Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to the Best of the Herd podcast.
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Speaker 2 (00:19):
This is the Best of the Herd with Colin Cowver
on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Oh it is Tuesday. Huh, we got a lot Nick
right in an hour. Mike Sando's quarterback tier list is
out fifty executives polled anonymously wherever you may be, however
you may be listening. Thanks for making us part of
your day. John Middlecoff like Yes Friday, He'll be in
(00:47):
for the next two weeks. Film in for jmac So
every year Mike Sando at the Other Place interviews anonymously
fifty execs and it's called his quarterback Tiers. And Tier
one is you carry your team every week. Tier two
(01:09):
is you're really really good, but you got a hole
in your game. Tier three is you need a lot
of help, but if you have it, you can win.
And tier four you're kind of a guy. So I
looked at all the tiers this morning, and I'm pretty
good with everything with one exception. Yeah, Tier one's kind
(01:33):
of obvious. Alan Mahomes, Stafford Burrough. Here's the only move
I would make. The NFL execs have Lamar Jackson is
the first quarterback in Tier two, and they have Caleb
Williams in the middle of Tier two. I'd flip them.
I think Caleb Williams Justin Herbert are the top of
(01:53):
Tier two. It's nothing against Lamar Jackson. I got eight years.
This sport is not about history. It's about playoffs. His
quarterback rating plummets in the playoffs. He plays with anxiety,
and I don't trust him when he falls behind late
eight years. I gave him a run by year two.
(02:14):
Caleb Williams of the Bears stronger arm, better arm, talent,
healthier and appears to play much better from behind consistently
than Lamar Jackson ever has. Here's the other thing to
think about. I'm going to view a kid who comes
from a tough background differently than a trust fund kid
in life and in football. Lamar Jackson inherited John Harbaugh.
(02:38):
Maybe the best owner five Top ten defenses, Derrick Henry
thirty six rushing touchdowns. Last two years generally had above
average to excellent offensive lines, no chaos. Kayleb Williams entered
a hazmat spill, a disaster of a coaching staff. Didn't
(03:00):
they have a parking attendant by the end of year
one coaching I mean, poor owners, bad offensive lines, and
he had to win by outscoring people. Chaos. I'm sorry.
And yet by year two, I get the bigger, healthier,
(03:21):
better arm talent, who's really good latent games. In fact,
Lamar Jackson's been in the NFL eight years. I don't
have one really redeeming playoff memory. In the first football
game in the playoffs that Caleb Williams ever played, Green Bay,
a double digit fourth quarter come from a hind win
(03:42):
and this throw, which I still contend, it's an illusion.
There's nobody open, and it's one of the great throws
against your body that I've ever seen in pro football.
The numbers don't lie stack him up. Lamar was not
as explosive, had more turnovers, fewer yards per game, and
(04:05):
again Lamar entered this league to a gold standard franchise.
Everything Caleb Williams has done to this point is overcoming stuff,
even Ben Johnson last year. They had to clean up
the sacks. They had so much to clean up, a
lot of finger crossing on the offensive line in the
better conference, in my opinion, the NFC so And I again,
(04:30):
I like Lamar, but in Mike Sando's anonymous fifty executive
anonymous poll, I would just flip Lamar to middle, like
number eleven, number ten, number back, and I'd put Caleb
at number five. And am I projecting what I expect
to be a very good year three year or two
(04:52):
with Ben Johnson. Absolutely, But to this point, Ryan Tannehill
in eight years, here is three playoff wins. He beat
Ryan tann Hill, Russell Wilson with the Steelers, and rookie CJ. Stroud.
You got to give me more than that. I mean,
Mike Tomlin lost his job as a head coach of
Pittsburgh one of the reasons couldn't beat the good teams
(05:12):
and the good quarterbacks in the playoffs. So Caleb now too.
And I think Caleb's got some real leadership skills. I
said that when he came into the NFL, I thought
he was a little bit moody. I saw that at
USC a lot, not a lot, but occasionally a little
bit moody. Okay, a little older now. Didn't see any
of that last year, he takes to coaching the fact
that he eliminated Sacks tells you he's a totally coachable
(05:34):
quarterback now that Lamar isn't. But I feel like with
Lamar eight years in, we got a plateau. I feel
with Caleb Williams. By November, am I going to be saying?
Is he the best quarterback in the NFL? Here's Caleb.
Speaker 3 (05:49):
Been in this league for two years, but also playing
I've played. I played a bunch of games now, and
so I know what losing looks like.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
I know what winning looks like in this league.
Speaker 4 (05:58):
We haven't won the.
