July 18, 2025 • 40 mins
Colin reacts to the Steelers making TJ Watt the highest paid non-QB in the entire NFL and while he likes Watt as a player he has major questions about the direction of the franchise as whole.
He believes LeBron James is seriously considering retirement and this being his final season in the NBA for 2 major reasons
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
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Speaker 2 (00:21):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
Well, here we go. It is a Friday news breaking.
It is great to be here.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
We are live and it is the Herd.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
Wherever you may be and however you may be listening,
Always appreciate you stopping by.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
J Matt.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
You know what, after some time off, you and I
got back in the saddle and there there is Actually
there's been a lot going on this week and we've
got a little story that broke yesterday, which is good
for us, and it's something we've been banging on. I've
been banging on the show for about six months. They
hate me in Pittsburgh and once again they're not gonna
like what I'm gonna say here.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
Good Friday to you. You ready to go?
Speaker 4 (01:01):
Yeah, let's rock and roll?
Speaker 3 (01:03):
Okay? So TJ.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
Watt after our show yesterday, who's a great player. He's
an absolutely great player. There's no disputing that deserves the money.
Happy for him, three year deal, one hundred and twenty
three million dollar extension. So this goes back to great player,
deserves the money. I don't question the player. I question
the direction of the Pittsburgh Steelers. It's like I don't
(01:28):
question the power and the brilliance and the influence of Meta.
I question the direction of metaverse. Are we all so
miserable with our lives we're going to be wearing headsets
around all day. It's not the technology, it's the application
of the technology with Meta. And that's how I feel
about Pittsburgh. It's not the talent of JJ Watt, it's
how they prioritize defense. And frankly, their defense isn't that good.
(01:52):
It's four straight years it's been out of the top
ten in total defense. If you go to the talk playoffs,
because that's all that matters in this sport. January, if
you go look at the last five playoff games in
the Pittsburgh Steelers, they've given up twenty eight to thirty one,
forty two, forty eight and forty five. They give up
forty points a game, so like they're spending all this
money on the wrong side of the ball and they're
(02:13):
not dominant. Well, they've gotten better on defense and they've
gotten worse on offense because the league's changed. They are
completely disfunctional on offense. Last year, this is hard to do.
With the talent they had, it was hard to do.
They were twenty ninth in the red zone. How they
good play Rogie Harris Pickens, Russell Wilson one of the
(02:38):
best young centers in the league. They were twenty ninth
in the red zone. They were twenty seventh best offensive line.
It's almost impossible. So when I look at Pittsburgh, my
tickets don't hate the player, hate the direction, hate what
they prioritized.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
Why can't they watch.
Speaker 1 (02:54):
The Rams and the Niners and the Lions and the
Chiefs and the Eagles and the Bills. Your defense cheap
and young. Pay one great defensive player. I'd be all
for paying JJ Watt this if the rest of your
cap was on offense and you had an elite quarterback,
(03:16):
an elite left tackle, and an elite running back. The
Steelers need a more balanced football diet. The league went
into ProTem and they're all carbs, and what is their answer?
I keep hearing, well, they're all in and their answer
to their offensive woes forty year old Aaron Rodgers, who
is like sort of committed in the offseason. He's their ozembic.
(03:39):
He's going to solve everything. He's going to solve their
unbalanced diet. So again, it's not TJ.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
Watt.
Speaker 1 (03:46):
Look around at the winning his teams here, Detroit's on fire, Buffalo,
Kansas City, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Rams, they're key. They're giving
up defensive players. And again I've talked to multiple on this.
Pay for a TJ. Watt, pay for a Chris Jones,
pay eventually for a Jaredverse, pay for the Max Crosby.
(04:10):
But then you got to just stay young and stay
cheap at safety and corner and linebacker. So you can
pay a left tackle top of the market, quarterback top
of the market, center top of the market, two weapons
top of the market. But it's not the player. Eric
Man Jenny talked about it this week. It's not that
the player is not worth the money.
Speaker 5 (04:31):
I'm not sure if I would take the tjwat calls
or not, especially if I'm Pittsburgh and I'm Pittsburgh this season.
It's not like they're loaded up offensively, and that's going
to be able to carry the day. When you look
at TJ. Watt, he said a little over thirty sacks
between the last two seasons. Every single game you have
(04:51):
to conform every single game. He's the guy that offensively
you go into the room and say, look, this player
can ruin the game for us.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
It's not the player, it's the prioritization of the defensive
side of the ball as the league has moved to
offense all the rules.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
It's not anti TJ. Watt.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
He is worth the money. I think he leaves the
NFL in sacks last five years. So and how does
this play to the next story the Dallas Cowboys. Next
up is Michah Parsons. So the Cowboys tend to wait
and wait and wait. So now Dallas is trapped, and
so TJ. Watt. If you go look at the last
two years of TJ Wat's production, he is better than
(05:36):
Michah parsons last two years of production. But it's kind
of close. If I was Micah Parsons and I was MICHAEH.
Parsons agent, I'd want eighty five percent, I mean of
TJ Watt.
Speaker 3 (05:50):
TJ.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
Watt's got thirty sacks. I got twenty six. He got
sixty three quarterback kids. I got fifty six. Mike has
got more pressures. So again, he and his agent have
an argument. If TJ. Wat's getting forty one million, Mike
has got to get thirty seven, thirty seven and a
half thirty eight. He's also four years younger. So to me,
(06:11):
and I've said this before, there's only one or two
players per roster that you know very early their stars.
And it's usually like quarterback, left tackle, edge rusher, maybe
a great weapon. And then there's players like Josh Allen
of Buffalo, Patrick Surtan of Denver, Jalen Carter of Philadelphia.
I would call them all pro plus players. Those are
(06:34):
generational players. You pay them early. You pay Jalen Carter early.
Rams are going to have this with Jared Verse. Pay
him a year early. You may have one a roster
on that. Well, the Cowboys are going to pay Dak
top of the market, ceedee lamb top of the market.
Speaker 3 (06:49):
They already are.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
Now they're going to have Mike at top of the market.
And so do I think Michael Parsons is worth that?
Speaker 3 (06:55):
No, I don't.
Speaker 1 (06:56):
But Dallas is trapped because Jerry has too much influence
on the draft. They haven't drafted particularly well, and the
Cowboys roster is so top heavy and so ordinary that
whereas Philadelphia can move off stars and the Rams can
move off stars, Dallas can't. Rams can move off Jalen
Ramsey in his prime, Aaron Donald can retire two years later.
(07:18):
The defensive line's better. So when you draft like Kansas
City or like a Baltimore or like a Philadelphia, you
can move off players, you don't get trapped. I mean,
Dallas almost can't afford not to can't afford Michael Parsons.
Speaker 3 (07:35):
I mean, that's where they're at.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
So it's and this is every business, including the one
I work for, is that you know, the better job
you do at paying the right people the right money,
you have more flexibility. And so like the Eagles, the Chiefs,
the Rams, the Ravens have incredible flexibility. They move off
(07:58):
great players regularly. The Chiefs move off Tyreek Hill Snead
the corner. Rams move off Jalen Ramsey. They can move
off probably a year later than they wanted to. Cooper
cup Ernest Jones, the inside linebacker, was a great play
they can move off guys because they draft well. Dallas
doesn't draft exceptionally well and they get trapped. So the
deeper the roster, the more flexibility the company has. And
(08:21):
let me just throw this out there. Go look at
the last five general managers to win Super Bowls? Do
you think it's a coincidence? Howie Roseman considered the best
Brett Veach argument, second best, Less need Rams, Jason light
who I've talked about for years.
Speaker 3 (08:38):
Bucks.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
You're looking right there at four of the top probably
six general managers in the sport. John Snyder or the
Seahawks is way up there. So the better GM, the
better the scouting department, the better you draft, the more
flexibility you have to move off players. I do think
there's about thirty guys in the league tops.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
That you just pay for him.
Speaker 1 (09:03):
Miles Garrett, Max Crosby, seven quarterbacks, six left tackle, you
just pay for him.
Speaker 3 (09:09):
I don't think Mike is one of those.
Speaker 1 (09:11):
But you get to a point now, because they've drafted
so with such mediocrity, did you have to overpavor Dack,
Ceedee Lamb and Micah You're.
Speaker 3 (09:23):
Kind of trapped. Here's Micah this week on his contract talks.
Speaker 6 (09:27):
I was finna get mine no matter what. You know
what I mean, Like the markets change every year. The
Sallyar cat went up like another eighteen percent this year.
They numbers got nothing to do with mine and my
numbers at nine gotta do it. I'm like, I'm younger Henderson.
I mean, Hutchington is coming off with injury. Like, everyone's
circumstances is completely different. Hutch is coming off his third year.
(09:47):
Usually guys week four years, so it just all depends why.
I mean, he's up there with Myles, So you know,
it's different. Everyone's circumstances different.
Speaker 3 (09:57):
If TJ.
Speaker 1 (09:58):
Watt gets forty one, I'm the agent for Micah Parsons,
I want thirty seven and a half. I want thirty eight,
And that gives the Cowboys three players at the top
of the market. Not great, but I kind of think
they're trapped, all right. J Mac Football Talk ready to roll.
Speaker 7 (10:17):
Wait, it sounded like you think Michaeh. Parsons will be
okay with thirty eight when TJ. Watt got forty one.
There's no world where Michael Parsons isn't demanding to be
the highest paid. He's gonna want all the money and
I think Dallas is gonna have to give it to
him call.
Speaker 4 (10:32):
They don't have a choice. They mess this up.
Speaker 1 (10:36):
Yeah, I mean, you look at the highest paid non
quarterbacks in the league. I don't have a lot of trouble.
I mean, again, take out the teams.
Speaker 3 (10:46):
I don't. TJ.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
Watt leaves the NFL in sacks last five years, Jamar
Chase arguably first second best receiver, Miles Garrett is a
generational all time talent. Max Crosby I think is unbelievable.
Justin Jefferson's probably the best weapon in the league. I
don't have a problem with these. I don't think in
my opinion, Micah is not in TJ. Watt, Jamar Chase,
Miles Garrett, Max Crosby, Justin Jefferson's class, and I think
(11:10):
he's more of a splash player.
Speaker 7 (11:11):
I think he probably is. But Colin, I'm just curious.
Let's look at those six names. Let's tally up the
playoff wins last year.
Speaker 4 (11:17):
TJ.
