The Herd with Colin Cowherd - HOUR 2 - Browns, NFL Pro Day

Episode Date: March 22, 2022

The future for the Browns and what they could do with Baker MayfieldColin's thoughts on NFL Pro DaysGuest: Joe Thomas Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Find your local station for the Hurt at Fox Sports Radio.com or stream us live every day on the IHart Radio app by searching Herd. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Ah, here we go. It's our number two on a Tuesday. Live in L.A., it's the herd, wherever you may be and however you may be listening. So my wife loves Amy Schumer. She's just watching something on, Amy Schumer's got some like 10-minute vignettes. I think it's wife and Beth or something. Yeah, my wife loves it.

Yeah. And so I thought, oh, it'd be nice. So I went and looked to see if Amy Schumer's tour and get her tickets. And sure enough, it popped up on my phone that Amy Schumer's touring and how to How in the hell can you tour to 40 cities and only show up in California once? Yeah, a lot of comedians do that. Why is that? I don't know.

I feel like they should have more shows in L.A. She's going to Red Bank, New Jersey. Well, I suppose the rest of the country needs some things. We can't have it all. Grand Prairie, Texas, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Salamanca, New York. It never comes to L.A. There's no shows in L.A.? There's one in San Diego, November 20th.

It's like Thanksgiving. I can't break the family up for Thanksgiving. Did you look this up or just because you were talking about Amy Schumer? Last night I was trying to be a thoughtful husband. So she was watching this Amy Schumer thing. I was working out and I came in like twice. And she was watching and she was laughing. Oh, she's so funny.

I thought. Oh, very thoughtful guy. Are there any in Chicago? Yeah, yeah, November 12th in Chicago. I guess I'll have to do that. But how do I get there? I'm here entertaining America. Well, maybe it's a girls' trip.

You know? My wife doesn't laugh enough. I'd like to be there when she is. You know, I'd like to be part of it. All right. Anyway, Amy, get it together. It's a big city. A lot of people here.

A lot of comedians do this, though. They don't go to L.A. I don't know what it is. Yeah, I feel like a lot of popular comedians do not do shows in L.A. Maybe there's a reason for that. I don't know what it is. Morehead Minnesota gets Amy Schumer. I don't know.

Amy, we'd like you to do a personal show for college. here in LA. I don't understand it. So, by the way, there's a rumor out that the Utah Jazz head coach Quinn Snyder possible replacement for Frank Vogel. I know Frank. I like Frank. I'm not saying he should be replaced.

But Quinn Snyder, it's interesting. He is Rick Patino without the baggage. He's considered a basketball savant. He was the best high school basketball player at Mercer Island High School when I was in high school. Like my senior year, there was this kid named Quinn Snyder flying up and down the court, state champs, went to Duke, super bright. Eight years in Utah, six straight winning seasons, and that's during the hardened Chris Paul Rockets, the Warriors Dynasty, Laker and AD in L.A., Clippers went big in free agency,

and the best young construct in 10 years, maybe the Phoenix Suns, and they have six winning seasons. And they've only got one star, Donovan Mitchell. Rudy Gobert's underrated, gets a lot of crap. He's a good player. He's not really a guy that, you know, Donovan Mitchell is what wins in the playoffs. He's a great player, both ends of the floor. So it's very interesting.

I've always felt the Utah Jazz or like the Green Bay Packers. Great fans, great facilities, incredibly well run, but they're missing a leg on the bar stool. There's three ways in pro sports to get players. Draft and develop them, trade for them, or they come to you in free agency. And both the Packers in Utah don't do well and in free agency. Players don't select Utah. It's beautiful since the state. I mean, Carl Malone and Stockton liked it, but they were drafted, right, and developed.

But historically, Utah and Green Bay, they don't get that, they're missing that third leg of the bar stool. And it matters. You look up with both and you're like, Stockton Malone, how did they not win a title? Green Bay, Aaron Rogers, like 15 years. They got one title. Isn't that what we're always saying about Green Bay? How do you have Farr of an Aaron Rogers in two Super Bowl titles?

Because you're missing a stool on the leg. And so, you know, it's almost like states. How do you make revenue as a state? You have sales tax. That's a big part of it. You have, you know, state tax. So when you have a low sales tax in a state, like Oregon has no sales tax, which is idiotic.

You're missing a stool on the, you've got to, so a tourist can walk into the state, use your state parks, fill up for gas, use a hotel. And in Oregon, that guy just leaves the state. You didn't get anything from him. Nevada is the opposite. They charge the hell out of tourists, but they have no state tax. So they're missing a bar stool. You're going to pay for that in your schools, your police force, your fight, some way you're going to pay for it. You've got to have all three legs in the bar stool.

