The Herd with Colin CowherdColin shares his pre-draft NFL Over - Unders and why he thinks the Cowboys are overvalued entering the 2025 season
Live from the Owners Meetings, Albert Breer joins The Herd to talk about the new rule changes, the NFL draft, a surprising story on Shedeur Sanders and more.
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Yep.
Coming this summer the Club World Cup before the World Cup a year out. So great to have the FIFA president on. By the way, the US will have two teams Seattle Sounders and Miami will both be in. Those will be the two teams. And then is it thirty two other teams or thirty other teams involved in the Club World Cup? Winner a billion dollars in versus a billion dollars, So it's like a pre World Cup with the world's best club teams, all the best players and Boppe will be here, Messi, Harry Kane, all the best players in the world will be here.
So it's gonna be a pre World Cup.
And there's clear evidence that anytime a World Cup is in the United States, massive popularity swings in merchandising and fandom happened.
You know, listen.
I can't take full credit, but I do like I know you like soccer in college basketball, but Colin, you have to You're starting to nudge a little more in the direction of those sports since the addition of your boyhood.
I'm jealous of anybody who lives in Zurich and vacations in Italy. I've heard the things I've never been to either. Zurich's got my favorite airport in the world. It's like a great Swiss watch. It is perfect. The trains are on the second, the food, the cleanliness, it's great. If I owe anytime I can connect through Zurich, do it spend an afternoon.
Marveling at the airport.
Okay, so we're gonna go to the NFL, you know, winter meetings here pretty quick. But the over and unders are now with all the betting companies are coming out, you know in Vegas over unders. So these numbers are how many games do you think a team can win? And you know, as you know, they always come in half seven and a half, eight and a half, and you, as a consumer, bet the under or bet the over. Now, most fans bet the over, they're optimistic. I tend to find unders, but I found three unders and three overs that are interesting. So let's go to the conferences first. The one that jumps out to me. Let's start in the AFC for our radio audience. Bills eleven and a half, Dolphins eight and a half, Jets five and a half. The Patriots at seven and a half to me, feels like an over massive upgrade on coaching staff. Also, they were three and six in one score games with a rookie quarterback, so there's going to be an ascension. They're going to be a better one score game team. They spend almost two hundred million in free agency. I would bet the over on the Patriots. Let's go to the Ravens, Bengals, Steelers, Browns. Nothing jumps out to me. Ravens eleven and a half, Bengals nine and a half, Steelers eight and a half, Browns five and a half. Nothing seems underwhelming or overwhelming. The next division projected win total AFC South. This is one of my favorite overs, So the Texans at nine and a half. Colt Jaggs seven and a half wins the Titans at five and a half. Bet the over. Brian Callahan, listen, he was so frustrated. Will Levis arguably gave three wins away last year. So cam Ward there's just not gonna be nobody's gonna quite know what to do until he has an offseason.
Remember CJ.
Stroud came in and it kind of feels like everybody's kind of waiting for CJ. Stroud to fall apart, and he didn't. So I think cam Ward. The upgrade cam Ward to will Levis is gonna get you a seven or eight or nine wins in this division, just a very weak AFC South Chiefs.
Broncos, Chargers, Raiders.
I think Kansas City under eleven and a half is one of my favorite bets. Broncos nine and a half, Chargers nine and a half, Raiders six and a half. I'd probably go over Chargers, but the under on Kansas City. Remember they were eleven and oh in one score games like recovering fumbles. Regression is coming. Even if they go eight and three. Nobody goes eleven to zero and one score games. Also, they're still trying to figure out their offensive line. Joe Tooney left their best offensive lineman and they don't you know, they're using somebody's backup at left tackle. They're an injury away in the on line from being a complete mess. They're also getting older in key spots. Now we go to the NFC. One of my fa I have an over and under bet in the same division, So Eagles eleven and a half.
That's about right.
I'm gonna take the over on the Commanders and the under on the Cowboys. So listen, Jayden Daniels is the real deal. I just talked to somebody, a friend who was at an event Jayden Daniels was at in the last couple of weeks. The kids unbelievable. They spent money, the coaching nine and a half. I mean they're gonna go two and oh against the Cowboys and two and oh against the Giants. So I think the Commanders is I mean ten and seven with the Lamar Jackson of the NFC at quarterback. Shock anybody also the Cowboys? I would bet the under they want. I don't think anybody's quite embracing. Brian Schottenheimer to me, had struggled to remain at the same place as a coordinator.
I think they went cheap.
