← The Herd with Colin Cowherd
The Herd with Colin Cowherd
3 & Out - LIVE from The NFL Combine, Howie Roseman stops by, News from the day
01:12:39
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- [00:00]
John Middelkoff
This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human. This is Lavar Arrington from Up on Game. This message is brought to you by Apple Card. It's a great time to apply for an Apple Card. You'll love earning unlimited daily cash on every purchase. That includes 3% daily cash when you buy the latest iPhone, AirPods and Apple Watch at Apple through this special referral offer. When you get a new Apple Card, you can earn bonus daily cash. To qualify, you must apply at Apple Co. Get daily cash Apple Card issued by Goldman Sachs bank usa Salt Lake City. Branch offer may not be available elsewhere. Terms and limitations apply.
- [00:36]
Nancy Glass
I'm Amanda Knox, and in the new podcast the Case of Lucy Letby, we unpack the story of an unimaginable tragedy that gripped the UK in 2023. But what if we didn't get the whole story?
- [00:49]
John Middelkoff
Evidence has been made to fit. The moment you look at the whole picture, the case collapsed.
- [00:53]
Nancy Glass
What if the truth was disguised by a story we chose to believe?
- [00:56]
Howie Roseman
Oh, my God.
- [00:57]
Nancy Glass
I think she might be innocent. Listen to Doubt the Case of Lou Lucy Letby on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [01:06]
John Middelkoff
This is Special Agent Riegel, Special Agent Bradley Hall. In 2018, the FBI took down a ring of spies working for China's Ministry of State Security, one of the most mysterious intelligence agencies in the world. The Sixth Bureau podcast is a story of the inner workings of the MSS
- [01:24]
Howie Roseman
and how one man's ambition and mistakes
- [01:27]
John Middelkoff
opened its vault of secrets. Listen to the 6th Bureau on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [01:36]
Nancy Glass
I'm Nancy Glass, host of the Burden of Guilt Season two podcast. This is a story about a horrendous lie that destroyed two families. Late one night, Bobby Gumpright became the victim of a random crime. The perpetrator was sentenced to 99 years until a confession changed everything.
- [01:57]
John Middelkoff
I was a monster.
- [01:59]
Nancy Glass
Listen to Burden of guilt season two on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [02:08]
John Middelkoff
The Volume. What is up, everybody? How are we doing? John Middelkoff three and out podcast live here from Indianapolis where it was freezing. You know what? When I got off the plane last night, it was like 17 degrees. But we have been inside all day. We've been rubbing elbows, we've been shaking hands. I got Ben Johnson to smile. Sala wants to play golf with me. We got a couple GMs. Well, Veach was supposed to come on and then he pulled a Barry Sanders move. On me and never saw him again. He was gone. So don't blame him. He had other stuff to do. But I did get two guys. Howie Roseman, we will play that today. That will probably open the show with that. And I had him for like seven, eight minutes. He's, you know, these guys are running around. And then I got Jackson here with me. We're gonna go through all the breaking news. I haven't really been online because you're just kind of running around this place. And we're just gonna go through some of the big headlines today, react to that, and that'll be the game plan. And then tomorrow I talk to John Schneider. We'll have Schneider on and probably do something similar with newsy stuff and we'll grab other people that are walking around and see what's going on. But we're live from the combine for the next couple days. See if I get more sleep than I normally would. But a lot of people want to go get cocktails. A night out on the town that are know working in the NFL. And that's where you get the good gossip that I kind of give back on this podcast without quite telling what I know, but I kind of know and it makes for good content. So that will be the game plan over the course of the next week. And yeah, so let's you guys know the drill. Subscribe to the podcast wherever you listen. Apple, Spotify, all of our videos. The interview with Howie, the interview with John, this podcast, they're up on up on Netflix, so go check that as well. Appreciate everyone that has. Let's just just dive right into two time super bowl champ Howie Roseman. Okay. I have my former boss here, multiple time super bowl champion, I'd say future hall of Famer, but after Belichick, you never know. Howie Roseman. Howie, Dave Dombrowski. Yeah, I saw he said something recently. Made some pretty big headlines. Do you want to pull a Dave Dombrowski right now?
- [04:32]
Howie Roseman
No, no. I mean, Dave Domrowski is a Hall of Fame general manager and, and unbelievable gm. So I would do anything that Dave did and think that's the right thing to do. But I think where you're going with this is more a negative connotation. Not negative, which he doesn't deserve. Not negative because he is a great gm, a great person. And you know, I do miss having you, man. You know, John, you were a good scout, man. You were a good scout. You had a lot of passion. I think we should tell your viewers, you know how you were, you were persistent you know, you would not hesitate to come to my office and tell me what you thought. You were not meek.
- [05:11]
John Middelkoff
I'm an aggressive human.
- [05:13]
Howie Roseman
Same.
- [05:14]
John Middelkoff
We're on Netflix. Same.
- [05:15]
Howie Roseman
Same.
- [05:15]
John Middelkoff
I mean, I.
- [05:15]
Howie Roseman
We're on Netflix right now.
- [05:17]
John Middelkoff
Well, not live, technically, but we will be in the next day or two.
- [05:20]
Howie Roseman
So just interviews on Netflix?
- [05:22]
John Middelkoff
No, my whole podcast on Netflix.
- [05:24]
Howie Roseman
Really?
- [05:24]
John Middelkoff
Yeah. So we did that official, like, a month ago. So just everything's on Netflix.
- [05:27]
Howie Roseman
What does that go for? That deal?
- [05:28]
John Middelkoff
Pretty good. You know, I wouldn't say, you know, like quarterback money, but, I mean, it's pretty solid guard. Yeah, well, maybe the way the economics
- [05:38]
Howie Roseman
are now in the league, sounds like better than GM money.
- [05:41]
John Middelkoff
No, I wouldn't. I wouldn't say that. I don't know. I don't know what.
- [05:45]
Howie Roseman
Geez. Should be getting into the podcast.
- [05:47]
John Middelkoff
What combine is this for you?
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Howie Roseman
26.
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John Middelkoff
That's pretty crazy, huh?
- [05:51]
Howie Roseman
Yeah. Yeah.
- [05:52]
John Middelkoff
Get old.
- [05:53]
Howie Roseman
No, I'm not old.
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John Middelkoff
No, I said, does this get old?
- [05:57]
Howie Roseman
I don't think I'm old at all, actually. I think I'm looking pretty good. You know, I look good. Thanks, buddy. It's part of what we got to do, right? We want to meet the players. We want to get to know them as well as possible so we can make good decisions. Gives an opportunity to see people you don't see all year, which is huge. And it really completes the process because you're looking at the tape, you're getting the numbers that match the tape. Hopefully you're getting to interview guys and you're getting the medical, and you need all four pieces of that information to make good decisions.
- [06:30]
John Middelkoff
One thing I remember is every team we'd play, you'd watch the free agents, and then throughout the year, you'd watch the different draft guys. Your role has obviously, I'm sure, changed a little bit. Are you still able to, like, coming into this, all the free agents and the draft guys? Is it the same as 10 years ago?
- [06:43]
Howie Roseman
Yeah, I would say I'm probably more draft than I am free agents. I start watching the draft guys when we report back to camp, training camp in July, because really, you're thinking about it. We got one practice, we watch the practice, and then we're around the Right. We're around the rest of the day. And so it gives a great chance to kind of start the draft process in July and August and really figure out throughout the course of the season the guys that you like, because they don't change that much over junior tape or sometimes, you know, even sophomore tape. And Then with free agency, you know, if you draft well and you develop your players and you resign them, you should really be targeting free agency. So you can really do that in a more targeted way. But the draft, you got to know every player in the draft, and really that's been a huge key to our success.
- [07:29]
John Middelkoff
So, like you said, target free agents. I mean, everyone does that. I know how you guys operate. So you come here. What would you say that number is of guys? You're very like, less than 10, right?
- [07:38]
Howie Roseman
In terms of free agency?
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John Middelkoff
Yeah.
- [07:40]
Howie Roseman
Yeah. I think where we are as a team right now, you know, we're really, we have a lot of players on our roster who are going into their second contracts, whether it's this year, next year, or third year. And you can look on defense, you know, we drafted a lot of defensive guys and guys who played at a high level. And so you'd really rather retain your own guys, the guys that, you know, that you've lived with, and then periodically dip into free agency. And obviously, you know, when you can do that, get some bang for your buck. And if you're letting your guys go, you're getting more picks, which means you have to be even more tight on your draft. And I think that's exciting. You know, like, you have this core base of players that are Eagle players that are on their second contracts, and you're adding on to it, and you're adding on to it, and you're adding on to it.
- [08:22]
John Middelkoff
You know, I was thinking, you know, Brandon Graham retired. I know he came back. Lane's getting older, Kelsey retired, Fletcher retired. Like, that's a core group of, like hall of Famers.
- [08:32]
Howie Roseman
Your role now, those four guys.
- [08:35]
John Middelkoff
So how do you replace that?
- [08:37]
Howie Roseman
Well, I think that those four guys were special guys, you know, and those guys were with me really, through a lot of ups and downs. And, you know, you lost Kelsey, you lost Fletch, you lost BG came back and now you have Lane. And so you got to replace them with great players and great people. And I think that we've done that. You know, you look at the players on our team who can make game changing plays, who I think have potential to be Eagles, hall of Famers, maybe NFL hall of Famers. And that's important. You have to have difference makers on your roster. You know, those are the guys that really show up when you're talking about big games, you're talking about late in the year. And so we're trying to have as many difference makers as we possibly can within the confines of the system that we work in.
- [09:18]
John Middelkoff
I know you got to run, so I did. I've been thinking about this for a couple days.
- [09:22]
Howie Roseman
Yeah, you got. You got me a couple days.
- [09:23]
John Middelkoff
The league when I was with you was much more old school in terms of trades. You know, there were a couple, but you were kind of on the forefront of that baseball bat. I mean, your friends, all these baseball and basketball GMs. But now you look around, a lot of your peers are, like, wheeling and dealing. So is the league easier for you that more people are willing to talk or harder? Because more people are bidding for stuff that you like? We don't even need to bid as much because we don't have seven teams going forward.
- [09:49]
Howie Roseman
I haven't thought about it like that. You know, I think for me, it's constantly finding edges. It's constantly evolving, you know, as a gm, constantly trying to figure out the areas that you can improve on, the areas that maybe you can find value in. And that's what I love about this. You know, it's just. It's a humbling league. And for me, when you see that there are areas that you can continue to grow, that you can continue to develop, and that you can't just keep doing the same things, expect the same results. It keeps you on your toes. I love what we do. And I think that when you have passion for something and you're trying to find ways to improve, you know, it gives you a chance to compete at fast.
