Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
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Speaker 2 (00:21):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
Here we go at Tower two on a Wednesday. Albert
Breyer in a couple of minutes, sob Brooks Koepka, my
guy going back to the tour, not going to be
eligible for some of the money, but he can still
take all of it. The Masters, the US Open, in
(00:46):
the British Open. So I didn't have a problem when
he left for Lives. I don't have a problem him
coming back. I like watching him play. The more he's
on my TV, the happier I am. So the way
I feel about Bryce and to Shamba and Rory McElroy,
Tiger Woods in his prime here on my TV, I'm happy.
I don't care who you play for. I mean, the
PGA doesn't control my three favorite tournaments. My three favorite
(01:06):
tournaments Masters, US Open, British Open, FedEx Cup's fine, but
I'm glad he's back, and I'm okay that he left.
All right, I do this, this will be I always
have about five or six teams in my Super Bowl bubble.
A lot of those teams like Kansas City or in
(01:26):
New England in their dynasty that we don't have that
this year. In fact, maybe the best team's Buffalo. We
don't know, and are they a super Bowl Bowl team?
So eight teams left, I'm gonna tell you how many
teams I think are capable of winning the Super Bowl.
That's a lot of wins from today. So we'll start
with the Rams. Number one scoring offense, number one total
(01:49):
offense in the NFL, and they are healthy. Okay, they're healthy,
and that offense is lethal. Matt Stafford's always been good
in the playof six and two with the Rams one
oh seven passer rating. I don't love their special teams.
But one of the teams that matched up very well
against them, Philadelphia with AJ Brown a problem for their corners.
(02:13):
They're out by the way. Carolina match up well with
them twice. Two big boundary of receivers. The Rams are
a Super Bowl Bubble team. The second one I would
put in New England, folks, They've won fourteen in the
last fifteen games, top five coach. They also lead the
NFL in yards per play, including the playoffs. That's what
(02:37):
the wise guys like. And I said this yesterday. Here's
where they remind me of the old Patriots. A mature, tall,
accurate quarterback, a defense, tough guy at coach Josh McDaniel, coordinator,
Robert Kraft, owner and those Patriot teams didn't have any
major holes. They weren't the best at a lot of
(02:59):
things other than quarterback, but they didn't have a lot
of holes. I don't know what the hole on the
Patriots is. I do think they have to continue to
modify the old line, but they don't have a lot
of holes. They may not be great at anything, are
they terrible at anything? I have New England capable of
getting in winning a Super Bowl. The third team I
(03:20):
think can get in as the Seahawks. Again. They won
eleven of twelve, only lost two points in a turnover
play game against the Rams, number four scoring offense. You
can't run the football on them, so they force you
to throw. Well, that can be problematic if you're playing
in Seattle and it's raining in January sideways. I think
(03:42):
their coach is the defensive version of Sean McVay. They
can score early, they can score late. Sometimes they're a
little dependent on JS Senate wide receiver. Okay, but again
I don't know where their hole is. Well. Darnold throws picked,
so does brock perty and Matt Stafford volks to Peyton Manning.
I think the Seahawks are an obvious choice capable of
(04:04):
getting to and winning the Super Bowl. And my fourth
and final team maybe is the Buffalo Bills, best second
half team in the league. Josh Allen has twice as
many wins eight as the remaining AFC quarterbacks combined four.
Their offensive personnel is very good, Deon Dawkins, James Cook,
(04:26):
excellent tight ends, Kincaid Dawson Knox. Offensive line is good.
Defense worries me a little, but I think they can
go and win the Super Bowl. I've changed my mind
on this impressive win of Jacksonville. How about the Chicago Bears.
I can't put them in worst scoring defense, worst total
(04:48):
defense of the remaining playoff teams. They just give up
to many big plays Niners. Now that Kittle's out, Bosa
Warner out put the Niners in second worst scoring defense.
Saala's doing it with smoking mirrors. Okay, Now, my Denver Broncos,
(05:08):
I can't held the twenty points or fewer three straight games.
I think they're the best team potentially because they get
a play at home, so I think they're keep your
eye on Denver against Buffalo. But they've played a very
easy schedule. The Jacksonville loss was kind of a whoe moment,
and they are struggling offensively. People got a lot of
(05:31):
film now in bow Knicks and the Houston Texans. I
have changed my mind. Oh in six divisional round all time.
Jmax said it earlier this week. Something's not quite right
with CJ. Stroud missing one of their best receivers. They
are this is a knock twenty fourth yards per play.
I honestly, if Woody Marks is out, I don't feel
(05:52):
like they're viable. They're thirtieth in the red zone. That
was my knock on them Monday night. They settled for
field goals, not touchdowns. Rams Seahawks Bills Patriots in by
the way, its feet not even yards Denver. I mean
(06:13):
the coaching in San Francisco, the pass rush in Denver,
the defense in Houston, and the explosive late game heroics
of Caleb Williams. We're not saying they can't win another game,
but I think only four of eight can get to
and win the Super Bowl with that. Albert Breer is
now joining US Live. You're a reporter or not that
(06:34):
you care any of those rankly, any of those you
would strongly disagree with.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
I mean, Houston's defense is starting to feel to me
like twenty fifteen Broncos, twy thirteen Seahawks, two thousand and
two Buccaneers, I shift, two thousand Ravens. Like just watching
them close on the ball, that was the big thing,
because I think we all know, like how they can
(07:01):
cover on the backhand with the corners they have, how
they can get after the passer with Anderson and Hunter,
and then the depth that they have on the defensive line.
