The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 3 and Out - Watson Trade Talk, Lance/Jimmy G Time Share, Inside Final Cutdowns, Rookie QB Evals, Mailbag

Episode Date: August 31, 2021

In this episode, John talks QB's and why any GM would be insane to trade for Deshaun Watson right now, the challenges facing teams with unvaxxed QB's, and how Trey Lance/Jimmy G could both see significant PT this season (2:00). He also looks at why he's all in on Philip Rivers' move to high school coaching (12:00), his inside perspective on final cutdowns, why the trend of players sitting the entire preseason has gone overboard (19:00), and his evaluations of the top rookie QB's as the preseason winds down (35:00). He also answers listener questions in the Middlekauff Mailbag (48:00). Follow John on Twitter and SUBSCRIBE now to get all the latest content!! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Another podcast from some SNL, late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter.

Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque.

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

I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifers Show. This is a place for raw, unfilled conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to the Clifford show on the I Heart Radio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok's podcast network on TikTok. On the Look Back at it podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84's big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English.

Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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this has been a long time coming. And now I guess it's official. Now, from your standpoint, the listener, nothing really changes. Three and Out podcast is going to be where you normally listen on Collins feed, on my feed, like I tell you, subscribe to my feed. But it's really cool. And I'm really excited. And you need people to believe in you in life. And I'm lucky enough to Colin Coward is one of those human beings.

And I look forward to helping him build and continue to. to build obviously this show, but, you know, the volume, the business venture with everyone else associated with it and have a good time and keep talking football. And really, I don't plan on anything changing. My show is going to sound, you know, the exact same. So what you've been used to, we're just going to keep it flowing. And, you know, Colin, he's a great guy to work for it because he's like, do whatever the hell you want. And that's what we've been doing for years. It's been going well. So exciting times and a lot going on right now. big show, right?

It's kind of weird because usually this is the preseason, the final week. You have that fourth preseason game on Thursday. Then you have, is it Labor Day? Memorial Day, I get those mixed up. I think it's Labor Day. And then you have basically the Thursday night's the last preseason game. And then you have a week away at the Thursday night, the opener. Well, now, you know, the last preseason games were on Sunday.

We basically have like 14 days until most of, you know, unless you're a cowboy or Tampa Bay Bucks fan, until it kicks off. So we got a little while. We got college football. We got a big week of college football, actually. I think Ohio State, Minnesota, Thursday night, and then a bunch of games on Saturday. A little LSU, UCLA at the Rose Bowl, Eddie Overs Chip.

That should be fun. A lot going on today, though. I have some thoughts on just building the roster and everything that will go on over the next couple days and really all week. Philip Rivers, he's a high school coach. I think by far the best story of the weekend. Some thoughts on just watching some of these teams.

And listen, I tend to lean with Sean McVeigh, not playing starters and established veterans. But I think we've jumped the shark a little bit there. And I think we'll start off today with the quarterback roundtable. Because there's a lot of different quarterback stories all over the league. And let's face it, the most polarizing individual in the quarterback landscape is Deshaun Watson. And a story came out over the weekend. the teams were trying to trade for them, three ones and two- twos.

And listen, I've been pretty consistent on this. I cannot fathom or envision a GM or an owner signing off on trading that level of compensation for a player when he has this situation off the field hanging over his head. And listen, it may all go away. We don't know when that day is coming.

But until that day comes, and we don't know if it's ever going to come. but until that day comes, I don't think you can pay three ones and two twos. And let's face it. Like, if you buy a house, let's just say for a million dollars, and then you find out the bathrooms are screwed up, the air conditioning is messed up,

and you might have termites, and then they come in, and even if they're able to fix the bathrooms, fix the AC, and get rid of the termites, I don't know if you look at that house the same. So if you're willing to pay a million dollars, would you be willing to pay a million dollars when you came back six months or a year later

and they're like, oh, it's all good. You're like, I think it's worth a little less now. So even if the situation goes away, I've said over and over, this guy has a red flag on him. I talked to Colin last night on his podcast. The other guys in the league, think of the top quarterbacks. And that's how Watson is viewed. He's a $35 million a year player and is viewed as a top 5, 8 type quarterback, right? A lot of people think he's top 5.

You know, to me, he's like 6, 7, 8, but whatever. He's an elite player. Mahomes, perfect character, not one issue. Aaron Rogers, the only issue he's ever had is getting. mad at the general manager. Russell Wilson, zero issues. Josh Allen, zero issues. Lamar Jackson, zero issues. I'm talking off the field. I cannot pay a premium for a player at the quarterback position and then pay a ton of money to him against my salary cap and then have to worry like, do I need to, like, can I go to bed at night and not have to worry about this guy getting in trouble?

Like, I'm sorry, you just don't look at, you know, Deshaunne Watson is the same. And I remember, I've talked about this a lot over the last year. People like, what about Rafflesberger? We have never looked at Rafflesberger the same. The difference is he never had to go to a different team. He just stayed in Pittsburgh and they kept winning. But let's face it, there are a lot of jokes about Big Ben. Still that we hang on to today.

You don't shake that. So I think that these general managers, even Miami, if Miami is truly willing to trade for him, they hate Tua. They don't think Tua is a legit franchise guy. Because in what world would you draft a guy fifth overall and then, you know, probably 15 months later, be like, this guy is not worthy. And I get you, like, well, you're trading for Deshaun Watson.

Well, if you just drafted a guy fifth overall, the Chargers wouldn't do that deal. Would the Bengals do that deal? So it's a red flag situation. And listen, you guys know where I stand on Tua, I'm more probably out than in. Carson Wentz said over and over with the vaccine talk, which is something that's just clearly not going away. and clearly, wherever you stand on this, I think we all have to acknowledge a lot of guys that are getting, Mike Vrable is vaccinated.

He got booted out of the facility a week ago because he tested positive. And a lot of these guys, Cole Beasley, who went on the rant, whatever you think about him, he had to leave the facility because a vaccinated individual tested positive for corona. So it's murky waters. I've said over and over, I got the shot for business reasons. And I think a lot of people in the NFL, they have a lot of younger players, obviously, right?

Most players are probably under 30 years old in the league that I'm sure we're hesitant. And I know a lot talking to my friends at different teams have gotten the shot since the training camp started because they saw just the treatment you get, not having to wear a mask. I think we all acknowledge masks are not fun. And if you get the vaccine, you don't have to wear a mask in the facility. Now, there are several quarterbacks, Carson Wentz included, that have not got the vaccine.

