The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 3 and Out - The off-season is here, Cousins' future, Sarks contract

Episode Date: February 19, 2024

John dives into the start of the off-season and how the off-season means the start of the business of football, this is where the GM's make their money, who has the biggest question marks to answer, will big name players get traded, and Sark gets big money. Later, John answers your questions in this episode's mailbag segment. 5:30 - The off-season is here 17:13 - Rookie contracts change the game 21:48 - Biggest question marks of the off-season 29:55 - Who will get traded 36:03 - Sark gets paid 43:14 - Mailbag 46:23 - Grading off-season coaching hires 56:34 - Top QB draft picks are assumed to be franchise QB's Follow John on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube for the latest. Check out Gametime - the fastest growing ticketing app in the US, and the official ticketing app of 3 & Out and GoLow -  for tickets to all of your favorite NFL, NBA, NHL, NCAA teams. Concert and comedy show tickets, too. Go to Gametime now to create an account, download the app and use code JOHN for $20 off your first purchase. #Volume #HerdSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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See dkng.com slash promos for deposit wagering in eligibility restrictions, terms and responsible gaming resources. What is going on, everybody? job middlecoff three and out podcast how are we doing the offseason is here football the actual games no more luckily we got a lot to talk about some thoughts on front offices how they approach this off season some of the biggest storylines Steve sarkisian gets about 80 million dollars in a crazy contract uh and what he represents in nick saven's legacy and then of course the middlecoff mailbag John Middilkoff is the Instagram, fire in those DMs and get your question answered here on the show.

Very, very easy to do. We'll have a middlecoff mailbag, a lot of them moving forward. And other than that, the game plan is just a lot of podcasts. So buckle up, free agency, the draft, we'll just keep on rocking and rolling into the offseason and try to keep you guys entertained because that's what we're paid to do. And yeah, other than that, if you listen on Collins' feed, make sure you subscribe to three and If you like to watch the YouTube's and the video version, we have it up on YouTube, John Middlecough, its own feed.

And yeah, we got some merch, three-out merch, so just go to thevolume.com. But before we dive into football, I had a buddy on Saturday. He's like, I'm at Riviera, where the PGA tournament was going down in Los Angeles. I'm like, how is it? He's like, it's extra awesome

because I saved $20 using your promo code. I said genius. That's because the official ticketing app of this podcast, GameTime, which if I had my smartphone near me, it's in the other room, I would show you. All you do is go to the App Store. You download an app called Game Time, and you search any event you want to go to. College Pro, you want to go to an NBA game, you want to go to the NCAA tournament, spring training, you name it, concerts, any act you want to see. Just type their name in or a venue near where you live or want to go.

and see who's playing. And it shows you the seats by the price points, and it also gives you the view. And you use the promo code John, J-O-H-N, J-O-H-N, for your first order, and you save $20. Cannot recommend them enough. I've been using them for well over a year now. I've seen everything from sporting events to concerts

because I just type it in my game time app. promo code John, first pair of tickets, save $20. The NFL off-season's here. Not going to lie, I already kind of miss football. There's nothing like the period of time where you're breaking down the events of a Sunday, right? The coaching decisions, the players who are excelling, the guys who didn't have good weeks,

where franchises are headed, franchises that are going the right way, the wrong way, you know, the playoff implications as we got into October, November, December, obviously the playoffs, the magnitude of every snap through the Super Bowl. It was, I really enjoyed the season. But that's over now. There will not be pads put on shoulders

or not even did a lot of guys wear them anymore on their legs. But there's no more padded football till early August. And let's face it, now that preseason, because the majority of us are not going to go to training camp practices and watch team scrimmage, Most of these preseason games, while it's exciting because we've missed football, suck now because no one except like three coaches plays their guys. So we don't really have real football until early September.

But I love this time of year. Because this time of year to me is the business of football. In the fall, it's actual football, right? It's the X's and O's. It's the Jimy's and the Joe's. It's everything that we just listed. The coaching, the schematics, the strategy, the impact. of kind of circumventing injuries,

guys excelling that are young, that's all over now. And now is about why you pay your GM and your GM's cohesion with your salary cap guy. Because most GMs are not Howie Roseman and can't write a contract. Most guys depend on their money

manager, right? Like all of us. I can't do my taxes. Have no fucking chance. Can't do it. It's why I pay a guy to do them. It's no different in the NFL. Most general managers are very, very dependent on their capologists, which in 2024 has never been more important. Because the salary cap, which is about to be closer to $250 million than it is $200,

is easy to manipulate. It's why when you see numbers of this team's over the cap or this team's, you know, right around, all that's irrelevant. Tell me what their actual number is when free agency kicks off. You can cut guys, you can restructure. It's a very, very fluid thing. and to me this time a year, and let's face it, most of my life, GMs, like all the trades happen in basketball and baseball. There weren't that many trades in the NFL, especially when it came to big name guys.

Well, you can throw that out the window with the amount of GMs hovering 50 years and below in age, and they're aggressive nature. and their willingness to take chances. Now, part of everything that changed in the NFL was the influx of the amount of cash that's flowing in. For a long period of time, if I signed a player to a $20 million contract and I was still on the hook for paying them, I would not cut them.

These teams were not flush with cash. The amount of money these teams have now, $20, $30, $40 million that's already been paid if you don't like the guy, get rid of them. It's why Russell Wilson is not. going to be on the Denver Broncos. That ownership has so much money, they don't even care. Their coach wants to move, they're going to move. I don't care what Sean Payton said at the Super Bowl. Russell Wilson's not going to be on their team any longer. But to me, that's made

for a much more eventful offseason. Now the one thing that sucks in football, unlike those other two sports, in basketball of Steph Curry or Kevin Durant or LeBron James is a free agent. He's truly a free agent. Aaron Judge a couple years ago, show Hey Otani, when they're free agents, they can truly play the market. That's not the way the National Football League works. I saw Schefter put out the list. There are a lot of really good players who are free agents.