And so the jazz and the Packers, you can win a lot. But if you want to win championships in sports, that is a big missing piece that somebody, Devante Adams literally chose the Raiders. Russell Wilson chose Denver. That's the difference between winning champion. Peyton Manning had seven teams that wanted him. He chose Denver. A lot to do in Denver.

The Gulf, the mountains, the, you know, it's a vibrant dynamic economy. Well, it's not that it's impossible anymore. I mean, Milwaukee just did it. But Milwaukee did also bring in some outside pieces. Yeah, they did the trade thing. Right. So they trade for Drew Holiday. By the way, they stole Chris Middleton from the Pistons.

That's one of the most underrated deals ever. He was a throw-in piece and became an all-star for that. And they also have Janus, which is a difference maker. Right. Like you can have a super superstar, but then things still have to align, but you have to have those other pieces. I mean, Green Bay did win a championship with Favre and with, Aaron Rogers. So it's not that you can't win a championship. And I'm not picking on small markets

because the Celtics, a lot of players don't choose the Celtics historically. A lot of NBA players don't choose it. They draft well. They can make trades. But you know, you ask the NBA player you want to play in Boston, a lot will just be like, no, too provincial, not our thing. So let's go to Joe Thomas, who's going to be in the Hall of Fame next year. He's eligible next year. And he'll get in first time. It won't be that difficult. That's an easy one. He played in the NFL. 11 years was a pro bowl or 10 of them. By the way, I thought last time I saw you had big bushy hair. I don't know.

Have you cut it all off? What's going on there? Joe, I like the look. It's very sturdy. Yeah, you must have been involved in my dreams because I had a lot of great hair the last time I fell asleep and had one of those wonderful dreams that night. Hey, let me ask you. You know, I was right on the baker thing, blah, blah, blah, blah.

But I will say this, whatever. I, you know, and my thing Joe was always, I thought he was. too turbulent for a dysfunctional organization. I thought Matt Ryan in Cleveland. That's what Cleveland needs. Is not a lot of dysfunction. So now you get Deshawn Watson, who's better than Baker, but man, there's a lot of noise. We got civil suits. It's a massive contract. How is it playing this morning in Cleveland? How is Deshawn in Cleveland playing? Well, I think it's playing the same way that it's playing throughout the country, right? A lot of people are a little bit upset about this. A lot of upset about this.

There's fans that are really excited in Cleveland because they see what Deshawn Watson can do for this franchise. He's clearly the best quarterback that they probably have ever had in the Super Bowl era. And he gives them an opportunity as legitimate Super Bowl contenders. He's a guy that's a tier one quarterback that is just entering the prime of his life. But you can't talk about who Deshawn Watson is on the field without talking about those 22 sexual misconduct. allegations that he's continuing to face. And so as fans were conflicted, right? We want to be behind our team. We cheer for the orange helmet and all, typically all the players that are playing under that orange helmet. But when you have a person that has this off field issue,

which is huge that he's dealing with, you're conflicted. I mean, it's not like you're having that victory parade that you usually have when you get a player of Deshaun Watson's caliber. You know, I was talking to Mary Kay Cabot and she said there were stories that came out that Baker was going to hold out. He was furious with how they were treating him. He was going to hold out. When that story gets out, I can see Cleveland fans sort of like, hey, dude, we had your back. Come on. Now, we gave you some really good pieces, a good old line, and we went and got OBJ, we went and got Jarvis Landry this morning. The favorability rating for Baker Mayfield, now that it's all, you know, they're going to move him eventually, right? They're not going to

move him in division or anything. You probably won't see much of him in Cleveland. Cleveland. What's Baker's favorability rating as he leaves town here pretty soon? Well, it's going down, Colin. I think people in Cleveland were so starved for a winner. They were starved for a franchise quarterback that we all wanted to believe that Baker could be that guy. And so what happens is you have people that really believe Baker was the guy that were the most vocal pieces of the fan base. And then the people that maybe were a little bit skeptical or didn't like him for whatever reason or just didn't think he was that good of a quarterback, they weren't willing to be voting. because they were afraid to be wrong, right? You don't want to be wrong for the first time in many decades about the position that you need most when you're a Cleveland Browns fan that has dealt with one in 31.

And I think initially that was part of maybe why you heard a lot of negative reactions from the Browns fans is not only are you bringing in a guy who's dealing with a lot of controversy into Sean Watson, but you're kicking a guy out of town, Baker Mayfield, who a lot of fans felt like he was one of them. He wanted to be in Cleveland when nobody else wanted to be there. He was somebody that was all in on this team. And he famously said while he was throwing Duke Johnson under the bus, hey, you're either with us or you're against us. You're either on this train or you're not.

