The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 3 & Out - Bears in win-now mode, Rookie of the Year, Davante Adams speaks out

Episode Date: May 2, 2024

John dives into the Chicago Bears and how after drafting Caleb Williams they need to win right away. Williams is going to be the Bears QB for the next three years no matter what, but the future of Matt Eberflus could all come down to this coming season. Later, John dives into the Rookie of the Year odds and who he likes, Davante Adams talks with Max Crosby and gives his feelings on Derek Carr, and did the Patriots mess up their draft. Lastly, John answers your questions in this episode's Mailbag segment. 6:38 - They hype around the Bears 13:26 - Offensive Rookie of the Year 19:57 - Davante Adams speaks out 34:18 - The Patriots had offers 44:45 - Mailbag 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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Staying cool, wherever you are if it's getting hot. And coming down off the draft, because we all are. And that's why I want to talk about the draft. I want to start with the Bears, some big stuff, just in terms of Caleb's the heavy favorite for offensive rookie the year. They're over-under now. It is basically favored to win nine-plus games. I just want to talk about the pressure and the guy definitely under the most when it comes their top guys, quarterback, GM, and coach.

Bo Nix, looking at the offensive rookie of the year odds, I think, I wonder if people are sleeping on the seamless transition that it could be for him and Sean Payton. Not saying the Broncos are going to be good, but just him specifically and ultimately kind of what he's replacing. I listened to Crosby and Devante Adams, Max had him on his podcast. A couple of things really jumped out. And I think obviously a big picture how lucky you have to be with a quarterback, especially one that you don't draft in the top two or three picks. And then something else, just about those guys. Travis Kelsey just signed a contract.

And just the players these teams are looking for and the wiring and just their overall dedication to the craft. and we'll fly around some other news and notes. The Pats turning down a bunch of trades for the third pick. A bunch of teams wanted Drake May. Marvin Harrison, according to his coach, will have to earn his spot. I love it when coaches do that. And Fox wants a lot of money for ads.

And I just wonder during the Super Bowl. And just wonder if the world's changing a little bit than how we used to just take in the commercial load when it came to Super Bowl Sunday. but we'll obviously talk a bunch of football, got a lot going on, efforting a couple cool guests over the next couple weeks. So let's keep this thing rolling because that's what we do. I'm a podcaster.

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Last-minute tickets, lowest price guaranteed. I've been saying this for a while because the hype, and rightfully so, is pretty outrageous. Right? They finished the season strong. Their defense was playing well. the sweat trade aged pretty well. He was an immediate impact player. Jalen Johnson became, I don't want to say like a superstar,

but a super high-end corner, Fresno kit, always a root for him. And Ryan Poles, I think, universally is considered like a really good GM now. Just had an elite 12-month stretch. I've said this to Colin. I've said this on this podcast. I say it to anyone I talked to. The trade he made for the Panthers, whether Caleb works out or not, has to be one of the great fleece jobs in league history.

Just the value alone in that trade, let alone if this trade works out, if DJ Moore continues to be a high-end player for them, and Caleb Williams just becomes a top 12 quarterback. It was highway robbery. It was a lot of tons of heist. I mean, that's what it was. It turned the other franchise into shambles.

I mean, no one gets made fun of more than the Panthers. And no one gets more credit. And that's what happens when you have a crazy lopsided deal. So you look at the franchise, you go, well, Bears trajectory high. Caleb, going to be the starting quarterback. I mean, at minimum, even if things go shitty for three and a half years, he's going to get a long runway. Ryan Poles, he's getting a second coach.

Here's the problem. We have absolutely no clue. None if he profluse is good. And all the pressure, because I'm talking about, today the odds for the first time in a long time the Chicago Bears over under is 8 and a half and the under is like minus 140 so they are favored to have an above 500 record that's just from a gambling standpoint I just think if you talk to random people I'm not even talking bears fans you go yeah I think the bears would be pretty good they have not had that type hype in a long long

time probably since the Cleo Mac trade and when Mitch was kind of an unknown well now Let's face it, we think this team is better because clearly, even if you were high on Ms. Trubisky, your views on Caleb Williams are going to be much higher. Well, they have a coach who is not some established big name guy who's coaching for his job. Now, you can say it's the NFL, most coaches beside like the top six or seven are coaching for their job. But this guy, you could see a scenario if they miss the playoffs and win eight games. And even if in some tight losses, they look really good. he is not the coach moving forward.

And the big theme right now, I heard Slareth with Coward. And he's like, one thing Steve Young used to hammer home all the time is it can be difficult for a young quarterback playing with a defensive coach, especially a highly touted guy. And Colin's big thing always is like,

hire the offensive head coach. Now, obviously there are good head coaches that aren't the offensive play caller. But if we did a coaching draft, we all know the majority of guys going in the top five are head coaches that call the place. I mean, three of the top five guys, for sure would be Andy, Kyle, and Sean McVeigh in some order.

Andy would clearly go one. And then there'd be the hard boss and guys like that fighting. And even Jim, despite being viewed as like an offensive lineman defensive guy, is a former quarterback. So you look at this situation and everyone is really high on it and everyone's anointing these guys.

And listen, I'm no different. I like this team. but I've been around football long enough now. I've been going to training camps and been around operations from watching Andy Reed and Harbaugh coach to guys like Jim Tom Sula and Chip Kelly when he was with the 49ers

and Dennis Allen. So who your head coach is is very important. We all know that. This is not like breaking news here. But the pressure that's going to be felt on this team, like Caleb has pressure, sure, but he's kind of on scholarship.

Ryan Poles has pressure, sure. he ain't getting fired. There's only one guy who truly has winner, you're fucked, pressure, and that's Matt Eberfluse. And, you know, he's redone his image, seems like a good guy, obviously a solid defensive coach,

but it's about winning this year. And I think if I went to everyone that's listening right now in Chicago Bears fan, you'd say probably anything under 10 wins would be a disappointment. Well, who's to say this guy has that capability? Not because your roster talent isn't there, but we all know

roster talent doesn't equal wins always in the NFL over the course of us it might win you an individual game but it doesn't lock you into a 10 and 7 record just like good coaching can overcome I thought Brian Dayball a couple years ago

had one of the great coaching years in recent memory because I didn't think their team was any good and they made the playoffs and won a playoff game the other thing the bears have to deal with is the division is really really good I mean the Lions roster is loaded they didn't lose any coaches

and they didn't lose any players that matter. The Packers, everyone's kind of anointing them and I'm probably guilty of this too. Now, Jordan Love's going to have to prove it again, but I think we can all agree, probably going to be pretty good. Because as all of us learn that shorted the Packers last year is like they kind of know what they're doing when it comes to quarterbacks. And we know their roster and the way they draft is always solid.

