Sports Krunch W/dkrom

1. Week 1 Takeaways -DKrom: The Deshaun Watson trade is looking like the worst trade in NFL history -Hal: The days of bell-cow RB's could be back, C.J. Stroud's rookie season looking more like an anomaly 2. Week 1 Honors -GOAT of the Week (DKrom: David Montgomery/Penei Sewell, Hal: Baker Mayfield) -Dunce of the Week (DKrom: Will Levis, Hal: Antonio Pierce) 3. Should the 49ers entertain putting Christian McCaffrey on short-term IR? 4. QB Panic Scale (1 being "don't panic at all", 10 being "RUN FOR COVER") -Caleb Williams -Bo Nix -Kirk Cousins -Bryce Young -Aaron Rodgers 5. Truth or Exaggeration -There will be 10 or more kickoffs returned for TD during the 2024 regular season -Drew Lock will be the Giants starting QB by Week 5 -The Bengals Super Bowl window with their current core has closed -Lions WR Jameson Williams will have a breakout year and make their offense all but impossible to defend -Justin Fields should rema

1. Just how important is Brandon Aiyuk to the 49ers, especially when it comes to keeping their Super Bowl window open, and is it in the Niners best interest to extend him? 2. On a scale of 1-10 (1 being not at all, 10 being extremely so), just how short is Russell Wilson's leash in Pittsburgh? 3. A few months ago, you were adamant that the Patriots could not afford to rush Drake Maye into action too soon because of New England's porous offensive supporting cast. Does Drake Maye's preseason performance have you thinking any differently and if so, how early can the Patriots get him out on the field? 4. 2024 NFL Award Predictions 5. Truth or Exaggeration -With Matt Judon and Justin Simmons now in the fold, the Falcons will have a top-14 total defense or higher this season -Dalton Kincaid will lead the Bills in both TD receptions and receiving yardage in 2024 -Sam Darnold will make a very similar impact on the Vikings this year as Case Keenum did in 2017 -If Aaron Rodgers stays health

1. What is the latest intel you've gathered on Courtland Sutton's contract situation and how does it most likely end? 2. If Jarrett Stidham just looks barely better than Bo Nix at the end of the day, can you see the Broncos rolling with the rookie in Week 1? 3. There are two other intriguing training camp battles I'll be keeping a close eye on as well. One is the center competition. The Broncos have three options to replace Lloyd Cushenberry in Luke Wattenberg, Alex Forsyth and veteran free agent signing Sam Mustipher. Who would you say is the early leader in that competition and if you had to make a prediction, who is snapping the ball for Denver to start the season? 4. The other three-way competition for Broncos fans to be ware of is for the boundary CB spot opposite Pat Surtain. Like the center battle, it consists of two recent draft picks (Damarri Mathis and Riley Moss) and a 2024 free agent pickup (Levi Wallace). Which of those three looked the best in your view during OTA's? 5. Outs

1. Which training camp position battles should Bears fans be paying the most attention to when the pads come on at Halas Hall? 2. Describe in depth what a successful rookie campaign for Caleb Williams will look like 3. Do you think new Bears OC Shane Waldron is an upgrade over Luke Getsy and if so, how big of an upgrade is he? 4. How realistic is it for the Bears defense to continue their remarkable momentum they had in the second half of 2023 into this year? 5. Which non-Montez Sweat DL would you say needs to step up the most this season? Do you anticipate the Bears to sign another DL during training camp? 6. How close is this Bears team to being able to beat both the Lions and the Packers? 7. Which 2024 Bears UDFA do you see making the 53-man roster and why? 8. If the Bears miss out on the playoffs both this year and next, can you see Matt Eberflus getting fired after the 2025 season? 9. Record wise, what is the Bears ceiling and floor for 2024? 10. Over/Under -Caleb Williams (4000 passing yards)

1. Should a lengthy suspension for Rashee Rice be handed down as expected, who becomes the Chiefs biggest X factor on offense for the first half of the season outside of Mahomes and Travis Kelce? 2. Do you think the Texans are a serious threat to win the AFC Crown this season, or do you agree with Edholm's assessment that 2025 is the more likely year that Houston will be on Lombardi watch? 3. If Anthony Richardson stays healthy this season and essentially picks up where he left off, how bullish will you be on the Colts' chances to win the AFC South? 4. Which of those two (DC Zach Orr or RB Derrick Henry) is more important in shaping the Ravens overall fate this year? 5. Which of Justin Herbert or Josh Allen is better positioned for offensive success this season? 6. Which of those three secondaries (Bengals, Lions, or Eagles) do you think will be the most improved? 7. If no long-term deal with Dak Prescott is reached by the eve of Week 1, should the Cowboys immediately open the phone lines an