So now as the information that surrounds around the trade is getting out, there's a lot more people who are being vocal in Cleveland saying, hey, maybe I didn't really like Baker all that much because part of the reason I loved him was because of how much he loved Cleveland. He wanted to be here. He was willing to sacrifice everything to bring us a championship. And maybe that was not the case like we thought it was. Yeah. So when you look at the Bengals had a great run last year, and they've had a very good offseason,

they really attacked with absolute clarity their offensive line. Upgraded at right tackle, upgraded at guard. That makes things, so their offense now is set. They got the back, they've got the quarterback, the weapons. They can really attack the defense in the draft overwhelmingly. Let's go solved. And it wasn't bad, by the way. They had a nice pass rush last year. But, you know, having played your football in Ohio, Brown fans, one of the only teams they could ever pick on was Cincinnati, right? That was one you could go, yeah, what do you think we have issues? They got issues too.

What do you make of the end of last year for the Bengals and what they're doing? Are the days of laughing at the Bengals over as somebody who now resides in Ohio? Absolutely. And I think it's important to say part of the reason Baker is not the Cleveland Browns quarterback anymore is because of what people in Ohio and what people in Berea saw that Cincinnati was able to do when they got a franchise quarterback. And then also what Baker Mayfield sort of did to himself with his prickliness, especially at the end, and how they said, we don't want this with this performance. We want a guy like Joe Burrow, who by all accounts is a tremendous leader.

The locker room loves him. The city loves everything he's doing. And he says and does all the right things in that situation. And that franchise is set up for the next 10 to 20 years with that guy because of, who they have at quarterback. And they're going to be legitimate Super Bowl contenders as long as they're able to manage the cap down the line because like you mentioned, tons of weapons at receiver.

Now they're addressing the offensive line, which was the biggest concern in the Super Bowl and largely why they lost the Super Bowl. And that defense, one of the most unheralded defenses in the NFL. Yeah. We didn't really know a lot of those names, but they played together. They had a synergy about them on defense that made them better

than the sum of the parts. And I think that's why they were so good down the stretch in the playoffs, because playoffs is a matchup game. It's a one loss in your done game. And with that playoff system, you're going to go against teams that maybe want to throw the ball down the field. Maybe they're really solid on defense.

Maybe they have a really good running game. And when your defense is flexible, like the Cincinnati Bengals, where they have a lot of guys that can do a lot of things really well, that makes you the best defense when it comes playoff time. Only offensive linemen to make 10 straight pro bowls

in the history of the league is the guy I'm talking to, Joe Thomas. So it's funny. Everybody thought Brady was washed in New England. He goes to Tampa, gets way better weapons, and doubles his touchdown pass total as the last two years. A lot of people thought Matt Stafford the best years were done. He goes to the Rams with better weapons. Boom. There you go. Win's a Super Bowl.

I'm not saying Matt Ryan's Brady or Stafford. I'm throwing out the caution, the yield sign on he's washed. Atlanta's been in rebuild for three years. The one time he had a great coordinator, he won the first. MVP and got to a Super Bowl, and the Colts are really well built. You tell me, I know he's not athletic. I know he doesn't move the pocket, but you had in your career probably seven different quarterbacks behind you.

Is there ever an advantage to having a classic veteran dropback stay in the pocket presence like Matt Ryan? You tell me as an offensive lineman. Sorry, I must have a bad connection. I thought you said seven quarterbacks behind me because I had like 20, seven quarterbacks behind me. I played with every single quarterback you can possibly imagine from Seneca Wallace and Johnny Mansell to the Josh McCowns and Colt McCoys. So I really will say that Matt Ryan really gets me excited if I'm an Indianapolis Colts fan because when you're evaluating

quarterback play, especially veteran quarterback play and you're saying, how does this guy fit in my system? The number one thing you're going to evaluate is decision making because that's the most important thing in making an offense run. Obviously with today's advances in training and taking care of your body and taking care of your arms specifically. We're not seeing the demise in arm strength and arm accuracy that we saw even 10 or 15 years ago. You talk about the Tom Brady method and what that has done for quarterbacks and with Tom House and these quarterback gurus that are helping you understand how to keep the snap in your throwing motion to be able to continue to have that velocity later on in your career. I think a guy like Matt Ryan,

when you put the defense around him, when you put the weapons around him and the running game around him, he still has that decision making, if not the best of his entire career. And now you maybe get another receiver in the draft or you find a way to give him another weapon. And all of a sudden, he looks like a totally different guy. And I think that's what we're going to see with Matt Ryan in Indianapolis. No, what's really interesting, Joe, he's got, he's tied with Matt Stafford for the most game winning drives since he came into the league. and he's tied with Brady for the most 20-plus touchdown seasons. And those two guys, a lot of people thought were kind of washed, left and won.

