The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Middlekauff - New NFL Rules, Josh Allen and Jimmy Garoppolo

Episode Date: August 23, 2018

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. 3 and Out with John Middlekauff is part of the Colin Cowherd Podcast Network. 3 and Out is an unfiltered podcast covering the biggest stories in the NFL and college football. John brings his unique perspective as a former NFL scout, NFL analyst and radio host. In this week's episode John talks about the latest NFL rules, predictions for Josh Allen, and Jimmy Garoppolo / Patriots. Each week John also answers listener questions from the Middlekauff Mailbag. Follow John on twitter @JohnMiddlekauff and go to theherdnow.com to find the latest content. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo, and every episode, we're cutting through the noise,

breaking down the biggest moments in sports and giving you the real story behind the headline. And we're going straight to the source, the athletes themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions in the moment, and the stuff nobody gets to hear. Listen to Sports Slice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Sliced Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok.

Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter.

Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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 IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHeart Women's Sports. I'm Michelle McPhee, and I've been unraveling the strangest criminal alliance I've ever reported on. A Mormon polygamist and an Armenian businessman. Multi-million dollar house, Ferraris and Lamborghinis, private jets, a billion dollar fraud. But how long can this be a million 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 I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's going on, everybody? John Middlecough, three-and-out podcast, brought to you live, not exactly live, recorded because it's a podcast by Colin Coward and the Hurd podcast network. We're close to football. I've got a lot coming up today. on the rule changes, on Josh Allen, who looks fantastic with the Buffalo Bills. And, you know, it's got to touch on Jimmy Garoppolo because he looks pretty sweet too

and how Bill Belichick might be feeling. But I got to start off with this. The show is brought to you by Seatkeek. Seek. Football is back, and Seekek is the smartest, easiest way to get tickets for every game all season long. Whether you're searching for a last-minute deal, planning a night out, you can find the perfect gift. Seek helps you find the best seats at the best.

prices and best of all it's fully guaranteed I've used seat geek many times for myself for my friends and family I've got tickets to March Madness when it came I live in the Bay Area by Sacramento I've got tickets to baseball games here in this area it's very very simple you just download the app you can search it's searched by price points searches by games has concerts it is very very easy to use Seek has plenty of seats available to everything you want to use and again it is fully guaranteed i have the app on my phone and best of all my listeners get $20 off their first seekiekeek purchase just download the seek app enter the promo code john

that's joh h n today that's promo code john for $20 off your first seekiekeek purchase one thing everyone has been just freaking out on recently are the NFL rules and the rule changes to hitting, you know, where you have to put your head. Everyone's getting flagged for what looks to be just a basic football tackle, whether you're in the NFL or peewee football. You just, your head is before your shoulders, and it's basically impossible, even if you keep your head up, to avoid leading with your helmet. So I get why players are freaking out.

I get why social media freaks out. I also blame myself. I freak out. But I think everyone is, and the smart people are not. freaking out. They understand what's coming and they adapt. And you see this all the time. When something crazy happens, and I wouldn't say this is crazy because there has been a gradual change. This is business. The NFL was getting crushed in lawsuits. They were spending an astronomical amount of money. Parents were, and still are, I think, in certain areas of the country,

not allowing their children to play football. It was a major big picture business problem for the NFL. They had to adapt and they've attempted to. Now, it pisses a lot of us off, including myself. I like violence. I've seen the numbers on NFL football games over the last 10 years. Seattle, San Francisco is one of the highest rated games in the history of the National Football League. You like violence. We all like violence. People yearn for violence. We are entertained by violence. So I want my football to be violent. But if I ran a team, I would dramatically adapt. And hopefully I would have adapted years ago. And you see this all the time, and anyone that's read any finance books knows I've never really had any money when a recession hits.

Last time a recession hit, I was a graduate assistant at Fresno State in 2008. But since then, I've tried to do a decent job of saving some cash. Because anyone that's rent any book on anyone that's accumulated, any type of money or wealth will tell you, the best time to buy anything is during a recession. it is the cheapest time to accumulate assets, whether it's a home, whether it's a business, whether it's whatever. It is bargain shopping for rich people. Honestly, you don't even need to be that rich, just people that have cash available. But most people spend when times are good and then freak out when times are poor. As business people will say, it really is crazy.

When a recession hits, everyone runs away from the housing market. yet in every other business, when there is a cheap sale, people run to it. And I think when you look at the NFL right now, everyone is freaking out about these rules. And the smart teams have adapted and have realized, you know what, let's invest less on defense. Let's invest more on offense. If we got to pay our third wide receiver a little more money, okay. If we got to let Earl Thomas not pay him a third contract, that's the smart move. It's why the one, you know, the two people, actually, I will defend.

The rules have not really impacted the lines, especially defensive ends. They can still be physical. It's why I'm pro paying Khalil Mack or Aaron Donald. But when it comes to safeties and when it comes to corners, they can't touch anyone anymore. So are they really worth the premium dollars? You could argue? Probably not. You know who is worth a lot?

And you know what my Twitter timeline told me all offseason? I can't believe they paid him that much money. Jarvis Landry for the Cleveland Browns. He's obviously been one of the stars of Hard Knocks, not just because he never shuts up saying, bless him, because he can't be covered. Well, think about this. How many teams have a slot corner?

