August 12, 2026 • 33 mins
NFL reporter Albert Breer joins the show to tell Colin after his training camp tour he believes the Cowboys and Lions should be taken serious as Super Bowl contenders.
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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 (00:25):
All right, let's pivot now to the NFL. Albert Breer
is at the Cleveland Browns camp today. Sunday, he was
at the Bears. I saw him there Monday, Packers, yesterday Vikings.
So let's start vikings. You're there on the decision day.
There's always kind of interesting vibes with it. There's gonna
be some pr I don't think you and I are
(00:48):
surprised by it, but I am a little surprised it
happened before their first game.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
I mean a weekend. Were you surprised a little?
Speaker 4 (00:58):
I mean, I think really like what this came down
to for Kevin O'Connell and his staff was they wanted
to be able to project and not hope, and that's
what Kyler Murray offers them versus J. J.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
McCarthy. They can hope a lot of the nice things
that they've.
Speaker 4 (01:10):
Seen, of course the preseason with but that doesn't mean
it necessarily will. Whereas what Kyler Murray, it's more of
a known commodity. And here's the important thing. I mean,
you can't fool locker room, right. So if the locker
room sees which way this is going, maybe it's time
to say, Okay, here's our quarterback. We're building an offense
for him. Because an offense for Kyler Murray is going
(01:32):
to look a little different than an offense for JJ McCarthy.
That gives them a month to do that and look
like the bottom line here, Colin, there's a lot of
veteran players in that locker room who don't care about
your three year plan or your four year plan or
your five year plan. There's guys like Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison,
Aaron Jones, Christian Darris, o' brian O'Neill, Byron Murphy, Blake Cashman,
(01:55):
Andrew Van Ginkle. I could go on. All these guys
won fourteen games two years ago. So they don't want
to be sitting there waiting to see whether or not
what the competition bears is going to work. They want
to get go forward with their season, and this allows
them to do that.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
I think JJ McCarthy, I mean, that feels like it's over.
Do you think he'd get moved or they'll just say, hey, listen,
you know we're going to play him in the preseason.
If he plays well enough, we'll keep him in the room.
Kyler has a history occasionally getting banged out. What do
you think his future is?
Speaker 4 (02:29):
Yeah, I mean you say you never say never on
this stuff, but I do think JJ's handled himself pretty
good over the course of the offseason. He's made real
strides and technique and some of the fundamental stuff that
he needed to work on. He's gotten more accurate now,
like is he where Kyler is?
Speaker 5 (02:45):
No?
Speaker 4 (02:45):
And that's why right now he's the second quarterback on
the depth chart. I do think Kevin O'Connell would like
to keep working with him, and I do think that
they feel like that there could be something there in time.
Obviously not what they thought it was going to be
when they took him tenth overall, they do think that
there's there's talent to work with there. And if you've
talked to Kevin O'Connell before, you know how he feels
(03:07):
about the quarterback position. He feels like teams fail the
quarterbacks more than quarterbacks fail the teams. And so, you know,
I think the way he looks at it is if
we can put him on ice for a year and like,
you know, get him to go through an entire season
where he's just the backup, which he hasn't had a
chance to do yet, that could really wind up benefiting
(03:28):
him in the long run, whether that's in Minnesota or
somewhere else. So I don't think he's completely given up
on him. I would say, you know, you never say never.
If somebody gets desperate, someone has an injury or something
and wants to come and trade for him, you know,
maybe you consider that, But I don't think that's part
of their plan right now.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
The coolest hot seat in the league is Matt Lafleur.
You were at the Packer camp Monday. What was your
what was the vibe? What was your take?
Speaker 4 (03:53):
So I look at them a lot like Seattle last year,
and I think they were this team last year too,
right like where I think both green Bands going into
twenty five had a lot of good players that if
they if a few of them elevated to great, then
you'd really have something. And that happened in Seattle, right
with JSN, with Murphy, with Cross, with Witherspoon, good players
(04:14):
becoming great players.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
And so I think that's still the question in Green Bay.
And the cruel twist in it is that.
Speaker 4 (04:21):
After training camp last year they traded for a great
player and Micah Parsons and he got hurt. And one
of those young guys who did become great for them,
and Tucker Craft he got hurt. So how do those
two guys look coming back? How does Jordan Morgan look
at left tackle? How does Matthew Golden look at receiver?
They've got a lot of They've got a good base
of young talent, but so much of it I think
(04:42):
is going to be all right? How many of these
guys can elevate and become real difference makers?
Speaker 3 (04:46):
And that, you know, I mean some degree goes for
the quarterback.
Speaker 4 (04:49):
Too, right, you know, I think they feel good about
where they're at now, whether or not they can take
another step versus where they've been.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
They've been in the playoffs.
Speaker 4 (04:58):
I believe the number now is is six of Matt
Lafleur seven years.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
You know, how can they get back.
Speaker 4 (05:05):
To the conference championship round and ultimately a Super Bowl.
I think it's gonna have to be their young talent
taking another step.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
Okay, Luther Burden wasn't there. You and I were at
the Bears for two hours on Sunday. I sat and watched.
In My take was the offense dominated the defense. They
got to let Roma Dunze is now healthy, it's fast,
it's efficient, Caleb slim down. I thought accuracy was clearly improved.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
That was my take.
Speaker 4 (05:30):
What was yours Just a certainty with which it was,
like Caleb is playing, you know last year.
Speaker 3 (05:35):
I think his head was spinning at this time.
Speaker 4 (05:38):
Of the year, and Ben was really trying to feed
him through a fire hose, like let's see how much
he can handle. Okay, he can do this, he can't
do that, and then you build an offense. But you
have the basis of all the stuff that you threw
at him now and you're building on it. And it's
a really logical teaching progression that I think sometimes coaches
are careful with the young players now because maybe they're
(06:01):
not quite as strong willed as they used to be
twenty or thirty years ago. But Ben felt like Caleb
could handle it, and I think, you know, you see
the proof in year one, what it became in year one,
and now they get a.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
Chance to play out to build off of that.
Speaker 4 (06:14):
And that's what I'm seeing is like what you hear
from people in that building is Caleb's really moved through
the offseason, which Ben's a tough coach with this level
of joy and focus and you know, really tells me
that personality he's got, He's found a way to meld
it into what Ben Johnson is building in Chicago, and
that's great news for everybody there. I think Colston Lovelin
(06:35):
is going to be a monster for them this year.
I think Luther Burden is going to be a huge
factor when he gets back healthy. Like you said, a
Dunze's healthy now, if they can work out the left
tackle position, the offense should be dynamite. Defensively, they do
have questions.
Speaker 1 (06:49):
Yeah, all right, Cleveland Browns. I don't see the point
in starting Deshaun Watson. I would just go with a kid.
By the way, if Deshaun struggles, who cares. It's a
great quarterback class. That may be the best possible scenario.
What do you hear and what'd you see.
Speaker 3 (07:07):
I don't think they've made a decision yet.
Speaker 4 (07:10):
You know, my guess would be Deshaun Watson starts the
first game, shade Or Sanders starts the second game. They
have joint practices with the Bills next week. You gather
all that information, and then you know at the after
the second game, you make a decision. The one thing
about Deshaun that I think is interesting, though, Colin, like,
(07:30):
we've seen him as a top five quarterback, right, we.
Speaker 3 (07:33):
Know that the ceiling has at least been there in
the past.
Speaker 4 (07:37):
Now whether it's still there or not is debatable, But
he's started to feel more comfortable coming back off the injury,
and he's knocked some of the rust off, and so
I don't know that his ceiling is lower than Shadeor's,
even though he's been through everything that he's been through
the last few years. So, you know, I've had this
(07:58):
thought for a while.
Speaker 3 (07:59):
I still have it.
Speaker 4 (08:00):
This organization sunk two hundred and thirty million dollars and
three first round picks and to Shawn Watson, And what
would be worse than just chalking it up and saying
it's the sun costs and moving it on, moving on.
It would be not knowing that there's still something there.
You know, it would be not knowing there's still something
there and then he goes and balls out somewhere else.
Speaker 3 (08:19):
So I mean to me, logically, I look.
Speaker 4 (08:22):
At it and say, you could start the season with
DeShawn and then if it doesn't work, it's very easy
to go to Shador.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
I think it'd be more difficult the other way around.