So I think we have a precedent that if you give Matt Ryan a grown-up offensive line, a stellar run game, and a really good defense in a weird division. It's a weird, weak, you know, wonky division. I think he'll do well. All right, Joe Thomas, it is great seeing you. He's eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame next year. He'll be a one-and-done and get in. It's great seeing you again.

Thanks for having me on, Colin. Yeah. Yeah, the, those turbulent Baker-Mayfield years, you know, I could really rub it in. I'm not done. I'm done. I'll rub it in. I'm not going to rub it in. I'm not going to rub it in.

I'm not going to be petty. There's no real. Colin was super duper, duper, duper, duper, right about it. Yeah, but I'm wrong all the time, but that one I was right. But there's no reason to rub it in because, frankly, I told you this last year. The Baker story is not interesting anymore. Once you win the argument, it's not any fun. Well.

It's not, what's the win for me? Well. By the way, I also won an Aaron Rogers. I said very early is he's difficult to get along with. He is an agitator, not a lubricator. And here's Aaron at the end of his career, making a lot of money, living on an island by himself with no weapons outside of Aaron Jones. No, I mean, you don't have to, you don't have to rub it in.

That kind of takes a little bit of the elitism out of it. You can just be right. Yeah, I got no way. Remind everyone how right you are. In Seattle is not interesting. No, it's not. I don't think he's a franchise quarterback anymore. Listen, Russell Wilson and Denver, and I'm not saying it because I'm right, that's a fascinating team.

Here's the thing with Baker. You can't make the argument, well, he just needs the right pieces around him. He had them. What was that roster? You had the coach of the year. It's the best O-line, according to PFF last year in the league. You talk about the injuries, that's fine. But you chose to put yourself in a vulnerable position and play through those injuries.

a choice. Can you imagine? I was just thinking about this the day. So you're the Chargers. And you're like, man, we got Khalil Mack and we got J.C. Jackson. Boom. An hour later, the Raiders get Devante DeVonte Adams. DeVante Deshawn Watson comes over. Now Matt Ryan comes over. Think about, think about if I said to you, teams that feel like, I'm not saying they should be favored, but teams that could Possibly win the Super Bowl. Yeah. Rams, Bucks. I don't think Green Bay is the Super Bowl team.

I don't either. Rams, Bucks, NFC. I think Arizona's in that space. Okay, depending on how things go throughout the season. Okay, fair. Now just go to the AFC. Buffalo. Kansas City.

Chargers, Raiders. Denver. Raiders offensive pieces and pass rush. It is a quarterback weapons pass rush league. Raiders are A at all of them. Ravens, Bengals. Ravens, Bengals. I mean, I don't think Cleveland this year,

but I do think next year Desaun and that team is a Super Bowl. Not this year. Okay. I won't count. I don't see Indy or Tennessee as a Super Bowl team, but they're certainly competent. They could absolutely. Someone's got to win that division.

Yeah. It's just the separation. It's almost like what's happened the last 10 years in college football. The SEC was better 10 years ago. It's separated. like the SEC has separated to a point that it hurts the sport. Like it's so important for Christobal in Miami, Lincoln Riley at USC, and Sarkat, Texas. Those are big, glamorous brands.

They need to be good. It's hurting the sport that the sport is so regional. Yeah. Now, we knew the SEC was better if you were reasonable. It was better than everybody 10 years ago. It's not like it is now where the two best teams in that conference are often the two best teams. If Alabama was healthy and didn't lose their wide receivers, Georgia and Alabama were the two best teams.

Watch the games. They were just faster, more physical. We're getting to a point now. With Deshawn and Matt Ryan in the last week going to the AFC as well, NFC is a two-team proposition. Right. Well, I would say the difference between the sports because of college football and the NFL, the teams are still spread out around the country.

Right. It's not reasonable. But the conferences, obviously, are very lopsided. But I do think because. they are so lopsided that they are going to be the ones that get the next wave, the NFC is going to get the next wave of quarterbacks and the next draft. Yeah. Yeah.

So it will bounce out. Yeah. I mean, listen, Carolina or Atlanta are going to take Malik Willis. So if he pops, you get lucky. You got a team that has a talented quarterback, four years not paying him anything. Yeah. And I do think, I will say this. You're right.

Arizona could be a team that I'm discounting. And I think if Tray Lance can play, they've got all the components. I mean, star receiver, star back, star online, pass rushers, great coach, Hall of Fame left tackle. If Trey Lance can play, and my answer is I think he can, then San Francisco, along with the Rams and the Bucks, is in that really elite class of teams. I mean, good God, they're getting the Super Bowls with Garoppolo and getting the conference championships with Garoppel. We know that if the quarterback's right and more athletic, you're going to be good.

