Best of The Herd

Summary

Best of The Herd – April 29, 2025

The Herd with Colin Cowherd brings together insightful discussions on the latest sports happenings, featuring in-depth analyses and expert opinions. In the "Best of The Herd" episode released on April 29, 2025, host Colin Cowherd delves into the NBA playoffs and the intricacies of the NFL Draft, particularly focusing on quarterback Shedeur Sanders' unexpected decline in draft stock. The episode also features a special guest, Greg Olson, a seasoned NFL veteran with 14 years in the league, who provides invaluable insights into the draft process and player evaluations.

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1. NBA Playoffs Analysis

Dynamic Performance by the Warriors

At [03:12], Colin Cowherd kicks off the discussion by analyzing a recent playoff game where the Golden State Warriors secured a classic playoff win against the Houston Rockets. He highlights the Warriors' strategic execution in the late game:

"It's the NBA playoffs. It was such a classic Warrior playoff win. Draymond's on the floor getting a tee. The game is chippy. Steph's good but lets a teammate step up and dominate the fourth." ([03:12])

Cowherd praises the Warriors' ability to excel without over-relying on Steph Curry, emphasizing the importance of role players stepping up:

"You saw Houston's inexperience on display. Jalen Green, a borderline all-star for them. Zero points in the second half... the Warriors have conceded size and physicality. Nope. You're going to be bigger, stronger, more athletic and deeper. But we're going to shoot twice as many threes." ([04:00])

He commends Jimmy Butler's critical role in the fourth quarter, describing his performance as pivotal to the Warriors' victory:

"Jimmy Butler was just amazing. The rebound at the end was just incredible. The elevation, the force." ([07:20])

Steve Kerr’s Strategic Genius

Colin also highlights Steve Kerr's coaching prowess, particularly his ability to make game-winning decisions:

"Genius stuff from Steve Kerr." ([07:16])

The analysis underscores the Warriors' balanced approach, blending veteran experience with young talent like Pods, who proved essential during the playoff run.

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2. NFL Draft: Shedeur Sanders' Decline in Draft Stock

Unexpected Fall of a Top Prospect

Transitioning to the NFL Draft, at [26:53], Colin Cowherd discusses the surprising drop of Shedeur Sanders in the draft, a highly touted quarterback who has seen his draft stock plummet unexpectedly. He shares insights from an executive indicating that Sanders is now viewed as a backup option:

"If he doesn't go by pick 37, 38, he's now a backup... Teams want backups to blend in with the furniture." ([26:53])

Colin cites Albert Breer's article, explaining that teams prefer backups who maintain a low profile, contrasting with star quarterbacks like Cam Newton and Tim Tebow:

"Albert Breer says teams generally want backups to blend in with the furniture. It's why guys like Tebow had trouble finding jobs." ([26:53])

Factors Influencing the Draft Drop

The discussion delves into the reasons behind Sanders' fall, including his performance during combine meetings and interviews. Sanders reportedly struggled when confronted with his worst plays, leading teams to question his composure under pressure:

"Teams will install mistakes intentionally planted in the install and they want you to catch them. Shador didn't." ([26:53])

Colin emphasizes the NFL's stringent expectations for quarterbacks, where talent must be accompanied by professionalism and the ability to handle scrutiny:

"You better be really, really talented, especially at quarterback, if we're going to put up with a lot of other attention." ([30:12])

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3. Interview with NFL Veteran Greg Olson: Understanding the Draft Landscape

Greg Olson’s Perspective on the Draft

Greg Olson joins the conversation to shed light on the complexities of the NFL Draft. He discusses the inverse relationship between a player's attention-seeking behavior and their desirability as teammates:

"The more attention you seek, the more teams will tolerate it if you're a better player." ([27:50])

Olson elaborates on how modern college quarterbacks are often entangled in systems that prioritize personal branding over team success, complicating their transition to the NFL:

"We've almost created that as a system and as a society. And now teams have to make a decision." ([27:50])

Evaluating Quarterback Prospects

Olson provides an analysis of notable quarterbacks, contrasting historical figures like John Elway and Eli Manning with contemporary prospects. He underscores the importance of balancing talent with personal conduct:

"He's not Elway. And oh, by the way, he's not Eli, who was a much better prospect." ([26:53])

He advocates for a "hard reset" mentality for quarterbacks like Sanders, encouraging them to prioritize their careers over personal accolades:

"He needs to take a good hard reset and say, you know what it's all about Ball." ([30:12])

Cam Ward’s Impact at Miami

Discussing Cam Ward, Olson highlights his transformative impact on the Miami Hurricanes, emphasizing his leadership and positive influence on team culture:

"In all my years at Miami, I'm not sure if we've had a guy like Cam Ward, who changed everything about who we were, our identity." ([30:12])

Olson recounts personal anecdotes, illustrating Ward's exceptional ability to elevate team performance both on and off the field.

