The Herd with Colin Cowherd - The Herd-HOUR-2-Herd Hierarchy, Russell Westbrook

Episode Date: September 8, 2020

Colin gives his first Herd Hierarchy of the NFL seasonThe problem with Russell WestbrookGuests: Joe Thomas, Andrew Whitworth Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Another podcast from some SNL, late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter.

Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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 IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On the Look Back at it podcast.

For 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 was big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s.

84 was a wild year. It was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th.

You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifers Show. This is a place for raw, unfilled conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeard Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes,

follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Thanks for listening to The Heard podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday from 12 to 3 Eastern, 9 to noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and FS1. Find your local station for the herd at Fox Sports Radio.com or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Heard. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Ah, here we go. It's hour two. We're live in Los Angeles. This is The Hurt. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening. We're on Fox Sports Radio and right here on FS1. It's great to have you in this hour. Joe Thomas, Hall of Famer, going to be one of the easy Hall of Fame votes. Two great tackles. Joe Thomas and Andrew Whitworth. One's a former great left tackle. The other one's a currently great left tackle for the Rams be joining us.

Yeah, I'll be very well protected this hour. I'll have a lot of time to throw this hour. Joy Taylor with a haircut. Yes. How about that? That's a gutsy decision. For women getting a haircut, for me, I got one this morning. Who cares?

For you guys, you think about it a lot, right? Yeah, well, I've been kind of joking that I'm going to cut all my hair off for a while now, but I've done this before, like, in my lifetime just went to the, but that was much more of, like, I just, like, drove to the salon and was, like, cut it all off. This one I gave a little more thought, too, obviously, we have to. who both have new looks. I really like the beard. Well, we'll see.

Well, I'm not sure. I saw my boss this morning. I don't know if he loved it. Doesn't love it? There's a big difference between opinion, Colin, on this network. Right. And Sunday NFL network with all the big shots.

It's very, yeah. Very corporate, whatever. Yeah, because I think this is a good look. Well, it's a rebel. I'm a rebel. It does. It does give you a little edge. Gives me an edge.

But on that show, it's very, everybody where I wear a tie. Yeah, you don't want a. Everybody gets serious. That's fair. Yeah, so we'll see. I have a big meeting or something. All right, before we get to Joe Thomas, it's heard hierarchy. I've watched all the camp news.

I've watched the injuries. And I've made some tweaks. By the way, I think there's a lot of good teams in the NFL. There's three teams I left out of this that I think could be in it by week two. But there's been some injuries or I just, I have to see. So this is mostly what I kind of know are the top 10 teams. In two weeks, there's three. teams I like a lot that aren't here that could possibly be in here. So here we go. Number 10.

Heard hierarchy. Yeah. Time is now. Let's go. The top 10 NFL teams, according to college. Number 10. L.A. Rams. Sean McVeigh, let's not go crazy here. The fewest games he's ever won is nine. A year ago, we said he was the next Belichick. They're bringing back Sean McVeigh, Jared Goff, a lot of the same pieces. They've also, by the way, the star of the camp has been rookie wide receiver Van Jefferson and they're already loaded at receiver. Cam Acres, by the way, has also had a great camp

replacing Todd Gurley. Joy and I said this last year. I thought it was addition by subtraction. I thought Gurley, eggshells. I thought the whole organization was walking on eggshells with Todd Gurley. I don't think it was a great locker room last year. Let's just not sell our store. stock. McVeigh is a great coach. This roster still has the best defensive tackle in football. Jalen Ramsey, star receivers, Rams 10. Number nine. Green Bay. I like Green Bay because I do think

linebacking core back into their defense is more formidable. I think their division is easier. Now, here's the bad news. Devonte Adams led this team in catches last year, receiving yards, and he missed a month. They don't really have a second guy in the perimeter that you can trust. And also, Aaron Rogers last three years. Pro football focus has been brutally honest. Has not been the same quarterback. But I think their back end of their defense is formidable.

I think they have a chance to win their division. I don't think the Rams do. So the Packers at nine. Number eight. Coin flip. I'll go with Minnesota because I like their overall roster better. Stefan Diggs losing him hurts. but they have Adam Thielen, good tight ends, Delvin Cook.

I don't think they're a Super Bowl team. And I said that about Green Bay last year. I thought they were a 9-17 that got to 13-3. They got blown out by the Niners in the NFC championship. Kirk Cousins is 6-29 in the regular season against winning teams. We got a book on him. He's a good quarterback. He's got a real low ceiling.

