Weak-Side Podcast: Penultimate Mailbag

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Listeners and friends, it's been a tremendous run. Thanks to all of you who listened, wrote to us and made the Weak-Side Podcast a truly special community. With that in mind, our final episode is based around questions, feedback and ideas from each of you. For the last time, Conor and Jenny, along with Shelby, discuss... +In any given year, if you were to give an expansion franchise exclusively draft picks 1-53 to build their best roster, would they rank dead last come the end of that year, asks Alex from the UK? +Can you see the Buffalo Bills making a repeat statement and potentially going back to the AFC championship game, submits Chase from upstate New York? +Why are QB passing yards in a game so disingenuous, queries Tane from New Zealand? +And Jack from New England has a burning question: Can either of you specifically define the terms “froggy” and “spicy”? Plus, reader brainstorms on "doink points," the KC Elephants and a suggested new segment for the Monday show, "Gramling's Grumbles." We will be responding to the wonderful emails our loyal audience sent to [email protected]. You can now find us every Monday morning with Gary Gramling on The MMQB Monday Morning NFL Podcast—and in the future, at our vegan taqueria, Root.

In our penultimate episode of the Weak-Side Podcast, we turn to what we enjoy the most: listener mail. Among the questions Conor and Jenny discuss... *John from Portland says he was "horrified" when the Seahawks ignored other positions of need and took a receiver with their first selection in this year's draft. He later began warming up to the "Legion of Zoom" but then wondered: Was he right to worry? *Reece from Australia, in addition to reminding us about his country's notable contributions to the sport of basketball, asks which team will benefit most from a more "normal" NFL season? *Jack revisits an important topic that has yet to be fully addressed: Should the Chiefs become the Kansas City Football Team, to move away from disrespectful imagery and chants? *Plus, an Orracle about the news of the week, which was also the news of last decade: Tim Tebow. Important programming note: Next week will be the last episode of the Weak-Side Podcast. Please write in to [email protected] with comments, memories or even your own Orracle so we can sign off by celebrating our loyal listeners and the community we have built.

Jenny and Conor rip into five compelling storylines from a fascinating 2021 NFL Draft. While there are many teams to get to, Jenny and Conor were particularly taken by:  + The 49ers' lauding of secrecy. A victory for CIA-obsessed coaches or a troubling trend in office politics?  + Rating the Mac Jones experience on a scale of 1 to 10. One being no Super Bowls and 10 being six more Super Bowls, of course.  + Tracking the rising stars of the formerly embattled Dave Gettleman and Ryan Pace. What it's like to watch old dogs learn new tricks.  Plus, discussions on Dear Abby, Mock Draft scoring etiquette and more.  Loyal listeners, we want to keep hearing from you! Email us at [email protected]. 

First was Conor's mock draft, then Jenny's mock draft, and this week it's time for another annual show edition: Our mock draft regrets. (Yes, already). The lead-up to the draft is a simultaneous faucet of both information and non-information, and with days of hindsight, among the decisions Conor and Jenny are already obsessing over:  +The 49ers' QB decision at No. 3. Reports say the 49ers are choosing between Mac Jones and Trey Lance. Could the Niners really still be deciding, and if they do already know who their guy will be, what are the reasons for continuing to keep this pick close to the vest? +Conor didn't mock any running backs in the first round, while Jenny regrets only allotting three first-round receivers. +The sixth QB Conor thinks could sneak into the first round, and the offensive lineman Jenny thinks will go higher than expected. Plus, a discussion of Kevin Colbert's comments that if two players are close, "we're going to take the player that played" in 2020 over the one who opted out. And make sure to check out Conor's *new* mock draft on Thursday morning. Loyal listeners, we want to keep hearing from you! Email us at [email protected] or leave us a message at our brand-new voicemail line: 929-445-7349.

