The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 03/19/2021 - HOUR 1 - Wentz, Gruden, Bears

Episode Date: March 19, 2021

Carson Wentz is in a better situation with the ColtsRaiders HC Jon Gruden has too much powerAndy Dalton isn't mobile enough to be the QB for the BearsGuest: Brock Huard Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifers Show.

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heard. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Ah, it is a Friday. The week has flown by. We are live in Los Angeles. The weather's getting nice now. It's the herd, wherever you may be, and however you may be listening. I-Heart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, and FS1, an hour from now. I'm going to do something I've never done. No, not undress on the show live.

I'm going to take you behind the curtain on how I make my predictions with NFL standings throughout the course of the year. And you can play along and see last year I was seven for seven on AFC playoff teams, did very well. I'm going to take you behind the curtain and we're going to play this game together in one hour. And Joy Taylor is joining me. Joy, how are you? I'm great. It's Friday.

Sunny out. Well, you moved this week and went to the dentist for three hours. Yes, I did. I'm still eating on one side of my mouth. But, yes, I'm happy it's the weekend. Not slobbering on the show. That's good news. I definitely slobbered and I slept for sure.

You know, and your face is all known. And you're like, well, yeah, I've been there. Oh, well. So it's good to have you in a Friday. So Carson Wentz is officially a cold, he held a press conference yesterday. So this is one of my many theories in life. And I don't think I knew this in my 20s. In fact, I know I didn't know this in my 20s, but I certainly know it now.

Nobody can succeed on an island. Nobody can succeed without really good support, be your family, your wife, your husband, your boss. But when really talented people do get support, they always succeed 100%. So the key is, if you're ever looking to hire somebody, find people with talent who don't have a good culture, who don't have a good boss, who don't have a good support system. I don't get the cynics on Carson Wentz to the Colts. They're going to win this division, and they're probably going to play on the AFC championship. And just think about this.

The entire past calendar year, four of the best quarterbacks in the entire league, four of the top five, have spent the year telling us, I can't do it by myself. Russell Wilson went public. O-line's not good enough. I want more say on the offense. Russell Wilson's whole career, go Seahawks. He finally said, I need help.

Even I can't do it alone. Tom Brady leaves New England. I can't be the only star on offense. I need weapons. Does a documentary. I need help. I need more say. Aaron Rogers complains publicly.

Did you see us get rolled twice by the 49ers? And you drafted my backup? and a running back, I need more good players. And then Deshawn Watson saying, organizationally, I went four and 12. I can't be in Houston.

I won't play. Coach, front office, owner. So the four of the best five quarterbacks in the world has spent the last calendar year going public. This isn't even a private conversation. Even Brady goes to a documentary. Russell Wilson goes to the media. Deshawn Watson goes through his agent.

Aaron Rogers goes on radio shows. They've begged, I can't do it alone. And you don't think talented Carson Wentz is going to improve? He went four for four in upgrades. Offensive line, massive upgrade with the Colts. Culture? I mean, the culture in Philadelphia is a wreck. The culture in Indies great.

Defense, weapons. I mean, I can say five for five. Head coach. Of course it's going to work. Bigley. He's going to win his division. He's going to get to the AMC championship. He upgraded in everything.

Same thing in the NBA. We're even stars. Historically, Kobe's or LeBron's. We're like, I can't do it alone. I want to be the man. I don't want to be the only man. So I look at the Carson Went situation. This is a team that won 11 games with a quarterback that was so old.

He just retired to go coach high school football. Anytime somebody with talent gets upgrades in four or five different areas, they always succeed. If I said you're talented, you're going to get a better boss, a better workplace culture, better support system, better digital reinforcements, and a bigger budget. There would be no chance you would fail. There'd be no chance you wouldn't upgrade. I mean, Carson went yesterday, even sounded happier and he's yet to play a game. Anytime there's a trade, obviously, you know, I have no control, so to speak.

But, you know, working with Frank first and foremost and what he's been able to do here and what has the culture that had already been established here over the years, you know, gets me excited. Obviously, they align the skill players, all of that, what they were able to do last year and, you know, be right on the verge of something. special, you know, how close they came. There's a lot of things that we're super excited about and can't wait to really dive head first here in Indianapolis. First time I've seen him smile.

Of course, this is going to work in a big way. So a general manager in the NBA told me this years ago, coaches fall in love with players. My job is to fall in like with players. That's why you have to be very careful. about giving a coach too much power. Bill O'Brien had too much power. He whiffed on the draft, whiffed in trades.

