Fantasy Football Podcast 2017 - Valentine's Day Picks, Free Agency Preview

and let go of Brock, they can do it. And Brock, for those who are wondering, Brock is going to be there next year. They can cut him after that and absorb that cap hit, but you can't cut him. Next year, you're saying this upcoming season. Yeah, for 2017, Brock Oslo will be on the Texas. So a quarterback comes into one of these situations. You know, look at Buffalo, right? If, for example, if they cut Tyrod Taylor, they free up the cap space, they can sign a guy like Tony Romo.

instantaneously, Sammy Watkins becomes a fantasy football discussion point for the entirety of the offseason. Yes. You finally pair Sammy Watkins with a prototypical passing quarterback, a team that's all right, and you give them an opportunity. Are there other circumstances you can see here? I mean, the Jets, right? The Jets are one of those teams who look, you have Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker and Quincy and Nunewa. These are players that are going to be directly affected by the quarterback play. Yes, and I agree. And I was talking about the Broncos.

Oh, yeah. Emmanuel Sanders and Marys Thomas. They both, still, they managed to get over 1,000 yards with Simeon, but will they pick up a guy like Romo and ride him out for a year or two while they have Paxton Lynch getting ready? It's interesting because I, look, this is a pre-agency preview show. We're kind of giving you the lay of the land so you can pay attention to what's going on around the NFL during the next couple of months.

But I want to ask the question, do you have a prediction on where Tony Romo goes? Because I have my prediction for Romo. I think he'll end up in New York. As a jet? I believe he'll end up as a jet. I believe he goes to A FC. I believe he can play a year or two there. They have kind of a team that's more prepared to win now. You know, obviously with a forte with a Marshall Decker, that age group on offense. They were a team only one year removed from fighting for the playoffs.

Maybe they tried to replicate the magic Fitzpatrick gave him two years ago. That's my guess for Romo. No, it's just a guess. To me, it's Broncos. The Broncos have a championship defense. They have championship caliber wide receivers. Trevor Simmons was okay. But if you had Tony Romo as the quarterback on that team last year, they would have made some serious noise in the playoffs.

Jason, do you have any thought for Romo or you side on either of those teams? I do side on the Denver Broncos side. Now, we know John Elway has come out and said that they're committed to the current quarterbacks they have and that that's the competition they want to keep. But I just can't, I can't imagine that that's true. If Tony Romo can come there, your Super Bowl window is wide open. You can win a Super Bowl with that team this year and probably next year.

You're not going to give that up. And we saw him move on from people that, you know, that the Broncos were committed to when Peyton Manning became available. So I do lean the side of the Broncos right now. All right. Anybody else at the quarterback position you gentlemen want to discuss before we talk about available running back free agents? I am still, count me just a little bit curious about what Gino Smith can do. I actually wanted to see him with the Jets last year. Every time he's gotten the opportunity.

He's gotten immediately injured and not been able to play into it. I still think he is actually a decent quarterback, at least, I mean, better than a lot of the garbage that's out there. Andy's shaking his head, no. I just don't agree whatsoever. I'm curious where he might know. I'd much rather see, I'd much rather see Mike Glennon have the opportunity. Oh, me too. Mike Glennon to me is a good quarterback. What we know about Gino is, or maybe you don't know this. You don't realize this. You're mixing up how.

It feels like he's had a bad NFL career. He's been fine for fantasy football. Yes. When he plays. Right. Yeah. Which has been very limited. Yeah. I know small sample size. I was just saying he's when, well, he's given the chance. He's a great, great streamer. All right. We have a ton of available running backs this off season. But how many of them really make a fantasy impact? You know, Levy on Bell is technically a free agent. The likelihood is that Levinville will be.

Franchise tag. He's a free agent like Kurt Cousins. He is a free agent. But you do have a couple of restricted free agents. Isaiah Crowell is 24 years old. He's a restricted free agent this year. You wonder if he'll be brought back into Cleveland or not. Cleveland has two picks in the first 13 in the NFL draft this year. If they don't utilize one of those two picks on a quarterback, I would not be surprised if they utilize it on a running back. Well, the second one, you can't.

