Free Agent Frenzy! + Austin Ekeler Joins the Show

To me, he has shown on the field that he can be a one. He's a good enough route runner. I think he's a great wide receiver. So sometimes when the counterpart on the other side of the field leaves, it can hurt you, I don't think this is the case. In a low volume offense as well in Minnesota, I think Thielen is going to be an excellent draft pick this year, assuming he could stay on the field. And that's a worthy question is his injury history. And he won't be alone. The Vikings just.

picked up another first-round pick. There's still free agent wide receivers who are out there. Robbie Anderson is still out there as of this recording. So it's, they aren't going into next year with the wide receiver core that's on the team. This was such a good trade for the Vikings. And I think not everyone will agree with that. I agree. He didn't want to be there. He didn't want to be there. And this is a team that doesn't pass the ball as much as.

You know, like, do they really need? Are they capitalizing on having Thielen and Diggs? Not really. And they were a cap-strapped team that really needed, I mean, they've been very good so you don't think of them as a rebuild, but roster-wise, like, they needed some more pieces. Now they go and get four more picks and free up cap space. I think this was really good for them. So what do you think about Thelan's outlook? I'll still be bullish on Thielen. I want to see who else is on the field.

It's at least similar. You can fairly say last year, Juju was going to be all alone. We've thought, and coming into last year, everyone was very hyped for Juju. He's a great wide receiver. But what happens when he's alone? What happens when there's not another alpha on the field? What happens? I think that Thielen will be fine. But I want to see who else they put on the field to know if I can buy into Thielen really being.

like a top end wide receiver one kind of like how he has been when he's uh when he was actually on the field last last year was uh was pretty rough if you want to follow along with the show if you want to check out what we are doing on the youtube because look we're not in the same place no you got to check it out we've got new setups

Yeah, you want to see in my room. You want to see where I work when I'm at home? YouTube.com slash the fantasy footballers. You want to see Jason's fancy shutters? Mike, you have a much cooler recording space in your home. I think we can all agree with that. You've got like the guitars hanging up behind you, the foot clan and fancy footballers swag all around. You're looking awesome. I'm like, welcome to my fancy pants home that I am right next to shutters. And I will say this.

Along the way, so the podcast is obviously here because you're listening to it right now. We're going to be trying to help bring some entertainment, help bring some levity to these serious times with some live streams, ways to engage with people more. And one of those things is I am working with our producers. I'm going to live stream working on drops. People have asked me the entire time that the show was going on,

How do you make, how do you make the drops, the transition music for the footballers podcast? I'm going to, I'll just show people. That's going to be so, so cool. I think people are going to love that. Do you want me to be there for the, because I do the voices. I do the. Yes, you do the voiceover. Welcome to the fantasy football. So I do that. Yes. And I think people might want, people ask all the time, who does?

Who does the voice of the drops? And they might want to see me do that magic on videos. So just let me know. Hit me up. And I, you know, I'll be like, it's time for the mailbag. It's not even what the drop says. I couldn't think of one. I literally was like, oh, man, what's a drop where I just says mailbag? Where I, I know, but he, does he say mailbag? Or do you sing mailbag? He's, the drop says mailbag. Well, when you say he, you mean.

Yes, I mean, of course I mean you. Mailbag. So make sure you're following us over on YouTube or you can follow us on Twitter at the FF Ballers at Jason FFL at FF Hitman. You of course have noticed that Andy is not here. He's getting tested or trying to figure out what is going on exactly with him. So we are still wishing well for Andy to make his speedy recovery. Hopefully we can get him on the show next week.

Jason, are you ready to get into these free agent frenzy? Let's do it. Free agent frenzy. All right. So we already knew what was going to happen, but the Saints have re-signed Drew Brees. That's kind of just a formality at this point. We already knew it was going to happen. Hull hum, status quo. Let's get into the big stuff. Tom freaking Brady has left the New England Patriots.

I was steadfast in my belief that it was a near impossibility that Tom Brady would actually leave the team. The egg is on my face. He goes to the bucks. There are major, major, major fantasy implications from the team transitioning from James Winston, Yolo, throw the ball deep all the time, turn the ball over a bunch to Tom Brady. Jason, what's your initial reaction?

So this is just crazy news. And I don't know what's going to be weirder. I genuinely don't. Watching Tom Brady as a Buccaneer or watching the Patriots without Tom Brady. With whoever, and we have no idea who it's going to be yet. Yeah. So fantasy implications here, I don't.

think they're going to push the ball as much. Vegas kind of has the line at about 4,500 passing yards. And I believe 32 passing touchdowns right now for Tom Brady. I think those are fair numbers. He's not going to be up near the 5,000 that James was at. James had to throw for 5,000 to get back in some of these games. But it does make sense. They had several games this year where they lost by, you know, a one score game. And in those games that was that they finished one score behind or less,

or fewer, I believe James had 18 of his interceptions in those games. So Tom Brady, I think, does make them, I mean, so this is something can't confirm here other than Mike saying so, but prior to the signing of Tom Brady, I was saying, I believe the Buccaneers are a playoff team this year. So Tom Brady, I don't know that he brings them to the level of contender, but they're going to be in the running. I think they're going to win more games than not.

