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Colin Cowherd
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Jason McIntyre
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Clinically tested ingredients find that it sprouts Amazon or mdrive for men.com mdrive for men who still show up. 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. Welcome in. It is a Wednesday, we've got breaking news. We are live in Chicago. It is the Herd. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening, thanks for making us part of your day. Regardless of the platform. We have a trade and it's a big one in the NFL. Trent McDuffie in elite corner and there's one or two holes for the LA Rams. Special teams needed to be upgraded. They'll do that in the draft and they need a lockdown corner. Their GM Les need even discussed it earlier this week. And what do you know, they've made a deal with the Kansas City Chiefs striking when the iron is hot. Matt Stafford. Only a couple of years left, they're going to give up a first rounder at the end of this year's draft, a fifth and a six and a third rounder next year. So Trent McDuffie, in my opinion, because the Rams pass rush is better than the current Chiefs pass rush will be even a better player. And he was a good one for kc. He'll be an even better player for the Rams. So the Rams said, hey man, we are in a Super bowl window, we are going to go for it. And Trent McDuffie is a lot better than the 29th pick because the Rams have two first round picks that he gave up one. Here's another team that should do that, the Chicago Bears. They are now this morning the odds on favorite to sign Raiders edge rusher Max Crosby. Go for it. Ben Johnson's an aggressive guy. Ryan Paul's an aggressive gm. Go for it. It's the number one need. Edge, pressure. It's not a roll of the dice. He's an elite player, leads the NFL since he entered in tackles for losses. He's two years younger than Miles Garrett who was just, you know, the defensive player of the year. And here's another reason why you have to strike when the iron is hot in the NFL. Yesterday the Bears all pro center Drew Dolman, who they just paid a fortune due last year, retired at 27. He's like, yeah, I'm done. Interior lineman beat you up. Physically, I'm done. And so the the Bears with Caleb Williams were the number one pass blocking unit and the number seven run blocking unit. And anchoring that was this great center from the Falcons that they made a deal for a year ago, Drew Dalman. He just retired. And so you only got two years left with Caleb Williams on the rookie deal. He's going to get expensive real quick. And here's another example of what being passive does in the NFL. Did you see this Story yesterday, the goofy Cincinnati Bengals let Trey Hendrickson walk. Well, they've been talking about a new contract for two years. They don't sign him, they're passive. They don't trade him and they just let him walk out the door. They get nothing for him. What are you doing? So Kansas City in a similar situation where they have to rebuild parts of their team, they need draft picks. So Kansas City is like, we'll take another one. That'll give the Chiefs two first round picks, a fifth and a sixth and a third next year. Next year's the quarterback draft, right? They don't need one, so you gotta go for it. The bears are picking 25th, which by the way, if Vegas gave Crosby traded Crosby to the Raiders and Vegas got the Bears 25th pick, you know who's available potentially at the 25th pick? Fernando Mendoza's number one college target, Omar Cooper, the receiver. So you could unite Fernando Mendoza with its number one split end in college. What a great. That's a huge need for the Raiders wide receivers. Their number one need outside of quarterback. So it works for everybody. 28 year old max Crosby, the Rams, the Rams just did it. Rams said, listen, we need one element to our roster. We're close but we got to get an elite corner. There were some good corners in the first round of the draft. They're like, nah, let's go, let's go get Mc McDuffie and I, I think the Bears are in the same situation. Two more years left in that Caleb Williams rookie deal. And oh, by the way, here's Max Crosby who apparently loves Bears coach Ben Johnson. He's one of the best in the league, one of the best play callers. Without a doubt. He does an incredible job in all facets of offense, you know what I mean? Like the run game to the pass game to the trickeration. He's really got all that. He's somebody I respect a lot and I really, I can't say much bad things about him, you know what I mean? Every time you go out there against an offense led by him, like you got to be on, on your and
J. Mac
be at your best because he's going to make it difficult.
Jason McIntyre
So yeah, respect the hell out of him. Yeah, sounds like he's just planting a seed for the Chicago Bears. Rams just did it this morning. Hey, Matt Stafford, two more years, let's get solve. Put Bondo on the one big problem with his team corner. Give up some draft picks, even a first round pick and Max Crosby is a more valuable player than even Trent McDuffie, who's a great corner. Okay, so this week, now, now there are those who said we were just trying to stoke the fire and it was no big deal. But I have been saying the honeymoon is over for Luca with the Lakers. Remember when AD Came to the Lakers the first year they win the COVID championship? Oh, it was all bouquets, flowers, rainbows. Next year he comes in out of shape. He was. Honeymoon was over. LeBron wasn't happy that point forward Anthony Davis never knew if he was in shape. The honeymoon was over. Right now, James Harden, he's played in nine games for the Cavs. They're 8 and 1 in games he's played. Oh, it's the honeymoon period. Wait, to the playoffs. So Luca, last year, working out in the off season, everybody bought in. But eventually your game's your game. And defensively, there's just limitations and shortcomings. He also has to have the ball. So the Lakers really do need to view everything because they're not a championship team this year through the prism of what can we surround Luka Doncic with to protect him, not elevate him because he has the ball in his hands all the time. Set some screens, he'll elevate himself. He doesn't need offensive elevation. He's got the ball and he's got control. What he needs is protection on the other end. And so that's the relationship between Luka and JJ Redick will be as strong as the roster they construct for him. Because remember, superstars in this league are only truly content when you can take away from their responsibilities the thing they don't love to do. Magic Johnson, not a great defender. So the Lakers gave up Norm Nixon, a multiple time all star for Michael Cooper. All right, so Michael Cooper, I don't think he ever made an all star team. He was a great defender. But that's what Magic needed. They let go of a more talented player, Norm Nixon, to get one that could compensate for the weakness of Magic defensively. Michael Cooper, Kobe Bryant, they didn't need wings. They didn't need ball control. They needed bigs. Shaq or Pal Gasoline. So eventually, Kobe could control and facilitate the offense with Luca rim protectors. Remember when he was in Dallas, they made that deal, they got like PJ Washington, not a great player, but a big, long rim defender. Boom. Luca was never happier. So as far as the, you know, that little confrontation on the sideline, JJ Redick says, no big deal at all.
