The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 3 and Out - Take Anthony Richardson #1, Defending Belichick, TNF Flex Debate, Rodgers Trade Comp, Lamar Market

Episode Date: March 31, 2023

John discusses Anthony Richardson’s Pro Day and the argument for Richardson being the first QB taken in the Draft, why Bill Belichick doesn’t deserve heat for a recent bad owners’ meeting presser, if potential TNF flexing is unfair to the players or good business, the latest on the compensation package that will finally get Aaron Rodgers to the Jets, why there’s not a bigger trade market for Lamar Jackson,  Subscribe NOW and follow Middlekauff and The Volume on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube for the latest content. It's always FanDuel for the best wagering action! #Volume #Herd  See 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.

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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. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of tauntons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule. of two. Listen to Stuff to Bole Your Mind on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever

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1-800-9 with it, Indiana. 1-800-5-22-4-7-00 or visit KSgamblinghelp.com, Kansas, 1-877-7-7-0. Stop, Louisiana, visit wwwW-W-W-MdGamblinghelp.org, Maryland, 1-800, 522-4-700, Wyoming, or visit www.w.1-800 gambler.net, west Virginia. is going on everybody. John Middlecock, three and out podcast back again. A lot going on. And I mean a lot going on. We got pro days. We got draft buzz. We got Belichick getting edgy. We got Thursday night football. Flex potential. Rogers, Lamar. Just a lot happening. So we will dive into it all today on the show. And no mailbag today. I will put one out this weekend. Put one out

Sunday. So at John Middlecoff, at John Middlecoff is the Instagram, fire in those DMs and get your question answered on the show. So this is just, this is a meaty football podcast. I was fired up about a lot of stuff that's going on right now. It's fun times. Draft meeting started around the league next week. A lot of draft buzz after all the pro days basically end. Starting tomorrow will be the last day. And very, very excited. So any other housekeeping? I don't think so. So fire in those DMs. At John Middilkoff is the Instagram.

Any football question, life question, whatever. If you got golf questions, next week is the Masters. At Golopod, at Golopod is the Instagram. You can fire in those DMs, and we can talk Masters gambling, because I love next week. So let's do it. I think we're basically now free agency, besides Rogers and Lamar, which are pretty big deals, is over.

and now we're focused on the draft. Also on those two guys, though, because they got some MVPs and their quarterbacks. But this is a fun time of year. This really is. But before we dive into football, can I tell you, and listen, you guys deserve a round of applause,

the official ticketing app of the three and out podcast and go low because of you guys, again, the official ticketing app of this show because you guys have been using that, promo code. Make sure you keep doing it. promo code John, J-O-H-N. You want tickets. Go to your app store, download the GameTime app. Fastest growing ticket app in America. They're doing anything you want to go to, concerts, comedy shows, baseball, opening day today. I've been half of you guys

listening, didn't even know that. Yankee game, one o'clock, didn't see that one coming, but you want to go to a baseball game, you want to go to a hockey playoff game. You want to go to any event I got you covered. Game time promo code John, $20 off, you cannot beat it. $20 off, you cannot beat it. These inflationary times, I'm throwing you a bone, I'm taking care of you. For everyone that has used the app, I appreciate you, keep hammering that, tell your friends about it. I am here to help. Get outside, go to an event, enjoy yourself, and do it on me. $20 off, GameTime app, promo code John. Okay, let's start with the draft. I saw Anthony Richardson's pro,

day today. Obviously, CJ and Bryce have already had their pro days. And I've been thinking a lot about this because one thing the NFL does a really good job of is staying in the news after the season ends because of the setup they have, right? We go right from the Super Bowl to the combine. What happens at the combine? Most GMs and coaches talk. Then what happens? We go to the owner's meeting where every GM and owner and coach is obligatory. to talk. Then we have the draft where before the draft, your coach or GM also obligated to talk. And then the draft happens. They all talk. So we get a lot of stories going. And right now, two of the clear biggest stories is the Roger trade, which ultimately reflects Zach Wilson

bust backup. And Kyle Shanahan admitting Trey Lance is no longer the starter. If Brock Purdy is healthy, he's competing to be the backup. And my theory is pretty simple. that forever in the NFL, and players will tell you this, any non-highly drafted guy, a late round pick, an undrafted free agent who makes it in the league. He saw it firsthand for years, right? Any guy that's older than 35, they saw the chances that a high pick got over and over and over again, but specifically on the team that drafted him. And you basically were on scholarship for three seasons.