So if Jordan Love, he doesn't even have to have some of the outrageous games if he's just a top 15 quarterback, they're going to win. Why? Because their coach is proven to win constantly, whether it's Jordan Love or Aaron Rogers. And even Kevin O'Connell. I mean, he had Kirk Cousins by four having the best year of his career. I mean, there were moments last year, especially that final month before he heard his Achilles. He was like a top five quarterback in the NFL. And we know how much talent they have on their roster.

So I think the divisional difficulties, I also looked at their schedule. schedule. They play the 49ers. They play the Rams. They play the Houston Texans. They play the Indianapolis Colts. Even the Jags who, you know, I think should be at least a little more feisty than last year. Like, that's a tough game. That AFC South Division is not as easy as it's been. We know how much talent Seattle has on their roster. The Cardinals definitely have more talent this year than last year. And we saw last year when Kyler came back, like, they're a mother to deal with. Even if the Cardinals are a six-win team, you get Kyler on the right day, he can be a major problem for anybody. So this bears hype, and I get it, has one guy circled.

Because if it doesn't go well, you know who's going to get thrown overboard. Looking at those offensive rookie of the year odds, obviously Caleb is the heavy favorite. I mean, heavy favorite. And it makes sense. Like, Jaden Daniels is going to be the immediate starter. If he has a solid year, he's like six to one. Caleb's 2 to 1. Xavier Worthy, right, gets to go to the Chiefs.

If he has, and I saw Andy saying, everyone's comparing him to Tyree Kill. Probably an unfair comparison. If you've seen Tyree Kill, he's built like a little running back, who happens to be able to run like a 3h 40. There's not many body types and players like him in NFL history. Honestly, you could argue he's an all-time outlier. Just his body type, his receiving talents, and his speed. he's he's a he's a one of one

Xavier worthy is much closer to Sean Jackson Now Deshawn Jackson you'd also say is somewhat of an outlier Because we haven't seen many guys of his size 165 hundred 70 pounds dominate at wide receiver So but that's the comp that it then Andy made And if you remember Deshawn Jackson hit the ground running Now Deshawn Jackson probably is a top 15ish pick

Had a lot of question marks coming out of cow And he's even talked about it When he got the draft day phone call from Andy Reid, Andy basically told him, like, none of that shit's going to fly. And there's, like, famous videos and it's famous, like, Eagle lore, that if you look on TV, if you YouTube, when Andy calls Deshaun, Deshawn's face kind of, because Andy's kind of lighten into him. And this is before there were a bunch of cameras in the draft room.

Lighten into them, like, you're going to come here. None of this BS is going to happen. And Deshaun went there and was incredible early. So I get it. If he's anywhere close to that, Xavier Worthy is going to be a problem. Last year, the Broncos were a joke for parts of the season. I mean, a joke. I mean, they gave up 70 points in an NFL game.

I don't think we'll ever see that again. It's one of the most gutless performances in NFL history. I think it's fair to say. But by the end of the season, they were kind of just, they were feisty. They were competitive. They were an NFL team. I mean, early on, it's like, Sean, this is, what are you doing here? When they benched Russell Wilson, I looked at his numbers today,

he had 26 touchdowns and 80 interceptions. Now I don't remember in recent watching football where a guy's numbers and watching him on TV didn't match. But if you're a rookie and you have anywhere near 25 touchdowns, 7, 8 picks, like you're going to be in the mix.

Even if your team goes 7 and 10 or 8 and 9, which I think the Broncos are somewhat in kind of that mix. But who's to say the Broncos, Rocco's offense this season isn't better with Bo Nix, who like Michael Penix or Caleb Williams, is kind of a plug-in-play player. Now, how good they are, it's the NFL, who knows. But these are not need to sit on the bench and learn.

This guy's ready to roll. And what does he have going for? A lot like what J.J. McCarthy is going to have going for him in Minnesota. Or Patrick Mahomes had going for him when he went to Andy Reed. or Brock Purdy has going for him when he goes to Kyle Shanahan. An offensive coach who is the play caller. And we can criticize Sean Payton,

and it's been weird. I don't blame him at all for Russell Wilson at all. It'd be the last quarterback I'd want to deal with, especially as his trajectories down. He's making all that money. I didn't sign him to that money. He's saying a bunch of weird shit. Be like, fuck, get out of here, bro.

Now, eating the money sucks. But Sean Payton was asked about it at the owner's meetings, was it hard to make that decision? He said no before you could even blink. He had made up his mind probably halfway through last season. This guy gone. So to me, Bo Nix, when you just look at value and when you just step back from a non-gambling standpoint,

why couldn't he be productive in that offense? I mean, there were points when he had Teddy Bridgewater and James Winston looking capable. I think we all agree if Sean Payton last year was the coach of the Saints with Derek Carr that the Saints would have won that division

but they were such a joke with their operation with Dennis Allen their offensive coordinator got run out of town but if you gave Sean Payton Derek Carr I bet the Saints win 10 games so to me Bo Nix

is a very very interesting guy now how good the team is going to be how many like are they a playoff team in the next couple years long way to go but just in terms of offensive production? Like, he goes to a pretty seamless transition when you get to go from a pretty easy offense in Oregon. I mean, a lot of quarterbacks for the last couple decades have had a lot of success there.

For a coach that's say what you want about him, pretty good when it comes calling offensive plays. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman. documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds.

I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, 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

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What the hell does George Bush got to do a little kill? 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 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on 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 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. I went for a walk on Tuesday afternoon. I'm trying to, yeah, I need to lose about 15 pounds. I got fat. Diet's gone to shit, but we're on the straight and arrow. Trying to do double days. Work out, walk in the afternoons. And I usually, you know, throw on the AirPods and listen to a podcast.

And right before I left, I was at my computer and I saw on social media that Max Crosby had Devante Adams on. And I've listened to a couple of Mac's podcasts on YouTube when he had Latu on. He had Gardner Minchu. I was like, ah, kind of entertaining. So I threw it on. I'm a Fresno State guy. I followed Devonte's career very, very closely. the guy he talks about in the podcast, Keith Williams is one of his close mentors.

