Fantasy Football Podcast 2017 - NFL Coaching Changes, Fantasy Impact

I will say one of the things that's nice for Kaepernick, if he is the starter, is that Shanahan does use movement with the quarterback a lot. A lot of rollouts, a lot of things that would lead to his strengths. So from the passing game, but this being said, I think the weapons are too big a hurdle to ignore or to say Shanahan could come in and make it good. We've seen Shanahan in the past. Obviously, he came into Atlanta as the OC. They were all right. It took two years really before that system.

clicked. You know, he wasn't able to go, you know, he was with Cleveland, right, for a season. That's probably the most accurate analogy that we should be, we shouldn't be looking at, well, how was Kyle Shanahan with, you know, the Super Bowl losing Atlanta Falcons? We should say, well, how was Kyle Shanahan when he was the offensive coordinator with the Cleveland Browns because they're about as good as the San Francisco 49ers? And in that single season that he had them, they were middle of the pack.

You know, they were 23rd in total yards on the offense. And so, you know, when I look at this, I think I am not going to buy into the rhetoric of Kyle Shanahan makes Colin Kaepernick great, makes Carlos High Great. If anything, I think that Carlos, while Kyle Shanahan has had some successful running back systems before. He's had some very successful running back systems. He's had some very bad ones, too, though.

In fairness, if you look through his record. And you're losing Chip Kelly, who was an offensive mind, who gave you extra snaps and extra plays. So to me, I see most of the 49ers players about the same as I did last year. Next year, 2018, I will buy in a little bit more as he gets his system more in. He gets more players in. And hopefully they get a little bit more talent. That's how I see. The last thing I'll say, for Shannon being in, what it changes, I guess it doesn't change.

The fact I already liked Carlos Hyde as a player in a talent, but I'm still very in on him, even though Chip Kelly has gone, who has been pretty solid for running back fantasy production. But with Shanahan coming in, I still think Carlos Hyde will have a high-level year. With Shanahan coming in, too, we've been here two years ago, and I think it would be wrong to have the fantasy perspective with all the hurdles that he has in San Francisco, with the division, the quarterback, the personnel.

It would be wrong to go all in on a Kyle Shanahan adjustment here. Matt Ryan was the quarterback 19 in his first year with Kyle Shanahan with weapons, and then last year was QB2. So I'm with Jason. I'd be holding that. I'd be hesitating for a couple years until you see momentum on the offensive side of the ball. But that was one of the bigger offseason changes. Let's take a look now. You guys want to talk about the Los Angeles Chargers? Stay out there in California. Yep.

It's weird, man. It's still weird. The Los Angeles Chargers just sounds and feels weird. The Los Angeles Rams was fine. That was like, okay. This one's been easier for me to not make mistakes about. So for whatever reason. Yeah. Not on. Mike McCoy is out. Say goodbye. Anthony Lynn is in head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers. Ken Wisenhunt stays as the offensive coordinator. What do we know about Anthony Lynn and how will this offense be impacted?

So Anthony Lynn has been a running back coach since 2003. And six of his eight years, his teams have been top six in rushing production. I mean, this guy, when you go back and you look at the running backs, he has coached and what he's gotten out of these guys, it's unbelievable. Fred Taylor, the Julius Jones Marion Barber combo, Jamal Lewis, Thomas Jones, newer, Chris Ivory, Imbalt Powell, and of course Shady McCoy.

And not to mention, he got two 1,000 yards seasons out of Sean Green. That's my favorite. He was part of that, right? He was part of that system with Rex Ryan. So when we're talking about that question of Melvin Gordon versus Jordan Howard, this is a checkmark in the Melvin Gordon column. It is absolutely a check mark for me. You still have the stability of Ken Wisenhunt. We've seen Wizz and Hunt do great things as an O coordinator. Now you have Anthony Lynn.

coming in, who is the running back guy. But we have, what we've seen from the Chargers, at least the last couple years, is they've kind of gotten away from just running the ball a ton. They've really gone to Phillip Rivers. So now you have a head coach who I think can come in here. He's not going to stand for that. Hey, he Wisenhunt, run the freaking ball. Well, Ken Wisenhunt has struggled historically to find a runner.

and to utilize the running game. I mean, back to the days of Arizona. Beanie Wells, man. Beanie Wells and utilizing multiple backfield mates inefficiently. So, I mean, I do like that Anthony Lynn's coming in. The focus is going to be there, or at least the balance is going to be there. Yeah, that's what I'm excited about is just the balance. I don't think everything is just, it's a complete 180 and now Melvin Gordon, they've switched to a just, we're going to grind you out team. But you have a guy who's on team running back. And I like.

You know, I like the list of names that you gave me because it was filled with guys that really didn't have success outside of his system. Yeah, okay, La Chal McCoy, I can kind of throw that out. I think LaShaul McCoy probably would have had some success in Buffalo, regardless of Anthony Lynn. But somebody like Sean Green, you know, Thomas Jones is some of his good years, seeing what Ivory did last year versus his time with Lynn.

There are reasons to be optimistic for Melvin Gordon in the future there and building that relationship with Anthony Lynn. So let's move on. I say move on, but we're staying in the same state because everybody, every team in the NFL has moved to Los Angeles. And if you're in California, it's a rule, you must get rid of your head coach. Yep. That was a rule this year. Unfortunately, it wasn't a rule like two years ago. Sorry, Jack, no, you're gone. Except for Oakland. But, I mean, three. 75%. Jeff.

Fisher is gone from the L.A. Rams, we know this. Woo-hoo! Sean McVeigh is the head coach. Oh, yes. Let's do this. What's my age again? All right. Guess the age of Sean McVeigh. I don't know why I'm saying this because I don't remember the age. And you wrote that in there, so. And I wrote it in there. Oh, he's super young. He's got to be like, 32. He's got to be like 35. I think he's 32. No, I know the answer. He is. Do you? Yes. Oh, Brooks has said that he's 31. We need to vet this.

