Colin tells you why he was right about Aaron Rodgers and wrong about Brandon Aiyuk
Jerry Jones cares more about being relevant than winning a title
Guest: Michael Redd
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Here we go, hour two. It is a Monday Jmac back tomorrow live in Los Angeles. It's The Herd. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening or watching. Thanks for making us part of your day. I want to thank Danny Parkins for stopping by Michael Read in a few minutes. Olympic's been really fun, really fun. I mean again, there's one big controversial story and we guess who has glommed onto that, the grifters, and that's all they're talking about. But simon of that, I'm watching Katie Ladecki men's and women's basketball. That's the stuff that interests me, the uplifting stuff. We do it every day every Monday. Excuse me at this time Colin right, Colin wrong?
And here we go where Colin was right?
I said for years players tend to fall in love with athleticism over everything else. And in the player's top one hundred Tyreek Hill, the fastest guy in the league, finished number one. I like him, but number one, And Lamar Jackson, a player I love, fastest quarterback in the league, finished number two. Again, I love Lamar Jackson, But Patrick Mahomes four. I mean, Christian McCaffrey is a fave. He's ahead of Patrick Mahomes. Come on, I mean, the greatest quarterback talent wise perhaps in league history, who keeps hoisting trophies or at minimum getting to Super Bowls should be number one.
Where Colin was raw.
I had said last week. I think it was on Thursday, I was told that brand and Ayyuka the Niners, was in within a forty eight hour range of signing a new deal with San Francisco. Now he's a very emotional player, young star receiver. But now there is a gap between the Niners and Brand and Ayyuk that's developed. There's one story out there that they're thinking of moving him now. Again, I was told by a former player who's given me through the years a lot of good information that they were close. But I'm wrong. As of now, people I respect are reporting he may get moved, which is what I said in the offseason. I think McCaffrey, Debo, Kyle Kittle, Trent Williams are more valuable than Ayuk. He may be more talented than all of them. But that's where we stand.
Where Colin was right.
Aaron Rodgers, whether it's the Packers or it's the Jet, you're just gonna get radio hits, poking the ribs of his coaches against authority in this past week. He didn't need to go there, but he took a shot at his New York head coach Robert Slam.
Yeah.
I mean that's Roberts's decision. I've never told him I don't want to play in the preseason. If he decides he wants me to play against the Giants, I'll strap it up and look forward to that. I don't have any restrictions. I'm doing keepers rollouts. So it was news to me yesterday when he said I wasn't gonna play in the first two. Eric sent me that, thank you, but we hadn't even had a conversation yet about that.
Green Bay or New York doesn't matter if that's Aaron. Where Colin was wrong I am a huge Steph Curry fan and supporter, but he's had a bad Olympics. He just can't find his rhythm. Actually has the worst shooting percentage on the team. I did not predict that he's only averaging seven points a game. Now, Foeba is different, more contact is allowed, lame can be all clogged up. It's just a different sport. He has not risen to the moment, and he's been surprisingly out of rhythm.
And I was wrong where Colin was right.
I said pre draft if any quarterback was going to struggle and immediately, it would be Drake May of New England. I don't think anybody, including Caleb Williams could win here or maybe even be productive here. And according to stories, oh yeah, Drake May three for eleven on Saturday, full team drills, three throwaways, three sacks, drop passes. The headline in Nessen was supporting cast is killing the Patriots rookie. It's gotten bad quickly. Not all his fault, but it's just the reality where Colin was right. Now we can go to Justin Fields. There is a story. Arthur Smith this week in fact this weekend said he adds a different element to our offense, and this is what we said, he's more athletic, he's more in his athletic prime. Is that all he needs is snaps and reps with his teammates, his younger teammates. He's going to steal that locker room. And nothing against Russell, but he is declining. Pete bailed on him, Sean Payton's bailed on him. So this story is what we talked about in the last week or two that don't be shocked with his calf injury if he just steals the locker room. And Arthur Smith saying with Russell Wilson listening justin adds a different dimension.
Where Colin was raw boy.
