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The Mid-Season check-in: NFL, NCAA, Draft w/ Eric Edholm · Scouting the League

• Rodrik David @RightStepAdv: One the hardest things to do for either a pro scout, but especially a college scout, is keeping your eyes on the big picture of what is going on in the NFL and on the college landscape. You are so focused on that week's opponent, perhaps your own roster or the schools that you're going to be visiting every week that you can lose track of everything going on across the landscape. But That is where we at Scouting the League are gonna step in, maybe help you a little bit with the help of our friend Eric at home over at Yahoo Sports. Eric knows the game, has been with the NFL, knows what stories are big. So today Neil and I sit down with Eric to talk about some of those big picture things that you're gonna want to know. But before we jump in with Eric, make sure you head over, like, subscribe, share this podcast wherever you're listening and watching. Hopefully, that video portion over on YouTube, hit those buttons. Give us the follows wherever you're at. I am Roderick David at Right Step A D V is where you can find me. My website, rsafootball.com, check out my background history, everything I'm doing, including my new website, rightstepscouting.com. But for more on that, check out this video. Yes, Right Stepscouting.com will be the spot for you to get those reports, one-liners, full reports, video reports, whatever it is you need as you get closer to making a decision, whether it's portal, whether it's draft, wherever you are at, get those reports done. So rightstepscouting.com and the other spot I got for you is thescoutingcommunity.com, where you can get in touch with me, talk about what you need to do, whether you're a Current NFL scout and you need some extra help, you need some extra resources, I can just point you in the direction that you need to go. Maybe connect you somewhere where your franchise is not measuring up. Or if you want to be an NFL scout, thescoutingcommunity.com is the spot for you. So go check out all of that stuff. Meal Stratton along for the ride today, as always. He's a little quiet today, so make sure you reach out to him on Twitter at Inside the League, is where you can find him. He is busy doing all things for Everybody at inside the league.com. So find Neil there. Eric at home is at Eric underscore at home on Twitter. Find everything he's doing at over over on yahoo.com as well. Make sure you are also checking out our partners over at bluemaka.com. They're the best insoles, insoles in every pair of shoes I have. Use code Scouting20 at checkout to let them know we sent you. Get that pair of insoles, whether you're on the sideline. you need that non-slip performance insole, it's going to be there for you at blue mocket.com. So go check it out. Use code Scouting20 to make sure you know we sent you. But as we get into it with Eric, again, a lot of really great conversation on both NFL and college. So let's get to it. We're excited to jump into it today as we get all that beginning stuff out of the way. But friend of the program, Eric Edholm is back, formerly of Yahoo, NFL.com, back with yahoo.com. Eric Edholm: Yeah. Rodrik David @RightStepAdv: So doing all sports coverage there. Eric, really appreciate you being back on with us to talk some ball here as we are man, making it past the halfway point. We're gonna talk NFL, we're gonna talk college. But first off, you're back with Yahoo. How is everything Eric Edholm: Yeah. Rodrik David @RightStepAdv: going for you? Eric Edholm: Yeah, it's been it's been about three and a half months, three months so far, something like that, and it's like riding a bike, first first couple pedals, you're a little shaky, and then you get back and steadied on it and and everything's good. So a lot of the same people I worked with before had been a a four year absence since I had last worked there. And my third tenure, I'm kinda like I joked I was the Jeremiah Trotter. of of Yahoo's sports. they just keep bringing me back and and no one knows why, But doing my best and trying to keep my head above water, really enjoying it. Rodrik David @RightStepAdv: Yeah, well we're not to Tyrod Taylor territory yet in terms of the places you've been. So again, goals you can think Eric Edholm: Good one. Rodrik David @RightStepAdv: about, someday being back with the team for a third, fourth, fifth time. But again, he's again, you you know what you're gonna get and it's a really solid. So again, that's why you put that kind of guy on on the roster. And Eric Edholm: Appreciate that. Rodrik David @RightStepAdv: but let's let's go ahead and jump into it. The we're gonna start with the NFL and really maybe the biggest story of the last couple of weeks. We'll talk about the Eagle struggles, but one of the things that's preempted that and that again we're still trying to kind of figure out is this Jalen Hurts injury stuff. Now, Twitter doctors, you can read one line, you can assume a bunch of stuff, but again, as we well know, the medical that teams are doing is extensive. Again, I would trust a medical, you know, medical team with any NFL organization a lot more than most, but there is some nuance to this, you know, Jalen Hurts. plot situation that you put something out on Twitter, Eric, you've got maybe a little bit more insight. Talk about that specifically from again, kind of what what you've gone through and what you know. Eric Edholm: Yeah, no, I i it's funny. I I had I had a blood clot years ago. This would have been after I'd had three or four knee surgeries after tearing my ACL and whatnot, and I developed a blood clot and I went to a hematologist and he, couldn't figure out what was going on. And, it was blamed on the knee surgery at that point. And I chalked it up to a okay, well, as long as I don't have multiple traumas in one area, I'm good to go. And Fast forward to to last March, I'm sitting at the combine in my hotel room getting ready to get out. And I noticed that my right calf was starting to swell up and and feel a little warm. And I thought, I remember this from about 14 years ago or 13 at that point, whatever it was. And and it was a very similar sensation. And I just had a worry. And so I I called my wife, who's a doctor, and I said, Heidi, I I I have a bad feeling about this. And she's like, All right, well, elevate it, do this, do that. We'll we'll see what's up when you come home. And so I continued my week at the combine, sat in those those those uncomfortable chairs at the at the dome there and and and drove back four hours in my car and and got home and sure enough, I had a blood clot. But the the most important thing I found out was that it was a genetic predisposition for it. It was called factor five Leiden. And so, you know, what what Heidi explained to me and what I understood once I talked to my doctor too was that, you know, it's important to find out in an otherwise healthy person. Why they're developing the blood clots. And you know, in Hertz's case, it was chalked up to this sort of superficial thing, not a deep vein thrombosis. And so a little bit more localized, more treatable, less concerning. And at that point, you know, I'm sort of nodding along and thinking, okay, this sort of makes sense, right? But then we find out it actually was a DBT and he had multiple blood clots in his lungs, too. And so from personal experience, I know that. The thing they're not telling you to do, as physicians is to hop on a plane, or in this case, two planes, one over one back. very long flights where it's very tough to move your your leg around and get the proper mobility. I mean, when I go on a flight now, look, it's compression socks and ankle pumping for three hours. I mean, it's it's crazy, but that's really what I have to do to to make sure I don't I don't have another incident. So, Yeah, I do have some personal experience with it. I think the the biggest thing that is going to determine Jalen Hurts's timeline or whether he actually plays again. And that is a possibility we have to consider, is that his career could be over. If he has what I have, which is or something similar, which