The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 3 & Out - Fields to the Steelers, Managing a players worth, Vikings and the draft

Episode Date: March 19, 2024

John dives into the Steelers trading for Justin Fields despite them just signing Russell Wilson, how will the quarterback room dynamic work, and should we believe the talk about Russ already being named the starter. John also discusses how teams and GM's should manage a player's worth when it comes to free agency, the latest draft daily, and "Tangent Tuesday." Lastly, John answers your questions for this episode's mailbag segment. 6:05 - Fields to the Steelers 15:01 - How to manage a players worth 24:00 - Draft Daily 28:51 - Tangent Tuesday 36:45 - 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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and some of their quarterback moves and reaction slash thoughts on just the last several days with that operation because pretty hard pivot from where they were. Trading veteran players for high draft picks. Sounds great in theory, but there is a lot of risk that comes with that. A little draft daily. We try to talk something about the NFL draft every single day

until the NFL draft. And today, the Minnesota Vikings, well, it didn't happen today, but a couple days ago traded some second round picks for a first round pick from the Houston Texans, now on pick 11 and 23, and why I think there's a team that not many people are talking about as a team that they're going to target as a trade up.

and then tangent Tuesday We've been working on a name We'll see if this one sticks But I just try to pick a couple headlines And give some takes One was this dude from the Jags That embezzled 22 million He gave a bunch of quotes

I think he talked for the first time Since his sentence He's like 78 months in jail Some quotes that were just like Come on bro And the Middilcoff mailbag Of course at John Middilcoff Is the Instagram Fire

in those DMs and get your questions answered here on the show. It's my Instagram, DMs wide open. It's just my name. If you listen on Collins feed, make sure you subscribe. YouTube page. I did a, when Fields got traded, I did a video. It's not a podcast. It was only a video.

I think we put it out Saturday night. So some initial reaction to the Fields trade. And thevolume.com, thevolume.com, we got merch. We're in a go low hat right now, three and out hats. Go check them out. But first, can I tell you about my friends at game time? And this is what you do. You go to your smartphone, you go to your iPad,

and you download the official ticketing app of this podcast, Game Time. The NCAA tournament is here. And you can look if it's near you, your team is playing somewhere. If you want to go see them, just type in the venue, type in where your team's playing. If you live by a venue and you just want to go watch some games, I highly recommend it. I've done it in San Jose.

I've done it in Sacramento. It's a really good time on Thursday and Friday, the opening nights of the NCAA tournament. It's hard to beat. And just use GameTime. Download the GameTime app. promo code John, J-O-H-N, J-O-H-N, and save $20 on your first pair of tickets.

So you want to catch some NCAA tournament games. You want to catch, you know, the round of 64, round of 32. It's really fun. Take the day off work. Go enjoy yourself. Have some beers. Make some bets.

and watch some games. Again, download the GameTime app, promo code John. It really is pretty nuts what the Steelers did over the last week. Not because they didn't, I would say, not only upgrade their quarterback room, but give themselves a much higher ceiling than they had. But they were pretty adamant. You know, their conviction and belief in Kenny Pickett, there were some rumors at the end of the season that he was,

refuse to dress for a game. Sometimes stories like that, it's hard to know what to believe. I'm always of the opinion. Unless you're like a great player who is negotiating a contract and the team is on the fence or maybe they can't afford you, the team is always in control. When they get rid of a player, it's not because Kenny Pickett made a stink. It's like, Kenny Pickett didn't want to be there this is not the NBA. They don't just, you know, capitulate to all your demands. They got rid of Kenny Pickett because they didn't want Kenny Pickett anymore. Period. Point blank, end of story. They can say whatever they want.

They did not want him anymore. And they definitely didn't want to deal with anything he was bringing the table as a backup. Now, if Katie Pickett is any good, he should have had a very, very good opportunity to beat out Russell Wilson this fall. Like, let's face it, Russell Wilson's pretty average. There's no disputing that. We have now years of evidence. This isn't just the last couple years in Denver.

This goes back to his last year in Seattle. He has not been good for a while. And I'm not some Russell Wilson hater throughout his career. I thought he's one of the most dynamic players I've ever seen live. But that guy feels like a distant memory. And ultimately the reason the Steelers signed up, he was cheap. Costs them less than $1.5 million. Justin Fields is going to make way more.

money this year because they traded for him and he was the 11th pick in the draft, then Russell Wilson in terms of what the Steelers will pan. Obviously Russell is making a ton from Denver. That's not Pittsburgh's problem. But I think Pittsburgh looked in the mirror and this is where I give them credit. Because when something is not working, you really have one option, especially if it's not been working for a while. Something doesn't work initially. You can play it out. See if something will change. Keep doing what you're doing and hopefully you will eventually get that. result. But I look today like their last six seasons. The Steelers have basically been the same team. 2018, nine wins. Two thousand 19, eight wins. 2020. Outlier year. Also outlier season. Half the

teams didn't have fans in the stands. Everything was done on Zoom beside practices. Somewhat of a Fugazi year. They won 12 and obviously they got worked in that home game against the Cleveland Browns, which was one of the great moments of Baker and Cleveland's franchise in decades. 2021, 9 wins, 2,022 9 wins, and this year 10 wins. So they have basically been the same above average team, but going nowhere for a while. So they could have rolled back with Kenny Pickett and even just added Russell Wilson. I don't think anything would have changed, right?