John Gruden's got too much power. He's falling in love with players. So yesterday, they signed Kenyon Drake. Good running back to a big deal. They've already got a star back. And I've been on this for two years now. The Raiders are kind of making it up as they go. It looks like they're run by a high.

highly emotional head coach who does what he feels like doing when he wakes up in the morning. Remember the 2019 draft? We want high character guys. So they reached on a couple guys. The high character, that was after they'd signed Vontes Burfect, Richie Incognito, and traded for Antonio Brown. Mixed message. In 2020, I loved Eric Carr.

And then they go make Marcus Mariotta the highest paid backup. And I read a story this morning. They're going to cut Marioita unless he takes a huge pay cut. So now this offseason, they've bailed on the offensive line. And, oh, wait, now they're doubling down on running back. What is the messaging here? Character matters, just joking. Mario is amazing.

Take a pay cut. Run games essential, bailing on the offensive line. This is what I've said. Belichick Gruden, formerly Bill O'Brien, and Pete Carroll have too much power and personnel. coaches tend to fall even in Belichette. You fall in love with players. GM's job is to fall in like with players.

When you watch the Raiders, doesn't it feel like they're just kind of making it up? The messaging's all over. I love this guy. Then you pay huge money for a backup. This is what we are. Then you go in the opposite direction. Character matters.

Oh, no, it doesn't based on my free agent signings. And I look at the Raiders today. and when Gruden signed that contract, first of all, I'm not a big fan of 10-year contract. I wouldn't want a 10-year contract. Seriously, I'd get lazy. I don't want to – I like three-year contracts. I sign it, and I know if I don't get my act together, I'm looking for working two years. So I didn't like the 10-year contract, but I also don't like the fact that Gruden has final say.

They almost worship the ground he walks on. Raiders are just – what are you? Like, when I watch the Colts, I guess. I know exactly what they're doing. I know exactly what they're doing. Rarely go into free agency, draft and develop well, build an O line and a D line. They love linemen. They always feel like they're one shy and skill people.

Got some good skill, but they're always about a skill person and shy. But they've always got surplus of talent, O line, D line, and they're very frugal on the market. They will pay, but it is rare. I feel like I know what the Packers culture is. I've known for years what New England's culture is. It's not hard. If you watch a football team in professional football or college, when you watch Alabama, you can sense what they want to be.

When you watch the Raiders, what the hell are they? What do they want to be this morning? I thought it was an offensive juggernaut. We're bailing on the offensive line. Oh, no, we're not. We're going getting and doubling down at running back. Well, good luck with a bad offensive line. I don't know.

It's cautionary tale. You give coach total power. They fall in love with players. GMs fall in like with players. There's an NFL team, by the way, that is absolutely melting down. And we've seen this happen twice in the last five years. This is the third time. It is, if you don't have a superstar quarterback in this sport, you can get bad so fast.

All it takes is an incompetent coach or an incompetent. general manager. There is a franchise, a proud franchise, that is melting down as we speak. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the IHeart Radio app. Hey, this is Jason McIntyre. Join me every weekday morning on my podcast, Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre. This isn't your typical sports pod pushing the same tired narratives down your throat every day. Straight Fire gives you honest opinions on all the biggest sports headlines, accurate stats to help you win big at the sports book, and all the best guests. Do yourself a favor and listen to Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care which I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball. basketball to college football or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show.

This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream,

this is right where you need to be. Listen to The Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm CJ Toledano, and our podcast Point Game is about defying the odds. Like LeBron heading into the playoffs without Luca and Austin Reed. And finding ways to win no matter what. He's the smartest player to ever play the game.

His IQ is at a level that we've never seen before. And he knows without Luca and Austin Reeves, I got to manipulate the game. We get a player's perspective on the challenges of the playoffs. I think Joker's going to be exhausted this series because when they don't have Rudy in the lineup, he has to really guard guys like Nas Reid. He has to guard Julius Randall.

And then he has to give us every. everything he gives us on the night-to-night basis on offense. And when IT's friends stop by, like Quentin Richardson, we dive into some playoff history too. Steve Nass would get that thing. That man, hell get the flying. He running up the court, licking his fingers why he got the ball. Like, you go through a training camp with that Isaiah,

you figure it out real quick. Get your ass up and down the court, and you're going to get the ball. So listen to Point Game on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Deanna Maria Riva, actress, mother, lover, and a Gen X woman walking through life one hot flash and hormonal crying jag at a time. You ladies know what I mean. I'll bet you a perimenopausal chin here you do. So let's talk about it.

