The Herd with Colin Cowherd - The Herd - Hour 2 - The best QB/WR combos

Episode Date: August 17, 2023

Greg Cosell from NFL Films joins the show to breakdown why Dak Prescott has struggled with interceptions recently Colin ranks his top 10 QB/WRs combos in the NFLSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Here we go. It's hour two. It's great to be here. Greg CoSettle in less than five minutes. It's the herd wherever you may be, and however you may be listening on a Thursday. Thanks for Megan House. Part of your day.

Tonight, there's a preseason game. Another great weekend. I'll be watching like you. We're both off tomorrow back Monday. So this is a fun time to watch. Keep your eye on that backup quarterback. for the Raiders. That's all I'm going to say. I think we found Brock Purdy 2.0. Keep your eye on Aiden O'Connell, the Purdue kid, talked to two executives in the NFL last night.

Both of them said their scouts loved him. Loved him. Didn't need him because of their quarterback situations, but their quarterback scouts loved him. Unrelated to football, how about the programming note, Messi playing in a title game Saturday? Will you interrupt your little weekend with the wife to watch some highlights. Exciting. It's fun. So I've said before is I think sometimes you should make changes in life because you get stuck in a rut.

I was just talking to a friend this morning and I'm like, move forward, take chances. You know, get on a plane, get in an Uber, go out, take chances, socialize. And Aaron Rogers in Green Bay wore me out. retirement talk, Iowaska, off-seasons were messy, at least from the public view, wouldn't practice with the young guys at OTAs. I was just over it. I was just over it. The new Aaron Rogers I really like.

Yesterday, he talked about their offensive line. I don't get concerned heavily about things that I don't have a huge role in yet. Now, that might change. At some point, I might say, hey, I need the five. are going to be in there to be in there with me for a solid week. But I don't think we're at that point yet because I don't think there's five guys that have earned those spots. So I'm going to have some patience with that.

It's August 16th, I believe. They're right. So we got some time. Also, it's coming up. Perfect. Holding people accountable. Five guys, we don't have them yet. Going to be patient, but not that patient.

Perfect. Engaged, holding people accountable. It's not my role yet, but it could be. That's a perfect bite. Perfect. He also said this. A lot of stress, a lot of concern about things. There's some things that are totally out of my control, some things I have an input on.

Who's playing left and right tackle every day? I don't have input on at this point. Don't have control. So I'm just trying to be consistent with those guys with hold them accountable and test them every single day with cadence, with calls, with adjustments. and just the normal stuff we're going to be doing, guys that can handle it are going to be in there. Guys that can't, aren't.

I love that. Again, holding people accountable. Did you hear what he said? I'm testing guys with Cadence. He's playing the tricks. He's making it hard for young guys. I mean, Aaron's the hike, hike, hike, hike. He's playing all the tricks.

I'm working on you guys. Not all this stuff is in my purview. I don't have control over it. Not yet. But if I have to, I will. this Aaron Rogers is totally fully engaged, committed, mentoring, teaching, serious, but not too harsh. Really like it. Really like this Aaron Rogers.

Not that we didn't like him in Green Bay, but it got a little tedious. Is that fair to say? Got a little tedious at times. Don't like my quarterback's talking about retirement. What's he done in Green Bay? Hey, I'm going to be here for years. just good messaging. When Devante Adams left Green Bay, part of it was,

I didn't know who the quarterback was going to be. Fake it. I'm going to play forever. Fake it. Whatever I don't want guys leaving. This errand I'm into. Greg Kosel, 44 years, NFL films. We do this every Thursday starting now.

So let's get right to it. Let's get to the young guys first. And I know it's hard. Offensive line play is kind of a mess in this. league, especially in preseason when starters are out. Let's talk Carolina and Bryce Young, loved him out of college, bit small, like Frank Reich, anything you saw with Bryce Young. You know, Colin, I don't think that that game gives you much that changes anyone's opinion one way or the other. I mean, he was under duress. People talked about, hey, he took some

shots and he got up. You know, he didn't play a lot of snaps. I mean, for me, if I'm really going to look at a guy playing in a preseason game, I want to see him play. really meaningful snaps. And even then, you're not judging him to the point where you're making a definitive conclusion. But, you know, whether it's young or C.J. Stroud, who was also under major duress, they didn't play enough snaps to me to draw any meaningful conclusion about what they'll be as NFL quarterbacks.