They also gotta pay Micah Again, this is a team that's a ceedee. Lamb sprained ankle from you know, being fairly weaponless, I would take the under now we go. Nothing jumps out to me. At the NFC North Lions ten and a half, Packers nine and a half, Bears eight and a half, Vikings eight and a half. Nothing jumps out to me. Everybody wants to bet the Bears in the over, be careful. Nothing really jumps out to me. In the NFC South Bucks should win. Best roster Falcons maybe a little underserved, but I refuse to bet the Falcons on anything. I've lost a fortune over the years. Panthers Saints both six and a half wins. Now they're two surprises to me. In the NFC West, I would take the under on the Niners ten and a half. They are getting old in key spots. You got Christian McCaffrey coming off an injury and then Brandon Aiyuk coming off an injury. They have twelve draft picks. That is a lot lot of young players. Rookies don't flourish generally, except key positions in the NFL. Also, they lost Greenlaw and Hufunga. They wanted to keep both. Those are leaders, great instinctive players, so we haven't loved their defense in the last couple of years and when Bosa gets hurt, it's a bad defense and he's getting older. I would bet the under on the Niners at ten and a half. I would bet the over on the Rams at nine and a half. They need a corner. Outside of that, they are set, they're getting better. The defense got better Thanksgiving on, so the Rams I would take the over. So my over and under bets, I would take the Commanders over nine and a half, the Patriots over seven and a half, of the Titans over five and a half. My unders are the Chiefs under eleven and a half, the ram the Niners under ten and a half, the Cowboys under seven and a half. I also think the Rams can hit the over. I think the Rams can hit the over. McVeigh, Stafford, DeVante Adams. They cannot be as physically immobile as they were last year when the offensive line fell apart. That's not gonna happen again. They'll have more depth. They're gonna draft to tackle early in this draft. So Jmac, anything jump out to you too much?
Actually, I know we have a guest coming up. We definitely need to revisit this. I've got some beef with some stuff you're saying the one thing that really jumped out. So I see Titans five and a half, totally agree? But did I see the Jets and the Giants are also five and a half.
Meaning those are the three worst teams in the league. Oh my gosh, I didn't know the Jets had fallen that far. Five and a half win total. Gosh, it's bleak.
Yeah, I mean New York Football's bleak.
Terrible.
Albert Breer joining us live. Here we go from Palm Beach. Not a bad place to join us live from. Okay, at the NFL owner meetings, Okay, let's get so. I I've always had a theory on overtime. You want it to be quick. I don't want my defense on the field for another fourteen plays. So the NFL has said, okay, both teams now get the ball once.
It's going to be ten minutes.
My question is, what if a team gets it to the nine minute, fifty eight second drive and scores. What do you do then, I mean, I your takeaway and the new NFL owner change in overtime?
Well, I think there are a couple of factors there.
Of course, it won't affect you know, play the playoffs, because the playoffs will play until they have a winner and a loser. And you know, I think if during the regular season, there's the broadcast partners, which I think like to keep these games as close to the window that prescribed to be in as they can, you know, And then I think there's the element of adding more place to the game. And that's a health and safety thing, you know, And that was part of the argument against this sort of thing years ago was that they didn't want to put that much more damage on players. So I think this is a fair compromise, and it does add that element of strategy to it, you know. I think one thing if you look back, like Bill Belichick always wanted a time to peer, right, and the reason he wanted the time period is because he wanted the clock to be part of the overtime.
I think in doing this, you are making the clock part of the overtime, you know.
So you know, I think from a viewership standpoint, fifteen might be better because you're getting the full quarter. But you know, I think when you go to ten minutes, you're making the clock even a bigger factor. And I think that could interest but that could add like an interesting element of strategy and how teams approach it. I mean, if you're the receiving team, don't you almost don't you almost automatically go into the four minute offense.
I think that's what we're going to be looking at.
Okay, tush push packers are very anti tush push. It's it's been tabled, meaning they'll do it in mid May and figure out at the mid May meetings what is green band Matt leaf Floor's primary objection to the tush push.
They don't think it's a football play.
And you know one thing that was interesting to come from the room now, you know, a couple of days ago when they first met on this, you know, Jim Harbugh Mike Rabel brought up some of the holes in the way the rule is written. And can you, I mean the most Harbaugh thing ever, can you put two extra guards on the field and line them up behind the guards and push the guards because you're not pushing behind the center?
Rabel lost the same thing.
Can you take the quarterback and move him behind the guard and then push him behind the guard.
So there were some holes in how the rule was written.
Howie Roseman was passionate about this in the room and saying that there's no injury data.
This says it's more dangerous.
