Round Table

Welcome back to the TSF Round Table where the guys at Truth Serum Football are joined by our very special guest Mr. Ryan Miller! The Draft is complete and as always we're here to answer some questions. Have a question you want us to answer at next week’s Round Table discussion? Drop it in a comment below. 

1. What are your thoughts on your team’s 1st round draft pick? 

Zach: Love it! The Pats got their successor for the goat and he’s a perfect fit in my opinion. 

Jeremiah: My Patriots took Mac Jones at 15 and I’m really Happy with the pick! We didn’t have to trade up to get him which makes the pick even better! I think Cam Newton will start this season but the future is definitely bright in New England!

Pynakker: I like Alex leatherwood but really didn’t think we should grab him first. So basically my thoughts are “WTF, WHY?!”

Ben: The Green Bay Packers selected Eric Stokes and of course like most Green Bay fans I have conflicting views about that decision but that’s like me saying, ‘water is wet,’ basically every Green Bay fan/owner is going to have an opinion and most of us would complain regardless of who the Packers selected.  It was a good pick given the Packers weaknesses at the cornerback position and yet it also ignored the fact that Asante Samuel Jr. was still available, who I personally liked better as a prospect.  However, I am also confident that the coaching staff and scouts believe in what they saw in him and made what they believe is the right choice, regardless of what some fans might think.  I also can’t ignore that Stokes is a blazing fast CB who returned multiple interceptions for touchdowns, allowed only 3 TDs in coverage in his college career, and ran a 40 in 4.25.  It also is concerning that he isn’t a great run defender given Green Bay’s continuing struggle in that department.

 

I give it a solid B+, it won’t make everyone happy and he isn’t perfect but with him, Alexander, and Savage on the field, the Green Bay secondary is going to have a ridiculous amount of speed and ball hawks looking to capitalize on opposing offenses.

 

Ryan: My team's 1st rd pick was Farley out of Virginia tech. Completely satisfied as we struggled in our secondary last year and the guy reminds me of Cortland Finnegan 2.0.

2. What was the biggest surprise of Round #1? 

Zach: The Jets trading up 9 spots in the middle of the 1st for a Guard shocked me. 

Jeremiah: The Jaguars taking Travis Etienne was the biggest surprise for me, they have a lot of holes to fill and taking a RB in round one just seemed unnecessary.

Pynakker: For me the most shocking was the Bears trading up to take Fields.

Ben: The biggest surprise I had in part relates both to the Packers again, unfortunately but it’s also a surprise in the general sense as well.  Linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramaoh fell entirely out of the first round, so whoever gets him is getting a steal at an outside linebacker or safety position.  He was also the ACC Defensive Player of the Year and Butkus Award winner this year, and according to some scouts like Bleacher Report had him as the SECOND best defensive player in the draft and the 20th best player in the NFL Mock Draft Database.  So yes, the Packers could have improved both their run defense and also had a flexible player who can work the intermediate areas of the field as well and chose not to do so.  Disappointing and very surprising but I look forward to seeing where a first-round level linebacker ends up going, since that team will be getting him for a steal.

Ryan: Biggest surprise for me would definitely be Mac Jones to New England, from what I was hearing Bill wasn’t impressed with his pro day, but maybe Bill played the game right, showed no interest and ended up having him fall in his lap. Kudos to the greatest coach in the nfl.

3. What 2 teams were the biggest winner and loser of day #1? 

Zach: There were quite a few but I have to go with the Vikings. They traded back nine spots to 23 and still got their guy who was projected to go top 15. They picked up valuable draft capital and filled their biggest hole with Darrisaw. Losers gotta be the Packers. There were more talented Cornerbacks on the board when they took Stokes. Seemed like a trade back and get your guy situation but what do I know? 🤷🏻‍♂️

Jeremiah: Winners I’d say were New England and Minnesota. Chicago would be 3rd. Biggest loser has to be the Raiders. Thought that was a reach for Leatherwood. 

Pynakker: Winner has to be Jacksonville with Lawrence AND Entienne. So getting the highest ranked QB and 2nd RB I have to say they’re the clear winner. Loser has to be the Raiders taking an offensive lineman that would probably have been there in rd 2 at #17, I like Alex leatherwood but not more than others that could have been scooped there.

Ben: The biggest winner for my money has to be the Minnesota Vikings, it pains me to say it but they pulled a master class in trading picks on the first night. They traded their 14th pick and what ended up being an offensive lineman in Vera-Tucker and instead got offensive tackle Christian Darrisaw at 23rd, a top 20 level talent and day one blind side blocker, and in addition to that they also ended up with two third round picks while trading away a 4th round pick.  It is an extremely impressive haul for the Vikings and I will be curious to see what they get in the third round with those added picks.

