The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Best of The Herd for Mar 24, 2020

Episode Date: March 24, 2020

Cowboys Center Travis Frederick retiring is bad news for DakIf you think Bill Belichick doesn't have a plan you are crazyPlayers retiring early is good for the NFL and the playersA Post Free Agency edition of the Herd HierarchyGuest: Joel Klatt, FOX CFB Analyst Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, guys? This is Clivert Taylor the Fourth. And on my podcast, The Cliverts Show, I'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff. Like being an internet famous referee. We're in the middle of a game. This linebacker, this linebacker walks up to me. He goes, hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her.

What? Time out. Quarterback on office blue with 42. Hey, Wreck, my mama want you to weigh better. What? Hey, Miss Parker. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano. It's our favorite time of the year on our podcast point game, the playoffs. We're digging into the biggest surprises of the season. And I'm looking back on some of my greatest playoff moments. If we didn't talk ever again, I was harmed. you just understood.

That's how personal it got. Wow. Then after that game seven, Mark keep coming to her. He's like, you know I love you, dog. You know, it's all love. This was just playoffs.

This was just basketball. So listen to Point Game on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for listening to the best of Heard Podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday. From 12 to 3 Eastern, 9 to noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and FS1. Find your local station for the herd at Fox SportsRadio.com

or stream us live every day on the iHeartredio app by searching herd. This is the best of the herd with Colin Cowher on Fox Sports Radio. Ah, here we go on a Tuesday. Cannot believe all the topics we have live in Los Angeles. This is the herd on all our platforms. Fox Sports Radio, IHeart Radio, Sirius XM Channel 83, and right here in Living Color.

FS1. Now on the radio side, you will hear Joy Taylor. I can see here right there. You will not see you will hear Joy Taylor because obviously with the virus we're in a different situation where we are stringing this puppy together. It's unique. But I'm driving to work every day. We're the Spartan crew. They're kicking butt taking names. And Joy Taylor, how are you? I'm doing great. How are you calm? I'm hanging in there. Danny Connell, Howie Long, Joel Clack. Matt Mosley, funny guy from Dallas, stops by today. So here we go. We got a great show. A ton of topic. So I'm going to go about 10 minutes here. I got a couple of things on my mind.

Number one, Travis Frederick is an all-world NFL player. He retired at 29 years old. Now, I think that's great for football, that he had a great career, doesn't have to sign a third contract, leaves. He's going to be a Hall of Famer, made a bunch of money. I'll get into that later. What does it mean for DAC? First of all, this guy's great.

It's the best center in football. The last two years, the Cowboys' rankings with Travis Frederick, yards per play number one. When he's gone, 22nd. Sacks, second fewest allowed in the NFL. When he's gone, second most allowed. He is a rock star. And Dallas's O line, we've said this for the last year. It's not a revelation as getting old.

Tyron Smith entered the league at 20. He's an old 29. Zach Martin is excellent. He's an older 29. It's starting to deteriorate. This is the first sign for a great guy who retired at the perfect time. This is what I've been saying about that Prescott. Teams in leagues with salary caps get bad fast when they sign good players,

Dak Prescott to great contracts. Joe Flacco, Ravens, great organization, great roster, signed a good player, Joe Flacco, to a great contract. They weren't the same for three years. Brandon Cooks were the Rams. They'd get rid of him tomorrow. Good player. Great contract for his skill set.

You can't do it in salary cap leagues. You can get away with it if you're the Yankees. Maybe the Dodgers. maybe the Red Sox can't get away with it in hockey, basketball, and the NFL. Okay, we have never, this is a prime example. That's why Russell Wilson gets the money because I've seen Russell Wilson carry battle lines from mostly year one in the NFL. I've seen him carry average receivers.

I saw him last year carry the Seahawks when the running backs all got hurt. That's why when there was a question about Russell Wilson, Pete Carroll and John Snyder signed him, in an hour. I've never seen Dak Prescott. Anytime an O-Lignment gets hurt, anytime Zika is suspended, pre-A-Mari Cooper, I've never seen him carry the team.

Last year, Patrick Mahomes led the Chiefs in the playoffs in rushing the last two games. Forget his passing. He led him in rushing. I have seen Russell Wilson, Aaron Rogers, carry bad defenses. Patrick Mahom.

homes in the playoffs. Deshawn Watson with a lousy running game and a terrible offensive line. Carson Wentz last year. Deck chairs and lawn furniture got Philadelphia to the playoffs. You cannot pay good players great money. I more than ever, I want to franchise that. I want to see him now without the best center. He's still got a great receiver. He's still got a great running back. He's still got the game's first, second, or third best left tackle. It's still a top 10 offensive line. though it's not as good now. But you can't do this.

