The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 03/23/2021 - HOUR 2 - NFL moves

Episode Date: March 23, 2021

Colin explains the NFL moves he believes were the best during the offseasonGuests: Ric Bucher, Mike Renner Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. 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. 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 I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver 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 the celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to the Clifford show on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok's podcast network on TikTok. Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to Learn the Hardway with your favorite therapist and host, Kear Games. This space is about black men's experiences, having honest conversations that'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.

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stuff still going on. Live in L.A. It's the herd, wherever you may be, and however you may be listening. IHeart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, FS1. Rick Buekron, about 8, 9 minutes. Steve Kerr, KD, can't figure it out. Joy Taylor is joining me. Joy, we have

the tournament now is down to 16 teams. Pack 12 is 9 and 1. Oregon rolled through Iowa. UCLA keeps winning. USC hammered Kansas. It didn't even look competitive. I don't even know what.

I don't have a theory. I don't know what to make of it. I just think it's just the Big Ten has been disappointing. That happens a lot in Big Ten territory. And the Pac-12 has kind of blown everybody away. I don't know. I didn't think it would happen. The Pac-12 has been over the last four or five years in both basketball and football kind of a letdown.

And suddenly, they've got some NBA dudes. They got some friendly math. matchups, but good God, USC, Kansas wasn't competitive. It was a blowout. I mean, I don't know. I guess we could have assumed that this year's tournament was going to be a little bit different, but I love it. I'm here for it.

Yeah, Gonzaga looks like easily the best basketball team. All right, so I was thinking free agency isn't done yet, but it's mostly wrapped up. And there's a lot of moves that I've been made. And I thought, like, these are the 10 moves to me. These are my 10 favorite moves. It's not just about how good the player is. It's what kind of contract he signed. How valuable is he beyond just being a football player?

These are my 10 favorite free agent moves or moves so far this offseason. Number 10. Dak Prescott Cowboys. Listen, am I concerned that he's going to make $40 million a year? Yeah, I think it's too much. Am I concerned that he's 7 and 18 against teams above 500 the last four years? Yeah. Am I concerned the more the Cowboys rely on deck and less on Zeke, they win less?

Yeah. But in the end, they'll have continuity at quarterback. He's an adult. He's a grown-up. And in the NFL, what you can't be is searching week after week for the right messenger and the right guy and the right distributor at quarterback. So I don't love the contract. And I do worry that he has struggled against better teams.

We have a trend here. But he's in-house. They don't have to worry about that position. Number nine. I think Aaron Jones signing with the Packers is huge. First of all, it's a team-friendly deal. This is a city that does not get free agents. I think he's the first or second-bass running back in the NFL.

Dude's got 35 touchdowns the last two years. That is a ton of touchdowns. Team-friendly deal. And also, you look at Green Bay's roster. Outside of Aaron Rogers, there's two stars. Devonte Adams and Aaron Jones, and Aaron just took a team-friendly. friendly deal for a franchise that can't get free agents.

I think it's a huge deal and a big coup for Green Bay. Number eight. Emmanuel Sanders. Again, all this guy does give you about 7, 800 yards every year, one year, $6 million, learns the playbook. Again, Buffalo has figured it out. Most of your great free agent signings are not mega deals. He is the classic.

They've got Stefan Diggs over the top, Cole Beasley in the slot, what they need to do, and they go get it in Emmanuel Sandings. Number seven. Levante, David to the Buccaneers. What's interesting about him, dude doesn't miss a snap. And linebacker is a physical position. He doesn't miss a snap. Here's the other thing I love.

Seven straight years as the Bucks captain. He is an intellectual, emotional, leader for this defense. He is the guy you rely on to call signals. Every big third down. He is the heart and soul of their defense, and they've got him signed up. Number six. But Shaq Barrett's the pass rusher. He's got, last two years, if you count playoffs, 32 sacks.

He had eight pressures against Mahomes in the Super Bowl, three sacks against Aaron Rogers. And though I love Levante David, there's just not five guys on the planet that get after the quarterback like Shaq Barrett. And when your way to the Super Bowl is through Aaron Rogers or through Russell Wilson, you got to get Shaq Barrett in house.

And they did. Number five. Williams, costly for the 49ers, but he's made eight Pro Bowl appearances. He was the highest-granted tackle. And remember, Jimmy G. can't stay healthy. So left tackle for the 49ers is more valuable than left tackle for a lot of other teams. Garoppolo's not a great runner, and he gets hurt. And Kyle Shanahan in the toughest division in football that's got lots of good pass rushers.

