Best of the Week on The Herd

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Herd with Colin Cowherd – Best of the Week

Release Date: May 3, 2025

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1. NFL Draft Breakdown: The Surprising Fall of Shadoud Sanders

In this segment, Colin Cowherd and co-host J. Mac delve into the unexpected outcomes of the NFL Draft, focusing primarily on the surprising drop of quarterback Shadoud Sanders. They explore the myriad reasons behind this unforeseen event, analyzing both on-field performance and off-field dynamics.

• Critical Assessment of Sanders' Performance:

  • J. Mac reflects, “The intel I was getting on Sanders was shocking. He had no self-awareness. So why did he drop?” (02:15)
  • Discussions highlight Bruce Feldman's insights, who criticized Sanders for not participating in key preparatory events like the Senior Bowl or NFL Scouting Combine, labeling him as lacking the necessary self-awareness.

• Impact of Family Influence:

  • The conversation touches upon Sanders' father, Dion, and his significant media presence, which may have inadvertently influenced teams’ perceptions. J. Mac notes, “Deion sandbagged interviews... that probably explains it.” (04:50)

• Comparative Analysis with Other Quarterbacks:

  • J. Mac draws parallels between Sanders and other quarterbacks like Dak Prescott and Brock Purdy, emphasizing the importance of intangibles over raw talent in certain scenarios.

2. NBA Playoffs Highlight: Lakers vs. Timberwolves – A Coaching Conundrum

The hosts shift focus to the NBA Playoffs, dissecting the Lakers' strategic decisions against the Minnesota Timberwolves and the subsequent fallout.

• Lakers' Tactical Missteps:

  • J. Mac criticizes the Lakers for playing only five players in a critical half, stating, “...they called the death lineup. And eventually, it was for them.” (07:30)
  • He further elaborates on LeBron James' declining performance in the fourth quarter, attributing it to both physical exhaustion and coaching decisions.

• Timberwolves' Strategic Dominance:

  • Emphasis is placed on Ant Edwards' exceptional performance, especially in clutch moments. Colin Cowherd asserts, “Ant is officially the best young player in the game. Did you see him battling LeBron?” (13:43)
  • The hosts commend the Timberwolves for their depth and versatility, contrasting it with the Lakers' limited roster flexibility.

3. Expert Insights: Greg Olson and Greg Cosell on NFL Strategies

The episode features in-depth discussions with NFL veteran Greg Olson and NFL Films’ Greg Cosell, offering expert perspectives on team strategies, player evaluations, and draft implications.

• Greg Olson on Shadoud Sanders and NFL Expectations:

  • Greg Olson provides a nuanced view, stating, “...Shadoud needs to take a good hard reset and say, you know what it's all about ball.” (31:43)
  • He emphasizes the NFL's preference for quarterbacks who can maintain focus and minimize distractions, highlighting the league's stringent standards for quarterback selections.

• Greg Cosell on the NFL's Evolving Quarterback Landscape:

  • Greg Cosell discusses the challenges quarterbacks like Sanders face in adapting to the NFL's demands, mentioning, “...Shadoud was all over the board just as a player.” (46:25)
  • He compares Sanders with other quarterbacks, analyzing their mobility and pocket presence, and elaborates on why certain quarterbacks are preferred over others based on their skill sets.

4. Team Building and Draft Strategies: Evaluating Recent Picks

The conversation transitions to recent NFL Draft picks, evaluating how these selections align with team strategies and future prospects.

• Chicago Bears' Offensive Focus:

  • Greg Olson praises the Bears' offensive picks, particularly tight ends, stating, “They’re going to play a lot of 12 personnel... this is a really, really good offense in terms of the skill players.” (49:50)
  • He discusses how these additions synergize with their young quarterback, Caleb Williams, to enhance their offensive dynamics.

• Chargers' Strategic Acquisitions:

  • The hosts examine the Chargers' recent additions of Trey Harris and Hampton, with Greg Cosell noting, “...Hampton just looked like a feature foundation back on tape.” (52:27)
  • They analyze how these players fit into the Chargers' established play-action pass game, potentially elevating their offensive capabilities.

5. Controversial Coaching Decisions: Lakers' Small Ball Strategy Under Scrutiny

Returning to the NBA Playoffs, Colin and J. Mac critically assess the Lakers' coaching decisions, particularly the insistence on a small ball lineup despite clear disadvantages.

• Colin Cowherd's Take on Coaching Errors:

  • Colin Cowherd vehemently criticizes J.J. Redick's decision to stick with five players, stating, “It is historically bizarre... I've never seen it.” (60:00)
  • He argues that the Lakers' decision to not substitute key players led to their downfall, emphasizing the importance of adaptability in high-stakes games.

• Comparative Analysis with Timberwolves' Coaching:

  • The hosts laud the Timberwolves' coaching staff for their effective adjustments and leveraging of team strengths, noting, “They pulled all the right levers on this.” (62:29)
  • They contrast this with the Lakers' rigid strategy, attributing the latter's failures to poor coaching 판단 under pressure.

6. Final Thoughts and Future Projections

In the concluding remarks, Colin and J. Mac reflect on the discussed topics, offering predictions for upcoming events and the potential trajectories of teams and players.

• Shadoud Sanders' Future in the NFL:

  • J. Mac predicts Sanders' eventual success, despite setbacks, stating, “Take Shadoud to eventually start for the Cleveland Browns. I was wrong.” (28:00)
  • They express optimism about Sanders overcoming current challenges to secure a starting position in the future.