Colin Cowherd
Those things happen, you know, not every
Jason McIntyre
game, but they happen very frequently.
Colin Cowherd
And you Know, sometimes you have to rehash them with a player or, you know, as a teammate. Sometimes it happens player to player.
Jason McIntyre
It just, it's, it's a competition.
Colin Cowherd
And, you know, there's two guys here,
Jason McIntyre
here who in this case are trying
Colin Cowherd
to win a basketball game and be on the same page about stuff.
Jason McIntyre
Luke is going to get much happier when we stop talking about his defensive liabilities. Because right now the Lakers roster, and it's not Lucas fault or LeBron's fault, doesn't protect either. It really does. It just shines a light and it puts a magnifying glass on his weakness because the Lakers now are just a bunch of lopsided players who need the ball. And Luke is going to have the ball. All right, we've got ourselves our first big free agent trade. Came down a minute before we went on the air. The Rams are giving up a first, a fifth and a sixth and a third next year. That's a hole for Trent McDuffie, top five or six corner in the NFL, who will now go to the Rams, a more consistent pass rush. He'll be the highest paid at this point, probably highest paid defensive player they have. They're going to work at a new deal. But I think what the Rams are sending the. The bat signal is we're going for it. We're going to have to start paying some of these defensive guys in the next three years. We're going for it. Matt Stafford getting closer to 40, I think. Caleb Williams, two years left on the rookie deal. Max Crosby, the betting favorite. He'll be a bear. Polls Ben Johnson, hyper aggressive guys. I'd love to see him go for it. What do you make of the Rams? Chiefs? What does it say about the Kansas City Chiefs? J. Mac.
J. Mac
Yeah, Kansas City. Essentially. Colin, the Chiefs just don't have a lot of talent on that roster. I mean, we talked about this for a couple of months. Now. Imagine going through your roster, free agencies coming up, you're up against the cap and you're like, damn, we just, we can't pay McDuffie. We need talent. We got to trade him. They got a good hole. I would say it's a good pick for the Chiefs. But Colin, you look at that defense and the youth and the lack of talent. I mean, are they a top three or four team in the afc? I know just with Mahomes and Reed, you're a contender, but I don't think
Jason McIntyre
they're a top two roster in their own division.
J. Mac
I don't think that's a hot take. Either. I mean, listen, it's a good trade for them. They need picks. They, they, they certainly got that. I, I think the Rams is a home run because I was just looking at their lineup. Lake, you know the Quinton Lake who was injured last season, he was kind of a chess piece that played a lot of safety, but a lot of in the slot too. He can now go back to roaming as safety McDuffie slides into slot. I think this is huge for the Rams. They got to be the super bowl favorites at this point, right?
Colin Cowherd
Yeah.
J. Mac
I mean it's a two time all Pro you're getting.
Jason McIntyre
Yeah. All right, great stuff. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the iHeartRadio app. Hey, it's Rob Parker and Kelvin Washington from the Odd Couple on Fox Sports Radio. And in addition to hearing us live weeknights from 7 to 10pm Eastern on Fox Sports Radio, we are excited to announce brand new YouTube channel for the show. That's right, you can now watch the Odd couple live on YouTube every day. All you got to do, search Odd Couple FSR on YouTube again.
Colin Cowherd
YouTube.
