NFL Network Insiders Tom Pelissero, Ian Rapoport welcome Cameron Wolfe to discuss Tua Tagovailoa’s new 4-year contract extension. Tom & Ian discuss the latest news on Jordan Love’s contract negotiations, along with an update on Lamar Jackson’s illness sidelining him for another practice. Omar Ruiz joins the Insiders for a report on the 49ers, Sara Walsh joins to talk Buccaneers and Bucky Brooks joins to discuss the Jaguars. Plus, Adam Rank reveals his top fantasy running backs.
Training camps rolling on across the NFL. Josh Allen going downfield to his new rookie target, Keon Coleman in Saint Joseph's, Missouri. Travis Kelcey already working on the little pitch back. Hopefully everybody's on side on this particular play. Brice Hall and the Jets running forward in Florham Park. There's Kirk Cousins going to Darnell Mooney in Flowery Brands, Georgia. A lot to be excited to talk about on this Friday night, especially over this next hour. Welcome inside with the Insiders alongside Ian Rappaport. I'm Tom Peldicero. I'm here in Alan Park, Michigan, going to be seeing Detroit Lions practice tomorrow. And Ian, you've also exited the basement. It looks like you're at a real live TV studio there.
I am at NFL Network studios. I am wearing pants, which is a huge development. It's actually not pants at shorts, but whatever, for effect, it's pants. I'm out of my house, ready to hit the road for the next two weeks.
I cannot wait for all of this so exciting. I told you during rehearsal not to use that pants line and the live portion. This is the live portion. So now everyone's wondering, what do you normally have going on below the waste. We won't answer that question. We may have some answers though, for you on what's going on with the raining NFL MVP Lamar Jackson still not out there because of illness. Some new information on that, so sit tight for more on that. Trevor Lawrence, it's been a little bumpy for the Jaguars offense so far. Our Bucky Brooks has been there in Jacksonville. He will help us break it down. We will also talk about some of the holdout and hold in wide receivers. Is it time for panic or patience with those guys? Adam Rank will help us answer those questions. But let's start out right now with the big news today on a big deal that got done to a Tongue Bailoa and the Dolphins after months of negotiations, agreeing to terms today on a four year, two hundred and twelve point four million dollar extension and conclude to one hundred and seven sixty seven million dollars guaranteed that fifty three point one million dollar average puts two among the NFL's five highest paid quarterbacks. Also is the highest apy ever on a four year deal, locking into it with the Dolphins through twenty twenty eight to Tyreek Hile, of course, had been outspoken hoping that Tua was going to get that deal become among the highest paid quarterbacks. Big smiley faced from tyrenk is that because he's happy for Tua or because he's thinking, Okay, now that's been checked off, maybe my new contract might be next. Let's bring Cameron Wolf, who covers the Dolphins closely down there in South Florida, to help us address those issues. Ian though, I'm going to start with you. This was a long time coming for the Dolphins and Tua. Everybody had signaled they wanted to get this long term deal done. How did it ultimately get finalized? And why now.
Star quarterback Tua tugol and now officially their franchiseuter back. Not that there was any questions, but he has now paid like one. And the fact that they were going through practice and all the coaches and everyone associated with football rather than business, we're seeing him not really practice, kind.
Of hold in a little bit, not doing the team joells.
You know that they had to irk some people, and generally these type of things with a player withhold services that really kickstarts negotiations, and Tua tuge of Allee's agent, Ryan Williams and the Dolphins hammered out this really really strong four year deal, the largest in NFL history. Some of the numbers, prettiest dounding four years, two hundred and twelve point four million dollars. That's more than fifty three million dollars per year. You mentioned one hundred and sixty seven point one million dollars in guarantees. I'll add something else, the incentives for this deal, which are based on his.
Playoff performance at playoff.
Wins, to take this deal up to fifty five point three five million dollars per year.
A massive, massive day for two of.
Ian, A great day for the Miami Dolphins as well. This is a deal that absolutely had to get done. They've been working on this since February, since the season ended, and look, it had been awkward the last few days and a few weeks in training camp. I've been at practice. I was there this morning, and every day it's will to a practice. What will he do? And today I want to set the scene for you because yesterday, he didn't practice.
Today, he did.