• NBA Playoffs Outlook:

  • The hosts anticipate a continued struggle for the Lakers, citing their incomplete roster and poor coaching decisions, while forecasting the Timberwolves' sustained dominance in the series.

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Notable Quotes:

• J. Mac: “If you ain't trying to change the franchise, the culture don't get me.” (06:10)
• Colin Cowherd: “Ant is officially the best young player in the game.” (13:43)
• Greg Olson: “He needs to take a good hard reset and say, you know what it's all about ball.” (31:43)
• Greg Cosell: “He's a pocket quarterback with good traits but not great.” (46:50)
• Colin Cowherd: “This is historically bizarre... I've never seen it.” (60:00)

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Conclusion

This episode of The Herd with Colin Cowherd offers a comprehensive analysis of recent NFL Draft outcomes, scrutinizes pivotal NBA Playoff strategies, and features expert insights from seasoned NFL analysts. The hosts provide a balanced mix of critical evaluation and optimistic projections, making it a valuable listen for sports enthusiasts seeking in-depth commentary on current sports narratives.

Transcript

[Colin Cowherd]

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All for up to 80% less than the other guys. Try them for [e-mail] Wasabi Hot Cloud Storage Proud partner of the Voluum Podcast Network. Thanks for listening to the Heard 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. Now let's get this party started. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. All right, it is Monday after the draft and with The NBA playoffs revving up. Look at those T wolves. Lakers in trouble and reeling. We are live. It's the herd. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening one hour from now. Colin was right. Colin was wrong. We have plenty of both. Well, J. Mac, it's funny I have said this for a long time. I've been saying this for about a decade. You never get lots to more in our business than a month before the NFL draft. I've said that a hundred times. You get so much misinformation fed to you as Mel Kuyper a month before the NFL draft. So a lot of stories we start with this as Shadour Sanders was sliding, suddenly stories started to pop out from Justina Anderson, Todd McShay, Jonathan Jones, NFL Insider for CBS Stuff that wasn't as much pre draft. I mean we knew that legendary draft room. We could see that was a bit cringe. But when people were starting to explain, well, what happened? Well, stories started coming out that he sandbagged certain interviews or was brash. Bruce Feldman wrote an article that I read. He not only didn't compete at the Senior bowl or NFL scouting combine. A former NFL quarterback coach Feldman spoke was Sunday morning said not surprising. The intel I was getting on Sanders was shocking. He had no self awareness. So why did he drop? Am I surprised? Shocked actually. I would have taken him if I was the Steelers. But between his dad Dion, who has many friends in the media saying during the super bowl on multiple interviews we will dictate terms we will not play for certain teams. And then between Sanders should do or sandbagging interviews. That probably explains it. So I'll tell you after this show Friday before round two, I talked to two different times an executive in the league asking questions. What do you think he'll go? He's in this executive said to me, he said if he doesn't go in the first six to eight picks at the top of the second round, then people view him as a backup. And I and I'll quote it here, I'm not sure how many teams want that circus in the building. As a backup. Remember Tim Tebow, celebrity backup a mess in New York. Bill Belichick made a decision once Mac Jones beat him out in New England. Remember they let Cam go. Nobody wants a celebrity backup quarterback. Especially when Deion the dad waited until mid to late March to say okay, now anybody can draft my son. So now was I surprised. Yes. Pittsburgh didn't have a quarterback in a division with Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson. I mean I don't know who their, their quarterback is. But Daniel Jeremiah, a former three time scout on the NFL Network, made a very interesting point. Jeremiah is really good at what he does. He was quoted as saying that the one quarterback that he thought was similar to Shador Sanders was, was Kenny Pickett. And what Daniel Jeremiah said, well, they did Kenny Pickett and they got burned. And they may have looked at it and said, yeah, we've done that kind of quarterback before. Not a big arm moves. Okay, okay, decent numbers. Yeah, we're gonna pass on that. And Pittsburgh did. Remember, Shador Sanders also said this. Words matter, people listen. He said this at the NFL combine. Shadour said, quote, if you ain't trying to change the franchise, the culture don't get me. Teams listened. They didn't get him. So the league sent out a very clear message. Cam Ward was indisputably the best prospect and maybe close to an A prospect. But everybody else was a B and a C prospect. And in life, if you're not an A, then you have to get the intangibles. Right? Right. You're intangibles for Dak Prescott. Dax never thrown an A ball, but he was an A plus plus with intangibles. That Brock Purdy Small, not a great athlete. A plus plus with intangibles. People are telling you they didn't like some of Shador's intangibles. Remember March and April? NFL doesn't owe you anything. March and April are job interview months. And in February and early March, Dad Dion was saying, we'll set terms. There are teams he won't play for. So I don't think this is all on Shador. But you know, it's. Somebody made a point this morning in our staff meeting. It's almost like you're a young actor and you'd only ever been in your dad's movies and then you interviewed with some other directors to finally not be in one of your dad's movies. And you kind of lack self awareness and turn some people off. So when I hear he sandbagged interviews or was not a professional from people I trust, that goes a long way in explaining it. And I believe I said this years ago about backup quarterbacks. I've said this more than once. A perfect backup quarterback is a guy that could go to the local mall, put sunglasses and a baseball hat on, walk through the mall and nobody would bother him, nobody would recognize him. Your starting quarterback in the NFL is going to be a star. All right? All starting quarterbacks in their towns are stars. A backup. Nobody wants a celebrity. And so that's the downside. I don't blame only Shedeur, but when you hear he's sandbagged interviews, that's what dad did. Deion sandbag interviews. Legendarily sandbagged interviews. Bragged about sandbagging