Sports Krunch W/dkrom

1. Do you know or know of Kelly Kleine, and if so, what kind of football mind did the Broncos get with her and what makes her so good at what she does? 2. Who do you have in mind for the first ever all-woman NFL broadcast? 3. In recent months, your business, Athlete Relations has grown even more. In addition to signing more NFL clients, in what other ways has Athlete Relations expanded since we last had you on? 4. During your time in the sports industry, have you ever felt mistreated solely because you’re a woman? What can me and my fellow men do to create THE best possible workplace environment for women in sports, and in any other field? 5. Do you still think it would be the worst thing for the Bears to play Dalton for just four games and then give the reins to Justin Fields shortly thereafter? 6. How much will what Simone Biles did shift the paradigm in how women in sports (and women in general) are perceived and does the sick reaction of many to her decision not to participate in that event show you that

1.  As you know, this past year-and-a-half or so has been nothing short of paradigm shifting in terms of women in sports. It seems that every month, a new glass ceiling in the sports industry is smashed to pieces. In recent months, we’ve seen the highest-ranked female scouting executives in NFL history (Kelly Kleine of the Denver Broncos and Catherine Raiche of the Philadelphia Eagles) and two women (Becky Hammon and Teresa Weatherspoon) receive serious consideration for NBA head coaching jobs. Yet Major League Baseball, where you work, saw arguably the two biggest glass ceilings get shattered this year. First, we witnessed Kim Ng become the first woman GM in league history, and just a few weeks ago, we saw the first-ever all-female broadcast of a Major League Baseball game with Alanna Rizzo, Sarah Langs, Lauren Gardner, Heidi Watney and Melanie Newman. As a woman who assists with the radio broadcasts of an MLB franchise, how much did it mean to you to see such a barrier-breaking milestone in terms of wo

1. If both Carson Wentz and Quenton Nelson take until late October to recover, are the Colts looking at a potential top-10, if not top-five pick in the 2022 NFL Draft?  2. Chris Mortensen reported that the Colts are not going to pursue a trade for a veteran QB like Nick Foles, Gardner Minshew, or Marcus Mariota at this time, but implied the team can change its mind if Jacob Eason struggles badly in preseason. Should that happen, which of those three aforementioned quarterbacks would YOU trade for if you were Chris Ballard, and why? 3. Do you think the Niners will be forced to abandon their original plan and start Trey Lance sooner than many expect? 4. As long as the Bears get 10 or more starts from Justin Fields this year, would it be acceptable to let him wait his turn for just a few weeks given the uncertainties on the offensive line? 5. How bullish are you on this new Chiefs offensive line and if they’re as good as PFF thinks they’re going to be, is defending Patrick Mahomes going to be scarier than e

1. DRAFT STRATEGIES -The two most common ways to begin a fantasy football draft (at least the ones I’ve come across) are to either draft two running backs in the first two rounds, or to draft one running back and one wide receiver in the first two rounds. Which of the two approaches do you prefer and why? -When you’re drafting, how much stock do you put into early season schedules (Weeks 1-4) and [fantasy] playoff schedules? 2. Speaking of fantasy playoff schedules, with the NFL changing to the 17 game/18 week regular season format this year, when would you recommend fantasy league commissioners schedule their playoffs (same standard as always with weeks 14-16, or do you move it to weeks 15-17)? 3. Running Backs -Why is Christian McCaffrey your #1 fantasy player right now? -Why is Jonathan Taylor worth an investment as early as the fifth overall pick in fantasy drafts? 4. Wide Receivers                 -Why do you think 20

1. Hypothetically speaking, if there’s a tie in the competition between Justin Fields and Andy Dalton at the end of preseason play, and if there’s a tie between Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo at the end of preseason play, should the Bears and 49ers unquestionably start Justin Fields and Trey Lance, respectively, in Week 1? 2. What should we expect from Zach Wilson and this young Jets offense this season, and do you think Joe Douglas has put his rookie QB in the best possible position to succeed? 3. Does the approach Urban Meyer's taking with Travis Etienne concern you about how he will utilize Trevor Lawrence?  4. You said the transition from the Alabama offense to Josh McDaniels’ offense isn’t as seamless as many think. Why is that so and when is the earliest we see Mac Jones this season? 5. How much should we temper expectations for this Rams offense as a result of the brutal injury to Cam Akers and what schematic adjustments, if any, should we expect? 6. With the presence of new Seahawks OC Shane Wald

