Thanks for listening to The Herd podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday from twelve to three eastern, nine to noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and FS one. Find your local station for The Herd at Fox Sports Radio dot com, or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Herd. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Oh a tasty one today, It's Tuesday. We're live in Los Angeles. It's The Herd. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening iHeartRadio, Fox Sports Radio and FS one. It is great to have you in. One hour from now. Nick Wright stops by. J Max joining me today. Kyle van Noy, good Talker, Chargers Guy Linebackers joining us today as well. Well. Trove deep into the Charger situation. J Mack, what'd you do last night? I planned for today. Today's a huge day. Starting today off for the new shirt thanks to the wardrobe department. That's a big news we're gonna reveal later in the show. Big news, I would Okay, yeah, I think some fans in the Northwest will be very excited. Okay, do you know what I mean? Okay, I'm very excited for all of the big Lakers game tonight Climbers Lakers, no joke, this is a big January basketball game. Lakers are only two games back of the sixth seed in the West. They faced the Clippers tonight, Huge one at the crypt. Is that what they're calling it now? I'm just trying to be cool and sounded fun. So NFL executive says Russell Wilson is washed. Amid the Sean Payton rumors, I have been told the Broncos have made a decision they want Sean Payton. Russell Wilson has told the Broncos owners he wants Sean Payton. Here's the dilemma. According to an NFL exec, Denver's got the best tradition. The new owners seem aggressive, They're willing to spend, but I think Russell Wilson's washed and the lack of draft capital holding them back. The defense is very good, but Mahomes and Herbert aren't going anywhere in that division. So you think to yourself, if Brian Dabele can get Daniel Jones to the playoffs, can Sean Payton get Russell Wilson to the playoffs. Well, Herbert and Mahomes are not playing in the NFC East. But I think one of the things that Sean Payton has to think about, and it's a real thing. With Daniel Jones, there are some limitations, but they're football limitations. You know what you have, it's right in front of you. But with Russell Wilson, there's self awareness issues trying to simultaneously be a football star and elevate Ciara's career issues. There's the isolation issues from teammates. He's got his own office that's an issue, and his own chiropractor. I'm told that's an issue. A lot of this stuff is personality, emotional, family stuff that's way harder the football stuff for a Brian Dable or a Sean Payton that's not as difficult. Wasn't it a little bit? And I'm a Russell Wilson fan, wasn't it a little bit an eye opener when he left the Seahawks and former teammates some of them offensive, use words like fake, isolated, not approachable. There's so many things to like about this, and they'll probably pay upwards of twenty five million for Sean Payton, but I think i'd pass. Evaluating quarterbacks is certainly not an exact science. I couldn't stand Zach Wilson as a prospect. Joe Douglas of the Jets, a sharp, shrewd young GM loved him. I met somebody last week. Former NFL coach loved Zach Wilson. Again. I'm just a radio TV guy. I couldn't stand him as a prospect. I didn't like Baker Mayfield as a prospect. I didn't love Jamis Winton as a prospect. I don't know more than GM's. It's an exact You're not really sure. But here's the one thing that is exact. All the great ones, all of them have like an approachable field, kind of relatable. One of the guys go out drinking on a Tuesday night. You can put your arms around him. That's like the opposite of what you're hearing from former Seahawks and some current Broncos. Although a couple of players late in the year did defend Russell Wilson. You've got to be a unifier, one of us. Relatable, approachable, can have your own doctor and chiropractor and therapist. And I look at NFL quarterbacks who have often had their careers implode. It's not the football stuff. Kyler Murray, it imploded. It was the personal stuff. Jay Cutler, personal stuff. Nobody liked him. Jeff George. I know a lot of you don't know who. Jeff George is, world class arm talent. Not enough people liked him. Baker Mayfield butchered the podium. Zach Wilson in New York. I saw a story this weekend. They were rejoicing when he got benched. It's not the football stuff. An older Aaron, an older Russell Wilson sometimes not viewed as unifiers. Aloof don't spend off seasons with the young guys. I don't know. I think with Russell Wilson, Denver want Sean Payton. Russell Wilson wants Sean Payton. I think the deal would be done today if Sean Payton said, all right, I'm your coach and he may I gotta pay a lot of money. The defense is good, and there's some really nice weapons. A star running back got injured. He's back. Tight ends are solid, receivers are beyond solid. They got a good left tackle. But there's so many hoops to jump through, and sometimes it's just easier to have football stuff to deal with, not like personality stuff has Green Bay ever truly figured out Aaron Rodger. I don't think they have. And those are smart, capable people. They go into meetings with him, They've been around him for fifteen years. They still can't quite nail him down on the personality stuff, in the offseason stuff. I think if I'm Sean Payton, twenty five millions a lot of money, I think I'd pass all right. So, speaking of Aaron Rodgers, it's now no longer just a rumor. Ian Rappaport is an excellent reporter. He is saying what many others are saying. Trading Erond's on the table now. Obviously Aaron's very, very expensive. But a couple of years ago, Jerry Jones said something and it really stuck with me. He was talking about Dak's contract, and although at the time I thought it was too much for Dak, his point on paying for nice things is accurate. Here's Jerry. The truth is most anything that I've ever been involved in that ended up being special, I overpaid for every time to the end. Anytime I've tried to get a bargain, I got just that it was a bargain in a lot of ways, and not up to standard By the way, you know who got a bargain at quarterback this year. The Steelers of Mitch Trabisky. They stole him. The Falcons stole Marcus Mariota. Panthers did with Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield. Yeah, they got a bargain, all right. I don't know how you look in the AFC like a Tennessee Titans, New York Jets, and you see Mahomes and Allen and Lamar and Borrow and Trevor Lawrence. I don't know how you look at your current quarterback situation and feel good about it. The only way to get value at quarterback Jalen Hurts draft him. That's it. And most teams that draft a quarterback, No, you got to have like Mike Tomlin's security or Bill Belichick's security to withstand the two or three growing pain years. Otherwise, you got to go to the market and pay. Like I look at the Jets, really good roster, desperate for a quarterback, and they're not paying any of their top five or six offensive players anything. He fits New York Aaron Rodgers. He's not going to be overwhelmed by it. I don't know. Also, I think Green Bay would be fine. The Bears defensive head coach, defensive culture lost ten straight. Offense is an absolute mess. Minnesota won eleven and oh in one possession games one score games. They're the easiest team to predict a pullback next year. They're not going to eleven and o on one score games, just like the previous year. They lost eight one score games. They'll probably five and five, six and four, four and six. They're gonna pull way back in Detroit. I like their story, but they haven't won the division since the early nineties. I think it was ninety three. It's thirty years ago exactly. I may be wrong. So I think green Bay would be fine. If Jordan Love was a B minus quarterback in that division, you will absolutely contend for a playoff spot. Oh yeah, with Aaron this year you didn't make the playoffs. I think it makes sense for green Bay. You get a first round pick this year, maybe a couple of seconds. You've got a nice roster. You could use another tight end, another edge rusher, maybe a wide receiver. But Jordan's not making any money for two years at least one year, so you can handle Aaron Rodgers dead cap hit. But how in the world in the AFC. Can you look at that Mount Rushmore and then some roster of young star quarterbacks, generational talents in their prime, and go, we're good here Tennessee. You're not Miami, You're not Jets, You're not Take a big swing in Green Bay. Rip the band aid off. Every time Jerry Jones has sought a bargain, it's exactly what he got. Falcon's got one this year, Steelers got one this year, Carolina got two this year. Got a bargain at quarterback. It's all you have, all right, a lot of stuff going on today. McIntyre said he has a big announcement. I have no idea what it is, so I'm very excited for that. I just wanted to fact check something here real quick. I have it in my notes, which you just said, did you? I just want to confirm I heard correctly. If you're Sean Payton and Denver offered twenty five million, you think you'd pass. Yeah, okay, because Denver's gonna pay probably eighteen to seventeen million for somebody else. It will reset the market and you'd make twenty to twenty five next year with a better situation. How do you know there's a better situation next year. Well, first