The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 03/30/2021 - Best of The Herd

Episode Date: March 30, 2021

Colin warns the NFL teams picking at the top of the draft this season who are considering young quarterbacks and why they might be making a big mistake. He defends the 49ers for preparing to move on from Jimmy Garoppolo and why he might be moving into '3 strike territory'. He also discusses Zion Williamson's dominance so far and puts his career arch in proper perspective up to this point. Plus, Greg Cosell from NFL Films joins the show to breakdown the best prospects in this year's draft. 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, 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 Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfilled 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 Iheart 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. On the Look Back at it podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84's big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English.

Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for listening to The Best of Heard Podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday.

From 12 to 3 Eastern, 9 to noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and FS1, find your local station for the herd at Fox Sports Radio.com or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Heard. This is the best of the herd with Colin Cowher on Fox Sports Radio. Ah, here we go on a rambunctious Tuesday. Big college basketball games tonight. A couple of them. Live in the L.A., it's the herd, wherever you may be, and however you may be listening. IHeart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, and FS1. It is nice to have you in Greg CoSell.

By the way, Pro Day today, Justin Fields, Mac Jones. Greg CoSell is going to break it down in one hour. This is what he does for a living. And Joy Taylor is joining us. Joy, how are you? I'm great. This has been a fun sports month. Oh, it's great. UFC fight.

We've got a new superstar UFC. The tournament's been amazing. It's tonight. Gonzaga USC. Potential upset city, baby. NFL news. Michigan, UCLA, NFL news. So I like data.

I am, by all accounts, boring. I like data. Okay, I'm not into hunch as much. I like data. So we're going to have five quarterbacks potentially drafted. If you look at all these mock drafts, five in the first 10 picks. So I went back to 2010 over a decade. I always feel like a decade is a good round number.

In a decade, if something keeps happening over and over, it's not a coincidence. So quarterbacks taken in the top 10 since 2010, there have been 23, exactly. Six, six of those picks the teams are truly happy. Now, I like Joe Burrow, but he's already hurt. The six teams that are overjoyed, Cam Newton got you to a Super Bowl and literally made Carolina fascinating. Andrew Luck behind Junk got to an AFC championship. Patrick Mahomes has won a Super Bowl.

Josh Allen's damn close and has turned around the fortunes of Buffalo. And I think Justin Herbert just shattered every rookie quarterback record behind the lowest graded offensive line on pro football focus. That's essentially impossible. And then Kyler Murray is the sixth. I don't want to hear about other than that, 17 of the 23, you've had injuries, inconsistency, or immaturity have been a problem. That's a baker.

So that's the data. So today, Justin Fields, Mac Jones. We've got five guys going to go in the top 10. One is going to hit. Maybe two. My hunch is Trevor Lawrence, who's a megatown. Who is in that Andrew Luck Cam mega talent. And the other one is Trey Lance because I think he's going to San Francisco.

And I think the Mac Jones stuff's a bluff with the Niners. But let's think about this for a second. So in the last 11 years, six guys, the teams like, boom. Of the six, four are what you would call literally generational megatessen. talents. Quarterbacks didn't even look like Cam. I mean, Cam, put it up again. I could argue six are generational talents, but Andrew Luck was the best quarterback since John

Elway. Cam Newton literally carried a bad coaching staff at Auburn to a national title. They fired the coach two years later. Patrick Mahomes is already won in Super Bowl, best player in the league. Josh Allen, Mel Kuiper at him is his 10th highest graded quarterback since Mel Kiper was on television. And then I'm not going to count Herbert or Kyler Murray as generational talents, but they're really gifted.

And then the other, so four are all-time talents, which I think Trevor Lawrence, by the way, qualifies as. So that's why I think he hits. And then two of these guys got lucky. Mahomes and Josh Allen went to playoff teams. So the organization already had momentum. There are no stories, by the way, in the last 11 years of fourth best head coach in his division and dysfunctional organization lands Zach Wilson and he dominates the league, i.e. the Jets.

