Ty's 2026 College Football Preview

Wrapping up my two weeks of football, today I come to you all with my 2026 NCAA football preview and predictions.

College football is kind of messed up right now. I'm all for players getting paid for their name, image and likeness being used. They deserve as much. But NIL and the transfer portal are in a bad place right now. There have got to be some rules installed and reinforced or else it will only get worse. The fact that players who signed pro contracts, practiced and participated in professional games, and are trying to come back to college football, that's a massive issue that needs to change asap. But that's another topic for another day.

For my college football preview I will go through the major conferences, name a few group of five teams I like and a few surprises. I'll pick my title game, the top 12 teams that will make the playoff, and my Heisman winner. Let us tarry no further.

I'll start with the Big 12. The Big 12, much like most of college football, has a bunch of teams that were a parts of different conferences years ago. A bunch of the mainstays are gone and now they have teams like BYU, Arizona and Arizona State to name a few. ASU is good and has a solid coach. They'll be competitive. Arizona should be solid as well. Iowa State's coach left, as did most of the roster. Kansas is back to being mediocre at best. UCF is stuck in the mud. Houston has a five star freshman playing QB, and that will be fun to watch. West Virginia and Colorado are not going to be very good. Kansas State and Oklahoma State are looking like they are going to be much, much better than they were last season. Cincinnati and Baylor, while having some decent players, will be middling as well. This conference comes down to Utah, BYU and Texas Tech. Utah has a fun offense, but they have an entirely new coaching staff. Devon Dampier is awesome. BYU has a very good offense and a solid defense. They need to win when it matters most though. Texas Tech looks like the team to beat. They were in the playoffs last season, they returned some good players and they got another solid QB in the portal. BYU and Utah will make it tough, but I'm going with Texas Tech to win the Big 12.

Now to the ACC. The ACC has a ton of teams, but most are middling to bad. Wake Forest needs to figure some stuff out. They are stuck in the mud. Boston College has a magnitude of issues they need to figure out. Syracuse started super strong last year, but they really fell on their faces when their QB got hurt. Duke somehow won the conference title game last year, but the important guys from that team have moved on. Virginia has reloaded their roster and they could make some noise. Virginia Tech hired James Franklin, and while I love that decision, he needs a little more time to fully turn it around. North Carolina has to deal with Bill Belichek's ego. NC State will be a headache to play, but that won't amount to a ton. Stanford and Georgia Tech have to rebuild rosters. Louisville could be a sleeper in the conference. Florida State and Clemson's best days look like they're behind them. Pittsburgh will be a thorn in opponents sides. And California has a true threat at QB. But Miami is the team to beat in the ACC. They were in the title game last year, and while some of their best players left for the pros, they still have a ton of talent on the roster and they got the top QB in the transfer portal. Miami is going to be a true title threat again this season.

Let's move on to the SEC. The SEC is loaded. Vanderbilt has a new five star freshman coming in at QB. He is one of their highest rated recruits ever and he is going to get every opportunity to prove his worth. South Carolina has Lanoris Sellers and Nyck Harbor. They need to perform better, but damn those two dudes are great. Alabama has a new starter at QB, but Keelon Russell seems like he is wise beyond his years. Oklahoma has tons of talent and veteran talent on the roster. They should be highly competitive this season. Auburn has a new coach and a new roster. They have to figure some stuff out, but they look to be on the right path. Tennessee will have an explosive offense and a middling defense. Texas A&M has a great recruiting class coming in, and Mike Elko has been a superb hire as head coach. Ole Miss could be a surprise title contender. They have the best QB and running back in the country in their backfield. Mississippi State has to rebuild. Florida is in the same boat. Arkansas and Kentucky are going to be at or near the bottom of the conference. Missouri is going to be way more competitive than people are saying. Then we have Georgia, LSU and Texas. Georgia has the best coach in the conference and, probably, the best defense. LSU has a plethora of top end talent from the transfer portal. Their offense should be wildly explosive. And Texas has a great offense, an even better defense and they struck gold when Cam Coleman committed to them out of the portal. I'm going with Texas to win the SEC, but I will be watching Ole Miss and Georgia very closely all season long.

Now for the conference I watch most, the Big 10. Purdue is in full rebuild mode, but Barry Odom is a good coach and he is well equipped to handle a project like this. Rutgers is going to be an annoying opponent, but that won't make much of a difference in the win column for them. Northwestern is breaking in a new QB, but they always punch above their class and they play their butts off in every game. Wisconsin is in a world of struggle right now. I believed in Luke Fickell, but he is really struggling to put together a competent and competitive team. This may be his last shot as their head coach this season. Michigan State has a new coach and a relatively new roster. This rebuild will take time, but Pat Fitzgerald is no stranger to taking over a struggling program and turning them into a formidable squad. Minnesota has a great coach and a very good QB. They will play ferocious defense and the QB has first round talent. Illinois has become a very solid team and they play hard every week. They love their coach, even if he is a blowhard, and that shows with how they play on the field. Penn State has a new coach and a bunch of new players, but Matt Campbell turned Iowa State into a winner, and he has way more resources in Happy Valley. UCLA brought in the head coach from James Madison, and that worked out pretty well for Indiana. They also have a great QB, and that is always a good thing for a team trying to make a come up. Washington is very good, they have a solid offense and defense and a great home field advantage. USC has one of their more talented rosters since they joined the Big 10, and they should make some noise this season. I expect them to be very good. Nebraska has to replace their five star QB, but they do have a solid run game and an okay defense. Maryland seems stuck in some kind of mud, but they have an easy schedule. Iowa will run the ball well, play great defense, but they still need to find a capable starting QB. The university of Ohio State has some dudes to replace, but they still have a top tier QB, the best wideout in college football and an awesome, all world defense. Indiana is somehow still being slept on even though they just won it all last season. They have another great, veteran laden roster, the best coach for modern college football and another relatively easy schedule. I fully believe Oregon is the best team coming into the season. Their offense is absolutely loaded, they have the best QB prospect on their roster, their defense is one of the best they've had and they have a top tier coach. And then there's Michigan. As you all know, this is my favorite team of all time. They have a new coach, which I'm happy about, but they also have a very hard schedule and a bunch of unproven players. I hope Bryce Underwood shows some serious growth this year. I'm excited about Jordan Marshall and Savio Hiter, they just need to stay on the field. Andrew Marsh is awesome and I was stoked he didn't transfer out. The o line is an area of concern for me. I hope they figure it out. The d line should be one of the best in the nation. The linebacker corps concerns me as much as the o line. The secondary should be very good too. Michigan is in a peculiar spot this year. They got the type of coach they needed after the Harbaugh era. But that schedule is a beast. I say their ceiling is 10 wins and the floor is 7. I bet they win 8 games in the end. As for the winner of the Big 10, I'm going with Oregon.

Notre Dame is going to be very good this season. Yes, both of their running backs left for the pros, but they still have a top tier QB, great wideouts and a wonderful defense. Boise State should be in the playoff conversation all year. They may run the table. UNLV is going to have a wildly explosive offense, and they can definitely challenge Boise State as the group of five playoff representatives.

As far as the playoff teams go, from 12-1 I'm going with UNLV, Oklahoma, LSU, Notre Dame, Texas Tech, Indiana, Ole Miss, Georgia, Miami, the university of Ohio State, Texas and Oregon. The title game will have Ole Miss playing Oregon and I have Oregon winning it all. The time has come for them to finally live up to preseason expectations. As for the Heisman winner, I'm going with Dante Moore. He is primed for the award.

Okay that is all of my preseason football previews for the upcoming year. Take it with a grain of salt. Enjoy week zero. Football is upon us, everyone. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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T's 2026 NFL Preview: Postseason and Awards

Welcome to the final day of my preseason NFL preview and predictions. Today I have the playoff and award predictions coming your way. We will wrap up the week tomorrow with my college football preview. But today is the last day for the NFL. Seven teams make the playoff from each conference. I'll rank them from 7-1, pick the winners of each until we get to the Super Bowl. There will be a few words about each matchup as well. And I will end it all with my award predictions. Let's get to it.

I'll start with the AFC.

In the AFC East I'm riding with the Bills. They are the best team in that division. The Patriots will be their main competitor, but the Bills are the clear cut favorites to me. The Jets and Dolphins will most likely be a non factor. The AFC North is going to be a true fight. This is one of the better divisions in all of football. They will most likely get two teams in the playoffs this year. The Bengals and Ravens are the top two teams. I'm going to go with the Ravens due to injury concerns I have with the Bengals. The Steelers are going to regress big time, and the Browns are going to be awful. I do think the Ravens will win the North, but the Bengals will also be in the playoffs. The AFC South is ripe for the Texans to take the crown. The Colts are going to take a big step back. The Titans are getting better, but they are still a few years away. And the Jags let their top running back walk out of the door. The Texans should walk with this division. The AFC West is another division that will be a fight to win. The Chiefs, Chargers and Broncos all have a legit shot at the playoffs. The Raiders are going nowhere fast. The Chiefs are on their last legs. This is their last shot. The Broncos are good, but Bo Nix is coming off a tough injury. And then we have the Chargers. I think they are the team to take this division this year. This is year three with Harbaugh, the team is in his image and they should have a good season.

As for playoff rankings, from 7-1 I have the Patriots, Broncos, Bengals, Chargers, Ravens, Texans and Bills. The Bills are the one seed and they get the bye. The 4-5 game features the Bengals facing the Chargers. I'll go with the Bengals here simply due to Burrow being better than Herbert. The 3-6 game gives us the Broncos going to Baltimore to face the Ravens. This is where Lamar Jackson will show he is different and put up big numbers. The Ravens will win this game. The 2-7 game gives us the Patriots playing the Texans. This game will be a fight, but in the end I think CJ Stroud will make a few more plays and the Texans defense will stifle the Patriots offense. Give me the Texans,

So in round two we will have the Bengals playing the Bills and the Texans playing the Ravens. I'm going with the Bills to beat the Bengals. They have home field, Josh Allen needs to get a signature win and who knows who will be hurt in Cincinnati. As for the Texans and Ravens, I'm going with Baltimore. Lamar Jackson is so good and even better when he plays at home. I think he out duels Stroud and makes a big play to seal the game.

So that means I have the Bills and Ravens in the AFC title game. The Bills will be going to the Super Bowl to represent the AFC. Both teams will squash some postseason demons this season, but it will be the Bills making the big break and going to the Super Bowl.

On to the NFC.

The NFC East will be competitive, but it may not be the best football to watch. The Eagles, Cowboys, Commanders and Giants all think they have a shot. I think the Eagles are the only team with a real shot. They still have a great offense and a wonderful defense. The Giants are still too far off and need a better QB. The Commanders look like they're going to be a good 9-8 squad, but not good enough to get in the playoffs. And the Cowboys will continue to underwhelm. I'm going with the Eagles here. The NFC North could have three teams in the playoffs. They will have three teams that finish over .500. The Bears are the cream of the crop. They are coming together nicely and they look very good. The Packers will get beat in games they shouldn't, then win games they have no business even being in. That is what they do. The Lions have a ton going for them, but they also rely too heavily on Jared Goff. The Vikings are clearly rebuilding. I'm going to pick the Bears due to talent, but the Packers and Lions will not go quietly into the night. The NFC South is a tire fire. The Panthers represented this division last season, and they were 8-9. They are still good, but not division winning good. The Buccaneers should easily walk away with this division. They have the most talent in the South by a wide margin. I don't trust Tyler Shough as a playoff QB. And the Falcons haven't even settled on a QB just yet. The Bucs are the clear favorites here. The NFC West is going to be a blast to watch. The Seahawks are the reigning champs, and outside of getting a new running back, they are pretty much coming back in full force. The 49ers will compete and play hard, but I still have doubts about their health and Brock Purdy. The Rams were my number 1 team in my rankings, and I think they are on a mission this season. And then we have the Cardinals, who will be very, very bad this year. I'm going to stick with the Rams, but the 49ers and Seahawks will be right on their tail all season long.

As for my playoff teams, again from 7-1 I have the Lions, 49ers, Seahawks, Buccaneers, Eagles, Bears and Rams. The Rams get the bye being the 1 seed. So my 4-5 matchup features the Seahawks facing the Buccaneers. The Seahawks are going to cruise in this game. It could be a blowout. My 3-6 matchup has the 49ers playing the Eagles. This game could be sloppy and messy and feel like it is grinding to a halt. It will be some ugly football. But I'm going to go with the Eagles due to home field advantage and the fact that some important 49ers players will be hurt and miss this game. The 2-7 game will have the Lions playing the Bears. This is an inter division game in the playoffs. I love it. And while the Lions are familiar with the Bears, I still think the Bears will win this game. It will be close, but in the end, Caleb Williams will do something spectacular to win the game.

