The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Middlekauff – 3 & Out – Kitchens faces impossible expectations; Invisible stars in bad markets; Rookie QB minicamp overreactions; Middlekauff Mailbag

Episode Date: June 7, 2019

Subscribe here to the 3 and Out with John Middlekauff Podcast https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/3-and-out-with-john-middlekauff/id1352730623?mt=2.  In this episode, Middlekauff explains why it will be almost impossible for Freddie Kitchens to live up to expectations in his first year as an NFL coach, why Chandler Jones is invisible in Arizona, despite putting up huge numbers, and why people are severely overreacting to rookie QB minicamp performances. He also answers listener questions in Middlekauff's Mailbag. Follow John on twitter @JohnMiddlekauff and go to www.theherdnow.com to find the latest content. Subscribe now! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Big show coming up. We've got a lot going on, actually. Have some thoughts. Have an interesting take here on the Browns, while I think that some of the things that are about to happen to them are going to be pretty unfair for their head coach. On my other podcast, I talked to George Kittle, and he brought something up about the toughest guy he had to block,

and it really got me thinking I'll bring back some sound on that. Some rookie quarterbacks. I mean, I've seen some quarterbacks are crushing. I've seen Ryan Lindley, the dude with the Bengals, is the worst quarterback ever. Some thoughts just on rookie quarterbacks in these mini-camps. And then, like always, Middlecough Mailbag, at John Middlecough is my Instagram handle. The direct messages, wide open, baby, come slide on in to those DMs, and I'll answer your questions here on 3 and out.

Your podcast, wherever you listen to podcasts. Go subscribe. Appreciate everyone listening. Numbers are booming. And I'll answer them here. Again, at John Middilcoff is my handle for Twitter, Instagram, but the way you get on this show, go to Instagram, slide up in those DMs,

and I'll answer your question, I'll answer a bunch today. But I want to start with this. I noticed the NFL network, Odell Beckham, there were some mandatory mini-camps, and I think because whether you have a new head coach or an old head coach, it determines, you know, whether you start training camp earlier

or when you can do these OTA. So there were a bunch of mandatory mini-camps. I don't know exactly all the rules why some are this week. I know like the Niners and Raiders are next week. I don't exactly know. But I know there were some this week and one of them was a Cleveland Browns. And Odo Beckham showed up.

And it was a big deal. And NFL network was there. They took the Pittsburgh Steelers reporter. They put her there. It really struck me. It's like this team is being treated. Again, I have one in my backyard. The Golden State Warriors, they're just treated differently.

They are covered differently. And the Golden State Warriors won multiple championships and have elite Hall of Famers on their team. they've justified it. Like, I'm watching the Browns, they're getting coverage, like they're the Patriots. It's a little nuts. And I think when you look at the head coach, we can talk about Baker and O'Dell, and I've talked a bunch about them, but about Freddie Kitchens. Imagine this. You got a new job. Think about the biggest job you've ever got, whether it's, you know, usually for most of us, like it happens a little older in life. You know, the biggest job you ever get is not necessarily

the first job you ever get, but even the first job you ever get. They don't ask you to do the hardest shit in the first week, in the first month, hell, maybe in the first year. Even a big time job, if you get one, they probably don't ask you to make like the number one sale three weeks on the job, six weeks on the job. Like you get some time to kind of ease your way into things. And when you look at most of the, because that's the way things should be. I can't just throw you out in the middle of the ocean before I know you can swim and expect that you're going to make it back to shore. Most jobs in any field, whether it's sports or whether it's business, whatever it is, whether it's being a teacher.

You usually get better with some experience. You're just more equipped because I know this, the more bad things that have happened to me in my life, every single time I've been better off for it. I've been fired twice, one officially contract not renewed. Radio fired, you know, because we had some disagreements with the way, people should be covered. As you know, if you listen to this, I ain't holding back. So if you try to muzzle me, it ain't going to work. And the Raiders weren't always okay with the way I covered them. Fine. But the best thing that ever happened to me was getting away from that. Now, it was forced,

my hand was forced, but I learned from failure twice, even though the quote unquote failure was somewhat out of my control. But a lot of times I think when you look at coaches, where hell, you know in business, sometimes just an economy turns. I know a lot of people, I have a lot of friends that work in some area of the construction business. Now, a lot of my friends, I'm in my early 30s, were just kind of coming into the workforce at 07-08, so they struggled maybe getting a job. They didn't hit them.

But all their bosses tell them stories like, when 0-7-08 hit, we lost our ass. Well, most coaches, if you lose a quarterback, if you have bad injuries, if something goes wrong, you hire the wrong assistant coach, your season can get away from them. And you learn from that. Well, Freddie Kitchens has called plays for like eight weeks.

He had never been a play caller till Hugh Jackson, Todd Haley, got fired last year. And now he's asked to coach this team. And basically, anything less than the playoffs is going to be a disaster. Honestly, right now it feels like if they don't win 12 wins, it is going to be a major letdown and they're going to get destroyed. I just went back and look. And we can go way back. Bill Walsh, when he took over the 49ers. your expectations going into a job on top of your experience matters.

Most people don't have much expectations when they don't have much experience. When you have no experience and the expectations are sky high, it's a little out of whack. Like when Bill Walsh took over the 49ers, they were god-awful. When Bill Parcells took over the Giants, they were kind of in shambles. Let's go, all the coaches in the league now. When Andy Reid took over the Eagles, they weren't very good. When he took over the Chiefs, they had the number one overall pick in the NFL. And he had had a lot of experience.

When Sean Payton took over the New Orleans Saints, we all know they were the 8s. When Pete Carroll took over Seattle, they were god-awful. Remember, he broke like the NFL record for transactions in a fiscal year. He cut and signed like a hundred. I mean, it was stupid. It was incredible. I'd have to look up what the actual number was. Sean McVeigh, when he took over the Rams, Jared Goff was literally viewed as the worst quarterback in the league.

These are Andy, Pete, Peyton, McVeigh, Bell. Belichick, when he took over the Patriots, it's not like they were the Patriots. They had some good players, but they weren't like, they got to make the playoffs immediately. He had a couple years and kind of eased into it. The expectations, and some of those guys had experience as Bill Belichick had been a coach. When Andy went to Kansas City, he'd been a coach in Philly for like 15 years. Obviously, Sean Payton was new. Sean McVeigh was new.

