The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 3 & Out - Day 1 of NFL Free Agency, Kirk to Atlanta, Saquon has a new home

Episode Date: March 12, 2024

John reacts to Day 1 of NFL Free Agency, including Kirk Cousins signing with the Atlanta Falcons, Saquon Barkley joining the Philadelphia Eagles, and Christian Wilkins signing with the Las Vegas Raiders. John also discusses the explosive offense of the Green Bay Packers after adding Josh Jacobs. 7:12 - The Atlanta Falcons 19:17 - The Philadelphia Eagles 25:28 - The Giants are bad 26:32 - The Raiders and Rams are making moves 39:41 - Brian Burns traded 57:53 - The Commanders 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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What a day in the National Football League, John Middilcock, 3 and Out podcast. I'm recording the opening, just the intro of the pod. It's about Monday night, 6 p.m. Pacific Standard Time, because in Arizona, we go mountain time half the year. and then when daylight spring forward happens, we don't even change our time. So we just go back to Pacific Standard Time. And obviously a lot happened today.

And here's what I did. For the video, you know, for YouTube, we posted some of the videos throughout Monday. I did a reaction after some of the morning signings. Obviously, there were some big news. Cousins, Sequin, Josh Jacobs, Christian Wilkins. I thought that the Packers were going to keep the two

running backs, but then obviously they basically immediately cut Aaron Jones. So you might hear me mention that Aaron Jones on the team, I realize he was cut after, but then I did a second reaction to some of the afternoon signings, which at slash trades, Brian Burns traded the 49ers, Leonard Floyd, Gardner Minchu, Austin Eckler, some of those names.

And as of right now, the podcast is being ended at in the after at 6 o'clock. So if stuff happens in the middle of the night or in the morning, I will get on that tomorrow reacting to it. As of right now, like Justin Fields hasn't been traded. There are still some names out there guys like Derek Henry. But I didn't expect all this to happen on Monday. Maybe I was being naive or dumb.

I don't know. But today was pretty nuts. And it feels like there's still a lot. of moving parts, potential trades out there. I think it's fair to say this is, I wouldn't say only the beginning because we had a lot of movement and a lot of people got paid, but I still think there are a couple curveballs, right? I mean, we got aggressive GMs, aggressive organizations, unlimited amount of money out there in terms of these teams are so flush with cash and you can always manipulate the salary cap. So we will just keep rocking and rolling. I might put out the

go low pod tomorrow afternoon or something because it's hard with football we got so much going on as a little players gambling I already got a lot of bets for the players but this obviously will be football free agency heavy no mailbag just a couple just my reactions that were kind of live throughout Monday and probably get a mailbag a little later this week

but wanted to get this out there and yeah subscribe to the podcast if you listen through Collins feed. Me and Colin went on Sunday night. All this is also video-wise up on the YouTube channel. Just type in my name, John Middle Cough 3 and out. It's all video-wise as well. So we're coming at you from every angle. I would imagine depending on what team you're a fan of. Pretty entertaining day. Even if you just fan of the league, what a wild day. But before we dive into my thoughts on everything that's happening, I got to tell you about my friends, my partners, and the official ticketing app of this podcast, they happen to be called

Game Time. What I need you to do is grab your smartphone, grab your iPad, download the Game Time app. Are you an NFL fit? Do you want to go to an NFL game this fall? Obviously, it's a long time away. But if you want to go to NCAA, March Madness, right around the corner, NBA playoff games, baseball, I just went to a Dodger game yesterday. If you have the chance to go to a Dodger game this year, no matter where you live, if they're coming to town, I would recommend it. Just an incredible group of talent. It is, they are stocked with dudes. So download the game time out, buy a pair of tickets, and when you do, promo code John. J-O-H-N, J-O-H-N, promo code John, save $20 at checkout game-time promo code John. The Atlanta Falcons. I think today

is a reflection of a couple things. When desperation meets an older owner that's over 80 who has an unlimited amount of cash, they have drafted skill guys for the last several years. And is Kyle Pitts any good? I don't know. Drake London is, and obviously Bejohn is very, very talented. And defensively, they looked pretty solid last year.

But going into the season with Desmond Ritter as your starting quarterback was a joke when they decided to do it, and it aged worse as a season went on. Now, Kirk Cousins, before he got injured, was playing the best football of his life. You could argue the game he played against the Niners, I think it was the week before he tore his Achilles, especially given that it was a primetime game,

is the best game he's ever played. I know he won a playoff game on the road, and he made a great throw. I forget which wide receiver he hit to kind of seal the deal in that game for the Vikings, but he had become a really good player. He was no longer like this overrated, overpaid guy. He was a very, very solid starter.

He was somewhere, I would say, 8 to 11 as a starting quarterback in the NFL. Really, his one downfall is he wasn't a very good athlete. So if you could pressure him, he was a dead man walking, a lot like Jared Gough. But if you protected him, he became clearly one of the better pocket quarterbacks in the NFL. I do think this is going to be on the forefront of the discussion. with him and Aaron Rogers, if both those guys come back and don't show ill effects

of the Achilles injury, which historically has been one of the worst injuries in football, I do think it'll change the narrative a little bit, at least with certain positions, that that injury won't be viewed as catastrophic is it has typically been viewed throughout the history of sports.

Now, when you sign a guy and you give him a ton of money and he's coming off a major injury, I'm sorry, there is a ton of risk. I've said forever, I completely understand this. He was by far the best quarterback on the market. Not even debatable. And he is clearly the guy that they not only circled, wanted, and went all in for. And we knew last year when the Minnesota Vikings were kind of over cousins.