of all, I know what Belichick makes today and what he makes ten years ago. So the market gets reset constantly. The NFL coaching market, there's no salary cap, so it gets reset all the time based on you know, Jim Harbon. Next year comes in, so Harby I was told they would have gotten about eighteen million. Peyton will get closer to twenty five million. But Sean Payton does very well here. The market just keeps going up. It's not like Sean would be offered nine next year. He's going to be the best coach on the market this year and next year who is available? I guess the question would be, are you certain that a good job with a potential Hall of Fame quarterback, which is what Russell Wilson is, is going to be able. Let me ask you this, Sean McDermott, this happens again next year. You and I would take Sean McDermot. McDermott, now, so what I They won't do that in Buffalo. Um, let me ask you this, Chargers don't make the playoffs. I mean, you got Mahomes, you got I mean, I mean, I'm just saying, but the opposite is true. Chargers could face the Bills in the ANC Championship game. You know it's possible than neither of those jobs at home, you're past or something. Come on, so you're a young broadcaster, podcaster, when so when somebody just says here's a bunch of money, your natural inclination is taking no. No, no, no, no, not all the way. I'm not a I'm a believer in follow good management. There's a sea of money. Sean Payton is doing just fine. I'd rather to ask yourself this, would you rather take a better situation at eighteen or the Broncos at twenty four? Nothing again, but you're you're there is no situation at eighteen seven. Yes, seven coaches a year get whacked. Seven. You think next year is the year nobody gets fired? I mean, you know, Robert Salick, I mean, I'm just saying, you know, I had this discussion with Sean. I actually had this discussion with Sean because he was interviewing and it's it's all out there. I'm not disclosing anything Carolina, it is interviewed. So right in my takeaway, I'd take Arizona over Carolina and Pe think that's crazy but Arizona's got a super talented quarterback. If you look at the history of the NFL, they gave us, they give us one star quarterback a year. One Now, because of the cultural changes, there's more good quarterbacks. It's up to one and a half maybe two. Okay, you do realize every year eight teams needed you may how long did Miami They still have never replaced Marino. Yeah, Denver had to go buy Peyton Manning and for about two to three years they got they got Alway. Yeah, that's so. My takeaway is a job can be great if you do not have a star at quarterback, it's over. I'm gonna Arizona's got one because I like you, I'm gonna help your argument. Houston Texans get the number one pick and they get Caleb Williams. It's that a better job than Carolina, Arizona Denver. Yes, you know it is because look at the four quarterbacks left standing in the playoffs. Yeah, none of their big money deals have kicked in yet. You need that quarterback on the rookie deal. Houston. That's gonna be a great job next year, assuming they get the number one pick. So my takeaway is Sean Payton, would you rather go in with a ton of cap space for four years draft capital and Caleb Williams. Whoever gets Drake May the kid from Caroline, He's another A plus player. Next year We've got two Trevor Lawrence ish level players. Yeah, so stay at Fox you think you can solve everything. Russell Wilson's dilemmas are beyond football. There's the isolation, the self awareness, Ciara's career. There's a lot of stuff that Sean Payton's note a therapist. He's a football coach. Now. Coaches all think they can do at all they can. You gotta be it. So my point is if the league next year, we're gonna have multiple teams, not tanking, but multiple teams vying for Caleb Williams and Drake May. I don't remember a year and I don't it maybe the Merino Elway year where we had two A plus plus candidates. These kids are great players. You don't get that. You get like a Trevor Lawrence and then a bunch of justin Fields Trey Lant who could work in the right situation. Next year is two guys they're going to work, and you fire the coach after a year if you can't figure it out, like like Trevor Lawrence was, Oh, Urbans, do work, get him out of here. This kid's gonna win the division with the right coach. Boom, they did, and they did. That's what Kayla Williams and Drake may are. Those guys are different. I like that idea of Sean Payton waiting a year for one of those two jobs, or or one of those two jobs, or the possibility of the seven other openings one of them would have a good quarterback. So next year you get two things. You get seven job openings. One should have a good quarterback and two superstar quarterback. What do they say? Patience is a virtue? That's right, So that could apply here to Peyton and Denver. No draft capital, not enough picks, quarterback issues, and we win too because that means Peyton gets to come on here and regale us with tales selfishly. Yeah, yeah, I'm all in on that. Yeah. Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays in noon Easter nine Empacific on Fox Sports Radio FS one and the iHeartRadio app. So. I was reading an article yesterday by Tyler Dunn, who was sort of eviscerating Sean McDermott, the coach of the Buffalo Bills. And Sean McDermott did bring some stability to a chaotic locker room in Buffalo. Nobody's saying he's an awful coach, but we have a revolution going on in football in America and it's amazing to me. These billionaire owners aren't paying attention. I'll give you an example, So I'm gonna tell you. I'm gonna give you the most. That's the keyword here. The most successful defensive head coaches this year, Sean McDermott went the furthest He was routed at home in the playoffs and they had absolutely no offensive identity for three and a half hours. It was humiliating effort. Second most successful defensive coach this year was Brandon Staley epic second half meltdown. Scored three points second half no offensive adjustments with Justin Herbert. The third most successful defensive coach was Pete Carroll, who was routed by the Niners six points in the second half no offensive adjustments. The next most successful coach with Todd Bowles. He trailed at one point with Tom Brady, Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and a healthy er offensive line thirty one to six. The next three most successful defensive coaches this year many finished in last place, where Mike Tomlin nine and eight, Ron Rivera at eight, eight and one, and Belichick at eight and nine. In all three the offense struggled at times pathetic. A baseball manager can understand pitching and hitting, Soakin a hockey coach and NBA coach mls, you can understand both sides of the sport. It's not that way with football. It's not. Bill parcels. Sean Payton tells you stories. Bill's a psychological guru and a brilliant organizer. They did. No offense didn't even understand quite the language Belichick does not. No offense can't draft, it can't develop it. Think about this. Nine of the ten best offenses in the NFL made the playoffs. Five of the top six second half offenses made the playoffs, including Brian Dable, who's dealing with Daniel Jones at quarterback. You're not maximizing your opportunity to win in professional football with a defensive culture. It's like not shooting the three in basketball. You're just not maximizing your opportunity San Antonio has been stubborn. They're full Golden State never was. They're great. You start looking around at the cult. It's not just a defensive coach, it's the culture in the building. Chicago historically a defensive culture. The offense is a disaster. Let me name some teams that spend the most money on defense in the NFL. Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Seattle, Titans, Chargers, Shocker, all defensive coaches. The world has changed billionaires, hello, anyone watching. That doesn't mean every defensive coach wouldn't work. I still think you need a great defensive coordinator. When I talked to Sean Payton about the Denver job or Arizona, he had his defensive coordinator all picked and ready to go. But when you watch Mike Zimmer, a respected defensive coach leave Minnesota, highly respected, a kid, a former player, becomes offensive coach and they go from the team that lost the most one possession games in the league to the team that went eleven and oh in one possession games. Are you paying attention? It is the three point shot twelve years ago. You are literally not maximizing the sport. If you've got your money on the defensive side, Pittsburgh in Seattle, your defensive coach, a defensive culture in the building to talk about toughness and run games and oh that's adorable. Nine of the top ten offenses make the playoffs. The teams that are just at halftime. You watch Buffalo, what was that first series? Josh Allen at home? Three and out. Stefan Diggs disappeared. Didn't use Josh Allen's legs in the first half. It's not that Sean McDermott can't coach. It was pathetic. I mean it was it was I don't even know what it was. Defensive coach, defensive culture, defensive draft pick. Look at Buffalo, two great offensive players rushed him. Are all on defense? Humiliated at home? Jmack with the news. No, no, this is the herd Line news. So the Cincinnati Bengals obviously on the cusp of back to back Super Bowl trips. They'll have to beat the Chiefs at Arrowhead to make it happen, but they have won three in a row over Patrick Mahomes and Indy