The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Hour 1 - The super team trend is ending

Episode Date: June 3, 2025

Jason McIntyre fills in for Colin previewing the NBA Finals matchup between the Thunder and the Pacers and why the era of super teams has come to an end Is OKC/Indiana the Finals the NBA wanted? Are the Vikings concerned with QB JJ McCarthy?   Guest: Albert BreerSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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It's me, Jason McIntyre, back for Tuesday. Colin Coward on vacation. I'm joined today by Alex Curry. Alex, it's a great week in sports. I mean, we've got the NBA finals coming up. Major League Baseball had another thriller. last night. Life is good. Yeah. That was fun. I stayed up a little too late watching the Dodgers try to make that comeback, but it's okay. I woke up a little early. I was workshopping some takes

about 4.30 a.m. Just in my head. You know, I felt like yesterday's show was so good. Your takes wake you up sometimes. I do that. I keep a little notepad by the side of the bed. Oh. And I'll like write things down when I wake up randomly in the middle of night. You look the next morning. You're like, what did I? I made the mistake. It's like a Seinfeld episode. I made the mistake of going in my phone and my notes section and banging out some stuff, then the like gets in your head. Good stuff. We got several great guests today. Obviously, we're talking NBA finals, a little NFL.

I don't want to concern any Niners fans, but about seven minutes from now, I got some bad news. But let's start with the NBA finals, because you guys know I'm a big hoophead, right? I'm in multiple men's leagues. I won't talk about last night's game. It was phenomenal. I was terrific. But listen, you know, OKC, Indiana. I don't want to be the bearer of bad news, but I'm not that excited for these NBA finals.

You know, I joke that Colin is the elitist here on the show, but maybe it's me. Because, you know, if I were the NBA, I would have changed its motto to give me super teams or give me death. Because that's what I like. I like superstars in the NBA finals. And we don't really have that. We don't have dynasties. We got debuts. And that just isn't as sexy as what we've had here in the last, I don't know, quarter century.

Folks, let's be real. When the NBA had super teams, this century, it was at the height of its popularity. I mean, come on, you put LeBron, Kevin Love, and Kyrie in the finals. That's a lot of pop. That's juice. I mean, Kyrie Irving, he had a movie, okay? Kevin Love was ascending in Minnesota. LeBron changed teams and became the villain in Miami.

But you look at those super teams in Cleveland, Miami. Hell, the greatest team ever assembled in NBA history? Yes, that's true. Steph Curry and Kevin Durant, do you know how much excitement that was leading up to the finals? When you had all those stars gathered together, hell, you could even go back to the Boston Celtics

with our guy here, Paul Pierce, when he got Kevin Garnett gifted to him and Ray Allen going up against Kobe and Gasol in the finals. Folks, that was Star Wadage. Those finals were incredible. And I don't know about you, but I know the NBA loves, Hey, we're about to have our seventh champion in seven years.

Hooray! Hooray for socialism in the NBA! Folks, I'm sorry, but think back to that Denver Miami Heat Series. You remember anything from that one? I had to ask the staff this morning, hey, how many games did that go? I don't remember it. Five game series. It was not great.

Even Phoenix, Milwaukee. You know, you had ascending Janus, ascending Devin Booker. That series didn't have any pop. I think Yonah's dropping 50 in the decisive game was about it. But like, those weren't great memorable series. Again, the super teams, they provided that. And I like Tyrese Halliburton as much as the next guy. You guys know I've been a big Indiana Pacers fan.

In the finals? I just don't really see it. And, you know, I kind of, I'm going to bash Adam Silver here a little bit because you're the reason we've got this. You wanted it. I know you're doing the bidding of the owner. but going away from super teams and pushing toward, hey, everybody's got a chance. I don't know that that's the answer.

And you guys can push back and say, no, the NBA didn't want Indiana OKC. Yes, they did because the small markets were upset that all the stars were going and joining forces. They don't want that. So what you've got is Adam Silver saying, hey, we're going to reward teams that draft a superstar number one or two or whatever it is. And hey, you know what? If you stay with the team that drafted you,

you can get the Supermax. Who the hell's turning down $300 million? You know? And now, if you're drafted by a small market team, you're incentivized to stay there. Because guess what? Everybody saw LeBron bolt from Cleveland and KD bolt from OKC.

And they said, that's not fair. We need to keep our stars at home. Well, Adam Silver, I'm sorry, but fairness is. isn't really sexy or exciting. Exciting is player movement. That's what gives the league the pop. And super teams being created is awesome.

