The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 3 & Out - Mock Draft Day

Episode Date: April 24, 2024

John does his Top-10 Mock Draft and tells you what he thinks is going to happen during Thursday's NFL Draft. John also dives into the news that the 49ers might be open to trading Brandon Aiyuk, and the importance of hiring the right head coach Lastly, John answers your questions for this episode's mailbag segment. 6:29 - Mock Draft 7:15 - Bears Pick 8:44 - Commanders Pick 10:12 - Patriots Pick 11:59 - Cardinals Pick/Trade 14:25 - Chargers Pick 16:13 - Cardinals Pick 17:05 - Titans Picks 19:12 - Falcons Pick 21:58 - Bears Pick/Trade 24:12 - Jets Picks 28:13 - Could the 49ers trade Brandon Aiyuk 35:37 - The importance of hiring the right coach 45:05 - 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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What is up, everybody, John Middlecock, Three Now Podcast. It is mock draft Wednesday. So this will be the last podcast till the draft. We'll have stuff out Friday morning and up on YouTube live during Thursday night. But I'm not going to do anything for Thursday just because the drafts come so fast. So this will be the last pod till the draft. And we're doing a mock draft. Top 10 mock draft.

Top 10 mock draft. But we will do that today, as well as some Brandon Ayuk, rumors about a potential trade coming Thursday night. And Andy Reed and Brett Veach sign extensions with the Chiefs. I wanted to talk a little bit about that because no-brainer for the Chiefs, but just in general, kind of crazy. Looking back at when Andy was fired from Philly, you didn't have that many options. and that's one that probably didn't age that well because a lot of teams, I'm sure, regret the opportunity to hire Andy. And then, of course, we'll do a little mailback.

At John Middlecoff. At John Middlecoff is the Instagram. Just firing those DMs. Fire in those DMs and get your question answered here on the show. We will get back to Go Lo, do something next week, because a lot has happened, but so much football going on right now, we just didn't have time. So if you got any golf questions, at GoLop Pod,

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And let's get ready for the draft, baby, because it's almost here, and the mock drafts will be a thing of the past. But I wanted to play around a little bit today. and put my own little spin on things. So we will get to that coming up. But first, you know, I got to tell you about my close personal friends, my partners, and the official ticketing app of this podcast. They're known as Game Time. What I need you to do is go to your smartphone.

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We will no longer have to guess here in about 24, 36 hours. We will know where all these players actually go. But until then, it's fun to guess. And I'm taking educated guesses. I've talked to a lot of people. Beside the Caleb Williams thing, I would even say Jaden, feels pretty locked in but I don't feel great about it

like I wouldn't bet my life savings that Jane Daniels is going to be the Washington quarterback even though it does feel like that I just Adam Peters ain't some big talker so until he's his name comes across I won't feel great even though probably going to put him there so let's just start

the Chicago Bears do you know the cool part about this draft is no one even has to guess there's not even a question this guy would have been the number one pick last year. The Bears, because of Ryan Poles, one of the great trades, potentially in NFL history of Caleb, just becomes a top 10 quarterback.

Everyone keeps talking about this guy becoming a superstar. If he can just become a top 10 quarterback, I truly believe it's one of the great trades of all time, right? I mean, not even close. You traded essentially Bryce Young for DJ Moore and Caleb Williams and some other picks. It doesn't get any better than that. And the one thing I will say, I watch the pivot, Ryan Clark and Fred Taylor and Shannon Crowder.

They sat down with him. And I've watched a couple interviews with Caleb. He's really smart. I enjoy watching him talk. And I think, listen, the intangible stuff, how much he wants it, his drive to be great, he says all the right things. It's not, life's not about what you say. It's about what you do.

And he's going to have to prove it. A ton of pressure, but get to go to a place with a ton of offensive weaponry. I mean, you've got two wide receivers who are legit. You've got a solid tight end. You've got some solid offensive linemen. Your team has another pick, which we'll get to later in this draft. Just a cool spot. A historic franchise that just gets jolted with some buzz.

Caleb Williams, number one pick. I mean, that didn't even need to say anything. The number two pick. I'm giving Jaden Daniels to Washington, but I do think there's a chance that Drake May goes there. I just think that these draft picks, because just based on last season, can't be argued. You could argue Jaden had the best season of all the quarterbacks, him or Michael Penix. But it's about projecting.

Now, if you factor in the offensive coordinator, that he's worked with a much more mobile quarterback before and Kyler Murray, but Cliff Kingsbury also coached Baker Mayfield and Patrick Mahomes. So I also think you've got to be careful about picking a lot of. a player for your offensive coordinator. Because there's a chance in a couple years of Washington has success. Cliff Kingsbury gets a job in like the Big 12 or the SEC. It's crazy as that sounds like, get ready. It could happen.

I'm giving them Jaden Daniels. Don't feel like, I definitely don't feel like Caleb, like that's 100% happening. I'm kind of being influenced by what everyone says. Now, granted, a lot of my friends in the NFL think that that's the right pick. I just put a bigger picture view. If you go back to 2022, Drake May was a guy that Nick Sabine off for $5 million. And I saw someone in the YouTube comments on a video the other day was like,

is that the dumbest decision anyone's ever made? Not to go to Alabama for $5 million instead of staying at North Carolina. But he made the decision and ultimately he's going to be rich no matter what. And we'll get to Drake here in a minute. The New England Patriots are fascinating. I wanted to chalk them up for a trade back because I think there's been a lot of buzz but my theory is not going to change on

the owners are getting destroyed constantly shit on and a lot of it is self-inflicted they produce the documentary that everyone hates they produced the documentary that made Belichick look like an idiot they did that Kraft productions

we know that Jonathan Kraft not a big Belichick guy couldn't wait to get his hands, you know, basically run the organization. The bill did for almost two and a half decades. And I think that you get a little cute and try to trade back a couple picks and then move back up for a quarterback. I don't even think it's worth it. Even though they have a million holes, their roster is easily, you could argue it's bottom two or three in the NFL. It's probably one of the worst in all of professional team sports.

It's that bad. So just drafting a quarterback here, even if it was. Peyton Manning is not going to make you good for the next couple of years. But the way these teams think, there are some talented quarterbacks in this spot, let's just take it. Last time a team took the third quarterback off the board, his name was Trey Lance. I do think the Patriots played a little safer here. Because Drake May viewed a little more as a project, a guy who's going to need some work.