And healthy. Yeah, and healthy. One more herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days of three days of. week within the iHeart radio app search heard to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like imagine an olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged it's the enhanced games some call it grotesque others say it's unleashing human potential either way the podcast superhuman documented it all embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year within probably 10 days i'd put on 10

pounds i was having trouble stopping the muscle growth listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media.

Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversation. with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations,

stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross

double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down,

and try to make sense of how we survived it. including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 was big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack all day, but just so you all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now.

Thank you for finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years. for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart

Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, learn the hard way with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations

with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing and we're still chasing it and we don't know when we've done enough because people scoreboard watch life becomes about wins and losses Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth

or are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, is we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now.

Fox Corporation has helped raise more than $11.7 million for the American Red Cross to support their mission of providing aid and resources, including food, water, medical supplies, and housing support to people in Ukraine and those who have been forced to leave their homes. You can join Fox and supporting the Red Cross relief efforts. Donate by visiting red cross.org slash fox forward or by scanning the QR code at the bottom of your screen. You know, sometimes I brought up that I couldn't get tickets for Amy Schumer. Yes. And a comedian Bill Inful, who's very successful comedian.

Yes. And my buddy Jeff Cesario, who had 30 appearances on the Tonight Show, he's now a successful producer. He told me it's an industry town. Why you can't get comedians in L.A. Because they can make more money going to Minneapolis where those people don't see them as often. They sell out venues. In Los Angeles, there's a million options. You have to charge so much.

You'd have to sell out Nokia or the Staples Center to make big money. So it's easier to go to a place with 2,000 seats in Minneapolis. You sell it out for Amy Schumer. And it's a big win for the promoter, for Amy, for the ticket people. And so thanks to Bill Ingval and Jeff Sezario for clearing that up because I'm trying to get Amy Schumer is one of those people like the late Norm McDonald, obviously funny, but one of the great guests, like if you go to Amy Schumer on the Ellen show,

it's one of the funniest 12-minute sets I've ever seen in my life. It's hysterical. Norm McDonald on Letterman was literally would change the tele-I mean, you'd have to set it, get up at night to watch it, or the next day on YouTube. So thank you to the comedians who were watching or listening because I couldn't figure it out. No, I like when we learn stuff about other businesses.

So do I. because I don't know. I've always wondered that because I'm like, I want to see this person or I want to see this band or whatever. And they're never in town. And that's, yeah. LA venues are very expensive. Well, I mean, we have the comedy store and the laugh factory and Santa Monica Comedy Club. You have comedy clubs everywhere and shows everywhere.

Well, I used to live in Manhattan Beach. I would go down, and I wouldn't do it often, but about three times a year I'd go down to the Hermosa Comedy Store. Right. Once I went, Jay Leno was in the back. And I just sat and talked to Jay Leno for like 15 minutes. It's a fascinating conversation. There would always be, my buddy Jeff Cesario would be there. There would always be like, you know, really, really funny people.

I would go sit in the back with the comedians and just they'd eat dinner. They got a comp dinner and just listen to them. And I'm like, it's just fascinating. There's so many venues in L.A. You can walk into a bar and you have no idea who's going to show up. My stepson's a chef. Jeff Beck just showed up to a restaurant. Bieber was at a restaurant two weeks ago.

I'm like, you're not going to get that in Cincinnati. Yeah, it makes sense. And it happens. Oh, poor us. We won't be able to see the best comedians. Joy with the news. No, no, no, no. Turn on the news.

This is the herd line news. Well, the Browns are looking for a potential trade suitor for Baker Mayfield since acquiring Deshawn Watson last week, but it is possible they might not find one. They're reportedly few if any teams interested in trading for Baker. Adam Schefter said that one team told the Browns they would need to receive a draft pick in any deal for Baker, just a reportedly. take on his contract. So a team wants a draft pick to take him

on. Yes. Forget what you're going to get for Baker. Yes. Baker's owed $18.8 million. He had publicly demanded a trade just before the Browns got. Watson wasn't saying he wanted to go to the Colts. Obviously that is off the table now that Matt Ryan is there. And that could have also caused some problems for teams

who might have been interested in Baker that he publicly demanded a trade. So one team that reportedly has no interest in Baker's, Carolina. and despite their need for a quarterback. So that's being reported. Well, I mean, the market for Baker is essentially Seattle, which I think is a disaster for Baker. If I was Baker, I'd be like, not interested.