It is smart to invest a lot of money in a slot-wide receiver. You can't cover them in the NFL. Historically, it's been bad business to spend a lot of money, on a guy like Jarvis Landry, not an outside wide receiver. He doesn't really gain that many yards. He's not a huge threat. I'll tell you what all Jarvis Landry does. He's catching about 400 balls through four years.

And in this modern day NFL, he is a major asset. In this modern day NFL, hard-hitting safeties are irrelevant. They're not worth any type money. And I think so many times, and people in the league I know get this way, they get so negative. All they do is bitch and moan about the rules. instead of seeing the big picture and adapting. Forever.

And I've had a front row seat now for multiple sweet teams. When everyone goes one way, Billy Bean goes the other way. It was originally with on-base percentage. It was originally with guys that took a lot of pitches. Then it's adapted into guys that now hit a lot of home runs, patting his bullpen. Billy Bean will whatever, whichever way the Major League Baseball is going, he's always two steps ahead. And when people are bitching and moaning and no one could bitch and moan more than Billy,

because his team doesn't spend any money. He's actually pretty optimistic about everything. So when I think you've seen, Bill Belichick has utilized tight ends and slot receivers forever, especially the last five, six years as the rules have really changed. You can't cover these guys. You can't. And he really has spent less and less money on defense.

How many times over the last several years, years, and I think most of us shook her head when Matt Patricia got a head job, how terrible is the Patriots defense? You know what Bill realizes? It's an offensive league. I'm going to score more points than you. Now, sometimes it backfires. It killed him, you know, in the Super Bowl.

He couldn't get a stop, but he was still there. He was there for a reason. His team consistently scores a lot of points. They out score the opponent. They've always figured out a way to, you know, outdual the Pittsburgh Steelers that have have one of the better offenses in recent memory. They're also a good example. Their defense is pretty crappy.

You know what they're good at, though? They got about seven wide receivers. This year, they're going to roll Antonio Brown, Juju Smith, and Washington, the kid from Oklahoma State. And you know what they're going to say? You may have one good corner, but we'll bet you big money you don't have two and four damn sure you're not going to have three.

So unless you have an unreal defensive line, which, let's face it, about five teams in the league do, you're not going to be able to cover us. Here's the other thing. And I think Atlanta's been pretty forward thinking on this. When everyone was still drafting bigger, stiffer linebackers, they adapted and got quicker linebackers. Everyone complained, complained and complained.

And again, I'm not absolving myself from this because I do the same thing. And in a perfect world, when the recession hits, I'm going to try to be optimistic and let's go bargain shopping. But it's just a natural human reaction to be mad when bad things happen. when things go the wrong way. And for a lot of NFL people, including myself just as a fan, these rules have pissed me off. Maybe I should start looking at it differently.

Like, hell, I'm going to tip my hat to the Pittsburgh Steelers because every year they're drafting a wide receiver in the second round. First off, they hit on a lot of wide receivers, and then they know when they got three or four wide and all the dudes are first or second round picks and blue chippers to go with Antonio Brown, you ain't covering us. because first off, the rules don't allow you to,

and second off, there's just no way you're going to have enough talent, even if the rules did. So these teams that have been forward-thinking and embraced the rules are the leaders in the pack right now. Everyone wants a quarterback. Of course, it's a quarterback league, and you can't win anything without a quarterback. But once you get a quarterback, how do you build the team?

And when you look at a team, and I've been as hard on these guys as anyone, they lived in the past for way too long where were the Seattle Seahawks. Their best players were not conducive to as the rules changed. I like Richard Sherman. I respect Richard Sherman a lot.

But his style of play, if they are going to be aggressive with the flags, it's going to be impossible for him to play. He's too physical of a player, which again, I admire. It's the type player I love. But as these times change, he doesn't bring much value

because all he wants to do is bear hug get the line of scrimmage, which for years was looked upon as an awesome thing. If you could do it, you were a badass, and you were going to be a pro bowler. You could basically not allow anyone to make any catches because you were mean mugging them, not mean mugging them, physically mugging them down the field. You know what they do now is they throw the cloth,

the yellow flag is on the ground every single time that happens. So you're really going to see over these next several years And I'm going to try to take a step back And not complain about every hit that gets flagged Because it's just a waste of my energy I'm going to spend more time watching what teams are thinking like Billy Bean What teams have thought outside the box And take advantage of these rules

And whether they did it or they didn't You know whether they meant to or they didn't mean to The Atlanta Falcons developed a defense that was all on speed The days of and I like this guy personally I'm a big fan. I've known him for a while. Bill Romanowski, you know, the old school badass middle

linebacker. Take on the full back stack shed. Those days are over. Dunzo. Adios. Do you know what I want? I want a 230-pound linebacker that can run side to side.

Because in this type of offense that you're going to see every week as a defensive coordinator or as a general manager, that's what you need to even have a chance to be semi-successful. There aren't going to be, no such thing anymore as the 85 bears

or the early 2000 Ravens. The rules will not allow it. But if you have a defense that just can bend and not break and handle the rules or if you build an offense where you know what, we got four sweet wide receivers. I know for a fact

you don't have the ability to cover me. I also, and I think this is why you've seen the league running backs. I heard Kevin Clark of the ring around with Colin earlier this week and how the running back has really came back. and he made the point, well, it's not, they've come back, but it's not because of running on the ground. Guys lead the league now in rushing with 1,250 yards, you know, 1,300 yards max.