And at this point, it's fair to say they're not going to get it. Which, again, my stance, I'm not a moral high horse guy. You can do whatever you want. I truly do not care. but there is an advantage and a disadvantage when you don't have it. Because at the quarterback position, we talked about over-unders for different teams in the league, Lamar Jackson, Carson, Carson Wentz, who is now on the COVID list, this could happen in any moment during the fall that an unvaccinated quarterback gets the boot for a couple games.

Kirk Cousins. Like these teams, Carson Wentz, Kirk Cousins, Lamar Jackson, last time I checked, those teams are pretty, you know, their success. Minnesota Vikings, cousins just had like his best season. of his career. Lamar Jackson is an elite player. What if these guys disappear for a little while? Now, that's the thing that gets lost in this conversation,

we are going to see vaccinated players miss games. That is inevitable. Just look at what happened during the preseason. And clearly that these guys, like I've said, I don't think they're budging at this point. Lamar Jackson and Cam Newton have had Corona like 17 different times combined. And if they're not getting at this point, like they're not going to. But now the Patriots aren't as,

I would say tied to Cam Newton at this point because of Mack Jones. But the Ravens, I mean, they are deep in bed with Lamar Jackson, and especially their success. What if he has, I mean, he did last year. What if he just disappears? Same thing with Carson Wentz. I mean, Carson Wentz has to overcome these injuries and this vaccine situation. So it's just, it's going to be a roller coaster ride for some of these guys.

Gardner Minchu, who was traded to the Eagles, I think people are struggling. to figure out this wasn't that complicated of a deal. He cost $1.5 million over two seasons. He is a really good backup. Joe Flacco is not going to be on the Eagles next year. So the Eagles traded a six-round pick for a guy who at worst is a two-year backup slash third string guy.

They are always, and how we said this last year, when they drafted Jalen Hertz, in the quarterback acquisition business. Well, people thought they were crazy when they drafted Jalen Hertz, myself included. Well, what has happened since then? Carson Wentz turned into a terrible football player and they traded him and because they had Jalen, they had a starting quarterback.

So they actually just benefited from that move. And this, unlike Jalen who cost a second round pick, now Jalen's more talented than Garner Minchu, was way cheaper. So I don't think this move, it's not that hard to figure out why the Eagles did it. It's a premium position. Obviously it's the most important position in the league.

And it didn't cost them anything. and the guy worst case scenario is a multiple year backup. And next year, let's say, maybe Jalen gets hurt, he plays a couple games this year, looks good, what if he looks good in the preseason? And they flip them. So they view, they didn't have to pay much, and maybe they gain more in return.

One thing I think is going to be fascinating is there are going to be some two quarterback systems. That feels pretty inevitable at this point. The Niners are clearly going into two quarterback system, right? I guess Trey Lance did chip a thing, in the preseason game, but both guys are going to play. Both those two guys are going to play in games, unlike anything we've ever seen, at least in my adult life, right? And there's a chance Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo, you know, Trey Lance plays 30, 40% of the snaps. Now, I don't know

if that's going to be the case with Cam Newton and Mac Jones, but they're going to play both guys. And we've had a little taste with what's happened with the Saints over the years, right? But it was very little. And I'm mad at Drew Brees. I saw a picture on the internet of Drew Breeze. I was actually, I had it on the TV last night, but I wasn't paying attention. And then a meme took it. Drew Breez has been going bald for a decade, right?

There was a picture in 2014, his hair started receding. Last year, he was basically bald. He sat there last night with Al Michaels and Chris Collinsworth, and he is a full head of hair. I was offended. Honestly, it had some Jason Witten vibes. Like, are you not good enough to come

hang with us? Like, you're one of us, Drew? You're super rich, you're married with a family. What's the issue here? We have gotten over the stigma that you have to be in show business. Like, you can be bald. This is not 1972. I'm being somewhat sarcastic, but a little offended. Like, Drew, you're super rich, you're good-looking dude.

Be bald. And honestly, it kind of looked like a wig. But get ready for these two quarterback situations because they are not going away with the Patriots and the 49ers. Okay, I wanted to talk about a story. it was a rough week. And my dad, who passed away a couple years ago, he lost his brother in Vietnam well before I was born. Parents were a little older.

And I saw the impact that and just the heavy burden that that wore on him my entire life, you know, for 30 plus years that I was around the guy. And obviously, we lost, you know, service men and women last week. it's a powerful thing. And it impacts their parents, their family members. I mean, my dad's brother was married. And it just, I mean, it takes a lot out of me. I know that. It's just someone to the military growing up in that, around that with my dad.

And he was immediately back then taken out of Vietnam because they only had two kids, right? A little saving private Ryan style. You can't have the whole family, you know, in danger. So they pulled him out and, you know, is a rough deal. And the stuff that's going on, the hurricane, the fires in Tahoe, it's just a lot of negative stuff is happening. That is truly tangible, not like fake social media stuff, like stuff that just hurts your heart. And sometimes it's hard to like find anything to kind of make you smile. And I saw some clips go viral of Philip Rivers.

And we knew this because remember he was introduced coaching high school last year when he, right before, I think it was before he signed with the Colts. he was introduced a year away. And I didn't think that much of it, but then seeing the clips of him coach high school football, I swear to God, as happy as I've been in like three months. It was like, this is so genuine. And then I googled immediately,

how much money this guy make? Philip Rivers made $243 million. $243 million. Now, spend his entire career in California, you know, income tax is pretty highest in the nation. in San Diego and L.A., not cheap places. And he's got like 15 kids, so it's expensive to live. But he's got a lot of money.

And a lot of guys, I mean, quarterbacks and high-end guys are the highest level achievers, in my opinion. They're like Fortune 500 CEOs. They're just the highest-level individuals. They could do whatever they want. And most guys, because it's such a grind being a quarterback, you see it with like Peyton Manning, I think it will happen with Tom.

The first couple years, you just take a deep breath. Maybe hang out with your family. just do what you want to do. Nothing too just intense. Or some of these guys immediately transitioned Romo, Drew Brees. I'll blame them. You know, NBC and CBS pay them a bunch of money. Philip Rivers went to coach high school football.

And its team kicked ass, 49 to nothing. They're going to be good. I got news for you. I would not want to play Rivers team. But as someone who's the last level of football I played was in high school, some of my fondest memories were growing up with my friends. You get to play high school football with people you grew up with if you lived in the same city for 12, 15 years. And it's a truly special time.

And my high school coach was a joke. Can you imagine playing for Philip Rivers, the impact that he's going to have every given year, 50, 60, 70 young guys? And I don't think enough of these guys. And he's the highest end because he's so famous. But right down the street from me, C.J. Anderson, who was the starting running back for the Denver Broncos. and when they won the Super Bowl, is coaching Mata Vista high school. And these got a bunch of guys

when I worked at Fresno State coach high school. The impact these people have in high school football is truly incredible. But with a guy with that much wealth and that many options in life, clearly it's not about the money. And Philip always talk like that. Like this isn't about the money.