 

The biggest loser is a much tougher prospect because there are several potential teams that could qualify.  I’m going to go with the Las Vegas Raiders, Alex Leatherwood was let’s say an interesting choice with Darrisaw still available, who was ranked higher then him.  Not only that but the Raiders also needed help on defense and passed on both Jamin Davis and Kwity Paye, so I’m not sure how this helps there already shuffled offensive line and does zero to help their defensive struggles at the linebacker, defensive tackle, and free safety positions.  I think they made a mistake here and wasted their first round pick.  It’s not that Leatherwood isn’t good, he definitely is, but there were better options available for the Raiders and bigger needs.

 

Ryan: Biggest winner is Chicago imo. I think they might’ve finally drafted a solid QB. 

Losers gotta be the individual game imo. I’ll say veteran qbs are the losers this year.

4. With Etienne in Jacksonville what would your advice be to James Robinson Dynasty owners?  

Zach: You gotta hang onto him. I think he’ll be usable this year and you’re not gonna get much for him now. He’s a talented back and it’s not like Jacksonville has him on an overly long contract. 

Jeremiah: Hold at this point, his value is at its lowest right now so just keep him or try to trade him to an Etienne owner down the road.

Pynakker: SELL ASAP

Ben: As a dynasty owner of James Robinson it was like a dagger to the heart when Jacksonville wasted a first on Etienne. I mean the Jaguars have so many problems on defense that wasting their second first round pick on a running back puts them in that biggest loser conversation, especially at the beginning of a rebuild. It adds even more salt to the wound when you consider that the top seven running backs last season in rushing yardage totals, included an undrafted player named James Robinson, and not one of them was drafted in the first round of their respective draft classes.

My advice is to hold onto Robinson. I know that will rub some players the wrong way, your instinct is to sell but if you sell now his value is half or less than what it previously was. Also keep in mind, Robinson only signed a 3 year deal with Jacksonville, and theoretically he could get traded even sooner than that to a better team and one that respects what he accomplished last year. I know it sucks to lose an RB2 borderline RB1 in this way but stay the course and keep him on your bench or Taxi squad if you can. Also if you are really ambitious, like me, I plan to go out and buy some shares in Robinson and see if I can’t get some current Robinson owners to sell him on the cheap at the moment. It might take a year or two but this is a talented young man, and if Jacksonville refuses to see it, there are 31 other teams in the league that hopefully are not as blind.

Ryan: On Robinson, I say hold. You’ll not get what a top 10 rb value is anyways now. Hold and let him prove his worth is best imo. 

5. What 1st rd Receiver are you most excited for in redraft PPR formats?

Zach: It’s hard not to be excited about Chase being reunited with Burrow but I gotta go with Bateman. He’s a stud and Jackson is itching for a reliable WR1. I think Bateman is up to the task to be the man in Baltimore. 

Jeremiah: I’m most excited for Chase, he’s back with his QB and should be getting plenty of targets! I’m also excited for Smith.

Pynakker: Chase, him getting drafted by the Cincinnati LSUs and being back with Burrow and Thaddeus Moss should be the perfect situation for him to beast this year.

Ben: My most controversial answer, in redraft PPR formats, I am not as excited about any of the first round receivers. Chase is joining a talented young wide receiving corps with Boyd and Higgins. Waddle is joining the Dolphins but they also have Parker, Will Fuller, and Gesicki, they are not exactly hurting for talent in Florida.  Smith, while extremely talented, went to the Eagles, a position in the NFL that at this point I am starting to think is cursed but he is probably one of the first ones I would be willing to draft in fantasy formats. Giants are a similar problem for Toney with Golladay, Shepard, Slayton, and Barkley all available for catching passes.  Bateman went to the Ravens and unless Lamar Jackson gets the same time accuracy training Josh Allen got the previous offseason, I am worried about all the receivers in the Ravens current offensive system.

 

The player I am most excited about is Kyle Pitts.  He might be a tight end, the learning curve is definitely steeper but I also think the Falcons will be very willing and happy to line him up as a receiver, rather than a blocker and let his mismatch do the rest in the middle of the field.  When you have Matt Ryan as your QB with a Hall of Fame receiver on one side in Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley on the other and Pitts working the middle.  The Falcons wide receivers and tight ends are going to be a fun group to watch in fantasy football.  I just hope that Pitts value doesn’t jump up too high, I want him on fantasy rosters but he is still a tight end, so I’m also not going to overpay for a rookie tight end but if I can get him in later rounds as a flex player, I will be very happy. 

Ryan: Devonta Smith has got to be the guy for me. Automatic best WR on his team and arguably the best playmaker on the team. Waddle is a stud though for certain. Smith’s got the world doubting him though. He’s determined imo.

That’s it for this week guys. Thanks for reading and as always, stay true.

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