I've been saying even with their new quarterback room, I look at the team the same. probably around 9 or 10 wins, but their ceiling is higher. And ultimately, I look at Justin Fields. If you've ever read or listened to people in the investment world, in the venture capitalist world talk about how they operate, they don't plan on hitting grand slams on every investment. They hope like one or two in 10 of the companies they invest in turns into a home run. they're hoping to find the next Uber or Nvidia or Facebook and then get enormous returns.

Now, because they have huge funds of money, they spread out a billion dollars 10 different ways. And if one hits and they get 50, 100 X return, it's all worth it. And to me, Russell Wilson is not that type of investment. You're just hoping he's solid, he's steady. I'm pretty unsure. But Justin Fields falls under that category. and I was talking with Colin last night and I truly believe this.

Russell's leash, assuming he wins the job and beats out Justin Fields and they can push all they want. He's the starter. He's the starter. No one's taking a fucking snap yet in OTAs, let alone training camp. But I do think it's fair to say

he should be the starter come week one. But brand new offense for everyone, new offensive coordinator, no equity with anyone. I think they're hoping to strike some oil with Justin Fields. Now, the guy we have seen, and I've heard so many people, the bears screwed him, the bear screwed him. I don't know, like a lot of young quarterbacks that are drafted high, he went to a shitty team.

And it was tough. Well, this year, he had some weapons around him and had some opportunities to display skills worthy of, like, should we invest in this guy? And he didn't show it, especially when you factor in, they have the number one pick. But there is no disputing. There are physical attributes and stuff to work with there. and maybe the Steelers can quote unquote strike oil. Once upon a Tom Arthur Smith did that with Ryan Taneyhill. And Ryan Tanny Hill helped the Titans be very good for a couple of year period of time.

Now, do I think Justin Fields is going to do that? I would bet against it, just because that's not usually the way the NFL works. But we have also seen countless young players get opportunities in new places and improve, get better. And the one thing that you can't argue is the Steelers have a lot more continuity, especially on defense, than he has had early on his career in Chicago. And to me, when they made this trade, it was simply because hopefully we can find something.

And if we can't, whatever. But this is the same type situation, which I commend, like, we couldn't keep doing what we were doing. This is not acceptable. So we have to go in a completely different direction. Get rid of all of our quarterbacks get two new guys that don't really cost us any money. But there's a reason. If Russell Wilson had not had $40 million coming to him, right, was just a free agent with no money coming to him like a lot of just most free agents, right?

They're just true free agents, empty slate. How much money would he have gotten? Because I don't think he would have gotten a lot. And I don't think he definitely would have gotten a multi-year contract. I think he would have been in the vein and in the world. of the Sam Darnold, Darnold Gardner-Mitchu kind of money. Somewhere $8 to $15 million. And teams would have heavily incentivized it.

If you have a really good year, if you're, you know, throwback pro-bowl type season, you can end up making $25, $30 million. Right. Huge incentives for passing touchdowns, wins, all that type stuff. But I don't think he would have got very much guaranteed money. And it would have been a very, very awkward situation. Now, you could argue, do you want to give $10 million to Sam Darnold or $15 million to Gardner Minchew?

that's kind of the bridge quarterback going rate with the inflation of the salary cap. But the Steelers signed Russell Wilson, like I said, he was cheap. It's really not that complicated. Not because they think he's some superstar. Not even that they thought that he was probably that much better than Kenny Pickett.

But he was not Kenny Pickett. He was something different. And that's ultimately what I think they needed. Something different. And the Justin Fields thing kind of fell into their lap. And I do not buy for one second. understand part of the game is to take care of your sources. I don't view it like Ryan Poles got fleeced or played. Like the market is what it is. He didn't draft this guy. They played him. His

tape spoke for itself. And like I don't think they did right by him and turned down fourth round picks. Bull shit. I also think this deal's not too crazy. Is it out of the realm of possibility that Justin Fields ends up playing more this year than Russell Wilson, how could you say that with a straight face? Because like I said, if Russell Wilson struggles early on, and I said this a coward, the fans, their leash with him is going to be zero. They're one game in. He's dinkin and Duncan, and they lose by 10 points to the Ravens or the Bengals.

Like, let's see what Fields has. This isn't some, like, let's just see this play out. No, who cares? We're not tied to this guy. Let's at least see what the young guy can bring to the table. I think this is going to be very, very fascinating. This is going to be one of the bigger stories in the NFL come training camp

when they're actually in pads, taking snaps. And if I was a betting man right now, I think we see Justin Fields this year. And I would imagine we see them earlier than later. You know, this happens a lot this time of year. Sometimes it happens before free agency starts and then again around the draft is you have a player

who is do a lot of money. who's due a big contract extension. And you're torn. Either you don't know if that player is worth that much, two, you don't know if you can afford to keep that player. I think like a Tyreek Hill would fall under that category. The Chiefs knew how good the guy was, but could they afford to give him $70 plus million,

pay Mahomes, ultimately look down the road, going to give Chris Jones an extension. They had to make some tough decisions. A.J. Brown, there were rumors that the Titans' ownership was hesitant to put the amount of money needed and they traded him. Devante Adams once upon time. The Packers wanted to keep him.