And I think if people want to draw those kinds of conclusions, I think, I think they're being ingenuous. There's not enough there to say anything of real meaning. Okay. So C.J. Stroud didn't play a lot of snaps. or Naps either had a bad pick. It is Belichick. He does that to young quarterbacks.

What did you make of that performance? Yeah, I mean, look, if one wants to really, you know, sort of push the limit, and I don't like to do that, you could say that the pick he threw was the kind of thing you didn't see in college, where he threw the ball late, kind of in the middle of the field. He clearly did not see Jalen Mills, which, again, all you can say is you're surprised that he didn't see him, but, you know, that he'd been under the rest of the whole game. He probably was playing a little faster mentally, which did not happen very often at Ohio State. Again, I'm trying to just put that into his head.

I don't know that he felt that, you know, but maybe he did. But obviously, the nature of that pick was not something we saw in college. But, you know, the other thing that people need to remember is you want to see young players, Colin, make mistakes. Maybe fans don't, but from a coaching perspective, they want things to teach and to coach. They want to see mistakes. I mean, I remember Ryan Jaworski telling me about Sid Gilman when Dick Vermeal brought him in,

and Jaws had been in the league seven years already, and Gilman said, hey, preseason, training camp, I want you to test what you can do. We'll find out if you can do it. You'll find out if you can do it. He says, I don't care if you throw five interceptions. We have to know what you can do and what you can't do. So when we get to week three, we know the answer to that. Okay, Anthony Richardson was interesting.

He may have had the worst pick of the weekend, but from his physical confidence, from his physical confidence to his feet, I was like, there's something there. He is a big, big kid. And I thought considering he doesn't have any reps of note in college outside of one year, what did you see on film? Yeah, I mean, obviously you see just the physical traits, which we knew about. That's not a surprise. I mean, they ran a couple of plays that are the kinds of things you'll see with Richardson during the regular season with the run game element, the define one read throw.

He obviously threw a beautiful ball on the sail route to Pierce versus tight man. Yeah. It had the right trajectory, precise ball location. Obviously, it should have been caught. That was a beautiful throw. I'm very curious, you know, we're not there every day. I'm curious to know how they're working with him because I'm telling you there were too many throws where he did. not have a firm base and too many throws where he did not step to his target. Now, he's so

gifted with his arm as a pure arm talent that often maybe that's not a factor. But at some point it is. So again, I'm sure they're working with them on it because you can't live throwing the ball off balance. So I have somebody I trust in the South that watches a lot of SEC football. And he said, I don't trust Will Levis, makes bad decisions, just never bought him as an NFL franchise quarterback. And so I'm watching him this weekend, and he uncorked a couple of ugly ones. Hard to explain. You know, armed talent, plenty of starts. What was your takeaway from his debut? Yeah, you know, I didn't think it was, I mean, I've read a lot where people said it was bad. First of all, that final interception was not on Will Levis. I'm not going to break it down for you,

because I don't, you know, people can't see the All-22 play. But that was not on. him. I know exactly what the play was and the receiver kind of hung him out to dry because he threw that ball with timing and anticipation expecting the receiver to be in a certain spot and the receiver was not there. But I thought for the most part he looked like he belonged on an NFL field. I think his ball placement needs to become more precise. And again, that may or may not happen. And if it doesn't happen, that will be a problem going forward and will minimize his opportunity to be a good player in the league. Even some completions, the ball location was not what it needed to be. But again, you know, I know a lot of people didn't like him in college,

particularly his last year. We'll see. You know, I also spoke to someone who coached him who said that there are times that he looked like he was Josh Allen and people thought he should be a top five pick and be a great player. So I think we have to wait and see on Will Levis. All right. Let's pivot to the NFL. So you've been covering this league for a long time. I said that's about the USFL a few months ago. I said there's some really interesting players at running back at wide receiver corner. There are no NFL offensive linemen in the USFL.

