The Herd with Colin Cowherd - The Herd - Hour 1 - Jim Harbaugh is wrong

Episode Date: August 29, 2023

Doug Gottlieb is here filling in for Colin reacting to Jim Harbaugh's plan to remake college football and why it has the potential to ruin college sports forever Should the Colts give in to Jonathan Taylor?   Guest: Bucky Brooks   #douggottliebshowSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Or stream us live every day on the IHart Radio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. What up? Welcome in. This is The Herd, wherever you may be. And however you may be making it as part of your day, thanks so much. I'm Doug Gottlie. In for Colin Coward. It's a Tuesday. It's week one of college football. It is cut down day in the National Football League. I told you last Friday, and I meant it. You made it.

It may not feel like it. that heat wave that was in the Midwest is now moving its way east, but another heat wave that's on the West Coast is going to move its way to the Midwest over the weekend and into next week. So it may not feel like it in all parts of the country, but believe it or not, you have in fact made it through the dog days of summer, and football is here. And it's really interesting to me.

I don't know if it's as interesting to you, but I think it is. is we are in a space where college football is in a transition year. Right? Transition year. Next year, the Big Ten expands, UCLA and USC. This year, the Big 12 expands, but then next year, the SEC expands, and Texas and Oklahoma will join the league. And, of course, then the Big 12 will welcome in the remnants of most of the Pack 12.

And we're a year away from the college football. football playoff expanding as well. So most of the former system, which really wasn't, isn't that old, is still kind of around. But we're in this era now where you have the transfer portal and NIL. And it's really interesting that NIL, name image and likeness and the ability for players to capitalize on their name image and likeness has gone. the route of pay-for-play. And no one would dispute otherwise. And yet, I find it to be fascinating, something that Jim Harbaugh had to say yesterday,

which, of course, only feeds the monster of more, more, more, more, more. We'll get to that in a moment. Bucky Brooks is going to join us upcoming in 15 minutes. I'll ask him, have you guys seen what the Arizona Cardinals are likely to throw out there? I mean, it does feel like, if you remember when the Boston Celtics were tanking not so long ago. You think back to teams that were tanking. The Astros, I think it was 2013. Is that right, Greg, Toohey, like 2013 Astros?

They were just marvelously tanking. You look at some of those rosters, you're like, that's what the Cardinals are doing. That's what the Carters are doing. because there's no way you can have a Colt McCoy bringing a Josh Dobbs like a week before you're, or a week and a half before you're going to kick off your season and say, that's our guy. And oh, yeah, by the way, we're trying to win football games. But what should the play be if it works and they can draft Caleb wins?

Well, that's Bucky Brooks. He'll join us upcoming in 15 minutes. Jake Butt's going to join us in about an hour. Of course, Jake was a star, tight end. at Michigan, then a bunch of knee injuries derailed his NFL career. And we'll start to ask the question about the Rams. Bill Belichick's asked some questions about the Rams, but one of the Rams draft picks was curious at the time

and appears to be a terrible pick. But maybe more interesting is the idea of going for it, of pushing your chips all in, where so many have said, hey, it's worth it because the Rams went Super Bowl is it. But let's start with Jim Harbaugh. Harbaugh, as many of you know,

is suspended for the first three games in season. It was a four-game suspension. Then that suspension got wiped off. Now, it's a three-game suspension. And Michigan is a program that likes to report itself as doing it the right way, right? Being about a combination of football and academics. And they've been, over the past couple years, frankly, a dominant team the Big Ten. They finally cracked the Ohio State Code so much so that you do have at least the beginnings

of a, hey, are we sure Ryan Day is the guy, right? Nothing speaks more highly of Jim Harbaugh's kind of professional turnaround than the fact that Ryan Day, it's not on the hot seat, but he's not as secure as one would think he should be considering his overall success, because recently hasn't been successful against the team from the north. But Harbaugh went on an interesting rant yesterday. Why don't you take a listen? We have to try to make it work. And we do.

We have to try to make it work. We have to try to make it better. And right now, the current status quo is unacceptable and won't survive. In my opinion, we capitalize on the talent who should pay the talent for their contributions to the bottom line. I'm calling for a system that's fair,

equitable, and benefits all involved. Don't exclude the student athletes from the profits. You can't say you about diversity, equity, and inclusion if you aren't willing to include the student athletes in revenue sharing.