If I drafted you high, especially in the top 10, at minimum, even if it wasn't going well, hell, Jamarcus Russell, you're getting three years. I think two is the new three. And I think a big reason for that is the pressure of the leak, the amount of money on the line, the importance of winning and what it does to the owner's bank accounts. Listen, all these guys are rich, but they've never been richer. And now when you win, you can accumulate so much money. The amount the Bengals are making now because of Joe Burrow,

they don't have time to waste if they miss on a draft pick. You just move on. Now, obviously, they're not drafting high enough. But I think the Jets and the 49ers show you everything you need to know. Historically, draft picks were like gold. Obviously, they're still really important, but I think it's fair to say. These young kind of more progressive GMs are much more inclined to trade those pick because they go, what the hell?

If we're decent, we're drafting later than 20. You know, there aren't 20 first rounders in most drafts. Historically, that wasn't the case. Teams were hesitant to do that. And now you see Zach Wilson and Trey Lance, they're going into year three. Neither guy's going to be starting week one. So part of this theory shows you that you can take big swings, like Jed York said at the owner's meetings, that he didn't regret the trade.

And you know what? They shouldn't. They've won 23 regular season games the last two years and four playoff games. So what if they whipped? They made an aggressive full speed decision. Now, it was flawed. It was a weird time with the 2020 COVID season, especially for Trey Lance. And they acted a little bit out of desperation.

It did not work, but ultimately it hasn't ruined their franchise. Zach Wilson picked before that. Look at what the Jets have done in these last couple years. Now, part of it is other moves, the Jamal Adams trade. But still, their roster is really, really good. And when, which they eventually will do, land Aaron Rogers, we're all going to pick them to make the playoffs. At least I know I will.

So I think part of this is forever Belichick was truly the only GM who after like two years if he drafted you in the first round and you suck, he just move on, he trade you. Most GMs, I don't blame them for doing this, would ride you out. Right? But now because of the just insane amount of cash flow in the league, how big the salary cap is, how easy it is to make moves, how many other teams are willing to make moves,

I think these teams are much more willing to just like eat a sunk cost and pivot. And we all benefit like the fans. So when you see Anthony Richardson, who I'll be honest, beside the Utah game, I didn't know that much about. I didn't watch that many Florida games. You look at his box scores and just as stats for the season, they're not going to blow you away. But I have heard more and more positive things from NFL people who have watched them,

who have scouted him and who have just do this for a living. They are very, very bullish on them. And one rumor I heard last week on the streets is that some people think that the Panthers could draft him number one overall and just kind of take a swing for the fences. Now, I've heard good things about his character. I've heard good things about obviously his physical attributes. You don't need to be a scout to see that. And just about people that really dissect his season.

like, let's not act like he's playing for Nick Saving or Jim Harbaugh. Billy Napier, their head coach, you know, better win this year. He's going to get fired. You know, last year was really ugly and the sharks are out for him. Now, I'm not saying that he's the reason for his non-development or whatever. This guy needs some development. But the talent is beyond immense. And we've done this with players before.

You're not guaranteed that there's no such thing as a high floor in a draft pick. We love saying that. And it's very easy to say, and I'm probably guilty of saying it. But Mack Jones had a quote unquote high floor. He might not be a top 20 quarterback. So Solomon Thomas, Cleveland Farrell, I watch those guys get drafted in the top five. Well, they got high floors. Actually, they sucked.

I mean, they're NFL players, but in no world, they shouldn't have been first round picks looking back. So my point is there is no such thing as a high floor. high floor guys bust all the time and aren't starters. And high ceiling guys do too. You might as well take a swing for the fences. If I was Carolina and I felt good and from what I've heard, a lot of people do feel good, not only about this guy's talent,

but about the person, kind of a raw, you know, came from a very, very tough upbringing, good people. If people really like this guy, I might bet on that. CJ Stroud is the easy move. Bryce, I think he's an excellent quarterback, but I do understand, as someone told me, said John, at the combine,

he was so bloated, he could barely move 204 pounds. He wasn't 204 pounds. He played it like closer to 170. That's fake weight. His real weight, you know, I would say even once he gets to the NFL and kind of matures into himself, probably more like low 180s. So that number's fake. So I get why people are concerned.

Like that's fair. Now, his ability, awesome. incredible. Now, if he's going to get hit, if you did hit in the NFL, you're going to get hurt probably. So is he more inclined to get hurt being a smaller guy? For sure. We've seen it with Tua. Slam to the ground, doesn't get up. And sometimes he does and keeps playing and throws a bunch of picks and we find out later he's got a concussion. The Miami Dolphins concussion protocols, a little bit different in some teams. But I am starting to come around on this Anthony Richardson thing. And when you just factor in, Trevor Lawrence and Andrew Luck ain't walking through the door in this draft. what's the worst thing that happens?