If you can play, the league would take you tomorrow because offensive line playing the league feels like it's gotten bad over the last several years. So in preseason, it's like yikes. So the Jets O line has been dominated by Tampa and Carolina in practice. You know, Robert Sal and Hard Knocks is like, guys, get it together. Can you go from that to a top 10 O line over the next three weeks? Boy, that's a hard question, but I will say this as a general statement. I think O lines take a lot longer to come together into cohesive units than V lines. And I think, don't forget, you're dealing with guys who are still athletically far less than the players.

they're playing against. And now you're asking them through the course of training camp, which is a lot less than it used to be in terms of being able to actually play football. You're asking guys, particularly second or third string guys, to go in and play at a high level when they don't get a lot of reps together. And I'm telling you, if you talk to O'Line and Colin and I know you have in your career, they tell you that it's all working together. And that's the big issue. These guys don't work together. And also second and third string guys, they're just not as. as good. They're just not as good. And you really see that. I noticed that in watching the preseason tape that I did watch. I didn't watch every single game, obviously. But I mean, there are some guys

who I watch and I'm like, oh man, that guy is simply not going to be in the NFL. So, you know, is it a concern for the Jets right now? I heard what Aaron Rogers said, and I thought he handled that exceptionally well. And it's probably not a concern as we speak today. We'll see in a week or two from now. But, you know, they'll put out their best five and they'll get to their best five sooner than later and they will play them because they need to work together. Okay. I got a lot of pushback apparently.

I've been told Packer fans very mad at me, but two things bothered me with Jordan Love. Number one, he had the cleanest pocket of any quarterback last week. The fewest pressures. We had plenty of time to throw. And yet that must grave throw at tight end, that's a layup. fourth year in the league, wide open underneath throw, and he sails it.

And I'm like, Greg, that's a layup. That isn't even a tough one. No, I agree. I don't know. I mean, what do you make of him? Yeah, that was just one bad throw in the game. And it was a bad, bad throw. Musgrave was wide open on the crosser.

It was third down. It's a throw you have to make. Beyond that, Colin, I don't know what to say about it. Other than that, was extremely efficient. I mean, he looks good. You know, he's one of those guys that looks the part. He's got good feet. He drops back well. The ball position is good. The ball carriage. It comes out easily. They kept it pretty simple for him. He actually made a great throw to Watson on a deep ball down the left sideline, perfectly thrown ball where the second year safety hill from Michigan

showed incredible range as opposed safety to work from the middle of the field and get his hand on the ball. But it was a beautiful throw by love. It just was a an incomplete ball. But again, we need to see more of him to see if the Musgrave miss, which no question was bad, if that's the kind of thing that happens on a weekly basis. And we don't know the answer to that yet. Okay. Emmanuel Lacho on this network said something the other day. I heard him and I thought it really crystallized it for me. He said, when the ball gets snapped by Trey Lance, it's as if he's seeing everything for the first time. There's that immediate sense of, wow, I'm overwhelmed. Well, he didn't play a lot in

college. He hasn't played a lot in the NFL. It just looks harder than it should be with Kyle Shanahan's system, which is pretty quarterback friendly. What's the film say? What did you see with Trey Lance? Yeah. Yeah, the thing with Lance is, and it's a shame, and maybe he won't be any good. Who knows? But he hasn't really played much football, Colin, since 2019. Think about that for a minute. He has not played a lot of football. I've heard some say he's not an intuitive player. Maybe he's not. Maybe he's not instinctive. The issue in this game, if you're just looking at this game where he did play the entire first half, is he turned down a number of throws that were clearly there within the timing and structure of the play design, and that's where the ball needed to go. That's the play,

and he turned down those throws. So the question is, is he not seeing it? Is he not recognizing it as open. Either one is a problem, obviously, but, you know, the guy hasn't played a lot of football. And unfortunately, he's on a team. He's a work in progress because he hasn't played a lot. But the Niners don't have a work in progress roster. They have a Super Bowl roster. Yeah.

All right. Derek Carr, I know it's one start, but he looked really good. Yeah. And I know it wasn't many series. But, you know, J-Mack's been trying to sell me on this. They have a very nice roster that. you know, Mickey Loomis has put together in that division. It's a very nice roster, better than a roster that Derek Carr came from.

And he looked pretty slick. What did the film say? Yeah, I thought he looked comfortable. He looked smooth. But he's been a good player. You know, Derek Carr is one of those guys that sometimes we talk about as if he hasn't had success in the league. You know, obviously maybe people expected more, but he's been successful in this league. You know, obviously it didn't work out with Josh McDaniel.

