3 & Out - Is Caleb Williams a BUST, QB and Coach relationship, 49ers CUT Moody

Caleb Williams had his toughest game yet, raising big questions about his future with the Chicago Bears. John Middlekauff breaks down why Williams’ development depends on Ben Johnson and what could happen if the QB doesn’t show progress. Could Williams be labeled a bust sooner than expected? John also explains the importance of the coach/quarterback relationship across the NFL and why it’s the difference between success and failure. 

Plus, reaction to the San Francisco 49ers cutting their kicker and what it means for their future chances.

Finally, John answers your questions in this episode's mailbag segment.

5:51 - Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson's future

13:43 - QB and Coach relationship

29:24 - 49ers cut Moody

46:29 - Mailbag

Follow John on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube for the latest. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
The volume. What is going on everybody? How are we doing?
Hopefully everyone's having a great day, living life, enjoying yourself,

(00:22):
probably having a better day than Ben Johnson. And I
do want to talk about the Bears, Ben Johnson and
Caleb Williams and why if it does even get worse
than what we witnessed and get weird this year, that's
the reason you hired Ben Johnson. And I think Kevin
O'Connell serves as a good example. And I've been thinking

(00:43):
a lot about this, the relationship between drafted quarterbacks and
established head coaches and the power of that, and then
guys that inherit quarterbacks, young quarterbacks and how situations can
kind of go off the rails. And then the forty
nine ers kind of kicker today. They drafted him in
the third round and he did not last very long.

(01:06):
This is your three and he's booted cut and they're
signing another guy. So some thoughts on just philosophies when
drafting special teams players, as well as a little mailbag
at John Middlecoff. At John Middlecoff is the Instagram fire
in those dms, get your questions answered here on the show.
So we'll do a mail bag. And yeah, make sure
you subscribe to the YouTube channel. We're going live after

(01:27):
the primetime games, so you can check that out. Also
subscribe to the podcast if you listen on Collins Feed.
We have our own three and out feed, so make
sure you subscribe to that as well, so you can
never miss a show because sometimes this show, like on Monday,
did not go on the Herds feed, so make sure
you subscribe to three and out Feed. Appreciate everyone that
has Thanks to everyone for supporting this show. We're gonna

(01:50):
have a big football season. Uh yeah, that's the game plan.
So we'll just keep chugging along before we dive into football.
You know, I gotta tell you about my friends, my partners,
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and usicgo John that's John Jhen twenty dollars off terms
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lowest price is guaranteed. Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson. You know,
I think what made I was thinking about it this

(02:53):
morning that games so fascinating is typically like going into
a game, you have a pretty good idea of what
you're gonna get and that game, like the Vikings have
been really good two of the last three years. They
have a ton of established players, they have an established coach,
a stun defensive coordinator. But we had no clue what

(03:14):
was gonna look like because the quarterback and the first
half wasn't that shocking first ever NFL game on the road,
completely overwhelmed, and then he completely flips the script and
We're like, got he might actually be a high ended player.
What if he goes on to be a franchise quarterback
for them the Bears. While we had seen Caleb Williams play,
We're like, well, he's gotta be better. He's got Ben Johnson.

(03:34):
They've done a good job with the offensive line. He
should be improved. But we didn't know. So we went
in that game like we went into Josh Allen Lamar
Jackson Sunday night. We didn't go in blind. We knew
what we were getting. That was better than we thought,
but like that's part for the course. Like Josh all
and Lamar Jackson are gonna continue to rack up MVPs.
I would be stunned if one of those two guys

(03:54):
doesn't win the MVP this year. Now, you know, I
got a little cash on Baker. Do you think Joe Burr,
you know he started slow last year as well. I
think he will be heard from. But you watch those
two guys, like, if they're healthy, that's as good as
it gets. Those are the best two players right now
in the NFL. Doesn't mean they will win. I'm not
betting against Patrick Mahomes ever again in a big game,
but those two guys, best two players in the league

(04:15):
obviously Herbert Mahomes, Jalen Hurts, Dak Prescott. Like we've seen
these guys play for a long long time. Now we
can nitpick them, but we had no clue what we
were getting. And when you look at Ben Johnson and
you look at Caleb Williams, I think this is why
you hire an offensive coach, because if I was a
betting man right now, I would say this is not

(04:37):
gonna work. I don't think Caleb is good. We have
through eighteen games. He plays like most coaches don't want
you to play, not on time, inaccurate, hard to just
run your offense because there's no rhythm to his game.
He's a freelance player, which is great when shit hits

(04:57):
the fan, but just freelancing on a basic play can
screw everything up. And Ben Johnson's offense is timing related.
He needs everything to be When he tells you get
rid of the ball on your second step or on
your third step, it has to be out of there.
It has to be on the guy. He's not just
making that up. That's the way he has constructed this

(05:17):
bad boy and how he got this job based on
the success he had doing that exact same thing. But
this is why the Bears hired Ben Johnson because there's
no guarantee that this is gonna work, and more than likely,
based on the history of the league. And when you
look at the other quarterbacks in his draft class and
the percentage chances that someone's got a whiff, you would
put money on Caleb Williams not working out. And we

(05:39):
know at the pace in which things operate now, you
don't get four or five years. Those days are done
based on recent history. You get about two. And this
is your two for Caleb. So if they keep losing
these games, and they just lost a game at home
to a quarterback who had never played an NFL snap
in the regular season in pretty devastating fashion, how I

(06:00):
get to bet on them to win a lot of games.
I remember being on Collins Show in Los Angeles and
we did this thing like everyone thinks the Bear is
gonna be a lot better, and we went through the
schedule optimistically and it was hard to get to nine
and eight. Now, after watching that last night, like, yeah,
six seven wins, that's what I feel like, that's gonna
be your quarterback, And let's face it, like he's gonna
try to impress the coach. The coach is gonna be

(06:22):
down on him. It's gonna be a weird situation. But
don't be scared, Bears fans, because you have a guy.
The reason you paid this guy four or five years
thirteen million dollars a year is he can fix that problem.
Look at the Vikings. For example, Kevin O'Connell has proven
he can work with Kirk Cousins, an established veteran guy,
and then once Cousins tore his achilles, he said see

(06:44):
you later. And what did he do? He signed Sam
Darnold for ten million dollars and drafted the fifth quarterback
off the board. The fifth quarterback. Now, he was drafted
in the top fifteen, but JJ McCarthy was the fifth
quarterback off the board in his own draft class. And
Sam Darnold went on to throw thirty five touchdowns, which

(07:06):
matches a guy who has made over three hundred million
dollars Kirk cousins career high. So, Kevin O'Connell, when you're like,
what are we gonna do? How are we gonna let
Kirk Cousins walk, Well, I'll tell you that's why you
pay me the money, because you could argue unless I
have Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, most of these quarterbacks.
Like the difference between Dak Prescott, the difference between Kirk Cousins,

(07:27):
the difference between Brock Purdy, the difference between a lot
of these guys is very very small if you're not
in that truly upper echelon. It's kind of a coin
flip and really comes down to the coaching. So when
you see Kevin O'Connell, what is his value to the organization.
He could win fourteen games and have a guy throw
thirty five touchdowns that everyone universally thought sucked, and then

(07:48):
he could take JJ McCarthy, who listen, I was on
the fence about. I didn't think it was gonna translate
because of the offense he played in and by the
end of his first game accounting for three touchdowns in
the fourth quarter and me thinking like, God, no wonder
they put a captaincy on this guy's chest. No wonder
that Kevin O'Connell had him break down the locker room
at the end of that game and everyone gravitated toward him,

(08:11):
like he sees something in these players that is his
special sauce. Obviously, being a leader, assembling a staff, running
a team is very difficult. But the advantage you have
when you have an offensive coach who's a quote unquote
quarterback guru, and to me, a quarterback guru isn't just
designing plays. It's being able to take several different guys

(08:33):
of different shapes and sizes and win games. Andy Reid
was known as this quarterback savant before he ever got
to Kansas City because you know why, he won with
so many different quarterbacks in Philadelphia, mobile ones, guys who
weren't mobile, guys with big arms, guys who didn't have
big arms. He won with them all. And then look

(08:53):
at Kansas City, won a ton of games with Alex Smith,
a guy with an average at best arm, to go
to Patrick Mahomes, who has elite physical attributes. So to me,
Ben Johnson, part of hiring him is, you know, worst
case scenario, Kayleb Williams is a bust, which is a
tough word to say when you draft a guy number
one overall, but it's happened before and it will happen again.