Reid. Joe Burrow says this season's Bengals team is better than last year's. Here's what he had to say. I think we're a more complete team. I think we're a better team and maybe just seem to make plays when it counts. That's all it was to say. I think our line is better. I think our run game is better. I think our defense is better. I actually think our much better team than we were last year. I totally agree. I think they end by the way. They have playoff experience that helps Zach Taylor. I think they're a significantly better team. They are a two and a half point favorite. In Kansas City, it's moved up. Well yeah, well Fox Bet has it one and a half, but in Vegas it's two and a half. And I don't know if that means somebody knows something about Mahome's ankle. But Colin, the matchup just has favored Cincinnati the last three times these guys have met. Andy Reid has kind of been shut down in the second half. I was looking back at some of them and like, yes, they're close games, but Joe Burrow has been like unstoppable against Kansas City. Like the Spagnolo defense just is now talking to me. If the line moves from one and a half to two and a half in Vegas. Vegas always feels like it's hours ahead of the market. The Mahomes injury right, Like you saw him limping on handoffs and that's during the game when he's got adrenaline. How do you think it's gonna feel to RL Wednesday. Well, we'll see what the practice reports say when the media gets in there. Um, but one quick word on the Bengal So they went and spent lavishly on the offensive line. Two of those guys are hurt. I know it's a damn good thing they spent Colin because now they got like credible backups behind the big money guys. And they also drafted the Clemson tackle. I think he was a Jackson Carman who was outstanding against Buffalo. Listen, he'll have his hands full this week. It's a little bit of a tougher matchup Frank Clark and Chris Jones on that line is gonna be tough. Yea christ is really really good. Yeah. Speaking of the Chiefs, they beat the Jags obviously. Last week. Mahomes had the high ankle spraying that will surely impact his play. Mahomes has said he'll play, but Andy Reid doesn't want to make any decisions just yet. Here's Andy Reid on the latest from Mahomes. How encouraged are you by the past two days of treatment. Yeah, he's he's worked hard and the treatment and it was doing okay. I mean he mentioned that he's gonna play, so I mean that's uh, that's his mindset. Then we'll just tell you a day by day see how he does. I've got to see how he feels, you know, when we get ready for practice, he'll play. That's not the issue. The apparently the issue is mobility and extending plays. And there you go. I don't know, Colin, I'm getting worried about and that kind of stinks. Right. You don't want an injured Pat Mahomes in the AFC Championship Game. We want to see him at full strength. Well, this stuff see Chad Henny for three quarters. Yeah, I don't think we will. This stuff's not linear. Brady went ten years without winning a Super Bowl with Belichick, with with great defenses, with Dante Scarnekia. It's hard and I don't want to be like look ahead guy. But Patrick Mahomes his new deal kicks in next year. No question. Their tackles are free agents, Okay. Receivers Jerick McKinnon. Here's the other thing. They couldn't keep their top corner Ward goes to the Niners. He's great. They couldn't keep Tyreek Hill. This is you and I have been talking about this fair. Dallas is in a precarious situation. Dak is the number two quarterback cap hit next year. Zeke, who's not even a top fifteen running back in the league, is a maybe top maybe top fifty, not top ten. No, he's the number two running back cap hit and so and Tony Pollard. They can't afford Dalton Schultz. They probably don't afford Well, they're gonna have to probably franchise tag one of those two. I guess it would be Pollard writer. I mean, I like Tony Pollard a lot. Oh no, he's more so than the average guy outside of Ceedee Lamb. He's their home run hitter, super dynamic. Yeah. And and they also have to draft another receiver and another tight end for my mock draft for Fox Sports. Dalton Kincaide who you know, well tight end Utah, Oh yeah, big boy, it's a good I mean he's a plug and play guy. He's like twenty three years old. Yep, he's not this young guy who doesn't know what he's doing. So there are players out there to rebuild quickly if Dallas wants to. In final story, Rock Purty, boy, what a run? Seven or no? Mark? As the starters Jimmy g went down. Purty thrown fourteen touchdowns, only two interceptions, and now looks to become the first rookie quarterback to ever start and win a conference title game. Colin Man Rock Purty one of the great draft steals of all time. Look at these numbers for rookie quarterbacks in conference championship games. It ain't pretty, to say the least. We got him on the screen here, and you gotta go on the road. Philadelphia a top flight defense. It's a tall order for Purty. I know, That's what I said yesterday. It just feels like Philadelphia is the side you had. You are gonna go head to head on this one. I think, well, at the top of the hour, So every every time we get to a huge game, I go get my yellow piece of paper. Who are the ten best players in the game? So I'm gonna do it today at the top of the hour. So is it ten not ten? Best career? No? Not right right now? Right, go to pf level ish. It's opinion, it's what we watched, it's momentum, it's help. Who are the ten best players in the Niners Eagles game? And almost always whoever's got a six, four or seven three advantage wins the game. So I'm very curious to see if Brock Purdy is one of the ten best player hasn't lost fourteen touchdowns two picks. Now, I'm not saying he's an amazing franchise quarterback, but right now, the way he's playing. Listen, close game against Dallas, touchdown drive in the second half to win the game. Like the guys making plays. Colin Dallas's defense was good, Dan Quinn had a good game plan. Oh Dallas played. I thought the Dallas Niner game looked exactly like we both thought it would look. Like. Purdy's not making mistakes. I don't know if he's top ten. Think you'll be surprised by the number. One has to be Bosa defensive player. Well we'll see. I'm not giving stop. You're not giving away your big surprise. Don't even know what you're big surprises. I'm not giving away all right, there we go. Jmack with the news. Well that's the news, and thanks for stopping by The Herd Line News, So we'll do that top of the hour with Nick Wright. Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays and noon Easter nine a Empacific. This is the Cavino and Rich Davis and together we are Cavino Enriched, Cavino and miss Thanks buddy. That's right, Caveno Rich, Fox Sports Radio's newest hit show, heard weekdays from five to seven Eastern two to four Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app. Every Cavino Rich shows available as a podcast. Just search Covino en Rich wherever you get your podcasts and subscribe of such a rockin' dude. The show features our unique take on sports, injecting with some fun, humor and relatability. Listen to Cavino en Rich five days a week on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Covino en Rich give me a hell Yeah. Sunday, it's the NFC Championship Game presented by Intuit turbotex as the forty nine ers take on the Eagles with a trip to Super Bowl fifty seven on the line. It all kicks off at three eastern New Pacific, with pregame coverage starting at one BM Eastern only on Fox and the Fox Sports app. Can't Wait. By the way, little story. Tom Brady, according to page six, is at the New York Post New York Posts. Correct, didn't you work for the New York Posts. I did not work for it. I've been written about it the New York Posts. But you didn't work for him. I did not work for them. Okay, Tom Brady's been spotted in Miami checking out private schools for his kids. Now, remember Brady had a deal with Miami before it blew up and the Brian Flores lawsuit to be like an owner. He was going to go. There was Sean Payton. If when you're in the East Coast and you're a Californian, Miami's very attractive. It's the one East Coast city that's got really nice awkwall water, no state tax. Miami has always felt like. So this is what I've said. Even Kirk cousins, Derek Carr, and Brady work in Miami because it's a distribution offense. Brady at this point in his career, needs elevation. He needs protection. Tom is no longer taking Julian Edelman and making him a borderline Hall of Famer. That's not what he's doing. Tom got to Tampa. He knew what he needed right tackle gronk ab Lenny Fernette. Tom needs protection. This is a distribution offense. Tom Brady doesn't missstarts. He doesn't missstarts. So to me, Miami, that coach, that distribution that you and I have said this, this is where if I was Derek Carr, I would go in a heartbeat, if I was Kirk Cousins. Now they're not going to go after Cousins. They'll go over to a over Kirk Cousins. But I do think Derek Carr, you would have to think strongly. Send to it to the Raiders. You go, Derek Carr, I think you'd have to consider it. Don't forget Jimmy Garoppolo obviously has a relationship with McDaniel dating back to San Francisco. Jimmy Garoppolo makes sense as well. Now we have a bite from Tom Brady. He was on his own podcast with Jim Gray. He's getting very grumpy and Brady clearly has not resolved of his decision on what he's gonna do this upcoming season. Tim, you're leaving everybody guessing. You've said you'll