BEST OF THE HERD – Dodgers In Disarray, Mike McCarthy Underrated, Josh Allen Super Bowl Bound?

Summary

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The Herd with Colin Cowherd – Best of the Herd

Episode: “Dodgers In Disarray, Mike McCarthy Underrated, Josh Allen Super Bowl Bound?”
Date: August 5, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Colin Cowherd dives into turmoil facing the Los Angeles Dodgers, re-examines the legacy and reputation of Mike McCarthy in the NFL, and speculates on Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills’ Super Bowl prospects. With his trademark blend of opinion, wit, and stats, Colin brings on guests (including coach interviews and camp reports) to dissect the top sports stories, notably within MLB and NFL offseason action.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

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1. Dodgers in Disarray: Age, Injury, and Media Narratives

[03:12 – 08:08]

Main Takeaways:

• Dodgers lost five straight, seven of last nine; stark contrast to recent “Dodgers are ruining baseball” narratives.
• Major health and performance issues: Mookie Betts (1-for-16 slump), Ohtani (just two post-All-Star break HRs), aging roster, bullpen struggles.
• Colin criticizes media’s swing from declaring Dodger dominance to doomsday scenarios. He argues: “Stop staring at the paint job. Look under the hood. The Dodgers are a mess.” [05:15]
• Cites historical dominance of old teams (e.g., '98 Yankees, '70s Reds)—but notes the current Dodgers lack that kind of overwhelming edge.

Notable Quote:

• “The Dodgers are winning on the margins the last two years, and now they’re broken. They are broken.” – Colin Cowherd [06:56]

Dave Roberts’ Reaction:

• “We got to find a way to win a ballgame…Tarek was fine. I’m not going to push him every time out. We have a lot of baseball left to play.” – Dave Roberts, on pitcher Tarek Skubal’s debut amidst team struggles [07:35]

Memorable Moment:

• Colin humorously recounts Cubs fans’ energy in Wrigleyville and uses that as a lens for how much better the Cubs, Braves, and Red Sox are performing right now.

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2. Is Mike McCarthy NFL’s Most Underrated Coach?

[08:08 – 13:00]

Main Takeaways:

• New Steelers era with Mike McCarthy. Dubbed “the Nicholas Cage of football coaches”—productive but under-appreciated.
• Compares McCarthy’s overlooked resume (8 division titles, top offenses in Dallas/Green Bay, more playoff wins than Harbaugh or Tomlin) to that of peers with better reputations.
• Claims McCarthy got unfair blame for Packers’ late-era struggles, masking Aaron Rodgers’s growing off-field issues.
• “The only difference, McCarthy’s got more playoff wins. So why in the world is Tomlin’s reputation this, and McCarthy’s is ‘ugh’?” – Colin [10:27]

Notable Quote:

• “He’s like the Nicholas Cage of football coaches. Everybody’s like, ‘Nicolas Cage?’ Nobody ever mentions him as a great actor. And like, everything he’s in is good.” – Colin Cowherd [08:49]

Matt Hasselbeck’s Take (on McCarthy-Rodgers dynamic):

• “You know, feel like nails on a chalkboard with a guy, then all of a sudden he leaves…it’s like, oh man, I missed that guy. I didn’t realize how good I had it.” – Matt Hasselbeck [12:23]

Colin’s Summary:

• McCarthy’s legacy is marred by narrative and timing, not lack of accomplishment.

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3. Josh Allen & the Bills: On the Brink or Past the Window?

[17:56 – 20:56]

Main Takeaways:

• Picks the Rams and the Bills as his current Super Bowl favorites, citing the Rams’ stacked roster (possibly best since early 2010s Seahawks), assuming Aaron Donald’s return.
• On Allen: “It’s a hard pill to swallow sometimes because we haven’t gotten it done…but you knock enough at the door, it’s going to open at some point.” – Josh Allen [20:33]
• Contextualizes Allen’s Super Bowl drought by invoking other late-career champions and unlucky eras (e.g., Elway, Mickelson).
• Expresses concerns: Bills are aging (ranked 29th in under-25 talent), just as division rival New England is stockpiling youth.