Jason McIntyre
Just search Odd Couple FSR. Check us out on YouTube and subscribe. All right, two truths and a lie. Here we go. I went to college with college football coach Jim McElwaine. I began my broadcasting career doing play by play for the Las Vegas Stars and I've been a Verizon customer for 15 years. Okay, I lied. All three are true. Verizon isn't as expensive as you think. In fact, if you bring in your ATT or T Mobile bill to a Verizon store, they'll give you a better deal. That's right, a better deal on the best network with the most ways to save on plans, streaming and phone deals. So take that AT and T or T Mobile. Build to your local Verizon store today, get a better deal and start saving based on root metrics. Best overall Mobile Network Performance U.S. 2nd Half 2025 All Rights Reserve must provide recent consumer mobile bill in the name of the person redeeming the deal. Additional terms, conditions and restrictions apply. Security usually means extra steps and complications. But with Apple Pay Secure payments are simp. Your transactions are authenticated with face id, touch ID or passcode. So security is built in when you check out. Plus, your name isn't shared with merchants and they don't see your actual card number. Whether you're shopping in store, online or an app, protecting your money should be simple. Pay the Apple Way terms apply. Let me talk to the guys for a second. If you're over 40, you still work out, compete, still expect results. But your energy isn't what it used to be and the weight's harder to make move. You're not imagining it. Energy drops, metabolism slows, fat sticks around. Even when your habits haven't changed. That's not you losing discipline. That's your body changing and needing better support. MDrive products for years. I trust them every day. Boost and burn, one of their supplements built specifically for men over 40 struggling with energy and weight, with support for healthy T levels. Designed for everyday use, not extreme dieting. Not crash fat burners, just smarter daily support. It combines clinically tested ingredients with measured stimulants supporting metabolism and fat burn without extremes. MDrive is the number one men's health brand at Sprouts. Support your body the smart way. Go to m drive for men.com the code is heard h e r d for 25% off your first order mdrive4men.com code h e r d most people think their insurance will cover them if disaster strikes. But here's the truth. Many are wrong. You pay your premiums. You assume you're protected. Then the fine print hits. Exclusions, loopholes, limits. Suddenly that coverage you counted on isn't really coverage at all. That's why I like my policy advocate. They take your actual policies, Home, life, auto, break them down in plain English. They show you what's really covered and what isn't. Cost 27 cents a day. That's it. Less than a cup of coffee before you assume you're covered. Go to mypolicyadvocate.com let them review your policy. You might be shocked at what you'll find. MyPolicyAdvocate.com Tarik Skubal Best pitcher in baseball back to back Cy Young winner taking the Tigers to the American League Central crown back to back years. Best ERA in baseball back to back years. Getting ready for what is going to be some really fun team USA Baseball in the World Baseball Classic. By the way, sources now are saying the Arizona Cardinals are telling Kyler Murray he's going to be released. So not all trends in the NFL work out for a while. Very shortly there was the run and shoot. Didn't work. The Wildcat offense lasted about, you know, 12 weeks. Eventually didn't work and undersized quarterbacks to Kyler. Bryce Young's 14 and 30. Johnny Manzel, Dylan Gabriel three of the last four seasons. Kyler can't he didn't play a full season. So the NBA is a tall man's game and the NFL is a big strong man's game. And I think Kyler's super talented. But I'll give you an example of this. Morning I went and looked at the height. Forget the names, forget the players. The height of the top 10 passer ratings in the NFL. The height, number one is 6 4, then 6 3, then 6 4, 6 2, 6 5, 646 4. The short guy, 61656 2. Who's the short guy? Oh, Brock Purdy, who has as a coach the quarterback whisperer. Kyle Shanahan, who made Mac Jones look very viable last year and we all thought his career was over. And Brock Purdy's a seventh round pick. In fact, top 20 passer rating. Only two guys under six two, one is Brock Purdy with the quarterback whisper. The other is Jalen Hurts. And aren't we having a discussion every year on do the Eagles pass the ball well enough with an elite receiver tight end combo? So I think Russell Wilson got a lot of guys drafted that were undersized. And you know, he had about an 8, 9 year period with Marshawn lynch, you know, with a semi stacked roster with the best defense in football. He won a lot of games, he got to a couple Super Bowls and he got a lot of guys drafted. But with Kyler Murray, I would take inexpensive and unathletic Mac Jones, old Aaron Rodgers and probably Ty Simpson. Drafting Ty Simpson mid to late first round over Kyler. And I've been a Kyler fan for a long time. Here was Matt Hasselbeck earlier this week on him.
Colin Cowherd
I like him. He's got elite traits.
Jason McIntyre
Elite. I mean, he's a ridiculous athlete with his legs.
Colin Cowherd
I would fear that if I was a D coordinator.
J. Mac
He throws a beautiful, beautiful ball.
Colin Cowherd
It's some of the leadership stuff though.
Jason McIntyre
It's the body language.
Colin Cowherd
Maybe there are these, you know, these, these reclamation projects. Guys like Sam Darnold and B. Mayfield,
Jason McIntyre
who really turned the corner, struggled early, turned the corner.
J. Mac
Great success story.
Colin Cowherd
I mean, for Kyler, he has elite
Jason McIntyre
characteristics athletically, but he is undersized. And I mean we were talking this morning as a staff, Bryce Young got to the playoffs in a bad division, but he's 14 and 30 and his passer rating is I think high 80s. It's a big man sport. J. Mack with the news. No, no, no, turn on the news.
J. Mac
This is the Herd line news. Having a great show. Roland couldn't help but take a swing.
Jason McIntyre
Just a Jab.
J. Mac
A little jab at my guy, Brock Purdy.
Jason McIntyre
But.
J. Mac
All right, let's, let's get to the trade Colin. Rams and Chiefs make a big swap. The Rams getting two time All Pro Trent McDuffie in exchange for this year's 29th overall pick. A fifth, a sixth and a 2027 third. That 2027 third's interesting. If the Rams end up winning the super bowl, that's probably going to be at the end of the third round. So not, not huge value. Colin. I, I'm not sure why the Rams wouldn't be super bowl favorites at this point. Right. They've got the best roster. I just went through every position group and they're loaded. Landman at linebacker. The, the, the front four needs no introduction now. The secondary is elite. Adding McDuffie offense, you're set at receiver. You got great tight ends. They went with three tight ends this year. The running back room is loaded.
Jason McIntyre
Yep.
J. Mac
What do they do? It's with the pick in the teens, I believe it's 13th.
Jason McIntyre
I would guess they would go for a wide receiver from usc. Makai Lemon. He solves their special teams return duties and Devonte Adams is about 32 or 33. Interesting. So. So he would be the future alongside Puka and he would solve their return duties for punt. Remember that big turnover they had? Oh yeah. So he solves two of their problems and McDuffie solves their corner problems. So they got a first, second and a third. I would guess they'd go wide receiver, offensive tackle and safety and they're ready to roll. Interesting.
