THE HERD - Hour 2 - Yankees vs Giants preview, latest on Rams WR Puka Nacua

Summary

Podcast Summary

The Herd with Colin Cowherd

Hour 2 – Yankees vs Giants Preview, Latest on Rams WR Puka Nacua
Date: March 25, 2026
Podcast: The Herd with Colin Cowherd (iHeartPodcasts and The Volume)

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Overview of the Episode

This episode of The Herd with Colin Cowherd dives into Opening Day of Major League Baseball, focusing on a detailed Yankees vs. Giants preview. Colin is joined by special guest Nick Swisher, YES Network baseball analyst and former Yankee, for a deep discussion on the current state of the Yankees, comparisons with the Dodgers, and broader MLB storylines. Additional topics include the Rams’ turmoil surrounding WR Puka Nacua, speculation on Joe Burrow's NFL future, the Denver Broncos’ outlook, and LeBron James’ media strategies. The episode is lively, opinionated, and rich with inside perspectives.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. March Madness Ratings & Sports Fandom

[03:59] Colin Cowherd

• March Madness ratings are at record highs, largely because the Sweet 16 consists only of major conference teams two years in a row.
• Colin asserts the popularity of favorites over underdogs, challenging the “everyone loves a Cinderella” narrative.
• Notable quote:
  “You don’t know who I am. Here’s the rules. I don’t like underdogs. I like favorites. So do you. But it’s not cool to admit that. I’m just going to tell you right now. Yankees, Notre Dame, Duke, USC, Lakers, Celtics — those are my teams. I’m a front runner.” (05:36)

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2. Yankees vs Dodgers – Powerhouse Comparison

Guest: Nick Swisher, YES Network Analyst & Special Advisor to Yankees' GM
[07:06]–[18:11]

• Colin and Nick Swisher discuss the Yankees’ branding and team construction in comparison to the Dodgers’ current dominance.
• Swisher’s take:

  “I’m never going to say anybody else is like the New York Yankees... but... for the first time in my life, it does feel like... that team out west is the Yankees.” (07:47)

• Dodgers’ infrastructure, leadership (Dave Roberts, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman), and culture are praised.
• Swisher, on the Dodgers:

  "That word 'dynasty' starts to come to mind. They're bringing in tremendous players and big-time names, but guys that can fill the slots they need. They just continue to replenish themselves year in and year out." (09:41)

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3. Yankees’ 2026 Outlook & Key Players Under Pressure

[15:23]–[17:57]

• Colin asks Swisher if there’s a specific Yankee under pressure this season aside from Aaron Judge.
• Swisher highlights Jazz Chisholm as a player to watch:

  “Jazz... went 30/30 last year, could have gone 40/40 if he stayed healthy. That’s the guy I think is going to be a tone setter for this roster.” (15:52)

• On Garrett Cole’s injury return:

  “There’s been a little bit of rumblings about when he’s coming back. They're keeping that tight to the chest... being able to get a Garrett Cole back on your roster is going to be an absolute humongous boost for the boys come the second half.” (17:09)

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4. Paul Skenes’ Future in MLB

[11:29]–[13:15]

• Colin and Swisher discuss the likelihood of Paul Skenes (Pirates) eventually moving to a big-market team:

  Swisher: “Hell yes. That’s the right answer. At the end of the day... he’s carrying himself as such a professional. This is one of those things where obviously Cy Youngs are huge in his future.” (12:11)

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5. Mets’ Culture and Spending

[13:59]–[15:23]

• The Mets’ “money but no culture” issue is discussed, especially as big names like Edwin Diaz and Pete Alonso left quickly.
• Swisher:

  “Uncle Stevie’s money can get you so far. But... this is not the first time this conversation has come up in the New York Mets locker room.” (13:59)

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6. Rams WR Puka Nacua Situation

[18:11]–[26:19]

• Colin analyzes the emerging legal and maturity concerns surrounding Rams receiver Puka Nacua.
• Key points:
  • Nacua is accused of biting a woman; his attorneys call it “horseplay”; Colin expresses skepticism.
  • Rams are described as intolerant of off-field nonsense and are “very buttoned up.”
  • Colin:

    “If they think you have too much ego, they move on… You’re either all in on the team, or they move on… this does not bode well.” (21:54)

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7. NFL QB Speculation – Joe Burrow, Steelers and Rams

[26:24]–[30:10]

