February 28, 2025 • 41 mins
Colin Cowherd talks about LeBron James looking like he’s 27 again after the acquisition of Luka Doncic, how Steph Curry looks rejuvenated by the team’s acquisition of Jimmy Butler, and Lance Zierlein joins the show from the NFL Combine in Indianapolis.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to The Herd Podcast. Be sure to
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Speaker 2 (00:22):
All right, we got to a Friday.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
What a week it has been, not just for Lebron James,
but primarily.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Live in Los Angeles.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
It is the Herd wherever you may be and however
you may be listening. Thanks for making us part of
your day. Jmac, we got a loaded show today. NFL
season ends, we take a vacation, comeback. There's gonna be
NBA March Madness free agency. But the NBA did us
as solid this year, Jimmy Butler. The Warriors has been
(00:53):
seven to one. It's a new staff and a new
team and Lebron and Luca now converging. In Lost Angelus,
they beat another good Western team. The West is much
deeper than the East. So you start beating these Dallas, Kyrie,
you start beating Denver, you start beating Minnesota. These are
impressive wins a little bit, A little bit. Yeah, they're
(01:15):
pretty good. So I'm gonna start with this. Luca's not
playing that well, let's just say it out loud. He's
not in great shape, never been a good defender, looks
a little soft one for nine last night on shooting threes,
and everybody sort of hedges their bet. We've all been
doing this, myself included, for the last two years. We've
all been doing this in the media. We just don't
(01:35):
want to say, you know, is Lebron like the second
best player in the league. Nobody wants to say that, right,
It's hey, jo Kich, Joannis. I have watched Lebron in
the last week outplay Aunt Edwards, Luca, Yo Kich and
(01:56):
Kyrie Irving. He has been the best player in the
NBA in the last week. On every single night, is
Lebron the best player in the league. No, on any
given night, is Lebron the best player in the league.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (02:08):
His defense right now, it looks like he's twenty seven.
It's insane. His energy better than Luca. His shooting right
now better than Luca, his on ball defense, his scoring.
Lebron at forty years old, has better consistent energy than
any other Laker. Now. Austin Reeves is close. Austin plays
hard all the time. But Lebron's fourth quarter energy, it
(02:30):
doesn't even make sense. His on ball defense right now,
this is the best defense he's played in eight years.
He's a better defender at forty than Luca is at
twenty six. His energy, I'm telling you right now, is
Lebron showing off. And I'll get to Steph in a second.
It feels like Steph is kind of showing off that
Jimmy Butler like listen to old man, you know, and
(02:51):
I feel when Tom Brady beat Mahomes at Arrowhead Stadium
in the AFC Championship and then he beat him in
the Super Bowl, everybody by then was falling in love
and sort of was saying it, you know, like.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
Brady's old Brady.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
You know, not a lot left in the tank for
old Tommy. Ma Holmes is the new king, and Brady
beat him twice in Arrowhead and overtime, and then the
Super Bowl, tom Brady reminding you, yeah, it goes through me,
and Lebron is reminding everybody right now, yeah, the West
(03:29):
for ten years, the East went through me ten twelve years,
however long he was over there. Now the West is
going to go through me, so at minimum, And I
understand that Luca got hurt, hadn't played for a long time.
He's playing himself back into shape, like I get it,
and he'll be a better shooter. His jumper right now
is short consistently. That's like Cardio that's legs, his jumper short.
(03:51):
But at forty years old, Lebron James last year had
last year at thirty nine years old, Ron had eighty
four dunks. When Michael Jordan was thirty nine, mj had
twenty one, four times the dunks of a guy known
for dunks, Michael Jordan at the same age. And I
(04:13):
think Lebron this year is better than Lebron last year.
And the other thing is because Ad was traded into Dallas.
Lebron is hyper aware that he has to play better
defense because Luca is a lousy defensive player and Austin
Reeves is limited. So Lebron is like, oh, oh, you
need me to do that too, all right? His defense
(04:33):
is insane. So he's averaging twenty five eight to nine,
that's what That's not the part that's blowing me away.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
It's the energy in the defense.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
And you know this, it's I feel like I've said
this for years. I think the NBA playoffs should be
a three game first round and then five games even
through the finals. I think create urgency. I mean March madness.
College basketball doesn't have much talent and it gets tremendous ratings.
Why there's urgency. I mean, you know, Cooper Flag, take
(05:04):
him off Duke. They got a couple of decent players,
but a Duke game with Cooper Flag against Xavier will
get a better rating maybe than like the Western Conference
or Eastern Conference finals, because it's like you have to watch.
You got two and a half hours. Somebody's out could
be Duke and Cooper Flag. And so I think there
needs to be no more urgency. And I also think
in the NBA regular season, I'd cut it down to
(05:24):
sixty eight games.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
Start it six weeks later.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
Get away from college and pro football, you know, start
playing Christmas. Start playing Christmas not your first TV game.
Start plan then. So I understand that if you're Lebron,
you're Steph Curry and you're not with a championship team.
You're on a treadmill to nowhere. It is so clear
between Steph and Lebron that these moves have absolutely energized
(05:49):
these guys. And just watch Lebron's defense. It is elite
and he has outplayed aunt, Luka, Kyrie and Jokic in
the last week. He has been the best player on
the floor. And here is uh, here's Lebron after We.
Speaker 4 (06:07):
Know we could have been a lot better offensively, but
you know we've been hanging our head on our under
the defensive end. And you know, when you don't shoot
the ball well, you got to be able to get stops.
And they made a ruin. They're really good team. We
saw what they did a couple of nights ago against Okay.
See when it was down big and those young guys
came in, sparked them, give them good energy. So you
know they cut it down to three. I believe at
one point, boy was able to execute. After today, get
(06:30):
some time he stops and was able to come out
with the winner.
Speaker 1 (06:32):
So Lebron in February twenty nine and a half points,
ten rebounds, seven and a half assays, shooting fifty five
percent from the floor, forty six percent on three pointers,
and playing elite on ball defense at forty at thirty nine,
he had eighty four dunks. At thirty nine, MJ had
twenty one. Like, you're a watching this is unprecedented. You know,
(06:53):
we're always looking ahead. Don't just live in this moment.
What you're watching doesn't make any sense. It's Brady in Tampa.
It makes no sense that Brady was that year first,
second best quarterback in the league.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
All right, So I want to give you a update this.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
According to Diana Russini, the Rams are meeting with Matt
Stafford at their facility in person today regarding the future.
So the Raiders and the Giants, and I think the
Raiders are in play here have discussed a two year
contract that includes ninety to one hundred million guaranteed, and
a decision is expected soon. So I was thinking about this.
(07:34):
I think if it's only two years and the Raiders
are not giving you a third, then I would stay
with the Rams and take less. The Rams can get
you to seventy five eighty eighty five, I would take
that over one hundred on a two year deal. If
they're both offering two years, Raiders go to a third
year forty five million, no state tax, I'd probably consider that.
But it's really interesting, and what I'm about to say won't.
(07:57):
You'll think it's ridiculous initially, but just think about the
Rams are not far off from winning a Super Bowl.
They're really close. They had they were driving to beat
Philly in a snowstorm, and that defense got better every
other week. And they're all coming back and they're super talented.
So you're not going to score a lot of points
on the Rams going forward. If they get a corner
(08:19):
in the draft of the first pick or second, they
don't have a hole. That defense is good everywhere and
young and cheap. If Matt Stafford stays and wins a
second Super Bowl. And I know legacies are all about ego,
but if you put fifteen twenty twenty five years into
being a politician, a talk show host, a quarterback, a landscaper,
(08:44):
legacies matter. You want to be remembered fondly, not just
as a husband and as a dad, but what did
you do professionally in your community? If he wins a
second Super Bowl, that's the same as Elway, Peyton, Manning
and Big Ben. But it's more than Aaron Rodgers, Steve
Young and and I've said this for years, Matt Stafford
(09:05):
was better in high school than Aaron Rodgers, much better
in college, better his first four years in the NFL,
and much better now in his last three. Now, there
were ten years where he was in dysfunctional Detroit and
put up a lot of stats, but didn't get much
to the playoffs and do much. And meanwhile, Aaron Rodgers
was in Green Bay, highly functional, great draft and developed organization,
(09:27):
good coaching, and had a better middle of ten years.
But if you had to put Aaron in Detroit and
Matt in Green Bay, I think he has more than
one ring. But my take is legacy matters. If Stafford
wins a second Super Bowl, that means he would go
four to zero in the playoffs in the Super Bowl,
(09:47):
he would have more rings than Aaron. He'd have a
better playoff percentage than Aaron. He would be better late
than Aaron, better early than Aaron. As a former number
one pick, there's a real large ena you take Matt Stafford.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
More super bowls.
Speaker 1 (10:06):
I mean super bowls alone are going to get Eli
Manning eventually into the Hall of Fame. And he was
an average regular season quarterback. How a movie ends and
how a quarterback's career ends absolutely shapes how we think
of you. When Brady went to Tampa in one fifty
percent of you watching and listening for years, and I
(10:27):
saw it on Twitter. It's a system quarterback.
Speaker 2 (10:31):
He left New England.
Speaker 1 (10:32):
One Belichick regressed, Brady is unquestionably the goat. Beat Mahomes
last two times they played. He is head and shoulders
above the crowd. John Elway never forget Lway, Ozero and
three and super bowls got hammered. John can't win the
(10:52):
big game. Last two years, two super Bowl wins with
Terrell Davis the running back, and we viewed him number
two all time to Joe Montange. Peyton Manning goes to Denver.
Let's be honest. He goes to Denver. His reputation was
he's not good in big games. One Super Bowl, Brady
owns him. All of a sudden, he beat Brady in
a playoff game or two wins in Denver. And now
(11:14):
that Brady Manning thing is like, oh eh, Peyton kind
of got the best of him last couple of years.
If Matt Stafford stays, no, you're not getting a ring
with Las Vegas. You're not getting a ring with the Giants,
it makes those franchises respectable and probably winning franchises very quickly.
