The Inglorious End of the Daniel Jones Era

I saw earlier today that the Daniel Jones era with the New York Giants has officially ended. Let’s discuss.

This seems pretty harsh and fast, but not all that crazy if you look at his short lived career. Jones was never the answer with the Giants. I can remember writing about him before he was drafted. I had him firmly in my bust category. He didn't really have the juice in my opinion. He seemed slow, he wasn't very accurate and I figured the bright lights of NYC were going to be too much for him. It seems like I, along with many other writers, had him pegged perfectly. And don't let some phony stats or one playoff win fool you. He was never the reason why the Giants had any of the minimal success they had while he was the starting QB.

The Giants won during that time because they had a killer defense and Saquon Barkley. Look at how stacked the boxes were when Barkley was drafted by the Giants. The guy was facing seven and eight man boxes and he was still producing. The Giants defense during that time created turnovers and rushed the passer. They did the little things they needed, had a superstar in Barkley and they won in spite of Daniel Jones.

Where the Giants screwed up was giving Jones such an enormous contract after their playoff run a few years back. They picked Jones over the Barkley and the rest is history. Barkley played one more season with the Giants, putting up somewhat decent numbers, and now he is thriving in Philadelphia. That team knows how to use their running backs, they have a legit MVP caliber QB in Jalen Hurts, their defense has taken a step up and Barkley seems to be the missing piece. This couldn't have worked out any better for Saquon Barkley.

Daniel Jones, well, as mentioned up top, he was cut today. Before that he was benched in favor of Tommy Devito. I don't know why Brian Daboll picked Devito over Drew Locke, but he did. Maybe Daboll wants out of NYC as well. But, they picked a flash in the pan who is more noteworthy for what his agent wears than anything he has ever done on the field. That speaks volumes to me. The Giants are going to eat whatever money they owe Jones now, but they don't care, they just want him gone. He was taking 4th string QB reps in practice yesterday and they even deployed him at safety on the Giants scout team defense for this week. I have to imagine when that happened that Jones knew it was only a matter of time before he was gone. I mean the disrespect they showed him is kind of sad but also hilarious to me.

What I don't think I'll get over as a fan of football is picking him over Barkley. Barkley is a generational back. He can run and catch. He is a good return man. He knows what he does best and he excels at that while always trying to get bigger, faster and stronger. Jones looks like a dope on and off the field. He seems like he doesn't really want to play this sport that made him millions of dollars. It is clear that he wasn't the guy for this job from day one. I'll be curious to see where his career takes him from here, but I have to assume he will never be more than a backup until he retires. And Saquon Barkley may be the spark to an Eagles team that could make a deep playoff run this year and seasons after this. 

Ty

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

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The Detroit Lions are a Damn Good Football Team

Yesterday I made sure to get everything done that needed to be done so I could sit down and really watch the Packers-Lions game. This was the big game of the week. These two teams have looked pretty damn good this season. They have both looked like the class of the NFC. It's kind of wild that they're in the same division, along with Minnesota and Chicago, all of which are at or over .500 right now. This is the best division in the NFL by a mile. The game between the Lions and Packers looked like it could be a good one. Add on the fact that it was raining, this had the makings to be solid.

Well, it wasn't. Green Bay looked slow and disorganized. They couldn't get off the field. They couldn't stop anything the Lions were doing. Their offense was inept and not productive. It was a mess. Sure, they made it closer than it should have been at the end, but that was a garbage time TD. And I'm not here for moral victories or to say that they weren't blown out. Green Bay was outplayed and deservingly got beat.

The Lions on the other hand, they look real, real good. They played a wonderful game and proved that they can go anywhere and beat anyone. They kept saying during the broadcast that this was their first game outside a dome. That didn't seem to matter. They looked damn good. They did whatever they wanted. They made everything they were able to do look easy. Jared Goff controlled Green Bay's secondary. He was slicing and dicing them with ease. He seemed to have a receiver open at all times. Where Green Bay receivers were dropping passes left and right, Detroit's wideouts caught everything. Detroit's o-line mashed and smashed Green Bay's d-line all afternoon. They supplied wonderful pass protection. They're the best o-line in the NFL, and they showed that yesterday. David Montgomery ran up and down the field. He would find a hole, cruise through it and pick up 4,5 or 6 yards a pop. Jahmyr Gibbs did the same and added pass catching out of the backfield. He looked so much faster than any defender Green Bay put on him yesterday. Detroit's defense was down two guys, Aidan Hutchinson to season ending surgery and Brian Branch on a very questionable targeting call, and they still dominated. Green Bay's offense has been decent as of late, especially the run game. And while Josh Jacobs got off a big run one time, he was pretty much kept in check, as was the rest of the backfield. The wideouts struggled to hold onto the ball, they couldn't get seperation and Detroit locked them down with relative ease. Detroit still dominated defensively even without their two best players on that side of the ball. What I noticed most yesterday was how good Detroit looks. There wasn't a moment where I thought Green Bay could come back or take control of the game, and they're the team I root for. Detroit looked so much better than Green Bay, and the rest of the NFL for that matter.

Where we stand right now, Detroit is the class of the NFL. They have competition, the Chiefs are undefeated, but in my mind the Lions look like a better team. They can play anyone, anywhere at any time. They have built an incredibly good football team. Everyone knows their roles and plays them exceptionally well. The coaching is second only to Kansas City, and I would take the entire Detroit Lions staff over the Chiefs, minus Andy Reid. Detroit should be considered the favorite to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl right now. And I'd say they're the favorite to win it all this season. They left a damn good impression on me, and they only appear to be getting better. 

Ty

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

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Robert Saleh Was Not The Jets Only Problem

The Jets relieved Robert Saleh of his head coaching duties yesterday. I was kind of surprised when I saw this news. Let’s discuss.

Saleh wasn't lighting the world on fire as a head coach by any means. His record was under .500, the offense always seemed to be a mess and he would say odd stuff from time to time while being interviewed. He also didn't seem to have much of a backbone with the front office. He let them run the show it seemed. But, he wasn't given the best team to work with all the time. He had to go out there and play with QB's like Zach Wilson, Trevor Siemien and Sam Darnold. Darnold is better now, but he was not great while with the Jets. I don't believe Siemien is still in the league and Wilson is destined to be a backup the rest of his career. They never had a real running game. Breece Hall got hurt two seasons ago and I don't know many other backs they've brought in. The receiving corps has not been super either. They have some dudes, but no one really jumps off the page. The defense was pretty legit under Saleh too. That is his forte. That is how he made his living in the NFL. He knows defense. The defense is why this team had any kind of relevance under Saleh. Again, Saleh was never over .500, but he won seven games two years in a row with Zach Wilson. He won six games with Siemien. He won five or six games with a rookie Darnold. Saleh did the best he could with the talent the front office gave him.

Then we have the whole Aaron Rodgers of it all. I am not, nor have I ever been a fan of his. He is a blowhard malcontent who is way too into conspiracy theories. He goes on wild offseason "darkness" retreats. He says stupid stuff like, "I am immunized from Coronavirus". He constantly complains about the "woke mob" while appearing on Pat McAfee's dumbass talk show. Rodgers is a locker room problem and he is a coach killer. I fully believe he is the one who wanted Saleh gone. I know he has come out today and said he has nothing to do with it, but come on man. This is his MO. He is an egomaniac that thinks he can cover everything up by going on some terrible rant on a dumbass sports talk show. He is clinically insane in my eyes. And he wanted to come to the Jets when he knew well that Saleh was the head coach. He got the front office to bring along all his buddies too. Rodgers convinced the Jets front office to sign Randall Cobb, Allen Lazard and Dalvin Cook, among others, to come play for the Jets after he signed with them. This would have been a great idea in 2015, when they were all still pretty good talents. They're all old, just like Saleh.

I have to imagine Saleh knew this, but he wasn't going to speak up to the front office. And that, along with the signing of Rodgers, led to him being removed from his job. Rodgers destroyed his knee on the first drive of the season last year, so this team, and Saleh, were already a year behind. Then all the off the field nonsense, again revolving around Rodgers, led to a bunch of unneeded attention. Now that Rodgers is back, and looks pretty old and not nearly anywhere near his elite level, this team needs a scapegoat. And that scapegoat is, unfortunately for him, Robert Saleh.

I don't know where the Jets are going to go from here, but this is a team I think I'd stay away from if I was an up and coming assistant in the NFL. There is something wild going on in that locker room, and I wouldn't touch Aaron Rodgers, who is 41 and coming off a massive injury, with a ten foot pole. I'm interested to see how this all shakes out. 

Ty

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

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Ty Predicts the 2024 NFL Champs and Award Winners

Wrapping up my NFL countdown stuff, today I come to you all with my postseason predictions and award winners. Tomorrow will be my college football preview and predictions, but today is my last day of NFL preview stuff for awhile now. I'll start with my AFC and NFC division winners, name some wild cards and then fully predict the playoffs. After that I will pick award winners. Let's get to it.

I'll start with the AFC East. This, to me, is a two team race. I think the Bills and Dolphins are the front runners. I have zero faith in the Jets offense being any good outside of Breece Hall, and the Patriots are a dumpster fire on offense. I think I'm going to go with the Dolphins. They have the best offense by a mile and the defense should be improved. The Bills don't have many more weapons and they are proven to not show up in big games. It will be tight the whole way, but I see the Dolphins wrapping it up by week 15.

The AFC North is going to be an absolute bloodbath. This may be the most competitive division in all of football. I believe that three of the teams were in my top 10, and the Steelers weren't very far off. I do believe each team could be over .500 and three could make the playoffs. I think in the long run it will come down to the Bengals and Ravens and I have the Ravens winning it. They have proven to be able to stay healthy and they have a much better coaching staff. But it is going to be brutal all season long when they play division games.

The AFC South has the juice to be pretty good. It isn't that much of a joke anymore. The teams are competent, they have solid QB play and the coaches are pretty darn good. The Colts and Jags will fight for second place, and whoever gets second place will probably be a playoff team. The Titans are no good and should be rebuilding as is. But this is the Texans division, and it shouldn't be that close. They have the best QB, the best offense, the best defense and the best coaching staff. The Texans are a very, very good football team.

The AFC West is not that tough. The Chiefs are the cream of the crop and should win this division going away. The Chargers will be frisky, the Raiders have an elite defense but no offense and the Broncos are starting a rookie at QB. The Chiefs have the best QB in the league, the best tight end, a much improved defense and the best coach in football. They win this division going away.

