August 12, 2024 • 41 mins
He tells you why he was right about the Cowboys and wrong about JJ McCarthy
Saints LB Demario Davis joins The Herd in studio to talk about his career and how he continues to play in the NFL
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to The Herd podcast. Be sure to
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Speaker 2 (00:21):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
All right, here we go. It is a Monday, it
is live in Los Angeles. It's The Herd. Wherever you
may be, wherever you may be watching or listening. Thanks
for making us part of your day. Jmax Off Ryan
is filling in Tomrio Davis, great linebacker, a multiple time
(00:48):
Old Troll linebacker, will be in studio from the Saints.
The Saints had a bunch of practices with the forty
nine ers schedules and Kyle Shanahan called it off and said,
we don't have enough available players. It's been a weird,
weird off season for the Niners. Christian McCaffrey's a Variety
magazine Deadline Hollywood wedding out in Rhode Island. You've got
(01:10):
Trent Williams holding out, Brandon I Yuke and the team
doesn't get along right now. They're falling apart physically. So
that's where we are right now. Well, we do this
every Monday at this time, strong opinions. Sometimes we whiff,
sometimes we hit. It's called Colin was right, Colin was wrong,
and here we go.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Where Colin was right.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
I've been saying this with Jason Tatum. Steve Kerr feels
the same way Brad Stevens does. He doesn't know if
he can trust him around other stars to take hold
of the game. He went oh for sixteen on jumpers.
Don't blame Steve Kerr. Jason Tatum didn't hit a jumper
in the Olympics. He shrinks around other stars, and sometimes
(01:53):
when he's on the court for a star, he's kind
of invisible. This is what I've been saying for years.
It's I know all the Celtic backers are mad at
Steve Kerr. It's not a Steve kerrishue. Jayson Tatum went
oh for sixteen one jumpers like he just he didn't
make himself the best possible Jason Tatum. And when your
bench includes Anthony Davis and Bam gonna buy you, you
(02:15):
got to work your way into playing time. I've always
been a little bit cynical of the greatness of Jason
Tatum and Steve Kerr Grees.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
Where Colin was wrang.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
I thought the Olympics felt like they were sort of done,
and I thought they were spectacular. Simone Biles Katie ledeki
Team USA for the men it hit, it felt like
it was a rebirth. The World Cup over the last
twenty years feels like it has absolutely surpassed the Olympics
as the big every four year sporting event. But the politics,
(02:51):
in my opinion, are so ugly and divisive in America.
We were looking for good news and NBC in the
Olympics delivered it for three straight weeks. Could have got
another couple of weeks. It was like make him longer.
I thought it was just and it surprised me they.
I mean, I really was not jacked up to watch
the Olympics going in, and I thought it was amazing.
(03:11):
Where Colin was right, well, I said, Jaden Daniels is
really good and there's a little Lamar Jackson here. He
made the best throw by any rookie arguably this weekend.
It came on an audible and here was his coach
Dan Quinn talking about it.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
I thought of top gun. Do I have permission to
buzz the tower? No ghost rider? The pattern is full,
and so I think on that one he wanted to
ask for forgiveness and not permission and then throw you know,
an absolute dime, you know, over the top to Damie
to go.
Speaker 4 (03:46):
So it was a really cool play.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
It was, and he played well where Colin was raw.
JJ McCarthy, you know, I've been a little bit question
the greatness. Why didn't everybody move up the board to
get him? Well, I thought he looked better than I thought,
and I thought he moved better, played with a ton
of confidence. I mean, he's got a little Sam Darnold
(04:11):
where he'll let it rip. I don't know how great
his arm is. It's good enough. But I thought he
played really well. Eleven of seventeen one hundred and eighty
eight yards. Even his interception, I didn't think you got that.
Sometimes guys in the NFL are really good. It wasn't
a terrible interception. He had a passer rating of one
hundred and sixteen. He had two runs. He moved better
(04:33):
than I thought, so I thought he was clever, he
was nimble. Good for JJ. I still think Donald starts
week one. They got a pretty rough first four or
five weeks, but that was impressive. Where Colin was right,
Michael Pennix, that didn't surprise me. And this proves once
again Pennis played well. It's okay in a league where
(04:54):
sixty quarterbacks will take a snap to have an old
guy coming off of surgery and a talent into a
new guy. Maybe sits on the bench waiting in the wings,
and I don't know how long he'll wait. But there's
all this pushback. How can you how can you draft
him and have Kirk Cousins. Kirk Cousins is coming off surgery.
They've got a good old line, they've got good offensive pieces.
(05:15):
Here's something that's never a problem in the NFL. We've
got one too many good quarterbacks. You can always live
with that. Where Colin was raw. I tried to be
so optimistic with Justin Fields, and then I watched Justin
Fields and he took sacks and he had fumbles, and
it's just it just he looks hesitant. He doesn't get
(05:37):
rid of the ball quick enough. It's kind of who
he is. Fumbles, sacked twice, he struggles like nothing. He
can be brilliant, but he takes his eyes off the
field whenever pressure is coming. He's been hit so much
he doesn't look downfield. He's trying to find a lane
to run it. Just as I said when he was
(05:58):
in Chicago, it shouldn't be this hard for a big
guy who moves well with a big arm. It shouldn't
look that hard all the time. Where Colin was right,
Ceedee Lamb didn't play for the Cowboys. And despite the
fact that Stetson Bennett of the Rams through four interceptions,
they could not score a touchdown. You got four interced
(06:19):
when's the last time that ever happened in a game
in the NFL where a team had four picks, some
in good field position, and you still didn't get a touchdown.
And this is my takeaway on the Cowboys. There is
not a team in the NFL that is more dependent
on a singular running back, tight end or wide receiver
than the Dallas Cowboys are. And if Cedi doesn't play,
(06:40):
there's no juice, there's no pop. It's a lot of guys,
and they got to get that contract thing figured out
because nobody in the NFL is given this Cowboy defense
four picks. You're not playing Stetson and Bennett in the regular.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
Season where Colin was rough.
Speaker 1 (06:57):
I've tried to support Dion Sanders, even though I thought
initially Colorado was a weird fit. But I'm seeing the
stuff that's kind of repetitive with Dion Sanders. A lot
of ego, very defensive. If you're gonna put yourself out there, coach,
you're gonna you're shooting a flare off into the sky
every day. Guess what it's gonna attract people? And he
(07:20):
melted down this weekend with the usually very supportive Colorado
football media.
Speaker 5 (07:27):
Eron Christensen with CBS Sports Colorado Tyler.
Speaker 4 (07:31):
I'm not doing none with CBS.
Speaker 6 (07:32):
Next questions above that, none of do with you.
Speaker 4 (07:38):
I love for you, I appreciate, respect you, and none
to do with you. They know what they did.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
I'm here at Denver, not National.
Speaker 6 (07:45):
You are who you.
Speaker 4 (07:46):
Are, is hebs CBS.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
Oh boy, time for the coach to grow up a little.
Where Colin was right, boh Nicks looked like the perfect fit.
I'm telling you, it looks like Sean Payton Drew Brees,
so he will. You know, he was exactly and he
moves much better than people are gonna give him credit for.
He actually moves really well. He moves better than Pennix
I think. I mean, there's a handful of starters in
(08:11):
the league that don't move like they moves better than
Drew Brees. At the end, he's accurate gets. I mean,
you see how fast he gets rid of the ball there.
Speaker 6 (08:18):
That ball.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
You got to get rid of that ball fast. So
four or five for fifty yards and a touchdown. That's
just on third down. He was really really good on
third down where Colin was right. And finally you mocked me. Nesson,
everybody made fun of me when I said keep your
eye on Joe Milton out of Tennessee. The kids got talent.
(08:43):
He's got talent. The offensive line facing four Decembers. He
made this into a big play. Harball liked him. I
think Joe Milton's got talent now. He was inconsistent the
knocking him in college. He missed open receivers. I'm not
saying he's Caleb William but he he looked great and
(09:03):
the crowd was into it. And I mean, Jacoby Brissett
is solid, but look at their schedule. They go on
a four game losing streak. Drake May has not looked
great in the pre seat. You don't think Joe Milton.
All I said was I think I'd give that kid snaps.
I'd give Joe Milton snaps. Jim Harbaugh did, Josh Hibel did.
Go look at the last year and a half in
(09:26):
the SEC. Look at the offensive numbers he put up.
Maybe he's not as fluid, He's not this and that.
All I know. Joe Milton moves the ball. Colin right,
Colin wrong. And let's bring in to me. There's two
linebackers in this league that jump off the television set,
Fred Warner and de Mario Davis. And he is now
(09:47):
joining us live in studio, entering his thirteenth NFL season.
Great serios, Oh man, thank you.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
For having me up.
Speaker 1 (09:55):
You know, I said this last week that there are
linebackers to a lot of people running back in linebacker.
When I grew up watching football, those were the cool position.
Speaker 4 (10:06):
Uh huh.
Speaker 1 (10:07):
I mean that Ray Lewis and the late junior Seow
and you can go back to Dick Buckers, and running
backs were Peyton and Barry standers. And then the NFL
gets more analytical and now running I mean team's moving off.
Rokwan Smith and I'm like, there's two linebackers in this league,
Fred Warner and you. I said this last week. It's
just different. I can see I'm in television. It's different.
What's interesting about you? You were a multiple sports star
(10:30):
in high school. You were track, Yeah, I think you
were football. You could have been basketball or baseball. And
you were a guy willing to like, hey, I'm you
went to Arkansas State. You were willing to do a
lot of different stuff. Is there explain your story? Did
that help? Did Arkansas State help? I mean, if you
look at your journey, I would never guess yeah, he's
(10:50):
gonna be one of the best linebackers for a decade
in the NFL. What do you think your journey did
to create the toughness your your instincts are insane? Yea,
the players for the ball?
Speaker 7 (11:01):
Yeah, what is it? I think exactly what you just said.
My journey is everything that makes me the man that
I am today. When I came out of high school,
I didn't have growing up a missip I didn't have
Mississippi State Old miss coming to offer me. It was
Arkansas State, Southern miss And I didn't even know who
(11:21):
Arkansas State was when they came to and I think
when you have to you feel like you can do
so much, but you're constantly being knocked down. It produces
a certain type of resiliency. I mean, I got to
Arkansas State, a relatively unknown school, and I read shirt
my first year. I feel like I need to be
on the field, but it makes me go into the
(11:42):
weight room. It makes me learn how to play the game.
