← The Herd with Colin Cowherd
The Herd with Colin Cowherd
3 & Out - Vikings tell Rodgers "No, thanks", Pro Days, NFL Rule Changes
01:05:30
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- [00:00]
John Middlekauff
The 2025 NCAA March Madness Men's Tournament is back and this time it is bringing all the feels. The biggest event in college sports is here with games happening all day long and you don't want to miss a second of the heart pumping action. Catch all the clutch shots, big time plays, upsets, Cinderellas, Blue Bloods and more. Tune in to the NCAA Men's Division 1 Basketball Championship March 18 through April 7 on TBS, CBS, TNT, TruTV and Stream on Max. You can count on T Mobile to help keep you connected from big cities to small towns on America's largest 5G network. Switch the T Mobile keep your phone and they'll pay it off up to 800 bucks per line via prepaid card. Learn more@t mobile.com heap and switch up to four lines via virtual prepaid card. Allow 15 days qualifying unlock device, credit service port in 90 plus days with device and eligible carrier and timely redemption required. Card has no cash access and expires in six months. AI is redefining what's possible for your business with more unique challenges to solve and higher stakes than ever, Microsoft helps you stay ahead. Our trustworthy AI tools and guidance can empower leaders like you to drive greater impact. And with Azure's simplified platform management, we helping businesses go further, faster, unlocking up to 150% improved output. Whatever challenge comes next, let Microsoft help you keep pushing forward. For more details, visit Microsoft.com challengers we.
- [01:38]
Jeremy Hobson
Live in a divided country and our media couldn't be more polarizing. That's why we started the Middle with Jeremy Hobson. It's about bringing voices not from the extremes, but from the vast middle into the national conversation. Each week we hear from ordinary Americans from all over the country. And when you subscribe to the Middle, you also get an episode each week called One Thing Trump did that focuses on just one item from the avalanche of news. Listen to the Middle with Jeremy Hobson on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [02:09]
John Middlekauff
The Volume what is going on everybody? How are we doing? It is Wednesday, March 19th and I thought I'd fire up a little podcast because breaking news we we had some information that came out early on Wednesday regarding a man named Aaron Rodgers and a team called the Minnesota Vikings. So we will dive into that. I saw Jalen Milroe ran a really fast 40 time at the the Alabama Pro Day and I just want to dive into pro days in general because I would say I don't think too highly of them. And then there were I think the owner's meetings are right around the corner and we have a lot of we knew the packers want the tush push band, they want it done. But there are also a lot of other potential rule changes, honestly, many that I am in full support of and Dan Campbell and the Lions. It feels like we're on the same page here because we both view something when it comes to the NFL and a rule that just drives us bananas. But before we dive into some football, I got to tell you about my friends, my partners and the official ticketing app of this podcast, Game Time. And can I tell you a little something that I've gone to a lot of games in my life. I've gone to a lot of events, I've done a lot of fun things and recently and I've used a lot of different ticketing apps. There is not one better. Honestly, it's not even close to my friends. At Game Time. You're talking concerts, you're talking comedy shows. You want to go get a laugh, you want to go watch Shane Gillis, Andrew Schultz, I see he's blowing up. I guess he's already blown up. You want to go to a game? Do you want to go to any event? College pro, get out of the house. Go enjoy yourself. Here's part of life to keep a smile on your face. You got to break up the monotony and listen, I am guilty as anybody. Every once in a while you just got to throw a curve ball. It's like, I'm going to a concert tonight. I'm going to a basketball or baseball game tonight. Just change up your life. And that's where my friends at Game Time come in because they'll take the guesswork right out of buying tickets with Game Time. Download the Game Time app, create an account, use the code JOHN for $20 off. Your first purchase terms apply. Again, create an account, redeem the code John for $20 off. Download the game Time app today. Last minute tickets, lowest prices guaranteed. Okay, let's, let's dive into the Minnesota Vikings. Kevin O'Connell and Quesi, the GM have decided at this point in time while they discussed I think probably in depth and for days on end potentially for the last month or two. Should they be aggressive and sign Aaron Rodgers, that is their job. That is the job of every general manager is to do due diligence on every player available. And it's why Ryan polls last year. I'm sorry takes a little heat of like yeah, it was the easy thing to not bring any of the Quarterbacks in beside Caleb Williams. Yeah, the media is going to give you a lot of credit. They don't sign your checks. Your job is to thoroughly evaluate and bring in Jaden Daniels. And Drake May, if he could have that one over, doesn't mean he would change the pick. But let's face it, they did not do their due diligence like they did with Caleb. And just like, even though you drafted a quarterback really, really high in J.J. mcCarthy, like, he played two preseason games and then hurt his knee and then needed another surgery and lost what looked like 30 or 40 pounds and look like what I aspire to be, really skinny. And it's like, is this guy good enough to carry our offense? You have to ask these, ask these questions and you're not going to have the answers until the season starts. But I think one thing the Minnesota Vikings had on their side, they're not desperate. And I think one consistent theme in life is when you make decisions out of desperation, it can blow up in your face. And sometimes in life, you don't have a choice. Right. Anyone who's listening to this that's lost a job or been dumped or had something traumatic happen to you, that's, I would say, somewhat out of your control. It can force you into change and some desperation and to charge a different path immediately that you hadn't planned on doing. And you've heard a lot of people, especially successful people in business, that say the most powerful word is always no. It doesn't mean that you're not interested or that you won't end up doing that. But when you say no, you gain some leverage. And typically teams that make bad decisions or desperate decisions are bad. The reason the jets traded a Hall and then paid Aaron Rodgers or took his salary, actually, he ended up taking a pay cut, but basically gave him the keys to the franchise is not because they had been winning 11 or 12 games. It's because they had been dog shit. Like the 49ers just let their entire roster go. Do you think that happens if they win 12 games and are in the NFC championship game? Probably not. But they went six and 11. So when you look, look at the Eagles two years ago, they start whatever, what is it, 10 1, and then basically lose six of their last seven games, get their ass kicked in the playoffs, and they fired basically everyone they could see beside Nick Sirianni on the coaching staff. Do you think they do that if they were in the Super Bowl? Of course not. So winning and losing gives you juice. The Vikings were 60 minutes away from being the number one overall seed. And obviously they played a bad playoff game and got worked by the LA Rams. But like they're in a position where they look at the roster and go minus the quarterback. We feel we have one of the better rosters in the NFL and we've invested in this young quarterback because we believe in them. Now, I've been saying over and over, you have no clue. There is a great unknown when it comes to J.J. mcCarthy. Is he going to be a good NFL player? No one knows, including Minnesota. And it's why it is their responsibility to have these discussions, to go in depth. Is it worth it? How much would he cost? What would he impact on the locker room? Is it worth JJ's development, good or bad to have him around? Is it better to not have him around? Are we a better football team with him as the starting quarterback? That's what they're paid to do. It's