Speaker 4 (07:10):
You know, one thing that really stuck out to me,
Colin was.
Speaker 3 (07:13):
Watching when Aaron Rodgers checked the ball down and threw
it over the middle on Monday Night. Yeah, and how
it seemed like there were three hats on the ball
like instantly on every single play.
Speaker 4 (07:23):
And it's just I.
Speaker 3 (07:28):
Saw what they did to the Bills and Josh Allen
earlier in the year, and the I mean, like it
is just I mean it legitimately looks like there are
thirteen guys out there.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
You know, said that when you see a great defense,
it is as if they're playing with another man, either
in the pass rush or in the linebacking court. Houston
feels like they got an extra guy out there.
Speaker 3 (07:49):
Right, So, Like my question is, and here's what so
interesting about Houston to me? Right, So you got kJ
Stroud and I think we've seen it at times this year.
It just hasn't been consistent, right, like what he wants
a rookie. So you saw it against San Francisco for example.
I think he threw for three hundred and fifty yards
against them. That's a good team. Like, I know they've
had their injuries, but that's obviously a.
Speaker 4 (08:07):
Really good team.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
I just like, to me, it's like, what do their
first year guys do, so, especially if Nico Collins is
out this week, right, Like and we'll see.
Speaker 4 (08:19):
On the concussion protocol.
Speaker 3 (08:21):
But their rookie receiver Jayden Higgins and Jalen Noel, their
rookie running back, what he marks, their rookie left tackle
Arianta ERSII, their rookie offensive coordinator Nick Kyley, who knows
New England inside now because he came up there.
Speaker 4 (08:34):
Like, I just.
Speaker 3 (08:36):
I look at the amount of young people and first
year people, you know, not necessarily all rookies, but these
amount of young people that are relying on on offense,
and the quarterback's part of that equation too, And can
they give them enough where that defense can can really
turn it on?
Speaker 4 (08:53):
And I think you.
Speaker 3 (08:55):
Saw flashes of it again on Monday night, like there
was the deep ball to Jalen Knowle that was right
on his numbers and he dropped it, you know.
Speaker 4 (09:04):
So they're just little.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
Things that you see with them offensively where it's like God,
they're right there.
Speaker 4 (09:09):
And this team could be even better next year, you know.
And I just think the historic.
Speaker 3 (09:14):
Nature of the defense, we've seen it before, right like so,
and we've seen it in this era like we saw
it with the twenty fifteen Broncos where they didn't have
a lot offensively. So I'm really interested to see what
happens when they come up to fox spron play on Sunday.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
We know the Ravens is the best job for a
lot of reasons. Great owner, nice roster a mix of
young experience, Pro Bowlers, Lamar Jackson. Okay, let's start with
a number two job. I'm going to argue that we
I think the Giants is the second best job. I
go in with left tackle, by the way, great offensive
tackle draft my first pick. I can go get the
(09:51):
best tackle so I can solve That's like when Brady
went to Tampa and they got Tristan Worse. That was
their big issue. Good roster bat at right tack, So
Giants can solve that right out of the shoot. I
think the Giants over the Steelers. Steelers don't have a quarterback.
Steelers spend a lot of money on defense. They have
a lot of draft things. But you'll be very, very
young defensively next year. Now, I know the stability thing.
(10:14):
We all know that goes without saying in Pittsburgh. I
think the Giants is a better job today to me
than Pittsburgh. They got Lamar in that division, Burls coming
back in that division next year, they could get an
arch manning. Do you think the Giants is better than
the Steelers? Is the second best gig?
Speaker 3 (10:30):
I would agree, And I think what's so interesting about
this year's market, Colin is so many of the jobs
depend on your individual evaluation of the quarterback, right, because
we know how important having the right quarterback is. So
the Giants job, how attractive it is, is largely dependent
on what you think of Jackson Dart. Same thing with
cam Ward and Tennessee, same thing with Michael Pennix in Atlanta.
(10:51):
I mean, heck, you just say the same thing about Vegas,
like what do you think of Fernando Mendoza and Dante Moore? Right, So,
I think the attractiveness of this job kind of a
moving target with some of these teams based on your
own evaluation of the quarterback position.
Speaker 4 (11:05):
That said, they have a lot of other.
Speaker 3 (11:07):
Things with the Giants, like you said, franchise left tackle
and Andrew Thomas, franchise receiver in.
Speaker 4 (11:13):
Eliite neighbors.
Speaker 3 (11:14):
On the defensive front, I mean, my goodness, Brian Burns,
Abdulla Carter, Dexter Lawrence, you have a chance to be
dominant up front right out of the shoot as a
first year head coach. They've invested in their secondary, bringing
in Paulson Adebo and Javon Holland last offseason, so they
have pieces and this is why, like the last couple
of years, I felt like they were the team right.