That story does not exist. There are no success stories in the last 11 years. Unathletic quarterback goes to about to be fired head coach Vic Fangio and crushes. that story does not exist. There are no stories. Inconsistent college quarterback goes to losing team and unproven head coach and rolls for 15 years, Carolina and Justin Fields. Those stories do not exist. There is one mega talent, generational talent in this draft, Trevor Lawrence.

The only other guy statistically data-wise that's going to work is the guy that goes to San Francisco. which is really a playoff roster with a head coach that works. That one's going to work. So whoever goes there, my guess is it's Trey Lance. That all this Mac Jones stuff is just fluff. It's nonsense. So you start looking around since 2010, 23 quarterbacks top 10, two big pro days today, Justin Fields and Mac Jones.

Look at it works. Mostly you have to be a mega talent. I could argue, if you go back to it, the six that have worked, I could argue, are uniquely gifted. I mean, luck was the next Delway. Cam Newton was insane. Mahomes has the best arm in the last 20 years. Josh Allen, 6-6, huge arm. Oh, by the way, he's the best runner on the football team.

Kyler Murray was drafted in baseball. It looks like the closest thing to Russell Wilson in my lifetime. And Justin Herbert literally shattered records, a four-point biology. major, took Oregon to a Rose Bowl, was the best player at the Senior Bowl, was the best player in the Rose Bowl. Again, 6-5, huge arm can run and shattered every rookie quarterback record behind the lowest graded old line. I can argue the only six that have really been home runs are bizarrely gifted athletically.

That's it. It's injuries, inconsistency, immaturity overwhelmingly is what happens. So I'll say it again. I'm going to go with two guys, Trevor Lawrence, with an offensive. coach. I think he fits into that all-time talent. And then I think Trey Lant, whoever goes to the Niners, and I don't have inside information, but my gut feeling is it's going to be Trey Lance and he's going to hit, mostly because he's got an offensive-minded coach. He can sit behind Garapolo for a year,

figure it out, then turn and hand it off for a year like Big Ben, and then by year three pops. Speaking to San Francisco yesterday, you know, when the Niners moved up to number three, obviously Jimmy Garofalo was not in a great mood. Here was Kyle Shanahan at his first press conference since that move. I'm sure Jimmy was a little pissed off from it, just like I would be too. But me knowing Jimmy, he'll be fired up and come in and he'll work his butt off. And knowing Jimmy, the more mad Jimmy gets, usually the better he gets.

I have a rule. My rule, whether it's a relationship, a job, a city, or a quarterback. I'll deal with two issues. If you go to a third, I'm out. If you're a woman watching the show today, you start dating a guy, he's moody, he doesn't get along with your parents. If that's it, you stay with him. But if he's also unemployed, you break it off. In cities.

I live in Los Angeles. Really expensive. Taxes are crazy. Traffic's really bad. But there's no third strike. The weather's insane. The food's insane. The people are great.

The sports are amazing. The mountains, the beach. In New York, expensive, lousy weather, once the pandemic hit and you couldn't do all the cool stuff in New York, a lot of people moved out. It was a third strike. We've all had a boss who's a little strange. You don't make a lot of money at work.

You leave. when there's really a ceiling on the job. Jimmy's got a third strike problem. One, his judgment has been at best marginal. Number two is his coach has often lost confidence in him. And number three is dude is brittle. It's time to move on. In fact, ex-patriot player and teammate at Jimmy Garoppolo,

Jermaine Wiggins, tied in for the Patriots, talked about his injuries. They used to look at Jimmy G a little sideways, like he was kind of a little bit missed the glass, where they were like, can't really depend on him, can't stay on the field. It's all about the third strike. We've all had a job with a long commute and a strange boss,

but you kind of stay with it if the pay is okay, or you feel like I can grow in the company and move over my boss. But if it's a long commute, a strange boss, and the pay is lousy, you're looking for new jobs. You're looking for work. And so I kind of look at Garapol and I think he has moved into that third strike territory. Listen, outside of your occasional Patrick Mahomes, I mean, even Brady's got strikes. Like he doesn't move particularly well.