Speaker 4 (08:30):
So I think Chador needs to clearly win the job
or else they probably give to Sean at least a
few games to start the season, because again, it's easier
to go from the older guy to the younger guy
in season.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
So you've been to the Cowboys, Chiefs, Rams, Chargers, Seahawks, Broncos, Bears, Vikings, Packers.
Now you're at Cleveland. So I'm going to show you
my predictions.
Speaker 3 (08:50):
I could run them off.
Speaker 4 (08:50):
There's seventeen of them now, and I probably like the
cryptkeeper based on the lighting in here.
Speaker 1 (08:57):
Okay, so tell me the team, and it doesn't matter
what they did last year. The team you've seen that
you're like people they could they could win the Super Bowl?
Is there a team you're like way better than either Vegas,
the narratives that that you just came out and went fast,
(09:18):
young athletic coach, quarterback.
Speaker 3 (09:20):
Everything kind of clicked Detroit.
Speaker 4 (09:25):
I feel like everybody's forgotten about them, and I think
the Jamira Gibbs contract is bright flashing lights at what's
actually happened there the last few years and how well
they've drafted and developed and and and ultimately kept their own.
You can go down the list, Pinay Sewell, I'm on
a Ross Saint Brown, Jamison Williams, Now Gibbs, Aiden Hutchinson,
(09:46):
Brian Branch will probably get a contract, Samuel Porter will
probably get a contract. Jack Campbell's got one to lead
McNeil's got one. This is from This is premium talent
up and down the roster. I think Goff's way better
than people give them credit for. If their offensive line,
if that group is fixed, Blake Miller fits in it
right tackle, Piney Sewell makes the smooth left tackle. I
(10:07):
still think it's one of the most talented rosters in
the league. And the other on the other one.
Speaker 3 (10:12):
Colin.
Speaker 4 (10:14):
And maybe this is just you know, you get drunk
on the hype sometimes some years with this team. But
I kind of like where the Cowboys are at too.
I mean, I think their offense is going to be dynamite,
and I don't think they have to be great on
defense to contend. You know, it's sort of the reverse
of the Texans. You know, the Texans just have to
be pretty good on offense and for Super Bowl because
(10:35):
their defense is so good.
Speaker 3 (10:37):
I think the Cowboys sort of have the reverse of that.
Speaker 1 (10:39):
Now, so you spend you know, you've been doing this
for a long time. Yeah, and you drink a lot
of coffee. I was with you at the Bears camp
the other day. This is my dream now. I don't
want to do what you do for a living because
it's a lot of hard work and this is easy lifting.
But I will tell you for about how long? How
many has it been? Twenty days in seventeen camps?
Speaker 4 (11:00):
So eighteen tomorrow will be the last one before I
actually get to go home and see my family and
reintroduce myself that it's gonna be eighteen camps in eighteen days. Yeah,
you can come on out in twenty twenty seven, though, Colin,
you can jump in the rental.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
I can't pull myself away from middle coughs. What what are
you talking about?
Speaker 4 (11:19):
I got, I got, I got you to come out
to Bears the other day.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
That was great.
Speaker 3 (11:23):
Oh my god, Yeah, that was good. That was good.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
Good seeing you, Albert. Great to see you Monday morning, quarterback. No,
it's a lot of fun to watch those practices, and
you can see certain teams. I mean like Chicago is
gonna have a little bit of it. To me, gonna
have a little bit of a pass rush problem. I
think Malik Muhammad the draft picks pretty good, pretty active.
He'll be a nickel set. So I'm going to the
Bears game against Cleveland. I got to watch Shaduur say,
(11:46):
I can't wait. Bears Brown's Saturday at Soldier Field. I'm
gonna watch. I'm gonna take the notepad on Schadeur Sanders
Deshaun Watson. To me, what's the point. Give it to Chadeur,
let him go, Let's have some on with this stuff.
Let's you know, I just think the vibe with Shaduur
is more joyful and fun. And you know, if let's
(12:07):
let's say you think Deshaun can win you five games
in Shadure four or six and five, I mean, give
the kid a give the kid a run, because by
the way, if you don't play him, and you play
him late in the year and he goes like three
and one or four and one, you know, it's like
gonna be that t bow thing where everybody just fall.
We saw his merchandise numbers last year. The Browns fans
(12:28):
want Shadure to play. That's not even close. And by
the way, when you're not great and you want to
keep people coming through the turnstiles, fans have you know,
if you're great, it doesn't matter. Right the Rams, they're
gonna do what they're gonna do with Cleveland. If Shadura
gets announced as the starter on Tuesday, you're gonna sell
more tickets to me?
Speaker 5 (12:46):
Can I ask you a serious question, sir? Sure, why
are you going to a preseason game? John sourcing is
very important? Was it an invite extended by the characters
that run the planning to go before that?
Speaker 3 (13:02):
Yes?
Speaker 1 (13:02):
I was asked by what you would people that wear ties?
Speaker 5 (13:07):
Okay, mix, I didn't know if you just like going
with a buddy or taking your wife, just enjoying yourself
and be like it's a little underwhelming. I've been to
a lot of them. About halftime, you started looking at
your watch, Now, if you're with the right people rubbing
elbows in the Swedeen, maybe a couple of cocktails come
your way. It's can be enjoyable.
Speaker 1 (13:26):
John, All games start with a J, Big Jay journalism,
souy and go and take my go pro.
Speaker 3 (13:32):
See if I can tape some stuff.
Speaker 2 (13:34):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
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Radio FS one and the iHeartRadio.
Speaker 6 (13:42):
App sot gots here. I have a podcast Empire. It
continues to grow and I have brought it here to iHeart.
I'm also doing a live radio show from three to
five pm Eastern because my wife wanted to kick me
out of the house. It's called Stegatzi Company Live, which
is available in podcast form right when the show finishes
(14:04):
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Speaker 3 (14:09):
Calls, I love you guys. You show it's one of
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Those are just some of the things that you could
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So listen to Stu Godson Company Live and our original podcast.
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(14:34):
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Speaker 1 (14:47):
Man the Sports World, we get lucky a lot on
the show. We get stuff that just breaks an hour
before we go on the air. And the Lakers have
been sold after being purchased fourteen months ago by Mark Walter,
who his group, the Guggenheim Group, has been wildly successful
running the Los Angeles Dodgers and turning them into top
to bottom just sort of a gold standard on sports ownership.
(15:09):
But there's now a federal investigation into his personal business
practices and his companies, not necessarily the Dodgers, right, not that,
but his stuff. So he gets out of the Laker business.
And as the world turns in sports, here's John Middlcoff
with the news.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
No no turn on the news. This is the headline news.
Speaker 5 (15:33):
Well, always one of the biggest stories around this time
of the year, the Cowboys. They aren't currently favored to
win their own division, but according to reports, the team
is still leaning into a Super Bowl or bust mentality.
Dak was asked about it recently and he responded to
the quote, why not wear it? Why not be proud
that this is our goal. We're going to manifest it.
(15:53):
We're trying our damnedest to get there. You know where
I stand. I'm a big believer this year. I'm buying
the high. I don't love this. I mean, I you know,
you don't need to be Nick Saban, all about the process,
all about the process, twenty four seven, three sixty five,
But grand proclamations for a franchise that hasn't been passed
(16:15):
the second round and thirty years seems well, let's let's
jog before we sprint.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
Yeah, And I think you know, everybody points to Dak Prescott.
Can you win a super Bowl with Dak? I think
you can get there with Dak. I think Brian Schottenheimer
had a all things considered, pretty solid first year. This
is a this is a quarterback coach league. And if
he goes toe to toe with Shanahan McVeigh, you know,
(16:43):
Dan Campbell, there's some you know Ben Johnson, I think
he would be the second best coach in those matchups.
So I think listen, can you get to the can
you get to the playoffs? Can you win a playoff game?
Then you're in, You're in the lottery. You're kind of
in that space.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
Where are you?
Speaker 5 (16:59):
Hell?
Speaker 1 (17:00):
Well, so much of this league, John is attrition. Like,
if they're healthy, their top six to eight players and
playmakers are healthy, they can win a playoff game.
