August 30, 2022 • 48 mins
John reacts to the surprise news of Jimmy Garoppolo re-signing with the Niners, if Trey Lance is in trouble, the 3 types of players that teams will be cutting in final cut downs, what are realistic expectations for Carson Wentz in DC, why he’s noy buying the hype around the revamped Dolphins, and what CFB programs face the most pressure entering the 2022 season.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
The volume. The Three and Out Podcast with me John
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they know we sent you. What is going on? Everybody,
(00:53):
John Middlecop Three and Out Podcasts? How are we doing?
What is going on? We just had breaking news. This
is I got lucky. I usually record the podcast a
little earlier in the day on Mondays, but because some
things happened, I wasn't. I'm recording this about four o'clock
(01:14):
in the afternoon, and the news of Jimmy Garoppolo out
of nowhere, Clayton Kershaw, Barry Zito level curveball is resigning
with the forty nine ers. I mean technically he was
on the Niners, but restructors contracts is gonna stay on
as Trey lances backup. What a jaw dropping thing, to
say the least. And this is coming from someone that's
(01:36):
been at these practices. I'll obviously give some thoughts there.
The big cutdown, a lot of guys getting cut. I
have been the guy who's part of cutting players. Have
some thoughts on that, and just you know, not everyone
that gets cut is the same. There's a player that
I saw that it's kind of crazy. We haven't really
(01:56):
talked about that. There has a chance to be a
swim this year of a player's career kind of ending
and another one's ascending. That would be just one of
the all time moves in NFL in recent memory. At least.
The Miami Dolphins just are they just the all hype
team have some question marks there, and then a couple
of quich college Will quick can't even speak college football thoughts.
(02:22):
The plan is podcast Tuesday, probably do like a mailbag
type thing for Thursday, because I'm headed to Nashville Wednesday,
as I've said so in Labor Day weekend, so they'll
just be this podcast. Will probably put something out Thursday
because of the short weekend. Because let's face it, most
of you guys by Friday or screwing around, and then
because Monday's off, probably won't have anything a podcast until
(02:47):
next Tuesday for the NFL season. That's that's probably the
game plan, given that Monday is a holiday. But wanted
to start again. Three and our podcast. You listening on
Collins Feed, Subscribe to thee and outfeed Middlecoff Mailbag. We'll
have a big one Thursday at John Middlecoff is the Instagram.
Fire in those dms and get your question answered here
(03:07):
on the show. One reason in general why sports thrive?
Is it true in a day and age when there's
every single channel has a reality show. Most of them
have reality show after reality show. All the streaming services
now have all these reality shows. They're all scripted. I
think we all acknowledge it's all fake. Getting pro sports
(03:30):
every single week, every single day, something happens where you go.
Damn didn't see that happening. Damn. Who would have thought
Davante Adams, Tyreek Hill would get traded, Tom Brady would
retire and then unretire and then take a sabbatical and
then after a year of he's gonna get traded. No
one's gonna trade for him, He's gonna get cut. All
(03:52):
of a sudden, Jimmy Garoppolo ends up as the backup
for the forty nine ers. Couple quick thoughts in a vacuum.
He immediately becomes the best backup in the NFL. You
can get Jimmy Garoppolo, who has been a starter now
for half a decade and won a ton of big
games and wall flawed, is a top twenty quarterback in
(04:14):
the NFL at six and a half million dollars to
be your backup. He is, you could argue, when you
factor in the importance of the quarterback position, any player
on a non rookie contract, it is the best contract
in the NFL because at any moment, if he had
Dude Trey got hurt, he can start and you can
win with him. He has been the starting quarterback. Now
(04:38):
he again, like I said, flawed player. But their team
is so loaded they were littered with guys. I think
the list is stupid of players in the top one hundred,
from the hundredth player up until the fringe top ten,
and Jimmy Garoppolo can be the guy just guiding the ship.
(04:59):
And now he's the backup six and a half million dollars.
The other thing the forty nine ers have really hung
their hat on is their general manager and head coach
are incredible dealing and massaging the people in their building.
Give it the players, and they've handled some very weird
situations and they've done it pretty seamlessly, and they've made
(05:22):
hard decisions over the years and it worked out pretty well.
They did it with divorced Buckner a couple of years
ago when they traded him for a first round pick,
and a couple of years later they are back in
the NFC Championship game, and this year the Deebo Samuel situation.
He demands a trade and Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch
refused to say anything negatively publicly, even though they were
(05:44):
kind of mad, and they convinced him to come to
OTAs as a hold in. They massage the situation. And
now I've been in all these practices. Debo was kicking
Ascid and taking names, and it's all kombay on. Everyone's
hugging and kissing. They are. John is one of the
better people in league history, just a high quality Captain
America type, and Kyle Little can be a little off,
(06:06):
I think, and be difficult for coaches is great with players.
So their ability to handle a situation that, let's face it,
one could argue, and I might. It's kind of batshit crazy.
And I'll never forget when I went to my first
forty nine or practice this fall training camp. I don't
go when the pads aren't on. I waited till the
(06:27):
pads were on, and I walked out there, and before
you get to the fields in which the players participate on,
there is like this other stretch of field, but it's
not It's probably half the size with wise of an
NFL field and probably forty yards long. And there's Jimmy
Garoppolo with two guys that look like me just throwing
(06:51):
passes too, and teammates are walking by, people are high
five in them. I remember one day going out there
and all the players are coming out to practice. Jimmy's
in a full sweat throwing. Mike Shanahan's on his way
out to practice, stops gives Jimmy a little pat on
the butt and they start b asking, and I just
thought to myself, this is easily the most bizarre thing
(07:13):
I've ever seen. Yet it feels completely normal, and part
of that is Jimmy Garoppolo, who is clearly not your
normal quarterback. Because if I was in his shoes the
moment this offseason started, I would have demanded, once I
was healthy, get rid of me, release me. I would
have made it difficult on the Niners. Yet I was
(07:34):
told by people that beat writers, guys that cover the team,
and they the Niners, this is not New York, this
is not Philly. It's a looser vibe with the media,
with the team. It's it's not I've been to Philadelphia.
It can be much more contentious there. John Lynch's friends
with people, all Kyle knows all these guys. The relationships
(07:55):
are just different out West. We're a little more laid back.
And they all said, you know what, Jimmy's cool with this.
Jimmy's the one that told them, like, I'm cool with
being here, and he allowed this situation, which I would
say most quarterbacks in his shoes, given what he's accomplished,
would never have done this. They would have demanded to
be released. Now, part of this, his options were limited.
(08:18):
He didn't have anyone at this point in time to
get traded do and no one was going to trade
for his contract. Now, the question is do the forty
nine ers believe in Trey Lance. I think they believe
in his potential. But potential is just that it's unrealized. Whatever.
You don't know how good he's going to be. He
(08:41):
is physically gifted. He clearly from an unknowing people there,
high level guy, very smart, understands the offense. He does
kind of have a flaw right now. Not the most
accurate quarterback. And I don't think if the forty nine
ers were one sold on Trey Lance, they would have
done this. Now, Kyle and John Lynch, if they were
(09:03):
sitting at right around this table, buy me right now
and looking at me, they'd say, John, we could have
the best backup quarterback in the NFL. Why would we not?
Every team in the NFL would take Jimmy Garoppolo if
they had the cap space at six and a half
million dollars to back up their quarterback. Whether your starter
was Aaron Rodgers or Patrick Mahomes, or whether it was
Zach Wilson or Mac Jones. Of course you would want
(09:26):
Jimmy Garoppolo for that price. I'd say, true. But when
you invest so heavily, you usually get rid of the guy. Right.
Look no further than Patrick Mahomes when the Kansas Chiefs
traded Alex Smith to the football team Commanders. Maybe they
were the Redskins at the time and went all in
in Mahomes. Now, obviously Alex had a market and was
(09:47):
getting paid a lot of money at the time when
he went to Washington. But that is typically the move.
You transition and put all your chips on the middle
of the table, and if your starter gets hurt, part
of the deal with the NFL is you're screwed. Right,
Peyton Manning neck got injured. Coults sucked. When Aaron Rodgers
have broken collar bones before, They've been in shambles. Last year,
(10:08):
Russell Wilson got hurt, Seattle was done. That's just the
way the NFL works, and the forty nine ers understand that.
And they've been in that situation before when Jimmy tore
his ACL and it led them to getting Nick Bosa.
It sucked. I remember I watched all those snaps. It
was miserable. They don't want to be in that situation
because last year Jimmy got hurt miss some games. They
(10:30):
had Trey l Hell, Trey Lance got hurt, So maybe
they just know we got two guys that get injured
until Trey Lance proved one he can just be durable.
Herm Edwards said it a long time ago. The best
ability sometimes is availability, and Trey Lance has been injured
multiple times now. You could argue freak accident. He hurt
his finger in a preseason game. He also sprained his
(10:52):
knee and his first start against the Arizona Cardinals last year,
and Jimmy has a long history of being injured. Hell
last year, when the season ended, he had multiple injuries,
a messed up thumb and a messed up shoulder. Won
The shoulder obviously led him to get surgery. But I
think the Niners got lucky in the sense that Jimmy's
cool with this. I think they've benefited because their head
(11:13):
coach and GM are good at dealing with players, and
I think you could say that they're not one sold
that Trey Lance is going to be a rocket ship,
because when you draft a player and you give up
that many picks, you want him to be a rocket ship. Mahomes,
Josh Allen. You know, obviously the Chargers didn't think this,
(11:36):
But what Herbert looks like it's just impossible to say. Now,
maybe we know at the end of the season you
feel good about it, and the Niners clearly just want
a contingency plan. I saw Mike Silver, who does a
podcast on the Volume, who also now writes for the
San Franco Chronicle, and I saw him in a bunch
of forty nine practice said this is a hedge, and listen,
(11:59):
I'm a gambler. I've never hedged because I'm always cool
with losing, right. I don't gamble to earn my money.
I gamble for fun. I podcast to make my money.