And so besides just the supermax and incentivizing everybody to stay, all of a sudden it's like, hey, we're going to institute this thing called an apron and a second apron. And, oh, by the way, if you want to get all these stars together, you're going to have to dip into the double apron

and pay, I don't know, $70 million. You've got to write a check. for that as a penalty and wouldn't you know it. But all of a sudden we're hearing chatter, hey, this summer, Janus could be on the move because the super team they tried to build in Milwaukee didn't quite work out. And the super team Kevin Durant and Phoenix had didn't quite pan out. So now all of a sudden Janus and KD are going to hit the market. And to me, that's exciting. Player movement, exciting, stars joining forces. Yes, give me more of that. I like this page.

Easter story. It's fun. OKC was built. I mean, hey, Sam Presti. Tremendous job putting this team together. And all I hear is they're not going anywhere, but is anybody fired up about watching OKC Indiana? Like, there's a world where we'll talk about it tomorrow probably. I think Indiana can maybe be competitive. But there's also a world where OKC smokes them in four and we're snoozing our way through the NBA finals. So I don't know, guys, it seems like it's time to pour some out for the super team era. My problem is, I'm not going to smile because it happened. I'm going to cry because it's over. I already miss it. All right, it's time to pivot to the NFL. And I got some news last night. You know,

obviously I'm texting with the staff and Zach sends me something. Hey, I got some bad news for your guy, Brock Purdy and the Niners. And I look at the numbers and I'm like, well, yeah, I'm a Brock Purdy guy. Listen, don't tell me what I don't want to hear. And so I say, why don't you strip out last year's numbers from Brock Purdy and then come back to me and I'll take a look at it. And so Zach did that. And folks, Brock Purdy, when tied or trailing in the second half, not good. It's not just last season. There's a theme here.

Now, I do want to say, you know me, I love a good underdog. Brock Purdy, last pick in the draft. I've been championing this guy for a couple years. Folks, when facing a big deficit in his career, it's not just last season. He hasn't been great. Now, obviously, context is needed here. Yes, I'm a Brock Purdy guy. Guy goes 5 and 0 in his first season in the league.

Boom. Goes right to the conference championship. Gets hurt against Philly. Comes back the next year. People were doubting him. Not me. J. Mack all in on Brock Purdy. And what did you know when he went to the Super Bowl?

Lost in overtime. Okay? Brock Purdy has shown. a lot. We got Chris Sims here talking about Brock Purdy's growth, and I'm going to get it positive before I get negative. So here's Chris Sims talking Brock Purdy. I was encouraged with a lot of stuff I saw from Brock Purdy last year. I do feel like he did more off-schedule, more wow plays, more wow throws, making some more more happen when it wasn't there to be had, maybe that he had the two years previous to that. That's where I saw growth in his game. He can't lose the surgicality

that he had and running the offense and being just an absolute machine with making the right decisions play after play after play. So we're seeing positive growth from Brock Purdy. And I will add, again, context always necessary. Go back to that Super Bowl run. They trailed Green Bay, came back and got the dub. Brock Purdy with the fourth quarter comeback. Next week in a memorable game against Detroit, they trail big down 24-7 at the half.

Brock Purdy engineers an awesome comeback. Yes, some of that was Dan Campbell fumbling the bag. Josh Reynolds, a brutal drop. Some luck with the face mask catch by the Niners. But San Francisco and Brock Purdy came back to get the dumb. So he has had some comebacks. But by and large, Brock Purdy is great on the script. And when that wears off, it don't look good.

Now, you can't just kill Brock Purdy because it takes two to tango. and we know Kyle Shanahan has had some failures. Kyle Shanahan, the head coach of the Niners, was the O.C. in Atlanta when he had Matt Ryan, the MVP, and they gagged away a 28-3 lead in the Super Bowl against the Patriots. You can't put that fully on Shanahan, obviously. However, play calling has been suspect in big spots. Kyle Shanahan fast forward to when he had Jimmy Garrow.

in the Super Bowl against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. I remember this vividly because I had the Niners in that one. They led 20 to 10 in the fourth quarter, and they ended up losing and not covering. Now, again, can't put it all on Shanahan, but it's a pattern blows the lead as the OC in the fourth quarter, second half against the Patriots, blows the lead in the fourth quarter against Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid. And, oh, by the way, they had a double-digit lead. in the second quarter when they lost the Super Bowl to Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reed just a

couple of years ago. So there is a pattern of Shanahan struggling late and my guy Brock Purdy. However, I'm still positive on Brock Purdy in the Niners for this season. The schedule is extremely favorable. I joke to a buddy that me, who has never coached football at any level, I could get the Niners to 500 this season. That's how easy the schedule is, and I'm not buying this whole the roster. do pleaded. The Niners are going to be very good. Folks, the quarterbacks they're facing

right out of the gate. Sam Darnold in a new spot. Who the hell knows who the Saints are starting a quarterback? Kyla Marie, come on. We're not concerned there. Trevor Lawrence and the Jags, by the way, they got some problems already with Travis Hunter. We'll talk about that later. The Rams game's going to be tough. But again, Michael Pennix, whatever the Giants trot out at quarterback, Carolina. You know, I don't know if Bryce Young's going to be starting then. Cleveland, if you got four quarterbacks battling, you got zero. Tennessee, rookie quarterback, Colts at that stage in the game, I don't know what's going on there. So the schedule screams 10, 11, 12 wins, maybe 13 for the Niners and probably a number one seat.