The Phillies, which I proclaimed the best baseball team easily, are going mired in an ugly slump. They have won two of their last ten big series with the Dodgers coming up. They're four and eleven since the All Star break and Bryce Harper now power hitters get in slumps, right, but he's in a doozy, patting one fifty six since the All Star Break with sixteen strikeouts. So the Phillies a team that can do a little bit of everything. A deep bullpen, starting pitching, hit for power right now, wheels have come off the dog days of summer.
Where Colin was right.
I said before the draft in terms of fit, bon Nicks, who's got a little Drew Brees may fit with his coach better than any rookie quarterback. And Sean Payton again went to the podium, and he keeps bringing up the similarities with Bone and a quarterback you've heard of.
You see pretty good pocket sense didn't take a lot of sacks.
I think he knows.
When the play's over, time to go, and then I think he can make plays when he's going.
Breeze was one of those guys.
He just he was a tough sack ball came out and I think Bo has traits like that.
Where Colin was right.
Finally, Daniel Jones admitted he did not like the New York Giants Hard Knock series on HBO. He said, it's been hard to watch it. I don't love the NFL forcing teams to do it, especially losing teams that could need and use momentum and some secrets. But this thing, the John Mara, Joe Shane, the GM moment in that room talking about Saquon Barkley felt disorganized, un planned and sketchy. I don't think this has helped the Giants at all. I think maybe they forgot the cameras were on, but them talking to teams moving up in the draft was a clear indictment on a young quarterback Daniel Jones, who's struggling and doesn't need it. And Jones acknowledges he's watched and it hasn't been good. Where Colin was right, where Colin was wrong on a Monday. And with that, Michael Red an All Star, a gold medal winner with Team USA. So Michael, you were on redeem team. Thank you for joining us. Now that let's talk about that. There was a different mission. Lebron was a teammate, but the Redeemed Team had a little different mission than this one. So go back and tell us. I think, Kobe Lebron go back to the Redeemed team in your experience, gold medal experience in the Olympics, Colin, thank.
You for having me on as always, always a pleasure to be with you, my friend. I think one of the biggest differences with our team is that we had been together.
For three years, so we weren't just put together all of a sudden. In the summer.
We were together for a number of years together, we developed a cohesion, we developed chemistry. We spent time eating dinner together and breakfast and lunch, and we had training camps and we had played with each other for a number of years before we got to that moment in Beijing, and so we certainly can rely on that when we first we faced diversity and fortunately enough we want to win.
To go meet him at the time, Lebron was great, but he has now taken over a leadership role. Did you see I mean, he's aged so spectacularly well, not just physically, emotionally, intellectually, leadership wise. Are you did you see it then? That was like two thousand and eight. Did you see it then?
I did?
I did, And I'm so proud of him his whole life and career seeing him at twenty two to twenty three years old, having known him before that.
But his maturation has been on full display in this Olympics.
I think what brings Cachet to what he says is that he's won championships, He's been through the experiences over the years. He was just getting started back in two thousand and eight, so there's more weightiness on what he shares and what he says, and he has taken on the leadership role beautifully with his team.
So Phoebe's got different rules. I like a couple of them. I like their goaltending rule. I think once it hits the iron, baby, go get that thing. I think it makes it the game easier to officiate, and there's a lot more athleticism near the basket. But Steph Curry has struggled. So with somebody like yourself that moved well and shot now you did very well with a redeem team. Are you surprised a little at Steph Curry's struggles and could you explain it in your how you see it?
Yeah, I think it's a little surprising, just because of the bar he has set for himself and for all of us who've watched him over the years. He's such a remarkable shooter. I think one of the things that's not talked about as much is that he has less attempts in the games. He's a rhythm shooter, and so it's a different game less minutes being played forty minutes compared to forty eight. The offense is not centered around staph and so he's getting maybe eight to nine shots a gain, which is different compared to when he plays for Golden State. So his rhythm is a little probably a little off, but he's the type of guy that is going to explode at any moment, and once he does, the floodgates will open up.
So I think it speaks well to the richest athletes at these Olympics are like, you know, a tennis star, maybe an occasional soccer star in our men's basketball players, but the fact that Katie comes off the bench or Tatum and it's not it doesn't bother them whatsoever. I mean, Kobe, the late great Kobe Bryant was could be a bit mercurial. He could be a great teammate and a difficult one. There's something about the flag. Was there ever arguments over minutes with a redeemed team or is it just once the flag's involved, there's no drama? What was your team like?