You cannot do it. And so, and I like Dak. I've said this before. I like him. But there's a reason. Every time somebody gets hurt or suspended, Dax numbers go down. He does not have the ability to take average parts and elevate them.

That defines Russell Wilson. That defines him. That's who Russell Wilson is. he's never had a great O line. He's never out of top 5 O line. I mean, last year they brought, was it last year they brought Marshaun Lynch out of retirement? I mean, come on. So when people say, well, you don't like Dak.

No, I do like him. But to pay him 36 million, I got to love him. And he has never shown an ability to carry. And this is why Patrick Mahomes and Carson Wentz and Aaron Rogers and Russell Wilson and to Sean Watson, I'm going to pay him whatevs. I'm going to pay, give me the check. Let me sign him and I'll pay him early. With Dak, now I'm more inclined than ever to wait.

Let's see what he can do because he still has Zeke, still has Tyron Smith, still has Zach Martin, still has Amari Cooper. He's got a Super Bowl winning head coach. Let me see what you can do when you don't have everything perfectly aligned. My guess is not as good. I want to shift to this. So I have a picture. and I don't expect everybody to agree with them.

In fact, it's probably more fun if you don't always agree with them. I don't think I'm a contrarian. I tend to see things through a business perspective, although I am pro-mobility. I'm pro-mobility for players, not because I love all the players, because I think from a business standpoint, all Americans have the right to be mobile. So I'm going to support a Kevin Durant.

I'm going to support a LeBron James. I'm going to support great players, baseball players, Mookie Betz going Boston to Los Angeles. I support all players all the time having mobility because it's good business. I don't even have to like the guy. It's good business. But sometimes I have an opinion that I think is obvious and I don't get the pushback. It's like, are you people crazy?

Let me ask you right now today. Tom Brady's no longer a patriot. I'm going to give you two options. Bill Belichick has a plan. Or Bill Belichick's an idiot. I'm going to go with the former he's got a plan. So yesterday, they released kicker Stephen Gaskowski. He's arguably the second or third best kicker in NFL history.

He's got years left to kick. Why would they do that? They also will not pursue Teddy Bridgewater, who I love, and Andy Dalton, who I don't, but both are far better than their current quarterbacks. They also let their two best linebackers, two most productive linebackers go. It's interesting. It's almost as if they have a plan. It's not, you're not going to tank.

It's not tanking. Did Miami, we called it tanking, right? But in the end, you can build a culture without going 17, 16 and 0. Miami built a great culture last year and started terribly. You think New England's culture is going to erode because they lose a business. bunch of games 27-23 now because they have the worst weapons in the league and Jared Stidham and don't even have their kicker. Belichick folks is not winging it. He's got a plan. He's manipulated officials. He's manipulated game plans. He's manipulated opposing coaches.

He manipulates everybody in the league. You think he's just winging it. This dude's got a plan for lunch. You think he's winging it. Think about this. Who has the most picks in this year's NFL draft. Miami. Oh, that's right. Brian Flores used to be a patriot. Who has the second most picks in this draft. Oh, Bill Belichick, he's a patriot. You think they just stumbled into those? Oh my gosh, we got 13 draft picks. Where did they come from? Both have a plan. I said this last year, Joy as my witness. We both said this. Even when the, what were the dolphins at one point? They were oh in September. And everybody was banging on it. and Joy and I went out and said,

I love what they're doing. They're playing their butt off. They got rid of a lot of good players, but you, remember what he said? There's being bad and there's being bad with a plan. Miami was bad with a plan, and by the end of the year, they won five of their last nine games.

Think about this. Belichick has 12 draft picks for this draft. Next year, they're going to get a compensatory pick for Brady, Jamie Collins, and Vanoy. They're going to move these picks to next year's draft, several of them, because they have automatically seven.

The compensatories give them minimum 10, maybe 11 eventually. They'll move two or three picks from this draft where they have 12 to next year's, and they will have 13 picks, 14 picks in next year's draft. And two great quarterbacks coming out. Cincinnati's going to be bad. Let's say they end up with the number one pick. They're not going to take one Joe Burrow. Bill Belichick calls and says, you want nine picks?

