April 27, 2024 • 41 mins
Where Colin was right and wrong...plenty of both
Thoughts on the first round of the NFL Draft
Guest: Steve Keim
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to The Herd podcast. Be sure to
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Speaker 2 (00:22):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
We do it every day at this time, every Monday,
at this time. Colin Wright or Colin was wrong, and
here we go where Colin was right. Doesn't matter how
well Lebron and ad play. They're not beating Denver. They've
lost nine straight because Denver starting five is too good
and too deep and too consistent. The Nuggets beat the
Lakers the same way every time they play. They'll be
(00:46):
spurts one, two or three, and Denver jet fuels it
for a ten to nothing run. And in the end
of the game, Jokic is just better. Plus, Lebron runs
out of gas at this point in his career, and
when he does, he gets sloppy. Jokic does not run
out of gas. Denver's a better team. And when I
suggested they may want to duck the Nuggets because of
the repercussions if they get swept again. That was on
(01:09):
display where Colin was rough. It's not that the Suns lost.
They were three to zero against the t Wolves in
the regular season. They weren't even competitive. It looked like
they were poorly constructed. I mean, Booker No showed what
happened to beal the t Wolves top to bottom, more
(01:30):
physical defensive lapses. KD gave you points, not much else.
I said, I'll take Phoenix in this series, but I mean,
after watching that game, I don't know if the Suns
are constructed. It also illustrates the difference between the regular
season and the postseason because that was a two hour
and thirty minute.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Mismatch where Colin was right.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
Dame time delivered. When the Bucks made that move, I said,
I love Drew Holliday, but it's the right move to
make because he is a Steph Curry level score from
the perimeter in Chris Middleton and Drew Holliday can't give
you that. I just wish the Bucks would let Dame
set the temple more than they allow him to set
the tempo. Thirty five points by a little guy and
(02:14):
a half is remarkable, and this is what he cre
I've said before, take out Steph Curry, you've got one
shot to win a game in the NBA. I would
choose Dame. I think he's that good. I think he's
a first ballot guy. If Steph Curry did not exist,
he would be the great small scorer arguably in the
(02:34):
last ten years.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
Where Colin was raw.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
Anthony Edwards, best player on the floor, took over things
for the Tea Wolves. I said Friday, I worry that
he's going to become Dominique Wilkins, dynamic, spectacular, but historically
overshadowed with all the great players around him and no titles.
But boy, he was something a lot of energy. We
know he's dynamic, we know he's hyper athletic, but verbal,
(03:02):
firing the crowd up, talking trash to KD, he looked
pretty good. He may have been the best player playing
basketball this weekend, where Colin was right three excellent, steady.
ESPN reporters reported on Bill Belichick. What we said is
that we didn't think he was going to get a
(03:22):
head coaching job because his inability to work well with others.
And we find out that that was Atlanta's primary concern
that Robert Kraft although not bearing him. Did talk to
Arthur Blank and say we didn't really trust him. He
was about Bill and doing what Bill wanted. He was not.
We discover a top three candidate for the Atlanta Falcons job.
(03:46):
And again, no matter how great you are, you can
rule with an iron fist when you're winning, but when
you're losing, you look outdated and difficult and fair or not.
That's how Bill Belichick is perceived today by owners and
general managers.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
Where Colin was raw.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
I never loved the James Harden move to the Clippers,
but he does lubricate that offense. And one of the
reasons I was skeptical is this franchise needs to win
in the playoffs and he is really disappointing at times
in the playoffs. But he had twenty points in the
first half and Dallas had no answer. He was the
best player on a floor. He was four for six
from three, and I mean that move to get James
(04:29):
Harden felt like it paid off. Yesterday.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
He was magnificent, where Colin was right.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
In my five bold NBA predictions last week, I had
the Lakers in and the Warriors out in the play
in games. The Warriors are two Steph Reliant. I think
Pods and Coaminga are excellent young players, but they're not
ready to help you in April and May and the
Warriors season ends after a brief play in experiment where.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
Colin was wrong.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
What's up with the Dodgers? Now we knew their bullpen
wasn't their straint, but they're three to seven in their
last ten. They've lost series to the Nats, the Padres,
and the Mets. Home runs no longer leading baseball run scored,
no longer leading baseball. It is a top heavy lineup.
(05:22):
Dave Roberts is a nice guy. Is he the guy
to lead a star filled roster? That's up for debate.
But the Dodgers for the last two weeks have been
a major disappointment.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
Where Colin was right.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
Caitlin Clark sold more Indiana Fever jerseys in one day
than the Dallas Cowboys sold last year for the entire team.
This is what I've said. It's no criticism of women's
college basketball. It will come back down to earth. She
is a Tiger Woods or an MJ For whatever reasons,
she galvanized the country. Every after she played, would lose
(06:01):
forty to sixty percent of the ratings. Women's college basketball
is much better than it was years ago, and it's
a quality sport that's getting better. But these numbers, these
merchandise sales. I do believe she will finally make the
WNBA a profitable league, which to this point it hasn't
(06:23):
been nothing against women's basketball, and it was nothing against golf.
But when a Tiger Woods rolls in or a Caitlin Clark,
they change everything. Where Colin was right set a year ago,
Clippers need to move off Kawhi Leonard. He's a great player,
but they didn't play him against Dallas and it was
one of the clippers great playoff performances. Ever, I don't
(06:46):
think he's foundational. He's nonverbal. He's not a leader. You
don't quite know what you're gonna get him or when
you're gonna get him again. I'm not doubting he could
add him as some icing to a really good cake.
He can't the cake, and he's out. Paul George Westbrook,
James harden Zubach look just fine hammering a very good
(07:10):
Dallas team. Where Colin's right, where Colin's wrong, plenty of both.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
On a Monday, be sure to catch live editions of
The Herd weekdays and noon eastern nine am Pacific on
Fox Sports Radio FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (07:26):
Here we Go, It is a Friday.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
What a night it was.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
NFL Draft, 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 freaking out
that an NFL team in a bad division now has
two good quarterbacks. Oh the shame. Should have drafted another linebacker,
(07:56):
a tight end, a right tackle. It's amazing what people
freak out about. J Mac. It's amazing that we see
you're not freaking out.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
Huh.
Speaker 1 (08:06):
If I'm a Falcons fan, I'm not feeling great this morning. Okay,
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
(08:31):
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
(08:52):
Kirk Cousins upset that they drafted Michael Pennix. Aaron Rogers
was upset when they drafted Jordan Love Farv was upset,
and 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
(09:14):
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
(09:37):
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, years ago,
(10:00):
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 this Achille surgery at
(10:21):
thirty six and he's less mobile? Does Panix look like
a horrible pick?
Speaker 4 (10:25):
Then?
Speaker 1 (10:27):
What if kirk Cousins gets hurt again? Sixty six quarterbacks,
sixty six quarterbacks played last year. It is the only
position worth over a point in the worst division in football.
(10:48):
Having the best backup in the league is a catastrophe.
This is else, something else. Nobody's talking about Kirk Cousins
and we think he was a good pickup, is going
to 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
(11:10):
many games to have a top ten to fifteen pick.
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
(11:31):
to watch Kirk Cousins win the division, probably lose first
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.
Speaker 2 (11:43):
You don't.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
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. You got teams in this league.
Joe Burrow's making a fortun He can't stay healthy, and
I love Joe Brook can't stay healthy four years in
a row, hurt. Dak's gonna make almost four hundred million
(12:06):
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. We saw last year the Minnesota
Vikings had to trade for a back up Josh Dobbs
(12:28):
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. I'm okay in the NFL for
a year, maybe overdrafting at quarterback Kirk Cousins. You liked
(12:53):
the pick they when they got Kirk Cousins, you liked it.
I liked it, and you like Michael Pennix. 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
(13:16):
it after.
