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00:00Because it's time for Kaplan's first look at his power rankings for the NFL season that's
00:09upcoming right around the corner doing push-ups.
00:11Yeah, we got four weeks till teams report.
00:15And by the way, so this is the time of year you see websites do it, television shows.
00:19On NFL Radio, I'll go over these rankings where I'm hosting on Channel 88 on Saturday.
00:25But I want to get started here because it's the first time we're going to talk about it.
00:29I know it's going to surprise some people because the Chiefs are back-to-back winners
00:32going for the third in a row, which would be historic.
00:35But I've got the Niners, again, I want people to understand, the Niners are number one.
00:38Why?
00:39It's based on roster, the quality of the roster, the quality of the depth, the coaching staff,
00:44and offensive-defensive schemes.
00:45If you just grade them on all that, they're the NFL's best team.
00:49They're my number one team right now.
00:51You mean with all those receivers that don't want to play there anymore because they're
00:54not getting paid?
00:55You mean that team?
00:57Aiyuk's under contract, so he'll be playing somewhere this season.
01:01And by the way, as I told you last time we talked about Aiyuk, if they want to win a
01:04Super Bowl, take a look at him next year in terms of moving him or doing a sign-and-trade.
01:09But this year, he's got to be on the football team if they want to win a Super Bowl.
01:13Do you believe that they're going to keep him or trade him?
01:18The chances are he'll be on the roster.
01:19It's not a lock.
01:20He's under contract.
01:22They're not there yet on an extension.
01:25It's going to be hard because the way that a lot of teams see his contract, as great
01:30of a wide receiver as he is, he's more of a number two receiver for this football team.
01:35Now, if you trade him to Buffalo, he's a number one.
01:37But on this team, he's more of a number two, and that's around $28.5 million.
01:41Not $30 to $32 million, which honestly, he could command on the open market.
01:44But right now, he's not getting that.
01:47So who's your number two team?
01:50Got to be the Chiefs.
01:51We know they've got some off-the-field stuff that they've been dealing with.
01:54Bottom line is, back-to-back Super Bowl winner, got the quarterback, got the head coach.
01:59And by the way, as long as Andy Reid is there with Patrick Mahomes, they're going to be
02:03the class, at least, of the AFC.
02:06There's no question about it.
02:08Wow.
02:09It's just, I mean, at some point, you just got to get sick and tired of it, don't you?
02:15Like, honestly.
02:16I'm sick and tired of it.
02:18I need someone to step up and punch them in the throat.
02:23Like, we saw the Bengals do it, and then they blew the Super Bowl.
02:27But they got to have somebody step up this year.
02:30It can't be the same team every single year in the Super Bowl.
02:35Well, bottom line is, my number three team should have been in the Super Bowl.
02:39They blew that big lead.
02:40And that's the Detroit Lions.
02:41Now, people would say, what about their secondary?
02:43Well, guess what?
02:44They address it with a trade of Carlton Davis, the Bucs' best corner.
02:47They also drafted a corner very early in the draft, within the first two rounds.
02:51They've addressed that position.
02:52They're great at safety.
02:54The reason why I don't have them higher is that they need a little bit more of a pass
02:57rush.
02:58But they've helped their secondary, excellent offensive line.
03:01Jared Goff got his extension.
03:03What a story he's been, after what happened with him at the Rams to end his career with
03:06that football team.
03:07But they're my number three team.
03:08The Detroit Lions, the NFC's number two team right now.
03:11So no drop-off from all that success.
03:15They just keep winning, is what you're telling me.
03:18And that failure.
03:19And that choke job.
03:20They choke.
03:21They choke.
03:22But they got Ben Johnson back, the NFL's best play caller.
03:24That is an absolutely huge thing.
03:28Without him, this is not the same football team.
03:30To keep him, I don't think people understand how fortunate the Lions are to have him back
03:34as their offensive coordinator.
03:36Your fourth-best team.
03:38Yeah, I got the Eagles up there now.
03:40They had major issues in their secondary.
03:43They addressed it with Cooper Dejean.
03:44They addressed it with Quinion Mitchell.
03:46So they've addressed it.
03:47I'm a little bit concerned, the reason why I don't have them higher than the Lions is
03:51the retirements of Fletcher Cox, the outstanding interior pass rusher, and the great Jason
03:57Kelsey.
03:58Both will be Hall of Famers someday.
04:00The bottom line is, those are big losses to me.
04:03It's going to be hard to overcome it.
04:04They've got guys who are going to fill in.
04:06So that's the one thing that will concern me.
04:08But they've addressed a lot of their depth issues.
04:09A little bit of a depth issue, by the way, at wide receiver, remember.
04:14They lost one guy who retired.
04:19And when you really look at it, you've got Paris Campbell, who's their number three receiver.
04:22After that, they don't really have much.
04:24But overall, this is a really good football team.
04:26Well-coached.
04:27And by the way, brand-new offensive scheme under Kelly Moore.
04:29I like that.
04:30They're my number four team.
