April 26, 2024 • 31 mins
Colin breaks down the first round of the NFL draft by explaining why he likes the Falcons drafting QB Michael Penix Jr after just signing Kirk Cousins to a big free agent contract. He believes JJ McCarthy and Bo Nix landed in the perfect spots to succeed despite not being the top prospects in this years class. Plus, 3-time Super Bow Champion Eric Mangini joins the show to tell Colin he's he's totally wrong about the Falcons and the mistake they made selecting Penix at 8th overall
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to the Best of the Herd podcast.
Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox
Sports Radio in noon to three Eastern nine am to
noon Pacific. Find your local station for The Herd at
Fox Sportsradio dot com, or stream us live every day
on the iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
This is the Best of the Herd with Colin cowher
on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Here we go. It is a Friday. What a night
it was. NFL drafts, some quirky turns, odd moves right
live in Los Angeles. It's the Herd. Wherever you may
be and however you may be listening. Thanks for making
us part of your day. Well well, well, people are
(00:48):
freaking out that an NFL team in a bad division
now has two good quarterbacks. Oh the shame. Should have
drafted another linebacker, a tight end, a right tackle. It's
amazing what people freak out about. JMC. It's amazing. See
you're not freaking out. Huh.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
If I'm a Falcons fan, I'm not feeling great this
mon okay.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
Let me start with this. Every great asset in America, mansions, yachts,
a Bentley, your life has insurance But the difference is
you pay into that insurance forever and never really cash
it out. You know what else needs insurance? NFL teams
(01:33):
at quarterback Michael Pennix. But the difference with this insurance policy,
you'll pay into it for a year and then it
potentially will pay you for the next fifteen and make
you rich. And that's a bad investment. It's an insurance
policy for a year and then it's going to pay
you potentially year two to year fifteen. Who cares if
(01:53):
Kirk Cousins upset that they drafted Michael Pennix. Aaron Rogers
was upset when they drafted Jordan love Farv was upset
when they drafted Aaron Rodgers. And they're both better than
Kirk Cousins, and they were both in their prime. Kirk's
not Who cares if he's upset, He's made more money,
seriously than Brady at quarterback. He'll get over it. This
is not a catastrophe. When's the last time you heard
(02:16):
a team say this, We have the best quarterback in
our division and maybe the best backup in the NFL.
That's a problem for the record. You know who teams
didn't move up to get jj McCarthy. Even Minnesota liked him,
moved up one spot. Reportedly, Seattle, the Raiders, and the
Saints all tried to move up into the top ten
(02:38):
to get Pennix. I'm sorry. A disaster is paying dak
three hundred and eighty five million, which the Cowboys may
do in a year. Paying kirk Cousins oft an Achille
surgery at thirty six in a bad division one hundred
and eighty million, getting him to play for a year,
win ten to eleven games, and then he gets beat
out by Pennix. That's a disaster again. Green Bay a
(03:01):
few years ago, with Aaron in his late prime, moved
up to a quarterback that two of my GM friends
didn't like, Jordan Love. Atlanta just stayed put. Kirk Cousins
is thirty six. What if kirk Cousins coming back and
he's never been mobile? What if he comes back off
(03:22):
this Achille surgery at thirty six and he's less mobile?
Does Pannix look like a horrible pick? Then what if
kirk Cousins gets hurt again?
Speaker 4 (03:31):
Sixty six quarterbacks sixty six quarterbacks played last year. It
is the only position worth over a point in the
worst division. In football, Having the best backup in the
league is a catastrophe.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
This is else something else. Nobody's talking about Kirk Cousins
and we think he was a good pickup, is gonna
win the division, it's a good roster. Well, this is
a great quarterback class, and Atlanta has a top ten
pick next year is not a very good quarterback class,
and the chances are Atlanta is going to win too
many games to have a top ten to fifteen pick.
(04:15):
So would you rather than pick a linebacker who's not
worth half a point? Kirk Cousins gets hurt or doesn't
look good in camp, you think it's a bad pick,
then Atlanta next year is going to be drafting fifteen
or below in a bad quarterback class, and you're going
to watch Kirk Cousins win the division, probably lose first
(04:35):
round of the playoffs to Green Bay, Detroit, Chicago, Minnesota, Philadelphia, Dallas.
Somebody rams and you're going to be like, God, I
wish we had a young quarterback. Now you do. If
you passed on him, you don't. That rises to a catastrophe.
It's one hundred and eighty million. It's a front loaded contract.
If he gives you a year starting and gets you
to the playoffs. Hallelujah, a second one. You stole him.
(04:58):
You got teams in this league. Joe Burrow's making a fortune.
He can't stay healthy, and I love Joe Burrow. Can't
stay healthy four years in a row, hurt. Dak's gonna
make almost four hundred million dollars one hundred and eighty
on a front loaded contract in the best backup in
the league, and that's wearing out. They brought Kirk Cousins
in to galvanize the team, but what if he doesn't.
He's thirty six, he's never been athletic, he's off a surgery.
(05:21):
We saw last year the Minnesota Vikings had to trade
for a back up Josh Dobbs in season. They were
so desperate. That's where you want to be. If Kirk
Cousins gets hurt, you're trading for a backup, or you
have Michael Pennix. I'm okay in the NBA overdrafting shooters.
(05:46):
I'm okay in the NFL for a year, maybe overdrafting
at quarterback Kirk Cousins. You liked the pick when they
got Kirk Cousins, you liked it.
Speaker 5 (05:57):
I liked it.
Speaker 1 (05:59):
And you like Michael. They're together. Kind of odd for
a year. But this is a great quarterback draft class,
most quarterbacks ever drafted right first run. And next year's
a bad quarterback draft class, and Atlanta's going to be
too good. Raheem Moore's the coach explained it after.
Speaker 5 (06:19):
It was pretty simple for us.
Speaker 6 (06:22):
When you get Kirk Cousins and you talk about short
term winning, you talk about winning right now, which we
know we're gonna be a position to do, which we
want to be a position to do. We won't have
the ability to be picking this high again with the
guy that we got, and at some point you got
to find a way to have that succession plan in place,
and just so happened.
Speaker 5 (06:41):
It poses yourself tonight.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
What you don't want to be in the NFL is
quarterback light. What I'm okay with you being in the
NFL is for a year a little quarterback heavy. I'm
okay with that. Patrick Mahomes was drafted with Alex Smith.
Jordan Love drafted with Aaron Rodgers in his late prime.
(07:06):
Aaron drafted far of in his late prime. I'm okay.
Green Bays figured out the quarterback thing. Be very careful
about having a definitive opinion on quarterbacks. Take it from
somebody who's been burned on Sam Darnold. It's amazing. There
were people booing the Josh Allen pick, incredulous about the
Lamar Jackson pick, and loved the Zach Wilson pick. I
(07:30):
like Kirk Cousins, I like Michael Pennix. I'm okay for
a year if they're together in a bad division, in
a league where sixty six quarterbacks played last year. Every
insurance policy, every asset has one. The bigger the asset,
the more expensive insurance. This, however, is an insurance policy
that within a year will pay you. You won't pay
(07:53):
into it, all right. So Bnicks went to Denver. We
sort of called that. I like it. I think he
works in Denver with Peyton and JJ McCarthy went to Minnesota.