He didn't want to be there. And all these type guys got traded for first round picks. And it's your job as a GM if you even have questions or if that player is driving a hard bargain slash like, hey, this is my number if you don't trade me. It is on you. Part of your job description is to figure out what the guy is worth on the open market.

That's all these conversations that happen at the combine are just, what could we get for Ligerious need? What could we get for Brandon Ayuk? What could we get back in the day? Like, what's A.J. Brown worth on the open market? A couple years ago, Debo Samuel was holding out. How much would he be worth? Then there are the type players like, T.J. Watt, a couple years ago, did the hold-in. Nick Bosa last year, same thing he held out.

You're never trading those players. You're just negotiating. It's a lot of money. You're always going to keep those players. I think when you are entertaining doing the deal, which I'm all four. I remember when the 49ers traded to Forrest Buckner, they got the 13th overall pick.

And my first reaction was like, I would drive him to Indianapolis for the 13th pick. And I don't believe I was wrong. Then it is on you to make the right decision with that pick. Like there are two parts of this discussion. There's the trade. and then there's, the draft comes, and you have to pick a player.

Like, think about A.J. Brown, when they traded him to the Philadelphia Eagles. You could argue that's insane. Many people would. But if they had picked the right player, remember, the Buffalo Bills traded for Stefan Diggs. They gave up a first round pick. The Minnesota Vikings used pick 22 on Justin Jefferson. You've never heard a peep since about, like, God,

the Vikings were crazy, traded Diggs, went on to be one of them. of the better receivers over the next several years for the bills. People forget the digs was even on the team. It's like, God, you got the best wide receiver in the league. Yet, A.J. Brown, it was like, hey, we'll trade you for whatever it was. Pick 16, pick 17. They picked Traylon Burks, who I think has less than 50 catches through two seasons.

The 49ers, when they traded Buckner to the Colts, they could have taken Tristan worse. Instead, they got cute, they traded back a pick, and they took Javon Kinlaw. So when I see these, like, to me, Brandon Ayyuk is a really, really good player. He's damn good. He's a winning player. But is he worth $25, $26, $27 million a year when you already are paying a lot for a wide receiver, who in a weird way is not some true number one either? You're in a tough position. and as the guy running the team, whether that's Kyle, John, or the combination of them both, you have to figure out what's out there. So when I read a rumor today that the Jags, they've had discussions.

And now, how credible this is, if they were going to trade Brandon I.U., they would definitely need to get a first-round pick, or it's not worth even trading him. But let's say they were able to trade him for pick 17. A lot of people would be like, ah, the Jags just got a really good receiver. God, the 49ers got really good value. Well, eventually the 49ers are going to be on the clock at pick 17th. And that trade is ultimately determined, not necessarily how good IUC is.

We already know he's good. It's established. All these guys I've listed that got traded, maintained being really good players. Buckner, Tyreek, I mean, A.J. Brown, Devante Adams. You know that guy's good. There's no projection.

There's no guessing game. These are established. veteran players. Now, if you hit on the draft pick, you get cheap labor. And you're in position where you can change your franchise because now you have a lot more wiggle room with a guy on a cost-controlled contract for the foreseeable future. But you better get the pick right. And the risk in those trades is enormous. One, because you're getting rid of a player that you know you can win with, that you've been winning with. The Niners were winning with Buckner. The Titans were winning with AJ Brown. The Chiefs were winning with Tyree Kill.

But what did Veets do and gets a lot of credit for? Well, he was able to use that draft capital and be in position to move up a couple spots and get Trent McDuffie, who's now one of the better DBs in the league, who now gives them the opportunity to like, yeah, we could probably trade our other corner who's going to cost a lot of money. But when you pick the wrong player, it's a disaster because then you have to make up for it. Then you get a cheap asset, but if you can't play, you get extra cap room. Now you have to use that cap room to fill and band-aid that position. So these decisions seem so easy on the internet. Oh yeah,

trade them for this. Well, you better draft the right player. And I don't think we talk about that enough. And I don't. Because the moment a guy's traded for a sweet first round pick, you're like, oh, that's a no-brainer. And then they draft the player. You're like, God, that guy sucks. Good decision there, you idiot. So I think Brandon Ayuk, for example, is a very, very tough decision for the 49ers.

I don't think there is a right or wrong answer. Obviously, if they just extend him, he's going to be fine. He's going to be a good player. Is he ever going to be a star? And I understand, and you can go like this, well, guards now make $17, $18 million.