This gives me the Rams playing the Seahawks and the Bears facing the Eagles. I'm going to stick with Chicago keeping the momentum going in their game. They have home field advantage, and knowing the Eagles, they will probably be at each other's throats by this time of the season. The Rams and Seahawks may be the best game throughout all of the playoffs. These two teams will fight all the way to the end, but I see the Rams winning on a late field goal.

My NFC title game has the Bears playing the Rams. The Bears are coming, but they are not at the Rams level just yet. The Rams are loaded with vets and really good players. The Bears have good players, but they don't have the experience just yet. I'm going with the Rams to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.

That means I have the Bills and Rams playing in the Super Bowl and I'm going to stick with my preseason pick throughout all of this, the Rams. This team is tailor made to win it all this year and I believe they will do just that. And Matthew Stafford will most likely go out with the Super Bowl MVP.

As for my regular season awards, I'm going to do the important ones for me. MVP will go to Joe Burrow. I think he is going to put up insane numbers. As for Offensive Player of the Year, I'll take Ja'Marr Chase. Someone has to catch those passes and put the ball in the endzone. That person is Chase. Defensive Player of the Year will be Myles Garrett. He has a new team and a newfound love for this game. And he will finally be playing important football past November this season. Coach of the Year is going to Jesse Minter. He is going to keep the Ravens relevant. Hell, they may even look more explosive. Offensive Rookie of the Year will be Jeremiyah Love. While the Cardinals are going to be pretty awful, Love will be the reason to watch them. He is going to get to showcase all of his talents. And my final award, Defensive Rookie of the Year will be Ruben Bain Jr. I cannot wait to watch him wreck backfields all season long and watch him make the teams that passed on him in the draft regret that decision. He is going to be great.

That's it for my 2026 NFL preseason countdown and predictions. Do with this what you will and I cannot wait for the season to start. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Ty's 2026 NFL Preview: "Once in a Lifetime" Division

Welcome to the final day of my preseason NFL countdown. These are the four teams that I think are the best going into the season. These are the true title contenders.

At number 4 I have the Baltimore Ravens. This feels like it is it for this team. This is the season they either announce themselves as a true threat, or if they're just paper champions. They moved on from John Harbaugh and brought in Jesse Minter. He is like a younger Harbaugh, and he even coached with his brother for a good long time. Minter looks ready and I'm excited to see how he performs as a head coach. Lamar Jackson is the best modern day QB in my opinion. He can do it all and he has the hardware to prove it. He just needs to do it in the playoffs now. He has shown what he is capable of in the regular season, now that needs to shift to the important time of year. I fully believe he can do that. Derrick Henry is awesome. He is still highly productive and a load to tackle. He has made the best run game in the NFL that much better. He is such a great compliment to Jackson in the backfield and he continues to be a great player. Zay Flowers has shown some nice flashes. He has very good hands and he is fast. Rashod Bateman hasn't fully popped off just yet. He needs to show something this year or they may move on from him. Jakobi Meyers made a good choice in coming here, but he needs to show that he is more than just a guy who has one or two good games a year. Mark Andrews has had some issues with dropping the ball, but he is still pretty darn good and Lamar Jackson trusts him. The Ravens need better wideouts, but Jackson can mask some of those problems. The o line is right up there with the Lions. They're mean and nasty and very good. The defense has always been the calling card here, but they need to be better this year. I like that they are bringing in Calais Campbell. He can still produce. Roquan Smith is such a steady hand at linebacker. He is a tackling machine. Kyle Hamilton is a ball hawking safety that loves to hit and Marlon Humphrey is a very solid cover guy. They need to play a bit better to be super dominant, and with Minter at the helm I think they can take it up a notch. The Ravens will be very good during the regular season, but they need to win when it matters. I think they can do that this year and I fully believe they can make a push to the Super Bowl.

At number 3 I have the Buffalo Bills. They're very similar to the Ravens. They have a new coach and they have a roster that is on its last legs as a super competitive team. Josh Allen is great. He is a true franchise QB. He makes some wild plays that still surprise me. He is very, very good. I feel like James Cook is one of the more underrated running backs in the league. He is so quiet about what he does, but what he does is rush for 1,000 yards a season, a handful of TDs and has decent hands out of the backfield. Khalil Shakir announced himself as a solid number 1 wideout on this team. He is already good and he should only improve from here. DJ Moore came over from Chicago, and he is a nice, shifty slow receiver for this team. Keon Coleman needs to show some improvement this year. Dalton Kincaid is a very good tight end and the o line is pretty darn good. This defense is ferocious. Ed Oliver is still a very productive d lineman. Greg Rousseau is great off the edge. Bradley Chubb is still a very productive linebacker. CJ Gardener Johnson and Damar Hamlin are very solid secondary players. The Bills have a great QB and a very good defense. They also have one of the best home field advantages in all of football. They should make a deep playoff run, and maybe they can finally break through and find themselves representing the AFC in the Super Bowl.

At number 2 I have the reigning champs, the Seattle Seahawks. They didn't have to change too much this offseason to still be a true title threat in the NFC. Sam Darnold has proven himself to be one of the best game managers in all of football. He showed that he can make plays when he needs to, and he has shed the bust label he may have gotten a few seasons back. Kenneth Walker is gone, and that will hurt. Zach Charbonnet is still nursing his injury and will miss some time to start the year. Jadarian Price will start out the year as the feature back, and I'm curious to see how he performs. Jaxson Smith-Njigba is great. He is steadily climbing the ranks as one of the best wideouts in the game. He is awesome. Cooper Kupp proved he still has something left in the tank last year. Rashid Shaheed might be the fastest player in the NFL, and he had a chance to make some humongous plays in the Super Bowl last year. AJ Barner is proving to be a solid tight end. The o line is great. They open up plenty of running lanes and can pass block very well. This defense is amazing. Leonard Williams and Demarcus Lawrence are menacing coming off the edge. Ernest Jones IV is a very good linebacker. This secondary is one of the best in the league. Devon Witherspoon is one of the best cover guys in the league. Nick Emmanwori is a great nickel corner. And they are taking a chance on Trevon Diggs, who is an interception machine at times. The Seahawks have all the ability to repeat as champs. They have all the players in the right spot and they have a great coaching staff. They also have the best home field advantage in all of football. The Seahawks are going to be very good for a decent amount of time.

And at number 1 I have the Los Angeles Rams. They have it all. Truly. They have a great offense, a defense that is about to get way better and the best coach in football. Sean McVay is truly a football genius. Matthew Stafford is coming off an MVP season and he just continues to put up very good numbers. Kyren Williams and Blake Corum are going to make for a very formidable 1-2 punch in the backfield. Davante Adams is a touchdown machine. He is always open in the end zone. Puka Nacua has some off field stuff he needs to deal with, but when he is on the field he is productive as hell. Cody Parkinson is a capable tight end and this o line is very, very good. This defense is on the precipice of bringing back Aaron Donald, and they traded for Myles Garrett this offseason. Garrett is the best edge rusher, by a million miles, in all of football and he will actually be playing important football later this season. I cannot wait to see how he performs this year. I'm almost certain that Donald will sign soon, and when he does, he and Garrett will be as dominant a d line duo as we have seen in a long, long time. Kam Kinchens is a very good safety. Trent McDuffie is right up there with some of the better secondary players in football. Omar Speights makes tons of tackles and Byron Young is good at tackling and covering backs out of the backfield. This team is loaded from top to bottom and they are, as they should be, the heavy favorites going into this season. If they don't make the Super Bowl I'd say it will be a wasted season.

That's it. That is my preseason countdown for the 2026 season. Come back tomorrow for my playoff and award predictions. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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Ty's 2026 NFL Preview: "(Nothing But) Flowers" Division

Welcome to day seven of my preseason NFL countdown. We are inside the top eight and these are the best of the best in my opinion.

Coming in at number 8 I have the Chicago Bears. The Bears look like a true team on the come up. They may have all the tools in place to make a serious run this season. Ben Johnson looks legit and this team has made the right picks in the draft the past couple of seasons. Caleb Williams is legit. The dude can sling the ball. He also has this innate ability to get himself out of trouble and find an open receiver downfield. I think he is on his way to becoming one of the top QBs in the league and he will be a headache to opposing defenses for years to come. D'Andre Swift has proven his prowess to be an every down type of back. He can rush for good yardage and he has nice hands out of the backfield. I fully believe Luther Burden has star potential. He showed some nice stuff last year as a rookie and I think he only continues to get better from here on out. Rome Odunze also has some serious breakout potential. He started a bit slow last season, but he came on strong to close the season out and I bet he parlays that into a nice season this year. Colston Loveland looks legit too. I watched him a ton in college, and it looks like that talent is translating to the pros right now. They had some similar o line issues that the Bengals had when Burrow was first there, but it looks like the front office has shored that up and they are protecting Williams much better now. The defense made some nice strides last season, and they look like they could be even better this year. Montez Sweat is a very good edge rusher. I think they will get a decent version of Devin Bush on a prove it deal. Dillon Thiemann may have been one of the better safeties in the last draft and they snagged him right away. TJ Edwards is also a very solid linebacker. The Bears are in a good spot right now. They have tons of talent and they're still young, so they can only get better from here. It bums me out that they're in the same division as the Packers because it looks like the Bears will be the favorites for a solid amount of time in the near future.

At number 7 I have the Denver Broncos. Boy was I wrong about Bo Nix and Sean Payton. I thought Payton was too old and not willing enough to change his coaching style and update it. He has done that and it. has worked to this point. Nix is coming off a tough injury, but he is tough, can make the throws and can even escape the pocket if he needs to. JK Dobbins just keeps hanging on in this league and continues to put up numbers. He is solid when he is on the field. Courtland Sutton is a capable and reliable wideout. He is carving out a nice spot for himself with this offense. Getting Jaylen Waddle from the Dolphins last season was a humongous boost for the wide receiver room. He is one of the better wideouts in the league. Evan Engram is a very solid tight end and has thrived since leaving Jacksonville. The o line, as is usually the case, is top tier. They do a damn fine job. The defense is full of guys that do their jobs and do them very well. Patrick Surtain is an elite level safety. Nik Bonito is a tackling machine at linebacker. DJ Jones is a good interior d lineman. The Broncos have the goods to be highly competitive in the AFC. I bet if Bo Nix didn't destroy his ankle in the playoffs last season they would have made the Super Bowl. They can get back there, they just need to stay healthy.

At number 6 I have the Houston Texans. The Texans may have the most talented roster in all of football. This team has capable elite players at the most important positions. CJ Stroud may have taken a mild step back last season, but he's too good to not come back strong this season. He has every skill you want in a modern QB. They were able to bring in David Montgomery this offseason and he instantly makes this backfield so much better. He will get the bulk of the work this year and I think the Texans will benefit from that. Nico Collins is a legit number 1 wideout. He has more than proven his worth with this team and they're paying him as they should. Dalton Schultz is the perfect safety blanket for any QB at tight end. And the o line does their job very well. Will Anderson is an absolute freak of nature and he may be one of my new favorite players to watch in all of football. He is so menacing and terrifying coming off the edge. Danielle Hunter is a very awesome compliment at the other edge spot. Sheldon Rankins is a very good interior d lineman. Henry To'oTo'o is incredibly consistent at linebacker. Derek Stingley Jr has become a blanket at corner. Kamari Lasseter has the potential to be a great secondary player. And they have such an awesome coach, who really knows defense in Demeco Ryans. I don't know why they struggled a little last season, but they should more than make up for that this year. They should be in the title conversation all season long.

The final team for the day, coming in at number 5 I have the Los Angeles Chargers. Jim Harbaugh has built this team in his image, it is year three for him and they look like they are more than ready to make the leap. Justin Herbert is awesome. He has shown that he can make all the throws, scramble when needed and is tough as nails. Omarion Hampton is more than ready to take over as the starting running back. He had to wait two seasons, but now it is his time and he will grow from here. Ladd McConkey proved to me he is much better than I thought. Quentin Johnson may drop the ball a bit too much, but he has excellent separation speed and he should do better with less expectations. Bringing in David Njoku was a brilliant move. Harbaugh loves to utilize the tight end position, and Njoku has made himself into a top level tight end in the NFL. The o line, even after suffering an injury to one of their starters a few days ago, is one of the best in the league. They are mean and nasty and big. Jesse Minter left to take over the Ravens, but the defense here should still be really good. Derwin James is so good. He loves contact, is a hard hitter and has a nose for the ball. Tuli Tuipulotu has gotten better every year and I feel like he will become more of a known name this season. Denzel Perryman is mean and loves to hit. Khalil Mack is back again and he is the best kind of vet to have for this defense. Junior Colson has looked good this preseason. And Jamaree Caldwell is going to get every chance to prove himself this season. The Chargers look pretty damn good this season and they are the type of team that wants to grind their opponents down to nothing. This is what Jim Harbaugh does best, and year three is when his teams seem to pop.

