NFL is officially back, for real!!

It is the finally where I think we're done with all the friendlies, all the NFL friendlies. We now have to wait until a week from Thursday for the first NFL game.

Will Brinson, who will join us on Mondays during the NFL season. It's a Monday. I think the season is basically starting. So let's chat.

How are you, my friend? Well buddy, we have real football here basically. No more weeks without football as long as you're a college football and NFL fan. So of course, excited to see NC State take care of business on Thursday. Knock on wood as hard as humanly possible. Alright, before we get into it, I've already talked about the Panthers with Mike Glennon.

We'll leave the Panthers to the side because I'm going to get into it a lot today. I'm curious your thoughts. Trey Lance was drafted third overall a couple years ago by San Francisco. They traded, they flipped from 12 to 3 and they also gave up two future number ones and a future third to get up to Trey Lance who isn't as good as the last player drafted last year, Brock Purdy. Is it possible to say that the 49ers suck at drafting quarterbacks and at the same time have a good team and both are true? Absolutely.

I mean, those things are not mutually exclusive, right? You can have a really good roster in the NFL and even though you make mistakes when it comes to the draft. Now, I think that part of this is are you able to find somebody like Deebo Sandle in a value spot, right? Are you able to find George Kittle in a value spot in the draft and then, you know, turn these guys into, uh, you know, high level unicorn style players at their various positions. Are you, you know, can you go out and get Brock Purdy? Who's a capable starter in the, in the NFL as we've seen, we think we've seen the way through like seven games and then, you know, turn Sam Darnold into a reclamation project.

Like you could, all these things can be very, very true at the same time. The problem is when you miss on a pick like Trey Lance, who, you know, if you're spending three first round draft picks for him, he is supposed to be your future franchise quarterback. The guy that, you know, reinvents or sort of takes the Shanahan, uh, so often to the next level with his ability to run and you know, and all that like, yeah, both can be true.

It just becomes way more fragile to win when you miss on something with that much draft capital. Well, Brinson is joining us here. Pick six podcast every, uh, every day, uh, your daily NFL podcast.

And of course, senior NFL writer, cbssports.com. It's almost seems like the 49ers are getting a pass, uh, because they're also very good and maybe the favorite in the NFC to make it back, make it to the Superbowl, not back to the Superbowl. Although they were in the Superbowl a couple of years ago. Um, I was like, people are like, oh, it's okay because they're really good. No, I don't, I don't think it's okay because ultimately giving up that capital that you never recouped because they just traded Lance to Dallas for a fourth round pick. All of that stuff matters in the long run.

This, we don't, we don't look at everything in a vacuum. Why didn't they just stay with Jimmy G? Yeah. I mean, ultimately they probably should have, right? I mean, I think part of the problem too is, you know, if you, if you criticize the 49ers, you're not advocating for Kyle Shanahan and, and John Lynch to get fired. I mean, like they've done it, they've done a good job. Now they haven't done a perfect job because the tree Lansing was, it was a big time screw up.

And I think we talked about it last week, but the opportunity cost of getting tree lands and those three first round picks, those three picks that Miami got were used to select jail and bottle in the draft to trade for Tyree kill and to trade for Bradley Chubb. Right. You know, the 49ers don't quote unquote need those guys because they have quality players, um, in, you know, in, in those positions.

Right. They have diva single. They have Brandon. I use, they have a Christian McCaffrey. They have George Kittle. They have plenty of weapons on offense. They would still like to have those players and no team would turn down those players versus, uh, you know, a missed gamble on Trey Lance. I think it's, um, you know, the, the, the fact like they can go, they just have to win. Like if they weren't good this season, that would really be something that would start to become an indictment.

And so I think you can get away with it missing on tree. This was a cataclysmic disaster in terms of an NFL move, like trading three ones for him and not getting, getting a fourth round pick in terms of the Cowboys is an absolute unmitigated disaster. It can't be spun any other way. Now you can, I mean, you can also say they shouldn't like, no, I don't think he was calling for them to be fired. That's sort of how it cuts both ways.

