#31 - Jets fire Mike Maccagnan, Top 5 Belichick Defense Performances, & The Myth of QB Mentoring

#29 - What Makes Me Cry, The Top 5 Route Runners & Phil Simms on Reggie White: Ahmed is back to talk football (and cricket?) with Chris. We react to the news and timing of Ziggy Ansah signing with the Seahawks (3:28). Simms reveals the sporting event (and movie) that makes him cry every time (6:18). Then the fans take control, as we dive into another Ask Me Anything mailbag. Why is Chris down on Jared Goff and the Rams (9:39)? Who are the Top 5 route runners in the NFL (17:14)? After Simms brags that he's never uncomfortable, a question makes him uncomfortable (21:31). Then Big Phil joins us to talk about the dumbest great QB of all-time (27:26), the two sophomore QBs poised to take a big step forward (34:40), and what the perfect pass rusher looks like (47:52). by Chris Simms Unbuttoned

69 min listen

#11 - Edge Rusher Draft Power Ranks, Iowa Head Coach Kirk Ferentz & Big Phil on L.T.: Wednesday means another Unbuttoned episode chock-full of NFL Draft goodness. Chris & Paul Burmeister first weigh in with some reservations about the NFL's new replay rules (3:00). Then, Iowa Head Coach Kirk Ferentz tells us what makes TEs T.J. Hockenson and Noah Fant both worthy of 1st round picks (12:10). Chris has seen your David Montgomery tweets and defends why the RB didn't make his Top 5 rankings last week (28:10). He then takes us through his Top 7 of a stacked Edge Rusher class, including four that could be Top 10 overall picks (32:56). Today's magic word: "bendability." Finally, Big Phil calls in to reminisce about Lawrence Taylor and whether the Cardinals should take a pass rusher over Kyler Murray (1:06:20). by Chris Simms Unbuttoned

97 min listen

#20 - Mock Draft with Rotoworld's Josh Norris & Thor Nystrom: It's a mock draft megapod as Chris and Paul combine forces with Rotoworld's Josh Norris & Thor Nystrom. Will the Giants finally get a QB? Which wide receiver will be drafted first? And which of the top QBs falls out of Round 1 entirely? Plenty of surprises as we go pick-by-pick through Round 1 and predict who every team will take. by Chris Simms Unbuttoned

102 min listen

#17 - DT Draft Power Rankings, QB debates with PFF Analyst Steve Palazzolo, & Big Phil on Russell Wilson trade rumors: Chris and Paul dissect the latest Draft QB rumors (2:19). Could Dwayne Haskins drop out of the first round? And what would we trade for Josh Rosen? They then invite Pro Football Focus Analyst Steve Palazzolo on to discuss QBs and Drew Lock vs Will Grier (15:40). Then Chris reveals his Draft Power Rankings from a stacked DT group (39:51), including the Top 10 talent who "everybody is missing out on." Finally, Big Phil comes on to talk Russell Wilson trade rumors and play detective with Eli Manning extension talks (1:11:07). by Chris Simms Unbuttoned

95 min listen

#22 - Robin Hood: Draft Edition, Ask Me Anything, & Kentucky prospect Josh Allen: With Draft Week upon us, Simms puts on his Robin Hood hat, and doles out praise for a handful of draft prospects who should be getting more attention (5:05). Then Simms & Liam McHugh answer questions from the loyal listeners in a Draft Themed 'Ask Me Anything' (25:45). Simms also has an extended conversation with Kentucky edge rush prospect Josh Allen about his zodiac sign, why he plays with a chip on his shoulder, not wanting to be "butt hurt" on Draft night, and never having to fill up a tank of gas in New Jersey (1:06:00). Finally, Captain Planet makes an appearance on Earth Day (1:28:20). by Chris Simms Unbuttoned