Well, if your team sucks, you're not in position to risk that. J.J. McCarthy, my comp for him is Alex Smith, a little, in theory, higher floor. They've had a Michigan guy before. This guy's a proven winner. Obviously, the intangibles are off the charts. I'm going J.J. McCarthy here with the New England Patriots. Pick four.

Moni Austin Fort has been saying forever, we are open for business. We want to make a trade. He doesn't have to worry about a quarterback. He's got Kyler Murray, who, We'll see over these next couple of years if that's the right move or not, but obviously Kyler Murray is going to be their quarterback for the foreseeable future. And they have a lot of needs.

They also have an extra first round pick because of the trade last year with the Houston Texans. I think that the Arizona Cardinals make a trade. And I think they trade with the New York Giants. The New York Giants just had a disastrous season. They've had a lot of those in the last six, seven years. I mean, kind of embarrassing. They got excited for Tommy DeVito. If you remember, when the Buffalo Bills drafted Josh Allen,

Ryan Dayball was the offensive coordinator. You drafted who? This guy who can't complete who couldn't hit water if he was sitting in a boat? Who was the assistant GM? Oh, the GM of the New York Giants as well, Joe Shane. So Shane and Dayball come from Buffalo, where they took a major project, who was a way bigger project,

and had never done anything close to what Drake May had done in 2022. And it changed all their lives. It changed Buffalo's franchise trajectory. It got those two guys, the head coach and the GM job of the New York freaking giants. And let's face it,

they have a million needs, 100%. Their quarterback situation sucks. They have Daniel Jones coming off an ACL who isn't that good making a ton of money and they're just kind of a lifeless franchise. You take Drake May and you say in the press conference this guy reminds us a lot of Josh Allen.

Now whether that comes to fruition and becomes true over time, who knows. But I'll tell you what it does. It gets people excited. And it's the right, like what else are you going to do? Take a wide receiver, sit there at six. You have no, who's, who's,

going to throw them the bowl. So this is my first trait. The Arizona Cardinals only have to move back a couple spots. They can still get one of the top players on their draft board. They accumulate an extra, you know, early second day pick. And they're feeling good. The Chargers. Everybody and their mother. Wide receiver, wide receiver, wide receiver. I've been watching Jim Harbaugh's career since I went with my dad to watch the University of San Diego play UC Davis when I was home for Thanksgiving break. Jim Harbaugh went to Stanford and San Francisco and won a ton of games and didn't depend on wide receivers. Think about some of his teams in Michigan. Hell, his great teams in Michigan.

Not a wide receiver dependent operation. He is dependent on the line of scrimmage, the running game, and the quarter. quarterback playing under control. He has never looked for Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen type play out of his quarterback. That's not the way he coaches. That's not the way he builds a team. And at the owner's meetings, he went on a long, long kind of diatribe about the importance of the offensive line.

I think the Chargers go offensive linemen here. I'm going to give him Joe Alt, move him to right tackle, you got Slater at left tackle, and all. the sudden, you know, in theory, you have one of the better tackle tundoms in the NFL. I was listening to a podcast where Daniel Jeremiah gave them the dude from Alabama. I'm going to go with Alt, but ultimately, I think they go offensive linemen here. When everyone is going to be saying, why didn't you take Marvin Harrison? Because Jim Harbaugh hasn't had Marvin Harrisons.

That's not the way he plays. Boy, he's got Justin Herbert. he's going to try to make Justin Herbert a way more efficient quarterback. He's going to try to take pressure off him. I think the chargers go O-line here at 5. Six, this is an easy one. Cardinals move back a couple spots. They just take Marvin Harrison.

It's a no-brainer. They turn in the card with eight minutes left on the clock. Now, the league won't read it until there's one minute left on the clock because they want to play this out, help their partners out, everyone make money. if you notice in the first round they don't turn in picks for the most part with like seven minutes left on the clock.

This is a television show. I think that decision would be made in a New York minute. Marvin Harrison, Arizona Cardinals, all of a sudden you get Kyler Murray a legitimate weapon to go with a tight end who's already good and then you continue to build it with your other picks,

you know, your second pick later in the first round. All of a sudden you, go, God, Arizona's got some young talent on the team. Seven, this is another one. A lot like the Chargers. Everyone said the Chargers is going to take wide receiver. Everyone said the Titans are going to take an offensive lineman.

You know the first guy I heard? What was I listened to? Oh, is Diana Rusini? I was at the gym today and I threw on the athletic podcast, and she just went through her notes. I had heard the same thing. To keep an eye on the Tennessee Titans taking Malik, neighbors at 7.

I think everyone just assumes because they have a huge need. Well, what did Brian Callahan when he got the job do? He hired his father, who was under contract with the Browns, but because of the situation, they let him out of his contract, and he went to work with dad. A lot like what happened with Kubiak once upon a time with Kyle Shanahan letting him go work with Mike. Well, part of having that asset is being able to get guys in the second,

third, fourth round, and having your dad turn them into players. But I also think they believe that Malik Neighbors' talent is probably a top three or four guy in this entire draft non-quarterback. You put him with Calvin Ridley, they got

DeAndre Hopkins, who's a little older, whose contract, I think runs out after the season. They signed Tony Pollard. They need to find out immediately. Will Levis is getting one year, and it's this year. Prove you can play. Because if you can't, we're moving on. That's how fast we operate in the NFL. No one waits anymore.

And there's going to be no question mark if I give you Malik neighbors, Calvin Ridley, DeAndre Hopkins, and Tony Pollard. Like, we got enough. And then it's on my pops to, we'll draft some more offensive linemen, coach those guys up. Brian Callahan, where does he come from? Cincinnati Bengals. What did the Cincinnati Bengals have? Early on, the offensive line wasn't great. What did they do? Invest in the wide receiver position. Remember, everyone said including me, I wouldn't go

Jamar Chase, I would take Panasul. I'll promise you this. The Bengals do not regret that selection. Now, these players aren't exactly alike, but I think if Malik Neighbors is on the board and they can't trade back, I think he's the pick at seven.

Pick eight. The Atlanta Falcons. They've picked every skill guy under the sun in the last three or four years in the top ten. They obviously don't need a wide receiver, tight end, or running back. They view their offensive line is pretty good. Pass rush sucks. Many people in the league don't believe there's an edge rusher that is worthy of a top

10 pick. Dallas Turner, all the attributes, kind of a project, given where you'd have to pick them. Latu Latu, medically retired because of a neck. And Jared Verse, more of a power rusher. And they play in a dome. Ideally, Dallas Turner makes more sense. But who's their coach? Rahim Morris.