Matt Stafford has a chance to get to another level
(11:36):
as many Super Bowls as l Way and Peyton Manning
in that class, and more than far of an Aaron Rodgers.
And so to me, when you put I mean, think
about when Matt Stafford started playing football six years old,
seven years old. He's thirty eight years old. He has
given thirty years of his life to football. Number one
(12:00):
high school player, number one pick out of Georgia, had
to endure a lot of nonsense in Detroit. The idea
that if he could get another Super Bowl in the
next two years with the Rams and.
Speaker 2 (12:12):
People, a lot of people would look.
Speaker 1 (12:14):
At him and there's an argument he's better than Steve Young,
Aaron Rodgers, maybe farv. That'd be hard for me to
walk away from. I know, it's just legacy, and a
lot of people think that's vanity. I don't care if
you're a mailman, a quarterback, a politician, a landscaper, a lawyer.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
It matters. You want to be remembered for committing to something, and.
Speaker 1 (12:35):
When you've been doing it at a high level like Stafford,
you get a wizard away for money in Vegas. That'd
be hard for me. So if the Raiders are not
going to give you three years, I don't care if.
Speaker 2 (12:46):
It's more money.
Speaker 1 (12:48):
I think the legacy matters too much to a guy
that's totally been committed to football, sits in the pocket
till the end, takes more shots than almost anybody in
the league. I mean, that's the thing about Stafford and Aaron.
Aaron don't want to get hit anymore. I guess I
get it. Brady didn't want to get in a hit anymore.
Stafford sits there and gets hammered every Sunday. Some part
of him is always banged up or bleeding. He has
(13:10):
committed totally of this career. Be hard to walk away
if I don't get extra years and an extra fifty
to seventy million bucks. All right, j Mac Steph Curry
put on a little.
Speaker 2 (13:23):
Clinic last night.
Speaker 5 (13:24):
He was okay, fifty six.
Speaker 2 (13:27):
Not bad at all.
Speaker 6 (13:28):
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Speaker 7 (13:51):
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Speaker 2 (14:07):
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Speaker 2 (14:31):
That's Covino and Rich.
Speaker 1 (14:34):
So Steph Curry had fifty six points last night, had
a dozen threes. Orlando is a pretty good defensive team.
So I don't think it's a coincidence that Lebron gets
Luca and Steph gets Jimmy Butler and both players explode.
So Steph Curry's been to the mountaintop hard to get
(14:56):
fired up and get the engine humming to be a
number ten seed. So it's got that new relationship feel.
He's showing off a little bit. The Warriors are seven
and one since Jimmy Butler arrived, and the numbers are insane.
We can put them on the screen Miami for the
record three and six without Jimmy Butler. So we said
this the other day. Jimmy Butler wins. You don't have
(15:17):
to love him, but e q Iq Effort a very
intentional basketball player. Listen, the NBA is very lucky. Sometimes
leagues get lucky. Lebron and Steph have been great stewards
for the league and they're still literally on any given
night to the best player in the league, which is
insane at their age. But it did feel like for
Lebron and Steph that they were you know, they had
(15:40):
cameo roles in average movies and now once again, Stephan
Lebron feel like leading men in Blockbusters.
Speaker 2 (15:46):
It looks like the.
Speaker 1 (15:47):
Lakers and the Warriors could absolutely be a viable Western
Conference champion. That's what it looks like. And remember, if
you add Jimmy Butler to Stephan Draymond Green, the West
is very young at the top. OKC is young, Memphis
is young, Houston is young. Draymond, Steph and Jimmy Butler
(16:11):
have four hundred twenty three playoff games and fourteen finals.
So you don't want to play Golden State in the
playoffs if you're ok see okay, see when they get
Chet Holmgren back is going to be a very good
offensive team. But they're kids, and right now they are
in the seventh spot and half a game out of
the sixth pot. I'm telling you, if I'm Memphis and
(16:34):
I'm Oklahoma City Houston, I have no interest playing this team.
Speaker 2 (16:39):
And it does.
Speaker 1 (16:40):
It feels like Steph, when you've been this great for
this long, it is hard to get revved up driving
to that arena knowing you're maybe at best a playing team.
Steve Kerr on last night's fifty six point outburst.
Speaker 8 (17:00):
Just wants to play meaningful basketball, and you can see
we're now in the fight we're in the mix, and
this is what Steph loves.
Speaker 2 (17:07):
He's you know, it's great of a player.
Speaker 8 (17:09):
And shooter is he is. This competitiveness is probably his
most underrated quality. And he was dying to feedback in
the mix. And we're back in the mix, and you
can tell he's energized by that.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
For the record, he took twenty five shots. That is
tied for the second fewest shots ever taken to score
fifty six points. So Lebron Lebron got a great teammate.
His energy's exploded. Steph Curry got a new teammate. His efficiency,
his energy exploded. When you've been to the mountaintop, it
(17:47):
is hard to get it's hard to get revved up
walking in the arena.
Speaker 2 (17:51):
Playing Minnesota in the game doesn't mean anything.
Speaker 1 (17:53):
So this is really good news for the NBA, which
its critics are assailing it and nobody cares. I'm telling
you watching the Warriors. I watched the Warriors and the
Lakers last night. It's good basketball. It's good product with
two leading men now in blockbusters. Jmckle the news, Turn
on the news.
Speaker 6 (18:12):
This is the herd Line News.
Speaker 5 (18:15):
All right, my man, let's start with Miles Garrett.
Speaker 9 (18:19):
He says he's Adam and he's not going back to Cleveland.
So the rest of the NFL world is trying to
figure out who's going in on the six time pro bowler.
NFL insider Diana Russini says, one of the most aggressive
gms in the league could be making a play for
the Ed Drusher.
Speaker 5 (18:33):
Take a listen.
Speaker 10 (18:35):
I think they're going to make an effort here. But
here's what some people are saying right now that how
he's willing to move on from some of these guys
because he's looking to make a big swing and take
a big swing, and that big swing would be for
Miles Garrett.
Speaker 5 (18:55):
Yeah, it's logical, No.
Speaker 1 (18:56):
Why not?
Speaker 2 (18:57):
But by the way, Dallas still out of money using groupons, I.
Speaker 5 (19:02):
Mean, Philly makes a lot of sense. I think you
might have floated.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
Uh, I don't know.
Speaker 1 (19:07):
I don't know why green Bay doesn't go all in.
I don't get it. I'm green Bay. Well, they haven't
had a consistent pass rush in forever. Last time they
went big Reggie White for a dominant defensive player twice
in their existence that I remember, Charles Woodson Reggie White,
they went big, paid off full time Super Bowls. What
about Washington again, Washington would be a great place to go.
(19:30):
I mean green Bay feels I think Buffalo makes sense.
I think green Bay makes the most sense. I think
Washington makes sense.
Speaker 9 (19:37):
If you're one of the seven contenders in the league,
I think you've got to be picking up a phone
and calling and just at least floating something.
Speaker 1 (19:44):
And by the way, okay, so we've watched Lebron and
staph who everybody thinks past their prime, what they've done
in the new With a new teammate, do you not
believe that Miles Garrett playing for the Green Bay Packers
for the Philadelphia Eagles.
Speaker 2 (19:58):
You think he's good?
Speaker 5 (19:59):
Now?
Speaker 2 (20:00):
What if every game's televised? I mean they are.
Speaker 1 (20:03):
Literally Cleveland is the fourth most interesting team in their division.
The Philadelphia Eagles are arguably the most interesting team in
the league. So if you take Miles Garrett, you're like, bro,
every game is on Fox, every game is Sunday Night football,
every game is Monday Night football. You are at the
centerpiece of one of America's great sports football cities. You know,
(20:23):
I think you'll get an elevate. I think Miles Garrett
will be better than he is now.
Speaker 9 (20:28):
If you're looking right outside the contender batch, we saw
the Chargers allegedly are going to be moving off both.
So there's a lot of chatter about that. What if
you make a move on Miles Garrett, have him opposite
Khalil Mack out here in LA. I mean, if you're
in like the top ten, you're good.
Speaker 5 (20:42):
I think you've got to make a move on Moleth Garrett.
Speaker 8 (20:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (20:44):
I mean you don't have to if you're the Niners
because of Bosa. I mean there are teams that have
like the Rams right now have Jared Verse. You don't
need it, You're not you know, there are about five
teams that have a pass rush. Don't worry about it.
Outside of that, this guy's a generational defensive player. I
don't think he's that far behind Aaron Donald, Reggie White.
Speaker 2 (21:04):
I really don't.
Speaker 9 (21:06):
All right, next story is NFL Draft combines happening. A
lot of people talking, Well, the Titans have made no
real indication where they're going with the number one pick.
I do believe it'll be cam Ward, and cam Ward
sounds like he's going to be ready to go number one.
Speaker 11 (21:21):
We had good interestions myself with coach Kylahey, the quarterbacks coach,
and also the GM. It's a great staff they put together.
I think I know a dcent amount. I was able
to watch a couple of games this past season, a
lot of their route concepts with similar stuff that we do.
So you know, if I if I'm drafted there, I
just think he'd be plugg and play well.
Speaker 2 (21:40):
It would be plugging.
Speaker 1 (21:41):
I like, well, he is easily the most dynamic quarterback
in the draft. He's got a great army, moves well.
Little backyard football, but he would start day one.
Speaker 9 (21:50):
Now that's backyard football than Caleb Williams came into the league.
Speaker 1 (21:52):
Win yes, and he's more and he's more consistently in
my opinion, he's more consistently accurate than Caleb Williams. I
think Caleb is all time talent. But cam Cam's were
a good play.
Speaker 9 (22:02):
You know, if I'm so bullish on cam Ward that
maybe we do a head to head. You love the
Patriots next year with Drake Bay and we'll go head
to head. I'll take the Titans. You have the Patriots.
Who's gonna win more games? I'm telling you cam Ward will.
Speaker 5 (22:13):
Invigorate that franchise. Yes, but they were in a bunch
of games last year. No, Will Levis kept just throwing
the football.
Speaker 2 (22:18):
No, No, I don't.