• Former Steeler James Harrison humorously claims he's recruiting Joe Burrow to Pittsburgh.
• Colin dispels the reality of that scenario but speculates Burrow may want out of Cincinnati due to the franchise’s lack of aggressiveness.
• Colin:

  “I think Joe would love to go to like the Rams if Stafford retired. I think he’d love it.” (27:34)

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8. Denver Broncos Outlook & AFC Power Rankings

[30:11]–[32:11]

• Broncos add Jalen Waddle, prompting optimism about their offense.
• Colin says Denver has “the best roster in the division,” while Jason McIntyre is bullish on their AFC prospects.
• Notable moment: Shock at Denver’s season win total (over/under 9.5), which both Colin and Jason see as a great betting opportunity.

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9. LeBron James, Lakers, & Austin Reaves

[33:16]–[35:57]

• Discussion of LeBron’s media savvy regarding elevating Austin Reaves’ status through strategic podcasting.
• Colin:

  “LeBron is incredibly intentional. Nothing with LeBron is random... He's willing to do the role guy. And that… that’s a big ask.” (35:10)

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10. NFL Draft QB Debate – Ty Simpson vs. Fernando Mendoza

[41:08]–[52:26]

• A segment comparing the merits and NFL readiness of Ty Simpson and Fernando Mendoza for the upcoming draft.
• Insights:
  • Simpson praised as a late first/early second round project, but needs right environment (ideally Pittsburgh or Detroit).
  • Mendoza extolled for size, leadership, clutch play, and SEC competition.
  • Discussion about the significance (or lack thereof) of 300-yard passing games as a metric.
• Colin’s Mendoza comparison:

  “He’s a bigger, stronger plus arm Matt Ryan… has the aggressiveness of Andrew Luck, deceptive athleticism of Daniel Jones, and is tough and humble.” (49:23)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Nick Swisher on Dodgers’ culture:

  “When you roll into [the Dodgers] locker room, you know exactly what's expected of you. It's almost like when I showed up to the Yankees in 09. The Core Four had already set the expectations...” (10:15)

• Colin on Yankees/Dodgers arms race:

  "The Yankees and Dodgers make a ton. ... but for the first time ... that team out west is the Yankees." (07:47)

• Swisher on player pressure:

  “You can’t bank on Aaron Judge hitting a three-run homer in the eighth inning every single game. You’re going to need some other people to step it up as well.” (15:52)

• Colin on Rams’ organizational values:

  “The Rams are very buttoned up. Maturity matters a lot. ... They just don’t have time for nonsense.” (21:10)

• Colin on LeBron’s intentionality:

  “LeBron’s a very intentional guy. ... He’s willing to do the role guy. And that’s a big ask.” (35:10)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Yankees vs. Giants / March Madness Ratings: 03:59 – 07:06
• Dodgers Discussion with Nick Swisher: 07:06 – 13:15
• Mets Culture/Burrow Speculation: 13:59 – 15:23; 26:24 – 30:10
• Yankees Roster Pressure & Cole’s Status: 15:23 – 17:57
• Puka Nacua Situation (Rams): 18:11 – 26:19
• Broncos Outlook: 30:11 – 32:11
• LeBron, Lakers, Austin Reaves: 33:16 – 35:57
• NFL Draft QB Debate: 41:08 – 52:26

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Natural Tone & Language Highlights

• The show is conversational, occasionally playful or irreverent, especially during Colin’s monologues, Swisher's energetic insights, and debates with Jason McIntyre.
• Swisher’s “baby!” exclamations and positive energy are evident.
• Colin’s direct, opinionated style frames most topics: “I don’t like underdogs. I like favorites. So do you. But it’s not cool to admit that.”

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Conclusion

This episode stands out for its energetic, in-depth baseball preview and smart, candid breakdowns of trending NFL stories. Nick Swisher’s appearance brings positive clubhouse energy and valuable insider perspective, while Colin and Jason navigate NFL rumors and strategic moves with their usual candor and humor. Listeners leave with a strong sense of where key franchises stand entering the MLB season and intriguing speculation on NFL player movement and draft prospects.

Transcript

[Colin Cowherd]

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[Jason McIntyre]

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[Colin Cowherd]

that feel 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. Then it just keeps going because also

[Jason McIntyre]

comes with melty mozzarella sticks, crispy curly

[Colin Cowherd]

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[Nick Swisher]

Now let's get this party started. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.