Join me on my new podcast. How hard can it be with Deanna Maria Riva, where I call on my Gen X squads from Ohio to Hollywood as we navigate Midlife's most fantastic BS. All of a sudden, I'd had hanginess happening on my own. I was like, what the hell is that? was married when I had her, so I didn't even consider how empty that Ness was going to be. Mood swings, night sweats, fupas, sex drive. Wait, what sex? Dating at 45. How high can it be? How can it be? Getting naked at 50 with a new guy. That one's kind of hard, no. Well, that's lighting. They say we can't polish a turd, but we're sure going to try. So let's get blunt with laughs,

tears or tears of laughter, and dive into it, unfiltered and unbothered and ask, how hard can it be? I cannot believe I'm about to say this out loud in public. How hard can it be with Diana Maria Riva as part of My Cultura Podcast Network available on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. So of the many reasons you want to have a great quarterback in the NFL is that you can make a bunch of mistakes. And everybody in this league makes mistakes. You can make a bunch of them. But if you have the star quarterback, he keeps you afloat. Aaron Rogers has had some bad defenses.

he keeps the Packers afloat. Brady, in the end, got the Patriots to a playoffs with the worst skill people in the league. A star quarterback is not going to always winning a Super Bowl. He's not going to always get you to a conference championship. But a star quarterback is, I always said, you know, LeBron's the great eraser. All your GM mistakes, all your trade whiffs.

LeBron just sort of washes through all of it. Doesn't mean he's going to win a title every year. But you'll never be bad with LeBron. You'll never be bad with Brady. You'll never be bad with Aaron Rogers. You'll never be bad with Russell Wilson. But most teams don't have a superstar quarterback. And what happens is when you make the mistakes that everybody does, you melt fast in this league.

Chicago's got a bad GM and they don't have a star quarterback. And they are melting fast. So Andy Dalton is now the quarterback. He is a downgrade from Mitch Trubisky, who I don't love. But with this limited number of skill people and this offensive line, you need a quarterback who can move. And he can't. Also, just released a Pro Bowl corner of Kyle Fuller to save $14 million in a division with Aaron Rogers. Don't think that's great. And the Keem Hicks, the defensive lineman, very good, wants out. The franchise is melting. They're going to be a

bottom six team in the league potentially. So this feels very much like the New York Giants. In that 2016, 2017, 2018, oh, this was a Super Bowl. It's a Blue Blood franchise. And They had Coughlin and Eli and a good defense. And then they made a bad coaching hire, a bad GM hire. The defense eroded. They had no planet quarterback. And the Giants suddenly stunk. They're still digging out from that.

Feels like Philadelphia. I just want a Super Bowl. Unbelievable. Philadelphia is well run. And then Frank Wright leaves. And then Carson Went to Rhodes. And they miss in about three straight drafts on skill people. And the offensive line gets old.

And suddenly today, I think, and I would agree, that's a fourth place team. That's the Bears. Oh, playoffs last couple years. Everybody wants to blame Matt Nagy. Matt Nagy's got a winning record in two playoffs with Mitch Trubisky and a general manager that doesn't appear to know what he's doing. This franchise, his franchise in Chicago is melting.

And, I mean, look at today. Aaron Rogers wakes up. He's going to face Andy Dalton twice a year, Jared Goff with Dan Campbell twice a year, and Kirk Cousins. with a hyper conservative head coach and Mike Zimmer, who I think is a really good coach. I mean, Aaron Rogers just pencil it in. That's going to be first place this year.

But the star quarterback, you know, that's why I always laugh when, oh, well, LeBron James, Michael Jordan went six for six. Michael always had Phil Jackson with those titles. He always had elite rebounders and elite teammates. The reality is, LeBron doesn't guarantee you in a title,

but he guarantees you're always viable. Brady and New England didn't know was when in a title. You're always viable. Russell Wilson, Aaron Rogers, you're always viable with those guys. But if you're not special at quarterback, you can get bad so fast

in this league. All it takes is one injury, couple guys demand a trade, two draft picks with, and you stink. And Chicago this morning looks like they are becoming, thank God for the lions.

Because they feel like they are literally a barrel over a waterfall headed downhill. Joy with the news. No, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. I mean, at least the lions have Jared Gough and a new head coach and some new front office pieces. They can at least be optimistic.

And a good draft spot and bears don't even have a good draft spot. They butcher it anyway, but they don't have a good one. Well, Marcus Marietta has a big decision to make. The Raiders have asked him to take a pay. cuts of over $7 million to reduce his salary to $3 million for the 2021 season. If he refuses, Vegas may release him. Now, the money on all of this is very interesting because Vegas could save a lot of money by just cutting him. So basically they're trying to put it out there that he is available to be traded. But if they cut him outright, it would say Vegas 15.1.5.5.5.000.