(09:15):
But the reason we feel were, okay, if this doesn't
work out, which We never would have been with Matt
Eberflus because he had no clue what he was doing.
This guy, at least now he'd have to prove it
and get it done. But I've seen him resurrect a
guy's career. What we talk about and the way that
Jared Goff is perceived in twenty twenty five was not

(09:37):
the case three or four years ago. Was not the case.
When Ben Johnson started calling plays for Dan Campbell, Jared
Goff was viewed at like, yeah, got overpaid, had a
little bit of success with Sean McVay, but that was
an outlier situation that's not going to be over the
course of his career, especially going to Detroit and then
Ben Johnson. They build around him and he starts going

(09:58):
to Pro Bowls and went into games. So if I'm
a Bears fan right now, this season could suck and
there's a pretty good chance this season is going to
be extremely underwhelming, and by the end of it, Kayleb
Williams would be viewed as like he's not our franchise quarterback.
But that's why you hired Ben Johnson to figure it out.
So if we got a draft guy in the second
or third round next year, if we got to see
what Tyson badge it badge net I can't even say

(10:21):
his fucking name has in the tank. Clearly Ben Johnson
can say his name and really likes him. But I
would feel like, hey, this could be rocky. It's gonna
be rocky. But you have a coach that everyone else
wanted because of his ability to coach that position and
coach the offense. And speaking of coaches and quarterbacks, you know,

(10:44):
having been married now for six months and having a
child on the way the biggest difference. Like and for
those of you that are listening that are young and single,
it's a great time in your life, and especially if
you're professionally ambitious, take advantage of it because time like
not only is on your side, but you don't have

(11:04):
other requirements and other people depending on you. When you
get married, when you get into a serious relationship, and
obviously whenever this child pops out of her, my life
is going to be dramatically different in terms of people
depending on me, which is a good thing which I enjoy.
It's part of my life that felt empty for a
long period of time. But when you get into a

(11:26):
serious relationship, when you get married, when you live together,
when your finances are under one umbrella. Everyone stresses are
each other stresses. You know, when I was in my
twenties or in my early thirties, the only thing I
ever had to worry about were my problems and maybe
my immediate families problems, like you know, my mom or dad.
But I didn't have anyone else an issue with. And

(11:46):
then you find someone that you're willing to go like, yeah,
if she has financial issues, if she has personal issues,
if she's having issues with her job, whatever it may be.
And listen, a lot of you listening right now that
are married knows like, whatever her problems may be, big
or small, they become your problems. And that only, I'm
sure gets amplified to the nth degree with a child.

(12:08):
I mean, I think back when I was a little kid,
what a pain and the bleep, and you know what
I would have been for my own parents. I was
not an easy kid to raise, but I was their
problem and they were loyal to me because I was
their child. And I was thinking about you know, Ben
Johnson did not pick Caleb Williams. When you juxtapose that
with Kevin O'Connell and JJ McCarthy. That's his guy. So

(12:32):
there's a loyalty and a relationship there that can't really
be faked. Like you can create a relationship when I
inherited you as a quarterback, but it's not the same
organic relationship of I drafted this guy, like the power
in Mahomes and Andy Reid. Obviously, this is a league

(12:53):
that is defined by wins and losses and whether you
play well or you don't play well. And when you
play well, it's easy to get behind a guy. But
there was a relationship with Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid and
the Chiefs organization because it started on the ground floor.
He became a Chief before anyone really knew who he was.
I love football, I love college football. I'd be lying

(13:15):
to you if I knew that much about Patrick Mahomes
before he began starting for the Kansasite Chiefs the second year. Obviously,
with some of these quarterbacks to Caleb Joe Burrow, we
know a lot more about him because they play for
prominent programs and we watched them play a lot. Most
people are not banging out seven and six Texas Tech teams.
I know I was not, but there was a relationship

(13:38):
and a power and just a willingness if it hadn't
gone as well, We're going to live through it because
we believed in you. We traded up for you, we
used to high pick on you. You mean something to us.
And that's to me, the relationship when you get married,
when you have children, that with your parents. You don't
have that relationship with any other human. It's impossible to have.

(14:02):
And when I look around the league, like part of
the reason Sean Payton and we're gonna find out if
he's right or wrong, but his loyalty, his belief in
this player, it's like you can't talk him off that ledge,
at least not for a long time. That relationship that
just took a huge step with Kevin O'Connell and JJ
McCarthy like that. The power of that last fifteen minutes

(14:23):
in that fourth quarter is something that they are gonna
build on. It's gonna make it even stronger. But I
was thinking about like Mike Vrabel, I'm sure he was
very intrigued by Drake May. He's very he thinks the
guy's height, weight, speed, his physical attributes. But if Drake
May plays back, Mike Rabel did not draft that player.
So the loyalty for guys like Mike Rabel and Ben Johnson,

(14:46):
if it starts to fray, if it starts going in
the wrong direction, they will jump ship like they are
not going down with that guy by them side, by
their side. I promise you that Andy Reid at this
point in time would go down in flames next to
Patrick Mahomes. Look at what they're doing with Travis kelce

(15:07):
Travis Kelcey, I think we gotta be real, is somewhat
a shell of himself. And that's not I'm not being
a negative or some hater. This is just evaluating him
as a football player. Obviously, from a personal brand standpoint,
he's never made more money, he's never been bigger. But
from a on the field standpoint, he's never been a
worse player. But there's a loyalty that veats that the

(15:27):
Hunt family and Andy have to him because they've been
with him from the jump. And so you look around
the league, like, you know, I think Lamar Jackson would
have been a pretty good player no matter where he went.
Obviously he benefited from going to the Ravens, but like
he saved Jim John Harbaugh's job. John Harbaugh, if Lamar
hadn't come in and played well and taken that team
to the playoffs like was on the hot seat. People

(15:49):
forget that and changed the course of his career and
obviously they've gone on to have an insane amount of success.
Sean McDermott was known as a good defensive coordinator in Carolina.
Josh Allen and made him a twelve to fifteen million
dollar a year head coach and a guy who goes
to the playoffs every single year. Now, this is what
I'm saying about, Like those guys are winning. That grows
their relationship. But those were the coaches. They were there

(16:12):
when the guy was drafted. So as you build a relationship,
whether it be with your wife, whether it be with
a quarterback, from the beginning, the moment that player walks
in the organization, you're the one talking to him, greeting
him and coaching him. That you can't fake that. I mean, listen,
Bill's a weird guy, but the power of him and
Brady's relationship for almost twenty years before it started to