95 min listen

#14 - Advice for surviving Jon Gruden, CB Draft Power Ranks, & Edge Rusher Reshuffle: Chris Simms & Paul Burmeister get back to the Draft on today's podcast. With the Raiders working out Kyler Murray, Simms has some sage advice for Derek Carr on how to survive as a QB under Jon Gruden (3:00). Why the tape on Quinnen Williams reminds Simms of Aaron Donald (11:55). After some deeper thought, we have a change in last week's Edge Rusher ranks, and the guys respond to critiques from the homies (16:25). It's time to reveal the CB Draft Power Ranks, including a Josh Norman clone, and a guy Simms has much higher than the consensus (30:25). by Chris Simms Unbuttoned

64 min listen

#38 - Top 3 Arms in the NFL and Top 40 QB Countdown continues (#27-23): It’s all starting QBs from here on out for the Simms Top 40 QB Countdown. Chris and Paul reveal five more names, including a Super Bowl MVP, two veterans in a prove-it year with new head coaches, and two young passers who might soon be “pillow-worthy” for Chris’ couch. -Paul recaps his exclusive (!) interview with Bill Belichick (1:04) -What made Jameis Winston “one of the hardest QBs to rank” for Chris? (9:48) -What separates Andy Dalton from Jared Goff? (18:04) -After some bad seasons, what is still #elite about Joe Flacco? (26:05) -What part of Kyler Murray's game is already at Rodgers-Mahomes level? (34:59) -How high did Chris put man crush Josh Allen? 44:04) -What are the Top 3 strongest arms in the NFL? (54:27) by Chris Simms Unbuttoned

60 min listen

#24 - NFL Draft 1st Round Recap: Chris and Paul recap a fun NFL Draft party with the homies as we watched one of the wildest 1st rounds in recent memory. Now that the Cardinals took Kyler Murray, can they really keep Josh Rosen? (3:57) Is there some logic to Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden's shocking pick of Clelin Ferrell 4th overall? (20:35) Why are Giants fans already booing Daniel Jones? (30:40) Why did Jawaan Taylor fall out of Round 1? (50:39) And what are the names to watch for early in Round 2? (59:15) by Chris Simms Unbuttoned

65 min listen

#16 - Busting Draft Narratives, FSU Prospect Brian Burns, & which College had the Best Year?: With just over 2 weeks to the Draft, Chris Simms & Paul Burmeister debunk or confirm 10 popular Draft narratives (3:23). Is Kyler Murray worth the 1st overall pick? Is Daniel Jones worth a 1st rounder at all? Florida State edge rusher Brian Burns tells us about the food he's been eating to gain weight, and which movie he's seeing as soon as the Draft is over (39:30). Then the guys recap the weekend, including whether any school has had a better year than Texas Tech (53:35) and Antonio Brown's latest social media misstep (59:30). by Chris Simms Unbuttoned

67 min listen

#23 - Final Mock Draft, plus Houston DL Ed Oliver & LSU LB Devin White: Chris Simms & Paul Burmeister break down the big Chiefs/Seahawks trade that sent Frank Clark to Kansas City (3:30). Then Simms unveils his final mock draft on the eve of the big day (8:00). The Giants go QB, but not the one everyone expects; Dwayne Haskins makes an early appearance, and there's a late run on Clemson defenders. Plus, a couple Robin Hood appearances near the end of the 1st round. Then Ed Oliver joins Simms to chat about comparisons to Aaron Donald, where he wants to be drafted, and his weight room prowess (52:45). Simms also chats with LSU LB Devin White on his Mt Rushmore of middle LBs, the most famous LSU alum, and his surprising choice for toughest college opponent (1:03:40) by Chris Simms Unbuttoned

88 min listen

#19 - Tigers Woods QB meetings & NFL Draft prop bets: Chris & Liam recap a big sports weekend. Would (and should) the Seahawks be willing to move on from Russell Wilson (9:30)? With 10 days to go until the NFL Draft, prop bets are making the rounds and Chris gives his picks for what he'd put his money on (24:28). Will Dwayne Haskins fall out of the Top 10? How many Alabama players will go in Round 1? And with Tiger back on top, Chris reminisces about the time Woods came to Bucs training camp (32:45). by Chris Simms Unbuttoned

