We’ve been reporting on the Bills transition since the 2026 season ended. Links below if you missed anything.

Joe Brady two-parter:

The hiring:

The firing:

• Why was Sean McDermott Fired?

• ‘What is success?’ The truth hurts...

• Hunt for QB-HC harmony: Why Josh Allen is sitting in these meetings

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Draft grades are here! Hoard supplies. Take shelter. Hug your loved ones. Barring an Amish-extreme media blackout, nobody is safe… and, oh no. What’s that lurking on Instagram? 2027 mocks have arrived to eat your brain cells.

Of course, it’s impossible to accurately assess how any of the 257 players selected over the course of 72 hours will perform with their new NFL teams.

Here’s what everyone should do, however.

Pull up the draft history of your favorite team on Pro Football Reference, look back five years and judge accordingly.

The assumption for the Buffalo Bills heading into the 2026 draft was that they’d prioritize defensive pieces for new coordinator Jim Leonhard — especially after shipping a second-round pick for veteran wide receiver DJ Moore. There’s a strong argument for acting exactly as Howie Roseman does in Philadelphia by trading up. To hell with future picks in the name of chasing a premier talent in the top 20. Instead, Brandon Beane traded down three times, back into the second to select Clemson edge rusher T.J. Parker and Ohio State cornerback Davison Igbinosun. Many constituents are not pleased.

Rather than draw blanket conclusions on these two prospects, let’s look back.

The Bills have been hammering defense for ages. Last season, they went D-D-D-D-D with their first five picks. Before that, they’ve been investing heavily into the defensive line.

Watching the voracious discourse melt down X brought back memories of our chat with Bills GM Brandon Beane exactly one year ago. When I brought up Philadelphia’s beatdown of Patrick Mahomes — the Chiefs QB didn’t cross midfield until his team was down 34-0 — Beane was very quick to point out that building a dangerous pass rush has always been a focus of his. He’s been investing both draft capital and free agency dollars in defensive line since Year 1. Elite quarterbacks can, in fact, bleed. To him, the carnage inside the Superdome was not revelatory. Nor was Tampa Bay chasing Mahomes around for 497 yards worth of scrambling before sacks and throws a few Super Bowls prior. He cited the Carolina Panthers teams past he witnessed up close and said he knew what needed to be done.

When asked what gives him confidence Sean McDermott and the Bills staff could use the new pieces on defense to get different results, he was matter of fact.

“Yeah, I mean that’s what we have to do,” the GM said. “Everyone’s on board and that’s how we’re attacking it.”

There were highs, lows, injuries and the same January bellyflop.

The Bills fired Sean McDermott.

Beane stayed.

Joe Brady was promoted to head coach.

This organization is basically plastering its belief in gigantic letters across new Highmark Stadium.

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They believe McDermott was the problem even more than anyone thinks. Specifically, in this case, his ability to coach defensive football. Agree. Disagree. For nearly a decade, a defensive coach was supplied resources on the defensive side of the ball and owner Terry Pegula expected more in the games that matter most. There was no daring leap up the board for an April splash, no Micah Parsons- or Maxx Crosby-level blockbuster trade for a singular superstar/savior in March. The Bills spread some cash around in free agency (Bradley Chubb, Dee Alford, C.J. Gardner-Johnson), added more potential contributors in the draft and identified the overall philosophy of the defense as the true infection. Stagnation. Predictability. Bend-don’t-break logic that works vs. Geno Smith and Tua Tagovailoa but never in the postseason.

It’s why we’ve heard the word attack so relentlessly.

It’s why Brady was the choice. His approach to the sport is different.

All of which ratchets up the pressure to deliver this year. Nothing has changed in that regard. Buffalo will not be judged on a random weekend in April. When it’s time to get a stop vs. Mahomes or Burrow or (God forbid) Bo Nix, will the 11 players on defense be instructed to play on their heels? Or attack? A mentality shift is required. By law, we’re required to again repeat those non-kneeldown stats in the team’s last six (of eight) playoff defeats.

They’re as pleasant as a 2x4 to the face:

• 52 non-kneeldown drives

• 25 touchdowns

• 13 field goals

• 12 punts

• 1 missed field goal

• 3 turnovers

• 199 points allowed … good for 3.83 points per drive. (Higher than the 2007 Patriots.)

Numbers this bad demand consequences. Watching the Eagles defense in ’24 or the Seahawks in ’25 before flipping over to Buffalo’s defense induces a Sopranos-to-Bluey whiplash. Rather than clean house with a team that’s won 66 percent of its regular-season games under this HC and GM, Pegula removed the defensive coach from the equation. We’ll see if it works. The other option is thinking McDermott will get it right the ninth time around in the playoffs.

As nine interviews for the HC vacancy raged on, Pegula was likely thinking that he made the right choice. Through those conversations, the Bills learned a lot about themselves. One enlightening tidbit of information? Around the NFL, offenses viewed their defense as elementary by modern standards. Pre-snap, candidates said they knew what McDermott was trying to do and effectively audibled into the correct play.

Architectural design, gameplanning and playcalling were re-confirmed as major problems.

This year’s draft struck me as just another step toward Buffalo’s hope of an entirely new vision on defense.

With the Bills leading 27-23 in the AFC divisional round — and 55 seconds to go — Sean Payton and the Broncos saw Tre’Davious White go down, saw Dane Jackson enter the game and realized the Bills were leaving that ice-cold replacement in 1-on-1 coverage. Nix found Marvin Mims for a 26-yard touchdown. These are the decisions that win or lose playoff games.

The inverse of this all is what Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo did to Buffalo on fourth and 5 in the AFC Championship one year prior. All game, the Chiefs threatened to blitz the right side of the Bills’ line… and backed off. This time, “Spags” sent the house and flustered Josh Allen into a prayer of a heave. A ruthless ambush that guard O’Cyrus Torrence admitted took everyone by surprise. One Chiefs assistant coach told us during the subsequent Super Bowl week that the Chiefs designate one person to study the offensive line’s protections. That’s it. That’s all this person does. Each down and distance, he tracks their movement patterns.

Intel is relayed to Spagnuolo and Andy Reid in real time.

When it’s time, KC pulls the trigger.

This is what high-level coaching looks like.

What high-level coaching does not look like is Greg Rousseau noting in the same game that the Chiefs ran plays they never saw before. Such as pulling a tackle left and running a QB keeper right in a diamond formation.

There’s two ways to interpret the January failings. McDermott would argue he needs players capable of winning 1-on-1’s across the board. He took not-so-subtle shots at the roster frequently last season. Beane would argue that he’s been supplying players of all shapes and sizes. There’s been hits and misses. Buffalo was talented enough to beat the Chiefs in the regular season five times before the four playoff defeats. Something is amiss.

Onto this ‘26 class, I see no problem in trying to enrich the two most critical positions on defense at No. 35 and No. 62 overall. Parker joins Chubb and Rousseau in that ongoing effort to make quarterbacks finally sweat in the postseason. Igbinosun will play more than anyone thinks. The most telling part of Beane’s post-draft presser was when he was asked about drafting a cornerback vs. a player at a position with a clearer path toward starting sooner.

“Corners are premium positions,” Beane said, “if you look at who makes the top dollars in the league. If you look at our season last year—and it’s happened before—those guys are all going to play. It’s a long season. When you have corners who are not capable, they get bull’s eyes on them. Real fast. Especially when you’re playing the primetime quarterbacks, the primetime offenses in this league.

“Think of how many guys we went through last season that played in the playoffs for us — or helped us get to the playoffs. You’re going to need those guys.”

He later labeled cornerback the team’s No. 1 need headed into the draft.

With Christian Benford and Maxwell Hairston slated to start, this may sound odd.

That is, until you remember how those last two playoff games ended.

In ’25, Denver immediately targeted Jackson on that critical play. He was called up to the 53 one week prior. Denver also went after safety Darnell Savage for a touchdown when Cam Lewis went down. In ’24, Kansas City abused Kaiir Elam when Benford suffered a concussion. The former first-round pick, an abject bust, should’ve never been in this position. Further, Benford admitted to Go Long he also should’ve never been playing in this game after suffering the same brain injury seven days prior against Baltimore. (“I was cooked,” he told us. “I was barbecued.”)

Too often, all of us fail to look beyond the 22 starters. Cornerback is too valuable. Several bodies are required.

For what the Bills are trying to construct — an attacking defense — combative corners are a must. At Ohio State, Igbinosun excelled on the boundary in Matt Patricia’s Cover 3 scheme. Penalties were a concern. The good news is that after committing a startling 12 penalties in ’24, he cut the figure down to four last season. “IGB” enjoys the sport’s violence, a trait that surely stood out to Buffalo.

“My mentality,” Igbinosun said. “I tackle with my whole life. I’m not afraid of anybody. That’s one of the reasons that separates me from the other corners in the country. That’s what I take pride in.”

All after going all-out on defense last spring.

Buffalo is banking on production from this injury-riddled crew, too.

Disguise and deception must make a comeback in this Bills defense. It’s been a while. The tricky part is not going Full Rex. Eleven years ago, the bodacious blatherskite inherited one of the NFL’s best defenses and his house was on fire by mid-October. Mario Williams openly protested his role. Marcell Dareus, the team’s $100 Million Dollar Man, was asked to drop into coverage. Penalties and chaos and mass confusion reigned supreme. Preston Brown, the linebacker with the green dot, articulated the predicament perfectly. Checks on checks on checks on checks zapped instinct. Many times, players were subbing onto the field late. Buffalo tried to find the perfect play call based on an offense’s formation. Into Year 2, Rex Ryan’s solution was to hire his twin brother. Rob Ryan, the true alpha in this relationship, made everything worse.

Those ’15 and ’16 Bills felt as if they were solving X for Y with quadratic x-squared polynomials.

The game’s changed a lot since then. Jim Leonhard is his own man. He’s also one of Rex Ryan’s favorite players ever. His challenge as Bills DC is striking a balance. The field shouldn’t transform into a calculus-level math equation.

This is a run-and-hit profession. Predictable alignments also cannot fly.

It’s also laughable to suggest the Bills didn’t do anything personnel-wise this offseason. Leonhard clearly targeted a handful of players he views as fits.

Now, Brady’s football life comes full circle. Exactly 13 years ago, he was a college senior at William & Mary dying for a job. The head coach, Jimmye Laycock, told him he’d fill a vacant assistant linebackers position with one of three candidates. And rather than go home after graduation, as Laycock advised, Brady stayed on campus to obsess over all of the Tribe’s opponents that season. He authored individual scouting reports — with an offensive flair. Brady didn’t know a lick about defense then, but the collegiate receiver could apply offensive acumen to the gig.

He got the job and, all fall, William & Mary coaches could tell Brady was seeing a different game.

Scott Boone, the DC, recalled Brady kindly correcting them on the opposing offense’s intent behind plays all season long. “That’s not really what is happening,” Brady would say. “They’re doing this to create this matchup.” William & Mary held opponents to 10 points or less in six games and Brady’s coaching career took off like a rocket ship. Boone was struck by Brady’s desire to evolve daily.

“That’s probably why his track has been as fast as it has,” Boone told us.

All the way to taking over the Buffalo Bills at age 36.

Fresh off the Denver loss, these Bills desperately needed a fresh perspective on defense… that offensive eye. Brady, more than any candidate, presented that vision.

In his interview for this job, Brady applied the same logic. He told everyone at the table what drove him mad as a playcaller. When headset communication shuts off at the 15-second mark of the play clock, he cannot talk to Josh Allen. Safeties start moving. Cornerbacks take a foreign step. A linebacker stunts. The alignment of those 11 defenders shape-shifts, and the quarterback is left to his own devices. Brady made it clear that he wants opposing playcallers paralyzed by this same helplessness.

One well-timed blitz. One confusing simulation. Anything that makes that quarterback hesitate on a critical down. Back to “13 Seconds,” the Bills have lacked a postseason knockout punch.

The best defensive coaches live for this moment.

Think Devon Witherspoon blitzing off the edge to batter Drake Maye in the Super Bowl.

This does come at the expense of loading up on offense. Beane has spent the least draft capital on offense of any team in the league since 2020. Granted, the next two teams on that list are the Los Angeles Rams and Kansas City Chiefs. All three clubs are piloted by MVP quarterbacks. On Day 3, at No. 125 overall, Beane did get around to drafting a wide receiver the second-highest he ever has. UConn’s Skyler Bell caught 101 balls for 1,278 yards and 13 touchdowns last season and he’l have a chance to play. Hall-of-Fame finalist Steve Smith called him his favorite receiver in the entire class.

Overall, the GM’s bet is that the best way to maximize Josh Allen is by refueling on defense.

Consider Moore part of this draft class, too. He essentially counts as the Bills’ 57^th overall pick. Before free agency even began, the Bills wanted to lock in a No. 1 wide receiver.

Buffalo’s wide receiver unit now features Moore, Khalil Shakir, Joshua Palmer, Keon Coleman, Bell and Tyrell Shavers. It also wouldn’t hurt if tight end Dalton Kincaid could stay healthy. This is a massive season for Beane’s top pick in ’23 (Kincaid) and ’24 (Coleman).

Picks need to hit. Let’s say Beane had 18 to 20 first-round grades. Buffalo could have packaged present and future picks together to climb up the board for a player who’s got the best chance to wreck a game in January. They could’ve beat Roseman to the punch on a prospect like USC wide receiver Makai Lemon. In each of the last three drafts, the Bills have opted for bundles of players. Logic being, you’ve got darts to throw. Cole Bishop took a giant step last season. Deone Walker may be the answer at nose tackle. To get to the Super Bowl, they’ll need one of those darts to hit the bull’s eye. Be it the lights turning on for Coleman… or T.J. Sanders busting out as a disruptive force… or Hairston staying healthy blanketing receivers.

Patience and depth ruled the ‘26 draft for the Bills.