That's it for today. Come back tomorrow for my top four teams heading into the season. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Ty's 2026 NFL Preview: "Crosseyed and Painless" Division

Hello and welcome back to my preseason NFL countdown. We are on day six and this is the part of the list where the teams get real good. They should all fight for playoff contention, depending on health, and some are legit title contenders.

Coming in at number 12 I have the Cincinnati Bengals. This team has all of the talent in the world, but they can never seem to stay healthy when it matters most, and the head coach crumbles when he is needed most. Joe Burrow is an established franchise QB. The Bengals have done all they could, in the front office, to give him the team he needs to win. Chase Brown has become a very reliable and solid running back. He can also catch the ball out of the backfield too. Ja’Marr Chase is the best wideout in all of football. He runs the best routes, has the best hands, is one of the fastest players in the NFL and he is worth every penny that they're paying him. Tee Higgins is a great number 2 option as well. Mike Gesicki is a decent tight end. And, where the o line used to be the issue, they are now one of the better units in the league. This offense is one of the most elite when they have everyone they need on the field. Burrow has legit MVP talent, Chase is always open and Brown is a upper tier running back. The defense could be an issue. Trey Hendrickson is gone. Jessie Bates was let go in free agency a few years ago. They do still have Dax Hill, and he is a solid safety. They also traded for Dexter Lawrence, who is a very good interior d lineman. They also brought in DJ Turner from LA, and he is going to get every opportunity to start here. The linebacking corps leaves a ton to be desired. The rest of the d line is lacking, outside of Lawrence as well. The Bengals should be a top tier AFC team, but their injury history and head coach scare me a bit too much. I did have them in the Super Bowl in my preseason NFL predictor website I do, but that was with the assumption of good to great health. That also doesn't take into account who the coach is as well. Time will tell, but the Bengals have all the talent to be awesome.

At number 11 I have the Detroit Lions. This feels like the last best shot with this roster and this team. Dan Campbell is a good coach, but he needs to be great. Jared Goff is a very good game manager, but they need him to do a little more for this team to be truly elite and not fumble in the playoffs. Jahmyr Gibbs is awesome. He is such a versatile and amazing running back. They struck gold when they drafted him a few years back, and they made the right pick when they chose Gibbs over David Montgomery, who is still very productive. Amon Ra St Brown is very good. He has been solid and gotten better every season he has been in the NFL. He makes Goff look like a legit franchise QB. Jameson Williams is so fast and has very solid hands. Sam La Porta has been a nice replacement for TJ Hockenson. The o line might be the best in all of football, and they're led by Penei Sewell, who is probably the best tackle in football. The defense is okay, but not elite. Aidan Hutchinson is awesome. He is one of the better edge rushers in the NFL. He also fully came back from his torn ACL and looked like himself last season. Jack Campbell is a tackling machine. And DJ Reed is a decent corner. But they have let some good players go in free agency and they have not replaced them with superstar talent. The Lions should be very competitive. They do play in a very tough division, but this team feels like it is on their last legs. They need to have a good year or they may be making some massive changes next offseason.

At number 10 I have the Green Bay Packers. Jordan Love has been a fine starting QB, but he hasn't blown me away just yet. He can make some nice throws from time to time, but he also makes some wild decisions and throws some wild interceptions. Josh Jacobs is a good running back, even elite, but he has some off field stuff he has to deal with, and he has to deal with it quickly. The wideout corps is filled with number 2 and 3 wideouts. They do not have a true number 1. Christian Watson is good, but not great. Jayden Reed is a fine slot receiver. Matthew Golden is fast, but very small. Tucker Kraft is an okay enough tight end. The o line is always solid, but not as good as they have been in the past. I'm going to miss Rashan Gary. He was so good and I feel he is even underrated. He produced and had managed to stay on the field the past few seasons. They do still have Micah Parsons and he is the best edge rusher in the NFL. But he is also coming off a torn ACL, and it happened late last season. He might miss some extended time to start the season, and that stinks. The secondary is okay, but they tend to give up way too many passing yards and blow leads from time to time. I have no faith in Lukas Van Ness as Gary's replacement. Javonte Wyatt is an okay interior d lineman, but not elite yet. And I do like Edgerrin Cooper at linebacker. The Packers have overperformed the past few seasons, but that has only amounted to early playoff exits. I am curious to see how this season plays out, but I'm not very optimistic as of right now. I hope they prove me wrong again.

The final team for the day, coming in at number 9 I have the Kansas City Chiefs. I do think the Chiefs run is over. It was bad last year, but that was due to injuries. Now they have some off field stuff they have to deal with as well. Patrick Mahomes is a Hall of Fame QB. He has some of the best numbers ever for a QB. He is fun to watch. But he tore his ACL, he is not fully healed yet and he will need some time to fully recover before he comes back. They did bring in Kenneth Walker, and that was a great move by this front office. He is coming off a Super Bowl MVP and he will help take the load off of Mahomes and the wideouts. Xavier Worthy is awesome. He is the fastest player in the NFL and he is going to make plenty of highlight plays this season. Travis Kelce is back, newly married and has put up some nice highlight plays in preseason practice so far. But he should have retired a few years ago. The o line is still very good and constantly gets help from the refs, so they can do whatever they want it seems. George Karlaftis and Chris Jones make for one hell of a pass rushing duo. Those two dudes are legitimately awesome. Nick Bolton is such a solid linebacker. He is so consistent and reliable. L'Jarius Sneed is a solid secondary guy. But they are starting to look a little thin after that. The Chiefs had a great run. This version of the team will go down as one of the best to do it. But time comes for everyone, and that is what it feels like is happening right now. They still have it in them to do one more run, like the Golden State Warriors a few years back. But this is it for this team, and I do think that will make them play above their talent this season.

That's it for today. Come back tomorrow for the next  four teams. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Ty's 2026 NFL Preview: "Wild Wild Life" Division

Welcome to day five of my preseason NFL countdown. We are finally getting to the teams that should be competitive all season long.

At number 16 I have the Jacksonville Jaguars. Trevor Lawrence, while maybe not living up to the lofty expectations coming out of college, has been a serviceable starter in the NFL. He makes some solid throws, can run a little bit and his timing has gotten better every season. Sometimes you just have to be a little patient with rookie QBs, the Jaguars were, and now they have a guy they can trust behind center. I don't understand why they let Trevor Etienne Jr walk away. He and Lawrence made up for a nice duo in the backfield, and they have tons of camaraderie since they played college football together as well. Bhaysul Tuten is okay, but he was so much better as a backup, to give Etienne some much needed rest. I adore Travis Hunter. I love that he is good enough to play both ways in the NFL. That being said, I think he would be better served as a defensive back primarily, and maybe as a punt returner. They could put some packages for him on offense from time to time, but it feels like they want him to be a full time wideout. I don't know if that is where he thrives most. Brian Thomas Jr is legit. The dude can play. He is fast and has great hands. I also like that they brought in Jakobi Meyers. He's a solid number 2 wideout. The o line is decent as well. Hopefully they continue to protect Lawrence, and maybe they can turn Tuten into a 1,000 yard rusher this year. As for the defense, as mentioned above, I believe this is where Hunter would be best suited. He is so good at tracking the ball and making picks. He is a good tackler. He can cover most receivers. I think corner is his best position by a mile. Travon Walker seems to be figuring some stuff out and is a beast off the edge. Josh Hines-Allen has been the steady hand they need on that defense. I think Jourdan Lewis will help the secondary a ton. This team is going to be hard to pass for a lot of yards against this season. The Jags have some good things in place. They also seemed to have made the right hire for their head coach last year. They seem to be a team on the rise. They're not true contenders just yet, but they are a team that should finish above .500, and they can compete for the division title too.

At number 15 I have the San Francisco 49ers. I don't know what it is about this team, but I just can't get behind them being a Super Bowl contender, which means they'll probably win it all this season. I still don't believe the Brock Purdy hype. His game doesn't blow me away in the least. He is a game manager at best, and maybe that is all they need to win a bunch of games in San Francisco. I also feel like he opts to run far too often. Christian McCaffery is an all time player, but in a surprise to no one, he is hurt yet again. When he is on the field he is a total cheat code. He can do it all from the backfield. But he is too often injured now, and when he does suit up to play, he seems a little timid at the start. Getting Mike Evans was humongous for them. He is a 1,000 yard machine. He made Baker Mayfield look good. I don't know if he will produce like that with Brock Purdy. But if Purdy can get him the ball, he will make things happen after the catch. They brought Deebo Samuel back, they probably needed to with all the Brandon Aiyuk drama that has gone on, and I think he will be much better playing in a familiar system. Samuel is a nice gadget wideout. George Kittle is coming off an injury too. And, aside from Trent Williams, who is an all timer, the o line is not as dominant as years past. The defense should still be decent. I despise Nick Bosa the person, but the dude is a menace off the edge. Fred Warner is the legit best linebacker in all of football. That guy is a blast to watch. Dre Greenlaw is pretty good too. But the secondary has a bunch of new guys, and they have to prove themselves still. The 49ers made it to the divisional round of the playoffs last season, and then proceeded to get their faces stomped in by the Seahawks. The Seahawks and Rams are still in that division, and it is going to be a bloodbath. The 49ers will compete, but nine or ten wins feels like the absolute ceiling for this team.

At number 14 I have the Philadelphia Eagles. This is a team that seems to have drama follow them all the time. I think Jalen Hurts is a fine enough QB. But all that comes with him as your starter seems like a big headache. He is emotionless, which is good at times, but I never know what he is thinking. And the talk from the media out there is almost never positive. Saquon Barkley is one of the few current players that I think is a lock for the Hall of Fame. He is the prototypical 21st century running back. He is so good at everything you want a running back to do. He may be the best offensive player in all of football. AJ Brown is gone, I firmly believe everyone involved in that whole thing is happy, so now Devonta Smith takes over as the number 1 wideout. He is well suited and ready for that spotlight. I also like the Makai Lemon pick. He is going to be a good pro. Dallas Goedert is the perfect security blanket at tight end. And while the o line is still very productive and solid, you could tell they missed Jason Kelce a ton last year. The Eagles defense should be top tier. Jalen Carter is a monster on the d line. He eats up blockers. Jordan Davis may be even bigger. Nolan Smith Jr is finally making some leaps. Jihaad Campbell is a tackling machine. And Cooper Dejean and Quinyon Mitchell make for one of the best duos of corners in the league. The Eagles defense will win them some games this year. The Eagles should win their division and could make a deep-ish playoff run. But the Jalen Hurts and Nick Sirianni off field stuff could become a massive distraction. That being said, the Eagles should win double figure games yet again this year.

The final team for the day, and week for that matter, at number 13 I have the New England Patriots. I don't think there has been a team that competed in the Super Bowl the previous year that I believe in less than this team. Drake Maye is fine, but he is not an all pro. The Patriots didn't win because of him. The defense is what makes this team special. The Seahawks fully exposed all of Maye's flaws in last year's Super Bowl. Treveyon Henderson and Rhamondre Stevenson are going to split carries. This makes a ton of sense to me. They will form a nice 1-2 punch for a team that loves to run the ball. The aforementioned AJ Brown is now on the Patriots, and I bet he is going to miss playing with Jalen Hurts a lot more than he will let on. They also signed Romeo Doubs, and the thing with him, he never really lived up to my expectations when he was with the Packers. Hunter Henry is a solid and dependable tight end. The o line is very good and run blocks with some of the best teams in the NFL. The defense is this team's calling card. This is where they control the game. Christian Baramore is wonderful off the edge. The linebacking corps can tackle and cover guys out of the backfield. Christian Gonzalez is one of the best safeties in all of football. The secondary is young and mean and now experienced after playing in the Super Bowl. But the Patriots feel like a team that is going to take a big step back. Their coach is a sleazebag, I don't believe in Drake Maye and AJ Brown is most likely on the back end of his prime. I still think they will be competitive, but ten wins seems like the best they could hope for this season.