You miss in a couple years, you pivot. I mean, I think there is, I would say right now if I was taking an educated guess, there's a 50-50 chance that Anthony Richardson is the number one overall quarterback taken in the 2023 NFL draft. Grand slams, no hitters, double plays, no more shifts. There's no better place to get in

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21 plus in select states. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-gambler. Hope is here. Gambling helplinema. m.m.org. Or call 800-327-50-50. for 24-7 support.

MA. Call 1-8-7-8, Hope-N-Y, or text, Hope N-Y, 467-369-N-Y. Fandua is offering online sports wagering in Kansas under an agreement with the Kansas Star Casino LLC. Call 1-800 Gambler or visit fanduel.com slash RG, Colorado, Iowa, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Tennessee, Virginia. 1-100 next step. Or text, next step, 2, 533-4-2, Arizona.

1-888-78-9-77. or visit ccpg.org slash chat. Connecticut, 1-800-9 with it, Indiana. 1-800-522-470-470 or visit KSgamblinghelp.com, Kansas, 1877-770. Stop, Louisiana, visit wwwWW-W-MdGamblinghelp. org, Maryland, 1-800, 522-4-700, Wyoming,

or visit www. dot 1-800 gambler dot net, west Virginia. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all,

embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying.

Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show.

This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me, or you're just chasing down a dream,

this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Cliverts show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or we're you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. I'm going to defend Bill Belichick. There was a moment at the owner's meetings because like I said, every GM, owner too, owners don't have to. They just do with the local media. But the GMs and the coaches, obviously Bill's both, talk to the media. And we get a ton of sound bites. It's incredible for the business I'm in. Goudikins, the Lamar stuff, Rivera's talking shit, and Belichick, who had the, the quote of the, of the, the quote of

the week when asked like why anyone basically, you know, this is a, you know, said, why should we be bullish? Why should we be comfortable? Why should we be hopeful of what's going on with the Patriots? And Belichick had just an incredible line. I don't know the last 25 years. And listen, a guy like Belichick, this is tough, right? What's unique about the sport of football is these head coaches, you know, Bill Belichick to Andy Reid, to Kyle Shanahan to Sean McVeigh. All these guys, especially the top guys, are making 12 to 15. Belichick might be making $20 million. Yet he's being asked these questions.

I think that specific question came from Mike Reese. Who's good? But I mean, most of these writers, you know, I'd say the average annual incomes between like 90 and 140, which depending on where he lives, good living. But most people that are making 100 grand don't get to sit there right in front of a guy making 15 to 20 million and just criticize them. And what's unique about sports is there are people in sports media making a ton. Coward, Dan Patrick, Stephen A, these people never go to these press conferences.

So the people at the press conferences or at these owners meeting situations or at the combine asking the questions are the lowest wrong in terms of income. I'm not saying obviously some people are really good, but they just don't make that much money. So Belichick, who is worth a stupid. amount of money, who's accomplishments speak for themselves, is getting drilled by these writers about how he sucks. And in fairness, the last couple years, been pretty weird. Last year, pretty embarrassing. But also, like, you think Bill Belichick's going to be like, yeah, I'm terrible now. You nailed me, right? You're not his equal. Like, think about, you know,

when Bill Belichick goes to vacation, he could run into coward. He ain't running into the local writer of the Boston Globe. That's not happening. They can't afford it. So in Belichick's mind, he's getting these people who, I bet most people in his mind that he's getting asked questions aren't even that good at his job. And you're being critical of a guy who, I don't know, has six Super Bowls, two others when he was an assistant.

One of them, the game plan to beat Joe Montana and Bill Walsh. He's in the Hall of Fame, went to three others as a head coach and lost, like arguably one of the most accomplished executive or coaches in the history of sports. What's he supposed to say? Like there's no answer to be like, yeah, had a bad year. I suck. You're right there. You know, Billy from the Boston Herald.

You got me, Sully. I stink. I wouldn't say that either. Now, it's funny, his reaction, but I also understand it. Like, I just don't understand what he is supposed to say. We all have bad moments. We all make stupid mistakes. His mistake last year was beyond dumb.

But his owner, who again, gives him carte blanche to do whatever he wants. allowed it to happen, right? Because maybe he went, maybe Bill knows what he's doing. Obviously that one didn't work. But he's made so many decisions over the years that have worked, right? And so to me, like, listen, people are acting like, has Bill lost his fastball or is Bill, you know, kind of resting on his laurels? I don't know. That's never really been his MO.