Boom, you're set with Trent Williams. Number four. John Johnson, a third, safety from the first. the Rams to the Browns. This is another guy. Last year, he was calling signals for the defense. A very heady player. Cleveland's secondary, especially safety, was a mess.

They had the lowest graded safeties. He is terrific. He was the Rams defensive signal caller and captain last year. The Rams had the number one rated defense. I was actually surprised they let him go, but they had to cut. They had to make some cuts now, right? They're paying Jalen Ramsey, Aaron Donald, Matt Stafford, Andrew Whitworth. They had to make cut.

So I think he's a great get for Cleveland. Number three. Corey Lindley, the number one graded center to the Chargers. First of all, they had the lowest graded offensive line in the NFL. He is the highest graded center. And Justin Herbert got sacked the most by any rookie quarterback. So my rule in the NFL is get a quarterback, then protect him and draft people to get their quarterback. And they got a stud.

Again, surprised. Green Bay did not step up. He is the number one center in the NFL. Number two. Carson Wentz. I think this team is a mobile, strong-arm quarterback away from winning a Super Bowl. The last time he was with Frank Reich, he was a home run. I know there's doubters, but I tend to think Philadelphia, first of all, still pay some of his contract.

And Philadelphia was bitter that the Colts gave up almost nothing to get him. And so to me, when I look at the Colts right now, I think they're one more speed receiver away from winning the Super Bowl, and I think Wents is the difference. Number one. I'm going to go Matt Stafford of the Rams. He has the most game-winning drives in a single season in NFL history. He's not a winning quarterback, but the Lions aren't a winning organization. He's also, considering the beating he's taken there, he started 16 games in nine of the last 10 seasons,

and the Lions have had bad offensive lines. Rams won 10 and 6 and won a playoff game and gave Green Bay trouble at Lambo, This feels like the one move in the offseason that took a team that was good and makes them like a favorite to get to the Super Bowl out of their conference along with Tampa. So I think that's the number one move so far. Good stuff. Rick Buecker covers the NBA and you know that. And Bukes has worked in the Bayer here for a long time. And I led the show last hour.

One of my topics is, why is Steve Kerr getting so sensitive? because a player that dumped him may take a podcast and a tweet wrong. I listen to the podcast. I listen to Steve Kerr's outrage, and I don't get it. Like, I think sometimes coaches in the NBA are just constantly walking on eggshells with players. But KD, we knew that K.D. Kerr and Draymond and Steph was a lot of work. We knew that, and Buech are now joining me live. So you explain to me, is it, what did I miss here?

Why is Kerr so sensitive about a podcast and a tweet? I went and listened to the podcast, and he came out and said, hey, last year was fun. We didn't win any games, but it was a great vibe. And the last year with KD was not always a very good vibe. It was rough. Why is he sensitive on that? Because it puts Steve Kerr and KD in their relationship at the center of all the issues

that the Warriors had in their last championship run. And the reality is that it, look, it was a struggle that last year. It was uncomfortable. And it was uncomfortable between Kevin Durant and the entire team. Something changed. He was aloof. He wasn't as connected. They sometimes questioned just how committed he was overall to the team.

But the bottom line is that the dude sacrificed, forfeited a year attempting to win one more championship with them. So I believe it's like a lot of things. Look, we had a lot of issues. There's a lot of layers to what was going on, but to put the focus on Steve's relationship with KD. And the other part is, is anytime you begin to look at like you can't get along with a superstar player that's not named Steph Curry,

then the question becomes, who are you as a coach? How relatable are you? What's your ability? And as the warriors try to rebuild themselves, then it puts Steve in a difficult position as a guy who may have difficult relationships with superstar players. So I just believe that he looks at where they are and how he wants to be perceived. And the idea that he ran KD off or that he didn't like coaching KD is just a bridge too far for how he wants to be seen. Well, then he shouldn't go on a podcast and say that.