That's it for today and the week. Come back on Monday for my next four teams. We are getting to the true contenders now. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Ty's 2026 NFL Preview: "This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)" Division

Welcome to day four of my preseason NFL countdown.

Coming in at number 20 I have the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts came out on fire last season. They started the year like 7-1 or something. They finished the year 8-9. It was rough down the stretch for them. Daniel Jones got hurt, they tried out Phillip Rivers, but they just looked like a team not up to par talent wise as some other teams. Daniel Jones is back at QB1, but we all kind of know how that story ends. He just is not a franchise QB. He seems to get flustered and falters at inopportune times. The Colts also refuse to trade Anthony Richardson, and it never ends well when the backup QB is unhappy with their current team. Johnathan Taylor is awesome. He is a top three running back in the league. But he is being overused and underpaid. I know he just got a big raise, but it still feels like he is not making his worth. I also worry about his long term health. They just signed Keenan Allen, but when he is your best option at wideout, no disrespect to him, that is not the best feeling in the world. Alec Pierce has his moments, but they're too few to be a true threat. Tyler Warren has the goods to be a top tier tight end, but he was kind of underwhelming during his rookie season. The o line is big and nasty and pretty good. On the defensive side of the ball they took a big swing when they traded for Sauce Gardner last season, but he kind of struggled when he arrived. I do think Arden Key has the skills to be a mid tier pass rusher. I also think Deforest Buckner is fine, but not elite. Outside of those guys, it is pretty hit or miss. The Colts had such a good start to last season, but the way the season ended seems like the more likely outcome for this team this year. They will struggle and struggle mightily. I feel like it is only a matter of time before Daniel Jones tails off and Anthony Richardson is begging to be traded. Seven wins feels like the very best this team can muster this year. And it may be closer to a five win team if I'm being honest with myself.

At number 19 I have the Washington Commanders. Jayden Daniels is getting dragged left and right for his decision to sue LSU for letting another player wear number 5. He is also coming off injury and a season that saw a slight regression from his rookie year. I do feel like he is better than that and will play much better this season. But he has to stay on the field and not worry so much about what players are wearing what numbers at his alma mater. Daniels is too skilled to have another setback. Jacory Croskey-Merritt was a big time fantasy sleeper last year, but he didn't live up to the hype. I think he is a serviceable running back, but he has got to produce a little more now that he is the starter. The Commanders just signed Stefon Diggs, and I do believe he will help out the receiving corps. He has the tools to put up solid numbers. Terry McLaurin is also a very good, very capable wideout on this team. I don't think they'll miss Deebo Samuel all that much. The o line isn't all that great. It feels like Jayden Daniels has to flush himself out of the pocket much more than he would like. The o line needs to improve. The defense picked Sonny Styles in the first round of the draft and he has the makings of being a superstar linebacker. He is really, really good. Of course I adore Mike Sainristil. He is a solid coverage guy, he likes to hit and he works his tail off. K'Lavon Chaisson has a cool name and he is a solid linebacker. Then it gets kind of hairy for this defense. They tend to give up too many big plays, and that always hurts them in the long run. The Commanders will go as Jayden Daniels goes. If he is hurt and misses time, or if he is too hung up on jersey numbers, it could be a long season. I think he will play more than last year, but not enough to get this team more than seven or eight wins. The Commanders may need to bring in better players to pair up with Daniels by next season, or he may ask out.

At number 18 I have the Dallas Cowboys. This team is as mediocre as the Chicago Bulls. They win just enough to stay in the conversation, but not enough to be a threat. And every season I have to hear about how different it is going to be that year, and yet they crap out seven or eight wins, try to make changes, and then fall on their faces yet again. I genuinely like Dan Prescott, but he is too inconsistent and too unreliable. He is a very skilled player, but he hasn't won anything of importance in the NFL. Javonte Williams does nothing for me as a starting halfback. He is just there so they can mime having a backfield threat. Ceedee Lamb and George Pickens make one of the best duos at wideout in all of the NFL. Pickens is big and strong and very fast. Ceedee Lamb may be one of the three best wideouts in all of football. The problem, they have Prescott throwing him the ball and a very mediocre offensive line trying to pass protect. The defense is very interesting to me. They went out and got Quininen Williams this offseason and paid him. He was one of the prized acquisitions this past year and the Cowboys nailed it here. They also just signed Von Miller, who is old but still has a little left in the tank, and traded for Rashan Gary who I am going to miss very much as a Packers fan. He is a good edge rusher, who has been able to stay relatively healthy the past few seasons. I also love that they took Caleb Downs in the draft. He was my top prospect in the last draft. He has all pro written all over him. But it is the dysfunction in the front office, and the lack of any real true playmaking running back that is going to hold this team back. And, as much as I enjoy him as a person, Dak Prescott is not as great as they hoped he would be. The Cowboys will be much better defensively, and having Pickens and Lamb will make the offense a threat, but they will find a way to falter and only win seven or eight games this year. That seems to be the type of team they are now.

The final team for the day, at number 17 I have the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs seem to be in some kind of flux. They gave Baker Mayfield what looked like his last shot, he played pretty well, but now they are refusing to pay him and he seems a bit unhappy and annoyed by that. Bucky Irving is a good, strong back, but he also seems like his time as a starter may be running out. Emeka Egbuka had a wonderful rookie year and I see him taking a big leap, possibly to becoming the Bucs new number 1 wideout. Chris Godwin is solid, if not spectacular. The o line got better too as last season wore on. The defense is interesting. The gave Vita Vea a nice deal yesterday, and that was the right move. He is one of the better interior d lineman in the league and they need him to eat up blockers and clog run lanes. I fully think Ruben Bain Jr is going to an all pro and become one of the better edge rushers in the league. Antoine Winfield Jr is a very good secondary player. He is the true definition of a ball hawk. Alex Anzalone is a tackling machine. Then it kind of falls off a cliff. They have dudes, but no one that will strike fear in you. Retaining Vita Vea was a big deal. That was a must for this defense. The Bucs are also buoyed by the fact that they play in an easy division. They should win nine games at least, and the division. They're my first playoff team in this countdown in fact.

That's it for today. Come back tomorrow for the next four teams. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Ty's 2026 NFL Preview: "I Wish You Wouldn't Say That" Division

Welcome to day three of my preseason NFL countdown.

Coming in at number 24 I have the Las Vegas Raiders. I said all throughout the draft process that I hope for Fernando Mendoza's case he doesn't end up with the Raiders. Well, he ended up with the Raiders. I will say that he did look solid in his first preseason game playing against some backups. I believe he can, and most likely will, have a solid NFL career, but it is just a bummer he has to go to a franchise that is always in some kind of disarray. The Raiders also brought in Kirk Cousins. That's great for them if they like dudes that can throw for 300 yards, act like they are the best in the business and never win any games of importance. Ashton Jeanty should be a star, but he was doomed when the Raiders drafted him, just like Mendoza. He is going to get overused and burnt out way faster than he should. Brock Bowers is wildly overrated in my opinion. They really don't have much of a threat at wideout. And the o line is mediocre at best. The defense is not all that great either. Maxx Crosby wants out. They took a flyer on Kwity Paye, but he has never gotten above solid during his NFL career. Nakobe Dean cannot stay healthy. Quay Walker is becoming a journeyman. And Jeremy Chinn used to be a solid secondary player, but he has fallen off a bit in the past few seasons. The Raiders just can't seem to get things right as they continue to be mediocre to bad every year. I don't see that changing much this season as well. I do think Menodza will take over as the starter in about a month, and that Jeanty will get hurt or be way too tired to carry the load that will be asked of him. The Raiders are a six win team at the very best.

At number 23 I have the Carolina Panthers. I know they were in the playoffs last year, but they still went 8-9. Their division was that bad. I still have a little ounce of hope for Bryce Young. He looked like he figured a few things out last season. His reads got a bit better and he was less likely to get out of the pocket way too soon. I have all the faith in the world in Tet McMillan as the number 1 wideout. He had a solid season last year, and I see a leap coming this season. Chuba Hubbard has turned himself into a viable number 1 running back on this team. He is good at rushing the ball and has made himself into a decent pass catcher out of the backfield. Xavier Lagette needs to not be only talked about for how he speaks. He has got to do more on the field. The tight end and o line are very ho hum. I will say though, the o line did get a tiny bit better as the season went on last year. The defense is not great. I feel like they have traded away or let good players walk in free agency. They struggle to keep guys around. And because they do that they end up taking flyers on guys like Jaelan Phillips and Derrick Brown and Jaycee Horn. I believe Horn was picked by them, but he already feels like an also ran to me. They have got to start drafting young talent to make this defense tough once again. Or try to get some free agents with more talent to sign up to play for them. Again, eight wins feels like the ceiling for this team. That may have worked last year to get them in the playoffs, but that won't cut it this year.

At number 22 I have the Minnesota Vikings. Boy oh boy did they mess up when they drafted JJ McCarthy ninth overall two years ago. I told RD, who is a Vikings fan, that I would not have drafted him that high. He is a legend at Michigan for being the QB of their 2023 title winning team, but he was not why they won it all. That team was built on defense and running the ball. He made plays when he was asked to, but that was not very often. The Vikings have now shifted the focus to Kyler Murray as QB1. Murray is a better QB, but not by as much as some think. He also may or may not be totally focused on football. Murray has a good arm and can run when needed, but he has gone backwards every year he has been in the NFL. Aaron Jones will always be one of my favorite players, but he is well past his prime. He did have moments last season, but you could see the regression already beginning. I wish Justin Jefferson could play with a legit QB for once in his career. He is one of the best wideouts in the game, but when you have Kirk Cousins, JJ McCarthy and now Kyler Murray throwing to you, it is all up to Jefferson to make them look better than they are. He is so fast and skilled and has incredible hands. I just want him to have a legit QB for once. TJ Hockenson is a fine tight end, but he is not an upper echelon player at his position. Jordan Addison is an okay number 2 wideout, but he has off field stuff he should be dealing with. The o line is nothing to write home about either. The defense took a blow when Jamal Adams got hurt the other night. I know he is older, but a solid vet like that always helps a younger team. And looking up and down that defense shouldn't strike much fear in any opponent. Josh Metellus and Byron Murphy Jr are okay secondary players, but they won't blow you away. Blake Cashman is a mid tier linebacker. The d line is full of unproven players. The Vikings haven't been able to get much right outside of drafting Justin Jefferson. And if they falter like I think they will this season, maybe seven wins is being generous, Jefferson may finally ask out of there.

The final team for the day, coming in at number 21 is the Pittsburgh Steelers. Here's a little recap of what they did this offseason. They let Mike Tomlin go, one of the best and most consistent coaches the NFL has ever seen, and replaced him with Mike McCarthy. They also sat around all offseason and waited to see if 41 year old Aaron Rodgers was going to come back to be their starting QB. Oof. That would hurt my soul if I were a Steelers fan. Rodgers is washed. It is so easy to see that now. He has got next to nothing left in the tank. And he is a massive head case and a total asshole. I loathe him. I don't think Jaylen Warren is the best back in the league. I think he is fine, but he is not that scary coming out of the backfield. DK Metcalf is still here, and while he is a freak of nature, I'm sure he hates Aaron Rodgers, and I know he will grow to loath Mike McCarthy. Roman Wilson is coming off an injury and Pat Freirmuth feels like a flash in the pan. The Steeler o line has always been a strength, but they are only getting older and creakier. The defense is not that wonderful either. I think TJ Watt is massively overrated. Sure he is good for one or two highlight sacks a year, but the rest of the season he is either hurt or not causing much havoc. Patrick Queen is good, but he was better in Baltimore. They signed Jalen Ramsey, but don't you think it is a little odd that he cannot stay on one team for more than a season or two at this point? I do think Joey Porter Jr is a legit lockdown corner and the best player on that defense. The d line is not near what this team used to be too. It feels odd for a team like the Steelers to be in a position like this. And to let Mike Tomlin walk just so you could go out and hire Mike McCarthy is truly assinie to me. I fully believe that this will be the first season in a long, long time that the Steelers will finish under .500. I don't see them winning more than seven games.

That does it for today. Come back tomorrow for the next four teams. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Ty's 2026 NFL Preview: "Burning Down the House" Division

Welcome to day two of my preseason NFL countdown.

