The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 3 and Out - Draft Thoughts; Zach Wilson Doubts; More Bad Kraft/Belichick Vibes; Daniel Jones Pressure Cooker; Mailbag

Episode Date: April 2, 2021

In this episode, John shares some of his thoughts on the draft, including what he's hearing from his sources around the league and his doubts about BYU's Zach Wilson. He also explains why Robert Kraft's recent comments lend more fuel to the theory that he could cut eventually ties with Bill Belichick, why Daniel Jones and the Giants organization is under a ton of pressure, and answers listener questions in the Middlekauff Mailbag. Follow John on Twitter and SUBSCRIBE now to get all the latest content!! 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. On The Look Back at it podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 was 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. It 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. 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, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifers Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard,

but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to the Clifford show on the 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. 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. Get right to the romance and find the way to wow this valentines with 1,800flowers.com. From classic roses and bouquets to decadent chocolate-covered berries, gourmet treats, and more.

Surprise your Valentine with 1-800flowers.com. Right now, get the 18th stem in... Chanted Rose Medley for $3999 or upgrade to 24 red roses for $10 more. Go to 1,800flowers.com slash tune in. That's 1,800flowers.com slash tune in. What is going on, everybody? Recording this on April 1st, so April Fool's. But opening day is going on right now.

I see the Dodgers are losing, the Yankees lost, so all is good in the world. Not really. I'm a sneaky. I'm a Giants fan, but I actually kind of like a lot of the dudes on the Dodgers, and I've always kind of adopted the Yankees, Aaron Judge, Valley Guy, Fresno State, Roof for Aaron Judge. But other than that, we've got a lot of draft talk because there's a lot going on. And I've placed some calls this week, and I'm just going to empty the notebook a little bit from things I heard in the league, shape some my own thoughts around it,

and just some interesting angles leading up here on the draft. I also, you know, pulled out the old, uh, the clicker, watched a little film, aka YouTube, and just to watch a couple of the top guys. Uh, you know, I still have in my back pocket, you know, it's like, uh, it's like Tiger Woods, you know, if he hadn't hurt his legs, he'll be able to shoot par forever. You know, I can still evaluate a player or two. Uh, some thoughts of some things I saw from a couple owners that really stood out to me. One's Robert Kraft and, uh, one is John Mara.

and I'll dive into those two things also after some draft thoughts. So if you could, leave a review Apple iTunes. I know many of you have and I greatly appreciate that. I'm going to tip my cap to you. Thank you. If you're listening on Colin's feed, please subscribe to my feed.

Three and out podcast, seven from Colin. I'd greatly appreciate it. Also, at the end of the podcast, what we do here, for those of you knew, we do a Middlekopf mailbag, and it's at John Middlecoff is the Instagram account. DEM's wide open. slide up in my DMs, ask me whatever you want.

You know, preferably football sports questions, but you know, life advice, I can do that. If we're just talking, whatever, I don't care. Ask me any question you want. So let's start with just some draft thoughts. One thing I heard that was very unique, and you have to be very careful because every five, ten years, generations change.

What kids grew up on is dramatically different. At one point in time when I was, I was born, born in 1984. So when I entered high school, it was 2000. Now, in my high school, ninth graders, we stayed at junior high.

So 7th, 8th, and 9th grade was in junior high. I'm sure a lot of people listening, you go to high school in 9th grade. But either way, in that 7th, 8th, 9th grade, the late 90s, the internet,

like everyone listening that is similar to my age or older, it was dial up internet. We lived in the internet age literally when the fucking thing started and we learned how to use it. www. It was just the worldwide web.

Now, kids, if you were entering the draft and you're 20 years old, you wouldn't even know what dial-up internet is. PlayStation and Nintendo 64 were a big deal. Because all we had when I was, you know, probably in regular, I guess, what would be, elementary school was regular Nintendo. Duck Hunt, Mario Brothers. I mean, the games were terrible. Nowadays, one thing I was told this week, and it makes sense,

forever, I mean, the history of sports and the history of life, it was always a big deal, but definitely in sports, when you're worried about the draft, one thing that would come up is the guy a drug guy. And for a long time it meant weed. Now I think that we're pretty numb to that. Weed is, I mean, it's way less harmful than alcohol. But regardless of what you think about weed,

really a lot of it had to do was harder core drugs. right was the guy into cocaine one thing i've heard just talking to people you don't run into that many quote unquote drug guys there aren't many drug drug culture and i was at actually a funeral or a gathering for a close friend that had died and i was talking with someone and their take and was like the drug culture goes up and down and right now you know what the culture's in what what what the number one thing that they hear when guys are scouting not like you know the guys into cocaine that does not come up anymore that doesn't mean there aren't going to be prospects who have dabbled in drugs, it's a video game culture going right now.

Every kid loves video games. And people are trying to decipher like, is that a bad thing or is that a good thing? And I'll never forget watching a documentary on Tony Hawk and thinking at one point in time, like probably in the 80s, definitely even the early 90s like skateboarding was looked down upon. Snowboarding, I remember as a snow skier was like, what are you guys doing? Well, eventually, do you know what happens? generations grow up on snowboarding, on skateboarding, on skateboarding, and then it became mainstream.

And people started making millions of dollars off it. What happened with video games? In the 90s, my generation, video games started getting good, especially in the early 2000s. And then it's only morphed and morphed and morphed and morphed. Now, owners of professional franchises and venture capitalists invest in leagues

that are professional gamers. That is going to be massive in this country. At one point in time, everything in this world we make fun of eventually if enough people like it especially in this country where capitalism runs king we make money off it so like video games are no longer viewed like it's a cool thing plus the uh the graphics on the games are incredible but it's something that's talked about a lot in draft rooms right now not as much like hello dudes are doing cocaine no it's like dudes are just want to go home and game like that's a thing and when

i was in the NFL we i remember one year we were going to hire an intern and we were like obviously you Google the guy and I remember he would tweet a lot and this is like 2010 or 11 and he would like tweet about his lunch and tweet about what he was doing for dinner and we're like god this is weird that's crazy telling everyone what you're doing well I'd say five or six years later not even a decade later where I'm sitting right now but just five years later that's pretty normal like pretty much everybody tells everything they're doing at some point in time on social media. Like, it's not, it's, we don't look down upon it.