Don't love JJ McCarthy, but I loved any quarterback that
went to Minnesota. So I think it'll work. And here's
what's interesting. So Jim Harbaugh came out right. Harbaugh came
(08:17):
out well before the draft. JJ McCarthy as the best
quarterback I've seen. You know who didn't buy it? The league?
The Giants need a quarterback.
Speaker 7 (08:28):
Na.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
Atlanta could have had him. Nah. New England could have
had him. Nah, Washington could have had him. Nah, Chicago
could have had him. JJ McCarthy wasn't viewed the same
way Pennix was, and everybody was selling you on McCarthy
and the league wasn't buying it. But four teams, including Atlanta,
(08:50):
wanted Pennix. Penix throws a better deep ball. Pennix had
to carry lesser talent, so I got nothing again against
JJ McCarthy. But his comp is Alex Smith, and Alex
Smith was as good as where he landed, all right,
So JJ McCarthy is going to succeed because of where
(09:13):
he landed, not because he's in an uber talent. Even Minnesota,
who liked him. Did you notice we all predicted they'd
move up. They didn't. They didn't. They sat there and said,
all right, New England go get him. They didn't. Go ahead, Giants,
(09:33):
go get him. They didn't. Atlanta, we hear you want
a quarterback. They didn't. Finally they moved up one slot,
gave up middle to late picks to get their guy.
I believe Minnesota really wanted Drake May, but New England said,
all right, three first couple seconds, and it was too rich.
(09:57):
I know two different teams last night that tried to
move up for rock Bauers, the Rams one of the teams.
I think Indy is the other. So people were trying
to make moves last night. People were moving up for
brock Bowers. The Rams wanted to move into the top
ten for brock Bowers. Nobody was willing to move into
the top ten for JJ McCarthy. So I think he's
(10:19):
gonna succeed. I think it's gonna work. And I think
bo Nicks, who reminds me a little bit of Drew
Brees at Purdue coachable a lot of starts moves, well,
I think he's gonna be fine. Fit is everything in
this league. But be very careful about this pre draft stuff.
It's all manipulation. A lot of people wanted you to
(10:41):
believe there was massive urgency with JJ McCarthy and there wasn't.
Even the team that eventually got him moved up one
spot one spot. Look at all the teams that could
have had him, and again, I think it's gonna work.
Here's Kevin O'Connell after the pick.
Speaker 7 (11:00):
JJ was a guy you know, very very early in
the process. Obviously coming off of a national championship, guys
won at every level he's been at. And then when
you really dive into the tape and some of the
things that I really look for and really emphasizing my
evaluation process.
Speaker 1 (11:14):
Uh, there was a lot a lot to really like.
Speaker 7 (11:17):
About JJ's tape and that was before you know, he
absolutely crushed the process, tacked at every step of the way.
You know, a competitor and a guy that believes very
strongly that you know, the best football is out in
front of him, and he's going to work like crazy
to make that happen.
Speaker 1 (11:34):
The furnished apartment of the draft for quarterbacks was Minnesota.
Whoever they drafted, I said, will succeed. Whoever New England
drafted Drake May probably doesn't. And I feel that with
both this morning. Do I like May as a prospect
over JJ. McCarthy fit matters and life and sports and business.
And I think McCarthy fits any of these young quarterbacks
(11:57):
fit in Minnesota. So by the way, You're Jets showed
real maturity last night. I think also last night was
an awakening by the league. So I've been on this
for a long time. I think you have pivoted to
this over the last couple of years. It's an offensive league.
Higher offensive coaches. If you have to overdraft quarterback, do it.
First fourteen picks, all offense, and people were moving up
(12:20):
to get a tight end. What does that tell you?
So it's an offensive league. People finally figured it out,
went in doubt, go offense, and went in doubt, get
a tackle. And I thought the Jets, you know the Jets,
you could argue needed a tight end, needed a receiver.
And it showed real maturity because, as I said yesterday,
(12:42):
there's only one thing that guarantees the Jets are viable
in week seventeen Week eighteen. One thing, and it's not
Rock Powers. It's that Aaron Rodgers is upright. And Brock
Bowers doesn't ensure that getting a Penn State tackle that
hasn't allowed a sack as a starter in a good conference,
does a much better job of ensuring that that was
(13:03):
a mature, well done pick. He's not a mauler. There's
a lot better run blockers. He is a pass protector. Yeah,
Aaron doesn't need protection on running plays, he needs it
on passing plays. So I thought, well done. Don't know
how good. The kid's gonna be. But that's the right
pick for the Jets.
Speaker 3 (13:25):
Restraint from the Jets smart now, I mean, basically the
opposite of what the Atlanta Falcons did. I was super
happy with my New York Jets last night. As for
the Falcons, Colin, I can't believe you're defending though. I'm stunned,
even though we both like Pennix. That was one of
the most insane draft moves I've ever seen in my
time being an NFL fan and working here and have
(13:47):
the website just crazy.
Speaker 1 (13:48):
When Kirk Cousins goes down Week four, it won't look
so terrible.
Speaker 3 (13:52):
Well, Colin, how long have they known they were drafting
eighth back in January? So why would you pay Kirk
Cousins one hundred million guaranteed dollars only to go draft
another quarterback and now pit these guys essentially against each other?
Speaker 1 (14:04):
Kirk Cousins looking over his back from right now, because
this staff wants to win now, and Cousins with these
weapons ensures you will win now. Panis insures with experience
where quarterbacks that sit tend to do better. He ensures
or at least elevates the percentage he ensures winning later.
Kirk wins now, Michael with watching wins later. So it's
(14:28):
a two tiered plan. Win now with Kirk year year
and a half win later with Michael. But for the record,
this team does not get into the top ten of
the draft picks next year in a bad quarterback left. Well,
I mean, you got the fourth best quarterback in the
draft right at eight. You don't think you get to
get the fourth best quarterback like twenty two next year. Yeah,
but the problem is the fourth to fifth best quarterback
(14:48):
this year, the sixth best quarterback this year maybe better
than the second next year. That's the way the history
of the draft works.
Speaker 5 (14:54):
We'll see.
Speaker 1 (14:55):
But I have one final question on this.
Speaker 3 (14:57):
So what happens if Kirk Cousins coming off the Achilles
out one hundred percent he's not.
Speaker 1 (15:01):
Ready to go week one?
Speaker 3 (15:02):
Hey, we're just gonna rest and Michael Pennock starts in
week one and Michael Pennox is great.
Speaker 1 (15:06):
Oh, what a great problem to have. That's like people
that complain I paid two million dollars in taxes, No,
one hundred million in taxes. Again, because it's the best
problem in the world to have. In the NFL, we
had to start our rookie quarterback. He was really good.
Speaker 3 (15:23):
I mean he's not gonna be c J. Stroud, we
know that, but I mean he'll be better than Bryce Young.
But then you've got a quarterback controversy. And you know
what they say, if you've got two quarterbacks, you have zero.
Speaker 1 (15:32):
If Michael Penix has to start and is great, you
don't have any controversy. Say kerk, We're gonna play the kid.