Speaker 3 (17:08):
You're playing the Rams in.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
LA not ideal, probably a little outclassed, but I think
that's reasonable. I think super Bowl stuff is I even
think conference championship. When you look at Detroit, from the
coach to the quarterback, to the culture to the roster,
Seattle's better. Rams are better. I think Detroit's absolutely better.
And they got a new coordinator in Philly. Cowboys played
(17:31):
them close, but I think Philly's better. So you're Dallas
is in that Green Bay, Chicago, San Francisco class, which
could be really interesting.
Speaker 3 (17:40):
But I have questions.
Speaker 5 (17:42):
I was reading a lot.
Speaker 3 (17:43):
Yesterday.
Speaker 5 (17:43):
They scrimmaged the Rams as they do every year, as
in a joint practice, and I think last year it
did not go well. By all accounts. They kind of
held their own yesterday. Now granted Miles Garrett was held
out of practice Pooka left. But I do think they
showed the one thing with the Eagles with Dak and Schottenheimer,
those two are really going up against Fangio, right, And
(18:06):
that's so even when the Eagles offense is a little off,
you got the highest paid defensive coordinator with just a
lot of bullets in his gun on that side of
the ball. So I think that's a big boy matchup
for Dak and that unit going up against that defense.
I mean, they have just star power on every level.
So yeah, we'll see. I mean, you know, Jerry loves
(18:26):
it those quotes and taking the Super Bowl that the Steelers.
They face the Packers here in tomorrow, but it's unclear
whether Rogers will play. Rogers entering his twenty second season,
and after practice yesterday he told reporters that he doesn't
see a real advantage to playing these games.
Speaker 7 (18:46):
Oh it's a preseason. It's not real football. So if
I do great, if not great, I like to be
on the headset and calm everybody down. Usually the first
game it's a little hectic on the headset, So I
like to be the voice of reason. Occasional dad joke
or one lner, just keep everybody settled in a little bit.
Speaker 3 (19:07):
There we go.
Speaker 1 (19:08):
Yeah, I think I don't think the games mean a
ton and I think the risk is much greater than
a reward.
Speaker 3 (19:13):
So I'd sit him out, Yeah, I would.
Speaker 5 (19:15):
I would one not put him in against people who
may be their greatest football moment could be tackling Aaron
Rodgers in a preseason game. So I we'll see how
that plays out. Baker Mayfield. He didn't get a new
contract this year, which he was hoping to after playing
pretty well the last couple of years.
Speaker 8 (19:33):
Uh.
Speaker 5 (19:33):
He battled injuries though throughout last season, but still started
all seventeen games. Baker appeared on a podcast recently and
it sounds like he's feeling really good about where he's at.
Speaker 3 (19:45):
I feel good.
Speaker 9 (19:46):
I mean, I think I'm in the best shape I've
ever been in. I mean, it took a while to
like to feel healthy enough to actually train and get
to that point, but I feel great. You know, it's
you find your routine and the later in your later
years in your career, you figure out what works for you.
You know, schedule wise, workout wise, diet wise, all the
things that you need to adjust and adapt to as
(20:07):
the years go on.
Speaker 3 (20:08):
So I feel I feel really good.
Speaker 9 (20:10):
Yeah, last year was banged up, but I mean the
whole team was, and so I feel good about my
physical where I'm at right now, and then just where
everybody like that we had play last year they got
thrown in the fire. I feel good about where the
teams at right now too.
Speaker 3 (20:24):
Yeah, like the hat on the other way. But other
than that, I'm working for him.
Speaker 5 (20:28):
You know, Tampa, He's in a pretty good spot. He
is one of the best gms in the league. I
think he's moved his family there. Even if they got
to change a coach after this year. I think in
a perfect world, Baker's just their quarterback moving forward. But
at the numbers that we talk about nowadays, these these
can be hard decisions. Not everyone's Mahomes and Josh Allen
(20:48):
no brainers.
Speaker 1 (20:50):
Yeah, I mean I think he's in a good spot.
I mean that that division's wide open. I think I
think New Orleans last year again, if New Orleans have
dealt the tight end from Georgia and Jordan Tyson, the
receiver from Arizona State, can make an impact, Delp will
be a very good blocker very quickly. Tyson's really explosive
they spent their draft capital on helping the quarterback.
Speaker 3 (21:11):
Yeah, so, but.
Speaker 1 (21:13):
I think that the division is I like what they're
doing in Carolina, but I don't think anybody's pulling away
in this division. I think everybody will you know, in division,
will win their home matchup and lose their road matchup.
And I do think when Baker's healthy, he's a pretty
special quarterback. Bakers also had Dave Canalis left, Liam Cohen left.
Baker's had a lot of not chaos, but he hadn't
(21:37):
had a great deal of continuity with the play callers
over the last several years.
Speaker 3 (21:40):
So I think that's tough, I think.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
But I like the GM ownership is solid, home fan
base is excellent, divisions winnable. If they won the division,
I would not be shocked.
Speaker 5 (21:51):
You know. We talked a lot about Caleb Downs as
being the Steeler of the first round. Ruben Bain, I mean,
you and I watched a lot of college football. He
was as good as any player, yeah in the country life,
and they got him in the middle of the teams. Like,
don't be shocked when Ruben Bain has ten sacks this year.
That guy, that guy, I know, I get he's got
shorter arms. I promise you he's going to hit the
quarterback a lot.
Speaker 3 (22:11):
Yeah, he's some guy.
Speaker 9 (22:12):
You know.
Speaker 1 (22:12):
I was talking to an executive in the league about
this and they're like, when Jared Verse came in, They're like,
he's a little stiff. He may not get a lot
of sacks, but he'll create a lot of pressures. Ruben
Bain's one of those guys where he doesn't have the
you know, the arm could help hurt him in leverage.
But does anybody play harder more often on the edge
than Ruben I mean I watched him play eight games
(22:34):
for Miami. He is a game wrecker and he's just
one of the He's a disruptive player.
Speaker 3 (22:39):
That's what he is.
Speaker 5 (22:40):
Think think James Harrison twenty years Yeah, a little shorter, stouter.
Good luck blocking that guy.
Speaker 3 (22:46):
I mean totally agree.
Speaker 5 (22:48):
Buckle the chin strap.
Speaker 3 (22:50):
John Middlecoff with the News.
Speaker 2 (22:52):
Well, that's the news, and thanks for stopping that The
Herd Line News. Be sure to catch live editions of
The Herd week days and new not a Empacific.
Speaker 5 (23:02):
Saturday Night is Baseball Night in America, and this week,
two of the best in the NFL Square Office, The
Brewers take on show A, and the Dodgers were in
the other regional actions, d Backs, Braves, Red Sox Pirates.
Check local listings for the game in your area Saturday
at seven pm Eastern on Fogs.
Speaker 2 (23:21):
Well.
Speaker 1 (23:21):
If there's one thing I respect in pro football, it's
people who protect and support Sam Darnold, the Seahawks quarterback,
and on hard Knocks, Mike McDonald, the ambitious and fantastic
coach of Seattle, got after Derek Hall, a linebacker for Seattle,
(23:42):
for getting a little too close the slinging Sammy, d.
Speaker 5 (23:49):
Derek here here here, What are you doing?
Speaker 3 (23:52):
What are you doing? Why are you bull rushing right
now near the quarterback? I'm not try You can't be.
Speaker 5 (23:59):
Trying to hump right now. Stay away from the quarterback.
Speaker 3 (24:04):
Get him out, get him out, Get.
Speaker 1 (24:05):
Him out to get him back, get him out, get
him out.
Speaker 7 (24:10):
Damn, Oh my gosh, what the hey?
Speaker 4 (24:14):
You can you can playing all the one You're too close?
Speaker 5 (24:18):
That's twice. It's not smart.
Speaker 3 (24:21):
You can know you on, but it turns on runing
the practice. I like that guy a lot.
Speaker 5 (24:29):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (24:30):
You can be respectful to players, but have standards so
uh it is funny Seattle basically lost a couple of
guys to the market and replaced all of them with younger, athletic,
cheaper players. I think they're going to be really good
for whatever it is.
Speaker 3 (24:45):
It's fast.
Speaker 1 (24:46):
Remember when Matty ebris Lous was with Chicago, they could
not win road games. Mike McDonald two years with Seattle,
fifteen and two on the road. And remember they're tucked
up in the Northwest, so they have longer flights. I
mean flying to a Miami or a Carolina. It is
a day. You have times, switch time zones, whatever it is.