So I do think the kids coming out now are just different. And it doesn't mean good or bad. Obviously, you'd rather have a guy playing video games than doing drugs, right? And when I say drugs, I don't include marijuana anymore. I'm including harder core drugs, which I know there have been players that have gone really high in the last three or four years that are pro bowl level guys that have that surrounding them. From what I've heard now, like, the main thing is like, the number one thing that comes

up is like, this guy's a gamer. That's a really, really big thing in the scouting community. The other thing I heard is this year, we've talked a lot about it on this podcast, is the NFL made a universal rule that you were not allowed to go into schools. The way school calls get their information, and when I was at Fresno State,

I played a big role in this. I wasn't the guy, but I worked for the guy and we'd help out the scouts. you have a pro liaison at every school. So you go into Alabama, you go into USC, you go into any school, Cal Poly, right, UCF, LSU, it does not matter. There is an individual that is a point person that you meet with

and he gives you the information. Let's say you have John Middlough, first round defensive linemen. He just starts telling you the information, right? Two-parent household, has a serious girlfriend, you know, 3.5 GPA, really good kid. you know, five-star recruit, we were lucky to get him, he's been awesome since, or it could be opposite, right? One parent household, rough upbringing, didn't come from much, he's a little rough around the edges,

he has some anger issues, him and his teammates kind of butt heads sometime, whatever it is. Like, just think about every human you've ever met, like everyone has their own story. Well, the one thing I've heard is this year, they're doing it over Zoom. So you call into Alabama, right, and whoever their guy is, all 32 teams are represented in the call. Well, on that call, in 2020, 21, what would you be nervous about if you're on the Alabama side? Well, I'm not going to badmouth the guy. I don't know who's filming this. I don't want to have this thing go viral. I don't want to hurt our program. So every single person is getting the cookie cutter report, at least throughout the fall. They got the cookie cutter report. And nothing you could do because you

were not allowed to show up at the program. People weren't even breaking the rules. So every single scout got the cookie cutter report. Well, here. Here's a reality in scouting. It's no different than any of the industries you guys are working in. There are certain people that are way better than most. And a large percentage of scouts just kind of are average. Just like the large percentage of salespeople are average. You go to any industry, the majority of the working class,

whether it's the National Football League, whether it's insurance sales, whether it's Google or Facebook, are going to be middle of the road. And then there's going to be the top percentage, whether that's 20, whether that's 15, whatever, that are going to go above and beyond. And go that, like, for the last three months, they've been spending time calling coaches who it's uncomfortable because they're chasing them down, they're trying to get all this information. The guy, you know, is just going, whether he's going on a recruiting calls, whatever it is, it's tedious process.

But there are going to be a large percentage of teams that just get the basic information. Oh, this guy's good. Well, actually, there are many red flags. But if you just have a scout in a certain region that just check the boxes, because every one of those Zoom calls with any of these schools are going to give you enough information to say you did your job. And then obviously the tape you can put your evaluation. But as a scout, really the most important part of your evaluation, especially for the top guys. Now you're getting on the table for the third, fourth, fifth round players is important.

But for the first and second round, guys, let's face it, you have no pull. right if you're like middle management at some VC firm you're not going to be a major part of their $150 million purchases but maybe like a $5 million purchase they'll lean on you right but that $150 million purchase and the equivalent of a first round pick in the NFL they are going to you know rely on your character background and most of this stuff is going to be cookie cutter PC

because the people from the schools were afraid to say over the internet and I don't blame them when they don't know what's being filmed or what, they just know they have to do it, that it's going to be pretty by the book. And not everyone's by the book. And there's going to be information negatively impacting players. I don't even know a specific example of this. But as a scout told me this week, you wait for a couple weeks, there are going to be some major misses, and it's going to be because of personality. It's going to be because of character, not necessarily because of talent. And I'm like, yeah, because just like, you know,

the scouts that went above and beyond, they're like, you know, we were originally told this, but actually the more digging I did, I don't know if we should touch this guy. And that gets the conversation started. And that's going to be a big thing to me over this, that has happened really over the last two months. I think scouts are going to play a much larger role

than ever before and separating from team to team by just the background information and the character information that is going to be so different from, you know, the guys that just go through the motions and do everything they can to just fill out a box and the guys that go above and beyond.

And the guys that are, it's uncomfortable, right? You're having to call coaches that are on the road that don't necessarily want to talk to you, that it's time out of their day with their family, that you got to do it, and you got to dig deep. The other thing I've been thinking about this, and I've talked to a couple people that said, listen, and I watched probably seven of Zach Wilson's games this fall,

and he was fucking awesome. He was sweet. Honestly, he kind of has, I was telling a buddy in the league a couple weeks ago or within the last couple weeks, like, you know, his game is a little Aaron Rogers-E. I'm not saying he's going to be Aaron Rogers, but the way he kind of rolls around

and he flips it from different arm angles, it's just really cool. But as an executive told me, it's like, well, his team was, you know, it's not like he was playing with Devante Smith and Jalen Waddle. He was playing against several guys that look like me and you.

So it's like, yeah, he was by far the best player on the field every time he stepped on the field. But it's a pretty big step up. Like, is it going to be that seamless of a transition? The other thing, he's a lifetime Utah-BYU guy. I mean, he was, I think he wanted to go to Utah, ended up at BYU, but that's a pretty big transition to New York City. And is Joe Douglas going to stake his career?

Because basically the two things he would stake his career on. One, he hired one of them, Robert Sala, first time, head coach who the first two years in the Niners tenure wasn't that pretty. Now, I think Hylia Robert Salah, Sherman's of the world, Kyle Shanahan's of the world, they love the guy. He's really smart. Every single person I know around the Niners raves about the guy. But he's a defensive coach in an offensive league. They're going to have a potential rookie quarterback who's, to my knowledge, lived in Utah's entire life. Then he's going to go to New York City with the pressure of just, I don't know, the ultimate pressure cooker in

America. That's a lot. You know, that's a huge, huge, you'd have to be pretty confident to stake your career. Now, again, he's rich. Joe Douglas signed a six-year contract. There was basically $6 million a year. So over $35 million, that's generational wealth. Joe Douglas hit the jackpot. And he was making a ton of money with the Eagles. But he's not doing this.

Joe Douglas didn't get into this thing for the money. He got in this thing a long time ago when he was working with Daniel Jeremiah and the mid 2000s for Ozzie Newsom, they were making nothing. It was because he's a football guy. And as a football guy, part of being a football guy is you want to win. Like that's in this business, in football, like in venture capitalism, how you get judged is making money. The stock market, how you get judged, how much, what percent are you earning every year, right?

That's how you get judged in those business. In the restaurant business, obviously, if you're able to stay open for more than a year, that's successful. But too, like how much do people like your stuff? packed is your restaurant on a daily basis. In football, you get judged on wins and losses. Nothing else matters. And Joe Douglas wants to win.

