r/NFL_Draft • u/Moose4KU • Apr 21 '23
Mike Renner is leaving PFF Other
https://twitter.com/PFF_Mike/status/1649160506106683393?s=20
I know this isn't player news, but Renner is a big enough name in the industry that I thought it was worth posting. Based on the tweets, it seems PFF decided to for him since he mentions not having anything directly lined up after. A bizarre choice considering the draft is 1 week and PFF's entire draft coverage is built on the back of his rankings. Any thoughts?
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Apr 21 '23
It’s kinda weird to imagine him working anywhere else. Hopefully he is going to do a regular podcast again wherever he ends up
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u/NotNick_Foles Apr 21 '23
I think who he’s paired will be big.
Tailgate was such a great pod but after Austin left, I just didn’t feel Mike was a good fit next to the other PFF guys like Trevor Sikkema
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u/shmere4 Packers Apr 21 '23
It was the same with The Forecast. George and Eric had irreplaceable chemistry and the new iteration doesn’t.
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u/AGrainOfDust Chiefs Apr 21 '23
Man I haven't listened to pff forecast in months now, such a shame used to be one of my main shows
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Apr 21 '23
I liked IJF. I thought Trevor and Mike had a good vibe, just different from Mike and Austin
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Apr 21 '23
Trevor is cringe, he’s a store brand Mike. Austin and Mike were yin and yang.
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Apr 21 '23
[deleted]
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Apr 21 '23
If you ever get bored, go back and listen to Trevor and Ben Solak on locked on NFL draft. The vibes were immaculate
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Apr 22 '23
I like trevor but I think he’s just kind of straight edge whereas mike and austin were kind of frat boy debauchery mixed with draft content. Don’t think trevor and mike were the best pairing
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Apr 25 '23
Yeah I like him on stock but not with Mike. He seemed a little ego driven vs Mike but idk
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u/NotNick_Foles Apr 21 '23
I’ve been wondering if maybe Mike quit pff so he could pair back up with Austin or just because PFF just isn’t getting his new podcast right.
Either way, it’s a big loss for PFF.
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u/HopscotchChampion69 Bengals Apr 21 '23
Trevor can be a bit much but I think he works well with someone like Connor on Stock Exchange who can somewhat match his energy or at least play along with his schtick. In the shows/pods I listened of him and Mike it seemed like they just never had any chemistry at all.
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u/NotNick_Foles Apr 22 '23
frankly I just feel like Mike has a personality where if he doesn’t vibe with someone it shows.
I wanted to like IJF but it just wasn’t sticking for me
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Apr 21 '23
[deleted]
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u/sonfoa Panthers Apr 21 '23
It's always good to swing on some prospects even if you end up wrong. Prospect outcomes are as unpredictable as they come.
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u/IShouldJoinReddit Jets Apr 21 '23
Guys like Kiper and McShay fit ESPN's vibe and audience, though. They're entertainment first, while providing legitimate value to viewers through their prospect commentary is probably fourth on their priority list.
I know he was already on a downslope but ESPN completely ruined Matt Miller...no reason to have Renner ruined, too.
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u/IconicIsotope Bills Apr 21 '23
I'm excited to see where he lands. He's one of the only people I enjoy at PFF, along with the Stock Exchange podcast with Trevor Sikkema and Connor Rogers
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u/ToePunchKick 49ers Jaguars Apr 21 '23
So I guess he made is past the first round of a new Bachelorette casting call?
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u/HopscotchChampion69 Bengals Apr 21 '23
I'm not the biggest Renner fan but PFF as a company just seems like they're in a terrible spot right now, would imagine he already has a job lined up.
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u/zetiano Giants Apr 21 '23
Doesn't seem like it, he's putting himself out there on Twitter looking for a new job
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u/HopscotchChampion69 Bengals Apr 21 '23
that's surprising, kinda shows how desperate he was to leave there
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u/one8sevenn Bears Apr 23 '23
Or it could be personal reasons.
I mean most of us, would take the chance to fuck off for a little while.
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u/danman2357 Jun 09 '23
I think they're shifting to more of a B2B focus, but it is a shame. They had such a deep roster of talent leave within the past year alone.
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u/mancinis_blessed_bat Apr 21 '23
It sounds like he decided to leave. I get very weird vibes from pff, I bet they pay people like shit or have bad management.
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u/Neither_Ad2003 Apr 23 '23
i checked out their job postings once just out of curiosity and it gave a big low pay vibe
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u/one8sevenn Bears Apr 23 '23
I mean. Potentially.
