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 parties. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Here we go our number two live in LA. It's the Herd. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening, it is a great time to be here. Derek Carr this morning, four year deal. We don't know how much yet. New Orleans Saints. He's the best quarterback this morning in that division. They're the best team and the best roster in that division. So half the playoff teams this year will not make it next year. That's the season average. That's the NFL average. So the Saints feel like this morning, that raw, that defense, that quarterback. Saints feel like, oh they'd be a playoff team in that lousy division. That would be a playoff team. So there's one of them this morning. Russell Wilson and Denver. With the Raiders now not having Cart, Denver feels much more viable. Ben Johnson coming back to the Lions. Aaron may be leaving, they feel much more viable. That's what it feels like today. Yeah, and it's tough because you've got to think like, can a Seattle get back there again next year? Or were they all fluky New York Giants? Can they get back there now? They're paying Daniel Jones? So are the Vikings gonna win eleven straight one possession games? Probably? No, No, And the Jets will probably find a way into the Wait a minute, they don't have a quarterback. Dat Here we go on a Monday. Colin right, Colin wrong, fire away where Colin was right. We told you Kad would work. He would work instantly. They would win instantly. In their three and oh on the road, he had thirty seven yesterday Kyrie and the MAVs they're four and five since he showed up Westbrook and these one and five. But with KD he's not fall centric, so he fits quickly, plug and play into any offense. He doesn't need the ball early, he can get it late. He is exactly what we predicted. It would look like. He's been playing there for some time. And wouldn't you know after three games twenty seven, seven and four with the Suns. That's his career average, the best as we predicted, plug and play guy in the league where Colin was raw. I was surprised when I initially heard Derek Carr was going to the Saints. I thought he would go to that division, but Carolina because they had an offensive coach. But Carolina is still to some degree as rebuilding that roster. The Saints are not. That is a playoff roster. It's like when Brady went to Tampa, they had to get a right tackle, upgraded running back, but it was a playoff roster. That's where the Saints are today. So Derek Carr surprised me. Good fit, always rooted for him. Derek Carr the Saints where Colin was right. Anthony Richardson quarterback at Florida, stole the show this weekend, said last week he'll be the most interesting quarterback in the draft, biggest, strongest, fastest. Some Cam Newton compsole. He's not nearly as producted or as talent that as Cam Newton was in college. But the combine, you know, it's a beauty contest. His vertical center record, his forty time some mock drafts have him going in the top two. I don't think he's close to being ready to play in the NFL. I don't think he's even close to play in the NFL. But that's not what we predicted. We said he'd be the most interesting of all the quarterbacks out of college, and this weekend he was where Colin was raw. I didn't like Anthony Davis payne free sitting against Oklahoma City, but I will say this, he was dominant yesterday, thirty nine points, tons of energy in the fourth quarter, had twelve in the final quarter, and it paid off. The Lakers said, listen, okayc doesn't have their best player. We can win without him and Lebron. They did what we do is we need him against Golden State, a smaller defensive roster, and Anthony Davis was unstoppable and he had a ton of energy. So give credit to the Lakers where Colin was right. Despite losing yesterday, you guys sold your warrior stock. I kept saying after the trading deadline. They will get hot with or without Steph Curry. They figured out their bench. They now have Cominga playing more minutes, pools become more reliable. They moved off, James Wiseman, he never fit. You've got Lamb and Michael Green off the bench for some size, and Dante de Vincenzo. He's gotten so many minutes with Steph Curry out, he's now a vital piece in this machine. So yesterday Steph Curry played well, didn't shoot particularly great, but they've won five or six, three and one last week. And I told you if you were selling stock this year on the Warriors, I was buying. They figured out after the trade deadline where Colin was raw, the Rams have given receiver Allen Robinson permission to seek a trade. I thought this was going to be a good get for them. He's just not dynamic. It didn't fit. Now. I was told that Matt Stafford pounded the table, Cooper Cup pounded the table. Two players really wanted Alan Robinson, and so McVay and Lesnie caved to the two players. They were reluctant. Well that's why gms or gms and players or players. I thought he was going to be a nice fit. He had three hundred and forty yards as a Ram. He wasn't a two, he wasn't a three, he was a five. He just was not effective at all. Where Colin was right. Well, according to Dane Brugler, c J. Stroud was the most impressive player he saw this weekend at the Combine. And we've said this about Stroud. He's just In Herbert. He's unassuming, he's quiet, a multiple year starter, didn't show any running ability until the final game of his college career. I've got size, maturity, accuracy. He won a lot of games, but like Herbert, the Buckeyes didn't run him until they absolutely had to against Georgia. Same with Oregon against Wisconsin, and then you wake up and go, wait a minute. I had no idea he could run. Nobody had any idea Justin Herbert could do what he did against the Badgers in the Rose Bowl. So I there's a lot to like about him. Big, no ego, unassuming, quiet, productive, multiple year starter, and nobody's talking about it. Nobody was talking about Herbert, it was Tah, it was Burrow, and here's Justin walks into the league and he's great. Day one where Colin was right. Luca and Kyrie we said they would be dynamic, but not a serious contender. They're both awful defensively. They're fun to watch they're an automatic bucket. They're great for Sports Center. You could write articles about him, but they're two and five playing together there and mostly because it's like ABA basketball. The only thing difference the color of the ball. It can't defend anybody, but it is fun. And can I just say this, I know you love Luca. He even complains when he gets the bucket. I've never seen it. I mean, Magic Johnson used to really complain a lot. Luca complains about everything, even when he wins. Even when he wins the possession, he complains. Not I'm kind of getting over it, all right with that? On a busy NFL day today. Rick Buker Fox Sports NBA analysts covering the NBA now for almost thirty years. Your first year was nineteen ninety three. Was your first year cover in the NBA. Do you remember it well, by the way your rookie year? I do, because it was. It was one of the greatest NBA finals that I've ever watched, triple overtime bull Sons Georgian versus Barkley. I came in on a high, my friend, Yes, so those are yes. And the Warriors were tanking for Chris Webber. So it was a very momentous year. Okay, so we were believers. Kevin durant I said this order. There's an argument to be made the two greatest teams in league history, the Warriors, when they brought in KD and he fit in seamlessly. I had my doubts, and then then the Bulls that if you put players as good as kareemer Magic on those Bulls teams, it would change the way they play. Yeah, you could just say Pippin, you go home, Katie you play, and Katie would work on that team. You could make him a better version of Ku. Coach is that k D is very rare in an era where those who score have to dominate the ball. He doesn't. He fits everything. He fit with Simmons who won't shoot, Kyrie who won't show up, and Harden was over shaped, out of shape. I think I watched yesterday and I'm like, they can play with anybody. Maybe not Milwaukee, but I well, what do you make of it? I agree with you one thousand percent when it comes to KD because he can score in so many ways, and we saw that with the Warriors. Would have made him so devastating is he could score off of one or two dribbles and you put him in position and he's either scoring from the mid range or he can attack the rim if he wants. But yeah, that's why he fits with everyone. Now. I think one of the things that we're ignoring when we look at his fit with the Sons versus some of the other teams that we discussed is as much as Chris Paul has fallen off, he's still the organizer. So you have that with the Sons, you have two scorers and Devin Booker and kd and then you have a floor general. There's duplicate. It's duplicative. With the Dallas Mavericks, Luca Dant is a scorer and the floor general and so they're the diversity of roles and responsibility. With the Sons, it's it's clear. And then you have Monty Williams, who has always preached defense like that's part of their DNA. They may not have the same defensive talent, but there that's still part of their base. So I understand why it works. And at this point, having seen everybody else, I was skeptical that the Suns had enough to get it done. But by default I would say that they're my team right now to come out of the West. Okay, and let's talk about the Warriors. So yesterday Steph didn't have a great shooting afternoon, right, But I think his absence has allowed Jordan Pool to flourish and grow and Dante Deef and Genjo to kind of become a floor leader. And so I look at them and