It's about these guys having 70, 80, 90 catches. Because forever, all the linebackers, Bill Romanowski style, could not cover runners out of the backfield. Now more and more as the Ruben Fosters of the world come into the league, the, you know, the Dion Jones of the Atlanta, Atlanta Falcons, they can run with you. It's going to be harder and harder for running backs to consistently get 70, 80 catches. So I'm fascinated the way this league adapts and the teams that spend less time bitching and moaning and more times going, okay, we'll adapt.

We'll bargain shop because I might be able to get a guy that the rest of the league hates in the third round instead of having draft him in the first round, even though he's going to be one of my best players in a couple years. You know what? I'll trade you a mid-round pick and then break Jarvis Landry off. You know why? because really I'm bargained shopping. I know for a fact no one in this league is going to be able to stop them.

No one could stop him for the last four years playing with Ryan Taneyhill. Imagine now where the rules are even more conducive for Jarvis Landry to have success. I'm telling you, I'm fascinated to watch the NFL this year, to watch teams that don't spend time pouting about this, and teams that spend times taking advantage of this. Let's get into the Bill's quarterback, Josh Allen. And he's kind of reminded me a little bit when I was at Fresno State, before I worked in the NFL, I was a graduate assistant.

And the way they pay you is you're on the staff, but you're basically a student, you're going to graduate school. They pay you a scholarship check, no different than guys on the team. And I was fresh out of college, so I was close to a lot of players on the team. And I live with a couple guys. One guy here, man, I do another podcast with him, and A.J. writing a buddy of mine that was coach on the basketball team. So I followed the basketball team really closely.

In their first year, my first year there, they had a freshman named Paul George. He was there both the two years I was there. He was never, even a first team, they were in the whack at the time at Fresno State, it was never even first team all whack. And I used to go to the rec center on campus, and it's like my pickup basketball, prime, play a lot of pickup hoops. He would show up sometimes and play just pick up hoops with the students. And a lot of guys in our football team, Derek Carr used to go a lot.

I mean, a lot of guys would just play pickup hoops. It was pretty competitive. And Paul would play, just show up, just to work on his game. And he wouldn't really dunk. He mainly just showed up to work on a jump shot, like all he did was shoot. Everyone loved him. High character guy, people rude for him, but he wasn't like a dominant player at all. But it was clear, like he had an NBA body.

And then he decided to go pro after a sophomore year. And same with the guy. We had a guy on our football team, Ryan Matthews, also decided to go pro early. Ryan Matthews, just in terms of prospects, was no doubt about it, no-brainer, better prospect than Paul George, if they, you know, equivalent. One was a football player, one was a basketball player. Turns out Ryan, Ryan actually had a decent career, but never lived up to LT's replacement. And Paul, when he declared for the NBA draft, people thought he was crazy. And then he ended up going to the lottery, and Larry Berg picked him.

And then a couple years later, he became one of the best players in the league. I would say everyone around the Fresnel State program, people that knew him, I watched his career really close. I would never, ever have guessed that he would have turned out to be that good. wasn't a great college player but the one thing I kind of take back from that situation is he was a high character guy he worked hard and he went to a great situation

he was around Larry Legend and pushed and he had the physical attributes he was 6-7 ended up growing I think to like 6-8 or 6-9 could dunk, learn, you know, became a much better shooter was a really good defensive player now a borderline top 10, 12 player in the NBA

well Josh Allen It was kind of like an NBA prospect Just because his film was shitty He was a terrible quarterback I watched a couple of his games live last fall It just thought it was gross But there was no disputing his size His Farvy in arm strength

His physical attributes were like an NBA player Just raw Untapped potential But the problem for me And I always struggled to wrap my head around this And Paul didn't really have a major flaw like this, he just wasn't a very good player in terms of like, hadn't

dominated at a small level of competition like Josh Allen. The problem was Josh Allen, to me, had a fundamental flaw. He just couldn't complete passes. Well, I had a buddy when I went to the scouting combine, and we kicked off this podcast, went out to dinner, I mean, all the nights, it's basically

like a drunk fest hanging out with my friends in the league. And a couple of them, one really close buddy was just telling me I think the guy's going to be a big-time player. He's like, he's a high character, guy. He's really smart. He hasn't even scratched the surface. Really liked him. And this guy's doesn't miss on many players since I've known him. So I've always in the back of my mind, like, you know, maybe I shouldn't go all in, but I was already all in and I just wrote it. Not that I,

and I don't regret it. But I'll say this. Sometimes you know right away, and this is where it doesn't necessarily parallel Paul George. Paul George had a rough first couple years. It wasn't, I think, till like the end of year two or year three that it kind of clicked. And then he ended up taking a jump and never look back. In the second preseason game, my takeaway was, oh my God, Josh Allen looks like Carson Wentz. And I've never been afraid to say I was wrong. I think that's why Colin likes me. I'm like, I'm not afraid to have strong opinions and say something, especially when it comes to players. I mean, we're just talking about sports here. This is national security. But I also don't say things if I don't believe it. I truly would not have drafted Josh Allen. Well,

and I'm trying not to overreact to preseason, but listen, I've been, I did this for three years in the league, and ever since I've been in the media, I've been around the Niners and Raiders very closely, so just watching all their first rounders and watching the teams they're playing. I got a pretty good idea of what something looks like and when it's like, you know, I might be wrong on this one. I might be wrong on Josh Allen. I know it was the Browns.

