UPDATED - test-2-episode-postproduction-1-run-at-2023-09-04-024303-utc-wav-square-1080p_video

In the 4Wide podcast, the hosts discuss a recent trade in their Dynasty League. One of the high scorers in the league, Danny MacDougall, traded Deshaun Watson and Cooper Kupp along with some second round picks for two first round picks and Cam Akers and Chris Godwin. Some of the hosts think it was a desperate move by MacDougall and that he sacrificed future picks for injured players. They question whether Kupp will have another exceptional season like two years ago and whether Watson will return to his previous form. However, others argue that the trade was relatively equal and that Kupp has performed well consistently. They also mention that it's a dynasty league, so the focus should be on winning now rather than worrying about future picks. Welcome! Welcome to the 4Wide podcast. This is our test recording. We are online. We are recording right now. It's myself, Will, Shed, and Olu here again. And we are going to discuss what went down in our Dynasty League. Of course, the Dynasty League is very active. People do a lot of different things, adding, dropping, but trading is always the most exciting. We always get excited. Correct. We got to see the rare trade accepted in the league, and it was by Danny MacDougall, one of the high scorers in the league. He moved Deshaun Watson and Koopa Kup, along with some second round picks for two first round picks. And in return, he also got Cam Akers and Chris Godwin. Guys, talk about it. What do you guys think? I think this is a classic example of Mitch being desperate to win. He has never won this league, consistently scores in the higher end of the players, but he's sacrificing future picks, assets for a receiver who is injured with a hamstring injury that tends to linger and Deshaun Watson, who may never become again the Deshaun Watson we knew from 2018 through 2020 on the Houston Texans. I think he's going to regret this trade by two years from now when he has no draft picks. You know, I was looking at Mitch's team. I don't think he has drafted anybody on his roster. I think he has legitimately traded for every asset he has. And it hasn't really worked for him yet. He has not won a dime. He's trying to employ the LA Rams model that did win them a Super Bowl two years ago, but that was a miraculous run. And now they're hamstrung for the next five years because of those moves. I remember Sean McVay was wearing that shirt, forget them picks or something like that. What do you guys think? I think that's a quite interesting strategy for someone who makes fun of other people's draft picks. I think it's a reach for sure. It's a reach. How so? Because Deshaun Watson doesn't quite move the needle. He could have stuck with the quarterbacks he had if he gets the same value. And Cooper Cupp, Cooper Cupp is hurt. He's starting to linger hurt and he has a hamstring injury. And hamstring injury lingers throughout the year. And Cooper Cupp is not known to be a fantasy darling except for two years ago, where he got the triple crown. But for the most part, he's never known to be a fantasy darling. So I think that was quite a reach. Thinking Cooper Cupp might somehow go back in time two years from now and get a triple crown again. You know what I mean? So giving up two first rounds, going after Deshaun Watson, who we don't know what he's going to be. I do expect Deshaun Watson to get back on form, but that is a quite move the needle. That makes sense. Yeah, it's an interesting thing. I mean, like Deshaun Watson, prior to him being Deshaun Watson, was an arguably top five fantasy quarterback. I think he was like, for two years in a row, he was number five. And really, when he was in Houston, his only weapon was DeAndre Hopkins and a Will Fuller who couldn't stay healthy for more than six games. I mean, one would argue that right now he probably has the greatest set of skill players he's ever played with. With Nick Chubb, Mario Cooper, Elijah Moore, David Njoku. So I think the stage is set for him to have a good season. However, obviously, we don't know. And Cooper Cupp, you're right about that. Because Cooper Cupp, there's not a good history of wide receivers pulling hamstrings in training camp and then having great seasons. I think the data, the history shows that when a receiver pulls their hamstring in training camp, it does linger. Let alone the guy is what, 31 years old now? Yeah. So I'll hop in here. So I'll say, I'm going to take a different angle. I'm going to say it's a pretty equal trade. And here's why. Because prior to the injury with Cooper Cupp, I think that recently happened. I would say, though, that Deshaun Watson could go for first. Cooper Cupp could go for first. And then you have Godwin and Akers. And both of those are relatively second round picks. Mitch also got a third round pick on top of that as well, too. So I would say the trade was actually relatively equal when it comes to at the end of the day. But I'm actually a fan of Cooper Cupp because, I mean, even though the Rams offense is not going to be good, but they're going to feed Cupp. Like when Cupp was in there during that year. They'll force feed him if he's healthy. Yes. So Cupp is going to get stats. Cupp is going to get stats. It is a big if. Yeah, that is a big if. But assuming Cupp is healthy, even for a couple of games, he was giving you 35 points a game for wide receiver. So Cupp is legit. Now, I don't think, to your point, he won't have the same season he had, what, two years ago or a year and a half ago. Which is an anomaly for him. Yes, I agree. But even if Cooper Cupp gives you 25 points a game, 23 