Go Long

Greetings from Fattey Beer in Hamburg, NY. What a fun time. Thank you to everyone who made it out for our 2024 pre-draft hangout. We’ll definitely do this again very soon.

So great to see familiar faces and say hello to new faces.

Here on the podcast, WGR 550’s Jeremy White and The Buffalo News’ Jay Skurski both cut away to discuss the state of the Buffalo Bills, which wide receiver makes sense with Josh Allen and what happened with Stefon Diggs.

Xavier Worthy — whom the scouts certainly love — could be exactly what this unit needs. Listeners will need earmuffs upon hearing how one scout described the Texas speedster. But do not discount a major move up the draft board for Rome Odunze. GM Brandon Beane knows there is urgency. The “WR Train” should blare loudly, either way.

You can listen to these discussions above, watch the video below or access everywhere you get pods, including Apple, Spotify and YouTube.

As a reminder, Bob McGinn’s 40th annual draft series is accessible to all paid subscribers.

New readers can upgrade right here to join our community:

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

A dozen smart football people can watch a full game of Drake Maye and draw a dozen different conclusions. We share different opinions here on the Go Long Show and thought it’d be smart to devote a full episode to this year’s enigma at the position — in addition to all of the best QB fits in Round 1.

Should Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll do everything in their power to move from No. 6 overall to three?

Could Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O’Connell view Maye worthy of a monster haul of draft picks?

Of course, the New England Patriots can simply stand pat and take Maye if the draft goes chalk, too.

This year’s draft is packed with legitimate hype.

As a reminder, Bob McGinn’s 40th annual draft series launches first thing Wednesday morning. A fine time for those on our free list to upgrade. He’ll start with the wide receivers and tight ends.

This pod, we stick to the quarterbacks.

Audio is above. Video is above. You can also access the Go Long Show everywhere you pod, including Apple, Spotify and YouTube. If you enjoy, feel free to rate and review wherever you listen.

ICYMI:

* Anthony Gould is your old-school alternative

* 'Built different:' Why David White Jr. is this year's WR steal

* Who will the New England Patriots draft at No. 3 overall?

* WR Hunting Season is here

* A conversation with Joey Mulinaro... America's Cool Uncle

* The franchise quarterback handbook

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

There’s a very good chance Joey Mulinaro has organically worked his way into your life online. He’s one of the rare humans making social media a fun place.

Maybe it was his Modern Seinfeld sketch on “The Big Game” or “The Accidental Like.”

Maybe you caught one of his impressions — Saban & Belichick, Cris Collinsworth, Mel Kiper Jr., Mike McDaniel, Patrick Mahomes, Gus Johnson, Colin Cowherd or, most recently, his 15 impressions on Catlin Clark in 100 seconds.

He’s always making people laugh with his pal, Benedict. Here the two are in peak form.

Well, Joey does stand-up, too. And there’s a good chance he’ll be performing in a city near you.

This coming Wednesday, April 17, he’ll be performing at Helium Comedy Club in Buffalo, N.Y. You can secure a ticket here. He’ll also be at the Meyer Theatre in Green Bay, Wisc., on May 16 and a handful of cities in-between.

Here on the podcast, we chat about Joey’s meteoric rise — and how he balances it all with two kiddos. We discuss the timeless greatness of Seinfeld, his favorite all-time episode, the art of rattling off obscure NFL names and… he saves his best for last. Joey Mulinaro goes full Mahomes if Mahomes was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in 2017.

In addition to the audio and video above, you can also access the podcast on Apple, Spotify and YouTube.

This was a riot.

Thanks for listening and sharing, everyone. If you live in WNY, hope to see you on Wednesday. Keep up with everyone Joey Mulinaro’s up to on X or his website.

Subscribe to Go Long at GoLongTD.com to access our 2024 NFL Draft coverage in its entirety. Bob McGinn’s 40th annual series begins next week, and we’ve got a profile on David White Jr. live at the site right now.

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

Eliot Wolf is the captain now. The son of Hall of Famer Ron Wolf has final say on draft day.

He’s finally in charge of an NFL team.

So, how will the New England Patriots boss proceed at No. 3 overall?

This was a fun conversation. Go Long welcomes on Phil Perry, the excellent reporter at NBC Sports Boston, to chat all things Patriots’ direction, Drake Maye, J.J. McCarthy and what’s possibly running through Wolf’s mind ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft. It’s a new day in New England — Bill Belichick is gone. But this is also the conference of Mahomes and Allen and Burrow and Stroud and Jackson and Herbert.

Replenishing this talent-drained roster is a (very) tall task. Perhaps trading down is the wise move, but if you love a quarterback you better select that quarterback.

New here? Be sure to upgrade to access Bob McGinn’s 40th annual draft series next week. He has discussed this extremely eclectic quarterback class with scouts across the NFL.

Also, be sure to follow all of Perry’s comprehensive work at NBC Sports Boston and listen to his Next Pats Podcast.

Thanks, everyone.