I think he considers a guy like a family. I love Keith. I mean, I consider him like family too. He's a stud. And right when I got hired with the Eagles, they were recruiting Devante, so we never crossed past. But yeah, I followed his career very, very closely. And I'm just a massive, massive Devante Adams fan, not just as the player, but what he stands

for as a guy. And so I was like, oh, this is going to be a pretty good podcast. And a couple of things really jumped out to me as I'm walking around the neighborhood sweating my, you know, what off. First and foremost is he discussed, and I think this shows you, when you draft a quarterback one or two, like if Caleb becomes a star, if Jaden Daniels becomes a star, if Drake May becomes a star, there's a little element of luck in that because you never know as an organization. But like those weren't lucky picks. When you invest a high, high pick in a quarterback,

you're expecting that guy to be good. Maybe not Patrick Mahomes or maybe not Joe Montana or Tom Brady, but just to be a guy that you're giving a second contract to and can be your quarterback for, we say 10 years, but with a quarterback 15 years. Be a starter until he can't throw the ball anymore. But there are a ton of quarterbacks in the NFL that were not top five picks that make a ton of money.

Dak Prescott and cousins got drafted in the middle rounds. Both guys have made hundreds of millions of dollars. Cowboys got lucky with that Prescott. If they knew he was going to be as good as he'd become, they would have drafted him in the first round. Look at Russell Wilson with Seattle, change Pete Carroll's career, drafted him in the third round.

Hell, the Ravens drafted multiple players before they picked Lamar Jackson. They had no clue he was going to be this good. There are some guys. The Chiefs valued Patrick Mahomes a lot, right? They traded up to get him at first. pick 10. Same thing with the bills with Josh Allen, traded up to seven. Even the Chargers, who, like, I'll defend Justin Herbert still to this day, but they got lucky with that pick,

even though they got him at six, because they would have taken two a if they would have the fifth pick. Brock Purdy's a good example. The 49ers, you know, 49ers had any clue? They didn't think the guy was going to make the team. Then early on in training camp, they're like, yeah, this guy's definitely making the team. But you never know if a guy's good until they play. That's a hard part of a quarterback. I can rotate other guys in. Start you on special teams. Rotate you 10, 12 plays as a defensive pass rusher.

Give you some slot reps if you're a wide receiver. If you're a linebacker or a DB, I can put you in some different packages. There's no easing you in in quarterback. You're the starter, you don't. And if you're not the starting quarterback and that guy doesn't get hurt, look at Dak Prescott. The reason he became the starter, Tony Romo's back broke. And then Kellan Moore, I think, broke a thumb.

and got thrust it. No different Brock Purdy. Why'd Brock Purdy start? Trey Lance shatters his ankle. Jimi Garoppel breaks his foot. Like you need things to kind of break your way. Even if the team likes you, there's a lot different than liking you in August and seeing you win games in November. So when you look at the quarterback situation, no one really knows. No one really knows. Trevor Lawrence and Caleb, we think we know, but then they got to do it. But most of these other guys, who knows? Hold on for your ass. see what works. Hopefully you can coach them up and you do a good job around him.

Devante Adams played on the same team with Jordan Love for several years and said, I didn't think he was going to, I asked to get traded because Aaron was gone and I didn't trust playing with Jordan Love. The guy was his teammate. Now, it's unique because in football, Devante Adams would not be taking reps with Jordan Love. Like you don't mix in the quarterback. Aaron Rogers during the fall gets all the reps with Devante Adams So he wouldn't throw to him

Beside the one scenario I think the Chiefs game When Rogers wasn't allowed to play Because of the Vid So But Devante admitted on the podcast Like yeah

Blum me away Wish I could bring him over here to the Raiders now But I didn't know And if anything I didn't think I was much more confident In Derek Carr A guy that I had played with in college So Devante Adams, if he's at practice every day, he's a fucking receiver.

Who are they the most dependent on? More than anybody. The quarterback. And he's going, yeah, I don't know. Don't see it. And you could argue Jordan Love if he maintains this level of play and becomes a 10-year starter for the Packers and a high-end top 7-8 quarterback in the NFL. It's one of the craziest stories ever.

I mean, it really is. It has some Steve Young vibes. where no one saw it coming. Not even the players on his own team. Now, maybe that was different in the late 80s with Steve Young. Maybe some of the players knew it. But it's like, we got Joe Montana. We got Aaron Rogers.

What are we talking about? And then by the end of the season, Jordan Love was playing like he was playing. So I think it's a good, just, I mean, a guy that was there saying, yeah, blew me away. Never believed in a million years this would happen. I literally asked for a trade. Now, originally the year before, I think the Packers had made a contract offer that Devante was pissed off about,

came back that his last season with Green Bay dominated, and then they offered the real contract. He easily could have stayed there, but he didn't think Jordan Love could play. And I don't blame him, because I don't think anyone thought that. Hell, I don't even think the Packers thought that halfway through last season. When their general manager said during the buy,

Yeah, these last 10 games are going to determine his future. So you could argue that a guy's second half of a season, I mean, might have changed the entire franchise. And it just shows you until you get reps, like, I went to Cal Poly. Learn by doing. That's the only way you can get better is through experience. Now, just because you're doing something doesn't mean you're going to be good at it, especially in football, you need the talent.

But Jordan Love sure got good. And I think he's made Devante claims he doesn't regret it. I do think if he knew that Jordan Love was going to be this good, he probably would have stayed. And he somewhat alluded to that. The other thing is this. We have talked about this on Fugazi Fridays, the work-life balance argument. And I say everyone's different, right? If you work a 9 to 5 and you're making 75 grand, I don't expect you to give everything you have for that company.

But even if you are, you know, a quote-unquote W-2 employee, and I'm paying you a million dollars, I probably expect a little more. I expect for you to dedicate a lot to your job, whatever that may be. So you could argue the price of what I pay you determines your work-life balance. I do think that's fair in the world we live in. The more you get paid, the more is, you know, on your plate. You're making 50 grand. Fuck, what?

I can't expect that much out of you. And I don't blame you if you don't put that. much into you. But this happens a lot during the draft season when this is something that's always bothered me. A couple of things have always bothered me about the draft, but this one specifically, when coaches will crush guys like, yeah, I don't think he likes football that much. I don't think he has too many other hobbies. I don't want you to have that many hobbies. And you listen to Max Crosby, you listen to Devante Adams, you listen to all the great players. Like football on their priority list, I'm not expecting you to like it and have it mean more than like your kid, right? Or

your faith. It's why God family football is something that gets said in college and pro football a lot. But it better be damn high on your priority list. And it better be almost even more than a burning passion deep inside you. Because when you listen to those two guys, Max Crosby's been talking about this for a while.