On the heels of Conor's wildly popular mock draft, Jenny reluctantly takes her turn (By the end of the show both she and Conor are considering taking another try). This week on the Weak-Side Podcast, the hosts discuss: +The 49ers are playing their QB pick close to the vest but Jenny has her reasons for putting them down to draft Justin Fields at No. 3. +Why the Falcons choosing an offensive line at pick No. 4 isn't out of reason. +The year of the tight end continues with Florida's Kyle Pitts, who could be the highest-drafted player at his position in 15 years.  +A potential Patriots trade up, and why Belichick's history of not drafting QBs higher than the 62nd pick isn't necessarily pertinent. Plus, Conor makes a wardrobe prediction for the NFL Draft, and Jenny hopes we don't allow the narrative that NFL prospects who opted out of the 2020 college football season don't football to persist unchecked. Loyal listeners, we want to keep hearing from you! Email us at [email protected] or leave us a message at our brand-new voicemail line: 929-445-7349.

Weak-Side Podcast listeners, it's that time of year again. Hate or love mock drafts, they make for entertaining conversation. Conor is up first for the Weak-Side crew and on this show reveals his picks 3 through 10 (there's little surprise for 1 and 2). On this week's episode, he and Jenny discuss: +Why a different QB may be a better fit for the 49ers than Mac Jones. +How the Broncos will (finally) address the QB position this offseason, securing a top prospect two years after drafting Drew Lock in the second round. +Whether it's better to build a roster from the outside in, or from the inside out, a pertinent question for the Bengals at No. 5. +Like last year, there is a lot of debate about who will be the first offensive tackle and the first receiver off the board. Plus, Conor delivers a very specific Orracle about what will happen at picks No. 22 (Titans) and 23 (Jets). Loyal listeners, we want to keep hearing from you! Email us at [email protected] or leave us a message at our brand-new voicemail line: 929-445-7349.

The Panthers' trade for Sam Darnold had ripple effects on QB situations around the league. On this week's Weak-Side Podcast, Conor and Jenny discuss: *The teams that are still searching for a QB, and their dwindling options. *Does Darnold represent a marked upgrade at the position for the Panthers over Teddy Bridgewater? *Did the Jets make the right decision, or should they have stuck with Darnold and moved the No. 2 pick for a haul of draft capital? *One pre-draft bold prediction, both for tradition-steeped Rust Belt franchises. Also, a robust discussion of TLC's greatest hits. Loyal listeners, we want to keep hearing from you! Email us at [email protected] or leave us a message at our brand-new voicemail line: 929-445-7349.

A month out from the NFL draft, a series of bold trades livened up an otherwise ordinary Friday. This week on the Weak-Side Podcast, Conor and Jenny discuss: *What the 49ers' jump up to the No. 3 spot means for the team's plans at QB, and specifically for Jimmy Garoppolo's once bright future in the Bay Area. *The Dolphins' turning a left tackle into a gold mine of draft picks, who they might draft now after dropping out of prime QB range and what the future holds for Tua. *The Eagles' giving Jalen Hurts a chance and turning their attention to retooling their roster through the draft. *The Jets standing pat at the No. 2 pick, presumably to draft Zach Wilson, and what's next for Sam Darnold. Loyal listeners, we want to keep hearing from you! Email us at [email protected] or leave us a message at our brand-new voicemail line: 929-445-7349.

Fresh off the NFL's free-agency opening rush, the Weak-Side Podcast is ready to hand out our awards—bolstered, per usual, by masterful sound effects from producer Shelby. On this week's Free Agency Awards Show Edition, Conor and Jenny present: *The teams with the best and worst overall free-agency performances. Which club really nailed it this year, and which one left a ton of glaring needs unaddressed? (Raiders, we see you...) *The best and worst overall signing. While the depressed cap market mostly led to good deals, a few teams seemed to overpay and get desperate. And one team did not yet address a major position of need, despite pleas from its QB. *The best under-the-radar signing, one we'll be talking about in December. Think a savvy veteran center and a versatile DB/returner.  *Plus, The Orracle gives you a move to watch for in the coming weeks, and the Vrentas Consensus centers on a different kind of spending—or lack thereof.  Loyal listeners, we want to keep hearing from you! Email us at [email protected] or leave us a message at our brand-new voicemail line: 929-445-7349.