Pete Carroll had come off the most dominant stretch in college football, one of the first. them ever and had already coached in the NFL at multiple places and still had low expectations and kind of eased in and has built this little dynasty in Seattle. You know, when I say dynasty, you know what I mean. I don't mean like the Patriot Dynasty, but I mean a hell of a seven-year run. Freddie Kitchens is expected to be like Sean Payton or Andy Reid immediately. And he's not anywhere close to being equipped to be able to do that. It's not even fair. I saw it in my backyard with Jack Del Rio. Jack Del Rio had kind of

falling apart in Jacksonville, but had made the playoffs a couple times. I think we'd all acknowledge Jack Del Rio's not a great coach, but he's not Jim Tom Sulla or anything. Came to the Raiders, Sky, it couldn't have been any lower of expectations. So the second year when he makes the playoffs, it's like he hit the lottery.

If Freddie Kitchens does not make the playoffs immediately, and you look at the best coaches not just in the league now, but like NFL history, most of the time when they enter their job, the expectations are pretty low. I'm actually starting to feel bad for this guy. I don't think there's any situation unless he knocks it out of the park. And I think one recent example in a different sport would be Steve Kerr. He took over, you know, obviously they had been making the playoffs though.

And they had Steph Curry, Clay Thompson, Draymond Green on the team. It's not like the Browns have even, you know, they made the playoffs a couple years ago, they have some experience. None of these guys have any experience. Odell, Jarvis Landry, each of them played in one playoff game, got smoked. Miles Garrett. it never sniffed the playoffs. Baker Mayfield's been a starter for half a season. Nick Chubb, one year in the league. They're depending on Denzel Ward, one year in the league. They're depending on a lot of guys that haven't done a goddamn thing in this league.

And the expectations are out of whack just the way the team's covered. And I understand why they're covering them. Because Odell Beckham is probably the most famous non-quarterback in the league. You could argue, you know, even with the quarterbacks, he's probably a top five famous individual in the league. Baker Mayfield, super polaris. the team, the hype. I get it. But I just don't see how this probably ends well.

Because you just look at the history of first, the best coaches in like league history. Usually they start a little slow. Now you could be like, well, a lot of those guys that you named, their teams weren't super good. Right when they took over. Agree, but they're just good coaches so they turn around immediately. Here I think we just assume that the Browns are super loaded in a division that, listen, I don't love the Ravens, but I can't just be like the Browns are going to kick the Ravens ass. I can't say that because I watched it last year and it went the other way.

Still, I'm not the biggest Rafflesberger guy anymore and think that they're going through a transitional period, but I can't just chalk the Browns up for go 2 and 0. Like, are they going to win, go 3 and 1 in those four games? And say what you want about the Bengals, who I don't know, I mean, no one knows anything about their head coach. They do have still have some pretty good players on that roster. Last time I checked. I don't know if you ever heard of this guy named A.J. Green, decent. Gino Atkins, I heard he's okay. They had a top 15 pick this year.

Everyone said it was a can't miss offensive lineman. Joe Mixing, that guy that got in a little trouble in Oklahoma, pretty good running back. That guy can play a little bit. Cincinnati always has good defensive. The team's good. Are we sure that the Browns are just going four and two in their division? I mean, they could easily go three and three.

And then check their schedule. It's not easy. You know, they just got like random. Monday night football game at San Francisco. Some of these games are just kind of difficult. And I think the expectation, obviously the players, you know, players have expectations, that's natural. But a first time head coach, when you look around, I remember Bruce Ariens,

showed up in the NFC West, like, who's this crazy old guy? Boom, we knew right away. He went 10 and 6 in year one in a division that had Harbonne, Pete Carroll, like the peak of their powers. It was like, God, that guy can coach, you know. But he didn't have any expectations. People were like, oh, Cardinals, they'll just, flying under the radar. Turns out they were good immediately.

Now looking back, they had a, but, you know, traded for Carson Palmer, still at Fitzgerald, Callais Campbell, Dansby, they had good players. Drafted the Honey Badger, Patrick Peterson. It's like, it made sense looking back. But who's to say that all these players for the Browns are going to turn into that in five or six years? I don't know. And I think the hype and the expectations right now have farly, you know, by a wide margin, exceeded reality. I'm just, I'm starting to kind of go the other way. I'm not disputing the talent on the field,

but when it comes to the NFL, you usually only go as far as your coach. And first year head coaches that have no experience historically have not just knocked it out of the park. That's not the way the NFL works. And I think we need to temper our enthusiasm. I'm not trying to get the Browns fans to calm down because I get why you're excited.

But just, if they went nine and seven, that's a good year. but I don't think it would be viewed as a good year by anybody. One thing I don't think we talk about that much in football because the sport is so big is market share. And I do believe when you're a quarterback, if you're really good, the market share doesn't matter. Like Seattle's not an enormous market, but Russell Wilson's so damn good, it doesn't matter.

I think a good example. Carson Palmer was in Arizona for a while, and he was an MVP candidate, right? Kansas City is not a huge market. It didn't matter. Mahomes, MVP, one of the biggest stars of the league. Quarterbacks can overcome it. But other positions

just talked about it, about with the Browns, with O'Dell Beckham, let's call it what it is. O'Dell Beckham is a really big deal right now. Part of that he's a really big deal is he played for the New York Giants. If he had made that one hand of catch and just been drafted by the Browns and still on the Browns, it wouldn't be as crazy.

Like, when you play for the Yankees, it's a lot bigger deal than playing for, the twins. Just a fact. You play for the Cowboys, that's a bigger deal than just plan for the Minnesota Timberwolves. You can even do cross sports. Playing in the big markets, like, you play for the Lakers, that's pretty important. It's bigger than the Kings. You play, and I've seen it myself because I worked in the NFC East, and I'm a West Coast guy. I get it. They don't want to give us Monday Night Football games out West, because if we're not good, people just won't tune in. Well, Philly, Washington, New York, Dallas, the needle will move.