He gets tight in big games. I like their coach. Mike Zimmer, although I think he's a bit conservative for my taste. This is a very well-run, smartly built, great GM, really good organization. I just think they have a ceiling. Them and the Packers to me is a coin flip. I like the Vikings roster more, but Aaron Rogers is special. Number seven.

Seattle. They gave up 381 yards a game last year. That was the worst in the Pete Carroll era. Now, they went and got Jamal Adams, who is a playmaker, and they got Quentin Dunmar, trade with Washington. So the secondary will be better. there is no question. They will be better on the back end.

They still have Bobby Wagner. They have Russell Wilson. My issues with Seattle, I've got them lower than a lot of people. It's a tough division. I do not like their offensive line, and their defensive line is one of the worst in the NFL. I think they've upgraded on the back end. And Jamal Adams will play linebacker as much as he does safety.

So they've got three unbelievable players. Russell Wilson, Bobby Wagner, Jamal Adams, but too many holes on the line only at seven. Number six. Philadelphia, fewer holes than Seattle without perhaps having three superstar players. They're one of four teams in the NFL that's made the playoffs each in the last three years. And that's with a ton of injuries at wide receiver, a ton of injuries at quarterback, a ton of injuries in the secondary.

They added Darius Slay, who I think is the top three corner in the NFL. They went and drafted a wide receiver in the first round, and they can't possibly be as injury riddled as last year. It's not possible. I also think it's a pretty drab division, whereas Seattle's got two games. against the Niners, two against the Rams. Eagles get the Giants twice and Washington twice. That feels four and O to me.

Eagles at six. Number five. Tampa Bay. Listen, this team with 40 turnovers was seven and seven through 14 games last year. Brady's here. Gronks here. Shady McCoy. Leonard Vernet.

Tristan Worf's right tackle. They have made massive upgrades. Also, it's Bruce Ariens second year. It's Todd Bull's second year. Don't overthink the room here. All these critics of Brady. Folks, they made massive personnel change. It's the second year with a coach and a very smart defensive coordinator, Tampa Bay at 5.

Number four. Saints are a Super Bowl team. I always say my final four should be Super Bowl favorites. Added two really smart veterans, Malcolm Jenkins, the safety, and Emmanuel Sanders to a Super Bowl level roster. So they added maturity. Why does that matter? Because we didn't have a preseason. We didn't have OTAs.

Smart veteran playmakers. Malcolm Jenkins, Emmanuel Sanders to a great roster ready to perform Game One Saints 4. Number three. 49ers. Don't outthink the room. They led the Chiefs for three quarters. They outplayed Kansas City for three quarters. Best young coach in football.

Garapolo's 21 and 5 as a starter. Can we stop banging on Jimmy Garoppolo? Good God. He was 21 and 5. As good as Kyle Shanahan was, he couldn't win until Garapolo got healthy. Number two. Kansas City returns 18 to 22 starters. I don't think they've come close to hitting their peak.

You know, even Patrick Mahomes was 11th in completion percentage and seventh in passer rating. I don't think he's close to his ceiling. They're only going to get better. And Andy Reid made a great point this week. He goes, you know, a lot of times teams win Super Bowls and they get flashy and crazy and they party too much. He goes, we couldn't. There's a pandemic.

We couldn't go out. So we just kept our head down and coach football and played football and practice football. Love the Chiefs. Number one. Baltimore, I have him at 16 and own. I don't. It's really funny about this. This whole Lamar thing.

Lamar Jackson. What do you need to see? He was better at the end of last year than the big. beginning. They're fine. They've added Clayus Campbell on the defensive front. The Earl Thomas loss, I don't think hurts much because I think their corners are great and their pass rush is better. There's nothing I don't like about this team. I like their work ethic. I like their front office. I love their coach. I like the way the coach and the quarterback embrace each other. And I love that Lamar Jackson's got a total chip on his shoulder. I love it. He just every off season, he's like,

yeah, I listen to my critics, I got to get better. And he does. He's got to play better from behind. That's a real thing. But I think the Ravens have a chance to go 16 and no, and that sounds ridiculous. But I think in a season where we've got no preseason, these veteran teams or these teams with returning quarterbacks and coaching stars will do very well. All right. Now, I don't have Cleveland in. I have them 11. I don't have Denver in.

I have them 12. I don't have Buffalo in. I have them 13. Again, I don't know what Stefanski looks like as a head coach. Just give me a week. So I have Cleveland 11, Denver. lost their right tackle, so now I don't like Denver at either tackle spot. I love the rest of their roster, but I can't go with a team in the top 10 who's going to,

they're struggling already at left tackle. Now they lost their right tackle with a young quarterback. And Buffalo, I think they coached the hell out of that team, but Josh Allen scares me. And with that, one of the great left tackles in the history of football, 11 NFL seasons and 11 pro bowls. Yeah, he was good day one. As Joe Thomas, NFL Network, Candlest, joining us now via the Coward Global Satellite Network. All right, so let's just get to this. I do think Cleveland's going to be a playoff team.

