January 14, 2026 • 33 mins
Colin talks to former Steelers RB Jerome Bettis about Mike Tomlin stepping down, the impact it will have on the league, what the Steelers should do next, and more!
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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 (00:24):
And with that, he went to Notre Dame. He's a
proud Pittsburgh Steeler, a Hall of Famer, six Pro Bowls.
You know him, we know him, we all know him.
Jerome Bettis is joining us. You know, great to see again.
Two things can be true. I can think Mike Tomlin
was amazing, and I think it's kind of time to
put the money on offense. Maybe go with a young
offensive guy. I don't just because a replace it. I
(00:46):
like hardball. Maybe it's time. You know, are you cunning
in that camp that you love Tomlin? I mean Cower
was your guy. But there is an argument they feel
a little outdated offensively, do they not?
Speaker 3 (01:01):
Yes?
Speaker 4 (01:03):
Because the philosophy of when I was playing that you
run the ball and you know you played great defense,
that is totally changed. Now you've got to put points
on the board. And that's the problem that the Stellers
are having. They're not putting points on the board, and
so that you have to fix because you're not going
to win football games. You know, with seven points, ten points,
(01:26):
thirteen points, that won't win. He's NFL, So you know,
fifteen years ago it was different. Today's NFL.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
You got to score, and I think that's where the
Stellers are struggling now.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
Like again, I love the idea that Mike Tomlin didn't
have a losing season, But I said, the reason the
Patriots got Drake May they were awful, and the Bears
got Caleb because they were awful. What about this idea?
You got a ton of draft picks, you go to
a Stefan Skiramarcus Freeman, You're like, we don't fire com coaches.
(02:01):
We're gonna load this roster up. We got a first,
a second, three thirds, two force. We may we'll draft
a backup, but we're stacking the roster. We're gonna be
awful for a year. I mean, that's really uncomfortable for
Steeler Nation because they're never awful. Do you think that's
something you can sell to the Rooneys.
Speaker 3 (02:23):
I don't think you could sell that.
Speaker 4 (02:25):
That's a tough one because I think be coach Tomlin
created a situation where they see what we can rebuild
in at least be five hundred.
Speaker 3 (02:36):
So if you're not, you know at least five hundred, they're.
Speaker 4 (02:41):
Looking at you like, well, you know you're doing something
wrong where I agree with you. At some point you
gotta fall apart and you gotta go out and get
the quarterback, or you said in yourself, we're going to
invest a lot of resources, we're gonna get that first
to use another first, and we don't go get a
(03:03):
quarterback right right now, I don't see the quarterback in
their future in terms of in college.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
But they're going to at some point say we gotta.
Speaker 4 (03:12):
Go get the quarterback, and if that means utilizing those
resources and those first round picks, you're gonna have to
do it because they they've seen what happens when you
don't invest in the quarterback, right and so you're not
going anywhere. You can make it to the playoffs, but
you're gonna lose in the first round because quarterback plays
(03:34):
pivotal in the playoffs.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
I don't see them hiring John Harball. They were reportedly
paying Tomlin a lot of money seventeen million, So Hardball's
in that class. Do you think they would consider hiring
a Raven?
Speaker 4 (03:48):
No, and I'll tell you this, and the Ravens will
not consider.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
Hiring a stealer.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
Okay, look, I'm doing that nice line. I get it.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
It can't be.
Speaker 4 (04:00):
Here's tire you, but it can't be at the last time.
You can't come right when the Ravens right into Pittsburgh.
That just doesn't work. So I don't think. I think
both guys will be excluded from those franchises because it's
(04:20):
just too much bad blood.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
Too much Marcus Freeman would be at the top of
my list. Would you stant Notre Dame or take the Steelers?
Steelers is a blue blood. It's one of the five
six big names in the league. Would you stant Notre
Dame or Steelers if you were offered both?
Speaker 4 (04:36):
Oh, my goodness, I think because of what you have
to do in Pittsburgh. It's a very dangerous job. So
I would not be in a rush to leave my
cozy confines. I got a really good program that I've created.
We're ready to go. We've got the players in place.
(04:58):
I wouldn't be in a rush to leave that when
I don't have my quarterback figured out in the NFL,
because what we have learned this is a quarterback centric
league and if you do not have your quarterback, you
have absolutely nothing. So as program the organization, rather as
(05:18):
you still have to give paused because your first question
going in and interviewing is what are we going to
do about the quarterback position? And because that's going to
be your legacy in essence, if you go to Pittsburgh,
if you win, is you figured the quarterback sation situation out?
Speaker 1 (05:37):
Were you surprised Mike Tomlin, you know him? Were you
surprised he stepped down?
Speaker 4 (05:42):
I wasn't surprised. When you start hearing the fans turn
on you, the writing is on the wall, and you
can prolong it if you want to, but you're not
going to get the level of support that you need
because what happens is it poisons the players, and then
the players starts second guessing the decisions that he's making right.
Speaker 3 (06:04):
And then once it.
Speaker 4 (06:06):
Poisons the players, now it poisons the some of the
assistant coaches, and it just becomes a very very bad situation.
So I think coach Tomlin did the right thing to
do to secure his legacy, right, because if you allow
it to go rock bottom, then you have kind of
destroyed your legacy there in Pittsburgh. So I think he
(06:28):
did the right thing. The rioting was on the wall.
He didn't have I would. I mean, I believe he
had the support in the building. But when you don't
have the fan support and when things are starting to
really circle down on you, I think it's time for
you to move on and look at the next opportunity.
Speaker 1 (06:47):
Tomlin could do broadcasting. He'd be great at it, But
like Mike Vrabel, I think he's a football guy that
could do TV, but it's not his makeup. He's like
he calls it the dark side, like, you know, I'm
not doing that. But I also don't see him as
going west. I tend to think Miami Dolphins, New York Giants,
(07:10):
Like if I said to you, we got nine openings, now,
we got Vegas, we got forget the Ravens. They're not
gonna hire him. You know, that's the Steeler raven thing.
Is there a place Atlanta, Miami Giants? Is there an
opening Jerome that you look at and go, oh yeah,
you know, him, Oh yeah, that works for Mike Tomlin.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
I think probably two places.
Speaker 4 (07:33):
Looking at the Giants and their situation and the Tennessee Titans,
I think looking at them historically defensively hated, they understand it,
They're not afraid to invest on the defensive side. So
I think those two places, and they have I think
(07:56):
the person there that you can go in and win
right now.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
So I think those two teams would be teams.
Speaker 4 (08:03):
That if I'm tim I'm looking at it, and I'm
saying the Giants similar ownership structure, very solid, willing to
give you some time. In the Tennessee Titans, really blue
collar environment, really good place where you can go down
and really change the culture.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
Kevin Stefanski doesn't have a great win loss record, but
I think he's offensive, he's smart, he knows the division.
If I say Kevin Stefanski, now the record's not glossy,
but he did beat the Steelers with Baker in a
playoff game. What do you make about Stefanski as a Steeler.
Speaker 4 (08:42):
I think it would be it would be a challenge,
but I would I would like Stefanski in the sense
that he understands this offense, the offensive world that we're in.
But he also obviously understands the defensive side, so because
he's had a strong defense the entire time in Cleveland.
(09:03):
So he would be a guy that I would look
at now, the fact that he just came from Cleveland,
I would say, you know, it may give a little pause,
but in terms of Ex's and O's coach, I think
he is super talented, uh and would be coach for
the next organization that decides to give him an opportunity,
(09:25):
and especially if he can get a quarterback.
Speaker 3 (09:28):
That's the concern in Pittsburgh. You've got to get a quarterback.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
Yeah, yes, Stefanski would go from the chaos of Cleveland
to the stability of either a Baltimore or Pittsburgh. That
that's that's what he hasn't had. He's had players, he's had,
he just hadn't have stability. So that would be good friend.