Speaker 3 (05:59):
Big one yet, but you know we we won a.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
Bunch of games last year.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
We lost a lot of games my first year and
then and then now having year two in the offense,
a lot more confidence in what I'm saying, uh to
the guys out there, it's starting to sound more like
the coaches, the steps, alignments and things like that. So
just just finding ways to be more on top of that,
you know, day in and day out.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
I don't know, you know, I always love a guy
when he's good at the podium. That dude is good
at the podium. That matters. It's the first thing I
noticed about Dak Prescott. Didn't even like his arm, didn't
think he was a great athlete. I'm like, that guy's
good at the podium. Caleb Williams, all the stuff I
worried about moodiness, don't see it. Sacks eliminated. I would
just flip him and lamar Okay. So uh, I've been
(06:44):
hearing for the last two to three years that the
Dodgers are ruining baseball. Well, I watched every pitch of
the Cubs dominating the Dodgers last night at Wrigley. I'm
going tonight and uh, four game losing streak for the Dodgers,
and let me tell you, they're doing a terrible job
at ruining baseball because they can't get anybody out. And
(07:06):
if you watch the Dodgers last night between walks and
giving up bombs, this is why they went and got
Tarik's google from the Tigers, the Red Sox, and the
Cubs in the last four games are eating their pitching alive. Incidentally,
all the good teams that the trade deadline made moves
good God, how many pitchers did. The Cubs acquire, the
(07:27):
Phillies improved, the Rays improved, the Dodgers, the Yankees, the
Red Sox. All the teams made multiple moves. But when
you're watching the Dodgers, a lot of you think they're
hoarding players. Know they have a losing record in July.
Now we're in August. And by the way, their last
sixteen games at home, they're bad at Dodger Stadium. So
(07:49):
they're old, they're brittle, they are tied to a lot
of contracts with old, brittle players, and their young hot
shot pitcher, Justin rod Less. Last two starts, it's gotten shelled.
It's given up eight home runs. So the Dodgers during
the four game losing streak have the second worst starting
staff in Major League Baseball. And as we said yesterday,
(08:13):
the Yankees have the same level of payroll and revenue.
They just don't have a first class front office. So
people fear the Dodgers. But I will tell you this,
what baseball has done over the last three to four
years has really rob Manfred has hit a bunch of doubles, triples,
and home runs. What has baseball done the last four years?
(08:33):
They've leaned into two things, urgency, pitchclock, and more action.
Universal DH bigger bases, defensive shift was banned. Urgency and action. Well,
isn't that what the Dodgers have done to become the
most popular Major League Baseball team? Urgency, win now whatever
(08:54):
it costs, and action, be hyper aggressive in trades in
the free agent market. So you don't, let's be honest.
You don't hate the Dodgers. You wish you were the Dodgers, right,
same with MJ's Bulls, Katie Warriors, you don't hate them
Big ten teams. You don't hate Ohio State. You wish
(09:15):
you were Ohio State. Just got to be honest about
that stuff. Since twenty thirteen, the Dodgers have led Major
League Baseball and tenants every year, outdrawing the Yankees, the Phillies,
the Braves, everybody. So they are scuffing. And last night
was the fourth game in a row that it was
a pretty clear indication they're not hoarding players. They need
(09:38):
starting pitching badly. Here is Tariq s Google, the newest
Dodger in Bryce Harper on their move.
Speaker 5 (09:47):
The entire focus of this organization is on winning championships,
and that's my entire focus with playing baseball. Every team
could trade for me, you know, every team could make
that acquisition. Yeah, I don't really sympathize with people that
blame the Dodgers or for anything they've done. You know,
they've developed a really good organization. They draft well, they
acquire talent really well, they retain talent. It's a winning organization.
(10:07):
And now the complaints seem to be because they've won
the last two World Series, you know that. I don't
think it was like that three years ago. So I
don't really sympathize with people that are complaining because the Dodgers,
you know, do all the right things.
Speaker 6 (10:18):
They're a great team, they're a great organization. They know what,
you know, what it takes to win. A lot of
teams could have done what they did. That's out of
money move. It's a prospect move, right, and there's a
lot of teams in baseball had the prospects to move them.
So yeah, I mean I don't Obviously they were good
before them, and they're they're even better.
Speaker 7 (10:38):
You know, It's just it is what it is.
Speaker 1 (10:40):
So we vilify, we do this. We build you up,
we tear you down. We vilify ultra successful people billionaires
now are bad. They're all bad people. Elon Musk Company's
all dangerous Dodgers, Katie Warriors. Hey, if I had Christopher
Nolan's budget, I could make Odyssey too skippy. I'd sit
this one out. The reality is the Dodgers are brilliant,
(11:02):
but they are scuffing badly. This is a sub five
hundred team since July first, and it was on display
last night. And you know, I mean the idea that
they get Two of the prospects they gave up to
Detroit were like mid round picks that they developed into
(11:23):
guys they could trade to get Scooble tells you everything
you know need to know about the Dodgers. Okay, John
Middlecoff joining us today, Nick, right top of next hour.
