The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 3 and Out - Reid vs. Shanahan Matchup; Moves That Shaped Super Bowl LIV; Middlekauff's Offseason QB Carousel; Mailbag

Episode Date: January 24, 2020

In this episode, Middlekauff looks at the powerhouse Andy Reid vs. Kyle Shanahan Super Bowl coaching matchup, the moves that shaped the Chiefs/Niners Super Bowl; how he sees an offseason of potential QB movement playing out, and answers listener questions in Middlekauff's Mailbag. Follow John on twitter @JohnMiddlekauff and go to theherdnow.com to find the latest content. Subscribe now! 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. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo, and every episode, we're cutting through the noise,

breaking down the biggest moments in sports and giving you the real story behind the headline. And we're going straight to the source, the athletes themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions in the moment, and the stuff nobody gets to hear. Listen to Sports Slice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

And for more, follow Timbo Sliced Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smigel 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. What's up, guys? This is Clivert Taylor the Fourth. And on my podcast, The Cliverts Show, I'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff. Like being an internet famous referee. We're in the middle of a game. This linebacker, this linebacker walks up to me.

He goes, hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her. What? Time out. Quarterback on office blue with 42. Hey, Rhett, my mama want you to weigh better. What? Hey, Miss Parker. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano. It's our favorite time of the year on our podcast point game, the playoffs. We're digging into the biggest surprises of the season. And I'm looking back on some of my greatest playoff moments. If we didn't talk ever again, I was harmed. you just understood.

That's how personal it got. Wow. Then after that game seven, Mark keep coming to her. He's like, you know I love you, dog. You know, it's all love. This was just playoffs.

This was just basketball. So listen to Point Game on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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 giving. guaranteed to deliver the best birthday surprise. Shop thousands of unique gifts at 1-800flowers.com for exclusive offers and great values.

To order today, visit 1-800flowers.com slash tune-in. That's 1-800flowers.com slash tune-in. What is going on, everybody? John Middellcock, 3-and-out podcast. Back at it again. Breaking news. Well, actually it happened Wednesday night. I decided I'd been kicking around.

I was like, this is kind of my perfect Super Bowl. I got the 49ers. Know a lot of people there. Follow this team very closely. The Chiefs, several friends on the staff. Probably my favorite team, not the Niners. Probably might be my favorite team in the league just to watch. And I go, what am I doing?

Why don't I go? And then I was getting some texts, like, are you coming? Are you coming? Are you coming? And I said, you know what? I'm not going to be screwed here. I'm going. So about Wednesday night, I realized I pulled the trigger.

And now I'm going to South Beach, some place that I have, when I was scouting, I went to a game against the dolphins. But because of maybe a female, I stayed in Fort Lauderdale, which was pretty sweet. But I've never been to South Beach. So I'm going to go to South Beach for the first time. Take in 49ers. Take in Chiefs. You know, I don't, I didn't get VIP invites in the mail or anything. It's okay.

We'll just be out with the blue collar people. and if you follow me on Instagram at John Middlecoff is also where we do the Middlecoff mailbag. I'll be, I'll just be doing Insta stories and pictures nonstop. And same with Twitter. But I'll be all over the streets.

I'm just going to be roaming, record a couple podcasts, just get a feel for what the hell is going on and get us ready for the game. Because that's the whole point of this event is the Super Bowl. I'm not planning on going to the game unless someone with the Niners

gives me like really cheap or free tickets, which is probably not going to happen. But I was thinking about it, I would, I think I would definitely be able to get, if I did stay and go to the game, into the Niner party would be a lock. Chiefs one would be a little more difficult. Just, I mean, I feel like a helicopter dad flying in, but I do think I can get into that party. There are probably just a small number of teams. If I went to the Super Bowl, I could legitimately go to the team party. Uh, so, you know, if, if, I don't know, I'm not opposed. My flight

flies back on Friday. But you know, if things change and I can finagle my way into the stadium come Saturday or Sunday night, you never know. I'm a hybrid that way. I travel light. I can be fluid quickly. But I'm excited. I'm really excited for the game. We're going to dive into a couple things just on this game. Not a lot going on. Some coaching movement. I guess some things became official. We'll dive on that at the end with the, I did a little quarterback carousel. on what I think should happen with Brady, Rivers, Cam, Dalton, and James. And then, like always, Middlecoff mailbag at John Middlecoff. That's at John Middlecoff.

It's my Instagram, is my Twitter. Probably find me on Facebook, but Facebook kind of stinks. But, yeah, you can find me on all those social media platforms and slide up in those DMs on instant. I'll answer your questions here. But I wanted to start with something, and I've been thinking a lot about this, right? Like when you leave it, what's the point of quitting or leaving a job?

You usually want to find a better job. Why do you usually break up with somebody or get a divorce? Because you don't want to be with them anymore. Ideally, you want to find someone you like more. What happens all the time, it happens in sports, but in football nonstop every year? Coaches are fired. And why are coaches fired? not just because usually it's because they do a bad job or I mean we can justify it sometimes they do a good job and they're still fired but but often and I would say 99% of the time it's pretty simple the team wants to upgrade they think they can find a better coach that is the entire point of anything that breaks right the reason you know break up you try to upgrade the reason you fire your coach you're just trying to upgrade

Now, we have seen, just like we all know people that break up with someone and they cannot upgrade. It happens all the time in football. You fire a coach and you think you upgrade. Or you definitely go into the hiring cycle trying to upgrade. Sometimes there's a huge element of luck. When you look at both these two teams, let's start with the Chiefs. In 2013, I was just Googling this. I remember it.

I mean, I was actually working in college at the time, in college scouting. so I wasn't in the office when Coach Reed got fired. I was on the West Coast. He got fired Monday morning or whatever, Black Monday. And he was the Kansas City Chiefs coach within the next couple weeks. And Kansas City had fired Scott Pioly and Todd Haley and that entire disaster, right? And they were searching for a better coach. And they got pretty lucky because Andy Reid's don't get fired that often.