Speaker 7 (11:17):
Watt zero, Jamar Ches did not make it, Garrett did
not make it, Hunter they got the win over the Chargers,
Max Crosby and the Raiders did not make the playoffs,
and Justin Jefferson.
Speaker 4 (11:29):
You know, yeah, it did not work out great for
them in the postseason. So I don't know if it translates.
Speaker 7 (11:35):
And I know it sounds too cold world to just
say I'm not doing that, but I keep going back
to that Devin Booker deal in the NBA, Like I
thought it was a horrible deal.
Speaker 4 (11:43):
I think this TJ. Watt deals horrible. It just doesn't
make sense.
Speaker 3 (11:47):
You're not well. I do think.
Speaker 1 (11:50):
I do think you can't have a league where you
just play the quarter You just pay a quarterback, right,
we all know you pay the top quarterback. I do
think there are positions that are important. For instance, I
would never pay a corner. I mean, if you look
at the positions, it's linebacker, edge receiver, edge edge, edge receiver.
Those are the right positions to pay. I think there's
(12:12):
six positions in the NFL I'm going to pay. We
all know this. First of all, coach doesn't work against
my cap. I'll I'll pay Jim Harball whatever he wants.
But I think quarterback, left tackle one weapon one to
two players defensively in the box. So if I had
Jalen Carter and an edge rusher, I'd probably pay both
(12:32):
in the secondary. I am a huge believer linebackers and secondary.
You should draft a corner every year. I want them cheap.
I want my safeties. My corner's young, because remember, defensive
players you know this, get hurt statistically more than offensive players.
When players get hurt, you want them back on the
field fast as possible. Well, who recuperates and recovers faster?
(12:56):
Players under twenty seven, not players twenty eight and older.
I want my defense, which gets hurt a lot, young, rotational, twitchy,
and recovering quickly from injury.
Speaker 7 (13:06):
To my point on the wide receiver bubble, Colin, tell
me the best wide receiver in the AFC Championship game
last year between the Buffalo.
Speaker 4 (13:12):
Bills and Kansas City Chiefs. It just wasn't one. Don Greglin,
Eagles have two good ones. I'll give them that.
Speaker 7 (13:18):
Washington Terry McLaurin like, you could pay your receivers, that's fine,
but just know that they're not the guy that's going
to get you over the top.
Speaker 4 (13:25):
You need a balanced deep.
Speaker 7 (13:27):
Roster, which is, as you said earlier, what the great
gms are doing. I think that's the smart way to
build a team as opposed to just hey, let's make
him highest feat Don Quarterback.
Speaker 1 (13:36):
All Right, huge UFC weekend, Dana White's going to be
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Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
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Speaker 3 (14:22):
Dana w top A. Next hour A huge, huge fight
this weekend of the UFC arguably one of the biggest
of the year. It's going to be a great Saturday
night for UFC. I can't wait.
Speaker 1 (14:34):
So all week long, off Vaca, I've been saying, don't
listen to this Lebron James stuff. He's got a no
trade clause. You're not going anywhere, at least not now
bread crumbs becomes headlines.
Speaker 3 (14:46):
It's all nonsense.
Speaker 1 (14:48):
Here's something though, I do believe, and I believe it strongly,
Clutch sports or clutch points. There's an article today that
says people around the NBA believe Lebron is going to
announce he's retiring after the twenty twenty five season, and
that may not be a year away. That he may
(15:08):
announce this is his last season. And I do buy
that for two reasons. Primarily Number one, Clearly, the Lakers
feel Luca is the future. Lebron knows it. Luca knows it,
everybody in the organization knows it. Even when AD was
dominant and in his prime, it was still Lebron's team
in La. It was still Lebron was the playmaker. He
(15:31):
was sort of the shoulders up leader of the team,
guiding them in timeouts, player coach. It was Lebron's team
even when AD was dominant in the COVID year, and
Lebron for twenty three years has been the number one
priority of every organization and almost oh is the best player,
I would say the best player, and now he's not.
(15:53):
This year, he's not going to be the best player.
Luca in shape will be the best player. Lebron also
knows the new owners are not going to get backed
into a corner and bully. These new owners moved off
Cody Bellinger, Corey Seeger, Max Schurzer, Manny Machado. They could
have had Manny Machado to a long deal. He goes
to their arrival to Padres and is an all star.
He's an incredible player. Let him walk, Zach Grinky, let
(16:16):
him walk.
Speaker 3 (16:17):
They do this.
Speaker 1 (16:18):
They'll pay for Otani in his prime. They'll pay for
Mookie Benson his prime or Freddie Freeman in his prime. Okay,
they're not. They're not gonna hang around and pay a fortune.
Here's the other thing the new CBA. Lebron's too expensive
and too old for a guy that won't and you
(16:38):
can't build a round the smart teams now, the smart
gms are getting four and five years ahead on this thing.
Nobody's paying the luxury tax anymore, and everything with Lebron
operates in the near term. Nobody operates like that now
that knows what they're doing. So Lebron's just the latest
casualty of the new CBA.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
People aren't going to.
Speaker 1 (16:59):
Blow through the luxury like Joe lacub did for years
in the Warriors dynasty. That is over and it's not
his play. He's a top ten twelve guy on any night.
His play is remarkable, but he is now hard to sign.
He's an old, expensive guy who doesn't want to give you.
I mean he's I mean, I'm sure he'd take a
four or five year deal. Now he shouldn't pay him that.
(17:20):
So the best gms are not going to want a
part of what Lebron's become. You know, It's like Lebron's
a little bit like those tight fitting skinny jeans. They
can still look good on people, but it's not the
current fashion right, little out of style, little out of fashion.
Speaker 3 (17:35):
So it's not his play.
Speaker 1 (17:36):
But I can see Lebron looking at it, thinking, if
you've been the number one priority and had control for
twenty three years, Michael Jordan didn't have control for twenty
three years.
Speaker 3 (17:48):
They told him is the last dance. Okay.
Speaker 1 (17:51):
Lebron's arguably the only player in NBA history control beginning
to end. The minute he was dry that point forward,
he had a lot of control in the minute. He
didn't get it in Miami or didn't feel like he
was going to get it with pat Riley. He took
it back and went to Cleveland, And so now two
things are happening. He's not going to be the best
player this year because Luca's in shape and will probably
(18:13):
average thirty a game. Still won't play defense, but all
average thirty a game, and lucas the priority. So Lebron's
always been the best player on any given night, and
Lebron's always been the priority.
Speaker 3 (18:25):
He's not.
Speaker 1 (18:25):
Danoki yesterday talked about Lebron the Lakers in the future.
Speaker 9 (18:30):
The order of operations here would have to be a
request from Lebron James. I don't believe the Lakers are
going to come to Lebron James with a trade and say,
this is what we want, will you accept it?
Speaker 1 (18:45):
Right?
Speaker 9 (18:45):
I think it would have to be the other way around.
I mean, I think the Lakers are very comfortable, you know,
being in this stage of the Lebron James business, despite
sort of the inherent uncomfortabilities of it, particularly the win
now pressure that his presence has put on the organization
since really the day he signed for this last chapter
of his career.
Speaker 1 (19:06):
I honestly believe they went and got DeAndre Ayton because
deep down, they know it's the last year Lebron's going
to be a Laker, and they wanted to give him
a shot. DeAndre Ayton's not a perfect fit. Powdy Moody
won't defend, but Luca reeves DeAndre Ayton Lebron James at
least to the trading deadline. It feels big, it sounds interesting,
(19:27):
it sounds offensively elite, and.
Speaker 3 (19:29):
It will be.
Speaker 1 (19:31):
It's not gonna be as good as Houston or Denver
or Oklahoma City or I think Dallas potentially, but it'll
be good. And I think the owners are saying, listen,
let's keep it to ourselves. Let's give him one last
great run his last year in LA. Let's get because
he's still a great player. Let's get everything out of it.
(19:51):
And at the trade deadline, if it's not working and
Ayden's moody and you know, and Lebron you can see
his age. I doubt it, but you could see his
a then we'll make a move. But for the time being,
I do think it's on the table for Lebron before
the end of next season to announce, Yeah, this is it,
this is gonna be it.
Speaker 3 (20:11):
Jmack with a News no news.
Speaker 2 (20:15):
This is the herd line news.
Speaker 4 (20:18):
As you said, we've had a big weekend news.
Speaker 7 (20:20):
And Damian Lillard kind of shocked everybody yesterday Colin by
announcing that he's signing with the Portland Trailblazers.
Speaker 4 (20:28):
What three years, forty two million dollars.
Speaker 7 (20:31):
Now, he popped his achilles during the playoffs, so he
will not play next season.
Speaker 4 (20:36):
Okay, but the deal bizarrely includes.
Speaker 7 (20:39):
A player option for twenty seven twenty eight and a.
Speaker 4 (20:42):
No trade clause.
Speaker 7 (20:43):
So the two guys with the no trade clause in
the league are Lebron who's forty, and now Damian Lillard
coming off in achilles. Listen, I get it. Damian Lillard
is cleaning up in this deal. He's going to make
about seventy million dollars between the Blazers and Bucks next season.
That's absurd for a guy out of his age with
the injury, but.
Speaker 4 (21:03):
Happy for Dame. Here's what I don't get, Colin. What
is Portland doing?
Speaker 3 (21:08):
Well?
Speaker 4 (21:08):
What is the game plan? Why would you do this deal?
Speaker 3 (21:11):
You've got a.
Speaker 4 (21:12):
Heavily young roster, you got Drew Holliday, you just added.
Speaker 7 (21:16):
They're probably thirteenth in the West, maybe twelfth if we're
being generous, I don't see an endgame here.
Speaker 4 (21:22):
This makes no sense to her.
Speaker 1 (21:23):
Well, he's a beloved player in the Rose City's absolutely beloved,
and they probably want to coronate him. He let's end
his Carissip his last contract, certainly last big contract.
Speaker 3 (21:33):
He's not going to bounch around the league. He's been
smart with his money.
Speaker 1 (21:35):
He's got musical interest, boxing interest, He's been smart with it.
He's a West Coast guy from Oakland to Weavers State
to Portland. Milwaukee never felt like they're the right fit
right like it didn't. So I think they're gonna just
kind of coronate it. Just say listen, we love you.
I mean, if you look at the history of the Blazers,
Bill Walton, Clyde Drexler, Dame Lillard. I mean, there's there's
(21:57):
a short list of players that has.