You can create, they should be criticized for that move. And I think if that roster weren't good and this team weren't expected to be a contender with or without Trey Lance, then you would have a lot of people in the hot seat and probably maybe even fires. I mean, they looked into Brock Purdy.

We have to, we all have to agree to that. Like the Patriots looked into Tom Brady, the 49ers looked into Brock Purdy. If, if the mindset is, well, you know, they really were smart in drafting Purdy. Why did they wait until the last pick in the draft to do that? But look, he certainly he is going to be the guy, but what I don't understand, and I don't want to belabor this point and maybe I'll just move on to the fact that Dallas traded for him is that they gave up on him one year after naming him the starting quarterback. He was the starting quarterback in week one. He got hurt in week two and that was that. It was over.

It was, it was, they had decided that they had moved on from Trey Lance. I just wonder if he just couldn't pick up what Mike Shanahan or rather Kyle Shanahan was trying to do or not. But we're going to find out with Dallas in the long run. I know Jerry Jones said that it has no bearing on Dak, but does it?

I mean, how could it not? I mean, Jack's a veteran player. He is the face of the Cowboys, um, led the league in interceptions last year. I think Jack is an underrated quarterback in the NFL.

It's a, it's a matter of, and I think that you can, again, these things can be mutually exclusive, right? Like this can, you can be saying we know Jack is a little bit older while also saying Jack is our guy from, from right for, for right now in for the foreseeable future. But you want to try and take that gamble on a fourth round pick on Trey Lancer. They probably liked him a draft coming out of the draft and who they know they have the ability to like San Francisco. You have brought party there. You haven't seen Donald there. The, their, their problem is it's difficult for them to like, because you drafted Trey Lance because you're the one who invested in, because the fans want to see him.

He's a polarizing figure in San Francisco. And so when you're trying to figure out what you want to do with your quarterback situation and Brock party struggles, then that could conceivably call us fans to ask for Trey Lance, or you, you feel like, is there a need to play Trey Lance? Is Trey Lance even willing to be with the team or like, if he's a third string guy, it's like all of those things are problematic when Trey Lancer is a Dallas, it's simply like, look, you're riding the bench and trying to learn this object. And we want to see what you're able to learn while we have the safety net of Dak being a veteran established quarterback who is healthy is going to probably take the Cowboys to 10 plus wins. And so I think there's just less pressure there in Dallas somehow, even though there never is for Trey Lance. And the only way there's pressure for Dak is if the Cowboys have just a horrendous start and he's, and he's the reason. Otherwise I think, you know, short-term and probably long-term that can still a guy, but it can be insulting if you're a Dak to say, Hey, why are you trading for a quarterback, big name backup, like young backup athletic quarterback? Like, well, I'm here trying to be the guy. Well, Brinson is joining us here on the Adam gold show.

All right, real quick. Then I want to get a division picks in the NFC and some, and the wild card selections from you. What happens with Jonathan Taylor and the Indianapolis Colts? I mean, I think he's just going to end up playing for the Colts.

I mean, like nobody, nobody, you can't sit out a year, right? To me, it's like, to me, it's an Ursay, Jim Ursay is just getting too, he's just too in, in, he's too far in the kitchen on this one. Like Jim, Jim, he needs to, he's in the kitchen, banging around pots and pans, the football, the metaphorical football kitchen, obviously he's in there.

Like he's got a wooden spirit of one hand. He's like, he's playing like blue oyster cold on a, on a pot and like, yo, we don't pay running backs. And then, you know, Chris Ballard and, and Shane Steichen are just trying to do their jobs and it's difficult, man. You know, you have the owner who, you know, this happens a lot in the NFL.

They're just owners who, you know, are willing to, to metal more than they should. We see it with lots of teams. I think the Panthers have dealt with that some as well. And we saw this with the Browns a ton before Jimmy hasn't really started to take a step back.

