NFC South Turmoil: Are the Falcons OVERRATED? Is Tampa Bay READY to SURPRISE? | Football 301

last but not least even though Stone producer Stone made it out this way I'm blaming you Stone I'm sorry but NFC South man it's I'll spoilers here Falcons have nine and a half and they're at top and you look at other divisions it's like seven and a half seven and a half at the bottom so we're going to start with the Panthers who did have the number one pick that was with the Bears this year sorry to remind you guys but the Carolina Panthers are at five and a half wins win total Matt I know how you feel about Deontay Johnson other than at Johnson how do you feel about the Carolina Panthers in 2024 yeah you know uh we we did a well spoiler alert or Peak behind the curtain we did a fantasy bolds prediction bold predictions uh show that's coming out with Andy Baron next week we we pre-taped it I didn't say that on the uh I didn't say that on the show but uh yeah it's pre-taped so we we taped today I one of my bold predictions was Deontay Johnson would be a wide receiver one uh this year I made the joke that like you know the goofy meme of him saying I'll F and do again and like are going that's me with Deontay Johnson like I'll do it again but I'm not going to talk about Deontay Johnson here even though think most important offseason acquisition that any made I did I tell you I went on a different show and we talked about Deontay Johnson and I was like hey my co-host you know arm he said he's the most important acquisition the entire they're like wow really and I'm like hey he knows his receivers man I'm sure I won't be invited onto whatever show that was um after after that display but anyways I think he he's going to help this offense I think he's going to be super productive and and the separator that Bry needs I think Dave Canalis The Vibes are going to be a lot better than they were with Frank Reich last year hard to say it'll be any worse this team won two games last year I'll still go under five and a half year because they could win four they could win five and that could be Market Improvement and I also think that their defense is going to be worse than it was last year that's pretty good way to put it all up I think they're going to be under two under six and a half because this roster was just so bad last year and quarterback play as well which part partly Bryce young partly the system around him but I just didn't think it was that like drastic of improvement uh they're you know drafting zavier Legette fun player interesting you're G to give him real reps right away and asking run a full route tree right away okay all right not what I would do but all right sure I'd kind of prefer maybe the more steady hand initially for a Jaylen poke a lad Maki you know those types that can maybe truly rely on down in and out uh no offense xav get he could be very sound right away I'm just AR also banged up in the offse though you know that doesn't help no he doesn't no it doesn't uh same with Mingo Jonathan Mingo that was his story coming out of college Al Old Miss uh Adam the's Adam the he's he's reliable but he creates about a centimeter of Separation uh the offensive line they did try to improve upon I like the idea of improving the guards and saying hey let's help out our smaller quarterback give him some space to operate and everything are they the best guards in the world no but they're a little bit of an improvement of what they have they the coaching just has to be better they were so on sound last year ianu has nose died he went from oh a surprising rookie wow this is going to be worth it to like I mean he looks unplayable at times and yeah it was miserable yeah that that's Weir it's weird too because I thought it clicked for him at the end of his rookie year and that usually you don't see the click and then the unclick in the second year yeah so that's that's weird um I'm going to I'm hoping just a situation better but who knows and then that's interesting about the defense that you said it's man you look at that back end yeah it's a little scary isn't it yeah I mean all the all the good things we said about Brian Burns in the giant section he's not on this team anymore and like Derrick Brown rocks and then yeah JC Horn's pretty good we get another great season out of J devian Clowny um the the immortal Jaan Clowny just the ultimate mercenary for higher on defense yeah I I just can't get overwhelmed with it oh and then they draft you know a hurt running back in Jonathan Brooks it's just for this year I just can't see that jumping Improvement and if it were to see a jumping Improvement it's the quarterback getting markedly better and I do think it'll be better around it but I'm it's possible and it but that's just again we're taking talking bets here and everything I I think there's going to be Improvement but it's going to be more to like oh there's somewh of averageness here and not like wow this is good so yeah I know sorry Carolina I wish I could I wish wish have a little bit more for you this is where we're at right now I do like Canal though that is a good call I will say that there all right moving on to the Saints seven and a half wins New Orleans Saints have you been trying to make like parse through this team this is this is a team to parse through this is this is a team to really look at every position group and have some real long thoughts this could be a three-hour PA just looking at the Saints roster I know which is so funny because I feel as if they're just kind of boring like from a public standpoint they're just what are we doing here Dennis Allen's the coach again Derek Carr is a quarterback again the offensive line if you had concerns the preseason did not make you feel any better um I've been banging the negative drum and I'm like getting louder with it because I'm like we guys seen this I'm like Energizer Bunny with it which is so unfortunate because I think these receivers are really really interesting Chris olve Rasheed Shahed