The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Russell Westbrook, OBJ, Lakers, and NFL free agency

Episode Date: March 12, 2019

Colin talks about why the NBA needs to help players like Oklahoma City Thunder G Russell Westbrook after his latest altercation with a fan, which teams New York Giants WR Odell Beckham Jr. would like to play for, why the Los Angeles Lakers need help in the front office, and the latest NFL free agency news. Guests include Greg Jennings, Reggie Bush, Connor Barwin, and Brian Scalabrine.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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I love that idea. I'm going to have to rip that one off. That was good. Russell Westbrook had an incident last night. I want to talk about this. A couple days ago, my son was complaining about school and about some behavior, some students. And I said to my son, well, I can't control them, and I'm not sure I can control you, but I want to give you the tools to be able to handle it. If a kid's a jerk at school, if you get into a situation, because I can't control the other kids. and I said to my son Jackson, I can't even really control you. But my job as a parent is to give you some protection or some tools to handle situations like that. So last night, Russell Westbrook, incident with a fan, fan says he said something.

Westbrook said he said something else. But what would worry me if I was the NBA is the frequency and the intensity of these situations. Now, the fan could be a big jerk. I've said before, I hate hecklers. I would have almost no tolerance. If I was a general manager or any commissioner of a sport, I have zero tolerance for very, very, very little tolerance for heckling players. The NBA is a very unique sport.

The NBA has sold seats right next to the players. Football players, got a gap. Baseball players, got a gap. Hockey players, got a wall. Basketball players, sit next to fans. And the NBA, a little bit of greed here, even though they're making a fortune with all this television revenue, has literally kicked broadcasters upstairs to add seven more seats. Equipment guys got to sit behind the team so they can add seven more seats.

So players are right next to fans. But here's the thing. I can't control those fans. Maybe the guys are racist. Maybe the guy's a jerk. And I'm not sure I can control Westbrook, but I should at least give him the tools to deal with. this, more security, more space, maybe a watchdog around him to hear what fans are saying. Because what I'm concerned about is the frequency and the intensity of these situations.

Three years ago, and I'm not a psychologist, but three years ago, this was not Russell Westbrook. He was an 85% free throw shooter, and he was kind of a well-like guy in the NBA. Three years later, his game is deteriorating, and his personality. he's detonating. And that worries me. Last year, Utah, this year, Denver, then the kid, then the fan. I'm not, I'm not saying fans can't be jerks. And I'm not saying in all these incidents, the fans aren't wrong.

This fan, people say he was on internet, there was racist stuff on his account. I'm not denying that. But Russell Westbrook in the next week is going to go to another arena. It's not going to be empty. There's going to be fans there. And so who knows what happened to Westbrook to increase the intensity and the frequency of these? You know, I'm not a psychologist. Kevin Durant's gone on to star.

Hardin's gone on to star. Maybe that bothers him. Maybe the surgeries have made him, you know, less of a player. He's struggling with that. Maybe Paul George's emerges. I don't know. But this is just basic psychology stuff. It's the intensity and the frequency because it's not like he wants.

wasn't heckled three years ago. I sat at Laker games listening to Kobe Bryant get heckled. You don't think LeBron's been heckled? Michael Jordan heckling. And by the way, some of those could have been racial. I'm not, listen, there's inappropriate stuff in European soccer, international hockey, NBA. I'm not denying any of that. But like I told my son, I can't control fans. I can't control their kids. And I'm not sure I can control you or Westbrook, but I have to give you tools to better equip yourself. Adam Silver's got to step in. By the way, Roger Goodell's changing rules.

Why? To protect players. Doesn't want his players hurt. These players are commodities. These players are assets. Russell Westbrook is the face of a franchise, the face of a division, and one of the seven faces of the league.

Okay? And this is not going to get better. Fans are now sensing stuff bothers him. So they're poking and they're poking and they're poking and they're dangling and they're poking. And it's getting worse. this is where a commissioner has to step in and protect his player. And I don't have the answers. But I would hire security.

I think I've seen it, you know, last night, James Hardin's walking off the court and he's high-fiving fans. I think fans are too close to players. I'm showing an incident on FS1 where there's a player, Westwell, Westbrook's on the floor and a fan runs up to him. That's not appropriate. That's not appropriate. And in football, there is a gap between fans and player. In hockey, there's a wall. In baseball, God, in Oakland, it's like a parking lot between a first basement and the fans.

NBA, they're right on top of the players. And these are young players and they're stars. And Adam Silver's recently said, many are unhappy. They're on their Instagram. They're on their Twitter. The intensity and frequency of this stuff, you got to step in. And listen, I could, yeah, I was saying this morning, he feels like West broken, not Westbrook. His shots broken, his personality here's a little more unhinged than usual.

And this stuff's escalating. So get him help. Get him security. Get him space. Get him a therapist. But this could end up being really bad. And I'm not going to just blame Westbrook if he throws a punch in the next two weeks. It's not going to be all on him.

Listen, you got to be culpable. I tell my son all the time. time, hey, it's how you handle this chaos. So you'll be eventually to blame. But players, most millionaires in America, you know, you get to be 50, you've worked hard, you've put money away. Pro sports is cruel. Hey, you're 24. Here's a pile of money. Well, I don't know exactly stress. Here's a bunch of fame. Well, I'm from a small town. I'm 25 years old. Pro sports is rough. And I know nobody wants to hear it because they're all rich. But these players are increasingly targets, fans on top, they've sold the tickets next to the players,

fans can be jerks. Somebody's got to help, Westbrook. That is the role of a commissioner. Protect your players. Goodell's changing rules to protect players so they don't get hurt. Somebody's going to get hurt. So anyway, the NFL free agency, let me shift gears. There's all sorts of players going all over the place.

This morning, the Green Bay Packers signed three defensive players. It's the new NFL. I think the New York Jets are a better football team this morning. I don't think anybody can deny that. I don't like what Washington did with Landon Collins. I don't like what the Raiders did with Trent Brown. There's some good. There's some bad.

Not all players that are coming into locker rooms are good fits. But I will say this. Here's one that's really interesting. Lavian Bell is a really good player, and Lavian Bell is on the market. And according to multiple sources this morning, the jets, the Ravens, the Texans, and the Bears are all seeking him. And if he went to the Jets, they'd be better. And if he went to the Texans and Ravens, they'd be better. But if he goes to the Chicago Bears, we're going to have a major power structure change in the NFC North going forward.

Because Green Bay's inability to generally land free agent stars and Chicago, increasing ability to lure them and pay them changes everything. I mean, basically Chicago, if they land, Lavey, and Bell, has the two ingredients to stop Aaron Rogers. One, a great running back, eat the clock, keep it away from Aaron, and then when Aaron gets on the field, the best pass rusher since Lauren Taylor to hit Aaron Rogers. That's how you beat a great quarterback. That's why everybody, you know, in the Peyton Manning's division for years,

was trying to get running games and pass rushers to keep the ball away from Peyton Manning. And then when Peyton had it, to get Peyton Manning. And you got super aggressive general managers in the NFC. Howie Roseman, Philadelphia, less need in Los Angeles, Mickey Loomis in New Orleans, John Snyder in Seattle. And then you have Green Bay putting their money. and they're 401k and they're being prudent and they're being stable and they're not taking big everybody else in the NFC is investing in tech green bay starting to feel a little bit like sears

and if lavian bell of all these teams rumored go to the chicago bears Aaron rogers is going to be looking up and they've only won that division two of the last four years and they didn't win it last year and they didn't win it the year before Lavian Belt of the Bears feels huge. And it takes Aaron Rogers, perhaps out of the playoffs. I already think Green Bay has got the third best roster in the NFC North behind the Vikings and the Bears. But man, Labian Bell to Chicago feels big. That feels like a game changer.

He'd make Houston better. He'd make the Jets better. I'm not saying that. He'd make a lot of people better. He would change the NFC North. lands in Chicago. That feels to me big. That feels like, okay, now we've got the formula to beat Aaron Rogers.

Keep him off the field with a running game and attack him when he has the football. So keep your eye on that. I think that puppy could break. I think we're going to have a Levian bell move soon. Yesterday on Twitter, he announced he had choices. That blew up the internet. So there's multiple teams interested. The Colts apparently now are out.

Odell Beckham, I believe, will be moved. I feel strongly about this. It's come down to two teams, and I'll get to that coming up next. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the I-Hard Radio app. Last night, a blown call changed the game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you,

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Good stuff today. So I believe that the New York Giants, I've been told this, are willing to move Odell Beckham. But there's a lot of optics here, what they want to get in return. I have been told two different sources. There's two teams that Odell Beckham would prefer to play with. Rams, 49ers. So there's a lot of things going on here.

The New York Giants general manager, I'm told, would like to move him. But he is so popular, so popular among fans. He's their best player, most exciting player, and he's a transformational talent, that you just can't give him away. You've got to get something big. The Niners have the number two pick. The Niners wouldn't mind giving away a first rounder for Odell, but they don't want to give away the number two pick.

That is really valuable. 17th pick, 24th pick. By next year, San Francisco is not going to have the number two pick. San Francisco is going to be a much better team, probably much closer to 8 and 8, 9, and 7, or better. So the pick would be the 23rd. Optically, transactionally, you'd be much more comfortable trading a 23rd pick. But a second pick, that's worth more. That is incredibly valuable.

So San Francisco wants him, I'm told. really, really bad, but they don't want to give up the number two pick, maybe next year's first round. The Giants, by the way, are willing to part with them, but they want the number two pick because they want to feel like they win this situation. You got Philadelphia's kicking butt in your division, Dallas is kicking butt in your division. You have become a rebuilding team. You just don't want to admit it to your fans.

You have an Eli situation. Now you've lost Landon Collins, Olivier Vernon, overpaid maybe, but still talented, players, they have to win this deal. And so I think O'Dell, O'Dell has teams he's interested in. One of them, San Francisco wants him. New York, I'm told, is willing to take calls. Jay Glazer was on our show yesterday. He said, divorce has happened.

It's okay. There's no animosity. There's no hate. Sometimes it's just time for a change. See, you remember now, last year, they were talking about moving on last year from him, right? when he wanted the new deal. And there was a lot that John Marrower was saying.

Pat Schumer was the one who went in there and said, no, no, I want him. Let's salvage us. Let's save him. I want him here. And there were a lot of teams. The Rams were interested. The Patriots were interested.

There were teams they were talking to and they were looking at. But Pat Schumer was like, just let me have them. I know I could do this. And it just didn't arise. What happened at the end of last year, Jay? He didn't play. Didn't play. And what happened?

Giants played well. Giants played very well. Yeah. This is a situation where the, general manager in New York now is absolutely willing to move him, but that general manager, not going to keep that job long because the Giants don't look like in that division, they have a roster that can compete for the title. Philadelphia, Dallas just have more good players and probably better coaches. So this is a lot of optics. But San Francisco, never forget this. Kyle Shanahan's

the coach. Julio Jones, his best years, were with Kyle Shanahan. So Shanahan, has a tight end in George Kittled, George Kittled from Iowa, who's a great player. They drafted a receiver last year. They have the number two pick. They've got an offensive-minded head coach. Odell would be a massive home run for San Francisco. A massive home run. A great fit.

I'd love to see it, frankly, because I think Eli Manning is a shot fighter. And I think Jimmy Garoppolo with Odell Beckham would be one of the most fascinating combos in the NFL. So I'm rooting for it. And Shanahan would make it. it would be Moss and Brady. It would be over the top numbers for O'Dell Beckham. And I think deep down, though he wouldn't admit it to me, deep down O'Dell Beckham is wildly frustrated in New York,

and he's really frustrated with Eli, and he's really frustrated with a roster, and he feels he's an all-time talent, and he feels he's wasting his years. And then when he goes out and gets hurt, when players get hurt, it messes with them. They see the end of their career. They see Holley.

of fame out of their grasp. So keep your eye on this. Odell Beckham, San Francisco, New York. I still think there's a shot it would happen. And I think it would be the best for everybody. Because I don't think he's a good fit in New York. And I think he'd be a great fit in San Francisco. Joy with the News.

No, no, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the Herdline News. So last night, Russell Westbrook got into a verbal altercation with a Utah Jazz fan. Westbrook was recorded shouting at the fan. And after the game, he called the comment. disrespectful and racial that the fans made towards him. Well, the Jazz released a statement.