interviews. But Deion was an a prospect, the best corner of all time. Everybody knew going into this draft that sure wasn't a great arm guy. I would have drafted him. Not a mobile guy. I would have drafted him. I was shocked by it and I was told be very if he doesn't go in the first six to eight picks in the top of the second round, people are telling you they see him as a backup. Peter Schrager used to work here, now works at espn. Also brought up an interesting point. Dion has worked for so many media outlets and has so many friends in the NFL, you know, nobody wanted to give him the truth. Your son's okay. And then once the no noise scares a lot of teams, especially at one position. The discussions are always different about quarterbacks than non quarterbacks. When I talk to NFL people, we always talk about toughness. We talk about productivity and speed and vertical. When you talk about quarterbacks, it's leadership. Will guys follow him over a hill? Is he a foxhole guy? The conversation changes. So and I got a lot of different thoughts on this where I actually defended on something that I thought he did a really good job on. But Cleveland drafted him. There are those that believed that the GM and the coach didn't want to draft him. They'd already drafted a quarterback and Jimmy Haslam, the owner, stepped in like he did with desean Watson. Needless regardless, here's Andrew Barry on the pick. Once it got to a point where it felt like it was at, you know, a pretty steep discount. We just felt like, hey, especially relative to the alternative ways that we could use the selection, this made the most sense. All right, more on that in a bit. Their reaction was stoic, to be honest. Not the most excited looking draft room, to be honest. Okay, so the Lakers are in big trouble. They pushed all their chips in against Minnesota. For the first time in NBA playoff history, a team played only five players in an entire half. They never subbed. They called the death lineup. And eventually it was for them. Meanwhile, Minnesota, a deeper, bigger roster with far more dexterity, far more options. The Lakers JJ Redick basically told you our roster has limitations. There's an old saying in the NBA in the playoffs that you play eight guys but you trust seven. JJ Redick Played five guys and trusted four and they almost pulled it off. But did you notice that LeBron looked tired by the end? He didn't score in the fourth quarter and Luca looked tired at the end. Never been in the world's best shape. And here was Ant Edwards once again. If you go look at fourth quarter numbers in this series, Luca against Ant Edwards, the Minnesota Timberwolves, without question. Points, assists, rebounding, field goal percentage. The best player in the fourth quarter in this series has consistently been Ant Edwards. That's how you win a playoff series. And in fact quickly maturing, quickly defining basketball player. So the T Wolves are deeper and Edwards is the best player. But I think more than anything remember when the Lakers made that trade, the Luca thing and Mark Williams a center, Remember that whole deal? Mark Williams, they were going to get a Mark Williams, the center who'd been injured, but he was a definitive NBA big, big wide body shot blocker. And then it got canceled because team doctors wouldn't give it a pass in la. Well, JJ Redick was telling you, yeah, I wasn't part of that decision because he won't play Jackson Hayes. And you're not beating Minnesota without some bigs. I mean Julius Randall who's never been good in the playoffs is having a tremendous series on three pointers and so why Randall's a big, he's getting good looks and so you know, JJ Redick's telling you this roster needs tweaking. I'm playing five, I may plot, I may trust four. And here was JJ after we certainly played well enough to win and we gave the effort to win and you know, the. Not a planned thing to play five guys an entire second half. Asked him at the beginning of the fourth quarter, told them we had two extra timeouts, you know, if you need a sub, let us know. Those guys gave, gave a lot. I think once you've kind of made that decision, you know, and that they all are in, you just got to trust them. Aunt Edwards led the NBA this year in clutch regular season points. Minnesota as a basketball team was in all sorts of games like this. They led the NBA in clutch games, meaning close, tight, hard fought games. That's what the T Wolves did all regular season. They were built for it. In Ant Edwards whose three point shot improved dramatically. He was built for it. They now have a 31 series lead. They'll be well rested. Will the, the Lakers will be as well. The next game is Wednesday and here's Ant.

[J. Mac]

I just try to take advantage of every opportunity. I mean because you know I've been.

[Colin Cowherd]

Dreaming of this all my life, whether.

[J. Mac]

It was football or basketball. So just being in these situations and now it's going against Bruin and Luka.

[Colin Cowherd]

Luka probably the best player in the game, young player in the game and.

[J. Mac]

Brun is the best player leaving the game. So just trying to, you know, prove I belong and tell my haters and people who criticize me that I'm better than they think.

[Colin Cowherd]

Ant is officially the best young player in the game. Did you see him battling LeBron? He's like, I, I got LeBron. Did you see that wrestling match? You're not getting that from Luke on the defensive end. Offense runs the league. I'm not denying that. But look at Ant's fourth quarter numbers. His energy is through the roof. Not just his points, but his field goal percentage. Look at Luka's field goal percentage. Guys get tired, shots are flat. So if you, if you want One of the things that made Jordan we only showed Jordan's offensive highlights. What made Michael Jordan great was his relentless defense along with his relentless offense and clutch play in the fourth quarter. Michael's energy, you could go to quadruple overtime. Michael's energy, even when he was sick. The Utah games was just better than other players. Look at Ant's fourth quarters. That is young in impeccable shape. Because Ant previously first couple of years he would wear down late in games. He doesn't anymore. He picks his spots. He is putting up 42% three point in the fourth and you're petting your best defender on him. So he has arrived. He has got the argument to me as the best young player in the game. Rocket is giving every home one address. Rocket.com a single seamless home ownership platform. If you're buying, selling, financing or refinancing your home. Rocket.com the new home for all things home ownership. Rocket own the dream. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the iHeartRadio Apple.