you know even at Perry makes the team and I feel like could have a nice role as a sacrificial X receiver for this team so they can do some cool stuff with these other two guys but they're really really talking up Tamm Hill like re this they always do it but they're really doing it this year that's got to make you nervous and like this is this is yes yes yes for for real like Yahoo fantasy's got like has to submit to the masses the torch and Pitchfork of like oh he's got to have quarterback tight end eligibility cuz he's going to still play so freaking much he's going to score points at your tight end position so like we got to give into the the masses there that's just the offense we'll see what happens on defense but I don't know Nate I I'll just put it to you this way I do really want to go over here because seven and a half is is pretty light and there are some parts of this roster I'm optimistic on but like dude if we're I I just had this random thought in watching one of their preseason games watching Spencer Rattler in particular when I'm not I'm not some Rattler truth or anything like that I don't have like strong feelings about Rattler but could you not see this team being this year's version of the Raiders where just by like week five like okay that's enough shot let's just fire Dennis Allen put Clint kubak out there as a head coach who cares and let's just start Spencer Rattler and make our way to next season I I could easily see that being the case with this team they got an out after potential out with cars contract after this year too so it's not the it's not like they they're you know after this year not all way all the way in there I God you kind of just nailed it I I look that because especially if you look like ourlads it starts with the receivers I'm like hell yeah hell yeah Harry sh and then the next one's left tackle fuaga oh that's right the guy that I thought would be best as a guard in the NFL and maybe could see as a right tackle is playing left tackle on a team that will drop no no question has never been a question just going be never that's it and with Penning who is is just a bust I'm not scared to say it um it has not had any somewhat some decent play they have him a right tackle you only give chip out to one usually all right now you got the interior of the offensive line Eric McCoy is great Caesar R Ruiz is fine left guard is just a Turn Style already like they're just figuring out the bodies they're trying to get their best five out there this is their best five if it was a quarterback like let's say a rookie Drake May yeah I'd be okay because he'll run around a little bit and it's not going to be great Derek Carr doesn't scramble Derek Carr is skittish Under Pressure he likes to check the ball down as we see the Houston Texans game last year when uh chimra ended up with what 14 catches I think in that game that is what I think this offense is going to be week in week out it's just going to be the Run game will be whatever I think the pass game will be there's going to be a couple big plays designed plays because the receivers are too good and Carr will put put it out there for him but I think down in down out they're going to be some rough weeks with this offense uh and that's I like the defense I've really come around on it I there's some good players they play feisty they got good guys on all three levels but again it's not where I'm like oh overwhelmed it's a top five defense that can carry it for him I'm actually going to go under I under seven and a half but that's where I think they're going to hover this is a seven eight win team to me which is kind of this is what they built and they just don't have the line to where I think they can push him over the top to something more so going with the under you end up going with the slight over I'll go slight over like I literally will go eight I'll go s yeah perfect it is by the books one is over and one is under nailed it uh another team next on up in the NFC South also had seven and a half wins the Tampa Bay Buccaneers a team another summer team for me but I don't want to spoil it too much but yeah the Bucks how how we feeling about the bucks right now Matt Okay so they're another team that and I I would love to just do the dumb thing of why is nobody talking about the Bucks in in the most saturated industry potentially in the league which is NFL coverage which hey let's keep saturating that thing let's let's keep cashing these checks make sure we have the faces for YouTube yeah exactly gotta keep working out here uh anyways all I know for me that's the first thing I stare at when we get on camera like how Okay J jws are okay you got to get an ice roller we'll talk off we'll talk off it talk off anyways I I they're a team that I do think has gotten a little a little underd discussed um this this offseason just because there's so much attention paid to the Falcons you know other teams in the division are a little interesting but I just I've gotten more more just enthusiastic and kind of like I think the Bucks are going to win this division because I don't love part of me thought originally like I don't love just doubling down on like last year's core let's just run it all back I get that Liam Cohen coming in for Dave Canalis I think you know maybe a lateral move at best certainly not an upgrade um but I do think that these players are really good and that and I think they got some surprising performances out of like kija cany last year I think they got some really nice performances out it like Yaya diabi as well on defense and then Antoine Winfield's a star um you know they they trade Carlton Davis but they had some good performances from like Jamal Dean last year you know so I think we can run that back and feel pretty good on defense and Todd BS is always going to get you to like he's a floor Setter on defense and even kind of like a ceiling Reacher at times too just cuz conceptually what he can do to bad quarterbacks and on offense man like I'm I'm in on