All of eleven on eleven reps for the first time since last season, and his first throw of a eleven on eleven was a fifty yard deep bomb in the air Tyreek Hilly wore it touchdown, beating the starting defense, beating Jalen Ramsey. And it's no coincidence that this is finally when the offense got on track after a couple of slow days with the backup quarterbacks there. I've seen Chris Greer, the Dolphins general manager, their vice president Brandon Shore, who handles a lot of their contracts, watching every day. They have seen this offense needs to a this team needs to it, and now they're all in for a championship window for the next few years. And look, I know there's been a lot of conjecture about Tua, the injuries, how he's playing in cold weather and in the playoffs, but two has t has formed in a different player under Mike McDaniel the last couple of years and MVP candidate top five in a lot of major categories. And it's really notable that Mike McDaniel has long called him the perfect quarterback in his system. And look, he doesn't have these strong arm like Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen. But his quarterback coach, Daryl Bebble explained it to me like this. He said, his superpowers are his anticipation, his time, and his vision, his accuracy. That's what makes us great. And so Tua within this system maybe better than even bigger named quarterbacks within this system as well. And you look at kind of this deal. He's over fifty million dollars per year in new money. But he also didn't reset the market. So they came to the middle ground to get done. And as you look forward, obviously a lot of pressure on to it. They've got to win their first playoff game in twenty three years, they've got to play better in the playoffs in cold weather. But if you look at how the teammates love him, how the impact of how his leadership has come on the team, they know that whatever they want to get, they're going to get with tuas their quarterback. And so now they can put this behind them. Now they can go try to chase that championship.
Am I in cam thank you very much. We'll see you tomorrow. Back together. Weekend training Camp presented by YouTube TV. You're gonna be with the Panthers. Look forward to a lot more from you, So to his Neil is done now. Jordan Loves deal awaits. Jordan Love, of course, has not been participating through the course of training camp by all appearance, since everything has been amicabal to this point, but coach Matt Lafleur doesn't have his QB one out there just yet.
Yeah, I mean, obviously you'd like to have him out there. And the one thing that I mean, that's the way I look at it. It's out of my control. So I'm just going to focus on the guys that we have in there and certainly continue to challenge him from a mental standpoint, and he's getting good work in post practice. But obviously we'd all love him to be out there, and I think that's going to help put our team in the best position possible. It's just him getting that poor with everybody and leading are not only our offense but our team.
Ian The bandwidth has been pretty well established by all the quarterback deals that have gotten done tofl right in the middle of that bandwidth, they're all fifty two to fifty five million dollars with Jordan Love, of course, he's in a unique power position. A guy who was only a one year starter signed that Bridge deal last year. Everybody involved expects this deal is going to get done. It is sounded like they continue to make progress here. The question now is when and how much is this Jordan Love deal going to end up being. I would agree with you, it does feel closer.
And look, it's not like the to A deal really changed anything for him, but what it did was further define the quarterback deal landscape and maybe make it one percent easier to get the deal done. But this is the deal that could be done by both sides anyway. I mean, Brian Gudikin's talked to reporters a couple of days ago and termed it close. Since then, it does feel like they've made progress. And I would say, similar to two of some of the football people in the build thing, matlaf would be one, don't necessarily love the quarterback not doing everything during a time when it is very important to go do football. So you really do think that sooner rather than later, this deal should be done. It's, as you mentioned, really just a matter of how much. Because what Jordan Love has done is take away any question the way he played at the end of last year. He has emerged one of the best young quarterbacks in the NFL. And if they do not pay him, which as we mentioned, we think they will, this is a guy who's going to command an absolutely enormous sum after this year because he looks like a player who is really really on the rise. I do believe, like you mentioned, Pickers, get this done soon.
Another quarterback we have not seen on the field really this entire week is the Ravens reigning NFL MVP, Lamar Jackson. He came out a couple of days ago, wasn't able to finish practice. The Ravens held him out again today, said that he's got an illness continues to undergo further evaluation and receive care from our medical team. Coach John Harbaugh was asked one exactly could Lamar return.
Yeah, I mean he's fighting through an illness, working with our doctors, doing all the tests, even more tests to make sure we got everything covered, and I'm confident he'll be back, you know, pretty soon.
So it's just unpredictable deal.
I mean, you guys have been sick before, you know, and sometimes it's not easy.
So that's what we're dealing.
With ian if you. I don't know if anybody tracks this, but I would guess Lamar Jackson's missed more days because of illness during his career than any other quarterback, maybe any other player in the NFL. But early stage of training camp to miss this much time, what do we know about what's going on in Baltimore. It's annoying, no doubt about it.
I do take John Harbaugh at his word when he says he believes Lamar Jackson will be back soon. My understanding is those tests that he had done, they came back negative. So whatever concern there may have been, obviously him returning to practice than having believe it's not great. None of this is great. You want your quarterback out there. Test coming back negative does mean this is likely going to be over at some point soon. Lamar Jackson described to me, is having a flu like situation, so either flu or something similar to the flu. But the fact that tests we're negative is a positive and hopefully he can beat this at some point relatively should and we can go back to talking about Olamar being an awesome football player.