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4. The Importance of Tight Ends in Modern NFL Offenses

Strategic Value of Tight Ends

Olson delves into the evolving role of tight ends in NFL offenses, particularly in teams with dynamic quarterbacks. He explains how tight ends contribute to both offensive versatility and game management:

"Tight ends mean a lot to young quarterbacks. They bring a lot of value in today's style." ([38:00])

He uses the Chicago Bears as a case study, discussing their strategy to incorporate multiple tight ends to support their young quarterback Caleb Williams:

"The Bears have invested multiple offensive linemen. They're saying we need our number one overall pick to succeed." ([39:47])

Balancing Offense and Defense

Olson emphasizes the importance of establishing a strong offensive foundation before addressing defensive concerns. He suggests that successful teams often begin by optimizing their offensive strategies:

"Organizing offensively can build wins into the roster, and then you can finish up complimenting the defense." ([39:47])

He concludes by highlighting the Bears' potential success through disciplined offensive planning and the strategic use of tight ends to enhance their quarterback's effectiveness.

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Notable Quotes

• Colin Cowherd on Shedeur Sanders' Draft Status:

  "If he doesn't go by pick 37, 38, he's now a backup." ([26:53])

• Greg Olson on Attention in the NFL:

  "The more attention you seek, the more teams will tolerate it if you're a better player." ([27:50])

• Colin Cowherd on Jimmy Butler's Performance:

  "Jimmy was just amazing." ([07:37])

• Greg Olson on Tight Ends' Strategic Role:

  "He thinks tight ends mean a lot to young quarterbacks." ([38:00])

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Conclusion

The "Best of The Herd" episode offers a comprehensive look into the strategic elements that define both the NBA playoffs and the NFL Draft. With expert analysis from Colin Cowherd and insights from NFL veteran Greg Olson, listeners gain a deeper understanding of the factors influencing team performances and player evaluations. The episode underscores the importance of strategic execution in playoff success and the nuanced considerations that shape draft outcomes, particularly for high-profile positions like quarterback and tight end.

For those who missed the live broadcast, the episode provides a valuable recap of key sports narratives and expert commentary, ensuring they stay informed on the latest developments in the sports world.

Transcript

[Colin Cowherd]

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[Greg Olson]

Okay, have you heard about this? Last year, Degree changed the formula for their Cool Rush deodorant. The fans rebelled and wanted the old scent back and Degree listened and that doesn't happen often. They admitted they effed up and are bringing the original Cool Rush scent back. And it's exactly how you remember it. Cool, crisp and fresh. There's a reason why it's the number one men's antiperspirant and it's back in Walmart, Target and other stores now for under $4. So try it and see what the fuss is about. Head to your local Walmart Target and try the OG Cool Rush for yourself.

[Colin Cowherd]

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[Unknown Speaker]

Introducing Instagram Teen Accounts A new way to keep your teen safer as they grow.

[Colin Cowherd]

Like making sure they always have their seatbelt on. All right, sweetie pie, buckle up. Good job.

[Unknown Speaker]

Or ring the bell on their bike. Okay kid, give it a try.

[Colin Cowherd]

Nice. Or remember their elbow pads. Knees too. Okay.

[Unknown Speaker]

Yep, there you go. New Instagram Teen Accounts Automatic protections for.

[Colin Cowherd]

Who can contact your teen and the.

[Unknown Speaker]

Content they can see.

[Colin Cowherd]

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 [e-mail] or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR. This is the Best of the Herd with Colin Cowher on FOX Sports Radio. Here we go live in Chicago, wherever you may be, however you may be listening. Thanks for making us part of your day. J. Mac, I took the train to work today. Haven't done that in my entire career. After what was an amazing playoff game. I just got to look at the ratings for the Lakers playoff game. Seven and a half million people watched. You do not have to be a basketball fan if you're a casual as they as KD calls it, a casual. Were you not glued to that game last night? Oh, incredible theater. I can't believe Steve Kerr pulled off the hack a shack to get Adams off the floor.

[Unknown Speaker]

Genius stuff from Steve Kerr.

[Colin Cowherd]