I mean, at some point, I mean, don't go on podcasted and talk about it, right? Yeah, but he didn't, look, he didn't mention, here's the thing. He didn't mention KD by name. So maybe when that's inferred and somebody is purposely trying to say, I don't want to step in that. And then you go, you know what, I'm going to say you stepped in it anyway. Then it's a struggle because it's like, no, I purposely didn't want to make this about Kevin Dore. in that last year and you or a particular writer did it anyway. And so I'm going to object to that. And keep in mind, keep in mind where they are and who they're playing for. Owner Joe Lakib is just

relentless in his demands. And that puts a pressure on everybody all the time. Sheld. Ultimately, it was clear they couldn't go for anything. But I tell you that right now, as they're making decisions, like Joe is on them. He wants them in the playoff picture. He wants them seated. He wants them constantly moving up. And I guarantee you that Bob Myers and Steve Kerr are looking at going, we're not good enough to get there. We are better off holding fire with Steph Curry and with Draymond Green and not wearing them out to try to get to the fourth or fifth seed this year. Wait until we have Clayback. Let's be competitive, but let's not burn everything that we've got in order to be competitive this year. Joe Lakeb has never been like that. I can't imagine that he's like that now.

And so that'll wear everybody out eventually. So do the Lakers need to make a move at the trade deadline? I mean, I can't see him dropping out of the playoff picture, but it is the West. What do you think they do? Yeah. I just can't imagine that they're going to make a move that's going to make them better at this stage. The issue that they've had is trying to get a chemistry with all the new pieces that they added. And let's face it, we were all excited about it last summer when they added a

Marcus Saul and we thought they'd upgraded with West Matthews from Danny Green and Montrez Harold coming over and being that engine for the Clippers imagining what he would be for the Lakers. And outside of Dennis Schrooter, their additions have not worked out. But the one thing they have going for them is a familiarity with those key pieces going into the playoffs, a confidence, a team that in spite of all the things that don't feel quite right was the number one ranked defense in the entire league. Their best hope is that AD and LeBron come back healthy and that they can recapture that much the same way they did go in into the bubble. That's their best shot to try to refigure something or try to add a new piece now. It's another roll of the dice

and the last roll did not work out for them last summer. So James Harden has really had a great year and deserves all the plotts and credit. I have no problem saying I think he's a much more fun. Man, do I feel a butt coming? Yeah. But Kyrie now, again, is like, yeah, I'm going to miss some games. And I think to myself, listen, everybody can say nice stuff. Everybody can pretend that it's no big deal. But it's the second, third time. Aren't they a little concerned? A little? With Kyrie? Yeah. For sure. It's why they went and got James Harden. Because it's If you'll recall right before they made that deal, Kyrie was off and missing games and some of it was protocol, but some of it was concern for social justice.

Nobody was quite clear on why Kyrie was gone and when he would be back. And so the feeling was, look, we've invested heavily in this season. It's all a go. Let's go and get a second guy to play with KD so that, I mean, I mean, honestly, they're thinking, what I've been told is their thinking was, we don't know when we're going to get Kyrie back or how much we're going to have Kyrie. Let's go and get another guy where we can still be competitive in the East and maybe we can still

run for it. And if Kyrie's here, great. But if he's not, we can continue to compete. So that was the thinking. So this is, I'd have to hate to say it, but this is kind of what the Nets were prepared for having happened. Yeah. Is there any move that would happen at the trade day?

Is there anybody that you think would make a move? Well, speaking of the Warriors, Kelly Ubre is playing out of his mind. They have the highest salary cap as is. They have concerns that they'd be able to keep him. I could see him potentially being moved. It's not that they don't want to keep him. It's just they don't know if they can resign him or not. But the move that I would love to see, and I've heard some whispers about,

is Lonzo Ball being moved. And where I'd love to see him end up is with the clifined. I don't know if this deal has been discussed, but I'd love to see Lonzo ball flip for Lou Williams be that point guard off the bench. Defensively, Lonzo Ball, Paul George, and Kauai Leonard would be magnificent to watch. I would love to see that. And I'd love to see Lonzo go back to L.A., playing for the other team and potentially have the success that he didn't have with the Lakers. Because I think he's, I think he's had a hard road. The kid has made himself into a great or at least very good three-point shooter.

Yeah. He's about the right things. I'd like to see him enjoy some success, and he would be a great fit with the clippers. That's actually a good one. That is a good one. You know what? It's funny.

Lonzo is, I don't know what the numbers are in front of me, but the last two times I've watched the Pelicans, Lonzo has shot the three ball really, really well. For sure. Yeah, transformed himself. Rick Buecker. Good to see you, buddy. Same column.