And he has a kind of a style he likes. But I just think you have to move on if you're San Francisco. You move into third strikes with a city, a relationship, a team, a quarterback, your job. Boom, I'll live with two, won't live with three. Be sure to catch live live with 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 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 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. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's superhuman documented it all,

embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care where you're 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 to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated.

One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to The Clifford Show on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on

TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do you? Do a little Kim. Well, you can find out on The Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam Jay. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it.

Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so you know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have age. on the table right now. Thank you for finishing that sentence.

I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way 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, is we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way. Open your free, our heart radio app. Search Learn the Hard Way and listen now. You know I love Zion Williams, and I saw a story yesterday on some blogger that NBA ratings when LeBron's been hurt have gone down. and I have theorized that Zion is the next face of the league.

There's a lot of great players. Zion's magnetism, his smile, his unique game, his power, his strength. It's just unique. He doesn't look like anything else in the league. And, you know, it's when Mahomes is scrambling and throwing left-handed doing the angle pass, Patrick just didn't look like anybody else. And we like unique. And Michael Jordan's got the tongue out.

Michael Jordan's hanging and switching hands. I mean, Michael was great, but his game was just so unique. It looked like, frankly, nobody would remember this. Connie Hawkins, who I grew up with, like, in the 60s. That's what it looked like to me. So Zion Williamson's on a tear. He had 39 Friday, 38 Saturday, 28. Last night, he beats Boston.

And Rick Carlisle over the weekend gave him a very high compliment. He's an unusual force and obviously a great player. You know, we'll have to figure something a little better out next time. But he's doing this to everybody. We did have some very good possessions. He was a beast. He presents huge challenges for the defense and for the officials. He is just creating collisions out there. This is a Shaquille O'Neal-type force of nature with a point guard skill set. It really is. He's creating collisions. My big concern with him coming out

of college was injuries and can he increase his free throw percentage because he's going to get 10 free throws a game at this pace. So there are three stages for NBA stars. The first stage Zion is in. It lasts several years. It's called the prove it stage. You show off, you play relentlessly, you dunk with force. That was LeBron early in Cleveland, chasing people down in meaningless routes and blocking their shot off the backboard. It's the show off stage. It's the prove it stage. You are showing to your peers, I am great. The second stage is win ring stage. The narrative starting that you're not really a winning player. You know, you're just like talented. You want some meat in the sandwich.

Like you want something beyond like 42 a night and stats and all-star games. That's the win ring stage. The third stage, and Zion, who knows if he gets to it, is the mogul stage. Michael Jordan went to a horrible Washington franchise. Why? It was good for business. He could be an owner. LeBron went to a bad Laker team. Why? It's great for business. The Sixers were better. The Rockets were better. A lot of good teams wanted LeBron. he went into the mogul stage and LA's been great for business. I don't know if Zion gets to the third stage, so let's talk about the first two. He's in the Prove-It stage and in three or four years at the end of his first contract,

I believe he's going to get tired of just dominating European Biggs and dropping 38 with a 68% field goal percentage. He hasn't played 82 games yet, so he's very much early in the Prove-It stage. He's going to have a real decision to make and LeBron didn't do it. The way the collective bargaining agreement works in the NBA, it's built that it wants its stars to stay in the city that drafted them. So your first four years, you're under contract. You can make far more money just staying with your bad team. Anthony Davis signed it.

LeBron signed it. Even though LeBron could never get another star, Anthony Davis was invisible. But you stay for the second contract because it's really massive generational wealth. but Zion's different. Now, by the way, you can become an unrestricted free agent. Your team can match you or you can just demand to get out, which Zion may have to do. But there's two things with Zion that are very interesting as he eventually in about three years moves from the prove it stage, show off stage to the, I want something more, the meat sandwich, the trophy stage.