I spoke to a coach, a defensive coach in this league, who explained to me exactly why it didn't work out. I'd have to go into the weeds to explain that, but there's legitimate reasons why it didn't work out, and much of it does not have to do with Carr. And by the way, that's not knocking McDaniels. It was a mix that just it didn't work out. But Carr's had a lot of success. He throws the ball well. He's got movement.

He's a smart guy. I would expect him to play well in the context of that offense. And if Michael Thomas is healthy, they have a lot of. lot of weapons. Yeah. Yes, they do. Yes, they do. Alave is going to be a star. He's really, really good. Deck Prescott, bad interception week. Yeah. Bad interception year. I do think practice matters more now than it ever has because we have a fewer preseason games. And because a lot of starters don't play, Sean McVeigh started that trend. A lot of starters don't play in preseason. So these inter-squad games in practice now feel very important to me.

And when you see the DAC picks, is there an issue? Is there a bad habit? How do you tweak it? Well, you know, I went through all his picks from last year, and I actually did that this summer as well. And, you know, there are a number of them that were well-thrown balls that bounced off receivers. So picks have to look at as individual plays, not as numbers on his sheet. I will say this about Prescott. He's been injured a good amount in his career. He's gotten older now. You know, he suffered lower body injuries. So his game has changed a bit. Earlier in his career, he had very good movement. You know, he was even a runner to some extent. That movement has been minimized. At this point in his career, he's a pocket quarterback who needs to be protected. He needs a fully dimensional offense.

What he is, essentially, Colin, is a ball distributor and executor. He's not a playmaker. So he needs to play within the timing and structure of the play design and the route concept. So therefore, the scheme, the coordinator, the nature of the offense, all that becomes increasingly important. That was really a good breakdown. All right, Russell Wilson, you know Sean Payton's not happy when he takes his starters into the second quarter. So you tell me, when Russell had time, he was five for five. He didn't have a ton of time. And again, it could be offensive line issues.

They've got two new pieces. I think their own lines actually, personnel-wise, could be pretty interesting for the guys I like. what did you make a Russell Wilson Peyton game one? Yeah. One of the things they clearly wanted to work on, and again, people have to remember that in the preseason, coaches often want to work on specific things.

So they're not game planning. One of the things they clearly wanted to work on was play action with Wilson under center, what I call conventional play action. And I think that that's something they would really like to be able to do well because they're going to have a good run game. And their own line should be pretty good. What they're trying to do is they're trying to get Wilson comfortable within the timing and structure of the offense.

He's older. He doesn't move quite as well. Now, again, we're not going to sit here and say he's Drew Breeze. Here you're seeing the play action. We're not going to sit here and say he's Drew Breeze. Drew Breeze is a first ballot hall of fame or one of the greats of all time. But they're trying to get Wilson to play comfortably within structure. And there were times in Seattle he did that very well. and there's other times he made his hay in Seattle by being a movement quarterback,

a second reaction movement guy. He's not the same doing that. So the key is for him to be comfortable within the structure of what they're trying to get done. And I think you're going to see them work on that in the preseason. And my guess is there'll be ups and downs. Yeah, I do think unlike the Jets, there are multiple players on this offensive line, Bowls, McGlinchy, powers that have played at a high level. It's just a matter of...

So I think Denver's O-line, it's not like the Jets. They've got, I also like one of their interior linemen. They've got guys who can perform. It's just getting it to gel with the Jets. If Dwayne Brown doesn't play, they got guys and I'm not sure can play, right? Different ball game. Yeah. Without question.

I mean, there's a lot of teams. We could go through probably 10-12 teams that the preseason O-line are issues, that they're trying to fill spots. And we don't know how that's going to play. play out just yet. And I guess we'll find out by how much teams play who they believe to be their starters as the preseason continues. Finally, Quinn Ewers was a topic about 30 minutes ago, where I said, I think Sark has to win at least, he has to go at least 10 and 2, right? He's got a win. And he's got this situation where Archmanning's probably more talented. Quinn Ewers is the starter.

but when I watch Quinn Ewers, I'm like, I see Jay Cutler and Zach Wilson. It's just sloppy. You looked at last year's film, and I got, you apparently saw the same thing. I did. I sent you my evaluation. And, you know, he was a big time recruit. He was the number one recruit in the country. You know, he came from South Lake Carroll, which is a national power in Texas.