And they kind of lucked into it. And I'm giving them credit for being aggressive and making the hire. But when you're hiring a coach, you are like the Dallas Cowboys this year. They hired Mike McCarthy. They were lucky Mike McCarthy was available. Same with the Washington Redskins, who got Ron Rivera, who you would say those two hires were probably the two most normal hires. They got lucky that there were a couple guys that have had a lot of success that were available.

Ask the Giants. They ended up with Joe Judge. That's the Carolina Panthers. I like them at Rule Hire. But they spent $60 million on a guy that I'm pretty sure is coached in the NFL, like one year. Now, he's long resume at Temple and Baylor. That ain't, the Big 12, the Eagles and the Cowboys.

It's in the Atlanta Falcons and the Saints. A little different animal now. But you're thinking that you can do better or take the next step. Because when they hired Andy Reed, they had the number one overall pick. They ended up with Eric Fisher, who's still their left tackle to this day. When you look at the San Francisco 49ers, I had a front row seat. for when they fired, mutually departed, however you want to describe it with Jim Harbaugh. That was crazy.

It wasn't as crazy when it finally happened because there had been like a year buildup. If you remember, there was a report that came out of Florio reported that the Browns had called and inquired about Harbaugh. During the Combine, after his third season, he'd been to three straight NFC championship games, and that was a nutty story. Everyone thought Florio was full of shit, and it turns out there was smoke. and there was fire, and it was a disaster. But they went with Jim Tom Sula because they thought that he would be better for their organization.

Train wreck. Next year, somehow they end up with Chip Kelly. Don't ever forget this. When you think Jim Tom Sula, who will always be like a Jeopardy version when it comes to football coaches of like, who's the guy that took over for Harbaugh? Jim Tom Sula, how many games did he win?

One, he won five. He went five and 11. It feels like he won two, maybe one, he won five because the next year with Chip Kelly, they won two. And it was just a disaster. They fired everyone, a lot like Kansas City. Now, Kansas City actually fired Scott Piole after they hired Andy, but the writing was on the wall.

With San Francisco, Kyle Shanahan wasn't even their first choice. They wanted Josh McDaniels. Do you know what Josh McDaniels ended up doing? He turned them down. Now, Kyle Shanahan was like Josh McDaniels, but younger, had never been a head coach,

but was leading the top offense in the league by a wide margin in the Atlanta Falcons, so they hired Kyle Shanahan. But at the time, there was like, is Kyle Shanahan really head coach, cool, skinny guy, dad the coat, you know, dad Mike Shanahan. It was not like everyone knew in Kansas City. I don't think I'm as big of a coach Reed guy as you'll meet. It went a lot smoother, a lot earlier than even I envision. They made the playoffs immediately.

They've now made the playoffs six or seven years. Clark Hunt couldn't be any more excited with his hire. It was a little different for the 49ers, but here's where I will give Jed credit. He was on the right guys. I mean, everyone's wanted Josh McDaniels for the last four or five years. He just won't take any jobs until the Giants, I guess supposedly don't want to hire him.

They want Joe Judge, the other guy on the Patriot staff. The Kyle Shanahan, little riskier, but they gave him a long contract. Three years later, they're in the Super Bowl. I'm sure many of you have seen the video that went viral when he's standing next to the ref during the NFC championship game, and he points at, I think it's Savage, the safety. He's like, watch, Kittl's going to release.

He's going to hold him when he tries to run an out route. It's exactly what happened. The ref through the flag. The guy is just like a boy genius. I mean, he's just, he's incredibly bright when it comes to football stuff. I'm sure he is non-football stuff too. He's even said, I'm actually only smart with football stuff. It's weird how sports guys, like, I can remember bits and pieces of different things,

but you can be like, oh, yeah, You remember when Alan Iverson came to Sacramento in 1999? I'd be like, yeah, you had 49 points. You know, I mean, I was there. But, I mean, you can just, the things you remember as a sports fan, you're like, why can't I remember, you know, like American history? Why can't I remember other things that actually impacted this world? I can just remember.

Yeah, I remember when Barry Bonds, you know, in the first game of the playoffs against the Atlanta Braves, when, you know, you just remember these weird things as a sports fan. Yet you don't remember anything else. Oh my God, I forgot my anniversary. Just the way it works. But it really is wild that both these two teams are in this situation because they did what every team usually,

besides the Patriots and like the Steelers, attempt to do every three, four, some five, six, eight years. Try to upgrade a coach. And both of them, I mean, the Chiefs immediately hit a home run. It was a little harder to see with Kyle, but for someone that's watched basically every one of his press conferences, watch the way he conducted himself, the thing that I think is the most important,

for those that, I mean, most people that fall football have seen Andy Reid now for like 20 years. He always acts the same. He's not too high, he's not too low. He's like a Belichick. You don't see him celebrating too much. You don't see him throwing stuff. He's very, very even keel.

And in football, where everything that you could think of will go wrong, even more stuff ends up going wrong, That's kind of the personality you have to have. When you look at the best NFL coaches, they're pretty flat-lined on the sideline. I've noticed with Kyle Shanahan when they were losing, if you got one of his press conferences from his first season, when they were at one point in time before Jimmy showed up, like one in nine,

and you looked at one of his press conference this year when they were like 10-0 or whatever their record was, 10-1 or 7-0 or 13-2, maybe they would have been 12, 12 and 2, whatever. It was going really well this season, clearly. He always acts the same. Even after like the playoff week of Minnesota going into the NFC championship game, he looks the same.

And it's a quality for a younger coach that's usually rare. You see it in college football all the time. Guys are so up and down. And in the SEC's king of it, Kirby Smart, Jimbo Fisher, they're MF and everyone, they're screaming, they're high, they're low. I mean, Saban's like that too. Maybe it works in college.

It does not work in the pros. You have to be consistent. And both these guys are really consistent. But they're just kind of there because they're one of the rare, both of them, the individuals, where the team tried to upgrade and they did. And there's just a huge element of luck to it. You know, like a good example, this is kind of like geeky basketball, the Sacramento Kings. They fired Dave Yeager, who's one of the best exes and O's coaches in the NBA.