We had zero drama and I think it came from our leadership. I was one of the older guys on the team, along with Kobe and Jason Kidd and Tayshawn and Carls Buzeri, and we kind of knew our role. All of us did, And the fact that you are on the Olympic team says volumes about who you are. Whether you play all the minutes or play no minutes, value that validates that you're one of the best players in the world. And so the reality is that everybody's not gonna be able to play, And so appreciate what Chris Paul said and dwanne Wada said about my role on the team.
On that team in two.
Thousand and eight, I didn't play a whole lot, but my job was to be our spiritual leader, to be professional, to lead by example for the young guys. I was the biggest cheerleader for our guys. But it had no indictment on my ability to play. I knew who I was, I knew how good I was. The fact that I'm on the team spoke to how good I was. So it's all about being a part of something bigger than yourself and laying your ego aside to put the ultimate goal.
So a player like Aunt Edwards, who at any given moment can just take over a game, his game needs refinement. It's not a lack of anything else. Smart kid, joyful kid, dynamic kid. But when you see a young guy like Aunt. If you didn't know who he was and you watched him play, where does his game what elements does it need to become face of the league or is he there? And it's just growing up a little. Not that he's immature, because he I mean, he's really a fun player. Where do you see his game going?
I think time and experience. I mean, he has all the components to be the face of the He's he's so dynamic. It's just amount of now winning and he will continue to do so. This was a great year for him and the playoffs to share to experience that, and now that he has to experience that, it's going to take him further with his game and obviously with the team.
So it's just a matter of time.
This has been great for him to watch KT and Steph and Lebron and be with them and see how they conduct themselves not only on the court, but.
Off the court and the demands that they have to deal with off the court as well.
So all of this is a great experience for Aunt as he continues to develop his game.
The Olympic experience, so you go, you're in the Olympic village. It's really I mean do you when you go look back at it, is it? I mean, the NBA can be Let's be honest. It's a Tuesday, you're in Cleveland, It's January, the way it's a snowstorm, a turbulent flight, you land, you go to the hotel. When you look back at your basketball career, where does the Olympics the redeem Team fit in?
It was the pinnacle, the pinnacle of my athletic career by far, to be with all those great players, to experience the Olympics.
I remember having a camquarder going out camp.
Quarter out of iPhone, but I had the ability to go into the Olympic Stadium and have all that footage from years ago, and it was such an incredible experience just to be in the Olympics at Olympic Stadium.
And then let alone win a gold medal.
I always say to people to this day, pinch me, because it was such a surreal, surreal moment that a kid from the West side of Columbus has an opportunity to play in the biggest stage there there isn't sports and it was just a surreal moment and I'll never forget it.
Michael read All class twelve years, All Star, Gold medal winner on a Redeemed team. As always, it's great seeing you. You're always you always have a joy and a smile about you. You've become the guy post career that you were a guy in your career, and I'm happy for you.
Man.
Good seeing you again.
Always an honor Colin, always honor.
Thank you, Buddy, Michael Red who part of that Redeemed team. Lebron James two thousand and eight. So Lebron had been in the league, you know, sixteen years. Let's see fourteen sixteen. He'd been in the league about six years. He was emerging as the best player, but you still had other players in the league that were highly discussed. He wasn't the focus every night. It doesn't feel like quite like he is now. But I do find the parallels between Brady and Lebron. Everybody that played with Brady was at his best and everybody that played with Lebron similarly and as great as they are as athletes, it's that leadership EQIQ component that Lebron is just age remarkably well. Obviously the athletic stuff, and somebody mentioned this last week, and I think it's true. The Olympics are perfect for Lebron. Just like the n season tournament. It's like six games, everybody's equally arrested. No back to backs. When you Lebron in that situation, he's as good as anybody in the world, maybe outside of Yokish. I mean, just rested, no back to backs forty minutes, give us thirty two. He's unbelievable.
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.
UH.