Coming in at number 28 I have the New York Giants. I know this may seem way too low for them, but I am not a believer at all in this roster. I love that they went out and hired John Harbaugh. I feel like they got the best available coach on the market, and in time he will turn this team around, just like he did in Baltimore. But for right now, this roster, especially on offense, is filled with flash in the pan players, outside of their number one receiver. I have absolutely zero faith in Jaxson Dart as a viable franchise QB, and it has way more to do with than just his horrible politics. He doesn't have the arm strength, he takes way too many hits, he seems stupid on the surface and he will be injured within a few weeks of the season. I despise Dart as a player and a person. Cam Skattebo is no better. He is like a TEMU Peyton Hillis. He doesn't believe in CTE, he tries stupid stuff like backflips in the offseason and doesn't land them, he is more worried about being famous, I just don't see it with him either. Malik Nabers is the lone bright spot on offense, but he is coming off a torn ACL. If he can get back to any of the form he showed before, he is going to make it look really good for whatever team he plays for after the Giants. I do like that Harbaugh brought Isaiah Likely over from Baltimore, but he hasn't shown out like many expected him to a few years ago. The O line has already shown in the preseason that they're going to struggle to protect anyone on this team. The defense could be the bright spot for this team. The D line is filled with high first round picks. Kayvon Thibodeaux hasn't exploded yet, but he is still pretty productive. Brian Burns and Arvell Reese can be menaces coming after the QB. Greg Newsome II is a very good cover corner. Abdul Carter should show some good growth this year. DJ Reader can clog up running lanes. The Giants have a solid defense in place, but the offense, led by some knuckleheads, is what will keep this team back from winning anymore than five games this season. But Harbaugh will have this team in the playoff competition in the next few years.

At number 27 I have the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons are here because they still don't know if they're going to start Michael Penix or Tua at QB. And to be honest, neither choice seems that enticing. I think Penix is better, but he is coming off an injury, and he never looked all that comfortable last season. Tua is a walking concussion. He should retire. There's no other reason he is still playing football other than the love of the game. And while I respect that, he has never been able to match what he did at Alabama. I do think Bijan Robinson is awesome. I would go as far to say that his talent is being wasted right now. He is such a good back, and he can catch the call like a receiver. He is a legit number one offensive option in the NFL. Drake London is a legit number 1 wideout as well. He has great hands, runs really good routes and has some solid separation speed. The Kyle Pitts hype has to stop. I hear it every year and every year he never meets the lofty expectations. I'm over Kyle Pitts. This O line is serviceable. While not great, they get the job done to an extent. The Falcons have never been a defensive monster, but they have some decent players. Da'Shawn Hand is a fine d lineman. Azeez Ojulari is a solid rusher off the edge. Jessie Bates is one of the best safeties in all of football. AJ Terrell is a very good cover corner. The Falcons have the bones of being a better team than where I have them ranked. But it is the issue at QB that will hold this team back for another season. They may win six games, but anymore than that would surprise me.

At number 26 I have the Tennessee Titans. They're building something over there. I still have all the faith in the world in Cam Ward. The kid works way too hard and cares so much about being good that I think it is just a matter of time before he is an all pro and one of the better QBs in the league. He has all the tools you want in a franchise QB. Tony Pollard has carved out a nice role as the lead back and he is one of the more consistent running backs in the league. Carnell Tate is legit. He should be the number 1 wideout in short order in Tennessee. Calvin Ridley is a very good option on the outside as well. The front office went out and shored up the o line as best they could this offseason, and that will only help Ward find more open receivers, and give Pollard more lanes to run through. The defense is still a work in progress. They have used the past couple of drafts to try and find offensive weapons, now they need to do that for the defense. They can't simply outscore teams. That won't work. But, the Titans are trying to build through the draft and develop players. I appreciate when teams do that. They still need a season, maybe one more, until they're more of a threat. But they're coming. As for this season, five wins seems like the ceiling.

The final team for the day, coming in at number 25, I have the New Orleans Saints. I was very wrong about them last season. They were much better than any of us thought they would be, and they look to be building on that. I am still on the fence about Tyler Shough. Yes, he had some really good moments last season, but was it his play or the fact that so many people counted him out when he played? That will be decided on the field this year. They brought Alvin Kamara back, but he seems unhappy and that never ends well for an aging running back and the team he is on at that time. They did sign Travis Etienne Jr, and that was a homerun. He is so good and so fast and will bring a nice dimension to this offense. Chris Olave is a legit number 1 wideout. I feel like he made Shough look better than he might actually be last season. I love the Jordyn Tyson pick, but he is already hurt and that is never a good sign. Juwan Johnson is a very good tight end. He is big and fast and has very good hands. The o line won't blow anyone out of the water, but they do a soldi job with protection. The defense is kind of a mishmash of players. Cameron Jordan is back again, and it is always nice to have a steady hand on the d line. Kool Aid McKinstry is a decent enough corner. Justin Reid is a fine safety as well. The linebacking corps is pretty meh, and outside Jordan, the d line is not great. The Saints are a true mystery to me. I love that they got Etienne to come and play for them, but I really feel like this season hinges on the development of Tyler Shough, and that is a scary proposition. If he is good the Saints could be a playoff team. But i'm going to hedge and say he is average which means no more than seven wins are on the docket in my opinion.

That does it for day two. Come back tomorrow for the next four teams. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Ty's 2026 NFL Preview: "Road to Nowhere" Division

Hello all. As promised last week, the next two weeks will be dedicated to football. For the next eight days I'm going to rank the NFL teams from 32-1. These are my own personal rankings and how I see the teams before they play a real game. I'll do four teams a day, giving you a little brief on why I have them ranked where I do. On day nine I will do a NFL postseason preview and prediction, as well as award predictions. On the tenth day I'll do my college football preview and prediction. Buckle up football fans, the season is upon us. Starting out today, I'll do teams 32, 31, 30 and 29.

Coming in dead last I have the Arizona Cardinals. This seems to always happen to the Cardinals. They have a few seasons where they're in the playoffs, or at least in the hunt, and then they fall flat on their faces. They're flat on their faces right now. Kyler Murray is gone, and now they have Jacoby Brissett. Brissett is a solid QB, but he also wants a new contract and the Cardinals are hesitant to give him one. He may play great to get a contract elsewhere, but he could struggle as well with little to no weapons to throw and hand off too. I do think Jeremiyah Love has all the tools to be awesome. But, he is already hurt and it looks like the Cardinals may overuse him way too early in his career. I'm also not a fan of drafting a running back so high in the draft. I fully believed Marvin Harrison Jr was a can't miss prospect. He has had a rough go to start his career, but he did look a little better in the Cardinals first preseason game this year. Outside MHJ, they have also rans and guys I've never heard of at wideout. Trey McBride is a very, very good option at tight end. The offensive line is horrendous. They are going to struggle mightily trying to protect Brissett and open up running holes for the running backs. The defense is full of young or unproven talent. Will Johnson is a lockdown corner and Budda Baker is a hard hitting safety. But the d line is not great and the linebackers have a ton to prove. The Cardinals are going to have a rough go of it this season. It wouldn't shock me if they only win three or four games, at most. Hell, they could be a two win team when you really boil it all down.

At 31 I have the Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins finally got off of Tua's contract and concussion issues and added the best QB in free agency in Malik Willis. As a Packers fan I'm going to miss him a ton. He looks like he has figured it out. But Willis, much like Brissett, doesn't have a ton of exciting options. De'Von Achane has all the skill to be a dominant back, but he is looking like he will almost always get hurt. Caleb Douglas seems like their best option as the number 1 wideout, but I know little to nothing about him. And they don't have many better options at receiver. The O line is on the same level with the Cardinals. Every highlight video I see of Willis, he is always on the move due to poor protection. The defense is not great either. They have gotten rid of anyone that was any good for them in the recent past. I adore Josh Uche and Kenneth Grant, but Uche is a traveled vet at this point, and Grant didn't jump off the screen last year. I have never heard of one player in their secondary. I could say the same for their linebacking unit. Mike McDaniel was let go, and this team looks like they're going into full rebuild mode right now. I like the Willis transaction, but he needs a ton of help. The Dolphins will be right there with the Cardinals, seeing who will get the first pick in next year's draft. They will be lucky to win four games all year.

At 30 I have the Cleveland Browns. It must be so harrowing to be the QB for this team. It's a two man race between Deshaun Watson and Shadeur Sanders right now. They both looked off in their last preseason game. I don't know who they will go with, but it is not going to be great. I believe Sanders is more talented, but Watson has had some success in the NFL. Either way, it will be a struggle. Quinshon Judkins is the starter at running back now, but this is a rotating thing for this team. Judkins is fast, but gets hurt too often. Dylan Sampson has a ton to prove. So does Rahiem Sanders. Jerry Jeudy is a legit number 1 wideout, but I bet he wishes he was still in Denver. Denzel Boston is a solid slot receiver, but he doesn't have the luxury of having stars all around him anymore to take the pressure off. They let David Njoku walk for some reason. And the O line has not been addressed and is still a massive problem. The defense has a few dudes, but not enough to be truly competitive. Mason Graham is solid, but he has to make a leap. Denzel Ward and Grant Delpit are legit solid secondary players. Jared Verse is a very good edge rusher. But then it is a bunch of dudes I've never heard of again. The Browns are stuck in the mud. I don't know what they have to do to get out of it, but they are going to be pretty bad once again, and that is going to frustrate that fanbase. Maybe they just need to hand the keys to Shaduer Sanders and see what they have in him, but they seem so reluctant to do that for whatever reason.

My final team for the day, at number 29 I have the New York Jets. The Jets are a very, very bad football team. I loved the coach they brought in last season, but man did they still look like an awful football team. Geno Smith is the new starter at QB. I like Geno Smith. He has had a fine career. But when you have to reach for him as your starter you must have much bigger issues. Breece Hall is a legit number 1 running back. He is a solid runner and can catch the ball out of the backfield with the best of them. Garrett Wilson is a legit number 1 receiver in the NFL. But the O line is dreadful, the other options on the outside are not great and they need much better talent. I think they did the right thing when they drafted tight end Kenyon Saadiq. He looks to be very good and big and fast. But this team has a ton of improvement they need to show to be considered, at the very least, an annoying team to play. The defense is very bad. They have let anyone they have had of any talent walk out of the door. Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams are gone. They brought in Minkah Fitzpatrick, who may have a little left in the tank. But he is also often traveled at this point.  The rest of the defense has a ton to prove, and they're going to have massive growing pains. The Jets are as down as the Browns. They seem to have no idea what they're trying to build and they are going to go out and win four games and probably trade any good player they have for future draft picks.

That's it for today. Come back tomorrow for the next four teams. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Russell Westbrook Calls it a Career

Russell Westbrook shockingly retired from the NBA today. Let’s discuss.

To be honest, I thought he still had some seasons left in him. It always felt like his engine was never going to run out, and if a team was willing to take a chance on him, he'd give it his all. Hell, Sacramento is back to being a dumpster fire, but Westbrook still showed up every single game ready to go and played his ass off every night when he was put in the game. But it was also very aware that his skill set had been diminishing for the past couple of seasons.

I was one of the people who thought he would really help out the Nuggets last season. It seemed like he could bring a good change of pace off the bench and make the Nuggets second unit fast and fun. And while he had his moments, he was basically played out of the rotation in the playoffs. He just couldn't keep up with the youth of the Timberwolves.

His two previous seasons, with the Clippers, was a nice homecoming, but it didn't change much for that franchise. They still found ways to blow it in the playoffs, or every important player was injured when it came down to the important games. He also missed 2/3 of his first season with the Clippers. That was when the injuries really started to rear their head.

But it was the three seasons before that, all with the Lakers, that really showed me, a big fan of his, that he might have been washed up. LeBron wanted him in LA, on his team, and it was a total mess. Those Lakers teams never meshed, and Westbrook seemed like the common scapegoat for all of their issues. He did last three seasons with the team, but he only held them back. He never averaged more than 18 points, and his explosive athleticism was diminishing rapidly.

