The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Middlekauff – 3 & Out – Reuben Foster's Finished; Carr's all-time bad Montana take; Gerald McCoy best fits; Middlekauff's Mailbag

Episode Date: May 21, 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 thinks Reuben Foster may be finished in the NFL after his ACL tear, why NFL Analyst David Carr's take that Joe Montana isn't a Top 10 all-time QB is historically terrible, where Gerald McCoy goes after being cut from Tampa, how the Cowboy's should handle Amari Cooper's contract, and 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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That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo, and every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the biggest moments in sports and giving you the real story behind the headline. And we're going straight to the source, the athletes themselves. Their locker room stories, their reactions in the moment, and the stuff nobody gets to hear. Listen to Sports Slice on the IHeart Radio app,

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the world's work marketplace. What's going on, everybody, John Middlecock, Green Out Podcast. That's what you're listening to right now. I'm the Colin Coward Podcast. Colin Coward, you probably know him, probably listen to him. I know a lot of you guys DM and me say that you found me through him. That's really cool. We're going to keep pumping these out as we head into OTAs. And if you're listening this on Tuesday, I'll probably be a 49er practice. I'm recording this on Monday night, but I'm going to go to practice tomorrow.

And, you know, pretty excited. You're always excited when you go to one of these OTA practices. Then you get there about 30 minutes in. You're like, ah, this is kind of boring. But it's cool to see the rookies because they're wearing shorts and T-shirts. but it's definitely cool to see the rookies. It'll be interesting at the nighter practice with Jimmy Garoppel. If he's practicing, how much he practices,

that's probably the biggest thing I'm going to be looking for, and then Nick Bosa. But I'll report on Friday some of the things I've seen. A lot of you guys don't live in the Bay Area or California or friends with, or not friends with, but are fans of the Niners. So I'll keep a big picture and the famous guys. But that's what I'm looking forward to, I guess, tomorrow and not that much going on today but you could always slide up in my middle cough mailbag

that is my instagram at john middlecough the dms are wide open you slide right in and then i do a segment the last segment of the show and i answer your questions anything you want slide up in those dms at john middlecough it's my twitter handle it's my instagram handle it's actually easiest way in uh in the world to get a hold of me you just follow me on social media. I do a lot of interacting, millennial. You know, just man of the people on social media. So that's the easiest way to get a hold of me. But I'm going to start with this. Today, pretty shitty news out of Washington. Because I root for this guy. I think he's kind of got a raw deal so far he's been in the NFL.

He got involved with a girlfriend who has a history of making things up, trying to ruin lives. She's done it three times, twice to Ruben, once to another guy. She's owed for three. of making up different situations that have been proven not to be true. But Ruben Foster's biggest issue was never her, and she was a major issue. It was his health, and he tore his ACL and reports come out that I've seen so far on Twitter, I think like Rapshiel or Schaeftor, one of those guys, said that it's not just his ACL, there's legit damage. I mean, let's call it what it is.

Career probably ended the day on that field. And I think about football is, you know, not that. much different in life in the sense that it's different that when you enter the workforce in football you kind of have you know this this round if you're a first round pick or a fifth round pick or an undrafted free agent that follows you around forever like no one says to like your 40 year old top sales guy that was the guy that we signed out of harvard when he was 23 and we gave him a 30 000 bonus like no we don't talk about that with every other employee even CEOs we don't talk about when we hired this guy at a warden business school we gave him a hundred thousand dollar bonus that's not

just the way we talk about you but i would imagine that most people that go on to a lot of success like let's call it what it is the smartest people don't always have the most success well i think angela duckworth think is her name wrote the famous book the most important characteristic a human can have that leads to success is grit right it's not intelligence it's not IQ it's just like the wherewithal to never give up and just be relentless in your pursuit or whatever. Well, a lot of people, and most people that get drafted in the first round of the NFL, are really talented, are really talented. Some more talented than others.

Some, they have individual attributes that maybe limit their ability. I have one of my backyard, Solomon Thomas. You know, is he a first rounder? No, but most guys that get drafted in the first round have first round characteristics. I saw Ruben Foster. Like if he could have had a 10-year career and played and been a durable player, he was going to be a really good NFL player. But he had so many things working against him. One is he was just not a very intelligent guy.

Decision-making was not something he did well. So just when you have that alone, you can overcome that in the NFL. There have been a lot of dumb guys in NFL history that have become great players. Because intelligence in football is separate, right? You can be a bad student, get terrible grades, but be a very, very intelligent football player. We call that football IQ. It can be really high. I do think Ruben was a pretty smart football player from everyone that I know that had been around him.