like the media, people like me, people, the fans, we can have all the opinions we want and listen, it's fun. It's why football is huge. We got a lot of thoughts, we got a lot of takes and we like talking about it, but it is their job. It's not about takes, it's not about opinions, it's to get it right or wrong. And when you make a move, like if they go with J.J. mcCarthy and it works and they win 12, 13 games and he's a solid player, like, it's all worth it if he's not good and he can't carry the offense like Sam did. I know everyone's like, sam Donald's overrated. Look at the last two. He threw 35 touchdowns. J.J. mcCarthy, in 15 games when Michigan won the national championship, was never asked to play like that. His Career High was 22 touchdowns. Like he played in a run. First defensive team in college. That's how Jim Harbaugh coaches. That is not how Kevin O'Connell coaches. Kevin O'Connell wants to call past plays. Don't blame him. That's what a lot of Andy Reid likes, calling pass plays. But when you call a lot of pass plays, you're pretty dependent on the quarterback and Sam Darnold last year and Kirk Cousins the previous couple years, like, those are guys that clearly you could lean on. We don't know that with JJ McCarthy, we used to know that with Aaron Rodgers, he used to be a guy like he was one of the best players of all time. That guy's gone. So you're getting a 41 year old, he's not like completely washed. I mean, this isn't Drew Brees or Roethlisberger at the end of the career, but he's a shell of what he once was. Like, we have to acknowledge that if he was once basically like a 10 out of 10 player, whatever that version is is long gone. He's still a functional player. He's still a guy that can throw touchdowns, who can. If you have a good team you can probably be competitive with, but there is no guarantee that he can just carry you to the promised land. And I don't blame any older player, especially when you become really rich and you've checked off every box. Like, I don't want to get hit. I wouldn't want to get hit either. Tom Brady, that last year was like, I'm not getting sacked. Aaron Rodgers, last year, like, I'm not getting sacked. It's one thing to get, like, kind of randomly thrown to the ground. It's another thing when I see the guy coming at me like, I'm not standing in this pocket for that extra second where I can complete this ball. I'm hitting the ground now, throwing it away. And he used to not do that, and he did that last year, which, again, I will defend. But when you go into business with him, that's what you have to do is understand that that's the player. It's why when the talk about, like, well, we just. If Matt Stafford doesn't take a pay cut, we'll just. We'll trade them to the Giants and we'll go sign Aaron Rodgers. And you would have fell off a cliff in terms of your offensive production. Because the one thing Stafford will still do, even though he's made a ton of money and won a championship, he will sit in that pocket and get Molly whopped as he waits to the last possible second to deliver a strike to Puka Nakua for a first down. For some reason, I still don't. I saw a headline, Cooper Cup. He's like, I never got an answer from the Rams. It's like, cooper, they don't think you're worth $20 million. You're in the business of football and what your salary is. If it doesn't equal how good you are as a player anymore, whether it's the Rams or whether it's the Patriots, whether it's the Chiefs, every team in the league would have cut you. It's not because they don't like you as a guy. It's not because they don't think you work hard. It's not because they don't think you're a good influence to the team. It's because your salary was much larger than how you are currently as a player. It's called the business that is the NFL. You would have been cut by all 32 teams. They're not going to give you a letter of explanation of, like, your routes aren't as good anymore. It's your injuries and your dependability. You're not dependable anymore. It has nothing to do with, like, you as a guy. And I understand, like, I've been fired. It's. It's a humbling experience. But, like, they didn't think you were $20 million. It's not that fucking complicated. If I see one more headline like, Cooper cup just does not understand. What is there not to understand? This isn't a complicated formula. He's not as good as the high price. They think devonte Adams is worth way more money than you. Right. Which is your old salary, $20 million. They'll gladly play that. Savante, they do not want to pay you. And I think whenever I. It's hard to know with Rogers, you know, how much he actually wanted. If I was Rogers, I would have gone to Minnesota for, like, nothing, like five million bucks. I'm in. Because if he ends up with the Steelers and the Giants, and I mentioned this yesterday, like, I don't really care. Neither one of those things do anything to me. I don't think the Steelers are dramatically any different than they have been the last several years. And I think the Giants will be bad. And I think the Giants are in a really, really tough spot. And I don't really know what else they were supposed to do. But, and I said this yesterday, I understand why John Mara did not want to be looked at like some loony owner constantly firing people. But it's like, John, everyone you fired deserved to be fired. Like Ben McAdoo, you had to pull the trigger. Joe Judge ran a quarterback sneak on third and nine. He had to go. Pat Shermer had no business being a head coach. Like, this crew, it's not really working out. And like, I get it, you like these guys. A lot of people get fired in the NFL that people liked. Pete Carroll got fired. Andy Reid got fired. Like, it's part of the job. But these guys have no shot to win. And if you add Aaron Rodgers, like, their roster is way worse than the Jets. And unlike the jets, they play in a division that's much better. I mean, the Eagles are a powerhouse. Clearly, Washington is going to be improved. And they were in the NFC Championship last year. And let's face it, like, the Cowboys had a million injuries. Maybe they're no longer that 12 win team, but they're way better than the Giants. So I think this giant situation is like. And even if they end up drafting Shador with the third overall pick, like, I, I saw Shador two years ago on a bad Colorado team, they were not good. And it's just like, if you put players on bad teams, especially a quarterback, like, they, they let's. They're fucking Peyton Manning or Aaron Rodgers in his prime. They're not overcoming that. You will lose. We just saw Aaron Rodgers, on a talented team last year, lose week after week after week after week. And I think the Steeler thing, and I think what Cam said is reflective kind of what we all believe. It's like, I just, I can't. I just can't. It feels like a Bravo show now. And which, listen, when you are an elite, when you're a great player, you can deal with it, like, at one point in time, it's like, yeah, Antonio Brown's nuts, but he'll give you 120 catches and 15 touchdowns a year. Like, yeah, you just kind of deal with the nuts. And then it got to the point where, like, yeah, he's not giving you that anymore. I'm out. Terrell Owens became that. And every once in a while, quarterback becomes that. It's like your drama outweighs. I don't know how people deal with, like, I'm pretty lucky. My immediate family, there's not much drama involved. I keep a relatively smaller friend circle because I just, I can't really deal with crazy drama. I mean, there are levels where you have to be, you know, you have a family member, a close friend who just. There's drama in their life. They need help. Like, that's not what I'm talking about. I'm just saying constantly, something. It's like, if I'm the Steelers, it's like, listen, we sucked it up and we dealt with this weirdo Russell Wilson. Now we're dealing with Mr. Ayahuasca, who. It just isn't as good anymore. Now, you could also say, if you're the Steelers, like, what are your options? And I know it's been reported that they were pretty interested in bringing Justin Fields back on somewhat of a similar number to what the jets gave him, which I honestly think would have been insane. It's like, wait, you're willing to give him even a number near that couple years, $40 million and guarantee 30 and you wouldn't. And you benched him for Russell Wilson. How's that possible? And you refused as Russell