And the way you win in the NFL is hire a good coach and have a good quarterback. Like, are we sure this guy's better in Sam Donald? Are we sure Zach Wilson's a better prospect than Justin Fields? Because I'm not necessarily. And you take a guy to the northeast, like, listen, I spent a large percentage

of my life out west. The two years I spent in Philly were eye-opening. one, they're just a very, I loved it. They're very passionate. The thing I hated the most was the cold. But it's intense. Like, people are kind of assholes, which I kind of like. You know, people are just, it's very black and white.

There's not much fluff. We're very fake out here in California. We love the poor! And then it's like past measures that don't allow them to move into our communities. But we tweet a big game. In Philly, they just tell it like it is. Just the overall culture. And it can be shocking to people from the,

the West Coast who are used to more fluffy. You know, it's just faker. It's just, it's an easier landing spot, right? It's not an easy landing spot in Philly, in Boston, in New York. It eats people alive in all the major sports. And I just think that like, that's a pretty big stretch. The one thing I would say about Justin Fields is like, that guy's been an... 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 which I'm saying. Yep, that's me. Clever 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 Ross double-tap little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye They said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do a little camp? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast.

I'm Sam Jett. 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 all day, but just so you all know.

I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed, correct. 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 therapy. Careers, 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 Hardway. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. Press your cooker. Georgia, Ohio State, five star.

he would know. I'd say it'd be a pretty big stress for Trey Lance too. So I think we're all assuming that Zach Wilson is just going to be the number two guy and he probably will be, but God, I think we're talking about it like it's a can't miss and I just don't necessarily see it. Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch all of our shows at Fox SportsRadio.com. And within the IHeard Radio app, search FSR to listen live.

Weight loss starts with the mind. And nobody knows this better than Martha Cameron, who lost 20 pounds on Noom weight. Yeah, I lost 20 pounds and kept it off. So, Martha, why did Noom weight work so well for you? Well, Noom was just a really positive weight loss experience for me. And compared to other weight loss programs, they gave me the freedom and flexibility to keep eating what I love. And that made all the difference in the world because it made me actually enjoy the process. You know what I mean?

Oh, we know, Martha. Learn how Noom's psychological approach can help you lose weight at Noom.com. What grows in the forest? Trees? Sure. Know what else grows in the forest? Our imagination. Our sense of wonder. And our family bonds grow too. Because when we disconnect from this and connect with this, we reconnect with each other.

The forest is closer than you think. Find a forest near you and start exploring at Discovertheforest.org. Brought to you by the United States Forest Service and the Ad Council. Look through your children's eyes to see the true magic of a forest. It's a storybook world for them. You look and see a tree. They see the wrinkled face of a wizard with arms outstretched to the sky. They see treasure and pebbles.

They see a windy path that could lead to adventure. And they see you. Their fearless guide is this fascinating world. Find a forest near you and start exploring at Discovertheforest.org. Brought to you by the United States Forest Service and the ad council. Another thing that always bothers me, and it's a rinse, watch, wash, repeat cycle is anonymous scouts say things. And I've been on both sides. Unless you're the GM or the head coach, you are not allowed in these organizations to go on record. You would never do an interview on record.

It's not allowed. Belichick doesn't even let Josh McDaniels talk to the media, let alone his scouts. So when you see these anonymous scouts, and typically then social media freaks, it's a lot of media members. The media members love getting their opinions and putting it out there. They know exactly what they're doing. And I also think sometimes, like, the scouts are just telling you their opinions. It doesn't mean they're right or wrong. Like I said earlier, a large percentage of scouts don't even know what they're doing. But if a guy's doing a job and you get them to give you an opinion and then you print it or put it on Twitter or whatever, like, that's the guy's opinion.

Like, that's, if every single fan could go into these draft rooms, I think they would be very uncomfortable some of the things said. And one thing that often comes up this time of year is race stuff. I worked in football, multiple years in Division I college, three years in the NFL, I've never heard anything race-related come up. Where I think people would get uncomfortable is like the way we talk about the players and whether they mentally can handle places. It doesn't mean we're right or wrong when we make these decisions.

or that these decisions are made every year in all these buildings. But that's the way it's discussed. Why? Because you're going to invest millions of dollars, especially in the high end guys. Can the guy handle it? Can the guy physically handle it? The amount of dedication that you, you know, ask your scouting department to do on background information. It's basically a detective work, finding out about the human being. And that's part of the deal. And it doesn't mean it's right or wrong, but if someone tells you, you know, a guy's kind of lazy.

and then someone at the athletic you know you're friends with some reporter and you tell the guy they're lazy and then it comes out and everyone's like oh this is all bullshit no that's what the guy was told now and sometimes part of the deal is too if I'm the Carolina Panthers and I want Trey Lancer Justin Fields

do you know what I would leak 24 7 365 how bad of a guy they are like all these stuff is fake too so it's like some of this information who cares? It doesn't mean anything. The fans freak out, but it's like the teams have the information. So whether it's real or whether it's fake, it's just irrelevant. It just does not matter.

Now, when there's information that people did not have, like the moment the draft night of Laramie Tunzel with the bong, the irony too is like he was smoking the bong. Who gives a shit? I've had seven edibles this week. It's Thursday. Like, who cares? It shows you how antiquated we were in our thinking three or four years.

He plummeted like a rock. Now, it's the best thing that ever happened to Miami. They traded him for whatever. It turns out four first rounders and a second rounder. But it's like the reason that was such a big deal. Now, granted, the picture was, you know, as someone that hasn't hit a bong, and I don't even smoke. I only take edibles.

My vocal cords are my moneymaker. So I just, I can't afford to ever ruin those. and I haven't had to mess with the bong since high school. But the bong in the mask, it was a crazy look. I'm not trying to act like it didn't look crazy. It freaked everybody out, except the dolphins who took them and then ultimately, like I said, one of the best things ever happened in the franchise.

But this notion, the media always does it. They always bash the anonymous scouts. Put your name on it. They can't. And it's like, why does it anonymous GM, who technically could, why would he? This is all a game. It's all market manipulation.

