Sports Krunch w/DKROM

Good morning, afternoon, or evening wherever (or whenever) you are ladies and gentlemen! This is Sports Krunch with DKrom, I’m your host David Kromelow. 2019 NFL training camps are in the books and the 100th season of the greatest sports league in the world begins just three weeks from this Thursday night!!! And in that spirit, we continue with the fifth round of our 2019 NFL division-by-division preview series with a look at the NFC West. And to help us analyze all things Cardinals, Niners, Seahawks, and Rams, it is a pleasure to welcome Matt Barr to the program for the very first time. Matt is the co-host of the “4th and Gold” podcast, a MUST-listen for all 49ers fans. How are you doing Matt, it’s great to have you with us!

1. Kyler Murray may only be the second QB standing 5-10 or under in the Super Bowl era, but you can’t deny he has the potential to forever alter how the QB position is evaluated and scouted. As Kurt Warner pointed out during the draft, there are definitely similarities to Russell Wilson’s game that you get from the tape. What were your impressions of Kyler Murray during the pre-draft process, especially the tape? How much better do he and Kliff Kingsbury alone make the Cardinals offense, a unit that was historically bad last season?

2. Who is the better Cardinals WR to own in fantasy: Christian Kirk (73.2 ADP) or Larry Fitzgerald (88.2 ADP)?

3. Last season, the Cardinals had the fourth best defense against the pass, but were dead last against the run. They will open 2019 without Patrick Peterson, who will be serving a six-game suspension. While the addition of Jordan Hicks may improve their run D, can we be surprised if this defense actually plays worse this season (especially at the beginning) compared to 2018?

4. The 49ers can save $22.4 million next season by cutting Jimmy Garoppolo. Aside from staying healthy, what kind of season does he need to ensure he remains in red and gold in 2020 and beyond?

5. Is Dante Pettis worth it at his current ADP (68.2)? Who is the better 49ers RB to own in fantasy: Tevin Coleman (56.3 ADP) or Matt Breida (125.5 ADP)?

6. When fully healthy, just how good can this 49ers defensive front seven be?

7. Would it surprise you if D.K. Metcalf ends up being Russell Wilson’s #1 target in the passing game by season’s end or sooner?

8. Last season, Russell Wilson threw 35 TD’s on only 427 passes, good for an astonishing 8.2% TD rate. That rate is 2.2% higher than his career average of 6.0%, thus you can expect regression in TD passes. Would you be willing to draft Russell Wilson at his current ADP (104.6), or would you rather wait longer and take Jameis Winston (112.4) or Ben Roethlisberger (130.3)?   

9. The Seahawks pass rush is very concerning. You trade away Frank Clark and you sign Ziggy Ansah, a clear downgrade, to a one-year deal. And worse, Jarran Reed, who had a breakout season last year with 10.5 sacks, is suspended the first six games of the season for violating the league’s personal conduct policy. Where is this pass rush going to come from minus Clark and Reed?

10. Jared Goff is a completely different QB in a clean pocket (83.8 QBR, one of the best in the league) versus a muddy pocket (11.3 QBR, one of the worst in the league). This offseason, the Rams said goodbye to LG Rodger Saffold and C John Sullivan and will be counting on two second-year players (Joe Noteboom and Brian Allen, respectively) to replace them. How big of a concern is this OL turnover for the defending NFC champs? What is the biggest key for the Rams on offense this season: Protecting Goff, Todd Gurley’s knee, or Cooper Kupp returning to his old self?

1. Last season, the Raiders offense was pretty much unwatchable even before they traded Amari Cooper. Now they have Antonio Brown, arguably THE best wide receiver of the decade, whom they acquired in a trade from the Steelers. They also signed Tyrell Williams, an EXTREMELY underrated vertical receiving threat and they also drafted Josh Jacobs, a multi-dimensional RB from Alabama. However, if these new weapons are to take the league by storm and the Raiders are going to surprise some people this season, Derek Carr must play like he did in 2015 and his MVP-caliber 2016 season as opposed to how he has performed the previous two seasons. This is likely Carr’s final chance to cement himself as the Raiders franchise QB as the team can save $16.5 million by releasing him after this season. Do you think Derek Carr is still capable of being that QB we saw in 2016, or are his best days behind him? 

2. FANTASY FOCUS: Antonio Brown may be getting a gold jacket one day, but from a fantasy perspective this season, he gets a steep downgrade at QB going from Roethlisberger to Carr. According to Fantasy Football Calculator, Brown’s current ADP is 2.09. Is Antonio Brown still a lock for a 1200+ receiving yard season with double digit TD’s as a Raider? Would you put WR’s with slightly lower ADP’s like Tyreek Hill and Mike Evans ahead of him on fantasy draft boards?