He plays for the love of the game. But to me, his action show, like he truly was not bullshitting. To go do that and the impact he's going to have and how much fun it's going to be, Like, it's just something that it's hard. If you Google some of the clips of him calling audibles on the sideline, of him sending in the punt team,

of him just coaching guys at practice, the pure joy he has. All these kids, I think back in my own life, how impressionable I was at 15, 16, 17 years old, these guys bright-eyed bushy tails, just watching Rivers run the offense while these kids, they're running a passing drill.

It just was kind of pure. And in a day and age when the league has, never made more money and we always talk about who's getting the bag and listen i i'm just as guilty always thinking about like how can i what business deal can i do what money can i make what investment sometimes you're like god i feel kind of like a piece of shit have i impacted and i'm not a dad yet so i don't get to impact anyone and you see something like that it just it makes you feel good so sometimes you negative stuff's going on in social media everyone's such a bad person there are a lot good people out there and philip rivers got to be high on that list okay let me tell you about my

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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, 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 J. 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 on day, but just so you all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack, so I'm starting to see that there's a through line.

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

Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Keer Games. And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we, are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough.

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And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, is we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and personal. on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway. Open your free iHeartRadio app.

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Mom is coming out the front door strong with a double-armed kid carry. Looks like Dad has the bags. Daughter is bringing up the rear. Oh, but the diaper bag wasn't closed. Dipers and toys are everywhere. Ooh, but Mom has just nailed the perfect car seat buckle for the top of the top. And now the eldest daughter, who looks to be about nine or ten, has secured herself in the booster seat. Dad zips the bag closed, and they're off.

Ah, but looks like mom doesn't realize her coffee cup is still on the roof of the car, and there it goes. Oh, that's a shame. That mug was a fam favorite. Don't sweat the small stuff. Just nail the big stuff. Like making sure your kids are buckled correctly in the right seat for their age and size. Learn more at nhtsa.gov slash the right seat. Visit NHTSA.com. dot go slash the right seat brought to you by nitsa and the ad council okay as as roster cuts happen and once upon a time i guess my first two years but my first year i don't even think they

show this on hard knocks anymore again i i think hard knocks is on later tonight i refused to watch terrible remember when it used to be good it was very raw and real right you saw guys getting cut but it felt like you saw the coaches bad mouth on them you saw the gym with his feet up shaking his head, and then the next day, this intern would go ask for their playbook. And it's a powerful moment because I don't care. And sometimes scouts and people like me now, you can just say a guy sucks. And listen, if you got to an NFL training camp and you stayed the entire NFL training camp, you might suck relative if you're a wide receiver to good wide receivers, but relative to us normal human beings, you're very, very talented, right?

You played at probably a major university or a smaller school, and you were a really good player. But this time, a lot of guys, you know, it's just part of the deal. And I used to pick up their playbooks, and every team still has it, right? You got to, you know, you call them, tell them to come. And it's just something, you know, that every team, there's no avoiding it. There is no avoiding it. But the number one thing that I think about when you go through this time is getting it right.

And it's probably never been harder to, get it right because you don't practice as much. There aren't double days. As someone DMed me, we call those two a days. Yeah, double days, two a days. It's all the same thing. But those don't exist anymore. There's never been less padded practices. Obviously, there's a less, there's one less preseason game. Now, luckily a lot of coaches, well, let's start with that. A lot of coaches don't give a shit about the preseason anymore. And I tend to lean, I'm McVeigh, even though my time in the NFL, was around Andy Reid and he takes it clearly really seriously.

So there is a value there. Andy Reid, Bruce Ariens, Mike Tomlin, Kyle Shanahan. Like, these guys play their guys. So it is, it's not arguable that there is value in improving young players or even starters getting a rhythm. Mahomes has played countless series. Every time I've watched the Chiefs, Mahomes is driving him down the field. But I, mainly because I'm a scary cat, I'm terrified as a fan now, as someone

who talks about football, when I worked in football, seeing a good player go down. J.K. Dobbins is obviously mine, yours, any coach's worst nightmare. But it's football. You can get hurt squatting. You can get hurt running on the track. You can get hurt playing football. It's guys get hurt. We've seen a ton of guys over the years get hurt non-contact OTAs. So you can't really think like that. Though Sean McVeigh kind of set the tone and now everyone's followed. I have no problem. When Sean McVey did that, Aaron Donald, Matt Stafford, even when Jared Gough had taken him a Super Bowl, Todd Gurley, Cooper Cup, or Robert Woods, they have earned some stripes, right? If you want to give George Kittle or Jamal Adams the week off, I'm cool.

I would support that. I would do that. If I was in charge, I would lean that way. I would go, you know what, let's just give these guys. George Kittle doesn't need to prove anything to me. Travis Kelsey. I'm just naming names that are coming to my head. You can input any legitimate player in there.

But, like, I'm watching the Niners Raider preseason game, and Gruden clearly copied that. If you tell me Derek Carr doesn't play in a snap in the preseason, no big deal. He's in year eight. Darren Waller, establish himself. Josh Jacobs, he's been banged up a little bit. He's established himself.

I got no issues. I'm just going to use this example, but I would imagine there is this example on a lot of teams where they are not playing anybody. The Raiders came here and they left 30 guys at home. Some of those players included a guy like Henry Ruggs. He was the 12th pick in the draft last year. Of like the top 20 receivers, nobody had less catches than him.

He had a very, very disappointing season. He's a player that needs to improve on his route running. Wouldn't some reps in preseason games, especially in a game where the Niners are playing their starters, even if it's just two series, benefit a guy like that? like that. And I'm sure we can go to a lot of teams that have whatever the equivalent of Henry Ruggs, a first or second year player who has accomplished nothing, nothing. You should be playing in the preseason. That's where I've kind of shifted. I got no issue, star players, or any guy

with a little tweet, leave them out. But any young player, especially high draft picks, who have not accomplished anything, isn't the preseason there to benefit them, especially when you can only do so much in practice, that's where I think there's got to be some sort of balance. And we'll be fascinated, or I'll be fascinated to see, how just it translates, like Matt Stafford's going to look like Matt Stafford, whether he played in the preseason or not. Now it might take him some time to get the rhythm of the offense,

but the preseason, whatever, Aaron Donald, I get it. But any young player who was drafted within the last couple drafts who has not had success on consistent success, sustained success, I would push to play those guys, you know, at least a couple series. And this is also a time when you really focus on your roster, who's going to make the team, who do you keep? One thing you have to realize is a vested veteran. I think it's a guy four or five years in the league.

