The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 3 and Out - Patriot Way Takes a Hit; JJ Watt's Next Stop; Darnold Pros and Cons; Urban's NFL Reality Check; Mailbag

Episode Date: February 16, 2021

In this episode, John looks at how the Patriots famous "culture" has taken a hit with Brady winning in Tampa, why JJ Watt should give the Bucs a look, the pros and cons of of Sam Darnold for the Jets, why Urban Meyer is in for an NFL reality check, 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. 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. I'm Joey Dardano, and on my new podcast, Hope From a Hypocrite, I'll be changing lives, helping people in need with thoughtful solutions. Sike, I'm a comedian. I'm not qualified to give good advice.

Join me and my comedian friends as we riff, rant, recommend some of the most legally dubious advice known to me. This is Help From a Hypocrite, the worst advice from the dumbest people. people you know. Listen to Help from Hippocrat Wednesdays on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The story I've told myself can then shape my behavior, and that can lead me to sabotage the possibility of connection. This Mental Health Awareness Month, tune into the podcast deeply well with Debbie Brown if you've been searching for a soft place to land while doing the work to become whole. This podcast is for you to hear more. Listen to deeply well with Brown from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever

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slash tune in. That's 1,800flowers.com slash tune in. What is up, everybody? John Middlck, that'd be me. Three and out. Thanks for listening. That's this show. Back at it again here in the middle of February.

Happy Valentine's Day to you and your lovely significant other. Married, unmarried, whoever that may be. and we got a lot of football going on. Well, not really, because this is kind of the slower time, but luckily, I'm a content creator, found some angles, have some thoughts on some different things that are going on. So dive into the NFL calendar,

J.J. Watt is a free agent, some thoughts on the Patriots and their quote-unquote culture, which is, as we say, in Español, no mas, Darnold and the Jets. some intriguing stuff going on there. Trevor Lawrence, Urban Meyer fired a coach,

and just some thoughts on that potential marriage that feels inevitable when the Jacksonville Jaguars pick. Lawrence is the number one overall pick. Of course, Middilkoff Mailbag at John Middlkoff is the Instagram handle. DM's wide open. Get your question here answered on the show.

If you guys could, I greatly appreciate it. Subscribe to the Three and Out podcast. If you listen on Collins feed, go to the three and out podcast. Wherever you listen, Spotify, iTunes are probably the two biggest culprits. But wherever you listen, subscribe to that one specifically. It helps. Also, if you could, if you listen on Apple iTunes, leave a review.

A little five-star if you could. Helps the business, helps the sale of the people selling the ads. Keeps this thing going. You want to keep listening to this podcast? Please go, leave a review greatly appreciated. it. Okay, let's dive into something that's becoming abundantly clear. And you hear this a lot when it comes to companies, when it comes to sports teams, when it comes to anyone successful, right? Their culture is special. They have great culture. Culture, culture, culture,

culture. We hear that all the time. And listen, I think it's, it matters. But I do think culture in sports or even in the business world is a little overrated. Like, does anyone know the culture of Apple? Do they have a great culture? I mean, they might, but when Steve Jobs was there, it was kind of crazy. Like, if you have a great product, you can kick ass. Like, I read a lot of weird stories about Amazon.

Like, is Amazon's culture just fantastic? Or do they have just the perfect service for 2021? Like, you know, part of it is like the Patriots. Now, Belichick is an elite coach. But, like, a huge part of the Patriots culture was Tom Brady. He was the most accomplished player in the league. He always took a discount. He was the most coachable player in the league.

Like, same with the, we talked about the San Antonio Spurs forever. San Antonio and the culture. You know what their culture was? It wasn't R.C. Buford. It wasn't Popovich. And those guys are good. It was Tim Duncan. He's a top 10 player of all time.

Like Brady, he's willing to be coached. You can get on his ass. He's a great teammate. Like, he set the standard. Kevin Durant came back and played the Warriors this weekend. And someone told me that covers the Warriors really closely. Because if you remember correctly, the Warriors, their owner, Joe Lakub, made this comment about them being light years. Basically, for three or four years, everyone was on their knees blowing the Warriors' culture and how great it was.

And listen, like they had a good thing going. But a reason, and what I was told is Kevin Durant, why it kind of got sour toward the end, he thought a lot of that stuff was bullshit. It's like your culture is no different than the culture I had at Oklahoma City. You just have better players. Your culture is Steph Curry. This MVP-level player that like Brady and like Tim Duncan are great teammates and you can get on their ass and they're cool with it.

They like being coach. That is the culture. Not some special vibe you get when you walk down the hallways. Your owner isn't smarter than anyone else. Your general manager is not better than anyone else. If you have an elite player and he's an elite team, teammate, you have a pretty good chance to have a great culture. If you put Steve Kerr on a crappy team, if he had taken the Knicks job, instead of the

Warriors job, they would have been shitty. And listen, Steve played a role in the Warriors taking a big step. He also inherited Steph and Clay and Dremont, and then Kevin jumped on. So I do think the word culture, because forever it was like, who is going to go to New England and take a one-year deal and win a Super Bowl and take a veteran minimum or a, take a veteran minimum or a, if he was a $10 million player, take four and go with the Patriots and win a Super Bowl. We always said, like, go there for the culture. You know why they were going there?

They could win a ring. And they would be known as a Super Bowl champ, whether it was Revis, it was just a long list of players over the years, right? Guys would go there for their shot, and it worked. It wasn't because, like, you know, they'd really learn from Belichick. They just knew they could win. if you took Steph Curry off the Warriors and just put some random NBA player Zach Levine

you know what the Warriors would no longer have a fucking culture it would not exist typically in sports the culture is your best player if your best player you know who didn't have a great culture forever when I was growing up

the Giants why but they still won their best player was Barry Bonds he was kind of a dick didn't get along with that many people was pretty contentious. This is pre-steroids and post-steroids. You can win without a great culture. You don't need, like,

I think that stuff's a little bit overrated. And a story came out this weekend that Matt Stafford, he talked to like one of the local guys, Mitch Album, in Detroit, and told him, yeah, there were teams that I did not want to go to. Basically without saying it, and I know Florio wrote it and a bunch of, he was talking about the Patriots. And forever, now, Matt Stafford, be a bad example because they never needed a quarterback,

but they would get guys that became available, their name would always be in the mix. I think Seattle has kind of become that, you know, two over this decade. It was like, oh, maybe Seattle, maybe Seattle, maybe Seattle. But, like, do you know why Seattle is always in the mix? Because of Russell Wilson. If they were to trade Russell Wilson or whatever this offseason, you know what they no longer are, the team that we start mocking that said player too.

Like, oh, I can see him going to Seattle. like that ends and that doesn't change that Pete is like this you know highly energetic positive guy and Snyder's a good GM all that stuff's great

but your culture is only as strong as your best player unlike business where it probably depending how big your company is the company culture the death set up you know do I feed

how much I pay people how good our product is there are a lot of variables in sports like your culture really is dictated if you're winning and you're losing, and you typically win a lot when you have a great player. Right?