3. After trading away Khalil Mack, the Raiders pass rush was almost lifeless as they registered a league low 13 sacks. That’s why they used their first of three first round picks on a pass rusher in Clelin Ferrell. However, the selection of Ferrell was thought of as a reach by many, especially since there were better options on the board in Josh Allen and Ed Oliver. I understand GM Mike Mayock wanted to make a statement about character in the pick, but with questionable pieces around Ferrell on that DL, how much does he alone improve that anemic pass rush?

4. For the third time in four seasons, the Broncos have a new starting QB. With the Ravens eager to begin the Lamar Jackson era, the Broncos pounced and traded for his predecessor and Super Bowl XLVII MVP Joe Flacco. While many (including you) believe Flacco is an upgrade from Case Keenum, Flacco’s stats last year weren’t that much different from Keenum’s, and he has been at the bottom of the league in overall QBR for the past few seasons. And FWIW, Flacco and the Broncos offense have had a very sluggish start to training camp. Based on tape alone, why is Flacco an upgrade over Case Keenum?

Welcome back to Sports Krunch with DKrom ladies and gentlemen, I’m your host David Kromelow. NFL teams are already filing into training camp and today, the Denver Broncos just held the first training camp practice of the 2019 season. Football is officially back and in that spirit, we continue our 2019 division-by-division preview series with a dive into the AFC South. And joining us to analyze all things Colts, Jaguars, Texans, and Titans is our good friend Jake Arthur, who is currently a contributing writer for colts.com, the official website of the Indianapolis Colts. 

1. I am one of a minority of people who is higher on Nick Foles with the Jaguars than most. The reason why? New Jags OC John DeFilippo coached Foles during his magical run in Philly in 2017. Is it realistic to think that we’ll get more of the good Nick Foles than the bad one this season given DeFilippo’s presence?

2. FANTASY FOCUS: Would you be happy taking Leonard Fournette at his current ADP (3.06 per Fantasy Football Calculator), or would you rather take Aaron Jones, Marlon Mack, or Derrick Henry at around the same juncture of your draft?

3. How much more lethal does Josh Allen make this Jaguars D? Despite the addition of Allen, the Jaguars will be without three key people on defense this season. They had to cut Malik Jackson and Tashaun Gipson due to cap issues and LB Telvin Smith will be taking the 2019 season off for unknown personal reasons. Which of those three will be missed the most? Do you think the Jags D will still be a top-five unit in 2019?

4. For the first few years of his career, Marcus Mariota looked like the real deal. The previous two years? Not so much. While not all Mariota’s struggles can be blamed on his health (he’s still yet to play a full season), you have to consider the possibility that his issues last season were in large part due to him being VERY VERY banged up (ulnar nerve issue in his throwing arm, neck stinger, cracked verterbra, broken rib, sprained AC shoulder joint, and a “significant” plantar fascia tear). Assuming he’s infinitely healthier this season, what kind of season does Mariota need to have to warrant a long-term contract extension?

5. FANTASY FOCUS: Delanie Walker has always been Marcus Mariota’s best friend in the passing game, but he’s 35 years old and coming off a major injury (fractured ankle with ligament damage). If he isn’t the same, Mariota is going to need another threat over the middle to target regularly. And based on last season, Jonnu Smith is not capable of being that guy. Enter rookie WR A.J. Brown, who many in the draft community compared to JuJu Smith-Schuster. He’s likely to be that “BIG slot” WR and he runs terrific routes. Do you see Brown becoming that threat over the middle if Delanie Walker’s play declines and Jonnu Smith remains inept?

Welcome back to Sports Krunch with DKrom ladies and gentlemen, I’m your host David Kromelow. After a brief six-month hiatus, I am pleased to announce that we are back and ready to give you more exciting NFL content from all angles. Whether it be your favorite team, fantasy football, the NFL Draft or anything NFL-related, we will have you covered like never before. And how fitting is it that we return right now since the first of 32 NFL training camps begins in just a few days. In that spirit, we begin our 2019 NFL division-by-division preview series with a look at the NFC North. And to help us break down all things Bears, Vikings, Packers and Lions is our good friend Jordan Reid. Jordan is one of THE best football minds out there, especially when it comes to the NFL Draft. Over the past year, his career has taken off and he is becoming one of the go-to guys for NFL Draft information and analysis. He now writes for The Draft Network, my personal favorite NFL Draft site and hosts his own podcast “The Draft Board.” Jordan is also a wonderful friend of ours here at Sports Krunch, and it’s a pleasure to welcome him back to the program. How are you doing Jordan?