He was ahead of the curve years ago in cutting guys off a year early, moving off guys, getting rid of Welker, getting rid of Logan Mankins. He got rid of everybody. He was always right. So in fairness to him, the majority of things he's done have worked out. So when something doesn't work out, and then he has this writer, this blogger, don't get me wrong, I like reading some blogs, starts talking shit. I just don't understand what Belichick is supposed to say in that, you know, in that situation. Whatever he's going to say is going to either sound petty, or like he's not taking responsibility, but would you take responsibility in that situation?

I mean, seriously, would you take criticism from someone making, I don't know, a 50th of what you make and you are infinitely more accomplished, even if their criticism has some merit? Probably not. Thursday night football. This became a topic for the ages, because there are some rumblings about flexing Thursday night football

later in the season. Because last year, as we all saw, Al Michaels, who feels like he kind of mailed it in, Kirk Herb Street, who was not a great fit, and the games were relatively boring. Some of them. But that's always kind of been the case with Thursday. I think what makes this situation unique is the NFL who partnered with Amazon and their games were exclusively streamed, which I celebrated,

but I also understand that less people probably, the first go-around, are going to have access to Amazon Prime than they did the previous year on Fox. I'm not an idiot, even though I was one of the leading pom-pom waivers for, this is the future. And if you don't have Amazon Prime,

I'm sorry, you're kind of living in the past, right? Or any of these streaming services. Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, This is where we're going. And inevitably, I think this last CBA, most of the older owners might not be around in 10 years. Their kids are going to be running it. Well, listen, my parents were of the baby boomer generation. They are so loyal.

And I'm talking whether it's a plumber, whether it's the guy that fixes your roof to whether it's the guys that broadcast your games. and that generation with Jerry Jones and Robert Kraft have a lot of loyalty and rightfully so to CBS Fox NBC. Those networks have made them a lot of money. But in 10, 5 more years, they may be well behind the curve in terms of the power of Amazon Prime, Netflix, and the way we watch stuff. We see the fluidity and the speed in which things are changing. So the NFL is very inclined.

to be all in on the streaming service because one day, all the NFL games are going to be on streaming services, whether that's the next CBA or in two CBAs. That's inevitable. And the moment some of these guys die off, I'm not rude for any of these guys to die, and their children take over. I'll promise you this, their children are way less loyal. And it has nothing to do with grown up rich or whatever. It's literally a generational thing. My generation has never been, like comparing us to the baby boomers, our parents are, grandparents or loyalty. I'm not talking about your loyalty to another human being, a friend or a girlfriend or a wife. I'm strictly talking in business. My parents would do business

with the same people, no matter how good they were with the job, because they liked them, or because that's who they always went through. My generation will Google on the internet. Who's better? What's a better price point? And I'll change tomorrow. There's no business loyalty. Look how many people, you know, under 40 change jobs at rapid speeds. So I understand that. the NFL. Because this year with Amazon Prime, well, I watched every game. Obviously, I do this for a living. And a lot of people did. I think it averaged almost 10 million people was down from Fox. And you could say it wasn't maybe, it wasn't perfect. Now, part of it is putting out Michaels with Kerr-Hurst Street was bad. But the other thing is Amazon, who is a major worldwide company that is not going away, had to do some

get rights for their advertisers. Now, I don't know exactly how the advertising deals worked out. They're have been like, listen, if you're going to buy for NBC, if you're going to buy for CBS, if you're going to buy some of these NFL games, you have to do an add-on for Amazon, and it didn't live up to the number that they promised that. Even though I can't quite wrap my head around, like, it's the NFL, this is the price. Whether we hit 9 million or 11 million, like you want to get in the club or you want to get in the club, right? I mean, it's like the masters.

You want to be a member of Augusta? Here's what you need to do. Here's what you need to have. If you don't, shit out of luck. Sorry. But that's not what happened. Amazon had to pay back some of the advertisers because they didn't hit the number that was promised. And so 22 of the owners, they didn't do an official vote.

They didn't unofficial vote. You need 24 votes to get something to go through in the NFL, right? And they got 22 yeses. Eight knows, and I think two people didn't vote. So clearly this is headed toward they're going to flex Thursday night games. Now let me take it from the player's side and the coaches side. I understand how unfair it is. It's very unfair.

I listened to a Theo Vaughn podcast within the last couple weeks with George Kittle. And he talked about his body after a football game and how much pain he's in, how he doesn't feel right to like Wednesday or Thursday of the following week. And he's not alone. We've heard anytime you listen to a player talk about their body post game and how long it takes them to feel right. It's several days. So the disadvantage of human being, especially as the season goes on on Thursday night football,

It's why it's so much easier to play your Thursday night football game in September. You have such an advantage over the teams that are playing it in November and December, just from a body clock standpoint. So I am very understanding of the difficulty. I'm also, I worked in a NFL front office. For two years, I worked, and we played Thursday night both seasons, and I saw the amount of time it takes for that team and that coaching staff to get ready for that game. It's crazy.