He obviously is sober now, you know, after years of, you know, battling some stuff. And in the off season, he goes to the gym every single day, like 6 a.m. I'm talking like February and March. The Raiders facility. and works out.

He says it just tries to help give him the mental edge. And you listen to Devante what it means for him to work on his craft and to just practice like Jerry Rice. And I think this goes around. You just saw the Kansas Chiefs gave Travis Kelsey a two-year contract, like $35 million guaranteed at all, which is based on his production, his career is the easiest money they've ever spent,

even if he's not quite the same guy as he was three or four, years ago. Never forget meeting him last year at TBC Scottsdale walking. He was walking to the driving range because one of his buddies is on the corn furry tour and he would just go there to practice. I don't think he hangs out in Scottsdale as much anymore with Taylor. This is pre-Taylor Swift, well at least publicly. I think it was because he was spending a lot of time in Scottsdale. But when I told him that I knew Andy and Veach and we started bullshitting for a minute, it kind of ended with him like, I can't wait. And this was probably right around this time, maybe even in mid-April. It might have been before the draft. he said, I can't wait to get back

to Kansas City for OTAs. I love practicing. I love football. I can't wait to get back with the boys and start working. And this notion, you hear this a lot in the draft. We say the word character a lot when we're judging prospects.

Character's more than just like, take your hat off when you meet an older lady or open the door for a grandma, right? Or shake someone's hand and looked them in the eye. A lot of character gets talked about in the NFL about football character.

How bad do you want it? How much it means to you? We all know successful people in some walk of life, right? And I would say a large, and I'm saying financially they're good at their job that have a successful company or inside of a company

or just doing really well. Wouldn't you say most of them work extremely hard and are very, very passionate about what they do and what they do means a lot to them, deep, deep down, like deep in their inner beings. Scotty Sheffler said last week after he won the RBC, after he had just won the Masters, like, how are you doing this? He said, guys, I love golf.

I love practicing golf. I love playing golf. I love everything about golf. Tiger said that at Augusta. Same thing. Like, Tiger, why are you still doing this? Because I love doing this. And when you hear Max and Devante, you're like, God, now listen, are the Raiders going to be good?

Their quarterback situation is not ideal. But there's a reason those guys are super high-end players. Devante went in the second round. Max Crosby was a mid-round pick. Travis Kelsey, same thing, third-rounder. His brother was a six-rounder. Football means everything beside their family. And if you don't have a lot of those guys, and if they're not your best players, you don't really.

have a shot. I remember talking to Keith Williams, Devante's guy at the combine, about Lamar. He fucking loves Lamar Jackson because everyone in that building loves Lamar Jackson. Because of how much football means to him. And there are a lot of guys, some guys have success in the NFL that don't really like football. No different than all these sports, basketball, baseball, they just have the God-given talent. But big picture they're capped. And they're the type guys that usually fall off faster, you know, health permitting. So when I listen to that podcast, I went, this is what teams are looking for. These are the type guys. Now, there's a lot of other factors. Once you get money, how do you react? There's stuff that you never know. You think you could have

a pretty good educated guest, right? You listen to Vante and Max talk, like they've been unfazed by money. Honestly, it just inspires them to work harder. And that's ideally in this draft process what you're working for. Travis Kelsey last year, before the season even started, Hall of Famer. All pros, pro bowls, multiple Super Bowls.

He's an absolutely legendary player. And in that playoff run, he kept saying, I've never wanted anything more. And he hammered that home both weeks before the Super Bowl. I've never wanted to win this game more than this year. And in that play where he shoved,

Dandy Reed. I remember Andy Andy telling me at the Combine. He's like you know, he doesn't even realize that I'm taking him in and out. I'm trying to keep him fresh. But that's, I love that about him. Like that's, I like being in the trenches with that.

Like yeah, did he lose his emotional stability right there for a second? Of course. But this is football. This is Beer League softball. There's a lot on the line here. And he's proven and shown me for a decade how bad he wants it. So I just,

I think the Chiefs are a great example of their best players. This is why they are the new Patriots. Because when you listen to Devin McCordy and Tom Brady and Julian Edelman and that core group of guys talk about football, your God, these guys like this shit a lot.

They're addicted. And usually most successful people, whether it's healthy or not, are addicted to what they're doing. Kind of the price of success. A couple other just NFL news and notes. Fox, I saw I want $7 million for 30 seconds of an ad. And I've said this for a while,

that when I was a kid, I remember going to parties at my buddy's house for the Super Bowl in the 90s. I vividly remember watching the Steelers Packers Super Bowl. Was the Packers? was the Packers Patriots Super Bowl. Some of those, maybe it was the Steelers against the Cowboys, then the Patriots against the Farrv,

and then Farr, his second game, was against the Broncos. Kind of that little three-year stretch. And the Super Bowl commercials were a really, really big deal. All the biggest brands in America, whether it was McDonald's, whether it was Budweiser, whether it was Chevrolet, it was a big time for them to shine because 100 million people were sitting there

and between the action were still sitting there. Times have changed. I've noticed it the last couple of Super Bowls, whether I've been at a party or whether I was just watching it with Maria. When the commercials come on, I go to my cell phone. I was watching Tiger Woods today,

who's probably my favorite athlete. He has this new clothing brand. called Sunday Red. And he's, I wouldn't wear it. I think he kind of screwed up on the logo. It should have been more of like an iconic picture of him, a lot like Michael Jordan flying through the air for the Jordan brand. But regardless of any of that stuff,

he went on a press tour today. Here's the problem. Tiger went on a press tour like it was 2006. Good Morning America. It's like, Tiger, do you want my mom who's 75 and retired to care about your stuff? Or do you want the people that are 40, 50 years old, because price points are really high,

with a high household income to buy this stuff? Because they're not watching any of this stuff you're going on. Tiger, in 2024, do you know where you should go? Go on podcasts. Go on someone's YouTube show. Go somewhere. Go on pardon my take. Go on Collins.