As you know, Dak is entering the final year of his four year, one hundred and forty million dollar contract, and the last week there's been like six stories on Dak and his contract and a new rule for Dallas media no more asking about Dak's contract. So we've seen it before. Dak will get his money, Dak will let it play out. He'll be productive. Offensive coach CD Lamb, he'll be productive. Jerry will cave be because you know Jerry, he can't get over his emotional attachment to the players he drafted. Dak's gonna get sixty plus million a year. He's gonna win ten or eleven games a year. He's very b plush and then he'll you know, probably get bounced early in the playoffs. But I find that the Dallas, Dak and Jerry, it's it's like the Simpsons, which by the way, has been around since nineteen eighty nine, the same year Jerry bought the Cowboys, which is Homer will do something idiotic, Marge, you'll fix it. Bart will do a prank and leases the smart one. The bottom line is over the weekend, Dak talk, here we go again, and we all know how it's gonna end.
I'm a guy that grew up with two older brothers. You understand what a brotherhood means, not only for just this team, but the fraternity of the NFL and the players, and the money's out there, and the money can it? Can it can happen? It can he done? There's ways to make everything work for both ways. And that's in that sense as it's always about pushing the envelope for the next man.
In negotiations, find out what your potential adversary is terrified of. Jerry Jones is not terrified of not winning another Super Bowl. He's got that. What he's terrified of is irrelevance, and Dak makes the Cowboys relevant. Jerry's got trophies. He got three of them, couple from Jimmy, one from Barry. He turned around the franchise. He's got a yacht. It's made him rich. He loves Romo on CBS. He loved Michael Irvin on the NFL Network. He loves Troy Aikman on Monday Night Football. He loves attention, and Dak keeps the Cowboys relevant. He's still productive. I am not as high on Dak. I mean, I thought Dak was rated like the fifth best player in the league according to the NFL Player's Top one hundred, somewhere around their fifth, sixth, seventh, eight somewhere. And I don't view that similarly. But if Dak's a quarterback, you don't have chaos. You have a smart, high EQ high Q adult. He'll get banged up occasionally. He's thirty one, meaning he's you know, probably prime to just moving out of it for about four more years. Dak will have a market. It's not a great college quarterback year teams like the Raiders, Seattle, maybe a New England, New York Giants. Dak will have a market and Jerry is terrified of irrelevance, and you'll never be irrelevant, good or bad, win or lose. With Dak Prescott, He's now a brand. Not as big as a cowboy brand, but he's a brand. Here's Ryan with the news.
No, no, this is the herd line news.
The Cardinals enter this season with an over undertotal of just seven and a half wins, only higher than seven other teams league wide. But they'll have a fully healthy Kyler Murray this season after only starting eight games last year due to injury. Now, despite the lack of optimism towards Arizona, Kyler thinks the sky's the limit.
I'm excited man, this offense. I'll put no limitations on this offense. You know, and I know you know people are sleep on us.
What it is, what it is?
Ye know?
Just why do you think people are sleeping audience? You listen to it now?
Oh?
No, you see it. You see everything, you see it. Try to stay off of social media as much as possible. But like you see obviously who they talk about, whether they don't talk about.
Well, like I said, you know, winning cures all.
For the record in this Kyler Murray drama is the fact nobody's discussing Marvin Harrison, who I think is viewed a little bit like Calvin Johnson as one of these receivers that will walk in and be crazy productive very quickly. And Marvin's not somebody there's not you know, he's not a big talker like his father. He's not real verbal, kind of goes about his business. So keep your eye. I don't know how many games they win, but I thought they played really hard at the end of last year. I think they're a little bit like the Raiders. They've got individually really good players. The difference is one has a star quarterback and one has backups, so that gives you a fighting shot. But I thought Arizona at the end of last year, with their rookie defensive coach, they were in a lot of games.
Yeah, and Kyler finished the year strong. His last three games of the year, he completed seventy two percent of his throws, had one hundred and eight passer rating. So they were competitive all year despite not being a very talented roster. They played really hard. Now this year could be a different story with their schedule. They do have a bit of a tougher schedule and We'll see if Kyler's able to continue some of that matter that he had down the stretch to finish last season.