You bet. That's a good one. That's a good one. internet rumor right there. Lonzo ball. Well, they don't have a point. You've got to have a point. It's hard to win championships in the NBA

without a point guard. We see how valuable Chris Paul is to the Phoenix Suns. One more herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week, within the IHeard Radio app. Search Herd to listen live

or on demand whenever you'd like. What's up, everyone? It's me, three-time NFL All-Pro Sean Murray. And I have a new sports podcast called The Lights Out Podcast with Sean 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 IHeart Radio 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. 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. 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 Clifford show on the IHeart 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. 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 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, Kear 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 Fidel from PodMeets World. And now the Pod Meets 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?

Like, what was... Yeah. Just because we... Yeah. We'll be recapping the big conclusion at the 50th season, from the final attempts at gameplay, to the desperate pleas of finalists to a bunch of ha-hoo. A-ha-hoo, ha-hoo, ha-hoo. Again, we are experts.

So make sure to tune into 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. Sunday, the best season ever continues is the NASCAR Cup series heads to Bristol for the first dirt track race in 50 years. The action starts Sunday at 3.3. dirty Eastern on Fox and anywhere on the Fox Sports app. Cremot Barber Shave Cream, close comfortable shave. Available at major retailers, Amazon at cremocompany.com. C-R-E-M-O. NFL drafts, I think less than a month away.

What's the date today? Today is March 23rd. The draft starts on the 29th. All right. So we're about five weeks away from the NFL draft. Baseball's right around the corner. Good stuff. Joy with the news. No. No. No. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news.

Ryan Fitzpatrick got to work directly with Tua when Tua was a rookie. And although Tua got a lot of criticism for his performance last season, Fitzpatrick is still confident in Tua's abilities. Oh, that's nice. It's amazing how much criticism and different things have been thrown his way. It's very difficult to play quarterback in the NFL. And I'm a fan, too. So we keep forgetting as fan that fact, very difficult.

And the guy was a rookie last year and came in and went, six and three or whatever he did. I think we just need to have a little bit of patience. He was a rookie last year, and I think he can do great things. Well, it would be great to have patience, but owners don't have patience. So when you're a coach, you know, it's just like Rick Buecker's talking about Joe Lakey. The idea that Steve Kerr and Bob Myers would be on shaky ground if they don't make the playoffs, crazy billionaire's own team.

So if you're patient with Tua and he goes like seven and nine, and next year, year's a bad draft, you're trapped without a quarterback. It sounds great to be patient, but owners aren't patient. Well, we've seen enough of Tua that we know what doesn't, what hadn't worked for him last year, right? This is why I didn't like the Fitzpatrick setup going into the season. Find out what you have in Tua. You have a grace period. Tank for Tua. It was a thing. The fan base was behind it. I bought into it. And I didn't love Tua coming out of Alabama. Like, I thought the Dolphins should give him whatever Cincinnati wanted or at least tried to get Joe Burrow. You have to give him an opportunity in his rookie season, because then you have the grace period to then be in a situation where you are right now with the number three pick, which you knew you had, and then you could actually make an assessment.

But you kept switching him out. You didn't trust him. You put Fitzpatrick in big moments. So now you don't have a full evaluation to work with. So now you go into next season, and yes, there is some expectation that you are supposed to be a little. little bit patient with Tua who you took that high in the drafts and sold to the organization and sold to the fan base and sold to the locker room as the guy, but you didn't give the guy the opportunity. Yeah. So now there is a lot of doubts. There are a lot of questions.

And you pass on that third pick or you trade it or you take someone else. And then you're in the middle of the road next year. And then you're stuck in the same situation the dolphins have been in for the last 20 years, which is you have a guy, but you're not sure if he's the guy. and I mean, Ryan Tannahill was there for years. Look what he's doing in Tennessee. It's not like he's, you know, Tom Brady or Aaron Rogers, but he's serviceable and it wasn't working in Miami. Now, you could bank a lot of things for that.

But you have to make a decision and commit to it. And they didn't last year. And that's why they're in the predicament that they are this year. Yeah. I, um, yeah, the patience thing is always an interesting. The owners, I've had conversations with general managers and coaches. where they're like, listen, we have a mercurial owner. He changes all the time.

So you can, everybody always talks about patience, but that, you know, Dave Wonstat always tells this story. Dave Wonstadt had the exact same record as Mike Tomlin after four years, Tomlin in Pittsburgh, and Wonstadt in Miami. And Tomlin had Big Ben. Whereas Wonstat did not have a star quarterback. The difference is the Steelers have been historically very, very, patient with their coaches and Miami's not.

