The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Hour 2 - Can't miss prospects

Episode Date: April 3, 2024

LeBron James plays the game the right way; he does every thing well Looking at NFL Mock Drafts and which prospect is a "Can't Miss"   Guest: Daniel JeremiahSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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, 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 Clifers 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 IHeard 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. Thanks for listening to The Heard podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio in noon to 3 Eastern, 9 a.m. to noon Pacific. Find your local station for the herd at Fox SportsRadio.com or stream us live every day on the IHeart Radio app

by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR. We're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Here we go. It's our two. Live in Los Angeles, it's the herd wherever you may be, and however you may be listening. Thanks for making us part of your day. Daniel Jeremiah, former two-time NFL Scout. Now on the Chargers broadcast, NFL Network as well, will join us about as as trustable a guy as you can have before the draft.

There's a lot of speculation. This team moves up. This team moves back. Jordan Shultz filling in for J-Mack, who's on vacation, on an island somewhere with a surfboard, his kids, and his beautiful wife. So I thought it was interesting. You know, Sharm Sharania covers the NBA, which he used to cover, came out, Jordan, and said, he expects LeBron James to retire in about two years. LeBron actually mentioned this week he talked about retirement. He doesn't very often.

And so, you know, I was thinking about this before I get the DJ, is that not all superstars or polixtrars. politicians make us feel the same way. Not all seasons make me feel the same way. I look forward to summer. When I got into this broadcasting business, I wanted to be a baseball announcer. And the reason I stopped doing it is I didn't want to work every day in the summer. I grew up in the beach. The summer was fun. Now you'd sneak a beer with your buddies. You'd go down to the beach. I like summers. I like the beaches. And so not all not all superstars feel the same way. And LeBron, I'll give you an example. Magic was fun. The smile, the game.

MJ was cool. LeBron's powerful. Fun and cool are more likable than powerful. We're all kind of fearful of power, aren't we? Joe Montana was cool. Brady was efficient and obsessed. Mahomes is flashy and fun. I would argue Mahomes is going to age really, really well.

Commercials everywhere, catch up with his steak, Coor's Lipes. He's likable. Jim Brown was feared. Walter Payton was loved. Barry Sanders was worshipped. LeBron's different. He does more things well than any basketball player ever.

But he's talked about politics and race. Most athletes stay away. I'm comfortable with it. Many aren't. He also, and this is my favorite thing about LeBron James, criticize him as you will. He plays basketball the right way. The greatest stat about LeBron James

is actually a high school stat, where he averaged roughly 27 a game as a junior in high school. He was called the best high school basketball player ever. The following year, he could have averaged 60, but he only averaged one point more because LeBron's always been about playing the game the right way. When he sees an opening, he scores.

When he sees other with an advantage, he passes. He got criticized early in his career because he didn't have a closing or killer instinct. It was nonsense. Then, it's nonsense now. As far as playing with his son, his son average five a game for USC. He's entering the transfer portal.

Who know if that, I don't know if that comes to fruition. I have no idea. I'm not an NBA scout. It doesn't feel like an NBA player yet. But LeBron is a different superstar. He was a villain briefly and acknowledged. He didn't like it. He didn't like it.

He wanted to be liked. And he is by many. And there's lots of criticisms. And he doesn't feel his. cool as MJ or as fun as magic, but I'll always respect the way he plays the game. He loves it. He plays with

passion. He plays hard. He played in his prime on both ends. And he always made the right basketball play. It wasn't about scoring. It was about winning. I like players like that. Daniel Jeremiah,

DJed out joining us lives. So I'm looking at mock drafts and prospect ranking. So, you know, it's funny. I was talking to somebody the other day, a buddy of mine who scouted for the Eagles, John Middlakov, and I said, give me one guy that can't bust. And he said, well, Brock Bowers dominated in Napa, then went to the SEC and was dominant as a rookie. He's like, I can't see Brock Bowers dominating or failing.

But what's interesting about that is you probably can't either, but tight ends and safeties don't get paid in this league. and if you draft him high, you're paying him. So I think years and years ago, a scout told me, a GM told me, Patrick Willis was the cleanest best player in the draft. He went 11. He goes, but he's linebacker. And the linebackers aren't going to go top four or five.

So when I watch this year, I'm like, okay, Brock Bowers, that can't miss. But do you think he goes high? The Chargers need a tight end. The Jets need a tied end. The Giants need a tight end. What do you make with that position and that guy? kid because I watched him eat up the SEC as a freshman. Yeah, look, he's a great player.