You think Cincinnati's going to turn that down? In a division with Big Ben, Lamar Jackson, and Baker, Mayfield, and those rosters, Cincinnati gets their quarterback this year. They're going to turn that down. Belichick's got a plan. The plan is moving picks he has this year to next year, going into next year's draft with his normal picks, his multiple compensatories, a handful push to next year, having 12 to 13 or 14 picks willing to give up nine if they go 6 and 10,

lose a lot of close games, maintain the integrity of their culture in a draft with the two best college prospects since Andrew Luck. They don't have to be the worst team in the league. If Cincinnati's the worst, they're not going to take nine picks from New England. If the Giants are the worst, and they'll be bad, they're not going to take nine picks. They don't need to get Trevor Lawrence. they could get Justin Fields.

They just need one of the two. This is amazing to me. This is not difficult. They don't need all their picks this year. They're going to get compensatories for Brady and Collins and Van Nuoy. They're going to move a handful of picks this year to next. And they're going to have eight, nine picks they're willing to give to every team above them in the draft that already has a quarterback. Arizona could be bad.

They're not going to draft another quarterback. Cincinnati. Giants could be bad. They're not going to draft another quarterback. You don't think the Giants or the Bengals or Arizona wouldn't take eight picks from New England if the Patriots finish six and ten and call and say, we want a quarterback. Kyler Murray needs help. Daniel Jones needs help. Joe Burrell's going to need help. Many of the bad teams next year, except Jacksonville, they'll probably draft a quarterback. Many of the bad teams have a quarterback. The saturation point in the NFL at quarterbacks, there's just not many teams that need them and three to four of them are going to get one this year.

I still contend the idea that Belichick doesn't have any plan for next year. It's just he's just the kicker. They release him. They don't go after any quarterbacks. They let their top two linebacker playmakers go. And you think they're just making it up. This idea, you've got to get over tankings. You got to get over.

It's not like Belichick goes out and designs a bad game plan. Belichick goes into a game knowing we're limited this year. I'm going to position ourselves next year. We're going to fight like mad. But if we're 7 and 9 and 6 and 10, 13 to 14 draft picks, not everybody above us needs a quarterback. In fact, ask yourself right now, after this draft, the charges will get theirs. We know that. The Bengals will get theirs.

and Miami's getting theirs. Look around the league outside of Jacksonville and New England. Who's desperate for a quarterback? There isn't one. I mean, again, Chicago's tied up in Fulza's contract, so they obviously, they can't bail on that in a year. This is not a difficult one, right? You think either Belichick's dumb or has a plan.

Which one do you think sounds right? They're not winging it here. Oh, it's so exciting. God, I'll get to maintain my love for New England. You know, just a little year hiccup. Market goes down briefly, pops back up in New England. It's all very good. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific.

Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise. Breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athletes themselves.

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Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so rapidly. up in the chase, that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough.

Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth. Are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust.

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Like being an internet famous referee. We're in the middle of a game. This linebacker, this linebacker walks up to me, he goes, hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her. What? Time out. Quarterback on office blue with 42. Hey, Brett, my mama want you to weigh better. What?

Where's she at? Hey, Miss Parker. Listen to the Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Hey, I'm Jared Adano. You might know me as that loud guy who yells out, help on the internet. Help! Somebody! Please!

But there's so much more to me than that. I'm an actor. I'm a comedian. And recently, I've been. become quite the helper myself. And on my new podcast, hope from a hypocrite, I'll be changing lives, helping people in need with my sage advice and thoughtful solutions. Sike, I'm a comedian.

I'm not qualified to give good advice. Join me and my comedian friends as we riff, rant, recommend some of the most legally dubious advice known to man. If I'm calling you, even if you're on your phone, let it ring twice. One ring is too scary. Oh, cream of chicken suit. Hey, cream A chicken suit.

This is Help from a Hypocrite, the worst advice from the dumbest people you know. Listen to Help from Hypocrite as part of the Mike Coutura Podcast Network available on the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. We have another story today, which I think I tend to be an optimist. You know, I go online. Twitter is such a vile, snarky place,

where if you just add context to this virus, you get shouted down from the mob. I tend to be somebody that looks at death rates and data points, and I think, okay, we're getting close. Stay inside. Another 10, 12 days. We're going to get past this. You can either be negative or positive.

So this morning, I see a lot of media people. Travis Frederick retired. He's a great football player. He's 29. And you can take two views on it. And a lot of the media, snarky and cynical. Oh, it's bad for football. Here comes the end.

