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- [00:00]
Jason McIntyre
This is an iHeart podcast.
- [00:04]
Colin Cowherd
BMW didn't just design an electric SUV. Every detail of the BMW IX was crafted with passion and precision. With a BMW ix, you'll experience unmatched power, utility, spaciousness, versatility. My favorite feature cloud based navigation. Monitors charge levels, locates nearby charging stations so I can drive electric with the ultimate ease. BMW lets performance do the talking and the scouting report is in. Experience the all electric BMW IX and witness dedication in every detail. Summer is here and you can now get almost anything you need for your sunny days delivered with Uber Eats. Now what do we mean by almost? Well, you can't get a well groomed lawn delivered, but you can get chicken parm delivered. A nice tan? Sorry, A box fan? Happily, yes. A day of sunshine? No. A box of fine wines? Yes. Uber Eats can definitely get you that. Get almost almost anything delivered with Uber Eats. Order now. Alcohol and select markets. Product availability may vary by region. See app for details. Banking with Capital One helps you keep more money in your wallet with no fees or minimums on checking accounts and no overdraft fees. Just ask the Capital One bank guy. It's pretty much all he talks about in a good way. He'd also tell you that this podcast is his favorite podcast too. Oh really? Thanks Capital One Bank Guy. What's in your wallet? Terms apply. See CapitalOne.com Bank Capital One NA Member FDIC the herd is brought to you by Grainger. If you work as a maintenance manager, your facility is your home turf and and your home field advantage is having a partner like Grainger. They offer trusted professional grade products for every industry from lighting and electrical to safety and everything in between. Plus fast, dependable delivery. Which is why they always come through in the clutch. Just like you. Call 1-800-GRAINGER Click grainger.com or just stop by Grainger for the ones who get it done. Thanks for listening to the Best of the Herd podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio and noon to 3 Eastern, 9am to noon Pacific. Find your local station for the herd@foxsportsradio.com or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR.
- [02:36]
Alex Curry
This is the Best of the Herd with Colin Cowher on Fox Sports Radio.
- [02:43]
Jason McIntyre
Oh, it's NBA Final Thursday, everybody. Are you as excited as I am? Yeah. Everybody, I'm back. It's the Herd on Thursday. It's me, Jason McIntyre in for Colin Cowherd. Although Colin will make an appearance here in the opening segment. Well, you're gonna love it. You're gonna love it. I'm joined today by Alex Curry. Alex, I know you're geeked. I mean, last night, apparently the Stanley cup happened. I don't know. Oilers taking it, game one in ot.
- [03:13]
Alex Curry
So that's who the Kings lost to. So I always kind of, like, ask.
- [03:18]
Jason McIntyre
Myself, is it better if you lose.
- [03:20]
Alex Curry
To the team that ends up winning it all?
- [03:22]
Jason McIntyre
Like, then it's like, okay.
- [03:24]
Alex Curry
That's okay, because they ended up winning the whole thing.
- [03:26]
Jason McIntyre
So it's like they're the champions. Yeah. So you kind of feel.
- [03:29]
Alex Curry
You kind of feel that way. So, like, as a Kings fan and used to cover the team for a.
- [03:33]
Jason McIntyre
While, it's like, it's okay. It was the champs last night. I got into the show. Young Sheldon. Have you seen it? I never really knew about it, but I guess it's old and my kids started watching Young Sheldon. So listen, no NBA last night. I'm sorry. I'm not watching hockey. It's been some time with the kids. Young Sheldon, good show. I highly recommend it. It's funny. That's funny. We have a great show today. So Tom Pelissaro, NFL Network will come in in the final hour. You're going to want to hear some of his stuff, especially on the Vikings, who I gassed up this week, and what's happening in Cleveland, which we'll get to shortly. Eddie House. You guys know I'm a big Eddie House guy. Eddie House mysteriously ghosting me since the Celtics got bounced by the Knicks. We'll talk to him next hour. But I got to start the show, obviously, with the NBA Finals. Pacers, Thunder. Feel the excitement. Listen, folks, to say OKC is an overwhelming favorite is an understatement. They are minus 700 currently to win the series. It was minus 8. Some money came in on the Pacers, but essentially that means you want to win $100, you got to bet $700 on okc. It's dumb. They are massive favorites. Game one. I saw the line was 10. Are you kidding me? Now, don't just run to bet the Pacers in game one of the series. I will make a case for Indiana, but it kind of sort of feels like a coronation has already begun. I mean, everybody online and anywhere you go, radio, tv, on the Internet, everybody's picking okc. I haven't seen anyone take the Pacers yet. And why would you? I mean, OKC won 68 games. And frankly, did you hear Tyrese Halliburton yesterday at Media Day talking about okc? Take A listen to Tyrese Halliburton of the Pacers. They're historically great on both sides of the ball. They have the mvp. I mean, there's so many different things that you could name down the list of why they are so great at