They said we're continuing to investigate the unfortunate exchange at tonight's game between Russell Westbrook and fans. Multiple warning cards were issued by arena security. Players and fans have a shared responsibility to create a safe and respectful environment. If it is determined that any fans violated the NBA Code of Conduct, appropriate action will be taken. Well, Patrick Patterson was sitting next to Russell Westbrook on the bench. He tweeted after the game,

And fans can say, bleep about a man's family, wife and kids, tell a player, get down on your knees like you used to. As men, what do you expect us to do? Shut up and dribble. No one is held accountable for their actions except for us. Fans are protected in every way possible, but not us. And then someone tweeted and asked him if that was actually said to us. And he responded and said yes and more. So obviously the NBA is going to investigate this incident because it's everywhere.

The jazz are going to investigate it. I'm sure the Thunder will have something you say. There's a lot that's been thrown out there on social media. media since this has happened with that fan and obviously they interviewed him after the game. My opinion has been consistent on this from way back. I've always felt like fans in all sports have way too much leniency when it comes to what they say towards players. It makes it uncomfortable for other fans in the arena and in stadiums.

I mean, I've had grown men twice my size get in my inches from my face and scream at me and curse at me. Like, it's an insane environment for a lot of people. I don't really know what reason Russ and Patrick Patterson have to lie about this. I know that people feel a certain type of way about Russ, but what people are forgetting is that this is entertainment. Just because you buy a ticket doesn't give you some entitlement to speak or have the ability to touch or interact with players on the intimate level that people feel like.

And the NBA, like you said earlier, is a whole other level because this is the only sport where you're that close to players. So to me, the NBA just has to create a policy where players can actually report. when things like this are happening and NBA security follows up right away and investigates it and fans are bans. NBA and the other thing is sports just sometimes, the NBA is making so much money on their TV deals. To individual teams really need to sell an extra eight seats up close.

So when I go to an NBA game, it is always shocking to me that the fans are sitting next to star players. Like at some point, save the $8,000. you make a night and give players a little space because you know listen you lubricate them socially with alcohol so half of these fans are liquored up

and by the way when you go to a Laker game for instance they have cocktail servers so they are you don't have to even get up anymore they're just bringing drink after drink after drink even when alcohol's not involved I do think that does play a part in a lot of incidents obviously but you know these people get liquid courage but even when it's not

involved you have to protect the players because they're the ones that lose in this situation. If something goes awry, it kills their brand. It's only bad for the players. The fan's going to get a pass no matter what was said or what goes on because it's the responsibility of the player to maintain his cool. And these are human beings. Like it's just not rational.

This has been the culture in sports for forever. And it's always a thing like, well, it's just part of the game. It's not, it doesn't have to be part of the game. It's ludicrous. You would never behave that way in the public walking down the street, ever. You would never walk up to Russell Westbrook and say something like that. I don't know why people feel comfortable. They feel like there's like this invisible bubble protecting you.

You don't really want to smoke. You don't. So why do you think it's available to you? And I also think you've got a player in Westbrook where the frequency is adding up. So he's going through some things. He had surgery. Then he gets a star teammate. And I think fans now are, when he struggles, they toss more out.

It's just like an escalating situation where. I think Westbrook, off the court, as a person, his character can't be questioned. He's never been in trouble. He's a family guy. He's involved in the community. That's a whole separate thing. But when he comes into the arena...

He's a villain anywhere. It's a black hat. And you need a villain in sports, and that's fine. I think he's comfortable with that. But fans have to be able to separate that as well. This is entertainment. You're paying to be entertained.

This isn't an interactive experience. You can yell, but there's a line. And it should be common sense. And the racial thing is just a whole other element to it. it that can go on and on about, but the NBA has to do something. So it looks like the Jags will pay Nick Foles the King's Ransom. In exchange for not being Blake Bortles,

they gave him a four-year deal, $88 million with more than $50 million guaranteed. Yeah, the guaranteed money helps out a little bit. So at the end of that contract, if it doesn't work, you're not paying him much. Basically, you paid him a fortune for two years to be able to work with the talent you have. And they do have a lot

of talent. Yes. So he's an average salary of $22 million, which is more than, you know, you're going to compare him to some other quarterbacks, Russell Wilson. It's not outrageous. Rivers, Newton, Brady. I don't get crazy about who makes more than whoever. Whenever your contract is up, you're going to be paid whatever it is your work.

Listen, I'll take Nick Foles at $22 million over Kirk Cousins at $29.5 million. And I think Foles is a slightly better player than, but the money, like to me, I don't think Nick's a top 12 quarterback. But at $22 million, I'm okay with that. I can live with that. The mind is not going to get crazy about the money. You need a reliable quarterback. Blake Bortle's had plenty of opportunities to show if he was the guy, and he's not.

And it's being reported that they're going to release Bordle. So we'll see what happens there. Finally, Deshawn Jackson got his wish. The Bucks traded him to the Eagles yesterday in exchange for a seventh round pick. He reworked his contract for three years and $27 million. I didn't think the Eagles had any money left. They signed three guys yesterday. They're out here making moves.

They are super – Howie Roseman is super aggressive. I like this move, though, for Philadelphia. He can still play. Yeah. And, I mean, he's comfortable there. It's where he wanted to be. You give Carson once another weapon. I really like what the Eagles have done so far in this off season.

Yeah, I do too. You know, it's funny. The NFC has got some really aggressive general managers. John Snyder and CL is very aggressive. Howie Roseman, less need. Mickey Loomis. The AFC generally, you know, they're not quite as aggressive. But the NFC, which is a lot of big markets, remember, the NFC's got your Dallas,

your Atlanta, you're Los Angeles, more big cities. New York's represented Philadelphia, Chicago. So you've got big media, big money, big game day revenue, big expectations, a lot of pressure. And I think the general managers in the NFC respond to it. These big media, big market, big flash. We say it all the time, aggressive wins. Aggressive wins. And I, Philadelphia is, I'll tell you, this morning I wake up, it is hard to not like the Philadelphia.

Eagles to be a favorite or co-favorant in the NFC. I love it. All right. Good stuff. Jovi the News. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Heard Lye News.

So Greg Jennings, Green Bay Packers, did sign some defensive players, including a pretty good safety from the Chicago Bears this morning. He played for a decade in the NFL, a multiple-time pro-bowler and a Super Bowl via the Coward Global Satellite Network, Greg Jennings. I want to start with this first, though. I want to start with the Westbrook situation. Now, in football, you are separated from fans, except when you come out of the tunnel and go into the tunnel.

And fans can be abusive. I have no tolerance for it. I've heard it. Some of the stuff is troubling. Westbrook does kind of appear to be a very impulsive player and a personality. So he comes in that arena. He's a pretty relentless, impulsive guy. What do you make of what happened last night?

Like when you watch that, what's the first thing that lands for you, Greg? The first thing that lands for me is every player is going to handle situations differently. And what we have to understand is there is kind of a threshold that players have. I don't care who you are to tolerating heckling and harassment. But then there's that level or that line that you draw that you don't expect a fan or a heckler to cross and when they do, it gains your attention. You then turn to them and you give them what you either feel or an emotion that lets them know, stop it, cut that out. And I think that's what happened to Russell Westbrook. It happens across sport. It's like we're often the target of angry

words and we have to endure these insults and just walk away or go back to our field of play and just continue to go as though nothing ever happened, and that's just not the reality. Sometimes there are things that are said that just crossed the line. If we were in the world of a career space within a building, it would be called harassment. You would have to suffer some penalty. If you're in public academic fields or settings, it's bullying. So this is often just allowed in sports, which is unfortunate, but players understand that this is going to happen. You're going to get heckled. But when you cross the line and you start to say things that become corrosive,

there's no need for any of that. Shift to the NFL. Antonio Brown's a great player, and John Gruden and Derek Carr are smart, good, quality, offensive guys. Here's my concern is that when you do bring in an often vocal, demanding star receiver, the offense becomes, like a home run hitter in baseball, you become a little dependent on it. Would you be concerned that the Raiders now are going to become very AB kind of centric?

And that what happens sometimes when baseball teams become reliant on the home run hitter, you become reliant on the star receiver. You get to the playoffs and teams take it away, Tyreek Hill is taken away by New England, and Patrick Mahomes isn't the same quarterback. How do you think AB will fit in Oakland? We know he's going to be productive. Do you think it just all works? So I'm kind of on your side with this.

I know he's going to be productive. That's what he's always been able to do, obviously, in Pittsburgh, as long as he has a guy that can give him the ball. And I believe Derrick Carr can get him the ball. I just don't know how frequently he'll be able to get him the ball. And why I say that is because when you part ways with a young talent like Amari Cooper, who we saw and we see who can create and generate, separation for a young quarterback who is younger who has the speed who has the skill set and then you bring in on

who does not vocally um kind of divide a locker room then you bring on a guy like Antonio brown who has all those same abilities but he's going to be more vocal because his expectations are a little higher his standard of production is a it's a little higher yeah and he's going to demand even more out of your quarterback. My concern is how does Derek Carr respond with that? Is Antonio Brown going to help Derek Carr? I truly believe so. But is Derek Carr going to be able to step up to the plate and take on what comes with having a really, really high profile, great receiver in Antonio Brown? You know, it's funny. We were talking about the Odell Beckham situation. I actually talked to him recently, and I like him. And I get where he's coming from.

I think he, once an injury happens to a great player, reality sets in, urgency sets in. Like, hey, man, I just suffered a major injury here. I got to make some, hey, I got to make some catches. And I think Odell's feeling a little bit of that pressure like, you know, if I have another major injury, a lot of people are not going to see me as the same player. Do you think the Giants, would you move him if you could get the pieces? Because I don't think the Giants thing works for him personally. I don't think Eli's can get him the ball enough.

What do you think happens with Odell? ultimately I would like to see him stay in New York and they do something at the quarterback position that will complement his skill set. Will that happen? Only time will tell. So let's go to the 49ers situation. It is a very intriguing move for O'Dill as well as the San Francisco 49ers. Why? Because you have your quarterback in place in Jimmy Garoppolo, obviously coming off an injury. Odell Beckham can relate to that, having suffered an injury the previous, not last year, but the year before. And so they have a different mentality, as you alluded to, coming off an injury, a different approach to the game. It's not so much a pressure.

It's a level of respect that this isn't forever. This can be taken away. And I think when you bring in a guy like Odell Beckham and you have a Jared McKinnon who has suffered an injury as well, they all have something to prove. And so if you put that together along with what you already currently have and the kiddles at tight end, who is really a hybrid tight end that really can game break at any moment offensively, it's an explosion and explosive offense that I think would be exciting. And the 49ers understand that with Shanahan at the helm, it could be special. And I think it would work well for Odell Becker.

Finally, free agency is interesting. So you're in a locker room and maybe you're not making it as much as you think. And all of a sudden the team, like the Jets, brings in like four new guys and they're four the highest guys, highest paid guys. And, you know, we all just think everybody's happy. But, you know, you know, this is players have short careers. They keep track of the money, not just their production. Have you ever been in a locker room where free agency and bringing a guy in didn't

rub the locker room the right way? Of course. Of course. It happens more frequently than what I think we talk about it. Everyone in the locker room is going to question. Players understand, they know players. They know what is worth the money and they know what they feel to be not worth the money. And so when you bring or acquire a player who was in a system and they were productive in that

system, it's going to be questioned. whether or not they can be productive outside of that system. But I will caution you at this. Players make systems work. And systems make and showcase players in a better life. And so when you move guys from New England and you take them Trey Flowers and Trent Brown and Nate Solder and you put them in a different dynamic,

now they're playing for contract. They're not so much, yes, do they want to win? But they're playing for financial game. When you're in New England, you're not only playing, playing for a financial game, but you're playing with the standard and the bar being set as we win and we win championships. And so there's a different level of accountability. And I think you get more, so to speak, you ring out more in that sponge when you have a system and an organization like the New England Patriots. But I think you have to pay these guys.

You have to take that risk. You have to take that chance because, again, as I alluded to, players make systems work, but systems make players better. Yeah, I'm looking at all. I don't know if I'd ever do business with New England. The last two years, it's interesting. The teams that have done business with New England players have often been desperate teams. Oakland, Detroit, Miami, Tennessee, twice, and the Giants, teams that are either in a spot where they could go over the cliff or they've gone over the cliff.