Now, he's kind of a politician, weirdo, but he's an elite coach. I was listening to a podcast over the summer with Doc Rivers and Eric Spolstra, the Clippers coach and the Miami Heat Coach. And he was with Woj. And Woj asked him, who was the toughest coach to game plan against, or in-game adjustments against, or out-of-bounds plays, or whatever. Both of them, both of them, said Dave Yeager. And they're like, whoa, I didn't know you were going to say that.

Well, they hired Luke Walton because it's kind of like a Harbaugh-Tom-Soul. they wanted everyone to be more happy and they wanted a more inclusive guy and the Kings are one of the worst teams in the NBA and I actually, when they hired Luke Walton I was like that's a good hire it shows you like people I do this for a living

you guys are sports fans for a living we all eat, breathe and sleep this stuff and there are so many times when a guy's hired besides I mean I'm we'll even throw Andy Reid out a little bit that was he had a long resume of success but the amount of guys like Kyle Shanahan that just don't work for whatever reason?

You're like, I would have hired Kyle Shanahan too. Kyle Shanahan easily could have turned out to be like Vance Joseph, like Dirk Cutter, like all the coaches that consistently fail. Pat Schumer, maybe the second time around he'll figure it out. Nope, he's still terrible. Joe Judge, you know, he's really impressive. He says he's a blue-collar guy. He wants to put on the pads.

He wants to hit and he wants to tackle and he wants to do the, he wants to do all the drills to make guys tough. It's going to resonate with Jersey. I mean, there's a chance in two years he's won like six games, right? Like, I know McCarthy and Rivera are going to be solid. I have no clue. Like Cliff Kingsbury, I think he's decent. But if you tell me he's never going to win more than six games in the next two years,

I'd believe you. Because it's really hard. It is really, really difficult to figure out first-time head coaches. And even sometimes the second, the quote-unquote, retreads. And I don't like to use the term retread with guys that win. Like, Andy wasn't a retread. He was just a guy whose time ran out in Philly and needed a new shot. Same with Mike McCarthy.

Like he had 12 years or whatever in Green Bay, it was just time. Even kind of Ron Rivera. They got a new owner. It was just time for a breakout. But to me, all those guys, Andy had been to a Super Bowl, Rivera had been to a Super Bowl, McCarthy had won a Super Bowl. They'd proven they could lead an operation. You knew what you were getting.

But mostly, look at this hiring cycle. Joe Judge, no freaking clue. The dude was doing special teams. Last night, a business. blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source,

the athlete themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context, and ask the questions everybody wants answered. SportsSlice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to SportsSlice on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Sliced Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite

therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase

that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing and we're still chasing it and we don't know when we've done enough because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth? Are you a good person because you're afraid?

Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway. Open your free, our heart radio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now.

What's up, guys? This is Clever Taylor the Fourth. And on my podcast, The Cliver Show, I'm bringing you. conversations about all kinds of stuff. Like being an internet famous referee. We're in the middle of a game. This linebacker, this linebacker walks up to me, he goes, hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her.

What? Time out. Quarterback on office blue 42. Hey, ref, my mama want you to wave at her. What? Where's she at? Hey, Miss Parker. Listen to the Clipper.

on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Hey, it's Edwin Castro, also known as Castro 1021. And I'm Conky, his best friend and business manager. And we've got a new show called The 1021 Podcast. I'm taking you behind the scenes on how I became one of Twitch's most popular streamers. We also love sports. And with the World Cup right around the corner, we'll be breaking down the biggest storylines ahead of the big tournament here in the U.S.

Listen to the 1021 podcast on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. His introductory press conference, I was ready to strap it up. He could be a royal failure. Like Kyle Shanahan, I was impressed and I always thought it was going to turn, but I kept thinking like he better win now. And you know what? He didn't just win now. He kicked everyone's ass. And we're getting this matchup, and it is a really, really exciting coaching matchup.

And all led because once upon a time, the chief. and the 49ers, just like most teams in the league, they get to this point every several years, tried to upgrade and they nailed their hires. At Firehouse Subs, a portion of every purchase helps provide life-saving equipment to first responders. We make our subs differently because our subs can make a difference. Like our fan favorite turkey bacon ranch,

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And we're live here outside the Perez family home just waiting for the... And there they go. Almost on time this morning. Mom is coming out the front door strong with a double-armed kid carry. Looks like Dad has the bags. Daughter is bringing up the rear. Oh, but the diaper bag wasn't closed. Dipers and toys are everywhere.

Ooh, but Mom has just nailed the perfect car seat buckle for the toddler. And now the eldest daughter who looks to be about nine or ten Has secured herself in the booster seat Dad zips the bag closed and they're off Ah but looks like mom doesn't realize her coffee cup Is still on the roof of the car And there it goes Oh that's a shame that mug was a fam favorite

Don't sweat the small stuff Just nail the big stuff Like making sure your kids are buckled correctly In the right seat for their age and size Learn more at nhtsa.gov slash the right seat Visit NHTSA slash the right seat brought to you by mitza and the ad council okay let's dive into a couple moves that change football forever and just like in anything there are moves in this world that changed things

forever i mean pearl harbor was bombed it ultimately led us to saving the world i was googling you know i got eight million apple products i remember being in college at cow polly in like 05-06 and buying the iPod. And remember the original iPod, they aren't like even the phones now. They were big. They were heavy, but they were badass, because you could load all your music on the thing

and walk around. So I was Googling today. In 2006, the iPod made more money for Apple than the Mac. It changed the company. A year later, they make the iPhone and Apple's never looked back. Now I got iPads. I mean, it just, it changed the world.

Let's just call it what it is. It changed the world. Well, there are two moves in this Super Bowl that ultimately change the league because starting with the Chiefs, they were good. They had made the playoffs four of the first five years with Alex Smith.

