NFC North DEEP DIVE: breakouts, win totals & bold picks + Micah Parsons wants out?
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube
Who will win the NFC North? Yahoo Sports' Nate Tice, Matt Harmon and Charles McDonald preview the division, but first they discuss some news. Will Micah Parsons ever actually be traded way from the Dallas Cowboys? And should we be more concerned about Matthew Stafford's back injury? After that they break down the NFC North, starting with the Chicago Bears and new head coach Ben Johnson. Will Caleb Williams have a breakout season under new leadership? They move on to theorize about the future of the Detroit Lions, who will be playing under new offensive and defensive coordinators. Next, they discuss the Green Bay Packers. Will shaky play at cornerback be an issue this season? They finish the show up with the Minnesota Vikings. How will first-year starting QB J.J. McCarthy fare under the spotlight? Don't miss this packed and informative episode!
(3:40) - Micah Parsons requests a trade
(11:00) - Time to panic about Matthew Stafford's back?
(18:15) - Chicago Bears deep dive
(47:15) - Detroit Lions deep dive
(1:04:45) - Green Bay Packers deep dive
(1:20:35) - Minnesota Vikings deep dive
🖥️
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox Sports
2 minutes ago
- Fox Sports
Mishandling Of Micah Parsons Latest Case Of Jerry Jones Choosing Headlines Over Wins
National Football League Mishandling Of Micah Parsons Latest Case Of Jerry Jones Choosing Headlines Over Wins Updated Aug. 7, 2025 12:52 p.m. ET share facebook x reddit link OXNARD, Calif. — Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said it plainly when he was asked about his penchant for keeping his team front of mind for NFL fans 365 days of the year. "I was the first one to ever put a camera in our draft room," Jones said. "I've found that our fans like getting behind the scenes. … All of this is a part of sport. I've always believed that. And that's why in my 35 years I've always encouraged a lot more visibility, a lot more candor, a lot more of this regarding a lot of times very sensitive subjects. But all of it related to the Cowboys and sport and having some kind of interest. "Fun is not what's happening. What's happening is I'm enjoying the whole show. I don't know if I've worked a day in my life since I've bought the Cowboys." If only Jones were that relentless in building and sustaining a championship culture. You know the numbers: The Cowboys haven't played in a Super Bowl in 30 years and have won four playoff games over the last 20 years. Their NFC East division rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles, have won two Super Bowls over the last eight seasons under the direction of innovative GM Howie Roseman, and are a strong contender to win a third title this year. Jones seems more interested in generating headlines in a made-for-TV contract negotiation with star pass rusher Micah Parsons, who escalated the situation when he requested a trade last Friday. Later this month, Jones will be the star figure in a Netflix docuseries titled "America's Team: The Gambler and His Cowboys," chronicling his life during his tenure as Cowboys owner. ADVERTISEMENT While Jones is focused on getting more eyeballs on his product, the team the Cowboys scrimmaged against on Tuesday, the Los Angeles Rams, were more intent on improving their product on the field in the hopes of Sean McVay making his third Super Bowl appearance in his nine seasons. The Rams finished 22 yards from knocking out the Eagles in the division round this past season, reloading a talented group that's made the playoffs in each of the last two seasons. Defensively, the Cowboys had no answer for Rams running back Kyren Williams and the Los Angeles running game, along with struggling to keep up with receivers Davante Adams, Puka Nacua and Tutu Atwell. And on offense, even with the addition of a new running back in Javonte Williams through free agency and rookie draft pick Jaydon Blue, the Cowboys couldn't get anything going on the ground. "They were great hosts today," chirped an always-energetic Rams head coach Sean McVay at the start of his press conference at the joint practice. Jones and the Cowboys were hospitable hosts, making the Rams feel very comfortable on their training camp stomping rounds in Oxnard. Yes, receivers KaVontae Turpin, CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens created some highlights with Dak Prescott in the passing game for the Cowboys, but those successes were few and far between. New head coach Brian Schottenheimer, who is also calling plays for the first time in four years, emphasized the Cowboys were vanilla in terms of scheme, but also acknowledged his team has a ways to go. "Quite honestly, they gave us some fits," Shottenheimer said. "We had some communication errors. The run game wasn't great on offense. Some of the run-through linebackers, we've got to do a better job against that. But we got a bunch of work against a bunch of