is that you're a clotter and you'll always be a clotter, that means you're going on blood thinners for presumably the rest of your life. Now there are players who've had blood clots who've returned to the NFL. Christian Barmore, I think was one a few years ago. I believe Marquise Goodwin, I think when he was maybe with the Bears had a a situation. Again, there have been we've Trey Smith, another good one. Rodrik David @RightStepAdv: tr Trey Smith coming out of Tennessee. that was a massive deal that Scouse as a Midwest scout, we were trying to figure out. Again, the blood thinners time frame to get off of them than to be able to have a contact practice. So yeah, there's there's guys in the NFL, but keep going. Eric Edholm: Yeah, no, Trey Smith was an excellent one. he dropped to the to the fifth round, I think largely for that reason. No one was shocked when he played well in the NFL. And the fact that he's had a long career, speaks to the idea that there are players who can have develop blood clots and come back and play and play safely and and have long careers. But there are also those who are going to continue Neil Stratton @InsidetheLeague: Okay. Eric Edholm: clotting unless they're on blood thinning medications. You know, Zeralto or Eliquist one of those are the new kind of Designer drugs, I guess, that that that work most effectively. Back in the day, I took the the the stuff that would make you bleed like crazy. Like I would bite my cheek and it would bleed for an hour and a half. They're not quite that bad these days. They there's there's not that that same concern. But the internal bleeding is what you're worried about. You take a hit to the ribs. Normally most of us bruise up, you know, and it heals in a in a week or two or whatever, but That can continue to cause problems for someone like Hertz if if this is indeed what he has. So there's a real concern here. And I don't think people are talking about that aspect of it enough. I know there's the investigation part and everything, but doctors have to figure out why. And I'd be shocked if they don't have a good idea at this point already what what what he's facing and what his challenges are. And they haven't really spoken to that yet. So we don't know. Rodrik David @RightStepAdv: Yeah. Yeah. And again, going back to Trey Smith, I I don't recall specifically if his was a clot issue. I know there was a a genetic or some kind of heart age, and it was that blood thinner, like you talked about. It was the blood thinner. It was his again, he was out doing individual stuff for four days a week. He'd come Eric Edholm: Yeah. Rodrik David @RightStepAdv: off of it. He would then practice or practice for one day through a walkthrough, he'd play a game and then right back on Sunday, you're back on it again. That was a schedule, a an issue, again. Everything that an NFL team had to get really comfortable with. And again, the unknown, like you said, that unknown that I'd imagine the Eagles, Jalen Hurts, he's got a good, good agency. He's got a good organization that are trying to figure out the why, because that's number one for all the callousness that NF people want to point NFL franchise. They don't care. It's only winning. Jalen Hurts is a franchise player for a good front office that knows. Eric Edholm: Yeah. Rodrik David @RightStepAdv: how to treat players. I I think that's something that's been a common theme of every guest that has had anything to do with the Eagles. They're gonna do right by Jalen, which again, maybe it came about a little bit later, a little bit differently than they thought after that initial flight and questions, but now doing the right thing, shutting him down. Hey, let's figure this out. Let's think about the next again, five, six, seven years of your NFL future, not what has been a Tough go for the Eagles this year. We have heard there's going to be no discipline. There's still some poking and prodding, uncovering that the NFL, NFL PA is doing. Are we expecting anything else to come out of this specific medical situation? Eric Edholm: Well, I think for me the the the question is w why did the diagnosis change and what what new information came in? Were there only, cursory scans done? was this was this was he looked at thoroughly the first time? I that would be some the one of the questions I asked. There was also that that the a report that Jalen was told not to go to sleep and I I mean It sounds like a horror movie. I'm laughing because again, it's not a it's not a laughing matter, but I just thought it was the strangest thing I'd ever heard. And I, again, I asked my my my MD wife, what's that all about? She said, I've never heard of that before. So, again, it was like we just have to get the answers on this. I know they later blamed it on the the, this is a jet lag thing, and we're just teaching telling the guys how to sleep and and manage their their time so they could be fresh for the game. Now that doesn't quite add up with what we heard. So Some of the and again and also wh why was he permitted to to fly home? which again for a high risk patient doesn't seem very, very smart to me. So there are some things that I think need answers to. you know, the NFL has said it will welcome an an NFLPA investigation. I don't believe that's actually been formally filed yet or begun, but it will, it'll happen, I'm sure. but the union wants to get these answers so that it can. There's really no protocol, I don't think, for for blood clot patients. And so I wonder if this is not the kind of thing that that triggers something to be put in place, right? At least some sort of playbook for when this potentially happens to another player down the road. And just to use your Trey Smith example, again, I'm not I don't wanna suggest like I'm rooting for Hertz's career to be over, but you're a college offensive lineman and really good at what you do, can you afford can you get away with practicing one day a week and and doing this this weird medication routine and playing? Yeah, I think you can. Can you do it as a quarterback though? Mm, no. I I don't see it, right? Every week where you're you're barely in there part of the game plan and everything. And I don't know. I just I just there's so many things that that are gonna come out of this, I think, in the next six months or so. And Jalen's career and also I think a a pretty big standoff between the the union and the NFL could be are kinda hanging in the balance, I guess. Rodrik David @RightStepAdv: Yeah. Yeah. Well again, that's th this Jalen Hurts situation probably amplified by the fact that, the Eagles have not looked like we what we expect the Eagles to look like. Again, a tumultuous offseason, if you want to call it that. Seems like every year with the Eagles. Questions about AJ Brown, he's finally gone. Lane Johnson, he retires. The Cam Jugen situation. The Eric Edholm: Yeah. Rodrik David @RightStepAdv: the Eagles have not looked great, dealing with some injuries. Now you lose the quarterback. Talk about the Eagles here big picture. Is this a one-year reset for Howie, for Nick Siriani? Is this maybe the start of the end for Nick? I can't imagine how he's going anywhere. Talk about this Eagle situation, you know, bigger picture as we step back. Eric Edholm: Yeah, it really is fascinating and it's different, obviously, than what we've seen in any other year under Nick. There have been seasons where even when they ended up with a good record, you could feel the strain and and they were really a a a struggling team by January. That happened a couple different times. But this is obviously different, even in a year where the NFC East feels up for grabs, right? Even though the Giants have done well and and Rodrik David @RightStepAdv: Yeah. That's a nice way to put it. Eric Edholm: Yeah, it just the unknown, obviously, of of of what McCarthy might be able to do, what whether the Cowboys can jump back, you know, and the Washington's in that own, you know, their own little category too. And you know, even in a year like this, and even knowing how he's aggressive bent historically, four of the last five years, they have made a trade prior to the trade deadline. And the year that they didn't, they