questions are there with Kiren Williams, but he still was the second most productive running back in the NFL while missing four games to injury. I know there's the big Blake Korum question. I know there's a durability question. The Rams are apparently putting them at punt return this this season. Sean McVay dropped that little take on us. But I really like his ability in the passing game. Again, I watch up close to see how involved he can and will be in that regard. They also can do any type of concept with him out of any alignment, and they showed that last year. So I really like the versatilility. I also I got to watch Joe Mixon in practice. I think he's going to be a factor for the Texans, and I do think he changes it up a little bit in this room. Again, I'm building out the room sort of as different pieces with each other. And then James Connor is just steady, He's durable, he's powerful, he will run man in your face.

It's not going to be hard to stay agreeable because you're going to be where we disagree.

A lot, but you know what, You're going to definitely change, be able to change my mind on your last two that you have here.

Okay, So Bjohn Robinson's secret, I feel strong about Bajhon.

Yeah, that would be though, I agree, that would be my ding.

Second second one, I would push because we're picking on traits, I think, and we're picking on production. And he had it like there's this idea because of fantasy that he wasn't productive. He was incredibly productive per touch. He showed he can literally do everything and he's similar to McCaffrey in that way. But that to me is why I want him on the team, that he could.

Easily replace McCaffrey if McCaffrey got hurt in our fictional world. Okay, so we're agreed on Yes, we're taking off Gio.

I can give them Jonathan Taylor because he's a little more one dimensional. I just happened to think he's going to have a good year. But is Kyrone really that talented? Is Joe Mixing? You know, he's passed his prime. He hasn't been able to stay healthy last few years.

Well, I'm agreeing we pull off Joe put on jon I'm saying Kiren because he's he fits what they're trying, what they're trying to do. He's going to be very productive and has been very productive specifically, And this is kind of like when we talk about quarterbacks and what they're capable of within the framework around them, and both of those floors lifting because of that. I think that we saw that last year. Now do we see it again this year? That still remains to be seen because again he's got a friend now in the room in Blake Korum, and they're both going to be getting touches, so we can, uh, you could potentially convince me to take Kyroen off. I just think the passing game element and the versatility, especially of concept that he's able to run. You can pretty much work any type of run game you want with him. And I agree with you that Bijon should be put on there, but I could take off Kien if you let me keep James Connor.

So no sequent, so Saquon to me like James Connor, And this is where maybe we can compromise. Has done it year after year, which is really important at running back. It's such a hard trait to find in running backs. There's just so few. It's why we're only going to pick three in the end, even because to do it consistently and develop your skill set, and I think James Connor is a better player now than when he was younger and be reliable, and he's had up in down years and that's what makes me a little anxious that I trust Saquon's talent like.

A little bit more overall.

But I also think Sequon has probably lost half of a step as well in terms of his explosiveness, which is similar to Connor just runs so h hard that I am willing to listen to him and I would accept him as my third running back because.

You need some power in there.

Yeah, And I also just think it's a trait that is hard to define, but running hard is like the trait running back now.

Kyrin Williams has that trait.

Yeah, not hard fall forward.

No question, but to run hard year after year after year. Joe Mixon is one of the hardest runners I've ever seen in my time covering the NFL, But the last couple of years he doesn't run as hard in Week ten as he did in week two. I think it's just a physical thing. It's it's it's possible. And James Connor coming off at one of his best seasons. Let's go James Connor.

So we're going to go Christian McCaffrey. Okay, James James Connor, yes and Bjeon Yes, great, I agree, dang, we agree.

We negotiated it. I'm putting bees on first, though, I'm putting in an order.

That's that's Christians is how you get your Greg.

James Connor, Okay, that wasn't nice. That wasn't agreeable.

It was so agreeable. I was smiling so big.

All right, wide receivers.

I think now that we have three running backs, we could go seven wide receivers. But maybe it'll be six. We'll see if we just you know what we want to do. This is a flexible roster. Justin Jefferson we can agree on yes.