Speaker 5 (22:19):
He literally lost them like four games.
Speaker 1 (22:21):
Well, if I told you that cam Ward won that
division next year, you wouldn't be outraged. Indianapolis don't know
who their quarterback is.
Speaker 9 (22:27):
Texans are sagging back a little bit. They did not
look as good this past season, and we don't know
what Dig's probably not returning there.
Speaker 1 (22:36):
No, that's that's a good's that's a that's a good call.
Cam Ward is the kind of player and Tennessee feels
like for the last even during Brabeles years, they're just
not terribly dynamic on offense. Now, they've been powerful, but
they've never been really like a team that you feel like,
once they fall behind seventeen nothing, Tennessee's over. Then they
(22:57):
don't have any of that. They have to take control
of the game with Eric Henry and Tannehill. So, I mean,
this kid would add spice to what I believe is
a very physical football operation. They've always been tough and physical,
they haven't always been efficient, but they've almost never been
dynamic offensively.
Speaker 9 (23:14):
Let me ask you one question. I like cam Ward
a lot with his makeup as a quarterback. There are
going to be people in the Titans organization who say,
you know, Shador is going to instantly sell us tickets.
Speaker 5 (23:23):
He comes in with the name, obviously his father.
Speaker 9 (23:27):
Do we just look at him because you know, maybe
you get the set of Kim Ward.
Speaker 2 (23:31):
What's you doing?
Speaker 1 (23:32):
You just go get the best player. The NFL is
just go win games. I know it's not about shoe
sales or getting it. Just go get the best player.
Speaker 9 (23:40):
I would guarantee you if they took Shador, they get
at least one prime Maybe what.
Speaker 5 (23:45):
Does that mean again, you're the Tennessee Titans. You're largely irrelevant.
Speaker 2 (23:49):
Well, if you can't worry about that stuff, I just
pose the question.
Speaker 5 (23:53):
I'm not saying I.
Speaker 2 (23:54):
Would do that, but you gotta worry.
Speaker 1 (23:56):
About the thing is the thing when in football, it's
winning games.
Speaker 9 (24:00):
Final story, Colin, is some positive news of the NBA.
Somebody has to be positive about the NBA, and that's us.
Speaker 5 (24:06):
Yeah, that's a shot.
Speaker 9 (24:08):
Zion Williamson, my gosh, I've almost forgot he plays basketball.
He had his first career triple double twenty seven to
ten and eleven against the Hapless Sons last night. Pelicans
with the dub Sons are a mess. We'll talk about
them later on the show, I'm sure. But Colin the
Zion Williamson Show, when he was coming into the league,
do you remember the excitement. Oh, it was like not
(24:29):
quite one Binyama, but was like, oh man, this has
got to be new from college.
Speaker 1 (24:33):
He got a million people on a Facebook page to
watch an AAU game. That's right, No, there's no but yeah,
the shoe exploding made him more interesting.
Speaker 9 (24:42):
Yeah, and now he just you know, it just hasn't
panned out. He's always hurt, he's always no.
Speaker 2 (24:48):
Now, remember this overweight.
Speaker 1 (24:49):
I believe his first year his numbers were the best
since Wilt as a rookie.
Speaker 9 (24:54):
Yeah, I think no, something like in the paint he
was scoring at shack like levels. Yeah, and he just
can't stay healthy and off the court been a bit
of a mess. We're not going to revisit some of
his uh issues, shall we say, but uh listen, when
he could get healthy, that would be great.
Speaker 5 (25:09):
And he's still only like twenty five years old.
Speaker 1 (25:11):
No, No, I mean they're the other there's in the
right environment. I think you have to get him out
of New Orleans and all that good food. Send him
to Indianapolis, a very average food city. The New Orleans
is oh, I'm sorry, I spent a week. I spent
five days in New Orleans. It's my tenth time there.
All you do is eat, yes, drink and eat.
Speaker 5 (25:30):
And he did put on some weight there.
Speaker 2 (25:32):
Yeah, of course had stomach flu. So it all came
back out J mack with the news.
Speaker 6 (25:36):
Well that's the news, and thanks for stopping by the line.
Speaker 1 (25:40):
A few things that J McK and I have disagreed
with on the years brought Purty. He views him as
better than Brett Farhrv. I view him as a bit
of a ham and egger. But another one is that
the inside the NBA crew with Shaq and Kenny Ernie
and Sir Charles, it's.
Speaker 2 (25:57):
Hurting the league. It's so hyper credit cool.
Speaker 1 (26:00):
So Lebron James was talking about face of the league
stuff and he made this comment because Lebron's obviously been
face of the league for fifteen years, he had this
to say.
Speaker 4 (26:11):
Why do you want to be the face of the
league when all all to put all the people that
you know that cover our game and talk about our
game on a day to day base on everybody I
had that responsibility. That's is just weird. It's weird energy
from the people that.
Speaker 7 (26:27):
You know.
Speaker 4 (26:29):
I don't know, but Channing he said it. He said
it perfectly.
Speaker 2 (26:33):
Okay, all these people who cover the league.
Speaker 1 (26:36):
I may not talk about the NBA as much as
Steven A, but I talk a lot about it, and
I have big platforms. Okay, I've been critical of Lebron
James twice in his career. I thought his first year
in Los Angeles he was distracted. It was like business
more than basketball. He didn't like the roster. I get it,
and the browny thing feels forced to me. But you know,
I had one rant on that out of Savannah and
(26:57):
Lebron are great parents. But the NBA, actually the players
have the most power, and because of that, even their
coaches walk on eggshell with stars. They don't get hard
coaching in AAU basketball it's more of a circus than
a developmental league. And there's one show in the NBA
that is very critical of the players. Occasionally, it's more
(27:18):
of an entertainment vehicle. That's the inside the NBA. That's it,
and it's often better than the games.
Speaker 2 (27:23):
It wins.
Speaker 1 (27:23):
The most Awards and it's easily the most watched. Lamar
Jackson wins seventy six percent of his games, and the
commentary on him is ruthless, messy in his search for
this first World Cup, brutal like death threat, stuff like brutal.
So the NBA media, outside of one show is I
would say, is mostly fawning. So this idea that everybody
(27:47):
picks on the NBA. NBA players have so much power
starting in aau basketball everybody walks on eggshells around him.
I mean, Mahomes gets ripped, Josh Allen gets ripped, Lamar
Jackson gets ripped, justin her Birds gets everybody in the
NFL gets ripped. The majority of things that were critical,
like guys like me or critical about the NBA. Adam
(28:09):
Silver is actually critical of and is concerned about, like
you know, like the load management stuff, and Lebron himself
has been critical of something I have.
Speaker 2 (28:20):
There's too many damn threes.
Speaker 4 (28:22):
It's a bigger conversation. It's not just the All Star Game.
Speaker 2 (28:25):
It's ours.
Speaker 4 (28:26):
Our game in general, our game is it's a lot
of trees being shot, So it's a it's a bigger
conversation just an All Star Game.
Speaker 1 (28:38):
So Lebron is addressing my primary criticism of the league.
Load management's bad for fans as too many threes. And
Jason Tatum is the one player in the NBA that
wants to be the face of the league. But the
truth is he doesn't have the aura or the charisma.
He's just a great player. It's not hate, just being honest.
It's just being honest. So I don't buy this nonsense
(29:01):
that I would argue that the football culture in America,
the coaching's tougher and the media is much harsher.
Speaker 2 (29:11):
Even in college football.
Speaker 1 (29:13):
Players get death threats in college football when they drop
passes and miskicks. That's not happening a lot in college basketball.
It doesn't happen in AAU, it doesn't happen in the NBA.
So let let's stop this hold. Oh Berkley is so
I watched that show last night. It's a comedy show.
That's what that show is. It's a comedy show that
(29:35):
sometimes is willing to poke some of the NBA superstars
gently in the ribs.
Speaker 2 (29:43):
Gently.
Speaker 1 (29:44):
So I don't think brock pretty is Joe Montana, and
I don't think the inside the NBA show is turning
people off.
Speaker 2 (29:52):
I don't buy it.
Speaker 1 (29:53):
I don't I would argue negative opinions. I mean, if
you look at the algorithms of YouTube, Facebook, negativity helps popularity.
I mean, who's president for the second time, the most
polarizing person who the media attacks twenty four to seven?
(30:16):
I mean the media, there's no except for the network
called Fox. Media attacks are President? That makes his followers
more strident. So the idea that that criticism hurts a rating,
I'm I would argue, when you're critical of somebody, it
makes people defend them to a greater degree. And I
just don't buy that the NBA media, I think it's
(30:38):
pretty fawning by and large. Coming up next, and for
the record, what did I lead my show with for
the third time this week?
Speaker 2 (30:46):
How great Lebron is? All right?
Speaker 1 (30:49):
I know, I know I'm not Barkley, but you know
I got a few followers. Coming up next, we'll go
to the NFL Combine with one of the guys that
I think does as good a job as anybody in
the country. His dad was a former coach. He'll join
us live from Indy on breaking down players. You can
go back and look at his thoughts and picks. He
doesn't miss much. We'll go to Indy next live in LA.
Speaker 2 (31:11):
It's the Hurt.
Speaker 6 (31:12):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and noon easternn AM Pacific.
Speaker 4 (31:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (31:17):
I was thinking about this before we go to Indy
for the combine that Travis Hunter said he wanted to
play one hundred percent of the snaps.
Speaker 2 (31:25):
He wants to go both ways.
Speaker 1 (31:26):
So when NBA guys want the night off, Travis Hunter
is like, I don't want to snap off.
Speaker 2 (31:31):
It does matter.
Speaker 1 (31:32):
But you know, I was thinking about this is last year,
twelve million people watched the first round of the draft.
That was better than the NBA Finals that had Jason
Tatum and the big brand Celtics. Why how is that possible?
How is the beginning of a career. By the way,
the first round is long. You sit there for ten
(31:54):
minutes waiting for picks. It's people on phones, it's highlights
from their college careers. It got twelve million viewers. That's
beaten stuff like you know, like like big Bowl games.