You know, I it's been great. So I'm in the
Big ten building and Big ten football media today or
yesterday it was like Big ten volleyball media day. Didn't
(11:43):
know that existed.
Speaker 7 (11:44):
I do now.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
They were everywhere in the building. Mascots two weeks ago
were in the building. But I got to tell you something,
the complainers about Nil. I thought about something this morning
because I saw Mario Cristobal at Miami signed a new
massive contract and I love when Miami's good in college football.
That and pork Caitlin Clark Now she gets ripped when
(12:07):
she doesn't talk. That's coming up.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
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Speaker 3 (12:20):
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Speaker 8 (12:24):
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Speaker 1 (12:49):
All right. Thirty six straight years in the NFL, at
least four new playoff teams each year minimum. In the
last decade, the averages six last year's playoff teams AFC, Broncos, Patriots,
jag Steelers, Texans, Bill's Chargers, NFC Seahawks, Bears, Eagles, Panthers, Rams,
(13:10):
forty nine Ers, Packers slide in minimum four averages six,
So I thought i'd slice it in the middle, John,
and I will give you five new playoff teams for
this year. That's one more than the minimum over the
last thirty six years. Could be more. I'll start Kansas
(13:30):
City Chiefs. Here's why Andy Reid twenty seven seasons never
had back to back losing seasons. They had two huge
needs corner and running back. They have addressed both with
elite players. They were one to nine in one score games. Okay,
that stuff always turns. And I do believe when Mahomes
has had protection and a semi solid run game, he's
(13:53):
a playoff quarterback. Kansas City is back in. You're up.
Speaker 7 (13:57):
I'm an agreement there.
Speaker 9 (13:59):
Andy Reid and twenty seven seasons has missed the playoffs
back to back years one time in his career. Under spags,
they have had a top ten defense now scoring defense
for three straight years. When they scored last year above
twenty two points, which was a struggle, they went six
and two. So if they can just find ways to
score some points with their defense, which they just reloaded
(14:21):
in the draft, three high end defensive players in the
top forty. Multiple defensive lineman with an elite corner. This
is a double digit win team.
Speaker 1 (14:29):
Collin all Right, next up for me, NFC, I'm gonna
go Detroit. Lions face the easiest schedule in the NFL.
New England did last year. How that workout for him,
ended up in the Super Bowl. Detroit has upgraded. Drew
pencig Now is coming from Arizona to Detroit, and they're
already good at running back, wide receiver, quarterback, o line.
(14:50):
They've shuffled in some players. Pin a seoel Now goes
to left tackle. Blake Miller, the rookie, their top pick
goes to the right tackle. This is a winning team.
They've had the most injured defense in the league the
last two years. Yes, more than the forty nine ers.
They've had bad injury lock. I think with a new oc,
I think it's the kind of offense in a mediocre
(15:12):
defensive division where they'll eat. I think the Lions are
back into the playoffs.
Speaker 9 (15:17):
As the Hall of Famer once said, how about them Cowboys,
the Dallas Cowboys. They had a top two offense in
the league last year. The problem was defense. It was horrendous,
led the league in penalties. Matt Eberflus replaced for Parker
from the Philadelphia Eagles, who now has some pieces to
work with. They draft Caleb Downs, they draft another defensive end,
(15:40):
they trade for multiple defensive linemen. Again, offense is not
going to be their problem. Their defense doesn't need to
be the Pete Carroll Seattle Seahawks. They just need to
be serviceable. I like the Cowboys this year.
Speaker 1 (15:52):
All right, I'm standing in the NFC New York Giants.
The last two years, they've been two to fifteen in
one score games. Nobody's close to the bad. Last year
they were one and seven. They also lost five games
last year with a lead in the fourth quarter, so
they were the worst team in the league at holding leads.
(16:13):
Now I get Jackson Dart, who was pretty good as
a rookie. Scataboo is back. They've added pieces on the
offensive line that was already top twelve in the league
last year. Rvel Reese, mile A high Fields, Notre Dame
wide receiver, Francis Mauioga the offensive lineman which was solid
from Miami. So I love their draft class. I also
(16:36):
think bringing in Isaiah Likely really nice pickup from Baltimore. Again,
I don't think this is an eleven twelve win team.
I think they squeak in as a wild card, but
the New York Giants are in.
Speaker 9 (16:48):
I'm going Cincinnati Bengals here, Colin the Bengals, they have
one of the easiest schedules in the league. We never
have questions when Burrow's on the field because they have
elite playmakers. Jamar Chase is one of the better wide
receivers we've ever seen. T Higgins probably one of, if
not the best number two in the league. Question his defense, well,
what do they do? They trade the tenth pick for
Dexter Lawrence, who Jason Kelsey has said is the hardest
(17:10):
guy to block in the NFL when he's right. They
also add multiple defensive ends, one in free agency, one
high in the draft in Casius Howel from Texas, A
and m a speed pass rusher.
