Offseason Buy or Sell: The NFL's Middle Class

There's only so much time to indulge our curiosities during the NFL season. What that means is that a number of questions we have in the moment go unexamined because we have to, you know, pay attention to the games that are actually happening. May and June, though? That's when we can let our minds wander. And that's exactly what we're going to do in our Lingering Questions series on The Athletic Football Show. In episode one of the series, Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen ask and answer the following questions: What sort of offensive infrastructure is Cam Ward getting dropped into in Tennessee? Why didn't Jordan Love make the leap in 2024? Why did Marvin Harrison Jr. fall short of expectations in his rookie season? Hosts: Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen 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 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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The impasse between Trey Hedrickson and the Bengals took its most bizarre turn yet on Tuesday when the star pass rusher staged an impromptu press conference on the practice field at the team's facility during OTAs. The Athletic's Bengals beat writer Paul Dehner Jr. was there, and he joins Robert Mays on this episode of The Athletic Football Show to discuss exactly what happened, how it all transpired, how things got to this point, and, ultimately, where it all goes from here. Hosts: Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen With: Paul Dehner Jr. 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 Paul on Bluesky: @pauldehnerjr.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Follow Paul on X: @pauldehnerjr Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The mail carrier came knocking and yet again brought us more than our fair share of great questions. Which successful team of the last five years is most realistic for current bottom-feeders to replicate? Are the Steelers still an elite franchise? Why doesn't Sean McDermott get as much respect as Kyle Shanahan? Which quarterback is the best who, in theory, could get traded? Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Michael Beller answer those questions, and a whole lot more, on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Host: Robert Mays Co-Host: Derrik Klassen With: Michael Beller 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 Beller on Bluesky: @mbeller.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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The George Pickens trade (mostly) brought to an end a busy offseason movement period for wide receivers. Davante Adams, D.K. Metcalf, Cooper Kupp, Stefon Diggs, Deebo Samuel, and Christian Kirk all find themselves on new teams. Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Chris Godwin and Metcalf all signed big extensions. Ten receivers, including Travis Hunter, were selected in the first 70 picks of the NFL Draft, and reliable veterans like DeAndre Hopkins, Tyler Lockett and Josh Palmer also found new homes. What's the state of the wide receiver landscape after all that movement? Which groups improved the most? Which ones have us a bit concerned? And which ones are we sneaky excited to watch this season? Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen run that full route tree on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Host: Robert Mays Co-Host: Derrik Klassen 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 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

The George Pickens trade (mostly) brought to an end a busy offseason movement period for wide receivers. Davante Adams, D.K. Metcalf, Cooper Kupp, Stefon Diggs, Deebo Samuel, and Christian Kirk all find themselves on new teams. Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Chris Godwin and Metcalf all signed big extensions. Ten receivers, including Travis Hunter, were selected in the first 70 picks of the NFL Draft, and reliable veterans like DeAndre Hopkins, Tyler Lockett and Josh Palmer also found new homes. What's the state of the wide receiver landscape after all that movement? Which groups improved the most? Which ones have us a bit concerned? And which ones are we sneaky excited to watch this season? Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen run that full route tree on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Host: Robert Mays Co-Host: Derrik Klassen 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 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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.