Ammo & Hope

New York finally feels like it has a plan—and we’re laying out every piece. We open with the Jets’ shockwave trades and why keeping it quiet mattered more than the headlines. Picks, cap space, and a contract strategy that turned Sauce into leverage point to a front office acting like adults for the first time in years. We map the path forward: Brees and Garrett as day-one help for the next quarterback, multiple routes to land that QB, and a realistic timeline from misery to menace if this regime hits in the draft.

Then we turn the lights on in Jersey blue. Brian Daboll’s seat is scorching, and the assignment is crystal clear: coach risk into discipline with Jackson Dart and prove the defense still cares. We share the specific growth markers to watch so fans can judge progress without false hope. After a quick Week 9 rewind and a sharp Week 10 watch list, we head to the Garden where the Knicks’ identity is humming—Brunson steering, Big Cat punishing, OG locking, and Mitch bulldozing the glass. We make the case for one more dependable big and explain the type of center who actually fits this system.

On the diamond, urgency reigns. For the Mets, the offseason starts with an ace or it doesn’t start at all—Scoobal if possible, real contingency plans if not. Lock Diaz at a smart number, decide on Pete with eyes on the window, and stop bleeding coaching value to Atlanta. The Yankees’ puzzle is different: buy certainty at first and in center, align prospects with contracts, and commit to the core without inviting drama. We close by setting your Week 10 fantasy lineup with matchup-driven calls and serving a five-play betting card you can ride with confidence.

If this hit your brain just right, tap follow, share it with the sports friend who loves receipts, and drop a review so we can keep growing this group chat that actually feels like home.

Chapters

• 0:00 Headlines And Episode Setup
• 2:51 Jets Trades And Culture Shift
• 8:58 Draft History Rant: Pessimism Vs Hope
• 15:27 Jets-Browns Preview And Locker Room Stakes
• 16:43 Giants Reality Check And Dabol Debate
• 22:12 Week Nine Rewind: Key Games
• 24:51 Week Ten Lookahead: Games To Watch
• 28:09 Quick-Hit NFL Moves And Injuries
• 29:41 Knicks Surge: Roles, Glass, And Ceiling
• 36:19 Do The Knicks Need Another Center
• 42:20 MLB Hot Stove: Mets Priorities
• 53:12 Yankees’ Offseason Questions
• 56:39 Fantasy Week 10 Triage And Picks
• 1:02:13 Betting Card: Rolling The Dice With Rice
• 1:07:20 Wrap-Up And Listener CTA

Transcript

SPEAKER_01: 0:25

We are free from the kickoff in Jack because we are back at 9 30 a.m. kickoff life this weekend. If you're new here, I'm Ian Rice. Welcome to Rice on the Mics. This is episode 38. The only show where New York Sports feels like a group chat that you actually want to be a part of. Let's talk about the headlines first. The Jets blew up your timeline and for once maybe did the right thing. Sauce to Indy, went into Dallas, draft capital stacked to the ceiling, and somehow, miracle of miracles, none of it was leaked until it was done. I got context, I got why it makes sense. I'm giving you the rant, but with some hope. And I've got your poll receipts on the matter too. Consider this my burning me moment. Once again, I am asking you to believe. I'll lay out why keeping Brees was right and what the cat picture looks like going forward. Giant fans, your turn. Dable seat, warm to say the least. We're gonna lay out the record since year one and why it's fair to be skeptical. And then we'll pivot into what matters for the rest of the season. Jackson Dart's growth and whether this defense actually wants to play for Dable or not. We'll hit a quick week nine rewind. Carolina shocking Green Bay, Bills over the Chiefs in the regular season again. And Sunday Night Football in DC, where Jaden Daniel's elbow turned a bad night into a bad month. Then we're peeking ahead to some games in week 10 you should keep your eye on. Knicks, folks, come on, come sit down. Three big home wins. Big cat handled his business. Brunson's cooking, Mitch vacuuming up the glass, and your pulse as the ceiling is moving up. A fold and a sharp mailbag take about adding another center and what kind actually makes sense for this team before we do a quick lap around the MLB free agency openings, the qualifying offers dished out, the Mets coaching exodus to Atlanta, and the Padres losing Darvish for 2026. We'll close the show with the fantasy and rolling the dice with rice segment for week 10. Plus, media and money, ESPN's DraftKing deal, and why the optics matter. Got a lot to cover. So let's do it to it. So let's just get right into it with the NFL. The New York Jets didn't just make noise this week. They changed course of the NFL. Sauce Gardner to the Colts, Quentin Williams to the Cowboys, Michael Carter has already been shipped off to the Eagles. Quincy Williams got benched, and not one peep of it was leaked until the paperwork cleared. And here's why that matters. Finally, finally, we're seeing a grown-up building and a tight lip organization. As far as the Quinning trade, reports came out that when it got real, he was going to be moved. So that means two things. One, that they had multiple offers for big Q, which no one knew about, and two that they finally had some respect for a player who's been here for a long time and actually granted him his wish. The building kept it in-house and actually honored it. This is exactly what you need to start repairing your reputation with players around the league and make your organization more appealing to play for, to make people want to come play for the Jets. So here is the big picture of why this works. So the Jets have now converted two defensive cornerstones into a long-term runway for this new regime. You now have five first rounders across the 2026 and 2027 drafts and extra day two ammo, which is equally important if you plan on throwing that in to sweeten a deal on a trade. Not to mention you've given yourself a lot of cap flexibility. And a lot of fans are asking, well, why did you pay sauce in the first place if you were going to trade him anyway? Well, the sauce extension was structured light on early cash with rolling guarantees for this exact opportunity. Look, if you started hot early and won some games and actually looked