No, no, no, no, no, no, no. It is great for football. It is great that great players don't have to go to a third contract. Folks, football is a very safe sport. If the collision window is from 14 to 15 years of age, and you retire after a second NFL contract at 29. Football is less safe if the collision window is 8 years old, which is stupid, no kid should be hitting at 8,

and you have to sign a fourth contract and then stumble the rest of your life. you go from a 30-year window to about a 14-year window. We also have better equipment than ever fewer. I mean, good God, they don't hit in college football practice after September, and the new CBA in the NFL, nobody hits anymore at practice. Ooh, another game, yes, and no hitting at practice. Football when the collision window shrinks, and it's shrinking because practices are lightning up, equipment's getting safer and players like Travis Frederick and Calvin Johnson and Doug Baldwin

and Andrew Luck and Luke Keekley and Rob Gruncowski don't have to have a fourth contract or sometimes even a third contract. You know what I mean? This is not an unsafe sport. Football, I mean, I could argue hockey. Hockey, you get all the concussions, all the collisions. It's daunting travel. I mean, I know hockey guys who have told me the binge drinking is horrible because of the fighting, missing teeth is a badge of honor. In the NFL, it's a game a week. No hitting in practice. Increasingly, light workload, better equipment. Football's always been great at adapting. Baseball's a great sport. It's lousy at adapting. It takes forever to get anything done. Some of that's the strength of the players union. And in the NFL, you're not. And in the NFL, you know,

get a weaker player union. So generally, you don't go on strikes. It's a fair deal for owners who don't feel like, hey, listen, they're going to give you more of the revenue and it makes a lot more revenue. But I've never sided with players and strikes. I generally side for an even playing field. 48, 49 percent of the revenue split, allow players more guaranteed money and good health insurance and get them out of the sport by 29. Travis Frederick leaving now is great news for everybody except back. It's great news for football. I don't want Andrew Luck playing if he's in pain. I don't want Calvin Johnson playing if he's hurt. I don't want Luke Keekley getting another concussion. I don't want to see guys have Hall of Fame speeches and they're, you know what I mean? Honestly,

they're hobbling around. They go up to the dais. It's embarrassing. I want guys going up looking like Howie Long and vibrant and dynamic and funny and smart. And that's the imagery we see in football. I love football. It's getting safer. It really is. And go ahead, be negative. Oh, the 17th game. It equipment. You can't hit receivers anymore. You can't hit quarterbacks anymore. Remember when you guys were all shouting, oh, wear a dress. And I remember being at ESPN and saying, stop it. Do you love football? Then you want less violent hitting. We want our stars like Tom Brady to be 43, sleeping in kale pajamas, eating vegetable, scream and keep playing. Now, now offensive line guys, get out of here. Defensive line guys,

get out of here. You know, positions linebackers, retire early, running backs, get your money, save it, move on. But I look at the Travis Frederick situation. I'm like, love him. He had an illness. He dealt with it. He stepped out. I'd vote him in the Hall of Fame. Absolutely. He's a great guy. He's an all-time cowboy. And he retires. Now, instead of another four years and hobbling. One more herd. The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week, within the IHeart radio app.

Search herd to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like. Joel Clatt, lead college football analyst for us. Check out his 2020 draft top 50 players list on at NFL on Fox and Fox Sports.com. It's got seven LSU guys, six offensive tackles. Let me start with this, Clatster. Justin Herbert. You have him as the fourth best quarterback behind Burrow I get, Tua I get,

Jordan Love, why number four, what do you see on tape that worries you? Yeah, good question. And by the way, great to talk with you. Great to talk with you. Okay, so let's start with Herbert. So Herbert is an insanely

talented, you know, he's a blunt instrument, if you will. He's got a very strong arm. There's no doubt about it. But there are things when you watch his film and whether it was during the year when I was breaking down his film in preparation for his game against USC in which he played very well in the final three quarters or now when I go back and watch his film,

there are some real red flags to his game. Colin, you can see the talent. He's clearly a big strong. He's a bright guy. He's a great team player. He's a good quality leader. But when you look at his ability to manipulate his own offense and use his offense to surgically attack the defense in the places where they're weak, he falls short of some of the other guys.