55 min listen

#71 - Week 4 Picks: Mahomes in a dome, Danny Dimes at home, and Best Bets: Simms & Florio do their weekly picks in an Unbuttoned/PFT PM collaboration. Can the Lions pull off the upset in Patrick Mahomes' first NFL game in a dome? Will Danny Dimes drop an L on the Redskins? And as always, the guys give their 3 Best Bets of the week. (3:40) TNF: Eagles-Packers "Carson Wentz is the best QB the Packers have seen all year" (9:30) Panthers-Texans "This is a chance for Houston to pull away in the AFC South" (13:40) Browns-Ravens "I want to see how Freddie Kitchens handles adversity" (19:55) Chiefs-Lions "If the Lions pull this off, it would be a shot heard 'around the NFL world" (24:40) Chargers-Dolphins "I don't bet on bad teams" (28:45) Patriots-Bills "Every we think this is the year the Bills stick it to the Patriots" (36:00) Raiders-Colts "I think this Colts offense has gotten better every week" (39:55) Titans-Falcons "The Titans always play to their competition" (44:45) Redskins by Chris Simms Unbuttoned

92 min listen

#21 - NFL Schedule reactions, Missouri QB Drew Lock, and Big Phil's QB Draft ranks: The 2019 NFL schedule is out, and Chris and Ahmed react to the juiciest matchups and break down the teams with the easiest and toughest starts to their season (2:54). Then Simms talks to Drew Lock about his night out with Saquon Barkley and how he close he came to being on a Final Four team (22:33). Finally, Big Phil calls in to reveal his Top 5 QBs in the Draft, including a defense of Daniel Jones (47:00). by Chris Simms Unbuttoned

80 min listen

#12 - Top 50 Draft Debate, NFL/MLB Prop Bets, & Dolphins coach Brian Flores: Chris Simms & Ahmed Fareed are joined by Rotoworld's Josh Norris to debate his Top 50 draft prospects and there are plenty of disagreements. Josh hypes up Hakeem Butler and Chris reenacts his experience with the Patriots war room (5:20). Then Chris settles an old debt with Dolphins coach Brian Flores as they tell old stories about Belichick, Gronk, and their time as low-level coaches in New England (47:40). We recap a big upset in the Sweet 16 of the Simms Madness bracket (1:04:00). Finally, on Opening Day, we run through some MLB-NFL themed prop bets and ask whether Chris’ Derek Jeter story included a gift basket (1:14:30). by Chris Simms Unbuttoned

86 min listen

#48 - Steph Curry, Charles Barkley, & David Wells: Simms walks the course with Steph Curry, Charley Barkley, & David Wells for some rollicking conversations about the state of the NBA, dealing with teammates defections in free agency, and wild locker room stories. -Steph Curry on Kevin Durant's free agency decision, why the Warriors can be loved again, when he knew he was a great shooter, and the best teammate prank (2:10) -Charles Barkley on the best lesson he learned about dealing with criticism, his popularity now vs the Dream Team era, the favorites in NBA after free agency, why all the player movement could be a bad thing, and changes he'd make to football if he were commissioner for a day (16:25) -David Wells riffs on his old Yankee teams of the late 90s, partying in New York City with Simms, and why he flipped from being a Chargers fan to rooting for the Redskins (27:50) by Chris Simms Unbuttoned

37 min listen

#18 - 'Ask Me Anything' Mailbag: Chris & Ahmed do a full-on mailbag episode, with questions from loyal listeners like @ABusyDad and @FourToeSteve (meet Zero Spleen Chris). Which defensive players would call out plays before they even happened (4:20)? One of the homies has a brilliant idea to use Saquon Barkley at a different position (19:15). Why did Chris get fined for his favorite NFL play (28:38)? What happened to The Hulk in the last Avengers movie? Who killed JFK (32:30)? What would it take to trade for Russell Wilson (36:30)? And which young offensive coach is a better playcaller than Sean McVay (1:13:30)? All this and more on a meandering journey into the mind of Chris Simms. by Chris Simms Unbuttoned