like a team that could maybe make some noise, well then great, you got sauce locked up for the next four years at a pretty decent contract. But if everything falls apart like it has, come trade deadline, he now becomes a movable blue chip asset because of said contract extension. And it turns into money cleared off of your books. As far as moving Quinnen Williams, this was a move that no one really saw coming. A lot of people, a lot of the experts, I should say, we're talking about Jermaine Johnson and yada yada yada, but no one really had Quinnen getting moved on their radar. And to be honest, the Cowboys are drunk for the offer that they gave us. But fine. This now avoids the inevitable quote more guarantees stare down that was going to come from Quinnen this offseason in a season that was going nowhere, and if he was going to be part of this defense moving forward. The net, you got picks, you got cap space, and for the first time in a long time, you got a quiet organization. Real G's move in silence like lasagna, right? The poll this week echoed the same vibe from you guys, too. Fine with the rebuild, beat out those were the guys to build around by a landslide. And most of you graded that the sauce deal was that the Jets fleeced the Colts or it was fair value. That's not delusional. That's appetite for a reset done the right way. And that's instilling confidence in a new regime that most people wanted fired right away. And as far as keeping Brees Hall, if you've been listening the last couple weeks, you know that I think that this is the right decision. Uh, you don't trade one of your best offensive players for a mid-round shrug with the cap space you have now acquired, you have now shown your hand, and Brees now becomes the bridge for whoever the next quarterback is. If you go with a rookie this year or next year, fine. If you leverage all these picks and try to pry a franchise quarterback away from another team, i.e. Joe Burrow or Lamar Jackson, fine. But regardless of who it is, you want him aligned to a real skill player on day one. And the combination of Brees Hall and Garrett Wilson and this ever-growing offensive line is exactly how you build a team for success. Now, because of who you traded away, that doesn't exactly make Sundays in the near future pretty to watch. But at least there seems to be a uh long-term plan in place, or at least some sort of plan in place. And now, to be fair, there is always two sides of the coin. And I will give you the rant from both sides because both can be true when it comes to being a Jet fan. The pessimistic rant. And just to bolster this argument, from the Rex Ryan era on, here's a graveyard roll call with a couple bright spots of first-round draft picks. 2009, Mark Sanchez, AFC Championship Games, great, but he was never really the guy. 2010, Kyle Wilson. Depth, I guess, but not the impact corner he was supposed to be. 2011, Mohammed Wilkerson, great to start. Got paid, fizzled out. 2012, Quentin Koppels, miss. 2013, D. Milner and Sheldon Richardson, both pretty much a miss. Sheldon was tough, but never lived up to it. 2014, Calvin Pryor, miss. 2015, Leonard Williams, good, but moved on, nothing great. 2016, Darren Lee. Huge miss. 2017, Jamal Adams. Best thing to come out of him was uh the haul that we got from Seattle for him. 2018, Sam Darnold. Couldn't develop him. What else is new? And now he's killing it. 2019, Big Q, Quinny Williams, stud, a rare hit for this franchise, but just got traded. 2020, Mikhail Becton, Highway 77, showed flashes, but always hurt. 2021, Zach Wilson and Elijah Vera Tucker. Zach Wilson is now the backup to Tua Tungo Valua, and AVT, as much as we love them, can never stay healthy. 2022, this is where it turned around. Sauce Gardner, Garrett Wilson, and Jermaine Johnson all in the first round. Offensive rookie of the year, defensive rookie of the year, and a current solid building piece. Well, you just traded one of them away and you're starting to build around the other. 2023, Will McDonald, he showed some promise, had 10 sacks last year. We'll see how it goes. 2024, Ole Fashion, solid left tackle. And this year, 2025, Armand Memou, solid left tackle, turned into a right tackle, also looks dominant. So going all the way back to 2009, realistically, you've hit on six, five draft picks in the first round. That's why the fans are gun shy. Overall, there is a lot more bad than there is good in those draft classes. And that's what I've been getting all week. Saying I've seen this movie before, I've read this book before. And I get it. It's tough to be a Jet fan. Hell, it's not tough. It's damn near impossible at some points. But there are two sides to every coin. And the optimistic rant, the other side of this, and where I personally fall on this massive overhaul trade deadline. Look, the way I see it, this league reshuffles fast. The AFC is a gauntlet of good teams, but it's also hinting at an arms race to shake things up a little bit. And if you want to be at the big boy table, you need to make big boy moves. And in this pending arms race, well, guess what? The Jets have now stockpiled the most ammo. If this new regime hits on a quarterback this draft and adds in some depth, this goes from misery to menace in 24 months. If they don't like anyone this year and want to posture themselves to maybe draft Arch Manning next year, maybe he looks good, then so be it. If they want to package all these picks for a monster like Joe Burrow behind an actual good offensive line, then so be it. Regardless of whatever way they go, there seems to be a plan. There seems to be some hope. And there seems to be a true culture change brewing at MetLife, which is what we talked about from the moment they hired Aaron Glenn. From that Bill Parcell's discipline, that get with it or get on movement, that clearing house movement, that culture change that you're either with me or against me. Kind of ideal. A quiet front office, cap space coming, with the cap going up, by the way, and multiple routes to go and get your guy at quarterback, whether it be draft or veteran. Once again, I am asking you to believe. Once again, I am asking you to do the unthinkable and put some hope in the Jets franchise. Woody will always be there, and Woody will always be a mess. But Muji and Glenn, I don't know, man.