(16:34):
break apart was pretty powerful. I mean, there's no really
disputing help go back to Pete Carroll with Russell Wilson.
Remember one of the issues all those defensive guys had,
like Richard Truman, Cam Chanceller, you know, Bobby Wagner was
like he got such special treatment. I was like, yeah,
he's more important in a weird way if he's playing

(16:55):
at a high level than you guys, even if you
guys are historic defense. There is no one more important.
If your quarterback is good and when I draft you
and you change the course of my career, Right, there's
a loyalty that is really really strong. Now, Russell's a
good example of like he actually, I would say, help

(17:16):
ruin that relationship. Head got big, wouldn't listen to anybody,
was a finger pointer. But there was a period for
seven eight nine years where the GM, the head coach
just stood by his side, extremely extremely close. And I
think it's gonna be fascinating moving forward with some of
these quarterbacks. You watch how fast they'll get kicked to
the curb. You watch how fast that Like if Ben

(17:37):
Johnson doesn't believe that Kayleb Williams is good in a
couple months because he's not gonna get cut or benched
this month, right, But if you go ten games and
the team is four and six or three and seven
and the offense just week in week out is just
not good. He's not gonna blame himself because he goes,

(18:00):
I know what I do works, I'm going to blame you,
like Mike Rabel goes. I know when I just have
a capable quarterback, Ryan Tannehill, my shit works. Now. Maybe
Drake May with the ownership, gets a little bit more time,
but I think the clock is ticking on these quarterbacks
now to get it done really, really fast. And the difference,

(18:23):
like for Carolina, for example, no one's really paying attention.
So if Carolina's got awful again, they could float a
little bit under the radar. And if you tell me
that Bryce Young gets four years, I would believe you.
But everyone's paying attention to the Bears. Everyone's paying attention
to Rabel and the Patriots. So when it doesn't go
well and ye're in year two, we have seen this

(18:44):
with Anthony Richardson, he didn't make it the year three
as a starter. Trey Lance year three wasn't even on
the team. And I say this all the time, and
I believe it more every day after seeing these situations.
Getting drafted to a good team is great in theory.
Patrick Mahomes. It worked because he kicked ass and dominated.
If Patrick Mahomes had been awful and had been worse

(19:07):
than Alex Smith, everyone would have been fired. It would
have been a problem. So going to a bad team
and a coach that everyone makes fun of, you can
fly under the radar a little bit. But when you
are Drake May and you get higher vrabel and everyone
just goes, well, they're gonna be a playoff team. At
least you know they're gonna be very competitive. And if

(19:28):
you just suck and aren't any good, and let's face it,
if you watch that game against the Raiders, that team
looked like a carbon copy of drowd Mails team awful.
The Bears last night looked like the same team that
Matt Eberflews coached until he was fired, and then Thomas
Brown started coaching. It was the same thing. So I

(19:50):
just think the loyalty aspect of these new coaches, even
with the super famous high picks, doesn't mean shit anymore.
One thing that happened a long time ago when I
first got in the NFL, the lockout happened my second year.
And when that thing happened, it changed the power of

(20:11):
rookie contracts because forever. If you're like twenty five, you
don't even remember this. But when I was twenty five,
these rookies used to hold out because the amount of
money they were negotiating for was like more money than
everyone in the league. Nadamakan Sue Matt Stafford, JaMarcus Russell,
Calvin Johnson. These guys were getting. If you were a

(20:33):
top couple, you know, first pick, second overall pick, third
overall pick, you were making thirty forty fifty million dollars
on your initial contract in guaranteed money. It was stupid.
And this is twenty years ago right now, Like I
think the top pick makes thirty five million dollars. It's
gone up because the revenue's gone up. But I'm talking,
you know six, you had to give a guy forty

(20:54):
seven million dollars or fifty million dollars. I remember, Matt
Stafford immediately became one of the highest paid players league.
And those days are done. So it's actually neutralized the
power of your rookie that their leash with the team
isn't as big because you're not paying him as much.
Why can teams pivot when a free agent isn't that

(21:14):
good because for most free agents, they're not getting that
much guaranteed money, even Saquon Barkley. Part of the reason
how he had to give him a raise this offseason.
He didn't have to, but he did because it was
like his contract was kind of a joke relative to
the league. I mean, he had guards making dramatically more
money than him on his own team. So that the

(21:35):
contracts and the flexibility that gives teams if you're not
any good. And here's the other thing, quarterback play. You
just watch college football, they're just solid quarterbacks. Like what
the hell? I don't know if John Mattier just doing
a little couch scouting. It was fun to watch him
the other night against Michigan. He is a electrifying college player.

(21:55):
He's got a good arm, he's a good athlete, and
if he keeps playing like this, clearly Oklahoma's gonna win games.
He will be in the Heisman mix, and he will
be discussed as a top fifteen to twenty pick. But
is that an NFL player, I don't know. But there
are enough guys like him year in and year out
now that you just start watching around college football, like
nuss Meyer Sellers Matier, you start going through it's like, well,

(22:18):
this guy's not good enough, We'll find one of those guys.
And there's enough examples in recent memory of like where
the forty nine ers get there guy? Oh, the seventh round?
Where's the Cowboys ten year starter? Oh, they got him
in the fourth Kirk Cousins three hundred million dollars? Where'd
he go? Oh? Third or fourth round? Russell Wilson was
a Hall of Famer until he wasn't. Where do you
find him? Third round? So it's we say this all
the time about these quarterbacks. Just because you draft a

(22:40):
guy high doesn't mean anything. And just because you get
a guy in the mid rounds turns out he could
be your starting quarterback. So I just think we got
to be very careful about thinking these guys around scholarship
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New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia and speaking about a guy
who's definitely not on scholarship. A couple of years ago,

(24:28):
the forty nine ers drafted a kicker in the third round. Now,
this was a time because of the Trey Lance trade,
they didn't have any first round picks, so typically the
first picks that they had would be at the end
of the second round because they had been winning, so
they weren't picking till like the late fifties. So for
the first you know, first night and even a long

(24:49):
way into the second night, the forty nineers didn't have
a draft pick, and they had a roster that would
be reminiscent now of the Ravens of the Vikings. If
I draft a guy in the second, third round, it
is going to be very difficult for that guy to
start on my team, hell to make the team. He's
only making the team because of his draft slot. There

(25:10):
is no guarantee that he's gonna actually earn that spot
based on training camp and on the field. But that's
kind of the way the league works. I've believed when
you're in a situation like that, and you can be
I guess a little greedy that if you take a
kicker or a punter at the end of the third round.