And you see there, then they still wanted to get invited. You own the team, you're allowed to do, you're allowed to do whatever you want, but it's just bad business. And I think largely this is Jim Ursay telling them that they want a, a big part public stance on Jonathan Taylor and, you know, and like, you know, talk about a CBA and, and, and more than likely he just plays. And then they, you know, run out of this contract and probably see a really angry franchise tag negotiation at some point.

I mean, that, that seems like the most likely scenario to me. No question. I'm now I'm channeling fear the Reaper.

All right. Your pick to win the NFC South is. Hey, Carolina Panthers fans, Chris Lee and Dennis Cox here. We're excited to offer you all the inside information on your team with the newest member of the Capitol broadcasting podcast network Panthers playbook twice a week. We'll keep you updated on your Carolina Panthers.

We're talking about locker room insight, exclusive interviews, and of course in-depth looks at all of the Panthers wins touchdown Carolina Panthers playbook download and subscribe today at wrelsportsfan.com or wherever you discover your favorite podcasts. The NFC South. I will go with the Atlanta Falcons. That's who I have your pick to win the NFC East. I think it's Philly is going to regress a little bit this year mainly because you have a ton of turnover to coordinators at the easiest schedule in the NFL last year.

Now you have the hardest schedule in the NFL. And I will say that the Cowboys with Washington is a sneaky surprise team there. Cowboy Cowboys to make the playoffs. Maybe Washington also to make the playoffs. I think, I mean, I think, I think there's a good chance three teams that division make the playoffs. I think Washington will be better than people think and like hang around for the division. I think Dallas will win the division. Oh, Dallas to win the division. Philly and maybe Washington. I have the Giants finishing second Dallas third in the North.

Who do you got? North is the toughest by far. Yep. Right. Like the Vikings won 13 games last year, but when 11 and a half in one score games, which is just absolutely unheard of. It's literally, it never happened in NFL history before. I think that I am going to go talk to you here and just say that, like, I think the lions are built really well.

And they built in Dan Campbell's image. And my biggest concern for them is they have Atlanta, Seattle at home after they opened up against at Kansas city on a Thursday night, the NFL kickoff for the season. How did they, whether they win or whether they lose the Kansas city.

And I think that the lose, I think if I lose bad, but whether they want to lose, it's like, how did they respond to either a tough loss or a big, big win with those two hope, very winnable. I think Detroit's the team to beat by division. Green Bay is really interesting to me.

I Jordan love clicks at all. Green Bay could really surprise you. I have Chicago to win that division Detroit to make the playoffs.

I don't know. I'm feeling a little craziness with Justin Fields. Everybody's a little too in on the bears for my liking. They didn't have the worst record of football last year.

Yes, but that will just make this year even that much sweeter. Plus still undefeated the best uniforms in football. In the West, who you got?

The West. I think, you know, we talked at least about him, but you know, the easy pick out West. But I really want to back a, I really want to be on the bandwagon for a Rams bounce back this season.

My love for Matthew Savage is well documented. If he plays a full season, I think if he could recover and Aaron Donald are healthy for a full season, I think the Rams will be much better than people expect. But the opposite of why is just such a huge concern to protect Stafford or, or run the ball. I mean, that, that, that team is, you know, there's some people, some people think they have like a bottom five roster currently.

And, and, you know, you can, you can make that argument. I think Arizona, the worst team in, in, in, in football by a pretty wide margin. And then you have Seattle who maybe receive a little regression and did a really good job restocking. Thanks for that Russell Wilson trade. Junior Smith was a top 10 quarterback last year. I don't know that he can replicate that exact season. I think he can come close. But I'll say that the Niners, unless Purdy and Sam Donald just totally collapsed. I think, I think the Niners are easily the team to beat out there. A hundred percent agree. All right.

So you and I were really just different in the, in the East and the North. Will Brinson, we'll talk about the AFC next week. I appreciate your time. Best to you and yours, man. I do.