Deal with it. Enjoy the cash. You don't even have
to come to practice. Just enjoy the cash. We found
our guy. I mean, I'm telling you that is got
rich guys that complained about taxes. That's a great problem
(15:53):
to have Michael Pennock start game one in Rolls. Wow,
what a problem. You want to know what problems look like?
He was throwing to Brock Powers with the Raiders. Certainly
a division with Reed Justin Herbert and now Shawn's got
his quarterbacks.
Speaker 3 (16:08):
So you got Falcons winning the division or six.
Speaker 1 (16:09):
Yes, Falcons are going to win the division, I think
going away.
Speaker 2 (16:13):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and noon Easter nine am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (16:22):
You know, there's an old saying you can look into
the past, but don't stare at it, even if your
past was great. The Chicago Bears have been staring at
the monsters of the Midway, celebrating it annually forever, and
in the process of doing that, the Green Bay Packers
have lapped them, and now the Lions have started to
(16:46):
lap them, and the Vikings are loaded. The Bears spend
a lot of time staring at the past, and last
night they officially grew up as a franchise. They evolved,
not just with the Caleb william pick, but at number nine.
They needed an edge rusher, and there were several good
ones available, and yet they took another wide receiver to
(17:10):
a deep receiving corps. That's something I didn't think they
had in them. They've been celebrating the eighty five Bears
for as long as I can remember. Enough it was great,
was great, w as was great. They've already got a
good offensive roster. Now it looks stacked, and unless you
live in Chicago, the Bears are a hard watch. And
(17:32):
maybe even if you live in Chicago, they have been
for twenty years. Their most explosive offensive player was a
punt returner, Devin Hester. He's the guy in between defense
and offense. Yeah, that was the guy. He wasn't an
offensive player. You were hoping he hit a big return.
But last night was really unique for Chicago because there
(17:52):
are certain teams in this league. Green Bay, San Francisco,
the Rams, Philadelphia, Kansas City. Those are win shield teams
looking to the future. The Bears have been looking through
the rear view mirror for twenty some years. So for them,
with other needs on defense, to take another receiver at
(18:14):
nine and a good one, wow, Like that's what Green
Bay would maybe do, or the Rams or the Niners
add another offensive piece. A few years ago, Miami did
something and I lauded it. I thought it was great.
They were a defensive coach, Brian Flores, and the defense
was excellent. But TUA couldn't get along with Brian Flores
(18:35):
and they just decided were blown it up, starting over,
hiring Mike McDaniel, and we're pivoting to offense. It's worked
and two has been pretty good. That's the new league.
It doesn't matter how great your defense is. The Niners
couldn't stop anybody against the good teams last year nobody
(18:55):
can stop anybody. I mean, you get to these playoff games,
congratulate you gotta win with offense. And last night, for
the first time I can ever remember, seventy five percent
of the bears best players are on offense, and with
their top two picks, especially the second one, they doubled
down on offense. Thank you. Finally, here's the GM Ryan Poles.
(19:21):
History's the history.
Speaker 8 (19:22):
Like I'm kind of done talking about it, Like we
go back so much all the time, and then that
those days are over. So we're bringing players in here
that want to really just change everything up and do
things a different way. Obviously, we love our history here,
but it hasn't been smooth recently and it's time to change.
(19:44):
So I just I feel like we got to stop
going back all the time.
Speaker 1 (19:49):
Yes, that's let's let baseball do that collect cards, talk
about Mickey Mannle, That's that's baseball. I don't want to
talk about Red Grange. You know, I don't want to
turn on my radio. Here's sports guy breaking down Hugh McIlhaney.
Let baseball do that future ahead windshield. It was like
(20:10):
it was like a graduation ceremony for the Chicago Bears.
They graduated two offensive players to a really good offense. Congratulations,
it's a lot more fun to watch. Congratulations to Fox.
You can now televise Bears games, and ninety percent of
the country won't go click. They won't be watching for
(20:31):
the Packers against the Bears, or the Lions against the Bears,
or the Niners. They'll be watching to watch the Bears.
Speaker 2 (20:38):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and noon Eastern n a em Pacific.
Speaker 9 (20:43):
Hey, what's up, everybody. It's me three time pro bowler
LeVar Harrington and I couldn't be more excited to announce
a podcast called Up on Game?
Speaker 1 (20:51):
What is Up on Game?
Speaker 9 (20:52):
You asked, along with my fellow pro bowler TJ. Hutchman,
Zada and Super Bowl champion. Yep, that's right, plex Cole Burris.
You can only name a.
Speaker 1 (21:02):
Show with that type of talent on it.
Speaker 9 (21:04):
Up on Game We're going to be sharing our real
life experiences loaded with teachable moments. Listen to Up on
Game with me, lebar Arrington, TJ. Houchman's Ada, and Plexico
Burrs on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you
get your podcast from.
Speaker 1 (21:24):
Eric Mangini the former Jet and Brown's head coach. He
disagrees with me a lot. Today, let's bring him in
live and start with the Jets. I said to me,
if you start today, April whatever it is, and you
go to January fifth, end of the regular season, the
only priority for the Jets to be viable keep Aaron
(21:45):
Rodgers upright, not tight end, just keep him up right.
Speaker 5 (21:50):
Now.
Speaker 1 (21:51):
I was okay with the offensive tackle, but you're bringing
up an interesting point during the break, and I want
you to share it with our audience on the Jets pick.
Speaker 5 (22:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 10 (22:00):
So Joe Douglas comes in as introductory press conference. He
talks about how they're going to fix the offensive line.
So I look back at it. They've brought in thirty
offensive linemen since he's been there, thirty. They've drafted seven,
three number ones and number two, so they've drafted high.
They brought in twenty three free agents and spent somewhere
between one hundred and seventy five and two hundred million
dollars on free agent offensive linemen. And we're back to
(22:23):
the same spot. We're talking about keeping Aaron Rodgers upright.
They brought in three free agents this offseason to help
fix the offensive line. So at some point, like like,
I get it, they're trying and maybe just lob averages
this will work out. But you got an opportunity to
go get brock Bauers and play some twelve personnel, two
(22:44):
tight end sets where in that situation you've got quick
answers for Aaron Rodgers. You've got the ability to balance
the formation, run left, run right, throw to either side
out of balance formations, use those guys and protection. And
it's just I understand the o lines of problem, and
I understand you have a forty year old quarterback, but
(23:05):
this process hasn't worked. So maybe they've radically changed the process.
But we're talking about thirty guys that have come through
there and it's still a problem.
Speaker 1 (23:14):
No, that's a good point.
Speaker 9 (23:16):
Now.
Speaker 1 (23:16):
I thought it was odd that the Falcons got a quarterback,
but it's the worst division in the sport. It's a
bad division. They now have the best starting quarterback in
my opinion, in the division, and the best backup in
the division, maybe the best backup in the NFC or
the league. I'm okay being quarterback heavy for a year,
and I don't know what Kirk Cousins is going to
look like at thirty six off an Achilles. I'm okay
(23:40):
with it.
Speaker 5 (23:40):
You don't like it, Yeah, I heard you.
Speaker 10 (23:44):
I heard you auditioning for the Atlanta Falcons PR job earlier.