I think in a weird way, Steph got time off to other guards appreciably grew. I think they're a handful. I don't because one of the things that I thought the Lakers exposed was they're going to have problems against size, and they're going to see size along the way Anthony Davis could do whatever he won, oh did? Yeah, And they don't have rim protection. And that's where I disagree with you. Wiseman wasn't the defensive player that they needed. Uh, He's much more of an accomplished offensive player at this point in his career and they didn't really need that, which is why they moved off of him. But they needed a rim protector. Their their intuition was correct in terms of what they needed, and they don't have that. Now. How do they do it? Last year? Ah? Well, Draymond was still Draymond and who was who they had to go through? Who who did they have to go through that that had size really didn't well the West Yokich is But Yokich doesn't play like a Classics. He doesn't he doesn't wait from the battle exactly. He's a playmaker and he's from the tops. And they didn't have the driving forces so you didn't have to worry about that in the Saity. I really have to worry about size in the West. Now it's such a wing conference. It is it is. I don't have an MBID, I don't have a Yannis. But but well, the other part is though that the Warriors don't have great wing defenders like Andrea Gudala used to bother Anthony Davis, Clay Thompson used to be a great defensive stop or great two way player those guys with Clay offensively, he's there, But I just believe the combination of not having rim protection and UH and not having great wing defensive players is ultimately going to bite the Warriors and the look. And there's also the disparity of road versus home home. They are unbeatable because and I've been there, Chase Center gets just geeked up and all those young players suddenly Anthony Lamb and Tie Jerome and they all play over their heads. Steph or Clay hits a couple of threes and the building goes nuts. And now they all think, well, we've got this. And they've eked out a lot of wins. It's not like they're blowing teams out. They've come back to win games in Chase Center. I believe just because of that momentum. None of that is existent on the road, and for where they are right now, they're going to have to play a lot of road games to be able to advance. I expect them to be in the playoffs. I don't expect them to be in the play in Yeah, but they're going to have They're going to have to win on the road, and I just don't see the formula for them doing that. So through my life watching the NBA and talking about it, veteran teams dominate in the playoffs, mostly because they're more physical. Ref swallow the whistle and you know those these twenty nine thirty year old guys have been in pro weight rooms for eight years. They push around young guys and the refs don't call it and becomes much more physical. Yeah, there's also a maturity factor. Memphis John Morant, the gun Ig story, And I look at Memphis and I think to myself, this is why I like veteran teams. Yeah, like a kid. What do you make of the job Morant story. It's a tough one because the first time in my life I've seen a young guy make a mistake in the d He's a kid, he's rich. It's a lot. Well, this is the interesting aspect I believe of where we are with the NBA. It used to be in college you have to be conscious of the parental influence. Once they got to the pros, there were men and they were they'd experienced life. Now you gotta have guys who were becoming superstars at nineteen in early twenties, and the influence of I just believe the family dynamic is greater than ever. And he's not alone. I mean, there's we went through the LaVar ball saga, Luca don Chet's it kind of separated from his mom. Like the influence and the number of parents now that want to be principally involved in their in their son's careers as NBA players, whether I mean Kyrie Irving's mom is his agent. Like it's it's not just that they're going out and hiring people to do the various roles, Like they're all intrinsically involved in their lives. And so now it depends on are you are your parents giving their kids good counsel here as there's there, do they understand the big picture? Or are they kind of treating them like parents and uh sometimes accommodating parents rather than discipline parents. So I just I think that the dynamic has changed dramatically, and we're seeing it play out on this platform where we're conscious of everything going on. I like, there's so much about what I know about Jaw that I believe. I don't believe he's a bad person. I don't think he's I just I think that he doesn't. He didn't fully grasp what it means to be a superstar. I wouldn't and how vulnerable if I like, that's why I'm slow to criticize. I know what I was like in my twenties. I made plenty of mistakes and it simply wasn't on as big a stage as thankfully that the Jay is. So I knowing a little bit about who he is. I fully expect that he's going to recover from this, but I think it's it's commensurate for every young guy. I look at who is counseling them, who's advising you. Well. The other thing is the reason the NFL draft get such big TV ratings because you are watching men get drafted who can emotionally and physically win games. In the NFL Day one. In the NBA draft, you get two rounds. There's probably four players per draft that can play initially and have any impact, and they can't drink at the hotel bar. Yeah they're nineteen. Yeah, and so nobody want. The NBA draft doesn't do particularly well. You have about four or five guys, and even the ones that are home runs, they're kids. So I used to you know, we all grew up with you ing at the draft or Tim Duncan, and like the college football draft, these were men. Yeah they were They had a defined game and they had a defined personality. Yeah, we're watching all these young NBA players. They're just growing in front of us. So I tend to be like, you know, I look at John, I'm like, people have asked me, what's my opinion. My opinion is he's a twenty twenty one year old kid. The world's his oyster. He's now got one hundred million dollars, and he's not quite sure who to eliminate from a social circle, who to include. I didn't at that I was poor, So I just think it's a lot to heap on a twenty one year old or however he old here, especially with NBA players, they're always told don't forget where you came front course, and so there's this mixed message of you know, stay true to your roots. But the reality is, as a result of your fame, as a result of your finances, you're in a different stratosphere. Ye, Now, you don't Not everybody, Not everybody is a good actor, like every even people that grew up with stability in their lives. Yeah, there's a lot of wannabes when you get rich, and you can like, don't forget where you came from, But sometimes you have to forget who you came up with in order to Jalen Rose talked about this yet, yeah, and in in order to move forward. So I understand that I think he'll get it turned around. The challenge I would fully expect. Plus it's a respected inside there there Um, the management's respected, right, Like this is a pretty well run organization, is it? This is where I this is where I have questions about the Memphis Grizzlies. Taylor Jenkins is such an attention to detail coach. But being around and I haven't been around that that that team a lot, but what little I have, it almost feels like there's a trade either a trade off or a trust. It's a it's a very young team. Yeah, I don't sense there's a lot of influence on them outside of what they're expected to do on the basketball court. They're kind of left to their own devices. Yeah, and I and I don't And I'm this is speculation on my part, but I often see this in small markets with big stars. They're afraid to hold the young guys accountable because they think the young guys are gonna go aau on them and say, I'm out, Oh what you want to tell me what to do? Do you understand you're Memphis, I'm John Moran, Like, I'll go someplace else if you don't, like if you're gonna try to pull the leash on me. And and I'm not saying that's what is happening here. But I've seen that dynamic with teams that are afraid to lose their superstars Green Bay and Aaron Rodgers and Varve. They manipulate the franchise. It's I mean it. I mean Baltimore today, it's like, Okay, Lamar maybe maybe not yeah, right, like yeah, they have a history of its. It's the strength of the instance, is the strength of the organization where they say, you know, I mean, Jerry Grouse would say organizations win championships, not players. That's that's taking it to the other side of it. Yeah, but there has to be some element of that. Okay, I'm gonna throw this out there right now. We were talking about this last week. This always scares me. There's always genuinely, Knicks are gonna knock somebody off. The Knicks are gonna knock somebody off big. It's not gonna be Milwaukee. You don't buy the Knicks. Not buying the Knicks yet. I do. I think they're better, but their decision making it still suspect. And I believe it really comes down to matchups. And no, I'm not taking the recent wins eking one out over the Boston Celtics as an indication. Nah, okay, okay, all right, now, there is a history in the NBA. Let's be honest. There are teams that haven't done anything in the postseason, and they treat the regular season with great urgency, right Celtics aren't, you know, like the Warriors don't in the first half, pop of it just spurs after titles didn't. So this Knicks team seating matters, they would love. Tom Thibodeaux teams take every single regular season game seriously, and then the question is when you get to the postseason, can you elevate? I mean, I look, honestly, I think they're better than the team that lost to the Hawks in the first round. When I heard this exact same narrative about oh we're back, here we go and it's like, yeah, not convinced you. I think your point. Thibodeau teams grind yes, and not everybody does in the regular seasons. You and I have talked about this privately or on my podcast, as that you go into an NBA game on most nights and people have two objectives. Some guys are resting players. I mean, the Lakers go Oklahoma City and like we're rest in a d for the Warriors game. Yeah, So I mean that that's the Knicks objective right now is move up to standings, get home court well and protect their job. I mean, honestly, they're like Jim Dolan hasn't been overall happy with what he expected from a Leon Rose Tom Thibodeaux combination. So making hay and demonstrating that they can deliver is something that they're playing for more so than Joe Massoula and the Boston Celtics at this point. Rick Bucher, good stuff, buddy, Good to see you. One more Herd. 