June 23, 2020 • 52 mins
In this episode, Middlekauff explains why the Cowboys should let Dak Prescott play 2020 under the franchise tag before marrying him long-term to Mike McCarthy, his take on the recent spike in coronavirus positive tests at certain programs, gives his Top 5 NFL 2nd year breakout players in 2020, and answers listener questions in the Middlekauff Mailbag. Follow John on twitter @JohnMiddlekauff and go to theherdnow.com to find the latest content. Subscribe now!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:09):
What is going on everybody, John that'll cop three and
out podcast. Back at it again on this beautiful Actually
according this kind of early afternoon, right around lunchtime June day,
about eighty five degrees. My air conditioning is now pumping. Uh.
You know, air doesn't come cheap. I learn that you
want to stay cold. Open that checkbook. Uh. Despite you know,
(00:33):
quarantine and the coronavirus and weird no football, we still
got a lot going on. And Dak Prescott was announced
he's gonna sign his thirty one point four franchise tender.
A bunch of people and I'll dive into that. A
bunch of people in college football have tested positive. Different
schools have some thoughts there. I will do my top
(00:54):
five breakout players for second year guys, guys that were drafted,
uh this last season in two thousand nineteen, so their
sophomore season. I actually think I got a pretty good list.
And then of course at John Middlecoff is the Middlecoff mailbag.
I appreciate everyone that's you know, fires in my d
M s leaves a question. This is the people's show
(01:15):
at John Middlecoff Twitter, Instagram all the same. My name
in the Instagram d MS wide open fire in there
a question of anything. It doesn't just have to be football.
It could be life. You know, we try to change
lives here and uh, you will get on the show.
Also appreciate everyone that has left a review and subscribed
(01:35):
to the Three and Out podcast. And I know a
lot of you listen to me through Colin, but three
and Out has its own podcast. Uh. I don't even
know what it would be, just it has its own subscription,
right the three and Out podcast with me separate from
the link that automatically comes up on Colin. For those
of you that left or review there, I greatly appreciate it.
(01:56):
For those of you that haven't and like the show,
I would greatly appreciate you going there and leaving you know,
a five star if you like the show, if not
even the four. But now you can leave whatever review
you want. Just leave review subscribe to that one, uh
as well. Makes it easy. Okay, let's dive into Dak
Prescott and over the weekend, maybe Monday morning. I I
can't even keep track. It was reported it it must
(02:18):
have been Sunday that Dak Prescott will sign his franchise
tender of a comfortable amount of money thirty one point
four million dollars to be the quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys.
Now they still have several weeks till the middle of
July to uh get a long term deal ironed out.
But I've always wondered this, and I think my generation,
(02:41):
the number show we're getting married a lot later, having
kids a lot later my parents generation. I mean my
parents were older, but the majority of their friends and
people's you know, in the fifties, sixties, seventies got married
very young and had children very young. And I never
understood rushing into marriage. Now I've never been married. I'm
a single guy. Uh, but you know I've dated many people.
(03:05):
I'm dating someone right now, and there is a process
to get to know them right. It takes time. You
wouldn't go three months in. You know, you hear some
of these stories like uh movies about it, I knew
right away get married. Typically those don't work out. You
see some of these reality shows. For the most part,
I'm red flag in those situations, and I just don't
(03:26):
understand the rush when there are major question marks and
it happens. We see it all the time. That's why
the divorce right now, because it's much more normal to
get divorced in two thousand twenty than maybe it was.
I mean, clearly it wasn't like divorce rates really I
you know, a lot of people find out I don't
like the person. And here's the thing. Once you have kids,
(03:47):
once your job situation, what you've been married a certain
amount of time, depending on the state, it gets very expensive.
The NFL is no different. When you rush into situations
financially and put a lot of guaranteed money in front
of players, it can be a very very expensive mistake.
Now you go, John Well, the Cowboys have been dating
this guy for four years. I'd say, yeah, Jerry and
Stephen Half and if Jason Garrett was still there, I'd go,
(04:09):
this is a little weird. They haven't signed him to
a long term contract. But they got a new coach
and his name is Mike McCarthy and he's never coached
Dak Prescott for a day in his life. Now, part
of it is these crazy circumstances didn't have a chance
to work together in O. T A. S. But you
can't convince me that Mike McCarthy is banging the drum
for them to sign him. To add forty million dollar contract.
(04:32):
Because if I was Jerry and I could take a
step back. Now I know it's already's in his late seventies,
so it probably would have to be Stephen and kind
of being the voice of reason and everything that's been
reported over the last decade. Stephen has become that kind
of a calming voice, not as emotionally invested into everything,
has learned from his dad, feels like a pretty high
(04:53):
level guy and kind of can beat this. Buffer and
the Cowboys have become, let's face it, very very stable
over these last seven of years. You could argue too
stable because they let Jason Garrett coach for too long,
but that's you know, water under the bridge. They're at
where they're at now. And they got Mike McCarthy. Who
if I was the Cowboys, that I was Steven Jones,
(05:14):
I played out like this, I date him for another year. Now.
It's an expensive date, thirty one point four million dollars.
But what has Dak Prescott done Where you would go,
you know what? And again you'd say, well, Middlecoff, Jared
Goff got huge money. I'd say I wouldn't pay Jared
Goff huge money. Carson Wentz got huge money. I would
be more likely to pay Carson Wentz money just because
(05:35):
of his physical attributes that are far superior from Jared
Goff and Dak Prescott. Now, Jared Goff has accomplished more
than Dak. He had success two years ago in the playoffs,
was starting quarterback for a team that was in the
super Bowl. But he has severe limitations. And I'm a
Jared Goff fan. He can't move when he's in the pocket,
and their offensive line isn't very good. He can't move.
He's an old school, you know, pocket quarterback. He's not
(05:58):
an athlete. That's the one thing Dak Prescott brings to
the table. Now, I'd have to really dive in which
guy I'd rather have. I probably lean Dak. But again
I understand in football typically when it comes to these contracts,
it's based on comparables. I just I look at if
I'm the Cowboys, I go I don't want to do
what the Rams did with Jared Goff. Though Dak Prescott
(06:19):
it may turn out that he's better. I gotta see
him work under this coach. The one thing the Rams
had is they had set two years of Jared Goff
operating with Sean McVeigh. I don't know how this thing
is gonna look. And if I get into a situation
where I've guaranteed him a hundred ten million dollars and
we go through the season and it goes, yeah, this
isn't really working. Whatever whatever it is with McCarthy, they
(06:42):
don't really mesh. I'm not saying that's gonna happen, but
it's a possibility. We don't know what is the point
of Russia to Vegas and getting married. And I understand
he's been there for a while, but they change coaching
staffs and anyone that falls football, especially the NFL. When
coaching staffs change, there are major major changes within the
personnel department. And I don't mean the scouting department, and
(07:04):
sometimes that happens too. I'm talking about the personnel on
the team. There's usually a lot of turnover. Now, what
makes the Cowboys unique is they have a lot of
set guys. They remind me a little bit of when
Harbaugh came to the Niners. Though they'd had the Cowboys
have had a little more success recently. They have a
lot of really good players. They have a lot of
players that a lot of coaches would line up to coach.
(07:24):
They have a roster that many coaches probably would take
over their own roster right now. But I still think
the quarterback is a major question mark. And when I
say a major question mark, he's good. I know that
I can compete with him. But ultimately, if I'm gonna
give a guy thirty five million dollars and basically guarantee
four years of that, because that adds up to about
one ten, one twenty in that range, maybe three and
(07:45):
a half years, but I mean, I'm committing to him.
I am getting married to the guy. I gotta know
and feel good when I lay my head at night.
You know, I got a top five or six quarterback.
I don't like doing what the Minnesota Vikings did, given
a guy a five million dollars and then extending him
another sixty million dollars when I know, you know, I
get he won a playoff game last year, but let's
(08:06):
call a spade a spade. I'm never walking into a
game against the top flight quarterback and feeling I got
the better guy, because that's not the case. Now. Maybe
Dad takes a huge step this year and him and
McCarthy match, and then you go, you know, what and
maybe they win a couple of playoff games and you go,
this guy kind of like Russell Wilson, where early on
those first three or four years, you know, they were
like Colin Coward was always out ahead of it, and
(08:28):
there was a select few of people but there were
a lot of people on the other side going he
wasn't good enough. And ever since that, the second four
or five years, he took off like a rocket ship.
And Dad could easily be that type player. But the
one thing that Russell always had was the same freaking
head coach and the one thing Dac now has a
new head coach who's had a lot of success with
another really talented quarterback. So one thing you'd say with
Mike McCarthy, once he gets his hands on Dak Prescott,
(08:50):
once he works with Dak Prescott, once he runs an
offense with Dak Prescott, he'll have a pretty good idea
because he's got a pretty good basis. Now, no one
thinks Dak Prescott is gonna be a good Daron Rodgers.
But if he goes well, he can do some of
these things. I we won like this in the playoffs
with doing this, this guy can do that. I feel
comfortable paying him because you don't hire Mike McCarthy, even
the Cowboys that are run by the owner, if you're
(09:11):
not gonna give him a lot of sway and a
lot of pool when it comes to the guy throwing
the football and he's an offensive mind, he's a technically
an offensive coordinator now calling the plays technically Kellen Moore,
you know who knows. Cowboys kind of a weird deal
that way, But it's it's Mike's baby. Let's let's just
be real and I would play this year out. Now,
(09:32):
I've said before, if you really wanted to sign him
a long term, I'd have no issue were sending the
franchise tag. You would have had to do this before
he signed it and going doc, what is your market?
But the Cowboys clearly respect this guy a lot that
that's a low level move. It just is. Even though
it is the right business move. When you have a
lot of respect for a guy, when you believe in
(09:54):
the person, when he's done right by you, you don't
do business that way. So while it would be just
in a vacuum dollars and cents, the right business move,
because I don't think anyone would even come close to
compete to some of the offers that clearly the Cowboys
have already made. Uh, they're gonna ride this out. I
would just ride out this season. I would not extend
him unless he would sign some really team friendly deal,
(10:16):
which it sure as hell feels like he's in no
business to do. And that's his prerogative. But I also
think it's the Cowboys prerogative, like there's no reason to
put a ring on it. Just just let it play
out a little bit. Let your new guy, who essentially
for as much as Jerry we see Jerry Jerry talks.
I love Jerry Jones. He's a legend. He ain't coaching
the team he has. Jerry Jones has as much power
(10:39):
on game day as mirror you. Once the game kicks off,
he does nothing. He sits there, He drinks the diet coke.
He eats some popcorn. No different than you sitting at
your house, you know, eating some snacks watching the Cowboy game.
If you're a Cowboy fan, or even if you're just
not a Cowboy fan, just watching whatever your team is.
You know, the owner has no pull. Now he has
more poll you know, during the week he can say
we gotta cut this guy or whatever. But when it
(11:00):
comes to Doc, and when it comes to the offense,
Darry ain't doing a damn thing. So Mike, it's Mike
McCarthy is the one. A coach told me this one time.
He said, it's so easy for you guys in personnel
to go, yeah, this guy is a bad character guy,
but he can really play. Because you draft the guy
in the first or second round, everyone applauds in the
draft room. If the guy is a highly touted guy
through Mel Kuyper or DJ or now whoever in the
(11:23):
in the business, you get a standing oh on Twitter,
and then I gotta deal with him in the meeting room. Well,
he's a pain in the ass. Now, clearly Doc is
a super high character guy, not a pain that way.
But from a football standpoint, I gotta let these guys
date a little bit. I gotta let Mike McCarthy and
Dak Prescott spend a lot of time together before I
feel comfortable giving him a huge contract. Okay, let's dive
(11:44):
into some college football. And because in the NFL, I
think until the forty Niners, who had someone they had
a Nashville basically O t a s uh attended by
a lot of players and someone tested positive in that
really is the only situation we've seen. Now we've seen
(12:06):
individual players test positive. Von Miller. Uh, I think Kareem Jackson.
I'm probably missing some, but that those were all in
situations where they got it on their own training, right.
We had a situation with forty niners where they got
it as a group or someone got it as a group.
We don't have any more information. Uh. And then the
(12:26):
NFL p A came out and highly recommended. Because they
don't have they can't like force anyone to do it.
No more of these personal workouts, so you get back
through ther team. College football is a little different, you
know in the SEC and a lot of these programs
have been together now for two or three weeks. I mean,
I remember I fall mac Brown on Twitter saw a
picture I think like three weeks ago in North Carolina.