So he could have overcome being, quote-unquote, not the sharpest tool in the shed, but what he could never overcome. And to me, this is the thing that I will bet against immediately for a player. And this is probably the most impossible thing to ever quantify because in college sometimes you get hurt guys that come to the NFL and then they're durable. Sometimes in college you get durable guys that come to the NFL and get injured. Now, there are also guys in college that are injured in college and then that stay injured in the pros. But if you're a GM, if you're a scout, whatever, you're not a doctor.

So if the doctor tells you, you know he's had some hamstring injuries in college, it shouldn't affect him in the pros. What are he supposed to do? Look at the guy that went to Stanford. or Harvard Medical School and go, no, you idiot, he's going to get hurt in the pros. Now, you could argue it's common kind of wisdom. Usually hurt guys, stay hurt, and I get that. But we have countless examples of it going the other way.

So I thought that Rubin, you know, in theory, would be able to shake some of his collegiate injury woes. Remember, he got kicked out of the combine, again, bad decision maker, because he snapped on the doctor while he was waiting, I guess, to get his physical done at the combine. So that was somewhat of a red flag. But the biggest red flag on him was he had a bad shoulder injury. Then he comes to the NFL, his first game. He makes like three plays in the first quarter, and then he gets hurt, and then he misses games. And he's always hurt.

Then he's hurt, and he's hurt, and he's always hurt. So this quote-unquote is a freak deal, but it's not really. Because he had had a two-and-a-half-year kind of run in the NFL because he wasn't a bust because of ability. He was a legitimate NFL talent. And the 16 games he played out of 32 possible games, he proved that he was a really good player. He could be an impact player.

But he could not avoid injuries. So this injury, whether John Lynch, I wouldn't say got lucky, because he cut him because he got arrested at a team hotel, which I still think might be the first time to ever happen in NFL history. You got arrested at a team hotel on the road? How's that even possible? When you go on the road as an NFL team, this isn't the NBA or basketball.

You're not on the road for like a week at a time. You're literally on the road, especially if you're going a long road trip, like they had flown to Tampa Bay. You're on the road for less than 24 hours. And he got taken away in handcuffs. Well, today he was taken away on a cart with an aircast, basically ending his career. And I don't know if there's ever quite been a career that lasted two and a half years, not even two and a half years, where you go, God, I don't know if I've ever seen anything like that.

In all my years of watching sports, and now like my 10 years of working, the NFL and then covering the NFL. It's one of the craziest 24 months of a career I think I've ever seen. Because it had like a 15 year worth of incidents in it. Multiple injuries, arrests, trials, sweet plays. He got cut and then he immediately got claimed. It was one of the biggest stories in the NFL because the Redskins, all the social justice warriors thought that this man was a domestic abuser.

It turns out she was lying, but then no one in the media got Ruben's back. after it was proven that she was lying, typical, except me, we got his back here. But I can't get his back in the sense that his career ended because for whatever reason, his body did not cooperate with him. 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 swaggering Armenian businessman catapults Jacob into an extraordinary world, he doesn't look back. and Lamborghinis, private jets, meeting the president of Turkey.

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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 WMBA 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.

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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 IHart 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,

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and 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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growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, learn the hard way. Open your free, our heart radio app. Search, learn the hard way, and listen now. Playing NFL. I flipped it on. I'm doing my other podcast with Haberman,

and we're waiting for a guest to come on, and I flip on NFL network, and Jay Gruden is on. He's giving us press conference. after practice. And he basically says, this is the wildest thing I've ever seen. It was Ruben Foster's first rep as a Washington Redskin. It wasn't midway through practice.

It wasn't the end of practice. It was literally the guy's first drill. So there are a lot of things that hold people back, just like there are a lot of things that help people. Timing, you know, you go into an industry. Hell, if you went into tech 10 years ago with the boom of Twitter and Facebook and Google and all these things or 15 years ago, you might have hit it rich. If you would have done that 20 years ago, you probably wouldn't have.

But you can't deny that Ruben Foster was just a ticking time bomb on or off the field. So it's terrible. It's awful. I was rooting for the guy in Washington. But his career ended today, May 20th, Monday, 2019. I'm always upgrading my car. Not because I need to, because I want to. Today, it's custom rims for my ride.

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If you could talk to me a little bit about the process you went through, and I think it's good to not pat yourself on the back, 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 WWW. 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.

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Post your job for free at LinkedIn.com slash reach. That's LinkedIn.com slash reach to post your job. job for free. Terms and conditions apply. I'm not going to spend too much time on this next subject, but I do have to bring it up just because, listen, I'm in the opinion business. Sometimes you say things that are wrong, and sometimes you say things to kind of be bold for the reason of trying to be bold. I never, if it's an educated opinion, never have that big of an issue with someone, you know, trying to take a swing for the fences. If you were all in on Kirk Cousins or

I'm trying to think. You thought Carson Wentz was going to be a star before he kind of really broke out. I remember I was in on Derek Carr, like after his rookie year. I thought he had a chance to be a really good player. I didn't think you would have like an MVP type season, but you try to be ahead of the curve with some takes. But there are certain takes in sports that are probably just that are inarguable, right? Like to say Tom Brady isn't one of the best quarterbacks ever. You can't even argue that.