Audio is above. Video is below. And you can also access the podcast on Apple, Spotify and YouTube.

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

The calculated gamble in Orchard Park, NY is that this is addition by subtraction.

Stefon Diggs wanted out, and the Buffalo Bills were much obliged.

There are many layers to the Bills’ decision to trade their star wide receiver to the Houston Texans, a clear Super Bowl contender. In addition to last week’s column, here’s a podcast discussion. I’m joined by co-host Jim Monos, a man who has faced similar personnel decisions before.

You can also weigh in with your opinion over at this chat thread inside the Substack app.

Audio is above. Video is below. The “Go Long Show” is available everywhere you pod, including Apple, Spotify and YouTube.

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

Rule changes like this may seem innocent, but they add up. They crawl inside the psyche of defensive players to structurally change the sport.

Yes, banning the “hip-drop tackle” is another absurd overreach by the NFL.

Players have every right to lose their minds right now.

Here on the Go Long Show, with co-host and longtime scout Jim Monos, we discuss what this means for the sport and it harkens back to a conversation with ex-linebacker Chad Brown. (Pod/Words)

Also on this episode, the J.J. McCarthy Hype Train is speeding toward maximum velocity. Is it justified? NFL Network reported that the Michigan quarterback is being considered at No. 2 overall.

You can listen to the episode above, watch the video below or access the podcast everywhere you pod, including Apple, Spotify and YouTube.

Paid subscribers to Go Long can expect a deep dive into the 2024 quarterback class from Monos this week — he’s been studying everyone — as well as my two-parter exploring one team’s Super Bowl window. Bob McGinn’s 40th annual draft series, a nine-parter with quotes from scouts around the NFL, will drop in mid-April.

A fine time to join our community.

Thank you for supporting our independent journalism.

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

The offseason is a time for hope — for players, for teams. Everyone envisions a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

That was Chase Edmonds’ state of mind exactly two years ago.

Something special was brewing in Miami with new head coach Mike McDaniel, quaterback Tua Tagovailoa, wide receiver Tyreek Hill and Edmonds was positioned as the explosive running back central to it all. Go Long traveled to Florida the summer of 2022 to sit down with Edmonds at Dolphins HQ. With emotional detail, he guided readers through a turbulent life, from becoming a father at 18 years old to an extreme state of depression in college when an ankle injury threatened to crush his dreams to the expected takeover in South Florida.

But instead of breaking out as an NFL star, Edmonds started to disappear like countless running backs before him. He rushed for only 2.9 yards per carry and dropped four passes on 17 targets, including a third-and-goal ball in the end zone vs. Cincinnati on national TV. The Dolphins traded Edmonds to the Denver Broncos. After experiencing some success on a bad team (4.8 ypc), he was then released.

Edmonds signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers ahead of the 2023 season, suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain and — finally — his luck began to turn.

The 5-foot-9, 207-pounder from Harrisburg, Pa., found a role as a change-of-pace back to starter Rachaad White and a needed leader in the locker room. The Bucs made a surprise run to the divisional round of the NFC playoffs and decided to run it back with a slew of re-signings. Baker Mayfield, Mike Evans, Lavonte David, Antoine Winfield (tag) and Edmonds are all back in 2024. The implication is clear: Tampa Bay expects to compete.

We catch up again with Edmonds to learn what happened the last two years.

He’s aiming to play a full decade in the NFL. Not bad for a small running back from Fordham University.

Audio and video are above. You can access Go Long Podcast episodes everywhere you pod, including Apple, Spotify and YouTube.

Here is the written Q&A if you’d prefer to read.

Go Long is powered by our readers. Thank you for supporting independent journalism. We aim to cover this game through a longform lens.

ICYMI, from 2022:

* The Beautiful Mind of Chase Edmonds, Part I: 'I was scared shitless’

* The Beautiful Mind of Chase Edmonds, Part II: 'It’s over for me'

* The Beautiful Mind of Chase Edmonds, Part III: ‘A match made in heaven’

Bucs features:

* Murder, cockroaches, belief: How Rachaad White bet on himself

* Patrick Laird will make you think (our conversation in podcast form here.)

* ‘We’re going to wreck s**t:’ Carlton Davis bows to no man

* Why the Tampa Bay Buccaneers believe

* Cody Mauch makes you laugh, then drives you into the dirt

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

The dust has settled. Big-money deals are completed.

Butterbean knocked us all out via nonstop transactions.

Who “won” free agency? Who “lost?” On this episode of the Go Long Show, we try to look past the mega-million headlines for answers. The Houston Texans are officially on the cusp. Kirk Cousins shakes up the NFC. And while the Pittsburgh Steelers have been widely praised for finding quarterbacks on the cheap, we’re not so sure this offense closed any gaps in the AFC.

As always, co-host Jim Monos brings his knowledge from NFL front offices. He takes Russell Wilson’s career all the way back to N.C. State. (Some things never change.)

You can listen to the episode above, watch the video below or access it everywhere you get podcasts, including Apple, Spotify and YouTube.