[Colin Cowherd]

All right, here we go. Opening day Yankees, San Francisco Giants on Netflix. It's the Herd. Wherever you may be. However you may be listening. Thanks for making us part of your day before I get to Nick Swisher. I can't wait for that. Yes, Network baseball analyst. Great energy, funny guy. So you know it's funny. I'm watching all these March Madness ratings. The last two years they've been through the roof. You got to be careful. I. I don't care what people say. I care what people do. I watch actions. So this is the second time in the history of March Madness. The second. Only a second time. The Sweet 16 is made up entirely of teams from major conferences. You want to know the other time? It happened last year and the ratings are through the roof. You tell me. You Love the indie band, but what you really go to the sphere to watch is you two, right? Everybody, everybody. It's way cooler to say, oh, man, I love this band is an indie band. Yeah, they've made 16 Spider Mans. I know it's way cooler to say Hollywood doesn't do anything new because every time they do, nobody goes to the theater. Somebody get Tom Cruise on the phone. So, you know, my take is the ratings are through the roof, and it's because there's no underdogs. I remember my first day on syndicated radio 20 years ago at the Other Place. And I remember one of my opening takes was, okay, you don't know who I am. Here's the rules. I don't like underdogs. I like favorites. So do you. But it's not cool to admit that. I'm just going to tell you right now. Yankees, Notre Dame, Duke, usc, Lakers, Celtics, those are my teams. I'm a front runner. I like the big dogs. And. And it was funny because the. The. The underdog now is Texas as an 11 seed. They beat Gonzaga. So I'm sorry, you're no longer an underdog. Here's Sean Miller addressing that.

[Nick Swisher]

Yeah, I mean, I don't think we're. We ever really want to sign up to be the Cinderella story, because we are the University of Texas. And look, we represent the SEC as well. There's no easy game in the sec. The league itself prepares you for postseason. And then when you enter postseason, Dale and hit it, you know, it's a new beginning. And sometimes the lessons you've learned along the way strengthen you. We're a much better team right now than we would have been a month ago.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, I mean, there's a radio format called top 40. You know what? Radio format doesn't work. Let's play a bunch of bands nobody's

[Nick Swisher]

heard of

[Colin Cowherd]

second year in a row. People want. They want Michigan state. They want UConn. I mean, I can't wait. I got UConn and Hurley. I got Michigan State and Izzo Friday. Yeah, I'm watching that. Speaking of big brands, Nick Swisher, baseball analyst for the Yankees, went to Ohio State. Another big brand, Ohio State.

[Nick Swisher]

What's good, buddy? How you doing?

[Colin Cowherd]

I'm doing great. You know, it's. The Yankees are such a gigantic brand, but Ian o', Connor, who's a great writer in New York, wrote a column today for the Athletic, and he said, listen, right now, the Dodgers, they are the Yankees 20 years ago, they're more aggressive in the postseason because both the Yankees and Dodgers make a ton. I mean, they both are just revenue monsters. One and two in attendance. But if, but you know, the Yankees, you broadcast for the Yankees. And for the first time in my life, it does feel like the last two years away, that team out west is the Yankees. As somebody who does Yankee games, does it kind of feel like that? Is it hard to admit that?

[Nick Swisher]

I mean, listen, I'm never going to come. I'm never going to say anybody else is like the New York Yankees. I mean, I mean, listen, just the overall history of the organization, the whole nine. I mean, this will be my ninth year special advisor. So I've been around this thing for a minute now and one of the things that I really appreciate about spring training this year was, listen, there was this narrative about how, you know, the Yankees are just running it back. Like they weren't very aggressive in the off season, didn't get a whole lot of names out there like Bregman, the whole nine. But at the end of the day, you're talking about the team that won the team Silver Slugger award, right? So that just goes to show you how talented this team is. Now all of a sudden, you not only have an unbelievable offensive roster, you now have some depth with your pitching staff. The guys are starting off this season with a four man rotation, but you still got Louis Hill. What are we going to do with him? And then you've got Garrett Wings. Wait, Garrett Cole waiting in the wings? Yeah, Garrett Cole waiting in the wings. I mean, it just kind of seems like right now that the conversations that I heard personally talking about in the locker room have been way different than they have in the past. So obviously everybody's chasing the almighty Dodgers. There's no doubt. I got to spend a little time with them in spring training this year. We were out there with the Ausl girls doing some content, and next thing you know, I'm seeing Shohei and. And Mookie. And then all of a sudden, here comes Edwin Diaz and here comes Kyle Tucker and I saw Doc Roberts and I said, doc, I didn't know it was possible for as good of a team as you had last year to somehow find a way to get better. And you did. And he's just really over the moon about his team. The culture is set over there. They have great veteran leaders in that locker room. When you roll into the Los Angeles Dodgers locker room, you know exactly what's expected of you. I feel like the Kyle Tucker sign was absolutely humongous for them. He's a plug and Play guy, you. You can slot him in anywhere in the lineup and he's going to be able to produce for you. So that word dynasty starts to come to mind. Although there are some teams that made some big moves out there this off season that could contend for that title as well.

