The Dan Patrick ShowPatriots’ owner Robert Kraft’s handling of Jerod Mayo proves the “Patriot Way” is dead. And former NFL CB Devin McCourty drops by to talk about the mess in New England. Cowboys’ reporter Todd Archer drops by to talk about HC Mike McCarthy and his potential interest in the Bears job. And NFL insider Ian Rapoport stops by to weigh in on the upcoming NFL Playoffs and the Bears pursuit of Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy.
You are listening to the Dan Patrick Show on Fox Sports Radio.
The Packers lost Christian Watson for the playoffs. Now I'm watching this game, and I'm watching this in real time, and you can tell when somebody gets hurt and they know they're hurt, and it's not just hey, I got banged up, it's this is serious. And you solved his reaction and then I knew. I said, he probably tours acl and that's what it turned out to be. This is one of those Wow, to me, people aren't talking about the Packers. The Packers have a good defense, they can run. You got Jordan Love. Now you lose watching that's a big loss, big loss, and it's probably being underplayed here. But I think everybody's been focused, certainly on the Lions, and I'm looking at point spreads, So DraftKings sent me some point spreads. These are hypothetical matchups. The Vikings would get three and a half against the Lions. In a rematch, the Rams would get six and a half against the Lions. The Packers would get three and a half against the Lions. The Ravens would get one against the Bills. The Vikings would get four against the Eagles. Chargers four and a half against the Chiefs, Texans get seven against the Chiefs, and the Buccaneers would get six and a half if they face the Eagles. The Eagles situation is also something interesting. This is being under sold as well, and that's Jalen Hurts. He's been in concussion protocol. And that's why I was all, for sake one Barclay not playing in that last game. Would I'd like to see him break the record. Sure, but you have to have a bigger goal than an individual goal, and you can't say, well, you can get hurt in every game. You can't get hurt in a game you don't play in. I want to make sure my quarterbacks in concussion protocol. Is he going to be available to play? I don't know that. But here's Nick Siriani being very evasive about the health of his quarterback.
As you put the game plan together, is it with the intention of Jaelling is the starting quarterback this weekend?
Yeah? I have no new information for you guys.
Like I said yesterday, I was progressing through the protocol.
Are you able to say if he's in the building today? I got no new info for you guys here today. I'm sorry, Wait, you can't confirm he's in the building. Yikes, where's shifty when you need him somebody outside spying on a grassy knoll to see if it is that hurts? Yes, what is the huge benefit to holding back that bombshell information unless he's not in the building and that he's at a hospital or wherever you go for concussion protocol. I think what Nick has done is he's made it worse. I can't even tell you if he's in the building or not now all of a sudden, I'm really curious. But this is Nick Sirianni, who doesn't handle the media very well. And in this situation, you know, if he's there, there's nothing wrong with saying that he's not here today. We expect him tomorrow. Like you can move around these things. Sometimes these coaches try not to tell you something while in the process really telling you something. All right, poll question to start out first down? Or is going to be what seeden most attractive opening? Right now? Wow, Bear's Jaguars, Jets, Patriots sings. Okay, By the way, I had a source say, hey, keep an eye out on the Colts Monday. They may be blowing this thing up. Well, they didn't. They brought back their coach and GM, but they fired their defensive coordinator, Gus Bradley. I don't know if that's really detonating anything here, but somebody had to pay the price, so Gus Bradley was fired with the Colts. But the Jalen Hurt situation that bears watching here practice coming up tomorrow will certainly get a better indication if Kenny Pickett is going to be the answer. You don't like the question if you're a Philadelphia Eagle fan. North Dakota State they won the FCS title. The Bison they win again. I think that's ten national championships, and we were thinking, if you win the national championship in FCS, can we schedule something where you get to play the team that wins the national championship. Let's say Ohio State wins and Week zero you get North Dakota State against Ohio State. Now, it's not going to be on a neutral site because Ohio State wouldn't do that, but you get North Dakota State. Big moment. Now, granted, the team that won the national championship won't be the team that takes the field next year. That could be a problem, but that'd be nice, because I'm all for relegation. I think that would be awesome if we eventually get to my playoff picture, my landscape for college football, which maybe the top fifty schools, maybe sixty, split them up in divisions, and you have an NFL style model. But could you have that last day, that last game, those last games where they mean something where you better win or you're going to FCS or if you win, you're going up to FBS. You get to play, and the money is going to be a lot more. I think it would be fun to watch that. I don't know how practical it is, but I think if you had that, just like with the Premier League, like sometimes you'll have those last days where you're like, uh oh score differential, gold differential, Oh my goodness, we're in trouble. Now you're going to be relegated. No, not the R word, You're relegated eight seven seven to three. DP show email address DP at danpatrick dot com, Twitter handle it DP show operator Tyler sitting by Yes Paul based off that.
North Dakota State would be promoted to maybe the Big twelve, and unfortunately this year Kent State would drop down to FCS Kent State one NOBA.