They had won the division definitely maybe twice, but definitely once. part of it was a little skewed because Peyton Manning and the Broncos were unreal. But they were a good team. And Coach Reed, and I know this for a fact, he's told me, those guys love Alex.

Matt Nagy, Coach Reed, Doug Peterson, they hold Alex to the highest level of esteem a human can. But they're not dumb. Like, he had a ceiling as a football player. Like there was only, there were certain levels of things that he was not going to be able. able to do. And when you want to win a Super Bowl and you know, well, I got to play Rogers, Russell Wilson, Brady, some of these young cats, he doesn't have that in the bag. And they swung

for the fences. And at the time when they swung for the fences to get Patrick Mahomes, it's easy to say now, whoa, that was an easy move. I don't think it was as easy. Definitely not around the league. Damn, they traded multiple ones to trade up for Patrick Mahomes. This guy from Texas Tech, it's probably going to go down as the best move in franchise history. Whether they win or lose his Super Bowl. In two seasons, he won an MVP, got him to back-to-back AFC championship games, and got him to a Super Bowl. And let's be real, they're going to win a Super Bowl with Patrick Mahomes if he stays healthy. That feels like the most inevitable thing in sports. The 49ers are a little different because the Chiefs dictated that. They

said, we need this guy, we want this guy, we love this guy, and they trade it for him. The 49ers, and I tell people this with the Niners all the time, you better send Belichick Christmas cards every year until he passes away because he changed their franchise. When Kyle Shanahan got here, the 49ers had no quarterback. They cut Kaepernick, they brought in Hoyer, and the quarterback play was horrendous. Hoyer stinks. And they were, I think, one and eight.

And they had just played the Philadelphia Eagles, and they had gotten boat raced. Now, that was the good Eagles team with Wents, and they ended up getting the number one seat, ended up winning the Super Bowl. But it was like, geez, Louise, that's the best team in the league. or the NFC, the niners are the worst team in the NFC, and it turns out they really were.

I think they were one and eight at the time. And Belichick calls Kyle Shanahan and says, listen, I'm not going to bargain with you. I'm not looking to go back and forth. I want your second round pick. And I don't blame Belichick, because again, they were, it looked like they were headed for the number one overall pick.

So that would have been pick 33. And I'll give you Jimmy Garapolo. And a couple hours later, Jimmy Garoppolo was a 49er. and those two moves, Jimmy Garoppolo coming to the 49ers. And listen, I'm not comparing Jimmy Garoppel and Patrick Mahomes. Patrick Mahomes is a better player. But, and I think you see this on Twitter,

and you see the booger-eaters arguing that Jimmy stinks. Jimmy does not stink. Is Jimmy a top-five quarterback? No. Is Jimmy somewhere between 7 and 15 on a given game? Sure. Some games, he's 13, 14, 15 in the league. And other games, he's 4, 5, 6, somewhere in that range.

I know his high-end, like, if the 4-1, 15,000, 49ers had done what they wanted to do, and that was signed Kirk Cousins before Belichick called. Think of the butterfly effect. If Belichick had not called and traded them Jimmy Garoppel, Kirk Cousins would have been on the 49ers. I will promise you, I would bet every penny I've ever earned in my life savings. The 49ers would not be in the Super Bowl. Because I'm watching a similar team in the Minnesota Vikings.

You could argue, now their coach might not be as dynamic, but their talent is equally good, if not better, especially on offense. They can't sniff. They missed the playoffs. And then this year, they're out in the, you know, I guess they did win a game, so I got to tip my hat to Cousins. But they have no chance to go to the Super Bowl.

49ers wouldn't be the Super Bowl. 49ers wouldn't be the what seed with Kirk Cousins. They would have been kind of like the Minnesota Vikings, probably had some good years and been in the playoffs and Kyle Shanahan would have got some credit. But ultimately, Kirk Cousins, like Alex Smith would have done to Coach Reed, put a ceiling on their franchise.

Mahomes put zero ceiling on the Chief. He gives them a ceiling. as high as the moon. Jimmy is a little different, though I think some of us has to remember this is the first season start to finish Jimmy's ever started. He played 16 games, then two playoff games.

Coming into the season, he had 10 career starts. And the numbers speak for themselves. Without Jimmy Garoplo, Kyle Shanahan's like 4 and 20. With him, he's 21 and 5. So clearly, Jimmy is really good and with Kyle he can make magic happen. But those two moves, and just you go, well, John, you're just talking about the good,

there's a lot of bad moves too. I'm not even talking about those teams. When a move's made, we think like, oh, that's kind of a cool move. Like when the Bears traded up for Mitch Trubiskey, I was like, wow, that's kind of bold. It's kind of blown up in Ryan Pace's face. When the Browns traded the pick that allowed the Houston Texans to get Deshawn Watson, I was like, you know, I like Deshawn Watson a lot of Clem.

Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet. lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athlete themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down,

give you context and ask the questions everybody wants answered. Sports Slice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to Sports Slice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slic Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests.

I'm talking. Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch.

Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross. Because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth? Are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different. intentions, bro. Absolutely.

And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, is we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. What's up, guys? This is Clever Taylor the Fourth.

And on my podcast, The Cliverts Show, I'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff, like being an internet famous referee. We're in the middle of a game. This linebacker, this linebacker walks up to me, he goes, Hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her. What? Time out. Quarterback on office blue with 42.

Hey, ref, my mama want you to wave at her. What? Where's she at? Hey, Miss Parker. Listen to the Clifford show on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Hey, it's Edwin. Castro, also known as Castro 1021.

And I'm Kunky, his best friend and business manager. And we've got a new show called The 1021 podcast. I'm taking you behind the scenes on how I became one of Twitch's most popular streamers. We also love sports. And with the World Cup right around the corner, we'll be breaking down the biggest storylines ahead of the big tournament here in the USA. Listen to the 1021 podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever You get your podcasts.

