The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Early NFL Bets with Brandon Anderson

Episode Date: May 28, 2025

The holiday weekend is over, summer has arrived and Action Network hosts Chad Millman and Simon Hunter are ready to fire off some NFL bets! Longtime colleague Brandon Anderson joins the show as the trio discuss longshot MVP bets they like, along with the most impact coaching changes, Brandon's disastrous home situation, the Dallas Cowboys prospects and so much more. #VolumeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hey guys, it's us The Jonas Brothers. I'm Joe. I'm Kevin. And I'm Nick. And guess what? We created our own podcast called, Hey Jonas. We invented a podcast?

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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 crying. You just understood. That's how personal it got.

Wow. Then after that game seven, Marquis come in to you, 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 IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your Every family has its secrets. But what happens when you discover that your dad has been living a double life?

That is not the look of an innocent man. Is everyone lying to me about who they are? I felt such desperation. I felt it was what I had to do. Listen to Deep Cover the Family Man on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to the favorites, the podcast, part of the volume podcast network. I am Chad Milman of the Action Network. Today, I'm joined, as always, by my co-host, my companion, my confidre,

my BFF professional better, Simon Hunter. Hello, Simon. Chad, right now, hot topic in Philly. It's because of Saquan Barkley. He said the Eagles were, that past Eagles team was a top five Eagles or just team ever to win a Super Bowl. In the list, Chad, you're 1985 Bears, which I thought was respect. to one of the greater teams.

I didn't think Sequin would know about the 1985 Bears. So, yeah, it's a hot topic. And obviously, you know where I'm coming from that I, you know, I respect that Bears team, but I'm obviously going to put my own Eagles team above that team. So, yeah, it's fun debating Super Bowl winners, obviously, but it's funny enough that young people even talk about the 1985 Bears. It's not just Chicago people.

Listen, that 85 Bears team, if you're in a football fan, it's one of the most prominent franchise sort of markers for any fan. Like it's discussed in any conversation about greatest all-time teams because their defense was so dominant in the Super Bowl shuffle. They had so much personality.

I think it's all the nicknames. You've got the refrigerator Perry, you got sweetness in the backfield. It feels like they just had the right time of like the group of characters with a great defense, with a great head coach. And, you know, it just goes together right, 85 bears. It just sounds like it's meant to be. That team also, uh, Jimbo covert, left tackle, Hall of Fame. Wolf of Payton, running back, Hall of Fame. Mike Dicka, head coach, Hall of Fame. Jim Fink's, GM, Hall of Fame. Dan Hampton,

defensive end, defensive tackle, Hall of Fame. Richard Dent, defensive end, Hall of Fame. Steve McMichael, defensive tackle, Hall of Fame. Mike Singletary. linebacker, Hall of Fame. Like, that team literally had seven Hall of Fame players and executives and coaches. Like, other than the Steelers, there's no other team that can match that.

The 84-9ers can't match that. You talk about... None of those Dallas teams of the 90s had that many Hall of Famers? Troy Aikman. Emmett Smith. Michael Irvin.

I don't know that they had, we'd have to look it up, but like the Patriots, you know, they didn't have that many Hall of Famers. No. The Eagles, how many Hall of Famers will they have? Like, that Bears team was dominant. The only failing of that Bears team

is that they didn't win more Super Bowls. And that was because Buddy Ryan couldn't get along with Mike Dicka. He decided to leave. The defense was never as aggressive. after that they were upset in multiple playoffs two years in a row like it just it it it was a it was a beautiful gorgeous lightning bug of a team once again though I cannot believe that say one had him his top five I just I just thought respect to sayquan the kids under 30

the fact that he knows his football history like that I just knew you would love that where you know as an eagle's biased fan I was just like I can't believe this kid went back that far. I did not think Seekwon had that in his bag. So I thought he was in his list. I think it was like it was that Dallas team, that Patriots team. What was it? I think Patriots won in 07 or was that the undefeated was 09, I think. But and then, you know, the big debate with him, the other guys he was on the show with was just talking about these chiefs teams like of the past where it's like no one views them as the greatest team, right?

Even though they almost won three in a row. So I just thought that was interesting too. you know that's just you know kid like him talking about it when we he said him and all of his boys are debating and i i told you my view of it the eagles team you know it's always the the future as we move on bigger faster stronger we always talk about that how it changes things this eagles team i would love i'm gonna probably do it this off season because i have so much free time i'm gonna definitely simulate it and just see what these two teams would do against the 85 bears against the eagles i would love to know what that spread would be we'll see maybe i'll see maybe i'll I'll do a con for action, first one in forever, about all these past Super Bowl teams.

But, you know, this Eagles team migrated them out. I told you, I had that lower grade on them than that Ravens team that lost last two years ago to the Chiefs. So it's funny where it's an all-time great team to our perspective because they just, you know, has scored the most points of playoff history. But it'll be interesting what the data says because I think it's going to say otherwise. Well, look, Simon, that is 100% a podcast. If you think we're not doing that as we get closer into the summer to fill one of the episodes, you're freaking crazy.

And you and I are going to be together and we're going to talk about the other teams on that list for a good time. And we'll simulate who's going to be favored and how that game would have played out. The other Hall of Famers on that Cowboys team, Aikman, Dion, Emmett Smith, Michael Irvin, Larry Allen, Charles Haley, plus Jimmy Johnson. Look, I think the Chiefs, the last thing we'll say about this before we bring in our guest, I think the Chiefs are going to have Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelsey, Chris Jones, they might have Joe Tooney, they're going to have Spagnolo, I think they're going to have Andy Reid. They're going to go down when you look back as one of the most talented Hall of Fame teams for sure, and I think they'll be up there with the Steelers, the Bears, these Cowboys.