the Jaylen McMillan outside receiver thing I didn't love McMillan as a slot like I didn't love him as a prospect but and then when they start talking him up as an outside receiver because they want to move Chris Godwin to the slot which I know you and I are both in on that warning warning Bells were going off a little bit a little bit for me so I actually think I I think I can see it here with Jaylen McMillan and the as an outside receiver which again I'm with you at first I was like I don't know if I love that um because I thought he was just kind of like a mid slot receiver Prospect but if you like looking at his reception perception profile he was a 19th percentile player against Zone he was a 49th percentile player against man coverage which actually is I mean 49th percentile whatever but but he's a little bit better like on these quick hitting routes against man coverage and I don't think they really had that guy as that second receiver last year cuz Godwin's not that type of guy again I think I like him in the power slot role Mike Evans is Mike Evans I love what they did from with him as a route concept standpoint so um I'm in on the offense at least maintaining what it was last year it's kind of like not a like a boom busty offense so uh I I'll go I'll go over on their win total here pretty pretty convincingly yeah that I I'm over I'm right there with you that this team went from an afterthought for me and I'll be open on it and I've talked with Charles about this really an afterthought if I'm studying 32 teams yeah they're probably one of the last five teams I'm studying in the last month when I've kind of really dove in because I was like I know most of these players and I really look at them looking at other rosters looking at this division seeing what they did last year which on an incomplete team and I think it's not that any team's complete this team's a little bit better at least filling out some of the gaps and everything it's just yeah I I I trust it a little bit more than others even with a new play caller on offense because you mentioned all the defensive guys Improvement for some of those young guys are are better play than some of those young guys good players at all three levels which matters um a defensive system they all know like the back of their hand cuz they've been in it for what five years now and that defense it's great because especially in a division like this yeah it's a bad QB beater it's a all right what do you got it's a bad protection beater as the season goes along the offense for me Baker and by nature is going to be boom busty but he plays with a receiver that's perfect for it and Evans they even if you say that he drops off a little bit he's more middle of the- pack on passing Downs you on third down as opposed to top 10 as he was a lot of other stuff the Run game I think is just going to be so much better and so much more cohesive so much more efficient that it'll trade off some of the boom bustness of the past game that the Run game kind of offsets that a little bit where they're not so many third logs now they can get some better situations for that and mcmillon's a great shout out Grant Barton their first round rookie I won't shut up about and and then once he gets into preseason he looks exactly how I thought you look awesome I won't stop sh I won't stop talking about Barton because he is going to change that whole offense yeah people think I'm kidding about it I'm that's serious just watch it um him and then the r guard Cody maach improving Mack was unplayable last year and now looks like he's okay which is better than unplayable uh but going from okay at Center to what I think is already very good or good we'll say as a rookie a good solid right tackle and gety and one of the best left tackles of the game at Tristan wors and you know left left guard is kind of NPC for him but that's better than last year where all three middle positions were whatever get was fine improved that run game's going to be better Rashad White's in an offense that makes more sense for him with some of the Cohen stuff I know Canal is a little bit of everybody his offense but Cohen being the true more McVey guy Rashad white the former receiver kind of makes sense in this offense and they got him a backup that makes sense too and Bucky Irving so yeah I really came along with this team that it it I think the defense will be good I think the offense will be fine at least and have moment where they're they're tough because of how good their players are so yeah bucks end up being it over and my prediction for the division winner as well kind of yeah the Bucks and the Seahawks they've been my summer teams that that's the best way to describe it so many guys does this mean to transition us to the Falcons does this mean that you're under on the Falcons I am under on the Falcons you want me they yeah I do think the offense will be improved because it's not Ritter quarterback it's cousins last year even coming off in ailles and all that he doesn't win with movement he moves in the pocket well he moves wins by pushing the ball operating from the pocket good okay fine offensive lines solid getting a little overrated uh Drew dol's okay lindstrom's good uh left guard B around pretty good mcgary's not good uh Matthews is fine usually when people talk about McGary the first thing they say is well they paid him and it's like well that doesn't always mean everything does matter maybe it's cuz they just could you know all that yeah and this offense will be fine for him I think Drake London's going to have his breakout year pits will be better I think this offense will be good for him um so like the offense I am just like I think bejon is one of my darker picks for offense player of the year I I actually it's a straightup pick I think that's spoilers for next week's show that's what we're doing Tuesday by the way Awards uh but yeah uh it's the defense and I know they added judon I I I know they added Simmons Jimmy Lake doesn't do much for me