Enthusiastically. Yes.

I it really hurt me to not take him with my first fantasy pick, and I have regretted it.

Yeah, who did you take with your by the way, it.

Took saque, But it's because there's no points perception, No one cares about your fantasy team. But that was an interesting debate those two. But that's it's such a running back heavy format. It took seque uh tyreek Hill agree. I actually think that's where the locks end, which is crazy.

But I then go I politely disagree. I think I'm on Roussaint Browns also a lot.

Wow.

I really the potential and the fit and the way that they scheme with him, and the comfort level he provides to the quarterback, the physicality he plays with he he just gets the job done. But to be fair, I also think that a Davante Adams is a lock as well. I wish Davante could get with a quarterback that could, you know, throw them the freaking ball.

Okay, let's put him. Let's put them both in that. Let's put them both.

And I had Amanra right on my cusp, but I noticed, you know, I think you see him as a slot receiver in this uh.

I see him as kind of an f like he's building into what we see Cooper Cup doing.

And I know you can move other guys, almost any of these guys into the slot, but I do like a guy that's a little more prototypical there. Obviously, Devonte can move inside, and almost all these guys can. They're so diverse, all right, I'll go with those four, which is crazy because I do think a'man Ra is a guy who's complimentary and can fit into any offense, where so many of these other guys are just the guy I actually would have a J.

Brown next, I had a J Brown third.

I weirdly think AJ Brown is a little underrated because he's a much more subtle route runner than people give him credit for. He runs a slant in such a way and it's not like it's fancy, but that it's unguardable. Yeah, that's their play. I actually would say, if you had to pick one single play from one single receiver in the NFL, the AJ Brown slant is probably the most unstoppable play. It's just nine yards whenever you freaking want it, and it might be a lot more than nine yards if you catch it right. But I just think I think he's a Hall of Famer, Like, I don't think people have totally wrapped their minds around like how good AJ Brown is. So he would have been third for me, behind Jefferson and Tyreek, But it doesn't really matter.

We're not ranking them. To me, I'm pushing hard.

All my chips for you to be agreeable are on AJ Brown making this team.

There is no argument.

Okay, I'm just making sure.

Because I have eyes in my head.

Okay, I know, but the other guys are all so good too, that we have five and now to me, it's a little more up for grabs. I don't think Ceedee Lamb is as much of a lock as like his fantasy ranking would say.

I'm putting Jamar Chase in the next spot.

Okay, I would too. I don't think we've seen the very best you I agree, I agree. Why why would you put Chase next over Lamb? But I think they you know, they both.

Maybe It's not like I'm ranking them, it's just that I would put Jamar Chase there, like it's I'm good, I'm not doing the rankings thing every subtly tried.

It's true, we didn't want to do a rankings.

We just stopped building the best team before the season, kind of a snapshot of where we think the league is at. And at the end of the year, we're going to be like, oh, yeah, remember when we thought X was actually at that level, he's not anymore.

Well, and I'll say this, I guess, you know, in simplest terms, I put Jamar Chase here because I think he's a top five, top six receiver in the National Football League, Like I think he's outstanding. That's I mean, that's the simplest way that I could possibly describe it. I think he adds dimension, trustability. He and Burrow, they just they work. I just think that it just it just fit. I think he's a top five, top six receiver in this league.

You know, he's not as physical as ceed Lamb, but he is just so good at the catch point.

He's so good as a vertical receiver.

He obviously can make the plays after the catch, but when it comes down to it, ty Breaker for me just goes with like footwork, and his footwork.

Is just so nasty, spicy.

Yeah, it's Davant had Kim, Jefferson, and DeVante maybe Tyreek. You know, it's just crazy. So I think he would work with anyone. Him and Joe Burrow make each other better and hopefully they can have a healthy season together. All Right, Cowboys fans might be annoyed, especially after we dumped on them throughout our NFC preview and now we're not even putting Ceede Lamb as lock.