- [10:25]
John Middelkoff
So you did good GM talk right there. But what's the area that you're going to attack right now that no one knows about?
- [10:31]
Howie Roseman
Hi, Howie Roseman. John, nice to meet you. You think I'm telling you that.
- [10:34]
John Middelkoff
Okay, we got a standing tee time. Robert Salva, Arizona, owners meetings. Do you want in?
- [10:39]
Howie Roseman
Well, you got one kid. I have four, so that.
- [10:42]
John Middelkoff
Well, you're gonna be at the owner's meetings. I'll be back at home.
- [10:44]
Howie Roseman
Well, I was hoping more that you were gonna give me your. Remember when you go on the road and I tell. What did I tell you? Give me a restaurant in the city. I am. And then I'm gonna judge you for your evaluation of the food.
- [10:54]
John Middelkoff
I'd go, Dominic's, the steakhouse. You've probably eaten there before. I would say the mastro.
- [11:00]
Howie Roseman
You're doing this on your podcast. You know, you're gonna Mission.
- [11:03]
John Middelkoff
Have you been to the Mission before? In Scottsdale? You've probably eaten there. That's pretty good.
- [11:06]
Howie Roseman
Yeah, that's good.
- [11:08]
John Middelkoff
I would say Dominic's best.
- [11:09]
Howie Roseman
I'm going to call you up to get me a reservation because I know you got ins with all those people.
- [11:12]
John Middelkoff
Yeah, you know, it's good to see you brother. Good to see you too, Howie.
- [11:14]
Howie Roseman
Thanks for having me.
- [11:15]
John Middelkoff
See you. Okay, let's fire over to to some thoughts from the day from from me and Jackson. Today's show is brought to you by our presenting sponsor, Hard Rock Fed Florida Sports Book I know it's tough with no football. Makes me sad, but like the song says, I bet I will survive. With Hard Rock Bet, there's always something. Every single night. Oops. Hockey. So much more. Plus all the great same game parlay, live betting and player prop options you're used to. And did you know that Hard Rock Bed is the official sports betting partner of the Miami Heat and the Orlando Magic? So they know their basketball Hard Rock Bet Apple is the only legal sportsbook whenever you're in Florida. So if you live in Arizona, Ohio, New Jersey, Indiana, Tennessee, Virginia, Illinois, Colorado and Michigan coming to states near you as well. If you haven't signed up for Hard Rock Bet yet, there's never been a better time. New signups can double their winnings on their first 10 bets max 50 bucks. That's right. If you would have won a hundred bucks on your bet, you make $200 plus. Hard Rock bet offers new promos daily. Download the Hard Rock Bet app and make your first deposit today. Payable and bonus bets. Not a cash offer. Offered by Seminole Tribe of Florida in Florida. Offered by Seminole hard Rock Digital LLC in all other states. You must be 21 plus and physically present in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee and Virginia to play. Terms and conditions apply. Concerned about gambling in Florida? Call 1-833-PLAY-WISE in Indiana. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-9 with it gambling problem? Call 1-800- gambler Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia cold days, big goals. No time to cook factor makes healthy eating easy with fully prepared meals designed by dietitians and crafted by chefs. So eat well without planning or cooking. Listen, as new parents, you don't have quite as much time to cook because you're just tired. You're trying to do a million things and it's so easy to have already prepared meals that fit your goals and your schedule. But here's the key healthy eating, calorie management and more protein. So they have over 100 rotating meals per week. Options include High Protein calorie, smart Mediterranean, GLP1 support and ready to Eat Salad it's always fresh, never frozen, ready to eat in about two minutes. So head to FactorMeals.com John50OFF and use code John50OFF to get 50% off and free breakfast free for a year. Eat like a pro this month with Factor New subscribers only. Varies by plan. One free breakfast item per box for one year while subscription is active.
- [14:23]
Nancy Glass
I'm Nancy Glass, host of the Burden of Guilt Season two podcast. This is a story about a horrendous lie that destroyed two families. Late one night, Bobby Gumprite became the victim of a random crime.
- [14:39]
John Middelkoff
He pulls the gun, tells me to lie down on the ground.
- [14:43]
Nancy Glass
He identified Jermaine Hudson as the perpetrator. Jermaine was sentenced to 99 years.
- [14:52]
John Middelkoff
I'm like, lord, this can't be real. I thought it was a mistaken identity. The best lie is partial truth.
- [15:00]
Nancy Glass
For 22 years, only two people knew the truth. Until a confession changed everything.
- [15:09]
John Middelkoff
I was a monster.
- [15:11]
Nancy Glass
Listen to Burden of guilt season two on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What if mind control is real?
- [15:25]
John Middelkoff
If you could control the behavior of anybody around you, what kind of life would you have?
- [15:28]
Nancy Glass
Can you hypnotically persuade someone to buy a car?
- [15:31]
John Middelkoff
When you look at your car, you're going to become overwhelmed with such a good feelings.
- [15:35]
Nancy Glass
Can you hypnotize someone into sleeping with you?
- [15:38]
John Middelkoff
I gave her some suggestions to be sexually aroused.
- [15:42]
Nancy Glass
Can you get someone to join your cult?
- [15:44]
John Middelkoff
NLP was used on me to access my subconscious.
- [15:47]
Nancy Glass
Nlp, AKA Neuro Linguistic Programming, is a blend of hypnosis, linguistics and psychology. Fans say it's like finally getting a user manual for your brain.
- [15:58]
John Middelkoff
It's about engineering consciousness.
- [16:00]
Nancy Glass
Mind Games is the story of nlp, its crazy cast of disciples and the fake doctor who invented it at a New age commune and sold it to guys in suits. He stood trial for murder and got acquitted. The biggest mind game of all, nlp, might actually work.
- [16:18]
John Middelkoff
This is wild.
- [16:19]
Nancy Glass
Listen to mind Games on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.
- [16:32]
John Middelkoff
Okay, that was. That was cool. You killed it today. I laid it all in the line, man.
- [16:39]
Jackson
I just gotta ask for a podcaster like yourself full time. You had a baby. You haven't been out of the house in a while. How does it feel talking to that many people today? The social reel we're about to post the faces and the hands that you shook today. The program's gotta be proud.
- [16:54]
John Middelkoff
I did get out on Saturday, played some golf, and it turned out it was a legendary meltdown89 that he was having. No, not me. Of course I'm talking the kid. Right before I was leaving, she was like, yeah, go enjoy yourself. And tee times at one and right around, like, 11:30, loudest screams and cries he's ever had. And it went all the way till I left. I'm like, that ain't good. I guess he calmed down. But when I came back, it was bad. So, you know, getting here, trying to integrate back into society, and my little man's doing well. Maybe it's just me, you know, that brings bad juice to him. So, yeah, you just. You got to do what you got to do. You know, I'm kind of. I'll do whatever for the show, and I won't for most things in life. But when it comes to the podcast, very passionate, and it's my life. So I do things again. I, like, introduce myself to Robert Sala and Ben Johnson. I've met Sala before, but Ben Johnson, he was. He had mentioned that Colin, he thought he saw Coward at a restaurant. And then I made a joke that if Colin would have seen him, they would. You know, Colin would have ran over to him, talked offense, and I got Ben laughing. So it was.
- [18:04]
Jackson
You met John Harbaugh, too?
- [18:06]
John Middelkoff
Met John Harbaugh. I'd met him briefly a long time ago. But these guys. These guys meet so many people. If you don't know them, they never remember you. So you just got to introduce yourself. I introduced myself to every single person. And half these people. I'm not even talking like coaches. I'm talking like media people, like Tom Pelissaro. I've known him for, like, 15 years. He's like, bro, why'd you introduce yourself? I'm just like. I'm just in the habit of like, hey, John Middlekopf. You know, so he's like, hey, John Middlekop. That's the type networking thing. Like, I'm not in these events. A lot of people listening to this, which I respect. The hell out of you that are in sales, that go to these conventions, like, you're used to doing this stuff. When you get out of that world, you kind of. Maybe you kind of come back into it. You don't even care. So you're just kind of. You're just ruthless. But if you do it a lot, I can see where it would drive you nuts. Your social battery can just. My social battery's cool. Again, I'm talking to people that I would want to talk to. Yeah, but it's takes a lot of Energy and I haven't eaten. Hopefully lost like £5 because I'm kind of fat and. Yeah, just rocking and rolling.
- [19:03]
Jackson
At least 10,000 steps today.
- [19:05]
John Middelkoff
So what I mean, part of today, you know, you, me, people in this business, we kind of like, follow stories. You kind of lose track of things. And so much is happening, so much is firing. So what I thought, let's get Jackson, get the top stories of the day. You rattle them off, and I'll just react to what's going on. Yeah.
- [19:22]
Jackson
Let's start with the top one. This one happened later in the day. 5 time all pro left tackle Trent Williams, scheduled to carry a $39 million cap number this season. He and the 49ers are struggling to agree agree on a compensation, a solution. If the two sides can't bridge their differences in the standoff, Williams would be expected to join this year's free agent class. According to Adam Schefter, it's not an off season without a 49er being a little angry about some extra money. Mr. Middelkopf.
- [19:49]
John Middelkoff
Well, their offensive line is not good, and he's one of the greatest offensive linemen of all time and he loves his money. Now, what makes us. We're recording this before John lynch is talking like, midnight. I'm like, I'm not waiting for John lynch stock. And I'm sure he'll say, like, we plan on figuring it out. They don't want to cut Trent Williams. No, but Trent only has so many years left. He sees these young offensive tackles get paid 30, $35 million. And I don't even blame him. Like, he's got leverage in the sense of, like, I'm one of the greatest players of all time. I'm by far the best offensive lineman on this team. You could argue I'm the best player on this offense. You know, technically it was Kittle, but he's got a tornado achilles. You know, McCaffrey's didn't quite look the same this year. Now, Trent's older too, but yeah, I mean, this is part of dealing with older players is like every year Trent wants a race which not ideal to do business that way, but if you're Trent, like, I kind of understand it. Like, he. How many years he got left. So you got to take advantage of it. An extra $10 million. Trent's no dummy. Like, when he's retired in like 43, there probably ain't many jobs paying him like that 30 million. You got to strike when the iron's hot and his iron still hot because The Niners need him. They love him. I mean, he's like Kyle's guy. You just can't cut Trent Williams. So it's like the story's cool and I understand it. Like, they're probably angry at each other. Maybe Trent wants that out. But I'll promise you this. I would be beside like Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Mahomes. I would put him in like the top 10 list of like 49ers. Cut Trent Williams, I wouldn't believe you.