Notable Quote:

• “Buffalo right now is ranked 29th in terms of talent, 25 and under, and you can blame the GM…but some of it becomes, you’re not paying Drake May and you’re paying Josh Allen a lot. And you got to move off really good players.” – Colin [21:57]

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4. NFL Camp Reports with Albert Breer – Cowboys, Rams, Chiefs, Seahawks

[25:27 – 36:18]

Dallas Cowboys:

• Cowboys’ improved locker room culture; strong offensive expectations; defense is solid and led by new staff, but team’s depth is a risk.
• “If we can just be pretty good on defense, our offense is good enough to carry us.” – Albert Breer [26:20]

Los Angeles Rams & Aaron Donald:

• Aaron Donald’s likely return; Rams have aggressive interior D-line depth. Rams will “manage” Donald’s snaps given past late camp arrivals and his age.
• “They do not need to play him 60 plays a game…they’re going to have a way of managing him that isn’t going to cost the team.” – Albert Breer [29:13]

Kansas City Chiefs:

• Can the Chiefs keep contending after key departures? Relying on development of new, young talent post-McDuffie, Tyreek Hill, etc.
• “When you’ve got a quarterback like Mahomes, you should expect to make the playoffs…but whether or not they can elevate to the point they’ve been over the last eight years…rides on their development of all those young guys.” – Albert Breer [31:23]

Seattle Seahawks:

• Praising Seattle’s common-sense roster moves and continuity after coaching and player turnover.
• “I think Sam (Darnold) takes a step...Across that practice field I see a lot of questions that have already been answered.” – Albert Breer [34:05]

Notable Analysis:

• Colin notes that teams like Seattle, who consistently pair excellent GM/coaching/QB setup, are “well run” but often “don’t get a ton of national respect.” [35:38]

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5. Notable Quotes & Moments

• “Stop staring at the paint job. Look under the hood. The Dodgers are a mess.” – Colin [05:15]
• “He’s like the Nicholas Cage of football coaches.” – Colin, comparing Mike McCarthy to a consistently productive but underrated actor [08:49]
• “You knock enough at the door, it’s going to open at some point.” – Josh Allen, on keeping after a Super Bowl [20:38]
• On Rams’ defense: “They do not need to play him [Donald] 60 plays a game.” – Albert Breer [29:13]
• On Seahawks: “Their infrastructure is rock-solid…they just lost a $20 million player, and they’re still four deep.” – Albert Breer [33:07]

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Important Timestamps

• 03:12 – Colin’s breakdown of Dodgers’ slump and media reaction
• 07:35 – Dave Roberts' postgame comments
• 08:08 – Mike McCarthy/Nicholas Cage comparison
• 12:23 – Matt Hasselbeck on McCarthy-Rodgers relationship
• 17:56 – Colin’s Super Bowl prediction (Rams/Bills)
• 20:33 – Josh Allen’s response to Super Bowl pressure
• 25:27 – NFL camp report segment with Albert Breer
• 26:20 – Cowboys’ self-evaluation: offense to lead
• 29:13 – Rams’ plan for Aaron Donald’s return
• 31:23 – Chiefs’ need to develop new wave of young stars
• 33:07 – Seahawks’ deep roster despite loss of stars

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Overall Tone & Style

Colin combines statistical analysis, irreverent humor, historical perspective, and critical takes. He challenges media groupthink (“sky-is-falling” narratives around the Dodgers), advocates for reevaluation of “underrated” figures like McCarthy, and uses guest commentary and interviews to provide inside NFL insight. The tone oscillates between skeptical, passionate, and occasionally self-deprecating (especially around his personal football obsessions).

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For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

This “Best Of” was packed with sharp takes that reframed major narratives around the Dodgers, credibly lauded a perpetually underrated NFL coach, and set the early stage for 2026’s NFL power struggle, especially around the Bills’ window of contention. The detailed breakdowns and in-camp reports provide listeners with insider perspective on which teams are trending upward (or downward) and why.

Transcript

[Colin Cowherd]

This is an iHeart podcast.

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[Colin Cowherd]

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[Dave Roberts]

We got to find a way to win a ball game. You know, I thought tonight Tarek was. Tarek was fine. A lot of emotion, adrenaline, and it was, you know, he limited the damage. You know, there's probably. Probably a little bit more in there for sure. But I'm not going to push him every time out. We have a lot of baseball left to play. He's a guy that we're all counting on. So I think that I'm going to. I'm going to manage, you know, and pick my spots with him. And, you know, you still got a score.