A draft that reminded everyone of the new ethos for this team.

You heard it all from Brady in our 1 on 1. The team’s new head coach doesn’t want Buffalo being reactive on either side of the ball. “They’ve,” he makes clear, “got to play us.” Nor does anyone have to worry if the two people running the show are seeing eye to eye. There’s no guesswork on who’s behind which picks and there’s no separate press conferences for head coach and GM.

Beane and Brady are genuinely aligned.

Good or bad, save the draft grades.

All that matters now is what happens when Brady, Leonhard and the Bills face third down with less than two minutes left in the playoffs.

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Sean McVay had the look of a man who’d love nothing more than to clench his teeth and shriek at the top of his lungs. I half-expected him to grab an electric guitar and go full Robbie Hart. The NFL’s perpetual optimist who never, ever breaks character sat next to Les Snead and kept his words to a minimum. As if anything he said would be used against him in the court of law.

Why, yes, the Los Angeles Rams head coach did speak to Matthew Stafford before his club selected Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson 13th overall on Thursday night.

No, he will not share what was said.

Simpson’s prospects in Los Angeles?

“We’ll see,” he said through a forced smile. “He’s going to compete with Stetson.”

It was cringeworthy. And awkward. And you can only imagine what the reigning MVP had to say on that phone call. History also tells us that one day of rage can precede 10 to 15 years of paradise at the quarterback position. Stafford remains a star-level talent. Stafford is also 38 years old and every QB not named Tom Brady falls off a cliff at 40. McVay has also flirted with retirement and TV jobs. Four years ago, Amazon reportedly offered the coach a five-year, $100 million broadcasting contract — he’s liable to strut right into TV money at any point.

Snead, to his credit, doesn’t want to get caught with his pants down. He doesn’t want the Rams to slip into the same black hole as the team in this draft’s host city. Who knows when the Rams will ever be picking in the top 15 again. Snead saw a rare opportunity to draft and develop a quarterback with the Atlanta Falcons’ original pick.

Nobody knows if Simpson is Brock Purdy or Kenny Pickett. There’s organizational logic to follow.

Above all? Round 1 told us again that the NFL Draft isn’t only a crapshoot for teams. It’s an even crazier crapshoot for the players themselves. Forget McVay suppressing emotions. Jeremiyah Love’s ability to grin through the Arizona Cardinals making him the No. 3 overall pick deserves a trophy. If any non-QB should’ve pulled an Eli Manning and held a team’s jersey as if it’s been sprayed by a skunk, it’s him. This was the scenario we feared on draft eve — a special talent getting banished to the Bidwillian badlands.

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Maybe this hurdling, pulverizing, home-run hitter from Notre Dame is good enough to shine in the pros. He’s heading to a team with no quarterback plan, a bad offensive line, an unproven first-year coach selected late in the cycle and perhaps the worst ownership in the NFL. Before even thinking about evading linebackers on other teams, Love must contend with his own team. This union is an objective buzzkill.

Say whatever we want about Ty Simpson the prospect. Scouts are torn. He was the most polarizing prospect in this draft.

He landed in quarterback heaven and avoided the quarterback hells of Arizona and Florham Park, N.J.

A cavalry of Steelers legends walking out to terrible towels a’waving. Adoring fans on-site. Glowing reviews from TV commentators. Choreographed fist bumps in draft rooms. Amid all draft pageantry, it’s easy to forget that 32 teams have 32 ecosystems. That’s the beauty of those NFLPA report cards. They shine light on just how different life is from one city to the next across the continental United States. Sam Darnold was sentenced to a football prison with the New York Jets and universally written off as a bust before — finally — linking up with good coaching in San Francisco and Minnesota to revitalize his career and winning the whole damn thing last season in Seattle. (A “tough son of a bitch,” indeed.)

Props to Simpson for betting on himself. He could’ve stayed in college and earned $6.5 million to play for the Miami Hurricanes or $5 million at multiple other schools. Instead, he decided to go pro in a weak quarterback class. It was a colossal gamble. No prospect was picked apart more than the 6-foot-1, 212-pounder with only 15 starts to his name. “He’s a little guy that’s wild and inconsistent,” one scout told Go Long. “He doesn’t have good feel for timing. He’s terrible against pressure. He’s a good little athlete but he doesn’t escape pressure well. He should have stayed in school. You’re really just gambling.” Other scouts saw a quarterback who’s “always in command” and “can manipulate safeties with his eyes.” He played in a pro-style offense and the 2025 Alabama roster wasn’t close to the Crimson Tide teams of years past. One scout even said there’s an argument Simpson is better than Fernando Mendoza, the Las Vegas Raiders’ No. 1 overall pick.

With the Rams, he’ll have a legitimate chance to prove believers right.

McVay likely preferred a player who helps the Rams win in 2026. At one point this spring, he admitted to Kay Adams that she probably had evaluated Simpson more than him. It won’t affect his job. He’ll give Simpson the Shanahan- and O’Connell-tier of coaching Darnold received to reboot his career. Remember, Matt LaFleur wasn’t exactly jumping for joy when his GM took a quarterback in 2020. Now, Jordan Love is the feather in his cap.

Stafford won’t be thrilled, but it’s not like he’ll go into a tank of self-pity and sabotage his team. The presence of a first-round pick in his room is another motivator. Much like Aaron Rodgers in 2021 and 2022, bet on Stafford elevating. He doesn’t even seem like someone who’d hold his team hostage for 4 1/2 months of an offseason. He’ll be a big boy.

All of which helps Simpson. He gets to see how a future Hall of Famer works every day.

“He’s one of the greatest of all-time,” Simpson said during his post-pick call with reporters. “We watched his film all the time when I was at Bama. The stuff the Rams did with Coach McVay. The fact that I get to be in a room and soak up all that knowledge — I couldn’t ask for a better situation.”

Situation is exponentially more valuable than we realize. Examples abound. If Patrick Mahomes is coached by Rick Dennison and David Culley in Buffalo instead of Andy Reid, it’s a smidge tougher for the Texas Tech daredevil to find his GOAT trajectory. Purdy, “Mr. Irrelevant,” started his career as a third-stringer. The 49ers’ scheme perfectly matched his skillset. What happens to him if he’s drafted by any coach who isn’t from this tree?

Love, meanwhile, has the immense pleasure of playing for one of the NFL’s worst teams.

The Cardinals want a tantalizing name on the marquee. They’re a bland franchise. This pick also reeks of a family drowning in debt that purchases a Ferrari and goes on an all-inclusive vacation. Not unlike the New York Giants in 2018. GM Dave Gettleman saw a gold jacket in Barkley’s future. He was mesmerized. Guard Quentin Nelson would’ve been the more prudent choice. (Or, you know, that quarterback in Wyoming.) Barkley had his moments through three head coaches in six years with the Giants, but didn’t get to showcase his game in full until Year 7. As Philadelphia Eagle. Now, he’s up to 2,342 career touches on the odometer.

God speed, Jeremiyah.

In a weird way, both the Rams and Miami Dolphins had the luxury of selecting a prospect at any position. One team is a Super Bowl contender with no holes. One team is completely starting over. In L.A., there’s no need for Simpson to see the field any time soon. Again, this could backfire. Simpson doesn’t bring the enticing physical traits of Jordan Love when the Packers did this all six years ago. You may recall the Utah State quarterback drawing “Mahomes” comparisons from a teammate at Go Long. That’s not Simpson. We may look back at the 2026 draft and wonder why on earth the Rams traded the 29th pick for a cornerback on a second contract (Trent McDuffie), while also passing on a slew of options at No. 13: tight end Kenyon Sadiq, wide receiver Makai Lemon, edge Rueben Bain to name a few.

The all-in, win-now, F-them-picks GM may live to regret his decision on April 24, 2026.

Or, this could be the F-my-own-coach move that effectively bridges the present with the future and the Rams contend for Super Bowls long after Stafford retires. Snead must see shimmers of greatness in Simpson’s small sample size. The lack of experience is a concern. Purdy started in 3x the number of games as Simpson in college.

We’re unabashedly pro-player ‘round here. Simply, it’s nice to see a rookie quarterback head to a perfect environment for once. Almost all taken in the first round are banished to awful circumstances. GMs of winning teams are terrified to make this move because of what we saw out of McVay during that presser and because it undoubtedly pissed off Stafford. Potential collateral damage spooks everyone when, in truth, the best decisions in life are often the most difficult.

So, off they go.

One prospect is into anime. Jeremiyah Love is a physical marvel leaping over defenders into the end zone. Watch a highlight reel of this running back and you’ll think there’s nothing that could ever stop this player on a football field.

One prospect is a Legos fanatic. Ty Simpson is an undersized quarterback with a good-not-elite arm who prefers to shimmy around the pocket. Watch a highlight reel of this quarterback and you’ll gently nod in approval before carrying on with your day.

Aesthetically, the two players are on totally different ends of the spectrum.

But so are their new employers, and that may matter more than anything.

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We’ll continue with more coverage from Round 1 and all rounds of the NFL Draft here at Go Long.

Starting Thursday night, the NFL will hold its annual humiliation of the NBA.

Keep your remote handy. The juxtaposition is high comedy.

At some point during Day 3 of the NFL Draft, cameras will pan toward a 58-year-old fan in face paint cheering on a cornerback from Stephen F. Austin they’ve never heard of in their lives. Maybe that player cracks the 53-man roster, maybe not. Either way, ratings will soar. An event that’s 90 percent theater, 10 percent substance by Saturday afternoon rules sports.

Meanwhile, in the association, playoff games have commenced. Stakes that should demand our undivided attention. Games may be close, but ratings will continue sputter. The next wave of stars will fail to register nationally. Worst of all, the owners (whoops, I mean governors) will fail to acknowledge the quality of their product itself has devolved. Most consumers do not enjoy seeing teams jack up 50 three-pointers a game.

Granted, I miss the good ‘ol days of Jets and Eagles fans mercilessly booing inside Radio City Music Hall, but there’s no denying that the draft has become a national sports holiday.

A holiday filled with hope.

Looking to objectively root for something this spring? Here you go.

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Safeties are almost never drafted at the top of an NFL draft. This position isn’t valued like edge rusher, left tackle, wide receiver, etc.

In the last six decades, only 16 have gone in the first 10 picks and only five of those have been selected in the top 5. It hasn’t even happened in 16 years. Those players? Kenny Easley (No. 4 overall, 1981), Bennie Blades (No. 3, 1988), Eric Turner (No. 2, 1991), Sean Taylor (No. 5, 2004) and Eric Berry (No. 5, 2010).

Then again, two of the sport’s finest football minds ever — Bill Belichick and Nick Saban — were behind that safety going second overall in ‘91.

Then again, Caleb Downs is far more than a “safety.”

Watch any Ohio State game and you’ll see No. 2 striking defenders, making plays on the ball, closing fast from all contours of the field. Defensive coordinator Matt Patricia deployed the All-American everywhere. In a class full of question marks, Downs is a sure thing. The 5-foot-11 1/2, 207-pounder from Hoschton, Ga., also has genetics on his side.

His father, Gary, was a third-round pick in 1994. He played running back in the NFL for six seasons.

His uncle on Mom’s side is also longtime NFL cornerback Dre’ Bly. The two-time Pro Bowler won a Super Bowl as a rookie with the St. Louis Rams in 1999, reached another Super Bowl in 2001 and finished his career with 43 interceptions, 20 forced fumbles and 150 PBUs. Now, he’s a coach. Bly is currently an assistant coach with the South Carolina Gamecocks.

He’s known Downs forever. He played with and against Canton-bound talents. He’s seen today’s NFL players up close as an assistant coach with the Saints, Dolphins, Lions and Jets.

How will Caleb Downs translate to the pros? This past week, I caught up with Bly on the phone. Our convo is transcribed below.

We get into his game, his smarts, his future.

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You can give us the best perspective on what really makes Caleb possibly the best player in the entire draft. What makes him special?

Bly: He is. He is. And here’s the thing — the way I look at it — because I’ve been hearing some of the hoopla. He didn’t work out. People are questioning his speed. When you play as well as he played, you don’t need to work out. His film represents what he is. He’s done everything you can imagine as a college football player. The same way Travis Hunter didn’t need to work out, Caleb Downs doesn’t need to work out. And so again, if you know what you’re looking at when you evaluate tape, then if you go back and evaluate all his tapes since he started playing football, you’ll see the same human being on the football field. He’s the best player that’s on the field. And so you see correctly. That’s who he is.

On the flip side of it, the family that he comes from, he’s super intelligent, he’s super smart. That’s what people don’t really know. All of our family is super smart, 4.0 GPAs. My wife and I both went to Chapel Hill. His Mom and Dad both went to NC State. My wife’s brother went to NC State. He’s an attorney. So my wife, brother and sister both went to NC State and my wife went to Chapel Hill. Their parents worked for IBM for 30+ years and my mother-in-law went to private school as a kid. My father-in-law was really, really smart. So that was the standard in the house. So all of our kids had really, really good grades. They all went to college. They all graduated with almost 4.0 GPAs. And so that’s the other side of the story that people don’t know. And then you combine that with Gary and his family. Gary is a military baby. And so his work ethic is different. His faith — Gary’s a strong believer — is different. So all that’s poured into Caleb.

And then with him growing up in a super competitive family, Caleb was the Last of the Mohicans. My son, I’ve got a 17-year-old. Caleb and my son are the two youngest boys. And so Caleb had a chance to see everybody else. He got the best of everybody. Growing up in an athletic family, he’s always been the best player on the field. The other thing when people don’t realize— I don’t think a lot of kids do enough of — our kids played multiple sports. Caleb played baseball, he played basketball. And so all of those skillsets that he learned from playing those other sports, he applied them out there on the football field.