take your time. Do you have any type of a timetable as to what you might want to do regarding your football career, Jim, If I knew what I was gonna do, I've already done it. Okay, I'm taking the day at a time. I sent your antagonized by the question. They're scratching. It's only the question that everybody wants to hear. You're scratchy. I appreciate you asking. Thank you. I will say this Tom to Miami makes sense. His former home New England hired Bill O'Brien yesterday, so he's a offensive coordinator second time around for the Patriots. He was a coordinator at Alabama. He's a competent offensive coordinator. He knows what he's doing. So I was saying this morning to the team. I said, New eng little bit playoff team next year. It's remarkable New England was last in the league in red zone offense, scored thirty points one time. Kansas City did eight times that in this league. Now that has pivoted offense, it's remarkable. The Patriots were eight and nine. Had they beaten the Packers in overtime, an overtime game, they would have a winning record. It's almost impossible in this league have a winning record when you're awful offensively. That a DC was their OC doesn't make any sense. So seven of the fourteen teams that made the playoffs this year are new. They did not make it last year. Ravens, Jags, Chargers, Dolphins, Vikings, Giant, Seahawks. Next year you can have six to seven new playoff teams. The teams to keep your eye on that did not make the playoffs this year, and we're gonna have six to seven because since nineteen ninety you can go back thirty three years, minimum of four plus make the playoffs that didn't and now we've added some. Here's the teams to me that feel like they'd be the leader on the clubhouse that didn't make it this year that would make it next year. I think New England number one. If you look at their defense, it was second in the NFL and takeaways. Belichick still regarded as the best defensive coach in the NFL. Now they've got a competent offensive coordinator and I think you'd be surprised if you googled Mac Jones rookie rookie numbers, they were really good for a rookie. He is now this will be his third year in the league. I think New England makes the playoffs second, probably if T. J. Watt is upright. Pittsburgh. I do not buy Cleveland at all. To Shaun Watson's I think going to have the biggest cap hit in the league. I don't buy the front office. It's nothing against Andrew Berry. The ownership worries me. I don't buy Cleveland. Kenny Pickett in five of the last six games he was healthy, won each of them. In fact, it's won each of his last five healthy games. My bad. I think the Broncos, if they hire Sean Payton, remember three of their best players running back Javonte Williams, receiver Tim Patrick, and Garrett Bowls the left tackle all return all missed this year year. So not only Peyton, not only Russell Wilson in year two with a better coach, but they have three offensive players a left tackle, a receiver in a running back that would all be added next year. You're looking at me, Yeah, yeah, Greater Chargers out, Chargers out. I don't think it's going to work. I would say Lions were a very good football team. Now their defense is atrocious. But this draft, because they've got the offense figured out, they can just go defense. Hutchinson is a really nice pass rusher. They've got to get better on the defensive interior, and they need another corner. But Jared Goff with protection in his career, is a B plus quarterback. He's a very and they have a really good offensive line. The Rams had thirteen different starting offensive lines. I do not believe that will be the case. There's nothing you can do. Stafford is back. I do think they will regain some draft capital by moving Jalen Ramsey for a first and a fifth or a first and a fourth. But they're going to I've been told they're gonna go heavy offense in the off season and the draft, and the defense will be on their own. They're gonna load up with a tight end, a wide receiver, offensive lineman, they may get another running back. They're going to concentrate on mcvay's side of the football in the off season. The Packers the Vikings are not going to go eleven and oz in one score games. Green Bay missed the playoffs by a fourth quarter. Chicago's still a mess, Minnesota's a big pullback. I think Detroit and Green Bay are more than competent, but I think they'll make the playoffs with Aaron Rodgers and have a strong likelihood they will with Jordan Love if he's competent. Green Bay makes the playoffs. The roster's too good. Lafleur's competent. I think those two young receivers are only getting better. Aaron Jones, Gary the defensive lineman back, It's a really good roster. I don't love their special teams, very competent front office. If they trade Aaron and get a couple of firsts, they'll hit on those as well. And I think you have to look at the Panthers, who both you and I said if Brady leaves the division, their roster pretty interesting. They also have one of the richer owners. He'll go get a good coach. I mean, Sean Payton respectfully is interviewing with him in a division with the Saints all his friends. I think they would pay for a car, they would pay for a Garoppolo and the defense. They've got some weapons we like on the outside. They've got a really nice front seven. This is not a great division. I think if you gave them an offensive coach and Garoppolo and Brady leaves the division. So these would be my early leans. Now we haven't had a draft, we haven't had free agency, but if you had to ask me today of the seven new teams, that feels like it. So I want to pin you down who is coming out of the playoffs. That's the toughest part in the AFC. I'm assuming you have Dolphins falling out. This was only about naming the new guys, not dumping on the old guys coming out. Okay, you're coming out right, Minnesota, You're not gonna go get I mean that's not a knock. I you. I predicted they would be the most improved team. They were. Let me make a prediction. They pulled back New York Giants. Are they going back to the playoffs. I think Daniel Jones will be better. Um, I'll throw an out at you. I don't think Dallas makes the playoffs. I think their cap situations a disaster. Yeah, Um, I don't think Dallas a playoff team. Philadelphia and the Niners are guaranteed because they're not paying their quarterback and the rosters are stacked. So the Eagles and the Niners are bringing back that we know. We know Kansas City probably makes it. Cincinnati. UM, I'll thrown at you think you think's crazy. I'll just throw this out. Brady goes to Miami, Buffalo doesn't make it. I think I'm nuts. It's getting worse. It's not. Listen, they're gonna have. They got a lot of questions defensively, several starters of all the free agent do you see who they're the classic defensive culture. They have two expensive safeties and two expensive linebackers. Not much longer. I don't. I don't. You gotta move off that. You gotta go spend some money and get a second receiver. You gotta get a better tackle. Hey, I just thought of something as you were saying this. Um, you said San Francisco and the Eagles will be back there next year. You don't. I would agree one hundred percent. What happens with Trey Lance in San Francisco. Try to get a third fourth round pick, and do you then keep Garoppolo and have a Garoppolo purty tandement quarterback. I don't think it's yeah, I mean I think huh yeah, I mean that makes sense to me because you're as Trey Lance on to a Tennessee who may not You know, we got a new guy in Tennessee who didn't draft Molique. He wants to play. The kid didn't play much in college. So does Jordan Love. He wants to play. These guys want to play. So and do you have Jordan Love as the starting quarterback with the Packers in the playoffs next year? Yeah? I think it's very personal. Now that's probably your Well I'm not. I'm not saying AFC. We're talking NF, I know, and there's only one division next year that's guaranteed to be pretty awful. The NFC, sound right. If Brady leaves, it's tragic. It's when let's just say, when Brady leaves, he's not staying there. He'd not staying in Tampa, so so he's moving on. Brady tends to be somebody that can see around corners. He's not coming back to Todd Bowles. Also, would he win the division? Yeah, he did this year, It's not I don't think it's that satisfying for him. I also like the if Brady goes to the Raiders, are they a playoff team. No. Oh, they made the playoffs last two years ago with carr and and I don't even remember the head coach's name of. If Sean Payton takes Denver, you think the Raiders are a playoff team, it's the fourth most talented ros. I'm not betting against Tom Brady to make the playoffs in in Vegas. Oh, I am him and McDaniels. So his kids are gonna be in private school in Miami, and you you think he's gonna be three thousand miles or whatever Vegas. I don't, boy, how would you? I can't get over Tom Brady's going to the Dolphins and now the Jets once again are going to be in the basement of the nafcas Well, there's no guarantees. I'm just I'm just throwing it out with stink. Can the Jets get Lamar Jackson? Can we speak that into existence? There just no shot. I don't know. I'm not an insider. I'm not. I'm not. I had I had dinner with Sean Payton last week. I'm not an insider. I don't. I don't have boots on the ground every day. That's it was just a dinner with a famous person. Okay, we got a lot of stuff. Kyle van Noy, nick Wright, Okay, and we'll give you Niners Eagles ten most talented players next