SPEAKER_00: 15:15

You're starting to make me believe. You're starting to make me feel good about it that there's actually something to do here.

SPEAKER_01: 15:23

Anyway, all right. I know I'm delusional. It's fine. While I'm on the Jets, let's preview this week's game. Uh pre-deadline, the Jets were minus two and a half. Then post-deadline, the Jets are now plus two and a half. I get it. I get why you moved leaders in the front seven, and you're facing one of the league's nastiest defenses. I mean, Miles Garrett is playing out of his mind, and it doesn't really bode well for Brees Hall or Justin Fields this week. But this is uh this is a pride game for Aaron Glenn's locker room. You got some new voices now on defense, some new voices that can be heard, some opportunistic ball. And honestly, a stadium that's there's gonna be some fans there ready to back a reset if this team actually shows out with a little bit of effort. It honestly wouldn't shock me if the Jets steal it here. At minimum, I think you'll see a defense flying to prove a point, showing that they uh believe in Aaron Glenn's message and actually want to play for him. Now. Enough of the green and white, time to get to the blue and white. Giants time. And Brian Dable's seat isn't just warm, it is scorching hot. After last week's loss, people are really starting to dig into his record over the last four years, and it just keeps trending the wrong way. You had a year one high, went to the playoffs, won a playoff game that was against the shittiest Minnesota team I've ever seen in my life, and they got blown out by the Eagles, then six and eleven, then three and fourteen, and now you're two and seven. The poll that I put out this week on the Instagram was loud. Patience is fading with Brian Dayball, and it's a fair conversation. It's a fair conversation to have. You were billed as the quarterback whisperer and the guy that turned Josh Allen to what he was, and then you took over Daniel Jones, and it looked good to start, and injuries aside it looks so much worse on you now that he's flourishing with the Colts because what are they getting out of him that you couldn't? And now you lucked into Jackson Dart who you deemed was your guy, and he looks good, but he also looks reckless. And that's something that you need to teach out of him in these next ten games, nine games, whatever's left. You need to teach him how to be not just a daring quarterback, which he already is, but a smart quarterback. Make the throws, don't dive head first, um read the defense better, you know, make the pre-check calls. That's what Giant fans need to be looking for for the rest of the season. They need to be paying attention to Jackson Dart's growth, his processing on the money downs, his middle of the field throws, how to handle play action, and how many carries he's getting week to week and when he should slide. The other thing the Giant fans need to be paying attention for is whether the defense keeps playing for the staff or just starts giving up and leaking out explosive plays. If the defense fights even when they're down, you'll learn something real about that room. You'll learn that they actually do care about what Dayball or even Wink says. But in the coming weeks, if you start going against opponents and you put up 14 points because of Jackson Dart being the hero that he is, but the defense gives up 37, they gave up. They don't care. And that's how you get yourself fired. Now the question is do you fire Dable or do you fire Shane and Dable? When Gettelman was in here and he was the GM, he was able to hire Pat Schirmer and that didn't work, and then he was able to hire Joe Judge, and that didn't work out great. So does Joe Shane get the same opportunity of hiring a coach the first time and now hiring a second coach? Or do you just clear house completely? Both New York teams are not in great spots here, but good in their own right. Giants look like they have found their quarterback, and the Jets have now acquired enough ammo to go get their quarterback, hopefully. But it's important to see the uh forest through the trees here. Both franchises are still not in good places. So, now with all the uh doom and gloom out of the way for the local teams, let's do a little uh week nine rewind. Uh a couple games that mattered last week that you might have missed. First on the list, Panthers, Packers, Panthers getting the win in Lambeau, the big upset. Rego Dattle, another full tone setter weekend, 130 on the ground, two touchdowns. This is one that uh nobody had on their list, and I'm sure killed a bunch of parlays across the whole week. A two-touchdown dog goes into Lambeau and gets the job done on the money line. The flip side of things, Green Bay squandered red zone chance after red zone chance, and Tad's insult to injury. They lost their star tight end, Tucker Kraft, to an ACL. He was on a pace for historic tight end season. That loss now changes how they operate the rest of the year. They have a bunch of good receivers, but no alpha. Tough sledding for the Packers going forward. We'll see how it looks. The next game on the list that I want to cover is Chiefs at the Bills. Bills pulled out 28-21. Josh Allen was surgical 23-26 with two rushing on the ground. Just solid, clean answers against a rough, tough Spagnola defense. And the Bills' young DBs made plays in space. The regular season Buffalo over Kansas City is always a bit. It's always they're now five and oh against Kansas City in the regular season. But every year in January is the problem. This was a complete plan and execution combo, and it looks good, but when I see it in the playoffs, I'll believe it. Great game to watch, though. I thought it was going to be a lot more high scoring, turned out not to be. Credit where credit's due. Lastly, uh Sunday night football. Seahawks commanders. This was a complete route by the Seahawks. 