But, you know, when I trade all that to get them at 10? Yes. Looking back now, yes. But at the time of these moves, you never truly know. Like when the Jets traded up to get Sam Darnold. We still have a lot of unknown with that, but that seems like a pretty good move. When the bills traded up to get Josh Allen. I like that move too.

I remember applauding the move when the Cardinals traded up to get Josh Rosen. That was a failure and a wasted move. So when these moves happen or these trades happen, we see it more on draft day trades with quarterbacks than mid-season trades. Guys like Jimmy Garoppelow very, very rarely get traded. I'm trying to think off top of my head, like Matt Schaub, Kevin Cobb. But even there, like the Houston Texans, Matt Schab really worked. It ended poorly, but it really worked.

They were really good with them. They had a really good offense. The Kevin Cobb was a disaster. So at the time of a move, and we're always going to have opinions and be excited, You never truly know. There are some like locks, right, when the Warriors got Kevin Durant. It's like, yeah, that's going to work. Like, I'll give you, the baseball one.

The Yankees signed Garrett Cole to, however, $300 plus million. I mean, it might work. It should work. But we've seen, we have enough examples. These things don't consistently work. The Angels, I thought Albert Poole is like the best player had ever seen. Angels gave him $300 million. It's been one of the biggest flops in baseball history.

and I was in Philly when we signed Nandiyosemois. So when these moves happen, sometimes they transcend the league. And that's what the Patrick Mahomes did. Jimmy, I don't know if it transcended the league, but it definitely changed the 49ers franchise. And then the butterfly effect, because Jimmy, for whatever reason, tears his ACL week three,

the Niners wouldn't have made the playoffs last year, but they wouldn't have been drafted number two overall if Jimmy had played 16 games. Then because he tears his ACL, it leads them to Nick Bosa. It's kind of crazy how all the shit kind of works out. And at the time of every move, we always have an opinion. That's a good move.

That's a bad move. That's a bold move. But when we can look back in a couple years, we go, whoa, the Texans were a genius for getting Deshawn Watson. Ryan Pace, he would die to have that one back. And that's kind of what makes sports cool. And that's kind of symbolic as we get closer to this Super Bowl, that the two biggest reasons they're there.

Obviously, Mahomes is the reason the Chiefs took a huge step, but Jimmy stabilized the franchise is because trades were made. Get right to the romance and find the way to wow this Valentine's 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 18-stem enchanted rose medley for $39.99, 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 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,

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council. Okay, let's dive into the quarterback carousel and here's what I did. I picked the five guys that are really famous and potentially are either free agents like Brady or Rivers or Cam Dalton under contract but probably be traded

and then James, who's also a free agent, but kind of in a weird spot. And here's how I'm going to approach it. I'm going to say what I would do if I was the decision maker for said team. Let's start with Tom Brady. If I was Belichick,

there's no way for Belichick to get high in the draft. It's just not happening. There's too many teams need quarterback, so he's not going to be able to get a Tua or Herbert. Like, would you rather have Rivers than Brady? No. Would you rather have Dalton than Brady? No. Would you rather have James than Brady? course not. I would just bring back Tom Brady. I would make him a competitive offer. I would be

aggressive and get better players on my offense and try to make another run. You only have so many opportunities to try to win a Super Bowl. And the Patriots, the AFC is not as good as the NFC. Beside the Chiefs and the Ravens, who's even that good in the AFC? The Texas, or excuse me, the Titans have a ton of question marks because they're quarterbacks, a free agent, the running backs are free agent, the running back's our best player. The Colts don't have a quarterback. Chargers might not have a quarterback. The Raiders and Broncos aren't that good.

It's pretty wide open. I would just bring back Tom Brady. Now, where it could get kind of complicated, because I understand if I'm Tom Brady, it's not about the money, but it is about the money because the money equals respect. So if I'm Tom Brady, do I tell the Oakland Raiders, make me an offer?

Would you pay me two years, $75 million? dollars and just i just want to get the offer right because life's all about it's not what you're worth it's about what you can negotiate and i look at belichick i go just will you match the two years 75 million dollars that's what the raiders think i'm worth you don't think i'm worth that to you think what i'd done for your career for this franchise and if i'm belichick i would have a hard time with that because i'm going to be paying this guy 35 million dollars when he's 44 years old but i think you just have to bite the bullet and just take a swing you're at the end of the road you're basically in hole 18, it's a par five, just try to, try to burry it.

You know, it's your last hole, why not? Philip Rivers. I don't think Dean Spanis will do this because he's petty and cheap. I would 100% just let him leave. Just start over. You're drafting high, draft a quarterback, and just start your franchise anew. You've had a great run with Rivers. Great would be strong.

A good run with Rivers. Do him a solid. He's a high character guy. Let him become a free agent. You don't really want him. I did a radio hit with Gottlieb who knows the charge well. They can't sell tickets with Philip Rivers. Just let him go.

I would just let him go. I would just move on. Sometimes in life you just got to move on. It's not about the value or you're hanging on for whatever reason personally. Just break ties. Just go your separate ways. It's time. Cam Newton.

I actually think this is a pretty easy one for me. Last night, a blown call changed. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where SportsSlice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise. Breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines.

We go straight to the source, the athletes themselves. Their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer-beaters to controversy, controversial calls, we break it down, give you context, and ask the questions everybody wants answered. SportsSlice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to SportsClyce on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

And for more, follow Timbo Sliced Life 12 and the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking. Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark.

Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross.

Because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth. Are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway.

Open your free, iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. What's up, guys? This is Clivert Taylor the Fourth. And on my podcast, The Cliverts Show, I'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff. Like being an internet famous referee. We're in the middle of a game. This linebacker walks up to me, he goes,

hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her. What? Quarterback on office blue with 42. Hey, ref, my mama want you to wave at her. What? Where's she at? Hey, Miss Parker. Listen to the Clifford show on the Iheart radio app,

Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Hey, I'm Jordan. Dono. You might know me as that loud. who yells out help on the internet. Help! Somebody! But there's so much more to me than me. I'm an actor.