Where do Raheem Morris come from? The Rams. Who's the Rams best defensive player? Aaron Donald. Byron Murphy, who I know multiple people that have spent a ton of a time of Texas. He's one of their favorite players in the draft. Checks all the boxes on the field and checks

all the boxes off the field. What's the knock on him? A little smaller. Little under 6-2. Saw one of Lance Zerlain's comp to him was Ed Oliver, who went to Houston, big recruit. Well, what pick did Ed Oliver go to the Buffalo Bills? Oh, he was the ninth pick. I think the Atlanta Falcons

just take the best defensive linemen on the board. And I think a lot of of people, a lot of teams in this draft will have Murphy as their top defensive linemen. And in 2024, obviously, you know, edge rushers are great. What the hell is the difference? Like, Aaron Donald was the best defensive player in the league for a long, long time. J.J. Watt, in his prime, was like this hybrid interior exterior rusher.

Fletcher Cox is going to go to the Hall of Fame, lined up over guards. So if I think this guy is an impact player I'm not saying he's going to be Aaron Donald But I just have a track record of working with a player that has similar measurables What separated Aaron Donald? Obviously he's really talented His just freakish work ethic desire and drive and love of football And he just played his ass off

Well I think a lot of people think Murphy falls under that category So I'm going Atlanta Falcons take Byron Murphy here with the eighth pick. We have a trade at 9. The Bears easily could take Roma Dunesay right here. Easily.

And no one would fault them if they did that. But I also think if you're at 9 and some of these teams now, we got Caleb off the board, Jaden off the board, J.J. off the board, J.J. off the board. The Raiders are pretty desperate. And for a long, long time,

if you go to YouTube and you just type in Al Davis, Raiders and just some of the videos that have been made over them in the history of the franchise from NFL films he hung his hat on press coverage

athletic dbs and speed wide receivers and throwing bombs he loved going deep that was the Raider way just win baby and they've obviously gone far away from that and been a pretty average to below franchise for a long long time

Well, Michael Penix is a fascinating guy because if Penix didn't have the injury history, even if he was his age, been in college a little longer, some of these other guys, I think we would all agree. Universally, he's a top 10 pick. Then he goes to the pro day and works out fan... If Al Davis was alive, Michael Penix would be a raider.

Now, Antonio Pierce keeps saying, I'm a raider. I know the raider way. Well, where does Telesco come from? The Chargers. And what do they just get that kind of change their franchise? Justin Herbert.

What does he do pretty well? Big arm. Throws the ball down the field. The Raiders are pretty desperate. They have a team with some talented elite-elite impact guys. Crosby, elite. Devante, elite.

Colton Miller, damn good. Like, they got some pieces there. They're also in a division now with the best team in football and Jim Harbaugh just showed up for the Chargers. Like, you're not going to be competing to make the playoffs with Gardner Mintu. I don't care what he just did in Indianapolis.

He's a really good backup, and I feel pretty good about it. I think the Raiders trade up to pick nine with the Chicago Bears. They just move back a couple spots. Still can get a sweet player. Add, I don't know, a third-round pick or something. And Michael Pennix is drafted,

and he becomes a Raider. 10. I didn't even need to think about this. This one was easy. This one's been out there for a long time. I've talked to people in the league that say, yeah, it's going to happen. Jets are desperate. They have to win right now. They do not have a choice.

If you just based on what this guy did over the course of career, I don't think you could argue that he's been one of the best players in college football for three straight years. And he didn't play at some random school. He literally played out of school. that won back-to-back national championships and was right there for the playoffs till Nick Sabin upset him in the SEC championship game.

He played on a team with what felt like 50 NFL players. I think over the course of two years, like 15 of their defensive players were drafted. He went up against these guys every day in practice. And he started immediately. Kid from Napa, goes to Georgia, dominates immediately. I don't see how Brock Bowers isn't good.

He's not your... 1988 tight end. He is really more of a slot wide receiver hybrid. Well, who's going to go down as one of the greatest tight ends of all time? Travis Kelsey plays that role. Put him with Aaron Rogers,

Garrett Wilson, Brees Hall, put all of our chips in the middle of the table. Like, you've already... Listen, I think it'd be easy to go tackle here. Here's the problem, though, and I could easily talk myself out of it if I'm Joe Douglas. What if our two tackles stay healthy?

Which is a big if. Then that guy doesn't even help us out. So I think the Jets go Brock Bowers. So to recap, Caleb, one, Jaden, two, J.J. McCarthy, was going to shock some people. Three, Drake May, because of a trade-up, New York Giants get their quarterback, Joe Alt, Chargers, Marvin Harrison Cardinals, Malik Neighbors, Titans, Byron Murphy defensive tackle from the University of Texas, goes to the Atlanta Falcons, Pennix Raiders at 9 and Brock Bowers

rounds out the top 10 which I saw you get some tasty odds on draft kings plus odds for him to be a top 10 pick that's my mock draft 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 Embed it in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care which I'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 what you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people.

I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill,

waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so you all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table. right now. Thank you for finishing that sentence.

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. The NBA playoffs are here. We'll be breaking down all the action on the Colin Coward podcast. You'll get my best takes.

Great guests like my buddy Nick Wright. Check out the Colin Coward Podcast, part of the volume network. available on Spotify, Apple, wherever you get your podcasts. A couple other quick things. Rapsheet said today from Detroit that it is still up in the air if the 49ers were to trade Brandon Ayuk on draft day. Michael Silver wrote something in the San Francisco Chronicle, basically reiterating that same thing.

Trading Ayuk on Thursday is in play. Could be Friday, depending on the picker. you get for. To me, this gets back to the Tray Lance trade. For three years, they got nothing. They drafted Tray Lance in 2021, started four games, wasn't any good. They didn't have a first round pick in 22 or 23. Now, they have been really good over that period of time.

But in that Chiefs game, you felt their lack of depth. Because they have missed on some third and fourth rounders and even a second round, in recent memory. The pressure on those guys were essentially their first-round picks and Drake Jackson's nowhere to be found. Danny Gray, done nothing. Ty Davis Price,

the running back from LSU, practice squad. Because of their lack of draft capital has hurt their debt. But the problem with their team is they already had some really high-end players. They had to pay a lot of money. Debo, ton of money.