You don't sleep all week long. I do, but the coaches don't. And it's very, very difficult. But today the Yankees, their game started at 1 o'clock. It was not on national television. The Yankees are the biggest brand in Major League Baseball. Today was opening day.

I couldn't watch the game. It started my time 10 a.m. My take, that's fucking embarrassing. How can you have your biggest brand on opening day. I get you got 162 games, not be on national TV. Roger Goodell, that would never happen.

The NBA, earlier this week, the media had hyped up for a month and rightfully so. An MVP showdown. Denver versus the Sixers. Hyped it up, hyped it up, hyped it up. This could determine the MVP of the league.

Day of the game, Joel Embed. Not playing. Just claim I'm injured. Not really because I just play. not going to do it. They don't care about the fans. I've never seen a league that cares less about the paying customer or the customer willing to give his time. It's Adam Silver is the worst commissioner I've ever seen. He has no control of his league. Complete embarrassment. Baseball, little different. Their guys do try. They just play so many games. I can't keep up. And today is a great

example. Opening day, Yankees not on national TV. I just don't understand how that happened. But it does. And the NFL is the most. fan-friendly league in sports. It does everything for us. The teams and the management are always in control, so they want to keep a player that we like, they keep them. All their games, always on national television.

Any market you live in, you want to watch your team play, every single game. Very easy to consume. All on, you know, basic cable, right? Fox, CBS, NBC. And these enormous television deals are what pay for everything.

and the reason these players have never made more money in the NFL and the salary cap's going to keep rising is because of television slash streaming, but they know it's going to go to streaming and no business. And listen, I'm part of a business right now. Not this venture, this venture's booming, but I'm part of something else that probably going to make a little less than we did in 2020. Not like, you know, the end of the world, but it sucks. It's anyone that's listening to this, whether you're a sales guy, whether you own your own business, You always, every single year. Now, it's hard to control.

Like if you're in real estate, some things change. If you're in construction, something's changed. It's hard. Business is difficult. You are not guaranteed to make more money in perpetuity. There are things out of your control that happened that slow it down. That still doesn't mean you ever want to stop not making more money year in, year out. It sucks, you know, especially if you're trying to do everything humanly possible to keep

the Grave train rolling. And the NFL knows that we have to figure out ways to make this as a very, big as possible moving forward. So these numbers continue to grow. Now, like I said, I get the players, the coaches think it's outrageous because it kind of is.

No, it really is. But this is kind of where the money comes from. Like whenever I see Russell Westbrook or Kyrie Irving, two of the most famous players the last decade, they are constantly throwing people out of games. I saw a clip yesterday, Westbrook threw someone out.

The other day, Kyrie threw someone out. These people are sitting front court at an NBA game. Go to GameTime app. See how much that ticket costs. I can't believe the way they treat these guys. Now, if he said something beyond outrageous, I get it. But it's now that's fucking throwing every single person out. No chance everyone's crossing the line.

They hate the consumer. It drives me nuts. It's just a business person. How can you allow this to keep happening? And the NFL is always about us, the consumer. What can they do to make it better? because they know the better it is for the networks, the better it is for everyone. And that always isn't the best for the teams or the players.

And it's a hard balance to strike. But I'll tell you what, the players love and I mean love. And I would do the amount of money that keeps flowing into the league. So are the coaches. All these, you know, a tight-in coach making 400 grand. These TV networks weren't that big once upon a time. They were making 30 grand. So in one day, if it keeps going with it, maybe they'll make 600 grand.

every OC, every DC, making one, two, three million dollars. Business is fucking booming. And the reason it's booming is because of these contracts. And you got to keep these people happy. So like, I just don't think it's as black and white as we can never do this. Well, I got news for you, Jags. You're not getting flex.

It's the Cowboys, the Eagles, the Niners, the Chiefs. I mean, it's the big boys carrying this league. You know, the star quarterbacks, the big brands. So I don't know if it's going to happen. If I was a betting man, it probably will happen. But it's not like they're just doing it for shits and giggles. They're doing it for money, which the players are part of this little thing called a revenue share agreement.

So the more money that comes in, the more healthy the league is, the more money for everyone. There's a balance with health and safety. But I think for his biggest Thursday night football we all talk about, it's the practice schedule, that the union demanded we just get rid of practice. Now guys drop like flies. because they don't practice. They don't hit. I go to training camp.

No one does anything. So I think it's a little more nuanced and complicated than just the way it's like, oh, we can never do this? Well, can we talk about the different variables? It's about putting more money in your pocket. Because if the owners get more money, the players and coaches get more money. It's the way it works. A couple other NFL notes.