Before his time with the Lakers, Westbrook was one of my favorite players to watch. During his time with the Thunder he was easily one of my favorite players and, I don't think I'm speaking out of line here, was one of the 15 best players in the whole league. We are talking about a player who averaged a triple double over multiple seasons. I know some of the stat-obsessed nerds, the analytic guys, the Zach Lowe's of the world, all tried to downplay what he did, but what he did was incredible. I was all about him winning his MVP. He kept the Thunder as a playoff caliber team after Kevin Durant left them for the Warriors. That was when Westbrook was at his best. He wouldn't let that team crumble and become a joke. He played super hard every night, did whatever it took for that team to win enough games to be in the playoffs and more than earned his MVP. He kept me being a Thunder fan for a few years after KD left. It wasn't because they had Serge Ibaka or Andre Roberson. It was all about Westbrook. He took the necessary leap and proved that he was the type of player that could lead the team. But that didn't translate to much playoff success, unfortunately. Westbrook did all that he could and then some, but when you are surrounded by mid level exception players, first and second round exits are the norm. And even when Westbrook left and went to the Rockets, I held no ill will towards him. He had won an MVP, been an all NBA player, did something no player had done since Oscar Robertson, but he didn't have the championship that most pros crave. He probably also wanted to team up with James Harden again. That didn't work out, and that was when the journeyman part of his career began. I mentioned the Kings, Nuggets, Clipper and Lakers. He also had a top in Houston, as mentioned before, and he even spent a season with the Wizards, teaming up with Bradley Beal and making the Wizards a playoff caliber team. But it was those Thunder years that I will remember most. The way he would fly up and down the floor. His vicious attacks at the rim on a drive. The way he would snag rebounds and get a fastbreak started. His elbow jumper that felt like it was almost always going in. His deep breath before shooting a free throw. That is the Russell Westbrook I will think about when I look back on his career.

My biggest question though, the one I just debated with my son about, as much as I adore Westbrook, I do not think he will be a Hall of Fame player in the end. He has all the big awards, but he is incredibly polarizing, and he doesn't have that ring. I think that maybe, with some time away, more and more people will grow to respect what he did, and realize he had a great career, but I just don't think he is Hall of Fame caliber. I also wouldn't rule out a return. If some team needs a last season addition at point guard, or wants a veteran to help out a rookie, I'd call Westbrook before anyone else. Time will tell. But for now, enjoy retirement Russ. You have earned a much deserved rest from basketball. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

As a Michigan Fan, I have No Problem with What Kyle Whittingham Said

I'm about to embark on my final summer vacation, but I want to leave you all with one more piece before I take a week off.

Big Ten media days are happening right now, and since I'm a Michigan fan, I get updates about it pretty frequently. With Kyle Whittingham being the new football head coach, of course I am interested in what he has to say about the upcoming season. Most of what he has said is pretty typical coach speak. That's usually the case at these events. But some fans are "upset" that he has extended an invitation to Urban Meyer to come to practice for any game except The Game, and that he isn't saying the typical Michigan football coach stuff, like "that school down south", or simply calling them "Ohio".

This doesn't bug me at all. To be quite honest, I was already over all the "do it, or die trying", "who's got it better than us" and "smash" talk that has permeated the football program for the past decade plus. What Jim Harbaugh did, returning the national title to the football program, will be forever remembered, and I will always be grateful for that. He restored this program and made them relevant again. His last three years as the head football coach were some of the best times I've had as a fan. But his schtick was wearing thin for me. I was kind of over it. I loved that he was outspoken for his players, he helped usher in NIL and he never stole focus from the team. But the way he spoke, the mantras he held onto and the whole vibe was kind of tiresome. I was fed up.

And then we had Sherrone Moore, who I highly advocated to get the job after Harbaugh left. Moore was all about the "smash" mentality. And when he would be asked what that meant, he would say some nonsense that always frustrated me. "Smash" meant running through walls, giving your all for the team, fighting until the last whistle, which is all well and good, but it just becomes kind of lame after a while. I get it, coaches at this level have to have this kind of mentality and fervor, but it can become gross and weird and, as my kids would say, cringe. The whole "smash" and "do it, or die trying" became similar to me when Dabo Swinney mentioned that Clemson already has NIL, in God's eyes. Or when the new Florida coach yelled at a reporter who's phone went off during a gathering. Or Curt Cignetti telling people to "google him". I'm over all of that shit.

We get it, you guys are highly successful at what you do and you have earned all the respect and accolades that have come your way. But the "coach speak" stuff has got to go. These are 18-22 year old kids you're dealing with now, and I bet they think that shit is wild too. So for Whittingham to invite his buddy and mentor, for him to not speak with some kind of fervor that makes it feel like he is foaming at the mouth, it is a nice and needed change of pace for me as a diehard Michigan fan.

I loathe the university of Ohio State and Michigan State as much as any fan, but I don't go to the lengths that others do. I don't sit and pine and gripe and moan after those games. I want Michigan to win every game every season, but that isn't always likely. And for the coach to not be so angry about his newly inherited rivals, to which he has zero feeling for, why should fans be up in arms at all? This is all new to Kyle Whittingham. Sure, Utah has BYU, and I'm sure he understood the stakes that rivalry held, but I never heard him say some foul shit about BYU. He coached his team for the week, had them prepared to play and, hopefully for him, he won more that game more often than not.

I was so happy that Michigan was able to get Whittingham after they had to let Moore go. This is a much needed change in direction from the past with this team. From Bo to Gary Moeller and Lloyd Carr, we had the quintessential Michigan Men. Then it was kind of rough with Rich Rod and Brady Hoke. Then we, the fans, struck gold when they got Harbaugh to come back. He restored this team, but it took time. We all know the fallout from Moore, which was tough. But now Michigan has a coach that is respected for how cleanly he runs a program. He made Utah a perennial 9 to 10 win team. He recruited players that fit his system. He hired coaches he trusted and knew he could get the best out of. I want all of that for Michigan. I'm sick of hearing about sign stealing, damaging phones, buying burgers for recruits, satellite camps and who the former coach was contacting on Instagram. I want my coach to be seen, not heard. I want to see the product on the field before I judge what he says off the field. This is, to quote Jim Harbaugh, "a nothing burger" from some sadistic and stupid fans. Who cares what he has to say about a friend and a school he has, I think so at least, never coached against before in his career.

Time will tell if Whittingham was the right choice to return Michigan to its place in college football, but for fans to get mad over some stuff he said in an interview, before he has even coached a real game as the Michigan head football coach is asinine to me. Don't gate keep stuff that you have zero involvement in just because you're a fan. Whittingham doesn't have to bash anyone or any program if he doesn't want to. That's not his job. His job is to be the head football coach at Michigan, and so far, it has been a nice, quiet offseason. That's the way I prefer it. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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Thoughts on LeBron Going to Philadelphia

LeBron James has made his decision on where he will play basketball this upcoming season. He chose, after some long deliberation, the Philadelphia 76ers. Let’s discuss.

The 76ers were always mentioned as a possible team, but it felt far fetched. It doesn't go along with his narrative, he has no ties to the city, he has never had to face them in any high pressure situations, it sounded like a pipe dream to me. I even wrote a few weeks back how I thought that Cleveland was the best option, and I would have put Miami next and then Golden State before I even ranked Philly. But here we are, and I have some thoughts.

First off, I love that he chose the 76ers. Of all the teams mentioned, this one seems like the easiest fit for him as a player. He can come in right away and be the point guard. Tyrese Maxey isn't a point guard, he's a legit 2 guard. VJ Edgecombe may eventually be the point guard, but he can now learn how to play it properly playing with James. Jaylen Brown is better off the ball, and Joel Embiid has never, ever wanted ball handling duties. This is a seamless fit for, what I believe to be, James' best option at this point in his career. Labaron Philon is a rookie, so we, much like Edgecombe, will get valuable time learning from one of the best to ever play. Anfernee Simons is a shooter. Dean Wade is too big to be a point guard, and they brought him in for defense anyway. Caleb Love is a 2, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who they are about to sign, is a veteran 3 and D guy. The 76ers needed someone they could trust to bring the ball up the floor and run the offense.

Another advantage Philly has over a team like Cleveland, LeBron won't have to be superhuman on defense. I know that Embiid's health is, and always will be, a major issue. But when he is on the floor he is one of the best rim protectors in the NBA. I think Jaylen Brown is one of the better two way players in the league. He goes hard on both ends, and he has to guard the opponents best players a lot of nights. Edgecombe showed growth on that end last season, and Maxey is an ever improving defensive guy. Dean Wade, as mentioned before, is a solid defender. They brought in Andre Drummond for defense. Maybe they will turn Philon Jr into a defense first guard. The 76ers have way more, and way better, defensive options than the Cavs. If James' decision was solely based on defense, Miami may have been the better choice, but Philly is no slouch.

I also think he may have chosen the 76ers because it is all gravy for him at this point. He's done everything and then some than any NBA player could ever dream of doing. He has rings, MVP trophies, Finals MVP trophies, is a perenial all NBA guy and people seem to love him. If he can make Philly a legit title contender, or even win one with them in the next two seasons, his legend will only grow from there.

Now, as with everything, there look to be some downsides to this as well. Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe like to fly up and down the floor. That was when the 76ers were at their best last season. When they gave the keys to those guys and just let them run, the 76ers looked like a fun team. I fear, with James being the guy with the ball in his hands most of the time, those two won't get as many opportunities to run, and that could stifle their growth as the focal points of the team. And don't get it twisted, this is Tyrese Maxey's team now. He is the one they are trying to keep and build around. Adding Jaylen Brown was a big deal, but Maxey is the number one guy. Getting James to sign was awesome, but he has to know this is Maxey's team. I assume Embiid figured that out last season when he played and his post touches went way down. Maxey is the dude here, and Edgecombe is the clear number two guy. I don't think James will stifle them much, but any hindrance would be worrisome for me.

Joel Embiid and LeBron staying on the floor for long periods of time will be a problem as well. LeBron will be 42 in December. I will be 44 in December and getting older is tough on the body. LeBron James is a medical marvel, but time catches up to all of us at some point. And we all know Embiid's story way too well. He is such a supernova talent, but he is barely ever healthy. And he gets weird injuries too. It's not always your typical stuff.

I also worry that James may want to bring in "his guys". They have already done that with Caldwell-Pope. But what if he wants some of his other buddies to come to Philly? Russell Westbrook needs a new team, but that would not be so good for Philly. I know DeMar DeRozan is a free agent, but he is far too old to team him up with Edgecombe and Maxey in the backcourt. I heard that James may have wanted to team up with Kyrie Irving again, but if Philly were to trade for him, they would have to trade some good, young talent.

LeBron James comes with a host of great things, but there's also some issues too. I think Philly is done adding players. I fully believe they're all set now. They have one of the best starting fives in the NBA, if they can all stay on the floor. They are going to be a blast to watch. Again, I love that James chose this squad over all the other options. But I will be watching to see if anything looks funky or weird as we get deeper into the season. As of right now though, LeBron going to the 76ers makes them a legit title contender, and one of the top four teams in the East in my opinion. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

The Grizzlies Need to Trade D'Angelo Russell Away

The Grizzlies finally got off of their former three top players, Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr and Desmond Bane, all within the past year. While I am bummed to see them go, this had to be done.

I wrote about them blowing that team up. Morant had become an off-court issue, Bane was traded out of nowhere, as was Jackson, and the team seemed to be running nowhere fast. They weren't playing all that well, and a change felt necessary. When Morant was finally traded, this included the Grizzlies acquiring D'Angelo Russell. I was not a fan of this move, but to get Morant out of the building, they had to take on Russell's contract.

My issue with Russell, he is a hollow scorer. His points mean nothing in the long run. He can fill up the stat sheet, but if you look at his team's success, it is not really there. He has never been the focal point of a team that has made deep playoff runs. And he is horrendous on the defensive end of the floor. I just didn't like the fit with what it looks like the Grizzlies are trying to do.

This version of the Grizz is going young and looks like they want to fly down the court. Drafting Cam Boozer was such a big deal and it was that decision that made me happiest with what the Grizzlies are trying to build now. Boozer is as NBA ready as any prospect in this past draft. He does need to improve defensively, but he is already there as an offensive player. He will score in bunches, can find open teammates, and I'd love to see the offense run through him in the very near future. Cedric Coward had an excellent rookie season, looked very good in Summer League and will be taking on even more of a lead role with this team now. He is a silent assassin, and I love that about him. He also looks like he has the chops to be a very solid defender in the NBA. Zach Edey has all the tools to dominate and be a great rim protector. He just has to stay healthy. That has been his biggest issue since he entered the league. But when he is on the floor, he is a monster. I'm super high on Karim Lopez. I feel like they got him much later than he should have been drafted, and he can fill Brandon Clarke's, RIP, role on this team. I think Jermari Grant and Isaiah Stewart can slide right into their roles as veteran leaders on this team. I'm excited to see what a healthy Ty Jerome, and what more minutes GG Jackson can provide this team. I think Walter Clayton Jr can be a solid backup point guard. I really like Scotty Pippen Jr, and even think he can start for them at point guard this season. I still believe in Jaylen Wells. Cam Spencer showed me a few things last season that intrigued me. And I want to see what O-Max Prosper and Quentin Post can bring to this squad.