They acquired McCaffrey, a ton of money. Trent Williams, ton of money, Hargrave, ton of money, Bosa, historic money, Fred Warner, ton of money, Charvarius Ward, ton of money. They're paying guys a lot of cash. So you can tell me, oh, Brock Purdy makes something, or makes nothing, totally agree. But they have six, seven other guys that are being paid premiums. And because of their lack of draft capital over the last couple of years

and whiff it on some second and third round picks, which were their first round picks, like they're kind of in a weird spot. Do they love Brandon Ayuk? 100%. How could you not? Guys, a fucking stud. Brandon Ayuk could play for all of our teams every day of the week and twice on Sunday. You want that guy in the trenches.

But this is a business, and you have to build your team. And I think if they could choose if it was just scratch, and you could just get rid of one and keep one for the next five years, they would keep Iyuk over Debo. But because of the money they pay Debo, they're kind of stuck with them. So now you look at it and you go, well, how do we gain some draft capital? Trent Williams, 35 years old. Like, how are we ever going to get another offensive tackle?

Well, I think we've got to think. Now, you're not going to give them away. Ideally, you'd like a pick in the late teens, early 20s. Are you going to get that? I don't know. Because if you think of a recent comp of a guy that was traded on draft night, was AJ Brown. Pick 17.

Well, AJ Brown's a better player than Brandon Ayuk. Last year, I think they did entertain it in that, like, mid-20 stretch. I think they were kind of hoping the. Ravens would be interested in doing a deal. But the Ravens got Zay Flowers, who's excellent and now makes way less. Because part of the problem is, and Rapsheet said this, is the Niners are prepared to pay him. I'm sure they're cool with paying him, I'm like $23 million. But I yuk and his representation know right now there are other teams prepared to pay him more.

This is like the Legerius Sneed situation. It's like the player has a little leverage once he knows these other teams are willing to pay me more. then it's on you to figure out the compensation. So would you take, and here's the thing, if you do make the trade, the pressure on you to nail the picks is everything. Because I know Brandon Ayuk is good. The Chiefs traded Tyree Kill,

who's obviously better than Ayuk and one of the greatest receivers of all time. But what did they immediately do? They got picked one in the early 20s and one in their own pick. They got two impact starters. One guy in Trent McDuffie that looks like one of the best DPs in the league. And Karlofskis is just a really good player. Starter on a Super Bowl team. One, two.

So I think the Niners, if they knew they'd get that, they would do it. But that's where the risk is. Like, they've done it before. They're like, you know, we don't really want to pay Buckner 20 plus a year, five years ago. So we'll trade them. For the 13th overall pick. Was the right move. At the time, celebrated.

I'd trade DeForris Buckner all day. long and every day for the 13th overall pick. The problem was, is they got cute. They traded with the Tambay Buccaneers. Back a pick. The Buccaneers took Tristan Worf's, who's become a pro-ball, pro-level talent and stalwart for their franchise. And they took Javon Kinlaw, who they thought would be Buckner's replacement. Well, in 2024, Kinla is no longer on the team.

For the most part, was a disaster for them. not all his fault his knee doesn't work and he was constantly battling injuries so I think you get to these points where your previous history impacts you it just does

it's why is there a chance that Adam Peters really likes Drake May hell yeah but he goes you know I just saw what a project if it doesn't go well and we had Kyle freaking Shanahan

and it was a disaster I just saw Jaden Dan Daniels dominate. I know if I just plan on the trajectory. I feel that's safer. So the safe thing here, keep IUC, but you can't always do that. For a long period of time,

Belichick didn't do the safe thing. And he benefited from it. And he was able to reset his salary cap. Andy Reed, since trading Tyree Kill, has won two freaking Super Bowls. That was definitely not the safe thing. Look at the Packers. In a two-year span, they traded Devante Adams and Aaron Rogers.

And now it looks like, I would imagine, most people are going to pick them to have 10 plus wins this year. So if you want to play it safe in life, you're probably, if you're going to drive in the slow lane, you're probably going to avoid more wrecks than those driving in the fast lane. But those guys are going to consistently lap you if they don't get wrecks. So I see where they're coming from. I just know this.

if you make the trade for whatever, pick 22, a couple second round picks, whatever it turns out to be, you better fucking be right on the guys you pick. And they better have an immediate impact. Because you're trying to win the Super Bowl now. And here's the other thing. Your young quarterback who has been a revelation, history of the NFL, we've never seen anything quite like it. The last pick in the draft being this good. Even Brandon Iuk have pretty good chemistry.

Like, kind of works. you know, he's his number one target. So you remove that. You also risk throwing off Brock Purdy's game, which would have, you know, a snowball effect of negativity.

It's one thing just to lose I you can try to replace him. It's another thing then if it bleeds into your quarterback, if he doesn't have a repertoire with whoever you bring in. So, that's what I like about the, that's what I like about life. Take some big swings. Some work.

And you get extra credit when they do. And when they don't, people talk a lot of shit. It's like, you didn't have to do that. Last but not least, the power of getting your coach right changes your franchise. And I think coaching hirings, hiring a coach, is a lot like draft picks. No one actually knows. No one does. No one had any clue that when Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVeigh signed with the Rams and the Niners in 2017,

In 2024, we talk about those two the way we do. Even though both of them, especially Kyle, had been an offensive coordinator for a long time, but we have seen countless up-and-coming offensive coordinators just being overwhelmed and failing, right? It happens all the time. Mike Tomlin was in his early 30s. Most people hadn't even heard of the guy. No one saw that coming. Even John Harbaugh was a special teams coach whose brother had played in the NFL

for a long time. The Harbaugh name wasn't quite as sexy in coaching circles in 2006 and 7 as it is now. But sometimes guys are available. It's like, it's kind of a no-brainer. Like Jim Harbaugh. When Michigan hired him, of course he was successful. The Chargers, of course he's going to be successful. Pete Carroll, when Seattle hired him.

He's like, well, he's won before in the NFL. He just had one of the great programs in the history of college. college football. Yeah, it's probably going to work. And it did. Andy Reed, it had ended so ugly in Philadelphia. Trust me, I know I was there with a four-win season. I think everything he had accomplished people in a weird way, like, forgot about or thought that was something of the past. Because he had proven for over a decade, I'm going to win. Maybe not the Super Bowl, but we're going to be in the playoffs the majority of times and win playoff games.

We are going to be a high-end franchise. And looking back when he signed with the Chiefs, there has to be, if we went back and broke it down, 25 plus teams that regret not firing their coach immediately in hiring. But I think Andy Reid was viewed as like, best days are behind him. Not that good. Losing touch.