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, endless hot water, easy on the environment, Go tankless, tankless, made symbol dot Com, tankless made symbol dot Com. Asked for navon save energy, Save space. J Mac with the news on a busy Monday. No, no turn on the news. This is the Herd Line news, all right. So the Derek Carr numbers are out. Oh yeah, this is interesting. But the contract. The Saints are crafty, you know, they're good with the cap. Oh they always are, so Ian Rappaport NFL network says four year deal for one hundred and fifty million dollars with one hundred million in total guarantees. But it looks like the first two years are guaranteed for sixty milk and then there's another ten mill that vests for if he goes to year three. So seventy no guaranteed divided by two guaranteed years is about thirty five million dollars. Totally reasonable to good deal for the twelfth Mounts quarterback in the league. They're about and now maybe more info will come out, but this is funny money. When you see one hundred and fifty million for Derek car people are gonna freak out. Dak is making forty mill this year. Is there a big difference between Derek Carr and Dak? Dak has had to carry his franchise. Derek has more than Dad has. Dak carried them anywhere. No, I would say Derek has had terrible defenses his entire time, front office chaos player, chaos, So Dak's grown up. Say what you want about the Cowboys in a reasonably stable environment surrounded by pretty good football players. Derek Carr has has been in a chaotic ownership, front office situation with a new coach every year. So Jason Garrett and Mike McCarthy say what you want about dak is he's had two coaches, both offensive. He's had good coordinators. Now the Cowboys have a great defensive coordinator. We can roll our eyes at the Cowboys, but it's a pretty stable organization. It may underachieve, but it's not unstable. The Raiders have been unstable. So it's hard to look at Derek Carr and give him a fair grade. What is he what will he be in New Orleans? Which is a stable organization? Okay, Now, one thing they haven't really had his receivers. That's been a bit of an issue. Well, so was very good, but very good as Michael Thomas needs. He's gonna stay there. Okay, he's a lot to deal with. Jarvis Landry, I don't know his contract situation, but I think he's gonna be going elsewhere. That would be my guess. Yeah, I mean Kamara is still there. Kamara is still their suspension potentially looming for that incident he had. They don't have a ton of needs. I would guess wide receivers one of them. I would tend to agree with you. The defense was okay, Like, listen, you could say there's a playoff team in the what the NFC South, But that's not like they're not I would have put them in the contender in the NFC, would you. Well, I think they have a very good defense and a very They draft really well, so I if you go look at the last ten drafts, I bet you they're a top six seven team overall. Not a lot of early with I mean, who's the upper crust in the NFC Philadelphia and San Francisco Right there are kind of questions, Okay, who is is the Saints? Are the Saints in the next group in terms of personnel playoff contender? This morning with Derek Carr, they're absolutely in the next three to four. Absolutely. See the weird thing is with Rogers in flux, we don't know, we don't know the package. So who just take out the Niners, Eagles and say, who are the next five teams that you think and you have to count Derek Carr in this, the next five teams that are competent quarterback Cowboys and Saints? Who who would you have higher? I think this morning they're very equal I think they're very Saints would host a playoff game because they win the division, but the Cowboys playing a much tougher so they'll go on the road to the Saints. If you gave me Derek Carr and the Saints Dak and the Cowboys today, I think the Saints have an overall better roster with fewer holes that Cowboys don't have. Cowboys have one legit receiver. It looks like they're going to lose their tight end because they franchise shack Tony Pollard. Today, they don't have a number two corner. The Cowboys have some holes, and they better find a left tackle because Kyron Smith is about done. Vikings or Saints Saints today. Saints Saints are Seahawks today depends on the raft of Seattle. Seattle's got a lot of draft capital and a lot of money. I would say Seattle by the end of April were interesting. So it sounds like you have the Saints is maybe a top five team in the NFC this morning. What don't they have? I mean, they have an elite Sean Payton's friends with him, but I mean Julie's still out on the head coach about that's totally fair, totally fair. That's their weakness. A defensive coach and I'm not sure he's the guy. But in terms and that matters. But in terms of personnel, I don't see glaring holes. They have weapons, good old line play, great edge rusher, top corner, emerging young stars. There's not a lot about the Saints. It's a it tomorrow. Yesterday it was a quarterback coach issue. Today it's now just a coach issue. I'm looking forward to. I think you said what Wednesday, You're gonna do the standards. That's always fun because the internet sound crazy here, right, No, I mean I need to drill down a little bit more on this defense that you're hyping. Um, I just know off instantly. They were challenged last so they gave Tom Brady for three years in Tampa. Is this fair? Brady struggled with one NFC team consistently. Dennis Allen has him the best things that one NFC team he struggled with it. Next up the Cowboys. I don't want people to thinking we're shoehorning them in, but they have some news. They announced that Tony Pollard is getting tagged. That's good for them, so he will make ten point one million dollars if he plays on the Tag this year. Okay, I think that's they had to keep him. He suffered that brutal injury, I think, or one of them in the playoff game. Gotta have him. But what does this mean for Dalton Schultz probably gone now here. Maybe they can restructure Zeke Elliott free up some room and they're able to keep Schultz. But I've got some guys on social media telling me the Cowboys backup tight end is awesome. Just trust me, he's really good. They can lose Shultz, all right, all right, I don't know. You can't take away weapons from Dak who I think your line is if he has to throw over thirty fastes, they're probably losing the guards. Thirty five thirty you asked Dak. Pollard's a good signing for them. They need Tony Pollard because really, at this point, ze feels like a short yardage back. Tony Pollard was their second best weapon after CD. He's a home run hitter. He Zeke's out of the home run hitting runs like that's over. I mean he's eight yards or less. That's what he is at this point. All right, Final story Colin is Luca dontage my guy? Yeah? All right, here's so Devin Booker. Look at this video closely. Devin Booker's lobbying, where's the call, where's the call? Where's the call? Yelling at the refer and then he says something to Luca, and Luca says, what the bleep? And get they getting each other's faces here? Lucas not having it. I love this rivalry, I really do. I feel bad for Luca missing that shot because you know, I'm kind I like I like Booker, I like his personality interesting. I mean, do you have a follow Booker on Instagram? For whatever? He's got all these cool cars, he's got this like laid back, chill demeanors, got very much. He's got some swags. He's he's a little Clay Thompson. He lets his game do his talking. But the problem is he's started up a lot since Chris Paul arrived. And don't go talking trash to the best player in the NBA, Luca dont It's okay? Luca would post him up. Did you see the post offs yesterday? Chris Paul fighting with Luca, Devin Booker fighting and Colin. There was another video that emerged of Kyrie Irving getting in Devin Booker's face after this incident late in the game, and Kyrie and Luca are fiery. I'm just telling you, listen it. Let's let's hear where they have to say after the game. First I'll fire off. You know, you guys say you don't want everybody to be friendly friendly, Here you go. We got you know, we got we got some smoke. I mean, it's just two competitors going at it um. Like I just said, you got everybody speaks on you know how friendly the NBA is now, and and don't like that. And you know, I have no problem with Luca m on or off the court, but you know, when we're competing, we're competing like it I do. This is this is really a steely con. I know you think the MAVs are wobbly, but Colin, they with Luke Ka and Kyrie, they've