I do, I do have a problem with it. And
and I heard you say, you know, if you have
a great asset, you have to ensure great asset. Okay,
but they're not a great asset. They haven't had a
winning season in six years. So become a great asset.
So you've got Kirk Cousins, You've got bees On Robinson,
(24:07):
You've got Drake London, you've got Kyle Pitts again. You
can add an elite tight end, you can add another
star wide receiver. You've got a very good offensive line.
And you move forward with the one hundred million dollars
that you spent on the quarterback. And I'm good with
a backup quarterback. I think it's important, and I think
quarterbacks are currency, and I think it's valuable. But you're
(24:28):
dealing with the eighth pick overall, and you're dealing with
a situation where you've got a chance to take a
real jump as an offense and add another explosive weapon
and maybe become that great asset that were talking about.
And yeah, if Kirk gets hurt, it could be a problem.
But if Patrick Mahomes gets hurt, that's a problem too
for Kansas City. So at that point, trade back if
(24:52):
that's if that's what you want to do, add some assets.
So if you are really good, maybe you're picking high
with the team that you traded with, just like Chicago
fund themselves in the situation with Carolina. But the owner's
eighty one years old. It's not like he's sitting around
waiting like I'm gonna wait another two or three years
for us to be the team that we envisioned ourselves
(25:13):
to be. So so you've got you don't hire Bill Belichick.
You could agree or disagree with that. You make that decision,
and then you draft a quarterback after you sign one
hundred million dollar quarterback. You know, if if I'm the owner,
I'm sitting back and thinking maybe maybe I got to
reevaluate things.
Speaker 1 (25:32):
Yeah, the you know, people said I saw bon Nicks
play live twice. Oregon mostly schemed up his plays. But
that's what Sean Payton does. He like Shanahan, I'm gonna
scheme up to play. Get rid of it fast. And accurately.
I think bo Nicks works in Denver. He may be
a top of the second round guy, but I watched
(25:53):
them as a freshman beat an Oregon team and Justin
Herbert on the final drive as an eighteen year old.
I don't no. I think he's a little I don't know.
I I like Pennix and bo Nicks more than everybody else.
I wasn't a big JJ McCarthy guy. Did Denver reach
in your opinion on Nicks? I mean they need a quarterback,
don't they.
Speaker 10 (26:14):
Well, when Peyton man and talk, Peyton Manning talked about
Denver wanting JJ McCarthy, I have a feeling that Peyton
Manning was right. And when he looked at at the
draft room after they after they took him, it didn't
look like there was a lot of celebrating and high
fiving going on that they got bon Nicks. And maybe
I'm wrong on it, but it felt sort of like
(26:36):
that situation where you wake up Christmas morning and you're
hoping for an Xbox and you get a bunch of clothes. Again,
it's practical, it's it's okay, like I get it. It's
a nice it's nice that you got a gift, and
and and and.
Speaker 5 (26:49):
It's the old adage.
Speaker 10 (26:50):
You never want to go shopping hungry with that quarterback room.
They're shopping starving. Yeah, okay, so you got Stidham, you
got Zach, You've got Ben Denucci, and then you got
Russell Wilson's ridiculous dead cap money, all sitting in that
quarterback room. You had to go get somebody. But I
heard all the stats, and I heard all the positive things,
(27:11):
but you watch the reaction. It didn't feel like that
passion that you get when you got someone. Hey, we
couldn't believe he was there. We're so lucky he fell
to us. None of those none of those comments were
coming out out of the you know, the.
Speaker 5 (27:26):
Post draft interviews.
Speaker 1 (27:28):
So the Raiders didn't move up to get a quarterback.
They got a tremendous tight end. What did you say
about that? What do you think about that?
Speaker 10 (27:36):
It looked like they took best available at that point.
And I've always felt that a tight end is incredibly
valuable because of the type of pressure that they can
put on the inside of the defense and how that
opens up everything outside. And we see it all the
time with Travis Kelcey, the value that has and if
you need quick answers, and we talked about protection for quarterbacks,
(28:00):
the tight end can be that protection because they get
open quickly. They give you throws that are makeable and
easy completions. And to add a player like that and
an explosive player like that, to me, I think not
only helps him offensively inside, but it helps open up
things outside and to some degree the running game.
Speaker 1 (28:21):
What was your favorite pick? Did you have one you loved?
Speaker 10 (28:26):
I liked that the Giants stood where they were and
took Neighbors.
Speaker 5 (28:30):
I liked him a lot.
Speaker 10 (28:31):
I think that in Brian's offense, and Brian day Ball
has always been very creative offensively. He was my offensive
coordinator in Cleveland. He was my quarterback coach of the Jets,
So I've been with him a long time and understanding
how he thinks. He wants guys like Neighbors, who has
that versatility. They can play inside, they can play outside,
(28:52):
they can hurt you on wide receiver screens, you can
hand them the ball.
Speaker 5 (28:55):
But it's not just that.
Speaker 10 (28:56):
He also has the ability to get open on traditional
runs and there's that element of run after the catch
where he can generate some plays and the Giants.
Speaker 5 (29:05):
They need someone that can generate some plays.
Speaker 10 (29:08):
So I'm glad they didn't go quarterback and muddy things up.
And they've got a weapon for Daniel Jones, who has
shown that he's been able to win in this system
when he's been healthy.
Speaker 1 (29:20):
By the way, wide receiver is the biggest miss rate
in the last twenty years in the draft. What's your
theory on that? Because I like everybody said, oh, Chiefs
got Xavier Worthy and I'm like, not a polished route runner,
really fast, one hundred and sixty five pounds track guy,
a lot of drops. I mean, Mahomes and Andy Reid.
I'm sure they'll make it work, but I mean they've
(29:42):
I mean, if you go look at Ladarius, Tony didn't work,
sky Moore hasn't worked. They've got a lot of guys
that haven't worked. Why even Kansas City as well run
as they are in San Francisco, they've both missed on
a half a dozen wide receivers. Why is that such
a hard position.
Speaker 5 (29:57):
Well, there's a million of them.
Speaker 10 (29:59):
And wasn't very good at evaluating wide receivers when I
was a head coach, and then I missed on on some,
especially in Cleveland. A couple of second rounders that I
took wide receivers on. And as you as you go
through that evaluation process, there's where the guy is as
a player in college, and you can get excited by
some of the wild plays and some of the explosive
(30:20):
plays and lose track of who they're against and and
and who's throwing in the football and how much growth
they have as a wide receiver. I think that's that's
an element of it, too, is how much growth they
have as they come into the NFL. Or is what
you're seeing on tape really the ceiling of who they're
(30:41):
going to be.
Speaker 5 (30:42):
And it's it's.
Speaker 10 (30:43):
Hard to evaluate, but you see a lot of late
round guys and you see small school guys or programs
that aren't has developed. They really hit it big in
the NFL because when they get into a sophisticated system,
when they get into sophisticated training, they pop.
Speaker 5 (30:58):
Where some of these guys were top.
Speaker 10 (30:59):
Programs, they've leveled out and and you see what you
get and and it's it's just not good enough in
the NFL.