What's he, like, without Donovan McNabb, what's he really done? He took Michael Vic out of Leavenworth and almost won the MVP. We had a bunch of injuries in 2012 and it was ugly. And the Dream Team, because it was so hyped up, clearly was somewhat of a black mark, I guess, at the time, on his resume. Well, he took Alex Smith and they immediately made the playoffs like five of six years. In a division with Peyton Freakin Manning and Philip Rivers in the private.

of his career. And then, like any good coach, if you get the right quarterback, Belichick, Brady, Walsh, Montana, the equivalent of Parcells with Lawrence Taylor, I know he's not a quarterback, but his impact essentially was. It's not going to be a fair fight.

And because of Brett Veach, who has been Andy's right-hand man for like 20-plus years, who after the John Dorsey situation with the owner fell apart and they named Veach. It hasn't really been a fair fight. They might have rough stretches during the season. But we have seen now, for over half a decade, in the playoffs, they are the clear cream of the crop.

And here's the other thing. Over that period of time, the AFC has been better than the NFC. Because I've got to play Josh Allen every year. Think how many times the Chiefs have played Josh Allen in the playoffs? Back-to-back years. We played Joe freaking Burrow. He even got us one time. Last year, we played Lamar Jackson on the road.

It's reported that Andy Reid will now be the highest paid coach in the league. Sean Payton makes $18 million, and Andy's going to make more than that. Whatever Andy Reid is making, it's a deal for Clark Hunt. I don't think Andy should make more than maybe Patrick Mahomes. you could argue the talent more important than the coach. But is there another guy, including Chris Jones, that he should make less than? At worst, he should make the same.

If I told you right now that he makes $30 plus million, no one would bat an eye. If he was a free agent, tomorrow, would a team give him $4 years, $120 million, $30 million a year? bet your ass they would so Clark Hunt just got to deal with Andy Reid he did

because Andy and now Veach and Mahomes have turned the chiefs into like you know this kind of historic franchise one of the original franchises Hank Stram big part of all the old films you know the NFL films and Steve Sable

to one of the biggest brands in the NFL to the marquee to the marquee in the national football league with the marquee player. And the reason that player is there is because of each and Andy. So props to those guys for getting extensions. One thing I always say is

I'll never be around another human that I've ever seen work longer. His work stamina is unparalleled. Maybe there are people that have the same, but I think it's impossible to have more. I think it would be impossible to have more. And I hear stories whenever I go to the combine. I obviously know the majority of people and the coaching staff and just around him.

They say his love for football. And I'm not talking during the season. I'm talking to like May. I'm talking to like June. Texting people, hey, swing by the office. I got an idea. And I get back all the time. Or I mean, I say this all the time,

is find what you love to do. and attempt to do that for your profession because it's so much easier to just be passionate about working because I don't care what you do, working becomes a job. Whether you're a football coach, whether you're a car salesman,

whether you're digging ditches. Obviously some are more difficult physically on your body, but Andy reads love of football, his passion for football, and obviously he's a very talented coach. And I think what makes him unique, a little like Pete Carroll, and why he's perfect for this day and age of players,

but he's had success with old school players as well, is he's a California kid. So his disposition is not angry screaming all the time. He's not a swearer and a cusser. And he can be hard, and he runs a tight ship. Like if you're not sitting out many practices during the season, it's not a country club. Kelsey Travis on his podcast,

has reiterated that over the years. This is not a place for everybody, even though he's not screaming at you all the time, like maybe Belichick or on you like that. But what he's done with the Kansas Chiefs, absolutely remarkable, and fun to watch, he's not going anywhere, him and V. 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 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 which 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 IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap little Kim's boobs at the VMAs?

Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam Jett. 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 finishing that sentence And yes I don't think there's a more important year For black people Really?

Yeah For me it's one of the most important years For black people in American history Listen to look back at it On the IHeart Radio app Apple Podcasts Or wherever you get your podcast So if I'm in the AFC, buckle up because the Chiefs are going to be the clear favorite until they're not.

Okay, Middlecoff mailbag time. You guys know the drill. DMs wide open at John Middlecoff, Instagram, fire in those messages. Start with Mitchell. Mailbag question. The Trey Lance experiments obviously failed. but as a concept, athletic quarterback boosting an already high floor Shanahan's system. Is it a good one? If we theoretically drop Josh Allen onto the Niners,

do both Allen and the offense as a whole actually get better? Or would they sacrifice the timing that makes them special to accommodate the other? If the 49ers had Josh Allen, they would one hundred, 100% have a Super Bowl,

if not multiple. I mean, they made it to the NFC championship with a banged up Jimmy Garoppolo a couple years ago. So, I don't even think it's a question mark. Would the 49ers want Josh Allen? 100%. He actually,

specifically Josh Allen, I think is a big reason that they drafted Trey Lance. The problem with Trey Lance is his athleticism actually isn't that great. He didn't run. very fast.

When you watched him run, he was a hesitant runner. His play speed wasn't great. So, like, Purdy is a more functional athlete on the field. And look what he's done for the Niners. He made some huge plays with his legs in the playoffs and over the course of his career. So, yeah, I mean, to me, Josh Allen is easily

the second best quarterback in the NFL. Do you about Joe Burrell? Yeah, we'll see how he comes back from injury. But yes. The answer is yes. Packer fan here from Ireland. Over the last few years in the NFL, it seems like there's always a new story

about some shitty owner ruining their team. I wonder how much the Packer sustained success over the decades comes down to its unique corporate structure having one unpredictable guy in charge. I understand a great deal of success

comes from back-to-back great quarterbacks, but you could make the argument that the owners would have flat out overruled Ted Thompson and Goody and refused to move on. I don't think you can make that argument. I think we would all agree. There is no chance that they trade Brett Farve.

And after the MVP's trading Aaron Rogers, because one thing the owner would have done is attempt to facilitate an improved relationship. So when it comes to those specific situations, situations, one million percent it has benefited the Packers. Because the football people, with no influence from the money, got to influence the right football decision. It's very rare, very rare, that Robert Kraft is a complete outlier, that he basically

let Belichick, well, he kind of overruled him with Jimmy Garoplo, and then he let him make the decision. I guess actually it's happened before. I mean, Bill Walsh traded Joe Montana. Pollian, I guess it was Grigsin when they cut, but it was really the owner when they cut Peyton Manning. It's a very tough decision. It really is.