From a fantasy standpoint. Yeah, that's what people care about. Jason, we don't care if the bucks are going to make the playoffs. Get out of here. I love James Winston for fantasy. Don't care that he sucks. But I think, and maybe this is, maybe this is foolish of me. You tell me if it is or not. But I actually think that some of the rumors about Tom Brady wanting the Buccaneers to sign Antonio Brown. Oh, gross.

have legs to it. And if that happens, then every opinion we share here changes. You know, Chris Godwin to me is phenomenal here. I would much rather have Chris Godwin than Mike Evans at this point because the slot wide receiver, the guy that's going to go across the middle, catch the timing routes from Tom Brady, he's going to do great. Whereas Mike Evans, the deep field stretcher, you brought it up when we were talking about the possibility of this. And I believe you're right that

Look, Brady didn't have a weapon like Mike Evans, and he will utilize him. I don't think Mike Evans dies or falls off a cliff here. But if you just look at where he throws more often, Chris Godwin is clearly the fantasy option I want to have. And as a dynasty owner of Chris Godwin, I'm pretty happy. So long as AB doesn't come to town, I think Chris Godwin is going to repeat what he did last year despite fewer...

offensive yardage and touchdowns as a whole for the Buccaneers. Now, last year, James Winston essentially threw deep at the fourth highest rate of starting quarterbacks. Tom Brady was down at about 26th and completion percentage James was, in fact, better than Tom Brady. Was this completely related to the weapons around Tom Brady? I'm not sure. My biggest question as I was trying to look around and, you know, like,

What marks could I use to get an edge here to gain a different perspective on this? And it's Tom Brady was really bad under pressure. We all know this. The secret to beating Tom Brady is you hit him. And once he starts getting hit, bad things start to happen. He had a 36 completion, 36 points. That was his completion percentage when he was under pressure. Worst, the worst for all starters. 36%? Yes.

Wow. When he is under pressure last year, he was absolute trash. That is really not good. Yeah, that's in fact four points lower than the second worst percentage for being under pressure. And then it's the bigger question then is, okay, what's going on with the offensive line? And football outsiders, they have Tampa Bay last year ranked as the 22nd in pass blocking with New England at 5th.

So that could be a concern. Now, places like pro football focus, they have a much higher opinion of Tampa Bay's pass blocking. So that's just something that we need to keep our eye on. Yeah, when you look at a lot of those stats, I mean, it is very true that a quarterback makes an offensive line the same way that an offensive line makes a quarterback quarterback. So hold on to the ball too much. Cause more sacks to happen, cause the ratings and grades to falter for offensive linemen. I think Brady.

is part of the reason why, not the entire reason, obviously, but part of the reason why New England has had a good offensive line. Like the grade out high? Exactly, the grade out high because Brady, he's going to get the ball, he's going to get it out of his hands extremely quickly. And that's why I say it bodes well to the guy in the slot taking the shorter routes in Godwin than it does for him holding the ball, waiting for a play to develop and airing it out to Mike Evans. I'm interested to see whose system is this.

Is Bruce Ariens trying to get, look, he had Kurt Warner play, you know, his system and Carson Palmer playing his system. And, you know, is Tom Brady going to play in his system? Or is this going to be, uh, no, we're installing New England's offense. Tom Brady's going to be the guy, the way that Peyton Manning came in and took over and Adam Gates was just like, yeah, you're, you go be great and I will ride your coattails forever. Right.

And I don't think there's an answer to that. One thing that's interesting with OTAs being, this is a little bit of news, OTAs being indefinitely suspended for these quarterbacks that are changing teams, you know, regardless of whose system, whether it's Brady's system or Arian's system, a lot of players have to learn something new and they're not going to have or possibly not going to have.

OTAs together. So that could really be a drag on the beginning of the season, you know, fantasy output for buccaneers, possibly for the Colts, although Philip Rivers is at least going to a system that was with him in, back when it was San Diego. Now, before we get into Philip Rivers, want to thank today's sponsor, Omaha Steaks, America's original butcher. Right now, Omaha Steaks has an amazing

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Because that was in the running for dinner tonight. This is what's happening? Oh, yeah. All right. Well, let's see if this guy could become your burger, bro. You didn't really have happy thoughts about him last year. Philip Rivers, a one-year deal. He's going to the Indianapolis Colts. Jason, your reaction is. Why? Why? Is he that much better than Jacoby Brouss? Yes. And stop it.