[Colin Cowherd]

All right, so the Pittsburgh Steelers in Mike McCarthy era begins in earnest, right? And there was a quote yesterday by one of the running backs. He goes, this is not like Mike Tomlin. This is the easiest first day of camp ever. And I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. I really don't Mike McCarthy, the Steelers coach, has the distinction, and I believe this to be true, of being the greatest football coach ever with a mediocre reputation. He's like the Nicholas Cage of football coaches. Everybody's like Nicolas Cage. Nobody ever mentions him as a great actor. And like, everything he's in is good. I mean, Con Air was great. Adaptation was great. Leaving Las Vegas is unbelievable. Raising Arizona is one of the funniest films I've ever seen in my life. The Rock Face off seems like a pretty good actor. He's good in everything he's in. I mean, Marlon Brando had six bombs. Everybody's in bad movies. So Mike McCarthy, between Dallas and Green Bay, has eight division titles when Dak was healthy. Number one offense in the league. Here's what's funny. If you look at John Harbaugh's resume stacked up with Mike McCarthy. Now, for the radio audience, you won't see all of this, but remember, John Harbaugh got fired in Baltimore, was the hottest candidate on the market. Their resumes are identical. The only difference is, oh, wait, there is none. Mike McCarthy gets hired and the Steelers settle. Harbaugh gets hired with the Giants home run. Mike Tomlin put up Mike Tomlin's resume against Mike McCarthy. Tomlin's viewed as a legend. McCarthy. Ugh. That's all the Steelers did. Look at their resumes. The only difference, McCarthy's got more playoff wins. So why in the world is Tomlin's reputation this? I mean, he had Big Ben and. And. And John Harbaugh's reputation this. He had Lamar Jackson and Joe Flacco in his prime. And I think it's this. McCarthy took all the heat and Aaron Rodgers took none of it at the time in Green Bay. So the narrative got set in his coaching prime that he was the problem in Green Bay. Remember, Aaron wasn't political. Aaron wasn't as passive aggressive. Aaron wasn't as weird in the early years in Green Bay. Right? He was that really cocky kid under Brett Favre. He was beautiful. He was fun to watch. He moved. And something happened late in Green Bay, and he just, you know, off season commitment. Ayahuascas. Even Matt LaFleur is like, all right, let's move on. Let's go with Jordan Love. But what happens when the narrative gets set in your career? You're not a good actor after a couple of early bombs. And I think that's the difference is that Mike McCarthy took all the arrows in those early days in Green Bay. We all know now there's a lot to unpack with Aaron Rodgers. Forget what he said a couple days ago. Just, there's a lot with Aaron, the off seasons. It's amazing. These people who find such things, like People magazine know who everybody in the world's married to except Aaron Rodgers. I mean, it's. There's a lot of enigma and mystery. And so. So the truth was Green bay was a 50, 50 split. Like Brady and Belichick both get credit in New England. McCarthy and Aaron both get criticism and blame in Green Bay. But Mike took all of it. And I don't think he's ever been able to rid himself of that negativity. Now, Matt Hasselbeck was on earlier this week. He said, listen, I don't care what happened earlier with McCarthy and Rogers. People in sports get over it. Quarterbacks and coaches get over it.

[Mike McCarthy]

I believe it's going to be great. I mean, I know what it's like to, you know, feel like nails on a chalkboard with a guy, and then all of a sudden he leaves. And then it's like, oh, man, I missed that guy. I didn't realize how had it. And so I think for both guys, for Aaron Rodgers, man, he probably miss. Miss. Has missed Mike McCarthy. I think for Mike McCarthy, for sure, he's missed that intangible factor that Aaron Rodgers brings to the table. And I, you know, so I think, like, kind of like you were saying, like that old relationship that gets back, hey, man, the grass wasn't greener necessarily. I have respect for you. And then when you have that deep background of. Of experiences together and a deep respect for one another, I think it works.