As for my playoff teams from the AFC, I have the four division winners, Dolphins, Ravens, Texans and Chiefs. Then we have the wild card teams, the Bengals, Jags and Bills. As for seeding, going from 1-7, I have the Texans, Chiefs, Ravens, Dolphins, Bengals, Jags and Bills. In the 4-5 matchup I have the Dolphins facing the Bengals. Give me the Bengals. They are a better overall team. The 3-6 matchup features the Ravens and Jaguars. The Ravens will win in a walk. The 2-7 matchup gives me the Chiefs facing the Bills. We have seen this matchup and we all know how it ends, with the Chiefs winning. So that would leave the Texans facing the Ravens and the Chiefs facing the Bengals. I really want to pick the Texans, but I think the Ravens are better and I feel like they are going to finally show up in a big game. Lamar Jackson will have perfect field conditions and he will thrive. The Chiefs-Bengals game should be epic. We have seen the Bengals win in KC, and I bet we will see it again. The Chiefs are tired and the Bengals are hungry. So my AFC title matchup is the Bengals and Ravens. The Bengals will be too tired from the previous game and Lamar Jackson will continue his redemption and revenge tour in the playoffs. Give me the Ravens representing the AFC in the Super Bowl.

Now for the NFC.

We will start with the NFC East, which is a weird division. I don't fully trust any team in this division. The Cowboys are a good regular season team, but they have so many outside issues. The Eagles are loaded with talent, but they have more issues with their team and staff than the Cowboys. The Commanders are coming, but they are too young. And the Giants stink. I'm going to go with the Eagles to win this division over the Cowboys because they have better QB and running back play than their opponents.

The NFC North has three good teams, and then there's the Vikings. This is a gap year for them. They can just take it off. The Bears are going to be good in a year or two, but not yet. They will show signs, but they aren't ready for the playoffs just yet. The Packers are pretty good and have a ton of talent, but they are still the youngest team in the NFL, and I want to see if last season was a fluke or not. The Lions are the cream of the crop here. They have pretty much everything you want in a very good NFL team. This division is theirs.

I cannot figure out the NFC South to save my life. The Panthers were awful last year so they are due to get better, but I don't think they'll be not much better. The Buccaneers are counting on a continued Baker Mayfield renaissance. I don't want anything to do with that. The Falcons are going with Kirk Cousins, who seems immune to winning important games. And the Saints are still rolling out Derek Carr and letting Dennis Allen continue to head coach this team. I guess I'll go with the Falcons, but they may only win eight games. And that may be enough here.

The NFC West may be frisky, but not great. The Rams have the guys, if they can stay on the field. The Seahawks have some quality skill guys and a competent QB, but they have a bad o line and a whole new coaching staff. I like what the Cardinals are doing, but they are still a few seasons away from true contention. Then we have the 49ers. They are the best and most complete team, outside the QB position, and they have to hope they get another year as healthy as last season. I'll go with the 49ers, but the Rams can push.

So, my four division winners, and locks for the playoffs, are the Eagles, Lions, Falcons and 49ers. My three wild card teams are the Packers, Cowboys and Rams. The rankings, from 1-7 are, the Lions, 49ers, Eagles, Falcons, Packers, Rams and Cowboys. The 4-5 matchup features the Falcons and Packers. Give me the Packers all day in this matchup. They may be younger, but they are better. The 3-6 matchup gives us the Eagles and Rams. This is where the Eagles will fall apart. The Rams will take advantage of the Eagles old secondary and they will win by outscoring the Eagles. The 2-7 matchup has the 49ers and Cowboys. It is an old school matchup where the 49ers will crush the Cowboys and send them into their next rebuild. So, the 1st seed Lions will face the 49ers and the Packers will face the Rams. Give me Green Bay in a home game over the Rams. It will be a good, close fought game. The Rams will stick around, but Lambeau will work its magic and the Packers will get to the NFC title game. The Lions and 49ers will give us a great rematch from last season, but this time the Lions will exorcise last year's second half debacle. I could see Detroit winning handily. This means we have a Lions-Packers NFC title game. This is a dope matchup on the field and within my family. We have fans of both, and the text chains will be great. The Lions are a better, more complete team, and they will win to finally get to a Super Bowl. They are the NFC champs.

That means I have the Lions and Ravens facing off in the Super Bowl. I'm going to go with the Ravens. Lamar Jackson will finish the revenge tour with a Super Bowl title and etch his name into greatness at the QB position.

As for award winners, first off Lamar Jackson will win the Super Bowl MVP. I also see him winning the regular season MVP for a second year in a row. Offensive Player of the Year will go to someone other than Jackson, and I'm going with Ja'Marr Chase. He's going to have a humongous season. Defensive Player of the Year will be Aiden Hutchinson. He is on the ascent, and this will be his first of many DPOY wins in his career. Offensive ROTY is going to be Caleb Williams. He is as advertised, and he is awesome. Defensive ROTY is a homer pick for me, as I am going with Mike Sainristil. He is going to be a big part on defense for a team that could surprise some this season. And Coach of the Year is going to be DeMeco Ryans. The Texans are going to be great this season, and the fact that he will have this team on this kind of a rise in year two will not go unnoticed.

That's it for preseason NFL stuff. Come back tomorrow for my college football preview and picks. 

Ty

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

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Ty Ranks the 2024 NFL Teams: The Best Bunch

Today is the final day of my preseason 2024 NFL countdown. These are the four best teams in my rankings and I believe that all four could win the Super Bowl this season.

At 4 I have the Detroit Lions. The Lions are on the come up. They kind of, almost, have it all. They have very good to great players at almost every position. One position where they don't have top of the line talent is QB. Jared Goff is fine. He is milquetoast. You know exactly what you're going to get from him. He won't blow a game for you, but he won't win a game for you either. He is a run of the mill QB. David Montgomery is a very good starting running back. He gets you the tough yards and can pop a run off here and there. Jahmyr Gibbs is better than him. He is more explosive, is a better pass catcher and is younger. Gibbs is the future at this position for the Lions. Amon Ra St.Brown is an upper tier wideout. He is so good at every level as a receiver. Jameson Williams looks to be healthy and I feel like he is going to bust out this year. Sam LaPorta is already one of the better tight ends in the NFL. And this is the best o line in football. They are locked and loaded everywhere on the o line. They run and pass block better than any unit in the NFL. The defense is up and coming. Aidan Hutchinson is going to be one of the best edge rushers in the NFL sooner rather than later. He is a perfect fit in Detroit. Marcus Davenport can thrive playing opposite Hutchinson. Jack Campbell was solid in college and already looks solid in the NFL. Terrion Arnold was a hell of a pick and Brian Branch is a heavy hitting strong safety. The Lions are the truth. They almost made the Super Bowl last season, but they blew it. I am dying to see if they can remedy that this season. The Lions are going to be very good for a good amount of time. They should win the NFC North and probably can get to 13 or 14 wins during the regular season.

At 3 I have the Kansas City Chiefs. The reigning Super Bowl champs. They have almost everyone back, and that everyone is top of the line in the NFL. Patrick Mahomes is the best QB in the NFL. I trust him more than any other QB right now. He took a team that wasn't great last season and won a title with them. Mahomes is the man. Isiah Pacheco runs like a man possessed. He runs mean. He looks angry. He wants to dole out the punishment. He is very, very good. Rashee Rice is coming off a decent year. They signed Hollywood Brown. That seems unfair. And they were able to draft Xavier Worthy. The rich get richer. Travis Kelce is the best tight end in the league. He may be older, but he is Mahomes' security blanket and he is productive. This may be his last season, so I'm sure he'll want to go out with a bang. The o line is great. The defense was way better last season then they have been since Mahomes and Andy Reid got there. Chris Jones got his money and he was disruptive as hell. George Karlaftis is a good edge guy. Mike Danna is young and good. Nick Bolton is a tackling machine. They'll miss L'Jarius Sneed, but they still have Justin Reid and Trent McDuffie, so the secondary should be just fine. The Chiefs are the new Brady/Belichek Patriots. They are here to win and win big. They'll probably get 12 or 13 regular season wins on their way to another playoff run.

At 2 I have the San Francisco 49ers. This is a last chance at a ring for this team. They had almost everyone healthy last season, had a lead in the Super Bowl and they still couldn't finish the job. Kyle Shanahan may be a poor big game coach. I still have no energy to root for Brock Purdy. I think he is a fine QB, but not as good as some media outlets may have us believe. Purdy should not be counted on to win you a game. He is, at his very best, a game manager, and not even one of the best game managers in the NFL. Christian McCaffery is incredible. He is a prototype modern day running back. He may be the only player on the 49ers that I actively like. And he was healthy pretty much all season last year. I don't know if that will ever happen for him again. Counting on his health for two years in a row is a bad sign for him and this team. Brandon Aiyuk may or may not be on the team. He may or may not get paid. He is in far too much limbo. Deebo Samuel Jr is pretty great too, but his schtick seems to have been figured out. He doesn't pop off the big runs and long passing gains like he did two years ago. I think George Kittle is overrated. He is a very good blocking tight end, but he isn't the passing threat that people make him out to be. The o line is okay, but not at the level of Detroit or KC. This defense is still very good, but not the dominant force it once was. Nick Bosa is a dickhead that I will never, ever root for or say anything nice about ever. Dre Greenlaw and Fred Warner are awesome. I felt bad for Warner last year when he tore his ACL running on the field during the Super Bowl. That stinks for him. He will be back though. Charvarius Ward is elite. Leonard Floyd still has something left. And Ambry Thomas is a promising nickel corner. The 49ers have a good team, but a flawed team. They also still have a very good defense that will win them some games. I say they get 12 this season.

And finally, at number 1, which some people have told me I'm dumb about this, is the Baltimore Ravens. Lamar Jackson is my favorite NFL player to watch. He is the best modern day QB. He has gotten better every season. This team goes as he goes, and he usually goes far. He needs to show up better in big games, but he is still awesome. I adore Lamar Jackson. Derrick Henry adds a very nice dimension to this offense. He can take pressure off Jackson and help grind out games even more for this team. Zay Flowers has crazy speed. Rashod Bateman has a now or never type season, and I could see him showing up and showing out. And Nelson Agholor will bring nice production to this offense. Mark Andrews is an elite tight end, probably second best in the league. The o line is very, very good. The defense needs to replace Mike MacDonald, but they have the dudes to keep this defense humming. Odafe Owweh is an up and coming edge rusher. David Ojabo appears to be healthy finally. Getting Roquan Smith was such a good move a few seasons ago. Kyle Van Noy brings veteran experience. Kyle Hamilton is one of the best young safeties in the league. Marlon Humphrey is a very good cover corner. The Ravens are really, really good at every key position. The head coach has won big games. The QB has won multiple MVP awards. The new running back is a former rushing yards champ. The defense is blitz crazy and causes turnovers at a high rate. The Ravens, to me, are the cream of the crop this year. I look at them as the favorites for the Super Bowl going into this season. They appear to me to be a 13 or 14 regular season wins team. They are the best.

That's it for my preseason 2024 NFL countdown. Come back tomorrow for my playoff and awards predictions. 