Fascinating topic and good for Sequin. Good for Sequin for respecting the old G's. we are joined today, speaking of an OG, our long-time colleague, one of the most opinionated people at Action Network. You can hear him during the NBA playoffs on our Buckets podcast and every week during the NFL season as co-host of the Action Network podcast, his hot reads on the Action Network podcast Sunday Night episode with Evan Abrams are invaluable.

Welcome back to the show, Brandon Anderson. It's good to be here, guys. I didn't know we were doing some Herschel walk talk today. Herschel Walker basically funded the entire Jerry Jones Cowboys Hall of Famers. Probably like the best thing the Vikings have ever accomplished is a franchise. You know, rep in my home teams here. Good time to be a Minnesota sports fan, as always. Brandon, I don't know the answer to this question.

I feel a little bit like a lawyer who is being told to ask a question, and he doesn't know the answer, and that's always dangerous. but Matt Mitchell has told me I have to ask what is happening at your house right now. And I'm assuming Matt knows that the rest of our audience is going to be tickled by what's happening at your house. Man, my house is a disaster. So about a month ago, I get a call for my landlord at like 7 a.m. So I am renting a townhouse.

There's four townhouses are all together. We got like the shared four corners. And I get a call that says, hey, I need you to wake up, get downstairs, find out a few of water coming in. The neighbors have called and complained. They're getting water. It's from your house. So I go down, I look. There's, there's no water. There's nothing happening. There's no water anywhere. Nothing's happening in my house. We spend the entire week. I got an AC guy coming out. I got a heating guy coming out. We got people coming out checking the kitchen, the piping. We got city of Aurora coming out checking underneath a house. Like they're sonaring down underneath my house.

They're finding nothing. In the meantime, I'm like, guys, there are four houses. We share a corner where you think the water's from. Check the other two houses. No, no, no, it's your house. Finally, a full week later, we find out, you'll never believe this. It's one of the other two houses. Their water heater busted and has just been slowly leaking water. In the meantime, because of that, water has been slowly like squishing up through my flooring, like another foot or two further into my house each day. So I didn't really get like standing water, but it turns out water being in your house for a week is real bad for your house. So since then, they came in, they tore out all the flooring, all the paneling. They take out two feet of shi rock all the way around. I have no kitchen.

I have no bathroom on the main floor. There is a bathroom and my one sink in the house is the upstairs shallow bathroom sink. So I got to like fill water bottles, take them down to my refrigerator and that's what I can use. But I can't cook really. I have just a refrigerator in my house. I work from home. I'm at my house right now. Like they are working below me right now in my house. And this is just my house. This is what's happening for a month and counting right now. Current ETA is like July maybe when I will have a normal functioning house again. It's it's been a month. This is where I live. This is this is my life now. That is terrible.

But by the way, by the way, the two feet of walls missing just, to be clear, those are the walls separating me from my neighbors. I share a house with my neighbors now. There's a sheet of plastic between me and my neighbors. I get their smells, I get their sounds, I watch their TV shows.

I'm getting everything from them. I can like crawl into their house if I want to. What else's going on in those houses? It's a mess. Simon, And then as a real estate owner, this sounds like a nightmare. It does.

And I would just be happy that he's not suing me. I feel like this is like the grounds of termination. This guy has broken your contract in many different ways. But yeah, the part that stick out to me is you says can be done July, just in time for you to be done doing your NBA season. I know, right? It's ridiculous. No, you're a trooper, man.

I'd be losing my shit. But, you know, that's, this is part of life. this is why as someone that has been a renter and rented, this is the greatest fear is exactly what he's explaining here, which is just all shit going wrong and then it just falls on you and you have no other option. I mean, I feel bad for you, brother. Well, you know how it goes too.

Like my landlord's not even the owner. I got like the landlord manager company. So I can't even contact the landlord. They're contacting their insurance. The neighbor who found the waters is contacting their insurance. The neighbor whose house actually provided the waters doing their insurance, my rented insurance doing crap. Nobody will communicate with anyone else. And yeah, when you're not the owner and can't just like figure things out yourself,

you're stuck waiting on like eight lines of communication. And I'm like, really, right now, during nightly NBA playoffs and like daily bucket episodes, this is the time. Of course, this is the time. That's always the time. All right. Can we get down to business, please? Because as terrible as I feel for Brandon, we've got some NFL futures. to discuss. That's the promise of this show. We're going to play a game, okay? We all love betting

MVPs. Brandon, you specifically love betting MVP. You just nailed the NBA MVP. Shea Gilgis Alexander. You had him at 6 to 1 this past season. Evan has some information on the most recent MVP from a betting perspective.

We'll have a two-round draft. You can't draft anyone 20 to 1 or shorter. So that includes the seven favorites. Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, Patrick Mahomes, Jaden Daniels, Jalen Hertz and Justin Herbert. They're all between 5 to 1 and 20 to 1. We each get two picks. I'm going first, Simon, second, Brandon, third. We go back around.

Brandon wants to go last. You're probably going to throw out a couple extra names at the end quickly, right? You specifically want to go last. I get to go first. Okay. Okay. So we've got C.J. Strad. We've got Jared Gough.

We've got Jordan Love, Caleb Williams. Brock Purdy is interesting to me. I'm going to go, I'm going to go Brock Purdy, 35 to 1. one. And here's my reasoning. We've talked about this a lot over the past couple months. We love the Niners. And Simon, we love the Niners when before the schedule was announced. We love the Niners even more after our podcast with Warren Sharp. I bet the Niners 25 to one to win the Super Bowl.

And I think last year was so bad and such an anomaly for this team because of all the injuries. I am betting on them being healthy. I am betting on them on them having a favorable schedule for the first time in probably half a decade because they haven't made it to an NFC championship game at the least. So I'm betting on Brock Purdy, 35 to 1. There you go. Brock Purdy off the board.

