The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 03/22/2021 - Best of The Herd

Episode Date: March 22, 2021

Colin reacts to LeBron James suffering an ankle injury that will put him on the sidelines for weeks and why this isn’t necessarily bad news for the Lakers and their championship hopes. He also tells you which quarterback is going to be under a ton of pressure heading into next season based on the moves this team made in free agency. Colin shares why he was right about Russell Wilson the whole time and why he was wrong about one star receiver in the NFL. Finally, NFL insider Albert Breer joins the show to talk about the Patriots plan at quarterback and if we should expect them to make a big move up to take a star prospect in the draft.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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IHeart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, and FS1, one hour from now. And a good one. Colin was right. Colin was wrong. I was a lot of both over the weekend with the college basketball tournament. Gonzaga plays tonight. They looked like the best team easily in the tournament. everybody else is a coin flip.

Underdogs have had a great tournament. That's mostly because everybody in college basketball now is smushed to the middle, and everybody kind of is the same with one exception Gonzaga, who drops 95 a night. They play tonight. I think they'll move on to the Sweet 16. Joy Taylor is joining us. How are you, Joy?

I'm good. I didn't expect for everyone's brackets to be busted so quickly. Got right after it. Yeah, no, I mean, it's like the opposite of the NFL, where we feel like we know seven or eight really good teams. Everybody in college basketball is just smush to the middle. Most of your NBA guys, they last one year in the sport. They're off.

So let's start with this. You got to own your stuff. When Brooklyn went and got James Harden added to Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. We all know that James Hardin, we're not really sure what kind of postseason player he is. Boy, he's a great regular season player. He's healthy, gives you 80 games. He plays his butt off. He gives you 35.

He was an insurance policy because your big money is on KD and Kyrie, right? That's your, you're betting on them. So you bring James Harden in knowing that KD is brittle, shockery's hurt again, and Kyrie, you never know what night he shows up and what doesn't. We've seen that this year. So James Hardin is an insurance policy. Everybody thinks, oh, you're stacking the deck. But when you invest in KD and Kyrie, you just want to make sure if they're hurt,

you get to the playoffs. And James Harden, I mean, look at Houston now. Hardin. They're a mess. Hardin is so gifted, he'll get you to the playoffs. He may not do anything there, but he'll get you there, and then Katie and Kyrie are healthy. That's the reality. Brooklyn owned it. Katie gets hurt. Kyrie's not trustable. Hardin will get us to where we need to go, and then hopefully the bands back together for the playoffs. This is now the Lakers' new reality. I don't think it's a coincidence. LeBron went 17 years with no injuries. Now he suffered his second in three years. And AD's always hurt. And based on last year, what looks like the Lakers' recipe for

success in championships is AD and LeBron get a bunch of time off, show up to the playoffs, and they're great. Now, you'd rather it not be for a calf injury like AD, but he's out for another three weeks. It'll be over two months. Kind of a semi-blessing. It's not a career-threatening injury. LeBron, you wish it wasn't a high ankle sprain, but he'll be out for a month or more. He'll be rested. I mean, remember, LeBron didn't want to play in the All-Star game. He wanted rest. He's like, this condensed schedule is too much. He knew what was happening. He's like, my body needs rest. He didn't want to be in the All-Star game, you know, but he's a good sport. So the reality is, the Lakers need a third star. It's not stacking the deck. This is why I've been a big

proponent of Bradley Beale. I don't know if Bradley Beal would be a great playoff player. I know Hardin isn't. I don't know if Bradley Beal would, but he's a great regular season guy. Bradley Beal gives you 80 games a year. So you bring Bradley Beal in, and if an AD whose brittle gets hurt and LeBron is aging, you got Bradley Beal in there to drop 40 a night, keep your relevant, keep you as a top four or five seed in the West. And then when AD and LeBron come back for the playoffs, you're ready to win a championship. That is the reality when you have an AD or a KD.

They're not built for 82 games. It's okay. Big Ben last year wasn't very good when they asked him to throw 60 times. It's much better when they asked him to throw 60 times. It's much better when they ask him to throw 24. Lamar Jackson's probably better when you ask him to throw 29. And they're wrong with that. There's certain running backs.

They're not built to take a beating. Some running backs are smaller, more slight. They're not built to do 37 carries like Derek Henry, who's like a refrigerator rolling downhill or Adrian Peterson who just can play forever. Not every running backs like that. So I think when you get an AD or a KD and you know they're brittle, and then you have a LeBron who's aging and a Kyrie who can be a little inconsistent. The Hardin and the Bradley Beals are, it's okay.