made a preseason trade for a receiver. So was it a major one? No. But they're always thinking about upgrading the roster and how can we get better and what what what problems can we address? I think there's something to be said for that. But looking at the big picture, given Hertz's status, I wouldn't count on him playing again this year. Saquon Barkley, you know, maybe we see him tonight. Maybe he's part of the future, maybe he isn't. you know, we're in a post-AJ Brown world. They traded him. Now that wasn't a shock, but trading Cam Jurgens. Two days after Lane Johnson retired, to me felt like an indicator of which way this potentially could be heading, which is, you know, these next three games are against division foes. That kind of will dictate how your season and how your division chase is gonna go. And if they don't go poorly, or they don't go well, I should say, the trade deadline is on November 10th, and that that third game is on November 8th. So you can see the the writing on the wall by that point. If they lose two out of the three or all three of them, then I could I think it could signal a a trade of some sort, whether it's, you know, a Lannon Dickerson guy to they just feel like, boy, you know, we paid him the money and and the health is a concern. Some team in the short run run, maybe the Vikings or somebody could use him. You know, let let's see what we can get for him. Or I w I would even throw Barkley out there. I don't know that he's realistically going to be traded, but I think they would be open for business if he if somebody called. I would also guess that that who am I thinking of the pass rusher? Nolan Smith, you know, who's a a possible right now is the third rusher and and I don't know that is gonna be in line for a second contract for the Eagles. Maybe, maybe not. He'd be a candidate. Moro Ajomo, the D tackle, who's again third in line behind two really highly paid good tackles. It's not like they wouldn't want to keep them, but I think they would consider trading them instead of losing them in free agency. So there's just a lot of players who fit that mold of tradable or possibly tradable that I think some activity will happen. Now, look, if Tanner McKee turns into, Ronjaworski and they all of a sudden start winning games, I suppose we could table that discussion, but Given everything that's going on, to me it points the opposite direction from what we've seen in recent years. Rodrik David @RightStepAdv: Yeah. The the Eagles were a lot of franchises, if we get to nine wins, ten wins, make the playoffs successful year. We're we're happy, build for the future, but this is a different franchise. Their h expectations are higher. Nick Siriani, for all the t time that he's been through with multiple years now, it's there will be pl it it won't be an easy spot to be. and Eric Edholm: Yeah. Rodrik David @RightStepAdv: like you said, the trade deadline stuff, which I know that's What you, everybody over at Yahoo, you're gonna have a ton of trade deadline stuff Eric Edholm: Yeah. Rodrik David @RightStepAdv: coming out, names, stories, anticipation, reaction. So that's gonna be something. Again, make sure you're following Eric over at Eric underscore at home on Twitter, following him at Yahoo. Again, the Eagles will probably be a team you're talking about. And the next franchise we're gonna talk about, again, it's already out there. Trade deadline, the Indianapolis Colts, they lose this week to Minnesota. They've got some big names. They've already let go of Chris Ballard, highly respected in the scouting world, but Eric Edholm: Yeah. Rodrik David @RightStepAdv: has just not been able to get them over the hump. I believe his one playoff appearance in the last four or five years, obviously drafting Anthony Richardson. One of the odd things that always happens when you make a early to mid-season change at GM is now Ed Dodd's friend of the program. Again, another highly respected guy, Eric Edholm: Yeah. Rodrik David @RightStepAdv: but unlikely. To be the next GM is going to be fairly influential in future roster pieces. First, talk about surprise, not surprise. What direction is Carly Irsay Gordon gonna go with this front office, in your opinion? Is he gonna be a veteran, a retread, or are we gonna see a little bit of Jacksonville? Let's go with some young whiz kid that's gonna, change the Indianapolis Golds. Eric Edholm: Yeah, I it's a great question. And I don't know the answer to it. my here's my my read from the outside. I know Ed a tiny bit, but we don't we're not close in that way. And so I haven't spoken to him. I I know Chris Bauer better and have have sent him some messages and everything, but as far as knowing what Carly Ursay Gordon is gonna do, I don't have that idea. I think there's a worry about the optics if you keep Ed Dodds. Now I I think he's a talented guy who should get a first lieutenant job somewhere else or at least be in the running for a GM job next year. We'll see, right? But he's he's a he's been a good soldier for a long time. Help built those those Seahawks teams up and and had some other you know good high moments that led him to the the the spot he was in. He was a big hire for Chris Balor when he got him in in 17, 18, whatever it was. I'm trying to remember now. It's been a while, but you know, they're they're bringing somebody back who was on staff if they let's say they say he's the new GM, right? Who you know, greenlit the Daniel Jones signing, who greenlit the Alec Pierce signing, who gre again, not everybody agrees. I'm just saying, you know, optically. You're part of the staff that that said, yes, Anthony Richardson could come in here and start. you know, all these other things that that you know, all the pass rushing prospects that they brought in rounds two and three a lot of times that did never quite pan out, even round one, two with Latu. And yeah, I think the biggest failure was their inability to solve the pass rush problem, but bigger than that the quarterback problem. Were they dealt something of a bad hand? Yeah, early on. But obviously they've had enough runway to this point to to figure it out. And they just didn't. And that's that's a tough thing to say about guys that you respect their work and their their eye for talent. So I think he'll get a a you know, a token interview or something, but whether he would be the guy, I don't know. That's that's a big question. Obviously the sauce gardener trait is another one that that I kind of forgot about too, with you know, two firsts and Ad Nai Mitchell for for him and and you know. We see sauce on the sideline talking to Carly or say Gordon as opposed to to playing. So yeah, it's it's tough. I think it's it's really gonna be interesting to see what direction they go and and how much Carly is, you know, is using outside help like a like a search firm or something, or whether she's consulting with other people, or is it just let's go get our Peyton Manning head honcho grand poo bah type and let him sort it out and be that. what Matt Ryan is to Ian Cunningham in in Atlanta or something. I don't know. does Peyton want the job? Is there a better man for the job? And also as it relates to Ed and the the trade deadline, how emotional are they in terms of like you can see Jim Mursay saying to to his staff, I don't want to trade Jonathan Taylor. He means too much to me in this franchise. I don't want to trade Quentin Nelson because that's a cult right there. You know, he had that that that romantic connection to to some of his key players. Obviously with Peyton, you wished he could have stuck around. And I'm sure he, one of his biggest regrets was how that was handled and how that panned out. But they got Andrew Luck. And that's why they were they felt comfortable with the move. but I just think there were certain guys that Jim would have would have held closely on. And I don't know that Carly has the same emotional connection to him and may tell Ed Dodds, you're free to to move these players if you if you see fit and we get enough in return. So maybe Ed Dodd sees this an o as an opportunity to make some impressive trades and give himself a resume boost and say, Hey, look, this is a new day here