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- [00:00]
Colin Cowherd
This is an Iheart podcast, okay? Have you heard about this? Last year, Degree changed the formula for their Cool Rush deodorant and their fans rebelled and wanted the old scent back. And Degree listened. That doesn't happen often, they admitted. They effed up and they're bringing back the original Cool Rush scent. They're bringing it back and it's exactly how you remember it. Cool, crisp and fresh. There's a reason it's the number one men's antiperspirant. And it's back in Walmart, Target and other stores now for under four bucks. So try and see what the fuss is about. Head to your local Walmart or Target to try the OG Degree Cool Rush for yourself. BMW didn't just design an electric suv. Every detail of the BMW IX was crafted with passion and precision. With a BMW ix, you'll experience unmatched power, utility, spaciousness, versatility. My favorite feature. Cloud based navigation. Monitors charge levels, locates nearby charging stations so I can drive electric with the ultimate ease. BMW lets performance do the talking. And the scouting report is in. Experience the all electric BMW IX and witness dedication in every detail. Summer is here and you can now get almost anything you need for your sunny days delivered with Uber Eats. Now, what do we mean by almost? Well, you can't get a well groomed lawn delivered, but you can get chicken parm delivered. A nice tan. Sorry. A box fan? Happily, yes. A day of sunshine? No. A box of fine wines? Yes. Uber Eats can definitely get you that. Get almost almost anything delivered with Uber Eats. Order now. Alcohol in select markets. Product availability may vary by region. See app for details. Hi, it's Colin. I've been around long enough to know quality when I see it, or in this case, when I taste it. Tito's handmade vodka. Good stuff. No flash, no gimmicks. Smooth, clean tasting, made the right way. Tito's made in Austin, Texas. Real attention to detail. I like to keep it simple. Tito's soda, one lime, lot of ice. Refreshing, easy. Summer, winter, spring. Totally versatile. Always works. Listen. Baseball season's here. The perfect time to kick back with some Tito's. It's what I pour. You should too. Distilled and bottled by 5th Generation Inc. Austin, Texas. 40% alcohol by volume. Savor responsibly. Thanks for listening to the Herd podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio and noon to 3 Eastern, 9am to noon Pacific. Find your local station for the herd@foxsportsradio.com or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR. Now let's get this party started. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Oh, it is NBA draft Wednesday. It's a good draft with a college superstar at number one. We are live. It's the Herd. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening, thanks for making us part of your day. John Middlecomp, who has been so great filling in this week. J. Mac comes back tomorrow. John's been crushing, crushing it. Rick Fetino in one hour from now. Everybody tried. When Louis Carneseca left to rebuild St. John's he did virtually overnight. They were one of the most entertaining teams in the country. So he's got a great sense of the draft. We have one star player and then there's about 10 guys that people think could become really high end players, all stars. How deep of a draft is it? I don't think, you know, these days. I don't know. But I want to start with this. I believe John, the college basketball and I, and I thought this about two years ago. College basketball is having a renaissance for the previous 20 years. I mean, you'd have guys that would win college player of the year, they'd go to the NBA and they're the fourth guy off a bench, the third guy off the bench. I believe between nil keeping really good college players in college for another year or two and that nil money going to Europe and Spain and poaching their best young players. I noticed that two years ago with a Yukon team that had like seven NBA guys and I'm like, okay, that team could compete against the Christian Laitner Duke team. That team could play against a Ewing Hoya team size, aggressiveness, coaching NBA guards. And we've seen their players come to the NBA and crush. So my take is about two years ago I'm like, okay, we're back to what I remember in college in my 20s and early 30s, where a college basketball team, if they were great, they had like five guys that could play in the NBA, legitimate players. So Cooper Flag is the best domestic product I think. I think he has a more well rounded game than Anthony Davis or a Carmelo Anthony. The last two, the last decade we've had two stars, two stars, be a number one pick. Wemby and Zion were stars. Small markets and bad rosters. Cooper Flag is going to Dallas. Dallas has the deepest front line in the NBA. P.J. washington, Daniel Gafford, Anthony Davis, who I think is the best defensive player in the league. Derek Lively, 4 Guy, he doesn't have to defend the rim like in these highlights. He can get out on transition. He doesn't have to worry about. And he's a good defender. He's going to be out in transition. Dallas also needs, because they have size, but they need more ball handlers, playmakers, guys who can shoot. Klay Thompson's getting old, so I think he's a perfect fit. This is very rare. Just like Duke, he's going to walk in and he's not going to waste four years waiting for the coaching staff, the draft picks to develop. And that's what Wemby is having to do. And San Antonio is going to be really good eventually. But what do they win? 34 games last year, this team, I believe, along with Oklahoma City and now Houston with kd, I think Dallas, if Kyrie Irving comes back at any point next year with Cooper Flag and that front line, I think that's a team good enough to play for the Western Conference finals championship. So the, you know, top NBA teams, you know, they don't get the best draft picks. The last draft I remember where you got a top pick for a top team was when, honestly it was Jason Tatum was a top three pick. He went to the Celtics. He was good. And Cooper Flag is going to be good. Now. I think Cooper Flag is a better defender at this point than Jason Tatum, and he's more aggressive than Jayson Tatum. And, and aggressive matters. I mean, one of the great qualities of Michael Jordan, he was just aggressive. Kobe was aggressive, Shaq was aggressive. Some of our guys now, they're more collaborative. They're AAU guys. It takes a while for it to work. They want to be good teammates. I mean, our biggest criticism of Jason Tatum is, would you take the ball? Would you take the final shot? So Cooper Flagg has an old school. This kid was a high school phenom in Maine. And if you read his life story, they very early started having him play like a European player against older players. They were beating him up. His trainer was beating him up. And this kid was super hyper aggressive playing against older players at 15, 16, 17. So he's got an old school physicality