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

Gerald “Smoke” Dixon brings the goods this episode. There is a 100-percent chance we bring him back on the Go Long Show soon.

From 2014 to 2020, Dixon was a pro scout for the Buffalo Bills. As a result, he has many stories — and a ton of insight — to share. Especially at the quarterback position.

For nearly two hours, Dixon dishes on everything:

* Who pounded the table for Josh Allen inside the Buffalo Bills’ pre-draft meetings? Three individuals specifically made their strong opinions known.

* 2018 draft drama. How did the Bills rank this class as a whole? The entire front office was sweating as picks began.

* Lamar Jackson slipped through the NFL cracks… how? It pays to trust your eyes. Dixon also recalls a pre-draft conversation with GM Brandon Beane on the Louisville quarterback.

* Allen was not living in the film room early in his career. His backyard style was always unique — in every sense. Dixon can still hear Allen’s fastball “whistle” and his mettle in the pocket was rare.

* Art of scouting quarterbacks. Everyone can watch the same film of the same player and come away with completely different opinions. One rule of thumb Dixon follows? If a QB gets “a cinder block” thrown in his face, in the pocket, how does he respond?

* Why he’s high on Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy and Washington’s Michael Penix Jr.

* Dixon loves the 2024 class of QB prospects even more than the 2020 group of Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert, Tua Tagovailoa, Jordan Love and Jalen Hurts.

* Will Caleb Williams play for the Chicago Bears? Dixon says no. He sees the USC star somehow getting to the Washington Commanders. To him, a century of quarterback butchery in Chicago is to blame.

* Larry Fitzgerald or DeAndre Hopkins?

* A needed Hall of Fame rant.

* One Pepper Johnson story that explains Bill Belichick’s greatness — the Patriots coach was constantly taking notes. (An innocent conversation with Sean McVay isn’t so innocent.)

* Dixon’s thoughts on the first 48 hours of free agency. Who reached?

* Pre-draft dinners. Dixon and the Bills learned so much about the incoming class of Ohio State Buckeyes at Giancarlo’s Sicilian Steakhouse in 2016. Especially, cornerback Eli Apple. His teammates were ruthless and relentless and Apple didn’t stick up for himself. Having a loose conversation with prospects — as opposed to a strict, formal interview — can tell a team a lot about mental make-up.

* Why Dixon is not surprised one bit that DeMeco Ryans, his former ‘Bama teammate, has the Houston Texans on the cusp of contention.

* How did college football players get cash in his day? By working certain, uh, “jobs.”

* Dixon was around Stefon Diggs at One Bills Drive. He repeats what Isaiah McKenzie once said on our podcast: You’ve got to let the wide receiver get his emotions out.

You can listen to the Go Long Show right here at GoLongTD.com or wherever you listen to podcasts, including Apple, Spotify and YouTube.

Today, Dixon is an analyst for 24/7 Sports. A four-year starter at cornerback for Alabama (1999- ‘02) — winning the SEC title in ‘99 — Dixon coached at The Citadel (2008- ‘13) before scouting for the Bills. He also served as the director of operations for the XFL’s DC Defenders (2020), Director of Scouting for Vanderbilt (2021- ‘22) and the General Manager for Maryland (2022- ‘23).

You can follow “Smoke” on X @CoachGVDixon.

Thanks for watching/listening, everyone. Video is above.

ICYMI:

* Join our next Happy Hour to ask longtime Pittsburgh Steelers guard Ramon Foster anything you want.

* Why the Green Bay Packers, title contenders, got this right (and more free agency musings)

* 'Why not three-peat?' Greg Castillo, Trent McDuffie and the inner-workings of a Chiefs dynasty

* McGinn's Top 55: Where’s the defense? Scouts weigh in on the top prospects in the 2024 class.

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

Free agency is one week away. Deals will be struck soon.

The Atlanta Falcons may start the party, too.

GM Terry Fontenot made it very clear they’ll be aggressive — the time to find a quarterback is now. For a full state of the franchise, I chatted with good pal Justin Felder from Fox 5 Atlanta this podcast episode. Felder offers his thoughts on the team’s quarterback shuffle, Desmond Ridder, Fontenot’s free-agent decisions (past and future) and the hierarchy of this organization. Who’s in charge on draft day?

We both agree, too. Right now, all signs point toward Cousins heading south. If the goal truly is to win in 2024, Fontenot will try to make the veteran quarterback an offer he cannot refuse.

Excellent analysis and insight from Felder.

You can listen to the audio here and everywhere you pod, including Apple, Spotify and YouTube. Full video is embedded below.

Thank you for listening and sharing.

Go Long subscribers can access our exclusive 1 on 1 with Atlanta Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot. In Year 4, the pressure’s on and Fontenot knows he must nail the quarterback position.

New here? We’d love it if you joined our community.

Bob McGinn’s initial top 55 will roll out this week with his 40th annual draft series to follow in April.

‘One-thousand percent:’ Terry Fontenot believes the Atlanta Falcons will win in 2024

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