lost I think five games by fewer than like four or five points. They've been really close. They're just starting to figure it out. They've got another seventeen games. I'm telling you right now, Colin, just remember I've I've had some big hits on this show. This team's gonna be deadly in the postseason. And I will who's defending the room? Who cares everybody's stopping this offense? This I will. I'm willing to say the MAVs are going to the conference finals. Oh god, come on, I don't care what the matchup is. They are that good. This team, it's they They've been playing together for like seven games. It's funny, Kadi and the son's been playing together three They've got to lose. Did you see the strategy? The map said, We're gonna give Josha Kogee and Wainwright and uh Tory Craig all the shots. Cry Craig was like, oh, for eight from three. This team is basically Chris Paul. Who knows who he's afraid of? Chris Paul anymore? By the way, lamb h Cameron Payne, DeAndre Hey, it's about a seven man rotation and only two guys. Scare you DeAndre Ayton, By the way, once he's gonna start crying about shots, you have like six shots yesterday in the game. It's coming. I can't wait for the Sun's melt out in the place. Who won the game yesterday? It's just weird. I kind of be a standings guy. My favorite thing is what I text cow heard a strong opinion about the game and instantly I'm watching. I'm watching you. He's really locked it on these indies. It's fun. I got on my flight at ten games started. This was my entertainment for two hours and fifteen mine. Are you kind of loud guy on the playlist? Oh, Luca, are you just silent? And I'm never loud guy except on this show. Shockingly, I am loud guy. Yeah, comes out of nowhere. Jay Mack with the news. Well, that's the news and thanks for stopping by the Herd Line. Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays and noon Easter nine am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio FS one and the iHeart Radio app. Hey, it's Ben, host of The Fifth Hour with Ben maller with me in a lot to have you join us on our weekly auditory journey. You're asking what in God's name is the Fifth Hour? I'll tell you it's a spinoff of it, Ben Mallershaw Colt hit overnights on FSR. Why should you listen? Picture if you will? A world will we chat with captains of industry in media sports and more. Every week explored some amazing facts about a human nature and more. Listen to the Fifth Hour with Ben Mallow on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcasts. So the Raiders this story out Derek Carr to the Saints. The Raiders are now front runners for Jimmy Garoppolo. According to Dan Graziano, legitimate reporter, there's a lot of things you can't go into a season if you're the Raiders Mahomes Herbert and Russell Wilson and Sean Payton with Jared Stidham, you gotta go big so and Aaron Rodgers has already said he's not going to the Raiders. So the Raiders are as a franchise, they're strangely viable. And hear me out on this. So there's football's change because of rules and safety regulations. There are now positions that you have to be elite at. You don't have to be great at safety. You don't have to be great at linebacker, you know you don't, but you have to be good at left tackle. Raiders check the box. Colton Miller, You've got to have weapons. They really check the box. Davantae Adams Hunter, Renfro Darren Waller. They have a running back and a decent old line Josh Jacobs that can eat the clock. They can play with a lead, eat the clock. They have an edge rusher and Max Crosby. The Raiders did not finish in fourth place. They finished in third and nine of their eleven losses were one possession. They've got a Minnesota Vikings field to them where first year, they've got an offensive coach. They're putting in a system. You could see them bring in Jimmy Garoppolo, who of course was in New England with Josh McDaniels. He knows the offense. With these weapons score, they're not gonna be a huge drop off to the offense. That's not to be the drop off. The question is, with all their draft capital and their cap space, can they go buy an elite corner because they actually check the box on the defensive line, they have a great pass rout. Crosby's a great, great player, so they could go buy a Jalen Ramsey. They could go buy them. This team checks in twenty twenty three. There's about six boxes. Offensive coach, edge rusher, weapons, left tackle, quarterback, corner. They check all of them except quarterback this morning and corner, and there's Jalen Ramsey is one of the kid at Tampa. They hit Tampa has a really good corner that's going to be on the market. Go buy them, Go buy Jalen Ramsey and then put Garoppolo in. They're strangely viable. If you go look at teams that lose a large number of one possession games, generally that's random, you come back. I remember one year Russell Wilson was like, had a great record in one possession games, even with great quarterbacks. That's not the way it works. That's why I called Minnesota as the most improved team in the NFL this year. Now, I didn't suspect they'd go eleven and zero in one possession games, but nine of the eleven losses for the Raiders were a rookie, first year head coach of first year GM. It's not their quarterback, Derek Carr. He's trying to figure out their system. So my guess is Garoppolo in this system that he knows, is going to be much better in one possession games. That is my guests. And if you look at the Raiders schedule, they didn't finish fourth last year they finished third. A lot of winnable stuff. I mean, you know, home games against teams many believe will regress, the Giants, the Vikings, we don't know if Aaron Rodgers will even be a Packer. Who's going to be the Jets quarterback. And road games against the Colts, Lions, Bears. Those could be winnable. So it's not a daunting schedule. Go buy a corner. You have the third most cap space in the league. Garoppolo fits into this system, which he knows well. There are a lot of teams in this league we just think aren't very good. Half of the playoff teams this year will not make it next year. So the Raiders, I watched them all year long. They're bizarrely viable. They're not the Bears. The Bears don't have a number one receiver, they don't have an edge rusher. We don't know if they have the right quarterback. They've got a defensive coach. Then the Bears have eight boxes they don't check. Raiders check them all except corner, Go buy one and quarterback. This could be your guy who knows the system. So I think I keep your eye in the Raiders there's gonna be a lot that happens here. Desperation speeds up any business. So if Garoppolo in the next forty eight hours signs with the Raiders, the Lamar Jackson situation, the Jet situation, the Aaron Rodgers situation, those dominoes are gonna fall fast. So the Derek Carr moved today by the Saints really puts the Jets in a corner. What are they gonna do? I just want to note, I'm sure the audience here's oh new playoff teams every year. In twenty twenty one, the two number one seeds were the Green Bay Packers and the Tennessee Titans. Neither made the playoffs last year. Things can happen quickly. I know people love like the Buffalo Bills. There's a chance they listen. There was some aggression already, the Josh Allen contract. They're gonna be losing some guys in free agency. Things happen. I know the Packers were thirteen and four and they just missed the playoffs the following year. I wouldn't be shocked if there's some major surprises around the league next year. Major well, I think the one Minnesota's not gonna go eleven and oh and win every single close game. You just that's not gonna happen. Detroit last couple of years is drafted very well. Detroit could very well be better. Lamar leaves Baltimore. They're not going to be as viable if they can't figure out the quarterback. We both like Philadelphia. We both liked Jalen Hurtz. They have a lot of free agents. The schedule was extremely favorable. Probably not going to duplicate what they just did this past year. We would end the coaching change. I think they lost their defensive coordinator. Also, what if Brock Purty comes back down to Earth. Trey Lance isn't the guy in San Franz. Yeah, I mean it's And by the way, you can see what the Rams are doing. And I was told this. I was told I've said this on the air multiple times. I'm pretty well connected to the Rams. I was told McVay said, I'll come back, but a new shift for the organization. Just get me offense. I was told this offseason the Rams were going to move off Ramsey. Everybody but Aaron Donald They're moving off of It's going to become an offensive organization. Mcvay's like, I'll come back, but you got to get me weapons. So the story today Leonard Floyd about eight nine sacks a year. The story was leaked to the rest of the market. He's available, so they've obviously tried to move him. Didn't have a lot of success. So the Rams now put that out there for a reason. Hey, everybody, if you need an edge rusher, nine sacks a year, eight nine sacks a year, Leonard Floyd, we're moving off him. They just moved off Bobby Wagner. I'm told they're gonna move off Jalen Rams. You get draft capital. So what the Rams are doing. So my guess is the Rams next year won't be as good defensively. But McVay, who there was retirement talk. McVay said, Okay, I'll come back. We've got a new sheriff here. Okay, we're gonna We're gonna be good offensively. We may have to. We may be a ten win team losing shootouts, but my reputations offense, I'm not doing that again. I'm not going with Baker Mayfield and a makeshift old line, spend money on offense. Opposite of the Steelers. We're gonna spend all our money on offense.