Speaker 7 (17:21):
All their defense. Remember the couple of years ago they
went nine to eight.
Speaker 9 (17:24):
They were one of the hottest teams in the league,
but they start slow under Zach Taylor. If they could
just be serviceable in September and early October, I think
you're looking at an eleven twelve win team, especially when
you factor in the division, which is wide open.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
I go back to the AFC, Baltimore Ravens get back in.
Not only do they have an easy schedule the first
seven weeks with a rookie head coach, first time play caller,
a lot of moving parts. First seven weeks they faced
teams that didn't make the playoffs, so it's a kind
of a soft opening for the Baltimore Ravens. Also, they've
(17:59):
never back to back seasons the playoffs since Lamar Jackson
was there. They're a team last year again lost a
lot of close games. Lamar wasn't healthy, appears to be
now three news starters on the offensive line. I don't
know if Jesse Mentor is going to be a great
head coach, but the NFL did amost solid. It's a
(18:19):
very soft opening that ensures a little even if they
don't quite have everything buttoned up. I think they make
their way in Vegas has them as the top over
under team in the league. That's a little lofty to me,
but I think Baltimore's back in.
Speaker 7 (18:37):
You know, it's.
Speaker 9 (18:38):
Hard when you start eight and two and somehow you
end up missing the playoffs. But when you have a
grandfather at the end of the year, as you're starting
quarterback and Philip Rivers told.
Speaker 7 (18:47):
You everything you need to know.
Speaker 9 (18:48):
The Colts got desperate last year when Daniel Jones got injured,
but when he played, they were one of the most
dominant offenses we'd ever seen. Yeah, Jonathan Taylor returns. They
have one of the best offensive line the league. I
read this morning that Alex Pearce is trending to get
back on the field. He's battled some offseason surgery, and
(19:08):
it comes down to the defense and the quarterback's health.
We know Shane Seiken, when he has a functional quarterback,
is one of the better offensive play callers in the league.
I think the Colts battleback in our wildcard team this year.
Speaker 1 (19:21):
And finally for me, the New Orleans Saints very winnable division.
It's noisy in Tampa. Tyler shuck four of the last
five games last year. They love him in New Orleans,
big tall kid with an arm. They won for their
last five games. They went heavy wide receiver, tight end,
and running back in the offseason, so they are building
(19:41):
an offense around him, and they got money to spend
Travis ATM. We'll shore up that running game, which was
lousy last year. Their defense was top ten and again
this is not a high fire power offensive division. So
Tyler Shuck played well late. I mean, if you look
at his numbers. If you look at his umbers last
year led all rookies in completion percentage, passing yards, and
(20:04):
passer ray. Tyler Shuck's passerready was ninety six. That's higher
than Matt Stafford's career passer rating. Like Tyler Shuck was
kind of the surprise quarterback in the league winnable division.
The Saints are my fifth new team.
Speaker 9 (20:17):
I think you stole my list, Colin. I'm in agreement here.
I love this pick. This is one of my sleeper
teams of the year. The knock on Shuck was he's
too old. Well, they needed a grown up in the
building because of that position at you know, since Drew
Brees retired, it was a revolving door five and four
as a starting quarterback. They add Jordan Tyson, who was
one of the best athletes you know in this draft,
(20:38):
to go with the lave the ad Travis Etn who
was a huge, huge catalyst for Liam Cohen in that
offense in Jacksonville last year. Kellen Moore has been a
really good offensive coordinator. Obviously won the Super Bowl with Philadelphia.
Him and McCarthy butted heads at the end in Dallas.
But a lot of pretty high powered offenses when he
was calling the play. So division like the Bengals wide open,
(21:00):
I like the Saints a lot.
Speaker 1 (21:02):
Yeah, it's I went and it was funny because I
was making these picks last night and I had the
Bengals in, but I pulled them out and I text Ryan.
I went back and they got the Delp, the tight end,
the blocking tight end from Georgia. Who will see if
he's a receiver, but he can block, He's an elite blocker.
They went and got a running back. They went heavy
into Jordan Tyson and wide receivers. And you started, and
(21:23):
I went to YouTube. You start watching Shuck. You start
watching some of its highlights last year. Without much of
a receiving corps outside of a laves Chris o'lave from
Ohio State, so outside of him, they didn't have a
lot of weapons on the outside. They went heavy into
help for Tyler Shuck and I start looking at that
division and Tampa's noisy. We don't know what Atlanta is
(21:44):
at quarterback. Carolina is good, Matt's fut well with the Rams,
but still feels like a little roster light. So my
takeaway is Chiefs Saints we agree with. And I gotta
tell you if the if Joe Burrow and the Cowboys
make the playoffs, the NFL will be very happy. Your
list would make the NFL very happy.