and and we can do things differently. So I again I don't know what direction they'll go, but there's a lot to figure out there. Neil Stratton @InsidetheLeague: Do you think in a million years Peyton Manning would come into that job? Number one, jeopardizing his name in Indianapolis. But number two, I can't turn on the TV without seeing Peyton Manning right now. he's got a charmed life. Why would he want Eric Edholm: So does Neil Stratton @InsidetheLeague: to take the chance of going in and having to split himself and all the kind of things that, Matt Ryan's doing in Atlanta? That's you see him in the booth every week. I don't know that Peyton Manning would be willing to do that. What are your thoughts? Eric Edholm: Yeah. I agree. But at the same time, his buddy Tom Brady could call him and say, I'm calling games over here for Fox. Meanwhile, I'm a I'm a a part-time owner Neil Stratton @InsidetheLeague: Yeah. Eric Edholm: or you partial owner of the of the Raiders too. You could do both, right? You could be a a a Neil Stratton @InsidetheLeague: Yes. Eric Edholm: a renaissance man here and juggle a lot of things. I I tend to agree with you though. I don't know that that's a job Peyton's willing to take on. And boy, if if The worst thing would be to have him reluctantly accept out of some sort of allegiance to the franchise or, you know, just wanting to get the the team, his original team back on track and then not having his heart into it or not being fully committed. That would be the worst thing because it would tarnish his reputation and it would hurt the Colts. So that's the key is finding somebody who is committed to the job of of getting this right. Rodrik David @RightStepAdv: Yeah. You you look at the what John Elway did with the Broncos, and obviously Peyton was part of getting the one Super Bowl that Eric Edholm: Yeah. Rodrik David @RightStepAdv: arguably helped salvage John Elway's time in Denver in the front office because there was there was a lot of years you looked at decisions he made and rosters he built and it was not real pretty. But again, when you can hoist one Lombardy, that covers a multitude of bad decisions and Neil Stratton @InsidetheLeague: One percent. Eric Edholm: yeah. Rodrik David @RightStepAdv: Again, like you said, can you bank if you're Peyton NFL players by and large are going to bet on themselves? Is that a n like you said, is that a bet that Peyton is going to want to make with everything going on in his life? I believe he's got a up and coming child that's a pretty well known recruit coming through the process. I can't remember if it's Peyton or Eli, one of them, not not Arsh, who we're gonna talk about. We'll talk about Arch in a minute, but again, there's still young Mannings coming up through the system. So again, a lot to lot to consider that. Yeah. That would that Eric Edholm: We could draft this kid. That would be the best Rodrik David @RightStepAdv: would be a perfect ending and hope for everybody that comes to that. But again, the Colts we're gonna see lots of discussion. Quentin Nelson, is gonna be one of Malik Pierce. I don't know. I'm sure there's gonna be some some of those mid round, you know, draft picks that maybe they want to flip for some kind of value, conditional fifth, six. Again. We're going to see some roster turnover. I don't know how we don't see some roster turnover, which for Shane Station trying to save his job, Eric Edholm: Yeah. Rodrik David @RightStepAdv: you you battle that. Does he get a realistic chance? What does he have to show? Are we going to see Anthony Richardson take the field? A lot of questions still to happen Indianapolis. And for teams, it happens every year where somebody gets traded for the value maybe you don't quite expect. 31 other GMs have to be at least calling. making calls, finding out, hey, what are these guys worth? What's it gonna take? Whether you're a contender, whether you're not a contender, grabbing that veteran leadership, you know, blue chip, whatever it is, grabbing that prospect to bring your franchise again, team like Miami, team like the New York Jets, where hey, we could maybe go get a guy for a little bit lesser value to help bring us, you know, into that future. So I think the Colts again, Eric at home and everybody over at Yahoo is going have a bunch of information stories on that. So make sure you check that out. But again, from the NFL side, let's run through a couple more. What Eric Edholm: Yeah. Rodrik David @RightStepAdv: else this season has been most noteworthy for you as you think about the, you know, we're we're what eight games into we got some bye weeks under our belt. What's been the number one story for you? Eric Edholm: Yeah. I guess the the least expected development has been Vikings six and Chargers O and Six, you know? I mean, like, you know, that right there will give you I mean it'll just sort of make you question everything that you sort of thought you knew. I mean, g you know, it's not like everybody was in love with the Chargers and it's not like everybody hated Minnesota. I just think it would have surprised me had you told me that those two things would both happen and obviously with the Chargers, the fact that the offense is is really a big part of the problem. if you'd have said, okay, the defense fell apart without Jesse Minter, I could I could understand how that might happen, right? If he came in and did a bang up job and left and maybe maybe he really was the difference or something. I did not think Mike McDaniel would would would screw up Justin Herbert or Herbert couldn't play any longer. So that aspect of it is is a little bit surprising to me. I know there are people out there who don't think quite as highly of of Jim Harbaugh in in this day and age and everything. but you look at his resume, it's pretty darn impressive overall. And it just feels to me a little bit shocking that that that they are where they are right now. Minnesota, you know, again, if you'd have told me six and I could have maybe understood given the defense we knew that was gonna be a formidable formidable unit, but depending on when you told me this, I would have asked, well, is is Kyler Murray the quarterback? Is it JJ McCarthy? Who's who's leading it? And it's not like Murray's been so impressive. So I that just one of those, it's just speaks to the the strange nature of this season so far, where they're the only unbeaten team, I believe. Am I forgetting somebody? They're the only ones, right? Yeah. San Francisco, yeah, Buffalo lost. Yep, Kansas Rodrik David @RightStepAdv: believe that as of this week and now that San Francisco went down and Kansas City. Yeah. Neil Stratton @InsidetheLeague: I think they're the only one. Yeah. Eric Edholm: City lost, right? So yeah. Does that mean they're gonna win the Super Bowl? No, it does not. I think it does change their level. I think it changes both teams' approach to the to the deadline. I would think that, Rodrik David @RightStepAdv: Yeah, certainly. Eric Edholm: the Vikings all of a sudden are thinking, can we add one or two offensive players who might turn this, you know, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen point unit into a twenty two point unit? I mean, that would that would go a long way. So I'll be curious. Rodrik David @RightStepAdv: Yeah. Yeah, they've they've won a lot of close games as I've got relatives that are, within a couple arm's length that are diehard Vikings fan, and they'll tell me this is worst six and team we've ever seen. But, they love the defense. It's been a lot of fun to watch. But I think they'd be happy to have another touchdown, a couple more field Riker, really good. Brian Flores, despite all the reports on the, everything that came out on him. He's running a good defense. You're gonna expect Eric Edholm: yeah. Rodrik David @RightStepAdv: that every week. And now we'll hope that come December, January, where they haven't been able to keep that for Kevin O'Connell. That'll that entire roster. Again, they just keep playing well. And a division that again, Green Bay, who knows? Detroit, who knows? Chicago, who knows? Again, could be anybody's Eric Edholm: Yeah. Rodrik David @RightStepAdv: division