And then you know, going third round and being drafted
third round at the end of my journey and you
see all these guys that are putting out in front
of you, and I don't start as a lineback.
Speaker 4 (11:54):
On my first year.
Speaker 7 (11:55):
The only thing I played special teams and granted I
had two great linebackers Dave Harris and Bart Scott, that
I got a chance to.
Speaker 4 (12:01):
Learn from behind.
Speaker 7 (12:02):
But it produces something in you that you always got
to work for what you want. And I think it's
it's kind of a forgotten art to that and that
what that means. What I mean by that, you're living
in a time where there's the transfer portal and there's
you know, all these AAU teams and so if you
don't play and you don't like your situation, just change
(12:22):
the situation.
Speaker 1 (12:23):
You couldn't.
Speaker 7 (12:24):
No, No, I mean, I'm sitting on the sideline of
Arkansas State, anyt where for me to go, But here's
the final way to get on the field. And it
made me go in the weight room and put the
work in. It made me go talk to my coaches,
do I how do I learn how to watch film?
Teach me how to play linebacker? Teach me how to
play this game? And once I learned, I just kept
working and I keep that I have that same mentality now,
(12:44):
you know, thirteen years in, I'm trying to figure out
how do I outwork the rookies that are coming in.
That's just and it's because of something that's been built
in me, based on my journey.
Speaker 1 (12:54):
Who was the first person in the NFL that you
believe not just liked you, I really believed in you, Like, oh,
it's a Pro Bowl linebacker?
Speaker 7 (13:03):
Yeah, Rex Ryan Rex Ryan called it, Ryan x Ryan
called it.
Speaker 4 (13:09):
I mean I.
Speaker 7 (13:11):
Didn't I didn't know to what extent that he meant.
He meant it, and I think a lot of people
laughed at him. You know, he said when he drafted
me that the closest comparison that he could make to
me was Ray Lewis, and so no one knew. First
of all, I thought that was the ultimate compliment, and
I knew exactly what he meant. He wasn't describing me
(13:31):
as a player, like this guy is gonna play like Ray.
He's gonna be physically he said, disrupted. This guy is
going to be a great leader. He is a leader
of men, like when Ray opens his mouth, people are
paying attention. When when he takes the field, his presence
is felt. And he saw that in me, and everybody
just kind of laughing, like, who you're comparing this guy
(13:52):
from the middle of nowhere, a small school in Mississippi,
played at Arkansas State third round linebacker to one of
the greatest linebackers that have ever played the game. And
when he said that, and every I saw everybody kind
of laugh and quite kind of smirk at that. I said, Man,
this coach sees me, he sees me, and and I
just wanted to respond to that. And my my journey
(14:15):
has been just that I'm gonna put the work, and
that's what I told him.
Speaker 4 (14:17):
When I showed up. I just walked in.
Speaker 7 (14:19):
And when I walked into the Jets facility, I never
saw a facility like that in my life. That was
my first time being in a super first class environment
where where and I'm like, oh, this is what we
got to train with, this is what we got to
work with. Don't worry, coach, I'm gonna be good on
what you what you said. And you know, all these
all these years later, I hope, I hope I've proven
them right.
Speaker 1 (14:39):
Tell me give me an example. And one of the
things that's so obvious. First of all, you're a very
like ray Lewis. You disrupt the ball, you jar the
ball out, you hit hard, uh, and not a linebackers do.
Some are drag guy down guys, some are some are
rangy guys. But your instincts are insane.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
So uh.
Speaker 1 (14:58):
I remember years ago watching the player not a linebacker
named Honey Badger, and I was talking to a coach.
I'm like, I don't know what he's doing, but he's
on every play, even when he's out of position. You
tend to be instinctively in the right So that tells
me you're watching a lot of game film. Give me
an example of something last year where you watched film
(15:19):
and you saw tell or you saw something. And there's
no question in your mind. You made a play based
on film study, not just your athleticism.
Speaker 7 (15:27):
Yeah, I'll give you. I'll give you two so so
number one two years ago. And this is the greatest
play I feel like today because I got a chance
to pick off.
Speaker 4 (15:36):
The goat Tom Brady.
Speaker 7 (15:39):
But I knew, like Tom Brady when you when you
study him, he loves the middle of the field. His
his main He's like like he's playing chess, and you
know you want to dominate the middle of a chessboard.
And that's what he's done. That's why his tighty end
is the greatest tight end of all time is because
he was focusing on the middle of the field. That's
why slots got off, That's why his running based got off.
So I knew with Tom that he wanted to get
(16:00):
to the middle of the field. And and Tom's a
very hard guy to study for just because you can
even know what he's about to do, but he's gonna
do it quicker than you can respond to it. And
I was dropping out in the hook, and I knew
Tom was going to go from his slant. If it's
open in the middle, there's a three point one pictures trips.
I knew he was going to hit the middle of
the field and if he if he realized that guy's covered,
(16:22):
he's going to the next one. He's going boom boom,
and then he'll come back to his backside checked down.
Speaker 4 (16:27):
And I dropped out and I.
Speaker 7 (16:29):
Wasn't supposed to do it, but I bumped the three
like I was matching him. And as soon as he
saw me do that, he thought the slot was open
and I fell into the next window and it was
an interception. And then that's a past gameplay. The next
is we're playing. We're playing the Giants, and you got
all this you know, hype around the quarterback that's kind
(16:50):
of coming in. But he was having a good year.
I can't remember the guy's name, Italian kid.
Speaker 1 (16:57):
Oh yeah, the backup, and.
Speaker 4 (16:59):
So he was having he was having a great moment.
And it was a lot of hyper around here.
Speaker 7 (17:01):
But I knew what they wanted to do is focus
on the run game, just because you want to keep
him kind of calm, You want to put too.
Speaker 4 (17:06):
Much in his hands.
Speaker 7 (17:08):
And you know, they had this this this poor scheme
play where I knew they were gonna try to get
the ball.
Speaker 4 (17:12):
H to say, Quan and my job was to fit outside.
Speaker 7 (17:17):
But I knew if I could come around based on
the guards that their guards were going wide.
Speaker 4 (17:22):
I knew it was going to be an entry play
and I was able to back door it.
Speaker 1 (17:25):
And that just film, That is just repetition of sitting
in a room often sometimes I ever watch it just
by yourself over and over.
Speaker 4 (17:33):
Yea yeah.
Speaker 7 (17:34):
And one of the great ones was, and I ain't
gonna get too many of my sigres, was I jumped
the screenplay on Baker Mayfield.
Speaker 4 (17:41):
Off one rip.
Speaker 7 (17:43):
I saw I saw something on film and it was
like it was like Saturday night, right before the game.
I'm studying, and I picked up I'm like, man, he
did like a little chick And I picked up on
it and he did it for in the game and
I was able to jump. And I think nobody on
my team coaching, nobody knew how I knew that play.
Speaker 4 (17:58):
But it was off one play.
Speaker 1 (17:59):
So you've had Sean Payton as a coach obviously, and
now Sean has a rebuild. He's got a real rebuild.
What now he's an offensive coach offensive side of the ball,
But can an offensive coach teach you things? Did Sean
teach you? Things as a linebacker.
Speaker 7 (18:16):
Absolutely, absolutely, he trained me. He was a part of
the evolution. So I learned from guys. I've spent time
with Ray Lewis, I've spent time with a reed guys
who helped me study from a defensive aspect. But you know,
being around guys like like Sean and Drew and been
able to ask them questions of what are they foundationally
(18:36):
looking for? And Shawn has told me things that I
won't I won't put everything out there, but he's told
me things like, man, if you just look for this
and this, you pretty much know what the offense is
trying to do. And literally, if you break your study
down from this, this, this, you look at these three things,
you'll know what they're You'll know what they're about, and
whether it's first second down, whether it's third down, whether
it's red.
Speaker 1 (18:56):
He's an intense guy. Does he turn players off? Sometimes? Oh?
Speaker 7 (19:00):
Yeah, if you're not a competitor and you're not trying
to win, it's not going to be for you if
you just if you just a me guy, or you
just only want to turn it on on game day, Like, no,
everything is a competition. Everything with a competition With Sean
and that's what he likes. He likes guys who compete
to win.
Speaker 1 (19:18):
So again, you play in one of the more violent positions.
You are constantly shedding blockers. You never you never have
an easy path. I mean even with you, Ray Lewis,
you're banging into people and guard and most guys you're
banging anywhere bigger than you. Yeah, thirteen years in this league,
you're still healthy. Ray used to have these crazy pregame
(19:39):
what he would do and baths and what do you
do now in year thirteen that maybe you didn't do
in the first couple of years to feel better, to
prepare off seat? What do you do now? How's it
changed for you?
Speaker 4 (19:52):
Yeah?
Speaker 7 (19:53):
I mean, hey, y'all, make sure y'all don't block this
part out. Firstly, like I cannot take for granted that
covering that God has had on my body and so
like it's literally just the Holy Spirit comes in my
body and just takes over. And that's why I have
this platform to do what I do because I'm always
give glory.
Speaker 4 (20:12):
Don't block that out now.
Speaker 1 (20:13):
Uh.
Speaker 7 (20:15):
Next, I have an incredible team around me. I have
an incredible tea. Yes, oh yeah, yes, it's it's it's
it's upward six figures, you know, just but I mean,
it's part of your business.
Speaker 4 (20:26):
What what business do you see that's successful.
Speaker 7 (20:28):
That you don't invest back into your diet is I
wouldn't say my diet.
Speaker 4 (20:32):
I'm a country boy, but so my.
Speaker 1 (20:34):
Diet is you want brisket, you're eating.
Speaker 4 (20:37):
My diet has gotten better.
Speaker 7 (20:38):
I mean the main thing I had to eliminate was
fried foods, and that's that's hard on your boy.
Speaker 4 (20:43):
And no desserts. But yeah, but it's not the diet.
Speaker 7 (20:47):
It's it's it's you know, all the things that you're
doing to recover your muscles, all the things you're doing
to manipulate your tissue, all the things you're doing to
protect your joints.
Speaker 4 (20:57):
It's all those things. And how do you get.
Speaker 7 (21:00):
It's to maximum speed and maintain maximum speed for entire season.
Speaker 4 (21:03):
And it's a lot of work.
