a point in my life where I really don't want to meet any new
people, but I was very glad to meet and get to know him. Yeah,
reluctantly expanded. My list of friends. He may not
feel the same way but at least from my perspective
which takes a lot for me at this point to welcome someone
in hell, it took me awhile to welcome you in five years ago.
So it's even
more difficult to get over the wall. Now not that they're
lining up to get over the wall, but that's okay. I still have
a wall.
The Grinch. I mean, I'm sorry. Mike Florio. Is here,
don't talk about my friends,
my God,
that was very sweet. I'm more concerned about florio's
General disposition at this point. I mean, he sounds
concerned about
it was
really hard to get closer, but
clearly
he's not getting over the wall.
Line is not long Michael. It's not like you have to wait for
a very long time to get your answer. Yes or no? But
self-awareness can be a good thing somewhere and it can be
a bad thing.
I am fully aware of where I am in life
and I want no new friends but I have one in Matthew Berry
and I'll work on one in Michael Smith. I appreciate that. We'll
listen, let's make everybody aware that we recording this
before any announcement of the show and Watson's appeal of his
sixth game. It's either the NFL's appeal of the
Uh, Sean Watson's 6, game suspension. I beg your pardon
and when we get that word we know that Mike Florio will be
the first if not among the first to be aware of how long
the shown W will actually be suspended. What are, you know,
at the moment
and how should fantasy managers for purposes of this show?
Approach the show and Watson if they're looking at him at
quarterback?
Well guys, as we're having this discussion, we are 13 days
removed from the day that the NFL appealed the sixth game
suspension, the rules don't set a Deadline
specifically, for resolving the appeal, but the rules say that
the appeal must be expedited,
13 days, does not feel expedited to me. I thought we
were going to have something last week. That first Friday of
the preseason Peter Harvey, who's handling the appeal.
I believe is giving both sides
ample opportunity to work out
a settlement. I was told on Monday
that it's about a 50-50 proposition. I always hate
50/50 because anybody can say 50/50 but that's what I was.
Told it's 5050 as to whether or not it settles Watson.
According to the AP,
as of last week willing to do eight games and pay a five
million dollar fine. I suspect the NFL's floor is 12. Could
they split the difference to 10
Peter Harvey as we speak giving them ample opportunity to do
that? And at some point, the process ends at some point he
has to rule. And if he has to rule, it's going to be,
I think a full season
subject to a federal court challenging
Then the union is confident about, but I don't know why
they would be. Because even though they've had initial
success in past cases,
they tend to always end up losing these.
Yeah, you know, fell seems hung up on him, not going back to
Houston, we 12 it, Matthew, go ahead. Yeah. Look with the
with the caveat, of course that it feels really silly to talk
about DeShaun Watson from a fantasy football point of view.
There are no given the seriousness of the allegations
against him, right? I mean like, so let's let's just call
it like that.
But we are a fantasy football show. He isn't significant
player in the world of fantasy football, so we do have to get
into this. A little bit.
Yahoo drafters are basically ignoring it. There they are.
Obviously expecting a significantly longer suspension
than six games, he's going as quarterback, 22. He's only
being drafted in 28% of league. So
most leagues, he's not even drafted in. And when he is
being drafted, he's being drafted as quarterback. 22. So,
I think most people are assuming to your point, Mike
that it's going to be a much longer suspension.
It it's going to be a run first offense and I suppose that if
you are in a deeper league and you wanted to take a flyer late
in your draft and hope that he may be
plays at some point this year
understood but I would maybe a dynasty Pig. Yeah. And
certainly in Dynasty, he has value
but I would be concerned about counting on DeShaun Watson for
significant fantasy production, for any significant period of
time this year. Especially you know what I'm hearing? And Mike
what you're saying is Well you know it sounds like
Like that. I mean like if Deshawn's
current status is, hey, I'll sit out eight games
and you know, it's he's missing at least half the season
if not more. And so I think that affects not just obviously
his fantasy value but the value of all the Browns, pass
catchers. We talked about Amari Cooper earlier in the show.
Mike, I'm out on him
at his current ATP.