You can't spend that high. Not the first one. The second one. If it's not a quarterback, it's a possibility that they draft a running back. Mike Gillisley, 26 years old, had a good year last year, backing up LaShawn McCoy. Christian Michael is somehow 26 and been on every franchise. Latavius Murray. Let's talk about Murray. Probably one of the biggest guys that is out there as far as he's only 27. So he's still in his prime.

He's had two back-to-back good years, had double-digit touchdowns this year, and it looks from some of the beatwriters around the Oakland area that they are set to move on from Latavus Murray. So when you look at who is really the big prize of the running back free agency this year, it probably is going to be Latavius Murray from the list of free agents available. So which team... Do you view him as a prize?

I do, and I think he'll get paid like a prize, to be honest. I think he'll be marketed like a prize. If you're a franchise out there that needs a running back. Maybe. Maybe Indy does. Indy has a ton of cap space. They're top five this year for available cap space. So if they wanted to make a run at a younger guy, that being said, he's, you know, he's 27. They've already got the 30 plus running back. If I have Latavius Murray in.

Dynasty, I'm shopping him right now. I'm trying to get some value. I think that, I think if he doesn't return to Oakland with that offensive line, I think his value is going to tank, or his production for fantasy will tank. Yeah, you know, Murray is an interesting case to me. I agree with you. I also think a place that he could have success in would be to go to someplace like New England. If Ligarrett Blunt doesn't come back in New England,

They flirted with Matt Forte last offseason. I think Latavius Murray is a guy that he's been fairly reliable from a, you know, down to down for a carry perspective. He's only had 1,000-yard season. He can also catch the ball, which means he's another tool to be used in Bill Belichick's system. I think that that's a legitimate. I think that's a good destination. I actually think he'll be back in Oakland.

I don't know if the market for the Tavis and Murray is going to be there or not. Here's the thing about running back market and why it's sad to be a running back in the NFL. This is a very, very, very deep running back draft class, the 2017 running back draft class. There's a ton of available running backs. And when I look at the teams who need a running back, it's like, yeah, they could use one.

You know, they could add one. The Colts aren't getting any younger with Frank Gore and the Vikings, Adrian Peterson, and he may not even be there. If he is, he's 31. But supply and demand just says you can get a running back. Much easier than a running back can get a payday. And you have, you can go get a guy like, you know, that's 22 years old like Paul Perkins is this year where the Giants don't have to go out and spend big money because they went and they invested in the draft last year.

potentially. The Packers might be in need, right? Eddie Lacey's a free agent. Places I'm excited for running to. Yeah, that's a good discussion. To see where running backs land, Washington. If they make the choice that they want to get a guy. Frontline. To front line instead of Rob Kelly. I like Rob Kelly next year if he's the guy, but it wouldn't shock me if they go out. Chris Thompson is a free agent. They have Keith Marshall coming back, but he's a fifth round guy. I think he was a seventh round guy.

If I'm not mistaken. But I think that Washington's offense is legitimate. And if they have a running back weapon, I think he would be great for fantasy purposes. The Eagles is a very interesting spot. One, because there's a lot of big question marks to me of if they get a guy or will they ever commit to just one running back. We saw what they were doing, Matthews, who.

We know I like Ryan Matthews. I thought he was effective, but he didn't get a ton of playtime. Sproles, Wendell Smallwood. I mean, they had a lot of guys, Barner, they had a lot of guys there for the Eagles. So if they went and paid up for a free agent or something, would he become a three-down guy for Doug Peterson? The teams that excite me, and I'm going to throw the Steelers out if they don't franchise love. That would be the most exciting. But assuming that doesn't happen.