Speaker 1 (31:05):
Great stuff. Eric Mangini coming in hot uh loved it.
Coaches ow it's great senor
Speaker 5 (31:13):
Great senior too, colle
Thanks for listening to the Best of the Herd podcast.
Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox
Sports Radio in noon to three Eastern nine am to
noon Pacific. Find your local station for The Herd at
Fox Sportsradio dot com, or stream us live every day
on the iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
This is the Best of the Herd with Colin cowher
on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Here we go. It is a Friday. What a night
it was. NFL drafts, some quirky turns, odd moves right
live in Los Angeles. It's the Herd. Wherever you may
be and however you may be listening. Thanks for making
us part of your day. Well well, well, people are
(00:48):
freaking out that an NFL team in a bad division
now has two good quarterbacks. Oh the shame. Should have
drafted another linebacker, a tight end, a right tackle. It's
amazing what people freak out about. JMC. It's amazing. See
you're not freaking out. Huh.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
If I'm a Falcons fan, I'm not feeling great this
mon okay.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
Let me start with this. Every great asset in America, mansions, yachts,
a Bentley, your life has insurance But the difference is
you pay into that insurance forever and never really cash
it out. You know what else needs insurance? NFL teams
(01:33):
at quarterback Michael Pennix. But the difference with this insurance policy,
you'll pay into it for a year and then it
potentially will pay you for the next fifteen and make
you rich. And that's a bad investment. It's an insurance
policy for a year and then it's going to pay
you potentially year two to year fifteen. Who cares if
(01:53):
Kirk Cousins upset that they drafted Michael Pennix. Aaron Rogers
was upset when they drafted Jordan love Farv was upset
when they drafted Aaron Rodgers. And they're both better than
Kirk Cousins, and they were both in their prime. Kirk's
not Who cares if he's upset, He's made more money,
seriously than Brady at quarterback. He'll get over it. This
is not a catastrophe. When's the last time you heard
(02:16):
a team say this, We have the best quarterback in
our division and maybe the best backup in the NFL.
That's a problem for the record. You know who teams
didn't move up to get jj McCarthy. Even Minnesota liked him,
moved up one spot. Reportedly, Seattle, the Raiders, and the
Saints all tried to move up into the top ten
(02:38):
to get Pennix. I'm sorry. A disaster is paying dak
three hundred and eighty five million, which the Cowboys may
do in a year. Paying kirk Cousins oft an Achille
surgery at thirty six in a bad division one hundred
and eighty million, getting him to play for a year,
win ten to eleven games, and then he gets beat
out by Pennix. That's a disaster again. Green Bay a
(03:01):
few years ago, with Aaron in his late prime, moved
up to a quarterback that two of my GM friends
didn't like, Jordan Love. Atlanta just stayed put. Kirk Cousins
is thirty six. What if kirk Cousins coming back and
he's never been mobile? What if he comes back off
(03:22):
this Achille surgery at thirty six and he's less mobile?
Does Pannix look like a horrible pick? Then what if
kirk Cousins gets hurt again?
Speaker 4 (03:31):
Sixty six quarterbacks sixty six quarterbacks played last year. It
is the only position worth over a point in the
worst division. In football, Having the best backup in the
league is a catastrophe.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
This is else something else. Nobody's talking about Kirk Cousins
and we think he was a good pickup, is gonna
win the division, it's a good roster. Well, this is
a great quarterback class, and Atlanta has a top ten
pick next year is not a very good quarterback class,
and the chances are Atlanta is going to win too
many games to have a top ten to fifteen pick.
(04:15):
So would you rather than pick a linebacker who's not
worth half a point? Kirk Cousins gets hurt or doesn't
look good in camp, you think it's a bad pick,
then Atlanta next year is going to be drafting fifteen
or below in a bad quarterback class, and you're going
to watch Kirk Cousins win the division, probably lose first
(04:35):
round of the playoffs to Green Bay, Detroit, Chicago, Minnesota, Philadelphia, Dallas.
Somebody rams and you're going to be like, God, I
wish we had a young quarterback. Now you do. If
you passed on him, you don't. That rises to a catastrophe.
It's one hundred and eighty million. It's a front loaded contract.
If he gives you a year starting and gets you
to the playoffs. Hallelujah, a second one. You stole him.
(04:58):
You got teams in this league. Joe Burrow's making a fortune.
He can't stay healthy, and I love Joe Burrow. Can't
stay healthy four years in a row, hurt. Dak's gonna
make almost four hundred million dollars one hundred and eighty
on a front loaded contract in the best backup in
the league, and that's wearing out. They brought Kirk Cousins
in to galvanize the team, but what if he doesn't.
He's thirty six, he's never been athletic, he's off a surgery.
(05:21):
We saw last year the Minnesota Vikings had to trade
for a back up Josh Dobbs in season. They were
so desperate. That's where you want to be. If Kirk
Cousins gets hurt, you're trading for a backup, or you
have Michael Pennix. I'm okay in the NBA overdrafting shooters.
(05:46):
I'm okay in the NFL for a year, maybe overdrafting
at quarterback Kirk Cousins. You liked the pick when they
got Kirk Cousins, you liked it.
Speaker 5 (05:57):
I liked it.
Speaker 1 (05:59):
And you like Michael. They're together. Kind of odd for
a year. But this is a great quarterback draft class,
most quarterbacks ever drafted right first run. And next year's
a bad quarterback draft class, and Atlanta's going to be
too good. Raheem Moore's the coach explained it after.
Speaker 5 (06:19):
It was pretty simple for us.
Speaker 6 (06:22):
When you get Kirk Cousins and you talk about short
term winning, you talk about winning right now, which we
know we're gonna be a position to do, which we
want to be a position to do. We won't have
the ability to be picking this high again with the
guy that we got, and at some point you got
to find a way to have that succession plan in place,
and just so happened.
Speaker 5 (06:41):
It poses yourself tonight.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
What you don't want to be in the NFL is
quarterback light. What I'm okay with you being in the
NFL is for a year a little quarterback heavy. I'm
okay with that. Patrick Mahomes was drafted with Alex Smith.
Jordan Love drafted with Aaron Rodgers in his late prime.
(07:06):
Aaron drafted far of in his late prime. I'm okay.
Green Bays figured out the quarterback thing. Be very careful
about having a definitive opinion on quarterbacks. Take it from
somebody who's been burned on Sam Darnold. It's amazing. There
were people booing the Josh Allen pick, incredulous about the
Lamar Jackson pick, and loved the Zach Wilson pick. I
(07:30):
like Kirk Cousins, I like Michael Pennix. I'm okay for
a year if they're together in a bad division, in
a league where sixty six quarterbacks played last year. Every
insurance policy, every asset has one. The bigger the asset,
the more expensive insurance. This, however, is an insurance policy
that within a year will pay you. You won't pay
(07:53):
into it, all right. So Bnicks went to Denver. We
sort of called that. I like it. I think he
works in Denver with Peyton and JJ McCarthy went to Minnesota.
Don't love JJ McCarthy, but I loved any quarterback that
went to Minnesota. So I think it'll work. And here's
what's interesting. So Jim Harbaugh came out right. Harbaugh came
(08:17):
out well before the draft. JJ McCarthy as the best
quarterback I've seen. You know who didn't buy it? The league?