But, you know, I thought without going into everything that is on my sheet, I thought his tape from last year showed far too much backyard football, too much of an undisciplined loose sandlot feel to his play. The starting point with a must be technique work. He's got to throw with a firmer base. He's got to throw with better balance and weight transfer. He clearly has what some might call a hand cannon. He throws the ball easily.

But there's so much work that needs to be done with him that we'll see. I mean, we don't know what happened this offseason. from what I've been told by someone who knows he's going to get a very long leash. He's been told he's the quarterback. So unless it all totally falls apart, Colin, he's going to be the quarterback. They're not going to put Manning in, you know, week two if viewers has a bad week one game. That's what I've been told. All right.

Greg CoSell, it is so great to have you back. Appreciate it. And we'll talk next week. Looking forward to it, Colin. Thanks so much. Yeah. By the way, and I'll bring it back later. What he said about Dak Prescott, it's the first I've heard it, it's the most accurate

I've heard it. I hope everybody heard it. We'll bring it back. Dak, because of lower body injuries, is now a pocket quarterback. That's just what do you? Doesn't mean you can't occasionally scramble. But part of the gift of Dak was that great O line, Zeeke in his prime, and Dak's ability to move. now, and we've never thought he's an elite thrower, now he is a pocket quarterback.

That's fine if you're Jared Goff. Jared Goff's got a great arm and throws a beautiful ball. That was fine for Brady. It would be fine for Peyton Manning. But Dak's never been viewed as an elite sit in the pocket and let her rip guy. Even as college coach, Dan Mullins said, yeah, we love the guy, we love the body. We didn't love the way he threw. why he dropped to the fourth round. So it's like, I hope you heard that. All you cowboy fanboys,

because of lower body injuries, he's just a pocket quarterback now with a less of an offensive line, no Zeke in his prime, no Dalton Schultz. So when you make him just be a pocket quarterback, the interceptions go up. Right? So like that explains it right there, is that he has been reduced because of lower body injuries. That's the downside to run. running. I've said this with Josh Allen. Cam Newton, Big Ben, and get away with it for about six years. And then year seven, eight and nine, lower body injuries, your mechanics can struggle. You can't move and haven't really developed as much as you should in the pocket. Big Ben aged fast. Cam aged fast. Josh Allen's got to stop taking hits, or he's going to age really

fast in about three years. That's a phenomenal note from him. I just looked at Dax's rushing numbers the first three years. That's what made him so dangerous. 282 yards, 357, 305. But he rushed for six touchdowns in each of the first three years. Last two seasons, he has two touchdowns rushing. And if you look for even first downs, he was able to scramble, right, keep the play alive. He's not doing that anymore. It's not who he is anymore.

I had not noticed that. That is interesting. Yeah. Lower body injury. Not great for Dallas. No, it's just he's a pocket guy. And again, Aaron Rogers runs less. That's fine.

He's an elite pocket guy. Burrow, elite pocket guy. Herbert, elite pocket. Jalen Hertz, by the way, showed last year, oh, we may have ourselves an elite pocket guy that can run. Dax never been that. So the numbers don't lie for all the fanboys. Greg Coasell, he has transitioned to a different player.

That would explain the picks. Before making that risky throw, take off, pick up eight yards, get the first down move the chains. Now he just throws it. Pretty good stuff. 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. 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 you're 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-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs?

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No, no, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. So we touched on the Jets and Bucks and their joint practice, which was a disaster for the Jets' offensive line. But Garrett Wilson was reportedly unguardable against that fierce Tampa secondary. Aaron Rogers has had a handful of receivers in his career, and he believes Wilson is the next great one in line. Well, the talent is really impressive. He makes difficult things look easy.

receivers are an interesting personality. They are usually the most talented guys on the team athletically. I've had some great ones over the years who are great people as well. And he's one of those guys. I used to have a rule with Devante where I'd give DeVante a little extra tick because I know if I did that, he's going to get open because he is really difficult to cover. And I have to give that to Garrett too.