Jerome bettis the Hall of Famer, great seniors always thank you,
appreciate you. Yeah, I mean, can you imagine, like, if
(09:53):
you're Stefanski, You've done a lot of things right, but
you've never had stability. Even Baker, young Baker there was
you know, well he's starting some fires at the podium
with the media and barking to go to Pittsburgh. I mean,
you can go to bed at night knowing you know
your organization's not crazy, They're not impulsive. I think it's
so interesting that Stefanski gets booted by Cleveland and could
(10:17):
potentially upgrade to Baltimore or the Steelers and beat the
Browns for a decade. That that is chef's kiss. That
would that would be about as good as it gets
for a coach.
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even Jerome Bettis said he's not sure the Steelers would
be comfortable bottoming out. And you know the Bears, they
were about a six win team or something. They get
Caleb Williams. Now they made it. They moved up to
(11:27):
get that number one pick. But Drake May is an
example of you got to be bad to get Drake May.
You got to be not very good to get bow Nicks.
So you know, this is not a great quarterback draft class.
I could see the Steelers just saying, you know, we're
going to reach on ty Simpson, but then we're just
going I would draft all defense. They need to get
(11:47):
a number two receiver. You got a couple fours. You
can pick it up there. But I would I would
go edge, defensive end, corners, safeties, another defensive tackle alongside
the kid from Oregon. I think they got to get younger, faster,
uh less expensive on defense. Here's here's j Mack with
the news.
Speaker 2 (12:08):
This is the herdline news.
Speaker 6 (12:11):
Let's start with some grim news for the Buffalo Bills.
I knew that Gabe Davis went down with an injury,
but Colin they also lost Tyrrel Shavers, who's also good
on special teams and Josh Palmer in a just a
beat down against the Jags. I mean, we losing three receivers.
How's this? Buffalo will only have three wide receivers available
on the fifty three man roster for the matchup against
(12:32):
the Broncos. It's Shakir Kean Coleman, who has had some
healthy scratches this season, and the immortal Brandon Cooks. I
don't know how he continues to do it.
Speaker 1 (12:42):
Well, they're they're they're fortified because they have Dawson Knox,
Kim Kaiden Hawes at tight end, so they're pretty good
at tight end. And they're also a run team first,
so they're Yeah. I mean, I think you can do it.
You'd like to get one of those guys back the
following game. I think you can do it for a week.
And by the way, when you go on the road,
you want to on the ball anyway. I mean the truthfully.
You want to shorten the game, you want to quiet
(13:04):
the crowd, you want to dominate line of scrimmage. So
I think it's a game you'll lean on James Cook,
Josh Allen and your tight ends. It's weird.
Speaker 6 (13:10):
Both of us thought maybe there was a world where
Buffalo got blown out by the Jags. I keep seeing it,
is there a chance for Denver? Just blasshom here. You know,
Buffalo's beat up Josh Allen. How many times did he
go down with like an injury? It looks brutal every time.
Speaker 1 (13:25):
Here's the thing you give Sean Payton, Andy Reid, Kyle Shanahan.
You give these guys an extra four or five days
of practice and prep. That's what you worry about. So
you go all the way down to Jacksonville, now all
the way out to Denver. You're a little banged uff
on your offense between Josh and the receivers, and here
comes out Denver with exotics and tricks and different looks,
(13:49):
at least for the first couple series, and you just
get caught flat footed. And now you're playing from behind
with Denver's pass rush. So I mean, you know it's
I will say this, Denver's got a way to beat you.
They usually don't drop twenty eight in the first half.
A lot of their scorings deep like Chicago in the game.
Speaker 6 (14:12):
That line has flipped. So Buffalo opened as a one
and a half point favorite. Now it's Denver one and
a half. Obviously, not through A key number of three
through zero is not huge, but that shows you the.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
Sentiment is the betting public.
Speaker 6 (14:23):
They're on Denver here and now Josh Allen is an underdog,
a spot that I'm sure he's gonna relish. We'll have
our picks tomorrow. Let's move on to this second story.
Con that is tremendous. Okay, So Ty Simpson is the
Alabama quarterback who.
Speaker 1 (14:36):
People are high on or low depending on who you
talk to. Well, how's this.
Speaker 6 (14:40):
He told a reporter that Miami, Tennessee and Old miss
were in a bidding war for his services. They said
transfer from Alabama. They went to his agent, they went
four million, five million. The highest offer was six and
a half million. Now this isn't rumors or innuendo. This
is tyson since agent saying this is what the schools
(15:01):
told me, and ty Simpsons on the record saying I
had a six and a half million dollar offer to
leave Alabama, not go NFL, and transfer to one of
those three schools. Now, Simpson's claims, and I'm curious what
you think of this. He turned down all the offers
because he didn't want to lose everything he had built
up at Alabama. Remember he was a team captain, and
(15:21):
make it look like he was just chasing money.
Speaker 1 (15:24):
Well, here's the thing is that he's not a great
enough prospect to go top two or three where the
really bad teams are. But he's a good enough prospect.
I'm being told to go mid to late first round. Well,
those teams aren't total rebuilds. That's like when bo Nicks
went to Denver. Denver had some good pieces. So I mean,
could he go like twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, Well those
(15:48):
are pretty decent rosters. So I mean that's what's interesting
to me, you know, I mean, what if he went
to a Miami and Miami's like, well they got the
running back. I mean, you start looking at they've got
They've got some pieces that I like. In Miami they
need an old line upgrade. But you start, you start
(16:09):
got the one advantage to like bow Knicks. A lot
of people were not on They didn't like bo Nicks.
A lot of teams had him as a second round guy.
Sean Payton had him as a first Well he drops
to eleven. We'll go look at Denver's roster. They had,
they had pass rushers, they had a great left tackle.
They had some interesting receiving weapons. So I you know, Tyson.
The advantage for ty Simpson is, let's say, and my
(16:33):
people are like, I kind of think he's a guy.
But I also thought Jackson Dart was the second round guy.
Let's say he goes thirteen, Well, who's I don't know
right in front of him, who's drafted in thirteenth? Fourteen, fifteenth.
Those are places you can go and don't have to
get into track meets because the defense is good.
Speaker 6 (16:51):
Yeah, this situation was since it's weird, so we got
what four more months of this draft process. Guy's rise
and fall. So Simpson's saying that he got some first
round grades. Now I don't know if that's one or two.
Speaker 1 (17:02):
His dad did.
Speaker 6 (17:02):
Yeah, So Daniel Jeremiah came on my podcast and said
it would be an upset if ty Simpson went in
the first round.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
And that's what I was told in season. Yeah, and
so I don't know what to believe. Maybe he rises,
maybe he falls.
Speaker 6 (17:14):
I do think he made the right decision, Colin, But
when coming out, there's nobody else. It's basically him, Carson Beck, Mendoza,
maybe Dante Moore.
Speaker 1 (17:23):
He's supposed to announce today whether what he's doing.
Speaker 6 (17:26):
But if he comes out next year, they're gonna nitpick
him all year.
Speaker 1 (17:29):
You know that.
Speaker 6 (17:30):
That's how it goes to ask King Club, Nick nuss Meyer,
all these guys, and then you're gonna drop to be
like a fourth round pick. So I think he's making
the right decision. But I'm kind of blown away that
colleges were like, yeah, we'll give you six and a
half million dollars to come to our quarterback.
Speaker 1 (17:44):
That's a crazy sum of money. Well, this is why
the Texas schools A and M Texas and Texas tacked
oil money. That's why you know, I've said this, if
the SEC didn't have A and M in Texas, where
would they be with this nil stuff? They'd be in big,
big trouble. Those are its keeping them afloat. They're I
mean that Georgia's losing quarterbacks to Vandy. Georgia's losing guys
(18:08):
out of the port. They lost like four or five
defensive backs. Like I'm telling you, Alabama can't compete financially
at the top. Keep your eye on Georgia. Keep your
eye on Georgia losing their big booster a year ago.
All sorts of portal transfers in the secondary. Couldn't wrangle
a quarterback away from Vanderbilt. I mean there's a lot
of stuff going on in that portal. Yeah, final story
(18:30):
con is not great.