$3.35 million in the salary cap with zero dead money. Well, the Raiders should cut Marcus Marriota. Number one, they need the $15 million. There's no dead money. And Derek Carr's your starter. So they should. But the problem is what they paid him to bring him in when you had Derek car made no sense. I will say this, though.

You know how I love Sam Darnold? Mariota and Sam Darnold have a lot of similarities. This is another head scratcher. why didn't Washington and Chicago go after Marcus Marietta, a playmaker in offenses that I think kind of need that at quarterback? Well, he has missed 13 games due to injury. He has a 29 and 32 regular season record. He was 62.9% completion percentage of 13,000 yards, 76 touchdowns, and 44 interceptions in his career in Tennessee. So it's not like he was, and that's a Tennessee team that, You know, we don't really look at Tennessee as being a dysfunctional organization or something that he needed to overcome.

Yeah, I'm not saying he's great. I'm saying Ryan Fitzpatrick or Marcus Mariotta. And by the way, doesn't Taylor Heineckee to back up in Washington? Isn't he kind of a less talented version of Marioata? So it'd be a symmetry with them? Well, they don't want to trade for him because if they trade for him before a free agency, there was a bonus in his contract that could make his salary worth. up to 20 million if he becomes the starter.

So his contract is a little bit complicated. I'm with you. I'm not completely out on Marriota. I don't think he's a starter. I think he's a backup at this point. He's a talented bridge. He could be a bridge, yes. He's a one-year, super talented bridge for a Chicago or Washington team that was, you know, six months

ago, a playoff team. He's a very talented bridge. I don't know what he's going to. I think it's a contract. I think what you just said is the answer. Well, yeah, like they can't trade for him. Teams are not going to trade for him because you're going to go from a talented bridge to a $20 million. So he will be on the market because if the Raiders can save $15 million with no dead money,

I would cut him tomorrow. And I absolutely. So here's a quarterback answer for somebody in a couple of weeks. I'm sure they'd like to keep him, but they want to keep him at a backup quarterback salary of $3 million. They don't want to keep him at $10 million and I don't want to take a $15 million. So if I'm Marcus Marius. I'm betting on myself. I'm not going to take that.

I'm going to go to the market. I think you have to. If I'm Marioo, I go to the market. I'm not going to do that. So the Giants have signed veteran titan Kyle Rudolph to a two-year deal. It's reportedly worth up to $14 million. He was released by the Vikings

after spending his entire 10-year career with them. Good player. The Bills, Colts, Panthers, and Chargers all showed interest in him before he signed with New York. He's good. They also have Evan Ingram at Titan. So now they have a nice tight-end tandem there

for Daniel Jones. I love this signing for the conference. No, it's a really, you got two really nice tight ends. Saquan Barclay comes back. They signed a backup to Saquan Barclay. I think they looked at Kenny Gallaudet, but I actually think they're very lucky. Atlanta's kind of trapped. What Atlanta needs, if they drafted it at their number four spot, Joy, they'd be over-drafting.

They need a linebacker. They needed an edge rusher. Most of those guys are available in the teens and 20s. But what the Giants need is what the draft is loaded with up top. wide receivers. So to me, the Giants could draft any three or four receivers at their draft spot, and it's what they need, and you're not overdrafting. Atlanta's kind of in a weird way.

They're obviously Atlanta's not going to get a quarterback based on Matt Ryan's new contract deal. So what Atlanta needs, you'd be massively over drafting and overpaying it for. So the Giants got lucky here. They need at their draft spot what the draft has multitudes of. They land a speed receiver on the perimeter. It's a very interesting football team. So I keep saying the NFC East is not going to look the same as it did last year. Don't let what happened last year confuse you.

That's why the Brian Fitzpatrick move is a little puzzling, but maybe they're not done in Washington. So LeBron's quest for his fifth MVP continues. He dropped 37 in a 116-105 win over the Hornets last night. After the game, Kyle Kuzma said that LeBron should have won the league MVP at least eight, nine or ten times by now. And when LeBron was asked about those comments, he admitted he has felt snubbed in the past.

I should have more than four, I believe. But I don't, and I don't sit around thinking about it or crying about it, whatever the case may be. I just try to come in the next season be the MVP and be talked about again. I bet a lot of the greatest that played this game feel like they should have more as well. if you ask any one of those guys,

hopefully I continue to play great basketball and see what happens at the end. Well, I mean, Brady's got three. I think it's, they become a victim of their own success in that we talk about them every day. We compare them only to themselves. Right, right.

And they become, you know, these super icons. So it feels, it starts to get into the space of like it's not fair that they win every single year. but I don't know what the fix is for the MVP conversation. It is a regular season award. And so we hold the standard of, well, like these MVPs aren't performing in the postseason.