They can be franchise tag. Which, I've always said, while it sucks for the individual, you're still compensated at a high level. One, and two, it benefits us, the fans, who bring all this money. Without us, this league doesn't exist. It would just be a lot of guys tackling people for free. and one thing the NFL has that these other sports do not have is cohesion.

If you want to keep a player, you get to keep them for a long period of time. It's why, like I've said it forever in these other sports, the same players run the same teams for a long period of time, and they really benefited. Now, only the NFL truly has that. If I don't want to lose a guy, I'm not going to lose them. Even if the contract becomes hard to negotiate, which I don't blame any player and any agent for trying to get more.

money. Welcome to the real world. You don't deserve anything. You're worth what you negotiate. So when you look at this upcoming free agency, it's all about dynamic GMs. It's all about dynamic front offices. And one thing that's been very clear over the last half decade is aggressive wins. And Belichick has shown this for a long period of time. You can't worry about what the fans might see. Because I would say the majority of headlines have been like, oh, you can't trade Tyreek Hill. You can't? They won two Super Bowl since. You can't trade DeForest Buckner?

Niners have been to three conference championships in a Super Bowl since. The hardest part about this time of year and the most important part is evaluating your own team. Right? Obviously there are certain players that it's pretty clear what they are

and how much they're worth. The majority of guys are not. And the majority of guys are, is this guy going to maintain this level of play? Is he going to start to slip the other way? Do we have a younger guy on our roster who can take his spot? Do we have a guy who is good enough to win at the highest level? Is this guy that we drafted in the second round last year going to take a step?

Or did maybe we miss? Or do we maybe we need to bring in a guy to mitigate the risk of if he's actually not any good? Some guys pop early on in their careers you know right away. Some guys take a little while. No one knew Devante Adams besides us Fresno State guys was going to be a stud the first year and a half. It was pretty ugly. Some guys show up. Jamar Chase and it's obvious from day one.

Well, I guess not day one. He drops some balls in August, but you know what I mean. And the front office, the cohesion between a general manager and their coaching staff is the strength of your team. And having everybody on the right page this time or on the same page, this time a year, is a must. And look at the NFL. Look how many teams, what, 7, 8 teams have brand new coaches, have a, brand new guy as their head coach, which essentially means you have all new assistant

coaches. Maybe there's a holdover or two, but the majority of guys on that staff are new. And then there's a ton of returning coaches that have either a new offensive or new defensive coordinator. Well, that can mean scheme changes. That can mean guys that were excelling on your team before are not going to be a fit. Going to be guys on your team before that didn't play much, actually might fit now. And beside the Niners and the Chiefs, a lot of teams have had several weeks, some even a month and a half,

to kind of figure this out. Because I'll promise you this, by the time that you go to Indianapolis, you better have your own team evaluated. That means your GM and your coordinators and obviously your head coach, everyone's on the same page with what you have on your roster. Now, just because a guy is on your roster last year,

what's his contract status? Is he a free agent? Do we need to franchise him? What are we willing to do? to pay them? Are we willing to franchise them? Because if you franchise them, all that money is on your books. Do we want to extend this guy? What about a guy on our team? Now we have either a brand new coaching staff or a new coordinator that's not going to fit that we have liked before, but this guy no longer fits our scheme. Well, we got to start shopping him. What can we get? Can we make

them fit or is there no chance he's not going to fit this scheme and we can't afford to pay a guy $10 million that doesn't fit the scheme? So to me, evaluating your own team and anyone worth their salt always says this is the number one key. Because if you cannot do that, and listen, you're going to let some young guys go. It's part of the deal. There's an element of luck. But your key core guys or who you want as your key core guys and who you're willing to pay as your key core guys, you better get that right. Because if you don't.

And then like I said, you've got to be willing to think big picture. How much your quarterback's making? How much your other star players? That impacts everybody. So can I sell a guy on my own team high? Look at the Chiefs. Now obviously he's a really valuable player because he's one of the greatest receivers we've ever seen.

But the moment they realize like, hey listen, if we got to pick all these players, we'll see how this Chris Jones thing plays out. We still have him under contract. Let's trade Tyreek when we did. And it's not an easy thing to do, but they did it and then they maximize the value. Right.

And then you look at players like Baker Mayfield. Well, if you're the Tampa Bay, Buccaneers, you go, we really like Baker Mayfield. We want to keep him on our team next year. But at what price? What is the, kind of the desire for his services around the league? Do we franchise them? Can we sign him to a three-year $60 million deal and guarantee 40 of it? Or is that a three-year, $95 million deal? At what price point? Where are we willing to go? So before you even get to the combine and start talking these numbers, you have a pretty good idea of what you are willing to pay. Now obviously that changes, right? That's not,

you're not a lock to, like you're willing to adapt and you have to be around this time of year. But you have to know a guy's value. And that's why this turns into the stock market. Everything right now is about value. What are you willing to pay? What are you willing to trade for another player? What are you willing to give up a player on your team to another team for? And Having an idea before you even attack the next couple weeks is a must. Now, there is going to be some information that you don't know. That next week at the Combine, which is the biggest NFL convention of the year, you start talking and you get things brought to you that weren't even available, right?