The Patriots have now become that. Obviously, the Cowboys are the true cash cow, but the markets do matter in the NFL. And I also think that sometimes players, really good players, can almost become underrated because they play in a smaller market. Now, this guy starred in a bigger market, but on my other podcast, Haberman Middlecough, I was at 9 or practice, and I've been working on interviewing some players, wanted to talk to some guys, and they were good enough to give me George Kittle,

me and my partner, George Kittle, and Mike McGlinchie. We're saving, McGlensy would come out on Monday. He was really good. I mean, McGlinchie's a pretty impressive individual. But we went on George Kittle. Second team, all pro, pro bowler, broke Travis Kelsey's record for most yards in a season

from a tight end. He's excellent. I mean, I'm at practice, told him this. Like, I got a pretty good idea what an elite player looks like, and he's a baller. He is big time. Now, the bar is kind of alone in San Francisco, because the rest of their offensive players beside Jimmy and some of their alignment aren't great. But I know what it looks like.

Like, he's an elite player. He has just elite movement skills. He's big time. But what makes him different, I think, than like Kelsey and Ertz, and really closer to Gronk, he's a complete player. He's a badass as a blocker. So I simply asked him, who's the, the best player, and he's played the last several years

against all the best pass-freshers? Who was the best, the hardest guy he had to block? And I think he gave a pretty interesting response to the hardest guy he had to block that I didn't quite see coming. Let's take a listen. I mean, Clemack's Clemack and Von Miller's Von Miller. Hmm.

But I was, like, the one game I wanted back was Clemack got me in a couple pass rushes, but I think one of the most underrated or like not talked about guys is Chandler Jones. Yeah. I think he's incredible. Yeah, he's a beast. He is incredibly strong.

He's fast. He's got some really, really good, like, smooth vet moves. He was so good in the game here last year. Oh, yeah, he had like three-fourths turner. Like, no, but he's, he just makes plays because he has those long arms. And, like I said, he's got some veteran things where, like, if he knows he's getting blocked, he'll anchor down and he'll push the Titan back into the running back so he can't slip underneath it. He does some things that not a lot of people do.

Response made me think, because when we think of the best defensive players, we think really a three guys. We think of Aaron Donald, who is incredible, and he deserves it, but now he's the face with McVeigh of the L.A. Rams. Of the L.A. Rams. Not the St. Louis Rams, the L.A. Rams. Khalil Mack, who was a really big deal in Oakland, but still was probably flying under the radar, got traded to a top five market in Chicago,

and is now the face of their team. And they're good. So you go, God, Khalil Mack. Like, he is, Kalil Mack, don't get it twisted. and Raider fans is going to bother you. He's going into the Hall of Fame as a Chicago bear. His best moments are going to happen in Chicago. The other guy, Vaughn Miller, I wouldn't say Denver,

I don't know exactly what the market size is, but it's not like top five or six. He was a Super Bowl MVP. It's really one of my great gambling wins of my life. Attended the game, bet on the Broncos, and he dominated. He had one of the great three-game stretches in playoff history. and he was a top two pick, whatever.

Well, Chandler Jones, who was a pretty big deal with the Patriots, but still kind of under the radar because they had Brady and Grong, then gets traded after he goes naked to the synthetic marijuana and to the police station, has now been in Arizona. I googled it. He has 41 sacks the last three years. Let me repeat that. 41 sacks the last three years.

It's averaging almost 14 sacks a year. And it doesn't feel like anyone's talking about him. And George Kittle, who like he said, Khalil Mack, Vaughn Miller, obviously, this guy's kicking ass and taking names. If you put Chandler Jones on the Eagles, like we would talk about him like we do, Fletcher Cox. And I think quarterbacks are kind of immune to this. If you can ball, you can play in Minnesota, you can play in Seattle, you can play in San Francisco, you can play in Philly, you can play in Kansas City, it does not matter.

But when it comes to other really talented players, I think another guy whose career, he won't get the hype as he should, will be Luke Keekeley because he's played in Carolina. I think he's been probably the last seven, eight years as a player. Now, I know he's battled some concussions, but when he's been on the field, argue a top five most complete player offense or defense in the NFL. We don't talk about it. Antonio Brown is unreal. Well, he's benefited a lot from playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers, you know,

and being their best player. If Antonio Brown was doing what Antonio Brown was doing on the Jaguars, I don't think we'd quite consider him. You know, it just, it's, the market share for non-quarterbacks really does impact you. And it just has a, like in the NBA, it doesn't. Russell Westbrook, wins the MVP of the year, is one of the faces of the league, plays in Oklahoma City. I saw, when I grew up in Davis, the Sacramento Kings, Chris Weber, Vladi, Mike Bibby, they, in the NBA is a little different because it's kind of star player driven. In the NFL, that's a little more team-centric and quarterback-centric, some of the,

players that, and I would imagine anyone listening, because I get DMs and the middle-off mailback from all you guys. Hey, I'm a Bengal fan. Well, you go, God, Gino Atkins has been unreal. I'm a, I'm a Tampa Bay fan. I think Mike Evans is a top 10 player in the NFL non-quarterback. I think you give me all these examples from different teams around the league. I remember trying, I mean, you can just think of all these type players off the top of your head, the past rusher I always screw up his name for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Who's a baller? You know, uh, Chandler Jones. Now, I'm not saying Chandler Jones isn't well known by football fans,

but I think it shows you like this is one of the best tight ends in the league that mentioned them without hesitation right up there with Vaughn Miller and Khalil Mack. And even myself, I never would, and I should. But what sells? Like talking about the Giants, talking about Khalil Mack, talking about Jimmy Garoppolo, talking about Carson Wentz, talking about coaches. I don't spend time talking about Luke Keekley. Though I was at practice the other day with the Niners.

and all of a sudden I look across the kind of the practice field. The first guy actually recognized was Drew Rosenhouse. I'm like, damn, Drew Rosenhouse there. And he was there because, and I go, oh, that's Navarro Bowman. And Navarro Bowman was right next to him. And Navarro Bowman and Patrick Willis are one special place in my heart. I love watching those two play. And really, they both only got to play together in peak form for like two years.

And it was remarkable. It always pisses me off when people say in the draft, we don't i would not draft a middle linebacker that high you wouldn't i'd take ray lewis lukely patrick willis number one in any draft unless i needed a quarterback without hesitation if i knew the guy was going to be that good wouldn't hesitate the guy plays the run plays the pass can cover can blitz can roll jacob jacob kingston grew up in an isolated polygamous sect we were god's chosen kingdom on earth he felt destined for greatness so when a swag Armenian businessman catapults Jacob into an extraordinary world.