So I'm watching that game last night and then I go to the box score this morning. Houston did so many things that were good enough to win. Great field goal percentage. Didn't take a lot of threes, but hit a lot of them. Very good on the glass. Dominate points in the paint. But what about late game execution? That's the NBA playoffs. It was such a classic Warrior playoff win. Draymond's on the floor getting a tee. The game is chippy. Steph's good but lets a teammate step up and dominate the fourth. And Jimmy Butler and they have always like one young guy. This time it's pods who plays a key role. But this series has been about who makes the play in the moment. That's the warriors. And you saw Houston's inexperience on display. Jalen Green, a borderline all star for them. Zero points in the second half. Three of four games, single digits. And again they're relying on him. His big game. They won the three. He hasn't played well, lost all of them. So Houston's go to scores in the fourth quarter. Fred Van Vliet and a 22 year old big. That's it. Their final shot is classic young team trying to win a game. A 15 foot fall away. So I think what makes this more impressive is that basically the warriors have conceded size and physicality. They're not playing Kaminga. They're bare barely playing Kayvon Looney. So they're conceding it. Nope. You're going to be bigger, stronger, more athletic and deeper. But we're going to shoot twice as many threes. And it's not like the Rockets didn't hit their threes. But this is where pods was so crucial last night. The warriors always, even in their great teams, there's always a bench guy or a young guy that makes an impact. And Jimmy Butler like a Wiggins. His team Gets tired of him. And then you go to the finals and Wiggins is playing the Celtics and you're like, oh, we wouldn't win the finals without him. And last night in the fourth quarter, it's like, yeah, they don't win the game without Jimmy Butler. And this is how we've talked about this. I can't believe they're doing it. I mean, there's so many advantages for Houston, but this is how the playoffs work. You gotta crawl before you walk. So three of the rocket starters are 23 or younger. Well, Colin, what about the bench? Yeah, they go to the bench to a 23 year old and a 21 year old. So it's like, it's just. In fact, I would argue Stephen Adams, old Stephen Adams was probably the most consistent Rocket last night. Rebounding, physicality and defense. So what, What? This is what scares everybody in the west about the warriors, that Curry doesn't have to be great. They now have a second score. Who's often better? Pods can light it up. Well, he felt like he, you know, you come with these young guys. Houston's got tons of them. The warriors got one young guy, and Pods is like, can I take shots? Is this my moment? And he felt it. So Pods will probably this point forward give you that. A couple of games in the series, but I mean, to be able to win when Curry's not great and Jimmy Butler can lead in the fourth quarter. And then there was a rebound, a very big rebound at the end of the game was so classic. Jimmy Butler. You have all these trees, all this size, all this length for the Houston Rockets. And here's scrappy Jimmy Butler outmaneuvering out, physical jumping and seizing the rebound. I mean, between Draymond's defense late on Sengun, between Jimmy Butler's rebound, between, you know, Buddy Heald. Classic Warriors. All year long, people complain, ah, let's get rid of Buddy Heald. No, no, not really. Remember the Warriors? The Miami Heat team that had, like, Miller and Batty A. And they disappear for moments, but how many big threes did they hit in those heels? Playoff runs for four years. This was a classic Warrior performance. And here's Steve Kerr on Jimmy Butler.

[Unknown Speaker]

It's the playoffs and he's Jimmy Butler.

[Colin Cowherd]

So this is.

[Unknown Speaker]

This is what he does. The rebound at the end was just incredible. The elevation, the force. Then of course, knocking down the. The free throws to clinch it. Yeah, Jimmy was just amazing.

[Colin Cowherd]