That's how I earn my living. That's what I do
for work. So I get up early, I go to
bed late. I'm a fucking podcaster, and I invest. I
do some other stuff, but I don't I don't expect
(12:20):
when I gamble, and I'm I wouldn't call myself a
degenerate gambler, but I would be in the top probably
ten percent of gamblers in America. And I gamble it's
a hobby for fun. Now I win sometimes and I
lose probably more than I win, but I enjoy it.
It gets me going. But I don't depend on that money.
I'm cool with losing every bet I've ever made. I'm
(12:41):
okay with losing. Kyle Shanahan is not. He does not
like losing. Hell, he doesn't even look like he's having
that much fun when he's winning. And I think that's simple.
He's got a little Belichick in him where he goes.
I don't give a shit what this looks like or
some of the dynamics. All I care about is attempting
(13:02):
to win. And for a guy that I hold in
high regard, I think a lot of you if you
watch football. No, he's a really good coach. He's only
won two of his five seasons, and a couple of
the reasons he's lost in twenty twenty and in twenty
eighteen was quarterback injuries. Jimmy missed thirteen games one year,
(13:22):
maybe it was twelve games, and he missed ten another year.
So Trey Lance played one season where he played a
couple of games and he got hurt multiple times. So
it might just be as simple as they got an opportunity.
They don't necessarily the personal dynamics. They think both guys
already like each other. They already know each other a
little weird, but they're cool with it being weird part
(13:42):
of the NFL's elements of it that are just weird.
We'll deal with it. Be a pro. I've always thought, like, yeah,
it's easy to say, be a pro, like you're dealing
with humans here, not robots, not widgets. But they clearly
know these guys too pretty well, and they just weren't
willing to not have a contingency plan given that they
couldn't trade the guy. And that's what led to the
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(14:04):
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(14:50):
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(16:20):
And speaking of cut guys, I've been in that position
my first year in the NFL. The quote unquote turk uh,
the guy that brings the pink slips. It's an uncomfortable situation, right.
A lot of guys battled their ass off to try
to live out their dream. Now, not everyone is under
the same umbrella. Some guys that get cut are veteran players.
(16:42):
Some guys that get cut are undrafted free agents. Some
guys are ten year vets that have made millions of dollars.
So everyone falls into a different category. But the thing
in NFL training camp and once you're once I was
in the NFL a couple of years, you could immediately
tell like, this is a good player, this is a
friend player, and this is not an NFL player. And
(17:03):
sometimes the not an NFL player, the guy's playing in
the fourth quarter of these preseason games can latch onto
a practice squad and then develop into NFL players. And
that's part of the reason why some scouts and some
front offices are better than others. They can see that.
But there is a percentage of guys right because they're
gonna be a ton of guys cut on every team.
(17:24):
All these teams are going from eighty five to fifty
three or eighty to fifty three, whatever the number is. Specifically,
I think Schefter tweeted out as almost nine hundred players
are going to be released tomorrow. Now. One thing these
guys have going for them. When I was in the
NFL practice squad was like eight guys. It's doubled since
the other differences with COVID. In the last couple of years,
(17:47):
they've changed the restrictions of practice squad Before, if you
played in a certain amount of games, Like if I
was a fifth round pick and I was a guy
that was I made the roster, but I never dressed,
but my team had a bunch of injuries, or my
team was really shitty and I ended up playing a
lot of games. Let's say in December, I would basically
(18:09):
burn my practice squad eligibility, and then I was a
guy the next year that couldn't latch on a team.
I wouldn't have a job in the NFL, and it
kind of screwed a lot of younger players. Now the
rules for the practice squad are so much more, you know,
open ended. You can have played several years and still
(18:29):
get time. So many more guys are eligible to be
on the practice squad Now there is a big difference
of making an NFL roster and being on the practice squad.
It's like one hundred and sixty five thousand dollars versus
like over eight hundred thousand dollars, so financially, regardless what
state you live in and regardless of the tax structure.
(18:49):
You're talking hundreds of thousands of dollars. Now, just because
you're on the practice squad does at any moment you
can be cut. It is zero guaranteed dollars. Now, I
technically can guarantee money because when I cut all these guys.
If I cut you in your fifth round pick and
other teams liked you as well as my own team.
(19:10):
Let's say I'm the Minnesota Vikings and I cut a
player and I had drafted him that year, but I
want to keep them on my practice squad. Well, every
other team, if they don't claim the guy, can also
bring them on the practice squad so they can offer him.
And Belichick used to do this a lot when I
was in the NFL, and he still does, and other
teams do this as well. I can go listen, I
want you on my practice squad, but I will pay
(19:32):
you fully guaranteed a fifty three man roster spot, or
maybe I'll guarantee you four hundred thousand dollars to come
on my practice squad, so they can give financial incentives
to come to other teams practice squad. Now, when you
get cut, if you're gonna get claimed by a team,
or you're a team that's gonna claim a player, you
(19:52):
have to put that player on the fifty three man roster.
So if you are awarded a player who is cut
just because you're a guy. And I was texting with
a Jeff Schwartz who played in the NFL for a
long time, as brother Mitchell Schwartz was the right tackle.
He went to oregonist Mitchell went to cal football people,
and I saw him tweeting about this a couple weeks ago, Like,
(20:14):
just because you make the team, if you're the fiftieth guy,
the fifty first guy, the fifty second guy, the fifty
third guy, does not mean that you're gonna be on
the team week one. Because if I'm let's just pick
the Jacks who just drafted first, which means they have
the number one pick in the claim order. So if
I picked my fifty three man roster, but I claim
(20:34):
four guys, meaning every guy that I claim, I will
be awarded because until week four it goes based on
the draft order, I will then have to cut four
people from my own team to place those new guys
on my team. So it is a revolving door these
next couple days and even leading up to the season.
(20:55):
So I broke it down into three places, the people
that are going to be cut over the next couple
of days. There are some guys, I would say, depending
on the team, anywhere between probably three to like six
to seven that had a legitimate shot to make the
team that at one point in time over the last
several weeks in personnel meetings with the coaches, they were
(21:16):
talked about like they were going to be on the
roster and whether they ultimately regressed a little bit, made
a mistake, something happened, maybe a position battle, whatever, they
got cut, but they easily could have made the roster
a late round pick, an undrafted free agent, or maybe
like a practice squad guy from last year. And I
would say all those guys are destined to be on
(21:38):
that team's practice squad. Those are the hardest guys to
cut because you're worried if those guys excelled in preseason
games that they might get claimed. And the moment you
cut a player I remember learning this in the NFL,
you have to be okay with never seeing them again
either they get claimed or another practice squad guy steals them.
(21:59):
Then they are basically players that were always going to
go to the practice squad. And that's the majority of
the guys I would say from like probably sixty to
like seventy five that are practice squad type players that
either you're gonna want on the practice squad or other
teams are going to be interested to bring on their
(22:21):
practice squad. And that is the majority of young players
that are cut. Because it's the NFL, the majority of
roster spots are already taken by veteran players, previously drafted players,
other guys that were just drafted in top three or
four rounds, so it's hard to make a team. And
the majority of guys unless you go above and beyond
(22:42):
in training camp, are going to be released. But you're
gonna be on an NFL team, just be on the
practice squad. And then we know as the attrition of
the sport. You are a sprained ankle, a broken arm,
a torn acl away from dressing that next week. And
to me, the coolest part about the NFL, that group
of players is a lot like us in society. It
(23:03):
does not matter where you're started, it matters how you finish.
Your opportunity is not over. You are given the opportunity
to go in every single day in practice with the team,
being in meetings with the team, be around your coordinators,
be around your head coach. Let's face it, a lot
of position coaches become offensive coordinators, a lot of offensive
coordinator defensive coordinators become head coaches. You get a great
(23:26):
opportunity to be around these guys who in the next
year or two will go other places, and if you
stay around, you get an opportunity to be on their teams.
That's just the way this league works, just like the
way life works. Who cares that you don't get the
job you want immediately unless you get fucking thrown to
the gutter and you're homeless, like you're gonna have a
(23:47):
chance to excel and succeed. It might not go like
ideally every guy would make the fifty three man roster.
Ideally every person would start their career in the corner
office in the eleventh story building. That's just not the
way it works, especially for guys fourth round through undrafted
free agents. You gotta earn it and you need some
breaks to go your way. Now, when those breaks go
(24:08):
your way, those guys, like if you're on a practice
squad in week four, when that starting middle linebacker gets hurt,
and then that backup middle linebacker doesn't play well, and
then the following week you get an opportunity to not
only play special teams, but play the nickel linebacker. You
better take advantage of the situation. You might be playing
Aaron Rodgers, you might be playing Patrick Mahomes. If you
(24:28):
look good, it could change your life. If you look shitty,
you go right back to the practice squad. And then
to me, there's the group which I respect these guys
because they played Division one football, Division two football. They
were good enough to have a scout, to have a
general manager, to have a position coach pound the table
(24:48):
and say we should bring this guy into training camp.
But whether it was evident early or figured out a
little bit later, these guys were never going to be
NFL players, and they were just used as by during
training camp at the highest level of the sport. There
is nothing to be ashamed at about that. As someone
that evaluated these players that if your career ends and
(25:11):
you got to play in preseason games and go to
training camp with the Dallas Cowboys, with the New York Giants,
with the New Orleans Saints, with the Minnesota Vikings, whoever
you were in training camp with, and if all you
ever got were an OTA's a training camp and some
preseason games, that is a fucking incredible accomplishment. But there
is I would say, ten guys a team that fit
(25:32):
kind of that mold that are just not even practice
squadworthy and definitely never going to make the NFL, and
more than likely this is the pinnacle of their career,
and the pinnacle of their career is still higher than
ninety nine percent of the majority of people that ever
play football from peewee to high school to college. So
it's still an impressive accomplishment. But these next couple of days,
(25:54):
I've been the guy waiting for their playbook, and now
the playbook I think is a lot more of the iPad.
It's just a very tense time, and it's you know,
everyone's tried so hard and putting so much effort. It
sucks cutting a lot of those first two groups, guys
that had a very good chance to make the team,
because making the team is a big deal. And you know,
just telling guys you weren't good enough, even though we
(26:15):
want you back, but you weren't good enough to make
the team. It's it's a humbling experience for everyone involved.