He's going to be one of those guys where I'm going to have him higher grade-wise than where he's going to go. And you hit on some of it there, Colin. In that, if I'm picking up there in the top 10, I want to not only bring in a good player, but I want to maximize the dollars that I have on my salary cap here. So if the receiver market and those guys are fetching, you know, upwards north of $20 million a year for those top receivers getting up towards $30 million a year. And I take one there in the top 10, and I'm spending $7, 8 million bucks on that. That is a huge amount of savings that I'm not only drafting that receiver, I'm freeing up all

that other money to go fill other spots on my roster, whereas the top and tight end market, you're nowhere near that. So you're not getting that same value, that same savings. And then you add to that every year, you know, we see guys like Sam LaPorte up, who goes in the second round and was awesome last year. Kelsey is a great example. He was not a first round pick. Kittle was a fifth round pick. You can find good players outside of the premium picks in the draft at that position. And then the Kyle Pitts thing.

Kyle Pitts is as high and great as I've ever given a tight end. But it's a situation-dependent position where they don't have much quarterback play there. And we haven't seen Kyle Pitts do anything that we thought he would do. Yeah. You know, your quarterbacks, you have Caleb 1. You have Drake May 2. And here's my concern. unless you have remarkable physical traits.

Josh Allen. Stafford and Mahomes maybe the best armed talents I've ever seen. Lamar Jackson, people just don't move like that at quarterback. If you have that, you can be a little rough around the edges. I'll roll the dice and try to refine you. But I mean, Drake May's big. He's 6-4-220, but it's not remarkably big.

And what concerns me is if you're not otherworldly unique. If you don't have it, then I want production and consistency. I'm just, I don't know what I get, even in his pro day, aren't you a little worried that stuff that should

be automatic for him a lot of times isn't? Well, I would say first of all, let's start with the pro day. He threw the ball a lot more than anybody else did at the pro day. I think it was almost close to 80 throws. The majority of which were really good. He had a couple that got away from him. I'm not going to over

react on that side of it. I would say the other side of that argument, when you talk about, you know, Josh Allen, okay, he's not, he's a really good athlete. He's not as good athlete as Josh Allen. He has a really strong arm. It's not as strong as Josh Allen. I'll put Josh Allen to the side, and I'll give you one with Jordan Love there, Colin. Colin, I mean, Jordan Love, the year before his final year in college, we were talking

about him like he's a top five pick. Then the supporting cast disappears. His production goes way down. It didn't change the ability that he had. The surroundings change. And obviously, he had the luxury of sitting and waiting for his opportunity there in Green Bay. But I think, you know, from a skill set standpoint coming out of college, I would have Drake May as a more talented player than Jordan Love.

And we've seen Jordan Love land in the right position. I think Jordan Love's going to be a really good player for a long time. Yeah. So your mock draft, you do have Minnesota moving up for J.J. McCarthy. If you think it's going to work, do you think it's going to work? because as I've said earlier on the show, it's a furnished apartment. They have everything.

Just put some waters and Diet Coke's in the fridge, left tackle, receiver. They're ready to, and that's a move-in turnkey property. Or do you think it's going to work because JJ's otherworldly? Because I watched Michigan a lot the last couple years, and I thought he was good. I never thought he was a top five player. What do you make if Minnesota makes that move?

What are your, is your take on McCarthy? He's great, or it'll just work at Michigan and Minnesota, because it's set up to work. Yeah, I mean, look, he's my 20th player. So when you look at the other three guys, I have the other three in the top six in terms of how I graded him, and he's the 20th. So there's a separation gap there in terms of the talent.

And we've always used the analogy. Buck and I, we always talk about, you know, are you a truck or are you a trailer? There's very few trucks that can pull the team behind them and make everyone better. Most of these guys are trailers. They're going to be dependent on their situation, and then they can be a part of the winning.

They're not going to be the reason why you're winning. And I think when you have the setup they have in Minnesota, it's the most quarterback-friendly destination that I can remember for a young quarterback to potentially walk into. To the point where, look, I'm still not giving up on Sam Darnold. I'm excited to see what he looks like with all that support and setup they have there in Minnesota. But with JJ, he's got all the ingredients, Colin.

he just doesn't have the same sample size and the offense didn't run through him like it ran through these other top quarterbacks. So, you know, the analogy, and you're the king of analogies, grade this one. Give me an A to F on this one. I've said that JJ has the same ingredients, but while these other quarterbacks have baked a wedding cake,

he's put a cupcake out there. We just haven't had a chance to see quite the same sample size. Can you give me a grade on that one? Let's let it bake. I'll give you a B, maybe a B plus. Okay, I'll take it. Finally, is there... See, he's good degrees, Colin.