He is 31. He is 31 years old. So the three of us are older. All right. Then head coach. Shut. Shut your mouth. You are on timeout from talking on this podcast for one. How dare you, sir? You're old enough to be his much older brother. Much older brother. That is very, very true. Honestly, Sean McVeigh, this hiring is.

Dude, they are reaching for the stars here. They are wanting to find the diamond in the rough. Get the guy who is the young gun. And look, when this hire was made, I was against it. I was very much saying there's a difference between a young coach and a baby.

Because a young coach comes in. Tell me more. He's 35 years old. He's really, really young, right? Babies poop in their diapers. There aren't players on his team older than him, right? But at 31, there's going to be players on his team that he is younger than trying to coach them, trying to get their respect and all of that. Now, once they made the best defensive coordinator, their defensive coordinator in the league, and they've got a good defense. I think the Rams are okay. They also brought in Matt LaFleur.

who was great as the quarterbacks coach. I think he's who should have been the offensive coordinator for Atlanta. So they stole him. Together, I think they've pieced a good head coaching team together, or not head coaching, but coaching staff. Sean McVeigh, he was the offensive coordinator for the Washington Redskins. From 2014 through 2016. They were all right. But this is, I mean, make no mistake, there's a lot of nepotism in this hire. This is not talent alone.

He would not have got those gigs if he wasn't. I think he's the grandson of famed 49er GM. I believe that's from memory. You'll make a bold claim like that. You better be able to back it up. I will look at it. I disagree. I think McVeigh was great in Washington. Here's what I'll say. This hiring reminds me so much of when Josh McDaniels went to Denver. I was going to say McDaniels. Because when McDaniels went to Denver, he was 33 years old.

We forget that. Like, he's 40 now. He still looks like he's 33 years old. But he was 33 when he went to Denver, and it didn't work. It didn't. It started nice. Well, I mean, when you, but it fell apart quick. When Bill Belichick tricks you into drafting Tim Tebow? He started, what, 7-0 in Denver? Something like that year. But it fell apart really quickly. It reminds me of them trying to catch. You know, Jason made the comparison. It's like a lightning-in-a-bottle situation. You want to get the...

The potential star young coach. Right. Talk about a contrast between Jeff Fisher and you're, you know. You've just squeezed out the last drop from the rag. So McVeigh in Washington, his first year, I mean, they were a struggling offense. They were 26th in points his first year. The second year, up to 10th. And then they were 12th the following two years. He hit the passing yards 11th, 11th seconds.

They're much lower middle of the pack in rushing yards in those years when McVeigh was the OC of Washington. So you don't see like a huge natural bump for Gurley, the way I feel about Melvin Gordon getting a new head coach. But there's just there's some hope. I mean, the guy knows how to scheme a passing offense. He was a tight-end coach.

prior to being the O.C. in Washington, and Jason and I have a little bit of sleeper hope for Lance Kendricks, which. Coming from Jordan Reed being fed the ball a ton. I mean, so that may or may not happen. But I just, I have at least, I have more hope and faith in Sean McVeigh producing an offense that at least gives you something as opposed to Jeff Fisher. When you look at fantasy football, I mean, you, you know how everybody finished last year.

for the Los Angeles Rams, and you say, are they better or are they worse? And, you know, that's yet to be seen. There's still more offseason. How do they do in the draft? Are they going to re-sign their number one wide receiver, who certainly is not Tavon Austin? No, I don't think they will. And I don't think they are signing Kenny Britt, no, who had a very good season. They still have Jared Goff. They still have, you know, a poor O line. They still have the same Todd Gurley. They still have Jared Goff.

He's still been in the league for one year. But that's my point. It's like it's a ball and golf is the reason this hire made sense to them too. They brought in a guy who can be, you know, build a relationship with their young high draft investment and hopefully develop. Like buddies, right? Hopefully develop. Yeah. Maybe best friends. They're the same age group. Teach them where the sun rises and sets another really basic.

Science facts. We need to move on, though. We need to talk about the bills and the Rex Ryan hire. But did you have a finishing thought for L.A.? There is hope because Jeff Fisher is gone. It's not so much what Sean McVeigh brings. It's basically what Jeff Fisher being gone and allowing that team to be a little bit more aggressive. And that's the only hope that I have in the L.A. Rams changing for fantasy.

All right, let's talk about Rex Ryan leaving Buffalo. Sean McDermott became the head coach. Rick Denison is now the offensive coordinator. What do you see happening with this offense? Let's say Tyrod Taylor's back. We have Sammy Watkins. Let's project some health for him if we can. And LaShaul McCoy. So where do you see this offense heading in 2017?

Mr. Wright. Well, what's interesting is, I mean, normally you see when a head coach is fired, a team will go, we're changing everything. We're going 180. You saw the Rams. They took one of the oldest coaches, and they said, we're bringing in the youngest coach in NFL history. And a lot of times when you see a defensive-minded head coach out, they flip. They bring in, okay, we want an offensive.

minded head coach. They have not done this in Buffalo. Rex Ryan, all of his notables and like his medals of honor are defense related or they're supposed to be defense related. And you bring in Sean McDermott, who was the defensive coordinator for Carolina, who had an elite level defense from.

Last year it kind of fell apart, but you had a three-year run of them being an elite level defense. So they keep that kind of status quo there. That's who they want to be. And then they bring in Rick Denison, who. Perfect Anthony Lynn replacement. Right. Like same, same type of guy. What got me the most excited about Rick Denison is just remembering, you know, of his, of his history, he was an offensive coordinator for the Broncos.