But I'm the commander in truth, as I said yesterday, and I got to come clean. These Brock Purdy, when trailing numbers, kind of sort of scare me. I'm not absolutely terrified, but the number. should scare you because, listen, the first time Brock Purdy's trailing, well, this is what he can't do. He doesn't do comebacks. Kyle Shanahan, what are you going to do? And I think that's the kind of thing that can seep into your head and not only as a fan, but as a coordinator, a coach, a running back, a receiver, you start to wonder, can this guy get it done when the chips are down? So Brock Purdy, there's some pressure this season, for sure. You're now a $50 million

man. You've got to act like one. We've got a great show ahead, folks. I'm I'm so fired up. And coming up next here on the herd, oh boy. I've got a team of destiny in the NFL this season. And they're in the NFC. And I don't think you're going to agree with me, but that's what we do. J.J. McCarthy, keep an eye out. That's next.

Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. On Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeard Radio app. 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 it. 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 do 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 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, 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, S&L's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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 athlete themselves.

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Listen to SportsSlice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slicelife-Life 12 and the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. 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 Bray. breaking down everything happening at Roland Garris. Every match, every upset, and what it really takes to win on Clay.

Jen she won. I mean, she went down in three to Rabakina, but I'm delighted. She's an outsider to win the French for me. And she likes Clay. Listen, Lena Rubakina is arguably the best player in the world right now. And I actually can win on any surface. Because if she's serving, well, good luck. Consider this your court side seat to the French Open.

Listen to the Renee Stubbs Tennis Podcast on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHeart Women's Sports. Back here on the herd, got Albert Breer coming up in 20 minutes. Maybe I'll ask him about the reporter on social media who yelled at me over my Shador Sanders take from yesterday. I don't know. We got a lot to talk about.

Breer's my guy. We're buddies. We go way back. So stick around for that. We got Yovon Buha. Lakers people, stick and stay. an hour, that'll be fun. All right. Um, so part of the fun of being in sports media is, you know, you get to make predictions. And then you obviously root for them. So you hope you're

right. And a couple years ago on this show, I put kind of a stake in the ground like Mel Gibson Braveheart style for a player. And I didn't just do it out of the blue. Um, you know, you hear things. People come through this studio. I have people on my podcast. I'm out about trying to talk up certain people in the NFL. And I kept hearing, keep an eye on this J.J. McCarthy kid, man, at Michigan. He's got some Moxie. Okay? I'm like, whatever that's worth.

You know, Matt Saracen from Friday Night Lights had Moxie. Where'd that get him, you know? And McCarthy just has a ho-hum career, 27 and 1 at Michigan. No big deal. But I'll never forget, he had a semi-final game against Alabama. And I think it was either the first play of the game or the third. third. He throws an out pattern and the Alabama D.B. almost picks it off. And I'm like, oh gosh, here I am hyping up McCarthy and he nearly screwed the pooch on the first drive.

And of course, as the game progresses, J.J. McCarthy has the ball with five minutes left, down a touchdown against Alabama and the Rose Bowl. If that's not pressure, I don't know what pressure is. McCarthy completes a big pass on fourth down. He has a huge scramble, ends up getting a touchdown pass, ties the game. They win in overtime. And all of the sudden, JJ McCarthy, okay, I see you, JJ, you got some pop. And he's drafted by the Minnesota Vikings. But then he gets hurt and misses the entire rookie season. He misses the season and Sam Darnold jumps in.

Sam Darnold, who was drafted by the Jets High, couldn't do anything in New York, bounces around, and all of a sudden lands in Minnesota and Sam Darnal is lights out last year, okay, until the end of the season. And national television kind of poops his people. pants in the regular season finale with everything on the line. Playoff game, he gets destroyed, humbled at home, and they move on from Sam Donald. But all you hear is like, I don't know if J.J. McCarthy is the guy. There's all this noise from reporters. J.J. McCarthy has not thrown a meaningful pass in the NFL yet. His last meaningful pass was January 8, 2024 in that Rose Bowl.

I am coming out right now and telling America, I'm all in on J.J. McCarthy and the Vikings. they will play in the NFC championship this year. I'm making my prediction here in June of 2025. I am all in on this team. Now, it's a couple things at play. First, I want you to listen to somebody who played with Josh Allen and who's now seen J.J. McCarthy up close. Harrison Phillips, here he is giving some praise to Mr. J.J. McCarthy.