behind that. You could be talking about probably three teams from that division that could end up, making a run and being in the playoffs at the end of the year. But again the Chargers, big surprise gonna from a front office standpoint, it seems seems really quiet. Was definitely Joe Horti's type of front office coming from Baltimore, we're just gonna do our thing. The coaches have to get it together. Owen six, Justin Herbert. I think he's gonna stay. A are are you gonna be writing any stories about Justin Herbert trade deadline? Eric Edholm: Could you imagine? that would be the one of the biggest names. I I don't, it's I'm forgetting has there even been a quarterback traded other than a, just a provisional guy or, a a bridge starter. I can't think of too many who've been dealt around this time of year. So boy, that may be more of an off season discussion if they decide boy, you just we don't we don't see him ever breaking through. But it A year ago, boy, he was playing at a pretty high level. I I feel like I'm cra taking crazy pills when we talk about Herbert sometimes because yeah, I think we all recognize that there's been a lid on what he what he has done so far. But what he's I think we've also seen a pretty high floor at certain times. Maybe I'm I'm just not as good a quarterback evaluator as I like to think I am, but I mean again, it i I guess it's a it's a taste thing and and what he's done well has has tended to come in the middle of the year and not at the end of the year when it matters most. Rodrik David @RightStepAdv: Yeah. Yeah. Well, there's two more, two more NFL stories I want to ask you about starting in Washington. Again, Eric Edholm: Mm-hmm. Rodrik David @RightStepAdv: a really bad end of game situation, whether it was the head coach, OC, or the quarterback a couple weeks ago, you end up in a tie. You know, then there's some we'll say bad lip reading, good explanation from Coach Quinn. Again, a division that's wide open, a quarterback that has not been able to stay healthy, then you lose your backup. Adam Peters, Dan Quinn. Hot seat. Is it, hey, you've got to prove something in the back half of the year? We've seen, again, a certainly different kind of ownership ownership there, but this is a spot that, hey, you you got there a couple years ago and have argu arguably only gone backwards. What's what's the concern level in Washington for you as we you know hit the second half of the year? Eric Edholm: Yeah, it's gotta be high, I think. there was that brief glimmer of hope, obviously, at the the end of well, the last two games really, I guess. And you know, first of all, when they won that Seahawks game, it felt like, okay, this is a pretty good step for this team. Turn around, get blasted at home by the Colts, you know, at least on the scoreboard, blow the game against the Giants at home, forced to to eat a tie, and then l g get thoroughly outplayed in the first half, but mount a pretty darn good comeback and are one catch away from beating the 49ers or or going up on them late. And it was just such a strange night. Obviously, like you said, we kind of got a a good explanation of what the lip reading was before halftime on that fourth and two play. But it still doesn't answer for how Jaden Daniels played that play. The second half he looked like a competitor. He looked like a guy who was actually dictating the play and and a a commanding force at quarterback and I was just like, wow, where where's this been? And we need more of that, right? And some of that could have been the 49ers defense for an out of gas a little, some of it could have been what Daniels is capable of, because we saw it. We know what he what he did his rookie year. But that level of urgency isn't always there. And and Quinn's you know, his mistakes and obviously what happened, I think, prior to halftime of the Dallas game in week two was something that We shouldn't forget, Jaden was on the ground there, left to just hang out by himself for a good two minutes. None of his teammates checked on him. Now, maybe some of them didn't see what happened, but that was to me the start of the the questions about Daniels and the chemistry around the team and Quinn and everything else, because that felt like a bad look. that went away a little bit, obviously with the backup quarterback in there, and then he comes back and It's been up and down. So it's just a whole lot to sort out. You've got this this brand new play caller who, you know, David Blau didn't really come in with credentials other than them being a quarterback. Quick ascension, he'd been in the building, which helped, I think, but you know, a little bit of a surprise higher in some regards. And, you know, I don't know that you say that his play calling is holding the team back, but it it's part of the discussion that goes with Quinn and this team. So Josh Harris looks like a guy who will is unafraid of making bold moves. So Quinn should feel concerned. I don't know about Adam and his status. I thought he had a great first off season, his draft and free agent class. And I think everything since then is has been, you know, open to scrutiny. So depends what the owner feels is how important is marrying the GM and head coach together and how important is it for him to just sort of bring in two guys at the same time. I don't know. You know, those might be questions for for March, but but I think Quinn's gotta really turn this thing around quickly. Rodrik David @RightStepAdv: Yeah, yeah, you gotta get some stuff done in the second half. And again, in in a division where he certainly could make a run, you get hot at the right time, you could end up being being sitting right there. Well, the the last one, we came into this year. This week's gonna be the best Rams team we ever saw. This was they were going to be the class of Eric Edholm: Ever. Yeah. Rodrik David @RightStepAdv: the NFL. We're gonna get Aaron Donald back until this week. They were sitting fourth in divid in the division. Now they're sitting third, but you did lose to the Cardinals who are sitting behind you now. You're up and down versus the Raiders, but you do get a win. Is this still a Rams team you're buying stock in knowing that they know how to win and fully expect them to be making a run here at the end of the year? Eric Edholm: I I'll say it this way. If I was a stock trader and and NFL teams were able to be purchased like that, I would have bought after the Arizona game because obviously the price would have been super low. I say this as if I'm some savvy investor, as if I'm the most disciplined guy on earth. Everyone knows, right? When when those sorts of things happen, the opposite feeling is what happened. I'm not touching that stock, but really that's where I think the value would have come from. And they're they were so down at that point. and obviously one solid to acceptable win over the Raiders is not gonna whitewash all of that. you know, it was on the road by multiple touchdowns and they were safely in command most of the game. But, you know, there's still stuff to clean up. There's still questions. Devante's out for possibly the the remainder of the regular season, at least a big chunk of it. But you look at their schedule. Chargers this weekend, I think commanders after that, and maybe the rematch against Arizona before the bye. I don't have it in front of me, but you know, those are three winnable games. And if they win those, what are they all of a sudden six and four? Is that right? Four and three right now? Yeah. So or three and four, sorry. They're three Rodrik David @RightStepAdv: I think that's right. Yep. Yep. Three and four, yeah. Eric Edholm: and four. You add three wins, you're in you're in decent shape. You also look back, they've had years where they've been one and five under McVay, three and six, and still made the playoffs. And they tend to be one of those teams that's more dangerous at the end of the year than they are at the start. So I know there's a lot going on. I know Stafford hasn't played great. I know Miles Garrett hasn't hasn't shown anything yet. I know they're asking a lot of Aaron Donald in his return, which seems almost unfair in some regards. But I I think