The league comes back and says, well, actually, we think, based on the posture of the player, that this could lead to major head and spine injuries.
Not that it hasn't yet, but that certainly is a concern.
So, you know, you put all this in and I think, you know, now, how do you rewrite it? And one thing that happened inside the room today earlier this morning was, you know, Rich Piquet, the chair of the competition for me, said why don't we go back to the two thousand and four rule, or at least look at that rule and how it was written and maybe we adopt that. So I think around somewhere around twenty teams favor of looking at that rule as potentially something that could be the framework of something they vote on in May. And it's interesting, Colin, like when they took the rule out twenty years ago, the reason they took the rule out was because what was happening downfield. And you'll remember this is there were guys getting pushed into the end zone downfield, and when they flag it, it was hard to tell if you had a scrum downfield, whether or not you know an offensive player coming in was trying to block the defensive player push his teammate across the line.
So is that less of a concern now? Is there a way to address that and how you write the rule?
I think it was just there were too many things on the table and too many concerns to pass it now.
But the fact that they're tabling.
It until May shows the league as a real desire to get something done before the season.
I just saw a headline this morning Steelers are very comfortable with Mason Rudolph as their starter, and I thought, oh boy, if I was a Steeler fan, that's that's pretty discouraging. So I have made the argument with Aaron Rodgers that he ideally wanted Minnesota, knew the division, loved the coach, loved Justin Jefferson, and that I think deep down he knows Pittsburgh can't get the old line right. It's a defensive culture. He's done the East Coast. He'd probably like to drift back to the West. And my guess is, I don't think he's stalling or being obnoxious. I don't think deep down he wants to go to Pittsburgh. But I do think he loves football and wants to play and was pretty good last year. What is your vibe on what you're hearing about Aaron Rodgers.
Yeah, so my vibe would be a I think you're absolutely right that he doesn't want to go out the way that he went out last year. I know he you know, and coming back from the Achilles like wanting to really appreciate the sport and you know, rediscover his love for the game and despite how hard everything was last year on the Jets, I think he did do that to a certain degree.
So I think he does want to play.
And I think you know, if you're in his spot, you say, okay, I got one year left.
You're looking for the perfect place.
The perfect place would have been Minnesota.
Minnesota wants to get a longer look at JJ McCarthy.
And again we've been over this before, Colin, Like, if they bring in Sam Darnold or Daniel Jones, like, that's much different than bringing in Aaron Rodgers, where if you bring in Aaron Rodgers, you are just jamming on the pause button on the JJ McCarthy era at best. And how do you figure that's going to affect his development.
There are a lot of things that go.
Into that, you know, And so I think now it's sort of going through the situation with the Steelers. I think one thing the Steelers have going for them, the un offensive line's gotten better. They also have peers of his on his team. They're going to be operating with the same level of vergency. Veteran players, Guys like TJ. Watt, who will be thirty one, make if it's patch, if he'll be twenty nine, Cam Hayward, who I believes going into his fourteenth year as an NFL player, DK Metcalt now in his third contract. This is jumping on a moving train. This is not a team that needs to be lifted up. They've been in the playoffs. They need somebody to come help me bring to take him over the top. So ultimately I think he does wind up there. But I think you're right when you say, like this isn't the perfect situation, it's a really good one.
And I think that's what he's considering right now.
Okay, at West Palm Beach looks like the Breakers if I if I make guests, yeah, yeah, pretty good, pretty good place.
And I don't and and I don't normally wear sunglasses. I think it's kind of douchy to wear some glasses the air. But it is so bright out here. And I'm not saying that to make anybody back home jealous, but it is so bright out here that actually hurt my eyes.
That he's sitting here.
That's okay, So let's wrap it up with this.
We've got Cleveland owners saying yep, swinging a miss onto Sean. We've got the Giants getting Russell Wilson and Jamis Winston. There's a lot of move and we're all trying to play like Inspector Clusau and figure out with the clues, what's gonna happen, who's gonna pick a quarterback?
And then there's other reports on mock.
Draft people that oh, Chadors dropping out, Well, we know Cam's going one the Giants in the Browns. Do you believe Schador Sanders goes to either Cleveland or the New York Giants.
If you put a gun to my head today, I would say I'm doing Carter at two to Cleveland, Travis Hunter at three to the Giants. I think the Giants have protected themselves so they don't have to force anything at quarterback, and I do think, you know, like the idea of taking Travis Hunter and then maybe a day two quarterback where you're not tied to that guy for the next ten years, but you get it, you're taking a shot at it.
Might work better for them.
I think Cleveland could take a similar approach here and maybe working out of trade for Kirk Cousins the Friday after the draft.
