The Herd with Colin Cowherd - The Herd - Hour 3 - Top NFL stories

Episode Date: June 1, 2023

Albert Breer, NFL Reporter for THEMMQB.com, drops by The Herd to look at some potential landing spots for free agent wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, one NFL playoff team from '22-'23 that is flying under the radar heading into training camp, expectations for New England quarterback Mac Jones, and moreSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Seriously. See terms and conditions and check it out for yourself at Discover.com slash match. All right, let's bring in a guy to talk some NFL, Albert Breer from Monday morning quarterback. Albert Breer checking in from his house. I thought it would be parts unknown now that summer's here. Albert, how are you, man? I'm good. I'm good.

How are you doing? You're just back from Paris, right? I am. Wow, look at you. What do you follow me on Instagram? Is that what it is? Yeah, I did see it on this. It was a lot of fun, man.

Yes, yes. Not as fun as I'm sure Nantucket and your summer dealings up there in the Northeast. But let's dive right in. Hey, D'Andre Hopkins released by the Cardinals while I was on vacation. And Eric Mangini came on earlier and said, hey, the Browns make a lot of sense. You know, he made it sound like he wants to go to a team with a great quarterback. Your gut tell you he'd take less to play with, say, Mahomes. or Josh Allen, or do you think he wants to get the bag and go to like Atlanta or Chicago or something?

Well, I think that's the real question. You know, like, that's what everybody's waiting on. And I think that's what's going to determine where this thing goes. And, you know, really going back to the Cardinals effort to trade him, you know, the chiefs and bills were the two teams that had substantial draft or trade talks with them, with them. And in both cases, what, you know, prevented it from happening was what those teams were willing to do financially for DeAndre Hopkins, which wasn't close to the near $20 million he was going to make in Arizona. And, you know, as part of that, like the chiefs were also pursuing Donovan Smith,

the left tackle from Tampa. So they essentially gave the contract they were going to give to Hopkins to Smith. The bills have sort of moved on, I think, to reengage either of those teams he'd have to go at a discount. And so, you know, you sort of hit the nail on the head there, J. Mack. You know, this is going to come down to what's important to him. Does he want to take less to go chase a ring, you know, with Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City or Josh Allen and Buffalo. And maybe, maybe, like, you know, like have that hope out there that he can cash in in

2024. If he shows, he can make it through a full 17 game of season and play the way that, you know, we've been accustomed to seeing him play or. And nobody could be able to, nobody could blame him for this, you know, for a guy who turns 31 next week, does he want that one last bite of the financial apple? I think that's going to determine where he winds up going. And, you know, the Brown certainly makes some sense because they have the cap space. They have a quarterback with the relationship with him.

they also have dealt with this sort of thing in the past in acquiring Judebby and Clowny the last couple of off seasons and having to manage a guy who doesn't practice very much. So Cleveland Lakes makes a lot of sense for those reasons. Buffalo and Kansas City makes sense because there are places where he can go and win. But the question is, you know, how much does he feel like he has to make?

You know, especially when you look back at the history of how this has gone the last couple of months and how the O'Dell Beckham situation sort of poised in the water with Kansas City there at the end. Do you think these comments NFL executive says Hopkins can't run anymore? I know he wasn't great last year, but he was playing in a crappy situation. Cardinals were a dumpster fire. I just wonder, is this some smart GM putting this out there to knock down Hopkins trade value

knowing that, hey, the dude's only 31, man. He wasn't checked in last year. Well, so like there are a lot of questions here, right? And I think the big ones are ones that we become accustomed to asking of Hopkins, which, like, he's never been that. fast. He's never been a great separator. And guys like that play with a smaller margin for error. He's been able to get it done with balance and hand-eye coordination and toughness and physicality and his lengths. That's how he's always gotten it done. And so if you're dealing with a shorter

margin for error, if he's lost his step, he's going to feel that more than a guy who runs four or three. So like that's certainly a valid question of one that NFL teams have. He's only played 16 games the last two years and he barely practices at all. So that's the other thing is, is this like a Julio situation where Julio, when he was in Atlanta, barely missed a game, but had to be managed in a pretty heavy way because of all the injuries that he'd had. And then he gets to Tennessee and all of a sudden that comes home to Roost. So, you know, I think the league has spoken and said that he's not worth $20 million or else somebody would have thrown a pick to the Cardinals to go and get him.