Speaker 9 (22:05):
To me, the Bengals really have no excuse. I mean,
Joe Burrow said it. It's the best roster he's played with.
Zach Taylor takes I would say a lot of heat.
But once upon a time he did beat Andy Reid
in a conference championship game and that team went to
the super Bowl and they had a lead late in
that game.
Speaker 7 (22:21):
I mean, he's he's had success as a head coach.
Speaker 1 (22:23):
All right. Nick Wright is around the corner. Mike Sande,
the athletic, the tears, the quarterback tears is in. I
love it. I just flipped Caleb and Lamar hour two Net.
Speaker 2 (22:36):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and Neon Eastern not a em Pacific.
Speaker 1 (22:42):
Here we go, hour two, We're live. We're in Chicago.
I'm going to the Cubs game tonight, Cubs Dodgers. See
if the Dodgers can get anybody out I'm going one.
I'm gonna go to one of those cool places outside
the stadium on the roof. May knock a couple down.
Want to be clear eyed for tomorrow though. In middlekov,
I'm not gonna let my guy down. So Mike Sando
(23:05):
comes out at the Athletic. He does this every year.
He talks to fifty executives in the NFL anonymously, and
they put the quarterbacks into four tiers. Right, you can
figure out one's the elite guys. Two little hole but
still very very good. Three you know, you need a
really good defense to win, a really good running game
(23:26):
to win. And Tier four you're kind of a guy,
you know some of it. I'm not gonna nitpick Brought
Purty at eleven's a little high for my taste, Sam
Darnold at fourteen, Jalen Hurts at seventeen little low for
my taste. I like both those guys up. Only one quarterback.
This is amazing. There's only one quarterback in the entire
top twenty. In the entire top twenty that includes Tier one,
(23:51):
Tier two, and part of Tier three that hasn't made
the playoff in the last three years. Joe Burrow so
If that's not an indictment of the Cincinnati Bengals organization
and primarily their ownership, I don't know what is. So
Burrow's the only guy of the top twenty quarterbacks who
(24:12):
hasn't made the playoffs in three years now. One of
it can be injuries, but they've never given him a
legitimate offensive line. Joe Burrow has become our most recent
Matt Stafford. Where Stafford played now Detroit now has got
great front office and great people running it. But for
years we always said about Stafford. God, if can you
imagine if he had he was a legitimate operation. That's
(24:35):
where we are with Burrow right now. So about the
only big move I would make in the Mike Sandos
list of the executive because by and large, you know
we can nitpick on stuff, is I would flip Lamar
Jackson and Caleb Williams. I got eight years of Lamar Jackson.
This is a playoff sport. Passer rating plummets. He's had
(24:58):
great coaches, great o' lines, excellent defense. Is Derrick Henry.
I'm sorry, you can't. You can't be a you can't
plummet and be anxiety filled and struggle trailing in the
postseason eight years, I would put Caleb top of tier two.
I would put Lamar middle of tier two. That's about
(25:19):
the only dramatic swing I think after two years. If
you look at what Lamar inherited owner o line players, coach,
and what Caleb inherited, basically A has Matt spill and
by year two you're like, that kid's remarkable. That would
be my only big switch with that. Nick Wright is
joining us. First things first, all right, so I didn't
(25:41):
I didn't have a problem mostly with it. I think Lamar,
I've got too much now, I got too much video,
too many januaries.
Speaker 4 (25:49):
Finally coming around all Nick's side, ah me to see that. Listen,
I think now I feel like you might have overcorrected.
I can't have Lamar behind Jordan Love or Brock Birdy
or your beloved. You're talking about him playoff, playoff, playoff.
I didn't hear a mumbling word about Justin Herbert sitting
right there. Just Herbert would kill for Lamar's playoff resume.
Speaker 7 (26:12):
But I agree.
Speaker 4 (26:13):
I think Lamar is a tick higher than I would
have him. Caleb's a tick lower. I am curious about Burrow, though,
because it's when you look at the Sando does a
great job with this every year. Shout out to him,
Shout out to the athletic Burrow. It's not just that
he's Tier one, it's that he got I think it
(26:33):
was forty six of fifty tier one votes, and Lamar
was in fifth place with twenty two. Like Mahomes it
was forty nine, Alan and Stafford forty eight, and Burrow
was forty six or forty seven? Is there not a
level of with Burrow as great as he throws the ball.
(26:54):
The combination of of everyone on this list only he,
Golf and Stafford gave you nothing from an escapability standpoint,
plus the injuries that make you ding him a bit
to where he feels more like a top of tier
two guy, yeah than a tier one guy.