Well, it's a regular season award. And we have a postseason MVP. It's the finals MVP. And that's for the greatest team of the year and the greatest player on the greatest team. It's the finals MVP most of the time. You know, sometimes somebody has an incredible series and it goes to them. But generally, that's who it goes to. So I don't know what the fix is for the MVP.

Because to me, because it's a regular season award, it's kind of always going to have a bit of a narrative assigned to it. I don't know. I mean, we changed the name of it, like most accomplished player of the year or something. But of course LeBron should have more than four MVPs. It's egregious. It's insanity that he only has four. It's stupid. Like, it's literally just stupid.

Well, Phil Jackson only has one coach of the year. And he became a victim, too, because people assume when you have all these great. players, it's always easier to coach. All you had to do is watch the Warriors dynasty between Draymond and Kevin Durant. Coaching great players can be really difficult. Shack and Kobe can locker rooms blow up. So Phil Jackson has one coach of the year title, which is just absurd. Well, Foxbet has LeBron as the MVP favorite right now, Nicola Yowcich and Joelle

and Beater second and third. I think that LeBron will end up winning the MVP this year. I think Joelle is going to fall out of it because of the injury. And, you know, Yolkich is not just as big enough name to surpass LeBron. But it's just, it is really silly that he only has for. It is. Joy Taylor with the news. Well, that's the news.

And thanks for stopping by. The Hurd-Lie News. He played in the NFL for six years, backed up Peyton Manning with the Colts. One of the smartest guys I know in this business. It was a great high school college player, went to the NFL, and now at Fox. He's one of our fine broadcasters. Rock Heward, joining us live brought to you by Mercedes Ben's the best or nothing. Well, you grew up in Pue Allop and you went to the University of Washington and you played for

the Seahawks, so you know the northern northwest. And I think you and I looked at the Russell Wilson situation. And we've been on the same page where it felt a little uneven. Pete had a little too much power. Russell didn't quite have enough say, so he takes it public. But yesterday I said, listen, they clearly heard him. They went and got Gabe Jackson. They went and got a very talented tight end, Gerald Everett.

And they resigned their fullback, who's very talented. So is it fair to say now, Brock? Now a little bit of the pressure is on Russell because Pete said, I heard you, I'm upgrading. And it gives Russell now he's got to perform. Is that fair? Yeah, I do think that's fair, Colin. And we talked about this, as you said about a month ago, and I still come back to the same thing. like what was Russell's end game?

Because they were going to make these moves. I mean, Pete and John Schneider and that crew that's been together for over a decade, they watched the game tape too. And I know sometimes Pete's delusional in his optimism, but they were going to add to the offensive line. They knew, you know, in this system, they're going to have to have a playmaking tied end. And let's remember, they went out and got the guy that Russell,

of all of the offensive coordinator candidates, Colin, that interviewed, of them and they turned over every stone. By all account, Shane Waldron was the one that Russell was most comfortable with. And as he's been in the building for the last month or so, I've heard nothing but really positive reviews. So yes, I think between some of these additions, the coordinator you want, you let Russell voice some of his dissent, some of his frustration. He wanted a sense of urgency of moves made. Well, yeah, a bunch of them have been made. But Colin, here's the problem. The NFC West is really good.

Yeah. I mean, that San Francisco is smart. John Lynch is smart. They brought back their people. They're going to be a healthy club. Chandler Jones and J.J. Watson nightmare. Leonard Floyd, they choose the D.N. The pass rusher instead of the safety.

John Johnson, right move. So, yeah, you could continue to add, but man, it is going to be a brutal NFC West. You know the Colts well. You played there a couple years. Chris Ballard, it's a very thoughtful, smart, mostly frugal organization. Their game plan, you can follow it.

It's pretty easy to follow. You know what they do and what they don't do. And so they bring in Carson Wentz and there's this sense it's a big risk. I don't see it as that. First of all, I think Indianapolis is an easier place to play than Philadelphia. It's not as hostile. It's not as angry. You played there.

You know the team. How do you think Wentz works? Now there's big expectations, right? I mean, you're following the footsteps of Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck. And so you've had some decades of pretty high-level quarterback play. But to me, this is all about trust in relationship. You know, I go back to my older brother, Colin, Damon Heuard. If you look it up, actually, when Trent Green went down in Kansas City,

Damon was the number two-rated passer in the NFL. He had nearly 100 QB rating back then. Tony Gonzalez, as Will Shields, amazing players around him. But if you ask Damon, he would say the difference was a guy. named Terry Shea. Terry Shea believed in me. Unlike any coach that he had ever had at that point in college or the NFL, like he just emboldened, just empowered, bold in me, believed in me, and Damon went out there and had a remarkable year. This is about Frank Reich and Carson. This is about that trust. This is about the confidence that I think that that head coach is going to

build back into Carson. And you're right, a city and a media market that's nothing like Philadelphia. told me years ago, he said coaches fall in love with players, a GM's job is to fall in like with players. You've got to keep players. You know, you said Pete can be kind of delusionally optimistic and positive and you got to keep those guys away from the draft board.