Speaker 4 (21:59):
Got to be He's got no disrespect to goil Walton.
Speaker 3 (22:02):
Yeah, no, I mean I so, I think.
Speaker 1 (22:04):
I mean, there's been a lot of players like Brandon
Roy briefly was really really our venus, and Bonus was unbelievable,
but they didn't get him in his prime. So I
think for arguably the most popular player he's gonna get.
I mean people love. I mean, I worked there, Dame
is beloved in the city. He's been good with his money.
Speaker 3 (22:22):
I think it. I think it works.
Speaker 1 (22:23):
And they're a really really young team and they got
some money because DeAndre DeAndre and didn't fit. So and
let me tell you something. After watching Yang Hansen, I'm
just telling you he After watching that guy, I'm like maybe.
I mean, I think I think some of its star attraction.
I don't think Portland's a dynamic economy, and I think
(22:45):
he gets people into the seats.
Speaker 4 (22:47):
Does this strike you at all?
Speaker 7 (22:50):
Like a kid who lived in this area growing up
goes away to college far away and is like not
for me, and then he comes home and then he
just goes community college and and and finish the school there.
Because I don't coll h this doesn't make sense. Daan
Willard can still be a big boost to somebody in
two years.
Speaker 4 (23:09):
Why wouldn't you go to a contender, Hey.
Speaker 7 (23:11):
Denver, I want to go win a ring, Hey Lakers,
Hey whoever?
Speaker 9 (23:14):
O KC.
Speaker 1 (23:16):
That's not that's not his personality. I mean, Dame is
one of those guys that he goes back to Weaver
State every year and like gives to the university. Dame's
really into I mean, he's into boxing, he's into music,
he's into his family, He's into Portland family things. Like
He's just Dame's just one of those guys. He's very
(23:36):
old school. He's a very old school soul. And I
think this works for him, and I think the organization knows.
He puts butts in seats. Also, they've got a lot
of young wing and guard players. He's a good mentor,
he's a good practice guy. He's a smart guy. The
players respect him. He's a first ballot Hall of Famer.
So I think from an organizational standpoint, it just makes sense.
Speaker 7 (23:56):
So you and I are similar in that you've lived
all around the country, right, I mean you lived in
like pretty much every corner I've been around, you know,
different parts.
Speaker 4 (24:04):
I like that.
Speaker 7 (24:05):
I don't want to stay in one place forever, But
it's tough for me to understand that, Like some people
do want that, like Dame Lillard seems.
Speaker 4 (24:12):
To just want to go back to Portlow.
Speaker 1 (24:14):
Yeah. Yeah, I mean forty percent of Americans never leave
the zip code they were born in. There's nothing wrong.
I mean, I guess it depends on the zip code
you're born in. But I think I think he's an
old soul and old school guy, very very legendarily loyal,
and Portland wants to show it.
Speaker 4 (24:30):
Back loyalty and nice.
Speaker 7 (24:32):
Next up to the NFL, where Justin Herbert is still
seeking his first career playoff win. Remember they got shelled
last year by Houston and Herbert's worst game of the season.
But Jim Harbaud doesn't think that loss was on Herbert. Instead,
he wants the team to be better around him.
Speaker 10 (24:51):
I say that's top of mind, mister president. Is is
Justin Herbert, you know, getting him the weapons and uh
and protecting him.
Speaker 11 (25:02):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (25:03):
I told him same thing I told you all.
Speaker 1 (25:05):
Uh.
Speaker 10 (25:06):
You know, I think Justin's biggest weaknesses those around those
around him that he's counting on on offense. US coaches
and UH and and playmakers and and and players on offense.
Speaker 3 (25:18):
We gotta we gotta get to uh.
Speaker 10 (25:20):
We're gonta get to Justin Herbert's level.
Speaker 1 (25:22):
Yeah, well, the interior O line wasn't great last year.
They need more production at tight end. They did sign
their second round wide receiver from Ole Miss I think
signed yesterday, so.
Speaker 4 (25:31):
That Tray Harris.
Speaker 7 (25:32):
Yeah, but they did it one step forward Trey Harris
and the other back Mike Williams, the veteran receiver.
Speaker 4 (25:37):
He announced, I'm retiring. Screw this NFL stuff.
Speaker 7 (25:39):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (25:40):
You know that's what happens when you play with Aaron Rodgers,
you just get sick of football.
Speaker 7 (25:42):
Anyways, did the running back depth chart o Marion Hampton,
Najay Harris, assuming his eye is okay, the wide receivers
Lad McConkey, Quinton Johnson, and the young kid Trey Harris,
tight end Will Disley. There's a good team. They got
Kai Beckton now at guard. He was at a good
run with the Eagles. I don't see how this is
(26:04):
not a ten to eleven win team college. And by
the way, their losses are not on Justin Herbert like.
Speaker 3 (26:10):
No, I mean, listen.
Speaker 1 (26:11):
The bottom line is, if you look at Jim Harbaugh's career,
the first year he changes the culture, it takes him
two years to change the roster to be a Jim
Harbaugh team. He now has two elite tackles and two
big time running backs and a very physical quarterback.
Speaker 3 (26:28):
This is a Jim Harbor team.
Speaker 1 (26:30):
First year at Michigan, he changed the culture by the
second third year at Michigan wasn't nil back then he
started changing the roster and they started playing like a
Jim Harbaugh team, And so I think this is just
I think it takes a while. I thought last year
they were a tough, physical team, but they they were
so they were a bab gun offensively, they were just
(26:52):
so limited. I think if the kid from All Miss
Pops mcconkee, looks like to me, he's a slot, but
he looks like a one. And I think they're going
to lean on their run game. They'll probably run the
ball eight to twelve percent more than last year because
it was JK. Dobbins, who's you know, in and out
of the lineup because of injuries. So I think this
feels and looks like a hardball.
Speaker 7 (27:09):
Yeah, they only had one way to win last year.
We got to control the ball, limit mistakes because.
Speaker 4 (27:13):
We don't have any weapons.
Speaker 3 (27:14):
Try ton't we need our behind yea, Yeah.
Speaker 7 (27:16):
I mean they're playing a lot of games where they're
scoring like seventeen points.
Speaker 4 (27:19):
That's not going to cut it.
Speaker 7 (27:20):
In the NFL final story, Colin is, oh, everybody's beloved
Kansas City Chiefs. Well, guess what dad bod enthusiast Patrick Mahomes.
He's about to turn thirty. Oh no, wait, but he's yeah,
just about to turn thirty after Week two this season.
So he's approaching his thirtieth birthday. And here's the old
man reflecting on his twenties.
Speaker 11 (27:41):
It's been a fun run, and we've We've had a
lot of great players in this building, a lot of
great people, and so it makes it enjoyable to come
to work every single day. And still got some guys
with me that's been there the whole time, and then
adding new guys gives you a new juice and a
new spirit to go out there and be even better.
And so a lot of young guys now, so just
trying to eight to them as much as I can.
(28:02):
But at the same time, I'm still not thirty yet,
so I feel like I can for at least right now.
Speaker 1 (28:07):
Yeah, Let's face it, if you're Buffalo or Baltimore, you're niners.
It's no fun competing in the competing. This is Tiger
in his prime.
Speaker 7 (28:16):
Bro Oh, he had a good run. Now listen, this
is unequivocal. Patrick Mahomes is the greatest quarterback in his
twenties in NFL history easily and look at the numbers
before turning thirty first and wins by the lasting yards.
Speaker 1 (28:28):
Touchdown to radio for our radio audience that can't see this.
Patrick Mahomes in his twenties through for over thirty eight
thousand yards, seven division titles, five Super Bowls, winning three
in his twenties, he is right now, I would say
in the middle.
Speaker 3 (28:46):
Of his peak.
Speaker 1 (28:48):
His peak is going to be probably twenty six ish
to thirty thirty three ish.
Speaker 3 (28:54):
He's in the middle of it.
Speaker 4 (28:57):
Yeah, well, see, I have done no playoffs. I will
say this.
Speaker 7 (29:01):
The potential at wide receiver for that group, if they're healthy,
is i impressive. But the receive Rice news from this week,
you know, obviously not great. And then we got to
see what's up with Kelsey. The tackles a lot of
questions for the Tiefs.
Speaker 4 (29:14):
Colin.
Speaker 7 (29:14):
I think Buffalo and Baltimore are clearly better this season.
I know people don't want to hear that, but going
into the season, order those three for me. Buffalo, Baltimore,
Kansas City.
Speaker 1 (29:25):
Buffalo, Baltimore, Kansas City. Oh you're with me, okay, yeah, yeah,
I think everybody is sleeping on Denver does everybody get
to Denver, got Green Lawn Whufung.
Speaker 3 (29:34):
On defense alone, I don't think.
Speaker 4 (29:35):
People are sleeping of them.
Speaker 7 (29:36):
The best defense in the league coming into the season.
Speaker 3 (29:40):
They're gonna be good.
Speaker 1 (29:41):
Their offensive line. I just checked this out the other day,
Like they're O line. I think PFF had them like third.
Like Sean Payton has turned that franchise around. It's amazing
what he's done. And he came to that organization. They
had the worst dead cap money situation.
Speaker 3 (29:58):
In league history.
Speaker 1 (30:00):
I mean it's so yeah, that division is insane. Jemckla news.
Speaker 2 (30:06):
Well, that's the news and thanks for stopping by the
Herd Line. Be sure to catch live editions of The
Herd weekdays and noon Eastern NN a EM Pacific.
Speaker 7 (30:15):
These ball Night in America on Fox, the Red Sox
take on rising star Pete Crow Armstrong in the Cubs
or the Cardinals battles at Diamondbacks.
Speaker 4 (30:26):
Check local listings for the.
Speaker 7 (30:27):
Game in your area Tomorrow at sevent eastern on Fox.
Speaker 3 (30:33):
I don't know why I'm in such a good mood today, Jamie.
Speaker 1 (30:35):
I'm fired up for Dana White Top of the Hour
because there's a huge fight this weekend.
Speaker 3 (30:41):
It's one of the better fights in the UFC in
a long time.
Speaker 1 (30:43):
It's a you know, your classic trilogy where it's two
guys fighting for the third time. One's a power guy,
one's a volume guy. It's going to be great and
we'll talk about that.
Speaker 3 (30:51):
So I had.