(25:31):
Taking a guy in the first couple rounds is insane,
but you start getting into the third round, there's that
thing called compensatory picks, and the forty nine ers were
getting a ton of them because they had a bunch
of dudes like Robert Sala, Mike McDaniel's half black, these
guys getting jobs and them getting extra picks at the
end of the third round. So they had like several

(25:51):
picks at the end of the third round, and they
used on a kicker. And this kicker, Jim Harbaugh used
to say when he coached him at Michigan Death Taxes
and Movie, It's guaranteed. Moody was that automatic. And I'll
never forget my first year in Philadelphia, David Akers was
the kicker, and he had had a fantastic career and

(26:12):
that year got a little weird. He missed him kicks,
I think specifically in the playoffs, and Andy and Howie
let him walk and he went onto the forty nine
ers the next year and he made the Pro Bowl
and he was probably thirty five thirty six at the time. Well,
the Eagles didn't have a kicker because Akre's walk, So
what do we do. We drafted a kicker in the
fourth round. I don't even remember the guy's name. He

(26:33):
was a star, like all American, all big tit twelve
kicker from Nebraska. All the guy did in college was
make kicks. So like draft him in the fourth round.
And I'll never forget because I at practice with Bobby April,
our special teams coordinator, whose son, Bobby April Junior I
think now is the defensive coordinator for Stanford. Loved that family,

(26:55):
great people. I used to help him with special team stuff,
whether it be at practice or during the week, charting shit.
It was a shitty job, but it was fun. Bobby
was cool, and I remember I was doing times I
was charting stuff and I would kind of have to
stand by Bobby and kind of by Coach Reid, who
would stand right behind the kicking unit during that period
of practice. And usually during that period of practice, if

(27:17):
you have, you know, a normal kicker right let alone
a good kicker. Most people aren't paying attention right during
training camp. People are dicking around, You're starting units are
on the side during gatorade water bullshitting hell. Even when
I was a scout or when I was at Fresnoe state,
you just bullshit on the side. It doesn't They kick them,
make some kicks, and you just move on to normal

(27:38):
part of practice. But when you have a new kicker,
especially drafted a guy like everyone's kind of watching him
and I remember him missing some kicks and it getting
weird fast. And the one thing with kicking, unlike these
other positions, confidence is a huge, huge element of it,
and kicking unlike playing defensive tackle or wide receiver, it's

(27:59):
not really that physical, right, it becomes much more mental.
It's like being a baseball player, being a golfer. You're
spending the majority of your time thinking, and once you
lose it, I think it's kind of gone because not
only do you start questioning yourself, I think there's a
natural insecurity where you start thinking that other people are
questioning you because it's not like you're lifting the same

(28:21):
weights as these guys. Practice is the same for you.
You kind of live a different life though you know,
if you're a third round pick, you're probably making a
million dollars. It's a great life. But the moment you
start missing kicks in general, unless you are such a
high level player, have a bunch of equity, like Justin Tucker.
But even toward the end with Justin Tucker, before all

(28:42):
the news broke, it was like, God, he might just
be old and done. Remember the last couple of years
out of Vinitari when he was old. But he got
a little bit of the benefit of the doubt, because like,
this guy's a Hall of Famer, right, this guy's a
Hall of Famer. But often when a kicker has no
equity he starts missing kicks, you go, he's done because
the difference of him once he starts missing and ten
guys on the street does not exist. Yet, if your

(29:04):
right tackle has a bad game, you know, you can't
just cut your right tackle and find some dude who's
at home that played in the NFL the last couple
of years and replacing with that. The GAP's too big.
But with kicking and punting, kicking even more than punting,
I think it's pretty easy to replace the kicker. And
I believed that it's like, what the hell, if your

(29:24):
team's good enough, take a guy in the third round.
At the end of the third round, it's like pick
ninety nine, who cares? That was dumb And that's a
complete waste to pick and I believe that under no circumstances,
probably until like the seventh round, should you take a
special teams player because I googled it, like, oh, where's
David Akers drafted? Oh? He was an undrafted free agent.
Where was Justin Tucker drafted? Oh? Yeah, it was an

(29:45):
undrafted free agent. Most of these guys are undrafted free agents.
So wasting a pick on something that is so out
of your control because these guys mental stability just as
quickly as it goes. It's like Paul aising Or said,
the famous golfer that confidence is a powerful thing. When
you got it, you never think you're gonna lose it,

(30:07):
and when it's gone, you never think it's going back.
And anyone that's played golf can relate to that. You
can be like, God, I just have two birdies in
a row. I feel like Tiger Woods, and then the
next hole you can blast one out of bounds and
all of a sudden, like I don't even know, I
don't know what I'm doing. I don't know how to
swing a golf club. And I do believe with kickers,
like with quarterbacks. Look at JJ McCarthy through one of

(30:30):
the worst passes he'll he's probably thrown in his entire
life that pick six. It doesn't get any worse than that.
What do you do? Shook it off, threw a couple
more passes and he was good. You just kind of
battle through it, like if you're a basketball player. You know,
I went zero for ten with Steph currk. Just keep shooting,
keep fired, get to the rim, just keep going like
it's like I haven't I haven't got a pressure all day. Well,

(30:50):
just keep rushing. You've been using the bull the bull rush,
try an inside counter, try a speed rush, mix it up.
Just keep going, keep playing hard, good things will happen.
The mental sports golf, baseball, kicking like trying hard doesn't work.
It's actually the opposite. But that means you gotta like
take off and pull back the reins and think even more.

(31:12):
And that's where you get a problem. So the forty
nine ers cut their kicker. I think what it brings
in the light. Under no circumstances. Can you take a
kicker high anymore? It's just bad business because there I
would say, nothing translates less than oh, this guy was
an All American at a top ten program. It doesn't
mean shit. Honestly, it means nothing because you can get

(31:33):
him and he immediately can suck. And I don't give
the forty nine ers any credit. They should have done
this last year. They should have done this in training camp.
They needed him to miss a twenty seven yard kick
against Seattle, which easily and probably should have cost them
the game. They got very, very lucky to win that game,
and Jake Boody tried to lose it for him. And listen,

(31:53):
most coaches, and I was texting with someone the other day,
I think defensive coaches actually have more respect for kickers because,
like in a perfect world, they want to play in
lower scoring games. In a lower scoring game, the kicker
has a huge impact on the game, right Like look
at John Harbaugh and Justin Tucker. Look at Jim Harball

(32:14):
who's an offensive guy but technically feels like a defensive guy.
A lot of these defensive coach Mike Tomlin now with
Boswell like they value the kicker highly. Kyle Shanahan can't
stand the kicker. He thinks if he could vote, if
they ever had in a league meeting, like you can
just get rid of field goals, he would vote to
get rid of him. And listen, I do understand if

(32:37):
you value offense or defense, thinking like, how is this
a part of the game. It's like Ben Hogan and
golf famously thought like putting shouldn't exist, right, He's like,
you hit the fairway, you hit a great shot from
two hundred yards, and then I three putt. It's like, well, yeah,
it is part of the game. Like kicking's part of
the game. And when you have a bad kicker, and

(32:57):
most teams don't have Joshen and Lamar Jackson, so you're
just gonna, like the forty nine ers are gonna play
any ton of close games. You had to cut this
guy and he got like way more shots, just like
most people get more shots. Caleb Williams. If Kayleb Williams
was Brock Purty and you know, seventh round pick that
got an opportunity to start and played back, he would

(33:18):
not play anymore. But you get more opportunities win you're
draft to I you just do because of the money
people invest in you, because people view that you have
better traits. And Jake Moody is a great example. If
Jake Moody had been an undrafted free agent from Michigan
that had made the forty nine ers and missed all
these kicks and been objectively not a very good player.