That's like the going rate. Do I want to pay a guard, $17, $18 million? Not really. He better be a high-end pro-bowl starter. Do I want to pay Brandon Ayuk, $25, $26 million? Well, yeah, if he goes to the next three Pro Bowls, I'm cool with it. But if he's like, yeah, he's like a fringe, top 15 wide receiver in the NFL, then I don't know if it's worth it.

And these are the discussions. This is why building a team is so difficult. This is not fantasy football. You have to build it within the cap. And when you extend good players, they are very, very expensive. and I think, and listen, I'm critical of moves when they happen. That's the job I'm in, just like fans are as well. Like, that's dumb, that's smart.

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

I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined.

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

And the next, we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream,

this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeard radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people.

I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam Jay. 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. Let's get into a little draft daily because the Minnesota Vikings, I think over the weekend, it might have been Friday or Saturday, traded a second round pick this year and a second round pick next year for another first round pick, the Houston Texans, pick 23, and I think a seventh round pick. But the seventh round pick is kind of irrelevant. Obviously, they want to get the second first round pick. Now they possess pick 11 and pick 23.

And Kirk Cousins is no longer there. And they have a $10 million kind of placeholder in Sam Darnold. most people believe that they really, really like J.J. McCarthy. And when you look at all these trade propositions, a lot of people think that the chargers are going to trade back, get more assets, get more picks, they have some cap issues, and try to reset their franchise with their new coach and new general manager.

Why are we not talking about the Arizona Cardinals doing that? Like right now the Arizona Cardinals have the fourth overall pick To me they are in prime position And when I say fleece Get a bounty from a team that wants to move up Obviously if they aren't that comfortable moving too far down It's pretty clear the Giants are only a couple spots away

Could come from six to four And get one of the quarterbacks they want But if you're Minnesota And you're in love with J.J. McCarthy You think he can be a quarterback, a second contract quarterback, be a guy that can run your team for many, many years. Wouldn't you give up pick 11, pick 23, and another first round pick to move up?

If you have that much conviction and belief, because never forget once upon a time the Eagles did something very similar. They traded well before the draft to acquire extra picks, to put themselves in position to get to number two. Now this draft is different because Obviously Caleb's going to go one and Jaden Daniels is probably going to go two So we know guys are going to go one and two The Patriots are a little bit of a conundrum

New GM, new coach have had the same guy there for 25 years We don't have a history with these guys running it But how often are you picking this high There are several quarterbacks? I think they could easily take Drake May or Jaden Daniels Whoever the commanders don't take I think the Cardinals are primed to trade back. And if I'm Minnesota and I have this much belief,

clearly I do because I'm already making moves to get myself in position to get a guy that I really like. Now, I don't think you're going to pull the trigger until draft night because you don't know exactly who's going to be there. What if the New England Patriots take J.J. McCarthy? Then you just kind of stay in Pat and use those picks on players. But if I had to guess right now, I bet Minnesota trades with the Arizona Cardinals

and gets up to four, and if rumors are true that they love J.J. McCarthy, they take them in four. And then we're in a position where quarterbacks go one, two, three, and four. And if you're Arizona, there hasn't even been a position player off the board. So now if you're at pick 11, I only got to get seven spots.

I'm going to get one of the top seven players on my board. I think if it plays out that way, it's not as crazy going from 4 to 11 given that you're not taking a quarterback because you got Kyler Murray and all these quarterbacks are pushing these players down. Daniel Jeremiah, I think, tweeted either today or yesterday, that his belief of four quarterbacks are going to go in the top six.

Well, if the Patriots take a quarterback at three, you would have to imagine that Arizona's phone is going to be ringing off the hook. And they're going to be in a position to move back. And I actually think they're more comfortable now moving back, given what they saw this year with Kyler Murray. That he's not only more than a functional player.

I mean, he's a pretty intriguing player. Now, how good, how high a ceiling is, he is damn talented, and he made plays down the stretch where it felt like he won games on his own. So I don't see enough people talking about the Arizona Cardinals making the move, and clearly Minnesota has to have them circled as a target. Okay, let's do a little tangent Tuesday. This is what I'm naming this little part for right now.

Subject to change. The Jacksonville Jags had an employee named Amit Patel that embezzled over $22 million. In gambling, he was buying watches, private jets, I mean, was just living large. This guy's not, the article stated he was like 31, 32 years old. He just got sentenced to 78 months in prison. This was a really big deal.

And he had quotes in there talking about like this was because his alcohol, drug, and gambling addiction. And I got to call bullshit. When you're buying $95,000 watches and renting private jets, you're just a criminal. I'm not saying that you didn't have addictions, but you're using those things to try to, almost take away from your actions. It's almost an excuse. Listen, we all make mistakes. Some of those are not criminal activity like this was. And in this article, he basically said, at first it just started with like $25,000, $50,000 and it grew and grew and grew the more he didn't get caught. If all he was doing was using this money to gamble, I'd be like, listen, maybe the guy does

have a problem. This guy was renting private jets, five-star hotel rooms, buying shit left and right, basically to look cool on Instagram. And when he constantly got questioned about where were you getting this money, he would say from his rich parents in crypto currency. I just think it's pretty embarrassing to use that as an excuse when you've embezzled $22 million. When I read that he bought basically a $100,000 watch, there is no excuse you can say. You were just addicted to getting away with what you were getting away with. And you just prayed the inevitable would never happen, which ultimately did. You got caught. There's no way, and listen, I've had friends and small businesses that got, probably had 50 grand stolen from them relative to their operation. That was a lot of

money. I know people that have had seven figures stolen from. It's a jolting feeling. And any time you have an operation as big as the NFL, it's not like Shod Khan can keep track of every dollar. And in fairness, this guy was using the money. He was creating fake business expenses, turning them in, and he was getting away with it for a long period of time. Meanwhile, he was living like a fucking king. And I think anytime you have someone that has access to the money of a company that is making a lot of money, if they are wired like this guy, this is always, has the potential to happen.

