We have done it. We've reached the end of the line. The eighth and final divison preview is here, and it is the loaded NFC West. Is it possible for the Rams to have a successful season without winning the Super Bowl? How do the Seahawks replace the key players who left last year's Super Bowl champ during the offseason? What must the 49ers do to keep their championship window ajar. And what's really at stake for the Cardinals in 2026? Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman answer those questions, and a whole lot more, on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.

Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow

Host: Robert Mays

Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman

Executive Producer: Michael Beller

Senior Producer: Katy Duffy

Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social

Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social

Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social

Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays

Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_

Theme song: Haunted

Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs

Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The NFC North could very well be the deepest division in football. At the same time, there might not be an inner-circle Super Bowl contender among the four teams in the division. What must the Lions do to keep their championship window open? How do the Packers find their way through the playoff issues that have plagued them the last three years? What's the next step on offense for the Bears? And can Kyler Murray get the Vikings back on track? Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman answer those questions, and a whole lot more, on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.

Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow

Host: Robert Mays

Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman

Executive Producer: Michael Beller

Senior Producer: Katy Duffy

Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social

Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social

Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social

Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays

Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_

Theme song: Haunted

Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs

Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Once the butt of jokes across the league, the AFC South produced two teams that won at least 12 games last year, and for a time looked like it could get three teams into the playoffs. The Texans and Jaguars return this year as teams with legitimate aspirations to make deep postseason runs, while the Colts and Titans have reason to believe that they could notch the sorts of improvements that would push them to growth in 2026. Can the Texans offense do enough to make the most of an elite defense? Was the Jaguars second-half surge on offense for real? How do the Colts capture the magic from the first half of last season and keep it for a full 17-game slate? And just what would be a successful season for the Titans? Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman answer those questions, and a whole lot more, on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.

Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow

Host: Robert Mays

Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman

Executive Producer: Michael Beller

Senior Producer: Katy Duffy

Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social

Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social

Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social

Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays

Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_

Theme song: Haunted

Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs

Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The New England Patriots stopped the Buffalo Bills' streak of AFC East titles at six last year, then ran right through the AFC side of the playoff bracket to reach Super Bowl LX where they fell to the Seattle Seahawks. It's once again expected to be the Bills and Patriots at the top of the division, and if that sounds familiar it's only because they've won every AFC East crown dating back to 2009. What must the Bills do to finally break through to the Super Bowl in the Josh Allen era? Was the A.J. Brown addition enough for the Patriots to follow up on last year's surprise campaign? Can the offensive line and Geno Smith live up to their end of the billing, allowing the Jets to be a surprisingly fun offense? And just how should the Dolphins measure success this season? Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman answer those questions, and a whole lot more, on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.

Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow

Host: Robert Mays

Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman

Executive Producer: Michael Beller

Senior Producer: Katy Duffy

Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social

Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social

Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social

Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays

Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_

Theme song: Haunted

Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs

Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The NFC South remains the little brother of the league, coming into the season as the only division without an obvious Super Bowl contender. The Buccaneers have held sway over this division for most of the 2020s, but it was the Panthers last year who broke through and won the division, albeit with an 8-9 record. How do the Buccaneers get back to the top of the division this season? What must the Saints do to rollover the optimism they built up over the second half of last season into this year? How do the Panthers prove that last year wasn't a fluke? And is this the season that the Falcons can finally put it all together on offense, given their wealth of skill position talent? Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman answer those questions, and a whole lot more, on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.

Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow

Host: Robert Mays

Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman

Executive Producer: Michael Beller

Senior Producer: Katy Duffy

Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social

Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social

Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social

Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays

Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_

Theme song: Haunted

Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs

Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

And with that, Robert Mays' 2026 training camp tour has reached its end. The final two stops on the tour were Green Bay and Chicago, where he spoke with Packers writer Matt Schneidman and Bears writer Kevin Fishbain. And just to wrap things up nicely, he checked in with Broncos writer Nick Kosmider and Chiefs writer Jesse Newell.

Host: Robert Mays

With: Matt Schneidman, Kevin Fishbain, Nick Kosmider, Jesse Newell

Executive Producer: Michael Beller

Senior Producer: Katy Duffy

Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social

Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social

Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social

Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays

Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_

Theme song: Haunted

Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs

Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get your tickets for the Sept 1st live show in Chicago! https://lh-st.com/shows/09-01-2026-the-athletic-football-show-with-robert-mays/

We flip over to the NFC for the first time in this season's division preview series, with the NFC East taking center stage. The division runs through Philadelphia until further notice, but the Eagles are far from an overwhelming favorite to win their third straight NFC East crown. How will the Eagles weather the losses of A.J. Brown and Jeff Stoutland? Is the unbounded optimism surrounding the Cowboys justified? Can the Commanders put a forgettable 2025 behind them and get back to being a team that has the promise inherent to one with a superstar quarterback on a rookie deal? Will this finally be the season the Giants break free from the doldrums and get back on a winning trajectory? Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman answer those questions, and a whole lot more, on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.

Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow

Host: Robert Mays

Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman

Executive Producer: Michael Beller

Senior Producer: Katy Duffy

Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social

Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social

Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social

Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays

Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_

Theme song: Haunted

Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs

Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get your tickets to the Sept 1 live show in Chicago! https://lh-st.com/shows/09-01-2026-the-athletic-football-show-with-robert-mays/

The AFC North is up next in our division preview series. Last year, this division featured two of the most disappointing teams in the league in the Ravens and Bengals, yet those two teams are expected to be right back at the top of the division, and potentially the entire conference, if they can once again find their respective fastballs. What will Jesse Minter and Declan Doyle bring to the Ravens in year one? Is this the year the Bengals defense finally lives up to its end of the bargain? Can the Steelers find a way out of Wild Card weekend purgatory? Will the Browns young core give their fans enough to be excited about in a season that appears likely to be defined by dreadful quarterback play? Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman answer those questions, and a whole lot more, on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.

Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow

Host: Robert Mays

Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman

Executive Producer: Michael Beller

Senior Producer: Katy Duffy

Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social

Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social

Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social

Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays

Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_

Theme song: Haunted

Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs

Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get your tickets for the Sept 1st live show in Chicago! https://lh-st.com/shows/09-01-2026-the-athletic-football-show-with-robert-mays/

We kick off our annual round of division previews with the AFC West. This division sent two teams to the playoffs last year, yet neither of those teams is favored to win the division. That's what happens when Patrick Mahomes calls the division home. How do the Chiefs bounce back this year? Can Mike McDaniel be the offensive coordinator to get the absolute most out of Justin Herbert? Are the Broncos truly the Super Bowl contender they appeared to be last season? And how should the Raiders define success in 2026? Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman answer those questions, and a whole lot more, on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.

Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow

Host: Robert Mays

Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman

Executive Producer: Michael Beller

Senior Producer: Katy Duffy

Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social

Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social

Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social

Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays

Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_

Theme song: Haunted

Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs

Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get your tickets to the live show! https://lh-st.com/shows/09-01-2026-the-athletic-football-show-with-robert-mays/

C.J. Stroud went down to the crossroads, fell down on his knees. Bryce Young went down to the crossroads, tried to flag a ride. Justin Herbert will see you at the crossroads, so you won't be lonely. Yup, that's right, it's time for QBs at a crossroads. In addition to Stroud, Young and Herbert, Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman discuss the pivotal seasons facing Jalen Hurts, Michael Penix and Malik Willis on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.

Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow

Host: Robert Mays

Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman

Executive Producer: Michael Beller

Senior Producer: Katy Duffy

Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social

Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social

Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social

Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays

Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_

Theme song: Haunted

Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs

Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get your tickets for our September 1st live show: https://lh-st.com/shows/09-01-2026-the-athletic-football-show-with-robert-mays/

Let's face it: you can only learn so much about the season ahead from preseason football. So, we've turned to an alternate method of learning...Ryan Paganetti. Ryan chats with Robert Mays about the most interesting trends, rule changes, and what they tell us about what we could see in the 2026 NFL season.

Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow

Host: Robert Mays

Executive Producer: Michael Beller

Senior Producer: Katy Duffy

Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social

Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays

Theme song: Haunted

Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs

Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A full week in the Midwest? Robert Mays must be coming to the end of his training camp tour. This week saw Robert visit Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Detroit and Minneapolis, which means conversations with Bengals writer Paul Dehner Jr., Colts writer James Boyd, Lions writer Colton Pouncy and Vikings writer Alec Lewis on this episode of The Athletic Football Show

Host: Robert Mays

With: Paul Dehner Jr., James Boyd, Colton Pouncy, Alec Lewis

Executive Producer: Michael Beller

Senior Producer: Katy Duffy

Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social

Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social

Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social

Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays

Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_

Theme song: Haunted

Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs

Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get your tickets for our LIVE show at Lincoln Hall: https://lh-st.com/shows/09-01-2026-the-athletic-football-show-with-robert-mays/

King Arthur's Table. Table Mountain. Mesa Verde. Teufelstisch. These are just four famous tables known the world over. Could the TAFS Contender's Table join their ranks? Likely not, but that won't stop us from asking the question. And it certainly won't stop us from bringing back our favorite bit from 2025 with improvements for the 2026 season. Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman introduce the initial batch of legitimate Super Bowl contenders on this episode of The Athletic Football show by giving 10 teams a Seat at the Table.

Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow

Host: Robert Mays

Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman

Executive Producer: Michael Beller

Senior Producer: Katy Duffy

Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social

Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social

Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social

Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays

Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_

Theme song: Haunted

Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs

Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Accompanied reading: Arch Manning's potential, https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7510943/2026/08/18/arch-manning-nfl-draft-film-study/

The full set of preseason ranking articles, https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/author/dane-brugler/

The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and Building the Beast is BACK! Dane Brugler joins Dave Helman to dig into the top prospects at every position for the 2026 season. Arch Manning, Leonard Moore, Xavier Atkins, and so much more.

Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow

Co-Hosts: Dane Brugler and Dave Helman

Executive Producer: Michael Beller

Senior Producer: Katy Duffy

Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social

Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_

Follow Dane on X: @DPBrulger

Theme song: Haunted

Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs

Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We have an astounding 25 new playcallers on either side of the ball in 2026. Mike McDaniel with the Chargers. Jim Leonhard with the Bills. Those two are expected to be among the most important acquisitions of the offseason, players and head coaches included. But they aren't the only ones grabbing our attention. Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen highlight the playcallers in new places they can't wait to watch on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.

0:00 Welcome to the show

2:45 Mike Rutenberg & Cleveland Browns

11:44 Christian Parker & Dallas Cowboys

23:59 Chris O'Leary & Los Angeles Chargers

32:10 Sean Mannion & Philadelphia Eagles

43:52 Tyler Biadasz injury

45:01 Mike McDaniel & Chargers

53:41 Drew Petzing & Detroit Lions

1:04:47 Brian Daboll & Tennessee Titans

1:09:27 Brian Fleury & Seattle Seahawks

Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow

Host: Robert Mays

Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman

Executive Producer: Michael Beller

Senior Producer: Katy Duffy

Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social

Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social

Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social

Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays

Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_

Theme song: Haunted

Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs

Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get your tickets for the live show! https://lh-st.com/shows/09-01-2026-the-athletic-football-show-with-robert-mays/

Sure, we could rank the NFL's best offenses from 1 to 15 and then tell you the rankings of each host. But then we wouldn't hear Robert call himself a "spineless piece of shit," we wouldn't hear Dave talk about making an offense out of a "ham bone and a moldy shoe," and we certainly wouldn't hear Derrik agonize over picking another NFC North team. So we're doing it this way. Join Robert Mays, Dave Helman, and Derrik Klassen as they draft the NFL's best offenses for 2026.