Or you couldn't even a guest would have been a possibility. I would imagine when the offseason started, you know, two years ago, that the Miami Dolphins never envisioned Tyree Kill being available. But things change. and you've got to be willing to pounce, and you've got to be willing to have your operation set up to know, is this worth it? Does this guy fit for what we're willing to give up?

Because one thing we know is trades are going to be flying around, and big-name guys that you have not thought of are going to be on the move. That has been a consistent theme of the last couple years. Think about some of the players that have been traded, from just star quarterbacks to, I know he's not a star anymore, but when Russell Wilson was traded, that was insane. Aaron Rogers was traded last year A.J. Brown, Tyree Kill, Devante Adams,

Jaylon Ramsey last year. Players are on the move constantly. And depending on your contract, might limit the ability for other teams to be interested. Depending on some of the teams with cap room, might not be super close to winning. But this year, the Houston, Texas, have a lot of cap room. I would imagine they're going to be pretty aggressive. But maybe they won't, because Casario learned from Belichick.

And that's where I think you have to balance everything. And everything is determined now, the impact of a rookie contract, kind of changes the game. You know, for a long period of time, before the new CBA in 2011, if you drafted a guy where C.J. Strah was just drafted, his contract was enormous. Do you remember how big like Matt Stafford and the Namak and Sue's contracts were? They were fucking huge. They were bigger than a lot of guys that were stars in the NFL already. So this time of year evaluating your own team is a must. and when you evaluate your own team, you've got to evaluate what you need, right? What is essential for your operation?

And in basketball, the draft comes and then free agency comes. In football, free agency comes and then the draft comes. Right? I think most people, if you're a diehard fan of a given team, you have a pretty good idea of what your team needs. But there are going to be some operations that you go, why didn't we sign a corner? Well, maybe they like their two young corners that didn't play that much, that they invested picks in the last couple years. And back to evaluating your own team.

Maybe they missevaluate those guys, and they're not good enough next year, and you find yourself in a hole. The other thing you have to factor in is salary cap space, how much guys go for. Remember a couple years ago, J.C. Jackson went for like $45 million guaranteed.

So some teams might be very interested in corners, but certain guys priced themselves out as the market goes. Here's the other thing. I remember talking to a guy who told me he had this crazy negotiation. This was like six, seven years ago, and his coach really wanted the player.

And basically at the time told him, no matter what, get this player. And he's like, this wasn't some quote-unquote star, but this was a guy given, I think it was a little under $15 million guaranteed. At first the number started at like five or six, and he felt pretty good. Then a couple other teams got involved, and the number ended up closer to $14 million. He's like, not in a million years would I have done this deal,

but like I got the, you know, from the decision maker, make sure we get this guy on our team. and ultimately the guy ended up not playing. It turned out not to really matter. But at the time, whoever the decision maker is, and this is why so many bad deals happen, especially when coaches get involved, is because I got to have that guy.

And anyone that's good at business, especially a lot of GMs, they're not as emotionally tied, pull out, pull back. Coaches don't like to do that. Coaches feel, I have to have this guy for my defensive offense. And that's an element to really keep an eye on over the next couple weeks. I do think the understanding, though, of your personnel department and the scheme

in going into the combine and free agency is a must. Because I think we see so many poor signings because the coaching staff and the front office is not on the same page. And the one thing a coach can do once I sign a guy, well, a week or two in a training camp, if that guy doesn't like that player, it's not going to. to work. And that's why historically, besides the can't miss guys, like Dion Sanders is a free agent or Reggie White's a free agent, but a lot of guys, it's a coin flip. Free agency is not an easy proposition, especially when you have to acknowledge to buy a good free agent, I don't care what

position you are, but especially corners, DeLiaman, offensive tackles, you're paying 130, 140 cents on the dollar. Look last year. Sean Payton needed an offensive tackle. I got to have a right tackle. He gave Mike McGlinchie $55 million. Not a general manager in the NFL that would do that. It just wouldn't happen. But when a coach gets involved, it gets to run the show,

that's how deals like that happen. Mike McGlinchie, let's face it. Probably 25, 30 million dollar guaranteed guy. But in free agency, you already pay a premium on top of that. And then you pay up, I got to have this guy tax. and that's essentially what happens with a lot of these players is the coach gets involved, maybe even an owner gets involved, a got to have you tax.

And free agency is not the cream of the crop. Nick Bosa, Micah Parsons, Jemar Chase, obviously most quarterbacks are not involved in that market. So you're paying a premium on probably at best a B plus player. At best, a lot of B minus C plus level players who then you start paying as B plus. plus a minus players. So it's just,

it's a crazy time of year, but it's a fun time of year. And it's when you really can add players to your team that, you know, especially if you're a good team, can change the trajectory of either your offense or your defense. And if we look at some of the biggest question marks

coming into this kind of upcoming off season, I think number one is easily the quarterbacks, right? Cousins is a free agent. And at the time when he was in, he was playing the best football of his life. If that Kirk Cousins had finished the season and the Minnesota Vikings had gotten the playoffs, I think you're looking at,

he's not going to get a five or six year contract at 36 years old, but I think at minimum you're talking three years, $40 million a year, $120 plus million dollars, probably $100 million guaranteed. I don't know how I could pay the guy right now if I am not the Minnesota Vikings. Because one, he's an older player

that had a major injury. and two, he's not a very good athlete. So, like, Aaron Rogers is never going to be the same. How Aaron Rogers wasn't the same when the Jets got him. He could not move nearly as well as he did three or four years ago. He was not the same athlete. Well, Cousins isn't a good athlete. So now you get a guy that couldn't move that great in the first place coming off this major injury.