And I look at the Raiders this morning in the last three years. And it looked like, they literally, whatever mood John wakes up in, that's what they are. And I look at that team right now and they wanted character guys, and then they went out and got incognito Antonio Brown and Montez Perfect.

And then they, I love Derek Carr, and then they paid Mario is the highest paid backup. Now they want to cut him. You tell me when you're in the NFL, are there these reactionary franchises that you do kind of feel like they're making it up as they go? I think impulsive, right? And you know those people in business as well. We've been around them in media. We've had different producers and folks and management at different places that we have been that, you know, can fall in love with somebody in a, in a still a subjective world that talent evaluation is, whether it's doing the job that we do, whether it's in the NFL, whether it's projecting. I think John Groot's a pretty impulsive guy.

Mike Mayock is a good counter to him. I've actually liked a lot of their players. They went all clums in one year. And I loved a bunch of those draft picks of. of guys that just knew what it meant to buy into team, to your point, kind of character guys. But, you know, once again, when you're in a division, and this is a little bit like Russell back in Seattle, when you're in a division now with Andy Reid and, you know, the best quarterback on the planet Earth and Patrick Mahomes, it makes your job that much more difficult, right?

This is not the AFC East that Tom and Bill got to run through with a dysfunctional jets, a dysfunctional Miami, a buffalo that was just on the outskirts. and they got to dominate it for 20 years. That's not the case. That's not the case here for John and Oakland. That's not the case for Russ and Pete in Seattle. Those are really difficult divisions. Oh, by the way, Justin Herbert can play.

And so, you know, just everywhere you look in that division is difficult. And it makes, I think, Mayok and Gruden's job that much more hard. Okay, I want to ask you two questions about the draft because you know college football well. You've done a ton of college football. You have expertise in that and you know the NFL. So the first guy, is there a quarterback sleeper in the draft? There's always somebody that gets drafted, second, third, fourth, and they end up a couple years later, they back up and we wake up and we go,

he's an interesting little player. Is there a quarterback sleeper in the draft? Yes, and that's hard because quarterbacks are front and center are going to go all in the top ten, and so to find a sleeper when everyone's looking for him. But I'll tell you a kid that is immensely talented was the number one quarterback years ago coming out of high school in Georgia. And I went to a practice at Stanford when K.J. Costello was the starter. We had them in the opening game, and David Shaw was nice enough to let us watch practice, sit in meetings.

And I watched this kid throw him. I'm like, who? And I went to Dave. I said, who is that? I don't follow the high school recruiting. So when, you know, a young player comes in, I'm like, this kid can spin it. And his name is Davis Mills. And he only started 11 games, got beat to heck at Stanford, terrible offensive line with young players a couple years when he got his shot.

but he beat Washington twice. Jimmy Lake's defense, he beat him. He was a difference maker on third downs and with his accuracy. And he had his pro day yesterday. Daniel Jeremiah was there, tweeted about it. And it was just a reminder to me, like, you get this kid in the right place. He's a mid-round pick in San Francisco. He's maybe a mid-round pick in Pittsburgh.

You get him in a place that knows quarterbacking that knows what they want to do. Colin, as far as kids, the last 10 years that I've watched throw in person, obviously Mahomes number one Trevor Lawrence is way up there this kid can spin the football and he's going to land somewhere in the mid to late rounds and you better keep an eye on him one more question I said this the other day I remember Trent Delford tell me this year's ago he goes in the NFL put an extra five pounds on get some pudding you're just getting you're getting

hit all the time and this is interesting for you because you are somebody that's been slender your entire life and if you're not putting weight on by 23-24, you're probably not going to put it on. So I watch Zach Wilson at BYU. And I said this to an executive in the league who I like. And I said, he looks thin. And I'm not sure that body puts on 25 pounds.

And there's not a list of great NFL quarterbacks who look thin. Yeah. Is that a fair? I think it's very fair, Colin. And I thought actually as you were beginning, you were going to talk about the guy at his pro day that's going number one. Do you know what Trevor Lawrence Wade did his pro day a couple weeks ago? What? 214.

He's six. He's taller than me. He is, he is lean. I mean, he's got a waist. He is lean, lean. I thought that's where you were going. But I think it is fair. Now, he is six foot six.