Speaker 4 (11:34):
On the edge. So I think I would agree with you.
Speaker 3 (11:36):
I think a lot of it depends on what your
evaluation of Dart is.
Speaker 4 (11:41):
It's just as to just how attractive the job is.
But if you love.
Speaker 3 (11:44):
Dart, I think it's got everything that you'd want, stable ownership,
all of that. The Steelers, I mean, I would just
say this with the Steelers, I think it's an attractive
job because it's the Steelers, it's a it's a flagship franchise,
pay ownership. They're going to give you time to bill.
But man, you got a lot of work to do
on that roster. They got eight guys and they're starting
(12:07):
twenty two right.
Speaker 4 (12:07):
Now that are thirty year older. Wow, So what do
you do with TJ.
Speaker 2 (12:11):
Watt?
Speaker 3 (12:11):
What do you do with Cam Hayward? Does he retire?
What do you do with Jalen Ramsey, Aaron Rodgers? Does
he enter out? You don't have a lot of guys
in that roster where you look and say, yeah, that
guy's going to be here three years from now. Got
a couple offensive linemen, maybe a defensive lineman or two,
and that's it. And so you've got I think what
looks like a relatively lengthy rebuild there.
Speaker 4 (12:32):
That isn't the case with the Giants.
Speaker 1 (12:35):
For the record, the job openings are fascinating. There are
nine openings. Guys put the graphic up. I said, I
think there's better candidates than we think. I think Tomlin's
going to do a reset. I think he's going to
take a year off do TV. He's not a TV
guys like Rabel. He could do TV, he's not a
TV guy. I think hard Boss Tofanski, Tomlin, McCarthy, those
(12:59):
are very good options. I think Sola, Flores and dabol
deserve a second chance. If I had to, I'd hire
all of them. I think Henzer, Kubiak and Halflee are
certainly worthy of an opportunity. I think Kingsbury is an OC.
I don't think he likes conflict. That's why he's bailing
on DC. He felt bullied by Adam Peters, I was told.
(13:20):
I also think Mike McDaniel's brilliant. I think he's a
vice president, not a president. I'd hired him in one
second to be my coordinator. Anything there. When you look
at this tiering, am I missing something? Is Half Lee considering?
Speaker 4 (13:36):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (13:36):
I mean you tell me what you make of that?
Speaker 3 (13:38):
Okay, So, like the first thing I would say is like,
I'm looking at your second chance.
Speaker 4 (13:41):
Guys.
Speaker 3 (13:41):
I think Robert Sala has a chance because of his
ability to put together a staff. His ties are all
to the Shanahan tree. Could he bring Mike McDaniel, who
he's very close with, right right.
Speaker 4 (13:51):
To Tennessee with him?
Speaker 3 (13:52):
Or could he bring Mike Lafleur for the opportunity to
call plays if Sean mcday would let him leave the
call plays, could he bring him to Tennessee with them?
And you know, Robert is not only going to have
that guy, He's also going to know who the next
guy is, so he can go to an owner and say, look,
this is our Mike mc daniels, our coordinator this year,
next year, and if he leaves, I got this other
(14:13):
guy coming with me from San Francisco, who I think
is going to be the next coordinator.
Speaker 5 (14:16):
Right.
Speaker 3 (14:17):
So I think Robert gives you the chance to do that.
His ability to build a staff is really really solid.
I look at the first time, guys, and I think
what's fascinating about this year is that the best ones
are on defense.
Speaker 4 (14:29):
Right.
Speaker 3 (14:30):
Jesse mintro got requested by every single team with an
opening save for Pittsburgh. We'll see if that one comes.
Jeff Haffley has been a head coach before, has done
a fantastic job at green Bay, really good reaching people,
Anthony Campinelli and Jacksonville. I think things are going to
pick up on him a little bit. Matt Burke in Houston,
we see what he's been able to build there.
Speaker 4 (14:50):
Izia ro everro You've got all these young guys.
Speaker 3 (14:52):
There's almost like this backlog of young defensive coaches because
everybody's been mining the offensive pipeline for so long. So
I think there are a lot of good young defensive
coaches there. And then on the offensive side, if you're
dead set on getting one, it's just me you're gonna
be rolling the dice a little right like. So Clint Kubiak,
I think is a really good young coach. Is he ready?
Speaker 4 (15:11):
We'll see.
Speaker 3 (15:12):
He comes off a lot like his dad, right like,
which is a good thing, but you have to be
comfortable with like kind of that level, quiet, calm personality.
Speaker 4 (15:21):
Davis Webb's another one.
Speaker 3 (15:22):
Davis Webb's fantastic and is going to be a head coach.
Playing quarterback in the League. He's thirty years old, is
he ready? So on the offensive side, I think you'd
be looking at guys that are just dice rolls, you know,
Whereas on the defensive side of the ball, I think
you got more guys who are ready.