You see this with baseball teams all the time, where they have a couple of really good starters, but they got a lot of innings in them, and they're good postseason pitchers. And they, about July or early August, you know, they put them on like the DL, 15-day, 20-day DL, saved their arms. They got a little tendonitis. We know they're great for the playoffs. It's not a career-threatening injury. Let's put them on the shelf.

Let's get them rested for September and October. And so I do think the Lakers need to go after a third star. Listen, Brooklyn just owned it. I mean, Brooklyn's not stupid. They're like, listen, Katie gets hurt. Kyrie, I don't know. Hardin will get us to the playoffs. Hopefully they all then can join and you have a great run.

And I do think you have to be honest about it. Remember, all the Lakers need to do is get into the playoffs because it's strange after all these years. but nobody in the West really Utah doesn't, Denver doesn't, Portland doesn't, Phoenix. None of them really have a LeBron defender on the wing. It's kind of the weakness of the team. And so all you got to do for the Lakers is get into the playoffs. You know, you can either be an eight seed and beat Utah the first week of the playoffs

or be a two or three seed and beat Utah in the fourth week of the playoffs. But I don't think it's the end of the road for the Lakers. I think in a weird way, this is their recipe. give AD two and a half months off in the regular season and LeBron wanted time off. You wish it wasn't a high ankle sprain, but I don't think it hurts or dims their playoff chances at all. In a weird way, it's kind of LeBron out for six weeks, kind of the best way to get his best game come May and June.

All right, so I saw this story. I thought the best free agent on the market was Kenny Gulladay. He's a wide receiver. He struggled sometimes with health, but he's a great. great talent. And the New York Giants went and got him. I don't know what it is with New York. For the last few years, they spent a lot of money on free agent-wide receivers.

And free agent-wide receivers are kind of hit and miss. Golden Tate wasn't worth the money. Terrell Williams' Raiders wasn't worth the money. Some guys have been worth the money. But I will say this. The Giants didn't do this just for Kenny Galday. They did this for Daniel Jones. They put Daniel Jones on the clock.

Because the era of patience is over for quarterbacks in the NFL. And Daniel Jones last year had four. 11 touchdowns in 14 games. They have loaded this offense up. Sequin Barclay, a top three back, is returning. They went and got Kyle Rudolph, a very good veteran tied end with Evan Ingram. Now you've got two of the top 10 tight ends in football. Now they've got Kenny Goladay, a number one, and he is a number one.

You have Darius Slateon, one of the fastest guys in the league as an over-the-top receiver. You have Sterling Shepard, one of the best slot receivers. Don't be surprised if they don't shore up the offensive line again this year. This is about Daniel Jones. They're giving him until Thanksgiving. That's all this is about. And by the way, Tom Brady was 43 with no OTAs, a new playbook, a new coach, no preseason, no camp, no anything, and won a Super Bowl.

Now, I'm not saying Daniel Jones has to win a Super Bowl, but you got the same coach, you got the weakest division, you've got the same playbook, you've got Jason Garrett, who's a way above average offensive coordinator, Daniel Jones has to make the playoffs. That's how I looked this morning at the New York Giants. If not, you got the wrong quarterback. This is what Cleveland did. If Baker Mayfield didn't make the playoffs this year,

they would not be giving him a contract extension. It would be over in Cleveland. They went and got him two great tackles. They went and got him two great backs. Austin Hooper, David and Joku at tight end, OBJ and Jarvis Landry. The Browns were basically saying, Kevin Stefanski and his crew came in and basically said,

we got to figure out if Baker Mayfield can play. So we're going to load the offense up, not really spend a ton of money on the back end of the defense, which cost them eventually, and we'll find out if Baker can play. And Baker did get them to the postseason. So what does that mean? That means this year for Baker is essential. They just fixed the back end of the defense. Now Cleveland not only needs to go to the playoffs with Baker on that rookie contract.

They need to win multiple games in the playoffs. If they can't win multiple games in the playoffs, I mean, Mitch Trubesky got to the playoffs. That doesn't insure anything. Baker has to win now with Cleveland's free agent acquisitions. Baker has to win multiple playoff games. Pittsburgh's dovetailing. Cincinnati's not there.

They need to do a Baltimore. You've got to go in and win multiple playoff games. And that's what the Giants are saying. Our division stinks. Jason Garrett's a top five coordinator. You got camp. You're going to have OTAs. We gave you stars everywhere.

It's a great receiving corps now. It's an excellent receiving core. In fact, you go receiver at a tight end. it's one of the top five or six in football. Now it's on Daniel Jones. 26 starts. Training wheels are off. Can you play?

And if you can't, this group of people, somebody can play. So to me, and I'm okay with this. I think all these quarterbacks now, you've got to give him about 25, 26 starts, and that's about what he's got. He showed signs of promise. He's a turnover machine, but he did get better at the end of last year. But that Kenny Dalladay moved, that's just for Daniel Jones.