Yes, two questions left. Number one, is there a player that you can see dropping either fit, need, or questions? Maybe it's Pinnix, but are we going to have an Aaron Rogers situation here where you're like, that players, I think, better than that. Is there any player you think could drop your hearing things? Well, I mean, I think Pinnock is the, is, you know, the wild card there, where, you know, the Raiders make sense when you look at where they are. You know, I make the case if he walked into the Raiders building tomorrow and they went out through on the field with Aiden O'Connell and Gardner-Menschu,

it would not be close in terms of the talent gap there. So that one makes sense. But if it's not the Raiders, I just don't know exactly where to fit him in. I don't think he's in the Broncos plans. It's not what I've heard. That's not what the expectation is around the league. It doesn't sound like that's a Vikings move if they stay there. So if he gets beyond the Raiders,

you know you start you start getting into okay maybe this guy goes in the second round maybe he doesn't go on the first round so i think there's more of a range with him uh you know bow nix is somewhat similar and that nobody knows exactly where to peg him uh denver gets mentioned a little bit with him but he's another one who's you know he's flip a coin is he going to go in one or is he going to go in two so this is a really good receiver class i'm a marvin harrison fan you know his dad was if not peculiar different. He was different. I've heard stories where he would do practice, not shower, and just go. He didn't hang around with teammates. So I, you know, sometimes son, dad, a lot of similarities, personality-wise. I think he's remarkable. I put him in the Rani Moss, Calvin Johnson. I just think he is ready to be great.

I always felt with Jamar Chase, I was watching a pro football player. He just played on Saturdays. Would you pass on Harrison if he was available? I mean, do you have him as the number one receiver? Yeah, he's my number two player. You know, him and him and Caleb are similar to me and that I think that they've been around for so long and they've been on the scene for so long. It happens all the time. They get nitpicked, and you find out,

everybody's trying to find what's wrong with them and with Marvin. It's all he's not going through the process like everybody else has. Well, go look at the GPS numbers as the teams have. This dude has got plenty of speed. If that's all you're going to do in the spring is trained for a 40, just go look at his in-game speed numbers. they're outstanding.

And then we've seen all the production. I just think you get to the point where you overthink this thing. These names have been around for a long time. For me, it's been Caleb 1. It's been Marvin Harrison 2, and it's been that way from start to finish. It's an offensive league. Andy Reid has built, rebuilt his O-Line twice, and is receiving core once or twice, and yet ends up in Super Bowls every time.

Some of it's obviously Mahomes. But I do trust to McVeer and Andy Reid to rebuild offensive parts, Kyle Shanahan, Kevin O'Connell, more than a defensive coach. Now, the bills that struggle to rebuild their O-Line for years in run game, they don't have any receivers. Stefan Diggs to Houston, great for, obviously for Houston, it's perfect. You know, rookie quarterback contract, do you worry that Buffalo as Herbert will be healthy? Trevor Lawrence is back.

Burrow is back. Aaron Rogers is back. They don't have a one or a two receiver. Are you concerned at all? Stefan digs out in Buffalo. I'm curious to see how they're going to go about doing it. Now, I will say in this draft, and probably every draft going forward, there's a zillion receivers.

So they can get guys, they can get guys at the bottom of the first round where they're picking. They can get guys in the middle rounds that'll come in there with Josh Allen. And, you know, I think they're going to be okay. I think Josh Allen is a truck. When we were just talking about trucks and trailers, I think he'll make others better. And this is just the reality of what the league is right now. When you pay these guys, you saw it with Mahomes, and they had to make a decision on Tyree Kill, and he goes away. You saw it this year with the Chargers.

Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, they're gone. They're going to have to rely on younger players and expect your young stud quarterback who you've paid to elevate those guys. And I think the same thing is true there in Buffalo. And, you know, Diggs is a, you know, he's a stud, but his play has tailed off a little bit. Yeah. And when you get to 30 and you're paying that much money at that position, when you already have the quarterback paid, I almost think it's looked at as a luxury. Yeah, that's a good point.