Do you idiots follow the draft? Jamar Chase, watch some of him. He's pretty spectacular. I mean, he is a fantastic, just playmaker. An unreal, I would say, the contested catches, the ball skills, it's fantastic. But as someone pointed out to me, the thing you have to be careful about, and he used an example, Devin Funches,

but I think it's happened forever, is that guys go to the combine where it's electronically timed. There is a laser. So the combine times are very, very accurate. So if you run a 4-6 of the combine, you tend to be a 4-6 guy. A lot of times these guys go to their schools, right, wherever, LSU, Michigan, Ohio State, Washington, wherever you're playing at, and run the 40, and you might run a 4-6 of the combine,

and then you go to the 40 and run a 4-7. The funchish example I heard was like he ran a 4-7 at the combine, then he went to Michigan and ran like a 4-4-5. What was he? Is he a 4-4-5 guy or is he a 4-7 guy? Well, we've all watched his career. He's a 4-7 guy. And hey, there's nothing wrong with being a 4-7 guy, so was Keenan Allen. Keenan Allen's fine. Devante Adams ran like a 4-6, he's fine.

Not being a 4-4 guy does not determine your success or failure rate. But like a lot of these times, because there is no combine this year, just people I've talked to thought were a little inflated. And you're seeing a lot of guys run four threes and four-fours. Like Jamar Chase watching him, Jamar Chase's probably a 4-5-0 guy. And there's nothing wrong with that. Jamar Chase is not going to kick ass in the NFL

because he runs like Odell Beckham or Tyra Kill. That's not his game. But I think it's going to skew a lot of these draft picks because typically we have hard information. Now I think a lot of teams aren't going to be that comfortable with the time. It's kind of an open-ended thing. It's like I heard of Devin Smith, or excuse me, Devante Smith, Pro Day, right? Technically Alabama did too, but a reason for that was because they had so many players that they kind of had to like,

because teams are only allowed to send three representatives. And a lot of times at Pro Days, if I'm interested in Patrick Certain or Naji Harris, I'm not just sending my GM, I'm sending my running back coach, I'm sending my corner coach, whatever players they have, and then they put them through an individual workout. Well, when I only get three people that I can send, I can't send all my position coaches. So Alabama, the most pro-friendly team in the country. Phil Savage always told me this, who now works for Joe Douglas with the Jets, ran the senior bowl forever, obviously called Alabama games as buddies with Nick Saban.

Said Alabama's the most pro-friendly operation in the league by a mile. If you need to watch a player at 4 in the morning, someone will open the doors for you. So they're forward-thinking they're pro-N-FEL and they did that for them. but Devante Smith the other day wouldn't weigh in. And part of the reason to not weigh in is a lot like a slow guy doesn't want to run because he doesn't want to weigh in and let Team C 167. Even though his entire career of kicking the shit out of everyone he's played with, he's been a skinny guy.

But the moment that gets a verified weight on the sticker or in the iPad for all these coaches, GMs, and owners to see, it'll be a negative. So it's just a guess. We all know he's skinny, but he refused to get on the scale. And then the thing that I heard a lot of scouts, and they just older scouts do this, they were like, why aren't you working out? Why aren't you getting on the scale trying to peer pressure them?

It's like, hey, morons, this guy has millions of dollars on the line. If I was him, I wouldn't get on the scale either, because it's not changing anything. But the moment he gets on the scale and it's under 170, he's going to fall four or five spots. And you know what that equals? Millions of dollars. This is a business equation. So I don't blame any of these guys. guys like Jamar Chase.

He technically didn't even have to work out. If he would not have worked out, I wouldn't crush him. He did. He had a backwards hat on. I watched some of the pro day. He looks unreal. He's going to be pretty damn good. The other example I've heard,

and I've been thinking a lot with Mack Jones, if Mac Jones played at Iowa or Mac Jones played at Washington, he'd be a third round pick. Now, just because Mac Jones went in the third round or Mac Jones goes to the top 10, that doesn't change. Where you start, right, where you're drafted, is irrelevant to your career.

Tom Brady was drafted at 199, or Richard Sherman was drafted in the fifth round. You know, Sam Darnel was drafted third, and he's about to be on another team. Like, it does not, you know, I would say, cement how your career is going to go. It does change you financially

the first couple years of your career. But if you went in the third round, like he would be a backup, probably and have to compete to ever start. The moment he's drafted in the top 10, he will be an instant starter. That's the way the league works. That's why I think Jimmy Garoppolo will be traded during the draft.

They are not going to trade three first rounders. Technically it's two, but pick 12, two other first rounders, and a third round pick to draft a guy third and keep Jimmy Garoppel. Makes no sense. The best part of having a rookie quarterback is playing him on the rookie contract. Mahomes is such an outlier because Alex Smith the Chiefs had been consistently making the playoffs with Alex Smith, and he wasn't missing games.

Jimmy misses 10 games a season. If you can't get a second rounder for him now, you've got to ship him out because at any moment he'd get hurt again and his value diminishes to nothing. But my point is with Mack Jones, I think the hype, he benefits a lot from Alabama. Which should speak, but he's at Alabama for a reason. Nick Saban wanted him. And then when he was their backup, and then when Tua went down, he was awesome. I think he's one of the more challenging guys ever because physically he is nowhere near in the world

as the other two guys that he's in the pod with, right? If Trevor Lawrence is going one, Zach Wilson is going two, but like I said, he shouldn't be in cement, but he is. The other three guys are Trey Lance, Justin Fields, and Mack Jones. Because if I put Justin Fields or Trey Lance at Alabama with those physical skills, it'd be a no-brainer. They'd be a top-five pick.

The thing with Mac Jones is like, well, he's a pocket quarterback, his comp is more like Jared Gough or Matt Ryan. Like those are best case scenarios. There are a lot of pocket quarterbacks that end up sucking, right? Brock Osweiler. I mean, we can think of a million. Josh Rosen, right? I'm just thinking of a couple of those off top of my head.

Deshaun Kaiser's one too. Like a lot of, now those guys, some of those were mid-second round picks. But you know what I'm saying? Like, just because you're a pocket quarterback, we love to say the floor's a lot higher, but that doesn't guarantee a miss. So I just think, close your eyes. Imagine Mac Jones coming from Iowa.

he'd go pick 100. He comes from Alabama, he goes pick five. You know, there have been some comments over this offseason by an older gentleman that goes by the name of Robert Kraft, some call him Bob, the owner of the New England Patriots, that has really stood out to me. And I, listen, I think at this point in time, we've all met someone, whether family, whether close friends, that have gotten a divorce. And the day the papers are filed,

if you ever talk to your friend who's getting a divorce, they would never say, we just had, we had this major argument, it all ended yesterday. You know, it was a really bad week and we just decided to get a divorce. No, it's usually a slow bleed, right? You talk to the person like, yeah,

we just haven't really liked each other for the last year. You know, we didn't even sleep together the last six months. You know, honestly, I couldn't stand her or she couldn't stand me or whatever, but it's a slow bleed. It's a slow process that leads to the final result, the divorce. But it doesn't just happen over a week or two weeks or even a month. Unless you're like talking about Britney Spears or Kardashian like famous people,

but for most of us normal people in society, it takes time. Whether that's six months, whether that's a year, whether that's five years, right? I've heard stories of people that have got divorced in their 70s, and it was the best thing they ever did. Waited 49 years too long. But the point is you've got to look for signs. And Robert Kraft said something the moment that they signed all those free agents. It was two weeks ago, I think, after free agency hit,

and he spoke to Peter King and Albert Breer, and he used the team. Like, I've never had to come up with that much capital. Which is not a lie. it's 100% a fact, but it was like he was hammering at home, like, yeah, I'm not used to spending this much money on guys we don't know.