And I think a lot of it is Why is
(25:07):
Seattle so great on the road Because defense and toughness
and run games travel. That's why Seattle. If you go
look at that new England team with Belichick and Brady, maturity, intelligence, defense, toughness,
and situational run games, Seattle is a great the best
(25:27):
road team in the NFL. They're not bad at home,
but they have been like historically great on the road.
So this was DeMarcus Lawrence this week on his decision
to return keep playing football and return to Seattle and
potentially going back to the Super Bowl.
Speaker 8 (25:46):
I kind of had my mind made up that you know,
if I won, I was done, you know, but I
kind of had a bittersweet feeling in my heart, you know,
understanding that, you know what the type of team that
we have, like, you know, we should have been where
we were last year. You know, this is where the
hard part begins. They say there's no fun when the
(26:07):
rabbit has the gun. You know, we're the ones with
the dot on our back. So you know, I just
want to, you know, see how that feels.
Speaker 1 (26:15):
I don't know what happened to that guy, but he's
more cutting now than four years ago. They really are
in a unique place where San franciscoes old and a
little brittle and expensive. The Seahawks really have cost containment.
They're very young. Their best players are all young, and
they're old guys are healthy, so there's no reason they
can't go. I mean, I listen, there's a short list
of teams that can win. But I think we're looking
(26:38):
at the defensive version of Sean McVay. Leadership, toughness, culture,
respect in the locker room.
Speaker 3 (26:46):
Now.
Speaker 1 (26:47):
Now, he's not the only great young coach. Ben Johnson,
I watched that practice Sunday Bears looked really tight, really efficient,
you know, I mean last year they had to clean
up a mask, grab a fire hose, has Matt's bill,
let's clean it all up. And they did it simultaneously
while making the playoffs in a very good division. And
(27:07):
a lot of it is Ben's ability to communicate and
Caleb's ability to take to his coaching.
Speaker 3 (27:13):
Here's the coach. Oh excuse me.
Speaker 1 (27:15):
This is Albert Breer on the Ben Caleb growing relationship.
Speaker 3 (27:20):
What you hear from.
Speaker 4 (27:21):
People in that building is Caleb's really moved through the offseason.
Which Ben's a tough coach with this level of joy
and focus, and you know, it really tells me that
personality he's got, he's found a way to meld it
into what Ben Johnson is building in Chicago.
Speaker 3 (27:36):
And that's great news for everybody there.
Speaker 1 (27:39):
You know, I was thinking about this, John if you
just said, like high standard, who is a great coach
in the NFL, So like we'd all say Andy Reid,
we all know Sean Payton. I think Vrabel's very very strong.
McVeigh Shanahan, I think Ben Johnson special. I think Damiko
Ryans is proved he's very special. Mike, Mike McDonald okay,
(28:04):
where okay, Jim Harbaugh. I think it is really okay.
So here, let's say two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine. Okay,
we're at nine. Who am I missing?
Speaker 5 (28:14):
I'd say I'd say Liam Cohen threw his hat in
the ring last year.
Speaker 3 (28:17):
In the last couple of years, Dan Campbell has built
Dan in there.
Speaker 1 (28:20):
Yeah, okay, so Dan Campbell. So now we're eleven. That's
a third of the league where I'm like, I don't now.
Dan as he was building the culture was a little
too risk oriented for me. I think he scaled that
back a little. I think once you're a favorite in games,
you don't have to take the big swings. Just modify
your risk to some degree. I mean, Vrabels since he's
(28:42):
left Tennessee, has been a mess.
Speaker 5 (28:45):
If I was going to defend Siri. You know, Siriani's
resume is pretty good. That's not an easy gig with
the pressure. He clearly motivates pretty well. But I mean,
I I yeah, it.
Speaker 1 (28:55):
Feels like it feels like we have a large percentage
of really good coaches. Had eleven guys that I'm like, oh,
they could all win the Super Bowl.
Speaker 3 (29:06):
Not a doubt in my mind. They could all win
the Super Bowl.
Speaker 5 (29:08):
You know what jumps out to me with that clip
and hard Knocks last night was excellent reading the article
on Ben Johnson and envisioning him yelling at people NonStop.
Is you get on the internet, all you hear is
young people are so soft they don't want to get
yelled at. You know, I've been around football my entire
and all these guys are under thirty. They have no
problem getting screamed at and pushed. I mean, you know,
(29:31):
they say generations change, and obviously the phone and things,
but football coaching hasn't really changed that much. I mean,
schematically it has. But that's something that's a clip you
would have seen from Gruden twenty years ago, Parcels thirty
years ago.
Speaker 3 (29:45):
I mean, he's he's borating. They were good.
Speaker 1 (29:48):
There have been safety measures enacted. They don't hit as
much at practice. The players are more protected, which they
should be, and college guys get paid. But I don't know,
Kurt Sig is pretty rough. Players love him.
Speaker 5 (30:02):
You think Kirby Smart is just constantly smiling in your face.
I mean, Saban thrived up until he retired a couple
of years ago. You think Jim Harbaugh, I mean, it's
not all just hugs and this football and I mean
this is.
Speaker 1 (30:17):
Well, that's it. It is football. It's our game, you know.
Like Mauricio Pochattino, United States Man's national team, he took
some shots at guys. He's like, now I need you here,
and it's like, I'm for it. I like his aggressive style.
I think in my lifetime, you know, really good athletes
(30:38):
have confidence and like to be pushed by the way.
Speaker 3 (30:41):
A lot of great at.
Speaker 1 (30:42):
Kobe Bryant was tough on teammates, Michael Jordan was tough up.
Brady was tough on teammates. The idea that it's all
the coaches barking, No, it's not. I mean they're really
great coaches. What you find like Bill Parcells had this
and Jimmy Johnson, You've got a group of players a
leadership council. I mean, I guarantee you Donald, JSN, Devin Witherspoon,
(31:04):
I guarantee you there's a group of Seattle Seahawks that
Mike McDonald leans on to sort of carry the narrative.
I always said Brady on Mondays when he was stockpiling
net Worth and winning Super Bowls, Brady would do a
WEEI radio Monday morning hit. And I didn't need the money,
(31:26):
he didn't need to get up early, he didn't.
Speaker 3 (31:27):
Need the headache. What was he doing.
Speaker 1 (31:29):
He was sort of carrying the water, setting the message
for Belichick and the team going forward. Bill didn't want
to do it to Big Ben did this in Pittsburgh
for years. I'm going to do a Monday morning hit.
I'm going to set the message going forward. This is
what happened, Here's where we're going. So I think most
great coaches also identify very quickly in a locker room
(31:53):
they're best leaders and lean on him. I guarantee that
Seattle locker room there's a lot of guys that are
carrying Mike's.
Speaker 5 (32:03):
I mean they got you watch that Hard Knocks. They
got very very good vibes. Isn't also I would say,
you know, growing up when I got into football, the
defensive coaches, they just kind of viewed quarterbacks as like
a spoke in the wheel. Look at Mike McDonald is
viewed as the number one defensive schematic GUYE defenses as
baby and he's screaming, don't touch the quarterback. I mean,
(32:25):
these guys know where their bread is butter. That quarterback
goes down I'm sorry. Season over, and you go to
all these practices. Offensive guy, defensive guy. The number one
thing they preach, even when the pads come on, you
stay away from that guy because if you hit that guy,
we're all in trouble.
Speaker 3 (32:45):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (32:46):
No, it's hard knocks. Has been good. Seattle's a fun team.
They're young, they're winners. I mean, and there's Donald's a
fun story. Mike McDonald, loud and confident. It's actually, you
know a lot of times they get dis fun function.
Seattle doesn't have any dysfunction. They have zero dysfunction. It's
not the Rex Ryan Jets where you're you know, this
(33:07):
thing is buttoned up. But it's loud, there's juice, there's energy.
It's one of their better hard knocks in a long time.
All Right, see you tomorrow.
Thanks for listening to The Herd podcast. Be sure to
catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio and
noon to three Eastern, nine am to noon Pacific. Find
your local station for The Herd at Fox Sports Radio
dot com, or stream us live every day on the
iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
All right, let's pivot now to the NFL. Albert Breer
is at the Cleveland Browns camp today. Sunday, he was
at the Bears. I saw him there Monday, Packers, yesterday Vikings.