You don't have to have a number one receiver to hoist a trophy. That much is absolutely true. You need weapons. You need a good old line, a good coach, a capable quarterback. DJ is always great seeing you, bud. Good to see, ma'am. All right. Daniel Jeremiah, NFL Network, does great stuff.

Yeah, so Stefan Diggs traded. Very good player, very productive. Minnesota, Buffalo. But if Kirk Cousins and Josh Allen, you know, kind of tired of the dream, drama, quarterback's going to win. And the quarterback should win. The quarterback's worth 8 to 9 to 10 points. The top ones in the NFL. Great wide receivers probably worth a point.

Jamar Chase, maybe a point, point in a half. Devonte Adams, Justin Jefferson. And it was the worst kept secret in the league. Jordan Schultz filling in for JMAQ, Bleacher Report, NFL Insider. You and I had talked about this, I think, a year ago.

I felt like this was going to happen. We just didn't know when. And again, going back to the Combine, Houston and Buffalo were talking. It really came down to comp. But the relationship between Diggs and the Bills had absolutely run its course. I mean, there was no doubt about it. You mentioned Josh Allen.

He's a really good player, Stefan Diggs, and he's going to help Tank Dell, Nico Collins, C.J. Stroud a lot. It's a perfect fit, I think, for him to go to Houston, and I think it's going to help Stroud more than anyone. Good stuff. One more herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week, within the IHard Radio app.

Search Herd to listen live or on the best. man, 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'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 I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care 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 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 Clivert Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, 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 Jette. 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 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. Victor Wimb and Yama last night had one of the great lines ever for a rookie. Nine blocks, 23 points, 15 rebounds, and eight assists. He plays with nobody. Kid's insane.

Name the last American player, last domestic player, who entered the league and was this good. I can tell you the last international player, Luca. The American basketball culture, Steve Curris, talks. about this is broken. European players, for three different reasons, maybe four, come into this league, more grown up and more adult. Number one, the European system in both basketball and soccer is superior to ours. They play against older men when they're 14-15, so they grow up physically. There's no constant AAU pampering. It's not about cash and coddling. They have strict academic and academy rules. Three is there's fewer games. AAU's all about, you know, getting

your points, getting the games in, 12, 15 a weekend or whatever it is. International basketball academies, fewer games. Winning means more, not just playing. Europeans are taking over the league. I've got no problem with it, but the best young players are European. You don't have the immaturity with a John Morant. The drama with Zion Williamson. Our basketball culture is broken.

The top four NBA scores. None are domestic. None are Americans, and the number one pick next year is likely to be international. For the record, six year in a row, the MVP will be non-American. I don't have a problem with it. Our system's broken, more about condoling, less about development, more about getting cash and getting stuff, less about development. the maturity and skill level of European players is absolutely something to watch, worship, and it's better than our system in both soccer and basketball.

Jordan with the news. No, no, no, no, turn on the news. This is the herd line news. All right, Colin, let's start with some NFL. The Broncos went eight and nine in their first season under Sean Payton. Things went less than swimming league with Russell Wilson. in their current quarterback situation with Jared Sidham. Of course, many people speculating as to whether or not this is a rebuild in Denver.

I get that. I don't understand, you know, in our league, it's, it's, you regroup and you get ready to play. And so we're still in the midst of assembling our roster. And, you know, I don't, if you paid attention to that, you know, there's a ton of different seasons. I've been a part of it. never would have had the success we had relative to the expectations. I think we've got to get better in a lot of areas. We're excited to do that.

Colin, I know he's your guy, Sean Payton, but I have some doubts about whether or not Denver can get this thing back on track. Well, when Sean has the right quarterback, he wins. When Sean doesn't have the right quarterback, he makes that guy better. Right, like Taysam Hill and Teddy Bridgewater and Russell Wilson improved. they have a debit right now at quarterback in a division with Herbert and Mahomes so are to the Raiders

but they have a defensive rookie head coach really because last year for Antonio Pierce wasn't a full season so my take is they'll be fine if they get the quarterback and they won't be if they don't it's pretty simple I'm with Daniel by the way

about I don't think it's going to be penics for what it's worth it doesn't I don't think he fits their scheme back to the draft LSU wide receiver Malik Neighbors has meeting scheduled this week according to NFL network, he will be meeting with Arizona today, the Chargers tomorrow.

