Chalk Talk: Doug Farrar Football Podcast

In the debut of Off the Grid, Doug Farrar's narrative podcast about all things football, we take a deep dive into the ways current and former NFL players feel about the league's recent admissions of the link between football and CTE. Hear from the safety who remains cynical, though he hasn't played since 2011. Hear from the guard who is trying to keep his place in the NFL, and is balancing that against the obvious and unavoidable risk to his future. Hear from the current starting left tackle of the Baltimore Ravens, who can't believe the NFL is as shortsighted as it's been. And hear from the former guard, only 26 years old, whose life has been irrevocably altered by the concussions he suffered in pro and college football. 

In the debut of Off the Grid, Doug Farrar's narrative podcast about all things football, we take a deep dive into the ways current and former NFL players feel about the league's recent admissions of the link between football and CTE. Hear from the safety who remains cynical, though he hasn't played since 2011. Hear from the guard who is trying to keep his place in the NFL, and is balancing that against the obvious and unavoidable risk to his future. Hear from the current starting left tackle of the Baltimore Ravens, who can't believe the NFL is as shortsighted as it's been. And hear from the former guard, only 26 years old, whose life has been irrevocably altered by the concussions he suffered in pro and college football. 

They're back! Sports Illustrated's Doug Farrar and Greg Cosell of NFL Films and ESPN's NFL Matchup discuss all the big schemes and stories to get you ready for Week 3 of the 2015 NFL season.

They're back! Sports Illustrated's Doug Farrar and Greg Cosell of NFL Films and ESPN's NFL Matchup discuss all the big schemes and stories to get you ready for Week 3 of the 2015 NFL season.

The best NFL matchup podcast is back! Doug Farrar of Sports Illustrated and Greg Cosell of NFL Films and ESPN's MFL Matchup discuss what they saw in Week 1 of the 2015 season, and look ahead to Week 2, with schemes and concepts in mind.

The best NFL matchup podcast is back! Doug Farrar of Sports Illustrated and Greg Cosell of NFL Films and ESPN's MFL Matchup discuss what they saw in Week 1 of the 2015 season, and look ahead to Week 2, with schemes and concepts in mind.

It's time for football again, and time for Doug Farrar of Sports Illustrated and Greg Cosell of NFL Films to preview the 2015 season, division by division. We continue with the NFC North, a division with all kinds of questions: Can the Bears turn around their defense with Vic Fangio replacing Mel Tucker? How will the Lions adapt without Ndamukong Suh? Can the Packers overcome their own defensive personnel attrition and get to the Super Bowl with their high-flying offense? And do the Vikings live up to their chic pick status? Greg and Doug break it down schematically as only they can.

It's time for football again, and time for Doug Farrar of Sports Illustrated and Greg Cosell of NFL Films to preview the 2015 season, division by division. We continue with the NFC North, a division with all kinds of questions: Can the Bears turn around their defense with Vic Fangio replacing Mel Tucker? How will the Lions adapt without Ndamukong Suh? Can the Packers overcome their own defensive personnel attrition and get to the Super Bowl with their high-flying offense? And do the Vikings live up to their chic pick status? Greg and Doug break it down schematically as only they can.

It's time for football again, and time for Doug Farrar of Sports Illustrated and Greg Cosell of NFL Films to preview the 2015 season, division by division. We start with the AFC North, a division with all kinds of questions: Can Baltimore keep its secondary together enough to contend for a Super Bowl title? Do the Bengals have enough of a team around Andy Dalton to finally transcend Dalton's limitations? Do the Browns have any chance at the quarterback position? And can the Steelers' explosive offense do enough to get around a defense that seems to be an atypical mess these days? Greg and Doug break it down schematically as only they can.

It's time for football again, and time for Doug Farrar of Sports Illustrated and Greg Cosell of NFL Films to preview the 2015 season, division by division. We start with the AFC North, a division with all kinds of questions: Can Baltimore keep its secondary together enough to contend for a Super Bowl title? Do the Bengals have enough of a team around Andy Dalton to finally transcend Dalton's limitations? Do the Browns have any chance at the quarterback position? And can the Steelers' explosive offense do enough to get around a defense that seems to be an atypical mess these days? Greg and Doug break it down schematically as only they can.