0:00 Welcome to the show

3:05 Bills

7:44 Cowboys

13:59 Rams

17:17 Patriots

22:25 Lions

26:31 Bears

34:04 Ravens

40:49 Chargers

45:50 Bengals

52:21 49ers

56:13 Packers

59:47 Jaguars

1:04:07 Chiefs

1:06:21 Vikings

1:09:14 Broncos

1:11:25 Honorable mentions

1:18:37 TAFS live show!

Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow

Host: Robert Mays

Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman

Executive Producer: Michael Beller

Senior Producer: Katy Duffy

Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social

Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social

Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social

Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays

Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_

Theme song: Haunted

Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs

Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get your tickets for the live show! https://lh-st.com/shows/09-01-2026-the-athletic-football-show-with-robert-mays/

Good news! All of the good stuff you saw from the players you like and all the bad stuff from players you don't like in preseason is real. But the things that don't affirm your existing opinion? Fake. Not going to happen again. Robert Mays and Dave Helman have a mix of both those opinions and more reactions to the first preseason action of 2026.

0:00 Welcome to the show

3:54 Arizona Cardinals-Las Vegas Raiders

4:30 Jeremiyah Love injury

8:29 Fernando Mendoza

9:52 Jeremiyah Love pre-injury

14:24 Chase Bisontis

15:25 Ty Simpson

16:39 Stetson Bennett

21:16 R Mason Thomas

21:42 Drew Allar

23:50 Jager Burton & Aaron Banks

28:24 Caleb Douglas

28:49 Kadyn Proctor

29:49 De'zhaun Stribling

30:33 Jakobi Lane

32:49 Jack Bech

34:46 Matthew Hibner

37:35 Marlin Klein

39:55 Cincinnati Bengals-Detroit Lions

45:06 Cleveland Browns quarterbacks

52:20 Browns receivers

54:21 Carolina Panthers-Buffalo Bills

56:07 Seattle Seahawks-Dallas Cowboys

56:46 Jamal Adams

57:51 Tennessee Titans-San Francisco 49ers

59:46 Other positive performances

Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow

Host: Robert Mays

Co-Hosts: Dave Helman

Executive Producer: Michael Beller

Senior Producer: Katy Duffy

Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social

Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social

Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays

Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_

Theme song: Haunted

Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs

Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Robert Mays slowly but surely made his way back to the Midwest from the mid-Atlantic on his training camp tour this week, kicking things off with the Eagles and wrapping it up with the Browns. In between, he made stops in Pittsburgh and Buffalo. As such, you'll hear from Eagles beat writer Zach Berman, Steelers beat writer Mike DeFabo, Bills beat writer Joe Buscaglia, and Browns beat writer Zac Jackson on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.

Rundown (timestamps are approximate)

4:06 Eagles

31:00 Steelers

1:00:03 Bills

1:25:15 Browns

Host: Robert Mays

With: Joe Person, Nate Atkins, Daniel Popper and Jon Machota

Executive Producer: Michael Beller

Senior Producer: Katy Duffy

Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social

Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social

Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social

Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays

Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_

Theme song: Haunted

Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs

Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get your tickets for the live show! https://lh-st.com/shows/09-01-2026-the-athletic-football-show-with-robert-mays/

Between starter announcements, preseason game statuses, and late-camp signings...we couldn't possibly cover all of the big NFL training camp news in one show. So we didn't! Dave Helman and Derrik Klassen run it back for part two of training camp storylines.

Accompanied reading: Bo Nix's area of improvement, https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7503885/2026/08/11/broncos-bo-nix-quarterback-improvement-progressions/

2:43 Kyler Murray & Minnesota Vikings

7:40 What's next for JJ McCarthy

13:19 Bo Nix & Denver Broncos

18:06 Michael Penix Jr & Atlanta Falcons

19:07 Penix vs Tua Tagovailoa

20:14 Caleb Williams/Ben Johnson & Chicago Bears

25:01 Deebo Samuel & San Francisco 49ers

30:41 Elandon Roberts & Pittsburgh Steelers

33:40 Devin White & Detroit Lions

34:39 Darren Waller & Carolina Panthers

37:47 Jonathon Brooks

40:11 Marlon Humphrey/Nate Wiggins & Baltimore Ravens

41:50 Cade Mays

46:18 Jadeveon Clowney & Houston Texans

50:05 Emmanuel Ogbah & Kansas City Chiefs

Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow

Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman

Executive Producer: Michael Beller

Senior Producer: Katy Duffy

Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social

Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social

Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_

Theme song: Haunted

Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs

Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get your tickets for the live show! https://lh-st.com/shows/09-01-2026-the-athletic-football-show-with-robert-mays/

Tired: Ranking. Wired: Drafting. On this episode of The Athletic Football Show, Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman draft who they think will be the best defenses in the NFL. Three drafters, five teams apiece, whoever's quintet ends the season with the best EPA per play wins. Derrik is on the clock...