I'm just gonna listen.

Don't we have six? I thought we had We're going with six. I thought we're going with seven.

We don't know. We haven't decided right now.

Six are in Jefferson, Tyreek, AJ Brown, DeVante Jamar Chas and a Monro Brown in no particular order. If we add a seventh cd ye, there's cd we I've just got through out some other options.

Brandon Ayuk the intermediate King.

Big news last week on Brandon Ayuk are our long national conversation finally ends.

That was exciting. The best receiver on the best offense. Uh, outstanding route runner, he was everywhere. I'd probably take him over Ceedeelamb just as a pure route runner, O lave Uh. This is more of a projection. I think he could be on this list by the end, but I understand that it doesn't make sense.

You know what. I love that.

I love him as I remember one of the first shows I ever did with you, Greg, And if we're talking about agreeable, like happy, fond memories like was when I was talking about it was like Thursday night game and I was on to talk about the Saints with you and we just gushed over.

Oh.

I mean it's just he is. He's special. I think he will continue to develop into a really really special player. I would really love another guy. I would love to get a quarter back like I just yeah.

Now, that was a very special memory to me too. I totally remember us talking about Chris. It is not totally washed away the sea of hundreds of shows that that we've done, not me and you, because I do remember it was really fun having you on those first few Thursday nights. That was your your debut on the Round the NFL podcast. Pooka, Uh, he's getting there. He certainly had one of the best seasons last year. Drake London could get their Neco Collins could get there. Ultimately, I think it's coming down to CD or Ayuk For me. I'm close on that one, but I'll leave it to you to pick. I think we the receiver position is so good right now. I think they deserve to have seven.

Yeah, I'll probably put cde lamb.

All right, let's go ceedee lamb Uh.

Let's finish up with the pass catchers and let's give the tight ends three positions. Now, we could get weird and like get a blocking tight end, but that would be weird or at least someone that can hold up their end of the bargain there. And that's why Join Kittle is my first pick, just like he's the most obvious one, because I do want someone that's going to be a devastating blocker, and he might you know, the tape heads would say he's not as devastating consistently as he was when he was a younger player as a blocker, But I'm not a I can't even speak to that.

I know he's good enough to make my team.

Yeah, I have him as my first choice as well, because of the versatility there. Also, by the way, when I was preparing for this, one of my arguments this when I was preparing, like doing my notes on this, it was before news of the Brandon Ayuk deal came through, and I was thinking to myself, Oh my goodness, George Kittle is going to have a huge amount of targets for this team, and I trust him with it. And that in my mind thinking, oh yeah, I do trust George Kittle, not just to you know, do the trench work that he needs to do, but also and to dig out players where he can. But also I trust him if they were going to be missing. I'm not saying this offense would be the same at all. It wouldn't be. It's just simply wouldn't. But I would trust George Kittle as being that super high volume target at least in the short term as they figured their sales out.

I wouldn't now after last season, after he showed he was a little healthier and could make it to the end of the year with some juice, he definitely looked good. He had some injury plagued gears, but to me, him and Sam Laporta were easy picks. Yeah, and Travis kelcey just wins because east Travis Kelcey and all he knows how to do is win. And it's hard to ignore that he plays his best when it matters, so even if he saves it a little and in the regular seasons hasn't been quite his guy. Can I really put Tray McBride over him right now?

I could.

I don't think it's crazy, but I'm not going to, at least unless you convince me now too.

I think it's fair to do a legacy pick here. And also he's very talented for Travis kelce and plays the best when it counts and freestyles with the best quarterback on the planet, and all of that's great. I did have Trey McBride here, but it was sort of a dual bride Sam Laporta, just because I also had sort of Travis Kelsey grandfathered in because how could you leave Travis Kelsey.