I'd love to have you, but probably make my... more sense to go on with Colin. Do that type stuff. That's where your audience is, where you want to sell this. Go on No Laying Up's podcast. Going on with Carson Daily. Do you think any

of the people that would buy your stuff are sitting down watching that stuff? But I understand it. Like, in Tiger's heyday, that stuff mattered. And the people Tiger surrounded with that run his money have been doing it for 20 plus years. That stuff in their head matters. It no longer matters.

And I just wonder if I was a company, why would you spend $7 million? Now, if you're meta or these companies with unlimited amounts of money, like, what does it hurt? But even if I ran Chevy or Budweiser, like, I think we could utilize that money much differently now. The consumer and the world has dramatically changed. That commercial is nowhere near as powerful. Now, there are still going to be a lot of people surrounded the TV and see it in the backdrop. But I think the day and age of everyone just kind of watching it. Like that was a huge part of the event because anyone that's my age or old or the

Super Bowl commercials were, I would say as big as the Super Bowl. They were massive. It went hand in hand. I just don't believe it does. Because I know as a 39 year old guy, they don't mean shit to me anymore. And they haven't in a long time. Why? Because I'm not really paying attention.

And I've seen the power of this device, which is not the healthiest thing. But it is what it is. and we go to that thing immediately. I love when coaches, and this is a classic coach thing, totally understand like second, third rounder, if you come out and be like, listen, I know we have openings at both guard spots, but our second round pick is going to have to earn his way.

I totally get it. But any time you take a guy really high in the draft, and the coach comes out and goes, Marvin Harrison Jr. is going to have to earn his spot. It's like, guys. No, he's not. Obviously, he can't just never show up to practice and show up week one and play.

But if Marvin Harrison is in the building and practicing, we not only know he's your starter, we know he's your leading receiver. I'll never forget. And, you know, the Cardinals coaching staff is really young. Gannon's like early 40s, may even be like 3940. Both of his coordinators, I think, are under 40. his offensive coordinators like 33, I think his defensive coordinator is 35.

So I'm all for giving millennial shots. But Vic Fangio, who's definitely not that age in very old school. Remember being around the Niners when I had a radio show. And they drafted Eric Reed, his brother Justin's on the Chiefs. And he was a really good player coming at LSU. And they desperately needed a safety. And Fangio's like, we don't hand jobs out here. You got to earn that shit all through preseason, all

through training camp. Eric Reed ran with the twos. It's like, what, Vic? I think you're excellent, but what are we doing here? You know what happened week one when they rolled out?

Eric Reed was starting safety. Investments, what you put into these guys, the draft capital, what you're actually paying. Marvin Harrison's going to sign a contract at like $34 million. They're going to guarantee him

$25 million. Yes, he's your starter. Last but not least, the Patriots. I think I said a couple weeks ago, that they were clearly going to have a lot of options that their team sucks so bad that they should just trade back,

start building up their team. I don't necessarily am going to pivot off that spot, but I do understand this. When you have people interested in what you have, to me, the people interested in what you have should matter. If you think the guy's an idiot, you're like, this guy, whatever. Could we just fleece this guy?

He doesn't know what he's doing. The Patriots, it was reported that the Giants offered pick six and a 2025 first round pick. I think we all agree this Giants team is no lock to be eight, nine wins. They could, but would it shock you if they're six and eleven?

So that pick, Ryan Poles did it once upon a time, could be very, very valuable. Here's the problem. The Giants, they wanted Drake May. Same with the Minnesota, who will get into in a second. The Giants GM was the assistant GM and Brian Dayball was the offensive coordinator when they moved up and got a guy like Josh Allen.

So if you go, wait, these guys who were a big part of the move up to get Josh now really value this guy. And then Kevin O'Connell, who worked with Stafford, who last year worked with cousins, or the last couple years worked with cousins, clearly has established himself. Pretty good young offensive play caller slash quarterback guy,

former quarterback himself, offered 11, 23, and a 25 first for Drake May. So you go, wait. These two guys who clearly have a pretty good feel for what works in this league at that position, young and old, want our guy, want the guy that we also like, even though we have a lot of other issues.

Maybe it makes the most sense to just take this player. that are we equipped to handle right away? Probably not. Is it a great situation for him? No, it's not. But could we ever live down if Dayball resurrects his career or Kevin O'Connell becomes a legend because Drake May is the next Josh Allen or Herbert? We'd have fucking problems.

And all of us, even if Jonathan Kraft, who is the GM, signs off on it, we're all getting fired. because if you think they're mad in Boston now, if we did that and then that kid's a baller, we're all done. So I get it. And I think I heard someone say

that those teams doing that and their interest in them just validated their thoughts on the player. I get it. And it's, I mean, it definitely is the right move in terms of, you need a quarterback, take a guy with a ton of talent. Now is it a great landing spot or is it going to look good?

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

I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions,

my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes,

creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me, or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clivert Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or we're

you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. 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 is 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 IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Okay, let's dive into the Middilkoff mailbag at John Middlecough. At John Middlecough is the Instagram. Fire in those DMs to get your question here on the podcast.

We will start with Corey. With the draft concluded, how do you think Washington will fare this upcoming season? Well, brand new coach, obviously a new GM, and a brand new quarterback, which I think is exciting. You could say if he is a high-end player early on, and I'm not even talking C.J. Stroud. I'm just saying he's a good rookie. You should compete to win eight-ish games, I would say. Off the top of my head, I don't have your draft in front of me, but you took the defensive tackle from Illinois that a lot of people thought could have been a first rounder. Now, you have a defensive tackle who's pretty good on the team in Allen.

But there are some, I was listening to some things like, could he get traded? Who knows? Obviously, he would definitely have value on the open market if they traded them during training camp or whatever. I think you also drafted a tight end, who a lot of people view is really good. The one thing with Adam Peters is he was around, you know, with the 49ers. They actually missed on a lot of high picks and hit on a lot of like third, fourth, fifth rounders. I mean, some of their better players on the team, Fred Warner, third rounder, George Kittal, fifth rounder. You know, Debo early second.

But they've had a lot, Hufunga, who was all pro a couple years ago, he got hurt last year, six-rounder. So Lenore, who's become a really good player, I think, was a third or fourth rounder. So I'd feel pretty good about his eye in the mid-rounds. C.J. Anderson, who was a running back for the Denver Broncos, who was an undrafted free agent out of Cal, when the Broncos won the Super Bowl with Peyton Manning, when he retired, he said, if it wasn't for Adam Peters, I might not have been in the NFL, and I definitely wouldn't have the success I had. So always root for that guy. He's coaching right now in the East Bay, I think in Danville. But Adam Peters is good. Obviously, your immediate success is,

you know, Dan Quinn changed that Dallas defense pretty quickly. I would say that Dallas defense has a little more talent than yours. But to me, if the quarterback can just be pretty dynamic, even if you're not the most polished passer immediately, I mean, on college tape, he throws a beautiful deep ball and he's really accurate. But let's just assume going from college to the pros, a little bit of a work in progress, the athleticism should buy him a bunch of plays.