Speaker 6 (18:31):
In the NBA, Anthony Davis has hurt again, and it's
not great. He's gonna be out about six weeks. There's
some there's a bit of a kerfuffle. A prominent NBA
reporter said he needs surgery. Anthony Davis vociferously went online
and said, nope, wrong, not getting surgery either way. He's
gonna miss at least a month. That'll be his second
(18:52):
one of the season. Colin, he remember he had the
cat strain, missed fifteen games earlier this season.
Speaker 1 (18:59):
I don't know, man.
Speaker 6 (18:59):
This trade that Anthony Davis for Luca Holy hell, it's
a disaster of epic proportions.
Speaker 1 (19:06):
I feel bad for Ad. The Mads are trying to
move him.
Speaker 6 (19:08):
And remember now they have Kyrie Irving and there's all
this Oh, oh Kyrie will come back.
Speaker 1 (19:12):
And help us get No, no, no, no, no, you want
to keep that draft pick because Colin, you've seen the draft.
Next year, it's loaded.
Speaker 6 (19:18):
There's like five really high premium guys, I don't think
Anthony Davis sees the court again this season. That's just
my prediction. I think they're still trying to trade him,
but now he's damaged goods.
Speaker 1 (19:28):
What do you do with ad? I mean not much.
Speaker 6 (19:33):
I mean there's just no real huge market for him.
He's like thirty two.
Speaker 1 (19:36):
Look at the amount of games played since that trade.
He's missed more.
Speaker 6 (19:41):
And without him, the Mads are horrific. They have nobody.
It's Cooper Flag against the world. I you know, this
is just it's a bummer to be a Dallas Mavericks stander.
Speaker 1 (19:50):
J mcklin news.
Speaker 2 (19:52):
Well, that's the news, and thanks for stopping by the
Herd Line.
Speaker 3 (19:56):
News.
Speaker 1 (19:57):
Breaking news. According to Chefty Schefter, Oregon quarterback Dante Moore
will return to Oregon. So it's the right move to
make get him fifteen more starts. That gives Ty Simpson
his camp probably good news for him. He'll be the
(20:17):
number two rated quarterback. So Dante more and I think
he could be really good. I just don't think he's ready.
So he's going to stay at Oregon. And that's good
for Oregon. That's good for organ it's good for college football.
Oregon's gonna make the playoff again. I would guess it's
a good college quarterback, just not ready to be a
(20:38):
Sunday quarterback. And Oregon recruits at a high level. So
for me, I think this is the NIL. Everybody sees
it as all negative. I see it as a positive.
First of all, it allows quarterbacks like Dante Moore. Most
of these most college athletes don't grow up with a
ton of money. I mean, how many people in America
really have like wealthy parents. Very few one percent. So
(21:02):
my takeaway is the NIL is great for guys like
Dante more and players. They can make great money and
get great coaching at Oregon and come out more polished.
I also like NIL because not just quarterbacks. Even if
you just make one hundred thousand dollars a year, one
hundred and fifty or two hundred thousand dollars a year
(21:22):
as a player, it gives you some sense of, you know, money,
Like instead of going from broke college kid to millionaire,
you know, you can go buy a car in college,
you know, spend a little money, have a little fun.
I didn't get that college life. I was eating top ramin.
But so the NIL has got some value. It certainly
helped college basketball to go poach some of the best
(21:42):
European kids. But I think the winner here is Dante
Moore Oregon football college football. I mean that utter quarterback
that went from Cincinnati to Texas Tech. He's like Dante More.
He could come out and get drafted, but he needs
another twelve fifteen starts. Good for him, it's the hurt.
Speaker 2 (22:01):
Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd weekdays
and noon Eastern. Not a Empacific.
Speaker 1 (22:08):
Well, he played in the NFL for twelve years, multiple
time Pro Bowler, in a Super Bowl fifty champ. Emmanuel
Sanders played six years with Denver, four years with Mike
Tomlin Buffalo Bills, Niners. All right, so you played with
Mike Tomlin. Do you think he's an older coach? Fifty
three more defense than offense. Let's start with this. What
(22:32):
are Mike Tomlin's straints because I don't think he's a
longtime TV guy. I think he could do TV for
a year, but he's not a TV Guy's a coach.
What are his strengths in your four years with him
as a head coach?
Speaker 7 (22:44):
I mean, for me, I think Mike Tomland wants to
be a long term TV guy. I think he'd be
great at it. But for me, I can only speak
with my time in Pittsburgh, and when I tell you
the moment that I got there, he was like a
father figured to me.
Speaker 8 (22:57):
The things that he taught me in terms of invest
in money and a way of the thing.
Speaker 3 (23:02):
I remember.
Speaker 8 (23:02):
You know, I was a young guy and I got
an X amount of dollars and you know, I was
content with that, and he pulled me over to the site.
Speaker 7 (23:08):
He said, let me tell you some He said, you
got a financial advasor for that little money. But he said, man,
come back and talk to me when you get three
or four contracts. And you know, one of my best
stories is I was in Buffalo and he's done here.
He probably don't even remember telling me that, but I
walked up to him when I was at the Bills
and I was on the back end and getting ready
to retire, and I say, hey, Mike t I went
and got through or four contracts, and you right.
Speaker 8 (23:29):
Man, that money is a lot better.
Speaker 7 (23:31):
And I definitely was thinking small, and so he had
me thinking big. And that's what type of player coach
he is. He's always going to give it to you,
real role, authentic, uh, and.
Speaker 3 (23:41):
You know it.
Speaker 7 (23:42):
Depending on how you take it, you might not like it,
but you know that he has your best interest. And
that's why I always love him.
Speaker 6 (23:47):
Man.
Speaker 7 (23:48):
You know what we were talking about off air of
like you know, coaches making players. He was one of
those guys that truly was a blessing for me to
get drafted with him because he just changed my whole
mindset in the way that I was thinking about I
wanted about my business.
Speaker 1 (24:01):
I love hearing that. So you're in Denver and you
told me something during the break. You used to think
players made coaches, but maybe you're watching Sean Payton and
bow Knicks. I mean, you tell me how your world
has sort of changed on.
Speaker 3 (24:20):
How you view that.
Speaker 7 (24:22):
Well, I mean, you just look at these quarterbacks, all right,
and it's no shot the bow Knicks.
Speaker 2 (24:28):
But you know, even with me, like in.
Speaker 7 (24:32):
Twenty fourteen, you know, I was blessed to play with Payton,
and once I got with Peyton, and once I got
in that offense, I went the Pro Bowls.
Speaker 8 (24:39):
In fifteen, I was with Peyton and I won a
Super Bowl. And then you know, like I had a
couple of coaches who.
Speaker 7 (24:45):
You know, I can't say they were bad, but they
just weren't at the pinnacle of the game and for me.
Speaker 8 (24:50):
To have success.
Speaker 7 (24:51):
And so I look at the systems that I was in,
the coaches that I had, and I noted I had success.
Speaker 3 (24:55):
Even when I got with Kyle.
Speaker 8 (24:56):
Shanahan, I had success with him because he knew what
he was doing.
Speaker 7 (25:00):
He was in control of the controller if he was
playing Madden, and he was controlling and calling.
Speaker 8 (25:05):
Them plays and putting me in the best position to succeed.
Speaker 7 (25:08):
And so and that's what I see with you know,
with these quarterbacks these days, right like Bo Knicks, man like, yeah,
he's a hell of a player, but man.
Speaker 8 (25:15):
Was he blessed and and to be able.
Speaker 7 (25:18):
To get with Sean Payton because I played with Sean
Payne too in New Orleans. And when I tell you,
Sean Payton, you know, is a defensive coordinator nightmare. Especially
when I was in New Orleans. He was always two
or three plays ahead of the defensive coordinator. He knew
where he wanted to go, He attacked where he was
supposed to attack, and we had a lot of success.
Speaker 8 (25:36):
You know, we ended up winning the NFC South that year.
And that's why I.
Speaker 7 (25:38):
Say, you know, coaches make players, like players don't make coaches.
It's all about the system that you're in that allows
you to flourish.
Speaker 1 (25:47):
Your last year in the league. You played with Josh
Allen in Buffalo, so you're gonna see Denver guys and
Bill's guys at the game this weak. It's great for you.