0:00 Welcome to the show

4:35 Houston Texans

10:14 Seattle Seahawks

16:02 Los Angeles Rams

22:01 Philadelphia Eagles

27:21 Denver Broncos

33:00 Cleveland Browns

42:23 Pittsburgh Steelers

49:18 Baltimore Ravens

53:30 Minnesota Vikings

59:09 Jacksonville Jaguars

1:06:01 Buffalo Bills

1:12:36 Kansas City Chiefs

1:15:44 New York Giants

1:20:20 New England Patriots

1:20:45 New Orleans Saints

1:20:57 Dallas Cowboys

1:25:50 Los Angeles Chargers

1:29:11 Indianapolis Colts

1:31:39 Recap

1:33:09 LIVE SHOW!

Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow

Host: Robert Mays

Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman

Executive Producer: Michael Beller

Senior Producer: Katy Duffy

Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social

Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social

Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social

Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays

Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_

Theme song: Haunted

Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs

Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get your tickets for the live show! https://lh-st.com/shows/09-01-2026-the-athletic-football-show-with-robert-mays/

Nick Emmanwori. Parker Washington. Darnell Wright. All of these guys weren't necessarily getting a ton of attention at this time last year, and then they went on to completely swing how good their teams were. Who could do the same in 2026. Allow Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman to bring you the players who could swing the 2026 season on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.

Accompanied watching: Texans training camp notebook (https://youtu.be/dW-SINQBEiU), Seahawks training camp notebook (https://youtu.be/2C5ZH-Qm-wE).

0:00 Welcome to the show

3:46 Marlon Humphrey

10:53 Nnamdi Madubike

17:01 Garrett Bradbury

20:32 Bears left tackles

24:15 Ed Oliver

31:35 Rashan Gary

34:43 Cobie Durant

38:35 Derrick Brown

48:48 Jadarian Price

55:40 Josh Jobe

1:01:25 Keylan Rutledge

1:06:12 Jayden Higgins

1:10:00 AJ Brown

1:20:51 TAFS live show!

Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow

Host: Robert Mays

Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman

Executive Producer: Michael Beller

Senior Producer: Katy Duffy

Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social

Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social

Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social

Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays

Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_

Theme song: Haunted

Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs

Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

No matter how well you know the NFL, a handful of teams every year are going to throw you for a loop on the doorstep of the season beginning. That doesn't mean they'll be bad, or even that you think they'll be bad. It just means you can't quite put a finger on what they're going to be and how they're going to play. Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman name the teams they can't quite figure out in 2026 on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.

0:00 Welcome to the show

4:41 Packers

18:42 Saints

28:41 Chargers

38:11 Vikings

44:41 Cardinals

52:59 Patriots

1:05:28 Commanders

1:08:35 Chiefs

Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow

Host: Robert Mays

Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman

Executive Producer: Michael Beller

Senior Producer: Katy Duffy

Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social

Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social

Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social

Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays

Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_

Theme song: Haunted

Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs

Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Robert Mays wrapped up his west coast swing at the end of last week, before heading down to the southeast and mid-Atlantic on his training camp travels. That means you get Michael-Shawn Dugar on the Seahawks; Josh Kendall on the Falcons; Nicki Jhabvala on the Commanders; and Jeff Zrebiec on the Ravens on this episode of The Athletic Football Show

Rundown (timestamps are approximate)

Seahawks 4:52

Falcons 36:22

Commanders 54:25

Ravens 1:20:09

Host: Robert Mays

With: Michael-Shawn Dugar, Josh Kendall, Nicki Jhabvala, Jeff Zrebiec

Executive Producer: Michael Beller

Senior Producer: Katy Duffy

Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social

Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social

Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social

Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays

Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_

Theme song: Haunted

Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs

Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

August comes with salt air, the rust on your door, and a whole bunch of hollow training camp storylines. But how many of those storylines are actually worth believing? Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman dig into the running back market, the Vikings QB competition, Aaron Donald, and more of the trendy storylines coming out of training camp.

Accompanied reading: Alec Lewis on Vikings run game, https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7494772/2026/08/06/minnesota-vikings-run-game-training-camp/

0:00 Welcome to the show

0:53 Jahmyr Gibbs contract and disclaimer

2:48 Bijan Robinson/Jonathan Taylor contracts

8:46 Aaron Donald & Los Angeles Rams official workout

14:32 Jakobi Lane & Baltimore Ravens

18:33 Tylan Wallace nostalgia

19:26 JJ McCarthy vs Kyler Murray

23:56 Frank Smith & Minnesota Vikings run game

27:59 Bud Clark & Seattle Seahawks

32:38 Philadelphia Eagles receivers

35:53 KC Concepcion/Denzel Boston & Cleveland Browns

37:33 Browns trade for Spencer Rattler?

43:00 New Orleans Saints optimism

44:20 Darnell Wright & Chicago Bears contract

48:37 MarShawn Lloyd & Green Bay Packers

50:26 Packers offensive line

52:40 Max Iheanachor & Pittsburgh Steelers

56:18 Dexter Lawrence & Cincinnati Bengals

Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow

Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman

Executive Producer: Michael Beller

Senior Producer: Katy Duffy

Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social

Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social

Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_

Theme song: Haunted

Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs

Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Long before Ted Lasso was a smash hit TV show, professional sports teams had been willing themselves to "BELIEVE." Sometimes, that works out wonderfully, as in the case of the Bears believing that Ben Johnson was just what the doctor ordered for Caleb Williams. Other times, it doesn't quite work out, like when the Giants told themselves they only had a Daniel Jones problem. So, what are the stories that NFL teams must believe about themselves this season? Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman crack open the storybook on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.