I'm going to go with Chattery knows all this. I'm on the Cowboys. How am I not going to go with DAC, 45 to 1? My view of is this is probably one of the better offense he's going to ever play and you know the fact that they went out got a star receiver to be his number two receiver they know the deal right you're in the division right now that you were alert you were looked at as a third team like they know that Washington and the eagles are placed above them to me this is the perfect spot to back deck a guy who's coming off a fluke injury on the

previous season before that he was basically second MVP voting so the fact that we're getting him at 45 to 1 in a division that he's basically left for dead i mean no shock to know and listen to the show. I'm all in the Cowboys. And we already talked about their schedule. If he goes through that schedule and wins this division, somehow gets to 12 wins, I could easily see him being in consideration for that MVP award. So I like that value here on deck. That was giving me my second pick. Brandon. So those were my two MVP picks two years ago. That was my position for the season going into the year. I think a problem with both of them, you often see like the one-off candidates, I think they both had their MVP year.

I think their MVP year was that year two seasons ago. Dak finished second. Purdy, I thought, had a real case to win. You often, if you're not Mahomes or Alan or Lamar, one of that level of quarterback, you often have your MVP shot. You have one shot at it with that one great year. I fear with Dak and maybe Purdy

that they maybe had that year already. You mentioned Evan. Evan had the stat that in the NBA, the last three MVP's, Shegis Alexander, Yokic, and in B, all three were six to one or shorter. It's the first time in 15 years that we've had three short favorites.

In the NFL, the reason I want to do this draft is because we often have longer number MVPs. Seven of the last 10 MVPs have been at 1,100 or longer heading into the season. So typically, if it's just one of those generational Hall of Fame guys, that's fine. We're not going to give you short odds. We're not going to give you like a 2000 on Mahomes or whatever.

If that's who you want, that's who you want. But there is a lot of times where even Lamar won it at 16 to 1, Matt Ryan was 75 to 1 his year, Cam Newton was 50 to 1, Lamar was 40 to 1 his first time. So that's why we like the long shots. I'm interested by Dak and by Purdy. I'm interested in the 49ers. For my first pick, I'm going to surprise myself a little bit, actually.

I don't really love this team or player, but I like the number. and I like, I don't mind betting on being wrong sometimes. And if I'm wrong, how would I be wrong? Could it be this version? I have not been in on the Rams. I do not really believe in the Rams, but if the Rams are good, Matthew Stafford, 50 to 1, I think there's a really interesting MVP pick. Devante Adams and Puka Nukua.

That's like the best one-two punch receiving core in the NFL. You got a good running game with Karen Williams, Blake Corum's second year. They've invested in the line. I don't super trust the defense yet, but they're young. They're coming around late in last season. They're a 10-win team two years in a row, and we've seen when the offense is hot, like they can beat anybody.

They can drop 40 points any given day. And Matt Stafford, the thing too, you'll always need the narrative here. 37-year-old Stafford on his last leg, set up for retirement. Is he a Hall of Famer? Like, we're all going to have that conversation if he's having a big year. and it's a tough division because I agree. I like the 49ers. But if the Rams actually can win the division

and be toward the top of the NFC, I think Stafford at 50 to 1 is a real bargain and should be in that like 20, 25 range. So he's my first pick. I surprised myself. I got to say I love that one too. Simon, we also, I don't know about you, but like my two futures bets are the Rams and the Niners.

And so I don't have any issue with what Brandon is saying about Stafford. Yeah, that was the first team I took a position on. And I got lucky, obviously, because they afterwards added DeMont de Adams. And it's like, okay, that was a huge move I needed them to make. But I love to pick, too, because I think Stafford was actually bad last year. Like, I don't think he had that good of a season. I thought he had a bunch of injuries that they

kind of covered up, that it was ailing him. You saw just a different Stafford after that Bill's game, right? That game with their offense was so explosive. He basically did nothing three or four weeks following that, because I think he was battling through stuff. So my view of this is the same as what he just said. It's like Stafford, veteran quarterback, prime his career, has the weapons coming off what I perceive as a down year.

50 to one, I'd take that anytime on a guy like him. All right. My second pick. Wait, doesn't it get back to back? Are we not doing it? No, no, no. So let's say more. I want to go last.

Brandon's going last every time. We're not doing a snake draft. I don't need a head start. My second pick. I am going to go with Trevor Lawrence 50 to 1. I don't like that was my next pick. Oh, really? I should have gone.

I don't love Trevor Lawrence. He hasn't lived up to expectations. But given the division, given the coaching changes, given the added talent, how good Brian Thomas Jr. was last year, can Travis Hunter be anything close to what the expectations are? He'll certainly have the weapons and the opportunity. And if he's remotely close to what he was a couple of years ago when they won the division and made the playoffs,

he's going to be in a position. He'll have a puncher's chance to win this if they end up winning their division because everyone is expecting it to be C.J. Stroud and the Texans. So, you know, looking for value, I'll take Trevor Lawrence. It gets gross when you start getting down here. So I get it. I just, I'm so burned by him right now.

I just need to see him have a full season healthy and, you know, be compatible in an offense because it sounds crazy. But Mack Jones came in and Brian Thompson Jr. played better. and that team looked like they played better. So that's not, you don't want me to be in the same mindset of saying Mac Jones came in and did better than you at your job. So Trevor Lawrence, this is a massive, massive year. And he's a quarterback who's very lucky that they're playing in Jacksonville, right?