There's two teams in the NFL. I'm not paralyzed by their win loss total, the Bears. I want to say, if Caleb's productive and they win only one game more than last year, you know you've got your star. The other one's Arizona. This schedule's rough. First of all, the Rams and the Niners are elite Super Bowl Bubble teams. You've got Harbaugh, You've got you know. You start looking at Buffalo, Bills, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, a lot at Buffalo.
This first eight weeks are I.
Think Arizona's got the toughest early schedule in the league. The Steelers have the toughest late schedule in the league. So if this team starts out two to five, I wouldn't bail on him. I think it softens up significantly in week eighteen. San Francisco could have a playoff position secured and be resting at Trent Williams a kittle of Fred Warner. So I keep your eye on this team. There's a lot of wins there. I mean, at one point they get Seattle at home, Patriots home at Carolina. There's some wins here for this.
Team, absolutely, and we'll turn our attention now over to the AFC. The Raiders are slow playing their starting quarterback choice and will truly let the competition play out over the preseason between Aidan O'Connell and Gardner Minshew Davante. Adams is trying to be is trying to be on the same page with both options, and he had this to say about the lack of choice on QB one.
That's pros and cons.
But at the end of the day, we we get enough reps with both guys, and you know, we we're all communicating when I'm talking to a quarterback in the in the you know, meeting room, we have really open conversations, and we all get reps with with all the quarterbacks. So you know, I'm definitely watching at all times, seeing seeing everything and learning how how the ball comes out with with Gardner versus Aiden, and you know all those you know, every really every all the quarterbacks and in every position. I got my attendants.
They'll be drafting second to the Patriots.
Their head coach Antonio Appears did come out today and he didn't name a starter for who's going to start the preseason game against the Vikings, but he did say that both quarterbacks will quote play a legit quarter, so we'll get at least a full quarter of action from both Gardner Minshew and Aidan O'Connell.
Well, I think Gardner Minshew is a better quarterback, so I mean, Gardner moves better. Gardner's much more experienced. You know, I've said this before, and it's not a shot at Baker. If you go Gardner Minshew and Baker ran the same college offense, the difference is Baker had much better teammates at Oklahoma than Gardner had it at Washington State, but their college numbers were very similar. And then if you go to their NFL numbers, where again Gardner's had, you know, backup role, Gardener's NFL numbers are much closer to Baker Mayfield than you think. And I've always felt that Gardner Minshew is Baker without quite the arm strength Baker, and I have said Baker's absolutely, I've said this even when I was critical of him. Baker Mayfield absolutely one of the top twenty quarterbacks on the planet. That's not a question in my mind. He may be twentieth whatever, but he's one of them. And I said this at the height of me ripping it. Well, Gardner Minshew's not Baker, but he's the most reasonable fac simile of it. Well, a reasonable fac simile of Baker against the other kid from Purdue who doesn't move well and has very little experience. Gardner's the quarterback. Gardner could win you games just on guile experience. With his feet, he can win you games. The other thing to remember about Gardner Minshew is Gardner had a great, brilliant offensive coach last year. So don't expect Gardner with a brilliant Shane Steiken offensive coach, to replicate the numbers with a rookie defensive coach. A little buyer's remorse here, it's the prime example of Herbert's numbers are going to if healthy, explode with Harbaugh offensive sensibility compared to Brandon Staley a defensive coach. So the same player can give you different results based on obviously a support system and the head coach. So Gardner had a really good year last year, He's not going to duplicate that. The culture now is going to be more safe. Don't turn it over. He's losing snaps every day in practice because Aidan o' connell is fighting for the position. So I, men, choosed a better quarterback. I don't, and I think he's the guy that could win you five or six games.
We'll finish up with this.
The Chargers in Rams, how they joint practice on Sunday, and both teams left the day with bad news. On the Charger side, Joey Posta had to leave practice early with a hand injury and there's no update on that situation currently. And on the Ram side, Pukanakua had to leave early as well with the knee injury. He was seen with the bag of ice and Sean McVay wasn't sure the extent of the injury. Not a great start so far for those two injuries for both teams.