The Giants need a quarterback.
Speaker 7 (08:28):
Na.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
Atlanta could have had him. Nah. New England could have
had him. Nah, Washington could have had him. Nah, Chicago
could have had him. JJ McCarthy wasn't viewed the same
way Pennix was, and everybody was selling you on McCarthy
and the league wasn't buying it. But four teams, including Atlanta,
(08:50):
wanted Pennix. Penix throws a better deep ball. Pennix had
to carry lesser talent, so I got nothing again against
JJ McCarthy. But his comp is Alex Smith, and Alex
Smith was as good as where he landed, all right,
So JJ McCarthy is going to succeed because of where
(09:13):
he landed, not because he's in an uber talent. Even Minnesota,
who liked him. Did you notice we all predicted they'd
move up. They didn't. They didn't. They sat there and said,
all right, New England go get him. They didn't. Go ahead, Giants,
(09:33):
go get him. They didn't. Atlanta, we hear you want
a quarterback. They didn't. Finally they moved up one slot,
gave up middle to late picks to get their guy.
I believe Minnesota really wanted Drake May, but New England said,
all right, three first couple seconds, and it was too rich.
(09:57):
I know two different teams last night that tried to
move up for rock Bauers, the Rams one of the teams.
I think Indy is the other. So people were trying
to make moves last night. People were moving up for
brock Bowers. The Rams wanted to move into the top
ten for brock Bowers. Nobody was willing to move into
the top ten for JJ McCarthy. So I think he's
(10:19):
gonna succeed. I think it's gonna work. And I think
bo Nicks, who reminds me a little bit of Drew
Brees at Purdue coachable a lot of starts moves, well,
I think he's gonna be fine. Fit is everything in
this league. But be very careful about this pre draft stuff.
It's all manipulation. A lot of people wanted you to
(10:41):
believe there was massive urgency with JJ McCarthy and there wasn't.
Even the team that eventually got him moved up one
spot one spot. Look at all the teams that could
have had him, and again, I think it's gonna work.
Here's Kevin O'Connell after the pick.
Speaker 7 (11:00):
JJ was a guy you know, very very early in
the process. Obviously coming off of a national championship, guys
won at every level he's been at. And then when
you really dive into the tape and some of the
things that I really look for and really emphasizing my
evaluation process.
Speaker 1 (11:14):
Uh, there was a lot a lot to really like.
Speaker 7 (11:17):
About JJ's tape and that was before you know, he
absolutely crushed the process, tacked at every step of the way.
You know, a competitor and a guy that believes very
strongly that you know, the best football is out in
front of him, and he's going to work like crazy
to make that happen.
Speaker 1 (11:34):
The furnished apartment of the draft for quarterbacks was Minnesota.
Whoever they drafted, I said, will succeed. Whoever New England
drafted Drake May probably doesn't. And I feel that with
both this morning. Do I like May as a prospect
over JJ. McCarthy fit matters and life and sports and business.
And I think McCarthy fits any of these young quarterbacks
(11:57):
fit in Minnesota. So by the way, You're Jets showed
real maturity last night. I think also last night was
an awakening by the league. So I've been on this
for a long time. I think you have pivoted to
this over the last couple of years. It's an offensive league.
Higher offensive coaches. If you have to overdraft quarterback, do it.
First fourteen picks, all offense, and people were moving up
(12:20):
to get a tight end. What does that tell you?
So it's an offensive league. People finally figured it out,
went in doubt, go offense, and went in doubt, get
a tackle. And I thought the Jets, you know the Jets,
you could argue needed a tight end, needed a receiver.
And it showed real maturity because, as I said yesterday,
(12:42):
there's only one thing that guarantees the Jets are viable
in week seventeen Week eighteen. One thing, and it's not
Rock Powers. It's that Aaron Rodgers is upright. And Brock
Bowers doesn't ensure that getting a Penn State tackle that
hasn't allowed a sack as a starter in a good conference,
does a much better job of ensuring that that was
(13:03):
a mature, well done pick. He's not a mauler. There's
a lot better run blockers. He is a pass protector. Yeah,
Aaron doesn't need protection on running plays, he needs it
on passing plays. So I thought, well done. Don't know
how good. The kid's gonna be. But that's the right
pick for the Jets.
Speaker 3 (13:25):
Restraint from the Jets smart now, I mean, basically the
opposite of what the Atlanta Falcons did. I was super
happy with my New York Jets last night. As for
the Falcons, Colin, I can't believe you're defending though. I'm stunned,
even though we both like Pennix. That was one of
the most insane draft moves I've ever seen in my
time being an NFL fan and working here and have
(13:47):
the website just crazy.
Speaker 1 (13:48):
When Kirk Cousins goes down Week four, it won't look
so terrible.
Speaker 3 (13:52):
Well, Colin, how long have they known they were drafting
eighth back in January? So why would you pay Kirk
Cousins one hundred million guaranteed dollars only to go draft
another quarterback and now pit these guys essentially against each other?
Speaker 1 (14:04):
Kirk Cousins looking over his back from right now, because
this staff wants to win now, and Cousins with these
weapons ensures you will win now. Panis insures with experience
where quarterbacks that sit tend to do better. He ensures
or at least elevates the percentage he ensures winning later.
Kirk wins now, Michael with watching wins later. So it's
(14:28):
a two tiered plan. Win now with Kirk year year
and a half win later with Michael. But for the record,
this team does not get into the top ten of
the draft picks next year in a bad quarterback left. Well,
I mean, you got the fourth best quarterback in the
draft right at eight. You don't think you get to
get the fourth best quarterback like twenty two next year. Yeah,
but the problem is the fourth to fifth best quarterback
(14:48):
this year, the sixth best quarterback this year maybe better
than the second next year. That's the way the history
of the draft works.
Speaker 5 (14:54):
We'll see.
Speaker 1 (14:55):
But I have one final question on this.
Speaker 3 (14:57):
So what happens if Kirk Cousins coming off the Achilles
out one hundred percent he's not.
Speaker 1 (15:01):
Ready to go week one?
Speaker 3 (15:02):
Hey, we're just gonna rest and Michael Pennock starts in
week one and Michael Pennox is great.
Speaker 1 (15:06):
Oh, what a great problem to have. That's like people
that complain I paid two million dollars in taxes, No,
one hundred million in taxes. Again, because it's the best
problem in the world to have. In the NFL, we
had to start our rookie quarterback. He was really good.
Speaker 3 (15:23):
I mean he's not gonna be c J. Stroud, we
know that, but I mean he'll be better than Bryce Young.
But then you've got a quarterback controversy. And you know
what they say, if you've got two quarterbacks, you have zero.
Speaker 1 (15:32):
If Michael Penix has to start and is great, you
don't have any controversy. Say kerk, We're gonna play the kid.
Deal with it. Enjoy the cash. You don't even have
to come to practice. Just enjoy the cash. We found
our guy. I mean, I'm telling you that is got
rich guys that complained about taxes. That's a great problem
(15:53):
to have Michael Pennock start game one in Rolls. Wow,
what a problem. You want to know what problems look like?