what they do and why they're such a great team. You want to go through the best team. You want to go through the best challenge. So this is the best challenge, and this is the best team in the NBA. It's been the best team, the NBA all year. And they're well coached. They just. They just do everything so well, so there's no shortcuts to beating this team. And we know the odds are stacked against us, but, you know, it is what it is. Geez, the way you hear that, I mean, it's like they could take down the 97 Bulls. They might sweep the KD Curry warriors at this rate. Everybody loves OKC, by the way. Did you hear OKC? 29. One against the east this year. Hello. There's gonna be a bloodbath, right? You know it. This is right where the Pacers want to be. Nobody really gave him a chance against Cleveland except this guy. I was one of the few out there who picked the Pacers to take take down the Cavs. Now, I didn't pick them to beat the Knicks. Few did. They were underdogs. And what did they do? They just went into Cleveland. First two games. Give me those. Then they go into New York. First two games. I'll take those. And they won the series. And, folks, let's just put things in perspective. Have you seen the fallout when you lose to the Indiana Pacers in these playoffs? So the Pacers beat the Bucks in the first round. Obviously. Dame went down. Obviously not great. And Milwaukee Bucks, all we've heard from them since then is, so where do we trade Giannis? Where do we start over? Where do we hit the detonation on this team? Pacers wiped him out. Then the Pacers beat Cleveland, and there was basically a fan mutiny in Cleveland. Cleveland was the number one seed in the east almost all season. They run away with the conference. Everybody thinks, oh, we can make the Finals. And now it's like, oh, my, we lost to the Pacers. We got embarrassed by them. Do we blow it up? Do we fire the coach? What do we do? Trade Donovan Mitchell. The Pacers are in disarray. And my Knicks, of course. After losing to the Pacers within three days, Tom Thibodeau is fired. Wait till you hear some of the reports coming out about Jalen Brunson's dad. We'll get to those later in the show. Like, oh, my gosh. Carl Anthony Towns a scapegoat. The Pacers do this to you? They shocked the world by shooting 40% from three in the playoffs. Nobody's sniffing that. And they were just a good three point shooting team this season. I think they were like ninth or tenth in the league. Now by a mile. They're one. And I, I know the regular season matchups didn't go their way, but I could counter. Nobody tries in the regular season except okc. Remember, the Knicks got by the Celtics and then turn the tables in the playoffs. So, like, let's not read too much into OKC destroying Indiana in the regular season. I'm of the belief that the Pacers, everything OKC does well, Indiana can match that. Okc, you got depth. So do we. Did you notice in the Cleveland series, the Pacers had a different leading scorer in every game? I'm telling you, they. They run eight or nine deep. I like how they can throw multiple bodies. Knee Smith, Nemhard coming off the bench, Ben Shepard, the mustache dude who doesn't look like much of a player. And then it's like, oh, shucks, he just put the muzzle on Jalen Brunson for four minutes. Like, the Pacers got guys, they push tempo, they can hang with threes. They got depth. They got a great coach who, oh, by the way, is the guy who threw a zone at LeBron and the Heatles in the finals. Who threw J.J. bray at LeBron. Rick Carlisle's got some stuff cooked up. I'm here to tell you. Give me the Pacers in six. And I know that's not going to be popular in okc, but they already hate me there, so who cares? All right, let's move to Cleveland, which is basically ground zero for NFL OTAs. And the Shadour Sanders drama continues. Folks, listen, you never want to overreact to. Can we call it imaginary football in June? I mean, they're not playing with, like, real effort. It's just basic stuff. And the division that we're seeing is so. I mean, it's massive, the gulf of what you see people saying about Shadour Sanders. You would think he's ready to start week one. I mean, you see former NFL quarterbacks on social media breaking down every pass. Oh, my gosh, look at the movement in the pocket. Look at that cannon. This is why Shedeur is the man. You see our very own Colin Coward, who, oh, by the way, is not Even on this continent, and is checking in on Shadour Sanders. OTAs, this is what Colin Cowherd put on social media yesterday. No reason to overwork a future hall of famer. And OTAs, let's get him some rest for week one. Obviously he's saying that in jest, but the whole overwork thing is because despite all the hype for Shador, he's the only quarterback on the Browns who wasn't playing with the ones. Kevin Stefanski said, you go over there and work with the, the backups and the guys who are, you know, off off season FedEx drivers, you know, who are trying to make an NFL roster. That's your, that's your speech ador. And the more that Kevin Stefanski does this, I think it empowers all the Shador guys who are putting on their capes. Say, why isn't he start. Why is Kenny Pickett getting reps over Shador? Well, here's Kevin Stefanski earlier this week on Shedeur and the other rookie, Dylan Gabriel.