I don't, to be honest, and there are some reports that Seattle's interested. If I'm Seattle, I, in the options, Baker, why wouldn't I just go with Drew Locke? You're going to be bad with both. You're going to be bad with both. I'd be worse with Drew Locke and then get a higher draft pick. Not that I like when teams tank, but I do think you have to be honest about where you are.

and build up that defense this year, which should be the priority because it's a disaster. That's where they should be focusing on rather than reaching or taking on a contract with Baker-Mayfield or Guy in Baker-Mayfield that could be very disruptive. I try to find some silver lining in this for all of these stories, and I'm just having a tough time with this one. I think that Cleveland's, as a whole, the organization wants to be competitive more than anything else. I think they showed that in this move. And I think that there's always a little bit of blame pie to go around. It's not all on Baker.

Sure. Cleveland fan base certainly enabled Baker and encouraged his behavior a lot of times and the whole, you know, fake tough guy bit. And the organization also did not put their foot down with him early enough when he was doing that as well. Fair. And they also went through four coaches with him there. So it's not like he had the easiest entrance. into the NFL, which is fair.

But remember, if Josh Allen, if Cleveland drafts Josh Allen, not Baker, you don't go through four coaches because you probably win with Hugh Jackson. True. You win with the better. I'm with you. Baker was not, and he had a nice rookie season, but I'm with you. I just think overall, it's not always on one person when relationships deteriorate, and you have to look and be honest about what you did wrong and right in the situation

to make it fall apart as well. Cleveland should look at that. What did we do to enable Baker to act this way? How can we change that culture if we're going to move forward with somebody else? Yeah, it's just, again, I know it's probably not that compelling to the country. So I don't think Baker's that interesting anymore. I think he's still an interesting topic. I think people still, everyone has an opinion about Baker, whether you care about what happens with Baker or not.

He's on every commercial imaginable. He has a massive brands. He was a number one overall pick. He does have, he is polarizing. people do have opinions about it, but I just think more and more, it's very obvious. If Cleveland wants to remain a viable brand and they actually want to win, what you did with Baker and how you handled Baker should be a lesson moving forward. Don't do that again.

There's no reason to do that. There's no reason that your franchise quarterback should be out here arguing with beat reporters. That's insanity. That's really crazy. I agree. Nobody does that. Right. Not your franchise quarterback.

So Matt Ryan to the Colts yesterday is the big move. and Atlanta is in quite a predicament now. He would have been a $48.7 million cap hit for this season for Atlanta. So now he will be a $40.5 million dead cap hit, which is the largest in NFL history. And another reason to tank and go get a quarterback. So according to over the caps projections, the Falcons have $8.46 million in cap space available after the trade. The Colts also agreed to trade a third round pick, number 82 overall,

to the Falcons for Ryan. Ian Rappaport reported that part of the deal was the Colts picked up Ryan's $7.5 million signing bonus that he had put off when they were trying to work out a deal with Deshaun Watson. Ask yourself this. Whenever there's a big trade and there's a star player in the trade and Matt Ryan's the star player. Right. If you don't know who won or who lost the trade, ask yourself one question. Do you think Matt Ryan is happier today than yesterday? And the answer is yes.

Yes. Matt Ryan, an aging player gets a better O-line, a star running back, a better front office. A fresh star, an optimistic fan base. And his cap does not hold the team back if you look at the contract. Whatever you think about this trade, and I'm not saying it was a winner-luser proposition, Matt Ryan as a human being and as a professional athlete is happier today than yesterday and absolutely should be. And the Colts are better than they were yesterday. All he was in Atlanta was, he was viewed by the,

the owner, the GM, and the coach, all the discussions were, how do we get out of this contract? He was a burden. He was a burden to Atlanta, even though they liked him. Not that he's a savior with the Colts, but I mean, I think in Indianapolis today, they're being lauded for getting the GM is. I think the offensive play. I think Michael Pittman benefits, Taylor does, Quentin Nelson, Chris Ballard. Like, if you ever wonder who won a trade, go to the star. Is he happier today than yesterday?

Matt Ryan, this is like, seriously, so many players get traded to worse situations, he got a career break with this. No, this is definitely a better situation for Matt Ryan. Yes. Now, when you're looking at the Colts overall, would you rather have Matt Ryan or would you rather have Carson Wentz? Well, okay, Carson's bigger, more athletic. Younger. And younger. And you guys all hate Carson and I don't.

hate Carson, but if I had a pick right now between Matt Ryan and Carson Wentz, I think I, and I am a critic of Carson Wentz, I would keep Carson Wentz. Well, the owner's not going to allow that. No, but I'm saying I think how the Colts got themselves in this predicament to begin with is worth

noting if this doesn't work out, because the Colts are going through quarterbacks like this. Yeah, they've had a different quarterback six straight years. All I know is this. A week ago, we all thought the Colts were toast. This morning, I'm like, they got a draft pick. They got rid of Wins.