38 to 14. Sam Darnold opened up 16 for 16 with four, four, one, two, three, four touchdowns. Jackson Smith and Jigba just continues to prove why he's a wide receiver one. Another Ohio State product. The bad part, Jaden Daniels dislocated his non-throwing elbow late in the game when he probably shouldn't even have been in. And head coach Dan Quinn owned up to leaving him in too long, but you know, too little, too late. Uh Washington's season trajectory now shifts hugely with Mariota taking over and a wide receiver room that is in triage. You want to uh you want to talk about sophomore slump or regression. How about uh dislocating your elbow for a sophomore slump? And I root for Jaden Daniels. I'm an LSU fan. I I want the kid to succeed. But man. Not great. He's been riddled with injuries in his second year. They really need to take care of him if they plan on competing in the NFC East for the next 10, 15 years. Otherwise, you're looking at RG3 2.0. So with the rewind out of the way, let's do a little uh week 10 look ahead here. Circle these games. These are the ones you're gonna want to watch. And we're starting off bright and early. Colts, Falcons, Berlin, 9:30 a.m. Brunch ball is back, baby. Sauce Gardner cleared from concussion protocol and is expected to play. DeForest Buckner did not travel with the team. Indy's offense has been a buzzsaw with Daniel Jones and Jonathan Taylor and Tyler Warren. But Atlanta is nasty on the back end and suffocates tight ends. The tell here will be whether Indy can live in early down efficiency without Buckner anchoring the other side. And not to mention, you got two of the best backs on the planet with Atlanta's pass defense leading the league and fewest pass yards allowed. Indy's got to live on early down efficiency if they want to win. Otherwise, I see this being a good morning, Germany. Let's run the ball game. Next game to watch out for, Patriots at Bucks. Tampa off the bye with a chance to prove they're more than a beats who they should outfit. Mike Vrabel has that defense solid and assignment sound. They sit atop the division for a reason and they didn't beat Buffalo by accident, but they have been living on tight margins. So if Tampa can protect the ball and finish its drives in the end zone, might be a nice statement win for them. God forbid you let Baker get the ball with three minutes down three points. Tampa might be walking out with a win. But if they sputter, Mike Vrabel knows how to will his team to a win. Last game on the list, Steelers at Chargers. Sunday night football. The old vet versus the young gun at QB. Both with something to prove. LA is patching the edges after losing both tackles, which is why they went and grabbed Trevor Penning. And Herbert can dice you up, but TJ Watt is nothing to be messed around with. If Pittsburgh's rush gets home without sending the house, it's a field position grind right into Tomlin's wheelhouse. If the Chargers hit explosive plays, stadium might get loud and it might flip. But if Herbert gets pressured early and the terrible towels seem to make their way into LA, Chargers might be in for a rude awakening. So those are the games you should keep an eye on this week while your favorite team is getting blown out. Something you should tune into. A couple quick hits on the other deals and the news that should have been on your radar that you might have missed. As I mentioned, Colts go all in, traded for sauce. They want him up immediately in Berlin. Symbolic as much as tactical. Sauce cleared protocol on Thursday. Full go target on Sunday morning. Cowboys had Quinton Williams and linebacker Logan Wilson from Cincinnati. Clear message to fix the middle along with Kenny Clark. Cowboys should be much harder to run against for the rest of the year. Seahawks by some speed. Rasheed Shaheed gives Darnold a real lid lifter and juice returns while JSN can work over the middle. Jaguars also land Jacoby Myers. Sure hands for a wide receiver room that has been crushed by injuries all year. Perfect fit while they wait on health. Eagles, uh Eagles being Eagles. Jalen Phillips to bolster the rush behind Saquon. Jair Alexander and Michael Carter to deepen the banged up secondary. Couple injuries to Cardinals placed Kyler Murray on IR with a foot, but hope that he returns in December. I don't know if it's worth it, to be honest with you. Jacoby Brissett fills in, keeps the wheel steady while they can. And the Jets demoted Quincy Williams after shipping off his brother. And he said, quote, I am now a non-starting jet, end quote. And that the coaches want more downhill and better hands. So rookie Kiko Mayoga is now in the mix. But little Q says, quote, he's planning on working as hard as he can to get his job back. We'll see how that pans out for the kid. I'm hoping for him. I root for him. But that'll do it for the NFL this week. We'll weave in some fantasy angles and the roll in the dice with rice picks later in the episode. For now, we're going to shift gears into some hoops. Big week at the garden. Three straight at home. Big cat handling. His whole team. Brunson's been dealing. Mitch has been vacuuming up everything. OG has been in rhythm. Mike Brown quietly tweaked some things. Got some mailbag questions to answer about the Knicks. Stick around. We're just getting started. Like I said, lots to cover this week. Keep it right here. All right, hoops time. Pull up a chair, cause it's time to cover the only team that matters in New York. Surprise, surprise, the garden is a fortress once again. 5-0 at home now. And this week was exactly the blueprint that I begged for seven days ago last week on this pot. It's almost like Mike Brown listened to my show. Play through Big Cat, let Brunson pilot, crash the offensive glass like your life depends on it, and get Josh Hart back to being the pulse of the second unit who can close out with the starters. Let's start off with the Bulls Knicks second game. And that was the get right game for them. Brunson gave you 31. Kat stacked a 2015 double-double, and the whole gym caught fire from three. 