Man, he's got some confidence. And he reminds me of, like, Josh Allen, when I was with him in Buffalo, coming into his own and understanding the power that he has, to lead this organization, and he's doing a fantastic job doing that. Oh, really? He reminds you of Josh Allen. Oh, my. Okay, so I said earlier, I like when people come into the studio and I'm a sponge.

I try to learn stuff. You guys might remember Aaron Jones, the running back. He was in Green Bay, now he was on the Vikings, came in here. During the commercial, I'm peppering these guys with questions. What do you got? Without any prompting, Aaron Jones could not stop talking about J.J. McCarthy. The leadership, the dude's got it. Sometimes you just have it.

It's a quality. You know, girl walks into a bar. She's got it. That's the girl. Quarterback walks in, and he's got command of the offense. Okay? Aaron Jones is running back, raving about it. And then we got a guy here at the network who happens to know Kevin O'Connell very well.

Kevin O'Connor really, really likes J.J. McCarthy. Oh, by the way, you know who else likes J.J. McCarthy? Jim Harbaugh. Do you remember what he said on this show about, JJ McCarthy? Armed talent, athleticism, it factor, winning with numbing repetition.

When people get a load of JJ and how he can throw the ball, how he spins it, his athleticism, his intelligence, you know, talk about it factor, you know, he's got it, the competitiveness that he has, and they get around him

and they really start digging in and they start talking to him. So you start adding these things up. Jim Harbaugh, who knows a little bit about football, loves J.J. Jim McCarthy. Kevin O'Connell is one of the brightest young minds in the league. That's undeniable. Okay?

How do I know this? Well, I don't know. Caleb Williams coming out of USC is like on record saying, I want to play for Kevin O'Connell. How do I get to Minnesota? Caleb Williams wanted to go to play for Kevin O'Connell. And do you remember the Pastrodot, one of the great nicknames in the NFL?

Josh Dobbs. Minnesota had a quarterback injury. They trade for Josh Dobbs. Thrust him on the field that week. He gets a win. Next week, get to win. Kevin O'Connell is freaking good, guys. I'm sorry.

I know there's a lot of good coaches in the league. I've got it in my top five coaches already. And I don't think he's won a playoff game. Lost with Kirk Cousins. Lost with Darnel. And I've got Kevin O'Connell fifth of mine coaches in the NFL right now. That's how in high regard I have him. Okay?

So you add all this up. Harbaugh loves it. J.J. McCarthy. Kevin O'Connell, super sharp mind, who everybody wants to play for. Remember, by the way, Aaron Rogers, guys, still not signed. I'm lifting my ban on Aaron Rogers. Yesterday, I refused to mention the guy's name. Today, I'm mentioning it because multiple reporters have come out and said,

the reason Rogers hasn't signed yet with Pittsburgh is because he's waiting for the Minnesota opening. He wants Kevin O'Connell to want him. I don't think it's happening. I think it's a bad look to kind of do exactly what Brett Favre did. Jets, then Vikings, that's very losery. I digress. Bottom line is everybody loves Kevin O'Connell. Kevin O'Connell loves J.J. McCarthy.

Folks, we know the Detroit lines. Alex and I talked about this yesterday. Frank Ragnow, Detroit's center. He just retired. Detroit has a new offensive coordinator and a new center. That's not great. Green Bay, we got some questions. I think we'll be talking about the Packers.

Jordan Love doesn't seem happy with some of the comments coming out. There's some noise around Green Day. I don't know if they're going to be good or not. The Bears schedule is brutal. Cowherd can hype them up all they want. It ain't happening. The team of destiny this year is the Minnesota Vikings.

They went 14 and 3 last year and didn't finish in first place. So a 14 and 3 team playing a second place schedule. Guys, I don't think they're afraid of the bears. It's on the road. It could be a tricky spot. Then they get the Falcons at home, the no-defense bengals, the overrated Steelers, and the punchless Browns who are probably going to be starting Kenny Pickett at that point. Five and O in play right out of the gate?

Listen, I'm not advocating bet the win total now, but I'm just telling you, as long as McCarthy's healthy, I like this Vikings team a lot this coming season. Let's go to Alex Curry with the news. No, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. I love how hot you are on a rookie QB who hasn't even seen an NFL snap yet. But, no, you made some good points.

There's a lot of question marks in the NFC North, which was the best, I think, division last year. There is a chance. But let's start with the defending champ. Seguan Barkley had a historic year last season that culminated in a Super Bowl win. This year, he's the cover of Madden. It's so sick. and says his team knows exactly what to do to achieve the same success as last year. The best way I can answer that question is success is not accident.

We know the recipe. We know what it takes. So we can't skip any steps to get to where we want to get to. And last OTAs, it was the same thing. And we already know how training camp is going to be, and we know how it's going to be doing the season. Like I said, we know the recipe, and we've got to try to stick to it. And a little bit of luck when, you know, that comes in with staying healthy.

we do that with the talent that we have and the coaches that we have and we'll be in a good position. I mean, let's be honest, every championship team thinks and believes that they can repeat, but it hasn't happened often in NFL history. Nine franchises have one back to back.