Ty

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

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Ty Ranks the 2024 NFL Teams: The Contenders Bunch

Here we are at day seven of my preseason 2024 NFL countdown.

At number 8 I have the Cleveland Browns. The Browns have talent, but they also have issues. This defense played out of their minds last year, and I think they can recreate that again this season. Having Nick Chubb coming back from injury will be nice too. Deshaun Watson is the QB, and he has issues both on and off the field. He has never been the same QB since all of the allegations came out against him. These are real allegations, and he should be in more trouble. He also is not as good as he was while in Houston as a QB. He doesn't seem to have the juice anymore. Nick Chubb is back, as previously mentioned, but he is coming off a major injury. That is never a good thing for a running back. He may be on his last chance, however unfair that may be. Amari Cooper had a great year last season, but he has been in a ton of trade rumors, and maybe he just wants out. They traded for Jerry Jeudy, in what I think will end up being good for both the player and the team. And David Njoku was about the only thing that went right for me on my fantasy football team last year. The o line is stable and good. The defense is elite. Myles Garrett is the returning DPOY and he is a backfield destroyer. They signed Za'Darius Smith, and that dude still has some gas left. Denzel Ward, Greg Newsome II and Grant Delpit form an unbelievable secondary. And they are taking a chance on Devin Bush, who has had his moments. This team wins with running the ball and defense. They need better QB play and to not have their top wideouts in trade conversations constantly. But they will win games and make another playoff run. I have them at 10 or 11 wins.

At number 7 I have the Philadelphia Eagles. I'd have them higher if there wasn't a ton of turmoil surrounding the coaching staff. I am a Jalen Hurts fan. I think he is good, he is one of the best dual threat QBs in the league, and his passing has gotten so much better. They were able to sign Saquon Barkley. I feel like not enough people have talked about how big a deal this is for this team. Barkley adds another potent threat to a run-heavy offense in which he should thrive. This is a big, big deal. Devonta Smith is as advertised. I'm stoked that the Eagles didn't let his height affect drafting him. AJ Brown is in a much better situation. The o line will miss Jason Kelce a ton, but they still have the other guys back from one of the better o lines in the league. On defense, Jordan Davis is a world beater. Josh Sweat brings it from linebacker. CJ Gardner-Johnson and Darius Slay JR make for some nice pieces in the secondary. And Brandon Graham is back for one last ride with this team. The Eagles have the guys on paper to make a Super Bowl push. They need to straighten things up behind the scenes to do so. That being said, they are going to win 12, maybe 13 games this season.

At number 6 I have the Cincinnati Bengals. This team is so good, especially on offense, when everyone is healthy and available. That is not always the case with this team. They always seem to have a key player hurt when they need them most. Joe Burrow has proven himself on the field. The guy can play. He is a top tier QB and he has shown that he can beat the Chiefs in KC. Ja'Marr Chase is, probably, the best wideout in the game. He is damn near unguardable. He is, like he likes to say, always open. They signed Zack Moss to take over as the starting running back. Moss is a pro who will produce whatever they need from him. Tee Higgins is back, maybe only for this season, and when he is on the field he can put up numbers. The o line is much improved and should keep the QBs and running backs from getting too banged up. The defense, according to RD, is young. Dax Hill is a very capable, very good safety. He came in and found a place right away. Sam Hubbard is a very good edge rusher. Sheldon Rankins can be a problem when he wants to be. Kris Jenkins was a good draft pick for them to add depth. Cam Taylor-Britt is okay. This defense has guys that can play, they just need to play. They will get that chance this season. If this team can stay on the field and stay in one piece, I can definitely see them making a Super Bowl run. They just have to hope that this year is different from years past as far as injuries go. I say they are good enough to win 11, maybe 12 games during the regular season, if healthy.

At number 5 I have the Houston Texans. This is a team on the rise. They showed out last year and I only see more of that to some. CJ Stroud is elite. He had one of the best rookie seasons we have ever seen. He looked awesome and he will only get better. Joe Mixon was signed away from the Bengals and he will start here. He adds toughness and big play ability out of the backfield. The Texans may have the best receiving corps in professional football. Nico Collins exploded onto the scene as their number one option last year. He will only be better. Tank Dell was another rookie who had a phenomenal year. And they got Stefon Diggs to come on over. He should love being a part of this offense.. The o line is solid. They do their jobs. The defense is going to be better this year too. Will Anderson Jr is awesome. He is the next great edge rusher in this league. He is so explosive off the ball and he can mess up your backfield in an instant. Mario Edwards Jr can take on double teams to free up other d lineman. Danielle Hunter is a beast off the edge. Henry To'oTo'o is as solid as they come at linebacker. And Desmond King II and Derek Stingley can wreck your passing game at a moments notice. The Texans are good and should be for a good amount of time now. They are also a blast to watch play this game. They are going to win at least 12 games this season and it wouldn't shock me to see them win 13, hell, even 14 games. The Texans are legit.

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

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 Ranks the 2024 NFL Teams: The Good Bunch

Welcome back to my preseason 2024 NFL countdown. I hope you all had a good weekend and pored over what I had to say last week. From here on out the teams all have some kind of a chance at making a postseason run. These are my "good" teams.

At number 12 I have the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams are going to miss Aaron Donald a ton. He is one of the greatest to ever do it at the d line position. His ability to take on double teams and still create pressure will never be replaced. Outside of Aaron Donald retiring, the Rams bring back a decent veteran team that made a playoff run last year. Matthew Stafford is back. He is old and slow and cannot make all the throws, but he can make the necessary throws. He is in the game management business now, and that should suit him nicely. Kyren Williams and Blake Corum should make for a formidable backfield. Williams is more of an explosive player and Corum will get you the gritty, tough yards. I expect a big rookie year from Corum. The receiving corps brings back a healthy Cooper Kuup, which is good for this team, and two young bucks in Puka Nacua and Demarcus Robinson. Robinson had moments, but I expect a leap, and Nacua exploded onto the scene. He has the makings of a number 1 wideout very soon. Kuup, if he can stay on the field, is about as consistent as they get in the NFL. The o line is good and will protect Stafford and open lanes for Williams and Corum. The defense is interesting. Jared Verse may have something left in the tank. Kobie Turner is intriguing. Tre'Davious White has his moments. And Byron Young looks solid. But they don't have the big names anymore. This isn't a flashy defense. They need to perform for this team to be any real threat, and I think they have the potential to be decent. I think this version of the Rams has a last season all together quality. And I think they will perform enough to win 11 games and sneak into the playoffs.

At number 11 I have the Dallas Cowboys. I mean, this has to be the last chance for Mike McCarthy, Ezekiel Elliott and Dak Prescott, right? They can win in the regular season, but then they crap the bed in the playoffs. I like Dak Prescott as a dude. He seems like a good guy to me. But man does he crack under pressure. He would be better off moving on from this team and playing on a team that makes football fun. I was stunned when they brought Ezekiel Elliott back. This isn't 2019. This dude is washed. And they let Tony Pollard walk out of the door for nothing. They must resign CeeDee Lamb if they want to be taken seriously at all. He is the only true threat they have. Jerry Jones needs to get his racist ass in line and give this dude his money. He is all they have. Brandin Cooks is old and Luke Schoonmaker wasn't even my favorite tight end on the team when he played for Michigan. The o line is fine, but old and starting to show cracks. The defense got burned in the playoffs last year, and they seemingly did nothing to shore it up this offseason. Micah Parsons and Demarcus Lawrence are very, very good edge rushers. Parsons may be the best in the game. They can only do so much. They need more help. Erick Kendricks is old. Trevon Diggs feels like a flash in the pan. Jourdan Lewis is consistent, but never explosive. Mazi Smith has this allergic reaction thing. I don't trust this defense, especially in the secondary to make the needed stops. The Cowboys are built to win 11 or 12 games every regular season, and they get stomped in the first round of the playoff. If I were a betting man, I'd bet that will happen this year, and then massive changes will be made next offseason.

At number 10 I have the Green Bay Packers. This is my team. This is who I root for. I have come around on Matt Lafleur as a head coach. They won playing with house money last year. This is the test this year if they are actually any good. I have faith they are good. Jordan Love looked like a competent, and at times, exceptional starting NFL QB last season. He did everything that was asked of him, sometimes doing more. He still throws off his back foot more than I like, but that can be fixed. He got paid and I think the pure fact that he knows this team is his will help push him to other levels. I'm not crazy about Aaron Jones leaving for a division rival, but they replaced him with Josh Jacobs, a move I was stoked on when it happened. I love Jacobs' game, and he is in a place that wants him to thrive. I can't wait to watch him play this season. The wideouts are young, but they have potential. Jayden Reed popped last year. Christian Watson has the makings of a number 1 receiver. And Romeo Doubs is the guy they need to stretch the field. The o line is good, as always in Green Bay. The defense used to freak me out, but they had one hell of a season last year, and I think they can be better this year. Preston Smith and Rashan Gary are as good an edge rushing duo as you could want in the NFL. They will destroy backfields. Quay Walker has the makings of a perennial pro bowl player. Jaire Alexander is one of the best cover corners in the league. Eric Stokes brings the heat from the safety position. The Packers have a good, all around roster. They are solely reliant on the QB anymore. They can beat you in many different ways. I see this team as a near lock for 11 wins and a postseason berth.

At number 9 I have the Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins look damn near unbeatable when they play in perfect conditions. When they don't, it can be ugly. Tua Tagovailoa maybe shouldn't be playing football because of the concussions, but he is really, really good at the QB position. He can wing it. He can also scramble. And he looks a bit more solid now, so maybe, hopefully for his sake, the concussions are a thing of the past. Devon Achane and Raheem Mostert are both good and both crucial to this offense. Mostert does the gritty work and Achane can take the top off of a defense. Tyreek Hill is the fastest and one of the best wideouts in football. Get him the ball and watch him go. Jaylen Waddle is a perfect second wideout to Hill and he thrives in that position. The o line is better and they are giving this high powered offense all the time it needs. The defense can be a problem, even more so than the weather. They are full of older dudes or unproven dudes. Calais Campbell and Jalen Ramsey are still kicking around. Jordan Poyer is now on this team. Bradley Chubb is hoping this works better for him. Then it is a bunch of guys I've never heard of. The Dolphins got a brutal weather game in the playoffs last season, but that is the case with the NFL and playing in winter. They are never going to have perfect weather unless they get to play every game at home. But, when this team is humming, they may have the best offense in the NFL. And that offense will lead them to a 12 win 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.

Follow Ty on instagram.

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

Ty Ranks the 2024 NFL Teams: The Looking to Make Some Noise Bunch

Welcome to day five of my preseason 2024 NFL countdown.