So, you know, you can see the people. that are trying to get Patriot players and make it work, they're often teams that are a little desperate. And I kind of felt like that with Detroit yesterday. And I kind of feel like Tennessee may be doing the same thing. So Greg Jennings, good talking to you. Thanks for stopping by the show today. Absolutely. Appreciate you having me, as always. You know, it's funny about that. If Warren Buffett sold a stock, you'd be like, I may not buy the stock. If Bill Belichick sells a player, generally you'd be like, yeah, it's time to move off the player. but Wall Street is run by fear and greed

and the NFL is run by fear and desperation and start looking at all the players New England lets go of and where do they go? They don't go to the great teams very rarely. I mean, you know, Chris Long went to the Eagles, but generally it's a lot of Jets, Dorel Revis and Giants and Tennessee and Oakland and Detroit. Well, I'm not saying I wouldn't go in on a player

that's leaving New England, but I wouldn't pay him an incredible amount of money. Well, that's what they did yesterday. The Raiders. Like, based off of the track record that you just gave, there's nothing wrong with bringing that player onto your team, but investing in that player is a different story. Trey Flowers is a good player, but he's not a good player at that number.

And Trent Brown's a nice talent, but he's not at that number. This is a salary cap league. And I think, you know, you watch New England and everybody wants a piece in New England. But it's like Golden State Warriors right now. I mean, everybody's like, oh, everything works, and Clay Thompson and Steph and Kevin Iran. Somebody's going to overpay for Draymond Green. And it's like that system makes Draymond more than Draymond makes that system. And, you know, proximity to genius isn't genius.

We've seen that with Belichick's assistant coaches. And we're going to find out this year with all the McVeighiers. Yeah, Detroit, I think, overspent for Trey Flowers, Oakland overspent for Trent Brown. If Warren Buffett sells a stock, you may want to move off the. stock, Belichick moves off a player, he's generally right. Coming up next, I talked to a source in the last 24 hours that said, of course the Lakers are a mess. Look who's leading them. I'll explain that coming up. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. New England Patriots have a saying, we're not collecting talent. We're building a team.

And the way it generally works is I understand that, you know, a player's a great player and they usually go into two or three things. They become a broadcaster and some of the great players are great broadcasters. Most aren't. Tony Romo is the exception. And some great players go into business. Roger Stauback went into real estate and made a fortune. And then some go back into being an executive. Generally the way it works is the greater the player, the lousier the executive. Michael Jordan's a bad executive. Michael Jordan was a great player. Magic Johnson was not a good coach, not a great talk show host. I'm not sure he's a great president

because I was talking to somebody in the last 24 hours in the NBA. And they said, it's not a surprise the Lakers are a mess. They don't have a grinder in the building. He said, you've got a bunch of famous people. You have the famous daughter of a former owner. You have a former famous player magic.

You had a great famous, looks like Rob Lowe agent. And then you have LeBron James, who has some you know, influence over decisions. He goes, who's the analytic cruncher? Who's the grinder in the building? San Antonio's got a building full of grinders. So the more famous your front office, the more dysfunctional your front office.

Because the way it generally works, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson are so gifted, they get impatient. And if you look at the Lakers, they've gotten impatient with players. DeAngelo Russell, they got impatient. He's now an all-star. Julius Randall, they got impatient. He's averaging 21 a game for the Pelicans. Brooke Lopez, they got impatient.

He's now having his best shooting year. Stars, Larry Bird, got impatient with Paul George. Stars get impatient. Magic gets impatient. Michael Jordan bails on players because great players have the ability to just get stuff done. It's not a long journey. Michael was good really early. Magic was good really early.

And so, you know, when I heard Charles Barkley a couple years ago, I want to be in the front office, I'm like, yeah, it'd be terrible. is that you've got to be incredibly patient with basketball players. They come into this league at 18 years old. Most of them don't grow up emotionally until like they're 26 years old. And so apparently this story came out that Magic Johnson ignored the Lakers coaches during last year's free agency. Luke Walton and the coaches wanted to keep Julius Randall and wanted to keep Brooke Lopez.

And Magic got impatient with both. And so Nick Wright was talking about this this morning on first things first. The Lakers are missing a key ingredient. They need a nerd with the Lakers. They have two guys in the front office that fill the same role, relationship role, Polinka and Magic. One was an agent, the other's a legend. You need a number cruncher.

You need a guy in there that can say, here's a contract, here's a guy that's undervalued, as opposed to a guy that's overvalued. That's what I don't see in the Lakers front office. And this is what I'm told by people in the league. People think you can work the Lakers. because Magic, L.A. is already an impatient city. It's an entertainment capital.

Like, if a show comes out and it doesn't hit in the first three episodes, they stop the show. L.A. is an incredibly impatient town. And then the Lakers are an increasingly impatient brand. And oh, by the way, Magic Johnson is a personnel guy because he's a star is impatient. For the record, there is value to having a star in your building. John Elway, for instance, landed Peyton Manning. Because Peyton Manning's a star. John Elway's a star.

And stars kind of, it's almost like I was never a pro athlete and I interview pro athletes. But when I see pro athletes talking to each other, there's a code that I don't fit into, right? Because I didn't play pro athletes. There's like a language that they talk that I can't talk. Like I can never get past the velvet rope with most pro athletes. Stars take it to a different level. Magic. John Elway, Peyton Man.

Brady are in a different stratosphere. So there's value having John Elway in the building because he can land Peyton Manning. They talk the same language, the superstar language. They get each other. It's why actors and actresses often marry each other. They get each other. They get the burden of it, the greatness of it, the travel of it. So Elway lands Peyton Manning.

But he hasn't been great in the draft. That's the grinding part. And Magic Johnson was great landing LeBron. That's what stars do. He connected with LeBron. He goes and sits in LeBron's Brentwood House. and they talk about being global legends and icon. Very connective.

But the grinding part with the Lakers and the grinding part with the Denver Broncos, eh, not so much. And that's why the more famous the building, generally the worst of building. Like the Patriots say, we're not just collecting talent, we're building a team. The Lakers this year felt like a TV show. Rondo and LeBron and Lanzo Ball and Lance Stevenson and Javette. Had a bunch of characters. Didn't have a team.

They just had talent. Hour 2 coming up, Reggie Bush stopping by in L.A. It's the herd. One more herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week, within the IHeart Radio app.

Search Hurd to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like. Ah, hour 2 live in L.A. This is the herd. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening, IHeart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, and FS1. Joy Taylor joining me, Cole Beasley, slot receiver for the Cowboys just signed with the Buffalo Bills for a lot more money than I would have paid Cole Beasley. Holy moly, like $29 million. Well, they have a rookie quarterback. So this is

the new NFL. If you have Trubisky, Jared Goff, if you have a quarterback on a rookie deal, a Carson Wentz. I mean, I have to pay somebody. Deshawn Watson in Houston. This is what you do. You go out and spend money in free agency. And so Philadelphia still got Wentz on the rookie deal. They got Foles out of town, so they're spending money, and the bears are spending money. By the way, Baltimore, now that Flacco's out of town, they're paying Lamar Jackson nothing. So keep your eye on the Baltimore Ravens now to make a big splash. He was the last player taken in the first round. Flacco's out the door. So the Ravens are not playing the quarterback position anything right now. I mean, someone out there is going to pay Levy on Bell.

My guess is it will be like a Baltimore or a Jets that has a rookie quarterback. The New York Jets, by the way Anthony Barr is staying in Minnesota, but they went and spent a fortune on a middle linebacker, C.J. Mosley, who's a playmaker. I love him. Jameson Crowder, a slot receiver. Josh Bellamy, a special teams guy. And then they traded with the Raiders for a very, very top six, seven offensive guard in the NFL. I love what the Jets have done. And what the Jets are doing is basically by hiring Adam Gase an offensive guy, they're ensuring that Sam Darnold now has a better defense, has a better line, has a better receiving core. This is what Cleveland's doing with Baker Mayfield. So we've got a new trend in the

NFL where six of the eight division winners last year had quarterbacks on rookie contracts. And the other two division winners, Brady and Breeze, are taking pay cuts, you know, relative to what they could make. So we have a real trend in the NFL and that trend is you get your quarterback, Josh Allen, Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield, Lamar Jackson, Jared Goff. Rams have done this because Jared Goff's not making any money right now. So they go out and get Brandon Cooks and Marcus Peters and Sam Shields and Indomagansu and keep to leave. When you're paying your quarterback $9 million, instead of paying your quarterback $29 million,

that has a lot of money. Then you give them a lot of guaranteed money and that can free up salary space. And this is the new NFL and it's very exciting. The NBA free agency is usually a lot of rumors and two or three guys move. In the NFL, you get no rumors. It comes out of nowhere and the whole league's moving. I think it's fascinating. It's the new league.

I like it. And I think what it does ensure, we've got something going on in the NFL right now that is a really good trend for the league. Is that young quarterbacks, first round quarterbacks used to come into this league and they were a coin flip. 50% bust. That bust rate is dropping fast because now if you're on that rookie contract, because the first round, the CBA now, you're not paying what you used to for a Jamarcus Russell or a Sam Bradford. It doesn't paralyze an organization. So even if you get a kid like Baker Mayfield with a number one pick, you're not paying him enough.

So it frees up all this money because you're paying a quarterback 9, 10, 12 million bucks. And so it ensures that Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson are going to have better teammates. So the team becomes less reliant on the star quarterback. I think it's a great trend for the NFL because I thought the NFL was getting into a real rough situation years ago where you were paying first round players of fortune. walk into a locker room. They were 22 years old. They were eating up salary cap. The pressure was ridiculous. And you couldn't afford other players around him. Now it's the opposite. The actually, what it really did in a weird way, the NFL gave their money more to other players, just not rookies. And so now all these young quarterbacks, they're not busting because Lamar Jackson's

going to end up with all. Lamar Jackson and the Ravens have all sorts of players. Now, they lost Mosley, but I think they're going to go out and get Levian Bell. Levian Bell to me is going to end up with the bears or the Ravens. And in both instances, there's one reason, because they're not paying a quarterback anything. Great trend. Absolutely love it. And if you're, if you're Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield, Josh Allen, you feel pretty good today. Feel pretty good where you're at. By the way, Anthony Barr is not going to the Jets. He's kind of a versatile outside guy. Weird fit with the Jets. He's an interesting player where New York was going to use him as an edge rusher. I don't.

think he was the world's best fit. And so he goes back to Minnesota where he fits their scheme very well. And remember what Jay Glazer said a couple years ago. It's a copycat league, and you can see the momentum of the league has completely changed from accumulating draft picks and building solely through the draft until what we have now a free agent frenzy. Here's Glazer. Last couple of years, free agency's been a bad game of fantasy football. Guys whose names are big who are getting overpaid, and you just don't win that way. You don't And a lot of teams realize that. They're like, we're not doing this.

We're not going and throwing a boatload of money and then Domingu's shoes and all those guys. It's not a huge type of market because it just doesn't work that way. You've got to build through the draft and you've got to smartly go get an Andrew Whitworth. But then all of a sudden, the Philadelphia Eagles happened last year.

And the Eagles went out and they got guys like Alshon Jeffrey and the Chris Longs. And then they traded for J.I. They almost played this game that has become taboo in free agency. And all of a sudden, Philly had success with it. And that's why I think you see all these teams this year they have changed their ways.

They're like, oh, because it's a whatever have you done for me lately. I want to shift gear. Yeah, Philadelphia, which you didn't think had a lot of money. They've gone out, been very aggressive, and it's worked for them. It worked for the Rams. I think it worked for the Bears last year with Khalil Mack. It worked with a Cowboys, giving up a pick to get Amari Cooper. So, you know, and also the new collective bargaining in the NFL, less practice time.

You know, a lot of teams don't have the patience. They got a rookie quarterback. They want to get in players now. They don't want to have to develop draft picks. They want players. So hyper-aggressive Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Chicago. Keep your eye on Lavian Bell going to the Bears or the Ravens who have quarterbacks on rookie deals. I think that could happen today.