0:00 Welcome to the show

5:11 Jaguars

13:20 Giants

25:30 Commanders

25:45 Stefon Diggs news

39:50 Eagles

51:27 Colts

57:16 Bills

1:02:45 Chiefs

1:05:43 Bengals/Cowboys

1:08:30 Broncos

1:10:30 Titans

Accompanied reading: Sando's QB tiers, https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/interactive/nfl-quarterback-tiers-insider-rankings-2026/

Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow

Host: Robert Mays

Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman

Executive Producer: Michael Beller

Senior Producer: Katy Duffy

Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social

Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social

Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social

Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays

Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_

Theme song: Haunted

Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs

Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Every season, a handful of players on new teams completely change the way their unit plays. Think of what Talanoa Hufanga did for the Broncos defense and what George Pickens did for the Cowboys offense last year. Those players are DNA changers. Dave Helman and Derrik Klassen do their best Crick and Watson and pick out nine potential DNA changers on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.

0:00 Welcome to the show

1:44 Bijan Robinson & Atlanta Falcons

2:12 Zay Flowers & Baltimore Ravens

10:27 Jauan Jennings & Minnesota Vikings

17:09 Riq Woolen & Philadelphia Eagles

22:57 Osa Odighizuwa & San Francisco 49ers

27:50 Sauce Gardner & Indianapolis Colts

32:12 Kenny Moore & Colts

33:16 Dre’Mont Jones & New England Patriots

38:42 Jaylen Waddle & Denver Broncos

43:38 Reggie Gilliam & Patriots

49:36 Carnell Tate & Tennessee Titans

54:03 T’Vondre Sweat & New York Jets

Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow

Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman

Executive Producer: Michael Beller

Senior Producer: Katy Duffy

Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social

Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social

Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_

Theme song: Haunted

Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs

Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Here’s a simple recipe for baking a take: 1. Have a thought or feeling. 2. Look up facts, stats, etc to support or disprove that thought or feeling. 3. Ponder the scope of the thought or feeling (a day, a season, a decade). 4. Mix in some outside opinions. 5. Enjoy your take. For this episode, we’re stopping about halfway through step two. Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen, and Dave Helman share their half-baked takes for the 2026 season.

0:00 Welcome to the show

2:52 Coby Bryant injury

7:10 Baltimore Ravens & Maxx Crosby/Trey Hendrickson

13:56 DaVonta Smith

19:31 San Francisco 49ers & Ricky Pearsall

27:55 Washington Commanders & Jayden Daniels

31:29 Mike McDaniel

34:12 Houston Texans

42:17 Field goals

47:47 Los Angeles Rams

54:10 Natural grass fields

57:46 Picking playoff teams

1:03:17 New Orleans Saints

1:06:21 Dak Prescott

Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow

Host: Robert Mays

Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman

Executive Producer: Michael Beller

Senior Producer: Katy Duffy

Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social

Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social

Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social

Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays

Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_

Theme song: Haunted

Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs

Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Robert Mays kicked off his annual training camp tour last week, and as always, he'll be speaking with every Athletic beat writer he crosses paths with to get the on-the-ground expertise from people who are with these teams every day. In the first installment of this year's Beat Writer Notebook, Robert speaks with Joe Person on the Panthers, Nate Atkins on the Rams, Daniel Popper on the Chargers on Jon Machota on the Cowboys.

Rundown (timestamps are approximate)

3:30 Panthers

32:03 Rams

58:59 Chargers

1:23:00 Cowboys

Host: Robert Mays

With: Joe Person, Nate Atkins, Daniel Popper and Jon Machota

Executive Producer: Michael Beller

Senior Producer: Katy Duffy

Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social

Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social

Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social

Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays

Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_

Theme song: Haunted

Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs

Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Past may not be prologue, but it can give us an idea of what to look for when considering what might come next. For example, Byron Murphy's ascent was critical to the Seahawks' defense turning into a dominant unit. Could another player follow a similar script this year? It's in that spirit that Dave Helman and Derrik Klassen hunt for 2026 versions of 2025 things on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.

Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow

Host: Robert Mays

Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman

Executive Producer: Michael Beller

Senior Producer: Katy Duffy

Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social

Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social

Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social

Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays

Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_

Theme song: Haunted

Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs

Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We know it's not very humble to say, "I told you so." But...we told you so! At this time last year, we highlighted Cole Bishop and Kris Jenkins—among others—as potential X-factors. And for better or worse, both Bishop and Jenkins were X-factors during the 2025 season. So, we're running it back. Robert Mays, Dave Helman, and Derrik Klassen bring you 15 more players that are X-factors for their teams in 2026.

0:00 Welcome to the show

2:21 Vita Vea & Jalen Carter news

15:00 Jared Wilson

18:30 Will Campbell

21:21 Barrett Carter & Demetrius Knight

28:52 Anthony Belton

34:54 Terrance Ferguson

40:35 Matthew Golden

47:11 Travis Hunter

51:25 Tyleik Williams

55:05 Tate Ratledge

59:45 TJ Sanders

1:00:12 Pat Bryant

1:00:38 Lathan Ransom

1:02:50 Donovan Ezeiruaku

1:03:32 Several 49ers

Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow

Host: Robert Mays

Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman

Executive Producer: Michael Beller

Senior Producer: Katy Duffy

Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social

Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social

Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social

Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays

Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_

Theme song: Haunted

Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs

Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Every single person in the NFL—players, head coaches, coordinators, position coaches, executives, you name it—has something at stake every season. But some people have more at stake in one individual season than most everyone else. So who has the most at stake in 2026? Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman answer that question on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.