Another great quote by Aaron Rogers I'm telling you this new Aaron I don't know about the Jets Zone line but this new Aaron I'm in He sounds like somebody who could probably run for You know Some political stage in New York He's just crushing it right now

He's on fire Everything he says is like wow Very regal leader No he's just confident Have you ever known anybody That It's just weird that He was driving me crazy

the last three years in Green Bay. He was hypersensitive, you know, not really committing. I don't care about ayahuasca. I mean, it starts with Iowa. That's a nice state. I don't know. But like this Aaron is like, focus, committed.

Like, here's the thing. Nobody wants to hear me talk about retirement. Nobody wants to hear you talk about retirement. If you want to retire, you know, call your CPA and get your IRA and your SEPIRA's all caught up, figure it out. But nobody wants to hear about it. Like so, don't talk about it. And I also think it's bad.

messaging. Just don't talk about I'm near the end. And I think when he was, especially as a pro athlete, because your window is like eight years of prime real estate. So I don't know. I just find him really focused and very, I mean, he's always been smart. He's always been thoughtful. Are you surprised no New York media member has said, you know, Aaron, what happened in that darkness retreat? Because you went in a certain guy, everybody had an idea of who you were. And you just seemed like a completely different person. Just, I mean, nothing is like he was before. Well, sometimes, I had a couple cocktails the other night.

I woke up the next morning a new man. Sometimes you just need darkness. Darkness. Fuzziness. I don't think you can have alcohol in the darkness from me. Gin. Is that one of the rules of, uh... I don't know the rules.

Would you ever do that? I can't. I don't mind alone time, but dark for four days. The darkness is different from alone time. I can't even read. Like, if I could read, I'd be fine. Give me about three books. I can read.

You're just in there with your feelings and your thoughts? Oh, boy, I don't want to be in touch with those. You come out with so many takes. Oh, my God, I'd be a take machine. Yeah. That's what I should do. Every August, four days in a retreat in the woods. That following Monday, don't book any guess.

It'll be a take machine. Maybe you could get a voice reporter in there to record some of the takes and then play the back because you can't write anything down. It's so dark. The fruit flies are getting you, aren't they? All over the place. Damn. I don't know.

It's rough. All right. Let's stay in Tampa for the next story. It sounds like Baker Mayfield was so impressive in preseason game one. He's going to be the starter. And Kurt Warner, remember that guy, believes Baker could be a great thing for the offense. Baker is one of those QBs that you keep him in his wheelhouse. He can be a good quarterback.

He has good instincts. He has that big arm. He can push the ball down the field. And just watching the preseason game, look like the bucks are trying to establish the run. They want to be that kind of team. So I think Baker can really thrive in that system. He's not accurate anymore. And it just comes down to that.

Ball placement, not good. Quinn Ewers, ball placement, not good. Trey Lance. Ball placement. Will Levis, ball placement. That's what Greg Cosell said five times. You got to put the ball right there. He hasn't in recent years.

So the Bucks lost Russell Gage for the season. I saw that. Not great. Number two, number three receiver. Good player. Evans and Godwin are the two. So he's a three on that team. Valuable.

And then, you know, we have a note here that Kurt Warner, who made all these comments, you know, his son, is currently trying to make the buck's roster. Oh, well, oh boy. You know, hype it up Baker Mayfield. Oh, boy.

So here's the image of Kurt Warner and his son in Tamplin. Well, that's not. That doesn't necessarily. You see the Kurt Warner movie? I forget the name of it, but did you watch it? No, but it kind of had a heartwarming Disney kind of feel to it. Listen, I'm going to go out and give that a recommend. I saw it on a plane and I was like, this is kind of good.

It's like a pretty good story. You're rooting for Kurt Warner. I saw a race car movie this week, Grand Tresimo. Is that in the theater? There's a couple billboards over around Los Angeles. Fascinating story. Is this the kid who's playing video games or whatever? A kid becomes a gaver into a race car driver.

And it's a true story. I saw the trailer. Is it good? I watched, yeah, I interviewed the guy the other day, the gamer that became the driver on the volume. And I got to be honest with you. It's not bad? Well, I went in with low expectations. I just thought it's just a movie and I was like, I was entertained for 90 minutes.