So like most of your older players on your team, if they make $3, $5, $8, whatever million, Jimmy Garoppolo is an example. He makes $25 million. If you cut him today, and then re-sign him after week one, even at the same amount. Let's say hypothetically,

the Niners cut Jimmy Garoppolo today, they're not going to, especially now that Trey chipped his finger, and then brought Jimmy back week two at $25 million, then they wouldn't guarantee the money. They would basically be on a week-to-week contract, where if Jimmy Garaplo is on the roster, and just as any other vested veteran,

their entire salary is guaranteed. So the number one thing you have to do, as a GM and as a head coach, and we know a lot of head coaches now run the roster, is not be emotional with players. And typically, if you've been in a spot for a couple years, you're going to be, you might like that veteran. Hell, you might be friends with the guy. Like, you might have a legit connection.

And there has to be a balance of, to me, the tie has to go to the younger player. If you have two defensive tackles and they're fighting for one spot, and one guy is a seventh year guy, and he makes $4 million, and the other guy's a six-round pick, and he's going to make $800,000. Tie-go's the runner, tie goes to the young guy in the league.

Now, in some positions, you're able to keep both, but these roster spots are very, very, it's tough. It's hard to, you kind of put your team together like a puzzle. So if that's with inflated salaries or just money that you can trim, you've got to think about cutting them. And it's hard.

It's also hard for coaches and general managers to cut guys they've drafted. So it's like a third year guy on your team who was a second or third. It's easy to cut a fifth, sixth, seventh round pick because a lot of times you know you can get them back to the practice squad. It's a lot more difficult

to cut a third rounder from two years ago. Nobody, let me repeat, nobody is less emotional with doing this than Belichick. Sony, Michelle, your third on the debt chart. See ya, buddy. Adios. He was a first round pick two years ago

or three years ago. Like Belichick, once you establish who you are in the league, where he drafted you is irrelevant. And we know he overdrafts some guys, right? A lot of general managers, because they don't have the equity bill does, can't do that. And I think it's human nature. Once you, I went, pounded the table, I drafted this guy in the second round in 2019. Well, coach, he sucks. You know, or if I'm the coach, like, he can't play.

Talking to my general manager. You have to be unemotional in this stuff. it's that Billy Bean thing why he watched games in the in the locker room and worked out he didn't he never wanted to feel too close and it's a hard balance because ultimately this is a people business and you get to know these guys it's hard with coaches right you spend so much time around them and the overwhelming majority in the NFL players are really cool and really likable they're just normal guys you just kind of fall for them right and you don't want to see them and that can cloud your judgment it really really really can. And here's the other thing. And this is really hard for coaches when they're in control. It's easier for general managers. When you're thinking about these cuts and who you're going to keep, you can't be dead set on week one. Even though in a building right now, all the coaches, they're starting their game plan and really starting to hone it in for week one, which the majority of teams are obviously Sunday and Monday night. I guess the majority are Sunday and then there's

the Monday night game. Tampa and Dallas probably been working on it for a while. And that That's how coaches live, week to week, right? There's not a coach in the league who's worried about like week six right now. They're only focused on their opponent. And sometimes a player, when you're thinking about building your roster and who's going to be kept and who's going to get cut, he's going to give you a better chance to win week one. Because he knows 10 more plays than the other guy. And he's just, he's played against that team.

He's played in NFL games. I feel more confident knowing what he can do. even though his ceiling, this guy behind him, probably passes him if we keep him by week eight. But because he's a rookie seventh rounder, I got that guy for the next four years at a cheap contract. And sometimes coaches, and I get it, because I would probably do the same.

I would do the same if I was them. It's easier for a GM in a front office to say this. I want this guy for week one. And there's a fine balance there. You have to think the season. You have to think the upside. Well, if we give him some snaps, week one, think about how good he'll be by mid-October.

Think how good he'll be if we're a playoff team by the stretch in December. With this veteran, this is as good as it gets. He's only got one way to go, and that's down. Because he's peaked as a player for now three years. If he's going to get worse, we're screwed. So, and here's the thing. And I remember I learned this in the league, and I think about this a lot. Free agency and the waiver wire.

If you're willing to hit a, you know, let a guy hit free agency. If you're willing to cut a high-drafted, not a high-drafted, but like a fifth, sixth, seventh round pick because you think you'll be able to bring him on practice squad, you have to be okay with the understanding that he might not come back. In free agency, he might get signed. In the waiver thing, he may get claimed.

And if he gets claimed, he's gone. Now, to get claimed, you have to be put on the 53-man roster. So you can feel pretty good about which guys might get claimed, but here's the thing. some teams claim guys utilize him like a draft pick. If you cut a fifth round pick that I would have taken in the third round, I may go, I want that guy. So even if he won't be active on game day,

I just use a claim to get him on my roster. So it is very risky. You're going to see a lot of tweets and stuff on social media. They've cut so-and-so, they hope to put him on the practice squad. Keyword there, hope. Because if he gets claimed, he's gone. And here's the other thing. There's a chance if he becomes,

if you pass through waivers, you're technically a free agent. And teams around the league, if they like you too, they can offer you more money. They can say, hey, instead of the practice squad salary, which I think is like $150,000, I think it's like $9,500 a week, they go, hey, I'll give you $400,000. I can give you up to the minimum salary for a 53-man roster guy to be on my practice squad. The Patriots have been doing that for years, smart business. When they love a guy, they will pay him more to stay on their practice squad.

And historically, you wanted to stay with a Patriots, right? Because at any moment an injury, you get bumped up, you get to play with Tom Brady. I don't know if that's going to work as well now that Tom's gone. But just things to be aware of. And just because you make the team, if you're listening to this on Tuesday, does not mean you're on the team on Wednesday. Because if we sign a veteran player who's been cut, because if you're a vested veteran and you get cut right now,

I can sign whenever I want. That's why JJ Watt, when he got cut by the Texans, he was able to sign with Arizona well before free agency. He doesn't have to wait in line. right so you know just because you make the team does not mean you're safe they can send a veteran or if they claim a guy they got to make a roster so when they put together their 53 man roster besides like the kicker punter and long snapper there are going to be they're going to order it so a guy is going to be basically the 53rd guy on the team and if they claim a guy they have to put that guy on the big roster you're going to get cut so a lot of people are going to get the phone call today john you have made the Minnesota Vikings. Little do I know, I'm the last guy on the roster. And then tomorrow, they claim a wide receiver, they claim a defensive lineman, I'm gone.