Is that number one, he has an injury history. And Zion may view himself and think, listen, man, this ain't going to be a 17-year career. I'm not doing a LeBron here. I got about nine years to crush it. He's a smart kid. He's probably thought about it and had people tell him about it. He doesn't see himself perhaps as a 20-year player. I mean, Anthony Davis just took a five-year contract.

Why? Because Anthony Davis is like, I get hurt a lot. Like guys that get hurt a lot, they take guaranteed contracts. So does Zion, about year five, Does he think about the injury? And secondly, he signed a shoe deal bigger than LeBron. Like this dude's going to move merchandise, like a lot of it. He's incredibly likable, really fun.

He's got everything. He's big, but not like shack big where little kids can't relate to him. He is athletic, but it's cool athletic. It's like in your face, dunk, fun. I think he has real decisions to make. and he doesn't feel like a demand to trade guy. That's not his personality. He's incredibly relatable and likable for being so uniquely talented.

But I do think the money players are making now in shoe deals. His rookie shoe deal was more than LeBron. And I think to myself, if you look at his injury history, he's got self-awareness. He knows the torque and the power he plays with. Been hurt a lot. This year, like we're all crossing our fingers, he hasn't been. And then you think about the money he's made. I wonder if he does what LeBron wouldn't do.

LeBron stayed, took the money. If you asked LeBron today, did you waste three years of your career in Cleveland? They could never get him a second All-Star. I think LeBron would have made that move earlier to a Miami. Because remember what did? LeBron played for seven years. I mean, literally it was literally doing like 42 points, 17 assists, 10 rebounds, and losing to Orlando. And in the end, he went to the Olympics.

he played with all those Olympians, and LeBron was like, light bulb. It's way easier to play with great players. Well, Zion is getting to these all-star games. He's got LeBron's story to look at and go, well, LeBron probably should have. I think if you asked LeBron today, he would have gone to a Miami in year five and just demanded a trade or done something, gone out, figured a way out of it. And by the way, Cleveland would have hated him then, but they hated him the other way. He left so what does it matter?

live editions of the herd weekdays and noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. So it's interesting. By and large, I root for young people. I've hired young people. I root for them. And I think that's a general theme in America. We root for the next generation. We want young people to succeed, not just our own kids, but it's kind of cool to watch young, ambitious, driven, men and women flourish. There is an exception, though, when young people think they're smarter than everybody else in the room. That was Josh McDaniels. He got hired by the Denver Broncos.

And you're like, oh, Belichick lost his like-wiz kid. But then he drafted Tim Tebow in the first round. And every scout I had said, Tebow is barely draftable. He's like a fifth round guy. So Josh McDaniels went against scouts because Josh was suddenly on the smartest guy in the room. then people rooted against him. That's why people now are rooting against him when Brady leaves.

It's Tom, not you. Watch out Kyle Shanahan. My scouts are all saying the same thing on Mac Jones. He's not what wins in the NFL, an unathletic quarterback with no second reaction skills at all. If the play breaks down, it's over. Kyle Shanahan is not winning games. If he drafts Mack Jones,

who half the scouts think is a third round talent, then you're like, all right, Kyle's not winning games, and he's really not a quarterback expert. Narratives flip very quickly in this league. Belichick's the greatest coach ever. How many people did you hear in the last year ago? Brady carried him. I can't draft players.

Bill's rigid. System over talent. Carson Wentz. Guys, unbelievable. Carson Wentz, lost, bad locker room guy. Like, there is a clear and in arguable hole in Mac Jones's game. He does not look like 2021 football. Justin Fields, Trey Lance, Zach Wilson, Trevor Lawrence, all do.