Another question becomes what he's actually worth. And we'll find that out here soon enough. but it's certainly a fraction of what he was worth three or four years ago, that's for sure. Say more about this. He doesn't practice at all. The guy's like 30, 31 years old, and he's not practicing? What's that about? Well, that's, I mean, that's just a function of how he's taking care of his body, you know,

and he had so many nagging little injuries that, you know, it got to the point at the end in Houston where he wasn't practicing at all. And Arizona took him on knowing that. So he didn't practice much for the Cardinals either. It was just sort of the plan to get him ready for, games every Sunday and he required that level of maintenance and again that's like where the larger question is here jac is like if he required that level of maintenance at 28 29 what's he going to look like at 31 32 you know and could this become a bigger problem as he gets older logically it would

and then you know like there's that question too like if he's not practicing and he's one of the best players in your team what messages that send to your locker room what could that do for you culturally that's why I think like you look at Cleveland and having been through that the last couple of years with Judebby and Clowny and having a quarterback that he's familiar with that maybe he'd require a little less work to get you know kind of on the same page with and Deshaun Watson you know maybe Cleveland has some subtle advantages here that people aren't talking about that would make them an ideal fit now the question is whether or not they're willing to spend the money they have it you know they do have cap space they're near the top of the league in cap space the question is how far they're willing to go financially. And if they're willing to get closer to that number that O'Dell Beckham got there before the draft

where, again, like that's sort of what blew up, you know, the negotiation with Hopkins and the Cardinals and the Chiefs was Hopkins saw what Beckham got, a $15 million base with the ability to make up to $18 million and said, well, he didn't play last year. I'm worth at least that. He's going to have to come off of that a little bit. but maybe the Browns get a little closer to it. So he can kind of amend that in his head and go to a place that I think would be a pretty good fit. Let's go to the Buffalo Bills. 13 wins last year. Second best point differential in the league.

And I did a segment earlier. I said they're the team under the most pressure to win a Super Bowl this year. You've got to wonder about McDermott's future there. I mean, this playoff loss they had to Cincinnati is just downright embarrassing. Josh Allen obviously got to get to a Super Bowl. They haven't been able to get over the hump. your thoughts on the bills heading into this season? I think they were dealing with a lot more than people remember, you know, at the end of last year.

And I think that was an emotionally and physically worn out football team. You know, they're the obvious injuries. Josh Allen was dealing with the elbow. Von Miller had the ACL so he wasn't playing at all. You know, and then you sort of look at what they went through. And I feel like a lot of that got snowed over at the end of the year, right? So twice that team was displaced towards the end of the year because of snowstorms. They'd pick up their operation and go somewhere else two times on the back half of the season

when everybody's worn out to begin with, you know, ahead of games. And then the DeMar Hamlin situation, obviously that weighed on everybody in the organization. And I think we like tend to remember a lot of that as a feel good story because in a lot of ways it was. You know, like you had him up in the box for the week 18 game when, you know, there's a kickoff return to start the, to start that one. And, you know, he's there again when they go and beat the dolphins. and you're thinking to yourself like this was a great positive story. And again, it was for so many reasons.

But what that team had been through over the course of, you know, five or six months was, it was a lot. It was a lot. And so, you know, I think this is a team that thinks it's being slept on right now that I think is going to come back refreshed. You know, I think you're going to get a quarterback who's going to be in better health going into the year than he was at the end of last year. And, I mean, man, like if Bon Miller, if they can get him back on the field and playing

the way he was at any point this year. year at the beginning of last year. Now we're talking about a different football team. So I actually like where Buffalo is going into this season, even though they're much more under the radar than they were last year. This is why you're one of the best in the business, dude. I did not consider that displaced twice. That's good.