Speaker 1 (27:15):
Yeah. Now that's what I had said. I'd made a
ranking a couple of weeks ago, and I said, listen,
we are one injury away from Joe Burrow where I
have to draft another quarterback. I may start him, but
I gotta have a backup plan. So I think that's
very very fair. You know, a guy, an interesting guy
here is Dak Prescott at number seven. So that's higher
than I would have him. But I will say this
(27:35):
is that I was told the staff this morning. Sometimes
people are just late bloomers in life. It doesn't matter
if you're in law or in sports. And mostly we
know very early you're going to be a good NBA player,
a good quarterback. I usually know by chapter two of
the book. Dak it took about chapter eight and I
was like, Okay, he won with Garrett, he was riding
(27:55):
with McCarthy. He was really good with Brian Shanahan. I'm
kind of like, I think that's what Colin was wrong.
A lot of it's EQIQ and maturity. I don't love
the way he throws, but I can chalk it up
to I think like I kind of missed on Dek.
I never bought in. You have three coaches. You could
argue none are world class. He's been great with all
(28:18):
of them.
Speaker 4 (28:20):
And when he's healthy, they have a top five offense
almost every central year. Now he also there are I'm
doing it kind of quickly. There's from looking at the list.
If we were ranking guys on this list that have
the biggest playoff, yeah, butts, it would be Herbert Lamar
And then you could argue Dak like That is a
(28:41):
fair knock. You know, some of the guys haven't been
in the playoffs enough or been around long enough to
really figure that out where they're going to fall on that.
Speaker 1 (28:49):
That is a fair knock.
Speaker 4 (28:50):
But Dak, to me is definitionally what a non superstar
franchise quarterback is, where if he is your quarterback for
fifteen years, you are legitimately happy. Yeah, there are various
times where you're like, ah, is he like? Are we
going to be able to win four straight games in
(29:12):
the postseason? Probably gonna need the perfect set of circumstances
to make that happen. But his floor is so high
and his ceiling is not really all that limited. Like
we've seen him put up crazy numbers. He now has
what Burrow has, which is the two star receivers, and
the numbers last year went along with it. Where he
(29:33):
threw for four thousand you had two thousand yard receivers
like their brun last year was the defense. I think
Dak is right around where he should be, not in
the top five, but solidly in the top ten. I am,
and I apologize. I didn't see the first hour of
your show. I was on my way into work. Are
you angry, dismayed, distraught about how low they have. Your guys,
(29:56):
Sam Darnold coming off winning the Super Bowl, Donald and
Baker time two peas in upon it feels perfect for you, Colin.
Speaker 1 (30:05):
Now I'm going to flip the telescope. It will give
me another opportunity to taunt America about how right I am.
So I just look at it as it's just a
wide open jumper. If you guys can't see it and
hit it at your problem. But Darnald's going to crush
again and I will get a good year of content
on I rolling the rest of America. Now, I over
(30:25):
the last thirty six years, four teams minimum new teams
have made the playoffs. The average is about six. So
John and I gave five this morning, our new five
to make the playoffs. There's two teams we agreed on,
your Kansas City Chiefs and the New Orleans Saints where
Tyler shuck wash nobody watched but was actually kind of good,
(30:47):
and then we mixed and mashed. But I will say
this about Kansas City in my take is when my
guys were Kansas City Saints, Lions, Giants, Ravens, I probably
have no buying with the Giants, but I'd say this
about Kansas City, let's stay on them. Is My take is,
once you pay a quarterback a lot of money, Josh Allen,
they had to get rid of defensive faces. Kansas City said, listen,
(31:10):
we think Mahomes is so great, we're not going to
give him a number one receiver who we're going to
miss on a couple of draft picks at running back,
left tackle. We'll see what happens. Is that another that
they took advantage of him, but they had a couple
of misses. And the truth is in Mahomes' career, when
he has protection, he doesn't need a great receiving corps.
He doesn't need an athletic tight end in his prime
(31:31):
or a great run game. If you give him protection,
he wins playoff games. That's my take on him this year.
Where are you on my list in Kansas City? All right?
Speaker 4 (31:41):
Let me start with Kansas City. So I Lee, I
think it is on the board that Patrick statistically in
the regular season, has another good but not great year.
Because it's one thing to not give him a number
one receiver. It's another thing to have the number one
receiver have knee surgery and then twelve hours later have
(32:02):
to report to County lock Up for thirty days and
after rehabbing there. That was not ideal for Rashi Rice.
I gotta tell you, I appreciate Rashi Rice's playoff run
his rookie year. It's been a bit of a mixed
bag since then. The guy we didn't drafted after that
fastest player forty times in the history.
Speaker 1 (32:21):
Of the league.
Speaker 4 (32:23):
You know, as it turns out, having my frame in
the NFL, that can also be a bit of a risk, right,
So and so I do think there is going to listen.