I think they're going to win nine games. I don't know what they're going to look like in September. So you tell me, what are you hearing? What are you seeing, Joe, from the Browns at camp? Well, this year it's all about managing expectations, as you talked about. Last year, they came in with some high expectations, the Browns players and coaches, and even the front office wanted to talk about how great things were going to be. And obviously, it didn't exactly turn out the way everybody.

everybody had hoped and expected in Cleveland. And so this year it's all about managing expectations. Don't go in and give anybody the impression that you're going to blow the world away, especially with this pandemic shortened season, the pandemic shortened off season, a new head coach, new offensive coordinator. So I think right now the Browns are going to be better than people expect, but the big thing for them will just be to kind of go in and try to sneak up on some people, especially early on in the season.

So it's interesting. In Chicago, they've named Mitch Trubisky, the starter, and the GM and the coach, they're just laying praise on Mitch Trubisky. And we've already seen 42 starts. You can fool the media. You can fool fans. It is hard to fool players. Do you believe bear players think Mitch Trubisky can take them to a special place? the bear players will not believe that Mitch Trevisky is going to take them to that special place, that Super Bowl, until he can show it on the field. You know, when you look at his career, he's had a few good games here and there, but he hasn't been able to put it together consistently. And if you want to be able to lead a team and you want to be able to stand in that huddle and convince people that what you're going to call right now when it's third and 10 and you need a play is something that he is going to be able to be able to deliver on, you've got to be able to do that consistently. And if you want to take your team to the playoffs, you want to take your team to the Super Bowl as a quarterback, you've got to be able to do it week in and week out. And so far, Mitch Trubisky has not been able to do that.

And it didn't help it all last season when he kind of dealt with some of the things in the media where he seemed like mentally he was a little bit taken aback by what people were saying about him outside the building where he was turning TVs off in their facility. And so those are all things that players on that roster are going to think about. And they're going to wonder about until Mitch is able to do it, consistently on that field. You know, it's interesting. So when you go to camp, and I've asked players this many times,

you were great right out of the shoot at left tackle. But now, not everybody is. But generally players can watch the draftees. And you can tell by about five or six practices, okay, we missed on this guy or this guy's really special. Should it be concerning that Jordan Love, first round pick for the Packers, they moved up to get him is not even the backup.

He's third. He's behind a guy that was undrafted. Does that tell you that, I mean, what are Green Bay players thinking? When Jordan Love, we could have gone out and gotten a starter. He's third on the depth chart. What do you think Packer players think? Does that mean anything? I guarantee they're scratching their head going,

why would we waste an opportunity to give Aaron Rogers a weapon so that we can win right now for a guy that we're going to draft in the first round? and then he's not even going to be the second string quarterback. To me, if I'm in that room, I'm expecting the head coach to address the team and talk about it, right? Because everybody certainly would expect that your number one quarterback pick from this year would be the backup at a very minimum. And when he's not, everybody's going to kind of wonder and say, well, why not? And if you're a head coach and you have to address why your quarterback that you took in the first round is not the backup quarterback, then there's definitely some questions.

And there's a lot of people kind of scratching their head thinking, well, maybe we should be playing for this year and not plan for the future because we got a pretty good guy quarterback right now and Aaron Rogers who did pretty well for us last season. So I think it just adds a little bit of a question mark. And some of the players in that locker room are probably maybe starting to wonder what the front office is doing, what they were thinking. Because when you're looking at Jordan Love, you're saying, why wouldn't he be number two, right? If Aaron Rogers got dinged up for a couple weeks, you'd want to give him that valuable experience. If for some reason Aaron was going to be out most of the season, you're not going to have a better opportunity with Tim Boyle as the backup in there

than you would with Jordan Love. And you're just wasting an opportunity to give Jordan Love some experience for the future, which is why you drafted him in the first place for the future. So it really doesn't jive with what they were trying to tell us about why they picked him in the first place now that he's not even the backup quarterback going into the season. You know, it's interesting. Kansas City, Joe Thomas joining us. Kansas City, Andy Reid made a great point yesterday.

He said, you know, a lot of teams get to a Super Bowl and then they party. He goes, we couldn't party because of the pandemic. And if you think about it, Joe, because the economy closed down, there weren't a lot of endorsements thrown at players. And if you really look at last year, had Miami not beaten New England in week 17, they would have been a three-seat. They would have been in the wild card round. Is that my take away in Kansas City is they really aren't close to where I think they'll get. They didn't play particularly well in the playoffs. They trailed Tennessee.

