Go Long

The Buffalo Bills welcomed a bold experiment at wide receiver. There’s no ambiguity. They’ll orbit around their quarterback, and his wishes.

Down south, Mike McDaniel is sticking with Tua Tagovailoa as his quarterback. Finally, the two sides reached an agreement.

Does 40-year-old Aaron Rodgers have one last hurrah in him? The New York Jets need to win in 2024 or people will be fired.

Meanwhile, the New England Patriots are a franchise on pause.

Last week, we discussed the NFC North. This week, it’s on to the AFC East here at the Go Long Show.

Audio and video is accessible here at GoLongTD.com, and everywhere you pod, including Apple, Spotify and YouTube.

Go Long is your independent home for longform journalism.

We’re completely powered by you.

ICYMI:

Mike McCarthy, the owner's latest monkey in the middle, is getting a raw deal

‘We’ll get it done:’ The Buffalo Bills enter the great unknown at wide receiver

Monos Report: Xavier Worthy vs. Keon Coleman

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Dust off your Robert Porcher and Dorsey Levens jerseys. For my money, the NFC Central-turned-North hasn’t been loaded in nearly three decades. Both the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions are fresh off seasons in which they were a breath away from thinking Super Bowl. No. 1 pick Caleb Williams has a realistic chance to cure the Chicago Bears’ century-plus-long quarterback problem. Even the Minnesota Vikings have good reason to be hopeful.

Here on the podcast, we’ll devote individual episodes to previewing each division up to Week 1.

As always, I am joined by former NFL scout Jim Monos. He’s been around Donovan McNabb and Drew Brees for long stretches of time and sees the potential for several years of epic QB duels in the North.

Live at the site now is a column on the well-oiled machine Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes have built in Detroit. Subscribers can read here.

Video and audio of the “Go Long Show” is accessible here at GoLongTD.com, as well as everywhere you get your podcasts, including Apple, Spotify and YouTube.

Our 2024 NFL Season Preview features are rolling out, icymi:

* David Long Jr., and the beast within

* 'Undeniable:' Christian Kirk will attack this defining moment

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New here? It’s a great time to subscribe.

Related:

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Hey, things did not go according to plan for Rob Johnson in Buffalo. But that’s life.

He’s not living with regrets.

Here’s the full Happy Hour Replay with the former NFL quarterback.

Johnson relives that quarterback controversy with Doug Flutie — was their bad blood? We all saw the hits Johnson absorbed on the field. Which was the worst? How’s life today?…

Nobody has covered the Buffalo Bills longer than my friend, Chuck Pollock.

What a fun walk through history this podcast was with the longtime Olean Times Herald sports editor who’s now writing for the Olean Star and Wellsville Sun here in Western New York. Chuck takes listeners right through his time covering the Bills from 1973 to today. You’ll hear everything from O.J. Simpson stories to Johnson vs. Flutie memories, and we discuss the team today.

For background, I owe so much to Chuck. Still remember giving him my “2000 NFL Draft Preview” guide as a 13-year-old on a solo trip to the Times Herald for a school project. He promised he’d offer an internship opportunity when I turned 16 and, sure enough, called three years later. Since then, he’s been a mentor, a friend and countless other TH interns will tell you the same: Chuck Pollock isn’t only an exceptional boss and writer. He is an A+ human being.

Even if you’re not a Bills fan, you’ll enjoy Chuck’s stories about covering the NFL back in the 70s, 80s and 90s.

It was a different time. You never quite knew when a fight may break out on the team plane.

Audio and video is accessible here at GoLongTD.com, and everywhere you podcast, including Apple and Spotify.

As a reminder, Go Long subscribers can join Friday night’s Happy Hour with former Bills quarterback Rob Johnson at 7 p.m. (EST). Feel free to join and ask anything you’d like.

Thank you for joining our community, and helping us grow.

ICYMI:

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There is nobody quite like Wyatt Teller on the line of scrimmage. He is 6 foot 4 inches, 315 pounds of whiskey-loving, alligator-hunting hell for defensive players.

The Cleveland Browns have had arguably the best rushing attack since 2020, and he’s a primary reason why.

Go Long readers may recall getting to know Teller in this story a few years back. With the 2024 season closing in — and hope building in Cleveland — this was a perfect chance to chat again with the gregarious Teller. Holy, he has many stories to share. Audio and video are both available above, and you can access all Go Long Podcasts on Apple, Spotify and YouTube.

This conversation was both entertaining and exceptionally insightful.

Inside…

* Teller has seen flashes of “absolute greatness” in Deshaun Watson. He explains why they’ve got faith in the QB.

* What happened between the Browns and Baker Mayfield? His theory will surprise you.

* His Buffalo Bills exit. He was shipped away. Why?

* Bill Callahan. The longtime offensive line coach is quite a hard ass. He helped elevate Teller’s game, but — wow — the man could be ruthless. (Callahan is off to the Tennessee Titans. Teller is very honest on the subject.)