That's that's beating the NBA Finals with the Celtics in it.
And I think the reason is, and this is why
the w NBA Draft last year was more interesting than
(32:16):
the NBA draft stories. I mean, Caitlin Clark and Angel
Reese came into the league, they had stories. Baker Mayfield
came into the league, he had a story. Travis Hunter,
Shador Sanders, cam Ward Carter, the defensive end for Penn State.
You get to follow all these guys, and I think
(32:38):
I really do is the draft is in late April
and it's getting monster numbers. And this is why I've
said for years, college basketball is the NBA's ally. It
is their best friend. And Adam Silver when he first
got that job, saw him as the enemy. And the
G League hurts the NBA. It hurts the NBA. The
(33:01):
players disappear and then end up on bad teams. I
have no story. I have no visceral connection at all.
So the truth is Colorado wasn't even a good team,
and yet Shaduor Sanders and Travis Hunter come into this league.
This program three years ago was the worst in college football.
But because guys stay in college, because the NFL's always
(33:24):
understood the power of college football. I can't wait to
watch it. I don't know how Travis Hunter is going
to do. I don't know how Shader's going to do.
But I'm into their stories. I said it this year
Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark. I knew the first seven
people taken in the WNBA draft. Do you remember the
first player taken in the NBA draft Unless you're like
a die hard, it was a French guy, I think,
(33:48):
and I'm a sportscast. I mean, it just didn't have
any impact. I didn't want to watch it. I didn't care.
I knew he wouldn't have an impact. He goes to
a bad team, it wouldn't matter.
Speaker 2 (33:58):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (34:00):
So a lanzer Line has worked for and work in
the NFL draft for twenty five years at NFL dot com.
He does about a good job as anybody in his country.
I am sitting on his draft previews the minute he
starts writing him. So let's I want to talk about
this about Shador Sanders. Yesterday, Daniel Jeremiah came on the
show and he said, what is his great trait? And
(34:22):
I said, my favorite part. He had no run game
and an awful offensive line, so he has had to
initiate offense. That is a real NFL experience, because you're
gonna go to a team with a bat old line
that doesn't have great weapons.
Speaker 2 (34:37):
You you quarterback at Ohio State.
Speaker 1 (34:39):
That's not the real world where a drag route from
underneath becomes a sixty yard game. When you look at Shador,
I think he's a B to a B plus prospect.
What is his what's his superpower?
Speaker 12 (34:52):
Well, his superpower and I can give DJ a call
if we need to get this thing set, you know, settled,
I can call him Colin.
Speaker 3 (34:58):
But what he you know, if you're talking about the traits,
the arm.
Speaker 12 (35:01):
Of this, that no, But what he has are those
intangibles that we always speak of all the time. The accuracy,
the calm in the pocket, the poise, the confidence. That's
what he has. And to me, that's really what where
you start with. You know, with Shador Sanders. Cam Ward
is going to be the physical stuff, but Shador Sanders
is really more of the intangibles that frankly, we end
(35:24):
up spotlighting for a lot of players that you know,
end up being better than we expect them to be.
So I think when you talk about superpowers, I think
he's he's kind of a Clark Kent in the sense
that you know, he's got the ability to do some things,
but What really helps him to stand out, in my opinion,
is the way he manages the pocket. He is very calm,
he's very confident, and he's going to throw at the accuracy.
Speaker 3 (35:45):
And those are three very big items.
Speaker 1 (35:47):
Is does he have a comp in the NFL, because
I've heard people talk about cam Warden say and I
can see it.
Speaker 2 (35:52):
There's a little Caleb Williams. What is Chador's comp?
Speaker 12 (35:57):
Didn't put one, couldn't come up with one, and and
I think but I did today. I was thinking about
it because I was anticipating you asked me about Shador,
and I thought, you know who he needs to be.
He needs to be j Stroud and Jared Goff, and
you know those are my comps for each other. I
thought CJ's a lot like Jared Goff. And I still
think that's true. And I think that's a good thing.
By the way, I think that's who shod or Sanders
(36:18):
has to be be. Those guys be game managers who
can dissect defenses and who can keep the game on track.
Don't try to be something you're not, which is a
guy throwing off platform. You're not Patrick Mahomes. Don't try
to be Patrick Mahomes b Jared Goff. That's a really
good player to be and that can win a lot
of football games.
Speaker 1 (36:36):
You know, when the CTE stuff hit the NFL, there
was the NFL. You were hearing a lot of stories
that moms didn't want their sons to play football, and
I remember hearing that in the nb NFL was very
aggressive pursuing moms and marketing and promoting and women. Viewership
in the NFL has gone up, but there was a
sense that that CTE discussion, there was like a feeling like, boy,
(36:57):
this is too dangerous. And I remember that, and I
hear how weak this draft is, and I just wonder,
are we getting to a point where numbers are down
kids playing football? And you know in the NBA about
every third draft is a clunker. In the NFL, they're
all good drafts, some are just better than others. Does
(37:17):
this feel like it is the first of what will
become a little more consistently kind of average drafts. Fewer
kids are playing high school football. Does that make any sense?
Speaker 12 (37:30):
It makes sense. I hadn't really thought about it. I'm
going to keep an eye on and I've got a
counter to that, really, because I ride all these players.
I look at their bios, this is the fewest amount
of players we've had declare early for the NFL Draft
in a long long time. So I think the talent
pool is watered down because NIL is keeping more players
in school. It's better for us as sports fans, colin
(37:52):
we get to see better college basketball. Frankly, we see
better college football right in terms of players staying a
little bit longer. I think the flip side of that
is there's also a lot of COVID players in this
And what I mean by that is, I have never
in my entire life, other than when I write up
BYU players who typically do Mormon missions and it takes
them a little longer.
Speaker 3 (38:10):
I cannot tell you the last time I wrote them.
Speaker 12 (38:12):
So many twenty three and twenty four year olds, so
many players who played six years. And I think this
draft is populated with the very end of the players
who got the extra year from COVID. So they're older players,
they're players who have been there longer. They're kind of
average players I think, who are maybe better than the
competition because they're frankly, older, stronger, they're just you know,
(38:33):
they're more physically mature.
Speaker 3 (38:34):
But Also, you got.
Speaker 12 (38:36):
To remember Nil is keeping more of the talented juniors
in school than we've ever seen.
Speaker 1 (38:41):
Okay, I think you can make an argument Carter's and
Travis Hunter the most explosive athletes I saw, But I'm
not sure that Mason Graham and team Act the receiver
at Arizona aren't the best football players. Tell me how
wrong I am. I think those guys are impact players
day one. Carter's got more talent. I think Travis is generational.
(39:03):
But Mason Ram and TMAC from Arizona, I think those
guys plug play star very early.
Speaker 2 (39:08):
Tell me I'm wrong, You know, I.
Speaker 3 (39:11):
Tell you might be wrong.
Speaker 12 (39:13):
It's so funny because people who watch the tape on
TET McMillan, they don't love it. And I didn't love it.
And here's why. You know, he just cruised on deep routes.
He doesn't run to his top speed. He had a
little bit of a foot injury in the off season,
so he was slow getting back into it.
Speaker 3 (39:28):
I want to see him out here working out.
Speaker 12 (39:29):
I want to see him drop his weight, get in
and out of breaks, quicker, get some separation. He's more
of a Drake London type player, which is fine. I
don't mind Drake London, but I don't think Drake London
is ever going to be considered the best player in
the draft. And while this isn't a great draft, I
think Teed McMillan has some things to prove out here,
either at the Combine or at his pro day, depending
on how he works. I thought his twenty three tape
(39:50):
is better than his twenty four tape. And you can
see right here this is a guy when he's striding
and when he gets his speed up, he's got build
up speed. So let's just see some of that out
here at the combine as far as you know. And
there's some good wide receivers, but it's not a great
wide receiver draft. I don't know that there's a true
wide receiver one in this draft, a guy who's going
to be a star and a team. As far as
the other player you mentioned, Mason Graham, Mason is one
(40:11):
of the safest players you can find in the draft,
one of the absolute safest, high high floor. I think
his ceiling is a little bit more solid than unbelievable
football player. People around the Michigan program will tell you
that Kenneth Grant the other sensive tackle if they both
play at their very best, that he could have the
higher ceiling than Mason Graham.
Speaker 3 (40:32):
And really it's not a slam on Gram.
Speaker 12 (40:33):
It's really talking about how good both of those guys
have a chance to be. But you know, for me,
Tyler Warren and Colston Lovelin the two tight ends. I
think those guys in Ashton Gent are the three you
really have to hone in on. Beside obviously Abdul Carter
and Travis Hunter, who you mentioned.
Speaker 3 (40:48):
I think Lovelin is going to be a star in
the making.
Speaker 12 (40:50):
I think Travis you know who, Tyler Warner reminds me
of if he runs me a Jeremy Shackey when he
came out. I see a lot of Jeremy shaky confidence
in his game when he came out up. And then
Ashton Genty for me, I mean, I'm looking at Ladanian Tomlinson,
a guy who can create with speed, wiggle and power,
a guy who can do it on his own. So
I think Genty's gonna end up being a really special
(41:12):
running back.
Speaker 3 (41:13):
The only problem with it.
Speaker 12 (41:14):
Is that you know he had He's had so many
carries and touches over the last two years.
Speaker 2 (41:18):
Yeah, okay.
Speaker 1 (41:20):
Lancer Line nfl dot com does great stuff. He likes
Ashton Jenny. I think it's such a great running back draft,
I'd be a little reluctant to go first round back.