Nick Bride is a little more physically talented maybe than the port Man.

It's it's a tough call. I just that's a tough call.

Samilaporta. Sam Laporta is so they both are very I mean, I just think they're It's like pick your poison in the best way, right, Like you would love to have either of them. But I would probably give Sam Laporta the edge on this. I think that just and I guess what I'll say is that offense is just gonna be good the entire year. Trey McBride really came on, you know, with the cardinal at the last part of last year. That's the only edge because I do think that they're super comparable in terms of the abilities, the versatility, the sort of master key element of unlocking certain parts of both offenses. It's it's a hard pick, though.

It's a crazy conversation to have because I remember when he was like the Sea store in in season hard knocks, just as this second day draft pick that they were hoping would come around but really wasn't doing much as a rookie. Like a lot of Titands and now we're talking about him is potentially a top three tight end. But I think that's the reason to go with Laporta. Yeah, that he's that impressive as a rookie. One of the best rookie seasons in tight end history really statistically in terms of receiving the best. All right, let's take a quick break, and we're going to come back and we're going to fill out the rest of our ideal fifty three man roster. Getting festive and agreeable back on NFL Daily. We're building our perfect fifty three man roster before the season. See how it looks at the end of the season. We're onto the offensive line. We have nine offensive linemen on this seam. This is a fun group to put together. Let's just start with like the tackles. I think there's probably going to be wour tackles on this team.

Can I just say too, what a luxury this would be if we actually got to do this and pick the best offensive lineman, Like I think you and I both dork out a little bit over line play, and what the mark of pure opulence that would be.

This is a preposterous room to build because and I would pay them all. I have a feeling we're going to agree on Trent Williams and Pinasuel being down there. Okay, the other tackle positions, you know, if you want to keep it even right left tackle, I would go Lane Johnson and then either Laramie Tunsel or Andrew Thomas. I think I would because of Lane Johnson and because of Trent Williams. I actually want to have another young player in there to balance it out. So I'm going to go Lane Johnson Andrew Thomas as my other two tackles.

I like that. I definitely was thinking about youth, and I also was thinking about keeping like continuity teammates who are used to playing with each other together. And so we did. That's the reason why we did go in a little bit of a different direction because I had Lane Johnson. I mean, I had your first two. The first two we obviously agree like one percent on the second to uh, I had Lane Johnson and Jordan Mylotta. Now I also think that Andrew Thomas is probably a better pick here.

Wait, I think I have an even better pick. Maybe do we want five tackles? No, that's too many?

Okay, wait, and they still could be uh, like a receiver tight end.

So yes, we have to have a tool. I'm taking it back and I want Tristan Wurfs. First of all, you show you to be a great right tackle, but the fact that he could transition to left tackle and be that good right away, he can play both sides for us. Then I'm taking Lane Johnson out sorry, as great as he's been, and I think I'm going Worfs and then I'll let you. I'll let you choose. If you're with me on WORFS, you choose the other tackle.

I'll leave it up to you.

I'm Learmy tunsl Jane, Lane Johnson, Andrew Thomas.

Pick one there, I'm gonna I'll probably pick Andrew Thomas. Then okay, So that's a fun group. Trent Trent Williams ponas Andrew Thomas, Tristan words the interior. We agreed on treat Creed Humphrey and we're just seeing our notes a little bit ahead of time. Chris Lindstrom in at right guard. We're gonna get the running game going. So we've now got six. I like Tyler Smith a lot of the Cowboys. I think either of the Cowboys guards Tyler Smith or Zach Martin would be options. Elkton Jenkins, I think is really underrated and very versatile, would be a great guy to have play any position. If we wanted a backup center, you kind of need it. Jenkins could be that. Or Tyler Linderbaum could. I don't know, he might.

I might be over my skis with Linderbaum this early in his career. So those are some of the interior guys I liked. I think Jenkins actually makes sense as sort of a Jenga piece along with this line.