Okay, so probably the most fun yet the most difficult thing I cover and we cover all year long, is not games. It's the NFL draft. Because I've said this many times, you get lied to for a month to two months up to it. And so often during the draft and every few drafts, there's a guy that really falls, precipitously falls. This year it was Shadour Sanders. It's been Aaron Rodgers, it's been Dan Marino. Every few years, somebody falls a lot. And so. But those stories don't come out until like the fall and after the fall, right? And so Albert Brewer had a great article on Chadour Sanders and one of the things we talked about, this is what I was told on Friday after the herd, a GM told me if he doesn't go by pick 37, 38, he's now a backup. And there's a lot of teams that do not want that circus. As a backup, Albert Breer in his article says teams generally want backups to blend in with the furniture. It's why guys like Tebow had trouble finding jobs and why guys like Cam Newton and Jay Cutler struggled at the end of their career to find jobs. That's what we talked about, but there were two other things that came out that I hadn't heard of. These are huge factors. So a lot of times when you go to these combine meetings, teams give you things to challenge you. Teams will have a player's worst plays ready for him and they'll show him his worst plays and say, hey, why don't you explain them? And Shedeur apparently didn't take to it well. And at one point, one of the few teams that actually was interested in him said, well, what do you make of this really bad play? And Shador said, you know, maybe I'm not the guy for you. That's not the answer since there were only three or four teams in the first round that we're going to consider it now that Pittsburgh apparently has a deal with Aaron Rodgers. So take them out another moment. What they do during the during film and the combine in the meetings is teams will install mistakes intentionally planted in the install and they want you to catch them. Shador didn't. And when a coach called him out once again, it didn't sit well. It's like, bro, there's not many teams needing quarterbacks, especially since Pittsburgh appears to have a deal with Aaron Rodgers and Tennessee's getting Cam Ward. So you're down to the Giants, who were not interested at all, and Cleveland, who traded out of that two spot because clearly they were looking for next year's class like the Rams are. And I heard A lot of this. Well, what about John Elway? His dad didn't want him to play. What about Eli Manning? John Elway is probably. Now let's take out the probably. He's the greatest quarterback prospect of all time. I'm old enough to have watched him in college. There was no Elway pre l way. He was a first ballot hall of Famer talent. I mean, you think Andrew Luck was ballyhooed and talked about add personality. I mean, Elway could have played for the Yankees. Okay, his football family, the Elway family. So he's not Elway. And oh, by the way, he's not Eli, who was a much better prospect. Go look up his draft review. You can look it up on the Internet. Also Eli's brother, maybe you've heard of him. Peyton was the MVP of the league in Eli's last year in college. So he's not Eli. When you've got unbelievable skill like Deion Sanders did, you can sandbag interviews. Deion did and bragged about it. Elway could have. Elway's dad can play a role. Eli's family. And Archie Manning wasn't jerky about it. He's just like, I don't want him playing for the Chargers. So I think this comes down to, let's be honest, dad and Shador Sanders had a much higher opinion of themselves than the league did. It happens. It's not the end of the world. Again, I've said this before, where you land is more important than how high you land. Honestly, if Cam Ward was going to sit beside behind Matt Stafford for two years of the Rams, probably a better place to go than number one in Tennessee because you make your money on your second contract. But here's something to really think about because one of the few teams that was interested at least going into it in January and February into the draft evaluation was the New York Giants. Think about this. The Giants offered, they wanted a quarterback. They offered Tennessee two first round picks to get Cam Ward. Tennessee said no thanks. Then they traded three picks for Jackson Dart. So one of the teams that was willing to give up major picks for a quarterback eventually did. And the worst interview Shedeur had was reportedly with that team, the New York Giants. So again it just. Boomera Siason also came out yesterday, a popular New York radio host, former NFL MVP quarterback with Cincinnati. He came out and said he was told multiple teams owners said we're not doing this entitled nonsense. So I think in hindsight, and this is why the draft is incredibly difficult to cover, you're lied to constantly. I'm not lied to before a Rockets warriors game or a Super bowl or March Madness. Nobody's lying to me. I've been saying this for years. I have three or four executives I really trust in the NFL and not many others. In fact, my rule has always been I will not ask an executive in the NFL a question about a player if that team needs that player. I could ask a GM like Brett Veach in Kansas City about quarterbacks because he's got one. But I'm not going to ask him about left tackles because he doesn't. And I know he's going to give me an answer that's fuzzy and I'm putting him in a bad spot. So I think that the truth of the matter is when you start looking at these stories, they're coming out now. It's a classic example. There weren't many job openings and once he became a backup, once he turned off the Giants, nobody wanted. They want a backup, as Albert Breer said, to blend in with the furniture. And he's not a blend in. He's not from a blend in with a furniture family. Yeah, be legendary. Before you call yourself that, it's how about that's a rule going forward for quarterbacks. Just, just be legendary. Got to be better than 13 and 12 in college. Be legendary. Before you do a draft room and it's painted all over the draft room. And again, it's not the end of the world. But what do we always say on the show when you're a quarterback, everything is something. Nothing's everything but that legendary is something. All right, J. Mac, these. I think we have a bunch of NBA playoff games tonight. How many we have tonight? Three or four playoff games tonight. Four games tonight. Bucs Pacer starts at 6:00pm Pacific time. I think three or sorry.

[Unknown Speaker]

3:00 Pacific, 6 Eastern.

[Colin Cowherd]

That's an early start. Pacers, Bucks, the end of the Giannis era.

[Unknown Speaker]

I can't wait for you to open that.

[Colin Cowherd]

The show with that tomorrow. All right. Yeah. First show in Chicago. We're going to go back, back and forth, LA and Chicago a little bit. Nobody cares about that except me. Obviously. Taking the train to work was fun today. I'd never done that before. But coming up next, I've argued about it. I think there's proof we were right on it, that the NBA doesn't need a face of the league. We've got that. Next. Be sure to catch live Ed of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio. FS1 and the iHeartRadio app.

[Greg Olson]

So we all made mistakes, right? But owning up to them is the right thing to do. But we all know Degree Cool Rush deodorant well last year they changed the formula and it did not go over well with the fans, the grease, whole thing. It turns up sweat and other protection when you turn up the effort. And good thing it does cuz Cool Rush fans really turned up the effort to bring back the OG formula. One guy even started online petition and degree listen they admitted they effed up and I'm bringing back that OG Cool Rush scent back and it's exactly how you remember it. Cool, crisp and fresh. It's back at Walmart, Target and other stores for under $4. There's a reason why it's been the number one men's antiperspirant for the last decade. It's the same reason why people are not happy when the recipe was changed. So listen, if you've never tried, it might be a good time to try. See what the fuss is about. Head to your local Walmart or Target and try the OG Degree Cool Rush for yourself.

[Unknown Speaker]

Introducing Instagram Teen accounts. A new way to keep your teen safer as they grow. Like making sure they always have their seatbelt on.

[Colin Cowherd]

All right, buckle up. Good job.

[Unknown Speaker]

New Instagram Teen accounts.