Hell, they had discussions. The Niners balked and didn't want him, but they were open to trading him last year. This was over. Whether he had gotten injured or had not, that last year was going to be his final season for the Minnesota Viking. And obviously that played out that way. And now the Atlanta Falcons, all their chips from the middle of the table on this guy,

a 36-year-old coming off of torn Achilles. But luckily, and this is why I've defended, like, at least I understand being aggressive for him, is he's never been predicated on moving around. It's why I think Aaron Rogers, even if he's still a solid player, will be a shell of himself because most of his ability was scrambling around and he's like the greatest on the move thrower we've ever seen. And that ability, if that's taken away, even just 30, 40% of what he once was, he's

nowhere near the same guy. Cousin stays in like a three or four yard radius. He does not move at all. So if you get a guy who is, I would say, 85% of the guy we've seen the last couple years, that is such a major upgrade for this franchise. Now, they still have major question marks, right? Everyone loves Rahim Morris. He's changed the narrative of his career from not that long ago.

I mean, it was now, 2011, when he was named a young head coach for Tampa Bay. He was like going out with players. And over the next decade became one of the highly respected guys in the league, has coached offense, coached defense, McVeigh, Shanahan loves him. And now he gets a chance to run this franchise. Right? And he brings Zach Robinson. They're going to run the McVeigh-Shannahan offense,

which is very quarterback friendly, something Cousins has done. And he gets a lot of weapons. But like, I'm sorry, I've been following this league and now working around this sport for a long time. Like, we'll see. I think it should work, but if there are some ill effects, now I've watched him on Instagram chasing his kids. He looks pretty healthy. I talk with his agent at the Combine, said his rehabilitation is going fantastic.

When you pay a guy this much money and give him this much guaranteed, he has to be the guy that we've seen lately. He just does. Now, their division sucks, right? the Carolina Panthers are easily the worst team in football. Still, I have no faith that they're going to be any good. Derek Carr, Dennis Allen, who while they have some talent on the team, we learned last year you cannot pick them in meaningful games.

You just cannot. Now, Tampa, they're a real team. When I say real team, like 9, 10, 11 wins, like kind of that range. Todd Bulls, solid head coach, definitely a really good defensive mind. They did lose an offensive coordinator, but they're bringing most of their guys back. Baker's coming back. Mike Evans is coming back. They franchise wind field. They already had some, you know, whirfs. They have Vita V. DeVa. Like, they got some good players on the squad. So to me, right now, the Atlanta Falcons, as my producer James

just texts me, is the current betting favorite for that division. I would still, like, if I was betting on them today, I would still pick Tampa. But Atlanta is a real contender. And, like, I'm sorry, I'm not taking the Saints seriously. I'll have to be proven wrong. I picked them last year and was embarrassed halfway through the season. I'm like, I can't believe this. And like I said, Carolina, I don't view it the same. And I do wonder if it's easier to kind of overextend yourself for an older quarterback who's coming up a major injury when you're really desperate. And your division has a lot of question marks. Would you do this in a better division? Probably not. Me and Colin talked about this last night. It's easier for Tampa

to pay Baker, even though a lot of these contracts, and a lot of this right now is I'm not breaking down the money. There's too much moving around. I can't keep up with it. I'm just talking about the player. Though the money is a big part of what we do here on this show. I will get to it as the week goes on and we get all the details. But I get it.

I understand resigning Baker Mayfield and in this division. It would not be the same if you had to play Justin Herbert and Patrick Mahomes twice a year, or Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson twice a year. But in this division, both these signings, I completely understand. Now, do I view either of those teams as like Super Bowl contenders or even teams that I could see in the NFC championship game? I do not. But let's face it, if you make the playoffs, and Atlanta has not sniffed the playoffs for a while now, and they've been really, really desperate, right? Look at Tampa. They actually weren't that desperate. They had Tom Brady for three years and made the playoffs all three years, won a Super Bowl, hosted playoff games.

So when they got Baker and then he proved themselves right, they kind of know what it looks like. They're like, yeah. Atlanta hasn't had a good quarterback for like six or seven years back. I mean, remember, they had a couple years of Matt Ryan when he stunk. So he hasn't been good since Steve Sarkeesian was the offensive coordinator. So that just creates desperation. In Minnesota, I think sometimes they're very analytically driven.

driven. Their general manager is like a former Wall Street guy. You think, and I'm all for, you know, viewing a lot of, the majority of players on your roster, you should view as replaceable. It is difficult with quarterback. And you can patchwork it. You can kind of draft guys. The chances that they replace Kirk Cousins to me is slim than nut. I have a hard time seeing it. Already rumors flying around about Sam Darnold going there. There's been some rumors about them maybe trading for Tray Lance, whatever, if any of those names surface as their replacement, I think we all have to acknowledge that is a dramatic downgrade. Obviously, I mean, Trey Lance is not even a starter. Sam Darnold, who I like as a backup, replacing cousins, and I know they got some firepower,

right? They have, you could argue, the best wide receiver in the league in Jefferson. Jordan Addison looks to be a really good player. Their head coach looks to be a pretty dynamic play caller, but I don't know. And listen, sometimes teams want to reset. Not often, though, in the NFL. This is not the NBA when teams are cool with tanking because it's so easy to be competitive if you just get it right at a couple of positions.

It's hard to suck like Carolina. You have to be very, very poorly run to just have no shot on a weekly basis. But it was pointing this way since the combine, and it played out that way. Kirk Cousins, now the starting quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons. And when it's all said and done, when this dude retires, he is going to be, I mean, probably a top five guy. Now, it's going to change over time, right?