Every single year I saw I haven't I realized I
have not talked about Carson Wentz at all. Part of
it is the Washington football team commanders kind of feels irrelevant,
(26:36):
but think how crazy it is. I was listening this morning.
I went to the gym to get a little sweating,
and it might have had a little Funday Sunday Sunday Funday,
and you know, I was just gonna have one Tetos
and soda, and it led to about four and then
some beers, and I was like, you know, I need
to sweat this out. So I was still up, you know,
brighton early and I was in there sweating. I was
listening to Bill Simmons podcast and he had Warren Sharp on,
(26:58):
and they were talking a lot about the potential of
the Eagles to be like the sleeper team, to potentially
have like the best record in the NFC, which I
think is a little strong, but to win the division.
And I think there's a very credible chance for them
to win the division. Now. I think I've said a
couple of times that the Eagles split with the Cowboys.
I had a couple of Cowboys fans SPI in my DMS,
(27:19):
be like Middle Coop. Stop speaking lies, and the reality
is I'm wrong. The Cowboys swept him last year. In
the first game when everyone tried the Cowboy fans, you
guys beat the hell out of him. Remember I think
first drive of the game pick six Jalen hurts, you
blew them out. The second game, I was actually in
Los Angeles at La Country Club. You know, a pretty
(27:41):
fun day. The next day was the Niner game. It
was a good weekend. I'm not gonna lie. I got
pretty drunk all weekend. Then I got the VID. That sucked,
but you know, the weekend was remarkable. If you told
me I had to get the VID to go play
La Country Club and then go watch the Niners beat
the Rams at Sofi Stadium, I would have made that
trade off. I did, essentially, and I was watching the game. Mute,
you guys killed him. I remember the Eagles benched everybody,
(28:03):
and the Eagles essentially got rid of Carson Wentz and
just said he's not good enough and we don't like
him at all. And let's face it, just that move
in a vacuum has aids very well. A year later,
he essentially kind of blows it for the Colts and
they say, we gotta get this guy out of here.
Where The number one reason he went there was because
(28:25):
the head coach, who was like this really great religious guy,
was like I love this dude. And then even by
the end I was like, yeah, we gotta move on.
Frank right turned on him. So it's like Carson Wentz's career.
He's now on his third team in basically a year
and a half. It's pretty crazy, and the Eagles might
have upgraded at quarterback now. I've never been a big
Jalen Hurts fans like I thought he was a running
(28:47):
back coming out of college. But number one thing I've
been told over and over by people with the Eagles
is like, this guy is a football junkie. He loves
it and he does everything humanly possible to improve he honestly,
Dak's a better player, but he fits that mold. He
maximizes every ounce of his talent. He truly cares. He's tough.
(29:09):
Football means everything to them. Both those guys. A lot
of guys in the NFL, but specifically Jalen and Dack's
a good example of a guy mid round pick no
one thought was good enough and just six seven years later.
I don't think he's a forty million dollar quarterback. We
can argue that, but I love everything he stands for.
I think he's a solid player. I think he's a
good player. I just don't love the price point. But
(29:31):
part of it, like you can you can have a
chance with guys like that if you build your team
up around him. And I think the Eagles are really
good and I think the Cowboys are kind of coming
back to Earth. But regardless, we'll see how that plays out.
It wouldn't totally shock me, even though I think Mike
McCarthy's already under so much heat it is gonna just
get weird. They're so fast. Can you imagine if they
(29:51):
lose Week one against the Bucks and Tom Brady's got
like looks like he's getting plastic surgery, He's taking sabbaticals
and he comes and beat styles. A lot of pressures there.
Now there's a lot of pressure the Eagles too. They
open up against the Lions, who, let's face it, we're
all rooting for it because we're watching hard knocks, but
the Eagles better win that game. We can't start annoying
the Eagles then you're losing Lions, even though I do
think the Lions are gonna be more competitive. But what
(30:12):
about Carson Wentz, Like as Carson Wentz, you know, like
Russell Westbrook for example, everyone feels like it's over for
him in LA And if you listen to anyone talk
that knows what they're talking about basketball, Like if he's
traded to the Pacers for some of their guys for
the Lakers and the Pacers buy him out, no one
is going to want Russell Westbrook. Russell Westbrook is going
(30:33):
to be out of the NBA. Now. I would never
say never, just because you know, people sell tickets, who knows,
but it wouldn't shock me if Russell Westbrooks is out
of the NBA. Now, the difference of Russell Westbrook and
Carson Wentz. Roll Westbrook had like a decade where he's
kicking ass, taking names, flawed player, but it was still sweet.
Carson Wentz had like a moment and now it feels
like he's playing for his career when people at quarterback go, yeah,
(30:58):
we just people don't really like him. Like that's the
most enormous red flag. Think about Jimmy Garoppolo, the number
one thing, Jimmy Garoppolo hangs his hat on. It was like, yeah,
people just love the dude. People just can't get enough
with Jimmy G. They just want Jimmy G to be around.
He slid quarterback, but the guy, they love the guy.
Great teammate, fun to be around, cool with everybody, good influence.
(31:19):
It's been like Carson's like yam, but he was just
look weird at it. It just sums off doesn't get
along with people for whatever reason. You're like, well, what's
the reasons? Like, we can't really put our finger on.
It's just weird cat, you know, doesn't listen, not that coachable,
a lot of things that are pretty big red flags.
And now he's going to a place which, let's face
it's been historically pretty dysfunctional. It feels like his career
(31:40):
is on the line, and last year his stats don't
look bad. Yet when you watch them, you went I
don't really see it. And I remember arguing with Colts
fans be like, I think you're being too hard on
Carson Wentz. I don't think I was season ended. They
couldn't get rid of him fast enough. And I think
Matt Ryan's got a little Philip Rivers where it's like
he's holding on for dear life at the end of
his career. Everyone's acting like Matt Ryan is gonna kick
(32:01):
ass and take names. I don't know, maybe he will,
but it's not like the Colts are loaded with offensive weaponry.
You know, Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark ain't
walking through that door. I like Michael Pittman, but holy Moley,
everyone's acting like Jonathan Taylor's Marshall Falk meets Barry Sanders
meets Walter Payton. Liked the player a lot, but it
(32:23):
seems like a lot. I mean, I don't know, but
the Colts feel like they've hit struck oil, and part
of it feels like just because they got rid of
Carson Wentz. So if Carson Wentz, if this season doesn't
go well and he's out of the league, even if
Jalen Hurts is just okay, think how great of a
pivot that was for Philly. I mean, just got rid
of a guy that no one can stand and somehow
(32:44):
that player consistently kept getting traded for a first round
pick and then multiple threes shows you the power of quarterback.
It's just wild. Last but not least before we get
into college football. Everyone everyone would be strong, but a
lot of people are acting like the Miami Dolphins are
(33:04):
going to be really good, and this happens. I'd say
every single season there's a team or two they get
a ton of hype, and like, for example, the AFC West,
the teams like the Raiders made the playoffs last year,
and obviously the Chiefs have been awesome for a decade.
But I think a team that's getting a ton of
hype would be the Chargers. Right, but last year they
(33:26):
won nine games, and their quarterback was dominant, and their
coach was doing kind of borderline reckless things at times,
going for it when he should have just kicked the
field goal like there's nowhere or just punted. There's time
to go for it, but he was on the borderline
like insanity side, and it costs them a chance to
go to the playoffs with a top five quarterback. So
(33:47):
I think when you're picking the Charges, you go, God,
look at their roster. They add Kleil mac, they add
JC Jackson, they have Justin Herbert. It's easy to go, yeah,
this team should be a playoff team. Again, I go
back to Justin Herbert. Well, when you look at Miami,
it feels like people are doing kind of the same thing.
Like this team super loaded. They add Tyree Hill, their
(34:07):
quarterback is tua is Tua Tonga Vyla. Here's the other
thing about the Chargers, for example, I am dubious of
Brandon Staley, but when Brandon Staley got the job, he
had been a coordinator, while it only for a year,
for a year with the Rams, and their defense was awesome.
(34:28):
He had called the plays, which he still does. I
like Mike McDaniel a lot. I don't know him personally,
but I've obviously followed his career closely with the forty
nine ers, watched all of his press conferences. No people
that know him. I'm a fan. I'm rooting for the guy.
But I'm gonna start with my biggest concern for them.
He's never called a play. It's not like he's been
(34:51):
the play caller. He's been the right hand man for
the play caller. Now, maybe he has given Kyle a
ton of plays throughout different games and Kyle's used it
real time. Everyone and I know Kyle used check pretty well.
He swears by the guy. People, this guy's smart Ivy
League guy. I'm not disputing Mike McDaniel's understanding of NFL football,
(35:16):
understanding of NFL offenses, and understanding how to scheme, but
he's never called plays. So even if he becomes a
great play caller, he's gonna be way better play caller
in a couple of years than he is year one.
And we'll get into their schedule in a minute. I
just think that's they just think he's gonna be McVeigh
or Kyle, like those guys when they became head coaches
had been calling plays. I think it's going to be
(35:40):
difficult the quarterback. Like I said, with Herbert, we all
know Herbert's good, so when you go I could see
the Chargers being good. It's because we know he's good.
They just need to be better on defense, be a
little bit better running the ball Situationally, I don't know
if two is any good. I'd argue from what I've seen,
not practice lips, but on the field in games, I
(36:03):
always leave going this guy is not good. I always
leave going. It's pretty nuts. The hype on this guy
was talked about like tank for Tua, like he was
a suck for Luck. I watched Andrew Luck and I
watched twa tongavloa. I see two different players. You know,
I don't think they have much in common at all.