[Colin Cowherd]

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[Unknown Speaker]

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[Colin Cowherd]

All right, welcome back. We've talked about this a lot on this show about this need for the face of the league. First of all, I do think an international player can be the face of the NBA because SH Otani is the face of baseball. Could I have if I'd have told you 15 years ago? Yeah, the face of baseball. I mean, Ichiro was popular, but the face of baseball will not be from the States. You'd have said, whoa, whoa. The face of baseball is Ohtani. Aaron Judge is second. It's okay. Ovechkin Hockey, we've talked about this. Messi is now the face of the mls folks. The borders, they're all fuzzy now. It's globalization. It's all fuzzy. But I do think it helps if you have a domestic face of the league for basketball. I don't think NBA is better if it's more domestic. In fact, I think it's better if it's more European. I think in European influence makes the game more skilled, especially with big guys. But I do think there's an argument that if I can watch you in March Madness for a couple years, like college football, Baker Mayfield, then you go to the pros. I think it helps because a lot of these international gu. They just don't want to be faced of the league. Jokic has no interest but and checks a lot of boxes. Now, he did go to a football school. He didn't make March Madness and he got drafted by the Minneapolis T Wolves. Minnesota Tea Wolves. That doesn't help. But he's handsome. His game is dynamic. The worst thing you can do is try to force this, like the Jayson Tatum thing. Jayson Tatum's a great player, but his game is fundamentally great. Fundamentals don't feel like face of the league. Tim Duncan was called the big fundamental. He was never the face of the league. It doesn't mean he wasn't the best power forward. I think I heard Charles Barkley say last week he thought Tim Duncan was the best power forward of all time. I probably agree, but he was a fundamental player. Jayson Tatum, Mike Trout feel more like that. You know, there is an aesthetic to being great. Now, I do think it helps if you knock out LeBron and the Lakers. I do think it helped last year, beating and knocking out the defending champion Denver Nuggets. I think that stuff really helps. But going to Minneapolis, playing at Georgia, not making March Madness makes it an uphill climb. And I think that's one of the things about being face of the league in the NBA. The NBA is very different. In the NFL, it's all about winning. Nobody cares about anything else. Basketball is different. Optics matter. Style matters. The first player I fell in love with was Dr. J. He wasn't the best shooter, the best ball handler. He was cool, sweeping his hands under the back. It's like I'd never seen anything like that. And many, I mean, I've argued there's only been five to six faces of the league ever. Magic and Bird. More magic than Bird because magic embraced it. LeBron, MJ staff Kobe, Shaq, that's it. Duncan was never that. Kobe by himself. I didn't think was ever that it was more of a Kobe Shaq tandem deal. But I, I we the ratings for these playoff games have been excellent. Lakers game suddenly got a big number. I don't think you have to have. Ocean's eleven was fine with a bunch of good actors. The NFL, as popular as it is. Favre retired, Brady retired, Manning retired. Aaron's going to retire. Ratings go up. But we live in a very distracted world right now. And I will say this, the problem the NBA has is its regular season ratings. Well, so does hockey and baseball. So we've talked about this on the show a lot. We've become an event nation with all the distractions. A very polarizing political world. Trump, Biden, it doesn't matter. It's a very polarizing world we live in. Biden was polarizing. Trump's polarizing. So you're just losing people, but you know, when you don't lose them, when the games matter, World Cup, Olympics, NFL Sunday, college football and these playoff games, I think ant has a chance to be the face of the league. Most of the faces of the league, if not initially, eventually got a great coach. Took Michael a few to get Phil. I do think Chris Finch has a low profile because he has no interest being, you know, front and center. But right now they're out coaching JJ Redick, who I like, but they are throwing so many different lineups and so many different looks. Finch within the league is very highly regarded. So it's not always your first coach and it's not always the Highest profile coach. LeBron's a little bit of an outlier where he's had multiple coaches, but most of the time you get a Magic and a Pat Riley, you get a Michael and a Phil Jackson, you get a Steph and a Steve Kerr. There's like a legendary coach. This is the same with quarterbacks. You know, Marino has a Shula, Elway's got a Shanahan, Brady's got a Belichick, Mahomes has an Andy Reid. Breeze has a Sean Payton. Most of the time. Eventually you need that great coach to really understand you, to elevate you, to surround you with the right people. So I think Anthony has a shot to be the face of the league. Knocking the Lakers out will not hurt, and it looks like they will be sure to catch Live editions of the Herd weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific. 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? Why should you listen to Covino and Rich? We talk about everything. Life, sports, relationships, what's going on in the world.

[Unknown Speaker]

We have a lot of fun talking.

[Colin Cowherd]

About the stories behind the stories in the world of sports and pop culture.

[Unknown Speaker]

Stories that, well, other shows don't seem.

[Colin Cowherd]

To have the time to discuss. And the fact that we've been friends for the last 20 years and still.