And the Jordan Love, you know, love, if you will, above Herbert is just because I think Love has a higher ceiling. I see him with a very similar style of armed talent as Herbert, and yet a much higher ceiling because he makes more NFL style of throws into NFL style of windows in terms of where he's going with the ball and where the structure of the defense tells him to go with the ball. Quick example here. Jordan, excuse me, Justin Herbert. His first instincts, a lot of the time, is to flinch in the pocket

and his eyes go down to the rush. That's an alarming trait to see, especially when you see a very experienced player in college football that's taking a lot of snaps, and he's still making those, what I would call, immature mistakes from the quarterback position. So this is a guy that is not very surgical with his, game. He's more of a blunt instrument. If you want to succeed in the NFL, I think that you need to

become a surgical passer from the quarterback position, whether that's out of the pocket or inside the pocket. That's what wins in the playoffs. And that's why I've got Herbert below those other guys. Now, I think Tua is going to be a legend or you're going to be looking for a new GM if you draft him. I think there's a huge, I think his ceiling's really high. I love so much about him, but the injury stuff. If you are a GM, like a Miami, do you? you take him? Well, I don't think he's getting past that spot. And I think that Detroit probably is starting to, in particular with some of these videos, I'm sure you've seen the video on social media of him working out and Hintua, we're talking about. He looks great. I mean, he really does.

And I'm so happy for him that he seems to be as healthy as he is in some of those videos and moving so well like we expect and want him to move in this time period in particular after that horrific injury to his hip. Now, you bring up a couple of questions. One is, his injury status. And we're not just talking about his hip. I'll get into that in just a second. We're also talking about his value and what's happening at the top of the draft. If I'm looking at the top of the draft, Colin, I've got to tell you that the most advantageous

spot right now seems to be Detroit at three because they have a quarterback in Matthew Stafford. And the guy that they covet is Jeff Okuda, the corner from Ohio State, who they could probably get in the fifth or sixth spot. And that's the spot in which you see those teams that desperately need the quarterback are sitting. So if you're the chargers and you really want Tua, guess what you've got to do? You've got to go up ahead of Miami. If you're Miami and you really love Tua, guess what you've got to do?

Box out the chargers from going up and getting him. And the spot becomes three with that Detroit pick. I think Detroit could move down to one of those spots, still get Okuna, Okuda, who I think is the best corner in the draft, sure up some of that defensive edge that they need to under Matt Patricia. and to me that's the best most advantageous spot, at least early in the draft, is that Detroit pick. Now to the injury part that you asked about, that kind of dual part question,

here's the concerning part for me about Tu, it's not necessarily just his hip, although yes, that's concerning. It's the fact that Colin, he's never played a full season, healthy, even in college football. He's had the ankle injuries. And all these injuries, to me,

have a very similar pattern. And that is the pattern that Tua believes he is more elusive, than he actually is. Now, is he very good on his feet? Yes. Is he as elusive as Russell Wilson? Not even close, which is why he gets caught,

tackled from behind, and gets some of those high ankle sprains and then ultimately that horrific hip fracture that he suffered. They're all very similar in their nature and they all have a common thread of him being a little less athletic than he thinks he is, which is a problem.

And that would persist in the NFL in my mind. So while I think he is a great player, I've got him five on my big for. I think he could be Drew Breeze. I think he needs to be more Drew Breeze than Russell Wilson because he's not as athletic as he thinks he is. And when he's running around, that's what leads to some of those injuries,

which have led to him not finishing a season in college football. You know, it's interesting. So there's seven LSU guys in your top 50. A lot of offensive tackles. It's a good year for tackles, bad year for center. Good year for corners. wide receivers. A lot of SEC guys in your top 50. Let's see here. Yeah, boy, I see a lot of you kind of, you know, you're tough on the SEC clat. I see a lot of SEC guys here. What's up with

that? Well, I'm going to push back and just say, I don't believe I'm tough in particular on the top end of the SEC. I like to call it how it is. The top of the SEC is the class in college football. You know, I think Ohio State had a great year. I think Clemson had a great year out. outside of that conference. And other than that, there really wasn't anybody else on that tier of Alabama and LSU. My argument during the fall has always been, and I think that you would back me up on this if we weren't like, you know, being sarcastic or tongue-in-cheek. My argument has always been that the middle and bottom of that conference shouldn't get a pass for how bad they are just because they can ride on the coattails of great programs at the top,

namely the top three if you include Georgia in there. And even if you wanted to throw Florida and maybe Auburn in there as well. It's a different. It's a terrific conference at the top. The middle and the bottom of the conference is not as strong as everybody makes it out to be. And those are the fan bases that generally like the scream and shout about SEC and get the chance going. But it's a phenomenal conference. It's proven out in the draft. I see it when I evaluate.

That's why I've got all those guys in my top 50. Yeah, look at all these offensive linemen. Good Lord. You know, what is it about Iowa? How the hell is Iowa? Iowa wins seven games a year and they've always got four guys in the top 50. they have your favorite offensive tackle, one of the best pass rushers.

Just a couple years ago, they had two of the top tight ends. I don't know what it is. Part of me loves Iowa, and part of me wants to punch him in the forehead for scheduling Citadel six times a year. Why do they put so many guys in the NFL? I didn't understand that they scheduled the Citadel.