(36:24):
I would tank for one, I would not tank for
the other. Let's face it, we all agreed that if
they would get a do over on that one, they
would have taken Justin Herbert so one. Their coaches never
called plays, and their quarterback is one of the biggest
question marks in the league. And then three, I had
a Chiefs fan recently DM me and went, I've always
(36:44):
been a big Tyreek fan. I loved everything he did
for us, But do you find it a little weird
that he's just kind of unhinged, talking a bunch of
shit and doing whatever he wants? And my first reaction
was no, I don't at all, because I do wonder
if you know, he's always been a guy that has
a lot of opinions, but he's not gonna do anything
under Andy Reis. Watch, especially with Patrick Mahomes, he kind
(37:05):
of had to keep his mouth quiet, like he couldn't
be a big diva. And sometimes divas, when they get
out of a discipline structured area is when they their
true colors really come out. Look at Antonio Brown. For
six five or six years, Antonio Brown was one of
the best players we'd ever seen in the history of
the league at wide receiver every single year, double digit touchdowns,
(37:28):
fifteen hundred yards, just dominating. He was an unstoppable force.
And then he went to the Raiders and tried to
burn the place down and didn't give a shit about anybody.
I'm not saying Tyreek is doing that because Antonio Brown
tried to ruin his crew at the Raiders to get cut.
But he just never stops talking on this podcast, and
(37:52):
it doesn't quite feel it doesn't quite feel like he's
that invested, you know, I don't know. It just feels
like whatever I got paid, I've already won. I've already
established myself as an all time grade. If this doesn't
work out, I am so rich. Who cares? And who
in this building is gonna check me? Because I look around,
(38:12):
I don't see Andy Reid. That to me would concern me.
And last but not least, looking at their schedule, it's
pretty tough start. Now. They have played the Patriots very well,
regardless who their coaches, from Tony Soprano to Adam Gaze
to Brian Flores. For whatever reason, Miami has always given
(38:34):
the Patriot fits. So they open up against the Patriots,
then their next three games are at Ravens, against the Bills,
and at the Bengals. So they better win that Patriot
game because they are going to be the underdog in
the next three games. And let's face it, anyone listening
to this, if you're bet if I told you right now,
(38:56):
give me five hundred dollars, you gotta bet on Dolphins
at the Ravens, Bills at the Dolphins, Dolphins at the Bengals.
You're putting your money on every single one of those
games on the other team, not the Dolphins. So there
is a very good chance, even if they beat the Patriots,
that they start one in three, And if they start
one in three, new head coach the two a situation,
(39:17):
it could get weird fast. And tyreekate used to losing.
So there's a guy with a lot of opinions. You
think he's gonna keep quiet when they're losing. I don't
think so, So I to me the Dolphins, I'm just
I'm not buying it. Before we get you out of here,
we'll put the mail bag at John Middlecoff on Thursday's
pod because some college football thoughts, and I was thinking
(39:42):
this weekend watching and I talked about the Nebraska situation
the transfer portal, Like the NIL, I don't care. Make
as much money as you want. I'm pro capitalism. I'm
not bothered by it. It doesn't matter to me one iota.
I honestly do not give a shit. I also don't
pretend to be morally superior, like guys have been getting
paid in college forever now. The government just gets attacks them.
(40:03):
So I don't care the transfer rule. I do understand
that a majority of guys that go in the transfer
portal end up nowhere to go, and it's a disaster.
But quarterbacks being able to transfer is incredible for the sport.
Because Nebraska, the only reason they were in that game
was a quarterback. Casey Thompson, the kid from Texas actually
(40:26):
pretty interesting, and I think quarterbacks being able to transfer
in college football makes it a very fun I mean,
just look around this weekend, Oh Miss They're starting quarterback
Jackson dark Usc. I think that guy's pretty good. I
think him and Lane are going to be awesome. Pitt
Keaton slovis another guy that had a bunch of success
(40:48):
at USC. The irony of usc Is, they got three
quarterbacks all over the country. Starting Slovis plays J. T. Daniels,
who's now the starting quarterback in West Virginia. Hell usc
starting quarterback is a kid from Oklahoma, Caleb Williams and Oregon.
Potentially he's gonna start Bo Nicks and I'm probably missing
a ton of other players quarterbacks all over the country transferred.
(41:10):
It makes college football when you get a veteran quarterback.
Not all of them are gonna be good, but makes
it more interesting. You actually know some of these players.
It to me. Besides, like Jordan Addison, and I mean
there are some legitimate position players that move. Last year,
Jamison Williams and moved from Wild State. There is a
handful of guys. The Florida State pass rusher the Jets
(41:33):
took it was a Georgia transfer. I mean, it happens.
But to me, the quarterback thing has added an element
of fun to college football that just wasn't there. I mean,
I'm very, very intrigued to watch all these players. I
can't wait to watch Jackson Dart play. And then, last
but not least, I wanted to go to two programs
that I feel both play this weekend have a ton
(41:54):
of pressure, and one you'd say, how could you possibly
have pressure when you just on the National championship. It
was their first Natty I think since nineteen eighty and
they beat Alabama, which is, you know, you could argue
the biggest win in program history. Some SEC fans might
come at me. Maybe I don't know my SEC history,
but given Kirby's relationship with Nick, given Kirby's history playing
(42:18):
Nick beating, given who Nick is beating Nick saban national championship,
I just can't imagine it gets much bigger than that.
But I think we all anyone that follows college football,
and I don't follow college recruiting that that like, you
know intently, but I do follow the NFL draft and
my buddies they go through the SEC. Go God, this
(42:39):
team is loaded. They might have a top five pass rusher,
they got a top five, top ten dB, they have
star players everywhere. Kirby every single year A has a
top two or three recruiting class. This program is basically
Alabama two point zero now, and part of being Alabama
two point zero is every single year you answer the bell,
(42:59):
you win the National Championship and you play the next
year like you didn't win the National Championship. And it's
been easy for Georgia because they've never gotten over the hump.
So every year they kind of had a chip on
their shoulder and they had all these players and they
were just competing to try to win. The will finally happen.
And now they come back with a loaded team, a
lot like many of Saban's teams. And what do they
(43:21):
look like? Like? They're seventeen and a half point favorite
basically at home in Atlanta against Oregon. Are they just
going to kick the crap out of Oregan? Now, Oregon
as a new head coach who's ironically from Georgia, That's
what Alabama would do. They would beat the breaks off Oregan. Now,
I expect Georgia to be really good. I do wonder though,
if it catches up to him. Like I get Kirby
(43:43):
has a lot of admiration and he just won the
National Championship with the quarterbacks, so you're not gonna pivot
off him. But I'm not saying they got lucky because
he played the game of his life in the National
Championship against Alabama. Can you win back to back national
championships with Stincon Bennett, I would argue, no, when the
team the other two teams that you're gonna have to beat,
Ohio State and Alabama have two top five quarterbacks in
(44:06):
an NFL draft, So if they're gonna get over the hump,
do they have to make a quarterback change at some point?
I know they did it once, I have a hard
time seeing them do it twice. And I'm just fascinated.
Do they come out with the same fire of like
we're still the hunter and we're not the hunted, because
ultimately now Alabama is hunting them. Do you know what
(44:26):
I expect from Alabama all season long to be on
a fucking mission to meet Georgia in the SEC championship game.
That's all they've talked about, That's all they thought about,
and that's all they're consumed with is getting back to
the SEC Championship and hoping Georgia is there so they
could kill him. Does George had the same mindset They've
never won before? Can Kirby the Kirby? See Nick coach
(44:47):
it like that? But he's now the head coach, not
the you know, not a defensive coordinator and he's never
been a national championship head coach till this year. So
I'm just fascinating to watch their evolution as a program
because if he does figure it out, and either Stenson's
able to do it or they transition to another quarterback,
they could go on and run where they win like
two of the next like five National chair Like they're
(45:08):
going to be a powerhouse now they already have been,
but there's a difference between powerhouses that win Natty's and
powerhouses that are just in the mix. And my other
team that I can't wait to watch as Utah because
Utah is a top ten team and legitimate top ten team.
They had their most impressive year in the history of
the program last year. They won the Pack twelve. They
(45:28):
went to the Rose Bowl, and if it weren't for
injuries at dB, they would have beaten Ohiouse State. And
they have the opportunity. They have a quarterback who's a stud,
and they're going down. They're a favorite on the road
in the SEC. Now, Florida has been up and down.
They have not been Georgia, Alabama, LSU right, they have
(45:49):
not been to that level, but they're still loaded with
NFL players and their quarterback Anthony Richardson. I know Kyle
Whittingham compared him to Cam new I think this week
in his press conference. I've talked to an SEC scout
who left the practice and said, John, this dude is
a freak. Looks like Cam. I think he's quicker like
(46:11):
I don't know if he's quite Lamar Kyler, but he's
faster than Cam. Now maybe Cam when he was young
was pretty fast. But this guy is, I mean, a
freak's freak. Now the question is what's he like in games? Reading?
Defense is throwing the ball? Only time will tell. And
Kyle Whittingham has hung his hat on being one of
the best defensive coordinators and defensive units in the country
(46:32):
for years. This is a fantastic matchup because I don't
look at Florida like a team that's gonna stake. But
if Utah is the real deal, they go in and
win this game. And if they go in and win
this game, they get USC this year at home, and
historically they've played USC. Even they're good teams, very very
well in Salt Lake City and Oregon. We'll just see
how Dan Lanning is a head coach. I don't know
(46:53):
now the roster he and Harrits is pretty good because
Mario chrystal ball. I guess sometimes people DM me like
you're too high on Mario. No. I think Mario is
a flawed schematic coach, but he is an elite recruiter.
And if you're an elite recruiter, if you're not like
you know, chasing women and screwing around like Eddiel, it's
(47:15):
borderline impossible and not win nine games every year in
Miami right now, would die to be consistently winning nine
or ten games with sweet NFL players, And that's what
I think he's about to do. So Dan Lanning inherits
a bunch of good players at Oregon. So to meet
Kyle whitting him. He wins this game, he has a
playoff level team, and to me, that will be the
(47:36):
expectations if they beat Florida, and I expect him to
be Florida. Actually, you know, kind of like that game
from a gambling perspective. I think the lines at three
now that he wins that game, I think Utah has
a very very good chance to be playoff bound. Appreciate
everyone listening a subscribe to the podcast three and Out
if you listen on Collins Feed. Share with your friends,
(47:56):
share with your enemies. Check out the Volumes YouTube page.