I didn't know the story existed. Grand Tarismo. So he was just a really good gamer? He was a really good gamer. And then sort of a, I would say, sort of an optimistic motorsports executive said, I'm going to make that kid a driver. And they found a kind of a failed race car driver

with a tip on his shoulder that kind of helped him and guided him. It was an interesting story. What did they call that in the second father? There's like an arc in movies that always, you know, there's like a fatherly figure who becomes a tutor to the guy. Who is any big actors in there? You'll see.

The guy was in Stranger Things. The lead actor. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. The cop. The sheriff, I forget his name. Yes. What's the sheriff's name? David Harbor.

Yeah. Are you watching Stranger Things, by the way? No, I did it for a couple years. David Harbour is in the movie, Grand Tarismo. It's good. Orlando Blooms in it. Okay. Yeah, I mean, it's worth, it's like one of those classic you're on a plane or you have a Sunday afternoon before the football season starts and you're like, I'm going to go watch it.

It's like the current Warner movie. It's a feel good. Check it out. Your son do it? I thought it was the kind of take my son to it and watch it about never give up on your dreams. It's got a good message. Well, my son and I were watching cocaine bear in the theater. Oh, boy.

And that preview came on and we're like, we're going to check that out. Cocaine Bear is not great. It's kind of funny, but anyways, all right, the title kind of gives me a hint on it. Final story. George Pickens is dominating so far in Pittsburgh. He looks like a wide receiver one. He only had 52

catches for 801 yards of 4 TDs last year, But former stealer Ryan Clark says Pickens is much more talented than Justin Jefferson. Oh, slow down. Slow down a little bit there. I don't think there's a receiver on the planet that is much more talented than Justin Jefferson. I got to say, Justin Jefferson is off the charts. No, he's like Randy Moss, Calvin Johnson. Like Justin's one of the – you can argue somebody's in his class.

Nobody's way more talented. That is idiotic. Jefferson, like, he's on these Instagram videos with his footwork, and it's like, how does he do this? Like, he looks like a ballet dancer, rapid fire. And listen, I like Pickens. I think he's a good fantasy guy. He's a tremendous talent. I mean, Pickens is just a guy you could just throw up and he'll get it.

He's that good. Justin Jefferson, though, is a superstar. I mean, if you're drafting receivers, you know when you lose Stefan Diggs and nobody talks about it, you've got to be pretty good to replace him. That kid is just... would you go Jefferson or Chase here's the catch picket's made on the sideline look at his body control this guy's really talented

that catch radius is sick never been more talented receivers and then he threw it in the defensive backs face I do like a little bit of that if you're talking pure talent I would say Jefferson won this kid in Pittsburgh two Devante Adams, Stefan Diggs Jamar Chase

does help Jamar that he has Chase has got to be second dude he's unbelievable I don't know Devonte Adams crazy. He is crazy. Chase is younger. I mean, there's dudes everywhere. Maybe we need a top 10 receiver list next week. I don't know. You know, we got a Bengals fan over here, aching and moaning. You hear that, Ryan, over there? Maybe we'll do a list next.

Jay Mack with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Herd Live. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the I-Hard Radio app. It's me, Rob Parker. Check out my weekly MLB podcast Inside the Parker for 22 minutes of pipe and hot baseball talk, featuring the biggest names and newsmakers in the sport.

Whether you believe in analytics or the I-Test, we've got all the bases covered. New episodes drop every Thursday, so do yourself a favor and listen to Inside the Parker with Rob Parker on the IHeart Radio app 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. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Cliford 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 Podcast, 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-tap 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 J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a 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 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, podcast or wherever you get your podcasts. Well, we were just talking about Justin Jefferson and Pickens at Pittsburgh, how great these guys are. So I'll give you, and you asked about best receivers in the league. How about we do this, J-Mack, a top 10 quarterback receiver duo because one needs the other, right?

Most great quarterbacks have had it. Montana's got a rice. Generally, you have a duo. So we'll do the top 10 duos. I would say 10. and it's really an emerging one is Amarang St. Brown and Gough. If you don't, you think it's overrated. The last two years, when Goff targets him, he completes 74% of his throws and a 106 passer rating.

So I didn't think Amaron St. Brown was going to be this good of a pro. I didn't think he could separate. This is stunning. At 10? Oh, I think they're really good. Holy cow. All right. And they're getting better.