He was throwing to Brock Powers with the Raiders. Certainly
a division with Reed Justin Herbert and now Shawn's got
his quarterbacks.
Speaker 3 (16:08):
So you got Falcons winning the division or six.
Speaker 1 (16:09):
Yes, Falcons are going to win the division, I think
going away.
Speaker 2 (16:13):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and noon Easter nine am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (16:22):
You know, there's an old saying you can look into
the past, but don't stare at it, even if your
past was great. The Chicago Bears have been staring at
the monsters of the Midway, celebrating it annually forever, and
in the process of doing that, the Green Bay Packers
have lapped them, and now the Lions have started to
(16:46):
lap them, and the Vikings are loaded. The Bears spend
a lot of time staring at the past, and last
night they officially grew up as a franchise. They evolved,
not just with the Caleb william pick, but at number nine.
They needed an edge rusher, and there were several good
ones available, and yet they took another wide receiver to
(17:10):
a deep receiving corps. That's something I didn't think they
had in them. They've been celebrating the eighty five Bears
for as long as I can remember. Enough it was great,
was great, w as was great. They've already got a
good offensive roster. Now it looks stacked, and unless you
live in Chicago, the Bears are a hard watch. And
(17:32):
maybe even if you live in Chicago, they have been
for twenty years. Their most explosive offensive player was a
punt returner, Devin Hester. He's the guy in between defense
and offense. Yeah, that was the guy. He wasn't an
offensive player. You were hoping he hit a big return.
But last night was really unique for Chicago because there
(17:52):
are certain teams in this league. Green Bay, San Francisco,
the Rams, Philadelphia, Kansas City. Those are win shield teams
looking to the future. The Bears have been looking through
the rear view mirror for twenty some years. So for them,
with other needs on defense, to take another receiver at
(18:14):
nine and a good one, wow, Like that's what Green
Bay would maybe do, or the Rams or the Niners
add another offensive piece. A few years ago, Miami did
something and I lauded it. I thought it was great.
They were a defensive coach, Brian Flores, and the defense
was excellent. But TUA couldn't get along with Brian Flores
(18:35):
and they just decided were blown it up, starting over,
hiring Mike McDaniel, and we're pivoting to offense. It's worked
and two has been pretty good. That's the new league.
It doesn't matter how great your defense is. The Niners
couldn't stop anybody against the good teams last year nobody
(18:55):
can stop anybody. I mean, you get to these playoff games,
congratulate you gotta win with offense. And last night, for
the first time I can ever remember, seventy five percent
of the bears best players are on offense, and with
their top two picks, especially the second one, they doubled
down on offense. Thank you. Finally, here's the GM Ryan Poles.
(19:21):
History's the history.
Speaker 8 (19:22):
Like I'm kind of done talking about it, Like we
go back so much all the time, and then that
those days are over. So we're bringing players in here
that want to really just change everything up and do
things a different way. Obviously, we love our history here,
but it hasn't been smooth recently and it's time to change.
(19:44):
So I just I feel like we got to stop
going back all the time.
Speaker 1 (19:49):
Yes, that's let's let baseball do that collect cards, talk
about Mickey Mannle, That's that's baseball. I don't want to
talk about Red Grange. You know, I don't want to
turn on my radio. Here's sports guy breaking down Hugh McIlhaney.
Let baseball do that future ahead windshield. It was like
(20:10):
it was like a graduation ceremony for the Chicago Bears.
They graduated two offensive players to a really good offense. Congratulations,
it's a lot more fun to watch. Congratulations to Fox.
You can now televise Bears games, and ninety percent of
the country won't go click. They won't be watching for
(20:31):
the Packers against the Bears, or the Lions against the Bears,
or the Niners. They'll be watching to watch the Bears.
Speaker 2 (20:38):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and noon Eastern n a em Pacific.
Speaker 9 (20:43):
Hey, what's up, everybody. It's me three time pro bowler
LeVar Harrington and I couldn't be more excited to announce
a podcast called Up on Game?
Speaker 1 (20:51):
What is Up on Game?
Speaker 9 (20:52):
You asked, along with my fellow pro bowler TJ. Hutchman,
Zada and Super Bowl champion. Yep, that's right, plex Cole Burris.
You can only name a.
Speaker 1 (21:02):
Show with that type of talent on it.
Speaker 9 (21:04):
Up on Game We're going to be sharing our real
life experiences loaded with teachable moments. Listen to Up on
Game with me, lebar Arrington, TJ. Houchman's Ada, and Plexico
Burrs on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you
get your podcast from.
Speaker 1 (21:24):
Eric Mangini the former Jet and Brown's head coach. He
disagrees with me a lot. Today, let's bring him in
live and start with the Jets. I said to me,
if you start today, April whatever it is, and you
go to January fifth, end of the regular season, the
only priority for the Jets to be viable keep Aaron
(21:45):
Rodgers upright, not tight end, just keep him up right.
Speaker 5 (21:50):
Now.
Speaker 1 (21:51):
I was okay with the offensive tackle, but you're bringing
up an interesting point during the break, and I want
you to share it with our audience on the Jets pick.
Speaker 5 (22:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 10 (22:00):
So Joe Douglas comes in as introductory press conference. He
talks about how they're going to fix the offensive line.
So I look back at it. They've brought in thirty
offensive linemen since he's been there, thirty. They've drafted seven,
three number ones and number two, so they've drafted high.
They brought in twenty three free agents and spent somewhere
between one hundred and seventy five and two hundred million
dollars on free agent offensive linemen. And we're back to
(22:23):
the same spot. We're talking about keeping Aaron Rodgers upright.
They brought in three free agents this offseason to help
fix the offensive line. So at some point, like like,
I get it, they're trying and maybe just lob averages
this will work out. But you got an opportunity to
go get brock Bauers and play some twelve personnel, two
(22:44):
tight end sets where in that situation you've got quick
answers for Aaron Rodgers. You've got the ability to balance
the formation, run left, run right, throw to either side
out of balance formations, use those guys and protection. And
it's just I understand the o lines of problem, and
I understand you have a forty year old quarterback, but
(23:05):
this process hasn't worked. So maybe they've radically changed the process.
But we're talking about thirty guys that have come through
there and it's still a problem.
Speaker 1 (23:14):
No, that's a good point.
Speaker 9 (23:16):
Now.
Speaker 1 (23:16):
I thought it was odd that the Falcons got a quarterback,
but it's the worst division in the sport. It's a
bad division. They now have the best starting quarterback in
my opinion, in the division, and the best backup in
the division, maybe the best backup in the NFC or
the league. I'm okay being quarterback heavy for a year,
and I don't know what Kirk Cousins is going to
look like at thirty six off an Achilles. I'm okay
(23:40):
with it.
Speaker 5 (23:40):
You don't like it, Yeah, I heard you.
Speaker 10 (23:44):
I heard you auditioning for the Atlanta Falcons PR job earlier.
I do, I do have a problem with it. And
and I heard you say, you know, if you have
a great asset, you have to ensure great asset. Okay,
but they're not a great asset. They haven't had a
winning season in six years. So become a great asset.