* Life in the trenches. We know how David Long harnesses anger. Teller’s approach is different.

* Who’s the one All-Pro defensive tackle that absolutely hates playing Teller?

* His blocking style. Teller breaks down what makes his game unique. It’s an art form.

* Talking to opponents about Jesus between plays.

* Why Chris Jones is the best player he has ever tried to block.

* Expectations in Cleveland. Is this a team that can reach the Super Bowl in 2024?

Enjoy.

This was a fun one.

The full Q&A transcript is also right here.

Go Long is your completely independent home for NFL journalism.

We aim to bring you football in the raw.

We are powered by you.

ICYMI:

Here is our profile of Teller from 2021.

And his Happy Hour hangout with subscribers in 2022.

Our 2024 Season Preview features are now going live. First up, the surreal life of David Long Jr., a man who epitomizes the brutality of the sport itself. For years, the Dolphins linebacker has managed to turn personal tragedies into a truly unique playing style. But at what cost?

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.golongtd.com/subscribe

More teams have officially placed their quarterback bets.

Six of the first 12 picks in the 2024 draft were QBs.

Which rookies have entered the best possible situation? We examine on this week’s episode of the Go Long Show. Caleb Williams has an opportunity to exorcise a century of demons in Chicago. (Part I and Part II of our series, icymi.) Jayden Daniels, the quarterback drawing Randall Cunningham comps from one former college coach, is co-host Jim Monos’ choice. We don’t stop at the top QBs for this exercise, either. Each of us choose three rookies total at three very different points in the draft.

Two running backs might’ve landed with the perfect playcaller. Be sure to draft both in the late rounds of your upcoming fantasy drafts.

Two quarterback fliers are also worth keeping an eye on.

Audio and video of the podcast is available here and everywhere you pod, including Apple, Spotify and YouTube. The show is fueled by our friends at Fattey Beer in Western NY.

We’re getting closer to our regular stream of stories at GoLongTD.com, too.

Expect our first season-preview piece this week. All will be accessible to subscribers.

Clips from the show on our Go Long TD YouTube page:

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.golongtd.com/subscribe

Good afternoon! Hope everyone has prepared their grills and country-music playlists accordingly for July 4.

First, a quick programming note. When it gets quiet here at Go Long, I promise that’s a good thing. This lull in the NFL calendar is prime time to chip away at bigger projects. Will be sharing the first extensive feature on Monday morning.

Until then, here’s a new episode of the Go Long Show with co-host Jim Monos.

Hard Knocks is taking a look at the New York Giants, a club we’ve examined from Dave Gettleman to Joe Schoen and many Daniel Jones decisions along the way. And so far, so good. We’ve actually been treated to substance. For the Giants, this 2024 season is clearly all about the quarterback who has started 61 games. The Giants’ calculated gamble is that a refurbished interior line, a new No. 1 wideout (Malik Nabers) and two-plus years with Brian Daboll elevate their $40 million QB.

There is much risk involved. We discuss.

If you’re the general manager of a football team, would you hang onto the previous regime’s best players? Or start over? Monos shares his thoughts.

Feel free to rate, review and share wherever you access podcasts, including Apple, Spotify and YouTube.

Thanks, all.

Go Long subscribers can access all features, columns and podcasts.

Thank you for joining our growing community!

From last year:

The Resurrection: ‘I want to bring championships to New York’

Q&A with one Giant great, icymi:

The Tiki Barber Story

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You’re never quite sure when or how a quote or anecdote from a story will rip through the modern NFL news cycle. Three weeks ago, I wrote a story trying to make sense of the Dallas Cowboys’ bizarre offseason rooted in conversations with those who’ve worked in the front office.

The note was somewhat buried in a bigger-picture piece. But, yes. One former personnel man said he believes Mike McCarthy has grown “fed up” with how this team operates under Jerry and Stephen Jones. Jerry’s World is a weird place, as we’ve previously examined. It’s no coincidence that contending Dallas teams fall short under this ownership.

Perhaps you caught our report from McAfee or Skip or Rich Eisen on Monday.

Figured it would be a good idea to flesh out a full podcast to discuss the reporting, the state of the Cowboys, everything. McCarthy should be upset. The state of affairs is never normal here, whether it’s penny-pinching in free agency (when one or two vets could be the diffference) or the scene inside the draft room (when Jerry just may brag about a sexual excapade in front of his daughter.)

Full audio and video is above, and available at Apple, Spotify, everywhere you pod.

Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel as well for clips from all shows.

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New here? Upgrade to access all such peeks behind the NFL curtain.

Cowboys Column:

Three-part Series from 2021:

Recent Podcasts:

1 on 1 with Brandon Beane:

Column:

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John Madden (“Boom!”) and Pat Summerall (“Nothing doing!”) on Sundays. Hank Williams Jr. on Monday nights. A sport not yet dulled by the suits on Park Avenue. Favre and Aikman and Young and Kelly and Elway and Marino.

Football peaked in the 90s.

But it wasn’t without its issues… especially at the end of the decade.