So I get coaches who are like Arizona, Steve Kime, I got to get J.J. Watt. I got to get. Well, there's very few places where you have a lot of time to work with. Very, very few. But Stephen Ross, the owner of the Dolphins, actually is a

very patient and committal and loyal guy. Which is why this kind of makes me more nervous because I think that they should be more aggressive and I don't think that they will. I don't think that they will move off to it. And the other thing that you have to remember, aside from all of the guys that you will be passing on this year, which it is, you know, scouting-wise, a pretty deep drafts for quarterbacks.

Let's say in the first round, there's at least five that have been talked about at a high level. He's going to be compared to Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert for the rest of his career because that's his draft class. Yeah, good luck. Good luck. So Y receiver Corey Davis signed a three-year deal with the Jets in free agency, and he is expecting to be catching passes from Sam Darnold in 2021.

When he was asked about the uncertainty of, quarterback right now. He said the situation is what it is. Obviously, I'm coming in with the understanding that Sam is the guy. That doesn't scare me away at all. I've seen Sam do great things. So have I. A lot of great things. But they're probably moving off him. I think they're moving off him, but. Do you think so now? Yeah, well, I mean, listen, you can make an argument either way. I, listen, you can get a lot more. I think it's probably best for both people to just move on. I would struggle to move off Sam Darnold for Zach Wilson. I think Sam's a bigger, stronger athlete.

Well, who says they have to take Zach Wilson? Well, maybe they like Justin Fields. And Tray Lance? Yeah, I don't know. I just, I look at it and I think, my bigger issue in New York is, do we know if Robert Solican coach, that division's Belichick, Sean McDermott, and Brian Flores. They look like they're all star coaches. So you get to a point where if Robert Saul is just solid, he's the fourth best coach.

So I'm rooting for Sam. So I'd like to see Sam go to like San Francisco. I'm rooting for him to have a better spot in life. If the dolphins stick with Tua, you feel like Sam Darnold is better than Tua. Oh, I think he's a much bigger, stronger athletic guy, yeah. So then they'd have the third best quarterback, right? Do you think Sam's better than Cam Noon right now? I think.

Because I would say that Cam's in a better situation. Way better situation. with better weapons and better coaching and second year in the system. Sometimes it's just time for things to move on. And I kind of feel like with Sam Darnold, I understand the Jets sitting there thinking, listen, we've got to pay Sam in a year. Zach Wilson, we get four years, don't have to pay him.

That's very attractive. I totally get that. And I think Sam Darnold privately is like, it's a circus here. I'd like to move. I think Sam Darnold in San Francisco just makes me happy. I would just talk about it for five hours. I'd go into the next show.

I just feel like he's gotten so hosed in New York. I mean, I agree. I just think for the purpose of resetting for everyone, you have a new head coach, you have the number two pick. Like, it just makes sense. I totally get it. And there's nobody in the draft that you're like, Sam Darnold is so much better than.

Like, they're all unknowns, obviously. That's right. He is, but we don't know what Sam Darnold is either. That's right. Now, if it's like Sam Donald, Trevor Lawrence, okay, we know what to do here. But, I mean, I agree. I think that it's the best time to reset.

Listen, if it was up to me, me, I probably wouldn't have hired Robert Sala. I would have gotten an offensive guy in a defensive conference and I'd keep Sam and move Zach and get a bunch of picks. But I also wouldn't have gone out and paid Cory Davis. I don't like paying wide receivers a ton unless they're as good as Kenny Goladay. Well, they had the space to do it. So the Warriors went from a trip to the NBA finals in 2019 to the worst record in the league the following year. And Steve Kerr's comments comparing the two seasons went viral for seemingly calling out Kevin Durant. I enjoyed last season when we had the worst record in the league more than I enjoyed that last season when we went to the finals because we had young guys last year who were trying every day and working hard.

We had a great energy, great spirit, great camaraderie and losing sucked. But what you want is a good vibe and a good, you want to look forward to going to the gym every day and seeing everybody. And that last year was tough. It really was tough. There was just a lot going on that you guys, some that you know about, something that you don't. And that was very difficult. Apparently that is not what he said, and he's mad that that was said by him, and it went to a tweet. Here's the thing.

Steve Kerr is NBA royalty. He was a champion as a player, great broadcaster, did a good job as GM, and he won championships, or championship as a coach. Like, four for four. Before KD got there. Like, it's hard to do that. In every level, right? He has been great. you don't say something like this as Steve Kerr and not know exactly what you're saying.

You can't be considered at that level and then just flippantly say something. You know, you do media every day. So you know what you said here. Right. So like the idea that he's upset that the reporter took him out of context or something like, it's audio. We can all hear it. There's no taking anything out of context. It's literally what you said.