Middle mail back at John middlecoff is the Instagram fire
in those d ms, talked to everyone, Soon see you.
(48:25):
The Volume
The volume. The Three and Out Podcast with me John
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they know we sent you. What is going on? Everybody,
(00:53):
John Middlecop Three and Out Podcasts? How are we doing?
What is going on? We just had breaking news. This
is I got lucky. I usually record the podcast a
little earlier in the day on Mondays, but because some
things happened, I wasn't. I'm recording this about four o'clock
(01:14):
in the afternoon, and the news of Jimmy Garoppolo out
of nowhere, Clayton Kershaw, Barry Zito level curveball is resigning
with the forty nine ers. I mean technically he was
on the Niners, but restructors contracts is gonna stay on
as Trey lances backup. What a jaw dropping thing, to
say the least. And this is coming from someone that's
(01:36):
been at these practices. I'll obviously give some thoughts there.
The big cutdown, a lot of guys getting cut. I
have been the guy who's part of cutting players. Have
some thoughts on that, and just you know, not everyone
that gets cut is the same. There's a player that
I saw that it's kind of crazy. We haven't really
(01:56):
talked about that. There has a chance to be a
swim this year of a player's career kind of ending
and another one's ascending. That would be just one of
the all time moves in NFL in recent memory. At least.
The Miami Dolphins just are they just the all hype
team have some question marks there, and then a couple
of quich college Will quick can't even speak college football thoughts.
(02:22):
The plan is podcast Tuesday, probably do like a mailbag
type thing for Thursday, because I'm headed to Nashville Wednesday,
as I've said so in Labor Day weekend, so they'll
just be this podcast. Will probably put something out Thursday
because of the short weekend. Because let's face it, most
of you guys by Friday or screwing around, and then
because Monday's off, probably won't have anything a podcast until
(02:47):
next Tuesday for the NFL season. That's that's probably the
game plan, given that Monday is a holiday. But wanted
to start again. Three and our podcast. You listening on
Collins Feed, Subscribe to thee and outfeed Middlecoff Mailbag. We'll
have a big one Thursday at John Middlecoff is the Instagram.
Fire in those dms and get your question answered here
(03:07):
on the show. One reason in general why sports thrive?
Is it true in a day and age when there's
every single channel has a reality show. Most of them
have reality show after reality show. All the streaming services
now have all these reality shows. They're all scripted. I
think we all acknowledge it's all fake. Getting pro sports
(03:30):
every single week, every single day, something happens where you go.
Damn didn't see that happening. Damn. Who would have thought
Davante Adams, Tyreek Hill would get traded, Tom Brady would
retire and then unretire and then take a sabbatical and
then after a year of he's gonna get traded. No
one's gonna trade for him, He's gonna get cut. All
(03:52):
of a sudden, Jimmy Garoppolo ends up as the backup
for the forty nine ers. Couple quick thoughts in a vacuum.
He immediately becomes the best backup in the NFL. You
can get Jimmy Garoppolo, who has been a starter now
for half a decade and won a ton of big
games and wall flawed, is a top twenty quarterback in
(04:14):
the NFL at six and a half million dollars to
be your backup. He is, you could argue, when you
factor in the importance of the quarterback position, any player
on a non rookie contract, it is the best contract
in the NFL because at any moment, if he had
Dude Trey got hurt, he can start and you can
win with him. He has been the starting quarterback. Now
(04:38):
he again, like I said, flawed player. But their team
is so loaded they were littered with guys. I think
the list is stupid of players in the top one hundred,
from the hundredth player up until the fringe top ten,
and Jimmy Garoppolo can be the guy just guiding the ship.
(04:59):
And now he's the backup six and a half million dollars.
The other thing the forty nine ers have really hung
their hat on is their general manager and head coach
are incredible dealing and massaging the people in their building.
Give it the players, and they've handled some very weird
situations and they've done it pretty seamlessly, and they've made
(05:22):
hard decisions over the years and it worked out pretty well.
They did it with divorced Buckner a couple of years
ago when they traded him for a first round pick,
and a couple of years later they are back in
the NFC Championship game, and this year the Deebo Samuel situation.
He demands a trade and Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch
refused to say anything negatively publicly, even though they were
(05:44):
kind of mad, and they convinced him to come to
OTAs as a hold in. They massage the situation. And
now I've been in all these practices. Debo was kicking
Ascid and taking names, and it's all kombay on. Everyone's
hugging and kissing. They are. John is one of the
better people in league history, just a high quality Captain
America type, and Kyle Little can be a little off,
(06:06):
I think, and be difficult for coaches is great with players.
So their ability to handle a situation that, let's face it,
one could argue, and I might. It's kind of batshit crazy.
And I'll never forget when I went to my first
forty nine or practice this fall training camp. I don't
go when the pads aren't on. I waited till the
(06:27):
pads were on, and I walked out there, and before
you get to the fields in which the players participate on,
there is like this other stretch of field, but it's
not It's probably half the size with wise of an
NFL field and probably forty yards long. And there's Jimmy
Garoppolo with two guys that look like me just throwing
(06:51):
passes too, and teammates are walking by, people are high
five in them. I remember one day going out there
and all the players are coming out to practice. Jimmy's
in a full sweat throwing. Mike Shanahan's on his way
out to practice, stops gives Jimmy a little pat on
the butt and they start b asking, and I just
thought to myself, this is easily the most bizarre thing
(07:13):
I've ever seen. Yet it feels completely normal, and part
of that is Jimmy Garoppolo, who is clearly not your
normal quarterback. Because if I was in his shoes the
moment this offseason started, I would have demanded, once I
was healthy, get rid of me, release me. I would
have made it difficult on the Niners. Yet I was
(07:34):
told by people that beat writers, guys that cover the team,
and they the Niners, this is not New York, this
is not Philly. It's a looser vibe with the media,
with the team. It's it's not I've been to Philadelphia.
It can be much more contentious there. John Lynch's friends
with people, all Kyle knows all these guys. The relationships
(07:55):
are just different out West. We're a little more laid back.
And they all said, you know what, Jimmy's cool with this.
Jimmy's the one that told them, like, I'm cool with
being here, and he allowed this situation, which I would
say most quarterbacks in his shoes, given what he's accomplished,
would never have done this. They would have demanded to
be released. Now, part of this, his options were limited.
(08:18):
He didn't have anyone at this point in time to
get traded do and no one was going to trade
for his contract. Now, the question is do the forty
nine ers believe in Trey Lance. I think they believe
in his potential. But potential is just that it's unrealized. Whatever.
You don't know how good he's going to be. He
(08:41):
is physically gifted. He clearly from an unknowing people there,
high level guy, very smart, understands the offense. He does
kind of have a flaw right now. Not the most
accurate quarterback. And I don't think if the forty nine
ers were one sold on Trey Lance, they would have
done this. Now, Kyle and John Lynch, if they were
(09:03):
sitting at right around this table, buy me right now
and looking at me, they'd say, John, we could have
the best backup quarterback in the NFL. Why would we not?
Every team in the NFL would take Jimmy Garoppolo if
they had the cap space at six and a half
million dollars to back up their quarterback. Whether your starter
was Aaron Rodgers or Patrick Mahomes, or whether it was
Zach Wilson or Mac Jones. Of course you would want
(09:26):
Jimmy Garoppolo for that price. I'd say, true. But when
you invest so heavily, you usually get rid of the guy. Right.
Look no further than Patrick Mahomes when the Kansas Chiefs
traded Alex Smith to the football team Commanders. Maybe they
were the Redskins at the time and went all in
in Mahomes. Now, obviously Alex had a market and was
(09:47):
getting paid a lot of money at the time when
he went to Washington. But that is typically the move.
You transition and put all your chips on the middle
of the table, and if your starter gets hurt, part
of the deal with the NFL is you're screwed. Right,
Peyton Manning neck got injured. Coults sucked. When Aaron Rodgers
have broken collar bones before, They've been in shambles. Last year,
(10:08):
Russell Wilson got hurt, Seattle was done. That's just the
way the NFL works, and the forty nine ers understand that.
And they've been in that situation before when Jimmy tore
his ACL and it led them to getting Nick Bosa.
It sucked. I remember I watched all those snaps. It
was miserable. They don't want to be in that situation
because last year Jimmy got hurt miss some games. They
(10:30):
had Trey l Hell, Trey Lance got hurt, So maybe
they just know we got two guys that get injured
until Trey Lance proved one he can just be durable.
Herm Edwards said it a long time ago. The best
ability sometimes is availability, and Trey Lance has been injured
multiple times now. You could argue freak accident. He hurt
his finger in a preseason game. He also sprained his
(10:52):
knee and his first start against the Arizona Cardinals last year,
and Jimmy has a long history of being injured. Hell
last year, when the season ended, he had multiple injuries,
a messed up thumb and a messed up shoulder. Won
The shoulder obviously led him to get surgery. But I
think the Niners got lucky in the sense that Jimmy's
cool with this. I think they've benefited because their head
(11:13):
coach and GM are good at dealing with players, and
I think you could say that they're not one sold
that Trey Lance is going to be a rocket ship,
because when you draft a player and you give up
that many picks, you want him to be a rocket ship. Mahomes,
Josh Allen. You know, obviously the Chargers didn't think this,
(11:36):
But what Herbert looks like it's just impossible to say. Now,
maybe we know at the end of the season you
feel good about it, and the Niners clearly just want
a contingency plan. I saw Mike Silver, who does a
podcast on the Volume, who also now writes for the
San Franco Chronicle, and I saw him in a bunch
of forty nine practice said this is a hedge, and listen,
(11:59):
I'm a gambler. I've never hedged because I'm always cool
with losing, right. I don't gamble to earn my money.
I gamble for fun. I podcast to make my money.
That's how I earn my living. That's what I do
for work. So I get up early, I go to
bed late. I'm a fucking podcaster, and I invest. I
do some other stuff, but I don't I don't expect
(12:20):
when I gamble, and I'm I wouldn't call myself a
degenerate gambler, but I would be in the top probably
ten percent of gamblers in America. And I gamble it's
a hobby for fun. Now I win sometimes and I
lose probably more than I win, but I enjoy it.