That's a Baker Mayfield. We're going to give you a bunch of people. You've got to make the playoffs. And by the way, Baker made the playoffs in a much better division than the NFC East. So give Baker. Baker got to the playoffs through Baltimore and through Pittsburgh and Cincinnati with Burrow was better. This is a nonsense division. This is a winnable division.

I mean, Washington's got Ryan Fitzpatrick at quarterback. Cowboys defense is terrible. And who in the hell knows what Philadelphia is doing. So there you go, Daniel Jones. Make the playoffs for Thanksgiving. You're the turkey. They're moving on. 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. What's up, everyone? It's me three-time NFL All-Pro Sean Marion. And I have a new sports podcast called The Lights Out Podcast with Sean Murray. This podcast is special to me as I get a chance to talk to some of the best who've ever done it on the field or the track. So whether it's talking to a Super Bowl champion or a NASCAR Cup Series champion, the Lights Out podcast will bring it to you the only way I know how to. I'm giving you the best insight from the best who's ever done it. Listen to Lights Out with Sean Merriman on the IHeartRadio app or wherever

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A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver 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

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Listen to PodMeets Twirled on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. So Daniel Jeremiah is a former scout, three different teams, very well connected as the Chargers broadcast. He was talking over the course of the weekend on a podcast, that the Patriots might move up in the draft. They have the 15th pick, might move up to get a quarterback.

I keep an eye on somebody like Trey Lancer, Justin Fields. Those are the two that would make sense for them to target. Here are a lot of rumors out there that they are really high on Justin Fields out of Ohio State. So they'd have to travel quite a distance to get up in range to get Justin Fields. But I'm with you, with all they've done in free agency. It's kind of set up nicely to bring in a young quarterback. Listen, there's a difference between might and need to. The Patriots have a couple of things really working against them.

The Jets have the number two pick. They're not doing New England any favors, and Miami's got the three pick, and they're not doing New England any favors. That's a bad break. San Francisco wants to move up in the draft. Jets and Miami would love San Francisco because that's an NFC team. So when you look at the teams right now, five minimum are going to draft a quarterback. Jags at one, Jets at two, Carolina 8, Denver 9, San Francisco, 12, all above New England. and all have a weapon offensively or a player offensively, which New England doesn't,

they could put on the trade market to move up or picks. New England's got a couple of things working against it. Jets at two and Miami at three are not helping them, and they don't have any skill people to trade to get anything. Carolina could throw in a Christian McCaffrey and move up. San Francisco's got multiple players they can move. Denver's got some outstanding young players. New England doesn't.

So I don't think it's a need to. When I look at the draft board right now, Cincinnati at five and Atlanta at four is where New England has to get. And Cincinnati historically doesn't do trades. That's just the Brown family. They don't take big risks. To me, they've got to get to Atlanta. New England's got to get to Atlanta at number four. Because remember, this is a great draft class.

Next year is a terrible draft class for quarterbacks. So what do you do? I mean, it's very obvious on a one-year deal to CAM, that's not the long-term issue. So you've got a great draft class now, a bad next year, and not a long-term solution. And remember, New England's also going to be better, at least on paper, they looked better than last year. Nine and seven, ten, and six. So they're not going to get a good draft pick. Like, this is the year.

This is the time. And it really, it's not working in their favor. If they cannot make a deal with Atlanta number four, Jets in Miami are doing them no favors and they don't have skill people to give away. It's really a starless roster. New England's got a lot of solid players. There's no stars. Carolina can move up.

They have stars. San Francisco has stars. Denver's got a couple stars. New England doesn't. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd. Weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. Senior NFL reporter Monday morning quarterback. Let's bring on Albert Breer, sponsored by Mercedes Benz, the best or nothing.

You know, it's interesting. I'm listening, Albert, to Robert Kraft talk about, hey, listen, there's market inefficiencies. We had a lot of cap space. We weren't competing against a lot of people. And I thought to myself, okay, market inefficiencies. It's also the fact you don't have any skill people. A lot of this is New England going getting players because they're not very dynamic. And I look at that.

And I do think this free agent spree by the Patriots is to some degree, I get the market. inefficiencies. Some of it's Belichick acknowledging, I've been lean in the draft. I think Bill's just owning sort of his inefficiencies, right? Well, Colin, that's why the cap space is there in the first place.

I mean, the cap space is there because you look back three or four years and there aren't guys there to pay. And look at the other teams that have cap space. It's other teams that haven't drafted well. The Jets and the Jaguars, and the one team that does have a lot of cap space that's sitting there that has drafted well as the Indianapolis Colts.