1. Hypothetically speaking, should the QB competition between Justin Fields and Andy Dalton, end in a tie, with both training camp and preseason play accounted for, should the tie go to Fields or Dalton? If Dalton starts Week 1, when is the earliest you think we see Justin Fields this season? 2. What is your most educated guess as to Allen Robinson’s future as a Bear at this point in time? How much hotter should Ryan Pace’s seat be if the Bears let Allen Robinson walk for nothing? 3. The two young pass-catchers I personally have my eye on are TE Cole Kmet and WR Darnell Mooney. Which one of those two sophomores (so to speak) has the bigger breakout season, and how much does the answer to that question depend on who starts more games at QB? 4. If Roquan Smith does what he did in 2020 this season, do the Bears give him a similar mega-deal before Week 1 of the 2022 season? 5. Since their out-of-this-world 2018 season, the Bears defense has still been solid, but nowhere near the dominance they showed that year. T

1. Based on the intel you have, why did the Panthers decide to take Jaycee Horn over Justin Fields, and why do they think Sam Darnold can be the long-term answer for them at QB? 2. Outside of Jaycee Horn, which Panthers rookie do you see making the biggest impact this season?   3. Last season, Christian McCaffrey, the focal point of the Panthers offense, only played three games due to various injuries. With the NFL moving to the new 17-game regular season format this season, how much do the Panthers plan to lighten CMC’s workload, if at all? Is he still worth the first overall pick in fantasy drafts?  4. The Panthers have one of the NFL’s rising stars at WR in D.J. Moore. Despite playing with five different QB’s over the past two seasons, he’s totaled 1200+ receiving yards each year. If he plays as good or better in 2021, can you see the Panthers extending him some time before the 2022 season? 5. Do you think Brian Burns solidifies himself as a top-10 pass rushing DE this season, if not top-five? 6.

1. What will be the next major barrier to fall for women in pro sports? Will it be the first woman NBA head coach, first woman NFL GM, first woman NFL offensive or defensive coordinator, or something else? 2. You currently work for The Draft Network, which I have said many times is THE best year-round NFL Draft resource there is. We have interviewed many of your colleagues, including your partner in crime (the good kind) Paige Dimakos earlier this year. What exactly do you do for TDN, and are there any exciting developments going on there this season? 3. Last week, the Washington Football Team was fined $10 million due to the findings of an investigation into allegations of sexual harassment throughout the club. That said, the attorney who led the investigation, Beth Wilkinson hasn’t released a single page of her report and the aforementioned penalty can only be summarized as a slap on the wrist. Aside from boycotting the NFL, what can we do to hold the NFL accountable for not caring whatsoever about the phy

1. What will be the next major glass ceiling to be shattered in pro sports? Will it be the first woman NBA head coach, first woman NFL GM, first woman NFL offensive or defensive coordinator, or something else? 2. How did your experience as a Broncos cheerleader help make you into the strong, powerful woman you are today, and how pivotal were those seven years in getting you ready to go into sports media? 3. During your seven years on the team, did you ever encounter anyone giving you hell and/or stereotyping you for being a cheerleader? What can me and my fellow men do to help ensure a safe, healthy workplace environment free from such stereotypes and all other forms of sexual harassment for ALL women in sports? 4. You were a Broncos cheerleader in 2015, when the Broncos won Super Bowl 50. That was truly one of THE most intriguing Super Bowl championship seasons I have ever watched. Aside from going to San Francisco, dancing at the Super Bowl, and every post-game celebration that came afterward, what wer

1. Just a few weeks ago, the Titans acquired Future Hall of Fame WR Julio Jones and a 2023 sixth-round pick from the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for Tennessee’s 2022 second-round pick and 2023 fourth-round pick. Now you add Julio Jones, who can still play at a very high level, to a Titans offense that has arguably the best running back in the NFL in Derrick Henry, A.J. Brown, who has grown into a top-10 WR in the NFL after just two seasons in the league, and a QB in Ryan Tannehill who has played at a Pro Bowl level for the last two years. Does the acquisition of Julio Jones make the Titans THE most dangerous offense in the entire NFL right now? 2. A big issue for the Titans offensively is the depth at the skill positions behind Julio Jones, A.J. Brown and Derrick Henry. Which Titans offensive skill position players do you expect to play the biggest role outside of those three? 3. For the Titans to go the distance, they are going to need FAR better play from their defense. And their defensive woes start up fro