At 16 I have the Indianapolis Colts. I don't really understand why I have this level of confidence in this team, but I think they are playoff bound this year. My main reason for optimism is Anthony Richardson. This dude is big, physical, fast and can make some spectacular throws. I do think he opts to run far too much, but with a year behind him, that will only help take his game up another level. I do worry about him getting injured, but he looks like he got even bigger this offseason. Johnathan Taylor is an elite running back. He is the type of player you can count on to get tough yards, get 100 yards and score a TD or two in each game he plays. Michael Pittman Jr let it be known last season that he is on the come up. I love the Adonai Mitchell pick for them. This adds speed and excellent hands to this receiving corps. The o line is very solid. Hell, they are an upper tier o line in the NFL. The defense may be the question mark here. Kwity Paye is okay, but hasn't really popped off just yet. DeForest Buckner is pretty old. The linebackers are decent. And the secondary is full of unknown players to me. This team will go as Richardson and Taylor go. If they are both playing and performing, the Colts could be an eleven or fifteen win team. If they are hurt, they will be lucky to win seven or eight games. I'm going to go right in the middle and say they win ten and sneak into the playoffs.

At 15 I have the Pittsburgh Steelers. Mike Tomlin is still here, still one of the most underrated coaches and will have this team above .500 because that is what he does. Tomlin is one of the better coaches to ever walk the NFL sidelines. They do have a choice at QB with Justin Fields or Russell Wilson. Fields adds running and big play ability, but he's inconsistent. Wilson is a veteran leader who's won the biggest prize, but his rah rah stuff won't gel in Pittsburgh, and he is on the back end of his career. I think they will use both guys, but Tomlin will probably stick with Wilson in the long run. He is more of a sure thing between the two of them. Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren make a nice backfield duo, but it seems like Warren is the better option. Harris is taking carries away from him and they may need to choose between the two of these guys, just like at the QB position. They drafted Roman Wilson, who I adore, and maybe this will be the year that George Pickens finally pops. I don't know if that will happen, but if he does, these two could make for a nice, young wideout combination. They shored up the o line via the draft, so there may be bumps in the road, but it should work itself out. The defense has studs, TJ Watt and Minkah Fitzpatrick are top tier talents. I also like the addition of Patrick Queen. Cameron Hayward is still pretty darn productive. And Joey Porter Jr is a really good cornerback. The more I look at this team the more I think I may have them too low. Mike Tomlin will get the best out of these guys, but with the uncertainty at QB, I think ten wins is the best case scenario for them. But it wouldn't surprise me to see them win twelve games.

At number 14 I have the Jacksonville Jaguars. This is another team that kind of reminds me of the Steelers. No frills, but competent play from all spots and solid coaching. Trevor Lawrence isn't the generational talent some thought he could be, but he is good. He is consistent. Travis Etienne Jr is a very good back when healthy. He had a heck of a year last year and I could see him being even better. The receiving corps is fine. They aren't great but they aren't bad. Evan Engram had a big season at tight end last year for them. The o line does a good job run and pass blocking. The defense has athletes. Travon Walker needs to produce more, but he has gotten better. Getting Darnell Savage in their secondary brings a heavy hitter. I'm going to miss him in Green Bay. Arik Armstead can still play well here and there. Josh Hines-Allen is one of the better pass rushers in the league. The Jags aren't going to look fancy when they play, but they will try and beat you into submission. They want to drain the clock and hit you hard on defense. All of that is good enough for eleven wins.

At number 13 I have the Buffalo Bills. Josh Allen is still here and still a pretty solid QB. I had my doubts about him, and I still do not enjoy him as a person, but the guy puts up numbers. He is a fantasy player's dream QB. James Cook should get the bulk of the carries and I think he is ready for an expanded role. Khalil Shakir really came on string at the end of last year. Curtis Samuel brings something interesting. And Keon Coleman has been the star of the offseason, both on and off the field. I don't think they'll miss Stefon Diggs too much. The o line is nasty and big and good. The defense is pretty solid too. The d line is nasty. Greg Rousseau is a o line wrecker. Ed Oliver is still out there putting up numbers. AJ Espensea looks to be a bit better than last year. The linebacker corps is okay, but I think they will miss Von Miller's veteran leadership. He's still there, but he is now a backup and he is often injured. He's still one of my all time favorite players. Damar Hamlin is still playing football, I don't know if that is best, but he is pretty good. Taylor Rapp is a force. And I'd love to see Kaiir Elam get some time in the secondary. The Bills will win regular season games. They could win twelve or thirteen. But they choke hard in the playoffs. They cannot beat the Chiefs. The rest of the AFC is very good. The Bills are a playoff team, but how far they go is up to them, and they have shown in the past that that may be too much to handle.

That is it for this week. Come back Monday for the next four teams. We are getting to the true threats to make real noise starting next week. See you then. 

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 Ranks the 2024 NFL Teams: The Outside Looking In Bunch

Welcome to day four of my 2024 preseason NFL countdown.

At number 20 I have the Chicago Bears. The Bears are a team on the rise. They are going to be a problem in a few years if these picks hit, and after seeing just a little bit this offseason, the picks look good. Caleb Williams is as advertised. He knows the game. He knows what he does best. He gets the ball out quick and is on target most of the time. He was born to play QB and he looks like a damn fine number 1 overall pick. But, he is a rookie and the wall is coming. D'Andre Swift is a capable back, but they need to upgrade at that position to be a real overall offensive threat as a team. The receiving corps is great. They drafted Rome Odunze, who was my favorite wideout not named Marvin Harrison Jr in this most recent draft. He is big and physical and fast and has great hands. They got Keenan Allen in a trade and he brings veteran leadership and veteran production to this team. And DJ Moore is the deep threat they need at the third wideout spot. Cole Kmet is a nice safety blanket for Williams in his rookie year. The o line is fine. It's not great and it's not a disaster. The defense can be better. There is room for growth. Getting Montez Sweat was a nice deal for the future last season. Kevin Byard is a fine safety. And Tremaine Edwards is an okay linebacker. Other than that, these are dudes that haven't really shown much yet. They will probably get exposed, but if they can shore it up by the middle of the season, the Bears could be a nice surprise. Getting Williams was a great thing and he could be a long term QB for this team. As for now, seven wins seems like the most likely outcome.

At number 19 I have the Atlanta Falcons. This may be too low for them, but I don't have the best feeling about this team. They gave Kirk Cousins way too much money and years. I cannot fathom a world in which Cousins keeps getting paid while other, younger QB's are consistently passed on. He is a fine regular season player, but when the lights are brightest, he falters. Bijan Robinson has some value, but he wasn't used correctly last season, he took a step back at the midpoint of last season and I worry about his health. Kyle Pitts should be the happiest person on the team now that they have a new head coach. Maybe, just maybe he will be used more in the pass game. But he is only getting older. Drake London had some moments last season, but now defenses will be locked in on him. I want to see him produce while being a focal point. The o line is fine. The defense got a big jolt yesterday when they acquired Matthew Judon. He makes their defense instantly better. He will be a great QB for the defense. Jessie Bates is a wonderful safety in the NFL. The fact that the Falcons got these two guys in the past two offseasons is a much better get than signing Kirk Cousins. The rest of the guys do their job, just not as well as I thought they might last year. The Falcons have some dudes, but they are in the Kirk Cousins business, and that have never really reaped any true rewards. eight or nine wins seems like the best the fans can hope for.

At number 18 I have the New York Jets. This is another team I see people ranking much higher than I do. I don't get it. Aaron Rodgers is 40, insane and coming off a brutal injury. He can't stop saying nonsense and he is old. I despise him. Breece Hall is a good back. He played well after Rodgers' injury last season. Hall is going to put up numbers. Garrett Wilson and Mike Williams are good wideouts, if they don't have to play with a backup QB. They are both capable of stretching the field and getting the first down on third down plays. The o line upgraded after last season, but they are blocking for a 40 year old maniac. I think they'd prefer to block for Breece Hall and anyone else at QB. The defense is legit. Sauce Gardner is an awesome cornerback. He is as shut down as they get in the NFL. He talks the talk and walks the walk. Quinnen Williams is a very good defensive tackle. CJ Mosley is a good linebacker. They have Hasson Reddick, but he already wants out, and I don't think that speaks well for the culture of this team. The defense will keep them in games, but the fact that they are banking on a healthy season from a 40 year old psychopath at QB doesn't bode well for them. I say nine wins at best for this team.

At number 17 I have the Seattle Seahawks. The Geno Smith glowup has been awesome to watch. He has really excelled since signing with this team. I love seeing him find a place to play and play well. He has earned this job. But he is old. Kenneth Walker III is a solid running back, but he is often injured. DK Metcalf, Jaxson Smith-Njigba and Tyler Lockett form a very good, very unique receiving corps. They can all do different things very well. The o line is suspect. I feel like Walker III's injuries are due to lack of holes and they don't give Smith nearly enough time in the pocket. This defense is not Legion of Boom, but they did hire a defensive minded coach in Mike MacDonald. He knows how to coordinate a defense, let's see if he can do that while coaching a whole team. And when I look at some of the names, there isn't anyone too familiar outside Devon Witherspoon, who is great. Johnathan Hankins feels like he may be washed. Leonard Williams has bounced around a ton. The rest are dudes I have never really heard of. But, MacDonald may get the best out of these guys. Time will tell. I think the Seahawks could win ten games and threaten for a playoff spot, but eight seems like the more likely outcome to me.

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 Ranks the 2024 NFL Teams: The Not Quite Ready Bunch

Welcome today to day three of my 2024 preseason NFL countdown.

Coming in at number 24 I have the Las Vegas Raiders. The Raiders did some good things this offseason. They hired Antonio Pierce. He was the best choice and the players may have revolted if they didn't hire him. They also moved on from Jimmy Garropolo, which was the best thing they could have done for their locker room. He is not the answer at QB. They needed a change. But, I'm not so sure that Aiden O'Connell and Gardner Minshew are the answer. O'Connell had moments last season, but he is no more than a backup game manager. Minshew is the poor man's Ryan Fitzpatrick. He brings some fun to the team, but wins don't usually follow. They had to move Josh Jacobs, he was unhappy, but they replaced him with a mash unit. Zamir White is unproven and Alexander Mattison is old and washed. Davante Adams is a top flight wideout. He is a boss. It is unfortunate that he has to play with these mediocre QB's. They don't have much else at that position. They drafted Brock Bowers, who looks like he could be great, but he is going to run into a rookie wall, and he is coming off an injury last season. The o line is unremarkable. The defense is good, and this is where Pierce shines as a head coach. Maxx Crosby is dope. He is an upper echelon pass rusher. Christian Wilkins found a place that fits. The linebacking unit is solid, as is the secondary. This is where the Raiders win games, on defense. I don't know how many wins that will be due to poor QB play and a mediocre run game. And Davante Adams may ask for a trade in the middle of the season. The Raiders made good choices this offseason, and they need to continue that trend for another season. Then they can make some noise. As for now, eight wins seems like the best to hope for based solely on their defense.