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 parties. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Here we go our number two live in LA. It's the Herd. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening, it is a great time to be here. Derek Carr this morning, four year deal. We don't know how much yet. New Orleans Saints. He's the best quarterback this morning in that division. They're the best team and the best roster in that division. So half the playoff teams this year will not make it next year. That's the season average. That's the NFL average. So the Saints feel like this morning, that raw, that defense, that quarterback. Saints feel like, oh they'd be a playoff team in that lousy division. That would be a playoff team. So there's one of them this morning. Russell Wilson and Denver. With the Raiders now not having Cart, Denver feels much more viable. Ben Johnson coming back to the Lions. Aaron may be leaving, they feel much more viable. That's what it feels like today. Yeah, and it's tough because you've got to think like, can a Seattle get back there again next year? Or were they all fluky New York Giants? Can they get back there now? They're paying Daniel Jones? So are the Vikings gonna win eleven straight one possession games? Probably? No, No, And the Jets will probably find a way into the Wait a minute, they don't have a quarterback. Dat Here we go on a Monday. Colin right, Colin wrong, fire away where Colin was right. We told you Kad would work. He would work instantly. They would win instantly. In their three and oh on the road, he had thirty seven yesterday Kyrie and the MAVs they're four and five since he showed up Westbrook and these one and five. But with KD he's not fall centric, so he fits quickly, plug and play into any offense. He doesn't need the ball early, he can get it late. He is exactly what we predicted. It would look like. He's been playing there for some time. And wouldn't you know after three games twenty seven, seven and four with the Suns. That's his career average, the best as we predicted, plug and play guy in the league where Colin was raw. I was surprised when I initially heard Derek Carr was going to the Saints. I thought he would go to that division, but Carolina because they had an offensive coach. But Carolina is still to some degree as rebuilding that roster. The Saints are not. That is a playoff roster. It's like when Brady went to Tampa, they had to get a right tackle, upgraded running back, but it was a playoff roster. That's where the Saints are today. So Derek Carr surprised me. Good fit, always rooted for him. Derek Carr the Saints where Colin was right. Anthony Richardson quarterback at Florida, stole the show this weekend, said last week he'll be the most interesting quarterback in the draft, biggest, strongest, fastest. Some Cam Newton compsole. He's not nearly as producted or as talent that as Cam Newton was in college. But the combine, you know, it's a beauty contest. His vertical center record, his forty time some mock drafts have him going in the top two. I don't think he's close to being ready to play in the NFL. I don't think he's even close to play in the NFL. But that's not what we predicted. We said he'd be the most interesting of all the quarterbacks out of college, and this weekend he was where Colin was raw. I didn't like Anthony Davis payne free sitting against Oklahoma City, but I will say this, he was dominant yesterday, thirty nine points, tons of energy in the fourth quarter, had twelve in the final quarter, and it paid off. The Lakers said, listen, okayc doesn't have their best player. We can win without him and Lebron. They did what we do is we need him against Golden State, a smaller defensive roster, and Anthony Davis was unstoppable and he had a ton of energy. So give credit to the Lakers where Colin was right. Despite losing yesterday, you guys sold your warrior stock. I kept saying after the trading deadline. They will get hot with or without Steph Curry. They figured out their bench. They now have Cominga playing more minutes, pools become more reliable. They moved off, James Wiseman, he never fit. You've got Lamb and Michael Green off the bench for some size, and Dante de Vincenzo. He's gotten so many minutes with Steph Curry out, he's now a vital piece in this machine. So yesterday Steph Curry played well, didn't shoot particularly great, but they've won five or six, three and one last week. And I told you if you were selling stock this year on the Warriors, I was buying. They figured out after the trade deadline where Colin was raw, the Rams have given receiver Allen Robinson permission to seek a trade. I thought this was going to be a good get for them. He's just not dynamic. It didn't fit. Now. I was told that Matt Stafford pounded the table, Cooper Cup pounded the table. Two players really wanted Alan Robinson, and so McVay and Lesnie caved to the two players. They were reluctant. Well that's why gms or gms and players or players. I thought he was going to be a nice fit. He had three hundred and forty yards as a Ram. He wasn't a two, he wasn't a three, he was a five. He just was not effective at all. Where Colin was right. Well, according to Dane Brugler, c J. Stroud was the most impressive player he saw this weekend at the Combine. And we've said this about Stroud. He's just In Herbert. He's unassuming, he's quiet, a multiple year starter, didn't show any running ability until the final game of his college career. I've got size, maturity, accuracy. He won a lot of games, but like Herbert, the Buckeyes didn't run him until they absolutely had to against Georgia. Same with Oregon against Wisconsin, and then you wake up and go, wait a minute. I had no idea he could run. Nobody had any idea Justin Herbert could do what he did against the Badgers in the Rose Bowl. So I there's a lot to like about him. Big, no ego, unassuming, quiet, productive, multiple year starter, and nobody's talking about it. Nobody was talking about Herbert, it was Tah, it was Burrow, and here's Justin walks into the league and he's great. Day one where Colin was right. Luca and Kyrie we said they would be dynamic, but not a serious contender. They're both awful defensively. They're fun to watch they're an automatic bucket. They're great for Sports Center. You could write articles about him, but they're two and five playing together there and mostly because it's like ABA basketball. The only thing difference the color of the ball. It can't defend anybody, but it is fun. And can I just say this, I know you love Luca. He even complains when he gets the bucket. I've never seen it. I mean, Magic Johnson used to really complain a lot. Luca complains about everything, even when he wins. Even when he wins the possession, he complains. Not I'm kind of getting over it, all right with that? On a busy NFL day today. Rick Buker Fox Sports NBA analysts covering the NBA now for almost thirty years. Your first year was nineteen ninety three. Was your first year cover in the NBA. Do you remember it well, by the way your rookie year? I do, because it was. It was one of the greatest NBA finals that I've ever watched, triple overtime bull Sons Georgian versus Barkley. I came in on a high, my friend, Yes, so those are yes. And the Warriors were tanking for Chris Webber. So it was a very momentous year. Okay, so we were believers. Kevin durant I said this order. There's an argument to be made the two greatest teams in league history, the Warriors, when they brought in KD and he fit in seamlessly. I had my doubts, and then then the Bulls that if you put players as good as kareemer Magic on those Bulls teams, it would change the way they play. Yeah, you could just say Pippin, you go home, Katie you play, and Katie would work on that team. You could make him a better version of Ku. Coach is that k D is very rare in an era where those who score have to dominate the ball. He doesn't. He fits everything. He fit with Simmons who won't shoot, Kyrie who won't show up, and Harden was over shaped, out of shape. I think I watched yesterday and I'm like, they can play with anybody. Maybe not Milwaukee, but I well, what do you make of it? I agree with you one thousand percent when it comes to KD because he can score in so many ways, and we saw that with the Warriors. Would have made him so devastating is he could score off of one or two dribbles and you put him in position and he's either scoring from the mid range or he can attack the rim if he wants. But yeah, that's why he fits with everyone. Now. I think one of the things that we're ignoring when we look at his fit with the Sons versus some of the other teams that we discussed is as much as Chris Paul has fallen off, he's still the organizer. So you have that with the Sons, you have two scorers and Devin Booker and kd and then you have a floor general. There's duplicate. It's duplicative. With the Dallas Mavericks, Luca Dant is a scorer and the floor general and so they're the diversity of roles and responsibility. With the Sons, it's it's clear. And then you have Monty Williams, who has always preached defense like that's part of their DNA. They may not have the same defensive talent, but there that's still part of their base. So I understand why it works. And at this point, having seen everybody else, I was skeptical that the Suns had enough to get it done. But by default I would say that they're my team right now to come out of the West. Okay, and let's talk about the Warriors. So yesterday Steph didn't have a great shooting afternoon, right, But I think his absence has allowed Jordan Pool to flourish and grow and Dante Deef and Genjo to kind of become a floor leader. And so I look at them