I think Kent State probably should be relegated, even though there's no relegation. They lost every game, but I think over thirty points like they weren't even they like winning was a rumor for them. Maybe not even a rumor for that. All right, let's see a couple other things here, some facts that you might be interested in. Bo Nicks is twenty four years, three hundred twenty two days, and that will be on Sunday. That's how old he will be, the second oldest rookie quarterback to start an NFL playing playoff game. I could give you a hundred gains. I'd give you a thousand guesses. You aren't going to guess the oldest rookie to start a playoff game in NFL history. It did happen in twenty twenty two. If that's a hint for you, I'll give you his college, which would probably give it away. I believe he played at Kansas State, and he takers here, Michael Bishop with Marvin you were going there, weren't I sure was Skuyler Thompson, Paul Tooley. Just like Stat of the Day, Sat of the Day, that past oat of the day stat of the day. Here comes that what stand out of the day. Well, all right, so the best opening, wes Devin mccordy. About that, with the openings that we had, you had Robert Kraft. I can't say this was a press conference. It was just he addressed the media yesterday and he kind of fell on the sword where he fired Drod Mail after one year.
This whole situation is on me. I feel terrible for Girard because I put him in an untenable situation. It was very hard because the personal relationship I feel for Girard and the human being he is, and I felt guilty I put him in that position.
Okay, yes, you did. You know, everybody's a genius when you got Belichick and Brady, and then when you only have one, not everybody's a genius, including the genius. And then when you don't have either, then it falls back to who's running this team. And the Crafts have been running this team, not Bill Belichick the last five years and maybe longer. Okay, you have Gerrod Mayo who is a coach in waiting. Now. Belichick didn't know apparently that they had already put this in his contract that he was going to be the coach in waiting. That's the first problem. You have to let Bill know because and Bill may say, hey, then I don't want to be around and you may have to eat that one. But you can't do that to Belichick. Where you go, We're going to put this in the language in your contract. You're the coach in waiting, and then tell me that after five years being the coach in waiting, he's not ready to be the coach after waiting five years. See, that's embarrassing. Now. I think what this came down to was not necessarily the performance on the field as much as maybe handling yourself as a head coach. And I think Drodmeyo failed with those responsibilities because I think he wanted to be the antithesis of Bill Belichick. When he went to a press conference, he was actually going to say something. Maybe he was a little more confrontational with his players, not that far removed from being a player himself, and I don't think he handled himself the way maybe the Crafts wanted him to handle himself as a head coach. I don't know what they expected. Because you didn't spend any money, you have a quarterback, you kind of have a running back. You were supposed to have a really good defense. The last part of last season, you were one of the better defenses in the NFL. Now you're going to bring in who Brian Flores, You're going to bring in Mike Rabel, Ben Johnson. But I don't know if you make that move unless you know, like what if they whiff on Vrabel Ben Johnson. Let's say Brian Floor is the defensive coordinator with the Vikings. Now what are you going to bring in another inexperienced head coaching candidate, Like you can't whiff Like they have to get their person. They have to get Mike Rabel. It feels like Ben Johnson, we don't know. As I've said many many times, not every coordinator should be a head coach. Ben Johnson has done a wonderful job in Detroit. I don't know. Once again, you can be great at your job, but there are other jobs that go with that. How do you handle press conferences? It's really important. Is Pete Carroll going to get a shot? It feels like there's some momentum that maybe he gets a shot. I don't know why. Now he's been available over the last couple of years. It's one of the that it's like, you know, you find out that some girls available and you didn't know she was available, and you're like, well, what happened? I didn't know that Pam Anderson's available? Well maybe Pete Carroll is the Pam Anderson of the NFL. Nice, you know he's available. Okay, And the Patriots got cap room. They have I think over one hundred million dollars. Why weren't they spending that before? If you're not going to spend it now, that'd be my first question. If I'm going to be Mike Brabel and I walk in and go, why do we have one hundred million dollars that we didn't spend? Can we can we buy a receiver? Can we can we buy offensive line? Can we buy a running Could we have gotten Saquon Barkley? Like, I don't know. You just asked questions. Where why are you stockpiling all this money? Are we going to spend this money now? I'm interested in the job. If not, why would you take that job? Yes, you got Drake May, but you need more than Drake May. You're gonna win four or five six games? Okay, that's not the Patriot. The Patriot way is done. Okay, the Patriot way was Belichick and Brady. Let's be honest here, it's not the Crafts, it's Belichick and Brady. Because once the Emperor has no clothes, it's pretty freaking cold. And that's what you have going on there. How did it get here? And it happened right before our very eyes? Yes?
Pulling that being said, even though it was an awkward day for the Patriots, could it have been the right decision? Because you have cap space and a quarterback that people like. On a rookie deal, it's one of the more attractive jobs financially, not so much talent wise, but financially you have an open slate, Like if you're a new GM, which I'll actually have a GM or a coach. It seems like a blank slate.