- [10:35]
Alex Curry
Those guys are doing great. They are both wired to get in early, get, stay late, put in whatever work is required. They're sponges in the meeting room, which I think is really fun for me. In my vantage point, I get to sit there and watch the two young guys look over and there's Joe, 40 years old, one Super Bowl. There's Kenny Pickett just going into year four, but first round draft pick that's been on a couple teams, won a Super bowl last year. There's desean, had a ton of success in his career. They can kind of feed off of all those guys. So that's the thing. I'm really. It's fun for me to watch them get better sometimes just by listening.
- [11:16]
Jason McIntyre
Did you see, I mean, he's framing Kenny Pickett as a Super bowl winner who was a former first round pick. Talk to any NFL fan and the first word that comes up with Kenny Pickett, oh, bum. He's nothing. Well, come on, give me a break. And Kevin Stefanski says he won a Super bowl and was a first round pick. You guys need to do some more homework before you crown Shador Sanders. And in the morning meeting today, you know, I'm going all in on Shador. I'm like, listen, he's not getting first team reps. We need to pump the brakes. And somebody smart said, you know, Shador is like the latest iPhone that comes out, right? The new iPhone comes out. It's going to be amazing. It, it might even be legendary. And then you get the iPhone. And it's like, oh, this is cool. It's nothing special. It's not that dramatically different. It's not going to change my life. And I wonder if that's where she door is kind of trending. I mean, I mean, the guy's got be legendary is his motto. He's throwing really lavish NFL draft parties and he's fourth on the depth chart decidedly. And you know, the other argument is, well, Jay, they're treating him like a fifth round quarterback. And I'm like, yeah, that's what they're doing. He wasn't a first round pick. I would have taken in the first, but I didn't know all the Dion nonsense. Well, Jay, you know, Dak Prescott was a third round pick and he got the start. I'm sorry, Jack Prescott, fourth round pick. This is where it gets real good. So I started looking into Dak. How did Dax start as a rookie? Dak was drafted in the fourth round in Dallas. He started out fourth on the depth chart. These are all the things that needed to happen for Dak Prescott to get started and for him to become now the richest quarterback in NFL history. Kellen Moore, who was the backup to Tony Romo. Kellen Moore broke his leg in training camp. So instantly it's like, oh, who's going to be the backup? So Dak was then battling someone named Jamil Showers, not familiar with his work. He was a second year guy and Dak outplayed him in a preseason game. That's it. Outplayed him in one. And all of a sudden Dak went from fourth to the backup. It's like, wow, what a rise. Well, you know what happened after that? Tony Romo broke his back literally in preseason week three. And presto, fourth round. Dak Prescott, who six weeks prior was fourth string. Next thing you know, he's starting for the Cowboys and he got his chance and he made the most of it. That's gonna be the kind of chain of events that's gonna take Shador Sanders from fourth string. I'm not going to count desean Watson because nobody thinks he's really going to play. The owner has kind of written him off. But that's what it's going to take for Shadour to overtake Dylan Gabriel and Kenny Pickett or Joe Flacco. I mean, I think we all agree Flacco's a pro. Stefanski loves him. Flacco led them to the playoffs a couple years ago. He's safe. Maybe you flip Pickett to another team and you can Scrounge up a third or fourth round traffic. Who knows? Unlikely, but maybe. And then there's Dylan Gabriel, who Stefanski loves. And oh, by the way, OC Tommy Reese, Notre Dame legend. Not a legend, but I, I'm throwing around legendary because that's what Shador likes. Anyways, here's Tommy Reese on Dylan Gabriel, Shador Sanders and the Hullabaloo.
- [14:34]
Alex Curry
You can see them all winning the job, I think. Right. And so in terms of the competition, we're so early in the process, we're so early in evaluating it, but yeah, I think, you know, we have a good group of guys that are continuing to push one another and by the time September rolls around, we'll be ready to go.
- [14:48]
Jason McIntyre
Oh boy, oh boy. Not a lot of love for Mr. Shador Sanders. So my, my guess here, and I haven't seen this line hung anywhere in Vegas. How many starts for Shador Sanders? Like, again, it's way too early to hang a line like that. But I've been lower than the market, lower than the everyone else out there. I'm on like a one and a half. I think it's over. Under one and a half for Shador. Now, that's in June. Could that easily change should there be an injury, a trade, yada, yada, yada. Is there a world where all of a sudden Shador maybe starts five games? You know, I, I don't see it. Guys, I'm just going to remind you, Drake May was a first round pick last year for the Patriots. He, he didn't sniff a start in September. Now obviously the coach knew, had no clue what he was doing. They run him out of town. And Drake May's really, really good. I don't quite think that's the case with Stefanski and Shador. Now it's June. I'm not trying to overreact, but man, you gotta love the quarterback drama in Cleveland.