Speaker 1 (15:37):
Aaron Rodgers I thought, I said, I thought he should
retire or go to the Vikings. I think he made
the most of it. I nominate him for Comeback Player
of the Year. I think the Steelers offense, I mean,
like I said this earlier, Mike Tomlin doesn't have a
coaching tree. It's a cactus, like the oc sins Arians
just they don't they don't, they don't do anything.
Speaker 3 (15:55):
So I never heard of that one before, a cat this,
So I think coaching cactus.
Speaker 1 (15:59):
So he basically Aaron did the best of what you
can do with a kind of a tone deaf offensive.
I mean, like last seven years the Steelers have been
bottom ten in offensive spending. It's a tough lift, and
I think Aaron did a great job. I think Aaron
steps away and does traveling. I think he would listen
(16:21):
and go to Minnesota for a Viking. I think he
would listen. But my guess is like he doesn't want
to bounce around. What do you think his future is?
Speaker 3 (16:32):
I know the people who are there with him in
Pittsburgh think that this is going.
Speaker 4 (16:35):
To be it for him.
Speaker 3 (16:37):
And like so I know, like people that were operating
under the impression that he was going to retire after
this year. Doesn't mean and I'm not saying he's told
anybody that, but like they were under the impression that
this was going to be it for him, regardless of
whether Mike Tomlin comes back or not. I also think,
like just what I know about Aaron, I do think
(16:58):
that this year gave him some close you know, because
I think what he was looking for in New York
at the end, he wanted to fall in love with
football again, right, and really, like so much about him
had become about everything off the field, right, and all
the stuff.
Speaker 4 (17:12):
That he does with the ayahuasca and everything else.
Speaker 3 (17:16):
And I think by the end of New York he
was kind of like, I want to just be a
football player again, and because of the circumstances in that organization,
he wasn't really allowed to do that. And going to
Pittsburgh gave him that, and I think he truly did
love being there this year. He loved playing for Tomlin,
and I think he fell in love with playing football again.
So the question becomes, and I think most people who
(17:38):
know him would say, well, that gave him closure. Does
it make him want to play again? Like, I can't
answer that, but I think he's probably done. But if
the perfect situation came along with Kevin O'Connell picks up
the phone and says, look, like, you know we talked
about this last year. Would you want to come and
do it now? Maybe he would jump at something like that,
But I get the feeling that this is it for him.
Speaker 1 (18:01):
Okay, I gotta address Buffalo. And this happens all the
time where I see something and I can't unsee it.
And Buffalo going to Jacksonville, a red hot Jaguars team
with a sharp offensive coach, and really I felt like
most of that game it was Buffalo's game, and I
was like, wow, I think they're going to go to
(18:21):
Denver and win and I did not feel that. I
I and sometimes you know this, this this league will
give you these moments and you're like, oh wow, like
when I'm watching Caleb Williams against the Niners late in
the year, and I mean just it's volleyball. It's just
one great play, one fact and against SLA and I'm like, man,
Caleb is he's graduated to a different class, whatever the
(18:43):
class is, and then he does it again against the
Packers and half league. I mean, I don't know what
what take it from here? What? What what do you
make about with Buffalo?
Speaker 3 (18:55):
I I think I'm gonna steal Kirby Smart's line. I
think Buffalo's to kill, Like, I think that's what they've
become now, and like I and I think you can
see it like.
Speaker 1 (19:05):
That was a pressure pack situations.
Speaker 6 (19:09):
I mean, like if you go to Jacksonville and lose,
and that's a really good Jacksonville team, right, a really
good Jacksonville team that kick Denver's ass, Like, I like,
if you lose that game, there are tons of big
picture questions that are on the table, right, that's fair.
Speaker 1 (19:27):
Yeah, So.
Speaker 3 (19:29):
In that pressurized environment, look at Sean McDermott's decision making,
and I thought this was so interesting.
Speaker 4 (19:36):
And this is the day and age when everybody's got
to go.
Speaker 3 (19:38):
For it and im fourth down all the time, and
everybody's hearkee jerky and panicky. Right towards the end of
the second half, on a fourth and four, he goes
out sends Matt Prater out there to kick a forty
five yard field goal. They get penalized, kicks it from
fifty yards anyway. End of the half, they punt on
a fourth and four from the Jacksonville side of the
fifty and then on the first drive of the second half,
(20:00):
they again were in position to go for it on
fourth and less than five and send Prayeder out there
for a forty seven yard field goal. Those were little
things Colin that told me Sean McDermott has the utmost
confidence that his team is going to pull this out
in the end. He didn't need this field, the need
to build a big lead. He felt like if he
(20:22):
just played the game out, his team would be able
to get to the end of the game and put
its trump.
Speaker 4 (20:27):
Card, which is Josh Allen on the table, right.
Speaker 3 (20:30):
And So this isn't the best Bills team of the
last five years, but I think it's the hardest one
to kill, you know, And I just think that this
is the Bills team where you look at it and
there's just a belief in what they're doing and if
we can get to the end of the game and
put the ball in the hands of our quarterback.
Speaker 4 (20:47):
We are going to win the game.