If you watch and dissect how fast he played on the football field, why do you need him to work out? He’s the real deal, man. He’s everything that people imagine. He’s more athletic than any other defensive player in the game. His instincts, his awareness, his smarts. They’re going to get every bit of the player they’re supposed to get when they draft him as a top 10 player. And that’s a multiple Pro Bowl type of player that has the ability to be a Hall of Fame player. I don’t expect anything less or anything different coming out of Caleb.

He surpassed everything that I’ve done and I’m in the College Football Hall of Fame. And he’ll one day be in the College Football Hall of Fame. He won the Thorpe Award. I went 0-for-2 with the Thorpe. I was the finalist twice. Didn’t win that. He won the national championship. He won a state championship in high school. So this guy has always won. He’s always been the best player on the field on a really, really good team. And so now they’re going to get one hand of a ball player once you hear his name called in a couple weeks.

You don’t even need to look at a highlight reel. You can pull up a full 60-minute game to understand his impact. Usually a safety makes a play here, a play there. But Caleb Downs is in the camera shot all game long. I’ve got to think that speaks to that intelligence. So even at an early age, in what ways did you see his smarts?

Bly: At nine years old, he was the most dominant player on the football field. So his football IQ — the plays he was able to make at nine years. The vision. The awareness. You can see that at an early age. He was doing things at 10 years old that grown folks don’t do. How do you know that he’s every bit of the player that we think he is? Well, he’s the quarterback on the football field. He talks to everybody. He gets everybody lined up. He communicates. You don’t see a lot of players in the generation communicating and doing some of those things. He’s cut from the old school. You see us 30 years ago, that’s the way we operate, that’s the way we move. And so you see some of that, man.

But then some of the players, people were questioning: “Why do we draft a safety that high?” Because he makes everybody around him better. He has the ability to intercept six balls. He has the ability to have 100 tackles. He has the ability to get you six, seven sacks. He has the ability to cause five, six fumbles. That’s the thing that separates him from the majority of the other defensive players in the draft. And I’m here to tell you, it’s all legit, man. I’m a guy that played four sports growing up. I was a guy that made plays all over the field from high school to college to the NFL. And one of the things that separated me from the rest of the guys I played with were my ball skills and my awareness and my instincts. He’s cut from that cloth. And so that was something you could see at an early age. He stood out on the field whenever he stepped in the field.

He was always the best player on any field he stepped on. And everybody said that. Even when they were recruiting him out of high school. I’ve been around significant football minds and guys that have been doing it for a long time. They said, “Dre, he’s the best football player that we’ve recruited in the last 30 years.”

Really?

Bly: Yeah. People say that. I don’t think they were just saying that to blow smoke because he was my nephew. Nah, when you’ve been around this game as long as you’ve been around the game, you see it. And you’ve got to believe what you see and don’t try to convince yourself that it’s something else because it’s not. And this is what happens when you’re dealing with analytics and these so-called “gurus” that think they understand the game. Well, shit, he didn’t work out. He didn’t run. He didn’t need to work out! If you dissect him — and understand what you see on tape — you see that he’s the fastest football player that laces those cleats up on Saturdays. So you don’t need to time him when he runs the 40.

And here’s the other thing. When I came out, I ran 4.48, 4.51. People said Dre’ Bly was timed in the 4.5 in the 40. Well, I had 43 career picks, caused 20 fumbles, had 150 breakups in the NFL. And then in college, I had 22 interceptions in three years. I made a lot of plays. And in high school, I had 14, 15 picks. I made a lot of plays. I didn’t need to be a 4.3. It was my instincts and my awareness and my savviness, ball savviness. That’s what allowed me to be the player that I was.

Caleb reminds me of that type of player. Super instinctive. He’s super aware. He’s super smart, which allow him to play faster than any other football player on the field.

In your era, you played against safeties who are in Canton. Obviously you’re blood, but at the same time, the film speaks for itself. Do you think that he’s got a game that rivals anybody?

Bly: He does. He does. Even coaching now and being around some of the athletes I’m around, if my nephew stays healthy, he has a chance to be really, really special because he checks all the boxes. He’s physical. His size, his instincts. His ability to tackle in the open field. You put him in any environment, he makes players around him better. It’s hard to pinpoint one particular person, but I see a mixture of Brian Dawkins. He’s pigeon-toed like Ed Reed with how he runs. And to sit here and say that you’re going to have as many interceptions as Ed Reed, that’s hard to say. But Ed Reed, it’s like Kobe Bryant. When you’re hot, you’re hot. It’s like when I had 13 interceptions my freshman year of college. I can’t duplicate that. I was hot that year. He’s going to make a lot of great football plays. He’s going to be in position to make a lot of plays. He’s going to make those plays. Whatever defense he lands on, he’s going to make that defense better. And if he stays healthy — which you can’t predict. You hope that every player that gets drafted can play 16, 17 games a year. But ability-wise, I know he’s different. He’s special. There haven’t been a lot of guys that’ve come up the way this man has come up and done the things that he’s done. He’s done more than me, and he’s going to be a damn good pro.

It sounds like he’s made of the right stuff. Eats, sleeps, breathes this sport. And that’s saying something today. You’re working through it right now in college. You’ve got to figure out who loves this sport. It’s not as guaranteed as it might’ve been back in your day. What does it look like up close with Caleb, being an old soul who genuinely loves it?

Bly: He is an old soul. My wife and his mom are sisters. She calls him “Dusty.” They say he’s an old soul. He eats and breaths and sleeps football. And that’s how our family is. Anything they set their mind to, they’re going to be all-in. There’s not a defensive system that he can’t understand, retain, learn. He’s super smart, super intelligent. And to me, if you have that intangible along with the skill-set, it’s going to be hard to be defeated. He’s the complete package. But yeah, everything that he does, he’s a hard worker. He’s as clean as it gets when it comes to an athlete. He doesn’t drink. He doesn’t smoke. He trains all day, every day. He’s a Christian. He was raised correctly. Everybody around him — his uncles, aunts, they’re all married. His parents, his grandparents. He’s the complete package, man. And so everything that you’ve seen is a representation of how he was raised and what’s been around him. And I would say my brother- and sister-in-law have done a hell of a job with Caleb, and we’re super excited to see the flowers that he received from all the hard work that he’s put in.

The New York Giants make a lot of sense with what John Harbaugh is trying to instill. If I’m John Harbaugh, I’m thinking this is Kyle Hamilton+ because Caleb isn’t only a safety. You put him anywhere — slot, corner, linebacker. Man, that would make a lot of sense.

Bly: It would. That’s how the Ravens utilized Kyle Hamilton. And I’m cut from that cloth and Coach Harbaugh is, too. Defense wins championships. And when you’re drafting a player that high, you need instant impact. That’s what Caleb represents every time he steps on the field. If you go back and do your background, that’s who he’s been every single time he stepped on the field. It’s not like he surprised you one year. No, every time he stepped in the field, he’s been the best player. And he’s made everybody around him better. And then he fits the mold of being a top five, top six pick, a first-round draft pick to fit in the city of New York. He is what you want your first-round pick to represent. He’s going to do everything he’s supposed to do. And I’d be willing to bet everything. He’s not going to disappoint when it comes to the off the field because of how he was raised and how he moves and how he operates. And so hopefully he’s there. I’m saying hopefully because his dad was drafted with the Giants. So that would be a great story if the Giants drafted him after drafting his dad almost 30 something years ago.

So we’ll see, man. I’m rooting for him. I will be there with him in Pittsburgh. I’ll be there with him in the green room, and I’m looking forward to celebrating whichever team selects my nephew.

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Be sure to see what NFL scouts told Bob McGinn in his series about Caleb Downs.

Miss any of McGinn’s 42nd annual NFL Draft series? All posts are right here for paid subscribers:

• Part 1, WR: Who’s the next star wideout?

• Part 2, TE: Kenyon Sadiq and the hunt for matchup nightmares

• Part 3, T: Why Francis Mauigoa ‘n co. may define the 2026 NFL Draft

• Part 4, G/C: Why this is the year to draft a center

• Part 5, QB: The Fernando Mendoza Question

• Part 6, RB: Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love? ‘The best NFL prospect in this draft

• Part 7, DL: Secure your space-eater

• Part 8, Edge: Deep 2026 class promises to torment quarterbacks

• Part 9, LB: How should an NFL team unleash Arvell Reese?

• Part 10, CB: McCoy? Delane? Hood? Inside the debate at the top...

• Part 11, S: Why Caleb Downs, a ‘slam dunk,’ is one of the best players in the NFL Draft

• Part 12, ST: The kicking revolution is here

ICYMI:

Two-part series on new Buffalo Bills head coach Joe Brady…

• Part I: ‘I’ll set my jaw’

• Part II: ‘They’ve got to play us’

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Inside today’s piece…

• Why the pressure is on Matt LaFleur. You heard from Javon Bullard. The Packers are finding the right attitudes. Will the Packers HC allow these personalities to flourish?

• The Giants have a chance to vault themselves into playoff contention with John Harbaugh. One prospect makes a lot of sense.

• My thoughts on the bungalow pictures seen ‘round the football world.

• A draft take for all legitimate Super Bowl contenders.

ICYMI, our series on Joe Brady is also live…

Part I: ‘I’ll set my jaw’

Part II: ‘They’ve got to play us’

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Bless Mike Daniels. The man tried. The man was ahead of his time during a Green Bay Packers career that lasted 2012 to 2018.

He sat in his locker — a football Buddha — imploring his teammates to play with more violence. More bad intentions. Publicly, the defensive tackle was a lone wolf on defense. He was the only player speaking in such blunt terms. Privately, his message was even louder. After seeing running backs Eddie Lacy and James Starks get hit by Brandon Meriweather, then seeing Jermichael Finley’s career end during the 2013 season, he asked a simple question: “When are we going to punch somebody else in the face?”

“I’m tired of watching my teammates, my brothers who I love get carried out of the game because they got hurt,” Daniels reflected in a 2023 chat with Go Long. “I took that personal and that’s where some of the flags came in. That was hard, man. I hated watching my brothers on offense go through that, and I wanted us to be able to implement that type of punishment.

“But it seemed like that wasn’t on the forefront of everybody’s mind.”

A decade later, the same problem persists.

With one very notable difference.

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Good morning, Go Long World.

A programming note to share.

Soon, we’ll post a two-part series on the new head coach of the Buffalo Bills: Joe Brady. After sitting down with the 36-year-old head coach for two hours at One Bills Drive, a fresh portrait emerges. He opens on all of the defining moments of his life, from his Florida roots to William & Mary to Orchard Park. It’s clear why the organization chose this man at this time.

I think you’ll enjoy this one.

Subscribers can access in full.

I want NFL longform.

I want to grow Go Long.

Until then? Feel free to catch up on everything that led the Bills to this point at the links below. Since launching in November 2020, we’ve strived to offer extensive reporting and a raw perspective on this Bills team banging on the championship door.

Brady’s been chosen as the man to smash that Super Bowl wall.

The Pressure is on Josh Allen

‘It was a bad, bad situation:’ Inside the Buffalo Bills’ fateful 13 Seconds

The McDermott Problem

• Part I: Blame Game

• Part II: Lost in translation

• Part III: Let Josh be Josh

Smash the Window

Part I: ‘Don’t ever stop’

Part II: The Super Bowl Plan

‘I bleed for that win:’ Our 1 on 1 with Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott

Why was Sean McDermott Fired?

‘He wants to win the whole damn thing:’ Inside the Buffalo Bills’ decision to hire Joe Brady as HC

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The NFL Draft is closing in.

Let’s hang out.

On Wednesday April 22 — “Draft Eve” — Western New Yorker’s can head out to Wayland Brewing Company in Orchard Park, NY for a night of beer and football.

I’ll record a episode of Real Football with my co-host Jim Monos around 5 p.m. (EST), and then we’ll stick around through the night to hang out with you. Keep an eye out for more Buffalo media personalities, too.

The first 25 people who show up will get their first beer on the house.

We’ll also raffle off a Wayland gift card and do some draft trivia for Go Long swag and subscriptions.

A little birdy tells me the chicken wings at Wayland are insanely underrated, too.

The spacious, state-of-the-art brewery is located at 3740 N Buffalo St, Orchard Park, NY 14127. Feel free to pass through whenever you’d like.

Thanks, all.

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You love real football. We love football. Go Long is forever committed to bringing you longform coverage of this beautiful, ruthless game.

With spring around the corner, we’ve got more Go Long apparel in stock.

For $25, we’ll send you a black long sleeve. For $20, we’ll send a t-shirt. One has our traditional logo, or you can choose the single light bl…

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The NFL loves to say it cares deeply about certain topics when, in truth, the matter is akin to sock fibers between the league’s toes.

No issue crystallizes the league’s warped priorities quite like officiating.

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We all have March Madness moments seared in our memory.

A handful come to mind here.

Syracuse’s run in 1996 was electric. Jason Cipolla drilled the icy corner J to send a Sweet 16 game to overtime vs. Georgia, but what about that pass with 2.4 seconds left? John Wallace did it all. UConn’s ‘99 squad was fun. Khalid El-Amin — roughly 5 foot 8, 320 pounds (give or take) — sliced defenses up.

No doubt, No. 1 on the list was a 12th-seeded St. Bonaventure team taking on mighty Kentucky. I can still remember our gym teacher at Ellicottville Central rolling a TV onto the court. As Tim Winn, Caswell Cyrus and those hometown Bonnies managed to hang around, the gym became crowded with students and teachers.

Nothing else mattered. Not math, not history.

Sports took precedent over scholastics. A beautiful thing at 12 years old.

The Bonnies lost, 85-80, but that’s a minor detail. Will never forget David Messiah Capers, a 56 percent free-throw shooter, drilling back-to-back-to-back free throws to force double overtime.

I suppose there was a geographical line to draw in our corner of New York State. Because when Gerry McNamara led Syracuse to an improbable Big East tournament run in ‘05? Students were most certainly were not allowed to enjoy his theatrics. Librarian Mrs. Friel successfully hunted me down in the computer lab during a study hall. Shucks.