The Josh Allen's, the herberts, the Lamar Jackson's, obviously Mahomes, you know, in 10, 20 years as the cap continues to go up. But this guy is going to have made more money than the overwhelming majority of quarterbacks that have played the last 20 years. and these are guys like Aaron Rogers, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Ben Rothesburg. So Cousins has just figured out a way to turn his career with, I'm pretty sure one playoff win,

into an absolute ATM machine. So props to his agent, props to Cousins. And the Atlanta Falcons definitely, like to me they weren't interesting last year. They were a tough watch. I get paid to do this, and it's like, I'm not watching Desmond Ritter.

Why? Because I know you don't matter. And now they do matter. They're a team that you have to pay attention to, especially early. And I think they're going to be one of the more fascinating teams in the league by just making this move, just in terms of like what does it look like? Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games.

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

A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform. became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement

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

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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. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away,

such as the biology of taun tons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to stuff to blow your mind on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The Philadelphia Eagles. I asked Howie at the Combine. I said, what do you got up your sleeve? We all know you're going to wheel and deal.

and what did he do today? He took the Giants who two years ago when they went 9 and 7 and their coach won Coach of the year and people like me were going, this guy's like the shorter, chubbier version of Bill Parcells.

He looks like a rocket ship. Now that franchise, I view dramatically different two years later. They just lost their best player over that two-year run. Texted with a couple of pro scouts and Giants fans know this. He kind of carried you guys two years.

years ago. And even last year, with just a disaster situation at quarterback, O-line, very average, he was easily one of your better players. And for a guy that has battled some injuries, he's played in 30 games the last two years. Now, I'm a little surprised at this move, right? Because historically, Howie, they've paid certain positions. They just extend Landon Dickerson. They always pay their offensive linemen. They signed Bryce Huff, the pass rusher from the New York Jets, who had a big season, who's only 25 years old, who is now officially the highest paid, undrafted free agent, non-quarterback in league history.

And I texted with a couple people. I'm like, how did this guy not get drafted? He said, well, it's part of the COVID season, didn't have a pro day, didn't have numbers. If it would have been a normal year, zero chance he doesn't get picked. But he was, you know, he's one of those players, collateral damage. Some guys benefited from it in the opposite way. Zach Wilson, Tray Lance, Mac Jones, those guys stole off a rookie contract. And now all those guys are back up slash third stringers.

And then you get some of the guys later in the draft who were like, how did this guy fall through the cracks? Well, typically when you don't have a pro day, you barely have a season, it was all off. And then you get a guy like this who is just a havoc creator off the edge and just can make some shit happen, you know, gets a huge contract as an undrafted free agent. and now we'll have to see if how he trades one of his starting defensive ends in either sweat or Asan Reddick, which a lot of people envision them doing.

But paying a running back is not something that like number driven guys typically do. I actually think there are a couple elements to this. One, the running back position for Jalen is kind of important. Because clearly they're a little uncomfortable, which I think's crazy because one of his best attributes is running. But Colin and I talked about this last night too. Last couple years, he's been beat up. Two years ago, he missed some games and ultimately it probably cost him the MVP.

Last season, as the year went on, clearly he just didn't look like the same guy. So they are hesitant, and clearly he is hesitant, to just run like he did his first couple years. Which, again, I think he's fucking fantastic at it. But unlike Lamar Jackson, he's not super explosive, right? So he ends up in just a lot of compromise situation. Lamar is so fast that he can get out of bounds or he can get down before he gets touched. Jalen does end up in tackles. And there's a reason running backs get beat up.

They get tackled every time they carry the ball. So Jalen, I think they clearly want to roll back any focus on him running the ball. So they get a guy who you pay him like they view him like a bell cow He is a difference making player with the ball in his hands Now you know I think a lot of organizations would just be very anti paying a guy But even his 26 million dollars guaranteed he's making less per year than guys like Christian McCaffrey and Alvin Camara So it's not this is the one position where all these numbers keep going up their numbers go the opposite ways So I think they'd go with the cap going up

we get a playmaker at a relatively cheap deal based on his position and based on some of the other guys at his position. And we immediately help out the quarterback. We get a guy who you can give the ball to, you know, 15, 20 times a game if we want to. Now the question is, the Eagles under Siriani, and just historically, they like to pass the ball.

Last year there were times, I think Sequan's a better player than DeAndre Swift, though. DeAndre Swift is a really good player. He signed with the Bears. There were games like, hand the fucking ball off. You have one of the best offensive lines in the league. Give him the rock. So Will Kellyn Moore, who, when he was under McCarthy, McCarthy was getting mad,

he gets past happy. So they have this asset now, who is talented, and they're paying a lot of money. Will they consistently hand him the ball? To me, that's a big question mark. They can't get answered until the season. And it's always easy to be like, we want to value the run game, we want to focus on the run game, we have a fantastic offensive line. Well, you got to do it.

And I think they're going to try to do it because they're going to save their quarterback. The other thing is this. You lose Jason Kelsey last week, who was clearly the team captain leader of the squad. Fletcher Cox, who I put kind of right behind him as one of the voices leaders of the squad. That's a lot to lose. That's 25 plus years and 13, 14 Pro Bowls worth of leadership. And Saquan Barkley, high-carriage. character, super focused cat.

I think they paid a premium for character because they go, we're missing some of that. And let's face it, Jalen's a really serious dude. I'm not sure he's the most verbal guy, definitely on game days. And Sequin has always carried himself like that. So maybe they view they're getting a guy. No, I know they view. They're getting a guy who super high character, team leader, bright lights guy, been playing in New York forever, was a star player at Penn State.