And I do think he has a frame that can add, you know, some, the problem with Dilfer is he didn't put five on. He put 25 on. So that's challenge with him. But Trevor's got a frame that can easily put 10, 15 pounds. Zach, that was a concern as I chatted with a few of the coaches in that conference, people that know him, said the exact same thing, that that will be the question. Can you handle the pounding that you are going to take in the NFL?

I could not. Anytime I got a shot, I got knocked out, was too lean, should I ate more pizza, should have taken some of Dilfer's pounds. But that will absolutely be a, question mark for him. It's that durability and sustainability. Yeah, great stuff. You're so good. Brock Heward, Fox Sports NFL analyst, college probably all over the draft as well. Good seeing you, buddy. Have a great weekend with your fam. All right. Thanks, Colin. Thanks, Troy. See it. You bet. He's really sharp, dude. Went to our bosses a couple years ago. So I hire that guy. He's good.

All right. There are topics every morning we come in. And Joy's on the phone for this because she doesn't want to come in at 6 in the morning like me and have no life. also a pandemic. Yeah, pandemic too. I used to come in. So we got about six people there and then about 10 on the phone, whatever. And we, they throw topics at us.

And I'm like, dumb topic, dumb topic. And the key is always, to me is what do you care about? You, the consumer. And do topics,

do they have, do they matter? Are they relevant? Are they, do they feel like cement? Do they land somewhere? One of my least favorite topics. And I see it on every other inferior show.

And I saw it this morning on a show. And I'll tell you why this topic drives me nuts. It's goofy. So I'm going to talk about a topic I hate talking about is what I'm going to do. And at the top of the hour, we're going to go behind the scenes on how I pick the standings and how they're already forming. My NFL picks are already forming before we even get to the draft. That's coming up. Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd, weekdays and noon Eastern, 9 a.m.

Pacific. Hey, this is Jason McIntyre. Join me every weekday morning on my podcast, Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre. This isn't your typical sports pod pushing the same tired narratives down your throat every day. Straight Fire gives you honest opinions

on all the biggest sports headlines, accurate stats to help you win big at the sports book, and all the best guests. Do yourself a favor and listen to Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged.

It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media.

Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment,

and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clivert Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and a TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Hey, I'm Deanna Maria Riva, actress, mother, lover, and a Gen X woman walking through life one

hot flash and hormonal crying jag at a time. You ladies know what I mean. I'll bet you a perimenopausal chin here you do. So let's talk about it. Join me on my new podcast. How hard can it be with Deanna Maria Riva, where I call on my Gen X squads from Ohio to Hollywood as we navigate midlife's most fantastic BS. All of a sudden, I'd had had, hey, hangingness happening on my own. I was like, what the hell is that? I was married when I had her, so I didn't even consider how empty that nest was going to be. Mood swings, night sweats, fupas, sex drive.

Wait, what sex? Dating at 45. How can it be getting naked at 50 with the new guy? That one's kind of hard. Well, that's lighting. They say we can't polish a turd, but we're sure going to try. So let's get blunt with laughs, tears, or tears of laughter, and dive into it, unfiltered and unbothered and ask, How Hard Can It Be?

I cannot believe I'm about to say this out loud in public. Listen to How Hard Can It Be with Diana Maria Riva as part of My Cultura podcast network available on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano, and our podcast Point Game is about defying the odds. Like LeBron heading into the playoffs without Luca and Austin Reed. And finding ways to win no matter what.

He's the smartest player to ever play. the game. His IQ is at a level that we've never seen before. And he knows. Without Luca and Austin Reeves, I got to manipulate the game. We get a player's perspective on the challenges of the playoffs. I think Joker's going to be exhausted this series because when they don't have Rudy in the lineup, he has to really guard guys like Nas Reid. He has to guard Julius Randall. And then he has to give us everything he gives us on the night-to-night basis on offense. And when IT's friends stop by, like Quentin Richardson, we dive into some playoff history too. Steve Nass would get that thing.

That man, hell get the flying. He running up the court, licking his fingers why he got the bar. Like, you go through a training camp with that, Isaiah, you figure it out real quick. Get your ass up and down the court, and you're going to get the ball. So listen to Point Game on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. Black Rifle Coffee, veteran-owned, premium coffee,

to people who love America. Go to black riflecoffee.com slash heard. Heard gets you 20% off your first coffee club order. This week is flown by. We've had a good march on this show. There's been a lot of Matt Stafford, new Rams quarterback, is joining us in a couple of hours, welcoming him to Los Angeles. We're very powerful in Los Angeles.