Wilson started not playing well and it got cold and he looked like a shell of himself, you refused to start. Fields like that would have showed you that you essentially threw the last season. So I think both these franchises, I was pretty aggressive on how I was out on the Steelers last year and I looked dumb when they started 10 and 3 and then everything changed. They started playing good teams and I looked smart again. And listen, I've come to grips with. I'm no longer saying that Mike Tomlin and the Steelers should get a divorce. I don't believe it's going to happen. I believe he will be there forever no matter how many 8, 9, 10 win seasons he has and how many times he gets his ass kicked in the first round. Like, I'm done. That's a take. That's a waste of my energy. I'm also done ever thinking the Steelers are going to suck. They're clearly not. But like their version of suck is what we are witnessing right now. The team that just does the same thing every single year. And clearly the Chiefs are this dynasty team. Five Super Bowls, six years, three championships. But that next tier of team that cannot beat the Chiefs kicks your ass. The Bills and the Ravens. So it's like the Chiefs are in their own category and then that next tier of the Bills, Ravens have nothing in common with you. They own you. Yeah, occasionally you could beat the Ravens and Lamar in a regular season game. No one cares. Right? I mean, guys like De'Aaron Fox score 50 in random regular season games. It does not matter in the landscape of the league in the important games. So it's like, I just think the Steelers are now in the same spot over and over, over and over. They can add Rodgers, they can bring back Russell, they can draft Jackson Dart, they do whatever. I don't think anything's going to change. And it sucks if you're a Steeler fan because it's like we're never going to bottom out. So we never will have a chance at the Jaden Daniels or the, you know, I don't think Trevor Lawrence any good, but like that type player will always just, you know, somehow be nine to 10 wins, be one and done in the playoffs, not host a playoff game, have a stretch in the regular season where like, are we pretty good? It's like, no, you're actually not. So it's just the same old, same old. Now. Now you're waiting on a 41 year old who's toying with your emotions. That's what it's come to. You're waiting on a 41 year old that we've all acknowledged isn't that good anymore. Like he's not worthy of like we should be. But we're desperate. What else are we supposed to do? And the answer is you're screw. When it comes to college basketball in March mania, one thing is for sure. Nothing's for sure. Upsets, buzzer beaters, Cinderellas, Top seeds going home early. It's all gonna happen. Bet the unexpected. Every upset, every day with DraftKings Sportsbook. 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- [20:55]
Nikki Glaser
AI is redefining what's possible for your business. Are you up to the challenge? Microsoft is helping leaders like you get AI ready faster with unified data and simplified platform management, unlocking up to 150% improved output across industries. Leaders are turning to Microsoft's AI tools and guidance to rise to the challenge. For the NBA, that means using AI powered insights to deliver more personalized fan experiences. For BMW, it means innovating their development process safely and securely. And for Lego House, it means creating new interactive experiences for people to explore. With Microsoft's trustworthy AI tools and guidance, you can drive greater impact. Business leaders Microsoft surveyed saw an average of 3.7 times ROI per $1 invested in generative AI. Whatever challenge comes next, let Microsoft help you keep pushing forward for more details visit Microsoft.com challengers.
- [21:55]
Jeremy Hobson
We live in a divided country. I am a lifelong Republican with all kinds of different people.
- [22:01]
John Middlekauff
You know, I'm a mother, I'm a grandmother.
- [22:04]
Jeremy Hobson
That's why we started the Middle with Jeremy Hobson. It's about bringing voices not from the extremes, but from the vast middle into the national conversation.
- [22:12]
John Middlekauff
Anna, I'm calling from Las Vegas.
- [22:14]
Jeremy Hobson
Each week we bring together an all star panel. Mark Cuban, so great to have you on the Middle. Thanks for having me, Jeremy. Neil Degrasse Tyson, welcome to the Middle.
- [22:22]
Nikki Glaser
Thanks for having me.
- [22:23]
Jeremy Hobson
And hear from ordinary Americans from all over the country on the most important issues.
- [22:27]
John Middlekauff
Hi, my name is Venkat. I'm calling you from Atlanta, Georgia.
- [22:31]
Jeremy Hobson
And when you subscribe to the Middle, you also get an episode each week called One Thing Trump did that focuses on just one item from the avalanche of news.
- [22:40]
John Middlekauff
We should be examining what our government spends its money on and are these jobs necessary and what are we doing here? But that doesn't seem to be what we're doing in this situation.
- [22:47]
Jeremy Hobson
Listen to the Middle with Jeremy Hobson on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [23:00]
John Middlekauff
Pro days. I was talking to a buddy the other day who's, you know, doing his pro day circuit in his area. And I remember thinking this when I was going to them when I was in the NFL. And ever since, just watching them from the outside, they're really pretty pointless. Like you are learning nothing on a guy. Honestly, the pro days are not for the top players because a top player has more than likely started several years, especially like Alabama's pro day. Jalen Milroe is a multiple year starter. So I have game tape against Ole Miss, Georgia, you name it, Michigan, A&M, LSU. Like I got years of that. I have years of that. And at this point in time at the combine I can bring to my facility. Getting to know the guy is really important. But today it goes viral. It's like Jalen Milroe runs a 43740, which is obviously really fast. I mean, that's, that's impressive. Well, I got news for you. Anyone that watched Alabama the last couple years, Jaylen Milro can run. That is not shocking. He doesn't play corner. He's not a wide receiver. He plays quarterback. And anyone that watched the Senior bowl practices or that bowl game or just the majority of this season, it wasn't very pretty. You remove that first half against Georgia, it's like his job in the NFL is to complete an out Route is to hit a wheel route and hit the running back in stride. He does throw a pretty deep ball, but go routes, it's kind of overrated how often you throw that route. A lot of stuff in the NFL is timing and rhythm and he's not that good at it. I'm not trying to pick on Jalen Milroe, but I think this pro day circuit is pretty dumb. It really is. It really is. Much more for the guys that are fringe to get drafted, undrafted free agents and guys that won't play in the NFL. It's a showcase for them because all these guys go to the combine. So they've met with all the GMs, they've been weighed in. Even if they don't work out, who cares? What am I going to see in a workout with any top player? Ashton Genty, Abdul Carter, Jalen Milroe, Jackson Dark that I don't have years of tape to study. Especially the guys that went to the all Star games, which I had a front row seat of them practicing for a couple, couple days. Listen, I'm not saying these pro days are going to go away, but I think their value is, is basically zero. And I actually think it's insane talking to some of my scouting buddies that most teams, at least every team that I know, makes you write up like a write up on the guy's workout in shorts and T shirts at their pro day. I mean, you talk about a pointless exercise. Now I'm not opposed if something just looks egregiously awful, like this is something's off 100%. Make some notes. But like I just have to write up what you do. Running around cones and catching the ball or movement in space. Like we already have that, you know, playing football. This is not that. So my overall take is pro days are stupid. Okay, we'll get out of here on this. Some potential rule changes. Obviously one of the headliners over the last couple months has been the packers want to ban the tush push. My overall take is I don't care if they ban it. I don't. It will not bother me if they let them continue to do that will not bother me either because anyone can do the tush push. The only team that has the guy who is a little shorter that can squat 600 plus pounds is them. Because I saw Josh Allen, who I thought is one of the stronger, bigger quarterbacks I've ever seen try to run quarterback sneaks and he couldn't gain a half yard. So I just don't care. You ban it Cool. You don't ban it. Okay. Doesn't bother me. But I do think there are some pretty important potential rule changes. I have been saying forever as a fan of football, as someone that gambles on football, as someone who just watches a ton of football. The amount of games in tight. Most NFL games are close. I think 80% of games are within one score in the fourth quarter. So giving teams automatic first downs on defensive holding is the most, I think one of the craziest things in the NFL rulebook. How often do you watch a third and ten in the second half, tie game, down, three up, three and a team, third and nine and some questionable defensive holding or illegal contact, automatic first down. It's fucking bullshit. I would even go a step farther. Pass interference. We should go college. 