LA Rams offensive line is all banged up. The key is Rob Havenstein, who is terrific at right tackle. He's got an ankle injury, and when people say it's not season ending, that means it's a serious injury. That means you're missing games. So the Rams next year, their first pick, probably first or second pick, is a tackle. They're a little Havenstein's great, but much like Aaron Donald. They've been talking about in the building about Rob Stanham done here in the next couple of years. He's terrific, but he's all banged up. So the on line's a mass and obviously Herbert's in a boot for the Chargers.
Not great.
A Ryan with the news.
Well that's the news and thanks for stopping by.
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You see this in football all the time, probably more than any other sport. There is a big chasm between really talented and really valuable. Tyreek Hill is really talented. In two years, Kansas City's better without him, led the league in passing yards and passing touchdowns two Zuper Bowls, Miamis yet to win a playoff game. Terry Kill's very very talented. And the Brandon Ayuk situation with the Niners. Similarly, there's two players now holding out, Trent Williams, the left tackle Hall of Fame first ballot, and Brandon Nyuk. Trent Williams is much more valuable to the team. If Trent Williams, who's been around a long time, said you know what, I'm checking out, I'm retiring, Niners are screwed. I mean when Andrew Whitworth for the Rams left, it took them two years to get their offense right. They literally the offensive line, Matt Stafford got hurt. Trent Williams leaves tomorrow. This team is not winning the division. They're not winning games. It's like when Andrew Whitworth left, Rams fell apart when Cooper Cup got hurt. Oh there's Pooka Nakua mcvah could still throw the ball. And I love Cooper Cup and think Brandon Nyuk's really talented. Don't confuse really talented is not necessarily always really valuable. So Trent Williams more valuable than Brandon Nyuk. I was sitting there this morning, and according to Jeremy Fowler, the situation's gotten sticky is that the Niners are willing to pay him and think he deserves a raise, but he's got a year left in his contract, and they've got Deebo McCaffrey and Kittle and two rookies, and they're they're they're not They're not gonna bend the knee here. They're gonna, hey, you want it or not, We're not going to make you top of the market yet. Let's be honest about Brandon Nayuk. The first two years he was in the league, we didn't know quite yet if he was worth the round he was drafted in the first. Then his third year he was good, and then last year he was excellent. That's one great year and he still has a you're left of his contract. If you're asking me who the most valuable Niners are Again, I'm not saying talent, I'm saying value. Number one to me would be Christian McCaffrey. Okay, why well, he's led the NFL in rushing in scrimmin yarge, since you got to San Francisco under Kyle Shanahan. So the Niners under Kyle have won eighty one percent of their games when Christian McCaffrey plays their sub five hundred.
When he doesn't.
The second most valuable Niner is Kyle Shanahan. It's his offense. They rank second in yards per play. I'm talking about the most valuable Niners GM down. Number three's Trent Williams. Again, they've won sixty five percent of their games when Trent Williams starts, forty five percent when he doesn't. And Brock Purty is not big enough to take a beating Nick Bosa, who ranks third in the NFL in sacks the last three seasons, I'd have him at four. I'd say brock perty at five. I mean they're twenty one and five since he got there as a starter, he doesn't make a lot of mistakes. Highly coachable, I would say Fred Warner who has led this organization in tackles, really the brains of the defense. Fred Warner led the team in tackles six straight years. Would be Number six Deebo Samuel, who really the DNA of the Niners is physicality. It's not speed. They're not the fastest team. They're big, they're physical, and they're versatile, and Deebo Samuel is the most versatile player offensively in my opinion in the league. Number eight, I think is George Kittle physicality, leadership, toughness, three straight Pro Bowls outside of Travis Kelcey on any Sunday, best tight end in football. And then number nine, I you now, he comes off an excellent one excellent season where he was their highest graded offensive player, and the Niners are willing to pay him early and redo it. But there's a price. Number ten Shavarius war the corner. There's just there's not a lot of great corners in the NFL and he's one of them. So again I'm not I'm not doubting it. But if you if you get drafted in the first round in the first two years, we're not sure you were worth that first round pick. And then in the year three you're very good. Even year four, y're