Yeah, I understand the move. I'm not super into paying running backs, huge amounts of guaranteed money, but I get it. And on the flip side, I think the Giants are going to be fucking terrible. I mean, they were awful last year. They're losing one of their best players that they have heavily relied on. I think this Brian Dayball situation,

all these coaches, coaching moving, you know, the situation internally with the staff. is a pretty big question mark. Listen, things can change, but their quarterback situation kind of is what it is. I view the Giants as easily the worst team in that division

and the worst team moving forward. And let's face it, they kind of have been, even with the disaster that the Redskins have been throughout the last 20 years, the Giants have been pretty poorly run beside two years ago when they won nine games and everyone threw them a celebration for like six, seven years.

Now you lose a player. And listen, you can say, well, you got to let running backs walk. Okay, and I understand that. But he's a huge part of their ability to compete. So, I don't know, man. I don't think even the Eagles view it quite like we're stealing a dude from the Giants, but it is kind of a death blow to their operation.

Some other moves today. The Raiders. Christian Wilkins is a good example. You live in Miami and you make a lot of money and you get that no state income tax. you ain't about to go to some high tax rate state. And he goes to Vegas, which paid him a ton of money, and you get paired with Max Crosby. To me, it makes a lot of sense with their new head coach,

who won a Super Bowl on that 07 Giants team that took down the undefeated Patriots. How'd they win that Super Bowl? They had an elite defensive line. And if you have an elite defensive line, it can mask some of your other problems. So now they get Max Crosby, who is, I don't know, a top five defensive line,

in the league. You pair him with Christian Wilkins. I also think you hope that those two guys rub off on Tyrese Wilson, a dude you drafted last year, what, seven or eight from Texas Tech, who had an awful rookie season. And if you could just get that guy going a little bit, all of a sudden, you got a little something with your defensive line. And they got a lot of question marks. They do not have a quarterback. But I am always a believer in investing in the line of scrimmage. offensive and defensive lines. So you pair easily the best guy that actually hit the free agent market, in my opinion, in Wilkins, who's been an excellent player since his days in college playing for Clemson.

They're in really good, that's a really good signing. Now, you've got to pay for it, and they gave him 85 plus guaranteed, less than Chris Jones got 95 million, but this dude's good. This dude's really good. And I also think it's a reflection a little bit like the Giants, if you're the Miami Dolphins, you cannot lose a homegrown player at a premium position. It just cannot happen.

That shows me you're poor at running your books. Something is off. You can manipulate the cap. You can figure out ways. For you just to let this guy walk, to me that's baffling. Now, sometimes there are internal circumstances, maybe the character or maybe a guy's been in trouble. To my knowledge, that is not the case with this guy.

Like I said a couple days ago, if you look at, you did a draft on their team. If they were just an expansion team and everyone got to pluck a player off their team, and it went one through 31. Tyreek would be the number one pick that every team in the league, if you had the number one pick, the guy you would take from that team. I think Wilkins would have been number two. So the Dolphins just lost, arguably their second best player who they drafted to free agency.

That's a fucking embarrassment. Look around the league. How many guys that were really good players that, what did teams do? Jalen Johnson, I'm going to franchise you. We're going to work out a deal. I always screw up the dude's name, but the defensive lineman with the Baltimore Ravens. Franchise you, work out a deal. That's usually the way it works.

Even the Chiefs, like, we're going to make sure we get a deal with Chris Jones. Why? He's really freaking good. And we don't want to lose a guy who's a premium player at a position that most teams do not have high-end guards and centers. It's why we have never seen so much talent at defensive tackle. And Wilkins is one of those guys. So to let him just walk, you're like, well, they'll get a comp third in a year. Great.

You would never trade pick 100 for this guy straight up. So that is a loss. That's a major loss. And it's why when everyone was having these takes, when the bills cut everybody, like, is there a window closed? Well, they're going to win the division. How would you not pick the Buffalo Bills

to win the AFC East this year? The Patriots suck. The Jets have way more question marks than answers. And let's face it, the dolphins just aren't that well run. And their quarterback, as the games get a little tougher, doesn't look that good. And I'm not trying to shit onto it. He's fine. But it's not like no one views him as a top 10 quarterback.

I don't care what the stats say. Show me a big game against a good team. You're going to bet against them. I did. So did you. Anyone with the brain did. And you made money. So this is not a great day for the dolphins.

that's for sure, a nice little addition for the Raiders. Now on the flip side, and I haven't seen the contract yet, Josh Jacobs, to me, is a better player than Sequin Barclay. I think Josh Jacobs was the best running back on the market. Now, he's had some injuries, he's had some durability concerns, but to me, he's a complete player. He can catch the ball, he can run it inside and outside. He can break tackles, he can make you miss.

I wouldn't call him like Adrian Peter. In the play speed, but his play speed is excellent. He can block. He's just really good. And the Green Bay Packer signing him, their offense could be elite. I mean, Aaron Jones is, I don't know,

a top five running back in the NFL. You could argue Jacobs is as well. So you get a one-two combination. Their speed at wide receiver, all the young guys, is just incredible. We saw it the second half of the season on display. Now listen, being a good player in the NFL, just like being any good player in baseball, basketball, any team sport, any sport, tennis, golf is not just about having a good three-month stretch.

It's about doing it year in, year out, right? Mahomes, Josh Allen, Lamar, these guys have been doing it for five, six, seven years. So Aaron Donald, Trent Williams, Lane Johnson, being a high-end player, Travis Kelsey, every single year. It's hard. It's why even at the highest level of competition, there is a gap between the all-pro pro-bow guys and even the next group. But if Jordan Love just continues to play like the guy we saw the second half of the season,

the Packers could be a fucking power. They could be definitely a top two or three offense in the NFL. And the question mark has been, the same thing it's been for 15 plus years. since McCarthy and Rogers got it rolling. Can they figure it out on defense? If they ever, they do not need to be the 2000 Ravens. They do not need to be the 2023 Ravens or the 85 Bears.