To say Michael Jordan is not one of the best. Best basketball player. Now you can probably argue Best Basketball Player ever. Is he the third best basketball player ever? I think he's the best basketball player ever. But I understand you can have, you know, if you put context to it, some legitimate arguments. You can have an argument for most

things. David Carr, Derek Carr's brother, had one of the dumbest. And I repeat, dumbest takes you'll ever hear. And again, I'm not going to spend too much time on it because the take was that dumb. But he basically said that he didn't think Joe Monta

Tana was a top 10 quarterback. And I say this all the time about the NBA. I think the most overrated thing of the last like four or five years are production in the NBA during the regular season. Players don't try and there's a resting epidemic. So if you're putting up historic stats like Russell Westbrook, for the last three seasons has averaged a triple double. I don't think it's ever meant less.

James Harden this year, I think it averaged like 36 points. You know, I don't know if those 36 points have ever meant less. when you factor in the three-point shooting, when you factor in the lack of hand checks, when you factor in the lack of people trying. These guys are great players. But I judge you on when the lights come on and playoff times. That's how I judge players. I loved Peyton Manning growing up.

I became a Tom Brady guy like five, six years ago. Peyton Manning was always my guy. I desperately rooted for him to get over the hump against the Patriots. And for years in the early 2000s, he couldn't win the game. And he was terrible in those big games against Belmont. He's one of the best players I've ever seen the regular season. You could argue, I think you could have a pretty sound argument, he's the best regular season quarterback we've ever seen in NFL history.

His consistency of his stats for like 15 straight years, and even when he went to Denver, then he became like one of the greatest offenses we've ever seen in Denver. It was stupid. But then he'd get to the playoffs and he'd lose to the Ravens. And he just wouldn't play right. You're like, ugh, ugh, what is going on here? But I am glad it's why I never hold it against him. I watched Peyton Manning.

He deserved to be a multiple Super Bowl winner. Now, the second Super Bowl, I was at that game. He was a shell of himself, obviously, that entire season. But 20 years from now, you go, you know, Peyton Manning won a couple Super Bowls. He deserved it. You know, Aaron Rogers, probably going to go down with one Super Bowl. For as great as he's been, and he's been an incredible player over the last seven or eight years, more likely he's going to go down with one.

So, yeah, he was incredible in the regular season. Well, he'd get to the playoffs. Leave a little to be desired. Now, he's also had some great playoff moments. And I'm not trying to diminish anything. I think Aaron Raj's top 10 quarterback ever, clearly. Probably 6, 7, 8, somewhere in that range. Peyton Manning had put a little higher.

David Carr said that Joe Montana was not a top 10 quarterback ever. Most people listening will agree. I'd say everyone listening will agree. That's moronic. But here's my problem. He said a couple things in his rant. One was he was a product of his. coach, most people in football are.

You're a product of your coach. But Joe Montana, the number one thing he's known for, his nickname is Joe Cool. You are, in the playoff scenarios in the NFL, like, where Tom Brady, now he's had some big regular seasons, he's won the MVP's. He's had some great regular season. But I think when you think about Tom Brady, and I can speak on Tom Brady better because I was born in 1984. So besides YouTube, I've met Joe a couple times.

I don't, I wasn't like 20 years old watching the games when they play. But my dad went to his grave, thinking Joe Montana was the best quarterback ever. He likes Tom Brady, but he never got off the Joe Montana kind of bandwagon. Now he's a 49er fan, whatever. But you meet a lot of people, especially where I live, that are older, a little older than me, 45, 50, 60, that will go to the map for Joe Montana. And when you're number one attribute and the number one thing, thing people remember for you for is being cool, calm, and collected in the biggest games.

That's what you judge people on. That's the whole part of these sports arguments. The other thing in the 80s, there were some of the best defenses in NFL history. Well, what conference were all those defenses in? You ever heard of Bill Parcells and Bill Belichick and that guy named Lawrence Taylor? 49ers played them every year, sometimes twice a year, the New York Giants teams. The 85 Bears, you know, that guy Buddy Ryan was their coach, you know, they played the bears all the time in the 80s.

Oh yeah, then Buddy Ryan went to this team called the Eagles. They had pretty good defense. I don't know if you ever heard this guy. I think his name is Reggie White. Pretty good defenses back in the day. Oh yeah, the 49ers played the Eagles a lot. That happened. I got some other stats for you. Joe Montana in the playoffs.