[J. Mac]

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[Colin Cowherd]

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So much more. Plus next day delivery. So you can be confident that you'll have the product you need on hand to fix that forklift and get it back in the game. Call 1-800-granger. Click granger.com or just stop by Granger for the ones who get it done. All right. Colin right? Colin wrong On a Monday. Here we go. Where Colin was right. Aunt Edwards continues to be the best young player in the game. And I said this last week not a GM in this league would take Ja Morant over Ant Edwards. Jaw got swept okay and Edwards is dominating fourth quarters and three years ago John Morant was the better player. Clearly that is not close to the case. Ant takes on LeBron. Ant can play a rigorous strong, physical, intimidating defensive game. Jaw can't. You are looking at, in my opinion, the best domestic player in the league right now at his age. Certainly Ant Edwards. Where Colin was raw I thought Shador Sanders was the second best quarterback I watched in college football to Cam Ward. And listen, he fell out. There's a lot of explanations for it. To complete 74% of your throws behind a terrible offensive line is impressive, but there's enough bad tape out there with him that it didn't blow people away. I do think he will win the starting job at some point next year. And don't listen to JMac. That is a tasty bet. Take Shador to eventually start for the Cleveland Browns. I was wrong. I would have taken him if I was Pittsburgh. I don't know what Pittsburgh's thinking. Must already have Aaron Rodgers where Colin was right. You know, I I don't like to pick on kids, but I was never a Quinn Ewers fan. I didn't get it. One year ago people said he could be the first quarterback taken. I didn't buy it. I never had. I know he's a five star high school quarterback. I know he won a bunch of games with Texas. I don't see it. He was the 13th quarterback taken. I just he had great protection and unbelievable wide receivers at Texas and made some incredibly big throws. But I never watched him during college football and thought that's a franchise quarterback. And he ended up being the 13th quarterback taken. Where Colin was wrong. I thought the Chicago Bears were going to go heavy defense in the draft because they've spent so much money on offense. They said nope. Tight end, wide receiver, offensive tackle with their first three picks. I like the picks but I mean they have so much talent on offense. Colston Loveland, one of my favorite players, no excuses for Caleb Williams. Ben Johnson is clearly running the draft room room because they are going free agency and drafting their best picks and pickups are offense where Colin was right. I said for the last month I think the Raiders are the perfect pick for Ashton Gentee because Geno Smith, historically when he has a run game and can throw on play action is actually a really good quarterback. You go look to his career on play action, his 106 passer rating. So now they've got their quarterback in Geno a star tight end, a star running back, Colton Miller a left tackle and they went and picked up some running some wide receivers. They also have Chip Kelly and Pete Carroll. I don't know how the Raiders are going to do but I thought this was the perfect pick. I loved everything and at 58 people say he's small. It is hard to get leverage on five, eight running backs. Nobody bounces off more college defenders than Ashton Gentee where Colin was raw. Boy did I miss on the Lakers series. I had the Lakers in five because I thought they were better offensively. But J.J. redick has made it very clear he doesn't trust Jackson Hayes. Translation, we're gonna play small ball and Minnesota's dominating the boards. They're more physical, they've got more rotational options. The lakers are playing five dudes and Luka looked tired at the end, LeBron was tired at the end. And the Lakers have been outscored by six or more in every fourth quarter and a lot of that is Minnesota is fresher where Colin was right. I thought the Pacers were going to fly through the Bucks. The Dame injury stinks, but I just think Indiana's got more good players in their prime. I think Indiana's got the best talent in the league that nobody talks about. I really like the Pacers and I don't like the Bucks and I've said this for three years, they're too Giannis centric. And the big problem is that's okay. The Nuggets are Jokic centric. But I trust Jokic at the free throw line rate late. I do not trust Giannis at the free throw line late so much. Like Shaq, you didn't want him at the line even though he was dominant. So for me it's time to blow up this roster where Colin was wrong. I had been told that a wide receiver, T. Mac from Arizona, a lot of people had cooled on him. But it only takes one and Carolina drafted him with the eighth pick. I thought some of the draft analysis on him was interesting. People theorized that Bryce Young is a smaller quarterback and therefore the long and lanky T. Mac is easier to see. Never thought about that. Probably true, but yeah, it takes one. I'd heard teams had cooled on him. Did he love football? Where can you use him? He's kind of a strider. Doesn't get off the line. Good enough. I was wrong. 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 should you listen to Covino and Rich? We talk about everything. Life, sports, relationships, what's going on in the world. We have a lot of fun talking about the stories behind the stories in the world of sports and pop culture. Stories that, well, other shows don't seem to have the time to discuss. And the fact that we've been friends for the last 20 years and still work together, I mean, that says something, right? So check us out. We like to get you involved too. Take your phone calls, chop it up, as they say. I'd say the most interactive show on Fox Sports Radio, maybe the most interactive show on planet Earth. Be sure to check out Covino and Rich live on Fox Sports radio and the iHeartradio app from 5 to 7pm Eastern, 2 to 4 Pacific. And if you miss any of the live show, just search Covino and Rich wherever you get your podcast. And of course on social media, that's Covino and Rich.