Speaker 4 (13:17):
It was pretty simple for us.
Speaker 5 (13:20):
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 you
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, it poses itself tonight.
Speaker 1 (13:43):
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.
(14:05):
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
(14:29):
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
(14:49):
that within a year will pay you. You won't pay
into it all right. So Bonicks went to Denver. We
sort of called that.
Speaker 4 (14:57):
I like it.
Speaker 1 (14:58):
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 out well before the draft. JJ
McCarthy as the best quarterback I've seen. You know who
(15:21):
didn't buy it the league? The Giants need a quarterback. No,
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 Penix was, And everybody was selling you on McCarthy
(15:44):
and the league wasn't buying it, but four teams, including Atlanta,
wanted Pennix. Pennix throws a better deep ball. Pennix had
to carry lesser talent, so I got nothing against JJ McCarthy.
But his comp is Alex Smith, and Alex Smith was
as good as where he landed, all right, So JJ
(16:08):
McCarthy is going to succeed because of where 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,
(16:32):
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
(16:54):
too rich. I know two different teams last night that
tried to move up for brock Bowers. The Rams won
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.
(17:16):
So I think he's gonna succeed. I think it's gonna work.
And I think bo Nix, 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
(17:38):
people wanted you to 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 3 (17:58):
JJ was a guy 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,
there was a lot, a lot to really like about
JJ's tape, and that was before you know, he absolutely
(18:19):
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 (18:32):
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, though 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
(18:55):
fit in Minnesota. So by the way your Jets show
real mature 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
(19:19):
up 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,
(19:41):
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
(20:02):
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 4 (20:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (20:24):
Restraint from the Jets.
Speaker 6 (20:25):
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 the website just crazy.
Speaker 1 (20:47):
When Kirk Cousins goes down Week four, it won't look
so terrible.
Speaker 6 (20:50):
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 (21:02):
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 a
(21:26):
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
this year, the sixth best quarterback this year maybe better
(21:50):
than the second next year. That's the way the history
of the draft works.
Speaker 2 (21:53):
We'll see.
Speaker 1 (21:54):
But I have one final question on this.
Speaker 6 (21:56):
So what happens if Kirk Cousins coming off the Achilles
he's not one hundred percent, he's not ready to go
week one. Hey, we're just gonna rest and Michael Pennock
starts in week one, and Michael Pennox is great.
Speaker 1 (22:04):
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 6 (22:22):
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.
Speaker 1 (22:30):
You have zero. If Michael Penix has to start and
is great, you don't have any controversy, Say Kurt, 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 complain about taxes.
(22:50):
That's a great problem to have Michael Pennock start game
one in rolls. Wow, what a problem. You want to
know what problems look like. Who's throwing the brawl to
brock Bauer with the Raiders, that's problem.
Speaker 2 (23:02):
That's certainly a.
Speaker 1 (23:03):
Division with Reed justin Herbert and now Shawn's got his quarterback.
Speaker 2 (23:06):
So you got Falcons winning the division or six.
Speaker 1 (23:08):
Yes, Falcons are gonna win the division, I think going away.
Speaker 2 (23:12):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and noon eastern nine am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 7 (23:21):
Hey what's up everybody? It's me three time pro bowler
LeVar Arrington, and I couldn't be more excited to announce
a podcast called Up on Game?
Speaker 1 (23:30):
What is up on Game?
Speaker 7 (23:31):
You asked, along with my fellow pro bowler, TJ. Hutschman
Zada and Super Bowl champion. Yup, that's right, Plexico Burris,
you can only name a show with that type of
talent on it. Up on Game We're going to be
sharing our real life experiences loaded with teachable moments. Listen
to Up on Game with Me LeVar Arrington, TJ. Huschman, Zada,
(23:53):
and Plexico Burrs on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or
wherever you get your podcast fro.
Speaker 1 (24:02):
All right, somebody that was in ten of these war
rooms of the Arizona Cardinal probably more when he was
scouting Steve Kai, my buddy, former NFL GM for the
Arizona Cardinals from twenty thirteen to twenty twenty two. Patrick Peterson,
Honey Badger, Budda Baker Kider, Murray Kalais Campbell. So let's
start with Pennix. I said earlier, I'm never gonna bag
(24:25):
on you for drafting another shooter in the NBA or
being quarterback heavy in the NFL. People are sort of
outraged by it, and I'm like, Kirk's coming off of surgery, right,
did it bother you?
Speaker 4 (24:38):
Not at all?
Speaker 8 (24:39):
I actually love the pick again, like you just said
it Colin, thirty five year old quarterback coming off in Achilles,
and to me, Michael Pennox Junior was the best natural
pure passer.
Speaker 4 (24:49):
In this year.
Speaker 1 (24:50):
Told me that months ago.
Speaker 8 (24:51):
Smoonstroke, tremendous anticipation, great ball placement. I thought, again, you
can talk about the injuries all you want, which again
is forecasting. I can't fork all those injuries, but I
can tell you right now from a pure passing standpoint,
the guy's exceptional.
Speaker 1 (25:06):
What about the money, people say, you know, I said,
my bigger issue is Dak Prescott getting three hundred and
eighty million, not Kurt getting one to eighty. It's a
heavily front loaded contract. Does that mean probably listen after
a year, I would say year one is Kirk. But
what if a Thanksgiving Kirk goes down, has a bad stretch.
Would you go with Pennix?
Speaker 4 (25:26):
Absolutely?
Speaker 8 (25:27):
I mean, look at the money that the Denver is eating.
With Russell Wilson. I mean, there's business decisions that you
have to make. And again there's no better problem to
have than a young quarterback being successful.
Speaker 4 (25:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (25:38):
So now JJ McCarthy, I didn't love him. I think
he'll work in Minnesota. The Draft Illustrated that there wasn't
this wild scramble to move up. Even Minnesota moved up.
There were a lot of smoke screens in this draft. Yeah, Harbaugh,
best quarterback got to go number one. That's just Jim
wanting to create urgency so he can move down in
(26:00):
the end. Didn't the draft tell us that more people
like Pennix than JJ McCarthy.
Speaker 8 (26:06):
I don't think there's any question. I mean, to me,
it's just show you what the real market was. And
I think that that's the thing that you know, we
do as the media, We create some of these these
thought processes when in reality, you watch the tape and
the tape tells you what a player is. You know,
and to me, again just based on instincts in the
feel for the game, Michael Pennix Junior, as far as
the pure passing skills, was exceptional and really fits in
(26:26):
what the NFL is looking for. JJ McCarthy is a winner.
Though you can't you cannot hide from the fact that
he is a winner. He operates at the offense at
extreme high level. I know people talk about system quarterbacks.
To me, a system quarterback is a lot of guys
that operated at a high level and If JJ McCarthy
can do that at this level, which he played in
pro offense in college, I think he'll have a chance
to be a good player as well.
Speaker 6 (26:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (26:46):
I mean I went and looked at the draft previews
of JJ McCarthy several months ago. They all said at
this point game manager. Yes, none of Pennis has said that. Yeah,
there were concerns about him, but he was not viewed
as a game manager.
Speaker 3 (26:57):
He was.
Speaker 1 (26:57):
He was viewed as a great deep ball thrower. Concerns
about his underneath stuff. I always said, I'll take a quarterback.
I got to teach a drag route too, but you
can't make two have a great deep ball. I can't
teach that. Yeah, bo knicks at twelve.
Speaker 4 (27:11):
Now.
Speaker 1 (27:14):
I don't know what the comp is, but I tend
to think with Sean Payton it will work.
Speaker 4 (27:19):
Yeap.
Speaker 1 (27:20):
What do you think on me?