and an old school aggressiveness with a really, really nice handle, good length, nice shot. He's got the modern skills, but the old school mentality and that Jayson Tatum Celtics remember as a rookie, they got to the Eastern Conference finals. In fact, one of the most iconic moves in the history of Jason Tatum's career. Remember that early dunk is a rookie. Remember that he got that early dunk on LeBron James. That's his rookie year. And I think Cooper Flag, he's not as good as Jason Tatum now, and he's not going to be as good as Jason Tatum for a while. But defensively, aggressiveness, this dude can play. And he, he's not going to be the Mavericks foundation today, but I would say at the end of his second year, he's that good. Remember, he should be in high school right now. He should be walking on the stage getting his diploma. So this is, to me, this is a really exciting draft. There's a couple of Rutgers guys to keep your eye on. There's a couple other Dukeys, there's a kid from Arizona I like. But this draft is about Cooper Flag going to a really, really good team with an a coach. And LeBron James this week was talking about how good he'll be and what a perfect fit it is for him. He has the benefit, unlike myself. He gets to join a team that's established, right, with hall of Fame guys. Klay Thompson, Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving right off the bat, hall of Fame coach Jason Kidd, that type of presence, that type of leadership, that type of, you know, just basketball IQ and knowledge around him every single day from those, those pieces. So I think he's going to be amazing. I mean, what happens usually with a top pick is they come in at 18 or 19 and they have to be the centerpiece of the team, at least the second best player. But they also have to be uniquely mature. And Ja Morant and Zion weren't. Jason Tatum wasn't asked to do that. They had a good rate gm, they had a good coach, they had a good roster. Jayson Tatum came in and it was like, hey, kid, can you add your youth, your energy, your legs to a really good team and give us a spark in key moments? That's all that Cooper Flagg has to do with a more aggressive old school mindset than Tatum. He's going to be a great player. I can't wait. Rick Patino in one hour from now. Okay, so yesterday, Aaron Rodgers, Pat McAfee show comes out and says, this probably going to be it. This is the last year I'm playing and I was thinking about this this morning. It's just incredible. Maybe it's the water in Green Bay because Brett Favre is from the deep south and Aaron Rodgers is California cool. And what is remarkable if Aaron has some success this year. And I'll talk about that in a second. Aaron Rodgers and Favre had identical careers. And let's let's face it, the Steelers over under is eight and a half. They can absolutely win nine or 10 games. They won 10 games last year and terrible on offense. Now I think they're going to pull back. But they have a number one receiver, great culture, good coach, excellent defense. Joe Burrow goes down. They have the second best roster in the division to the Ravens. They could certainly make the playoffs. But I want to take you through the ABCs of Favre and Aaron Rodgers. Similarities, it's crazy. So they both enter Green Bay as backups and then eventually one due to an injury and one due to far leaving B. They eventually get the starting job and immediately you see A plus talent. The game Favre came in for an injured quarterback, he led him to a late game victory. Aaron's first year, he goes 6 and 10, but everybody's like, whoa, whoa, this guy is good. C Both have profound decade and a half packer seasons. Favre for 16 years, Aaron for 15. And in their prime, John Madden fell in love with Favre, felt he was the most talented quarterback and Aaron wasn't posting all the trophies that that, that Tom was. But the feeling was Aaron's the most talented thrower of the football in the league. That's what we thought about Favre. D1 they both win one Super bowl and multiple MVPs were left with both thinking, should they want a little more E they both get a little weird, a little prickly, a little testy with management. They don't want to learn new systems. You hear this kind of early retirement talk and you're like, far Aaron, you guys got years left. F they go to the jets and it's a disaster. So you say, well, Colin Farre went to a really good team in Minnesota. Well, Aaron wanted to go to Minnesota. But do you remember the Minnesota team Favre went to? They won 10 games the year before he got there. Well, what, what did the Steelers do this past year? They won 10 games before Aaron signed up. So most of us learned from the Alphabet. Aaron Rodgers learned from the alpha. Brett. It's the same career. If Aaron can win nine or 10 games and squeeze into the playoffs. Remember, Cleveland's in a reboot. Baltimore's the best. You are fighting Cincinnati, which has had constant controversy with contracts. Their, their number one pick may not show up to the team. Their defensive and pass rushers, Furious Joe Burrow has a history of not getting great protection, being upset and getting dinged up. It's very possible they're battling a New England. They're battling a Houston or an Indianapolis for a wild card spot. So, you know, I mean, Listen, they won 10 games last year. They have the 23rd offense with Aaron. You think it's, it's going to be around middle of the league. They got DK Metcalf. They have, they have a, maybe the second or third best center. Arthur Smith appears capable. Aaron at the end in New York played okay, some thought good. Okay. So it just, to me, it's so funny. I, I don't know if it's the water in Green Bay, but you couldn't find two personalities that are more different. Sort of the Southern good old boy Favre and the California hipster with a chip on his shoulder. Aaron. And they have morphed into the exact same career. A decade and a half. We thought they should have won another super bowl in their prime. We're thought of as the cool quarterback. Peyton Manning and Brady weren't cool. Favre was cool, Aaron was cool. And here they are at the end. Aaron wins 10 games, sneaks into the playoffs. It will look, you'll look at this thing 20 years later and think how did that end up the exact same? John, you know a lot about those Packers. I don't think they're going to win 10 games, but I also think I've been doubting the Steelers for three years in a row and they keep winning nine and 10 games.
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John Middlekauff
I will say this about Favre in Minnesota, old body indoors, little easier. Can, you know, close your eyes. Picture Aaron Rodgers 41 and some of those cold weather AFC north games. Little harder on the joints. Colin?
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Colin Cowherd
No, I will say. Do you remember the Minnesota season though?
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John Middlekauff
Well, they had Adrian Peterson too, who was a rocket ship at the time.