But I have to know if they're spending money, how involved are the Crafts. That's what I want to know. They got more involved, and I think to the detriment of the team, you didn't spend any money. How do you bring in a rookie coach and a rookie quarterback and don't surround him. This goes back to what happened with Andrew Luck. Every team should be reminded of that. If you're going to bring in a rookie quarterback, get an offensive line, give them a couple of skilled position players. If not, then don't use the pick on a quarterback if you're not going to protect him, Like Bryce Young, Hey Bryce, go out there and be a savior. That's not the kind of quarterback he is. Hey Bryce, sorry, you got to run for your life. Hey Bryce, you suck. Come on over. Andy Dalton's going You didn't help him, protect him, and New England didn't do that with Drake Man. And as a result, you get rid of Gerrod Mayo. And maybe Mayo wasn't the right guy to begin with. Maybe they made a mistake to put in the coach in waiting. But now you got to get Mike Rabel. His Rabel gives you a culture. And I know that's one of those weird words, but Dan Campbell created a culture in Detroit like certain coaches create a culture Rex Ryan, you know, for the the good and the bad of all of that. He had a culture with the Jet. He's still trying to bank on that culture, saying I'm the best guy for the job. We're not going to let it be a country club atmosphere for Aaron Rodgers. I go, okay, yeah, Paul.
All right.
Any chance of Rabel is the wrong choice because he reminds everyone of Belichick. He'll probably walk in and say, I'm going to do this like it was done five years ago. Free agents didn't want to go play there, especially towards the end. I don't know if Mike Rabel be attractive to free agents with Alla Kaprum.
Players didn't want to play for Belichick. They wanted to play for Belichick and Brady because that meant you were going to get a chance to play in a Super Bowl, plain and simple, like the last four years. Did you hear players go, you know what, before I retire, I want to play for the greatest coach of all time. No, they said, even defensive players, Hey, I'll put up with this, but I want to go and play with Brady. I got a chance Chris Long one year to play for you play in a Super Bowl, and he won one. They weren't going to play for the greatest coach in history. They wanted to play for the greatest coach with the greatest quarterback. The Patriot way.
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Devin mccordy, NBC Football Night in America's studio analyst. He was on site with the Sunday Night Crew Vikings and the lines worst loss you ever had in college was what.
My freshman year we lost to Louisville fifty five toll like five.
We had a safety that was sprinkled in there. It was something like that.
Feel like.
You hear the.
Song that they play on kickoff a lot throughout the game, and I still remember it was a young jeezy song and they would always play Boom Boom clatt and we heard that a lot that night, so you get used to hearing that song where you get blown out.
What was the atmosphere like in Detroit? Oh?
It was awesome.
You know, I think even in pregame warmups of each kind of wave of guys that come out, you know, first the returners come out, the crowd goes nuts, and then the skill positions, and then ultimately Jared Golf came out and they went nuts and What I loved though, is every time somebody from the Vikings came out, it was just NonStop booze, and I think like you could feel it before the game started up. The impact that crowd was going to have in the game.
Well, that's what I was curious about. That they have home field advantage throughout in the NFC, But how much of an advantage is it to Detroit. Is there any other place that compares like Kansas City that home field advantage, Yeah.
Kansas City.
I think Buffalo like those teams that, for one, your fan base is intense, they're loud, But I think they get an advantage too of playing in the cold depending on who comes there, like we saw last year when Miami had to go to Kansas City and play in that historically cold game, but you don't have a shot. And I think Detroit's advantage is being in that dome. That dome gets loud and it gets rocking, and those people are intense. I just talked to Mike Florio on Pro Football Talk on the podcast they went and did their podcast Monday morning, him and Chris Simps.
They still could smell the.
Beer, like those people had a great time in there, so it's a tough place to play.
What's it like to play in a quiet stadium?
Yeah, you hear all the checks.
You know, you think about, you know, defenses, and you know, honestly, it's fun for defense when you're out there and you can hear with the offense checks.
You can hear yourselves usually like if you're.
At home and those kind of big time matchups in the crowds going crazy, making it hard for the offense. You have to remember as a defense, you got to get used to making your calls and stuff with that noise. But when you're out there and is silent, the energy's tough sometimes, but you get the advantage of really hearing everything the offense is trying to check and get to.
I guess there's usually one surprise firing every cycle. I thought Gerrod Mayo was a surprise. I don't know how you felt, but one and done in New England.
Your reaction, Yeah, I got the opportunity to go up to the press conference and I remember being in that moment of how special it was a guy. I got an opportunity to play with a guy that I think for that franchise as a number ten pick came in and did so many things and ultimately was a great leader for the organization. So when he was named head coach, I was so excited.
I thought he would get an opportunity to really grow into that role.
Not much experience in coaching overall, but I thought he would get the opportunity to grow and he didn't.
And for me, it was a reminder.
Of this league of I don't care how awesome the story is, the personal relationships and all that. When you get in and you're a head coach, they're looking for a certain thing. They're looking for wins, they're looking for the alignment and what the vision looks like. And ultimately the Crafts felt like it wasn't there and they moved on from Jiraw.
But you know, I think down the end it didn't. It wasn't surprising.
But if I think back to the beginning, no way I thought that it would even be a thought of him being one and done as a head coach.
But how can he be the coach in waiting for five years but not be ready for this moment? According to Robert Kraft, yeah.