Speaker 8 (27:21):
No, I think he went to the perfect place, just
like JJ McCarthy. I think he went to the perfect offense,
you know, with a great play caller. I think Sean
will put him in a position to succeed. You know,
the kid has tremendous leadership skills. He's another guy who's
a football junkie. Dad was a football coach, was also
a quarterback. I think sometimes when we get on bow
Knicks because some of his struggles previously at Auburn, which
(27:41):
I think is hard to do. Look when you look
at the second round, second pick in the draft, Jade
and Daniels, who did not play particularly well at Arizona
State of Times. So both of those guys got to
better football programs, got coached in a way where they
could improve their game and really help their stock.
Speaker 1 (27:56):
I remember this about bo Nicks. He was a freshman
at Auburn again, came in with Justin Herbert and they
were favored to be Auburn, and bo Nicks as a freshman,
had the game winning drive late. Yeah, and I remember thinking,
you know, at the time, I'm like, who's bow Knicks.
In fact, I was mad. I said, Oregon, you can't
lose to a freshman, right. So Bo Nicks was a
(28:17):
highly touted guy who, by the way, I think there's
value in transferring better program, better players and flourishing, and
that's what he did.
Speaker 8 (28:25):
Yeah, there's no doubt I don't love the portal, But
at the same time, some of those opportunities that we've
seen like you Gylick bow Knicks.
Speaker 4 (28:31):
I think it certainly is paid off.
Speaker 1 (28:33):
People are very critical of Buffalo moving back now first
pick in the second round. They have all day and
all night to negotiate. It didn't bother me your take
on wide receivers their needs moving back.
Speaker 8 (28:50):
Yeah, I mean I always love the top of two anyways,
you know, because you always have that time, as you
talked about, to really judge what's left on the board.
Sometimes there are guys that maybe slipped out of the
first round the should have been first round picks. Uh,
and certainly a lot of good players. I mean, who's
to say Lad McConkie's not going to be better than
Xavier Worthy. That may he may be when it's all
said and done. But you know, I think the probably
(29:10):
the biggest thing that I would have to concern is,
here is a chase, a team that you're chasing in
the Bills, chasing the Chiefs, and it's almost like a
mind trick a little bit that they're trading with the
team that they're chasing, you know. And and and I'm
not to say not to say that the Bill shouldn't
have stood pat and took Xavier Worthy, but but you know,
the Kansas City Chiefs had already gotten Hollywood Brown, who's
(29:31):
a very similar player in the off season. So another
speed guy, another undersized, sort of lean, linear guy. You know,
Worthy reminds me a little bit of Seaun Jackson coming
out of.
Speaker 1 (29:40):
Cow Okay, there you go. So that's your com because
to me is a track guy that's a bit small.
I do worry sometimes if those guys can get off
the line injuries that you like Worthy?
Speaker 8 (29:49):
Yeah, you know again, I think, you know, for for
what it's worth. You know, he's a speed guy that's
gonna uncover and create big time plays down the field. Now,
the biggest difference is is can he get gritty? Can
he play between the half? That's the real question.
Speaker 1 (30:01):
So the Bronck Bowers pick is interesting. So outside a receiver,
the number one miss first round position is tight end.
Bowers is exceptional. Yes, the Raiders needed a quarterback, instead
of moving up, they went tight end. Are you he's good?
But that's not generally a position of need, or is it.
Speaker 8 (30:22):
I think if you have a game changer, it can be,
you know, particularly for a team like the Raiders.
Speaker 4 (30:27):
Who took the best player available is really what they
did you know.
Speaker 8 (30:30):
I know that the Raiders were disappointed because I know
they wanted Jayden Daniels, and I know they also would
have taken Michael Pennox Junior if he.
Speaker 4 (30:36):
Would have fell.
Speaker 1 (30:36):
Yeah, you heard that too.
Speaker 8 (30:37):
Yeah, So their inability to get up to get Penix
probably as a real head scratcher, yet at the same
time to be able to take a guy like Brock Bowers.
You know, if you're playing with a mediocre quarterback or
a guy who's average at best, there's nothing like having
a guy like Brock Bowers to help that quarterback play.
Speaker 1 (30:53):
You hosted the show last night with Jay Laser, LeVar
Rob Stone, the Fox Sports Radio Draft Show last night.
When you're in I've only been in the draft room
one time. You know, you go through I am sure
five or six run throughs on this. Do you ever
get a caught off guard? Are like, when these situations happened,
(31:13):
we tend to think everything's thought out, but we're I mean,
Atlanta takes Penix. Yes, Did you ever have a sense
of stuff that was going to happen or were you
ever truly surprised? Well?
Speaker 4 (31:25):
There, I mean I generally felt like I kind of
had a feel for it.
Speaker 8 (31:29):
Yet at the same time, there was one year I
think I was picking nineteen or eighteen, and I'll never.
Speaker 4 (31:35):
Forget there were four players that I coveted.
Speaker 8 (31:36):
I mean I really really wanted bad and then at
nineteen those four players were still there at like fifteen,
so I think, okay, we got a chance to get
one of them. All four of those players went right
before I picked all of them, And you want to
talk about a sick feeling. So I'm sitting there. Matter
of fact, I was picking a twenty, and then we
traded back with the Saints. We took Damn Buchanan, who
(31:57):
ended up having a decent career early on, and then
we took John Brown with the third round pick that
we you know, acquired from that trade, who was a
good receiver for some time.
Speaker 1 (32:05):
Yeah, you could see when Jacksonville moved back yesterday, they
wanted Brian Thomas because Ridley left, and you could see
they were praying Pittsburgh didn't take him. And Pittsburgh has
a history of landing quarterbacks, so Jade and Daniels goes too,
So I thought that was the pick. Did you at too?
Speaker 4 (32:24):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (32:25):
Why over Drake.
Speaker 8 (32:26):
May Well, you know, I knew Cliff really liked him,
and to me, Drake May was a guy that was
in that number two spot the whole offseason until sort
of the lead up to the draft. I think that
that Drake May maybe didn't have as good an offseason
in terms of the workouts, the measurables and all those
different things. I felt like he was a little careless
with the football, you know, sort of turning the ball over.
(32:47):
And I don't think he took the Carolina program to
a higher level that he should have for being a
top notch quarterback. And I thought Jade Daniels played it
just flawless his senior year at LSU.
Speaker 1 (32:56):
Yeah, the you know, it's funny about quarterbacks. Where they
land matters a lot. I thought there was an argument
to be made for New England to get the roster
right and then go get a free agent quarterback next year.
The ghost of Brady still hangs over that franchise. They
go get Drake May with a weak roster, and also
(33:19):
he's the least refined of these guys. Does that worry you?
Speaker 8 (33:24):
Yeah, you know there's something about Drake May that's just
sort of reminded me of guy like Kyle Boehler coming
out of cow or even like Blaine Gabber come out
of Missouri. How's all the physical attributes looks the part
is a very very smart guy, good good, good upside.
Yet at the same time, is it there? Does he
have it right? And to me, with the quarterbacks, if
you don't have that factor, it's gonna be hard to
(33:46):
be successful in this league.
Speaker 1 (33:47):
And you knew it with Kyler immediately when you got it.
Speaker 8 (33:49):
Yeah, I felt like I felt like just Kyler was
just a baller. You know, he just had that sort
of confidence that he was the best on the field
at all times.
Speaker 1 (33:55):
All Right, Steve Kaim joining us for our radio audience.
So when you look, so now you have time in
your Buffalo and you're sort of sizing everything up in Buffalo.
Does need a receiver? Washington Huskies still have two texts.
I would argue a d Mitchell. Many people like him
over worthy at Texas. There's receivers everywhere in this draft.
(34:17):
Do you think Buffalo with the first pick is getting
calls this morning to move back?