1. NFC North -Have you ever seen a better situation for a #1 overall pick to walk into? What can Bears fans realistically expect from Caleb Williams in his rookie season? -Do you think Kiran Amegadjie makes more sense as a long-term replacement for Braxton Jones at LT, or as a long-term replacement for Teven Jenkins at guard? -How good of a chance do you think Austin Booker has to develop into Montez Sweat's long-term bookend for the Bears? -What makes J.J. McCarthy and Kevin O'Connell a hand-in-glove fit schematically speaking? -What makes Dallas Turner potentially worth this massive price (six total picks) for the Vikings? -Do you anticipate Jordan Morgan being the Packers starting left tackle come Week 1 or do you see him starting his NFL career inside? -If one of Edgerrin Cooper or Javon Bullard (or both) makes a solid contribution this season, can we be very confident that this Packers defense finally plays up to their potential after two underwhelming years? -Would it

1. AFC East -If you're the Patriots, would you be willing to start Jacoby Brissett for half the season or longer in order to benefit Drake Maye long-term? -In your view, how good of a start did the Patriots get in building the nest for Drake Maye? -Was taking Olu Fashanu over Brock Bowers the more prudent move for the Jets? -Can you see Malachi Corley automatically upgrading the role vacated by Randall Cobb in the Jets WR room? -In your view, does Chop Robinson have what it takes to develop into an every-down defender, or is it more likely he ends up as a designated pass rusher at the NFL level? -Which two of those four Dolphins picks (Patrick Paul, Jaylen Wright, Mohamed Kamara, Malik Washington) are most likely to hit and why? -Do you think Josh Allen has what it takes in order to get the most out of Keon Coleman? -Why should Bills Mafia be bullish on Cole Bishop being a long-term fixture at the safety position? 2. AFC North -Would it be highly ideal if Amarius Mims h

1. If you were making the pick for the Commanders at 2, which QB would you select and why? 2. As NFL insider Benjamin Allbright reported last Thursday, there are people in that New England front office that want to trade back and stockpile future draft capital, but owner Robert Kraft, who's 82 years old, wants a QB badly. Whose course of action do you personally prefer the Patriots to take: Kraft's or the front office's? Can you see the two sides coming to a compromise in which they trade down with the Vikings and then trade back up to the 5-8 range and get QB4 (most likely J.J. McCarthy)? That's exactly what Monti Ossenfort and the Cardinals did last year. 3. If you're the Cardinals, would you stand pat at 4 if the Vikings don't give you a package that's equal in value to the Trey Lance package? On the flip side, if you're the Vikings in that scenario, do you bite the bullet and give up both firsts along with next year's first to get to 4 or 5, or are you willing to wai

1. One area of Caleb Williams' game that needs to be ironed out is his over-reliance on out-of-structure plays. However, as ESPN NFL analyst Mina Kimes noted, whenever Caleb had to play in-structure at USC, he proved he is more than capable of doing so. Do you agree with her view? Another knock on Caleb Williams is that he tried to be Superman far too often, always looking for the home run play as opposed to taking what the defense gives him. However, a big reason for that could've been the overall supporting cast at USC. In all 8 of his career losses with the Trojans, the defense surrendered an average of 43 points per game. Do you think going to a team like the Bears, who have an ascending defense, can help him tremendously in out-growing his habit of being on the high dive far too often? 2. Why do you think the NFL seems to not be as high on Drake Maye as draft media is? 3. How bullish or bearish are you on Jayden Daniels' long-term NFL outlook, especially if he ends up going to the Command

1. In your opinion, which QB out of Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, or J.J. McCarthy should be the Commanders pick at 2? Washington also has a glaring deficiency at OT as their current depth chart consists of Braeden Daniels, Cornelius Lucas, Andrew Wylie and Trent Scott. If you're Adam Peters, do you try extra hard to package your two second-round picks (36 and 40) to move up into the late 'teens or early 20's to select a tackle? 2. What do you think is the better plan for the Giants: trading up to 3 or 4 to select Drake Maye or J.J. McCarthy, or taking one of the stud WR's at 6 and using their second-round pick on Michael Penix, Jr.? 3. With numerous OT-needy teams picking ahead of them (Raiders at 13, Saints at 14, Bengals at 18, Rams at 19, Steelers at 20, and the Dolphins at 21), do you think the Eagles would be more than willing to package one of those second-round picks to move up to 15 with the Colts, or even to 12 with the Broncos in order to get their long-term successor to Lane Johns