We'll even throw away the win-loss record. We all know that, I mean, he didn't win the Super Bowl every year. Now he's 4-4 when he got there. But let's just look. In his, how many, he played 23 career play. playoff games, his touchdown to interception ratio was 45 to 21. So in the biggest games, his touchdown to interception ratio was almost 2 to 1. But here's the biggest thing.

He was almost 63% passing, playing consistently those teams. So Joe Cool, in the biggest moments, like, I'm of the belief that Tom Brady is the greatest quarterback ever, and I'd put Joe at two. Now, did Joe benefit from having Bill Walsh, coach and playing with Jerry Rice? Sure. But did Jerry, or did Joe Montana bring something to the table that separated him from the pack? Like, I'm watching the Warriors now since Kevin Durant went out.

Like, they bring something to the table that just all the, Chris Paul, that James Hardin, that besides like LeBron, none of these guys do. They don't crack under pressure. I judge you in sports how you react in the biggest moments, in the playoffs. I'm sorry, I don't put that much stock into an October game. For as great as Mahomes was last season, if he would have been a one-and-done quarterback and just had a shit performance in the playoffs,

I'd be like, but he was awesome in the playoffs. You're like, this guy's going to win a Super Bowl. He had a terrible first half, and he didn't flinch in the second half, against Belichick and Brady. It was like, I believe in this guy. I'm all in. Because sometimes, when we've seen it for years,

like, do you trust this guy in the, playoffs. Well, I know this. Beside Tom Brady, no human to ever put on a football helmet and play quarterback have you trusted in the playoffs more than Joe Montana. Now that I take a deep breath, I can't even believe I'm

arguing this or even brought this up. Kind of a slow time. And listen, I get people on TV, trying to draw ratings, trying to make a name for themselves, saying outlandish things. And I got no problem. I've probably said some outlandish things before.

I'm sure I'll say outlandish things again. But saying Joe Montana is not a top 10 quarterback, honestly, of all the takes that we've all ever heard ever might be the most absurd, outrageous, and stupidest sports take. I swear to God, there's not hyperbole or anything, I think that's ever been said in sports. Of the modern era, of this TV, talk show, podcast, sports radio era.

I don't see how it could be topped. For a long, long time, it was LeBron wasn't clutch. But I didn't think there was some merit there for a while. Now, I was always a LeBron guy. I always believed in him. It proved everyone wrong. But for a little while, you know, he had some clunkers and some big games. I get it.

But there's just no argument to be made here. Because, again, I judge you on the playoffs. Obviously, the regular season, and he's part of one of the greatest dynasties ever. And I can't, you know, if you get Parcells or Belichick, RIP, buddy Ryan, Mike Ditka, some of these guys on the horn, and ask how good. was Joe Montana, it's pretty clear what they'd say. Some of those guys might say he's the best

quarterback they've ever seen. But to not be a top 10 quarterback, I mean, come on. Do not insult the consumer's intelligence like that, David. Okay, a couple other quick stories that I saw today on the Twitter.com and the internet dot com. I guess not the internet.com.

I guess just the internet. Gerald McCoy, one of the better players, one of the better interior pass rushers, you know, in recent memory, cut by the Tampa Bay Bucks. I think this one's pretty simple. You know, the NFL is so much about fit and good players, when a new regime gets there, especially on defense.

Like, if you run a 4-3 defense and then you switch to a 3-4 defense, like on offense, there's subtle changes. But if you're a good receiver, you can play in any offense, right? if you're a versatile offensive lineman with just some athleticism, you can play in a zone or a power scheme. Tight ends, you can get by in most schemes. Obviously, good quarterbacks can do anything. But on defense, like, there are dramatic, specific things you have to do. Now, I'd say running back, there are major differences in running backs, like zone runners compared to more power runners.

That has more of a defensive feel. But when it comes to defensive players, like certain guys can only play at a four, three, defense. Other guys can only plan three four defense. Certain corners can only be man cover press guys. Some guys are just off zone guys. Certain safeties play better near the box. Some guys play better in space. Well, defensive linemen, when you go from a four three and you're just a one gap penetrating guy and Gerald McCoy's been one of the better ones, you know, of the last decade, to a three four defense, like he doesn't have a position at three four defense. He's not a stand-up outside linebacker. He's not a five-tech. He's not a five-tech.

and he's not a nose tackle. He just does not fit their defense. To me, this is, like, it's made a pretty big deal. Oh, my God, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers cut Gerald McCoy. He doesn't fit. To me, he fits in, like, what the Cowboys are doing, what Seattle's doing, what the 49ers are doing, what, you know, the Eagles do.