(33:39):
He would have been cut twelve months ago. They wouldn't
even have thought twice. They would have thrown into the trash,
as they do with a ton of players on the team.
That's part of the NFL. Guys get cut and transitioned
in and out all the time. But there are certain
players and every team has this, maybe like a second
round pick, maybe a first round pick who's not that good,
who probably should be cut, but it's like, ah, do

(33:59):
not gonna do it yet, So they finally cut them.
And I'd argue it's a year or too late, but
better late than never, after Week one, which could have
been a disaster. And I just don't think there's a
team in the league. I do think, you know, whenever
a team's going through a spell. The Eagles had this happen,
The forty nine Ers have had this happen. I'm sure

(34:20):
there are other teams that the Lions had this happen
last year where we try to figure out, like, why
are there's so many injuries? So I don't know. Some guys,
sometimes you just go through a stretch where guys are
breaking legs, pulling hamstrings, and hurting shoulders. But at least
in football, if you go to training camp or in
a preseason game or a regular season game, when you
see a guy injured, you're like, hey, George Kittle just

(34:42):
pulled his hamstring. Like it's just it happened on him
running a go route down the scene. Not ideal, obviously,
it's kind of a disaster, but everyone understands he was
running pulled his hamstring. I don't think there's any team
that I ever remember seeing more guys get injured. They're like,
play the game, have success in the game. You see
like in the locker room highlights after the game, everyone's

(35:04):
high five in breaking down the team, and then on
Monday or Tuesday, it'll be like, yeah, a little update
here brock Purdy, we're adding him to the injury report.
He uh, he's got a fucked up toe and a
bump shoulder. You're like, what, what did you say? The
forty nine ers have guys who finished games look completely
fine and then come Monday or Tuesday are injured. So

(35:27):
they lead the league. They literally had last night in
the Vikings game, the linebacker who pulled his Hammy had
to wait to get into the tent because the center
was in there. The forty nine Ers tent is so
big it fit Trent Williams and George Kittle at the
same time. They have a large tent because they know
that multiple players might be in the tent at the
same time. The Vikings just have a normal tent. It's like,

(35:49):
only there's only one room for one player. I would
imagine most teams that's the case, not the forty nine Ers.
You know, it's like, God, what sized lot do you
live on? Oh? I live on an acre that's like
the equivalent of the four Naturally, Oh, we got the
extra extra large tent. So it's just I can't even
I don't even know what to say because at this
point in time, you just expect. I don't even care.

(36:11):
If the game ends and you haven't heard anything, just no,
come Monday or Tuesday, more injuries will happen. Okay, mail
back time at John Middlecoff at John Middlecoff Instagram. Fire

(36:33):
in those dms, get your questions answer here on the show.
We're off and running now, so let's bang out some
questions enjoy ourselves. We will start with he doesn't actually
have his name. It seems to be that fan and
media conventional wisdom that quarterback ranking is in some order

(36:53):
Mahomes Allen. But are we so sure about this? Mahomes
went to a team with multiple Hall of Famers, arguably
the greatest coach of all time, elite ownership, better defense,
significantly more Pro Bowlers. Josh Allen has been handed a
football and told good luck out there, kid. If the
situation was flipped, do we honestly think Mahomes could do

(37:16):
what Allen could do? Allen is the best TV ratio
in the NFL history. In the playoffs, Josh plays reckless
is simply a lie, since Allen has been the quarterback.
When they lose on in the playoffs, the Bills give
up thirty three point two fucking points. I think today, listen, Mahomes,

(37:37):
You're not gonna bet on him in a big game
because big games get ugly. He obviously just comes through
when it matters the most. But as we sit here today,
the best player in the league is Josh Allen, and
I would say not far behind him is Lamar Jackson.
Like what we witness on something that those are the
two best players in the league. It doesn't mean that
that guy won't get it done. Right. When Steph Curry

(37:57):
won the NBA Championship in twenty twenty two, he was
not the best player in the NBA. Was there anyone
you were gonna bet against with a game online or
in a big moment or a guy to come through
in game six or seven to score forty five to
fifty points. So I think that's the way we talk
about Mahomes right, Like was Joe Montana better than John
Elway or did Joe Montana just have kind of a

(38:19):
clutch gene That was hard to argue? Now I'm with
you on Josh Allen. If you gave Josh Allen to
the Kansaity Chiefs, they they are every bit as good
and knowing guys with Kansas City. The respect level that
organization has for Josh, Like if you were Andy doesn't drink,
but if you were just having a cocktail in theory

(38:42):
with Andy Reid or just bsing with him about football,
Like he's a great guy to just bs about football, right, players, GMS, owners, whatever,
just nerd out Like I would imagine he would tell
you in his decades of being in the NFL, back
since Brett Farth that Josh Allen is as good of
a guy he's ever coached against. He would be right

(39:03):
near the top. And I'm with you. I don't I
don't argue. I just think we got a big four.
I would include Herbert if he's gonna keep playing like
that as a big five, and then Jayden Daniels if
he just becomes like if he just does it again,
like he's just a story as well. Just hard to
argue with Mahomes, Like, I mean, he has some big moments,

(39:24):
he has some down moments, but like it's pretty clear
he's special player now. Currently what Josh Allen did the
other night was just that was freaking awesome. That was cool.
The Eagles recently worked out seven free agents. Could you
please walk us through this process. Do all seven players
work out at the same time, like a mini combine?

(39:44):
Are the coordinators present or just the position coaches? Do
the Eagles cover travel and hotel expenses? If yes, would
the players typically be flown in first class put up
in a decent hotel. Do workouts like this typically take
all day? Are the Eagles on the hook for any
injury during the workouts? Is there any oversight by the
Players Union, such as restrictions. I can't speak to the

(40:06):
Players Union's restrictions. I think it depends the player you are. Like,
if you were just an undrafted free agent who, let's say,
was at training camp for the Chargers and got cut
and are not on a practice squad, the Eagles aren't
flying you out first class. Now, if you are Keenan Allen,

(40:27):
I know he's on the Chargers now, but you know
a guy like that, you might fly out first class.
I would say when I first got hired, my job
was to pick those guys up at the airport and
bring them the facility. And typically they would get You
would take them to the training room, they would get ready,
they would stretch, maybe they would eat, and the workout

(40:50):
varies by position. Now a lot of times, let's say
you got a list, it's called a short list. So
Howie and his personal state have a list of free
agents from quarterbacks to kickers. And if you lose, if
Landon Dickerson breaks his back and is out for the season,
well then there's a domino effect, right, the backup becomes

(41:13):
the starter. There's no longer a backup to the starter.
So you've got to elevate, probably a guy from the
practice squad and you need to fill his position on
the practice squad. So typically you want to know who's
the best available guy on the street well over the
course of the year. And this is how He's and
the Eagles have been doing this forever, and I can't
speak to every team. Is usually on every Monday or

(41:36):
Tuesday of a week you will have a workout of
your highest graded street free agents and they will do
If you're a dB, you'll just do just generic dB drills, backpedal, run,
break on the ball. It's just kind of to get
a gauge like physically, is he okay? Is he in
decent shape? And depending on the player you are. You know,

(41:58):
if we need to sign an offensive lineman or a
defensive back, then the position coaching coordinator are probably coming.
Potentially the head coach as well. If these are just
a generic workout, we don't plan on signing any of them,
then it probably is just the scouts and maybe like
a quality control type coach you know to throw. You know,

(42:18):
Matt Naggie when I was there, used to be the
quarterback and would throw. So I think it depends on
the situation. You know, in Philly, And it also depends
on how I can't I haven't been to every team's facility.
There's a Marriotte right next to the airport, so they
just stay at the Marriott. Like these guys aren't staying
at the four seasons. And then if I don't sign you,

(42:39):
I just fly you home. But they cover the travel,
they cover your hotel, they pick you up, take you back,
they feed you. So it's you don't have to pay
for anything. Now I'm sure there aren't ha been situations
in two thousand, I would say the last twenty years.
Maybe you're doing a favor for a guy, so the

(43:01):
agent would pay. But I think at this point in
time with most players, if he's good enough to give
the GM's time and scouting staff's time and position coaches time,
then the team is paying for it. So there is
a budget for this type stuff. Workouts, flying guys in
and this is what I always talk about why international
teams would be a pain. What the Eagles just did

(43:24):
these guys probably flying guys from Florida, Texas, La. Imagine
if three of your guys you want to work out,
and you're the London team and you're flying them from
LA never been to London, but I know it's a
pretty far flight. So it's did I answer all your questions? Coordinators?
President depends position, Coaches cover the travel first class. I mean,

(43:46):
if you're trying to get a job in your twenty
five year old street free agent, then you're not flying
in first class. Quick question for the pod, am I
crazy to want to send Juwan Taylor to Siberia for
being the reason that Chiefs continue to struggle on the
offensive line. He gets a ton of penalties. I would
imagine he's way better than the backup. So, like, the

(44:08):
penalties are a problem, and I'm sure they are trying
to figure that out. You know, Andy's an offensive lineman
at heart. Heck, the offensive line coach is a stud.
But I yeah, I he would not be starting if
he wasn't the best option. This is not college football.
We're guys around scholarship here, so he's the best option.