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Is somebody coming after me? Jacob told Levan, you're ruining my life. Listen to Kingdom of Fraud on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Life throws hurdles big and small. The question is, how do you conquer them? On Hurtle with Emily Abadi, we sit down with the most inspiring women in sports and wellness. professional athletes, coaches, and Olympic champions to talk about the challenges that shaped them and the mindset that keeps them going.

From the WNBA standout Kate Martin and rising hockey star Layla Edwards. If a boy can do it, I don't see why a girl can't. Like, I've never understood that. Like, it didn't make sense in my brain. It's hard to be in spaces that no one looks like you, but don't ever feel like you don't feel like. Don't let that be the reason you don't do it. An Olympic champs Gabby Thomas and Katie Ledecki. The ability to show a gold medal to someone and have their face light.

up and smile. That means the world to me. And that's what motivates me to win more gold medals. At our level, at this scale, like being able to fail in front of the entire world. Like, I can do anything. I can, like, I can do anything. Because resilience isn't just about winning. It's about showing up, even when it's hard. Listen to Hurtle with Emily Abadi on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHeart Women's Sports. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened.

That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athlete themselves. Their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context, and ask the questions everybody wants answered.

SportsSlice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to SportsSlice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Sliced Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway 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.

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That's the player. So that's always a pet peeve of mine. But I think the one thing that helped boost Bowman's kind of, you know, I guess name and how he resonates with fans, he obviously wasn't a big-time player, but he played on a really famous team in a big-time market that during the hard bar years, he was, you know, a top two or three player on that team. You know, where Chandler Jones is going to create this career. I mean, he'll probably play in the Cardinals for five or six years, rack up 14, 15 sacks a year, and almost fly under the radar.

And I think anyone listening to this probably has a player on their team if you're not a big market team that goes, yeah, I can kind of, I can relate to that. That happens because it's happening all over the league. I think it happened somewhat to Joe Thomas for years. Can you imagine what Joe Thomas? He follows me on Twitter. I've been DM on him. I'd love to get him on this podcast.

But if Joe Thomas had been a lot. a cowboy or an eagle his whole career, the way we would speak about Joe Thomas. We talk about him like he's Anthony Munoz, but he never played in the playoffs, never played in a meaningful game. And he played in Cleveland. But if you put that guy on the New York Jets,

I mean, think of how we would consider him and hold him the level, even though I would imagine if I got a pass rusher in 2010 to be like, who's the toughest left tackle to go against? They'd all probably said Joe Thomas. But it's just the way the cookie crumbles. These markets for non-quarterbacks impact your marketability in just the way us just casually talk about players, it matters.

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but to put it out there so other people can kind of hear what it takes. Like, I don't know. I always look at like this. Like, what do I want? I wanted to be a WWE superstar. All right, what does it take to be a WW superstar? What are the tools I will need to give me every possible opportunity I can get? And so I took the tools of acting classes.

improv classes, wrestling school, everything I possibly can to knock on the door of WW. The people of the, everyone on that real world show would wear my t-shirts, would always ask me to do the MIS. Like, they were so supportive. Like, you don't get it that very often. You really don't. Listen to the My Cultura Podcast Network available on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. These days, it can be hard to find and hire the right candidates for your small business. That's why LinkedIn jobs made it easier to find the people you want to talk to.

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actions in many camps with rookies. To me, I put zero stock into it. Literally zero stock. I can't judge you, now, I mean, if you can't move or something for sure. But I'm just saying any first round pick, until the pads come on, I reserve some judgment. When it comes to quarterbacks, like, quarterback by far of all the positions on the field is going to encompass, right, the biggest combination of mental and physical skills. By far asking the most.

Like if I draft the defensive lineman, I saw some clips on Twitter the other day from Cleland Farrell. Just, bro, you got the C-Gap or the D-Gap, and you're on passing downs, go get the quarterback. It's relatively easy. If you're a coroner and it's man-cover, it's like, bro, you're just checking the wide receiver. As a quarterback coming from college

where there's never been a greater disconnect, really, in college, in the pros, even though the pros are implementing a lot of stuff that you're doing in college, still pretty, you know, a huge, huge stretch of what you're being asked to do. Audibles, playbook, density, timing with new teammates. It's basically really hard. Most quarterbacks, I would imagine, in NFL history, even sweet rookies, have not looked outstanding in minicamp.

Now, they might make some outstanding throws, but if you ask coach, like, yeah, he was struggling with this, struggling with that. It was just a lot to handle. It should be a lot to handle, right? It's like someone's first day on Wall Street or someone's first day on a job in a big time company. It's just a lot going on. And I've seen and read that Will Greer's crushing it for the Panthers.

I've seen and read that Ryan Lindley is terrible for the Bengals. Daniel Jones, Ben hit or miss. None of that means anything. And it should not mean anything to you. I really don't think you can start judging a guy until some preseason games where you see a guy in live reps. Because a guy can't struggle a little bit in training camp because a lot's being thrown at you.

They're wanting you to fail so then they can correct it. It's okay to fail in these situations. I saw a headline of James throwing picks in minicamp. Who cares? He's trying to learn this new offense under arians. Now, in fairness, there might be more to that just because it's a guy that's throwing a lot of picks. I get it.

But I'm not judging James Winston off mini camps, let alone rookies. it's okay to screw up. It's literally the point of these mini-camps to figure out what you're good at, what you're bad at, and what you're comfortable with the playbook. One, you're just learning the playbook. So anytime you read anything about quarterbacks.

Now, if you read, a corner can't run, a wide receiver has drops. Yeah, I think you can put a little stock into some of that. Offensive and defensive linemen, you really can't because you can't play those positions without the pads. But when it comes to quarterbacks, either greatness or below. averageness, I think you've got to take it all with the grand assault and just know that these guys are being overwhelmed with information.