Now, he's not as dynamic. Amic in the open field is Lamar. I don't think laterally, like making guys miss, but he is really fast. He's got to find a way to avoid those hits. But also, let's look at your division. You know, the Giants are a major question mark. I think it's fair to say that cowboys aren't quite as talented. And the Eagles should win the division, but they're just going to have a ton of pressure on him.

So I think a good, I think a really good season. If the quarterback looks good and you went eight and nine, I'd feel pretty good about where I was at if I was a, An old commander fan. Big fan. What's your recommendation for a course in the Scottsdale area for $200 or less? Bachelor Party in October. I would go to Whirlwind or Raven.

It's Chandler and Phoenix. I would look at those two courses. And I don't know about this price point in October, but Weka Pal. Type in Wee, Weiko, K-O-P-A. It's like three different words. It's like an Indian reservation. Two courses. I don't know how expensive it is in October,

but it might be right around there. I'd highly recommend it. Hell, I'd go all Saturday, play 36 holes. Sweet track. Purcell definitely feels like a Shanahan type player. However, I feel the Niners are going to look back in a few years and regret not taking Keon Coleman. Bigger, tougher, able to get up and contest balls.

Your thoughts. It's a good point. I think, and I like both, I definitely like Keon Coleman. I think he makes a lot more sense with an elite drop-back quarterback and in that offense. A guy on any given game

could throw it 40, 50 times a game and just throw a bunch of 50-50 balls. It's not really how the 49ers play. You know, in a perfect world with Kyle Shanahan, their running backs have 25 to 30 carries and they have 25 and under pass attempts. Obviously, that can change on a given game, but I'm saying that's philosophically,

how they think about their team. When I got Josh Allen, I want him throwing it 45 times a game. More he throws, better chances I have to dominate. St. Dak Prescott, where I want to run the game. Run the ball, right? Because that's the way he has success. Now, Purdy is better than a lot of people give him credit for, but his coach doesn't scheme that way.

He schemes, great route runners, get open, and we're going to hit you on six or seven times a game. Brandon Ayuk had a breakout year. He had 78 catch. So in a weird way, I think a guy like Pearsall, who is closer to an IUC type, Route Runner goes over the middle, is much more what they're looking for in their offense than Keon Coleman, who does get me a guy outside who can just win in one-on-one spots. Josh will throw it up for you.

So I think Keon Coleman's going to be really good. I don't think he would be utilized perfectly with the 49ers. No different than Debo. Like, if you put Debo on a lot of teams, If you put Debo on the bills, I don't want to say he'd be useless because he's a very talented player, but he is perfectly suited to play with this guy.

I mean, perfectly suited. Some guys, you know, Shane Steichen, when he changed the offense for Jalen Hurts, it went very seamlessly. And then he left, then it started looking a little weird. That's not an apples-to-apples comparison, but you know what I mean? The scheme for a lot of guys,

most guys are not Randy Moss. where in the peak of my powers, I can play in any scheme anywhere, it doesn't matter. Even though I heard a famous story one time about an assistant coach who was on the Raiders that when they traded for Randy Moss and that team was terrible. And I don't know if it was a preseason game

or it might have been a September game because the Raiders shared the stadium with the A's. And when I used to go to the Raider games, that first month, anyone that's watched football used to see it, would have the infield in the football field. So when you'd get to, I forget the exact yard lines, but somewhere around midfield,

the second base, right? There'd be dirt. There'd be dirt. It feels very, very archaic. Hard to even, that wasn't that long ago. That was like six, seven, five, six years ago. Hell, less than that,

three or four years ago. They played with the dirt. Well, I don't know if it was week one, because I don't know if you played the preseason, but they called a play in Randy was supposed to run like a deep end or something. over the dirt. And he got close to the dirt

and he just started running around it. And obviously the quarterback either airmailed him threw a pick. I don't know the exact result. I just know it was a disaster. They come to the sideline and they look at Randy and they go, what are we doing? And Randy essentially says like,

I'm not running on the dirt, man. Not doing it. Don't blame him. Who wants to get tackled on the dirt? Just funny little Randy Boss story. A couple years later, he's on the Belichick Patriots and they go, scores 500 touchdowns. Cowboys fan here.

Love the show. I think Jerry Jones saying this all-in means we're all in on DAC and McCarthy and a lot of players we have if they can't win a couple of playoff games, they're gone, your thoughts. I think that's probably what he really deep down meant without articulating it that way. We're all in this year.

And if we don't make our first NFC championship game in whatever, 25 plus years, heads are rolling. Starting with the coach and the quarterback. We're not extending the quarterback, and we're definitely not extending the coach. Now, I guess if they extend the quarterback, obviously he's not going anywhere.

I would not at this point in time. I'd let it play out. It's not like Dak's signing a discount now, so if he has a bunch of success, you feel good about giving him a bunch of money. If you win you three playoff games and you're losing the Super Bowl, which I don't think's going to happen.

Hell, I don't even think they're going to win a playoff game. But Jerry, until his dying day, he's going to believe this is our year. How about them cowboys? I'm from Montreal, Canada, big fan of the podcast. I have a technical question for you. I'm a tutor. I sometimes give lessons online,

and I find myself being inspired by your natural talent for keeping the conversation flowing smoothly. I was wondering, when you record a podcast, do you proceed from bullet points? Do you take any notes, or all you do is jump right in, and improvise. Any tip would be greatly appreciated. Well, everyone's different.

I don't know how other podcasters do it. I write out my show. Not like word for word. I'm just saying like, I write out topics and I kind of write on a notepad what I'm going to talk about with the bears, what I'm going to talk about with Bo Nix,

Max and Devonte. Like, just my thoughts. I just write them on paper. And then I just press record and I just talk. But I think writing it out on paper, for me, everyone learns different,

helps me just kind of crystallize it in my head, know what I want to say. Again, these are like scribbled bullet notes about Caleb Williams, about Fox charging for Super Bowl commercials, whatever. And just the general point I want to make or what I'm interested in talking about.