- [21:30]
Jackson
Does this ponder the fact they drafted 27th? Obviously they probably need receiver help with how deep this receiver class is. Does the left tackle come to the brain of John lynch, even? Are the Left tackle Slim?
- [21:42]
John Middelkoff
49ers don't draft offensive linemen. They've done it like most McGlinchey. When they first got there, they got very lucky that Trent loves Kyle. When Trent retired for like a year, then came back, he's like, I'm never playing for the Commanders. They were the Redskins or the football team at the time. I came Cuba, but was like, I'm not playing here again. They're like, okay, so the 49ers. Joe Staley just retired, offered a third round pick. The Vikings offered more money and a second round pick, but Trent's like, I'm only playing in San Francisco. So this whole thing now, they deserve credit because Kyle and his dad drafted them. So they love like, they were close. Yeah. But they got lucky the way it all played out. But there's no, like, most. Josh Simmons last year who got drafted by the Chiefs, Remember he was injured. Like, usually guys like that aren't sitting there in the late 20s, early 30s. So the 49ers, once upon a time, I think took Joe Staley like 27 or 28. He was a converted tight end like, like small. I think it was like Western Michigan or one of that. And obviously it was like seven, six time Pro Bowler, excellent pick. Most of your top tackles aren't like Jordan Mylotta, the seventh round rugby player. You know, they're usually Lane Johnson, Trent Williams, Joe Alt. Like, you usually drafted high. So Slater for the Chargers, you know, you guys had. Who's your tackle that you had forever in Arizona who was drafted first rounder. Right.
- [23:01]
Jackson
Paris Johnson, D.J. humphries.
- [23:03]
John Middelkoff
What round were those guys drafted?
- [23:04]
Jackson
First round.
- [23:04]
John Middelkoff
Yeah. But usually high. Yeah. So I think it's. I think it becomes like a difficult proposition of you just got to pay them. But you, you. It's weird because you're like, I don't love paying a 38 year old giving him like guaranteeing him like $50 million. But again, this is where Trent has them by the balls. Like if this is a negotiation tactic, Trent Williams got the, got the levered cut me.
- [23:29]
Jackson
Is it, is it a two year deal? He wants a three year deal.
- [23:31]
John Middelkoff
He just wants money guaranteed and a lot. So I don't think it's about like five years. I just the top guys making 35, like I want guaranteed a lot of money. And I think that's been his consistent theme. I got to be the highest paid guy or I gotta be one of the highest paid guy. And you just naturally when you don't sign a read a new deal in a couple years, it kind of dips. So but that's the part of like he ain't alone. Like that story got out. There's maybe not as like future hall of Famers, but there are pro bowlers all around the league right now that want a race. Said it forever. Money's all relative. Whether you make 30 grand a year or whether you make $30 million a year. That money is relative to your life and relative to what you do for a living and how you judge yourself against your peers. And in football, you know how much all your peers make. It would be no different if instead of $30 million a year, the number was 300 grand a year, players would want 320 grand. Like he wants 32 mil, whatever the number is. So I just think like this is football and what makes football different, basketball and baseball is like the contracts are all kind of fake. So like, well, Trent's owed what. It's all kind of funny money. Yeah, he knows it.
- [24:39]
Jackson
Speaking of guaranteed, something that the Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni can't guarantee is that A.J. brown will be back for the Eagles this season. Now Eagles general manager Howie Rose Roseman commented about A.J. brown and said it's hard to improve, improve by subtracting great players. So you got Sirianni that says he can't guarantee anything. You got Roseman that it says it's hard to improve when you subtract great players. Thoughts on that and what's going to happen with A.J. brown?
- [25:05]
John Middelkoff
Well, I thought like a couple weeks ago it might be hard to trade for him because he's like a little older, but he's not that old. He's like 28, 29, makes a lot of money. I don't think that's. I was wrong. I actually think it would be pretty easy for the them to trade them. They definitely get a second round Pick but you know, you know, putting my ear to the ground talking to some people. They're not just going to give them away for like pick 50. I don't think like, I don't think they're desperate to give them away. Like I thought like people on the outside think so could they get the Patriots 31st pick or something like that if they would have to think about it. But I don't think you. I originally thought he was going to be somewhat of a bargain if a team was willing to take a salary, maybe give him an extension. I don't think Eagles are just going to hand him off. So my guess would be we're going to see a lot of different stories come out about like the composite. Like Eagles want more. I think that's going to be a lot. Eagles want more. Okay, second, I want your second this year and second next year. Like I think he's going to ask for a lot because I don't have to give him away.
- [26:07]
Jackson
Do you think the Raiders at. I'm looking at the second round 36 or Giants at 37 would get one of those or is that too valuable on their end where they're trying to get things going?
- [26:16]
John Middelkoff
I think for the Raiders, I don't. That'd be. I think you got to use that.
- [26:21]
Jackson
It's like you got to get some linemen.
- [26:23]
John Middelkoff
Yeah, they've done that. Remember they traded for Devonte Adams and it blew up in their face. I do not think the Raiders can be in that business. I mean a lot of people think that Max Crosby might not even get traded. So if you're going to keep Max Crosby, could you entertain bringing A.J. brown to go Fernando Mendoza? But then your offensive line sucks. Yeah, I mean I would say the Giants would be a team that would sniff around, but is Howie Roseman gonna trade him to John Harbaugh in the New York Giants?
- [26:52]
Jackson
That's true. The in division like there are certain. I always forget about that.
- [26:54]
John Middelkoff
There are certain trades like Veach would love to get Max Crosby, but that's. It's a non starter. Remember how he was like sniffing around Micah Parsons last year? Like it just doesn't happen. Which I understand you cannot to me trade superstar players. They'd have to give you like, you know, 500% of value on an individual to make it worth it.
- [27:21]
Jackson
Speaking of star players, John Spitek was asked today about star defensive end Max Crosby and he expects him to play in 2026amid the trade speculation. I mean that's typical GM talk. I'm assuming the fact that he's going to probably go out and at least hear from the outside noise. What are your thoughts on, on Spytech in the whole.
- [27:42]
John Middelkoff
Say it again. I wasn't really listening.
- [27:45]
Jackson
We're in a daze right now. We've been here since like 9.
- [27:47]
John Middelkoff
I got a text from my wife and I couldn't tell it, but it was kind of stupid.
- [27:50]
Jackson
Spytech expects Crosby basically to be on the team this next year. Amid the trade talk, that's kind of what you expect him to say, right?
- [27:58]
John Middelkoff
Yeah, I think he's got to say that now. And I think he does believe, like, he does want it to work out. I was talking to someone and I'm in total agreement. Like, Max Crosby is everything you'd want in a high end player. He's a great player, plays his ass off, he'll play injured. He is now like married kid, sober for years. You don't have to worry about any of that crap. He's in the facility constantly. He's an all in guy. Like, to me, I think the more quote unquote, all in guys, you can have, like part of the 49ers, they had no business being that good this year, but they got a lot of all in guys. Like George Kittle's, all his feet, like, he ain't jumping out the boat. You know, McCaffrey's like that, Fred Warner's like that. Max Crosby is wired like dudes that would play for the Chiefs, dudes that would play for the New England Patriot, Brady Belt, like, that's who you want. So to me, I mean, I'm asking for a lot now. I would trade him because I do think it's time to kind of blow it up, start over. But like, when I hear, you know, you're not going to get as much of Micah Parsons, then you're not getting Max Crosby. And I know you want Max Crosby's under contract. One thing I heard is like the injuries. He's been injured the last couple years at the end of the season, but even this year he could have kept playing. It's not like there's one thing if you're injured and you, oh, he only played seven games. He plays in games. So I think you get two first round picks for him and I think if you get two first round picks for him, if you're the Raiders, I think you got to think about it. The problem, I bet he's saying is like, then we get Fernando on this awful team, Our defense is worse. Even if we draft offensive linemen, they're young. It's probably going to be a long year no matter what. I'm a Spy Tech fan. I'm rooting for this Raider operation. I like Fernando Mendoza, but eventually got to pull off the band aid and he is. How often do you get guys 28, 29 with elite value. Like Miles Garrett was rare last year. He was like over 30. It was like the whole league would have traded two first round picks and two second round picks for him. Pretty rare, right? And he's, he's like one of the great talents of all time. Max isn't as talented as Miles, but like Miles like shows up late to meetings and shit, but no one cares. He's so good. He's kind of like an NBA player where Max is more wired. Like an NFL guy, like an all in guy or just I guess there are a lot of drama guys in the NFL too, but you don't. There's not much drama there. So to me I think you would get, you know, Mike is a better player because he's younger, but he also cost them $188 million. Max doesn't cost you anything because he's already under contract at a relatively low number. You just have to give the draft capital. So I, I think, I think there can be a lot of stories about offers and I think a lot of people are going to come in like we'll give you a first and a second and I think they're going to get no's, but I do think they'll end up getting a two ones and a player or something.
- [30:45]
Jackson
Well, you spoke to Howie Roseman, John Schneider, Eagle Seahawks, rumored to be with some of those teams to go after Max Crosby and Bears two. Do you kind of expect it to be more of an NFC team or you think it's kind of like we're going to open the book to anybody, even the AFC itself. But if I'm spy Tech, apparently what he said, he's going to try to keep him and kind of get that leader moving forward in this new regime.
- [31:08]
John Middelkoff
With Kubiak, two teams that would want them would be the Chiefs and the Chargers. They ain't trading them there.
- [31:15]
Jackson
No.
- [31:16]
John Middelkoff
I'm sure Denver be interested too. So like three of the best teams. I know the Chiefs didn't make the playoffs this year, but like Denver Chargers, playoff teams, Chiefs, five of the last six Super Bowl. Those are like three of the best teams in the AFC that aren't even available because they would never even. They're not even talking. The Bills would be an Interesting team. Ravens new coach? I don't know. So. But, but Matt Nagy's first year with the, with the Bears, they traded for Cleo Mack. So a lot of teams will be sniffing around like the Bengals. Why wouldn't they be all over them? Oh my gosh, that'd be a great fit. The NFC teams make more sense sense. Niners, Rams, Bears, Lions, Eagles, Seattle. Like all the heavy hitters would be interested in him.
- [31:58]
Jackson
When's the last time the Bengals made a big trade?
- [31:59]
John Middelkoff
Yeah, they won't.
- [32:00]
Jackson
They're cheap.
- [32:01]
John Middelkoff
No, no chance.
- [32:03]
Jackson
Texans GM Nick Castario called trade speculation about his quarterback, C.J. stroud, moronic and insisted the team is not trading C.J.