And in the NFL, it's about having a great quarterback. In basketball, it's about having a star player. But I remove that quarterback. Do you know what I get? The 2020 Patriots, who just were not any good. They were bad. And now you get a team that I think if you're a random player, you go, why would I go there?

They don't have a quarterback. I don't think they could win. Their culture, which was Tom, is no longer there. And trust me, I am someone. anti-Belichick. I think he's the greatest coach in the history of sports. I think he's that elite. You'd be like, well, he's only because he had Brady. Well, yeah, you know what most of the great coaches have had in the history of sports? Great players. Phil Jackson became Phil Jackson. I don't know, with a guy named Michael Jordan. Bill Walsh, I don't know, he had a guy named

Joe Montana, Ronnie Lott and Jerry Rice. Like, part of becoming a great coach is having a great player. We witnessed Belichick for two decades out-skeem people, out-think people, and kick their ass. But you could take Bill Walsh, you could take Bill Parcells, you could take Bill Belichick. If I take away their star player, and in this instance, their star quarterback, they no longer are that great, especially if they can't replace them. So, this word thrown around a lot, like your culture is dictated by your best player and the way he acts, in the way he operates. Why do the Chiefs have a great culture right now? Because Patrick Mahomes sets the tone

with his play, with his effort, with his work ethic, with it all. It's why you'd argue the Chiefs now are the new Patriots. I'd go take a veteran minimum deal there. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were a complete joke for the last 12 years. They get Tom Brady. I would expect this off-season.

Tom just shifts like what used to be New England now becomes Tampa Bay. I'll go play Tampa Bay for $1.5 million when I'm a $5, $6 million player because I'm going to try to win a ring if I'm an older veteran. I'm going to try to change the legacy of my career. But, like, Belichick asking you these questions about, you know, there are all these stories that he like asked people,

spur of the moment questions about things that happened in like 2006. It's easy to stay on those guys when Tom Brady's sitting in the front row of the meeting room. When you look down and it's Jared Stidham and a bad Cam Newton, you're asking those questions. I bet guys are like, why the hell am I sitting here? It's not as fun. Now, will their culture come back if they get a star quarterback? For sure.

Are they going to be able to? Probably not. But as Kevin Durant realized with the Warriors, you win because you got great players. Period, point blank, end of story. Now, the Warriors were more selfless, like than Russell Westbrook and when he played with Hardin. They were better, higher-level teammates.

But it wasn't because the Warriors are smarter than everyone else. It wasn't because they're running circles around everyone else. It's because they had a least. star players who were wired like Tom Brady. Same thing with the San Antonio Spurs for two decades. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque.

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

I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Cliford 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. Hey, I'm Deanna Maria Riva, actress, mother, lover, and a Gen X woman walking through life one hot flash and hormonal crying jag at a time. You ladies know what I mean. I'll bet you a parameda Pazzo chin here you do. So let's talk about it. Join me on my new podcast.

How hard can it be with Deanna Maria Riva, where I call on my GenX squads from Ohio to Hollywood as we navigate Midlife's most fantastic BS. All of a sudden, I'd had hanginess happening on my I was like, what the hell is that?

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They say we can't polish a turrets. but we're sure going to try. So let's get blunt with laughs, tears or tears of laughter, and dive into it unfiltered and unbothered and ask, How Hard Can It Be? I cannot believe I'm about to say this out loud in public. Listen to How Hard Can It Be with Diana Maria Riva as part of My Cultura Podcast Network available on the Iheart Radio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. American soccer is about to explode. The World Cup is coming. Ramos sending on an historic. I'm Tad Ramos. I'm Tom Boe. On our podcast, Inside American Soccer, you'll get the real storylines. I'm not worried about Policic.

I'm not worried about Balagan. I'm not worried about McKinney. My only concern is what happens in the back. The biggest decisions. If you're going to look at stats and numbers, he has no shot at making this World Cup team. And the truth about the U.S. national team. It wouldn't be a huge surprise if our team ends up in the quarter. quarter finals are potentially a great run into the semifinals.

The World Cup is almost here. Experience it all with us. Listen, inside American soccer with Tom Bogart and Tabramos on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, wherever you get your podcast. They had Tim Duncan, Manu Genoblee, like all-time teammates, part of the Patriots, not even just Tom, McCordy, Gronk, like just high-level guys. You remove those guys, the culture dissipates, it disappears, it's gone. And now I think you see a shift that forever we say go to New England.

Now it's like, go to Tampa. And Tampa pre-Braidy was like no one was going there. So it shows you how fast things change. Tom took the New England culture because it was him the entire time. If you love to be remembered as the person who gives the best birthday gifts, I'm here to tell you that 1-800flowers.com is your ultimate birthday gifting destination. 1-800 flowers has thoughtful and artfully created options that are guaranteed to deliver the best birthday surprise. Shop thousands of unique gifts at 1-800flowers.com for exclusive offers and great values.

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has been released. He is officially a free agent, free to just rock and roll and sign with anybody. And let me start it by saying this. In JJ Watts' heyday, he had like one of the great three or four years stretches in NFL history, a dominant player. I saw him live in the peak of his powers in like 2014.

It was week two. I'll never forget against the radar. Raiders. His week one game against Washington, they were the Redskins at the time, was as dominant of a game I remember I've ever seen on tape. He then played the Raiders. He scored a touchdown. He had like two sacks and created a fumble. He was, he was like an Aaron Donald. I mean, different type players, but that level of dominance. He could not be stopped. He was a certified ass kicker. an absolute baller.

I mean, just, he's a Hall of Famer. Like, he was that dominant. But I think sometimes when a big name gets released, and in football, he was non-quarterback, I'd say as famous as any player this last decade. One of the stalwarts and the faces of the league non-quarterback over this last decade. I'm trying to think even guys that would be in his,

maybe like a Richard Sherman, an Aaron Donald, it's a small list. Julio Jones. There were guys just absolute superstars. But in terms of marketability, he might have been number one in terms of just non-quarterback face of the league this last decade.

You could argue him, maybe Gronk. It's a very, very short list. He's really famous. And he earned that fame by being elite. Now, he was on a team that, I don't want to say never won anything, because they made the playoffs four or six years. He went to the playoffs a lot.

But he was never on a team that any of us said had a legitimate chance to win a Super Bowl. That's what happens when Matt Shobb's starting quarterback. Once they got Deshawn, the crappy part as their defense wasn't as good as it was

early on in JJ's career. Then obviously we all know what Bill O'Brien and the disaster that it is now. Them releasing Watt does them a big favor, right? Anytime you are, like a six or seventh round pick.