I know it was the second string, but just Google or go to Twitter and type in his name and watch some of the throws he made in that game. I tweeted out earlier this week, a pump fake throw he had on third and one. The defensive end was unblocked. He jumped in the air. Josh didn't even flinch, pump faked, and ran right around him and slid for the first down.

It was like, oh my God. Because I just put my Andy Reid hat on, and I could see if he was watching him, he'd salivate. You know? If John Gruden or Kyle Shannon, like, they would love that. Because I put my mind now watching Kyle very closely, and, you know, being around Andy, I know what they like. And it was just he, in that game against the Browns,

just how accurate he was. His arm is just, I mean, he has an absolute howitzer. Well, if he's completing balls, even if it's not, you know, at like a 68% clip, the problem was in college, he was in like the mid-low 50s. If he can get to a low 60s, because his arm's so powerful, he's going to make so many splash plays.

That's what Kaepern is. did earlier in his career is hit balls. Now, Josh doesn't have Vernon Davis on his team, but Kaepernick had the ability to just miss a wheel route, miss a quick out route, and then hit Vernon Davis 90 yards down the field on a frozen rope. Josh Allen, to me, just again, through the preseason game, I saw some rhythm and ability in his passing that were like, oh my, the bill's got something here. Now, he's still a raw product, and I look at him closer to a basketball prospect than I do a football prospect just because he's this raw Tully's player.

And listen, Steve Cleveland, who was the head coach at Fresno State for Paul George, has never been a head coach since. And it's a little different because I do think Carson Wentz's head coach at Wyoming is respected. He was Carson Wentz's coach at North Dakota State. They won championships. I do think he's a good coach. And maybe, you know, a lot of people made excuses for Josh Allen that all of his talent

left going into last year. I think he had three guys that make him. NFL rosters, a couple receivers and a running back. But it was just so ugly. And I tried to be objective, but I'll never forget the guy, my buddy in the league telling me, like, I really like this guy. And I've always held that in the back of my mind. Like, this guy doesn't typically just say that on a guy like this. And he's like, just go watch a couple of these throws. And he was right. He had things in the bag that other guys just didn't have in the back. And I look back, like Paul George just had the ability at 6-8, 6-9 being an elite athlete

that just most guys, even in an NBA draft, didn't have in the back. And if somehow you can mold it. And, you know, Brian Dayball, his resume as an NFL coordinator is not great. Maybe he really learned something from Nick Saban last year. I know this. I actually flipped on ESPN the other day NFL Live, and they had like a behind-the-scenes of Sean McDermott. I work with Sean McDermott for a year.

I talked to him a little bit briefly at the combine. He's a stud, man. I mean, he is going to be very, very good for Josh Allen. He mentored under Jim Johnson and Andy Reid forever. And then obviously Ron Rivera forever in Carolina. Like he is a high level, very smart, disciplined guy. Like to me, he's the perfect guy. He's a defensive coach.

But just to be around Josh, the standard that he's going to demand on a day-in-day-out basis. Listen, it's, at a, As I'm recording this, the 22nd of August, I have gone all in on Josh Allen. I am prepared to change my opinion. And might say right now, John, I'm giving you $1,000. If you had to bet right now, is Josh Allen going to be good or is he going to be bad? I clearly forever would have put it on bad. Right now, I think I'd change my bet.

And I know Colin says this all the time, and it's the wisest words I've ever heard in Radio Link. His opinion should be fluid. We're talking about sports. We get information. If I get information that I was wrong on Josh Allen and he's sweet, I'm not afraid to change. Some players, they're well established. Like our opinions aren't changing. Aaron Rogers, Kevin Durant, whoever, they're just established.

Young players are fluid. You know, when you're talking about 21, 22, 23 years old, there are a lot of variables at play. And especially when you're talking about small school players. It's why most scouts and GMs do like, they'd rather recruit the Josh Allen version from Clemson or USC than have to mess with the smaller school because there's so much unknown. And I'll be honest, I feel like I might look like an idiot on Josh Allen and a lot of NFL draft Twitter is. But I'll be honest, I don't think most of NFL draft Twitter knows what they're talking about. They told me Teddy Bridgewater was the number one overall pick and then they told me Lamar Jackson was sweet.

so I don't put that much credence in it. But I do think, usually with these things, I'm not in the group think, but I was with everyone. Like I was like, yeah, I wouldn't touch Josh Allen. And so was everyone. And there were very, very small, you know, small amount of people that were banging the drum on the hill. And right now, if I was a betting man, I think they're going to look pretty smart. Because to me, Josh Allen, you know, I don't know if they ever be, Paul George became an elite player, but I'll say this.

I think Josh Allen's got a chance to be a pretty good NFL quarterback. I don't know if everyone had to watch this because I don't blame people for watching not that much preseason games. I was at a wedding last weekend, and when the Niner came on live, the wedding was going on, but I had a chance when I was getting ready to watch the Raider, the Rams game, and they're playing week one. I think one total starter between the two teams played. I mean, it was like, it was a joke.