But most recent, obviously, the Little Dynasty we saw with the Chiefs winning three and five years. Little Dynasty. Well, we'll see if they can get back. But the difference now is they were in a, let's prove everyone wrong year, last year. Now they're going to have the biggest target

on their back in the league. So there's a reason you don't have a bunch of repeat champions. It's hard to do. But Sequin had an insane season. And huge congrats on his Madding cover. It's his iconic back hurdle jump. That was the only choice. Like this had to be the photo in the cover of Madden this year.

It's so iconic. It's so sick. But it's just, it's tough. It's tough to repeat. Yeah. I got, listen, I was hyping this at the draft. Okay. So I looked at Sequan's carries last year.

Yeah. You've heard the curse of 370.70. If you have 370 carries, the odds are extremely high that you get injured the next year based on history. Sequin only had 345. Remember, they sat him out the last week. Yeah. Okay. But he also had 33 catches.

The touches were significant. You know who else had a lot of touches two years ago? Who? Christian McCaffee. And what had? happened last year. He was injured. I believe Christian McCaffrey was on the Madden cover as well. I'm not trying to wish anything into existence.

I like Sequin. Eagles want me a lot of money in the Super Bowl. Alex, I would I'm nerd. I don't think they're not, I don't think they're going to repeat. It's tough. Yeah. Schedule is difficult. I would say the number one thing is to

limit Sequin's carries. Like we got Will Shipley in the draft. I don't want him to take 20 carries again. I don't think that's going to happen, but they did depend on him. more than they have star receivers too. So it's just, I think it's distributing, you know, distributing a little more equally. Yeah, I will say I'm also a big Sequin San, right?

He came out of Penn State, such a good player. Just a good guy. He went to the Giants that treated him like garbage. Kind of like, you feel bad for Sequin. He got what he. Like, he deserved that season. I think you would agree with some of this. Sometimes crappy things have to happen to you in life.

for the great to then follow. Yeah. And Sequin, let's be real. He got screwed by the Giants. They were like, we want to pay Daniel Jones, not you. Which is still hilarious. And then he goes to the Eagles and wins a Super Bowl and watches for 2,000 yards. Yeah.

Incredible. We've seen it with a couple. We're out with Matthew Stafford with the Lions for a decade. Goes to the Rams, wins a Super Bowl. Like, it's just, it's when you're, again, a lot of factors have to happen. You have to have a good coach for Sequan. He had a good quarterback. They were a great.

one-two punch, but it's going to be interesting. It's not easy to repeat. Again, let's see what the injury report looks like comes week one and everything else. I said it a little while ago. I'll go Vikings Niners in the conference championship. I mean, it's way early to call it. Obviously, a lot going to happen. Who you got?

You are. You are a lot. I haven't done this. I haven't even thought about it. Ask me, ask me like tomorrow or the next day. Let me like have a moment. Let me have a moment. All right.

All right. You just put me on the spot. You just did like a whole, I am so high on JJ and the Vikings steak that they're going all the way. You got to rethink things. All right. Well, then I'm doing my job. All right. Well, let's go to the NFC North.

The Lions. I've had the best back-to-back seasons in franchise history under Dan Campbell the last two seasons, but lost both coordinators to other teams. Now, despite that, quarterback Jared Gough, feels good about his offense. I'm sure a casual fan would notice some of it. Yeah. Yeah, some of it's different. Some of it's the same. You know, he's got a long background of stuff he's like.

he's done. And then he was here for a year through a lot of our success. So there will be a lot of that carryover and some new. And to be honest, I don't think that would have been any different, you know, if you're returning with the same offense. You always kind of add some wrinkles. But yeah, certainly he has his flavor on the offense and has been doing a good job. But they're not returning with the same offense. Yes, they have a new offensive coordinator. But as we talked about yesterday, the Hall of Fame Center, future Hall of Fame, we think. Frank Ragnow announced his retirement. that is a big knock.

That is a big knock for your offensive line. Changes both their run game and their past game. You're going from a top to offensive line to a top 10 offensive line. Like there are going to be, there are going to be a lot of hurdles. Not to mention they have one of the hardest schedules, if not the hardest schedule in the NFL. I don't want to, you know, I got to be positive about the Lions because Jared Goff lives kind of near us. Yeah. Building a ridiculous house.

But we've also seen, like, he's faced a lot of adversity in his career, and he's persevered from it. But this is a lot of new and a lot of changes. Yeah. What do you think? He also has the same dog that I do. What kind of dog do you have? English cream golden retriever. Oh, I have an English cream mini golden.

So I ran into golf and his wife. And, you know, he watches the show. So I'm going to be positive. I'm not going to be negative on the lions. Good luck to Detroit this season, but the division, I think is going to be a big. I gotta be all right. I'll let you leave it there. I like golf.