That's not typically how we do business. He also mentioned that for years, we made fun of the people that made the headlines. And now it's us making headlines. The other comment that I saw him make this week was we missed to a certain extent, in the draft. Basically saying our drafting lately has sucked.

So he's come out on record saying, I had to spend a boatload of money that I usually don't have to spend. Then this, you know, the reason I had to do that is because our drafting sucks. We still need to get another quote he had. We need to get our quarterback situation figured out. Here's what I know. I am as big of a Bill Belichick fan as you'll meet as someone who's not some diehard Patriot guy. I could not respect him anymore.

I believe to my core, in my lifetime, I can't speak to some of the coaches in the 50, 60, 70s, like Lombardi or whatever. In my lifetime, he is the greatest coach any sport I've ever seen. Phil Jackson's, Popovich's, I guess, I didn't really see Walsh, but I would take Belichick over Walsh without hesitation. Parcells, Joe Tori Bruce Bochi was a lead He won three World Series

I take Belichick over every single one of them But a couple things are not really arguable For those of us that know some information Not the easiest guy to work with And you know what When you hear that term I think can be overrated Not an easy guy to work with Well when you produce

You know what? No one cares You know how much shit Jed York took in the Bay Area When he fired Jim Harbaugh because he quote-unquote wasn't easy to work with. No one cared. Why? Because Jim was winning. The thing is, though, once you start losing,

like Harbaugh's not as cool anymore. People, many Michigan fans wanted him fired. He didn't have the resume of all the wins to fall back on. And it's like, God, this guy's kind of a weirdo. Let's get rid of him. The thing with Bill Belichick for 20 years, his lowest moments were AFC championship losses, were Super Bowl losses.

So it was like, yeah, everyone was pissed off. Malcolm Butler didn't play. But he still lost in the Super Bowl. 20 other teams would, you know, give anything to be in that position. I mean, honestly, every team would give anything to be in that position, just in the Super Bowl. And he was there. It felt like every year. Well, last year, once Brady left, it was like he didn't have a plan.

And really, in a weird way, they kind of got lucky Cam was even around. Because they would have got with Stidham. They don't go seven to nine with Stittam. Stidham can't run. They might win four or five games. Then this offseason, they don't really have any options either. So they have to bring back hand. And then like Kraft is saying, they've drafted so poorly, they had to spend all this money.

I'm not saying I would fire Belichick. I'm not saying firing Belichick is the right move. If Belichick was ever fired, he would have half the teams in the league would fire their own coach to hire him. If I was Jerry Jones, I would tell Mike McCarthy to pack his shit so fast your head would spin. and hire Belichick. But if you put yourself in Robert Kraft's shoes, you go, yeah, he's made a lot of money, I'd pay him a lot of money,

we've won a lot together. But now Tom's gone, and then I had to witness, like, Tom Brady did not leave because, you know what, he was tired of the crafts. No, we know why he left. Him Belichick, their relationship had run its course. He was tired of Bill Belichick. And maybe Bill Belichick was tired of him.

But 100%, Brady was ready for some freedom. And in comments we've seen since, clearly so was Grunkowski. because he immediately followed Brady went to Tampa. But it wasn't just they left. Then they won the Super Bowl. So Tom won it. And for Kraft, you're like, God, I got to deal with this negative Nancy.

Like Belichick, let's face it, kind of a dick. You know, and I don't blame Belichick. If I was Belichick, like, I'm not kissing Robert Kraft's ass either. I mean, I don't think he ever has. But he hasn't had to because he was so good. Well, the problem is when you can't act like that when you're winning seven games. I think there is legitimate pressure on Bill Belichick this year to make the playoffs. And I think their team's good.

I think they probably will compete to get to the playoffs, especially if they land Jimmy Garoppolo. And can I have a two-quarterback system with Jimmy and Cam Newton? What if they don't? What if the draft picks, for whatever reason, don't have a huge impact? If the first time and forever all these high-price guys, like, you start paying me $10, $15 million a year and I'm from another place. I don't want to get yelled at every day. Belichick's big on like knowing the history of the Patriots.

What if I'm like Matt Judon and I don't care? Why does it matter what you guys did in 2005? You used to be able to pull that off. It's a lot harder now. What if it does not work? And they go 6 and 11. You heard of your first? I don't think Bill Belichick's the coach in 2022 if that happens.

If they make the playoffs, obviously nothing happens. But I do think there's some pressure on him. All you got to do is see Kraft's quotes. He's mad about how much money he spent. He's mad about how bad they've been. drafted. It kind of reflects like Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged.

It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days I'd put on 10 pounds,

I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying.

Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment,

and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to The Clivert Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or we're 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 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 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 all day, but just so you 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 IHeartRadio 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, 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, 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. Yeah, I like Tom more than Bill, right? Why? Because Tom's nice to me.

Bill is kind of difficult to deal with. Bill's kind of can be a negative Nancy. That's kind of a shtick, which it works. I don't mind it. I can be one too. I would imagine most people listening can't. But Bill is relentless with negativity. Like, the New England Patriots is not a fun place to work.

When I got fired by the Eagles, our West Coast Scout took over, came from the Patriots. Imagine leaving the Patriots and Bill Belichick for Chip Kelly and the Eagles. Everyone was jumping chip. People for the last decade have always tried to leave because it's not a fun place to work. It sucks because it's just him. He doesn't include anyone in anything, especially in the scouting department, but it speaks for coaches too. A lot of coaches have bounced. So I just wonder if this season they quote-unquote have a step back, it'd be an easy one.