And I think you have to separate the player that was, which was a really good player, especially relative to the rest of the NFL. But some of these teams that need quarterbacks, Atlanta, New England. I would be very hesitant to give him several years and a lot of money. I really would. That's why I think the betting market has, you know, the favorites to keep his services is Minnesota.

But the thing I wonder with Minnesota is, like, they were ready to move off him last off season. They tried to trade him to the San Francisco 49ers. He was readily available. And now you're getting a guy coming off an injury. Now, of course they would take him back at a cheap cost. especially well under what he was just making. But let's face it,

the way free agency works, a couple teams get involved. His contract to me is the most fascinating thing of all free agency. It really is. Because of the position he plays, of the headline it will be, but is this guy full go week one?

Does he even look remotely the same? I mean, early on in the season, is he 50% of what he was? I would be terrified. I don't care what the doctors tell me. And that's the other thing. around this time of year. You can really like a player as a GM,

whether it's a college guy or someone in free agency. But if they're coming off an injury, you're not a doctor. You know, most of these guys have no clue about any of this stuff. How could you? So when the doctor looks at you and goes, Drew Breeze's shoulder is never going to be the same. What are you supposed to look at him and say, no, he's going to be fine?

or when someone in the college draft, this is one of the best players in the draft. It's like, the doctor looks at you. He's got a degenerate knee. No, he's going to be okay. We'll just ice it and do extra rehab. No, it's very, very hard to overrule the doctor when it comes.

It's one thing with a little thing, right? You know, he's had some shoulder stiffness or whatever, and the doctor's like, I don't really see anything. You're like, let's risk it. It's another thing when a documented major injury happens, and you got a question, like, is it worth it? It's why you've got to rely on the doctor. I mean, let's face it, most of these teams that live in major cities have the best surgeons that they're relying on

for this information. Not because these surgeons want to be involved with these teams. So when they give you the thumbs up or thumbs down, you kind of just got to roll with it when he gives you the thumbs down. And to me, his physical and any team that obviously would sign him to a contract, the physical would be enormous. And even then, it's kind of taking it. educated guesses. And the other guy is clearly Justin Fields. And I have no clue what his market's going to be. I mean, I see some people like, you're going to get a first round pick for Justin Fields.

If the Chicago Bears got a first round pick for Justin Fields, Ryan Paul should pick Justin Fields up on his shoulders and carry him to that city. He is going into the fourth year of his rookie deal. I don't envision anyone that would pick up the fifth year of that rookie deal right now. So you're getting a guy essentially on a one-year contract who hasn't even remotely come close to proving that he can throw from within the pocket. You're basically just taking an athlete who's played a bunch and he makes a decent amount of money because he was a relatively high pick.

Now, just because I don't think he's going to go for a first round pick, that's not the way the world works. All it takes is two people interested in his services. And let's face it, teams get desperate when it comes to quarterbacks. If I had to guess right now, I would say a second round pick. and honestly if the Bears got a second round pick for them, especially having the number one overall pick and the fleecing that they got of the Carolina Panthers,

that they should be doing cartwheels. So that would be my educated guess as of February 18th on what Justin Fields gets traded for, but he's getting traded. Caleb Williams is going to be the quarterback for the Chicago Bears. I feel 99.9% sure on that one. Now, I guess they could like another guy in the draft, but what I do feel extremely confident,

I'd put it at 100, is that Justin Fields is not going to be on the team. And then with both those quarterbacks, the Pittsburgh Steelers, I read us a headline today, there was an article in the Pittsburgh Gazette, that there's like arguments internally about Mason Rudolph and Kenny Pickett,

who should be the starter. I have a rule. If you're arguing over who should be my starting quarterback for 2024, Mason Rudolph or Kenny Pickett, You probably need to get a new quarterback. It's probably time to bring another guy in. And I do wonder the two guys that we just named, Kurt Cousins,

depending on his number, would that be of interest to them? And, you know, I do think when you look, they hired Arthur Smith. Who do you have a lot of success with in Tennessee? A mobile quarterback. Now, the one thing with Tanny Hill is Tanyhill was a much better pocket passer than Justin Fields. But maybe Arthur Smith, I mean, part of hiring these guys and paying a coordinator like Arthur Smith

a couple million dollars, the guy's got a big ego. The guy believes in what he can do. And we can talk shit about his Atlanta experience. A coordinator, just because you're a good coordinator, I don't even judge your head coaching. Look at how bad his offense was. Probably overwhelmed.

Not a good head coach. But I've seen him be a coordinator and he was really good. So if he is interested in Justin Fields, then the Pittsburgh Steelers should be interested in Justin Fields. And like I said, if your argument is Kenny Pickett or Mason Rudolph, probably time to get a new quarterback. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged.

It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard radio app.

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media.

Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment,

and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me, or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes,

follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush

didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam Jek. And I'm Alex English.

Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 was big to me not just because of crack.

I'm down to talk about crack all day, but just so you all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack, so I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now, so... Thank you for finishing that sentence. I don't think there's a more important year for black

people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. We mentioned this earlier, but big name players are going to get traded. The question is just who and when? It's going to happen all over the league.

And the teams that are most likely to get rid of guys, especially like, damn, that guy got traded, are teams with new coaches. Now, I think the Raiders in New England are a little unique because the guys they hired were on the staff. So like when you look at the Raiders, Devante Adams or Max Crosby, obviously is not getting traded. When you look at the Patriots, you convince me,

now their roster is not that great, especially with big name guys. But like, Mac Jones probably get traded for a bag of balls. But think about all the other teams with outsider head coaches. Everyone's going to be on the table. That's just the way it works. And you won't know it.