It was Kevin Durant's last year and you had more fun going 15 and 50. And that's fine. You can do that when you're Steve Kern. You've won as much as you have. But ask the Houston Rockets how fun it is to be losing like that. So, yeah, you had one season knowing Steph Curry and Clay Thompson were coming back, knowing you work for an organization that's going to do everything to put you in an opportunity to win, knowing you already have these rings that no one can take away from you.

So I don't like when it's convenient. Like when your legacy is set and you've had other people contribute to it like Kevin Durant did, Can't deny that. That put see for in another level. Of course. Then now of a sudden it's like, well, you know, we didn't really, I didn't really need that. I think podcasting's interesting. Podcasting is very loose.

Sure. And so when people get interviewed in a podcast, they're more willing to kind of just say crap that you wouldn't if you were sitting in a studio. Right. Or you had a newspaper guy in front of you. Or you were at a podium. I've seen this. Podcasting lightens and loose.

everybody up and people tend to say stuff they wouldn't say and then like an hour later that is not exactly what I said and I'm sorry Steve but that's what you said it is what he said and I get what he's saying it maybe it was extremely stressful that last year that Katie was there and maybe he wasn't super stressed out the year before when they had the worst record in the league but the reason he weren't stressed out because you knew step hurry and Clay Thompson were injured and you're coming back like yes yes it's not the situation with the rockets where you no idea what your future is. Like, you know this is one down year where you have no pressure, no concern for losing your job. Your legacy is set. So it's easy for you to say, yeah, it's less

stressful for me this year when we're all losing and we know everything's going to reset. We're going to have a high traffic. And I already have my rings and things. But yes, if I'm Katie, I can take that as an insult. And that's fine. And you can feel how you want to feel. But don't act like Katie didn't contribute to the situation. And that's why you were comfortable with it. Joy with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Heard Lye News.

By the way, this is interesting. The top 10 Instagram earners in the NFL, if you had to guess, you'd be like Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes. They're in there. Odell Beckham, by a mile, earns 58,000 per Instagram post. That's a lot of money. By the way, there's a lot of money in that stuff. A ton. Kardashians make a million a tweet or something like that.

So, you know, this is not a shot at OBJ. He is now more of an Instagram star than a football star. He was 47th last two years in receiving yards. It's not a shot. But this is why I've always said, I never thought OBJ fit in Cleveland. He's a star. He's like a real star, like Paris with models in the summer, had a house in Hollywood.

He played for the Giants. Sunday night football. I've never thought he fit in Cleveland. And by the way, Kevin Stefansky does not want Baker Mayfield throwing 38 times a game. And Jarvis Landry is great. And Austin Hooper's great. And David Injoku and Kareem Hunt and Nick Chubb. And it's a very good run blocking offensive line.

And you're not going to get a lot of looks here. That's the reality. Over the last two years, Odell Beckham is 47th in receiving yards. And he has missed 25 games. I think he's missed 25 games out of his last 44. He's an Instagram star. And by the way, that's a thing. I've always thought he fits in the NFL on a really good team

where he can be the icing to a good cake. I don't think he's the cake. I think he's the icing. I think Julio Jones or Devante Adams feel like guys, you can build a cake around those guys. Those can be like 95, 12 touchdown guys. But I mean, the first. fact that Odell Beckham's not playing.

And he's almost got double the impact of Tom Brady on Instagram tells you. Cleveland's not a great fit. The analyst for pro football focus, he grades, he's their lead draft analyst. And his thoughts on, Zach Wilson scares me. He's skinny. Sorry, optics. He looks skinny to me. We'll talk about that coming up.

Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeart Radio app. What's up, everyone? It's me, three-time NFL All-Pro Sean Marriner. 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 IHeartRadial 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, 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 Cliverts 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. 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 Fantine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in, in the pursuit of the thing, 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? Like what was just because we?