[Colin Cowherd]

Remember the 13 years he was in Green Bay? McCarthy always had the offense, right? That was never the issue. He only had two top 10 defenses, and in one of them, he won the Super Bowl. So I. I can't. We're going to. We're going to talk once again to Mike defebo. He's at Steelers camp. He's going to join us later in the show, so. Can't wait for that. Today, Albert Brer, Eric Caros is going to be joining us. I mean, the Dodgers are just. They got so many issues right now. And I gotta tell you, if we got a lot of baseball guys on our staff, if you've never been. This is my second, third Cub game. If you've never been to Wrigleyville in July or August or September, make a pilgrimage. I've said this before. If Wrigleyville was in Belgium, if it was in, you know, Vienna, Austria, it would be a bucket list. Like for a lot of Americans who want to go watch a Liverpool play or they want to go to the Tour de France they want to do if if Wrigleyville wasn't in Chicago and it was overseas in Europe, it would be one of those bucket lists for people that place is was popping last night. I mean just, just another Tuesday night at Wrigleyville. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the iHeartRadio app. Hey, it's Rob Parker and Kelvin Washington from the Odd Couple on Fox Sports Radio.

[Rob Parker]

And in addition to hearing us live weeknights from 7 to 10pm Eastern on Fox Sports Radio, we are excited to announce brand new YouTube channel for the show.

[Colin Cowherd]

That's right, you can now watch the Odd couple live on YouTube every day.

[Rob Parker]

All you got to do search Odd Couple FSR on YouTube again. YouTube just search Odd Couple FSR. Check us out on YouTube and subscribe

[Colin Cowherd]

for any small business owner, there's a moment when you realize the next hire could be the difference between staying busy and actually Challenge is finding the right person without wasting time sorting through candidates who aren't the right fit. That's where Indeed Sponsored Jobs comes in, where a workplace chaos hits and you need somebody who can step in and make a difference. This is a job for Sponsored Jobs. It helps you put your job in front of candidates who match the criteria that matter most to you, whether it's skills, experience, certifications or location. And you're certainly not alone in using Indeed. Join the 3.3 million employers worldwide that use Indeed to connect with quality talent that fits their needs. That's millions of businesses turning to Indeed to help solve hiring challenges and find people who can drive results. Spend less time searching, more time actually interviewing candidates who check all the boxes. Less stress, less time, more results. Get your $75 sponsored job credit today@ Indeed.com podcast. Terms and conditions apply. Hiring now then, this is a job for Indeed Sponsored Jobs. If you're spending time outside, it's important to know the potential risks of skin cancer, non melanoma skin cancers or NMSCs, including basal cell carcinoma and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma are common in the US and can become advanced and harder to treat if left undetected. Our sponsor, Regeneron, is raising awareness about advanced NMSCs. Learn more and take the pledge to see a dermatologist annually at letsgetrealaboutskincancer.com Foodies

[Angie Martinez]

Unite this is Angie Martinez from IRL podcast here to tell you about something new and delicious from McDonald's. So they just released an all new Caesar sauce that is a creamy blend of rich Parmesan, zesty lemon and bold garlic flavors. The sauce on a Chicken Caesar snack wrap.

[Dave Roberts]

Ooh.

[Angie Martinez]

Or the McCrispy strips. Delicious. Which by the way, the crispy strips are even crispier now and that combination is perfect for McDonald's. And for a drink, I'll probably have a nice cold Sprite to go along with that perfectly and I will be a happy girl. Don't take my word for it. Try it out for yourself for a limited time while supplies Last at participating

[Verizon Business Announcer]

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[Colin Cowherd]

What does it take to make an

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[Colin Cowherd]