And it's an interesting thing here. So Jimmy Haslam, J W.
Johnson, and Andrew Berry had dinner on Thursday night in State College, Pennsylvania with Abdual Carter. Kevin Stefanski wasn't there. Kevin Stefanski was actually an Oxford, Mississippi for Jackson darts pro day. And the fact that they would take their head coach and put him there in Mississippi rather than sitting down with Carter tells me they're at least thinking about the idea of taking Carter at two and either sitting there at thirty three and Drake and taking one there, or maybe be moving into the bottom of the first round and taking one at that point. And I think if you do that, then Cousins comes into play because the relationship between Stefanski and Cousins. So I think there are a lot of moving pieces with both those teams. My guess right now would be that neither of them takes Shador, and then it becomes anywhere as guess where Shador goes, because like I said to you last week, like he's sort of like Bonnicks to me like this, like this this year's version of bon Knicks where last year or very few teams that had Bonnicks as a first round pick, he had to find a fit and he obviously found that in Denver and no one cares or anybody had any more.
Because he played great for the Broncos.
I think that's Chador this year, where a lot of teams don't look him in as a first round talent and he's gonna have to find a fit.
Wow, that is really really And then you get down to the Raiders where they've got Gino, who by the way, play action passing, because I think they're gonna take Genti. And the reason I think that is Pete Carroll's best years were with Reggie Bush at sc and Marshawn in Seattle. And they need a run but running back, and this is a star running back and also Gino on play action passes is like his passer ratings one oh six since he's been in Seattle, So he's not a guy that's going to play from behind and sling it forty five times. So that is really interesting on Shadur, So what you're basically saying is the draft guys that think there's not a big gap between Chadur and Kyle mccordon, Jackson Dart, and Jalen Milroll. So what's the point of tying yourself to a guy? Right?
Is that what you're saying.
I think it's I think I would say this.
I think for most of the people I've talked to, and I still have a ton of phone calls to make over the next three or four weeks, but I think the consensus that I'm getting from people who evaluate this stuff for a living is that cam Ward talent wise, is a bigger separation talent wise between cam Whard and Shador Sanders than there is between Shador Sanders and Jackson Dark. Again, that does not mean Schador Sanders can't go top ten. It's because there could be a team of season as the perfect fit, and if you see him as a long term answer quarterback. You swallow hard and take him the same way the Broncos did at twelve last year Bonitz, even though if the Broncos didn't take him at twelve, he may have slipped out of the first round altogether. But yeah, I think Chador is closer to the pack, if that's what you're asking. He's closer to the pack, yb. He is to cam Ward from a talent perspective, when you talk to all of these NFL people, Wow.
I kind of look I like the sunglasses. I can be honest with you. It makes you look more mysterious and like you have better information. You're hiding something from us.
I like it better information.
I don't know, there's there's something.
When you get those shades, you got like a detective look to you. I like you're out there behind bushes trying to get scoops from NFL owners.
I like to look my man.
All right, maybe maybe, maybe maybe I'll try to get next week.
We'll see, okay, Albert Berry, good, see anybody that's really I think that's really interesting. Basically, Cam's the star and Chaudeur is more middle of the pack. He's in the mill row. Kyle McCord Jackson dark class. So it's like, you know, if you take a quarterback first round, you gotta play him. If you take a quarterback in the second round, you can sit him.
Nobody's gonna complain for two or three years.
I had totally forgotten what he said about bow Nicks. How the bo Nicks wasn't loved by a lot of teams. You just need one team to love him.
But here's the thing.
Bow Knicks was pretty damn good as a rookie. They got to the playoffs. Their win total you just slash was nine and a half. Did this idea that people are passing on Sdor because he may not be a good fit.
I'm stunned. I got it. I'm flabagaster.
You know, it's interesting. It was a very good quarterback draft class last year. Bow Knicks was like, but people thought he had a lower ceiling. Now Sean loved him. That's the Jalen Millroll thing. I hear Pittsburgh and the Jets both really like Jalen Milroe.
Now with the Jets, this is this is a gut feeling.
So the Jets are like, We're not gonna take Jalen Millrow, not at seven, No, Aaron Glenn's like, I just came from a stacked roster. We have a good roster here, Jets at seven go, we'll trade down. Somebody will trade down, and all of a sudden you get down to twelve and you get an extra second or a third round pick. Then you're like, okay, we could do and then you again, you let the you answer the phone, don't.
I'm dead serious on this.
When you get a new coach in like a Vrabel or an Aaron Glenn, a lot of those guys they want their own players, they want more draft picks, they want their own colt, they want their privately.