For every Tom Brady, who gets drafted the Patriots and goes on to become the greatest player in league history, there are a lot of guys that get picked into bad situations, right? You get picked to a team if you're a seventh rounder as a defensive lineman that already has 10 defensive

linemen, and there's no way for you to make the team. It's why you'd always rather be an undrafted free agent at that point, because you do kind of get to dictate your future. You get to choose. And unlike normal people's job, Like when we graduate college, we get to pick where we go work. In theory, I mean, sometimes depending on, you know, when I graduated, it was like,

08, financial crisis was a disaster. Might not be many options. But you don't get drafted, right? JJ Watt didn't get to choose Houston. Houston chose him. And then, because he was having so much success, he kept signing these extensions, never chose to play it out. And he's made over $100 million on the football field.

And like we talked about when you're one of the faces of the league, all these commercials, he's made millions of dollars off the field. Money, generational wealth, accomplished. He never has to worry about money again. So here's what I'd have to do if I was JJ Watt in his representation. JJ, what are our priorities? Because you can go wherever you want. And I think it's safe to say every team in the league would want J.J. Watt.

because if you're a bad team or a new coaching staff, let's say like the Jets, you'd be like, get J.J. in here, have him help set a new culture. All the crag, the Jaguar, you name it. All the crappy teams are going to want J.J. Watt. All the good teams are also going to want them, because they can use them as a role player. So I'm going to have to ask J.J., what do you want?

Because if you remember a while back, DeMarcus Ware was cut by the Cowboys. and they ended up going to the Denver Broncos. He got some money, though. I think he got like $20 million guaranteed, and that team went on to just be elite on defense. They were just equipped, hit the ground running, it was on like Donkey Kong, and they were kicking ass.

I don't really see that situation for JJ, right? There's not going to be a great team, like the Steelers, Tampa, Packers, the Saints, some of these teams that are right on the cuss, the bills, to me, that are going to have the opportunity to pay him, he's. huge cash. Texted around.

I said, what is this guy? Because I think he led the league in pressures. He's still a good player. He had the first time in like three or four years, he played in every game this year, that JJ can still really help your team. He is not defensive player of the year, best player in football anymore.

But he's still damn good. And like DeMarcus Ware, if you can play around other great players, you kind of can blend in and then kick ass in your latter years. So to me, if I'm JJ, and this is just me, I'm willing to not take top dollar. Because when you introduce people, if JJ Watts' career ended today, and JJ and Gronk, let's say I'm throwing a corporate party, and I pay JJ and Gronk to come talk to my corporation, let's say there are 500 people in this auditorium,

and I'm going to introduce the two of them. When Rob Grinkowski walks out, the way I would introduce Rob Grinkowski is I would say, here's Rob Grinkeowski, arguably the best tight end of all time, four-time Super Bowl champ. I'm not going to list off his all pros, his pro bowls, his touchdowns, any of that. I'm going to say, here's Rob Grinkowski, four-time Super Bowl champion. When I introduced JJ Watt, he's one of the greatest defensive players of all time. He's got three defensive player of the year awards, all these Pro Bowls and all pros.

But I don't get to say, here is Super Bowl champion JJ Watt. And JJ has to know this. So I would have to prioritize winning first. And I think there's a lot of unique opportunities. And I think Tampa Bay is going to turn into the new New England Patriots. So if I'm J.J. Watt, I would be very, very interested to go there.

And play with Todd Bowles, who was just fantastic, play with Brady, and give myself a legit chance to win the whole thing. Because I just look at math. And I'd go, Tom Brady, he's played 21 years, he's been in 10 Super Bowls, and he's won seven. So if I go and play with him next year,

I'd have a pretty good chance. Why? I just do the math. He's there basically every other year. The Saints don't have any money. Steelers don't have any money. But I can take veteran minimums deals. I would be interested.

Now, the Saints don't have a quarterback yet. Pittsburgh quarterback is pretty up in the air. But it is a unique opportunity to play with your brothers. And his brother, TJ, is now better than JJ. I get to go play with my brother, but can't I win a Super Bowl in Pittsburgh? And I would just ask myself if I'm JJ like, is Rothesburg

good enough? And they don't really have an ideal quarterback situation. If this had been before Russell Wilson kind of went on his media tour, I'd have been like Seattle makes a lot of sense. But if I'm JJ, I can't go to Seattle without knowing what they're going to do with Russell Wilson. Clearly

the Packers makes them sense. Hometown team. Their team is good. but a little bit like the opposite of Tom Brady, the math isn't really on their side. You go, I'll go get it with Aaron, but he's only been to one, and that was a decade ago. Because if I'm JJ,

the only thing I'm thinking about, unless some of these good teams are offering me some money, which I don't really think is the case. And when I say some money, maybe they'll offer him a couple million dollars, but he's not going to get like $15 million if he wants to go to one of these good teams and like true guaranteed money.

If winning's his priority, he can become a legend. Because if he's able to win a Super Bowl with one of these teams, wherever he goes, like the next couple years of his career, J.J. Watt, because he's going to go to the Hall of Fame. He's going to go down as one of the most famous players of his era. But he doesn't have any playoff success. And that is what separates people in this league.

Because when a guy walks in, Richard Sherman, for example, I go, Super Bowl champion Richard Sherman. Before I ever talk about all pros, pro-bowls, even that he lost in the Super Bowl with the Niners. I go, Super Bowl champion. And then I might, the next stat I might go, he went to two others. This guy's been to three Super Bowls. Because no matter who you are, whether you like football or you don't,

when I say Super Bowl, you immediately know that that means something big. And it separates guys at the highest level. So luckily a lot of the good teams have good defensive pieces. I think JJ Watt, if he's willing to take a lot less money, which at this point in time of his career, I don't think it's that crazy. a long history of guys that went to New England did it, and they won. If I was him, my number one option,

I mean, the brother thing is unique, would probably be Tampa Bay. Because I go to Tampa, I play with Bulls, the defense is loaded, I got a bunch of sweet D-Bs, I got Vita Baya, I got Devin White right there. Like, we're kind of ready. They'll probably keep Shaq Barrett.

We're ready to kick ass and take names. And I get to be part of that, and I get to win and be synonymous with Brady. The Packer one's also unique. but I just asked myself, like, am I going to be the piece that helps them get over the hump? Because if I go to Tampa, they don't have to rely on me. If I go to Green Bay, they technically don't have to rely on me either,

but there is going to be a lot of pressure on me that I'm the final piece to get them over the hump. That's a lot of pressure, you know? It really is. But if he does it and helps the Packers get back to the Super Bowl, it would up his legend. Like, to me, if I'm JJ, all I'm thinking, legacy, all I'm thinking is what my legend

and the way people talk about me once I'm gone that's where I'm going to put myself because that's what Demarcus Ware got to have his cake and eat it to he got to go to a really talented team and make some money with the cap coming down because of Corona I don't know if JJ's going to have that option

because most of the good teams don't have that much cash so I'd go ring chasing Okay one thing that happens and trust me I'm guilty as any buddy is when a coach gets fired and the new staff comes in and would be like Sam Darnold he's going to get traded. Maddie Ice, he's going to get dealt.

