How to FIX eliminated NFC teams: Giants, Commanders, Saints, Falcons, Cardinals, & Vikings 👀

How to FIX eliminated NFC teams: Giants, Commanders, Saints, Falcons, Cardinals, & Vikings 👀

Back here on CBS Sports Network where we just tackled all of the AFC teams eliminated from playoff contention. Here’s a look at the [music] NFC teams who will be taking some vacation early. That includes the Minnesota Vikings. Gosh, you got to feel bad for the Vikings. Didn’t even stand a chance before they played yesterday. You got the Atlanta Falcons at 5 and N out. New Orleans Saints, the Commanders, the Cardinals, [music] and the 2 and 12 New York Giants. Our resident GM Ran Carthon and draft analyst Ryan Wilson are here with us to tell us really how to fix all of these teams in the NFC that are eliminated from playoff contention. Let’s go ahead and start with those Giants. What is the guide to helping Jackson Dart and fixing this team in 2026? >> Got to find our head coach. Got >> that’d be a great start. >> Got to find a head coach. Got to figure out who that person’s going to be that’s going to lead the pro uh the program. But who’s going to set the tone of what we want the New York Giants to look like for the foreseeable future? Couple names that stand out to me. Vance Joseph, defensive coordinator in Denver. Chris Schula, the defensive coordinator um with the Rams. Jeff Hafley, defensive coordinator in Green Bay. Clint Kubak, offensive coordinator in Seattle, who’s done a really good job there. But a guy that I’d really like to see people talk to, especially teams who trying to figure out their quarterback situation or have young quarterbacks, Cliff Kingsbury, the offensive coordinator in Washington. You go back and you check his track record and you can look and see how many young quarterbacks he’s developed. Baker Mayfield took Baker Mayfield as a walk-on at Texas Tech and started him as a true freshman. And we saw what Baker went on to become. Really strong track record of developing quarterbacks. >> Yeah. and he has a good track record of also teaching quarterbacks how not to take hits, which is something that Jackson Dark continues to struggle with. I get it as a as a rookie, he’s trying to make plays, but that is not sustainable long term. So, in that vein, they need help along the offensive line. Uh left tackle Andrew Thomas when healthy is really good, but they have other needs, especially on the right side. Uh they also need help at wide receiver uh with people not named Malik Neighbors. Wondelle Robinson’s had a good season in hisstead. Uh but they’re going to need help to have a legit number two. Uh, and that certainly would make sense when you’re picking that high. Again, the name Arbell Reese is going to continue to come up if you’re picking in the top five. They have needs softball linebacker, defensive line, and in the secondary. And the other question, Ran, that that I’m curious about, especially if this thing continues to spiral over the final three weeks of the season. Is GM Joe Shane safe? And if he’s not, that requires a hiring process and sets the team back days or weeks even as they try to get into free agency and the draft and trying to trying to prepare for that. Yeah, for right now I think I think Joe Shane is safe. And I simply say that because if you go back and you look at just his draft classes that he’s had since he’s become GM, the draft classes have fielded 13 to 14 starters and they have some highlevel guys, some high level talent, and they seem to have hit this draft class out of the park, this most recent one, and got some really bonafide guys and did some unconventional things just in terms of trading back up to take a Jackson Dart. And now, you know, they probably had the most belief in him and have found their quarterback of the future. But I think Joe Shane should be safe and will lead the charge to find their next head coach. >> Yeah, but that’s a great point, Ryan, and an incredible analysis by you as well. Um, let’s get to a team who does have some potential to make a big splash and change this off season, and that is the Washington Commanders. Those fans hoping that uh Kingsbury though stays stays in DC. What has to be top of Adam Peters list though? >> You got to find that that pass rusher. I think the not having a pass rusher this year has really hurt this commander uh defense. They went out and they got Ivon Miller to bring Avon Miller in just to look and have some type of spark. If you know anything about a Dan Quinn defense, it is all about what they’re able to generate up front and that’s being able to create havoc and get after the quarterback and they have not been able to do that this year. So, I think wherever they end up falling in the draft order, their number one priority is going to be finding someone that can rush the passer. >> Absolutely. and and Kellrick Faulk feels like a Dan Quinn type of edge rusher. He’s incredibly raw, but the physical tools are off the chart. We’re going to be talking about Ruben Bane Jr. of course, TJ Parker out of Clemson, Quincy Rhodess out of Arkansas could be a day two possibility. Uh but the the needs are limit are endless and the the available talent is not going to be endless. There going to be some names they’re going to have to choose from, but also they have needs at quarterback. Uh