J. Mac
I was, I always think swing offensive linemen. Haven Stein retired and now at right tackle, there's some question mark. Although the fifth rounder they played did do well. Colin, I will just say if you're The Rams, remember McVay and Snead don't go to the combine. They send, you know, their, their troops who are going to do all the interviews. My guess is they sent their on the ground, folks. They took a look at the defensive backs. They spoke to them, they said, guys, we can't find someone who's going to have the impact or near it of a McDuffie. Let's go grab him. Let's give up the 29th and some other picks. This to me is a home like a grand slam for the Rams. For the Chiefs, I think it's a good deal. I mean as you said earlier, they're
Jason McIntyre
going to have two first round picks. So right there they can solve their tackle situation in one of those two Picks, I mean I think they have to go get a right tackle. That that's paramount. And then the other pick, it's not a good running back draft. Or maybe they get lucky and the running back love falls to them. They take him and a tackle late in the first round. Late first round, you got four or five pot interesting tackle prospects. So I think they can solve some of the stuff surrounding. They also need an edge rusher, but you could pick that up in the second round. So they're going to have now two ones a second. I think they have a third. They're going to have a couple fives, a couple sixes. It's a good space for Brett beach, the gm.
J. Mac
I agree. I will say, you know, when you do those Chiefs matchups, it's a big game, a Thursday night game Monday night and it's like Chiefs eagle, they're the 10 best players. McDuffie was always a lock to be in there. Kelsey's retiring.
Jason McIntyre
Who do the.
J. Mac
Who are the Chiefs blue chip players right now, today?
Jason McIntyre
Well, they, they also gave up Joe Tunney last year and Trent McDuffie. So they, they don't. They have, they have what I would call one truly elite player. Chris Jones had a down year, but he's he and he and Mahomes, what they've got to get. I mean once you, once you pay the quarterback, you have got to get. You got to make deals like this.
J. Mac
They don't have an elite playmaker. Their center is excellent obviously, but there just isn't a lot of talent. I know Chiefs fans don't want to hear that. It's going to be. I'm going to, I'm telling you. Let's see what happens in free agency. Going to be interesting if they make the playoffs next year. Colin, I don't, I don't think it's a lock.
Jason McIntyre
Oh, I don't think it's a lock either. Absolutely not. And Mahomes is coming off surgery. Yeah.
J. Mac
All right, let's move on to the next story and that's Fernando Mendoza obviously being the leading odds. Odds on guy to be the number one pick. But who's going to be the second quarterback taken? Okay. Last year was a big surprise. A lot of people had Shador. It obviously ended up not being shador. I was shocked to see the odds are Ty Simpson going to the jets are plus 250. I don't know who's setting these lines but the jets to draft Ty Simpson, they're not taking him early.
Jason McIntyre
We know that the ball they're not taking him early. The Steelers make the most sense. First of all, the Steelers have, I think, 10 picks. I may be shorting them. They have 10 or 11 picks. So they, and the Steelers frankly have to get younger and cheaper on defense. But they don't need a ton. What they need is a future quarterback and then they can load up because I think offensively they need a number two receiver. They need a quarterback for the future. Then I would go heavy defense to get cheaper on defense. But it could end up, I'll tell you right now, it could be a very, very good draft for the Steelers if they could land Simpson and a number two receiver and then just load up the defense. Mike McCarthy, he is slowly pivoting this, which we talked about for years, to an offense first franchise. And I've got, I got, I really believe with 10 picks, I could see the Steelers moving up not a ton, but give away a four maybe to move up a few spots to get him mid first.
J. Mac
What if the owner steps in and says, hey, the last time we drafted a quarterback who had just one hot shot year, it was Kenny Pickett. I think Kenny Pickett's working at the local Arby's in Philadelphia right now. Or something like Colin. It's a risk to take. Ty Simpson. How come we're not talking about Carson Beck or Drew Aller from Penn State? Strapping guys.
Jason McIntyre
I think Ty Simpson's a better prospect by far.
Colin Cowherd
Okay.
Jason McIntyre
Yeah. I think he's clearly the second best prospect in a weak class.
J. Mac
For those betting the draft, do not bet on the jets to draft Ty Simpson. I mean, you could never say it's never happening. It just doesn't make any sense at all. Let's see what happens with Kyler Murray. There's a lot of Kyler Murray. Jets chatter as I vomit in my mouth. Final story, Colin, College basketball last night, one of your favorite topics. Darren Peterson picked up kind of, I thought, a weak offensive foul here. You can see it down at the bottom of the screen. Bill Self proceeded to lose his mind and was ejected.
Colin Cowherd
Yeah.
J. Mac
After the ejection, Kansas went on to basically just offer nothing and they got blown out by Arizona State. Kind of a bad loss. ASU was up 20 at the half. After the game, Bill Self said the crew was pretty temperamental. What cost us, though, was we weren't ready to play. I was willing to give out Kansas as a sneaky Final 14, maybe win the title because they've got an elite player. Yeah, but they got some bad losses on the ledger. They're Getting blown out lately.
Jason McIntyre
Yeah. J. Mac, the news. Well, that's the news and thanks for stopping by the herd lie news. Well, Terry Scubal has been the dominant pitcher in baseball back to back years. The Tigers, he's led them to wild card appearances. Best ERA Cy Young winner, favor to win the Cy Young next year. He is part of the World Baseball Classic which is a really fun event. It starts tomorrow and Terry Scubal is now joining us live. We're lucky to have him. The best pitcher in baseball right now. Who by the way, I read this morning on your resume, I'm from the Pacific Northwest that the only scholarship offer you got was Seattle University. And I've got to be honest Tarek, I knew they had a basketball program. I didn't know they had a baseball program. I'm sorry, the Red Hawks, I'm sorry. Do you remember that start in your career?