20 for 42 as a team. You had seven guys hitting multiple triples, and the bench tossed in 46 points. This has been a key theme under the Mike Brown era that the bench is actually contributing points. Chicago came in leading the league in three-point defense, and we walked him straight out of that comfort zone. And also a quick heart note, he admitted post-game he still doesn't have full feeling in his shooting hand. Tingling, nerve damage. Still went 14 and 9 while playing like a heat-seeking missile. That man is the definition of culture. So from the Bulls to the Wizards, Cat becomes the big cat that he's supposed to be. Put on his big boy bib, had a season high 33 with 13 boards. He lived at the line and settled the offense every time it felt wobbly or the starters were out. Not to mention OG gives you 16 and a defensive hammer. Clarkson comes off the bench giving you 15. Josh Hart had another double-double, giving you a 12 and 10. The game looked like a team that found its base sets and just kept stamping and stamping on them. Early post touches for Kat. Brunson snaking his way to the mid-range, hitting those weak side threes, rinse, repeat, and now for the headliner. The Wolves coming into the Mecca. Big Cat's former team, Julius Randle and Dante DiVincenzo coming against the Knicks. Even though this isn't the first time for them coming back to the Garden, you could tell there was still some uh animosity in the air. And the Knicks took care of business. Minnesota did have a halftime lead, and then the Knicks just threw a bowling ball into any of their plans and took care of business. Which is so surprising because the old adage under Thibodeau used to be when the Knicks came out in the third quarter after halftime, it was a mess. They go 83 and 56 in the second half. They put up 40 plus in both the third and fourth quarter. OG drops 25. Brunson Punchedon 23, 10, and 7, almost having his first triple double. Yeah, believe that. And Mitch, oh Mitch. Mitch was the sledgehammer that drove home the nail. Had nine offensive rebounds by himself and literally matched Rudy Gobert's total rebounds on the game. The Knicks turned 21 offensive boards into 31 second chance points. That is how you break a good team spirit. That is how you drive it home that you are a real contender. And as for Big Cat, he had some comments about seeing his old jersey and saying he was he's still stunned about the trade. My brother, you're here now. You're a Nick. You're a Jersey kid. Bullied switches, dragged help, kicked out the shooters. That's the job. You are a Nick. You are not a wolf. Stop worrying about it. Stop giving them credit. Dragged help over. You kicked out the shooters and you made your threes when you had to. Don't worry about the wolves and your jersey and the trade. You're a Nick. You're here. Now go be a dog. Go be the guy that we traded for. The poll that I put out on the Wednesday mic check. Finals was the number one answer. Eastern Conference Finals was right behind it. And the way that this team is played, it's not delusional. That's saying that the ceiling has moved. Brunson is a dog. OG is a defensive monster. Mitch has seemed to have found his shot in the mid-range and the three. Not to mention Deuce coming off the bench. This team is deep. This team is gritty. And this team is dangerous. The East is wide open. And if they continue to play like this for the rest of the year, we might be walking down Broadway watching a parade. Come July. Now, sure. Are there flaws? Of course. How long can Mitch stay healthy? If needed, can Big Cat move to the five? How is Brunson's hand? Is OG gonna stay healthy all year? What's Hart's role coming off the bench? They're still figuring it out in the Mike Brown offense, and there's still a lot of questions to be answered. But in the early returns here, they look pretty good. But this brings me to one of my mailbag questions this week, and it comes from Justin, who I know personally, and I know he is more of a diehard Knicks fan than anybody listening to this podcast. So I trust his opinion when it comes to the Knickerbockers. But Justin asks or says, I should say, the Knicks need another center if they want to go on a real run. They can't rely on Mitch's health, and they can't rely on Big Cat playing the five. And he's right. I don't hate that. The problem is there's two paths to that conversation. So okay, fine. We need another center. Not that Huck Porty is bad, but he's not good. But if Mitch isn't healthy, what do we do? Do we get let's say at the deadline or the trade deadline, which is in the NBA, it's always a mess. Do you go for a Huck Porty 2.0 to just build depth? Or do you actually go for a monster center like Rudy Gobert? Not saying you would trade for Rudy Gobert, but a true seven-footer that's gonna bang around in the paint. Maybe Bam? Maybe someone like Clint Capella. I don't know. What's the level of center that you're looking to trade for if that's what you think you really need? If you want a mid-level piece and they can fill in those eight to twelve low mistake minutes, sure. But if you want somebody to play the five while Big Cat plays the four, unfortunately, you're probably gonna have to pay up. But realistically, that's not even kind of really what you need. You really I do agree that you need another center, but you really just need like a you need a 16-minute a game bouncer. You need a Draymond Green kind of player. Someone who keeps you out of a drop coverage jail when Mitch is on the bench. And if Mike Brown keeps Hart in during those closing lineups, you already have the uh the rebounding connective tissue to support that kind of profile. The bottom line on the Knicks right now: the roles make sense, the glass is a weapon. Brunson is Brunson and is