They don't even need to have a top five defense. But if they can just be a good defense, this team is a Super Bowl contender. Hell, they almost beat the Niners to go to the NFC championship last year with the youngest roster in the league. a bunch of 22, 23-year-olds on offense, as well as a quarterback who has never made a start or had made one start in his career leading into 2023. So if you tell me that Jordan Love is good again, and the defense is a question mark.

I like Jeff Halfley, everything I've heard about them from people in the league. They clearly have physically gifted guys on defense. Now, actually executing and playing well is another story. but if you just tell me they're a solid defense next year, this is a team that can win 12, 13 games and be in the mix to win the Lombardi trophy. I don't even think that's debatable. Now, if Jordan Love either regresses or struggles,

then yeah, I mean, just like any team in the league. Quarterback doesn't play well. But the guy that we saw down the stretch, which had glimpses of looking like a young Aaron Rogers, which typically, If you would have told me I would have been saying that at this time last year, I would have been like, you're nuts. But we watched him.

He did it. We saw him do it over and over in the middle of November through the end of December. So, and then what he did against the Cowboys in the playoff game. This guy now has two playoff games worth of experience. Sometimes you bet on a guy. He's like, well, you know, his team went eight and nine. We'll see what happens when the like. No, this guy was playing in massive games.

I mean, they had to win down the stretch. Even the last game of the season where they had to beat the Bears to get into the playoffs, then going on the road and beating the Cowboys, this guy is legitimate, some pelts on the wall for a first year starter. So I'm buying the Packers, man. That's just a solid move. The other thing, LaFleur is actually, like ultimately,

McVeigh, it turns out, has like a little more Andy Reed to him than Kyle Shanahan. Shanahan wants to run the ball. and I think what's his name in Minnesota a little bit more like McVeigh too likes passing the ball and there's nothing wrong with that but some guys

Shanahan LaFleur I think they're a little more inclined to just pound you with the run game they're a little more wired like an offensive coordinator from the 80s or the 90s well the way to do that is with legit backs and Kyle got one with Christian McCaffrey and he's dominated the last year and a half Aaron Jones is healthy

the Packers look freaking good last year. You add Josh Jacobs with that. Good luck trying to tackle those two guys. The other move, I didn't know that much about these guys, but the Rams, what the Rams did last year was awesome. I mean, they were probably the hottest team, or one of them headed into the playoffs last year.

And obviously easily could have won that game against the Lions who proved to be an awesome squad. But they signed one big, question mark a couple years ago was their offensive line. Wasn't very good. Well, a couple years later, as a buddy of mine in the league just text me, the Rams are fucking huge in the middle. They got Jonah Jackson, who I've told is a really steady, reliable, rock solid player. Nothing sexy, just good. Like a lot of guards and centers, most guards and centers aren't exactly the sexiest position. With him,

Dotson, and Avala, their offensive line, up the middle is excellent. We know how good Puka Nakua is, the way Matt Stafford played at the end of the season last year, the young running back they have from Notre Dame. We know defensively they're going to be solid. Now, there is a question mark. They lose Rahim Morris,

who was easily one of the better defensive coordinators in the league. But what do they have? They have an elite head coach, who also impacts the game for 50% of the snaps. He's the offensive coordinator. So I look at the Rams and the Packers, like, they're improving. Their arrow is pointing up. Giants dolphins, arrow pointing down.

Eagles, pretty interesting. I mean, they had to kind of plug some holes character-wise, leadership-wise, and talent-wise. And they definitely paid for it. And like I said, with the Atlanta Falcons, I get it. Got an 80-plus-year-old owner that, you know, the Hearst doesn't follow you to the grave. So I don't think this team's going to win the Super Bowl anytime soon, but just hell, winning the division, hosting a playoff game is a wild success based on what we've seen in recent years. 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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Listen to stuff to blow your mind on the iHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Okay, a couple of the big moves that happened in the last couple hours. Let's start with the big, big trade. Brian Burns from the Carolina Panthers for pick 39, which is the giant second round pick and a 2025 fifth round pick. They get Brian Burns and they give them a massive $150 million extension with almost I think $90 million in guaranteed money.

Now texting around just because how good is Brian Burns? Got a lot of sentiment back from league employees, scouts that do this for a living? Really good. Why didn't the Panthers keep them? And I think before we get to the Giants, which this is going to be the easiest trade that Joe Shane, and honestly, the Giants have ever made. Wait, I give you pick 39 for a high-end pass rusher. The L.A. Rams offered two first-round picks for this player a couple years ago. Think about that. Say it out loud.

Actually, I think it was last year. Two first-round picks. the Carolina Panthers, who were bought by David Tepper, one of the greatest, you know, stock financial masterminds this great country's ever seen, has been a terrible fucking owner. Now, you could blame him for hiring the wrong people, but that's a disaster.

To go from two first round picks and saying no to then trading them for pick 39, Okay, the Rams were good. Those two picks still would have been in the 20s. I'll take pick 22 and 25 over pick 39 and a fifth rounder every day of the week. But I think this gets back to, obviously if you could do a complete redo, they probably don't even make the trade for the number one pick. And if they did, they clearly would have taken C.J. Strout.