I flipped it off. And I naturally, most people are like, God, you must love the third and fourth quarter. No, unless you have a rookie quarterback in that I want to watch, I turned the television. I'm not, I hated that when I worked in the NFL. I can't stand it.

I hate it even more now. But I will watch when your starters are in. Because it's basically like an NFL game. So I flipped on the Texans and the 49ers. I obviously wanted to see how Jimmy played. Also to Sean. It's just a good game. Sean looked awesome.

He's an excellent. I mean, he's big time. That's going to haunt maybe Chicago Bears and Ryan Pace for a long time. But Jimmy Garoppolo. And listen, I'm a little bit of a conspiracy theorist on this. I know a lot's come out in the last year. I truly believe that, you know, it's kind of the, you know, JFK type, you know, Chap acquitted Ted Kennedy type conspiracy theory.

One of the great ones we've had in recent memory. in the NFL with Belichick, Brady, and Garoppel. And I truly believe in my core. I don't know if this will ever come out or will ever get all the details. That Brady went behind Belichick's back and forced the hoodie to get rid of them. Because Brady knew, deep down, that Belichick's resume speaks for itself. He gets rid of everyone. Now, it's obviously a lot harder to get rid of Tom, but there was a time clock on this

because Jimmy was going to be a free agent. and Belichick never, ever, doesn't get value for guys. So if he had been planning on trading Jimmy, he would have traded him the year before. He wouldn't have waited to the last minute when his value wasn't that great because he was about to be a free agent. So in my gut, to my core, I'll always believe this, whether I'm right or wrong, unless Bill Belichick, he'd probably be the only guy because I wouldn't believe Kraft or Brady. If Bill told me that this just, you know, if we were having beers and we were friends and I, could trust him.

Not that that'll probably ever happen. And he told me that it didn't happen. Then I would say, okay, maybe I'm wrong. The Brady went behind his back and forced Jimmy out of there. Because it just made no sense. I think Bill had up in his mind that he was going to trade Brady this offseason. You know, unless they won the Super Bowl and then he just deal with it. But I think he was poised to trade Brady.

Brady knew it and made him get rid of Garoppolo. Why? Because Belichick had his Steve Young. and the thing is it's a little different that, you know, Joe Montana, I was so young when that situation played out, but you know, you watch highlights and YouTube and anyone older listening this podcast that lived it, I mean, they would like split reps in games,

and one guy would play a quarter, one guy would start for a couple games and flip-flop. It was nothing. I mean, you wouldn't even be able to do that now with a player of Joe Montana's level. It just wouldn't be possible in this day and age. But one reason, and growing up in Northern California, I grew up much more on Steve Young than Joe Montana because I was born in 1984. So when I was alive, Steve Young was kicking ass and taking names with the 49ers.

But the 49ers dynasty and just dominance in the league, even though Steve only officially won one Super Bowl, but they kept winning for 10 plus years when he was the starter, kept going because of him. And I think the New England Patriots, the end is in sight. Brady's 41 years old. Now, I don't think he's going to fall off a cliff like Peyton Manning did physically because his arm's still in great strength and he looks fantastic. But he's just bound to get hurt. Again, let me repeat, he's 41 years old, 41.

I remember four or five years ago before Kobe's body just took a crap on him. Most people thought, you know what, Kobe's going to be able to play in his early 40s. Why? Because he's a good jump shooter and he'll eventually be able to become a role player. Now, really, when you take a step back, say that out loud. Kobe Bryant could become a role player. It probably wasn't realistic. But it was, in theory, it made a lot of sense. And then it just ended.

I think it kind of happened with Peyton Manning. All of a sudden it was like, whoa, it's over. I don't necessarily think that's going to happen with Brady. But eventually, whether that's this year, whether it's just going to end. But for a bad injury. It's going to happen. In the history of the league, it always happens that way. And they would have been equipped.

Really, they would have been equipped this offseason to trade Brady. It would have been one of the crazier trades that ever happened. But again, Joe Montana was once traded. Now, he wasn't playing at the level of Tom Brady. And the New England Patriot Dynasty would have lasted for another 10 years. Because I got news for everyone. Like, throw on the first two drives at the Houston Texan game. I know it's the preseason, but all it started for in.

Jimmy Garoplo is going to be a top five. quarterback. He is a superstar. The only thing, and let me repeat, only thing that's going to get in his way of becoming a star in this league, a star in this league, is health. Because if he stays healthy, he's going to dominate. I also got news for everyone, and everyone has been blowing the Rams for the last, you know, 12 months. I've hesitated a little. I think the roster's really good on paper. And I like this guy. Don't get me wrong. I, I, root for this guy. I grew up going to Cal football games. If you go to play football or basketball at Cal, I root for you. It's just a natural reaction in my body. So I am a Jared Gough fan. Met him a couple

times. I just root for people from Northern California in general, let alone if you go to Cal. But him and Jimmy Garoppola aren't even in the same conversation as players. And I don't know if Jared's going to have, because Jimmy's a much better athlete, ever have the physical attributes to be as good as Jimmy. Now, Jimmy's not as good as Russell Wilson yet, but I think he has that level to be that, you know, on that tier. Again, a top five player. This is what Belichick had. Belichick knew it and just gave him away to Kyle Shanahan. Sometimes I think, and I was thinking this when I, because again, I was at the wedding and I couldn't watch the game and I just flip it on my computer and I'm watching this drive thinking, oh my God, how did they get this guy? This is, this

is insane. You know, typically when a guy like that is moved, it's usually like a match shop, you know, a backup that was behind, you know, a good starter, like a Mike Vic or whatever, has some ability, a Kevin Cobb, but really, he was a backup for a reason. Like, there's one reason Jimmy Garoppel was the backup. The starter was Tom Brady. He would have started in like 28 different places. He is so freaking good. And I feel very, very, very confident saying this. It's just wild how good he is. The Niners did not overpay.