And I think that sometimes, too, a guy that's being overwhelmed with information can just overcome it by making a great throw. Well, you go, the guy made a great throw, but the corner's not allowed to, you know, not allowed to bump him at the line of scrimmage. The defensive linemen, I've been at these practices, they stop after like two Mississippi. So there isn't even a real pass rush. some of the coolest plays happened like seven seconds after the snap of the ball in an NFL game the quarterback would be dead or had to throw the ball away so I'm just telling you and I do it too like oh my god you see Ryan Lindley sucks take it you know factor in who the messenger is it's usually a beat reporter

and let's call it what it is beat reporters can be wrong now if you read a quote from like you know a league executives of the giants says that Daniel Jones looks terrible or the Bengals coaches internally think that Ryan Lindley sucks. Yeah, and then there's something to that. But you don't see any of that right now because it's not even worth it for them to leak that because there's so much information to be gained

once training camp starts. Now, once training camp starts, different conversation. What year would that have been? 2014, I saw it with Tyler Wilson for the Oakland Raiders. Worst quarterback I've ever seen live. It was cut at training camp going into the season.

He was a fourth. rounder. It was clear after about three practices. Like, this is a disaster. You can make judgments off training camp practices. You cannot make judgments. And I'm not even saying the judgments off the practices right, but you can get a feel like this might look ugly when the game comes. And then the game, the preseason games, really just solidify good or bad. Or if you had a bad thought and a guy's good, you're like, okay, we need to be a little open-minded. Or vice versa. A guy that's really good in practice sucks in the games. But I think, Training camp is truly the time when I start can making judgments on guys I see live or something on TV or whatever.

I go, oh, that looks sweet. Or, God, that looks off. But during OTAs, I'm telling you, if a guy's just walking straight and being able to chew gum and has his clothes on, you just, you're okay. So don't, especially the negativity, don't overreact to some of these headlines, salacious headlines. And again, I like a good salacious headline as much as the next guy. but that you read about some of these players until about mid-August. Then you can start to freak.

Let's go Middlekopf Mailbag when I answer you guys questions from my DMs on Instagram or I try to be pretty active. Okay, let's start. You guys ready? Instagram at John Middlecoff is my Instagram handle. DM's wide open.

You slide in, you get your question answered. Hey, John, love the pot. Same. Big ASU fan. your thoughts on having Marvin Lewis on the staff and what impact it will be in recruiting. Do you think his presence could lead to a long-term control of the PAC-12, Pauk 12 South? Well, I don't follow recruiting that closely, but I follow it close enough to know they've recruited really well.

And Marvin Lewis, who I think, you know, a lot of new school people on Twitter laugh at, I think you need to check the resume of what the Bengals were, what he did when he took over, and how successful they were under his watch. So 100% I think it helps It helps Herm Edwards Now I think it helps more on like a week-to-week game planning If he starts maybe helping out the defense or the defensive coordinator Just giving his thoughts to Herm just in general

Recruiting wise I don't know how much it's going to help It doesn't hurt But Herm can recruit by himself I mean Herm and he has Antonio Pierce Like recruiting is not going to be They didn't need Marvin Lewis to recruit. What they need is to be able to scheme people up X's nose-wise.

And look at the division. I think Chip Kelly is the most overrated coach currently in college football. And when I say overrated, I mean a guy that still has a big, you know, kind of the hype on him. When you say his name, it still resonates. And I don't think he's good anymore. And I know for a fact, no people that are involved in recruiting. They're not recruiting well.

And I just don't think they're going to be very good. The Trojans are a disaster. Clay Hilton's not a USC head coach. Now, they have talent, but they're not very good. Then I go to Utah. They're solid. Whittingham's good. But they're not getting blue chippers.

He's just such a good coach. Colorado got what's his name from Georgia. Mel Tucker, who was with Sabin and been in the NFL for a while. I think Mel Tucker was a coach they hired. He never coached on the West Coast. And Colorado's not an easy job. And then you look at Arizona, Kevin Sumlin. Arizona's a tough job to win.

at. So I think when Dick Tomi passed, he had like five of the seven double-digit win season in the history of the program. It might have been like three of the five. You know, they don't win a lot there. So yeah, I think Arizona State, if Herm can keep this thing rolling and they can recruit, definitely could be a major factor. Lifelong Cowboys fan here. I'm wondering why

no one is talking about Dallas. I don't know where you're listening or reading. I feel like everyone's always talking about Dallas. Have they not made enough off-season acquisitions? I do kind of like it because Dallas sort of underdog vibe. See, I think they're one of the best teams in the league. I think top to bottom, their roster is loaded. They return a coach.

They return a quarterback that have all been playoffs, that have all been in the playoffs. They return a lot of good offensive linemen, a star running back, a star receiver. They add Jason Witten back to the mix. Defensively, they were loaded. I mean, I think the Cowboys, people always ask me, who's going to win the NFC East?

I'm like, I don't know, but I think the Eagles and Cowboys are both playoff teams. I'd be shocked if both those teams don't win double-digit games. To me, both those teams, one should win 12, the other should win like 13. I think they're two of the best teams in the NFL. I really think that highly of them. I know Jason Garrett takes a lot of crap. I don't think Jason Garrett's that bad. Like, is he Bill Walsh?

No. But as people talk about him, like, as the clapper and make fun of them, now granted, I can't throw stones at a glass house. I have two. But I always stick up for him in the sense that he's not Jim Tom Sula or Jack real. The guy wins. The guy makes the playoffs consistently. Now, is he the type guy you want in a big playoff game? We could argue that. But I think Jason Garrett's better than most. So yeah, I think the Cowboys, flying under the radar, I got news for you. The Cowboys are

never flying under the radar. But I do agree in the sense that how talented their team is, they're not receiving the same hype. Like the Browns are receiving more hype. And the Cowboys have done remarkably more. Dak Prescott has accomplished remarkably more than Baker-Matefield. So, yeah, I'd agree there. What are your thoughts on the expectation for Sam Donald and the Adam Gase offense this year? Their wide receiver room improved with the addition of Crowder, but they're receiving course still lacks a wide receiver talent. I agree.

I think they're going to be good because I think Adam Gays is a good coach. I think Levion helps a lot. That's where having a sweet running back that catches the ball a lot, like Leveon catch you 100 balls. They didn't just add a running back. They added a dynamic offensive weapon. So I would expect Levyon to rush for 1,000 and catch 95. balls. And then the wide receiver room with Robbie Anderson's name. I'm trying to think of the

wide receiver's ass, Jameson Crowder. Yeah, I mean, they don't really have the offensive weapons. Their defense should be a lot better, and I think Sam Donald's just a playmaker. To me, their problem was at three, there wasn't like a Julio Jones or someone in this draft, so what were they supposed to do? You couldn't take one of the tight ends that high. They couldn't trade back. So I would expect the Jets to be like eight and eight. I mean, I saw Adam Gase do more. with less than Miami. I think this Jets roster is not that bad, especially in that division.