Speaker 3 (20:49):
And you see it over the last two months of
this season, the way they fell behind against the Bucks,
against the Steelers, against the Bengals, against the Patriots and
roared back in the second and half of all of
those games. I just it just feels like this, and
maybe it sounds corny, but it does feel like there's
a little bit of an intangible quality with this Buffalo
(21:10):
team that didn't exist before.
Speaker 1 (21:11):
Okay, we'll do I'm gonna give you a team. Can
you just give me a name, a leading candidate, and
a sentence. We won't go too long. I'm gonna say,
Tennessee what happens.
Speaker 3 (21:24):
I think if Kennavi Sefanski doesn't wind up in New York,
I can see him winding up in Tennessee.
Speaker 4 (21:29):
If it's not Kevin Stefanski, maybe Robert Sala.
Speaker 1 (21:33):
Raiders.
Speaker 3 (21:36):
So I think it's either a conventional hire like like
Jesse Minter makes sense there with the Michigan connections with
Brady and John Spytech. Do they take a swing on
Davis web Like? Do they take a swing on somebody
like that? I don't think that that's impossible. Dolphins that
(22:02):
Clint Kubiak. Clint Kubiak, Yeah, there's some carryover system wise
with Clint and Matt Lafleur and John Eric Sullivan came
from came from Green Bay and had been with Lefloor
and is going to be comfortable with Clint Kubiak's vision
and be able to carry out Clint Kubiak's vision. I
know one of the things they're really looking for there
(22:23):
is a collaborative environment, you know, in their new structure,
and so Clint would make some sense for them.
Speaker 1 (22:31):
One more Steelers Chris Sula.
Speaker 3 (22:39):
Yeah, so I'm tempted to say Marcus Freeman, by the way, but.
Speaker 1 (22:44):
His camp says he's not interested. You don't buy that.
Speaker 4 (22:48):
Yeah, I just think it's the one.
Speaker 3 (22:50):
I think it's the one of all these like his
like so, the Giants and Titans did pursue him, you know,
and did fit to gauge interest and talk to them
and everything else, and that was right when he agreed
to stay at Notre Dame. I do think he has
designs on coaching in the NFL. And let me ask
you this, Colin. If Marcus Freeman right now were the
(23:12):
defensive coordinator of say the Chargers, wouldn't he checked every
box as far as like a Steelers head coach, like
what they generally look for.
Speaker 1 (23:22):
Absolutely like he.
Speaker 3 (23:24):
Carries himself like a Steelers head coach. I think Chris
Schule is the same, by the way, but Marcus Freeman
would check a lot of boxes for the Steelers, just
kind of that battleship commander that they've always had. I
think Chris Shule, if you look at his background, right,
and despite his last name, he's had to work his
way up right and check boxes along the way. And
(23:46):
Sean McVeigh, despite their relationship, really made Chris earn it there.
And I can remember like when they promoted him, like
that was not about like oh yeah, like you know,
he's just been here long enough, we ought to give
it to him, Like he really had to earn that job.
I heard Shula's name connected to this deals before any
of this happened, like two three weeks ago. And if
(24:08):
you think about like kind of what they've looked for
and head coaches, maybe not the guy everybody's looking at,
but somebody with a defensive background, who's got real presence,
who carries himself like a battleship commander who can handle
the pressure of being Pittsburgh. I think Chris Shula to me,
would check a lot of those boxes. And again, like,
I think this is somewhere too that having that last
(24:30):
name probably doesn't hurt and not that it like you
think he's going to be the next Don Shula. But
this is a guy who's dealt with expectations his entire life,
you know, because of that last name.
Speaker 4 (24:41):
So I think he would be a really interesting fit
in Pittsburgh.
Speaker 1 (24:44):
Albert Breer Monday Morning quarterback. Great see anybody?
Speaker 4 (24:47):
All right? Thanks?
Speaker 1 (24:48):
Going, Yeah, there's some interesting candidates for sure. Colin.
Speaker 7 (24:57):
He dropped like seven bombs there in that. I'm over here,
Like what Marcus Freeman? Come on, you think The only
scary thing and I just texted my two Notre Dame
people who are close to the program, is that the
Steelers would give Marcus Freeman a huge runway right, who
cares old roster no quarterback?
Speaker 1 (25:16):
Here meets your talent. Here's the other great thing about
Marcus Freeman. They have a first, a second, three thirds,
two fourths. Who knows college personnel? Marcus Freeman, just like
Harball goes to the Chargers back to back drafts. He
knows he's recruited all these top guys. You get a
huge I mean, if you go pure NFL guy, you
(25:39):
don't get that. When you hire Harbaugh, you kind of
get that. You hire Marcus Freeman. I guarantee it for
the next two drafts. Marcus Freeman's gonna ace it. I
know he knows the odometer on guys, not just the
Senior Bowl.
Speaker 7 (25:53):
That would be a bigger shock to me than Tom
Lennard Harball even combined.
Speaker 1 (25:57):
If Marcus Freeman left Notre Dame, you would you take?
You tell me Notre Dame are the Steelers?
Speaker 7 (26:03):
I mean Notre Dame is gonna be stacked next year.