Lavian Bell intimated yesterday that he had a lot of options. And I think he's going to end up the Jets on the outside, but they have a rookie quarterback, too. Rookie quarterback deal. I want to shift to an incident happened last night with Russell. Westbrook. Russell Westbrook has had an incident in Minneapolis, Denver, Utah. He's an impulsive player. Kind of an impulsive personality. Not a bad guy, but once he gets inside of an arena, he'll shoot 10, 12, 13 threes. He's a relentless talent. And increasingly, he is having, with more frequency and intensity, issues with the fans. Go back to something. Here's some sound

of Russell Westbrook last night dealing with a fan at the end of the bench. Obviously, Westbrook's going to get some pushback threatening a woman that's not a good look for him. It's not a good look for the NBA. And I think Adam Silver and his staff are watching this stuff this morning. And they're kind of figuring out what I believe is the NBA got greedy. They've sold seats too close to the players. Players don't wear helmets like the NFL. They're not separated by a shield like hockey.

You have fans on top of these players. And a little alcohol and social media has empowered fans. they think they can get away with more, and you've got a little problem on your hands. Regardless, if it's Westbrook's fault or not, regardless, this is not going away. These are increasing in intensity. They're increasing in frequency. So you've got to protect the player. I noticed this about five or six years ago in the NBA, where they took all these broadcasters that were courtside and they threw them upstairs so they could sell four more seats.

NBA, you're making so much money on your television deals. take a few seats back. Give player space. I'm not saying Westbrook's at fault. I'm not saying the fan is I don't care. But I know this. Russell Westbrook's an asset and a commodity in one of the faces of this league.

And this is a bad look. And you've got incident I'm showing here where a fan's on the court. And listen, Russell's an impulsive athlete. He's an impulsive player. And generally your game becomes your personality. Magic's a giving person. Magic was a giving player.

So you got a problem on your hand. and it's not about blaming anybody. The fan, maybe he is a racist, maybe he's awful. I'm not denying that. But it doesn't change the fact that Russell's going to be in an arena tomorrow night and there's going to be more fans and they could be jerks. So my takeaway is on all this stuff is NBA, you're making enough money.

I see your TV contracts. You're making $1.4 billion from the place I used to work. Just on that contract, really start taking back. some seats giving athletes space, making the corridors to the arena, out of the arena a little further apart. I know you want to give everybody access and you charge people a lot, but these people are performing. These people are athletes performing. I can't run on the stage during Cirque de Soleil. I can't run on the Broadway stage. You can't have people. And like you go to Broadway plays in New York, they'll take your cell phone away. They'll throw you out of the building if your ringer goes off.

So we've got, and also, I mean, increasingly it is, you go to these arenas in the NBA and you've got cocktail waiters, literally circle to the building, social lubrication, everybody gets more courage with a couple of Heineken's. It's just, and listen, I could pounce on Westbrook today. I've been banging on Westbrook for years. But I've got sympathy for the proximity, the alcohol. They're on top of players. players feel vulnerable and sensitive, just like when the malice in the palace happened. I sided with the players. I said, if you walked into the building as an opposing player and people threw stuff at you, it's the old fight or flight theory with like animals, like you freak out.

Like you either run, uh-oh, I can't get out of this arena or you fight back. And Ron Arteast at the time, Meta World Peace, run our test. I defended him. And I said, you got these players walk into a building. there's 20,000 people in this building, and you're throwing stuff at players. And you can blame the athletes all you want. But when we pay money,

we have to give these performers on Broadway and in sports arena space. And I will forever defend the players in Malice and the Pals. They went back and looked at the people, the fans that were involved in this. And there were a half a dozen fans that had criminal records. There are people that go to the arenas to heckle.

I've gone to comedy shows where there are people that go there to get noticed and heckled. This is going to get ugly with Westbrook. And maybe it'll be his fault. Maybe it won't. But NBA, take some seats back. Take some seats back. Fans are way, way too close. Way too close.

Russell Westbrook, after the game last night, said, well, here he is. Young man and his wife in the stands told me to get down on my knees like he used to. And for me, that's just completely disrespectful to me. I think it's racial. I think it's just inappropriate. That's just one video, but throughout the whole game, since I've been here, especially here in Utah, every time I come here, there's a lot of disrespectful things I said.

And for me, I'm just not going to continue to take the disrespect for my family. I don't think it's fair to the players, not just to me, but I don't think it's fair to the players. And if I had to do it over again, I would say the same exact thing. Listen, in a perfect world, it wouldn't bother him, right? But certain players, you know, you have friends. Are some of your friends more sensitive? Are some of your friends more impulsive? Yes.

Anybody watching have kids? Your kids are different. The shy kid, the outspoken kid, people are different. Russell Westbrook hears it. It bothers him. He can be kind of impulsive as a personality. All right. The NBA's made up of all sorts of personalities.

There's coaches that get a lot of technicals. They're coaches that don't yell at referees. There's big players. There's small players. There's dynamic players. There's role players. There's star players. And the same with the personalities.

Ideally, Westbrook would be like Kobe. Wink, he'd be Reggie Miller. He'd take this stuff and make you laugh about it. I mean, Reggie Miller was playful with this stuff. Russell Westbrook's not playful with. with it and it bothers him. So protect him. All right, we've got good stuff today. Reggie Bush around the corner. He's got all sorts of thoughts on, I've got to be honest with you. I've been watching the NFL. Joe, you have forever. This year's free agency, it's crazy town. I mean, it's just like

every five minutes a player changes team. And good players. Like C.J. Mosy from the Ravens of the Jets is a big ton of quarterbacks. Yes. We got players moving. It's fun. Our new Fox colleague, Reggie Bush, around the corner. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd, weekdays and New Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the I-Hard Radio app. 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 athletes themselves. Their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context, and ask the questions everybody wants answered.

Sports Slice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to Sports Slice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Sliced Life 12 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. I'm talking. Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing,

we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person

while you hear on earth, or are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing,

growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way. Open your free, Our Heart Radio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. 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.

Ferraris and Lamborghinis, private jets, meeting the president of Turkey. I'm Michelle McPhee, and this is one of the most shocking criminal conspiracies I've ever come across. When Jacob met Levan this went to a billion dollar fraud. But with two kings from entirely different worlds, just how long can their empire 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 podcasts. Life throws hurdles big and small. The question is, how do you conquer them? On hurdle 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. It's hard to be in spaces that no one looks like you, but don't ever feel like you don't. Don't feel on. Don't let that be the reason you don't do it. An Olympic champs Gabby Thomas and Katie Ladecki. The ability to show gold medal to someone and have their face light up and smile, that means the world to me. And that's what motivates me to win more gold medals.

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

Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHeart Women's Sports. Welcome back, my absolute pleasure, to introduce a new colleague and a coworker. Reggie Bush has been signed on by Fox Sports. He's going to join Urban Meyer and Brady Quinn and Matt Linerd. I almost said Matt Lauer.

And Rob Stone will host. It is the new Fox Saturday. pre-game show in the fall, 12 Eastern. You're going to be part of what I think is going to be an amazing ensemble of people. You got a Notre Dameer. You got your teammate Maddie. Urban Myers, obviously, to me, Nick Sabin and Urban, the two best college coaches in the history of college football.

So congratulations. And Fox, you work with the New Orleans Saints who have a great reputation of treating their players and former players well. I will say the same thing with Fox, best place I've ever worked, best management, treat people well. It is interesting. You know, you're going to work with Brady Quinn. He's a Notre Dameer.

And when I think of you, there's two college games I think of, the Fresno State game, where you were like crazy town. And then the Notre Dame game. I watched that game on my couch in Connecticut. And I literally was nervous. When you were in that game, you're 19 years old. Did you understand? Some say it's the greatest college game ever played. Did you get how big it was?

During the game, no. after the game, I felt just, I felt all the emotions of winning the game. It was one of the only times I actually cried after the game, just broke down just in emotions because we had put so much into that game and everything leading up to it and just the way we won and just knowing that this, you know, at the end, at the end of the day, this was one of the greatest games I had ever played in. And I realized that right after the game. And a lot of great players in the game, that was Zivikowski hit me in the back right there.

You know, obviously, Brady Quinn, but it was just such a great game. And, you know, obviously, I'm glad we were on the winning side, but I've also been a part of a great game that we were on the losing side, which is the Texas game, you know. And so that's what's amazing about sports is just that, you know, you can't predict the outcomes, right? And you just never know. And, again, like you said, that was one of the greatest games ever played in.

You know, Reggie, the USC stuff for you did not end on the greatest note, the NCAA. How do you reconcile all of it? Have you ever sat down? I mean, because I know you've talked about it before. But not really in depth, though, in detail. Not really in detail. There will be a time and a place for that, though.

Well, let's address something. When I say USC, you've got blowback from fans. You're the most exciting player in school history. You're their Mount Rushmore guy. Then you have the NCAA stuff. A lot of pushback from fans. Now you're going to be a college broadcaster. When I say USC to you today, is there love, is their anxiety?

How do you feel about that relationship? USC will always have a special place in my heart because I made so many relationships with players who are still some of my best friends to this day, with coaches who are still some of my best friends to this day, people who still work there at the university who I still talk to. And it was a great place for me.

It was a great landing spot. You know, it was truly meant to be. I believe that, you know, me going there was fate. You know, I believe that it was meant for me to go there. And I go back to the recruiting trip because I didn't take all my recruiting visits. I had five and I only went to Washington was first. I hated it. Didn't like it.

It was raining and cold. And then I went to USC and it just felt right. And there was something about the intuition and the feeling in my gut that, you know, this is where I was meant to be. made it right there on the spot. And fast forward to a couple of years, you know, I was able to to win a Heisman trophy. We were able to play in a lot of great games. You know, I said in college, and I said in high school that I was going to win a Heisman trophy. So this wasn't something that was just on my mind when I got to USC. This was something I was thinking about and I had

put out into the atmosphere long before I got to USC. And it is true that words do have power. Yeah. You're one of the five most popular college players of my lifetime. Tim Tebow. I appreciate that. Thank you. No, you were. Reggie Bush, Tim Tebow, I say Johnny Mansell. Vince Young was wildly popular. But you're in a very rarefied air when it comes to that. I want to shift to a couple things.

I want to shift to the NFL. So, you know, there was some free agency when you played, but it is nuts. It's crazy. We have the jets going out and signing multiple players. What do you make of it? Now, you've been in locker rooms where they bring in a free agent. It doesn't always land well. Sometimes you pay that expensive linebacker.

he gets in the room and you're thinking, I'm twice the linebacker, I've been loyal to the organization, and you paid this guy. The Jets brought in four players, maybe more. Is that too many free agents? Well, listen, the Jets got to get better. The Jets struggled last year. I don't know if you watched any of the Jets games, but they were not just one player away. Like they needed a lot more pieces to that puzzle. And so getting a guy like C.J. Mosley, to me, I don't know how the Ravens let him out the building.

He is a dynamic. He's a beast. and just looking at the Baltimore Ravens defense, it's not there anymore. They're completely gone. Weddell's gone. C.J. Mosley's gone. Terrell Suggs is gone.

I don't know how they're going to survive next year in that division. I picked the Browns to win that division. But going back to the Jets, I like what they're doing. I like the aggressive mentality because a lot of the coaches there were on our Super Bowl team. Greg Williams, Joe Vitt, who's a linebacker's coach there. So I'm very familiar with these guys with their kids. character with their report, and I know that they're getting really, really good coaches. And that's what they need.

They need good coaches. They got good players. They got a good young quarterback like Sam Darnold, who has a tremendous upside and a bright future in the league. And so I'm looking forward to seeing how this Jets team plays out next year because I think they're going in the right direction. C.J. Mosley is a pro-bowl linebacker. Crowder is a tremendously clever smart veteran slot guy.

I agree. And they went and got one of the best guards in the league. They also have, I think, the third pick where, so they'll have Jamal Adams Safety, C.J. Moseley linebacker, Leonard Williams up front. Each unit's got a star, and they are probably going to take the Alabama Interior lineman Williams. So that will give them another star. So the Jets look like a substantially better player. They do. I want to ask you about Kyler Murray.

Yes. So when you came into the league, I remember what I said on the air. I said, you were a satellite player. I said, I just want to see Reggie Bush in space, punt return, kick returners. He's not a between-the-tackle-32 carry guy. I'm like, all I know is Reggie Bush will give me 88 yards a game. I don't care. How he gets him, but he'll give me 88 yards.

Kyler Marie is one of those players. Not big enough for me. Runs a little bit too much. But he just, it's production. He's productive. Are we getting too caught up in his size, or do you think it could play a factor? You played with a small quarterback, Drew Brees.