0:00 Welcome to the show

2:27 Zac Taylor

10:40 Todd Bowles

14:59 Baker Mayfield

21:48 Kyler Murray

28:46 Kevin O'Connell

34:53 Monti Ossenfort

44:23 Brian Daboll

49:13 Chris Ballard

54:00 Quentin Johnston

58:26 George Pickens

1:00:39 Jermaine Johnson

1:01:21 Tariq Woolen

1:03:05 Pick your Ram

1:03:22 2024 receivers

Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow

Host: Robert Mays

Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman

Executive Producer: Michael Beller

Senior Producer: Katy Duffy

Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social

Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social

Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social

Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays

Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_

Theme song: Haunted

Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs

Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

*GENERIC TRUMPET BLASTS SOUNDING A CALL TO ARMS* That's right, training camp is here and the 2026 NFL season is basically underway. We have plenty of questions around the league as all 32 teams open camp across the next few days, so many that we can't possibly get into all of them. This episode of The Athletic Football Show is reserved for our biggest questions as training camp begins. Robert Mays and Dave Helman find themsleves wondering about topics such as the Texans offensive line, the Raiders' development plan for Fernando Mendoza, the new-look Bills defense, and plenty more.

0:00 Welcome to the show

2:12 Patrick Mahomes

3:55 Chiefs offense

5:53 Jaguars skill positions

9:45 Seahawks running backs

14:45 Ravens offense & Bills defense

21:27 Vikings QB competition

24:26 Vikings run game

26:24 Falcons QBs

30:44 Fernando Mendoza sitting

40:14Year 2 of Cam Ward

42:25 Eagles & Commanders offenses

42:56 Texans offensive line

46:22 Nic Scourton injury

47:47 Eagles receiving core

49:50 Mike McDaniel transformation

51:43 Late camp signings

Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow

Host: Robert Mays

Co-Host: Dave Helman

Executive Producer: Michael Beller

Senior Producer: Katy Duffy

Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social

Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social

Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays

Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_

Theme song: Haunted

Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs

Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The 2025 Cowboys offense ranked fifth in EPA/play and eighth in DVOA. The man at the head of that was first-year offensive coordinator Klayton Adams, who arrived in Dallas after a two-year run as the Cardinals offensive line coach. The Cardinals were a top-10 rushing offense by EPA/rush and DVOA in both of Adams' seasons there. In other words, he certainly appears to have a strong grip on how to put together a successful, multi-faceted offense in today's NFL. He dove into his process, and a whole lot more, with Robert Mays on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.

Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow

Host: Robert Mays

Executive Producer: Michael Beller

Senior Producer: Katy Duffy

Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social

Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays

Theme song: Haunted

Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs

Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We have long understood wide receiver as a premium position in the NFL, but the natural evolution of offenses and schemes has influenced everything—including the way you want to build out and balance your wide receiver corps. So what's the ideal way to put the pieces together in today's NFL? Matt Harmon from Yahoo Sports joins Robert Mays to fit it all into place on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.

0:00 Welcome to the show

4:09 What should your receiver group look like?

9:43 First piece of a receiver room

13:53 Building around a WR1

25:51 Impact on offense as a whole

32:31 What to surround a WR1 with

43:12 Impact of heavy personnel

48:35 Ideal skill sets for receivers in heavy personnel

56:09 Underrated skill sets for receivers

59:45 How to project a WR success in NFL

1:03:07 Changing landscape of slot receivers

1:07:43 Examples of properly-built receiver groups

1:11:42 Deploying pure speed

Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow

Host: Robert Mays

Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman

Executive Producer: Michael Beller

Senior Producer: Katy Duffy

Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social

Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social

Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social

Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays

Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_

Theme song: Haunted

Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs

Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sometimes all a player needs to break through is a new coach or a change of scenery. A new scheme can unlock something can unlock something in any number of players, and those guys can go on to dramatically affect the landscape of the league. Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman highlight potential Scheme Change All-Stars on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.

0:00 Welcome to the show

0:29 Live show announcement

5:19 Ashton Jeanty & Las Vegas Raiders

10:07 Jack Bech & Raiders

15:59 Mike Evans & San Francisco 49ers

23:44 Jalen Thompson & Dallas Cowboys

31:23 Marvin Harrison Jr & Arizona Cardinals

36:57 Chris Rodriguez & Jacksonville Jaguars

43:57 Jalen Ramsey & Pittsburgh Steelers

49:04 Logan Hall & Houston Texans

54:09 A'Shawn Robinson & Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow

Host: Robert Mays

Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman

Executive Producer: Michael Beller

Senior Producer: Katy Duffy

Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social

Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social

Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social

Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays

Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_

Theme song: Haunted

Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs

Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do you remember the chart your teacher used in health class to show that 50% of your food should be fruits and vegetables? Maybe you also remember that little tiny sliver showing fatty or sugary foods. Well, think of Jaxon Smith-Njigba's four-year, $168.6 million contract as a bowl of ice cream and Bo Nix's four-year, $18.6 million rookie contract as a plate of broccoli. The ice cream tastes great, but you'd feel pretty sluggish if you didn't have a whole bunch of broccoli to go with it. On this episode of The Athletic Football Show, Dave Helman and Derrik Klassen discuss which NFL teams are best balancing indulgent superstar extensions with vitamin-packed rookie contracts.

0:00 Welcome to the show

5:05 Los Angeles Rams

10:51 Philadelphia Eagles

15:55 New England Patriots

21:15 Chicago Bears

26:55 Seattle Seahawks

31:25 Detroit Lions

35:22 Los Angeles Chargers

38:52 Cleveland Browns

42:10 Houston Texans

43:39 Green Bay Packers

47:20 Dallas Cowboys

48:35 Jacksonville Jaguars

50:37 Denver Broncos

55:16 Carolina Panthers

58:44 Tennessee Titans

1:03:18 Buffalo Bills

1:07:11 Washington Commanders

Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow

Host: Robert Mays

Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman

Executive Producer: Michael Beller

Senior Producer: Katy Duffy

Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social

Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social

Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social

Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays

Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_

Theme song: Haunted

Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs

Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dear TAFS friends, we have reached the end of the line for the summer mailbag this year. You guys brought it week after week, and you certainly sent us off with a bang. Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman answer questions on the influence of the Doug Pederson Eagles, the best way to be a bad team, the potential return of Aaron Donald, and a whole lot more on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.