But I never understood it at the time, and it has aged so poorly since, that for whatever reason they were uncomfortable with Brian Burns, giving him some massive extension. And they know him well, they've been in the building, though I have a hard time like I don't view them like they know what they're doing. So this, I don't act like this is the Ravens or Andy Reid or Shanahan and Lynch or someone that knows what's going on letting, you know, trading a good player.

When you're going to draft a quarterback at number one overall, in the offensive firepower you have in your organization, is not great. To trade a wide receiver in DJ Moore who was under a cost-controlled contract, it was crazy at the time, and it is age worse. Because the Bears and Ryan Poles told them,

listen, for this trade, instead of giving us one extra one, we want one of these three players. The defensive tackle, the defensive end, and the wide receiver. And their logic, as it was explained last year when the trade happened, was, well, harder to find ends

and defensive tackles, wide receivers, easier to find, will trade you DJ Moore. So they took it. Clearly, they should have included Brian Burns in that deal and kept DJ Moore with Derek Brown on their team. But mainly if you're going to add Bryce Young to have a wide receiver, especially like DJ Moore, who is very versatile player, you could run just, I don't know, basic screens for the fucking guy

to make it easy on your young quarterback. He can break tackles, regardless of even running down the field. He's obviously a really good player, but it was Taylor made for a young player. Hell, he made Justin Fields look decent. So the Carolina Panthers should be ashamed of themselves. Just a complete embarrassment. It really is. And the Giants, who I was pretty hard on earlier today,

because they let a lot of good players go, this was an easy move. And they clearly had the financial wherewithal. Other teams, you know, the bidding, clearly no one was offering a better pick than pick 39 and the Giants pounced and they got themselves a really good defensive lineman to go with Kavon Thibadot who I think it's fair to say people are gonna you get drafted really high time to show some stuff time to become a really good player and it's easier to become a really

good player when you have other players on your defensive line so always a huge believer as a organizational philosophy invest in the line of scrimmage offensive and defensive lines you can never go wrong. Clearly, the number one thing you have to get right in football is the quarterback. The Giants don't have that figured out. But this trade, adding more firepower off the edge, when you're playing the Eagles who have a great offensive line and a ton of offensive firepower, the Cowboys,

a lot of offensive firepower in Washington, which I think it's fair to assume is going to be much improved over the next couple years. Good move. Good move. A lot of money, but it's kind of the going right. It's what these guys are making, right? $80 to $90 million. You're not going to get more than Chris Jones or Aaron Donald. You're not going to get Boso money.

But that's a lot of coin, and you get an immediate impact player, which is always the goal. Because let's face it, a lot of these moves in free agency, it's fun. I love talking about it. But historically, you know, a lot of them don't always work out as well as the hype. And I was thinking about it today because I was texting with someone in the league about the dude the ram sign the offensive lineman

and we were talking Ryan Wendell who my cousin played with at Fresno State and when I went there to be a GA he had just left as an undrafted free agent he ended up making the Patriots

he started for one of their Super Bowl teams I think the one they lost to the Giants and has become a really really good offensive line coach and was an assistant offensive line coach forever under day ball with the Buffalo Bills and then Sean McVeigh hired him

last year to be his offensive line coach and I don't think it's any coincidence that their offensive line was dramatically improved last year. And position coaches with all these signings, obviously your head coach and your overall scheme from your coordinator matters to a player's success,

but the position coach has such a huge impact on these players. If you watch the Kelsey retirement speech, him just, I mean, he cried as much for Jeff Stoutland, the offensive line coach, believing him in him, than any other person. His wife, his family,

family, his teammates, the position coach is just a game changer for you. And at the offensive and defensive lines, there's a reason non-coordinators, those guys make the most. Jeff Stoutlin, the Niners guy, Chris Kosurik. I mean, these guys are paid millions of dollars a year. They're not even coordinators. Because when you get good ones at those positions, they're worth every penny. And so a lot of these signings, I don't care what position you play, but specifically the

defensive and offensive line. Obviously the scheme and the position coach are just have a dramatic impact on your success or failure. This is not baseball where you just trade or sign Freddie Freeman, plug him in at first base, bat him third, he'll compete for MVP's. You know, sign Aaron, Judge, put him in left field or right field, bat him third or fourth, you're fucking good. That's not how football works. We've seen it for my entire life. I'm almost 40 years old. So many free agents, I mean, some of them are incredible. It's like, what a signing? And some of them, you're like, this doesn't work. Because scheme, culture fit batters. And, you know, we'll see. Do the Giants have,

because they're getting a really talented player. Now the culture there, losing Barclay, who's kind of been the face of the organization for a long time. We'll see how this all plays out. They clearly, you know, put a premium on the defensive line, which as a franchise they always have. The reason they won the two Super Bowls under Coughlin was because of the front. And when you can dominate up front, you got a chance. You just do against anybody. The other big defensive signing was Leonard Floyd. I think he's 32, 31 years old.

At one point in time, he was viewed as kind of a bust, right? A top 10 pick, a little bit of an underachiever with the, the Bears, but that's a good example. Scheme, position coach, just whatever, it didn't quite work. And then he resurrected his career in 2020 with the Rams. In the last four years, he's had 38 and a half sacks. So he has been an extremely productive player. Now, the 49ers basically gave him a one-year $12.5 million contract.

And he doesn't play the run. As someone in the league, I was texting trying to get information on him, like he played half the snaps last year. So an older player, you can't depend on to play, like he's Nick Bosa, or Fred Warner. He's not going to be out there every snap. And he's not a great player against the run. But he has edge rush ability.