It's not very good. Colin always says the SEC coaches are saving a bunch of gym teachers. Being a lifelong-suffering South Carolina fan, my coach actually looks like a gym teacher. He kind of does. And is taking the program nowhere soon. Who can replace Must Champ so we can be competitive?

I think you're giving Must Champ somewhat of a bad rap. I agree he does have a little gym teacher to him. The Tennessee coach. a little gym teacher. Dan Mullen, I'd say he's a little bit better in a gym teacher, maybe like a college PE teacher. I'd go, Jimbo, Jimbo's a high-level coach, and he's won a national championship.

Gus is a good coach. Ogeron, little gym teacher. I think Kirby's a good coach. I would agree. The coaching is Sabin in a bunch of kind of randoms. Kirby's good, Jimbo's good. Ogeron, I think, has gotten better, but he's still at Ogeron.

What's crazy is by far the football conference, is the closest thing there is in the NFL in terms of the intensity of the way it's covered, in terms of the top-to-bottom talent, in terms of the money they pay the coaches, in terms of the standard, every program holds their coaches and players to. To winner go home there, which I love. The SEC, I think their motto, as you know, if you're South Carolina fan, it just means more. As a Pac-12 guy, I'd even call myself a whack Mountain West guy too.

It does just mean more, 100%. but I do think the coaching stuff Here's what's hard though Is I don't think you can coach in the SEC And not be from the South I think that plays a huge element there You can't throw a West Coast guy in the SEC And have success

I saw it with my guy Jim McIlwain You guys hated him in the South And he won the SEC East twice People were ready to fire him like after year one But you got to have that southern twang You got to say we love we're going to hit the beat the bushes and find the players and make my playmakers, make plays. And me and my defensive coordinator were getting ready for Kentucky this weekend.

And then we got Alabama, then we got Mississippi State. I love where our program is at. We're going to keep recruiting and the standard of Sabin. We're trying to be like Nick Saban. If you don't talk like that, and, you know, first and foremost, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, like, there are things that do in the Senate. Like, that doesn't matter where I am. It doesn't matter what your accent is if you want to coach at USC or Washington, you know,

or Ohio State. Can you win? In the South, you got to win, and you kind of got to be one of them, which I respect. I mean, it's part of the deal. And it's why Sabin's kind of the best of both worlds. When it look at Jimbo, I mean, the guy's name is Jimbo.

Now he's an elite coach, Dabo, Kirby. I mean, that's just the nature of the deal. You know, I'm the head coach at Georgia. We got good players. We got to try to win the SEC. We've got to try to make the SEC championship game. We make it the SEC championship game. We'll make it to the playoffs.

We get to the playoffs. We'll have a chance to win national championship. That's the goal here. or to win national championship. That just doesn't fly out where I am. It matters there. So I think that makes it difficult. Because in a perfect world, you go,

why wouldn't your team South Carolina, like, why wouldn't they offer Kyle Whittingham $4 million a year? Like, well, Kyle Wittingham wouldn't fit. Why wouldn't LSU go after Chris Peterson? Well, he wouldn't really fit at LSU. Even though in theory he should fit, they're just good coaches, but they don't.

It's like David Chowell works out west. would he work at Mississippi? Probably not. And it's the biggest difference between college and the NFL. Like in the NFL, if you coach the Niners or you coach the Eagles or you coach the Houston Texans, no one cares how you talk. No one cares who you're married to. It doesn't matter.

Do you win or lose? Do you understand the draft, right? But if you coach at Tennessee, you know, I just, the alumni at the program, we love Peyton Manning, Arian Foster was a great, Alvin Kamara, Jalen Hurd played here for a minute before he transferred to Baylor. We had some disagreements, but he just didn't fit the culture of what we were trying to build here at the University of Tennessee. This is the way you talk, which I love doing a southern accent.

Don't get me wrong. I love the SEC. But there are things that go along with the SEC. You can't hire Minnesota's offensive coordinator, expect him to crush it in the SEC if he's not from the South. Because the difference is in the South, and just in college football in general, you'll always be torn to go home. Like look at Oregon's a top 10 job in America. Yet Florida State called and Willie Taggart left.

Why he's from Florida? Well, if Willie Taggart had been from California, he's not leaving Oregon to go to Florida State. Like David Shaw, West Coast Guy, he's not leaving here. Pete Carroll worked at USC. Chris Peterson, West Coast Guy, UC Davis, Mike Bellotti, Oregon, Kyle Whittingham, West Coast Guy. Like, you're region, Jim Harbaugh, played at Michigan,

goes home. Urban Myers, somewhat of an outlier from. Ohio, coached at Utah, coached at Florida, he's just an elite coach. But like Jimbo, Jimbo just kind of works at LSU, Florida State, and Texan N. I don't know if Jimbo's really working at, like, Cal.

You know, I don't know if Jimbo's working at Iowa. So that type stuff does matter. Like Greg Shiano, worked at Rutgers. New Jersey, just tough. Like a mobster. You know, we're going to kick your ass in the back of an alley. It's like Pat Hill, when I worked for him at Fresno

State. Play any, anytime, anywhere play what was it was anytime anywhere i'm screwing up his saying but it was fresno just a just kind of a crap shitty city now people in the five five nine will resent that but let's call it what it is called the armpit of california but it's just blue collar people ready to hit people in the mouth and that's who pat hill was why he worked he's from l a tough part of l a so it was per he just fit he fit the culture you know and he every year take on oklahoma tennessee didn't matter but I think your college coach does matter where he's from to have long-term success. So Phil Savage, who I had on earlier this week, good interview if you haven't heard,

it was on the Tuesday show, that he often told me about Nick Sabin, like he would never coach in California or the West Coast. And I don't blame him. Like, he wouldn't fit out here. He's standards of two highs. You know, he's an asshole. He'd kind of be crushed. They eat that up in the South.

And he just probably thinks we're soft out here. And I got news for you. He's not wrong. Now, in the Middokov household, we try not to be, but a lot of other people around here are. And I think that... Jacob Kingston grew up in an isolated polygamous sect. We were God's chosen kingdom on earth. He felt destined for greatness.