That sounds like a political speech, doesn't it? And it sounds like he's grandstanding to the social media audience that at many times has vilified him throughout his career. And I do think that the reason, whether it's initially or long term, that a hardball wanted and likes this job is not about the ego.

It's not about the, hey, being a head coach in college football is about the head coach and not about everybody else. I think it's because he comes from a coaching family tree. It is coaching your alma mater. You do want to help young men achieve success that they maybe didn't think possible or it wasn't possible based upon how or where they were brought up. all of those things are great but what is he even talking about he wants a system which is equitable I think most people in college sports

would agree he wants but he wants players to be compensated they are if anything the reality of the current system is the imbalance has actually worked the other way right the other way

it's worked the other way it's worked the other way It's worked to where players have way too much power. Make money far above their actual name, image, and likeness value. And there's no real connection or tied to the university, which is the real reason, the real reason, that the schools are being compensated handsomely for broadcasting football games. there's no easier parallel than to say, hey, let's take the, there's what, the USFL and the XFL, right? USFL, those are the two minor leagues.

And my guess is that those teams would wipe the field with college football teams, wipe the field with them. Why? Because they're grown men, they're professionals. And you're like, no, they wouldn't. Yeah, they would. They would. this is much like the G League as opposed to college basketball. G league teams are way better than college basketball teams.

What's more valuable to broadcast? Well, the colleges. Why? The name on the front of their shirt. The connection to the fans. That's just reality to it. And look, I'll be totally honest. If you heard me on radio, I've been doing national sports radio for 20 years.

I was somebody who's against the idea of compensating somebody for their name, image, and likeness. Because of what it's become, which is just. buying players. That was an odd one. It was, I've always wondered if Jim Harbaugh was connected with the reality of what he does, and now I wonder even more so. Yes, college sports makes a lot of money. Colleges make a lot of money.

We do realize that, right? I'm actually broadcasting from my alma mater, Oklahoma State University. Colleges make a lot of money on all their students. But that's in terms of revenue. Now, profits, that's different. And most of the profits or most of the revenue that they generate, even in college sports, is actually spoken for. It is. But what he's proposing, which, by the way, lacks any sort of detail or likelihood of being executed, which is why it sounds like politics.

It's why it sounds like politics. it's it's throwing out a pie in the sky like hey what if we you know and we do this all the time i mean you hear it in the debates why don't we pull the funding to fighting ukraine well part of the reason that we fund ukraine is not just out of altruism and trying to help stop the spread of of russia but also because all those weapons are well made here in the united states and it helps stimulate our economy, right? That's like the reality to it. You're going to cut off that funding and cut off a lot of jobs. Oops. So I think the reality of the execution to that is, does he really want to get to the point of true professionalism of college athletics? Now,

there could be some good parts to it, right? It could actually tie players to the school. Because the biggest issue in college athletics now is not athletes being compensations. It's not. Ask anybody. That is not an issue. Even to the athletes themselves. And oh yeah, by the way, if you think it's, well, you know, if we give them a little more, this has always been my argument. No matter how much you could have, previous to the NIL system, said you break off for a college athlete, they're going to want more. That's human nature. That's capitalism. That's the monster that we constantly feed. But if you actually walk around a college campus, you actually talk to college football coaches or administrators, I don't think any of them

would say, hey, the issue here is players need to get paid. The biggest issue is like, well, how do you keep guys at one school? How do you actually coach them? Because the current system allows for you to, at the first sight of trouble, hey, I'm not playing as much as I want, we're not winning as much, or I'm not getting paid as much as I want, just up and leave and go to a different place. which it's like sugar, maybe even cocaine, where it's a short term fix, but long term, if you go to multiple schools, you do not have a true alma mater

and football more so than any other sport, that sucker, that runs out really, really quickly, and then what? And then what? But if you really want to professionalize it, do we realize what that means? Like college athletics operates basically in a tax shelter. Yes, players are going to have to pay taxes on the NIL money that they get,

but they don't have to pay taxes on the benefits that they get. And those benefits, not just travel, right? Not training, training table, you know, room, dorm, all this stuff, all the scholarship. Like, those are tax-free benefits. Do we want to tax those? Do we want college athletes to first form a union, then collectively bargained? And oh, yeah, by the way, you do know what's going to happen. College athletic department is like, sure, you can have a piece of the profits.