[Unknown Speaker]

Work together, I mean, that says something, right?

[Colin Cowherd]

So check us out.

[Unknown Speaker]

We like to get you involved too.

[Colin Cowherd]

Take your phone calls, chop it up, as they say. I'd say the most interactive show on.

[Unknown Speaker]

Fox Sports Radio, maybe the most interactive.

[Colin Cowherd]

Show on planet Earth. Be sure to check out Kavino 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 KO and Rich wherever you get your podcast. And of course on social media, that's Kavino and Rich.

[Greg Olson]

So we all made mistakes, right? But owning up to them, it's the right thing to do. But we all know Degree Cool Rush deodorant well. Last year they changed the formula and it did not go over well with the fans. Degree's whole thing. It turns up sweat and other protection when you turn up the effort. And good thing it does cuz Cool Rush fans really turned up the effort to bring back the OG formula. One guy even started an online petition and Degree listen, they admitted they effed up and are bringing back the OG Cool Rush scent back. And it's exactly how you remember it. Cool, crisp and fresh. It's back at Walmart, Target and other stores for under $4. There's a reason why it's been the number one men's antiperspirant for the last decade. It's the same reason why people are not happy when the recipe was changed. So listen, if you've never tried, it might be a good time to try. See what the fuss is about. Head to your local Walmart or Target and try the OG degree. Cool rush for yourself.

[Unknown Speaker]

Introducing Instagram teen accounts. A new way to keep your teen safer as they grow.

[Colin Cowherd]

Like making sure they always have their seatbelt on.

[Unknown Speaker]

Alright, sweetie pie, buckle up.

[Colin Cowherd]

Good job.

[Unknown Speaker]

Or ring the bell on their bike. Okay, kid, give it a try.

[Colin Cowherd]

Nice. Or remember their elbow pads. Knees too. Okay.

[Unknown Speaker]

Yep. There you go. New Instagram teen accounts.

[Colin Cowherd]

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[Unknown Speaker]

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[Colin Cowherd]

And it was to many amazing that Shadour Sanders fell on the draft. With that one of my favorite people at Fox, Greg Olson, 14 years in the NFL is now joining us live. You know I heard it was funny after Friday show Greg before the second round. But after my show I called an executive in the league and he said to me he goes watch the next six picks and the first six picks in the second round. And he says if those first six picks in the second round if they don't take Shedeur. What the league is telling you is we see him as a backup now and backup quarterback as Albert Breer said today we want it to be like mixed in with the furniture. Like backup quarterback is a guy that can go into a local mall with sunglasses and nobody recognizes him, not Cam Newton or Tim Tebow. So were you shocked once he didn't go in the first? Were you shocked that he fell?

[Unknown Speaker]

I think that's the, that's the name of the game. Right. So there, there's an inverse relationship in the NFL. So we'll just start just generally speaking, with most roster players, not just the quarterback. There's an inverse ratio between. The more you bring with you, the more. I don't want to call it distraction because sometimes it's a real net positive. Right. We'll call it attention. The more attention you bring upon yourself, the more attention you go out and seek, the more the teams will tolerate more of it, the better a player you are. Right. So there's like this inverse relationship between those two elements. Now you add into the fact that it's the quarterback. Right. The league has shown us, and there's a million examples the league has shown us they want guys that don't. There's no extra, there's no concerns, there's no where's his head at? Where is he? Where is his attention lying? What, what are his priorities? And again, I don't know Shador that well, obviously Deion, and we all know his background. But I think as the draft gets later and later, the element was, is the guy good enough to play in the NFL? Yes. Is he a top tier talent where we're willing to then also take maybe everything else that comes with it? And, and I think a lot of it's harmless. I think a lot of it's attention seeking. I think it's an environment that we've created in college where, you know, there's a lot more that comes with playing quarterback nowadays in college than it was when I was in college. So I think that we've almost created that as a system and as a society. And now teams have to make a decision. If that guy's not going to be my all pro quarterback, do I want to put up with it? And I think that's really the, the test that we saw play out over the course of the draft. And, and listen, could he end up being a steal there in the fifth round? Yes. Has he shown at two different spots in colleges that he could go to teams that didn't necessarily have a great tradition of winning and turn the program around and bring attention and energy and buzz? Absolutely. He did it twice. So I'M not, I'm not throwing him yet. I'm not throwing him to the wolves and saying he has no career. But I think he needs to take a good hard reset and say, you know what it's all about Ball. It's all about me giving myself to have a, a chance to have a career in this league. And if it's as a backup and then I work to a starter, whatever that path is. But the league I think has shown and the message was pretty clear, you better be really, really talented, especially at quarterback, if we're going to put up with a lot of other attention, a lot of other things.

[Colin Cowherd]

So you're a former Miami Hurricane. Cam Ward was a zero star recruit. I watched him at Washington State. I thought, oh, that's fun. But he's not an NFL guy. Then he goes to Miami and I'm like, okay, that works. You watch a lot of Hurricane football. Did you, when you were watching him this year, did you think, oh, that's the number one pick in the draft. I mean, did you, did you see it immediately?