(44:28):
I don't understand why jump so much, though, But then again,
I could probably just text someone and ask question for
the back. Obviously, the Bengals win was very ugly. For
the first time in years, the defense bailed us out.
The rookie Stewart was the fourth highest rated rookie. Did
this win change your outlook on the Bengals at all?

(44:51):
I say this all the time. I do put divisional
games my judgment on those games, especially Week one. Like
I'm not making grand proclamations like the Bengals offense will
be fine. Last year they lost Week one to the Patriots.
You got Joe Burrow, you got Jamar Chase, you got
T Higgins. That was one of those games that I
had on my second TV in like one of the

(45:13):
smaller boxes, and I guess maybe I didn't give the
Browns enough respect. I never thought the Browns were gonna win,
so I wasn't super dialed in on that game. I
do think this, if you know Hendrickson held out right
or held in you know what I mean. If you
can get him going again and this rookie can make
plays and you got two good pass rushers, then yeah,

(45:34):
your defense, especially if you have leads with a good
passing game, should be better on defense. Now al golden
people in football think highly of him. Yeah, I mean,
I'd say this. I thought the Ravens were gonna be
good on defense. They got shredded. I thought the Steelers
are gonna be good on defense. Justin fields looked like
Lamar Jackson hot take. College football is ruined with nil

(46:00):
in playoff. The playoff change only a very small percentage
of games and teams are worth watching. The nil thing
was inevitable, but the playoff change was the nail in
the coffin. For me, it felt like the hype for
the Natty last year was as low as ever, and
it's not because the teams that were in it. The
playoffs dragged out for a month and felt like they

(46:20):
were too many teams. They should have made a sixteen
playoff with the one and two seeds getting by. That way,
the momentum with a good first slate of playoff games
plays into a more hype semi final. What are your thoughts?
I was thinking about this recently. One thing that's pretty
sad is the little guy like the mid non power

(46:44):
team right think about Washington State. The last two years,
Washington State has lost cam Ward to the University of Miami,
a historic power for millions of dollars. He became the
number one pick, and then this year Oklahoma not only
stole him, they stole the court. And John Mattier is
going to be a first round pick. So programs like

(47:04):
Washington State that used to be a power for program,
the program that I got my start at Fresno State
under Pat Hill, had a ton of draft picks. Those
guys never would have finished at Fresno State. Ever, Logan
Mankins would have been paid a million dollars to go
be a guard at Alabama or Texas. Ryan Matthews would

(47:25):
have been at Oregon. These guys Washington State, every good
player they have over the last decade would have been
stolen Oregon State. They've had a ton of NFL players,
they all would get taken. Hell, we are seeing it
San Diego State. Josh Simmons, the chief starting left tackle,
started his freshman year at San Diego State and then

(47:46):
immediately went to Ohio State, which is crazy because it
got how good that guy, but sometimes academically whatever, I
don't know exactly how it happened. He's from the northern
San Diego Helix High School actually home of Reggie Bush
and Alex Smith. But yeah, I just think the little
guy has always been a disadvantage. Like Washington State was
never winning the championship, right, Frezo State was never winning

(48:07):
the championship. But Boise had a couple of years whe
you thought they could have that, they never would have
had that team. That team would have been pillaged. Ashton Genty.
I've said this before and I will say this again.
So if I'm repeating myself, we're never seeing that situation again.
He was so loyal to Boise State that he accepted.
I mean, based on an athletic article I read last year,

(48:30):
the max they could pay him was like three hundred
thousand dollars, which is obviously a ton for a young
player just in general in college football. But he was
being offered over seven figures by other teams like who
maybe Texas. Some of these teams are offering him a
million dollars to play, right, and he turned him down.
Like moving forward, that is not going to be the case.
It's very hard to be loyal when those are your options.

(48:50):
So that's what pains me. And I'm just talking about
the non powerful. What about like when Minnesota or ASU
or schools like that that get a good player, well,
the big boys with the big money can just take
them away, and that's we're never going back. So I'm

(49:11):
just I still enjoy it, but there is part I
hate being the guy that holds on to the past.
I saw a good quote one time on a song
on YouTube. Sometimes, like if I'm just watching a good
acoustic version on YouTube, I'll just read the comments and
I think it was like it was like an Eagle

(49:32):
song or Don Henley song. I think the guy it
was a Don Henley song playing acoustic at in Howard
Stern's studio, probably like fifteen years ago. And one of
the comments that I'll never forget is like I would
like to go back in time, not to do things over,
but just to feel that again, because sometimes when you
listen to music right, it brings up emotional things from

(49:54):
your past that are positive and you're like, God, I
would love to feel that again, but you never will,
but you can remember it by this in the music.
I think there's some of that in sports, Like for me,
I don't miss the time when I looked at sports
just kind of pure, you know, when in the nineties
when I just love sports, like as a kid, as
a ten year old, as twelve year old, as a
fourteen year old, there was something pure about it and

(50:17):
that is long fucking gone now. So listen, do I
miss the pac twelve. It's not like I spend much
time thinking about it, but yeah, I enjoyed my time
being able to watch Oregon State play USC on a
Thursday night and see Mark Sanchez and Ray mal Luga
and Brian Cushing and Clay Matthews losing game up there

(50:39):
like that was fun. But those days kind of feel over.
So we just have to adapt and move on, like
we're never going back, you know. I think about this
all the time. I try to spend less time on
my phone and I've deleted Twitter from my phone, and
don't call me a hero. I'm not looking for credit here.
So this isn't like some self absorbed thought, but it's

(51:01):
just a big picture thought of like I'm about to
have a child. I don't want to be so behold
into my phone. And there are times when I think
I hate my phone, and then I think my entire
life and all the money I make are essentially because
of technology, are all because of technology. I would not
have been able to transition my career from radio to

(51:21):
doing what I did now if the iPhone didn't change
the world and you could just have a radio show
listen to you on your phone, right, And obviously YouTube
has done this very similar thing now. So it's like
things that drive you nuts that also benefit you. Things
you like you gotta just we're all trying to figure

(51:43):
it out and work through. I try not to live
in like negativity. You know, I don't watch basketball nearly
as much. There are things about the sport that I
dislike now that I used to not. But if you
tell me Steph Curry's going off, like, I will sit
down and I will watch the game. So I sometimes
I just try to like not think too deep. Not

(52:06):
everything you have to dive and listen. I'm not trying
to tell you how to think, but I think one
angle I take on a lot of stuff that just
allows me to be happier is like, not everything has
to be super deep. Do you think with how Moody
panned out with the forty nine ers, we will never
see another kicker drafted as early as he went. Uh.