I saw Florio say that the jets, trying to think about this trade. Oh, the Packers are no... This trade's been going on so long. I forget even who's got what player. I've never seen a trade that, like... Because some people have been in my DMs. Why don't the Jess just go get Lamar Jackson?

What are they just... Like, guys, this deal's done. This deal's done. You know, like anyone that's ever done, bought a home or sold a home, you know, when you're under contract and you're just hammering out the details, like that's what's going on.

They're under contract. And the chances of this deal... Unlike a real estate deal buying a home, this deal's not coming back on the market. Aaron Rogers is going to be a jet unless he retires. He does not retire, which he said he's not going to. He's going to be a jet. But they're haggling over what's going on. And Florio reported that the jets are no longer dead set on getting the number 13 pick.

And talking to some NFL people this week as they drove from pro day to pro day. And maybe Florio mentioned this, so I'm not trying to steal it. is that when Rogers came on McAfee and said that he was 90% going to retire when he went into the darkness retreat, the chance of like, this guy, we already knew he would, you know, waffle about retiring in the last couple of years. When you literally say out loud that I was 90% just going to retire like a week ago, how can I give you the 13th overall pick? Come on, guys. You're giving me an asset who could quit at any moment, which we all kind of talked about. But then when he said that, I heard that really hindered the negotiations.

And the Jets, because I've been saying for a while, you know, I'd probably just give 13, especially now that I have two-toes and just move on. But I do get it from their standpoint, like, I'm going to give you pick 13 in a draft that I've heard it's pretty terrible. I've heard the difference in this draft of pick 20 and pick 100 is not that different. Now, clearly there are some non-quarterbacks. There's, I would say, depending on who you talk to, if there are four legit quarterback prospects, you know, 10-ish prospects.

So the Jets, that picks a real player. And I do get it. I go, no. And maybe Rogers was calculated when he said that, knowing that, because if you're him, wouldn't you rather just have them draft the Notre Dame tight end right there? Probably.

Now, you could argue does he even like rookie players, but you know what I mean. And I think from all signs that are pointing from what I've heard, Rural Rumblings out there, that this deal can get done for like a second and a conditional second third depending on if he returns next year. But I think the deal, because of all the hoopla about his future, is going to be a lot less, at least as we're sitting here today, than we had originally anticipated before, you know, he kind of came out of that darkness retreat. Let's see. Oh, I saw a rumor today. And it's hard because I gave Lamar a lot of credit.

We're coming out with that tweet on the day that John Harbaugh was going to talk. And then I saw that he's just continued to tweet. And I think Dion Sanders came out and said like, bro, what are you doing? You do not need to fight this battle on Twitter. Have you ever just, for those of you listening, if you're not on Twitter, God bless you. What a fucking waste of space 99% of the time. Beside, if you like sports, the occasional breaking news, it is a hellhole of misery. and you are never going to,

I, and listen, I'm guilty. I used to be very, very active. I would say like 2012 through 2017, 18. These last couple years, I just see no point. Like,

I just keep a lot of thoughts to myself. I'm not monetizing these thoughts. What's the point in just arguing over, we're never changing our views? And Lamar is just fighting this uphill battle constantly on Twitter. It's like, what's the point of this? You don't see,

these guys when they go through it consistently fighting that. Why? Because that's why you pay an agent. And I've said over and over, this isn't even about like saying that I'm pro-ante-agent. In this situation, he needs some help. 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.

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Listen to stuff to blow your mind on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And then there was a rumor, and it's hard because you don't know what to believe that he doesn't need a fully guaranteed deal. He just needs more money in guarantees than the Sean Watson got.

It's like, if that is true, and I'm going to, if it's true, I got no clue. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN threw it out there. And I'll be honest, so far, most things he throws out there have been true just about players in general. I think he's a pretty credible reporter. You're not getting that, Lamar. And if you want to get traded and that's your demand on money, like, you're never getting it. If you're willing to just sign, I don't know what other contracts guys are signing for, non-de-Shaun Watson, then maybe you get traded.

But if that's your demand, no one's going to come after you. Now, that being said, all these teams and owners, I can't believe how naive former players are when they're reacting to this. So many people in the media are that these teams are just say, we're not interested. We're not going down that road. Why do you believe? I never believe anything the team says. I just judge teams off actions. That's the only thing that matters.