It's time for football again, and time for Doug Farrar of Sports Illustrated and Greg Cosell of NFL Films to preview the 2015 season, division by division. We start with the NFC East, a division with all kinds of questions: Can the Cowboys lean on their offensive line enough to overcome the loss of DeMarco Murray? Is the Giants' passing game good enough to overcome issues at other placed on the roster? Will Chip Kelly's serious roster makeover give the Eagles the division title? And can Jay Gruden and Robert Griffin III ever get on the same page? Doug and Greg go under the hood with serious conceptual and schematic discussions. 

It's time for football again, and time for Doug Farrar of Sports Illustrated and Greg Cosell of NFL Films to preview the 2015 season, division by division. We start with the AFC East, a division with all kinds of questions: Can Jimmy Garoppolo pick up the slack for the Patriots during Tom Brady's suspension? Will improvements on defense and Ryan Tannehill's development make the Dolphins the team to beat? And can the Jets and Bills overcome their obvious quarterback issues with great defenses? Greg and Doug break it down schematically as only they can.

In this week's draft podcast, Doug Farrar of Sports Illustrated and Greg Cosell of NFL Films and ESPN's NFL Matchup discuss the best and most intriguing cornerbacks and safeties in this draft class. We also discuss the differences and difficulties collegiate defensive backs will face as they transition to the NFL.

With one week before the 2015 NFL draft gets underway, it's time to round out our positional reviews with the draft-eligible defensive backs. And who better to talk with than Matt Bowen, former NFL safety and current Lead NFL Analyst with Bleacher Report? Matt brings his unique knowledge of pro schemes and college players to our podcast, and there's a wealth of information here. 

In this week's draft podcast, Doug Farrar of Sports Illustrated and Greg Cosell of NFL Films and ESPN's NFL Matchup discuss the best and most intriguing linebackers in this draft class. Which players are the most prominent pass-rushers, who are the most compelling hybrid players, and who can start in the NFL right away?  

In this podcast, Doug Farrar of Sports Illustrated gets on the horn with Steve Palazzolo of Pro Football Focus to discuss PFF's new and major project -- College Football Focus, in which Steve and his army of charters have charted every FBS game of the 2014 season. That's over 800 games, kids. And with that work, College Football Focus now provides an entirely new level of draft analysis -- going beyond "highlight bias" and getting deep into how the 2015 draft prospects actually produced -- and what this class could actually provide.

The 2015 class of defensive linemen is one of the more gifted and versatile in recent years, with several players who could succeed in the NFL at multiple roles and positions. To sort it all out, Doug Farrar of Sports Illustrated and Greg Cosell of NFL Films and ESPN's NFL Matchup bring their tape notes and break down all the big names -- USC's Leonard Williams, Washington's Danny Shelton, Missouri's Shane Ray and Nebraska's Randy Gregory among them -- and some lesser-known prospects you might not be aware of. This is a must-listen, especially for those who believe that the NFL has become more scheme-versatile on defense than ever before. 

In this podcast, Doug Farrar of Sports Illustrated talks with Stephen White, former defensive lineman for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New York Jets, about the best and most intriguing defensive tackles, defensive ends and pure edge rushers in the 2015 draft class. Stephen brings a wealth of knowledge to the table, and this is a must-listen!

The 2015 draft class of offensive linemen is very deep from tackle to guard to center, and one of the more interesting and potentially befuddling things about this class is how many players who have excelled at one or more positions in the NCAA could be better off lining up somewhere else when it's their time in the NFL. In the latest edition of their draft podcast series, Doug Farrar of Sports Illustrated and Greg Cosell of NFL Films and ESPN's NFL Matchup break down the big names, some underrated surprises, and where these guys should all line up at the next level.  

In this podcast, we'll veer off the beaten track of Xs and Os (though we'll return soon!) and discuss a far weightier issue -- how has the NFL's culture of reaction and hidden permissiveness affected the victims of domestic violence whose accused assaulters are in the league? What needs to change beyond the NFL's insistence that it is changing, and how is that realistically accomplished? I asked Sarah Spain of Chicago's ESPN1000, ESPN Chicago and ESPNW, and Stephanie Stradley of the Houston Chronicle and Stradley Law to give me their thoughts on how far the league has come in the year-plus since the Ray Rice case hit the news, and how far the league still needs to go.