Speaker 1 (30:54):
And I said this. I've said, you gotta be careful
about July and August. And I think the audience as
you watch or listen to me, you know, it's our
dead time. You're out of your habits, you're golfing more,
you're taking more time off, you're taking Fridays off. And
in this time of the year, I always try to
be cautious because like these Lebron stories come out of
nowhere and people are just trying to fill space. This
(31:15):
is like the slowest week of the year and in
our in our business. But there's actually been there's been
some stories. And so all the stuff I'm seeing created
and generated.
Speaker 3 (31:25):
I'm like, don't, don't, don't, don't.
Speaker 1 (31:27):
But there is one I'm willing to create and generate,
and that is Nick Saban to the NFL. So Greg McElroy,
somebody I respect a lot, played that Bama knows Bamy.
He's a big talk show host in the South, totally
connected to BAMA when he goes out and Greg says,
I am hearing Saban getting back into coaching. Believe it
(31:48):
doesn't mean he will. But if he's hearing it, then
it's Nick and Jimmy Sexton talking to either BAMA or
somebody else. And Nick is not an old guy. He
may be old in age, he's not old in spirit, intellect, drive, energy,
he's not. I don't know Nick that well, been around
him a couple of times, but he's a very impressive guy.
Speaker 3 (32:07):
He's got a.
Speaker 1 (32:08):
Pete Carroll feel. He's not his age. Some guys are
old and look at and feel it and talk it.
That's not Nick. So I had Urban Meyer on yesterday,
who is a friend and knows a lot of how
Nick thinks. And I posed a question. I said, I
think he's going back into coaching. If Greg McElroy said it,
Lane Kiffen knows him well said it. I said, he
(32:28):
may not, but he's gonna listen at least to pro offers.
Speaker 3 (32:32):
Here's Urban I have not talked to him about this.
Speaker 12 (32:36):
I could guess because I know him fairly well and
competed against him, that it's not a little scratch. It's
probably a pretty big scratch that that's the one area
that he is not you know, you know, he, like
you said, he's getting things going at Miami. I actually
visited him when he was down there. But I don't
think he'd go back to college. I don't see that fit.
(32:58):
I would say very little to no chance he would
get involved in college. But I think he would take
phone calls from the NFL.
Speaker 1 (33:05):
Okay, So let's let's just think about this. There's six
to seven openings a year.
Speaker 2 (33:08):
You know that.
Speaker 1 (33:09):
I know that that's that's not a revelation. So let's
look at the last five years of coaching hires. Who
has turned around a program overnight? Who's an A plus?
Jim Harbaugh took a broken culture, a bad team, the
thirty second defense. They were number one in the league
last year. Okay, So Jim Harbaugh has been an A plus.
(33:30):
Hire Sean Payton disaster, Russell Wilson's contract. They led the
league in sacks last year, made the playoffs with a
rookie quarterback in a division with Harbaugh, Herbert, Annie Reid
and Mahomes. Okay, so what do those guys have? Pedigree?
They're championship level coaches college are pro These are great
pedigree coaches. Well, Saban's that. Let's look at two other
(33:53):
guys who are really successful. We don't consider Dan Campbell
to be good as good as Harball, don't. We don't
consider Nick Serry to be Sean Payton. But they've been
really successful. Why because they have great general managers in
great front offices. So they're good enough coaches with great personnel.
Oh wait, Saban's good at that too. Saban gives you
the pedigree of a championship winning coach, best college coach ever,
(34:18):
and he gives you the player personnel expertise. There's two
college coaches that I would always trust, maybe three or
four all time with being in the draft room and
making calls. Jim Harbaugh is one of them. Nick Saban's another.
Jimmy Johnson's won. And when Pete Carroll got out of
USC for the first four years, let Pete run the
(34:38):
Let Pete run the draft. Saban knows personnel, so pedigree
and personnel excellence he gives you both. So and the
other thing to remember, College baseball and Major League baseball
are two different sports. College basketball, which is possession basketball,
and the NBA, which is a bullet train or two
(34:58):
different sports. The NFL and college football are kind of similar.
Coach is going to bounce back and forth a lot
of the same schemes, and now that you're paying players
at the college level, they're very similar. Nick Saban dealt
with that for two years having a cap a general manager,
so they're very, very similar. The facilities at Bama the
(35:19):
NIL the cap. Nick knows what he's doing and he's
been to the NFL before, so and the otter thing
is Nixon SEC guy knows the Manning family well. If
arch Manning plays well, if he plays at like a
V plus a minus level, he's going number one in
the draft. Cleveland very likely is going to be the
worst team in the league, and it's not nobody's going
(35:41):
to lose sleep with that. Arch Manning and Cleveland, the
owners Jimmy Haslam, a huge sec Tennessee booster who loves headlines, Baker,
Johnny Mansel, Deshaun Watson at his own peril, Arch Manning
and Nick Saban make the Cleveland Browns, for an owner
who loves chasing lines, the most interesting team in the NFL.
(36:03):
Not I'm saying the best they would be the most
interesting team in the NFL. So, I mean, we're gonna
have six seven new openings. I'm guaranteeing you right now.
If Nick is interested, half those teams call him. And
unlike Harball, Harbaugh had such a intense personality a lot
of NFL teams were not interested. Minnesota reportedly said no thanks,
(36:26):
So he had a smaller market. That's not Sam saman
ingratiates himself. Saman gets along with everybody. Media likes him,
coaches like him, Belichick likes him, Everybody likes Nick.
Speaker 3 (36:36):
Nick's Nick.
Speaker 1 (36:37):
Maybe the team playing him doesn't like Nick, but Nick
gets along with a lot of people. He can be
self deprecating. You know, Jim Harbaugh's personality, He's lightened up
a lot in the NFL. I mean, Jim Harbaugh is
like a different guy than he was two years ago.
But there was a smaller market for Harbaugh because he
was such an Remember that pad on the back of
Jim Schwartz, like he was so intense. Now he's not
(36:57):
as intense. Jim's you know Jim now is it's like
it's the Twilight Years.
Speaker 3 (37:01):
He's in a great mood.
Speaker 1 (37:02):
Maybe it's Herbert, but I think Saban's easy to talk to.
There's going to be six to seven openings. And remember this,
here's another reason why I'm on this. Two other reasons.
First of all, On three is a great website, great business.
They do recruiting. This week they released like the top
twelve teams in college football NIL collective. Bama is nowhere
(37:26):
to be seen. Even Auburn made the list, meaning Bama's
not going to bring Saban back. They can't afford him.
They can't buy out Kaitlin and the board for seventy
million and spend fifteen million on players and give Nick
a new seventy million dollar contract. They don't have the money.
They're doing car washes and bake sales. They don't have
the money.
Speaker 3 (37:43):
In the NIL.
Speaker 1 (37:45):
Auburn's got more money because they have a couple of
Richard Boosters. And the other thing is because of the
NIL and because what colleges make now is these college coaches,
if they think they're going to get fired, they'll get
a next You know, well, Brian Kelly, a Lincoln Riley,
a Kaylin de boor their universities aren't going to get
rid of them, so they're going to stay in the
(38:06):
college level, not roll the dice. Lincoln Riley's not gonna.
You know, in the old days, if Lincoln was in trouble,
he'd have his agent right now talking to NFL teams.
Speaker 3 (38:15):
He doesn't.
Speaker 1 (38:17):
He wants to see this thing through US. He's recruiting
class is great for twenty twenty six, and they can't
get rid of him US. He just paid three hundred
million for facilities. They're paying eighteen million, I'm told for nil.
They're not spending eighty million dollars to buy Lincoln out.
Lincoln knows it. So you don't have these college coaches
in these contracts. They're not looking at the NFL. Years ago,
(38:38):
Brian Kelly had like three years left on his deal
and he had his agents calling the NFL.
Speaker 3 (38:42):
He was snooping around.
Speaker 1 (38:44):
They're not doing that anymore because the universities can't get
rid of them. So I'm and this is nothing against
the show he's on an ESPN. It's not about that,
even though when I watched that show, I always feel
like I want more Nick because I think he's so
smart and so electric on television. But this is the
one story in the slowest time of the year that
I will generate because I believe it to be true,
(39:06):
is that we're going to have six openings. The college
guys aren't getting fired like they used to. Arch Manning
going to Cleveland. Jimmy Haslam loves headlines, By the way.
The other guy that loves headlines Jerry Jones. The criticism
of Jerry for years, even in Jerry's prime, was he's
more interested in the headlines than he is the Super Bowls,
because after he won them with Jimmy, it's like, Okay,
(39:27):
I got my trophy, I got my legacy, I.
Speaker 3 (39:30):
Got my money. I want the headlines.
Speaker 1 (39:32):
And so I mean, if you're telling me, and I
think Dallas is going to be bad Cleveland and Dallas
are in this space for the top five or six picks,
you're not gonna call Nick Saban.
Speaker 3 (39:44):
You'd be crazy not to call him.
Speaker 1 (39:47):
Coordinators in the NFL hit about thirty percent of the time.
And I think Nick Sirianni was he was in trouble
two years ago. He's got the best GM in the
league and the best roster. If he didn't, I think
he'd be gone. So j Mac, that is my I
don't even think it's a hot take. That's my story
in the slowest time of the year that I think
has legs when Urban Myers says, oh, yeah, yeah, he would,
(40:09):
he would talk to NFL teams.
Speaker 7 (40:11):
Yeah, there's something out there. I like it to piggyback
off that you mentioned yesterday.
Speaker 4 (40:17):
You thought in the NFL, you know, the coaching has
stepped up.
Speaker 7 (40:19):
AFC West is the most loaded division you've ever seen.
Remember you challenged me find one better.
Speaker 4 (40:26):
Do you remember this yesterday?
Speaker 7 (40:27):
Okay, nineteen ninety NFC East, Bill Parcells with the Giants,
Jimmy Johnson with the Cowboys, Joe Gibson, Washington, Buddy.
Speaker 4 (40:36):
Ryan in Philadelphia.
Speaker 3 (40:38):
Puddy Ryan.
Speaker 4 (40:39):
He was a legendary defensive coach.
Speaker 3 (40:41):
He was a speed bag.
Thanks for listening to The Herd podcast. Be sure to
catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio in
noon to three Eastern nine am to noon Pacific. Find
your local station for The Herd at Fox Sports Radio
dot com, or stream us live every day on the
iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
Well, here we go. It is a Friday news breaking.