But to use the excuse of like, I was addicted to gambling. Like, well, what was the private jet you flying around? No, you were addicted to looking cool. You were addicted to want to being rich, which a lot of people aspire to have money. They just don't steal millions of dollars from their employee. Like, you ain't that different from Bernie made,

off and SBF, bro. You're a criminal. The story, Bruno Mars, who has a residency in Vegas at the MGM, which basically, you know, you play concerts, Celine Dion, Beyonce, maybe, Garth Brooks did it forever. I think you can make a lot of money that way as an entertainer.

There was a story that came out that he owed a $50 million debt to the casino. MGM came out and said it's not true. Listen, if I had, I loved a game, If I did a residency at one of these casinos, you'd have to be pretty careful. And now they've come out and said this is completely BS.

He doesn't know any money. So it's just crazy how stories, and this is the hard part I think about the world we live in. And Colin and I talked about it. The story that came out about Aaron Rogers, the vice president's story, I'm like, yeah, I could see Rogers leaking that, wanting to force the hands of the jets.

And then CNN came out with a story. that one of their reporters talked to Aaron Rogers in 2013 and he claimed that Sandy Hook, the school shooting, was a hoax. 11 years ago,

she came out with the story last week and half the sports media who can't stand Aaron Rogers quote tweeting it's scumbag, conspiracy theorist, loser. It's like, listen, I got no clue I wasn't there, you weren't there, what was said between these two people.

But how am I? Like, you're just fucking common sense. You had this conversation in 2013. There have been countless, like, famous people who have gotten trouble for saying different things over the years. And you wait until the story about him wanting to be the vice president for, I'm sure, a candidate that this reporter does not like to come out with this story.

Like, bullshit. Obviously, Aaron tweeted out, like, he's been on record saying things. Like, this is crazy. What are you guys talking about? But it's just really hard. who knows what to believe anymore. Seriously. And I think most people

and most people I know don't really believe anything. Because who can you trust? Really, who can you trust? If you're first reaction reading that story, it's one thing, you read the headline, you're like, damn. And then you click on it, you're like,

wait, they had this conversation at the Kentucky Derby in 2013 and you're just bringing it up now. Like, let's just... What? That's an insane thing to tweet out. out. Jake Tapper and I mean, every single person in ESPN is like, this fucking scumbag. God, this is crazy, man. And I think this is a hard time to be alive because it's one thing in

like NFL free agency, right? Like obviously in the draft time, stories are being leaked that are fake. And then there's like real life stuff that kind of impacts our world. And you're like, that's pretty crazy. Like, is this true? Is it not true? And that just kind of feels like the world we're in. where if you don't question everything you read, I can't really relate to you because I read a headline, good, bad, or indifferent. I'm like, yeah, might be true, might not. 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 of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told,

and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeard radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok.

Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam Jay 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 so Thank you for finishing that. sentence. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart

Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Okay, Middlecough mailbag time. At John Middilcoff. At John Middlecough. Is the Instagram fire in those DMs. We'll start with Brandon. She's fan. Living in Oregon.

I want to get your take on what the back-to-back champs would do this year after acquiring Hollywood Brown on a one-year deal. Personally, I think we should trade up and get Mahomes another weapon, but I know the wise decision should be get a left tackle. What are your thoughts?

Well, I think you guys are in a difficult position in terms of when you trade up from pick 32, let's say you want to go up six, seven spots. you got to get rid of like a second or third round pick sometimes. You know, the chiefs aren't in position, given how high price now Mahomes and definitely Chris Jones are. That's where I think the Sneed move comes in.

I think if they end up trading Sneed for a pick in the early mid-20s, they will do like they did a couple years ago. And they'll attempt to draft, you know, last time they drafted a defensive lineman in McDuffie and it worked out really well. This year, I think they'd be much more inclined to probably take a wide receiver slash tight end and an offensive lineman. So I think it'll come down to the Sneed trade. And if they can trade Sneed for a good pick, then I think they'll just use those two picks on ideally two good players.

But anytime you draft at the end of the round, it is difficult. I mean, it's hard to find starters in the late 20s, right? your odds as the first round goes gets difficult because you're paying a guy a first round contract most drafts have depending on who you talk to 20 to 22 max first rounders remember a couple years ago they drafted clyde in the first round obviously it was a mistake but it's it's not an easy position to be in you know for every george carlofskis you get a good player that a lot of whiffs so wouldn't shock me if they tried to trade back into the second round because you get a cheaper contract and you get the same talent.