Is the magic gone? College basketball is different these days. The connection with players is lost in this NIL portal’ing world. Here’s hoping the drama endures.

With another tourney on tap, fire away with your best memories in the comments.

I’m working on a bigger profile that’ll run early next week — cannot wait to share.

Until then, let’s put a bow on free agency with a few final thoughts.

Also, here are a few links to stories if you’ve missed anything:

• Why the DJ Moore trade is a win for the Buffalo Bills

• ‘He’s that guy:’ NFL WR coach on DJ Moore

• Fear... the Cincinnati Bengals?

• The Patience & Persistence of Malik Willis

• Tom Brady enters a new world

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This isn’t a conspiracy.

Maxx Crosby has spoken.

Highly encourage everyone to watch his latest podcast episode. Bare minimum, this 4-minute, 7-second clip is worth your time. If Crosby’s play-by-play account is accurate — and we have no reason to believe he’s inventing fiction — this is a horrid look for the Baltimore Ravens. Upon arrival, he was not greeted by GM Eric DeCosta — a hello that would’ve occurred before Crosby underwent an MRI with the Ravens’ medical staff.

In fact, Crosby never saw the GM once on his entire five-hour visit.

Tin-foil hats are not required. We don’t need Scooby Doo and the Mystery Machine to connect these dots. All signs point to DeCosta and the Ravens bailing on Crosby before he even arrived for his physical. Trey Hendrickson was still available, thus supplying the Ravens an edge-rushing option without mortgaging ‘26 and ‘27 first-round picks. Perhaps they simply needed Crosby to go through his medical testing for a reason to bail. Sure is hard to believe DeCosta was “gutted” the trade fell through when DeCosta himself couldn’t be bothered to see Crosby.

The NFL is a cutthroat business. Technically, the Ravens didn’t do anything illegal. But players, agents and other GMs won’t forget how DeCosta navigated this all. Pursuing Hendrickson while Crosby is in your building would be extremely low-class stuff. Your word should mean something in this business.

Back when we spent seven months talking to people around the NFL for our Bears series, I was stunned what other general managers said about Ryan Poles. (Part II and Part III here.) Very rarely do you hear high-ranking execs rip colleagues to this degree. Cannot help but think this Crosby saga affects how people do business with DeCosta.

Aren’t the Ravens supposed to be the model franchise? A city on a shining hill? This is all a reminder not to always believe what we’re told at the podium. DeCosta’s rationale sounds like nonsense in contrast to Crosby’s version of events.

The Ravens keep their picks, Hendrickson stays in the AFC North, Lamar Jackson took up boxing classes this offseason, Jesse Minter may be the next Mike Macdonald. By September, general NFL fans will move on.

One person who won’t forget is Maxx Crosby. He might flirt with the sack record this season.

Miami’s plan

Malik Willis entered this spring with the best chance to be the 2026 version of Sam Darnold.

A reclamation project. A missing piece for a contender. The epitome of resilience.

The Pittsburgh Steelers — for some reason — are content doing crossword puzzles until Aaron Rodgers makes up his mind. Other potential suitors, like the Houston Texans, didn’t want to change course. And Willis very wisely opted to avoid organizations run by mickey-mouse owners in Arizona and New Jersey. He signed a three-year, $67 million pact with the Miami Dolphins.

One week later, the Dolphins dealt their best receiver (Jaylen Waddle) to the Denver Broncos.

Miami gets 2026 first-, third- and fourth-round picks.

Denver gets Waddle and a fourth-rounder.

Grab your calculator and put on a new pot of coffee. The Dolphins’ dead money for this 2026 season is now up to $175 million. The six most expensive players on the Dolphins’ payroll this season aren’t even playing for the team: Tua Tagovailoa ($50M+), Tyreek Hill ($28.2M), Waddle ($26M), Jalen Ramsey ($20.9M), Minkah Fitzpatrick ($13M) and Bradley Chubb ($10.9M).

As of March 18, here’s Willis’ receiving corps: Malik Washington, Tutu Atwell, Jalen Tolbert and Terrace Marshall Jr.

I get the blowback. This is strange at first glance, as if the Dolphins are trying to exist in two totally different dimensions. In one, they’re fueling up the tank. In another, they’re breaking in a 27-year-old QB as their franchise guy. Seems impossible to properly evaluate a quarterback when the roster’s getting torn down to the studs.

Yet, this all strikes me as an overdue course correction.

The Dolphins were never going to compete for a playoff spot in 2026. GM Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley clearly got the OK from ownership to slowwwww-cook this roster with an eye toward ‘27 and ‘28. And it bears repeating: these two were around Willis every day in Green Bay. Rather than load up on draft picks and simply pray that a franchise quarterback lands in their lap, they aggressively acquired someone they believe is their future. When you’ve got such conviction on a QB, why wait for perfect timing on an unknown?

The structure of Willis’ contract is smart for both sides. Dream scenario: He enters the upper stratosphere of quarterback pay by the time Miami can build a roster around him. Reports indicate running back De’Von Achane is staying put. He’s a top 5 back. And if I’m Willis, I’m still choosing Miami — Waddle or no Waddle — over teams with historically wretched ownership. Woody Johnson would discover a new way to ruin a quarterback’s career. Michael Bidwill isn’t competing any time soon in the AFC West.

Whenever the Dolphins eventually do escape salary-cap hell, they’ll have no problem attracting the best free agents. Vets are always eager to play in the state of Florida.

This April, Sullivan and Hafley own seven draft picks in the top 100.

The previous coach never pursued a quarterback of his own. Instead, Mike McDaniel did everything possible to accentuate Tua Tagovailoa’s gifts. It backfired. His roster wasn’t equipped to accomplish anything past November. Who knows if any of this works? But the team’s new GM and head coach are thinking long term.

JC Tretter is the new NFLPA president.

He has his work cut out for him. Good to see a former player take the reins instead of a lawyer. Tretter may want to hear what Matt Schaub had to say in this space.

Players have far more leverage than they realize:

On the Bills

At wide receiver, no way could this Super Bowl contender risk being left standing when the music stopped. The Buffalo Bills jumped the free-agency gun by trading for D.J. Moore. And judging by the wide receiver market, Brandon Beane and Joe Brady must be feeling good about their decision.

Alec Pierce cost Indianapolis $28.5 million per year.

Waddle cost the Denver Broncos the 30th pick and a third-round pick. He’ll make $28.25M per year.

Moore cost the Bills the 60th overall pick. He’ll make $27.5M per year.

Romeo Doubs, a solid No. 2, will make $17M annually in New England.

The price for A.J. Brown is only increasing.

Logic’s simple here. The next evolution for the Bills offense must be dialing up a specific play for a specific player when everything’s on the line. “Everyone eats” has its limitations. One of Moore’s former coaches believes he’s still this go-to threat. The Bills haven’t had such a force since Stefon Diggs was at his peak in ‘20, ‘21 and ‘22.

Moore will be motivated after a frustrating season in Chicago, too.

On the heels of James Cook leading the NFL in rushing, the Bills were in danger of losing O-Line coach Aaron Kromer and two starters. Getting Connor McGovern back on a team-friendly deal was a nice coup. He signed a deal with $13 million per year two days before fellow center Tyler Linderbaum signed at an annual rate of $27 million.

Defensively, the Bills inked a batch of new players for new DC Jim Leonhard’s scheme. I’d consider Bradley Chubb, Dee Alford and C.J. Gardner-Johnson obvious upgrades over their replacements. Chubb is another year removed from a December 2023 torn ACL. He’s 30 years old. The Bills are banking that he’s got some peak football left in him. Alford is the sort of chess piece that should help Leonhard with his pre-snap deception. Gardner-Johnson run his course with teams. But for one year, he’s worth the risk. No way does the previous head coach green-light such a signing. All teams that aspire to win championships should gamble on a personality or two. The Bills need some bite.

Let’s not forget the most seismic move of them all. Out is Sean McDermott. In is Joe Brady. The Bills have a head coach who’ll view his quarterback as the franchise, not a burden.

This team will be quite different in 2026.

Kyler takes Minnesota

Excellent insight from Matthew Coller on the Go Long Pod this week. The proprietor of Purple Insider detailed why he believes this won’t even be a quarterback competition in Minnesota. Such is life in the NFL. Kevin O’Connell and the Vikings will say all the right things over the next few months. Odds are, J.J. McCarthy will need to wait for Murray to fail or suffer an injury to get his shot again.

The Vikings aren’t in a position to let a young quarterback take his lumps through another 17-game season.

Murray’s style of quarterbacking is unique. I still wonder if he can adjust as his athleticism and speed wane. He also has only played one full season since 2020.

Talking to Coller made me think of an old conversation with one of Murray’s most ardent defenders.

Jordan Hogan was an assistant coach with the Arizona Cardinals for two years and spent plenty of time in the quarterback room with Murray.

Here’s what he had to say in ‘22 to Go Long:

“Kyler is a gamer. He just wants to hurry up and get through Monday through Saturday and get to the games. He takes practice seriously. He’s locked in when we do competitive stuff. 7 on 7. Scout-team periods. But you can definitely tell he lives for gamedays. They’ve been playing high school football for a very long time in the state of Texas. When you can say he’s arguably the best player to come out of that state of football, that’s saying something. He never lost. … He has one year as the starting quarterback and he’s the Heisman. Obviously, he played baseball at Texas A&M and Oklahoma. He gets drafted into the MLB. He’s the first overall pick in the NFL. He’s just a winner. If we’re not winning, he’s a super competitive person. Any type of small drills we’re doing at practice or if we’re playing hangman, anything competitive throughout the practice week, he wants to win. He does not like losing. He gets that look in his eye — and I’ve seen it a couple times coming out of halftime — where, ‘We’re not losing this game.’ We may be down going into halftime but he has that look in his eye, like ‘Just give me the ball and I’ll make something happen.’”

O’Connell is staking his own career on bringing this version of Kyler Murray to life.

Murray himself has every reason to re-dedicate himself and evolve.

It might work. Minnesota is a dream scenario for a quarterback trying to rehabilitate a career. Justin Jefferson is the best wide receiver in football. Brian Flores is one of the league’s top D-coordinators. And this franchise is a historical hotbed for the Second (and Third) Act Quarterback — Randall Cunningham, Jeff George, Brett Favre, Case Keenum, Kirk Cousins, Sam Darnold.

Amongst all options this March, this was O’Connell’s best bet.

Taking over that locker room won’t be easy for the soft-spoken Murray. These players still miss Darnold.

If nothing else, his presence ensures the NFC North is a four-team race. Any team could finish first. Any team could finish last.

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Tom Brady was closing in on his 10th Super Bowl appearance. There were no more demons to slay. Nobody else to prove wrong.

Yet those who knew the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback best back in San Mateo, Calif., knew better.

Ahead of the Bucs’ 31-9 Super Bowl butchery of the Kansas City Chiefs, we tried to figure out what on earth compels a middle-aged man to repeatedly re-climb the NFL’s 365-day mountain. Brady had a supermodel wife who made more money than him, three kids, houses all over the country and — in a 2020 world where Americans couldn’t agree on anything — everyone agreed Tom Brady was the greatest football player ever.

Winning a ring without the assistance of Bill Belichick was a motivator. But, in truth, his drive ran deeper. Patrick Walsh, the head coach at Serra High School, noted that his friend referenced something else.

Two full decades later, Brady told Walsh he was still fuming over falling to Pick No. 199 in the NFL Draft.

“He is still pissed off about that,” Walsh said. “He has an internal desire that is obviously rare. … You would think he’s one of those guys who has everything. But he’s going to squeeze the orange and get the most out of it he can, until he can’t do it anymore.”

His first-ever No. 1 wide receiver at the JV and Varsity level, John Kirby, added that Brady was still fueled by his standing as a seventh-stringer at Michigan and third-string with the Patriots. “He makes it to the top of the mountain,” Kirby said, “and Tommy still wants more.”

Which brings us to life in retirement. Once the cheering stops, it’s impossible for so many of the sport’s average joes to civilize. Traditional 9-to-5 jobs, devoid of that Sunday adrenaline rush, can feel more like a prison. I always wondered how an all-time psycho like Brady could possibly survive on the oxygen the rest of us breathe outside of a football stadium. He won a championship in Tampa Bay, returned for two more seasons, lost his wife in the process, retired, inked a $375 million broadcasting deal with Fox and, naturally, yearned for more.

In the Las Vegas Raiders, Tom Brady found his fix.

On paper, he owns a 5 percent stake in the franchise.

In reality, his fingerprints are all over the actual football.

Mark Davis, the principal owner, isn’t like his renegade father. There’s no “Just Win Baby!” aura, no edicts to select JaMarcus Russell No. 1 overall, no projector screens used to lambast Lane Kiffin. Instead, he puts his trust in others to make the correct football decisions. That sounds like smart practice for all billionaire owners… until you look up and see Davis is still paying four head coaches who aren’t in town anymore. The silver and black have come to epitomize NFL dysfunction.

Enter, Brady. A legend. He purchased his stake in the team for $220 million in October ‘24 and then lured John Spytek to town as general manager. The two were teammates at Michigan. As Brady’s first quarterback decision backfired — on the NFL’s grandest stage — another GOAT might’ve been watching on with a stogie in his hand. Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player ever. Michael Jordan as an NBA owner? Worse than a 13-year-old on NBA 2K3. His trademark competitiveness never waned. This remains one of my all-time favorite Wright Thompson stories. But Jordan is living proof that snatching souls as a transcendent athlete guarantees nothing in this seat.

MJ ran the Charlotte Hornets into the ground.

This week, Tom Brady learned again that he’s navigating completely new terrain.