0:00 Welcome to the show

2:45 Eagles/Doug Pederson influence

12:46 Titans new offense

23:05 Ideal way to be a bad team

33:00 Evaluating cornerbacks

39:47 Aaron Donald return

48:24 Third-place game?

Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow

Host: Robert Mays

Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman

Executive Producer: Michael Beller

Senior Producer: Katy Duffy

Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social

Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social

Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social

Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays

Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_

Theme song: Haunted

Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs

Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Believe it or not, we're just about at the end of the true NFL offseason. The two teams that play in the Hall of Fame Game—the Panthers and Cardinals—open training camp next week. We at The Athletic Football Show think we do a comprehensive job covering every team during this stretch on the calendar, but we have to admit that a few teams become a bit fainter on our radar. So why didn't we talk much about teams like the Falcons, Vikings, Bills and Eagles? Why did the Broncos, Patriots, Panthers and Ravens spend most of these last two months out of the TAFS studio? And, what should we have been talking about related to those eight teams during the offseason? Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman finally give those teams some attention on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.

0:00 Welcome to the show

3:26 Falcons

10:36 Panthers

20:32 Vikings

28:47 Bills

36:08 Ravens

43:40 Eagles

50:10 Broncos

55:36 Patriots

Host: Robert Mays

Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman

Executive Producer: Michael Beller

Senior Producer: Katy Duffy

Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social

Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social

Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social

Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays

Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_

Theme song: Haunted

Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs

Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Breakout seasons from Azeez Al-Shaair, Byron Young and Tuli Tuipulotu helped define the 2025 season. Who might be those players this year? Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman introduce the Breakout Player Draft on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.

0:00 Welcome to the show

2:14 The rules

6:30 Paris Johnson

12:04 Omarion Hampton

15:40 Walter Nolen

19:34 Luther Burden

25:12 Amarius Mims

27:43 Nohl Williams

32:25 Malaki Starks

35:12 Yaya Diaby

37:19 Josh Simmons

40:09 Dallas Turner

44:02 Jonas Sanker

45:49 Craig Woodson

48:58 Warren McClendon

53:05 Nic Scourton

56:18 Dylan Fairchild

59:10 Patrick Paul

1:02:31 Tykee Smith

1:03:57 Ricky Pearsall

1:09:23 Rome Odunze

1:13:06 Cedric Gray

1:18:40 Austin Booker

1:20:55 Upton Stout

1:21:54 Billy Bowman

1:24:05 Jalen Travis

Host: Robert Mays

Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman

Executive Producer: Michael Beller

Senior Producer: Katy Duffy

Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social

Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social

Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social

Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays

Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_

Theme song: Haunted

Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs

Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last season marked the third-straight year in which a team driven by its defense won the Super Bowl. What can the success of last year's Seahawks—not to mention the Texans, Eagles, Vikings and Broncos—teach us about the NFL in 2026? Cody Alexander from Match Quarters joins Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen to share the lessons learned from last season's best defenses on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.

0:00 Welcome to the show

2:43 Run defense

4:00 Run defense on first down

19:44 Edge-linebacker hybrid

28:17 Base defense

30:00 Nickel defense

38:38 Zone coverage

45:35 Weaponizing dime

50:34 Blitz efficiency

58:52 Split-field coverages

Host: Robert Mays

Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen

Executive Producer: Michael Beller

Senior Producer: Katy Duffy

Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social

Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social

Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays

Theme song: Haunted

Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs

Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're approaching the end of mailbag season but we aren't quite there yet, so Dave Helman and Derrik Klassen opened up the mail and found eight great questions in there. The guys tackle questions on linebacker tiers, outlier statistics, the Lions' 2023 draft, and a whole lot more on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.

0:00 Welcome to the show

1:35 Linebacker tiers

18:47 Outlier stats for QBs

26:36 Favorite odd records

31:50 Teams that disappeared when stakes were high

43:30 Saving past RBs

49:22 Reversing Matthew Stafford’s career

57:05 Lions 2023 Draft: Witherspoon or Gibbs?

Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman

Executive Producer: Michael Beller

Senior Producer: Katy Duffy

Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social

Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social

Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_

Theme song: Haunted

Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs

Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We've reached the end of our Lingering Questions series for the 2026 offseason, and we close it out with a trio of questions that loom large over the year to come. Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman dive deep into critical questions about Caleb Williams, the Bengals offense, and the Steelers defense on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.

0:00 Welcome to the show

1:58 What was Caleb Williams' 2025 season?

30:19 Is the Bengals offense really Super Bowl ready?

50:20 How should we feel about Patrick Graham (and the Steelers defense)?

Host: Robert Mays

Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman

Executive Producer: Michael Beller

Senior Producer: Katy Duffy

Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social

Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social

Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social

Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays

Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_

Theme song: Haunted

Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs

Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Name your favorite unicorn quarterback. Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes, you name it. They're all done. Done! The era of a mystical quarterback leading your NFL team to a Super Bowl is over...maybe. The era of Seahawks-adjacent defensive domination is here...maybe. Robert Mays, Dave Helman, and Derrik Klassen are diving into why the NFL has felt so different lately, what the defining factors of this new (kind of) era are, and how long it will last.