running the show. And Kat has to keep winning his matchups. Couple all that with Mitch at the five, and this team looks unbeatable right now. So just keep that formula, keep the minutes sane for everyone so they don't tire out later in the year, and one more trustworthy big body by spring, and you got the bones of a championship level team. Alright. Take a breath. We are on to the other side. We will zip through some MLB free agency openings, some qualifying offers, and how the Mets might have just single-handedly given the Braves the best staff they've had in years. Then after that, we will hit you with some fantasy angles and the rolling the dice with rice picks for week ten. Keep it right here. Honey more, you're gonna want to hear. It's off season, and free agency has just opened up today. So a bunch of qualifying offers went out to some pretty nameable names. Kyle Tucker, Kyle Schwarber, Fran Bravdez, Dylan Sees, Ranger Suarez, Zach Gallen, Shota Iminaga, Michael King, and yes, Edwin Diaz for the Mets. Most of these guys are gonna test free agency anyway. The qualifying offer is just a way to get a draft pick back for any of the teams that they were on if they go to sign somewhere else. But I really want to get into the Mets here. And this part isn't optional. You start this winner off by planting an ace at the top of the rotation. And the cleanest path is Tariq Scooba. You call Detroit every single morning, and you pay the price if it's in the realm of sanity. It's definitely gonna cost you a lot. At least a real headliner, an MLB ready arm, and probably a solid AAA prospect, but that's what needs to get done. You don't win these trades with leftovers, and Scoobul changes the room, the schedule, and honestly, how often your bullpen has to play hero ball. If, and it's a real if, the Tigers wall you off. There are other aces out there, but they come with uh a little bit of pain or politics. You can go after Sandy Alcantara, but you're gonna have to pay the indivision tax. You're gonna have to give up a heavy prospect or three, but he is a true horse and he's under team control for the next like three years. You'd overpay on principle and just deal with it. The next guy on the list would be Mackenzie Gore, also in division tax from the Nationals. He's still ascending, really coming into his own, nasty from the left side. The cost could be enormous, but the timeline fits your win now window. And lastly, would be Hunter Green from the Reds. He's got elite stuff, he's under control, he's a strikeout machine. The price would probably be a younger core premium, because the Reds are trying to build still. They want to pair somebody with Ellie, and they're not gonna pay anybody anytime soon. So I think uh that could be a very, very solid option if Scuba falls through. The bottom line, however you do it, you need to get a real number one. You need to get the ace. Then backfell innings and some leverage. This is a good transition to one of the mailbag questions I got this week because the question was if you are the GM of your favorite team, what is a realistic move that you want to do? And TJ wrote in and said, Let's talk money in Queens. First off, Edwin Diaz at three years, 66 million, and then Pete Alonzo at five years, 180 million. Well, on Edwin Diaz, just so we're all speaking the same language and understanding what's going on here, he just opted out of the last three years of his deal that would have paid him 15, 16, and 17 million after making 21 million this season. So a three-year 66 million dollar deal puts him at about around a 22 million AAV. So you're essentially keeping him at the very top of the closer market through age 35, which is exactly where he's already been living. If you want the number to rhyme with what he just made, maybe make it three for 63 at 21 million AAV. Either way, you're paying for leverage and you're paying for certainty in the ninth. And it lets you stack two more late inning weapons without turning every win into a bullpen high wire act. Now, as far as Alonzo, five years, 180 million, it's a different story. If you land the ace in Scuble, you're gonna have to pay him pretty much right away. And he is two years younger than Max Fried, who just got an eight-year, two hundred and eighteen million dollar deal. So you're realistically probably gonna look at eight years two thirty, two forty. I think uh every player knows that Steve Cohn is rich, so they're gonna hold out for more. Either way. If you land the ace and you want to re-sign Pete, and it's five years one eighty. I I would say I'm good with it. Uh, I would front load the two first years while the World Series window is open and loud. Maybe bacon a club option or some escalators slash incentives to maybe protect the back end. But knowing last year and knowing Pete, something tells me he's going to really try and force his hand, maybe to his own detriment, too. He might really screw his own market and then come crawling back to the Mets like he did last year. Look, if you miss on the ace, I try to keep Pete, but I am also not afraid of pivoting to a cheaper on base percentage plus damage bat and reallocate the cash that we would have given him into two arms and a uh plus defender up the middle. I'd love to see Pete finish his career in a Mets uniform, but when push comes to shove, I'd much rather see the Mets win a World Series than appeasing a uh homegrown legend. The scoobal domino decides how aggressive you should be. That needs to happen first, and then we'll let the chips fall where they may. Couple other Mets notes that are just terrible, in my opinion. You fired your whole staff, and then two of your best staff members went directly to a hated division rival in the Braves. The Braves have hired Jeremy Hefner and the first base coach, Anton Richardson, who helped supercharge Juan Soto's base stealing, and Jeremy Hefner before this year was known