they have needs in the secondary and again at the second level, Bobby Wagner’s not going to play forever. Uh and I think offensively it all comes down to this. You have to find ways to keep Jaden Daniels healthy. They do have some needs of wide receiver, maybe even tight end with Zack Herz having torn his ACL. I think he’s in the last year of his deal as well. They drafted Ben Sennet a few years ago. Uh made some plays yesterday, but hasn’t quite lived up to that second round expectation just yet. >> Well, when healthy, as you mentioned, the Commanders do know who their quarterback is, but the Saints are a team that is still unsure. Um is deciding if Tyler Shuck, you guys, as QB1 in New Orleans top priority right now? >> I think so. It has to be. Um, there was a lot of concern here when they took him at pick 40. Is he the guy? Can he be the leader of this team, the highest drafted quarterback that the Saints have taken since Archie Manning, however long ago that was. What we’ve seen out of Tyler Shuck, the more he’s played, the better he’s gotten, and he’s won some big games for them. And we know that head coach Kell Moore is a fantastic play caller and a guy that has a track record of being able to develop quarterbacks. and Tyler Shuck seems to be the next guy in line for that. But the New Orleans Saints have to sit there depending on how high they end up picking and they have to make the decision on is this the guy of the future. For the the majority of the fall, we had LSU quarterback uh Garrett Nusmire being mocked as the potential uh first round pick >> [music] >> uh for the New Orleans Saints. His father is the OC there. some some talent stuff in terms of him being mocked there and knowing that okay this is a good player but then the the family ties the understanding being from that community but I think Tyler Shuck is going to have the last word in that and I like the way he’s playing right now >> and the thing about Garrett Nusmire who has battled injuries this year but has not played well Spencer Rattler is probably a good comp for him they already have Spencer Rattler and we know what he can do uh has Tyler Shook out played Spencer Rattler yeah by huge margin no but here’s the difference and Rand you and I talked about this forever on the Uh, guess what? Kell Moore, that’s Tyler Shuck’s guy because he drafted him. Spencer Rattler was with the previous regime. He just showed up with the rest of his teammates when Kell got the job. So, that could also inform the decision about whether to roll with Tyler Shuck for one more year. Uh, he’s big, he’s strong, he’s got a big arm. We know that he can win with his legs. We saw him do that the last few weeks. And if you feel comfortable with him going forward and you feel better about him than say Dante Moore or Tai Simpson, then you go about building the rest of your roster. The offensive line is pretty good when it’s healthy. They’re going to have needs at running back at some point, wide receiver as well, but I would start on the defensive line, the edge rush position, and then work my way back uh linebacker and then the secondary, both safety and quarterback, and then worry about the offense. Uh especially if you’re sticking with Tyler Shuck in the later rounds. >> All right, you guys, let’s keep it rolling here. And woof, when I saw this next team on our rundown, and it started to make my head spin because I feel like for the past seven or eight years, we’ve been trying to fix this team, the Atlanta Falcons, uh but we have not found the answer. Yeah. My number one question is we we need to figure out what’s wrong. >> Yeah. >> Right. Because Ryan and I, we talked about it from the the day the draft ended, they arguably had the best draft class, and we’ve seen the production that they’ve gotten out of this draft class. This draft class as a whole has been an A+. They made moves. They went and got two pass rushers that they’re getting fruit from. And you also have a Pro Bowl wide receiver, a Pro Bowl running back, a Pro Bowl left tackle, a Pro Bowl corner. What’s wrong? Why haven’t Why hasn’t this produced wins and created put them in position to not only win that division but make some noise in the playoffs? We have to figure out what’s wrong there. >> Part of the issue of course is that Michael Pennock Jr. struggled with with health and he struggled with consistency prior to that. So they have to figure out if he’s their quarterback. I would imagine that he is. Kurt Cousins thinks going to have to sort itself out. Uh they still have needs at wide receiver because a lot of guys contracts going to be up over the next two years which is a wild thing to say because it feels like they consistently draft wide receivers. They also have needed edge rusher interior line. They have a ton of guys up at those positions, not named James Pierce and Jaylen Walker. They’re two first round draft picks as well. So, you continue to build the defense until you get it right and then you put some pieces around whoever the quarterback ends up being. Fingers crossed. Hopefully, Michael Finn Jr. can get back sooner rather than later and try to see what this looks like going forward. >> All right, let’s keep it rolling. Check in with the uh Cardinals now. What’s top priority right now for them? >> You got to figure out Kyler Murray’s