One year after Jerry Rice clearly fumbled in the NFC wild card, Bert Emanuel clearly caught it in the NFC Championship Game. And that’s with the implementation of instant replay in-between. A moment like this can change the trajectory of careers. So, yes, Shaun King recalls that night in St. Louis quite vividly.

This week, I caught up with King to relive that game, those Bucs teams and go deep on quarterbacks today. King watches the game closely, and always offers sharp, unapologetic analysis. Audio and video is above. You can also access this conversation everywhere you pod, including Apple, Spotify and YouTube.

I’ll post the written transcript of this chat with King this weekend as well. Just landed in Charlotte for this year’s APSE convention.

Discussed on the pod…

* The 1999 NFC title. To this day, Shaun King is convinced that Tampa Bay was better than the St. Louis Rams. They lost that night, 11-6. But as you may recall, the final Bucs drive was riddled with controversy.

* What-if’s. King has many from his time as the Buccaneers’ starting quarterback through the 1999 and 2000 seasons. That Rams game was full of ‘em, and one loss at Lambeau Field in the 2000 finale — off a missed 40-yard FG — proved to be particularly damaging.

* NIL Madness. King was an assistant coach at South Florida from 2016- ‘19, and his finger on the pulse of this modern college landscape. On this podcast, he solves everything NIL.

* King played with five Hall of Famers in Tampa, and shares a story of Warren Sapp’s freak athleticism.

* The quarterback market today. Numbers continue to skyrocket. King’s on-board with the position having its own salary cap.

* How do teams screw up at the top of the draft so often? King was never a fan of Trey Lance and Zach Wilson. He doesn’t see Drake Maye doing much any time soon, either.

* Michael Penix Jr. Back at USF, King recruited Penix. He was convinced back then that the quarterback would be a star. He sees this situation playing out beautifully for the Atlanta Falcons. Haven’t chatted with anyone this bullish on Penix before.

* Aaron Rodgers, he says, is the most selfish and self-centered quarterback of this generation. King’s mind is blown that the quarterback had the audacity to blow off New York Jets minicamp. He explains.

* What it’s like being confused with another “Shaun King.”

Go Long is your home for longform in pro football.

A few similar past Q&A’s…

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Life is sweet for Preston Brown. He’s happy now.

The middle linebacker who roamed NFL defenses from 2014- ‘19 is living in Atlanta. He’s engaged. He has two dogs. He still works out all of the time at his home gym.

Brown is also a man who can finally take a deep breath and reflect on the high drama that is professional football.

As always, Go Long subscribers are welcomed to join these Happy Hour podcasts and ask players anything you’d like.

This episode, Brown dished on a wide, wide array of topics…

* Schwartz to Rex to McDermott. The defense was always changing during Brown’s time with the Buffalo Bills. He has stories to share on all the above. The NFL could feel like WWE with Rex Ryan.

* Did Mario Williams really quit on the 2015 Bills team? What made those ‘15 and ‘16 defenses so chaotic under Rex? Everything has to be perfect in this scheme.

* Hell no, Donnie Henderson, he will not get you Krispy Kreme donuts in Canada.

* To this day, Preston Brown wants to slap Odell Beckham. Seriously. He explains.

* Off to the Bengals, he completely lost his zest for the sport and became a person he could not recognize. An extremely angry, agitated person.

* You want to stay on Vontaze Burfict’s good side.

* Petermania. Believe it or not, Brown agreed with the team’s decision to start rookie Nathan Peterman over Tyrod Taylor. Next, came an all-time disaster.

* “$500 per pound.” Brown takes listeners through the manic race to shed weight ahead of a Friday weigh-in. Locals might’ve seen him at LA Fitness in Orchard Park, NY.

You can access video/audio to this episode above and everyone where you pod, including Apple, Spotify and YouTube.

Is there a player you’re dying to shoot the bull with on a Happy Hour? Let me know at [email protected].

New to Go Long? We’d love to have you join our community. Meet fans from around the world.

Happy Hour Replays:

* Alex Green

* Week 18 Preview HH

* "The McDermott Problem"

* Steve Calhoun

* John Hansen

* Andrew Brandt

* Peter King

* Warren Moon

* Isaiah McKenzie

* Bob McGinn

* Rob Johnson

* Jamal Lewis

* T.J. Lang

* Jamaal Williams

* Stevie Johnson

* Richie Incognito

* Wyatt Teller

* Doug Whaley

* Isaiah Likely

* Stevie Johnson

* Eric Wood

* LeRoy Butler

* Bob McGinn & Jim Monos

* Quincy Avery

* Erik Kramer

* Frank Winters

* Olin Kreutz

* Peter King

* Johnathan Franklin

* Steve Calhoun

* Jim Monos

* Jace Sternberger

* Doug Whaley

* Isaiah McKenzie

* Andy Janovich

* Vince Williams

* Ryan Leaf & Steve Tasker

* Joshua Harris

* D’Wayne Eskridge

* Allen Robinson

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.golongtd.com/subscribe