Speaker 1 (21:05):
Are there players to Mario Davis for our radio audience,
thirteen years in the NFL, really one of the five
time All Pro one of the jump off the TV
screen linebackers. And there's not a ton you Fred Warner,
Roquan Smith. There are not a lot of guys that
you jump off the screen. Are there, guys? If I
said to you, who's a guy that is is a
(21:27):
tough matchup? And it's interesting. I asked players this all
the time, and it's not always Pro bowlers. Yeah, I've
talked to offensive tackles and they're like, this guy's arms
are long. He disrupts me. Are there, players, Maybe it's
a tight end that you deal with that is just
he may not get the best of you. But you
know Saturday night, you know, Sunday is going to be
(21:48):
three and a half hours of intensity.
Speaker 4 (21:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (21:50):
I mean you have certain guys that come across you
as a matchup that you got to really, you know,
pay attention to, like what plays the teams like with them,
Like unique guys. You know, you're Christian McCaffrey's of the world, right,
You're Travis Kelcey's George Kittles. This man, this is Jamar Gibbs,
is gonna be a problem for Detroit. You know, Like
(22:11):
when I started studying him, I'm like, oh.
Speaker 1 (22:13):
Yeah, he's at burst of something.
Speaker 4 (22:15):
Yeah, yeah it is.
Speaker 7 (22:16):
And but a guy in my position, you know, leading
leading the defense, having to be tapped into the IQ
of the game. My matchup is always going to be
the quarterback and the offensive coordinator. Yeah, and so that's
why I spend a lot of my time studying what's
the relationship between them, what are they trying to do?
Speaker 1 (22:34):
And Yeah, So so in your division this year, you're
gonna get Kirk Cousins and then potentially you got Baker
and Kirk. They're older guys. Bryce Young's a younger guy
in your division. Is it like when you're sitting there
watching in Aaron Rodgers or a Brady or a Kirk
Cousins compared to a rookie quarterback, there's like four or
(22:55):
five I'm gonna start. Yeah, can you tell if I
just let you the audit you don't even watch them,
can you tell the difference as a linebacker calling the signals?
That's not real layered, that's that's that's simple stuff.
Speaker 4 (23:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (23:10):
Are there guys that literally are playing chess with your mind?
Speaker 4 (23:13):
Yeah? I mean where the game has evolved a lot
of it.
Speaker 7 (23:17):
If you look at offenses now, they're taking a lot
of the reads off of the quarterback where it's like
we're gonna call this play, you're gonna know go here, here, here.
If you can just look out there and know what
to look for, you're gonna know where to go with
the ball, and so it takes a lot off and
quarterbacks are coming coming into the game a lot more mature.
Yeah way, yeah, yeah, yeah, they had a lot more snaps,
(23:38):
They've had a lot more time to develop their their mechanics.
They come in a lot more crisp, and so between
the offensive coordinator calling the play, that's easier for the
quarterback to diagnose. It takes a lot of weight off
of him and the quarterback having polished mechanics. That's why
you're able to see these young guys come in and
have so much success. But what you can see is
like the anticipated throws you know, when you're playing guys
(24:00):
later in their career, like a Kit Kirk Cousins, like
a like a Stafford, guys who like a Jared Golf
you see them later in their career, they're making throws
and timing that they weren't making earlier.
Speaker 1 (24:11):
And they're throwing stuff before it's oh yeah yeah.
Speaker 7 (24:14):
And that's what you see is like when you studying them,
you see the timing different.
Speaker 1 (24:17):
Yeah, the you could play it looks like you could
play for years. What is the balance between I want
to be upright when I'm sixty. Yeah, I got money.
I mean, you're you're a Southern guy, You're stay in
the South. Yeah, I'm sure you got a great spread
down there. What is the line for you that, Hey,
(24:39):
I'm gonna hang it out because right now you're still dominant,
which is incredible in your thirteen for a linebacker. Absolutely,
when do you just say, is it winning? If the
team's not winning, what is that for you? What's it
looked like? Retirement? And when?
Speaker 7 (24:51):
Man, I think that's a phenomenal question. I think it's
all about identity and knowing who you are. I've been
I've been so blessed by this game. I played a
lot longer than I ever thought I would have got
a chance to experience so much and to be able
to be where I am and have set my family
up for long after I leave this place. You know
(25:13):
why am I still playing? It's because God has not
done with what he's doing with me in the game yet.
And I'll play as long as he tells me to
keep going, because it's him is extending my platform because
he knows what I'm gonna do with it. He knows
every time I get in a seat like this, I'm
gonna give glory to my Lord and say to Jesus Christ,
I'm gonna say it's because of him that I'm here.
Speaker 4 (25:33):
I mean, I go back to twenty seventeen.
Speaker 7 (25:36):
I was in Cleveland, like I was ready to retire,
and I said, Man, God, my body is broke down,
my mind's broke down. I can't do it anymore. But
if you want me to go forward, I'll keep going.
And I'm praying this, and God literally spoke to me internally.
Speaker 4 (25:51):
It was just like, I got it, you waved the
white flag.
Speaker 7 (25:54):
I got it from here, and so I can't help
but to use this platform to continue to give him
glory time. It's not like a front for me. It's
not like a T shirt. It's not just like a
chain for me. It's not like ear rings with crosses
on them. It's not like I'm just trying to have
a brand of Jesus Christ.
Speaker 4 (26:09):
Like, no, look, it's my life.
Speaker 1 (26:11):
It's light.
Speaker 2 (26:12):
What is that?
Speaker 4 (26:13):
Where is it coming from?
Speaker 7 (26:14):
It's coming from him, and he wants to have that
same type of relationship and connection with you.
Speaker 4 (26:19):
It's not just unique to me.
Speaker 7 (26:21):
It's not like, oh, he has this special favor on Demoro, like, no,
this is what happens when you have that true relationship.
Speaker 4 (26:27):
And so for me, the game is literally that. It's man, it's.
Speaker 7 (26:30):
A platform that gives me an opportunity to talk about him,
and as long as he wants to use it for that,
you know, I'm gonna do it.
Speaker 4 (26:37):
And we got to get this Super Bowl too.
Speaker 1 (26:39):
You know, Zion, New Orleans has such great food. He
kind of struggled. You know, you can get all around
those Rockefeller oysters and all the gumballs. I was gonna say,
it is such an amazing food city. Like you have
to it occasionally, even in season. You just have to
say tonight, I'm gonna I'm gonna go big I'm gonna
(27:00):
go big Gumbo. Do you have a favorite restaurant in
New Orleans? You know what, what's your go to place?
If I, hey, I stopped by, take me to your
favorite place?
Speaker 7 (27:08):
You know, it's it's it's it's a couple of it's
a couple of places in New Orleans that if I'm
gonna go eat number one, like Marrow's Marrow's legendary place. Yeah, yeah, yeah,
he's He's a legend in the city and he's just
opening a new steak spot. I gotta try that Marrow
Steak if I if you there, go get something. I
haven't had it yet, but I've heard great reviews. But
(27:29):
Morrow's is always gonna be a win. I mean, I'm
a I'm a crawl fished type of guy, especially like
coming out of summertime.
Speaker 4 (27:35):
Smith's is my spot. I'm gonna go there.
Speaker 7 (27:40):
Uh but I mean, you can't find a bad meal
in New Orleans. It's hard to find, you know what
I mean. And so yeah, that's that's that's really my
gym when I when I when I do want to
kind of splurge and and do a little bit, I'm
gonna find some some some good food.
Speaker 1 (27:55):
And well, it's great seeing you. We've talked before. Tomorrio
Davis of the New Orleans say the story is remarkable.
Arkansas State Jets bounced around, almost retire and he's going
to wrap up his career. I imagine with the Saints as
a dominant player in this league and on a Monday
as you are. I know, those Niner practices got canceled.
When you by the way, when did you get a call? Yeah,
(28:16):
I mean so then basically forty nine ers are falling apart,
and they just said, we we don't have enough players.
When did you find out?
Speaker 7 (28:22):
I found out at the same time everybody else found
out on Twitter when it dropped on the internet. And
you know, we wish those guys well. I don't know
what's going on internally with them, but you know, we
just wished them well. We were looking forward to a
great week of practice, going against that high powered offense,
being able to see how they move, and you know,
just it's always great when you get a chance to
(28:43):
fellowship with other teams just and see kind of how
they operate, and you have friends across the league. So
we kind of bummed that we didn't get that opportunity,
but we understand great seeing you, hey, thank you man,
thanks for having me on.
Speaker 2 (28:54):
Of course, one more Heard The Herd streams twenty four
hours a day, seven days a week within the iHeartRadio app.
Search her to listen live or on demand whenever you like.
Speaker 1 (29:05):
One of the things about Lebron James, he's the all
time leading scorer. So if you watch the Olympics, Lebron
would score when he was called upon. And you see
this a lot with the Lakers is he'll let the
game as a Laker come to him. He wants somebody
else to take over. He's always been willing to let
(29:28):
others score. And he was just so gifted. I mean,
he's the all time leading scorer. He's just been so gifted.
Scoring can come really easy as long as his jumper
is hitting. He can drop thirty still any given night.
But he only averaged fourteen points in the Olympics and
was still MVP. That shows you his leadership is understanding
of the game. But it's interesting my takeaway watching Lebron
(29:51):
when MVP was man, they have not built the right
roster for him four years ago. I mean they four
years ago, after they went in the bubble. You should
have known. Listen, let's just find some shooters. Let's find
a second or third playmaker and let Lebron in his
last couple of years in LA, like twenty eight minutes
(30:13):
a night, always plays, you know, he starts and he
finishes games, and he plays about sixty a year, so
he's energized for the postseason. Get another playmaker so when
he's off the floor the offense doesn't dry up, and
get him shooters instead. Their biggest move was Westbrook, who's
athletic but can't shoot well. They don't have a bunch
(30:35):
of shooters. They don't really have a second elite playmaker.
Austin Reeves is okay, So I mean now he plays
thirty five to thirty six minutes tonight, tied with Ad
for most on the team. AD's in his prime. Lebron's not.
He played seventy one games last year, and he's really
he's really the only playmaker they really the energizer of
the offense. If he checks out, so does the offense.