I think you told me a story because you you
got Josh wasn't quite what we see now, but you
said you had a pretty good inclination that it was
gonna be all time stuff.
Speaker 7 (26:05):
Right, Yeah, I mean, dude, I mean just just from
the toughness right of the quarter the way that he
plays a quarterback musician like, I mean, he's like a
running back playing quarterback, but he's not built like a
running back. He's six foot five and just just a
machine and then just a rocket of a arm.
Speaker 8 (26:26):
But you know, like as much as talent as.
Speaker 7 (26:28):
He had, you root for guys like him, because what
I tell you, my time was my time there, Like
he was one of the best teammates that I had.
I truly enjoyed being around him. It was always light energy,
like always having fun. Yet when we get in the game,
he would turn it on. But it was always fun
to go out and compete with him because you know
that he was he was, he was gonna give it
(26:48):
as all and that's why I always respected Josh. And
you know, the success that he's having, it's no surprise
because he wants it.
Speaker 8 (26:55):
And I know how bad he wants that Super Bowl too.
Speaker 7 (26:57):
But I don't know, man, those Broncos in the way,
it's I'm kind of I'm kind of in between of
like Josh and the Broncos. But you know, I you know,
I bleed orange and blue. So it's gonna it's gonna
be a fun little game.
Speaker 1 (27:10):
I want to ask you about Kyle Shanahan. Shanahan last week,
Kittle gets hurt early, the defense has lost all its players,
and you've had a lot of different coaches. Tomlin, you
said it was like a father figure, Sean Payton was
like a mad scientist.
Speaker 2 (27:25):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (27:25):
In your time with Shanahan, how do you compartmentalize him?
Speaker 3 (27:31):
What is he like? U?
Speaker 8 (27:34):
H O f Hall of Fame to me? And I've
been saying this for years.
Speaker 7 (27:39):
I actually did an interview I think it was last
year or two years ago. It was some radio station
out in San Frian and very Sam, what do you
think about the fans saying that they should fire Kyle Shanahan,
And I said, out of their mind.
Speaker 8 (27:53):
I said, like, like, what do you what is there
even to think about you?
Speaker 7 (27:57):
You guys have one of the greatest offensive in the
history of the National.
Speaker 8 (28:01):
Football League in my opinion.
Speaker 7 (28:03):
And I say that because I've been around him, and
I've had some pretty good coordinators myself.
Speaker 8 (28:07):
And when I tell you, like Sean Payton is a
Hall of Fame coach to me.
Speaker 7 (28:11):
And college because these guys always put you in position
to win. While other defensive coordinators are playing checkers, they're
playing chess. It's a whole nother game that they're playing,
and they're constantly evolving, and they know exactly how to
attack you and and.
Speaker 8 (28:27):
And they do it.
Speaker 7 (28:28):
And so you know the officsive performance that Kyle put on,
you know, with Christian McCaffrey.
Speaker 8 (28:33):
Uh, it's plug and play with the other guys.
Speaker 7 (28:35):
And as long as Pertty's off in there, uh and
Christian McCaffrey, I just feel like Kyle still has this
confidence that I can call whatever I want to call,
and I can hit you from wherever I want to
hit you, and don't be surprised if I run a
reverse past every now and then just to put some
points on the board. But I do what I gotta do,
and that's what a coach does. And I got the
utmost respectful caution in.
Speaker 1 (28:55):
So I want to go back to Pittsburgh. You know,
Pittsburgh's a different environ It's a city, but it feels
like a small town. And I asked, I asked Jerome
bettis this earlier? I said, you know, they're very proud
that they never have losing seasons. And I'm like, yeah,
but you know how the Patriots got Drake May. They stunk.
To get a great quarterback, you gotta stink, and Pittsburgh,
(29:19):
Pittsburgh never stinks. Do you think of a new if
a new coach came into Pittsburgh and just said, guys,
let's let's stink for a year, and then the following
year there's like seven good quarterbacks. I'm an offensive guy.
Don't worry about this year. I don't care if we
win three games. You know, Pittsburgh. You think Pittsburgh's ownership
would buy that.
Speaker 8 (29:40):
No, they're not buying that.
Speaker 7 (29:41):
And I don't think the players have buy that, man,
Like we trained all year and every year is our
year to win.
Speaker 8 (29:47):
The Super Bowl.
Speaker 7 (29:48):
So it's no way that you could just expect me
to train in an offseason, put my body through all
of this just to go and tank for a whole year.
Like as a player, like I got way too much
pride today, Like we're gonna give it all and if
we get beat, we're gonna get beat by giving him
giving it out all.
Speaker 8 (30:04):
And you know, so for me, like, no way they
can do that.
Speaker 7 (30:07):
Like as a player, I couldn't do that, you know,
Like I'm out here, you know, putting my life on
the line, you know, because one bad hit you.
Speaker 8 (30:14):
Never know, it can go sideway. So why would I
ever go out there with that mindset? I just can't
do it.
Speaker 1 (30:19):
Did you ever play one game in your career where
you wondered if the team was soft tanking? No?
Speaker 8 (30:27):
Never?
Speaker 3 (30:28):
Okay never?
Speaker 8 (30:29):
Yeah, I'm not built like I was never a player
built like that.
Speaker 7 (30:32):
For me, I like every single play, even every single
repid practice, I was going hard and I always started
no matter the team.
Speaker 8 (30:39):
We might have went four and twelve.
Speaker 7 (30:42):
That year, but I still at the beginning of the season,
I said, this is our year. You know we're gonna
win the super Bowl. Like I always keep a positive.
Speaker 1 (30:50):
Mindset, you know, Yeah, I get it. Emanuel say, great
to see you again. We get you a couple of
times a year. Good luck to you. Enjoy the game.
Speaker 8 (30:57):
Hey, thank you calling. Good to see you, Man to
see you.
Speaker 1 (31:00):
Two time Pro bowler, third round pick out of SMU,
had a really, really nice career. Think about that. He
had Shanahan McDermott, Tomlin, he got a he got a
a Sean Payton at one point, he had some good coaches,
and I you know, that's what he we were talking
during the break. He said, you know, Jackson Dart, get
Sean Payton, and all of a sudden, Jackson Dart he
(31:22):
thinks would be in the playoffs two years. So yeah,
I mean it's it's it's pro sports is sometimes a
little cruel. The harder you work as a college athlete,
the worst organization in business you go to. So that's why,
like Ty Simpson, if people say Ty Simpson is kind
of a late first round guy, well, the Rams have
(31:43):
two firsts. What if the Rams are like, listen, Stafford's
gonna play one more year. We got two first the
second third four. We know everything else, just we'll reach
on Ty Simpson. That is an unbelievable situation where a
good team says, we're going to shelf you for a year.
We're gonna have Matt Stafford learn from a pro. That
(32:04):
is perfect. Doesn't happen a lot, but that is perfect.
Good show today, Albert Breer got all of our taste
buds in in kind of order. J MC you freaked
out when he was mentioned all sorts of coaches. We
have nine openings. I think we have nine more than
(32:24):
competent candidates. But I do think a really important thing
to note is if the Giants are going to hire
a coach, the sooner you definitively make the higher the
better staff you get with the coach. So like if
the Giants, you know, if the Giants, Harbaugh says, give
me two weeks and the Giants are like, what, by
(32:46):
that time, you could be the fourth coach hired. So
I think, I mean, I think the Giants is a
good job. But you don't want to sit around and
wait for Harbad to wait for you know, I think
you got to make I got you gotta make your
money now.
Speaker 6 (32:59):
Yeah, I largely agree with that once Harbaugh decides where
he's going, I think the dominoes will fall in order.
Speaker 1 (33:04):
Right, you're willing to wait for him.
Speaker 6 (33:05):
If you're Atlanta, the Giants, the Titans, you're willing to
wait for Harball. But you got to have a backup
playing You know this. I mean, we're we've been business owners.
You can't just put all your eggs in one basket.
You got to have a Plan B, Plan C ready
ready to go.
Speaker 1 (33:20):
Yeah, Kevin Stefanski and John Harbaugh have what they call leverage.