With one failed physical, the Baltimore Ravens kiboshed the Maxx Crosby trade. No tin-foil caps are required — this all reeks. We’ll get to this trade that collapsed, too. But, to me, the Las Vegas Raiders are the story of free agency. They entered this March madness with the NFL’s worst roster and a treasure trove of cap space. Granted, they’re still a team fighting for third place in its own division. Tops. But an organization that’s been nothing but a sad punchline is finally registering a pulse.

Consider this week something like Brady beating out Damon Huard and Michael Bishop for the No. 2 job behind Drew Bledsoe. A start.

Center Tyler Linderbaum was the best non-QB available in free agency and Vegas paid the necessary dysfunction tax for his services. In Kwity Paye, Nakobe Dean, Quay Walker, Taron Johnson and Jalen Nailor, a 3-14 team spent money on prideful, physically tough players. Most impressive may be how the Raiders are currently handling an impossible situation. When the Ravens bailed on Crosby, they didn’t rescind their verbal agreements with free agents to clear cap. Spytek was true to his word. And unless another team’s willing to give you exactly what you requested — two first-rounders — you keep Crosby. You do not flinch.

Loading up on draft capital would’ve been lovely for this team at this time, but the Raiders can also do much worse than an absurdly motivated Mad Maxx.

All on the heels of hiring Klint Kubiak as head coach.

All on the verge of selecting Fernando Mendoza No. 1 overall.

The Indiana quarterback should feel good about his first NFL destination, and that’s not something top picks can usually say.

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All 32 teams knew Crosby was recovering from a torn meniscus. This was no secret. Before agreeing to the trade, the Ravens undoubtedly reviewed all imaging, all medical records. Barring a total revelation, gamesmanship is at play. After the initial 24-hour wave of legal tampering passed, Trey Hendrickson remained available and the Ravens pivoted. The Ravens managed to find a new pass rusher and keep their ‘26 and ‘27 first-round picks.

Here’s another way to put it. If the Ravens were hypothetically trading a third-round pick, would they fail Crosby’s physical? Hard to imagine.

Of note, the Ravens had never traded a first-round pick for a veteran player in their 31 years of existence.

Crosby flew back to Las Vegas to rehab his knee and it appears the Raiders have no plans to trade him.

Netting two firsts is a longshot now. Teams that would’ve traded for Crosby and accommodated his contract made other moves. Thirty-two teams means 32 different team doctors. Another physical could pose another problem. Even after their shopping spree, the Raiders have room. Nor is his contract astronomical. Since inking an extension worth $35.5 million per year, the edge market has continued to soar. Five players now make more than Crosby, led by Micah Parsons at $46.5 million.

He turns 29 years old in August and still has four years left on his deal.

These talent-barren Raiders need premium draft picks, but it also doesn’t hurt to possess one of the NFL’s most diabolical workers with every incentive to rehab and wreck offenses. This whole rift between Crosby and the Raiders began back when they were eyeing a No. 1 pick and he simply wanted to play football.

“Any time a season goes that way,” one Raiders coach on that staff told us, “you have to make decisions at the end — who’s playing and who’s not playing. Maxx wants to play. To sit back and tell him he can’t? That’s not going to go over well.”

Now, the two sides need each other.

Amid the hailstorm, agent C.J. LaBoy said Crosby is on track to return for the offseason program and “will undoubtedly return as the dominant game wrecker he has been these past 7 seasons.” Crosby himself took to X to declare “I’m a Raider” and “Run That Sh*t,” with a GIF of The Undertaker, a post that’s been viewed 7.2 million times.

Al Davis was the epitome of paranoia. He believed the NFL was always out to get him.

Back to leaked emails prompting the resignation of Gruden in 2021, his son could also feel that way. The Raiders were objectively screwed this week, but that shouldn’t distract from the fact that no team improved more.

Landing Linderbaum is massive. Baltimore offered $22M/year, per The Athletic. The New York Giants could offer the John Harbaugh connection, but likely didn’t touch this figure. No way did anybody else come close to offering $27.5 million per year. Bad teams must go full Don Corleone and make prized free agents offers they cannot refuse. Who cares? This is a win-win. Linderbaum capitalized on a quirk in the CBA to reset the center market by 50 (!) percent. The Ravens didn’t slap the franchise tag on him since his tag would’ve been the average of the top five offensive linemen, period. Beyond centers. Good on Linderbaum to earn every dime he possibly can and skyrocket the market.

Of his $81 million, a cool $60 million was guaranteed at signing. By Year 3, at $21M, he can seek a raise. By then, Raiders hope to be a team above .500 dreaming big.

In a roundabout way, Kubiak now has pillars on offense (Linderbaum) and defense (Crosby) to set a cultural tone.

The more I talk to former GMs, the more I like this needle Spytek is trying to thread.

On paper, it’s tempting to flood your roster with 22- and 23-year olds who haven’t been corrupted by other teams. On paper, it’s enticing for a new GM to view a 53-man roster as 53 balls of clay. However, one GM who failed deeply regrets thinking this way. Looking back, he wishes he didn’t rely so heavily on a youth movement. His roster was soon rebuilding in perpetuity. Veterans are needed to raise the floor and set an example. It’s easier to bring rookies along when there’s no need to juggle a dozen things at one. Off of Philadelphia’s Super Bowl win, he pointed to Jalen Hurts as an extreme example. He was eased in. He wasn’t asked to decode and dissect right away.

There’s a fine line between a veteran still in his prime and a recycled retread. The Raiders tilted too far the wrong direction last season with the likes of Devin White (1,118 snaps), Elandon Roberts (654), Jamal Adams (448), Raheem Mostert (137), Tyler Lockett (308) playing far more than they should.

Walker and Dean are two violent, still-ascending 25-year-old linebackers.

Paye, a former first-rounder, should benefit from Crosby attracting attention.

Nailor is a gritty receiver who doesn’t dodge the dirty work.

The Raiders and Tennessee Titans spent a combined half-billion dollars the first 48 hours of free agency but if you’re not spending, you’re also not trying. Denver was one freak Bo Nix injury away from potentially playing in the Super Bowl. The L.A. Chargers nailed the most important assistant coaching hire of the offseason in Mike McDaniel at OC, while also boosting their offensive personnel. Love the Charlie Kolar and Keaton Mitchell signings. And the 3-time champs, the Kansas City Chiefs, return with revenge on the mind. They added Kenneth Walker III, a Super Bowl MVP.

An identity is needed. Las Vegas couldn’t afford to sit idly by.

Linderbaum will take a ton off Mendoza’s plate at the line of scrimmage. With all protection calls falling on the center’s shoulders, he’ll help slow everything down for the rookie. In the run game, no center moves like the athletic 6-foot-2, 305-pounder. He should be able to spring Ashton Jeanty to the second and third levels — the Boise State back averaged a paltry 1.6 yards before contact as a rookie, 47th in the NFL. Amongst ball-carriers with at least 100 carries, only Chris Rodriguez (1.5) Quinshon Judkins (1.4) had less room to run.

He didn’t come cheap, but this center directly maximizes the Raiders’ back-to-back draft investments. Kubiak’s expertise lies in a diversified run game, too.

This new regime’s structure was too rickety in ’25. A concern.

During Super Bowl Week, we reported on the quarterback mess. Once the Matthew Stafford ship sailed, Carroll and the coaches preferred the younger Sam Darnold and Brady wanted Geno Smith. So, the Raiders went all-in on Smith. Understandably, Davis has granted all quarterback authority to the greatest quarterback in league history. In addition to this, one ex-Raiders coach told us that Brady was behind the team drafting North Dakota State’s Cam Miller in the sixth round.

“I don’t know how much say he has in everything,” this coach said, “but he did have a say in everything.”

Brady was the one who wanted Chip Kelly as offensive coordinator — not Carroll — and the intrusion blew up in the Raiders’ face. His scheme was antiquated by modern NFL standards. Today’s NFL is a totally different world than the one Kelly set on fire as the Eagles’ head coach in 2013.

“It was probably harder than you think to make that transition — maybe harder,” this coach said. “It’s a totally different game.

“The way you call the plays are different. Obviously, he’s been known for his tempo. It’s almost a little bit like Philly. How much do we get under center with this guy? The league is more under center with play-action on normal downs. In college, there’s teams that never take a snap under center. They don’t even do their victory formation under center. Tying that all together is a little different.”

Worst of all, the Raiders lacked talent. Kelly’s Eagles team 12 years prior included three potential Hall of Famers on the offensive line: Jason Peters, Lane Johnson and Jason Kelce. This coach chuckles. No, this was not the case for their ‘25 offense.

In ’26, the best-case scenario for the Raiders this season may be 7-10 or 8-9.

In ’27, perhaps it’s the playoffs.

In ’28, perhaps more.

Easier said than done. The last time the Raiders won the AFC West, American Idol was in Season 1, Caitlin Clark was just born and, yes, Al Davis’ team was objectively hosed by the infamous “Tuck Rule.” NFL Rule 3, Section 22, Article 2, Note 2 stated that if a quarterback loses possession while attempting to “tuck” the ball back toward his body, it’s an incomplete pass. Not a fumble. An absurd rule that killed off those Oakland Raiders in the AFC divisional round and launched the career of a 24-year-old quarterback named Tom Brady.

Now, Brady’s a Raider. Maybe the man who set a curse on this franchise is the only person who can lift it. Does Brady have one more storybook plot twist in him?

This job isn’t anything like his old job. He might go full MJ on these Raiders.

There’s also the obvious conflict of interest with his Fox job.

Bare minimum, this team deserves warrants our attention. That’s all the Las Vegas Raiders could ask for right now.

We certainly know that one man in charge — Brady — will carefully document all receipts.

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Three years ago, the Cincinnati Bengals’ Q-rating reached an all-time high. At no point in their 50+ years of existence have the Bengals been this objectively cool because no Ickey Shuffle, no Ochocinco end-zone celebration contends with the swagger coursing through this locker room ahead of an AFC Championship tilt vs. the Kansas City Chiefs.

It was real. It was deserved.

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Legal tampering is here. Deals start flying at noon. Hang out with us on Substack Live where I’ll be joined by the co-host of “Real Football,” longtime NFL scout/exec Jim Monos.

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The Buffalo Bills could not afford to wait around and hope for the best at the wide receiver position this spring. DJ Moore is now Western New York-bound. It wasn’t cheap. But it was very necessary. I wrote on the trade here.

Over the weekend, Go Long also caught up with one NFL coach who worked with Moore daily.

Our entire conversation is below for paid subscribers.

He views this all as a perfect fit and explains exactly why…

What does DJ bring this team?

He’s like Josh. He might not be conventional. DJ’s not a super route runner. Josh is not always throwing on time, but DJ is going to make plays. Put the ball in his hands and he’s going to make plays. Plus, Brady knows him from being with him in Carolina. So he knows what he’s getting. That’s a great fit for him. They’re going to get somebody that is among the best in the league with the ball in his hands. He’s not necessarily a Stefon Diggs or a super route runner, but he’s always open. End of the day, he’s going to be where he’s supposed to be at the right time, and Josh is going to love him. So I think it’s a great fit for him.

He’s 6-foot-nothing, 213, but he gets open. What do you think he really does better than most of his peers?

To me, the only guy who runs better with the ball in his hands to me is Ja’Marr Chase.

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NFL Free Agency is closing in. Trades are already flying. We’ll have you covered in full at Go Long. In addition to all stories, we’re going to try something new. On Monday — starting at noon (EST) — tune into the Substack app for a live podcast analyzing everything in real time.

I’ll be joined by my co-host on “Real Football,” longtime NFL scout/exec Jim Monos.

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One ball traveled 63 yards in the air at Orchard Park, NY. One ball, 58 yards in Chicago, Ill. Both wide receivers were in advantageous 1-on-1 matchups and required to do the same exact thing: cradle an over-the-shoulder catch.

The two plays are strikingly similar in aesthetics and level of difficulty with the stakes sky high.

Each receiver attended the University of Maryland.

Each was traded in the prime of their career for this moment.

The first receiver, Stefon Diggs, dropped the ball with 8:16 left in the 2023 AFC divisional round. A catch could’ve set the Buffalo Bills on a Super Bowl warpath. Instead? A legendary moment slipped through Diggs’ hands and he held his index finger and thumb about an inch apart as if he was thisclose. Buffalo lost.

The second receiver, DJ Moore, outmuscled Green Bay cornerback Keisean Nixon for an overtime touchdown this past season. Soldier Field erupted as he laid suspended on that Bermuda grass in state of disbelief before popping up to tear off his helmet with a rebel yell. Moore’s catch propelled Chicago to an NFC North title. Into the playoffs, he then caught another game-winner against the Packers.

A team taking up permanent residency on the Super Bowl doorstep should filter out all players (and coaches) incapable of rising up in this playoff moment and then prioritize individuals who deliver.

For most of the last decade, this franchise has been fighting for those precious inches.

This offseason, thee Bills didn’t wait around for dominoes to fall.

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They’ll send the Chicago Bears a second-round pick and get a fifth back, while also paying Moore $73.5 million over three years with a team option in 2029. That’s $24.5 million per year for a player who’s immediately the best wide receiver on the team. He’ll make less than what the top 15 players at the position earn. We’re all capologists in 2026, which means the pitchforks were out immediately over this compensation.

Time will tell. President of football ops Brandon Beane got a sense for the market during Combine Week in Indianapolis. Rather than enter the Alec Pierce sweepstakes (and potentially lose), rather than deal firsts and/or seconds for A.J. Brown and rather than target lower-tier options like Romeo Doubs or Rashid Shaheed, he viewed Moore as a missing piece. And pounced. The Bills absolutely could not be left empty-handed by Tuesday AM. Honestly? I was surprised by the instant blowback. This is exactly the sort of move the Bills have been lacking the last few seasons. Beane is justly criticized for not trading premium picks for players like, say, those maverick Los Angeles Rams.