So I would expect if they trade sneed, they use that pick on either a wide receiver, tackle, or tight end, if that's late teens, early 20s, wherever that pick was, and then ideally from 32 try to get back to like pick 40. Sometimes that happens with quarterbacks. want to share and hear your thoughts on Andy Reid's Chief's run. I don't think Andy gets enough credit for his Chief's career. Absolutely no one talks at the very beginning in Kansas City.

He inherited a dumpster fire that was 2 and 14 with the number one overall pick. Former regime Pioli Todd Haley Romeo Cornell were atrocious and ran the franchise into the ground. Not only that, but they experienced. an absolute tragedy with Belcher, the Javon Belcher situation. Clearly the operation was a disaster and the franchise needed a massive change. Hunt flies to Philly and essentially intercepts Andy at the airport. Interviews him before he flies to Arizona for a cardinal interview and gets Andy to agree to be the coach. Andy Reid takes a two and 14 drafts Eric Fisher number one and trades a second round pick for Alex

Smith and instantly turns Kansas City into a perennial. playoff team. Winning 11 games, his first year seems impossible. I think even Andy would tell you once they got there, a little Harbaugh-ish, that once they got Alex Smith, they did have some pieces there. Right, they had Tom Bahal Lee, they had Justin Houston, they had, uh, is it Derek Johnson, the linebacker, Jamal Charles. So the cupboard wasn't totally bare. It was more of a reflection, how big of a joke the prior regime was, just like Jim Harbaugh got to the 49ers. Total joke.

What Mike Nolan, Mike Singletary, like how they had run the operation. But Alex, and Alex, was better once Andy got and then the guy Harbaugh got. But that stabilized everything. And obviously Andy's just a really good coach. If you give a really good coach, a solid veteran quarterback,

and some good veteran pieces, like, they're going to compete. And more than likely, they're going to win double digit games. But I'm with you. Andy Reed's Chief's tenure is an all-time Hall of Fame.

If the Eagles thing never existed, if his first time being a head coach was, what, 2013 to present with the Chiefs, Hall of Famer. Which is crazy to think about. Because he was a head coach for 14 years with the Eagles,

had a winning record, went to a Super Bowl, went to like four or five conference championship games, drafted a ton of high-end pro bowl guys, won a ton of games. So yeah, he's just, he's a legendary coach.

And anyone that was around him in Philly knew he was a star. And not that he was talked about like some loser, but it ended poorly. He became a legend in Kansas City. And that's cool. Winning one Super Bowl, really big deal. Winning two Super Bowls, put you in rare air. Winning three, like I said, he's the chubby Bill Walsh.

Big fan. My question is for a super, super early prediction for Super Bowl 59. Wow. Well, it's hard to bet against the Chiefs. It really is. So I think you would be foolish right now. One thing I learned, literally gambling against them, bad decision. Now, history would show us to go to, what have they been, to four of the last five,

so that would be five of the last six. Statistically, in this modern day era, that would be insane. I don't even think the Patriots did that. But I'm not betting against them until they're not there. Learn my lesson. I think the NFC is pretty fascinating, right? All the teams that were in the mix last year,

I think you're going to say are going to be in the mix again. The Niners, as of right now, basically most of the guys are coming back. So they're going to be really good. I thought the Rams would be pretty good. They lose Aaron Donald. Like, that's a pretty big blow. If Matt Stafford's healthy, they're a playoff team.

We know the Lions are really good. The Packers were definitely ascending. And then I think you have the two kind of wild cards. They've been really good the last couple years, but, you know, the Eagles and the Cowboys. So you're going to call me biased, but I'll go Super Bowl rematch. But I think the Lions are going to be pretty good. And maybe the Packers, like kind of that group, would be my early kind of NFC window. I got a question for your next mailbag.

Do you think the Bears are a playoff team next season? I think it's going to be difficult, right? So let's just go over the playoff teams, a team that we're going to think are going to be in the playoffs. The 49ers, the Detroit Lions, the Rams, even the NFC East, you're going to pick probably the Eagles or the Cowboys to win that division.

The Packers, I think they're going to be better than they would. were last year. So even if you just focused on their division, how do they beat those two teams? I know individually they beat, right? They beat the Lions once? They can compete.

I mean, even the final game with Fields. They competed in that game. I think the final score was 17 to 9. Can they get to 9 wins? To me, the goal would be 9 wins. If you miss the wild card, that's a very, very successful season. And especially if Caleb shows. something. But best case scenario, can they make the playoffs? 100%.

Am I going to pick them to make the playoffs? Probably not. And that's more of indictment of... It's hard for me to pick Iber Fluse to be a playoff head coach. Kind of like their roster. Ryan Paul's proven to be pretty good. We all know that DAC has to be extended. They can't let him walk for nothing. His contract is not tradable. And like you said, they like to pay their own guys. but what, if anything, can they do to get over the hump? I really feel like they're Derek Henry away from taking the pressure off Dak to the playoffs.