If he played in any type of other big market, this man would be getting crucified almost every offseason. So big, big year upcoming for Jacksonville and Trevor Lawrence. My pick, Chad, I feel like Brandon talked about it a little bit. It's that year two quarterback, right? That's where you get these crazy long shot values. Like one of my best bets of my career, my homes, 50 to 1. The next year, Lamar, 50 to 1. Like that was a really fun run of these guys making their first year starts,

getting really good long shot odds before the public and the books caught up to it. I'm looking at this list, chat. It's hard to imagine any of these quarterbacks being like those two. It really is. Like, really Pennix is about to take that next step. I can't do it. The one guy I can do it with, just because the odds are so insane, they've come down a little bit too, is Bo Nix. I bet this one. He was 100 to 1, down to 80 to 1. Now he's 75 to 1. It's just really about Sean

Peyton in that offense. If Bo Nix is who he thinks he can be, all of a sudden, it really is an offense that runs through him. This kid throws for 40 touchdowns, runs for 10, maybe 12 touchdowns, explosive year. That team somehow wins the division first time. Someone outside the Chiefs wins that division. Bo Nix to me could easily win this award. Like he has all the tools, has the coaching staff. It's just, do we really believe in Bo Nix? Was last year simply a fluke? Was that literally the peak of Bo Nix? Was what we saw last year? Yeah, that's the risk, but at 75 to 1,

I don't care burning that money. So to me, I like those long shot odds on a year two quarterback that potentially the storyline is there to take that next step and everything you've seen this offseason, him working on his throwing motion, working on his feet. It's all there laid out. Is it a flash in the pan from last season? I don't know, Chad, but I like that number, 75 to 1.

Two other quarterbacks in his division have odds between 5 to 1 and 20 to 1. So he will have to exceed the preseason expectations of two other quarterbacks. Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert. Hey, it's us to Jonas Brothers, and guess what? We have some big news. What's the news, name? Huge news. We created our own podcast called, Hey Jonas.

We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to a... We're the first people to do podcasts. Pretty, yeah, pretty wide range of podcasts throughout there. But this one's extra special. So how did we actually come up with a name, Hey Jonas, guys? I honestly don't remember.

I think it was on a call about what we should call it. Well, we were thinking I'm originally calling it one of the early names of our band. Before Jonas Brothers was... This is how you guys remember it going down? Yes. I have a very different memory of this. We were talking about a thing, a bit for the podcast, where people could call in and say, hey, Jonas.

And then I wrote down on my little notepad, Hey Jonas, and offered it up as a potential title for the podcast. But thanks for remembering that, guys. Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. 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, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The French Open is one of the toughest tests in tennis, and I know firsthand, because I, competed there myself. I'm Renee Stubbs, and on the Renee Stubbs tennis podcast, I'm breaking down everything happening at Roland Garris. Every match, every upset, and what it really takes to win on Clay. Jen, she went down to three to Rabakina, but I'm delighted. She's an outsider to win the

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Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Brandon, your last choice for MVP. Yeah, I looked at those sophomore quarterbacks, too. We obviously had the six guys drafted last year. J.J. McCarthy's not a sophomore quarterback. He's basically a rookie, but in a good position, if Minnesota wins well again, we saw Donald kind of get like the, I don't know, is he in the conversation? No, he was not. But if you're being talked about in the

conversation, maybe, I could see Pennix maybe getting into that spot, Drake London, Kyle Pitts, Bejana Robinson, and again, similar to your Trevor Lawrence pick, Chad, soft division, very winnable division, very good chance to get to 12, 13 wins if things go well there. Drake May, that was my favorite quarterback of the choices last year. I like a lot of the Patriots. We'll talk about them in a second. Lawrence was who I was hoping to take here, so I love that pick. I think that's as much a pick on Liam Cohen as it is on Trevor Lawrence, bringing in the coach that last year got Baker Mayfield to 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns.

If Trevor Lawrence does that, and then they win the division and getting contention, he's going to get that golden boy bump into the MVP conversation. All right, I'm trying to decide if I want to make like a realistic long shot pick or just a long shot, long shot pick. And I'm last, I'm doing both. Okay, Kyler Murray, that's my pick. Caler Murray is 50 to 1. This is my more realistic one.

Kyler's been in the MVP conversation at the midpoint of the season, like two previous times. He's just tiny and then he gets hurt, and then that's it. But we've just been watching Lamar Jackson in the last couple of years, do the thing where you get the highlight reel runs,

you make the crazy plays, very like TikTok generation sort of thing. Just gave me the three or four big plays of the game and grab my attention. Kyler's always going to have that. You now have back-to-back years, Tett McMillan with Marvin Harrison Jr. Plus the tight end.

The coaching staff is young, but the team has been slowly rounding in the form. I'll admit what I don't love here is it's a tough path to win a lot of games. You've got to win a lot of games to win MVP, and I don't know if I trust the defense yet. And we've been talking about multiple teams, that division already. So that's not great. I would love Kyla Murray better if it was in a more winnable division. But 4,000 yards, 25 scores, 5, 6, 700 rushing yards and some scores, and those

highlight plays. The scramble around, make something out of nothing. That's the play. And speaking of which, similar style player, Chad, you're either going to love this and bet it immediately or absolutely hate it and kick me off the podcast. I'm going off the board, 250 to 1 for a starting quarterback in the NFL named Justin Fields Justin Fields of the New York

Football Jets there is your Lamar Jackson long shot if he starts all year and stays healthy that's the key he could get a thousand yards rushing he probably will get a thousand yards rushing

in 10 scores we've seen Lamar Jackson we've seen Cam Newton probably a more better candidate for Justin Fields running quarterbacks and court is sort of

break the MVP formula. I like what the Jets did, bringing in Aaron Glenn, bringing in a new coaching staff they believe in. There's a lot of talent on defense. Glenn can get them back in the right track. There's Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall in offense. There are weapons.