1. The Bears incredible 2018 season ended in the worst possible way, with a (partially blocked) “double doink” missed FG against the Eagles in the Wild Card round. And since then, the Bears situation at kicker is arguably a million times more uncertain than it was on that day. Cody Parkey might have been jettisoned but no kicker on the current roster has been able to distinguish himself from the pack during OTA’s. Which kicker (whether on the current active roster or open market) can you see providing some stability for the Bears at that position this season?

2. Jordan Howard was traded to the Eagles and to help replace him, the Bears traded up in the third round to select David Montgomery, a talented, multi-faceted back out of Iowa State. I personally was a HUGE fan of this pick. Do you think Montgomery is an upgrade over Howard in Matt Nagy’s offense? If you do, how so? (FANTASY FOCUS: Would you be surprised if Montgomery is the back getting most of the carries right off the bat?)

3. The Bears lost two underrated pieces of their top-shelf 2018 defense in nickel corner Bryce Callahan and safety Adrian Amos. Which of those players will be the hardest to replace? How does Chuck Pagano’s system fit the skillsets of the Bears defenders better than Vic Fangio’s?

4. The main thing that derailed the Vikings in 2018 was their porous OL play. To help fix that problem, the Vikings selected Garrett Bradbury, who was considered THE best center prospects in years, with their first-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network calls him “The Grim Reacher” because of his otherworldly reach blocks. Can you see Bradbury making at least somewhat of a similar impact on the entire Vikings OL as Quenton Nelson did with the Colts last year?

5. FANTASY FOCUS: With Gary Kubiak now in the Vikings building as essentially the Vikings co-OC, I am anticipating a lot more two-TE sets. The Vikings need a third pass catcher to emerge behind Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen. And while the Vikings may have extended Kyle Rudolph, they selected Alabama TE Irv Smith with their second-round pick. Daniel Jeremiah compared him to Jordan Reed, who was Kirk Cousins’ absolute favorite target in Washington. Can you see Irv Smith becoming that third option in the passing game behind Thielen and Diggs by midseason or sooner?

6. Although the Vikings were fourth in total defense last season, it didn’t feel quite as dominant as their performance during their magical 2017 season. What is the most important thing that needs to happen this season for the Vikings defense to play closer to that 2017 level?

One of the biggest potential steals of the 2019 NFL Draft was the Chargers selection of Delaware S Nasir Adderley in the second round (60th overall pick). I caught up with Nasir at the 2019 Reese's Senior Bowl and we discussed whether range or ball skills is the most important attribute needed to play safety in the NFL, his close friendship with his former college teammate and current Bears DT Bilal Nichols, the influence of Hall of Famer Ed Reed on the safety position and MORE!!!

Eagles beat writer Les Bowen (Philadelphia Inquirer) joined us to  discuss a laundry list of potential cap casualties for the Eagles this  offseason, Carson Wentz’s health, and the possibility of the Eagles  trading Nick Foles, which is bigger than you may think

Our old friend Dave Birkett, who covers the Lions and the  NFL for the Detroit Free Press joined us again. He discussed the  puzzling hiring of new offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell, Matthew  Stafford’s future, why the Lions are likely to let DE Ziggy Ansah walk,  and the Lions plans in the 2019 NFL Draft.

Also,  Dave is on the Pro Football Hall of Fame Board of Selectors and we talk  about next week’s vote for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s 2019 class 

Buccaneers beat writer Greg Auman (The Athletic) joins us to discuss  what Jameis Winston needs to do to earn a long-term deal from the Bucs,  reports suggesting the release of Pro Bowl DT Gerald McCoy, and Tampa’s plans for the 2019 NFL Draft

Ryan O’Halloran - Broncos beat writer Ryan O’Halloran (Denver Post)  joins us to discuss the Broncos 2019 NFL Draft plans (QB or bust in  first round?), what Denver is getting with new head coach Vic Fangio,  and why the team was smart to let Gary Kubiak go elsewhere and opt for a  fresh face at Offensive Coordinator

Raiders beat writer Vic Tafur (The Athletic) joins us to discuss the  Raiders plans in the 2019 NFL Draft, Derek Carr’s future, and how much  of a role new GM Mike Mayock will play