[Unknown Speaker]

You know, so it's kind of funny. I think Cam Ward is such a great example, especially in this like college football landscape where the zero star guy, multiple colleges, three stops later, one year at Miami and he's the number one overall pick and he couldn't buy a scholarship at a high school. And then all the kids making 10, you know, 10 million dollar nil deals that are five stars are now on their fifth school. They've all trended downward and they're all fighting. Not all, but many of them are fighting for their lives. I think it's a great reminder for everybody out there that although the system is what it is, it's by no means indicative of what your future is. On top of that, to answer your question, I had dinner with Mario Cristobal. So Mario Cristobal, the head football coach at Miami, he was my tight end coach in Miami. I've known him since I was 16. He recruited me when I was a sophomore in high school, when he was at Rutgers with Greg Shiano. We go way back and I had dinner with him after spring ball, before summer camp, before last season. And he said, greg, we've had a lot of like dogs in this, you know, the, the Sean Taylors and the Entrel roles and the, you know, Edgar and James. And we've had some really big time personalities that have taken charge of a locker room. Here he goes. In all my years at Miami, I'm not sure if we've Had a guy like Cam Ward, who from day one, changed everything about who we were, our identity, how we practice, how we met. He goes, wait till you see this kid this year. I went to the opening game down at the Swamp in person on the sideline and watched him. His first ever start in Miami against Florida. And I came away and I don't know if I would have said he's the number one overall pick, right? The footwork's a little awkward. He throws off plane. I wouldn't say it's how you would necessarily teach a young kid to play. It's a little more Mahomes ish as far as a little unconventional, but special. But his season is pretty remarkable. What he did at Miami, the culture and energy besides just the player. To a man at Miami, when you said who was the most impactful player in that locker room in the last five, 10 years, it's Cam Ward.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, that's a great story. He looks a great kid. Explain to me. I would put Travis Hunter on offense and I'd want him in the offensive meeting rooms, but he's too good. If there's a Shohei thing here, probably too good not to play on defense. Explain to me, install day, how does that work? What meeting is he in?

[Unknown Speaker]

All right, so if I was the coach, right, I have the magic wand and I'm in charge. I'm putting him to start in mostly defensive back meetings. I think playing wide receiver young in the NFL is a little bit easier, especially when you consider how talented he is physically. It's a little bit easier to build offensive packages for a wide receiver and start those out. You know, he might have 10, 15 calls in any game plan going into any week than it is to do the opposite, to spend all of your time on offense and then we're going to build out a defensive coverage plan. It doesn't really work like that. Playing corner, especially young in the NFL is incredibly difficult. They're hard to find. They don't grow on trees. There just are more wide receivers in all shapes and sizes that can run, catch athletic and create problems with the ball in their hands. So I agree. You got to use them on both. I would emphasize early teaching him how to be an all Pro corner and then he can learn. And then offense, there's. There's packages, there's reverses, screens. Teach him a handful of the route tree, teach him the offense and you can slow play and almost protect him as an offensive play caller because we can tell him exactly what your role is. Here are the Plays to be prepared for on defense, you're at corner. We've got to be able to play man zone, two high single high zone. We've got to be able to play fire blitz zones. The other team could come out in two backs. They can come out and spread. You could play to the boundary, you could play to the field. Defense is a. There's a lot more on your plate because you're reacting to what the offense can do. Offensive play caller I can control what I expose him to, especially early, not overwhelm him, control that side of the ball. So that's how I would handle him. I just think defensive back in the NFL nowadays with the passing of the league and the way the league is going, you just can't find enough of those guys. And when you find a special one, he needs to play defense.

[Colin Cowherd]

So you your career at the end was with Pete Carroll. I the one one of the few draft picks that I felt was kind of obvious. I didn't hit on many of them, but I thought Ashton Genti, Geno Smith is actually a pretty darn good quarterback. When he throws on play action, when you force him to throw on third and 11, you know that's, that's the Mahomes, Josh Allen where they can make it work. You know Pete, you know how he views the running game. Talk a little bit that about that with Genty who's dynamic but you can also get short yardage with because he's so strong.