They paid, if anything they underpaid, because if he would have been a free agent, if he would have actually hit the market and like Kirk Cousins, had multiple people bidding on his services, he would have got more money than Kirk Cousins. He is a better player than Kirk Cousins.

The best thing that ever happened to Kyle Shanahan was that, again, my conspiracy theory, Brady went behind Belichick's back, Force craft to trade him. Belichick just pissed off, likes, really likes Kyle, I mean, not for some reason. Bill just really respects Kyle because Bill really liked Kyle's dad.

Mike, Mike used to give him trouble in the playoffs. And then I think obviously they played in the Super Bowl, and Bill's like, God, this guy can really coach. The 49ers don't like to admit it, but I got news for him as fact. Gifted the 49ers, Jimmy Garoppel, for a second, for a second round pick. And even Kyle has admitted he was a little hesitant. because he was schmitten over Kirk Cousins.

And John Lynch and Adam Peter, some of the guys in the organization, I think, kind of talked him out of it. And ultimately, he made the right decision for the big-picture football team. And even once they got him, he was hesitant to kind of throw him in. And in fairness, hard offense to learn. Even Matt Ryan says it takes a while. Jimmy came in, not only learned enough of the offense, took a one-and-nine team.

Now, granted, it's one-a-nine teams that we've seen in recent memory. They lost like six of the nine games by under four points. But still, they were one and nine. Parcell's famous line, you are what your record says you are. They earned that one and nine. And then won the last five games. Like, this guy, sometimes I just take a step back and go, I don't even know what to say.

I mean, this is wild. You know, and my comp is, and he had a throw to Marquis Goodwin down the sideline, and it looked exactly like him. Tony Romo in 2014 was a second team all pro. It was his best season as a, NFL football players. Unreal.

Remember the Cowboys were really good. I think that was the year that Des might have dropped the ball. I mean, didn't drop the ball. The ball hit the ground and the stupid rule. But Tony Romo, in Tony Romo's prime, was excellent. I know he had some terrible losses, but he was a really, really good player. I think Jimmy Garoppel, my comp, Jimmy Garoppel is going to be a better version and have a similar style to what Tony Romo was.

And a lot of that has to do was he's just in a better situation in terms of with an offensive mind. Like Kyle and him is the perfect scenario. Sometimes people are just lucky. You know, Steve Young, Bill Walsh wanted him, you know, when no one really else did. And it just changed the dynamic of his career. Bill Belichick could have traded Jimmy Garoppolo, basically anyone. You know, could have traded him to Cleveland Browns.

Jimmy wasn't in control of that. Now, he would have been a free agent, but the NFL ain't the NBA. They got this thing called the franchise tag. He would have been stuck. and said he got gifted to Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch, who's turned out to be a really good GM, just a high-level guy, and just an organization that's kind of got their shit together now. And, you know, not just, again, they're not the Cleveland Brown.

They're the San Francisco 49ers. Don't get it twisted. They are the biggest brand on the West Coast, and they ain't close. There really isn't any competition. Now, granted, the Northeast with the NFC East and the Patriots, and then, you know, the Cowboys are in the middle of America, but they're in that division. are the most important for the TV properties.

But there's a reason the moment the Niners sniff being relevant, the NFL gives them five national television games. They move the needle. So it's just, I don't even know what to say besides, it's just crazy the way it all played out. And if you're still questioning why they gave them all that money, don't because the kid is, he's the 49er Steve Young, even though they didn't have a Joe Montana.

They had Brian Hoyer. Okay, let's get in to what I like to say is my favorite segment of the podcast. The Mitchellkoff Mailbag. Middlecough Mailbag. If you go to iTunes, subscribe rate in the review section, leave any of your questions. You can also slide up into my DMs on Instagram at John Middlecough, and I will answer those for you during this session. I only got a couple more on iTunes, so keep coming in. You can also go on Instagram.

I think a lot of you guys like doing that. So let's get to the first question here. See if I can find out. Okay, two-parter. I've been a Bears fan since I was a kid a long time ago. I know you have a history with Matt Nagy. You have any insight into what you foresee for the first year? Okay, let me answer that first part and then I'll answer the second part.

I mean, no insight beside what we've seen. I think Matt Nagy's an excellent coach. I think he has an excellent coaching staff. The division's really hard, so it's just going to be difficult. I actually liked Ms. Trubisky a lot as an NFL prospect. I didn't love him at number two overall, but I definitely thought he was a first rounder. And if he had gone back to school and had another year like he did,

you know, in his one year starting, you know, he probably would have been a top 10 pick. It's just, it was just a very, very bold move. But they do have now have an offensive coach that has a very good understanding of how to intermix a lot of college concepts. I mean, let's face it. I mean, is there a better quarterback coach than Andy Reed in the NFL? And Matt Nagy has been his right-hand man and just learned, really had a front-row seat for the last eight, nine years.