Well, they didn't sign Derek Henry, obviously. Listen, I think the way they were going to get over the hump this year was have Dak play well. Now, their defense shit the bet against the Packers, but if they're ever going to make a run, Dak has to have a playoff stretch where he looks like Joe Flacco or Eli Manning. He has to get hot. And it's been the opposite. And he threw a pick six last year against the Packers? I mean, he was objectively terrible in that game.

Two years ago, he was okay against the Niners, but he also threw an interception that cost him. Three years ago against the Niners at home, he threw two picks. So as long as he's their quarterback, I mean, clearly your defense can't just have one of the worst games all season long, but you need him to play well. You need him to get hot. Now, I think it's fair to have the conversation.

Is he capable of doing that? So far, what we've seen, and it's not like he's 24, so there's a lot of unknown, like, we've seen him for a while. I think it's fair to say it's probably not going to happen. But we have enough examples of individuals, like Joe Flacko was not consistently as good as Dak Prescott. But he had one playoffs where he got super hot. Eli Manning was pretty up and down throughout his career.

Had a couple of playoffs where he just got hot. Made huge plays when he had to. Can Dak ever have that happen? As of right now, the answer has been no. But to me, I would say that would be the way the Dallas gets over the hump. Is Dak just has, like one of the hottest stretches of his career? At the right time.

Not in October, not in November, in fucking January. I'd say it helped to have home playoff games, but they've hosted two playoff games, two of the last three years in the first round have been bounced. I've seen so many reports that the Giants were out on Daniel Jones. The Dolphins have yet to give Tua a big contract. Could you see the dolphins trading Tua on night one of the draft to a team like the Giants?

Or another NFC team with a good pick to get one of the quarterbacks? Well, obviously the Dolphins have a Tua problem in the sense that he needs. needs to get paid, why would another team trade for Tua and then give him a huge contract? I think we all agree, unless you're Tua's family, and Tua seems like a great guy, and he's honestly a better NFL player than I thought he would be. I wasn't a huge believer of him. I didn't even think he'd be, I never thought he'd be this good. I was not a huge Tua fan as a prospect in the NFL. He's been better than I thought. I just could not pay him $45, $50 million a year. So if the dolphins are not going to do that

And they've literally had them for two years under McDaniel And had a lot of success Someone else is going to go Well, I'll take that guy And then I'll give him $180 million guaranteed Seems a little unrealistic to me Like it's just Colin and I were talking about this

It seems like they're a lot smarter GMs People are like less emotional Maybe a little less star driven 20 years ago 30 years ago these type things happened. I think in 2024, who's doing that?

We've seen bad quarterback contracts derail franchises. I mean, it fucked the Broncos. Obviously, it's crazy the amount of money they gave Daniel Jones, but that hurt the Giants a lot, and it still is.

Matt Ryan's contract at the end was a disaster for the Falcons. I think if you're going to give the guy a lot of money, he either has to be playing really well and you feel confident in him right like the Falcons with cousins which is still risky because he's injured

but those guys know him and they're just looking for something solid and they only had to give him like they didn't have to give him $200 million they gave him basically a three year contract two is going to want a five or six year deal I think he's a very very complicated situation given how much money

the going rate is for he just throw up his stats playoffs two years in a row, stats. I'd go, well, who are the good teams that you're beating and playing well against? I watched all your games last year. You did not play well against the better teams. You just didn't.

And you can't play in the cold. Did the Packers overpay Xavier McKinney? I'm concerned about them paying $17 million a year for a non-premium position, especially with bills come and do for love and the receivers in two or three years. if the guy is a pro bowl level player, and I'd be lying to you if I have the scattering report currently on Xavier McKinney,

but if the next two years he's a pro bowl level safety, I hate the word premium position. Obviously quarterback left tackle, pass rusher are more important. But if I get an impact safety, linebacker, a nickel corner guard, like he's a pro bowl impact guy, he's worth what I'm paying him. all these guards that just got $17, $18, $19 million.

If those guys that were just paid go to a Pro Bowl and are playing like a top 7, 8 guy at their position, you don't even think twice. If that guy is not, then you're, to me, the margin, like he better be really good.

And part of getting Jeff Halfley to come from Bosnia, Jeff Halfley's a DB guy. Like, that's kind of his baby. It's what he cut his teeth at. as an up-and-coming coach. So I think you go, we get this talented player,

you've got to overpay in free agency, that's part of the deal, but our defensive coordinator is a DB guy at heart, so we're going to get the best out of this player. So yeah, I mean, there's pressure on him, but to me the non-premium position, if the guy plays like a premium player,

then it's not a big deal. It's not a good contract if he's average. Totally agree. It's all on how he plays. I mean, it's just that simple. To me, the receiver's two years down the road. Most of these contracts for non-quarterbacks and non-defensive linemen

are essentially a couple, two-year deals. I don't care how many years, quote-unquote, his contract, what guaranteed number did he get? $35 million? So, $40 million? You're not tied to him for crazy long periods of time. Could be off on that number. I don't have his contract in front of me.