At number 23 I have the Minnesota Vikings. I may have put them lower if I knew about JJ McCarhty's injury sooner. Losing him for the year is a blow. I didn't expect him to help them win much, but he was a better option at QB than Nick Mullens or Sam Darnold. They are stuck with those dudes now, for better or worse. They signed Aaron Jones this offseason. That is a fine move, but after watching Jones the past two years, a player I adore, he gets injured far too much. He is good when he plays, but that gets smaller every season. Justin Jefferson is probably the best wideout in the game. He is fast, runs excellent routes, has great hands and just got paid. He is going to put up numbers regardless of who is playing QB. It is just unfortunate that he hasn't gotten to play with an elite QB yet. He is like this era's Andre Johnson, only better. TJ Hockenson is a quality tight end, and the o line does enough. The Vikings defense is not so great. I look at these dudes on their depth chart, and it is some washed dudes, Harrison Smith, a Michigan guy who frustrated me to no end, Josh Mettulus and a bunch of guys I've never heard of. The Vikings used to win with defense, but that is not the case anymore. The Vikings are going to struggle mightily this season, and McCarthy being done for the year does not help. I'd say five wins at most now after seeing the injury news.

At number 22 I have the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. You may see this and think it is too low. They resigned Baker Mayfield and seem to have it all figured out now you'd tell me. I don't buy this hype around Mayfield. I didn't like him in college, I was not a fan of him being taken first overall and I have watched him bounce from team to team. I don't trust that he has figured it all out. Rachaad White is counting on himself, and I like that confidence from him. I could see him having a solid year. Mike Evans is a good wideout who just got paid as well. He is about as consistent as they get in the NFL right now. You know he will produce. And Chris Godwin is a fine second receiver. And the o line is good enough. The defense, which is what propelled them to a Super Bowl in 2020, has taken a step back. Antoine Winfield Jr is still a good secondary player. And Lavonte David is a tackling machine. But outside of them, they don't have much. Vita Vea is old. Logan Hall is not a true threat off the edge. The linebackers, outside of David, aren't top notch. And the secondary has only Winfield Jr to count on. This is a team that thinks it has an answer at QB and probably thinks they are better than they actually are. I'd say nine wins is the tops for them, with seven being a more likely outcome. Baker Mayfield has to prove he isn't washed to me.

At number 21 I have the Los Angeles Chargers. Or maybe I should just refer to them as Michigan West now. They got the big fish this offseason when they hired Jim Harbaugh. The dude wins everywhere he goes. He has a proven track record and he brought a bunch of familiar coaches along with him. He has instilled his system with his staff and it will eventually pay off. Justin Herbert is a good QB. He gets treated as if he is great, but he hasn't earned that just yet. But, he is going to get to great soon. It is coming. Getting JK Dobbins to back up Gus Edwards is a solid, and heady move. If Dobbins can play half the season, he and Edwards will make for an interesting backfield. Harbaugh did let some solid vet receivers walk, namely Keenan Allen. That was odd to me. They drafted some dudes, Ladd McConkey and Cornelius Johnson, and they should be productive, in time. They also took a flyer on DJ Chark, who is a burner. The o line is okay, and they will build and get better in time. That is Harbaugh's thing. The defense is old, old, old. Joey Bosa, who is a dickhead, and Khalil Mack, while very good players, are on the back half of their careers. Derwin James is still going to hit dudes, but he may be a step slower this year. Asante Samuel Jr looks like he can take a leap. And maybe Denzel Perryman will find the fountain of youth. Jesse Minter plays a solid and sophisticated style of defense. Once these guys get clicking, they could be tough to beat. But the defense needs an inflection of youth. The Chargers will be much higher on this list as soon as next year. As for this season, they may struggle to hit nine wins, but seven or eight is not out of the question.

That does it for day three. 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 Ranks the 2024 NFL Teams: The Better Luck Next Year Bunch

Welcome to day two of my 2024 NFL countdown.

At number 28 I have the Denver Broncos. They are one year behind what should have been the start of a rebuild last year. They reached real hard, in my opinion, for Bo Nix in the draft, and it looks like he will be starting this year. I don't know how that will look, but he is older so maybe he won't hit a rookie wall. I'm also certain he will, but maybe I'll be wrong. They don't have the best backup options either. Zack Wilson is a bust and Jarret Stidham should only ever be an emergency QB. Javonte Williams is a fine running back, but he will get overused. He is all they have on that side of the ball. Jerry Jeudy is gone and all they have to show for it is Courtland Sutton. The other wideouts are not that good, and Sutton is, at best, a third option at receiver. The o line is middle of the road on their best days. The defense is young and inexperienced. They will do their best to keep this team in games, but it won't be enough. The defense and Williams is about all the fans have to be hopeful for, and they will be counted on for way more than they can provide. I have a very bad feeling about Bo Nix, and the fact that Jerry Jeudy couldn't wait to be gone is a bad sign. I think that maybe Sean Payton is too old school to win in the NFL at a high level again. He is building this team in his image, but this is not the early 2010's. He has to adjust or the Broncos will be left behind in a hurry. I'd say 6-8 wins is their best possible outcome. They will most likely miss the playoffs by a wide margin for another season.

At number 27 I have the New York Giants. This team is a mess. They chose Daniel Jones over Saquon Barkley. I get that running backs are more expendable these days, but Barkley is a once in a generation guy. Daniel Jones is one of the worst starting QB's in the league. He used one playoff win, a game that wouldn't have been won without Barkley, and turned it into a big payday. He is over, done, finito. Daniel Jones will be cut or traded by next season. They replaced Barkley with Devin Singleltary. That is akin to going from wagyu steak to on sale ground beef. No disrespect to Singletary, but he is nowhere close to Barkley's level. Malik Nabers was a good pick, but he already looks frustrated playing with Jones. He gets open, but the ball never seems to find him. Wan'Dale Robinson needs to pop now or it will never happen. The o line is fine, but they don't have a back like Barkley to block for anymore, and that has to be frustrating. The defense went out and got Brian Burns, which was a tremendous trade for them. He and Kayvon Thibodeaux form an excellent pass rush. And the secondary is really solid at every position. The Giants defense could make a jump from good to great this season. But, they will be on the field way too much because Daniel Jones is not the type of guy that instills fear in an opponent's defense. This offense is going to be anemic. They picked the wrong dude to sign long term and their wins will suffer due to that. I'd say eight wins is the best outcome, and that is only if the defense becomes absolutely elite. They need to be otherworldly for that to happen.

At number 26 I have the Washington Commanders. The Commanders are coming. I like what they have put together. The only problem is the youth. This team is inexperienced. But, this team is also athletic. I love the Jayden Daniels pick. He was one of my top prospects going into the last draft. He may be a little thin, but he will put on muscle, and if he can keep that speed, watch out. He has a good arm, can throw into tight spaces and he can extend plays. He has all the tools to be awesome. Brian Robinson Jr is a very capable running back. He can grind out yards and make catches out of the backfield. Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson make for a nice receiving duo. They have gotten better each season, and now that they have a competent QB, they could put up big time numbers. The o line is fine. They do enough. The defense is going young as well. They traded their two best pass rushers for picks. I wasn't crazy about it at the time, but I get it. They do have Clelin Ferrel and Johnathan Allen on the d line. They are okay enough. I, of course, love the Mike Sainristil pick. I think he is going to have a very long and very productive career. Jeremy Chinn is solid. Bobby Wagner is a heavy hitter. Benjamin St-Juste is a decent coverage guy. And maybe this is when Dante Fowler Jr figures it all out. The Commanders, much like the Cardinals, are coming, they are just a year or two away. All they need is for these guys to get real game reps, and that should make them a playoff caliber team in 2026 or 27. As for this year, seven wins seems to be the ceiling.

At number 25 I have the New Orleans Saints. This is a pivotal year for this franchise. Derek Carr is not the answer at QB. He is too small, too slow and cannot make the big time throws. This is another case of one good game making people think he was going to catapult into stardom. Both the team and the player need to move on from each other. Alvin Kamara can still do some cool things, but he is old and he wants out. I don't blame him. He has been anything and everything this offense has asked him to be, and they still don't give him all the credit he is due. I'd want out if I were him as well. Chris Olave deserves better. He could be an elite wideout with better QB play. Rashid Shaheed is the burner of all burners, but the QB's miss him too much when he is open. Juwan Johnson is an okay tight end, but they could find better on the open market. The o line is good, they just have a mediocre QB to block for. The defense is old. Cam Jordan was once great. He's still good, but he is double teamed constantly. Marshon Lattimore crushed in his rookie year, but he took a step back last season. I love Tyrann Mathieu, but he was past his prime two years ago. Demario Davis is fine at linebacker, but not as the anchor of a defense. This team needs to make changes, mainly in the back half of their secondary, their QB and head coach. They need a new mind and a new look. Until then, eight wins may be the best to hope for out of this team.

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

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 Ranks the 2024 NFL Teams: The Going Nowhere Bunch

Football is right around the corner. We are almost there. Luckily we had the Olympics to bide our time for a bit, I'm not much of a baseball fan anymore, but it has been pretty boring, for me, for all of the summer in regards to sports. But, college football starts in a little over two weeks, and the NFL is right after that. With that being said, I am going to do one of my favorite series of blogs. I'm going to spend the next two weeks counting down the NFL teams from worst to best, and then do a very big college football preview. I'll do four teams a day in the NFL, starting with my bottom four teams today. Let us tarry no further, it is time for the countdown.

Coming in at the very bottom of the NFL this year, at number 32 I have the New England Patriots. The Patriots have been on the decline for the past couple years, and now they are in full rebuild. They do not have much of any veteran talent and a bunch of unproven rookies. I was a big fan of the Jerrod Mayo hiring, but he is going to need a good amount of patience before this team looks decent. I hope he gets the time, but you never know. They have a few rookies to pick from at QB. They took Drake Maye number 3 overall, and got a steal with Joe Milton in the sixth round. I have been a Joe Milton fan since his days at Michigan, so I want to see him succeed. I don't know that he will play right away, but if Maye struggles, they have a perfectly good young guy to turn to. Rhamondre Stevenson is a solid back, but they will overuse him and he will probably get hurt. The o line is shaky. Hunter Henry is cooked. The receivers, outside of rookie Ja'Lynn Polk, are old and unproven. The defense is full of holes outside of Matthew Judon, who will probably get traded, and Jabrill Peppers, who is a fine journeyman. The rest of the defense is unknown, unproven and will most likely get lit up game after game. I don't think the Patriots will get beat every Sunday, but they will most Sundays. They are due another high pick in the 2025 draft. If you want a record prediction, I'd say 3-14.