different looks. We'll go watch the film in a little bit, and usually it's not as bad or as good." Look, the Cowboys are missing one of the best players in the NFL two weeks into training camp – someone Jones said could miss the team's season opener against the Eagles because of a contract stalemate partly created by Jones, who believes Parsons should be on the field honoring the final deal of his rookie contract. "I bought the Dallas Cowboys with a handshake," Jones said when asked about a handshake deal he believed he had with Parsons in March. "It took about 30 seconds. I gave the number, shook hands, the details we worked out later. As a matter of fact, one of the details involved a lot of money and I had to flip a coin over that. But the fundamental, 'I'm buying and you're gonna sell it to me for that range,' that's done. And those are done with eye contact and a handshake. "Just so you understand the way that I communicate with people that I negotiate with. Let's leave it at that. There's no question that in the case of a player contract, you have to have it in writing. All parties do. We have a contract in writing, yet we're still talking about renegotiating." Jerry Jones and Micah Parsons' relationship hasn't been too friendly as of late, with the star edge rusher requesting a trade as the two sides have struggled to come to terms on a longterm deal. (Photo by) The Cowboys need all the help they can get, as they are led by a rookie coach who most NFL observers question whether he's qualified for the job, fair or not. Jones has the highest-paid quarterback in the league, but has failed to surround him with a legitimate running back, even when one was available last year and wanted to play for him in Derrick Henry. After passing on signing a top-flight receiver in free agency, Jones finally made a move for a difference maker in trading for Pickens, but the Cowboys still have holes along the offensive and defensive lines, and do not appear to have the roster makeup capable of competing against the likes of the Washington Commanders and Eagles. However, across the field from them on Tuesday stood a team that quietly got better in the offseason and avoided any self-inflicted headaches. They re-signed Matthew Stafford and recently extended Williams. They brought in a big-time playmaker in Adams and improved their run defense with the addition of defensive tackle Poona Ford. Jones is haggling with Parsons over a principled contract stance and chasing eyeballs with a historical team documentary while teams like the Rams are building a roster that can legitimately win a Super Bowl. Jones, 82, understands he's closer to the end than the beginning of his football legacy. He says he's all in, and if that's the case, signing one of his team's best players to a deal that keeps him on the team for the foreseeable future and eliminates a distraction for a new coach should at the top of the priority list, not creating a side show for a fan base pining for the salad days of the 1990s, when the rest of the league feared "America's Team." Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on X at @eric_d_williams. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account , and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! share
Yahoo
31 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Fantasy Football Mock Draft, No. 3 Pick: Full list of picks, analysis and key takeaways
Welcome to the third installment of my 12-part mock draft series, where I'm drafting from every spot — 1 through 12 — in a standard 12-team Yahoo league to break down how draft strategies evolve based on pick position. As always, I used the Yahoo Fantasy Instant Mock Draft tool and drafted solo. The format is half-PPR, with the following roster construction: QB, 2 RBs, 2 WRs, TE, FLEX, K, D/ST, and six bench spots. In this edition, I drafted from the No. 3 overall slot and entered with the intention of building off Scott Pianowski's strategy that emphasizes targeting stars from six high-powered NFL offenses. After trying both a WR-heavy build (Pick 1.01) and an RB-centric strategy (Pick 1.02), I wanted to see what would happen if I balanced both early. I took some reaches, but remember, it's part of the process of feeling out the board. [Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season] Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Pick No. 3 Full Roster QB: Dak Prescott (DAL)RB: Chase Brown (CIN)RB: Tony Pollard (TEN)WR: Ja'Marr Chase (CIN)WR: Ladd McConkey (LAC)TE: Kyle Pitts Sr. (ATL)FLEX: Kenneth Walker III (SEA)K: Harrison Butker (KC)D/ST: Baltimore RavensBench: WR Tetairoa McMillan (CAR)Bench: WR Zay Flowers (BAL)Bench: RB Jordan Mason (MIN)Bench: WR Cooper Kupp (SEA)Bench: RB Tank Bigsby (JAX)Bench: QB Anthony Richardson Sr. (IND) Rounds 1–3: All-in on the Bengals 1.03 – Ja'Marr Chase (CIN – WR)2.10 – Chase Brown (CIN – RB)3.03 – Ladd McConkey (LAC – WR) Roster assessment following Round 3 If Chase is available beyond the first pick, I'm taking him. Zero hesitation