Thanks for listening to The Herd podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday from twelve to three eastern, nine to noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and FS one. Find your local station for The Herd at Fox Sports Radio dot com, or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Herd. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Oh a tasty one today, It's Tuesday. We're live in Los Angeles. It's The Herd. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening iHeartRadio, Fox Sports Radio and FS one. It is great to have you in. One hour from now. Nick Wright stops by. J Max joining me today. Kyle van Noy, good Talker, Chargers Guy Linebackers joining us today as well. Well. Trove deep into the Charger situation. J Mack, what'd you do last night? I planned for today. Today's a huge day. Starting today off for the new shirt thanks to the wardrobe department. That's a big news we're gonna reveal later in the show. Big news, I would Okay, yeah, I think some fans in the Northwest will be very excited. Okay, do you know what I mean? Okay, I'm very excited for all of the big Lakers game tonight Climbers Lakers, no joke, this is a big January basketball game. Lakers are only two games back of the sixth seed in the West. They faced the Clippers tonight, Huge one at the crypt. Is that what they're calling it now? I'm just trying to be cool and sounded fun. So NFL executive says Russell Wilson is washed. Amid the Sean Payton rumors, I have been told the Broncos have made a decision they want Sean Payton. Russell Wilson has told the Broncos owners he wants Sean Payton. Here's the dilemma. According to an NFL exec, Denver's got the best tradition. The new owners seem aggressive, They're willing to spend, but I think Russell Wilson's washed and the lack of draft capital holding them back. The defense is very good, but Mahomes and Herbert aren't going anywhere in that division. So you think to yourself, if Brian Dabele can get Daniel Jones to the playoffs, can Sean Payton get Russell Wilson to the playoffs. Well, Herbert and Mahomes are not playing in the NFC East. But I think one of the things that Sean Payton has to think about, and it's a real thing. With Daniel Jones, there are some limitations, but they're football limitations. You know what you have, it's right in front of you. But with Russell Wilson, there's self awareness issues trying to simultaneously be a football star and elevate Ciara's career issues. There's the isolation issues from teammates. He's got his own office that's an issue, and his own chiropractor. I'm told that's an issue. A lot of this stuff is personality, emotional, family stuff that's way harder the football stuff for a Brian Dable or a Sean Payton that's not as difficult. Wasn't it a little bit? And I'm a Russell Wilson fan, wasn't it a little bit an eye opener when he left the Seahawks and former teammates some of them offensive, use words like fake, isolated, not approachable. There's so many things to like about this, and they'll probably pay upwards of twenty five million for Sean Payton, but I think i'd pass. Evaluating quarterbacks is certainly not an exact science. I couldn't stand Zach Wilson as a prospect. Joe Douglas of the Jets, a sharp, shrewd young GM loved him. I met somebody last week. Former NFL coach loved Zach Wilson. Again. I'm just a radio TV guy. I couldn't stand him as a prospect. I didn't like Baker Mayfield as a prospect. I didn't love Jamis Winton as a prospect. I don't know more than GM's. It's an exact You're not really sure. But here's the one thing that is exact. All the great ones, all of them have like an approachable field, kind of relatable. One of the guys go out drinking on a Tuesday night. You can put your arms around him. That's like the opposite of what you're hearing from former Seahawks and some current Broncos. Although a couple of players late in the year did defend Russell Wilson. You've got to be a unifier, one of us. Relatable, approachable, can have your own doctor and chiropractor and therapist. And I look at NFL quarterbacks who have often had their careers implode. It's not the football stuff. Kyler Murray, it imploded. It was the personal stuff. Jay Cutler, personal stuff. Nobody liked him. Jeff George. I know a lot of you don't know who. Jeff George is, world class arm talent. Not enough people liked him. Baker Mayfield butchered the podium. Zach Wilson in New York. I saw a story this weekend. They were rejoicing when he got benched. It's not the football stuff. An older Aaron, an older Russell Wilson sometimes not viewed as unifiers. Aloof don't spend off seasons with the young guys. I don't know. I think with Russell Wilson, Denver want Sean Payton. Russell Wilson wants Sean Payton. I think the deal would be done today if Sean Payton said, all right, I'm your coach and he may I gotta pay a lot of money. The defense is good, and there's some really nice weapons. A star running back got injured. He's back. Tight ends are solid, receivers are beyond solid. They got a good left tackle. But there's so many hoops to jump through, and sometimes it's just easier to have football stuff to deal with, not like personality stuff has Green Bay ever truly figured out Aaron Rodger. I don't think they have. And those are smart, capable people. They go into meetings with him, They've been around him for fifteen years. They still can't quite nail him down on the personality stuff, in the offseason stuff. I think if I'm Sean Payton, twenty five millions a lot of money, I think I'd pass all right. So, speaking of Aaron Rodgers, it's now no longer just a rumor. Ian Rappaport is an excellent reporter. He is saying what many others are saying. Trading Erond's on the table now. Obviously Aaron's very, very expensive. But a couple of years ago, Jerry Jones said something and it really stuck with me. He was talking about Dak's contract, and although at the time I thought it was too much for Dak, his point on paying for nice things is accurate. Here's Jerry. The truth is most anything that I've ever been involved in that ended up being special, I overpaid for every time to the end. Anytime I've tried to get a bargain, I got just that it was a bargain in a lot of ways, and not up to standard By the way, you know who got a bargain at quarterback this year. The Steelers of Mitch Trabisky. They stole him. The Falcons stole Marcus Mariota. Panthers did with Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield. Yeah, they got a bargain, all right. I don't know how you look in the AFC like a Tennessee Titans, New York Jets, and you see Mahomes and Allen and Lamar and Borrow and Trevor Lawrence. I don't know how you look at your current quarterback situation and feel good about it. The only way to get value at quarterback Jalen Hurts draft him. That's it. And most teams that draft a quarterback, No, you got to have like Mike Tomlin's security or Bill Belichick's security to withstand the two or three growing pain years. Otherwise, you got to go to the market and pay. Like I look at the Jets, really good roster, desperate for a quarterback, and they're not paying any of their top five or six offensive players anything. He fits New York Aaron Rodgers. He's not going to be overwhelmed by it. I don't know. Also, I think Green Bay would be fine. The Bears defensive head coach, defensive culture lost ten straight. Offense is an absolute mess. Minnesota won eleven and oh in one possession games one score games. They're the easiest team to predict a pullback next year. They're not going to eleven and o on one score games, just like the previous year. They lost eight one score games. They'll probably five and five, six and four, four and six. They're gonna pull way back in Detroit. I like their story, but they haven't won the division since the early nineties. I think it was ninety three. It's thirty years ago exactly. I may be wrong. So I think green Bay would be fine. If Jordan Love was a B minus quarterback in that division, you will absolutely contend for a playoff spot. Oh yeah, with Aaron this year you didn't make the playoffs. I think it makes sense for green Bay. You get a first round pick this year, maybe a couple of seconds. You've got a nice roster. You could use another tight end, another edge rusher, maybe a wide receiver. But Jordan's not making any money for two years at least one year, so you can handle Aaron Rodgers dead cap hit. But how in the world in the AFC. Can you look at that Mount Rushmore and then some roster of young star quarterbacks, generational talents in their prime, and go, we're good here Tennessee. You're not Miami, You're not Jets, You're not Take a big swing in Green Bay. Rip the band aid off. Every time Jerry Jones has sought a bargain, it's exactly what he got. Falcon's got one this year, Steelers got one this year, Carolina got two this year. Got a bargain at quarterback. It's all you have, all right, a lot of stuff going on today. McIntyre said he has a big announcement. I have no idea what it is, so I'm very excited for that. I just wanted to fact check something here real quick. I have it in my notes, which you just said, did you? I just want to confirm I heard correctly. If you're Sean Payton and Denver offered twenty five million, you think you'd pass. Yeah, okay, because Denver's gonna pay probably eighteen to seventeen million for somebody else. It will reset the market and you'd make twenty to twenty five next year with a better situation. How do you know there's a better situation next