I played with Drew Brees, who was a smaller quarterback, and I never felt like he was too short. I never felt any time in the game where there was an issue with his height where I couldn't see him. There were a handful of times where I couldn't see him when I was running like a five-yard checkdown

and there was linemen blocking my vision from seeing him and all of a sudden the ball would just appear out of nowhere, but Drew plays big. He doesn't play like he's six foot. He plays like he's about 6-2-6-3. His release point. And his release point is high, right?

And so I think for Kyle Murray, all he's been told his whole career, his whole life probably is that he's too short, right? He's too small. And look how far he's gotten to this point now. And you don't win a Heisman trophy, you don't get drafted in baseball, and soon to be the number one pick in football by not having tremendous leadership, tremendous work ethic. You know, all the things that he was kind of getting knocked for in the combine where he went and did some of those interviews. To me, talk to the people who know him, talk to his head coach, talk to his family, talk to the players who play with them because they, all say something different. They all say that, no, this guy can play and he makes the guys around him

better. And so to me, when I turn on the film, I see a great player, regardless of his size. I see a guy who can create space with his legs, who can extend plays and extend play to the point to where he can find open windows, right? Like, if he can't sit back in the pocket and find, he can move to where he can find that open window. Yeah, and the other thing about Kyler Murray, the one thing I really like and it's the one thing Baker Mayfield kind of wore me out with some of his annex but I always said with Baker he can't bust because he throws too good a football when you watch Kyler Murray throw a football it's like a real football like he puts velocity on he guy maybe 5-9 but he throws a real NFL football finally and and reggie

Bush is here he is part of our new Fox a pregame a Saturday college football show noon Eastern urban Meyer Matt Leinert Brady Quinn Reggie Bush Rob Stone and who did I miss out on nobody no way it's going to be great show yeah it's going to be fantastic I want to ask you about the situation with Russell Westbrook last night. So my takeaway this morning is hockey players are protected by glass. Baseball players and football players by space. The NBA has sold virtually every seat in the building to fans. They've pushed broadcasters upstairs.

And I think proximity is a major problem in the NBA. And it's getting worse. When you looked at this, did you side with Westbrook? Was there part of you that understood it? I understood it 100% because if football fans were that close to the field, there would be a lot more fights. I promise you there would be a lot more fights because I think football fans are some of the worst fans because of the things that they say because they feel like they're separated enough

to where they can literally just say anything. By the way, it's Sunday. It's not a work day. So those afternoon games, fans come to tailgate. They walk into a stadium lubricated. And so I side with Russell Westbrook because, for one, fans have gotten to the point to now, especially I've been in a bunch of basketball games where they just feel like they can just say anything to you because they feel like they have an influence on the game, right?

And I've always felt like those court-sized seats are just too close. Like I'm surprised that somebody hasn't gotten hurt to the extent of where they're paralyzed. Because you see these big basketball players, 6-8. LeBron James is flying full speed at you to, die for basketball, you can't get out of the way of that. He's 6-8, his length is going to hit about 10 people. So I've always felt like the basketball fans are entirely too close. I think when you look at like college basketball, like March Madness,

when I watch, for whatever reason, they're farther from... Oh, usually, yes. They're usually farther, right? And so to me, that's the right way to do it because these fans are too close. You see guys running up to him on the court after games, like, that's not acceptable. And I think basketball, they've got to be more proactive in this. I remember seeing this picture of Yolkeem Noah when he was leaving. I think he got ejected from the Miami basketball game.

And as he's walking out, there's a picture of a lady who was literally flipping him off. And her finger is about this close to his face as he's walking out of stadium. And Yolkeem Noah, people know him from being kind of a fiery guy. Yeah, big energy. He just kept walking. And he kept walking straight. past the lady, and I never forget that picture because I said to my wife,

I don't know if I could have handled it as well as he did in that position, because that was, for one, it was, she was out of pocket, man. I mean, that's just, you can't have that happening. And expect a player who was playing in this sport where he's supposed to be aggressive. And he's already in a heightened emotional space walking off the floor. He just got ejected from the game. Exactly. You flipping him off this close to his face. She's

Lucky something worse than happened. By the way, the new show you're on is 11 Eastern. I said noon. The game starts at noon. The show starts at 11 Eastern right before the noon Eastern games. Reggie Bush, Urban Meyer, Matt Liner, Brady Quinn, Rob Stone. Cannot wait. I'm excited to be here.

I can't wait to help be a part of this show and hopefully help take it to the next level, man. I'm looking forward to it. We're looking forward to having you. Great to have you as a teammate now. Joy Taylor with the News. No. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news.

So another interaction with a fan, slightly less volatile, was James Dolan getting slightly sensitive about a fan telling him he should sell the team. So he said he was banned and told him he could watch them on TV and the fan was later scored out. Security is not totally clear if he actually is banned or not. So the owner of a team can't handle that,

but we won't support a player who's got a real heckler. All this fan said was sell this. team. By the way, so an adult, you know, a 65-year-old billionaire can't handle that, and everybody's banging on Westbrook today because he got a little sensitive. Give me a break. Yeah. Yeah, a little disparity in the outreach. Y'all don't want to see me if I become a billionaire. Well, former Nick Charles Oakley responded to Dolan's handling of the incident, and he called for Adam Silver to take action. He told Frank Isola of the athletic, the commissioner needs to step in and do something, suspend him something.

He can't keep getting away with it. This man told the security guards to throw me out for no reason. Look at what happened to me and other fans in New York. It keeps happening, yet there's no punishment. The fans are better, but there are too many distractions in New York and it all starts with the owner. I like Adam Silver a lot, but there's a couple

of leadership opportunities here. Like there's a couple of moments now, and I think Adam's a really smart guy and I'd love to have him on the show. But there are situations here. Adam has always been very pro player and he has to be pro owner, but we got a

Dolan situation that's embarrassing in a Westbrook situation where he needs help. Adam, like this is something's got to be done on this stuff. The connecting string here is interactions with fans, right? So obviously everyone is pretty much in

agreeance that James Dolan is overreacting to being told to sell the team. I think that's within anyone's common sense area of heckling that's not over the line. You know, it's a fan telling him to sell the team. There's nothing inappropriate or personal about it. While I'm not a big, like, I don't encourage people to heckle. I feel like that's within balance. What happened with Russell Westbrook is obviously the complete other

spectrum of that. But whatever needs to happen to protect players and honestly protect fans in the case of James Dolan, if you can't, if you can't say something to the owner without getting kicked out, there's just a huge disparity. I mean, we're showing the interaction with Madison Square Gardens become a circus. It was so, that was honestly a really sad moment for the NBA. God. He was a legend in that building. And it was just,

that building's become toxic. It could not have been handled worse. Sticking with the next, Charles Barkley doesn't believe that Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are tough enough to play in New York City. He told Sports Illustrated, you ain't tough enough to play in New York. I don't think Durant or Kyrie are tough enough to play in New York.

Kyrie's a very good player. Kevin's a great player, but I'm not sure that they have the mental makeup to play in New York. Those guys are complaining about the media and asking questions. Maybe New York isn't for them. By the way, New York's Sports Illustrative. Can we stop with how tough New York is? Well, he's referring, I think, to the media in New York and maybe a little bit of the fans,

but I'm pretty sure he's alluding to the media. If you win games in New York, that media babies you like every other place. I mean, come on. Like, you know what I don't know. I clearly, I mean, I obviously don't agree with this. It's not the same. same, it's not the same New York that it was when Charles Barkley was playing. When I lived in Connecticut, one of the first things that really struck me from the New York

media was how soft they were. Like if Eli Manning has had this protective media shield for a decade, he's been a shot fighter for five years. Well, I do think that the media, not just New York, the media in general will turn on you if you aren't winning games, especially if you're in a major market. I mean, I think we've seen that here in L.A., it's a pretty good example of that. But if Durant and Kyrie were together, they'd win a bunch of games. Right.

Yeah. But what would the expectations be of them together? It would be championships. Yes, and then maybe they could get... So winning a bunch of games really wouldn't be the standard. The standard right now is just to win a bunch of games. The real standard if Kevin Durant and Kyrie were there would be to win a championship. So I do understand what he's saying from that perspective.

And I think he's, you know, he's talked about Kyrie and he's kind of alluding to them just being too sensitive. I don't agree with that. I think if they just chose to go to New York, they know what they were signing up for. Finally, Serge Ibaka and Marquis Chris were ejected in the third quarter last night after getting into a scuffle on the baseline. Ibaka fell to the floor attempting to catch a full court inbound pass, and they had an exchange of words. And then there were a few punches were thrown, and it got pretty heated pretty quickly. Oh, yikes. I didn't see that. That was a haymaker. Holy moly. It escalated quickly. Well, Iba got a one-game suspension in January of last year.

dang after he and James Johnson of the heat exchange punches so they're assuming that it's going to be between three and five games Toronto also lost another two and a half games back from the number one seat in the east to the bucks I didn't see that Sergei Baca fight

holy, that was a big old haymaker I think the fans wanted to get involved in that one yeah I think you'd step back on that one joy with the news well that's the news and thanks for stopping by the herd lie news What's Odell Beckham Jr. like as a teammate, Connor Barwin, who was with the Giants last year,

will stop by next and tell us, it's the hurt. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. In four days, two of the best pound-for-pound fighters on the planet put their perfect records on the line at AT&T Stadium as Errol Spence Jr. takes on Mikey Garcia for the World Walterweight Championship. Saturday 9 p.m. Eastern 6 Pacific live on pay-per-view. Order now. Connor Barwin has played in the NFL for 10 years and he's not done under Chip Kelly, under Sean McVeigh, Brian Kelly at Cincinnati, Doug Peterson, Pat Shermer, and he is one of the more charitable guys, a pro bowler in 2014 and Connor's joining us now.

You were with the Giants last year, so the first obvious question is, how was Odell Beckham as a teammate? Great. He was an awesome teammate. I loved playing with him for a year. He probably the most talented athlete I've ever been around. 10 years. In 10 years, playing college basketball, playing 10 years in the NFL, the most freak athlete I've been around. Challenging? What do you mean challenging? To coach. Probably because he's so special in what teams do to him defensively is unlike any other player. I was in the division with Philly and we literally bracketed him every single play every time we played him, which that doesn't happen to anybody else in the league. So you need to get him involved somehow. You have to

because he's such a special player. And I think that's hard for coaches to figure out how to do. I think next year, after having a year with him and Saquan, I think Shermer will probably be better at finding ways to get him involved in the game earlier. But, yeah, because he's so special and so much different than anybody else, I think it can be challenging and how to fit him into the game plan. Yeah, I talked to him about two weeks ago for 20 minutes. I liked him.

And I think sometimes when you're as gifted as, you know, these Steph Currys and these Odell Beckams and these Antonio Browns, O'Dell had an injury, and I think there's kind of a sense of, this isn't going to last forever. I want to be, because I think O'Dell could be an all-timer. Do you sense with O'Dell, and this is totally understandable, there is a sense of urgency now to start winning games and getting Hall of Fame opportunities? Well, I think there's always been that sense, and I think he's always known how special of a player he is. I think when you look at last year, you have to be very careful when you evaluate it because the Giants, we just weren't a very good team. And so it's

hard for any player to be incredibly successful. I mean, we went through 10 different offensive linemen. And so Eli, you know, he's just back there with, you know, two seconds, got to get rid of the ball. So if the Giants can just, you know, improve some of the O'Line, improve some of the D-line, win a couple more games, control the ball a little bit more, I think you'll see O'Dell, you know, those numbers come back and be even better in the future. surprised Antonio Brown won the situation. Yeah, unbelievable. So as a player, I mean, you never see that happen in the NFL.

I thought the Steelers would just keep them on the team and find them every single day once camp started. And there would be some kind of resolution, you know, at the end of camp or something. But I couldn't believe what he did last year as a player to not show up for the last game. But to have this kind of public feud with management. And win. And really win. You know, it's great from a player's standpoint. Now, at the same time, you know, the grass isn't always green on the other side.

He's going to make more money. He's out of, you know, the Steelers organization. But his whole career, he's had Rathlberger. And he's had an incredible nine years. Now he's got Derek Carr and the Raiders. We'll see what kind of success they have together. Connor Barwin joining us. When you talk about free agency, you're going to sign, you're an unsigned free agent.

You're going to sign again. What does matter? Because these players have choices. Labian Bell has choices. Is it location? Like I would think I'd want to join a winning culture. But I also can be a broadcaster until I'm 60. Money is a real thing.