A lot of people interested. Ravens and Browns moved on
other teams, moving on up Hurt
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
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Speaker 2 (00:21):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
And with that, he went to Notre Dame. He's a
proud Pittsburgh Steeler, a Hall of Famer, six Pro Bowls.
You know him, we know him, we all know him.
Jerome Bettis is joining us. You know, great to see again.
Two things can be true. I can think Mike Tomlin
was amazing, and I think it's kind of time to
put the money on offense. Maybe go with a young
offensive guy. I don't just because a replace it. I
(00:46):
like hardball. Maybe it's time. You know, are you cunning
in that camp that you love Tomlin? I mean Cower
was your guy. But there is an argument they feel
a little outdated offensively, do they not?
Speaker 3 (01:01):
Yes?
Speaker 4 (01:03):
Because the philosophy of when I was playing that you
run the ball and you know you played great defense,
that is totally changed. Now you've got to put points
on the board. And that's the problem that the Stellers
are having. They're not putting points on the board, and
so that you have to fix because you're not going
to win football games. You know, with seven points, ten points,
(01:26):
thirteen points, that won't win. He's NFL, So you know,
fifteen years ago it was different. Today's NFL.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
You got to score, and I think that's where the
Stellers are struggling now.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
Like again, I love the idea that Mike Tomlin didn't
have a losing season, But I said, the reason the
Patriots got Drake May they were awful, and the Bears
got Caleb because they were awful. What about this idea?
You got a ton of draft picks, you go to
a Stefan Skiramarcus Freeman, You're like, we don't fire com coaches.
(02:01):
We're gonna load this roster up. We got a first,
a second, three thirds, two force. We may we'll draft
a backup, but we're stacking the roster. We're gonna be
awful for a year. I mean, that's really uncomfortable for
Steeler Nation because they're never awful. Do you think that's
something you can sell to the Rooneys.
Speaker 3 (02:23):
I don't think you could sell that.
Speaker 4 (02:25):
That's a tough one because I think be coach Tomlin
created a situation where they see what we can rebuild
in at least be five hundred.
Speaker 3 (02:36):
So if you're not, you know at least five hundred, they're.
Speaker 4 (02:41):
Looking at you like, well, you know you're doing something
wrong where I agree with you. At some point you
gotta fall apart and you gotta go out and get
the quarterback, or you said in yourself, we're going to
invest a lot of resources, we're gonna get that first
to use another first, and we don't go get a
(03:03):
quarterback right right now, I don't see the quarterback in
their future in terms of in college.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
But they're going to at some point say we gotta.
Speaker 4 (03:12):
Go get the quarterback, and if that means utilizing those
resources and those first round picks, you're gonna have to
do it because they they've seen what happens when you
don't invest in the quarterback, right and so you're not
going anywhere. You can make it to the playoffs, but
you're gonna lose in the first round because quarterback plays
(03:34):
pivotal in the playoffs.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
I don't see them hiring John Harball. They were reportedly
paying Tomlin a lot of money seventeen million, So Hardball's
in that class. Do you think they would consider hiring
a Raven?
Speaker 4 (03:48):
No, and I'll tell you this, and the Ravens will
not consider.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
Hiring a stealer.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
Okay, look, I'm doing that nice line. I get it.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
It can't be.
Speaker 4 (04:00):
Here's tire you, but it can't be at the last time.
You can't come right when the Ravens right into Pittsburgh.
That just doesn't work. So I don't think. I think
both guys will be excluded from those franchises because it's
(04:20):
just too much bad blood.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
Too much Marcus Freeman would be at the top of
my list. Would you stant Notre Dame or take the Steelers?
Steelers is a blue blood. It's one of the five
six big names in the league. Would you stant Notre
Dame or Steelers if you were offered both?
Speaker 4 (04:36):
Oh, my goodness, I think because of what you have
to do in Pittsburgh. It's a very dangerous job. So
I would not be in a rush to leave my
cozy confines. I got a really good program that I've created.
We're ready to go. We've got the players in place.
(04:58):
I wouldn't be in a rush to leave that when
I don't have my quarterback figured out in the NFL,
because what we have learned this is a quarterback centric
league and if you do not have your quarterback, you
have absolutely nothing. So as program the organization, rather as
(05:18):
you still have to give paused because your first question
going in and interviewing is what are we going to
do about the quarterback position? And because that's going to
be your legacy in essence, if you go to Pittsburgh,
if you win, is you figured the quarterback sation situation out?
Speaker 1 (05:37):
Were you surprised Mike Tomlin, you know him? Were you
surprised he stepped down?
Speaker 4 (05:42):
I wasn't surprised. When you start hearing the fans turn
on you, the writing is on the wall, and you
can prolong it if you want to, but you're not
going to get the level of support that you need
because what happens is it poisons the players, and then
the players starts second guessing the decisions that he's making right.
Speaker 3 (06:04):
And then once it.
Speaker 4 (06:06):
Poisons the players, now it poisons the some of the
assistant coaches, and it just becomes a very very bad situation.
So I think coach Tomlin did the right thing to
do to secure his legacy, right, because if you allow
it to go rock bottom, then you have kind of
destroyed your legacy there in Pittsburgh. So I think he
(06:28):
did the right thing. The rioting was on the wall.
He didn't have I would. I mean, I believe he
had the support in the building. But when you don't
have the fan support and when things are starting to
really circle down on you, I think it's time for
you to move on and look at the next opportunity.
Speaker 1 (06:47):
Tomlin could do broadcasting. He'd be great at it, But
like Mike Vrabel, I think he's a football guy that
could do TV, but it's not his makeup. He's like
he calls it the dark side, like, you know, I'm
not doing that. But I also don't see him as
going west. I tend to think Miami Dolphins, New York Giants,
(07:10):
Like if I said to you, we got nine openings, now,
we got Vegas, we got forget the Ravens. They're not
gonna hire him. You know, that's the Steeler raven thing.
Is there a place Atlanta, Miami Giants? Is there an
opening Jerome that you look at and go, oh yeah,
you know, him, Oh yeah, that works for Mike Tomlin.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
I think probably two places.
Speaker 4 (07:33):
Looking at the Giants and their situation and the Tennessee Titans,
I think looking at them historically defensively hated, they understand it,
They're not afraid to invest on the defensive side. So
I think those two places, and they have I think
(07:56):
the person there that you can go in and win
right now.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
So I think those two teams would be teams.
Speaker 4 (08:03):
That if I'm tim I'm looking at it, and I'm
saying the Giants similar ownership structure, very solid, willing to
give you some time. In the Tennessee Titans, really blue
collar environment, really good place where you can go down
and really change the culture.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
Kevin Stefanski doesn't have a great win loss record, but
I think he's offensive, he's smart, he knows the division.
If I say Kevin Stefanski, now the record's not glossy,
but he did beat the Steelers with Baker in a
playoff game. What do you make about Stefanski as a Steeler.
Speaker 4 (08:42):
I think it would be it would be a challenge,
but I would I would like Stefanski in the sense
that he understands this offense, the offensive world that we're in.
But he also obviously understands the defensive side, so because
he's had a strong defense the entire time in Cleveland.
(09:03):
So he would be a guy that I would look
at now, the fact that he just came from Cleveland,
I would say, you know, it may give a little pause,
but in terms of Ex's and O's coach, I think
he is super talented, uh and would be coach for
the next organization that decides to give him an opportunity,
(09:25):
and especially if he can get a quarterback.
Speaker 3 (09:28):
That's the concern in Pittsburgh. You've got to get a quarterback.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
Yeah, yes, Stefanski would go from the chaos of Cleveland
to the stability of either a Baltimore or Pittsburgh. That
that's that's what he hasn't had. He's had players, he's had,
he just hadn't have stability. So that would be good friend.