The teams that excite me the most would be the Panthers. They are a running, running, running team that has all offseason said that they can't have their quarterback be their leading rusher. And if they went out and got a stud, they have the capital to do that in the draft. That would excite me. I also think the Ravens, the Ravens have always been a successful team by running the ball. I think they have their guy and Kenneth Thickson. But.

It doesn't sound like they think he's the guy. Exactly. You know, the things coming out of there seem like they're still looking for a superstar running back to come and replace the old Ray Rice days. And if they go out and get someone that they invest high in, then I'm excited about that proposition. Those are the two teams to me that really stick out. And I'm going to throw one third team out there. If Jamal Charles leaves, which is a very good possibility for the chiefs, I think that is.

That is a team to me that a running back coming in there would be very successful. Andy Reid's always had good running backs. You know, you had a situation with Rashad Jennings cut this past week that puts him into that free agent pool. There'll be more guys like that. Mike just brought up Ryan Matthews, if for some reason they'd have bring Ryan Matthews back. There's going to be another guy to me who will be joining the free agent pool, but he has a three-game suspension coming up.

Douglas Martin, I fully expect him to be cut, and which makes Tampa Bay another very interesting place. To be an attractive place to go. Jokwiz is not under contract. Do they want to bring him back? Charles Sims. Only 27 years old, by the way. Jock Wiz? Yeah. Feels like he's 38. It's not terrible. To me, if Tampa Bay wants to bring him back, I don't think that's an awful idea. Other free agents of note, Danny Woodhead's a free agent.

Eddie Lacey. What about Andre Ellington? Do you think he's got anything left? Andre Ellington can go be Bobby Rainey someplace, the same way Rainey was in New York this year. That's about all I see for him, 28 years old, been through a lot of injury problems, certainly not front line. Rex Burkhead, Chris Thompson. Darren McFadden's a free agent. He feels like he's 38, but he's only 29. Lance Dunbar, Ligarrett Blunt.

He wants to resign with the Patriots. I wouldn't be surprised if they brought him back. The recipe's been pretty nice for that backfield with Garrett Blunt being able to, you know, 18 touchdowns. Yes. And you could probably still get a bargain on him. Yep. So let's talk about some wide receivers now. Wide receivers, there are big names available, right? Alshan Jeffrey. Alshan Jeffrey's available. Yeah.

Um, Charles Pryor. I saw a report today that Browns are talking to Trell Pryor's agent. He's a, he's a player that I don't think anybody would have expected a thousand plus yard season from Torell Pryor, converted quarterback. Kenny Britt, Deshaun Jackson, Pierre Garson, Kenny Stills, only 24 years old. Taylor Gabriel, a restricted free agent. Josh Gordon. Huh? Let's talk about Josh Gordon. Yeah. Let's just talk about him every offseason. No matter what he's doing. Let's bring him up.

There are some really, really interesting guys here who are going to be moving around. Alshan, to me, is still the biggest acquisition possible. He's 27, and seemingly can't stay healthy. But we do have a couple years of data where he was healthy and he was elite. You know where I want to see Alshan Jeffrey go? And they have the cap space to get him.

They need a number two, and I love Alshon Jeffrey as a number two, would be the Cincinnati Bengals. Pair him against A.J. Green. If you give Andy Dunman. Never in a million years will that happen. Why? Because you can't, he's going to have to pay Alshon Jeffrey's too much money. Yeah. There's just no way in the world that can ever happen. He's going to be paid. He's going to be paid. Jeffrey's going to be paid like a front line guy. I mean, there's just no bones about it. You know, I love the.

the hypothetical, but it's unrealistic to me. Because that's like saying, you know, let's... Who's... Atlanta. Bring them to Atlanta. You know, like, I just don't see it happening. They need, they, I think they desperately need another good wide receiver there. So who would be a wide receiver that's a free agent right now that they could afford? You're talking about Cincinnati? Yeah. To pair with AJ Green. I mean, I, I think you're going to see improvements with Tyler Boyd in the second year. If I'm looking at this list and a guy you could pair,