1. This is the first year of the post-Drew Brees era for the Saints. Thus, all eyes are on the looming training camp battle between Taysom Hill and Jameis Winston to be the starting QB Week 1 in New Orleans. As of right now, what is your most educated guess as to which of those two will be under center for the Saints September 12 against the Packers? 2. Given the COVID-related salary cap reduction this season, the Saints cap issues were further magnified this year. Moreover, according to OverTheCap.com, the Saints are projected to start the 2022 league year nearly $15 million above the cap, $14.847 million to be exact. This means, they will likely have to get super creative as they try to re-sign their two 2017 first-round picks, Marshon Lattimore and Ryan Ramczyk. Which one of those two do you believe is most likely to re-sign in New Orleans long-term? Can you see the Saints eventually re-signing both? 3. In the 2021 NFL Draft, the Saints used all of their picks in the premium rounds (rounds 1-3) on defense.

1. Jaguars -Not only did I feel the Travis Etienne pick was a waste given the presence of James Robinson on the roster, Urban Meyer says they are trying to get Etienne to play wide receiver in addition to running back, and he’s never played the former position. Outside of Etienne’s familiarity with Trevor Lawrence and his impact on team culture, how do you justify the Jaguars taking him in the first round? -With their first of two second-round picks, the Jaguars selected Tyson Campbell, the long, tall athletic corner from Georgia with track speed. The only reason he fell out of the first round was his struggles locating the ball in the air. In 2018, a corner prospect with a similar body-type fell all the way to the end of the second round for essentially that same reason. That prospect? Carlton Davis, who has grown into a top-10 corner in the NFL for the Bucs. Can you see Tyson Campbell experiencing a similar rise over these next three years? -In the third round, the Jaguars addressed the secondary agai

1. Eagles -With their first-round pick, the Eagles traded up two spots with the division-rival Cowboys, leapfrogging the division-rival Giants to take DeVonta Smith. Now, we all know about DeVonta Smith. He was the 2020 Heisman Trophy winner and despite his size, he does EVERYTHING you want a WR to do. While I personally expect DeVonta Smith to have at LEAST a very good career  (as in multiple Pro Bowls plus an All Pro honor or two), the Eagles, at least in my view, could have done a lot better by beginning their rebuild with Justin Fields. Do you think the Eagles should have taken Justin Fields, or is DeVonta Smith the kind of player you want to begin a roster overhaul with?  -In the second-round the Eagles, as they do often, rolled the dice on an extremely talented, yet often-injured player in Landon Dickerson. After the pick was made, many, if not most, said he would redshirt in 2021 and then replace Jason Kelce as the Eagles center of the future in 2022. However, they announced him as a guard

1.  Before we begin here, please explain the criteria you used in determining the ranking of all 32 NFL rosters 2. NFC North (Packers 1 [3], Vikings 2 [7], Bears 3 [24], Lions 4 [31]) -Why did you rank the Vikings roster as high as you did? At least to me, they don’t seem anywhere near as strong as they were in 2018 when they were preseason Super Bowl darlings -With Justin Fields now in the fold, what are the next must-dos for the Bears in roster building?  3. AFC West (Chiefs 1 [2], Broncos 2 [17], Chargers 3 [21], Raiders 4 [26]) -In your view, do the massive upgrades the Chiefs made to their OL solidify them as favorites for a third-consecutive Super Bowl trip? -Why did you rank the Broncos, who have one of the worst QB rooms in the entire NFL, ahead of the Chargers and Raiders, who have two top-12 QB’s themselves in Justin Herbert and Derek Carr, respectively? 4. AFC North (Browns 1 [4], Ravens 2 [6], Steelers 3 [19], Bengals 4 [25]) -You and I are in agreement that the Browns are the mo

1. 49ers -The 49ers arguably made the biggest move in the arms race draft-wise. After losing out to the division-rival Rams in the Matthew Stafford sweepstakes, the 49ers went all in on finding their next franchise QB in the draft, trading two future first-round picks to move all the way up to three, where they selected Trey Lance. Before they made the move, Mark Schofield, one of THE best QB minds in the business, told me on this podcast that there was no clearer hand-in-glove scheme fit between prospect and team than Lance and the Niners. Also, many believed that out of the top-four QB’s in the draft, Lance’s ceiling was the highest. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein compared Trey Lance to Josh Allen, and Lance clearly has far better decision-making and accuracy than Allen did coming out of college. Given the athletic profile, the system he walks into and the talent around him, would it surprise you if Trey Lance is regarded as the best QB from this draft class five years down the line? -In the second-round the 4