That's the type defense where he's going to fit. It's just, he's better off. Sometimes guys, even really, really good players when a new regime comes, are better off when they get cut, especially defensive linemen because if you can't play out of position you could go from being a really good player to a really shitty player and it's vice versa

some guys can look out of position and then they go to the right defense you're like damn this guy's really good so it works both ways so it's a big deal because the name he's you know multiple time pro bowler I would imagine he's made five or six in his career but it's a big name they got cut but I think at the end of the day

he'll go to the Cowboys he'll go to Seattle, he'll go to some 4-3 defense, and he's going to be good. And he's going to benefit. I'm trying to look how many pro-bowls the guy's made. He is made, he's a six-time pro-boller. He's a three-time first-team all-pro, and he's been a second-team all-pro.

I mean, he's a two-time first-team all-American. This guy is a very, very accomplished football player. And I still think he's got a couple good years left. He hasn't quite been the same, I'd say, the last couple years, but he's only 31 years old. to me if I'm a 4-3 team, I try to get slighting in a bottle with this guy. The other news I saw that the 49ers, I almost said the Raiders, the Raiders traded this guy to the Cowboys,

that the Cowboys and Amari Cooper are far apart on contracts. I think for Amari Cooper, the contract situation is a little tricky because in recent memory, you're not as good as Antonio Brown, right? Antonio Brown is a better player than Amari Cooper. but you are better than Sammy Watkins and last year Sammy Watkins got $16 million a year so you're like well I'm not signing for anything less than $16 million

but the Cowboys are like well we think you're closer to a $16 million player than a $20 million player but I think people especially in my Twitter timeline are making a big deal out of it I think it's pretty simple that Amari Cooper is asking for a lot in the sense that he's really important to that team that team was terrible when he got there. They were not going to make the playoffs.

They were looking like they were going to be a team drafting in the top 10. And then he got there. He had one, three, he had six touchdowns when he got to Dallas. And he had a three-game stretch where they won at Washington. He had eight for 180 and two touchdowns. And then a couple weeks later, he had 10 for 217 and three touchdowns against the Eagles. I mean, those two games were game changers. He changed their season.

That Thanksgiving game against Washington, and a couple weeks later against the Eagles, he changed the trajectory of that franchise. So I do understand from him and his agent, they go, yeah, you know, we've averaged about 70 catches and six or seven touchdowns, our first four years. We haven't quite lived up to being a top five pick, but we definitely haven't been a bus.

Now, you would like more. You're not A.J. Green. You're not Julio Jones. You're not as talented as Odell Beckham. You're not as productive as Antonio Bryant. But can this guy become like, Devante Adams, after three or four years, really took off? Can I really help that take off?

So I think part of their negotiation is unquantifiable because just on paper, you go, Amari, you know, his rookie year he had 72 catches and six touchdowns. Next year, he had 83 catches and five touchdown. So through two seasons, he was a pro bowler twice. You're like, this guy's going to be a superstar. Well, then the Raiders kind of fell apart. He had 48 catches and 7 touchdowns.

It was like, ugh, kind of a down year. Then his fourth season last year was going really shitty until he got to Dallas. And again, he saved their season. If I was Dallas, what I'd do? Tough spot. If I could get him for a cheap deal, I would sign him right now. Clearly, that's not going to be easy. That's not...

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survive. The largest tax investigation in American history. You need to tell me what you know. 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 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. 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 belong. 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 slum. mile, 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 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 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,

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because you're afraid because that's two different intentions bro absolutely and that that's two different levels of trust i want you to just really be a good person join me care gains is we have real conversations about healing growth fatherhood pressure and purpose on my new podcast learn the hard way open your free i heart radio app search learn the hard way and listen now the way the way the way Joe Siegel runs. I might play out this season. You're paying him a little over $13 million. If he, 75 catches and 7 or 8 touchdowns,

then he's kind of established what his market value is. Now, the problem that would put you in, you'd probably have to franchise him then. Zeke's also going to be a free agent next year. You have to franchise one of the two of them, so it gets a little tricky. I do think you're better off probably giving this guy $17, $18 million,

you know, like a five-year, $60 million guarantee, like 50 of it. Something like that. I don't even know if that math adds up. That math is off, right? Five year, it'd probably be like five year, $80 million. Would that be five times 18? I didn't go to Harvard Business School. So let's do the math right now. Five times 18 is 90. So yeah, $5.90 and guarantee like $50. I would do that right now. The Zique thing, he got in a little trouble the day, got handcuffed at a music festival where he was arguing with his girlfriend. He bummed. bumped into this guy that looked like he baited him. Honestly, I watched the video and it was like no big deal. Not an ideal thing when you're looking for a new contract. But one thing's clear if you're the Cowboys, like if Amari just maintains what he was last year,

you can always find another running back. It's hard to find dynamic, you know, super talented. I can't call him an elite wide receiver, but super talented wide receivers that have a good connection with your quarterback. That clearly, I've said over and over, I would not extend DAC this year. I would wait till next year, but this is why it's dicey for the Cowboys. Next year, Dak would be a free agent, then Zeke would be a free agent, and Amari'd be a free agent.