Yeah. Well, I think it matters, you know, what point you're at in your career. I think for me, there's always been kind of two or three things that have been most important. All players won't say this, but it is undoubtedly one of the most important things is money. Of course. How much you're going to get paid. I think me at the end of my career now, money is. much less important and winning is by far the most important thing but winning was

always is always part of the decision and with winning comes the kind of system you're going into and you want to play into a system that will benefit your kind of skill set so I think those are the two things that matter most throughout your career is how much money you're gonna make and is it is it a system offensively or defensively that fits what you're good at and then other things are add-ons like if you know guys that play there that you like that's good if it's you know if you like California you can go back home to California that's good. But those are just kind of things at the end. There's been a lot of different cultures you've

been in locker rooms. The Philadelphia Chip Kelly situation started well, went sideways. He brought that college environment in. It just, the NFL wasn't quite ready for it. What's the best locker room you've ever been in and why? Well, the best and probably the most fun for me was the first locker room I was in. And that was Gary Kubiak. Yeah, in Houston with Wade Phillips and Gary. And that was a different time in the league. But Kubiak very much was very serious. You had to be accountable. But he treated everybody like men.

And if you took care of your business, you were good with Kubbs. And then we just had a great group of guys. Wade Phillips was a coordinator, wasn't he? Yeah, Wade was there. Wade's the best. I mean, everybody loves playing for Wade. And Wade likes to have fun. So there was a nice balance between Kub's and how serious he was and Wade and having fun.

And both of them have been around the league and been around. on great players for so long, so they knew how to handle us as guys. And they just kind of let you be individuals. And then, you know, I've been a lot. I mean, Chip was, Chip changed the NFL in a lot of ways. He was kind of behind up play. Exactly. But he just kind of kept, every year it was about doing something innovative, something new, something different. And after three years, it was like, we need to figure out what it is we do and just do that. Sure. And then McVeigh is special too. I got to play with him two years ago. What did you make of Sean? Well, he's young and just the energy he has. You know what I mean? I think the energy that he brought every single day was special. And the way he made practices

kind of competitive and got kind of guys excited about practicing, I think was special. And that's hard to do in the NFL with how much you practice, how much people get injured in practice. And McVeigh was great at kind of getting people excited to practice and compete. You know, you've played a long time in the NFL. You still look great. You feel healthy. Ten years in the NFL. You know, there's been a lot of injury, concerns, I contend the league's actually a little safer now than it's ever been. They're modifying rules. You've been in this league now 10 years.

You're still capable of playing. You still have a love for the game. Is there been one big change? Is it the pace of play? Used to everybody huddled? I mean, like, what's the biggest change for you in a decade in this league? Related to like health and safety? Anything like the schemes, the health, the nutrition.

The biggest change is kind of what changed. chipped it. And it's the focus on what you do off the field. You know, like, when I got in the league 10 years ago and you flew home from a game, there was like, there was booze on all the planes. And we were, you know, we were having a good time after every single game flying home. You know, the last couple of years, there's nothing. There's, and when we have all these dietitians, everybody's talking about proteins and all this kind of stuff, which when I first got in league 10 years ago, there wasn't this focus on sleep and diet and all that kind of stuff. And that has totally changed. Kids that are these big

college programs. They're even starting in high school where they have all these special trainers and people that take care of the diet. So I think that the health and the way people take care of their bodies outside of the game. That's good to hear, actually. I love that. Yeah, yeah. And it's guys are being healthier and they're playing longer. It's also making the game faster and improving, you know, improving the game. You think O'Dell Beckham, a minute left. Do you think the Giants trade him? No. You don't. I don't. Too special of a player. And I think, I think it would be a little reaction of them because last year things didn't go well. Right. It was a bad, bad setup. But, you know, I had my worst career ever because we were a bad team. A lot of guys had their, you know, OV

didn't have a great year. Tons of guys didn't have a good year. We were one in six, seven, seven games in. Like, no one was playing well. So if you have a special player like that, you don't go and get rid of him and think that's going to be the difference. Great meeting, you Connor Barwin. Good luck to you. Thank you. Thanks for having you. Caps, Penguins tonight. It's the Discover Card Key Matchet. Get your free credit score. card today. We'll not hurt your credit. Include your FICA credit score.

Learn more at Discover.com slash credit scorecard. Limitations apply. Hour three is coming up. We're rolling on. We'll keep updating you on the NFL free agent activity. It's the herd. Want more herd?

The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week within the IHeart radio app. Search Hurd to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like. Ah, live in LA. This is the herd. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening, IHeart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, and FS1. We're also on Sirius XM Channel 83.

Joy Taylor is joining me. Joy, how are you? Great. Good morning. We've got all sorts of stuff happening in the NFL, including by the end of the show, we could have a massive story. So don't go anywhere.

Is that Big J journalism? We could have a massive story. 15 minutes, Brian Scalabrini. We'll be joining us as well. Best for last. There's all these new relationships forming in the NFL. Antonio Brown, John Gruden. We'll give you our 10 most captivating relationships in the NFL this year.

Some really interesting ones are forming. And again, in about five minutes, seven minutes, I think a story, could break. But the Thunder last night, this is a good Western conference game. The Thunder beat the jazz. They could meet in the playoffs. But we're all talking today about something else that happened during the game. So last night, Russell Westbrook, incident with a fan, fan says he said he said something. Westbrook said he said something else. But what would worry me if I was the NBA is the frequency and the intensity of these situations. Now the fan could be a big jerk. I've said before, I hate hecklers. I would have almost no tolerance if I was a general

manager or any commissioner of a sport. But here's the thing. I can't control those fans. Maybe the guy's a racist. Maybe the guy's a jerk. And I'm not sure I can control Westbrook, but I should at least give him the tools to deal with this. More security, more space. maybe a watchdog around him to hear what fans are saying. Because what I'm concerned about is the frequency and the intensity of these situations. Three years ago, and I'm not a psychologist, but three years ago, this was not Russell Westbrook. He was an 85% free throw shooter, and he was kind of a well-like guy in the NBA. Three years later, his game is deteriorating and his personality is detonating.

And that worries me. last year Utah, this year, Denver, then the kid, then the fan. I'm not saying fans can't be jerks. And I'm not saying in all these incidents, the fans aren't wrong. This fan, people say he was on internet, there was racist stuff on his account. I'm not denying that. But Russell Westbrook in the next week is going to go to another arena. It's not going to be empty.

There's going to be fans there. And so who knows what happened to. Westbrook to increase the intensity and the frequency of these. You know, I'm not a psychologist. Kevin Durant's gone on to star. Hardin's gone on to star. Maybe that bothers him. Maybe the surgeries have made him, you know, less of a player.

He's struggling with that. Maybe Paul George's emerges. I don't know. But this is just basic psychology stuff. It's the intensity and the frequency because it's not like he wasn't heckled three years ago. I sat at Laker games listening to Kobe Bryant get heckled. You don't think LeBron's been heckled? Michael Jordan heckling.

And by the way, some of those could have been racial. I'm not, listen, there's inappropriate stuff in European soccer, international hockey, NBA. I'm not denying any of that. But like I told my son, I can't control fans. I can't control their kids. And I'm not sure I can control you or Westbrook. But I have to give you tools to better equip yourself. Adam Silver's got to step in.

By the way, Roger Goodell's changing rules. Why? To protect players. his players hurt. These players are commodities. These players are assets. Russell Westbrook is the face of a franchise, the face of a division, and one of the seven faces of the league. And this is not going to get better. Fans are now sensing stuff bothers him. So they're poking and they're poking and they're poking and they're dangling and they're poking and it's getting worse. This is where a commissioner

has to step in and protect his player. And I'm I don't have the answers. But I would hire security. I think I've seen it, you know, last night, James Hardin's walking off the court and he's high fiving fans. I think fans are too close to players. I'm showing an incident on FS1 where there's a player, Westwell, Westbrook's on the floor, and a fan runs up to him.

That's not appropriate. That's not appropriate. And in football, there is a gap between fans and player. In hockey, there's a wall. In baseball, God, in Oakland, it's like a parking lot between a first basement and the fans. NBA, they're right on top of the players. And these are young players and their stars. And Adam Silver's recently said, many are unhappy.

They're on their Instagram. They're on their Twitter. The intensity and frequency of this stuff, you got to step in. Listen, I could, you know, I was saying this morning, he feels like West broken, not Westbrook. His shots broken. His personality here's a little. a little more unhinged than usual. And this stuff's escalating.

So get him help. Get him security. Get him space. Get him a therapist. But this could end up being really bad. And I'm not going to just blame Westbrook if he throws a punch in the next two weeks. It's not going to be all on him. Listen, you got to be culpable.

I tell my son all the time. Hey, it's how you handle this chaos. So you'll be eventually to blame. but players, most millionaires in America, you know, you get to be 50, you've worked hard, you've put money away. Pro sports is cruel. Hey, you're 24. Here's a pile of money. Well, I don't know exactly stress. Here's a bunch of fame. Well, I'm from a small town. I'm 25 years old. Pro sports is rough, and I know nobody wants to hear it because they're all rich. But these players are increasingly targets, fans on top, they've sold the tickets next to the players,

fans can be jerks. Somebody's got to help Westbrook. That is the role of a commissioner. Protect your players. Also, there is a story here is developing Ian Rappaport at Rapsheet. The Jets have made a best and final offer to Lavian Bell, who lost 14.5 million last year by sitting out the season. So Levy and Bell's looking for a big payment, right?

The Ravens are still in it as well, said Ian Rappaport. Levian Bell has indicated to friends around the league how much he likes Baltimore. Ravens and Jets for Bell. There's a lot of interesting things here, first of all. I'm not sure why this is taken long because everybody's already gotten paid. I mean, this thing happened fast. Everybody's getting money fast. The guys that were good players got paid fast.

The average players got overpaid. I don't know what the weight is on Labian Bell. He lost 14.5 million last year not playing, and running backs generally don't make a fortune. Are the offers not as rich as Labian Bell wants? He's been suspended twice. He had a torn knee, and he's got heavy usage. So I don't think the offers are going to be quite as gigantic as Labian Bell wants.

Maybe that's why it's slow to. come around. I don't think there's a ton of offers. Todd Gurley-Syman-the-Rams. They spotted arthritis. I think that's scared teams off. We have a history in the NFL where you can go find running backs. Karim Hunt's all over this draft. There's a history in the NFL being great running backs that weren't even drafted. So I'm kind of interested in the pace of this. Everybody's gotten paid very quickly. Average guys have gotten paid. Almost everybody's getting overpaid. What's the weight on Labian Bell? Now, the Jets. appeared to be out of the sweepstakes until Anthony Barr, who they thought they had, went back to the Vikings.

That cleared up money. Now, I do think this helps Sam Darnel. All the teams in free agent moves, I like what the Jets have done. They went and got a Pro Bowl guard from the Raiders. That was one of their weaknesses. They went and got a slot receiver from Washington, Crowder. Very clever, crafty, interior receiver. Adam Gase, that's a perfect player for him.

Lavian Bell would be a pass-catching running back. They have a young tight end I like, and they have Robbie Anderson a deep threat. So what the Jets would be doing is basically something that I think is really smart. We've got this franchise quarterback. He did not work with a defensive head coach. We're bringing in an offensive coach, a slot receiver, drafting the line, acquiring line, star running back. It makes a lot of sense for the New York Jets. Now, it similarly does for the Ravens.

I think both these fits are very good for him. The Ravens have a young quarterback. All young quarterbacks benefit from star running backs. But Lamar Jackson seemed to very quickly work well with tight ends. Baltimore going forward is going to run the football a lot. It's their culture and it's how Lamar plays. I think he fits Baltimore perfectly. In fact, when the season ended, my first gut feeling on Lavian Bell was Baltimore.

I thought it was the perfect fit for him. He's really, Lamar Jackson is going to need a great running back. That's going to, I think Mitch Trubisky similarly, Mitch Trubisky and Lamar Jackson, I never think you're going to be elite world class throwers of the football. They could both really use a pound it running back. The Jets, Darnold's a better thrower than Trubisky, Lamar Jackson, in my opinion. They could go draft a running back and be fine.

This would expedite Donald's weapons and perhaps expedite his embers. improvement and production certainly. So that's the story right now. Labian Bell, Baltimore and the Jets are the leaders. There were a couple of teams out there that I heard about. There was a rumor about the Colts. I never really bought that. I don't think he fits their culture.