I mean, Aaron Glenn said to Aaron Rodgers not interested.
By the way they did like you said, they just fired what one hundred and fifty people in the building.
Like no, Aaron Glenn. New coaches generally want their.
God time to take out the trash, as they like to say.
Yeah, so I could see the Jets trading down, and if they trade down in the I mean even going down to a thirteen fourteen, then you take mil Row and it's like you can argue it's a little hot. You're not taking them at seven, right. I'm pro Milroe again. I know he the tapes sound great. I just want to know because I think Klat's.
Coming on later, right. I think I saw that most of the season. We said Shadur is going to be one or two in the draft.
Yes, And now all of a sudden he's dropping like a rock. Colin.
Something's not adding up here? Is he not interviewing? Well, something's got to be Well.
They're like Caleb Williams. There were some moments people question maturity.
He's a twenty one year old kid in from now whatever.
We never questioned that with Jayden and Daniels or Bnix, and we never saw it in the NFL, So there was a little question on Caleb.
There's a little question. We don't see it with Milrow.
So you know, you like with Milrow, you don't see any immaturity, Bo Nix, Michael Pennix. You saw a little with Caleb. I defended him, and you see a little with Shdoor. The difference is Caleb is a much better athlete than Shade or Sanders.
It's not close.
So what people may be saying is he doesn't blow you away as an athlete, and he got some of the Caleb maturity stuff we worry a little bit about.
Well, I mean, do you think he's not as good of an athlete as bo Nicks.
I'm gonna say something right now, I know Bonnicks. Bonnicks is way more mobile than anyone that wants you to it.
One needs to start running a forty. He needs to do some activity.
I need to see something.
I haven't seen anything from him in months, right since the end of the season.
I feel bad for the kid a little bit.
But yeah, I mean people are saying he doesn't blow you away physically, and then you throw in some stuff where you're like a couple of times. I don't love some of the things he didn't. I defended Caleb on it when he jumped into the stands or he painted his fingernails. I did have an executive in the NFL say they hated the fingernail thing. Thought it was really juvenile and really stupid.
Whatever. But but that stuff matters.
That's like me saying I hate your hat backwards take man, I just I can't do it.
I count when I can't.
The rest of the country loves it all. That's all.
One more heard. The Herd streams twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. Within the iHeartRadio app, search Herd to listen live or on demand whenever you like.
Did you did you just see this? I saw it this morning. The most popular baseball player based on sales of Nike jerseys from the Fanatics network of sites top six or New York or LA Top eleven, all from big fan bases Braves, Phillies, Mets, Dodgers, Astros.
So.
The Dodgers won again last night. They're now six and oh. So you know I've said this before. When you live in the Northeast, you know, people you know, think baseball begins with Yankees, Red Sox, Mets. People have no understanding really when they're out east, quite how big the Dodgers are. I mean, the Dodgers average forty eight thousand per night. Fenway Park in Boston only seats thirty seven thousand, so I mean they're averaging potentially eleven thousand more per game. And Dodger Stadium is the third oldest, and I'm telling you this what's impressive. They average seven thousand more per game than the Yankees and Dodger Stadium. I'm being diplomatic. Is hard to get into. I'm getting anxiety thinking of it. I go to therapy the day before I go, like it is. It tests you better have patience. And it's a beautiful stadium. It is the food, the views, the weather, the people. They're well behaved. It is a remarkable baseball palace. It is stunning, but it's hard to get it out of And they're averaging seven thousand more than the Yankees. So and they have a pipeline right now to Japan. They defer the payments. There are miles ahead on R and D. And I mean they don't bring anybody up that doesn't work from the miners like everybody works. They make very few mistakes. They've led baseball attendance fifteen straat years. They are just a complete revenue monster. This was always a Laker town and now it's a Dodger town. I mean, you don't have to be from here. It is a Dodger to everywhere you go in town. It's Dodger hats. It's unbelievable. And it's just when I look at fanatics and who is selling at Dodger players all through that thing, and you know, nobody ever had a problem when the Yankees dominated in the Red Sox dominated Hot stove League. I can remember being at the other place and everybody celebrated it. Now everybody's freaked out. And I think the Dodgers have separated from the sport. Talked to Bob and they also, we're in an event culture.
Now.
Dodger games feel like an event because they have superstars. So and Yankee games used to feel like that a little bit when they had Jeter and a rod It they felt a little bit like even a Tuesday game felt a little special, like a big event. Lebron Luca can feel that. Dodger games feel like an event, and that's hard to do in baseball. There's a lot of games. Jmack with the news.