Why aren't they spending? Because they've got to go and pay guys like Quentin Nelson and Darius Leonard. So, you know, this is of their own doing. There's no question about that. Now, have they taken advantage of something here? Yeah, absolutely they have. You know, there's there is a market inefficiency there in that there's not a lot of cap space across the NFL.

They've got money to spend. There are less bidders out there. And there are more solid to good players available. They've definitely taken advantage of that. But there's no question this was of their own doing. And I think the thing that you see here is that there's a lack of core players in their roster and a lack of team speed, I think, on offense. And that's really what they tried to attack over the last week

and going after it in free agency the way that they did. Yeah, I mean, they look slow. No question. They look slow. It is interesting. I can make the argument, not that they're desperate, but I was thinking about this. Cam's not their long-term solution, obviously.

You can look at his contract. But there's a couple of things working against the Patriots, a 20-year dynasty. The Jets have the second pick. They're doing them no favors. Miami's got the third pick. They're doing them no favors. Those teams, I mean, Jets would love to do a deal with Sam Darnold in San Francisco. Miami would love to do a deal and send somebody to the NFC.

The other thing is Cincinnati's got the five pick, and historically the Brown family, they don't make moves in the draft. and this is a really good quarterback draft, and next year is not a good quarterback draft. There's a lot of discussions about New England might move up, and I kind of look at it and I think, Albert, I don't know if it's a might. I think they're kind of, are they trapped? I mean, they've done it before.

This wouldn't be the first time. If you look back to 2012, that year, you know, we went in thinking they've got two first round picks, but they've got no history of trading up. What did they do? They traded up twice. They traded up for Chandler Jones. they traded up for Dante Hightower. So they've done this in the past when they've seen opportunity there.

And I certainly think that you have to look at this year's draft class at the quarterback position and sort of a two-year mosaic, like you said. Somebody might get to that level in 2022, whether it's Keaton-Slovis or J.T. Daniels or Spencer Radler, whoever it is. Like maybe somebody gets that level, but they're not there right now. We knew who Justin Fields was at this time last year. We knew who Trevor Lawrence was at this time last year. we knew who Trey Lance was at this time last year.

So, I mean, I think if you're the Patriots, you do have to look at it and say, we don't get one this year. There's a chance we won't get one next year, especially because we expect to be better on the field next year. Right. And so, you know, I think it's certainly on the Patriots to act with a little bit of urgency here. And they're going to look at everything. So it doesn't mean they're necessarily locked into taking one in the first round.

They could take, you know, somebody like Kellyn Mond or Jamie Newman in the second. in our third round. That might be their solution. But I certainly think if you look at those top four and see it the way most teams do, that those top four quarterbacks are head and shoulders above the rest of the class and those four guys are probably going to go in the top seven or eight picks, you know, they need to start working on this and looking at the idea maybe of trading up with a team like Philadelphia at six or Detroit at seven to at least get ahead of the Carolina, Panthers at eight, because the Panthers sitting there at eight are seen by a lot teams is the floor for these four quarterbacks. The floor. Hey, you interviewed Frank Reich about

Carson Wentz and Indy's a team that's very frugal, very smart with their money. And Philadelphia still has to pay a lot of Wens's salary, but that's a big contract. And it's a little bit of a roll of the dice. Frank Reich's opinion on Carson Wents and where he's at today as a quarterback. Well, you know, one thing Frank did was he looked at the whole picture. So, you know, he obviously had the experience with him the last time they were together. It was 2017. And before Carson once got hurt that year on a team that went to the Super Bowl, Carson once was playing like the MVP of the league. So what Reich tried to do was put that aside and put his personal feelings for once aside and taking a cold hard look at the last three years. And really, you know,

I think the way he looked at it was 20 was a little bit of an isolated problem, the way he played. and you could relate it to a lot of different things. It was what was around him. It was the injury situation in Philadelphia. It was the fact that he was trying to play hero ball a little bit too much. And so what Frank Reich said looking at the situation was if we can get him into some sort of healthier group of players around him, then that could do him a lot of good. And that was sort of what he went to Chris Ballard, their general manager with.

And, you know, Chris Ballard took a very very. very, very deep look at the tape and found the same thing. And so what they're betting on right now, Colin, is that he doesn't need to be Superman in Indianapolis. He has one of the best offensive lines in football, if they can shore up that left tackle position, a really good young receiver in Michael Pittman, a really good young running back in Jonathan Taylor

and a defense that's going to be able to win games for them. So what they're betting on right now is they've got something established that's really, really good, and they won't need him to be Superman. They can tell him, go in, play quarterback, play, you know, run the offense the way we want it run, and you'll be fine. And so, you know, it's an interesting gamble just because I think the idea is creating a healthier situation for the quarterback is going to help the quarterback a whole lot. So it's interesting.