Jerome bettis the Hall of Famer, great seniors always thank you,
appreciate you. Yeah, I mean, can you imagine, like, if
(09:53):
you're Stefanski, You've done a lot of things right, but
you've never had stability. Even Baker, young Baker there was
you know, well he's starting some fires at the podium
with the media and barking to go to Pittsburgh. I mean,
you can go to bed at night knowing you know
your organization's not crazy, They're not impulsive. I think it's
so interesting that Stefanski gets booted by Cleveland and could
(10:17):
potentially upgrade to Baltimore or the Steelers and beat the
Browns for a decade. That that is chef's kiss. That
would that would be about as good as it gets
for a coach.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
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Subscribe, hit that thumbs up icon and coming away see
even Jerome Bettis said he's not sure the Steelers would
be comfortable bottoming out. And you know the Bears, they
were about a six win team or something. They get
Caleb Williams. Now they made it. They moved up to
(11:27):
get that number one pick. But Drake May is an
example of you got to be bad to get Drake May.
You got to be not very good to get bow Nicks.
So you know, this is not a great quarterback draft class.
I could see the Steelers just saying, you know, we're
going to reach on ty Simpson, but then we're just
going I would draft all defense. They need to get
(11:47):
a number two receiver. You got a couple fours. You
can pick it up there. But I would I would
go edge, defensive end, corners, safeties, another defensive tackle alongside
the kid from Oregon. I think they got to get younger, faster,
uh less expensive on defense. Here's here's j Mack with
the news.
Speaker 2 (12:08):
This is the herdline news.
Speaker 6 (12:11):
Let's start with some grim news for the Buffalo Bills.
I knew that Gabe Davis went down with an injury,
but Colin they also lost Tyrrel Shavers, who's also good
on special teams and Josh Palmer in a just a
beat down against the Jags. I mean, we losing three receivers.
How's this? Buffalo will only have three wide receivers available
on the fifty three man roster for the matchup against
(12:32):
the Broncos. It's Shakir Kean Coleman, who has had some
healthy scratches this season, and the immortal Brandon Cooks. I
don't know how he continues to do it.
Speaker 1 (12:42):
Well, they're they're they're fortified because they have Dawson Knox,
Kim Kaiden Hawes at tight end, so they're pretty good
at tight end. And they're also a run team first,
so they're Yeah. I mean, I think you can do it.
You'd like to get one of those guys back the
following game. I think you can do it for a week.
And by the way, when you go on the road,
you want to on the ball anyway. I mean the truthfully.
You want to shorten the game, you want to quiet
(13:04):
the crowd, you want to dominate line of scrimmage. So
I think it's a game you'll lean on James Cook,
Josh Allen and your tight ends. It's weird.
Speaker 6 (13:10):
Both of us thought maybe there was a world where
Buffalo got blown out by the Jags. I keep seeing it,
is there a chance for Denver? Just blasshom here. You know,
Buffalo's beat up Josh Allen. How many times did he
go down with like an injury? It looks brutal every time.
Speaker 1 (13:25):
Here's the thing you give Sean Payton, Andy Reid, Kyle Shanahan.
You give these guys an extra four or five days
of practice and prep. That's what you worry about. So
you go all the way down to Jacksonville, now all
the way out to Denver. You're a little banged uff
on your offense between Josh and the receivers, and here
comes out Denver with exotics and tricks and different looks,
(13:49):
at least for the first couple series, and you just
get caught flat footed. And now you're playing from behind
with Denver's pass rush. So I mean, you know it's
I will say this, Denver's got a way to beat you.
They usually don't drop twenty eight in the first half.
A lot of their scorings deep like Chicago in the game.
Speaker 6 (14:12):
That line has flipped. So Buffalo opened as a one
and a half point favorite. Now it's Denver one and
a half. Obviously, not through A key number of three
through zero is not huge, but that shows you the.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
Sentiment is the betting public.
Speaker 6 (14:23):
They're on Denver here and now Josh Allen is an underdog,
a spot that I'm sure he's gonna relish. We'll have
our picks tomorrow. Let's move on to this second story.
Con that is tremendous. Okay, So Ty Simpson is the
Alabama quarterback who.
Speaker 1 (14:36):
People are high on or low depending on who you
talk to. Well, how's this.
Speaker 6 (14:40):
He told a reporter that Miami, Tennessee and Old miss
were in a bidding war for his services. They said
transfer from Alabama. They went to his agent, they went
four million, five million. The highest offer was six and
a half million. Now this isn't rumors or innuendo. This
is tyson since agent saying this is what the schools
(15:01):
told me, and ty Simpsons on the record saying I
had a six and a half million dollar offer to
leave Alabama, not go NFL, and transfer to one of
those three schools. Now, Simpson's claims, and I'm curious what
you think of this. He turned down all the offers
because he didn't want to lose everything he had built
up at Alabama. Remember he was a team captain, and
(15:21):
make it look like he was just chasing money.
Speaker 1 (15:24):
Well, here's the thing is that he's not a great
enough prospect to go top two or three where the
really bad teams are. But he's a good enough prospect.
I'm being told to go mid to late first round. Well,
those teams aren't total rebuilds. That's like when bo Nicks
went to Denver. Denver had some good pieces. So I mean,
could he go like twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, Well those
(15:48):
are pretty decent rosters. So I mean that's what's interesting
to me, you know, I mean, what if he went
to a Miami and Miami's like, well they got the
running back. I mean, you start looking at they've got
They've got some pieces that I like. In Miami they
need an old line upgrade. But you start, you start
(16:09):
got the one advantage to like bow Knicks. A lot
of people were not on They didn't like bo Nicks.
A lot of teams had him as a second round guy.
Sean Payton had him as a first Well he drops
to eleven. We'll go look at Denver's roster. They had,
they had pass rushers, they had a great left tackle.
They had some interesting receiving weapons. So I you know, Tyson.
The advantage for ty Simpson is, let's say, and my
(16:33):
people are like, I kind of think he's a guy.
But I also thought Jackson Dart was the second round guy.
Let's say he goes thirteen, Well, who's I don't know
right in front of him, who's drafted in thirteenth? Fourteen, fifteenth.
Those are places you can go and don't have to
get into track meets because the defense is good.
Speaker 6 (16:51):
Yeah, this situation was since it's weird, so we got
what four more months of this draft process. Guy's rise
and fall. So Simpson's saying that he got some first
round grades. Now I don't know if that's one or two.
Speaker 1 (17:02):
His dad did.
Speaker 6 (17:02):
Yeah, So Daniel Jeremiah came on my podcast and said
it would be an upset if ty Simpson went in
the first round.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
And that's what I was told in season. Yeah, and
so I don't know what to believe. Maybe he rises,
maybe he falls.
Speaker 6 (17:14):
I do think he made the right decision, Colin, But
when coming out, there's nobody else. It's basically him, Carson Beck, Mendoza,
maybe Dante Moore.
Speaker 1 (17:23):
He's supposed to announce today whether what he's doing.
Speaker 6 (17:26):
But if he comes out next year, they're gonna nitpick
him all year.
Speaker 1 (17:29):
You know that.
Speaker 6 (17:30):
That's how it goes to ask King Club, Nick nuss Meyer,
all these guys, and then you're gonna drop to be
like a fourth round pick. So I think he's making
the right decision. But I'm kind of blown away that
colleges were like, yeah, we'll give you six and a
half million dollars to come to our quarterback.
Speaker 1 (17:44):
That's a crazy sum of money. Well, this is why
the Texas schools A and M Texas and Texas tacked
oil money. That's why you know, I've said this, if
the SEC didn't have A and M in Texas, where
would they be with this nil stuff? They'd be in big,
big trouble. Those are its keeping them afloat. They're I
mean that Georgia's losing quarterbacks to Vandy. Georgia's losing guys
(18:08):
out of the port. They lost like four or five
defensive backs. Like I'm telling you, Alabama can't compete financially
at the top. Keep your eye on Georgia. Keep your
eye on Georgia losing their big booster a year ago.
All sorts of portal transfers in the secondary. Couldn't wrangle
a quarterback away from Vanderbilt. I mean there's a lot
of stuff going on in that portal. Yeah, final story
(18:30):
con is not great.
Speaker 6 (18:31):
In the NBA, Anthony Davis has hurt again, and it's
not great. He's gonna be out about six weeks. There's
some there's a bit of a kerfuffle. A prominent NBA
reporter said he needs surgery. Anthony Davis vociferously went online
and said, nope, wrong, not getting surgery either way. He's
gonna miss at least a month. That'll be his second
(18:52):
one of the season. Colin, he remember he had the
cat strain, missed fifteen games earlier this season.