15 yard penalty, but that's a different discussion. No problem if it's third and three. Defensive holding, first down. But automatic first down, we have seen so often second and long, third and long, it'd be like third and 15 and there'd be a defensive holding, automatic first down. Especially when the quarterback doesn't even throw that guy's way and it doesn't even come close to being completed. So the Detroit Lions, Dan Campbell, Brad Holmes and The Ford family F150, number one selling truck in America. No free ads, but truth, they want that gone, they want that changed and just make it a spot foul. So if it's third, nine and it happens at three yards, okay, it's now third and six. I'm all for it. I am 100% down because the automatic first down on that play has, has an outweighed impact on the outcomes of way too many games. This is not college football where half the games during the fall are 15, 20, 30 point spreads. That's not the case. All these games are close, or the majority of them are. And so many times coming down the home stretch. And it probably impacts more games earlier in the game too, but it's like a tie game. Six minutes left and it would have been a punt. And then all of a sudden you get a first down, at least to a field goal. And that's the difference in the game. So props to the Lions on that one. They also, I guess a lot of teams are behind the reseeding of the playoff teams. Essentially no LONGER the first four seeds, one through four are the four division winners. Because we have constantly seen, you know, nine, 10 win teams usually be the fourth, sometimes even the third seed. And yet we've had wild card teams win 12, 13, 14 games and have to go on the road in the playoffs. So they are discussing making. Basically the top seven seeds in the playoffs are just by record. And now if you win the division, you do get a playoff spot. So four of the seven spots are still going to go to the division winner, which I'm all for. But you don't automatically get a home game. Look at the Vikings. Now, because of the fires, they ended up playing in Arizona, but the Vikings had to go on the road. The Vikings were 60 minutes away from being the number one overall seed. Instead, they lose and all of a sudden they're playing a Monday night game in Glendale, Arizona, which still kind of worked out to be a home game for them because of how many people from the Minnesota general area, you know, I would say live, you know, in Arizona, but that's beside the point. They have one of the best home field advantages in the NFL. So I'm totally for this. I know a lot of people have hit me up over the years asking if they should do a team can pick whoever they want to play. I think that's fun to talk about and it's a cool discussion. It will never happen. And all 32 teams, the good and the bad teams would not want that. So totally for that. The other thing is, I think the Steelers put through this rule out, which I don't hate right now. During the tampering period, you are, based on the letter of the law, not allowed to talk to the player. So if I, if I'm the New England Patriots and I want Milton Williams, I can talk to his agent. But if I'm Vrabel or my defensive coordinator, I can't get on the horn with Milton. I have to wait till the official start of the league year to talk to him. They want to make the tampering period allow you to talk to a player. So if I'm recruiting player X as a free agent, I basically can't talk to him where I can avoid that. Remember, Saquon said something about how he talking to him last year and then he had to push back. And it turns out, you know, it's like, I think the fix is pretty simple. You are allowed, you're not allowed to announce anything. But to me, the tampering period should start at the NFL combine and then the league year, whenever that tampering period, quote, unquote starts, should be that Monday in the league year and then for maybe even three days. So it could be a Sunday. You're allowed to negotiate with the player and the agent because it is very, you have to be extremely naive to think that these discussions aren't happening very, very frequently at the combine. So we all know the combine is the unofficial start to legal tampering, yet you can't start, quote unquote legal tampering till like a week later on Monday. It's just, it's very disingenuous and it's just not the way the real world works. So to me, I would mess with the combine and have that as some sort of legal tampering and try to ideally give it a week where you start announcing the deals. But even right now, once the legal tampering period begins, all these deals start breaking. You think we just come to an agreement $60 million Monday at noon? Of course not. We've been talking for a week. So I think there's something to be manipulated with the legal tampering, with the discussions and just make it all legal so we don't even have to pretend anymore. But I'm all for the Lions and the defensive holding and illegal contact not resulting in an automatic first down and not against either. The receding, just based on records. Even though the four division winners get an auto spot.
- [33:46]
Nikki Glaser
AI is redefining what's possible for your business. Are you up to the challenge? Microsoft is helping leaders like you get AI ready faster with unified data and simplified platform management, unlocking up to 150% improved output across industries. Leaders are turning to Microsoft's AI tools and guidance to rise to the challenge. For the NBA, that means using AI powered insights to deliver more personalized fan experiences. For BMW, it means innovating their development process safely and securely. And for Lego House, it means creating new interactive experiences for people to explore. With Microsoft's trustworthy AI tools and guidance, you can drive greater impact. Business leaders Microsoft surveyed saw an average of 3.7 times ROI per $1 invested in generative AI. Whatever challenge comes next, let Microsoft help you keep pushing forward. For more details, visit Microsoft.com challengers we.
- [34:46]
Jeremy Hobson
Live in a divided country. I am a lifelong Republican with all kinds of different people.
- [34:51]
John Middlekauff
You know, I'm a mother, I'm a grandmother.
- [34:54]
Jeremy Hobson
That's why we started the Middle with Jeremy Hobson. It's about bringing voices not from the extremes but from the vast middle into the national conversation.
- [35:02]
John Middlekauff
Anna, I'm calling from Las Vegas.
- [35:04]
Jeremy Hobson
Each week we bring together an all star panel. Mark Cuban, so great to have you on the Middle.
- [35:09]
John Middlekauff
Thanks for having me. Jeremy.
- [35:10]
Jeremy Hobson
Neil Degrasse Tyson, welcome to the Middle.
- [35:12]
Nikki Glaser
Thanks for having me.
- [35:13]
Jeremy Hobson
And hear from ordinary Americans from all over the country on the most important issues.
- [35:18]
John Middlekauff
Hi, my name is Venkat. I'm calling you from Atlanta, Georgia.
- [35:21]
Jeremy Hobson
And when you subscribe to the Middle, you also get an episode each week called One Thing Trump did that focuses on just one item from the avalanche of news.
- [35:30]
John Middlekauff
We should be examining what our government spends its money on and are these jobs necessary and what are we doing here? But that doesn't seem to be what we're doing in this situation.