79 min listen

#15 - Packers drama, Michigan prospect Rashan Gary, & Who deserves a lifetime contract?: Chris Simms & Liam McHugh react to the explosive BR story about Mike McCarthy, Aaron Rodgers, and the Packers dysfunction (1:00). Top prospect Rashan Gary calls in to chat about the quirks of playing for Jim Harbaugh at Michigan, the first thing he'll buy once he's drafted, and why he wants a piece of Tom Brady (19:45). Chris & Liam then get you ready for the weekend with a few burning questions: is there anything worse than people telling you about your bracket? (yes); and who would you give a lifetime contract to? (37:10) by Chris Simms Unbuttoned

56 min listen

#34 - Simms Top 40 QB Countdown begins & Big Phil on Bart Starr: Homies and haters get ready, the day is here. Chris and Ahmed kick off the Simms Top 40 QB Countdown with numbers 40 to 37. Did former #70 QB Blake Bortles make the cut (6:12)? Then the first four includes a 2018 starter turned 2019 backup (7:33), two Redskins QBs (14:09 & 20:55), and a rookie who Simms thought was the second-best in this year's draft (28:15). Then after a vacation of dodging the sun in Barbados, Big Phil Simms makes his triumphant return to the podcast to talk about Bart Starr's legacy (37:05) and tell a story about losing to one of his idols (47:01). by Chris Simms Unbuttoned

60 min listen

#32 - No Spleen Zone: Gerald McCoy vs Ndamukong Suh, Big Ben vs Antonio Brown, & Eli Manning vs Daniel Jones: For the first time ever, we venture into the No Spleen Zone, where Chris & Ahmed call BS on some of the NFL's biggest storylines. But first they get into some of the latest news. After getting cut by the Buccaneers, where does Gerald McCoy land next (7:39)? Is McCoy a better free agent than Ndamukong Suh (11:53)? What do we make of Ezekiel Elliott being handcuffed at a concert (16:05)? Should Peyton Manning want to be the Jets GM (21:13)? Chris dials up his BS meter on narratives like: Adam Gase made a power play in New YorK (25:00), a PED suspension doesn't hurt Patrick Peterson's character (31:00), Big Ben is "sorry" for calling out Antonio Brown last season (39:45), and Daniel Jones could start over Eli Manning in Week 1 (48:06). by Chris Simms Unbuttoned

58 min listen

#27 - 2016 Draft Re-Do, 2020 Draft QBs & A.J. Green: Chris & Liam come in hot with a rant on "unwritten rules" before getting into the NFL talk . The deadline for 5th-year options is here, so we do a 2016 Draft Do-Over (6:41). Would Chris still take Jared Goff over Carson Wentz? And where does Dak Prescott fit in the QB hierarchy? Odds for the 2020 Draft 1st overall pick are out and Chris weighs in on what he thinks of next year's QB class (27:00). Who of Tua Tagovailoa, Jake Fromm & Justin Herbert should go #1, and who is not even a 1st round prospect? A.J. Green then joins to talk about his new head coach and the perfect hot dog topping (43:09). Finally, we weigh in on Bills Mafia tailgates (59:05) and whether we would rather hang out with Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers at the Kentucky Derby (1:04:05). by Chris Simms Unbuttoned

70 min listen

#40 - Best All-Time Rookie QB Seasons, "Big Willie Grand" & Top 40 QB Countdown (#18-15): The next four QBs in the Top 40 Countdown take Chris and Paul to a land of risque nicknames and dopplegangers. Watch this episode at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTta0WYSxWI -Are tampering charges the start of Nick Caserio leaving the Patriots for the Texans? (3:41) -With Daniel Jones and Eli Manning now in an open competition, what has Chris heard from inside the Giants facility? (8:58) -After hearing from Rams fans, Simms defends why he has Jared Goff as the 19th-best QB in the league (16:45) -What changed about Derek Carr's game in the last 2 seasons? (26:00) -What's stopping Chris from naming Baker Mayfield a Top 10 QB? (34:30) -Chris gives his Top 5 Rookie QB Seasons of all-time (39:45) -Paul introduces his alias, "Big Willie Grand" (45:16) -We go through a slideshow of lookalikes for QB #16 (46:42) -Chris debunks the myth of Primetime Kirk Cousins (55:15) -Is Chris more optimi by Chris Simms Unbuttoned