(12:48):
He's like back in the office with all the boys.
It's all the pictures of the players coming in. And
we've seen several incidents from l s U I think
had players clemsing a bunch, Alabama, Auburns had some. I
think Iowa today had nine. I think the best number
I saw was Notre Dame had ninety players tested. They
only had one guy. And every time I see it,
(13:11):
I am I'm not shocked to see the reaction because
the media in general is very, very emotional. They're all emotion,
and I mean if we followed them now, I mean, listen,
I technically in the media. I just always consider myself
more of a hybrid. I follow a lot of these
guys and I just see their Twitter feeds. It's all emotion, uh,
And I get it. I just can't control it. But
(13:32):
I don't freak out when I see this because I'm
not a Corona expert, uh, not a doctor. I don't
know anything. Everything I read and everything I see changes
by the day. I think it's pretty simple that none
of us know. And I get a lot of d
ms that are that hit me up for people tweeting
at me, like middle you're getting scared football is not
gonna happen. I don't know. I don't control any of it.
(13:53):
I've said from the jump the NFL will do everything
in their power to play, and it's strictly because of
and thing money, and that benefits the players too. They
are in bed together. They are revenue sharing partners. So
for every dollar the players get a football related revenue,
it's a pretty good deal, right If you're making a
(14:13):
billion dollars four seventy million dollars, if it's two billion dollars,
you do the math right, And they have financial reasons
to do it. College the same thing, while they're not
technically paying the players on the books. We know for
a fact. I say this all the time. We have
factual information from the FEDS. These players get paid under
(14:34):
the table. So I hate it when we say players
don't get paid because in a lot of these conferences,
especially the South, we know they are. Again, Nope, no,
I have no issue with it. I don't mind it
at all. It doesn't it's capitalism, free market, the n
C double A is not the law. It doesn't bother
me at all. But I I can never pretend these
guys aren't getting cash and benefits. Now, could they do
(14:56):
more in the likeness, for sure, that's another conversation. But
here's a reality. Because all these players at L s
U who had like I think twenty three or thirty
or some ungodly maybe they were thirty and Clemson was
twenty three. I think there was a breakout in a
nightclub in l s U. Where I live in California.
We have been slower to open things up like right
now are we can't in certain in the Bay Area
(15:19):
in l A. You can't eat inside now if you
go to nap if you go to Sacramento, you can
eat inside. But the majority I think about eight million
people in the Bay Area, you know, obviously like twenty
million people down South, large percentage of people cannot eat insides.
We're limited to what we can do. But I do
know this. I have a younger brother who's thirty years old.
I know a lot of people in Hell. A lot
of people that you're listening are in your twenties. I
(15:40):
interact with a lot of you. Young people do not care.
They don't and I don't technically blame them for not
being scared of this virus. They were told from the
jump they can't be affected. Now it doesn't mean they
can't get it, but we've seen the numbers that the
factual data that all the things they're more likely to
die from, like driving a car down the freeway. So
(16:01):
when these guys and I follow these guys on Instagram,
they're not scared. Now personally, I'm just speaking for myself.
I'm not scared of the virus. I'm more scared of
financially the second half of the years, the economy gonna back,
bounce back. Are my advertisers on the other podcast gonna
come flooding back? My worries right now in two thousand
twenty are all financial zero virus. Now, my mom, you know,
(16:24):
had cancer before, breast cancer. She's gotta worry about it
because she is in the She's in the right down
the middle of the of the group that it severely impacts.
When you talk about these college football players who already
have a crazy self, I don't even know how to
describe it. Not arrogance, but confidence. I think you're untouchable,
(16:45):
and then you're told yeah, nothing's really gonna happen, and
then you get back with your team just operating in
team activities. I am not shocked to see a lot
of these guys, A lot of these programs have a
lot of guys test positive. Because if you think that
everywhere they go their social distances and wearing masks, you're
just crazy, you're ignorant, you're just wrong, and they're not
going to start They just aren't you know? So, I
(17:08):
think college football, we're in the NFL, it's gonna be
pretty simple. When when they tell these guys, and I
think just the sport of football, and we've talked about
it before, is very difficult to operate with these with
these rules, it's not even possible. I mean John Harbaugh
Sean McVeigh have gone on record, and I think John
Harbaugh says it's not possible, and Sean McVeigh says it's impossible.
(17:30):
I mean, you can't socially distance to play football. They're
like oxymoron. They're they're on the opposite side of the spectrum.
To play football is about being close right the huddle, tackling,
what what do you? What do Defensive coordinators tell their
defensive players group tackle, gang, tackle, run to the football
pile ups. I mean offensive defensive lines literally touch every play.
(17:52):
So it's very difficult practice just the showers and locker room.
It's very very hard. But I think at least with
the NFL, you could say, listen, we have to do
every precaution possible for you guys to play so you
get your money, and a lot of these guys make
a lot of money. Even the minimum, guys are making
six dollars, So these guys are gonna be very cognizant
(18:13):
of it. In college is a little more difficult. Well,
the booster money keeps flowing for these coaches to tell them,
and I'm sure they are hammering at home. It's just
harder to get a nineteen year old guy to listen
to anything. When I was eighteen nineteen, I didn't listen
to a damn thing. Hell, I didn't really start listening
probably to like three or four years ago. It's just,
you know, guys on it as a mature Now, some
(18:35):
guys on the team will be and I've heard stories.
I was playing golf with someone who coached a kid
in high school who's going to Stanford who's actually already there,
like he's concerned, you know. So they're gonna be individuals
for sure. But I think on the whole, the vast
majority are not really gonna think about it that much
until they're not allowed to play or until they have
(18:56):
to quarantine. And I think it's gonna be much more
difficult for college football to contain and corral and just
hammer home what they need to do to avoid it,
and to be honest, there might be there might be
a chance that it's unavoidable that these do you guys
are just gonna test positive all season long just because
(19:17):
the way they're gonna live, the nature of the sport.
But I'm not here to pretend like I know more
about you know what's going on in terms of the
virus than you like most people on Twitter, because I don't,
because none of us do. The information changes daily. One
day it's the worst, one day it's getting back. I
don't know it literally changed. You can read something on
any given day. You can read it's the worst day
(19:39):
yet or the best day yet, given what statistics they
want to use to you know, lean their argument. And
it's why I've just tried to tell me to wear
a mask in the building. I'll wear a mask in
the building. But if you think I'm spending all day
thinking about it at this point in time, I'm not.
Now indirectly I am because it impacts my business. I
worry about football being played or you know what I'm
(20:00):
gonna talk about on a daily basis. But and just
like I can easily put myself in your shoes if
you are nervous about it or think about it all
the time. I don't blame you, I I completely understand.
But I know this from just being around college football
players for many years, following just several college football programs
on like in star players on Instagram and even younger
(20:20):
NFL guys. They just don't care. I mean, they're just
and I think young people all across the country. You
saw I saw Justin Thomas. They were in Hilton Head
in South Carolina for the PGA golf tournament and he's like, God,
you leave the course, you go around, people are just
no one cares. I mean, I'm out in Walna Creek
in California. We have an outdoor dining now. People are everywhere.
People are tired of being cooped up. They're losing their minds.
(20:41):
So the young people especially, it's just I think college
football while there's a ton on the line right if
college football has not played this fall, say bye bye
to the softball coach, Say bye bye to all the
volleyball scholarships, say bye bye to college baseball, Say bye
bye to the wrestling program, say bye bye to the
swimming program. They literally pay for everything. Bye bye to
the seven assist and ate athletic directors. There's no money
(21:01):
so all the money depends on them. It's just a
little more difficult to set up the n C double A,
the money factor, the health factor with with younger people. Uh,
and technically you know, quote unquote kids, it's it's definitely
probably gonna be a little bit of a challenge. Okay,
let's do something fun and uh, let's dive in to
the guys who are going to be sophomores this upcoming season.
(21:24):
Second year players, guys that were drafted in two thousand nineteen.
I basically picked my five favorite breakout candidates. You know,
there were guys that had really good seasons Nick Bosa,
uh A J Brown, DK Metcalf, Josh Jacobs. There are
players that broke out. They're just good, right we we
know right away that doesn't happen for everyone. Sometimes it
(21:46):
takes time for guys to prove they're worth in the league.
For every guy that just Kyler Murray, you know, hits
the ground running and you're like, damn. Some guys take
a couple of years Davantae Adams to look like two
and a half, so you can become a Pro Bowl
level player and have an average first year. Now you
can also have a good first year and build off it.
(22:06):
There's a different path to start them in the NFL
for the majority of players, right, not not everyone comes
at the same speed, and that's what makes sports cool.
You never know at what rate people are gonna be stars.
Steph Curry was not Lebron right just year one. It
wasn't like, oh, this guy is gonna win multiple m
vps and you know, three championships and go down. It's
(22:28):
probably the second greatest point guard ever any the way
it works, they almost traded Lay Thompson for Kevin Love, right,
it happens, so we just Russell Wilson. We're arguing over
whether it was a star like by year four. By
about year six, you couldn't knock. But it took Dak Prescott.
We're still talking about it. So I think it takes time.
(22:48):
But there are five guys to me that really jumped
out night. I talked some people around the league players.
A couple of these guys I like coming out, A
couple of these guys that didn't know that much about
and uh, let's start at five. Jonathan Abram, the safety
from Mississippi State the Raiders took last year in the
first round and he made it through about half a
game last year. Now, my concerns with him coming out
(23:11):
of college because people I know in the NFL liked
him a lot, big hitter. Uh if you look. I
think his his last year in Misissippi State, they played
Iowa in the ballgame fant Hockinson. I had scouting director
tell me check out that game tape. He's locking those
two guys down. So, because there were some concerns he
wasn't a great cover guy more than a hitter. And
(23:33):
I had new people in the league that thought he
would transition very well to become a cover safety, you know,
a hybrid right, a physical player that can cover. I
know Jim Naggy that runs the Senior Bowl, longtime NFL scout,
loves him. And he made it through half a game
because he had a huge hit in their opening game
in two thousands nineteen against the Denver Broncos. Towards labor
(23:53):
him out for the season. But people think that I
know think highly of him. I know Jon Gruden and
Mike Mayock think highly of him. There's gonna be a
lot of pressure on him. He's gonna be immediately one
of the more talented defensive players. He was this year
will be again next year, and I think they've surrounded
him with a little more help. The key is staying healthy.
(24:14):
He's a guy that wants to play like Cam Chancellor,
and that's to me, my big red flag on him.
He just has to adapt. Now, great players adapt, you
know you can't head hunt might be strong, but you
have to hit under control of two. This isn't which.
Don't get me wrong, I love ninety eight. I love
big hits. And if this was old school John Abram
(24:34):
would be just knocking Ko and people every game. He
can't do that, so he's just gonna after that. But
the talent is there. He was a first round pick
for a reason. The several teams that I've talked to
either had him in the first high in the second
round on their draft board. I'd expect if he can
stay healthy for him to have a really good season.
Number four The forty Niners just lost Eebo Samuel to
(24:55):
a Jones fracture. Anytime there is a name with an injury,
Jones frac sure, Tommy John Yeah, I read flag. It
never good. Last year they had a player Trent Taylor
who got the Jones fractor missed the entire season. Now,
Debo claims will be back in ten weeks. Who knows.
I got a red flag. I hope he comes back healthy,
but you never know. Jalen heard a guy that the
(25:16):
forty Niners took last year in the third round. I
went to practice last year in the spring and in
training camp. This guy is enormous. He played running back
at Tennessee. He's like six three and a half six four.
Transferred to Baylor, became a wide receiver. Kyle Shanahan loves him.
He's like a hybrid. They can put him in the backfield.
He can play a little tight end, they can put
(25:36):
him in the slot. He got hurt last year, kind
of like Jonathan Abram. I'm betting on a guy staying healthy.
Had a fracture in his back, missed the entire season.