[J. Mac]

So we all made mistakes, right? But owning up to them, it's the right thing to do. But we all know the GRE 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 because 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 are bringing back that OG Cool Rush sent 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 anti perspirant for the last decade. It's the same reason why people are not happy with 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.

[Colin Cowherd]

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[Greg Olson]

I think that's the, that's the name of the game, right? So 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 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?

[Greg Olson]

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 Ruckers 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. When 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, it's probably too good not to play on defense. Explain to me, install day, how does that work? What meeting is he in?

[Greg Olson]

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 hand. 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 them a handful of the route tree, teach them 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 Genty, 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.

[Greg Olson]

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 mayor from, from Notre Dame from the previous year. Now Brock Bowers going into his second year, continue 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 a 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 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?

[Greg Olson]

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 deep shots, you can't be in 11, you can't be in 10 personnel, right. You can't have four wide receiver types in 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 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.

[Greg Olson]

All of a sudden in Cincinnati, they've got the greatest offense in the league, offensive minded coach and Zach Robinson. And 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 complementing 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 great work my friend. As always. I appreciate you stopping by. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the iHeartRadio app. So there. We'll get to Greg Cosell in a couple of minutes. Eli Manning is putting a bid together for a minority interest in the Giants. So I know Eli and I I really like this idea. Since Eli Manning moved out of his prime, the New York Giants have been they've made so many bad decisions like I like Brian Dall. Finally they have a coach I like and he better win or he's gone by Thanksgiving. But they've made so many bad decisions. Head coaches, quarterbacks, general managers. That's upstairs stuff. Ask yourself this when's the last time the Hunt family with the Chiefs butchered a free agent quarterback signing or missed on a on a first round quarterback signing draft? It just doesn't happen very often. Since 2017, the Giants are last in wins and 31st in point differential and points per game and sack differential. It's a bad franchise that's upstairs. Stop blaming the coaches, stop blaming the players. That's upstairs. Like if you look at consistently, it's not a coincidence that Washington ran out the worst owner in the league and tripled their win total. It's not just Jaden Daniels. Jaden doesn't do it without the right coordinator, the right general manager, the right culture. Jaden would have not have done that with the previous group. They just kept getting in their way. And I'll say this, you can trust Eli and I know. I'll give you an example of why I like the Manning family. Arch Manning goes to Texas. So Texas is a massive football brand like Ohio State, Michigan, Notre Dame, Texas. Big Arch Manning doesn't get a start first year, second year. And by the way, I think he's better than Quinn yours. I think if he would have been in the draft this year without starting in college, somebody would have taken him in the second round. I really believe that this quarterback draft, somebody would have taken Arch Manning second and said we're going to go with jeans. Archie was good, Eli was good, Peyton, we're just going to go with jeans. And yet he didn't transfer. He's been a team player. It's so Manning like dignity, thoughtful class. New York Giants, they got an upstairs problem. I said the Chicago Bears finally, with Ben Johnson, like, controlling the draft. Chicago for years. Detroit before Dan Campbell and their new GM and executive suite. Detroit had an upstairs problem. They didn't have a quarterback problem. That Stafford was great. So we always look in this sport whenever a team loses the coach. No, Washington had an upstairs problem. The Giants do. That doesn't mean the Mars are totally inept, but they need a fresh set of eyes and ears. And the Mannings, they make really good decisions. Football decisions, parenting decisions, business decisions. They just make really good decisions. With that 45 years, NFL Films Greg Cosell is joining us. So let's just talk football. Forget all the other nonsense, right? If Pittsburgh, so the Rams, my understanding, didn't really. Shador was not on their board as a starter. They liked Jackson Dart. New York Giants liked Jackson Dart over Shador. There's nothing wrong with that. I had a friend of mine who's a former gm, he liked Jackson Dart a lot. Not as much as Cam Ward, but he liked him more than Shador. He liked him a lot. So. And I think everybody thinks Cam was the best quarterback in a weak class. Pittsburgh Steelers, according to the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, a reporter there were not in the starting quarterback hunt. They looked at next year. I'm told the Rams looked at next year. The Browns, trading down early, told you next year's class. We'll go get backups this year. So if I was a GM and I wasn't into Shador's playing, what on film? Did you watch that you believe Greg could turn a general manager off and just not see him as an elite quarterback prospect?

[Greg Cosell]

Well, I think that. That, I think, relates to what the league has become. Colin, for starting quality starting quarterbacks, we're talking about guys that were top five quarterbacks in the league. Because if you're drafting Sanders High, that's what you're expecting him to be, a top five quarterback in the league. So what you're dealing with is a player who's essentially a pocket quarterback if he's to become a really good quarterback in the NFL. At his core, he's a pocket player.

[Greg Olson]

Now.