- [35:38]
Jeremy Hobson
Listen to the middle with Jeremy Hobson on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [35:50]
John Middlekauff
Just flip the hat around in honor of Coward and the Backward Hat Crew. So let's dive into a little mailbag at John Middle Coff. At John Middle Coff is the Instagram fire in those DMS Fire. Get your questions answered here on the show. Just my Instagram. We will start with Alex Question for the mailbag. I disagree with my fellow Hawks fans claiming John Schneider is the problem. You know, when you're not like really deep on individual teams, Reddit's or Twitters, you don't even realize these conversations. Or maybe Facebook communities, Instagram, like this is a thing. Like do people think John Schneider isn't one of the best GMs in the league? Because everyone in the NFL believes that I'm on. I don't even know the guy personally. I mean I know people I'm close with in the NFL know him. He's. He's really highly thought of. First he traded Russell Wilson, a move that ended up being a clear win for the franchise. I'd agree there. Then recognized the team was stagnating under Carroll. He brought in a new coach. Not just any coach, but an innovative mind with a high upside scheme. Rather than playing it safe with someone like Dan Quinn, though I think Dan Quinn's pretty good fellow ball brother. After this past season, it became clear that sticking with Geno would keep us in a solid but ultimately limited position. Competitive but never true contenders. Think the Steelers instead of settling, Schneider is doubling down on his aggressive approach, trading Dino Gino, cutting locket and likely and obviously moving Metcalf, all while accumulating draft capital and clearing cap space. Do you agree that it's better to have a GM willing to take bold steps than running it back with virtually the same thing? Listen, he could easily play it safe and you know he could have found a way to extend Geno and he mentioned this for like what, 40 million a year or something and had Geno for around for a couple more years making 45 million compete to win 8 to 10 games every single year. And not only never get fired, be thy thought of what a boring way to live. I mean, this is a guy that is super bowl champion, was obviously a play away from winning. Back to back Super Bowls drafted Hall of Fame players made one of the boldest moves ever shorted Russell Wilson's career. A guy that he pounded the table for. Russell Wilson is on the Seattle Seahawks because of John Schneider convincing Pete Carroll to draft him. Never forget, and you know this, when Pete Carroll first met Russell Wilson, he was blown away by how small he was. John had to convince him and he did and it changed their franchise. And then remember, John Schneider tried to trade Russell Wilson to the Cleveland Browns when they drafted Baker Mayfield because he wanted to draft Josh Allen. I believe in John Schneider. I think you're very, very lucky to have him as your general manager. He's a stud. He's a stud. Long time Chiefs fan here. I hear a lot of talk on the left tackle position for Kansas City. I like the addition of Jalen Moore. Sure seems like an upgrade at the position on paper. Agreed, he is. My question is this. With the Chiefs bringing Eric Fisher into coach, the offensive tackles, do you think it's a big deal, small deal or no deal? I had googled this. I had actually seen this and I talked to. I actually had a phone call with John Heck, who is Andy sun, who's your O line coach for the last decade plus. And he had, he called me to pick my brain on podcasting stuff. He's in kind of the strength and conditioning world. He's going out on his own. Really impressive guy. Starting right tackle for the, for the North Carolina Tar Heels forever about, you know, 2012-16. Check him out on Instagram. He is fucking jacked. And I brought this up because I had seen your Instagram and he said he had not heard of that. Obviously his dad is the O line coach. And then I googled it and I haven't seen it. So I, I don't know where you got that from. I'm not saying you're wrong. I just, I haven't seen that. Listen, it's when you need a tackle and you're in the chief spot, what do you do Every single year you draft 31 or 32. All the good tackles typically go in the top 15 picks. Now, you can get lucky with a late pick, but for the most part, the best tackles in the league are pretty high picks. Right? There's occasional Christian Darasaw with Minnesota things a second round pick but Worf's top 15 pick Trent Williams top five pick Lane Johnson top five pick I mean, Jordan Mulatta is an all time outlier, but Giants tackle Unhealthy top pick Most of these tackles are just going to get drafted really, really high, so I don't really know what they're supposed to do. And they're never going to have that much money because of what they pay Mahomes in Chris Jones in fairness, they almost signed Trent Williams a couple years ago. They went all in all their chips in the middle of the table and he just went back to the Niners. Sean McVay hired a game management coordinator last season to help him not use his timeouts in the second half. Why is it so hard for coaches to save their timeouts, take the delay of game and run another play? Teams always end up needing those timeouts. I do. I'm guilty as anyone because clearly what I do for a living is critique situations and games. It is dramatically easier to be critical sitting on your couch, drinking ice cold water and eating some popcorn than it is on the sideline in a game in the second half where you're amped up. So I agree it is dumb and it happens way too often. And offensive coordinators who are head coach, I just think head coaches do it a lot. Just take the extra penalty. I get if there's like two minutes left to go in the game. But when it happens in the third quarter of a tie game, it is insanity. But I do think it's easier to criticize in our shoes than it would be sitting there on the sideline. I understand how it happens, even if it's the wrong move. McVeigh was really bad at it in years past. I mean really bad. And then he hired Vrabel, got fired. He hired Vrabel's guy who I didn't see on the Internet, but I Not that I looked that hard. I wonder if that guy went with Vrabel back to the Patriots or he's like shit. I kind of like LA long time listener and first time mailbag submitter. I'm a Rams fan and in SoCal I'm wondering what the Rams plan is at quarterback once Stafford hangs it up. We've learned that Stafford's approaching his tenure with the Rams on a yearly basis and he's still playing at a high level. However, he'll probably have two years left at most, and the Rams have been too good to be drafting high enough to snag a top level Prospect, these answers aren't easy. It's like, what are there now? I think you could pull the trigger this year. You got to like a quarterback to draft them, right? You're not just going to take a guy in the first or second round just to take a quarterback. But let's say Sean McVeigh really likes one of these quarterbacks. Whether it's Riley Leonard or Will Howard or Jackson dart or Kyle McCord. I think you could justify taking one of these guys in the first or second round. Now I don't think they will do that, but if they did that, I would not call them crazy. How much does positional value really matter to teams? I see all the time players are great in big time college programs being the best player on the field fall down the board due to their position. Bowers at tight end or Kyle Hamilton at safety. I get the importance of quarterback edge and left tackle for a team, but it seems like teams will take major risks on those positions over blue chip players. It's because of this I'm better off taking a. Let's say I'm a pick 7. I'm more likely to take a defensive or offensive lineman than I am a safety. Even if I believe that safety might be the best player in the NFL. Because if I draft that safety at pick seven, I'm paying him a ton of money. I'm giving him a $40 million guaranteed contract, right? And again that number could be off. But you know what I mean, where that's not a huge deal. Like safeties don't make that much money. So I'm basically paying him immediately to be a Pro bowl all pro level player. And ideally I hope he becomes that. But there's no guarantee yet at tackle or pass rusher or wide receiver if I hit on that guy and he's only making 6, $7 million a year and the $35 million contract, that's a steal, right? Like even though I had to draft Jamar Chase, whatever, fifth or sixth overall, or Penne Sewell, like those two guys for example, drafted really high in the draft, they become pro bowlers so quick. They are the equivalent of Brock Purdy, they're so cheap. So I think it has something to do with that. Like you draft the tight end for overall, he doesn't make that much less on a guaranteed basis than like George Kittle. So it's like I'm not even getting a deal. I'm paying the guy a premium immediately. Now it's easy to say once he turns out to be Brock Bowers. But like what happens when it's Kyle Pitts. Kyle Pitts, that's fucking highway robbery. He's robbed the Atlanta Falcons. My question, we've seen it play out several times in free agency. Debo, Greenlaw, Hufanga, whoever gets Cup. Can you speak to how potentially impactful it can be bringing winning players into younger locker rooms even if they are on the back end of their career? Like what Deebo and Kupp are. These guys know that what it looks like it's tougher to quantify and I know production at the end of the day is what matters most. But so much of what helps teams sustain winning is what the culture that is culture that we always hear about. Would love to hear your thought on this. I think there's a fine balance when you can get an older player. Let's use cup or Debo who still can play. Doesn't mean there's in their peak form, but it's still a productive player and brings good habits to the locker room. It's. You're getting a steal. I do think where you get in weird spots is where their game is diminished and it kind of throws them off and they're not able to lead as much. I do think is a very, very fine line of like ultimately Washington, like Debo is going to do everything humanly possible to play well so he can get a new contract. Now what Debo brings to the table is like he will run over whoever the best player is on the other team. To like show toughness and stuff like that is really important. But like what if Debo, as the season goes on, he's not playing well and kind of gets phased out. So like I, I think we are assuming your two examples that those guys