I mean you look at that press conferences and he said, I think he has all the skills to be a great head coach someday, and that to me was why you named him head coaches. You thought somebody else would get to take advantage of that, and they only give him one year. I think it's really tough, you know, And I think back to Jimmy Johnson spoke to our team my rookie year and he said, the NFL is not about fair. You're gonna get opportunity and that's all you can ask for. And you know, honestly, it wasn't fair for draw Mayo to think he would have everything button up in year one. But that's the reality of the NFL.
Devin mccordy Football Night in America Analyst and wild Card Weekend NBC and Peacock will bring you the commanders at the Buccaneers. Better season turned in by Jaden Daniels or Baker Mayfield.
Oh, I think you gotta go Jaden Dails just because a little bit of what Baker's doing was expected, you know. I think Baker and Tampa has been a beautiful fit and he showed that he can be, you know, one of the top quarterbacks in the league. Jade and Daills took over a Washington team that we thought, even with him, they would struggle this year, and you look up and they're in the playoffs. They're going to be in the playoffs playing an opportunity advance that just wasn't expected. And the truth is it's all because of Jaden Daniels as their best player.
The Eagles situation is interesting, and I think it's being undersold that that is Jalen Hurts in concussion protocol. Here have you ever been in concussion protocol?
Actually, my first time being a concussion protocol, I don't want to say it was the same, but it was similar into what Jalen Hurst is going through of and the process was a little different. But I had passed certain tests so I was able to practice, but I didn't pass a test yet to be able to have contact, so I had got a concussion missed the last week of the season.
Then we had to.
Play off bye week, so I didn't practice the last week of the season, but the playoff bye week, I was cleared to be able to practice, but.
Still was non contact.
And then ultimately to get out of protocol, I had to get an MRI of my brain to be fully out of the concussion protocol. So it was a whole process, and more of a process than normal when we think about concussion protocol. So I felt a little bit of what he's going through.
Now, if you were Mike McCarthy and you had an opportunity to lead the Cowboys, let's say the Bears job is legitimate, you know, he's going to be a free agent, and I don't know if there's any rush for Jerry to you know, sign him. They could have done this. He's been a lame duck coach, but it's hard to pass on being the Cowboys head coach. But sometimes you want to get out from underneath Jerry Jones and that that star.
That Cowboys head coaching job is hard to turn down until you've been in it for five years. And I think Mike McCarthy knows exactly what it feels like and what it is to be in that job. So I think it'll be telling if he does want to go on these interviews that he is seeking to see what it feels like and what it could look like somewhere else. And the Bears they had to see it firsthand when he was coaching a Green Bay Packer, so there might be a little bit of an infatuation of Mike McCarthy and what he was able to do, and he might want some breath in a room from being on that kind of soap opera box that the Cowboys give you every year you're in that position.
We're going to have a road team, at least one road team win this weekend. With these these games, give me the surprise this weekend.
The surprise, I would say, And I know it's a little.
Harder because of Jordan Love's injury and Christian Watson being done, but I just think the green Bay Packers they're one of those teams that are a little inconsistent. You don't always know what you're gonna get. But if they can get hot and they can get going, they have a Jeff hafleet or defensive coordinator, has different kind of looks and disguises that they can give you. They're gonna play an Eagles team that comes off a week where they're resting, so they might be a little bit of a slow start getting back into the field of things that I think green Bay could surprise Philadelphia.
I think Philadelphia is a better team and.
Should win, but I wouldn't be surprised if Green Bay could get it going at Philadelphia.
Pittsburgh has problems with Baltimore.
Why, I just ultimately, I think Baltimore is a better football team.
I think I think we fell in love with what Russ was able to do took over Pittsburgh.
That went on a little winning streak.
But I think what we saw what Baltimore is able to do over these last few weeks, that's their team and I think they're playing their best ball right now. And I think Pittsburgh they're just not the inabilities of the offense to get the ball down the field consistently, to be able to pick up short gains and drive and have ten to twelve play drives, like, that's not what they do well. So when you're relied on the DP ball non stop, and if Pickens doesn't come out and have a big game, then that just leaves you so handicap that I think Baltimore has so much firepower that you can't really play that way. But I will say these two teams, they battle, and each time they play, it seems like the game goes a different way. So it's a scary game a little bit for Baltimore playing a division opponent in the playoffs.
What if Bill Belichick called you and said, would you join me on my staff at North Carolina?
I would ultimately think about it, and then I would second, I would think about my wife killing me. So I would have to say, Bill, I love you, respect you so much, but coaching is just not going to be about future.
Okay. What advice would you give if Bill Belichick said, come down and talk to my players. I'm not going to be in the room. What would you say?
I would tell them prepare for something that won't be easy, but prepare for a chance to be one thing, a champion in college, but ultimately an opportunity to be the best football player you could be. And for some of them, that's going to be in the NFL. You're going to learn things about the game of football that are going to travel with you far after your career. I mean, I'm doing TV primarily because I sat in team meeting rooms for thirteen years and heard the most brilliant mind and Bill Belichick talk about the game of football. I know about situations that I've never known offense, special.