So let's start vikings. You're there on the decision day.
There's always kind of interesting vibes with it. There's gonna
be some pr I don't think you and I are
(00:48):
surprised by it, but I am a little surprised it
happened before their first game.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
I mean a weekend. Were you surprised a little?
Speaker 4 (00:58):
I mean, I think really like what this came down
to for Kevin O'Connell and his staff was they wanted
to be able to project and not hope, and that's
what Kyler Murray offers them versus J. J.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
McCarthy. They can hope a lot of the nice things
that they've.
Speaker 4 (01:10):
Seen, of course the preseason with but that doesn't mean
it necessarily will. Whereas what Kyler Murray, it's more of
a known commodity. And here's the important thing. I mean,
you can't fool locker room, right. So if the locker
room sees which way this is going, maybe it's time
to say, Okay, here's our quarterback. We're building an offense
for him. Because an offense for Kyler Murray is going
(01:32):
to look a little different than an offense for JJ McCarthy.
That gives them a month to do that and look
like the bottom line here, Colin, there's a lot of
veteran players in that locker room who don't care about
your three year plan or your four year plan or
your five year plan. There's guys like Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison,
Aaron Jones, Christian Darris, o' brian O'Neill, Byron Murphy, Blake Cashman,
(01:55):
Andrew Van Ginkle. I could go on. All these guys
won fourteen games two years ago. So they don't want
to be sitting there waiting to see whether or not
what the competition bears is going to work. They want
to get go forward with their season, and this allows
them to do that.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
I think JJ McCarthy, I mean, that feels like it's over.
Do you think he'd get moved or they'll just say, hey, listen,
you know we're going to play him in the preseason.
If he plays well enough, we'll keep him in the room.
Kyler has a history occasionally getting banged out. What do
you think his future is?
Speaker 4 (02:29):
Yeah, I mean you say you never say never on
this stuff, but I do think JJ's handled himself pretty
good over the course of the offseason. He's made real
strides and technique and some of the fundamental stuff that
he needed to work on. He's gotten more accurate now,
like is he where Kyler is?
Speaker 5 (02:45):
No?
Speaker 4 (02:45):
And that's why right now he's the second quarterback on
the depth chart. I do think Kevin O'Connell would like
to keep working with him, and I do think that
they feel like that there could be something there in time.
Obviously not what they thought it was going to be
when they took him tenth overall, they do think that
there's there's talent to work with there. And if you've
talked to Kevin O'Connell before, you know how he feels
(03:07):
about the quarterback position. He feels like teams fail the
quarterbacks more than quarterbacks fail the teams. And so, you know,
I think the way he looks at it is if
we can put him on ice for a year and like,
you know, get him to go through an entire season
where he's just the backup, which he hasn't had a
chance to do yet, that could really wind up benefiting
(03:28):
him in the long run, whether that's in Minnesota or
somewhere else. So I don't think he's completely given up
on him. I would say, you know, you never say never.
If somebody gets desperate, someone has an injury or something
and wants to come and trade for him, you know,
maybe you consider that, But I don't think that's part
of their plan right now.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
The coolest hot seat in the league is Matt Lafleur.
You were at the Packer camp Monday. What was your
what was the vibe? What was your take?
Speaker 4 (03:53):
So I look at them a lot like Seattle last year,
and I think they were this team last year too,
right like where I think both green Bands going into
twenty five had a lot of good players that if
they if a few of them elevated to great, then
you'd really have something. And that happened in Seattle, right
with JSN, with Murphy, with Cross, with Witherspoon, good players
(04:14):
becoming great players.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
And so I think that's still the question in Green Bay.
And the cruel twist in it is that.
Speaker 4 (04:21):
After training camp last year they traded for a great
player and Micah Parsons and he got hurt. And one
of those young guys who did become great for them,
and Tucker Craft he got hurt. So how do those
two guys look coming back? How does Jordan Morgan look
at left tackle? How does Matthew Golden look at receiver?
They've got a lot of They've got a good base
of young talent, but so much of it I think
(04:42):
is going to be all right? How many of these
guys can elevate and become real difference makers?
Speaker 3 (04:46):
And that, you know, I mean some degree goes for
the quarterback.
Speaker 4 (04:49):
Too, right, you know, I think they feel good about
where they're at now, whether or not they can take
another step versus where they've been.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
They've been in the playoffs.
Speaker 4 (04:58):
I believe the number now is is six of Matt
Lafleur seven years.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
You know, how can they get back.
Speaker 4 (05:05):
To the conference championship round and ultimately a Super Bowl.
I think it's gonna have to be their young talent
taking another step.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
Okay, Luther Burden wasn't there. You and I were at
the Bears for two hours on Sunday. I sat and watched.
In My take was the offense dominated the defense. They
got to let Roma Dunze is now healthy, it's fast,
it's efficient, Caleb slim down. I thought accuracy was clearly improved.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
That was my take.
Speaker 4 (05:30):
What was yours Just a certainty with which it was,
like Caleb is playing, you know last year.
Speaker 3 (05:35):
I think his head was spinning at this time.
Speaker 4 (05:38):
Of the year, and Ben was really trying to feed
him through a fire hose, like let's see how much
he can handle. Okay, he can do this, he can't
do that, and then you build an offense. But you
have the basis of all the stuff that you threw
at him now and you're building on it. And it's
a really logical teaching progression that I think sometimes coaches
are careful with the young players now because maybe they're
(06:01):
not quite as strong willed as they used to be
twenty or thirty years ago. But Ben felt like Caleb
could handle it, and I think, you know, you see
the proof in year one, what it became in year one,
and now they get a.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
Chance to play out to build off of that.
Speaker 4 (06:14):
And that's what I'm seeing is like what you hear
from people in that building is Caleb's really moved through
the offseason, which Ben's a tough coach with this level
of joy and focus and you know, really tells me
that personality he's got, He's found a way to meld
it into what Ben Johnson is building in Chicago, and
that's great news for everybody there. I think Colston Lovelin
(06:35):
is going to be a monster for them this year.
I think Luther Burden is going to be a huge
factor when he gets back healthy. Like you said, a
Dunze's healthy now, if they can work out the left
tackle position, the offense should be dynamite. Defensively, they do
have questions.
Speaker 1 (06:49):
Yeah, all right, Cleveland Browns. I don't see the point
in starting Deshaun Watson. I would just go with a kid.
By the way, if Deshaun struggles, who cares. It's a
great quarterback class. That may be the best possible scenario.
What do you hear and what'd you see.
Speaker 3 (07:07):
I don't think they've made a decision yet.
Speaker 4 (07:10):
You know, my guess would be Deshaun Watson starts the
first game, shade Or Sanders starts the second game. They
have joint practices with the Bills next week. You gather
all that information, and then you know at the after
the second game, you make a decision. The one thing
about Deshaun that I think is interesting, though, Colin, like,
(07:30):
we've seen him as a top five quarterback, right, we.
Speaker 3 (07:33):
Know that the ceiling has at least been there in
the past.
Speaker 4 (07:37):
Now whether it's still there or not is debatable, But
he's started to feel more comfortable coming back off the injury,
and he's knocked some of the rust off, and so
I don't know that his ceiling is lower than Shadeor's,
even though he's been through everything that he's been through
the last few years. So, you know, I've had this
(07:58):
thought for a while.
Speaker 3 (07:59):
I still have it.
Speaker 4 (08:00):
This organization sunk two hundred and thirty million dollars and
three first round picks and to Shawn Watson, And what
would be worse than just chalking it up and saying
it's the sun costs and moving it on, moving on.
It would be not knowing that there's still something there.
You know, it would be not knowing there's still something
there and then he goes and balls out somewhere else.
Speaker 3 (08:19):
So I mean to me, logically, I look.
Speaker 4 (08:22):
At it and say, you could start the season with
DeShawn and then if it doesn't work, it's very easy
to go to Shador.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
I think it'd be more difficult the other way around.
Speaker 4 (08:30):
So I think Chador needs to clearly win the job
or else they probably give to Sean at least a
few games to start the season, because again, it's easier
to go from the older guy to the younger guy
in season.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
So you've been to the Cowboys, Chiefs, Rams, Chargers, Seahawks, Broncos, Bears, Vikings, Packers.