(30:57):
You can't possibly have him and Austin Reeves out of
the game at the same time. So you know, as
I look at the Lakers, if you'd have said to
Lebron coming to LA, you'd get a title and you
get another Western Conference Finals appearance, I think he would
have been happy with it. But I think Lebron, I mean,
part of why he was so energized in Paris he
(31:18):
kind of knows these are the last games is that
they're just not They're not close to O Casey's roster
or Minnesota or Denver or Boston. You know, Milwaukee gets healthier,
watch out the Knicks are on the upswing so as Indianapolis, Philadelphia,
cross your fingers on mbiid's health. But I'm watching it
and I'm thinking, man, they haven't done him well. I mean,
(31:40):
the one thing Lebron's always worked with everywhere shooters. You
know what did the really smartly run Miami Heat do
when they got Lebron, Ray, Allen Battier, Mike Miller. I mean,
because they knew d Wade wasn't a great three point shooter.
The first thing pat Riley did is look at his game.
(32:00):
Lebron doesn't need to be the leading scorer every night.
Heat elevate shooters. The Lakers don't have any fear shooters.
It's like, what are we doing here? Well, he got length, great,
but you have ad protecting the ten best defensive player
in my opinion, regardless if Rudy Goberts around or not,
Ady's the best defensive player. So it's just I look
(32:20):
at it and I think if they had Lebron planned
twenty eight minutes to night, twenty eight to thirty, not
thirty six. They had him planned sixty games, so again
he could take nights off and they would have an
elite playmaker that could take over. When you watch how
the Minnesota Tea Wolves are built like they had Aunt
and they're like, okay, we have to get him a
veteran distributor. They go and get Mike Conley. You can
(32:43):
watch the way Minnesota's built. You can watch the way
Denver's built. Okay, Yokich was not a great defensive player,
so they went and got Gordon. They're like, we're gonna
get another guy with length who can defend. The Warriors
have done this. Here's what Steph is. Here's what Steph
Isn't you know, We're gonna make sure Draymond Clay. We're
gonna get guys that can defend. Generally, you find your
(33:04):
star and you're like, what do they elevate and where
is their weak spot? Lebron didn't have a lot of
weak spots. One of them is age. So get another
playmaker who can spell Lebron so he leaves the floor
and you can have Austin Reeves and another elite playmaker
and always give Lebron shooters. Always give Lebron shooters. Miami
(33:28):
did it, Cleveland did a good job of it. That's
the one thing consistently. I mean when they won in
the bubble, they had KCP in the corner hitting jumpers.
It was a thing, all right. Also the very latest
from Aaron Rodgers, a new book out by Ian O'Connor.
Started reading it last night. It is really good. During
home emergencies, every second counts. You need Simply Safe. They
(33:50):
have twenty four to seven monitoring agents that can act
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Speaker 2 (34:00):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and noone eastern nine am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 4 (34:10):
Hey what's up everybody?
Speaker 8 (34:11):
It's me three time pro bowler LeVar Arrington and I
couldn't be more excited to announce a podcast called Up
on Game?
Speaker 1 (34:18):
What is Up on Game?
Speaker 8 (34:19):
You ass along with my fellow pro bowler TJ. Hutschman,
Zada and Super Bowl champion Yup. That's right, Plexico Burus.
You can only name a show with that type of
talent on it. Up on Game We're going to be
sharing our real life experiences loaded with teachable moments. Listen
to Up on Game with Me LeVar Arrington, TJ. Hutschman
(34:41):
Zada and Plexico Burrs on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast
or wherever you get your podcast.
Speaker 9 (34:49):
From Sunday, the NFL preseason kicks off on Fox as
the Saints take on Brock Perdy and the Niners set
off again Sunday at eight pm Eastern The Fox, the
home of Super Bowl fifty nine.
Speaker 1 (35:05):
A lot of stuff going on today. Let's let's not
waste any of it. Ryan with the news.
Speaker 2 (35:15):
This is the herd Line News.
Speaker 10 (35:18):
Well, Jerry Jones unexpectedly said last week that there was
no urgency in signing their all Pro wide receiver CD
Lamb to an extension. Well after yesterday's preseason opener, where
the Cowboys offense was held without a touchdown, Jerry took
a much different tone when discussing Lamb's hold out.
Speaker 6 (35:36):
Now, I understand completely the aanks that's happening when you
are anxious about and someone says anything about whether you're
missed or not well city, you're missed, okay, but you're
not missed out here competing and it doesn't put any
spressure any place on us.
Speaker 4 (35:55):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (35:56):
Yeah, all I know is that CD Lamb went lol
on the internet when Jerry said we're you know, we're
there's no urgency with Ceedee Lamb. And again four interceptions
by Stetson Bennett of the Rams and the Cowboys couldn't
get a touchdown. So it's the weakest running back room
arguably in the league. Tight end, it's okay, it's not special.
(36:17):
Outside of ceed Lamb. There's nobody. You got a double.
So if I'm a defensive team, I mean the Rams yesterday,
you can run vanilla schemes. It doesn't matter. I mean,
Trey Lance was fine, but it's there's nobody. There's no
separation here. You you know, that's what got New England
into trouble, even in Tom Brady's last couple of years.
There there's no separation. You have to make perfect rows.
(36:37):
You take Ceedee Lamb out, there is no there's no
juice here. There's nothing. Tight ends are not big separators,
even Ad Jason Whittner, A Trump, George Kittle, they're not
separating generally from good athletes. They need CD Badley.
Speaker 10 (36:52):
Yeah, and to your point, the last two seasons, Dak
Prescott when targeting Ceedee Lamb one hundred and twenty passer
rating all the other wide receiver eighty nine. So quite
a drop off in production there for Dak.
Speaker 1 (37:04):
That is being Peyton Manning in his prime to Daniel Jones, right,
I mean, that's the difference in the quarterback play of Dak.
I mean, I don't even think Daniel Jones eighty nine,
like think about those numbers. That is a B starter, Yeah,
I mean, and a star one twenty is like Aaron
Rodgers winning MVP year after year, and yet eighty nine
is you're not really a consistent starter in the NFL.
Speaker 4 (37:27):
And the Cowboys also in that win now mode.
Speaker 10 (37:30):
I mean, how many times are you gonna win twelve
regular season games and then not doing anything in the postseason.
So having Ceedee Lamb is not a negotiable. It's something
that needs to happen for this upcoming season. Let's look
to the AFC, with Joe Burrow taking the field on
Saturday for the first time since his season ending wrist
injury suffered last November. On his only drive, he led
the Bengals down the field hit t Higgins for a touchdown.
(37:52):
After the game, Burrow said he wants to get some
more reps in the next weekend's preseason game and discuss
how it felt about his return to the field.
Speaker 5 (38:01):
I'm not sure I necessarily have a list of things
I wanted to accomplish. I would just say, did I
score that touchdown? Had a little help, but it's a
nice starts. Still some work to do, but it's nice
to be back out there.
Speaker 10 (38:16):
I mean, if Barrow stays healthy, you had the Bengals
just outside their Super Bowl bubble.
Speaker 1 (38:21):
I'm just I don't know, I'm gun shy. I'm always like,
who's hurt? I don't listen. Joe mix and I always
thought was better than the press he got. Other than that, obviously,
they'll score points, Zach Taylor, smart coach, protection, But I
just feel like health is such a It's like a
little bit how I feel about the Rams. If Stafford's
(38:42):
healthy and if Burrow were healthy, I would not be shocked.
And I'm not joking. If both were in the Super Bowl,
if it was a Rams Bengals remuch, and in both
instances the quarterback was great and healthy and got protection,
I'd be like, Yeah, Cooper cup Pooka Nakua, got Blake
koram T Higgins, Jamar Chase. I wouldn't be I mean
(39:02):
that's but yet, I'm not making that prediction because nobody
hits her hand on the helmet more than Matt Ryan
or Matt Stafford, and Joe gets banged up. But I
like all the coaching offensive, smart, young offensive coaches, both
the McVay and McVay tree. So I'm kind of like
with the Rams and the Bengals, I'm like, wouldn't be
(39:22):
shocked if they got in a Super Bowl. But I
don't know if I'm not sure where I go with them.
Speaker 10 (39:26):
Yeah, I mean, the one thing we know is quarterback
health is always most important for a Super Bowl contender,
and one thing Patrick Mahomes showed over the years is
despite his ankle getting turned or whatever dislocated kneecap one year,
inevitably he bounces back and is still as effective as
ever and just hasn't always been the case for a
quarterback like Joe Burrow.
Speaker 1 (39:45):
And we'll wrap up with this.
Speaker 10 (39:46):
Aidan O'Connell got the start over Gardner Minshew and the
Raiders first preseason game against the Vikings on Saturday. Both
quarterbacks played pretty well in the contest, and next week
it will be Minshew's turn to get the start. After
the game, here's what head coach Antonio appears had to
say about this competition.
Speaker 11 (40:02):
They're going would be the hope to making decision after
this game to Saturday. We gotta get ready to play football.
And I think, guys, have you know we got enough them? Well,
I have two games here to evaluate both quarterbacks and
see I Bill Flake, and we haven't really made a
decision on who's on the start or.
Speaker 10 (40:19):
Not either one of these guys doing anything for you.
Speaker 1 (40:23):
Minshew moves much better. He's a little bit of a
Baker Mayfield comp Aiden is totally a pocket guy. So
if you're asking me who I think Gardner minshe's a
better quarterback than Aidan O'Connell, I think Gaiden O'Connell's younger.
Antonio Pierce may be thinking, listen, I've seen the Gardener thing.
I've never really seen a full seed season of Aidan O'Connell.
(40:45):
But you know, again, it's a defensive culture. With Antonio Pierce,
I'd go with a more talented, more experienced quarterback, but
that's that's Antonio Pierce's call.
Speaker 10 (40:55):
Sure, I mean it feels like if Aidan O'Connell was
really this breakout star of a quarterback, we would have
seen more in last season and not just sort of
running it back this year. I mean they feel the
Raiders feel like one of the few teams that you
don't see a ton of hope for this upcoming season.
I mean even a team like the Titans, who we
all have questions about.
Speaker 1 (41:16):
Well, what am I supposed to like outside of Max
Crosby Devonte Adams. I mean in coaching momentum, do they
have a unit that's great? I'm the receiving course interesting,
tight endsible counted. They don't have a unit. I can
cling to Ryan with a news.
Speaker 2 (41:34):
Well that's the news, and thanks for stopping by the
herd Line News.
Speaker 1 (41:39):
All right, good stuff today. J Mack is back tomorrow.
J Lab headphones, the Blue Box, Walmart, Target, Best Buy.