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Colin Cowherd
Yes, but it was one in terms of one of the more galvanizing, likable teams in the last 20 years in the NFL was fun. It was wild watching far come back to the division and face the Packers. And Packer fans didn't know what to do because they all had his jersey and now he was playing for the rival Vikings. It was this weird confluence of, of angst like there, I love him. He's driving me crazy. He's my guy. Now he plays for the rival, so you don't get that. And I do think Minnesota was the perfect place for Aaron Rodgers. But they kind of line up their careers and at the very end, Farve got a little odd and I don't want to take any shots at Aaron, but yesterday one of the things he said was, I'm going to go hide in retirement And I'm thinking it's the off season. You're on a TV show. You're not exactly a guy who hides. Okay. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am.
- [15:36]
John Middlekauff
Pacific, on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the iHeartRadio app.
- [15:40]
Colin Cowherd
Hi, this is Jay.
- [15:42]
John Middlekauff
I'm the producer of the Paulie and Tony Fusco show.
- [15:44]
Colin Cowherd
Usually in these promos, they ask you.
- [15:45]
John Middlekauff
To listen to the show. I'm here to ask you, please don't listen to the show.
- [15:49]
Colin Cowherd
The hosts are two absolute morons who have the dumbest takes on sports imaginable. Don't listen to this show so it can get canceled. What the hell are you doing in our studio? Get him, Paulie.
- [16:01]
John Middlekauff
Ignore that fool.
- [16:03]
Colin Cowherd
Listen to the Pauline Tony Fusco show on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcast. He's still moving. Hey, so we all make mistakes, but owning up to them is the right thing to do. So, you know Degree Cool Rush deodorant, right? Well, last year they changed the formula, and. And it did not go over well with their fans. So Degree's whole thing is it turns up the sweat and odor protection when you turn up the effort. And good thing it does, because Cool Rush fans really turned up the effort to bring the original formula back. One guy even started an online petition, and Degree listened. They admitted they effed up. They're bringing back the original Cool Rush scent. They're bringing it back and it's exactly how you remember it. Cool, crisp and fresh. It's back in Walmart, Target and other stores now for under $4. There's a reason it's been the number one men's antiperspirant for the last decade. It's the same reason why people were not happy when it changed. So if you've never tried it, it might be a good time to see what the fuss is about. Head to your local Walmart Target, and try the OG Degree Cool Rush for yourself. Summer is here, and you can now get almost anything you need for your sunny days delivered with Uber Eats. Now, what do we mean by almost? Well, you can't get a well groomed lawn delivered, but you can get chicken parm delivered. A day at the lake? That's a no. A Philly cheesesteak? That's a yes. A nice tan. Sorry. A box fan? Happily, yes. What about a day of sunshine? Not happening. How about a box of fine wines? Yeah, that's happening. Delivery's on its way. Okay. How about some clear skies? Nope. Well, how about some french fries? Yeah. So how about a freshly cut lawn? Can't help you there. But a barbecued prawn? Order it and it's on its way. Even throw in some paper towels. Clean up after the feast. So while you can't get fun in the sun delivered, don't worry because you can get pork buns delivered. Uber Eats can definitely get you that. Get almost almost anything delivered with Uber Eats. Order now. Alcohol in select markets. Product availability may vary by region. See app for details. Introducing the new Dell AI PC. Powered by the Intel Core Ultra processor. It's not just an AI computer, it's a computer buil for AI. That means it's built to help do your busy work for you. So you can fast forward through editing images, designing presentations, generating code, debugging code, running lots of apps without lag, summarizing, meeting notes, extending battery life, finding that file you were looking for, managing your schedule, meeting your deadlines, responding to Jim's long emails, leaving all the time in the world for more you time and for the things you actually want to do. No offense Jim. Get a new Dell AI PC starting at 749.99@dell.com aipc how those ahead Stay ahead At the end of the season, there's only one team that can call themselves NBA champs. Only one player that can call themselves the number one pick in the NFL draft. Well, there's only one electric SUV worthy of the title. The ultimate. The all electric BMW ix. What I love about the IX is that it delivers legendary BMW performance while its sleek design exudes innovative style from the inside out. Not to mention how much space and utility it provides. Over 75 cubic feet of cargo space, the IX is completely changing the game with an all electric suv. The greatest legends of sports never compromise any part of the game. So why would you settle for anything less from your suv? After all, there's only one ultimate the BMW ix. Everything you love about the ultimate driving machine Electrified if there's one thing I have learned about really pro sports, but specifically the NFL over the course of my broadcasting history, is that the gap like the rest of society? Probably. I mean there's no license can't major in general manager like the owners, it's always their second or third toy. Coaches are hit and miss. Most coordinators don't make it. But if I've learned anything is that the gap in coaching is actually greater than the gap in quarterback play. I mean Patrick Mahomes last year, I mean Joe Burrow was a better quarterback in his own division in the regular season. So was Herbert. And we think there's a big gap. The gap in coaching in this league is unbelievably large. It's the biggest gap. It's not GMs or owners. It's not quarterbacks. It's. It's general manager, it's coaches. I'll give you an example. So PFF came out today, the top 10 coaches in the NFL and they had Sean Payton number two. So we give Andy Reid. Everybody sort of understands how good Andy Reid is. But I want, I want you to think about Sean Payton. Not only has he had, you know, he's got a new ownership group. So those are always interesting when you have new ownership groups. Even if they're, even if they're good, there's new owners. So just think about what Sean Payton has done in Denver. Denver was a shipwreck. He takes over an insanely expensive regressing quarterback in Russell Wilson that did not connect with the players. The offensive line was terrible. They finished last in the NFL in points the year before he got there. Six straight losing seasons. Everything was broken. Everything. Year one, he gets Russell Wilson back to being capable. He fixes the O line. I don't know how. Top seven in the league. They go eight and N. In year two, he still has 89 million of dead cap money. He drafts a quarterback. Half the league was out on two small bow. Knicks, they make the playoffs in a division with Herbert Mahomes, Andy Reed and Jim Harbaugh's rivals. The defense last year led the NFL in sacks and they were top 10 in scoring. Last to top 10 in scoring with a rookie quarterback in the better AFC in a tough division. And the people in the media keep telling me, oh, it's that guy In Miami, Mike McDaniels. They won 19 games two years before Mike McDaniels got to Miami. His first two years in Miami, they won 20. And last year there were sub 500. You guys like Mike McDaniels, you media guys, because he looks like you. You're not very big. He's kind of quirky. He's kind of academic. You like him because you think he kind of looks like my sports writer friend. And Sean Payton's not. Sean is unapologetic, cocky, little cocky. A storyteller. It's gonna remind you from time to time. He's pretty smart. He's direct and outspoken. Remember his first day on the job when asked about Russell Wilson. Here it is. Coach Russell Wilson had a personal coach, Jake Heaps in the building with access who wasn't on the staff. How do you feel about players having their own people off the staff in the building?