They trailed Houston. They trailed San Francisco. Like I don't see a step back for Kansas City. Is it is, do you worry that they were, Mahomes won so fast, he got the ring so fast that there is this natural letdown. Well, I think there's always going to be a letdown when you're a Super Bowl winner because you've reached the pinnacle of everybody's career of everything that you've always wanted since you started playing football. But I think the great thing with Kansas City is, Andy Reed and Patrick Mahomes, they're very stable and steady personalities, right? Andy Reid wants you to believe that there would have been all this partying if it wasn't been for the pandemic.

But Andy Reid is just the same guy every single day. That's what the players love about him. That's what the fans love about him. Everybody that's ever worked for him loves him because he treats every day the same and he treats every player exactly the same. So whether they win the Super Bowl or they don't even go to the playoffs, I feel like the offseason for Andy Reid and his team is going to feel very, very similar. He doesn't ride the roller coaster like a lot of coaches, but that's what makes him great. And so I think, you know, there's a potential to have a little bit of a letdown. But for the most part, when you've got Andy Reed and you've got a quarterback like Patrick Mahomes,

so I think they both understand, hey, we did win the Super Bowl, but that doesn't mean we don't have anything to work on. The reports out of Kansas City was they had a really good competitive camp. There wasn't guys that were, you know, resting on their laurels, just kind of reflecting on the greatness of winning the Super Bowl. And so I think that will really play really well for them this season. But in addition, I think this is a season where if you have an offense that have experience being in that offense with the same players, the same scheme, the same coaching staff, that's going to be an enormous advantage because of the limited offseason that a lot of these teams have had. And so being in that Andy Reid offense for Patrick Mahomes now, year three, I think is going to be a tremendous advantage.

And you're going to see that, especially early on in the season. So I don't like New England or the Raiders this year. Many do. And they both really struggled in the last seven to eight weeks. I think it's very difficult to be a bad football team, have no OTAs and no preseason, and just flip a switch. I think that I think in football, those bad teams need to have an OTA, a preseason, get the bad vibes out, get some new personnel in. I don't like New England. I don't like the Raiders because of that.

in your career, does it matter how you finish the previous year, the last six, seven weeks? I think it does matter. And we talked about it when I was a rookie. We were going into the last week of the season. And we really had nothing on the line because we needed the Tennessee Titans to lose in order for us to get into the playoffs. But we still played hard. And Romeo Cornell was our head coach at the time. And he gave a very passionate and what I agree with what he had to say, argument in that game.

said, how you finish is the momentum that you're going to carry through the off season. Whether we make the playoffs or not, it has nothing to do with what we do in week 17. But if we play well, we'll be able to build on that confidence from this week through the off season and we'll have a building block right there. Because if you go into the off season with a letdown, if you go into the off season sliding towards the end of the season, there's going to be a lot of question marks about, are we the team that started the season? Or did people figure us out?

And maybe we weren't as good as we thought we were from earlier on. in the season. So if you're a team that kind of backs into the playoffs and then maybe loses right off the bat, you're going to have a lot of question marks and there's going to be a lot of wondering about maybe who you really are in the offseason and without OTAs with no preseason games with limited training camp, you really have no opportunity to kind of prove to yourself and to build that confidence back up that, you know, maybe we are a really good team. We are the team that showed up much better earlier on in the season and that a blip on the radar at the end of the season was not who we are. So certainly I definitely buy into that. But I think with New England

specifically, like they've got a lot of question marks on offense for the first time and a long time. And with a new quarterback, new quarterback working with a new system potentially, it's going to be a big learning curve, I think, for those guys in New England. And there's going to be some pointing fingers I feel like when things don't go as well as they're used to. Yeah, at Joe Thomas 73 on Twitter. He's got the Tomahawk podcast with Andrew Hawkins, former NFL player. Good dude, Joe Thomas. See, we like Cleveland, folks. We bring Cleveland people on all the time.

We even say nice stuff about Cleveland right now. There you go. There you go. Good talking to you, bud. Thanks, Colin. You bet Joe Thomas, one of the all-time good guys, and segued really nicely into a post-football career. Happy, trim down, has his own podcast doing well.

Andrew Whitworth, another great left tackle joined us in about 20 minutes, joy around the corner with Heard Line News, and some Russell Westbrook thoughts. as the Lakers and the Rockets get ready to play again tonight. Want more herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week within the IHeart radio app. Search Herd to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like. 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. Here. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds, I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care which I'm saying.

Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You 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 imagine. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment. And the next, we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast.

It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. If you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok.

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 with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam Jett 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 y'all know I mean at this point Mark this is the second episode

where we've discussed crack so I'm starting to see that there's a through line We also have AIDS on the table right now Thank you finishing that sentence. 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. 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. Trip 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?

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 Hardway. Open your free, I Heart Radio app. Search, Learn the Hardway, and listen now. Fox NFL Sunday is back this week with a great slate of early games. Then it's a blockbuster in America's Game of the Week as Brady

and the New Look, Bucks take on Breeze and the Saints. Check local listings for the games in your area or watch it on the Fox Sports app. Very strange. Usually August, we have no NBA. Right. And we talk all NFL. I usually give, I always put August 1st down on my calendar as a sports talk show host. I go NFL. We spent most of this month talking NBA last month. We didn't have NFL preseason. So it's it's here. The football season's here. It's glorious. But I think most of us are creatures of have. and our habits have been turned upside down so people are not quite ready to embrace the football season.

Tom Brady debuts for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. It's crazy. And Cam Newton plays for the Patriots. It's crazy. It's here. But I'm a creature of habit. Same breakfast, same lunch mostly. And I, you know, August is on the lake.

And I get it off and I watch football. We start talking about it. We didn't talk a ton of football in August. It is officially here starts Thursday. By the way, new rule in sports that if you constantly as an athlete, tell me that you don't care about the critics, you actually care about the critics more.

Russell Westbrook's not my favorite player, but I don't like to beat up on him. But this postseason, he's shooting 28% on jumpers, 16% on three-pointers, most remarkably, 46% of the time. the free throw line. That's not because he forgot how to shoot free throws. That's in his head. He's not my favorite player. Kevin Durant too often talks about how he doesn't care about the critics, and we found out he had a Twitter burner account. And Aaron Rogers always tells us he

doesn't care about the critics, but why is he always talking about him? And Westbrook has spent a career dismissing the media as irrelevant and he doesn't hear it. then why is he shooting 46% from the free throw line? That's in his head. He hears the critics. I actually have sympathy for him. I don't like to see great athletes struggle. But a new rule in sports

when you put on the Captain America Shield and puff out your chest and say, you guys are irrelevant, I don't ever read any of it. Yeah, you do. You probably are making a point that's pretty less than subtle that you hear almost. all of it. Russell right now, the game is in his head. And he hears the critics chirping,

and he knows he's unraveled before. Do I think he plays better tonight? Absolutely. He's inconsistent, but he's not bad. He's great. He's just wildly inconsistent in the playoffs. Here's Joy with the News. Turn on the news. This is the Herdline News. Lots of deals getting done right now. DeAndre Hopkins and the Cardinals have agreed to a contract extension. is reportedly a two-year extension worth 54.5 million. The deal amounts to $27.25 million in new money per year in 2023 and 2024. And it includes a $42.75 million guarantee at signing.

Well, this is why he wanted an extension and Houston wasn't going to give him one. So this is, they're going to be an interesting team. But boy, you got to play the Niners twice, the Seahawks twice, the Rams twice. there are, just take away the players for a second. Pete Carroll, Sean McVeigh, Kyle Shanahan are six of your games and you're Cliff Kingsbury. I mean, it's reasonable to say they're going to get out coached at least six times. I mean, you're talking about three of the best coaches in the football. DeAndre Hopkins isn't putting game plans together.

No, but I don't hate this deal because they got him knowing that they had to pay him. Yes, yes. And he is a top receiver in the league and you want to give your young quarterback weapons, reliable weapons. last year he had 104 receptions, a little over 1,000 receiving yards, seven touchdowns. Their top two wide receivers in 2019 were Larry Fitzgerald and Kristen Kirk, 75 receptions, 804 yards, four touchdowns for Larry Fitzgerald, 68 receptions, 709 yards, and three touchdowns for Christian Kirk. So this is a number one receiver, and he needed to get paid.

So he had three years left on his original contract, so the extension pushes the total value to $94 million over five years. It does sound like a lot, and you are right. But you got to pay somebody. And I don't hate that it's DeAndre Hopkins. He deserved the money. And like I said, you want to give your young quarterback pieces, reliable pieces. You know what DeAndre Hopkins is.