Their quarterback could be a top five fifth. I'm not
going I would stay Notre Dame. But the Steelers they're
gonna be okay being terrible for three years because the.
Speaker 1 (26:12):
Owners, They're not gonna be terrible.
Speaker 7 (26:14):
Colin, your roster is garbage, dude, dude, dude.
Speaker 1 (26:18):
A first, the second, three threes, two four With Marcus Freeman, all.
Speaker 7 (26:22):
You have to cook, who's QB one that's away?
Speaker 1 (26:24):
By the way, New England three hundred million in cap
space seven Draft picks. Shocking they had Drake May. Come on,
Drake May, on this one. You're not gonna be I mean,
I bet you everything I've earned, You're not gonna be
terrible for three years with Marcus Freeman. That roster is
going to turn over by the last but the last
weekend of April, you're gonna have seven new guys who
(26:45):
can play. And then and then, by the way, now
that you don't pay the quarterback, they're gonna have the
most money in the league. They're not paying it. They're
gonna happen what New England did to their roster. Forget
Drake May. Look at their roster. Last year the Patriots
had the worst receiving cord the league. Now it's like
number three in big plays. Why they had money and
draft picks.
Speaker 7 (27:06):
The other thing Brier said, by the way, he said
Davis Webb as a head coach, I almost fell out
of my chair. I had to look up where Davis Webb.
He's like a passing game coordinator for the Broncos. What
he was in the league like seven minutes ago. So
Breer's onto. I love that stuff.
Speaker 1 (27:20):
I love the rumors in the scuttle butt. Oh juicy
in Chicago. It's third.
Speaker 2 (27:34):
One more Heard. The Herd streams twenty four hours a day,
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Speaker 1 (28:10):
YouTube, Subscribe, hit that thumbs up icon and coming away.
So Pittsburgh Steelers got a bunch of draft picks. I
would imagine they're going to have some cap space as
they move off their old expensive defense. Here's Art Rooney
(28:31):
this morning on how he looks at the roster and
the new head coach.
Speaker 5 (28:37):
I don't know, it's a rebuild.
Speaker 4 (28:38):
I mean it's a new coach.
Speaker 5 (28:39):
So there will be changes and and you know, we'll
we'll have to all get comfortable with kind of the plan.
So you know, whether you call it a rebuild or not,
you know, I don't like like that word that much.
Speaker 1 (28:51):
Uh.
Speaker 5 (28:52):
You know, we'll we'll try to compete day one if
we can.
Speaker 1 (28:56):
Uh, and you won't probably Again, I think I think
an interesting part of this it's a it's not a
very good quarterback class, and you don't here's the thing.
You think it's crazy. But if the Raiders weren't owned
by Brady, I think they'd a you know, Tom's gonna
make sure they take Mendoza's that's my prediction. You can't
(29:18):
get the number one spot if Dante More came out
you I mean, listen, if you're the New York Jets,
I mean, what if the Steelers came to you and said,
we'll give you all three of our threes to get
Dante Moore fause Dante More, I'd be like, I'll sign
up for that. Jets are Steelers. So Tys Simpson's viewed
(29:39):
as from the calls I've made, like late, first, I
don't think he's the top ten guy. But again, if
you have to reach in a quarterback, that's the position
you reach at. Yeah, I think that the Steelers have
to get comfortable with just being awful awful? Get you
Drake May, Okay, mid get you, Kenny Pickett. So I
(30:01):
can't wait here? Was Albert Breer a second ago in
the Steelers opening.
Speaker 3 (30:05):
It's a flagship franchise, patient ownership. They're going to give
you time to bill. But man, you got a lot
of work to do on that roster. They got eight
guys and they're starting twenty two right now that are
thirty year older.
Speaker 4 (30:17):
So what do you do with TJ.
Speaker 2 (30:19):
Watt?
Speaker 3 (30:19):
What do you do with Cam Hayward? Does he retire?
What do you do with Jalen Ramsey, Aaron Rodgers? Does
he enter out? You don't have a lot of guys
in that roster where you look and say, yeah, that
guy's going to be here three years from now. Got
a couple offensive linemen, maybe a defensive lineman or two,
and that's it. And so you've got I think what
looks like a relatively lengthy rebuild there.
Speaker 1 (30:41):
My guess is Hardbott of the New York Giants, I mean,
Stefanski to the Steelers makes a lot of sense to me.
It makes a lot of sense to me. I could
see Brian dabol to the Titans. He's interviewing Friday, and
(31:02):
there's just don't forget about Stefanski, two time coach of
the Year in Cleveland. All right, I think almost all
of these jobs, I mean, I Arizona and Cleveland don't
interest me at all. But this league is you're so capable,
if you have a lot of draft picks, you're so
(31:25):
capable of turning things around quickly. I mean a great
example of it is if you get the right coach
and you got a couple hundred million to spend in
free agency. Look at New England and they say, wow,
they've got Drake May. In one year, we got six
potential first round quarterbacks, maybe eight. You stink for a year.
But this league, there's a pretty common thread if you
(31:47):
get the quarterback right and then eventually get the coach right.