(52:31):
We talk about this with a lot of positions and listen,
people will always make excuses if it's like, hey, this
guy's been a lot of trouble h But shit, he's six'
five two eighty and he can bend the. Edge he
can hit that passer and it's like take him. Forth you,
KNOW i think the kicker, THING i think there are
a lot of organizations that would never touch a kicker.

(52:54):
High BUT i think once it happens to, you especially
teams like in your, division you see it, happen you
go why would we ever do? This SO i do
think it'll obviously have a huge impact on the forty nine,
ers BUT i do think other teams study and especially
like even if you do need a kicker that is something,
like give me the study last twenty years of where

(53:15):
all The Pro bowl, kickers all the top ten kickers
have been, selected and the majority of them are going
to be like six seventh undraft free. Agents so in
what world would you waste a third round pick on the?
Kicker so it will, There he's not the only one
like we have. Seen Remember, aguyo the Dude jason Light,
took who again all time greatest kicker At Florida. State

(53:36):
guy was, automatic he couldn't. Miss but the pressure once
you come to the, pros everyone starts paying attention to
you during the period at training camp when you're. Kicking
that did not happen in, college so you just had
to make kicks in the. Game there's way less, pressure
even though there is pressure on, you nothing like THE.
Nfl because in college you can miss a, Kick you're

(53:57):
not gonna get. Cut in THE nfl like you will get.
Replaced SO i think when you look at a, guile
when you look At, MOODY i forget the kid From.
Nebraska he was. Terrible he just had he was just
like WHENEVER i looked At moody's face and, Like, god
his face turns me. Off something about is, like, uh
he just always looked like he had like a frown

(54:18):
embedded To just the way he just casually stood there
and looked drove me. Nuts the dude we took In
philly was just such a. PUSS i remember, thinking, like
this guy's gonna be AN nfl, player and the answer, was,
no he's. Not as someone who talks about sports for a,

(54:47):
Living i'm curious how you personally DIGEST nfl football On,
sundays with six different games going on simultaneously in the
one o'clock, timeslot how are you able to make sure
you watch all of them in enough detail to be
able to discuss them on your podcast or whatever you're talking.
About do you have a bunch of TVs or are

(55:07):
you flipping around back and. Forth, WELL i have two
TVs and a big computer, screen SO i technically could
have nine plus games going on at one, time which
is only an issue in the morning. Window but the
reality of the Business i'm in is we talk about
big stories and the things that. Matter i'm not breaking

(55:28):
Down Bryce young's. Footwork the MOMENT i see that game doesn't,
MATTER i stop paying. Attention it doesn't. Matter i'm not
going to discuss. It so you have to prioritize what
matters to the general. Public now things, change if something crazy,
happens you have to start paying. Attention BUT i, knew
let's Use Saturday sunday morning for. EXAMPLE i knew The

(55:50):
Jets steelers was an important. Story Jaden daniels was one
of the best players playing in the morning. Window i'm
watching that game, right trying to Think Raiders, patriots that
that was a GAME i was paying attention. To in,
THEORY i was Watching Miami. Colts but ten minutes in
that game doesn't. Matter so nothing in that game matters

(56:12):
to me beside the big. Picture do The dolphins suck
and do they have something In Daniel jones and the
angles pretty easy On Daniel. Jones we won't know till
we see him play better. Teams and The, dolphins, yeah
they probably. Suck, now there are gonna be some games
that if like in the afternoon, window if there are

(56:32):
four decent, games it's hard to watch them. All SO
i was really dialed in To Niner seattle And Green Bay,
detroit AND i tried to pay strong attention to The
rams and The houston. Game, well once The packer game
BECOMES i mean it's like a blowout in the first,
half it's seventeen to three or, whatever but it feels

(56:53):
like they're on. Forty it's like not even. Close they're
kicking their, ass like kind of seeing WHAT i need to,
see unless there's a crazy, comeback which there. Wasn't like
the storylines for that game have played. Out SO i
dial into The rams, GAME i dial into The niners.
Game it's harder for, me LIKE i GOT i do
Because i'm interested in to see Cam. WARD i need

(57:14):
to go back and just watch some of the highlights
If i'm gonna If i'm gonna talk, about you, know Cam,
Ward LIKE i watched enough when Bo nix was on the.
FIELD i kind of just picked my. Spots BUT i
also don't pretend to talk about something IF i haven't watched.
It I'm i'm not running first take. Here so IF
i haven't watched, It i'm not gonna have a huge
opinion on. It BUT i know things THAT i have

(57:35):
to have an opinion on that, Matter i'm gonna pay attention.
To and then if something happens THAT i didn't, EXPECT
i have the TECHNOLOGY i can go back and watch, it,
Right BUT i pay attention to kind of everything that's
going on On sunday and lock into the big, stories
and then you pivot as things are. Fluid, now do
you know WHAT i love as buys, Happen like when

(57:56):
we get to the point where there are three or
four teams on buys in that, game you only got
to pay attention to four or five games in the
morning and then potentially sometimes two games in the. Afternoon
that's Increat it's that's pretty easy for me to. Do
the first couple of. Weeks the last couple of, weeks
uh ARE i, mean are are? Challenged luckily some of
these games like The jags Uh carolina, Game, Like i'm

(58:22):
not talking about that, game right IF i led my
show with, that Then i'd have to go back and
watch the condensed version of the. Game so it's a
long way of saying, That, YEAH i mean there's some
Stuff i'm just gonna miss and then we probably won't. Discuss,
now if someone asked me about it or it's, like,
hey you need to watch, This i'll go back and
watch and Maybe i'll have an. Opinion but there's a,

(58:45):
reason like you, know if you Watch whoever's, big, right
unless they're going surface area on, stuffing they're hammering home
the big STORIES i can talk About Kayleb, Williams Josh,
Allen Lamar, jackson AND jj McCarthy till the fucking cows come,
home you know. Why that's what most people are talking.
About SO i try having a lot of information of what's,

(59:08):
important what's not. Important television ratings pretty good idea of
like what podcasts, work what podcasts don't in terms of
numbers of people listening through video and. Audio got a
pretty good idea at this point in, time like kind
of What i'm. Doing but, yeah there's stuff that you,
know you're there're gonna be games that there are individuals
that are watching way closer than. Me question for the,

(59:31):
bag just a fun. Exercise what level of draft pick
do you think Prime Justin tucker goes for a third round.
PICK i would GUESS i think a team would give
a third round. Pick, yeah third feels about as high
because the second round. PICK i can Get DeVante, adams,
RIGHT i can Get Nick, CHUBB i can GET i
can get like high, END i can get a starting,

(59:53):
CORNERS i can get great players And lashawn. McCoy third
round would be my. Guess Does tampa officially have the
best receiver room in THE? Nfl, guys let me reread,
that Does tampa officially have the best wide receiver room
in THE? Nfl evans all time consistent Producer godwin is

(01:00:13):
a one on at least a third of the, League
abuka is going to be a contender For Offensive rookie
of The, year and McMillan is a number three on
twenty of the thirty two. Team you're pretty polish on
some of these. GUYS i, mean we'll See godwin when he's.
HEALTHY i mean he's been banged up a few. Times
abuka is a stud. In Mike, evans like you, said
consistent player isn't McMillan hurt right, now he's pretty. Good

(01:00:34):
it's pretty. Good someone dm me and, said Could caleb
become Like? Baker, like couldn't he be a similar player
like and resurrect his career? Later baker was so much
better in college in the, pocket, Like baker's a pretty
natural pocket player for a smaller. Quarterback he is comfortable

(01:00:55):
playing in that. Radius Caleb williams is. Not. So one
Attribute baker brings the table is. POCKET i, mean look
at the game winning touchdown from the pocket whatever a
post over the middle of the field To abuka for
the game winning. Touchdown caleb likes scrambling around and making
Places baker. Hot take If baker was like six' five

(01:01:15):
and could literally see everything like he Was Like peyton
Manning or brady size with his arm, in accuracy he'd
be in contention to be like a top. Five quarterback
he does have limitations because their ability, to see just
being a, shorter quarterback but he's a very natural player in.
The pocket question for the bag do You Think ben
johnson regrets not taking the commander's job to Be With.