Like, that's a lot of free agents in one class. I guess Zeke would have a fifth-year option, because he was the first-round pick. But you'd have Dak and Amari. So you couldn't franchise them both. That would put you in somewhat of a precarious situation. I do think you could play out this season and not sign either, and if Amari is balling, like pay him mid-season. Or if Dax ball and pay him mid-season and then franchise Amari. So you do have a little buffer with Zeke.

He's going into his fourth year. You've got a fifth year option. So you can stagger it a little bit. But what years Jalen Smith? The Cowboys are kind of in this position. They've drafted Zoel and hit on Byron Jones and hit on so many players. You're just not going to be able to keep them all. So one thing the Cowboys are going to have to do this offseason

is going into the year kind of have an idea of who we're going to pay out of these four or five guys and maybe two of them, whether it's Jalen Smith, whether it's Zeke, Well, hell, it could be Amari. You're going to have to try, you probably can't trade Amari because he's going to be a free agent. So it would have to be Zeke, Jalen Smith. Like, you might have to trade one of these guys, Byron Jones, because you can't pay them all. It's just financially impossible. The salary cap is not infinity.

So I think the Cowboys are going to be fascinating. But because they gave up a first round pick for Amari, and obviously Dax the quarterback, I think those two guys are really, really safe. Listen, again, I think the video of Zeke means nothing. I thought it was pretty, it couldn't have been any less harmless. Ideally, would I want to see him drunk walking around at 3 a.m.? I mean, he's 24 years old there with his girlfriend, not that big of a deal. But I don't know, man.

It's so easy to find running backs. I love Zique. I think he's one of my favorite players in the NFL. He's one of the best all-round running backs in recent memory. But I can't be paying running backs, you know, $50, $60 million guaranteed. Look at Todd Gurley. I thought he was a can't miss guy. Fantastic.

He gave him $45 million guaranteed. half of year into the deal, he's got arthritis in his knee, tenonitis in his knee. Never going to be the same. The Rams have the draft for running back. So I think you're kind of all in with Amari and Dak. And even Jalen Smith, I ain't letting that guy go. I'd probably be Byron Jones and Zeke might not be long for the Cowboys.

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At John Middlecough is my Instagram handle. the direct messages, aka the DMs, wide open, you slide right in. Then I answer your question. Hey, John, love the pod. I love my pod too. I'm a Broncos fan and we'll be watching Drew Locke's development as a storyline this training camp. How do you think Joe Flacco will do in Rich, I can't say this guy's name, but the offensive coordinator that came from the Niners, Kyle Shanahan's guy.

He's actually coach at UC Davis for a while, offense this season, and we'll be able to hold off Drew Locke for long. What insights do you have about, I'll try to say his name, Scan Garrello, as far as what the Broncos offense will look like. Thanks, keep grinding. I don't know that much about him. You know, he wasn't, the offensive coordinator, obviously Kyle was. Kyle kind of gets credit for being the quarterback coach.

But I like the mindset. I think they're basically just going with the McVeigh, Kyle Shanahan, Jay Gruden, zone running offense. So stretch, you know, those long stretch, the Peyton Manning where he has arms stretched out, left and right. So inside, outside zone, and they love the play action. And they love their tight ends. So I would expect their run first offense.

They like play off the play action with Joe Flacco in theory should be pretty good at. To me, there's no way that Drew Locke should be able to beat out Joe Flacco. But I do think Elway's at the point now kind of Yolo that I don't think he's too worried. If Drew Locke does beat him out or Flacco's just shot, I think he'd be done. Now, I still don't think Joe Flacco is at the point where it's just over, though he hasn't played very well in the last couple years. I understand why people like Drew Locke, super big arm, good athlete, but when I watched him play, again, it was only a couple games in the fall,

and it was in a really hard conference. I mean, they're playing Alabama, LSU, the Georgia's. I never thought it looked good. Now, I won't dispute he's got to. a big-time canon. But I didn't see it. Now, they didn't take them in the first round. So I got no problem taking a guy like that in the second round all day long.

But I do think the change from his college offense. Now, Derek Dooley was his offensive coordinator last year. He's been an NFL guy for a while. So his transition might not be as hard. But I would imagine, one thing Kyle Shanahan, those guys like to do, run the shit out of the ball. Because in that offense, in the zone scheme, you know, and they already got good running backs. I mean, Philip Lindsay was an all, I almost called him an all. All-Star, a pro bowler last year, who was a stud.

They drafted Royce Freeman, which I've always been a big fan of, from Oregon in the fourth round. So their running backs are good. They drafted Noah Phant really high. Now, some of my buddies in the NFL say he doesn't have the most natural hands, but there is no disputing. The guy can run like a gazelle. Manuel Sanders coming back from injury.