And then just like if you see their bottom line now, there's not a lot of profits. Like, if we want to turn into college athletics into professional athletics, I give you, like, is that why people will watch? They don't watch because the sport is better than minor league professional sports. Minor League basketball, for example, is way better. in terms of talent and gameplay and shot making, then college basketball. Why?

It's because the college feels. And Jim Harbaugh is dismissing all that, which is simply grandstanding, and frankly, either obtuse to or comically disconnected from the fact that compensating the players is no longer a problem. It's how do you keep from the opposing team recruiting

off of your sideline? How do you retain your players so that the people who sit down in those stadiums or in front of their TV to watch the games? How do they know who they're watching? It's not, college sports is not like professional sports even now. Because in professional sports, you sign a contract, you've got to stick with that team through that contract. Here it's, they actually established four years scholarships like a decade or more ago. But guys are gone after one year, sometimes not even that long. I just be careful what you wish for.

You are in fact going to get it. And though athletes are now compensated for a name, image, image, and likeness, I don't believe there's a soul who, if not in front of a TV camera or on social media, who actually works in college athletics would tell you that we're in a better place now than we were previous to this. It was, trust me, it was a weird comment that seems completely disconnected from reality, which makes it seem like it's some political stump speech

knowing it's never going to come to fruition and meaning, hey, he just wants to be a man of the people. I'm just about the kid. I just want to fight for you. And when that TV camera's off, he sits there and rolls his eyes, goes, are you kidding?

We get guys to commit to us in the fall and in the spring they hit us up because they want twice the money that they were promised by the collective. That's the reality of the sport, which he works in. All right, coming up next, I'm Doug Gottlieb in for Colin Cowherd. Will Caleb Williams be wearing a Cardinals jersey next year?

I'm going to ask Bucky Brooks if Arizona is all in for the big T word. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeart Radio app. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. it grotesque, others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented

it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care where I'm saying. Yep, that's me. Clipper Taylor the 4th. might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show.

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Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tapped Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do a little count? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English.

Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so you all know. I mean, at this point, this is the second episode where we've discussed correct. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line.

We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you for finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Doug got to leave it for Collins. I heard Fox Sports Radio, Iheart Radio app. How do you own the day in sports? You make incredible plays. But how do the rest of us own the day? With Irish Spring, when the spring hits you, you're ready to own the day. Look for Irish Spring at your local retailer today. Bucky Brooks, of course, play in the NFL, covers the NFL, part of the Move of the Sticks podcast.

He and Dan and Jeremiah, it's about as good as anything you're going to download and listen to. And, of course, coaches the game as well. He just knows it like the back of his hand. Kind of to spend some time with us here on a Tuesday in, The herd. Bucky, help me out here. I'm looking at what the Arizona Cardinals are throwing out there. And, boy, that does not feel like a competitive team.

What do you think the plan is in terms of tanking? And I asked because, obviously, it doesn't feel like trying to win. First year coach, first year GM, load up. But would it be to draft Caleb Williams and then get rid of Kyler Murray? or would it be to keep Kalamuri and trade that pick because of its value? Well, I think a couple of things could be at play. The number one thing that most coaches and new gyms do is they try and reset and establish a new culture within the program.

And so maybe the mass exodus of players that we're seeing is Jonathan Gannon and Monty Alston-Four, trying to get their guys, their kind of guys on the team, regardless of record. Let's make sure we get the kind of guys that we won the locker room guys that love football, guys, about whatever the criteria is for that. The second part of it could be that, you know, hey, let's look ahead to the draft, and we won't say that we're tanking, but if we do finish with the top overall pick,

what would our course of action be? When we take Caleb Williams over Callow Murray, if Callow Murray is the kind of guy that we want to build our franchise around, I think there's still probably in the exploratory phase when it comes to that, but it's really about making sure they have the right people in the building, and then they'll figure out how to build the team from that point. Fair enough. Trey Lance, what's the likelihood that he has any impact with the Cowboys?