If DJ Moore is everything the Bills need, nobody will give a damn what it cost to get him. Few will even remember.

Many times, Beane has noted his mentality on a golf course, and life. “I’m a lot of things,” the GM says, “but scared ain’t one of them.” This qualifies. This isn’t scrambling for Kelvin Benjamin or Amari Cooper on the fly.

The conversation should be less about compensation and more about, “Can DJ Moore still play?”

I’d wager yes.

Buffalo is active. Two days later, the Bills secured center Connor McGovern. NFL Network reports the deal at four years, $52 million ($32M guaranteed).

A few rapid-fire thoughts on the deal for Moore….

• It’s the 60th overall selection. Not all picks in the second round are the same. History shows a major difference between receiver talent available in the 60s and the 30s. And even if it was the top of the second, Beane has gone that route with Coleman. It hasn’t quite panned out! For a team that’s made the playoffs in eight of nine years, what’s already proven is most valuable.

• Moore can play in the frigid cold and snow. Many receivers cannot.

• Moore excels on second reaction. See this TD in heavy traffic vs. Cleveland, a play that drew comps to “The Catch.” Last season, Josh Allen severely lacked a weapon who can leak free when he breaks the pocket.

• Moore has produced on bad offenses. He caught 98 balls on a ’24 Bears team in disarray. He strung together three straight 1,000-yard seasons for the Panthers. His quarterbacks those seasons include Kyle Allen, Teddy Bridgewater and the shell of Cam Newton.

• He’s familiar with Joe Brady. They were together for two seasons. Worth noting that Brady once managed to get Moore, Robbie Anderson, Curtis Samuel and running back Mike Davis all over 1,000 yards apiece with Bridgewater at QB. (“He might open it up this year,” Moore told Matt Harmon of Yahoo! Sports, “and go Bombs over Baghdad.”)

• Steve Smith loves the trade for Buffalo. Nobody should ever disagree with Steve Smith.

• Last season’s numbers are somewhat deceiving.

A surge of angst is understandable upon looking at that stat line. Moore posted career lows in receptions (50) and receiving yards (682) last season and now turns 29 in May. Despite those breathtaking highs, Moore never established chemistry with Caleb Williams. The Bears quarterback grew to lock into younger options — Rome Odunze (90 targets), Colston Loveland (80), Luther Burden (60). This trade makes sense for Ben Johnson’s crew, too. He wants to see these three get more opportunities on their rookie deals.

Watch Chicago week-in, week-out and you’ll see Moore getting open. He doesn’t move like a creaky has-been about to slip off the wide receiver cliff.

Moore is a 6-foot-0, 213-pound receiver who can be weaponized closer to the line of scrimmage and win outside. The intrigue’s in his ability to go bombs away.

When Brady interviewed for the Bills job, he cited trends and how the NFL shifted from spread to more 12 (two tight ends) and 13 (three) personnel in ‘24 and ‘25. Lighter boxes means smashing away with more muscle. The two best teams in the league, Seattle and L.A., both loved going heavy. But nothing in the NFL stays the same. All of the sport’s brightest minds are spending these seven months plotting for the next evolution — Brady included. And the Bills liked that Brady vowed to stay a step ahead. He anticipates a potential swing back to more 11 and 10 looks with another weapon or two. Defenses are getting smarter at making their one-high safety designs look like two-high shells.

The Bills need to sense that one-high safety… and attack. Moore is savvy enough and still fast enough to cash in on such downfield opportunities.

Sean McDermott had a dominant voice in how weekly gameplans were devised.

Brady didn’t demean his former boss at all. But it was obvious he would’ve done things different.

“He talked about more downfield passing and that’s on me,” Beane told us. “I’ve got to make sure I got the right pieces to do that, too.”

Every offense should strive to create an NBA-like Starting 5 conglomeration of receiving talent. Different weapons with different body types who all do different things help you evolve amid the great innovation race. You don’t pigeonhole your offense into one scheme. Adding Moore is a step in the right direction. Nor do I think the Bills are finished. Whether it’s free agency or the draft, they’ll likely add another wideout because — despite all podium pleasantries — the Bills cannot completely bank on Coleman being a Top 3 option.

That’d be a welcomed development. Perhaps Moore can show Coleman how to set multiple alarms on his iPhone and change up the ringtone to ensure he doesn’t subconsciously tap snooze. If anyone can help Coleman grow up, it’s him. His reputation is strong around the NFL. He’ll set a professional tone inside this room.

Bigger picture, the Bills should’ve been drafting more wide receivers to grow with Allen. Getting cost-controlled receiving options on the payroll is invaluable. Yet from ’22 to ’25, Beane only selected Khalil Shakir (No. 148 overall) and Coleman (No. 33). All while signing Jamison Crowder, Deonte Harty, Trent Sherfield, Curtis Samuel, Mack Hollins, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Josh Palmer and Elijah Moore in free agency and trading for Cooper.

This was an opportunity missed. But Moore is on a different level than all the above.

After seven years of losing, he finally got his first taste of the playoffs.

The bigger the moment, the more Williams’ eyes directed toward Moore.

For all the magic, of course, his Bears run ended with a thud. The lasting image is somewhat controversial. Moore was skewered by ex-QB Chase Daniel and others as the culprit on Williams’ interception vs. the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round. Daniel insists Moore should’ve flattened off his route underneath the safety for his quarterback. There’s also the distinct possibility that Williams, a quarterback who finished 38^th in completion percentage, threw a bad ball.

Either way, these two were never consistently on the same page.

One more thought on the Rams comparison, as Beane’s old comments about wanting to be “fiscally responsible” make the round. I agree Beane should swing like Les Snead swings. All teams in possession of a top 5 quarterback should hunt for potential stars, picks be damned. However, there is a not-so-minor distinction between the two situations.

The Rams were coached by Sean McVay. The Bills were coached by Sean McDermott.

There is no comparing their offensive minds. Mortgaging draft capital and millions of dollars into a wide receiver is different now. This is a Brady move as much as a Beane move. The Bills’ new coach must maximize a talent he knows very well.

Because, chances are, DJ Moore will be put in position to be the hero at some point next January. Catch that ball and all those social-media valuation charts will look silly.

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Good morning, readers! Exciting news to pass along here. Go Long was again recognized amongst the nation’s best in the Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE) writing contest, earning Top 10 finishes in three different categories — Long Feature, Explanatory and Columns.

Winners are announced at a later date. Years past, Go Long took first, second and third place in Long Feature.

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Nobody cared about Malik Willis in August 2023. That quickly, he was written off by his employer. The Tennessee Titans saw him throw the ball 61 times as a rookie and decided enough was enough in selecting Kentucky’s Will Levis with the 33rd overall pick.

This sultry summer day, he finished up a joint practice at the Minnesota Vikings’ pristine Eagen, Minn., campus and wasn’t approached by anyone. As the practice fields started to empty, he walked toward the sideline solo.

Our chat was brief. But when I asked what’s different in Year 2 — why he is still hopeful — Willis’ confidence was striking.

“I know the plays,” Willis said then. “That’s the biggest difference — literally. They think, ‘He’s trash.’ No, I just needed to learn the offense.”

There was no hesitation in his voice. Willis fully expected to excel in the NFL… at some point.

That season, he only attempted five passes. The next, he was traded to the Green Bay Packers and the sensation probably felt something like strapping on an astronaut’s suit and traveling to a new planet. Off two weeks of practice, Willis competently steered the Packers to a pair of victories over Indianapolis and Tennessee. The narrative of his career started to change. Matt LaFleur helped mold his game.

And in 2025, he showed enough in 1 1/2 games to warrant a life-changing contract.

Both were losses. But against Chicago and Baltimore, Willis went 30 of 35 (85.7 percent) for 422 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions as a passer, while also dizzying defenders for 123 rushing yards and two scores. The sample size was minuscule compared to free agent quarterbacks past. Yet, tantalizing. His timing is legendary. A fourth of the league is quarterback-hunting on a barren prairie.

Very rarely do any vets make it to free agency, of course. But this year’s draft is also devoid of starting-caliber talents beyond Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza. Even the griftiest of grifters in the industry have yet to hitch their wagon to the likes of Carson Beck.

All of which drives up the price of that quarterback that only cost Green Bay the 239th overall pick. Reports suggest Willis could net a contract north of $30 million per year. The sight of last year’s Super Bowl-winning quarterback — another player left for dead — has further opened up the minds of general managers to a new calculus. Many of these quarterback-needy clubs would love to pay a winning QB in the $30M-$35M range.

Odds are, Willis is the only one who gets a deal in that range.

Who’s willing to pay the most? Which fit is best?

With the right team, perhaps Malik Willis enjoys his own fairy-tale ending.

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Team USA gets it done. What a joy it was reveling in victory on enemy soil, too. My wife and I crossed the northern border for a mini getaway last weekend and, as luck had it, the gold-medal game was Sunday morn. Surrounded by Canadians at the hotel bar, we did our best to rep the red, white and blue. Thankfully, the bartender did not poison my Bloody Mary.

Impossible for anyone to be a prisoner of the moment after this overtime epic.

This was no doubt the best hockey game I’ve seen in my lifetime.

A perfect time to reach out to my first roommate at Syracuse, a proud Toronto native. We haven’t spoken in six or seven years. So far, he has not responded to my stream of USA emojis. (I’ll keep you updated.)

Alright, let’s wrap up our February Mailbag. We’ve got a little bit of everything once again.

• Ranking the 10 head-coaching hires.

• Best free agent on the market?

• Does the NFL have a scheduling/alignment crisis?

• Thoughts on Ray Handley, the coach who disappeared from public eye.

• Why it was time for Baltimore and Buffalo to try something new.

• Rooney Rule, Bears future, Deshaun Watson, rule changes, more.

Miss the first two parts? Subscribers can catch up here:

Part I: Maxx Crosby Watch, Brandon Beane, Bills WR Plan, Jets reek, trades, Will Campbell’s future

Part II: Matt LaFleur debate, “Indiana” Bears, kickers, NFL straying from its base?

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Hi Ty,

Ten teams have new coaches this season. I know it’s impossible to say which will work out this early and that we don’t do lists and mocks around here, but look into your crystal ball. Which hire was a home run? Which flames out miserably?

Lenny

Perfect place to start. You’re right. Grading hires is a crapshoot, but hey. This mailbag is for the people. Ask and you shall receive. Let’s discuss all 10.

John Harbaugh, Giants: No. 1 in a country mile. A few reasons why…

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Transparency is always our goal, so let’s address one news item you might’ve read in headlines.

Yes, Substack has collaborated with Polymarket, a “prediction market.”

No, we will not be participating.

The dollar amount offered for one Polymarket ad placement was honestly jarring. I’m always floored by how much money gambling companies have to burn. I get why so many of my colleagues in sports media embrace such partnerships. To each their own. But as you all know, from Day 1, we’ve strived to avoid all forms of gambling at Go Long. There’s no escape from FanDuel and DraftKings and BetMGM as pro sports leagues try to render you a real-life Tyrone Biggums. It’s gross. I do not believe gambling and journalism should be mixed.

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Part I of our extended February Mailbag is here.

Let’s get to Part II below.

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Inside Part II…

• The Chicago Bears may be heading to Indiana? It’s a mess. We shouldn’t be shocked by this mess.

• Matt LaFleur is back. Does he deserve Year 8… 9… 10 in Green Bay? New CEO Ed Policy inked both the head coach and GM to contract extensions.

• There was a distinct lack of guts from the 2025 Packers at critical moments last season. Can this be fixed?

• Kicker accuracy entered a new stratosphere this season. Is that a problem?

• The NFL goes global. What’s next? Roger Goodell and the owners also better be careful. Relentless growth could come at a cost.
  

Hi Tyler,

You wrote extensively about Kevin Warren in your House of Dysfunction series.

Now, it appears the “Indiana Bears” are coming.

Any more thoughts?

Will

Former Bears coaches were critical of Caleb Williams. Many people inside Halas Hall — and fellow GMs around the NFL — view Ryan Poles as quite the narcissist, even by lofty NFL standards. The most scathing stories, however, might’ve been reserved for the man who runs the show in Bears Country: CEO Kevin Warren.

All three parts are unlocked to read. Here is how one exec put it in Part III:

“The great ruse is ‘Hey, everything is great here in Camelot.’ Well, it’s not actually Camelot. Ask anyone, and if they’re honest with you, it’s going to be quite the opposite. That’s the reality. Everyone is scared for their job, worried at any moment he’s just going to call — well, not him, he won’t do it, he has somebody else handle that shit.”

Warren is described as a czar hyper-obsessed with image, right down to orchestrating an elaborate feature story written about himself at the team site. Of course, George McCaskey brought Warren in from the Big Ten — three years ago — to get a new stadium done.

Despite trumpeting “shovels in the ground,” Warren has failed to deliver.

The drama drags on and I don’t blame Bears fans one bit for being irate over a potential move.

Halas Hall is 66 miles away. The mayor of Hammond, Ind., Thomas McDermott Jr., said the Bears could move their entire operation across state lines. Obviously, it’d be nice if owners of pro sports teams paid for their own stadiums, instead of holding their taxpayers hostage. Chicago politics are notoriously cutthroat. Insular bureaucracy cuts deeper here. Throw Warren into the mix and we shouldn’t be surprised this has become such a circus. At this point, all governor JB Pritzker and Warren need are a pair of boxing mitts.

All of this comes after the franchise purchased 326 acres in Arlington Heights at $197.2 million under previous president, Ted Phillips. Last August, Warren was welcomed right inside the Fox broadcast booth to wax poetic about this Arlington location 31 miles from downtown. As cheery music and B-roll footage looped, Warren expressed optimism that the stadium would get approved in the fall veto session. When Greg Olsen asked how important it is to “keep the stadium in Chicago”— which wasn’t the case — Warren tap-danced. Warren rationalized that Arlington Heights and Chicago are both in Cook County.