they're gonna have something to say on the playoff field. I don't know if we're talking to Super Bowl team here, but I I yeah, I am by it. How about that? We'll put it on we'll put it on tape. Rodrik David @RightStepAdv: There we go. There there's the definitive statement we wanted. Yeah, again, Eric Edholm: Long winded way of saying it. Rodrik David @RightStepAdv: it it's baseball, you talk about it all the time. We're we're thinking about the playoffs. Again, we need to get above five hundred. We're gonna make the Eric Edholm: Yeah. Rodrik David @RightStepAdv: playoffs. It's a little different in the NFL as we've expanded. Maybe it's a little bit easier for the Rams to do that, knowing, Hey, we if we're if we're over five hundred, we like our chances. Again, it's a dangerous game to play because we know how thin that line is in the game of NFL football, but that may be where the Rams are at. And we got a really fun second half of the year. I'm sure there's gonna be plenty more storylines that you and everybody are Eric Edholm: Yeah. Rodrik David @RightStepAdv: gonna be writing about. So make sure you're following Eric Edholm over at Eric underscore ed home on on Twitter as we transition over to the college game. When we thought the NFL was, you know, up for grabs every week, we see it on the college level. every bit. We've got Miami sitting there undefeated. You can't make an argument that they're not the best team in the country right now the way they're playing. But after that, we've got one lost Ohio State team now number two. BYU, big win against Notre Dame, turns around, gets beat on the road against UCF. We've seen Georgia Eric Edholm: Yep. Rodrik David @RightStepAdv: go down to Auburn, who is we'll say rebuilding. we've got Texas who again who knows what Texas is, who knows what Arch is. We've got a wide open race We could talk about a bunch of these teams, but I want to focus on Notre Dame right now because Eric Edholm: Yeah. Rodrik David @RightStepAdv: of the schedule, because of what happened last year. They lose a really tight, maybe you can say controversial game, you know, at the Eric Edholm: Yeah. Rodrik David @RightStepAdv: end there to BYU. And now you've got Notre Dame coming up on November 7th. You could be a one-loss Notre Dame that's probably a top four team. Are you a two loss Notre Dame team that misses out on the college football playoff again again because you probably don't have a quality win on your on your record? So talk about Notre Dame and what they need to do. Eric Edholm: Yeah, you're right, I think you're right to suggest they have a r a little bit of a resume problem. You know, Wisconsin is played well, UNC, you know, so there's some help from some of the teams on the schedule. I know Kirk Herbstreet would disagree with me, right? What did he say? It was an embarrassing schedule, right? Not quite that, but it's without the Miami game, it does lack that marquee victory, right? That's the big question. And I think they can beat him. I think that would be the one game that I would predict Miami could lose. and Rodrik David @RightStepAdv: Yeah. Yeah. Eric Edholm: the way that BYU game went down, I I'm not making excuses for I don't make excuses for for Notre Dame. I promise you that. But, you know, I it felt like the the the sequence near the goal line, you know, that that fumbled snap or whatever it was. that and then the PI, the lack of a PI call really kind of hurt them a little bit. And we've we've been begging this team to to play a tougher schedule and to to really put forth a a a quality playoff resume. But I think at at ten and two they can still get in if they beat is SMU would probably be the the toughest game, I think, left on their schedule. but, you know, they they won ten games a year ago and didn't get in, right? So I think the fact that there's more entropy this year and just more like everyone has at least one kind of mar on their record. You know, whether it's Ohio State's loss to, you know, they're not in danger of losing, but you know, Saiyan's injury and losing at Texas and you know, Indiana's loss and and other, you know, the Georgia thing you mentioned. I could make a case for Georgia being really tough to beat, but you know, they still have one of the worst. losses among those top teams. So I I don't know. I I tend to think they're gonna get in, not necessarily as a makeup call, but just because of the field being what it is and and a lot of questions. And if there are three or four teams all even and they they could end up being pushed to the top of that list and and find a way in. I just think it'll somehow happen. Neil Stratton @InsidetheLeague: by next year we won't have to have this conversation at all. every division with the team pretty much gets in, right? Eric Edholm: Is what is it now? Forty eight teams, seventy two? I forgot. I can't even as a Missouri Neil Stratton @InsidetheLeague: the NCAA tournament. Eric Edholm: fan whose team is perpetually ranked twenty third in the country, this is probably our best chance to get in. So I I guess I'm for it. I don't know. Rodrik David @RightStepAdv: Eric, of all the one loss, potentially two loss teams, the the the easy one be like Ohio State belongs to number two. But again, you you mentioned the Saiyan injury. That could loom large, especially with the way the quarterback play looked at the end of that Indiana game. Now they had the bye week, they'll get it figured out. Georgia, again, a lot of pieces. Now they just have to put it together. Who is who who's that next best team? It it I I haven't watched enough BYU to feel good about them. Georgia, they're gonna have the talent. Eric Edholm: Utah. Yeah. Rodrik David @RightStepAdv: Ohio State, they've got talent everywhere if they can get at least serviceable quarterback play. Who's who's that next team? Like, okay, Miami's one, this is this is who I'm putting my rubber stamp on as my number two second best team that's going to be that team at the end of the year. Eric Edholm: Yeah, I really wanna say Georgia, but Neil Stratton @InsidetheLeague: Sorry. Eric Edholm: yeah, I don't know, man. It's tough. Indiana, I think, is in the discussion. Hoover's disappointing me though. I don't think he's a great quarterback. I really don't. And what what made them special last year was that they had a good, very good roster, but but I thought Fernando elevated them and and made them a a Clearly a better team, and and he saved them in some situations too. And I don't think they have that this year. I think their defense is really good. They're really disciplined. the the turnover ratio number, where they've gone, how many games without losing it? it's just so indicative of the kind of football Kurt wants to play and has played largely. So they'd be in that mix. I'm not as big a believer of. Yeah, I don't know. Some people are even suggesting LSU is is really one of those scary teams in waiting or whatever. Maybe they Neil Stratton @InsidetheLeague: Yeah. Eric Edholm: are, but Rodrik David @RightStepAdv: But quarterbacks I don't trust. Eric Edholm: yeah, exactly. I he could he go with could Sam just turn into a a a Baker Mayfield type playmaker? Yeah. But he also could could give away a game. So I'm with you there. And again, some of like the the Is it possible this year that a BYU or a Utah or UCLA or Northwestern or somebody sh Sneaks in and gets a much higher ranking than we expect. Maybe, So I I don't have a lot of good answers for and I'm curious to see how it all shakes out. I mean, maybe we're sleeping a little on Alabama because of the second loss, but you know, USC doesn't impress me all that much. And I don't know, just the field feels a little light for elite contenders right now. Rodrik David @RightStepAdv: Yeah, again, that everybody will tell you it's the portal era, it is, the the transfers, it's the the money, the evening out, all of it. Again, there's not a team that has looked even even last year when Ohio State didn't win at all, they looked really dominant throughout the year. And we don't Eric Edholm: Yeah. Rodrik David @RightStepAdv: again, the fact that we're there's one truly team they and again, you can't point at Miami's schedule