That's amazing. It's a brier. Yeah, that's good. Good stuff. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeard Radio app. 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. A win is a win. I don't care which I'm 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 news. 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. 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 Jek. 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, 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. Let's go to the Patriots just because I like to take shots at them. This Mac Jones saga, like, come on, man. Are we sure Bill Obrose?

First of all, I need you to rank the quarterbacks in the AFC East. And then tell me, like, is there a world where Mac Jones, A, gets the Patriots to the playoffs this year, or B, finds himself, like, on the hot seat and Bill Belichick's looking for a new answer at quarterback next all season? Well, this is certainly, like, a big year for him. There's a big year for everybody in that organization. But, you know, I think we've seen, like, the history with the way the quarterbacks are paid as rookies the first round quarterbacks.

After year three is when you've got to make a decision on the fifth year option. And it's when these guys are eligible for long-term extensions. And generally, you know, if you go into year four with that unresolved, it can make things awfully awkward. And so you want to find out what you have in year three. That's why the dolphins, for example, went and got Jalen Waddle and Trond Armstead and did all those different things going in high. hiring Mike McDaniel because they needed to find out on Tua last year. And they still really don't have answers, but they saw some good things. So I think that Mack Jones has to play well for the Patriots not to have that door wide open after this year. And I'd even say it's a crack open now for Bailey

Zappy to come in and shock the world. Not saying that's going to happen, but I think Bailey Zappy is going to get some opportunities in camp to show what he's got. And then certainly this is a huge year for Mac Jones. And he has to show a lot of the things that he showed two years ago to kind of, I think, you know, not only affirm that the Patriots would be willing to pick up the fifth-year option for 2025, but also, you know, get back in a place where they view them as a potential 10-year answer at the position. Because coming out of last year, there were a lot of people in that organization that didn't think he handled the year well. And to be fair to him, a lot of the circumstances were sideways and weird. Now you got Bill O'Brien. The defense should be

really good. They should be able to run the ball and we're going to see what they have. It doesn't mean they need to win a Super Bowl, but Mack Jones got to make a lot of progress to turn the internal view of him in that organization coming out of 2022. But he's definitely the fourth best quarterback in the division, right? Yeah, I would say so. I mean, I think him and two is close. I don't think there's any question of the two of the top two. Yeah, I mean, I think if you look at the way Mac played as a rookie, you can certainly, I mean, I think Max got the ability to be, you know, like a Kurt Cousins, Andy Dalton, like a really solid starting quarterback,

but maybe a guy that keeps you wanting a little bit. Wait, wait, hold on. Alan, did you say Kurt Cousins and Andy Dalton? Yeah, I mean, like, but that, like, see, everybody looks at, like, when you say these things, they take it as an insult. Kirk Cousins are really good quarterback. Yeah, I don't think Mack Jones is close to him. And Andy Dalton, Andy Dalton, for all the hits he's taken, got the Bengals to the playoffs

five years in a row. That had never been done before, right? and like Chad Pennington was the the comp that I liked when when Matt Jones was coming out of college. Like Chad Pennington was a really good quarterback. Went to the playoffs with two different teams, you know? So I think we I think we've kind of like gotten to the point where we view these all as yes or no questions, right? Like either yes he is or no he isn't. And so is he Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen or Justin Herbert or Joe Burrow?

I don't think so. And I don't think he ever gets there. Maybe he proves me wrong. I don't think he ever gets there. Can he be a quarterback in the league, a good starting? quarterback in the league for 15 years. I think that that's on the table and he has to show that this year. Has Tua shown us that he's going to be more than that? Like I like Tua, but I don't know, J. Mack. Does he shown us he's more than that? Very fair questions. All right. Now, since you

like yes or no, let's go to San Francisco 49ers. Yes or no, there is a quiet feud simmering in the front office between Shanahan and Lynch about who is the one that settled on Trey Lance, a quarterback that now is by far in their locker room, the number three guy on the depth chart. And both of themselves are trying to distance themselves from Trey Lance. Like what's going on between those two Shannahan and Lynch? No, I mean, I think that everybody's locked in. Like, I just, look, like obviously it hasn't worked out, right? Like, I just view them as being like square in a championship window right now.