Now, the team may move double that distance.

To a different state.

Or not.

Who knows.

In a statement Saturday night, Warren told Crain’s Chicago Business: “We continue to work with Illinois’ leadership and appreciate the progress being made.”

What a shame after these Cardiac Bears rode a wave of breathtaking comeback wins to finish 11-6. There were overtime thrillers, playoff prayers into the end zone and turnover parties almost weekly. Williams — to his immense credit — bought into Ben Johnson’s hard coaching. Hope returned to a downtrodden franchise. The owner who didn’t allow swear words on “Hard Knocks” was even OK with Johnson’s “Fuck the Packers!” battle cry in the locker room.

These should be happy times for the organization. For Warren, a man very in-tune with PR, all of this horrid PR cannot be a pleasant experience.

I think people are missing the big picture with the latest stadium issue. If an owner cannot afford to keep the Chicago Bears in Chicago, that owner should probably sell the team to someone who can.

Hey Tyler. Since this is the “calling all mailbag questions” section I’ll ask this: When will you be posting a longform article about the Packers decision making process regarding the contract extensions of the GM and HC? I look forward to it.

— Dap

Time to pivot a few hours north to Chicago’s archrival. If this Packers regime goes south, we’ll all look back at the end of the 2025 season as Ed Policy’s missed opportunity. The Packers’ new CEO easily could’ve punched the reset button on at least his head coach following a wild-card calamity in Chicago.

The meltdown was that wretched. Instead, Policy chose calm.

Soon after the loss, I chatted with a coach on the Packers staff. His answer surprised me.

Read more

Hello! Welcome to our latest mailbag.

Bravo to all. The inbox was overflowing with burning questions this month.

I’ll break up our February Mailbag into three parts so we can dive into everything.

Also: I definitely want to get into the habit of recommending some books to read this offseason. Finishing up Chuck Klosterman’s “Football” right now and it is exceptional. Looking forward to welcoming Chuck onto the pod soon to discuss. A non-football book? Check out “Breath,” by James Nestor. After Jordan Poyer blew all of our minds with his insight into breathwork, my wife got this one for me for Christmas. This, too, just may blow your mind.

Let’s get to your inquiries. A ton on the docket.

• Brandon Beane minced no words in our sitdown. It was refreshing.

• Lions big splash? It is time.

• Raiders rebuild plans. We’re on Maxx Crosby Watch and one team makes perfect sense.

• Is Justin Jefferson a realistic Bills target? If not, then who?

• J-E-T-S, stink, stink, stink! But why is that smell so unbelievably rancid? We dish out some more F-minuses for Woody Johnson.

• Which players get traded? Which players stay put? A few thoughts.

• Can Will Campbell bounce back? How bad was Drake Maye’s shoulder?

As always, our mailbags are accessible to paid subscribers.

Thank you for growing out community into Year 6 of Go Long. No ads, no sponsors, no gambling BS here. We’re fueled by you and your willingness to share with a friend.

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Hey Ty,

Your story on the Bills hiring Joe Brady made some waves nationally, notably the GM’s “fuck the outside” quote. You sat down with Beane. You saw how he said it. What did you make of his comments?

Rick

Greetings, Rick. First, some context. This marks my 16th season covering the NFL full time. From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel to the Buffalo News to Bleacher Report to our world here at Go Long, I’ve repeatedly seen the same old sequence play out whenever a subject’s honesty in a longform story is slapped across headlines nationwide. Almost immediately, the subject turtles up and claims to be taken out of context.

To recap, Brandon Beane did not hold back when I noted how his Joe Brady hire was perceived locally.

He knew there would be backlash. His quote in full:

“And to me? Fuck the outside. It’s about the right selection for this team. And if we win, they’ll love it. It’s the same thing I said when I took Josh Allen. If I’m wrong, the moving company will be at my house. So, I understand. And I’m not going to have regret of choosing someone to appease the outside if I thought it should have been something different. If I’m wrong, I’ll fucking take my job and fucking go home.

“I don’t want to be wrong — see him go somewhere else — when my gut told me it was Joe Brady. I’m never going to do that.

“I would love for everyone to cheer every move, but it’s not about winning the press conference. It’s about winning games over there.

“If we do that, everyone will cheer. If I selected who they want me to select or the outside noise — whatever those ratings were — and we don’t win? Guess who’s going to fucking hear about it? Me. So if I’m going to get yelled at, I’m going to get yelled at for choosing the guy that I believe can do this.”

A day later, both Beane and Brady conducted several remote interviews during Super Bowl Week. One of those spots was “The Schrager Hour” with ESPN’s Peter Schrager. “I saw the quote,” Schrager says. “It said, ‘F the outside.’ Maybe that was taken out of context.” At this exact point, Beane could’ve taken the bait. It’s easy to blame some nameless, faceless writer amid a media firestorm. Bury the messenger and move on.

Instead? Beane did not sprint 100 MPH the opposite direction. He owned his words.

Gotta say, it was refreshing.

Right or wrong, we don’t censor or sanitize anybody at Go Long. My goal is to bring you the sport in its realest ‘n rawest form, be it an F-bomb or an anecdote gleaned in our reporting. And fresh off one of the biggest decisions of his football life, Beane kept it real. I can promise you that Beane’s passionate “fuck the outside” answer was not haphazard. He maintained eye contact the entire time. He was himself. We all know the guy who F’s this and F’s that as a form of overcompensation. That’s not Beane. He’s not acting a part. One longtime NFL scout who swears like a sailor himself once told me that he couldn’t believe how many times Beane dropped the F-word in conversation ahead of one draft with the Bills.

Give me this authenticity.

Give me honesty amid a tidal wave of nonsense.

Most GMs and head coaches go 10, 20, 30 years sharpening the fine art of filibustering bullshit. A third of the league hired new coaches and I’d wager most of the hours and hours of press-conference coverage from those hires could double as a lullaby for a mid-winter’s nap. Beane understands what’s on the line — everyone’s job — and isn’t afraid to say it out loud. After spending an hour detailing why Brady was the man for the job, he simply verbalized the stakes: “If I’m wrong, I’ll fucking take my job and fucking go home.”

He is squarely putting all pressure on himself.

Football is a violent sport. Emotional sensitivities should be left at the door.

If this is all too bombastic for people, please by all means here’s two teaspoons of soccer.

Hi Tyler,

Q: How does it feel to have the rest of the world catch up with your point of view after four years of blind criticism? I remember reading your longform “13 Seconds” article a couple of months after it happened and saying to myself ... finally someone has dived into this fiasco and unpacked the litany of errors made by an overmatched HC.

The unforgivable cascade of coaching errors that led to the complete meltdown after the Bills took the lead with 13 seconds left: the botched kickoff, two blown coverage plays allowing a FG to tie before the end of regulation, and then sitting back letting Mahomes go 6 of 6, unimpeded for a TD in OT.

Bills Mafia was devastated by the loss but no one was digging into the story and stringing together the set of circumstances and brain freeze which caused the malfunction.

For four years, the vast majority of Bills fans and the local media have been stubbornly willing to forgive continuous failure in the playoffs as long as there was a good regular-season record and a tight-knit team culture.

Ironically it was Josh’s river of tears that finally convinced the owner that he no longer could stand pat and the inevitable decision was finally made.

— Brian Bimm

Appreciate all kind words, Brian. And a huge thank you to everyone in Western New York (and beyond) for following our coverage with an open mind.

Beyond citing “execution” — official coach code for blaming players — head coach Sean McDermott refused to supply any detail whatsoever in the aftermath of Buffalo’s paralyzing 42-36 overtime loss to Kansas City. Not only were fans left in the dark. Most players had no clue what happened. When we caught up that spring, tight end Dawson Knox called 13 Seconds “an unspoken tragedy.” So, I just tried to phone everyone possible to piece that “tragedy” together.

That initial story Brian notes is right here, if anyone missed it.

We also got some more intel in Part II of our “McDermott Problem” series.

When McDermott was finally fired after his eighth playoff defeat, I was stunned by how many times “13 Seconds” came up from team sources inside the building. Time did not heal. Scars remain. To this day, all parties involved believe the 2021 Buffalo Bills should be Super Bowl Champions. I think McDermott’s lack of accountability after the fact was worse than any of his misgivings on the field. He didn’t take any public or private ownership of the loss, so the tumor only metastasized.

This was one of the worst sports collapses of the 21st century.

Maybe some of my colleagues in the media disagree. That’s fine. In my opinion, “13 Seconds” always warranted a forensic study.

Hello Ty,

Thanks for all the great content at Go Long.

I have a two-part question about the Lions offseason. How much cap space can they create (releases, restructures, etc.) and what will it take to acquire Maxx Crosby from the Raiders?

Sincerely,

— Tim Reuter

Let’s welcome a Go Long OG to the party. Howdy, Tim! We are definitely overdue to wrap our brains around your beloved Detroit Lions. Yes, Bob McGinn and myself have been far, far too lovey-dovey when it comes to Dan Campbell. Guilty as charged. We’ve been tracking his construction from Day 1, from the O-Line grunts to the DNA of this roster to those ass-kickers’ origins to how Campbell gets players to play fast ‘n free. No club’s been hit harder by injuries than the Lions the last two seasons, but we cannot use those as an excuse. Campbell’s comments after his team’s 2023 NFC Championship Game defeat — “this may have been our only shot” — will replay until Detroit gets to its first-ever Super Bowl.

Pressure’s on in 2026 to deliver.

Detroit has correctly re-upped its core: Jared Goff (four years, $212 million), Amon-Ra St. Brown (four years, $120M), Penei Sewell (four years, $112M), Aidan Hutchinson (four years, $180M), Alim McNeill (four years, $97M), Jameson Williams (three years, $80M) and Kerby Joseph (four years, $86M), amongst others. All of this does complicate improving the roster this spring for GM Brad Holmes and Campbell. As you note, the Lions are still hunting for a pass-rushing threat opposite Hutchinson.

Per Over The Cap’s calculations, the Lions rank 27th in available cap space. They are one of 10 teams currently in the red at $9.9 million over the cap.

Cutting players loose is the quickest way to create space. Moving on from Graham Glasgow ($5.56M) and David Montgomery ($3.51M) would get this team’s head above water.

Then, it’s all about restructuring contracts. Owner Sheila Ford Hamp seems all-in on winning a championship. If so, the Lions can push financial problems into the future to create cap space. As Justin Rogers at the Detroit Football Network wrote, Goff is scheduled to carry a massive $69.6 million cap hit (base salary of $55M). Considering he’s got three years left on his deal and a void year in 2029, the Lions can convert his salary into bonuses and spread it across four seasons. To the extreme, as Rogers notes, the franchise could lower his salary to the vet’s minimum and clear north of $40 million in space.

This same logic applies to all stars who inked those mega extensions.

If any team wants to make a splash, there’s a path. I do wonder if the Los Angeles Rams boomeranging right back into title contention will entice front offices to forget everything they’ve been taught about prudent roster-building. Mid-parade, Rams GM Les Snead wore a “Fuck them picks” t-shirt with his face on it. After falling back one season, the Rams have made the playoffs three straight years. In ‘24, they were the one team that made Philly sweat. In ‘25, they might’ve been one NFCCG muffed punt away from winning it all.

Holmes worked with Snead from 2012 to 2020.

Campbell never met a fourth down he didn’t love.

The way last season unfolded was particularly maddening. The 9-8 Lions beat the NFC North champs twice and five of their eight losses were by one score or less.

I’ve got to think this is the organization that swings big this offseason. Al-Quadin Muhammad, profiled here, was a nice revelation. As a pass-rush specialist, he totaled 11 sacks and 26 pressures. Our friends at Spotrac gauge his market value at $7.9 million this spring. But after cycling through countless edge rushers, it’s time for the Lions to move mountains and acquire Maxx Crosby. Hard to imagine a defensive player in the sport who embodies all that “grit” espoused by Campbell more than this long-armed, 6-foot-5, 255-pound human monster truck. Since 2019, Crosby has accumulated 69.5 sacks, 164 quarterback hits and 266 pressures.

He’s in prime. He’s a Michigan native. Crosby and Hutchinson would be about as close as we’d get to Shaq and Kobe on the defensive side of the ball. “It just sounds right,” Hutchinson told Up & Adams on Radio Row. “In the event that it did happen, that would be so dangerous. Me and Maxx have a great relationship, I’d love to play with him.”

So, sure. To hell with those picks. Draft better in the second and third rounds. The Lions can afford to part with multiple first-rounders because it’s time to win now.

Not to mention, Detroit’s gain would also be Chicago’s loss. You’ve got to think Ben Johnson will make a push.

It makes all the sense in the world for Crosby and the Raiders to amicably break up.

Which brings us to our next question…

As we enter the offseason, I always wonder about how realistic it is for people that are rumored to be traded really are. So, who are a couple of guys that you think will get traded and who are a couple of guys that are in the rumor mill who you think won’t get traded?

— James Weise

Let’s start with Mad Maxx. Speaking of F-bombs, Crosby recently went off on the Let’s Go! podcast with Jim Gray.

As it pertains to his future, here’s what the Las Vegas Raider had to say. (Earmuffs!)

“I just want to focus on football. That’s truly what I want. People that know me know I’m about the work and football. I just want to play football and be left the fuck alone. Period. And the people that don’t understand that don’t fucking know me. People can say whatever they want. … Truly, I don’t give a fuck besides playing football and winning football games. I give my whole life to this sport every single day. I’m here every morning. My alarm goes off at 4:55 and I am fucking driving 35 minutes across town in an empty, dark building doing the same thing every single day trying to help my team, trying to help myself. People can talk all they want. People can go on Twitter. I don’t see half the shit. Half of it is news to me. I just care about playing football.”

One thing you didn’t hear Crosby say? I want to play for the Las Vegas Raiders this season.