Like That's why I think the New York Giant is
a really interesting opening. Whatever Jackson Dart is, he looks
like a franchise quarterback. Is he going to be the
thirteenth best, the eighth best or the sixteenth best? I
don't know. Keep him out of the blue tenth, but
you got one, and that means you're not paying anything
(32:08):
for him. So or Neighbors or Abdul Carter or Scataboo,
a lot of the Giants' best players. You're not paying
anything for him, So to me, the Giants job. I
know it's hard to say this when you've been bad forever.
I think the New York Giants job. If I was
Hardbaugh and Kevin Stefanski, that would be really attractive. And
(32:30):
here's the other thing. You saw the first year of
Jackson Dart better than I thought. Too many blue tent trips.
Let's say Stefanski gets the job or Harball. You let
him play. And if if he can't get out of
the blue tent, and you look at it and think,
we got arch Manning coming out, Julian Saym coming out,
Dante More coming out, we got it, Jade and Mayava
(32:50):
coming out. That doesn't mean you have to stick with
Jackson Dart. You get a runway for him, So you
get a competent, young, inexpensive quarterback for a year. Doesn't
mean you can't draft another one. Doesn't mean you will,
but it doesn't mean you can't. If you give a
young quarterback Jackson Dart two years, that's a lot of runway.
That's a lot of snaps, so the giant job's pretty
(33:11):
good to me. Herd Line News around the corner.
Speaker 2 (33:14):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and noon eastern nine am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 7 (33:24):
Fox College Troops Friday features a prime time Big twelve
battle as Baylor looks to take down Bill Selfs Kansas Jayhawks.
Speaker 1 (33:32):
That all tips off Friday night at eight eastern on
Fox without further ado. Jay Mack with the news.
Speaker 2 (33:41):
No, no, no, turn on the news. This is the
Herd Line News, all.
Speaker 1 (33:46):
Right, con let's start with the Ravens.
Speaker 7 (33:48):
Interesting presser from Steve Bushatti, the Ravens owner, yesterday.
Speaker 1 (33:52):
Besides the fact that he had too many.
Speaker 7 (33:54):
Buttons open on his shirt, he spent a lot of
time talking about the role Lamar Jackson is going to
play in the decision making process for finding a head coach.
Speaker 1 (34:03):
This surprised me.
Speaker 9 (34:06):
My decision, I think by Monday was pretty much set,
and I think by the time I got off the
film with Lamar, I had told him that I think
my position was pretty set and that but when I
hang up from you, I don't want you to think
(34:27):
the decision is ironclad a lot of say, but he
has no power.
Speaker 4 (34:33):
I have the power.
Speaker 9 (34:35):
They have opinions, and I want them all. I care
about my players very much, but I can't give them power.
Speaker 1 (34:43):
I like that. Yeah, what's wrong with that? You don't
like that? Lamar has a lot of say in the
head coaching job. We didn't even't give them. You have
a say in it. But that can't be the deal.
I think that's a dangerous place to go. And Steve
Bushott he's a lot smarter than me. But if you
tell people I want you to have a say, they
give you an opinion and you don't hire that person,
(35:03):
do you create animosity? So you're better off just saying, listen,
we hire the coach, you throw the passes. That's a
fine line there that you want to listen to people.
But again, who Lamar likes is not you know I.
I I just think owners own GMS, GM coaches coach
players play. When you cross into that line and you
(35:25):
ask a quarterback what you think and you say, okay,
we're gonna We're gonna put him in of the two
or three candidates, But what if you don't choose it?
So I largely agree with what you said.
Speaker 7 (35:35):
I think one of the best examples of this is
Michael Jordan with the Chicago Bulls back in the day.
And I know basketball and football a little different, but
Michael Jordan had Doug Collins as his coach. He loved
Doug Collins. Why Doug Collins said, do whatever you want,
score all the points. They didn't win anything. Jordan didn't
win a damn thing until the Bulls went and hired
Phil Jackson, and many articles at the time said Jordan
didn't like Phil Jackson. It was a little prickly, a
(35:56):
little different handing out books and stuff. Phil Jackson instituted
the triangle offense with text winter they made the jump
and Jordan becomes one of the greatest players all time.
Speaker 1 (36:06):
That's why I don't want to go to my player
and say, what would you what do you think? What
do you like? It's interesting because Michael Jordan was also,
let's be honest, an awful general manager. Uh huh, and
Magic Johnson tried coaching for five minutes. You know he
wasn't good at that. I mean, so you know Lebron James,
by the way, you know his camp will deny this.
(36:26):
They're the ones to push raw Polenka to get Westbrook. Yeah,
that didn't work. Also, Shabaz Napier in Miami, Lebron was
all into that, So, you know, I mean, it's it's
hard enough to be a great player. I mean, Mike
Holmgren's one of the best coaches ever. I remember when
he was in Seattle. You know, there was reports he
had a little say in personnel. Pete Carroll did as well.
(36:48):
Belichick bad at personnel. Can't do it college or pro.
We know Belichick knows this stuff. So my take is
it's hard to jump over into other sectors and other departments.
It's hard enough to be a great GM.