04:32How hot is Nick Sirianni's seat after he somehow survived that absolute car crash of a season's
04:41last month and a week?
04:42I mean, the last five weeks, six weeks was a disaster.
04:46Losing six out of seven.
04:47Got absolutely embarrassed against Tampa Bay on the road in the playoffs.
04:50He's back because he made the playoffs three straight years.
04:53How hot is it?
04:54It's warm.
04:55And what I mean by that is, they've addressed the coordinators, the general manager, Harry
05:00Roseman, addressed the problems in the secondary.
05:03There are no more excuses here.
05:04They brought in an excellent offensive play caller in Kelly Moore.
05:08They've got to go farther than the first round of the playoffs, man.
05:10They've got to be better than that.
05:11That's if everybody's healthy.
05:12And they've got to get Jalen Hurts back on track, by the way.
05:15Your five and six plays.
05:18Yeah, I've got the Packers here, Scott.
05:21I love this team.
05:23They're going to be right there with the Lions.
05:25That's a very even division, the NFC North, between those two teams.
05:29Jordan Love, as you know, is my quarterback.
05:3136 combined touchdowns.
05:33They have a new defensive coordinator.
05:34They needed to do that.
05:35Jeff Halfley comes in, the head coach of Boston College.
05:38It's going to change the scheme a little bit.
05:39They're going to be right there.
05:40They're going to push for that division, the NFC North.
05:43And I've got the Packers at number five.
05:46And the Ravens, six.
05:48Oh, yeah, the Ravens, look, they're back again.
05:50Now, the one issue, and I don't have them higher,
05:53they lost Mike McDonald, their outstanding defensive coordinator.
05:56Zach Gore, the NFL's youngest coordinator, 31 years old.
05:59That's a big deal here, whose NFL playing career
06:02got cut short due to injury.
06:04But this is his first year doing it.
06:05That's the only thing I'm worried about,
06:07because he's the first time play caller.
06:08But other than that, it's a pretty good team.
06:10Numbers seven and eight, you're keeping both of them in Texas.
06:16Yeah, I know.
06:16I got Houston.
06:17I love this football team.
06:18We all missed on the Texans last year,
06:20who the odds makers gave four and a half to five wins.
06:23They're my number 17.
06:24They've got it all.
06:25Best young roster in the National Football League.
06:27And I got the Cowboys at number eight.
06:30They got to get the defense going under Mike Zimmer.
06:33They've got Trayvon Diggs coming back from his ACL injury,
06:35a corner who's their best corner.
06:36We got to see how he comes back from that injury.
06:38A couple offensive line changes.
06:40Zeke Elliott's going to be the starting running back.
06:42That's not going to be good enough.
06:43They're my number 18, the Dallas Cowboys.
06:45What about nine and 10?
06:49They're teams that are only a couple hours away
06:51from each other.
06:52This is going to be a surprise to some.
06:54I've got the Cleveland Browns at number nine.
06:57Excellent offensive line.
06:58They've addressed the running back issue
07:00because of Nick Chubb's injury.
07:02Excellent defense coach by Jim Schwartz.
07:04The only issue is the quarterback,
07:06who has not played competent football since 2020.
07:08Deshaun Watson coming back from multiple issues
07:11with that right shoulder, with that surgery.
07:14So it's not a question, will he be ready for training camp?
07:16How effective could he be in the regular season?
07:18That's why I don't have him at higher than number nine.
07:20I got your Steelers at number 10.
07:22Here we go, Steelers.
07:23Here we go.
07:25You know their offensive line.
07:26They've addressed it five new starters the last two seasons.
07:29They've addressed their secondary issues at quarterback.
07:32What does Russell Wilson have left?
07:33That's a question.
07:35Yeah.
07:36I'll tell you what's not a question
07:38is that I'm able to go to games this year.
07:39I'm stoked.
07:41Pharrell traveling back to the Steel City
07:43to see multiple games.
07:45All right, 11 and 12.
07:46I know you're gonna get mafia excited here,
07:49hot and bothered.
07:50They've got the Jets.
07:51You know, you gotta put Aaron Rodgers here
07:53and the Jets at 11.
07:54I would put him higher,
07:54but again, he barely played football last season.
07:56They've addressed their offensive line.
07:58It's not gonna be great.
07:59The depth at wide receiver is a problem for me.
08:02Defense, perhaps the best of the National Football League.
08:04If Rodgers plays 14 games,
08:07they're probably gonna win that division over the Bills.
08:11And you have the Jags at 12,
08:14the Bengals at 13,
08:15and Carver High's Bills at 14.
08:18Oh, I just gave you the finger right on the set.
08:20I saw it.
08:21Yeah, and I got the Bills getting in.
08:22Yeah, I got the Bills getting in.
08:23The last wild card spot as of now,
08:25they're my 14th team.
08:27Wow.
08:28And so did you think that Lawrence deserved all that money?
08:33Yeah, because here's my understanding.
08:34They felt that they got in early
08:35because the numbers are gonna go to 57, 60 million a year.
08:39He's their franchise quarterback.
08:40They've always felt that way.