are still going to play well because if they don't, it can get weird because all of a sudden it's like what if you get benched for like the six round pick who's better than you and you're also paying that guy a lot of money. Like Cooper cup's making what, $15 million a year. Debo's making 17. So relative to their position. Yeah, they're not making as much as they once did or you know, relative to the top guys, but they still make a shit ton relative to your roster. So I, I think there is risk involved. Perfect world no matter what they, you know, Debo, listen, I'm guilty of this too battle some weight issues. So I was like, I, I think there's a fine line. I think if it goes well, it's incredible. I mean think of, think of how many big games Debo's been in. So it's like. But like Terry McLaren. Terry McLaren doesn't need him for leadership, does Luke McCaffrey. So it's. I think they need him more for just toughness. Just add some toughness to my offense more than quote unquote leadership. Like is Jaden Daniels looking to be led? Laramie Tunzel. So I think that's great in theory and I'm not saying it doesn't matter but, but I think every situation is a little different. Like if cups missing games, you know, the six round wide receiver who's like the fourth guy on the roster. I mean it's like yeah, Cooper cup was sweet like four years ago, it's not now. I think it's also different when it's like an all time legend, you know, like Randy Moss or Ladanian Tomlinson or I mean Trent was still good, but you get Trent, you know, you get some of these players that are like going to the hall of Fame, you know, like J.J. watt with the Cardinals and then there's like that next year, like really good player, but he's still got to play well. So I do think there's a fine, fine line. I think it's easier with like the backup quarterback because like everyone knows his role. Like Flacco can just help guys out and I value that stuff. So I'm not trying to like poo poo. It's. But, but I do think that we, and I'm guilty this too can overvalue that stuff because ultimately the fucking game starts. It's like, can you get open? Can you make a play? Mailbag question. You become GM of the Colts tomorrow. What's your first move? I think we are doing a deep, deep dive on every quarterback not named Cam Ward. That includes Shador because who knows, I mean what if Shador quote unquote drops but every other quarterback, Riley, Leonard, Will, Howard, McCord, Jackson, Dart, you just go through the group, all the guys that could get drafted from the second to the sixth round, we are doing a deep, deep dive because I am kind of stuck like Anthony Richards on my team. They just signed Date. Like I can't rip up that Daniel Jones contract. But none of that faces me. I would think about trading Anthony Richardson now. I don't know what you could get. Like is it worth trading him for like a 5th round pick? But like could I trade him to the Giants for their third round pick? Because if they, if I could, I would, I would Think long and hard about it. That honestly and I, I was pro drafting Anthony Richardson. But I do think we need to acknowledge like yeah, it's probably not going to work even if you're an Anthony Richardson guy. I think you would have to agree with me if you were going to bet. If I said right now, a thousand dollars, maybe you're rich. $10,000. Are you betting that this guy is going to be on the team in three years? Yes or no? Even if you're pro Anthony Richardson, you'd have to bet. No, there's no way you could bet. Yes, Vlad. Enjoy Watch your podcast every morning. Question for the Friday mailbag. Reading this on Thursday or the Thursday mailbag Is the American dream dead? I'm 27 year old, I'm a nurse working in the Bay Area and I'm making decent coin. I ask myself every day how am I ever going to afford a home and raise a family here? You know, the nice house with the white picket fence feels like an unattainable dream. Wondering what financial advice you would give to any young person growing up in this economic time period. Much love. Let me say this. You are in an area and there is a handful of those where if you make decent coin. I have no clue the pay scale for nurses. But let me just. You're 27. Let me, let me just throw out a guess and maybe I'm way off. Let's say you're making $200,000. It's a lot of money. But the reason I have a good buddy that was just at my wedding, you know, I know him through now, Maria. But he's a firefighter in San Francisco. What he makes is dramatically more than he would make if he was a firefighter in Las Vegas or a certain area, you know, in Portland, Oregon. But they have to pay you that because one, the cost of what it costs to live and then you get taxed at a rate higher than most of these other places. So there is no way for you to get ahead. So is the American dream dead in San Francisco or Los Angeles? Yes, you got no shot. But I'm a good example. I live there and I make more money now in 2025 than I did in 2021. But it was pretty clear that even if what I'm making now, like I where I would want to live, I wouldn't want to buy one of these shit banger homes for three and a half million dollars one. I just wouldn't do it. I don't, it's like no chance. But that's the place I'd want to live. And that was the going rate. So I moved. I crossed an imaginary line. Now, in my situation, unlike yours, my pay scale, whether, you know, it just depended on how well the podcast was going. I was going to make what I was going to make. Whether I lived in Alaska, whether I lived in San Francisco, or whether I lived in New Mexico, it didn't matter. For you, it pays based on areas, right? I'm sure you make more in Manhattan or San Francisco than you would in Idaho. But me crossing an imaginary line to come to Scottsdale, which is a very expensive place now it's gone up dramatically, has made me, I would guess, 30 to 40% richer or worth more over the course of a couple years. Because it's not even just what you save in taxes. The ability to purchase a home and put money into it, and the ability to what you save and can invest you the American dream in San Francisco, doing what you're doing 100%, you got no shot. Unless there is an absolute crash in the Bay Area, which probably doubtful, at least in the foreseeable future. But that is not true in other areas. Like, the reason places like Arizona and Vegas have benefited a lot from people in your situation struggling and leaving. And I fall into that category now. I didn't leave because I was just. Just for financial reasons. Those that played a part, I was just so. I. I was like, I can never wear a mask again. And they wouldn't let me take my mask off there. And you come to Arizona, it's like they. You can't fucking see a mask. If you had binoculars that went, you know, a thousand miles, it's like. And this is. I'm talking 2020. Like, we're all breathing what's going on. So I left for a lot of different variables, but financially, the benefits are. And I tell people this all the time because a lot of people talk like this. Most of my friends or a large percentage of people in my life still live in California. A lot of them do well, and they bitch and moan all the time about taxes, the prices. And you can. And I did the same thing. Until you see it, when you deal with your tax guy, it's. It's impossible to truly understand. So like I said, I understand. Working at, like, the Mayo Clinic here probably doesn't pay whatever you might make at Stanford Hospital or San Francisco Hospital, wherever you're working. But if the number is within reason, I would leave because the American dream is fucking raging here. It's strong and it's not. It hasn't been there for a while just because the cost of everything is so out of whack. So I, I'm not saying come here. I'm just saying you have options. You know I, if, if you do have options were would be to leave and go somewhere else. Am I the only Niner fan who likes the organization what the organization is doing? A lot of fans and talking heads are sitting around wondering what San Francisco is doing letting all these guys walk and I really like it. Yes, losing Greenlaw sucks, but this availability does not merit the amount of money he's making in San Francisco's final setup. Same with Hufanga. They've all been preparing for the last year's draft with Puni Mustafa Renardo Green Pearsall puts a lot of pressure on this draft, but with double digit selections do you think San Francisco still has a legitimate chance to be a threat in the NFC this year in the next. Yeah, 100%. I think I mentioned this to Colin every move the Niners made beside Floyd like I don't agree with Floyd but Greenlaw like yeah paying a guy $45 million whose leg I don't know come back off an Achilles his hamstring hunger has like four different injuries and I love those two guys love those two guys but like I get not resigning him give Aaron Banks that $88 million packers are a well run organization that was pretty nuts the Niners tendered Jordan Mason at like four and a half five million dollars they were never going to pay Jordan Mason that I get trading him I think it's a good trade for Minnesota. Totally get it US check ended up coming back the Leonard Floyd thinks nuts he plays every single game he's a high level dude and he's fucking just solid player and he's making $7 million. I'm sorry I just I adamantly disagree with that one but all the other moves yeah easy to justify and listen love Debo what he did back in the day but he just was pretty bad last year. I've seen most of the prominent drafters like DJ Kuyper and McShay mock Genty to the Raiders can the Raiders are really afford to take him over Mason Graham men I don't know how to say the Missouri offensive tackles question seems like more of a luxury the Raiders cannot take Ashton Janti I would be stunned I mean floored if John Spitek who played at Michigan and is like pretty big guy would take a 58 running back and it feels like I'm hating on Ashton Genti. I love Ashton Genti. You could not wash watch Ashton Genti play last year and not think he's one of the best players in college football. But he played at a smaller school and he's 5 foot 8. Put yourself in a position of being a GM in the top 10 in your team like the Raiders where you could use offensive line, defensive line, just impact players. Hell a wide receiver. You could not take a 58 running back when there are 10 other guys who can be starters in the NFL at running back. Take a running back in the second or third round. I think taking Ashton Genti in the top 10 would be pretty nuts. If you're a general manager.