So if I had to guess today, and I think it's a pretty strong guess, who's going to win the super bowl or at least meet in the Super Bowl, I would say the LA Rams and the Buffalo Bills. I think the Rams have the best roster in a decade. I mean, that's how good it is. I you got to go back to that. Those Seahawk teams, Russell Wilson in his prime when he wasn't making any money and they could load it up with Percy Harvin and Cliff Averill, who, who didn't even have to take that many snaps because they were paying Russell Wilson nothing and he was productive. I think the Rams roster is insane. The defensive line now, if Aaron Donald comes back, I never seen anything like it. And then I think the Buffalo Bills and which brings up the inevitable question, which is when's Josh Allen going to get there? Never forget 14 years of John Elway's career. 14 year, period, he didn't have a trophy. A lot of things need to happen, right? Drew Brees 1. Favre won, Rogers 1. Dan Marino and Jim Kelly, none. Brady, Mahomes, Bradshaw, those are historical outliers. Bradshaw had the best defense for 25 years. Montana had the best coach and best wide receiver, arguably ever. Brady's first three Super Bowls, he won by a field goal. I mean, it's just the margins were narrow for New England for years, and they were winning narrowly. So it's like he's in year nine. He's really good. A lot of it is almost like Phil Mickelson. When do you enter in your prime? Phil Mickelson's prime was Tiger woods prime. Well, Josh Allen and Mahomes entered the league one year apart. Mahomes got the better owner, arguably gm, coach and weapon Travis Kelsey. In an offensive league, the weapon matters. Offensive coach Andy Reid. So, like, a lot of advantages just didn't go Josh Allen's way, you know, and it's almost like movies. Shawshank Redemption comes out in the same year as Forrest Gump and Pulp Fiction gets overlooked, you know, 2017, the shape of Water wins a story about a woman who falls in love with a fish. What are we doing? Yeah, weaker year. I mean, so who knows? But I tend to think the Rams are going to win the NFC, the better conference. And I like Buffalo in the AFC. I think the D.J. moore offensive coach now, I think it all works. But Josh Allen, this is the inevitable question, bro, when are you going to get one? His response?

[Josh Allen]

The playoffs. A lot of times in the last, you know, however many years I've been here now and, you know, just continuing to find ways to learn from it. And I think that's. It's a hard pill to swallow sometimes because we haven't gotten it done. But, you know, you knock. You knock enough at the door, it's going to open at some point. And that's just a. What we have to keep doing is keep knocking on that door and giving ourselves chances to be in that situation again.

[Colin Cowherd]

The thing that worries me the most, when you go look at the old Joe Montana playoff clips, those are a lot of home games. When you look at a lot of Tom Brady playoff moments, that snow game, it's in Foxborough. What worries me is that ESPN last week ranked the teams in terms of talent 25 and younger. Number one was New England in Buffalo's division. They already won two more games in Buffalo last year with a bunch of kids. So are you going to be playing road playoff games. Ask Tom Brady about playing road playoff games at Denver. It never worked out well. So a lot of this stuff, a lot of those Niner highlights with Joe Montana, those playoff highlights, they were at home. A lot of Brady's at home. So that's that's what worries me. Not that the windows closed, that New England now has the better coach, a elite quarterback, a great owner, lots of historic momentum and success. That and a lot more good young players. Buffalo right now is ranked 29th in terms of talent, 25 and under, and you can blame the GM. But some of it becomes you're not paying Drake May and you're paying Josh Allen a lot. And you got to move off really good players. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific. For any small business owner, there's a moment when you realize the next hire could be the difference between staying busy and actually growing. The challenge is finding the right person without wasting time sorting through candidates who aren't the right fit. That's where Indeed Sponsored Jobs comes in, where a workplace chaos hits and you need somebody who can step in and make a difference. This is a job for Sponsored Jobs. It helps you put your job in front of candidates who match the criteria that matter most to you, whether it's skills, experience, certifications or location. And you're certainly not alone in using Indeed. Join the 3.3 million employers worldwide that use Indeed to connect with quality talent that fits their needs. That's millions of businesses turning to Indeed to help solve hiring challenges and find people who can drive results. Spend less time searching, more time actually interviewing candidates to check all the boxes. Less stress, less time, more results. Get your $75 sponsored job credit today at Indeed.com podcast. Terms and conditions apply. Hiring now then, this is a job for Indeed. Sponsored Jobs if you're spending time outside, it's important to know the potential risks of skin cancer. Non melanoma skin cancers, or NMSCs, including basal cell carcinoma and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, are common in the US Advanced and harder to treat if left undetected. Our sponsor, Regeneron, is raising awareness about advanced NMSCs. Learn more and take the pledge to see a dermatologist annually at let'sget realaboutskincancer.com

[Angie Martinez]

Foodies Unite this is Andrew Martinez from IRL podcast here to tell you about something new and delicious from McDonald's. So they just released an all new Caesar sauce that is a creamy blend of rich Parmesan zesty Lemon and bold garlic flavors. The sauce on a chicken Caesar snack wrap.