I'm a comedian, and recently, I've become quite the helper myself. And on my new podcast, hope from a hypocrite, I'll be changing lives, helping people in need with my sage advice and thoughtful solutions. Syke, I'm a comedian. I'm not qualified to give good advice.

Join me and my comedian friends as we riff rant and recommend some of the most legally-dily-dictsum. dubious advice known to man. If I'm calling you, even if you're on your phone, let it ring twice. One ring is too scary. Oh, cream a chicken suit. Hey, cream a chicken suit.

This is Help from a Hypocrite, the worst advice from the dumbest people you know. Listen to Help from Hypocrite as part of the Mike Coutura Podcast Network available on the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Matt Rule. Matt Rule kind of gets a free year if you keep Cam Newton because I'll just see what he has, see how healthy he is. And then no one's really judging you.

If you cut Cam Newton or attempt to trade him, people immediately your clock starts. Now, I get he's under contract and he's not going to get fired or anything, but we start judging him. And people like me love to criticize coaches because we can't. What quarterback are you going to get?

What kind of offense are you going to run? A lot of pressure there's on Joe Brady. Instead, it's just, Joe Brady kind of gets to ease into it, work with Cam, Matt Rule eases into it, I would just keep Cam for another year. That doesn't mean you still can't draft a guy or sign a veteran free agent or whatever.

I would keep Cam, obviously, unless he's, has an injury that will never be the same, but it doesn't feel like that's the case. Andy Dalton, this one's a little tricky. Clearly the Bengals are going to draft Joe Burrow, number one overall. Right now, Andy Dalton, who actually has played well at many times in his career. His value's probably in an all-time low.

Their team was atrocious. He got benched in the middle of the season. I'd hold on to him. So I'd draft Joe Burrow. What's Andy Dalton going to do? Bitch and moan. Like he'll show up if you tell him to show up. And even if he's got to rep with the twos,

be a good guy, maybe wait until training camp. Again, this is risky. This is probably my boldest move. Guys always get hurt in training camp. His value would go back up. So instead of giving him away for a six-round, pick, maybe you can get like a third or fourth come training camp when teams get desperate because guys get injured.

Now, then you kind of get into a tough spot. You don't want Andy Dalton the round with Joe Burrow once the season starts, but you could always pawn him off then. His value to me is literally nothing, and I don't want to cut a guy like Andy Dalton because he does have some value and he's under contract. James Winston, this is the toughest one, because he's a fascinating player to watch. He can score, he can throw the ball deep, but he turns the ball over at historic rates. and 30 plus picks, like listen, a terrible season is like 22, 23, 24 picks.

He cruised a 30 plus interceptions. Can you imagine if they just had Andy Dalton, a cam, just a guy that they could function with that wouldn't turn it over that much? Maybe the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in the playoffs. Bruce Ariens is not, this is not a long-term thing. He's trying to win now. Now, if I was Bruce Ariens, I'd either know, here's a piece of information that I don't know. Does Bruce Ariens believe that he can fix James Winston?

I'd lean no. Now, I did see Carson Palmer, who's been on this show, tell Rich Eisen that he thought that he could be somewhat fixed because his first season with Arias, he threw a bunch of picks. Because Ariens kind of tells you go bombs away. And when you go bombs away, it can make it a little complicated, especially for a guy like James who turns it over. I would lean keeping him for a season. but the moment I think I can get if Philip Rivers wants in I'm taking him if I can get Ryan Tanyhill I'm taking them

because I can't go to the playoffs with a guy who might throw 30 picks again for as great as his five touchdown games are and his deep bombs to Evans and Godwin I can't function with a guy that's turning over that much so I'm loosely keeping him I can always yank the franchise tag trying to upgrade and if I can't

I'm just rolling it back because again, I am trying to win. But it's going to be a fascinating thing because I think in reality, I think Brady plays the market and presses their hand. I'll be a little surprised if they actually let Rivers just quote-unquote walk.

That's not Dean Spanos's style. Cam Newton, I don't know Matt Rule. These situations, it seems like a guy usually likes to just kind of blow it up and start from scratch. So I would guess he'd be cut. Andy Dalton will probably be traded in March. My thing is, they're not going to. going to get much back from him.

And James, I don't know. He's really the great wild card in the league. 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

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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.

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and we're here to change that. I'm April Dinnwit, 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 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. Okay, let's go a little Middlecoff mailbag here. I got a bunch of questions, so why don't we ask them? Or answer them, you ask them. At John Middlecoff is my Instagram. I know we get new listeners. So just slide up in the DMs if you got a question, football related.

Hell, I get a lot of random questions, but most of them are football. Are we sure the Lions won't just stay put at number number, three and pick Tua or Herbert. The franchise is stale and has been for years. You know what the ceiling is with Stafford and he's only got one more year of high guaranteed money, not to mention the coach GM are on the hot seat. Isn't that least worth considering drafting Tua, sit him for a year, and then pass the franchise to him in 2021?

Well, it's not crazy at all. I would say on my last topic about the quarterbacks, if Matt Stafford became available, that would change a lot of stuff. I mean, I think teams like the Raiders, the Chargers, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Carolina Panthers, there would be a lot of teams interested. Why not just take two of – what if he's ready to play and just play them and trade Stafford for picks? That doesn't seem crazy to me. I thought it was a lock. They would trade back.

But yeah, the more I thought about it, you're right. They're on the hot seat. You factor in. Stafford was banged up last year. they're just so desperate to win. I don't think it's out of the realm possibility at all. I think it's safe to say everything's on the table early in the draft. I think everyone thinks it's a lock.