Speaker 8 (34:22):
Well, I don't think there's any question. You know, generally,
and I've had the first pick in the second round,
that pick is highly coveted, and we're talking about probably
anywhere from I'm guessing Colin six to eight teams are
probably calling to try to get up to that spot
because there are still guys on some people's boards that
are top fifteen picks for them. You know, a few
years ago I traded up in the high in the
second round for a Buddha Baker, who was a safety
(34:43):
out of Washington that I loved and I had a
first round grade on him. So I traded up to
the very top of the second round, was able to
acquire Buddha and the rest history. I think he's been
to five or six Pro Bowls.
Speaker 1 (34:52):
Yeah, So, you know, it is funny how people are viewed.
Do you follow any of the draft stuff and the
experts you're watching all this stuff, because listen, I think
most of the time, you know, the draft people are
mostly onto it. Obviously, Pennix was much more highly thought
of than McCarthy, that's pretty clear. But by and large,
(35:17):
did you ever have a moment in the draft when
you well you just said this that you thought you
may have been on an island with a player like
everybody liked Booted to some degree, it was another player
safeties don't usually go in the first round. Kyle Hamilton did.
That's right, But do you do you ever feel and
second guess yourself thinking, you know, I like this guy
and nobody liked none of these draft previews? Did you
(35:38):
rely on scouts your intuition? What is Buffalo doing right now?
Speaker 8 (35:42):
You know, I was hoping that the scouts would would
just sort of drive guys up to me that that
they liked, that maybe even were And you know, as
as a general manager, you want people to be emphatic
about their opinion. You don't want them to just get
with the herd and just do what everybody else has
no pun intended to do what everybody else is doing.
You want people to have their own original opinions. And
that's what you get is a scout. But you know,
for me, I always relied on my gut, my instincts,
(36:04):
you know, which was with the big part of it.
You have to do that as an evaluator and listen,
I mean, the best quarterback in the game early in
the draft process was not thought of as a top
fifteen pick. Patrick Mahomes early on was thought to go
in the second round. Texas Tech had some poor Habits
was not always mechanically sound, and there were some questions
about him. I throw on the tape and I'm like,
(36:26):
this guy's going top ten. There's no doubt it's good.
Eventually the right people are going to see him on
tape and he's going to climb the ranks, and he
obviously did and Kansas City traded up for him and
the rest is history.
Speaker 1 (36:35):
Well, we talked about this yesterday. Josh Allen was the
third pick, justin Herbert. A lot of people like too
of more than him. Is there anything with all these
team drafting quarterbacks? The sizes are different, the shapes are different,
the arm talent is different. Is there anything with quarterback?
What Washington, New England, Minnesota, Denver? Like, I think Chicago
(36:56):
got the best quarterback. Do you believe that Caleb Williams
in terms of power and in this jet fuel? Was
there ever in your career? Was there something that there's
a through line where you're like, all quarterbacks at some
point have this or does that not exist? No?
Speaker 8 (37:12):
I don't think it exists. I think they're all so different.
And again, the mental makeup is a real big part
of it, obviously, and that's the hardest part to read.
I mean, we can judge the skill sets, the arm,
the throwing motion, all those physical traits that we all
fall in love with. The hardest part is to read
is the heart and the mind, and there the two
toughest things to do and probably the most critical things
to do, particularly at that position.
Speaker 1 (37:32):
So I think Arizona has a chance with eleven picks
starting yesterday, to in the first to come out the
most improved team. I ran into Kyler at a UFC fight.
We chatted, got along great. There are some concerns, like,
we know he's the guy, we know it's the talent.
Do you think stuff is over valued in terms of
video games? Putting stuff out, not practicing. I mean, when
(37:54):
I watch him play, he looks dialed into me. But
I are those legitimate concerns going forward for Cardinal fans.
Speaker 8 (38:01):
You know, I think he's a fierce competitor, I really do.
I think he's just a guy that's young and still
has not played a ton of football. You think about
you know in the offseason, he always played baseball in college.
Then he goes to the pros. He had a couple
good years and he gets hurt. So now he had
to sit out, and I think that time maybe it
bodes well for him because now he was able to
sit back and see what it takes to be a
real true pro. And I think the Cardinals aised it
(38:21):
to have to of those first round picks to be
able to get him a weapon like Marvin Harrison Junior,
to be able to get the rusher from Missouri, who
I know is a versatile player who can play inside
and out. I think they aisd it as well as
the two other teams who had two first round picks,
Minnesota and in Chicago.
Speaker 1 (38:34):
Were you surprised that Bears in their history took another receiver.
Speaker 8 (38:39):
I loved it because I thought there's nothing better for
a young quarterback than a great player like a Dunsa
And to me, I'm not saying he's Larry Fitzgerald, but
he has some of those traits. Great character, great leader,
he's got tremendous ball skills, great in a crowd, great
catching radius. I think they're all in and he's a
really good player.
Speaker 1 (38:56):
So Ryan Poles missed on a couple early receivers, Jones,
Chase Claypool. He's had a great six months. The Bears
have a defensive coach I was My prediction was Matt
Eberflus was gonna pound that table. Let's say, do you
think last night, I mean, you know you had offense
defensive coaches. Do you think Ebert Flues was pounding the
(39:17):
table because Poles is now, He's aced his O line
tackles the draft. You know Cole Komett's been a player.
DeAndre Swift they get there's been a lot of positive moves.
Do you think Chicago, do you think that nine pick
was settled on earlier or that eber Flus may have
been saying, I'm a d coach, I need to pass rush.
Speaker 8 (39:37):
I would think the coach eber Flues sort of was
smart enough to know, listen, if one of these three
receivers is here to pair with this quarterback, you can't
go wrong to me. Again, those top three receivers, they
everybody had them a little different ranked, but at the
end of the day, too valuable, too good of a player,
too solid. He's almost a can't miss in my opinion.
Speaker 1 (39:57):
Finally, Caleb Williams, any concern it all? You watched a
ton of him. I always say just go watch the
Arizona game. He'll put your because Arizona was in a
good football team. Anything that worries you about some of
his off script stuff, I.
Speaker 8 (40:11):
Just I think the simple part of the game. I
think again, when you have guys like him that can
do so many rare things physically, sometimes you take sort
of for granted the ability to play calm and poised
inside the system, not having to improvise so much, which
can create bad habits because of your skill set. And
for him, I think he just got to play smart.
(40:32):
He's got to play within the system, don't hold onto
the ball too long, get rid of it and live
to fight another day. But I think he is a
tremendous talent and he does some things that are very
very hard to imagine.
Speaker 1 (40:43):
Now you saw ma Homes on tape, yep, you saw him.
What do you make of that?
Speaker 8 (40:47):
Comp I think there's some similarities, especially the sort of
the the off platform throws, the ability of arm talent,
the freakish nature to get themselves out of trouble and
still make throws down the field. Just exceptional. And I
know Cliff had him both and he thinks are very similar.
Speaker 1 (41:06):
Some people worry Chicago's a big town. He is beautiful girlfriend,
big celebrity USC. I've argued he's the first NIL superstar.
We got to give him a little bit of a
pass on this jumps into the stands for mom, the
nail polished. What do you make of all that stuff?
Speaker 8 (41:23):
You know what I do to me in those situations,
particularly if I want to be the guy drafting him.
Don't overthink it. There's very few Caleb Williams walking this earth,
so don't overthink it. And if you're gonna miss, you're
gonna miss on the person, not the player. Really, you know,
I think if you're Gonnass, you're gonna miss because I
didn't love it enough. But that's not to me. After
talking to Cliff about him and the way Cliffs that
(41:44):
he's dialed in, the way he competes, the way he
wants to be better. He's a football junkie. I don't
have concerns.