Like, it's impossible to guess. If you told me the Seattle Seahawks traded D.K. Metcalf for a first round pitch. again, I'm not saying that's going to happen, but when you get a new head coach with a new vision and new coaching staff, they bring in all these different ideas and maybe philosophically where they've learned,

they don't view it the same, and everything's going to be on the table. This is the way it works. So I think those are the teams. I remember being in the league. When we'd go to the combine, you would target those teams to go, who on their roster is of interest to us,

especially a guy that doesn't feel like it's going to fit their scheme moving forward. And then you talk to them about trades. It's why it happens all the time when a new coach comes in that a quote-unquote big name from that team is no longer on that team. Now it doesn't guarantee it. I wouldn't operate that way,

but that's not the way the league works. So I would say you look around the league at some of the new coaches and the new spots, like I would say their players are going to be available. You know, you would call it, if you have interested in some guys in Seattle, like they're not trading Jackson, Smith, and Jigba, or Witherspoon,

but if you got some interest some other guys, like give them a buggin' buzz. give them a call. Carolina, I don't know, Derek Brown, Brian Burns, like, hey, you want these guys still? Because if you don't, we got some interest. You need some picks.

You need to restart your operation. Atlanta, like, you're going to keep all those offensive players, or you want to get rid of one to help out your defense or help out your line. Because, hey, we'd be interested in this guy. And then it gets back to, like, well, what are you willing to pay? Like, is Kyle Pitts on the table? Like, I'm not giving a first round pick for him,

but could I give a two and a three for the guy? And maybe kind of strike oil? The other thing that's big this time of year's extensions is, you know, the fourth year guys. So you have your first round picks, right? Trevor Lawrence is not going to get an extension this offseason. It doesn't make any sense, especially at the price points in which quarterbacks are signing. For him or the Jacks, it makes most sense for everybody. Let's just play out this year, his fourth year, and see where we're at the end of the season.

But there are a lot of guys in that draft class who are going to want to get paid. and who I would imagine if they don't get paid are going to either do a holdout or a hold in. And I think you can start right away with the Jamar Chases, the Jalen Wattles, the Patrick Sturtains, the Devanti Smiths, and Michael Parsons. Those guys are going to want to get broken off. And this is where it gets complicated,

is like, you can draw a hard line and go, we don't negotiate after the third year for any non-quarterback if you're on a first round contract, right? Because we have the fifth-year option, Like that's what the 49ers told Brandon Ayuk this offseason. Nick Bosa did not sign his contract till after his fourth year. He did not get a contract after year three. So Brandon Ayuk, you just kind of have to wait.

And I think that gets very complicated. You either have a hardline stance. Most people are kind of open-minded, willing to do whatever in terms of what they're willing to do with their guy, when they're willing to do it. But the other thing is these guys that are not first- round picks, if you're a second round pick to a seventh round pick, you're eligible to be extended. Look at the Eagles last year. They extended Jalen Hertz after his third season. Now, do they regret that?

Would he have made less if they were trying to extend him right now? We could argue that until we're blue in the face, because I don't imagine he would want to take any less right now. He'd be like, well, I'm a pro baller again. Look at my stats. Even though it's like, well, he didn't quite look like what you look like, but this is where it gets very complicated. These agents are good. Everything's based on precedent. Everything's based on these previous contracts. That's where it's a lot like real estate, right? If every home in your cul-de-sac

is of similar size and selling for a million dollars, you can't put your home on the market for $2 million and expect it to sell. Just like if you're trying to buy it, you can't expect to get that house for $600 grand. Like the price is kind of established. give or take a little bit. And extending those guys, listen, you either feel good about it or you don't.

Like, you feel very good about Micah Parsons and Jalen Waddle and Jamar Chase and Patrick Straitain. Like, these guys are high-end players. If you even have to hesitate, it's not worth it. But if that guy goes on to have a good season, Brandon Ayyuk, like, well, now he's, you probably could have got him last year at $18, $19 million a year.

He's probably thinking $24 million a year. So you guys, to decide we're going to pay them that much money? Would we be willing to trade them for our first round pick and use that pick on a player? It just, there are no right or wrong answers right now. You have to entertain every idea and kind of go from there. I love this time of year. It really is hard to beat the transactions, the strategy behind everything, right?

From free agency to the draft, this is a marketplace. and everything has a dollar sign. Either how much I have to pay a player, how much draft capital I have to use to acquire a player, and the best people at play in the market are usually the best teams. And the teams that have no clue what they're doing are usually like, which is ironic

because David Teper is a great stock trader. Look at what he traded last year for Bryce Young. I think he'd like a redo on that bad boy. Steve Sarkisian, details of his contract came out. He has basically paid this upcoming year 10.3 million and through 10, or excuse me, through 2030, that 10 million dollars goes up 100 grand every year. So by 2030, he is making 10.9 million dollars. He gets two cars, a private jet, game tickets, and a country club membership. Now that country club membership for you golfers, Austin Country

Club, is where the match play PJ Tour used to be. I googled it yesterday has a 17-year wait list. Well, if you're the head coach at the University of Texas, you don't wait. You just get the membership for free and you jump the fucking line. I think he's a good example, and I've been very, very hard on Sarkk. Listen, I've always acknowledged he's a good offensive coach. I just never viewed, I just looked at his resume. He wasn't a very successful coach until this season, where in this new world we live in, stuff has changed.