Or sometimes if I look down, it would be for stats and stuff that I had written down that are trying to make my point or whatever I'm talking about. I think that crystallizes in my mind. head. Now, I'm also kind of sick. I mean, I think about the show all day, every day. So anytime that I have a thought, oh, that would be interesting. That'd be an interesting angle. That'd be

cool to talk about. I have a little notepad in my iPhone that I'll jot little notes in and then I'll transfer that to the paper as I'm getting ready. But, you know, I don't also have a set time when I record this if we're not going live. So like right now, it's five o'clock in the afternoon. Had a bunch of stuff to do this morning. Didn't get into the rhythm. I realize I'm not a morning. If I was a radio host, I would be an afternoon guy, not a morning guy. My brain works better that way. Now, I will, if I get up sometimes six in the morning or seven in the morning, I'll just grab a cup of coffee, come to the office, write a bunch of notes or whatever, and then go on with my day, work out, come back and record usually like after lunch. Because that's when

I feel, for the most part, I mean, sometimes my brain needs. never opens up, but that's when I'm the most fluid is from like one to five if I'm going to record. It's when I feel I do my best. But yeah, I don't, it's just kind of natural. And again, this is a, this is one of those things that like, you're either kind of a talker or you're not, which ironically, I'm kind of introverted, especially in my older years. I don't really spend like love spending time around other people all the time. Like I'm not some extroverted guy. This is kind of my extroverted moment. Now I play golf with the random people. I do things. But I'm not by any means. But I do like to talk. Always

have. I was probably definitely more extroverted when I was younger. Still have it in me. Get a few cocktails. But it's just kind of blend everything about my personality and my brain and try to isolate it here on into a microphone. Mailback question. is Joe Thune a future Hall of Famer? My first reaction is no, without even reading your question. Truthfully, I have no idea what makes a Hall of Fame lineman.

He's a four-time Super Bowl champion. He hasn't had many all-pro seasons, but has easily been the best offensive linemen in the Chiefs dynasty. Let me look up Joe Thuny's resume here. He's a four-time Super Bowl champion? I guess maybe he won one with the Pats and then he's won three with the Chiefs.

Has he really won four? You're right. Is he not a Hall of Famer? What active linemen do you see having a legitimate case? Four. Guy guys won four Super Bowls? Holy shit, what a career. He's made a lot of money too.

And the Chief signed him to an $80 million contract. He was a third round pick in 16. Joseph has lived a pretty good football life. Gets drafted in the middle of the second dynasty, the second half of the dynasty for the Pats wins a Super Bowl I'm sure against the Rams probably played on another team that lost a Super Bowl

just a thing's been to a lot of Super Bowes now thinking about it what a fascinating career in New England and 16 so he lost it in the he won the A of C yeah he lost to the Eagles he beat the Rams and he's been the Chiefs

the thing with offensive linemen And he's a very, very good player. You know, like a high-end, excellent career, high-end starter. He's been franchised, Chiefs gave him $80 million. To me, a Hall of Fame offensive lineman is like the best offensive lineman. Like what Jason Kelsey was for a long time, what Trent Williams is now, what Jonathan Ogden was. If he did that at quarterback or even a wide receiver, I think the team accolades, which is ironic because it's the ultimate team position, the offensive line,

less powerful in your case. So I would say no. But thanks for alerting me on, he's been to two Super Bowls with the Pats, and he's been to five Super Bowls. He's been in the league nine years. I don't think we talk enough about that. All the guy does is win.

Wanted to know, give the Chargers overall in their entire draft. I don't have it up right now. I've talked about the alt pick, no-brainer. The only thing I do wonder is offensive linemen are very particular about their feet. And some guys can, you know, this happens with guards and tackles, can only play left or right guard or can only function on the right or left side. Not everyone can go both ways. High-end players.

Obviously, your backups, you need a swing guard center and you need a swing tackle. But, like, you know, Lane Johnson, I think it's fair to say, is much more comprehensive. comfortable at right tackle. And maybe he's talked about that before in the past. Trent Williams, left tackle. Now, both those guys, if they had to, could switch. But, like, there's a reason, you know, the left tackle, once you state, you never move. But historically, if you have a starting left tackle and you draft a right tackle,

once that guy either phases out, retires, whatever, you just bump that guy over. Nowadays, because there are so many rushers, the right tackle is very valuable. That's why a lot of teams, look at the chargers, are putting the emphasis there. my question with Joe Alt is he's never played right tackle. I don't even think he was a lineman in high school, so he's only been a left tackle. Slater, I think, has done both. Now, historically, he'd be like, well, I want to stay at left tackle

because you get paid more. Well, look at Lane Johnson. Paidreed a premium. Look at Penae Sewell. He's got $85 million guaranteed. So if you're Slater and you bump to the right side, if you're an all-pro elite player worse, you're still going to get, I don't know,

million dollars. I don't think historically it used to mess with the money. I don't think it does anymore. My guess would be, if I was taking an educated guess, Slater's the right tackle and all's the left tackle. Less about one guy's better than the other, just because one guy's more comfortable at it than the other.

Unless they try all out there and he feels good about it. But if I had to take an educated guess right now, that's what happens. But back to the Chargers draft. McConkey, stud route runner, I like Brennan Rice. I think he's a fascinating player.

That was a good getting the transfer portal last year by USC. They drafted the linebacker from Michigan. Well, obviously, Jim and his defensive coordinator know that guy well. I'd imagine that guy's going to be a plug-in-play player. Wouldn't shock me if they started. Chargers have kind of struggled with a linebacker for a while now. To me, it's going to come down to if the running game is good, which Greg Roman and Harbaugh are good run game guys,

now they have an improved offensive line and the two pass rushers can stay healthy. I think it's less about your immediate... Obviously, McConkey's going to play. But, you know, Brenner Rice, we see guys like that all the time in the practice squad. Who knows? I mean, I like the guy,

but if you told me he's a practice squad, I'm not going to be shocked. Can Mack and Bosa give you 90% of the games? Because if they do, then you'd be in pretty good shape because your defense line would be good. Or all those guys both in the training room and on injured reserve. I think it's less about your draft

beside like Alt-McConkie and more about those two guys. Those two guys are the big question marks. Because if they're good, shit, you can be a problem. Jim's is too good. Question. Why haven't owners found a way to take more of the guesswork out of the draft?