- [32:11]
John Middelkoff
is there trade speculation? Is that out there? I guess. Well, I think part of it is he's going into his fourth year, so they'll pick up his fifth year option. His agent is Mulgetta. The, the heavy hitter. They like getting their guys paid, but it's like you don't have as much juice right now. Like you're not going to get a big quarterback contract. And we've been talking about this of like if you pay Josh Allen, if you pay Lamar, if you pay Patrick, it's like, okay, well once you like CJ Stroud has proven like he's in like the dak her cousins when he's good and he, you know, he's kind of been hit or miss like he's had some Tua Kyler. You get in a weird spot when you pay the wrong guy the crazy amount of money. So to me, the move's easy. We're not trading C.J. stroud, but he's also just going to be on his rookie contract. He was the second pick in the draft, so he ain't making Purdy money. He's making millions of dollars and he'll be all starting quarterback nature. And if he crushes it, we give him $200 million. But if he doesn't, I would say next year would be a pivot point. Next year's you could argue in terms of money. Next year's he's got more on the table because it could go like if you told me the Texans are in the AFC championship game, he throws 35 touchdowns, he'll get a huge contract. If you tell me it goes a little weird, the Texans are not doing that now. He would have trade value. But I think Casario, I introduced myself to him this today because when I was at Fresno State, the Patriots always took a bunch of our players is his interviews are some of the best GM interviews today because he's like confident. He's not like insecure about what he's saying. He just talks football and he's good at like kind of gets nerdy football but like in a very digestible way. You know how he's good at like avoiding. It's like Howie. But I get it because you know Philly, they will. It's crazy. Kazaria, you're in Houston. He's been trained by Belichick, but he's his own guy. I'm telling you. I, I think his GM press conferences are awesome. And I agree. He's not getting traded, but he's also not getting extension.
- [34:16]
Jackson
It's kind of good timing for the Texans though because everyone talks about the 2027 quarterback class and I don't want to give it too much hype because we did have hype on the 2026 draft class.
- [34:24]
John Middelkoff
We, I mean we had a ton
- [34:26]
Jackson
of Aller Kub or our Kubiak Aller club. Nick Nussmeier, Beck, all will be here this week, but all will be projected later on. Don't you think it's kind of good timing? I guess the fact that like you're gonna have to pay Will Anderson soon. CJ Stroud, if he does stink, you do have. I don't want to say Davis Mills can be the future, but just a manageable quarterback like a Sam Darnold. You don't need a guy that's going to go out there, just a guy that doesn't turn the ball.
- [34:49]
John Middelkoff
That's what I'm saying they need because clearly Kario, one thing he learned from built. Remember when he took Stingley? People thought he was crazy. Stingley was the best corner in the league or one of them. Yeah, Will Anderson move was ballsy.
- [35:01]
Jackson
Even Woody Marks this year was a
- [35:02]
John Middelkoff
good, was a good pick. Cassero's really good at his job. That team is going to be well run for a while. The only way you can derail a well run team is by giving a quarterback who is not worth because again CJ ain't signing like two years, $40 million. So it's like he's kind of in the no man's lane and he to me my biggest beef with him is like bro, just right now you can develop into this play more. They hate the term game manager, but just play more like fucking Ryan Tannehill did for Vrabel and the Titans. If he had done that or what Alex did for they could have won the Super Bowl. Kyle Shanahan Said there were two teams that could have won the super bowl if their offense and special teams didn't screw it up. It was, it was Seattle and Sam played better than that and Houston and C.J. was because he is talented, but he is closer like his style to golf than he is like Lamar and Josh and Patrick. And sometimes I think he's like, well, I'm fucking those guys. It's like, bro. I mean the playoffs was. It was outrageous.
- [36:05]
Jackson
So bad.
- [36:06]
John Middelkoff
It was. I was rooting for it. I had money on them to make them a Super Bowl, a huge future bet that was kind of like a long shot. And it was like I didn't have a chance, honestly, if their defense wasn't as good. Remember how bad that the playoff game was in Pittsburgh. And to me, coming from New England, part of their operation was like, Brady's the greatest quarterback ever. But Brady did a lot of like. And this is going to sound like a, I don't know, negative Dinkin Duncan, like, hey, my best option is just a little check down. Do you know what doesn't win you games is like throwing a pick in a tie game in the third quarter on the road in the playoffs. And C.J. threw like seven of them that game. So to me that was. That's where d' Ameco is probably tailor made for this like modern day kind of sport because it is a lot of people talking about him. He's from Ohio State. He's just. A lot of people are paying attention to him and typically Texans, like kind of an under the radar team. It's on d' Ameco to kind of work with. And that's d' Amico's personality. He's like him and Salah, they're just great with players. They really just got to kind of like, bro, we don't need you to like carry the franchise. Will Anderson and those guys have that covered.
- [37:17]
Jackson
Yeah.
- [37:18]
John Middelkoff
You know, let's face it, Will is the star of their team by a mile. I mean, he's one of the best players in the league. But in fairness to CJ on the second overall pick I'm from, I'll say I'm the quarterback. I don't, I'm telling you, I don't think players sometimes, which can be scary. I think next year I'm more fascinated to watch CJ Stroud than most players because, like, is he cool with like taking a little bit of a step back? I'm sure they're gonna have a better running game. They have the Washington Commanders second round pick which is like pick 37. Like the Texans could be even better from a roster standpoint next year. Yeah.
- [37:51]
Jackson
38.
- [37:52]
John Middelkoff
So it's like C.J. just play like Dak did five years ago.
- [37:56]
Jackson
I feel like the game manager role or term it was Cam Newton that made it not appealing when he called out Brock.
- [38:04]
John Middelkoff
Wasn't it? And now everyone's kind of talking because Alex, like Alex Smith used to get called that a lot.
- [38:10]
Jackson
I don't get why that's a bad thing.
- [38:12]
John Middelkoff
The 49ers and the Chiefs, they're going to playoffs every year. Yeah. Like, not everyone can be like John Elway or Brett Favre. You know, most people aren't. Aaron Rodgers, 2014. Like, if your team's legit, ask Sam Darnold what it was like managing a lot of those games this year. Pretty cool. He's super bowl champ, you know.
- [38:28]
Jackson
Yeah.
- [38:28]
John Middelkoff
And they're going to be a game or two if your team's loaded where they're going to need you. Okay. That playoff game for cj, they did not need them. It's like, bro, play under control. You will win this game. The Texans are better than the Patriots. If you remove the quarterbacks. I don't even think it's close. I mean I like I respect variable and what they've done. Patriots are one of the worst super bowl teams of all time.
- [38:52]
Jackson
I do think the Texas receiver group got better towards the back end. Like both their rookies. Christian Kirk broke out. Nico Collins I think was hurt during the playoffs too. But moving on to be a bigger
- [39:02]
John Middelkoff
story, I think if this exact team, the Texans the way how good they are or the Eagles were the Niners or the packers because like they are that good non quarterback. And it just depends how the quarterback play. Yeah, they're just. I mean they play in the of Texas and the Cowboys, two teams that
- [39:18]
Jackson
are planning to tag players. Let's go. Falcons plan to tag Kyle Pitts. Jets plan to tag Breece Hall. And alongside the Falcons tagging Kyle Pitts, they're set to release Kirk Cousins. Which doesn't seem like a shock, but it's like wonder what they're going to do at quarterback for the Falcons.
- [39:35]
John Middelkoff
That didn't go well. Yeah. That was Cousins. You think Trent's greedy? You know, cousins just made $100 million. I don't know if he won many games these last couple years. I see him doing pot. We need to have him on the podcast. He's great.
- [39:48]
Jackson
Oh, he's great on tv. The CBS coverage he did for the AFC Championship.
- [39:51]
John Middelkoff
I think he's making that transition and he'll be, you watch like three years, he'll get like a Tony Romo contract. People like Cousins. How's he doing this? He's like the Warren Buffett of football. I think a lot of people were like, kyle Pitts is going to be one of the main targets, you know, this free agency, but he will look pretty sweet. Last year and to me, Stefanski, they had. What's his name? Najoku. Like, you get that tight end with that running back, it's like pretty, pretty nasty. So I, I think you don't really have a choice. Who was the other guy?
- [40:23]
Jackson
Breece hall for the Jets.
- [40:24]
John Middelkoff
I think that's kind of crazy.
- [40:26]
Jackson
Yeah.
- [40:26]
John Middelkoff
Like, I think to me, running backs, he better be like Bijan in his prime.
- [40:32]
Jackson
I mean, respect the guy injured all the time.
- [40:35]
John Middelkoff
Yeah, I think people think he's like a well rounded, catches the ball well hot take. And again, I've heard him interviewed. Seems like a great guy. Purdy's teammate resurrected Iowa State with Matt Campbell. Honestly, those two guys helped put Matt Campbell on the map. Right. I just think he got talked about. And I'm not a big fantasy guy, but I felt like all the fantasy guys were like, next to Marshall Foulk, I was like, could be the Jets. If he goes somewhere else and is like Christian McCaffrey, it's truly a Jazz.
- [41:05]
Jackson
I thought he was going to come to Arizona. That was the whole speculation is that Arizona was going to cut James Conner
- [41:11]
John Middelkoff
and go after Preston coached him when he was young.
- [41:13]
Jackson
Yeah, but it's just paying the running back like that. I would rather go out in the draft and get somebody or trust Trey Benson.
- [41:20]
John Middelkoff
Solenow, Tennessee. I'm trying to think Brian Callahan. I don't even know where he's at. Oh, he's a quarterback coach at New York.
- [41:38]
Nancy Glass
I'm Nancy Glass, host of the Burden of Guilt Season two podcast. This is a story about a horrendous lie that destroyed two families. Late one night, Bobby Gumprite became the victim of a random crime.
- [41:54]
John Middelkoff
He pulls the gun, tells me to lie down on the ground.
- [41:58]
Nancy Glass
He identified Jermaine Hudson as the perpetrator. Jermaine was sentenced to 99 years.
- [42:07]
John Middelkoff
I'm like, lord, this can't be real. I thought it was a mistaken identity. The best lie is partial truth.
- [42:15]
Nancy Glass
For 22 years, only two people knew the truth. Until a confession changed everything.
- [42:24]
John Middelkoff
I was a monster.
- [42:26]
Nancy Glass
Listen to Burden of guilt Season 2 on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. What if mind control is real?
- [42:40]
John Middelkoff
If you could control the behavior of anybody around you, what kind of life would you have?
- [42:43]
Nancy Glass
Can you hypnotically persuade someone to buy a car?
- [42:46]
John Middelkoff
When you look at your car, you're gonna become overwhelmed with such good feelings.