At number 31 I have the Carolina Panthers. They got their QB number one overall last season, but Bryce Young really struggled. He didn't have much time, but when he did, he didn't do anything with it. He really struggled, but I do believe that he can bounce back. If not, he may not be in Carolina much longer. Chuba Hubbard looked like he may be decent last season, but he fizzled out fast. I don't know that I'd want to count on him as my starting running back. Adam Thielen had a solid year, but didn't get much help. I wonder if Diontae Johnson and Johnathan Mingo will add anything. I don't think so, especially since their former teams let them walk. They have no tight ends to speak of. And their o line is horrendous. They were one of the biggest reasons Young struggled so much. He had zero time at all. The defense is alright, but not that great. And they look a little old too. I have been a big fan of Jadaveon Clowney's entire career, but he is washed and doesn't stick anywhere that long anymore. A'Shawn Robinson hasn't really popped. The secondary is very blah. I just don't see any scenario where this team is any better this year than they were last year. The Panthers need Bryce Young to bounce back in a big way, but they also need help everywhere else. They may win, at most, five games this season.

At number 30 I have the Tennessee Titans. They went into full rebuild moment this offseason when they let Derrick Henry walk. It was best for both sides, but it was certain at that point that they were going to start over. Will Levis doesn't seem to have it. He looks more often bad than good. He looks scared at times out there. And he is not the best deep thrower. Tony Pollard had a moment in fantasy football, but he looks washed, which is a real bummer. I like Pollard, but he may be out of the league in a year. Deandre Hopkins is hurt and will miss time, which is not great because he is their best pass catcher. They signed Calvin Ridley, who is insanely fast and nothing else, and Tyler Boyd who is also fast, but under sized and hasn't produced much. The o line is very mediocre. The defense is very mediocre, except for L'Jarius Sneed. He is awesome. He is one of the best secondary players in the NFL. But he doesn't have a ton of help. Jeffrey Simmons is washed. Kenneth Murray hasn't been a world wrecker. Jamal Adams has become a journeyman. It is hard to find anyone, outside of Sneed, that really shines on defense. The Titans needed to rebuild, and they took the correct steps this past offseason. I'd say five wins is their ceiling.

My final team for the day, at number 29 I have the Arizona Cardinals. Now, the Cardinals are only this low because I think they just need one more year of a rebuild before they are formidable. Kyler Murray appears to be healthy again. I hope he is taking this offseason seriously because he is an absolute blast to watch when he is playing lights out on the field. He has a hell of an arm and is very tough to bring down in the open field. The dude can fly. I love the Marvin Harrison Jr pick. He was the best, most can't miss prospect in the draft. He is fast, tall, strong, runs great routes and is tough as hell. He is going to have a long, successful career. They need a better run game. James Connor is a great story, but he is on the bad side of his career. And they are not deep at that position on the bench. The problem, outside Harrison Jr and Murray, the Cardinals don't have any true threats, and the line is just middling. Those two need more help on that side of the ball. The defense has guys, but they haven't been as stingy as they could be. Budda Baker is awesome. I hope he stays. Sean Murphy-Bunting is a solid corner. They have some dudes on the d line that can get some sort of a pass rush. The linebackers are okay. But no one really shines in any area, except for Baker. The Cardinals are coming, but they are still a year or two away from truly competing. I'd say five wins, with seven being a possibility if the offense finds some more weapons to put on the field.

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

Ty

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

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I Think I am Chargers Fan Now

Football cannot come soon enough. I enjoy basketball, and the playoffs are good and fun, but my team is not in it this year. I am not a baseball fan at all. I am so bored by the games. I only like watching my son play, and I also coach that team, so I'm heavily involved. I am not a hockey guy. I don't watch car racing. I will goof around on Sunday's and watch "The Ocho" whenever ESPN puts it on for the day. Hell, I miss football so much, I have found myself watching UFL games with my kid because he is heavily invested in our local team.

I have found myself playing a good amount of "Madden" lately, in preparation for the college football video game release. As I progress in the game, I like to be different teams than just the Packers. The Packers are my NFL team. I have rooted for them my whole life. They are the team I want to see win it all. While not on the level of Michigan football, the Packers are very high on my rooting interest list. But, when playing "Madden", there has been one team I have been picking a bunch lately. That team is the LA Chargers.

This is probably an easy pick for people who know me. Jim Harbaugh is the new head coach there. They drafted Cornelius Johnson and my favorite player from the Michigan defense last season, Junior Colson. The coaching staff is made up of a bunch of former Michigan coaches. Harbaugh took those guys over with him when he took the job. I know some Michigan fans were bummed about this, but I understand why they went. It is the NFL. That is as high as it gets in football coaching circles. It was an obvious move. So, while playing the video game, and reading about their staff, and seeing who they drafted, the Chargers are now the second team I root for.

It has been decided. I am, along with the Packers, a Chargers fan. The Packers will be my priority. If the Packers and Chargers are playing each other I will root for the Packers. But, in any other scenario, the Chargers now have my fandom. I'm sure they are thrilled. But, this is where I stand now. Not only do I like the staff and some of the new rookies, I like their uniforms. I enjoy their color scheme. I love the lightning bolts they have on the helmets. Now that they have accepted that the powder blue is their primary color, they have hit an absolute home run. When they wear their 70's throwbacks, the color scheme is very similar to Michigan. It may as well be navy and maize. I think it is supposed to be navy and gold, but I like to imagine it's navy and maize. Along with the new rookies, I like Justin Herbert quite a bit. I have been a Khalil Mack fan ever since he was drafted by the Raiders. I wish Keenan Allen was still there, but hey, I will find some new wideouts to root for in LA. I am not crazy about a center d end and center on their team, but there is nothing I can do about that. And seeing all the offseason stuff with Harbaugh, him living in an RV, him getting his Michigan tattoo, him singing "Hail to the Victors" after drafting Michigan guys, I'm all in.

I think it will take a few seasons, the Chargers have talent, but not a ton of talent, so it is going to be a bit of a rebuild. But, I don't care about that. The Packers are in a good spot, and for the time being, I will enjoy my time cheering for the Chargers as well. Welcome to the fandom Chargers. I'm here and ready to root for you all. 

Ty

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

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Ty Watches the 2024 NFL Draft

Round 1 of the NFL draft happened last night, and I have thoughts.

As you may remember, I did my preview on Wednesday with my five players I liked, five I was down on and two sleepers. Most of the ten players I mentioned on Wednesday were picked last night. The only ones who weren't were Cooper DeJean and my two Michigan "sleepers", Mike Sainristril and Junior Colson. So, of the twelve players I mentioned nine were picked in round 1. That is wild to me.

As for the draft, it was pretty wild, after the first five picks. We all knew that Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye were going to go 1, 2 and 3. I also feel like these three ended up with the best team's to fit their style of play. I feel as if these three dudes are happy and will have varying levels of success, but I think all will be relatively successful. Then we had the best prospect, Marvin Harrison Jr going to the Cardinals. This is perfect all around. MHJ is the instant number 1 wideout, Kyler Murray has a reliable target and the Cardinals have a cornerstone to build around. Then, as Jim Harbaugh is want to do, he took a big offensive tackle to shore up the o line. Then it got a little odd. Malik Nabers was the second wideout off the board to the Giants. I thought it would be Rome Odunze, but I was wrong. Then the Titans reached hard for JC Latham. No disrespect, but there are better o lineman available today to draft than Latham. He should be a fine starter, but not a world beater.

Then the Falcons went nuts and took Michael Penix Jr at 8th overall. I didn't believe my son when he told me the Falcons took Penix Jr. I think he is a very good QB, and I like him and want him to succeed, but why would the Falcons take him, and take him that high? They signed Kirk Cousins this offseason. They have a bunch of young talent that they haven't figured out how to use yet. They need help everywhere on defense. They hired a defensive minded coach. And they took a project QB who is already 24. This was stunning to me. I don't get it at all. These things are why I could never be a GM in the pros. This is a true head scratcher. This is akin to the Bears traded up from 3 to 2 a few years back to draft Mitch Trubisky. I was floored by this pick.

To wash the bad Trubisky taste out of their mouths, the Bears jumped up and took Rome Odunze to pair with Williams and Keenan Allen. It scares me what the Bears did last night being a Packers fan. They got two excellent players in the first nine picks last night. They were the opposite of the Falcons. They made smart picks that help their team. Then RD's Vikings took Michigan's JJ McCarthy. I have said that I have doubts about McCarthy as a pro, but this was his ideal place to be picked. He won't be under the microscope, he has Justin Jefferson to throw the ball too, has a great o line in front of him and he is going into a situation extremely suitable for a rookie QB who may be starting by mid season. It was chalk with the next pick, the Jets taking Olu Fashanu, they need line help.

And then the Broncos reached almost as hard as the Falcons and took Bo Nix. I do not like this pick one bit. Sean Payton is old school, Bo Nix seems soft, he is older than Penix Jr and not nearly as good. I'd be upset if I were a Broncos fan this morning.

Bowers to the Raiders is nothing special to me. They already have a tight end, but Bowers is younger. Then the Saints addressed issues with the o line and took Tailese Fuaga. Then it was three straight defensive picks, Laiatu Lati to the Colts, which helps their pass rush. Then Byron Murphy to the Seahawks and their defensive minded new head coach Mike McDonald. And Dallas Turner to the Vikings. That pick is more impactful to me than JJ McCarthy. Dallas Turner should help make a very bad defense a bit better. The Bengals got one of my favorite players in Amarius Mims. I don't know how Bengals fans feel about this pick, but I love it for them. He will be an all pro in a few years. The Rams took Jared Verse to help and replace Aaron Donald's retirement. They need defense, they need d lineman and they took one of the better ones in the draft. The Steelers took o lineman Troy Fantanu, who will start day one and is a good blocker. Chop Robinson went to the Dolphins next, and hopefully he can make up for some of the guys who left in free agency. The Eagles got the best defensive back in the draft in Quinyon Mitchell. This was the latest example of the Eagles lucking into a star talent in the draft. Brian Thomas Jr is going to the Jags to add depth in the wideout room. Terrion Arnold fits in perfectly in Detroit. The Packers took a big o lineman in Jordan Morgan, which I am stoked about. The Bucs took Graham Barton next, and he will be one of the best centers in the NFL in two years. The Cardinals, after taking MHJ at 4, got edge rusher Darius Robinson from Missouri. This kid is talented and will rack up tackles on the d line. The Chiefs took a big chance, which I think will pay off, drafting Xavier Worthy in round 1. He is fast as lightning, will get a chance from day one, and will be learning from Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes. This is a homerun pick. And the final four picks were relatively chalk. The Cowboys got o line depth with Tyler Guyton. The Ravens got more secondary help with Nate Wiggins. The 49ers took Ricky Pearsall, who I was very unaware of, at 31. And the first round ended with the Panther getting Bryce Young an outside threat in Xavier Legette. He is big and fast.