Colin Cowherd
Well, yeah, no doubt, no doubt. I mean I'm very appreciative of Seattle U. They saw something that nobody else in the country saw from a Division 1 program. So it's a ton of fun going there, going to Seattle. It always has a special place in my heart. And the coaching staff there was great for me.
Jason McIntyre
Yeah. By the way, Josh Allen couldn't get a, couldn't get a Buffalo Bill quarterback. Couldn't get a scholarship offer either. So I love stories like this. So you were one appearance in the World Baseball Classic. It's going to be Saturday against Great Britain. I don't think they're going to be ready for your turbo slider and your four seamer. That's my take. They have jazz Chisholm but I mean when's the last time you faced a team and you didn't really know the lineup?
Colin Cowherd
Yeah, I mean it kind of happens in spring training a little bit sometimes. You know, when teams are, especially in Florida when teams are sending guys that are, you know, two and a half hour drive or whatever. So sometimes you get some lineups that you're not very comfortable with. We're going to have a lot of scouting and preparation on these guys. So I feel just as confident as any other start for this one.
Jason McIntyre
So it's amazing. US men's and women's hockey team just won gold. And I've said before I'm not a die hard hockey guy but there is nothing like Olympic hockey. I suddenly become a massive fan and I mean do you think like have the players on the World Baseball Classic like Team usa, you guys got your money, you've got your careers, you have your Professions did that. Did you watch the Olympic hockey and I mean, your kind of vibe on and feeling playing for the. Representing the country.
Colin Cowherd
No doubt, no doubt. I think, I mean, the women's and men's games were both electric and you know, that the men's game, I think, was 8am in Florida. Everyone's there. We got our coffee, we got our breakfast. We're watching this game. We have a team meeting. You know, when it starts, we start to boo. You know, like, we want to watch the game because they turn the studio on. We go out, we do our stretch. I come back in and right as I came back in, overtime started. So I got to watch the last, you know, two minutes or whatever it was. And, and it was electric. And I mean, the people that were out on the field still, still, they said when they won, they could hear it. You know, everyone was yelling and stuff when, when Team usa, when Quinn Hughes makes that, that goal. So it was, it was a ton of fun to watch.
Jason McIntyre
All right, back to back, Cy Young winner, favorite for a third, Tarek Skubal is representing the World Baseball Classic, the country. Aaron Judge, Yankee slugger, quality guy. I mean, he just, just his size, his dimension, an opportunity. Now he's on your club. What did he say yesterday when he addressed the team?
Colin Cowherd
I think, you know, the messaging and what he's got going on, obviously, you know, he's the captain of the Yankees, he's the captain of our team. He's a big reason that I'm, that I'm here, a part of this team. You know, I want to be teammates with Aaron Judge. Just being around greatness like that. And, and when he speaks, you know, everybody listens. So, you know, post game yesterday too, he said some, some really cool things. So I'm excited to, you know, get to know him and establish that relationship.
Jason McIntyre
You know, baseball is, is, it's a grind. It's a long season. I mean, you've had, I think, 31 starts each of the last two years. It's the summer, it's hot, it's. And, you know, it's funny for a guy like you who's dominant, you know, everybody wants to get to the bullpen quickly. When in like the World Baseball Classic will it be, I wonder if it will be managed by Mark DeRosa, the same way that the regular season and the playoffs are. Because in baseball playoffs, as you know, Drake, you, you could, you know, you'll go longer innings if you're pitching. Well, everything kind of changes. The paradigm shifts in playoff baseball. How do you think the managing will go in the World Baseball Classic because everybody like an All Star Game, everybody wants their at bats and everybody wants a chance.
Colin Cowherd
Yeah, that's a good question for Daro as far as how it's going to handle, you know, for me, obviously there's pitch counts because it's early in spring and we're building up to obviously our season and not everybody's kind of built up to go 100 pitches or whatever it is. So he's going to have a fun job of managing that. And, you know, with what we got going on too, in the talent of arms that we have, I like our odds against anybody. You know, however those decisions get made, you know, I think there's going to be piggyback starters and starter goes here. We go to a reliever and then we give the next starter a clean inning and then, you know, hopefully it's the 7th, 8th, 9th and. And I don't think anybody wants to face the guys that we got in the seventh, eighth or ninth inning. So it's going to be a ton of fun. I know D Ro's got his work cut out for him and Andy Pettit. So I'll leave those decisions up to those guys.
Jason McIntyre
I gotta ask you a final question. Terex Google is a dominant pitcher for the Detroit Tigers. I have, I have been defending the Dodgers. I have said, listen, it took them seven games to win the World Series. They were outplayed mostly by Toronto. Had they lost the World Series, everybody would have loved it. I said, but baseball has been on a two year renaissance. The ratings, the revenue is up, and people keep saying, we're going to have a strike. And my take is, listen, small market. Milwaukee was great. Detroit's fantastic, but so are the Phillies, the Yankees and the Dodgers. If the Astros were healthy, they would be good. The Mariners are good. The Guardians won. So I look at it and I say to myself, okay, like Oakland A's, who I think were your favorite team growing up, I'm like, okay, the A's are transitioning and you know, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh don't have big money. The game feels incredibly healthy to me. But there are fans and people that say, oh, it's too dominant at the top. How does it land for you?