points a game, like Mitch or Danny, Mitch is in it right now to win. And it's not like he just gave it up for first round picks. He got second round picks back, two seconds and a third. So, I mean, he's in it now to win. He doesn't have first in a future draft pick, but he has, I think next year he has, or no, 2025, he has two first or two seconds and three thirds. So he's loaded up, you know, in a future. I think what we should think about is, this is not a redraft. It's a dynasty league. So if you're getting a 31-year-old receiver who doesn't always have major numbers most years, and you get him giving up a first round pick, for the future, that's a disaster. Right. You're putting all your chips in the middle of the table for one year. I agree. So, it's championship or bust. If he does not win it all this year, this trade was an epic failure. But let's not neglect the fact, though, hold on. To what Shed was saying, though, we can't neglect the fact that prior to injury last year, Cooper Cupp was the wide receiver one. His numbers were better than Justin Jefferson's prior injury. Last year? Last year. Last year before he got hurt. Prior to injury, his numbers were better than Justin Jefferson's. Yes, I agree. And also, it's not like if Cooper Cupp doesn't work out, it's a bust for Mitch. Mitch, again, has second and third round. Now, he doesn't have a first round pick in the next two years, but he has a couple of seconds, couple of thirds, so he can still build. Now, the thing is that Mitch has to be able to hit on the second round picks. And I don't think Mitch is a drafting guy. That's why he trades a pick in order to get players. So maybe he'll use that in the future in order to either move back in the first round. I do want to say this, too, to Olu's point. Cooper Cupp, prior to his Triple Crown year, 2020, he had 92 catches, 974 yards, 3 touchdowns. Exactly. 2019, 94 catches, 1,100 yards, 10 touchdowns. That's a good year. He wasn't irrelevant. I would say he was a wide receiver one, a low wide receiver one, because the guy was getting 130 targets a season. And that's before Matthew Stafford. Right. That was his shared job. Three of the first games last year, Cooper Cupp had 36, 37, 35. Three of the first four games last year. Okay. So a good point to that is, all right, if you look at 2018 campaign, right? I remember Cooper Cupp. I don't know the numbers. He was having a phenomenal year. He and Robert Woods. But he got hurt. Last year, he was having a phenomenal year. He got hurt. So many times I think Cooper Cupp never finished out his campaign, because he always get hurt. 2021, he did not get hurt. That's not the norm for him. That's an anomaly. And he's starting the year hurt and has already had setbacks. Exactly. Trying to recover. So yeah, he just started with great numbers, but he never finishes out. Only one time he did. He said he's a hamstring specialist before week one even rolls around. You guys are questioning his talent. You're not questioning his talent. No, no, no. He's a baller. He's amazing. It's the endurance factor. That's it. Yeah, the health. Wait a minute. 2021, he played all 17 games. 2020, he played 15. 2019, he played 16. 2018, he played 8. And 2017, he played 15. He tore his ACL 2018, right? That's why he missed those things. Then he came back in 2019 and had to play 64 games. He started 14. He played 16. He started 14. Why is that? For which season? 2019. Okay, even if he only started 14 games, he still had 94 catches. He played a complete season coming off the ACL. He's not as injury prone as his reputation would make it sound. Look, prior to injury, Culp had 98 targets in 9 games. Last or a year before that in 2021, he had 191 in all 17 games. He was on pace to have the same amount of targets in 2021 as in 2022. He was still pacing very well. When Culp is out there, even if he's out there for half the season, I think that Mitch can use him and he can be very productive. Now, to your point, it is Dynasty, but if he's out there at the right time, that can be a couple wins for Mitch. I think the argument comes down to who would you rather, Cooper Culp or Chris Godwin and Cam Akers? Chris Godwin. Chris Godwin. No, Cooper Culp by a mile. I just think he gave up. He gave up a lot. Wow. That's ultimately what it comes down to. Would you rather Cooper Culp or the combination of Chris Godwin and Cam Akers? Why would you take Cooper Culp over Godwin? I would love to hear that. Because he's performed better than Godwin every single year. He's a better player than Godwin. Godwin's good year came on, what, he had that last year with Jameis, and then when Brady came around. Those were the only two years. And then after that, he got hurt. But Godwin has to score touchdowns to boost his numbers. He's not going to get it just from receptions and yards. Okay. Okay. I will say this, right? Number one, we know about Jameis. So he's never had a good quarterback. So there's Jameis, and Cooper had Guff and what's his name? Godwin had Brady, and he did well. And Brady's second year, he got hurt. And then his third year, he was coming from an ACL injury. So you don't expect to be back to form. So currently, he is back to form. And another thing to think about, Mike Evans has a contract issue currently. And there's rumors he might be traded. That's after the season, though. Huh? That's after the season, probably. Right. But you have Baker Mayfield. Baker Mayfield, who ruined OBJ for three years. He wasted OBJ. I'm not going to go there because we don't want to get involved in that. All right. This is a good test run. We can probably call it here. It's getting late. Let me stop it. Let me stop it.