Yeah. We'll be recapping the big conclusion of the 50th season from the final attempts at gameplay to the desperate pleas of finalists to a bunch of, ha, hoo. Ha, ha, who. Again, we are experts. So make sure to tune it, a pod meets, Twirl, for all our Survivor 50 takes. Listen to PodMeets Twirl on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your

podcasts. Well, we use pro football focus all the time. Mike Renner played at Notre Dame, and he's been their lead draft analyst for a while covering the NFL draft for the last five, six years. Mike Renner's never been on our show, and we thought today we'd bring him on because the draft's about four and a half weeks out, and he is now joining us live. All right, you've been covering the last. the draft for a lot of years. I'll give you my concern about a player and you tell me if I'm wrong

if there's some validity. So I'll say Zach Wilson, here's what worries me. Name the great NFL quarterbacks that struggled to put weight on. He looks thin. He struggled as a freshman sophomore. He did pop this year, but I watched him twice against Utah. Wittingham's a great defensive coach. He got worse. I watched them against Chris Peterson, a great defensive coach. He struggled. He looks thin, struggling to put weight on. Am I nuts? Is that a concern? What does the tape say? I think he's about the same size as Aaron Rogers was coming out of Cal. If you think back to him when he was a 20-year-old coming out. He was very thin, put on muscle and actually put on some arm strength. People didn't talk about him in that rarefied air of that arm when he was coming out of Cal. And then,

you know, two or three years in by that time, that's when people started talking about him. So I do think there's not a lot of guys who really stay skinny like that. Once you get into an NFL weight room, you still put on some weight. I do think he'll get up to that size. And I mean, he's not much skinnier than Trevor Lawrence right now. And he had the same, you know, sort of excuse in terms of he had that labrum tear. Lawrence has the shoulder injury. That's why they didn't lift for a long period of time.

So I do think he will get there eventually. Justin Fields, to me, he looks big, he looks athletic, he looks strong. He's a little inconsistent. But I always say about NBA rookies. Don't tell me a guy can't shoot. He's 19 years old. He's going to class. The inconsistency thing at college to me is like, well, yeah, if you play Clemson

in Ohio State, you're going to occasionally be inconsistent. It's not playing Purdue every week. So I look at Justin Fields as the number two quarterback in this class. What do you like about him? What concerns PFF? I think that's very valid. I think the things that, like you said, that he has that are the negatives, the bad on his tape, there are excuses for it.

And that you can change going forward. You can coach those things out of them. You can get them to play a little bit faster in an offense. That's not all downfield routes like they were throwing at Ohio State. I think the level of talent there is on par with pretty much any other quarterback in this class. The accuracy is maybe arguably the best of any quarterback in this class. I mean, he beat out Trevor Lawrence at Elite 11. He won the MVP of that camp back in high school.

We've been talking about this guy for forever. So I do think that I'm right there with you that the level of talent, I think he's getting over-analized at this point. Yeah, yeah. So Devonte Smith is a great wide receiver, and I don't have any doubt. He plays big, but he's 173 pounds. Again, I'll go to the weight factor. The NFL is rough.

Corners are bigger and stronger than ever. Safeties are running downhill. Are there any concerns about his size, or is he just a physically strong kid that will overcome that? 173 pounds is 25 pounds less than I weigh. And I think I'm thin. So what do you make of that? It will show up more going from college to the NFL. It's going to show up more when every cornerback you face is now 20, 30 pounds bigger than you, longer than you.

That is the case at the NFL. But when you are as skilled as he is and as talented as he is, it's kind of like Deshawn Jackson. Sometimes there's just outliers. And when you are as freaky as a guy as Devante Smith is, and he's the best route runner in this class, he has the best ball skills in this class. He does, if he was 190 pounds, we would be talking about him as undoubtedly the wide receiver, one. That's really the only knock on him. It's kind of one of those things where the only knock is something that hasn't yet showed up on a football field. It's really tough to downgrade that guy too much.

Yeah. Deshaun Watson's an interesting comp because he is thin as well. So there's two offensive linemen that every GM I talk to. There's Penae Sewell who has some bad tape out there but is a pancake guy. Then there's the kid at Northwestern, Rishon Slater, who doesn't have any bad tape, matched out well with Chase Young, can play. multiple positions on the offensive line. How does pro football, let's start with, let's start with Slater, then go to Penae Soule.

If you had to pick, who would you pick and why? I would go with Pene Soule. Slater now, he's probably the better football player right now. He is more skilled at playing offensive line, but there are physical things that he cannot do that Penae Soule can do. Pene Soule is a true freak of nature at the offensive line position. It is not often that we've only seen this guy for two years in college football.

that you would talk about a sophomore coming out as a top five pick. I mean, think back to the best off-line prospect in the past five years or so, Quentin Nelson. It didn't take until his senior year until people talked about him in that air of being a campus prospect. People were talking about Penny Soul as a 20-year-old because that's how freaky is athletically and what he can do from a physical perspective. Ray Sean Slater, a very good athlete in his own right, shorter arms, probably better off inside. He can still play tackle, but the tackle is the more valuable position.