It is great to be here.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
We are live and it is the Herd.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
Wherever you may be and however you may be listening,
Always appreciate you stopping by.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
J Matt.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
You know what, after some time off, you and I
got back in the saddle and there there is Actually
there's been a lot going on this week and we've
got a little story that broke yesterday, which is good
for us, and it's something we've been banging on. I've
been banging on the show for about six months. They
hate me in Pittsburgh and once again they're not gonna
like what I'm gonna say here.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
Good Friday to you. You ready to go?
Speaker 4 (01:01):
Yeah, let's rock and roll?
Speaker 3 (01:03):
Okay? So TJ.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
Watt after our show yesterday, who's a great player. He's
an absolutely great player. There's no disputing that deserves the money.
Happy for him, three year deal, one hundred and twenty
three million dollar extension. So this goes back to great player,
deserves the money. I don't question the player. I question
the direction of the Pittsburgh Steelers. It's like I don't
(01:28):
question the power and the brilliance and the influence of Meta.
I question the direction of metaverse. Are we all so
miserable with our lives we're going to be wearing headsets
around all day. It's not the technology, it's the application
of the technology with Meta. And that's how I feel
about Pittsburgh. It's not the talent of JJ Watt, it's
how they prioritize defense. And frankly, their defense isn't that good.
(01:52):
It's four straight years it's been out of the top
ten in total defense. If you go to the talk playoffs,
because that's all that matters in this sport. January, if
you go look at the last five playoff games in
the Pittsburgh Steelers, they've given up twenty eight to thirty one,
forty two, forty eight and forty five. They give up
forty points a game, so like they're spending all this
money on the wrong side of the ball and they're
(02:13):
not dominant. Well, they've gotten better on defense and they've
gotten worse on offense because the league's changed. They are
completely disfunctional on offense. Last year, this is hard to do.
With the talent they had, it was hard to do.
They were twenty ninth in the red zone. How they
good play Rogie Harris Pickens, Russell Wilson one of the
(02:38):
best young centers in the league. They were twenty ninth
in the red zone. They were twenty seventh best offensive line.
It's almost impossible. So when I look at Pittsburgh, my
tickets don't hate the player, hate the direction, hate what
they prioritized.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
Why can't they watch.
Speaker 1 (02:54):
The Rams and the Niners and the Lions and the
Chiefs and the Eagles and the Bills. Your defense cheap
and young. Pay one great defensive player. I'd be all
for paying JJ Watt this if the rest of your
cap was on offense and you had an elite quarterback,
(03:16):
an elite left tackle, and an elite running back. The
Steelers need a more balanced football diet. The league went
into ProTem and they're all carbs, and what is their answer?
I keep hearing, well, they're all in and their answer
to their offensive woes forty year old Aaron Rodgers, who
is like sort of committed in the offseason. He's their ozembic.
(03:39):
He's going to solve everything. He's going to solve their
unbalanced diet. So again, it's not TJ.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
Watt.
Speaker 1 (03:46):
Look around at the winning his teams here, Detroit's on fire, Buffalo,
Kansas City, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Rams, they're key. They're giving
up defensive players. And again I've talked to multiple on this.
Pay for a TJ. Watt, pay for a Chris Jones,
pay eventually for a Jaredverse, pay for the Max Crosby.
(04:10):
But then you got to just stay young and stay
cheap at safety and corner and linebacker. So you can
pay a left tackle top of the market, quarterback top
of the market, center top of the market, two weapons
top of the market. But it's not the player. Eric
Man Jenny talked about it this week. It's not that
the player is not worth the money.
Speaker 5 (04:31):
I'm not sure if I would take the tjwat calls
or not, especially if I'm Pittsburgh and I'm Pittsburgh this season.
It's not like they're loaded up offensively, and that's going
to be able to carry the day. When you look
at TJ. Watt, he said a little over thirty sacks
between the last two seasons. Every single game you have
(04:51):
to conform every single game. He's the guy that offensively
you go into the room and say, look, this player
can ruin the game for us.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
It's not the player, it's the prioritization of the defensive
side of the ball as the league has moved to
offense all the rules.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
It's not anti TJ. Watt.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
He is worth the money. I think he leaves the
NFL in sacks last five years. So and how does
this play to the next story the Dallas Cowboys. Next
up is Michah Parsons. So the Cowboys tend to wait
and wait and wait. So now Dallas is trapped, and
so TJ. Watt. If you go look at the last
two years of TJ Wat's production, he is better than
(05:36):
Michah parsons last two years of production. But it's kind
of close. If I was Micah Parsons and I was MICHAEH.
Parsons agent, I'd want eighty five percent, I mean of
TJ Watt.
Speaker 3 (05:50):
TJ.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
Watt's got thirty sacks. I got twenty six. He got
sixty three quarterback kids. I got fifty six. Mike has
got more pressures. So again, he and his agent have
an argument. If TJ. Wat's getting forty one million, Mike
has got to get thirty seven, thirty seven and a
half thirty eight. He's also four years younger. So to me,
(06:11):
and I've said this before, there's only one or two
players per roster that you know very early their stars.
And it's usually like quarterback, left tackle, edge rusher, maybe
a great weapon. And then there's players like Josh Allen
of Buffalo, Patrick Surtan of Denver, Jalen Carter of Philadelphia.
I would call them all pro plus players. Those are
(06:34):
generational players. You pay them early. You pay Jalen Carter early.
Rams are going to have this with Jared Verse. Pay
him a year early. You may have one a roster
on that. Well, the Cowboys are going to pay Dak
top of the market, ceedee lamb top of the market.
Speaker 3 (06:49):
They already are.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
Now they're going to have Mike at top of the market.
And so do I think Michael Parsons is worth that?
Speaker 3 (06:55):
No, I don't.
Speaker 1 (06:56):
But Dallas is trapped because Jerry has too much influence
on the draft. They haven't drafted particularly well, and the
Cowboys roster is so top heavy and so ordinary that
whereas Philadelphia can move off stars and the Rams can
move off stars, Dallas can't. Rams can move off Jalen
Ramsey in his prime, Aaron Donald can retire two years later.
(07:18):
The defensive line's better. So when you draft like Kansas
City or like a Baltimore or like a Philadelphia, you
can move off players, you don't get trapped. I mean,
Dallas almost can't afford not to can't afford Michael Parsons.
Speaker 3 (07:35):
I mean, that's where they're at.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
So it's and this is every business, including the one
I work for, is that you know, the better job
you do at paying the right people the right money,
you have more flexibility. And so like the Eagles, the Chiefs,
the Rams, the Ravens have incredible flexibility. They move off
(07:58):
great players regularly. The Chiefs move off Tyreek Hill Snead
the corner. Rams move off Jalen Ramsey. They can move
off probably a year later than they wanted to. Cooper
cup Ernest Jones, the inside linebacker, was a great play
they can move off guys because they draft well. Dallas
doesn't draft exceptionally well and they get trapped. So the
deeper the roster, the more flexibility the company has. And
(08:21):
let me just throw this out there. Go look at
the last five general managers to win Super Bowls? Do
you think it's a coincidence? Howie Roseman considered the best
Brett Veach argument, second best, Less need Rams, Jason light
who I've talked about for years.
Speaker 3 (08:38):
Bucks.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
You're looking right there at four of the top probably
six general managers in the sport. John Snyder or the
Seahawks is way up there. So the better GM, the
better the scouting department, the better you draft, the more
flexibility you have to move off players. I do think
there's about thirty guys in the league tops.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
That you just pay for him.
Speaker 1 (09:03):
Miles Garrett, Max Crosby, seven quarterbacks, six left tackle, you
just pay for him.
Speaker 3 (09:09):
I don't think Mike is one of those.
Speaker 1 (09:11):
But you get to a point now, because they've drafted
so with such mediocrity, did you have to overpavor Dack,
Ceedee Lamb and Micah You're.
Speaker 3 (09:23):
Kind of trapped. Here's Micah this week on his contract talks.
Speaker 6 (09:27):
I was finna get mine no matter what. You know
what I mean, Like the markets change every year. The
Sallyar cat went up like another eighteen percent this year.
They numbers got nothing to do with mine and my
numbers at nine gotta do it. I'm like, I'm younger Henderson.
I mean, Hutchington is coming off with injury. Like, everyone's
circumstances is completely different. Hutch is coming off his third year.
(09:47):
Usually guys week four years, so it just all depends why.
I mean, he's up there with Myles, So you know,
it's different. Everyone's circumstances different.
Speaker 3 (09:57):
If TJ.
Speaker 1 (09:58):
Watt gets forty one, I'm the agent for Micah Parsons,
I want thirty seven and a half. I want thirty eight,
And that gives the Cowboys three players at the top
of the market. Not great, but I kind of think
they're trapped, all right. J Mac Football Talk ready to roll.
Speaker 7 (10:17):
Wait, it sounded like you think Michaeh. Parsons will be
okay with thirty eight when TJ. Watt got forty one.
There's no world where Michael Parsons isn't demanding to be
the highest paid. He's gonna want all the money and
I think Dallas is gonna have to give it to
him call.
Speaker 4 (10:32):
They don't have a choice. They mess this up.
Speaker 1 (10:36):
Yeah, I mean, you look at the highest paid non
quarterbacks in the league. I don't have a lot of trouble.
I mean, again, take out the teams.
Speaker 3 (10:46):
I don't. TJ.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
Watt leaves the NFL in sacks last five years, Jamar
Chase arguably first second best receiver, Miles Garrett is a
generational all time talent. Max Crosby I think is unbelievable.
Justin Jefferson's probably the best weapon in the league. I
don't have a problem with these. I don't think in
my opinion, Micah is not in TJ. Watt, Jamar Chase,
Miles Garrett, Max Crosby, Justin Jefferson's class, and I think
(11:10):
he's more of a splash player.
Speaker 7 (11:11):
I think he probably is. But Colin, I'm just curious.
Let's look at those six names. Let's tally up the
playoff wins last year.
Speaker 4 (11:17):
TJ.
Speaker 7 (11:17):
Watt zero, Jamar Ches did not make it, Garrett did
not make it, Hunter they got the win over the Chargers,
Max Crosby and the Raiders did not make the playoffs,
and Justin Jefferson.
Speaker 4 (11:29):
You know, yeah, it did not work out great for
them in the postseason. So I don't know if it translates.