- [15:48]
Alex Curry
Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, Weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific.
- [15:53]
Colin Cowherd
Summer is here and you can now get almost anything you need for your sunny days delivered with Uber Eats. Now, what do we mean by almost? Well, you can't get a well groomed lawn delivered, but you can get chicken parm delivered. A day at the lake? That's a no. A Philly cheesesteak? That's a yes. A nice tan. Sorry. A box fan? Happily, yes. What about a day of sunshine? Not happening. How about a box of fine wines? Yeah, that's happening. Delivery's on its way. Okay, how about some clear skies? Nope. Well, how about some french fries. Yeah. So how about a freshly cut lawn? Can't help you there. But a barbecued prawn or it and it's on its way. Even throw in some paper towels. Clean up after the feast. So while you can't get fun in the sun delivered, don't worry because you can get pork buns delivered. Uber Eats can definitely get you that. Get almost almost anything delivered with Uber Eats. Order now. Alcohol in select markets. Product availability may vary by region. See app for details. At the end of the season, there's only one team that can call themselves NBA champs. Only one player that can call themselves the number one pick in the NFL draft. Well, there's only one electric SUV worthy of the tit. The ultimate. The all electric BMW ix. What I love about the IX is that it delivers legendary BMW performance. While its sleek design exudes innovative style from the inside out. Not to mention how much space and utility it provides. Over 75 cubic feet of cargo space, the IX is completely changing the game with an all electric suv. The greatest legends of sports never compromise any part of the game. So why would you settle for anything less from your suv? After all, there's only one ultimate the BMW ix. Everything you love about the ultimate driving machine Electrified if you're an inventory specialist in a warehouse, Grainger knows you've probably faced a situation like this before. Your forklift, your facility's workhorse, is leaking hydraulic fluid, and with a full schedule of shipments on the docket, this has the potential to cause a major delay of game. But you're not worried. You're prepared for this type of situation, and you have an ace in the hole. Grainger Grainger offers professional grade products for every industry, from hydraulic oils and hoses. So much more. Plus next day delivery, so you can be confident that you'll have the product you need on hand to fix that forklift and get it back in the game. Call 1-800-GRAINGER Click grainger.com or just stop by Grainger for the ones who get it done. Looking to transform your business through better HR and payroll? Meet Paycor, a paychecks company. The powerhouse solution that empowers leaders to drive results. From recruiting and development to payroll and analytics, paycor connects you with the people, data and expertise you need to succeed. Their innovative platform helps you make smarter decisions about your most valuable asset. Your people. Are you ready to become a Better Leader? Visit paycor.comleadership to learn more. That's paycore.com leaders before we get to.
- [19:03]
Jason McIntyre
My list of the top 10 players in the NBA Finals. Real quick. LeBron was on his podcast Mind the Game. You guys need to listen to what he said about Tyrese Halliburton. You look at what's going on with, with the Pacers throughout the regular season and now throughout the postseason, you get it. You get why they are the team they are. And it starts with the head of the snake. We know that. And that's what Halle. I mean, you know, you. You can gravitate and. And bring energy and love and would. And would run through a wall for certain guys. And he's a guy that you would do that for because. Just because of how. How he plays the game. Hallie is one of the ones, you know, and you know, the success is not happening just because. Just came out the blue. It's happening because of Halle and. And that team. Listen, I really wanted to put Halliburton one on my list of players in the final. I just can't make the case for him over SGA. But I will say this. I'm 99.99 certain. The only USA basketball player who was on the Olympic team last summer who's in the NBA Finals is Tyrese Halliburton. I mean, Chet Holmgren might have been able to make that team as like a bench warmer, but Tyrese Halliburton, and he couldn't even get in the game. Remember, it was like Jason Tatum's getting benched. Halliburton could not get on the court. All right, here we go. My top 10 players in the NBA Finals, counting backwards, 10 to 1, are we ready? Here we go.
- [20:27]
Colin Cowherd
Number 10.