Caroline is also going to a great When we're gonna go,
it's our two next
Thanks for listening to The Herd Podcast. Be sure to
catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio in
noon to three Eastern nine am to noon Pacific. Find
your local station for The Herd at Fox Sportsradio dot com,
or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app
by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR. Thanks for listening
to the Herd podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
All right, we got to a Friday.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
What a week it has been, not just for Lebron James,
but primarily.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Live in Los Angeles.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
It is the Herd wherever you may be and however
you may be listening. Thanks for making us part of
your day. Jmac, we got a loaded show today. NFL
season ends, we take a vacation, comeback. There's gonna be
NBA March Madness free agency. But the NBA did us
as solid this year, Jimmy Butler. The Warriors has been
(00:53):
seven to one. It's a new staff and a new
team and Lebron and Luca now converging. In Lost Angelus,
they beat another good Western team. The West is much
deeper than the East. So you start beating these Dallas, Kyrie,
you start beating Denver, you start beating Minnesota. These are
impressive wins a little bit, A little bit. Yeah, they're
(01:15):
pretty good. So I'm gonna start with this. Luca's not
playing that well, let's just say it out loud. He's
not in great shape, never been a good defender, looks
a little soft one for nine last night on shooting threes,
and everybody sort of hedges their bet. We've all been
doing this, myself included, for the last two years. We've
all been doing this in the media. We just don't
(01:35):
want to say, you know, is Lebron like the second
best player in the league. Nobody wants to say that, right,
It's hey, jo Kich, Joannis. I have watched Lebron in
the last week outplay Aunt Edwards, Luca, Yo Kich and
(01:56):
Kyrie Irving. He has been the best player in the
NBA in the last week. On every single night, is
Lebron the best player in the league. No, on any
given night, is Lebron the best player in the league.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (02:08):
His defense right now, it looks like he's twenty seven.
It's insane. His energy better than Luca. His shooting right
now better than Luca, his on ball defense, his scoring.
Lebron at forty years old, has better consistent energy than
any other Laker. Now. Austin Reeves is close. Austin plays
hard all the time. But Lebron's fourth quarter energy, it
(02:30):
doesn't even make sense. His on ball defense right now,
this is the best defense he's played in eight years.
He's a better defender at forty than Luca is at
twenty six. His energy, I'm telling you right now, is
Lebron showing off. And I'll get to Steph in a second.
It feels like Steph is kind of showing off that
Jimmy Butler like listen to old man, you know, and
(02:51):
I feel when Tom Brady beat Mahomes at Arrowhead Stadium
in the AFC Championship and then he beat him in
the Super Bowl, everybody by then was falling in love
and sort of was saying it, you know, like.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
Brady's old Brady.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
You know, not a lot left in the tank for
old Tommy. Ma Holmes is the new king, and Brady
beat him twice in Arrowhead and overtime, and then the
Super Bowl, tom Brady reminding you, yeah, it goes through me,
and Lebron is reminding everybody right now, yeah, the West
(03:29):
for ten years, the East went through me ten twelve years,
however long he was over there. Now the West is
going to go through me, so at minimum, And I
understand that Luca got hurt, hadn't played for a long time.
He's playing himself back into shape, like I get it,
and he'll be a better shooter. His jumper right now
is short consistently. That's like Cardio that's legs, his jumper short.
(03:51):
But at forty years old, Lebron James last year had
last year at thirty nine years old, Ron had eighty
four dunks. When Michael Jordan was thirty nine, mj had
twenty one, four times the dunks of a guy known
for dunks, Michael Jordan at the same age. And I
(04:13):
think Lebron this year is better than Lebron last year.
And the other thing is because Ad was traded into Dallas.
Lebron is hyper aware that he has to play better
defense because Luca is a lousy defensive player and Austin
Reeves is limited. So Lebron is like, oh, oh, you
need me to do that too, all right? His defense
(04:33):
is insane. So he's averaging twenty five eight to nine,
that's what That's not the part that's blowing me away.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
It's the energy in the defense.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
And you know this, it's I feel like I've said
this for years. I think the NBA playoffs should be
a three game first round and then five games even
through the finals. I think create urgency. I mean March madness.
College basketball doesn't have much talent and it gets tremendous ratings.
Why there's urgency. I mean, you know, Cooper Flag, take
(05:04):
him off Duke. They got a couple of decent players,
but a Duke game with Cooper Flag against Xavier will
get a better rating maybe than like the Western Conference
or Eastern Conference finals, because it's like you have to watch.
You got two and a half hours. Somebody's out could
be Duke and Cooper Flag. And so I think there
needs to be no more urgency. And I also think
in the NBA regular season, I'd cut it down to
(05:24):
sixty eight games.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
Start it six weeks later.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
Get away from college and pro football, you know, start
playing Christmas. Start playing Christmas not your first TV game.
Start plan then. So I understand that if you're Lebron,
you're Steph Curry and you're not with a championship team.
You're on a treadmill to nowhere. It is so clear
between Steph and Lebron that these moves have absolutely energized
(05:49):
these guys. And just watch Lebron's defense. It is elite
and he has outplayed aunt, Luka, Kyrie and Jokic in
the last week. He has been the best player on
the floor. And here is uh, here's Lebron after We.
Speaker 4 (06:07):
Know we could have been a lot better offensively, but
you know we've been hanging our head on our under
the defensive end. And you know, when you don't shoot
the ball well, you got to be able to get stops.
And they made a ruin. They're really good team. We
saw what they did a couple of nights ago against Okay.
See when it was down big and those young guys
came in, sparked them, give them good energy. So you
know they cut it down to three. I believe at
one point, boy was able to execute. After today, get
(06:30):
some time he stops and was able to come out
with the winner.
Speaker 1 (06:32):
So Lebron in February twenty nine and a half points,
ten rebounds, seven and a half assays, shooting fifty five
percent from the floor, forty six percent on three pointers,
and playing elite on ball defense at forty at thirty nine,
he had eighty four dunks. At thirty nine, MJ had
twenty one. Like, you're a watching this is unprecedented. You know,
(06:53):
we're always looking ahead. Don't just live in this moment.
What you're watching doesn't make any sense. It's Brady in Tampa.
It makes no sense that Brady was that year first,
second best quarterback in the league.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
All right, So I want to give you a update this.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
According to Diana Russini, the Rams are meeting with Matt
Stafford at their facility in person today regarding the future.
So the Raiders and the Giants, and I think the
Raiders are in play here have discussed a two year
contract that includes ninety to one hundred million guaranteed, and
a decision is expected soon. So I was thinking about this.
(07:34):
I think if it's only two years and the Raiders
are not giving you a third, then I would stay
with the Rams and take less. The Rams can get
you to seventy five eighty eighty five, I would take
that over one hundred on a two year deal. If
they're both offering two years, Raiders go to a third
year forty five million, no state tax, I'd probably consider that.
But it's really interesting, and what I'm about to say won't.
(07:57):
You'll think it's ridiculous initially, but just think about the
Rams are not far off from winning a Super Bowl.
They're really close. They had they were driving to beat
Philly in a snowstorm, and that defense got better every
other week. And they're all coming back and they're super talented.
So you're not going to score a lot of points
on the Rams going forward. If they get a corner
(08:19):
in the draft of the first pick or second, they
don't have a hole. That defense is good everywhere and
young and cheap. If Matt Stafford stays and wins a
second Super Bowl. And I know legacies are all about ego,
but if you put fifteen twenty twenty five years into
being a politician, a talk show host, a quarterback, a landscaper,
(08:44):
legacies matter. You want to be remembered fondly, not just
as a husband and as a dad, but what did
you do professionally in your community? If he wins a
second Super Bowl, that's the same as Elway, Peyton, Manning
and Big Ben. But it's more than Aaron Rodgers, Steve
Young and and I've said this for years, Matt Stafford
(09:05):
was better in high school than Aaron Rodgers, much better
in college, better his first four years in the NFL,
and much better now in his last three. Now, there
were ten years where he was in dysfunctional Detroit and
put up a lot of stats, but didn't get much
to the playoffs and do much. And meanwhile, Aaron Rodgers
was in Green Bay, highly functional, great draft and developed organization,
(09:27):
good coaching, and had a better middle of ten years.
But if you had to put Aaron in Detroit and
Matt in Green Bay, I think he has more than
one ring. But my take is legacy matters. If Stafford
wins a second Super Bowl, that means he would go
four to zero in the playoffs in the Super Bowl,
(09:47):
he would have more rings than Aaron. He'd have a
better playoff percentage than Aaron. He would be better late
than Aaron, better early than Aaron. As a former number
one pick, there's a real large ena you take Matt Stafford.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
More super bowls.
Speaker 1 (10:06):
I mean super bowls alone are going to get Eli
Manning eventually into the Hall of Fame. And he was
an average regular season quarterback. How a movie ends and
how a quarterback's career ends absolutely shapes how we think
of you. When Brady went to Tampa in one fifty
percent of you watching and listening for years, and I
(10:27):
saw it on Twitter. It's a system quarterback.
Speaker 2 (10:31):
He left New England.
Speaker 1 (10:32):
One Belichick regressed, Brady is unquestionably the goat. Beat Mahomes
last two times they played. He is head and shoulders
above the crowd. John Elway never forget Lway, Ozero and
three and super bowls got hammered. John can't win the
(10:52):
big game. Last two years, two super Bowl wins with
Terrell Davis the running back, and we viewed him number
two all time to Joe Montange. Peyton Manning goes to Denver.
Let's be honest. He goes to Denver. His reputation was
he's not good in big games. One Super Bowl, Brady
owns him. All of a sudden, he beat Brady in
a playoff game or two wins in Denver. And now
(11:14):
that Brady Manning thing is like, oh eh, Peyton kind
of got the best of him last couple of years.
If Matt Stafford stays, no, you're not getting a ring
with Las Vegas. You're not getting a ring with the Giants,
it makes those franchises respectable and probably winning franchises very quickly.
Matt Stafford has a chance to get to another level
(11:36):
as many Super Bowls as l Way and Peyton Manning
in that class, and more than far of an Aaron Rodgers.
And so to me, when you put I mean, think
about when Matt Stafford started playing football six years old,
seven years old. He's thirty eight years old. He has
given thirty years of his life to football. Number one
(12:00):
high school player, number one pick out of Georgia, had
to endure a lot of nonsense in Detroit. The idea
that if he could get another Super Bowl in the
next two years with the Rams and.
Speaker 2 (12:12):
People, a lot of people would look.