I don't know exactly how they'd do it. But just transition to Josh, who I would imagine with Robert and definitely Jonathan be much easier to deal with on a daily basis than Bill. Because how are you going to slow Bill's ego down? I don't blame Bill for having the biggest ego in the league. He's got all the rings. He dominated the AFC. He literally bent over every team that matters. for two decades. We all witnessed it. But now he's going to start kissing Robert's ass. No,

no chance. Guys at 68, you know, leopard doesn't change the spots, especially at that age, especially with that much money. And I don't blame Robert. Like, you know, I'm 70, whatever. I got more money than God. Like, I don't want to be miserable with the guy that I employ. Most business owners, when they're as rich as that guy, don't employ guys that are mean to them. Right? Or just that are just contentious. And that's just Bill's nature. He's a cramudgeon. Now he's a great curmudgeon.

He's a lead at his job. But I think there's some legitimate pressure this year on him. Get right to the romance and find the way to wow this valentines with 1800 flowers.com. From classic roses and bouquets to decadent chocolate-covered berries, gourmet treats, and more. Surprise your valentine with 1-800flowers.com. Now, get the 18-stem enchanted rose medley for $3999, or upgrade to 24 red roses for $10 more. Go to 1-800flowers.com slash tune-in.

That's 1-800flowers.com slash tune-in. Adoption of teens from foster care is a topic not enough people know about, and we're here to change that. I'm April Dinwiddie host of the new podcast, Navigating Adoption, presented by Adopt U.S. Kids. Each episode brings you compelling real-life adoption stories told by the family, families that live them with commentary from experts. Visit adoptuskids.org slash podcast or subscribe to navigating adoption presented by Adopt U.S. Kids.

Brought to you by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families and the Ad Council. If I could be you. And you could be me for just one hour. If you could find a way to get inside. Each other's mind. Walk a mile in my shoes. Walk a mile in my shoes. Walk a mile in my shoes.

We've all felt left out. and for some, that feeling lasts more than a moment. We can change that. Learn how it belonging begins with us.org. Brought to you by the ad council. Walk a mile in my shoes. Okay, to piggyback craft and to go with another owner. And the one thing I really appreciate about the Northeast is their owners.

It's just very, I mean, that's where the Mars are from, it's where the crafts are from. Like, they're comfortable in their environment. This is what I was talking about was Zach Wilson. Like, they don't sugarcoat shit out there. When they're mad at you, they tell you. When you want a new contract and they don't think you're worth it. They'll just say, we don't think you're worth it. We don't want to pay you.

You need to play better. It's not how it works on the West Coast, even in the pros. Even Pete, you know, Pete's like, oh, everyone's great. Everyone's a starter. You know, the 49ers like, we're faithful, faithful. Right? Mark Davis is like, you know, they can do it. John Gruden can do whatever you want.

Stan Crocky, never heard him say anything. Bidwell, you wouldn't say anything. Northeast man these guys these owners let it fly and John Mara who let's face it the Giants have kind of become a clown show right they hired Macadoo who actually made the playoffs

but was clearly it was pretty pretty embarrassing Pat Shermer unlike McAdoo where we just made fun of McAdoo Pat Schumer's not a head coach he has no business being a head coach hiring to be a head coach it's just a is beyond an awful hire

Now, Joe Judge is pretty impressive, right? It was hard to not like some of the things he had going on in New York. He just felt like a buttoned up operation, and I gave them shit for him making the coaches run or whatever. Now, I think he kind of disputed the way that went down, because I do think that type stuff stupid. This is not last chance you, you know, JC basketball. We don't need to run gassers because of effort.

This is the National Football League. You want to make, you know what I like most about the National Football League? In my short experience, and I love when coaches do this, you know what happens when you screw up? They cut you. You know what happens when you're late? You get fined. That's how you impact individuals.

I tell you to pack your locker, you're gone. Don't run three extra gassers. This is like, you think golden tape running gasser is going to show them? No, you suspend them for a week. And I think they ended up doing that. So I respect that. Those are the type coaches that I respect. You screw up, you're gone.

Remember the dude from the running back for Notre Dame Had that sweet game on Monday night for Belichick I forget his Jonas Gray was that him I don't want to screw up the name that might be the wrong guy Next week he showed up late to like a meeting and he was cut the next day That's how you create discipline in professional sports It's money But John Mara said something

And listen Sequin Barclay tore his ACL last year And he's going into his What would now be his third season Is this fourth season? I'm trying to even think of when Sequin was drafted. I guess it would be his fourth season. Wasn't he drafted in 17? Because Miles Sanders was a second year last year.

So yeah, this is going to be Sequin Barclay's fourth year. So they're going to have to determine to pick up his fifth year option. So 2008, 2018, 2019, 2019, 2020. Yeah, this is going to be his fourth season. I'm sure they're going to pick up his fifth year option. But they asked John Mara if about a contract. extension. And I loved his quote. I certainly think we're not in any hurry to do that. That's not something a lot of owners would say, even if they're thinking it. But I appreciate the honesty. I appreciate the candid nature

there. You know why? Signing him to a contract extension right now would be insane. Now, if you're Sequin Barclay, you wouldn't sign a contract extension right now. That would be nuts. Now, you could argue you wouldn't sign Sequin Barclay ever to a contract extension. You pick up his fifth-year option and then you start franchising him. Because as you just saw, he just disappeared for a year when he tore his ACL. That's a problem. But the Giants, like, there's going to be urgency in that building. One thing I think why they wanted to get Joe Judge, and I've read articles about this,

and I wouldn't imagine any Giants fan, I'm sure, has been inundated over the year with stuff on Judge and articles about them in the culture. They wanted to get back to kind of the asshole head coach. They wanted to get back to Tom Coughlin. they wanted to get back to Bill Parcells. They would die to have Bill Belichick. That's the vibe they want. And Joe does provide that.

And sugar-coating stuff, like, everyone's good. We'll pay everyone. Like, some teams do that. I hate that. Because it's just so fake. It's not true. Like, Sequin, you were the number two overall pick in the draft. But if we're going to pay you,

which I don't even think is good business at all, honestly, if he was good this year, I'd probably trade him. Right? To me, that's the move. If he has like 2,000 yards this year, I would trade him this offseason. But I appreciate John Mara going on record. And he basically said the last couple years we haven't won enough games. We've been terrible.

We've been, I mean, they have. They sneaky have been, before Judge got there, they became a laughing stock, McAdoo and the years of Shermer. And this is where the pressure comes on their quarterback. Like, it is a massive year for that player. If he has another year like he just has, like there's no way around it. The guy's a bust. Now, that doesn't mean he won't play in the NFL.

I think a lot of coaches liked him coming out and would immediately sign him as a backup. But Daniel Jones, his first couple years, has been not good enough and simply kind of bad. Turns the ball over a ton. Misses lay-up throws. He obviously has talent, right? He's really athletic.