NIL has a huge impact. When you're at a program that can afford to cut enormous checks, you should never suck and you should compete for championships and that's what I would imagine he'll do moving forward because his roster is going to be so good because of the NIL money behind the University of Texas but here's the one thing that I will acknowledge

that is cool listen I've been fired before I've had no money before like we all anyone worth their salt goes through shitty times and depending on the industry industry you're in. Like some of you may never be fired. You change jobs, but you're like, you hate it. Maybe you get a new boss. Maybe you are an entrepreneur. Maybe you've gone bankrupt. Maybe you went

belly up during COVID. It sucks. But the worst times in your life professionally do not define you. I've always believed they actually make you. Because when things are going good, I don't care who you, unless you're like Nick Sabin, most people are going to be a little happier. Most people are going to be a little more optimistic. It is hard to keep on moving forward in the lowest points in time in your life, personally or professionally. And Sark, a lot like Lane Kiffin, are two good examples. Now, they were saved by Nick Sabin. And I think when you think of Sabin's legacy, you think of all the championships, and rightfully so, the greatest college coach of all time. But I think in my adult life, he took the two most toxic assistant coaches.

Lane Kiffin was fired on the tarmac and was a laughing stock. Sark was run out of USC because he was drunk at team meetings. It doesn't get any worse than those two guys. And he resurrected their careers. And he didn't resurrect their careers like, just got him back working again. In 2024, they make it combined $20 million. You could argue Sark in NIL might have the best job in all of college football. Ohio State, Georgia, I mean USC, there would be some other guys.

But you could easily make the argument in this world that we live in in college football, it doesn't get any better than the University of Texas. Look at his fucking contract. So listen, when you go through the shitty times, like I said, I've been fired twice. It sucks. But like you realize the next day the sun comes up, people keep going to work. world moves on, you do need help. And most of us need someone to extend the hand.

You cannot do it yourself. And they were both very lucky. Now, they were both represented by Jimmy Sexton. But Nick, his willingness to open his doors. And he did it to countless people and change their careers. And when you think about, like, one knock for Belichick isn't just that he couldn't win with Talon Brady. It's why did all of his assistants suck?

Why were they all terrible? How's that fucking possible? They all suck. They all are just like run out of the building. Even a guy that actually wasn't a terrible coach, Brian Flores, hated to him. Couldn't be, like, couldn't function with his offensive coaches. The stories in that building with that guy, it was like, Jesus.

Now, he's a really good defensive coach. So their team was credible, unlike Josh or Patricia. But like, why do you guys all try to act like this guy? yet all these guys go to Sabin and in a weird way because he's so crazy but so is Bill they like keep their own

personal kind of flavor to it all but kind of use his model of the structure and then they go on to succeed and I'm four second chances like we all make mistakes I've done a lot of stupid shit in my life I'd say 95% of it

I wasn't caught I didn't get in trouble easily could have throughout countless times in my youth. Look back like a lot of people. Like, how did I get away with that? Sometimes, if you're not mature enough to handle some of these situations, you go belly up.

And that's what happened to Lane and Sark. And they were both disasters. And then Nick Saban changed their lives. And now they're easily like, Lane Kiffin has turned Ole Miss into an SEC power. Sark is going to be one of the teams that everyone bets on to win the national. championship next year.

So incredible story, but I really think that's a feather in the cap of Nick Satan. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year.

Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th.

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

This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast,

it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast.

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

We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Okay, let's do the Middlekopf mailbag. At John Middellkopf is the Instagram fire in those direct messages. This is from Brett. When you describe Andy Reid's work ethic, can you give us examples? I'm always curious about the habits that set greatness apart. One big advantage I think there is for certain people. I definitely don't fall into this category is when you don't need a lot of sleep. Like Tiger Woods and Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan were notorious for not needing a lot of sleep

and still having energy and having your brain pistons firing on all cylinders. Coach Reed, I feel like could work on football for 18. less hours a day. He just didn't need that much sleep. So he was just constantly, and this is why I always say, when you do what you like to do, it is so much easier to work longer. And the people that like what they like to do are just going to work longer on their craft than someone that doesn't. Just basic, like the way we're wired. So you get these football coaches who are addicted to football, and obviously Andy's more talented than most guys. Then he doesn't need much sleep.

So he's not sleeping that much and he's just constantly working on football. He's not like dicking around in the office during the game week. Right? He's just constantly watching film and they just... I don't even know how much to describe it besides that. I sat next to him when he was doing this.

I just know he was awake a lot. I never went to the office during the season when he wasn't there. it's impossible to beat him into the office. Doesn't happen. I've actually heard Spagnolas a lot like that. Right? One thing I heard about Gruden is like Gruden did do the, you know, super early, whatever it was,

4, 4.30. But he was also pooped out by like 7 o'clock at night. I've always heard this about Belichick. Like, they're end up pooping out at 7 o'clock at night. And I can't, I can't, if I'm getting up at 4 or 5 in the morning, I'm not going to have a lot of energy by the time we get to 8, 9 o'clock. Some guys do. But by the end of Sabin, like he was like a seven to nine guy.

The Belichick, the Andy Reid, and listen, a lot of younger coaches are like this too, but it's their competitive stamina is elite. Their competitive stamina. And in football, that means constantly watching football. But not just watching it, like being unable to understand what you're watching. So if you are super tired and not a guy that can't function on no sleep, it's kind of a waste of time. So to me it's a huge advantage for him. He just needs less sleep.