1. Falcons -With the fourth overall pick, the Falcons decided to pass on a potential successor to Matt Ryan and instead took Kyle Pitts, the best non-QB prospect in the draft. Even though Pitts is listed as a tight end that, at least to some degree, is a misnomer. You can line him up inline, in the slot, or even at the X receiver position, and he is still equally as effective. Assuming the Falcons keep Julio Jones this season, does the addition of Kyle Pitts make the Falcons pass catching unit the most dangerous in the NFL?    -In the second round, the Falcons traded down five spots and selected Richie Grant, the talented, versatile safety out of UCF. Atlanta obviously needed a safety, but some would argue they should’ve went with Trevon Moehrig, who went just three picks later to the Raiders. Do you think Richie Grant was the right pick for the Falcons in terms of fit, or do you think they’ll regret taking him over Moehrig? -In the third round, the Falcons made their first of two dips in the

1. Lions -With their first-round pick, the Lions began their draft theme of drafting guys that can “bite kneecaps off” with Oregon OT Penei Sewell. His addition arguably makes the Lions offensive line one of the most promising groups in the NFL. The Lions now have rock solid bookend tackles with Sewell at RT and Taylor Decker at left tackle. Inside, they have All Pro Frank Ragnow at center and Jonah Jackson, who had a very good rookie season in 2020, at one of the guard spots. Would you be surprised if the Lions OL becomes a top-10 unit at the end of this season, if not a top-five unit? -On day two, the Lions double-dipped at defensive tackle with Levi Onwuzurike and Alim McNeill. Double-dipping at a position in the draft usually means (at least in terms of logic) that the two players have perfectly complimentary skill sets. How well (if at all) do Onwuzurike and McNeill compliment each other, and can you see them as the two starters at DT for the Lions at some point in the next few seasons? -With their

1. Jets -A month and a half before the draft, everyone was saying that the Jets would take Zach Wilson with the second overall pick, and that’s exactly what they did. Personally, I would have taken either Justin Fields or Trey Lance ahead of Wilson, but you’re a better evaluator of game tape than I am and you had Zach Wilson as the best of the three “non-Trevor Lawrence” QB’s in the draft. Why was Zach Wilson the right choice for the Jets to bet their long-term future on? -With their second first-round picks the Jets moved up nine spots and surrendered both of their third-round picks to select USC G Alijah Vera-Tucker. The night before the draft, I told someone that the Jets dream haul on Day 1 would be the QB of their choice (which was obviously Zach Wilson) and Vera-Tucker…and the dream came true. Still, some people I respect absolutely RIDICULED the Jets for surrendering both of their third-rounders to get somebody at a position that’s not as highly valued. Why are those folks dead wrong? -In the sec

1. Broncos -In a move that will be scrutinized indefinitely, the Broncos, like the Panthers and Lions before them, decided to pass on Justin Fields and instead used their first-round pick on Alabama CB Patrick Surtain II. Despite the metaphorical black eye that could result from this decision, Surtain is a high-floor/high-ceiling prospect. Based on the numbers he put up at his Pro Day, he profiles very similarly to Derwin James athletically. Just how high is Patrick Surtain’s ceiling? The Broncos have a pretty crowded corner room right now with Bryce Callahan, Kyle Fuller, and Ronald Darby. And yesterday, Vic Fangio said he plans to try Surtain out on the boundary and in the slot. Does he start Week 1, and if so, at which spot? -Just like his former team did in 2017 with Dalvin Cook, George Paton traded up a few spots in the second round to take a RB in Javonte Williams from North Carolina. Williams was considered to be THE best RB in this draft by Doug Farrar and Mark Schofield. Many believe you shouldn’t dr

1. Bengals Draft Class -The Bengals ignored the advice we gave them on our Dash To The Draft AFC North Preview show and went with Ja’Marr Chase over Penei Sewell. That said, you can’t deny Ja’Marr Chase is a pretty special prospect and aside from his established chemistry with Joe Burrow, what does he bring to the Bengals WR room that Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd lack? -With their second round selection, the Bengals invested in additional protection for Joe Burrow. That said, many believe they reached by taking Jackson Carman, who may have protected Trevor Lawrence’s blindside at Clemson, but projects far better at guard at the NFL level. What do you think of Jackson Carman based on his film, and does he improve the Bengals offensive line even slightly? -In the third round, the Bengals addressed the defensive front with their selection of edge rusher/LB Joseph Ossai out of Texas. In free agency, the Bengals pass rush was downgraded, in the views of some, by losing Carl Lawson to the Jets and throwing big money