He can make some throws. You're like, why don't you do that all the time? Well, sometimes average players, can't do that all the time. Like the reason Mitch Trubisky overthrows every other throw, because that's who Ms. Trubisky is a player, right? There's a reason Peyton Manning and Tom Brady and Drew Brees, when they're on, don't miss throws because they're good. It's a difference between good average and below average players. And regardless what happens with Seekwon, like I said, you can never extend Sequan Barclay. I don't care if he turns into Walter Payton.

At most, I'm franchising. I'm probably trading if I can get a first round value and just move on because running backs are replaceable. But part of him coming back and having a lot to prove and signing Galladay and being in the position, there's immense pressure on the quarterback. Because if the quarterback isn't good, the Giants are going to have a new general manager, right? Gettelman will get fired.

And then basically they're just letting Judge be the boss, which maybe deep down, if I truly knew what was going on, I bet Judge has a lot of pull now. But the moment Gettelman disappears, and he would if they missed him. the playoffs and Daniel Jones stinks. And even if Sequin is just okay this year, that would be a disaster for him and it would be career over.

But then, like, his judge gets to pick the general manager? Then the whole thing's off. That's why I didn't like keeping Gettleman to let him hire Judge, even if Judge turns out to be a good coach, because then you kind of get into no man's land. You like to have a coach and GM coming at the same time. But like with the Patriots, there is tangible pressure. People, I wouldn't say on eggshells,

and the Patriots, they always are, even when they're winning with Bill. But I think Joe Judge and just the Giants is going to have that type of vibe this year. It's like time to piss or get off the pot for Daniel Jones. And just for the organization. Like can you just get back to nine wins? Can you be respectable? Or are we going to complain about missing the playoffs and the Eagles benching all their players when we won six games?

Or seven games or whatever the hell they want? Like you don't get to complain when you're under 500. That's what losers do. Okay, let's bang out some Middlekopf mailbag. at John Middlethoff, thanks to some guys of Fox. Now have a little blue checkmark next to my Instagram.

Not that really matters. It just allows me to do swipe-ups, which is good for podcasts. But other than that, I don't think it changes anything. Okay, let's go Middlecoff Mailbag. If discussed, I missed. What happens to players' contracts

for those who opted out of the 2020 season? Were they paid? No. Contracts automatically extended another year? That's a really good question. So I just think the contract didn't count last year. I'd have to double check if it just moves to the next year. The question I would have if that was the last year of your contract,

you wouldn't just become a free agent. I don't know. But they were not paid. They did not get any money. If you opted out last year, you were not paid. Got a question for the pot. Outside of Shanahan and Lynch, visiting Alabama, what is fueling the Mack Jones to Niners hype?

In my opinion, if Jones was their guy, they would have traded with the Eagles at 6, who were obviously willing to play ball. There's no way you can convince me Mac Jones wouldn't have been there at 6. Also, not sure if you have the insight, but how much of a role did Chanahan play in the selection of Robert Griffin III? Everyone keeps throwing around this Kirk Cousins love, but are we forgetting that they selected RG3 number 2 overall and Kirk in the fourth round? Thanks in advance.

Okay, I'm going to answer your second question. The owner wanted RG3. They did not want RG3. Mike and Kyle. They wanted cousins. Now, not obviously cousins in the first round, but they would have rather taken another player and taking cousins in the third or fourth round.

So they did not want RG3. The hype is coming from Chris Sims, who was Kyle's roommate. It's really pushing it, and then everyone else is piggybacked. I am 100% with you. it would be one of the worst trades of all time trading three ones. It's two ones, but also pick 12,

when you could have just traded next year's one to get to six and get Mac Jones. On draft night, I despise that move if they take Mac Jones, and I can't see it happening. I was texting with someone actually between segments when I was recording this about like, it's pretty crazy that Mahomes and Watson went 10 and 12. And I do think that changed the game a little bit. And then even Josh Allen next year goes seven. Like these teams realize it's like we ain't waiting until seven, six.

Now it's for free talents, right? Fields, Lance, even Zach Wilson, but not Mack Jones. No chance. Should the dolphins take chase or pits at number six, assuming both are available? This is going to sound crazy, but the way you win championships is by offensive and defensive lines, right? they have another pick, their own pick, I think is 18, is 18 or 19.

To me, you take the best offensive lineman. You would take a tackle, and then you would take one of the wide receivers at 18. I might do a weekend pod about draft values. If one of the top offensive linemen are there, and they will be if four quarterbacks go one, two, three, four, even if the Bengals take an offensive lineman, you could take one too. so I would take an offensive line and then double down at like waddle or one of the sweet wide receivers later on in the first round. The dolphins have multiple first round picks. That would be my take. Since the Niners traded up to number three, the Mac Jones rumors have been running rampant.

Before that, Mac Jones was maybe a late first round pick from what I had seen. If the Eagles were willing to move down to 12 in the trade with the dolphins, so basically the same thing. I'm with you. it would be for those of you that are new to this podcast one thing I've been hammering home for years the draft isn't just necessarily about buying players

it's about buying them at the right value you don't want to buy a $100,000 house for $300,000 right but you do want to buy a million dollar home for $675,000 that's what the draft is it's finding the player you want

and knowing what picks you have to get to get them. And whether that's moving up or moving down, for the right value. Drafting Mac Jones at three would be insanity. Now, as people have told me in the league, like, it's black and white with quarterback, right? He's either a good, when you're drafting him in the first round.

He either turns into a high-end starter or he's a backup. So you either hit or miss. There is no, like, middle ground. Like, hey, you know, this guy's okay. He's a good role player for us. No, he's either starter or he's going to be your backup. So if Kyle truly does believe this, which I think would be insanity, and I've been told by people in the know that he doesn't,

that he likes some of the other guys more, but I don't know that for sure. What's up, Middukov? Got a question for the pod. I feel like the NFL is missing out on making extra profit growing the game while paying more attention to player safety. To me, it would be more make complete sense to not just add the 17th game,

but also add an additional buy week. Obviously it wouldn't work this year with Corona but going forward I think the addition of a game it would be smart to have each team play an international game annually bookended by biweeks because of the two byweeks teams wouldn't have to worry about a travel disadvantage after an international game and their players

would have additional time to heal up in the finish line and season strong and finish the season strong in this situation every team would have a three week span where they only play twice but I don't think that's a huge deal. What are your thoughts? I'm with you. I would love to get someone from the league office.

I think that would be a cool podcast. Just someone from the league office and give me their takes. I don't think they would do that. It doesn't feel like they ever talk, but I would love to talk to them. I need to ask some of my GM friends who would be a good interview from the league office.