They've invested a lot in the offensive line. I think Fields is an interesting flyer for the team. That probably is going to go very terribly. Probably this will go in your MVP portfolio and you'll be like, man, I can't believe I made that stupid bet. But just in case, what I thought. Three years ago, I bet Trey Lance, because I just wanted any

Shanahan quarterback, 50 to 1, and not only did Tray Lance not win MVP, he didn't even start. He got benched and traded and was like the third string Cowboys quarterback, and it was in the Action App, top of my list as my top future, as the futures guy at Action Network.

But the next year, I went back to the well with Brock Purdy, 50 to 1. He didn't win either, but it was a great pick and a great value that gave me a lot of shots later in the season. Fields, if he actually plays decently and gets his runs and gets the highlights, 2501 and free decent NFL starting quarterback is just too long for an MVP pick. We know it's a quarterback.

There are only 32 of them. That's only if you count like Cleveland and some of the teams that didn't even have real guys. So Justin Fields is the long shot of long shots. Chad, do you love me or hate me? You couldn't even make that whole pitch without your voice cracking. because you know how absurd the idea really is. That is what I think of it. I feel like whatever water is underneath your house

has slowly seeped into your brain because it's outrageous. I do love, listen, I love the Stafford pick. I like the DAC pick. I like the Purdy pick. Trevor Lawrence is a fun little taste. I agree with you, Simon, like I was looking at the odds. sort of that we have in front of us here.

I was debating between Drake May and Bo Nix. We're going to talk about some coaching changes, so I don't want to go too deep into Drake May. So Fields is off the board for me. Kyler Murray is interesting. I just think he's not going to be better. His team is not going to be better than the Niners. They won't be better than the Rams, in my opinion.

So I'd rather invest in the other two. but I like the conversation. That's a fun conversation. Coaching coordinator changes this offseason, Brandon, that you think you love, that have the biggest impact positively or negatively on Super Bowl future values. Any way you'd like to slice it, you start.

Yeah, when I get prepped up for the beginning of the new football season, coaching and offensive line are the two areas that I think are the biggest edge betters can have big picture on a team going into a season. Who got the big coaching change that's going to help the team, then raise the floor,

raise the ceiling, who got the trenches upgrade? And I think the answer to both of those questions this year, Chad, is your Chicago Bears. Chicago and Ben Johnson, I know it's all the hype. I know the Bears are out of the off-season champs. This season, I think it's actually legit. Ben Johnson with the culture change that he's going to bring to the locker room,

with the play calling, I think with the aggression that he's going to bring from the Dan Campbell tree. I think maybe he was the aggression. But it's not just Ben Johnson, and that's part of the reason I love this. You never know what happens when you go from like the star play caller to the head coach, Dennis Allen. I love the rejected, failed head coach back to the,

just humbling thyself to become a humble little defensive coordinator again. Dennis Allen's a fantastic defensive coordinator, and there's talent to work with there. I'm intrigued to, I don't know a lot about Declan Doyle. He's the new offensive coordinator. He was the tight ends coach for Denver and the Saints before that. Tight ends coach is what Ben Johnson was. We're seeing more and more tight ends coaches as tight ends become versatile weapons. Are you in line or are you split out wide?

Are you receiving? Are you blocking? Like, tight end coaches are kind of touching a lot of parts of the offense, so they bring a lot of versatility and new ideas to an offense as well. So look, we know, I just said earlier, I'm a Minnesota sports fan. I am not a Bears fan, even though I live in this area here.

The area is buzzing about Chicago coaching. And between that and the huge investment in the offensive line and Grady Jarrett and the defensive line, like they are pressing all my buttons. And I don't know how I know the schedule is daunting. The road schedule, oh my goodness. Like you can't really make it much harder than this. that. But Chicago's coaching and investment in the line, I don't know how I can not be in on

this team going ahead. Yesterday, I got a text from, you know, I've got my Chicago text chain. And the text yesterday was the anatomy of the Bears season, which starts with your fans are excited for the season. Season ends in disaster. Fans sad and depressed. Offseason hype videos. So we are in the middle of the offseason hype video fans excited for the season phase. Brandon, from your mouth to God's ear.

Like, let's make it happen. And by the way, Chicago has got a direct pipeline to God right now. So we should definitely, we should. definitely be taking advantage of that. There's a great story, I think, in the New York Times today about how long can Chicago hype for the Pope last? So we're already getting to the point where we know the hype for the Pope in Chicago is not going to last. So we might as well use it for all we can and try to get as many prayers in for the Bears before everyone has the Pope backlash. Simon, coaching change coaching coaching that are positive negative impacting future odds for you first i want to know

how terrified you were when there feels like there's only one reporter left in this whole entire world it happens to be your boy set were you terrified when he texted you hey doing a story on the bears you're like holy shit this is this is bad you do not want him coming around your team so i can only imagine that conversation look we're going to have set on uh the show to talk about his book for those for those who don't know, Simon is talking about Seth Wickersham, who's one of my closest friends. And he has a book coming out in the fall in September called American King, The Biography of a Quarterback. I've read it. It's brilliant. It's so brilliant that like it has sent me into a six-week spiral about the book I'm working on and how can I make it as good as Seth's.

I swear to God, we've been talking about this. It's so freaking good. And he's with Caleb Williams in his pre-draft process and then during his season with the Bears. He goes in detail with John Elway, Steve Young, Warren Moon. He goes back to YA. Tittle. Like, it is an amazing book. And I hope everyone buys it. And he will come on and talk about the book. Simon, I knew about this already because, you know, Seth had been telling me about the book for three years.

we had had lunch many, many times where he told me what he had on Caleb Williams that the news came out last week from Seth that Caleb wasn't watching film with Shane Waldron, wasn't getting direction, had really connected with Kevin O'Connell from the Vikings, was hoping to get drafted by the Vikings. Caleb's dad was trying to pull sort of an archie manning and get the bear to not draft Caleb Williams and get him drafted by somebody else. This week, Ben Johnson acknowledged all that, said, we don't mind that reputation. This is what we're here to turn around.