[Unknown Speaker]

Yeah, I'm with you. I I think as of all the drafts there in the top 10 call it that one made the most sense. Like that just felt that's his Marshawn, that's his. That's his bell cow. That's his guy. That, that is the identity of Pete. Play great defense, control the run, play action. He went out and got brought Gino with him. Gino understands what Pete wants to be, understands the offense he wants to implement. And then you factor in he's got two young tight ends. I would argue Brock Bowers, he very well could be the best young tight end to come out of college in the last 10 years. Like I think he's that special. I thought he was that good when he was at Georgia. So two young tight ends with with mayor from from Notre Dame from the previous year. Valer Bowers going into his center second year continued to invest in an offensive line. Now a bell cow quarterback, running back get under center with Geno, play action on early downs. You're right. The guys that make 65, $70 million. Those guys are good on first and second down and they're good on third and 15 when everyone in the building knows it's a pass. That's why there's Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow, etc. The vast majority of the league, and this is not a knock the vast majority of the league, the formula is you want to throw play action downs on first and second down and you do not want to be in must pass downs. That is the formula on 90% of NFL rosters until you have the elite of the elite and every down is a passing down. But there's only a couple of those guys. So I think the formula works. He has showed that it's worked for a long time. He's got the quarterback that can do it. He's got it back now. He's got the tight ends continue to invest in the offensive line and all of a sudden this looks like what a Pete Carroll offense wants to be.

[Colin Cowherd]

Finally. You played with Cam Newton, a spectacularly gifted athlete who was also a good pocket guy when he wanted to be. You also played in Chicago and you were a big part of Cam's career. The tight end. Okay, so now the Bears with a spectacularly talented quarterback in Chicago say we're going to get another tight end. So I, I, I think that you could say, boy, Colston Loveland went high. They just got Roma Dunze, they had Cole Comet. But there is just talk about why tight end is so crucial for everybody but really athletic quarterbacks. And I mean you were, you were Cam's guy and I don't know, I just look at Caleb and Colston and I think that's going to work. And I loved the pick. Or is it just this that tight ends mean more to young quarterbacks? Is that it?

[Unknown Speaker]

Well, I definitely think tight ends mean a lot to young quarterbacks. I think that's been proven. There's a lot of examples throughout. But I also just think tight ends bring a lot of value in today's style. The way that these offensive coordinators, you know, you look obviously Ben Johnson now you the, the style in which these offensive play callers want to operate the tight end is a huge role in that because again, like we said, if you want to get under center and you want to get into early play action on run, 50, 50 downs and you want to be able to keep the defense in single high coverages for all your crossers and your layers and all your shots, you can't be in 11, you can't be in 10 personnel, right, you can't have four wide receiver types and one back in the back, right? So you got to have somebody that can keep you honest in the Y position, the tight end position. He could be an off ball player, he's an on ball player. There's a lot of ways to do it, but there needs to be some form of threat on first and second down that you're not just in past personnel, in shotgun the entire game. We've seen that that approach across the league is very difficult. So now you bring in Ben Johnson, Caleb Williams. Now you have Cole commit who you mentioned, Rome Dunes a from last year. Don't forget they got dj, you know, DJ Moore from the, from the Bryce Young trade, you know, a couple years ago. Now you add in, you know. So all of a sudden now they've invested multiple offensive linemen. They're saying we need our number one overall pick to succeed. We got him the coach, we've got him the line, we've got him the skill players. Now we'll worry about going back and worrying about building up the defense. But remember offensive coaches. Colin, if you're good on offense and the defense struggles, you can always find a new defensive coordinator. That's the formula. We see that. I hate to say it, but when they were struggling in Philadelphia and they couldn't get the defense right following Jonathan Gannon, all of a sudden a year later, who's available? Vic Fangio.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker]

All of a sudden in the Cincinnati, they've got the greatest offense in the league, offensive minded coach. And Zach Robinson. And Zach, Zach and Taylor. Zach Taylor. And what do they do? They get rid of a defensive coordinator who was up to be a head coach just a year or two before. So that's the formula. Get your young quarterback settled, get your new offensive minded head coach Ben Johnson, get him going on offense and then we have time to finish up complimenting the defense. That's the NFL formula. And I think the Bears have four to five wins built into this just by getting organized offensively with Ben Johnson and company. I think there's a four game elevation within that roster just by getting organized offensively.

[Colin Cowherd]

Greg Olson, you do great work, my friend, as always. I appreciate you stopping by.

[Greg Olson]

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[Colin Cowherd]

Summer is almost here and you can now get almost any 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 in select markets. Product availability may vary by region. See app for details.

[Unknown Speaker]

Time is precious and so are our pets. So time with our pets is extra precious. That's why we started Dutch. Dutch provides 24? 7 access to licensed vets with unlimited virtual visits and follow ups for up to five pets. You can message a vet at any time and schedule a a video visit the same day. Our vets can even prescribe medication for many ailments and shipping is always free. With Dutch, you'll get more time with your pets and year round peace of mind when it comes to their vet care.

[Colin Cowherd]

It's nostalgia overload as Wilmer Valderrama and Freddie Rodriguez welcome another amigo to their podcast, Dos Amigos. Wilmer's friend and former that 70s show castmate Topher Grace stops by the speakeasy.

[Unknown Speaker]

For a two part interview to discuss.

[Colin Cowherd]

His career and reminisce about old times. We were still in that place of like, what will this experience become? And you go, you're having the best time. But it was like such a perfect golden time. Listen to Dos amigos on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.