I mean, no, man, this is a low-risk, high-return investment if you're to Dallas Cowboys. Because when Tray Lance comes to the Cowboys, he doesn't come with all that fanfare and expectation that he came and arrived at San Francisco with. He's now a guy that has been traded, and he has to kind of earn his way. But for the Cowboys at Mike McCarthy, this is a great development experiment. You know, normally, when someone is a top five pick, really when it's a first round pick,

they always get multiple bites at the apple. Because when you're drafted in the first round, there are enough people around the league that thought you had high-level talent. So now you get them in the program, you bring him in, you see what he looks like, you see what he could be, you develop him, and then you see.

If he turns to be something, you now develop a player at a position, that is a marquee position that is a huge bargain, I mean a trade check. If you develop into something, even beyond that, well, maybe if something goes a ride with Dag Prescott after 2024, maybe you have a succession plan in place. So to me, this is the Cowboys doing their due diligence. And even though on the surface, it may call it some $5, $6 million for a quarterback, that's chump change.

And so it's worth kicking the tires on Trey Lance to see if he can develop into the player that some people thought he could become. when he entered the league. Why hasn't he become that player that people wanted to become? Well, I'll say a few different things, maybe cloud is. Sometimes in the scouting world, we can kind of get excited about the potential and don't look at the major factors. So the major factor when it came to Tray Lampus' Tray Lans played at a smaller school.

North Dakota State, good football, played well, but it's still different than playing at the top five power five school. He was also a one-year wonder. He was a one year than it was the COVID-year. So he doesn't have a lot of experience when it comes to SNAP. The other thing, he goes to San Francisco, didn't play that final year, so you talk about knocking the rust off, doesn't have live game reps and experience. And when you look at it, he was like that was what, 15, 16 games starter?

Brock Purdy, on the other hand, had 47 starts under his belt at Iowa State. And I don't care what anybody says, experience brings a level of expertise. Bill Parcell is going way back, had these rules where he won a guys that were three-year starters, guys that had at least 30 stars, 23 wins, completion percentage over 60, 2-to-1 touchdown, the interception ratio, because when you do those kinds of things at college, more than likely you're going to be ready for the program. Brock Purdy checked off all those boxes. Most recently, DTR, George Thompson, Robinson from the Cleveland Browns, checked all those boxes. So when you look at them in the preseason, the game is slower. They get it. It doesn't always translate this to it.

It matters that the collegiate. That's the voice of Bucky Brooks. He joins us now. I'm Doug Gottlieb, in for Collins. The herd here on Fox Sports Radio and the IHeart Radio app. What is the likelihood in your mind of success for the New York Jets, not just considering, you know, culturally they haven't won, but they also have, at least to this point, some issues with that offensive line?

I would have some issues, but here's what I would say, why they have a chance. Aaron Rogers has fully embraced being a leader in New York. The things that he's done in New York, he didn't do his last couple years in Green Bay. The way he's ingratiated himself to his teammates, the way that he has made a point to talk to other members within the team and to show them. Seeing him out and about with Sals Garden and some of the younger guys, that's important because camaraderie and chemistry of everything when it comes to being able to win. the way that he's taken over as a mentor to Zach Wilson, that's huge. So to me, regardless of what it looks like up front, Aaron Rogers is fully invested in this team winning.

And they're going to benefit from that championship level experience that he brings. So I expect them to be a very competitive team. I would expect him to win 10 or more games. Even if he doesn't play like the four-time MVP, his knowledge is going to help them play at a higher level. much like Tom Brady helped the Buccaneers play at a higher level because he kind of has seen it and they respect him and Rodgers has their ear and so because of that power

he's using it the right way that right way can turn out to produce terrific results. Well, Davin Cook says their Super Bowl contenders do you agree? Potentially. I think they've got to play better defense in terms of not just by the yards. They got to be able to turn the ball over. We will see how good this defense is this year because if Aaron Rogers gives them a lead,

can that defense close it out? And we'll also have an opportunity to see how good of a head coach Robert Sala is. Robert Sala now has to take his game up and be able to manage the game by connecting the three phases, offense, defense, special teams. If he grows his game as a coach and the defense plays well, yeah, the Jets can be in that conversation. Bill Belichick came out and said that he said cap spending is more important than cash spending. it did feel like he talked basically about the Rams and how they went for it and look what's happened since. They've always been conservative in New England and it's been playing the long game and up until recently,

and even you go back like two years ago, they did make the playoffs. So over the last 25 years, they made the playoffs all but a couple of years, but haven't seen the success since Tom Brady. What do you think of Belichick and his remarks in regards specifically directed at the Rams? There's something to that. You know, there's two ways to build your team. It's kind of like in baseball, when the Atlanta Braves used to win all those division titles,