Did have a preseason game where he trucked like three people,
had a touchdown, and everyone thought this guy was gonna
play a major role and then he never played a
regular season game. Well, now that Debo is already out,
their best, second best wide receiver now without Debo is
(25:58):
going to be a rookie from Arizona State, Brandon Ayo,
who's a junior college transfer, really has had one good season,
So I think beside Kittle, there's gonna be a lot
of action for this guy. Major mismatch, offensive genius as
the play caller they have. You know, they had Trent Williams,
their offensive line solid, they got Jimmy Garoppolo, they have
a running game. I think Jalen Herd, you can look
(26:18):
up and you go, damn. When the best teams in
the NFC, that guy caught fifty sixty balls. I keep
it high on Jalen Herd, especially for you fantasy guys
that might be drafting people late number three. I had
I know a bunch of people with the Bears. They
were raving to me last year about this rookie safety
for the Green Bay Packers. I didn't know that much
(26:39):
about him. They drafted him in the first round, Darnell
Savage Jr. Watch him a bunch this year. He's gonna
be a really good player. Hot take. He's got a
very good chance to be a top five safety in
the next two years. Very very talented. He plays for
the Packers. They're clearly they have a bunch of talent,
especially in that defensive backfield. With the corners. Uh. You know,
I just think when you look around the safeties around
(27:01):
the league, whether it's Jamal Adams, like, who are the
really great safeties right now in the NFL? I think
this guy has a chance to take a huge Derwin James.
You know, Isaiah Simmons is a young guy that was
just drafted really high. He's kind of like the hybrid.
I think this guy has a chance to be kind
of the ultimate combo of being a physical hitter. He'll
throw his nose in there. He ain't afraid, which is
(27:22):
something I always love in a safety. It's what Jonathan
Abram has. You gotta be a little crazy because you're
playing in space, people moving at rapid speed. I like
guys that will lay the wood and that they can't
are athletic enough in two thousand twenty that can find
themselves in positions where they're not gonna get flagged all
the time. And then this guy can also play the ball.
So you have two picks last year, I'd expect to
(27:43):
maybe that number to double this year. I think Darnel
Savage Jr. Has a chance to have a huge season
for the Green Bay Packers. Number two Jeffrey Simmons, the
defensive tackle hybrid guy that the Tennessee Titans took in
the first round last year. There's a chance that this guy,
if he had not torn his a c L before
(28:04):
the draft, would have gone. There are some people talking
like top five, probably a top six or seven lock
they got him. I think it was picked nineteen Darrell Casey,
who they cut this year. Darrell Casey has made several
Pro Bowlers Pro Bowls, is a really good player, Like
who's been one of the stalwart defensive linemen in the
(28:25):
league for the last handful of years. They just cut
and the reason is Jeffrey freaking Simmons. He had seven
stars last year, two sacks coming back from that injury.
He is massive, he is super athletic. I mean, he's
got vable, he's got kind of a defensive culture. I
think I had a buddy tell me in the league,
(28:46):
like over the weekend, all you could look up and
Jeffrey Simmons could be a star. This guy of this
group might have the highest upside, Like there's a chance
he's a top two or three d lineman in like
three years. Like all of a sudden, he's like j. J. Watt,
like that's how talented this guy is. Now a lot
of people don't know about the Mississippi State gets injured.
Didn't play that much last year in terms of impact,
(29:08):
only played less than half the season despite being on
a team that went really far. I'm telling you, when
you're watching the Titans, keep an eye on Jeffrey Simmons
and then number one breakout star potential. This one was
pretty easy for me, Drew Lock. I know Greg co
Sell who is just watches as much quarterback film as
anyone hell in beside the Maybe NFL coaches loves this guy. Uh,
(29:32):
his talent is undisputable. Indisputable. Uh, it's not arguable. He's
got a big time arm. Now. I didn't really watching
that much of Missouri full disclosure, I'm not spending too
much time on Saturday's watching Missouri football. People I talked
to said that the arm strength was there. It was
just about corraling. Just like any young quarterback who you
(29:54):
know has the physical attributes, you want to then translate
become an accurate player, become a guy who understands the offense,
a guy that can lead the team. There a lot
comes with playing quarterback, and when you're playing at Missouri
in that conference, you're an underdog a lot of the weeks, right,
you are consistently playing teams that are better than you.
So there is a lot of unknown like what would
(30:14):
he do with better talent? How would he have been
if he was the BAMA quarterback or USC quarterback and
had the proper talent around him? You never know. And
once you get to the NFL, especially given the baseline
of talent that his team now has, you go, well,
his offense pretty loaded, right. They get Pat Shermer as
offensive coordinator, who terrible head coach, really good offensive coordinator.
(30:34):
They have a defensive head coach who was going to
play really good defense. I will be shocked, shocked if
the Denver Broncos Vic Fangio, Bradley Chubb von Miller are
not a top ten defense this year. They made strides
the year went on without Bradley Chubb. He's back full go.
They're gonna be good on defense. Offensively, they draft Jerry
Judy in the first round. They signed Melvin Gordon. They
(30:57):
drafted Noah Fanse last year in the first round. I think,
who had forty catches as a rookie. They have Philip Lindsay, Uh,
they draft kJ Hamdler, kind of the speed demon, just
to spread the offense Drew Lock had. He only made
five starts last year. He threw seven touchdowns with three picks.
But just from the eye test of the little bit
I watched, I went, Wow, this guy is really talented
(31:17):
and I think a fair comp And I don't know
how how tough he's gonna be in the pocket. You
never know. You gotta play a lot of games while
you stand in there and make throws. But just physical,
just physical attributes. I think he has a lot of
comparisons to Derek Carr in terms of he's got a
lot of pop with his arm, and those first couple
of years for Derek before the Raiders have kind of
been pretty inconsistent. The last several years, Derek was really good.
(31:40):
I mean his second year was kind of his breakout season,
and then the third year he almost won the MVP,
And you could argue if he didn't break his ankle,
he might have been the MVP of the league. So
to me, Drew Lock has that type upside. Now upside
is this that it's not tangible. He has to do it.
The division is really good. I think the Raiders are
gonna be a lot better. The Chiefs are the Super
Bowl champions, and the Charger defense is stacked, right. They
(32:02):
got a bunch of corners, Derwin James, pass rushers. Hell,
they drafted uh the the Oklahoma linebacker. Their defense is
gonna be excellent. Gus Bradley's defensive coordinator. It's not an
easy division, so a lot of pressure on them. I
think they're already, you know, Collins already picking them. They're
already kind of a sexy team out there. I like
him a lot. I think they should make a wild
(32:23):
card because they went seven and nine last year after
a terrible start and Joe Flacco playing terrible. You get
Drew Locked, the added offensive players, Bradley Chubb coming back
if he's If Drew Lock actually does come through with
my prediction, the Broncos are going to the playoffs. Okay,
let's get into the Middlecoff mail Bag at John Middlecoff
insta to where you guys get to ask questions and
(32:44):
we answer them right here on the podcast. Also, like
I mentioned earlier, leave your reviews. If you like the show,
greatly appreciate it. What are your thoughts on Josh Gordon
Gordon signing with the forty Niners now that Debo has
a broken foot in my memory serves Uh, record breaking
season happened with Kyle as the offensive coordinator for the Browns.
(33:04):
Just some random thoughts I'm having while cutting Hay, keep
up the good work. If you're really cutting, hey, you're
a grinder. I I don't know much about personally the relationship.
I'd have to maybe right in two thousand and fourteen,
that was Josh Gordon's breakout seasonal type it is as
I'm talking, I don't see that. I mean last year
Seattle had him for a little bit. He couldn't last
(33:27):
because he got in trouble. Obviously, the Patriots cut him.
Uh the two thousand four no, it was two thousand
thirteen was his god eighty seven catches, six d yards,
nine touchdowns, and then two thousand eighteen he had forty
one catches. Yeah, I think that ship sailed. I don't.
(33:49):
I'm not an expert on the drug policy in terms
of the testing and the changes everything that's been made.
But I don't see the forty Niners doing that. They
have Trent Taylor on their team, they have Jalen heard
on their team. They drafted Brandon Ayuk, they have George Kittle,
they have a million running backs. Kyle I just think
believes in his he'll able to scheme guys open, I
(34:11):
I don't see that. Who are the top five most
untradeable non quarterbacks in the NFL? By the way, I
love the pod and I'm a future cow Polly Mustang
love it, young guy, You get your whole future head jealous?
Top five most untradeable players? Uh? Okay, I would say,
(34:33):
let me think for a split second. You would think defense.
You know, Kleil Mack after the year, I don't know
if he's untradeable anymore? Aaron Donald? Would they trade him
for like four first rounders? You know, would anyone trade
four first rounders? Are? Are there really that many untradeable
non quarterbacks? You know? I don't think the forty Niners
(34:53):
would trade George Kittle. Uh you know, Odell Beckham would
get he could get trade maybe another who's another sweet
pass rusher? Nick Bosa trying to think of young guys,
Joey Bosa do the Cowboys Texans not really Saints? I
mean Michael Thomas? But would you would you trade Michael
(35:15):
Thomas for a couple of first rounders. I mean, make
you think I got news for you. There's not really
when it comes to nine quarterbacks. If you give me
the right offer, we're talking. I love George Kittle. He's
probably my favorite non quarterback in the league right now.
He's a badass. I just like, I was watching Shark
(35:35):
Tank on Friday night and this chick was freaking out
about these bags she had, and she was yelling at everyone,
and she eventually, you know, the four other panelists were like,
I'm out, I'm out, I'm out. And she's like, I
want Mark Cuban buy it. And Mark Cubans like, make
me an offer. She said, what do you want? He said, no,
you make me an offer. So I if I had
(35:56):
Aaron Donald, if I had Khalil Mac, if I had
George Kittle, if I had Michael tom Mus fight any
of these dudes, make me an offer. You know this
is not basketball where it's Lebron James, because Lebron James
is the quarterback in the NFL. Uh. John, I know
your background is in football. In the podcast, I listen
to most right next to part in my take, I
(36:17):
know you're somewhat of a barstool guy. You dive into
other sports every now and then, but I'd say, what
you talk about is football. Have you ever thought about
expanding your podcast to cover more than just one sport? Well,
my podcast I do with Haberman and Middlecoff. Now we
we talk more maybe Bay Area with the Warriors, but
we talked baseball. We talk everything, you know. It's basically
we had a radio show where we we do talk
(36:38):
a lot of PGA Tour, golf, We talked about it
all on this podcast. It's just easier to just focus
in the NFL and based on the numbers, I mean,
football is king. Even on the other podcast, we talk
football the most because it's by far the most popular. Now,
I'm a huge sports guy. I'm a rare thirty five
year old that watches way too much baseball. I love
the PGA Tour. While I talked some sh abou at
(37:00):
the NBA. I watch an ungodly amount of the NBA.
I love basketball. So I mean between those four sports,
you know, football pays my bills. And it's just even
when I was in radio, we talked about football more. So. Yeah,
I mean I tweet and talk, my do my periscopes,
(37:20):
but It's just it's more fun to do topics about
football because more people react. You can do a baseball
a top five baseball players. I tweeted that out right
now I get two people interact. I did top five,
you know quarterbacks under thirty at A replies It's just
people just are more passionate right now about football and basketball. Hell,
even you know, I'm gonna talk about the PGA tour.
(37:43):
Just a picture of a guy cooking steaks for Father's Day.
That sounds cool. Happy Father's Day to all the fathers listening.
Do you feel the West Coast offense could really take
off over the coming years if you look at Philly,
for example, with two tight ends and earths and God
or you see God or got knocked out a great
running back in Miles Sanders. I wouldn't say great yet,
but talent who should improve after his rookie season and
to Burner. Wide receivers in Reagor and Sean. Tight ends
(38:05):
are extremely undervalue position, as you have talked about with
George Kittle's contract talks, and are much cheaper usually than
most slot receivers, thus allowing money to be spent on
the old line or elsewhere on the team. What do
you think, Yeah, I mean I think everything. And now
in two thousand twenties, a hybrid offense, you know, the
RPO is such a big part of the game. All
these quarterbacks are moving. If you have two tight ends,
(38:26):
you'd be stupid not to put them on the field.
The Niners would have no problem putting two tight ends
on the field. Their problem is they don't really have
a good second tight end. Now. They play a lot
of you know, situations in one personnel with two running
backs in one tight end, right because they have Kyle Uschik,
who is kind of unique. Is he a running back now?
I mean he's kind of more of like a hybrid
tight end, but he also has a full black lead blocker.
(38:47):
He's just the ultimate Swiss army knife. I think it's
just all about your personnel. I would not have a
quote unquote offense. I would just have I would like,
you know, obviously you'd want a staple of your offense,
but I would want to be able to deliver a place.
An offensive coordinator told me this last year. What makes
the best offensive coordinators great is they're not worried about
balance run pass. They're worried about getting their playmakers the ball.
(39:11):
It's what Andy Reid does a great job of, right,
he gets Kelsey and Tyreek Hill and Sammy Watkins the football.
Kyle Shanahan does a really good job of this. Now
he even spreads it out. I'd argue sometimes too much,
but you can't complain with the results that I don't
know the quote unquote what kind of offense to defense.