So nine, because I don't trust Tua's health, is Tua and Tyreek Hill. Hill's great. But Tua doesn't throw up. a great deep ball and Tyreek Hill is really known as an over the top receiver. I like him. He'll leads the NFL in receiving yards over the last six seasons, but a lot of that is Patrick Mahomes. Number eight, Dak Prescott, CD Lamb. Now you can say to yourself, we have questions about DAC, but when Dak target CD Lamb, who by the way, has gotten better every year in Dallas, 99 passer rating, 67% completion percentage. So DAC is a different,

quarterback when he is targeting CD Lamb. Number seven, Justin Jefferson and Kirk Cousins. I don't doubt Justin Jefferson, but in a big game, who shrinks? Kirk's not the same quarterback. Now, Justin led the NFL in receiving yards and receptions in the first year under Kevin O'Connell, but this is a reality of a superstar receiver. I mean, Randy Moss didn't do much in Oakland, like he got to have the quarterback, too. Number six, Josh Allen

Stefan Diggs. I just worry about the drama with Stefan Diggs. Listen, since he arrived, this entire offense feels like it's taken another step. My question, though, is do they, by drafting Dalton Kincaid, do they want to be less reliant on Stefan Diggs going forward?

And my guess is, the answer is, yeah. Number five, I think they'll blow up. Chris Lave and Derek Carr. Oh, I think they're going to have a huge year. Remember, good old line. Olave ranked two in receiving yards and receptions for rookies. Do you know who ranked number one? Let's go to number four, Aaron Rogers and Garrett Wilson. So I put this ahead of Carr in Olavet because Rogers better than Carr. But I think, listen, Wilson let all the rookies in receptions with 83, which is insane when he had Mike White, Joe Flacco, and Zach Wilson.

So I think this is the fourth best quarterback receiver combo in the league. Like Derek Carr, Chris Olavé, I think it's going to blow up this year. I'm giving you stock at 22. It's going to be 48 by the end of the year. You're welcome. Number three is Mahomes and Kelsey. He is a tight end. But do you know Kelsey ranked third in yards after the catch ahead of almost all wide receivers?

In fact, it was ahead of all wide receivers. That's what my stat here says. So, again, tight ends are rarely the go-to guy. But he really is their number one guy. Also, he's too big for corners and too fast for linebacker, so he's a matchup nightmare. Number two, I think it's going to explode Trevor Lawrence, Calvin Ridley. I think it's going to go through the roof. People forgot that Calvin Ridley's amazing.

Last year, Trevor Lawrence, over the last nine games, without a number one receiver, 15 touchdowns, two picks, and a 105 passer rating. And number one, Burrow and Jamar Chase. I just think it's LSU. there's a chemistry between the two. I mean, all you need to know is when they target, when they connect it to 108 passer rating, 107, 108 passer rating,

and they just connected from the first time they were together. You think that Trevor Lawrence, Calvin Ridley, come on. Look at the number. Look at the numbers. This is wild. Wild. What's wild about any of them?

I'm just going to toss out a couple of misses. Besides Coronel Lave 5. What? Listen, if Goff can make it on there, where's Gino Smith and D.K. Metcalf? Oh, my gosh, they've done a lot. Stafford and Cup, are they dead?

Well, first of all, you've got to have Stafford and Cup. Justin Herbert and Keenan Allen? First of all, we don't know if the Rams old lines any good. We don't know if Stafford's going to be upright. We don't know if Carr and Olavie is going to work. Hey, and listen, Ridley? As a stockbroker, I...

Ridley? Calman Rivley. And two. Oh, I think they're going to blow up. Oh, my gosh. Buffalo Bills fans are going to freak out at Josh Allen and Diggs sixth. Well, there's all sorts of drama. They drafted a tight end to not be Stefan Diggs reliant.

I'll be honest. I was thinking who was one and who was two. Oh, you know, Jalen Hertz and A.J. Brown? Didn't put it on there. Let's redo the list. No, we got rid of Shane Steichen. We got to redo this. Come on.

Hurts and Brown last year. DeVante Smith, according to his team, yesterday is the most talented receiver in the league. Devonte Smith's numbers explode. Oh, boy. Final hour is going to be crazy on you. We just run this the whole time. Oh my gosh. The herd.

What is Nick Wright going to say? 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 Dave. 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.

A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm 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 Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfilled of 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 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.