They got, I would certainly say, a safer quarterback, fewer picks, fewer headaches, fewer ill-time mistakes. Good in the locker room. Better in the locker room. They'll be good with coaches. He'll get vaxed. And they have hope. Can't put a number on hope.

That's a big deal in sports. It really is. So the Cowboys recently traded Amari Cooper to the Browns and Dak Prescott thinks the trade will give C.D. Lam a chance to step up to be the number one receiver. He said, yeah, there's no doubt. that he is ready. I think that's the best part of that move. You look at a guy like CD and what he's done in his first two years.

It's exciting. He hasn't really scratched the surface. Just for him to be the one, to be the main guy. I know he's going to be ready for. I know he's already ready, already doing the things he needs to do that are necessary to have a great season. Last year, C.D. Lamb played 16 games and 79 receptions, 1,1002 yards, and six touchdowns.

Amarie Cooper played 15 games, 78 receptions, 68 reception, 865 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. They also have Michael Gallup, James Washington, and Noah Brown. This will be a big test for CD-LAM. I think C.D. Lamb is a really strong player. He looks like a number one. Length, speed. When you watch him on the field, you think that's a number one. He can get into drops and he was a tad inconsistent, had a bad playoff game. But when I watch C.D. Lamb, he gets open like a number one. He does. And he's still a young player. So to Jack's point, he can still develop into it. He's also going to have to because Amari's not there. For the record, Cooper Cup, who I loved out of college first two years, had a little bit of a drop problem.

Cooper Cup is now the greatest single receiver in history ever. It does take time. The speed of the game, Cooper was really good. Your body changes too, the longer that you're in the game as well. So I'm optimistic about CD. I don't think they're a better team without Amari Cooper. And Jack hasn't hasn't been the same player without him. But Dallas is going to be a very interesting team this year because I think they felt very short of their expectations last year and they have a lot of pieces that have been moved around. Good stuff. Joy with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Hurd Lie News. I'm excited for the college basketball games this weekend. It's UCLA plays Carolina. Isn't that right? That's a, that kind of bums me out because I like both coaches and I like both programs.

I think they... Yeah, that's Friday. What a bummer. I wish they didn't play each other. I think that'll be a great game. Oh, it'll be the, it could be the game of the weekend on Friday. Because this weekend, Arizona TCU was insane. Arizona probably should have lost.

Couple calls didn't go TCU's way. TCU played great. And I thought Duke, Michigan State was nerve-wracking to watch. That game was pins and needles. I did feel that Arizona was better than TCU. It didn't mean they outplayed him. And I felt Duke. Duke was better than Michigan State.

I don't know the answer on Carolina, UCLA. I don't know who's better. I've got to see him. Now, I thought Tennessee would beat Michigan comfortably, and Tennessee could not stop Dickinson. Michigan's big. Couldn't stop him. He was too dominant.

But Tennessee was your sleeper team, right? Yeah. I'm over-thinking I can win the bracket. There was a time in my life. Every time I bought a lottery ticket, I thought I would win. I would sit there and be like, oh, these are the winning numbers. Yeah, but what's the point in buying it if you don't think that? desperation and sadness. I don't know.

And then there was a time when I filled my bracket out and I was sure I would win that. And I'm over that. Yeah, I used to think that too. I was like, this is the one. And now I'm like, I'm definitely not. Generally, it's the people who don't, who've never watched a second of college basketball in their life who picked like the mascots that end up winning it.

So I picked Arizona to win. So I'm still barely alive. Yeah, I have Gonzaga. I don't think Gonzaga is as good as last year. UCLA's your dark horse. They look excellent. My dark horse is done. Your other Dark Horse, Iowa tanked, shocker. That's on me. That's poor decision making by me.

It's like you people that have Iowa in the Orange Bowl. It's not going to happen. They're going to look really good in September. It'll dovetail later. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeart Radio app. Hey, this is Jason McIntyre.

Join me every weekday morning on my podcast, Straightfire with Jason McIntyre. This isn't your typical. sports pod pushing the same tired narratives down your throat every day. Straightfire gives you honest opinions on all the biggest sports headlines, accurate stats to help you win big at the sports book, and all the best guests. Do yourself a favor and listen to Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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

Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me. Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football,

or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast.

It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tapped Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs?

Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill,

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

Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your Podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast,

Learn the Hard Way with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking.

Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses.

Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth, or are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines,

as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, learn the hard way. Open your free, our heart radio app. Search learn the hard way and listen now. Now, you know, a lot of these pro days, these college kids will have what they call pro days. I've never been a huge viewer of the combine. You know, I love the draft.