So I think Matt Nagy is a quarterback at heart. Played in college, played in the AFL for a long time. I won a couple of NFL championships. He's just a quarterback. He thinks like a quarterback. So I think Mitch couldn't ask for a better situation to get an offensive coach that thinks like a quarterback, learn under Andy Reed, and just understands how to mix scheme to help his offense as an offensive personnel and specifically his quarterback excel.

Let's get to the second part and second. Why is it that people talk about pass rushers? They seem to forget about a beast named Joey Bosa. Why do you think that is? I think it probably hurts that he plays for the San Diego Chargers. I know they're in Los Angeles, but I refuse to call them the Los Angeles Chargers. You know, they're pretty irrelevant in Southern California. They've kind of flopped in a bunch of big games.

That's not Joey's fault. But if you put Joey Bosa, you know, on the 49ers, on the Cowboys, just the Saints, I don't know, just any major team. I think we would put on the Rams, he would definitely be talked about more. He was probably, this is pretty crazy because he was drafted in the top five, more famous in college at Ohio State. Ohio State's much more popular, and I would imagine as way more fans, not even close, than the San Diego Chargers.

I mean, I don't know how the San Diego Chargers, again, I know they're in Los Angeles, are going to function in L.A. They're a tenant for Cronky. They just have no fans. I got the Dodger game on in the background right now. I mean, obviously, it's a Laker town. It's a USC football town. It's a Dodger town.

They're learning to like the Rams. I think Chip Kelly and the UCLA Bruins, which are not nearly as big as the USC Trojans, are so much bigger in the Chargers. I don't know, man. I just don't see it. I mean, I live in a two-team, market for the time being.

And if the Raiders would have had the financial means, they could have hung here. Like, there are enough Raider fans. Football's big enough here. I just can't ever see anyone giving a shit about the charters, to be honest with you. So I think that's, you know, one of the big issues with Joey Bosa. Okay. Let's get to this question. What if Jerry Jones was Jimmy Hassel?

I like where this is going. I'm thinking that if Jerry Jones was the CEO of a company in which more than a dozen employees were convicted of conspiracy to commit fraud, that scandal would have led national news. I'd agree. Definitely would have been a top two or three news, you know, for subject. I'm not saying Brown's owner Jimmy Haslam knew of it, not saying he's a criminal, but between his oversight of Flying Jay and his meddling involves football, he's not the guy I'd want to own my team to create a culture of success. I'd agree. Then I heard Mike Lombardi say that he was the Browns GM and didn't have any control over personnel.

I'm glad I'm not a Brown fan. How is Jimmy Hasam viewed around the league? I think he's viewed around the league like exactly you described him. Not necessarily a criminal, but just kind of a clown. I think the spying J thing is like how did that just get washed away. I mean, we know how it got washed away. Jimmy Haslam has unlimited money. When you have unlimited money, you can pay people to keep their mouth shut.

But the thing that really bothers me about the, you know, I forget a lot about it. I read a lot about it originally. is they kind of screwed the working man. You know, they screwed the truck drivers. It was pretty fraught. They committed white-collar crimes. And to me, like, obviously, murderers, pedophiles, rapists are the worst.

I mean, they are just, they disgust everyone. I mean, 100% people beside rapists, murderers, or pedophiles all agree that those are the lowest-level scum of the earth. But to me, the Bernie Madoff level guys, and whoever was in. charge of this at Flying Jay that screw over the working man that are multi-millionaires they're

they're pretty much the scum of the earth as well and when you read it into Flying Jay like it was a pass down throughout his family the I don't know something about the Haslam's like they've pulled this off in the south created this dynasty of wealth like would that I live in the California like could they pull it off out here

doubt it I don't think so I've never thought Jimmy Haslam was that impressive. I actually always thought Jimmy Haslam was kind of a clown. Born into his wealth, it's not like he started the Flying J. from scratch. I would agree. To me, Jerry Jones, and listen, in business you have to do shady stuff to make success. But the one thing that's been pretty consistent with Jerry Jones,

like he's a tough businessman to deal with. But I've never, ever got the vibe and no one's ever come out, that he's like out to screw the common guy. And I've honestly never looked at Jimmy Haslam the same. I find it despicable that he even potentially, listen, when you're the CEO of the company, you run the company, you own the company, it's on your watch.

It's like if something happens to do a football team, like that's on the head coach. Like, I'm sorry. If Jimmy Haslam didn't, I always struggle with, now he might not have known every detail, anyone that's known people that ran companies. Hell, smaller companies.

Things go on that you don't know about. I get it. But this one, I don't know, man. And I find it pretty hard to believe. I think Jimmy Haslam is just your classic southern, I mean, generation of generation worth hundreds of millions of dollars, never done a damn thing, somehow runs Tennessee ball football, tried to run that bad boy in the ground, forced them to get Butch Jones, then wanted them to get, you know, Greg Shianu,

that when Urban Meyer got in trouble, they didn't even elevate to become the head coach. I'm with you. I can't imagine being a Browns fan. I really can't because just having him as the owner would just make me sick. Pretty good one. Kind of a unique question. Middle Coff mailbag submission from Jeff. First off, I like the podcast like your intertakes on Industry Insider in the NFL.