1. If you're the Bengals, do you trade Tee Higgins during the draft, or do you think you can get a better return by trading him right before the mid-July franchise tag deadline? 2. Last year, Steelers GM Omar Khan traded up three spots to select a raw, but super promising athletic OT in Broderick Jones. This year, can you anticipate Pittsburgh making an even bigger jump up the board (say seven or eight spots) to select a potential bookend tackle to Jones? 3. If there's a certain position other than QB that may not be a need for the Browns now but will in 2025, what is it and which prospects at that particular position would be ideal Day 2 investments for them? 4. Which prospects at positions other than OT, G, and EDGE can you see being selected by the Ravens at 30 overall? 5. Bengals Three-Round Mock (No Trades) 6. Steelers Three-Round Mock (No Trades) 7. Browns Three-Round Mock (No Trades) 8. Ravens Three-Round Mock (No Trades)

1. Say the Cardinals trade back with the Vikings, netting them picks 11 and 23, meaning they would have four selections in the top 35. But shortly thereafter, in typical Monti Ossenfort fashion, the Cardinals offer the Chargers two of those four top-35 selections along with say a second or third next year to come up to 5. If you're Jim Harbaugh, do you take that deal and get yourself say Taliese Fuaga at 11 and Adonai Mitchell in the 20's, or do you stand pat at 5 and take the top WR on your board? 2. At this time, do you think it is more likely the Broncos move back from 12 as opposed to trade up? NFL insider Benjamin Allbright also said last week that there are various scenarios in which the Broncos trade back TWICE and still get someone they highly covet. Do you feel similarly? 3. If Jayden Daniels falls past the Commanders, do you highly anticipate the Raiders to offer a King's Ransom to the Patriots in order to trade up to 3? How ideal of a landing spot are the Raiders for a rookie QB? 4.

1. If you're Eliot Wolf, who's the Patriots de facto GM, what would you do with the third overall pick? If the Patriots do indeed stand pat at 3 and take a QB, should they have Jacoby Brissett start the entire 2024 season and whichever QB they select take the reins in 2025 a la Alex Smith and Patrick Mahomes? 2. Before free agency, most mock drafts had the Jets selecting a tackle with the 10th overall pick. But shortly after the news of the Tyron Smith signing broke, myself and several others on Draft Twitter immediately concluded that the Jets were going to draft Georgia TE Brock Bowers. Given the "win now or else" situation the Jets are in, does it feel inevitable to you that Bowers is going to be the pick at 10 if he's there? 3. The Dolphins are one of the more difficult teams to gauge when it comes to what they'll do in the first round. What positions do you think they're eyeballing the most at 21 overall? 4. Bills GM Brandon Beane is not shy about trading up in the fir

1. Would you be surprised or even shocked if the Titans, should they keep the pick at 7, do not upgrade Will Levis's protection with a new OT? Another thing to keep in mind is that Tennessee only has two top-100 selections (7, 38). If another team offers the Titans another such selection for them to move back, would you take that deal if you're Ran Carthon? 2. When you look at the Colts, this is a roster that doesn't really have any glaring holes on it, so they are well-positioned to take the absolute best player remaining on their board at 15. However, they don't have a proven receiving threat outside of Michael Pittman, Jr. and they also lack a legit shutdown boundary corner. Do you anticipate the Colts addressing one of those two needs in the first round, or can you easily see them looking elsewhere? 3. If you're Trent Baalke, do you try everything possible to trade up into the top-10 for one of those big-three receivers (should one fall to 8 or 9), or do you stand pat at 17 and take

1. Say one of Rome Odunze or Joe Alt, along with both Dallas Turner and Jared Verse are still available when the Bears are on the clock for the second time. But say the Jaguars at 17 or the Rams at 19, who DESPERATELY need a receiver and LT, respectively, offer the Bears their first and second-round picks this year plus their 2025 third-round pick to move up to 9. If you're Ryan Poles, do you take that deal or do you stay put at 9 and take whoever the top player on your board is? 2. Let's say Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels go 1 and 2 as most expect, and the Patriots don't love the QB's that are still on the board at 3 and make a trade with the Vikings. That would give the Vikings their pick between Drake Maye and J.J. McCarthy. If this comes to pass and you're Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, which of the latter two QB's would you select and why? 3. Which prospects in this class (who will likely be available when the Packers on the clock) strike you as someone who will be an immedia