Speaker 1 (12:14):
At him and there's an argument he's better than Steve Young,
Aaron Rodgers, maybe farv. That'd be hard for me to
walk away from. I know, it's just legacy, and a
lot of people think that's vanity. I don't care if
you're a mailman, a quarterback, a politician, a landscaper, a lawyer.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
It matters. You want to be remembered for committing to something, and.
Speaker 1 (12:35):
When you've been doing it at a high level like Stafford,
you get a wizard away for money in Vegas. That'd
be hard for me. So if the Raiders are not
going to give you three years, I don't care if.
Speaker 2 (12:46):
It's more money.
Speaker 1 (12:48):
I think the legacy matters too much to a guy
that's totally been committed to football, sits in the pocket
till the end, takes more shots than almost anybody in
the league. I mean, that's the thing about Stafford and Aaron.
Aaron don't want to get hit anymore. I guess I
get it. Brady didn't want to get in a hit anymore.
Stafford sits there and gets hammered every Sunday. Some part
of him is always banged up or bleeding. He has
(13:10):
committed totally of this career. Be hard to walk away
if I don't get extra years and an extra fifty
to seventy million bucks. All right, j Mac Steph Curry
put on a little.
Speaker 2 (13:23):
Clinic last night.
Speaker 5 (13:24):
He was okay, fifty six.
Speaker 2 (13:27):
Not bad at all.
Speaker 6 (13:28):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and Noone Eastern non am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 7 (13:37):
Hey Steve Covino and I'm Rich David, and together we're
Covino and Rich on Fox Sports Radio. You could catch
us weekdays from five to seven pm Eastern two to
four Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and of course the
iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
Why should you listen to Covino and Rich.
Speaker 7 (13:51):
We talk about everything life, sports, relationships, what's going on
in the world. We have a lot of fun talking
about the stories behind the stories in the world of
sports and pop culture, stories that well, other shows don't
seem to have the time to discuss. And the fact
that we've been friends for the last twenty years and
still work together.
Speaker 2 (14:07):
I mean that says something, right. So check us out.
Speaker 7 (14:09):
We like to get you involved too, take your phone calls,
chop it up. As they say, I'd say, the most
interactive show on Fox Sports Radio, maybe the.
Speaker 2 (14:17):
Most interactive show on planetar.
Speaker 7 (14:18):
Be sure to check out Covino and Rich live on
Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app from five to
seven pm Eastern, two to four Pacific, And if you
miss any of the live show, just Searchkovin on Rich
wherever you get your podcasts, and of course on social media.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
That's Covino and Rich.
Speaker 1 (14:34):
So Steph Curry had fifty six points last night, had
a dozen threes. Orlando is a pretty good defensive team.
So I don't think it's a coincidence that Lebron gets
Luca and Steph gets Jimmy Butler and both players explode.
So Steph Curry's been to the mountaintop hard to get
(14:56):
fired up and get the engine humming to be a
number ten seed. So it's got that new relationship feel.
He's showing off a little bit. The Warriors are seven
and one since Jimmy Butler arrived, and the numbers are insane.
We can put them on the screen Miami for the
record three and six without Jimmy Butler. So we said
this the other day. Jimmy Butler wins. You don't have
(15:17):
to love him, but e q Iq Effort a very
intentional basketball player. Listen, the NBA is very lucky. Sometimes
leagues get lucky. Lebron and Steph have been great stewards
for the league and they're still literally on any given
night to the best player in the league, which is
insane at their age. But it did feel like for
Lebron and Steph that they were you know, they had
(15:40):
cameo roles in average movies and now once again, Stephan
Lebron feel like leading men in Blockbusters.
Speaker 2 (15:46):
It looks like the.
Speaker 1 (15:47):
Lakers and the Warriors could absolutely be a viable Western
Conference champion. That's what it looks like. And remember, if
you add Jimmy Butler to Stephan Draymond Green, the West
is very young at the top. OKC is young, Memphis
is young, Houston is young. Draymond, Steph and Jimmy Butler
(16:11):
have four hundred twenty three playoff games and fourteen finals.
So you don't want to play Golden State in the
playoffs if you're ok see okay, see when they get
Chet Holmgren back is going to be a very good
offensive team. But they're kids, and right now they are
in the seventh spot and half a game out of
the sixth pot. I'm telling you, if I'm Memphis and
(16:34):
I'm Oklahoma City Houston, I have no interest playing this team.
Speaker 2 (16:39):
And it does.
Speaker 1 (16:40):
It feels like Steph, when you've been this great for
this long, it is hard to get revved up driving
to that arena knowing you're maybe at best a playing team.
Steve Kerr on last night's fifty six point outburst.
Speaker 8 (17:00):
Just wants to play meaningful basketball, and you can see
we're now in the fight we're in the mix, and
this is what Steph loves.
Speaker 2 (17:07):
He's you know, it's great of a player.
Speaker 8 (17:09):
And shooter is he is. This competitiveness is probably his
most underrated quality. And he was dying to feedback in
the mix. And we're back in the mix, and you
can tell he's energized by that.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
For the record, he took twenty five shots. That is
tied for the second fewest shots ever taken to score
fifty six points. So Lebron Lebron got a great teammate.
His energy's exploded. Steph Curry got a new teammate. His efficiency,
his energy exploded. When you've been to the mountaintop, it
(17:47):
is hard to get it's hard to get revved up
walking in the arena.
Speaker 2 (17:51):
Playing Minnesota in the game doesn't mean anything.
Speaker 1 (17:53):
So this is really good news for the NBA, which
its critics are assailing it and nobody cares. I'm telling
you watching the Warriors. I watched the Warriors and the
Lakers last night. It's good basketball. It's good product with
two leading men now in blockbusters. Jmckle the news, Turn
on the news.
Speaker 6 (18:12):
This is the herd Line News.
Speaker 5 (18:15):
All right, my man, let's start with Miles Garrett.
Speaker 9 (18:19):
He says he's Adam and he's not going back to Cleveland.
So the rest of the NFL world is trying to
figure out who's going in on the six time pro bowler.
NFL insider Diana Russini says, one of the most aggressive
gms in the league could be making a play for
the Ed Drusher.
Speaker 5 (18:33):
Take a listen.
Speaker 10 (18:35):
I think they're going to make an effort here. But
here's what some people are saying right now that how
he's willing to move on from some of these guys
because he's looking to make a big swing and take
a big swing, and that big swing would be for
Miles Garrett.
Speaker 5 (18:55):
Yeah, it's logical, No.
Speaker 1 (18:56):
Why not?
Speaker 2 (18:57):
But by the way, Dallas still out of money using groupons, I.
Speaker 5 (19:02):
Mean, Philly makes a lot of sense. I think you
might have floated.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
Uh, I don't know.
Speaker 1 (19:07):
I don't know why green Bay doesn't go all in.
I don't get it. I'm green Bay. Well, they haven't
had a consistent pass rush in forever. Last time they
went big Reggie White for a dominant defensive player twice
in their existence that I remember, Charles Woodson Reggie White,
they went big, paid off full time Super Bowls. What
about Washington again, Washington would be a great place to go.
(19:30):
I mean green Bay feels I think Buffalo makes sense.
I think green Bay makes the most sense. I think
Washington makes sense.
Speaker 9 (19:37):
If you're one of the seven contenders in the league,
I think you've got to be picking up a phone
and calling and just at least floating something.
Speaker 1 (19:44):
And by the way, okay, so we've watched Lebron and
staph who everybody thinks past their prime, what they've done
in the new With a new teammate, do you not
believe that Miles Garrett playing for the Green Bay Packers
for the Philadelphia Eagles.
Speaker 2 (19:58):
You think he's good?
Speaker 5 (19:59):
Now?
Speaker 2 (20:00):
What if every game's televised? I mean they are.
Speaker 1 (20:03):
Literally Cleveland is the fourth most interesting team in their division.
The Philadelphia Eagles are arguably the most interesting team in
the league. So if you take Miles Garrett, you're like, bro,
every game is on Fox, every game is Sunday Night football,
every game is Monday Night football. You are at the
centerpiece of one of America's great sports football cities. You know,
(20:23):
I think you'll get an elevate. I think Miles Garrett
will be better than he is now.
Speaker 9 (20:28):
If you're looking right outside the contender batch, we saw
the Chargers allegedly are going to be moving off both.
So there's a lot of chatter about that. What if
you make a move on Miles Garrett, have him opposite
Khalil Mack out here in LA. I mean, if you're
in like the top ten, you're good.
Speaker 5 (20:42):
I think you've got to make a move on Moleth Garrett.
Speaker 8 (20:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (20:44):
I mean you don't have to if you're the Niners
because of Bosa. I mean there are teams that have
like the Rams right now have Jared Verse. You don't
need it, You're not you know, there are about five
teams that have a pass rush. Don't worry about it.
Outside of that, this guy's a generational defensive player. I
don't think he's that far behind Aaron Donald, Reggie White.
Speaker 2 (21:04):
I really don't.
Speaker 9 (21:06):
All right, next story is NFL Draft combines happening. A
lot of people talking, Well, the Titans have made no
real indication where they're going with the number one pick.
I do believe it'll be cam Ward, and cam Ward
sounds like he's going to be ready to go number one.
Speaker 11 (21:21):
We had good interestions myself with coach Kylahey, the quarterbacks coach,
and also the GM. It's a great staff they put together.
I think I know a dcent amount. I was able
to watch a couple of games this past season, a
lot of their route concepts with similar stuff that we do.
So you know, if I if I'm drafted there, I
just think he'd be plugg and play well.
Speaker 2 (21:40):
It would be plugging.
Speaker 1 (21:41):
I like, well, he is easily the most dynamic quarterback
in the draft. He's got a great army, moves well.
Little backyard football, but he would start day one.
Speaker 9 (21:50):
Now that's backyard football than Caleb Williams came into the league.
Speaker 1 (21:52):
Win yes, and he's more and he's more consistently in
my opinion, he's more consistently accurate than Caleb Williams. I
think Caleb is all time talent. But cam Cam's were
a good play.