[Dave Roberts]

Ooh.

[Angie Martinez]

Or the McCrispy strips. Delicious. Which, by the way, the crispy strips are even crispier now. And that combination is perfect for McDonald's. And for a drink, I'll probably have a nice cold Sprite to go along with that perfectly. And I will be a happy girl. Don't take my word for it. Try it out for yourself for a limited time while supplies Last at participating

[Verizon Business Announcer]

McDonald's this episode brought to you by Verizon Business. When we watch the World cup, we focus on the stars, the players, the coaches, the matches. But here's what's fascinating.

[Colin Cowherd]

What does it take to make an

[Verizon Business Announcer]

event this big actually work? The World cup from FIFA isn't just the biggest ever. It's also the most technologically complex. 104 matches, 16 stadiums, 3 countries. Think about that. That's not just a sporting event. That's one of the biggest logistical and technological challenges in the world. And with billions of people watching, there's no room for error. But for Verizon business, that's another day. With private 5G networks in every stadium, more than 80,000 miles of fiber, end to end security, Verizon business is powering FIFA's World Cup. If Verizon business can do that, imagine what they can do for your business. Visit verizon.com powering FIFA World cup now to learn more.

[Colin Cowherd]

Boy, he's been at the Cowboys, Chiefs, Rams, Chargers, Seahawks, Broncos camp. Albert Brear now joining us live at the Texans training camp, which is in Houston and I'm sure in August. It's just charming.

[Albert Breer]

My.

[Colin Cowherd]

Okay, I want to ask you about this. I, I want to ask you about the Cowboys camp. Not just because they're the Cowboys, but I do. I said when the Micah Parsons trade came down, I said, Jerry's a deal maker. Dealmakers like flexibility. If they sign Micah, they've got no flexibility. I get the trade today. I'd say they want it based on Micah's health. We'll see. But you went to camp. There's Caleb Downs. The D line over shown now is healthy. What was the vibe with Cowboy camp?

[Albert Breer]

So I'd say, like, the one thing that you, that that's unmistakable is like, everybody talks how good the makeup of the team is. Right? Like, and so Brian Schottenheimer had said how he wanted to have the best culture in sports. Well, you look at the guys they brought in. Quinn and Williams was a captain with the Jets. Kenny Clark was a captain with the Packers. Jalen Thompson with captain with the Cardinals. The makeup of the team they feel like has gotten really, really good. Additionally, they. They think the offense has a chance to. To break franchise records, to be one of the best, if not the best offense in the league. And so that leaves the defense. New defensive coordinator Christian Parker coming over from Philly. Like you said, Caleb Downs and Jalen Thompson now at safety. The D line's got some moving pieces. Kenny Clark and Quinn and Williams were added on the fly last year. So now you get to sink your teeth into those guys. Rashawn G from Green Bay. So I actually had this conversation. I'm in Houston now. You know, I had this conversation with some of the guys with the Cowboys where it's like they almost view themselves as the reverse of the Texans. You know what I mean? Like, where it's like, if we can just be pretty good on def. On defense, our offense is good enough to carry us. So I think that's where they're at. I think the other thing you got to watch there, Colin, they do have to stay healthy because I think depth use spots for them. But as far as just the front line guys, they feel really good about where they're at.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, you. You said Aaron Donald's coming back to the Rams between. It's just insane. McDuffie, Miles Garrett Young, Braden Fisk, Kobe Turner. Puna Ford was a number one Reddit nose tackle. I said this earlier. We listed their top 10 players and I'm like, I mean, they. They were number one. I mean, I have Miles Garrett, one Puka Trent. You get down to 10 and it's like, well, Kobe Turner was a top six defense. He outplayed Chris Jones last year. I mean, you're. You, you. It sounds like Aaron Donald is kind of a done deal. He's communicating daily with McVeigh. Really?

[Ryan Poles]

Yeah.