Yeah, I would agree he does. But I also have been watching Steve Abula for the last First of all, I think he was one of the better, if not one of the best left guards as a rookie already, not just because of past protection and run blocking, but also so much of what the Rams do in order to be successful and to what they believe what they call it. I know we have polite disagreement over what this is termed, but they like to say they extend their run game side to side of the field with their screen game and with some of the sweeps and those types.

This is not a projection.

Yeah. I talked last week about how the Rams are messing around with their offensive lines. Steve Ovula is the only reason they can do that because he can play center now. And he also, in my opinion again is one of the standout guards left guards in this league. He's super durable. Hopefully I'm not jinxing him on that, but he he is to me an ascending young star in this league. He's got the size, and I just I want people to go back and look and watch how he moves in the first level of the offense, in the second level of the offense, the way that he works the screen game. I mean, it really is predicated on.

His move All Right, you've convinced me, so you pick.

You picked the other two.

Okay, we've got Lindstrom in there at guard. We've got your boy, Steve Abula, who can play a little center guard that kind of takes care of I think that knocks Alton Jenkins out. Then, uh. I like Zach Martin as the old head, just one of the greatest of all time. You get to put him on a team. There's really no reason not to. And yeah, maybe along with what you said earlier, have some teammates. Tyler Smith as another versatile guy who's shown he can play left tackle at like a solid level.

He's the he really is like Zach Martin.

They he's not gonna be Zach Martin because Zach Martin's like very likely a Hall of Famer, maybe a first ballot Hall of Famer. It's tough to put that on Tyler Smith. But he was a guy who showed he was a good enough left tackle but a great great guard right off the bat. So I'm gonna put both cowboy guards on there. And we have our group, Trent Williams, Pine Sewell, Greed, Humphrey, Tristan Wurf's Andrews, Thomas, Tyler Smith, Zach Martin, Crystal Instroram.

Is this too many people? And Steve Avula, I don't care.

By the way, I would love like I would in this concept. We are investing significant amount of money in this team, twenty billion in cap room, Like it's amazing. I would pay as a person, like great money to just be a fly on the wall of this O line room. By the way, but then to hear the stories that Zach Martin and Trent Williams share together, I mean, I can't even the human mind cannot comprehend.

Often the best interviews often the best people to talk to.

All Right, we've got a big defensive line room, so this is going to be some work to get through. We have nine edges in defensive linemen total. Maybe we'll break it up into edge in defensive tackle, so a total of nine between the two groups. Will see how we want to shake it out. I feel like the top four edges are just obvious. I don't want to just recap what happened last year. But to me, it'd be crazy not to put in Michael Parsons, Miles Garrett, Max Crosby, TJ.

Watt. Yes, I actually can't remember.

Or dings ding ding ding in my.

Time covering the league that a position has been so clearly marked by greatness of These are clearly the four best.

Guys in the league, and they all have a chance to make the Hall of Fame. That's pretty cool. We'll see if we need another edge.

I'm going to go to defensive tackle now, Dexter Lawrence and Chris Jones. I feel like our obvious picks. Okay, so we're to six. This is where then it gets a little trickier. What what do we want out of our next three picks? Do we want one more edge. We have Dexter Lawrence there to stop the run, but I think Derek Brown would provide a very interesting you know him four than one to win the super Bowl and the pretend fifty three man roster playoffs. Like you want Derek Brown on the field to stop that run.

Yeah, I like Derek Brown in sort of that nose role. What I was looking at this here is actually pairing Rookie of the Year candidate Kobe Turner with a really good nose. So I should have put Derek Brown on with him in tandem, which now I'm going to daydream about for you know, until the end of.

Kobe Turner was awesome last year. I want to see it again.

This this group is a bunch of grown men, and Kobe Turner is as well but defensive, and it was a credit to him. It's a hard position to get good fast. It's pretty rare to be that good fast, so potential wise, you're there, and yet to me, it's hard to put him on over a guy like Quinn Williams exactly. Let's say that that's done it before, so okay, let's get Quinn Williams.