To me, it matters more because you're base personnel gives
(39:32):
your gap assignments. So who's gonna make a tackle or
has what gap? In football? Whether they've got two tight
ends on the field, no tight ends on the field, Well,
if I got four street wide receivers were multiple suite
running backs, like, I don't blame the the Baltimore Ravens
for doing what they're doing. That's their personnel. So to me,
it's just based on your personnel. Now, if you wanted
to take even a step back, should you be looking
(39:55):
for that second tight end? Ideally, yes, you would like
to Kelsey's would like two kittles. You would like a
gronk and a you know again, bad guy, you know, murderer,
but Aaron Hernandez, Right, that's what ideally you'd want. It's
just easier said than done. After hearing your convincing take
on d Chambo Saturday, I just see, I'll talk about sports.
(40:15):
I decided to lay uh some bones on his nineteen
to one odds. Although he came up a few shots short,
it made Sunday much more compelling for a novice gambler
like myself. My question is, would you ever consider doing
a middle Cough money bag or something of the sort
each week in addition to the mail bag, something that
gives us all your juicy lines in golf, major League Baseball,
(40:37):
in the NFL, whatever, really appreciate it? Well, I'll tell
you this, gambling on football is by far the best,
and we will clearly incorporate more gambling this fall. I
love gambling on football. In my experience, March Madness is
really fun, but it's more just the event than you
feel that great about your picks. Now you can take
(40:59):
the advice of the j billis Is, of the Duck
Got Leaves and the twelve fives and feel pretty good.
But more and more now than ever, we don't watch
as much college basketball, and I watched sports for a living,
and I don't even watch that much. To me, my
second favorite sport. To gamble on the NBA is not
easy anymore unless you're gonna bet on playoff series, and
the last couple of years, I've bet against Russell Westbrook
(41:21):
in the first round and got plus money. But a
regular season game in the NBA, guys don't try. Guys
sit out. It's impossible. I used to love gambling on
the NBA because I used to back when Kevin Durant
was on the Thunder. I would bet a lot of
team overs. You know, they would be like over under
points for the Thunder and they would score so many points.
It was awesome. I loved it and bet Lakers back when,
(41:43):
like Kobe's last couple of years, their defense was awful,
the over undering the game. But it's to me, the
NBA has become much more difficult to gamble. I don't
gamble it anymore. Football and golf love gambling and golf.
Now golf is more difficult because like I love Bryson
d Shamba and I still do. The I played Harding Park.
It's where of the PGA Championship is gonna be in August,
and it's not that long of a course and the
(42:05):
fairways are really tight and the rough is ungodly. I
lost like five balls and you just you can't find
the ball if you don't hit the fairway, and you're
not gonna hit that many fairways because the the fairways
got cut like by well, Bryson is gonna be forty
yards past everybody and he has the power to get
out of the rough. So last I checked that Bryson,
Depending on where you look, it was like to one
(42:26):
to win the PGA Championship. Now again, betting on individuals
to win golf tournaments is difficult, but there are a
lot of fun bets wherever you gamble. I'm not gonna
give any free ads here, and hopefully we'll get a
gambling sponsor that you gamble on individual matchups on Top
Ten's gambling on golf Suite. If you like golf and
you just lightly pay attention, it is really fun to
gamble on baseball stinks uh and basketball it is just
(42:50):
impossible till the playoffs, So that that would be my
gambling advice. Start paying attention to golf fund sports to gamble.
Do you think there's a legitimate chance the NFL season
gets canceled? I dismissed of the idea at first personally,
but I'm starting to see it become more and more
topic lately. Keep up the good work. Uh yeah, I
mean I I don't know. I think they will do
everything humanly possible to play. I've said it's and keep
(43:13):
quoting these guys. It's gonna be hard for the protocols
to work. It's gonna be hard to practice football with
and not have guys get Corona. I think guys are
gonna get Corona. A lot of these teams have older coroaches.
It's going to be a challenge someone that desperately wants
sports to come back. I'm actually watching the NASCAR race
behind me right now, but uh, it's it's going to
be an uphill battle. But they will. All their chips
(43:35):
are in the middle of the table. They have twelve, thirteen, fourteen,
whatever billion billion reasons to get this thing to play,
if that means pushing it back a couple of months.
I don't know. I'm not a doctor. I'm not I'm
just giving my opinion and my opinion on this. I
don't feel listen, I have no problem giving opinions. I
just don't know. Like I back to I don't have
really Corona takes. Tell me to wear a mask in
(43:56):
your restaurant, I wear a mask if you expect me
to like screaming about it all day when I'm at
my condo or going on a walk like that ain't happening.
I'm not a fear porn daily freakout guy. I also
respect anyone who is I get it right. I mean,
any day you can read an article that feels like
the year's gonna end. I'm not taking that outlook just
because I read a lot of articles on the other
(44:17):
or at least headlines. I don't even I don't consume
that much corona stuf anymore. I refuse because out of
my control. I don't even believe anyone on either side. Uh.
I don't want anyone to die. No one wants Grandpa
to die, but a social distance if I don't know
you or whatever. But I'm also living in my life
like i've I've played golf forright four times the last
couple of weeks. I've gone different places to play golf,
(44:38):
like I ain't. I don't spend that much time thinking
about it. And I think a lot of players and
I DMed with a couple they're not that freaked out either,
the players are not because most people in the twenty
to thirty year old age range don't aren't consumed with it,
beside the media, who just is consumed with it. So
I guess it's a roundabout way of saying I just
I don't know, but yeah, I mean every once in
(44:58):
a while, if I, if I spend too much on Twitter,
I get a little freaked out. I wanted to get
your thoughts on what sort of compensation you'd be looking
for if you were Joe Douglas shoes when it comes
to Jamal Adams. Obviously he has a list, but as
you pointed out in the past, the NFL doesn't operate
the same as the NBA. No, they don't. The Jets
will not hold onto Adams because the Jags are Bengals
called instead of the Cowboys Ravens. Dealing him to a
crappier team would likely result in the higher pick. I
(45:20):
was thinking maybe two second rounders or a second and
third is realistic. However, if a team like the Cowboys calls,
would you rather ask the Cowboys for a second or
third and gallop since they are likely to be a
good pick, so their pick will end up being low. Also,
they drafted Lamb signed Cooper for big bucks. You have
a bunch of other players to pay Gallop not a
terrible idea. I like where you're looking at here. I
(45:41):
think if you were open to trading Jamal Adams, getting
a second round pick and a legitimate player is not
a bad idea. I think so often we love trading
good players for for first round pick. But what if
you got a second round pick and a guy who
immediately starts in your team. Michael Gallops good. Every time
I watched the Cowboy Is, I went, was Michael Gallops
as good as Mark Cooper? But he's not some scrub.
(46:04):
I know he got banged up last year, but I
took him a lot in daily fantasy and he always produced.
I was actually really impressed with him, So I I
think that would be a more than fair ass. Let's
see Michael Gallop last year. I know he's banged up,
he had sixty six catches for six touchdowns. He the
trust of me the Jets. Would I do Jamal Adam
(46:25):
for a second round pick and Michael Gallup? I would
strongly think about that. I really would. Now Michael Gallups
going into his third year, so he's gotta get paid
after this year, but he's not gonna be that expensive.
I I like that type deal. Now, if you're gonna
get a first round pick from a team, then it
that'd be hard to pass up. But if they're all
second rounders, would I rather have the Cowboys second rounder
(46:46):
and Michael Gallop than like the Bengal second rounder? For sure? God,
we get some good ideas here. That's that's some high
level thinking there. Do you think the forty Niners have
one more big move up their sleeve this offseason? I don't. No,
they don't have any picks to trade, they don't have
any more players to trade. I would not really expect
(47:07):
them to do much. New listener from down in New Zealand,
big fan of the NBA, NFL and Colin heard you
answering fans last week and brought up the question about
the Rugby Rugby League. It's completely different set of rules
from the Rugby Union. In some aspects, it's similar to
American football, except you can't throw it forward down the field,
and you only have a single team of thirteen on
(47:28):
the field who attack and defense. You have a six
tackle set before you have to kick the ball to
the opposition. Bloody good sport. I love bloody. That's a
great that's a great cuss word over in uh you know,
across the pond. Good sport to watch and one of
the only ones at the moment with the virus. Any who,
just letting you know, I'm big fan. You have a
listener's way down here in New Zealand. I went to
(47:51):
New Zealand when I was thirteen. When I was growing up,
my dad's dad, who was a professor at Cow, was
a big fly fisherman. He used to take my dad
every year for like thirty years to New Zealand. They'd
go for like three or four weeks. When I was thirteen,
my Dad's like, why don't you come. I'm not a
huge fisherman. But I went out there stayed with him
for a couple of weeks. It was badass. I remember
eating this ice cream called Hokey Pokey. We got helicopter
(48:14):
back and fished, played a little golf we went to
I told my dad maybe I was twelve, because I
told him. Bungee jumping. I'm pretty sure it was invented
in New Zealand and the place where it first started
was this crazy like uh bridge that I think is
like a five D footfall and they can time it
where you touch the river that you jump into it.
(48:35):
And I'm like, Dad, I'll tell him I'm thirteen. Drive
me there and I will jump off this bridge. So
he drives me there and we park and we go
out to watch and I remember walking out and looking.
I'm like, oh my god, that is so freaking high.
So we walk in to go get fitted. He's like
he wants to do a bungee jump, and the guy's like,
how old are you? You had to be? You had
(48:56):
to tell you beat thirteen. I was like, I'm twelve.
I'm twelve, and they're like, okay, you can't do it.
And I got out of my dad's like, oh my
god's just a whoss, Like yeah, Dad, no freaking way,
I'm jumping off that thing. But that's my lasting memory
in New Zealand. So question for the show. I'm from
the Pacific Northwest and been a Hawks fan since I
can remember. Most analysts, journalists, and media members never give
(49:19):
the Seahawks the respect they deserve. Every year, all anyone
can say is how they were going seven and nine?
And then what do you know they're in the playoffs.
He said, we're in the playoffs. True. I appreciate the
fandom being a Niners fan media guy. Can you account
for the lack of respect? I feel like Schneider, Carol
and Russ have earned a certain amount of respect. Anyway,
(49:39):
I never picked the Seahawks to miss, so I don't
know what those idiots are doing. I do know this
as someone that breaks down rosters and has a pretty
good feel for what like elite team looks like their
roster the last couple of years has not in act.
Think even you, as a Seahawks fan, will admit this
not nearly as good as it was in twelve, thirteen
(49:59):
and four team right, It's not as deep, not as
star studded. Now they're curveball. And this is why you
can't dismiss them. They have either the best or second
best quarterback in the world in Russell Wilson, and he's
a magician, unlike Mahomes, who doesn't. I mean, while he
kind of indirectly does. But they have so much help.
Russell has to carry the team. Their defense isn't as good.
(50:22):
They don't have as many Pro Bowl guys on defense.
He's got to be a star, and he is a star.
He can have these games. To me, Russell Wilson's a
lot like Steph Curry. He could have these games where
he looks terrible for three quarters and then all of
a sudden he flips the switch and throws three touchdowns
in the fourth quarter and just rips your heart out
and does just Houdini stuff. So I really think it's
(50:45):
just Russell Wilson. He is one of the most incredible
quarterbacks we've ever seen. And for them to be whatever.
They won eleven games last year and being within an
a half inch a half inch of sweeping the Niners
and being the second seed would have been one of
the most incredible accomplishments given their roster I've ever seen,
(51:05):
because that team was not as talented as their record,
but their quarterback is more talented than records. So I
think I think it's that simple, because player for player
that their roster leaves something to be desired. Now you
could argue a little better. Now they've got d k
who's a really good player. We'll see if they get
Clowney back. But man, yeah, I think the with that
franchise accomplished these last two, you know, decade, Really the
(51:28):
second half of the decade has been more impressive. Now
they haven't won a Super Bowl or even gotten back,
but being able to sustain, maintain and win all these
games that no team pulls more games out of their
ass than Seattle Seahawks. And I say that as a compliment,
but how often are we sitting on our couch on Sunday,
especially when they kick like a ten am kick off,
you know, and they're playing like the Panthers or the
(51:51):
Jets or something, and they'll be down like, you know,
seventeen to ten and just playing like crap. Then all
of a sudden, two straight Russell Wilson drives bang bang
boom them and it's seventeen. They win, like they have
so many games like that, and that that's just their culture.
