Draft fallout and James Cook's future lead the return of the TAFS mailbag
The draft is over, which means Mailbag Mondays are back! Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen tackle questions about quarterbacks improving their accuracy, the most electric recent draft moments, James Cook's future in Buffalo and more on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.
Rundown
Which teams bet in the draft on their ability to develop players?
Are the Steelers the most unlikely team to win a SB in the next five years
How easy is it for a QB to improve accuracy?
Which past draft moments would you have wanted to cover live?
What will Titans do with Will Levis?
Is pass rush success with smaller pass rushers sustainable?
Was the Falcons draft really that bad?
Is Cam Ward the most valuable pick of the draft?
Are we seeing new positions being prioritized in the draft?
Making sense of late-round trades
What to make of Washington pivoting to win-now
Should the Bills work to retain James Cook right now?
How many quarterabcks would be elite with the Eagles? How many teams can Patrick Mahomes make elite?
Host: Robert Mays
Co-Host: Derrik Klassen
Executive Producer: Michael Beller
Producer: Michael Beller
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Theme song: Haunted
Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs
Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC
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1:34:58
Biggest questions remaining after the draft
The coaching carousel has stopped spinning. The free agency frenzy is in the rear-view mirror. The 2025 NFL Draft is done. All 32 teams as currently constructed are essentially what they are going to be when they take the field in Week 1. So what are the weightiest questions we still have? Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen ask, and try to answer, those questions on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.
Rundown
Who's going to catch passes for the Cowboys?
Is the Bills pass-catcher anxiety warranted?
Is the Cardinals OL good enough to get them where they want to go?
Did Houston do enough on defense to stay the course?
Who plays QB for the Steelers in 2025
The Panthers didn't draft a corner, and didn't take a safety until the fourth round....ummmm, what?
How soon do we see Tyler Shough starting for the Saints?
Sneaky teams we're excited to watch in 2025
Do any of the veteran trade candidates get moved?
What happens with the veteran free agents and contract extension candidates?
What are the Vikings going to do in the secondary?
Lingering team-specific needs
Host: Robert Mays
Co-Host: Derrik Klassen
Executive Producer: Michael Beller
Producer: Michael Beller
Subscribe to The Athletic Football Show...
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YouTube
Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social
Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social
Follow Robert on X: @robertmays
Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass
Theme song: Haunted
Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs
Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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1:21:56
The messages teams sent in the 2025 NFL Draft, with Field Yates
Teams can lie to us before the draft. They can obfuscate. They can mislead. Once the draft arrives, though, they have to tell the truth. So what messages did teams send once they finally had to put their money where their mouth is? Robert Mays and Field Yates from ESPN discuss the messages teams sent in the 2025 NFL Draft on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.
Rundown
Bills
Steelers
A quick Giants tangent
Raiders
Cardinals
Patriots
49ers
Dolphins
Titans
Packers
Host: Robert Mays
Co-Host: Derrik Klassen
With: Field Yates
Executive Producer: Michael Beller
Producer: Michael Beller
Subscribe to The Athletic Football Show...
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Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social
Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social
Follow Dane on Bluesky: @fieldyates.bsky.social
Follow Robert on X: @robertmays
Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass
Follow Field on X: @FieldYates
Theme song: Haunted
Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs
Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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1:21:52
2025 NFL Draft day three recap and overall takeaways
And that's a wrap on the 2025 NFL Draft. Who did good work on day three? Who did good work the entire weekend? Why did the Browns go back to the quarterback well to grab Shedeur Sanders? Which teams had good plans, and which ones surprised us? Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dane Brugler answer those questions, and a whole lot more, on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.
Host: Robert Mays
Co-Host: Derrik Klassen
With: Dane Brugler
Executive Producer: Michael Beller
Producer: Michael Beller
Subscribe to The Athletic Football Show...
Apple
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YouTube
Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social
Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social
Follow Dane on Bluesky: @danebrugler.bsky.social
Follow Robert on X: @robertmays
Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass
Follow Dane on X: @dpbrugler
Theme song: Haunted
Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs
Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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1:33:00
2025 NFL Draft second and third round recap
The second and third rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft are in the books, and the first half of our draft story is all but complete. Who were our favorite picks on day two? Where were the surprises? Which teams came away with the best hauls across the first three rounds? Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dane Brugler answer those questions, and more, as they put a capstone on The Athletic Football Show's live coverage of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Host: Robert Mays
Co-Host: Derrik Klassen
With: Dane Brugler
Executive Producer: Michael Beller
Producer: Michael Beller
Subscribe to The Athletic Football Show...
Apple
Spotify
YouTube
Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social
Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social
Follow Dane on Bluesky: @danebrugler.bsky.social
Follow Robert on X: @robertmays
Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass
Follow Dane on X: @dpbrugler
Theme song: Haunted
Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs
Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sobre The Athletic Football Show: A show about the NFL
The Athletic’s flagship NFL podcast covers the league like only The Athletic can. Host Robert Mays and co-host Derrik Klassen dive into the biggest stories, break down the Xs and Os, tackle the ins and outs of roster building, follow the details of why we all love this sport, and have plenty of fun along the way, bringing the expertise necessary to cover the NFL at the highest level. Whether it’s happening on the field or behind the scenes, you’ll get an in-depth look at all things NFL on The Athletic Football Show, available wherever you get your podcasts.
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