Teams, defense because of all the things he hit about. You know, over my thirteen years in football and for those young guys like that won't leave you.
There's life lessons in there, There's everything. So I think ultimately you want to be a winner and be the best version of yourself. Get an opportunity to play for Bill Belichick. That's going to give you that.
Did you ever want to punch you?
I mean, how many times have you be the question? I remember we went my rookie year, we went nine.
Straight days of full pads in practice in training camp. Can't do that anymore, but that, like, that's what we did my rookie year in training camp.
We were ready to go. By some season started.
Good to talk to you again, have fun in the postseason. Thank you, Devin, Always talking to you, Dare Devin mccordy. Football Night in America analyst in wild Card weekend, Commanders and the Buccaneers, NBC and Peacock coverage will begin on Sunday night at seven thirty Eastern. Football Night in America kicks off at eight.
Be sure to catch the live edition of The Dan Patrick Show weekdays at nine am Eastern six am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio w APP.
Todd Archer, ESPN, NFL Nation Cowboys Reporter joining us on the program, and you got a lot to talk about. You'll always have something to talk about here to write about your reaction. When the Bears reportedly reached out asked for permission to talk to Mike McCarthy.
It certainly made it interesting for Jerry Jones to have to make it, maybe make a decision sooner than he would want to make. If he grants permission, does that tell us that Mike McCarthy is not going to be back If he doesn't grant permission, Does that tell us he is going to be back? There are so many different things he can come up with through this coaching search. I go back expect anything when it comes to this, because I go back to the last time Jerry had a coach with an expiring contract in twenty nineteen, when he interviewed Marvin Lewis and Mike McCarthy before making any announcement on Jason Garrett's status. So that's kind of where we are right now. Who the heck knows where they're going to how long it can take. I would think if it happens, it has to happen here soon.
But why has Jerry left him dangling here? You either want Mike McCarthy or you don't.
Right, you should be able to operate on parallel tracks during the course of a season and have a hypothetical list available in your desk drawer to say this is where I want to go when the season ends. We've seen other teams already make moves either designed to keep their coaching staff in GM or go out and make this call. Jerry has a Netflix series coming out called The Gambler, right, that's supposed to come out at some point here in twenty twenty five. I don't know if he's much of a gambler anymore.
This is just not how he operates.
He takes his time on things and doesn't make the bold moves that everybody expects him to make. Maybe that will come back here soon and I'll look like a fool for saying that. But I don't know why that. This wasn't a decision that could have been made yesterday, certainly can be made today. It's hopefully by the end of the week. McCarthy's contract expires DAN on Wednesday, always having exclusive negotiating rights through January fourteenth. I would think if I'm Mike McCarthy, I want to know by Wednesday, because I want to know, should I look into the Chicago thing? Should I look into these other jobs that they that these people who might want me as coach?
But Todd, you've been around this franchise a long time. How much does Jerry love the attention? Like his team stays in the news cycle constantly because he doesn't wrap anything up. Michael Parsons contract won't be wrapped up quickly, Dax wasn't, CDs wasn't. You're a head coach here. It almost feels like I want you to keep talking about my franchise.
Yeah, and that's how you become ten billion dollar franchise, I guess in some respect, right, because everybody's talking about it, everybody good and bad. Right, it's the Cowboys. Fans are going to be Cowboys fans, and people will hate the Cowboys. Are always going to hate the Cowboys. So you have so many eyeballs on you that you draw attention to you. And I think Jerry he has said it, he loves that attention that is on his franchise. At some point, it's not conducive to winning football games, although he'll point out that they e the fifth or sixth most winning his team in the last five, six, seven years. But ultimately Jerry bought the Cowboys in nineteen eighty nine to win Super Bowls and they've not won one since nineteen ninety five. So what are they in here just to win games? Or are they in here to win Super Bowls?
Is it a good job? If it's open.
This is where I might differ with people who say it might not be a good job.
I will say it is a good job.
The head coach of the Dallas Cowboys has the biggest say in the franchise if they choose to be the loudest voice in the franchise. Now we can go back to nineteen ninety eight. I think chan Gaily didn't want Randy Moss. The Cowboys didn't draft Randy Moss. You know, there have always been some little hiccups along the way. Bill Parcels didn't want to they still signed too. What was the corollary moved to that they cut Larry Allen. That was a guy that one round. So that was one for one right there. But this is a good job beyond because it's one of thirty two, because it is the Cowboys, and this is a roster that really was hit hard by injury. But you have a quarterback that'll be coming back, you have a number one ride receiver, you have Michaeh Parsons. You have other pieces in place that can win with you at a quick turnaround. But it's incumbent on Jerry to do more in the offseason than he did last year, where their biggest free agent signing was either Zeke or Eric Kendricks. They have to do more than that to supplement this roster. They can't just rely on improvement from within. But if the head coach wants the power or I don't want to say power, wants to say and it'll put the work in, he can have to say to get what he wants the majority of the time.