The Redskins draft Chase Young at 2. What if they traded back a couple spots and still got Chase Young at like four? What if some teams got to two and three and they just moved back a couple spots and let everyone take quarterbacks and they still got their guy? I don't think that's out of the realm of possibility. Hey, John, love the podcast.

has the Bay Area Forgiven Jed York During the NFC championship ceremony I thought it was interesting He shifted the attention To the Shanahan pretty quick As he thought he was anticipating getting booed I don't think he was anticipated

Getting booed I think he knows that everyone's in a pretty good mind I mean when you go 13 and 3 And then you host you're the number one seed Then you go to the Super Bowl I think it was more That is one of the best moments

of Jed York's ownership It was just smart Sometimes Jed over the years Has kind of lacked a feel for the room He said I mean one of the besides firing Harbaugh He once said win with class And that's something around here

We made fun of him for a long time I know the media wants everyone just to draft high character guys If you draft high character guys you'll lose If that's your entire team Like you gotta have a balance It's just a reality of the sport And he said that After they fired Harbaugh

It was a disaster You just Jed, no one cares about class. The Harbaugh 49ers were rock stars around here. They had scumbags on that team. Chris Culliver chased a dude down a street with brass knuckles. Ray McDonald beat up his girlfriend multiple times. Bruce Miller, the fullback, beat up an old guy at Fisherman's Wharf.

They had a team full of criminals. No one gave a shit when they were winning. Alden Smith got arrested like every other week. I'm not saying that's right, but that's just a reality of life. The media is the one that freaks out about that stuff. Fans don't care if you win. It's just proven. It really is.

So, yeah, I'd say, I don't know if he's been fully forgiven, but he definitely is not still in the doghouse. 49er playoff run feels like the Panthers run in 2015. 15 and 1, cruised through the regular season, and blew out people in the NFC, obviously disappointed in the Super Bowl, 8-point favorite against the Broncos. Kansas City D will commit your run.

Can Jimmy make the throws to win? commit to the run. Oh, I got you. I would say the difference was, and I was at that Super Bowl. And I put, listen, I go through stretches of gambling. My problem with gambling is I don't really get a high from like a $50 bet. So for me to gamble, it's got to be like $2, $400. And anyone knows that gambles like, you can, I mean, if you go through a cold streak, you can lose a couple grand.

That's post-tax money. but I bet like $1,500 on the Denver Broncos that week. And it was because their defense was elite. And I was covering the Raiders at the time, so I'd seen them live. This Chief's team, like, when you have an elite defense, you have a chance to win a Super Bowl. I don't know if this team, the Chiefs don't have an elite defense. So that's where the comparison, I also think the Niners team is more dynamic than that Cam Newton team. I know Cam Newton had won the Super Bowl, or excuse me, the MVP,

but the Niners are just more of a normal offense. I mean, they were dependent. I think Cam had 10 rushing touchdowns. Not a crazy comparison, but I don't know. It feels like this Niners team is just more complete. Now that Cam Newton was better than Jimmy. Luke Keekley was elite. I mean, they had really good players, but I don't know.

It feels a little different because, again, I bet against Carolina, I wouldn't feel comfortable betting against the Niners. I wouldn't bet the Super Bowl just because I think it's a true coin flip game. I mean, the Chiefs are favorite. The Niners are the underdog. That to me is a difference. The Panthers were a heavy favorite. I don't think it was eight.

I think it was like six. But the Niners are legitimately a one-point underdog at the last time I checked. The Vikings coming up short again this year and the BuzzSaw San Francisco. Who should they be looking at in the draft? Wide receiver, corner, O-line, and eventually hopefully replacing cousins. Well, I'm trying to think. You just got Kubiak. You have a running back.

You got two sweet wide receivers. You got a couple tight ends. You can always get better offensive line. Your defensive ends are still sweet. Your linebackers are good. You could probably draft a corner. I would either go offensive line or corner, just off the top of my head without diving deep into their contract status.

Who's a free agent? It feels like all these guys are under contract. Cook's under contract. Thielen's under contract. Thielen's under contract. Rudolph got an extension. Irv Smith's a rookie. Kendrick's under contract.

Barr's under contract. Daniel Hunter is under contract. Harrison Smith's under contract. All they're just guys are under contract. John Lynch has always been my favorite player and has been on the cuss of making the Hall of Fame as a player for a while. Do you think his work as a GM pushes him over the edge?

Is it contingent on a Super Bowl win? Well, I think the Hall of Fame in general has gotten diluted. I saw a quote from Dion Sanders, and I thought he was dead on. The Hall of Fame used to be reserved for the elite of the elite. Montana, Dion Sanders, Mean Joe Green, Walter Payton. Like, it was the cream of the crop. It was just like, that's the Michael Jordans, right?

The Mickey Mantles. Like, you said a name, it resonates. They've led in a lot of guys over the last handful of years that, you know, to me, is John Lynch a Hall of Fame player? He's actually closer than some of these guys get in. When I think the Hall of Fame, I think John Lynch before I think like Bill Cower, honestly, I never thought Tony Dungey was a Hall of Fame coach.

Nice guy. Good coach, Hall of Fame. Jerome Bettis, Hall of Fame. Tim Brown, like Tim Brown kind of just accumulate a lot of numbers. Again, good player, Andre Reid. When I think Hall of Fame, I think Jerry Rice. Right? I think the great, I think Terrell Owens.

I think Antonio Brown, until he lost his mind. Huge fan of the podcast. Have two thoughts for you to chew on? Have you ever thought about bringing Colin on the podcast and contesting his hot takes? We all know that some are out there. No, I have not. Two, that's why he has a show to have his takes.

For the gamblers, have you ever considered a segment like Collins' blazing five? You have a unique take and briefly touched upon some of the picks, but never, nothing concrete for gamblers. Yeah, not a bad idea. Maybe I could have a specific. specific gambling topic or segment next year. I kind of do that at the end of all the podcast, right, when I go over the lines,

but probably could get a little more specific. I appreciate the insight and the thought. Do you think the Packers will acquire weapons for Rogers that will solve our problem of being the worst 13 and 3 team ever? It seems like Old Rogers will continue to regress unless he has someone to throw to that isn't named Adams. Side note. Should we?