And it just shores up your receiving core. So that part of your team is taking care of. So the Jets aren't projected to be a top team this season. And GM Joe Douglas is very aware that most don't believe his team will be very good in 2020. He said, our guys don't live in a bubble. We see the things that are said. We see the things that are written. You know, it angers a lot.

lot of people. I think that helps for about a half. And then it comes down to your players and coaches. Yeah. The whole, yeah, I'm with you. I'm not into the rah-rah. Everybody doesn't like us thing. That works for the Patriots, but the Patriots are a dynasty. I will say this. In the first two weeks, you know, they play Buffalo's defense. If the offensive line is better, because they really committed to it. They went and drafted a left tackle. They went and paid for a right tackle. If the offensive line is better, then they're going to be a fun team to watch. But, but, but, it all starts there because they're not good enough elsewhere to overcome that. I'll watch them in the first two weeks. If Darnold has, and he didn't last year, if they figured out the

tackle position, at least I can go, they could go in a winning streak, a team possible of winning three or four straight. Because last year at the end, the protection was bad, the receivers were bad. Also, Sam Darnel was sick. So we pretty much knew that the season. season was done when he was out for a couple weeks with Mono. They're not going to have that this year. You said that they're going to go six and ten. I just, I don't think they lost CJ Mosley and Jamal Adams and they don't have a number one receiver. I think in this league, you can't, you can't lose players like that. No, my thing with the Jets is this. I like Sam Darnold. I don't love them as much as you do, but I like Sam Darnold. I'd like to see the Jets

be competitive. I was a jet fan for one whole year and it was wonderful. They're fun team when they're competitive. My question is this. I don't think that Adam Gage, is the guy there. I don't, we do this all the time with players, right? Like, a player can't get along with any coach. And it's like, after a while, we're like, okay, it's the player. How many stars can you not get along with? After a while, it's like, okay. Even ask yourself this. So Lavian Bell, Jamal Adams, even ask yourself this, CJ Mosley opt out. Is it possible we don't know that, but maybe Adam Gaysson, Mosley aren't tight? Like, CJ Mosley got a big check. I haven't seen him play more than a game yet. So I,

Do we know that relationship's great? I don't know. I just think that it's, look, anytime anyone is doubting you or saying that you're not good, of course, it's going to put a little fire in you, right? These guys are still professionals. They're still, you know, in the top 1% of what they do in the entire world. But I just don't know if all the pieces that are there are going to work. And I don't know if Gase is the guy to put them together.

I don't know if that's crazy to say that. It's what have we seen from you in the last couple years that would steer us to feel any other way than that? It's a little bit Cleveland-like, like, okay, made a lot of moves. go out there and play and show us. Yeah. You have the opportunity to do that. So Cam Newton and Bill Belichick don't be, they seem to have no problems at all building their new relationship.

Cam recently said it was a match made in heaven with the Patriots. And Belichick also continues to praise his new quarterback. He's come in and done everything we asked him to do. He works hard. He's obviously a very talented player and looking forward to continue to work with him. So we'll just take it day by day. But, you know, he's been, he's given us everything he's had. And, you know, we've tried to.

put the team in the best position we can competitively. No, not much time for him. He's had how many practices? This is a rough eight guys opt out. No, it's a tough situation for Cam. Burdle. We're not looking at this situation. It's a permanent situation for Cam, right?

For me, it's all about what Belichick says. I can't, I respect Belichick too much to assume that this is not all pre-planned, right? This is all just a big, masterful. I totally agree. You know, it's like we're watching Bob Ross do the paintings, and it's not together until he puts the little final highlights on it, and you step back, and then you see the masterpiece. It's kind of what's happening here.

Belichick never said anything nice about Tom Brady, like ever in his whole career. Now he loves Cam. You might be able to go out there and find one or two clips here and there. I remember us being in shock that he gave the team ball. It was so awkward. And now Cam, it's a match made in heaven, and he's done everything he asked. It's like maybe Brady actually just needs to be coached and treated that way.

Is that what it is? Because it seems like Brady got tired of that after a while. So I don't understand. It just, I cannot get over Cam Newton in a Patriot uniform. I know. I know. This, this, if 2020, it doesn't even weirder. It's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's playing for another team of all teams,

the Buccaneers. And the NFL starts on Sunday at the NBA is playing. Crazy. Joy with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The herd line news. By the way, if you didn't see my herd hierarchy, I'll give it to you sometime, either late this hour or start of next hour to check it out. Our top 10 NFL teams going into the season, Andrew Whitworth of the Rams left tackle.

Apparently, their two draft picks, Van Jefferson, the wide receiver, and Cam Acres had been spectacular, especially the receiver in camp. They've already got a great receiving core, Josh Reynolds, Cooper Cup, Robert Woods. They drafted another kid, and they have good tight end. So offensively, I think the Rams are going to score points. It's beyond Aaron Donald, Jalen Ramsey. What do we got on the back end of the defense? Can they generate a consistent pass rush? We'll find out that coming up next.