No, no, this is the Herdline News.
All right, let's go back to the tush push. Colin.
The NFL coaches meetings are happening right now. Hot topic is the Toush push. Everybody's got an opinion. Sean McVay said the Toush push doesn't look like football. Matt Lafleur said it's a rugby play. Are you seeing where we're going with this?
Dimiko Ryan said he.
Doesn't like punishing it a team for being good at something. Aaron Glenn said his job is to stop the play. The legality of the play was supposed to be voted on today, but the vote has been pushed to May. Not sure what that means.
I don't love it.
You don't love what the Trish Bush. It's more rugby than football to me.
I don't like it.
And I think the NFL changed the kickoff, they changed the pat It feels too automatic.
I don't listen.
Joe Madden invented a defensive shift, and Baseball eventually said congrats on the innovation, but we're eliminating it because we don't think it's good television.
It's not good for math.
So you think the Trish Bush is not good TV.
Now I think it's bad.
And I think if you're using it six or seven, I don't think it's good TV. I think it's And again, people have invented stuff in sports and then the governance has stepped in. It's just like tax accountants find loopholes and then the government steps in and goes, okay, you had it for six years. We're closing a loophole. We've got a new administration, so we have regulations added, regulations taken away. We do this all the time in all of our businesses. I don't think the tush push feels like a creative football player.
So you like Diynash in sports, right?
I like big brands, big games, big stars.
And what do they do when they dominate? You like them dominate. The tush push is utterly dominant, Colin. It is unstoppable.
I'm tuning. The Eagles have.
Hacked things so well that hey, we just need to get like to third and two and then we can get the first down in two plays. That to me is smart football and it's dominant. Nobody can stop.
Well defensive shift with smart baseball.
But that made it boring. I don't think the.
Trush push is boring thing.
Is it restricting offense?
I think it's pretty boring.
I would rather see Andy Reid in a third and two do something clever than a leg press by the Eagles.
A leg press.
Well, anyways, we'll see what happens in May. Next up is the forty nine Ers, who you, for some reason don't like the season interesting. We're waiting for the Brock pretty contract. John Lynch said he's optimistic there will be no drama, saying Brock wants to be with us. We want Brock to be with us. When that's the case, these things get done. Hopefully it happens really soon in this offseason.
Now.
They had a protracted issue last year with Brandon Ayuki was very ugly and I'm sure they regret it. They're trying not to make that happen with Purty. I can't even understand what's.
A hold up? Could?
I think?
You know, we always talk about what's the most interesting team? Bears last year, then they weren't by Thanksgiving. I think the Niners are really really interesting, a lot of older players. I mean, they wanted to keep green Law and a Fungo, they like that hurt. They wanted to keep those guys. I mean they went and met with green Law and like tried to talk him into staying. But he's a Bronco now, and so they had some defense. And remember Bosa gets hurt from time to time when he's out of that defense. No green Law, no Bosa, no whu Funga. It's not the same defense.
What about the offensive.
Who's stopping that Kyle Shanahan offense.
I don't know. Plenty of teams did last year.
Well, when no McCaffrey, no ayukh and it's overcast. Ricky Pierson stop with the weather in Purty now Ricky Piersoll. Entering year two, there is chatter that the Niner could go Tyler Warren go more two tight end sets shake up.
The offense a little bit from Shanahan, who's been stuff.
Even though we don't have a lot of superstars in the first twelve picks, there are some players like I mean again, if you put a pass rusher on the other side of Bosa, you're like, oh, that's an upgrade. I mean, there are some there are some clear upgrades. Travis Hunter to the Patriots, it's like, oh, they got some speed on the perimeter, Like that's a real ethifi if he James the outroom of a close game or two.
Rear made it sound like he's not getting by the Giants, which and I'm just texting somebody about Shador Sanders.
I don't know, God, I'm just getting me or on the Dure has to be a top seven to eight pick.
I thought he was automatically going to I just don't see it. But you know, we've got some time to chew on that final story. Colin a few weeks ago we heard reports that the Vikings were interested in Aaron Rodgers even though they have McCarthy on the roster. Kevin O'Connell addressed those reports, saying Rogers was at a point in his career where he was free to have a real dialogue about his future. The Vikings head coach sure to add he feels very strongly J. J.
McCarthy is ready to go to work and make a positive impact.
I don't know why the Vikings keep talking about Aaron Rodgers.
It's it cannot be good for JJ McCarthy's men.
I think a lot of it's tied to his rehab. He had that second surgery in like November.
I think a lot of it's tied to that.