- [42:50]
Nancy Glass
Can you hyp. Hypnotize someone into sleeping with you?
- [42:53]
John Middelkoff
I gave her some suggestions to be sexually aroused.
- [42:57]
Nancy Glass
Can you get someone to join your cult?
- [42:59]
John Middelkoff
NLP was used on me to access my subconscious.
- [43:02]
Nancy Glass
Nlp, AKA Neuro Linguistic Programming, is a blend of hypnosis, linguistics and psychology. Fans say it's like finally getting a user manual for your brain.
- [43:13]
John Middelkoff
It's about engineering consciousness.
- [43:15]
Nancy Glass
Mind Games is the story of nlp, its crazy cast of disciples, and the fake doctor who invented it at a new age commune and sold it to guys in suits. He stood trial for murder and got acquitted. The biggest mind game of all, NLP, might actually work.
- [43:33]
John Middelkoff
This is wild.
- [43:34]
Nancy Glass
Listen to mind Games on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [43:41]
John Middelkoff
China's Ministry of State Security is one of the most mysterious and powerful spy agencies in the world. But in 2017, the FBI got inside. This is Special Agent Riegel, Special Agent Bradley Hall.
- [43:55]
Howie Roseman
This MSS officer has no idea the
- [43:58]
John Middelkoff
US Government is onto him, but the FBI has his chats, texts, emails, even his personal diary. Hear how they got it on the sixth Bureau podcast. I now have several terabytes of an MSS officer, no doubt, no question of his life. And that's a unicorn. No one had ever seen anything like that. It was unbelievable. This is a story of the inner workings of the MSS and how one man's ambition and mistakes opened its vault of secrets. Listen to the 6th Bureau on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.
- [44:45]
Jackson
A couple more. Two guys that, you know, it's the funniest part about I wish people could see us walking around on this radio row is you do have a lot of hot takes, a lot of fiery takes about some people.
- [44:55]
John Middelkoff
We would.
- [44:56]
Jackson
These two guys I'm about to bring up would walk by and you're like, oh yeah, that guy said a lot of mean stuff about him. I don't like that guy or that guy doesn't like me. One of those guys being Andrew Berry, the general manager for the Browns, was asked about his belief in quarterback Deshaun Watson competing for the quarterback one spot. And he said, any player on our roster, we would want to compete. We believe in competition. Thoughts on Deshaun Watson competing For the quarterback. One job.
- [45:19]
John Middelkoff
My thing with Andrew Berry is always this. Personally, I've heard he's a great guy. Clearly very intelligent as someone whose intelligence is probably in the lower end. Ivy League guy, sharp. I do think if he coached or I mean was the GM of again, bigger brands, bigger media markets, his team always loses. And for this like Ivy League smart guy, they have more. I'm not even counting Deshaun Watson. They've had multiple guys they've drafted immediately get arrested. If that happened to like John lynch or Howie, it would be a fucking war zone. But like he's. Media likes him because I've said this forever. Media's well read a lot of these guys. Good, good high level institutions and they like kind of gets a pass. Stefanski kind of get did too. Stevansky, Ivy League guy. But like how much? And maybe Andrew Barry would tell me when no one was looking. My owner's crazy. Probably true. Did Andrew Barry want Sean Watts? Who wanted to Sean Watson. Someone needs to write a book on that because he didn't want to go to Cleveland. And the only way you can give him that much money is the owner's got to sign the check. So that's, that's the owner clearly heavily involved last year, the Dylan Gabriel thing, then taking Shador. I mean, it's just they do a lot of stuff that other teams would get. Crucified players going to jail, losing all the time, taking two quarterbacks in the third and fifth round when one quarterback who I don't think could hit the wall over there. I mean most people at Dylan Gabriel is an undrafted free agent. And that might have been Stefanski, which I don't even blame him. A lot of coaches don't evaluate well. I'll even give Andrew Berry a pass on that one. Like, I think this is a terrible pick. But my coach wants him. He's a quarterback guy. I think the Browns got a lot going on.
- [47:07]
Jackson
He did, he did draft the defensive rookie of the year too in the second round. Carson Sledschinger, Sweatsinger, good pick.
- [47:14]
John Middelkoff
They had a good draft. That guy, the, the old initial.
- [47:18]
Jackson
Even Shador with the value is good.
- [47:20]
John Middelkoff
I got no issue.
- [47:21]
Jackson
Sampson Judkins, right?
- [47:22]
John Middelkoff
Judkins was a monster before he broke his leg. Like their draft, that's. See, that's what happens. They're fucking terrible. They're awful. And then people are like, well, his draft class was incredible. You're paid to win games. The Browns are always suck. They're just so bad. And I just think that, like Think of Tomlin and Harbaugh got crucified. I mean, Tom. Tomlin has taken shit now for like a decade. And that's why he's the one minimum was going 9 and 8 every year. If he had one of those years, which I respected this year, this is where I. Where I. Andrew, let's stay on. Andrew Berry. When they traded Flacco and Tomlin came out, he's like, what the fuck are we doing here? You would trade a guy inside? Because, like the analytic, like, I just, I'm not into it. I'm not. And I just think these Brown stories just exhaust me. I feel for their fans because they clearly love football. Luckily, a lot of them have Ohio State. I just think they get a pass. I'll give them a pass on Deshaun Watson. But the whole thing, because again, it's like they're draft class. The Travis Hunter trade, they get credit for that, right? They got two first round picks. It's like, see, well, they got all the. They never win. I mean, they just. The whole point is to win. Like Howie and Josh, they do some stupid shit too. But miss undrafted. Their point is to win every Sunday. Like that's what they're paid to do.
- [48:45]
Jackson
Especially if this was like the worst year of that division in a while.
- [48:48]
John Middelkoff
They hired Todd Monkin. Like, that's the craziest, weirdest hire of all time. And it was pretty clear people weren't taking their job. And here's the thing, other thing. They force guys to write essays. I'm a football coach. These guys are football coaches.
- [49:04]
Jackson
I'm trying to write a damn essay.
- [49:05]
John Middelkoff
They have a whistle around their neck. Like at the end of the day they are. Even if we want to dive in, these are billion dollar businesses. Can the guy. I don't. I communicate verbally with you, right? It's a. It's the medium of the communication in the. In the role in which you play. You never write beside maybe some PowerPoints or stuff to talk about. Why would I need to write an essay? I'm sorry, I just think it's kind of a clown show.
- [49:34]
Jackson
And the second guy, Panthers head coach Dave Canales, we walked by and we talked about how he ran a flea flicker in the rain against Tampa Bay. He said that his offensive coordinator, Brad Idzik, will call plays in 2026 so he could take a more global approach to the team.
- [49:52]
John Middelkoff
Jealous of Canalis waistline.
- [49:53]
Jackson
He's skinny, man.
- [49:54]
John Middelkoff
He's just in good shape. He's in good shape, man. See some of these Guys like, God, how do you say, so fit.
- [50:00]
Jackson
There's a lot of. I'm not going to lie, it's super off topic. A lot of NFL Network Insider guys. A lot of people I see on TV are a lot shorter than I thought coming into this.
- [50:09]
John Middelkoff
Well, it's like. It's like I feel tall.
- [50:11]
Jackson
Five, ten.
- [50:11]
John Middelkoff
It's like Hollywood, you know, if you went Tom Cruise, like five' four, you
- [50:15]
Jackson
know, I was just happy. I'm taller than Rap Sheet. That was my biggest.
- [50:17]
John Middelkoff
Well, I mean, that's what you're comparing yourself to. I mean, Rap Sheet. Schefter comes buying like, six, eight, you know, so. Yeah, it's not. Let's face it, this. This group, the media, you know, they like to eat. Food comes out, that food's gone. You know, we. We miss that, we miss the run. All of a sudden, we're starving.
- [50:36]
Jackson
Not a lot of former athletes.
- [50:37]
John Middelkoff
Yeah. Force fast on us, but it is what it is. Canalis it.
- [50:43]
Jackson
I forgot who we were talking about.
- [50:46]
John Middelkoff
They made the playoffs this year. That's pretty crazy. At eight, nine,
- [50:51]
Jackson
playoff game.
- [50:53]
John Middelkoff
I. I saw. I don't. Were you gonna talk anything about Aaron Glenn? I did see Aaron.
- [50:57]
Jackson
No, I was.
- [50:57]
John Middelkoff
I saw. He must have said this. He was pretty fired up. Of all the people in here, the one I felt the worst for. It's like, God sucks getting up on
- [51:04]
Jackson
that podium and talking next to John Harbaugh.
- [51:07]
John Middelkoff
I was like, God, that's. That's a tough gig right now. Not all your fault. I mean, last year was bad, but, like, you inherited the Jets. Like, it's not. I don't put that on Aaron Glenn, but he said today that calling plays is my superpower. I never understood this, why you didn't call plays last year. Now, the team wasn't going to be good, but I think if you're a head coach and you can do it, like, clearly Canal is a pretty good play caller. Was good with Baker. Like, they had a lot of. I mean, didn't Ted McMillan? Wasn't he the offensive rookie of the year? Yep. Like, he's good at it. I would never. As a head coach, if I'm talented at it, I would never give that up. Like, I get it. The Tomlins, the Harbaughs brothers, they're good at, like, they can do the CEO thing really well. Sirion is good at it when he has the right coordinators. You gotta call the place. If you're like Canalis to me, should be calling place. And it'sik might be his dad. Used to be the GM of the jets back in the day. Back in the day, probably 10 years ago. But to me, I'm not big on giving up the play calling because that's where things get weird. They start blaming people, start firing people. Aaron Glenn was like, solid last two years ago. They had no players. They go into the Minnesota Viking game and Aaron Glenn, like, solo this year. Won a game with me, you and seven other media members. Like, how did he just do it? Like, and that's why he got hired, because he was like this fiery, relates to the players and he's great. Schematically getting guys to play, play above. I think I heard Tomlin say this. Like, my job is not getting, you know, whoever my Hall, Troy, Paula Mall or something in his prime. Like, at the end of the day, once he gets to a certain level, like, your mom can coach that guy. It's finding like the C players and making them a B. It's finding the B minus guy and making him a B plus A minus. It's finding a random, like, D plus C minus guy. And like, you made that guy a B. That's coaching. What Aaron Glenn and Robert Saul, it's like they can kind of take anybody when they're coordinators. Like, that's impressive because clearly, if I give them, like, what do you think it's going to look like? If I give Aaron Glenn, Miles Garrett, Max Crosby and Aaron Donald, his defense can be awesome. But I've seen him, like, take random guys, seen Robert Salah take random guys, so you know you can do it and then you just become the CEO. Like, it's got to be a weird feeling for those guys, I think, kind of just sitting there like during the week. I know they're probably going to meetings and stuff, but I think that's just where you get you typically taking a head coaching job on a bad team, you're gonna lose. Then people start pointing fingers, your owner gets pissed, the fans get loud. This league has never been louder. I mean, one thing, talking to someone. Who was I talking to about this? I asked a coach earlier today, like, what's changed? We're now. Football is the number one television show in America. Not the number one. We talk about the number one sport. It's the number one television show. And it's like a lot of this, a lot of social media that gets put on the players and then becomes content. It's all like under the same umbrella. That world can overwhelm you when you're losing and when you're like, Aaron Glenn, you go to the jets, it's already negative. It's not his fault. He didn't do all the previous crap, but, like, he has to deal with that, like, tsunami and negativity and, and fend it off. So you have no equity with them as a coach because you've never coached there. Right. You've just been an assistant coach. Then you get there and my. If I was a Jets fan, I'd be like, well, why didn't he just call plays last year? Like, what are we doing? You already got to deal with Woody. We don't have a quarterback. It just gets weird. And I think that's the thing in the NFL. Why the good team stay good. And it's hard for the bad teams to get out because it's hard to get from, like, weird to just normal. It's really hard to get like, it's gonna be a hard job for Sal and those guys in Tennessee just to get the train back on the tracks. Like SpyTech's number one job is just to get the train back on the tracks. You know, you look at like McVay or John Schneider or Howie, like, like, how do we win three playoff games? Like, that's what they're thinking. These other teams are like, how do we win eight games? How do we win? That's. That's why John Horbaugh got $100 or $100 million. Because the Giants go, you know what? John Harbaugh, minimum, like, worst case scenario, next year, we're probably like eight wins. Yeah. And if it goes decent, we stay kind of healthy. We're like 10 or 11, and we feel great. And when you hire some of these coordinators who have never been coaches, even, you know Aaron Glenn's former high end player, he played db. Yeah. Really good.