Going to the grocery store is on everybody's to-do list. But some people have, I've actually cut back on that. I used to be a big grocery store person. But with the pandemic, it's one of those places indoors. I just don't go as much as I used to. the point. By the way, I wear a mask. It's not like I like it. This beard has made it even worse. Masks and beards are not great together. 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. 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.

A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You 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. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger.

So, if you've ever supported me, or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to The Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. 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 kill. 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 yeah, yeah, literally. But just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack.

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. 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. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way 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 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?

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. He played 99% of the snaps last year, more than any Rams player. 15th year in the NFL, going to get a lot of Hall of Fame votes. I'd vote him in four-time Pro Bowl or one of our favorite guests, the left tackle for the Rams,

Andrew Whitworth, who is now joining us via the Coward Global Satellite Network. You know, it's funny. Now you got old Sean McVeigh. A couple of years ago you had the kid, the Wiz Kid, and now you got a couple of years under McVeigh. Somebody told me this year, his personalities, he shifted a little bit in some experiential things at camp, that he's got a little more of a social life, blah, blah, blah.

Do you notice a little difference in Sean McVeigh now that you're with him for three years? You know, I keep joking with him. He's going to start having some of these grays I got the way it's going. You know, as you get that experience and the stress of being an NFL head coach, man, it's a lot. And yeah, I really think he's done a great job of just adapting to being that head coach. And now he's got three years into it and really is kind of finding his groove and what makes him happy and drives him to continue to be in this profession. So I think you're continuing to see that growth in him, not necessarily as a coach,

but also just as a man and a person who's in charge of obviously a huge organization. You know, it's interesting. He doesn't believe in playing starters much in preseason, so it's not a huge change for you. I mean, do you feel like this morning you're kind of in the same shape you were a year ago? Do you potentially don't feel a great deal of difference? Yeah, I would say really one thing that does play into our favor with the Rams organization is that this is kind of how we've handled the preseason the last three. years. We've kind of had a schedule that involved really the starters not playing in the preseason. So we've kind of been prepared that way. We've kind of always had our schedule, the kind of

scrimmages and different things right before the preseason games and then allowing the other players to play in the preseason game. So this really hasn't changed much of our preparation and how we really prepared for the last few years since we've been with Coach. So last year it was Todd Gurley. It felt a little bit like a walking on eggshell situation. You go out and draft Cam Acres. According to various reports, he could start week he's been very good. I know everybody, we could never quite get a straight answer last year, but it did feel like with Gurley it was nobody quite new.

Should he play? Should he not? There's an injury. Let's Cam Acres. The report is he's ready to go. He's really good. And do you kind of sense this team will go back to more power running this year? Yeah, I really think you look at it with, really with Cam and the ability he's able to come in as a young back and understand his role and his job.

and all the things we do offensively. I think he's done a tremendous job. And what a great example he's had in a guy like Malcolm Brown, who is still here with us, who's just one of those guys that just does everything right. I mean, he's just one of those people that everything he does and the way he goes about his job is the right way. And so Cam has a great guy to kind of look to and learn from and just go through that process with.

And so I think that's going to help him out tremendously because he obviously has the physical talent to be a really special back. So you play the Cowboys in week one. you're going to go up against Everson Griffin, some Alden Smith. So when you look at film, they've got some new pieces defensively.

What does Dallas do to try to make things difficult to a left tackle on an offensive line? What will I see in the trenches this week? Well, I think that you're going to see some of a little bit of maybe the old Saints defense with Mike Nolan coming from there, having been helping there,

and then also some of the things he used to do back when he was a signal caller. Before and so I think that you're going to get a little mixture of that you don't fully know what they'll play What they'll decide to do but with those two guys you're looking at a guy in Everson who's been a tremendous R Usher for a long time and and always been a tone setter a guy who plays extremely hard and then Alden Smith You know I had to dig all the way back calling all in 2011 12 13 to find some some Alden smith tape and you know what a guy that I've been around you know the off seasons and stuff and And just proud of the the change he's made in his life and then where he is physically and man what a special talent he was and was and I would imagine is going to be. So, you know, getting prepared takes a little bit of digging

back in the archives for this one. So Van Jefferson's a wide receiver, according, I'm reading the LA Times. I'm reading all the blogs. They're like, he's been the shock of the camp, which is remarkable because there was no preseason. Talk about the receiving core Van Jefferson. And are you surprised that the kids come in with no OTAs, no camp, and have flourished? You know, I think sometimes it's a reflection also of just, you know, their great talents and they have the ability, but also their room. And much like the running back room, and I said with Malcolm, I mean, you look at the guys that really he's had an opportunity to work around with Cooper

Cup and Robert Woods. I mean, tone setters for us, guys that are, you know what, just the guys that do everything the correct way that their technique and their fundamentals is flawless. The way they go to work every day is unbelievable. Watching tape of those two blocking downfield is as impressive as their route running. And so I think for Van, it's to come in. with a skill set and be around those guys who do it that way and at that level. I think it's helped him tremendously.