So, looking up and down this roster, as I just did, Russell doesn't feel like a very good fit. I think he would take much needed touches and shots away from guys like Jackson, Pippen Jr, Jerome and Clayton Jr. He would try to run the offense on his own instead of letting it go through Boozer. I don't think he would ever have any consistency finding Edey on pick and roll lobs at the rim. Russell has his place in the NBA, but that should be with a team that doesn't really have any shot at winning meaningful games. He is an empty stats guy. He has never shown that he can get off the ball and run around screens. His defense, as mentioned before, is terrible. He may be a locker room menace. Basically, if the Grizzlies can get anything of note for him, they need to do that ASAP. The longer he stays on this roster, the more of a headache he will cause. And I fear he would stunt the growth of the younger guys they should be building around already. By all accounts the Grizzlies are looking to move him. I just hope it gets done soon, as in, today.

We shall see. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Thoughts on Michigan AD Warde Manuel Leaving

It was announced earlier today that University of Michigan Athletic Director Warde Manuel will be stepping down at the end of the calendar year.

This feels like it has been a long time coming. I was happy when they hired Manuel because it seemed like he really cared. He wanted Michigan to be back on top. He was sick of them being simply mediocre. He was going to make changes, and the changes sounded pretty damn good to me as a fan. I had high hopes.

And boy did he deliver.

Michigan won a football and men's basketball championship under his watch. The sports program grew and got much, much better. The university became so much more than just a football school. They had the two titles, but the other programs were thriving as well. Men's gymnastics has an Olympian on the team. The women's basketball team is a constant in the tournament, and they even made a push to the Sweet Sixteen last year. The hockey team made the Frozen Four, and they have a great roster coming back for next season. The baseball team and softball team are always competitive. The men's and women's soccer teams are solid. The sports at Michigan are thriving, and a lot of that has to do with Manuel.

But he screwed up a lot as well.

Both coaches from the title teams left immediately after they won. Jim Harbaugh couldn't wait to get out of there. He claimed it was due to other extenuating circumstances, but it was also reported that he and Manuel did not have a good relationship. You could see as much at the parade. They wouldn't even look at one another during the speeches. Manuel said he was going to do whatever he could to keep Harbaugh, but we the fans saw the writing on the wall. Harbaugh was fed up with Manuel, Manuel was fed up with him, and they seperated loudly and angry with one another.

Manuel and Harbaugh were both on board with the Sherrone Moore hire, as was I, and we all saw how they unfolded. I have to believe that Manuel knows so much more about that situation than he is letting on, and now that he is on the way out, maybe he will do some kind of tell all. But all of that happened under Manuel. Maybe he tried to cover some stuff up, maybe he tried to keep some people silent, whatever it was, Manuel did a shady thing and let a very shady thing happen while he was the AD.

I was hopeful that the men's basketball team would have Dusty May for a long, long time. He turned that team around so fast. They went from 8-24 to the Sweet Sixteen to the national title. It ruled. May knew how to work the portal while still recruiting highly rated freshmen. He understood the ins and outs of NIL. He had it all. But he got up and left. He signed to be the next head coach of the Dallas Mavericks. He didn't leave the cupboard bare, but he just bounced as soon as he got a better offer. May would rather coach pros making way more money than him than stick around and become a college basketball coaching legend. He said that it was due to the current climate of college sports, which may be true. But I have to believe that there was something going on behind the scenes with him and Manuel.

Manuel claimed he had given May a humongous brand new contract, and that it was all but a done deal that he was going to be the coach at Michigan for a long, long time. But when that contract stayed unsigned by May, I got nervous. Then he left. I have to think Manuel played a hand in this. Both national title coaches were gone not even a month after winning the championship.

This is all a bummer, but don't forget some of the other stuff that has happened as of late on Manuel's time. The baseball coach that brought them to the CWS left after that season to coach at Clemson. The longtime softball coach decided to retire out of the blue. There is an ongoing investigation dealing with the whole blowout from the Moore situation. And I'm sure there's plenty of other stuff behind the scenes that I'm not privy to. Warde Manuel delivered on some of the biggest promises he made when he was announced as the AD, and for that I will be forever grateful. But he also leaves with a mess for the new AD to clean up. I do feel like this is the final semblance of the Harbaugh regime. Manuel stepping down feels like the last thing Michigan needed to fully get off all of the stuff that came with Harbaugh, May and Manuel.

I hope the new AD is as ambitious as Manuel, but goes about it the correct and honorable way. Time will tell, but at least Manuel and Michigan are finally moving on from one another. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Thought on the Jaylen Brown Trade

Now that I had over a week to sit on it and think about it, I'm ready to discuss the Jaylen Brown trade.

For people that don't know, or don't follow basketball, Jaylen Brown was traded from the Celtics to the 76ers for Paul George and two future first round picks.

On paper this seems pretty tame. I'm still floored that this is what the Celtics and Brad Stevens settled for in a deal for a player that just finished sixth in MVP voting and proved that he can be the leader of a team that vaults to the number 2 seed. Sure, the Celtics were beaten in the first round of the playoffs, to the 76ers no less, but still, the Celtics had a better year than most expected and Jaylen Brown more than proved his worth.

I know that Brown is a divisive player in the NBA. I happen to really like the way he plays basketball. He is a two way player, he has a knack for getting to the rim, he can throw it down, his three point shot is better and he really gets after it defensively. Me, much like almost every other writer, thought the Celtics were going to struggle going into last season. Jayson Tatum was supposed to be out the whole season after tearing his ACL in the playoffs last year. The Celtics let Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday walk out of the door. They took chances on guys like Luka Garza and Neemias Queta. They looked like they were going to take a massive step back. Jaylen Brown would have none of it. He was a man on a mission this season and he balled the hell out. The Celtics started strong and never wavered. Even when Tatum came back, much to the surprise of everyone, Brown accepted his new role and did whatever it took for the Celtics to win. Yes he struggled in round one versus the 76ers. Yes he put too much pressure on himself. Yes he forced the issue. But he led this team all season to the number 2 seed. He showed that he has what it takes to win a ton of regular season games. He has a Finals MVP to his name. He is one of the best two way players in the league. And all the Celtics could get was George and some picks that should not be all that good.

I am a Paul George fan. Let that be known. But he has fallen off a cliff since one of his last seasons in LA. He had that one year where he helped lead the Clippers to the West Finals. But since then he has been too often injured or too focused on his podcast or getting suspended for supposedly taking a banned substance. He is not the player he once was, and that is just an unfortunate realism at this point. The Celtics basically got older at the exact same position, have to pay almost the same amount of money to a lesser player and they have picks that are essentially useless for them to use, unless they can find a trade partner.

I don't know if the Celtics are done making moves either. That has to be said. But this move is baffling. Brad Stevens has this aura about him. I feel like he is supposed to be one of the better GM's in the NBA, not named Sam Presti. Everyone applauded him when the Celtics overachieved this year. People say he has a knack for finding hidden gems in the draft. But this trade does not sit so well for me. Jaylen Brown makes the 76ers instantly better than the Celtics now, in my opinion. Tatum is an incredible player for them to have, but he doesn't have much firepower next to him now. Payton Pritchard is an okay player, but he is not on Brown's level. I like that they signed Mitchell Robinson, but he gets hurt a lot, cannot shoot free throws and tends to be played out of games. Derrick White is on the wrong side of his prime. Garza and Queta probably just had their best seasons, so I don't see them repeating last year ever again. Hugo Gonzalez and Baylor Scheierman better pop like they hope they will. And now they have an old and, possibly washed, Paul George.

On the other side, the 76ers have Brown, Maxey and Edgecombe. That should strike fear in a bunch of East teams. They may be getting LeBron, which would make them a lethal offense. Joel Embiid is always hurt, but I'd much rather have him on my roster than Garza or Queta. They signed Anfernee Simons, who will only help their bench scoring. Dean Wade should get some solid run and adds good defense. And I love the Labaron Philon Jr pick. The 76ers got much better while the Celtics got worse and older.

The Celtics hater in me loves that they did this. But the basketball fan in me is so confused and baffled by this. Anyway, Jaylen Brown got out of Boston, which he wanted, and now he will have multiple chances to show up the Celtics every single season and in the playoffs. And I cannot wait to watch him do it time and again.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Where Does LeBron Best Fit?

It looks like LeBron James is down to three teams he is looking to sign with for the next season. The reported three teams are the Heat, 76ers and Cavs. I don't know why the Warriors are already out of it, maybe because the Wizards have said they don't want to move Anthony Davis, but this is the most updated thing I have seen so far. The three teams in the running all make sense to me.

The 76ers need a player like James. If they were able to add him to the team, they could be pretty lethal. The backcourt is set with Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe. Both of those guys are legit. Maxey proved his all pro capability last season. He went to the next level. He is ascending to being a star at this point. The 76ers should build around him. They just added Jaylen Brown, in one of the wilder trades I've seen in recent history. He is going to be on another level this season. He is out to prove some people wrong, and Brown is too good a player not to show them up. He may have one of the better seasons we have seen in some time. Joel Embiid is the center. He cannot stay healthy, but he was an MVP as of late. When he was on the floor last season, the 76ers were great. With less of a load, Embiid could play more than usual, and that usually spells more victories for the 76ers. It's that 4 spot that seems lacking. All indications were that Dean Wade was going to start after they signed him as a free agent. I don't know about you, but I'd much rather have a 41 year old LeBron James starting than Dean Wade. James knows the East, he can help push the 76ers to make a deeper playoff push and would put them as a top 6 team right away if he signs there. I do think the fit next to Brown may be a little rough at first, but both guys are smart enough and good enough that they will figure it out. This team would be able to speed up games and slow teams down if need be. But, I do think that the 76ers want to go faster. Edgecombe and Maxey are speedy players, and when they pushed the tempo last season, they played much better basketball.

The Heat make sense if they want to push for a title right away. Need we forget, they just traded for Giannis. Pairing Giannis and LeBron would be pretty tight if you ask me. I'd love to see the two of them on the same team. The pick and roll would be dope. Giannis would get some great passes from James. Giannis and James could make some nice music defensively. Add in the rest of the starting five, Andrew Wiggins, Davion Mitchell and Bam Adebayo, this team would be hellacious on defense. James also has capability with Erik Spoelstra, and apparently he has repaired his relationship with Pat Riley. The depth would still be an issue. I don't really know who comes off the bench. They would have to scrape the bottom of the barrell for league minimum guys. But James has made that work in the past. The problem though, this is not the past and both James and Giannis, especially Giannis as of late, are both often injured. Injuries would be the biggest and most pressing issue with this version of the Heat. I do think that this would push them up, past the 76ers in fact, if James were to sign on with the Heat. But the fear of injury may be too big of a risk for the Heat to actually pull this off. They also may not have the money to get him in the door anyway.

Finally we have the Cavs. This one makes the most sense for a myriad of reasons, and I think this is how it will actually play out in the end. Cleveland is his home. He is a legend there. He won them a title for the first time in 50 plus years back in 2016. He had some of his best years with the Cavs. And they have a solid roster for the first time since he went back in the mid 2010's. They just re-upped Dononvan Mitchell. He is the future of the team and he is the current best player on the team. James Harden is most likely going to come back. I know he wants to play with James, and I'm pretty sure James wants to play with him too, outside of Team USA basketball. Evan Mobley would find life much easier on the offensive end of the floor playing with James. He would get so many more open looks and runs to the rim. Max Strus could spell him for minutes. They are apparently leaving space open for Bronny to come play with them. They have some solid rookies and vets they can rely on coming off the bench. And Kenny Atkinson, for all his faults, is a solid NBA head coach. They would most likely have to let Jarrett Allen walk, which would sting, but if it means getting James to come back home, I bet they would do it in a heartbeat.

Going back home for James makes the most sense and I see this being the only outcome in the end. Time will tell, but I would be surprised if James isn't wearing a Cavs jersey to start the 2026-27 season. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

The Memphis Grizzlies Have a Bright Future

Before I go out of town next week and take that time off from writing, I wanted to leave you all with one more piece that involves the NBA. It has been a big basketball week, but with the draft and trades, it was at the forefront of my mind. So, before I bid you all adieu for one short week, I want to talk about how the Grizzlies have reinvigorated my fandom.