68 min listen

#44 - Top 40 QB Countdown Concludes: Rodgers vs Mahomes: It's the final countdown...With just Patrick Mahomes & Aaron Rodgers left, who takes the top spot in the Simms Top 40 QB Countdown? Then, Chris and Paul tie a bow on the full list. -After 50 TDs last year, how can Patrick Mahomes get to 60? (8:10) -What makes the Andy Reid offense different? (16:10) -Why will Aaron Rodgers have a bounceback season? (22:49) -How Chris almost swapped his Top 2 (36:35) -Chris' biggest QB Countdown regret (39:00) -Which two QBs does Chris hope he's wrong about? (41:40) -Simms and Florio sing the classics (49:11) by Chris Simms Unbuttoned

52 min listen

#46 - Sean Payton, Doug Pederson & Kyle Rudolph: Chris is hanging out with celebs in Lake Tahoe at the American Century Celebrity Golf Championship and asks a few NFL'ers for "Anonymous Locker Room Stories." -Saints coach Sean Payton on trolling Ohio State in team meetings (0:45) -Eagles coach Doug Pederson tells his best Brett Favre stories (5:40) -Vikings TE Kyle Rudolph names his NFL Space Jam team (11:20) by Chris Simms Unbuttoned

21 min listen

#13 - Over/Under win totals, April Fools pranks, sorting through Giants rumors, & Tom Brady joins Twitter: It's April Fools' Day, and Chris Simms & Liam McHugh share stories of their favorite pranks (3:30). Another day, another Giants rumor. We sort through what stories to trust when it comes to the G-Men, and where Josh Rosen would rank among this year's crop of QBs (7:55). Vegas has released Over/Under win totals for 2019, and the guys rip through the 8 teams with new head coaches, including a surprising 'Over' and an even more shocking Simms proclamation of an offense that could crack the Top 10 (25:05). Weekend winners & losers includes Duke, cherry trees, bears, and Buffalo (52:15). Finally, Tom Brady has joined Twitter and comes in hot with an April Fools' gag of his own. by Chris Simms Unbuttoned

62 min listen

#25 - NFL Draft Breakdown: Burning Questions, Gold-Silver-Bronze, & Walk of Shame: With the NFL Draft complete, Chris Simms & Paul Burmeister break it all down. The Giants are in spin zone, but there are plenty of reasons why people should cut Daniel Jones some slack (3:35). After the Josh Rosen trade to Miami, the AFC East has become 3 Baby's and a Goat (15:00). John Elway has found his man, Joe Flacco has deja vu, and Drew Lock has a chance to become something big in Denver (24:45). Rapid fire QB thoughts after the Big 4, including the late-round pick that has a chance to supplant a long-time starter (30:35). Simms then answers some burning questions: Should Aaron Rodgers be ticked off? Will one GM be gone after getting universal praise for his top pick? Which GMs are you buying a round for? Which team deserves a walk of shame? And why Jimmy G should be a happy guy (36:35). We wrap things up by handing out awards - who gets the Gold-Silver-Bronze for the entire draft? (58:50) by Chris Simms Unbuttoned

70 min listen

#31 - Jets fire Mike Maccagnan, Top 5 Belichick Defense Performances, & The Myth of QB Mentoring: Many are laughing at the Jets for firing GM Mike Maccagnan after a big offseason, but Chris and Paul explain why the reasoning and timing of the move makes sense (4:01). With reports that Bill Belichick will take defensive coordinator duties for this season, Chris looks back on his time in New England to explain what makes the Patriots coaching staff different from all other teams (18:20). Then he gives his Top 5 Belichick Defense Performances of all-time (29:55). Finally, Simms and Paul defend Joe Flacco's comments on Drew Lock and debunk the myth of QB mentoring (42:07). by Chris Simms Unbuttoned