Speaker 7 (11:35):
And I know it sounds too cold world to just
say I'm not doing that, but I keep going back
to that Devin Booker deal in the NBA, Like I
thought it was a horrible deal.
Speaker 4 (11:43):
I think this TJ. Watt deals horrible. It just doesn't
make sense.
Speaker 3 (11:47):
You're not well. I do think.
Speaker 1 (11:50):
I do think you can't have a league where you
just play the quarter You just pay a quarterback, right,
we all know you pay the top quarterback. I do
think there are positions that are important. For instance, I
would never pay a corner. I mean, if you look
at the positions, it's linebacker, edge receiver, edge edge, edge receiver.
Those are the right positions to pay. I think there's
(12:12):
six positions in the NFL I'm going to pay. We
all know this. First of all, coach doesn't work against
my cap. I'll I'll pay Jim Harball whatever he wants.
But I think quarterback, left tackle one weapon one to
two players defensively in the box. So if I had
Jalen Carter and an edge rusher, I'd probably pay both
(12:32):
in the secondary. I am a huge believer linebackers and secondary.
You should draft a corner every year. I want them cheap.
I want my safeties. My corner's young, because remember, defensive
players you know this, get hurt statistically more than offensive players.
When players get hurt, you want them back on the
field fast as possible. Well, who recuperates and recovers faster?
(12:56):
Players under twenty seven, not players twenty eight and older.
I want my defense, which gets hurt a lot, young, rotational, twitchy,
and recovering quickly from injury.
Speaker 7 (13:06):
To my point on the wide receiver bubble, Colin, tell
me the best wide receiver in the AFC Championship game
last year between the Buffalo.
Speaker 4 (13:12):
Bills and Kansas City Chiefs. It just wasn't one. Don Greglin,
Eagles have two good ones. I'll give them that.
Speaker 7 (13:18):
Washington Terry McLaurin like, you could pay your receivers, that's fine,
but just know that they're not the guy that's going
to get you over the top.
Speaker 4 (13:25):
You need a balanced deep.
Speaker 7 (13:27):
Roster, which is, as you said earlier, what the great
gms are doing. I think that's the smart way to
build a team as opposed to just hey, let's make
him highest feat Don Quarterback.
Speaker 1 (13:36):
All Right, huge UFC weekend, Dana White's going to be
joining us at the top and next hour, Hey, it's.
Speaker 4 (13:42):
Me Rock Parker.
Speaker 8 (13:44):
Check out my weekly MLB podcast, Inside the Parker, for
twenty two minutes of pipeing, hop, baseball talk, featuring the
biggest names, the newsmakers in the sport.
Speaker 2 (13:55):
Whether you believe in.
Speaker 8 (13:56):
Analytics or the ie test, We've got all the basis.
Car New episodes drop every Thursday, so do yourself a
favor and listen to Inside the Parker with Rob Parker
on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcast.
Speaker 2 (14:11):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
in noon eastern nine am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 3 (14:22):
Dana w top A. Next hour A huge, huge fight
this weekend of the UFC arguably one of the biggest
of the year. It's going to be a great Saturday
night for UFC. I can't wait.
Speaker 1 (14:34):
So all week long, off Vaca, I've been saying, don't
listen to this Lebron James stuff. He's got a no
trade clause. You're not going anywhere, at least not now
bread crumbs becomes headlines.
Speaker 3 (14:46):
It's all nonsense.
Speaker 1 (14:48):
Here's something though, I do believe, and I believe it strongly,
Clutch sports or clutch points. There's an article today that
says people around the NBA believe Lebron is going to
announce he's retiring after the twenty twenty five season, and
that may not be a year away. That he may
(15:08):
announce this is his last season. And I do buy
that for two reasons. Primarily Number one, Clearly, the Lakers
feel Luca is the future. Lebron knows it. Luca knows it,
everybody in the organization knows it. Even when AD was
dominant and in his prime, it was still Lebron's team
in La. It was still Lebron was the playmaker. He
(15:31):
was sort of the shoulders up leader of the team,
guiding them in timeouts, player coach. It was Lebron's team
even when AD was dominant in the COVID year, and
Lebron for twenty three years has been the number one
priority of every organization and almost oh is the best player,
I would say the best player, and now he's not.
(15:53):
This year, he's not going to be the best player.
Luca in shape will be the best player. Lebron also
knows the new owners are not going to get backed
into a corner and bully. These new owners moved off
Cody Bellinger, Corey Seeger, Max Schurzer, Manny Machado. They could
have had Manny Machado to a long deal. He goes
to their arrival to Padres and is an all star.
He's an incredible player. Let him walk, Zach Grinky, let
(16:16):
him walk.
Speaker 3 (16:17):
They do this.
Speaker 1 (16:18):
They'll pay for Otani in his prime. They'll pay for
Mookie Benson his prime or Freddie Freeman in his prime. Okay,
they're not. They're not gonna hang around and pay a fortune.
Here's the other thing the new CBA. Lebron's too expensive
and too old for a guy that won't and you
(16:38):
can't build a round the smart teams now, the smart
gms are getting four and five years ahead on this thing.
Nobody's paying the luxury tax anymore, and everything with Lebron
operates in the near term. Nobody operates like that now
that knows what they're doing. So Lebron's just the latest
casualty of the new CBA.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
People aren't going to.
Speaker 1 (16:59):
Blow through the luxury like Joe lacub did for years
in the Warriors dynasty. That is over and it's not
his play. He's a top ten twelve guy on any night.
His play is remarkable, but he is now hard to sign.
He's an old, expensive guy who doesn't want to give you.
I mean he's I mean, I'm sure he'd take a
four or five year deal. Now he shouldn't pay him that.
(17:20):
So the best gms are not going to want a
part of what Lebron's become. You know, It's like Lebron's
a little bit like those tight fitting skinny jeans. They
can still look good on people, but it's not the
current fashion right, little out of style, little out of fashion.
Speaker 3 (17:35):
So it's not his play.
Speaker 1 (17:36):
But I can see Lebron looking at it, thinking, if
you've been the number one priority and had control for
twenty three years, Michael Jordan didn't have control for twenty
three years.
Speaker 3 (17:48):
They told him is the last dance. Okay.
Speaker 1 (17:51):
Lebron's arguably the only player in NBA history control beginning
to end. The minute he was dry that point forward,
he had a lot of control in the minute. He
didn't get it in Miami or didn't feel like he
was going to get it with pat Riley. He took
it back and went to Cleveland, And so now two
things are happening. He's not going to be the best
player this year because Luca's in shape and will probably
(18:13):
average thirty a game. Still won't play defense, but all
average thirty a game, and lucas the priority. So Lebron's
always been the best player on any given night, and
Lebron's always been the priority.
Speaker 3 (18:25):
He's not.
Speaker 1 (18:25):
Danoki yesterday talked about Lebron the Lakers in the future.
Speaker 9 (18:30):
The order of operations here would have to be a
request from Lebron James. I don't believe the Lakers are
going to come to Lebron James with a trade and say,
this is what we want, will you accept it?
Speaker 1 (18:45):
Right?
Speaker 9 (18:45):
I think it would have to be the other way around.
I mean, I think the Lakers are very comfortable, you know,
being in this stage of the Lebron James business, despite
sort of the inherent uncomfortabilities of it, particularly the win
now pressure that his presence has put on the organization
since really the day he signed for this last chapter
of his career.
Speaker 1 (19:06):
I honestly believe they went and got DeAndre Ayton because
deep down, they know it's the last year Lebron's going
to be a Laker, and they wanted to give him
a shot. DeAndre Ayton's not a perfect fit. Powdy Moody
won't defend, but Luca reeves DeAndre Ayton Lebron James at
least to the trading deadline. It feels big, it sounds interesting,
(19:27):
it sounds offensively elite, and.
Speaker 3 (19:29):
It will be.
Speaker 1 (19:31):
It's not gonna be as good as Houston or Denver
or Oklahoma City or I think Dallas potentially, but it'll
be good. And I think the owners are saying, listen,
let's keep it to ourselves. Let's give him one last
great run his last year in LA. Let's get because
he's still a great player. Let's get everything out of it.
(19:51):
And at the trade deadline, if it's not working and
Ayden's moody and you know, and Lebron you can see
his age. I doubt it, but you could see his
a then we'll make a move. But for the time being,
I do think it's on the table for Lebron before
the end of next season to announce, Yeah, this is it,
this is gonna be it.
Speaker 3 (20:11):
Jmack with a News no news.
Speaker 2 (20:15):
This is the herd line news.
Speaker 4 (20:18):
As you said, we've had a big weekend news.
Speaker 7 (20:20):
And Damian Lillard kind of shocked everybody yesterday Colin by
announcing that he's signing with the Portland Trailblazers.
Speaker 4 (20:28):
What three years, forty two million dollars.
Speaker 7 (20:31):
Now, he popped his achilles during the playoffs, so he
will not play next season.
Speaker 4 (20:36):
Okay, but the deal bizarrely includes.
Speaker 7 (20:39):
A player option for twenty seven twenty eight and a.
Speaker 4 (20:42):
No trade clause.
Speaker 7 (20:43):
So the two guys with the no trade clause in
the league are Lebron who's forty, and now Damian Lillard
coming off in achilles. Listen, I get it. Damian Lillard
is cleaning up in this deal. He's going to make
about seventy million dollars between the Blazers and Bucks next season.
That's absurd for a guy out of his age with
the injury, but.
Speaker 4 (21:03):
Happy for Dame. Here's what I don't get, Colin. What
is Portland doing?
Speaker 3 (21:08):
Well?
Speaker 4 (21:08):
What is the game plan? Why would you do this deal?
Speaker 3 (21:11):
You've got a.
Speaker 4 (21:12):
Heavily young roster, you got Drew Holliday, you just added.
Speaker 7 (21:16):
They're probably thirteenth in the West, maybe twelfth if we're
being generous, I don't see an endgame here.
Speaker 4 (21:22):
This makes no sense to her.
Speaker 1 (21:23):
Well, he's a beloved player in the Rose City's absolutely beloved,
and they probably want to coronate him. He let's end
his Carissip his last contract, certainly last big contract.
Speaker 3 (21:33):
He's not going to bounch around the league. He's been
smart with his money.
Speaker 1 (21:35):
He's got musical interest, boxing interest, He's been smart with it.
He's a West Coast guy from Oakland to Weavers State
to Portland. Milwaukee never felt like they're the right fit
right like it didn't. So I think they're gonna just
kind of coronate it. Just say listen, we love you.