I'm hooked recent East Coast and Chicago trips. Check them out.
The Jay Buds lucks over ear noise canceling headphones amazing.
Hour three 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 Sports Radio
dot com, or stream us live every day on the
iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
All right, here we go. It is a Monday, it
is live in Los Angeles. It's The Herd. Wherever you
may be, wherever you may be watching or listening. Thanks
for making us part of your day. Jmax Off Ryan
is filling in Tomrio Davis, great linebacker, a multiple time
(00:48):
Old Troll linebacker, will be in studio from the Saints.
The Saints had a bunch of practices with the forty
nine ers schedules and Kyle Shanahan called it off and said,
we don't have enough available players. It's been a weird,
weird off season for the Niners. Christian McCaffrey's a Variety
magazine Deadline Hollywood wedding out in Rhode Island. You've got
(01:10):
Trent Williams holding out, Brandon I Yuke and the team
doesn't get along right now. They're falling apart physically. So
that's where we are right now. Well, we do this
every Monday at this time, strong opinions. Sometimes we whiff,
sometimes we hit. It's called Colin was right, Colin was wrong,
and here we go.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Where Colin was right.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
I've been saying this with Jason Tatum. Steve Kerr feels
the same way Brad Stevens does. He doesn't know if
he can trust him around other stars to take hold
of the game. He went oh for sixteen on jumpers.
Don't blame Steve Kerr. Jason Tatum didn't hit a jumper
in the Olympics. He shrinks around other stars, and sometimes
(01:53):
when he's on the court for a star, he's kind
of invisible. This is what I've been saying for years.
It's I know all the Celtic backers are mad at
Steve Kerr. It's not a Steve kerrishue. Jayson Tatum went
oh for sixteen one jumpers like he just he didn't
make himself the best possible Jason Tatum. And when your
bench includes Anthony Davis and Bam gonna buy you, you
(02:15):
got to work your way into playing time. I've always
been a little bit cynical of the greatness of Jason
Tatum and Steve Kerr Grees.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
Where Colin was wrang.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
I thought the Olympics felt like they were sort of done,
and I thought they were spectacular. Simone Biles Katie ledeki
Team USA for the men it hit, it felt like
it was a rebirth. The World Cup over the last
twenty years feels like it has absolutely surpassed the Olympics
as the big every four year sporting event. But the politics,
(02:51):
in my opinion, are so ugly and divisive in America.
We were looking for good news and NBC in the
Olympics delivered it for three straight weeks. Could have got
another couple of weeks. It was like make him longer.
I thought it was just and it surprised me they.
I mean, I really was not jacked up to watch
the Olympics going in, and I thought it was amazing.
(03:11):
Where Colin was right, well, I said, Jaden Daniels is
really good and there's a little Lamar Jackson here. He
made the best throw by any rookie arguably this weekend.
It came on an audible and here was his coach
Dan Quinn talking about it.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
I thought of top gun. Do I have permission to
buzz the tower? No ghost rider? The pattern is full,
and so I think on that one he wanted to
ask for forgiveness and not permission and then throw you know,
an absolute dime, you know, over the top to Damie
to go.
Speaker 4 (03:46):
So it was a really cool play.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
It was, and he played well where Colin was raw.
JJ McCarthy, you know, I've been a little bit question
the greatness. Why didn't everybody move up the board to
get him? Well, I thought he looked better than I thought,
and I thought he moved better, played with a ton
of confidence. I mean, he's got a little Sam Darnold
(04:11):
where he'll let it rip. I don't know how great
his arm is. It's good enough. But I thought he
played really well. Eleven of seventeen one hundred and eighty
eight yards. Even his interception, I didn't think you got that.
Sometimes guys in the NFL are really good. It wasn't
a terrible interception. He had a passer rating of one
hundred and sixteen. He had two runs. He moved better
(04:33):
than I thought, so I thought he was clever, he
was nimble. Good for JJ. I still think Donald starts
week one. They got a pretty rough first four or
five weeks, but that was impressive. Where Colin was right,
Michael Pennix, that didn't surprise me. And this proves once
again Pennis played well. It's okay in a league where
(04:54):
sixty quarterbacks will take a snap to have an old
guy coming off of surgery and a talent into a
new guy. Maybe sits on the bench waiting in the wings,
and I don't know how long he'll wait. But there's
all this pushback. How can you how can you draft
him and have Kirk Cousins. Kirk Cousins is coming off surgery.
They've got a good old line, they've got good offensive pieces.
(05:15):
Here's something that's never a problem in the NFL. We've
got one too many good quarterbacks. You can always live
with that. Where Colin was raw. I tried to be
so optimistic with Justin Fields, and then I watched Justin
Fields and he took sacks and he had fumbles, and
it's just it just he looks hesitant. He doesn't get
(05:37):
rid of the ball quick enough. It's kind of who
he is. Fumbles, sacked twice, he struggles like nothing. He
can be brilliant, but he takes his eyes off the
field whenever pressure is coming. He's been hit so much
he doesn't look downfield. He's trying to find a lane
to run it. Just as I said when he was
(05:58):
in Chicago, it shouldn't be this hard for a big
guy who moves well with a big arm. It shouldn't
look that hard all the time. Where Colin was right,
Ceedee Lamb didn't play for the Cowboys. And despite the
fact that Stetson Bennett of the Rams through four interceptions,
they could not score a touchdown. You got four interced
(06:19):
when's the last time that ever happened in a game
in the NFL where a team had four picks, some
in good field position, and you still didn't get a touchdown.
And this is my takeaway on the Cowboys. There is
not a team in the NFL that is more dependent
on a singular running back, tight end or wide receiver
than the Dallas Cowboys are. And if Cedi doesn't play,
(06:40):
there's no juice, there's no pop. It's a lot of guys,
and they got to get that contract thing figured out
because nobody in the NFL is given this Cowboy defense
four picks. You're not playing Stetson and Bennett in the regular.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
Season where Colin was rough.
Speaker 1 (06:57):
I've tried to support Dion Sanders, even though I thought
initially Colorado was a weird fit. But I'm seeing the
stuff that's kind of repetitive with Dion Sanders. A lot
of ego, very defensive. If you're gonna put yourself out there, coach,
you're gonna you're shooting a flare off into the sky
every day. Guess what it's gonna attract people? And he
(07:20):
melted down this weekend with the usually very supportive Colorado
football media.
Speaker 5 (07:27):
Eron Christensen with CBS Sports Colorado Tyler.
Speaker 4 (07:31):
I'm not doing none with CBS.
Speaker 6 (07:32):
Next questions above that, none of do with you.
Speaker 4 (07:38):
I love for you, I appreciate, respect you, and none
to do with you. They know what they did.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
I'm here at Denver, not National.
Speaker 6 (07:45):
You are who you.
Speaker 4 (07:46):
Are, is hebs CBS.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
Oh boy, time for the coach to grow up a little.
Where Colin was right, boh Nicks looked like the perfect fit.
I'm telling you, it looks like Sean Payton Drew Brees,
so he will. You know, he was exactly and he
moves much better than people are gonna give him credit for.
He actually moves really well. He moves better than Pennix
I think. I mean, there's a handful of starters in
(08:11):
the league that don't move like they moves better than
Drew Brees. At the end, he's accurate gets. I mean,
you see how fast he gets rid of the ball there.
Speaker 6 (08:18):
That ball.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
You got to get rid of that ball fast. So
four or five for fifty yards and a touchdown. That's
just on third down. He was really really good on
third down where Colin was right. And finally you mocked me. Nesson,
everybody made fun of me when I said keep your
eye on Joe Milton out of Tennessee. The kids got talent.
(08:43):
He's got talent. The offensive line facing four Decembers. He
made this into a big play. Harball liked him. I
think Joe Milton's got talent now. He was inconsistent the
knocking him in college. He missed open receivers. I'm not
saying he's Caleb William but he he looked great and
(09:03):
the crowd was into it. And I mean, Jacoby Brissett
is solid, but look at their schedule. They go on
a four game losing streak. Drake May has not looked
great in the pre seat. You don't think Joe Milton.
All I said was I think I'd give that kid snaps.
I'd give Joe Milton snaps. Jim Harbaugh did, Josh Hibel did.
Go look at the last year and a half in
(09:26):
the SEC. Look at the offensive numbers he put up.
Maybe he's not as fluid, He's not this and that.
All I know. Joe Milton moves the ball. Colin right,
Colin wrong. And let's bring in to me. There's two
linebackers in this league that jump off the television set,
Fred Warner and de Mario Davis. And he is now
(09:47):
joining us live in studio, entering his thirteenth NFL season.
Great serios, Oh man, thank you.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
For having me up.
Speaker 1 (09:55):
You know, I said this last week that there are
linebackers to a lot of people running back in linebacker.
When I grew up watching football, those were the cool position.
Speaker 4 (10:06):
Uh huh.
Speaker 1 (10:07):
I mean that Ray Lewis and the late junior Seow
and you can go back to Dick Buckers, and running
backs were Peyton and Barry standers. And then the NFL
gets more analytical and now running I mean team's moving off.
Rokwan Smith and I'm like, there's two linebackers in this league,
Fred Warner and you. I said this last week. It's
just different. I can see I'm in television. It's different.
What's interesting about you? You were a multiple sports star
(10:30):
in high school. You were track, Yeah, I think you
were football. You could have been basketball or baseball. And
you were a guy willing to like, hey, I'm you
went to Arkansas State. You were willing to do a
lot of different stuff. Is there explain your story? Did
that help? Did Arkansas State help? I mean, if you
look at your journey, I would never guess yeah, he's
(10:50):
gonna be one of the best linebackers for a decade
in the NFL. What do you think your journey did
to create the toughness your your instincts are insane? Yea,
the players for the ball?
Speaker 7 (11:01):
Yeah, what is it? I think exactly what you just said.
My journey is everything that makes me the man that
I am today. When I came out of high school,
I didn't have growing up a missip I didn't have
Mississippi State Old miss coming to offer me. It was
Arkansas State, Southern miss And I didn't even know who
(11:21):
Arkansas State was when they came to and I think
when you have to you feel like you can do
so much, but you're constantly being knocked down. It produces
a certain type of resiliency. I mean, I got to
Arkansas State, a relatively unknown school, and I read shirt
my first year. I feel like I need to be
on the field, but it makes me go into the
(11:42):
weight room. It makes me learn how to play the game.