Speaker 7 (37:00):
How did Aaron Rodgers do GMing the Jets when he
said can I have this OC and this wide receiver
and this player?
Speaker 1 (37:04):
Like it was access all over? It doesn't work.
Speaker 7 (37:07):
I think Bishati needs I mean, this is not gonna
be an easy one because you know Lamar's kind of
I mean, the stories.
Speaker 1 (37:13):
Are out there about his practice habits.
Speaker 10 (37:14):
Colin.
Speaker 7 (37:15):
It's a tough job to phill It's obviously a great job,
but we'll see what happens. Let's move on to the
Philadelphia Eagles, who have parted ways with Kevin Petullo, the
embattled offensive coordinator. He was on the Colts staff with
Sirianni and then joined Sirianni in Philly. Jalen Hurts will
now have his fifth offensive coordinator since being drafted. Shane
(37:36):
Steiken left for the Colts. Has had some success, no
playoff trips. Kellen Moore had some success this past year
with the Saints and his quarterback, but Brian Johnson disaster.
Kevin Petullo a mess. Colin, This should be a coveted job,
right this. I mean, you've got a really really stacked team,
amazing defense, a lot of pieces on offense.
Speaker 1 (37:57):
I think AJ Brown will be gone.
Speaker 6 (37:58):
What do you think?
Speaker 1 (37:59):
What direction you think this go?
Speaker 3 (38:00):
Here?
Speaker 1 (38:00):
Well, there's I mean, this is again Mike McDaniel. They
pay money, They're not cheap in Philly. Mike McDaniel, Cliff
Kingsbury could work. I think what we what we know
is Nick Sirianni. Jason is very reliant on his coordinator mcveighson,
and he's not Shanahan's not he Dan Campbell, who's a
culture guy. Is Sirianni more of a culture guy, very
(38:24):
reliant on coordinators, And so I think Detroit I would
immediately put Detroit in a Super Bowl bubble if they
went and got Mike McDaniel. Yeah, if they'd get if
they you know, I feel like Detroit and Philadelphia are similar,
really like the rosters. The coach is a culture guy,
not a scheme guy. I like both quarterbacks, Jalen and
(38:44):
Goff don't love either, so I think, you know, listen,
it's a good time to be an offensive coordinator in
this league. There's gonna be some bidding wars for Mike
McDaniel and bidding wars for Cliff Kingsbury.
Speaker 7 (38:54):
And the other problem is, let's say you hire an
OC and the Eagles are great again and they go
to the Super Bowl. He's lead and for a head
coaching job, that's what they do. So honestly, I know
the Eagles won't do this. I'm blowing out, Sirianni and
I'm bringing in. I think that would be attractive for
a Stefanski, McDaniel, et cetera.
Speaker 1 (39:10):
Boh, of course, I doubt that would happen.
Speaker 7 (39:13):
Final story, Let's go to Minnesota, where JJ McCarthy has
been a controversial figure on this show. One of us
stands by him, the other the other doesn't think very
highly because he can't stay healthy.
Speaker 1 (39:24):
Here's Kevin O'Connell talking to the media and uh.
Speaker 7 (39:26):
Oh, sounds like McCarthy is gonna have competition soon.
Speaker 4 (39:31):
I think there has to be.
Speaker 10 (39:32):
I think that's what's gonna make everybody better in that room.
It's going to be what makes our entire offense, you know,
thrive through that competition. I ultimately think that's what will
make not only are you know, the starter, but the
next guy and the next guy. And we've learned we've
got to get a lot of guys ready to play.
Speaker 1 (39:54):
Hmm, competition.
Speaker 7 (39:58):
You're gonna revive your Aaron Rodgers.
Speaker 1 (40:02):
Yes, it's not mirrable. Listen, I said I defended Kirk
Cousins in Pennix. I would defend Aaron Rodgers if you
have this whole idea of well, it didn't work in Atlanta.
McCarthy showed glimpses in the last month. Yeah, but he
didn't stay healthy. Aaron showed absolute glimpses. But he's forty
two or forty three next year, whatever his birthday is.
(40:24):
So I think Minnesota goes into it. I'd have no
problem having both McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers. None at all,
None at all. You don't have to love it, but
I think it's something. The one position, I'm okay. The
room being a bit crowded. Yeah. Jmack with the.
Speaker 2 (40:42):
News, Well that's the news, and thanks for stopping by
the herd Line News.
Speaker 1 (40:48):
Nine coaching openings. That is a That is a lot
of coaching openings. I've said before, I think there's some
very goods. I think there's nine different people I'd be
comfortable hiring. I did not put Marcus Freeman of Notre
Dame in there because his campus saying he's not interested.
I think that's a tough call. Notre Dame, Pittsburgh Steelers,
(41:12):
that's a tough call. It's very easy to say no
to Cleveland and Arizona in Miami. That's easy. Titans. All
of a sudden, you get off of the Ravens job,
the Giants job, the Steelers job, I'm Marcus Freeman, and
you sit down with a family. I mean, worse places
to live, worse jobs to have than head football coach
(41:34):
of the Pittsburgh Steelers. That's a pretty good job. Hour three.
Jerome Bettis