Negative is good when it comes to tests about a week long illness. Another guy who's on the sideline, not because he's sick, but probably contract related. Jamar, Chase, you'll see him right there talking with coaches during the course of practice. Zach Taylor has said only that this is all part of the plan that they have for Chase hasn't been out there the last couple of days. Of course, he's at a point in his contract where he would like to get paid sooner than later. We'll see here as the following days play out exactly how all this is going to settle itself. Brandon Nyuk also has not been out there as he awaits a new contract from the forty nine ers. That one has played out a lot more publicly for months here, mainly because Brandon Ayuk can't stop talking and hosting about it on social media. Our guy Omer r Ruiz also you know, likes to post a little bit on social media here there it's usually just him playing beach volleyball and not demanding more money. But Omar, you were out there with the forty nine ers today, tell me what you know about Ayuk and also what you're seeing so far here in forty nine ers scamp.
Yeah, Brandon Ayuk not out at practice today. He is doing the hold in. From what I understand, he had been out at practice the first couple of days, just standing on the sideline, but obviously participating in meetings here. And this is something that's not unfamiliar for the forty nine ers.
Nick Bosa, of.
Course, had the holdout last year that lasted all the way to the first week of the season. The year before that, Deebo Samuel had that off season of unhappiness and they finally got a deal done in the first few days of training camp.
And speaking of Deebo.
I asked him how he can support Brandon Ayuk, his teammate and friend, as he goes through this process.
I know what it feels like to go what you're going through right now, and the only thing I can do is just tell him keep his head up. Things going to work out. I mean, it's just day by day. It's a long process, like real long. It's frustrating. All I can do is just tell him keep his head up, b with his feed or just continue to do the things that he do for is communicational. He's in and a in and hopefully things just pay out.
Brandon, Now you've not the only skilled position player not out there today, George Kittle, Christian McCaffrey, Nick Bosa on the defensive side of the ball, getting their normal rest and recovery days here at training camp. Trent Williams obviously holding out as well. He's not here at the facility. From what I understand, there's not too much concern about him missing time at this point as he enters year fifteen. He wouldn't be practicing too much anyway, But because of that, offensive line coach Chris Forster, run game coordinator as well.
Says that the reps he does.
Get in training camp and at practice are valuable and as good as he has been, I think we all can agree that Trent Williams is a surefire Hall of Famer at this point. He likened it to a veteran NBA player who even deep into their career, successful as they've been, they still practice free throws, so they would like to get him in as soon as possible. But still Trent Williams and Brennan Aiyuk not out there at practice for the forty nine ers.
You know, the latest sort of controversy of the forty nine ers right is focused on contracts, but the latest on field issue for the forty nine ers was a crushing, crushing Super Bowl loss and what was an otherwise unbelievable season. You've been talking to those guys, You certainly spent plenty of time with him. How much of a topic is these Super Bowl loss and what's been kind of the vibe there well.
I asked Tarvarius Ward earlier today about his experience given that his first six seasons of his career, first four with Kansas City, last two with the forty nine ers, He's played in at least the conference championship game every single year. He's lost two Super Bowls. He's lost three conference championship games. Obviously, he's won a Super Bowl as well with Kansas City over the forty nine ers, and he said, getting back and climbing that mountain is about the collection of talent that they have on those teams and realizing that you still have that goal to achieve, and like you Mentionedingan, I've been around this team over the years and have seen them reclimb the mountain, and the sense that I get is this is, yes, over the course of several seasons, but it is one consistent pursuit of a Super Bowl and that continues here in the twenty four season. I asked Debo Samuel what his process is like here in July, knowing that the expectations for these forty nine ers are to play into January and early February, and it said, just be where your feed are. Obviously, they have a talented defense that they practice against every single day to work to get better, to stay focused on the task at hand, and just let the process unfold. So yes, heartbreaking losses for the last five years for the forty nine ers, but they seem like they have the same energy to go out and do it again here in the twenty four season.
They're excited to get that process started.
Here in the early days of training camp.
Omar, thank you very much. A lot more from you tomorrow from Santa Clara. Do you know why? Because football is back. Celebrate by watching his teams across the league take the field for training camp. Back Together Weekend presented by YouTube TV. That's the action on NFL Network, NFL Plus, ABC and ESPN. Go to NFL dot com slash Back Together Weekend for more information. Subscription required for NFL Plus. We'll we spend time with the Buccaneers this weekend as well, certainly our Sarah Walsh will of course, one of the many issues now the Baker Mayfield has been paid. What's the next step for him and that Tampa offense. We'll dig into it next on The Insiders. Baker Mayfield got his payday back in March, stayed in Tampa where he helped them win the NFC South last season. So far early in camp, well, he's rolling out, he's making plays. The offense overall though a little bit up and down.
Today was probably the worst as in terms of completions in the past game with quarterbacks and receivers, but there was some good. It was just the most up and down day we had, I'd say that so and especially for me so. But yeah, good so far, and you're gonna have those days where the completions aren't happening. But as long as I'm making the right reads, making the right calls, and doing those things, that's what this is. This camp's all about, is ensuring that we're on the same page on offense, and then the physical stuff will come.