Nick Chubb, cream hunt,
that's who you want. You want, Nick, Chubb and cream hunt,
though. It's going to be a run first team. Especially if
Jacoby percent is under Center for a significant period of
time and I think David and joke who has a tight end to. But
other than that,
I think Cleveland is pretty much a
is more of an interesting NFL story than fantasy story this
year.
Yeah, I think you're right and look separating the reasons why
he won't be an attractive fantasy player from the fact
that he does fit that mold. And I think we all have a smartass
or two in our league. That likes to grab that guy.
That no one's thinking about that could make a difference
later. Whether it's Antonio Brown last. Last year or at
something, you know, in past years it's been Antonio Brown
Josh Gordon. You know that
that guy that. Hey maybe we're going to get lucky. Maybe we're
going to have a guy that shows up late in the season and make
a big difference. And and there's a chance that could be
DeShaun Watson
if it ends up being
12 games, it's right in time for playoffs, you're holding
them in your back pocket. I'm sure every League or or
plenty of leagues will have one person who decides that I'm
just going to keep DeShaun Watson on ice because you never
know what's going to happen. Come week, 12 13, 14. Yeah.
Hey, it was Talk about Jimmy Garoppolo potentially, you
know, being a solution for Cleveland if they
weren't sold for whatever reason on Jacoby preset,
but that doesn't seem to be
in the plans.
What's up with, Jimmy Garoppolo, still do 25 million
dollars this year which you know the Niners aren't paying
Well, when it was six to eight games that the Browns thought
they would not have DeShaun Watson, then it's Jacoby per
set and we'll wait for DeSean
once they started to get the impression that maybe is going
to be the full season. That's when Jimmy, garoppolo's name
started to come up. So we're still kind of in a holding
pattern as to how long the Browns won't have to Sean W and
Garoppolo could become relevant there with the 49ers are doing
guys they're just waiting
for lightning to strike
somewhere and take out a starting quarterback for the season
because then the Miners,
get trade value for for Jimmy Garoppolo like the eagles did
six years ago when the Vikings suddenly lost Teddy Bridgewater
and gave up a first-round pick and a fourth-round pick for Sam
Bradford. And Garoppolo gets far closer to his 25 million,
then whatever he's going to get when he's finally cut by
the 49ers, if that's what happens. And it becomes a free agent. So
both sides are on the same page that. Hey if
if somebody gets very unlucky
at quarterback they get lucky 49ers. Get something Garoppolo
Spade. And he goes to a new team and the question is, how
long the 49ers going to perpetuate this ruse of
the going
to push it all the way up to the day before? Their first
game of the regular season at Chicago? Are they going to do
it when they cut the rosters on August 30, 253 or somewhere in
between? Or would they be
crazy enough to keep him into the regular season and let that
salary fully guarantee? If you're a vested, veteran four
more years of service, your salary, fully guarantees week
one.
And he's going to clearly and gladly, take the balance of
that money. If he gets cut at some point after that, I don't
think they'll do that. But right now they're just waiting
and
and and I think we all wait and he becomes the injury
replacement. If you know exact Wilson's knee injury had ended
up being worse than it initially looked.
It was
that it was going to be
that's a place. He could have gone, other teams are going to
be potentially. In that same old, we got two more weeks of
pre-season to get through. Speaking of waiting, we've been
waiting on Clarity of ring.
When it comes to Alvin Camaros
discipline from the NFL.
But lately reportedly it may not happen this year. His
attorneys have pushed the hearings and so on and so
forth. You're the lawyer you could explain it better than
I can
is Alvin Kamara in the clear for this season with regard to
discipline from the NFL.
Well the reality is the wheels of Justice. Often do grind,
very slowly. There was a hearing August 1 and all that
happened at the hearing was the case was kicked two months down
the road.
These are felony battery charges that Alvin Kamara
faces, and when you read the personal conduct policy,
There's not a very
difficult case to make for him. Ending up on paid leave. I'm
not sure why. The NFL hasn't done it, I've asked them about
it from time to time and I know how they work. Well enough. The
when they don't respond to me they they just they don't want
to deal with it. They don't want to shine a light on it.