excellent. That's not a rip up the contract and start over. The Niners, i'm told, are willing to do that, but the numbers got to be right. So if I'm John Lynch today, Trent Williams is the one I got to keep here for two more years. It's very much like the Rams Andrew Whitworth. He could have still played. Trent could still play at a high level. But when Whitworth left and he had communicated with the Rams for years, I got a couple left. They got a couple left. They wanted to put him on staff immediately. He went and made more money broadcasting, but the Rams he was so valuable in the room they were willing to pay him just stay around the organization. So that's the number. If Trent Williams doesn't come back, this is not the same football team because brock Perty's not big Ben in his primer Cam Josh Allen, he can't take a beating. He's a smaller quarterback. You take a couple of blindside hits in the NFC, that's trouble, all right. So something to remember, there's three quarterbacks this year to keep your eye on. So We tend to think a quarterback is as good as his teammates, but I also think quarterbacks are as good as their situation. So even Brady knew this when he moved to Tampa. First thing he said, I got to get a right tackle. We got to get Gronk, gimme Lenny Furnett. I need protection as an older quarterback. Stafford. First thing he wanted, we got to get the old line right. Burrow has been beaten up. The one position the Bengals can't get right consistently is that old line. It has you know, one more big injury for Burrow. You got to start drafting quarterbacks in Cincinnati. Three quarterbacks to keep your eye on. So Caleb Williams had a high risk, super creative quarterback at USC. He now goes to a defensive head coach on the hot seat, and that does change the way coaches coach in Chicago. That is going to be interesting to watch situationally, Lincoln Riley, no hot seat, high risk, big swings to defensive coach is and this is how they operate. They're going to lean on ball control, play a certain way with a lead. Don't think that isn't something A second quarterback. I mentioned Gardner Minshew. The Raider fans look at Gardner Minshew with Indianapolis totally different ballgames. Shane Steichen is one of the four or five smartest offensive coaches in the league. You now go to a defensive head coach, Antonio Pierce. They don't have the personnel. You know, they don't have the kind of personnel that they can play it safe. But if you watch them late in the year, it was all about physicality and playing hard. Minshew's numbers are going to come down significantly. And the third is Justin Herbert. It's not just Harbaugh, but Harbaugh believes in physicality. So Justin Herbert is going to throw more in close games, not in track meets. Last two years with Brandon Staley, they had to score thirty five to win. He was on his back running for his life. The Harbaugh change, they're going to be a power team. Shorten the games, less vertical, more play action. Watch Justin Herbert's efficiency, not necessarily his yards per play. Watched Justin Herbert's wins and efficiency go through the roof. Watch Gardner Minshew's numbers come down, and I'm fascinated to watch Caleb Williams because it is a complete the opposite of Lincoln Riley is Matt Eberflus the total opposite. We had Danny Parkins, Chicago radio host, earlier today. He made a really good point. I said it was border on disrespectful that Patrick Mahomes by the players was voted the fourth best player in the NFL, not even the first quarterback. That was to Lebar Jackson and Danny Parkins talked about Tyreek being, you know, the number one pick of the players in the overall list.
The polling is just off. The voting is done in week fourteen. You're not given a list of names to choose from. It's just a blank sheet of paper with the team logos around the perimeter of it. So the playoffs aren't factored in. Some guys don't vote at all. Some guys only put five names in. Some guys only vote for their friends. And it's supposed to be about last season. But if it's about last season, why is Aaron Rodgers on the list? Why is Joe Burrow on the list. Why is my guy Jalen Johnson, who was on your show a couple of weeks ago, and who's excellent? He was second team All Pro quarterback got a huge couch react assaults season. He's not on the list at all, so he's not a top one hundred player based on last year. But Aaron Rodgers, who played four games is Tyreek Hill is the best player Mahomes' sport. It's all just ridiculous.
It is, and I'll say players love speed and athleticism. Years ago they pulled players and half said they take Westbrook over Steph Curry, and I think as that's played out, that is equally ridiculous. Just discovered j Lab headphones. I'm hooked the blue Box. Flying East wore the noise canceling headphones so good. Find them at Target, Walmart, best Buy, blue Box, JLab dot com