Colin Cowherd
Yeah, I don't, I don't think I agree with you. I think our game is in a really good spot. It's healthy. I think the World Series, this last World Series was as good of a World Series as any series. The playoffs in general, you know, even Seattle, Toronto went seven games. U.S. in Seattle went five games. And when I'm sitting in my shoes, you know, and then again, you watch the World Series, it's like, we lost Game 5. We had a chance to go seven with Toronto, and if we win Game 7, we're in the World Series, you know, and I think that competitive atmosphere is great for sports, you know, and great for baseball. I think the fans are showing us that it's great. Ratings are up, attendance is up, everything's there. So I'm not quite sure the frustration is warranted from certain fans, you know, and saying that small market teams don't have a chance, because I think they do. And there's things in our CBA that help small market teams. And Milwaukee, they had the most wins in the National League last year. So I just, I'm a little confused by those types of statements, you know, when they come out or when they're presented or however they're presented from mlb, because I think the way the game is right now, it's beautiful. It's beautiful on. On, in every aspect. You know, starting pitching, bullpen work, defense, lineups, all that type of stuff. And. And you're going to see that at the WBC as well.
Jason McIntyre
Yeah. Tarek, credit to the game, you know, you, you talked about before we let you go, World Baseball Classic starts tomorrow. You guys won 151 over the Giants. And kind of a primer is, how do you. There are guys on this team that you'll be facing in big spots this year in rivalry games. You know, it's like, I mean, you're going to be competing against some of these guys here in a few weeks. Is that odd at all?
Colin Cowherd
I don't think so. I actually, I love this atmosphere that we got. I love the group that we got. You know, just the short interactions. Last two days with the entire team have been great. You know, anytime you get a group of guys that are united playing for, you know, usa, the stuff on our chest, I think it's going to be special. And, and obviously, when you go back to competing against them on other clubs, you'll have unique relationships with them and stuff, and there will probably be some more acknowledgment, you know, in the box, on the mound and stuff like that. But as far as competition goes, it's the same game. You know, I'm going to try and I want all these guys to come up and hit and rake and all our guys to pitch really well, but once I step across the lines, you know, I'm going to try and strike them out and hopefully our guys tag them up a little bit. But for the next two weeks, it's all going to be about USA and the Stars and Stripes and trying to win a gold medal.
Jason McIntyre
All right, you're favored to win the American League Central. Hasn't happened in a while, but you've been a playoff team. Congratulations on your success. Favored to win a third straight Cy Young Award. And thanks for giving our show 10 minutes. Good luck to you.
Colin Cowherd
Appreciate it. Thanks for having me.
Jason McIntyre
You bet. Yeah. Pretty decent roster, apparently. 15. One exhibition win over the Giants. US had 19 hits, so good stuff. All right. Rams have made a trade. Bears are favorites to land Max Crosby. So I do this every year. Rick Patino is joining us next hour as well. I do the first 15 picks. My mock draft. It's a draft. If I was the general manager, what would I do? I've always said if I didn't do this for a living and it would have never come to fruition. But if I would have given all my energy to being a football scout and becoming a general manager, that would be what I'd want to do. Most of my sources are GMs or former GMs, so I'm going to give you my first 15 picks sometime in the next half hour. What would I do? A surprise number two pick. What would I do if I was GM in the first 15 picks of the draft? In Chicago, it's the Herd. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific. All right, two truths and a Lie. Here we go. I went to college with college football coach Jim McElwain. I began my broadcasting career doing play by play for the Las Vegas Stars. And I've been a Verizon customer for 15 years. Okay, I lied. All three are true. Verizon isn't as expensive as you think. In fact, if you bring in your ATT or T Mobile bill to a Verizon store, they'll give you a better deal. That's right, a better deal on the best network with the most ways to save on plans, streaming and phone deals. So take that AT and T or T Mobile. Build to your local Verizon store today. Get a better deal and start saving based on root metrics. Best overall Mobile Network Performance US Second Half 2025 all rights reserve must provide recent consumer mobile bill in the name of the person redeeming the deal. Additional terms, conditions and restrictions apply. Security usually means extra steps and complications. But with Apple Pay, secure payments are simple. Your transactions are authenticated with face id, touch ID, passcode. So security is built in when you check out. Plus, your name isn't shared with merchants and they don't see your actual card number. Whether you're shopping in store online or an app, protecting your money should be simple. Pay the Apple way. Terms apply. Let me talk to the guys for a second. If you're over 40, you still work out, compete, still expect results. But your energy isn't what it used to be and the weight's harder to move. You're not imagining it. Energy drops, metabolism slows. Fat sticks around. Even when your habits haven't changed. That's not you losing discipline. That's your body changing and needing better support. MDrive products for years. I trust them every day. Boost and burn. One of their supplements built specifically for men over 40 struggling with energy and weight, with support for healthy T levels. Designed for everyday use. Not extreme dieting. Not not crash fat burners, just smarter daily support. It combines clinically tested ingredients with measured stimulants supporting metabolism and fat burn without extremes. MDrive is the number one men's health brand at Sprouts. Support your body the smart way. Go to mdrive for men.com the code is heard. H E R D for 25% off your first order. Mdrive for men.com Code H E R D most people think their insurance will cover them if disaster strikes. But here's the truth. Many are wrong. You pay your premiums, you assume you're protected. Then the fine print hits, exclusions, loopholes, limits. Suddenly that coverage you counted on isn't really coverage at all. That's why I like my policy advocate. They take your actual policies, home, life, auto, break them down in plain English. They show you what's really covered and what isn't. Cost 27 cents a day. That's it. Less than a cup of coffee. Before you assume you're covered, go to mypolicyadvocate.com let them review your policy. You might be shocked at what you'll find. MyPolicyAdvocate.com Rick Pitino, St. John's head coach, stops by the show. Always a great guest. Lot of information, a lot of wisdom, lot of knowledge. So this. This actually is funny. Sam Amico, he lives in Ohio. He is a Cleveland Cavaliers insider. So he's been doing it for a long time. And he put his name on it and he put it out there that LeBron returning to Cleveland because I think it's understood we've talked about this. LeBron and Luca the New Dodger, now Laker owners. There is very little belief that LeBron's in the big long term plans. So where would he go? Still got a place in Cleveland, couldn't sell it in Akron. So Sam Amico says LeBron to Cleveland is happening.