Now you're at Cleveland. So I'm going to show you
my predictions.
Speaker 3 (08:50):
I could run them off.
Speaker 4 (08:50):
There's seventeen of them now, and I probably like the
cryptkeeper based on the lighting in here.
Speaker 1 (08:57):
Okay, so tell me the team, and it doesn't matter
what they did last year. The team you've seen that
you're like people they could they could win the Super Bowl?
Is there a team you're like way better than either Vegas,
the narratives that that you just came out and went fast,
(09:18):
young athletic coach, quarterback.
Speaker 3 (09:20):
Everything kind of clicked Detroit.
Speaker 4 (09:25):
I feel like everybody's forgotten about them, and I think
the Jamira Gibbs contract is bright flashing lights at what's
actually happened there the last few years and how well
they've drafted and developed and and and ultimately kept their own.
You can go down the list, Pinay Sewell, I'm on
a Ross Saint Brown, Jamison Williams, Now Gibbs, Aiden Hutchinson,
(09:46):
Brian Branch will probably get a contract, Samuel Porter will
probably get a contract. Jack Campbell's got one to lead
McNeil's got one. This is from This is premium talent
up and down the roster. I think Goff's way better
than people give them credit for. If their offensive line,
if that group is fixed, Blake Miller fits in it
right tackle, Piney Sewell makes the smooth left tackle. I
(10:07):
still think it's one of the most talented rosters in
the league. And the other on the other one.
Speaker 3 (10:12):
Colin.
Speaker 4 (10:14):
And maybe this is just you know, you get drunk
on the hype sometimes some years with this team. But
I kind of like where the Cowboys are at too.
I mean, I think their offense is going to be dynamite,
and I don't think they have to be great on
defense to contend. You know, it's sort of the reverse
of the Texans. You know, the Texans just have to
be pretty good on offense and for Super Bowl because
(10:35):
their defense is so good.
Speaker 3 (10:37):
I think the Cowboys sort of have the reverse of that.
Speaker 1 (10:39):
Now, so you spend you know, you've been doing this
for a long time. Yeah, and you drink a lot
of coffee. I was with you at the Bears camp
the other day. This is my dream now. I don't
want to do what you do for a living because
it's a lot of hard work and this is easy lifting.
But I will tell you for about how long? How
many has it been? Twenty days in seventeen camps?
Speaker 4 (11:00):
So eighteen tomorrow will be the last one before I
actually get to go home and see my family and
reintroduce myself that it's gonna be eighteen camps in eighteen days. Yeah,
you can come on out in twenty twenty seven, though, Colin,
you can jump in the rental.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
I can't pull myself away from middle coughs. What what are
you talking about?
Speaker 4 (11:19):
I got, I got, I got you to come out
to Bears the other day.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
That was great.
Speaker 3 (11:23):
Oh my god, Yeah, that was good. That was good.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
Good seeing you, Albert. Great to see you Monday morning, quarterback. No,
it's a lot of fun to watch those practices, and
you can see certain teams. I mean like Chicago is
gonna have a little bit of it. To me, gonna
have a little bit of a pass rush problem. I
think Malik Muhammad the draft picks pretty good, pretty active.
He'll be a nickel set. So I'm going to the
Bears game against Cleveland. I got to watch Shaduur say,
(11:46):
I can't wait. Bears Brown's Saturday at Soldier Field. I'm
gonna watch. I'm gonna take the notepad on Schadeur Sanders
Deshaun Watson. To me, what's the point. Give it to Chadeur,
let him go, Let's have some on with this stuff.
Let's you know, I just think the vibe with Shaduur
is more joyful and fun. And you know, if let's
(12:07):
let's say you think Deshaun can win you five games
in Shadure four or six and five, I mean, give
the kid a give the kid a run, because by
the way, if you don't play him, and you play
him late in the year and he goes like three
and one or four and one, you know, it's like
gonna be that t bow thing where everybody just fall.
We saw his merchandise numbers last year. The Browns fans
(12:28):
want Shadure to play. That's not even close. And by
the way, when you're not great and you want to
keep people coming through the turnstiles, fans have you know,
if you're great, it doesn't matter. Right the Rams, they're
gonna do what they're gonna do with Cleveland. If Shadura
gets announced as the starter on Tuesday, you're gonna sell
more tickets to me?
Speaker 5 (12:46):
Can I ask you a serious question, sir? Sure, why
are you going to a preseason game? John sourcing is
very important? Was it an invite extended by the characters
that run the planning to go before that?
Speaker 3 (13:02):
Yes?
Speaker 1 (13:02):
I was asked by what you would people that wear ties?
Speaker 5 (13:07):
Okay, mix, I didn't know if you just like going
with a buddy or taking your wife, just enjoying yourself
and be like it's a little underwhelming. I've been to
a lot of them. About halftime, you started looking at
your watch, Now, if you're with the right people rubbing
elbows in the Swedeen, maybe a couple of cocktails come
your way. It's can be enjoyable.
Speaker 1 (13:26):
John, All games start with a J, Big Jay journalism,
souy and go and take my go pro.
Speaker 3 (13:32):
See if I can tape some stuff.
Speaker 2 (13:34):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and Noone Eastern not a em Pacific on Fox Sports
Radio FS one and the iHeartRadio.
Speaker 6 (13:42):
App sot gots here. I have a podcast Empire. It
continues to grow and I have brought it here to iHeart.
I'm also doing a live radio show from three to
five pm Eastern because my wife wanted to kick me
out of the house. It's called Stegatzi Company Live, which
is available in podcast form right when the show finishes
(14:04):
every single day. Some of the biggest names in sports,
a lot of phone.
Speaker 3 (14:09):
Calls, I love you guys. You show it's one of
my favorites.
Speaker 6 (14:11):
A lot of interaction, guys not taking themselves too seriously.
Those are just some of the things that you could
expect from Stu Gottson Company and Stu Gotson Company Live.
So listen to Stu Godson Company Live and our original podcast.
Please subscribe, rate and review Stu Gotson Company, and God
Bless Football. Taylor's livelihood depends on it. You do it
(14:34):
today and you can check all of those out on
the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker 1 (14:47):
Man the Sports World, we get lucky a lot on
the show. We get stuff that just breaks an hour
before we go on the air. And the Lakers have
been sold after being purchased fourteen months ago by Mark Walter,
who his group, the Guggenheim Group, has been wildly successful
running the Los Angeles Dodgers and turning them into top
to bottom just sort of a gold standard on sports ownership.
(15:09):
But there's now a federal investigation into his personal business
practices and his companies, not necessarily the Dodgers, right, not that,
but his stuff. So he gets out of the Laker business.
And as the world turns in sports, here's John Middlcoff
with the news.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
No no turn on the news. This is the headline news.
Speaker 5 (15:33):
Well, always one of the biggest stories around this time
of the year, the Cowboys. They aren't currently favored to
win their own division, but according to reports, the team
is still leaning into a Super Bowl or bust mentality.
Dak was asked about it recently and he responded to
the quote, why not wear it? Why not be proud
that this is our goal. We're going to manifest it.
(15:53):
We're trying our damnedest to get there. You know where
I stand. I'm a big believer this year. I'm buying
the high. I don't love this. I mean, I you know,
you don't need to be Nick Saban, all about the process,
all about the process, twenty four seven, three sixty five,
But grand proclamations for a franchise that hasn't been passed
(16:15):
the second round and thirty years seems well, let's let's
jog before we sprint.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
Yeah, And I think you know, everybody points to Dak Prescott.
Can you win a super Bowl with Dak? I think
you can get there with Dak. I think Brian Schottenheimer
had a all things considered, pretty solid first year. This
is a this is a quarterback coach league. And if
he goes toe to toe with Shanahan McVeigh, you know,
(16:43):
Dan Campbell, there's some you know Ben Johnson, I think
he would be the second best coach in those matchups.
So I think listen, can you get to the can
you get to the playoffs? Can you win a playoff game?
Then you're in, You're in the lottery. You're kind of
in that space.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
Where are you?
Speaker 5 (16:59):
Hell?
Speaker 1 (17:00):
Well, so much of this league, John is attrition. Like,
if they're healthy, their top six to eight players and
playmakers are healthy, they can win a playoff game.