It's March now, buddy, it's been like, well, it's it's maybe they're a little.
He's got to be your guy.
Imagine if you know I'm your guy, you like me, You're just hyping up someone else in the media who wants my spot.
How would I feel?
That's why I'm on the phone all afternoon and you know.
You ghost me when I talked to you about the Rockets Lakers last night.
Interesting, Okay, I guess I got to look up it.
I called you twice this weekend and you're at some uh coaching.
You know, I got some stuff going on. We'll catch up to the whites in town. You what you want to get together.
My wife's in town. Yeah, yeah, she's she's in town for a reason. I'm not going to talk about. She got she got business to do.
Oh business, tedious business.
Jmack with the news.
Well that's the news, and thanks for stopping by. The Heard Live.
Occasionally I feel bad for a fan base, and there's one I really feel bad for.
Next live in Lam's to Hurt.
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So you know, I've said this before that occasionally you get a fan base that I feel bad for. Is that the owners getting older or they just they're not progressive and they're they just kind of are out of step with the culture. I thought as the three ball got big in the NBA, I thought the Lakers were a little late to the three ball. Some teams were, and I've said I think Jerry Jones is becoming the old Al Davis where they're missing on too many draft picks, overpaying for people, real top heavy as a franchise. I saw this quote the Steeers are getting comfortable with Mason Rudolph. Good kid, been there before, but in his career twenty eight touchdowns, twenty picks, not real mobile.
Wow.
This is a very insular franchise that did not go out of the building when they look for a GM. So it's the same old ideas and the same old insular thinking. Four straight year they'll spend the most money on defense, four straight year they will be, you know, near the bottom of offense.
So that's who they are.
Mike Tomlin seems to be, you know, okay with Mason Rudolph.
If he's the guy that's.
Why we brought him back. I'm comfortable with that man. We've been there before. He's very capable. Mason's not a kid many been around. He's been in multiple systems, and situations, and so I don't expect that to be a significant hurdle. He's a good football guy. He's a good teammate, you know, And that's one of the you know, informal responsibilities of the job, if you will, to connect with your teammates and lead and a lot of instances and all of that. Is is a really comfortable natural act for him.
Again, he is a substantially predictable and dependable backup in a division with Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson and in a conference with Josh Allen and Mahomes and Herbert and c. J. Stroud, and you get the point. It's just the time of the year right now is the time that everybody, all NFL fan bases are embracing Hope and the Steelers are embracing Mason Rudolph. And this goes back to what I've said about defensive coaches. They have no urgency on fixing the old line or quarterbacks, so that the Steelers need to adjust for quarterback inflation. The price has gone up to be great at quarterback. And I've said it before, even if Aaron Rodgers chooses them, I'll give them one more win. Is I don't like the O line. I think they have two receivers that will want the ball. They lost their best back. And it's funny when you think about offense in the NFL. Close your eyes and you can think about the Niners and Rams, and you can think about you see creative and you think Kansas City. Close your eyes and you see innovation and you see Philadelphia. Close your eyes offense and you think physicality, tush, push run game. You close your eyes on the Steelers offense. There's nothing there. There is absolutely nothing there, and they don't have any identity. And so again we've said this before, it's okay to inherit a quarterback out of their prime, but they can't be a life preserver. And Aaron Rodgers to me, feels like a water bottle with a house fire. The offensively, there's just nothing there. There's no identity. Nause Harris said it. There's no culture. You can bring Brady to Bruce arians a great GM and excellent receivers, bring Gronk. That's not a life preserver. They were a five hundred team with all sorts of talent. Stafford of the Rams was not a life preserver. But Russell to Denver was Aaron to the Jets. That's a hail Mary, and that's what Aaron is here like that, Hey, you can solve our offense. We're gonna pay DK metcalf a fortune and get forty one year old Aaron Rodgers. So that just doesn't it just doesn't play for me. Okay, Now I did Top of the Hour. I did NFL Future bets. They're now being unveiled with different sports companies, right, and I had three overs, three unders. I think most of them are pretty easy. I tend to think, you know, I tend to think the Commanders over nine and a half wins. Rams over nine and a half. They had major offensive line and wide receiver injuries in September and October. That's not going to happen again. Patriots over seven and a half, Titans with Cam Mood over five and a half. That's probably my favorite bet. Titans over five and a half is probably my favorite. I think the Chiefs under eleven and a half, Niners under ten and a half, Cowboys under seven and a half. Chiefs were eleven to zero in one possession games. That doesn't happen. Even if they went eight and three, they'd finished with ten or eleven wins, and I also think the division is getting much much better.