Speaker 1 (41:50):
Yeah, he was all riled up last night. That was
so much fun to watch. That was great, Steve Kaime
see at dinner tonight. Absolutely all right,
Thanks for listening to The Herd podcast. Be sure to
catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio in
noon to three Eastern nine am to noone Pacific. Find
your local station for The Herd at Fox Sports Radio
dot com, or stream us live every day on the
iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
We do it every day at this time, every Monday,
at this time. Colin Wright or Colin was wrong, and
here we go where Colin was right. Doesn't matter how
well Lebron and ad play. They're not beating Denver. They've
lost nine straight because Denver starting five is too good
and too deep and too consistent. The Nuggets beat the
Lakers the same way every time they play. They'll be
(00:46):
spurts one, two or three, and Denver jet fuels it
for a ten to nothing run. And in the end
of the game, Jokic is just better. Plus, Lebron runs
out of gas at this point in his career, and
when he does, he gets sloppy. Jokic does not run
out of gas. Denver's a better team. And when I
suggested they may want to duck the Nuggets because of
the repercussions if they get swept again. That was on
(01:09):
display where Colin was rough. It's not that the Suns lost.
They were three to zero against the t Wolves in
the regular season. They weren't even competitive. It looked like
they were poorly constructed. I mean, Booker No showed what
happened to beal the t Wolves top to bottom, more
(01:30):
physical defensive lapses. KD gave you points, not much else.
I said, I'll take Phoenix in this series, but I mean,
after watching that game, I don't know if the Suns
are constructed. It also illustrates the difference between the regular
season and the postseason because that was a two hour
and thirty minute.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Mismatch where Colin was right.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
Dame time delivered. When the Bucks made that move, I said,
I love Drew Holliday, but it's the right move to
make because he is a Steph Curry level score from
the perimeter in Chris Middleton and Drew Holliday can't give
you that. I just wish the Bucks would let Dame
set the temple more than they allow him to set
the tempo. Thirty five points by a little guy and
(02:14):
a half is remarkable, and this is what he cre
I've said before, take out Steph Curry, you've got one
shot to win a game in the NBA. I would
choose Dame. I think he's that good. I think he's
a first ballot guy. If Steph Curry did not exist,
he would be the great small scorer arguably in the
(02:34):
last ten years.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
Where Colin was raw.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
Anthony Edwards, best player on the floor, took over things
for the Tea Wolves. I said Friday, I worry that
he's going to become Dominique Wilkins, dynamic, spectacular, but historically
overshadowed with all the great players around him and no titles.
But boy, he was something a lot of energy. We
know he's dynamic, we know he's hyper athletic, but verbal,
(03:02):
firing the crowd up, talking trash to KD, he looked
pretty good. He may have been the best player playing
basketball this weekend, where Colin was right three excellent, steady.
ESPN reporters reported on Bill Belichick. What we said is
that we didn't think he was going to get a
(03:22):
head coaching job because his inability to work well with others.
And we find out that that was Atlanta's primary concern
that Robert Kraft although not bearing him. Did talk to
Arthur Blank and say we didn't really trust him. He
was about Bill and doing what Bill wanted. He was not.
We discover a top three candidate for the Atlanta Falcons job.
(03:46):
And again, no matter how great you are, you can
rule with an iron fist when you're winning, but when
you're losing, you look outdated and difficult and fair or not.
That's how Bill Belichick is perceived today by owners and
general managers.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
Where Colin was raw.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
I never loved the James Harden move to the Clippers,
but he does lubricate that offense. And one of the
reasons I was skeptical is this franchise needs to win
in the playoffs and he is really disappointing at times
in the playoffs. But he had twenty points in the
first half and Dallas had no answer. He was the
best player on a floor. He was four for six
from three, and I mean that move to get James
(04:29):
Harden felt like it paid off. Yesterday.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
He was magnificent, where Colin was right.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
In my five bold NBA predictions last week, I had
the Lakers in and the Warriors out in the play
in games. The Warriors are two Steph Reliant. I think
Pods and Coaminga are excellent young players, but they're not
ready to help you in April and May and the
Warriors season ends after a brief play in experiment where.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
Colin was wrong.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
What's up with the Dodgers? Now we knew their bullpen
wasn't their straint, but they're three to seven in their
last ten. They've lost series to the Nats, the Padres,
and the Mets. Home runs no longer leading baseball run scored,
no longer leading baseball. It is a top heavy lineup.
(05:22):
Dave Roberts is a nice guy. Is he the guy
to lead a star filled roster? That's up for debate.
But the Dodgers for the last two weeks have been
a major disappointment.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
Where Colin was right.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
Caitlin Clark sold more Indiana Fever jerseys in one day
than the Dallas Cowboys sold last year for the entire team.
This is what I've said. It's no criticism of women's
college basketball. It will come back down to earth. She
is a Tiger Woods or an MJ For whatever reasons,
she galvanized the country. Every after she played, would lose
(06:01):
forty to sixty percent of the ratings. Women's college basketball
is much better than it was years ago, and it's
a quality sport that's getting better. But these numbers, these
merchandise sales. I do believe she will finally make the
WNBA a profitable league, which to this point it hasn't
(06:23):
been nothing against women's basketball, and it was nothing against golf.
But when a Tiger Woods rolls in or a Caitlin Clark,
they change everything. Where Colin was right set a year ago,
Clippers need to move off Kawhi Leonard. He's a great player,
but they didn't play him against Dallas and it was
one of the clippers great playoff performances. Ever, I don't
(06:46):
think he's foundational. He's nonverbal. He's not a leader. You
don't quite know what you're gonna get him or when
you're gonna get him again. I'm not doubting he could
add him as some icing to a really good cake.
He can't the cake, and he's out. Paul George Westbrook,
James harden Zubach look just fine hammering a very good
(07:10):
Dallas team. Where Colin's right, where Colin's wrong, plenty of both.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
On a Monday, be sure to catch live editions of
The Herd weekdays and noon eastern nine am Pacific on
Fox Sports Radio FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (07:26):
Here we Go, It is a Friday.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
What a night it was.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
NFL Draft, 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 freaking out
that an NFL team in a bad division now has
two good quarterbacks. Oh the shame. Should have drafted another linebacker,
(07:56):
a tight end, a right tackle. It's amazing what people
freak out about. J Mac. It's amazing that we see
you're not freaking out.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
Huh.
Speaker 1 (08:06):
If I'm a Falcons fan, I'm not feeling great this morning. Okay,
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
(08:31):
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
(08:52):
Kirk Cousins upset that they drafted Michael Pennix. Aaron Rogers
was upset when they drafted Jordan Love Farv was upset,
and 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
(09:14):
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
(09:37):
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, years ago,
(10:00):
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 this Achille surgery at
(10:21):
thirty six and he's less mobile? Does Panix look like
a horrible pick?
Speaker 4 (10:25):
Then?
Speaker 1 (10:27):
What if kirk Cousins gets hurt again? Sixty six quarterbacks,
sixty six quarterbacks played last year. It is the only
position worth over a point in the worst division in football.
(10:48):
Having the best backup in the league is a catastrophe.
This is else, something else. Nobody's talking about Kirk Cousins
and we think he was a good pickup, is going
to 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
(11:10):
many games to have a top ten to fifteen pick.
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
(11:31):
to watch Kirk Cousins win the division, probably lose first
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.
Speaker 2 (11:43):
You don't.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
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. You got teams in this league.
Joe Burrow's making a fortun He can't stay healthy, and
I love Joe Brook can't stay healthy four years in
a row, hurt. Dak's gonna make almost four hundred million
(12:06):
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. We saw last year the Minnesota
Vikings had to trade for a back up Josh Dobbs
(12:28):
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. I'm okay in the NFL for
a year, maybe overdrafting at quarterback Kirk Cousins. You liked
(12:53):
the pick they when they got Kirk Cousins, you liked it.
I liked it, and you like Michael Pennix. 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
(13:16):
it after.