And you look at that roster and who they put on that roster up and down. And what a good job they've done of building it up with Nick Bosa and Fred. Warner and Trent Williams and Debo Samuel and George Kittle and Brandon Iuke and Christian McCaffrey. I mean, they're loaded. And this is the one thing that could take them down, right? They don't even need great quarterback play. They need really good quarterback play. And I mean, the one thing that could solve all of this is hitting on your seventh round pick. And they think they have. Like, they think they've got a really good player in Brock Purdy. The elbow certainly complicates that. But, like, they don't view him as a seventh rounder.

Like they don't look at him that way. And so whether they're right or wrong, we'll see. But I think if you look at it and say, you know, Brock Bertie could become what they thought Mac Jones was in 2021. And they didn't take Mac Jones because they swung for the fences, right, with Trey Lance, thinking the high end was better there and they could expand Shanahan's offense doing it. Well, that's not the worst sequence of events in the world either, is it? where you took your big swing, it didn't work out,

and maybe you wound up with a quarterback that was as good as the guy you're going to pass on anyway. So that's sort of the way I look at it. Look, I think that that organization, the way that they've built over the last six years, they've been a model for everybody else. So, you know, that one, it certainly looks like they got that one wrong. But I do think, you know, even with some moving parts internally,

and, you know, I think after this year there could be some changes. And, you know, I think this really is the year to get it right with the current group of people. I do think that everybody's locked in right now and trying to find the right quarterback and serving what's a phenomenal roster. Very political answer. Well said. And look, like, I think this is another part of it, too, J-Mac. Like, I mean, John Lynch came close to taking the Fox job last year, right? Like, so, I mean, I don't think it's impossible that, you know, there's a new general manager there in the next year or two. I'm not saying it's going to happen. But like, I don't think that's impossible. And I don't think anybody if that

were to happen should read into it as like this was some sort of huge problem between the two guys. Huh. Well, I mean, I'm wondering. So if you took a quarterback in 2021, that was, I believe, the second COVID draft, right? 2020. Yeah. Yeah. Can you get like a mulligan because, hey, it was COVID. It was weird. You know, we couldn't do the in-depth stuff we wanted to. And I say this because the Jets took Zach Wilson second already looking like a disaster. and the Niners, Trey Lance, that's a disaster.

Fields goes 11. I like Fields. That's a lot of wait and see. Mack Jones went 15th, and he's the only one who has looked good, at least for his season. Yeah,

you know who else went in the first round of the COVID draft? Henry Ruggs, Damon Arnett. Like, there were all of these. Like, if you look at it, oh, seriously, though, if you look at it,

like, there were a lot of, like, swings and misses. Justin Jefferson lasted all the way to the, what it was the 21st pick, 22nd pick, right? Like, if you look at that draft class, like, what we were all saying at the time, like, look out now, like, there could be some, there could be some real swings and misses here because the teams aren't able to do a lot of this stuff.

They weren't able to do a lot of the stuff over the last month of the process they would normally do as far as going and working guys out privately and bringing them in for 30 business and learning more about who they are. Like, maybe somebody would have figured out, like, Justin Jefferson is going to make it work no matter one. And maybe he is not just a slot receiver. Maybe somebody would have sat down and said, like sat down with Damon Arnett and figured out,

like he had character issues before his last year at Ohio State. Like, yeah, he bounced back, but I don't know if I really trust him. You know, like those are the sorts of discussions that very well might have happened if COVID hadn't sort of turned that process upside down. So I certainly think we're going to be looking back at that year, like a few years out and saying,

And, like, man, like, you know, like you can see like the last month, six weeks of the draft process really are important because in that one year, taking that whole piece of the process out of the equation really made a difference. Yeah, and that's a great point because in 2020, yeah, I know you're an Ohio State guy, Chase Young's second. He had a good start to his career, but they didn't pick up the fifth year. And Okuda's already been shipped out of Detroit. By the way, what do you make of the Chase Young stuff?