I love college football. The combine, I don't learn much at the combine. Pro days, mostly nonsense. But when you combine the pro day and the combine of this kid Malik Willis at Liberty, I'm watching his pro day today, he's impossible not to like. you guys all bang on me when I talk about personality. I don't understand how people don't think personality matters. It matters if you're an actor.

Nobody wants to work with a jerk, right? It matters in our business. It matters in locker rooms. So when I bring up Johnny Mansell and I say he's just kind of a cocky, obnoxious, of course, half the teams took him off their board. It wasn't because he couldn't throw the football. He was very good beat Alabama and Nick Saban. I mean, he was talented kid or the Baker Mayfield stuff or the Drew

stuff, with the James Winston being wildly immature in college. The idea that it doesn't matter is the idea that it does matter is self-evident. You've seen all those careers implode. When you watch Malik Willis at the Combine and his pro day today, big smile, big arm, just look at his body, big, thick NFL body, that kid's going to get drafted in the top five. Like I would draft, if I'm Atlanta and Carolina, I'm drafting that kid. and you can say, well, you're making a big deal out of a smile. All that stuff matters.

Jay Cutler is a great example. Jay Cutler wakes up with a scowl. He was just a guy that was difficult to get along with. I heard this out of college. I heard it in Chicago. I had a friend who was pretty close with Jay. Jay is super talented. If Jay was easy to get along with, he'd be in the league.

Jay Cutler had a huge arm, really bright. Bright, big arm. Impossible to get along with. Jeff George, similarly. huge arm, big talent, hard to get along with. It's not a little thing. It is arguably after just pure talent, the thing. Can you walk into a locker room and can the coaches trust you?

You're calling all the plays. You're the only guy touching the ball every play. So when I look at Malik Willis, I'm like, I'd like that guy in my room. That guy I want. Big, thick, big arm, power arm, super athletic. And I just watched his pro day. he is so easy to now you could say well what about Zion Zion fell apart physically and we all knew was Zion that was a huge risk

I said I would draft Zion over John Morant and I said two reasons point guards don't lead you to titles if they'd outside of magic okay history is Steve Nash Kyrie Irving Kyrie Irving was a bus till LeBron showed up in Cleveland Steve Nash could never get to a finals this kid he is doing so well in the personality part of it. And for the record, that got DAC 40 million a year. Dax college coach, Dan Mullen, said, I never loved his arm.

Nobody loves Dax's arm. He doesn't have a great arm. Dack is trustable, likable, galvanizes people. There's more than one way to get 40 million. There's more than one way to get roles in Hollywood. It's not because you're gorgeous. Are you easy to work with? Do people like you? That's why what you see a lot of times with directors like Spielberg, he'll hire the same actors over and over.

He's like, no, no, I got that guy I like, I like Hanks. Get me Hanks. And then Hanks will go to Spielberg. You'll work with a small group of people that are easy to get along with. You're not debating and arguing every day on the set. Making movies is intense. There's budgets. There's, you know, Paramounts barking at you.

Disney's barking at you. You know, all right, wrap it up. Let's go. Your budget shrinks. Don't go. It's hard to make movies. It's hard. It's hard to play football.

Being likable. matters. Malik Willis has hit a home run in the combine in the pro day. You can just watch him. Everybody's rooting for him. The scouts are howling. The kids on the sidelines are howling. That stuff is not a small part of it. It's not. That's how I got here. You got a lousy voice, pointy nose. I'm so likable in the industry. I mean, so incredibly likable. By the way, Buccaneers signed Leonard Fernette. Seriously. I mean, Tom's just getting all his guys back.

They've added Shaq Mason, a top five guard. Russell Cage, excellent number three receiver. Gage. I'm sorry, my bad. Russell Gage. Excellent number three receiver. Grong's probably going to come back. He'll just wait.

Grong's going to hold off as long as he can because he only wants to play in January. Boy, he chose right, didn't he? He went from the AFC East to the NFC South. In his division, the quarterbacks right now are Sam Darnold, James Winston, and Marcus Mark. Toyota. Yep. I mean, seriously. That is a layup if the NFL has such a thing. Hour three, coming up next. 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 of 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. A win is a win.

A win is a win. I don't care which I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show.

This is a place for raw, unfilled conversations with athletes, creators and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok's podcast network on TikTok. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged.

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

or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to learn the hard way with your favorite therapist and host care games. This space is about black men's experiences, having honest conversations that's really not safe to have anywhere, but you're having them with a licensed professional who knows what he's doing.

how many men carry a suit or armor. It signals to the world that you not to be played with. And just because you have the capability that does not mean that you need to, listen and learn the hard way on the IHard radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. This is an IHart podcast, guaranteed human.