Listen, it's going to be interesting. Everybody's signed. Like everybody's done. I do wonder why Lavian Bell is still out there. With his talent and with the urgency of the other signings, it makes me suspect maybe the offers are not as great as he wanted. Remember, he lost 14 and a half million not playing last year. So he wants to hit a home run. He doesn't want to sign cheap. By the way, the Packers also a bunch of free agent signings. So far, three defensive

players, Adrian Amos, a very good safety from the Bears. Then it's a bunch of mid-level free agent guys, Preston Smith, Billy Turner, not expensive guys, mid-level free agent guys, three on defense where they need help. Brian Scalabrini is around the corner. to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon eastern 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeard Radio app. 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 beaders to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context, and ask the questions everybody wants answered. Sports Slice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to Sports Slice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

And for more, follow Timbo SlicLife 12 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. I'm talking, Tript Fantine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch.

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

Join me, Kear Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, learn the hard way. Open your free, our heart radio app, Search Learn the Hard Way and listen now. 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. Ferraris and Lamborghinis, private jets, meeting the president of Turkey. I'm Michelle McPhee, and this is one of the most shocking criminal conspiracies I'm ever come across. When Jacob met Levan this plant to a billion dollar fraud. But with two kings from entirely different worlds, just how long can their empire 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 I-Heart 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 hurdle with Emily Abadi, we sit down with the most inspiring women in sports and wellness, professional athletes, coaches, and Olympic champions to talk about the challenges that shaped them and the mindset that keeps them going. From the WNBA standout Kate Martin and rising hockey star Layla Edwards. If a boy can do it, I don't see why a girl can't.

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

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

Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHart Women's Sports. Our shopping's confusing, a lot of terms, dealer price, list price. Here's what's not, saving three grand. Truecar.com. I used TrueCar yesterday. Saved $4,000 in a car. What are you, NBA player, just buying cars online? Not buying cars.

My wife went to a car dealership yesterday, and she used true car. I use my sponsors. Four grand. Yeah. I always tell my wife, I got a connection for that. I got somebody. I know a guy. Do you know guys in the car business?

I know guys in the car business. All right. So last night, here's what's interesting. So last night, your Celtics, very embarrassing performance, got dog by the Clippers. Let me hear your excuses. City of Angels. It got the best of them. And the Clippers are a hard playing team.

You got to admit they're probably at least top five. You have to enjoy watching those guys play. Montres Harold, Pat Beverly, Lou Williams. You don't like that team. And I get it. The Celtics, though, I think those three games that they won, and I said this, I wasn't really impressed with the Lakers scrimmage, the Warriors disinterested, and the Sacramento King win.

You still think the Celtics have issues? No, they were actually, they looked great. They were connected. They were high-fiving. They were good. they were getting drilled, but they were good. They didn't have the problems that they've had in the past, even though they were getting drilled.

So the chemistry issues you think with Boston have subsided, their issues now are mostly, can they win games against good teams? I think, Colin, six days in L.A., you're not going to win that game. Against a hard playing Clipper team, you're not going to win that game. Well, would just guys go out and... Yeah, I mean, it's L.A. All right. Too much. It's too much.

You can't be in L.A. for six days and expect to win that game, unless you had crazy mentally focused guys. And, you know, I think it's a regular season. These guys are hanging out here, hanging out there. They lost. All right. So I want to address a couple of things. Magic Johnson, according to a report today, did not listen to his coaching staff.

They wanted to keep Brooke Lopez, who's having a best-year shooting, and they let him go. He wanted to keep Julius Randall, Luke did in the staff. He's averaging 21 with the Pelicans. What do you make of Magic running the French? I had an executive in the league telling me in the last 24 hours. He said, listen, they don't have a grinder in the building. They've got famous people. They've got Jeannie Bus and the guy that looks like Rob Lo, Rob Polenka,

and they got Magic and LeBron. But my source in the league said they don't have a grinder in the building. They've got smart, famous people, and they don't think, analytically, it's a top five to ten team in the league. Whereas the Celtics have analytic people. They've got grinders in the building. I mean, what do you make of magic? running the team, is it quite possible that he was great for landing LeBron, like Elway

landing, Peyton Manning, but he's not built for this thing? Well, I don't want to say that because he has great leadership qualities and skills, but maybe they do need to hire a grinder. Maybe that's, and I'm sure they have some people underneath Magic and Rob Polinka that were not mentioning, that are there scouting. But they, all that, all the moves they made, that was to play Kate, Paul George, which they swung and miss on. So now what are they going to do this off season? They didn't

ruin their cap space. They didn't go out there and sign a bunch of guys to long-term deals. So they have another at-bat at the plate. Now, why don't we have this conversation if they strike out again? If Jimmy Butler doesn't sign, if they don't get cousins, if they don't make a move. But if they get an Anthony

Davis, they have LeBron, they go sign Jimmy Butler, then this conversation doesn't really exist because he did his job. The Lakers got nobody for so long, I mean, Lou Al-Dang, Mosgoth, but they, he landed LeBron. That's a step in the right direction. I don't care if you have a nerd in there, a grinder, whatever you want to call it. He did his job for the first year. Now let's see what he does this year.

What do you make about Russell Westbrook? I'm mostly concerned with the frequency and intensity of these. Russell, two to three years ago was, I mean, he's always been kind of an impulsive kid. You know, he's kind of, you know, the Tasmanian devil of NBA star. You're going to million miles an hour, but that's okay. There's different personalities. But it's the frequency now and the intensity of this stuff. What do you make of it? So initially, I was thinking, man, isn't it great? If you read stories about Michael Jordan when he hits the deck in Cleveland and the whole Cleveland, their old arena, they cheered. Then he got up and dropped 69. I've seen countless examples of guys being motivated by the crowd. What is the deal? And I want to bring up him.

and the other guy in the NBA, if I had to rank them one, two, they would be Kevin Durant. So what is it about Oklahoma City where these guys, maybe they're so protected in this environment, maybe because it's small town college feel, maybe they don't, like, it bothers them more when they go on the road? Because both those guys seem to be really sensitive to other people's fans. And, you know, Westbrook wanted to get this guy kicked out and, you know, setting the kid a lesson. And now it's this guy up in the stand. I don't know what was said. But why is he so worried about it?

In the past, this has been going on for years. And now is Westbrook, like, standing up saying this stuff has to stop? Like, come on, we're human beings. We can't have people talking to us like that. I mean, I think that's part of the deal. Now, what Westbrook said and what the guy said, that's completely different. So I don't know which one was said. And I can see why he was upset.

but it is still kind of a motivating factor. Like, no, Kobe Bryant used heckling. Sure. Like some comics deal with it, some players do. Kobe was great with hecklers. Reggie Miller was great with hecklers. Great story. Res Brooks, not as great with hecklers.

I mean, everybody's different. You know, like, it's just some people deal with this stuff. Well, my argument about the NBA is, and I see sports do this all the time, all these leagues, hockey included, they all make a fortune on TV money now. Like, I never understood baseball. Baseball should give kids tickets for free. If you have open seats, because you're making so much money, don't charge a kid four bucks. Just get them in your stadium, right?

The NBA makes so much money. These teams now have sold all these seats next to benches. They've taken broadcasters and jammed them upstairs to sell an extra nine seats. And when I go to games, my takeaway is the fans are too close and on top of players. Colin, that's what makes the NBA unbelievable, because you could. see their face. That's the great part about the NBA. I mean, you're saying it's because of TV, but man, those guys, they like to be there. $3,000 a ticket. They make, like, I have a couple, probably by the opening of those seats, maybe a million a year off of doing that. So yeah,

it's like you, you want the fans to be there on top of you. You want it to, I think that's what makes a great environment. You go to Summer League, you go to Pro Ams, there's people on top of guys, people are talking trash. That's how most people grew up playing basketball. I don't understand why Westbrook is so offended by this. He had to have dealt with this his whole entire life. Well, basketball is a trash talking sport. Sure. It is. But that doesn't mean every person is built for it. Vernon Maxwell struggled with it. Remember Vernon Maxwell? He struggled with it. Now, if you ever got, when you're at games, did you, and you were by the way on that bench in Boston, Did you ever hear Celtic fans say stuff that you were like, oh, wow, over the line?

I don't think anything's over the line. Much just me personally, I don't. I mean, I just think it's like an environment in which you know you've got to be locked in and focus. That is causing you to lose focus. And I'm not saying Westbrook shouldn't be in the NBA. Obviously, he's good enough to do it. But I can't imagine going nuts over a guy in the stands. I just can't imagine it bothering.

I mean, the stuff that was said to anybody. What if it's racial, though? I mean, I guess. I mean, I'm a white guy, so I don't know if that's going to bother me. But that's somebody saying something to me. I'm not going to be like, if someone said, you're white, you're slow, you can't jump. All right. So, you know, I get it?

Does stars get more of it? Did Kevin Garnett get more when you were a subject? I mean, the stuff that he had to hear, unbelievable. Yeah, no, because I've been in a Clipper game and I heard what they said to Blake and Chris Paul. Holy God. Yeah. I get it. It's over the line.

I would just say they have a many security people like between Westbrook and the guy. You can be like, tell this guy to get out of here. The guy will be gone. So, I mean, you have to stand up and do all this and go through all this and say the stuff that you said. When you have five security guys right there, just like send them up there. What about this though? Yeah, I mean, I do think, you know, my son came to me recently and he was complaining about somebody at school. And I said, well, I can't control them.

And I'm not sure I can control you. I'm going to give you tools to accept it or deal with it. Westbrook's the kind of guy, I think, that he is so intense. Like, that's just his DNA, right? When he comes into an arena, he kind of flips it on. I mean, by the way, he's intense after games with the media. Sure. He's an intense guy.

So was Jordan. Yeah. I mean, he dealt with it. Jordan beat punched teammates. I mean, Jordan was really intense. It is. Here's the thing, no. It's what I find interesting with Westbrook is that even his game, he was an 83% a free throw shooter. He's now a 63% right?

So there's something emotionally, is it because KD left him and has succeeded, Harden left him, Paul George came, took shots. There's got to be something psychological. He was not this guy two years ago. You know what? He was not having these weekly, you know, confrontations. you know, I think 20 years ago, all the problems they blame on rap music. Nowadays, all the problems they blame on social media. So let's just stick with the social media's fault.

I mean, that's the excuse for everything. Why don't we just say, ah, it's probably social media. I guess we can do that. I tell you, I do find it. I think you have to address it, though. But what can you do? How can you fix this? If I'm commissioner, I,

call a head of state meeting with owners of teams and say, I want more space. I want us to make an effort where possible to give players more space on benches in and out of arenas. I see too many fans on people. Listen, man. That guy was five rows up. They're not getting rid of five rows, Colin. No, no, I know.

Again, some of this is, regardless of what fans say, the minute you show fans weakness, See, my concern is it's getting worse. Fans now see this video on this show and other shows and go, oh, I can heckle him. And there are a percentage of fans that go wanting to heckle. Sure, but the guy from Dallas lost his season tickets. The guy from Denver was banned forever. So guys are losing their privileges along the way. That is happening.

So if you're Westbrook, why don't you just point to your security guard and be like, take care of this? This is beneath me, which I would say that for most of the way. Most good NBA players, most stuff that they deal with is beneath them. This is beneath me. I should not be having to deal with this. Take care of this. And there are people there that make good money that are in place for this thing. Why not go to the person and have them do their job?

All right. Scall, Brian Scall or Brittany. Joy Taylor with the news. No, no, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. All right, so sticking with that, Russell Westbrook did get into an altercation with the Utah jazz fan last night. He was recorded shouting at the fan.

and after the game he called the comments disrespectful and racial. And the Jazz put out a statement. They said we're continuing to investigate the unfortunate exchange at tonight's game between Russell Westbrook and fans. Multiple warning cards were issued by arena security. Players and fans have a shared responsibility to create a safe and respectful environment. If it's determined that any fans violated the NBA Code of Conduct, appropriate action will be taken.

Westbrook's teammate, Patrick Patterson, tweeted after the game that fans can say, believe about a man's family wife and kids tell a player get down on your knees like you used to as men what do you expect us to do shut up and dribble no one is held accountable for their actions except for us fans are protected in every way possible but not us and then someone tweeted him and asked him he was sitting next to westbrook if that's what the fan actually said he said yes and more now there have been several players who have discussed situations they've had with fans in utah being racial there are multiple players over the years that have said that

So it's not unheard of that this would be a racial situation. Now, as Scaliborny just said, there's two different complete versions of the story. They interviewed the fan afterwards, and he said he told him to put ice on his knees. I'm sorry, I don't believe that Russell Westbrook would escalate to the level that he was ever being told to have ice on his knees, especially when he already had ice on his knees. So this is a little quite the disparity in what was said. I personally feel like everyone's going to believe who they want to believe. Some people are going to believe the fan.