Here's my question. How important, this is a fascinating question. How important is quote-unquote salesmanship when it comes to being a successful personnel guy? at any level. I'm a sales professional myself, so I've seen the value in my own industry. If you're an excellent engineer but can't sell your ideas to management, you're really not going to be successful as, say, an average, above average engineer that can sell. I completely agree. I would say this, in my experience in a draft room, if you want a player or like a player, Obviously, if you're not the decision maker, it's not ultimately your decision.

But if you could sell, and listen, I've seen this, I run podcasts, I do things on Periscope now, I sell advertisements myself. You got to hustle. You know, when you're selling myself, I've become pretty successful at it. And hopefully only sniffing the success that will one day come. But it takes energy and effort. The one thing I struggled with when I was in the NFL because I was so young is really, pounding the, I used to remember Howie Rosemus, like stand up for your players. Well, it's hard.

It was hard for me at like 25, 26 years old to like call out Lewis Riddick or Howie about a player I really liked. It can be intimidating. It's why a lot of draft rooms are led by older people, even if you have a younger draft room, like guys that have been around the league for a while. But from what I witnessed, and Lewis Riddick was really good at this, Ryan Grickson was good at this, but he was wrong on the players. And I've seen Brett Veach was really good at this, is they could stand up for the players they believed in. And when they really believed in a player, let's just say, I'll use an example here,

Brett Veach loved Fletcher Cox. I also know Brett loved Shady McCoy and Deshawn Jackson, but I wasn't in the draft room for those. I saw Brett, Brett pounding the table for Fletcher Cox, loved him, and wouldn't stop talking about him for six months. So eventually, you just see. he just sells you on his energy. And I'm a big believer.

And I know a lot of people listening are in sales jobs. And I would imagine the best way to sell is just by being relentless. If you just ask the same person something over and over and over and over, eventually he'll crack. He might give you a yes, but he'll at least give you a maybe. Now, Fletcher is probably a bad example because he was semi-easy to sell because he was an elite prospect, even if you were on the fence about him. Like, he was a legit top 15 player.

But ultimately, the point is that in a draft room, the best guys I think they really come up, John Dorsey, John Schneider, Brett Veach, Adam Peters for the Niners, who's John Lynch's right-hand guy, they have the conviction because the confidence in their conviction comes from how much work they do on a player over the years. And I'm just talking draft. and they feel confident standing up in a draft room and using the term pounding the table or standing on the table, but really just standing up and saying what they believe in. Now, again, your boss might not always agree with you and might not always do what you want.

But here's the other way that I think salesmen, I'm sure, what you're listening to and what NFL personnel guys that have come up really can make their hey. When you sell your boss on something and the boss, ultimately says no where they go a different direction but what you sold them on and in the example of this the NFL that player goes somewhere else and kicks ass well that happens a lot for personnel guys so they can go God you know later their GM realizes I should start listening to him because he's right the majority of the time no different a salesman says we should we should acquire this business and this business and then

they blow up your boss goes God he he was right and so I I think as many times you hit on a player, but often when you sell a player that you don't get or sell a business that you don't get, and then that becomes good for someone else, that really opens people's eyes. I honestly think your eyes are open in life much more of the things you don't get

and thought about doing than the things that you actually end up doing. Because you're obviously, whenever you go, think about that house you didn't buy, that girl you didn't ask out, whatever, any situation. That job you ended up not interviewing for or declined. You always kind of, anyone worth their salt to me,

always kind of monitor stuff like that just forever. Even if things go really well, you know, even if you, you know, meet your future wife. You're still kind of creep on that girl, you know, on Instagram, see like, how's she looking? You know? Or, you know, if that company offered you some stock options and then they go public, you're like, damn,

I would have been pretty rich. You know, if we would have drafted so-and-so, in the second round, I pounded the table for Juju Smith. Now he's with the Steelers catching 90 balls a year. So salesmanship is huge. I went to business school. If you could sell, you'll always have a job. And that's as an NFL scout, that's as an engineer, that's, you know, as a CEO of a 4,500 company, to me it doesn't really matter. I think it's big. But it does separate yourself, at least in pro football, you got to be right. You know, you got to know, you got to know what you're talking about.

And if you do, if you're constantly selling the right people, then I think you're going to be in pretty good shape. Appreciate everyone. Listen, I got a bunch more DMs in my Instagram. You could still leave DMs, not DMs, but reviews on iTunes, and I will eventually get to them. I appreciate everyone listening. Football season is right around the corner.

We're going to get this bad boy going. Thanks for listening. John Middlecock for you and out the Colin Coward Podcast Network. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. And nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in.

I'm Timbo. And every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the biggest moments in sports and giving you the real story behind the headline. And we're going straight to the source, the athletes themselves. Their locker room stories, their reactions in the moment, and the stuff nobody gets to hear.

Listen to Sports Slice on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Sliced Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel, help an acapella 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. 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. 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 IHart Women's Sports. Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to Learn the Hard Way with your favorite therapist and host, Kear Games. This space is about black men's experiences, having honest conversations that it's really not safe to have anywhere, but you're having them with a licensed professional who knows what he's doing. How many men carry his?

suit or armor. It signals to the world that you're not to be played with. And just because you have the capability that does not mean that you need to. Listen and learn the hard way on the IHard radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. This is an IHart podcast.

Guaranteed human.