Front Office NFL Chat
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Sam Robinson
4:01
Hey everyone, kind of a messy Week 2. Let's hope Week 3 doles out fewer key injuries. Let's get started!
TD-Machine
4:08
Could the Vikings become true contenders if Murray stays healthy and meets expectations?
Sam Robinson
4:08
Hey TD-Machine, I'm not sure I can call them true Super Bowl contenders due to the muscle the NFC West carries/will carry (should the Rams get healthy). But I did have the Vikes as a wild-card team. Their 2-0 record against division opponents is quite impressive, and it underscores the coaching advantage they possess in many matchups.

Still waiting to see Murray with Jefferson and Co. operating an O'Connell-called offense. But Brian Flores' defense -- one that looks to have done well by unleashing Dallas Turner following the Greenard trade -- provides a good safety net. I do not think their 2-0 start is fluky, even considering Carson Wentz and Tyson Bagent's involvement.

Going against a desperate Bucs team in Week 3 is not ideal, and while I don't like the Vikes this week in Florida, their coaching and higher QB floor -- even if Murray misses more time down the road -- makes them a safer bet than anyone in that division right now.
Ghost of George Young
4:16
Hey, Sam.  While trying to cope with Dart's season injury...even if this a lost season - should the Giants inquiry about the availability of JJ McCarthy and/or Anthony Richardson?  Both teams seemed to have moved on, and have other projects (Brosmer and Leonard, respectively) that they seem to like.
Sam Robinson
4:16
Hey there, GOGY, really tough break. Dart looked great in Week 1, and this season will bring a significant loss for developmental reps. I expect the Giants to receive trade calls on more than just Thibodeaux based on what happened. As far as QB replacements, not sure I like either of these two.

McCarthy is buried in Minnesota, and an acquiring team may be hesitant to take on his final two fully guaranteed salaries (even at a rookie rate). Richardson's inaccuracy probably would not be good for the development of Nabers and Malachi Fields, though his destitute man's Lamar Jackson skillset does intrigue more here than McCarthy.

What about Minshew? Looks to have no future in Arizona with Brissett there, Beck waiting and a TBD 2027 draftee likely en route. He played for Nagy last season. Could Derek Carr replace Winston again? Haven't heard much from Tannehill lately. This would be an interesting opportunity, though he is now 38.
We Had 1 Week of Hope
4:21
What is Jimmy G's status?  I know he is a Free Agent, but he retire, or is he is recovery from another surgery?  Asking for a friend. disappointed_relieved
Sam Robinson
4:21
Staying on the Giants, this is another intriguing option. Garoppolo has not retired yet, though he was connected to it earlier in the year. As of late July, Garoppolo was open to playing a 13th season. He was also linked to the Giants this week.

Jimmy G is not recovering from a known injury. He was healthy for two years in Los Angeles. Not playing much will help in that area, though he did give the Rams important training camp reps when Stafford needed extensive time off due to a back injury.

Garoppolo, 34, has made 64 career starts but obviously carries considerable injury baggage. I wouldn't hate the move for the Giants. For now, I guess we'll see how Winston fares during an easier schedule stretch coming up.
Bibs
4:29
WTF are the Jags doing with Travis Hunter?  60% snap share on defense but hardly using him on offense.  Seems like if you trade two 1st round picks for a guy you'd have a better plan.
Sam Robinson
4:29
Bibs, I agree here. I was pretty surprised to see the Jags overhaul their Hunter plan this offseason. They had made it clear they saw him as a receiver upon making the trade, but all the reporting pointed to a CB path this offseason. While the Jags seemed to push back on the notion he would be a full-time defender this year, he has 10 offensive snaps in two games.

I thought corner was his better role coming in, and some teams agreed. The Jags' Jakobi Meyers extension and Parker Washington extension talks further underscore their new Hunter plan. You're right...to invest this much in a player and then radically change the plan is not good.

Too early to tell on Hunter the NFL corner, and the Jags need to stick to this plan for multiple years at least. Thus far, that blockbuster trade-up is not looking great -- especially as Abdul Carter has been the better player at No. 3 overall -- though hard to complain about the overall work from Coen and Gladstone so far.
Colts HC/GM changes
4:35
Do you see the Colts firing Steichen or Ballard during the year if things don't turn around, or would it be best to wait until after the season if they clean house?
Sam Robinson
4:35
Although Indy axed Frank Reich in-season, I think Carlie Irsay-Gordon is aiming to be less impulsive than her father. (Prior to that move, the Colts had last fired a head coach in-season in 1991 -- Ron Meyer early during a 1-15 slate).

Canning Steichen in-season probably wouldn't help, as the team is still hoping to see Daniel Jones progress. Changing play-callers mid-stream would make that more difficult.

I don't expect a move until January here. Irsay-Gordon has stood up for Ballard, but a clear bar is set for the playoffs. Absent that or a near-miss, I see the Colts changing course come winter.
Inquiring Minds
4:44
Which coach has the hotter seat - Todd Bowles in Tampa, whose team inexplicably lost to Cleveland on its home field, or Aaron Glenn, who snatched defeat from the mouth of victory yet again?
Sam Robinson
4:44
Going to have to go Bowles here. Glenn may not be the right guy for this Jets rebuild, but he is 1-1 and the team played the Packers tough. Granted, Glenn was a big part of that loss, but the team is playing hard for him. The Bucs have been far more disappointing, and Bowles has fended off hot-seat rumors for years.

The ex-Jets leader has more talent on defense than he did last year, but the team just lost a September home game to Deshaun Watson. The vultures are circling here.

The team having extended Bowles in 2025 on a deal that runs through 2028 was a factor in him being retained for this season, and I thought he deserved a mulligan after the injury-wrecked '25 season. But he is running out of excuses.

We have seen about-faces in terms of extensions and then quick firings in recent NFL history, and considering how Tampa Bay faltered last season, Bowles' seat is scorching hot (now that his much healthier team is still losing).
Raiders' 2-0 start
4:53
Do you put much stock in the Raiders' two wins, or is this season still mainly about transitioning to Mendoza at some point?
Sam Robinson
4:53
Cousins' early work will move the Mendoza storyline back a bit, but how the rookie is integrated remains the centerpiece Raiders item for 2026. I still expect the rookie to become the starter at some point, but it might not come as quickly as I thought.

Cousins has experience with Kubiak and has been in this kind of offense for most of his career. If he continues to look passable, Kubiak will be fine letting the rookie learn. At some point, though, he will need to play this season.

Mendoza should be moved into the lineup when he's ready, regardless of how Cousins is playing. Even if the Raiders are hovering around .500 by the midpoint, it wouldn't surprise me to see them go to the rookie in a Kurt Warner-Eli Manning-type shift.

The Raiders are probably hoping Cousins can give them several more weeks. Beginning in Week 4, their schedule goes Chiefs-Patriots-Bills-Rams-Jets-49ers-Seahawks-Broncos. Week 12 starts a Browns-bye-Chargers stretch. That should be one to monitor for a transition.
Sam Robinson
5:00
We will call it there for this week. Thank you for the questions, everyone! Some interesting teams in 0-2 spots this weekend. Will be fascinated to see how they respond.
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