They run around, they've got arms. When the play breaks down, they have second reaction skills. Mac Jones doesn't. So what you're saying, if you take him third, I'm the same. smartest guy in the room. Because scouts are like, look, there are my guys, there are some guys that think he's nowhere near a first round pick. And again, I think whoever the Niners draft will succeed at some level. But if, if Zach Wilson, Trey Lance and Justin Fields crush it somewhere, and you're sitting there with unathletic guy as the league gets more and more and more athletic

quarterback. I mean, Justin Fields last year had the lowest graded, not Justin Fields, Justin Herbert, lowest graded offensive line in the NFL broke every record. That is the NFL. Mac Jones would have been devoured last year with the Chargers. Now, maybe he goes to San Francisco, the good offensive line, and he wins. But right now, Kyle Shanahan is 29 and 35. Okay. He's won more than six games one time in four years. Okay, so the narratives in this league flip very quickly. Belichick 20 years dominates, crushes people. Ten games in we're like, I can't draft.

Jurassic, the offense is brutal. Cam Newton? What? Just be very careful because when you look at Mac Jones, there's just a hole that even people who like Mac Jones are like, yeah, That's not great. And I look at it and then all of a sudden, if Mack Jones, you draft him and he doesn't look great, now it's like you don't win, you really don't know quarterbacks and you've blown two leads in Super Bowls.

There are teams will just cross you off a list. One more herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week within the IHeart 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 Marryman. And I have a new sports podcast called The Lights Out Podcast with Sean Marryman. This podcast is special to me as I get a chance to talk to some of the best who's 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 can 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 I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win.

I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me. 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.

Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tapped Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam Jek.

And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack.

So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you for finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history.

Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple, podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Keer 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, or 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, is 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. Greg CoSell is now joining me. I love having Greg CoSell on. Is Greg phoning it or is he on via the Coward Global Satellite Network?

So, you know, this Mack Jones thing, I'm telling you, when I watched Justin Herbert last year and Kyler Murray the year before with those offensive lines. And I think to myself, I'm not saying Mac can't work if you gave him the Coltsill line, right? But I look at Mac Jones, Greg, and I have, he's never trailed in the second half of a game. Do you have doubts? Well, it gets to, I think, one of the central questions now in quarterback evaluation, which has incrementally changed over the years, Colin. And that is now the value of second reaction movement ability, athletic ability. 10, 15 years ago,

No one would have said that that was an essential trait. Now I think more and more coaches say that that's not just a nice add-on, that that's an essential trait. So if you believe it's an essential trait, then Mack Jones is not your guy because he's a below-average athlete. He's not going to make plays when it breaks down. Now, obviously people listening might say, hey, Tom Brady's had great success in this League relatively the same way. He did not make plays outside of structure. But then what you have

to believe is that Mack Jones will reach a level where he'll be so good mentally as Tom Brady reached that level years ago, where he basically can win downs before the snap of the ball. Because if you don't have movement, you must win downs before the snap of the ball. Because if you don't, the defense is going to win on critical downs, and then you've got nothing to do. You know, listen, a lot of times, a collegians college traits follow him. Sam Bradford got hurt in college. San Bradford struggled with health. Sam Darnold, high risk, some bad throws, playmaker in college.

Right now we see a playmaker who makes some really bad throws. Justin Fields is interesting. I thought he was really spectacular, but he was inconsistent half to half in the games I watched him. That leads me to believe he will at times be inconsistent in college. Does that usually play out? Well, I think what you're hoping, if you draft Justin Fields,

who clearly has high-level traits, but I think what you're hoping with Justin Fields is that he learns the game And as he learns the game, he can use his great athletic ability to camouflage and compensate for some of the concerns that he has. Because right now you're dealing with a guy, and this is purely tape study, and again, none of us know exactly how he's coached. So I'm just responding to what interpreting, based on my knowledge, the tape, is you're seeing a guy that's a little inconsistent on what he sees, that therefore plays a little deliberately at times, that doesn't see. to have a great feel for isolating what is there, eliminating what's not there and isolating what is there. Think little nuances of the position that,

ideally, he can learn over time as he gains more experience because you're dealing with a kid who has high-level traits, both throwing and running. But you don't know that. That becomes a projection, and then there's 10, 12 variables that factor in whether that happens. Is there anything about, Trevor Lawrence that you don't like.