They're there, they're winners. All they do is win. I
appreciate everyone listening. Uh, enjoy the week, and uh, I
(52:13):
guess summer. It's kind of a weird summer, but summers here,
so enjoy your summer, and uh, I'll talk to you
a little bit later. Idios,
What is going on everybody, John that'll cop three and
out podcast. Back at it again on this beautiful Actually
according this kind of early afternoon, right around lunchtime June day,
about eighty five degrees. My air conditioning is now pumping. Uh.
You know, air doesn't come cheap. I learn that you
want to stay cold. Open that checkbook. Uh. Despite you know,
(00:33):
quarantine and the coronavirus and weird no football, we still
got a lot going on. And Dak Prescott was announced
he's gonna sign his thirty one point four franchise tender.
A bunch of people and I'll dive into that. A
bunch of people in college football have tested positive. Different
schools have some thoughts there. I will do my top
(00:54):
five breakout players for second year guys, guys that were drafted,
uh this last season in two thousand nineteen, so their
sophomore season. I actually think I got a pretty good list.
And then of course at John Middlecoff is the Middlecoff mailbag.
I appreciate everyone that's you know, fires in my d
M s leaves a question. This is the people's show
(01:15):
at John Middlecoff Twitter, Instagram all the same. My name
in the Instagram d MS wide open fire in there
a question of anything. It doesn't just have to be football.
It could be life. You know, we try to change
lives here and uh, you will get on the show.
Also appreciate everyone that has left a review and subscribed
(01:35):
to the Three and Out podcast. And I know a
lot of you listen to me through Colin, but three
and Out has its own podcast. Uh. I don't even
know what it would be, just it has its own subscription,
right the three and Out podcast with me separate from
the link that automatically comes up on Colin. For those
of you that left or review there, I greatly appreciate it.
(01:56):
For those of you that haven't and like the show,
I would greatly appreciate you going there and leaving you know,
a five star if you like the show, if not
even the four. But now you can leave whatever review
you want. Just leave review subscribe to that one, uh
as well. Makes it easy. Okay, let's dive into Dak
Prescott and over the weekend, maybe Monday morning. I I
can't even keep track. It was reported it it must
(02:18):
have been Sunday that Dak Prescott will sign his franchise
tender of a comfortable amount of money thirty one point
four million dollars to be the quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys.
Now they still have several weeks till the middle of
July to uh get a long term deal ironed out.
But I've always wondered this, and I think my generation,
(02:41):
the number show we're getting married a lot later, having
kids a lot later my parents generation. I mean my
parents were older, but the majority of their friends and
people's you know, in the fifties, sixties, seventies got married
very young and had children very young. And I never
understood rushing into marriage. Now I've never been married. I'm
a single guy. Uh, but you know I've dated many people.
(03:05):
I'm dating someone right now, and there is a process
to get to know them right. It takes time. You
wouldn't go three months in. You know, you hear some
of these stories like uh movies about it, I knew
right away get married. Typically those don't work out. You
see some of these reality shows. For the most part,
I'm red flag in those situations, and I just don't
(03:26):
understand the rush when there are major question marks and
it happens. We see it all the time. That's why
the divorce right now, because it's much more normal to
get divorced in two thousand twenty than maybe it was.
I mean, clearly it wasn't like divorce rates really I
you know, a lot of people find out I don't
like the person. And here's the thing. Once you have kids,
(03:47):
once your job situation, what you've been married a certain
amount of time, depending on the state, it gets very expensive.
The NFL is no different. When you rush into situations
financially and put a lot of guaranteed money in front
of players, it can be a very very expensive mistake.
Now you go, John Well, the Cowboys have been dating
this guy for four years. I'd say, yeah, Jerry and
Stephen Half and if Jason Garrett was still there, I'd go,
(04:09):
this is a little weird. They haven't signed him to
a long term contract. But they got a new coach
and his name is Mike McCarthy and he's never coached
Dak Prescott for a day in his life. Now, part
of it is these crazy circumstances didn't have a chance
to work together in O. T A. S. But you
can't convince me that Mike McCarthy is banging the drum
for them to sign him. To add forty million dollar contract.
(04:32):
Because if I was Jerry and I could take a
step back. Now I know it's already's in his late seventies,
so it probably would have to be Stephen and kind
of being the voice of reason and everything that's been
reported over the last decade. Stephen has become that kind
of a calming voice, not as emotionally invested into everything,
has learned from his dad, feels like a pretty high
(04:53):
level guy and kind of can beat this. Buffer and
the Cowboys have become, let's face it, very very stable
over these last seven of years. You could argue too
stable because they let Jason Garrett coach for too long,
but that's you know, water under the bridge. They're at
where they're at now. And they got Mike McCarthy. Who
if I was the Cowboys, that I was Steven Jones,
(05:14):
I played out like this, I date him for another year. Now.
It's an expensive date, thirty one point four million dollars.
But what has Dak Prescott done Where you would go,
you know what? And again you'd say, well, Middlecoff, Jared
Goff got huge money. I'd say I wouldn't pay Jared
Goff huge money. Carson Wentz got huge money. I would
be more likely to pay Carson Wentz money just because
(05:35):
of his physical attributes that are far superior from Jared
Goff and Dak Prescott. Now, Jared Goff has accomplished more
than Dak. He had success two years ago in the playoffs,
was starting quarterback for a team that was in the
super Bowl. But he has severe limitations. And I'm a
Jared Goff fan. He can't move when he's in the pocket,
and their offensive line isn't very good. He can't move.
He's an old school, you know, pocket quarterback. He's not
(05:58):
an athlete. That's the one thing Dak Prescott brings to
the table. Now, I'd have to really dive in which
guy I'd rather have. I probably lean Dak. But again
I understand in football typically when it comes to these contracts,
it's based on comparables. I just I look at if
I'm the Cowboys, I go I don't want to do
what the Rams did with Jared Goff. Though Dak Prescott
(06:19):
it may turn out that he's better. I gotta see
him work under this coach. The one thing the Rams
had is they had set two years of Jared Goff
operating with Sean McVeigh. I don't know how this thing
is gonna look. And if I get into a situation
where I've guaranteed him a hundred ten million dollars and
we go through the season and it goes, yeah, this
isn't really working. Whatever whatever it is with McCarthy, they
(06:42):
don't really mesh. I'm not saying that's gonna happen, but
it's a possibility. We don't know what is the point
of Russia to Vegas and getting married. And I understand
he's been there for a while, but they change coaching
staffs and anyone that falls football, especially the NFL. When
coaching staffs change, there are major major changes within the
personnel department. And I don't mean the scouting department, and
(07:04):
sometimes that happens too. I'm talking about the personnel on
the team. There's usually a lot of turnover. Now, what
makes the Cowboys unique is they have a lot of
set guys. They remind me a little bit of when
Harbaugh came to the Niners. Though they'd had the Cowboys
have had a little more success recently. They have a
lot of really good players. They have a lot of
players that a lot of coaches would line up to coach.
(07:24):
They have a roster that many coaches probably would take
over their own roster right now. But I still think
the quarterback is a major question mark. And when I
say a major question mark, he's good. I know that
I can compete with him. But ultimately, if I'm gonna
give a guy thirty five million dollars and basically guarantee
four years of that, because that adds up to about
one ten, one twenty in that range, maybe three and
(07:45):
a half years, but I mean, I'm committing to him.
I am getting married to the guy. I gotta know
and feel good when I lay my head at night.
You know, I got a top five or six quarterback.
I don't like doing what the Minnesota Vikings did, given
a guy a five million dollars and then extending him
another sixty million dollars when I know, you know, I
get he won a playoff game last year, but let's
(08:06):
call a spade a spade. I'm never walking into a
game against the top flight quarterback and feeling I got
the better guy, because that's not the case. Now. Maybe
Dad takes a huge step this year and him and
McCarthy match, and then you go, you know, what and
maybe they win a couple of playoff games and you go,
this guy kind of like Russell Wilson, where early on
those first three or four years, you know, they were
like Colin Coward was always out ahead of it, and
(08:28):
there was a select few of people but there were
a lot of people on the other side going he
wasn't good enough. And ever since that, the second four
or five years, he took off like a rocket ship.
And Dad could easily be that type player. But the
one thing that Russell always had was the same freaking
head coach and the one thing Dac now has a
new head coach who's had a lot of success with
another really talented quarterback. So one thing you'd say with
Mike McCarthy, once he gets his hands on Dak Prescott,
(08:50):
once he works with Dak Prescott, once he runs an
offense with Dak Prescott, he'll have a pretty good idea
because he's got a pretty good basis. Now, no one
thinks Dak Prescott is gonna be a good Daron Rodgers.
But if he goes well, he can do some of
these things. I we won like this in the playoffs
with doing this, this guy can do that. I feel
comfortable paying him because you don't hire Mike McCarthy, even
the Cowboys that are run by the owner, if you're
(09:11):
not gonna give him a lot of sway and a
lot of pool when it comes to the guy throwing
the football and he's an offensive mind, he's a technically
an offensive coordinator now calling the plays technically Kellen Moore,
you know who knows. Cowboys kind of a weird deal
that way, But it's it's Mike's baby. Let's let's just
be real and I would play this year out. Now,
(09:32):
I've said before, if you really wanted to sign him
a long term, I'd have no issue were sending the
franchise tag. You would have had to do this before
he signed it and going doc, what is your market?
But the Cowboys clearly respect this guy a lot that
that's a low level move. It just is. Even though
it is the right business move. When you have a
lot of respect for a guy, when you believe in
(09:54):
the person, when he's done right by you, you don't
do business that way. So while it would be just
in a vacuum dollars and cents, the right business move,
because I don't think anyone would even come close to
compete to some of the offers that clearly the Cowboys
have already made. Uh, they're gonna ride this out. I
would just ride out this season. I would not extend
him unless he would sign some really team friendly deal,
(10:16):
which it sure as hell feels like he's in no
business to do. And that's his prerogative. But I also
think it's the Cowboys prerogative, like there's no reason to
put a ring on it. Just just let it play
out a little bit. Let your new guy, who essentially
for as much as Jerry we see Jerry Jerry talks.
I love Jerry Jones. He's a legend. He ain't coaching
the team he has. Jerry Jones has as much power
(10:39):
on game day as mirror you. Once the game kicks off,
he does nothing. He sits there, He drinks the diet coke.
He eats some popcorn. No different than you sitting at
your house, you know, eating some snacks watching the Cowboy game.
If you're a Cowboy fan, or even if you're just
not a Cowboy fan, just watching whatever your team is.
You know, the owner has no pull. Now he has
more poll you know, during the week he can say
we gotta cut this guy or whatever. But when it
(11:00):
comes to Doc, and when it comes to the offense,
Darry ain't doing a damn thing. So Mike, it's Mike
McCarthy is the one. A coach told me this one time.
He said, it's so easy for you guys in personnel
to go, yeah, this guy is a bad character guy,
but he can really play. Because you draft the guy
in the first or second round, everyone applauds in the
draft room. If the guy is a highly touted guy
through Mel Kuyper or DJ or now whoever in the
(11:23):
in the business, you get a standing oh on Twitter,
and then I gotta deal with him in the meeting room. Well,
he's a pain in the ass. Now, clearly Doc is
a super high character guy, not a pain that way.
But from a football standpoint, I gotta let these guys
date a little bit. I gotta let Mike McCarthy and
Dak Prescott spend a lot of time together before I
feel comfortable giving him a huge contract. Okay, let's dive
(11:44):
into some college football. And because in the NFL, I
think until the forty Niners, who had someone they had
a Nashville basically O t a s uh attended by
a lot of players and someone tested positive in that
really is the only situation we've seen. Now we've seen
(12:06):
individual players test positive. Von Miller. Uh, I think Kareem Jackson.
I'm probably missing some, but that those were all in
situations where they got it on their own training, right.
We had a situation with forty niners where they got
it as a group or someone got it as a group.
We don't have any more information. Uh. And then the
(12:26):
NFL p A came out and highly recommended. Because they
don't have they can't like force anyone to do it.
No more of these personal workouts, so you get back
through ther team. College football is a little different, you
know in the SEC and a lot of these programs
have been together now for two or three weeks. I mean,
I remember I fall mac Brown on Twitter saw a
picture I think like three weeks ago in North Carolina.
(12:48):
He's like back in the office with all the boys.