Speaker 1 (18:59):
I don't know, man.
Speaker 6 (18:59):
This trade that Anthony Davis for Luca Holy hell, it's
a disaster of epic proportions.
Speaker 1 (19:06):
I feel bad for Ad. The Mads are trying to
move him.
Speaker 6 (19:08):
And remember now they have Kyrie Irving and there's all
this Oh, oh Kyrie will come back.
Speaker 1 (19:12):
And help us get No, no, no, no, no, you want
to keep that draft pick because Colin, you've seen the draft.
Next year, it's loaded.
Speaker 6 (19:18):
There's like five really high premium guys, I don't think
Anthony Davis sees the court again this season. That's just
my prediction. I think they're still trying to trade him,
but now he's damaged goods.
Speaker 1 (19:28):
What do you do with ad? I mean not much.
Speaker 6 (19:33):
I mean there's just no real huge market for him.
He's like thirty two.
Speaker 1 (19:36):
Look at the amount of games played since that trade.
He's missed more.
Speaker 6 (19:41):
And without him, the Mads are horrific. They have nobody.
It's Cooper Flag against the world. I you know, this
is just it's a bummer to be a Dallas Mavericks stander.
Speaker 1 (19:50):
J mcklin news.
Speaker 2 (19:52):
Well, that's the news, and thanks for stopping by the
Herd Line.
Speaker 3 (19:56):
News.
Speaker 1 (19:57):
Breaking news. According to Chefty Schefter, Oregon quarterback Dante Moore
will return to Oregon. So it's the right move to
make get him fifteen more starts. That gives Ty Simpson
his camp probably good news for him. He'll be the
(20:17):
number two rated quarterback. So Dante more and I think
he could be really good. I just don't think he's ready.
So he's going to stay at Oregon. And that's good
for Oregon. That's good for organ it's good for college football.
Oregon's gonna make the playoff again. I would guess it's
a good college quarterback, just not ready to be a
(20:38):
Sunday quarterback. And Oregon recruits at a high level. So
for me, I think this is the NIL. Everybody sees
it as all negative. I see it as a positive.
First of all, it allows quarterbacks like Dante Moore. Most
of these most college athletes don't grow up with a
ton of money. I mean, how many people in America
really have like wealthy parents. Very few one percent. So
(21:02):
my takeaway is the NIL is great for guys like
Dante more and players. They can make great money and
get great coaching at Oregon and come out more polished.
I also like NIL because not just quarterbacks. Even if
you just make one hundred thousand dollars a year, one
hundred and fifty or two hundred thousand dollars a year
(21:22):
as a player, it gives you some sense of, you know, money,
Like instead of going from broke college kid to millionaire,
you know, you can go buy a car in college,
you know, spend a little money, have a little fun.
I didn't get that college life. I was eating top ramin.
But so the NIL has got some value. It certainly
helped college basketball to go poach some of the best
(21:42):
European kids. But I think the winner here is Dante
Moore Oregon football college football. I mean that utter quarterback
that went from Cincinnati to Texas Tech. He's like Dante More.
He could come out and get drafted, but he needs
another twelve fifteen starts. Good for him, it's the hurt.
Speaker 2 (22:01):
Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd weekdays
and noon Eastern. Not a Empacific.
Speaker 1 (22:08):
Well, he played in the NFL for twelve years, multiple
time Pro Bowler, in a Super Bowl fifty champ. Emmanuel
Sanders played six years with Denver, four years with Mike
Tomlin Buffalo Bills, Niners. All right, so you played with
Mike Tomlin. Do you think he's an older coach? Fifty
three more defense than offense. Let's start with this. What
(22:32):
are Mike Tomlin's straints because I don't think he's a
longtime TV guy. I think he could do TV for
a year, but he's not a TV Guy's a coach.
What are his strengths in your four years with him
as a head coach?
Speaker 7 (22:44):
I mean, for me, I think Mike Tomland wants to
be a long term TV guy. I think he'd be
great at it. But for me, I can only speak
with my time in Pittsburgh, and when I tell you
the moment that I got there, he was like a
father figured to me.
Speaker 8 (22:57):
The things that he taught me in terms of invest
in money and a way of the thing.
Speaker 3 (23:02):
I remember.
Speaker 8 (23:02):
You know, I was a young guy and I got
an X amount of dollars and you know, I was
content with that, and he pulled me over to the site.
Speaker 7 (23:08):
He said, let me tell you some He said, you
got a financial advasor for that little money. But he said, man,
come back and talk to me when you get three
or four contracts. And you know, one of my best
stories is I was in Buffalo and he's done here.
He probably don't even remember telling me that, but I
walked up to him when I was at the Bills
and I was on the back end and getting ready
to retire, and I say, hey, Mike t I went
and got through or four contracts, and you right.
Speaker 8 (23:29):
Man, that money is a lot better.
Speaker 7 (23:31):
And I definitely was thinking small, and so he had
me thinking big. And that's what type of player coach
he is. He's always going to give it to you,
real role, authentic, uh, and.
Speaker 3 (23:41):
You know it.
Speaker 7 (23:42):
Depending on how you take it, you might not like it,
but you know that he has your best interest. And
that's why I always love him.
Speaker 6 (23:47):
Man.
Speaker 7 (23:48):
You know what we were talking about off air of
like you know, coaches making players. He was one of
those guys that truly was a blessing for me to
get drafted with him because he just changed my whole
mindset in the way that I was thinking about I
wanted about my business.
Speaker 1 (24:01):
I love hearing that. So you're in Denver and you
told me something during the break. You used to think
players made coaches, but maybe you're watching Sean Payton and
bow Knicks. I mean, you tell me how your world
has sort of changed on.
Speaker 3 (24:20):
How you view that.
Speaker 7 (24:22):
Well, I mean, you just look at these quarterbacks, all right,
and it's no shot the bow Knicks.
Speaker 2 (24:28):
But you know, even with me, like in.
Speaker 7 (24:32):
Twenty fourteen, you know, I was blessed to play with Payton,
and once I got with Peyton, and once I got
in that offense, I went the Pro Bowls.
Speaker 8 (24:39):
In fifteen, I was with Peyton and I won a
Super Bowl. And then you know, like I had a
couple of coaches who.
Speaker 7 (24:45):
You know, I can't say they were bad, but they
just weren't at the pinnacle of the game and for me.
Speaker 8 (24:50):
To have success.
Speaker 7 (24:51):
And so I look at the systems that I was in,
the coaches that I had, and I noted I had success.
Speaker 3 (24:55):
Even when I got with Kyle.
Speaker 8 (24:56):
Shanahan, I had success with him because he knew what
he was doing.
Speaker 7 (25:00):
He was in control of the controller if he was
playing Madden, and he was controlling and calling.
Speaker 8 (25:05):
Them plays and putting me in the best position to succeed.
Speaker 7 (25:08):
And so and that's what I see with you know,
with these quarterbacks these days, right like Bo Knicks, man like, yeah,
he's a hell of a player, but man.
Speaker 8 (25:15):
Was he blessed and and to be able.
Speaker 7 (25:18):
To get with Sean Payton because I played with Sean
Payne too in New Orleans. And when I tell you,
Sean Payton, you know, is a defensive coordinator nightmare. Especially
when I was in New Orleans. He was always two
or three plays ahead of the defensive coordinator. He knew
where he wanted to go, He attacked where he was
supposed to attack, and we had a lot of success.
Speaker 8 (25:36):
You know, we ended up winning the NFC South that year.
And that's why I.
Speaker 7 (25:38):
Say, you know, coaches make players, like players don't make coaches.
It's all about the system that you're in that allows
you to flourish.
Speaker 1 (25:47):
Your last year in the league. You played with Josh
Allen in Buffalo, so you're gonna see Denver guys and
Bill's guys at the game this weak. It's great for you.
I think you told me a story because you you
got Josh wasn't quite what we see now, but you
said you had a pretty good inclination that it was
gonna be all time stuff.