- [20:29]
Jason McIntyre
I'm going to go. Ben Matherin, he's essentially the get a bucket guy off the bench. Young kid out of Arizona SC can score in bunches. He had 20 against the Knicks. Really a valuable bench player. Now the problem is he's not a prolific three point shooter. So my guess is the Thunder sag off and say, Ben, make your threes. He's great at getting to the Tim. Super athletic Ben Matherick, number 10. Number nine, Alex Caruso. How about it? Former Laker and former Bull, but we never talk about his bull run because he didn't do anything. But on a good team. Oh, man, Alex Caruso is awesome. Some of these defensive numbers. He has the second best defensive rating of anybody in the playoffs. He's locked down. He guarded Jokic against Ed. Remember that? In game seven, that was like the trump card that they had to play. And they played it and Caruso was excellent. Al Caruso, number nine. Number eight, Aaron N.E. smith. I could guarantee you you would not know him if he rang your doorbell and delivered you a pizza. Not a lot of people do. He was on the Celtics and they kind of cut him loose. I'm sure they regret it. He said single handedly brought back the Pacers in game one against the Knicks. Hit eight of nine threes. Aaron Neesmith, number eight. Number seven, Kayson Wallace might be the guy with the most upside of anybody not named SGA in the finals. I'm telling you, Kason Wallace is awesome. He's an excellent defender and oh, by the way, he has the best defensive rating of anybody in the playoffs. Caruso is number two, ranks third in steals per game. I mean, KSI Wallace is a name to watch. I can see him being the third best player on a championship team in like two years.
- [22:15]
Alex Curry
Number six.
- [22:16]
Jason McIntyre
This was tough. I want Miles Turner. I like him a lot. Before the playoffs, Laker fans will remember I was on here. Lakers got to go get Miles Turner. Luka Lebron, call Miles Turner, ask him to take less. That's not happening guys. Turner didn't have a great series against the Knicks, but I'm looking to bet his three pointers over in game one or two because he can get open from the corner. And OKC concedes those. Moss Turner, great rim protector and three point shooter.
- [22:45]
Alex Curry
Number five.
- [22:46]
Jason McIntyre
Let's go with Chet Holmgren at five, I really think he's their second best player. But J Dub just had a really good season. So I went chet here at five, he's still super young. Three games with 20 or more points against the Wolves, so he's starting to come into his own second in blocks in the playoffs. Chad Holmgren is what he thought he was going to. We thought he was going to be coming out against aga. A major upside for Chad.
- [23:11]
Alex Curry
Number four.
- [23:13]
Jason McIntyre
I want Jalen Williams. I know I have not given him his respect or flowers or whatever you guys want to call it much of the season. I don't know if he can be the second best player on the championship team, but he has been this year and their thunder are 11 and 1. When he scores 17 or more in the playoffs, I almost wonder how the Pacers are going to defend him. Do you put Siakam on him? I don't know. But somebody's got to slow J Dub because if he goes off, usually OKC wins. Number three, Pascal Siakam. I know he was the Eastern Conference MVP and we had a bit of a debate this morning in the meeting. I. I think Siakam's a lock at three, but man, he went over 33 times against the Knicks. And maybe some of that had to do with Karl Anthony Towns guarding him. I mean, I could give Kat 10 at least, but Siakam just torched him and he was just up and down the court. He won our title with the Raptors. What's the outcome at three? But he's got a case for two.
- [24:14]
Alex Curry
Number two.
- [24:15]
Jason McIntyre
What the helly? Tyrese Halliburton. This is my guy. I, I kind of fell in love with his game last year during the the in season tournament. This guy's an excellent basketball player, does everything well. He is, you know, kind of struggling from three, but when it's clutch time, who else do you want besides Halliburton? Like he has nailed every big time shot. Go look at the end of the Cav series. Phenomenal takes down the knicks in game one with the buzzer beater. Tyrese Halliburton. Second best player in the finals.
- [24:46]
Alex Curry
Number one.
- [24:47]
Jason McIntyre
SGA MVP, right? Minus 600 to be the finals MVP. Don't love the mid range. He stop calling him MJ mid range. Stop calling him Kobe just because he makes red range shots, okay? He's a really, really good basketball player and he's going to be an NBA champion probably in about eight days. SGA number one.
- [25:10]
Alex Curry
Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd. Weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific.