Last year with the Cowboys like which Cowboys are going to be on the block with the new staff? The Detroit Lions like obviously Matt Stafford but like who else could you land Jeff Akuta? And I've seen it because I was there when Chip staff got there. Most general managers, whether you're a brand new. new GM and you were hired with the coach or whether you were an incumbent like Joe Douglas and you hire Robert Salah.

Think about a business where even if technically you have the roster power or the coach has the roster power, either way you are working hand in hand. Those two people basically work together 24-7-365. And if I'm the GM and I have control of the

roster and we just get a new coach, I am going to give the new coach, I am going to give the new coach, and that coaching staff, you know, probably two to three weeks to evaluate the entire roster. And this is what happens around the league. Evaluate the roster and definitely the guys we have under contract are impending free agents and let us know what you think about them. So if I'm Joe Douglas and I just hire Robert Sala and he brings with him,

Kyle Shanahan's minion and Mike LaFleur's brother, Mike, So I have a new offensive coordinator. Now, I didn't draft Sam Donald, but also this. I know for a fact the Jets, like every team in the NFL, but specifically them, viewed Trevor Lawrence as the Cream Day La Crem. Right? He was the guy. And then ultimately, they just, it's impossible to tank, even though it felt like they were doing it,

and they ended up not getting the number one pick. Now, if they had the number one pick, Sam Donald would be done. It wouldn't even be a decision. Because if I'm Joe Douglas, if you're not, if you're dumb enough to say I want Sam Donald over Trevor Lawrence, I don't know what to tell you. And they wouldn't have. They just would have traded them. But now I got the number two pick. And I might view at best Zach Wilson and one of these other guys as Sam Donald's equal.

And maybe I realize like, hey guys, if you like Sam Donald and you think we can win with them, I can use this number two pick, trade back a couple spots, accumulate more picks. We got multiple first round picks. And we could build a squad. we could be competitive maybe by next year because I can hit some picks, we got a bunch of ammo, and just start unloading the clip on some talent. Because right now we have no talent on the roster. Ideally, that's what you would do. But I've been of the on the side of just Sam Donald's done,

Sam Donald's done, Sam Donald's done. Well, Robert Sala and his staff have been together for like two weeks. I've just seen the way these meetings take place. they've spent weeks evaluating the team probably watching every single snap if I'm Mike LaFleur I always get the Loflores mixed up I guess Matt LaFleur is the coach in Green Bay

Mike his brother Bo Shanahan guys is now the offensive coordinator I would have told him can you do this this is not an easy project but it's the most important position we're going to have on the team watch every snap Sam Donald's ever play so he would do a deep dive on Sam Darnold and if he came back to me if I'm Joe Douglas

and Robert Sala and said guys I think I can win with this guy. I think I'd coach him up. In our offense, I think he's perfect for it. Because if Kyle Shanahan, and I've heard he's interested in Sam Darnold, is interested in Sam Darnold, the Jets should be also interested in Sam Darnold. They're running the same fucking offense.

Sam Darnold, in theory, and I'm still kind of on the fence. I'm, my heart roots for Sam Darnold. I've liked him since USC. I'm a Pact 12 guy, sad to say. I'm a Pact 12 guy who's like a sneaky undercover big SEC fan. but just because the pack Charles is hard to watch but Sam Donald was a legitimate top five player coming out of college

he was when they took him three of that felt right and he had some moments in the pros but for the most part it's been underwhelming but in this offense with the zone the bootlegs the nakeds the nudes as Tom Coughlin once said you get layup throws he's a much better athlete than Jared Gough and we saw the success early on Jared Gough had he is you know I'd put him kind of like a Jimmy Garoppolo.

Well, I saw Jimmy Garoppel a couple years ago when he was healthy. Be pretty good. Sam Donald can do that. There is no guarantee that Trey Lance, Justin Fields, or Zach Wilson is going to do that. I'd say, and I don't know which,

because I kind of like all three of them, two of those three guys are going to be not any good in the NFL, just the way it works. Like history would tell us. So if I can make Sam Donald work, pick up his fifth-year option this year, you basically have two years,

15 million a year, because his 50 million a year, your option is 25 million. He makes like 5 million this year. So I look at it two years, 30 million, two years, 15 million apiece to see if he's our guy. And I get to use all these other picks on other players. That way, maybe in two years, like we're competitive. If Sam Donald, you can make him good, maybe in two years we win 10 games. That to me is the best option if it's there. And I just wonder that if LaFleur does a deep dive, he tells himself, maybe I can win with this guy. And the natural move from a defensive coach, well,

if we can win with this guy, and he's already here, let's go use these picks on other players. Let's go draft some sweet defensive players. Let's improve our offensive skill guys, especially if you're going to trade Sam Donald for a second, right, and use that pick on the number two pick on, let's say, Zach Wilson, I mean, you don't have anything to show for it. But if I, let's just say, use the number two pick on an offensive lineman, I got my left tackle, I got my right I use my other first rounder on a sweet wide receiver or a linebacker or something. Boom, my team's already dramatically better, especially if Sam is just solid. That to me is what you're asking yourself.

Same thing with Atlanta right now. You're going through and going. Arthur, do you think we can win with Matt Ryan? Because if we can, let's use our top 10 pick on a player. We have some talent on this roster. Like Detroit, I think there's no way Detroit drafts a quarterback. Draft other players on your roster. Jared Goff is playing.

and then figure it out from there. Chris Ballard said this a couple weeks ago. Just because there are quarterbacks in a draft does not mean I like these quarterbacks. Every general manager and every coach in the NFL deep down understands how important the quarterback is. But I can't just force myself if I watch, let's say, Justin Fields, and I'm GMX, and I don't like them.

I can't just take them because everyone tells me I need a quarterback. I never want to have to take a quarterback high that I don't like just because I'm feeling the pressure. That's not good business. You want to take a player, like when the Falcons took that Ryan once upon a time, that you believe it, right? I think you saw last year like the Tua and Herbert thing. You know, did Miami love Tua? Or they just think Tua was better than Herbert. Did the Chargers love Herbert?

No, they like Tua more and they just ended up with Herbert. I don't think anyone knew. But every once in a while, you see teams that, like, they got conviction in that guy. right? When the bills took Josh Allen, they believed in him. They thought he was the dude. When Arizona took Kyler Murray, they were all in.

Hell, when the Eagles took Carson Wentz, they thought, like, they believed in it. And I think this class is going to be, they're going to be teams that have these guys ranked all over the board. Like, I've been saying for a while, Zach Wilson weighs like 200 pounds. Trey Lance was a one-year starter

at 19 years old. Very physically gifted, but also a small school. Justin Fields, who I like the most because I see some like Josh Allen in him. Like he's raw, but he's so physically talented, he's such a high character guy. If my coach is Sean Peyton, Kyle Shanahan, Sean McVeigh, Andy Reed types, I want Justin Fields. That's why I'm paying these coaches $10 plus million a year. To get a guy like that, mold them and kick the shit out of everybody. Because the bills did that and look what they have to show now.