Speaker 4 (13:17):
It was pretty simple for us.
Speaker 5 (13:20):
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 you
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, it poses itself tonight.
Speaker 1 (13:43):
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.
(14:05):
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
(14:29):
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
(14:49):
that within a year will pay you. You won't pay
into it all right. So Bonicks went to Denver. We
sort of called that.
Speaker 4 (14:57):
I like it.
Speaker 1 (14:58):
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 out well before the draft. JJ
McCarthy as the best quarterback I've seen. You know who
(15:21):
didn't buy it the league? The Giants need a quarterback. No,
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 Penix was, And everybody was selling you on McCarthy
(15:44):
and the league wasn't buying it, but four teams, including Atlanta,
wanted Pennix. Pennix throws a better deep ball. Pennix had
to carry lesser talent, so I got nothing against JJ McCarthy.
But his comp is Alex Smith, and Alex Smith was
as good as where he landed, all right, So JJ
(16:08):
McCarthy is going to succeed because of where 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,
(16:32):
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
(16:54):
too rich. I know two different teams last night that
tried to move up for brock Bowers. The Rams won
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.
(17:16):
So I think he's gonna succeed. I think it's gonna work.
And I think bo Nix, 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
(17:38):
people wanted you to 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 3 (17:58):
JJ was a guy 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,
there was a lot, a lot to really like about
JJ's tape, and that was before you know, he absolutely
(18:19):
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 (18:32):
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, though 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
(18:55):
fit in Minnesota. So by the way your Jets show
real mature 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
(19:19):
up 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,
(19:41):
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
(20:02):
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 4 (20:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (20:24):
Restraint from the Jets.
Speaker 6 (20:25):
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 the website just crazy.
Speaker 1 (20:47):
When Kirk Cousins goes down Week four, it won't look
so terrible.
Speaker 6 (20:50):
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 (21:02):
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 a
(21:26):
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
this year, the sixth best quarterback this year maybe better
(21:50):
than the second next year. That's the way the history
of the draft works.
Speaker 2 (21:53):
We'll see.
Speaker 1 (21:54):
But I have one final question on this.
Speaker 6 (21:56):
So what happens if Kirk Cousins coming off the Achilles
he's not one hundred percent, he's not ready to go
week one. Hey, we're just gonna rest and Michael Pennock
starts in week one, and Michael Pennox is great.
Speaker 1 (22:04):
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 6 (22:22):
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.
Speaker 1 (22:30):
You have zero. If Michael Penix has to start and
is great, you don't have any controversy, Say Kurt, 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 complain about taxes.
(22:50):
That's a great problem to have Michael Pennock start game
one in rolls. Wow, what a problem. You want to
know what problems look like. Who's throwing the brawl to
brock Bauer with the Raiders, that's problem.
Speaker 2 (23:02):
That's certainly a.
Speaker 1 (23:03):
Division with Reed justin Herbert and now Shawn's got his quarterback.
Speaker 2 (23:06):
So you got Falcons winning the division or six.
Speaker 1 (23:08):
Yes, Falcons are gonna win the division, I think going away.
Speaker 2 (23:12):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and noon eastern nine am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 7 (23:21):
Hey what's up everybody? It's me three time pro bowler
LeVar Arrington, and I couldn't be more excited to announce
a podcast called Up on Game?
Speaker 1 (23:30):
What is up on Game?
Speaker 7 (23:31):
You asked, along with my fellow pro bowler, TJ. Hutschman
Zada and Super Bowl champion. Yup, that's right, Plexico Burris,
you can only name a show with that type of
talent on it. Up on Game We're going to be
sharing our real life experiences loaded with teachable moments. Listen
to Up on Game with Me LeVar Arrington, TJ. Huschman, Zada,
(23:53):
and Plexico Burrs on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or
wherever you get your podcast fro.
Speaker 1 (24:02):
All right, somebody that was in ten of these war
rooms of the Arizona Cardinal probably more when he was
scouting Steve Kai, my buddy, former NFL GM for the
Arizona Cardinals from twenty thirteen to twenty twenty two. Patrick Peterson,
Honey Badger, Budda Baker Kider, Murray Kalais Campbell. So let's
start with Pennix. I said earlier, I'm never gonna bag
(24:25):
on you for drafting another shooter in the NBA or
being quarterback heavy in the NFL. People are sort of
outraged by it, and I'm like, Kirk's coming off of surgery, right,
did it bother you?
Speaker 4 (24:38):
Not at all?
Speaker 8 (24:39):
I actually love the pick again, like you just said
it Colin, thirty five year old quarterback coming off in Achilles,
and to me, Michael Pennox Junior was the best natural
pure passer.
Speaker 4 (24:49):
In this year.
Speaker 1 (24:50):
Told me that months ago.
Speaker 8 (24:51):
Smoonstroke, tremendous anticipation, great ball placement. I thought, again, you
can talk about the injuries all you want, which again
is forecasting. I can't fork all those injuries, but I
can tell you right now from a pure passing standpoint,
the guy's exceptional.
Speaker 1 (25:06):
What about the money, people say, you know, I said,
my bigger issue is Dak Prescott getting three hundred and
eighty million, not Kurt getting one to eighty. It's a
heavily front loaded contract. Does that mean probably listen after
a year, I would say year one is Kirk. But
what if a Thanksgiving Kirk goes down, has a bad stretch.
Would you go with Pennix?
Speaker 4 (25:26):
Absolutely?
Speaker 8 (25:27):
I mean, look at the money that the Denver is eating.
With Russell Wilson. I mean, there's business decisions that you
have to make. And again there's no better problem to
have than a young quarterback being successful.
Speaker 4 (25:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (25:38):
So now JJ McCarthy, I didn't love him. I think
he'll work in Minnesota. The Draft Illustrated that there wasn't
this wild scramble to move up. Even Minnesota moved up.
There were a lot of smoke screens in this draft. Yeah, Harbaugh,
best quarterback got to go number one. That's just Jim
wanting to create urgency so he can move down in
(26:00):
the end. Didn't the draft tell us that more people
like Pennix than JJ McCarthy.
Speaker 8 (26:06):
I don't think there's any question. I mean, to me,
it's just show you what the real market was. And
I think that that's the thing that you know, we
do as the media, We create some of these these
thought processes when in reality, you watch the tape and
the tape tells you what a player is. You know,
and to me, again just based on instincts in the
feel for the game, Michael Pennix Junior, as far as
the pure passing skills, was exceptional and really fits in
(26:26):
what the NFL is looking for. JJ McCarthy is a winner.
Though you can't you cannot hide from the fact that
he is a winner. He operates at the offense at
extreme high level. I know people talk about system quarterbacks.
To me, a system quarterback is a lot of guys
that operated at a high level and If JJ McCarthy
can do that at this level, which he played in
pro offense in college, I think he'll have a chance
to be a good player as well.
Speaker 6 (26:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (26:46):
I mean I went and looked at the draft previews
of JJ McCarthy several months ago. They all said at
this point game manager. Yes, none of Pennis has said that. Yeah,
there were concerns about him, but he was not viewed
as a game manager.
Speaker 3 (26:57):
He was.
Speaker 1 (26:57):
He was viewed as a great deep ball thrower. Concerns
about his underneath stuff. I always said, I'll take a quarterback.
I got to teach a drag route too, but you
can't make two have a great deep ball. I can't
teach that. Yeah, bo knicks at twelve.
Speaker 4 (27:11):
Now.
Speaker 1 (27:14):
I don't know what the comp is, but I tend
to think with Sean Payton it will work.
Speaker 4 (27:19):
Yeap.
Speaker 1 (27:20):
What do you think on me?