Oh, for sure. No one enters the league as a quarterback, as a finished product. That's just not the way it works in the NFL. So, yeah, I think there's a couple of things. Number one, he's kind of a body thrower. He's not a snap throw. He throws with his body.

So what happens when he gets pressure from the inside, interior pressure, which we've seen in the playoffs in each of the last two years, he has a tendency to rush his mechanics. And that's when he becomes a little scattershot. And his ball placement loses it a little bit. And that's something you have to be aware of because he is going to get interior pressure in the National Football League. And he does tend to lose his accuracy a little bit. That's fair.

Yeah. I always comped him to Justin Herbert. Is Herbert a body thrower or an arm thrower? He's more of an arm thrower. Herbert's a more talented thrower than Trevor Lawrence. Just a more talented, natural thrower.

He's an easier thrower with the football. Lordy. I love Justin Herbert. You know, Justin Herbert likes me. Anyway. That's why you like him, huh? Exactly. Favor of the ones that like me.

So it's a terrific wide receiver class. You got Jamar Chase, who to me just looks the most athletic. He looks like a professional athlete playing college. There's Devonte Smith, who is explosive but read thin, very thin. And then there's a kid, Jalen Waddle, who I think is a little undervalued.

When you look at those three, are there any that have a trait or two that you think guarantees success in the league? Like one or two things from one of these players you like, boy, that will work immediately. Well, they're different. I think Jalen Waddle, to me, in the way in which he can be deployed in the NFL is very much like Tyree Khill. You're dealing with a highly explosive athlete who has vertical ability. He has tremendous run-in for catch ability. You want to get him the ball on the move. You can use him on jet sweeps, orbiter versus wide receiver screen game.

He fits today's NFL, Jalen Waddle. He's an explosive athlete. Jamar Chase, to me, I personally believe based on film study, he's the best wide receiver prospect overall in the class. He's got a type A personality. He's physical. He's competitive. He's not big, but he's not small. He's put together well.

He's just not overly tall. I think that he's another guy that fits well. He runs phenomenal slant routes. He gets off press just with physicality and competitiveness. He does have the ability, even though he's probably not a 435 guy, of getting vertical. He did that in college. He reminded me when I watched him, the names that popped into my head watching his tape were Steve Smith, DeAndre Hopkins. I think he's a really good prospect. DeVontes Smith is fascinating. He's an outlier. He's 170 pounds,

and there have not been six feet plus receivers at 170 pounds who have played well in this league. Now, he's a long, thin, silky, smooth, linear athlete. He's not a loose-hipped athlete. He's more straight line. To me, you need to line him up off the ball. He needs to be what we call a Z. receiver. The receiver, that is a movement receiver that's off the ball so you can get him free access, get him cleanly into his routes so he can stride. He's a strider. To me, he's not an X. The X lines up on the ball and is far more susceptible to being pressed and jammed. I don't think you want to put him in that position very often. Finally, I kind of went crazy yesterday. I'm not into these pro days. nor am I

so listen Carmelo Anthony can be 50 and you can give him a basketball and by himself he could hit jumpers he could hit 15 of 18 jumpers at 55 years old

right I watched the pro day and I'm like he's a pro prospect of course he can beat air what do you make a pro days very little I get this piece of the puzzle

but you know I don't look we didn't have a combine this year So everybody gets excited about the pro days. We're now leading up to the draft. You know, you see a quarterback make a throw and people act like no one's ever made that throw before in the history of Western civilization. I mean, I think it gets a little extreme.

You know, it certainly seems like the 40-yard dash times have really jumped this year. So I don't know if that's a function of where they're running them, if they be higher at the combine. But, I mean, you're seeing some guys run 40s that are just ridiculous. So I don't really know what to make of that. I'm going to stick to watching tape and watching guys play football. I don't watch as much tape as you or tape at all.