year. Well, first of all, I know what Belichick makes today and what he makes ten years ago. So the market gets reset constantly. The NFL coaching market, there's no salary cap, so it gets reset all the time based on you know, Jim Harbon. Next year comes in, so Harby I was told they would have gotten about eighteen million. Peyton will get closer to twenty five million. But Sean Payton does very well here. The market just keeps going up. It's not like Sean would be offered nine next year. He's going to be the best coach on the market this year and next year who is available? I guess the question would be, are you certain that a good job with a potential Hall of Fame quarterback, which is what Russell Wilson is, is going to be able. Let me ask you this, Sean McDermott, this happens again next year. You and I would take Sean McDermot. McDermott, now, so what I They won't do that in Buffalo. Um, let me ask you this, Chargers don't make the playoffs. I mean, you got Mahomes, you got I mean, I mean, I'm just saying, but the opposite is true. Chargers could face the Bills in the ANC Championship game. You know it's possible than neither of those jobs at home, you're past or something. Come on, so you're a young broadcaster, podcaster, when so when somebody just says here's a bunch of money, your natural inclination is taking no. No, no, no, no, not all the way. I'm not a I'm a believer in follow good management. There's a sea of money. Sean Payton is doing just fine. I'd rather to ask yourself this, would you rather take a better situation at eighteen or the Broncos at twenty four? Nothing again, but you're you're there is no situation at eighteen seven. Yes, seven coaches a year get whacked. Seven. You think next year is the year nobody gets fired? I mean, you know, Robert Salick, I mean, I'm just saying, you know, I had this discussion with Sean. I actually had this discussion with Sean because he was interviewing and it's it's all out there. I'm not disclosing anything Carolina, it is interviewed. So right in my takeaway, I'd take Arizona over Carolina and Pe think that's crazy but Arizona's got a super talented quarterback. If you look at the history of the NFL, they gave us, they give us one star quarterback a year. One Now, because of the cultural changes, there's more good quarterbacks. It's up to one and a half maybe two. Okay, you do realize every year eight teams needed you may how long did Miami They still have never replaced Marino. Yeah, Denver had to go buy Peyton Manning and for about two to three years they got they got Alway. Yeah, that's so. My takeaway is a job can be great if you do not have a star at quarterback, it's over. I'm gonna Arizona's got one because I like you, I'm gonna help your argument. Houston Texans get the number one pick and they get Caleb Williams. It's that a better job than Carolina, Arizona Denver. Yes, you know it is because look at the four quarterbacks left standing in the playoffs. Yeah, none of their big money deals have kicked in yet. You need that quarterback on the rookie deal. Houston. That's gonna be a great job next year, assuming they get the number one pick. So my takeaway is Sean Payton, would you rather go in with a ton of cap space for four years draft capital and Caleb Williams. Whoever gets Drake May the kid from Caroline, He's another A plus player. Next year We've got two Trevor Lawrence ish level players. Yeah, so stay at Fox you think you can solve everything. Russell Wilson's dilemmas are beyond football. There's the isolation, the self awareness, Ciara's career. There's a lot of stuff that Sean Payton's note a therapist. He's a football coach. Now. Coaches all think they can do at all they can. You gotta be it. So my point is if the league next year, we're gonna have multiple teams, not tanking, but multiple teams vying for Caleb Williams and Drake May. I don't remember a year and I don't it maybe the Merino Elway year where we had two A plus plus candidates. These kids are great players. You don't get that. You get like a Trevor Lawrence and then a bunch of justin Fields Trey Lant who could work in the right situation. Next year is two guys they're going to work, and you fire the coach after a year if you can't figure it out, like like Trevor Lawrence was, Oh, Urbans, do work, get him out of here. This kid's gonna win the division with the right coach. Boom, they did, and they did. That's what Kayla Williams and Drake may are. Those guys are different. I like that idea of Sean Payton waiting a year for one of those two jobs, or or one of those two jobs, or the possibility of the seven other openings one of them would have a good quarterback. So next year you get two things. You get seven job openings. One should have a good quarterback and two superstar quarterback. What do they say? Patience is a virtue? That's right, So that could apply here to Peyton and Denver. No draft capital, not enough picks, quarterback issues, and we win too because that means Peyton gets to come on here and regale us with tales selfishly. Yeah, yeah, I'm all in on that. Yeah. Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays in noon Easter nine Empacific on Fox Sports Radio FS one and the iHeartRadio app. So. I was reading an article yesterday by Tyler Dunn, who was sort of eviscerating Sean McDermott, the coach of the Buffalo Bills. And Sean McDermott did bring some stability to a chaotic locker room in Buffalo. Nobody's saying he's an awful coach, but we have a revolution going on in football in America and it's amazing to me. These billionaire owners aren't paying attention. I'll give you an example, So I'm gonna tell you. I'm gonna give you the most. That's the keyword here. The most successful defensive head coaches this year, Sean McDermott went the furthest He was routed at home in the playoffs and they had absolutely no offensive identity for three and a half hours. It was humiliating effort. Second most successful defensive coach this year was Brandon Staley epic second half meltdown. Scored three points second half no offensive adjustments with Justin Herbert. The third most successful defensive coach was Pete Carroll, who was routed by the Niners six points in the second half no offensive adjustments. The next most successful coach with Todd Bowles. He trailed at one point with Tom Brady, Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and a healthy er offensive line thirty one to six. The next three most successful defensive coaches this year many finished in last place, where Mike Tomlin nine and eight, Ron Rivera at eight, eight and one, and Belichick at eight and nine. In all three the offense struggled at times pathetic. A baseball manager can understand pitching and hitting, Soakin a hockey coach and NBA coach mls, you can understand both sides of the sport. It's not that way with football. It's not. Bill parcels. Sean Payton tells you stories. Bill's a psychological guru and a brilliant organizer. They did. No offense didn't even understand quite the language Belichick does not. No offense can't draft, it can't develop it. Think about this. Nine of the ten best offenses in the NFL made the playoffs. Five of the top six second half offenses made the playoffs, including Brian Dable, who's dealing with Daniel Jones at quarterback. You're not maximizing your opportunity to win in professional football with a defensive culture. It's like not shooting the three in basketball. You're just not maximizing your opportunity San Antonio has been stubborn. They're full Golden State never was. They're great. You start looking around at the cult. It's not just a defensive coach, it's the culture in the building. Chicago historically a defensive culture. The offense is a disaster. Let me name some teams that spend the most money on defense in the NFL. Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Seattle, Titans, Chargers, Shocker, all defensive coaches. The world has changed billionaires, hello, anyone watching. That doesn't mean every defensive coach wouldn't work. I still think you need a great defensive coordinator. When I talked to Sean Payton about the Denver job or Arizona, he had his defensive coordinator all picked and ready to go. But when you watch Mike Zimmer, a respected defensive coach leave Minnesota, highly respected, a kid, a former player, becomes offensive coach and they go from the team that lost the most one possession games in the league to the team that went eleven and oh in one possession games. Are you paying attention? It is the three point shot twelve years ago. You are literally not maximizing the sport. If you've got your money on the defensive side, Pittsburgh in Seattle, your defensive coach, a defensive culture in the building to talk about toughness and run games and oh that's adorable. Nine of the top ten offenses make the playoffs. The teams that are just at halftime. You watch Buffalo, what was that first series? Josh Allen at home? Three and out. Stefan Diggs disappeared. Didn't use Josh Allen's legs in the first half. It's not that Sean McDermott can't coach. It was pathetic. I mean it was it was I don't even know what it was. Defensive coach, defensive culture, defensive draft pick. Look at Buffalo, two great offensive players rushed him. Are all on defense? Humiliated at home? Jmack with the news. No, no, this is the herd Line news. So the Cincinnati Bengals obviously on the cusp of back to back Super Bowl trips. They'll have to beat the Chiefs at Arrowhead to make it happen, but they have won three in a row over Patrick Mahomes and Indy