Welcome back to the Insiders. Tom Pelasero here in Allen Park, Michigan with the Detroit Lions getting ready for our back together weekend cover starting tomorrow joined now down there in Tampa by Sarah Walsh. Sarah that Baker mayfield play was all over social media. Doesn't sound like he's super thrilled though with the day of practice. Obviously, it's one day at a time this time of year. What have you been hearing and seeing out of that Bucks offense so far?
Well, let me first put an asterisk by what he just said about it would be the worst day of in terms of completions. Mike Evans was not out there today and no big concern. It was just a maintenance better in day off. But I don't think your completions are always at their best when you're missing your best receiver. Baker was asked, this was the first time he addressed the media since training camp started. What's the number one priority for this offense, And pretty quickly he answered consistency, And that is something that we heard him preach a season ago very often. But he said today in the run game, in the past game, it's the details, he said, details when it comes to the screen pass, he said, when everyone gets on the same page with those details, that is when this offense goes to the next level. And if you take a step back, it's very understandable why Baker Mayfield is a guy that would love some consistency in his life. He is entering his seventh season. I know you've all heard the numbers, but eight different head coaches, seven different offensive coordinators in what will now be his seventh season, and of course another new offensive coordinator this year in Liam Kohne. He told us today, has his NFL career been exactly what he's wanted so far?
He said no.
However, it's gotten him to the point where he signed a long term deal, and he said, when I settle in Tom Good, things happen.
Sarah, we've talked so much about the offense through the course of this offseason, and part because I think everybody's assumes Todd Bowles is going to figure it out defensively, but Shaq Barrett is now retired. Devin White's of Philadelphia Eagle. They traded Carlton Davis to the Lions. Who on that remodeled defense needs to step up here in twenty twenty four.
Well, one guy that's really going to need to step up big to replace Carlton Davis, who you mentioned, is where you are right now in Detroit, Zion McCollum is the guy that's penciled in to be the starter there. He was a fifth round pick. He's entering his third season now. Todd Bowles has called him a freak athlete. You see him there with his wife, who I spoke with both of them today. That's occasion, both of them college athletes at Sam Houston State. She was a college soccer player. You know what she did this offseason? She learned how to operate the jugs machine that they bought. They just got married this off season. I don't know if that was on the registry, but he has been out there every day. And I said to her, I go, what do you meat?
You just put this in the car and she.
Goes, oh, yeah, you break it down, you set it up. I go, where are you going? She said, We've been going to local fields around the area. And I was like, well, what do you plug this thing into? We got like a one hundred foot extension cord. What are we doing? She said, oh no, we bought a generator too. So that is what the McCollums have been doing, taking their generator and their jugs machine to local fields so that he can get his work in.
McCollum met with the media yesterday.
By the way, he has never had an NFL interception, and he told the media yesterday that he plans on having six interceptions this year. So when I talked to him today, I said, how is that going over? And he said, you know what, everybody loves it. You speak that stuff into existence. He said, that is the kind of confidence people want from their cornerbacks.
Those are the big plays.
I believe I am capable of making and the Bucks are really going to need him to do that. He also said, you know, he's been playing several different positions for this Buccaneers team over the last two seasons. He's been at safety, he's been at nickel, and he said it is actually a huge relief to that he is going to be playing corner. He can be studying for just that for this Buccaneers team, but they would love for him to step up. The confidence is there and the wife, hey, kudos to her. She has been helping out big time this offseason for him.
Sarah, thank you very much, a lot more from you On Sunday with Bucks legend Gerald McCoy as part of the Back Together Weekend coverage presented by YouTube TV Ian.
Man Someone's wife learning to put together a judge machine. It's certainly something that my wife could get on. She's got some work to do.
Anyway.
The Jacksonville Jaguars have, ib would say've been in the news a little bit the last couple weeks, the last couple of days, certainly with some big extensions, certainly with some offensive theatric this is Brian Thomas Junior. They're very highly touted receiver who I knew, and the Jaguars took him. A whole bunch of people were like, ooh, this guy, that kind of athlete in this offense. I think it's fair to say there are some very very high hopes.
For this Jaguars offense.
As we bring in our good friend Bucky Brooks, who has been hanging out with the Jaguars the last couple of days. Bucky so a lot of positivity toward the Jaguars before training camp and then during training camp. I think it's fair to say the offense has been a little bit rocky, specifically when it comes to red zone turnovers. What have you seen watching in the last couple of days.