I watch games, but I'm going to go with that. All right, Greg Kosel, 41 years, NFL films. Great seeing you again. Thanks, Colin. I appreciate it. You like talking big trades? You like the NFL draft? Well, guess what?

I have you covered. Three and Out podcast with me, John Middlethoff, scattered in the NFL. Now I talk about it for Colin. check out the podcast. We dive in deep this week. The NFC West. Best Division in football. What about these pro days? What are all the teams looking to draft a quarterback actually looking for? Three and out podcast. Go subscribe right now. Earlier today, I was talking with Chris Broussard. I said if there were five people I could start my franchise with over the next five years.

I'm not going to project 10 years. But give me five years. because there's a lot of talented people. There's not a lot of valuable players. There's a lot of great players, but they're old. They're injured. Like, I like a Joel Embed and KD, but I can't trust AD or KD. They're always hurt, so they wouldn't be in my five. My five would be, here we go.

Number five would be Jimmy Butler. He's 31. By the way, it's pretty simple. He's the third best defensive player in the league behind Rudy Gober and LeBron. He does it on both ends. He's a culture changer. He got a Miami team with a bunch of kids to the finals last year. Like, that's impressive.

He got them to play defense, and it's not a roster with a ton of great defensive players. He's having a career year in rebounds, assists, field goal percentage. I was out on him for a long time. I thought he was a little bit of a malcontent and a flake, and it's like he went to Miami. All he needed was structure. It's like I say about OBJ, Odell Beckham. He was fine at LSU and the Giants when they had Kaufflin. But OBJ needs structure.

And Jimmy Butler got structure. He's great. He's number five. Number four. LeBron's my only old guy at 36, but again, when he comes back, if you look at LeBron, it's very simple. The Lakers are plus 281 when he's on the floor this year and minus 61 when he's off it. So they're basically not a playoff team without him and the best team with him. So he's still the most dominant player in the league.

And again, if he's healthy when the playoffs start, who's favored? The Lakers, because of LeBron. Number three. Nicola Yochich, 26-year-old, Denver Center. First of all, dude's getting better. Career high in points, career high in assists, career high in rebounds. It's the only guy in the league going 25, 10, and 8. He's just, he's the best passing big guy.

He can shoot threes. He can't shoot. Yonis doesn't pass like this. You can say what you want about Janus. This guy offensively is a machine. He does everything. He reminds me he is what Arvita Sabonis would have been if he had come to the NBA.

at 24 years old. Instead, we got old Arvetus. Yokic is fantastic. Number two. Probably Luca, Dontich. He's 22 years old. By the way, his field goal percentage keeps going up. Doesn't play a lick of defense. And who knows if he'll ever sell merchandise, but in terms of just dude hits three, he hit twos, I've said this before, barring an injury, he'll be a top three score in league history. I mean, he's 22 years old. If he plays to 38 years old, Just do the numbers. He will rival Kareem most points in NBA history. He is an offensive machine can shoot from anywhere.

Number one. Number one. It's Zion. Because as an owner, I get the merchandising. As a GM, I get the efficiency. As a coach, I get the relatability and likability. 24 straight games with 20 plus points. Longest streak in NBA history for any player under 21.

He's only 20 years old. 24 straight games with 20 plus points shooting over 50%. He's the most efficient player in the league. He also in the last month is shooting the most free throws. So he is literally getting your best players in foul trouble, which Luca doesn't do. I mean, he is efficient, he is dominant, he gets to the free throw line, he gets you into foul trouble, he is going to sell a ton of merchandise. He's a totally transformational marketing player.

The smile, the game, the strength, the volga, you he's everything those are my guys another podcast from some s nl late night comedy guy not quite unhumor me with robert smigel and friends me and hilarious guests from bob odenkirk to david leterman help make you funnier this week my guest s n l's mikey day and head writer streeter sidel 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 I Heart 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 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, 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, unfilled 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 I Heart 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. On the Look Back at it podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84's big to me. I'm Sam Jay.

And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast.

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