- [25:14]
Colin Cowherd
Hey, it's Steve Covino and I'm Rich Davis and together we're Covino and Rich on Fox Sports Radio. You can catch us weekdays from 5 to 7pm Eastern, 2 to 4 Pacific, on Fox Sports Radio. And of course, the iHeartRadio app. Why should you listen to Covino and Rich? We talk about everything. Life, sports, relationships, what's going on in the world. We have a lot of fun talking about the stories behind the stories in the world of sports and pop culture. Stories that, well, other shows don't seem to have the time to discuss. And the fact that we've been friends for the last 20 years and still work together, I mean, that says something, right? So check us out. We like to get you involved too. Take your phone calls, chop it up, as they say. I'd say the most interactive show on Fox Sports Radio, maybe the most interactive show on planet Earth. Be sure to check out Covino and Rich live on Fox Sports radio and the iHeartradio app from 5 to 7pm Eastern, 2 to 4 Pacific. And if you miss any of the live show, just search Covino and Rich Wherever you get your podcast and of course on social media, that's Covino and Rich. Summer is here and you can now get almost anything you need for your sunny days delivered with Uber Eats. Now, what do we mean by almost? Well, you can't get a well groomed lawn delivered, but you can get chicken parm delivered. A day at the lake. That's a no. A Philly cheesesteak? That's a yes. A nice tan. Sorry. A box fan. Happily, yes. What about a day of sunshine? Not happening. How about a box of fine wines? Yeah, that's happening. Delivery's on its way. Okay, how about some clear skies? Nope. Well, how about some french fries? Yeah. So how about a freshly cut lawn? Can't help you there. But a barbecued prawn? Order it and it's on its way. Even throw in some paper towels. Clean up after the feast. So while you can't get fun in the sun, deliver. Don't worry because you can get pork buns delivered. Uber Eats can definitely get you that. Get almost, almost anything delivered with Uber Eats. Order now. Alcohol in select markets. Product availability may vary by region. See app for details. At the end of the season, there's only one team that can call themselves NBA champs. Only one player that can call themselves the number one pick in the NFL draft. Well, there's only one electric SUV worthy of the title. The ultimate. The all electric BMW ix. What I love about the IX is that it delivers legendary BMW performance. While its sleek design exudes innovative style from the inside out. Not to mention how much space and utility it provides. Over 75 cubic feet of cargo space, the IX is completely changing the game with an all electric suv. The greatest legends of sports never compromise any part of the game. So why would you settle for anything less from your suv? After all, there's only one ultimate the BMW ix. Everything you love about the ultimate driving machine. Electrified. If you're an inventory specialist in a warehouse, Grainger knows you've probably faced a situation like this before. Your forklift, your facility's workhorse, is leaking hydraulic fluid. And with a full schedule of shipments on the docket, this has the potential to cause a major delay of game. But you're not worried. You're prepared for this type of situation and you have an ace in the hole. Grainger Grainger offers professional grade products for every industry, from hydraulic oils and hoses. So much more. Plus fast, dependable delivery. So you can be confident that you'll have the product you need on hand to fix that forklift and get it back in the game. Call 1-800-GRAINGER Click grainger.com or just stop by Grainger for the ones who get it done. Looking to transform your business through better HR and payroll? Meet paycor, a paychecks company. The powerhouse solution that empowers leaders to drive results. From recruiting and development to payroll and analytics, paycor connects you with the people, data and expertise you need to succeed. Their innovative platform helps you make smarter decisions about your most valuable asset, your people. Are you ready to become a better leader? Visit paycor.com leadership to learn more. That's paycore.com leaders.
- [29:20]
Jason McIntyre
Yeah, we love quarterback drama in these waters. All right, let's bring on Tom Pelissaro, NFL Network. Try to make some sense of Shador again. Tom, Tom with some of the greatest hair on television. Listen, you don't want to overreact to OTAs. It's June, but when Shedeur doesn't get first team reps, all of a sudden it's whoa, wait a minute, they don't like him. What are we supposed to make of it? You cover the league, you know, everything.
- [29:47]
Alex Curry
Start with this Jason. He's a fifth round pick. He should door Sanders, but he's a fifth round pick. And if you went around the league for the, I mean, let's just, you know, equate to the 23 years that I've been covering the league, you'd be hard pressed to find a lot of occasions where a fifth round pick as a rookie was getting first team reps. There have been guys drafted in that similar area who eventually have gotten opportunities. Sam Howell toward the end of his rookie year was one. It's a pretty decent, you know, case study compared to comparison to a Shador Sanders, a guy who was rumored, as you know, first, second round pick, went up sliding down to the fifth. He ended up getting his opportunity in year two, but in year one he was a backup. You know, then throw in the fact that you've got Dylan Gabriel there who clearly the Browns had rated higher on their board than Shador Sanders, plus a guy they traded for in Kenny Pickett, plus a guy they've gone to the playoffs with in Joe Flacco. And that's without even mentioning desean Watson, who in all likelihood is not going to be available to them in 2025. But he's continuing to rehab here. It just makes logical sense. Now having said that, a lot of times when you're going through the spring and the way the team structure their off season programs, you're installing everything, right? You're a process of OTAs and minicamp. It's a lot of install and there's some review as you get into minicamp week. Then you come all the way back to training camp and you do it again. So they're exposing him to a lot of different types of things here. They're exposing all the quarterbacks to different things. They're seeing how they react. I've said this consistently, Jason. I think that's the important thing to remember. Let's see how the reps are divided those first two to three weeks of training camp and then up to and the, you know, the week beyond the first preseason game. That's going to give you a much clearer picture of exactly where things stand. Is it going to be the chalk starter which you have to say is Joe Flacco again based upon the experience that he's got in that system and they know what they're going to get for him. Do you potentially see somebody else starting to slip in and getting those first team reps? Have you seen in training camp that's going to be the clear indicator. But you know, the fact that OTA Shador Sanders is not atop the depth chart, that shouldn't shock anybody because regardless of what his name is, he's a fifth round pick. And those guys just don't get spring opportunities to show that they can run the ones.