Take the guy with the highest ceiling. I know Browns fans get mad at me for hating on Baker Mayfield and I'll give him credit. He was really good the second half of the season. Can you imagine the Browns team if they had this version of Josh Allen? In that offense? Holy moly. I'm concerned. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged.

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Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care which I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball 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,

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Ramos sending on to Ernie Stewart. The chip. Score! I'm Tad Ramos. I'm Tom Boe. On our podcast, Inside American Soccer, you'll get the real storylines. I'm not worried about Policic.

I'm not worried about Balligan. I'm not worried about McKinney. My only concern is what happens in the back. The biggest decisions. If you're going to look at stats and numbers, he has no shot at making this World Cup team. and the truth about the U.S. national team. It wouldn't be a huge surprise if our team ends up in the quarterfinals

or potentially a great run into the semifinals. The World Cup is almost here. Experience it all with us. Listen, Inside American Soccer with Tom Bogart and Tab Ramos on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, wherever you get your podcast. I'm like, is Kyle Shanahan, is he just in love with guys like Matt Schaub and Kirk Cousins? Like Matt Ryan. I'm like, well, after this year,

year they played the bills on Monday night football and Josh Allen eviscerated him. He said after the game like, that's what you want it to look like. Those are the type guys that are dominating in the league. I want guys with high-end traits. But sometimes the guys with high-end traits, you know, don't come into the ground, don't come into the league, rate a roll. You got to make them better. Well, that's why I'm paying my coach all this money.

Let's mold those guys and coach them up. That's where Sam Darnold's kind of in this unique situation. It's like, Mike, he's only what? 23 years old, going to be 24. Let's just pretend the last couple years didn't really happen with Adam Gase. It was just a complete disaster. You get to mold this guy. You get to get the best out of them.

We've seen before in the NFL guys turn their careers around at quarterback later on in their career. This guy's young. He just happens to have been in the league now for three plus years. But if you can convince yourself he's the guy, which I don't think is crazy, especially relative to the other guys in this draft, I think you might be able to be a much better team faster. It's actually the ideal way to do business. Any team would rather just use that pick on another player, not a quarterback, because once you take a quarterback in the top 10, you've got to be the guy.

Because if he's not, it's a disaster. If he's not, doesn't turn into a top 20 guy, you're fucked. You made the wrong decision. So I think the Jets right now are doing a thorough, in-depth kind of introspection on Sam Darnold, because they really don't have that many other players that you have to discuss for that. that long. He's the guy. And it's going to be probably the most important move. The Sala, Joe Douglas marriage, and you've got to include LaFleur, because he's going to influence this. Make, as crazy as it sounds, because they got long deals. They're all making a lot of money. But whether you keep them or trade them, kind of sends your team on a specific trajectory

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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 Dad Council. Okay, our boy, Fraud Meyer, as many people like to call him Urban Meyer, is off to a rocky start here in Jacksonville. And I think it shows you that even a team, and I'd say the Jags are the most irrelevant team in the NFL, until they hire one of the greatest collegiate coaches in the history of the sport.

And the moment that happens, a spotlight comes on. and you see that with Urban Meyer hires the guy that Iowa fired for racial stuff within 24 hours that guy's relieved of his duties quote unquote resigns no the owner forces hand urban Meyer

whether it's Utah whether it's Florida whether it's Ohio State doesn't answer to anybody at those schools the athletic director asks him like Urban Meyer got whatever he wanted especially at Florida and Ohio state. He didn't answer to Gene Smith. Gene Smith asked him, Urban, what do you need? Not the other way around. Same thing when he was at Florida and once he started winning Addies. He was the boss.

You think Nick Save, you think he's in charge of Alabama. Nick Saban is. I think the AD or president has more juice at the school than Nick Saban? Come on. No chance. And I think for the first time in Urban's coaching career, he has a guy who specifically he signs the check and say, Irman, this is not going to work. He's got to go. And he was gone. The strength coach,

Chris Doyle resigned. Albert Breer wrote that other teams in the league were looking into them. When you're good at something, even if you have issues, people are going to be interested in you. If Chris Doyle is the best strength coach in the country,

no matter how ugly and shitty and just terrible, the stories that come out and things that actually happened are, people are going to be interested in them. Just the nature of the private sector. You want the best, even if the best aren't great people. It doesn't always work, but we just, we have a long history, especially in football,

of seeing the way teams look at players that are bad guys. No team has ever signed a bad guy that they thought couldn't play. But many teams, well before I was born until well before after I'm gone, will sign guys who are very questionable off the field but are great on the field. Same with coaches, right? you hire coaches who might not be great guys because they're good coaches, whether that's in the wait room or whether that's, you know, my running back coach, offensive defensive coordinator, whatever.

If you're great at your job, no matter how bad of a human you are, the private sector will give you way too many opportunities. Nature of money, right? But I think this, this JAG situation is like, it might be a little more difficult than we thought. And there's a spotlight. on this franchise now for two reasons. One, that's what Urban Meyer brings.

The other, they're going to draft Trevor Lawrence, who I've already said is overhyped. And I don't mean he's not talented. I don't mean that he's not going to be a pro-bowl player. I don't mean that he doesn't have a chance to be one of the best quarterbacks in the league. But anything less than that, anything less than consistent pro-bowls, consistent getting this team to the playoffs, is going to be a disappointment.

that is the pedestal that he's been put on. He's the best prospect since luck. And people say, like, he might not be luck, but he's damn close. Well, luck was the best prospect since Elway. And like Manning. So you're putting him in that breath. Obviously, Elway and Manning, top five quarterbacks ever. Andrew Luck would have had an unreal career if he didn't quit.

Retire, right? He immediately gets to the Colts, who have a bad coach, bad GM, bad roster, playoffs, playoffs, playoffs. By his third year, they're in the AFC championship game against the Patriots. That's when deflakeate was, you know, they turned them in. So, Andrew Luck, I mean, I know he didn't win a Super Bowl, but it was pretty clear that he was elite. He was damn good. Trevor Lawrence, anything less than that is going to be viewed as a disappointment because the hype is so strong.

It's one thing to be the number one overall pick and a guy who thinks going to be really good. It happens all the time, right? Miles Garrett, even number two, like Nick Bosa, the hype was really strong. They just have to be solid. And then they become good. With the quarterback, the pressure that's on them, already this kind of spotlight that's on Urban Meyer, it's going to be difficult. Now, they are lucky, small market. He's used to playing in that little southern, you know, that area, right? He's from Clemson, or he went to Clemson. He's comfortable, like, playing in that region. Not a huge, no cultural shift.

It's not like he's moving to Texas, moving to California, moving to New York. I would have said the New York transition would be pretty difficult. Going from Clemson, a pretty insulated program led by a head coach, you know, pretty religious. They have a big religious, you know, kind of undertones without the program. It's a big part of just Southern football. No one cares about that in New York, right? The moment he threw two picks, people would be on his ass.