[Greg Cosell]

He's not immobile. It's not as if he's a statue. But at his core, he would have to be successful as a pocket player and as a pocket quarterback, his traits are good, not great. So where does that kind of player get drafted in the NFL and what does he become in the NFL? He's a pocket quarterback with Good traits. He's a lower level. C.J. stroud. C.J. stroud is a, essentially a pocket quarterback, is bigger, he's a better thrower. So C.J. stroud was drafted second and has done well in his first two years. Sanders is a similar style quarterback in terms of his approach to the way in which he plays, but he's not as gifted, he's smaller and doesn't throw it as well. So where does that player get drafted? That's why he was all over the board just as a player. Putting everything else aside, I had coaches tell me that they thought he was a backup. I had coaches tell me he was a first round pick. I had coaches tell me he's a third round pick. So he was all over the board because his traits are not quite at the level where it's unanimous or obvious as to what he projects to be at the NFL level.

[Colin Cowherd]

So again, let's keep it to football. If you were to draft Jackson Dart over him, because I know two people that prefer Jackson Dart, what did you see about Jackson Dart? That a GM would go, oh, I like that. That's better than Shedeur.

[Greg Cosell]

Well, I. That gets into the same question. I think you have the mobility factor. I think Jackson Dart, while he's not explosive and dynamic Jackson Dart, his legs are a factor. So now you get into the fact that he can make plays on third down with his legs and that changes the way defenses have to play. See, the thing is you have to think about now the NFL, we're not just doing this in a vacuum. We're projecting players and you see him right here, we're projecting players to play in the NFL and what that means. So the fact that he can beat you with his legs means that that changes at times in critical down and distance situations, the way defenses have to play. His arm is probably as good or maybe even a little better than Sanders and he has that mobility and that's a key, key factor. So Jackson Dart could easily be seen, and he was, by some teams, just the football part, as a better prospect than Chudor Sanders.

[Colin Cowherd]

So it's interesting, I thought the Bears because the last two years in free agents, I know, I said, greg, they're going to go defense. They didn't. They went offense again. I mean, last year they did it draft and free agency. This year they did it free agency and draft. So Ben Johnson saying, listen, I'm going to clean up my side of the ball. We'll get the defense later. So they go Colston Loveland, Luther Burden, who's a really could be a very interesting player. And Ozzy to who Matt Hasselbeck, by the way, likes. What did you make of those? Yeah, what did you make of those first three picks and how they'll help Caleb Williams?

[Greg Cosell]

Well, they're going to play a lot of 12 personnel. You know, a lot of people thought they'd take Tyler Warren, but Tyler Warren is a redundancy for them because Cole Komet stylistically is the same kind of player. We could say Warren's better, but stylistically in the context of their offense, they're the same player. So they went with the more athletic, the tight end in. In Loveland who gives them more. So they'll play with 12 personnel at times and they'll be really difficult. And then Luther Burden, I mean, I loved Luther Burden's tape and I think Luther Burton in the context of a Ben Johnson offense, and I'm not going to sit here and say he's going to do exactly what Amon Ross St. Brown did, because you never know. But I think that he stylistically fits that role in a Ben Johnson offense. And I think, you know, with Bird now, they can line up in 12 personnel with two tight ends. They can line up in 11 personnel with a Dunes, A Moore and Burden. I mean, this is a really, really good offense in terms of the skill players. And Tropillo didn't surprise me at all that he went where he did. I studied his tape. He's a really good player. He played right tackle at bc. They're going to have to make a decision as to who becomes the left tackle, whether they can move Tripillo there, who's played that in college, or Darnell Wright, who's been there right tackle. But Tropillo is a really, really good prospect. So I love what they did on the offensive side of the ball.

[Colin Cowherd]

So it was pretty obvious there were certain teams, and I think the Chargers are one where I had had dinner with their offensive coordinator a couple days before, a week before the draft actually, and he said, listen, we have a really good football team. We need a little bit more juice on offense. Well, they went and got it with Trey Harris and Hampton. Let's talk about the Chargers. Let's talk about Hampton the running back and Trey Harris. What does that provide that they didn't have last year?

[Greg Cosell]

Well, I love Murray and Hampton. I loved his tape. I didn't think there was much of a difference at all between Hampton and Genty. To me, Hampton just looked like a feature foundation back on tape, some people thought. And I could See that. That there were similarities to Jonathan Taylor stylistically, and he is clearly the kind of back that you could give the ball 20 times a game to. We know it's Greg Roman. We know they want to run the football. You know, we know that's the way they play. That's foundationally how they want to start their offense. So now you get the play action pass game off of that. And last year they had pretty good success at times with the play action pass game. So now they can do more of it. Harris is an intriguing guy. I watched him last summer, Colin from 2023 when he had a big year. This year he got hurt after seven games. I saw every game, every snap. I kept going back and forth on him.

[Greg Olson]

He's.

[Greg Cosell]

I just wasn't sure if he was a vertical dimension in the league. He's long and he has stride length, but he didn't run real well. And I'm just really curious as to what he will be. I'm a little uncertain about him, but I know a lot of people liked him. I just kept going back and forth in my mind. I'm very curious to see what he becomes in the National Football League. But the Hampton pick, I absolutely love that.

[Colin Cowherd]

So I was told that Seattle wants to play Jalen Milroe in six or seven plays a game, is that they just think he's too athletic not to get on the field. And I mean, there, there. I mean, there were times with Lamar Jackson, you watched them his first year, you're like, is he the best athlete on either team? I mean, Michael Vick had that component. Milro is a sensational athlete. We know he can be a bit mechanical. But what does he do from your film study that you think immediately translates to production in the NFL now?