[Albert Breer]

So, yeah. So, like, I don't think it'll happen before they break camp at Loyola Marymount, but I believe that's was the fifth. I think that they go back maybe in a couple days and I think after that next week, I think all of this become. All of this is in play. I do think he's coming back. He and McVeigh are very close. There's been a constant open line of communication there and they've actually come up with a plan for what going to look like if and when he does come back. And you know what's really kind of given in an interesting way, Colin, what's given them the framework for that is the holdouts in 2017. And 2018. Now, you remember he reported to camp very late both years. Both years he won Defensive Player of the Year. So they have a way to do this now. It's not the same. Of course, he's 35 now. He's, you know, obviously spent two years away from football, but they feel like they've got a good plan. And I think the other piece of this is, like, what you just. The name you just rattled off, you know, Kobe Turner, Braden Fisk, Puna Ford, Tyler Davis. They really, like. They've got all these interior defensive linemen. They don't need to play him 60 plays a game, you know, so they're going to have a way of managing him that isn't going to cost the team. You know, I kind of take it back to, like, the Eric Weddle situation a few years ago. He was there because they needed him to be there, and he played every snap because the Rams needed him to play every snap. I don't think that's going to be the case with Aaron Donald in 2026.

[Colin Cowherd]

If you look at the history of the NFL, you win Super Bowls when you have a majority of your best players either in their prime or getting close to it. That's the Rams this year. That. That was the great Seahawk teams. It's hard to win when you're old and you've been at Kansas City camp. Listen, Kelsey's probably got a year left. They let McDuffie go. Chris Jones, best years probably behind him. Mahomes will be fine, but he's off a major injury again. They've got. They let Joe Tooney go, and I look at Kansas City and I think they'll smart their way and quarterback and coach their way to a wild card spot. But I. You were there. I just. I look at these top teams like Seattle and Philadelphia, Detroit, and I don't think the Chiefs have that kind of personnel, do you?

[Josh Allen]

Here's.

[Albert Breer]

Here's what they have to do. They have to do what they did three or four years ago. And you remember when they traded Tyree Kill, right? Like what happened in the aftermath. Creed Humphrey developed, Trey Smith developed on the defensive side of the ball. Nick bolton, George Carloftis, McDuffie himself, right? Like, they used the picks to get young players in, and then they did an outstanding job developing those young guys. And a lot of those young guys, big pieces of the puzzle, right? So they need to have. They need to have that happen again. And in a lot of ways, they're running back what they did in trading tyreek in trading McDuffie now and that, okay, we can't keep everybody, but we can do is continue to flood the team with young talent. And so, you know, I can give you some names. Josh Simmons at left tackle. What does he look like? Iris Allen after the fifth round, they think he's got like some Stefon Diggs type qualities on defense. Mansoor Delaine, like, what does he look like at corner? Just think, like, that's really what it's going to boil down to, I think at baseline. When you've got a quarterback like Mahomes, you should expect to make the playoffs, like you said, right.

[Colin Cowherd]

If they.

[Albert Breer]

Whether or not they can elevate to the point they've been over the course of the last eight years, which is super bowl contender, I think really rides on their development of all those young guys. And if they can develop them the same way they developed the guys three or four years ago, then they'll have something.

[Colin Cowherd]

So it's interesting. The Seattle Seahawks are one of those organizations that have mostly been very well

[Verizon Business Announcer]

run for 15 to 18 years as

[Colin Cowherd]

long as John Snyder's been in that front office. They draft well, they're smart, they acquire well. He and Pete had some fissures. It moved on. Then they go get another great coach. I mean, just think of the coaches, Holmgren, Mike McDonald, Pete and the Pete thing got sideways. But I mean, they. They lose Kenneth Walker, who had durability issues, great player. They go get this Notre Dame kid who apparently is wowing everybody at camp, and they lose a corner here. But I. But it should be noted that when we watch them play the Seahawks last year, most of the players who were great return. And it's almost like, well, Sam got a little lucky. And I'm like, guys, their roster. And they had, in my opinion, another good draft, despite drafting at the end of rounds. You were at the Seahawk camp. What was the energy like?