And let's face it, you kind of get paid for sacks. You do. And rightfully so. If you can pressure the quarterback, that's how you get paid in the NFL. Now, I understand, quote, quote, sacks can be a little pressure. Can you get to,

the quarterback. Can you just create havoc in the backfield? It doesn't always have to be sack. It doesn't even have to be a pressure. Create, force him to move, throw off the timing and the rhythm of the given play. So the 49ers, one thing they really lacked last year, which they had had in previous years, is edge help for Bosa. They did not have another defensive end who was any good.

Chase Young's one of the more overrated players I've ever seen, and part of that might be his injury. He's not the same guy. I know he's a really good player in college. Even early on before he hurt his knee, that guy is no longer there. He's a backup. I mean, as of recording this, he hasn't even been signed.

And Hargrave is a lot like Floyd is an incredible role player, pass rushers. But the 49ers really struggled down the stretch of the season, playing the run. And they're cutting Eric Armstead, who is a fantastic run defender.

You lose him. Hargrave doesn't do it. Floyd doesn't do it. Bosa can't make every stop with the defensive line. So I would imagine they're not quite done, definitely in the draft. But that's a good sign because they needed extra pass rush help on the edge, which they really haven't had in several years. And part of that is because sometimes in free agency,

the reason you have to make these moves is because you've missed in the draft. And because in their draft situation, once they traded for Trey Lance, they didn't have a first round pick for a couple years. And I know they've had a million comp picks and a ton of third round picks. Well, the last couple of years they've missed on them. Because they took Drake Jackson really high, who I liked, really talented player. Hasn't done anything the last two years.

Hell, he didn't even play down the stretch of his second season. And I think at this point in time, you can't really rely or assume he's going to bring much to the season. table. So when you miss on a guy, you usually have to double down and pay another guy. It's why a lot of times, like, all these teams signing some of these offensive linemen, I bet if you look in their last couple drafts, the guards have gotten paid. And rightfully so. Forever, like the whole Bill Walsh thing back in the 80s was we need good tackles. We need a good left tackle because it protects my quarterback blindside and he's playing Lawrence Taylor or Reggie White or just some of the best players

in the NFL. And for a long time, the best players in the NFL were edge rushers on defense. Well, now a lot of those edge rushers go to the right side. That's why all these right tackles make a ton of money as well. Well, it feels like the last six or seven years, when I was in the NFL, in like early on in the 2010s, there were a handful of guys that you would call high-end interior pass rushers. A handful. I sort of got it. It feels like half the teams in the league have a high-end guy now who can line up over the center, line up over the guard, and get pressure. Some teams have multiple guys. So I think it's not random. Now, you're always going to get a little overpaid in free agency. You pay a premium as the buyer and as a as a free agent

player, if you're a solid starter, you get probably a 20, 30% markup on your contract because you hit the open market. But these guards have gotten a lot of money. And in fairness, these GMs and coaches are going, well, I'm asking them to block Aaron Donald, Javon Hargrave, Fletcher Cox, retired. You know what I mean? Aaron Donald, go around the league. All these teams have good

interior pass rushers. Or guys that can create happy. You want to block V-to-Va all day? Godspeed. I mean, have fun. And I don't think it's random. Because forever, I've always believed you can find good guards and centers

late in the draft. And it historically is true, but if you have a need and you have the cap space, I don't think it's that crazy. Because it's not just these guys coming off the edge anymore. These teams have good inside pass rushers. Some other moves, I had a Colts fan was like, you're a fucking idiot. You don't think Michael Pittman should be franchised?

Well, I don't think he's a franchise level player. It doesn't mean I don't think he's any good. When I close my eyes and think guys you would franchise, Chris Jones, Legerius Sneed. Those are franchise players. The defensive linemen from the Ravens. If Nick Bosa was a free,

T.J. Watt, that's what I think. Tyreek Hill. Look at the contract the Colts gave him. Now, I understand the mechanism because you don't want him to hit free agency, and then any time a guy hits free agency, there's no guarantee that you can get him back. But, listen, Pittman's a solid player.

To me, in a perfect world, he's like, your number two wide receiver. And he's like, look at his production. Yeah. They gave him $46 million guaranteed. Elite wide receivers a couple years ago, we're getting 70 plus in Devante and Tyreek. Hell, the second rounders a couple years ago,

AJ Brown, Debo Samuel, and D.K.M.E.M.E., he's not on those guys level. He didn't get paid close to it. Those guys all got $58 to $60 million, two free agencies ago. So I'm not crushing them for franchising them because they used it to ultimately extend them, which it worked.

But the contract shows you, like, they don't view them as some, like, all-time great player. And it feels like I'm shitting on the guy. He's good. I'd want him on my team. I've liked Michael Pittman since he was in college. But sometimes you just have to do that, and sometimes you don't have the ability.

Like, the Dolphins. I haven't, like, dove into their cap situation. Clearly, they're all messed up. They really are. And to think that it hasn't happened yet, maybe it happens over the next week, signing Tua to a long-term extension. and a lot of money anywhere

$40 plus million to me feels insanity, but it clearly looks like he's going to get $45, $50 million a year which is crazy. Another quarterback, the money's a little out of whack, right? Because forever, if you need a quote-unquote bridge quarterback, that guy was like $7 to $10 million.

I guess it's not out of whack. It's just now inflated. It's now just more because the cap has gone up. Gardner Minchew got the modern-day bridge quarterback. You got $15 million guaranteed. Which to me, Gardner Manchu, worst case scenario, the Raiders don't control their own destiny when it comes to drafting a quarterback.

They're not drafting super high. They don't know who's going to be there if they're unable to trade up. So this is almost like a contingency plan. Ideally, we'd like to take a quarterback, but you never want to have to force it in a draft. And when you're not drafting in the top three or four spots, you just never know who's going to get picked above you. and GM say this all the time after the fact, like everyone wanted us to trade up.