Will we? cut Jimmy Graham. Yeah, I think Jimmy's done. They just need to get some wide receivers. Maybe sign like an Emmanuel Sanders and draft a guy. Because Rogers can still play. He just needs help. So get him help. You got two more years of Rogers maybe where he's still playing at a pretty high level. But if your only options, Devante Adams, you got issues. Devante is my guy. He's like my favorite player in the league. But you need more than that. I'm a big L.A. guy and will USC ever get back to college football

supremacy or at least consistently in the top 10 or 15, or is it over for the whole pack 12 and the South will rule college football? Second, I'm a Raider fan. Who should we draft and go after in free agency? Is there a way I can get rid of Terrier Whitehead? I would say USC is not going to be in the top 10 until they get a better coach. Like you're not winning anything big with Clayhilton. We know that.

It's not even opinion. It's a fact. Free agent, I haven't even looked at the list of free agents, so I can't even go there. draft the Raiders have two picks I think 12 and 19 I would imagine they go middle linebacker they desperately need speed at linebacker if your linebackers are slow your defense is slow and they just they don't they haven't had linebackers

since I've been around them for the last 10 years and probably a wide receiver they don't with Antonio Brown going off the deep end Waller's a good player Terrell Williams a good player Hunter Renfro's a solid slot receiver but god they need a number one wide receiver The good thing is loaded wide receiver draft. Absolutely loaded wide receiver draft,

so they should have a chance to solve some of their problems. Huge fan of your work and appreciate the no BS takes. We do no BS takes here on 3 and out. I like it. What do you think is the best path forward for the Cowboys receiving court? Amari sounds like he is going to get a deal done, but do you think it will be lower since he has been consistently injured and on the sideline? Gallup has emerged as a dude,

but do they add more in the draft or grab some free agent talent to give? Dak has some weapons. Here's the problem. Amari is a free agent and so is Dak. So if you sign both those two guys, their salaries, Dax was nothing this year. It was like a million dollars.

Might even have been a little less. Amaris was making decent money because he was on his fifth year option, but combined, if Dack makes $30 million next year and Amari makes $16 million, buy-by-cap space. Where else do you go? I like Amari. I no longer love Amari.

I would be hesitant to pay him huge money. He is really talented. I think in a perfect world, he's a great number two. I don't love him as a number one. Just the one thing keeps coming up. Is he the toughest guy in the world? I think we have evidence he's not. And when I look for in a really good wide receiver,

who I can depend on when times get, is he a war daddy? And for example, Antonio Brown, who's nuts and is losing his mind, you could depend on Antonio Brown in games. Julio Jones, I can depend, Hopkins, I can depend on Tyree Kill. These guys play hard.

Amari sometimes checks out, and it's just, it's hard, given the money you have to pay him. Lifelong Falcons fan. Knowing what we don't have the personnel to consistently run the Seattle Cover 2 scheme, Trufant, not a shutdown, no consistent number two corner,

love Debo, he's not a Bobby Wagner, and Neil, bless his soul, is always hurt. Do you think it was a good idea to draft Isaiah Simmons and move toward a hybrid 3-4 scheme, especially consider he's coaching for his job? Well, I'd probably miss some words there because of thinking about it when I was reading it. I don't even know if it made sense, but I know what you were asking, is that you can't change your scheme. He's a defensive guy.

He's a 4-3 coach. You can't just flip it to a 3-4. I mean, Belichick can. Kyle and Andy can flip offenses. but most coaches don't have that in the bag. So I would say, yeah, in a perfect world, I would do that. But I don't think they're capable because their head coach isn't capable. And who do they have on the staff that's capable of doing a switch like that?

So I would say, no, you're just going to have to run the Seattle scheme. To me, their issue is like their offense started slow. Dan Quinn's proven that he can coach guys up. I actually think that Tampa is a sleeper going to be a lot better team next year, just given, they're not going to start as slow. So I think Dan Quinn's proven. He at least has some idea of what he's doing. He's not the village idiot like it looked like when he was 1 and 7.

Now, would I have kept him? I think when you looked at the landscape, who are they going to replace them with? So I guess in a roundabout way, they're not going to change their defense. Or at least I'd be shocked if they did. You're just going to have to roll with it and just try to play better and have your players that, you know, your good players that you do have because you have a roster that is pretty talented, make place and not start slow and give yourself a chance to, you know, to make a run at the playoffs.

Appreciate everyone listening. Three and out podcasts. Tell your friends. Super Bowl week next week. I'll be there. Monday. I think the plan is Monday, Wednesday, Friday. We'll do three podcasts, Super Bowl week.

Follow me on Insta. I'll be all around Miami. Just rubbing elbows with the people trying to find Joe Montana. Adios. See you. Godspeed. Enjoy the weekend. Did you know Amazon provides ways of work?

working that fit your lifestyle? They know you value your time outside of work, juggling family, school, friends, or other activities. That's why they offer a variety of shifts that work for you. There are full-time, part-time, and even temporary opportunities that can work with your schedule, with great starting pay and sign-on bonuses. If you want a career that fits and adapts to your lifestyle, head to Amazon.com slash apply. Amazon is a proud equal opportunity employer. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where SportsSlice comes in.

I'm Timbo, and every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the biggest moments in sports and giving you the real story behind the headline. And we're going straight to the source, the athletes themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions in the moment, and the stuff nobody gets to hear. Listen to Sports Slice on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Sliced Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. 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 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 IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, guys? This is Clivert Taylor the Fourth. And on my podcast, The Cliverts Show, I'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff.

Like being an internet famous referee. We're in the middle of a game. This linebacker, this linebacker walks up to me. He goes, hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her. What? Time out. Quarterback on office blue with 42. Hey, Rhett, my mama want you to weigh better.

What? Hey, Miss Parker. Listen to the Clifford show on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano. It's our favorite time of the year on our podcast point game, the playoffs. We're digging into the biggest surprises of the season. And I'm looking back on some of my greatest playoff moments. If we didn't talk ever again, I was partying.

You just understood. That's how personal it got. Wow. Then after that game seven, Marquis come in to him, he's like, you know, I love you, dog. You know, it's all love. This was just playoffs. This was just basketball. So listen to Point Game on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.