Podcast Summary – The Herd with Colin Cowherd: "Best of The Herd"

Date: March 10, 2026
Host: Colin Cowherd (with guests Matt Hasselbeck, Jason McIntyre "J Mac")
Platform: iHeartPodcasts and The Volume

Episode Overview

On this lively, insight-packed episode, Colin Cowherd breaks down the latest bombshells from NFL free agency, with a strong focus on rapid rebuilds, team management philosophies, and star-driven decisions across the league. He highlights the Las Vegas Raiders’ smart off-season moves, the Miami Dolphins’ calculated QB gamble, and the Kansas City Chiefs' “trapped by success” dilemma, with nuanced comparisons to NBA roster construction. Former NFL QB Matt Hasselbeck joins in to discuss why centers are the most underrated players, how culture shapes QBs, and whether veteran seasoning is a must for rookie signal-callers. The conversation flows naturally, blending personal anecdotes, sharp analogies, and big-picture analysis for fans seeking both context and hot takes.

Key Topics & Takeaways

1. Raiders' Rapid Rebuild and Front-Office Praise

Segment: [03:45 – 11:54]

• Raiders’ Newfound Competence:
  • Colin lauds the Raiders’ recent signings (Tyler Linderbaum, Jalen Naylor, Eric Stokes) as the most impressive and transformative in decades.
  • Focus on John Spytak's boldness as GM, trading Max Crosby for two first-rounders – "that's a haul" ([05:00]).
• Draft Capital:
  • Raiders now have #1 and #14 picks: positioned for immediate impact.
  • “You don’t need tanking. You can get better through trades, the draft, free agency. The NFL gives you so many avenues to get good overnight.” – Colin Cowherd ([04:39])
• Culture Shift:
  • Noted strategy: signing winners from respected organizations (Eagles, Ravens, Bills, Packers) to establish a new locker room vibe.
• NFL’s Parity:
  • Stat: Four of last seven Super Bowls featured a team that didn’t make the playoffs the previous year. “No other league can do that.” ([06:30])
  • If you’re perpetually bad in the NFL (Cleveland, Jets), it’s “all self-inflicted.”

2. The Dolphins’ Calculated Gamble: Malik Willis

Segment: [10:58 – 15:43]

• Smart Targeting:
  • Miami moves on from Tua Tagovailoa, betting on Malik Willis at a “bargain” $22M, with direct connections (Coach Jeff Hafley and new GM both familiar with Willis from Green Bay).
  • Colin: “This is not buying something off a used car lot … They have watched him in games, at practice, with teammates.” ([10:58])
• Notable Quote:
  • “How many starts did you need to know Zach Wilson wasn’t going to work?... Rookie, first game [for Justin Herbert] – you’re like, yeah, that works.” – Colin Cowherd ([12:06])
• Why Willis?:
  • “Really good arm for his size. Very, very athletic. Looks like he’s durable, accurate.” ([13:35])
• Draft Market Analogy:
  • “If you only draft quarterbacks everybody’s seen a lot of, you get into bidding wars.”
  • Highlights smart teams exploiting overlooked value, as with Indiana Hoosiers and Fernando Mendoza ([14:03]).

3. Free Agency Trends, Team Building, and Overpays

Segment: [15:43 – 18:11]

• Big Moves Analyzed:
  • Raiders and Dolphins “feel like a new day in the NFL.”
  • Some teams overspent: Colts pay Alec Pierce $30M/year, Pittman to Steelers as Rodgers “inducement.”
• J Mac’s Observation:
  • Free agency spending correlates to success (Patriots & Seahawks: top-four spenders, reached Super Bowl last year).
  • League-wide trend: teams cutting underperformers sooner, smarter cap management.
• Draft Class Assessment:
  • “Very good offensive tackle draft, bad quarterback draft, bad running back draft … not even a great wide receiver draft.” – Colin ([16:18])

4. Kansas City Chiefs: Running It Back, Roster Dilemmas

Segment: [16:52 – 33:22]

• Kenneth Walker Signing:
  • Chiefs give “the most guaranteed money … to a running back ever.” ([16:52])
  • Justified by depleted backfield and lack of draft capital.
• Travis Kelce Contract:
  • One-year, $12M deal: driven by leadership, reliability, and lack of quality WR pipeline.
  • “He’s kind of the soul of this organization … He may get engaged and married off the field to a pop superstar, but I get it.” ([24:06])
• Misses in Draft:
  • KC’s struggles to land high-end WRs force retention of veterans (Skyy Moore “a miss,” Rashee Rice gifted but immature, Xavier Worthy a “gadget guy”).
• Big-Picture Challenge:
  • “When you pay Mahomes … you have to hit on every pick at the top of your board. … Kansas City’s well run, smart GM, but they’ve missed on just enough [picks].” ([31:27])
• Niners & Chiefs Analogy:
  • Both “trapped” by sustained success, getting older, and forced to re-sign aging stars.
  • “It feels a little bit like the Lakers pre-Luka … you’d hope you could eventually move off Travis Kelce, but … he’s your cornerstone.” ([25:24])