Versatility is great, but I want the left tackle. That's the guy who's going to provide me. That's the guy who's going to save me all that money that I don't have to pay him on that second contract if I'm drafting me as a rookie. So Penn-A-Soul, what he can do as a 19-year-old was the last time we saw him on tape. He was only 19-year-old panicking guys. Think about what he can develop into physically. It's pretty special. Mike Renner played at Notre Dame, lead draft analyst, pro football focus is a site we use often.

All right, give me a prospect you think is a tad underrated, not getting the love he deserves. I'm going to go a little off the beaten path, and it's not sexy, but it's offensive tackle. Walker Little from Stanford. He has not played football in two years. We've seen him for one game over the past two years, opted out this year, got hurt the year prior. But if you think back to the last year's tackle class, the dominant one, Tristan Werf's, Mackay Beckton, all those freaks at the top of that class. People were talking about Walker Little as the best one heading into that season. So his only sort of knock on him is that we didn't get to see that next step.

Physically, at his pro date, was on par with those guys. It's what he can do. So I do think that just because we haven't seen, it doesn't mean he wasn't going to take that next step. I think he could be a top 10 talent. Someone's going to get outside the first round. By the way, he started as a true freshman at Stanford and David Chai. I remember on the phone telling me he's like, this is as good a tackle prospect as I've ever seen. How about somebody who's maybe a tad oversold or over over-rated at this point?

This is obviously going to be us, the running back haters here at PFF. But Najee Harris, I don't even think he is the top running back in this. class. I don't even think he's running back too at this point. His physical tools, while great, he's already 23 years old. You're going to look like a man among boys when you are a man among boys at the college level. I think once he gets to the NFL level, that's not something he's going to be able to completely rely on, not a home run threat. And the biggest thing to me is he played behind, we talk about all the time and everyone knows how much the running back position is dependent on the offensive line in front of him. He played behind the Joe Moore Award winning offensive line at Alabama. Multiple guys

going to be drafting the first three rounds here from that offensive line. He had holes to run through. And guys like Giovante Williams at North Carolina, Travis E.T.N. Clemson this past year did not have that same level of offensive line and are freakyer athletes in their own right. So I think if you're going to sell me on Najee Harris as a first rounder, I'm not really seeing it right now. So Mack Jones at Alabama is interesting. He doesn't really have second reaction athletic skills in a league that now demands that a lot.

That scares me about Mack Jones. What do you see? It should. I mean, that is the biggest thing is that he does not go above and beyond in any way, shape, or form physically. He is a clear tier below the top of this class in terms of athleticism, in terms of arm strength. I think that's the biggest thing is that you got to be perfect when you don't have that level of tools. If you're not perfect, you can be in that Kirk Cousins, you know, sort of maybe Derek Carr tier of quarterbacks, but I'm not sure you're ever going to get to where, you know, Josh Allen, Patrick Holmes, Aaron Rogers are playing the game of football at right now.

That's just where it's trending. And so I do think you'll still be a first rounder because of that. But it will, again, it's one of those things. It's going to show up more at the NFL level, that lack of physical tools. And he's just going to have to be, like I said, you have to be perfect when you're not. And he mastered the Alabama offense, but he was four years in that Alabama offense. He don't have four years for a guy to master an offense in the NFL anymore. Also, he always plays with a lead at Alabama.

And the NFL, you are trailing late a lot. Good stuff. Mike Renner, love to have you on again. lead analyst, draft analyst, pro football focus. Good seeing you, nice meeting you, and congrats on your success. For sure. Thanks for having me on, Kyle. You bet. Navian, endless hot water, spa-like comfort. Go to tankless, made simple.com.

Navian, tankless made simple.com. Yeah, the Mac Jones thing just screams trouble. Like, again, it's Tua. If the play, all these Alabama quarterbacks, they play with a lead, they get great protection, their receivers are wide open, and they have great running backs. And oh, by the way, they always have a better game plan because they have Nick Saban. That's kind of the opposite of the way the NFL works.

You're often under pressure, second best coach, you trail and you don't have great weapons. That's like 70% of the league. I don't know. It feels like to me, Max Jones, I would not. That just scares me. I want somebody who can make crap up. That's Josh Allen. Hour 3 next.

Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy, not quite on your Humor Me with Robert Smygel 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 in 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 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, Cliford 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 IHeart 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 host, Keer 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. Guaranteed human.