And then you know, going third round and being drafted
third round at the end of my journey and you
see all these guys that are putting out in front
of you, and I don't start as a lineback.
Speaker 4 (11:54):
On my first year.
Speaker 7 (11:55):
The only thing I played special teams and granted I
had two great linebackers Dave Harris and Bart Scott, that
I got a chance to.
Speaker 4 (12:01):
Learn from behind.
Speaker 7 (12:02):
But it produces something in you that you always got
to work for what you want. And I think it's
it's kind of a forgotten art to that and that
what that means. What I mean by that, you're living
in a time where there's the transfer portal and there's
you know, all these AAU teams and so if you
don't play and you don't like your situation, just change
(12:22):
the situation.
Speaker 1 (12:23):
You couldn't.
Speaker 7 (12:24):
No, No, I mean, I'm sitting on the sideline of
Arkansas State, anyt where for me to go, But here's
the final way to get on the field. And it
made me go in the weight room and put the
work in. It made me go talk to my coaches,
do I how do I learn how to watch film?
Teach me how to play linebacker? Teach me how to
play this game? And once I learned, I just kept
working and I keep that I have that same mentality now,
(12:44):
you know, thirteen years in, I'm trying to figure out
how do I outwork the rookies that are coming in.
That's just and it's because of something that's been built
in me, based on my journey.
Speaker 1 (12:54):
Who was the first person in the NFL that you
believe not just liked you, I really believed in you, Like, oh,
it's a Pro Bowl linebacker?
Speaker 7 (13:03):
Yeah, Rex Ryan Rex Ryan called it, Ryan x Ryan
called it.
Speaker 4 (13:09):
I mean I.
Speaker 7 (13:11):
Didn't I didn't know to what extent that he meant.
He meant it, and I think a lot of people
laughed at him. You know, he said when he drafted
me that the closest comparison that he could make to
me was Ray Lewis, and so no one knew. First
of all, I thought that was the ultimate compliment, and
I knew exactly what he meant. He wasn't describing me
(13:31):
as a player, like this guy is gonna play like Ray.
He's gonna be physically he said, disrupted. This guy is
going to be a great leader. He is a leader
of men, like when Ray opens his mouth, people are
paying attention. When when he takes the field, his presence
is felt. And he saw that in me, and everybody
just kind of laughing, like, who you're comparing this guy
(13:52):
from the middle of nowhere, a small school in Mississippi,
played at Arkansas State third round linebacker to one of
the greatest linebackers that have ever played the game. And
when he said that, and every I saw everybody kind
of laugh and quite kind of smirk at that. I said, Man,
this coach sees me, he sees me, and and I
just wanted to respond to that. And my my journey
(14:15):
has been just that I'm gonna put the work, and
that's what I told him.
Speaker 4 (14:17):
When I showed up. I just walked in.
Speaker 7 (14:19):
And when I walked into the Jets facility, I never
saw a facility like that in my life. That was
my first time being in a super first class environment
where where and I'm like, oh, this is what we
got to train with, this is what we got to
work with. Don't worry, coach, I'm gonna be good on
what you what you said. And you know, all these
all these years later, I hope, I hope I've proven
them right.
Speaker 1 (14:39):
Tell me give me an example. And one of the
things that's so obvious. First of all, you're a very
like ray Lewis. You disrupt the ball, you jar the
ball out, you hit hard, uh, and not a linebackers do.
Some are drag guy down guys, some are some are
rangy guys. But your instincts are insane.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
So uh.
Speaker 1 (14:58):
I remember years ago watching the player not a linebacker
named Honey Badger, and I was talking to a coach.
I'm like, I don't know what he's doing, but he's
on every play, even when he's out of position. You
tend to be instinctively in the right So that tells
me you're watching a lot of game film. Give me
an example of something last year where you watched film
(15:19):
and you saw tell or you saw something. And there's
no question in your mind. You made a play based
on film study, not just your athleticism.
Speaker 7 (15:27):
Yeah, I'll give you. I'll give you two so so
number one two years ago. And this is the greatest
play I feel like today because I got a chance
to pick off.
Speaker 4 (15:36):
The goat Tom Brady.
Speaker 7 (15:39):
But I knew, like Tom Brady when you when you
study him, he loves the middle of the field. His
his main He's like like he's playing chess, and you
know you want to dominate the middle of a chessboard.
And that's what he's done. That's why his tighty end
is the greatest tight end of all time is because
he was focusing on the middle of the field. That's
why slots got off, That's why his running based got off.
So I knew with Tom that he wanted to get
(16:00):
to the middle of the field. And and Tom's a
very hard guy to study for just because you can
even know what he's about to do, but he's gonna
do it quicker than you can respond to it. And
I was dropping out in the hook, and I knew
Tom was going to go from his slant. If it's
open in the middle, there's a three point one pictures trips.
I knew he was going to hit the middle of
the field and if he if he realized that guy's covered,
(16:22):
he's going to the next one. He's going boom boom,
and then he'll come back to his backside checked down.
Speaker 4 (16:27):
And I dropped out and I.
Speaker 7 (16:29):
Wasn't supposed to do it, but I bumped the three
like I was matching him. And as soon as he
saw me do that, he thought the slot was open
and I fell into the next window and it was
an interception. And then that's a past gameplay. The next
is we're playing. We're playing the Giants, and you got
all this you know, hype around the quarterback that's kind
(16:50):
of coming in. But he was having a good year.
I can't remember the guy's name, Italian kid.
Speaker 1 (16:57):
Oh yeah, the backup, and.
Speaker 4 (16:59):
So he was having he was having a great moment.
And it was a lot of hyper around here.
Speaker 7 (17:01):
But I knew what they wanted to do is focus
on the run game, just because you want to keep
him kind of calm, You want to put too.
Speaker 4 (17:06):
Much in his hands.
Speaker 7 (17:08):
And you know, they had this this this poor scheme
play where I knew they were gonna try to get
the ball.
Speaker 4 (17:12):
H to say, Quan and my job was to fit outside.
Speaker 7 (17:17):
But I knew if I could come around based on
the guards that their guards were going wide.
Speaker 4 (17:22):
I knew it was going to be an entry play
and I was able to back door it.
Speaker 1 (17:25):
And that just film, That is just repetition of sitting
in a room often sometimes I ever watch it just
by yourself over and over.
Speaker 4 (17:33):
Yea yeah.
Speaker 7 (17:34):
And one of the great ones was, and I ain't
gonna get too many of my sigres, was I jumped
the screenplay on Baker Mayfield.
Speaker 4 (17:41):
Off one rip.
Speaker 7 (17:43):
I saw I saw something on film and it was
like it was like Saturday night, right before the game.
I'm studying, and I picked up I'm like, man, he
did like a little chick And I picked up on
it and he did it for in the game and
I was able to jump. And I think nobody on
my team coaching, nobody knew how I knew that play.
Speaker 4 (17:58):
But it was off one play.
Speaker 1 (17:59):
So you've had Sean Payton as a coach obviously, and
now Sean has a rebuild. He's got a real rebuild.
What now he's an offensive coach offensive side of the ball,
But can an offensive coach teach you things? Did Sean
teach you? Things as a linebacker.
Speaker 7 (18:16):
Absolutely, absolutely, he trained me. He was a part of
the evolution. So I learned from guys. I've spent time
with Ray Lewis, I've spent time with a reed guys
who helped me study from a defensive aspect. But you know,
being around guys like like Sean and Drew and been
able to ask them questions of what are they foundationally
(18:36):
looking for? And Shawn has told me things that I
won't I won't put everything out there, but he's told
me things like, man, if you just look for this
and this, you pretty much know what the offense is
trying to do. And literally, if you break your study
down from this, this, this, you look at these three things,
you'll know what they're You'll know what they're about, and
whether it's first second down, whether it's third down, whether
it's red.
Speaker 1 (18:56):
He's an intense guy. Does he turn players off? Sometimes? Oh?
Speaker 7 (19:00):
Yeah, if you're not a competitor and you're not trying
to win, it's not going to be for you if
you just if you just a me guy, or you
just only want to turn it on on game day, Like, no,
everything is a competition. Everything with a competition With Sean
and that's what he likes. He likes guys who compete
to win.
Speaker 1 (19:18):
So again, you play in one of the more violent positions.
You are constantly shedding blockers. You never you never have
an easy path. I mean even with you, Ray Lewis,
you're banging into people and guard and most guys you're
banging anywhere bigger than you. Yeah, thirteen years in this league,
you're still healthy. Ray used to have these crazy pregame
(19:39):
what he would do and baths and what do you
do now in year thirteen that maybe you didn't do
in the first couple of years to feel better, to
prepare off seat? What do you do now? How's it
changed for you?
Speaker 4 (19:52):
Yeah?
Speaker 7 (19:53):
I mean, hey, y'all, make sure y'all don't block this
part out. Firstly, like I cannot take for granted that
covering that God has had on my body and so
like it's literally just the Holy Spirit comes in my
body and just takes over. And that's why I have
this platform to do what I do because I'm always
give glory.
Speaker 4 (20:12):
Don't block that out now.
Speaker 1 (20:13):
Uh.
Speaker 7 (20:15):
Next, I have an incredible team around me. I have
an incredible tea. Yes, oh yeah, yes, it's it's it's
it's upward six figures, you know, just but I mean,
it's part of your business.
Speaker 4 (20:26):
What what business do you see that's successful.
Speaker 7 (20:28):
That you don't invest back into your diet is I
wouldn't say my diet.
Speaker 4 (20:32):
I'm a country boy, but so my.
Speaker 1 (20:34):
Diet is you want brisket, you're eating.
Speaker 4 (20:37):
My diet has gotten better.
Speaker 7 (20:38):
I mean the main thing I had to eliminate was
fried foods, and that's that's hard on your boy.
Speaker 4 (20:43):
And no desserts. But yeah, but it's not the diet.
Speaker 7 (20:47):
It's it's it's you know, all the things that you're
doing to recover your muscles, all the things you're doing
to manipulate your tissue, all the things you're doing to
protect your joints.
Speaker 4 (20:57):
It's all those things. And how do you get.
Speaker 7 (21:00):
It's to maximum speed and maintain maximum speed for entire season.
Speaker 4 (21:03):
And it's a lot of work.