5. NBA Fit vs. Talent: LeBron, Lakers, & Team Construction

Segment: [23:24 – 30:49]

• One Ball, Many Stars:
  • Colin explains why “fit” matters more than names in basketball, citing LeBron’s current impact:
    • Lakers: 9–2 when LeBron doesn’t play; team defense and energy shine with younger lineups ([23:24]–[25:49]).
    • “LeBron is the second slowest player in the league right now. He is not a plus defender.”
  • Jaden McDaniels: “Not better than LeBron, but a better fit for these Lakers.”
• NBA vs. NFL Parallels:
  • You can't just add talent; need proper mix and fit, much like NFL teams with aging stars and draft misses.

6. Veteran Centers & Rookie QBs: Matt Hasselbeck’s Perspective

Segment: [37:38 – 45:56]

• Center = QB’s Best Friend:
  • Hasselbeck emphasizes the value of a veteran center for rookie QBs, citing his own career (Robbie Tobeck's impact on early years in Seattle).
  • “He was the leader of our team. Not a household name, but he was the leader.” ([38:42])
• Max Crosby to Ravens:
  • High cost justified due to all-around impact on both pass rush and run defense.
  • “Max Crosby … not a one trick pony … he’s the real deal in every way.” ([40:37])
• Willis in Miami:
  • Consistent play and strong internal evaluations matter more than public perception or draft slot.
  • “These defensive coaches, they say … this guy’s humble, he’s hardworking on game day, he plays the way that I see him play every day in practice and he’s coachable.” – (Hasselbeck, [42:00])

7. Veteran QBs and Rookie Development Strategies

Segment: [48:01 – 49:19]

• Not Starting Rookies:
  • Hasselbeck supports sitting rookies behind vets (like a hypothetical Joe Flacco in Oakland), echoing his experience behind Favre.
  • “I would have failed if I had to play earlier than that. Fernando Mendoza, … maybe watching Joe Flacco start … might be the best thing.” ([48:16])
  • Tom Brady’s learning from Drew Bledsoe cited as model.

8. League Rumors, Free Agency Forecast, and Final Thoughts

Segment: [47:22 – 49:54]

• Combine as Free Agency Preview:
  • The real action at the combine is team chatter and deal setup, not just workouts ([47:29]).
• Final Nuggets:
  • Gino Smith returns to the Jets (“full circle”); signs of old faces returning as the NFL continues to spin.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On the Raiders’ evolution:
  “The Raiders feel like that buddy you have that's like 37 years old and finally has his act together.” – Colin Cowherd ([07:15])

• On Malik Willis:
  “It just doesn’t take that long … My wife – first date, seven, eight minutes in, I’m like, yeah, that's the one.” – Colin Cowherd ([13:04]) “Malik is a great example of a guy that plays within the system, has great coaching around him and clearly is a problem for defenses.” – Matt Hasselbeck ([11:54])

• On Travis Kelce:
  “You have to sign him because … there’s never been more valuable, but [good weapons] are hard to find.” – Colin Cowherd ([29:52]) “Travis Kelce brings to the table … that you’re not going to find in the box score … but I dare you, go try to watch the Kansas City Chiefs offense and try to tell me like what the tight end was supposed to do on that play. Because Kelce does whatever he wants.” – Matt Hasselbeck ([45:56])

• On NBA fit:
  “They’re 9 and 2 when LeBron doesn’t play … That was one of their best defensive efforts of the season.” – Colin Cowherd ([23:49])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Raiders free agency plan: [03:45 – 10:58]
• Malik Willis to Dolphins: [10:58 – 15:43]
• Free agency/pricing trends: [15:43 – 18:11]
• NBA Fit & Lakers: [23:24 – 30:49]
• Chiefs roster challenges & Kelce contract: [24:06 – 33:22]
• Matt Hasselbeck on centers, Crosby, Willis, Mike Evans: [38:42 – 47:22]
• Rookie QB development philosophy: [48:01 – 49:19]

Final Thoughts

This episode delivers a fast-paced, insightful tour through NFL free agency’s highs and lows, illustrated with sharp analogies (NFL teams as maturing friends, NBA roster construction as delicate chemistry), and buttressed by (often witty) personal narratives. Colin and his guests show why smart front-offices win, why “fit” beats “talent” in both football and basketball, and how overlooked elements like centers and quarterback context shape championship fortunes.

If you missed the episode, these are the talking points that will fuel NFL water-cooler debates in March 2026.