Speaker 8 (27:21):
No, I think he went to the perfect place, just
like JJ McCarthy. I think he went to the perfect offense,
you know, with a great play caller. I think Sean
will put him in a position to succeed. You know,
the kid has tremendous leadership skills. He's another guy who's
a football junkie. Dad was a football coach, was also
a quarterback. I think sometimes when we get on bow
Knicks because some of his struggles previously at Auburn, which
(27:41):
I think is hard to do. Look when you look
at the second round, second pick in the draft, Jade
and Daniels, who did not play particularly well at Arizona
State of Times. So both of those guys got to
better football programs, got coached in a way where they
could improve their game and really help their stock.
Speaker 1 (27:56):
I remember this about bo Nicks. He was a freshman
at Auburn again, came in with Justin Herbert and they
were favored to be Auburn, and bo Nicks as a freshman,
had the game winning drive late. Yeah, and I remember thinking,
you know, at the time, I'm like, who's bow Knicks.
In fact, I was mad. I said, Oregon, you can't
lose to a freshman, right. So Bo Nicks was a
(28:17):
highly touted guy who, by the way, I think there's
value in transferring better program, better players and flourishing, and
that's what he did.
Speaker 8 (28:25):
Yeah, there's no doubt I don't love the portal, But
at the same time, some of those opportunities that we've
seen like you Gylick bow Knicks.
Speaker 4 (28:31):
I think it certainly is paid off.
Speaker 1 (28:33):
People are very critical of Buffalo moving back now first
pick in the second round. They have all day and
all night to negotiate. It didn't bother me your take
on wide receivers their needs moving back.
Speaker 8 (28:50):
Yeah, I mean I always love the top of two anyways,
you know, because you always have that time, as you
talked about, to really judge what's left on the board.
Sometimes there are guys that maybe slipped out of the
first round the should have been first round picks. Uh,
and certainly a lot of good players. I mean, who's
to say Lad McConkie's not going to be better than
Xavier Worthy. That may he may be when it's all
said and done. But you know, I think the probably
(29:10):
the biggest thing that I would have to concern is,
here is a chase, a team that you're chasing in
the Bills, chasing the Chiefs, and it's almost like a
mind trick a little bit that they're trading with the
team that they're chasing, you know. And and and I'm
not to say not to say that the Bill shouldn't
have stood pat and took Xavier Worthy, but but you know,
the Kansas City Chiefs had already gotten Hollywood Brown, who's
(29:31):
a very similar player in the off season. So another
speed guy, another undersized, sort of lean, linear guy. You know,
Worthy reminds me a little bit of Seaun Jackson coming
out of.
Speaker 1 (29:40):
Cow Okay, there you go. So that's your com because
to me is a track guy that's a bit small.
I do worry sometimes if those guys can get off
the line injuries that you like Worthy?
Speaker 8 (29:49):
Yeah, you know again, I think, you know, for for
what it's worth. You know, he's a speed guy that's
gonna uncover and create big time plays down the field. Now,
the biggest difference is is can he get gritty? Can
he play between the half? That's the real question.
Speaker 1 (30:01):
So the Bronck Bowers pick is interesting. So outside a receiver,
the number one miss first round position is tight end.
Bowers is exceptional. Yes, the Raiders needed a quarterback, instead
of moving up, they went tight end. Are you he's good?
But that's not generally a position of need, or is it.
Speaker 8 (30:22):
I think if you have a game changer, it can be,
you know, particularly for a team like the Raiders.
Speaker 4 (30:27):
Who took the best player available is really what they
did you know.
Speaker 8 (30:30):
I know that the Raiders were disappointed because I know
they wanted Jayden Daniels, and I know they also would
have taken Michael Pennox Junior if he.
Speaker 4 (30:36):
Would have fell.
Speaker 1 (30:36):
Yeah, you heard that too.
Speaker 8 (30:37):
Yeah, So their inability to get up to get Penix
probably as a real head scratcher, yet at the same
time to be able to take a guy like Brock Bowers.
You know, if you're playing with a mediocre quarterback or
a guy who's average at best, there's nothing like having
a guy like Brock Bowers to help that quarterback play.
Speaker 1 (30:53):
You hosted the show last night with Jay Laser, LeVar
Rob Stone, the Fox Sports Radio Draft Show last night.
When you're in I've only been in the draft room
one time. You know, you go through I am sure
five or six run throughs on this. Do you ever
get a caught off guard? Are like, when these situations happened,
(31:13):
we tend to think everything's thought out, but we're I mean,
Atlanta takes Penix. Yes, Did you ever have a sense
of stuff that was going to happen or were you
ever truly surprised? Well?
Speaker 4 (31:25):
There, I mean I generally felt like I kind of
had a feel for it.
Speaker 8 (31:29):
Yet at the same time, there was one year I
think I was picking nineteen or eighteen, and I'll never.
Speaker 4 (31:35):
Forget there were four players that I coveted.
Speaker 8 (31:36):
I mean I really really wanted bad and then at
nineteen those four players were still there at like fifteen,
so I think, okay, we got a chance to get
one of them. All four of those players went right
before I picked all of them, And you want to
talk about a sick feeling. So I'm sitting there. Matter
of fact, I was picking a twenty, and then we
traded back with the Saints. We took Damn Buchanan, who
(31:57):
ended up having a decent career early on, and then
we took John Brown with the third round pick that
we you know, acquired from that trade, who was a
good receiver for some time.
Speaker 1 (32:05):
Yeah, you could see when Jacksonville moved back yesterday, they
wanted Brian Thomas because Ridley left, and you could see
they were praying Pittsburgh didn't take him. And Pittsburgh has
a history of landing quarterbacks, so Jade and Daniels goes too,
So I thought that was the pick. Did you at too?
Speaker 4 (32:24):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (32:25):
Why over Drake.
Speaker 8 (32:26):
May Well, you know, I knew Cliff really liked him,
and to me, Drake May was a guy that was
in that number two spot the whole offseason until sort
of the lead up to the draft. I think that
that Drake May maybe didn't have as good an offseason
in terms of the workouts, the measurables and all those
different things. I felt like he was a little careless
with the football, you know, sort of turning the ball over.
(32:47):
And I don't think he took the Carolina program to
a higher level that he should have for being a
top notch quarterback. And I thought Jade Daniels played it
just flawless his senior year at LSU.
Speaker 1 (32:56):
Yeah, the you know, it's funny about quarterbacks. Where they
land matters a lot. I thought there was an argument
to be made for New England to get the roster
right and then go get a free agent quarterback next year.
The ghost of Brady still hangs over that franchise. They
go get Drake May with a weak roster, and also
(33:19):
he's the least refined of these guys. Does that worry you?
Speaker 8 (33:24):
Yeah, you know there's something about Drake May that's just
sort of reminded me of guy like Kyle Boehler coming
out of cow or even like Blaine Gabber come out
of Missouri. How's all the physical attributes looks the part
is a very very smart guy, good good, good upside.
Yet at the same time, is it there? Does he
have it right? And to me, with the quarterbacks, if
you don't have that factor, it's gonna be hard to
(33:46):
be successful in this league.
Speaker 1 (33:47):
And you knew it with Kyler immediately when you got it.
Speaker 8 (33:49):
Yeah, I felt like I felt like just Kyler was
just a baller. You know, he just had that sort
of confidence that he was the best on the field
at all times.
Speaker 1 (33:55):
All Right, Steve Kaim joining us for our radio audience.
So when you look, so now you have time in
your Buffalo and you're sort of sizing everything up in Buffalo.
Does need a receiver? Washington Huskies still have two texts.
I would argue a d Mitchell. Many people like him
over worthy at Texas. There's receivers everywhere in this draft.
(34:17):
Do you think Buffalo with the first pick is getting
calls this morning to move back?