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John Middlekauff
Access to players?
- [22:50]
Colin Cowherd
Yeah, that's foreign to me, that that's not going to take place here. I mean, I'm unfamiliar with it, but our staff will be here, our players will be here, and that'll be it. And a couple other times in the first year, he said things that made people very angry, including Aaron Rodgers. Didn't like what he had to say about Nat Hackett, you know, who's also a little arrogant, unapologetic, direct and outspoken. Your orthopedic surgeon. Who cares. Seek competency. Too many people in the world have to like somebody they hire. Have to like somebody or relate to somebody to be a fan of them. He's not a politician. Politicians need to be somewhat likable, somewhat relatable, galvanize the public. Football coaches have to be smart, competent, productive and win. Think about what he had overcome. Russell Wilson. The culture was broken. The O line was broken. He comes in with new owners. You got Andy Reid and Harbaugh in the division. Now Pete Carroll. The defense was okay. Now it's number one in sacks. The offense was completely broken. The culture was broken. The locker room was broken. And here's another reminder in the history of the New Orleans Saints, take Sean Payton out of it. With Sean Payton, in 15 years, nine playoff wins, seven division titles without him in the other 43, an argument. Look at the numbers. Worst team in the league, worst franchise in the league. The minute he left the building, they got bad. And I think this year there's an argument. Giants, jets and Saints are the worst teams in the league. They can't figure out how to reboot it with all the roadblocks in Denver. Dead Cap, Russell, broken culture, horrible offensive line. Dealing with a new owner. Harbaugh, Andy Reid, Herbert Mahomes. They'll make the playoffs again. Always like Sean. Always appreciated Sean. Yeah, sometimes he's a little direct. So are most of the really good people I've ever worked with. They'll ruffle feathers. He ruffled Russell's. But what he's done shows you the gap. In all the years I've been broadcasting, the greatest gap is coaching. Mahomes may have the trophies. Last year, Mahomes was not a top three quarterback in the league. I mean, let's be totally Burrow was better. Josh Allen was better on a lot of Sundays. Jalen Hurts was better. Jason McIntyre would argue Brock Purdy was better. The gap is coaching. John Middelkoff. With the news.
- [25:27]
John Middlekauff
No, turn on the news.
- [25:30]
Colin Cowherd
This is the Herd line news.
- [25:33]
John Middlekauff
Okay, sticking with football, let's start with the Minnesota Vikings, whose biggest question heading into training camp this fall is just how good is J.J. mcCarthy? McCarthy obviously missed all of last season with a messed up knee, but has been a full participant so far this offseason. TJ Hawkinson spoke to what he's seen from his quarterback so far. A young guy that's hungry and he wants to learn and he wants to get better. I mean, you know, he's making that trip down here soon. And so, you know, he, he wants to be great in this league and I respect that. He really wants it. He really wants everything to be perfect. He's. He's a perfectionist for sure. And which is awesome because that's, that's how you need to be as a quarterback in, in this league.
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Colin Cowherd
What's really exciting if Caleb Williams and J.J. mcCarthy hit.
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John Middlekauff
Yeah.
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Colin Cowherd
And they both have really good offensive coaches, so Jaden McDaniels flourished with a defensive coach. Drake May. Really, really talented. Looks like he's gonna work. He had a defensive coach that didn't work. So these two guys have offensive coaches if they hit. And I think we both think Penix is good enough, especially indoors. He'll be, he'll be good. You could have a five quarterback first round because Bo Nix works and Peyton's gonna make him work maybe to a higher level than anybody outside of Andy Reid can make him work. I always get excited when you have one of those Herbert Tua borough drafts. Like, it's like nothing's worse than the one o' clock window on Sunday. John, with bad quarterback play. So I'm rooting for it to work.
- [27:05]
John Middlekauff
Totally. Three for three is a little easier though than five for five or six for six. I mean, historically, some of these guys are not going to work out. Jaden Daniels is. Bo Nicks clearly is going to be solid. There's some, you know, a lot of pressure on Drake may, obviously, J.J. mcCarthy. I think it's very difficult for a young player. And he's essentially a rookie. Right. Because he didn't play last year. The expectations aren't just, hey, just be competitive. It's win, I don't know, 12, 13, 14.
- [27:29]
Colin Cowherd
Because I am.
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John Middlekauff
Yeah. Win games in the playoffs, compete for the NFC on paper, subtract the quarterback. You could argue they have a top two or three roster in the NFL.
- [27:39]
Colin Cowherd
They upgraded their own line significantly.
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John Middlekauff
The thing that kind of gives me pause is their head coach who's an Offensive guy, fantastic play caller, is a pass game guy, likes to throw the ball. JJ comes from Harbaugh who likes to call runs. So it's, it's going to be fascinating early on. I'm Pretty sure Week 1 Colin, Bears, Vikings, Monday Night Football. Everyone's going to be watching. So welcome to the NFL kid.
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Colin Cowherd
That is a. Is that the first Monday Night Football game?
- [28:04]
John Middlekauff
I'm pretty sure that is.
- [28:05]
Colin Cowherd
Wow, that is a good Monday Night Football game.