Speaker 1 (21:05):
Are there players to Mario Davis for our radio audience,
thirteen years in the NFL, really one of the five
time All Pro one of the jump off the TV
screen linebackers. And there's not a ton you Fred Warner,
Roquan Smith. There are not a lot of guys that
you jump off the screen. Are there, guys? If I
said to you, who's a guy that is is a
(21:27):
tough matchup? And it's interesting. I asked players this all
the time, and it's not always Pro bowlers. Yeah, I've
talked to offensive tackles and they're like, this guy's arms
are long. He disrupts me. Are there, players, Maybe it's
a tight end that you deal with that is just
he may not get the best of you. But you
know Saturday night, you know, Sunday is going to be
(21:48):
three and a half hours of intensity.
Speaker 4 (21:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (21:50):
I mean you have certain guys that come across you
as a matchup that you got to really, you know,
pay attention to, like what plays the teams like with them,
Like unique guys. You know, you're Christian McCaffrey's of the world, right,
You're Travis Kelcey's George Kittles. This man, this is Jamar Gibbs,
is gonna be a problem for Detroit. You know, Like
(22:11):
when I started studying him, I'm like, oh.
Speaker 1 (22:13):
Yeah, he's at burst of something.
Speaker 4 (22:15):
Yeah, yeah it is.
Speaker 7 (22:16):
And but a guy in my position, you know, leading
leading the defense, having to be tapped into the IQ
of the game. My matchup is always going to be
the quarterback and the offensive coordinator. Yeah, and so that's
why I spend a lot of my time studying what's
the relationship between them, what are they trying to do?
Speaker 1 (22:34):
And Yeah, So so in your division this year, you're
gonna get Kirk Cousins and then potentially you got Baker
and Kirk. They're older guys. Bryce Young's a younger guy
in your division. Is it like when you're sitting there
watching in Aaron Rodgers or a Brady or a Kirk
Cousins compared to a rookie quarterback, there's like four or
(22:55):
five I'm gonna start. Yeah, can you tell if I
just let you the audit you don't even watch them,
can you tell the difference as a linebacker calling the signals?
That's not real layered, that's that's that's simple stuff.
Speaker 4 (23:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (23:10):
Are there guys that literally are playing chess with your mind?
Speaker 4 (23:13):
Yeah? I mean where the game has evolved a lot
of it.
Speaker 7 (23:17):
If you look at offenses now, they're taking a lot
of the reads off of the quarterback where it's like
we're gonna call this play, you're gonna know go here, here, here.
If you can just look out there and know what
to look for, you're gonna know where to go with
the ball, and so it takes a lot off and
quarterbacks are coming coming into the game a lot more mature.
Yeah way, yeah, yeah, yeah, they had a lot more snaps,
(23:38):
They've had a lot more time to develop their their mechanics.
They come in a lot more crisp, and so between
the offensive coordinator calling the play, that's easier for the
quarterback to diagnose. It takes a lot of weight off
of him and the quarterback having polished mechanics. That's why
you're able to see these young guys come in and
have so much success. But what you can see is
like the anticipated throws you know, when you're playing guys
(24:00):
later in their career, like a Kit Kirk Cousins, like
a like a Stafford, guys who like a Jared Golf
you see them later in their career, they're making throws
and timing that they weren't making earlier.
Speaker 1 (24:11):
And they're throwing stuff before it's oh yeah yeah.
Speaker 7 (24:14):
And that's what you see is like when you studying them,
you see the timing different.
Speaker 1 (24:17):
Yeah, the you could play it looks like you could
play for years. What is the balance between I want
to be upright when I'm sixty. Yeah, I got money.
I mean, you're you're a Southern guy, You're stay in
the South. Yeah, I'm sure you got a great spread
down there. What is the line for you that, Hey,
(24:39):
I'm gonna hang it out because right now you're still dominant,
which is incredible in your thirteen for a linebacker. Absolutely,
when do you just say, is it winning? If the
team's not winning, what is that for you? What's it
looked like? Retirement? And when?
Speaker 7 (24:51):
Man, I think that's a phenomenal question. I think it's
all about identity and knowing who you are. I've been
I've been so blessed by this game. I played a
lot longer than I ever thought I would have got
a chance to experience so much and to be able
to be where I am and have set my family
up for long after I leave this place. You know
(25:13):
why am I still playing? It's because God has not
done with what he's doing with me in the game yet.
And I'll play as long as he tells me to
keep going, because it's him is extending my platform because
he knows what I'm gonna do with it. He knows
every time I get in a seat like this, I'm
gonna give glory to my Lord and say to Jesus Christ,
I'm gonna say it's because of him that I'm here.
Speaker 4 (25:33):
I mean, I go back to twenty seventeen.
Speaker 7 (25:36):
I was in Cleveland, like I was ready to retire,
and I said, Man, God, my body is broke down,
my mind's broke down. I can't do it anymore. But
if you want me to go forward, I'll keep going.
And I'm praying this, and God literally spoke to me internally.
Speaker 4 (25:51):
It was just like, I got it, you waved the
white flag.
Speaker 7 (25:54):
I got it from here, and so I can't help
but to use this platform to continue to give him
glory time. It's not like a front for me. It's
not like a T shirt. It's not just like a
chain for me. It's not like ear rings with crosses
on them. It's not like I'm just trying to have
a brand of Jesus Christ.
Speaker 4 (26:09):
Like, no, look, it's my life.
Speaker 1 (26:11):
It's light.
Speaker 2 (26:12):
What is that?
Speaker 4 (26:13):
Where is it coming from?
Speaker 7 (26:14):
It's coming from him, and he wants to have that
same type of relationship and connection with you.
Speaker 4 (26:19):
It's not just unique to me.
Speaker 7 (26:21):
It's not like, oh, he has this special favor on Demoro, like, no,
this is what happens when you have that true relationship.
Speaker 4 (26:27):
And so for me, the game is literally that. It's man, it's.
Speaker 7 (26:30):
A platform that gives me an opportunity to talk about him,
and as long as he wants to use it for that,
you know, I'm gonna do it.
Speaker 4 (26:37):
And we got to get this Super Bowl too.
Speaker 1 (26:39):
You know, Zion, New Orleans has such great food. He
kind of struggled. You know, you can get all around
those Rockefeller oysters and all the gumballs. I was gonna say,
it is such an amazing food city. Like you have
to it occasionally, even in season. You just have to
say tonight, I'm gonna I'm gonna go big I'm gonna
(27:00):
go big Gumbo. Do you have a favorite restaurant in
New Orleans? You know what, what's your go to place?
If I, hey, I stopped by, take me to your
favorite place?
Speaker 7 (27:08):
You know, it's it's it's it's a couple of it's
a couple of places in New Orleans that if I'm
gonna go eat number one, like Marrow's Marrow's legendary place. Yeah, yeah, yeah,
he's He's a legend in the city and he's just
opening a new steak spot. I gotta try that Marrow
Steak if I if you there, go get something. I
haven't had it yet, but I've heard great reviews. But
(27:29):
Morrow's is always gonna be a win. I mean, I'm
a I'm a crawl fished type of guy, especially like
coming out of summertime.
Speaker 4 (27:35):
Smith's is my spot. I'm gonna go there.
Speaker 7 (27:40):
Uh but I mean, you can't find a bad meal
in New Orleans. It's hard to find, you know what
I mean. And so yeah, that's that's that's really my
gym when I when I when I do want to
kind of splurge and and do a little bit, I'm
gonna find some some some good food.
Speaker 1 (27:55):
And well, it's great seeing you. We've talked before. Tomorrio
Davis of the New Orleans say the story is remarkable.
Arkansas State Jets bounced around, almost retire and he's going
to wrap up his career. I imagine with the Saints as
a dominant player in this league and on a Monday
as you are. I know, those Niner practices got canceled.
When you by the way, when did you get a call? Yeah,
(28:16):
I mean so then basically forty nine ers are falling apart,
and they just said, we we don't have enough players.
When did you find out?
Speaker 7 (28:22):
I found out at the same time everybody else found
out on Twitter when it dropped on the internet. And
you know, we wish those guys well. I don't know
what's going on internally with them, but you know, we
just wished them well. We were looking forward to a
great week of practice, going against that high powered offense,
being able to see how they move, and you know,
just it's always great when you get a chance to
(28:43):
fellowship with other teams just and see kind of how
they operate, and you have friends across the league. So
we kind of bummed that we didn't get that opportunity,
but we understand great seeing you, hey, thank you man,
thanks for having me on.
Speaker 2 (28:54):
Of course, one more Heard The Herd streams twenty four
hours a day, seven days a week within the iHeartRadio app.
Search her to listen live or on demand whenever you like.
Speaker 1 (29:05):
One of the things about Lebron James, he's the all
time leading scorer. So if you watch the Olympics, Lebron
would score when he was called upon. And you see
this a lot with the Lakers is he'll let the
game as a Laker come to him. He wants somebody
else to take over. He's always been willing to let
(29:28):
others score. And he was just so gifted. I mean,
he's the all time leading scorer. He's just been so gifted.
Scoring can come really easy as long as his jumper
is hitting. He can drop thirty still any given night.
But he only averaged fourteen points in the Olympics and
was still MVP. That shows you his leadership is understanding
of the game. But it's interesting my takeaway watching Lebron
(29:51):
when MVP was man, they have not built the right
roster for him four years ago. I mean they four
years ago, after they went in the bubble. You should
have known. Listen, let's just find some shooters. Let's find
a second or third playmaker and let Lebron in his
last couple of years in LA, like twenty eight minutes
(30:13):
a night, always plays, you know, he starts and he
finishes games, and he plays about sixty a year, so
he's energized for the postseason. Get another playmaker so when
he's off the floor the offense doesn't dry up, and
get him shooters instead. Their biggest move was Westbrook, who's
athletic but can't shoot well. They don't have a bunch
(30:35):
of shooters. They don't really have a second elite playmaker.
Austin Reeves is okay, So I mean now he plays
thirty five to thirty six minutes tonight, tied with Ad
for most on the team. AD's in his prime. Lebron's not.
He played seventy one games last year, and he's really
he's really the only playmaker they really the energizer of
the offense. If he checks out, so does the offense.