I mean, if you look at the history of the Blazers,
Bill Walton, Clyde Drexler, Dame Lillard. I mean, there's there's
(21:57):
a short list of players that has.
Speaker 4 (21:59):
Got to be He's got no disrespect to goil Walton.
Speaker 3 (22:02):
Yeah, no, I mean I so, I think.
Speaker 1 (22:04):
I mean, there's been a lot of players like Brandon
Roy briefly was really really our venus, and Bonus was unbelievable,
but they didn't get him in his prime. So I
think for arguably the most popular player he's gonna get.
I mean people love. I mean, I worked there, Dame
is beloved in the city. He's been good with his money.
Speaker 3 (22:22):
I think it. I think it works.
Speaker 1 (22:23):
And they're a really really young team and they got
some money because DeAndre DeAndre and didn't fit. So and
let me tell you something. After watching Yang Hansen, I'm
just telling you he After watching that guy, I'm like maybe.
I mean, I think I think some of its star attraction.
I don't think Portland's a dynamic economy, and I think
(22:45):
he gets people into the seats.
Speaker 4 (22:47):
Does this strike you at all?
Speaker 7 (22:50):
Like a kid who lived in this area growing up
goes away to college far away and is like not
for me, and then he comes home and then he
just goes community college and and and finish the school there.
Because I don't coll h this doesn't make sense. Daan
Willard can still be a big boost to somebody in
two years.
Speaker 4 (23:09):
Why wouldn't you go to a contender, Hey.
Speaker 7 (23:11):
Denver, I want to go win a ring, Hey Lakers,
Hey whoever?
Speaker 9 (23:14):
O KC.
Speaker 1 (23:16):
That's not that's not his personality. I mean, Dame is
one of those guys that he goes back to Weaver
State every year and like gives to the university. Dame's
really into I mean, he's into boxing, he's into music,
he's into his family, He's into Portland family things. Like
He's just Dame's just one of those guys. He's very
(23:36):
old school. He's a very old school soul. And I
think this works for him, and I think the organization knows.
He puts butts in seats. Also, they've got a lot
of young wing and guard players. He's a good mentor,
he's a good practice guy. He's a smart guy. The
players respect him. He's a first ballot Hall of Famer.
So I think from an organizational standpoint, it just makes sense.
Speaker 7 (23:56):
So you and I are similar in that you've lived
all around the country, right, I mean you lived in
like pretty much every corner I've been around, you know,
different parts.
Speaker 4 (24:04):
I like that.
Speaker 7 (24:05):
I don't want to stay in one place forever, But
it's tough for me to understand that, Like some people
do want that, like Dame Lillard seems.
Speaker 4 (24:12):
To just want to go back to Portlow.
Speaker 1 (24:14):
Yeah. Yeah, I mean forty percent of Americans never leave
the zip code they were born in. There's nothing wrong.
I mean, I guess it depends on the zip code
you're born in. But I think I think he's an
old soul and old school guy, very very legendarily loyal,
and Portland wants to show it.
Speaker 4 (24:30):
Back loyalty and nice.
Speaker 7 (24:32):
Next up to the NFL, where Justin Herbert is still
seeking his first career playoff win. Remember they got shelled
last year by Houston and Herbert's worst game of the season.
But Jim Harbaud doesn't think that loss was on Herbert. Instead,
he wants the team to be better around him.
Speaker 10 (24:51):
I say that's top of mind, mister president. Is is
Justin Herbert, you know, getting him the weapons and uh
and protecting him.
Speaker 11 (25:02):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (25:03):
I told him same thing I told you all.
Speaker 1 (25:05):
Uh.
Speaker 10 (25:06):
You know, I think Justin's biggest weaknesses those around those
around him that he's counting on on offense. US coaches
and UH and and playmakers and and and players on offense.
Speaker 3 (25:18):
We gotta we gotta get to uh.
Speaker 10 (25:20):
We're gonta get to Justin Herbert's level.
Speaker 1 (25:22):
Yeah, well, the interior O line wasn't great last year.
They need more production at tight end. They did sign
their second round wide receiver from Ole Miss I think
signed yesterday, so.
Speaker 4 (25:31):
That Tray Harris.
Speaker 7 (25:32):
Yeah, but they did it one step forward Trey Harris
and the other back Mike Williams, the veteran receiver.
Speaker 4 (25:37):
He announced, I'm retiring. Screw this NFL stuff.
Speaker 7 (25:39):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (25:40):
You know that's what happens when you play with Aaron Rodgers,
you just get sick of football.
Speaker 7 (25:42):
Anyways, did the running back depth chart o Marion Hampton,
Najay Harris, assuming his eye is okay, the wide receivers
Lad McConkey, Quinton Johnson, and the young kid Trey Harris,
tight end Will Disley. There's a good team. They got
Kai Beckton now at guard. He was at a good
run with the Eagles. I don't see how this is
(26:04):
not a ten to eleven win team college. And by
the way, their losses are not on Justin Herbert like.
Speaker 3 (26:10):
No, I mean, listen.
Speaker 1 (26:11):
The bottom line is, if you look at Jim Harbaugh's career,
the first year he changes the culture, it takes him
two years to change the roster to be a Jim
Harbaugh team. He now has two elite tackles and two
big time running backs and a very physical quarterback.
Speaker 3 (26:28):
This is a Jim Harbor team.
Speaker 1 (26:30):
First year at Michigan, he changed the culture by the
second third year at Michigan wasn't nil back then he
started changing the roster and they started playing like a
Jim Harbaugh team, And so I think this is just
I think it takes a while. I thought last year
they were a tough, physical team, but they they were
so they were a bab gun offensively, they were just
(26:52):
so limited. I think if the kid from All Miss
Pops mcconkee, looks like to me, he's a slot, but
he looks like a one. And I think they're going
to lean on their run game. They'll probably run the
ball eight to twelve percent more than last year because
it was JK. Dobbins, who's you know, in and out
of the lineup because of injuries. So I think this
feels and looks like a hardball.
Speaker 7 (27:09):
Yeah, they only had one way to win last year.
We got to control the ball, limit mistakes because.
Speaker 4 (27:13):
We don't have any weapons.
Speaker 3 (27:14):
Try ton't we need our behind yea, Yeah.
Speaker 7 (27:16):
I mean they're playing a lot of games where they're
scoring like seventeen points.
Speaker 4 (27:19):
That's not going to cut it.
Speaker 7 (27:20):
In the NFL final story, Colin is, oh, everybody's beloved
Kansas City Chiefs. Well, guess what dad bod enthusiast Patrick Mahomes.
He's about to turn thirty. Oh no, wait, but he's yeah,
just about to turn thirty after Week two this season.
So he's approaching his thirtieth birthday. And here's the old
man reflecting on his twenties.
Speaker 11 (27:41):
It's been a fun run, and we've We've had a
lot of great players in this building, a lot of
great people, and so it makes it enjoyable to come
to work every single day. And still got some guys
with me that's been there the whole time, and then
adding new guys gives you a new juice and a
new spirit to go out there and be even better.
And so a lot of young guys now, so just
trying to eight to them as much as I can.
(28:02):
But at the same time, I'm still not thirty yet,
so I feel like I can for at least right now.
Speaker 1 (28:07):
Yeah, Let's face it, if you're Buffalo or Baltimore, you're niners.
It's no fun competing in the competing. This is Tiger
in his prime.
Speaker 7 (28:16):
Bro Oh, he had a good run. Now listen, this
is unequivocal. Patrick Mahomes is the greatest quarterback in his
twenties in NFL history easily and look at the numbers
before turning thirty first and wins by the lasting yards.
Speaker 1 (28:28):
Touchdown to radio for our radio audience that can't see this.
Patrick Mahomes in his twenties through for over thirty eight
thousand yards, seven division titles, five Super Bowls, winning three
in his twenties, he is right now, I would say
in the middle.
Speaker 3 (28:46):
Of his peak.
Speaker 1 (28:48):
His peak is going to be probably twenty six ish
to thirty thirty three ish.
Speaker 3 (28:54):
He's in the middle of it.
Speaker 4 (28:57):
Yeah, well, see, I have done no playoffs. I will
say this.
Speaker 7 (29:01):
The potential at wide receiver for that group, if they're healthy,
is i impressive. But the receive Rice news from this week,
you know, obviously not great. And then we got to
see what's up with Kelsey. The tackles a lot of
questions for the Tiefs.
Speaker 4 (29:14):
Colin.
Speaker 7 (29:14):
I think Buffalo and Baltimore are clearly better this season.
I know people don't want to hear that, but going
into the season, order those three for me. Buffalo, Baltimore,
Kansas City.
Speaker 1 (29:25):
Buffalo, Baltimore, Kansas City. Oh you're with me, okay, yeah, yeah,
I think everybody is sleeping on Denver does everybody get
to Denver, got Green Lawn Whufung.
Speaker 3 (29:34):
On defense alone, I don't think.
Speaker 4 (29:35):
People are sleeping of them.
Speaker 7 (29:36):
The best defense in the league coming into the season.
Speaker 3 (29:40):
They're gonna be good.
Speaker 1 (29:41):
Their offensive line. I just checked this out the other day,
Like they're O line. I think PFF had them like third.
Like Sean Payton has turned that franchise around. It's amazing
what he's done. And he came to that organization. They
had the worst dead cap money situation.
Speaker 3 (29:58):
In league history.
Speaker 1 (30:00):
I mean it's so yeah, that division is insane. Jemckla news.
Speaker 2 (30:06):
Well, that's the news and thanks for stopping by the
Herd Line. Be sure to catch live editions of The
Herd weekdays and noon Eastern NN a EM Pacific.
Speaker 7 (30:15):
These ball Night in America on Fox, the Red Sox
take on rising star Pete Crow Armstrong in the Cubs
or the Cardinals battles at Diamondbacks.
Speaker 4 (30:26):
Check local listings for the.
Speaker 7 (30:27):
Game in your area Tomorrow at sevent eastern on Fox.
Speaker 3 (30:33):
I don't know why I'm in such a good mood today, Jamie.
Speaker 1 (30:35):
I'm fired up for Dana White Top of the Hour
because there's a huge fight this weekend.
Speaker 3 (30:41):
It's one of the better fights in the UFC in
a long time.