In there and Derek Brown to me having him on the field. Trump's any sort of oh yeay this you know, this guy's ascending and right, you know.

I think so that's eight if we if we you know, Kobe Turner's out there, Madam Week is out there, Jalen Carter maybe a little early for him, but he's coming. Jeffrey Simmons would have been honest at one point, not crazy. Lee McNeil's a rising player. I want to use my last pick on just the the best player available, which is still Nick Bosa, Like.

I just, oh, you're adding an edge.

Yeah, well, we have four of each now, so I now we could go where we either way for the ninth spot if we have nine defensive line I mean Nick Bosa per snaps one of the greatest edge rushers.

If you get him, like, we're preserving him, right, So okay, situational rush, yes, fine deal. Oh my god, that was so easy.

I mean Nick Bosa is crazy.

He's such a good player anyway that he was pretty healthy last year.

So yeah, well, I mean we're gonna okay, and it's correct.

How many linebackers do we want in this league? In this thing? I guess five makes sense. Most teams keep this one.

This was also tough for me to because I wanted different things from different players than I overthought it and this one, this one was okay, so I'll be easy to our.

Red Warner's the easiest guy to put on there.

And then we both had Jeremiah Osukormo too, Yeah, which he's great. That's a I don't think it's a projection. I think it's where the league is. You want a guy like that.

I don't know if he's the second best off ball linebacker in the league, but we both happen to agree with him. He's going to make our team. I think Roquan Smith is a no brainer as well. So those are the three eight that I believe just have to be on this team. After that, it makes me almost want to create another defensive line spot and just give it to one of those guys because there's options here.

Levante David's he's great.

But I know I always I always throw him out just because in a positive way, throw him out among names, because I just think he's been long underrated.

Mario Davis, How is this still happening? It defies logic because we thought he was, you know, getting a little slower like five years ago, and he's still so good. So he's an option. Levante David's an option. But it shows you where the position is that that these guys.

CJ.

Mosley is another one who are getting to their mid thirties and yet so.

This is why I think they're there.

A huge wild card. Okay to this, And I put Frankie Louvu on here, and I know I see your face. We're politely agreeing or polightly disagreeing. The reason I put him on here is because I'm thinking about a linebacker room. I'm thinking about the pressure that he got last year, what was it, five and a half sacks, twenty plush pressures. He's a he hits really, really freaking hard, which is what you want, not just from your linebacker, but somebody who's going to be helping you out on special teams, which is the back of the linebacker's room. Anyway, Okay, again, that's where my brain went on this. And he's younger, he's ascending. I cannot wait to see him in Dan Quinn's defense.

Now, the devil on my shoulder is saying, yeah, okay, well we'll give you Frankie Louvu but that's your pick. And if this looks embarrassing at the end of the year, that's on you. But that's the old in me, that's the one that's not as agreeable. The angel on my shoulder is saying, I want to prevent that from having me.

Like a shot.

You know what.

One of the reasons, Commander, one of the reasons why I fell in love with this show and fell in love with Around the NFL is the propensity to you know, totally just hammer the table and stand on the table for a guy that you believe in, and I do you do watching Frankie play, I do believe.

Okay, and he's found a home. Let's put him in there.

He's our fourth and I'm going to propose this is complicated that as much as I like Levante David and.

To Mario Davis and by the way, they both were on my list too, you know of potential guys who we would put on there, it's.

Just I'd rather put Jeffrey Simmons or a defensive lineman. I think it would be Jeffrey Simmons from you or Jalen Carter, just like, let's just go heavy, let's just go deep on the defensive line.

Mostly you are thinking like a good GM, though, because you are investing in more.

I just think the value. The value is high value positions.