That's something I'm going to write down. right now. Who would be a good interview league office? You know why Bill Belichick hates the league office? Because he goes, people like me, I'm talking as I'm Bill Belichick, run these teams, right?

Sign players, schedule off seasons, schedule training camp, know what the season is. If the people in the league office dictate all the rules, none of them have ever worked for a team. None of them have any clue what's going on. You see

that sometimes in college sports, when the AD is dictating to the football coach and the AD is like, was like a swimmer. It's like, you don't know what the fuck we're going through. You don't know what it takes. All you're consumed with is money, which that is the goal of the league office. The problem is with football, it's not basketball or baseball. It has, it's so specific with you need time to implement a game plan, you need time to watch film, you need time to recover. In the NBA, you can play four games in five nights. In baseball, I mean, you have a month stretch where you play 28 games. In football, you can only play once a week. There aren't two times a week. That doesn't work that way. So I hear you. I hear you. Why do you think the owners and the competition committee

are so against the sky judge concept? It has been proven over and over that the TV reviews are so much more accurate than a field ref in real time. They keep trying to tweak the rules, but they always fall short of the accuracy a ref with a video replay has, and I believe there's definitely a simple way to inject this without affecting the game flow. Is it just old-school mentality? By avoiding this route, they continue to leave game results to human error,

and that could easily be fixed with someone keeping an eye on the TV replay. If their goal is to truly get it right, they seem to be ignoring the best way to do that. That's a good question, Josh. My overall take would be, deep down, honestly deep down, they don't care about getting it right. They care about being entertaining. And if there is controversy, that's good for the league. It just is. Now, if we're betting on the game or you're a fan of the team of the game and your team loses by human error, it sucks.

but do you know what happens? They play again the next week. And do you know what happens? We talk about it all week. They kind of like that. They're in the entertainment business. Now, they're going to get to a slippery slope with gambling, but I don't really know what's going to change much.

Maybe a little bit. I think game flow is a big deal. But I don't think they care. You know the thing about the league office and the competition, I guess the competition committee would care, but the league office, they don't have a dog in the fight. fight. Their dog in the fight is the leak, making $113 billion, and the TV networks wanting it. That's

all they care about. They don't care if the Bengals win, if the Patriots win, if the Seattle wins. Now, they want, obviously, the big brands to win, the Steelers, the Packers, the Niners, right? They'd like the LA teams to be good. They like the New York teams to be good. They like the Cowboys to be, they just want those teams to be relevant because it helps more people watch because their fan bases are bigger. But individual games, they don't care. I am an NFL fan in Australia and am looking to start a weekly NFL podcast for the upcoming season. I'm trying to come up with a plan and learn more how to produce it. Do you need to approach the NFL for approval in any way? And does it cost money for copyright or anything like that

as I only want to do it as an amateur? I would say I've never asked anyone from the NFL for approval. Right, you can talk about whatever you want. Now, if you were to run, like radio calls. Maybe you would. I clearly don't. Or copyright, no. There aren't really costs, right? I mean, you can...

I just record this into garage band. I have a producer, Mike, who goes through it and can edit some of the stuff out. But ultimately, it's pretty cost efficient. So I would say the best part about the podcast business is someone who came from radio,

it's really cheap to produce a podcast. Now, getting people to listen and making money up that podcast is a whole other thing, but just to start a podcast, the point of entry is very, very cheap. With an aging offensive line in Dallas, would it be enough draft capital to trade this year's number 10 pick and the second round pick and next year's first round pick to Cincinnati for number five? Since he has a lot of needs and would benefit from more picks

with the young quarterback, also this ensures the Cowboys likely get Sewell or Slater to ankle the tackle for the next five years and protect that. So basically trading your one this year, which you would take into a tackle without hesitation at 10, your second, basically trade a second and an extra one to get Sewell. I don't love that. I would like to just, could I trade up a couple spots

and get one of the other tackles and just give my second and keep my one next year? That seems a little expensive. But I hear you, like their offensive line is definitely aging. I've been interested in your take on Belichick, on Belichick that Kraft might get impatient in the next two years and they keep losing. Luckily, I talked about that earlier on the pod.

I'm a Rams fan myself and wonder how much time McVe has bought himself. I love the idea of him being the coach for the next 30 years, but let's say we're competitive with Stafford but don't get the Super Bowl. Then we struggle to make the playoffs the two years after that. Are we past the time of coaching sticking around for rebuilds when they start losing?

I'd treat McVeigh like the Steelers treat their guys. Thanks, I agree. I mean, I don't know. How could you up? your coach. McVeigh would have people lined up to sign them. Monday Night Football would offer him $12 million a year. I think countless teams would offer him $12 million a year. I think it would be crazy how many people would offer him huge money.

So yeah, I mean, I think he's safe. I think he has a lot of job security. Panthers fan here. Love the show. What is your opinion on the Panthers and free agency so far? Mine is not making a move at quarterback. Hassan Reddick looks like a solid linebacker pickup to pair with Jeremy Chin and Shaq Thompson

and also Denzel Perryman. Yeah, I mean, their defense should be a lot better. They definitely have acquired some talent. To me, Reddick has always kind of been an underachiever. I've never been the biggest Hassan Redick fan. I know everyone that I know love Chin coming out in the draft with various teams.

Like, they thought that guy was going to be good. Shack Thompson solid. Perryman, it feels like he gets hurt a lot, but always liked him whenever he was healthy. Their success is really just going to be, like, who's playing quarterback for them? Do they trade up to get one of these rookies? Do they, what do they do?

That to me would be my question. That's really all that matters. Do they land either one of these rookies? Do they pull a trade? if it's like for a Jimmy Garoppolo, but they got to do something because Teddy Bridgewater, great guy,

super high character, unreal backup, not a good full-time starter. Perryman, yeah, I guess he got hurt in 17, 18. It's a solid guy, I guess. Other than that,

appreciate everyone. Middlecoff mailback, keep firing in, leave your questions, uh, you know, leave any review, Apple iTunes.

See you guys. Peace. Learning to ski, keep in mind these helpful tips. Start on smooth, easy slopes, bend your knees, and always look up. Not down, that is up to Alberta, Canada, where your unsightly tumbles are a thousand miles out of sight, surrounded by skiers you'll never see again, and the breathtaking beauty of the Canadian Rockies. Plan your trip at travelalberta.com. Learn in Canada.

Impress in California. 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, S&L's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel help an acapella 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. podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. On The Look Back at it podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 was 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 year. It 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.

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, 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, 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 I Heart Race. radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games.

Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.