I thought he handled it great. Caleb hasn't said anything about it. Seth blew up last week. He and I were on the phone when he was in the middle of all his media stuff. I was in Lexington, Kentucky. It's great. It's totally great. I got a text from my son when I was on the road because all this was breaking when I was on the road.

and who obviously he knows Seth very, very well. The text was, this shit from Seth is so fucking annoying. All I'm getting is Caleb Williams hates the Bears in my timeline. So that's how it landed in my house as a Bears fan. I'm the other way where it made me so happy where it's like, we all knew something was holding back Caleb Williams last year. And when you go through the numbers and just going through last season,

And it's incredible what he did. And that's why I'm still, I'm still hasn't, not much, so have him above Jane Danos. And I'm still very excited. And I, you know, that to me, the slam dunk higher of the offseason, it's what we just said, it's Ben Johnson, right? Like the fact that he has him now, it changes everything. And, you know, for me, mine's going to be a little more boring.

And that's how I like it here. It's got to be Brian Schottner. Like, I love everything about this move for Dallas because he is what people view as Jerry's lap dog. And the disrespect he got from that. higher even Jerry disrespected in his hiring process what do you call him the the basically called him like he was never the coach now he is the coach and he's the cheap version of Mike McCarthy yes and I I view this as a net positive because

nothing's really going to change much there their offense is going to be the exact same but now we have a guy that to me is already being doubted by the public and you mean I mean Chad mean you made that joke instantly I can't wait to bet on this kind of regular season the playoffs he just just gonna be like his daddy. Like that's when we're gonna fade this kid when he gets to the playoffs. So the jokes are already there, but to me, the team that jumps out to me is a guy that, you know, I talk all the time. As an Eagles fan, I've hated a lot of our hires. The past one, Nick Siriano just won me a Super Bowl. You want to head, you want to hate your head coach. That's

the best outcome for most of these teams. For Dallas and their fan base, I think this is perfect. No one likes the Brian Schenheimer higher. They're being doubted. We talk like I'm all in on this That one jumped out to me though. Just Dack going to be comfortable in this offense still, the fact that this guy is kind of being bashed on by the media, those tends to be the coaches that work out, not the guys that we all love and adore coming to the season. Guys, the answer is Robert Sala to the San Francisco 49ers.

As much as I love Ben Johnson, and believe me, like, I'm all in on Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams. I think the division is terribly hard. I'm not quite sure the deep. defense is good enough yet. I think their schedule is just a tragedy. And the NFL should have thought harder if they're going to put their highest profile,

new hire with a transcendent potentially talent at quarterback. Give him a freaking break in the schedule. Robert Sala, going back to that defense after the just mess that was the New York Jets, feeling liberated from the New York media, from the Johnson family, from the quarterback drama. That defense, when Robert Sala was coaching that defense for the Jets, was elite.

We saw how bad they got after he left. And he was doing that with every obstacle. He was handcuffed by this team. He gets to go back to San Francisco with a talented defense and a coach who will entrusted him implicitly. And a lot of guys on that team who remember, what it was like when he was there and he was so freaking good

and so smart and the way he was so intense on that sideline he got to be himself as a defensive coordinator he couldn't do that as a head coach with the Jets. Give me Robert Sala, San Francisco 49ers. You guys shake their heads.

Yeah, that was my second pick as well and frankly it's a one B more than a number two. We talked about this just where we started the show. San Francisco was my very first bet of the new NFL season to win the Super Bowl next year. I know you guys are in on them as well. We forget because it's been a few years now. Number one, the Jets defense just last year was great with Robert Sala. Then they got rid of him and fell completely off a cliff, but he was that

good for them. Before that, though, the thing we forget, as much as we give Calh Shanahan credit and as good as the offense Salah says, their defense actually ranked higher than the offense in the years that Sala was there. And it's not like the offense was bad. That's just how great. How elite the defense was. So you're right. It's not the same names anymore. But there's still a lot of talent there. They lost a ton, a ton of injury games last year.

So just getting back healthy. I think they to me remind me that the reason that I picked them was I was due in like January. Okay, who will be next year's, what's the team that's hot right now? Who's next year's commanders? Who is next year's Eagles, that sort of thing. I think that the Niners are next year's Eagles. I think getting that new voice in to leave the defense, a new old voice in their case, just like the Eagles did, and then getting healthy again.

And a team that just the stock is too low because of the way the season ended, just like the Eagles had the previous year, where the Eagles remember fell apart. And we didn't even know we're going to keep Nick Siriani, you're going to fire him. And we even got that a little bit into the season. It was two and two starting out, I think. And we didn't know if they're going to be any good. They got to that by a week and everything just clicked in a place. they went. Obviously, McCaffrey was out last season. That's the Saquan Barclay of the team,

getting him back. We say running backs don't matter, but a couple of them really do matter and change everything about an offense. Getting him back in there, getting Trent Williams back healthy on the line. I'm not worried about losing Debo Samuel. They've got plenty of other options. They were preparing for that anyway. I think San Francisco, to me, is a co-favor in the NFC. I don't even think that they are a sleeper. I would just put them with Philadelphia and ahead of Detroit or other teams in the NFC. So I think the revamp defense, the renewed defense is big there. I really like Clint Kubiak, the offensive coordinator higher in Seattle.