He's a same. Smart guy. I also like people who overcome, like, the whole situation of like Detroit taking him in. It's like, we want you here. Rams didn't want you. We believe in you. We believe you can get us there. The grit, the everything Dan Campbell stands for, that the whole team seems like they would run through a brick wall for him.

Like, I love, yeah, I love the mindset. I love how he's turned this team around in his coaching tenure. So it's, yeah. This is a lot of big changes. Two new coordinators, losing your center. It's a big deal. But let's end in Washington. The commanders were the Cinderella of last season

as they took the NFC by storm. And this year, Washington won't sneak up on anybody, but head coach Dan Quinn isn't worried about his second year quarterback. Take a listen. The amount of work that he puts in that goes unseen here to get ready to play, to learn it, to teach others, to, you know, connect the guys that's going through. There is no flinch in Jaden Daniels as focused and relentless as you could about getting better.

And so that's why I said for us around here, like, man, we appreciate that. And that's the hope you have for every second year quarterback, but now everyone has a full season of tape on you. You're not taking anybody by surprise. I mean, that was the upper hand that the commanders had last season. And there was so much new within the entire organization. And obviously he had a rookie of the year season. But we've seen a lot of these top-tier rookie quarterbacks kind of have that sophomore slump. CJ Stroud was the most recent one.

Are you expecting a little slump from Jayden's? Yeah, I think it's, there's no way he's just clutch and dominant on fourth down. They were the best fourth-down team in the league or one of them last year. I mean, look at these stats. Yeah. That was ridiculous. That's arguably the greatest rookie season ever, right? I mean, with all those first place.

With all-time rookie quarterback rings. Yeah, yeah. No, it was incredible. But now it's like, now you have a target on your back. Now everyone has a full season of tape on you. Now people know what to expect. Debo Samuel, Laramie Consul, new left tackle. I like the continuity with Kingsbury still there.

A good team that got better. Yeah. And I saw he added like 10 pounds of muscle. Did you read that? So everybody in the off season. You know, Alex, this summer, I'm adding 10 pounds of muscle. Are you? Just like Jane Daniels.

Oh, okay, cool. I don't see it yet. Oh, damn. Alex with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Hurd-Ly News. All right.

Is there concern for J.J. McCarthy? My guy in Minnesota. Albert Breer tells us next. Rocket mortgage is lowering down payments to 1% for eligible home buyers with 1 plus. You heard that right. 1% down on a home with 1 plus from Rocket Mortgage. Learn more today at 804 Rocket or Rocket.com. Rocket Mortgage LLC licensed in 50 states.

NMLS Consumer Access.org, number 30, 30. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. Hey, it's Steve Kavino. And I'm Rich Davis. And together we're Kavino and Rich on Fox Sports Radio. You can catch us weekdays from 5 to 7 p.m. Eastern, 2 to 4 Pacific, on Fox Sports Radio, and of course, the I-Heart Radio app. Why should you listen to Kavino and Rich?

We talk about everything, life, sports, relationships, what's going on in the world? We have a lot of fun talking about the stories behind the stories in the world of sports and pop culture. Stories that, well, other shows don't seem to have the time to discuss. And the fact that we've been friends for the last 20 years and still work together, I mean, that says something, right? So check us out. We like to get you involved too. Take your phone calls, chop it up as they say. I'd say the most interactive show on Fox Sports Radio.

Maybe the most interactive show on planet Earth. Be sure to check out Covino & Rich live on Fox Sports Radio and the IHeart Radio app from 5 to 7 p.m. Eastern, 2 to 4 Pacific. And if you miss any of the live show, just search Covino and Rich wherever you get your podcast and, of course, on social media. That's Cabino and Rich. Hey, it's us to Jonas Brothers, and guess what? We have some big news.

What's the news, news? Huge news. We created our own podcast called, Hey, Jonas. We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts. Pretty wide.

range of podcasts throughout there. But this one's extra special. So how do 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. We were thinking I'm originally calling it one of the early names of our band

before Jonas Brothers. 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 Smigel 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 Headwere writer Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and

friends on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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 athlete themselves. Their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context, and ask the questions everybody wants answered. Sports Slice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them.

Listen to Sports Slice. radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slicelife 12 in the TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. 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.

Jenchian win. I mean, she went down at three to Rabakina. But I'm delighted. She's an outsider to win the French for me. And she likes Clay. Listen, Lina Rubakina is arguably the best player in the world right now. And I actually can win on any surface. Because if she's serving, well, good luck.

Consider this your court side seat to the French Open. Listen to the Renee Stubbs Tennis podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHeart Women's Sports. Back here on the herd, let's see. welcome in a great guest, Albert Breer, senior NFL reporter, lead content strategist at the MMQB. He covered the NFL since 2005. I've known him for a long time. Albert's getting ready for a big summer with youth sports.