It's all the pictures of the players coming in. And
we've seen several incidents from l s U I think
had players clemsing a bunch, Alabama, Auburns had some. I
think Iowa today had nine. I think the best number
I saw was Notre Dame had ninety players tested. They
only had one guy. And every time I see it,
(13:11):
I am I'm not shocked to see the reaction because
the media in general is very, very emotional. They're all emotion,
and I mean if we followed them now, I mean, listen,
I technically in the media. I just always consider myself
more of a hybrid. I follow a lot of these
guys and I just see their Twitter feeds. It's all emotion, uh,
And I get it. I just can't control it. But
(13:32):
I don't freak out when I see this because I'm
not a Corona expert, uh, not a doctor. I don't
know anything. Everything I read and everything I see changes
by the day. I think it's pretty simple that none
of us know. And I get a lot of d
ms that are that hit me up for people tweeting
at me, like middle you're getting scared football is not
gonna happen. I don't know. I don't control any of it.
(13:53):
I've said from the jump the NFL will do everything
in their power to play, and it's strictly because of
and thing money, and that benefits the players too. They
are in bed together. They are revenue sharing partners. So
for every dollar the players get a football related revenue,
it's a pretty good deal, right If you're making a
(14:13):
billion dollars four seventy million dollars, if it's two billion dollars,
you do the math right, And they have financial reasons
to do it. College the same thing, while they're not
technically paying the players on the books. We know for
a fact. I say this all the time. We have
factual information from the FEDS. These players get paid under
(14:34):
the table. So I hate it when we say players
don't get paid because in a lot of these conferences,
especially the South, we know they are. Again, Nope, no,
I have no issue with it. I don't mind it
at all. It doesn't it's capitalism, free market, the n
C double A is not the law. It doesn't bother
me at all. But I I can never pretend these
guys aren't getting cash and benefits. Now, could they do
(14:56):
more in the likeness, for sure, that's another conversation. But
here's a reality. Because all these players at L s
U who had like I think twenty three or thirty
or some ungodly maybe they were thirty and Clemson was
twenty three. I think there was a breakout in a
nightclub in l s U. Where I live in California.
We have been slower to open things up like right
now are we can't in certain in the Bay Area
(15:19):
in l A. You can't eat inside now if you
go to nap if you go to Sacramento, you can
eat inside. But the majority I think about eight million
people in the Bay Area, you know, obviously like twenty
million people down South, large percentage of people cannot eat insides.
We're limited to what we can do. But I do
know this. I have a younger brother who's thirty years old.
I know a lot of people in Hell. A lot
of people that you're listening are in your twenties. I
(15:40):
interact with a lot of you. Young people do not care.
They don't and I don't technically blame them for not
being scared of this virus. They were told from the
jump they can't be affected. Now it doesn't mean they
can't get it, but we've seen the numbers that the
factual data that all the things they're more likely to
die from, like driving a car down the freeway. So
(16:01):
when these guys and I follow these guys on Instagram,
they're not scared. Now personally, I'm just speaking for myself.
I'm not scared of the virus. I'm more scared of
financially the second half of the years, the economy gonna back,
bounce back. Are my advertisers on the other podcast gonna
come flooding back? My worries right now in two thousand
twenty are all financial zero virus. Now, my mom, you know,
(16:24):
had cancer before, breast cancer. She's gotta worry about it
because she is in the She's in the right down
the middle of the of the group that it severely impacts.
When you talk about these college football players who already
have a crazy self, I don't even know how to
describe it. Not arrogance, but confidence. I think you're untouchable,
(16:45):
and then you're told yeah, nothing's really gonna happen, and
then you get back with your team just operating in
team activities. I am not shocked to see a lot
of these guys, A lot of these programs have a
lot of guys test positive. Because if you think that
everywhere they go their social distances and wearing masks, you're
just crazy, you're ignorant, you're just wrong, and they're not
going to start They just aren't you know? So, I
(17:08):
think college football, we're in the NFL, it's gonna be
pretty simple. When when they tell these guys, and I
think just the sport of football, and we've talked about
it before, is very difficult to operate with these with
these rules, it's not even possible. I mean John Harbaugh
Sean McVeigh have gone on record, and I think John
Harbaugh says it's not possible, and Sean McVeigh says it's impossible.
(17:30):
I mean, you can't socially distance to play football. They're
like oxymoron. They're they're on the opposite side of the spectrum.
To play football is about being close right the huddle, tackling,
what what do you? What do Defensive coordinators tell their
defensive players group tackle, gang, tackle, run to the football
pile ups. I mean offensive defensive lines literally touch every play.
(17:52):
So it's very difficult practice just the showers and locker room.
It's very very hard. But I think at least with
the NFL, you could say, listen, we have to do
every precaution possible for you guys to play so you
get your money, and a lot of these guys make
a lot of money. Even the minimum, guys are making
six dollars, So these guys are gonna be very cognizant
(18:13):
of it. In college is a little more difficult. Well,
the booster money keeps flowing for these coaches to tell them,
and I'm sure they are hammering at home. It's just
harder to get a nineteen year old guy to listen
to anything. When I was eighteen nineteen, I didn't listen
to a damn thing. Hell, I didn't really start listening
probably to like three or four years ago. It's just,
you know, guys on it as a mature Now, some
(18:35):
guys on the team will be and I've heard stories.
I was playing golf with someone who coached a kid
in high school who's going to Stanford who's actually already there,
like he's concerned, you know. So they're gonna be individuals
for sure. But I think on the whole, the vast
majority are not really gonna think about it that much
until they're not allowed to play or until they have
(18:56):
to quarantine. And I think it's gonna be much more
difficult for college football to contain and corral and just
hammer home what they need to do to avoid it,
and to be honest, there might be there might be
a chance that it's unavoidable that these do you guys
are just gonna test positive all season long just because
(19:17):
the way they're gonna live, the nature of the sport.
But I'm not here to pretend like I know more
about you know what's going on in terms of the
virus than you like most people on Twitter, because I don't,
because none of us do. The information changes daily. One
day it's the worst, one day it's getting back. I
don't know it literally changed. You can read something on
any given day. You can read it's the worst day
(19:39):
yet or the best day yet, given what statistics they
want to use to you know, lean their argument. And
it's why I've just tried to tell me to wear
a mask in the building. I'll wear a mask in
the building. But if you think I'm spending all day
thinking about it at this point in time, I'm not.
Now indirectly I am because it impacts my business. I
worry about football being played or you know what I'm
(20:00):
gonna talk about on a daily basis. But and just
like I can easily put myself in your shoes if
you are nervous about it or think about it all
the time. I don't blame you, I I completely understand.
But I know this from just being around college football
players for many years, following just several college football programs
on like in star players on Instagram and even younger
(20:20):
NFL guys. They just don't care. I mean, they're just
and I think young people all across the country. You
saw I saw Justin Thomas. They were in Hilton Head
in South Carolina for the PGA golf tournament and he's like, God,
you leave the course, you go around, people are just
no one cares. I mean, I'm out in Walna Creek
in California. We have an outdoor dining now. People are everywhere.
People are tired of being cooped up. They're losing their minds.
(20:41):
So the young people especially, it's just I think college
football while there's a ton on the line right if
college football has not played this fall, say bye bye
to the softball coach, Say bye bye to all the
volleyball scholarships, say bye bye to college baseball, Say bye
bye to the wrestling program, say bye bye to the
swimming program. They literally pay for everything. Bye bye to
the seven assist and ate athletic directors. There's no money
(21:01):
so all the money depends on them. It's just a
little more difficult to set up the n C double A,
the money factor, the health factor with with younger people. Uh,
and technically you know, quote unquote kids, it's it's definitely
probably gonna be a little bit of a challenge. Okay,
let's do something fun and uh, let's dive in to
the guys who are going to be sophomores this upcoming season.
(21:24):
Second year players, guys that were drafted in two thousand nineteen.
I basically picked my five favorite breakout candidates. You know,
there were guys that had really good seasons Nick Bosa,
uh A J Brown, DK Metcalf, Josh Jacobs. There are
players that broke out. They're just good, right we we
know right away that doesn't happen for everyone. Sometimes it
(21:46):
takes time for guys to prove they're worth in the league.
For every guy that just Kyler Murray, you know, hits
the ground running and you're like, damn. Some guys take
a couple of years Davantae Adams to look like two
and a half, so you can become a Pro Bowl
level player and have an average first year. Now you
can also have a good first year and build off it.
(22:06):
There's a different path to start them in the NFL
for the majority of players, right, not not everyone comes
at the same speed, and that's what makes sports cool.
You never know at what rate people are gonna be stars.
Steph Curry was not Lebron right just year one. It
wasn't like, oh, this guy is gonna win multiple m
vps and you know, three championships and go down. It's
(22:28):
probably the second greatest point guard ever any the way
it works, they almost traded Lay Thompson for Kevin Love, right,
it happens, so we just Russell Wilson. We're arguing over
whether it was a star like by year four. By
about year six, you couldn't knock. But it took Dak Prescott.
We're still talking about it. So I think it takes time.
(22:48):
But there are five guys to me that really jumped
out night. I talked some people around the league players.
A couple of these guys I like coming out, A
couple of these guys that didn't know that much about
and uh, let's start at five. Jonathan Abram, the safety
from Mississippi State the Raiders took last year in the
first round and he made it through about half a
game last year. Now, my concerns with him coming out
(23:11):
of college because people I know in the NFL liked
him a lot, big hitter. Uh if you look. I
think his his last year in Misissippi State, they played
Iowa in the ballgame fant Hockinson. I had scouting director
tell me check out that game tape. He's locking those
two guys down. So, because there were some concerns he
wasn't a great cover guy more than a hitter. And
(23:33):
I had new people in the league that thought he
would transition very well to become a cover safety, you know,
a hybrid right, a physical player that can cover. I
know Jim Naggy that runs the Senior Bowl, longtime NFL scout,
loves him. And he made it through half a game
because he had a huge hit in their opening game
in two thousands nineteen against the Denver Broncos. Towards labor
(23:53):
him out for the season. But people think that I
know think highly of him. I know Jon Gruden and
Mike Mayock think highly of him. There's gonna be a
lot of pressure on him. He's gonna be immediately one
of the more talented defensive players. He was this year
will be again next year, and I think they've surrounded
him with a little more help. The key is staying healthy.
(24:14):
He's a guy that wants to play like Cam Chancellor,
and that's to me, my big red flag on him.
He just has to adapt. Now, great players adapt, you
know you can't head hunt might be strong, but you
have to hit under control of two. This isn't which.
Don't get me wrong, I love ninety eight. I love
big hits. And if this was old school John Abram
(24:34):
would be just knocking Ko and people every game. He
can't do that, so he's just gonna after that. But
the talent is there. He was a first round pick
for a reason. The several teams that I've talked to
either had him in the first high in the second
round on their draft board. I'd expect if he can
stay healthy for him to have a really good season.
Number four The forty Niners just lost Eebo Samuel to
(24:55):
a Jones fracture. Anytime there is a name with an injury,
Jones frac sure, Tommy John Yeah, I read flag. It
never good. Last year they had a player Trent Taylor
who got the Jones fractor missed the entire season. Now,
Debo claims will be back in ten weeks. Who knows.
I got a red flag. I hope he comes back healthy,
but you never know. Jalen heard a guy that the
(25:16):
forty Niners took last year in the third round. I
went to practice last year in the spring and in
training camp. This guy is enormous. He played running back
at Tennessee. He's like six three and a half six four.
Transferred to Baylor, became a wide receiver. Kyle Shanahan loves him.
He's like a hybrid. They can put him in the backfield.
He can play a little tight end, they can put
(25:36):
him in the slot. He got hurt last year, kind
of like Jonathan Abram. I'm betting on a guy staying healthy.
Had a fracture in his back, missed the entire season.
Did have a preseason game where he trucked like three people,
had a touchdown, and everyone thought this guy was gonna
play a major role and then he never played a
regular season game. Well, now that Debo is already out,
their best, second best wide receiver now without Debo is
(25:58):
going to be a rookie from Arizona State, Brandon Ayo,
who's a junior college transfer, really has had one good season,
So I think beside Kittle, there's gonna be a lot
of action for this guy. Major mismatch, offensive genius as
the play caller they have. You know, they had Trent Williams,
their offensive line solid, they got Jimmy Garoppolo, they have
a running game. I think Jalen Herd, you can look
(26:18):
up and you go, damn. When the best teams in
the NFC, that guy caught fifty sixty balls. I keep
it high on Jalen Herd, especially for you fantasy guys
that might be drafting people late number three. I had
I know a bunch of people with the Bears. They
were raving to me last year about this rookie safety
for the Green Bay Packers. I didn't know that much
(26:39):
about him. They drafted him in the first round, Darnell
Savage Jr. Watch him a bunch this year. He's gonna
be a really good player. Hot take. He's got a
very good chance to be a top five safety in
the next two years. Very very talented. He plays for
the Packers. They're clearly they have a bunch of talent,
especially in that defensive backfield. With the corners. Uh. You know,
I just think when you look around the safeties around
(27:01):
the league, whether it's Jamal Adams, like, who are the
really great safeties right now in the NFL? I think
this guy has a chance to take a huge Derwin James.