I think that Neanderie is way worse. people thought. Like I, it was, I mean, like that, what I was hearing from people in Washington and like, you know,

December and January was like, he, he was having trouble moving around, period, you know, and like so, you know, it just,

it sounded like they were really struggling with the idea of bringing him back at the end of last year. And they didn't feel like he was himself. And unfortunately, because of the way the rules work now, you weren't really going to get to see him in any sort of football. activity before you had to make a decision on that fifth year option. The other thing is look how much

they've got invested on the defensive line. I mean, they've already paid Duran Payne. They've already paid Jonathan Allen. And now you got both Montez Sweat and Chase Young coming up. And Montez Sweat's already shown he's a really effective pass rusher and is going to command a lot of money. And then you got Chase Young who looked like a generational talent before he got hurt. And so I think they're going to probably wind up having to make a choice between the two. You know, I think the that's what the injury has done to this, where it's like, you know, you're going to get, like, a couple weeks into camp, and it's like either Chase Young looks like, oh, my God, he's all the way back, and now we've got a real decision to make, or, wow, Chase's knee is a real mess.

And now, like, let's go ahead and, like, really get going on a Montez Sweat extension, get him done, and we'll let the year play out with Chase. I think that's the sort of situation is sort of setting up to be. All right. Albert Breer, senior reporter and lead content strategist. That just sounds cool. Monday morning quarterback. Thanks a lot, man.

Enjoy the summer. All right. Thanks, James. I appreciate it. Albert Breer, one of the best in the biz. And let's go to another one of the best in the biz. Alex Curry with the news. No.

No. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. Hold J-Mack. The NBA finals tip off tonight, which is so exciting. Now with the Nuggets, sweep of the Lakers. They now face a different animal in The Heat, who became just the second eighth seed in history to reach the finals.

Now, head coach Michael Malone, isn't taking the matchup lightly calling this their greatest challenge yet. Here's what he had to say. You get to the NBA finals, it's not about seeding anymore. And for those that are thinking that this is going to be an easy series, I didn't know what to say to you feet people. I mean, like, this is going to be the biggest challenge of our lives. It's the NBA finals.

You know, this is, you're trying to win the first. first NBA championship of franchise history. It's going to be the hardest thing that we've ever done, which is the way it should be. I love the attitude. I do. He's got to, he seems, I can't say that word on TV. He seems like a bit of a prickly fellow, let's just say that.

Okay. But it's interesting. I laughed initially when he said that, but Alex, I'm looking at experience in the NBA finals. Yeah. And Denver has like KCP and, anyone else with real experience? Meanwhile, Miami, Jimmy Butler's been there.

Kyle Lowry's been there, Bad Metabio. They got a lot of experience. Will that matter? Yes. Are you kidding? Yes. Having finals, having playoff experience matters, having finals experience matters in any sport across all leagues.

But as you're seeing, and we kind of talked about it on the star players aspect earlier in the show. But both these coaches kind of have the best attitude and mentality heading into this finals as well. It's no excuse, do whatever it takes, kind of underdog mentality. Because even though Denver's a favorite, they've never won an NBA title in franchise history. So they're trying to do something that's never been done before. And then you have the Heat who are only the second eighth seed in history to make it to the NBA finals. And then heat are not going to be easy. They beat the best teams in the East.

They completely took out the Bucks and Yanitz with the best record. And then the second best in the Celtics and handled them. So, yeah, I mean, he's right. They're going to have their work cut out for them. Let me hit player point totals for tonight. Jimmy Butler is over under 26 and a half points. How would you handicap that? Over.

Really? I'm going to take over. He's going to go off. In game one? He has to go out. Wow. Okay. So I bet the Nuggets favor by nine.

Yeah. I smell a blowout. So I would not be. Nugout. You think the Nuggets are going to blow out. So I would look, I would not bet any overs on the heat. I mean, if there's a scenario like, Hey, there's an extra day of rest between game one and two.

It makes sense, like, hey, we're coming off a grueling seven game series. We're just at altitude. If they're down 15, you probably rest your guys for game two. So I would not look at overs on Butler. However, Jamal Murray, 25 and a half. And Yokic is 27 and a half. Do you like either of those? Yokic is how much?