J Mack challenged me, all right, let's.
Start with the forty nine ers. So I had to look this up.
Kyle Shanahan, you remove his first year in San Franz, right, he just got there. Then they got Garoppolo mid season. The only seasons they haven't won ten or more games. Garoppolo got hurt in twenty eighteen, twenty twenty, they had injuries after the Super Bowl, and then last year where they had injuries to McCaffrey a yugan like everybody every other year where people have been healthy thirteen and three, ten and seven, thirteen and four.
That argument, Remember you said, well if you take out the first year, Well McVeigh won first year in LA, so let's not do that.
Well he got he inherited a first round number one overall pick a quarterback.
The Niners were a dumpster fire when Shanahan got them.
All right, Well, the Rams were a dumpster fire with Jeff Fisher, so let's not take out the first year. What you're telling me is every other year he has a losing record.
No, No, he's got I mean the injuries to quarterbacks matter.
Jimmy Garuffolo goes.
Down like has already been hurt twice, and their old lines not good.
Well last year the injuries were everywhere. But I'm just telling you you're old. Old teams get.
Hurt a lot.
The numbers ten and a half, I would I would be reluctant to go under you.
You know who didn't get hurt last year?
The Rams, young defense, young units don't and when they get hurt, they rebound.
And what night Yuke is young? Christian McCaffrey's young.
Trent Williams isn't Menaffrey, isn't Kittle. Isn't they have another offensive lineman? They're not, They're not young.
I would struggle.
Also, they have twelve draft picks, even if they hit on eight.
That is a lot of young players.
I do want to see the schedule, but remember no first play schedule this year.
It's gonna be okay.
I would agree with the Chiefs under I think they could. They could be like a nine win team. I know people don't.
I don't disagree, and I'm not.
Overreacting to Super Bowl.
I would agree with you on the Cowboys, agree on the.
Commanders and Rams. Why is the.
Commander's only nine and a half they got they seemingly got better.
Well, the Giants could be worse and Dallas will be. So that doesn't make a ton of sense.
We're missing something there. Ram seems about right. I think he's just still too bullish on the Patriots. They're just throwing guy.
They were three and six and one score games and they were really bad coaching. So if you have a major coaching upgrade and two hundred million, and my guess is they have enough draft picks, they'll find three or four decent plays.
I think Vrabels were like four wins right out of the game.
Well, no, it's funny you say that. So what do I think Vrabel's worth? I think girawed mayout of Rabel.
Let's just talk. It is a three point swing, would I don't disagree? Okay?
I think Drake May Rookie of the Year two is about a one to one and a half point swing.
Okay, So there's two hundred.
Million in free agency in a draft class again, feels like a one to a one and a half point swing. Well, all of a sudden you look up, that's six points, three and six and one score games. Does that go to seven and two in one score games? If Rabel's worth just a field, He's not replacing Sean Payton. Rabel is replacing somebody who appeared to be a bit over skis is Drake may first year to second worth another possession to to a game?
Moving the change?
And I think if you spend two hundred million dollars in get nine draft picks, that's worth a point to a point and a half. Oay, So I think I'm looking. I think they they'll be six. Let's say they're just six points better a game. Well, the three and six becomes six and three and one score games.
Now, I don't know.
I think the staff can pull up the NFC West, but I did write down it's here, the Arizona Cardinals are eight and a half.
Did that jump out at us?
Maybe I need to consider them because Cowboys seven and a half rams nine and a half.
I think people. I think people like Arizona's coaching staff really. Now, I'll tell you this. The Commanders, it should be noted, face the AFC West and the NFC Nord.
R US is stacked.
Well so is the NFC Nord.
So if you're wondering why the Commanders are at nine and a half and not ten to ten and a half.
It's it's a schedule.
So yeah, guys don't want to go over on any NFC East teams because that is those are the two toughest divisions.
You gotta face.
Cowboys unders.
The smart My favorite bet here is is and it's a little unknown, but I think Titans over and Chiefs under.
Lover Cowboys unders.
Really, Chiefs are not going twelve and five.
No, I mean you.
Looked old and slow in the Super Bowl. Now it's just one game. But the offensive line have they gotten better this off season?
It's worse?
So what are people doing?
Maybe the Rashi Rice is worth a win a wide receiver, I don't.
The Raiders went toe to toe with the Chiefs twice and and we're bad at quarterback like.
And bad at coache well and not great her all right? Uh?
Gianni and Fantino, the president of FIFA, joyful came on the show today, made me jealous of his life. Switzerland and Italy Albert were Joel Klatt next Hour talking to NFL Draft