throughout the league for fixing everybody's mechanics. That's not just optics, that's pitcher dev and base running IQ walking to a rival. Not great. I wouldn't be surprised if Akuna steals 80 bags next year. So if you're a Met fan, if you're the Mets organization, how do you get better? What's what's your to-do list this month? Well, first and foremost, the Scoobyl pursuit at all costs. And if you can't get the deal done, you need to go after Mackenzie Gore, Hunter Green, Elkantara, shit, Paul Skeens, I don't care. But you need a top of the rotation number one ace. After that, you close Diaz and maybe even add a heavy sinker setup to keep you out of the home run trouble. Then you need to decide on Alonzo by at least Christmas. You need to structure it to win now and protect later, or move on completely and try to find 120 ribbies in your lineup. Then you gotta add uh 160 plus innings in uh mid-rotation players and replace the staff losses with uh specialists, pitching lab, base running, matchup X and O's, all that stuff. The Mets have their work cut out from. You know who else has their work cut out from? The Yankees. The Yankees have a big Rubik's Cube to solve this offseason. First off, first base. Who's the everyday? Are we rolling with Ben Rice? Are we moving Bellinger? Are we teaching Judge to play first? Do you raid the Mets for Alonzo? If not, what's plan B? And then in center field, who owns it? If you re-sign Cody Bellinger, which you should, that's the cleanest fit. But if you whiff, do you throw a bag at Kyle Tucker? Do you try and go after both of them? How committed are you to buying offense up the middle? And then let's say you do sign Bellinger or Kyle Tucker or both. What do you do with uh Spencer Jones and Jason Dominguez? What do you do with Volpe? Do you lock him in at shortstop and buy a second base bat? Or do you slide him in second? Are you committed to jazz? Does he fit your plans that you want to do for the next three, four, five years? Because that's the contract he's going to be looking for. And also, Yankee fans, just because Don Maddenly shook himself free from Toronto, spare yourself the bring in Maddenly conversation. Boone is already always managing under a microscope. The worst thing that you could do is plant a Yankee legend who has managerial experience next to him and just dare the back pages to stir up a mutiny. I know that you guys have been clamoring for him for years and years and years, but that is not the move for the Yankees. The last thing you need is more drama in the club ass. So the big picture for both New York clubs in this offseason. The Mets version is buy an ace and align the roster accordingly. And the Yankees version is buy certainty at premium positions and commit to the core. Either way, the winter starts the same. Make the move that changes your season first, and then let the rest cascade and figure itself out. Alright, that's the hot stove. Scoobyl first, contingency aces on deck, and the Yankees with more questions than lockers right now. We'll keep an eye on any qualifying offer ripples, but let's win you this week right now. Fantasy triage, who to start, who to sit, who to stash based on best and worst matchups, little panic meter pulse check, and then we're dealing the roll in the dice with rice card. Jags Texans, Ravens, Vikes, Rams, Niners, and our local picks. Browns at Jets, Giants at Bears. Numbers you can actually bet. Top off your coffee. We're about to set your lineup and your slips. Keep it ready here. Okay, now what you've all been waiting for. Lineups first, tickets second. Let's set the table for week 10. Fantasy people, come closer. Listen in. This is the part where we win Sunday at 1258. Quarterbacks, simple and clean. Justin Herbert against Pittsburgh is a don't overthink it. The Steelers are giving up a country mile through the air, and Herbert's been playing like a locked-in QB1. You start him, you live with the occasional YOLO ball, and you thank him for the points. On the flip side, Daniel Jones in the Berlin game, yes, he's been awesome this season. We all see it, but Atlanta strangles passing volume and keeps everything in front of them. I'm not saying bench your QB eight this season. I'm just saying look at your bench first and make sure you really don't have a better matchup. If you do, fine. If not, take the 16 and move on. As for running backs, this is where you win your week. Kyle Manungay, Rucker's kid, versus the Giants, is the total green light. Even if DeAndre Swift suits up, Menungay earned work and he is running into the league's second softest run matchup behind the Bengals. Flex him with a smile, be happy when you win your matchup. Brees Hall, look, I love Brees Hall, the player. You know that. But Cleveland's front eats souls. Okay. Elite success rate defense, elite run fits, and now your team total is basement level because of the trades. You don't have to bench him. Volume is volume, right? But understand that this is one of those 16 carries for 58 yards, and you're praying for a screen or a touchdown kind of weeks. As for wideouts, two very different vibes. Wandell Robinson versus Chicago. Yes, please. The Bears bleed points to slot receivers, and Wandell basically lives in the slot. In a PPR, he is a borderline wide receiver two this week. Take that all day. On the flip side, Khalil Shakir. At Miami. Surprisingly enough, the Dolphins actually suffocate wide receiver production, not named running back angle routes. And Shakir's usage is volatile to say the least. If you have a set of your wide receiver three, I would think about maybe swapping them in. And two quick ads for this week if they are available. Jacoby Myers landing in Jacksonville is a perfect hands and reliability boost while their wide receiver room gets healthy. Playable is a high floor wide receiver three. And Rasheed Shaheed to Seattle is your boomer bust dart throw. He's got