- [58:29]
Nikki Glaser
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- [59:29]
Jeremy Hobson
We live in a divided country. I am a lifelong Republican with all kinds of different people.
- [59:35]
John Middlekauff
You know, I'm a mother, I'm a grandmother.
- [59:37]
Jeremy Hobson
That's why we started the Middle with Jeremy Hobson. It's about bringing voices not from the extremes but from the vast middle into the national conversation.
- [59:46]
John Middlekauff
Anna I'm calling from Love Vegas.
- [59:48]
Jeremy Hobson
Each week we bring together an all star panel. Mark Cuban, so great to have you on the Middle.
- [59:53]
John Middlekauff
Thanks for having me.
- [59:53]
Jeremy Hobson
Jeremy Neil Degrasse Tyson, welcome to the Middle.
- [59:56]
Nikki Glaser
Thanks for having me.
- [59:57]
Jeremy Hobson
And hear from ordinary Americans from all over the country on the most important issues.
- [60:01]
John Middlekauff
Hi, my name is Venkat. I'm calling you from Atlanta, Georgia.
- [60:05]
Jeremy Hobson
And when you subscribe to the Middle, you also get an episode each week called One Thing Trump did that focuses on just one item from the avalanche of news.
- [60:13]
John Middlekauff
We should be examining what our government spends its money on and are these jobs necessary and what are we doing here? But that doesn't seem to be what we're doing in this situation.
- [60:21]
Jeremy Hobson
Listen to the Middle with Jeremy Hobson on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [60:34]
John Middlekauff
Here's my question. How do other teams success affect other teams team building? For example, the Eagles D line is stacked. Will people try to copy or combat it? Do they draft a stud defensive lineman in the draft or take a stud offensive lineman to combat it? It's a copycat league, so I assume there will be an emphasis on defensive line at least in the nfc. Hypothetically speaking, if the Bengals make it the super bowl, will other teams put an emphasis on paying wide receivers? Also, I'm tired of the packers being the youngest team in the league. It's more of an excuse than an accomplishment. If we enter the season as the youngest team in the league for the third straight season, I'm going to fucking lose it. I added the F word there. I think naturally you always try to gravitate toward what is working. But like is what the Eagles did really that revolutionary? I think how he'd be the first to tell you like yeah we invest in offensive and defensive linemen. So should you. I it's like you know we took Jalen Carter at 9 overall. We it's like that's pretty nuts. He should have gone one. Now obviously there were character stuff but like yeah we invest in guards and tackles and pass rushers. I don't think to me if there was some scheme like running quarterbacks when that kind of went in vogue. I think what the Eagles did is pretty self explanatory. Yet you the person just asked the question like will the Raiders take Genty at 6? I mean Howie who's paid Saquon Barkley a lot of money and just said the Saquon had one of the best seasons in the history of the league would jump off the Walt Whitman before he took Ash and gente at 8 or 6 overall, he loves Saquon Barkley. He would not take Saquon Barkley. It's six overall. It's bad business. So like taking good linemen is just that's how you win in football. Like I don't think it's I think sometimes you copycat with schemes like RPOs or even the Tush Push or certain blitzes but like the same type teams win all the time. The reason like the the Ravens are good for 25 years. They're usually pretty good at the line of scrimmage and good on defense. It's like not obviously Lamar has changed their offensive dynamics but like when you close your eyes and think the Baltimore Ravens what do you think? Defense, line of scrimmage, offensive and defensive line. Pittsburgh, why do they never lose? They're always good on defense and for a while, like sometimes they have great offenses. Obviously if you have a Josh Allen or Mahomes, it can, it can separate you. But like, you got to be good on defense. But I hear it. Yeah. I don't think there are like dynamic ways to look at this. Right. Because you, you give the example of the Bengals, it's like, well, yeah, if you got, you could justify it. If you have Jamar Chase and T. Higgins, who has that, like, I don't even think the Vikings would be nuts in like a year. It's like, yeah, we're going to trade Jordan Addison, trade him for a first round pick. Not saying they would do that, but it's like. And we're going to invest in a right tackle. Thinking about getting engaged this year. Did you take your wife ring shopping before or did you go or how did you go about it? I know her friends had pictures of what she would like the ring, but she wants to get one with me. Just curious. It's a good question. I would not have known this until I did it now, you know, you talk about privilege. I got the great privilege and was very, very lucky that her grandma had given her a ring which had the diamond. Now she didn't. She wasn't going to use the ring. But we use the diamond, which is, you know, I. Let's just say you buy a $20,000 ring, the diamonds, 90% of the cost. So it was a game changer for me. So we shopped together, she picked out the band and then they used the diamond. Now I'm 40 years old. You know, if you're younger, there's, I don't know, levels of secrecy of how to do would have been impossible. I could, I could never have done it without. Even if I had to buy the diamond, I wouldn't even know where to start. And I think most people listening would probably agree that it's. She knew she was getting engaged. I would guess a large percentage of girls know they're going to get engaged. When he asked the question, and I think one thing I asked, I think her name was DJ or the girl that helped us at the store. I said, what percentage of people come in together? She said, the majority. And a lot of times you go in with her, she gives you some options and then you go back on your own and actually make the purchase. But it is not abnormal to go together because you don't want to hand for something that she's going to hate. Especially if you got to spend 5, 10, 20, whatever thousand dollars. It's, it's not an, it's not an inexpensive purchase. Are the Bengals actually doomed? Everyone thought they were going to get, weren't going to get them done. Now they're stupid for paying two top wide receivers. The defense was already ass. Is it crazy to think that they could improve the defense and pay the offense? It's going to be a fascinating experiment because the reason they went nine and eight was not the passing game. Like the passing game thrived. So it's not like they, they didn't change anything. They just added more money to what they were invested. I mean they were going to pay Chase but like to go all in on Higgins, literally nothing changes. Sometimes when you pay a bunch of guys, you know, if I just tell you a team announces two huge contracts, it's like ideally you get some, an addition, right? So I, I don't know man. I can't. It's hard for me to hate on them doing it because it made the quarterback happy. But I think we all have to agree it's, it's a problem when their defense was their biggest question mark. Do you think the adding a minor league, minor league in the NFL to help develop players and have like a plug and play with increase in injuries to the teams. I've said this forever. Why would they do