It gets me going. But I don't depend on that money.
I'm cool with losing every bet I've ever made. I'm
(12:41):
okay with losing. Kyle Shanahan is not. He does not
like losing. Hell, he doesn't even look like he's having
that much fun when he's winning. And I think that's simple.
He's got a little Belichick in him where he goes.
I don't give a shit what this looks like or
some of the dynamics. All I care about is attempting
(13:02):
to win. And for a guy that I hold in
high regard, I think a lot of you if you
watch football. No, he's a really good coach. He's only
won two of his five seasons, and a couple of
the reasons he's lost in twenty twenty and in twenty
eighteen was quarterback injuries. Jimmy missed thirteen games one year,
(13:22):
maybe it was twelve games, and he missed ten another year.
So Trey Lance played one season where he played a
couple of games and he got hurt multiple times. So
it might just be as simple as they got an opportunity.
They don't necessarily the personal dynamics. They think both guys
already like each other. They already know each other a
little weird, but they're cool with it being weird part
(13:42):
of the NFL's elements of it that are just weird.
We'll deal with it. Be a pro. I've always thought, like, yeah,
it's easy to say, be a pro, like you're dealing
with humans here, not robots, not widgets. But they clearly
know these guys too pretty well, and they just weren't
willing to not have a contingency plan given that they
couldn't trade the guy. And that's what led to the
greatest reality show going right now in America, the number
(14:04):
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(16:20):
And speaking of cut guys, I've been in that position
my first year in the NFL. The quote unquote turk uh,
the guy that brings the pink slips. It's an uncomfortable situation, right.
A lot of guys battled their ass off to try
to live out their dream. Now, not everyone is under
the same umbrella. Some guys that get cut are veteran players.
(16:42):
Some guys that get cut are undrafted free agents. Some
guys are ten year vets that have made millions of dollars.
So everyone falls into a different category. But the thing
in NFL training camp and once you're once I was
in the NFL a couple of years, you could immediately
tell like, this is a good player, this is a
friend player, and this is not an NFL player. And
(17:03):
sometimes the not an NFL player, the guy's playing in
the fourth quarter of these preseason games can latch onto
a practice squad and then develop into NFL players. And
that's part of the reason why some scouts and some
front offices are better than others. They can see that.
But there is a percentage of guys right because they're
gonna be a ton of guys cut on every team.
(17:24):
All these teams are going from eighty five to fifty
three or eighty to fifty three, whatever the number is. Specifically,
I think Schefter tweeted out as almost nine hundred players
are going to be released tomorrow. Now. One thing these
guys have going for them. When I was in the
NFL practice squad was like eight guys. It's doubled since
the other differences with COVID. In the last couple of years,
(17:47):
they've changed the restrictions of practice squad Before, if you
played in a certain amount of games, Like if I
was a fifth round pick and I was a guy
that was I made the roster, but I never dressed,
but my team had a bunch of injuries, or my
team was really shitty and I ended up playing a
lot of games. Let's say in December, I would basically
(18:09):
burn my practice squad eligibility, and then I was a
guy the next year that couldn't latch on a team.
I wouldn't have a job in the NFL, and it
kind of screwed a lot of younger players. Now the
rules for the practice squad are so much more, you know,
open ended. You can have played several years and still
(18:29):
get time. So many more guys are eligible to be
on the practice squad Now there is a big difference
of making an NFL roster and being on the practice squad.
It's like one hundred and sixty five thousand dollars versus
like over eight hundred thousand dollars, so financially, regardless what
state you live in and regardless of the tax structure.
(18:49):
You're talking hundreds of thousands of dollars. Now, just because
you're on the practice squad does at any moment you
can be cut. It is zero guaranteed dollars. Now, I
technically can guarantee money because when I cut all these guys.
If I cut you in your fifth round pick and
other teams liked you as well as my own team.
(19:10):
Let's say I'm the Minnesota Vikings and I cut a
player and I had drafted him that year, but I
want to keep them on my practice squad. Well, every
other team, if they don't claim the guy, can also
bring them on the practice squad so they can offer him.
And Belichick used to do this a lot when I
was in the NFL, and he still does, and other
teams do this as well. I can go listen, I
want you on my practice squad, but I will pay
(19:32):
you fully guaranteed a fifty three man roster spot, or
maybe I'll guarantee you four hundred thousand dollars to come
on my practice squad, so they can give financial incentives
to come to other teams practice squad. Now, when you
get cut, if you're gonna get claimed by a team,
or you're a team that's gonna claim a player, you
(19:52):
have to put that player on the fifty three man roster.
So if you are awarded a player who is cut
just because you're a guy. And I was texting with
a Jeff Schwartz who played in the NFL for a
long time, as brother Mitchell Schwartz was the right tackle.
He went to oregonist Mitchell went to cal football people,
and I saw him tweeting about this a couple weeks ago, Like,
(20:14):
just because you make the team, if you're the fiftieth guy,
the fifty first guy, the fifty second guy, the fifty
third guy, does not mean that you're gonna be on
the team week one. Because if I'm let's just pick
the Jacks who just drafted first, which means they have
the number one pick in the claim order. So if
I picked my fifty three man roster, but I claim
(20:34):
four guys, meaning every guy that I claim, I will
be awarded because until week four it goes based on
the draft order, I will then have to cut four
people from my own team to place those new guys
on my team. So it is a revolving door these
next couple days and even leading up to the season.
(20:55):
So I broke it down into three places, the people
that are going to be cut over the next couple
of days. There are some guys, I would say, depending
on the team, anywhere between probably three to like six
to seven that had a legitimate shot to make the
team that at one point in time over the last
several weeks in personnel meetings with the coaches, they were
(21:16):
talked about like they were going to be on the
roster and whether they ultimately regressed a little bit, made
a mistake, something happened, maybe a position battle, whatever, they
got cut, but they easily could have made the roster
a late round pick, an undrafted free agent, or maybe
like a practice squad guy from last year. And I
would say all those guys are destined to be on
(21:38):
that team's practice squad. Those are the hardest guys to
cut because you're worried if those guys excelled in preseason
games that they might get claimed. And the moment you
cut a player I remember learning this in the NFL,
you have to be okay with never seeing them again
either they get claimed or another practice squad guy steals them.
(21:59):
Then they are basically players that were always going to
go to the practice squad. And that's the majority of
the guys I would say from like probably sixty to
like seventy five that are practice squad type players that
either you're gonna want on the practice squad or other
teams are going to be interested to bring on their
(22:21):
practice squad. And that is the majority of young players
that are cut. Because it's the NFL, the majority of
roster spots are already taken by veteran players, previously drafted players,
other guys that were just drafted in top three or
four rounds, so it's hard to make a team. And
the majority of guys unless you go above and beyond
(22:42):
in training camp, are going to be released. But you're
gonna be on an NFL team, just be on the
practice squad. And then we know as the attrition of
the sport. You are a sprained ankle, a broken arm,
a torn acl away from dressing that next week. And
to me, the coolest part about the NFL, that group
of players is a lot like us in society. It
(23:03):
does not matter where you're started, it matters how you finish.
Your opportunity is not over. You are given the opportunity
to go in every single day in practice with the team,
being in meetings with the team, be around your coordinators,
be around your head coach. Let's face it, a lot
of position coaches become offensive coordinators, a lot of offensive
coordinator defensive coordinators become head coaches. You get a great
(23:26):
opportunity to be around these guys who in the next
year or two will go other places, and if you
stay around, you get an opportunity to be on their teams.
That's just the way this league works, just like the
way life works. Who cares that you don't get the
job you want immediately unless you get fucking thrown to
the gutter and you're homeless, like you're gonna have a
(23:47):
chance to excel and succeed. It might not go like
ideally every guy would make the fifty three man roster.
Ideally every person would start their career in the corner
office in the eleventh story building. That's just not the
way it works, especially for guys fourth round through undrafted
free agents. You gotta earn it and you need some
breaks to go your way. Now, when those breaks go
(24:08):
your way, those guys, like if you're on a practice
squad in week four, when that starting middle linebacker gets hurt,
and then that backup middle linebacker doesn't play well, and
then the following week you get an opportunity to not
only play special teams, but play the nickel linebacker. You
better take advantage of the situation. You might be playing
Aaron Rodgers, you might be playing Patrick Mahomes. If you
(24:28):
look good, it could change your life. If you look shitty,
you go right back to the practice squad. And then
to me, there's the group which I respect these guys
because they played Division one football, Division two football. They
were good enough to have a scout, to have a
general manager, to have a position coach pound the table
(24:48):
and say we should bring this guy into training camp.
But whether it was evident early or figured out a
little bit later, these guys were never going to be
NFL players, and they were just used as by during
training camp at the highest level of the sport. There
is nothing to be ashamed at about that. As someone
that evaluated these players that if your career ends and
(25:11):
you got to play in preseason games and go to
training camp with the Dallas Cowboys, with the New York Giants,
with the New Orleans Saints, with the Minnesota Vikings, whoever
you were in training camp with, and if all you
ever got were an OTA's a training camp and some
preseason games, that is a fucking incredible accomplishment. But there
is I would say, ten guys a team that fit
(25:32):
kind of that mold that are just not even practice
squadworthy and definitely never going to make the NFL, and
more than likely this is the pinnacle of their career,
and the pinnacle of their career is still higher than
ninety nine percent of the majority of people that ever
play football from peewee to high school to college. So
it's still an impressive accomplishment. But these next couple of days,
(25:54):
I've been the guy waiting for their playbook, and now
the playbook I think is a lot more of the iPad.
It's just a very tense time, and it's you know,
everyone's tried so hard and putting so much effort. It
sucks cutting a lot of those first two groups, guys
that had a very good chance to make the team,
because making the team is a big deal. And you know,
just telling guys you weren't good enough, even though we
(26:15):
want you back, but you weren't good enough to make
the team. It's it's a humbling experience for everyone involved.