and I think in a weird way, Steph got time off to other guards appreciably grew. I think they're a handful. I don't because one of the things that I thought the Lakers exposed was they're going to have problems against size, and they're going to see size along the way Anthony Davis could do whatever he won, oh did? Yeah, And they don't have rim protection. And that's where I disagree with you. Wiseman wasn't the defensive player that they needed. Uh, He's much more of an accomplished offensive player at this point in his career and they didn't really need that, which is why they moved off of him. But they needed a rim protector. Their their intuition was correct in terms of what they needed, and they don't have that. Now. How do they do it? Last year? Ah? Well, Draymond was still Draymond and who was who they had to go through? Who who did they have to go through that that had size really didn't well the West Yokich is But Yokich doesn't play like a Classics. He doesn't he doesn't wait from the battle exactly. He's a playmaker and he's from the tops. And they didn't have the driving forces so you didn't have to worry about that in the Saity. I really have to worry about size in the West. Now it's such a wing conference. It is it is. I don't have an MBID, I don't have a Yannis. But but well, the other part is though that the Warriors don't have great wing defenders like Andrea Gudala used to bother Anthony Davis, Clay Thompson used to be a great defensive stop or great two way player those guys with Clay offensively, he's there, But I just believe the combination of not having rim protection and UH and not having great wing defensive players is ultimately going to bite the Warriors and the look. And there's also the disparity of road versus home home. They are unbeatable because and I've been there, Chase Center gets just geeked up and all those young players suddenly Anthony Lamb and Tie Jerome and they all play over their heads. Steph or Clay hits a couple of threes and the building goes nuts. And now they all think, well, we've got this. And they've eked out a lot of wins. It's not like they're blowing teams out. They've come back to win games in Chase Center. I believe just because of that momentum. None of that is existent on the road, and for where they are right now, they're going to have to play a lot of road games to be able to advance. I expect them to be in the playoffs. I don't expect them to be in the play in Yeah, but they're going to have They're going to have to win on the road, and I just don't see the formula for them doing that. So through my life watching the NBA and talking about it, veteran teams dominate in the playoffs, mostly because they're more physical. Ref swallow the whistle and you know those these twenty nine thirty year old guys have been in pro weight rooms for eight years. They push around young guys and the refs don't call it and becomes much more physical. Yeah, there's also a maturity factor. Memphis John Morant, the gun Ig story, And I look at Memphis and I think to myself, this is why I like veteran teams. Yeah, like a kid. What do you make of the job Morant story. It's a tough one because the first time in my life I've seen a young guy make a mistake in the d He's a kid, he's rich. It's a lot. Well, this is the interesting aspect I believe of where we are with the NBA. It used to be in college you have to be conscious of the parental influence. Once they got to the pros, there were men and they were they'd experienced life. Now you gotta have guys who were becoming superstars at nineteen in early twenties, and the influence of I just believe the family dynamic is greater than ever. And he's not alone. I mean, there's we went through the LaVar ball saga, Luca don Chet's it kind of separated from his mom. Like the influence and the number of parents now that want to be principally involved in their in their son's careers as NBA players, whether I mean Kyrie Irving's mom is his agent. Like it's it's not just that they're going out and hiring people to do the various roles, Like they're all intrinsically involved in their lives. And so now it depends on are you are your parents giving their kids good counsel here as there's there, do they understand the big picture? Or are they kind of treating them like parents and uh sometimes accommodating parents rather than discipline parents. So I just I think that the dynamic has changed dramatically, and we're seeing it play out on this platform where we're conscious of everything going on. I like, there's so much about what I know about Jaw that I believe. I don't believe he's a bad person. I don't think he's I just I think that he doesn't. He didn't fully grasp what it means to be a superstar. I wouldn't and how vulnerable if I like, that's why I'm slow to criticize. I know what I was like in my twenties. I made plenty of mistakes and it simply wasn't on as big a stage as thankfully that the Jay is. So I knowing a little bit about who he is. I fully expect that he's going to recover from this, but I think it's it's commensurate for every young guy. I look at who is counseling them, who's advising you. Well. The other thing is the reason the NFL draft get such big TV ratings because you are watching men get drafted who can emotionally and physically win games. In the NFL Day one. In the NBA draft, you get two rounds. There's probably four players per draft that can play initially and have any impact, and they can't drink at the hotel bar. Yeah they're nineteen. Yeah, and so nobody want. The NBA draft doesn't do particularly well. You have about four or five guys, and even the ones that are home runs, they're kids. So I used to you know, we all grew up with you ing at the draft or Tim Duncan, and like the college football draft, these were men. Yeah they were They had a defined game and they had a defined personality. Yeah, we're watching all these young NBA players. They're just growing in front of us. So I tend to be like, you know, I look at John, I'm like, people have asked me, what's my opinion. My opinion is he's a twenty twenty one year old kid. The world's his oyster. He's now got one hundred million dollars, and he's not quite sure who to eliminate from a social circle, who to include. I didn't at that I was poor, So I just think it's a lot to heap on a twenty one year old or however he old here, especially with NBA players, they're always told don't forget where you came front course, and so there's this mixed message of you know, stay true to your roots. But the reality is, as a result of your fame, as a result of your finances, you're in a different stratosphere. Ye, Now, you don't Not everybody, Not everybody is a good actor, like every even people that grew up with stability in their lives. Yeah, there's a lot of wannabes when you get rich, and you can like, don't forget where you came from, But sometimes you have to forget who you came up with in order to Jalen Rose talked about this yet, yeah, and in in order to move forward. So I understand that I think he'll get it turned around. The challenge I would fully expect. Plus it's a respected inside there there Um, the management's respected, right, Like this is a pretty well run organization, is it? This is where I this is where I have questions about the Memphis Grizzlies. Taylor Jenkins is such an attention to detail coach. But being around and I haven't been around that that that team a lot, but what little I have, it almost feels like there's a trade either a trade off or a trust. It's a it's a very young team. Yeah, I don't sense there's a lot of influence on them outside of what they're expected to do on the basketball court. They're kind of left to their own devices. Yeah, and I and I don't And I'm this is speculation on my part, but I often see this in small markets with big stars. They're afraid to hold the young guys accountable because they think the young guys are gonna go aau on them and say, I'm out, Oh what you want to tell me what to do? Do you understand you're Memphis, I'm John Moran, Like, I'll go someplace else if you don't, like if you're gonna try to pull the leash on me. And and I'm not saying that's what is happening here. But I've seen that dynamic with teams that are afraid to lose their superstars Green Bay and Aaron Rodgers and Varve. They manipulate the franchise. It's I mean it. I mean Baltimore today, it's like, Okay, Lamar maybe maybe not yeah, right, like yeah, they have a history of its. It's the strength of the instance, is the strength of the organization where they say, you know, I mean, Jerry Grouse would say organizations win championships, not players. That's that's taking it to the other side of it. Yeah, but there has to be some element of that. Okay, I'm gonna throw this out there right now. We were talking about this last week. This always scares me. There's always genuinely, Knicks are gonna knock somebody off. The Knicks are gonna knock somebody off big. It's not gonna be Milwaukee. You don't buy the Knicks. Not buying the Knicks yet. I do. I think they're better, but their decision making it still suspect. And I believe it really comes down to matchups. And no, I'm not taking the recent wins eking one out over the Boston Celtics as an indication. Nah, okay, okay, all right, now, there is a history in the NBA. Let's be honest. There are teams that haven't done anything in the postseason, and they treat the regular season with great urgency, right Celtics aren't, you know, like the Warriors don't in the first half, pop of it just spurs after titles didn't. So this Knicks team seating matters, they would love. Tom Thibodeaux teams take every single regular season game seriously, and then the question is when you get to the postseason, can you elevate? I mean, I look, honestly, I think they're better than the team that lost to the Hawks in the first round. When I heard this exact same narrative about oh we're back, here we go and it's like, yeah, not convinced you. I think your point. Thibodeau teams grind yes, and not everybody does in the regular seasons. You and I have talked about this privately or on my podcast, as that you go into an NBA game on most nights and people have two objectives. Some guys are resting players. I mean, the Lakers go Oklahoma City and like we're rest in a d for the Warriors game. Yeah, So I mean that that's the Knicks objective right now is move up to standings, get home court well and protect their job. I mean, honestly, they're like Jim Dolan hasn't been overall happy with what he expected from a Leon Rose Tom Thibodeaux combination. So making hay and demonstrating that they can deliver is something that they're playing for more so than Joe Massoula and the Boston Celtics at this point. Rick Bucher, good stuff, buddy, Good to see you. One more Herd. 