The Kenny Goliday move, I think he's a remarkable talent. But as you know, free agent wide receivers, I mean, it is a coin flip. Some just do not work at all. I looked at that move by the Giants and I thought, oh, they just put Daniel Jones on the clock. between Kyle Rudolph and Ghaladay, they just said, kid, you got until Thanksgiving or our scouting department's looking for the next guy. That's what it felt like to me. If you look at their offense today, they should win that. They should be explosive enough to win that division. Because their defense is not the issue, right?

I mean, it's a, I mean, like beyond just the guys you mentioned, I mean, you know, Kenny Goladay and Kyle Rudolph, Evan Engram, Sterling Shepard, Darius Slayton, oh, Sequin Barclay coming back from a They're loaded. They're loaded. From ACL surgery and the offensive line, they poured draft capital into the offensive line last year. And I mean, look, like Dave Gettleman was obviously a huge part of bringing Daniel Jones in. But you know who wasn't?

Joe Judge. And Joe Judge has a lot of influence to that organization now. Now on top of that, now Daniel Jones is going into year three. And the way these contracts are set up for rookies now, decision time for those guys comes after year three. And so they're certainly coming to a. fork in the road with Daniel Jones. And to me, the way I look at it, when they take the, you know, I think it was a little bit of a

dice roll on Kenny Galdet, bringing in, uh, bringing in Kyle Rudolph to create some depth at that position. I think really like more than anything else, the way I would phrase it, Colin is they're looking for answers on Daniel Jones. And they know they're coming to this point after three years where they're going to have to make a decision on his fifth year option. Yep. And they're going to have to make a decision on extending him.

And this is an easy way to get answers. Create a situation that's really helpful. around him and then if it doesn't work out it's on him and you move on yeah is there a team in free agency I wanted to like Washington so much and then that Ryan Fitzpatrick move just is a head scratcher to me I just don't get it is there a team though maybe an under the radar team that you liked their moves so far in free agency which can oh we know this it's always dubious you're much better off generally drafting players like Green Bay and developing them that's kind of the way to go. But free agency, you can get pass rushers, you can get player. A lot of these guys hit.

Is there a team you like what they've done? I'll give you to Washington, I would say yes. And I like the Fitzpatrick move a little bit more than you do, Colin, just because I think what it does is it gives you a chance to compete right now. They feel like they can repeat as division champions. So it'll put them, you know, in that mix where they can be competitive at the quarterback position, but they're not locked down. So they maintain the flexibility if Russell Wilson or Deshawn Watson were to come available over the next year to they can still pursue that. They can still pursue a trade up in the draft. So it allows them to maintain some flexibility.

I really like Curtis Samuels fitting that offense as well. The other team I give you, I think sort of interesting here that didn't do much as far as veteran free agency, the San Francisco 49ers. The fact that they were able to get Trent Williams signed to the contract they got him signed to, which has very team-friendly structure. you think about where the Niners were a year ago when Joe Staley retired and left a big old hole at left tackle position. The fact that they were able to come out of that, only giving up a third round pick for Trent

Williams, and now he's playing at the level he was in Washington, and he's their long-term answer at the left tackle position. I just think that's such a huge win for them. And you look at where the Niners are going to be now, they can get a little healthier, get guys like Nick Bosa back on the field. I don't see why they wouldn't be in a position to compete for the Super Bowl again in 2020. Great stuff. Albert Breer, Monday morning quarterback joining us. The free agent stuff, it is, it's still, you know, it's funny, Albert, there's still players out there. There really are.

There's guys out there. And that's the market now. Lots of, lots of guys are going to have to do one-year prove-it deals. Lots of guys are going to have to do bridge deals now. It's the reality of the salary cap in 2021. Good stuff, Albert. Thanks for coming on. Thanks, Colin. One more herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week within the IHeard radio app. Search her to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like. There's a lot of different skills out there. Kim Kardashian is probably as good as anybody. That's why it's kind of ironic.

She at one point was married to Kanye West. Kanye West has monetized his brand better than anybody in the history of music. Easy, the music. He's worth $6 billion. I mean, he's good. But that's a lot. That's like Elon Musk territory. It's like Kim Kardashian doesn't really sing, doesn't really.

Dan, she's obviously a beautiful person, but she has figured out how to monetize her brand. And, you know, that's a skill. It's like some people can. I've worked with a lot of people that are really good and they can never quite figure out how to make money with their skill. There's other people who are good and they've just figured it out. They just ATM machines. They've figured it out.