Yeah, baby. You know you love it. So how is it going to impact all your travel? Because you've got to go to 50 million camps, right? Well, that's when my travel for youth sports ends. So I got like a month and a half full of lacrosse tournaments during vacation. And then, yeah, it'll be great. And then once I hit the road for the NFL season, which, as you know, starts for me at the end of July.

The summer's over and we're locked in and ready to go. Let me guess. Your first stop is going to be Cleveland just because of Shadur Sanders. Is that accurate? I don't know. Like last year I started out there, actually, because there were five camps. there. So LA is always a good place to start just because of the number of teams that are in that area. It's almost weird that, I mean, it was 10 years ago. There was no team there. And now it's

become sort of a hub for training camps. I don't know. Like, there are a couple teams that I think are really interesting going into the year. Like, I think Buffalo has great opportunity in front of them. So I look at them as being a super interesting team. Cincinnati, if the Trey Hendrickson thing is still hanging out there. You know, they got the receivers under contract. They'd be an interesting place to start. I do put some thought into where the first stop's going to be. So definitely have to think a lot about that one.

But those would be a couple of places that I think I'd look at. All right. Let's start with Cleveland because Shadur Sanders is dealing with his father piping in now. And Dion went on a podcast was kind of, he said it hurt him that his son slid in the draft. Even though his son admitted it was his fault. Now, listen, some people are. not happy with my take yesterday that Dion needs to kind of zip it, lock it, put it in his pocket. Just don't talk about your kid anymore. I know that's tough for people to stomach, but that's

kind of the reality, isn't it? I agree. I mean, like, I think that's what it is. And like, look, like, I know a lot of people have made a big deal out of, you know, what happened 21 years ago when, when Eli Manning forced his way from the, from the, from the chargers to the giants. And, you know, at the time, I think there was that concern out there, is Archie going to be hovering over Eli's career? And, you know, who we didn't hear much from after Eli Manning became a giant was Archie Manning. You know, you didn't hear much at all from him. And I think it's fine, you know, if dads want to be involved in the pre-draft process. And sometimes there are some things that go into it where, you know, a father's counsel can really help.

But I think once they become pros, you know, it's an important thing. for the parents to push away and let the kid be his own man. I mean, I still remember the Eli Apple thing getting dropped off, you know, at Giants training camp or mini camp or whatever it was and how that stuck with him. I think this is a good opportunity for Shador Sanders to just say, hey, look, like now I'm just a random football player, you know, and I'm going to carry myself like somebody who's trying to make the team,

who's trying to earn a paycheck, who's trying to win a job. And it becomes harder to do that if you've got voices around him, speaking out. So I love Dionne. I think he's done a great job at Colorado, but I'd agree with you. Like, I think this is, this is time to let you door be his own man. And I know that's tough. We're both fathers. It's very difficult to not defend your kid when there's this nonsense going on. I get it. It's tough, but, you know, he's 23. Help us settle a quick argument here on the staff. Dylan Gabriel, I'm not saying he's an NFL quarterback, but, and you know him very well from following college football. The fact that he was drafted by.

by Stefansky in the third round says something, correct? They didn't draft them. Yeah, he killed the draft process. I mean, that's what it says. And I've asked people about this. And I mean, from what I understand, because that was higher than most people had them going. You know, when I asked around both to people in the Browns organization

and people outside the Browns organization, the way it happened is here's a kid who played six years in college, who has a historic amount of reps in college. who won at three different schools that went through and aced the pre-draft process, the meetings, the combine interview, all of that stuff. So that's why you look at it and you say, okay, like here's a guy who can, you know, at the very least come in and be a functional backup, probably right out of the gate. And, you know, it really makes me think of Kevin Stavansky's own history.

He won with Case Keenham in Minnesota, if you remember, they went to an NFC championship game. And that sort of strikes me as what Dylan Gabriel can be. Like that Case Keenham, Chase Daniel, like, I don't know if, like, if Dylan Gabriel will ever be a long-term starter. But right now, I would bet that he has a 10 to 15-year NFL career, even if it's not as a starter because of all the experience he has, because of the traits that he has is an accurate, efficient quarterback, and because of his makeup, you know.

And so I think that's one of those, the ceiling may be low, but the floor is pretty high. and at that position, if you can have a cheap backup for the four years that they're on their rookie contract, it's not a bad, bad floor for a player when you're drafting someone in that range. This is why Albert Breer's great. The case Keenham-Sefansky can a damn good stuff. I hadn't heard that anywhere. Let me ask about, let's go to Frank Rag now.

Retires kind of abruptly. I saw the Lions didn't draft the pure center. it sounds like they want to convert the Georgia Guard into a center? A, did the Lions anticipate this or have any clue it was coming? Well, he hadn't been around. So, like, they had an idea that there was a possibility something could happen. And they have Graham Glasgow and Tate Ratledge working at that position. You know, look, like, I think just as far as Frank goes, like, this guy was the ultimate pro.