I think you're you're investing in a high value positions or you are thinking like a modern GM, and I, you know what, I really admire that. Greg.

All Right, you want to go Jeffrey Simmons, Jeffrey Simmons or Jalen Carter Jeffrey Simmons. Okay, he's on the team. Sorry, to the linebacker position. All right, moving on to cornerback. All right, we're wrapping. We're getting to the end here.

Really similar on that.

You're gonna do specialists, Okay, Sauce Gardner, let's go seven cornerbacks.

How many cornerbacks of most teams keep? Is that too many?

Five? Or four? In between four and six? Seven, seven if your sub packages or corners.

Seven is aggressive. But that was the number I came to. I think it's because I looked at a couple of teams as samples and maybe they just happened to go cornerback heavy. Sauce Gardner yep. Patrick Sartan yep. Jalen Ramsey yep. Still getting it done. This is where now we could have some disagreements. So that's how many that's for. That's three. I think Trent McDuffie has to be my next guy. I want a slot corner. I think he's established himself as the best right now. So it's crazy, but he's actually kind of in my top four. I'm not ranking him, but yeah, I do think he needs to be on the team because I don't know who in the slot I'm putting over him. Another Devin Witherspoon is an option, and I might want to put him on this team, but I still would put mcduffee ahead of him.

Jets Michael Carter. I mean, I think he's one of the best slot corners in the NFL. The only reason I hesitate and I'm going to give you Trent McDuffie obviously because he's a great player, but also Zach rosenblat my CALLI yet the Athletic has been reporting, you know, this return from a foot issue that Michael Carter's dealing with. So let's go with Trent McDuffie.

Okay, So we have four cornerback Sauce Patrick Sartan, Jalen Ramsey, Trent McDuffie.

We both name Jalen Johnson.

Yeah, I think he's got to make it right now.

Yeah, I agree.

No, The only thing that concerns me is he does fit the profile. It's a very up and down position. It's a very hard position to stay near the top. Some guys pop for like a year and then they're just really good after that, but they don't have quite that season. Jalen Johnson kind of fits that profile, but I think right now he deserves to be on. Like AJ Terrell, who's on my longer list, fits that too. I think he's a really good player, but hasn't been quite as good as he was back in two thousand and one. I actually feel most strongly of anyone left of Darryl Stingley and Devin Witherspoon, and I know Stingley hasn't quite.

Done it yet.

We have to put Spoon on there.

Okay, Spoon is on there, and I think either Darryl Stingley, Tron Johnson, Lagarious need AJ Terrell, one of those guys would be on my team.

I want a lot of cornerbacks and you don't want JayR is what you're saying, Jaire Alexander in In Jeff Half Lee's No, he.

Hasn't been consistent enough last couple years. He hasn't been healthy enough.

I think the health thing is fair to bring up for sure.

Yeah he's great when he's great, but now he's getting to the age where you're wondering, like, is he ever going to get back to that great? I feel I want to call my shot. We didn't do a making the Leap show this year. I want to do that next year on NFL Daily. Like maybe Derek Stringley's like too obvious actually for making the leap because I think he's already that good.

I want him on.

Let's throw him on there.

I want him on this team.

You gave me, You gave me a guy that I believe in. I'm giving you a guy that I also believe in, but that you believe in.

That's good.

I agree with your belief Greg.

Thank you. So many agree? Is all right?

Let's go to safety. Uh. At the safety position.

We have the same We have the same people.

There was a Big three last year.

It was Kylee Hamilton and Antoine Winfield, Jesse Beats. They're all at the age that I think they just have.

To be on it.

They were the Big three yeah, and you know what after that, it could be anyone. It could be Xavier McKinney playing with the Packers. It could be Brian branch who's expected to be a little more full time safety.

That's a bit of a projection.

I think Javon Holland for the Dolphins is going to get paid and is an interesting went. Minko Fitzpatrick coming off a bad year, but he's still you know, not a bad year, but just not himself in terms of making big plays.