John Gruden falls into that class category. Jack Dale Rio's three years as a head coach. Jack Del Rio, three years, head coach with the Raiders, not that long ago. and 23 with a playoff appearance. John Gruden's three years with the Raiders, 19 and 29, not close to the playoffs. And he's made a, he's got a 10-year, $100 million deal. And Peter King was saying this weekend in his column is that he's got seven years left. And Mark Davis has to at some point, if they have another losing season to think,

this is a bad deal for me. Like there's no. And here's the thing. The last six years for Gruden, he's 14 games under 500 with two four and 12 12 years, one in Tampa and one in Vegas or Oakland. So I don't have a problem. I do think he's got that Kardashian quality. He monetizes his brand.

He did it at ESPN. He was the highest paid person there. And good for him. He's smart that way. He's, you know, Kim Kardashian, my daughter is always like, dad, that's what a genius looks like. Like, she doesn't dance. She doesn't sing.

She's figured out how to brand it and work it and God love her. I am all for it. But, you know, Gruden gets lumped into this elite class. And it's like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. So there are six coaches, the big six in the NFL. These are the six best coaches because resumes matter. Resumays matter. Andy Reed, 10 plus wins in 15 of his 22 years.

Bill Belichick, nine Super Bowl appearances, highest winning percentage of any active coach. John Harbaugh, 13 years, one losing season. By the way, eight road playoffs. wins is the most in NFL history for a coach. The next is Pete Carroll. 10 plus wins in eight of his nine years in Seattle. He's got a pretty good sense for personnel. He built the best last great defense we had in the NFL was Pete Carroll's.

And then Sean Peyton, he's one of the most creative, intense, passionate people in football. Last four years, 11 plus wins, a great quarterback developer. That's the big six. Gruden's not close to that. He's also what I would say, not in the young, risers category. These are young, great coaches that are winning a lot. Kyle Shanahan, first year, he had a quarterback that was upright, 13 and 3 in the Super Bowl. Matt LaFleur, what can I say? I didn't know he'd be this good. 26 and 6. Aaron Rogers is reborn was unbelievable this year.

Mike Vrable, that dude wins. That dude wins. Ryan Pantahill, shot fighter, gets to the playoffs. Sean McDermott. I think he is as good as any of these young guys. McDermott has, along with a very good general manager, he's probably the best young defensive coach in football. He's out of this world good. And by the way, Josh Allen was a project at best, and now he's like Mahomes like.

And then Sean McVeigh's got the second highest winning percentage in the NFL outside of Belichick. So Gruden's not in the big six. And by the way, the big six also, I skipped over Mike Tomlin. I'm looking here. He's never had a losing season in 14 years. Okay. And Big Ben's got his drama. So there's the big six. And then there's the young risers. I would put Gruden in that third class and probably near the bottom of it, which is what I would call winning coaches. These are winning coaches.

Bruce Ariens, McCarthy, Mike Zimmer, Frank Reich, John Gruden, Ron Rivera. These are winning coaches. They're all capable. I'd put John closer to the bottom than the top. There is nothing wrong with being in this group. I would put Frank Reich and Ariens now at the top of this. Mike Zimmer's a little conservative for my taste offensively. McCarthy feels, sorry, a little outdated. Doesn't really get defense. Rivera, I think, is very good. Head scratcher with his last quarterback acquisition, but he's very good. But John has monetized himself into the highest paid coach in NFL history. And it's a talent, and I'm not knocking it. But you start looking at the results. His last six years, he's got two four and 12 seasons, not a single great season. They were done with him in

Tampa. Now, I do think before they unloaded their two best offensive linemen, I think you can make an argument. He's been a little impulsive as a coach. I think my take on the Raiders is he's got too much power. And John wakes up one morning two years ago and says, I'm going to spend a fortune on the offensive line. And finally admits, we over. overpaid. And so this offseason, he's scaling back on the offensive line salaries. A couple years ago, John was like, I want character guys. Well, okay, but that made him reach for a couple guys in the draft that weren't as good as their draft selection. And then he also went and got some guys who are not really what you

would call high character guys. So I think he's a very impulsive guy. I think he's a smart guy. He can monetize his brand well. There's God love you, Kim Kardashian, Kanye, John Gruden. It is a talent. and it's a great talent. Some would say it's as good as any talent. But I agree with Peter King. Like they have melted down as a franchise post- Thanksgiving the last two years. They have melted down.

Now, some would argue they don't have the depth. Well, whose fault is that? This is the NFL. I watch Bill Parcells take a 1-15 Dolphin team go 11 and 5 as a GM in one year. You can add depth in the NFL in one-off season. That's not an excuse. Now, it's hard to find a star quarterback. You know, that part, it's hard to build an offensive line into an elite unit.

I'm not just depth. You can build depth in an offseason. Good draft, good free agency. There's a, there's 75 guys every year in the NFL, low contract in the league, build depth. That's not an excuse. So I'm kind of with, I'm kind of with Peter King on this. I think it's time. I am not a fan of 10-year contracts for anybody.