- [31:54]
Jason McIntyre
Great point. Thank you for providing the clarity. There's a lot of Shador Slash Dion fans out there who just don't want to hear that. Now there is a world where Pickett, I don't, I don't see Flacco, but maybe Pickett gets flipped to another team that needs a quarterback. And we just got word this morning that Shane Steichen revealed that Anthony Richardson has a shoulder issue. Now they're not really talking too in depth. I'm sure maybe you've heard more, Tom, but Anthony Richardson will not be doing any activity here for a minute and that doesn't sound great given his injury history last year with the Colts.
- [32:30]
Alex Curry
So my understanding, Jason, is that this is not, you know, a huge blinking red light type of a warning here on Anthony Richardson. He had the AC joint injury last year. He's been dealing with the shoulder through the offseason. Neil Elatraj, the famed surgeon, basically the advice was, hey, when in doubt, rested here. The Colts doctors have been on board with the plan all along. Everybody's communicating here. I was told this morning 1000% Anthony Richardson is going to be ready to roll when we come to training camp. But Certainly it's cast in a different light when you suddenly have a legitimate player to try to beat him out. This isn't Gardner Minshew. This isn't Joe Flacco. This is Daniel Jones, who was a first round draft pick and has won games in the league, has won a playoff game in his the Giants. And somebody that the coaching staff in Indianapolis really liked when they were looking for who's going to be the right player, the right veteran to challenge Anthony Richardson. Now, all those first team reps you would presume go to Daniel Jones and minicamp. And again, anytime we're talking about these battles, they're going to be sorted out in training camp. But the bottom line is when you're watching one guy get all the reps, if you feel good about it, the way that your brain is thinking for the next six weeks leading up to training camp, Daniel Jones has an opportunity to influence that here over the next week.
- [33:42]
Jason McIntyre
Now, I do recall Steichen had a ton of success. I believe J. Jalen hurts in Philly and everybody thought, oh, running quarterback, it's going to work with Richardson, it really hasn't so far. Is that cause for concern coupled with the injuries?
- [33:57]
Alex Curry
Well, Anthony Richardson, I wouldn't even consider Jason a running quarterback so much as he was a big, raw athlete. You just don't get 6 foot 5, 250 pound guys who have absolute cannons for arms. We started 13 games in college. It was a massive projection. They're sitting there with the number four overall pick. They weren't going to be able in that draft to get Bryce Young or get CJ Stroud who was really. You take Anthony Richardson or do you take Will Levitz? They had pressure on them because they've been going the veteran route through, you know, the Carson Wentz's and Philip Rivers, Matt Ryan's of the world. Chris Ballard needed to draft the quarterback here and you understood it from an upside perspective with Anthony Richardson. But you know, as much as the ceiling was high, the floor was low, and we really still don't have an idea of exactly what direction he's going to go because he flat out hasn't been on the. When you're a guy who just needs reps above all else, spending a lot of time in the training room is going to hinder that development because you're just not getting those types of opportunities here. So yes, that was certainly part of the consideration was the success with an athletic type quarterback. Will Leviss is a really good athlete too. Nobody's built like Jalen Hurst. But you thought there'd be some similar elements you might be able to unleash here. The bottom line is Anthony Richardson has missed so much time in his young career. For a guy who also missed time and didn't play a whole lot in college, he's just, he's a complete enigma at this point. You know, I don't put the bus label on him. We just don't know what he is. And until he's actually able to stay on the field and show some of that progression, that's where he's going to stay.
- [35:28]
Jason McIntyre
Talking with Tom Pelissero, NFL Network. All right, Tom, let me ask you. CJ Stroud also, we got word this week he's dealing with shoulder soreness. Can you, for foot, for football people, can you put that in lingo as to what that means in June?
- [35:42]
Alex Curry
Well, we had, I think reports say it's a pec. We had reports say it's a shoulder. We got demico Ryan's going full NHL and saying general body soreness. It doesn't sound like it's a big deal. Again, we're in June. You're not playing games in June. You got three months until this thing kicks off. And so if there's any types of an issue, you're going to hold back on a guy who's as important to your team as CJ Stroud when it comes to the spring. But we also know shoulder injuries have a habit of lingering, which is also why you back off. Whether it's Richardson, whether it's Strauss, whether it's anybody else, you back off those things in the spring just because, yeah, those reps are important, but they're not nearly as important as being available in the fall. I would say, you know, let's keep an eye on it as we get to the start of training camp. If C.J. stroud is, you know, ramped up to a full goal within the first week of camp, I wouldn't say there's a big concern. If we get several weeks into camp and they're still holding back on his throwing regimen, then there might be a little bit more to it.