27 and a half. And then Murray is... 25 and a half. Murray's been like, he can't miss shots. He's clutch. He has been so... clutch. I'd take the over on Murray. That's the guy I would be looking at as well. Unless, like Rick Buehker said, the strategy is let's hug up the shooters. Let's let Yokic have 50 if he needs to.

And then Murray doesn't get the shots or looks and then I'm ticked off. So it, listen, Gabe wants sometimes a feeling out process, like a boxer and a fight, you know? It is. And Denver's had a lot of rest, which can be good, but also you haven't played a game. That's right. Could be rusty. In what, but is it five? I think nine days. That's a long time to not play a game. And then you have the heat coming off an exciting series win ready to go. So, and you said what, they've won every game one in the playoffs. Yeah, it's a big one. It's going to be a big one.

All right, well, sticking with the finals, Tyler Hero is still making his way back from a broken hand. He suffered back in the first round against the bucks. And here's what head coach Eric Spolstra had to say about the status for the NBA finals. He will not play tomorrow. We don't want to get ahead of ourselves right now. He's still just starting this process. We do have a few days here just to continue his work. I can't even make any kind of proclamation until he takes these next important steps.

And that's with contact and doing things more on the court live. And we'll just see. I mean, we're all encouraged by his progress that he's made. But we want to continue to be responsible and make the best decisions. He's not there yet. Now, TNT's Chris Haynes reported that the heat expect hero back for game three. Really? So, wow.

Look what they've been able to do without him. Yeah. Right? So if they get a weapon like hero back in the finals, game three, back at home. Back at home. I think the first play that he's on the court, Yokic is going to call for the pick and roll with Murray and Yokic, and they're just going at him relentlessly because he can't,

he could barely defend me. But I just came up with an idea. You see the Tyler Hero image they showed where he's got like the coral necklace and he's wearing bucket hats. We need to do a segment, Tyler Hero or Boy Bander, because he looks like he could be an in sync or Backstreet Boys. I know that's more you're in my era. He's in Miami.

Jonas Brothers. He's in that fashion world. He's got six style. There it is. Look at that. I mean, he's got the hat backwards with the button up shirt. Yeah. Look at it.

The Shannon Sharp sweater with a necklace. I'd wear that sweater. Tyler Hero. I can't believe we have B-roll footage. Tyler Bucket Hat Hero. I mean, he's styling. You know he's got like the Instagram girlfriend and all this stuff. Yeah.

He knows what's up. Yeah. Okay. I own like... Look at the winter hats. Is that technically a knit hat? Yeah. Oh my gosh.

Another bucket hat. You're a little jealous, aren't you, J. Mack? A little bit. No. Yeah. Yeah. Come on. That's fun.

Okay. Well, let's move to the NFL where the second overall pick, C.J. Stroud is hard at work at Texans OTAs. Now, although Stroud started camp taking second team reps behind Davis Mills, the rookie is starting to take first team reps with practice now open to the media. And here's what head coach, D'Amico Ryan, had to say. CJ, again, he's progressing well. I think each day he continues to get better, continues to get more comfortable with the verbiage of the offense.

His command of the huddle, I thought this week was been really good. Coming off the long weekend, it was very eye-opening, how on it he was. From the first day we got back through today, done an awesome job in our situational period. So he's definitely progressing in the right direction and the sky is the limit for him. Now, it sounds like Ryan's handling expectations here a little, right? Because he was the second overall pick, so there's a lot of expectations.

So there's going to be a lot of eyes on you. There's a question, did we make the right pick? And it's still very early, right? Because they've had the post-traff rookie minicamp May 12 through the 14th, and then OTA started May 22nd. But he is telling you what you want to hear. He's saying he's hitting all the pop. positive bullet points.

Can you imagine if he came out and said anything remotely negative? You can't. Hey, CJ Strzell, well, he's not really going. He's not where we thought he would be like, you can't do that. Shatter the guy's confidence. So I don't put a ton of stock. They're like a five-wing team.

It's early. We have a producer on the staff here who is a big Houston Texans fan. And I think they're going to be just rough this year. Okay. It's going to be a tough one. Cowherd loves them, though. Cowherds all in.