legit lid lifting upside. So if you need a uh 15 plus point in one swing guy, that's your guy. And as far as tight ends this week, well, they're both in the same game. Kyle Pitts against Indy and Germany is the rare lean in. The Colts, as good as they have been, have quietly bled tight end points all season. And Pitts has lived in that like five to eight target pocket. You won't love it, but you'll like it at the end of the day. And on the other side of that, Tyler Warren versus Atlanta, temper your expectations. The Falcons have been nails against tight ends this whole season. Like whole position group, nothing burger nails. You can still roll them because he is a monster and special. Just understand you're not looking at a 15 to 18 point week. You're probably looking at more of like a six to eight point week from him. So just temper your expectations a little bit. Okay, with fantasy out of the way, and hopefully you've been doing well all year by taking my advice. Time to get the slips out. Time to build that ticket. It's time for rolling the dice with rice. Went 3-1 last week. That brings our record to 18-22. We started out 5-17. We are slowly but surely climbing back. And with nobody on a bye this week, I got uh I got five games for you. So let's kick it off right at the top. And the first game on my card is Jacksonville at Houston. This is about the helmets under center. No CJ Shroud. And I've seen enough Davis Mills in my life to know what it looks like when the car seat faces backwards. Jacksonville just added Jacoby Myers, and they've been a better road team than people want to admit. The number is short. I'm laying it. Give me Jags minus one and a half. Next on the list, Ravens add Vikings. Lamar flat out said, win out or were out. That's the leadership talking. And Baltimore is built to choke the life out of momentum teams, especially in a letdown spot. Minnesota had their big divisional chest thump last week against the Lions. This is where it wobbles. I'm laying it easily. Ravens minus four and a half. Next game on the list, Ravens at 49ers. Don't overcomplicate this one. Both offenses can score in bunches. Both defenses give up explosive plays. And the Rams have found their rhythm. Puka Nakua is back. This screams track meet. Gimme the fireworks. Give me over 49 and a half. And as for the locals, Browns at Jets. The line flipped post deadline, and I get it. You move the leaders in the front seven, and Cleveland's defense is a meat grinder. But this seems like in an identity game for Aaron Glenn's locker room. You've got new voices, young players trying to make a name for themselves. They're going to sprint to the ball. And a crowd that might actually show up and reward this team for having a plan. I'm not mad at a tiny sprinkle on the money line, but the move here is to buy the hook, take the cushion, and deal with the rock fight. Give me Jets plus three and a half. And as for the Giants, Giants at Bears. Well, Chicago's offense has been ripping apart bad secondaries. And the matchup tilts their way again this week, too. Ben Johnson seems to have found his rhythm with Caleb Williams, and he is always going to dial up some plays to put your cornerbacks in a blender. I'll ride the script and the building. Give me Bears minus four and a half. If you hate the four and a half, buy it down to two and a half and sleep like a baby. Unfortunately, I don't see this going the Giants' way, and uh looks like another black mark on Brian Daval's ledger as Giants head coach. So that's this week's card. Set smart lineups, don't chase losses, and please, please bank the early wins when you have them. On the other side, we'll button it up, we'll land this plane, and we'll get you out of here with the outro. Thanks for sticking around. Alright, let's land this thing. If you stuck with me today, salute. We covered a lot for sure. The Jets tore it down to build it up and for once did it like adults. Quiet phones, clean moves, real runway. I gave you both sides of that coin, the scars from a decade of first-round whiffs, and the reason to believe when you've got the ammo, the cap, and a plan, they can make things happen. Giant fans, we kept it honest. Dable C is hot, the record is what it is, and the mission now is simple. Track Jackson Dart's growth and see if that defense keeps fighting. As for hoops, the garden feels like home again. Big cat playing hard, Brunson piloting the offense, OG in rhythm, and Mitch bulldozing the glass. Your poll said finals, and for once it didn't feel crazy. Baseball was tight but necessary. Mets start with an ace hunt, scoobal or a creative pivot, lock in Diaz at a sensible contract, and be adults about Pete. And stop letting good coaches walk to Atlanta. As for the Yankees, answer your own test. Who's at first? What's at second? Who's in center field? And how serious are you about Star Bats right now? For the fantasy heads, we set your lineups, and for the gamblers, this slip is posted. Jags minus one and a half, Ravens minus four and a half, Rams over 49, Jets plus three and a half, and Bears minus four and a half. Don't chase shop numbers, be smart. Wednesday mic check rolls every week. If you want your take right on air, make it sharp. Sign your name to it too. If you dug the episode, do me the two-tab favor. Follow the Instagram. It's at Rice on the Radio. And rate and review the pot. Share it with that one group chat that still argues about whether the Bills can beat the Chiefs in January. It does a lot more than you think, and it really helps the show. New episodes every Friday morning, reels and picks throughout the week, but that's gonna be it for me. Hydrate for some brunch ball in Berlin in the morning. Be good to each other and spread good energy in this world. Make sure you tell somebody you love them today. I am Ian Rice, this has been Rice on the Mics, and I'll catch you next week. Same time, same place.