They don't want stories to be written about it, for whatever
reason, they've decided not to put him on, paid leave. I don't
expect him to be put on paid leave before Week 1.
So the question is,
when the case resolves, how
Resolved and what will the punishment be
after the fact and the way it's going now
to get to the point where
the legal case resolves
the league would do its investigation. We learned a lot
about what happens now with the League's personal conduct
policy because the dashon Watson's case, you have judge
Sewall Robinson who gets involved and
makes her decision, then you got the appeal process,
it is reasonable to think
that we're going to get through the full season without any
action, being taken against Alvin Kamara. Because
the immediate roadblock
is is resolving the criminal case. And if there's going to
be a trial at some point, it's probably not going to be until
calendar year 2023. So unless the league would decide to put
him on paid leave and if they want to, they can but they've
shown no inclination to do it. If they don't do that, he's
free and clear all year long
and it's interesting because he's currently going as running
back 12 on Yahoo, I think people were concerned about,
he's going to miss six games, he's going to have some sort of
suspension, but again, because
the wheels of Justice grind slowly, as you put it,
I actually think.
Again, it feels dumb to talk about them in a fantasy
perspective, given the seriousness of the charges. But
from a fantasy football point of view,
I think album Chimera is actually an amazing value this
year, we talked about it with the top of the show as well
that if he's going to play all games or at least be eligible
to play all games. This year,
guy who's normally a top, five fantasy running back going as
running back. 12 is a real value. And so I think that's
really interesting. Mike. I know you talked to general
managers and coaches and Scouts around the league every single
day.
Give me one player
for The people that aren't watching this, give me one
player that you're hearing the most buzzed about in training
camp so far.
Well, this one seems pretty obvious just because he created
so much buzz on Saturday night in the preseason opener against
the Seahawks but George Pickens. The Steelers receiver
the second round who tore the ACL in
Spring practice in 2021 and slid farther than maybe he
should have. And yeah, there's some questions but this demos
have shown over the years that they know how to draft and
develop great young receivers.
At every round there. Mrs. Are far
fewer and farther between
than they are for any other team. They've had so many Star
players from rounds to through round seven and Pickens just
instantly looks the part and and
for Buzz to be coming out of Steelers training camp and old
school team first atmosphere, where it's not conducive to,
anyone being the centerpiece of attention, especially in a year
when they're having their first quarterback competition
in a generation.
To me, that just shows how much talent this kid has, because
the Steelers would love to put a lid on any of that, and they
can't. That's how good he is. The question is,
who's getting the football and how effective will that part of
the offense? Be and how much we'll even throw with nausea
Harris, but George Pickens is a fascinating Talent at a time
when they've paid deante Johnson for a couple of years.
Nobody knows what they really think about Chase Claypool, is
he going to be there
long term, Pickens is a guy who can make a big splash right
away, but again it's all relative to how much
the Steelers are even going to be throwing the
Football in 2022. I actually think they're gonna be more
successful, throwing the football this year than they
were last year. I honestly think Mitchell, true Biscay
and, and or Kenny pick, it would be an upgrade over what
Ben Roethlisberger was last year, you know, genuinely
I listened
Ben's a Big Ben's a Hall of Famer, but
not based on what he did last year. And so,
as you said Mike, when the Steelers draft, a wide receiver,
you pay attention.
So I think Pickens is a really interesting player
and a lot of people do by the way.
Now the favorite to win, offensive Rookie of the Year.
Here George Pickens early. A favorite Dynasty pick. If
nothing else pick it to. Pickens
certainly has a nice ring to it. We'll see if it rolls at easily
on the field. As it does off the tongue. Mike Florio. We
appreciate the Insight brother. Thank you so much for talk to
you throughout the year. Thank you. My new friend. Are you
guys okay? Y'all gonna talk all
the time anyway, you call each other after this. Yeah. We're
going to talk to each other but I have a good segment went
Michael,
the walls there the doors cracked open. All you got to do
is is give it a little push. Okay, side, too. If you want to
be, I will I will find my way to your heart, one way. The
other microbial. Thank you.