So it's a fun time. It's an incredible time for guys accomplishing their dream. Any fifth, sixth, seventh undrafted free agent making an NFL team is an incredible accomplishment. It's also a time when kind of get some guys that have been on scholarship, higher picks that have not been good, get released. and those guys, because of their high draft status, get extra shots. It's just the nature of the beast, whether it's fair or not, it's just a reality. So it's a crazy couple days for the NFL community. Okay, we're heading into the regular season, and it was a pretty historic rookie quarterback draft, right?

We had five guys go in the top 15, and they're all really intriguing, and all five teams should be really, really excited. I actually think, I mean, all five are really talented. I know people think I'm a little down on Zach Wilson. I just think his team's going to be really terrible. But let's start with Trevor Lawrence. We've talked about Irmaier a lot. I think it's going to be really, really rough. I really do.

I think that team is terrible. I think his coaching staff is probably pretty over their head, given that Urban has never coached in the league. He doesn't quite understand. He's just not going to know personnel on other teams, scheme on other teams. Think about this. Belichick has been.

been in the national football league since 1975. Andy Reid's been coaching in the league since like the mid-90s. Every defensive coordinator in the league, he knows their strengths, their weaknesses, their go-to calls. Belichick knows offense, defense, special teams,

every single coordinator. Think about that. Like that, that's the type stuff that Trevor Lawrence is just not going to have his head coach being able to rely on him for. Right? So Trevor, he just comes from a place that was dialed,

rocking and rolling, playing with a bunch of sweet guys. It's now the opposite. Now, they open with the Houston Texans, so it's probably as easy of a landing spot as you're going to find. But I think if you've seen any clips of Trevor, especially the last couple weeks, his talent is immense. It truly is.

He's 6'5, he can run, and he has a great arm. And when I say great, I'm not saying he's got Josh Allen power, but he's got a powerful enough arm, and when he's dialed in, the ball is right on the money. It's a beautiful thing to watch. I just think big picture. It's something we're going to monitor all season.

Though, let's be honest, how many Jaguar games am I going to watch? Probably not that many. But I will watch clips, especially against the Texans. I'll watch clips of him, for sure. I want to see how he looks. It's going to be difficult. And it's really going to test this season kind of his mental fortitude. Kind of like he did Peyton Manning once upon a time.

Three and 13. They were terrible. I listen to Troy Aikman, tell Sean McVey and Peter Schrager, that first season, I don't know if I was going to make it. it's tough when you play on the shittiest team in the league you got to be mentally tough the reason Alex Smith who clearly not as good as Troy Aikman or Peyton Manning but has that reverence in league circles why people love the guy think of what he overcame Mike no one was his head coach then he transitioned into Mike Singletary singletary got fired in high school like two years ago he's one of the greatest

linebackers ever a high school team fired him but Alex Smith just just overcame it. And he overcame like five years of it. Trevor might just have to overcome a couple because they're going to have really high draft picks. But it's going to be difficult, man. They're going to lose a lot. He's going to get his ass kicked. It's going to be tough. If he has just, if he's able to throw like 25 to 30 touchdowns this year, I'll be impressed. Zach Wilson, I think their team stinks. I just think they're going to be really, really bad. They play in a division that's loaded. Let's face it. The Patriots are going to be dramatically better. The bills are a powerhouse.

and the dolphins are really good. So, I mean, there's a chance they go 0 in six in those games. And basically any team they play beside the Texans and the Jags, they shouldn't be favored against. They should be an underdog. And most teams, a heavy underdog.

They just lost their best pass rusher and probably a top two or three player on their team. And it's just going to be difficult. In the New York market, just, you see what's going on with the Mets right now? You know, Javier Baez,

they're like booing the fans through, you know, putting thumbs down. And it's become a huge, controversy. That's just, dude hits a double, puts his thumb down, and that's a big deal in New York. Imagine once the guy throws three picks. You know, it's a tough place to function, especially for a guy from Utah. He's never been outside of that, you know, bubble. That's just, and it is somewhat of a little bubble. Robert Sala, who I'm a, he's a stud. Unlike Drew Brees, he embraces the

Bald Brotherhood. But, like, Robert Sala can't help Zach Wilson. Like, he's a defensive guy. and their defense is not going to be very good. Now, he's a very positive guy, and I think he's the right type guy for a team that might win three or four games. Unlike Adam Gase, who was very negative and just had all this negative energy around him, Saul is upbeat,

and he's going to need to be because it's going to be a long season. Trey Lance chipped his finger, not even quite sure what that means. He hit it on a throw against the Raiders. You know, one of those where you're kind of throwing your arm forward, clips a helmet. Probably lucky he didn't shatter a finger.

Chanahan said seven days, but listen, I say it all the time. Colts told me five to 12 weeks, and Wentz came back like two weeks later. So I don't even know timetables, it could be worse. But Trey Lance is a work in progress. I had a buddy who texted me, who's clearly watching the game, pretty high up executive for a really good team. He's like, you know, he kind of reminds me of Cam Newton. And I don't think he meant that in a positive way, because he has a howitzer.

The ball, I mean, out of his hand, if he was a baseball pitcher, be going 100 miles an hour. But I don't think he always knows where it's going. So sometimes, you know, if you watch that reliever who's got no clue but he's throwing like 100 and you can tell the batter's a little nervous, sometimes the receiver's like they don't quite know where the ball's going to go, they have to work on touch.

But his physical skill set is pretty immense. And unlike Zach Wilson and Trevor is so much more, you know, he's so much farther along. He's played so much more. He's ready to roll. We'll see what Zach. Trey is a work in progress. and he's lucky that they don't have to throw them into the fire right away and he can just split reps.

And Kyle's willing to do that. So he's going to get game reps, but he's not going to be dependent upon to carry the franchise. Now, listen, he's my guy. I disagree with the way they handled this. I really do. You make promises to Tom Brady, to Aaron Rogers, to Russell Wilson. They deserve promises. LeBron James, Steph Curry, no issue there, right?

I'm cool with it. Buster Posey, you need insurance, I'll give you an insurance. You're my guy. Andy Dalton did not deserve a promise from anybody, but maybe his wife and his parents. He's a great guy. Listen, every time that I hear someone talk about Andy Dalton, they always preface it by, he's a great guy.