that? They have college football. The NFL owners are not going to pay for that. In part of minor league baseball, it's like owned by the big league teams and football is very, just labor intensive. So you have way more injuries. You got to pay coaching staffs. You would have to teach the coaching staff to teach what you're doing. If it was a minor league team, you know, unlike minor league baseball or basketball, like I can just play 50 games and more than likely not going to have major injuries like in football. What if your six round picks down there developing and all of a sudden someone takes out his leg. So I think it's a lot more, a lot more variables than the other sports that have minor league, you know, feeder systems. What is your prediction on the Colts this year and do you think Anthony Richardson will improve? Seems like Ballard and even Steichen may be on the lot. Jobs might be on the line. I'm back and forth on Daniel Jones. I think they're, I think they're in major trouble. I mean the one thing that they benefit from is the division which the Titans are gonna have a Rookie quarterback. The Texans have a lot of question marks with the offensive line and I always. The Titans, the Texans on the Jags, I mean, who fuck knows? But I don't know, man, that that's. It couldn't have gone much weirder through two years. I think we just have to acknowledge it's a bizarre situation. Kind of has some like Trey Lancy vibes different. Trey Lance never tapped out of a game, but it was clear going into year three. It's like, I don't know if this is going to work. That's what I feel like this is. Now Richardson has way more talent than Trey Lance. Like if you told me you could have Trey Lance or Anthony Richardson going into year three, it's not even. I'm not comparing the two players, but the situations, some similar vibes and obviously the Niners got lucky. Purdy bailed them out. I doubt Daniel Jones can do that. Okay, last question. Die hard Birds fan. Props to Brian and Graham who just retired. I've been hearing nationally and locally how Howie's recent draft should be attributed to his decision to draft players from big time programs, the Georgia boys. But no one seems to mention picking Quinion Mitchell from Toledo. As a former scout, did you have confidence in that pick when it was made? Did others around the league have any clue he could step in and be a lockdown corner in his rookie season even though he came from a weaker college program? Here's the difference. And I would put Genty in this too. Is a guy now coming from Boise State, Toledo or whatever it was like, did he just come out of nowhere? Mitchell, like Genty turned down a lot of money to stay at their program. Mitchell easily could have gone to Bama, Georgia, Ohio State, Michigan. He could have gone Texas. All these places he chose to stay. Astrogenti turned down seven figures. I think probably from like Texas, Ohio State now, who knows? Like, would he still be viewed as the prospect if he was there? If you're going to draft him high, you, you hope so. But that makes you feel good. It's like the reason these guys who had the opportunity to leave, it's like they passed on money because they like playing with their boys. So he was, I mean this dude would have been a immediate starter at Texas, Bama, Georgia. So that's, you know, before when that was even an option, you could play that hypothetical. But it was like how he can call Steve Sarkeesian or Kirby Smart and they'd be like, yeah, we were begging him to come here. We told him we'd give him a million dollar or seven hundred grand or whatever and he denied us. That makes you feel a lot better. So he was pretty highly thought of. I was texting with a buddy on their staff who's just like, he is. He is way better than you realize. He's, I mean, he's got a chance to be, I mean, the best corner in the NFL or one of them, you know, like within a couple years. The way we talk about the way Stingley played and certain, you know, sauce the first couple years, like that's how good this guy is. And before when you take smaller school guys, you are making an educated guess and you still were because of his level of competition. But I do think you have to factor in how everyone wanted him and the same thing for Genti because usually those guys now leave and you don't even have to guess. You're like, well, you know, think of the different world we live in. If Genty is just the starting running back at Ole Miss or Texas or Texas A and M, you know, or Florida or Georgia or one of these schools, it just, it would be a lot different. And let's face it, he would, his stats would not look like they look and that's not, I mean it'd still be probably awesome, but it can change you and it can help you. Maybe if he did have the same stats and he had done it at Texas, maybe he goes like top five. I do think it's difficult and you have to factor this in. You know, I was going to look up Quinion Mitchell. Quinion Mitchell's measurables. So he goes to the combine, he's 6ft tall, he runs a 4340 and he vertical jumps 38 inches. So it's like every team in the country wanted him to transfer. He told him no, this isn't like some little overachiever. This is a blue chip body type. Six feet, 195, 200 pounds, can fly explosive like checks every box. If you told me Ashton Genti was 5 11, I would say, yeah, draft him in the top 10 like Bijan and McCaffrey and some of those guys. But it's 5 8. Just like if Quinion Mitchell had done the same thing, Instead of being 6ft, he was 5 9, he wouldn't have gotten the first round. Like it does impact you. It doesn't mean he couldn't have been a great player 5 foot 9, but it does. So yeah, I'd say Howie's got to feel pretty good about that draft pick the volume AI is redefining what's possible for your business. With more unique challenges to solve and higher stakes than ever, Microsoft helps you stay ahead. Our trustworthy AI tools and guidance can empower leaders like you to drive greater impact. And with Azure's simplified platform management, we're helping businesses go further, faster, unlocking up to 150% improved output. Whatever challenge comes next, let Microsoft help you keep pushing forward. For more details, visit Microsoft.com challengers this is Nikki Glaser from the Nikki Glaser Podcast. Have you guys seen this new commercial? From Stand up to All Hate? It's basically Snoop Dogg and Tom Brady going back and forth with reasons that they hate each other. But then when you really listen to them, the reasons for the hate are just so stupid. I don't know. This this commercial really got me. It's a strong reminder that hate in our country continues to be out of control. So join us at iHeart in standing up to it. If you see hate, speak up. Call it out. Your voice is a powerful tool in this fight. You can learn more by following hat's upwithhate.
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Jeremy Hobson
We live in a divided country, and our media couldn't be more polarizing. That's why we started the Middle with Jeremy Hobson. It's about bringing voices not from the extremes, but from the vast middle into the national conversation. Each week, we hear from ordinary Americans from all over the country. And when you subscribe to the Middle, you also get an episode each week called One Thing Trump did that focuses on just one item from the avalanche of news. Listen to the Middle with Jeremy Hobson on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.