A lot of options.

I I want to I have Zavier McKinney down. But as we were talking and just reading back some of Detroit's camp reports and all of those things in the preparation for this and ascending player, I really like Brian Burt.

All right, let's put Brian Branch in as our safety. We have completed fifty of the fifty three players.

That comes the fun part.

Now it's the hard part. Man, Are we really gonna all? Right?

Punter, I'm going Stonehouse. Here's how I want my punter for this team. What punter? If I'm watching on Sundays, will I stay to watch the punt instead of like turning my attention to the other games that are on.

You're right, it's Thomas morristeaed No, Thomas Morriston. We got to give this to him. He punted ninety nine times last year for the poor Jets, and he pinned the ball thirty six times inside the twenty, and he also got great distance, and he's doing lots of work in the community. But it's he really kinda I'm going with the guy team. This is where my theme is for.

The I'll give it. I don't know.

I mean Stonehouse is awesome, awesome, Actually yeah, I think had the most punts that were down inside the twenty, so it's not just like a booming punting, which I think he's the best at. Morse said, I'll give it to him just because he was involved in the Saints' Super Bowl, when that's how long he's been in the league every once.

In a while.

According to Pro Football Reference, Thomas Moore said had eight more punts down inside the twenty than Ryan Stonehouse did.

Oh my gosh, I've been corrected.

I have punter stats pulled up.

Okay, Tom Thmas Moore said, it is he was involved in that Saints team kicker. I think there's two good options Tucker or Brandon Aubrey. I think that's the choice right now. Harrison Bucker has been extremely consistent year to year, but not as many fireworks as Tucker or Aubrey.

I will give you kicker because you gave me punter and we're being a agreeable But I love the idea of Justin Ktucker and Thomas Moristead in the same room together.

I mean, come on, okay, let let's put Tucker on and then I think it's obvious who the long snapper is. I've been studying long snapper for weeks preparing for the show. I've watched all thirty two long snappers. Who has the straightest ball, has the nicest rotation.

It's got to be.

Jj Janssen all the way. Thirty eight years old, has been playing since obviously for you know, well long amount of time. I'm not going to do the math in my head right now, has never missed a regular season game.

That's incredible. It's incredible. We got a panther on there. Someone who listens to the show could do the numbers for us. And who has the most players from their NFL team on this roster? But I tell you what, the Panthers might have been the worst team of the NFL last year. They have more players than Plenty of rosters on this team because they got JJ Jansen and Derek Brown. That's incredible because Plenty went over.

I think that tells us two really really good things about the Here we go.

We've done it, We've picked the team, and now it's time for the two thousand and twenty four season. I am so excited for our normal weekly schedule to start.

Jordan, you will be back with me?

Can you come back in the Chris Westling podcast studio with Colleen Wolf for a very fun show.

I'll just leave it at that. You're gonna want to listen to this one.

You're gonna want to watch this one.

You're gonna want to watch this one too. We're gonna put out some predictions for the season. I'll just say say that. So that show is going to drop on Wednesday. You guys are going to love that. That's going to be our crew every Wednesday. Steve Weischell join us on Wednesdays, not this one. I'm really excited for that. Our preview show coming up. We'll have Daniel Jeremiah guesting this week, which is really exciting along with me and Patrick Clayban. And then we get to the games. We have the TNF recap, we have the Sunday Show. It's all happening. We'll have some special stuff on that TNF recap afterwards. It's really exciting that we are here.

Wait, I've got this. You ready what football is back? That is right, it's my tribute to you.

It's been really fun.

We started this show in the middle of July and everyone that's been along for the ride, like, the response has been fantastic. But this is what we do it for for the regular season. For Jordan, I'm Greg she said it. Football is back.

NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal

Gregg Rosenthal and a rotating crew of elite NFL Media co-hosts, including Patrick Claybon, Colleen  
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