New HC Klint Kubiak said he enjoyed a cup of coffee with Crosby. That’s swell. I’m sure I’m not the only one here who started a break-up with a cup ‘o joe.

The Raiders and Crosby are on totally different timelines right now. Clearly, this tattooed menace cares deeply about winning games. As a member of the Raiders, he’s won 46 games and lost 65. He’s got to be sick and tired of playing meaningless football in December. And the Raiders — full of holes — could desperately use more draft ammo. Bank on the Raiders keeping their No. 1 pick and selecting Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza. Wait too long looking for a franchise quarterback and you’ll wind up fired anyway. Mendoza’s skill-set fits Kubiak’s play-action offense. Through a 16-0 season with the Hoosiers, Mendoza’s best work came off play-action. This can work.

This team also is not close to competing for an AFC West title, let alone the Super Bowl.

In Crosby, the Raiders have a chance to move an asset and genuinely rebuild.

They’ll have no problem driving up the price. There should be many suitors.

Who else could realistically get moved? Here are three.

• Anthony Richardson. There’s always a quarterback guru out there who believes they’re the one with the Midas touch. Richardson barely played any football at Florida and then had the best Combine we’ve ever seen at the position. As our Bob McGinn reported, Richardson’s issues run deeper than anything on the field. It would be interesting to see how he’d develop in a place like Kansas City with Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes. Back to his Green Bay days, Reid knows the value of stockpiling talent at the position.

• Kyler Murray. He has run his course with the Arizona Cardinals. He’s tiny. He needed a video-game clause in his contract. Two of his head coaches have been fired. And yet? There’s enough talent here to envision things clicking for Murray in the right situation. If he gets to Minnesota, don’t be surprised if his game takes off. If he lands with the New York Jets, send poor Kyler your T’s and P’s. Maybe it’s Murray. Maybe it’s Mac Jones. I think Kevin O’Connell makes a move for someone this spring.

• A.J. Brown. Seems good as gone… right? Howie Roseman has surprised us before. Philly would be stuck with $43.5 million in dead money if they traded Brown before June 1. Despite his dip in production, there are WR-needy teams out — Buffalo? New England? — willing to part with a player and a pick. Feels like the Eagles need to finally cut ties for the good of the locker room.

Who doesn’t get moved? Gut feeling here is that Vikings wideout Justin Jefferson and Bills left tackle Dion Dawkins stay put.

Buffalo could lose Connor McGovern and David Edwards in free agency. Dawkins is 32 years old. Beane should consider developing a mid-round pick behind him. But gutting one of the league’s top offensive lines to this degree isn’t wise.

Will Justin Jefferson be traded? (The correct answer is yes, and to the Buffalo Bills. PLEASE!)

— Jacob Fish

If a wide receiver can make an impossible one-handed catch like this on fourth and 18, hey, anything’s possible. (Sorry, Jacob.) Given the Minnesota Vikings’ spending last offseason — and the pressure on Kevin O’Connell after the GM’s firing — I just have a hard time tracking the logic of handing the NFL’s best wide receiver to somebody else.

You do raise an important issue. The Bills need a wide receiver. Or two. More than a blockbuster to this extreme, it makes sense for the Bills to trade for a receiver such as Indianapolis Colts vet Michael Pittman Jr. and then double dip with a prospect in the first or second round of the draft. That’d give the team enough financial wiggle room to find players built for Jim Leonard’s new scheme on D.

Pittman has been widely considered a trade candidate for a Colts team in need of salary cap space to sign a quarterback and/or re-sign free agent Alec Pierce. He averaged less than 10 yards per reception last season, but the 6-foot-4, 223-pounder has been tough and dependable his entire career through sloppy quarterback play.

He’s 28. His game should age well for another three or four years.

We spoke at length with Pittman for a feature last season. Sure sounded like the kind of player Beane and Brady would want.

“I am the ultimate competitor,” Pittman explained. “And I have almost hypnotized myself into believing that nobody wants to win as bad as I want to win — and I am willing to go the furthest to win in any aspect. I know that I’m willing to give more effort, go harder and go further than you’re willing to go to get what I want.”

Hey Tyler, what’s wrong with the Jets? How do they manage to find new levels of dysfunction? What is Woody Johnson’s relationship with Aaron Glenn and how much say does Glenn have over the team? Thank you for a great season of reporting and I look forward to a great offseason! Go Bills!

— Barak Goldberg

Haven’t had the pleasure of visiting Jets HQ — their PR department does not return our emails — but I’d imagine the sensation is something like getting sprayed by a dozen skunks. Woody Johnson is the common denominator.

Hard to envision a better future for this team as long as he’s meddling to any degree.

This week, Rich Cimini reported that Wink Martindale left his second interview for the Jets DC job under the impression that Glenn had changed up the duties of the job. After Interview No. 1, Martindale thought he’d have the chance to run his own defense. After Interview No. 2, it was evident Glenn would be calling the defense.

Per the report, Glenn met with Johnson in Florida.

“The timing of those meetings,” Cimini wrote, “coupled with the seemingly abrupt end to Martindale's candidacy, fueled speculation that Johnson, who has a reputation for meddling, had instructed Glenn to run the defense himself.”

This could be a case of an owner wondering why he hired a defensive coach if that coach won’t call his own plays.

The 36-year-old Brian Duker got the DC job with Glenn presumably calling the shots.

Nothing should surprise us from an owner who wanted to kibosh the NFLPA report cards because he didn’t like his own filth getting exposed. This team has not made the playoffs since 2010 and there’s nothing in-house to suggest the drought will end any time soon. Somehow, the Jets managed to dig a new low last season. Twelve of Glenn’s original 22 hires a year ago have already been fired. The Jets went an entire season without registering an interception.

Not sure anybody knows how much freedom Glenn has to build the Jets.

I’ll do what I can to get answers this offseason.

The Sauce Gardner trade did give this team extra picks to build. They own the No. 2 and No. 16 overall picks this spring. Hope, however, is again in short supply. What’s the plan at quarterback? Which veteran quarterback with any upside whatsoever would want to play for the Jets? Beyond Mendoza, this doesn’t appear to be a strong draft class, either. Suppose the Jets could auction off that No. 2 selection for more picks and take Alabama’s Ty Simpson somewhere.

Don’t inhale. These are bad, bad times in the New Jersey swamp.

Hi Tyler,

Thanks for another great season. Drake Maye and Will Campbell are taking some heat in NE for mentioning their injuries post-SB. Local insiders say that the team did not feel it impacted performance. Any insight on that? Realizing everyone is dealing with something, they both looked different post-injury to me.

— Michael Wachtel

Do people around the NFL see Campbell as a Tackle or a Guard?

— Adam Steinmetz

We’ll polish off Part I of our Mailbag by combining two Patriot questions. Great to hear from you both through our Patriots stories this season.

Expectedly, both Drake Maye (shoulder) and Will Campbell (knee) downplayed their injuries during Super Bowl Week. That’s commonplace. Lamenting an injury accomplishes nothing in the lead-up to the biggest game of their lives. Neither wants a defender teeing off on their ailment.

But what’s also commonplace in the NFL is the great reveal of injuries during locker-room clean-up day. I can still remember Robert Woods opening up about his gruesome groin injury after his 2015 Bills season. Couldn’t believe he tried playing through that pain. Maye didn’t use his right shoulder injury as an excuse, simply stating the fact that he had a painkilling injection administered. Campbell was also careful with how he worded things, but admitted he played with a torn ligament in his knee.

I’ll always be pro-player on this front. These guys are dealing with far more pain than we can comprehend. In real time, it’s a tricky balance. Both team and player must decide where to draw the line. Obviously you’d take a banged-up Maye over Joshua Dobbs and Tommy DeVito. Competent left tackles are also a rare breed. New England could’ve shelved Campbell for good, I suppose? Coaches and trainers obviously figured he was healthy enough to play.

Seattle represented the worst possible opponent, exacerbating both situations.

Injury or not, Maye had a brutal night. I’m sure you both saw the Mic’d Up clip of Julian Love calling him “a classic young quarterback” who hits his back foot and pauses to confirm his receiver’s open before throwing the ball. Love said Maye is not “blindly” throwing the ball like Matthew Stafford into windows. Then, the Seahawks safety effectively ended the game with an easy-does-it interception. How much does a bum shoulder play into this hesitation? How much of it is a 23-year-old playing in his first Super Bowl? Probably a combination of both. After rewatching the game in full — and comparing it to the Maye we saw all regular season — the shoulder absolutely affected his game.

Campbell’s future is tricky. Loved getting to know this cat-hatin,’ gator-huntin’ cajun ahead of Super Bowl LX. In the end, Campbell did prove to be one of the most important players in this game… for all of the wrong reasons. Next Gen Stats credited him for 14 pressures allowed, the most for any player all season long. To a fault, he’s always been someone who tries to play through pain. His high school coach shared the story of Campbell swapping street clothes for pads at halftime of a playoff game. He couldn’t stand watching his team struggle.

After missing four games with an MCL injury, he had a rough postseason. He was not the same player. Given his less-than-ideal arm length, a move to guard could lead to an All-Pro career but Mike Vrabel shot down that idea immediately. “Will’s 22 years old,” Vrabel said. “He’s our left tackle. He’ll get better, he’ll get stronger.” I tend to agree with Vrabel for now. Give Campbell another season at left tackle.

History’s rich with stories of Pro Bowl tackles who struggled mightily as rookies. We don’t have to look back too far.

Giants left tackle Andrew Thomas and Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson — two of the best in the biz — had miserable rookie seasons. Both allowed 10 sacks and 57 pressures, per PFF. Campbell is not built like Jonathan Ogden and Walter Jones on the edge. Far from it. But some of the best to ever coach linemen, like Patriots lifer Dante Scarnecchia, see hope for Campbell through refined technique.

I get the impulse for post-Super Bowl freakouts. This was a first-round knockout.

Here’s thinking New England’s future remains very bright.

Read Part II here.

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ICYMI:

A believer requires a non-believer in the NFL. Or two. Or three. Sam Darnold only became a Seattle Seahawk because the sport’s most distinguished quarterback dignitaries wanted nothing to do with him after a 4,319-yard, 35-touchdown season.

Once they woke up from all Matthew Stafford daydreaming, the Las Vegas Raiders debated Sam Darnold and Geno Smith. Raiders coaches, we’re told, preferred Darnold. He was six years younger. Brady — the minority owner and end-all, be-all quarterback chieftain in Vegas — preferred Smith. The GOAT won.

About 1,500 miles to the northeast, Kevin O’Connell caught wind of Smith’s contract desires early last offseason. I can second the Michael Silver report from Super Bowl Sunday that the Vikings head coach helped facilitate Darnold’s relocation west by giving Seahawks GM John Schneider the 411 on this QB’s game. He supplied an honest, glowing review — right down to the quarterback’s strong leadership skills. On one hand, O’Connell did Darnold a solid because he knew his 2024 starter wanted to play on the west coast. On the other hand… well. KOC essentially cut off his other hand for the ‘25 season.

Obviously no head coach does this if he’s interested in retaining that quarterback. Minnesota was ready to usher in the J.J. McCarthy era.

All stars aligned for Seattle. It helped that OC Klint Kubiak had coached Darnold as the San Francisco 49ers’ passing game coordinator. And it also helped that Schneider’s the sort of GM drawn to fearlessness, to football guys not manicured in 7-on-7 camps.

Seattle inked Darnold to a reasonable deal worth $33.5 million per year.

Now, a quarterback stranded in quarterback purgatory is a Super Bowl champion.

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Evidently, the Super Bowl was getting far too exciting for the league’s scriptwriters.

After seven of eight were tightly contested deep into the fourth quarter, the public’s been fed melatonin in back-to-back title fights. A year ago, the Eagles had more points (24) than the Chiefs had yards (24) at halftime. Kansas City had manufactured all of one first down and Mahomes’ passer rating was 10.7. The score was 34-0 before Mahomes even advanced the ball past the 50-yard line. This year, Seattle’s clubbing of the New England Patriots was not nearly as close as the 29-13 score indicates. The Patriots waddled through five straight 3 and outs. At one point, this unit had 73 yards on 34 plays.

Fresh off Philadelphia’s flogging, we examined what the other 31 teams can learn.

Let’s do it again.

Blowouts lack drama, but blowouts sure can be instructive. This Super Bowl, like last year’s Super Bowl, explicitly broadcasts what it takes to get your own hands all over that Lombardi. Several playoff teams have a chance to get over the hump with a tweak here and there.

Inside today’s piece…

• Why harmony at the top is a must. Terry Pegula’s reorganization makes more sense when you see why the Seahawks changed their structure.

• Sam Darnold is proof that teams do not need to break the bank at the quarterback position. You can win a Super Bowl with a QB on a middle-tier deal. Which playoff team out there could benefit from a similarly bold move at the position? (Hint: Their defense is even better than “The Dark Side.”)

• Why Malik Willis could be a contender’s missing piece.

• Catastrophic playoff losses should have consequences. The Seahawks are proof. Buffalo and Green Bay have also learned the hard way this past decade.

• The defensive tackle domino effect. Mike Macdonald’s entire defense is a juggernaut, but you’ll want to pan that magnifying glass over the monsters in the middle.

• Players play. Coaches coach. GMs gm. But, sometimes, it pays to value the locker room at the most important position in sports.

• Special teams. The team that should be kicking their own ass all offseason? Sean McVay’s Los Angeles Rams. The Seahawks coverage units sent a loud PSA to all branches of the McVay/Shanahan trees: The boring stuff matters, too.

Re-ALIGN!

Remember that word repeated nonstop when the Buffalo Bills introduced Joe Brady as their head coach? Alignment, alignment, alignment. None of this was corporate jargon, either. The total lack of alignment at One Bills Drive was alarming at the end of Sean McDermott’s tenure. Seattle is proof why a HC → GM → Owner structure works.

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