but then the Florida Marlins, now the Miami Marlins, would go, they would win a World Series, then go dormant for like 10 years, then win another one. Which franchise would you rather be? For me, I would like to be like the Patriots where I'm always in the conversation. But this, when I look at the Patriots, really reminds me a lot of like Greg Popovich

with the San Antonio Spurs. Greta Ruffovich is a great coach, much like Bill Belichick, but it still takes having those players and the players in the right spots to be able to win. When they lost Tom Brady, I think he may be underestimated the impact of losing the goat in terms of not the ability, but all the other stuff that having a player that buys into the coaching allows you to do with the team. Because Tom Brady would submit to the coaching that Belichick would do, everybody else had to fall in line. Now they're trying to find their way and find who's that. leader that everyone can say if he buys in, I absolutely can buy in. That's where they're at.

This team is going to be good because he does a great job of scheming and finding a way. Is it just a matter of, do they have enough talent to compete with some of the heavyweights in the AFC? Why do you think the Rams spent the draft equity they did on Stetson Bennett? Lowest rated quarterback in the preseason via pro football focus?

Sometimes you can fall in love with the guy because of the competitiveness, maybe remind you of himself. Like Sean McVeigh may have saw a little bit of himself in Stetson Bennett, a gritty underdog that's overachieved and done those things. He played a lot of football and that's up. A bad preseason doesn't mean that he won't be able to play. The NFL different is different than the college game.

And sometimes it takes playing games and getting that experience and learning what the speed is like before you're ready. So I wouldn't give up on him, even though it is a little alarming that he played as poorly as he played in the preseason. You know, we're looking at the Jets because they're, at Aaron Rogers. Obviously, you feel like the Chiefs will be there. It does feel like the bills

because of quarterback play. Where are you on Jacksonville? I mean, obviously, Jacksonville, you feel like you should lose any game you're down 27-0-0 in the playoffs, but they were really competitive with the Chiefs. They've drafted highly and well for a long time, and Trevor Lawrence seemed to start figuring it out with

the more legitimate coaching staff last year. Where are you in the Jags? Now, I'm a homer, because I do the sideline broadcast for the Jags, during the regular season and I just did their preseason TV games. I'm all in on the Jags. The reason why I'm in on the Jazz is because offensively, they're as good as any team in football on offense.

You look at their wide receiver court, Calvin really gives him a true elite number one receiver. If he plays up to potential in the way that he's looked throughout training camp, you can put him in the conversation with Devonty Adams and Justin Jefferson in terms of how he gets open, how he can impact the game. That sets the order for the rest of the wire receiver court because now they can play their more comfortable roles. Christian Kirk, Evan Ingram, Day Jones.

They can be the complimentary pieces in the passing game. Trevor's D.T.N. is a solid running back. They added a guy and tank big. But the big reason why you build a show him to Jacks, Trevor Lawrence can go from good to great in this second year under Doug Peterson. More command, more confidence, more decisiveness. This is a team that wants to try and hit 30 points a game. If they get to that point, that puts them in the conversation that's in football.

If you're putting up points like that, you know. The podcast is called Move the Sticks. He's part of it. He's the one only, Bucky Brooks. He joins us in the herd. Bucky, thanks so much for joining us. We really appreciate it. Hey, man, I appreciate you, Doug. Buckie Brooks, NFL Network, Fox Sports Radio. You hear him on weekends as well. Catch him Saturdays on Fox Sports Radio with Steve Harbin. Let's get to Ryan Music with the news. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news.

All right, Doug. Good morning to you. Good to be here with you. Let's continue the NFL. discussions that you and Bucky were just having with our first story here. One of the most fascinating teams in the NFL this season is the Broncos under new head coach Sean Payton. Peter King of NBC Sports talked with Peyton about his quarterback Russell Wilson and what we can expect from him after a rough first season in Denver. Here's what Peyton had to say.

Quote, he's going to be a lot closer to those 2021 numbers than he was to the 2022 numbers. The armed talent and the throws down the field, he's always had a really good deep ball. but I do think he's moving a lot better, and you know there's something powerful about a guy with a chip on his shoulder. I love it. I mean, I love the idea of Russell Wilson having a chip on his shoulder. He's gotten into better shape. I mean, I just, I do think the question is, does he have it anymore?