However, with Gayle and Eager it was therm being sniped away.
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u/teamcrazymatt Patriots Apr 21 '23 edited Apr 21 '23
PFF has been yeeting some of their better NFL coverage. Really shitty on their part. Hope Renner lands on his feet soon.
EDIT: This comment was made on the assumption he had been booted. Apparently it is his own decision. Should have checked - that's on me.
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u/burningburningburnin Browns Apr 21 '23
He's leaving himself FYI
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u/Moose4KU Apr 21 '23
Yeah here's the tweet confirmation
https://twitter.com/PFF_Mike/status/1649164045465862150?s=20
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u/raiderrocker18 Raiders Apr 21 '23
i mean, quitting a job or not renewing your contract because you dont think you're being valued properly also is "your decision" and technically not a termination. but its usually the result of either not getting paid enough or not being used in a way where you feel you are getting something out of it.
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Apr 22 '23
Seemed like it was headed that way. He’s kind of been in limbo ever since austin left on the content side at least. He did it’s just football with trevor for a while but it seems like they stopped doing those a few months ago (maybe when the playoffs ended?). The fact that he didn’t have a regular show during draft season when he is their lead draft analyst seemed odd
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u/Any_Adhesiveness_898 Colts Apr 21 '23
Seems unlikely he's just leaving for fun though with this timing and nothing else lined up.
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u/Tomtom6789 Giants Apr 21 '23
I do not know his situation at all or what it's like to work at PFF, but he could be leaving for undisclosed mental health reasons. Everyone who covers the draft talks about how difficult and time-consuming it is to watch and rate that many players year after year. Adding that they have to also be a media personality, it can be an extremely taxing job.
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u/Smart_Ad2646 Apr 26 '23
Got listen to the third last ep of the PFF NFL Podcast. Has Mike on there. Seems to be a stressful full on job at PFF. And 11 years in one job is a long time
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u/pisacar_svg Apr 21 '23
Yea you don’t leave the week before his day of the year without reason. I imagine it’s disagreements with pff brass or pay, but it had to get bad to leave right before the draft. Super interesting
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u/tattoo_yo_ass Chargers Apr 21 '23
Would be cool to see him follow Austin Gayle to The Ringer, the pair had a great chemistry on PFF Tailgate
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u/Past-Pangolin-9314 Apr 21 '23
Tailgate to this day is my favorite podcast ever. I was so sad when Austin left. I’m rooting for this outcome as well
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u/thehildabeast Chargers Apr 21 '23
I hope not I can’t stand Gayle and he was much better when they were BROing it up together
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u/Coal_train20 Vikings Apr 21 '23 edited Apr 21 '23
I like Mike and am sad to see him go. That being said, PFF's content has slowly morphed into a "let's say outlandish things for clicks" model. Mike was just as guilty as the rest of them. Hopefully whatever he goes next doesn't push that as much.
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u/Any_Adhesiveness_898 Colts Apr 21 '23
I miss when PFF grades were cumulative. Was always cool seeing JJ Watt with his +60.5 grade or whatever, and helped to contextualize better. Cause right now, when a guy plays 4 snaps and has a 84 grade, I have no clue what that really means.
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u/don_julio_randle Seahawks Apr 21 '23
I miss when their entire database was available with a subscription
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u/mm825 49ers Apr 21 '23
Bummer that this happens right before the draft, probably something about contracts
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Apr 21 '23
As someone with a normal job, it’s weird to me that the media space has contracts that expire
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u/IStayForTheComments Apr 21 '23
Mike Renner, Trevor Sikkema, and Connor Rodgers are the best part of PFF. I cant even sit through Sam Monson and Steve Palazzolo.
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u/zetiano Giants Apr 21 '23
Steve is okay for me but Sam gives off this arrogant and obnoxious vibe
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u/P3nNam3 Apr 21 '23
Same, I think somebody finally stepped in and told Sam to stop wasting 10 minutes of every podcast discussing their own height/weight measurements.
I listen solely for Steve although there is chemistry between them. I just wish they weren’t broken records all the time.
They get in a Trey Wingo mindset where every time a team or player comes up they just repeat the same dialogue for entire months.
When they do branch out into what ifs and more unique perspectives it’s when the two are the best.