We get it. High character. Average of football, he really is. And I just do not understand. And here's the problem with offensive coaches sometimes, is they really value things that we're not going to be able to see. That do matter, right? Your understanding of the playbook,

your ability to articulate the plays in the huddle, your ability to understand on the fly, how to move guys, and just the overall understanding of the offense that a guy like him who's been around the NFL for a while probably has their playbook down like the back of his hand has had it for five months. Ultimately, though, as a fan, a GM, an owner,

or whoever, we're not going to be able to see that when we're just watching the Bears play and he's running for his life and he's not able to ad lib because he's not an ad lib player. If the play is perfect, which they used to be when he was with the Bengals, people forget when Andy Dalton had his couple good years with the Bengals, that team was stacked. Whitworth, like their offensive line was elite. They had tight ends, they had sweet wide receivers,

they had good running backs. Their defense was a team was bloated, and he was good. The Bears' offensive line stinks. Jason Peters, who God love him, when I first got to the NFL, I was like, this is what an NFL player looks like, absolute freak, one of the most talented players I've ever seen, he's 39, like he's kind of over for him. He's our starting left tackle. They literally signed him like a week and a half ago.

So I just, I would have just gone on open-minded and thought about playing Justin Fields or kind of copied the Kyle Playbook, play them both. Now, I had a friend in the league tell me he thinks he's like, you know, Justin Fields is probably going to play faster than you think, because Andy's not going to last. And I don't root for anyone to get injured, but when you can't really scramble and you might have one of the worst offenses lines in the league, you're going to get killed. You don't need to play the, you know, the 85 bears. Most teams in the league have several good offensive or defensive linemen.

So it's just going to be a difficult, you know, it's going to be tough for Andy Dalton. It really is. because no one wants to see him play. There's not a fan. No human. I don't even care that much about the Bears besides I want Nagy to do well. I don't want to watch Andy Dolden.

I'll watch the preseason game this year, and I'm thinking like, take Andy Dolan out of the game. And then the fifth guy. And this goes back to what I said about building the team is Mac Jones is probably as equipped, probably equally with Trevor Lawrence. Like he's ready right now. He understands the playbook, understands his reads,

can audible, can do all. this impressive stuff. He is an intelligent player who got trained, basically the equivalent of like Harvard Business School, right, with Sabin. So from a football, you know, conceptual standpoint upstairs, dude's going to be nails. But, like, he's probably ready to go and might give them the best chance to win if they started him week one. But this goes back to why I didn't want the Niners to draft him at three. Like, his skill set, which does matter and can't be good, like, he probably can be a better version of Kirk Cousins. You just can't take him. that guy at three. Hell, I'd say historically you don't really take that guy at 15. But they did.

He's in a great spot. They're pretty equipped for him to look good. He's probably going to look good. He's going to be a solid player. But I just don't know how much of a ceiling there is with that guy. Now, if he's just an incredible in terms of accuracy, understanding defenses, here's the other thing. Everything we saw during preseason, there's no game plans. They're not doing exotic blitzes that you don't know are coming. They're not doing all You prepare for one thing And then they show you something else And it throws you off

None of that happens So it's gonna be 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 Embeded in the games And with the athletes For a full year Within probably 10 days I'd put on 10 pounds

I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care which I'll say. 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 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-tapped 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 a here, unpack what we. went down and tried 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. Thank you for finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests.

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

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Open your free iHeartRadio app, search Learn the Hardway, and listen now. And I find myself thinking about this too, because I go, God damn, this guy looks sweet. Or man, this guy stinks. You just got to punt the brakes a little bit. Because football is dramatically different than baseball and basketball this way. there is a specific game plan all week long against that specific opponent.

In the NBA you play back to back to you show up at the gym the next night you play. Get the ball to Steph, throw the ball to Janus. Right, in baseball, it's like, yeah, Bryce Harper just fucking hit the fastball. In football, it's like, we have specific, even for your best players.

Like, we have D-7 plays for Julio Jones that are going to work against this defense. That's why you spend all week, it's why when you hear these coaches they work these crazy hours because they spend Monday and Tuesday, basically 20 hours a day putting together this game plan for Wednesday,

that then they spend Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday tweaking that 40-hour game plan that they put together in two days for the next like 60 hours just to get till Saturday, and then they kind of walk it through, and they still do tweaks. So it is, it's night and day different.

If I'm just like running a play and you're just running a play, that is not how a normal game comes. Now, that can take place in a regular season game, but for the most, most part, everything is game planned based on what the other team does. And you're constantly adjusting. There's no adjusting in a preseason game. That's why sometimes with the quarterbacks,

and they all look good at different moments, it's a lot different in the regular season. The looks, the disguises, the blitzes, I mean, think how many quarterbacks that are in their fourth, fifth, seventh, eighth, ninth year. Like most guys like Tom Brady and Aaron Rogers are outliers, right? They have like two stinkers a year, max. Even solid players. like Kirk Cousins is a good example who just had a really good season. Feels like he has like eight average games, right? And then probably, you know, nine good ones.

That's, that's, and he's 30 million dollar quarterback, right? Most 20 to 30 million dollar quarterbacks are probably like, if you get 60% really good games, you're feeling pretty good. That's why the all-time great, it's like even Dak Prescott. Like how many, if Dak Prescott's fully healthy of the 17 games, how many games would Dak have, and I like Dak, though I think he's a little overpaid, would you go, God, that's a day, That's a player of the week type game.

Probably be like 11 max. Because it's difficult. You're going to run into good teams. You're going to run into when some of your teammates aren't playing well, when the game plan was bad. You got to think about that when you're evaluating some of these younger players in the preseason. Get right to the romance and find the way to wow this Valentine's

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Our imagination, our sense of wonder, and our family bonds grow too. Because when we disconnect, from this and connect with this. We reconnect with each other. The forest is closer than you think. Find a forest near you and start exploring at Discovertheforest.org. Brought to you by the United States Forest Service and the Ad Council.

Okay, let's get to the mailbag. You guys know the drill. At John Middilkoff is the Instagram. Slide up in the DMs, get your question answer here on the show. Very easy. Obviously, we're going to have a lot of questions flowing in with this little thing called the football season. We got college games this week,

but the NFL season is, I think it's officially 10 days away because we're at a week from this Thursday, three days away from Thursday. So by the time you listen to this, nine days away, Tom Brady, Dak Prescott, Mike McCarthy. Hey, John, one of my favorite listens every week on the commute to work to school.

Appreciate it. From Joel. This is not sports related, so if you feel no reason to respond, I totally understand. I'm 23 in balding. This feels right on point. You're a younger guy who is also bald and you rock the fuck out of it

and who's confidence. I just wondered if balding was something that bothered you and how you dealt with it. Just saw your Instagram story with Drew Breeze. It's a good question. You know, yes, I mean, it did.