- [36:35]
Jason McIntyre
All right, let's go to a team you know, well, Minnesota Vikings. I wanted an impassioned rant about how I believe in J.J. mcCarthy. Hey, Jim Harbaugh believed in him. Kevin O' Connell believes in him and started to get some pushbacks from some people offline. What are you hearing about McCarthy's situation in Minnesota, his recovery from the surgeries? I mean, he hasn't thrown an NFL pass yet. How are things going for him?
- [36:58]
Alex Curry
Well, first off, Jason, he's put the weight back on. We all saw him on the sideline last year when he's wearing. Weighing like a buck 70 or something, he's put the weight back on. He's upwards of £200. He looks a lot better physically at this point. And everything I've been told is that he's, you know, essentially full go in terms of doing football activities through the spring here. Now, there's no contact in the spring. We'll see, you know, how cautious, if at all, the Vikings are when we get into training camp. But in terms of how JJ McCarthy has embraced everything from learning the offense to, you know, I was at the Warriors Wolves, Game 5, and Front and center at center courts, Justin Jefferson sitting next to J.J. mcCarthy. And I said to Justin, you know, hey, like, you know, it's interesting. You're next to him. He's like, hey, I feel like I want to bring him out in the world. The fact that Justin is kind of rallying around him, he's at the OTAs, developing chemistry with his new quarterback. I would not overlook that in terms of the belief that teammates have in him. Certainly the front office has a high degree of belief in JJ McCarthy. That's why they traded up one spot to go get him in the draft a year ago. There's a huge unknown when you're talking about a guy who not only didn't play as a rookie, but didn't have any reps. Jason, I mean, he tore the meniscus in the first print season game, missed the entire year. There's a lot he had to go through. There was a second procedure that he had to have in December, but everything from a physical perspective is tracking now. It's just in an offense where we've seen different quarterbacks, Kirk Cousins, Sam Darnold play, at least statistically, the best football of their lives. Let's see if J.J. mcCarthy can elevate his game once those live bullets start flying.
- [38:27]
Jason McIntyre
All right, going off the board here, Tom. NFC north is loaded. Kindly rank the quarterbacks heading into this season in the NFC North. It's very tough. We've. I think I've done this with three people, and all of them gave different answers.
- [38:42]
Alex Curry
Well, I think that the guy that you have to look at is Jordan Love, first and foremost in terms of a young player who is on the ascent. He dealt with injuries last year. I mean, that. That injury that he had in the opener in Brazil is no joke. You know, it took him A few weeks to get back, battled through it, probably wasn't 100, then got banged up again later in the season here. But the Jordan Love that we've seen at his best, the Jordan love we saw down the stretch in 2023, that last throw against the 40 notwithstanding, that's a really, really good quarterback. Jared Goff is obviously one at a really high level guy who's been to the Super Bowl. He's played really good football for the Lions. You know, I mean, I'm not, you know, giving you a hot take here, Jason, but you say one game with one of those two guys, I'd say, well, the guy who's done it before is Jared Goff, but the guy you probably trust more in the skill set is Jordan Love. So those guys are probably 1A, 1B, however you want to rank them. JJ McCarthy is a total unknown. Like I said, he has not taken a regular season snap. He's only taking preseason snaps in one game. Let's see where we are with when we get into the season. And then Caleb Williams, I would still put in the unknown bucket because we actually saw Caleb Williams play pretty good football last year. And if you look at really ramping up to that game against the Commanders that everybody remembers for Tyreek Stephenson, taunting the fans and they hit the Hail Mary. If that game goes the other way, Jason, it's the Bears that are in first place in the NFC North. The Commanders take a huge loss on their home field. Where's the rest of that season go? The Bears didn't win another game. Matt Eberfluss got fired before they won another game, Week 18 against the Packers. But Caleb was on the ascent. You saw it like weeks 3, 4, 5. You saw him played better and better football. I am fascinated to see what Ben Johnson is going to be able to do with him. I'm fascinated to see what without Ben Johnson, the Lions are going to do with Jared Goff. I would just say for me, in terms of the trajectory, the upside, knowing how Matt Lafleur coaches him, Jordan. It's hard to bet against Jordan Love as the top quarterback within the division, but when we got multiple guys that we just haven't seen do it, at least for any extended period yet, that those rankings could be all over the place by September.
- [40:42]
Jason McIntyre
All right, Tom Pelissero, NFL Network. Great stuff. Enjoy the offseason. I'll talk to you soon.
- [40:48]
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