Because you get a transcendent player, the popularity they have in the league at that position, the popularity they have for the business of your football team. But the Packers are a great example. if you trust your football people, let them cook and then just enjoy the dinner. Thoughts on the Jets picket number 10. Do they take a tackle

that probably won't start until someone gets hurt? Or do they take the best pass catcher available which is probably Bowers? Well, I said it in the mock draft I think they would pass on a tackle. And a lot of people in the NFL believe that too. Because in fairness to their thinking

if, again, big if, capital letters I, capital letter F, your two tackles stay healthy and you draft the tackle and he can't really play guard, that guy wouldn't play much at all. So all of a sudden you've used this high-valued asset, pretty sure they don't have a second round pick because the Packers have it, and you don't get anything out of it. Win Now Mode, I think Bowers is their pick unless Bowers is off the board. This is a golf podcast, but it's about Tiger Woods, so I'll answer it. What would Tiger have shot at Augusta had he been able to use a cart? Would he have been competitive?

Well, Gusto doesn't let you use carts. So any other course, that would work, but there's just no golf carts at Augusta. So hypothetically thinking, yes, he would play better. As someone who's walked a little bit in golf when I'm trying to get back in shape, especially in the summer, it takes a little bit out of you. Now granted, you know, me or you or carrying our own bag or pushing your own bag, a little different when you have a caddy, but still, a lot of wear and tear on those legs that are fused together.

As a fellow millennial, 38, your perspective on sports, life, finance, I grinded it out in a shitty industry for 10 years, making no money, and then took the skills I developed and jumped into the tech industry. Six years later, I'm making four times what I used to make, and have it look back. Congratulations, Colby. Awesome to hear. Keep up the first takes.

Okay, onto the mailbag. What would be required to make a small market team like the Panthers into a major player? I know the owner kind of sucks, but does the smaller market make it inherently more difficult to attract high-end free agent talent? Or does money ultimately talk in the eyes of players? And second, when scouting college,

players, how much does the rest of the team factor in to the process? For example, big SC fan here, South Carolina, and saw firsthand Rattler and Xavier Leggett carry a truly bad team. On your first question, if you're really good and you have star player like you once did with Cam Newton, you guys were a major player. I mean, you guys were playing on prime time, Sunday night football. Monday night football, the Panthers with Cam Newton and the good years mattered in the NFL. The market size doesn't dictate.

This is not basketball, where the NBA is kind of screwed because Curry got bounced after a playing game, and LeBron's going to get swept in for it. The equivalent in football, if OKC was the one seed, it would be, it doesn't matter. We watch. I'm not watching OKC, right? I'll watch the Lakers, and I have. even the Nick Sixers. You couldn't pay me to watch some of these other series.

In football, the Chiefs aren't a big market. They get Mahomes, they get Andy Reed, they become immediately a major player. The Packers for decades. Farr, Rogers, now Jordan Love, major player. You guys, Cam Newton, major player. If Bryce Young becomes a star,

you'll be a major player. When it comes to the money on free agents, for the most part, star players don't really hit free agency. So like, you're not really missing out that often on guys. I would say if you don't quote unquote sign a guy. But the NFL money talks. Guys are going to go where the most money is offered.

Your market size is irrelevant. Rattler, the wide receiver, definitely factor in the team. Right. I think sometimes you're more critical when a guy's on a really good team, You kind of nitpick them. Like, God, he should have done more, this and that.

When a guy excels on a team that is the underdog in the majority of the games you're playing, right? Like, think of who you're the underdog against. Clemson, Georgia, Tennessee, Bama LSU, any of those teams, if you play, Ole Miss. Yeah, 100% factors in. And it's hard. I mean, you got to, this is why you've got to know as a scout or a college scouting director, the conferences and the talent on all the teams really well. Because to, I would say, dissect that stuff,

you can't have surface knowledge. Right. You follow South Carolina football, right? So you have a really good idea of your team, and if you've been following them long enough, you've seen good and bad teams, right, with Spurrier. You know what it looks like. And then you definitely know what it looks like

because you play arguably the best team in the country every single year in Georgia. Your rival is Clemson, who's been one of the best teams in the country for a decade. So you got a pretty good feel. So like if I'm the West Coast Scout, I might not know the SEC inside and out. So it's, if I'm just watching a player,

I can evaluate that player his skills, but as competition, it can be a little more difficult. There's a lot of context in college scouting. That's what makes it difficult. Like a guy, if I play it, let's just pick a school. Oklahoma, and I'm a pass rusher. And I have 10 sacks in a season.

And I'm coming out. I have 10 sacks. And I'm one of the better, more productive pass rushers in the conference. Well, what if five of those sacks came in non-conference games against non-power five opponents? And three of those five sacks came against a D1-A team. and when I played two teams in our conference, Texas and, let's just say Kansas State, and they both have a draftable tackle,

and I went against both those guys and I was not productive, that's where you really got to kind of nitpick it. And it's hard. And then you've got to figure out, does he have the skills to translate? Is he taking advantage of shittier competition? it's why the SEC is relatively easy to evaluate. Like if you're doing it on a weekly basis,

you're just seeing them constantly against NFL teams or NFL players. You're like, well, that guy's a second rounder. This week he's going up against a fourth rounder. Last year he smoked the dude. That guy went in the second round. Or that guy kicked his ass and that dude was a top 10 pick. So you can kind of put all the context, the pieces of the puzzle together.

That's kind of what you're attempting to do. I'm listening to your most. recent mailbag and currently hearing you talk about choosing between an O lineman and a wide receiver. You said if an O lineman and a wide receiver were the same grade, you would choose the lineman every single time. That had me reflecting on the 21 draft when the Bengals selected Jamar Chase over Penae Sewell. I know Burroughs suggested to the organization that they draft Chase, who was his college teammate and good buddy. But do you think the Bengals' now look back and regret the decision, especially considering Burroughs injury concerns,

I don't think they regret it at all. I think we all agree Jamar Chase is the top two or three wide receiver in the NFL. And yeah, I think you would rather have Jamar Chase than not. I like Panasool. He's a good player. But I think if you just said, who would you rather have in that scenario for that team, you would take Chase. Now, if you look at would the Lions trade Sewell for Chase?