Reid. Joe Burrow says this season's Bengals team is better than last year's. Here's what he had to say. I think we're a more complete team. I think we're a better team and maybe just seem to make plays when it counts. That's all it was to say. I think our line is better. I think our run game is better. I think our defense is better. I actually think our much better team than we were last year. I totally agree. I think they end by the way. They have playoff experience that helps Zach Taylor. I think they're a significantly better team. They are a two and a half point favorite. In Kansas City, it's moved up. Well yeah, well Fox Bet has it one and a half, but in Vegas it's two and a half. And I don't know if that means somebody knows something about Mahome's ankle. But Colin, the matchup just has favored Cincinnati the last three times these guys have met. Andy Reid has kind of been shut down in the second half. I was looking back at some of them and like, yes, they're close games, but Joe Burrow has been like unstoppable against Kansas City. Like the Spagnolo defense just is now talking to me. If the line moves from one and a half to two and a half in Vegas. Vegas always feels like it's hours ahead of the market. The Mahomes injury right, Like you saw him limping on handoffs and that's during the game when he's got adrenaline. How do you think it's gonna feel to RL Wednesday. Well, we'll see what the practice reports say when the media gets in there. Um, but one quick word on the Bengal So they went and spent lavishly on the offensive line. Two of those guys are hurt. I know it's a damn good thing they spent Colin because now they got like credible backups behind the big money guys. And they also drafted the Clemson tackle. I think he was a Jackson Carman who was outstanding against Buffalo. Listen, he'll have his hands full this week. It's a little bit of a tougher matchup Frank Clark and Chris Jones on that line is gonna be tough. Yea christ is really really good. Yeah. Speaking of the Chiefs, they beat the Jags obviously. Last week. Mahomes had the high ankle spraying that will surely impact his play. Mahomes has said he'll play, but Andy Reid doesn't want to make any decisions just yet. Here's Andy Reid on the latest from Mahomes. How encouraged are you by the past two days of treatment. Yeah, he's he's worked hard and the treatment and it was doing okay. I mean he mentioned that he's gonna play, so I mean that's uh, that's his mindset. Then we'll just tell you a day by day see how he does. I've got to see how he feels, you know, when we get ready for practice, he'll play. That's not the issue. The apparently the issue is mobility and extending plays. And there you go. I don't know, Colin, I'm getting worried about and that kind of stinks. Right. You don't want an injured Pat Mahomes in the AFC Championship Game. We want to see him at full strength. Well, this stuff see Chad Henny for three quarters. Yeah, I don't think we will. This stuff's not linear. Brady went ten years without winning a Super Bowl with Belichick, with with great defenses, with Dante Scarnekia. It's hard and I don't want to be like look ahead guy. But Patrick Mahomes his new deal kicks in next year. No question. Their tackles are free agents, Okay. Receivers Jerick McKinnon. Here's the other thing. They couldn't keep their top corner Ward goes to the Niners. He's great. They couldn't keep Tyreek Hill. This is you and I have been talking about this fair. Dallas is in a precarious situation. Dak is the number two quarterback cap hit next year. Zeke, who's not even a top fifteen running back in the league, is a maybe top maybe top fifty, not top ten. No, he's the number two running back cap hit and so and Tony Pollard. They can't afford Dalton Schultz. They probably don't afford Well, they're gonna have to probably franchise tag one of those two. I guess it would be Pollard writer. I mean, I like Tony Pollard a lot. Oh no, he's more so than the average guy outside of Ceedee Lamb. He's their home run hitter, super dynamic. Yeah. And and they also have to draft another receiver and another tight end for my mock draft for Fox Sports. Dalton Kincaide who you know, well tight end Utah, Oh yeah, big boy, it's a good I mean he's a plug and play guy. He's like twenty three years old. Yep, he's not this young guy who doesn't know what he's doing. So there are players out there to rebuild quickly if Dallas wants to. In final story, Rock Purty, boy, what a run? Seven or no? Mark? As the starters Jimmy g went down. Purty thrown fourteen touchdowns, only two interceptions, and now looks to become the first rookie quarterback to ever start and win a conference title game. Colin Man Rock Purty one of the great draft steals of all time. Look at these numbers for rookie quarterbacks in conference championship games. It ain't pretty, to say the least. We got him on the screen here, and you gotta go on the road. Philadelphia a top flight defense. It's a tall order for Purty. I know, That's what I said yesterday. It just feels like Philadelphia is the side you had. You are gonna go head to head on this one. I think, well, at the top of the hour, So every every time we get to a huge game, I go get my yellow piece of paper. Who are the ten best players in the game? So I'm gonna do it today at the top of the hour. So is it ten not ten? Best career? No? Not right right now? Right, go to pf level ish. It's opinion, it's what we watched, it's momentum, it's help. Who are the ten best players in the Niners Eagles game? And almost always whoever's got a six, four or seven three advantage wins the game. So I'm very curious to see if Brock Purdy is one of the ten best player hasn't lost fourteen touchdowns two picks. Now, I'm not saying he's an amazing franchise quarterback, but right now, the way he's playing. Listen, close game against Dallas, touchdown drive in the second half to win the game. Like the guys making plays. Colin Dallas's defense was good, Dan Quinn had a good game plan. Oh Dallas played. I thought the Dallas Niner game looked exactly like we both thought it would look. Like. Purdy's not making mistakes. I don't know if he's top ten. Think you'll be surprised by the number. One has to be Bosa defensive player. Well we'll see. I'm not giving stop. You're not giving away your big surprise. Don't even know what you're big surprises. I'm not giving away all right, there we go. Jmack with the news. Well that's the news, and thanks for stopping by The Herd Line News, So we'll do that top of the hour with Nick Wright. Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays and noon Easter nine a Empacific. This is the Cavino and Rich Davis and together we are Cavino Enriched, Cavino and miss Thanks buddy. That's right, Caveno Rich, Fox Sports Radio's newest hit show, heard weekdays from five to seven Eastern two to four Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app. Every Cavino Rich shows available as a podcast. Just search Covino en Rich wherever you get your podcasts and subscribe of such a rockin' dude. The show features our unique take on sports, injecting with some fun, humor and relatability. Listen to Cavino en Rich five days a week on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Covino en Rich give me a hell Yeah. Sunday, it's the NFC Championship Game presented by Intuit turbotex as the forty nine ers take on the Eagles with a trip to Super Bowl fifty seven on the line. It all kicks off at three eastern New Pacific, with pregame coverage starting at one BM Eastern only on Fox and the Fox Sports app. Can't Wait. By the way, little story. Tom Brady, according to page six, is at the New York Post New York Posts. Correct, didn't you work for the New York Posts. I did not work for it. I've been written about it the New York Posts. But you didn't work for him. I did not work for them. Okay, Tom Brady's been spotted in Miami checking out private schools for his kids. Now, remember Brady had a deal with Miami before it blew up and the Brian Flores lawsuit to be like an owner. He was going to go. There was Sean Payton. If when you're in the East Coast and you're a Californian, Miami's very attractive. It's the one East Coast city that's got really nice awkwall water, no state tax. Miami has always felt like. So this is what I've said. Even Kirk cousins, Derek Carr, and Brady work in Miami because it's a distribution offense. Brady at this point in his career, needs elevation. He needs protection. Tom is no longer taking Julian Edelman and making him a borderline Hall of Famer. That's not what he's doing. Tom got to Tampa. He knew what he needed right tackle gronk ab Lenny Fernette. Tom needs protection. This is a distribution offense. Tom Brady doesn't missstarts. He doesn't missstarts. So to me, Miami, that coach, that distribution that you and I have said this, this is where if I was Derek Carr, I would go in a heartbeat, if I was Kirk Cousins. Now they're not going to go after Cousins. They'll go over to a over Kirk Cousins. But I do think Derek Carr, you would have to think strongly. Send to it to the Raiders. You go, Derek Carr, I think you'd have to consider it. Don't forget Jimmy Garoppolo obviously has a relationship with McDaniel dating back to San Francisco. Jimmy Garoppolo makes sense as well. Now we have a bite from Tom Brady. He was on his own podcast with Jim Gray. He's getting very grumpy and Brady clearly has not resolved of his decision on what he's gonna do this upcoming season. Tim, you're leaving everybody guessing. You've said you'll