Yeah, so down here, what the Jaguars have done is they've kind of flipped the script when it came to the acclamation period. Rather than put the guys in full situations first and second down, third down, they started down in the red zone. Well, anyone who has been around the team certainly understands that when you start out in the red zone, it's a condensed area, tight windows, real difficult when it comes to the throws to fit it in the tight windows. So you've seen some interceptions from the quarterbacks, not just Trevor Lawrence, but the Jaguars last year had plenty of opportunities in the red zone to put games away or to really extend the lead, and they couldn't get it done. So it's a point of emphasis. They have to find a way to score points. They want Trevor Lawrence to be what I would say, cautiously aggressive. Look when the windows there, when the throwers there, make the throw, but understand situation and circumstance. If he can cut down the turnovers and they just can play the way that everyone believes they can play with the perimeter, with the weapons on the perimeter, this is a really good offense, and the personnel is there's just about Trevor Lawrence distributed ball to the playmakers and making good decisions down in the red area, and.
No doubt something to watch for us we move forward to Jaguars. Plenty of talent, also plenty of expectations. Bucky, we know you'll be watching it closely, among many other things. Thank you very much for hanging out with us. Look forward to seeing more of you on inside training camp, but back together weekend and all the good stuff that we will not see Cede Lamb, that Cowboys star receiver, at at least until he gets his massive contract extension that.
He is seeking.
He has been officially a holdout, yet somehow the Cowboys will sold you on. We will tell you more about this. Plenty of other things going forward on the inside of coming.
Come September eighth, Probably a pretty good chance Jayden Daniels is going to be the Manders number one quarterback, after all, they took him number two overall. Dynamic college player in Quinn said, though they're gonna be patient with this process, and Daniel sounds like he's okay with that.
It's been fun go out there and just practice. Football is back, so it's a fun time. I like competing you know, I'm a competitor, So regardless if I was announced the starter or not, you still got to compete.
Gerrod Mayo also has left open the door for the number three pick Drake May to earn the Patriots starting quarterback job for now, though Jacoby Brissett is atop the depth chart and May through a near reception today maybe a little bit of Rocky growing page. Yeah, that's part of it.
Man.
You can't.
You can't ride ups and downs come out. You know, every play's new play, and it just can't. It be too hard on myself sometime, you harder myself especially. I said, I thought my first interception, but yeah, I just gotta gotta bounce back. It's how you bounce back in this league. And you know, I'm trying to learn that. And I bet it's a lot of diff in the game winner it you don't really matter.
So that's what practice for.
The New England Patriots also had some news today agreeing to terms with another of their homegrown talent or homegrown recently I should say, Jabrill Peppers, who came to New England just a short term, one year deal, not a lot of money. He ends up cashing in big Time gets a three year, twenty four million dollar extension at in space thirty million dollars at its max. Nice nice payday for Jabrill Peppers. Meanwhile, not as good news for Michael Badley for the Detroit Lions, their starting kicker, I think it's fair to say one of the better kickers in the NFL, he has suffered a torn hamstring. He is now out for this season before the season even started.
Out for the season. Brutal for a kicker.
Tom The Lyons worked out several kickers today as they look to add more depth.
Lamar Jackson not the only NFL player who's been balanced millness this week. Chiefs first round pick Xavier Worthy also missed time, but based on the let's play right here, I think he's feeling okay at this point back after being sick earlier on in the week. Meanwhile, in Atlanta, Drake London, dealing with that heat down there in the South, left practice today. Raheem Morris said that he just got overheated, so does not seem like a big time concern. You'd certainly like to get all the reps you can with the new quarterback Kirk Cousins in town You'd also like to think CD Lamb by this point would be getting some reps with Dak Prescott. CD was the only one who didn't go on the off season trip to throw with Dak and the other wide receivers. CD, as you see here, still down in Houston working out on his own as his contract holdout continues. Welcome back to the Insiders, Tom Pelicero and Ian Rappaport, joined now by our buddy Adam Rank, who never is afraid to come on this show and give his opinion on the news of the day. So let's play a little panic or patience here, Rank. I am certainly had the production last year to say, hey, I deserve to be paid up in that justin Jefferson Territory thirty five million dollars per year. In your mind, is it patience or panic for Ceedee Lamb and the Cowboys right now?
Well, it's July twenty six, so I'm still going to show some patients with Ceedee Lamb, partly because he has no leverage, Like he really has nothing that he could do at this point. He's still got the specter of a franchise tag and all that stuff going on. So if he wants to play football this season. It's going to be for the Dallas Cowboys. And I have enough faith in Jerry Jones, who's lived through this before.
Like I'm old enough to remember when EMMITTT. Smith was holding out back in the day.
I think they're going to eventually find some common ground and get him back in the camp. He's still working out, he's still ready to go, So I'm still very confident in him. And listen, he's still the top receiver off the board for me. First of all, thirty one red zone targets last year, twenty three end zone targets. The Cowboys really don't have much competition for him there in that respect. So I'm still down with Ceedee Lamb being the number one receiver off the board. But again on July twenty six, talk about this. In a couple of weeks, I might change my tub, but right now I feel very confident.