0:00 Welcome to the show

2:58 Are we in a new era?

6:30 Well, what was the last era?

17:28 And why has the NFL felt so different recently?

28:24 What exactly has changed since the previous era?

41:12 And what do these changes mean for the future?

48:51 Okay, what are the answers?

Host: Robert Mays

Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman

Executive Producer: Michael Beller

Senior Producer: Katy Duffy

Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social

Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social

Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social

Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays

Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_

Theme song: Haunted

Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs

Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sure, you learn something new every day. But today? Today you're learning ELEVEN new things...straight from the NFL's best offenses from the 2025-26 season. What do we know now about tight end usage? What role does play action serve in an efficient offense? And what should you actually do on first downs? Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen, and old friend Nate Tice dig into all of the best lessons from last season on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.

0:00 Welcome to the show

4:18 Twin tight ends

8:40 Adding layers to your offense

15:44 Creativity in motion players

23:34 “You can’t take penalties!”

28:18 Holding the quarterback’s hand

36:29 Play action is f***ing back, baby

38:39 Giving defense information pre-snap

47:00 Utilizing first downs

57:01 “Get back on track” situations

1:00:59 Respecting the deep throw

Host: Robert Mays

Co-Host: Derrik Klassen

Executive Producer: Michael Beller

Senior Producer: Katy Duffy

Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social

Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social

Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays

Theme song: Haunted

Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs

Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thank you, TAFS fans, for once again bringing the goods for another mailbag episode. You all are truly on an all-time run. And speaking of that, what are the best Linsanity-style runs in NFL history? What sorts of trades from yesteryear—think Champ Bailey and a second-round pick for Clinton Portis—would you never see in today's NFL? Where do offensive line coaches develop? Robert Mays and Dave Helman answer those questions, and more, on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.

Host: Robert Mays

Co-Host: Dave Helman

Executive Producer: Michael Beller

Senior Producer: Katy Duffy

Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social

Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social

Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays

Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_

Theme song: Haunted

Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs

Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The FTN Football Almanac is as close as we have to religious text in the NFL analytics world. The 2026 version is set to drop shortly, so Robert Mays welcomed the founder of the Almanac, FTN's director of analytics Aaron Schatz, to this episode of The Athletic Football Show to highlight the most surprising nuggets from this year's edition.

0:00 Welcome to the show

2:01 Texans Super Bowl threat

12:30 2026 Super Bowl was almost impossible

18:50 Gap between Bears offense and defense

25:38 Patriots ease of schedule

32:10 Bengals, Cowboys playoff chances

38:34 Rams 13 personnel

41:36 Best/worst overside coverage corners

46:20 Jets defensive improvement

49:35 Steelers offense oddity

54:03 Jordan Love with vs without pressure

Host: Robert Mays

Executive Producer: Michael Beller

Senior Producer: Katy Duffy

Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social

Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays

Theme song: Haunted

Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs

Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nine questions answered, six more to go. On this edition of our Lingering Questions series, Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman dig into the following: The Lions are the betting favorite to win the NFC North...should they be? Can the Colts' second-half woes be explained away by Daniel Jones' injuries? Do the Chiefs really still deserve the benefit of the doubt?

0:00 Welcome to the show

2:01 Lions release Terrion Arnold

3:55 Are the Lions deserving of the optimism they're getting?

26:46 Can the Colts' woes be blamed on Daniel Jones' injury?

44:05 Do the Chiefs deserve the benefit of the doubt?

Host: Robert Mays

Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman

Executive Producer: Michael Beller

Senior Producer: Katy Duffy

Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social

Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social

Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social

Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays

Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_

Theme song: Haunted

Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs

Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the first time in three years, Canton Court is back in session. Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman each picked two players and made Hall of Fame cases on their behalves. Who, if any, of them made it in? Find out on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.

0:00 Welcome to the show

3:00 Reggie Wayne

12:07 Steve Smith Sr

24:26 Darren Woodson

34:29 Eric Berry

42:55 Marshal Yanda

51:33 Fred Taylor

1:01:19 Russell Wilson

Host: Robert Mays

Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman

Executive Producer: Michael Beller

Senior Producer: Katy Duffy

Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social

Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social

Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social

Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays

Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_

Theme song: Haunted

Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs

Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You read that right, TAFS listener, we’re talking special teams on today’s episode. Also, running back age vs wear and tear, what we would do as NFL Commissioner for a day, our favorite teams with losing records, the “Kyle Orton” tier of quarterbacks, and much more. Dave Helman and Derrik Klassen dive into the mailbag again on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.

Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman

Executive Producer: Michael Beller

Senior Producer: Katy Duffy

Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social

Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social

Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_

Theme song: Haunted

Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs

Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the immortal words of John C. McGinley, “What would you say you do here?” We judge general managers and executives on free agency signings, contract negotiations, and draft classes…but what are they actually doing behind the scenes? Former Philadelphia Eagles executive Jake Rosenberg sits down with Robert Mays to discuss what a GM candidate should look like, the role of analytics in front offices, and what some NFL organizations are doing wrong with their executive structures.

0:00 Welcome to the show

1:46 Jake Rosenberg joins

4:30 What GM candidates should look like

8:48 Role of ownership

13:41 What does a GM do?

18:32 Ideal NFL team structure 

24:19 GM/owner involvement in game plans

26:11 Where should you find new GMs/execs?

30:13 How to figure out a candidate’s experience

34:50 What do you ask candidates?

40:50 Most important hires for a GM

46:50 Process of hiring coaches

50:54 Analytics vs scouting background

Host: Robert Mays

Executive Producer: Michael Beller

Senior Producer: Katy Duffy

Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social

Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays

Theme song: Haunted

Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs

Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.