(01:01:39):
JAYDEN daniels, i mean it's kind of cross his. MIND now.
I would, i, mean listen we get very emotional to,
this right like this is a way. Better job Let's
Say dan quinn is making nine, million dollars which is
a ton. Of Money ben jonson is Making thirteen so
if you extrapolate that over, five, year like it's a lot.

(01:02:01):
More money so he got paid a ton of cash
to take. THAT job i mean there's probably not ten
guys in the league making More Than. Ben Johnson ben
johnson's making a lot, of MONEY and i bet he would, Think,
like okay this, doesn't work we'll figure. It, out now
you could. Make way If jayde daniel was, A Star
ben johnson could be you could be commanders for. Twenty

(01:02:21):
years you might be making twenty million dollars in five
years as the. Head coach so it's got across. His
MIND but i had someone tell. ME who i don't
know if He knows, ben well but he knew people
around him that part of The reason ben pulled out
wasn't just because Of the. Jaden situation he doesn't didn't
feel he was quite, Ready YET and i do. RESPECT
that i, Look Today ben johnson is like a year

(01:02:42):
and a half younger. Than me i'm forty. Years old
so when, we're talking this is like thirty six. Years
old when you're in, these positions, you know not everyone
Is theo Epstein Or howie roseman or, you know in
these positions that, are, Like hey, Sean McVay i'll take on.
The world give me the best. Position possible i'll figure.
IT out i would have, been intimidated you know at. That,

(01:03:04):
age hell i'd be, Intimidated now but it's part. Of
life some people are not scared and some people just
are a little more. Pragmatic, patient right he's already making
a ton as the, offensive coordinator, but like, you know
there's SOME things i could get. Better at i'm not,
that comfortable which is Crazy because i'd rather Work For
josh Harris And. Adam peters like, looking back You Get,

(01:03:29):
Josh Harris, Adam Peters, jayden daniels or you get, The Mccaskey's,
Kevin Warren, Ryan Poles. Caleb williams it's like you want
to date a supermodel or the, you know the chubby
chick that Works. AT wendy's i mean, it's, like, what yeah,
let me how could he not how could that not
keep him up? AT night a couple. More questions As a.

(01:03:52):
RAMS fan i know All about josh McDaniel's non tom
bradyo c. Offensive Performance the rams had the worst offense
in the league in, twenty eleven finishing two. And fourteen
he scored under two hundred points, that year only one year.
Of sample he was fired with. Everyone ELSE but i
think you have a point about The non. Brady performance

(01:04:16):
it's a. LITTLE concerning I sometimes i'm as guilty as
anyone of just kind of not going with, the crowd
but just kind of assuming things that shouldn't, be Assumed
like josh mcdam's a great. Offensive coordinator what are we?
Talking about and then you, really, extrapolate, well Yeah Remove.
Tom john we've been a head. Coach twice he got
ran out of. The building all the offensive players, hated

(01:04:37):
him like you said he was an offensive coordinator. AND
not i have to go back, and look you probably
didn't have great players On that, rams team but clearly
did not. Go well and when He had belichick and
when He, had tom he. Kicked ass now He's got
Vrabel And drake may and they were. An embarrassment, And
Listen max crosby's a. Good Player But khalil Mack And

(01:04:57):
howie long aren't also on that. Defensive line who are
the like the DEFENSIVE personnel i wouldn't say is, Like
elite but what do They Have patrick graham who Is
former patriot who's the, de Coordinator And pete carroll like
they got high level defensive coaching With. The Raiders patrick

(01:05:20):
graham Was actually josh McDaniels higher when he Got the.
Raiders Job Made patrick graham's. Defensive Coordinator patrick graham's Really Impressive,
Ivy League, Guy Belichick. Guy forever people think really highly,
of them and He punked Josh And. Drake, MAY okay
i will end on this at what Point does goff come?

(01:05:41):
Under pressure goth looks great When the lions are favored
And With, ben johnson but over the last Few years
i've seen him look terrible IN big tv games Versus,
the Ravens, the Packers, the bills and the playoffs Versus
the niners And. The Commanders the lions have an elite
roster better Than the vikings in twenty, Twenty Four Yet

(01:06:02):
sam darnold got crushed last year for having two bad
games despite, fourteen wins and GoF gets a. Free pass
uh was one game right, this YEAR so i don't
know if he's getting a. Free pass if he played
at a month, like this it would be a. Major
conversation the one thing he does not get a free

(01:06:24):
pass on that's not. His fault he's not a. Good
athlete so if your offensive line is gonna, have issues
you guys are missing some guys, because retirement. Free agency
he cannot, scramble around so that part Of what sam
could do is. Move around this guy. Cannot Move and
I'm A jared. GOFF fan i like. THE human i
think he's a, solid player but he has some major
limitations if he's, getting scrammed if he's, getting pressured then

(01:06:48):
not being able, to move which in this day, and
age when defense is as fast as it's, ever been
you could argue it's not. As physical guys aren't, as
big but they're quicker. Than ever the amount of guys
on the defense line running like four fives and four
sixes has never. Been higher the amount of teams with
good defensive tackles who can rush. The passer fifteen, years

(01:07:10):
AGO when i first got IN, the nfl there were
like two good interior. Pass rushers all the pass rushers
coming from. The edge, most teams their defensive tackles were.
Run stuffers every team now has a pass rushing interior,
defensive lineman some. Have Multiple so jared, goff like if you,
hit him he's not gonna. Be good he's one of
those players THAT he's i think he's a better Version,

(01:07:34):
Of cousins but once you start, pressuring him he crumbles like.
A COOKIE and i think a huge thing with those
guys is they. Cannot move So while Mahomes and Josh
and lamar those guys move and, make plays those guys
are stagnant and they're stuck in concrete and you can just.
Pepper them so if they were to Lose, THE bears
i think it would get, really ugly. Really fast but

(01:07:56):
if they win, THIS week i still think you guys
are gonna. Be okay my guess is, and listen he's
also he's not considered some, top Guy Neither. Sam darnold
so it's like We're Talking jared goffs considered like, the, seventh,
eighth ninth tenth, Best quarterback so he doesn't get criticized
the same way As Like justin herbert was being talked
about like he's in the tier with the, Top guys

(01:08:18):
so he takes a high level, of criticism and he's
just more Talented Like jared. Goff's talent got a, good arm,
he's accurate but he's like a, timing rhythm kind of
an old. SCHOOL player i say This to colin all.
The time when's the next time we're Gonna See jared
goff coming IN. The nfl the closest Thing, is Nessmyer
and nessmeyer is a better athlete. Than Him ness smyer,

(01:08:41):
to me is More Like jimmy Garoppolo when jimmy. Was
good you can move a. Little bit he's way more mobile.
Than golf those guys don't. Exist anymore guy comes to
the league cannot move him and COUSINS they i watch
college football all season Long. ON saturday i just don't
see those, type players especially that. Are good They don't they.

(01:09:03):
Don't exist so keep your fingers crossed that everything's Okay,
in detroit because if you were to lose, this week
it could, get weird and it get. Weird fast the
volume m