- [28:09]
John Middlekauff
Sticking in the nfc. Speaking of young quarterbacks, Jane Daniels, Dan Quinn and the Commanders had a hell of a season this first year together, finishing with the best record since 1991. They went 12, 5 making it to the NFC title game. That was insane. Austin Deckler is expecting more growth from the young quarterback as he enters his second year.
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Colin Cowherd
He crushed it last year. What I've seen from him going into.
- [28:32]
John Middlekauff
This year we have the same offensive coordinator and so bringing that into the mix has now made it so now.
- [28:39]
Colin Cowherd
When we go through OTAs, Jade's already on it. You can tell there's that growth. He's starting to get more comfortable which allows him to even play mentally faster and make better decisions. We're going to be looking like a powerhouse out there. He is. I, I always thought Andrew Luck, all things considered had the best rookie season I'd ever seen. I thought Jaden Daniels was better and I, I think he had a better roster than Andrew Luck did. But he didn't make the Andrew Luck mistakes. I thought he would be good. I said before he got drafted he's Lamar but better in the pocket. I did not think he would be this good in late game situations. I knew he would run away from people. I knew he was good in the pocket. His ability, two minute drill late in quarters, late in games. I, I'll say it again, not even Elway did this. I've never seen a rookie quarterback this cognitively aware, this poised and this accurate burrow. Wasn't this good first year? I don't even know how to describe it.
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John Middlekauff
Yeah. To me poise is something that you gain as your career goes because of experience. He had it so early. They did get to sneak up on people last year.
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Colin Cowherd
They did.
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John Middlekauff
People were not expecting him. If you think about the Lions a couple of years ago, got to sneak up. For the last couple of years the Lions have been most teams biggest game on a weekly basis. That's going to be the case. You add Tunzel, you add Deebo. I think the one thing they really have going for him, Dan Quinn's been Around the block, he's, he's a veteran. Head coach Adam Peters has added a lot of talent, but it's hard not to bet on the. I mean, if he was a stock, you would just continue to buy more stock of Jaden Daniels. But they do have the Eagles in the division. The Lions are going to be healthy. The packers, we know the Rams are good. Like, the NFC might not have the quarterback elite star power that the AFC does, but the teams are good.
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Colin Cowherd
Yeah. And I, I think the thing that really impressed me about Jaden Daniels now, you know, this means a lot to me. It doesn't mean a lot to everybody else, but one of the first things that blew me away with Jalen Hurts was how good he was at the podium.
- [30:35]
John Middlekauff
Yeah.
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Colin Cowherd
As a quarterback. And this was the thing I crushed Baker Mayfield for which he's gotten much better at. Baker was starting fires. Jalen puts them out. And that Wednesday presser is sort of the. Okay, now you're getting injury reports. Now there's somebody, some one of your players. Jaden Daniels is so good in terms of media because Washington DC's media is aggressive. This is a northeast media feisty. Talk radio is very big. Fires start about every five days. The kid is so adult. He is so mature. I just, I remember watching last year and if you didn't know, you'd be like, is this his ninth or his 10th year in the league?
- [31:15]
John Middlekauff
Remember that video when he transferred from Arizona State and all the kids in the locker room were like throwing his stuff in the trash and it was like, what's going on here? And then a couple years later, seems like Arizona State screwed that one up and Brian Kelly and LSU got it right. But yeah, incredible season. Okay, last but not least, onto the NBA where the Nuggets held a press conference to discuss their new front office setup heading into next season, where they'll rely on a little bit of an unorthodox approach, kind of a co partnership of their executive vice presidents. Not quite sure what's going on, but the biggest takeaway was that team president Josh Kroenke and what he had to say about roster construction. For us as an organization, going into that second apron is not necessarily something that we're scared of. I think that there are rules around it that we needed to be very careful of with our injury history. The wrong person gets injured and very quickly you're into a scenario where that I never want to have to contemplate. And that's trade number 15.
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Colin Cowherd
Yeah, I wouldn't even bring that up.
- [32:14]
John Middlekauff
I mean, Colin, if you were a Denver Nugget fan and there was ever a trade that included number 15, you are fully allowed to just quit your fandom, move to a different team. You might have to disband the franchise.
- [32:27]
Colin Cowherd
There is not a player in the world less tradable than him. You can't trade him. There is. It is. It would be like Jeter in his prime. It's beyond just being great. It's. Jeter was the soul of the Yankees. He was the captain. It's not. This guy was the coach. At the end of the year, during timeouts, he's not just a bucket, he elevates it. There's two players on this roster you can never move. I think Gordon is one of the more underrated players in the league. Length, hustle, toughness, smarts. Jokic, number one, Gordon two. Everybody else to me is movable.
- [33:04]
John Middlekauff
Can you imagine if right before the draft Brett Veach was like, yeah, you know, if things got weird. You never know with Mahomes. People like what? Full stop there, Jokic. I mean, these last couple of years has turned into one of the greatest players we've ever seen. To even bring that up, you would trade the arena.
- [33:18]
Colin Cowherd
The.
- [33:18]
John Middlekauff
Every player, myself is the owner. Before you traded that individual.
- [33:22]
Colin Cowherd
Yeah. Listen, when you're live on a hot mic, I can attest to this. Sometimes it goes. Things come out and you just don't love them. And that's when you want to pull back a little bit.
- [33:31]
John Middlekauff
But these guys are making a lot of money. I wonder if these people, you know, are you trying to sell high? Maybe. I know he's due maybe 350, $400 million.
- [33:38]
Colin Cowherd
Well, here's the thing. The new max for the elite players. And this is why I said it's not that they traded Luka and Dallas. They didn't get enough for him. But Luka had missed back to back camps. He doesn't defend. The Lakers found out he's not really in great shape and he spends way too much time on stuff like arguing at referees. I thought I had no problem if it would have been ad, Austin, Reaves and three number ones. I would sleep on moving Luca. This is an untradable player like Giannis, by the way. Can't hit a free throw late, doesn't have a jumper, had injuries. I would sleep on stuff there. There are most guys in the league that I like. I'd sleep on LeBron in his prime. Absolutely not. Jokic now. Absolutely not.