(30:57):
You can't possibly have him and Austin Reeves out of
the game at the same time. So you know, as
I look at the Lakers, if you'd have said to
Lebron coming to LA, you'd get a title and you
get another Western Conference Finals appearance, I think he would
have been happy with it. But I think Lebron, I mean,
part of why he was so energized in Paris he
(31:18):
kind of knows these are the last games is that
they're just not They're not close to O Casey's roster
or Minnesota or Denver or Boston. You know, Milwaukee gets healthier,
watch out the Knicks are on the upswing so as Indianapolis, Philadelphia,
cross your fingers on mbiid's health. But I'm watching it
and I'm thinking, man, they haven't done him well. I mean,
(31:40):
the one thing Lebron's always worked with everywhere shooters. You
know what did the really smartly run Miami Heat do
when they got Lebron, Ray, Allen Battier, Mike Miller. I mean,
because they knew d Wade wasn't a great three point shooter.
The first thing pat Riley did is look at his game.
(32:00):
Lebron doesn't need to be the leading scorer every night.
Heat elevate shooters. The Lakers don't have any fear shooters.
It's like, what are we doing here? Well, he got length, great,
but you have ad protecting the ten best defensive player
in my opinion, regardless if Rudy Goberts around or not,
Ady's the best defensive player. So it's just I look
(32:20):
at it and I think if they had Lebron planned
twenty eight minutes to night, twenty eight to thirty, not
thirty six. They had him planned sixty games, so again
he could take nights off and they would have an
elite playmaker that could take over. When you watch how
the Minnesota Tea Wolves are built like they had Aunt
and they're like, okay, we have to get him a
veteran distributor. They go and get Mike Conley. You can
(32:43):
watch the way Minnesota's built. You can watch the way
Denver's built. Okay, Yokich was not a great defensive player,
so they went and got Gordon. They're like, we're gonna
get another guy with length who can defend. The Warriors
have done this. Here's what Steph is. Here's what Steph
Isn't you know, We're gonna make sure Draymond Clay. We're
gonna get guys that can defend. Generally, you find your
(33:04):
star and you're like, what do they elevate and where
is their weak spot? Lebron didn't have a lot of
weak spots. One of them is age. So get another
playmaker who can spell Lebron so he leaves the floor
and you can have Austin Reeves and another elite playmaker
and always give Lebron shooters. Always give Lebron shooters. Miami
(33:28):
did it, Cleveland did a good job of it. That's
the one thing consistently. I mean when they won in
the bubble, they had KCP in the corner hitting jumpers.
It was a thing, all right. Also the very latest
from Aaron Rodgers, a new book out by Ian O'Connor.
Started reading it last night. It is really good. During
home emergencies, every second counts. You need Simply Safe. They
(33:50):
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Speaker 2 (34:00):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and noone eastern nine am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 4 (34:10):
Hey what's up everybody?
Speaker 8 (34:11):
It's me three time pro bowler LeVar Arrington and I
couldn't be more excited to announce a podcast called Up
on Game?
Speaker 1 (34:18):
What is Up on Game?
Speaker 8 (34:19):
You ass along with my fellow pro bowler TJ. Hutschman,
Zada and Super Bowl champion Yup. That's right, Plexico Burus.
You can only name a show with that type of
talent on it. Up on Game We're going to be
sharing our real life experiences loaded with teachable moments. Listen
to Up on Game with Me LeVar Arrington, TJ. Hutschman
(34:41):
Zada and Plexico Burrs on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast
or wherever you get your podcast.
Speaker 9 (34:49):
From Sunday, the NFL preseason kicks off on Fox as
the Saints take on Brock Perdy and the Niners set
off again Sunday at eight pm Eastern The Fox, the
home of Super Bowl fifty nine.
Speaker 1 (35:05):
A lot of stuff going on today. Let's let's not
waste any of it. Ryan with the news.
Speaker 2 (35:15):
This is the herd Line News.
Speaker 10 (35:18):
Well, Jerry Jones unexpectedly said last week that there was
no urgency in signing their all Pro wide receiver CD
Lamb to an extension. Well after yesterday's preseason opener, where
the Cowboys offense was held without a touchdown, Jerry took
a much different tone when discussing Lamb's hold out.
Speaker 6 (35:36):
Now, I understand completely the aanks that's happening when you
are anxious about and someone says anything about whether you're
missed or not well city, you're missed, okay, but you're
not missed out here competing and it doesn't put any
spressure any place on us.
Speaker 4 (35:55):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (35:56):
Yeah, all I know is that CD Lamb went lol
on the internet when Jerry said we're you know, we're
there's no urgency with Ceedee Lamb. And again four interceptions
by Stetson Bennett of the Rams and the Cowboys couldn't
get a touchdown. So it's the weakest running back room
arguably in the league. Tight end, it's okay, it's not special.
(36:17):
Outside of ceed Lamb. There's nobody. You got a double.
So if I'm a defensive team, I mean the Rams yesterday,
you can run vanilla schemes. It doesn't matter. I mean,
Trey Lance was fine, but it's there's nobody. There's no
separation here. You you know, that's what got New England
into trouble, even in Tom Brady's last couple of years.
There there's no separation. You have to make perfect rows.
(36:37):
You take Ceedee Lamb out, there is no there's no
juice here. There's nothing. Tight ends are not big separators,
even Ad Jason Whittner, A Trump, George Kittle, they're not
separating generally from good athletes. They need CD Badley.
Speaker 10 (36:52):
Yeah, and to your point, the last two seasons, Dak
Prescott when targeting Ceedee Lamb one hundred and twenty passer
rating all the other wide receiver eighty nine. So quite
a drop off in production there for Dak.
Speaker 1 (37:04):
That is being Peyton Manning in his prime to Daniel Jones, right,
I mean, that's the difference in the quarterback play of Dak.
I mean, I don't even think Daniel Jones eighty nine,
like think about those numbers. That is a B starter, Yeah,
I mean, and a star one twenty is like Aaron
Rodgers winning MVP year after year, and yet eighty nine
is you're not really a consistent starter in the NFL.
Speaker 4 (37:27):
And the Cowboys also in that win now mode.
Speaker 10 (37:30):
I mean, how many times are you gonna win twelve
regular season games and then not doing anything in the postseason.
So having Ceedee Lamb is not a negotiable. It's something
that needs to happen for this upcoming season. Let's look
to the AFC, with Joe Burrow taking the field on
Saturday for the first time since his season ending wrist
injury suffered last November. On his only drive, he led
the Bengals down the field hit t Higgins for a touchdown.
(37:52):
After the game, Burrow said he wants to get some
more reps in the next weekend's preseason game and discuss
how it felt about his return to the field.
Speaker 5 (38:01):
I'm not sure I necessarily have a list of things
I wanted to accomplish. I would just say, did I
score that touchdown? Had a little help, but it's a
nice starts. Still some work to do, but it's nice
to be back out there.
Speaker 10 (38:16):
I mean, if Barrow stays healthy, you had the Bengals
just outside their Super Bowl bubble.
Speaker 1 (38:21):
I'm just I don't know, I'm gun shy. I'm always like,
who's hurt? I don't listen. Joe mix and I always
thought was better than the press he got. Other than that, obviously,
they'll score points, Zach Taylor, smart coach, protection, But I
just feel like health is such a It's like a
little bit how I feel about the Rams. If Stafford's
(38:42):
healthy and if Burrow were healthy, I would not be shocked.
And I'm not joking. If both were in the Super Bowl,
if it was a Rams Bengals remuch, and in both
instances the quarterback was great and healthy and got protection,
I'd be like, Yeah, Cooper cup Pooka Nakua, got Blake
koram T Higgins, Jamar Chase. I wouldn't be I mean
(39:02):
that's but yet, I'm not making that prediction because nobody
hits her hand on the helmet more than Matt Ryan
or Matt Stafford, and Joe gets banged up. But I
like all the coaching offensive, smart, young offensive coaches, both
the McVay and McVay tree. So I'm kind of like
with the Rams and the Bengals, I'm like, wouldn't be
(39:22):
shocked if they got in a Super Bowl. But I
don't know if I'm not sure where I go with them.
Speaker 10 (39:26):
Yeah, I mean, the one thing we know is quarterback
health is always most important for a Super Bowl contender,
and one thing Patrick Mahomes showed over the years is
despite his ankle getting turned or whatever dislocated kneecap one year,
inevitably he bounces back and is still as effective as
ever and just hasn't always been the case for a
quarterback like Joe Burrow.
Speaker 1 (39:45):
And we'll wrap up with this.
Speaker 10 (39:46):
Aidan O'Connell got the start over Gardner Minshew and the
Raiders first preseason game against the Vikings on Saturday. Both
quarterbacks played pretty well in the contest, and next week
it will be Minshew's turn to get the start. After
the game, here's what head coach Antonio appears had to
say about this competition.
Speaker 11 (40:02):
They're going would be the hope to making decision after
this game to Saturday. We gotta get ready to play football.
And I think, guys, have you know we got enough them? Well,
I have two games here to evaluate both quarterbacks and
see I Bill Flake, and we haven't really made a
decision on who's on the start or.
Speaker 10 (40:19):
Not either one of these guys doing anything for you.
Speaker 1 (40:23):
Minshew moves much better. He's a little bit of a
Baker Mayfield comp Aiden is totally a pocket guy. So
if you're asking me who I think Gardner minshe's a
better quarterback than Aidan O'Connell, I think Gaiden O'Connell's younger.
Antonio Pierce may be thinking, listen, I've seen the Gardener thing.
I've never really seen a full seed season of Aidan O'Connell.
(40:45):
But you know, again, it's a defensive culture. With Antonio Pierce,
I'd go with a more talented, more experienced quarterback, but
that's that's Antonio Pierce's call.
Speaker 10 (40:55):
Sure, I mean it feels like if Aidan O'Connell was
really this breakout star of a quarterback, we would have
seen more in last season and not just sort of
running it back this year. I mean they feel the
Raiders feel like one of the few teams that you
don't see a ton of hope for this upcoming season.
I mean even a team like the Titans, who we
all have questions about.
Speaker 1 (41:16):
Well, what am I supposed to like outside of Max
Crosby Devonte Adams. I mean in coaching momentum, do they
have a unit that's great? I'm the receiving course interesting,
tight endsible counted. They don't have a unit. I can
cling to Ryan with a news.
Speaker 2 (41:34):
Well that's the news, and thanks for stopping by the
herd Line News.
Speaker 1 (41:39):
All right, good stuff today. J Mack is back tomorrow.
J Lab headphones, the Blue Box, Walmart, Target, Best Buy.
I'm hooked recent East Coast and Chicago trips. Check them out.
The Jay Buds lucks over ear noise canceling headphones amazing.
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