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, endless hot water, easy on the environment, Go tankless, tankless, made symbol dot Com, tankless made symbol dot Com. Asked for navon save energy, Save space. J Mac with the news on a busy Monday. No, no turn on the news. This is the Herd Line news, all right. So the Derek Carr numbers are out. Oh yeah, this is interesting. But the contract. The Saints are crafty, you know, they're good with the cap. Oh they always are, so Ian Rappaport NFL network says four year deal for one hundred and fifty million dollars with one hundred million in total guarantees. But it looks like the first two years are guaranteed for sixty milk and then there's another ten mill that vests for if he goes to year three. So seventy no guaranteed divided by two guaranteed years is about thirty five million dollars. Totally reasonable to good deal for the twelfth Mounts quarterback in the league. They're about and now maybe more info will come out, but this is funny money. When you see one hundred and fifty million for Derek car people are gonna freak out. Dak is making forty mill this year. Is there a big difference between Derek Carr and Dak? Dak has had to carry his franchise. Derek has more than Dad has. Dak carried them anywhere. No, I would say Derek has had terrible defenses his entire time, front office chaos player, chaos, So Dak's grown up. Say what you want about the Cowboys in a reasonably stable environment surrounded by pretty good football players. Derek Carr has has been in a chaotic ownership, front office situation with a new coach every year. So Jason Garrett and Mike McCarthy say what you want about dak is he's had two coaches, both offensive. He's had good coordinators. Now the Cowboys have a great defensive coordinator. We can roll our eyes at the Cowboys, but it's a pretty stable organization. It may underachieve, but it's not unstable. The Raiders have been unstable. So it's hard to look at Derek Carr and give him a fair grade. What is he what will he be in New Orleans? Which is a stable organization? Okay, Now, one thing they haven't really had his receivers. That's been a bit of an issue. Well, so was very good, but very good as Michael Thomas needs. He's gonna stay there. Okay, he's a lot to deal with. Jarvis Landry, I don't know his contract situation, but I think he's gonna be going elsewhere. That would be my guess. Yeah, I mean Kamara is still there. Kamara is still their suspension potentially looming for that incident he had. They don't have a ton of needs. I would guess wide receivers one of them. I would tend to agree with you. The defense was okay, Like, listen, you could say there's a playoff team in the what the NFC South, But that's not like they're not I would have put them in the contender in the NFC, would you. Well, I think they have a very good defense and a very They draft really well, so I if you go look at the last ten drafts, I bet you they're a top six seven team overall. Not a lot of early with I mean, who's the upper crust in the NFC Philadelphia and San Francisco Right there are kind of questions, Okay, who is is the Saints? Are the Saints in the next group in terms of personnel playoff contender? This morning with Derek Carr, they're absolutely in the next three to four. Absolutely. See the weird thing is with Rogers in flux, we don't know, we don't know the package. So who just take out the Niners, Eagles and say, who are the next five teams that you think and you have to count Derek Carr in this, the next five teams that are competent quarterback Cowboys and Saints? Who who would you have higher? I think this morning they're very equal I think they're very Saints would host a playoff game because they win the division, but the Cowboys playing a much tougher so they'll go on the road to the Saints. If you gave me Derek Carr and the Saints Dak and the Cowboys today, I think the Saints have an overall better roster with fewer holes that Cowboys don't have. Cowboys have one legit receiver. It looks like they're going to lose their tight end because they franchise shack Tony Pollard. Today, they don't have a number two corner. The Cowboys have some holes, and they better find a left tackle because Kyron Smith is about done. Vikings or Saints Saints today. Saints Saints are Seahawks today depends on the raft of Seattle. Seattle's got a lot of draft capital and a lot of money. I would say Seattle by the end of April were interesting. So it sounds like you have the Saints is maybe a top five team in the NFC this morning. What don't they have? I mean, they have an elite Sean Payton's friends with him, but I mean Julie's still out on the head coach about that's totally fair, totally fair. That's their weakness. A defensive coach and I'm not sure he's the guy. But in terms and that matters. But in terms of personnel, I don't see glaring holes. They have weapons, good old line play, great edge rusher, top corner, emerging young stars. There's not a lot about the Saints. It's a it tomorrow. Yesterday it was a quarterback coach issue. Today it's now just a coach issue. I'm looking forward to. I think you said what Wednesday, You're gonna do the standards. That's always fun because the internet sound crazy here, right, No, I mean I need to drill down a little bit more on this defense that you're hyping. Um, I just know off instantly. They were challenged last so they gave Tom Brady for three years in Tampa. Is this fair? Brady struggled with one NFC team consistently. Dennis Allen has him the best things that one NFC team he struggled with it. Next up the Cowboys. I don't want people to thinking we're shoehorning them in, but they have some news. They announced that Tony Pollard is getting tagged. That's good for them, so he will make ten point one million dollars if he plays on the Tag this year. Okay, I think that's they had to keep him. He suffered that brutal injury, I think, or one of them in the playoff game. Gotta have him. But what does this mean for Dalton Schultz probably gone now here. Maybe they can restructure Zeke Elliott free up some room and they're able to keep Schultz. But I've got some guys on social media telling me the Cowboys backup tight end is awesome. Just trust me, he's really good. They can lose Shultz, all right, all right, I don't know. You can't take away weapons from Dak who I think your line is if he has to throw over thirty fastes, they're probably losing the guards. Thirty five thirty you asked Dak. Pollard's a good signing for them. They need Tony Pollard because really, at this point, ze feels like a short yardage back. Tony Pollard was their second best weapon after CD. He's a home run hitter. He Zeke's out of the home run hitting runs like that's over. I mean he's eight yards or less. That's what he is at this point. All right, Final story Colin is Luca dontage my guy? Yeah? All right, here's so Devin Booker. Look at this video closely. Devin Booker's lobbying, where's the call, where's the call? Where's the call? Yelling at the refer and then he says something to Luca, and Luca says, what the bleep? And get they getting each other's faces here? Lucas not having it. I love this rivalry, I really do. I feel bad for Luca missing that shot because you know, I'm kind I like I like Booker, I like his personality interesting. I mean, do you have a follow Booker on Instagram? For whatever? He's got all these cool cars, he's got this like laid back, chill demeanors, got very much. He's got some swags. He's he's a little Clay Thompson. He lets his game do his talking. But the problem is he's started up a lot since Chris Paul arrived. And don't go talking trash to the best player in the NBA, Luca dont It's okay? Luca would post him up. Did you see the post offs yesterday? Chris Paul fighting with Luca, Devin Booker fighting and Colin. There was another video that emerged of Kyrie Irving getting in Devin Booker's face after this incident late in the game, and Kyrie and Luca are fiery. I'm just telling you, listen it. Let's let's hear where they have to say after the game. First I'll fire off. You know, you guys say you don't want everybody to be friendly friendly, Here you go. We got you know, we got we got some smoke. I mean, it's just two competitors going at it um. Like I just said, you got everybody speaks on you know how friendly the NBA is now, and and don't like that. And you know, I have no problem with Luca m on or off the court, but you know, when we're competing, we're competing like it I do. This is this is really a steely con. I know you think the MAVs are wobbly, but Colin, they with Luke Ka and Kyrie, they've