- [34:26]
John Middlekauff
Totally agree.
- [34:27]
Colin Cowherd
It is Mahomes. It's the Mahomes Josh Allen comp. We're not taking the phone call. And to suggest it on a hot mic his three days of IS radio fodder in Denver.
- [34:37]
John Middlekauff
Exactly.
- [34:38]
Colin Cowherd
John Mittlekop with the news.
- [34:40]
John Middlekauff
Well, that's the news and thanks for stopping by the Herd line news.
- [34:45]
Colin Cowherd
We, you know, we did this yesterday and we're going to do it again today. Yesterday we did the AFC and today we're going to do the NFC in terms of our sort of projections for the biggest surprises in the conference. John has the Colts with Daniel Jones racing to a playoff spot, which was funny. I went home yesterday and I and I, you know, as I'm prone to do with no life, I go to the two deeps on Indy and I'm like, I've got a really good roster. They just don't have a quarterback that can complete 64% of their throws. And their schedule, by the way, is an AFC south schedule. There's wins all over.
- [35:21]
John Middlekauff
I thought you were going to say you checked your phone. You said Ballard said I like this middle cop guy.
- [35:25]
Colin Cowherd
Well, he does. I already know that. So we will make our big surprise picks in the nfc. Coming up, it's the Herd. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9:00am Pacific. Hey, so we all make mistakes, but owning up to them is the right thing to do. So you know Degree Cool Rush deodorant, right? Well, last year they changed the formula and it did not go over well with their fans. So Degree's whole thing is it turns up the sweat and odor protection when you turn up the effort. And good thing it does because Cool Rush fans really turned up the effort to bring the original formula back. One guy even started an online petition and Degree listened. They admitted they effed up. They're bringing back the original Cool Rush scent. They're bringing it back and it's exactly how you remember it. Cool, crisp and fresh. It's back in Walmart, Target and other stores now for under $4. There's a reason it's been the number one men's antiperspirant for the last decade. It's the same reason why people were not happy when it changed. So if you've never tried it, it might be a good time to see what the fuss is about. Head to your local Walmart, Target and try the OG Degree Cool Rush for yourself. Summer is here and you can now get almost anything you need for your sunny days delivered with Uber Eats. Now, what do we mean by almost? Well, you can't get a well groomed lawn delivered. But you can get chicken parm delivered. A day at the lake? That's a no. A Philly cheesesteak? That's a yes. A nice tan. Sorry. A box fan? Happily, yes. What about a day of sunshine? Not happening. How about a box of fine wines? Yeah, that's happening. Delivery's on its way. Okay. How about some clear skies? Nope. Well, how about some french fries? Yeah. So how about a freshly cut lawn? Can't help you there. But a barbecued prawn? Order it and it's on its way. Even throw in some paper towels. Clean up after the feast. So while you can't get fun in the sun delivered, don't worry because you can get pork buns delivered. Uber Eats can definitely get you that. Get almost almost anything delivered with Uber Eats. Order now. Alcohol in select markets. Product availability may vary by region. See app for details. Introducing the new Dell AI PC powered by the Intel Core Ultra processor. It's not just an AI computer, it's a computer built for AI. That means it's built to help do your busy work for you. So you can fast forward through editing images, designing presentations, generating code, debugging code, running lots of apps without lag, summarizing meeting notes, extending battery life, finding that file you were looking for, managing your schedule, meeting your deadlines, responding to Jim's long emails, leaving all the time in the world for more you time and for the things you actually want to do. No offense Jim. Get a new Dell AI PC starting at 749.99@dell.com aipc how those ahead Stay ahead At the end of the season, there's only one team that can call themselves NBA champs. Only one player that can call themselves the number one pick in the NFL draft. Well, there's only one electric SUV worthy of the title. The ultimate. The all electric BMW ix. What I love about the IX is that it delivers legendary BMW performance, while its sleek design exudes innovative sty from the inside out. Not to mention how much space and utility it provides. Over 75 cubic feet of cargo space, the IX is completely changing the game with an all electric suv. The greatest legends of sports never compromise any part of the game. So why would you settle for anything less from your suv? After all, there's only one ultimate the BMW ix. Everything you love about the ultimate driving machine. Electrified Texas Shootout at Liv Golf Dallas.
- [39:16]
John Middlekauff
Catch coverage of round one Friday at 2pm Eastern and round Saturday at 3:30, all on Fox.
- [39:22]
Colin Cowherd
There's a live Golf Chicago coming up My friends are excited for that as well. So yesterday we did the afc. John's a former NFL scout and if you've heard our podcast at the Volume on Sunday nights and Monday morning, we like to chop it up and talk a lot of NFL. So yesterday we did our three things that would be surprises to I think a lot of people. I mean, we didn't want to go too over the top. I bought all of yours because I think Daniel Jones and the Colts could win the division. I don't think they could win the AFC West. I think they could win the AFC South. So here we go. Here are the surprise moves. Number one, this is the least surprising of any I've done in the last two days. Brian Schottenheimer is a one and done. Jerry will know by Thanksgiving he made a huge mistake. Forget the fact that Philadelphia and Washington will probably both blow them out in division twice. We've got a lot of one and dones happening now. David Cully, Steve Wilkes, Urban Meyer, Nathaniel Hackett, Antonio Pierce, Jared Mayo. People liked Antonio Pierce. I mean he was the Raiders played a lot of people tough, including the Chiefs. One and done. Happens all the time now. And as the nfc, there was about a three year window to make hay in the NFC where it was kind of soft. As John's pointed out, the coaching and the NFC are no longer soft. And I think Dallas is going to be humiliated on a lot of Sundays. That's my first surprise.