Speaker 9 (22:02):
You know, if I'm so bullish on cam Ward that
maybe we do a head to head. You love the
Patriots next year with Drake Bay and we'll go head
to head. I'll take the Titans. You have the Patriots.
Who's gonna win more games? I'm telling you cam Ward will.
Speaker 5 (22:13):
Invigorate that franchise. Yes, but they were in a bunch
of games last year. No, Will Levis kept just throwing
the football.
Speaker 2 (22:18):
No, No, I don't.
Speaker 5 (22:19):
He literally lost them like four games.
Speaker 1 (22:21):
Well, if I told you that cam Ward won that
division next year, you wouldn't be outraged. Indianapolis don't know
who their quarterback is.
Speaker 9 (22:27):
Texans are sagging back a little bit. They did not
look as good this past season, and we don't know
what Dig's probably not returning there.
Speaker 1 (22:36):
No, that's that's a good's that's a that's a good call.
Cam Ward is the kind of player and Tennessee feels
like for the last even during Brabeles years, they're just
not terribly dynamic on offense. Now, they've been powerful, but
they've never been really like a team that you feel like,
once they fall behind seventeen nothing, Tennessee's over. Then they
(22:57):
don't have any of that. They have to take control
of the game with Eric Henry and Tannehill. So, I mean,
this kid would add spice to what I believe is
a very physical football operation. They've always been tough and physical,
they haven't always been efficient, but they've almost never been
dynamic offensively.
Speaker 9 (23:14):
Let me ask you one question. I like cam Ward
a lot with his makeup as a quarterback. There are
going to be people in the Titans organization who say,
you know, Shador is going to instantly sell us tickets.
Speaker 5 (23:23):
He comes in with the name, obviously his father.
Speaker 9 (23:27):
Do we just look at him because you know, maybe
you get the set of Kim Ward.
Speaker 2 (23:31):
What's you doing?
Speaker 1 (23:32):
You just go get the best player. The NFL is
just go win games. I know it's not about shoe
sales or getting it. Just go get the best player.
Speaker 9 (23:40):
I would guarantee you if they took Shador, they get
at least one prime Maybe what.
Speaker 5 (23:45):
Does that mean again, you're the Tennessee Titans. You're largely irrelevant.
Speaker 2 (23:49):
Well, if you can't worry about that stuff, I just
pose the question.
Speaker 5 (23:53):
I'm not saying I.
Speaker 2 (23:54):
Would do that, but you gotta worry.
Speaker 1 (23:56):
About the thing is the thing when in football, it's
winning games.
Speaker 9 (24:00):
Final story, Colin, is some positive news of the NBA.
Somebody has to be positive about the NBA, and that's us.
Speaker 5 (24:06):
Yeah, that's a shot.
Speaker 9 (24:08):
Zion Williamson, my gosh, I've almost forgot he plays basketball.
He had his first career triple double twenty seven to
ten and eleven against the Hapless Sons last night. Pelicans
with the dub Sons are a mess. We'll talk about
them later on the show, I'm sure. But Colin the
Zion Williamson Show, when he was coming into the league,
do you remember the excitement. Oh, it was like not
(24:29):
quite one Binyama, but was like, oh man, this has
got to be new from college.
Speaker 1 (24:33):
He got a million people on a Facebook page to
watch an AAU game. That's right, No, there's no but yeah,
the shoe exploding made him more interesting.
Speaker 9 (24:42):
Yeah, and now he just you know, it just hasn't
panned out. He's always hurt, he's always no.
Speaker 2 (24:48):
Now, remember this overweight.
Speaker 1 (24:49):
I believe his first year his numbers were the best
since Wilt as a rookie.
Speaker 9 (24:54):
Yeah, I think no, something like in the paint he
was scoring at shack like levels. Yeah, and he just
can't stay healthy and off the court been a bit
of a mess. We're not going to revisit some of
his uh issues, shall we say, but uh listen, when
he could get healthy, that would be great.
Speaker 5 (25:09):
And he's still only like twenty five years old.
Speaker 1 (25:11):
No, No, I mean they're the other there's in the
right environment. I think you have to get him out
of New Orleans and all that good food. Send him
to Indianapolis, a very average food city. The New Orleans
is oh, I'm sorry, I spent a week. I spent
five days in New Orleans. It's my tenth time there.
All you do is eat, yes, drink and eat.
Speaker 5 (25:30):
And he did put on some weight there.
Speaker 2 (25:32):
Yeah, of course had stomach flu. So it all came
back out J mack with the news.
Speaker 6 (25:36):
Well that's the news, and thanks for stopping by the line.
Speaker 1 (25:40):
A few things that J McK and I have disagreed
with on the years brought Purty. He views him as
better than Brett Farhrv. I view him as a bit
of a ham and egger. But another one is that
the inside the NBA crew with Shaq and Kenny Ernie
and Sir Charles, it's.
Speaker 2 (25:57):
Hurting the league. It's so hyper credit cool.
Speaker 1 (26:00):
So Lebron James was talking about face of the league
stuff and he made this comment because Lebron's obviously been
face of the league for fifteen years, he had this
to say.
Speaker 4 (26:11):
Why do you want to be the face of the
league when all all to put all the people that
you know that cover our game and talk about our
game on a day to day base on everybody I
had that responsibility. That's is just weird. It's weird energy
from the people that.
Speaker 7 (26:27):
You know.
Speaker 4 (26:29):
I don't know, but Channing he said it. He said
it perfectly.
Speaker 2 (26:33):
Okay, all these people who cover the league.
Speaker 1 (26:36):
I may not talk about the NBA as much as
Steven A, but I talk a lot about it, and
I have big platforms. Okay, I've been critical of Lebron
James twice in his career. I thought his first year
in Los Angeles he was distracted. It was like business
more than basketball. He didn't like the roster. I get it,
and the browny thing feels forced to me. But you know,
I had one rant on that out of Savannah and
(26:57):
Lebron are great parents. But the NBA, actually the players
have the most power, and because of that, even their
coaches walk on eggshell with stars. They don't get hard
coaching in AAU basketball it's more of a circus than
a developmental league. And there's one show in the NBA
that is very critical of the players. Occasionally, it's more
(27:18):
of an entertainment vehicle. That's the inside the NBA. That's it,
and it's often better than the games.
Speaker 2 (27:23):
It wins.
Speaker 1 (27:23):
The most Awards and it's easily the most watched. Lamar
Jackson wins seventy six percent of his games, and the
commentary on him is ruthless, messy in his search for
this first World Cup, brutal like death threat, stuff like brutal.
So the NBA media, outside of one show is I
would say, is mostly fawning. So this idea that everybody
(27:47):
picks on the NBA. NBA players have so much power
starting in aau basketball everybody walks on eggshells around him.
I mean, Mahomes gets ripped, Josh Allen gets ripped, Lamar
Jackson gets ripped, justin her Birds gets everybody in the
NFL gets ripped. The majority of things that were critical,
like guys like me or critical about the NBA. Adam
(28:09):
Silver is actually critical of and is concerned about, like
you know, like the load management stuff, and Lebron himself
has been critical of something I have.
Speaker 2 (28:20):
There's too many damn threes.
Speaker 4 (28:22):
It's a bigger conversation. It's not just the All Star Game.
Speaker 2 (28:25):
It's ours.
Speaker 4 (28:26):
Our game in general, our game is it's a lot
of trees being shot, So it's a it's a bigger
conversation just an All Star Game.
Speaker 1 (28:38):
So Lebron is addressing my primary criticism of the league.
Load management's bad for fans as too many threes. And
Jason Tatum is the one player in the NBA that
wants to be the face of the league. But the
truth is he doesn't have the aura or the charisma.
He's just a great player. It's not hate, just being honest.
It's just being honest. So I don't buy this nonsense
(29:01):
that I would argue that the football culture in America,
the coaching's tougher and the media is much harsher.
Speaker 2 (29:11):
Even in college football.
Speaker 1 (29:13):
Players get death threats in college football when they drop
passes and miskicks. That's not happening a lot in college basketball.
It doesn't happen in AAU, it doesn't happen in the NBA.
So let let's stop this hold. Oh Berkley is so
I watched that show last night. It's a comedy show.
That's what that show is. It's a comedy show that
(29:35):
sometimes is willing to poke some of the NBA superstars
gently in the ribs.
Speaker 2 (29:43):
Gently.
Speaker 1 (29:44):
So I don't think brock pretty is Joe Montana, and
I don't think the inside the NBA show is turning
people off.
Speaker 2 (29:52):
I don't buy it.
Speaker 1 (29:53):
I don't I would argue negative opinions. I mean, if
you look at the algorithms of YouTube, Facebook, negativity helps popularity.
I mean, who's president for the second time, the most
polarizing person who the media attacks twenty four to seven?
(30:16):
I mean the media, there's no except for the network
called Fox. Media attacks are President? That makes his followers
more strident. So the idea that that criticism hurts a rating,
I'm I would argue, when you're critical of somebody, it
makes people defend them to a greater degree. And I
just don't buy that the NBA media, I think it's
(30:38):
pretty fawning by and large. Coming up next, and for
the record, what did I lead my show with for
the third time this week?
Speaker 2 (30:46):
How great Lebron is? All right?
Speaker 1 (30:49):
I know, I know I'm not Barkley, but you know
I got a few followers. Coming up next, we'll go
to the NFL Combine with one of the guys that
I think does as good a job as anybody in
the country. His dad was a former coach. He'll join
us live from Indy on breaking down players. You can
go back and look at his thoughts and picks. He
doesn't miss much. We'll go to Indy next live in LA.
Speaker 2 (31:11):
It's the Hurt.
Speaker 6 (31:12):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and noon easternn AM Pacific.
Speaker 4 (31:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (31:17):
I was thinking about this before we go to Indy
for the combine that Travis Hunter said he wanted to
play one hundred percent of the snaps.
Speaker 2 (31:25):
He wants to go both ways.
Speaker 1 (31:26):
So when NBA guys want the night off, Travis Hunter
is like, I don't want to snap off.
Speaker 2 (31:31):
It does matter.