Colin, Neighbors was garnering a lot of draft type before his impressive pro day showing. We also saw O'Doonese and Marvin Harrison not work out on their pro days. What say you? I think he's really good. He'd be the third I would take. He's super flashy. I think New England can make an argument.

Let's not get quarterback. Let's finally get a star receiver. He's a top 10 talent. There's no question. But, you know, again, it's a quarterback left tackle receiver draft. And so, you know, I think he'll succeed wherever he goes. Even in New England with Jacoby Brissette, he'd be a dominant number one. But I'll take Harrison.

Marvin Harrison, to me, Randy Moss, Calvin Johnson. Maybe Larry Fitzgerald. You watched him in college and you're like, yeah, that's just different. They're pro. Jabar Chase, Neighbors has the same feel. but Harrison, I felt a year ago. Not even this year. The year before, I'm like he's a pro football player on Saturday.

So I had a GM in Orlando tell me that Marvin Harrison, Jr. was Larry Fitzgerald. 2.0. Pedigree. He's a pro. Malik neighbors might be Jamar Chase. Maybe a higher upside. But I think the ceiling, or I should say the floor for Harrison, is so high that you know exactly what you're getting. Yeah, virtually no bus potential.

I mean, Randy Moss was as good as his quarterback. but no bust potential. Yeah. Okay, here's an interesting one, Colin. In the NBA, in the association, Joel Embed returned after missing the last two months with the knee injury. He scored 24 points in a win over OKC.

It was his first game since January 30th. And he actually sounded pretty upset, Colin, after the game. I wonder with Embed how much of this injury history, especially considering his size, frame, stature. How much of that has taken the toll? Oh, no question. Bigs get hurt early, they get hurt often. Yonis now, tweaks it, needs more rest.

He's a great player. They're not going anywhere without him. But I do think they're a bit of a wild card. He comes back, how many games left? Ten games are showing the NBA. So he comes back, he didn't look to be in great shape yet. Once again, it's remarkable what our doctors and medical community can do is I thought he was out for the year. He's back with ten games to go.

I mean, almost as a rule for young athletes, they heal faster than the rest of us. So, they're the wild card in the East. I mean, you could see them. And he's getting enough games where, you know, 10, 12 games in the NBA, you can get in shape pretty quick for a pro athlete. So I think they're the wild card in the playoffs. He didn't play his rookie year, had the foot. That's right.

He's 7-1, 7-2. There's a lot on that frame. If anybody can do it, it's Embed because he has the inside-outside game. Yeah. But I'm with you. All right. Finally, some college hoops news. Dick Weiss reporting that USC's Ronnie James

is entering the transfer portal. Of course, played 19 minutes per game for the Trojans. Less than five points he averaged. Last night, LeBron was asked about the transfer rumor. I don't know where it came from, but at the end of the day, Bronis is his own man. He has some tough decisions to make. And when he's ready to make those decisions, he'll let us all know.

But as his family, we're going to support whatever he does. Colin, you're not a big portal guy. Neither am I. It does appear that he's leaving SC. Yeah, I'm not anti-portal. I think the easy answer is always leaving instead of fighting through stuff. I don't think he's a remarkable talent. I like LeBron's parenting where, you know, he's got to make these decisions.

This is not helicopter parenting. He's a grown-up. He's got to make these decisions. He'll make the best decision for him. I like that. That's the way I would parent. It's your life. It's your decision.

You're out of the house now. You're in college. College is a great place to grow up where you have the security of the campus. Mom and dad aren't far away. but it's your life now, based on your choices and your judgment. So Andy Enfield is going to SMU. Maybe he goes to SMU. He left, and USC's looking for a basketball coach.

Got about four or five names they're looking at. So, you know, I don't know what his NBA future is. He's athletic. But, you know, at this point, five a game at USC, he doesn't pop when you watch the Trojans on TV or in person. Most of the evaluators say Bryce, the younger brother, who's already 6667 and it's only 16, that he's the NBA player. Yeah.

But a lot of pressure on Ronnie, I mean, I thought he handled it pretty well. But, you know, if it's not SC, maybe it's Ohio State. That's my, that was my thought. Because LeBron was a huge buck guy for it. Yeah, for years. He said that, yeah. Jordan with the news. Well, that's the news.

And thanks for stopping by. The Hurd-Lie News. So, you know, Jim Harbaugh has done a good job, a little Bill Parcells. Everywhere he goes is a bit of a mess. and he solves it very quickly. Stanford, the 10 years before Harbaugh got to Stanford, they had two winning seasons. They were terrible.