I think I wouldn't want a 10-year contract. First of all, I don't, the market changes every hour. You know, there's a TikTok platforms every day that you get into a 10-year contract and your company makes a fortune on these new platforms and you're stuck in a 10-year deal. The second thing is I would think I'd get lazy. If I knew for 10 years, I mean, it's just, it's human nature. Here's a 10-year contract. You feel bulletproof.

Who's going to fire me? Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeart Radio app. What's up, everyone? It's me, three-time NFL All-Pro Sean Mariner. And I have a new sports podcast called The Lights Out Podcast with Sean Mariner. This podcast is special to me as I get a chance to talk to some of the best who've ever done it on the field or the track.

So whether it's talking to a Super Bowl champion or a NASCAR Cup Series champion, the Lights Out podcast will bring it to you the only way I know how to. I'm giving you the best insight from the best who's ever done it. Listen to Lights Out with Sean Merrim or the IHartRadial app or wherever you get your podcast. 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 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 you're saying. Yep, that's me, CliverTaylor 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, Unterman. filtered 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 IHard 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. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests.

I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we're in the way. We get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth.

Are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Keir Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. Hey everyone, it's Ryder Strong and Will Ferdell from PodMeets World.

And now the Podmeets Twirled podcast. We're two men who were completely clueless to reality TV, who now have covered Dancing with the Stars, traitors, and we're gearing up for the season finale of Survivor. So yeah, now we're experts. I know we annoyed a lot of our listeners by our severe lack of survivor knowledge. That is the point of the show. I'm just going to remind you. I have watched some survivor. I obviously haven't watched enough.

Did people not like it? Yeah. Just because we... Yeah. We'll be recapping the big conclusion in the 50th season from the final attempts at gameplay to the desperate pleas of finalists to a bunch of... Ha, ha, ooh. Ha, ha, ooh.

Again, we are experts. So make sure to tune in to Pod Meets Twirled for all our Survivor 50 takes. Listen to PodMeets Twirled on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Colin right, Colin Wrong, here we go. Where Colin was right? Well, we said Chicago was making a big swing at Russell Wilson, and that was confirmed by two separate reports. We also said we thought they would work it out because these two are good together, Russell Wilson and Pete Carroll. We also said age, I was told, with a determining factor for Pete Carroll, that was confirmed as well.

So after two weeks of some ugly public turbulence, Pete Carroll, a very good coach, and Russell Wilson, a very good quarterback, decided to stay put. Where Colin was wrong. Listen, I've said the second chapter in LeBron's book is going to be he never gets hurt. Now we have a second serious injury in the last three years. and this was a LeBron didn't go to the court and slam a fist and scream and scowl very often. He did. Out indefinitely high ankle sprain. He was near the NBA lead in minutes.

Is this the condensed schedule? Is it just a bad break? This looks serious. And listen, there are no supermans despite what Brady did. You know, this is what you see at the end of careers. Kevin Durant now, you get dinged up more and bums me out. but it's a reality of what the Lakers have now. Where Colin was right?

I've always defended Matt Nagy. I've always had questions about the GM Ryan Pace of the Bears, and last week it was confirmed. They don't know what they're doing. Listen, Andy Dalton is fine when you give him Dallas receivers, or you give him Cincinnati receivers years ago. He's not built to deliver and win games behind an average offensive line with limited skill people.

That's what Chicago is. Okay, this is 0 for 4. on quarterbacks. Mike Glennon, Nick Foles, traded up for Mitch Trubisky and Andy Dalton. He's literally the wrong fit. If you want somebody that works for Chicago, Sam Darnold, a playmaker, or Marcus Marietta, a playmaker,

would be really interesting fits. What you probably wouldn't want is like a Tyrod Taylor or an Andy Dalton, which is very good in the pocket, but they're more distributors than playmakers. They went and got Dalton makes no sense. where Colin was wrong. I thought Juju Smith-Schuster, a very good slot receiver with 97

catches would have a robust market. I mean, he's a little silly on social media and that's, you know, a little self-centered on social media and some people have been told or turned off by that. But I'm also told that he didn't have much of a market. He went back and took a one-year, $8 million

deal for the Steelers. Some of this is Pittsburgh is so good at drafting receivers that everybody every year they bring in a star and frankly, he's not much of an after-the-catch dynamic performer. He's more of a slot guy, get you eight yards of catch, and that's about it. There's no yards after the catch. But I thought he would have a much more dynamic market, and he didn't.

Where Colin was right? Said Forever, Chris Paul's the most underrated player in the last 10 years in the NBA. Phoenix is 20 and 5 in their last 25 games. They were a tire fire the last three years of the same guys. That's the best record in the NBA. He had a triple double last night, the six player ever to have 10,000 assists. You know what cracks me up?