56 min listen

#33 - AMA: Throwing with POTUS, Ricky Williams' HOF case, and "I had to go number two": We dive back into your questions today with another Ask Me Anything. Chris and Liam both describe the times they've been starstruck, including the most nervous game of catch of Simms' life (4:33). Fresh off his trip to Buffalo, Chris explains how Josh Allen is improving his accuracy (10:57). Where is the best landing spot for Gerald McCoy (15:45)? Could Ricky Williams have been a Hall of Famer (18:37)? What does Chris think about the NFL's changing attitude towards marijuana (21:11) and the Oklahoma drill (27:13)? Is Derek Carr overconfident or overcompensating (29:53)? Other than JuJu Smith-Schuster, what young receivers need to step up this season (39:23)? Which of Simms' teammates had the worst excuses for being late to meetings (44:08)? What is the bar for Freddie Kitchens and the Browns this season (49:30)? And who are the best pests in the NFL (55:39)? by Chris Simms Unbuttoned

60 min listen

#52 - Baker's leadership, concern for Luck, & Fantasy draft advice with Rotoworld: August is all about fantasy football, and Chris and Paulie B. have Rotoworld expert Josh Norris on set to deal out draft advice. Who are this year's Patrick Mahomes & Alvin Kamara? But first, we dive into some reality...should the Cowboys prioritize Dak's contract over Zeke's? And what do we think of Baker Mayfield yelling at his receivers? -(4:30) Chris gives inside info on the Trent Williams trade rumors -(7:20) Which contract should the Cowboys prioritize: Dak Prescott or Ezekiell Elliott? -(15:50) Storytime: when holdouts get ugly -(21:35) Breaking down Baker Mayfield's leadership style -(26:00) The best leader Simms ever played with -(30:05) Is Andrew Luck's latest injury cause for concern? -(44:10) Chris gripes about fantasy football -(46:45) Is Kyler Murray a Top 10 fantasy QB? -(52:05) Is Lamar Jackson a steal at QB15? -(58:50) Should you draft Saquon Barkley or Ezekiel Elliott 1st over by Chris Simms Unbuttoned

86 min listen

#30 - Top 10 CBs, Rookie QB Competitions & Aaron Rodgers on Game of Thrones: It's a joint episode of Unbuttoned & PFT PM with Mike Florio in-house. Chris explains why the start of rookie minicamps are the most nervous day for NFL GMs (3:26). How will the QB competitions shake out for Kyler Murray (9:45), Dwayne Haskins (12:25), and Drew Lock (17:58)? Chris tells stories about rising and falling up Jon Gruden's depth chart (20:12). Florio and Simms wonder how Quinnen Williams being starstruck (22:02) or Devin Bush being vocal (29:31) will go over in the locker room. CB Xavien Howard has a big new contract from the Dolphins; Mike debunks why it's not the record deal everyone is reporting (34:04) and Chris reveals where Howard ranks in his Top 10 CBs (41:16). Finally, the guys give some parting thoughts on Aaron Rodgers' Game of Thrones cameo (51:19) and who ruined basketball for Chris (55:06). by Chris Simms Unbuttoned

61 min listen

#36 - Bills QB Josh Allen: Simms spends some time with Bills QB Josh Allen to talk about the nuances of being a QB (2:50); concerns about his accuracy in college (6:10); his dust-up with Jalen Ramsey (19;15); LeSean McCoy spoiling The Avengers (33:15); a game of Josh Allen or Josh Allen with Josh Allen (37:41); and his reaction to Patrick Mahomes saying he could throw 100 yds (42:00). by Chris Simms Unbuttoned

49 min listen

Discover this podcast and so much more

#31 - Jets fire Mike Maccagnan, Top 5 Belichick Defense Performances, & The Myth of QB Mentoring

#31 - Jets fire Mike Maccagnan, Top 5 Belichick Defense Performances, & The Myth of QB Mentoring

Description

Titles in the series (100)

More Episodes from Chris Simms Unbuttoned

Related podcast episodes