Speaker 7 (26:05):
Right, Yeah, I mean, dude, I mean just just from
the toughness right of the quarter the way that he
plays a quarterback musician like, I mean, he's like a
running back playing quarterback, but he's not built like a
running back. He's six foot five and just just a
machine and then just a rocket of a arm.
Speaker 8 (26:26):
But you know, like as much as talent as.
Speaker 7 (26:28):
He had, you root for guys like him, because what
I tell you, my time was my time there, Like
he was one of the best teammates that I had.
I truly enjoyed being around him. It was always light energy,
like always having fun. Yet when we get in the game,
he would turn it on. But it was always fun
to go out and compete with him because you know
that he was he was, he was gonna give it
(26:48):
as all and that's why I always respected Josh. And
you know, the success that he's having, it's no surprise
because he wants it.
Speaker 8 (26:55):
And I know how bad he wants that Super Bowl too.
Speaker 7 (26:57):
But I don't know, man, those Broncos in the way,
it's I'm kind of I'm kind of in between of
like Josh and the Broncos. But you know, I you know,
I bleed orange and blue. So it's gonna it's gonna
be a fun little game.
Speaker 1 (27:10):
I want to ask you about Kyle Shanahan. Shanahan last week,
Kittle gets hurt early, the defense has lost all its players,
and you've had a lot of different coaches. Tomlin, you
said it was like a father figure, Sean Payton was
like a mad scientist.
Speaker 2 (27:25):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (27:25):
In your time with Shanahan, how do you compartmentalize him?
Speaker 3 (27:31):
What is he like? U?
Speaker 8 (27:34):
H O f Hall of Fame to me? And I've
been saying this for years.
Speaker 7 (27:39):
I actually did an interview I think it was last
year or two years ago. It was some radio station
out in San Frian and very Sam, what do you
think about the fans saying that they should fire Kyle Shanahan,
And I said, out of their mind.
Speaker 8 (27:53):
I said, like, like, what do you what is there
even to think about you?
Speaker 7 (27:57):
You guys have one of the greatest offensive in the
history of the National.
Speaker 8 (28:01):
Football League in my opinion.
Speaker 7 (28:03):
And I say that because I've been around him, and
I've had some pretty good coordinators myself.
Speaker 8 (28:07):
And when I tell you, like Sean Payton is a
Hall of Fame coach to me.
Speaker 7 (28:11):
And college because these guys always put you in position
to win. While other defensive coordinators are playing checkers, they're
playing chess. It's a whole nother game that they're playing,
and they're constantly evolving, and they know exactly how to
attack you and and.
Speaker 8 (28:27):
And they do it.
Speaker 7 (28:28):
And so you know the officsive performance that Kyle put on,
you know, with Christian McCaffrey.
Speaker 8 (28:33):
Uh, it's plug and play with the other guys.
Speaker 7 (28:35):
And as long as Pertty's off in there, uh and
Christian McCaffrey, I just feel like Kyle still has this
confidence that I can call whatever I want to call,
and I can hit you from wherever I want to
hit you, and don't be surprised if I run a
reverse past every now and then just to put some
points on the board. But I do what I gotta do,
and that's what a coach does. And I got the
utmost respectful caution in.
Speaker 1 (28:55):
So I want to go back to Pittsburgh. You know,
Pittsburgh's a different environ It's a city, but it feels
like a small town. And I asked, I asked Jerome
bettis this earlier? I said, you know, they're very proud
that they never have losing seasons. And I'm like, yeah,
but you know how the Patriots got Drake May. They stunk.
To get a great quarterback, you gotta stink, and Pittsburgh,
(29:19):
Pittsburgh never stinks. Do you think of a new if
a new coach came into Pittsburgh and just said, guys,
let's let's stink for a year, and then the following
year there's like seven good quarterbacks. I'm an offensive guy.
Don't worry about this year. I don't care if we
win three games. You know, Pittsburgh. You think Pittsburgh's ownership
would buy that.
Speaker 8 (29:40):
No, they're not buying that.
Speaker 7 (29:41):
And I don't think the players have buy that, man,
Like we trained all year and every year is our
year to win.
Speaker 8 (29:47):
The Super Bowl.
Speaker 7 (29:48):
So it's no way that you could just expect me
to train in an offseason, put my body through all
of this just to go and tank for a whole year.
Like as a player, like I got way too much
pride today, Like we're gonna give it all and if
we get beat, we're gonna get beat by giving him
giving it out all.
Speaker 8 (30:04):
And you know, so for me, like, no way they
can do that.
Speaker 7 (30:07):
Like as a player, I couldn't do that, you know,
Like I'm out here, you know, putting my life on
the line, you know, because one bad hit you.
Speaker 8 (30:14):
Never know, it can go sideway. So why would I
ever go out there with that mindset? I just can't
do it.
Speaker 1 (30:19):
Did you ever play one game in your career where
you wondered if the team was soft tanking? No?
Speaker 8 (30:27):
Never?
Speaker 3 (30:28):
Okay never?
Speaker 8 (30:29):
Yeah, I'm not built like I was never a player
built like that.
Speaker 7 (30:32):
For me, I like every single play, even every single
repid practice, I was going hard and I always started
no matter the team.
Speaker 8 (30:39):
We might have went four and twelve.
Speaker 7 (30:42):
That year, but I still at the beginning of the season,
I said, this is our year. You know we're gonna
win the super Bowl. Like I always keep a positive.
Speaker 1 (30:50):
Mindset, you know, Yeah, I get it. Emanuel say, great
to see you again. We get you a couple of
times a year. Good luck to you. Enjoy the game.
Speaker 8 (30:57):
Hey, thank you calling. Good to see you, Man to
see you.
Speaker 1 (31:00):
Two time Pro bowler, third round pick out of SMU,
had a really, really nice career. Think about that. He
had Shanahan McDermott, Tomlin, he got a he got a
a Sean Payton at one point, he had some good coaches,
and I you know, that's what he we were talking
during the break. He said, you know, Jackson Dart, get
Sean Payton, and all of a sudden, Jackson Dart he
(31:22):
thinks would be in the playoffs two years. So yeah,
I mean it's it's it's pro sports is sometimes a
little cruel. The harder you work as a college athlete,
the worst organization in business you go to. So that's why,
like Ty Simpson, if people say Ty Simpson is kind
of a late first round guy, well, the Rams have
(31:43):
two firsts. What if the Rams are like, listen, Stafford's
gonna play one more year. We got two first the
second third four. We know everything else, just we'll reach
on Ty Simpson. That is an unbelievable situation where a
good team says, we're going to shelf you for a year.
We're gonna have Matt Stafford learn from a pro. That
(32:04):
is perfect. Doesn't happen a lot, but that is perfect.
Good show today, Albert Breer got all of our taste
buds in in kind of order. J MC you freaked
out when he was mentioned all sorts of coaches. We
have nine openings. I think we have nine more than
(32:24):
competent candidates. But I do think a really important thing
to note is if the Giants are going to hire
a coach, the sooner you definitively make the higher the
better staff you get with the coach. So like if
the Giants, you know, if the Giants, Harbaugh says, give
me two weeks and the Giants are like, what, by
(32:46):
that time, you could be the fourth coach hired. So
I think, I mean, I think the Giants is a
good job. But you don't want to sit around and
wait for Harbad to wait for you know, I think
you got to make I got you gotta make your
money now.
Speaker 6 (32:59):
Yeah, I largely agree with that once Harbaugh decides where
he's going, I think the dominoes will fall in order.
Speaker 1 (33:04):
Right, you're willing to wait for him.
Speaker 6 (33:05):
If you're Atlanta, the Giants, the Titans, you're willing to
wait for Harball. But you got to have a backup
playing You know this. I mean, we're we've been business owners.
You can't just put all your eggs in one basket.
You got to have a Plan B, Plan C ready
ready to go.
Speaker 1 (33:20):
Yeah, Kevin Stefanski and John Harbaugh have what they call leverage.
A lot of people interested. Ravens and Browns moved on
other teams, moving on up Hurt
Hosts And Creators
Colin Cowherd
Jason McIntyre
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