at defensive coordinator rahee Morris the Rams was did a great job of hodg podging what they had they had Aaron Donald and that did a lot of lifting for what they tried to accomplish it wasn't great it was like 22nd and it was more just like wow that's good that they got to 22nd um as opposed to like no that's actually a good unit and that's what scares me is okay you guys are going get a bunch of shootouts cousins is coming off in Achilles you never know if there's other injuries that are to come he's not a big guy uh and so there's just I have all those concerns where I think this could be a fine team but it's more of an eight nine win team not an overwhelming holy crap easy runs away with the division I think it's them and the Bucs are going to be competing for it so I'm going to go under I just that defense just it doesn't doesn't get me I like AJ Terrell I like the back end the baits and Simmons Simmons gonna take a little drop off though he did last year defensive front judan is good but he's a tight end killer and he really benefited from how the Patriots run ran their defense so again it just doesn't add up to me where I'm like yeah I'm all all on board with all these guys like everybody else is I think it's more of a fine team they'll have a really fun offense I think I'm pretty much with you there and I I want to be more optimistic about this team but the defense is definitely a tough thing to get around you know and just that could be a bottom five unit which like for Fantasy if we want to talk about these players like that could end up being a good thing on offense uh you know they're a lot and I also think we do need to have a little bit of a come to Jesus moment about the kurk cousins stuff where the it's better than Ritter no question it'll even be better than 2022 Marcus Mariota where by the way they were they were 11th in offensive success rate uh in don't to tell me I was gonna say I know these are all the stats I threw up people no one gave a when that thing blew up my face I have I have podcast after podcast tweet after tweet defending and have all these disclaimers all this back no one cared no one cared in the end it was a great learning learning experience Matt yep yep nope all that matters is the bottom line of what really happens um yeah welcome welcome uh welome welcome to Media yeah welcome to Media baby uh but yeah no for real like I think with the Kurt cousin stuff he's better than Ritter but he's he's an older quarterback coming off in Achilles and we always look at the end result with with Kurt Cousins we're like oh he was the 12th best quarterback in the league six most yards yeah yeah yeah yeah but it was always like a it's always a journey to get there like there's a lot of Peaks and valleys where he's playing like the worst quarterback in the league for three weeks and then the best quarterback in the league for three weeks and we ended on a really good stretch there in Minnesota before he got injured but the season before was one of his least efficient Seasons from a yards per attempt adjusted yards per attempt perspective I I I just don't know what guy we're going to get consistently for 17 games I know that guy is going to be better than Des Ritter I know that but is he going to be good enough to make this a playoff team with a roster that is I don't think drop a quarterback in there there and we Super Bowl ready even offensively I love Drake London I'm a I'm a drake London guy I think by the end of the year he will be a considered a tier 2 NFL receiver he will be a not an elite player but like a firmly Superstar receiver I think this coaching staff is perfectly suited to get more out of him from an alignment perspective where you know I've I've defended our guy Arthur Smith more than most the last few seasons but they he pretty much just stuck Drake London out at ex receiver and especially last year because Ritter can't read the middle of the field it's a lot of like curl routes so I think London's deployment will look dramatically different but then we've got Darnell Mooney as a outside receiver like r r McLoud yes a ray ray mccloud's the other guy it it starts to look pretty uh concerning so I'm I'm I'll also call them a nine- win team here which I means I have to say they're under yeah that's that's it I know Ray Ray McLoud wearing number 34 oh I mean that's despicable almost skymore four bad I mean yeah that one's pretty rough too that's brutal I I like skymore as a prospect another guy like low you low level of competition really good reception perception score so you always got to kind of do that asterisk there but I liked him as a second round pick you see him on film in the NFL it's already disaster enough and it's just like gez God almighty we're wearing 24 this is not not not a pleasant experience that's like yeah you have to be a stud player to like pull off like Stephen Jackson wore 39 which is an ugly number in my opinion looks good and you're like damn yeah you're like damn that looks good and then you see it on and you're like maybe not Patrick hell yeah yeah yeah go for it or uh C wearing 41 yeah he wears 41 sweet then you see the linebacker for the Raiders wearing it you're like make that 44 or something a little bit better I also you know there's no Justin Jefferson as much as I like Drake London I'm glad you brought the Darnell Mooney thing because that's got me worried in the r Ray Ray McCloud thing also are we forgetting about the Kirk Cousins tier like that that this was the joke for years now that these are the middle ground quarterbacks which cousins do you have do you have Carr do you have Jimmy G you know that was always the joke Kirk was kind of the best version of it Goff was in this group for a while prie I guess is in it now but yeah I don't know it's not like Kirk Cousins is like it's not you're getting Brady Pete Manning you know those guys that were future Hall of Famers I like Kirk too and he was having a good year but I'm glad glad we kind throwing some cold water on it