Well, I need someone to agree to a trade. So a lot of stuff is out of their control. I like the Minchu signing a lot because you can't go into another season with Aiden O'Connell as your starting quarterback. Not when you got Max Crosby in his prime, you got Devante Adams in his prime, you sign Wilkins to a huge deal,

like you got some ready-made players ready to be playoff-level guys. Now, Minchu got the Colts really, really close, but I don't know if you can make the playoffs, given that division with Minchu. But I do think it makes you a little more credible. I take you a little more seriously. I like that signing. I think the Chargers are about to kind of become the Ravens West. They signed Gus Edwards.

Their GM, Joe Horowitz, is a Ravens guy. John and Jim are like the same guy. you are going to get a very, very similar operation. They are going to like the same players. And when you look at the draft, I'd be a little stunned if they don't take a lineman, defensive or offensive. Can you close your eyes and envision,

even if, and we'll see what they end up doing with Bosa, with Mac, with Mike Williams, with Keenan Allen. Obviously, they got some high-price, big-name guys who are kind of in flux as of 4 o'clock Pacific. standard time on Monday. They have a couple days worth a leeway with some roster bonuses on the two pass rushers. But they're going to get like old school hard nose players. This is not going to be, at least I'd be stunned.

I have a hard time envisioning them taking a wide receiver in the top 10. Doesn't mean they won't because some of these guys are really, really talented, but it just feels like they will take a different position. Oh, Austin Echler signed with Washington. I've always really, I've loved Austin Echler. I think he's one of the best role players in the NFL. A lot like Tony Pollard. And I think there's a fine line when you get a guy like that

who winning teams want. You want Austin Echler or Tony Pollard on your squad. But you have to have the right role for him. Not every guy can be Christian McCaffrey or Alvin Camara or Nick Chubb and kind of do it all for you. Those guys can excel in space. what always hindered the chargers, though?

Short-yard a situation, they couldn't pound the ball. Why? That's not Echler's thing. But you get him with Cliff Kingsbury. Think about some of his offenses in Arizona. Spread it out, get the guy in space, throw him wheel routes. Don't ask him to just hammer it home, run in power, 17 times a game. That's not, he's not Ezekiel Elliott in 2019. That's not his skill set.

So here's another key in free agency. You have to be on the same page as a GM with your head coach and his staff of what we want out of this player. I can't just sign Austin Echler because he has a bunch of touchdowns the last four or five years. If not everyone's on the same page

on how to use the guy. And that's where I think the scheme fit, it makes a lot of sense. Just like Gus Edwards. Well, when did he excel? Well, you had Greg Roman before his guy. offensive coordinator. So they're going to know how to use the player.

Sometimes you just sign players. This happens less and less now without the understanding of what he does well. Why do you like Kirk Cousins with Atlanta? Well, because McVeigh and Channahan, they both liked them because he fit their offense and now they signed Zach Robinson coming from or to be their offensive coordinator with Rahim. It's like his skill set fits what they want to do. If you ask Kirk Cousins, now Andy would change his offense.

But he wouldn't, like, he couldn't just function as Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen in terms of running around. You can't expect a guy to do something he can't do. Just because you pay him a lot of money, whoever said player is, doesn't mean his skill set changes. Like, if you're going to sign one of these guards to a lot of money, he better fit your offensive scheme. If he's a power guy and he struggles running some of his own stuff, that's on you or vice versa. He's his own guy and you're asking him to run some power stuff, he might struggle. at it. When you marry the scheme and the talent to the player who's already established what he is, this is not a projection. The draft, like Jaden Daniels, Roma Dunzeh, whoever, all these star players

in the draft, you're projecting what you want them to do in your offense in the NFL. There's no projection with all these guys in the NFL in free agency. They have years of tape. You know their strengths and their weaknesses. And a lot of guys, if they're truly hitting free agency, are going to have some weaknesses. That's why they're available. But clearly, if you're willing to pay them a lot, you view them having some strengths that fit you.

You just got to use it right. This really has become a crazy time in the NFL. Today, I was going to go live. I still plan on it on Wednesday. But a free agency, we're going to have some trades, I would imagine over the next 24 hours. But man, stuff just... Maybe I underestimated it.

Maybe I just forget because just a lot's going on. How crazy this opening tampering period is. I saw DJ, Dana Jeremiah, tweeted something about how the NFL... You know, you get guys like Gus Edwards assigned him before some of these big-name free agents in Major League Baseball. who are still inside, spring training's rocking and rolling, you just, the key to a successful operation, which the NFL is just in the peak of its powers right now,

is to have just scheduled events that everyone knows what's coming. Now, I thought it was coming in a couple days, but I knew Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, a lot of shit was going to happen. And then you know in about a little over a month, the draft. Then you know OTAs. Then we take a little summer break and then training camp. It's very specific. What happens and when?

And then because you're dealing with people and injuries, like all signs of random shit happens, but it's not like a guessing game. Like the combine, the ball starts rolling, into today, and then the madness ensues. And because of the money flowing in from the TV deals, all these teams have the money. So any team, you don't need to be the Giants or the Cowboys.

If you're the Jags, like low-budget teams, Low budget is the wrong way to put it. Small market teams have the capital to spend if they so choose. It's just based on how you had allocated it with your previous players. The Dolphins owner has a ton of money. Their problem is their caps all fucked up. They don't have the ability to do anything. What a day, man.

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

with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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, 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 Iheart radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.

And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. On the Look Back at a podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 was big to me. I'm Sam Jay. 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. It 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. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human