So you've got Kirk Cousins, You've got bees On Robinson,
(24:07):
You've got Drake London, you've got Kyle Pitts again. You
can add an elite tight end, you can add another
star wide receiver. You've got a very good offensive line.
And you move forward with the one hundred million dollars
that you spent on the quarterback. And I'm good with
a backup quarterback. I think it's important, and I think
quarterbacks are currency, and I think it's valuable. But you're
(24:28):
dealing with the eighth pick overall, and you're dealing with
a situation where you've got a chance to take a
real jump as an offense and add another explosive weapon
and maybe become that great asset that were talking about.
And yeah, if Kirk gets hurt, it could be a problem.
But if Patrick Mahomes gets hurt, that's a problem too
for Kansas City. So at that point, trade back if
(24:52):
that's if that's what you want to do, add some assets.
So if you are really good, maybe you're picking high
with the team that you traded with, just like Chicago
fund themselves in the situation with Carolina. But the owner's
eighty one years old. It's not like he's sitting around
waiting like I'm gonna wait another two or three years
for us to be the team that we envisioned ourselves
(25:13):
to be. So so you've got you don't hire Bill Belichick.
You could agree or disagree with that. You make that decision,
and then you draft a quarterback after you sign one
hundred million dollar quarterback. You know, if if I'm the owner,
I'm sitting back and thinking maybe maybe I got to
reevaluate things.
Speaker 1 (25:32):
Yeah, the you know, people said I saw bon Nicks
play live twice. Oregon mostly schemed up his plays. But
that's what Sean Payton does. He like Shanahan, I'm gonna
scheme up to play. Get rid of it fast. And accurately.
I think bo Nicks works in Denver. He may be
a top of the second round guy, but I watched
(25:53):
them as a freshman beat an Oregon team and Justin
Herbert on the final drive as an eighteen year old.
I don't no. I think he's a little I don't know.
I I like Pennix and bo Nicks more than everybody else.
I wasn't a big JJ McCarthy guy. Did Denver reach
in your opinion on Nicks? I mean they need a quarterback,
don't they.
Speaker 10 (26:14):
Well, when Peyton man and talk, Peyton Manning talked about
Denver wanting JJ McCarthy, I have a feeling that Peyton
Manning was right. And when he looked at at the
draft room after they after they took him, it didn't
look like there was a lot of celebrating and high
fiving going on that they got bon Nicks. And maybe
I'm wrong on it, but it felt sort of like
(26:36):
that situation where you wake up Christmas morning and you're
hoping for an Xbox and you get a bunch of clothes. Again,
it's practical, it's it's okay, like I get it. It's
a nice it's nice that you got a gift, and
and and and.
Speaker 5 (26:49):
It's the old adage.
Speaker 10 (26:50):
You never want to go shopping hungry with that quarterback room.
They're shopping starving. Yeah, okay, so you got Stidham, you
got Zach, You've got Ben Denucci, and then you got
Russell Wilson's ridiculous dead cap money, all sitting in that
quarterback room. You had to go get somebody. But I
heard all the stats, and I heard all the positive things,
(27:11):
but you watch the reaction. It didn't feel like that
passion that you get when you got someone. Hey, we
couldn't believe he was there. We're so lucky he fell
to us. None of those none of those comments were
coming out out of the you know, the.
Speaker 5 (27:26):
Post draft interviews.
Speaker 1 (27:28):
So the Raiders didn't move up to get a quarterback.
They got a tremendous tight end. What did you say
about that? What do you think about that?
Speaker 10 (27:36):
It looked like they took best available at that point.
And I've always felt that a tight end is incredibly
valuable because of the type of pressure that they can
put on the inside of the defense and how that
opens up everything outside. And we see it all the
time with Travis Kelcey, the value that has and if
you need quick answers, and we talked about protection for quarterbacks,
(28:00):
the tight end can be that protection because they get
open quickly. They give you throws that are makeable and
easy completions. And to add a player like that and
an explosive player like that, to me, I think not
only helps him offensively inside, but it helps open up
things outside and to some degree the running game.
Speaker 1 (28:21):
What was your favorite pick? Did you have one you loved?
Speaker 10 (28:26):
I liked that the Giants stood where they were and
took Neighbors.
Speaker 5 (28:30):
I liked him a lot.
Speaker 10 (28:31):
I think that in Brian's offense, and Brian day Ball
has always been very creative offensively. He was my offensive
coordinator in Cleveland. He was my quarterback coach of the Jets,
So I've been with him a long time and understanding
how he thinks. He wants guys like Neighbors, who has
that versatility. They can play inside, they can play outside,
(28:52):
they can hurt you on wide receiver screens, you can
hand them the ball.
Speaker 5 (28:55):
But it's not just that.
Speaker 10 (28:56):
He also has the ability to get open on traditional
runs and there's that element of run after the catch
where he can generate some plays and the Giants.
Speaker 5 (29:05):
They need someone that can generate some plays.
Speaker 10 (29:08):
So I'm glad they didn't go quarterback and muddy things up.
And they've got a weapon for Daniel Jones, who has
shown that he's been able to win in this system
when he's been healthy.
Speaker 1 (29:20):
By the way, wide receiver is the biggest miss rate
in the last twenty years in the draft. What's your
theory on that? Because I like everybody said, oh, Chiefs
got Xavier Worthy and I'm like, not a polished route runner,
really fast, one hundred and sixty five pounds track guy,
a lot of drops. I mean, Mahomes and Andy Reid.
I'm sure they'll make it work, but I mean they've
(29:42):
I mean, if you go look at Ladarius, Tony didn't work,
sky Moore hasn't worked. They've got a lot of guys
that haven't worked. Why even Kansas City as well run
as they are in San Francisco, they've both missed on
a half a dozen wide receivers. Why is that such
a hard position.
Speaker 5 (29:57):
Well, there's a million of them.
Speaker 10 (29:59):
And wasn't very good at evaluating wide receivers when I
was a head coach, and then I missed on on some,
especially in Cleveland. A couple of second rounders that I
took wide receivers on. And as you as you go
through that evaluation process, there's where the guy is as
a player in college, and you can get excited by
some of the wild plays and some of the explosive
(30:20):
plays and lose track of who they're against and and
and who's throwing in the football and how much growth
they have as a wide receiver. I think that's that's
an element of it, too, is how much growth they
have as they come into the NFL. Or is what
you're seeing on tape really the ceiling of who they're
(30:41):
going to be.
Speaker 5 (30:42):
And it's it's.
Speaker 10 (30:43):
Hard to evaluate, but you see a lot of late
round guys and you see small school guys or programs
that aren't has developed. They really hit it big in
the NFL because when they get into a sophisticated system,
when they get into sophisticated training, they pop.
Speaker 5 (30:58):
Where some of these guys were top.
Speaker 10 (30:59):
Programs, they've leveled out and and you see what you
get and and it's it's just not good enough in
the NFL.
Speaker 1 (31:05):
Great stuff. Eric Mangini coming in hot uh loved it.
Coaches ow it's great senor
Speaker 5 (31:13):
Great senior too, colle
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The Nikki Glaser Podcast
Every week comedian and infamous roaster Nikki Glaser provides a fun, fast-paced, and brutally honest look into current pop-culture and her own personal life.