Now, everything I've read, everyone I've talked to said it's gotten progressively better in Denver as the preseason's gone on, but they two have issues in the offensive line. and then you wonder, like, we all give Sean Payton credit for what he was able to do with Drew Breeze. Breeze comes over, becomes a Hall of Famer after the arm injury, but Breeze is very different in how he plays from the pocket as opposed to Russell Wilson. So that'll be an adjustment, and the division's no joke, and he's down two wide receivers right now. So there's a lot of questions in Denver, but I do love the idea that, like,

the old Wounded Tiger is more dangerous. than the healthy tiger. Yeah, it should be very interesting to see how this turns out because it feels like it's very much an inflection point of Russell Wilson's career to where it's either going to be, okay, here he is, he's bounced back, that we'll just write that off as a disastrous Nathaniel Hackett era in Denver, or there is going to be major, major questions about what the rest of his NFL career is going to look like if he struggles under Sean Payton.

Also of note, Peter King reporting that Wilson has lost somewhere between 10 to 15 pounds. So a more slimmed down version. Part of the idea in his first season in Denver was Russell Wilson bulked up a little bit to be able to deal with the hits he was expecting to take. We'll transition to our second story here. We'll call it news, but not so surprising. The Associated Press has released their poll and it has named Patrick Mahomes as the top. quarterback in the NFL and Andy Reid as the top head coach in the league prior to the 2023 season officially kicking off.

Kind of hard to argue otherwise, right? Yeah, I'd say so. Pat Mahomes, every year he started in the NFL, he's been at least the AFC championship game. He's won a couple Super Bowls, he's lost in another one where he had no offensive line. Like, I don't know how anybody can argue against that right now, um, but it's a snapshot of this season. So, yeah, and I think last year was probably their worst roster of their Super Bowl teams. Now, healthier on the offensive line than their second Super Bowl.

Right. They won without, I mean, they're handing the ball to a seventh-round draft pick rookie running back, and their wide receiving core had been decimated by injuries, and yet they just found a way because of Mahomes in any degree. Yeah, Colin has talked a lot about some of the parallels you could see between what the Chiefs have right now and the Patriots reign under Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, this being one of them that you clearly have, you know, the league's top or one of the top quarterbacks and the league's best head coach.

I'd say the one big difference is, obviously, Andy Reid, much closer to retirement than what Belichick was during their run in New England. Totally fair. Totally fair. Well, there's lots of differences, right? Sure. Mahomes did get the big contract. We'll talk about this a little bit later in terms of contract. There's differences. But also, here's a parallel. I mean, look at all the staff shuffling that they've each had to do because when you're successful,

people want to hire your guys away. And we'll finish with this. One thing top draft picks, especially quarterbacks face when they enter the NFL as high expectations. Colts drafted at Anthony Richardson, fourth overall out of Florida. And when discussing those expectations with the local Fox affiliate in Indy, he said this. I know they invested a lot in me, but I'm not the only person on this team. They invested a lot in other players and a lot on this staff. I know they're going to ride with me and I'm going to ride with them.

I don't really see it as I'm the main guy because without the other pieces on the team, it's not going to work. Everybody wants me to come here and win a Super Bowl my first year. I wish I could and I hope I can. Yeah, that's not going to happen. But I like the answers. What are you supposed to say? Yeah, that's exactly where I was headed is. The overall messaging and the answer is really.

right. I would point out exactly what you just said. I don't think anyone is saying, you know, I think Anthony Richardson and the Colts are really in the Super Bowl mix and that's worth the standard that I'm holding them, too. Completely agree. If there's somebody who's saying that, their last name is probably Richardson.

That would be my guess. And not him. Someone named Jim Ursay, maybe. I don't even think Ersay thinks that. Really? I think he thinks that's ultimately out there for them. I just don't think in year one, especially with the Jonathan Taylor situation. That's right music with the news

Well, that's the news And thanks for stopping by The Herd Lie News Speaking of Jonathan Taylor Today is the day If you want to trade for Jonathan Taylor Or so we're told by the Colts What should happen?

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So today is, we're told D-Day for the Jonathan Taylor trade with the Colts. Right? This is the moment. If you want to have Jonathan Taylor, you want to trade for them. This is when they have to adjust their roster. It's cut down day in the NFL. So it's not just about theirs. It's about their roster.