That's the thing about football. It's like if you're a coach, you're not digging ditches or whatever. You're just kind of sitting there with a clicker in your hand the majority of the season. Evaluating your team, evaluating the other team. In a dark room at 6 in the morning or 8 o'clock at night. So when I talk about that, like work ethic just means the ability to watch tape nonstop. For the mailbag. Thought on this list, a lot of people don't give credit where credit is due.

So this list is 2004 head coaching higher grades. Harbaugh A, agreed. Dave Canales, B plus, Rahim B, McDonald, B, Antonio Pierce, B minus, Callahan B minus, Mayo C plus, Dan Quinn D plus.

This is of CBS Sports. How could Canales be a B plus? How is that possible? He's a lifetime position coach. That Pete Carroll never wouldn't make him accordion. And then he goes, he did have a really good year. One year, and you're giving him a B plus. I would just give like a passing grade,

but how could you even give, you couldn't give a fail, but you couldn't give a A or B? All the shit, who gives, I just don't care. I think that's why I like the podcast space. I don't have to do any of this stuff. Like, I don't know. I mean, I like Mike McDonald a lot. He was arguably the best coordinator in the league, who wasn't a head coach.

Is he going to be a head coach? I got no freaking clue. He could be the next Pete Carroll or it could be the next Bat Patricia. Dan Quinn's better than a D-plus. How could you have a guy who's been to a Super Bowl way below all these other guys? Rakee Morris, listen, he was a good hire like everyone really likes him. The guy was running out of Tampa because he was parting with the players. Now, he was young.

I think these exercises are so fucking dumb. At least with a player, I'm just trying to pick. Like if the Charger signed Seyquin Barclay, he'd be like, God, probably going to make a lot of sense. Harbaugh likes to run the ball. He's a good fit. He's going to know him from the Big Ten. Like, I like that signing.

Like, it's easy when a guy signs. No, like, I like that sign. It doesn't mean it's going to work out, but you have no clue with the coach. None. Mike Shanahan and won multiple Super Bowls. Went to Washington and it was a disaster. I thought John Gruden was going to be pretty good.

it was also not great. So you just, these head coaching hire, remember Doug Peterson was the worst head coaching hire ever, beat Belichick in a Super Bowl. This is so stupid. These guys, I just, I don't play in that kind of world. So it's hard for me even to like have a comment. I just don't care.

I think they're irrelevant. They just don't mean anything. Is there precedent for teams front-loading contracts? Often they push cap hits down the road, But what about the opposite? Joe Burroughs' new contract doesn't really affect the cap until after 25. If the Bengals wanted to resign Higgins and have money available for Chase in future years, could they give Higgins a front-loaded contract?

Not sure how this would work. Yeah, I mean, I'm sure it's happened. I think a lot of teams really value flexibility. So when you front-load a contract, like let's say you put like $30 million on the books this upcoming year to give the majority of the contract. I think it limits your ability to be flexible as things arise. And that's why teams always like the backloaded flexibility. Because I can always keep kicking the can down the road.

And you can't do that when you front load. So technically you 100% could. Right, like the Houston Texans could sign someone, you know, they got $80 plus million in cap space. if they wanted to sign T. Higgins, if he hit the market, you could give him $40 million this next year, right? And shorten the contract. I don't know.

I'm just trying to talk it out loud. I don't know why teams don't do that. Be at the Combine, maybe we'll talk to a GM and ask him. That's a good question. Sort of an anecdote followed by a question. I went to high school in Southern California, played football for D1 Southern Section Football. We played Oaks Creek.

in my junior year. They had Michael Pittman, Matt Corral, Colby Parkinson. Pittman had 500 total yards and five touchdowns. Somehow, my school won the game. I don't think that was all in one game. Or was it? I don't know. Maybe it was all in one game. If that's true, that's insane.

The next year we played modern day, and they had St. Brown go for 200 plus yards and a couple scores. We lost by 40. What wide receiver body type archetype is your your favorite to watch play. If there was a soul wondering I had one catch for 20 yards in my varsity crew, you know, it's funny when people say, I always find this like with people dating. Like I have a type.

I never understood that. I have a type. Like I just kind of like, like I would be open to date anybody who I thought was attractive, whether she's, you know, got brown hair, blonde hair, tall, short. I've never been one to have a type. I've never quite understood that. Honestly, I never have. I'd be open-minded to anything.

I've dated people that look completely different than the other. And, like, no different with players. Like, I really love watching Debo Samuel play. Just like I love watching Devante Adams play. They couldn't be any more opposite. I just like good players. I don't necessarily have, I would say a favorite.

I guess I would be more inclined to watch more physical players. That's a huge element of the sport which I enjoy is the physical element. Jamar Chase, Debo Samuel, D.K., you know, T.O. forever. Break tackles, run through guys, makes it happen after the catch. But I'm also a sucker for just an incredible route runner. I loved Marvin Harrison. I like Brandon Ayuk a lot. Dwight Devonte Adams

become such a great player. Now he's kind of a combination because he's strong too. But like when you can just get open at ease against anybody. And then it's like, what the fuck's Tyree Kill? Never seen anything like that.

He's a great route runner and he's got incredible speed and he's strong. So like I said, I'm open to whatever. Honestly, don't really have a favorite. Currently listening to the February 14th broadcast, Romo did basically know what was up.

The Chiefs didn't call a timeout toward the end of overtime one because they were going to let it run to the second overtime. The three timeouts were for the entirety of the next four overtime periods. I know Romo probably didn't know all the details, but he got it pretty much correct. It doesn't, there aren't four quarters left.

It's not, you're not going to have a scoreless game four more quarters. It's a drive-by-drive game. Even on that first drive for the 49, Like getting a score is pretty essential. So using the timeouts, everyone acknowledges Romo didn't really know the rules. Most people didn't. Let's be real.