Speaker 1 (31:32):
But you know, I was thinking about this is last year,
twelve million people watched the first round of the draft.
That was better than the NBA Finals that had Jason
Tatum and the big brand Celtics. Why how is that possible?
How is the beginning of a career. By the way,
the first round is long. You sit there for ten
(31:54):
minutes waiting for picks. It's people on phones, it's highlights
from their college careers. It got twelve million viewers. That's
beaten stuff like you know, like like big Bowl games.
That's that's beating the NBA Finals with the Celtics in it.
And I think the reason is, and this is why
the w NBA Draft last year was more interesting than
(32:16):
the NBA draft stories. I mean, Caitlin Clark and Angel
Reese came into the league, they had stories. Baker Mayfield
came into the league, he had a story. Travis Hunter,
Shador Sanders, cam Ward Carter, the defensive end for Penn State.
You get to follow all these guys, and I think
(32:38):
I really do is the draft is in late April
and it's getting monster numbers. And this is why I've
said for years, college basketball is the NBA's ally. It
is their best friend. And Adam Silver when he first
got that job, saw him as the enemy. And the
G League hurts the NBA. It hurts the NBA. The
(33:01):
players disappear and then end up on bad teams. I
have no story. I have no visceral connection at all.
So the truth is Colorado wasn't even a good team,
and yet Shaduor Sanders and Travis Hunter come into this league.
This program three years ago was the worst in college football.
But because guys stay in college, because the NFL's always
(33:24):
understood the power of college football. I can't wait to
watch it. I don't know how Travis Hunter is going
to do. I don't know how Shader's going to do.
But I'm into their stories. I said it this year
Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark. I knew the first seven
people taken in the WNBA draft. Do you remember the
first player taken in the NBA draft Unless you're like
a die hard, it was a French guy, I think,
(33:48):
and I'm a sportscast. I mean, it just didn't have
any impact. I didn't want to watch it. I didn't care.
I knew he wouldn't have an impact. He goes to
a bad team, it wouldn't matter.
Speaker 2 (33:58):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (34:00):
So a lanzer Line has worked for and work in
the NFL draft for twenty five years at NFL dot com.
He does about a good job as anybody in his country.
I am sitting on his draft previews the minute he
starts writing him. So let's I want to talk about
this about Shador Sanders. Yesterday, Daniel Jeremiah came on the
show and he said, what is his great trait? And
(34:22):
I said, my favorite part. He had no run game
and an awful offensive line, so he has had to
initiate offense. That is a real NFL experience, because you're
gonna go to a team with a bat old line
that doesn't have great weapons.
Speaker 2 (34:37):
You you quarterback at Ohio State.
Speaker 1 (34:39):
That's not the real world where a drag route from
underneath becomes a sixty yard game. When you look at Shador,
I think he's a B to a B plus prospect.
What is his what's his superpower?
Speaker 12 (34:52):
Well, his superpower and I can give DJ a call
if we need to get this thing set, you know, settled,
I can call him Colin.
Speaker 3 (34:58):
But what he you know, if you're talking about the traits,
the arm.
Speaker 12 (35:01):
Of this, that no, But what he has are those
intangibles that we always speak of all the time. The accuracy,
the calm in the pocket, the poise, the confidence. That's
what he has. And to me, that's really what where
you start with. You know, with Shador Sanders. Cam Ward
is going to be the physical stuff, but Shador Sanders
is really more of the intangibles that frankly, we end
(35:24):
up spotlighting for a lot of players that you know,
end up being better than we expect them to be.
So I think when you talk about superpowers, I think
he's he's kind of a Clark Kent in the sense
that you know, he's got the ability to do some things,
but What really helps him to stand out, in my opinion,
is the way he manages the pocket. He is very calm,
he's very confident, and he's going to throw at the accuracy.
Speaker 3 (35:45):
And those are three very big items.
Speaker 1 (35:47):
Is does he have a comp in the NFL, because
I've heard people talk about cam Warden say and I
can see it.
Speaker 2 (35:52):
There's a little Caleb Williams. What is Chador's comp?
Speaker 12 (35:57):
Didn't put one, couldn't come up with one, and and
I think but I did today. I was thinking about
it because I was anticipating you asked me about Shador,
and I thought, you know who he needs to be.
He needs to be j Stroud and Jared Goff, and
you know those are my comps for each other. I
thought CJ's a lot like Jared Goff. And I still
think that's true. And I think that's a good thing.
By the way, I think that's who shod or Sanders
(36:18):
has to be be. Those guys be game managers who
can dissect defenses and who can keep the game on track.
Don't try to be something you're not, which is a
guy throwing off platform. You're not Patrick Mahomes. Don't try
to be Patrick Mahomes b Jared Goff. That's a really
good player to be and that can win a lot
of football games.
Speaker 1 (36:36):
You know, when the CTE stuff hit the NFL, there
was the NFL. You were hearing a lot of stories
that moms didn't want their sons to play football, and
I remember hearing that in the nb NFL was very
aggressive pursuing moms and marketing and promoting and women. Viewership
in the NFL has gone up, but there was a
sense that that CTE discussion, there was like a feeling like, boy,
(36:57):
this is too dangerous. And I remember that, and I
hear how weak this draft is, and I just wonder,
are we getting to a point where numbers are down
kids playing football? And you know in the NBA about
every third draft is a clunker. In the NFL, they're
all good drafts, some are just better than others. Does
(37:17):
this feel like it is the first of what will
become a little more consistently kind of average drafts. Fewer
kids are playing high school football. Does that make any sense?
Speaker 12 (37:30):
It makes sense. I hadn't really thought about it. I'm
going to keep an eye on and I've got a
counter to that, really, because I ride all these players.
I look at their bios, this is the fewest amount
of players we've had declare early for the NFL Draft
in a long long time. So I think the talent
pool is watered down because NIL is keeping more players
in school. It's better for us as sports fans, colin
(37:52):
we get to see better college basketball. Frankly, we see
better college football right in terms of players staying a
little bit longer. I think the flip side of that
is there's also a lot of COVID players in this
And what I mean by that is, I have never
in my entire life, other than when I write up
BYU players who typically do Mormon missions and it takes
them a little longer.
Speaker 3 (38:10):
I cannot tell you the last time I wrote them.
Speaker 12 (38:12):
So many twenty three and twenty four year olds, so
many players who played six years. And I think this
draft is populated with the very end of the players
who got the extra year from COVID. So they're older players,
they're players who have been there longer. They're kind of
average players I think, who are maybe better than the
competition because they're frankly, older, stronger, they're just you know,
(38:33):
they're more physically mature.
Speaker 3 (38:34):
But Also, you got.
Speaker 12 (38:36):
To remember Nil is keeping more of the talented juniors
in school than we've ever seen.
Speaker 1 (38:41):
Okay, I think you can make an argument Carter's and
Travis Hunter the most explosive athletes I saw, But I'm
not sure that Mason Graham and team Act the receiver
at Arizona aren't the best football players. Tell me how
wrong I am. I think those guys are impact players
day one. Carter's got more talent. I think Travis is generational.
(39:03):
But Mason Ram and TMAC from Arizona, I think those
guys plug play star very early.
Speaker 2 (39:08):
Tell me I'm wrong, You know, I.
Speaker 3 (39:11):
Tell you might be wrong.
Speaker 12 (39:13):
It's so funny because people who watch the tape on
TET McMillan, they don't love it. And I didn't love it.
And here's why. You know, he just cruised on deep routes.
He doesn't run to his top speed. He had a
little bit of a foot injury in the off season,
so he was slow getting back into it.
Speaker 3 (39:28):
I want to see him out here working out.
Speaker 12 (39:29):
I want to see him drop his weight, get in
and out of breaks, quicker, get some separation. He's more
of a Drake London type player, which is fine. I
don't mind Drake London, but I don't think Drake London
is ever going to be considered the best player in
the draft. And while this isn't a great draft, I
think Teed McMillan has some things to prove out here,
either at the Combine or at his pro day, depending
on how he works. I thought his twenty three tape
(39:50):
is better than his twenty four tape. And you can
see right here this is a guy when he's striding
and when he gets his speed up, he's got build
up speed. So let's just see some of that out
here at the combine as far as you know. And
there's some good wide receivers, but it's not a great
wide receiver draft. I don't know that there's a true
wide receiver one in this draft, a guy who's going
to be a star and a team. As far as
the other player you mentioned, Mason Graham, Mason is one
(40:11):
of the safest players you can find in the draft,
one of the absolute safest, high high floor. I think
his ceiling is a little bit more solid than unbelievable
football player. People around the Michigan program will tell you
that Kenneth Grant the other sensive tackle if they both
play at their very best, that he could have the
higher ceiling than Mason Graham.
Speaker 3 (40:32):
And really it's not a slam on Gram.
Speaker 12 (40:33):
It's really talking about how good both of those guys
have a chance to be. But you know, for me,
Tyler Warren and Colston Lovelin the two tight ends. I
think those guys in Ashton Gent are the three you
really have to hone in on. Beside obviously Abdul Carter
and Travis Hunter, who you mentioned.
Speaker 3 (40:48):
I think Lovelin is going to be a star in
the making.
Speaker 12 (40:50):
I think Travis you know who, Tyler Warner reminds me
of if he runs me a Jeremy Shackey when he
came out. I see a lot of Jeremy shaky confidence
in his game when he came out up. And then
Ashton Genty for me, I mean, I'm looking at Ladanian Tomlinson,
a guy who can create with speed, wiggle and power,
a guy who can do it on his own. So
I think Genty's gonna end up being a really special
(41:12):
running back.
Speaker 3 (41:13):
The only problem with it.
Speaker 12 (41:14):
Is that you know he had He's had so many
carries and touches over the last two years.
Speaker 2 (41:18):
Yeah, okay.
Speaker 1 (41:20):
Lancer Line nfl dot com does great stuff. He likes
Ashton Jenny. I think it's such a great running back draft,
I'd be a little reluctant to go first round back.
Caroline is also going to a great When we're gonna go,
it's our two next
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