[Albert Breer]

The town looks like outrageous. And I'll give you, like my anecdote, right? Which is I'm like walking over to the corner of the field and there are the defensive ends working on the blocking sled there with Ad dirday, the defensive coordinator, running the drill. And all I can think about is they just lost boy Mafe who got $20 million a year in Cincinnati. So that's a significant piece. And then you look at who they have out there, and it's in general. Owosu, DeMarcus Lawrence, Eric Hall, Dante Fowler. They're four deep and they just lost a $20 million player. There you know, so like I think the infrastructure is, is RO solid. I don't think Sam gets enough credit for doing what he did in back to back years with different teams. Like it's really rare to see a quarterback do that. I think he takes a step and I, you know what I love about their offseason is going to sound funny to you, but I like when GMs sometimes operate like in a way where you could explain it to an 8 year old. You know what I mean? Like, and if you look at the guys, they lost, right? So they lose Kenneth Walker, they draft a running back to Darian Price in the first round, they lose a safety, Kobe Bryant to Chicago, they draft Bud Clark a safety in the second round, they lose Reek Wolin at corner. Corner. They draft a corner Julian Neal in the third round. So it's like, it's very logical and I think there's a common sense thing to the way that they put that team together. And you know, I think the big question is going to be like, can Brian Fleury be what Clint Kubiak was as the oc? Like that to me would be like, oh. But I look across that practice field and I see a lot of questions that have already been answered.

[Colin Cowherd]

All right, well, if you go to the Bears camp on Sunday, text me. I'll show up and we'll hang out.

[Albert Breer]

I'll be there.

[Colin Cowherd]

All right. I'm, I'm committing right now. Bears camp not that far from my house. Albert Berg, good seeing you.

[Albert Breer]

All right, thanks Colin.

[Colin Cowherd]

Middle cough. You're missing out, Bear. Your Bears about invited me up to camp. I think Sunday's the day I could

[Ryan Poles]

see you roaming the sideline giving Caleb and Ben Johnson some fist pounds.

[Colin Cowherd]

Just like when I go to USC practice, I bring a notepad, make sure the coach gets a little look at some of my secret quotients here and potions and all my like numbers and stuff. And I'm a little bit weird on that, but you know, little suggestion here or there for Ben Johnson. What's wrong with that?

[Ryan Poles]

Yeah, and I could also see you just wearing out Ryan polls with some future, you know, guys in college. You get about 17 names for him to keep an eye on. About six guys at USC, you know,

[Colin Cowherd]

I mean he's poor Ryan Poles probably running around hiding from me in the camp. Cause I got another USC defensive tackle I tell him to keep his eye on. All right, been good stuff today. Good. Albert Brer. The. Yeah, it's, you know, it's, it's, it's we generally, we talk about teams that are well run and what organizations are well run. Like Seattle is gone. Homegren, Pete Carroll, Mike McDonald had great ownership, now have new ownership now. But go look at the price tag. Like, think about this. How many organizations in the NFL can you say GM, coach? Top three in the league for the next decade. Mike McDonald's, McVeigh on defense, John Snyder is still reasonably young. I mean, think about this. Darnold still, what is Darnold, 28 years old. I mean, GM, coach, quarterback, tell me organizations that have three guys in their prime that are top of the class. And I know all you guys think Darnold's the 18th best quarterback in the league. I'm going to tell you right now, he's not. So I think Seattle is one of those incredibly well run operations that doesn't give a ton, doesn't get a ton of national respect. And I think they're very well done.

[Ryan Poles]

I'll tell you this, Hard Knocks. Colin can put together a montage of Sam looking like Elway. I mean, he's like, geez, this guy's slinging this thing around. You need to watch Hard Knocks. It's just a Darnold montage of throws.

[Colin Cowherd]

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[Fred Armisen]

Hey Portlandia fans, Kerry Brownstein and Fred Armisen here the dream of the 90s

[Colin Cowherd]

is alive in podcast form.

[Fred Armisen]

We're launching Podlandia AO Rewatch, our brand new podcast where we revisit every episode of To Portlandia together, breaking down sketches, going deep on our iconic characters, and pulling back the curtain on how it all got made.

[Colin Cowherd]

And we'll also be joined by the people who helped bring it all to life, guest stars, collaborators and friends including director Jonathan Krisel, the mayor himself, Kyle McLaughlin, legendary musician Amy Mann, and many more.

[Fred Armisen]

Kyle is going for it. Here you fully improvised, not just words, but a song about.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, I thought you were all going to write a song.

[Fred Armisen]

I remember you thinking that. Listen to Podlandia AO rewatch on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Colin Cowherd]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.