Speaker 1 (30:43):
It's a you know, your classic trilogy where it's two
guys fighting for the third time. One's a power guy,
one's a volume guy. It's going to be great and
we'll talk about that.
Speaker 3 (30:51):
So I had.
Speaker 1 (30:54):
And I said this. I've said, you gotta be careful
about July and August. And I think the audience as
you watch or listen to me, you know, it's our
dead time. You're out of your habits, you're golfing more,
you're taking more time off, you're taking Fridays off. And
in this time of the year, I always try to
be cautious because like these Lebron stories come out of
nowhere and people are just trying to fill space. This
(31:15):
is like the slowest week of the year and in
our in our business. But there's actually been there's been
some stories. And so all the stuff I'm seeing created
and generated.
Speaker 3 (31:25):
I'm like, don't, don't, don't, don't.
Speaker 1 (31:27):
But there is one I'm willing to create and generate,
and that is Nick Saban to the NFL. So Greg McElroy,
somebody I respect a lot, played that Bama knows Bamy.
He's a big talk show host in the South, totally
connected to BAMA when he goes out and Greg says,
I am hearing Saban getting back into coaching. Believe it
(31:48):
doesn't mean he will. But if he's hearing it, then
it's Nick and Jimmy Sexton talking to either BAMA or
somebody else. And Nick is not an old guy. He
may be old in age, he's not old in spirit, intellect, drive, energy,
he's not. I don't know Nick that well, been around
him a couple of times, but he's a very impressive guy.
Speaker 3 (32:07):
He's got a.
Speaker 1 (32:08):
Pete Carroll feel. He's not his age. Some guys are
old and look at and feel it and talk it.
That's not Nick. So I had Urban Meyer on yesterday,
who is a friend and knows a lot of how
Nick thinks. And I posed a question. I said, I
think he's going back into coaching. If Greg McElroy said it,
Lane Kiffen knows him well said it. I said, he
(32:28):
may not, but he's gonna listen at least to pro offers.
Speaker 3 (32:32):
Here's Urban I have not talked to him about this.
Speaker 12 (32:36):
I could guess because I know him fairly well and
competed against him, that it's not a little scratch. It's
probably a pretty big scratch that that's the one area
that he is not you know, you know, he, like
you said, he's getting things going at Miami. I actually
visited him when he was down there. But I don't
think he'd go back to college. I don't see that fit.
(32:58):
I would say very little to no chance he would
get involved in college. But I think he would take
phone calls from the NFL.
Speaker 1 (33:05):
Okay, So let's let's just think about this. There's six
to seven openings a year.
Speaker 2 (33:08):
You know that.
Speaker 1 (33:09):
I know that that's that's not a revelation. So let's
look at the last five years of coaching hires. Who
has turned around a program overnight? Who's an A plus?
Jim Harbaugh took a broken culture, a bad team, the
thirty second defense. They were number one in the league
last year. Okay, So Jim Harbaugh has been an A plus.
(33:30):
Hire Sean Payton disaster, Russell Wilson's contract. They led the
league in sacks last year, made the playoffs with a
rookie quarterback in a division with Harbaugh, Herbert, Annie Reid
and Mahomes. Okay, so what do those guys have? Pedigree?
They're championship level coaches college are pro These are great
pedigree coaches. Well, Saban's that. Let's look at two other
(33:53):
guys who are really successful. We don't consider Dan Campbell
to be good as good as Harball, don't. We don't
consider Nick Serry to be Sean Payton. But they've been
really successful. Why because they have great general managers in
great front offices. So they're good enough coaches with great personnel.
Oh wait, Saban's good at that too. Saban gives you
the pedigree of a championship winning coach, best college coach ever,
(34:18):
and he gives you the player personnel expertise. There's two
college coaches that I would always trust, maybe three or
four all time with being in the draft room and
making calls. Jim Harbaugh is one of them. Nick Saban's another.
Jimmy Johnson's won. And when Pete Carroll got out of
USC for the first four years, let Pete run the
(34:38):
Let Pete run the draft. Saban knows personnel, so pedigree
and personnel excellence he gives you both. So and the
other thing to remember, College baseball and Major League baseball
are two different sports. College basketball, which is possession basketball,
and the NBA, which is a bullet train or two
(34:58):
different sports. The NFL and college football are kind of similar.
Coach is going to bounce back and forth a lot
of the same schemes, and now that you're paying players
at the college level, they're very similar. Nick Saban dealt
with that for two years having a cap a general manager,
so they're very, very similar. The facilities at Bama the
(35:19):
NIL the cap. Nick knows what he's doing and he's
been to the NFL before, so and the otter thing
is Nixon SEC guy knows the Manning family well. If
arch Manning plays well, if he plays at like a
V plus a minus level, he's going number one in
the draft. Cleveland very likely is going to be the
worst team in the league, and it's not nobody's going
(35:41):
to lose sleep with that. Arch Manning and Cleveland, the
owners Jimmy Haslam, a huge sec Tennessee booster who loves headlines, Baker,
Johnny Mansel, Deshaun Watson at his own peril, Arch Manning
and Nick Saban make the Cleveland Browns, for an owner
who loves chasing lines, the most interesting team in the NFL.
(36:03):
Not I'm saying the best they would be the most
interesting team in the NFL. So, I mean, we're gonna
have six seven new openings. I'm guaranteeing you right now.
If Nick is interested, half those teams call him. And
unlike Harball, Harbaugh had such a intense personality a lot
of NFL teams were not interested. Minnesota reportedly said no thanks,
(36:26):
So he had a smaller market. That's not Sam saman
ingratiates himself. Saman gets along with everybody. Media likes him,
coaches like him, Belichick likes him, Everybody likes Nick.
Speaker 3 (36:36):
Nick's Nick.
Speaker 1 (36:37):
Maybe the team playing him doesn't like Nick, but Nick
gets along with a lot of people. He can be
self deprecating. You know, Jim Harbaugh's personality, He's lightened up
a lot in the NFL. I mean, Jim Harbaugh is
like a different guy than he was two years ago.
But there was a smaller market for Harbaugh because he
was such an Remember that pad on the back of
Jim Schwartz, like he was so intense. Now he's not
(36:57):
as intense. Jim's you know Jim now is it's like
it's the Twilight Years.
Speaker 3 (37:01):
He's in a great mood.
Speaker 1 (37:02):
Maybe it's Herbert, but I think Saban's easy to talk to.
There's going to be six to seven openings. And remember this,
here's another reason why I'm on this. Two other reasons.
First of all, On three is a great website, great business.
They do recruiting. This week they released like the top
twelve teams in college football NIL collective. Bama is nowhere
(37:26):
to be seen. Even Auburn made the list, meaning Bama's
not going to bring Saban back. They can't afford him.
They can't buy out Kaitlin and the board for seventy
million and spend fifteen million on players and give Nick
a new seventy million dollar contract. They don't have the money.
They're doing car washes and bake sales. They don't have
the money.
Speaker 3 (37:43):
In the NIL.
Speaker 1 (37:45):
Auburn's got more money because they have a couple of
Richard Boosters. And the other thing is because of the
NIL and because what colleges make now is these college coaches,
if they think they're going to get fired, they'll get
a next You know, well, Brian Kelly, a Lincoln Riley,
a Kaylin de boor their universities aren't going to get
rid of them, so they're going to stay in the
(38:06):
college level, not roll the dice. Lincoln Riley's not gonna.
You know, in the old days, if Lincoln was in trouble,
he'd have his agent right now talking to NFL teams.
Speaker 3 (38:15):
He doesn't.
Speaker 1 (38:17):
He wants to see this thing through US. He's recruiting
class is great for twenty twenty six, and they can't
get rid of him US. He just paid three hundred
million for facilities. They're paying eighteen million, I'm told for nil.
They're not spending eighty million dollars to buy Lincoln out.
Lincoln knows it. So you don't have these college coaches
in these contracts. They're not looking at the NFL. Years ago,
(38:38):
Brian Kelly had like three years left on his deal
and he had his agents calling the NFL.
Speaker 3 (38:42):
He was snooping around.
Speaker 1 (38:44):
They're not doing that anymore because the universities can't get
rid of them. So I'm and this is nothing against
the show he's on an ESPN. It's not about that,
even though when I watched that show, I always feel
like I want more Nick because I think he's so
smart and so electric on television. But this is the
one story in the slowest time of the year that
I will generate because I believe it to be true,
(39:06):
is that we're going to have six openings. The college
guys aren't getting fired like they used to. Arch Manning
going to Cleveland. Jimmy Haslam loves headlines, By the way.
The other guy that loves headlines Jerry Jones. The criticism
of Jerry for years, even in Jerry's prime, was he's
more interested in the headlines than he is the Super Bowls,
because after he won them with Jimmy, it's like, Okay,
(39:27):
I got my trophy, I got my legacy, I.
Speaker 3 (39:30):
Got my money. I want the headlines.
Speaker 1 (39:32):
And so I mean, if you're telling me, and I
think Dallas is going to be bad Cleveland and Dallas
are in this space for the top five or six picks,
you're not gonna call Nick Saban.
Speaker 3 (39:44):
You'd be crazy not to call him.
Speaker 1 (39:47):
Coordinators in the NFL hit about thirty percent of the time.
And I think Nick Sirianni was he was in trouble
two years ago. He's got the best GM in the
league and the best roster. If he didn't, I think
he'd be gone. So j Mac, that is my I
don't even think it's a hot take. That's my story
in the slowest time of the year that I think
has legs when Urban Myers says, oh, yeah, yeah, he would,
(40:09):
he would talk to NFL teams.
Speaker 7 (40:11):
Yeah, there's something out there. I like it to piggyback
off that you mentioned yesterday.
Speaker 4 (40:17):
You thought in the NFL, you know, the coaching has
stepped up.
Speaker 7 (40:19):
AFC West is the most loaded division you've ever seen.
Remember you challenged me find one better.
Speaker 4 (40:26):
Do you remember this yesterday?
Speaker 7 (40:27):
Okay, nineteen ninety NFC East, Bill Parcells with the Giants,
Jimmy Johnson with the Cowboys, Joe Gibson, Washington, Buddy.
Speaker 4 (40:36):
Ryan in Philadelphia.
Speaker 3 (40:38):
Puddy Ryan.
Speaker 4 (40:39):
He was a legendary defensive coach.
Speaker 3 (40:41):
He was a speed bag.
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Colin Cowherd
Jason McIntyre
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