I wanted to be excited about them with him and with Mike McDonald. And then they were like, yeah, but we're not really sure we're doing. Goodbye, Gino and goodbye, DK. That was my other Super Bowl bet. I'm already just kind of counting that ticket as a loss because I don't know what's happening. they decided they're in transition when I thought that they had a possible contender there. But to my San Francisco pick, to our San Francisco pick,

the one thing I didn't love about it was that I really like Seattle right there in the division. So, okay, well, Seattle's worst. I guess San Francisco gained a couple easier wins in the division maybe as well. So those were the coordinator names that really caught my eye. The coaching names, Simon, I guess I'm proving your point. I did not like Brian Schoenheimer or Matt Iberflus.

I know I like the rehire of the defense. These just feel like kind of retread names that gave up in the cycle. But that's your point. That's the narrative thing. And it is a little crazy that DAC is 45 to 1 MVP as good as he is, as good of weapons as they have with George Pickens now. So yeah, I think what you said is interesting. I'll have to kind of rethink the narrative because it does feel like a very low spot on perception on the Cowboys. Yeah, I would just say, too, the 49ers, the biggest.

thing. My biggest worry is the Eagles nailed the fucking draft. Like they nailed the draft. So to me, the 49ers, that's been the kind of the Achilles these last couple years is Lynch has not been nail on the draft like he was in the early 2020s, right? And, you know, for a team like them that have to pay these top talent guys, you have to nail the draft. So I'm really excited to see what's how I can do with these young guys, especially the secondary that they have in San Francisco. So I'm right there with you. I mean, we got to talk about it, right? The best, the best coaching, to me is up in New England, a guy we all love. Is it not? What do you say, Chad? Yeah, I mean,

like, I just asked you who the best coaching hire was. You gave me 10 minutes on Brian fucking Schottenheimer. And now at the end of this, we're going to Mike Vrable. Of course, Mike Vrable is a better higher than Brian Schottenheimer. I don't know that's true. I'm just thinking like, do I think Robert Sala is a better piece to get the 49ers over the top and make them more of a Super Bowl contender. Do I think Mike Vrable is making the Patriots a Super Bowl contender right now? Maybe?

There you go. That's right. I just think he can change the whole culture. So that's why I love it so much where it's like he can come and change. Why didn't you say him first over Brian Schadenheimer? No, because the Brian Schontenheimer was so out of left field. People knew the Vrable conversation was coming because you teased earlier. So I didn't want to start with him just because people knew it was coming.

But it's the move that just jumped out to both of us. We loved it so much. You know, my sick mind, I was thinking of all the ways we could get rid of Siriani after that week four. When we were two and two, I was like, oh, my God. Fire this motherfucker. Bring me in Vrable. Give me Vrable right now.

We'll win a Super Bowl this season. Nah, I'm sorry, Nick Siriana, you're the man. But Vrable... Well, here's the thing, though. Here's the thing. Right now, if you could have Mike Vrabel for the next five years or Nick Siriani for the next five years. I'm biased, so I don't like... I don't like Siriani as a person.

That's my issue. So I kid, I'm the blinds are too blurred. Like he, well, that whole thing, when he talks shit to Eagles fans and then rather than owning up to it at the press conference, he brought his kids out, Chad. I was out forever. You just, that totally rubbed me the wrong way. And I respect him as a coach and as a man obviously, but as just a general person, I just do not like him as Vrabel as a general person. I'd be boys with Rabel.

I'd pack a dip dip lip with Vrabble. Brable is that man, that dude. He's a man's man. And like the fact. that you know this offensive line when they drafted it was a will Howard that he he was blocking with him like getting a feel for him see how he could work his hands in his body oh i saw i love that yeah like that's the stupid shit as a football fan i just love to hear so you know that one jumps out right away where it's like he can come in put his identity in this team like you just said chad they probably

won't win this year right we all agree drake may is a ton of talent he would have to take an insane jump in year two because they just don't have the weapons on the outside in my opinion to really factor into that division with the bills but crazier things have happened right so you know brable to me that's that's the hire that newman kept felt like they're doing everything wrong after the brady error this feels like the first of two first right moves right taking drake may then following up getting brayable the next year so i mean i'm interested in Anderson's take on it because you know i think you like brable as well but um not too many of us hate a guy who wins us tons of money every time he's an underdog is better that's right yeah i mean he's such a

an overachiever. So I'm of two minds on it. I think here's what I want from Mike Brable. I would love to hire Mike Brable as the head coach on a three-year deal and then you have to leave and go to different team because I think he is a floor razor, but I do not think he is a ceiling razor. I think Rable is the guy you want to bring in, like he bring him in to remake your restaurant and your business and get that everything going. But then you need Siriani to get the Super after that. Like, you need innovation and creativity. I don't love how Rable manages games.

And I know we overindex on that from a fan standpoint. Coaching is a lot more than that. But I think the way that he sets up the team, it's very, it's what you love, Simon. That's what we love as football fans. It's old school. It's smash mouth. It's run first.

I think he's perfect for this Patriots team right now. A little bit of Bell-check still, a little bit of that flavor still, and a team that just needs to raise the floor. So I'm going to use this to launch into, we're doing my off-season hot takes. Here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to put my off-season hot takes all into one take. I think the Patriots can be this year's commanders,

and I think the commanders might be this year's Texans. Here's what I mean. Patriots floor raising, that's what we saw with the commanders last year. They had a ton of salary cap, and then they spent it on just dudes everywhere. And I was like, really? Go get a couple real names in here. It turned out the dudes everywhere, making the offensive line much better,

just adding veterans on the defense, Bobby Wagner and Frankie Lou Who, those dudes raised the floor and Jane Daniels raised the ceiling. And the new coaching staff gave them an opportunity. That fits the formula here. The Patriots still lack talent. You're right. I don't know that this is not a Super Bowl pick. This is maybe a worst to first division winner pick.