contract situation and can we get out of that contract? What’s it going to look like if we make him a postjune one? Whether that’s a cut or a trade, the best ball that this Arizona Cardinals team has played has been with Jacobe Brassette at [music] quarterback. And I think that’s showing you that when you have a quarterback that plays on time, that the receivers know when they get to the top of the [music] route, the ball’s coming out and is coming out accurately and on time. All of these guys have gotten significantly better. Marvin Harrison Jr., >> [music] >> Michael Wilson. All these guys are playing better because Jacobe Brassette is playing on [music] time. And Kyler Murray, although he’s an elite athlete that can create plays with his legs, a lot of their offenses when he’s in there is predicated on him playing off schedule, which has thrown them off. So, you got to figure out what you’re going to do with Kyler Murray moving forward. >> Yeah. And it’s not a great commentary when Jacobe Brassette, no disrespect to him, is is your number one quarterback. And it may not even be close compared to the first overall pick from back in 2019. They need help along the offensive line. They drafted Paris Johnson Jr. a few years ago. He needs a book in at tackle. They could do that early in the draft. Interior offensive line needs help as well. Running back needs help as well. James Conor’s been banged up. Uh so they need Trey Benson’s been banged up as well, so they need some depth there. And even wide receiver, uh you talk about Michael Wilson who’s playing really well, has an awesome last name. Of course, Marvin Harrison Jr. has battled injuries and consistency over the first two years. But the crazy thing is if you get offensive line right, you get a running back on day three and you get a wide receiver who can make some plays, you can win games with Jacobe Brassette because they’ve drafted defensively. They just need to get those guys healthy and then you can actually be competitive in this division. I feel like >> let’s end here with the Vikings and their young promising quarterback JJ McCarthy despite how disappointing obviously this season was. Could the near future be bright? >> It can be. I if he continues to play the way he played last night and uh the past couple weeks actually. So, for me, the Minnesota Vikings have to create an offseason plan for JJ McCarthy. Now, the coaches will, but where I’m saying they can continue to grow is within guys in their front office. Uh, when I was in San Francisco, uh, myself and Adam Peters, we created a a program where we helped the maturation process of our young rookies or our first year players where we kept up with them throughout the offseason to help them create a plan. Yeah, if you remember last offseason, JJ McCarthy spent the entire offseason rehabbing. He was just trying to get healthy. Now he’ll really go into it having his first NFL offseason where he can focus on himself and the areas of his game where he needs to improve and that’s going to have to come in collaboration with the organization. >> Uh, hey Ran, what would you and Adam say in your little group there about someone who hits the gritty before they get to the goal line when they were told not to hit the gritty before they got to the goal line? [laughter] >> First of all, why do our group have to be little? Why it has to be our little group? little girl. >> Listen, as long having fun, as long as as long as it comes with a win, I’m here for it. Um my myself, I would have came and said, “I probably would have gave you a seven for your gritty.” >> Yeah. [laughter] >> You know, uh cuz I I do like judging people’s celebrations. But again, he he said it himself. He was just being a bad little kid. He he was told not to do it and it made him want to do it even more. You know what that feels like, right, Ryan? [laughter] >> And here’s the thing. When you play the way he plays, to your larger point, you can do those things. Uh look, they’re going to have needs a safety. Harrison Smith, I don’t think he play forever, even though he’s playing at a high level. They’re going to need wide receiver help. They have a lot of guys up for contracts, uh, not named. Uh, Justin Jefferson, and Jordan’s deal is going to be up after the 2026 season. And defensive line help, edge rushers. You can never have enough of those guys uh in that Brian Flores defense. But at the end of the day, you guys are exactly right. It starts and ends with JJ McCarthy’s ability to play on time. He looked great yesterday. Let’s see what the next three weeks look like and then then build off of that going into the offseason. >> Guys, great stuff. Let’s hope all the uh front office staff has been listening. They got the answers right here from our own Ryan Carthan and Ryan Wilson who you can hear more from on the with the [music] first pick podcast. All the draft predictions and analysis you could ever want. Scan that QR code and watch and listen wherever you get your

Ran Carthon and Ryan Wilson join CBS Sports HQ Spotlight to discuss how to fix these eliminated NFC teams.

[0:00:00] New York Giants
[0:03:23] Washington Commanders
[0:04:51] New Orleans Saints
[0:07:13] Atlanta Falcons
[0:08:23] Arizona Cardinals
[0:10:15] Minnesota Vikings

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