I was terrified of it. I fought it. I got, you know, bought, what's it called? Rogaine forever, rubbed it in my head. I took propitia. Your insurance doesn't cover that

that. probably 15 years ago when it was like 120 a month. I started doing the math. I'm like, I don't even think this is working. I'm going to spend all this money. It's not even working. And I think I've told the story before, but when I worked for the Eagles,

I started noticing it a lot when I worked at Fresno State in like 2008 and 2009. And then when I worked at the Eagles, in the NFL, everything's done for you, right? Breakfast, lunch, and dinner, laundry. It's pretty incredible. Like you work a lot of hours, like I said, but you don't have to worry about anything. Haircuts, once a week, a lady or a dude comes and cut your hair.

You sign up, you know, the coaches, you kind of go around their schedule, and like, you just go down there and get your haircut. So I did that for like two years, got my haircut. You know, you used to have like bushy hair. The last day that I ever got my haircut, I remember getting my haircut and going to the bathroom to just, you know, see what it looked like, the haircut. And I kind of put my head down and I could see my entire scalp. I'm like, I'm done.

It's over. And that night, I had an. intern in like the player's locker room, just shave my head. And for about two years, I used to go like a zero, like, you know, with an electric razor. I think it was called the peanut. And then probably by like two or three years of trimming my head, I just started bicking it. It's way easier that way. Now, don't get me wrong. I mean, sometimes I feel like I wish I had hair, but you just, you just got to do it and never look back. Okay, Robert, with the rise of Ryan Tanyhill being under Arthur Smith,

do you think that we start to see a regression from him in the entire Tennessee offense now that Arthur Smith is in Atlanta? Well, the thing that would make me the most nervous about the Atlanta Falcons, or excuse me, the Tennessee Titans, is that for two straight years, they went from, they hired LaFleur before they hired Arthur Smith. Now, that offense struggled, but it turns out Marriota wasn't, that good, and LaFleur is pretty good.

And then they got Arthur Smith, and clearly the running back became a star. Tanny Hill became a good player. A.J. Brown became awesome. Now they got Julio. Their offensive coordinator this year, I had a front row seat when he took over for Bill Musgrave with the Oakland Raiders in, I think 2016, maybe 17. Jack Del Rio's last year, Todd Downing. He heard he's a great guy.

He was terrible. He had no feel for calling plays. And I do think, like, listen, every play caller, whether you're Kyle Shanahan, whether you're Andy Reid or Sean Payton, you've got to start somewhere. So you don't just get to be like a 20-year vet. But I do believe that you either have the instincts to call plays or you don't. Now, you get better as time goes on. But what I witnessed from Todd Downing was a terrible offensive coordinator. Just no feel. And he had good players. They had a really good offensive line. They had Derek Carr. They had Crabtree. They had

Murray Cooper. Like, they were good. I think they had Latavius Murray. They had a bunch of players. It wasn't like they had no talent. So I actually liked Tannihil. I love Vrable. Their offense with the three-headed monster, right?

With Derek Henry, Julio, and A.J. Like, that's pretty legit. I just, I don't know, man. It's hard for me to feel great about that one. And if Rable was an offensive coach, I would probably even feel better. I've been following the show for a few. months, big fan, from Southern Ohio and a huge cowboy fan. So Zeeke is obviously my guy.

I have the statistic that seems crazy to me, but between 2016 and 19, Zique received 12 carries or less four times. Jesus. But in 2020, he received 12 or less five times. Had he also carried the ball as many times as Derek Henry, he would have had over 1,500 yards. I don't believe Zique has lost a step. I just believe the terrible coaching staff and bad play calling, along with a bad defense hurt his reputation as a top tier back. I think if he is used right, he could easily have 1,600 yards and 15 touchdowns. I want to know your thoughts and predictions on Zique. I was a huge fan of him coming out and early Zeek is a badass. Running back is probably my favorite position because running back and linebacker because it truly encompasses everything if you're a badass

back. You run the ball between the tackles, so you're going at defensive tackles and linebackers. you go outside, so you're going at, you know, defensive ends and safeties and linebackers, then you catch the ball and you have to block. Like Sequin Barclay, I love Seekhwin-Barkley, the town, he won't block. You go back and Google some of the highlights of Zika as a blocker, even Ohio State.

Dude is a badass. I do believe he got a little fat last year, though. He looked kind of heavy-footed. And the one episode I did watch a hard-knocks, he even talked about it, he's slimmer. He looks better. He looks faster. He looks good.

So, yeah, I mean, I would say historically, though, here's the problem. Sometimes receivers or defensive linemen or a corner can have a bounceback season. How often do running backs when they feel like they lost a step? I do think it's fair to think to say he looked a little slower. He didn't quite look as explosive. Now, it wasn't because he had some degenerate knee like Gurley, but I don't know. I don't trust McCarthy. McCarthy historically never used running backs very well.

but if they can balance, you know, a potent passing attack, which think how much they have invested. I mean, they gave them already $100 million. They gave DAC like $700 million. C.D. Lambs top 17 pick and Gallops are really good player and they got a bunch of famous offensive linemen. So you should be able to like mirror the run game with the past game and be a dynamic offense. So I'm rooting for him to be back. I don't feel great about it though. Is it possible that week one Cowboys versus Buck's game will be the most, watch football game ever outside of the Super Bowl? And what are the realistic expectations for the bucks this season?

I do think it's fair to say this is the most anticipated NFL season of my lifetime. The NFL has never been more popular, and obviously it's been popular. I mean, I was born in the mid-80s. But these last like 15 years, it's kind of even got bigger and bigger and bigger. It has felt these last couple years it's gone into a different stratosphere. The gambling aspect, the fantasy aspect, are all kind of colliding. And then here's the other thing. Think about baseball.

How many teams can legitimately win the World Series when the season starts? Five. Think about the NBA. How many teams truly can win an NBA championship? Historically, it's like four or five. In the NFL, I would say that 12 to 15 teams feel they got a shot, and maybe not to win the Super Bowl, but like we could legit make the AFC championship game. Right?

The Chiefs, think about just let's go. go through the AFC. The Chargers could definitely say that. Now, they may not, but they have the talent to. We know the Chiefs. Raiders, Broncos, probably not. Three teams in the AFC North. The Ravens, the Steelers, and the Browns, I mean, the Browns think they're making a legit run. And hell, they should. I mean, their team stacked. The AFC South, the Titans and the Colts feel pretty good about their chances. Hell, the Titans were there two years ago. And the Colts go, God, if we just get some good quarterback play, we got a powerhouse. Think about the AFC East. You're betting against Belich? The Bill

were there last year and the Dolphins, I mean, they were a 10-win team and their quarterback situation was bad. Now, two of them might not be good. But that's like more than half the AFC can be like, we can make a run to the AFC championship game. And unlike basketball and baseball, I don't have to play a series. Like if I go up against a team in the ALCS,

if they got two legit starters and I really only got one and kind of got a piecemeal bullpen, it's going to be difficult. But in football, because I got to win four out of seven, same with the NBA. In football, you get one shot. And unless you got Mahomes who's capable of coming back from like 30-0, we've seen time and time again

like a team's just off. And you get put in a hole and all of a sudden you're just screwed. It's not last year with the Steelers. The Browns just jumped out to that early lead in that playoff game, got a big cushion, it's just over. Even if you kind of turn it around

in the second, it's just too much. But if they play the three-game series, maybe they can win it. That's not how it works in football. So you just kind of got to get it in the dance. I mean, think about the, the Giants. Their two Super Bowls came as wildcard teams.