It has been tough to be a Grizzlies fan the past couple seasons. They flamed out two years ago to the Thunder in the first round of the playoffs and they were not very good and injury riddled all last season. Throw in all the off court stuff with Ja Morant, inexplicably trading Jaren Jackson Jr last year and letting Taylor Jenkins go before the playoffs two years ago. The Grizzlies have been a dumpster fire for about two years now, but this past week they have been making moves.

They started off the week with a bang on Tuesday night when they drafted Cam Boozer third overall. This is who I wanted them to take and they snagged him as soon as they realized he was going to be available. He is the type of player they can build around. He is a smart and savvy basketball player. He is going to average close to 20 points right away. He is a solid rebounder and passer already. His defense needs to improve, and I have no doubt that it will in due time. Memphis is going to love this kid, he will most likely love it there. He is NBA ready and looks like he may be the top rookie in this class. I fully believe he has the front position on winning rookie of the year next season. I'm so stoked about Boozer.

The Grizzlies traded down a bit in the first round, they originally had the 16th pick in round one as well, but they moved down to 21. Here they took Karim Lopez. This kid is tough. He has been playing professionally in New Zealand against dudes bigger and meaner than him and he thrived. He is a hard nosed rebounder. He doesn't take any garbage from anyone. He can get tough buckets. Bigger NBA players aren't going to intimidate him like they will other rookie players. And again, the city is going to love his toughness and his demeanor. He feels like a silent assassin. He looks young, but the guy is no joke. I feel like he can be this new roster's version of Steven Adams. He will only get bigger and stronger working with NBA trainers and I feel like he may be one of my favorite players in a very short time.

I'm even excited about the kid from BYU they took in round 2, Richie Saunders. I didn't know much about him until they drafted and then I went and checked out some clips of him on the internet. He was the second best player on that BYU team, behind AJ Dybansta obviously. But Saunders is not without his skill set. He can step out and shoot the ball. He tries very hard on defense. If he is open he will make shots. He has a toughness to him too.

That has me most stoked with this draft class, these three kids look like they have the mentality and bodies that are already set for the NBA. The Grizzlies got the most polished player in the draft in Boozer, they got one tough son of a gun in Lopez and they are taking a shot on a guy that can give them solid bench minutes in the long run. I love it. They were also able to acquire Isaiah Stewart from the Pistons for some second round picks. Again, they feel like they're going back to their roots of being tough and mean and physical and opponents will hate to play them. Stewart is one of my favorite players currently in the league. He doesn't back down from anyone. He is also a good rebounder and a surprisingly good shot blocker. He will also protect the young guys if they need it as well.

Peering out and taking a deeper look in this roster, they really only have one more thing to do to make this offseason an absolute home run for me, and that is finding a way to trade Ja Morant. I loved Morant, but he messed up and now he seems disengaged and wants out. I say let him go. Trade him to Sacramento or Brooklyn and try and get some picks. Hell, that may be all they can get for him at this point. But the time has come for both Morant and Memphis to move on.

The Grizzlies have a new franchise building block in Boozer. They have young guys to put around him in Cedric Coward and Zach Edey. Stewart is going to most likely start. Lopez will get extended minutes. I'm ready to watch GG Jackson fire the ball at the rim 20 times a night. They took a flyer on Walter Clayton Jr in the JJJ trade, so let's see if he can bring some of that college magic to the NBA. Santi Aldama can still stretch the floor a bit. They still have Ty Jerome and Scotty Pippen Jr under contract. Those guys have some kind of value. Hell, I'd even give Olivier-Maxence Prosper some extended minutes just to see what he has.

Look, the Grizzlies won't be very good this season, but they are trending in the right direction for me. I like what they accomplished this week. I'm excited to watch them again. I will be happy when they finally move Morant. This wasn't the case last season. But the moves this week have me pumped. I cannot wait to watch this team learn, grow and become good together. I'm happy to be a Grizzlies fan once again. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Thoughts on LaMelo Ball and the Timberwolves

I was going to write about the Grizzlies draft today. I wanted to talk about my feelings of the team moving forward. But the Timberwolves and Hornets pulled off a blockbuster trade and that takes precedent today.

As I was driving my son to football camp this morning the notification came across my watch that the Hornets were sending LaMelo Ball to the Timberwolves. That was all I saw at 8:30 this morning. It wasn't until I got to my folks house that I saw the rest of the trade. The Hornets sent LaMelo Ball and Josh Green to the Timberwolves for Naz Reid and a bunch of picks and pick swaps.

This was wildly unexpected. I heard last night, during round two of the draft, that the Hornets were mildly shopping Ball. I thought it was just draft talk and would amount to nothing. I went to bed expecting Ball to be a Hornet next season. And then this dropped. I know that Anthony Edwards has wanted to be paired with another star around his age, and the Timberwolves were exploring a bunch of options. I know they kicked the tires on Giannis and Ja Morant, but those deals never really materialized. But they started to move other guys, namely Julius Randle to the Nets for picks, so it seemed like they were trying to cook up some kind of deal. Then they pulled the trade for Ball off.

This is kind of nuts. I figured the Hornets were pretty set with the team they had in place. They made a nice push to the play-in last season, and it looked like they were going to try and build off of that. It seemed like they were happy with their three top players, Ball, Kon Knueppel and Brandon Miller. They also have some nice young bigs that fit their system pretty well. But they kind of blew that all up this morning. I know they have Coby White to step in for Ball, and Naz Reid will bring veteran leadership, and he is a big that can stretch the floor, but taking away the hub seems out of the blue. Ball ran the offense. He was very wild with it, and would make inexplicable turnovers far too often, but he ran this team. He got open shots for the shooters. He is a premier lob passer. He was eager to start any and every fast break. He is a sieve on defense, but he was their guy on offense. Now he is gone, replaced with future picks and an older big man. I think the Hornets are still going to be solid, they definitely unlocked some stuff last season. But they are going to struggle to find as many open shots or fast break opportunities. Coby White is a solid point guard, but he is not on Ball's level as a passer. Knueppel won't find as many open threes either. Brandon Miller is going to have to be a little more assertive as well. The Hornets have some stuff to work out, but they should still be able to compete, especially in the East.

As for the Timberwolves, this is wild to me. They have gotten off of Julius Randle and Naz Reid. Randle struggled in the playoffs and seems to have passed his prime. It seemed inevitable that he was going to be moved. But Naz Reid was about to be put into the starting lineup. He was going to be given his chance with this squad. Now he is off to the Hornets, where I'm sure he will start as well. The Timberwolves will look different now, and they won't have as much size. Ball is going to be the 1, Anthony Edwards the 2, Jaden McDaniels at the 3, probably their young guy they all love, Joan Beringer at the 4 and Rudy Gobert at the 5. This feels like an odd starting five to me. Ball and Edwards make for a solid backcourt. I actually think those two will find a way to coexist, as long as Ball understands that this is Anthony Edwards' team. Edwards drives this team and everything runs through him. As long as he is healthy and on the floor, Edwards runs the show. McDaniels has more than proven himself as a very good three and d guy. He really showed growth and potential in the playoffs this season and he looks primed to get even better. But it is the front court that would worry me most. Beringer is totally unproven. He is only 19. I know the coaches and front office are high on him, but he has proven zero in the league to this point. He has a ton to show. And Gobert is still as stout a defender as ever, but he is not a rim runner or lethal lob threat at this point in his career. Gobert makes his due on defense, as he should. But he may end up being a dunker spot player on offense as long as he is still on the T'Wolves. They do have some solid depth too. They just gave Ayo Dosunmu a long, and well deserved contract. Isaiah Evans was a great second round pick last night, Kyle Anderson may be washed, but he can still do things in spurts that will help this team. Josh Green was a nice throw in in this deal, and he seems like he is much better off the bench. And Bones Hyland may find his niche as instant offense off the bench this season. But the team up of Edwards and Ball still has a ton to prove, obviously.

I don't know that this puts Minnasota on the level of the Thunder, Spurs or Nuggets at this point. I want the Timberwolves to succeed because I'm a big fan of Anthony Edwards. Time will tell and this deal may take a little longer to bear fruit than the Timberwolves may want. We will see. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Thoughts on Giannis and The Miami Heat

As mentioned yesterday, today I will give my take on the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade to the Miami Heat.

This appears to have been in the making for sometime now. I read before the trade that he was willing to go to two teams, the Heat or the Celtics. The Celtics did offer Jaylen Brown and picks, but the Bucks clearly wanted more players and more picks. I read that they were interested in Baylor Scheirman and Hugo Gonzalez, but the Celitcs deemed them unmovable in this deal. I am not so sure why they wouldn't include those guys, but I am not Brad Stevens and I do not work for the Celtics. I would have included both in the trade if it meant I would get to pair Giannis with Jayson Tatum next season, but that's just me. But the Heat, they gave up a haul to land Giannis. I wouldn't necessarily say they gave up most of their bench, but damn did the Bucks get a return.

Along with Giannis, the Heat did acquire Bobby Portis. But they had to trade Ke'el Ware, Tyler Herro, Jaime Jacquez Jr, Kasparas Jakucionis and a bunch of current and future draft picks. I know last night that the Bucks took Brayden Burries, and the Heat traded the rights to Nate Ament to the Bucks with their pick. So, not counting future picks, the Bucks gave up two guys, two very important guys, and got back five players. That's quite the haul for the Bucks. And they got young players that they are going to try and build around now.

I have seen that the Bucks may move Tyler Herro this offseason, and I think that may be in their best interest. Tyler Herro is an exceptional offensive basketball player. He has proven that he can shoot the rock and put in points at a very high rate. But he is an absolute zero on defense, and he is coming off of two seasons where he spent more time injured than playing. If they can turn him into future picks, or take a flyer on another young player that a contending team may not need, I'd say go for it. That would help in the rebuilding process for the Bucks.

As far as things go with Ware, Jacquez and Jakucionis, keep those guys and let them play a ton. The Bucks will not be a very good team next year, so I say they see what they have in these young guys. I like Ware a ton. He has looked to figure some things out in his first two seasons in the NBA. He has also become somewhat of a consistent scorer in the paint, and he can already protect the rim at a very high clip. Jacquez was close to winning sixth man of the year last season. He is instant offense off the bench, tries really hard on the defensive end of the court and he can shoot from pretty much anywhere on the floor. Jakucionis was a lottery pick last season, I heard he showed flashes during practices and just needed minutes to prove his worth. He should get minutes in spades now. The Bucks may even start him. Add on their picks last night, this team is going to go through a tough season or two, but they may end up being solid and a threat in the East in three years.

As for the Heat, if they did mortgage their depth, they got an absolute top of the line superstar in the deal. I love Giannis. He is one of my all time favorite players. He has won at the highest levels in the league. He gets better every year. I know he has been hurt a bit too much the past few years, but maybe that will go away now that he is in Miami, and they appear to have one of the best training staffs in all of professional sports. If they can get him right, and keep him on the court for 60 to 70 games every year, the Heat instantly become a threat in the East. The Knicks, Celtics and Cavs may be better than them right now, but the Heat are coming with this new starting five. Pairing Giannis in the frontcourt with Bam Adebayo is going to look like defense nirvana. Those two will contest every shot at the rim, grab almost every rebound and can both start fastbreaks off misses and blocks. They can both score at will as well. Bam put up 80 in a game last season. Giannis put up 50 in a Finals closeout game four years ago. They both love to attack the rim, and with Bam being a little bit of a better outside shooter, he will open up driving lanes for Giannis. You can play Portis at the three and have a super big frontcourt. And then I would imagine the Heat are going to start Davion Mitchell and Norm Powell, if they retain him, in the backcourt. Mitchell has revived his career since being added to the Heat, and Powell is the best scorer on the team. This is a formidable starting five, and if you want to swap out Portis for Andrew Wiggins at the three, be my guest. Wiggins is a better scorer and rim runner anyway.

The depth is the issue in Miami now. They gave up a ton to land Giannis. Let's say Wiggins starts, that leaves bench players like Bobby Portis, Nikola Jovic, Vlad Goldin, Pelle Larson, Dru Smith and Myron Gardner. That's not really much of a threat in the second unit. A lot of those guys were two way players last season. But they are on the Heat, and the Heat seem to squeeze every inch out of these guys. And Portis has always been a solid bench guy. But if a starter gets hurt and misses extended time, it may get dicey for the Heat.

In the end, the Heat got their guy. Erik Spoelstra now has a legit first option to put next to Bam. Spoelstra is an exceptional coach and he will put these guys in the best possible position to win. I like this deal for both teams. They each got what they wanted and I'm excited to see how it plays out in both Milwaukee and Miami. What a trade. The NBA is fun. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet.

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