Probably not. I think it kind of depends. I think Chase has a chance to be a Hall of Famer. And Penae Sewell doesn't. So I think you could argue, are they the same grade as a player? Now, if you told me I got Trent Williams or Jamar Chase, Tyron Smith coming out of college, all these guys, yeah. If I'm just getting a starter offensive lineman,

I think the way you would look at it like this, the chargers are a good example. If you think Marvin Harrison and Joel are both going to be pro-bow level players. Obviously, if you do, one guy turns out to be one of the greatest of all time, you would rather take that guy. But if you just view those guys as the same,

and especially Harbaugh, you just take him, meaning the O'Lyman. So maybe I contradicted myself a little bit there because I said the Bengals would take chase. But I don't think Penae Sewell, who is good. I think

the Bengals feel pretty good about that one. Are we sure Robert Kraft is an elite owner? I'm not saying

he's a bum, but people forget that before Brady and Bill, he was known for constant meddling. Furthermore, he ran two

Hall of Fame coaches, Parcells, Pete Carroll, out of town. And later, after going to the playoffs two of three years, Kraft didn't meddle

when Belichick wanted to keep Brady as a starter in 01. But after that, we give him credit for not meddling when the Pats were going to the Super Bowl basically every other year. Not exactly a difficult task. If the team isn't in the conference championship, he gets extremely hands-on. What are your thoughts on Robert Jonathan Kraft as owners in 2024?

Can you describe what makes an elite owner? And are there any sub-500 teams that you would say have elite ownership? I think the key to any owner, the number one key to a good owner, hire and pay a premium for you, try to hire the best people possible, and then don't do anything besides the business side of the team. When you start getting involved, and there's a difference like a guy hits his girlfriend, like, hey, we're cutting this guy and the coach doesn't want, I have no problem with that. I'm talking about being in the draft room like Jonathan Kraft currently is with Elliot Wolf,

and like giving his feedback on what he wants to do. I think that is a recipe for a fucking disaster. We saw it with Dan Snyder for 20 years. We see it happening with David Tepper right now, telling them what plays to run. Jimmy Haslam was way too involved. You know he's actually a pretty good owner? Mark Davis, you get hired, you get to do whatever you want,

which is a coach's and GM's dream. Now, part of also being a good owner is hiring the right people, and you could argue he has not done that. But you go work for him, you get to do whatever you want. You work for Jonathan Kraft right now? No chance. So I'm with you. Like, he owned the team during that period of time.

But he's constantly, and I'm putting this more on Jonathan than Robert, because Robert's 82 years older or whatever now, I think Jonathan wants to play GM. I think Jonathan's been dreaming about this day since the moment he could kick Bill out of the building. Then I get to run the show. And look at what they did.

Elliot Wolf, longtime personnel guy, son of Ron Wolf, one of the most legendary GMs in the history of the league. You think Elliot Wolf's in charge? Fuck no. He's doing whatever Jonathan tells him to do or has to run it by him. That's why Diana Rossini,

I listen to her talk on the podcast, saying when you talk to other GMs, they say that Jonathan crafts, the guy running the show. And I think where they find that out is they ask Elliot, hey, would you be interested in this? What about this? What about this deal? He's like, I got to run it by Jonathan.

And listen, there's nothing wrong with like running something by your owner when you're making a big trade or a big signing. But it does feel like he wants to be the grand poobah. So it's one of the reasons that I'm shorting the Patriots for the foreseeable future. Coward once said after Stafford won the Super Bowl Stafford doesn't get the respect he deserves because he stayed in Detroit too long.

I agree. Do you agree? I think if Matt Stafford would have played for a winning franchise during the bulk of his career, I think we would talk about him like we talk about Josh Allen and Joe Burrow. I don't know if we would ever been considered the top dog because of Manning and Brady and Rogers, but I think he would have been constantly considered a top five quarterback.

And I would say for the most part, he never was considered that. You know his number one supporter over the years? Aaron Rogers. Aaron Rogers constantly talked him up. Why? Playing the same division. And when you're studying your divisional opponents, you just watch their games

well who do you think he saw a ton on cross tape over a decade Matt Stafford and he's thinking God, this guy kind of looks like me so yes I agree the good thing for Stafford is he's made $250 million

so Super Bowl champion one of the richest guys in league history say it all worked out for him it's to the point where I can't even watch some of these other shows because their analysis is so bombastic and lazy. Just for hot takes.

Question. What about Antonio Pierce as a leader is so... I don't even know what we're already shooting for here. So specific. It seems like the players are outspokenly committed to him more than what we've seen with most coaches. Well, I think...

I mean, I've never... I don't know the guy, but I think he was a team captain. level guy as a player, as a middle linebacker. So when you play middle linebacker, when you play free safety, when you play quarterback, and you're like one of the leaders of the team, you just have some natural ability to connect with people on and off the field. Obviously, in the NFL, you've got to be a really good player to be, you know, not just a team

captain, starter, and then on a really good team. well, he was that level guy on a really good team under a really good coach. So I would imagine, if I had to guess, Antonio Pierce, who played under Tom Coughlin, has a good balance of being really intense and holding people to a high standard, but then just relating to guys. Like, that's what good coaches are able to do.

They're able to form a powerful relationship. I saw this thing that went violent. from Dan Quinn in a team meeting with his coaches. And basically what he said is, I need all you guys to form good relationships with your players. Because when you have a good relationship with the guy you're coaching, you can coach him harder. Which is just kind of common sense, right? Why can your parents ride you more than some random person on the street? have a lot of equity with those people.

Why can Andy Reed and Travis Kelsey shove each other on the sideline? Andy's coached him for a decade. So when you know a guy intimately with a relationship, no different than your friends from high school or college as you get older, your relationship with those individuals

are just kind of unique. You have a lot of built up just personal equity and knowledge of these people. and essentially what Dan Quinn's saying is like get to know these guys and I think Antonio Pierce has a natural ability of connecting with guys that's going to be the least of his worries. He's good at that clearly.

It's going to be running the team, which is clearly a really, really hard thing to do on Sundays in the sport of football, right? Because it's the game becomes a little less about that on Sunday and more about we're playing chess. And he has to coach the coaches from a chess standpoint. How do we focus on the weaknesses, the strengths? I'll give him credit. He brought Marvin Lewis.

Who's his boy? Longtime head coach. Tom Coughlin, like these guys are surrounding him. I'm always impressed when impressive people like a certain individual. That's why I bought into Dan Campbell. It's like, wait. Sean Payton loved this guy for, this guy was assistant head coach. Parcells was the guy that drafted this guy

and got him into coaching. Here's an interesting question for you. How do teams evaluate front office talent? It seems as though organizations that continuously go through brain drains still hold up over time. Ravens, Eagles, Niners, do they know how to develop scouts

and analysts better or do they simply get better people to come work for them the reputation in higher salaries. Combination of both, obviously if you are willing to pay the most, you can steal the best talent. Like if Google, Facebook, Apple, they want a top engineer,

they can outbid any company. If Howie Roseman wants to get the cream of the crop, he did this years ago with Joe Douglas, Andrew Barry, he will cut a check from Jeffrey Lurie. I think the Ravens are, a good example of, and I talked to Darius Hayward Bay, who now works for them, they have a culture of what they look for, of how the front office works. And it's been like that for 25 years. So if you go there to work, they teach you what to do. And you either shape in or shape out.