You know, Isaiah Simmons is a young guy that was
just drafted really high. He's kind of like the hybrid.
I think this guy has a chance to be kind
of the ultimate combo of being a physical hitter. He'll
throw his nose in there. He ain't afraid, which is
(27:22):
something I always love in a safety. It's what Jonathan
Abram has. You gotta be a little crazy because you're
playing in space, people moving at rapid speed. I like
guys that will lay the wood and that they can't
are athletic enough in two thousand twenty that can find
themselves in positions where they're not gonna get flagged all
the time. And then this guy can also play the ball.
So you have two picks last year, I'd expect to
(27:43):
maybe that number to double this year. I think Darnel
Savage Jr. Has a chance to have a huge season
for the Green Bay Packers. Number two Jeffrey Simmons, the
defensive tackle hybrid guy that the Tennessee Titans took in
the first round last year. There's a chance that this guy,
if he had not torn his a c L before
(28:04):
the draft, would have gone. There are some people talking
like top five, probably a top six or seven lock
they got him. I think it was picked nineteen Darrell Casey,
who they cut this year. Darrell Casey has made several
Pro Bowlers Pro Bowls, is a really good player, Like
who's been one of the stalwart defensive linemen in the
(28:25):
league for the last handful of years. They just cut
and the reason is Jeffrey freaking Simmons. He had seven
stars last year, two sacks coming back from that injury.
He is massive, he is super athletic. I mean, he's
got vable, he's got kind of a defensive culture. I
think I had a buddy tell me in the league,
(28:46):
like over the weekend, all you could look up and
Jeffrey Simmons could be a star. This guy of this
group might have the highest upside, Like there's a chance
he's a top two or three d lineman in like
three years. Like all of a sudden, he's like j. J. Watt,
like that's how talented this guy is. Now a lot
of people don't know about the Mississippi State gets injured.
Didn't play that much last year in terms of impact,
(29:08):
only played less than half the season despite being on
a team that went really far. I'm telling you, when
you're watching the Titans, keep an eye on Jeffrey Simmons
and then number one breakout star potential. This one was
pretty easy for me, Drew Lock. I know Greg co
Sell who is just watches as much quarterback film as
anyone hell in beside the Maybe NFL coaches loves this guy. Uh,
(29:32):
his talent is undisputable. Indisputable. Uh, it's not arguable. He's
got a big time arm. Now. I didn't really watching
that much of Missouri full disclosure, I'm not spending too
much time on Saturday's watching Missouri football. People I talked
to said that the arm strength was there. It was
just about corraling. Just like any young quarterback who you
(29:54):
know has the physical attributes, you want to then translate
become an accurate player, become a guy who understands the offense,
a guy that can lead the team. There a lot
comes with playing quarterback, and when you're playing at Missouri
in that conference, you're an underdog a lot of the weeks, right,
you are consistently playing teams that are better than you.
So there is a lot of unknown like what would
(30:14):
he do with better talent? How would he have been
if he was the BAMA quarterback or USC quarterback and
had the proper talent around him? You never know. And
once you get to the NFL, especially given the baseline
of talent that his team now has, you go, well,
his offense pretty loaded, right. They get Pat Shermer as
offensive coordinator, who terrible head coach, really good offensive coordinator.
(30:34):
They have a defensive head coach who was going to
play really good defense. I will be shocked, shocked if
the Denver Broncos Vic Fangio, Bradley Chubb von Miller are
not a top ten defense this year. They made strides
the year went on without Bradley Chubb. He's back full go.
They're gonna be good on defense. Offensively, they draft Jerry
Judy in the first round. They signed Melvin Gordon. They
(30:57):
drafted Noah Fanse last year in the first round. I think,
who had forty catches as a rookie. They have Philip Lindsay, Uh,
they draft kJ Hamdler, kind of the speed demon, just
to spread the offense Drew Lock had. He only made
five starts last year. He threw seven touchdowns with three picks.
But just from the eye test of the little bit
I watched, I went, Wow, this guy is really talented
(31:17):
and I think a fair comp And I don't know
how how tough he's gonna be in the pocket. You
never know. You gotta play a lot of games while
you stand in there and make throws. But just physical,
just physical attributes. I think he has a lot of
comparisons to Derek Carr in terms of he's got a
lot of pop with his arm, and those first couple
of years for Derek before the Raiders have kind of
been pretty inconsistent. The last several years, Derek was really good.
(31:40):
I mean his second year was kind of his breakout season,
and then the third year he almost won the MVP,
And you could argue if he didn't break his ankle,
he might have been the MVP of the league. So
to me, Drew Lock has that type upside. Now upside
is this that it's not tangible. He has to do it.
The division is really good. I think the Raiders are
gonna be a lot better. The Chiefs are the Super
Bowl champions, and the Charger defense is stacked, right. They
(32:02):
got a bunch of corners, Derwin James, pass rushers. Hell,
they drafted uh the the Oklahoma linebacker. Their defense is
gonna be excellent. Gus Bradley's defensive coordinator. It's not an
easy division, so a lot of pressure on them. I
think they're already, you know, Collins already picking them. They're
already kind of a sexy team out there. I like
him a lot. I think they should make a wild
(32:23):
card because they went seven and nine last year after
a terrible start and Joe Flacco playing terrible. You get
Drew Locked, the added offensive players, Bradley Chubb coming back
if he's If Drew Lock actually does come through with
my prediction, the Broncos are going to the playoffs. Okay,
let's get into the Middlecoff mail Bag at John Middlecoff
insta to where you guys get to ask questions and
(32:44):
we answer them right here on the podcast. Also, like
I mentioned earlier, leave your reviews. If you like the show,
greatly appreciate it. What are your thoughts on Josh Gordon
Gordon signing with the forty Niners now that Debo has
a broken foot in my memory serves Uh, record breaking
season happened with Kyle as the offensive coordinator for the Browns.
(33:04):
Just some random thoughts I'm having while cutting Hay, keep
up the good work. If you're really cutting, hey, you're
a grinder. I I don't know much about personally the relationship.
I'd have to maybe right in two thousand and fourteen,
that was Josh Gordon's breakout seasonal type it is as
I'm talking, I don't see that. I mean last year
Seattle had him for a little bit. He couldn't last
(33:27):
because he got in trouble. Obviously, the Patriots cut him.
Uh the two thousand four no, it was two thousand
thirteen was his god eighty seven catches, six d yards,
nine touchdowns, and then two thousand eighteen he had forty
one catches. Yeah, I think that ship sailed. I don't.
(33:49):
I'm not an expert on the drug policy in terms
of the testing and the changes everything that's been made.
But I don't see the forty Niners doing that. They
have Trent Taylor on their team, they have Jalen heard
on their team. They drafted Brandon Ayuk, they have George Kittle,
they have a million running backs. Kyle I just think
believes in his he'll able to scheme guys open, I
(34:11):
I don't see that. Who are the top five most
untradeable non quarterbacks in the NFL? By the way, I
love the pod and I'm a future cow Polly Mustang
love it, young guy, You get your whole future head jealous?
Top five most untradeable players? Uh? Okay, I would say,
(34:33):
let me think for a split second. You would think defense.
You know, Kleil Mack after the year, I don't know
if he's untradeable anymore? Aaron Donald? Would they trade him
for like four first rounders? You know, would anyone trade
four first rounders? Are? Are there really that many untradeable
non quarterbacks? You know? I don't think the forty Niners
(34:53):
would trade George Kittle. Uh you know, Odell Beckham would
get he could get trade maybe another who's another sweet
pass rusher? Nick Bosa trying to think of young guys,
Joey Bosa do the Cowboys Texans not really Saints? I
mean Michael Thomas? But would you would you trade Michael
(35:15):
Thomas for a couple of first rounders. I mean, make
you think I got news for you. There's not really
when it comes to nine quarterbacks. If you give me
the right offer, we're talking. I love George Kittle. He's
probably my favorite non quarterback in the league right now.
He's a badass. I just like, I was watching Shark
(35:35):
Tank on Friday night and this chick was freaking out
about these bags she had, and she was yelling at everyone,
and she eventually, you know, the four other panelists were like,
I'm out, I'm out, I'm out. And she's like, I
want Mark Cuban buy it. And Mark Cubans like, make
me an offer. She said, what do you want? He said, no,
you make me an offer. So I if I had
(35:56):
Aaron Donald, if I had Khalil Mac, if I had
George Kittle, if I had Michael tom Mus fight any
of these dudes, make me an offer. You know this
is not basketball where it's Lebron James, because Lebron James
is the quarterback in the NFL. Uh. John, I know
your background is in football. In the podcast, I listen
to most right next to part in my take, I
(36:17):
know you're somewhat of a barstool guy. You dive into
other sports every now and then, but I'd say, what
you talk about is football. Have you ever thought about
expanding your podcast to cover more than just one sport? Well,
my podcast I do with Haberman and Middlecoff. Now we
we talk more maybe Bay Area with the Warriors, but
we talked baseball. We talk everything, you know. It's basically
we had a radio show where we we do talk
(36:38):
a lot of PGA Tour, golf, We talked about it
all on this podcast. It's just easier to just focus
in the NFL and based on the numbers, I mean,
football is king. Even on the other podcast, we talk
football the most because it's by far the most popular. Now,
I'm a huge sports guy. I'm a rare thirty five
year old that watches way too much baseball. I love
the PGA Tour. While I talked some sh abou at
(37:00):
the NBA. I watch an ungodly amount of the NBA.
I love basketball. So I mean between those four sports,
you know, football pays my bills. And it's just even
when I was in radio, we talked about football more. So. Yeah,
I mean I tweet and talk, my do my periscopes,
(37:20):
but It's just it's more fun to do topics about
football because more people react. You can do a baseball
a top five baseball players. I tweeted that out right
now I get two people interact. I did top five,
you know quarterbacks under thirty at A replies It's just
people just are more passionate right now about football and basketball. Hell,
even you know, I'm gonna talk about the PGA tour.
(37:43):
Just a picture of a guy cooking steaks for Father's Day.
That sounds cool. Happy Father's Day to all the fathers listening.
Do you feel the West Coast offense could really take
off over the coming years if you look at Philly,
for example, with two tight ends and earths and God
or you see God or got knocked out a great
running back in Miles Sanders. I wouldn't say great yet,
but talent who should improve after his rookie season and
to Burner. Wide receivers in Reagor and Sean. Tight ends
(38:05):
are extremely undervalue position, as you have talked about with
George Kittle's contract talks, and are much cheaper usually than
most slot receivers, thus allowing money to be spent on
the old line or elsewhere on the team. What do
you think, Yeah, I mean I think everything. And now
in two thousand twenties, a hybrid offense, you know, the
RPO is such a big part of the game. All
these quarterbacks are moving. If you have two tight ends,
(38:26):
you'd be stupid not to put them on the field.
The Niners would have no problem putting two tight ends
on the field. Their problem is they don't really have
a good second tight end. Now. They play a lot
of you know, situations in one personnel with two running
backs in one tight end, right because they have Kyle Uschik,
who is kind of unique. Is he a running back now?
I mean he's kind of more of like a hybrid
tight end, but he also has a full black lead blocker.
(38:47):
He's just the ultimate Swiss army knife. I think it's
just all about your personnel. I would not have a
quote unquote offense. I would just have I would like,
you know, obviously you'd want a staple of your offense,
but I would want to be able to deliver a place.
An offensive coordinator told me this last year. What makes
the best offensive coordinators great is they're not worried about
balance run pass. They're worried about getting their playmakers the ball.
(39:11):
It's what Andy Reid does a great job of, right,
he gets Kelsey and Tyreek Hill and Sammy Watkins the football.
Kyle Shanahan does a really good job of this. Now
he even spreads it out. I'd argue sometimes too much,
but you can't complain with the results that I don't
know the quote unquote what kind of offense to defense.