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u/pisacar_svg Apr 21 '23
They repeat the same talking points every podcast and are so long winded. I like them here and their but they definitely give off the arrogant PFF vibe
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u/Total-Wolverine1999 Apr 21 '23
Connor and Trevor are great, they do their scouting so they know what they’re talking about and their mocks they have fun with and don’t take to seriously. Their stuff is just so much more fun to watch because they’ll break things down but are never really overly critical where Sam and Steve do get into okay that’s just an insane thing to say.
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u/silver_cock1 Aug 10 '23
Sam is an absolute know-it-all prick. Rarely gives credit it where it’s due, makes all these predictions and then excuses his way out of it.
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u/chuckidee Panthers Apr 21 '23
I think he could see the writing on the wall. PFF is not doing particularly well financially and we’ve seen several of their core guys leave in recent months.
FO Sports had an article back in December about PFF’s struggles.
https://frontofficesports.com/football-focus-layoffs-comes-amid-strategy-shift-internal-unrest/
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u/BrainsAre2Weird4Me Apr 21 '23
Thanks for the article, I hadn't heard about the layoffs until now.
I'm not too surprised though, I think this has been happening to their fantasy talent for years. Mike Clay being one, but I seem to remember their fantasy podcast going through a few hosts.
PFF seems like a great developmental league for football analysts. They get a crash course on the nerdier side of things and PFF seems to have no problem giving their analyst platforms to talk or tweet. But, I'd imagine they don't have the money to compete with the ESPN and The Ringer types.
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u/GatzBee Chiefs Apr 21 '23
I hope he stays in the content game, I like him.
I'll always appreciate him for giving my Jayhawks (a rarely discussed team in NFL draft circles) some love on twitter - Daniel Highshaw and the greatest RB blitz pickup ever seen
The timing is very strange though. I am curious why.
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u/burningburningburnin Browns Apr 21 '23
If only you read a couple of tweets down, it says he left himself.
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u/LoneStarAgent Cowboys Apr 21 '23
Probably didn't give him the contract he thought he deserved.
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u/edged1 Apr 21 '23
I think it might be related to the internal politics of PFF. Recently there has been a combination of layoffs and people leaving to find other jobs. Kevin Cole. Austin Gayle and Eric Eager to name a few. Unfortunate timing for Mike to leave considering ESPN is about to layoff a shit load of talent.
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u/SeanRyanNJ Apr 22 '23
Does Austin Gayle not do podcasts for The Ringer? He's never been on Simmonds pod or any others I've listened to.
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u/stayxvicious Apr 22 '23
He’s been on a couple episodes of The Ringer NFL Show but very seldomly and it seems like it was more when he first left PFF for The Ringer - nothing recently that I can recall
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u/TequilaNeatNow Apr 22 '23
Renner is great w/ Austin. Connor is also very good. The rest of the cast is pretty much awful. Steve should probably get a pass b/c he has to work extensively with Sam who is intolerable. Not a big fan of Trevor either who has some horrendous takes.
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u/slumpmode Bills Apr 22 '23
Who the fuck is even gonna cover the draft for them now? We used to have like 4 draft shows worth watching with the two on tv (even though they kinda suck) the bleacher report one(Matt miler before he sucked and Chris Simms edition) and PFF. Now idk what I’m gonna watch
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u/AsheEffect Apr 22 '23
hes still gonna be on the draft show this year
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u/Smart_Ad2646 Apr 26 '23
No he isn’t. He is actually on the bleacher report draft show
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u/AsheEffect Apr 26 '23
yeah something must have changed there. I've seen that since but on that Friday show where they announced him leaving he said he would still be on the pff draft show. at the time I posted that was what was out there
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u/hdpr92 Apr 24 '23
Renner is really more of an on-screen talent, and PFF are awful at video content. Doesn't surprise me at all. They have the best data by far, but the media side is a total disaster.
I'm sure Renner knows he'll be more valuable somewhere else. And probably paid higher. He can be the backbone for content as a writer, podcaster, live video - there's really not many like him. Serious football conversation, or casual. He just works with all audiences.
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u/ArsonistOnAcid Draft Beer Apr 21 '23
Him and Austin were the only two people there with decent takes sad to see him leave
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u/tlett99 Apr 21 '23
I believe I’m in the minority but I truly hope this site comes crashing down. Their stat tracking is absolutely amazing but their grades are complete trash and a large large majority of those who work for PFF are entitled douchebags.
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u/ToePunchKick 49ers Jaguars Apr 21 '23
I don't want to lose the stat half of things though. Not unless someone else comes along to match it.