They drafted the kid last year. Is it Sutton? I think in the second round. So I think their offense should be pretty solid. Their defense is going to be good. You know, as long as they get Chris Harris to come back. you got obviously Vaughn Miller Bradley Chubb I mean those two guys

That's a pretty good tandem rushing the passer I guess they traded back They didn't want Devin Bush I did But hell Fangio is a big time defensive coach There's going to be a lot of pressure on Rich Scatigrillo It's a hard name to say Because he's basically going to be the head coach of the offense

And you got Elway looking down over your shoulder Because Fangio is a defensive guy He's going to be there with Vaughan and Bradley Chubb talking pressures, talking coverages, you know, with that unit. It's going to be all this guy, and John Elway is going to be breathing down his throat, you know, flat going in Drew Locke. Not an easy place to coach, you know, because I kind of call Elway the modern day Al Davis. Now, he doesn't own the team, but he kind of acts like he does.

Sits in the coaches, you know, in the coach's room during games, and if he doesn't, he's got the earpiece in. I promise you he's not listening to the radio broadcast. He's listening to coaches, you know, call the place, which is intimidating. And he's just John Freaking Elway. So I think there's going to be somewhat, you know, a little less pressure this year. But I think last year was the first time in like 20 years. The Broncos have missed the playoffs in back-to-back years.

I mean, there's a franchise that has a lot of success. So I actually think their team is not as bad as some people think, but the division's hard. Kansas City is clearly one of the best teams in the league. And San Diego's loaded, too. And the Raiders are just much improved. Now, I don't think the Raiders are probably better than the Broncos, but they could be if Derek can just get back to form. They just have a lot of influx and talent.

So I think they're kind of competing for the third spot in the division. With the news about the Patriots that they won't be having separate defensive coordinator and Bill will be running the defense, do you think there's a possibility of grooming his son into that role in retiring, leaving Josh McDaniels as the head coach and Steve Belichick as the defensive coordinator? Yeah, I don't think that could be discounted. I also think Bill is You know, this is his life

I mean football I'm just reading A.K. listening to the Belichick book He's just a junkie man I mean he just loves it I don't see him retiring anytime soon Though Him and Cooger Linda

As I refer to her You know they love going to these horse races Does feel like Bill's loosened up a little bit Has a little bit of a social life with Linda Took I guess Brett Bealema is now The Defensive Line Coach The former Arkansas and Wisconsin coach Is on the staff

I would imagine Josh McDaniel now turned down a head coaching job last year He's going to be turning down head coaching jobs every year That if Steve Belichick is his defensive coordinator When Bill retires That's because Josh thinks he's the best guy for the job I can't imagine The Patriots forcing Steve Belichick on Josh

But if I'm Belichick Steve Belichick Maybe he becomes a defensive coordinator of another team I don't know much about him if he's a good coach or not. I would imagine he's not a bad coach because the one thing's pretty clear. They've got pretty high standards there. And if Bill is your dad and you're listening to him, you probably become a decent coach. But I'd be a little shocked if Josh, whenever Bill does retire and then Josh becomes the head coach,

they force a defensive coordinator on him. Now, if Steve Belichick was the defensive coordinator when Josh takes over, I'd lean because Josh thinks he's a pretty good coach. I mean, look at last year, when Josh took the Colts job, he brought Matt Uberflus, which everyone's like, Uber Flus, who is this guy? Well, he's the Cowboys Linebacker coach. Pretty clear that guy's a good coach. Like, Matt Uberflus is going to be a head coach in the NFL probably pretty soon.

So, like, Josh McDaniels, say what you want, has a pretty good feel for assistant coaches. Like, that was a good hire. You know, it made the job a lot better for Frank when he showed up to Indy as kind of the second-go-round coach. and he already had a defensive coordinator with a defensive staff waiting there for him. And that was because of Josh McDaniels. When you and Colin talk about top running backs in the league, you always talk about Levion, Todd, and Zeke, where's the love for Melvin Gordon?

When he's playing healthy, I believe he belongs in that conversation. That's my opinion. Would love to hear yours. Is he the fourth best running back? Why does he not belong in that conversation? Would love to see or hear your response. Thanks, happy Friday. I'll be honest.

After year one, I thought Melvin Gordon stunk. but then the last year, I mean, his second year and then last year, he was excellent. I'm with you. I think he is a really good player. I would argue, I think Zeke of that group is the most complete. His home run hitting speed, can run inside, can run outside, can break tackles, can make you miss, can really catch the ball and can block the total package. And he's been really durable.