He's everything that the NBA's moved away from. He's a little dirty. He barks at players. He's a mid-range guy. Like, he is not an AAU guy. He will get after players. He'll get right in your face. He'll call you out.

But is there a guy in the NBA outside of LeBron that goes to a franchise and literally turns them around immediately. It's the same guys last year. His team hasn't won in forever. They haven't been to the playoffs in 11 years. Chris Paul arrives and they're great again. Where Colin was wrong.

There's so much I like about the Washington football team. I don't get Ryan Fitzpatrick. Like, he's fun. He's got a cool aura. But he's a 38-year-old mistake-prone gunslinger. Isn't that the opposite of what Washington needs? If you would have given me a list of nine, quarterbacks. This would have been my ninth pick. Their defense is great. I like Ron Rivera a lot.

I thought they had momentum. I think they've actually now got some really nice skill people. It's an incredibly winnable division. What you can't do, though, is beat yourself. And though Fitzpatrick is a blast of watch, you know, he's the big Lobowski of the NFL. He occasionally beats himself. So I just didn't get this one. This one was a whiff for me. Where Colin was right? I have been a big fan of Sean McDermott and the Buffalo Bills front office for the last several years and once again they did it.

They went out and got Emmanuel Sanders. All this organization does is smart stuff to support Josh Allen. They rebuilt the O line in year one. Then it was Cole Beasley, a slot guy. Then it was Defon Diggs. And now it's the smart veteran comes in, always delivers immediately.

He's a wonderful number two. Not going to beat you. over the top, but in two years, Sean McDermott is 23 and 9. I think he's the best young defensive coach. And Buffalo, you hit it. Listen, in the NFL, if you have a good owner, a good GM, a good coach, and a good quarterback, you're in a Super Bowl. And Buffalo is, for the next 10 years, they're in the Super Bowl discussion.

Where Colin was wrong. James Hardin used to wear me out in Houston. I thought he was selfish offensively and disengaged defensively. He's been great in Brooklyn. He's the total heart and soul of this team. First of all, he leads the NBA and assists, 11 a game. He's become very unselfish. He's more engaged defensively.

He's more verbal. Listen, KD. and Kyrie sometimes hard to trust them physically. This team's the hottest team in the league with a bunch of kids and James Harden. They're fun to watch. He's really changed the culture. And by the way, what is Houston without him? They have a hole in that basketball franchise. So I say this, it's not just what you do when you arrive somewhere.

What happens when you leave somewhere? What is Houston without Hardin, the league's worst team? Where Colin was right? The first nine games of Drew Locke's career, I said, there's something interesting. The next 15 I was out. The Broncos appear out too on Drew Locke. George Patton, real name of their GM, made a public comment. comment last week, they are looking around. There's also a report the NFL network confirmed

they offered Matt Stafford. There's other reports that have been confirmed. They're very interested or were in Deshawn Watson. Listen, first nine games, he had a big arm. He was kind of a gamer. I kind of liked him. But if you watch him play, he's too casual, throws up too many 50-50 balls. His judgment is iffy. And I think Denver sees what I see, which is, which is, is Justin Herbert, Patrick Mahomes, Derek Carr, you can't have easily the fourth best quarterback in the division, and he is. Where Colin was wrong. But I don't understand why there's no market for Sam Darnold.

None. He fits Chicago past. He fits Washington. They passed. Has he disappeared on the trade market? He's athletic. He's got a lot of starts. He's 23.

He's coachable. You can't find anybody for the Jets who doesn't like him. And he had to overcome Adam Gase. I don't get it. Like, I get the skeptics. I get the cynics. But wasn't he at least a good fit for Chicago? I thought he was a great fit for Washington.

I think you could get him and sell that Washington locker room on. Young, talented, athletic, takes us to another level. And they went Ryan Fitzpatrick. Where Colin was right? Well, I did get one thing right in the tournament. I called one blowout. I said, I'm only going to make one major blowout prediction. Colorado's going to hammer Georgetown, and they did.

It's nothing against Georgetown, but Georgetown was sub-500 before they got to their tournament, but people like the Patrick Ewing story, and they like when teams get hot in their conference tournament. But Georgetown wasn't a very good basketball team, and Colorado is a team that can score. And by the way, the Pac-12 has had a great tournament. The Big Ten, not so much, but this was a very good. my one blowout prediction Colorado to hammer Georgetown and they did.

Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week my guest, SNL'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. 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. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeard 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. 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 IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to Learn the Hard Way with your favorite therapist and host, 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 IHard radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. This is an IHart podcast. Guaranteed human.