- [55:30]
Jackson
They finished with zero picks this year. Right.
- [55:33]
John Middelkoff
That's a. That record will never be broken.
- [55:35]
Jackson
That's incredible.
- [55:36]
John Middelkoff
One, it's impossible with an extra game. It's crazy. I remember hearing Richard Sherman talk. That's like, impossible. That's impossible. Like, think of the balls in football if we just went out and played a pickup game. Balls get tip, balls hit in the air and they had sauce. For now, sauce isn't exactly Dion when it comes to picks, but still I felt like the Texans had like three picks a game. I just think that I remember telling Coward this last year after coming here is the difference of just like the well run button up operations. Like, the one thing the Eagles are good at, like, there's always drama, but like Howard kind of likes that, but they're just like, they're a well run button up machine. Seattle, it's like well run buttoned up machine. I think the steel. I think part of the reason Tomlin got out is like we're no longer that, like things are weird, you know. And the Ravens, they're just mentor. You see him, he's tiny.
- [56:30]
Jackson
I missed him.
- [56:30]
John Middelkoff
Oh, he's tiny. I was like, that guy's a head coach. But he's clearly good. But the Ravens are a good example. They're just like, well run. You know, they're just really, really well run. And when you're just really well run, weird stories when someone gets in trouble. It doesn't like derail your franchise when you're bad. Like, that stuff can just like.
- [56:53]
Jackson
Does it kind of put appreciation on how fast Chicago flipped it around? Obviously it was the Ben Johnson hire. But guys, I mean, go to go from Eber Floose to Ben Johnson and then the progress that they had. You talk about all these other organizations that can't make that progress. I think it just tip the cap of. I mean it was the obvious choice, but the selling point of them to get Ben Johnson. You got to give credit for Ryan,
- [57:15]
John Middelkoff
but there aren't that many Ben Johnson every year. Right. Like obviously Harbaugh this year, Tomlin next year, you have the guys that are established guys have been head coaches and then people want to hire. But anytime you get like McVan Shanahan years ago, Ben Johnson, now some of the Kevin o' Connell you don't know, you hope. And now that some of them have done it, you think everyone's going to be the next one and they're not. So I think part of it was Ben was just gonna be great. Like he's just legit, you know. And Caleb, his physical skills, like, part of the reason you saw as the year went on why he got drafted number one overall, he could do things that like Josh Allen only could. So it's like they had this magic in Caleb because they were losing a lot of these games. You know, they were down in a lot of these games and pulling them out. And like most of their games were not the Eagles on Black Friday where they just beat the shit out of them. They ran a lot of their games. I felt like they were down 10 points in the fourth quarter. Then Caleb, like, he's playing the best throw of the year. And then you'd watch again next year or next week and be like, oh no, that's a better throw. And then he'd do it over and over. So like they had the magic, but they had a guy that was drafted number one overall. And with that trade they also had DJ Moore. And because they were shitty last year, they had, they were able to get Loveland at 10. So I mean, they did have some good talent. I talked to polls today. Polls had a good point. He's like, did you know Caleb? He loves Caleb, right? There's articles have come out like he
- [58:49]
Jackson
was save his job.
- [58:51]
John Middelkoff
I said, did you know he was that fast? He's like, I, I knew it was really fast, but he's like the one, his best skill because I was like, how fast you think he is? If he just ran a 40 and he would start telling me like we didn't even look at 40s anymore. Because we look at play speed on like the GPS stuff and we have enough years of data now to know like what it means. Because before, like when at first year one, if a guy runs 20 miles an hour, like what does that mean? It's 20 fast, 20 slow. But now, you know, like 21, 22. He's like, Tyreek ran a number that no one eclipsed, right? But Caleb's best skill, he was saying it's clear when you watch him, is like the 10 yard bursts. So it feels like he's Lamar because he can, he can stop and then just accelerate like an F1 car. And that's why he doesn't get sacked because it's like someone's around him. And then his burst, like 7 to 12 yards, he's like shot out of a rocket ship. And all of a sudden it's like he's way away from this guy. So he's not then running probably like Saquon Barkley. But he's so quick in that short area that he feels like he's like, does he run like a 4, 4 flat? Like. No, but he's. His short area quickness and change of direction is pretty elite.
- [60:01]
Jackson
And what a shuttle time would be.
- [60:02]
John Middelkoff
It would have to. I don't think, I don't think he did any of that. No, but that's where it's like, that's why this week and people push back, right? What does it mean? Like, what does it matter? Like the times you're paid to play football. Not short shuttle lift jump. But that shit does come up in big moments of in big games. So like Caleb's explosion and his arm strength, how many times that matter for the bears this year? 150 times. Oh, like, you know, certain Guys that have short arms. Last year, what's his name from the lsu? Campbell. He got destroyed in every game. Like Will Anderson. Look like Lawrence Taylor in his prime. Now was he injured? Like there are more variables that we don't know, but like the arm length, the speed, the explosion, arm strength. When you're playing in these freezing cold games. Favre played in the frozen tundra. Do you know how hard it is to throw a ball when it's that cold? Well, when your arm strength is elite, you need it. That's why a lot of the cold weather quarterbacks. McNabb, cold weather quarterback Eli Manning, cold weather quarterback Brady. Cold weather quarterback Roethlisberger Flacco. What do they all have in common? Big arms. Philip Rivers did not have a big arm. Could not have played in the prime of his career and been the same player in like Cincinnati. Burrow's kind of an outlier because he doesn't have a huge arm, but he's like Joe Montana's. Feel his touch. But like, to me, to play in a lot of these places, Chicago, Chicago had multiple games. It was like, that looks like the coldest game in the history of cold games. And they're like, yeah, it's like the 17th coldest game in the history of the Bears. I'm like, yeah, that's fucking gold. So Josh Allen, he plays in Buffalo. Like Purdy get away with it in San Francisco. They play in a lot of warmer weather games. They play la. Seattle's not that cold. You can't get away with it. Like they plan a dome here. Imagine they didn't plant a dome here. This place would be freezing, wouldn't it?
- [61:56]
Howie Roseman
Yeah.
- [61:57]
Jackson
You text me when you landed in at 11:00pm you're like, this is Antarctica.
- [62:00]
John Middelkoff
You know what they call this place, right? No. The house Peyton built. Because this did not when he got here, this, I mean, this franchise, he made them like, you guys know the Midwest. Like he turned this thing in like what Jordan did to the Bulls. What. You know, Midwest. He fucking put this place on the map.
- [62:17]
Jackson
They have Lucas Oil before?
- [62:19]
John Middelkoff
No, no, no. I think it was like 99, 2000 range. He got drafted like 97, 98. You guys was there another shit was indoors. It was crappy indoor stadium. Like Peyton Manning is a good. But Peyton's a good example. If I put. If I flip flop Peyton and Tom. Tom was not as good early. Got way better and then became like dominant. But who knows? Peyton could coach himself immediately. Peyton never had a big arm, so he's more in that drew Brees category of like you play in the dome. Look how much easier it is. We're in a place that it's not as cold today, but yesterday, let's say it was 20 degrees. Playing a game in this or going outside and playing a game in that. It's like it's not even relatable. And I'm a west coast guy. I fucking hate the cold. But I lived in Philly for a couple years and I remember my first year in Philly right around November, even once it gets to like 30, you're like, you start playing a different sport. The offensive and defensive linemen unfazed, the quarterback dramatically phased. And the wide receivers are too. Like the Bears drop a lot of balls, you know, hard is to catch a 99 mile an hour fastball from Caleb. Far a bunch of good drop in the freezing. I. I can't. I don't even. I don't even blame him. Some people are like, he dropped it. I'm like, yeah, Jerry Rice might catch that maybe.
- [63:42]
Jackson
There's so many like five yard outs on like third and six or third
- [63:45]
John Middelkoff
and four or whatever.
- [63:47]
Jackson
And Luther Burden's running or a D. Dunesay or DJ Moore and he's just slinging it right past their hands.
- [63:52]
John Middelkoff
I can't even imagine the feeling on those guys hands. Like it has to be. They have to dread wide receivers. Like playing in warm weather places.
- [64:03]
Jackson
Right.