Colin Cowherd
I've heard if it's like 99% or 95%, if he is willing to take, you know, what the Cavs could offer him, which wouldn't be much more than the mid level exception next season, even with some moves because there's still, they're still over the second apron.
Jason McIntyre
Okay, so LeBron in Cleveland is sort of becoming Rachel and Ross on Friends. They were hot and heavy for seven years in Cleveland. A lot of love. And then LeBron, and this brought tears from everybody on the set, broke up with her, went to sexy Miami and had a South beach fling for four years. She comes down to Miami for a weekend, puts on the full court press, and Rachel lures Ross back into the relationship. Dan Gilbert goes down to Miami, covert dinner, lures LeBron back to Cleveland. I mean, LeBron was born in Cleveland every decade of his life. It'd be fitting if he was in Cleveland, right? Teens, 20s, 30s. How about 40s? And then by the way, after Rachel lures Ross back to Cleveland, there's a ring involved and he still dumps her again and this time goes to Los Angeles for another fling. But the thing is that relationship dumps LeBron and he's like, okay, my bad. I'm going back to Cleveland. I loved you all along. So this is becoming Rachel and Ross a fling. He bails, he's back, there's a ring, he bails, she dumps him, and now he goes back. And I don't know if it's going to happen, But I mean, LeBron, teens, 20s, 30s, has been in Cleveland and I think 40s sounds perfect. So Mike Krzyzewski this week was talking to Jeff Goodman and I always thought there's a handful of things in sports that are very hard to screw up. The Super Bowl, Ohio State, Michigan football, the Masters, and March Madness. But reportedly college basketball may try to screw it up and go from 68 teams to 98. It's like timeout, timeout, timeout. Last year the average margin in the first round was 17 points. Do we need double the blowouts? I mean, there were, there were 20 of the games were double digit differences. Many were 20 point blowouts. Plus, so Coach K on the rumors of tournament expansion, that's a big mistake. You know, like one, there are less teams capable right now than ever before. And there, there are many have nots and it's not their fault. And I don't think you mess with something that is gold, you know, like it's gold.
J. Mac
I think the thing you should mess
Jason McIntyre
with is getting a leadership group and having them study and see what happens with that group. I mean, they already. A few years ago it was like 64 teams starts on Thursday, LFG. And then they screwed with it because, you know, somebody complains, somebody feels slighted at a directional school. And now it starts on Tuesday and Wednesday and there's the first four and it's like, what do I do with my bracket? Do I have to pick other games? It's like, like the more people you let into a club, it dilutes the club. Like it's perfect. It started on Thursday, it was 64. There's no reason to be 68. None of those playing teams are winning. We don't need to go to 98. Don't screw it up. You know, it's like one of the reasons that the Masters is so great, because the average PGA event has like 150 golfers. The Masters under 100. That's what makes the Masters special. It's the best of the best. It's why it takes Rory McElroy 17 tries to win it. So I, and I think Mike Krzyzewski pointed out something and this is the real truth. The transfer portal in the nil. It's the gold rush. Not everybody gets rich. The people selling the pots and the pans got rich and a handful of people struck rich with gold. Most don't. Same with the nil. And the transfer portal, it has made the teams at the top in college basketball even stronger. I mean, Michigan is just stacked with size, very rare size. But it's also, and there's good and there's bad to everything. The transfer portal now allows kids to leave just like coaches, the nil. You know, college athletes are driving some of these numbers now. They get paid. The downside is in college basketball, when you have 350 Division 1 programs, the bottom now it's, it's hard for a small, let's say a school like Belmont in Nashville, kind of a private school, good basketball program gets a really good player. Well, boom, you know, Michigan's gonna go buy him. In fact, Michigan's best player I think was at uab and he was like going to be a second round guy. And Michigan comes in, signs a big check. Boom. They lose their best player and he goes to Michigan. So the nil. And college basketball can really fix holes. And a lot of those holes are fixed. It's almost like the Pirates are the Yankees Triple A system. You know, Paul Skeens, once you got a Pam, he'll be a Yankee. It's a little like baseball in that regard. Where you've got. There is a gap between Dodgers, Yankees and bottom. Nobody would deny that. I've always just said with baseball, the middle and top is bigger than you think. I mean, there's only like four teams that can win the NBA championship right now. Toronto should have won the World Series. There are seven teams next year. The Cubs, the Padres, the Dodgers, the Yankees, the Mets should be better. The Astros, if they're healthy. The Tigers, the Mariners, the Brewers. There's a lot of teams in baseball. The middle up is really good in baseball. The bottom is bad. You get the same thing in college basketball right now. So adding teams would not add teams from the top or middle. It would add teams from the bottom. And we just have more blowouts now. J. Mac loves March Madness, but I do think what makes it special is right now with 68 teams, there are potential upsets on the first day. Not a lot, but if you go to 98, it's just more 24 point blowouts.