How often do coaches and executives say one thing? and then just within a week, within a month, at the draft, in free agency during the season, do another. Why? Because ultimately, their words are irrelevant. And if I ran a team was an owner, a GM, or a coach, I would say that too. Yeah, we're not in the business. You are not doing your job if you're not contacting, I don't know who is mom, finding out what the contract is, and then talking with the Ravens of what the compensation would be. Right? To think these teams that have said,

we're not doing it, haven't contacted them or gathered information, would just be ignorant to the way the business works. Would be ignorant to the way any business works. The number one thing we all can do is accumulate information. Whatever you do for a job and allows yourself to make better decisions. Right? Like, I'm a better podcaster when I picked a,

brain of three or four assistant GMs as they go from pro day to pro day. I get information that I was thinking one thing and it's like, I'm telling you, bro, this is happening. Like, well, it's probably changed my tune. I'll never forget being at the combine years ago. And my guy, he'll be a GM one day and he'll come on this podcast. But right now he's an up-and-comer said, middle cough, you're being way too hard on Josh Allen. He's like, bro, inaccurate, what are he talking about? This guy's got, you know, I think he's got three Super Bowl rings now. He knows what it looks like. And he was right.

And I think anyone good in my spot. And so the one thing I say about reporters, if the only people you talk to are agents, I don't take you seriously. What makes Schefters so powerful, and I would imagine Adrian Wojianowski as well in basketball. I think Rap Sheet has become this as well. Early on, I thought he was kind of agent-driven,

but now, I mean, I've seen him at training camps. Like, you have to know every GM and every coach. And obviously, you got to agents too. But if you don't know the GMs and the coaches, like, I don't really care with the agents thing. Because the GMs and the coaches are in control of the contracts, of who gets traded. Right. I mean, they are the ultimate decision makers. What do you learn early on?

Like, especially when you get your first job, you can waste a lot of time talking to someone on the phone. If they don't have decision making power, it's kind of waste. Like, you got to work your way to a decision maker. Sometimes that might even just be the secretary. Why? Because a secretary can get you into the CEO. You waste more time with sales guys in the middle of the office. Like, go to the guy's secretary. I'd waste more time with her or him.

You never know in 2023. But I just see some of this talk. Do people know the way the NFL works? Do people talk to these coaches and GMs? I haven't talked to one person who's like, yeah, I'd be interested in Lamar. Now, I'm not, some of these people aren't decision makers. And some of these people don't need quarterbacks. But this notion of that,

Like, oh, what are they doing by talking to him? It's like, Ron Rivera, said Sam Howell is the next party. If Washington hasn't talked to them, everyone should be firing. That doesn't mean you should do the deal. Because if I contact Lamar and we're like, hey, we'd be interested about trading a couple once or making a package for you. He's like, listen, can't just trade for him. Part of it, he's mad about the money.

So he's like, well, listen, here's my contract. You don't need to guarantee me to, you know, every penny. But it's got to be more than two. It's got to be $231 million minimum. What would your first reaction be? I know what mine would be. Good luck, Lamar. Look forward to watching you.

Hopefully you don't have to play you. Godspeed, Godspeed, my man. Good luck. So it baffles my mind. I've saying this over and over. Universally, universally. Everyone ripped the Deshawn Watson trade and the contract. Yet like it feels like the.

media is really defending him. Like, you got to give him his money. Well, what money? This is not a... We're not the Yankees here. I don't know, but an unlimited amount of cash. There's a salary cap. And he's not a top five quarterback.

Neither's probably Deshawn Watson. Why that could go down? Well, if Russell sucks, Russell's probably the worst trade ever. Deshawn's still young. So maybe he could still have some moments, but those could go down as two of the worst trades of all time. I actually like Lamar better.

than those two guys, like currently, but the money matters. I feel if I didn't have to pay them, I'd trade two ones yesterday. But the cash and the guarantees, like, that's the whole deal here. And last of and not least, we talk about this and we'll talk about this with the quarterbacks that are getting drafted and all these young quarterbacks, how serious you need to be. I talked about it with Colin the other day. Like, I think why I'm way better at this job.

than I ever was as could be as a scout. I could never have been a GM. I wasn't addicted to football. And the people I know that are crushing it right now, either as GMs, coaches, assistant coaches, assistant GMs, college directors, whatever, are addicted to football. They're not watching the Valspar this weekend. I am.

You know, they're not worried about doing other stuff in business. They might be, but football means everything to them. Coach Reed, Brett Veach, Howie Roseman, Belichick, Pete Carroll, you go wrong. Most guys that I've known or met or follow Nick Saban, Jim Harbaugh, football, it's like crack to them. There is no stopping it that they will never give up their addiction. And that's what makes them so great. Just like Tom Brady was addicted to playing football or Tiger Woods was addicted to playing golf. It's what separates them from the pack.

Not always the healthiest thing, but it's what makes them great in their field. And to me, I was never addicted to football, even when I worked in it. Sometimes it kind of bored me. I just couldn't watch seventh rounder after seventh rounder, a practice squad guy after practice squad guy. It's boring. You know, it really is. I like other sports.