and necessarily they say they've played any powerhouses. Again, that Notre Dame game loobs large for them too. And If they lose that one, they could certainly slip down. Darien Mentz has been fantastic. Malachi Eric Edholm: Yeah. Rodrik David @RightStepAdv: Tony's really fun to watch. So it's gonna be it's gonna be, fun to go through as we get in in the college season. And when when we talk about teams, obviously we we mentioned the quarterbacks that could make or break these teams. And arguably the quarterbacks who were sitting at the top of the board, your October, I believe it was October 9th mock draft, you had Trinidad Chambless. And Arch Manning, I believe, going five and six, and then a young Eric Edholm: Mm. Rodrik David @RightStepAdv: man that has taken the country by storm down at Oklahoma State, Drew Mestermaker. I believe you had him in the teens. Talk about that quarterback spot. One, is Arch Manning still a 2027 draft prospect? Is Drew now your number one overall prospect because of the position? Start with quarterback, start with draft when we start thinking about these guys. Eric Edholm: Yeah, I think what Drew ha coming into the year, I think most people who do this who follow the draft knew well about him. They s they watched his North Texas tape over over the summer. They were excited about, Wyatt Young and other players coming with to to bring what they had there. Similar, I would say, in some ways to how Kurt brought a lot of JMU guys there to to not a quarterback, but but a lot of guys. And the first game, the Tulsa game, was such a dud. I thought, geez, we're getting hyped up over this guy, you know. I was wrong. I and I'm not afraid to admit it. Obviously, everything since then has been a far more exciting brand of football. and not flawless, right? I mean, he still makes some mistakes. In fact, the Oregon game, you know, as as dramatic as it was, and and as many flourishes he had, you there was there were some missed opportunities, there were some poor reads out there too. So the tape isn't perfect, but You see this, I I hesitate to compare anyone to Josh Allen, but you see that kind of freewheeling style or that, you know, Drake May caliber athlete. He's not as big as either guy, he's not as thick and and maybe doesn't have quite as much juice in his arm as Josh does. But that kind of a playmaker, I think, is is gonna be really enticing. Younger, bigger specimen, you know, better physical caliber, I would say, than than Trinidad Chamblis, who's older also. You have to overcome the age and the the size limitations. And his play is leveled off. You know, not in a dramatic way, but from the high highs of of that win over LSU, I think, and to even with a couple of bad throws to what we've seen recently. It's been good. A lot of misfires against Missouri. I thought Saturday was more good than bad for him, but Yeah, I I think I had MestiMaker ninth to the Cardinals in that first draft, and and I'd probably at this point be a little bit surprised if he wasn't quarterback one. The the Arch Manning question's fascinating, because everybody on Saturday on Twitter was like, aha, Arch is answering his critics. And I thought, you know, those those deep throws that we saw are not new. They're not novel. They're not like a developing, like, finally he completed a deep pass. No, he's done that. The little stuff is really what he struggles with. And so Sark scheming open a a a deep deep shot to one of their first round wide receivers does not move me on arch. What what needs to change is the basics, right? Handling protections and understanding when to take chances and when to be a little bit more conservative and getting a better feel for because there are times I think he looks really good moving around the pocket, and other times where he's just sort of drifting in a little bit aimless. And Neil Stratton @InsidetheLeague: Orbson Eric Edholm: boy, I don't know. I it all adds up to I will say this. I talked to one person who has worked with Arch before and who said to me, preseason August, like before the game started, don't assume he's coming out. So there's been this feeling of hey, Arch could be a five year guy in in college. And it wouldn't and this is this is when his hype was theoretically at its at its peak. So, you know, that I think that thought has been in the f the family's mind and in his mind as a possibility if he wasn't preordained to be the number one pick. And right now he's not. But would he Neil Stratton @InsidetheLeague: It would Eric Edholm: be a first round pick if he came out? I think he would. Neil Stratton @InsidetheLeague: This time next year, Eric, is he in Austin? Is he somewhere else in college? Or is he well, Ed, listen, that's the question. Eric Edholm: I I think he's in Oxford, Mississippi. And I don't Yeah. Neil Stratton @InsidetheLeague: if he stays in college, does staying in Austin, is that the best move for him at this point? Eric Edholm: No, I don't I I just have a feeling that they, four years there, one red shirt, one year as a as a part-time player, behind Quinn Ewers or alongside Quinn Ewers, however you want to say it. You know, you replaced them, I think, for a couple games, but also would they use them on, you know, gadget plays and whatnot as a change up. And that's a long time and we haven't really seen that that that that steady growth that you would hope for. So I have a feeling it would be somewhere different. And I think even though he didn't consider Ole Miss out of high school reportedly, I don't from what I understand, that wasn't really a tea school that he was considering. I think given, you know, how the connection obviously to the Manning family, Eli and Archie, but also the fact that, you know, Pete Golding's answered some questions there and and done some good things. And I wouldn't be totally stunned if he ends up being Chambliss's replacement there. So They'll get as good a shot as anybody if he does stay. Rodrik David @RightStepAdv: Yeah, it's in your again, that October ninth mark, you had five quarterbacks going in the first round. Mastermaker, you had Arch, you had Trinidad Chamblers, you have Darien Mensah going Eric Edholm: Yeah. Rodrik David @RightStepAdv: thirteen overall to the Steelers. So I think they've got a fantastic quarterback room right now. I I thought one of those guys might get dealt at the end of the preseason a developmental Drew Waller. You've got obviously Aaron who again finding a way to get things done there. You also have Dante Moore who We haven't seen a lot this year. Are you sticking Eric Edholm: Yeah. Rodrik David @RightStepAdv: over under five first round quarterbacks this year? I where where are you at with the overall number? Eric Edholm: My my gut says to to lean under, but I think we have to figure out who's who's gonna be in this class because there are two, in my mind, potential interlopers who could change the discussion, right? Austin Simmons from Missouri would be one, and CJ Carr from Notre Dame would be the other. Easily could see both going back to school, could also see both come out while you know their stocks are high. CJ obviously has a little bit more runway. He started last year. you know, I think the success of the team even with the BYU game will will will help his cause. And he's I think looked better than last year and and shown a little bit of maturity on tape and and and could be an NFL quarterback. The same holds true for Austin Simmons, but the problem is like when when things are on schedule and on time, he looks great. I mean, a natural lefty thrower with beautiful spirals, you know, across the the field, arm strength. Can make virtually every throw, but when things are off schedule and there's pressure and there's or he's asked to do a little bit of creative stuff, that's when you see the limitations. And I think that's my biggest question with him right now. I love Austin Simmons. I think he's great, but I also think that, he's gotta be he's gotta have everything orchestrated well and not have I don't think he thrives amid chaos as well as you probably need to at this point. So Do they come out? Do they stay? Moore's situation is so strange, obviously, with the