Speaker 8 (34:22):
Well, I don't think there's any question. You know, generally,
and I've had the first pick in the second round,
that pick is highly coveted, and we're talking about probably
anywhere from I'm guessing Colin six to eight teams are
probably calling to try to get up to that spot
because there are still guys on some people's boards that
are top fifteen picks for them. You know, a few
years ago I traded up in the high in the
second round for a Buddha Baker, who was a safety
(34:43):
out of Washington that I loved and I had a
first round grade on him. So I traded up to
the very top of the second round, was able to
acquire Buddha and the rest history. I think he's been
to five or six Pro Bowls.
Speaker 1 (34:52):
Yeah, So, you know, it is funny how people are viewed.
Do you follow any of the draft stuff and the
experts you're watching all this stuff, because listen, I think
most of the time, you know, the draft people are
mostly onto it. Obviously, Pennix was much more highly thought
of than McCarthy, that's pretty clear. But by and large,
(35:17):
did you ever have a moment in the draft when
you well you just said this that you thought you
may have been on an island with a player like
everybody liked Booted to some degree, it was another player
safeties don't usually go in the first round. Kyle Hamilton did.
That's right, But do you do you ever feel and
second guess yourself thinking, you know, I like this guy
and nobody liked none of these draft previews? Did you
(35:38):
rely on scouts your intuition? What is Buffalo doing right now?
Speaker 8 (35:42):
You know, I was hoping that the scouts would would
just sort of drive guys up to me that that
they liked, that maybe even were And you know, as
as a general manager, you want people to be emphatic
about their opinion. You don't want them to just get
with the herd and just do what everybody else has
no pun intended to do what everybody else is doing.
You want people to have their own original opinions. And
that's what you get is a scout. But you know,
for me, I always relied on my gut, my instincts,
(36:04):
you know, which was with the big part of it.
You have to do that as an evaluator and listen,
I mean, the best quarterback in the game early in
the draft process was not thought of as a top
fifteen pick. Patrick Mahomes early on was thought to go
in the second round. Texas Tech had some poor Habits
was not always mechanically sound, and there were some questions
about him. I throw on the tape and I'm like,
(36:26):
this guy's going top ten. There's no doubt it's good.
Eventually the right people are going to see him on
tape and he's going to climb the ranks, and he
obviously did and Kansas City traded up for him and
the rest is history.
Speaker 1 (36:35):
Well, we talked about this yesterday. Josh Allen was the
third pick, justin Herbert. A lot of people like too
of more than him. Is there anything with all these
team drafting quarterbacks? The sizes are different, the shapes are different,
the arm talent is different. Is there anything with quarterback?
What Washington, New England, Minnesota, Denver? Like, I think Chicago
(36:56):
got the best quarterback. Do you believe that Caleb Williams
in terms of power and in this jet fuel? Was
there ever in your career? Was there something that there's
a through line where you're like, all quarterbacks at some
point have this or does that not exist? No?
Speaker 8 (37:12):
I don't think it exists. I think they're all so different.
And again, the mental makeup is a real big part
of it, obviously, and that's the hardest part to read.
I mean, we can judge the skill sets, the arm,
the throwing motion, all those physical traits that we all
fall in love with. The hardest part is to read
is the heart and the mind, and there the two
toughest things to do and probably the most critical things
to do, particularly at that position.
Speaker 1 (37:32):
So I think Arizona has a chance with eleven picks
starting yesterday, to in the first to come out the
most improved team. I ran into Kyler at a UFC fight.
We chatted, got along great. There are some concerns, like,
we know he's the guy, we know it's the talent.
Do you think stuff is over valued in terms of
video games? Putting stuff out, not practicing. I mean, when
(37:54):
I watch him play, he looks dialed into me. But
I are those legitimate concerns going forward for Cardinal fans.
Speaker 8 (38:01):
You know, I think he's a fierce competitor, I really do.
I think he's just a guy that's young and still
has not played a ton of football. You think about
you know in the offseason, he always played baseball in college.
Then he goes to the pros. He had a couple
good years and he gets hurt. So now he had
to sit out, and I think that time maybe it
bodes well for him because now he was able to
sit back and see what it takes to be a
real true pro. And I think the Cardinals aised it
(38:21):
to have to of those first round picks to be
able to get him a weapon like Marvin Harrison Junior,
to be able to get the rusher from Missouri, who
I know is a versatile player who can play inside
and out. I think they aisd it as well as
the two other teams who had two first round picks,
Minnesota and in Chicago.
Speaker 1 (38:34):
Were you surprised that Bears in their history took another receiver.
Speaker 8 (38:39):
I loved it because I thought there's nothing better for
a young quarterback than a great player like a Dunsa
And to me, I'm not saying he's Larry Fitzgerald, but
he has some of those traits. Great character, great leader,
he's got tremendous ball skills, great in a crowd, great
catching radius. I think they're all in and he's a
really good player.
Speaker 1 (38:56):
So Ryan Poles missed on a couple early receivers, Jones,
Chase Claypool. He's had a great six months. The Bears
have a defensive coach I was My prediction was Matt
Eberflus was gonna pound that table. Let's say, do you
think last night, I mean, you know you had offense
defensive coaches. Do you think Ebert Flues was pounding the
(39:17):
table because Poles is now, He's aced his O line
tackles the draft. You know Cole Komett's been a player.
DeAndre Swift they get there's been a lot of positive moves.
Do you think Chicago, do you think that nine pick
was settled on earlier or that eber Flus may have
been saying, I'm a d coach, I need to pass rush.
Speaker 8 (39:37):
I would think the coach eber Flues sort of was
smart enough to know, listen, if one of these three
receivers is here to pair with this quarterback, you can't
go wrong to me. Again, those top three receivers, they
everybody had them a little different ranked, but at the
end of the day, too valuable, too good of a player,
too solid. He's almost a can't miss in my opinion.
Speaker 1 (39:57):
Finally, Caleb Williams, any concern it all? You watched a
ton of him. I always say just go watch the
Arizona game. He'll put your because Arizona was in a
good football team. Anything that worries you about some of
his off script stuff, I.
Speaker 8 (40:11):
Just I think the simple part of the game. I
think again, when you have guys like him that can
do so many rare things physically, sometimes you take sort
of for granted the ability to play calm and poised
inside the system, not having to improvise so much, which
can create bad habits because of your skill set. And
for him, I think he just got to play smart.
(40:32):
He's got to play within the system, don't hold onto
the ball too long, get rid of it and live
to fight another day. But I think he is a
tremendous talent and he does some things that are very
very hard to imagine.
Speaker 1 (40:43):
Now you saw ma Homes on tape, yep, you saw him.
What do you make of that?
Speaker 8 (40:47):
Comp I think there's some similarities, especially the sort of
the the off platform throws, the ability of arm talent,
the freakish nature to get themselves out of trouble and
still make throws down the field. Just exceptional. And I
know Cliff had him both and he thinks are very similar.
Speaker 1 (41:06):
Some people worry Chicago's a big town. He is beautiful girlfriend,
big celebrity USC. I've argued he's the first NIL superstar.
We got to give him a little bit of a
pass on this jumps into the stands for mom, the
nail polished. What do you make of all that stuff?
Speaker 8 (41:23):
You know what I do to me in those situations,
particularly if I want to be the guy drafting him.
Don't overthink it. There's very few Caleb Williams walking this earth,
so don't overthink it. And if you're gonna miss, you're
gonna miss on the person, not the player. Really, you know,
I think if you're Gonnass, you're gonna miss because I
didn't love it enough. But that's not to me. After
talking to Cliff about him and the way Cliffs that
(41:44):
he's dialed in, the way he competes, the way he
wants to be better. He's a football junkie. I don't
have concerns.
Speaker 1 (41:50):
Yeah, he was all riled up last night. That was
so much fun to watch. That was great, Steve Kaime
see at dinner tonight. Absolutely all right,
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