Wrapping this up, I thought, for a draft, that this was kind of wild. It started relatively normal, but then the Falcons decided they wanted to be the talk of the sporting news this morning. And it only got nuttier from there. I'll be watching to see where the rest of the Michigan guys I like go, and where some other players I've watched for four year end up playing. The draft is always an exciting time for fans, and this year has upped the ante. Hopefully we get some more crazy stuff happening. Time will tell. 

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 2024 NFL Draft Preview

The first round of the NFL draft starts tomorrow night. As I do every year, I will give you five prospects I like, five I'm not so high on and a few, let's say two, sleepers. I don't do mock drafts. I don't do draft day trades. I don't understand the whole salary cap stuff. I go off eye test. I watch a ton of college football, it is my favorite sport to watch. I know more about college football than any other sport I watch. So, while not a "expert", I think I know this stuff pretty well. Let's get to it.

I'll start with the players I like. This QB class is absolutely loaded. This may be the best crop of QB prospects in the last 10 years. And while Caleb Williams is awesome, and I have my doubts about JJ McCarthy, my favorite QB in this draft, by a long shot, is Jayden Daniels. He is an excellent thrower. He is a wonderful scrambler. He reminds me so much of Randall Cunningham. He is skinny. He needs to bulk up. But, he had the best statistical season of a Heisman QB winner ever. Stats aren't my favorite thing, but I could see how great he can be when I watched LSU this past season. Daniels is the best QB prospect for me. Whatever team picks him is getting a damn good QB. On the defensive side of the ball, I like Dallas Turner from Alabama. I did not see much of him until the Rose Bowl, and he impressed me. He is big, 6'4. He is strong, 250 plus pounds. And he is fast and mean. He can hit. He flies around the field. He played very well against Michigan's o line, which was one of the best in the country. Turner is a day one starter and should be very productive in the NFL. The wideout class in this draft is almost as stacked as the QB class. Therefore, I have two receivers in my personal top five. First we have Marvin Harrison Jr. He is the best overall prospect in this draft. He is the most surefire player. He looks like he is going to have a very long, very impressive career. I don't care about him not working out or going to combine at all. What he did on the football field during games was all I needed to see. Second, we have Rome Odunze. He was the one player that really terrified me going into the college playoff championship against Michigan. He is sure handed, he is big, he is an excellent route runner and he is very fast. He is built like a ready made NFL number 1 receiver. I would jump for joy if Green Bay was somehow able to grab him. Odunze is awesome. My last player that I like, Amarius Mims. He only played nine games his whole college career. He is big, yet hyper athletic. He is raw, but when he figures it out, watch the hell out. He is going to maul players on defense. He is going to become one of the better run blockers in all of football. What he did in his short college career would be so enticing to me. He needs time, but in the end, it will be worth it.

Now to the players I'm not so high on. First off, Bo nix. He is too old. He is not a scrambler. He stayed in college far too long. He was a product of a system. I don't see it, and if he gets picked in round one, that would be a waste of a pick. Then we have Olu Fashanu on the o line. This kid is solid. He is big and can maul people from time to time. But when he had to face a real defense, Michigan for one, he got eaten up by Braiden McGregor and Josiah Stewart. He couldn't keep up with the speed. He got eaten up all afternoon in that game. Fashanu is going to be a long time starter, but being a top 10 pick seems like a reach. On defense I'm not so big on Byron Murphy from Texas. I think there are better options in round one for teams in need of d line depth and production. Murphy seems to be higher on mocks than a guy like Jer'Zhon Newton from Illinois. Newton is a better prospect. I think Chop Robinson is a better pass rusher. And Murphy is nowhere close to Laiatu Latu. Murphy is going to be overdrafted if he goes round 1. I don't like the way Brock Bowers came back after his injury. He was a no doubt first rounder pre injury, but afterward, he just doesn't look the same. He seems slower. His blocking didn't improve far too much. He sat out a bowl game that could have upped his draft stock. I don't like the way his season ended. He will be over drafted. Finally, I think Cooper DeJean is wildly overrated. DeJean got hurt, and hurt bad this past season. He is not the best punt returner. He is just an okay corner. He is small and slow. I'm not a fan at all, which means the Packers will probably take him, and it will drive me nuts. DeJean may be my personal most overrated player in the entire draft.

As for my sleepers, I'm going full on homer here and taking two Michigan guys. First, give me Mike Sainristil all day. He switched positions and became one of the best nickel corners in the country. He did what was best for the team and for himself. He is a great tackler. He can guard slot guys one on one. He is incredibly smart. He can read offenses. And then you have his background as a wideout, which makes him an interception machine. I would reach hardcore for him, possibly in round one. Finally, I have Junior Colson. He is one of the best linebackers to ever come out of Michigan. He was consistent. He was a tackling machine. He can cover backs out of the backfield. He played with broken hands and still put up numbers. He led the best defense in the country last year. Colson is going to be an under the radar guy his whole career, which will probably last well over a decade and most likely end up in the hall of fame. I adore Junior Colson.

That is it for my draft preview. Get ready to see a bunch of QB's and wideouts go tomorrow night. And then when round two starts, that will be where we see some true future stars getting drafted. 

Ty

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

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The Texans Won the Stefon Diggs Lottery

Stefon Diggs was traded to the Texans this morning for draft compensation. Let’s discuss.

This is a pretty big deal. This says a whole lot to me about both teams. On one hand, this move shows that the Bills need to rid themselves of a good amount of money. It feels like they overspent the past couple years in pursuit of a championship. They got close, but never to the Super Bowl. They had their shots, but they couldn't get over the hump. They were either victims of their own issues or they ran into the Chiefs. The Chiefs seem to have their number. Now the Bills have no real threats on the outside. I know a couple other younger players had better than expected seasons last season. But, can they keep that up is the biggest question facing them. I also think that having Diggs on the opposite side helped those younger players get open a bit easier. This is not the first move the Bills have made this offseason. Diggs is gone. They let their two starting safeties go. They have cut some other guys. They need to save money. They are doing that, but these moves may end up costing them some wins. Josh Allen is still there, and that is good. James Cook is a good, young, solid running back. But it kind of stops there on offense. And the defense, while still fearsome, is only getting older. And they have to deal with the Dolphins becoming an explosive offense. The Bills have some players they need to go out and get to become a division winner again. They will have to rely on unknowns or rookies, and that can be a tough go from time to time.

On the other hand, the Texans are loading up for a nice little run. It feels like they were not content to only win one playoff game this past season. DeMeco Ryans has proven how excellent of a coach he is, and now he wants to win it all. He has control over the defense. That is his area of expertise, and the Texans defense looks to be pretty damn solid for years to come. Trading up to take Will Anderson Jr last season was a genius move and it more than paid off for Ryans, Anderson Jr and the Texans. They also signed Danielle Hunter this offseason to add to the pass rush. The linebackers are good and the secondary is very, very solid. Now, with the addition of Diggs, this offense is electric. CJ Stroud was the best rookie QB in a long, long time. He was ready, he delivered, he put up stats and he was never scared of the moment. He exceeded everyone's expectations. They went out and got Joe Mixon as their new running back. I know RD was bummed to see the Bengals let him go. That is now benefitting the Texans, helping them to wildly upgrade their backfield. Then we have the emergence of Tank Dell, until he got hurt, Nico Collins and now, Stefon Diggs. Dell is young and fast and should be fully healthy for the start of the next season. Collins blasted onto the scene this season. I knew he had it in him when he was at Michigan. Now everyone is seeing how awesome of a wideout he can be. He is big, fast and has great hands. Add Diggs to the receiver room, now they have a very productive veteran. Diggs has done some awesome things in the NFL and I think a change of teams will greatly benefit him. He was clearly upset at the situation in Buffalo. Now he gets to go play for a team led by a young coach, with a young QB and in a warm climate. This should all excite him and fans of the Texans.

This is a homerun move by Houston and they are going to be a very scary offense. This is a team on the rise. This was a good, easy decision by them. 

Ty

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

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Kirk Cousins, the Grifting Quarterback

I simply cannot figure out why teams continue to give Kirk Cousins ungodly amounts of guaranteed money on his contracts. I am going to say upfront today, I am being a hater because Cousins is a football player whom I despise. I have not liked him since he was a college football player. I don't like how religious he is and that he is always spouting his religious rhetoric.  I don't like his anti-vaccine rants. And I hate the way he has culturally appropriated grills and chains. It is disgusting, not funny and looks very bad. So yes, I am a true hater of him. I had to let it be known. But, what is very irksome is all the guaranteed money this mid level NFL starting QB has accumulated over his career.

With this recent contract that the Falcons gave him, 180 million over four years with 100 million guaranteed, he will have made over 400 million just from the contracts he has signed that his agent has procured for him. That is a fleecing of epic proportions. I cannot fathom why he keeps getting these insane contracts. No one else gets this type of money. Players that are far better at football than him don't see 1/3 of what the Vikings and Falcons have shelled out for this glorified game manager. The only reasonable conclusion I can come up with is that he and his agent have some Earth shattering dirt on these teams. I feel like they know something that, if it were to get out, lots of people would get canceled and be in big, big trouble. That is the only thing that makes a lick of sense to me.

What is even more worrying is, he keeps getting these deals but never produces anything of use in the NFL. The most yards he's thrown for in one season is 4,547. That is fine, but not 100 million dollars guaranteed fine. The most TD's he's had in one season, 35. That would rank him near the middle most seasons for starting QB's. His best record as a starter, 13-4 with the Vikings. Seems okay, but when you look at his overall record as a starter, he is 78-70. That is middling at best. His playoff record, what should be of utmost importance when paying someone gobs and gobs of money in the NFL, 1-4. That is horrendous. There are so many QB's that are younger and have as many or more playoff wins than him. Jordan Love has one win already. Baker Mayfield has more playoff wins. Brock Purdy, Jalen Hurts, Dak Prescott, Russell Wilson, Nick Foles, obviously Patrick Mahomes all have more playoff wins than Cousins. Jared Goff has been to a Super Bowl and two NFC title games. Joe Flacco has a Super Bowl. Ryan Tannehill has more playoff wins than Cousins. Guys like CJ Stroud, Trevor Lawrence, Daniel Jones and even Mitch Trubisky have as many playoff wins as good old Kirk Cousins. These are just modern players too. There are so many other former players I could list that have won much more than Kirk Cousins when it counted most, but they have never seemed to get the contracts he has gotten over time. That is criminal.

The final aspect that worries me about this deal for the Falcons, Cousins is coming off a major injury at the age of 35. That is a death knell for most athletes. And Cousins isn't the most athletic guy out there. He never has been. So, giving him all this money, when he has a well known history of clamming up when it matters the most, when he is at or near the end of his career, coming off a massive injury, it seems foolish and negligible. I know the Falcons have higher expectations, but tying those expectations to a 35 year old injured QB with a bad history in major moments seems foolish.