J. Mac
Possibly, yes, But Colin, at the same time, you know, you keep mentioning baseball, NBA, NFL. There's like 30 teams, 32 teams. College basketball has 365 teams to only let in 68. I mean, I'm okay with a little expansion. Is it going to dilute it? Initially? Yeah, probably. They'll be like, oh, I missed the old March Madness. But that's, that's normal. I think over time people are going to be fine with it. Coaches, you know, would love this. Schools would get a chance. Hey, we finally got to the big dance. Like, I don't, I don't see why we can't be more inclusive. But then again, I like to help the little guy out. You like to exclude the little guy?
Jason McIntyre
Yeah.
J. Mac
Like to just keep him at bay.
Jason McIntyre
Yeah, yeah. Listen, the Cincinnati Reds made the playoffs last year. They got extinguished quickly. But this idea that nobody, it's. I always cracks me up with baseball. Everybody freaks out about the disparity. It's like the brewers, the Reds, the Mariners, the Guardians. There's enough little guys to root for the big guys once in a while. Think Verizon is expensive? Think again. Anyone can bring their AT&T or T mobile bill to a Verizon store today and we'll give you a better deal. So bring us your bill. Walk in Running Pogo sticking Teleport if you can, ride on the back of a rollerblading yak or fly in on the wings of a majestic falcon. Any way you can bring your AT&T or T mobile bill to a Verizon store today and we'll give you a better deal on the best Network based on RouteMetric's best overall mobile network performance
Colin Cowherd
US 2nd/2025 all rights reserved.
Jason McIntyre
Must provide a very recent postpaid consumer mobile bill in the name of the person redeeming the deal. Additional terms, conditions and restrictions apply. Whether you want to maximize your performance or form healthier habits this year, knowing what your body needs can help put you on the right path. With Quest, you can buy your own lab tests online@questhealth.com no doctor visit required for purchase. Quest has a huge selection of tests, including the new Elite Health Profile, a panel made for men and Women and tracks 85 plus health markers affecting the heart, liver, kidneys, hormones, metabolism and immune system, delivering a ton of insights in one snapshot. For a limited time, save on select lab tests@questhealth.com with code herd10. That's herd10 at checkout. Terms apply. I'll say it up front. I don't usually endorse supplements. Most promise shortcuts. Anybody who's done real work knows shortcuts fail. But I like EM drive. Every morning I put that protein powder in my coffee. It's practical. As you get older, energy dips and weight comes easier. That's biology. M Drive boost and burn support steady energy metabolism and fat burning, so effort actually counts. Clinically tested ingredients find that it sprouts. Amazon or mdrive for men.com mdrive for men who still show up. This is Sophie Cunningham from Show Me Something. Okay, Arby's just casually pulled up with a deal that feels a little too good.
J. Mac
They've got this new meat in three box for $7.99, and honestly, it's stacked
Colin Cowherd
with Arby's Quality favorites in a way
Jason McIntyre
that feels kind of ridiculous. For that price, here's what you're getting inside you pick one sandwich, the classic roast beef, the crispy chicken sandwich or the crispy fish sandwich.
Colin Cowherd
Then it just keeps going because Also comes with melty mozzarella sticks, crispy curly fries, and a peach cobbler roll, which is a little sweet treat and so good.
Jason McIntyre
And you get a small drink to round it all out. So yeah, it's called Meat and Three, but you're actually getting five items all for only $7.99.
Colin Cowherd
Pick the sandwich you want, make it your own and get it your way.
Jason McIntyre
Available for a limited time at participating locations. While supplies last, prices may vary. Get your meat in three box at any Arby's near you today.
Colin Cowherd
This is an I heart podcast.
Jason McIntyre
Guaranteed human.
Date: March 4, 2026
Episode Theme: NFL Offseason Dominos — The Chiefs Trade Trent McDuffie to the Rams; The Honeymoon's Over for Luka and the Lakers; Aggressive NFL Team Building; College Sports Realignment.
This episode of The Herd features an energized Colin Cowherd and co-host Jason McIntyre breaking the blockbuster NFL trade: the Kansas City Chiefs sending elite cornerback Trent McDuffie to the LA Rams. The show dives deep into the implications for both franchises, discusses the Chicago Bears’ “win-now” urgency, and highlights how aggressive, timely moves can define an NFL team’s future. The crew then pivots to NBA talk, questioning whether the Lakers’ “honeymoon” with Luka Doncic is at an end, and discusses how teams need to build around generational superstars. Rounding out the hour: thoughts on NFL quarterback trends, draft speculation, and the merits (or pitfalls) of March Madness expansion.
Guests: None during Hour 1, but Detroit Tigers pitcher and WBC star Tarek Skubal joins for an MLB perspective late in the hour.
[02:56 - 06:41, 13:00 - 14:20, 21:19 - 24:59]
[04:01 - 07:43]
[08:30 - 11:39]
[19:21 – 20:50]
[25:04 - 27:03]
[41:53 - 49:32]
[28:46 - 36:51]
Colin and J. Mac argue that the Rams' blockbuster move for McDuffie signals a clear “win now” mentality, contrasting sharply with teams that hesitate and miss their window (like the Bengals). The hour spotlights how NFL success demands urgency and boldness. Meanwhile, the NBA discussion centers on how teams must compensate for superstars’ limitations if they want sustained harmony and contention. The episode closes with a spirited debate over expanding the beloved NCAA Tournament, pairing Colin’s respect for tradition with J. Mac’s call for inclusivity. MLBer Tarek Skubal offers his insights on the health of baseball and the pride of representing Team USA.
For listeners seeking a blend of NFL roster strategy, NBA superstar realities, and the state of major American sports, this episode is vintage “Herd”—opinionated, energetic, and full of big-picture thinking.