I think the bills have a little more holes in the roster than they might look. I know Matt Mitchell won't like to hear it, but I know he's down on them because of we're doing hard knocks. We're coming off the MVP season. There's a lot of reason that the bills, this maybe isn't the bill's year. They're kind of transitioning. Meanwhile, the Patriots as Stefan Diggs that receiver. Not a lot left, but something there back in the division he knows. I love Kyle Williams from the draft.

I thought he was a really good pick for there. Another receiver. They drafted Trevian Henderson. You mentioned Will Campbell, the lineman. They brought in Morgan Moses on the line. They paid big money for Milton Williams, who was fantastic in the playoffs on the defensive line. Carlton Davis, probably the best cornerback available. Just lots of talent everywhere.

So Vrable raised the floor. Talent everywhere raising the floor. Drake May, can you raise the ceiling? Can you be Jane Daniels this year? And I don't know about, again, not Super Bowl ceiling. But this to me, this is a screams over this year as an over team and a possible if they can get things right, division push, where we talked about fields and the jets,

but the reality is they're probably not going to be that good. The dolphins are down swing. I think the bills are certainly not upswing. So maybe you think they stay the same, but in the NFL you don't usually stay the same. You go one direction or the other, and I think that they are going the wrong direction. The commanders, I think might be this year's Texans,

the team that is all hype. We all got excited. We watched, what was I think, five straight, one score victories at the end of the season, they knocked off the lions. Congrats. The lions were playing the three of us on defense at the end of the season. Like somebody was knocking off the lines.

They just happened to be there for it. They get the big trade for the receiver. Stefan Diggs for the Texans. Debo Samuel for the commanders. Oh, we got the new weapon for our new shiny young quarterback toy. That's the star. Well, Lizzie, because C.J. Straude was the big sleeper MVP last year. And then he kept sleeping all season long and never really woke up and had a great season.

Is that Jane Daniels? I like Jane Daniels, but growth is not linear. You don't just become a superstar and that's it. You're going to take some lumps along the way. I wanted them to continue to add up the roster. This year, they did the big splash. They put everything in on Laramie Tunsell on a trade. Laramie Tunsell was really not great last season.

They're missing Sam Cosmy on the line. I don't know. The line got a lot worse as the year went on. The defense still lacks a lot of talent. I don't know if the commanders are going to be as hype as everyone thinks they are. I think they could disappoint like the Texans, and I think the Patriots might be this year's commanders instead.

Look, Simon, a few weeks ago, we said the Patriots at what, what was it 16 to 1 or 30 to 1? It was some outrageous number. No, no, just to win their division, but it was crazy. Right, right. But to win their division, it was like an outrageous number. It wasn't that, though. I think it was 7 or 8 to 1.

I think that was the Titans. I don't know. If someone can look up and put it in chat. No, because the Patriots are way down, brother, now. They've been bet down since we even talked about it. Like, after our show, they moved. At the time, it was pretty long odds. Whatever it was, like, the bills are minus 275 to win the AFC East,

and we love the Patriots and got a little blowback for it. We still like the Titans more to win the AFC South. If we're looking at sort of worse to first, but I don't mind what Brandon is saying about the Patriots at all. I don't mind about I really love what you're saying about the commanders because I love the same exact mentality of him. It's just like they came out of nowhere shocked the world and now everyone's just like, well, that's who they're going to be now. Jane Daniels, he's the top five quarterback. This is a team that every year they're going to win this division or fight to win this division.

It's just like, what are you just talking about? It's never that easy. You peak in value. Peek and value. That's why we talk about these three guys at the top, the Lamar, the Mahomes, the Josh Allen, they're the unicorns. They're the guys every year that get you 10 wins. And that's just not normal, right? There's just ups and down.

So what he's talking about here, this is why I love Dallas. It's like everyone's all in on the Eagles super winning team. Everyone's all in on the, the shining new 20 of commanders. Everyone has left Dallas for dead. Dallas has no worse off than they were last year when they were plus 1.30 at this point to win the NFC East. So it's just that's why I love this job, Chad. It's just overreaction. It's just last year, the amount of shit I took for talking about the Eagles being a top three team coming into the season.

because ESPN had them ranked 12th or 13th. It's what do you people want from me? It's like, this is my job to make a living doing this. It's, it's, I'm never biased. I'm happy to take Dallas, right? As an Eagles fan, I am happy to vet Dallas. Why? Because I know it's a smart bet.

It's all about the values here. So everything you just said about the commanders, I am, we're on the exact same page about it. It's just this team at everything break right for them. Jaden Daniels was the best fourth down quarterback where you might have ever seen the issue of NFL. So much regression. is coming to that team.

So everything you just talked about, it's dead on, in my opinion, about the commanders. Brandon, what are the odds for the Patriots to win the division right now? The best number out there right now is a plus 650. Plus 5, 600, depending on your book, and a plus 650 is the best.

All right, well, look, we've unpacked a lot of stuff here today. We've done our hot takes. We've done our NFL MVPs. We've done our Super Bowl futures. We did our draft of NFL MVPs. I like it. I like where we're,

we landed. Hopefully, Brandon, you've got your galoshes and your apartment travails will clean themselves up. Real, real soon, Brandon Anderson. Thank you for joining everyone, listen to Brandon on buckets throughout the rest of the NBA playoffs.

Simon and I will return with our next episode of the favorites and the Action Network YouTube page. Download us from Spotify, Apple Pods, wherever you get your pods, rate, review, subscribe, leave us five stars. say whatever you want. Feedback is a gift until next time. Love you. Action Network reminds you. Please gamble responsibly.

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