If you go back to the 49ers, eight years, eight years before he got to the 49ers, zero playoff appearances. If you look at Michigan, one season with more than eight wins in the previous seven, and he turns them all around very quickly. And the Chargers, though, is different. They have a star at quarterback, excellent left tackle, multiple edge rushers. They just need more weapons on the perimeter and a better culture.

And Jim Harbaugh was all fired up yesterday at the podium about this job that he is now taken over. It's been the best damn job I've ever had to start out with. And I hope it ends that way. But it's been a tremendous start. really excited about the coaching staff and the amount of work that's been produced over the last month and a half. It's been a lot. They've done a great job. I mean, it's locked, cocked, ready to rock.

Yeah, and they also have the perfect scenario. They've got the fifth pick. I mean, it's literally perfect. They don't need a left tackle or a quarterback, and this top 10 is jammed with both. they could move down to 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, and still get a top receiver or the top tied end. I've been told they want to move down more than once, and if they don't move down in the first, they'll move down in the second, third, they want multiple picks because they have about five things they have to solve, center, tight end, two wide receivers, defensive tackle, and probably a corner.

But this is a loaded shop class with all the tools. They just need the teacher so kids don't, you know, chop an arm off here. but they got a lot of players and they got edge rushers and they got a star quarterback and the left tackle. What they need is to be smarter, more disciplined, more resilient, and tough

and that is essentially what Jim Harbaugh does. It reminds me a little bit of Green Bay with Matt LaFleur. They had the quarterback, they had some continuity, but they kind of lost their way with McCarthy. And it was like they just needed more physicality, a more consistent run game,

a couple of pieces, and they just They needed somebody to take the ship. It'd run aground a little bit, but it was a beautiful ship. Let's just get it back. Let's get it on the fairway. Let's get it back in the water. And let's move in the right direction. And if you recall, Matt Lefleur very quickly, 13 wins.

Aaron Rogers feels like an MVP. Matt grew as a coach. So you're getting that. The difference is Harbaugh has been successful, successful, successful. And Matt Lefleur was getting his first head coach in the NFL. So Green Bay was good right out of the gate. I've said before, the last, the three jobs that have been, granted in the NFL that were really not rebuilds.

Mike McCarthy with Dallas. I was a good job. You had a quarterback. You had a left tackle. You had a starback. You had weapons. Green Bay with Matt LaFleur, that's not a rebuild. This is not a rebuild either. If you have a quarterback, two edge rushers and a great left tackle, that's not an edge rush.

That's not a rebuild. That is just a, hey, let's move down in the draft, get multiple pieces. If we can hit on four of our nine, ten picks, four of them early. we have starters, we'll be ready to go. Harbaugh goes to the University of San Diego, he wins. He goes to Stanford. It was an absolute dumpster fire he wins. He goes to Michigan, wins a national championship.

The Chargers within two years, in my mind, Colin, are a top five to seven team in the league. Within three years, they're a legitimate Super Bowl contender. This year, though, I think they win 70 games. So Draft Kings has them at eight and a half in a division with Andy Reed and Mahomes. So that's the opening number in the Mahomom. Division in the AFC, where Burroughs are going to be healthy, Trevor Lawrence, C.J. Stroud, Aaron

back, 8 and a half. So that tells you, Vegas and Draft Kings are like, they're going to be good. They're going to be viable. Competitive. Also tells you they were a bit of a mess on the coaching staff last year. Big upgrade there. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays

at noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. Hey, it's me, Rob Parker. Check out my weekly MLB podcast inside the Parker for 22 minutes of piping hot baseball talk featuring the biggest names and newsmakers in the sport whether you believe in analytics or the i-test we've got all the bases covered new episodes drop every thursday so do yourself a favor and listen to inside the parker with rob parker on the iHeart

radio app or wherever you get your podcast 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 which I'm saying. Yep, that's me. Clipper Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits. the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show.

This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger.

So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to The Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross

double-tap little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with a 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 you're just so you're not. But just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, this is the second episode

where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see 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. Sunday on Fox. It's week two of the United Football. Football League as the Houston Roughnecks take on the DC defenders.

Spring just got stronger. The hard hitting action continues Sunday at 4 Eastern on Fox. So there's a lot of mock drafts. What are people doing? I don't know who exactly people are going to draft. So I thought today we do have a little bit of a draft decision guide. Like would you stay put? Would you move up or would you move down?