Speaker 3 (17:08):
You're playing the Rams in.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
LA not ideal, probably a little outclassed, but I think
that's reasonable. I think super Bowl stuff is I even
think conference championship. When you look at Detroit, from the
coach to the quarterback, to the culture to the roster,
Seattle's better. Rams are better. I think Detroit's absolutely better.
And they got a new coordinator in Philly. Cowboys played
(17:31):
them close, but I think Philly's better. So you're Dallas
is in that Green Bay, Chicago, San Francisco class, which
could be really interesting.
Speaker 3 (17:40):
But I have questions.
Speaker 5 (17:42):
I was reading a lot.
Speaker 3 (17:43):
Yesterday.
Speaker 5 (17:43):
They scrimmaged the Rams as they do every year, as
in a joint practice, and I think last year it
did not go well. By all accounts. They kind of
held their own yesterday. Now granted Miles Garrett was held
out of practice Pooka left. But I do think they
showed the one thing with the Eagles with Dak and Schottenheimer,
those two are really going up against Fangio, right, And
(18:06):
that's so even when the Eagles offense is a little off,
you got the highest paid defensive coordinator with just a
lot of bullets in his gun on that side of
the ball. So I think that's a big boy matchup
for Dak and that unit going up against that defense.
I mean, they have just star power on every level.
So yeah, we'll see. I mean, you know, Jerry loves
(18:26):
it those quotes and taking the Super Bowl that the Steelers.
They face the Packers here in tomorrow, but it's unclear
whether Rogers will play. Rogers entering his twenty second season,
and after practice yesterday he told reporters that he doesn't
see a real advantage to playing these games.
Speaker 7 (18:46):
Oh it's a preseason. It's not real football. So if
I do great, if not great, I like to be
on the headset and calm everybody down. Usually the first
game it's a little hectic on the headset, So I
like to be the voice of reason. Occasional dad joke
or one lner, just keep everybody settled in a little bit.
Speaker 3 (19:07):
There we go.
Speaker 1 (19:08):
Yeah, I think I don't think the games mean a
ton and I think the risk is much greater than
a reward.
Speaker 3 (19:13):
So I'd sit him out, Yeah, I would.
Speaker 5 (19:15):
I would one not put him in against people who
may be their greatest football moment could be tackling Aaron
Rodgers in a preseason game. So I we'll see how
that plays out. Baker Mayfield. He didn't get a new
contract this year, which he was hoping to after playing
pretty well the last couple of years.
Speaker 8 (19:33):
Uh.
Speaker 5 (19:33):
He battled injuries though throughout last season, but still started
all seventeen games. Baker appeared on a podcast recently and
it sounds like he's feeling really good about where he's at.
Speaker 3 (19:45):
I feel good.
Speaker 9 (19:46):
I mean, I think I'm in the best shape I've
ever been in. I mean, it took a while to
like to feel healthy enough to actually train and get
to that point, but I feel great. You know, it's
you find your routine and the later in your later
years in your career, you figure out what works for you.
You know, schedule wise, workout wise, diet wise, all the
things that you need to adjust and adapt to as
(20:07):
the years go on.
Speaker 3 (20:08):
So I feel I feel really good.
Speaker 9 (20:10):
Yeah, last year was banged up, but I mean the
whole team was, and so I feel good about my
physical where I'm at right now, and then just where
everybody like that we had play last year they got
thrown in the fire. I feel good about where the
teams at right now too.
Speaker 3 (20:24):
Yeah, like the hat on the other way. But other
than that, I'm working for him.
Speaker 5 (20:28):
You know, Tampa, He's in a pretty good spot. He
is one of the best gms in the league. I
think he's moved his family there. Even if they got
to change a coach after this year. I think in
a perfect world, Baker's just their quarterback moving forward. But
at the numbers that we talk about nowadays, these these
can be hard decisions. Not everyone's Mahomes and Josh Allen
(20:48):
no brainers.
Speaker 1 (20:50):
Yeah, I mean I think he's in a good spot.
I mean that that division's wide open. I think I
think New Orleans last year again, if New Orleans have
dealt the tight end from Georgia and Jordan Tyson, the
receiver from Arizona State, can make an impact, Delp will
be a very good blocker very quickly. Tyson's really explosive
they spent their draft capital on helping the quarterback.
Speaker 3 (21:11):
Yeah, so, but.
Speaker 1 (21:13):
I think that the division is I like what they're
doing in Carolina, but I don't think anybody's pulling away
in this division. I think everybody will you know, in division,
will win their home matchup and lose their road matchup.
And I do think when Baker's healthy, he's a pretty
special quarterback. Bakers also had Dave Canalis left, Liam Cohen left.
Baker's had a lot of not chaos, but he hadn't
(21:37):
had a great deal of continuity with the play callers
over the last several years.
Speaker 3 (21:40):
So I think that's tough, I think.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
But I like the GM ownership is solid, home fan
base is excellent, divisions winnable. If they won the division,
I would not be shocked.
Speaker 5 (21:51):
You know. We talked a lot about Caleb Downs as
being the Steeler of the first round. Ruben Bain, I mean,
you and I watched a lot of college football. He
was as good as any player, yeah in the country life,
and they got him in the middle of the teams. Like,
don't be shocked when Ruben Bain has ten sacks this year.
That guy, that guy, I know, I get he's got
shorter arms. I promise you he's going to hit the
quarterback a lot.
Speaker 3 (22:11):
Yeah, he's some guy.
Speaker 9 (22:12):
You know.
Speaker 1 (22:12):
I was talking to an executive in the league about
this and they're like, when Jared Verse came in, They're like,
he's a little stiff. He may not get a lot
of sacks, but he'll create a lot of pressures. Ruben
Bain's one of those guys where he doesn't have the
you know, the arm could help hurt him in leverage.
But does anybody play harder more often on the edge
than Ruben I mean I watched him play eight games
(22:34):
for Miami. He is a game wrecker and he's just
one of the He's a disruptive player.
Speaker 3 (22:39):
That's what he is.
Speaker 5 (22:40):
Think think James Harrison twenty years Yeah, a little shorter, stouter.
Good luck blocking that guy.
Speaker 3 (22:46):
I mean totally agree.
Speaker 5 (22:48):
Buckle the chin strap.
Speaker 3 (22:50):
John Middlecoff with the News.
Speaker 2 (22:52):
Well, that's the news, and thanks for stopping that The
Herd Line News. Be sure to catch live editions of
The Herd week days and new not a Empacific.
Speaker 5 (23:02):
Saturday Night is Baseball Night in America, and this week,
two of the best in the NFL Square Office, The
Brewers take on show A, and the Dodgers were in
the other regional actions, d Backs, Braves, Red Sox Pirates.
Check local listings for the game in your area Saturday
at seven pm Eastern on Fogs.
Speaker 2 (23:21):
Well.
Speaker 1 (23:21):
If there's one thing I respect in pro football, it's
people who protect and support Sam Darnold, the Seahawks quarterback,
and on hard Knocks, Mike McDonald, the ambitious and fantastic
coach of Seattle, got after Derek Hall, a linebacker for Seattle,
(23:42):
for getting a little too close the slinging Sammy, d.
Speaker 5 (23:49):
Derek here here here, What are you doing?
Speaker 3 (23:52):
What are you doing? Why are you bull rushing right
now near the quarterback? I'm not try You can't be.
Speaker 5 (23:59):
Trying to hump right now. Stay away from the quarterback.
Speaker 3 (24:04):
Get him out, get him out, Get.
Speaker 1 (24:05):
Him out to get him back, get him out, get
him out.
Speaker 7 (24:10):
Damn, Oh my gosh, what the hey?
Speaker 4 (24:14):
You can you can playing all the one You're too close?
Speaker 5 (24:18):
That's twice. It's not smart.
Speaker 3 (24:21):
You can know you on, but it turns on runing
the practice. I like that guy a lot.
Speaker 5 (24:29):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (24:30):
You can be respectful to players, but have standards so
uh it is funny Seattle basically lost a couple of
guys to the market and replaced all of them with younger, athletic,
cheaper players. I think they're going to be really good
for whatever it is.
Speaker 3 (24:45):
It's fast.