concussion. Not strange. I just mean it's it's hard to evaluate. Didn't wasn't playing in an exceptionally high level before that. I think everybody looks back and says, why didn't you just come out? You could have maybe didn't want to go to the Jets, maybe he didn't feel he was ready. who knows how that would have actually ended up going, but I think he would have done very well. And now not so sure. So I'd put him as maybe a later first round pick and and possible second rounder. But you never know how these things go. He could, he could, I know their OC is gone. I know that situation isn't real pretty. He could opt to just shut it down, but maybe there's a way of of re-kindling his stock a little bit. And same question with March. Does he declare? I, Mensa to me has a little higher floor, lower ceiling, but I like the player and he's executed at a really high level. It's just a question of. How much better is he gonna get? Can he can he elevate an offense? Can he can he be a difference maker or is he more of a facilitator type in the NFL? Rodrik David @RightStepAdv: Yeah. Yeah. Again, the Austin Simmons to Ty Simpson last year. I could see some parallels there. Find that veteran quarterback. We're going to sit Austin for a year. It's known Eric Edholm: Right. Rodrik David @RightStepAdv: going in. Again, that's where you get that maybe surprise mid to late first round pick for a guy like that. But then this is one where generational quarterback class coming in 2027. And at one point, as I was going through like it for me, there was one guy that belonged in the first round. in this class, and that's gotta be Messen Maker at this point. The rest of these guys, like you said, facilitators. Now again, if you're a graded, you know, traditionally a first, second, third round grade for a quarterback, that means you're gonna get drafted in the first round. There's some guys that the Maeva kid at USC, again, game manager, Eric Edholm: Yeah. Rodrik David @RightStepAdv: facilitator has a little bit more of those traits. Darien Mensa kind of falls into that category for me. But those guys Teams take chances in the first round on quarterbacks if they need And we could certainly Eric Edholm: Yep. Rodrik David @RightStepAdv: see again five, five seems like a big number for me at this point. But again, just Eric Edholm: I agree. Rodrik David @RightStepAdv: like in the NFL, we got a lot of season left to go. We'll see, we'll see who elevates. Again, I don't think there's any question your number one pick overall. If the tight Texans go out and get Jeremiah Smith, now again, I can't imagine Houston's gonna be drafting one overall, but Eric Edholm: Right. Rodrik David @RightStepAdv: man, he Jeremiah Smith, he's the best player in the country. He shows it. Malachi Tony, he's also really good. Just on a Eric Edholm: Yeah. Rodrik David @RightStepAdv: different level, though. Colin Simmons, Leonard Moore. I don't think there's a lot of debate among those guys being three of the top five players. Dylan Stewart had been in this conversation. Bad look, bad situation, suspension comes back and plays this week, impacting the game. Does does Dylan Stewart crawl back up into the top five? Does South Carolina has some fo somehow found a way to kind of, you know, re you know, reanimate their season? Eric Edholm: Yeah, he's gotta be the the the one guy who has a chance to rewrite his script a little bit. Obviously when he was suspended indefinitely and it felt like boy, I could see him just wanting out, not coming back. It did get answered pretty quickly and I thought he played well against Florida. He played well against Tennessee. When he's been out there, he's created pressure. You could see him just shot like a gun out of the out of his stance and and routinely the first or second guy off the ball every single snap. they did work him back in, but it did feel like the last two games he played a a a bigger chunk of the action and and should be expected to play from here on out. You know, the thing you have to mention is it's like he was still a traits over production prospect. Entering the season. So, all told, what does he have? 12, 13, 14 sacks in his career, somewhere around then. And we're talking them parts of three seasons. So, it's been okay, but but really it's the production on a per snap basis that it's exciting. And the the traits are still really good. 6'5, you know, all of 250 with that that kind of quickness and also bending ability. in that regard, I think he's better than than s than Colin Simmons. Simmons may be an overall better polished football player at this point. I wouldn't necessarily argue against that, but both guys are are are different, but both can be special. And maybe Stewart just has a tiny bit higher ceiling than Colin does, but we're gonna see that the Titans could use a rusher at the top of the draft. You figure one of them could be in play there. you know, again, I don't know who's who's gonna end up there. They so much can happen, but certainly the the Dolphins are gonna benefit from whatever happens. I think if they end up with a top three pick and could trade out, they would love to get a Leonard Moore or a pass rusher or somebody like that, where you're still getting a blue chip player in this class and and you're maybe even kicking the can down the road for quarterback next year. And Stewart could be could be a top six pick if he takes care of his his P's and Q's and plays well. Rodrik David @RightStepAdv: Yeah, and answers a few questions through the pre-draft process that again, 32 franchises are going Eric Edholm: Sure. Rodrik David @RightStepAdv: to want to know. But he is at Eric underscore at home. Make sure you are following him for everything coming up. Draft, yeah, trade deadline, NFL season, everything there. Eric, one name, the unknown, maybe the bottom half of your mock, maybe right there on the edge. What's the one name? You want to leave everybody with as we wrap up here today on Scouting the Eric Edholm: Yeah, I'd say one really interesting guy. I'll give you I'm gonna give you two because I I can't follow the rules. But the the kid from Utah, Zaraway Williams, the left tackle, he's about six seven, three hundred and fifteen pounds, if I had to guess. has been a nothing burger in his career to this point. And you know the reason why, right? They had they had Spencer Fineau and Caleb Lomu last the last two years starting at tackle. So he was your your swing tackle, third guy, and no one really knew about him. And he's played Neil Stratton @InsidetheLeague: This Eric Edholm: at a real high level. I have I've only seen two of his games, but he's a fascinating one. and then the other one would be Xavier Gilliam, the the kind of Byron Murphy-ish nose tackle, but also I would think he's a three technique in the NFL. I think they're playing him there. and he may not play as much on the nose in the NFL. Not the biggest guy, but man, is he active and just disruptive and could be the kind of guy who, you know, where did Murphy go? 16, 17, something like that. It wouldn't shock me if that's sort of where Xavier's stock ends up going. So two guys that I didn't, you know, I mean, Gilliam I knew more of than Williams coming into the year, but two guys that I didn't have in my top 30 or really even in the the also rans, you know, they were they were farther back. So it's always fun to see. Prospects develop as the season goes on. Rodrik David @RightStepAdv: Yeah, again, plenty of guys that will have the one year production questions, that big leap in Utah. Again, all you have to do, scouts are going to be asking the why. Why was that the case? When it's an easy answer, what happened to Utah, again, you just check the boxes on the player as Eric is doing all the time, everything he's doing. Eric underscore at home. Always loved having you on, getting the big picture. One of the hardest things for NFL Scouts, pro scouts, is keeping a handle on everything else going on when you get, Focused on exactly what you're doing that week, that day. So always nice to step back and talk about it. Eric, really appreciate you being on with us. Eric Edholm: My pleasure to come on anytime. Happy to do it.