lost I think five games by fewer than like four or five points. They've been really close. They're just starting to figure it out. They've got another seventeen games. I'm telling you right now, Colin, just remember I've I've had some big hits on this show. This team's gonna be deadly in the postseason. And I will who's defending the room? Who cares everybody's stopping this offense? This I will. I'm willing to say the MAVs are going to the conference finals. Oh god, come on, I don't care what the matchup is. They are that good. This team, it's they They've been playing together for like seven games. It's funny, Kadi and the son's been playing together three They've got to lose. Did you see the strategy? The map said, We're gonna give Josha Kogee and Wainwright and uh Tory Craig all the shots. Cry Craig was like, oh, for eight from three. This team is basically Chris Paul. Who knows who he's afraid of? Chris Paul anymore? By the way, lamb h Cameron Payne, DeAndre Hey, it's about a seven man rotation and only two guys. Scare you DeAndre Ayton, By the way, once he's gonna start crying about shots, you have like six shots yesterday in the game. It's coming. I can't wait for the Sun's melt out in the place. Who won the game yesterday? It's just weird. I kind of be a standings guy. My favorite thing is what I text cow heard a strong opinion about the game and instantly I'm watching. I'm watching you. He's really locked it on these indies. It's fun. I got on my flight at ten games started. This was my entertainment for two hours and fifteen mine. Are you kind of loud guy on the playlist? Oh, Luca, are you just silent? And I'm never loud guy except on this show. Shockingly, I am loud guy. Yeah, comes out of nowhere. Jay Mack with the news. Well, that's the news and thanks for stopping by the Herd Line. Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays and noon Easter nine am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio FS one and the iHeart Radio app. Hey, it's Ben, host of The Fifth Hour with Ben maller with me in a lot to have you join us on our weekly auditory journey. You're asking what in God's name is the Fifth Hour? I'll tell you it's a spinoff of it, Ben Mallershaw Colt hit overnights on FSR. Why should you listen? Picture if you will? A world will we chat with captains of industry in media sports and more. Every week explored some amazing facts about a human nature and more. Listen to the Fifth Hour with Ben Mallow on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcasts. So the Raiders this story out Derek Carr to the Saints. The Raiders are now front runners for Jimmy Garoppolo. According to Dan Graziano, legitimate reporter, there's a lot of things you can't go into a season if you're the Raiders Mahomes Herbert and Russell Wilson and Sean Payton with Jared Stidham, you gotta go big so and Aaron Rodgers has already said he's not going to the Raiders. So the Raiders are as a franchise, they're strangely viable. And hear me out on this. So there's football's change because of rules and safety regulations. There are now positions that you have to be elite at. You don't have to be great at safety. You don't have to be great at linebacker, you know you don't, but you have to be good at left tackle. Raiders check the box. Colton Miller, You've got to have weapons. They really check the box. Davantae Adams Hunter, Renfro Darren Waller. They have a running back and a decent old line Josh Jacobs that can eat the clock. They can play with a lead, eat the clock. They have an edge rusher and Max Crosby. The Raiders did not finish in fourth place. They finished in third and nine of their eleven losses were one possession. They've got a Minnesota Vikings field to them where first year, they've got an offensive coach. They're putting in a system. You could see them bring in Jimmy Garoppolo, who of course was in New England with Josh McDaniels. He knows the offense. With these weapons score, they're not gonna be a huge drop off to the offense. That's not to be the drop off. The question is, with all their draft capital and their cap space, can they go buy an elite corner because they actually check the box on the defensive line, they have a great pass rout. Crosby's a great, great player, so they could go buy a Jalen Ramsey. They could go buy them. This team checks in twenty twenty three. There's about six boxes. Offensive coach, edge rusher, weapons, left tackle, quarterback, corner. They check all of them except quarterback this morning and corner, and there's Jalen Ramsey is one of the kid at Tampa. They hit Tampa has a really good corner that's going to be on the market. Go buy them, Go buy Jalen Ramsey and then put Garoppolo in. They're strangely viable. If you go look at teams that lose a large number of one possession games, generally that's random, you come back. I remember one year Russell Wilson was like, had a great record in one possession games, even with great quarterbacks. That's not the way it works. That's why I called Minnesota as the most improved team in the NFL this year. Now, I didn't suspect they'd go eleven and zero in one possession games, but nine of the eleven losses for the Raiders were a rookie, first year head coach of first year GM. It's not their quarterback, Derek Carr. He's trying to figure out their system. So my guess is Garoppolo in this system that he knows, is going to be much better in one possession games. That is my guests. And if you look at the Raiders schedule, they didn't finish fourth last year they finished third. A lot of winnable stuff. I mean, you know, home games against teams many believe will regress, the Giants, the Vikings, we don't know if Aaron Rodgers will even be a Packer. Who's going to be the Jets quarterback. And road games against the Colts, Lions, Bears. Those could be winnable. So it's not a daunting schedule. Go buy a corner. You have the third most cap space in the league. Garoppolo fits into this system, which he knows well. There are a lot of teams in this league we just think aren't very good. Half of the playoff teams this year will not make it next year. So the Raiders, I watched them all year long. They're bizarrely viable. They're not the Bears. The Bears don't have a number one receiver, they don't have an edge rusher. We don't know if they have the right quarterback. They've got a defensive coach. Then the Bears have eight boxes they don't check. Raiders check them all except corner, Go buy one and quarterback. This could be your guy who knows the system. So I think I keep your eye in the Raiders there's gonna be a lot that happens here. Desperation speeds up any business. So if Garoppolo in the next forty eight hours signs with the Raiders, the Lamar Jackson situation, the Jet situation, the Aaron Rodgers situation, those dominoes are gonna fall fast. So the Derek Carr moved today by the Saints really puts the Jets in a corner. What are they gonna do? I just want to note, I'm sure the audience here's oh new playoff teams every year. In twenty twenty one, the two number one seeds were the Green Bay Packers and the Tennessee Titans. Neither made the playoffs last year. Things can happen quickly. I know people love like the Buffalo Bills. There's a chance they listen. There was some aggression already, the Josh Allen contract. They're gonna be losing some guys in free agency. Things happen. I know the Packers were thirteen and four and they just missed the playoffs the following year. I wouldn't be shocked if there's some major surprises around the league next year. Major well, I think the one Minnesota's not gonna go eleven and oh and win every single close game. You just that's not gonna happen. Detroit last couple of years is drafted very well. Detroit could very well be better. Lamar leaves Baltimore. They're not going to be as viable if they can't figure out the quarterback. We both like Philadelphia. We both liked Jalen Hurtz. They have a lot of free agents. The schedule was extremely favorable. Probably not going to duplicate what they just did this past year. We would end the coaching change. I think they lost their defensive coordinator. Also, what if Brock Purty comes back down to Earth. Trey Lance isn't the guy in San Franz. Yeah, I mean it's And by the way, you can see what the Rams are doing. And I was told this. I was told I've said this on the air multiple times. I'm pretty well connected to the Rams. I was told McVay said, I'll come back, but a new shift for the organization. Just get me offense. I was told this offseason the Rams were going to move off Ramsey. Everybody but Aaron Donald They're moving off of It's going to become an offensive organization. Mcvay's like, I'll come back, but you got to get me weapons. So the story today Leonard Floyd about eight nine sacks a year. The story was leaked to the rest of the market. He's available, so they've obviously tried to move him. Didn't have a lot of success. So the Rams now put that out there for a reason. Hey, everybody, if you need an edge rusher, nine sacks a year, eight nine sacks a year, Leonard Floyd, we're moving off him. They just moved off Bobby Wagner. I'm told they're gonna move off Jalen Rams. You get draft capital. So what the Rams are doing. So my guess is the Rams next year won't be as good defensively. But McVay, who there was retirement talk. McVay said, Okay, I'll come back. We've got a new sheriff here. Okay, we're gonna We're gonna be good offensively. We may have to. We may be a ten win team losing shootouts, but my reputations offense, I'm not doing that again. I'm not going with Baker Mayfield and a makeshift old line, spend money on offense. Opposite of the Steelers. We're gonna spend all our money on offense.