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Listen to Kingdom of Fraud on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Life throws hurdles big and small. The question is, how do you conquer them? On Hurtle with Emily Abadi, we sit down with the most inspiring women in sports and wellness, professional athletes, coaches, and Olympic champions to talk about the challenges that shaped them and the mindset that keeps them going. From the WNBA standout Kate Martin and rising hockey star Layla Edwards. If a boy can do it, I don't see why a girl can't.

Like, I've never understood that. Like, it didn't make sense in my brain. It's hard to be in spaces that no one looks like you, but don't ever feel like you don't feel like you don't feel on. Don't let that be the reason you don't do it. An Olympic champs Gabby Thomas and Katie Ledecky. The ability to show a gold medal to someone and have their face light up and smile,

that means the world to me. And that's what motivates me to win more gold medals. At our level, at this scale, like being able to fail in front of the entire world, Like, I can do anything. I can do anything. Because resilience isn't just about winning. It's about showing up, even when it's hard. Listen to Hurtle with Emily Abadi on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHeart Women's Sports. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise. Breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athlete themselves. Their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama,

the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters, to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context and ask the questions everybody wants answered. Sports slice brings you closer to the action, with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to Sports Slice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Sliced Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway 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, Keir Gaines, as 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. Just regionally, it plays a big deal in college football. One point you talked about I want you to expand on for me. Forced opinion TV shows. They're usually annoying and get hate on social media.

Why are these shows a thing? They usually pick topics. Literally, no one is arguing about us. other than two guys on the set. And you see a future where radio mirrors podcasts. And you see a future where radio mirrors podcasts. Will FS1 ever have first things first or the herd? Just pick up either topics on expanding.

Yeah, I mean, I got news for you on television. You do things that rate. And if they don't rate, they get scrapped. So it's all about ratings. Like, I know where I live, local radio is dying. I do way more listeners on this show than any local radio show in my market. Now, I know local radio shows in like Philly and New York are doing well, but I know this. There's never been more people living in the Bay Area and our market share and local radio has

never been lower. And usually, at least us on the West Coast are a little ahead of the curve, like podcasts are the thing. And the difference with podcast, now you're either growing or dying in business, but you have to seek this podcast out. Now, a lot of you have found me through Colin, but if you don't like it, you won't listen, right? And if you like it, you'll keep listening. and word of mouth, tell your friends.

Like at one point in time, no one knew who Colin was when he showed up at ESPN, unless you lived in one of the areas in which he had worked. But then the first time you heard him at ESPN, because it gave him a bigger platform, you were like, holy hell, this guy's really good. You know, it doesn't, the man on the moon could tell you, this guy is good at his job. It was clear. He's a star. You know, I remember listening for the first time, probably like my freshman year in college, 03,04. I don't know when his first year. I just remember that first year or two

when he got the ESPN job and I was a Jim Rome guy I was like I'm gonna listen to this and I've listened to him ever since but I think Colin there's a balance of like ratings but there's also a balance

like he can just talk about any topic and make it interesting and I think there are some topics that the arguing shows I also do think mirror a lot of the political shows people always freak out and the media members

who are just so left leaning they're always like oh my God Fox News! Yeah Fox News the same thing MSNBC and CNN do. They all do the same thing. They just pick different sides. They do it because it works. Fox News is the most lucrative cable news channel in the history of America. So they do these argument shows because people watch. If people didn't watch, they would cancel them.

I don't like it. Now, would I sell out? I hope not. But I struggle. I didn't get into this to do topics I don't want to talk about. Now, luckily for me, I'm a little different, because I didn't go to journalism school. I'm not some elite left liberal. I just have thoughts like a normal human. You know, and I think a lot of the media are so extreme, like that's not really me. And most of the time, and luckily this just worked out, I think the opposite of the mass media. So the mass media hangs the left. I just, I don't have to force myself to go right.

I'm just like, yeah, I don't really agree with them. So luckily, the media is all kind of group think, you notice. for the most part they all think alike. It's one reason why Collins always stood out. He just thinks a little differently than them. And he's really smart, so it's a combination. God, this really guy's smart. He'd make a good point.

Everyone else saying the other thing. Like right now with Mark Stevens, the Golden State Warriors owner that got banned. I know Colin won't have a big thing. He should be banned for life. My first reaction was, it's not a little extreme? Like, he didn't hit the guy in the face.

He shoved the guy and he said, F you to him or whatever. but, and I'm not defending this guy, I'd never heard of him until he shoved Kyle Lowry, but he got a year-long ban and a $500,000 fine. Like, Larry Bear, who the CEO of the Giants that I'm sure many of you saw on TMZ, shoved his wife to the ground. I got three months, and to me, that's way worse than anything Mark Stevens did. I'm not trying to say, I don't know how you distinguish bad acts.

They're both bad acts, but I don't know. I mean, I think the, we live in a culture of constant overreaction, and everyone wants to just basically throw people in jail, it's why the Tyree Kill thing. If Tyree Kill hit his kid and broke his arm and hit whatever he is accused of doing, he should go to jail. If he didn't, and this girl made it up,

she should go to jail. I'm pretty consistent on those deals. Luke Walton, he's in something right now. If Luke Walton attempted to rape Kelly Tenet, Luke Walton should go to jail. If she made it up, she should go to jail. Like, aren't these issues pretty black and white? Now, I think some of them are tough, like the Mark Stevens thing.

Everyone's like, he's got to go! Like, really, does he? What is that really going to solve? You know, I'm not saying he didn't cross the line and didn't make a fool of himself, but banning him for a year, like, what, is that really solving anything? I don't know. This clip is brought to you by State Farm. At State Farm, they know it's important to ensure the things you love.

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And I look vulgar because I'm thicker. But if a thinner girl does it, it's not that much of a big deal. And that's what I'm not okay with. Because why? Why? Because I have cellulite because I have thick thighs. I can't do that. I can't feel sexy in my own skin. And those are the things that I want to break because there are so many women like me.

And I want to be and represent us, you know? Obviously, there's always room for improvement. I always want to look better. I want to work out. I want to lose weight. But in reality, this is the body God gave me. And I've never really been skinny. Listen to the MyCultura podcast network available on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,

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It's a good thing, too, because you already have so much to do around your home. Go to geico.com, get a quote, and see how much you could save. It's Geico, easy. Visit geico.com today. That's geico.com. My question is regarding Julio Jones, which I believe is constantly undervalued by the media members in terms of ranking against its peer receivers, but also an overall athlete. In your second last episode, you had guys like Tyrake Hill and Odo Beckham as freak athletes, but never mentioned Julio.