- [40:43]
John Middlekauff
You know, I'm going to go with the packers. Win the North. I think a lot of people. Minnesota, Detroit. Minnesota, new quarter, a new quarterback, right? Detroit, two new coordinators. We don't know if Ben Johnson can coach. The packers went one in five last year in the division. They won 11 games. Their quarterback also got hurt week one, which kind of. And they have one of the best offensive coordinators in the league. Who's their head coach in LaFleur. Their defense last year, getting halfway from Boston College was the top five unit in the league. So. And they got a lot of young players. I think the packers are going to be a force to be reckoned with. I wouldn't be stunned if they were the number one overall seed.
- [41:20]
Colin Cowherd
Well, here's what's interesting about that pick. I had this kind of inner conversation. I was thinking about this the other day. My problem with Green Bay is every team in the league I like has at least three elite players. Who's their best player?
- [41:33]
John Middlekauff
It's a, it's a group unit and.
- [41:35]
Colin Cowherd
It'S a team unit.
- [41:36]
John Middlekauff
I mean, I love an operation, Colin.
- [41:38]
Colin Cowherd
It is. But I, you know, they don't get free agents so they can't solve holes. So if they have a hole, they have to get it in the draft. Like I like their wide receivers, they saw it as a weakness and attacked it in the first round. Like I thought Jair Alexander two years ago was their best player. I don't know who he is right now.
- [41:53]
John Middlekauff
I'll say this about the Packers. A lot like the Ravens. They draft and develop as well as any team they do in. Their offensive line is always excellent. So to me, Jordan Love, obviously they need him to play at a higher level, but I just trust the infrastructure there.
- [42:06]
Colin Cowherd
Okay, you're not going to like this. Number two is Niners missed the playoffs. So first of all they lost Dre Greenlaw, Hufanga and Debo Samuel. They didn't really want to. Those are good players. The players they have now in offense get injured. They have a sub 500 record. Kyle does. Without Christian McCaffrey, how many games do you get? They're a sprained knee on Trenton Williams at left tackle from having a bad offensive line. Again, McCaffrey coming off an injured season, they were 6 and 11 last year. I think Seattle's got an excellent roster. That Rams defense only getting better. And I think the Arizona guy can coach. I don't know how great they are, but they're going to upset including the Rams. They're going to get some upsets next year. Brandon Aiyuk is still recovering. Ricky Pearsall, Juwan Jennings are ones. I think the schedule helps them but they are a key offensive injury. Christian or Trent Williams or Kittle from being a different team.
- [43:01]
John Middlekauff
Yeah. I don't think you're going to like this, Colin. The 49ers are making the playoffs.
- [43:05]
Colin Cowherd
Okay.
- [43:05]
John Middlekauff
You just talked about it coaching, right? They have one of the best coaches in the league. Oh yeah. They also added Robert Sala back in the mix.
- [43:13]
Colin Cowherd
Excellent.
- [43:13]
John Middlekauff
D.C. they were terrible last year in one score games, especially in the division. They lost a close game to the Rams. They lost a close game to the Cardinals. They lost a close game to the Seattle all in the last final couple minutes of the fourth quarter. Christian McCaffrey is healthy. Kyle just said it a couple weeks ago. He's full. Go. Trent Williams healthy. They have been a lot like an NBA team. They've been making these deep runs, deep runs and they just ran out of juice last year. It happens. Well, last year they've been off since January 1st, so you get extra rest. I think Brock Purdy is going to have a big year. I think Kyle has a lot to play proof and I just think based on the schedule, I don't think it's inconceivable. They get 10, 11 wins.
- [43:51]
Colin Cowherd
The Chicago Bears will make the playoffs. First of all, I think Minnesota is going to regress. I don't think Detroit will be as good because I don't know if the coordinators are. And Green Bay could be good, but they're not dominating. They don't have dominating personnel. First of all, I think Ben Johnson's got a Sean McVay field. First thing he attacks is the offensive line. Sean Payton, first thing he attacks. Offensive line. Andy Reid's done it multiple times. Fix the offensive line. The Bears offensive line was awful. Some of that's Caleb, absolutely. But young quarterbacks, even Jaden Daniels, it's Cliff Kingsbury. They need a mentor. They need a king, a guide. Eber Fluss, defensive staff. Your passing game coordinator becomes your head coach. Jonah Jackson, Drew Dahlman, Joe Tuney. That's a really good guard, center guard combination. I think it's a 9 to a 10 win team. Detroit's good, not dominating because as Philadelphia showed us, you can get to a Super Bowl. If you lose good coordinators and replace them with BNCs. Things get ugly by Thanksgiving. I think the Bears make the playoffs.
- [44:54]
John Middlekauff
Don't hate it. Tyler Murray, he's one of the best athletes we've ever seen. Is he a good quarterback? I think this will be his last season on the Cardinals. This, this GM and head coach did not draft him. He's never won a playoff game. I don't think they're going to make the playoffs this year. How many years can you go with a high priced quarterback and not win? Usually those guys get moved. He still has value. You could put a highlight tape together, just 10, 20 plays of Kyler Murray. He's as good as anyone in the league.
- [45:23]
Colin Cowherd
That's right.
- [45:23]
John Middlekauff
But when you watch him over the course of a game, over the course of a month, he leaves, leaves a lot.
- [45:28]
Colin Cowherd
He does. I don't think he can always see receivers like Two has talked about because of size.
- [45:32]
John Middlekauff
He's five, nine, but he, he can move. He's got a huge arm. I still think he'd have a market. He's not a bad player.
- [45:39]
Colin Cowherd
He's.
- [45:39]
John Middlekauff
If anything he's a frustrating player because the talents there. He's pretty accurate down the field. Obviously his speed is pretty special. But can he slice and dice the good teams when he has to? In the third and Fourth quarter down the stretch of a season, I don't see it happening. So I would expect kyler Murray in 2026 to be in a new home.