Some people are going to believe Russell Westbrook. Some people are going to believe whatever the league ends up saying. I, before they interviewed the fan or saw any of the things on social media about the fan, felt the way that I've always felt about these altercations that fans feel like if they buy a ticket, they are entitled to some sort of ability to yell, whatever they want. Some feel like they can touch players. Obviously, they've had incidents of people throwing things at players. and they believe that there's this invisible wall.

Yesterday, did you see that a soccer fan? Was it yesterday? That literally punched a player. Yeah, I mean, it's crazy. It's ludicrous. I mean, and then who loses in that situation? If the players all jump on the fan, these are professional athletes, they're stronger than that guy. And they beat him up.

Then who loses there? The players do. That guy may get arrested or whatever in bands, but it's not okay. And it's not just because this has just been. happening for years that should still be accepted. This idea that you have some sort of ownership because you buy a ticket is insane to me. It's never made any sense to me. You do not. You are entitled to watch the entertainment that you've paid for. That's literally what that ticket means. You can go to the game or the stadium, the arena, sit there and watch the game. The only obligation that player has

to you is to be on the field and perform if he's healthy. That's it. There's nothing else that's owed to you. You're not owed any attention. You're not allowed to just yell obscenities or racial slurs or microaggressions. That's obvious to you. But there are, I still contend, alcohol, lubricates, courage. People just, people go to games mostly with good intentions. But there's a big chunk of fans, more than you'd think, that go to a couple beers and them, they turn into turds.

I just think it's, it's, there's a culture that has to change. Like, there has to be rules put in place. Like, you ask what the solution is. A player should be able to say, this is what's happening. security goes and investigates and then kick them out. You're not entitled to just stay there. Like you said, if you go to a Broadway play, if your phone goes off an accident, they can kick you out. There's just rules. You wouldn't act like this on the street. So Nick Foles is going to the Jaguars. They're going to pay him $88 million from a four-year deal with $50 million guaranteed.

And that means that like Whorles is on this way out. They have not released him yet, but it's being reported that they will. his average salary will be $22 million, which means he'll be making more than Russell Wilson, Big Ben, Rivers, Cam Newton, and Tom Brady. I don't care about how much he's making. You get paid, but you get paid when you're available to get paid. That's just kind of how it works, and Tom Brady takes us money anyway.

But I do like this move. I like that Nick Foles is going to be able to have his own team and prove himself since we all, well, not me, but I've fully bought in on the Nick Foles phenomenon. I haven't, but it is a good roster. And by the way, that division he's in now, you got Andrew Luck and Deshawn Watson, so you've got really good quarterback, so you have to upgrade a quarterback.

You can't be in that division facing Andrew Luck and DeShon Watson four times a year for the next decade and have a BB down. And I have an unreliable quarterback. Weirdly, though, Nick Foles is such a low-key guy. It makes the Jags interesting to me because I'm kind of rooting for him. Finally, it's time to see who's going places, sponsored by Toyota. Let's Go Places, and DeShon Jackson is going places. The Buccaneers traded him to the Eagles yesterday in exchange for a seventh round. Hick, and they reworked his contract for three years and 27 million.

He's played a long time in this league. I remember watching him at Cal. It felt like two decades ago. He has been in this league a long time. It 41 catches for 774 yards and four touchdowns in 12 games he played last year. And you know, it's funny. You know, he's a smaller athlete, and he still, I mean, he's kind of like Odell Beckham, pre-Odell Beckham.

Like he's bizarrely fast, great hands. He's a very skill player. Yeah, and if you put him with it, he's the, he's the, kind of guy that you put him with he's still he's a small perimeter player but he has just endured in this league he's been playing a he's taking a lot of hits he's been around a long time

I think he's going to be really productive for Philadelphia I just really like all the moves of Philadelphia have made this offseason too haven't spent a fortune yeah I mean Malik Jackson's a great pickup and they signed Jason Peters as well so they've made some moves this off season they're going to be which they have to be aggressive in that

in that division so good for them Joy with the news Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Herd Lye News. Coming up, the dust of free agency is starting to settle. We have some very interesting relationships like John Gruden and Antonio Brown that are forming here.

And we'll give you a list of what we think are the 10 to really watch next year. That's coming up. Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. Study shows security systems deter burglars. Simply safe smart system protects every point of access, free shipping, 60-day money-back guarantee. Simply safe, Colin.com. Good to have you in today. We were talking about, you know, the relationships.

We've got free agency. You're bringing in egos and big money players to new teams. NBA free agencies, to me, has always been kind of the recently the most fascinating because you've got star players, a lot of so. opera, a lot of rumors, and you can't win in the league without stars. But the NFL, you don't hear any rumors. Players just end up where they end up. And teams like the Jets went out and got a great linebacker and C.J. Mosley who can change everything. And, you know, I mean, Raiders spent a fortune on a left tackle from the Patriots that I think is not money well spent. So there's a lot of drama here. But it is forging new relationships. And we thought, you know, let's talk about the,

most interesting going into next year relationships to keep your eye on. Number 10. I would say Joe Flacco and John Elway. So last season, Flacco got benched for Lamar Jackson, and the team got better with Lamar Jackson. And there's pressure on John Elway because back-to-back losing seasons for the first time since the early 70s. And remember, John Elway butted heads with veteran quarterback Peyton Manning. So Elway liked quarterback.

but he's kind of stingy on when he pays him, and they've paid L-W-A, Flacco's some money here, and L-Way is under the gun. There's a lot of heat here, and it's been a revolving door of quarterbacks. So I'll keep your eye on Flacco and Elway and how long Elway is patient with his new quarterback who got benched last year.

Number nine. I think Cliff Kingsbury and whoever his quarterback is. If it's Rosen, does he have to backtrack a little on his Kyler-Murie love? If it's Kyler Murray, it's just going to be fascinating. Cliff runs that, you know, air raid, spread him out, million miles an hour, no huddle, up-tempo stuff. And Arizona, I think, kind of rolled the dice on him. So either it's let's see if Cliff Kingsbury can make Josh Rosen the player, I think he is. Or Rosen's getting moved, and Kyler Murray and Cliff Kingsbury are going to, if nothing else, be absolutely fascinating down in the desert.

Number eight. I would say the Saints fans and the NFL. They were the lowest rated television Super Bowl market. And generally, New Orleans is a top three to five rated Super Bowl market. They protested that late game pass interference non-call against the Rams. They put up billboards all around the city. Saints got robbed. NFL blew it.

It'll be interesting to watch this relationship going forward. Let me tell you, the first officiating crew that goes down in New Orleans, that will be the loudest boo an officiating crews ever received before a game. So let's watch that unfold. Number seven. Jamis Winston and Bruce Ariens.

Now, you know, it's interesting. Ariens is a two-time coach of the year. And James can be a little bit of a knucklehead, but listen, they got some weapons, and they can light it up. And James was suspended first three games last year. And they brought in Bruce Ariens, frankly, because they want to fix the James Winston issue. and I've always felt James has got a little bit of an Eli Manning thing going

where there are moments that he is making all the throws. He's a big, strong kid who can spin it. But I think will Ariens have the patience to put up with James Winston who can be excellent and frustrating? So keep your eye on that. Number six. Carson Wentz and Doug Peterson. I mean, last year, Wentz was five and six as a starter,

and Nick Foles was five and two, including the playoffs. And remember, Carson Wentz, the team has an option after the season. So he's dealt with an injury. He was not quite the same quarterback last year. Now, they got Deshaun Watson for him. They've been hyper-aggressive here in going out and getting pieces. But, you know, when Doug Peterson won a Super Bowl with Nick Foles, nobody can question Doug Peterson anymore.

He beat Belichick and Brady with Nick Foles. There's a lot of pressure on Carson Wentz. increasingly there are reports that Wentz is not loved by all the Eagle teammates in that locker room. So we got a little psychology one-on-one going here where the replace star quarterback, a lot of pressure on him. Let's see how it unfolds. Number five. Tom Brady in time.

Listen, they've been to four of the last five Super Bowls in one, three, but he's going to be 42 in August. and, you know, there were stories at the end of last year. Before that Charger playoff game, kind of the ongoing narrative was Tom's not quite Tom. So I've never doubted Tom can still play at a high level for games. But when you start adding in 18 games, three playoff games, Super Bowls, there is a speeding up the aging process here. And they don't have a backup quarterback. So not only Tom versus Time, but they may spend one of their second, third round draft picks on a quarterback.

So let's keep your eye on Brady versus Time, Tom versus the heir apparent to Tom's spot. Number four. I think Dak Prescott and the Cowboys offensive coaching staff is interesting. Scott Linnehan's gone. Kellan Moore is in. They went seven and two after the Amari Cooper trade. So Linnehan was not thought of as perhaps progressive enough and clever enough, but they did go seven and two.

And the expectations now for DAC, it's a big year for him. He still hasn't gotten paid yet. Jerry says he's going to pay him, but he's still going to perform at a high level. They've won the division two of the last three years. Just lost Cole Beasley. Jason Witten's back. So there's all sorts of little moving parts here. Number three.

Antonio Brown and John Gruden. Now, Gruden famously deactivated Kishon Johnson in Tampa in the middle of the 2003 season, the year after the Bucks won the Super Bowl, and Kishan called it a bad marriage. You know, Gruden got rid of Amari Cooper and Gruden got rid of Khalil Mack and he didn't want stars. And now he gets one of the more vocal stars. And, you know, Gruden's got a nine-year contract left. So he's not backing down from anybody. and Antonio Brown is a superstar.

He's not backing down from anybody. So I'm not saying it won't work, but it will be interesting to watch. You have two strong personalities with big, strong points of view. Number two. Baker Mayfield in high expectations. He was seven and seven last year, if you count the Tyrod Taylor, came in for him against the Jets game. But now the expectations have been ratcheted up.

John Dorsey has given him. I mean, their backfield is crazy good. Nick Chub, Kareem Hunt. He's got a superstar young tight end on his hands. Now, all right, Baker, now you got the players. Now you got the weapons.

They're spending money. Really interesting. And also now, Baker's becoming a little bit of a star in this league. He's moving the TV number. So last year, if he had a three-interception game, you know, he's a rookie.

But by year two, a little more demanding of all the rookie quarterbacks in the league, last year. He now has the best parts around him offensively, so expectations are going to ramp up a little for Baker Mayfield. Number one. I think it's Aaron Rogers, who's 35, and Matt LaFleur, who's 39, and has only been a coordinator once. That was in Tennessee, and the offense got worse. Green Bay has back-to-back losing seasons for the first time since 91 and 92. Aaron Rogers, again, a very strong point of view. Has a way he sees the world.

Matt Lafleur's young, unproven as a head coach. You know, and I think Rogers and Big Ben a little more difficult to coach than your Russell Wilson's and Andrew Lux. There are quarterbacks that are a little more difficult to coach. And some of that is because Ben and Aaron Rogers are crazy town talented. So these are the 10 relationships to keep your eye on. By the way, all right, here we go. Breaking news, John.

I'm really interested in this breaking news. So this is big. Breaking news. Connor J. Hughes of the Athletic. That's that subscription sports thing. Yes. A Jets reporter says the New York Jets have given Labian Bell a deadline to decide if he's going to sign or not per sources. They are just not going to wait forever.

That's my question on this. I don't get, everybody's getting paid. So what are we waiting for here? Is this Levian not getting the money he wants? I think that that is playing a role in it because everyone's like you said everything's happening right now. Like this, we've been talking about what happens

to the Levy and Bell situation last week. So I feel like this should have been wrapped up. He's the top running back in the league and he has a year off. This is what we were waiting for for the free agency period was Levy on Bell and he's not even been the story. So the Jets have made clearly from this story, the Jets have made an offer. Right. They've made an offer. And now it's up to Lavian Bell to accept.

Well, the reports are it's come down to the Jets and the Ravens. They're both good fits. Right. But are they good fits for the money that he wants? They might be running out of options. Yep. Speak for yourself as next. Last night, a blown call changed a game.

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