That's why he has leverage all of those targets, all of those red zone opportunity.
Anyway, argument for a different thing.
Brandon Ayuk another very high profile not hold out but hold in.
What is your take on that we friget out? You know, I'm not entirely concerned with this one. He's out there, you know, he's not somewhere else. He's not in Las Vegas or somewhere working out.
He's with the team. He's in the facility.
Heck, he was out there with John Lynch the other day, sitting there talking to each other, having a good time. The one that really concerns me with the forty nine ers would be Trent Williams. That one needs to go out there and get taken care of as quickly as possible. But I'm still pretty good with Brandon Ayuk because he is in camp and for me, where he's being drafted is somewhere around wide receiver fifteen, So for most people he would end up being your wide receiver two or something like that. That gives me a little bit more confidence, a little bit more, you know, the ability to be patient with that one. I do believe the forty nine ers. Again, this is based on the organization, how they've always seemingly done the right thing in the past. I truly believe they'll get it done. So I am practicing patients.
With Brandon Ayum all right, rank, how about Jamar Chase in Cincinnati? This one seems a little bit more nebulous here. Dak Tamor said, it's all part of the plan. Mike Brown has said, Hey, we're going to bend over backwards to do the deal, but probably won't be this year. He misses a couple of days of practice. Here is it patience or panic time for the fantasy out look at Jamar Chase.
I'm panicking, Tom, Like, listen, I'm going crazy. I love the Bengals and I love Jamar Chase and the organization and everything like that, but the history has shown to me, like have I really always gotten it done?
Like the third I don't know.
I want to believe like Bengals, I want to believe that this is you want to go out and do it. When I hear Mike Brown say those things, it's like, go get it done. Like you've you've cleared the decks, You've got plenty of money, Go get this deal done. So for me, I'm a little bit concerned with this one. And also when he does come to camp, there is gonna be something different about the Bengals this season. Now, previous years they've had Joe Mixon and Tyler Boyd T Higgins. Te Higgins obviously is still there. They've had a lot of help for him, but they've gotten rid of some guys over the over the last couple of months. Zach Moss is fine, Mike is Sicky, is good, but it's like it's not the same as what it was. And so when I see people possibly taking Jamar Chase as the wide receiver one over guys like i'man Ross Saint Brown or somebody like.
That, I'm not in I don't know. I'm worried about this. I want the I want the Bengals to be great. I want them to get it done. So I'm I'm panicking right now. What is that sound effect rank that you brought with you, Like it's supposed to be a scream, right, but that sounds like remember the old barnyard animal thing where you'd like spin it and it would be like yeah, And it's clearly does not a cow. It's like someone impersonating. Now, this is like the profress a little bhind It's right there. I'm I'm panicking on the prop department. No, I got it. I'm panicking that I'm gonna come out of here and I'm not gonna be able to hear out of my right here, all right, stop stop playing it rank get out of here, please. The NFL Top one hundred player Countdown continues with the latest in a long line of standout Baltimore defenders. This time it is safety Kyle Hamilton, who was voted in at number forty three. Wants the countdown every weekday at noon Eastern on NFL Plus. Then tune in here on NFL Network August second for a special Top ten Countdown event. Vis at NFL dot com Slash plus to sign up. The Jaguars probably have more than one player on that list. As we welcome in our friend Bucky Brooks, who has been down there in Jacksonville. Let's talk about Bucky. Some of the teams with the best foundations in the NFL, right, every scout, every GM was coming in here. They're looking at their team everything, I think has a pretty good sense. Even in the early stage of training camp. What are you working with? You're breaking it down. One of the teams with the best foundations in the league for their team moving forward? Who is it?
You know? Tom? It was a great conversation that Aaron Rodgers had where you talked about it. They're like eight to ten teams that are really in the hunt for the Super Bowl. And so what I wanted to do is really talk about championship windows, which teams are really in the prime of, really their championship window for the next three to five years. And so we did a model off to move the six Podcast quarterback, three offensive playmakers, three quality offensive lineman, two pass rushers, and three defensive playmakers and Lawn behold the top team on the list the Kansas City Chiefs. And even though we always talk about the Kan City Chiefs being in the title contention because of Pat Mahomes, when you dig a little deeper, this is a well constructed team by Brett Veach and Andy Reid. You think about the interior line with Trey Smith and Joe Thuney, you think about Creed Humphrey defensively, Chris Jones, Drew Tranquel, leos Chanan and McDuffie. This is a really, really good team and they're young, they're ready, They're going to be in the conversation in the next three or four years. And also, it doesn't hurt to have a two time MVP and Pat Mahomes getting it done.