We need to welcome people here to make sure they're going to clear them before they can start their L.A. life. Yeah, Joy and I christened stars to Los Angeles. So there are certain topics. This is what we do, not to bore you, but we spend two hours. every morning getting rid of dumb topics and getting topics that we think work for the audience. It connects with you. You're interested in the topic.

And I think it's probably been the single biggest part of Joy and I's success since we work together is we spent a lot of time on getting rid of stuff and adding stuff. My least favorite topic, I'll occasionally ask somebody a question, but I really don't even care when I ask them a question. is who's going to win the MVP in sports, but especially the NBA. NFL's no great shakes either. And yesterday, Kyle Kuzm is talking about LeBron should have way more MVP's. Just think about how absurd MVP is.

LeBron's got four and Tom's got three. They have been dominating their sport for 37 years. And they've got seven. Now, think about this. It would be one thing if they were old broken down wheel barrels today. They both are the current title holders. They were both the MVP in the series. And they are favored Tom next year, LeBron this year, to win again.

Seven MVP's, 37 to 38 years of dominance. And you wonder why I roll at this. The Lakers have the second best record in the NBA without AD. but but James Hardin. James Hardin's in the East. That alone is less impressive. Right now, the last three playoff spots in the East are all 500 teams. The Atlanta Hawks for a five seed, they're a game above 500.

I don't want to hear about the East. I cannot take any of this MVP talk seriously. Brady and LeBron still do. dominate their sports. They have dominated it for a combined 37 years. And they've got seven of these things. Either put

players in the vote on it, change the voting methods, change the timing to include playoffs. It's just stupid. The NBA MVP is dumb. By the way, what's interesting is I looked it up this morning. The Lakers have now one, think about this, four straight without AD,

but they also have the number one defensive rating in the league without AD. And he's an elite defensive player. So the defense isn't getting worse. And LeBron's not the runaway? Nick Wright was nailed it earlier this week, kind of mocking the process. And he said, here's how the NBA MVP race will play out the rest of the year. He'll be in second place all year and the person in first is going to rotate.

It was in Bede. Here in about a week, you know what it's. going to be? You know who the MVP is. Nothing against LeBron. It's James Harden. And then a few weeks after that, when Kevin Durant comes back and Hardin's numbers go down a bit, you know what people are going to say, guys, we can't hold the playoffs against Janus. It's a regular season award. By the end of the season, you know what the argument's going to be? Guys, Nikoliyokic, look at his numbers. The Joker, he's the MVP. And this whole time, we're going to be like, or it's the best guy on the best team who plays damn near every night.

Yeah, it's absurd. The Lakers, this goes back to Mike. And by the way, I'm not saying Hardin shouldn't be second place because Kevin Durant got hurt. KD and AD are the same guy. Talented, brittle stars. They can't stay healthy. They're both great. They're both all time.

They're both first battle. I love them both. I'd love to have AD on my team. I'd love to have KD. KD for his offense, AD for his defense. but they're just brittle stars. And Hardin's done an amazing job with KD's absence, and LeBron's done an amazing job with 80s absence.

I'm not disputing. Those are one and two. But when you look at the Lakers' defensive rating in a tougher conference, better record, you can't make an argument than I'm willing to listen to. So that topic to me, if you wonder why that topic's on a lot of shows and it's not on ours, I can't take it seriously. And it is remarkable. years of dominance and LeBron and Brady are still dominating. They're both title holders,

MVP holders, and our favorites again. So it's like, it wouldn't be fair if they won every year, Colin? I'm not into that thing. I'm not into fair. It's not fair that Marvel movies get a bigger budget at Disney than all the other movies at Disney. That's because it makes the more, makes the most, and Marvel movies are the most dominant. So that company is going to funnel more budget and more talented riders to that project. Because it has shown, like Brady and LeBron, if you give it reasonable support, it will pay you back multiple times over. All right, coming up next, I'm so excited for this next segment.

It may bore you to tears, but I'm going to take you behind the scenes on the process. I'll pick in the NFC and AFC standings, which I almost have done today. They're heard. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy, not quite, unhumored me with Robert Smigel and Friends, me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, S&L's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert

Smigel and Friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds.

I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep. That's me, Clivert Taylor the 4th.

You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Cliford Show. This is a place for raw, unfills of conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to The Cliford Show on the IHeard Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on

TikTok. Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to Learn the Hardway with your favorite therapist and hosts Kear Games. This space is about black men's experiences, having honest conversations that it's really not safe to have anywhere, but you're having them with a licensed professional who knows what he's doing. How many men carry a suit or armor. It signals to the world that you not to be played with. And just because you have the capability that does not mean that you need to, listen to learn the hard way on the AHA radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. This is an IHeart podcast.

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