And we've seen a ton of guys over the years, shape in and become very, very successful organizations. Same thing the Niners are doing now. It starts at the top and then it bleeds down and you teach what you want,

what you look for, the type players we like, what's expected of you. It's very, very clear. So there's not a guessing game. And I think a lot of teams don't have any identity. All football programs,

college and pro, say the same shit. Want tough, hard-nosed, guys that love ball. family, faith, and football. Everyone said we want tough guys, guys that are passionate. Football's life. It's like, yeah, we get that.

But do you know the actual players to look for that actually have that? Because the Ravens have figured that out over the years. Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch have a pretty good idea. Right? How we learned this from Andy, a lot of emphasis on the line of scrimmage. And if you just build up the line of scrimmage, defensive and offensive line, for the most part, you're going to be competitive.

So I think, like, let's use the Panthers as an example, and the Browns for years. You just run through people and run through ideas. Like, what does your organization stand for besides, like, God family football? There's not, like, a clear identity. The Ravens have had two guys running the organization and Ozzy's still there for,

since the 90s. De Costa has been there forever. He worked under Ozzy for all that time. Packers are a good example. Pretty sure Brian Gutakins has been with the Packers for a long, long time. From Ron to Ted to Goot. It's like their identity hasn't changed.

Philosophically, they have an idea of exactly what they're looking for. I think a lot of these teams are just constantly kind of trying to reinvent the wheel, starting from scratch, It's not really how it works. And part of it, you've got to be willing to go through some tough times if you believe in the vision. And this probably works at any walk of life in terms of an industry.

If you're constantly changing management, we're all different humans. We all have different beliefs. But any organization that's able to hire from within, promote from within, because you're able to train those guys. it's why Bill's coaches were so successful for him. They all started at the bottom in the mailroom. He taught him everything they needed enough. So by the time they became coordinators or college directors

or his GM and Casario or whatever, they knew exactly what he wanted. So it was all like one vision. There wasn't any guessing games. How many times in your... your office or your job when positions change and new ownership

or new management and no one's on the same page it's like what are we doing and everyone below the top guy is like this doesn't make any sense no one says that with the Ravens when they change change from Ozzie to to DeCosta

because nothing changed obviously he's a different human but pretty clear he just watched their team It looks exactly the same. So I think part of it and look at Andy and Veach. I think there's just a clear vision of what is needed and everyone's on the same page. I think that goes a long, long way of no guessing of complete understanding. Not just throwing shit at the wall hoping some of it sticks.

I think you'd be shocked. It's the NFL. How many, I don't want to say. incompetent, how many people are in roles that they have no business for? And then it eventually shows for us when we're watching the games. I'm a partner at a wealth management investment firm that manages assets for wealthy families. I love my job, but the worst part is dealing with those that didn't do shit to earn it and yet expect everyone to treat them like they did.

So your take on Jonathan Kraft couldn't be more related. As a Cowboys fan, I have nothing to look forward to considering we got bounced in the first round and our team has only gotten worse. Is there any moves you can see Jerry making that would give us any optimism for the next two or three years? Also, if this makes it on the pod, please don't say my name. Didn't say his name. It's funny, you know, because let's just say your dad made a lot of money. you spend a lot of time around your dad it just becomes like through osmosis

I am my dad too and we've all been around these people and I've been around people on both sides people that act like you would never know the kid and the kids that just are fucking like are you serious right now what Jim Harbaugh say about Ryan Day born on third base homie

some people are born at home plate and listen you can't control who your parents are I could have been born in, you know, poverty-stricken area, somewhere around the world, or I could have been born in, you know, Manhattan. My dad's a billionaire. It's all out of all, all of our control. But it is in your control how you operate and how you think. And, you know, Jonathan Kraft, to me, I just think you can see this coming from a mile away.

I would say with Jerry, I think the best thing at this point in time, why resign Dack? Why extend DAC? You're already under the cap with his massive cap number. Play it out. If that happens again, we got to make a different decision. But this notion that you have to extend him, he's better than mediocre, but he's slightly above that.

When you sign guys like him constantly, and then you complain, and it wasn't his fault, you lost to the Packers, even though he did not play well. The defense was abysmal. I mean, it was probably one of the worst. defensive games of the entire playoffs. Actually had to be the worst. I'm thinking about it.

I just think you hope you nail some draft picks. You got Michael Parsons. You got some good defensive linemen. You got some good D.Bs. You got Dak. You got C.D. Lamb. Maybe hit on a running back. Hit on another offensive lineman.

And just hope your team. I mean, Jerry's drafted well. You probably have some young players you've never even heard of. Most of you didn't know who bland was two years ago. So they do a good job in the draft. and hope you don't shit the bed in the playoffs. And part of it would be maybe Mike Zimmer, the defense, a little better, especially in big spots.

But your roster's kind of your roster. I don't expect some huge, like all of a sudden Tyree kills on the team or something. So you just got to hope he hits on the draft picks. Which, if you're going to defend Jerry for one thing, he hits on picks. So if you could land several starters and impact players, maybe a couple of your practice squad guys step up and make big steps, which has happened a lot for you guys over the last several years. You guys can be very competitive.

But at this point in time, let's face it, we're all judging on the playoffs. McCarthy's in his last year. You can't be getting bounced in the first round as a massive, massive home favorite. It can't happen. It's also one thing to lose, another thing to get your ass kicked. It's one of the worst playoff losses in a recent memory. I'd say the worst playoff loss of the last five years. Got to be the bills.

I mean, they're up with 13 seconds left. You can't lose that game. You can put the Cowboys right up there. You really could. They find a way to win the division, get a home game. Jordan Love comes in and drops. If you said, John, what was the score of the Cowboy Packer first round game? It feels like it was 75 to 10.

I mean, seriously, that's what it feels like. I mean, seriously, it feels like 55 to 14. I don't know. I feel like the final score was actually like 44 to 25. But it felt much more like, yeah, 55 to 7, something like that. And Jerry, you trust. The volume. Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy, not quite.

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