Every single year I saw I haven't I realized I
have not talked about Carson Wentz at all. Part of
it is the Washington football team commanders kind of feels irrelevant,
(26:36):
but think how crazy it is. I was listening this morning.
I went to the gym to get a little sweating,
and it might have had a little Funday Sunday Sunday Funday,
and you know, I was just gonna have one Tetos
and soda, and it led to about four and then
some beers, and I was like, you know, I need
to sweat this out. So I was still up, you know,
brighton early and I was in there sweating. I was
listening to Bill Simmons podcast and he had Warren Sharp on,
(26:58):
and they were talking a lot about the potential of
the Eagles to be like the sleeper team, to potentially
have like the best record in the NFC, which I
think is a little strong, but to win the division.
And I think there's a very credible chance for them
to win the division. Now. I think I've said a
couple of times that the Eagles split with the Cowboys.
I had a couple of Cowboys fans SPI in my DMS,
(27:19):
be like Middle Coop. Stop speaking lies, and the reality
is I'm wrong. The Cowboys swept him last year. In
the first game when everyone tried the Cowboy fans, you
guys beat the hell out of him. Remember I think
first drive of the game pick six Jalen hurts, you
blew them out. The second game, I was actually in
Los Angeles at La Country Club. You know, a pretty
(27:41):
fun day. The next day was the Niner game. It
was a good weekend. I'm not gonna lie. I got
pretty drunk all weekend. Then I got the VID. That sucked,
but you know, the weekend was remarkable. If you told
me I had to get the VID to go play
La Country Club and then go watch the Niners beat
the Rams at Sofi Stadium, I would have made that
trade off. I did, essentially, and I was watching the game. Mute,
you guys killed him. I remember the Eagles benched everybody,
(28:03):
and the Eagles essentially got rid of Carson Wentz and
just said he's not good enough and we don't like
him at all. And let's face it, just that move
in a vacuum has aids very well. A year later,
he essentially kind of blows it for the Colts and
they say, we gotta get this guy out of here.
Where The number one reason he went there was because
(28:25):
the head coach, who was like this really great religious guy,
was like I love this dude. And then even by
the end I was like, yeah, we gotta move on.
Frank right turned on him. So it's like Carson Wentz's career.
He's now on his third team in basically a year
and a half. It's pretty crazy, and the Eagles might
have upgraded at quarterback now. I've never been a big
Jalen Hurts fans like I thought he was a running
(28:47):
back coming out of college. But number one thing I've
been told over and over by people with the Eagles
is like, this guy is a football junkie. He loves
it and he does everything humanly possible to improve he honestly,
Dak's a better player, but he fits that mold. He
maximizes every ounce of his talent. He truly cares. He's tough.
(29:09):
Football means everything to them. Both those guys. A lot
of guys in the NFL, but specifically Jalen and Dack's
a good example of a guy mid round pick no
one thought was good enough and just six seven years later.
I don't think he's a forty million dollar quarterback. We
can argue that, but I love everything he stands for.
I think he's a solid player. I think he's a
good player. I just don't love the price point. But
(29:31):
part of it, like you can you can have a
chance with guys like that if you build your team
up around him. And I think the Eagles are really
good and I think the Cowboys are kind of coming
back to Earth. But regardless, we'll see how that plays out.
It wouldn't totally shock me, even though I think Mike
McCarthy's already under so much heat it is gonna just
get weird. They're so fast. Can you imagine if they
(29:51):
lose Week one against the Bucks and Tom Brady's got
like looks like he's getting plastic surgery, He's taking sabbaticals
and he comes and beat styles. A lot of pressures there.
Now there's a lot of pressure the Eagles too. They
open up against the Lions, who, let's face it, we're
all rooting for it because we're watching hard knocks, but
the Eagles better win that game. We can't start annoying
the Eagles then you're losing Lions, even though I do
think the Lions are gonna be more competitive. But what
(30:12):
about Carson Wentz, Like as Carson Wentz, you know, like
Russell Westbrook for example, everyone feels like it's over for
him in LA And if you listen to anyone talk
that knows what they're talking about basketball, Like if he's
traded to the Pacers for some of their guys for
the Lakers and the Pacers buy him out, no one
is going to want Russell Westbrook. Russell Westbrook is going
(30:33):
to be out of the NBA. Now. I would never
say never, just because you know, people sell tickets, who knows,
but it wouldn't shock me if Russell Westbrooks is out
of the NBA. Now, the difference of Russell Westbrook and
Carson Wentz. Roll Westbrook had like a decade where he's
kicking ass, taking names, flawed player, but it was still sweet.
Carson Wentz had like a moment and now it feels
like he's playing for his career when people at quarterback go, yeah,
(30:58):
we just people don't really like him. Like that's the
most enormous red flag. Think about Jimmy Garoppolo, the number
one thing, Jimmy Garoppolo hangs his hat on. It was like, yeah,
people just love the dude. People just can't get enough
with Jimmy G. They just want Jimmy G to be around.
He slid quarterback, but the guy, they love the guy.
Great teammate, fun to be around, cool with everybody, good influence.
(31:19):
It's been like Carson's like yam, but he was just
look weird at it. It just sums off doesn't get
along with people for whatever reason. You're like, well, what's
the reasons? Like, we can't really put our finger on.
It's just weird cat, you know, doesn't listen, not that coachable,
a lot of things that are pretty big red flags.
And now he's going to a place which, let's face
it's been historically pretty dysfunctional. It feels like his career
(31:40):
is on the line, and last year his stats don't
look bad. Yet when you watch them, you went I
don't really see it. And I remember arguing with Colts
fans be like, I think you're being too hard on
Carson Wentz. I don't think I was season ended. They
couldn't get rid of him fast enough. And I think
Matt Ryan's got a little Philip Rivers where it's like
he's holding on for dear life at the end of
his career. Everyone's acting like Matt Ryan is gonna kick
(32:01):
ass and take names. I don't know, maybe he will,
but it's not like the Colts are loaded with offensive weaponry.
You know, Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark ain't
walking through that door. I like Michael Pittman, but holy Moley,
everyone's acting like Jonathan Taylor's Marshall Falk meets Barry Sanders
meets Walter Payton. Liked the player a lot, but it
(32:23):
seems like a lot. I mean, I don't know, but
the Colts feel like they've hit struck oil, and part
of it feels like just because they got rid of
Carson Wentz. So if Carson Wentz, if this season doesn't
go well and he's out of the league, even if
Jalen Hurts is just okay, think how great of a
pivot that was for Philly. I mean, just got rid
of a guy that no one can stand and somehow
(32:44):
that player consistently kept getting traded for a first round
pick and then multiple threes shows you the power of quarterback.
It's just wild. Last but not least before we get
into college football. Everyone everyone would be strong, but a
lot of people are acting like the Miami Dolphins are
(33:04):
going to be really good, and this happens. I'd say
every single season there's a team or two they get
a ton of hype, and like, for example, the AFC West,
the teams like the Raiders made the playoffs last year,
and obviously the Chiefs have been awesome for a decade.
But I think a team that's getting a ton of
hype would be the Chargers. Right, but last year they
(33:26):
won nine games, and their quarterback was dominant, and their
coach was doing kind of borderline reckless things at times,
going for it when he should have just kicked the
field goal like there's nowhere or just punted. There's time
to go for it, but he was on the borderline
like insanity side, and it costs them a chance to
go to the playoffs with a top five quarterback. So
(33:47):
I think when you're picking the Charges, you go, God,
look at their roster. They add Kleil mac, they add
JC Jackson, they have Justin Herbert. It's easy to go, yeah,
this team should be a playoff team. Again, I go
back to Justin Herbert. Well, when you look at Miami,
it feels like people are doing kind of the same thing.
Like this team super loaded. They add Tyree Hill, their
(34:07):
quarterback is tua is Tua Tonga Vyla. Here's the other
thing about the Chargers, for example, I am dubious of
Brandon Staley, but when Brandon Staley got the job, he
had been a coordinator, while it only for a year,
for a year with the Rams, and their defense was awesome.
(34:28):
He had called the plays, which he still does. I
like Mike McDaniel a lot. I don't know him personally,
but I've obviously followed his career closely with the forty
nine ers, watched all of his press conferences. No people
that know him. I'm a fan. I'm rooting for the guy.
But I'm gonna start with my biggest concern for them.
He's never called a play. It's not like he's been
(34:51):
the play caller. He's been the right hand man for
the play caller. Now, maybe he has given Kyle a
ton of plays throughout different games and Kyle's used it
real time. Everyone and I know Kyle used check pretty well.
He swears by the guy. People, this guy's smart Ivy
League guy. I'm not disputing Mike McDaniel's understanding of NFL football,
(35:16):
understanding of NFL offenses, and understanding how to scheme, but
he's never called plays. So even if he becomes a
great play caller, he's gonna be way better play caller
in a couple of years than he is year one.
And we'll get into their schedule in a minute. I
just think that's they just think he's gonna be McVeigh
or Kyle, like those guys when they became head coaches
had been calling plays. I think it's going to be
(35:40):
difficult the quarterback. Like I said, with Herbert, we all
know Herbert's good, so when you go I could see
the Chargers being good. It's because we know he's good.
They just need to be better on defense, be a
little bit better running the ball Situationally, I don't know
if two is any good. I'd argue from what I've seen,
not practice lips, but on the field in games, I
(36:03):
always leave going this guy is not good. I always
leave going. It's pretty nuts. The hype on this guy
was talked about like tank for Tua, like he was
a suck for Luck. I watched Andrew Luck and I
watched twa tongavloa. I see two different players. You know,
I don't think they have much in common at all.