- [45:58]
Colin Cowherd
Yeah, he will have a market because he's still in his athletic prime. So I have Dallas blows out the coaching staff after one year. Niners close but missed the playoffs. A little too old offensively. There'll be injuries. I think the NFC north is very even, but I don't think Detroit's coaching is as good. And John has the packers win the division, Niners do make the playoffs and Kyler Murray gets moved. I, I, I think in over the course of two days, the one that people go, whoa is Daniel Jones makes the playoffs last year, CJ Stroud pulled back. They blame the offensive coordinator. They blamed injuries to receivers. That one, if that's the crazy one, I think that's got legs.
- [46:43]
John Middlekauff
Yeah. To me we've seen it in recent, you know, with Baker Mayfield, Sam Donald high picks resurrecting their career. And to me the Alex Smith comp. He's going to hand the ball off. They're going to play defense. They're not looking for 40 touchdowns. They just need like 22.
- [46:56]
Colin Cowherd
Okay, so the Boston Celtics over the last couple of days have made moves they need made another one yesterday. First it was Drew Holiday who said his words, not mine. He was pissed. The Celtics traded him to Portland and now Porzingis to the Atlanta Hawks in a three team deal. So two big trades in a year coming up that Jason Tatum probably doesn't play and this is the right thing to do. Okay. There is maximum punitive penalties now with a luxury tax. So financial negligence is severely punished. It was sort of punished. Now even for billionaires, it's severely punished. So The Celtics saved 180 million in taxes making these moves. And it shows once again the value of front offices. The Celtics have done this multiple times. They're in a rebuild or a reboot and they can still vie for the playoffs. In fact, I think with Jalen Brown, Derrick White, Peyton Pritchard and and Freddie Simons can score and hit threes, they will vie for the Eastern Conference finals. They'll vie for it. Knicks don't have a coach. Halliburton's gone with the Pacers. Orlando's good, but really young. The Magic didn't get kd. I never trust the Sixers. They and you know what is Cleveland. We're not even sure Milwaukee is Giannis there or not. Even if he is, they don't have the pieces. So Boston's going to buy. They're going to hit a lot of three pointers. They're going to be a young, very good regular season team. Porzingis gone. Horford probably next. Jason Tatum down. Drew Holiday was aging. He's gone. And this is the classic Boston Celtics. Optimize the presence. Don't get yourself, don't be the Phoenix Suns. Go all in, make mistakes, grab a shovel, shovel and keep digging. This is why Danny Ainge and Brad Stevens keep over and over winning trades. They've got a big picture plan and, and, and, and they have no problem rebooting. Generally in sports when you reboot, you get bad. But I think the Celtics also looked at Halliburton. Knicks don't have a coach. Miami didn't get kd. And I think inside the building, Boston's thinking we're, we're going to end up in the Eastern Conference finals because nobody trusts, nobody trusts Cleveland. We like Cleveland. We liked him for four years. They never done anything without LeBron. We don't trust him in the playoffs. So I Milwaukee, with or without Giannis, they're not, they're not a championship level team. So this is classic Boston. Now people will say, well, I mean they only have two titles in 30 so many years. Aren't they almost always good? They're almost always viable. Danny Ainge was doing massive rebuilds and they were viable. Jason Tatum's rookie years, they made the Eastern Conference finals. So I, I look at them today, even without Tatum, and my take is yeah, yeah, they're going to be, I mean, Peyton Pritchard, three Anthony Synams, three Jaylen Brown defends in threes minute. I, I, why not? So this is another example of the gap. This is what, you know, for the record, Oklahoma City as they were getting all these draft picks. Remember when Oklahoma City was getting all these draft picks and we're like, man, they're going to be good in three years. Remember this couple, couple years ago and they made the playoffs. And so the playoff Celtics have made the playoffs 17 of the last 18 seasons. They've had a complete overhaul. Remember when they shipped all the guys to Brooklyn and got all the draft picks? You're like, well, that was a good run. Tears? No. Over beers. Let's go hang out at Shoney's. This is going to be a rough stretch. Now they made the playoffs, that's what they do. And they do it with great ownership, great front offices. And when they reboot, they look around the league and they're like, okay, save money, save money, save money. Once again, they're going to be viable. I mean, I'm thinking this morning, I love Orlando. Next year, I think Orlando is going to end up in the Eastern Conference finals. The Knicks do not have a coach. The New York Knicks. And when they hire him, he won't be as good as the last coach. That's what the Celtics do. Hour two Next. Okay, have you heard about this? Last year, Degree changed the formula for their Cool Rush deodorant and their fans rebelled and wanted the old scent back. And Degree listened. That doesn't happen often. They admitted they effed up and they're bringing back the original Cool Rush scent. They're bringing it back and it's exactly how you remember it. Cool, crisp and fresh. There's a reason it's the number one men's antiperspirant. And it's back in Walmart, Target and other stores now for under four bucks. So try and see what the fuss is about. Head to your local Walmart or Target to try the OG Degree Cool Rush for yourself. Summer is here and you can now get almost anything you need for your sunny days delivered with Uber Eats. Now what do we mean by almost? Well, you can't get a well groomed lawn delivered, but you can get chicken parm delivered. A nice tan? Sorry, A box fan? Happily, yes. A day of sunshine? No. A box of fine wines? Yes. Uber Eats can definitely get you that. Get almost almost anything delivered with Uber Eats. Order now. Alcohol in select markets. Product availability may vary by region. See app for details. BMW didn't just design an electric suv. Every detail of the BMW IX was crafted with passion and precision. With a BMW ix, you'll experience unmatched power, utility, spaciousness, versatility. My favorite feature Cloud based navigation. Monitors charge levels, locates nearby charging stations so I can drive electric with the ultimate ease. BMW lets performance do the talking and the scouting report is in. Experience the all electric BMW IX and witness dedication in every detail. Looking to transform your business through better HR and payroll? Meet Paycor, a paychex company. 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