take your time. Do you have any type of a timetable as to what you might want to do regarding your football career, Jim, If I knew what I was gonna do, I've already done it. Okay, I'm taking the day at a time. I sent your antagonized by the question. They're scratching. It's only the question that everybody wants to hear. You're scratchy. I appreciate you asking. Thank you. I will say this Tom to Miami makes sense. His former home New England hired Bill O'Brien yesterday, so he's a offensive coordinator second time around for the Patriots. He was a coordinator at Alabama. He's a competent offensive coordinator. He knows what he's doing. So I was saying this morning to the team. I said, New eng little bit playoff team next year. It's remarkable New England was last in the league in red zone offense, scored thirty points one time. Kansas City did eight times that in this league. Now that has pivoted offense, it's remarkable. The Patriots were eight and nine. Had they beaten the Packers in overtime, an overtime game, they would have a winning record. It's almost impossible in this league have a winning record when you're awful offensively. That a DC was their OC doesn't make any sense. So seven of the fourteen teams that made the playoffs this year are new. They did not make it last year. Ravens, Jags, Chargers, Dolphins, Vikings, Giant, Seahawks. Next year you can have six to seven new playoff teams. The teams to keep your eye on that did not make the playoffs this year, and we're gonna have six to seven because since nineteen ninety you can go back thirty three years, minimum of four plus make the playoffs that didn't and now we've added some. Here's the teams to me that feel like they'd be the leader on the clubhouse that didn't make it this year that would make it next year. I think New England number one. If you look at their defense, it was second in the NFL and takeaways. Belichick still regarded as the best defensive coach in the NFL. Now they've got a competent offensive coordinator and I think you'd be surprised if you googled Mac Jones rookie rookie numbers, they were really good for a rookie. He is now this will be his third year in the league. I think New England makes the playoffs second, probably if T. J. Watt is upright. Pittsburgh. I do not buy Cleveland at all. To Shaun Watson's I think going to have the biggest cap hit in the league. I don't buy the front office. It's nothing against Andrew Berry. The ownership worries me. I don't buy Cleveland. Kenny Pickett in five of the last six games he was healthy, won each of them. In fact, it's won each of his last five healthy games. My bad. I think the Broncos, if they hire Sean Payton, remember three of their best players running back Javonte Williams, receiver Tim Patrick, and Garrett Bowls the left tackle all return all missed this year year. So not only Peyton, not only Russell Wilson in year two with a better coach, but they have three offensive players a left tackle, a receiver in a running back that would all be added next year. You're looking at me, Yeah, yeah, Greater Chargers out, Chargers out. I don't think it's going to work. I would say Lions were a very good football team. Now their defense is atrocious. But this draft, because they've got the offense figured out, they can just go defense. Hutchinson is a really nice pass rusher. They've got to get better on the defensive interior, and they need another corner. But Jared Goff with protection in his career, is a B plus quarterback. He's a very and they have a really good offensive line. The Rams had thirteen different starting offensive lines. I do not believe that will be the case. There's nothing you can do. Stafford is back. I do think they will regain some draft capital by moving Jalen Ramsey for a first and a fifth or a first and a fourth. But they're going to I've been told they're gonna go heavy offense in the off season and the draft, and the defense will be on their own. They're gonna load up with a tight end, a wide receiver, offensive lineman, they may get another running back. They're going to concentrate on mcvay's side of the football in the off season. The Packers the Vikings are not going to go eleven and oz in one score games. Green Bay missed the playoffs by a fourth quarter. Chicago's still a mess, Minnesota's a big pullback. I think Detroit and Green Bay are more than competent, but I think they'll make the playoffs with Aaron Rodgers and have a strong likelihood they will with Jordan Love if he's competent. Green Bay makes the playoffs. The roster's too good. Lafleur's competent. I think those two young receivers are only getting better. Aaron Jones, Gary the defensive lineman back, It's a really good roster. I don't love their special teams, very competent front office. If they trade Aaron and get a couple of firsts, they'll hit on those as well. And I think you have to look at the Panthers, who both you and I said if Brady leaves the division, their roster pretty interesting. They also have one of the richer owners. He'll go get a good coach. I mean, Sean Payton respectfully is interviewing with him in a division with the Saints all his friends. I think they would pay for a car, they would pay for a Garoppolo and the defense. They've got some weapons we like on the outside. They've got a really nice front seven. This is not a great division. I think if you gave them an offensive coach and Garoppolo and Brady leaves the division. So these would be my early leans. Now we haven't had a draft, we haven't had free agency, but if you had to ask me today of the seven new teams, that feels like it. So I want to pin you down who is coming out of the playoffs. That's the toughest part in the AFC. I'm assuming you have Dolphins falling out. This was only about naming the new guys, not dumping on the old guys coming out. Okay, you're coming out right, Minnesota, You're not gonna go get I mean that's not a knock. I you. I predicted they would be the most improved team. They were. Let me make a prediction. They pulled back New York Giants. Are they going back to the playoffs. I think Daniel Jones will be better. Um, I'll throw an out at you. I don't think Dallas makes the playoffs. I think their cap situations a disaster. Yeah, Um, I don't think Dallas a playoff team. Philadelphia and the Niners are guaranteed because they're not paying their quarterback and the rosters are stacked. So the Eagles and the Niners are bringing back that we know. We know Kansas City probably makes it. Cincinnati. UM, I'll thrown at you think you think's crazy. I'll just throw this out. Brady goes to Miami, Buffalo doesn't make it. I think I'm nuts. It's getting worse. It's not. Listen, they're gonna have. They got a lot of questions defensively, several starters of all the free agent do you see who they're the classic defensive culture. They have two expensive safeties and two expensive linebackers. Not much longer. I don't. I don't. You gotta move off that. You gotta go spend some money and get a second receiver. You gotta get a better tackle. Hey, I just thought of something as you were saying this. Um, you said San Francisco and the Eagles will be back there next year. You don't. I would agree one hundred percent. What happens with Trey Lance in San Francisco. Try to get a third fourth round pick, and do you then keep Garoppolo and have a Garoppolo purty tandement quarterback. I don't think it's yeah, I mean I think huh yeah, I mean that makes sense to me because you're as Trey Lance on to a Tennessee who may not You know, we got a new guy in Tennessee who didn't draft Molique. He wants to play. The kid didn't play much in college. So does Jordan Love. He wants to play. These guys want to play. So and do you have Jordan Love as the starting quarterback with the Packers in the playoffs next year? Yeah? I think it's very personal. Now that's probably your Well I'm not. I'm not saying AFC. We're talking NF, I know, and there's only one division next year that's guaranteed to be pretty awful. The NFC, sound right. If Brady leaves, it's tragic. It's when let's just say, when Brady leaves, he's not staying there. He'd not staying in Tampa, so so he's moving on. Brady tends to be somebody that can see around corners. He's not coming back to Todd Bowles. Also, would he win the division? Yeah, he did this year, It's not I don't think it's that satisfying for him. I also like the if Brady goes to the Raiders, are they a playoff team. No. Oh, they made the playoffs last two years ago with carr and and I don't even remember the head coach's name of. If Sean Payton takes Denver, you think the Raiders are a playoff team, it's the fourth most talented ros. I'm not betting against Tom Brady to make the playoffs in in Vegas. Oh, I am him and McDaniels. So his kids are gonna be in private school in Miami, and you you think he's gonna be three thousand miles or whatever Vegas. I don't, boy, how would you? I can't get over Tom Brady's going to the Dolphins and now the Jets once again are going to be in the basement of the nafcas Well, there's no guarantees. I'm just I'm just throwing it out with stink. Can the Jets get Lamar Jackson? Can we speak that into existence? There just no shot. I don't know. I'm not an insider. I'm not. I'm not. I had I had dinner with Sean Payton last week. I'm not an insider. I don't. I don't have boots on the ground every day. That's it was just a dinner with a famous person. Okay, we got a lot of stuff. Kyle van Noy, nick Wright, Okay, and we'll give you Niners Eagles ten most talented players next