But to keep the timeouts for the second quarter, what are we talking? You can use a timeout in the playoff overtime. To me, strategically, whenever you want. You don't look at it like a game, right? You don't want to use a timeout in the third quarter of a regular game. because you might need them in the fourth quarter, especially toward the end of the game. To me, in that playoff overtime,

you are allowed to use a timeout whenever you want. You have three of them. It'd be one thing if you only have one, you have three timeouts. Three. For a game that honestly, probably is just going to be a couple possessions. Total.

Not even just two possessions for you. Like total. So if you want to use a timeout, use the freaking timeout. the NFL season coming to an end and with the disinterest we both share in the NBA you know what's crazy is the majority of my life I watched the dunk contest

and the three point contest I didn't I mean I saw it a couple times last night in the guy and I went right by it I have no clue who was even in the dunk contest because I know that more than likely nobody I've ever heard of talk about an event that used to be incredible that's now you can't pay a guy like me

who's grown up on it to even click on it. Pretty crazy. I certainly hope you cover baseball because there are a few podcasts that do. That's not happening either. And that has to do more. It's not a podcast sport.

It really, I mean, I like baseball. I covered a lot like the NBA probably, though. I'm not, or excuse me. Like, I follow the NBA. Like, I know what's going on. Just like, I'll follow baseball. I'm not watching the games during the regular season. tell me when the playoffs come,

then I'll pay attention. But I'm not, we're not talking baseball on this podcast. And I'm fascinated by the Dodgers, the Yankees. Like, I love the business behind it, but like, it's just not going to get covered here. And again,

I don't cover sports, you know, or cover anything. I just talk about what I want to talk about. And baseball is just not something that I'm going to spend much time on. Beside, like, if someone hit 90 home runs,

you know, something historic happen. Obviously, we might mention it, but With Manfred declaring his absence at the end of the 29th season, what major changes? I mean, I don't even, I honestly don't care. I said this forever when everyone pushed back against the runner at second in extra innings. And people are like, this is not fundamental part of the game.

Like, who gives a shit? No one wants to watch an 18 inning game. Not a soul. I've seen the parks. You know, at 12 o'clock at night, it's 90 people are there. So it's like, I think they made some of those smart moves, speed up the game, try to get more action, ban the shift. It's a lot of baseball talk.

I have been a Colts fan since I was seven, which was way before Peyton Manning. I was very disappointed by the selection of Richardson because I have never seen a quarterback play 13 college games, be inaccurate, be a runner, and do well in the NFL. But here's my question. Why do so many assume that just because a quarterback is drafted high, he is a franchise quarterback? We take those guys like Richardson Fields and Darnold and anoint them franchise quarterbacks just because of the drafted position. I did a check one time looking at quarterback's draft in the first two rounds since 2010,

and I believe came up with less than 20% end up being average. But everything I read is Richardson, it showed great promise, or he was the best player on the field. But then why don't they produce? I would think it should be the other way around Don't expect much to be shocked if they become good Again, no running quarterback has ever won a Super Bowl Well, Steve Young did, but he was a passer by then Quarterbacks don't usually get more accurate in the NFL

Josh Allen did I hear what you're saying I mean, what are they supposed to say? This guy sucks, he's never going to be anything Like, what's the take supposed to be on Anthony Richardson? We'll see, which I guess a lot of people have but that would be my take. We'll see.

He definitely physically is a freak show, but he played in four or five games and ended up with a sling. So it's a lot of unknown. To me, the cool thing, though, about the Richardson situation is how good your coach is. Like, your coach has proven he can win with randoms. So if they can just get,

I think that's a huge factor. Can you stay on the field, though? I mean, some of the things, injuries were like innocuous hits the concussion he barely got touched the shoulder injury it wasn't even a violent tackle that's what would concern me before we even get into the plane we have no clue can you play 17 straight games let's let's do that first if Anthony Richardson had played this whole season are they in the playoffs probably not because of the ups and downs that he would have had he was such a

wrong product like Minchu is a better player right now obviously but for you guys to be a consistent winning franchise, like he's got to be good. We're just solid. Like, you don't need him to be Josh Allen. Can you just be like a top 12 player? Like you said, running is not really what you do in the playoffs. Got a pass. Got a pass to win.

So I hear what you're saying. I think anyone smart would just have a we'll see. I don't think, look at what he did and however many snaps he played, which wasn't much. I don't feel great one way or the other. I wouldn't say, like, I'm betting. against him and I wouldn't fucking throw my mortgage on the guy. I would say he's just an unknown, an unknown, with a lot more questions than answers for sure. So if anything, you would probably lean negative because historically would show you

a lot more questions than answers when you're an NFL player usually don't turn out to be stud players. And the number one thing you have to be able to do is get on the field. If you're not on the field, you're useless. Just a reality of the game. If you're injured all the time, you just, you're useless. I mean, that's just, that's the bottom line of the industry. You've got to be able to stay on the field.

And then from there, obviously, improve. But usually talented guys, coachable guys, you know, the guys that love football, if they're on the field, a lot will improve, especially when you have the physical gifts. But to me, the biggest question with them, like, how many games he played over the last, like, three years? Total of, like, 15 games, 18 games? The NFL season is 17 now.

How many games the Colts play this year? They played 17 and, uh, they make the playoffs? No, they lost in week 18. They played 17 games. I mean, this guy played 17 games since like 2020. So I hear you. 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 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 I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's social. Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth.

Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement

to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfills of conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to The Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.

And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. This is an IHeart podcast, guaranteed human.