(36:24):
I would tank for one, I would not tank for
the other. Let's face it, we all agreed that if
they would get a do over on that one, they
would have taken Justin Herbert so one. Their coaches never
called plays, and their quarterback is one of the biggest
question marks in the league. And then three, I had
a Chiefs fan recently DM me and went, I've always
(36:44):
been a big Tyreek fan. I loved everything he did
for us, But do you find it a little weird
that he's just kind of unhinged, talking a bunch of
shit and doing whatever he wants? And my first reaction
was no, I don't at all, because I do wonder
if you know, he's always been a guy that has
a lot of opinions, but he's not gonna do anything
under Andy Reis. Watch, especially with Patrick Mahomes, he kind
(37:05):
of had to keep his mouth quiet, like he couldn't
be a big diva. And sometimes divas, when they get
out of a discipline structured area is when they their
true colors really come out. Look at Antonio Brown. For
six five or six years, Antonio Brown was one of
the best players we'd ever seen in the history of
the league at wide receiver every single year, double digit touchdowns,
(37:28):
fifteen hundred yards, just dominating. He was an unstoppable force.
And then he went to the Raiders and tried to
burn the place down and didn't give a shit about anybody.
I'm not saying Tyreek is doing that because Antonio Brown
tried to ruin his crew at the Raiders to get cut.
But he just never stops talking on this podcast, and
(37:52):
it doesn't quite feel it doesn't quite feel like he's
that invested, you know, I don't know. It just feels
like whatever I got paid, I've already won. I've already
established myself as an all time grade. If this doesn't
work out, I am so rich. Who cares? And who
in this building is gonna check me? Because I look around,
(38:12):
I don't see Andy Reid. That to me would concern me.
And last but not least, looking at their schedule, it's
pretty tough start. Now. They have played the Patriots very well,
regardless who their coaches, from Tony Soprano to Adam Gaze
to Brian Flores. For whatever reason, Miami has always given
(38:34):
the Patriot fits. So they open up against the Patriots,
then their next three games are at Ravens, against the Bills,
and at the Bengals. So they better win that Patriot
game because they are going to be the underdog in
the next three games. And let's face it, anyone listening
to this, if you're bet if I told you right now,
(38:56):
give me five hundred dollars, you gotta bet on Dolphins
at the Ravens, Bills at the Dolphins, Dolphins at the Bengals.
You're putting your money on every single one of those
games on the other team, not the Dolphins. So there
is a very good chance, even if they beat the Patriots,
that they start one in three, And if they start
one in three, new head coach the two a situation,
(39:17):
it could get weird fast. And tyreekate used to losing.
So there's a guy with a lot of opinions. You
think he's gonna keep quiet when they're losing. I don't
think so, So I to me the Dolphins, I'm just
I'm not buying it. Before we get you out of here,
we'll put the mail bag at John Middlecoff on Thursday's
pod because some college football thoughts, and I was thinking
(39:42):
this weekend watching and I talked about the Nebraska situation
the transfer portal, Like the NIL, I don't care. Make
as much money as you want. I'm pro capitalism. I'm
not bothered by it. It doesn't matter to me one iota.
I honestly do not give a shit. I also don't
pretend to be morally superior, like guys have been getting
paid in college forever now. The government just gets attacks them.
(40:03):
So I don't care the transfer rule. I do understand
that a majority of guys that go in the transfer
portal end up nowhere to go, and it's a disaster.
But quarterbacks being able to transfer is incredible for the sport.
Because Nebraska, the only reason they were in that game
was a quarterback. Casey Thompson, the kid from Texas actually
(40:26):
pretty interesting, and I think quarterbacks being able to transfer
in college football makes it a very fun I mean,
just look around this weekend, Oh Miss They're starting quarterback
Jackson dark Usc. I think that guy's pretty good. I
think him and Lane are going to be awesome. Pitt
Keaton slovis another guy that had a bunch of success
(40:48):
at USC. The irony of usc Is, they got three
quarterbacks all over the country. Starting Slovis plays J. T. Daniels,
who's now the starting quarterback in West Virginia. Hell usc
starting quarterback is a kid from Oklahoma, Caleb Williams and Oregon.
Potentially he's gonna start Bo Nicks and I'm probably missing
a ton of other players quarterbacks all over the country transferred.
(41:10):
It makes college football when you get a veteran quarterback.
Not all of them are gonna be good, but makes
it more interesting. You actually know some of these players.
It to me. Besides, like Jordan Addison, and I mean
there are some legitimate position players that move. Last year,
Jamison Williams and moved from Wild State. There is a
handful of guys. The Florida State pass rusher the Jets
(41:33):
took it was a Georgia transfer. I mean, it happens.
But to me, the quarterback thing has added an element
of fun to college football that just wasn't there. I mean,
I'm very, very intrigued to watch all these players. I
can't wait to watch Jackson Dart play. And then, last
but not least, I wanted to go to two programs
that I feel both play this weekend have a ton
(41:54):
of pressure, and one you'd say, how could you possibly
have pressure when you just on the National championship. It
was their first Natty I think since nineteen eighty and
they beat Alabama, which is, you know, you could argue
the biggest win in program history. Some SEC fans might
come at me. Maybe I don't know my SEC history,
but given Kirby's relationship with Nick, given Kirby's history playing
(42:18):
Nick beating, given who Nick is beating Nick saban national championship,
I just can't imagine it gets much bigger than that.
But I think we all anyone that follows college football,
and I don't follow college recruiting that that like, you
know intently, but I do follow the NFL draft and
my buddies they go through the SEC. Go God, this
(42:39):
team is loaded. They might have a top five pass rusher,
they got a top five, top ten dB, they have
star players everywhere. Kirby every single year A has a
top two or three recruiting class. This program is basically
Alabama two point zero now, and part of being Alabama
two point zero is every single year you answer the bell,
(42:59):
you win the National Championship and you play the next
year like you didn't win the National Championship. And it's
been easy for Georgia because they've never gotten over the hump.
So every year they kind of had a chip on
their shoulder and they had all these players and they
were just competing to try to win. The will finally happen.
And now they come back with a loaded team, a
lot like many of Saban's teams. And what do they
(43:21):
look like? Like? They're seventeen and a half point favorite
basically at home in Atlanta against Oregon. Are they just
going to kick the crap out of Oregan? Now, Oregon
as a new head coach who's ironically from Georgia, That's
what Alabama would do. They would beat the breaks off Oregan. Now,
I expect Georgia to be really good. I do wonder though,
if it catches up to him. Like I get Kirby
(43:43):
has a lot of admiration and he just won the
National Championship with the quarterbacks, so you're not gonna pivot
off him. But I'm not saying they got lucky because
he played the game of his life in the National
Championship against Alabama. Can you win back to back national
championships with Stincon Bennett, I would argue, no, when the
team the other two teams that you're gonna have to beat,
Ohio State and Alabama have two top five quarterbacks in
(44:06):
an NFL draft, So if they're gonna get over the hump,
do they have to make a quarterback change at some point?
I know they did it once, I have a hard
time seeing them do it twice. And I'm just fascinated.
Do they come out with the same fire of like
we're still the hunter and we're not the hunted, because
ultimately now Alabama is hunting them. Do you know what
(44:26):
I expect from Alabama all season long to be on
a fucking mission to meet Georgia in the SEC championship game.
That's all they've talked about, That's all they thought about,
and that's all they're consumed with is getting back to
the SEC Championship and hoping Georgia is there so they
could kill him. Does George had the same mindset They've
never won before? Can Kirby the Kirby? See Nick coach
(44:47):
it like that? But he's now the head coach, not
the you know, not a defensive coordinator and he's never
been a national championship head coach till this year. So
I'm just fascinating to watch their evolution as a program
because if he does figure it out, and either Stenson's
able to do it or they transition to another quarterback,
they could go on and run where they win like
two of the next like five National chair Like they're
(45:08):
going to be a powerhouse now they already have been,
but there's a difference between powerhouses that win Natty's and
powerhouses that are just in the mix. And my other
team that I can't wait to watch as Utah because
Utah is a top ten team and legitimate top ten team.
They had their most impressive year in the history of
the program last year. They won the Pack twelve. They
(45:28):
went to the Rose Bowl, and if it weren't for
injuries at dB, they would have beaten Ohiouse State. And
they have the opportunity. They have a quarterback who's a stud,
and they're going down. They're a favorite on the road
in the SEC. Now, Florida has been up and down.
They have not been Georgia, Alabama, LSU right, they have
(45:49):
not been to that level, but they're still loaded with
NFL players and their quarterback Anthony Richardson. I know Kyle
Whittingham compared him to Cam new I think this week
in his press conference. I've talked to an SEC scout
who left the practice and said, John, this dude is
a freak. Looks like Cam. I think he's quicker like
(46:11):
I don't know if he's quite Lamar Kyler, but he's
faster than Cam. Now maybe Cam when he was young
was pretty fast. But this guy is, I mean, a
freak's freak. Now the question is what's he like in games? Reading?
Defense is throwing the ball? Only time will tell. And
Kyle Whittingham has hung his hat on being one of
the best defensive coordinators and defensive units in the country
(46:32):
for years. This is a fantastic matchup because I don't
look at Florida like a team that's gonna stake. But
if Utah is the real deal, they go in and
win this game. And if they go in and win
this game, they get USC this year at home, and
historically they've played USC. Even they're good teams, very very
well in Salt Lake City and Oregon. We'll just see
how Dan Lanning is a head coach. I don't know
(46:53):
now the roster he and Harrits is pretty good because
Mario chrystal ball. I guess sometimes people DM me like
you're too high on Mario. No. I think Mario is
a flawed schematic coach, but he is an elite recruiter.
And if you're an elite recruiter, if you're not like
you know, chasing women and screwing around like Eddiel, it's
(47:15):
borderline impossible and not win nine games every year in
Miami right now, would die to be consistently winning nine
or ten games with sweet NFL players, And that's what
I think he's about to do. So Dan Lanning inherits
a bunch of good players at Oregon. So to meet
Kyle whitting him. He wins this game, he has a
playoff level team, and to me, that will be the
(47:36):
expectations if they beat Florida, and I expect him to
be Florida. Actually, you know, kind of like that game
from a gambling perspective. I think the lines at three
now that he wins that game, I think Utah has
a very very good chance to be playoff bound. Appreciate
everyone listening a subscribe to the podcast three and Out
if you listen on Collins Feed. Share with your friends,
(47:56):
share with your enemies. Check out the Volumes YouTube page.
Middle mail back at John middlecoff is the Instagram fire
in those d ms, talked to everyone, Soon see you.
(48:25):
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