grabbing a high-volume WR tethered to Joe Burrow and the Bengals offense, one I wanted major exposure to, and I doubled down in Round 2 with Chase Brown. When Round 3 came around, Malik Nabers and Drake London were both on the board, but I pivoted to Ladd McConkey — also something I wouldn't do in a real draft. Still, I'm sticking to the script and the Chargers are one of the six teams to target, per Scott Pianowski. [Subscribe to Yahoo Fantasy Plus and unlock Instant Mock Drafts today] Rounds 4–6: Build depth at RB 4.10 – Tony Pollard (TEN – RB)5.03 – Kenneth Walker III (SEA – RB)6.10 – Tetairoa McMillan (CAR – WR) Roster assessment following Round 6 As positional runs on WR and TE started forming, I leaned into value and team fit by grabbing Tony Pollard in Round 4. I like volume and Pollard was ninth in the NFL in touches last season. My Kenneth Walker III exposure can't be denied, as he's been a staple of securing a deep backfield. Even with Zach Charbonnet behind him, Walker remains Seattle's top option and explosive playmaker. To complement the RB stack, I took a risk on rookie Tet McMillan in Round 6 — a lesser-known commodity relative to other vets going in this range. He could become Bryce Young's go-to target and could evolve into a WR2/3 with upside. Rounds 7–10: Positional Balance and QB/TE Investment 7.03 – Zay Flowers (BAL – WR)8.10 – Dak Prescott (DAL – QB)9.03 – Kyle Pitts Sr. (ATL – TE)10.10 – Jordan Mason (MIN – RB) Roster assessment following Round 10 Surprise, I got Zay Flowers. With three solid RBs already locked in, I used the next two rounds to fill out my QB and TE spots. Welcome, Dak. The Cowboys made Scott's list, so getting Prescott at this spot is timely. I don't mind getting him in the eighth round since he's due for a bounce-back campaign. I'm lukewarm on Kyle Pitts Sr. However, Darnell Mooney is hurt and the early camp buzz is that Pitts and Michael Penix Jr. are vibing. I understand if he's dead to you, but he's talented and comes at an affordable price. Finally, I picked up one of my favorite backups in Jordan Mason. Rounds 11–15: Value mixed with fliers 11.03 – Cooper Kupp (SEA – WR)12.10 – Tank Bigsby (JAX – RB)13.03 – Baltimore (BAL – DEF)14.10 – Harrison Butker (KC – K)15.03 – Anthony Richardson Sr. (IND – QB) Roster assessment following Round 15 Even if Kupp is somewhat washed, the cost is cheap. Despite the injuries, Kupp still averaged 11 FPPG last year — not bad for a bench piece. Tank Bigsby gave me more RB insurance with touchdown potential and upside if Travis Etienne Jr. falls flat. Lastly, I grabbed Anthony Richardson Sr. in Round 15, a dual-threat quarterback who could explode if he stays healthy. Worst case, I drop him. Best case, he or Dak become tradeable assets to a squad struggling with stability at QB. Key Takeaways I was deliberate about building around six offenses — Bengals, Chargers, Titans, Cowboys, Cardinals and Dolphins. I drafted players from four of those teams, shaping this roster into one of my most balanced so far. I've noticed that at least six or seven RBs are continually getting drafted in the first round. That RB scarcity can get real, so I've made a note to grab at least one in my first three picks. I waited on QB and I got in at the right time because eight QBs were selected across Round 8 and 9 (I got Dak at the end of the 8th round). One of these times, I'll commit to a TE earlier because the pool beyond Round 8 is rough. That's an area I need to work on going forward. My wideouts are ok, not great but more than manageable given my depth at other positions.
Yahoo
31 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Notre Dame transfer wide receiver Malachi Fields named to Biletnikoff Award watch list
Add another preseason accolade to the list for Notre Dame football players ahead of the upcoming season. Virginia transfer wide receiver Malachi Fields is one of 47 preseason watch list members for the 2025 Biletnikoff Award, which is given to college football's best receiver regardless of position. The senior arrived in South Bend via the Cavaliers, where he ranked tied for seventh in the nation among all FBS players in consecutive games with a reception (27). He has played in 36 career games, recording 129 catches for 1,849 yards and 11 touchdowns. Fields had a couple of standout performances in 2024, including career highs of 11 receptions and 148 yards at Wake Forest; scoring twice on four receptions and 65 yards at Coastal Carolina; and scoring the go-ahead touchdown in a four-catch, 63-yard performance at Boston College. Notre Dame has had one prior winner of the Biletnikoff Award: Wide receiver Golden Tate in 2009. Fighting Irish wide receivers Jeff Samardzija (2005-06) and Michael Floyd (2010-11) were also finalists for the award. Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes and opinions. Follow Dave on X: Miller_Dave This article originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire: Notre Dame's Malachi Fields earns spot on Biletnikoff Award watch list