A little easier here, but I do think this is going to be covered pretty closely because of head coach and kind of the greatness slash the drama that Urban brings. Here's the other problem. I've said this over and over for Trevor and even Urban. The division is not easy. The Texans, disaster. Easterby has got some issues, right? David Cully, probably not going to be a good coach.

Their roster stinks. They're probably going to trade, we think, maybe who knows, Deshaun Watson. that franchise is a complete dumpster fire. That franchise right now has set the bar for being a laughing stock in the league. So yeah, in theory, you get to beat them twice a year. But the Titans, they're really good. They have a playoff head coach.

They have a playoff GM. They have a playoff roster. The Colts, while they don't have a quarterback, which is a pretty big thing not to have, they have a dominant roster who most football fans, you know, I think would agree with me. They have a roster like Andrew Lachron

was their quarterback would be like them or the chiefs. Like that's how good they're rosterers. One of the best in the league. They just got to get a quarterback. And we saw last year they got a 39-year-old over-the-hill Phillip Rivers. They won 11 games.

So if they just get a middle-of-the-road starter, like they're going to win 10-11 games. Those two teams are going to kick the Jags ass unless Urban is elite or Trevor Lawrence is elite. And I think we're already seeing that there's a transitional period. Anytime a college coach who has never been in the NFL comes to the NFL,

Do you know an underrated part that no one ever talks about? Like Belichick or Andy Reed or even like a Kyle or McVay, like the younger guys who have been in the league for over a decade plus. But I'd say the head coach is for sure. They have evaluated coming out of the draft. Sean Payton would fall under this, the Zimmers, Pete Carrolls, all the Tomlins, all the players coming out of the draft, they evaluated. And then once the guys get to the last,

league over that decade plus or whatever, they have coached against them. So they know their strengths and their weaknesses and the coaches. When I used to put together the advanced scouting report and when I say put together, I meant Riddick would do it when I had my first year there and I would print them out and I would put them in binders. You know, when you're the lowest guy than totem pole, you become very, very competent with the copy machine and printing things out and putting them in three ring binders. and when you put those together and you do mass copies

for all the coaches and the players, I guess the coaches then would make them for the players. I would just make them for all the coaches because the coaches would make specific ones for the players. It starts with the coaching staff, the offensive and defensive coordinators. So if you're Mike Tomlin, if you're Pete Carroll,

if you're Andy Reid, if you're Sean Peyton or Belichick, every single coordinator in the league, especially the guys that are kind of, you know, they've been coordinators at multiple stops, multiple places, have been doing it, you know their scheme.

You know their strengths and weaknesses as a coach. You know their go-to calls. Then when I factor in the roster they're using, I know what, if I'm Belichick and I'm coaching against, you know, whoever, Robert Salah, right, LaFleur. I know the scheme that LaFleur wants to run,

and they haven't even coached the game. I know the scheme that Robert Sala wants to run. I know every player in their roster once it's finalized. I've either evaluated all their rookies or all their veteran players. I've evaluated. Right?

I've seen them all. I've coached it. And even if you, when you get free agents and stuff, you've played against them. You've seen them on cross tape. Urban has none of that. And you can say, well, that's why it was so important for him to get guys in the NFL experience, for sure. But you are that boss as the head coach. It's why these guys, like when Sean Payton goes into a game, when Andy Ree goes into a game,

their knowledge as the game is going of a certain player, of a certain coach, of certain calls, is kind of second nature. Think about any job you do. Whatever job you've been in for a long period of time, whether it's a sales job and you've been doing it for two decades, you know all the guys on a first name basis. Most of these places you go into, you're not just maybe you've been business partners with them for a decade.

They buy your stuff or you buy their stuff or whatever the business-to-business relationship is. That helps. There's a reason like when you first get hired at a job and you've never, especially if you've never worked in an industry, It's going to take you a little time. The nuances that are required on a daily basis, let alone a weekly basis, let alone a yearly basis.

There is institutional knowledge of doing something for a while that just helps you be better at your job. The longer I've recorded a podcast, the easier it is for me to put together a show. This translates into any walk of life, no different in football. Are you telling me that Urban Meyer just knows all the strengths and weaknesses of every single? one on the Titans, he can watch tape,

but it's a big difference of a guy that's been watching tape for years and watching Derek Henry progress and seeing the ups and downs of Tanny Hill and knowing what, you know, Evans the middle linebacker, the way of Dory Jackson plays, or you're talking the Colts, you know, what's Michael Pittman's strengths and weaknesses, some of the things Darius Lennar struggles at. I mean, these are just things that if you've played these teams a couple times, you would just know, it's going to take some time.

Now, maybe he's that elite of a coach. He can just come to the NFL. fell and kick ass. But the pressure on him and the pressure on Trevor Lawrence, I do think it's fair to say, and I think he's going to have some success. If you had to say, John, bowl take for the, for the Jags.

I bet they win 10 games by their second year. Now, Chip Kelly won 10 games his first year and was out of the league within four more years, right? Just because you win 10 games, is he going to win Super Bowls? I wouldn't necessarily bet against him. but after this Chris Doyle thing, the pressure on Lawrence, I do just wonder if it's going to be a little more difficult

just because it's just difficult to begin with. It's hard to win games in the NFL. If you're Mike Tomlin or Pete Carroll, let alone a guy that doesn't know a lot of the personnel in the league, doesn't know a lot of the coaches in the league in terms of coaching against them. He knew the guys at Ohio State. He knew Chris and Harbaugh and Duke,

and Duke, D'Anto, Michigan State, D'Antonio. you get comfortable going against Pat Fitzgerald and Northwestern They've had the same coaches in the conference for a while We're in the NFL A ton of movement, a ton of coordinators changing all the time It's going to be fascinating to watch

And I can't wait Okay let's get to the Middilkopf mailbag At John Middilkoff Is the Instagram Fire up in those DMs And get your question answered right here My question is about sports betting I used Bavada to bet through the season and other sports.

I wanted to get your opinion on sports betting insiders consultants. I see ads for them on lots of Instagram stories and such and was wondering if you've seen the same things and what your opinion on them is. Worth it or not. Thanks, man. Keep up what you're doing. I had this thought the other day. Might have been on a few edibles.

And I was deep in thought. And listen, I follow like Vegas Day. on Instagram for the entertainment value. And clearly he's making a lot of money off selling his picks. Here's the thing. Like, if you were a stockbroker, I had this thought the other day. Because a person told me one time, he's like, you notice, like, stockbrokers, even though they deal with a ton of cash, aren't like as rich as lawyers or like the number

one accountant. Like, those guys always have the bigger house in the country. of than the big financial guy. Now, I'm not talking like David Teper. I'm just talking about your local financial guy. And maybe I'm wrong. That was just his take. I'm like, well, I dabble in the market.