We saw Patrick win a league MVP and set the
NFL single season record for total yards with Mark Wesvaldez
Scantling as his number one receiver. He doesn't have to
(32:46):
have Tyreek to be an MVP level player. He won
it in twenty two. The receiving core, though, is a concern.
I think the offensive line is and I think you
hit on it is going to be excellent. The reason
last year's offsive line was a problem was because their
left tackle missed half the season, their right guard missed
(33:06):
a quarter of the season. They were on their fourth
string right tackle Josh Simmons, when he's there, I think
is excellent. He was their first round pick last year.
We know the Kingsley Suamatsai is their left guard. Creed
Humphreys the best center in football. Tray Smith is an
excellent right guard, question it right tackle. That combined with
you know, Patrick is the only starting quarterback in the
(33:30):
league who's been a starter more than three years who's
never had a thousand yard rusher. I mean the Chiefs,
He's never had in his career a guy rushed for
one thousand yards. It's not that I think Kenneth Walker
Colin is a superstar. It's that I think teams are
going to have to at least somewhat respect the running
game for the first time in three years. I think
(33:54):
that will help Patrick. I think the pass rush will
be improved. So I think the Chiefs are a great
pick to be I agree with you on the Ravens.
I am worried about the Giants from a maturity of
their young players standpoint. I think that's a fair concern.
I don't know if I'm with you on the Saints,
because I still believe in Baker and the Bucks. I'm
(34:15):
trying to think of the because there's also usually Oh
my god, they made it, and none of these teams
Colin would make me go, oh my god.
Speaker 1 (34:24):
So Cleveland, I think should Sanders is better than what
I don't think. I think he was underdrafted.
Speaker 6 (34:29):
That's it.
Speaker 7 (34:30):
Oh my god.
Speaker 1 (34:31):
No, I said it yesterday and John mocked me, and
j Mack has mocked me. Can we just stop this?
Should Sanders was underdrafted by three and a half rounds.
Now the reasons, dad legendary? I mean again, fair speeding tickets,
little immature. He's good. I watched every college game that mattered,
and Cleveland is aced three straight drafts. Their GM Andrew
(34:53):
Berry is sharp as he is great. Cleveland's got players,
that's all. That's so cold they were. They were my shocker.
I didn't include them on my top five.
Speaker 4 (35:04):
So here's the thing, because if there's going to me,
I'm gonna do this in real time with you, just quickly.
What teams actually or even qualify as Oh my god, Jets, Dolphins, Browns,
the Titans, Raiders. That's in the AFC and in the NFC.
No one in the East, no one in the North Arizona.
(35:28):
That might be the whole list of oh my gods,
like that because anyone in the South we feel like
could win it. So those it's those five teams in
the AFC plus Arizona. If there's going to be an
oh my god, it's gonna be one of them. The
Raiders might have the most talent, but they're in the
toughest division.
Speaker 1 (35:46):
I don't know.
Speaker 7 (35:46):
I haven't done this yet.
Speaker 4 (35:48):
I haven't done the official playoff teams thing yet. I
do the worry a bit that everyone is going to
have Chiefs, Ravens, Lions, or almost everyone. It's it's gonna
have chief Stravens. Lines are one of those teams gonna
miss it for a second straight year.
Speaker 1 (36:04):
Okay, I want to shift last couple of questions to Lebron.
So I had said before, if he chooses Cleveland and
Golden State, it's comfort. That's not You're not gonna win Miami.
Weird spacing, no backcourt, that's weird. He didn't have enough shooters.
I said from the beginning, Oh, Philadelphia could win a championship.
They need they got. Lebron at this point has to
(36:26):
protect himself and he's very smart. He's like, listen, I
need explosive, dynamic backcourt guys that can protect me, guys
that can play big minutes Max he never miss his games.
I need a very good defensive wing. I need athleticism, youth,
and guys that play sixty eight games. I don't need
James Harden or or a back court. I don't need age.
(36:48):
So Philadelphia didn't shock me. This surprised me. This surprise.
You know, you're pro Lebron. I am generally pro Lebron that.
Adam Silver said, Wemby's the face of the league. No,
the Knicks won the championship. Give him the most TV games. No,
we're gonna get Philadelphia the most television games. I was like, oh, damn,
(37:12):
Lebron's still the face of the league. Yeah, of course. Yeah,
So you weren't shocked by that at all. No.
Speaker 4 (37:21):
I mean, when the greatest athlete in the history of
recorded human history is playing your sport, he's probably the
face of it. And he's still pretty great. I listen,
I think Wimby is Wimby is going to be the
face of the league. But the fact of the matter
is this, until he retires, that guy right there is
the face of professional basketball. When he retires, he should
(37:44):
become the logo.
Speaker 1 (37:45):
Of professional basketball.