To me, it matters more because you're base personnel gives
(39:32):
your gap assignments. So who's gonna make a tackle or
has what gap? In football? Whether they've got two tight
ends on the field, no tight ends on the field, Well,
if I got four street wide receivers were multiple suite
running backs, like, I don't blame the the Baltimore Ravens
for doing what they're doing. That's their personnel. So to me,
it's just based on your personnel. Now, if you wanted
to take even a step back, should you be looking
(39:55):
for that second tight end? Ideally, yes, you would like
to Kelsey's would like two kittles. You would like a
gronk and a you know again, bad guy, you know, murderer,
but Aaron Hernandez, Right, that's what ideally you'd want. It's
just easier said than done. After hearing your convincing take
on d Chambo Saturday, I just see, I'll talk about sports.
(40:15):
I decided to lay uh some bones on his nineteen
to one odds. Although he came up a few shots short,
it made Sunday much more compelling for a novice gambler
like myself. My question is, would you ever consider doing
a middle Cough money bag or something of the sort
each week in addition to the mail bag, something that
gives us all your juicy lines in golf, major League Baseball,
(40:37):
in the NFL, whatever, really appreciate it? Well, I'll tell
you this, gambling on football is by far the best,
and we will clearly incorporate more gambling this fall. I
love gambling on football. In my experience, March Madness is
really fun, but it's more just the event than you
feel that great about your picks. Now you can take
(40:59):
the advice of the j billis Is, of the Duck
Got Leaves and the twelve fives and feel pretty good.
But more and more now than ever, we don't watch
as much college basketball, and I watched sports for a living,
and I don't even watch that much. To me, my
second favorite sport. To gamble on the NBA is not
easy anymore unless you're gonna bet on playoff series, and
the last couple of years, I've bet against Russell Westbrook
(41:21):
in the first round and got plus money. But a
regular season game in the NBA, guys don't try. Guys
sit out. It's impossible. I used to love gambling on
the NBA because I used to back when Kevin Durant
was on the Thunder. I would bet a lot of
team overs. You know, they would be like over under
points for the Thunder and they would score so many points.
It was awesome. I loved it and bet Lakers back when,
(41:43):
like Kobe's last couple of years, their defense was awful,
the over undering the game. But it's to me, the
NBA has become much more difficult to gamble. I don't
gamble it anymore. Football and golf love gambling and golf.
Now golf is more difficult because like I love Bryson
d Shamba and I still do. The I played Harding Park.
It's where of the PGA Championship is gonna be in August,
and it's not that long of a course and the
(42:05):
fairways are really tight and the rough is ungodly. I
lost like five balls and you just you can't find
the ball if you don't hit the fairway, and you're
not gonna hit that many fairways because the the fairways
got cut like by well, Bryson is gonna be forty
yards past everybody and he has the power to get
out of the rough. So last I checked that Bryson,
Depending on where you look, it was like to one
(42:26):
to win the PGA Championship. Now again, betting on individuals
to win golf tournaments is difficult, but there are a
lot of fun bets wherever you gamble. I'm not gonna
give any free ads here, and hopefully we'll get a
gambling sponsor that you gamble on individual matchups on Top
Ten's gambling on golf Suite. If you like golf and
you just lightly pay attention, it is really fun to
gamble on baseball stinks uh and basketball it is just
(42:50):
impossible till the playoffs, So that that would be my
gambling advice. Start paying attention to golf fund sports to gamble.
Do you think there's a legitimate chance the NFL season
gets canceled? I dismissed of the idea at first personally,
but I'm starting to see it become more and more
topic lately. Keep up the good work. Uh yeah, I
mean I I don't know. I think they will do
everything humanly possible to play. I've said it's and keep
(43:13):
quoting these guys. It's gonna be hard for the protocols
to work. It's gonna be hard to practice football with
and not have guys get Corona. I think guys are
gonna get Corona. A lot of these teams have older coroaches.
It's going to be a challenge someone that desperately wants
sports to come back. I'm actually watching the NASCAR race
behind me right now, but uh, it's it's going to
be an uphill battle. But they will. All their chips
(43:35):
are in the middle of the table. They have twelve, thirteen, fourteen,
whatever billion billion reasons to get this thing to play,
if that means pushing it back a couple of months.
I don't know. I'm not a doctor. I'm not I'm
just giving my opinion and my opinion on this. I
don't feel listen, I have no problem giving opinions. I
just don't know. Like I back to I don't have
really Corona takes. Tell me to wear a mask in
(43:56):
your restaurant, I wear a mask if you expect me
to like screaming about it all day when I'm at
my condo or going on a walk like that ain't happening.
I'm not a fear porn daily freakout guy. I also
respect anyone who is I get it right. I mean,
any day you can read an article that feels like
the year's gonna end. I'm not taking that outlook just
because I read a lot of articles on the other
(44:17):
or at least headlines. I don't even I don't consume
that much corona stuf anymore. I refuse because out of
my control. I don't even believe anyone on either side. Uh.
I don't want anyone to die. No one wants Grandpa
to die, but a social distance if I don't know
you or whatever. But I'm also living in my life
like i've I've played golf forright four times the last
couple of weeks. I've gone different places to play golf,
(44:38):
like I ain't. I don't spend that much time thinking
about it. And I think a lot of players and
I DMed with a couple they're not that freaked out either,
the players are not because most people in the twenty
to thirty year old age range don't aren't consumed with it,
beside the media, who just is consumed with it. So
I guess it's a roundabout way of saying I just
I don't know, but yeah, I mean every once in
(44:58):
a while, if I, if I spend too much on Twitter,
I get a little freaked out. I wanted to get
your thoughts on what sort of compensation you'd be looking
for if you were Joe Douglas shoes when it comes
to Jamal Adams. Obviously he has a list, but as
you pointed out in the past, the NFL doesn't operate
the same as the NBA. No, they don't. The Jets
will not hold onto Adams because the Jags are Bengals
called instead of the Cowboys Ravens. Dealing him to a
crappier team would likely result in the higher pick. I
(45:20):
was thinking maybe two second rounders or a second and
third is realistic. However, if a team like the Cowboys calls,
would you rather ask the Cowboys for a second or
third and gallop since they are likely to be a
good pick, so their pick will end up being low. Also,
they drafted Lamb signed Cooper for big bucks. You have
a bunch of other players to pay Gallop not a
terrible idea. I like where you're looking at here. I
(45:41):
think if you were open to trading Jamal Adams, getting
a second round pick and a legitimate player is not
a bad idea. I think so often we love trading
good players for for first round pick. But what if
you got a second round pick and a guy who
immediately starts in your team. Michael Gallops good. Every time
I watched the Cowboy Is, I went, was Michael Gallops
as good as Mark Cooper? But he's not some scrub.
(46:04):
I know he got banged up last year, but I
took him a lot in daily fantasy and he always produced.
I was actually really impressed with him, So I I
think that would be a more than fair ass. Let's
see Michael Gallop last year. I know he's banged up,
he had sixty six catches for six touchdowns. He the
trust of me the Jets. Would I do Jamal Adam
(46:25):
for a second round pick and Michael Gallup? I would
strongly think about that. I really would. Now Michael Gallups
going into his third year, so he's gotta get paid
after this year, but he's not gonna be that expensive.
I I like that type deal. Now, if you're gonna
get a first round pick from a team, then it
that'd be hard to pass up. But if they're all
second rounders, would I rather have the Cowboys second rounder
(46:46):
and Michael Gallop than like the Bengal second rounder? For sure? God,
we get some good ideas here. That's that's some high
level thinking there. Do you think the forty Niners have
one more big move up their sleeve this offseason? I don't. No,
they don't have any picks to trade, they don't have
any more players to trade. I would not really expect
(47:07):
them to do much. New listener from down in New Zealand,
big fan of the NBA, NFL and Colin heard you
answering fans last week and brought up the question about
the Rugby Rugby League. It's completely different set of rules
from the Rugby Union. In some aspects, it's similar to
American football, except you can't throw it forward down the field,
and you only have a single team of thirteen on
(47:28):
the field who attack and defense. You have a six
tackle set before you have to kick the ball to
the opposition. Bloody good sport. I love bloody. That's a
great that's a great cuss word over in uh you know,
across the pond. Good sport to watch and one of
the only ones at the moment with the virus. Any who,
just letting you know, I'm big fan. You have a
listener's way down here in New Zealand. I went to
(47:51):
New Zealand when I was thirteen. When I was growing up,
my dad's dad, who was a professor at Cow, was
a big fly fisherman. He used to take my dad
every year for like thirty years to New Zealand. They'd
go for like three or four weeks. When I was thirteen,
my Dad's like, why don't you come. I'm not a
huge fisherman. But I went out there stayed with him
for a couple of weeks. It was badass. I remember
eating this ice cream called Hokey Pokey. We got helicopter
(48:14):
back and fished, played a little golf we went to
I told my dad maybe I was twelve, because I
told him. Bungee jumping. I'm pretty sure it was invented
in New Zealand and the place where it first started
was this crazy like uh bridge that I think is
like a five D footfall and they can time it
where you touch the river that you jump into it.
(48:35):
And I'm like, Dad, I'll tell him I'm thirteen. Drive
me there and I will jump off this bridge. So
he drives me there and we park and we go
out to watch and I remember walking out and looking.
I'm like, oh my god, that is so freaking high.
So we walk in to go get fitted. He's like
he wants to do a bungee jump, and the guy's like,
how old are you? You had to be? You had
(48:56):
to tell you beat thirteen. I was like, I'm twelve.
I'm twelve, and they're like, okay, you can't do it.
And I got out of my dad's like, oh my
god's just a whoss, Like yeah, Dad, no freaking way,
I'm jumping off that thing. But that's my lasting memory
in New Zealand. So question for the show. I'm from
the Pacific Northwest and been a Hawks fan since I
can remember. Most analysts, journalists, and media members never give
(49:19):
the Seahawks the respect they deserve. Every year, all anyone
can say is how they were going seven and nine?
And then what do you know they're in the playoffs.
He said, we're in the playoffs. True. I appreciate the
fandom being a Niners fan media guy. Can you account
for the lack of respect? I feel like Schneider, Carol
and Russ have earned a certain amount of respect. Anyway,
(49:39):
I never picked the Seahawks to miss, so I don't
know what those idiots are doing. I do know this
as someone that breaks down rosters and has a pretty
good feel for what like elite team looks like their
roster the last couple of years has not in act.
Think even you, as a Seahawks fan, will admit this
not nearly as good as it was in twelve, thirteen
(49:59):
and four team right, It's not as deep, not as
star studded. Now they're curveball. And this is why you
can't dismiss them. They have either the best or second
best quarterback in the world in Russell Wilson, and he's
a magician, unlike Mahomes, who doesn't. I mean, while he
kind of indirectly does. But they have so much help.
Russell has to carry the team. Their defense isn't as good.
(50:22):
They don't have as many Pro Bowl guys on defense.
He's got to be a star, and he is a star.
He can have these games. To me, Russell Wilson's a
lot like Steph Curry. He could have these games where
he looks terrible for three quarters and then all of
a sudden he flips the switch and throws three touchdowns
in the fourth quarter and just rips your heart out
and does just Houdini stuff. So I really think it's
(50:45):
just Russell Wilson. He is one of the most incredible
quarterbacks we've ever seen. And for them to be whatever.
They won eleven games last year and being within an
a half inch a half inch of sweeping the Niners
and being the second seed would have been one of
the most incredible accomplishments given their roster I've ever seen,
(51:05):
because that team was not as talented as their record,
but their quarterback is more talented than records. So I
think I think it's that simple, because player for player
that their roster leaves something to be desired. Now you
could argue a little better. Now they've got d k
who's a really good player. We'll see if they get
Clowney back. But man, yeah, I think the with that
franchise accomplished these last two, you know, decade, Really the
(51:28):
second half of the decade has been more impressive. Now
they haven't won a Super Bowl or even gotten back,
but being able to sustain, maintain and win all these
games that no team pulls more games out of their
ass than Seattle Seahawks. And I say that as a compliment,
but how often are we sitting on our couch on Sunday,
especially when they kick like a ten am kick off,
you know, and they're playing like the Panthers or the
(51:51):
Jets or something, and they'll be down like, you know,
seventeen to ten and just playing like crap. Then all
of a sudden, two straight Russell Wilson drives bang bang
boom them and it's seventeen. They win, like they have
so many games like that, and that that's just their culture.
They're there, they're winners. All they do is win. I
appreciate everyone listening. Uh, enjoy the week, and uh, I
(52:13):
guess summer. It's kind of a weird summer, but summers here,
so enjoy your summer, and uh, I'll talk to you
a little bit later. Idios,
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