Hopefully I make it. But maybe I won't. Who knows? But if you were a great sports gambler, wouldn't you just make a ton of money off your fucking picks for yourself? If I was elite at it, like I mean elite elite elite, wouldn't I just bet like millions of dollars on every single? game and if I'm hitting at a really high rate, make a ton of money, wouldn't that be my

sole job? I'm not trying to poo-poo any of these guys, but my ultimate take is, and I've run into some of these shows on television, I don't think they know anything more than anyone else. Now, are there certain advantages of some of the number breakdowns for sure? But how often have you heard someone's take, whether it be through a consultant, whether it be on TV, and you'd be like, you know what, that makes a ton of sense. I'm going to put $100 or $500, whatever your bet is, $1, $500, $500,000 on the Mavericks game.

That guy just sold me. Then they lose by 20 points. Or like, I love the Tennessee Titans this weekend, and they lose by 15 points. I think the hardest part about sports gambling and what makes it so fun, nobody knows a goddamn thing. I mean, there are people that have more maybe information, but like once the information, like, so-and-so is injured.

well, we're all going to know that by the time the game starts. Like, I just don't think they know anything more. I remember working in the league, being around the players and coaches every day. I had no clue if we're going to win or lose. None. You go to practice, you'd be like, yeah, I think we're looking pretty good. Lose by 20.

Go to practice, be like, God, we don't look great. Or the training camp, like, we're not going to be any good. All of a sudden, you're like, yeah, we're 4-0, right, or whatever. I don't think anyone knows. And I like to gamble, and I gamble a lot. But it's more off like gut feel and more on like I know I can lose. I don't think any of these people know anything. That's my ultimate take.

And for my stockbrokers out there, that wasn't nice. I'm sure many of you are very successful. It just feels like the lawyers make a little more cash than the stockbrokers. Warriors are a pretty good job. I mean, sometimes when my friends or people I know get involved in legal situations, and they're like, oh my God, you used to see my lawyer bills. I'm like, God damn, no one of these people went to school for so long. They get to charge that much an hour?

Holy moly. Why doesn't Brady take the veteran minimum, similar to what Breeze did so the bucks can have some cash to sign some of these free agents? He's already got loads of money and be his best interest to keep some of those guys. Drew Breeze did that because he's going to retire, and he's going to save the Saints money.

Drew Breeze is not taking the minimum and going to play on the minimum. Drew Breeze is taking that haircut so the Saints have more cap space when he's gone. If Drew Breeze was going to play this year, he would make $20, $25 million. So, I mean, why would Brady take a pay cut? He just made $25 million and they won the Super Bowl. Why couldn't he just win at $25 million? Tom Brady, $25 million. You know, the salary caps is $180, $185 million.

I'm not a mathematician, but what's that? like 12, 13% of the cap? He's Tom Brady. He showed up they won a Super Bowl. I got no problem paying him that much money. I think he is playing on a discount. You could argue Tom Brady to the bucks is worth like $40 million a year. Question.

If stadiums get back to full capacity next season, do you see the reintroduction of crowd noise as something that would slow down, mitigate, or hamper the high-octane offensive leagues? And conversely, Do you see this impacting defenses into what degree? Besides like Brady or Rogers or just the elite guys, Russell Wilson, they've proven that they can, or Mahomes even,

they can play with fans, they can play with no fans. I do think there were a lot, like Derek Carr had a big year, and he had not been playing well. Did he benefit from no fans? 100%. Josh Allen. I like Josh Allen a lot. He had his breakout year when the place was empty. We'll see. Same with Justin Herbert.

Justin Herbert had the greatest rookie season in the history of the league. What's going to happen when he's on the road in Kansas City, and you can't hear? Probably going to be a little more difficult. There are just elements that I don't necessarily know the answer to those questions, but it's something to keep an eye on. It's not Aaron Rogers, and again, he's an all-time great player. He was going to be great whether fans showed up this year or not. But I remember watching them play the Saints,

and he was doing hard counts on the road, and it worked. Like, in New Orleans. That's not normal. Like, let's face it. I've said it from the jump. All sports, golf included. If the fans are not there, it is not the same thing. Colin Morikawa, a rookie,

won the PGA championship at Harding Park. There's no chance he wins if there are 45,000 people there. It's just, he just doesn't win. Like, do the Dodgers win the World Series without fans. Probably they had a really good team, but probably a little harder. Do the Lakers win the NBA championship? Like, I know the Dodgers had the best team. I knew the Lakers have the best team in player. It is a lot harder to win on the road when there's 20,000 people there. Football. Like Tom Brady played Patrick Mahomes. We go, yeah, that felt pretty normal.

But would it have been harder for the Bucks at Lambo with fans? I think for sure. So I don't know. No one knows the answer to this. Right? It's just, it's hard to tell. But I think the one thing we do know is not nothing. And I think the guys to really keep an eye on would be Herbert, Josh Allen, I mean, Burroughs going to be back off an injury, but just some of the younger players. Considering how the franchise is run, personality of coaching staff,

an overall environment, what NFL team would you most like to play for? That's a great question. Uh, depends what position I played. If I played defense, I'd probably want to be a Steeler. I mean, yeah, I play linebacker. Who do you play for? I don't know, Pittsburgh Steelers. You're like, that guy's a badass.

If I played offense, I mean, I would just, the usual suspects. Sean Peyton, Andy, Kyle, McVeigh. I mean, that's who I'd want. But if I played defense, I think the Steelers would be so badass. Tomlin, the Steelers, the crowd. the division. I just think that's a no-brainer. Offense, I'd want to play for one of the elite offensive coaches,

or if I was a free agent right now, I'd want to go play with Tom Brady. So I think it's less about more offensively. I want a guy that's going to get me the rock. Defensively, I just want to play with a badass unit on a team that cares about that. So I go Steelers, offense, any of those sweet offenses. Been listening for a while and love how consistently keep but real. Wondering if you saw the Al Davis versus the NFL 30 for 30 recently.

As a younger NFL fan, I was amazed with Al and how much of a badass he was. If you haven't seen it, I recommend it. I now have a newfound respect for the Raiders franchise. Yeah, I saw the last like 25 minutes, the part where Pete Roselle retired, quit. I didn't quite, I haven't watched the majority of it. Al basically said like they hated each other. other but said, you know, I respect his, just he was a bulldog. It kind of reminded me of like Trump and Hillary.

They hated each other, but they respected each other was crazy. That's how it kind of felt with those two, with Al and Pete Roselle. Al Davis is a certified badass. He took over an NFL team. He did not have any money. Al Davis was not a businessman. He was a football coach. And then just, I mean, he's an all-time renegade.

I mean, he's a legend. When I worked at the radio station, we had the Raiders, and Al was dead by then. But, like, the Raiders, it's pretty cool to be around, like, the history. It's kind of like a collegiate program. Like, all their alumni come around. A lot of just old school badass, the names that, like, damn, that's Howie Long. Or, damn, that's Cliff Branch.