I would take Zeke out of him all. I thought Todd was becoming elite, and then his knee kind of gave out on him. His year and a half with McVeigh when healthy was excellent. To me, Levyon, the talent's there, but he's big time pain in the butt, but he is pretty talented. I got no problem putting Melvin Gordon, you know, four or five. I'm trying to think of the other running backs in the NFL. He'd be right up there.

Alvin Kamara, you'd have to put, Alvin Kamara is pretty special. Yeah, you won't find me beefing with you there. I think Melvin Gordon is top five or six running back in the NFL. he's an excellent player. He's a really good, complete running back. Can run the ball inside. Can run the ball outside. He's just kind of his natural vision.

Not a super fast guy, but when he hits the hole, I thought he danced that first year, but once they drafted JJ Watts' brother, he just became a much more confident running back. And it changed the game for that offense. When he's rolling, that offense, obviously is dynamic receivers.

With Hunter Henry coming back next year, Yeah, they should be right in the mix I can see Melvin Gordon having a massive seas. I like Melvin Gordon. I'm not trying to diminish anything. I would just take Zeke, just pure football, none of the outside BS, I take Zeke, a healthy girly, and Levion over him for sure.

I wouldn't even hesitate saying that. I think, and I take Alvin Kamar over him as well. So I'd have him fifth. There's nothing wrong with being the fifth best running back in the NFL, especially when you have a group of guys that are that talented. Thoughts on the Bill's draft, future, love the

show, keep it real. Yeah, I mean, Ed Oliver fell into their laps. They desperately need some interior pass rush. They just actually need some pass rush. I love that pick. Who they get? They got the offensive line in the second round. I'm a big believer in Sean McDermen.

I'm going to try to get them on this podcast. I think they're going to be good. To me, the key is going to be Josh Allen, if he takes a step. And if Ed Oliver can be a productive rookie, I think they can compete for 7, 8, 9 win somewhere in that realm. depending on how kind of crazy Adam Gase and the Jets get it together. I think it's between the Jets and the Bills. I think one of those two teams, if it all kind of goes right,

could compete for a wild card. I don't have a great feel which one it will be. I feel a little bit better about the coach in Buffalo, but I like the quarterback more in New York. I mean, the Jets don't have a GM right now. It's kind of weird. Gays is running everything. The bills are much more put together.

But again, I like the quarterback. I thought Josh Allen, I would not have drafted in the first round. Then I started following him on social media, follow him on Instagram. I love the guy. I mean, he's BFFs with Sam Darnold, just high-level guys, type impressive individual you'd want on your team. I just don't know if he's consistent enough passer. Now, sometimes guys take huge steps. Maybe he takes a big jump this off.

He's, I'm rooting for him. I really am. I want to be wrong on that one. I will have a smile on my face being wrong if Josh Allen becomes a player. I just think history shows us that typically, guys that are inaccurate, stay inaccurate. Because I don't think it's from a lack of trying. I think he's just a high effort worker.

It's not like he's not putting in the time. Some guys are just not accurate. And some guys are just naturally accurate. Kind of an, you know, some coaches may argue with me, but I think once you get to a certain point in your life, 23, 24, it's just kind of an innate skill. You either kind of have the touch or you don't. Like you either can kind of hit a sand wedge or you can't.

There's touch involved in it. Now, some guys, like Josh, has an enormous arm, could throw it as hard and as far as Mahomes. But Mahomes can just make the basic throws consistently. And that's kind of been the downfall of Josh Allen. But again, I'm rooting for him. I like the Bills. I actually kind of intrigued with the AFC East.

You know, obviously the Patriots are always fun, but you got the bills, you got Rosen, the Dolphins, and you got the Jets. I think it's a pretty intriguing division. I'm actually kind of excited. Appreciate everyone reaching out on my DMs at John Middlecoff. Three and Out podcast. Tell all your friends. Subscribe. Appreciate everyone listening.

You guys want to interact. I'm always on Twitter, always on Instagram. Holler at me. Ask me questions. Interact with you throughout the day. Spend a lot of time on social media. Not necessarily proud, but it's the hand I was dealt in life. You play on social media a lot.

It's part of my job now. So thanks for listening. Appreciate it. And try to get some more interviews coming up the pipe. Hope you guys liked that Drew Hill interview last week from Oklahoma. I thought it was pretty cool. Talk to you soon. Peace. Get right to the romance and find the way to wow this valentines with 1800flowers.com.

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But how long can this alliance last? Tell me what you know. Is somebody coming after me? Listen to Kingdom of Fraud on the Aihar Radio app. Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Life is full of hurdles. So how do you keep going? On Hurtle 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 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, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo, and every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the biggest moments in sports and giving you the real story behind the headlines.

And we're going straight to the source, the athletes themselves. Their locker room stories, their reactions in the moment, and the stuff nobody gets to hear. Listen to Sports Slice on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Sliced Life 12 and the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy,

not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smigel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and 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. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.