And I think it's a good development for players overall. Like I think for three reasons, right? J-Mack, I think number one, players have better information now on what football does to their bodies and the impact it could have on them long term and what it might mean for them playing golf, shooting hoops with their kids when they're in their 40s and 50s. So they have more information. They also have more money, which gives you the freedom to make decisions like this. If you feel like you're in position where you're set up for life, like you've got the

flexibility to make a decision like that. And then number three, I think, a lot of these guys have a better idea of what they're going to do post football, which can be a really hard thing for guys to detach from a game to which they've been identified from the time they were eight, nine, ten years old. But in a lot of cases, they have better, they have better plans for post football. So for those three reasons, I think we've seen more and more of these. You know, the front end of it was Patrick Willis, Calvin Johnson, but since then it's happened more often. And so Ragnow walks away after seven years. And again, like I think

it's from a global standpoint, a good development for players having the freedom to do this sort of thing. Obviously, it's not great for the Lions. So from that standpoint, I think you got to look at it and say that was the strength of the team. It's the foundation of their rebuild. It really was, it really was, you know, what their rebuild was, was founded on in the first place. Ragnow and Decker were there when Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes got there. They drafted Pena Sewell right away. They did the best line in football the last couple of years. So, you know, now I think the question becomes, can you maintain that as a strength? Decker is getting older.

Ragnow's now gone. You know, Penae Sewell is obviously a huge building block going forward, but can they be top of the league? Are they going to slip a little bit in a very important position group? We'll see. All right. Sticking in the NFC, North Albert, not career, but just heading into this season, rank the quarterbacks in that division for me. And I'm going to assume J.J. McCarthy is a starter of Minnesota. Okay, so I would say you would have to go Jared Goff, number one.

I would say Jordan Love number two, Caleb Williams number three, and then JJ McCarthy number four, just based on track record and kind of where they are. I think all four of them are in really good situations. So I think the baseline, and JJ might be in the best one of the four, but I think all four of them are in pretty good situations. by the way, because I'm sure that'll get aggregated everywhere. You don't like Michigan, guys. You don't like Michigan.

What do you have against Michigan? All right. Final question. Brock Purdy and Kyle Shanahan. We got about a minute. Unbelievable stat our staff came up with. The 49ers are 0 and 43 under Shanahan, regular season when trailing by eight or more in the fourth quarter. What on earth is the issue with Brock Purdy and Shannon?

Why can't they rally? Obviously, some of those games are Garoppolo and so forth. Yeah. I would say like that that's sort of been the issue with the offense in general is that so much of the strength that offense is based on the marriage of the run game and the past game, right? Like so much is making eight different things all look the same and it's incredibly hard to defend because you have to defend every inch of grass out there because of the way that the offense sets up structurally. So what happens when you're in third and long, when you're in third and 14, when you're in third and 20, when the defense knows that you got to throw the ball down the field, when you're playing from behind and they know. you need two or three possessions to come back, what happens is that marriage breaks down, you know, because then the defense is going to be willing to give you more in the run game.

And this is something that guys from that system have really had to kind of work through. It's one of the reasons why Sean McVeigh wanted Matthew Stafford so badly four years ago was because he knew that was a way to sort of break that element of being able to beat a shanaan offense. If you get on top of them, it really puts them, it takes them, I would say it makes them fish out of water to some degree. You know, so I think that's, that, that's the first thing when you ask that question, it kind of sticks out my head.

And then the other thing is, you know, just when you've got a younger quarterback, like generally that's what they're working through. It's what separates the great ones is, you know, how do you play on third and long? How do you play when you're playing from behind? Anybody can look great when you're in second and four, when you're in third and one. What do you look like when it's third and 14 and you're down 20? you know obviously that's a big hurdle for most quarterbacks to clear when they're trying to go from good to great great stuff albert brier monday morning quarterback 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 well we didn't invent it we just contributed to it we're the first people to do podcasts we get to ask other people questions because we're sick and tired of being asked questions well sick and tired is a strong way to put it but you know tired and sick tired and sick tired and sick. 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 I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice 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 Sports Slice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Sliced Life 12

in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Winning on Clay is an art. The rallies are relentless. And at the French Open, only the toughest survive. I'd know. I competed there for decades. Join me, Renee Stubbs,

on the Renee Stubbs' tennis podcast for no nonsense, breakdowns of the biggest matches, the toughest players, and the moments that define Roland Garris. Genschenwin. She's an outsider to win the French fame. And she likes Clay. Listen, Lennar Rabakina is arguably the best player in the world right now, and I actually can win on any surface. Listen to the Renee Stubb's tennis podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHeart Women's Sports. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.