Particularly, as it relates to quarterbacks. For such an important position on the field, which can make or break your organization no matter how well you scout, they seem content to leave much of it to chance and circumstance, rather than knowing whether or not the player is even worth investing time and resources into. Take soccer, for example.

Most of the premier talent is in a professional setting by age 16. If they're good enough or show promise, they will train with the first team. If they show their promise, they get a chance to play a meaningful game. Depending on how well they do in the game, they'll either get a first team spot or they're done. And it's just a matter of time before they go out there without having to pay, millions of dollars for them. I don't understand why teams are content with current evaluation system.

It's because college acts as the minor league system for pro football. And it is extremely successful in its own right economically, right? The Big Ten, the SEC are printing cash. The NFL invests

zero dollars into that. So all the money the league is making whether you got a good quarterback or not, you're like the government three years ago, just printing cash. So when you are a team that can't lose money and you don't have to invest in the training of the future employees, college football does that, and let's face it, they give a ton of good players every year,

it's going to be a little bit of a crapshoot, but you pay zero into it. And what would change? Like you would just have the access to pull those guys. Like, I actually think the system, if I was an owner, I would love the system. Yeah, we miss on a quarterback and it sucks. I'm still having a, if I'm the owner,

you're talking from the owner's perspective. I want to invest hundreds of millions of dollars each into a minor league system, which will never make money off of. Because they'll, like, one of the reason college has a lot of success is 50,000 people a year go to, you know, graduate from Ohio State or Michigan, or I guess they're going to school there at one time.

I don't know what the graduating classes are. But those Big Ten and SEC schools are massive. they have an enormous following like the NFL. So the business model for that is thriving. Now that's going to change, I guess, as some of the dynamics of the revenue sharing, it's going to evolve over the next, I mean, fast, probably five years.

But if I was an owner like, I don't give a fuck, I don't want to pay my own money for something that, one, won't net me any money. And two, like, it's not, we still have to pay all the coaches, to develop those guys. We know they're not cheap. I actually think it's a pretty good setup.

And I think it's the setup why football is dominating. College basketball sucks now. Why? Because everyone's won and done. There's no brand loyalty, like, the top players leave immediately. So no one watches the regular season. And even the NCAA tournament is pretty random now. Where, and I guess it always has been,

but you don't even know the players on the big brands. college football feels like must watch. I mean, this year college football, everyone was watching Oregon, Washington, Bama, LSU, Georgia, Ohio State, Michigan. It was just, it felt like NFL games. It's only going to be bigger this year. It might be a little down, actually,

because I don't know if the crop of quarterbacks is as good as last year. But that changes. No one thought Bo Nicks would be a top 15 pick at this time last year. nobody was saying Jayden Daniel's name. Michael Panics on a lot of boards

probably a third or fourth round pick. So things change. Now it does feel like those guys were more established than some of these, like Dion's getting into it on Twitter with like his former players. Everyone's like trying to make it

some big symbolic moment. Like I just find it funny. Who even cares? This is all, this is all theater guys. This is all, once you start paying to play, which is what's going on in college football,

like everything's on the table. I had a scout tell me, last year, he's like, you go into these programs, the coach will tell you, like, you know, I care a little less now about some of these, about certain relationships, because like, hey, we just got you $350,000. You better get us fucking 70 catches, or else we're going to have a problem. So it's becoming much more cutthroat, and Dion's a pro guy, and he's treating it like the pros. When you suck, we talk shit. In college, they do too, but they just never publicly do it because of recruiting. Now, recruiting's irrelevant. Can you pay players?

So that makes college football, to me, a little more interesting. Now, you could argue last year was a unique setup. Caleb had transferred from Oklahoma. Bo Nicks had transferred from Auburn. Jaden had transferred from Arizona State. Pennix. We had all these transfers that just worked. It was like one of the greatest,

might be one of the greatest transfer portals we ever see. If you think about it, Pennix, Nicks, J.J. didn't, May didn't. But Jaden, I mean, four of the six guys all transferred. All got drafted high and dominated. I mean, Bo Nix and Michael Pennix were dominating the Pac-12 at Oregon and Washington. And in the country, I mean, they were two of the better teams in the country the last two years. Both of them, I know Washington was in the national championship game, but the difference between Oregon and Washington this year's a coin flip.

You're talking about two of the best five teams, transfer portal guys. Caleb was unique because he just went with Lincoln. But Jaden's probably more like what we might get this year. Like you're not really expecting it. And all of a sudden this guy from Kansas State transferred to Florida, and all of a sudden we're talking about him like a top 20 pick. That's going to happen. Because I looked at a way too early 2025 mock draft.

Don't hate it. I couldn't help but click on it. That's where all the kids are. on social media say, you're just doing this for clicks. That is definitely for clicks. And it fucking worked. I clicked that fast.

Then I was reading it like, ah, I haven't heard of this guy. Oh, this guy's sweet. Weren't many quarterbacks. Weren't many quarterbacks. I know Dion's tweeting his son's a top five pick. I do not believe as of the day he would go in the top five. He definitely wouldn't have gone on the top five of this draft.

I don't think he would have gone on the top 20. Cowboys probably pick him at 20, whatever they pick, 24. that's where he would have gone, the Cowboys. But he would not have been picked based off last year in the top 20 picks. Zero chance. I've been watching college football long enough. Absolutely none.

Doesn't mean he can't become one, but he's got a long way to go. The Georgia kid, Carson Beck, I'd be lying. I feel like I didn't watch that much Georgia last year. Besides, like, highlights of Brock Bowers. But he's definitely an interesting guy. And then we're just going to need some other quarterbacks to figure it out because last year coming into this season, we kind of knew,

Drake May, definitely Caleb Williams, and there was just a bunch of other names. It doesn't feel like there's five names, which you could also say, like, who's going to need a quarterback next year? The Giants? I mean, a lot of teams have quarterbacks that are going to be on their team for a couple years.

So maybe it's less dependent, and maybe it will be a defensive heavy draft. I don't know. Easiest way to get a guy that follows football to click on your article, week after the draft. 2025 mock first rounder. Boop. Click.

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, 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 home, 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. Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to Learn the Hard Way with your favorite therapist and host Kear Games. This space is about black men's experiences, having honest conversations that it's really not safe to have anywhere, but you're having them with a licensed professional who knows what he's doing. How many men carry a suit or armor? It signals to the world that you not to be played with. And just because you have the capability that does not mean that you need to.

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