Speaker 1 (24:46):
Remember when Matty ebris Lous was with Chicago, they could
not win road games. Mike McDonald two years with Seattle,
fifteen and two on the road. And remember they're tucked
up in the Northwest, so they have longer flights. I
mean flying to a Miami or a Carolina. It is
a day. You have times, switch time zones, whatever it is.
And I think a lot of it is Why is
(25:07):
Seattle so great on the road Because defense and toughness
and run games travel. That's why Seattle. If you go
look at that new England team with Belichick and Brady, maturity, intelligence, defense, toughness,
and situational run games, Seattle is a great the best
(25:27):
road team in the NFL. They're not bad at home,
but they have been like historically great on the road.
So this was DeMarcus Lawrence this week on his decision
to return keep playing football and return to Seattle and
potentially going back to the Super Bowl.
Speaker 8 (25:46):
I kind of had my mind made up that you know,
if I won, I was done, you know, but I
kind of had a bittersweet feeling in my heart, you know,
understanding that, you know what the type of team that
we have, like, you know, we should have been where
we were last year. You know, this is where the
hard part begins. They say there's no fun when the
(26:07):
rabbit has the gun. You know, we're the ones with
the dot on our back. So you know, I just
want to, you know, see how that feels.
Speaker 1 (26:15):
I don't know what happened to that guy, but he's
more cutting now than four years ago. They really are
in a unique place where San franciscoes old and a
little brittle and expensive. The Seahawks really have cost containment.
They're very young. Their best players are all young, and
they're old guys are healthy, so there's no reason they
can't go. I mean, I listen, there's a short list
of teams that can win. But I think we're looking
(26:38):
at the defensive version of Sean McVay. Leadership, toughness, culture,
respect in the locker room.
Speaker 3 (26:46):
Now.
Speaker 1 (26:47):
Now, he's not the only great young coach. Ben Johnson,
I watched that practice Sunday Bears looked really tight, really efficient,
you know, I mean last year they had to clean
up a mask, grab a fire hose, has Matt's bill,
let's clean it all up. And they did it simultaneously
while making the playoffs in a very good division. And
(27:07):
a lot of it is Ben's ability to communicate and
Caleb's ability to take to his coaching.
Speaker 3 (27:13):
Here's the coach. Oh excuse me.
Speaker 1 (27:15):
This is Albert Breer on the Ben Caleb growing relationship.
Speaker 3 (27:20):
What you hear from.
Speaker 4 (27:21):
People in that building is Caleb's really moved through the offseason.
Which Ben's a tough coach with this level of joy
and focus, and you know, it really tells me that
personality he's got, he's found a way to meld it
into what Ben Johnson is building in Chicago.
Speaker 3 (27:36):
And that's great news for everybody there.
Speaker 1 (27:39):
You know, I was thinking about this, John if you
just said, like high standard, who is a great coach
in the NFL, So like we'd all say Andy Reid,
we all know Sean Payton. I think Vrabel's very very strong.
McVeigh Shanahan, I think Ben Johnson special. I think Damiko
Ryans is proved he's very special. Mike, Mike McDonald okay,
(28:04):
where okay, Jim Harbaugh. I think it is really okay.
So here, let's say two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine. Okay,
we're at nine. Who am I missing?
Speaker 5 (28:14):
I'd say I'd say Liam Cohen threw his hat in
the ring last year.
Speaker 3 (28:17):
In the last couple of years, Dan Campbell has built
Dan in there.
Speaker 1 (28:20):
Yeah, okay, so Dan Campbell. So now we're eleven. That's
a third of the league where I'm like, I don't now.
Dan as he was building the culture was a little
too risk oriented for me. I think he scaled that
back a little. I think once you're a favorite in games,
you don't have to take the big swings. Just modify
your risk to some degree. I mean, Vrabels since he's
(28:42):
left Tennessee, has been a mess.
Speaker 5 (28:45):
If I was going to defend Siri. You know, Siriani's
resume is pretty good. That's not an easy gig with
the pressure. He clearly motivates pretty well. But I mean,
I I yeah, it.
Speaker 1 (28:55):
Feels like it feels like we have a large percentage
of really good coaches. Had eleven guys that I'm like, oh,
they could all win the Super Bowl.
Speaker 3 (29:06):
Not a doubt in my mind. They could all win
the Super Bowl.
Speaker 5 (29:08):
You know what jumps out to me with that clip
and hard Knocks last night was excellent reading the article
on Ben Johnson and envisioning him yelling at people NonStop.
Is you get on the internet, all you hear is
young people are so soft they don't want to get
yelled at. You know, I've been around football my entire
and all these guys are under thirty. They have no
problem getting screamed at and pushed. I mean, you know,
(29:31):
they say generations change, and obviously the phone and things,
but football coaching hasn't really changed that much. I mean,
schematically it has. But that's something that's a clip you
would have seen from Gruden twenty years ago, Parcels thirty
years ago.
Speaker 3 (29:45):
I mean, he's he's borating. They were good.
Speaker 1 (29:48):
There have been safety measures enacted. They don't hit as
much at practice. The players are more protected, which they
should be, and college guys get paid. But I don't know,
Kurt Sig is pretty rough. Players love him.
Speaker 5 (30:02):
You think Kirby Smart is just constantly smiling in your face.
I mean, Saban thrived up until he retired a couple
of years ago. You think Jim Harbaugh, I mean, it's
not all just hugs and this football and I mean
this is.
Speaker 1 (30:17):
Well, that's it. It is football. It's our game, you know.
Like Mauricio Pochattino, United States Man's national team, he took
some shots at guys. He's like, now I need you here,
and it's like, I'm for it. I like his aggressive style.
I think in my lifetime, you know, really good athletes
(30:38):
have confidence and like to be pushed by the way.
Speaker 3 (30:41):
A lot of great at.
Speaker 1 (30:42):
Kobe Bryant was tough on teammates, Michael Jordan was tough up.
Brady was tough on teammates. The idea that it's all
the coaches barking, No, it's not. I mean they're really
great coaches. What you find like Bill Parcells had this
and Jimmy Johnson, You've got a group of players a
leadership council. I mean, I guarantee you Donald, JSN, Devin Witherspoon,
(31:04):
I guarantee you there's a group of Seattle Seahawks that
Mike McDonald leans on to sort of carry the narrative.
I always said Brady on Mondays when he was stockpiling
net Worth and winning Super Bowls, Brady would do a
WEEI radio Monday morning hit. And I didn't need the money,
(31:26):
he didn't need to get up early, he didn't.
Speaker 3 (31:27):
Need the headache. What was he doing.
Speaker 1 (31:29):
He was sort of carrying the water, setting the message
for Belichick and the team going forward. Bill didn't want
to do it to Big Ben did this in Pittsburgh
for years. I'm going to do a Monday morning hit.
I'm going to set the message going forward. This is
what happened, Here's where we're going. So I think most
great coaches also identify very quickly in a locker room
(31:53):
they're best leaders and lean on him. I guarantee that
Seattle locker room there's a lot of guys that are
carrying Mike's.
Speaker 5 (32:03):
I mean they got you watch that Hard Knocks. They
got very very good vibes. Isn't also I would say,
you know, growing up when I got into football, the
defensive coaches, they just kind of viewed quarterbacks as like
a spoke in the wheel. Look at Mike McDonald is
viewed as the number one defensive schematic GUYE defenses as
baby and he's screaming, don't touch the quarterback. I mean,
(32:25):
these guys know where their bread is butter. That quarterback
goes down I'm sorry. Season over, and you go to
all these practices. Offensive guy, defensive guy. The number one
thing they preach, even when the pads come on, you
stay away from that guy because if you hit that guy,
we're all in trouble.
Speaker 3 (32:45):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (32:46):
No, it's hard knocks. Has been good. Seattle's a fun team.
They're young, they're winners. I mean, and there's Donald's a
fun story. Mike McDonald, loud and confident. It's actually, you
know a lot of times they get dis fun function.
Seattle doesn't have any dysfunction. They have zero dysfunction. It's
not the Rex Ryan Jets where you're you know, this
(33:07):
thing is buttoned up. But it's loud, there's juice, there's energy.
It's one of their better hard knocks in a long time.
All Right, see you tomorrow.
Hosts And Creators
Colin Cowherd
Jason McIntyre
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