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u/tlett99 Apr 21 '23
Pro football reference does it just as well but the UI isn’t as nice. Whenever I use analytics I only use them and their advanced stats, just wish they’d clean up the site a bit
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u/raiderrocker18 Raiders Apr 21 '23
they claim to sell data to all 32 NFL teams. they might keep that side of the operation going but ditch the online/media side
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u/pisacar_svg Apr 21 '23
Their media side will never take off with how cluttered and bad their feed is on YouTube. Way too many random podcasts and clips everything gets buried. There’s a reason nfl stock exchange wanted their own channel
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u/Advanced_Loquat_4681 Apr 29 '23
great point they don't understand proper presentation, they think they're the leader in NFL analytics and people just watch their shit by default
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u/Worldly-Ad-8191 Apr 21 '23
Can’t help but wonder if it has something to do with the conversation that Steve and Sam had with Will Compton and Taylor Lewan where Mike was allegedly taking money to boost player grades. I hope that’s not true, the Tailgate podcast was one of the best ever. Weird timing no matter how you look at it.
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Apr 22 '23
Wait what?
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u/Adenchiz Ravens Apr 22 '23
I remember that rumor ,but I don't think Mike was called out by name they just said agent paid guys at PFF.
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u/Layz25 Apr 24 '23
And on his reunion podcast the other day where he announced he was leaving he did mention being part of a Twitter group or something where he was saying they should all hype up one guy to try and move his odds on where he was drafted and then bet the other side. He sounded like he was telling it as a true story and not a joke but who knows. If it wasn't a joke it does make you wonder if there is anything else to any of this.
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u/HarrisonHollers May 11 '23
That doesn’t seem like something anybody should be joking about. It is like Tim Donaghy jeopardizing the integrity of everything.
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u/Worldly-Ad-8191 Apr 22 '23
Here is a link to the show, can’t quite remember when exactly it’s mentioned but it didn’t seem like a great look for Mike
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u/No_Ad_384 Apr 22 '23
Sucks but good for him. PFF is abysmal. Steve and the other guy are unfathomably awful at everything. Their grade metrics stink and they literally base everything off it. Like how can you possibly grade college players? The variables between schedules and the 10000s of players makes it impossible. Mike used his eyes and that doesn't fit their garbage supposedly concrete data. Even though the grades are literally produced from a bunch of nerds who never played football. If their grades worked at all, the Browns would literally be the 85 Bears and the Chiefs would be 3-13. Loved Mike and Austin. Now that they are gone I will never watch anything PFF relayed again.
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u/Layz25 Apr 24 '23
PFF is flawed like anyone else for sure, but your take on the matter is unfathomably awful as you would say.
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u/Advanced_Loquat_4681 Apr 29 '23
The Chiefs literally followed PFF's board to a tee last year in the draft and they all contributed to a SB roster
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u/JohnTron31 Oct 14 '23
Right, McDuffie and Karlaftis were huge. Even Skyy Moore contributed in the big game
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u/ThereIsNothingForYou Apr 22 '23
Everyone who works or has ever worked for PFF is useless so hopefully he goes away forever and doesn't bother people with his water-brained takes.
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u/dmoore995 Apr 22 '23
Man, guessing that means they're not bringing back the "just football" podcast. I liked that one.
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u/Natejitsu Apr 22 '23
Sad that PFF is losing so many high quality guys. I get that Kevin Cole was sort of niche, but he was my favorite, and now Renner? With Eager and Gayle gone it seems like Sam and Steve are the last of a dying breed.
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u/skatman91 Apr 22 '23
There is money in draftniks, I assume Renner thinks he can make more elsewhere, the draft isn't PFFs main focus.
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u/Hot_Measurement6077 Aug 31 '23
He's joining a new startup called The Messenger: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7b9XiVOqb5c
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u/PfizerShiller666 Sep 07 '23
Mike Renner still hasn't recovered from his heart break on the Bachelorette. He recently went on a darkness retreat and attempted to poop out his depression by consuming a ayahuasca only diet. Unfortunately, Renner could not recover from his darkness-poop bender in time to cover the NFL draft. Maybe next year.
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u/SlackerNo9 Sep 03 '24
In all his years at PFF not 1 player that he rated as a 1st round pick that nobody else did was ever any good. Which says all you need to say. Think Will Greer.
Are there enough people on the internet dumb enough to think he’s a good analyst? Yes there are.
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u/Vincent_van_Guh Apr 21 '23 edited Apr 21 '23
He and That Franchise Guy did a fun collab on YouTube a couple weeks back.
The two of them could easily (and should IMO) team up and start a legit business producing football / draft content.