I don't think it will work out for the Falcons. RD is a Vikings fan and I hear a bunch about how it didn't work out for them and how happy he is that Cousins is now gone. I feel like Falcons fans are going to have that same energy this time next year. We will see. But this deal, with this amount of guaranteed money for a middling, back end of his career guy would be very off putting to me if I were a Falcons fan. I guess I'm glad I'm not. 

Ty

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

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Ty Watches NFL Free Agency

NFL free agency opened yesterday morning and it has been wild. I do like to see some movement, and there has been plenty of it thus far. The fireworks usually happen on the first couple days, but it looks like they got a bunch of it done on day one. That makes it less stressful for the leftover free agents to pick their next destination, or to stay where they are now. I'm going to focus mainly on the running back position, but there has been big movement at other positions as well.

The Falcons gave Kirk Cousins 100 million guaranteed, and that blew me away. That dude has now fleeced every team he has played for to this point. Brian Burns was traded to the Giants and they now have a scary, on paper, d line. Michael Pittman Jr chose to stay in Indy and I think that is good for him and Anthony Richardson. And o lineman are finding new places to play left and right. Some QB's are going to have new protectors, most of which are solid players. The running back position has had the most movement by far. I expected that.

Running back is not the hot position it used to be. I feel like teams draft running backs, use them hardcore for three to four years and let them walk. That has shown its face big time during the first two days of free agency. Tony Pollard, who was a fantasy darling just two seasons ago, was shown the door by the Cowboys as soon as they could cut him. It didn't take long for him to find a new place, Tennessee. I think this benefits both parties because neither have any expectations. Pollard will get to play in obscurity as the number one back for the Titans, who are expected to be a bottom feeder. This move reminds me of Markelle Fultz going from Philly to Orlando. Antonio Gibson, who was the second back in Washington, has moved on to the Patriots. This is another rebuilding team that will give Gibson the first team reps until they decide to move on to a rookie. Devin Singletary is now with the Giants, replacing Saquon Barkley. This is a massive downgrade for the Giants. They may have a solid defense, but their offense looks to be woeful going into next season. Speaking of Saquon Barkley, he is joining the Eagles, and I love this move for him and the Eagles. The Eagles get a top tier back to go with a top five QB in the league and two of the better wideouts. This is going to make their offense even more lethal. Barkley is going to be great carrying the ball and getting receptions out of the backfield. The Eagles are clearly frustrated with how last season ended, so they are going to be making moves. Speaking of the Eagles, D'Andre Swift is now with the Bears. This is a good move for both, if the Bears keep Justin Fields. Swift probably knew that the Eagles were going to swing big, so he decided to sign with a team that has playoff aspirations and needed a good running back. Swift is coming off a career year and looks to be a nice addition for an up and coming Bears offense. Austin Ekeler is gone from the Chargers, heading to Washington. Ekeler is good, he can both run and catch, but he is on the back end of his career and a move seemed inevitable. I feel like Washington has been a place where players go to finish out the end of their careers unceremoniously. That is the vibe I get from Ekeler. Gus Edwards is heading to the Chargers to be the Ekeler replacement. This seems like a good fit for Jim Harbaugh. He likes to have two backs, one of which is a bruiser, and Edwards is just that. And the two biggest moves in my opinion are Derrick Henry to the Ravens and Josh Jacobs to the Packers. Derrick Henry to the Ravens is akin to Barkley to the Eagles. He is going to an already established team that needed a true three down running back. Derrick Henry has been the best back in the league for a few years now. He may be on the backend of his career, but he still has a bit left in the tank and he is going to love running behind the Ravens o line. This is a homerun signing. Then we have Josh Jacobs to my favorite team, the Packers. I love this move so, so much. As much as I adored Aaron Jones, and shouts out to the Vikings for snagging him almost immediately, he was often injured and couldn't be counted on for a full season anymore. And AJ Dillon has never been the back I hoped he would become. Jacobs is young. He is fast. He can break tackles. He can catch the ball out of the backfield. He is hungry to prove people wrong. And he is out of a situation where he was unhappy. I think he is going to thrive in Green Bay. He is the undoubted feature back. They have already given him a good payday. He is going to take a bunch of pressure off Jordan Love. He is going to help sustain drives. I'm thrilled with this signing. While it is not on the level of the Reggie White signing, this one makes me almost as happy. The Packers are taking a shot and I'm here for it. I cannot wait to watch him in the Packers uniform next season. This is a big, big deal to me as a fan.

Free agency has been pretty fun to this part. I'm sure it is going to get super quiet from here on out,but you cannot say that it was boring during the first day. Lots of movement and lots of money being shelled out makes for a fun and interesting offseason. Now I'm ready to watch these dudes on their new teams. I'm excited for a new NFL season for the first time in a long time. Let's get to it. 

Ty

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

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R.I.P. Chris Mortensen

ESPN analyst Chris Mortensen passed away Sunday at the age of 72. This one hurts.

First off I'm one of the people that has been very critical of ESPN this past decade. I find the network stupid. They fire the wrong people. They keep loud talkers. They are a company that is solely based on hot takes. It is a mess in Bristol. But, Mortensen was one of the good ones at that network. He was an NFL savant. He knew the game inside and out. His commentary on the game was always on point. He didn't really say nonsensical things. He never really fought on air. He wasn't on the talking head shows when other colleagues jumped at the opportunity. He was respected by his coworkers and contemporaries. NFL players would openly talk with him. He was damn good at his job, and he will be missed.

I remember first seeing him in "Outside the Lines". This was a show I stayed away from as a little kid, but as I got older, I watched it more and more. The ending was my favorite thing because each commentator would have a monologue on a topic of their choosing. I always enjoyed Mortensen and Mitch Albom's takes. They had something important to say, and it held weight coming from those two. Mortensen always had thoughtful commentary on the current state of the NFL. He was always well researched and spoke openly, be it good or bad, on the topic he chose. He kept my attention as a younger person. I would stop what I was doing to listen to what he had to say. He was tremendous during those segments. I also watched him quite a bit on "NFL Countdown". He would come on to give updates on trades, injuries or possible coaching moves, and his reporting was always sound. He never said something just to say something. He did his work. He talked to his people. He got all the information and then gave that information to the viewer. He was a respected NFL journalist because he did his job as thoroughly as anyone in the business. His draft coverage was better than Mel Kiper Jr or Todd McShay could ever dream of doing. Again, Mortensen did his homework and studied. He was never a hot take guy. Even with the draft. He did the work, got the correct info and delivered it like a professional. He was head and shoulders above anyone else that ESPN had work the NFL draft.

Later on Mortensen was front and center for deflategate. I am a known critic of this whole "scandal". Deflategate was pure nonsense, and this was one of the only times I ever rolled my eyes at Mortensen doing his job. It was silly and pointless. But throughout it all, I still found myself tuning in whenever Mortensen would have some new information. I knew he had studied whatever he was going to report hard, so I had to hear what I was going to find crazy from Mortensen. No one else could have made me tune in if they were reporting on such a nothing "scandal".

He left ESPN last year after revealing a throat cancer diagnosis that started in 2016. This was a real bummer when I first heard. But, he was doing the work during his treatment, as I expected. This time though, tragedy struck. He was married to the same person forever, he had a son who played college football and is now a coach. He passed away surrounded by his family at his son's home. His journalism will be missed. He was one of the last of the good reporters at ESPN.

Rest in Peace Chris Mortensen. You will be missed. 

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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Hail to the Chiefs, Again

The Chiefs are back to back Super Bowl champs. They did what was necessary to stay in the game, and eventually, as they have seemed to do the past six years, pulled the game out in the end.

I watched because, of course, I was going to watch. I am a football fan and the Super Bowl marks the end of the football season. My folks joined us, we had a good spread and it was a good time. But the game didn't really kick into gear for a long time. This was a very boring game for three and half quarters. Each team traded punts for a good while. The 49ers made it exciting for a second when they did a wideout pass for a td. That was a good, and much needed play in a very boring first half. Patrick Mahomes was playing tentatively. The 49ers would go on long drives and stall out. Both teams played relatively clean football. There weren't too many penalties. It was a slog. I think it was 10-3 at halftime, and I was getting vibes from the Rams-Patriots Super Bowl a few seasons back that ended with a score of 13-3. This was a defensive struggle.

The halftime show sounded good. I did the dishes and cleaned the kitchen, but my wife and son said it sounded pretty good. I also read that he had a pretty tight sounding guest appearance list. Anytime Ludacris is on tv rapping, I love that.

Then we got into the second half, which for the majority of the third quarter was playing out like the first half. There were punts galore. Then the Chiefs got a break. It was 10-6 and the Chiefs proceeded to go three and out for what seemed like the millionth time. They punted, but the ball hit a 49er, the returner tried to grab the ball but fumbled, and the Chiefs scooped it up. They scored on the very next play with a very, very well called play. The routes from the receivers were glorious to watch. The 49ers didn't quit. They went right down the field and scored. Jajuan Jennings was playing out of his mind. But the extra point got blocked. The Chiefs only needed a field goal. They drove and got it. The game was getting more exciting. Both teams may have been settling for field goals, but at least they were putting together drives and making this Super Bowl fun to watch. With a little less than two minutes left the 49ers had a three point lead and the Chiefs got the ball. This was a dope drive. Mahomes was finally making plays. He started to play with the energy he usually brings, and it was dope to see. They had it at the 10 with about ten seconds left and tried to get a td. They didn't get it, but Butker hit an easy field goal and we headed to overtime.

The fact that I read today that the 49ers were not aware of the new overtime rules makes this ending even more hilarious to me. The 49ers got the ball and drove it right down the field. It looked like they were going to easily punch it in. But the Chiefs finally pressured Brock Purdy and he showed his flaws. They settled for a field goal and then it was the Chiefs turn. And they took it right down the field. The Chiefs finally ran the offense that worked for them. Mahomes was getting the ball out quick and letting his wideouts do their thing. Isaiah Pachecho was running with power and speed. They got all the way inside the 10 with less than ten seconds left. And they played out the clock so well. That final play was icing on the cake. The way Mecole Hardman came out of his break, and was wide open, that was a thing of beauty. Mahomes easily put it on his numbers and that was that. The Chiefs had repeated.

It was dope. I had no rooting interest other than the fact that I have always been a hater of the 49ers. The Super Bowl may have taken a good long while to get good, but when it got good, it got pretty damn good. Both of these teams went back and forth and it was good to see them put it together near the end of the game. Patrick Mahomes got the MVP, which felt deserved with the way he finished the game. It was good to see and I immediately went to bed after the game was over. The better team won, the halftime show was good and the food was dynamite. All in all, it was a good way to spend the Super Bowl. On to next season. 

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.