[Greg Cosell]

Well, I think one of the things that's become really big in this league, and you see it with the Eagles, you certainly see it with Lamar, is the importance of the quarterback run game, the design quarterback run game in the red zone. And I think that's where Milroe can be a factor. Don't forget that McDonald spent a year or so with Baltimore, so he knows all about the quarterback run game and the design of it and how it can really break down and attack defenses. And that's where I think Milroe can become a factor. But I actually really like Seattle's draft as a whole colony.

[Colin Cowherd]

Same here.

[Greg Cosell]

They traded up to get. They traded up to get Nick Emenwari. And I'm sure all of us immediately thought, that's Kyle Hamilton and the Mike McDonald defense because they're. They're stylistically similar players. So their defense, and maybe people are sleeping on it, but what they've done defensively this off season and what they built offensively, they could be one of the best defensive teams in the NFL this year.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, no, he was. He was. He was the safety from South Carolina. I was told this by a couple people. He was. He's kind of a can't miss. He's just so ragey and so athletic. There are very few guys that are can't miss. And, you know, you'd think, oh, he'd go in the first round, but safety's a different position. But he kind of feels like, I can't miss in the NFL. So I want to go back to Travis Hunter. So you looked at him as a corner, and you look at him as a receiver. If I said to you, Greg, he ended up being a Pro Bowler at one position, if you had to guess based on your film story, there was what he was good at both. But one of them, he becomes a Pro Bowler, which side would you predict?

[Greg Cosell]

I mean, he's, you know, I think that early on he would have a better chance of being a Pro Bowler as a receiver than as a corner. Interesting, because I think as a. I think as a corner, we know about the physical traits, but you watch his tape, and as a corner, he doesn't really play with any technique because he's never had to. And I think in the NFL he'll have to. But I think the larger question with Travis Hunter, and again, I don't listen to what everybody says, Colin, so I don't know if this has been talked about, but I think the larger issue is not whether he can play 115 or 120 snaps a game. Maybe he's just that freak that can. But the issue is preparation during the week. He can't be in the offensive and the defensive meetings at the same time. And you know how coaches, how anal coaches are about their meetings and their details and their nuance and, you know, you just can't be in both meetings. There's not enough hours in the day. So I'm very curious to see how that works, because you can't be part of both sides of the ball in all the detail that's required.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah. Finally, when you looked at Ash Ashton Genty's tape, I imagine the Oregon game, the Oregon game is one that you really zoned in on because they have NFL players everywhere. It is harder to make a guess playing smaller Schools. What is the one? The first time you looked at Ashton, Jenny, who's now a Raider, the first time you looked at his tape and went, okay, this is, you know, it's Boise State. This is real. This is a real difference maker. Was there something that popped for you, a tendency or a trigger that you had seen before and went, yeah, that's McCaffrey or that's whoever.

[Greg Cosell]

Well, contact balance. Because you're going to get hit in the NFL, you've got to run inside between the tackles. You can't be a great back in the NFL by just running on the perimeter. So he has this unique ability to absorb hits and keep going without really losing any of his momentum. And that's a rare trait. So to me, his best trait is contact balance. And that's something that is absolutely essential. Now he's got other traits as well. I don't want to make it seem like that's his only trait. Obviously he's a great, great prospect aspect, but I think the contact balance part is really, really special.

[Colin Cowherd]

By the way, I want to add this. I watched virtually every pick and I know it didn't have a lot of stars, but it's hard to convince me there weren't a lot of good players. When Cody Simon, Ohio State linebacker, went in the fourth, I thought he was a really good player. I mean, he was the heart and soul of that defense. And Damian Martinez, who I watched play. Yeah, that time, Greg, I can't believe he's sixth round running back. You didn't get it either?

[Greg Cosell]

Yeah, no, that. That to me. And again, all I can tell you is how I evaluate the players. I'm not one who speaks about whether teams did a good job or bad job because they've got 30 people doing this and these guys work really hard. But I really like Damian Martinez. I watched him last summer when he was at Arlington, Oregon State. I watched him this year at the University of Miami. I think this guy in the right system could actually be a feature back. And to be honest with you, and we'll see how it plays out. We'll see how it plays out in camp. But I personally think he's a better runner now. Again, there may be other elements here, but he's a better runner than Zach Charbonnet. And you know, Zach Charbonnet right now is the number two back in Seattle. So we'll see how it plays out through OTA's Minicamp and Training camp. But I really like Damian Martinez. I was really surprised he went in the seventh round.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, now that jumped out to me. I said, okay, you can tell me. This isn't a great draft. That is an NFL. You think he's a feature back? All I know is that guy, I watched him in college, he was five yards a carry, run over, people run past him. He was five yards a carry.

[Greg Cosell]

And power translates. You know, that's the thing. There's a lot of great athletes in the NFL as we know, Colin, but power is one thing at all positions that normally translates. And he's a powerful runner.