It's about, hey, if they want to rebuild their running back room, this is how they do it. And there's lots of questions as to what the Colts should do. And sometimes doing absolutely nothing is the right thing to do. Right? I mean, if you think about it, and Ryan, didn't you tell me, yesterday we had this discussion, they can still franchise tag, they can still franchise tag, was it Sequin Barclay, right? That's correct. That's correct.

And Jonathan Taylor, too, I believe. That's correct. So remember, he wasn't a first-round draft pick, so he doesn't have the fifth-year option. And you'll get people saying, well, you know, They don't want to pay Jonathan Taylor. That's not what they said. They don't want to trade Jonathan Taylor for nothing, and they want to resign Jonathan Taylor. They just want to resign him at the right rate.

They want to get the right thing for him. Apparently, Miami Dolphins are among two teams that have made serious trade discussions. According to NFL insider Armando Salgaro, Indianapolis Colts have already declined multiple offers for the star running. back. And the question becomes, what should the Colts do? Right? What should they do? And the answer may be nothing. It may be playing hardball. This from the athletic, an NFL agent survey said, Taylor is tremendous. But the Colts went 1320 and 1 in his two playoff less seasons. It's like when Branch Ricky told Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner in negotiations, we finished last with you, we can do that without you.

The Colts hold all the cards, all of them. They too can franchise tag him at the end of this season, which again will work out to $10 million or so for a one-year guaranteed contract. You can do that for two years. You can even transition tag him into third year. They are under no pressure to give him away for a bad deal. And oh yeah, by the way, their plan was,

hey, we got Jonathan Taylor, we got, you know, we got Richardson. That's a dynamic duo. Why would we just hand somebody else to start running back? And oh, yeah, by the way, Taylor may come off some of his demands in terms of contracts because it's just not out there for him. $16 million a year, Christian McCaffrey money is just not out there for him. Also, keep in mind, he has a legit ankle injury. It's not like he's ready to go right away.

So this is a little bit of game of chicken. It wouldn't surprise me in all, despite what Jim Ursay said. And that's basically what Jim Ursay said. It was like, look, he's a very good player, but, you know, the league does, in fact, move on. It just didn't come out great. And we'll talk about Dalvin Cook and what he said about the Jets, but the truth is that Dalvin Cook is the perfect example. A more accomplished running back than Taylor.

Granted, he's had more injuries and more well. wear and tear, but completely flip free and clear. There was no trade needed to acquire him. And, you know, he got in the $8 million after the potential incentives and earmarks that he can, it's probably $7 million guaranteed if that, if that. I just, it's going to be fascinating to see what the Colts do because they don't have to do anything. And if we look at so many of the trade demands or contract demands of the past, heck, we even talked about the Arizona Cardinals.

Cardinals got themselves in trouble, not giving Kyla Maria a contract extension, but why after his third year? Remember, quarterbacks, he's the number one overall pick, got a bunch of money up front, his fifth year option would have been big, then they could have franchise tagged him for two years. You have a guy minimum, if you want, with no negotiations, seven-year deal. for Jonathan Taylor, no negotiation, six-year, could do seven years well, be substantially more punitive the longer he goes on transition tag. Don't have to do anything at all.

It's like, well, trade him way to football Siberia, or don't trade him. Call his bluff, make him sit. It might not be the best option, but it's definitely an option. And you'd be surprised at how quickly guys want to play football. and maybe you want to put themselves out there to earn that next big contract with them with the Colts or with somebody else upcoming next year. All right, coming up next.

Speaking of Dalvin Cook and the Jets, they've been the most discussed team this offseason. Are they worthy at that discussion? Let's get into it next. I'm Doug Gottlieb. This is The Hurt. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smigel and Friends.

Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman helped make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day, and head writer Streeter Seidel help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes.

Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential.

Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to Learn the Hard Way with your favorite therapist and host Care Games. This space is about black men's experiences, having honest conversations that's really not safe to have anywhere, but you have

having him with a licensed professional who knows what he's doing. How many men carry a suit are armored. It signals to the world that you not to be played with. And just because you have the capability that does not mean that you need to. Listen and learn the hard way on the IHard radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. This is an IHart podcast. Guaranteed human.