But if you're a Cowboys fan and you hear, hey, this is why I bought the team. I want to be the GM. I want to run the team like what Jerry Jones have fight Jerry Jones, Well.
He hasn't done it yet, so I would say no, I'll say and I don't want to come across like I'm defending the way Jerry operates this. But in Jerry's mind, the GM is the guy who cuts the check. So that's why he keeps the title. The GM of the Cowboys is really Will McClay. He's the guy that does the work that of what a general manager does. And if you look at how they've drafted since Will McLay has been here since twenty fourteen, it's been among the best in the NFL. So people we get hung up on the title, but Jerry is not going into the draft room and saying, who do you want?
Who do you want? Who do you want?
No?
You guys want this guy. No, no, no, I want this dude, and we're going to take that guy. That's not how it works, and it's really not how it's worked here for quite a long time. I'll go on my twenty plus years of covering the team. It truly has been a conglomeration of efforts to get the right get the guy everybody wants. And we can plain to another example of Jerry not getting what he want when they drafted Zach martin twenty fourteen and not Johnny Manzel.
Oh.
I know I remember that because he wanted he wanted. He likes that shiny object there, and I go back that I think he wanted Connor Cook, and Connor Cook was taken, and then they took Dak Prescott.
Right, Yeah, and not just Connor Cook. They tried to trade trade back into the first round and take Paxton Lynch.
Oh.
So those are two two moves that the Cowboys are glad they didn't make, and they ended up getting Dak Prescott with not only their their second fourth round pick, a compensatory pick. It took a defensive end out of Oklahoma with their first fourth round pick that year over Dak Prescott.
You go back to Jimmy Johnson and Jerry Jones that relationship. Could it have worked.
Longer than it had?
Yeah?
No, I don't believe so. I think Jerry wanted out, And again that was before my time here. But haven't talked to a lot of people that have been around and talked to Jimmy about it and talked to Jerry about it. I think Jerry wanted I think Jimmy wanted to go somewhere else too. I think his time here was done, and I think he realized there's only so long of a shelf life a coach can have. Clearly that he and Jerry had differences of opinion on who did what and the separation of powers and things like that. I think it lasted as long as both sides wanted it to last, and it was time for them to split up.
But if you look in the history of the NFL trades that were made, where do you put what Jimmy did. I'm giving Jimmy the credit for herschel Walker deal. Now, I'm sure Jerry gets credit to it. But the importance of that trade compared to other trades in NFL history, where does that rank?
I mean, I don't know how it's not. I'm going to say it's number one because I can't think of another one that would top it, just because that was the start of everything for the nineties Cowboys, and at the time when they made that trade, everybody decided it was for these players and didn't realize the pick element of it, and then how everything kind of of that team was built through that trade for a number of years and the guys that they got out of that. So they have a tour at the Star where the people can come in, and it's famous, right because everybody wants to take a tour of the Star and see the players and things. But there's one segment of the herschel Walker trade, So that tells you what the Cowboys think of that trade and what it meant to them in their history. So but yeah, without that trade, there probably is not a Super Bowl run of the nineteen nineties.
The Vikings don't have a tour where they focus on the herschel Walker deal.
Just their tour involves Randy Moss going to them and not to the Cowboy.
Percentage that Mike McCarthy is back is what if you were going to put a number on this.
Yeah, I talked to some people in the organization the last couple of days, and before the game I think the people that I spoke to said he will be back, and it might have been a sixty five thirty five. Talking to people after the game on Sunday and just what hasn't come out of the organization or out of the meetings with Jerry, it's probably closer to fifty to fifty at this point, oh boy. And by the time we in there our discussions, it might be back to seventy thirty. He's staying because this is such an in the wind. As Mike I told us yesterday, he's in the.
Wind just like us.
So the players really don't know what's going on. Here either.
Thank you, Todd. Good to catch up with you again.
Got it, Thanks Dan, appreciate it.
Todd Archer, ESPN, NFL Nation Cowboys Reporter.
Be sure to catch the live edition of The Dan Patrick Show weekdays at nine am Eastern, six am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio w APP.
He's Ian Rappaport NFL Network Insider. You can see him tonight on The Insiders and that's its seven Eastern non NFL Network. Good to talk to you again, Ian. Give me the surprise coaching move, whether it was keeping a coach or firing a coach.
Well, I would say, I don't know what it's a surprise now because basically what happens is everything, every different possible outcome gets sort of rumored.
Right.
So it's like people say, can you believe that it's like the Titans just fired Ran Carthon the general manager after two seasons after giving him an extension last year. You know, it's like, is that a surprise? Like, I don't know that anything's a surprise that There have been some rumors always, But to me, the one that I was most unsure about was probably the Giants. Now, to me, not that my opinion matters at all. But I felt like if the Giants could just take a deep breath and stick with people who they know are good, who took them to the playoffs, they know Brian Daboll is a good coach, didn't forget how to be a good coach. You know. I think the Daniel Jones quarterback plummet probably hurt them a little bit over the last couple of years. If they could just take a deep breath and stick there, I think they will benefit. I just you know, people so often choose change when there's an option. Just people want you to do something, just something, and so I was sort of pleasantly surprised. I would say that they decided to do nothing and stick with the guys they have.