They've always got a cream puff, ridiculous out-of-conference schedule. They play directional schools. I disagree. They always play Iowa State with Matt Campbell. No, they're good for an hour. Great. They play nine conference games, so that's 10 power five games.

And normally they'll play like a northern Iowa, if you will. Northern Iowa. Listen, you want to punch Iowa in the face sometime. Let me just tell you for a fact, Zach Johnson from PGA Tour can back me up on this. They want to punch you in the face. Hey, hey, I'll go there anytime, line up, and punch that all of them right in the forehead.

I mean it. I am tired of Iowa, but they do produce really good football players. A lot of them. Unbelievable. They really do. You are unbelievable. I'm here to defend Iowa. I had them in the bowl game.

I'll tell you what, that's a good program. Oh, no. That is a very good program. Well coached. U.S.D. not that U.S.D is all that strong right now. Yeah, I just looked at their schedule for next year. They open up with Jiffy Loub, Panera Bredge right after that.

You're right. Okay, let's move on. When you look at this draft. Okay, hey, now do your, now do your beloved SEC in November. November. Go ahead. Look at the Citadel in there. Look at Charlotte in there. Go ahead, Colin. Listen, if you're going to call a spade a spade, then call it a spade across the board. Here's all I know. Every year in the draft, the top 50 players half are from four teams in one conference. Yeah. No, that's absolutely true. And then if you throw Ohio State in there and Clemson in there, that basically covers it. And you sprinkle in, you know, places like Penn State and places like that. And then you basically got it. Let me, one thing here. You're a former quarterback. All quarterbacks, I think, make their receivers, not vice versa.

Larry Fitzgerald, best years with his best quarterbacks. Can't you look at, LSU is probably the best college football team I've ever seen in terms of, they have the best O line, they have the second best running back in the draft, they have the best, one of the best receivers and the best undraftable receiver. He's still in college. They have the best undraftable corner. I mean, they're going to have like 12 guys drafted. Can't you at least...

Let me interrupt you for just a second, because I want to tout Joe Burrow for a moment here. This might be where you're going with the question. I don't know if it is or not. They've had all that talent for years, so why didn't they win the national championship and put together some of the best years that we've ever seen? That was one of the singular best years that we've ever seen a team have.

Yeah. And I would argue that the single catalyst was Joe Burrow. Then why was he so mediocre the year before with all those players? Remember now he got there so late. He got there after spring football. He goes through spring football in Columbus. Because remember, Colin, he started at Ohio State first. He goes through spring football in Columbus.

Haskins wins the job. Urban Meyer rightly declares Haskins, the quarterback at that point. So Burrell was able to go transfer. So he didn't transfer until after spring football. That's 15 full practices. That's a full fall camp. So he missed a full fall camp. Now he gets there.

He gets in there a bit late. I think it's understandable that he was average his first season because he didn't have a full off season to play with that team. Then once you have him as the quarterback, remember he took that huge hit in the Fiesta Bowl against UCF on a pick that I think ended up being a pick six. He gets rocked. He comes right back, leads him to victory.

There's the turning point for your team as a program. That's the catalyst for then moving into the offseason. he's the bona fide leader he leads spring football he leads the throwing sessions in the summer he leads fall camp and now all of a sudden you have a team that is behind a true leader at the quarterback position i think it's a far different set of examples or a set of uh you know outlying deals that you have in his previous season um i really believe that and i think if you look at it And I've talked to many coaches down there. This was really his offense.

I mean, he was so involved in calling and building these offensive game plans and what they wanted to run and how they wanted to run it. Joe Brady got a lot of credit for it. And I understand Joe Brady got a lot of credit for it. But Joe Burrow was the single catalyst of change from a program that was perpetually underachieving with great recruiting classes under a coach that was just an old defensive line coach. And now all of a sudden he's.

thought of as this great epiphany of a head coach because he had a quarterback that was unbelievable. Joe Burrow was a surgeon. If Herbert was a blunt instrument, Burrow was a surgeon. This game translate. I've said it on your show and I'll say it before, say it again. Joe Burrow reminds me of Joe Montana. When Joe Montana played the game, he played with a smoothness in his feet and a surgical approach mentally attacking the defense that at that point was beyond reproach. He had no appear at that point in the way that he played. Burrow is similar to that. He's so smooth. The basketball background, the absolute competitive nature that you see when he gets hit and bounces back, the surgical nature in which he sees the weaknesses and the structure of the defense. And then he

goes out and attacks him. I love Joe Burrow, man. Must be nice when you have nine seconds to throw behind the offensive line of LSU. You're telling me he's Joe Montana. What happened in all those years before? He couldn't beat out Dwight, Dwayne Haskins. Couldn't beat him out. couldn't be out J.T. Barrett. I mean, Duane Haskins threw 50 touchdown passes at Ohio State. You're acting like Dwayne Haskins was chopped liver. He put together the single best Big Ten passing season that we've ever seen. Couldn't be out J.T. Barrett.