- [64:04]
John Middelkoff
Or domes. Yeah. Like if you're a wide receiver. I mean, let's face it. Patriots didn't exactly. They had a little Randy Moss. They traded for him at the, you know, when he was worth a fourth round pick. Most of these guys, you know, want. I mean, look at the best receivers. Puka, jsn, Jamar Chase, somewhat of an outlier. He would translate. His style translates. Anyway, Justin Jefferson, you know, indoor guy. They've had great receivers in Minnesota. Indoor. Randy, you're just gonna dominate. If you put Jamar Chase in like the Rams CD and Pickens, it's. It's incredible place to play in a dome. Look at all the stats that Brees put up for Mike Evans, hall of Famer. It's way easier to play in 75 degrees. You think Mike Evans free agent, you think he's gonna go to New England? It's like that. Well, I did see Jason Light said that we want to do everything possible to make him retire a buck. And this is. I was having a long conversation at the volume party with Sherman and I was talking to, you know, they took a lot of pride, that whole crew. Like Resurrected Seattle. And they were John. I didn't ask him this, but I saw John say on something recently that he's like the difference of that group and my group now was like, that group hated everybody. Like, they had a chip on their shoulder a mile. Like they were fucking angry. They had an edge to them. Which kind of old school NFL. Those guys in like this modern Internet era, they were kind of like more of a team. Like I grew up on, like 1994. He said my team now is like, happy. They're all good buddies. Like that team. Richard Sherman, like for all pros, still had a chip on his shoulder. Like, you passed on me. It's like, Richard, you're making like $20 million a year. You're the best corner in the league. But that's just how they were, Cam. They were edgy. And I. I think there is just. As you get older, you know, and you come into the league and you're a stud and you start getting bad, it can be hard to handle. You know, I think a lot of players, you know, you come in, it's like the Sam Darnold thing. He went through a lot of shit. And I was telling back to my original point is like talking to Richard about it. All those guys, Bobby Wagner, Cam. Chancellor Earl Thomas flipped off Pete as he was getting like carted off the field. I think it's harder for them to accept, like the NFL, like everyone fold. Peyton Manning was cut twice. Technically, you know, it's just like this league's pretty cutthroat. And, you know, you can fall off the cliff. Some guys like Rogers can play to the 40, some guys like peak at like 27. And it can end immediately. And it's back to the Trent Williams thing that we open with. It's why I don't blame Trent. Like, Trent could shatter his leg in game one and his career could be over. So it's like you gotta. You don't get these like, Steph Curry 300 million dollar max. That's not really how football works. Most of these contracts are fake. And I just think that that Seattle team back. I mean, I saw them laugh.
- [67:11]
Jackson
They would.
- [67:13]
John Middelkoff
It was not a safe environment to be running around, really. I think you would. Vernon Davis was massive. That historic hit camp Chancellor Vernon Davis is not like size of me or you. Like, this guy's like 6. Vern Davis was tight end who ran a 4, 2 and was the fifth pick in the draft. He's like 65250, can run like Tyree Kill and Cam Chancellor ended his career. I mean, most people. There was a famous Brian Dawkins hit. Where Brian Dawkins hit, I think Algae Crumpler on the Falcons. But they both went like that, you know, even, you know, Algae was bigger than Dawkins. Like, Cam went that way. And Davis, I think he's still flying. I miss the violence of football as someone that, you know, yeah, that would have got flagged. I just. I just missed that level.
- [68:07]
Nancy Glass
I'm Nancy Glass, host of the Burden of Guilt Season two podcast. This is a story about a horrendous lie that destroyed two families. Late one night, Bobby Gumprite became the victim of a random crime.
- [68:23]
John Middelkoff
He pulls the gun, tells me to lie down on the ground.
- [68:27]
Nancy Glass
He identified Jermaine Hudson as the perpetrator. Jermaine was sentenced to 99 years.
- [68:36]
John Middelkoff
I'm like, lord, this can't be real. I thought it was a mistaken identity. The best lie is partial truth.
- [68:44]
Nancy Glass
For 22 years, only two people knew the truth until a confession changed everything.
- [68:53]
John Middelkoff
I was a monster.
- [68:55]
Nancy Glass
Listen to Burden of guilt season two on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What if mind control is real?
- [69:09]
John Middelkoff
If you could control the behavior of anybody around you, what kind of life would you have?
- [69:12]
Nancy Glass
Can you hypnotically persuade someone to buy a car?
- [69:15]
John Middelkoff
When you look at your car, you're going to become overwhelmed with such good feelings.
- [69:19]
Nancy Glass
Can you hypnotize someone into sleeping with you?
- [69:22]
John Middelkoff
I gave her some suggestions to be sexually aroused.
- [69:26]
Nancy Glass
Can you get someone to join your cult?
- [69:28]
John Middelkoff
NLP was used on me to access my subconscious.
- [69:31]
Nancy Glass
Nlp, AKA Neuro Linguistic Programming, is a blend of hypnosis, linguistics, and psychology. Fans say it's like finally getting a user manual for your brain.
- [69:42]
John Middelkoff
It's about engineering consciousness.
- [69:44]
Nancy Glass
Mind Games is the story of nlp, its crazy cast of disciples, and the fake doctor who invented it at a new age commune and sold it to guys in suits. He stood trial for murder and got acquitted. The biggest mind game of all, nlp, might actually work.
- [70:02]
John Middelkoff
This is wild.
- [70:03]
Nancy Glass
Listen to mind Games on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [70:10]
John Middelkoff
China's Ministry of State Security is one of the most mysterious and powerful spy agencies in the world. But in 2017, the FBI got inside. This is Special Agent Riegel, Special Agent Bradley Hall.
- [70:24]
Howie Roseman
This MSS office has no idea the
- [70:27]
John Middelkoff
US Government is onto him.
- [70:28]
Howie Roseman
But the FBI has his chats, texts,
- [70:32]
John Middelkoff
emails, even his personal diary. Hear how they got it on the Sixth Bureau podcast. I now have several terabytes of an MSS officer, no doubt, no question of his life. And that's the unicorn. No one had ever seen anything like that. It was unbelievable. This is a story of the inner workings of the MSS and how one man's ambition and mistakes opened its vault of secrets. Listen to the 6th Bureau on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [71:14]
Jackson
Let me add this one last one just happened. While we're recording, Broncos head coach Sean Payne announced that new offensive coordinator Davis Webb will call offensive plays in 2026.
- [71:26]
John Middelkoff
So I think it's fair to glean that there was a decent chance of Davis Webb leaving last year, getting a head coaching job, even if he had to take one of the crappy ones. The Browns, the Cardinals. Sean fires his best friend. I can't even think of his name, but remember, the dude went on. He was quoted like. The next day, he's like, yeah, I thought we were just in the AFC championship game. Thought we were pretty good this year. And then Sean's pissed off and fired me. They'd be like, best friends. They worked together for, like, 20 years. I can look it up. But I bet Davis was like, I don't want to take the Cardinal job or the Browns job, but his head coaching job, they'll pay me a bunch of money. Sean's like, you can call place here, and they got Walmart money. He's probably making a lot of money.
- [72:07]
Jackson
But Joe Lombardi.
- [72:10]
John Middelkoff
Yeah, Joe Lombardi. I think it's pretty clear that they. There were some concessions there with, we don't want you to leave. You probably kind of want to stay here, too. But, like, again, money's all relative. If you're making 50 grand and someone offers you 200 grand, or you're like, Davis Webb making a million and someone offers you six, it's like, yeah, I mean, what am I supposed to tell my wife? You know, our house could quadruple in size. The private schools no longer an issue, so I. I just think that they didn't have a choice. I. I think that was one of those where Davis was almost like a player. Yeah. How he's.
- [72:50]
Jackson
What is he, 30?
- [72:51]
John Middelkoff
I remember when he was at Cal. Do you remember he was, like, the first transfer? Yeah, he was at, like, SMU or Texas Tech. Texas Tech.
- [72:59]
Jackson
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- [73:00]
John Middelkoff
Sonny Dykes was the coach, and he was a grad transfer. And people.
- [73:04]
Jackson
For a lot of yards, people thought.
- [73:06]
John Middelkoff
Because he's tall, I think people thought, like, this guy could be, like, top 20 pick and he was. I think he went like the third, fourth, fifth round somewhere. Played in the league for like three or four years. I think he's a lot like Shawn Manion. You see a lot of these quarterbacks that played in like the late 2000s, early 2010s are like calling place. Sean Manion played Oregon State not that long ago. Davis Webb was in College in the 2010.
- [73:30]
Jackson
Him and Brandon Cooks were so sweet. Pac 12 After Dark, Sean Many.
- [73:34]
John Middelkoff
And the year before they had Wheaton too. So when Cooks was a sophomore and Wheaton, who got drafted in the third round of the Steelers, Oregon State was pretty nasty for a couple years on offense. They had the little. The little brothers, the running backs, little twins. Remember those?
- [73:48]
Jackson
I know what you're talking about. I don't know the name.
- [73:49]
John Middelkoff
I want to say Rodriguez, but it's not. Jacquez is two of them. You know what I'm talking about. And Jaquez James and Jacquez. Jacquez I think was the better one. One of them was better than the other one, but they were both kind of sick. They their offenses at Oregon State. Honestly, it pisses me off even talking about the little schools that have no shot.
- [74:07]
Jackson
Ms. Maxwell.
- [74:09]
John Middelkoff
Yeah. Rogers. Yeah. Jock. Yeah. So Oregon State always got like pre nil. And probably like 30 years ago, Frison State did this a lot too. To get into like play at USC or UCLA or Washington, there were minimum requirements academically. Like you had to hit something. Fresno State could do this thing and Oregon State did too. Called like a prop. I think it was like Prop 49. I didn't think Logan Mankins might not have graduated high school, but Fresno State would be like, you just come to school here. Ryan Matthews, when I was there, he couldn't. Like they could take these exceptions. Oregon State did it forever. Chad Johnson. And you get guys into school, obviously all the, like Ryan Matthews. Pete Carroll wanted Ryan Matthews out of high school, but he like academically didn't qualify. Now it's like, I. I swear to God, no one goes to school in college because you can't tell me all these transfers has any. You ever look at your. Your transcript when you're in college? Like, this would never transfer. I don't even think. Do transcripts even exist if you play college football? They cannot.
- [75:10]
Jackson
No.
- [75:10]
John Middelkoff
Because dude will go from like Stanford or like Texas Tech to Stanford to Vanderbilt to Bama. It's like, how is all these classes? Some of these people are on quarters and semesters. Like, what is. When I was a ga At Fresno State transcripts and test scores. Can you imagine the last time Kirby Smart asked like his recruiting coordinator, what's his test score like? Sat. No fucking chance. Anyone in the SEC has ever uttered like, what's his transcript look like in the last seven years? Maybe ever, but definitely in the transfer portal era. That's so funny.
- [75:48]
Jackson
I can't.
- [75:49]
John Middelkoff
Like the Bailey guy I didn't realize is David Bailey.
- [75:52]
Jackson
Yeah, he was at Stanford.
- [75:53]
John Middelkoff
He's an easy one. Because you're at Stanford, they have academic requirements.