I like watching an NBA playoff game. Or like, I'm not missing the masters for draft meetings. Back then I had to, but if I could choose. Right. So you really got to be, to be a great player or a great coach or a great executive, you've got to be addicted to the game. I've seen it firsthand. And all the great ones were.

And it was cool to watch. Because I think that passion, you know, in a weird way, especially for coaches, keeps you young because you get to be around a lot of young people. I think as an executive, it can drive you nuts. But as a coach, it's kind of a double-edged sword. It's unhealthy the way you have to live. But I do think it keeps you young.

And I think the character stuff, when it comes to the quarterbacks, really, really matters. I would not mess with a quarterback who honestly wasn't pristine character. If your character isn't on the high end of all the boxes, I couldn't invest a lot into you, whether that be a draft pick or whether that be money. And usually they go hand in hand. And I saw Mike McCarthy, who his picture in the coach picture is just classic, man. He's actually dressed pretty well. He just looks so miserable. Sometimes, you know, like school photos, you might not smile.

for a second, they catch you, and your mom yelled at you. It kind of felt like that. You just look kind of grumpy. Off to the corner. Even though a lot of the Super Bowl winners, you know, it was like Belichick, Andy, Harbaugh, Sean Payton, were all kind of in the middle.

Never forget, Mike's got a ring. McVeigh. Mike's just all way over there in the corner, so maybe he's a little bitter that he's not in the end crowd. He feels like an outcast, but he said, he must said this to reporters that over, within the last couple weeks, Dak Prescott was coming into work.

workout and spent four, I didn't know Scott Tolzeen, remember former, I think Wisconsin quarterback who spent some time on the Packers is now McCarthy's quarterback coach. And he said, like, he came in for a workout. I think they might have like a captain's day. I'm not exactly sure what that is. But after it was done, they went in the, in one of the meeting rooms and McCarthy, Tolzine and Dak watched all of his picks and dissected them for four hours. And if you just Google, like, and listen, I don't blame him. He's a Super Bowl champ. But like, I was hitting golf balls. the other day at TPC, Travis Kelsey was in the back with like a pro golfer just fucking around. You know, I mean, this is a time when Josh Allen, you know, Sam Darnold, they're doing

golf videos. It's hangout time. You know, this is, I don't blame anyone for chilling in February and March as an NFL player. Deck Prescott. And listen, DAC needs to improve. He's getting paid. He's getting paid, one of the highest paid players in the league. He's definitely one of the most high profile players in the league.

And I was critical of the contract. not because I don't believe in the human. I think he is everything you'd want to invest in. My issue was more like his talent. I don't see a talented enough guy. Now, we've argued about this in the DMs and Cowboy fans. If you just want to win double-digit games and making the playoffs every year, he's going to do that.

So the Cowboys are going to have a lot of success and they're going to make money. But ultimately, like, when you pay to me a quarterback, definitely a premium in $160 million, $40 million, especially a couple years ago. I would put that in the premium category. I think your goal's got to be to win a title. And what we've seen last, he's just not good enough to win a title. Now, if he can somehow,

because his picks have gotten a little out of control, figure out how to not turn the ball over, and this is why you bet on character. Now, I'm not saying it's going to translate. He could have throw 15 picks this year, but he truly cares. And to spend four hours in the offseason when he could be doing whatever the hell he wants.

I mean, whatever the hell he wants. Why? Because everyone in the league is doing what, every the hell they want right now. I feel pretty good if I was a cowboy. And I feel pretty good if I was Jerry. Now, ultimately, it's got to translate to the field. I think there's going to be a lot of debate.

Have they made an incremental gap made up for the Eagles at all? Eagles obviously lose Hardgrave. We'll see. They're going to have Miles Sanders gone. Not like Miles Sanders was great, but who else they lose? CJ, they lost safety. Team's still going to be pretty good. Betting's still on some old players.

But I think Cowboys are going to be pretty good. and I know DAC really, really cares. So it's just going to come down to like what they worked on, those four hours, dissecting all those picks, just can't happen. And I've said it over and over. Like the Cowboys now, two straight years, he has played like shit against the 49ers in the playoffs. Well, who are they likely to play in another playoff game?

49ers. And when you turn the ball over, last year you threw two picks. Like that just, that cannot happen. Your margin for error in these playoff games, because the other team is so good, you got to be good with the football. You can't turn the... Maybe you can afford a interception,

but you definitely can't afford to. So props to Jack Prescott, grind on the offseason. The volume. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman

help make you funnier. This week, my guest, S&L's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Side Up, 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. This is an IHart podcast. Guaranteed Human.