The record is Drew Brees. Couldn't beat out of J.T. Barrett. Well, you'll have to ask Urban about that. J.T. Barrett right now is, where's he? He's a scout team guy, I think, I think, somewhere actually. Okay, so put a line in the stand. You would take two over Joe Burrow. I think there

I think if Tua didn't have a hip- Why are you hymn and hon? If you're going to look at the top, walk to walk. I said, Burrow is Tony Romo. You've got him because he shares the same shoe size as Montana as the second greatest quarterback of all time. I think that's a little over the top. I will, I believe, won't guarantee.

I believe Joe Burrow will have a much better NFL career than Tony Romo who didn't win a playoff game. with Cincinnati's ownership in front office in that division? Well, I didn't say where he was going to play, but I did just share with you how he changed the culture of a perpetually underachieving program with top 10 classes, and he took them to the single greatest season that we may have ever seen a college football team have, certainly the best single season I've ever seen a quarterback.

Let's make a bet. Maybe he's the catalyst for change. This is the easiest bet. I feel guilty because you have a wonderful family. So what bet are we going to? I'll make you a deal. He does not make the playoffs in his first five years. Let's, so this will be a long payoff bet.

Let's do a short payoff bet. He will be, he will be the fourth best quarterback in his division, his first year in the NFL. Let's bet something delicious. What do you want to go on? Dinner. You name the spot. I mean, this is the easiest bet I've ever made. I thought Goulet was a sucker.

I mean, this is a lot of. constraints here. Fourth best in his own division? Yeah. Passer rating, fourth best passer rating on division. I mean, that has so many other factors rather than his actual game. I would rather do... I thought he was Joe Montana.

Playoff in his first three years. First three years, and I'll put $1,000 to any charity. Joe Montana. He won the Super Bowl first year. Well, then take two. Take to it, Colin. If you're going to talk like this, then take two of it. Go out to come on.

Come on. Come on. You got the mic. Tough enough. No, I'm kidding. All right. I'm done with you, Clatt. Go to at NFL on Fox and Fox Sports.com, the great Joel Clack. Good talking to you.

My man, have a great day. Hey, by the way, thank you to all the first responders, the nurses, the doctors. You're out there on the front lines. We love you. Thank you. We're thinking about you. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and...

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I do think teams get better in the draft, no question. But I've always done a show after the draft where I combine, I don't do a post-draft show. The show I do after the draft, and I've done this for 15 years, I take your free agent signings and your draft picks. And I take the top four or five picks, are you a better football team? Because let's be honest,

free agent picks, I know what I'm getting with most NFL free agent picks. I don't know what I'm getting with a draft outside of a job. outside of a dozen guys, you have a pretty good sense they can play. So here we go, our best for last, my first herd hierarchy of the NFL season coming up post-free agency. Heard hierarchy. Time is now, let's go. The top 10 NFL teams, according to college, number 10. I would say Green Bay.

They need another receiver in the draft, but they'll probably end up reaching because they have a lower first round pick and the good guys are gone. But they lost right tackle Brian Belaga, Blake Martinez, another guy I like, an active linebacker. They lost him. They added a linebacker Christian Kirxie. But Aaron Rogers declined last year with a progressive new coach. Right now I don't see the Packers as being formidable enough to win a Super Bowl. I have them at 10. Number nine.

Denver is my dark horse team in the NFL. They won four of their last five games last year. Drew Locke was the starter. I think they found their guy. Bradley Chubb missed 12 games. He comes back. They added Melvin Gordon. Defensive tackle J.Relle Casey, C.

cornerback A.J. Bouye. I think they're a better football team. They've got momentum. They lost a couple of last second heartbreakers last year. I think Denver's a playoff team going forward. Number eight. Tampa Bay. Listen, they were 7 and 9 with 35 turnovers at the quarterback position.

Bridgewater or Brady. They're going to be better. Excellent defense down the stretch with Todd Bowles. I think one of the smartest defensive coordinators out there. I think Tampa ends up being a wild card team next year. Number seven. Pittsburgh Steelers get Big Ben back. They added a tight end I like.