I've got a much better feel, I think, for that, or at least have strong opinions on that. So here we go. I would start with the Bears. Chicago Bears, I would stay put. Don't go up or down, stay put. Listen, Matt Iber Fluse has to win in September, October. They're loaded offensive skill positions.

Caleb Williams is the most talented college player at the most crucial NFL position. Stay put, draft Caleb Williams. Commanders, regardless of who you draft, stay put. you've had 13 different starting quarterbacks 13 13 since kirk cousins left just get that position go to your scouting department who do you like best weaker nfc so-so division just get a quarterback stay where you're at eras new england i think i would trade down it's a losing proposition none of these quarterbacks including caleb could win there they don't have any

skill players they averaged under 14 points a game last year okay And they, worst offense in the league. So regardless, you could bring in Mahomes and you're winning seven games with this. I mean, they just don't have any, they don't have any skill or playmakers. They have a rookie defensive coach. I'm New England. I trade down. Arizona.

A lot of people want them to move. I think I would stay. They're going to get the best non-quarterback in the draft. They have a running back, a tight end, and a quarterback I like. They could move down, get an offensive tackle, circle back on receiver. I don't think that's a bad move. They have acknowledged, they have said they're GM, we are open for business. But I do think you get into a space here where, and I felt this a couple years ago with Bijon Robinson,

and that's running back, receivers more valuable. But it's like people freaked out when Atlanta took the running back. Like, there's just nothing not to like. He's going to work in the NFL. I think Marvin Harrison, there's nothing I see at a very crucial position with your star quarterback that doesn't work. Got a score in this league. Can't do it with deep.

Even the Niners defense is not stopping the best offenses. I would stay put and get Marvin Harrison. The Chargers absolutely move down. They don't need a quarterback or a tackle, and there's a ton of them. Now, they need wide receivers, but what they really need is more picks. So if I'm the Chargers,

you may be able to move down just to 10 or 11 and get Brock Bowers and another second round picks. They've already got two fours, but they need physicality. needed another tackle, another defensive tackle. They need a center. They need a tight end, one that can catch, one that has the ability to block. They could use another running back. Austin Echler now went to the commander. So they're a very good team, but they got about five needs. Most of them skill positions on offense outside of center. So that's where I'd go.

The Giants, again, I would move down. I mean, you can make an argument they should get a quarterback and if Drake May doesn't get drafted at two and they love him then I don't have a problem with it but I mean they have a left tackle I like they have some nice pieces on the defensive front running back

tight end wide receiver they don't need one great piece they need like four really good pieces so I think there's three rosters in the NFL Giants Patriots and Carolina you just can't compete at the highest level regardless who your coach is they just they need more players

not one great player. If I ran the Giants, you know, if I run the Giants, I wouldn't have drafted Daniel Jones. So if you love a quarterback, take him. But if he's off the board, if Drake May and Caleb are off the board, and I suspect they will be, and Jaden Daniels is off, do you want the fourth best quarterback? I want more players. Titans at seven. I would stay. Their offensive line is the worst in the league. And if Will Levis is going to work, and I've got my doubts, Joe Alt is kind of a, I don't know if he can't miss, but he's really good at a Notre Dame. So, I mean, it's, Mahomes has been blown out once in a playoff game. It's the game in which his tackles were hurt.

You can only do so much when you're kind of a C, C minus, C plus quarterback with mediocre left tackle play. I'd stay put and get Joe Alt. I feel the same way for the Falcons. I would stay and get the best pass rusher, probably the kid out of Alabama, Dallas Turner. I like a lot of Atlanta. I think Kirk Cousins go in 10 games. They don't really have any needs offensively. They can get another receiver later. Receiver, tight end, two running backs. O' line, quarterback, they're good. They'll probably go get a backup quarterback somewhere,

you know, for the future, some fifth round kid. But I, I, what they need, they haven't had a consistent pass rush since Vic Beasley. So they got to get a pass rush. You know, if you're going to beat the Detroit's, the Green Bays, the Rams, Philadelphia, some of these high-powered offenses in the NFC, you got to have a pass rush, period. You can't win without a pass rush. Bears at 9, I would move down. I don't buy all these mock drafts that say they should get a receiver. They've got two good receivers and two good tight-ins. You've got four targets. You can get a receiver in the third, fourth, fifth. They don't have enough picks. They need more picks. Move down. You know, they had to give up some draft capital.

to get Montez Sweat. So I'm, I'd move down. I think if I'm Matt Eber Fluse, I could move down five spots, get a second round or a third round pick. Because I don't think they have a, I really don't think they have a ton of needs. I like this. I don't know if they have the right coach. I think they need an edge rusher, another corner, maybe upgrade a little bit on the back

end of the defense. But I don't think they're a mile off. I think they're a top 12 roster right now. Jalen Johnson, Montez Sweat. Two good receivers, good back. I think their offensive line left tackles better than people give it credit for. I'd move down. And Iber Fluse probably is like, give me one more pass rush.