[Colin Cowherd]

Greg Cosell, 45 years, NFL Films. Good seeing you again. Smart stuff as always, Greg. One more herd. The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week within the iHeartRadio app. Search herd to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like. Oh, here we go. It is a Thursday Thursday and a very different Thursday than we predicted. The Lakers exit stage right. They are. How did Minnesota lose a game in this series? It's over, J. Mac. Humble pie. But you know what? We always bring Chris Finch on the show, the T Wolves coach during the season. I think next time we call him, he will be available once again. I mean, that was impressive. Very, very crazy ending to three straight games for the Lakers. Great. Okay, here we go. Simplest explanation. Chris Finch and his staff worked. J.J. redick and his staff. And Minnesota's best players outplayed the Lakers best players. I mean, Austin Reeves a no show. LeBron last couple of games looked tired and Luca's worst qualities were exposed. There was a late sequence in this game with about 245 left. It was a late sequence where Julius Randle blew by Luca and scored. Okay, so he blows by Luca. It's right here. Just blows by him and scores. On the other end, Luka misses a layup and then complains about it to the referee. And while he's complaining, the T Wolves in transition ant scores on the other end from a two point game to ball game. Luka Daisical. And by the way, I'm not saying the Mavs won the trade with the Lakers, but Nico Collison slept very well last night. Harrison. Excuse me, Nico Harrison slept very, very well last night. Listen, LeBron, in the fourth quarter, the last two games, you saw it. He was tired, he was gassed two for nine from the floor. And the Lakers in this series, in the fourth quarter, they got worked. And that was about a tired LeBron and a coaching staff in Minnesota that pulled all the right levers. The lakers in the fourth quarter scored 17, 13, 20, 19, 16. And J.J. redick's insistence got very stubborn. His insistence to play only five guys the entire second half of game four, which is bizarrely. I mean, it's historically bizarre. That's the only thing I can say. I'm not a coach. It's just historically. I've never seen it. I've never thought it would be discussed. This is a small ball team that was already outsized the entire series and out rebounded the entire series. So you're the smaller, less physical team and you're going to play your guys the entire second half. And one of them is in his 40s. Okay. And J.J. redick, before the game, got very defensive about this.

[Greg Cosell]

Is there an assistant or someone maybe that you'll lean on tonight, maybe to try to get, you know, some other guys involved if that opportunity presents.

[Colin Cowherd]

Are you saying that because I'm. I'm inexperienced and that was an inexperienced decision that I made. Do you think I don't talk to my assistants about substitutions every single time out?

[Greg Cosell]

No, I just think there's a lot of coaches lean on their assistance in those situations.

[Greg Olson]

As do I, every single time.

[Colin Cowherd]

That's a weird assumption, bro. It's not the moment to be the coolest, smartest guy in the room. You went heavy small ball with the oldest star in the league. You didn't sub him. And LeBron looked tired in Game 4 in the end, and he looked tired last night. Plus, Minnesota, which was already a bigger team, leaned into their size. Rudy Gobert, a defensive player, might as well have been Wilt Chamberlain last night. He was unstoppable. That's on coaching. And by the way, J.J. what is maxi Cleaver doing on the floor late? This was a coaching mismatch. Julius Randle, Ant McDaniels, Gobert, they outplayed the Lakers players, and the T Wolves own the fourth quarter. The fourth quarter is not just the stars quarter, it's the coaching quarter. This is not a complicated breakdown. Better coach, better decisions, a more complete roster, and better fourth quarters. I mean, LeBron wasn't terrible in the fourth. He was clearly exhausted. Probably not going to play him an entire second half when you're already the smaller team. And by the way, Chris Finch and his, his, his guys, his staff, they, they were already bigger. They made an adjustment to make Rudy Gobert the centerpiece last night. And you're playing late. Maxi Kleber, what are we doing here? So in the playoffs, let's be honest about it, their truth serum, Austin Reaves, y'all love him. But in the playoffs, when it's the same teams playing the same guys night after night after night. Austin Reaves moves into town. You're tired, you played last night. He drops 22. Wow. He's undrafted and Minnesota exposed him. They sent their drafted better athletes at Austin Reeves and he didn't do anything. The playoffs are truth serum. And the truth is this Laker roster is incomplete. J.J. redick made a bad decision in game four and got defensive about it. And the fourth quarters t wolves players, we're better than the Lakers stars. It's not a shot at LeBron or even Luca. Although can we now all be honest about Luca's conditioning and defense. They're going after him regularly. Here was Charles Barkley on JJ Redick's pushback, anger and rigidity. He just is a little sensitive now because, listen, one of the things that people say, they never watch television. We all lie, all jocks watch television. And he's been getting criticized the last 48 hours for playing those guys. And he just sensitive just say, hey, you know what? If I had nobody, everybody's afraid to say I was wrong. All he had to do is say, hey, you know what? I shouldn't have played those guys the whole second half and that's it. Then it would have been over. We always consider in America football to be the coaches sport. But you get into the playoffs and I watch this series and I'm not just saying this because I don't know JJ Redick, I know Chris Finch a little. But there was one coaching staff pulling all the right levers on this. And Minnesota, I mean, it was so obvious last night. Remember we talked about this yesterday. They were a six and a half point underdog. I'm like, are the Laker players getting taller? Is LeBron getting younger? Like they were bigger and they leaned in to Rudy Gobert. So they clearly, as a staff said, guys, we got an edge here. Size doesn't get smaller. Fast guys can get slower over a series, but size doesn't get smaller. And they just went all in on Gobert and he was unstoppable. Rudy Gobert, his entire career has been stoppable, completely stoppable. Last night he was unstoppable. I mean, Maxi Cleaver playing guys in the entire second half. I'm sorry. Coaching better players, better levers, pulled better roster. Okay, have you heard about this? Last year, Degree changed the formula for their cool rush deodorant. Their fans rebelled and wanted the old sim back. And Degree listen, that doesn't happen often. They admitted that they effed up and are bringing the original Cool Rush scent back. And it's exactly how you remember it. 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