I don't even know if they ever hosted a playoff game in those two runs. Think about that. So it's the one sport just because of the nature of it. It's got the NCAA tournament deal. You said that you lived and died scouting players in the preseason. Rahim Moser was a stud in the preseason, but seemingly was never considered a serious option and always hit the waivers or practice squad.

How can someone with his skills in preseason production still be overlooked? It's a pretty good question. I don't know. I think running backs, it's just supply demand. So the supply of running backs, like, I would say the overwhelming majority of teams feel pretty good about like they're three deep and probably had five guys in camp that, you know, could play in an NFL game. It's kind of like wide receivers.

There's just a lot of them, right? If Rahim Mozart had been a guard, it never would have taken him as long to get a shot. But when you play running back, it's just difficult to break through. It's kind of like being a kicker, right? It's just you only get to compete against one guy, and if you go to the team where that kicker's really good,

you just may never get a shot. Running back, like a lot of guys, you watch some of these preseason games? I tried not to, but if you stumble upon, like, the third and fourth quarter, the guys making plays are typically the running backs. there are a ton of running backs that you've never heard of that make plays in preseason games

and never get their shot. And, you know, fair or not, sometimes it's based on college production, your college grade, it's just not an exact science. You know, you're dealing with human beings and you're dealing, like I said, I think the supply and demand

is a big reason that guys like that, running back in wide receiver, sometimes it can take them a couple of years. Okay, Cody, as a Steelers fan bias aside, what do you think

the Steelers coaches see that I don't when it comes to Mason Rudolph? I see a quarterback that has a very low ceiling and is the best a game manager

that needs his defense to win games. Not a long-term solution to me, but Ben's only got maybe a year left. What's their plan? Yeah, I think it's pretty well established

that Mason Rudolph is just a guy. I mean, think about he plays on one of the better teams in the league when it comes to school guys. No team consistently has more wide receiver, than the Steelers.

And he's got to play the last couple years, and it never looks good on offense. So it's like, Mason, that's a you problem. Now, the reality is, is Mason's just not that good, right? He's probably more like a practice squad guy than a true backup. Now, he looks the part, good-looking dude, but let's face it, they drafted him, I think, in the third round. So when you get drafted, if he had been a seventh-round pick,

he's probably not in the situation he is now. Because by no means is he the best option for them as a backup. Now, I will give them credit, though I wouldn't have done this, but they did it, and he's looked pretty good. They went and got Dwayne Haskins, who was a first round player and has played pretty well this preseason. So they're kind of saying, like, as of recording this, I haven't seen Mason been cut, but maybe they keep all three guys. I don't think it's inconceivable that you keep Dwayne Haskins as the backup if you think he's just a more physically gifted. The thing with Mason Rudolph is he's like 6-4 or 6-5. I've always been fascinated with this in baseball.

Like a 6-5 guy that can only throw like 90 miles an hour. I never understand these big quarterbacks. In fairness, like Rivers and Peyton Manning were like this too. And they don't throw the football very hard. They don't have much velocity on it. Like Philip Rivers is an enormous human being. Yet he had one of the softer ball. He threw like Alex Smith.

But it works. He figured it out. But I just, a guy that big and that strong, but he can't put any velocity on the football. And then you get guys, super tiny like a Russell Wilson or even a Kyle I mean Kyle Murray throws seeds he's like 5-6 he's like 5-9 but he's for NFL standards you know he's tiny and he just throws bullets so yeah I'm with you I don't see it in Mason Rudolph at all okay last question wondering how you would rank the top five tight ends is from

chase in the league going into the start of the season factoring in things like leadership availability importance to the team etc I saw the NFL top 100 had the top three as Kelsey Waller Kittle. And I'm wondering if you share that view. Kelsey has to be first. Because if you're factoring in all, ability, competitiveness, production, I mean, he's dominated at the highest level. He's the total package.

He really is. I was watching some of the Chiefs game. When the hell were they playing? Maybe Friday night, Saturday night. Tyree Kill, he threw a bomb to Tyree Kill. that big three, I mean, I'd say in my lifetime, the best big three was Aikman, Emmett, and Michael. Like, Mahomes, Hill, and Kelsey is going to go down as an all-time great trio. Honestly, if they rattle off like two or three Super Bowls, they might go down as the best.

That's pretty elite. And Kelsey, they love them. He brings a swag and a confidence to that team, obviously with Mahomes. But from my point of view, I know Mahomes is viewed as like the team leader. Kelsey's right there. Now, I can't speak for Waller. Kittle is that guy too. Like going to Niners practice.

Kittle is an elite player. He can be goofy or whatever in press conferences at practice. That guy is so fucking dialed in. His practice habits, I've been going to NFL practices now for about a decade. It's as good as it gets. As good as I've ever seen. Everything is 100 miles an hour. It's just, it's incredible.

But his knock, and it's not all of his fault, is injuries. he just misses games. And part of it, I think, is the way he plays, even in the preseason game the other day. Gropolo hits him in the flat. He sees two DBSs. He's thinking one thing, I'm going to destroy both these dudes.

And he did. It was a huge collision. And I'm thinking, oh my God, George, it's freaking August 28th. Let's just run out of bounds. I could think like Kyle on the sideline, what are we doing? And Waller,

Waller, to me, is much different than George. He's just more of a receiver. And he's an elite player. It feels like he's been pretty available, but he's not running guys over like George. So to me, he's more dependable. But Kittle brings this element for his team in the run game that they can't do without.

Like Kittl's the best blocking tight end in the league. So I would have Kelsey won and I would lean George, but I love Darren as well. So I would probably go, I'm biased. I'd go Kelsey, George, Waller. is like a 2A and 2B. Waller's a baller. He really is.

Appreciate everyone listening. Excited to be on the volume. Share it with your friends. Tell your friends. And I'll see you a little bit later this week. Peace. The volume. Get right to the romance and find the way to wow this valentines

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That's 1,800flowers.com slash tune in. 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 headwriter Streeter Seidel

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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 unfilled 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 IHeard 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.

On the Look Back at a podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84's big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it, with our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors.

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