Talk about building that foundation. The Tyrene kiltrade that shocked so many people. What did they do? They took all those resources, the extra picks as well as all the extra cap space. They injected it. They've built a really solid foundation, as you put it around Pattern Malves. That's the obvious one, Bucky, the two TI defending champs. Okay, they're number one. Give me number two on your list for the best foundations.
Well, Tom, you're right there. You and Alan Park looking at a team that is built to be a Super Bowl winner, and that's the Detroit Lions. And I know last year there were the field good story. Everyone was like Dan Campbell got the grit, the toughness or whatever. Well, look at this roster. This roster is loaded with blue chip players, and in fact, some would say that this is a team that should have represented the NFC in the Super Bowl based on how they were dominating the forty nine ers four half. When I look at their offense, Jerry Goff thinking about Jamar Jamior Gibbs and Aman Ross, Saint Brown, Sam Laporter. They have penn A Sewell on the offensive line. Defensively, Aiden Hutchinson coming into his own and in a cast of young defensive playmakers that are ready to go to the next level. Dan Campbell has this team positioned to be one of those dominant teams that we talk about for the next three to five years, always being in the conversation where we bring up who are the teams in title contention? The Detroit Lions are a firm fixture in that conversation.
All right, give me, give me another team bucket. Maybe some of the people aren't talking about as much in terms of a team that seems been building to sol the foundation for the future.
Okay, now teams. People are talking about this team, but they're talking about them because they have a full time MVP and Aaron Rodgers. But I want to remove Aaron Rodgers from the conversation and let everyone know that this team is built on a rock side, the foundation that will allow them to be a championship contender for years to come, with or without Aaron Rodgers. When you look at their offense, Garrett Wilson and Breese Hall are two of the best at their respect the positions. But when you go to the defensive side of the ball, Quinn Williams, Quincy Williams, you think about Sauce Gardner, you think about the other young players that they have in place Jermaine Johnson. If they can get Hassan Reddick in the building and sign and playing, this is a team that's really good. The excuses are off. Regardless of where the Aaron Rodgers plays at a high level, they have more than enough talent to win and to win at a high level. Now it's on Robert Salah to get it done. He has to kind of light make the right decisions to get this team playing. But on paper, this team is a team that should be set for Super Bowl contents in the next three to five years.
Great stuff is always Bucky nfl dot com slash Brooks to read all about the other teams with the best foundations as we move forward? Is the Falcons team that has made a lot of changes this offseason. Couldn't they end up on that list? Well, they got a guy in b John Robinson who you would hope is going to be a part of that foundation if indeed they take a step forward. Where's Bijeon fit on Adam Rank's list of fantasy running back tears? Is he a Tier one? Last Rank? Next on the inside, JK Dobbins working his way back from yet another season ending injury. One of the most efficient running backs in the NFL. But he's been out there for Baltimore. He's just dismissed so much time. Now reunites with Greg Roman in Baltimore, goes to the other Harbor brother, Jim could JK. Dobbins crack one of Adam Rank's top tiers for fantasy running backs and welcome in Adam Rank along with me, Tom Peller, Cerhenian Rappaport. Here on the Insider's Rank. You got a story off nfl dot com spash rank with six different tiers of fantasy running backs. Let's just start here and people can read a ball about it. But for brevity, let's start a Tier two. Jumping from this Tier two list, scroll all the way down for JK. Dobbins by the way, you know, you know, listen, No, it's not mean. I like Kamani vad All. That's gonna be my guy this year, but he is not in Tier two. These are the Tier two guys, guys who can still win a fantasy league for you.
And one guy I would love to focus in on is Saquon Barkley because every time you promote Saquon Barkley, you bring him. His name up every lot, the injuries and this, that and all the other thing. But to me, Saquon Barkley is still one of the elite talents in the NFL.
And we've seen this before. I mean, it happened with Christian McCaffrey.
He went from Carolina and people not believing in him when he went to San Francisco, like he's injured all the time. Like, well, he went to San Francisco and apparently he's never injured anymore because he's played a ton of games. And I anticipate something very similar with Saquon Barkley. And one of the biggest things I'm looking for is obviously last season, Jalen Hurts rushes for fifteen touchdowns, but I thought it was to the detriment of the team because towards the end of the Towards the end of the season, they were really struggling. I feel like they got to protect Jalen Hurts. The best way to do it is to give the ball to Saquon Barkley. I think he's going to get a lot of those goal line chances that were going to the Brotherly Shob and I think Saquon Barkley can be a league winner.
That's a really interesting comparison. I hadn't really thought about that.
Well, it actually makes sense because injury prone Christian McCaffrey goes to forty Niner's great offensive line becomes once again one of the best running backs in the NFL. Now Saquon, who actually saw yesterday looked great, one of the better offensive lines in the NFL with the Eagles, maybe he will continue that assent that it appeared he would take early.
In his career.
But you obviously don't like Saquon that much because he didn't make your Tier one.