but I don't think you gave him an astronomical amount of money. Question for a bail bag. I've heard rumors the Bears had better offers for fields for a few other teams but he wanted to go to the Steelers. First, is this something that other GMs

have done to help out a player? I just don't believe this. I do not believe this. I simply don't. And the better offer is what? Like, hey, we have these two six round picks we like you

the difference of 10 slots what team would you want to go to okay that's believable but like to think that hey we got a fourth rounder on the table but you know this is to Team X that you don't want to go to you want to go to the Steelers

picks you know six round pick we'll trade you there bullshit that is not Ryan Poles his job do I think that something might have been in the same vicinity it's like the difference of seven picks in the sixth round. That is believable. But the way that it was kind of written

is like they had way better offers on the table and he was like, no. Who do you think you are? Like Kevin Durant? I don't believe that for a second. Does this in any way help polls as a GM doing right by field's future player inside? No. None of this doing right by players.

This happened in the NBA forever. Like take care of my guy, we'll take care of you. BS. This is all a business. We're all trying to get the most humanly possible. If you're an agent, you try to get the most money from your client. If you're a GM,

you try to get the best package if you're trading a player. This is the business we're all in. There's no like, on the margins, maybe, if the guy's like, hey, you give my guy an extra million dollars, maybe I'll help you out on the guy that's already on your team

on a contract extension. And even that, it's not like you'd put that in writing it's like a handshake deal and you know I just call BS on all this I mean we're talking so much money these draft picks are so valuable

to think that like yeah you know we could have got like two fours but we love Fields great guy he was a high character guy and he wanted to go the Steelers so we traded them for their you know pick at the end of the sixth round no way it's not even believable that just

maybe like some historic player on the team. Like, hey, we're going to trade next year. We're going to move on from Travis Kelsey. And we're going to trade him to a team that he wants to go to. I'd be like, oh, I could kind of see that. He helped the Chiefs win three Super Bowl. He's one of the greatest players in the history of the franchise.

You love them, but you're going to go your separate directions. You told him you would trade him and you would work with him on a trade. So, okay. Justin Fields? The GM that didn't draft him? Come on. The notion that, like, they took way less because they wanted to do right by them

is borderline embarrassing. It really is. And I like Rapsheet, and he's clearly good at his job. But that feels like... And you don't even need to do this. No one is acting like Ryan Poles like there was some crazy market for him. It didn't exist, and that's okay.

It's out of his control. He doesn't control the market. The other teams do. Huge fan of the pod and wanted your business perspective on something I'm currently in the U.S. Air Force, and I have three years left on my contract, and I'm starting to think about life ahead. I'm looking to pursue a trade school when I'm done and wondering how the Scottsdale area is because I'm not sure I want to move back to my hometown in West Virginia. Also, love the tipping culture topic. Wanted to share one of my experiences with the pot.

I was at a Colorado Rockies game last season, and I got a cocktail, $21. and then the guy flipped the iPad asking for a tip and I had no issue declining. This insanity. Totally agree. What are we talking about? Yesterday, what day is today? Monday?

Saturday, we went out to dinner. And she wanted to go to this kind of newer, seafood-y place down the road from our house called Buck and Ryder. Pretty good food. Well, you get there, the bar and the restaurant is packed. and they have this seating area outside. They have this incredible happy hour menu.

All these apps are 10 bucks. All these cocktails are 10 bucks. But if they sit you outside, the happy hour doesn't exist. So they sit us outside in like this patio where they're not really paying attention to you. So the drinks are really slow to come. The appetizers come like kind of staggered ahead of the drinks.

In fairness to the waitresses, there's so much going on inside. the outside is an afterthought. You have to you know basically cash out outside before you come inside and get like a new bill. Well I cash out and you know it's like 80 bucks.

We had a couple cocktails and a couple apps. And it flips around. Again, the service was awful. I don't even blame them for the bad service. But then when you flip it around and the tip starts at 18, 20, 25%, it's like guys, I'm all for tipping for good service.

The service was bad. And then I'm going to tip again. Ideally, I'm going to get better service inside. What happened to like, yeah, 10, 15%, percent? You did kind of an average job. I just don't know where we're going from here. I love Scottsdale. It's awesome.

I don't know what else to say. I would recommend it to anybody. I don't know anyone that lives here that does not like it. Not one person. And most of people I know came from other places. and everyone to a man says the same thing which I would have moved here sooner didn't realize what I was missing

I couldn't like it anymore I love living here love living here would recommend it to everybody gets a little hot in the summer other than that it's fucking awesome place to live a lot going on

there's just a vibe here that where I came from in the Bay Area the vibe was not there anymore there is a vibe here just it's hard to describe but once you're here you kind of know it different places have vibes and uh i really like the vibe here for sure the volume another podcast from some s nl late night comedy guy not quite unhumor me with robert smigel and friends me and hilarious guests from bob odenkirk to david

letterman help make you funnier this week my guest s nl's mikey day and head writer streeter sidel help an acapella band with their between songs banter where does your group perform We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged.

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

Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking

Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of ton-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 Bo Your Mind on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.