Speaker 4 (37:47):
The point you made yesterday about his I had a
bunch of takeaways I want to give you, maybe not
the most important, but the one I think you'll like
the most. I had a guy who's Wilda's Radio in
Kansas City, a guy I've talked to about my buddy, Laslow,
who had a line that I don't want a butcher
because I butchered it yesterday, which was he used to
(38:09):
always say. I'm not saying I love my kids more
than you love yours. What I'm saying is no one
loves their kids more than I love mine. We can
be tied for first, but that's how I feel about
Lebron and his love of basketball. I'm not saying he
loves it more than Jamal Crawford, or than Bill Russell
(38:31):
did or whomever. What I am saying is no one
has ever loved the sport more than Lebron James. It
can be a multi way tie, but the fact that
he colin I the reason I'm a Lebron James fan.
Speaker 1 (38:46):
I'm from Kansas City.
Speaker 4 (38:47):
We didn't have a team was when I was in high.
Speaker 1 (38:50):
School my junior year.
Speaker 4 (38:53):
There was a team that would play on ESPN whose
best player was a junior Saint Vincent Saint Mary's. I
was like, this is the coolest thing ever like that.
I like, this guy's the same age as me. He's
on ESPN, and I said to my buddies, my high
school basketball teammates, I said, wherever he goes, that's going
to be my team. I'm now a forty one year
(39:13):
old grandfather still picking teams because he's still playing.
Speaker 1 (39:18):
I'm no a Sixers fan.
Speaker 4 (39:20):
He is what he has given the league, no one
will ever do it in multiple careers. And the fact
that we truly believe he can be a difference making
piece on a champion at soon to be forty two
(39:40):
years old and at age or in year twenty four
is remarkable. And the other point that you made, I
don't know it was yesterday or whenever it was, was
that it's not ring chasing, it's Brady to Tampa is
one hundred percent correct. It is that you the Sixers
haven't been out of round two in a quarter set injury.
They haven't won a title since before Lebron was born.
(40:05):
He ring chasing, which he would be allowed to do
in year twenty four, would have been San Antonio or
Oklahoma City, where you could argue the Knicks this is
being the final piece of something. And I'll say one
of the reasons I like Philly is while he doesn't
have to be the best player in any given series,
(40:26):
he could be, Like he could be the best player
on the team for his Eastern Conference finals. Like that
is absolutely on the board. And I want to add
one other thing. Sorry I'm going on along here, but
about Lebron's how reliable he is. Since in the last
three years his age thirty nine forty forty one season,
he has played more minutes than Cad Cunningham, Paolo Boncarro,
(40:51):
Scottie Barnes, the same almost to the minute as iron
Man Jalen Brown, more than Steph, more than Wimby, more
than Giannis, more than Chet in the last three years.
Minutes he is overall in the league the last three
years twenty second and minutes played the guys available he
might people might want to convince themselves always going to
(41:12):
miss a bunch of time. Historically he hasn't. So I listen,
I think the Sixers are really really dangerous, and I
also think that they are an hour and forty one
minute drive from my front door. And I think I'll
be going to a bunch of games finally for the
first time.
Speaker 1 (41:31):
Nick, Right, Well, this was so fun. Good to say.
You know I was on vacation.
Speaker 7 (41:34):
Issue.
Speaker 1 (41:34):
Well, I was on vacation.
Speaker 4 (41:36):
You were on vacation.
Speaker 1 (41:38):
Where did you go? By the way?
Speaker 8 (41:40):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (41:40):
Well, I you know, I took you know, as I mentioned,
my son Coach the podcast What's Driving the Great Demanse
his family. They just had a baby. So I took
fifteen members of our family down to Aruba to come
meet and see the baby and everyone hang out. So
we were down there, so that was delightful. Where were you,
(42:01):
I assume grinding tape somewhere getting ready for the NFL seas.
Speaker 1 (42:05):
It was labor intensive. Absolutely. I took Anne to Rhode
Island to drink cocktails and have fun. You love Rhode Island?
Speaker 8 (42:12):
Do you?
Speaker 4 (42:12):
And Taylor Swift? Nobody loves Rhode Island more than the
cow herds and the Swift Kelsey's. It's really unbelievable.
Speaker 1 (42:20):
Good to see you, buddy, all right, See, took fifteen
people to Aruba. That is a commitment right there. That
that middle coff you have a new baby. You get
ready for those family vac's buddy, I went, I did
a lot of Disney trips. I'll tell you that.
Speaker 7 (42:35):
Yeah, we're not doing Disney.
Speaker 9 (42:37):
I was told the line, if he can't remember it,
then don't do the trips.
Speaker 7 (42:41):
So we're still years away from even attacking that.
Speaker 1 (42:44):
All right, Well, I mean you live in Scottsdale. That's
that's a vacation every day.
Speaker 4 (42:47):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (42:47):
Throw them at a pool, we're good to go.
Speaker 1 (42:49):
Yeah,