Take me through your Tier one? Who do you like a lot more? Well, I still had them a lot higher than most people, but still I understand. There's three guys though, that stand out to me, and at number three it's going to be Jon Robinson.
Again talking about CMC, we have a.
Former former coach or a coach coming in who is part of Zach Robinson, who is part of the Mike shan Hand coaching tree that filters down to Kyle and Seawan, McBay and all those guys, and he's coming to Atlanta with the idea of him being the CMC of this offense, and everybody loves the opportunity for him. Last season, we are kind of frustrated that Arthur Smith never really unlocked him. That could be much different this year if they use him in a way similar to the way the forty nine ers are using Christian McCaffrey. But again, that still takes a leap of faith. Like you, we're still waiting to see it. Like he looks good, he's talented, We're still waiting for him to make that leap. That's why I have a number three. Well instead go to number two, which is Breece Hall. Now, last season, Breecee Hall was one of the best running backs in fantasy football.
As a matter of fact, he finished as.
The RB two. He was the RB two on a team that had Zach Wilson. That should show you how impressive he is. Now, hopefully, if Aaron Rodgers can stay healthy, they can truly unlock him. And one of the most impressive things was that he scored all of those points and yet he had one goal line rush the entire year that was sixty second in the NFL, and still he went out there and crushed it. So for me, I think Breese Hall is much more established, I'm going to take him. But number one still to my to this day, is going to be Christian McCaffrey because he's done it time and time again. I'm going to continue to stick with him. I know last year people were very apprehensive again going back to this thing Ian where people are like he's injury prone or all that stuff, so they took safe picks like Justin Jefferson who was injured. His quarterback was injured, Jamar Chase, his quarterback was in You know, like there's no guarantees in football.
Do not let injuries sway you off a guy.
If you're one reason for not drafting kiss Christian McCaffrey is because, like I don't think he can do it again. That is some of the most illogical thinking that you can have. We've seen it time and time again. Christian McCaffrey should be the number one guy off the draft boards.
Don't overthink this NFL dot Com slash rank. You can get all six running back tears. Go check out that story right now. Meanwhile, let's go to the AFC West coming up after this, because I got to tell you, Kermit, the frog hasn't caused this much trouble since him and Fozzy were photographers and the Great Muppet Caper trying to stop Charles Groden from stealing that diamond. Like two people nationwide got that reference. I hope you both enjoyed it. It's next on the insetters. If you've been on social media in the past twenty four hours, you might have seen somebody showed up a Raiders practice with a Kermit the Frog puppet and then one of the Raiders players came over and played with the puppet. Patter mahomes might not have liked that. Let's hear from them. Yeah, I mean it's still earlier in the year. Kind of stuff like that happens. You'll get handled when it gets handled well.
I think it's hard in today's world because everything they have, they have access to everything. They don't find out one way or other through social media somebody texting you're telling you. As you know, our team is very outspoken and when they feel something, they talk about it. But I think they both said the right thing that we got to go out there and change the narrative, and that's what our plan is.
July twenty sixth, we're talking about puppets. July twenty seventh. Football is back. Celebrate by watching the teams across the league take the field for training camp Back Together Weekend presented by YouTube TV. Catch the action on NFL Network, NFL Plus ABC at ESPN. Go to NFL dot com slash Back Together Weekend for more information. Subscription required for NFL Plus. Tom Pellasero, Ian Rappaport back here on the Insiders tomorrow in we will both be on Back Together Weekend presented by YouTube TV, and then NFL Network is continuing inside training camp coverage over like the next ten days. We've actually got some handy graphics too, just to explain kind of where exactly where we're going to be going. I've got out of the gate, great sound effects here, twelve stops in twelve days across the country. I think the key with this, Heian is I'm actually in all four time zones, but also going East to Pacific, back to East, back to Pacific. It's aggressive, especially because I got stranded in Salt Lake City and drove twelve hundred miles home just a few days ago. But why not. It's that time of year. It's a lot of fun. I noticed that you have a car which is really cool. I have a plane. You get an airplane.
I do have an airplane. Private jets only, Tom. That's how we roll here. We are in the big time. Nice car though. Look at all those different places I'm going. Assuming that the airlines cooperate, let's go. I'll be with Mike Garafo, with the commanders. That'll be fun. Little Pittsburgh, little Nashville, in Chicago's who's going on with the Caleb, then the Ravens, and then we're done. Then my kids come back from summer camp. But we can start regular life again.
By the way, who else is on Back Together Weekend? Presented by YouTube TV? Everyone? All the people, literally everyone who works here I'm pretty sure is on this graphic, plus some of the team reporters. Danny Rodgers will be out here with me in Detroit tomorrow. Sunday, I'll be moving on to Green Bay. We got so much coverage this weekend. Tune in all day on Saturday. Back Together Weekend and we'll be Back Together with you see it