- [75:59]
Jackson
Lubbock, Texas definitely does it. He could get right in with all that money.
- [76:03]
John Middelkoff
But I'll give you one that flipped. Safe to say Diego Pavia isn't going to Vanderbilt out of high school. Right. So as an academic student, I'm not talking football, but what was Clark Lee's big thing was we got to open this up a little bit if we want to. And he got him to. And now Diego works. Vanderbilt ain't going to look at a transcript.
- [76:24]
Jackson
Yeah, they just got a five star quarterback out of high school.
- [76:26]
John Middelkoff
You see the dude? What was the guy's name at Notre Dame? What did he say? The wide receiver? The difference between going to Notre Dame and Ohio State.
- [76:33]
Jackson
Oh yeah, Milan Graham.
- [76:35]
John Middelkoff
Yeah.
- [76:35]
Jackson
He said you actually have to go to classes in person. You can go to them online at Ohio State.
- [76:40]
John Middelkoff
I looked at the comments and a bunch of people at Ohio State was he you still got to go to class online. If, if your classes are online, you're at Ohio State playing football, you're never logging on to anything. That's what he essentially just said. You have to go to class at Notre Dame. You do not have to do anything at Ohio State, which I got no problem with. But that's what he said and that was awesome.
- [76:57]
Jackson
That's what Cardell Jones said. He said, I ain't coming here to play school.
- [77:00]
John Middelkoff
But back then you were supposed to. Now no one even cares. Yeah, back then they pretended.
- [77:06]
Jackson
There's so many years now they're giving. So it's like Carson Beckson is like six years. Like I haven't been to school in like two or three weeks.
- [77:11]
John Middelkoff
In fairness, like when I was in college. Matt Leiner, remember his last year he had graduated, he took one class and it was like golf. That all that's always happened a little bit if you like graduated. But now like what year is the Notre Dame?
- [77:25]
Jackson
He's like a redshirt freshman.
- [77:27]
John Middelkoff
Yeah. So he's young. So usually as a freshman, if you redshirt, you'd like go have to bang out some basic classes, gen eds. Do you think that guy went to one class? Ohio State? No freaking chance. Which I respect. And this is where I think Michigan people get mad at Ohio State. I do think Michigan has some more academic requirements. Ohio State. And it's easier for Ohio State to dominate because they can get anyone they want at any moment in school. And no one has to go to a class ever, ever. Like you cannot play at Notre Dame. Look at Notre Dame though, in fairness, like most of their guys. When you hear him talk like that guy's a high level guy. I remember when the volume first started. Kyle Hamilton, that crew. Do you ever listen that show? They're like four of them.
- [78:06]
Jackson
Yeah, yeah, yeah. He's watching Wake up the Echoes or something.
- [78:09]
John Middelkoff
Yeah, some other random guys on the team. But it was like some player college podcast. I would rather like look at the wall than listen to it. But it was like those guys are just high level dudes. Stanford would be the same like back in the day, like when McCaffrey was on the team with like the Sherman era. Those guys are just high. There's impressive. Like if football didn't exist, they would all be going to school and getting good grades. And listen, I'm, I'm anti academia. Like I hate class. I think class, it didn't serve me well. But the Stanford guy was always. I remember even a scouting. Like these guys are smart, you know, and you go somewhere sometimes you go to the sec. Like they're. But they're smart at football but they don't have to go to class. So it's like you go to, you know, Ole Miss. Like those get. None of those dudes are going to class.
- [78:54]
Jackson
When was the last time all academic teams for football were published presented?
- [79:01]
John Middelkoff
It felt like maybe it was.
- [79:02]
Jackson
Maybe it was only in high school or maybe it was like when I was in high school I would see him for the Big ten and stuff feels like nowadays you don't even see
- [79:07]
John Middelkoff
that anywhere unless it doesn't exist.
- [79:09]
Jackson
Old school magazine website. Hey, congrats. Jeremiah Smith. You made the All I could.
- [79:13]
John Middelkoff
You're too young. But they used to have the Playboy All American college. Playboy. Yeah.
- [79:18]
Jackson
The college players would go to the model magazine. Playboy.
- [79:21]
John Middelkoff
Yes, the nudie magazine. My son Jack will never even understand one what a magazine was and understand how big of a deal it was to see just like a boob in a magazine like his life. I mean the access he's gonna have. Well, I gotta deny it when he gets old enough. Yeah, yeah.
- [79:41]
Jackson
He can't see his first boob early.
- [79:42]
John Middelkoff
But any kid worth their salt figures out a way to get around. I mean, restrictions. He'll know my passwords. I mean, he'll. But it's like the world is. I remember when I worked for the Eagles, Deuce Staley was telling me one time he went to a Playboy party when he was playing. I just remember him describing, like, God, that sounds pretty sweet. And he walked in there, like, McNabb's heyday. Like, two of them.
- [80:02]
Jackson
I was like, God, pre fat McNabb.
- [80:05]
John Middelkoff
This was like, in his prime. Pro Bowl. Yeah, he's not. There's Todd Bowles.
- [80:12]
Jackson
You got to talk about Todd Bowles. Today when he saw Todd Bowles. That dude is gigantic.
- [80:16]
John Middelkoff
He's been big for a while. Todd, the thing is, when you get. I was telling you this. I asked you what position Todd Bowles played in the league. What'd you say?
- [80:25]
Jackson
I said D. Tackle.
- [80:27]
John Middelkoff
He played safety. Because back in the day, saf safeties used to be, like, 6:3. Like, we were talking to Jordan Reed about Lewis Riddick, who played. Who know him and Todd are buddies. Lewis, same way. Lewis, like, six two. John lynch, they're like, six three. You meet safeties now, they look like little corners, those guys. Todd in his prime was probably, like, £230 and would remember Jack Hughes's face. After that, he got the high stick. That's what your teeth would look like going up across the middle. Back in the NFL.
- [80:55]
Howie Roseman
Damn, Damn.
- [80:56]
John Middelkoff
Now the NFL, like, that doesn't even exist. I don't think you can tackle anymore.
- [81:01]
Jackson
You can't put your weight on the quarterback anymore.
- [81:02]
John Middelkoff
No, you can't put your weight on players. You got to go down. You can't slam. I. I remember talking to John lynch when he first got the job, kind of BSing. I was kind of kidding, but kind of not like, do you think you could play in the NFL right now? He would have to be linebacker. Like, he couldn't like his. If you go watch, like, peak Bucks highlights with, like, SAP. Derek Brooks, their front was, you know, SAP and Brooks were elite. But if you got free over the middle 47 was. You were gonna. You could die. He would like you watch highlights. Remember when we went to see the thing of Ronnie Lott? They would, like, leave their feet from, like, seven yards away, like a torpedo. Do they keep their eyes open? Do they clench their teeth? I don't know, but they were trying to, like, shatter every bone inside your body. You just don't even see that hit anymore. In fairness, get guys it's coached out. No one does it like the sport Todd Bowles played in the 80s for like the Joe Gibbs commanders can't even relate to on the field now.
- [82:07]
Jackson
Does that mean in 20 years we're going to see a bunch of Romeo Dobbs in the Guardian caps? Is that going to become a thing where people are required to wear them?
- [82:16]
John Middelkoff
I think a lot more guys are going to wear because they're going to want like I don't want to get concussion, not get paid. You don't get paid when you're on the sideline. I just think like, all right, it's going to be more of a 7, 7 game. It's definitely become more quarterback centric.
- [82:30]
Howie Roseman
Yeah.
- [82:33]
John Middelkoff
But yeah, so other than that, I'm starving. It's 5 o'. Clock, I haven't eaten. 6 o'. Clock. Well, it's actually 4 o' clock our time.
- [82:45]
Jackson
Is that a 12 hour fast for you? 15.
- [82:49]
John Middelkoff
I ate, I had some snacks last night when I got here. But yeah, it's been a while.
- [82:53]
Jackson
I'm just, I'm just telling y' all right now we got a lot coming because this guy cooked today, this man cooked today. We got, hopefully the plans will fall
- [83:02]
John Middelkoff
through, but you never know the key. And this is another thing I'm bad at like net one thing. Networkers and this is where I'm at, are great at follow up. So like in two days. Hey, nice seeing you. Appreciate that. It's easy to do it like if John Harbaugh gave me his number but like his PR guy, you know, hey man, I appreciate the time. Thanks for everything. Like we almost had a disaster where we didn't have a table and chairs today, which would have been a problem but like we went out of our way to tell the guy at the NFL like he took care of us. Like he made it happen. It was like thank God for Matt McCarthy works at NFL right now. He's a man. Shout out.
- [83:44]
Jackson
Matt McCarthy called me at 11pm last night. We got a damn table.
- [83:48]
John Middelkoff
It's pretty sweet. Okay, well that'll wrap it up for day one and let's go get some food. The volume
- [84:01]
Nancy Glass
now serving the entire cafe right from your countertop with the Ninja luxe cafe espresso, drip coffee, cold brew. If you can crave it, you can brew it. No barista badge required. Barista assist technology handles the hard parts, grinding, weighing, brewing. So you can take the credit. Top it all off with velvety dairy or plant based microfoam. Hot or cold, all hands free. Naturally you bring the craving. You bring the company, we'll bring the cafe. And maybe the bragging rights. Now serving the Ninja Luxe cafe shop now. I'm Amanda Knox, and in the new podcast, the Case of Lucy Letby, we unpack the story of an unimaginable tragedy that gripped the UK in 2023. But what if we didn't get the whole story?
- [84:43]
John Middelkoff
Evidence has been made to fit. The moment you look at the whole picture, the case collapsed.
- [84:47]
Nancy Glass
What if the truth was disguised by a story we chose? Oh, my God. I think she might be innocent. Listen to Doubt the Case of Lucy Letby on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [85:01]
John Middelkoff
This is Special Agent Riegel, Special Agent Bradley Hall. In 2018, the FBI took down a ring of spies working for China's Ministry of State Security, one of the most mysterious intelligence agencies in the world. The Sixth Bureau podcast is a story of the inner workings of the MSS
- [85:18]
Howie Roseman
and how one man's ambition and mistakes
- [85:21]
John Middelkoff
opened its vault of secrets. Listen to the 6th Bureau on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [85:30]
Nancy Glass
I'm Nancy Glass, host of the Burden of Guilt Season two podcast. This is a story about a horrendous lie that destroyed two families. Late one night, Bobby Gumpride became the victim of a random crime. The perpetrator was sentenced to 99 years until a confession changed everything.
- [85:51]
John Middelkoff
I was a monster.
- [85:53]
Nancy Glass
Listen to Burden of guilt season two on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [86:01]
John Middelkoff
This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.