Or, damn, that's, you know, all these players are like, whoa, right? There's just a feel. The brand's pretty special. They've fallen on pretty hard times the last couple decades, but, oh, there's Fred Bolitnikov. And they're just cool. It's kind of got, the one thing I always appreciate about the Raiders

is no fluff. Like, you don't need to wear suits. Like people just walk up in shorts, t-shirts, no dress code. But it's just like, it's all about football. And that's always what it was with Al, who was just, Jerry Jones idolized Al Davis.

idolized him. Because he was such a renegade. And just, I don't know. The guy ran an NFL franchise without any money. Think about that. It's why ultimately, once the Raiders got into the spot, they needed a new home, they ended up moving to Vegas,

they didn't have any money. Because he wasn't like all these other guys. He didn't have side businesses. It was the Raiders. That's all he cared about. And I worked with Greg Papa for a while, who was the voice of the Raiders for a couple decades. Like, there's something pretty special about the stories.

They didn't get some bad breaks, you know, leaving the Bay Area, in the 80s, right, in the early 80s. Well, that's right when the Niners took over. And when I mean took over, like, became a dynasty with Walsh, Montana. So by the time they come back 15 years later, even though the Raiders won a couple championships in L.A., it was like the peak of the Eddie de Bartolo, Steve Young, Jerry Rice, Montana had retired, Walsh retired, like they own this area.

So they were always kind of the second fiddle here. You know, they own the 70s with the snake and just all their badass players. But then in the 80s, they went to L.A. And the Niners took over. And then they came back, and they were always kind of treated second fiddle. For a brief moment with Gruden, I remember being in high school. The Raiders were badass. They were fucking sweet with Gannon, Jerry Rice, Tim Brown, Greg Beakert.

Charles Woodson. They were bad ass. And then they just sucked forever. And they became a laughing stock. And it's always, when you get an old guy like that who's in bad hell, in a public job. It's really kind of sad because Al, I mean, he's one of the most,

I mean, he's a major figure, not in NFL history, in sports history. The dude just kept moving with no money and got people like give him free stadium. I mean, he's a legend. And unlike most owners, it was his defense.

He picked the players. Like Jerry Jones, kind of the GM. They do have personnel people. Like, Al was the boss. Now, it stopped working as he got older, but it worked. I think the coolest part, just Google, like, the Raiders mantra and just how they wanted to play. They were throwing the ball in the 70s. Al Davis was throwing go routes in the 70s.

Think about that. They wanted to play man-to-man defense and throw deep bombs. That was their philosophy as a franchise and kick the shit out of you and be dirty. Think how sweet the AFC was in the 70s. He had those great Miami Dolphins teams. You had the legendary Pittsburgh teams and you had the legendary Raider teams. I mean, there's a lot of Hall of Famers

in those three squads. Who are a couple of players you could see making the Hall of Fame if they win a Super Bowl or two? Obviously they would have to be close, but the Super Bowl would put them over the top. Talked about JJ Watt earlier. I think he's already probably close.

Julio Jones, probably already a Hall of Famer. Who would be another guy? Who's like a great player? Aaron Donald already a Hall of Famer. I'd have to think about that. Probably, I mean, Philip Rivers could have used one. I'd have to think about that. It's hard to do just off the top of my head.

It's a good question, though. Can you give me three realistic chances at Nola's next quarterback, whether free agency trade or the draft? We know Mickey Loomis, the GM, is awesome at working the accounting books. and always squeezes every buck. I love Breeze and always will,

but I think as an honest Saints fan, when I say we should have benched him during the playoffs to increase our Super Bowl chances in which our window of hope is closing every year based on the crazy salary cap hell, I hope to see him eventually ball out as an influencer in a big position or a coach at New Orleans

once he gets to have some well-deserved fun and time off and the broadcasting or whatever, the dude's a hero and an idol. I just think we tried to make it a fairy tale, I would kind of agree. rather than watch the tape and be brutally honest. I think that's what's hard about having Hall of Fame players is at the end you kind of hold on.

And unless your team is like that Peyton Manning, Denver Bronco team, their defense was the best defense of the league. You can't overcome it and you're going to lose in the playoffs. I would say your best option would just be bring James back and taste them. That would probably be your most realistic option. I would say another option would be trade for Sam Donald. He costs $5 million. He'd have to do some cap maneuvering.

but that's a cheap option that you can trade for, and maybe cost you like a third round pick, depending on what he goes for. The other option would be to use future first round picks and trade up and go get one of these guys. Trey Lance, Justin Field, Zach Wilson, get those guys. Now, because you're in the second round of the playoffs, like you've got to come from the mid-20s up to the, you know, single digits.

So to go from like, what's their pick, 25, 26, 27 to like pick 7 or 8, It's not cheap Not cheap at all And part of the Saints They need cheap labor And cheap laborers Draft picks

So I would say You just roll back James Most realistic Trade for Sam Darnold would be two And then make a crazy trade in the draft I'm usually against fantasy level trades However do you see a deal like this Or similar happening this offseason

Dack First Round pick for Russell Wilson Or Zique plus pick Insert team for a first or second round pick pick. Well, if you're the Cowboys, Dak Prescott, you need a franchise tag him. And let's just say the hypothetical franchise tag to trade to Dallas or to Seattle. Why would Seattle, if they are forced to even trade Russell Wilson, want to get Dak at that price? He cost $35 million this year and then he has to be

paid. So you're basically just getting a guy who's more expensive than Russell Wilson, but not nearly as good. If I'm the Seattle Seahawks and Russell is demanding a trade and I have to trade him, which I think as we talked about last week, a couple things are clear. Russell's a weirdo, a little different cat. Two, he's not happy with Seattle. Three, I don't think Seattle wants to trade him, but to me if I'm trading him, I'm trading them, like I'm trading them with the Jets so I can get the number two overall pick

and draft a quarterback. I'm not getting Dak Prescott at $35 million a year. I don't want that. It's too expensive. To me, the Cowboys have no chance to get Russell Wilson. involving players. No one wants Zique. Zick's not even the best running back on your own team.

He's slow. Dak costs way too much money. Now could you franchise trade Dak to someone else and then trade all your first round picks for Russell? That would be possible. Like that to me is not quote unquote fantasy. Could you trade like three first rounders

and a second rounder to them? But then who's their quarterback? I just think if you're the only way, even if I'm forced to trade Russell Wilson, I'm calling the dolphins and I'm calling the Jets because I need to draft a guy. I'm not in the business, unless I get to Sean Watson, but I'm not in the business of taking Dak Prescott. More expensive than Russell. It just makes no business sense.

Appreciate everyone listening. Have a great week. See a little later. Peace. Funderstruck, adjective. Shocked and amazed by the power of fun on Carnival. Riding Bolt, the world's first roller coaster at sea. Brian got thunderstruck so hard, his 93-year-old grandmother.

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