Eric Ebron. Don't forget. This is a team that was eight and five with a quarterback named Duck. And then they lost their last three games. They did an unbelievable patchwork job. And the reason they were able to compete, they were first in the NFL and takeaways in sacks. Young defense is talented in getting better.

Add Eric Ebron and Big Ben, I got the Steelers at seven. Number six. Seattle Seahawks, veteran tied-in Greg Olson. They added him. Right tackle, Brandon Schell. Quentin Dunbar, a very good corner, picked him up. They could still keep Jadavian Clowny. I may have Seattle low.

If not for cluster injuries at running back, it was just ridiculous. I think they beat Green Bay. So they've added pieces. Russell Wilson's in his prime. I do think they get Jadavian Clowny figured out, Seattle at six. Number five. Philadelphia. They need to draft more than one receiver,

but they added an excellent corner, Darius Slay. Carson Wentz really came of age late in the season. Again, the reason I don't have him, quite as high as their talent. They're going to have to make some moves to get receivers. They may draft two to three. It's really right now the primary week spot. And they are talented, but they get a little up there with injuries and age on the offensive line.

Number four. New Orleans Saints. I wasn't as high last year, but they proved me wrong. Back-to-back 13 win seasons. They added two players I really like. Malcolm Jenkins, super smart, veteran safety. leadership qualities. He's a grown-up. And Emmanuel Sanders, by the way, on our show tomorrow. Emmanuel Sanders, now with Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara and Drew Brees and Sean Payton.

That's just 65 catches and six touchdowns. That is a great addition in New Orleans. I have him at four. Number three. San Francisco does lose DeForest Buckner, the defensive lineman, but they get a first round pick for it. And they had to pay a couple of their guys, so they need a talented kid they don't have a pay of a fortune to. And so far, they've done a pretty good job drafting players. I still think they have overall the best defensive line in football. Their receivers are young and getting better, but I think they're going to pick up a great player in the first round at 13.

I think they'll keep it rolling. Shanahan to me is the best young coach in football, San Francisco three. Number two. Kansas City. Not a lot of moves. I love where they're going. you know, post-Super Bowl, you know, a little hangover, a little party. I think their division's tougher.

I think Denver's going to be a lot better. I think the Raiders have improved. I think the Chargers get a quarterback. So Kansas City could be good, but they could lose two more games next year just because the division's tougher. Number one. I think Baltimore is scary. First of all, their defense was good last year. They had Callais Campbell, Marlon Humphrey, Michael Brockers.

You do not want any part. of Baltimore's defensive line. I also think they have the best secondary right now in the NFL, kind of by far. And again, Lamar Jackson, a lot of people think, well, they're going to figure them out. Well, I saw from year one to year two, he made a big jump. My guess is year two to year three, he also makes a jump. Baltimore looks good. Baltimore's defense right now.

This is a franchise that's always had really good defenses. If you just go and go online and look at Baltimore's defense, it's got a lot. like seven to eight elite defensive players. So they got their offensive line figured out, the quarterback figured out, they hit it last year at wide receiver in the draft. I think Baltimore right now is the best team in the NFL. Their secondary is filthy. Earl Thomas, Marcus Peters, Humphrey, and Jimmy Smith is back, right?

Good Lord. I mean, they're in Baltimore's defensive line and secondary. I mean, there's going to be at some point. The passer ratings this year, throwing the ball against Baltimore, maybe the lowest, it will be unbelievable. Poor Joe Burrow. That's the best secondary in the NFL in a decade, potentially, and the best defensive front and football outside of the 49ers,

and maybe better than the 49ers. Yeah, you're right. Clat told me Burroughs Joe Montana, so they just fly right through it. Hot knife through butter, right? All right. Last night, a blown call changed the game. This morning, the internet lost its mind, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened.

That's where SportsSlice comes in. I'm Timbo, and every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the biggest moments in sports and giving you the real story behind the headline. And we're going straight to the source, the athletes themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions in the moment, and the stuff nobody gets to hear. Listen to SportsSlic on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo's Slice Life 12. and the TikTok podcast network on TikTok.

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

We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the IHeart Radio app, podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up guys? This is Clever Taylor the 4th. And on my podcast, The Cliverts Show, I'm bringing you conversations about all kinds

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We're digging into the biggest surprises of the season. And I'm looking back on some of my greatest playoff moments. If we didn't talk ever again, I was hungry. You just understood. That's how personal it got. Wow. Then after that game seven, Marquis keep coming to. You know I love you, dog.

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