Of the openings now, in your opinion, the most attractive job is where.
It's all about the quarterback and it's all about how quickly you can get in there and win. I mean, that's that's to me. So it's like, you know, I think the Bears is really really attractive if you think, you know, if you think Caleb Williams is good, and I think everyone thinks he's you know, it's not like he was taking number one, and people like the Bears were crazy, many many people would have taken him number one. So to me, I think that's that's a really really attractive job. Some of the others might take a little bit of time, but that roster is pretty good. Offensive line needs work, but I think all around. You know, if if Caleb Williams can throw on time and take care of the ball like he certainly did this year, I think that's one where you could sort of flip it pretty quickly. The other one I like is the Jaguars. You know, like, is Trevor Lawrence going to be Patrick Mahomes Like, I don't know at this point, maybe not. Probably not very good viable quarterback locked in for a long time, a lot of weapons, a lot of good young players tied into contracts that have already started. That's another place where it's like, I think you could hop in there and win fairly quickly in a division that has not always been at the top, top tier.
What are the cowboys doing now?
They're dancing? Cowboys are dancing. You know they're different, man, And you know we know that cowboys are different. We know they're a different animal. But situations like this really show us how different. Jerry Jones does not like dead money, and it feels like would rather have this uncertainty for eight days or nine days or whoever long the last, rather than deal with the dead money of let's say, extending Mike McCarthy and deciding we do not want him here. So the sense I get, the sense I get is that they want him back. The sense I get is that he would like to be back under the right circumstances. You have other teams. You know, we're gonna have interest bears I put in request. I would expect the Saints to have interest as well. It's just can they get together and figure out something that works for both of them and for me. A lot of the biggest questions are like what about the term of the contract? Like, if you're the Cowboys, you know, maybe you say, oh, well, let's do a two year deal. Cool. If we don't we want to get out next year, we can just fire him with you know, limited money. If you're McCarthy, like, why would you do that? Just go somewhere else and get a five year deal. So I think that's some of the issues they need to work out.
Do the Lions lose both coordinators.
A pretty good chance. Yeah, I mean Ben Jonson's a little bit of a different deal because he's been in demand for a couple of years. You know, I don't know that he would have gotten the commander's job last year, but at least he would have been one of the final guys they were discussing right that whole situation was kind of weird. But he's in demand enough where I think he's gonna have a chance to get a job. And then to me, I mean Aaron Glenn And like we all saw what the line's defensive coordinator did on Sunday, that was a that was mean. He made things very very rough for the Vikings. I've not seen that Sam Donald in a couple of years. But that's not why I think Aaron Glenn's going to get a job. It's really about like culture and leadership. And to me, he's the guy who's sort of like most an extension of Dan Campbell on the staff. Like I think, I think he's got a really good shot to get one of these jobs as well.
Talking to Ian Rappaport, NFL Network insider, I've said this for many many years, not every coordinator deserves to be a head coach that because of what goes along, Like you know, Girod Mayo, I don't think he was equipped to go to those press conferences. I think he was trying to be the antithesis of Belichick and he just he didn't handle it well. Now that doesn't mean he can't learn how to do it. But we've seen a lot of the Patriot coordinators Romeo Crenell and Charlie Weiss, and they're coordinators, they're just but it's tough to say that to somebody when somebody says, why doesn't that guy get a shot? Well, you gotta be Pete Carroll at a press conference, now, like you gotta be able to handle these things, and you're a CEO. How do you different Can you differentiate between somebody is just a great coordinator and not a head coach.
So specifically to the press conferences. I don't care that that much about like Gerd Mayo kind of like stepping on his foot or whatever at a press conference. I don't care that much. But just because like if you're not great at the media, like most people most when Rod Mayo was coming up as a player, he did plenty of interviews as a coordinator. He was a position coach for a lot of it. He didn't do a ton of interviews. Most of these guys have not, so like you'll see, like I remember Nick Sirianni, who has proven to be a very good head coach, was a disaster his first press conference. You and I sort of take it for granted. It's very very hard. I don't care so much about that. What I care about is a lot of times that press conference face or persona or whatever is what you put in front of the team. That's more important to me because, like you know, when you're it's like, mess up in front of the media, Okay, who cares, But if you mess up in front of the team, they're gonna wonder if you're really authentic, are you acting? Are you trying to be? And I think that's where a lot of the Patriots coordinators under Belichick have run into problems because they were trying to be something, whether it's him, whether it's I'm definitely not gonna be him. It's like players can tell when you're not just a leader, right, and so like talk about coordinators being ready, Like Dan Campbell was the coordinator, he was just the best leader that the Saints had. So it's like sometimes coaches, you know, it's like, I really don't think that the best play calling head coach, the best play calling coordinator means you're gonna be a great head coach. It's like, find the best leader, but that guy in front of the big room, not the small one, but the big room, and let him go.