Is due to his lack of TD production? I think it's fair to play. put Julio right in that level. I think Tyree Kill and O'De Beckham or Twitcher athletes are more explosive athletes. They're just a different type athlete. I mean, Tyree Kill

is one of the most explosive athletes we've ever seen in NFL history. O'Dell Beckham is close. We've seen Julio-type players before. Julio's like a better version of Calvin Johnson. He's a remarkable athlete. I'm not just because I call Tyree Kill the cream of the crop doesn't mean that

Julio's not elite too. There's just differences. Like, Steph Curry's a great athlete, but Russell Westbrook is superior. Steph Curry's a better player. Like, Julio Jones is a better player than Odo Beckham. Just a fact. I mean, the resume speaks for itself.

So I think sometimes when we use athletes, it's all relative. Like, if you play in the NFL at wide receiver, 98% of them are high-end athletes, then you start nitpicking the high-end athletes. You go, well, Tyree Kill, Odo Beckham. Like, Odo Beckham, just a much better athlete than Jarvis Landry.

Now, Jarvis Landry's been much more productive in his career, but Odell Beckham's just a different level athlete. Even like Devante Adams. DeVante Adams are a really good athlete, but you wouldn't call him a quick twitch athlete. He has good feet. This is like scouting kind of lingo, but you really dive in on the individual athlete.

You can be an elite, like you don't have to be LeBron James of your sport to dominate. Steph Curry isn't a super twitchy athlete. You can get by, Anquon Bolden was an elite player forever. He couldn't run. Crabtree. he had some great seas he can't run.

So you can get by with skill. Julio's the combination of him both. I'd say the one knock on him, he doesn't have great natural hands, but he still got good hands. There's a lot of talk about guaranteed contracts for NFL players. Do you think if the owners and the NFL did agree

that you'd see owners take the cheap way out and only sign players to one or two years at a time? I think they do a pro... I think they would do that to protect themselves against major injuries, but I could also see it being a negative if you sign a player for cheap and they have a massive year, just want to get your thoughts.

I think it's a tough deal because as fans of the NFL, and you're a fan of your team typically first and then of players on the team. You don't want your team to be stuck with shitty contracts. You understand it with quarterbacks, but the best part about all these other contracts, unless you have a Khalil Mack or Aaron Donald,

for the most part, you're going to sign a pretty team-friendly deal. And if the guy is good, you're going to control him. If he stinks, to get rid of them. It's one of the best things the NFL has going for them. And unlike baseball and basketball, injuries are much more prevalent in the NFL. It's much more of a violent physical game. There's legitimately contact on every given play. You're just going to have much more injuries. Would you want, as a fan, the NFL, to give fully guaranteed contracts to non-quarterbacks?

Because I wouldn't. I don't think that would be good business. I know Twitter would applaud it and the players would be super happy. But it's not good for the product. you think it would be good for the product if that would mean the Ndama can sue would still be on the dolphins. That would mean, you know, certain players would be just stuck on teams. You wouldn't be able to get rid of anybody. I don't want that. Now, I do think there needs to be a fairer process for players to get more guaranteed money of the true seat, you know.

If you're going to sign me to a three-year deal but say it's a five-year deal, well, all three of those years need to be, you know, guaranteed. And maybe the contract structure needs to change a little bit because the NFL contract, structure is just weird. It's just hard to understand. It's why you've got to be really smart to negotiate the contracts. But I don't think the NFL will and should go to that model. Now, I do think the players are

undervalued financially, given what the league is making. But I also think it's a little more complicated than baseball than basketball. You're like, well, the players make way more. Yeah, there's five of them on a court. And really like seven or eight of them on a 12-man roster that matter. And if you have one or two of the main guys, you

sign them to huge money. Well, if I'm if you're the seventh best player on my team, I don't feel great about giving you $10 million a year. And that's really their argument. It's like, it's not necessarily the high-end guys. The high-end guys are all making money. It's the second, third, and fourth-tier guys that are getting screwed.

And I don't necessarily have an answer. I'm not smart enough. I just know big picture, you would never want, like, I'm just trying to think of a player that signed this year. C.J. Mosley. You know, he got true, I think, like, $50 million, but his deal was like six years, $80 million.

What if every one of those pennies was guaranteed? So basically you owe him like $13 million or $15 million a year for six years. So if you start sucking in three, you're stuck with him for another three. The great part about the NFL is I can get rid of him in two if he's not good. Give your team a lot of flexibility, which I think matters and which is a big reason the NFL excels is that flexibility. Yeah, so just keep hitting my middle-cloth mailback question. questions that's going to do it we're about 50 minutes in let you get to this weekend you might be in this weekend maybe getting a little morning jog on a Saturday appreciate you listening

keep telling your friends and I'll see you next week john middle cough three now podcast peace hey singles do you feel like a tourist in your own town too busy to enjoy all your city has to offer events and adventures organizes up to 30 unique get-togethers around town each and every month we do all the work so you have all the fun on your schedule visit places you didn't even know places and get to know the fellow singles you didn't know you needed in your life. Fall in love with your hometown all over again by joining events and adventures. Get started by visiting events and adventures.com today. That's events and adventures.com.

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Multi-million dollar house, Ferraris and Lamborghinis, private jets, billion dollar fraud. But how long can this alliance last? Tell me what you know. Is somebody coming after me? Listen to Kingdom of Fraud on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Life is full of hurdles. So how do you keep going? On hurdle with Emily Abadi, we're talking with the most inspiring women in sports and wellness from professional athletes, coaches, and Olympic champions, about the challenges that shape them and the mindset that keeps them moving forward. At our level, at this scale, being able to fail in front of the entire world. Like, I can do anything.

I can do anything. Listen to Hurtle with Emily Abadi on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHart Women's Sports. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. And nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo.

And every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the big. biggest moments in sports and giving you the real story behind the headline. And we're going straight to the source, the athletes themselves. Their locker room stories, their reactions in the moment, and the stuff nobody gets to hear. Listen to Sports Slice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slicel Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob O'Don, Kirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and

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