1. If you're Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort, do you only move back from 4 for a package that's greater than or equal to the value of what the Dolphins received in the Trey Lance trade three years ago? Another thing to keep in mind is that last year, shortly after the Cardinals traded down from 3 with the Texans, they moved right back up to 6 with the Lions to take the guy they coveted all along in Paris Johnson, Jr. Do you anticipate Arizona making a similar series of moves on April 25? 2. Which prospects do you think fit the bill for the Mike Macdonald-led Seahawks at 16 overall? As a result of the trades for Leonard Williams and Sam Howell, Seattle currently has just two picks in the top 100 (16, 81). On a scale of 1-10, how urgently does John Schneider want to trade back from 16 and recoup some lost value? 3. If you're the Rams, do you trade up from 19 to say 12 (the Broncos reportedly want to move back if they can't move up for a QB) and take the last of the top-three OT's, or do you s

1. Should the Panthers spend both of their second-round picks (33 and 39) on further upgrading the supporting cast for Bryce Young, or should they spend one of those picks on beefing up the Brian Burns-less pass rush? 2. Given the massive investment the Falcons just made in Kirk Cousins with that four-year, $180 million contract, do you get the feeling the Falcons will choose to either upgrade the OL by taking one of the top-three tackles or select one of WR's Rome Odunze or Malik Nabers if they're available? 3. Is it better for the Saints to trade up for one of those aforementioned tackles, or stay put at 14 and take someone in that next tier like Troy Fautanu, J.C. Latham or Amarius Mims? 4. If the corner and edge cupboards are bare (value-wise) when pick 26 rolls around, what would the best move be for the Bucs? 5. Panthers Three-Round Mock (No Trades) 6. Falcons Three-Round Mock (No Trades) 7. Saints Three-Round Mock (No Trades) 8. Bucs Three-Round Mock (No Trades)

1. Dane Brugler said that Dallas Turner is probably the favorite to be the first defensive player off the board. Do you share that view and if so, what on tape makes him such an intriguing talent? Do you think Dallas Turner is capable of evolving into that "Batman" teams covet in their pass rush? 2. What makes Jared Verse an instant impact Day 1 NFL starter and why would some teams have him higher than Dallas Turner on their boards? 3. Do you think Laiatu Latu is worth a top-15 pick, or do you think he's a designated pass rusher at best in the NFL? 4. Would you be surprised if Chop Robinson falls out of the first round altogether? If not, how high can you see him going? 5. Do you believe Darius Robinson continued his momentum at the Combine and does he have a very good chance at hearing his name called on Day 1? 6. Do you think Byron Murphy did what he had to do at the Combine to be drafted in the top-15? 7. Before the Combine, Daniel Jeremiah had Braden Fiske ranked as his 45th overa

1. For the second consecutive year, we seem to be looking at a very underwhelming crop of linebackers. What is your overall impression of this group and are there still solid options for LB-needy teams to consider? 2. When you factor in both the athletic promise and the troublesome medical history of Payton Wilson, how high can you see him getting drafted? 3. Since Junior Colson both played in and led a pretty comprehensive, pro-style defense in college, can you see him wearing the green dot for an NFL defense in his rookie season? 4. If any LB in this class were a strong candidate to go on Day 1, why would it be Edgerrin Cooper? 5. Do you think Jeremiah Trotter, Jr. has the highest floor out of any LB in this class outside of Junior Colson? 6. Buy or Sell -Cedric Gray -Steele Chambers -Tommy Eichenberg -Nathaniel "Bookie" Watson -Marist Liufau -Jordan Magee -Trevin Wallace -Edefuan Ulofoshio -Curtis Jacobs -Easton Gibbs

1. Last week, shortly after NFL free agency began, we saw a rather unprecedented market for running backs develop, especially by today's standards. And a big reason why that happened, according to Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network, is that the NFL is very down on the 2024 RB class. So I have a two-part question for you Jeff. First, what is your overall assessment of this crop of running backs and second, regardless of what you believe, why do you think NFL scouts and personnel executives feel the way they do? 2. Based on his film alone, why do you think most consider Jonathan Brooks to be the best RB of the bunch? Even though he is still recovering from an ACL tear, would you still be surprised if he isn't the first RB off the board? 3. Do you think Blake Corum is more of a second-string RB, even though he has an every-down skill-set? Hypothetically speaking, if Corum got selected by Jim Harbaugh (who obviously coached him in college) and the Chargers on late Day 2 or early Day 3, can you see him bec