Man, as he looked good. I mean, I think he's going to be a really effective player for this organization for years to come. Jared Goff, notice any difference now? He goes into another year. You know, it's funny in the media. Everybody kind of buried the Rams, but you were nine and seven with multiple injuries. Jared Goff, have you noticed a difference? You know, you really have.

I think he's just continuing to grow. I don't know so much if it's always just about football in the NFL. NFL, you know, it's sometimes about these guys mature and his men and everything else. And that helps them be better football players. And I think for him, it's one of those things. He's really coming into his own, his ownership of the team and really himself and who he wants to be. And I think you just feel that edge, that that attitude that, that attitude that attitude that, that attitude that, that attitude that, that attitude, that, that, that attitude. To him as we've gone through camp.

Good stuff, Andrew Whitworth. left tackle extraordinaire day off. You get a few of those and have fun. Stay healthy and it's great talking to you. Hey, you two as always. Good luck with that beer too. Yeah, not much of one, but I do appreciate that. When the check-in engine light comes on, there's a lot of anxiety. Does not need to be. Carsheel.com code herd. A deductible may apply. So here's my herd hierarchy, Joy. This is my top 10 teams in the NFL. Now, Cleveland did not make it. Denver did not make it. And Buffalo, did not make it. So they were all really, really close. I don't know if Cleveland Kevin Stafansky, I've got to see it. Denver's got a tackle issue. Their right tackle opted out. Here's our

herd hierarchy. I got Baltimore one, Kansas City two, Niners three. I don't think that's a big surprise. I'll play chalk on that. I would have to see otherwise. I do think New Orleans went out and was really smart and got two. They got one on offense, Emmanuel Sanders, and a veteran on defense. Malcolm Jenkins, just a couple of smart veterans to put them over the top in the NFC. I think both will flourish. I buy Tampa Bay. I just, again, they were strong last year despite being an avalanche of turnovers. If nothing else, they'll be significantly more efficient on offense.

Maybe they won't be as explosive with James out and Tom in. But they'll be more efficient. I also think Arians and Todd Bowles, excellent coaches, a second year with, a lot of young players. The back end is tougher. Again, I like Denver, but when the right tackle opted out, I got Drew Locke with a left tackle I struggle with and a right tackle opted out. I can't put them a top 10 team.

I put Philadelphia. They went out and solved their cornerback position with Darius Slay. Seattle at 7. I don't like their O or defensive lines, but you cannot deny that bringing in Jamal Adams, he is a complete playmaker. In fact, you could, not very many teams have three great players better than Russell Wilson, Bobby Wagner, and Jamal Adams. They got holes all over their lines, but not there. Minnesota Green Bay to me is a coin flip.

I think Minnesota's roster is better. They have more depth offensively, but I think Aaron Rogers, you know, makes up for some of that. So Minnesota Green Bay and the Rams at number 10, they've had two rookies who have starred in camp. And again, they've got starplers. players. They've got Jalen Ramsey. They've got Aaron Donald. They have Andrew Whitworth. They have tremendous wide receiver, tight end talent. And again, Cleveland, give me two weeks. Buffalo, give me a couple weeks. Denver, give me a couple weeks. Joy, what do you make of it? I would put the chargers up there right outside of the top 10, probably above Cleveland's,

and probably above Denver right now. I'm with you on the bills still. I don't, I think I'm I think I like the Saints a lot more. Yeah, I get it. I mean, I don't have a problem with your top three, obviously, but I think that the Saints are a Super Bowl contender this year. Yeah, I do. So there you go. Loaded as usual.

Noom, when it comes, this is a new advertiser, when it comes to reaching my health goals, change your mind and your habits. It's about Noam. Go to Noom. N-O-O-M dot com slash heard. Start today with a free trial. Change your habits with Noom. Hour three next.

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

Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. 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. On the Look Back at it podcast. For 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 was big to me. I'm Sam J.

And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild year. I mean, it was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people.

Listen to Look Back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me. Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits,

my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifers Show. This is a place for raw, unfilled conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated.

So let's get to it. Listen to the Cliford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.