If I got to go Jordan Love. If I got to go Jared Goff, we got to get those guys off the field. Give me a pass rusher. Jets, again, they've only got two draft picks in the first three rounds. I would move down. And the reason being, you could go get Brock Bowers and he would help. But Aaron Rogers doesn't love young receivers and tight ends. That's not Aaron's thing.

And I don't subscribe to the theory that the Jets are like three players away. I think they're like six players away. And I think that number 10 spot for the Jets, you're starting to get in, once you get to 10, you're getting into like Bo Nicks, you know, Jaden, Daniels, McCart. Those guys may drop a little. You could move down. You don't have to move down a ton. Move down two spots and get a third round pick.

But I think the Jets need more players, not one great receipt. or one great tide end and we know Aaron doesn't love young targets. Vikings, one of the few teams I'd move up. I think they're ready to win. I think Minnesota has got everything except a quarterback for the future. They even have a quarterback for the present. I'm not a big believer and move it up in the draft and give it up a ton of draft capital. Unless you're ready to win and need like a really, really special piece,

maybe if you're like, you know, you're a Super Bowl team and you need an edge rusher and there's one great edge rusher, then go give him. Go give him, you know, some love, move up. I think Minnesota, all this franchise needs, I like their offseason a lot. It reminds me a little bit of Houston last year where you're like, under the radar, they've made a lot of really smart moves. Move up, get a quarterback. And the Broncos, I think they can get Bo Nicks in the 20s.

I would move down. After you get to about the 13th pick in the Raiders, the Raiders move up, there's a lot of teams that don't need a quarterback. So if you start looking at them, they have roster holes, you know, they moved off Jerry Judy. They have to get another receiver. They have Mims and Cortland Sutton. They may get, the offensive line played well last year.

Another running back. They need an edge rusher for sure. And if the two best edge rushers are off the board, I'd move down. Now, if Jared verse at Florida State still available, they may just go get him. But I think Sean Payton looks at this and think, I like Fonix, but I'm not drafting him at 12. I'll get him at 19. I'll reach for him at 17. But again, just moving down in the draft doesn't mean moving down a lot.

Move down five spots and get another third round pick. That's okay too, a third and a six. So that's what I would do. Moves I would make. In terms of, I do think there's a couple of teams. Like, the Falcons need an edge rusher. The Titans need a tackle. And the Cardinals need a receiver.

You know, like the Bears need a quarterback. The commanders need a quarterback. I think about half the teams in the first round, half the teams in the top 10 to 12, we know what they need. And there's going to be plenty of those players. So one of the more fascinating teams is the Giants. Because I'm convinced the GM and the coach want a quarterback. But what happens when you want a quarterback,

but you have so many holes offensively outside of left tackle, you don't love anything. You bring him in, he gets beat up like Daniel Jones. Then he, you know, as they call golfers, get the yips. Quarterbacks just don't want to get a hit. So, there's a lot of questions. What is your gut feeling? With the Giants?

With the Giants. I think there's a really good chance. Great chance. The Giants take a quarterback. Let's go 51, 51.5%. It's in the first round. Maybe they trade back to your point. They're at six.

They have a lot of holes. The other one's the Jets. I like what you said about Aaron Rogers, too, calling with young receivers. You know how you can help Aaron Rogers? It's not just with weapons. A good offensive line. Yes. defense. You know, that's also another way to help your quarterback.

Yeah. All right, good stuff. By the way, from the virtual EQB to the sublime EQS, Mercedes-Benz makes electric extraordinary. Vehicles all electric, the feeling all Mercedes, the choice all yours. Check it out, go to a dealer or the website, MBUSA.com slash EQ. Another podcast from some SNL, late-night comedy guy, not quite, unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel,

help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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.

On the Look Back at a podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 is big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it, with our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors.

Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. It was a wild year. It was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed humor.

in.