Yeah, because you've got to create a culture. And I I think that I don't know what Ben Johnson's personality is, but is he going to be able to leave? Dan Campbell came in and we were like, oh, who is this guy? And then all of a sudden we realize that that guy is that guy and those players bought into that, and really that's the important part. You know, the Cowboys they bought into Jimmy Johnson, Like you have to buy into that. We may see somebody and go that guy's corny or you know, that guy's quiet, but you'll know when you're the feedback you get comes from your players. That's the ultimate. That's the only feedback you really need.
Well, yeah, and like like for for me, like you know, I've been doing this for thirteen years now, and I get to know a lot of these coordinator candidates, a lot of the young coaches, and it's really been educational for me to as I talk about it and as I talk to gms and owners and whoever you know, whether publicly or probably about some of these candidates, because it's like, what makes a good head coach, who makes a good coordinator is almost almost has nothing to do with each other, Like if you do the Venn diagram thing, they may not connect. Like I remember so specifically. I hate to even say this now, but kind of rolling my eyes at the Lions excitement over Dan Campbell because I'm like, what are they seeing that I am not seeing? He's ever been a coordinator, Like, yes, he gave the speeches in the Saints to the point like he's not even a coordinator. And now, as I've learned, it's like who cares like find the best leader? And it's like, you know you talked about I was laughing as you were doing the open talking about how bad the Lions draft, you know, drafts were. It's like, what is Brad Holmes doing? Don't they care about, you know, positional value? It's like, find good football players, have them play on your team, have a lot of good football players, you don't have a better team. It's like same thing with coaches. Find good leaders, let them lead, and then everything else will sort of be fine.
Finish this sentence. If the Steelers get blown out against the Ravens, I.
Will be surprised if the Steelers get blown out against the Ravens. You're talking specifically about Mike Tomlin. I don't think anything happens to Mike tom But I would say if the Steelers get blown out by the Ravens, then I will say they take another look at the quarterback position and try to figure that out for next year. I have thought, I have believed that their starting quarterback for next year is on their roster. My sense is that it was Russell Wilson. It has been very rough the last month, very rough, so maybe it's not. But I think we're about to find out.
Let's flip it. If the Ravens lose.
Yeah, I mean this is about as talented a Ravens team as as we could have. You know, I would be surprised if anything happens to Harbor. If that's what you mean to.
Me, he is It's probably perception with Lamar like this is the ultimate kiss of death with him, whether it's fair or not. But here we are home field advantage. You had home field advantage last year. You know, no, I get it, it's there.
I get and last year was probably like you know, I I would like to see the Ravens in the super Bowl. It would be very fun. And they're such a good team and I feel like they, you know, deserve to. So last year was frustrating because it's like, I don't know what else they have to do. And then they got Derrick Henry. They sort of form their identity even more. I think they're you know, good enough on defense. I mean, this looks like a team that should be should go deep into the playoffs and reach the super Bowl. But again, like I don't think it's a it's so freaking hard to get there. It's so hard. And like you could say whatever you want about Omar or Josh Allen, same thing. It's like, I get it, but you got to beat Mahomes. So it's like sometimes you're just Mahomes is gonna beat you. He's very good.
Yeah, it's like Jordan. Yeah, it's yeah, the Jordan era that there's no shame in not winning a championship. There.
Look, Look, Mahomes is a good pitcher, like I've seen I've seen the clips of him throwing. Like, if he wants to go play baseball, he's still got a great arm. If he wants to go play baseball, then I think that really opens things up at AFC.
I think he'd be maybe a better baseball player than Jordan.
Yeah, I mean Jordan was not very good. But on the other hand, like you drop someone into you know, was it double was Birmingham double A? Drop someone into double A? Like he hit two hundred. That's pretty good. I wouldn't hit two hundred.
Yeah, but you're not. You're not one of the greatest athlete you know, in the world.
It's offensive.
I don't even know if you're the best athletic insider.
Wow, that's really offensive. I was a high school baseball player. I was pretty good.
Are you more athletic than Adam Schefter?
I think, I mean, I think skill wise, just pure athleticism. Like think I have a better arm, you know, I think if you psch you know, having a catch, I think I would probably the.
Combine.
He might beat me in a race, and I think he he is. I'm pretty sure he lifts. I think strength wise he would probably get me. But hitting a baseball, throwing talk about like golf, I feel like I probably got him, just so be really depending on the events.
What if Glazier was in the octagon with you.
Well, if we're talking octagon, me and Schefter have no chance. But you want to talk like golf, baseball, tennis. You know, I did go to a nick voluntary week of tennis camp when I was eleven.
Saying my bad, I did not know that Fritzi. Will you check his resume next time? Yeah, that's impressive stuff here.
I was a college athlete, I was a rower. But still.
Were you a rower or were you crew?
I was? I was a was a rower, is a lightweight rower at Columbia. I was very bad, but my team was very good. So there you go.
Uh were you were? You weren't the one who is yelling like the no.
I was actually doing the work. Okay, I mean not the cosins don't do the work. They work very hard, but more metal work there.
He's one of the great athletic insiders in the in the business. He's Ian Rapidport. Thank you, Ian, thank you.