Is that on the staff? Is that? Greg Tooie, yes. I gave a shout up by name. I thought you're saying it's Colin. I was like, dang. Okay. All right, Alex with the news.

Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Herd Lie News. All right. Up next in Best for Last, Joker or Joking? Do that next. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. Hey, gang, this is Jay Glazer, host of Unbreakable, a mental health podcast.

And each week, we try to help turn our mental health issues, into mental wealth, and we dive in with everyone from a world of sports and entertainment, like Sean McVeigh, Lindsay Vaughn, Michael Phelph, David Spade, Guy Fiery, and also those who can help us in between the ears, anyone from a therapist to someone like Ed Milet or John Gordon. So each week, listen to Unbreakable with Jay Glazer, a mental health podcast, an iHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get 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 you're saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford 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-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 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 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 all 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 Podcast. or wherever you get your podcasts. All right. Best for last, Joker or Joking starring Alex Curry. What do we got? Okay, so Joker means it's true. Okay.

Joking means it's false. So I'm going to give you some facts about Yokic, and you're going to say, Joker, which means it's true, or joking, it's false. Got it. You ready? All right, I'll give it a shot. All right. First statement.

Yokic's favorite TV show is Friends. I've got to be joking. Come on. No. That's his favorite show? Friends? Yeah. One of my hottest takes is Friends is unwatchable in reruns. Like, when it aired it was awesome.

But you can't watch an episode now with the laugh track and all that. Don't tell me you watch Friends reruns. Well, if it's on, it's a good one. I'm more of like an office or a Parks and Rec. If it's on, that's always kind of on in the background of our house. So the Serbian likes Friends. Okay. I got it.

All right. All for one. Yokic's 27.1 points per game in 2021 through 2022 was the highest scoring season in Nuggets history. Joking. Yes. Correct. Alex Ingers, right? Yeah.

Knew it. He was a guest on the show last week. Nice try there, Scotty. All right. Next one. No one saw Yokic get taken in the second round of the NBA draft because he was drafted during a Taco Bell commercial. That is Joker. That is accurate.

Yes, I remember that. I watched the NBA draft. Yes, yes. It's really disrespectful to the Joker. Okay. Yokic was once injured off court by suffering wrist inflammation from signing too many autographs. That just doesn't seem. I'm going to go joking.

That's Joker. That's true. Damn it. Sorry, darn it. Yeah. Two misses. Yeah, mispractice and a few games back in Serbia. for signing too many autographs.

All right. All right, next one. McDonald's released a limited time value meal in Denver called Nicola Nuggets. Now it's in my head because I thought the last of it. This one sounds like a joke, but I'm going to say Joker. Joking. I can do it. Right.

Go with your gut. You got me. You got me. That's good. All right. Yokic is the only NBA player to lead his team in all five major statistics, points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, and field percentage in the same season. Joker.

Okay. All right. Yokic learned his nimble footwork by playing in flip-flops as a kid. Dang, this is tough. I'll go with Joker. Joking. This is hard. I guess I can't bag on Coward when he screws this up.

This is difficult. Okay. Yokicic owns the highest single-season player efficiency rating in NBA history. Joker. Yep. So the real stuff I'm good at, it's the fake stuff. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

That's what you can't get. Okay. Yokic's patting in, half step back, half fade away, over the headshot is known as you got served. Joking. Come on. There's no way. All right, all right.

Yokic has the most regular season triple doubles by a center in NBA history. Ooh. So this is tough because it might be Will. I'll go with Joker. Oh, nice. Yeah. 105 career triple doubles, 27 more than with. Okay.

Yeah. Ready? So NBA stats I'm good with, clearly. Yeah. Goodness. Okay, Yokic became the latest drafted player to win NBA MVP. Seems like a trick, but I'll go Joker. Yep.

Yes. Yeah. All right. I rebounded strong. We ran out of time for me to get up to like a B-plus range. All right. We'll wrap up the show in a minute. Yeah.

I guess. 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 friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth.

Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of tauntons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule. of two. Listen to Stuff to Bole Your Mind on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.