[Colin Cowherd]

Are you surprised? I mean, you played in star studded locker rooms. Are you surprised? I mean, it's so interesting to me that the Dodgers and I think a lot of it is Dave Roberts, Joe Torrey. I always said Joe Tory was always the stepdad that you didn't want to disappoint. Like, you know, he was just. There was something about Joe Tori, you're like, Joe's not going to like that. Dave has kind of a softer hand. Are you surprised the Dodgers don't have. I mean, there's literally no egos, there's literally no drama. I mean, is it. Is it the Kershaw influence, Dave? What is it?

[Nick Swisher]

I think it's a combination of a lot of things. I think the expectations are held at a certain level and the accountability is at that same level. You know, I remember I was talking to Doc a little bit and I was just saying, hey, man, listen, I know the locker room that you have now was not the locker room you had when you showed up. He said, absolutely. Swish. It took time to develop this. And that's one of those things where he had a game plan of how he wanted to build that locker room, at least the culture that is in there. And then all of a sudden you bring over Mookie Betts, natural born leader in himself. Then all of a sudden you bring over Freddie Freeman, another natural born leader. You already had Clayton Kershaw, first ballot hall of Famer in there, along with Max Muncie and the rest of the guys. So when you roll into that locker room, it was almost like when I showed up to the Yankees in 09. The Core Four had already set the expectations, and it was your job to fill those voids where they needed it. And I think that's what the Dodgers are doing. They're bringing in, obviously, tremendous players and big time names, but guys that can fill the slots that they need. You lose TE Oscar Hernandez, you bring in Kyle Tucker. It's just kind of one of those things where they just continue to keep replenishing themselves year in and year out. Mark Walter over there, the Dodgers, man with the Guggenheim money, baby. They feel it really good about where they are right now.

[Colin Cowherd]

So, you know, an interesting player, and I watched him in the World Baseball Classic as Paul Skeens. And I could see if the Yankees, you know, kind of maybe didn't. Garrett Cole's not quite what they think. I could see the Yankees saying, let's, let's go get like a Skeens who you feel bad for because he's so dominant and so competitive in all in, like, I mean, he was just devastated losing the World Baseball Classic. What do you make? I mean, there's always been guys like that, like a great player for a. For a team that doesn't have the payroll. Do you think Skeins, eventually somebody just opens it up and goes, he's literally too good to play for Pittsburgh?

[Nick Swisher]

Hell yes. That's the right answer, right? I mean, I think at the end of the day, listen, the Pittsburgh Pirates are obviously, you know, found a diamond in the rough. The fact that Paul Skeens is going out doing what he's doing, and not only that, with such a young age, the fact that he is carrying himself as such a professional. Listen, you know, when he's, when he's dating his girlfriend right now, all eyes are on them. I mean, they're watching him all the time. And he has just kept on the narrow and steady, and he's continuing to do his work. One of the things that I noticed that I talked to some of the guys on the Team USA WBC team was how professionally he carried himself. And it's crazy because for someone like that to have it already all figured out is so impressive. This is one of those things where obviously Cy Youngs are huge in his future. I'm really excited to see him start going a little deeper into games. You know, instead of coming out in the fifth or sixth inning, being able to get those complete sort of games because he has the stuff for it, he has the strikeout stuff. I just think as he continues to keep progressing in his overall future, he's only going to continue to get better and better.

[Colin Cowherd]

So I don't believe in salary caps for baseball. I think you should have a salary floor. I think you have to spend about a million. 150 million. Guardians were around there, brewers were around there. And if you're well run, you can win games. If you're spending 80, 90, you can't compete. You're a Triple A baseball team. I look at the Met, but. But I always argue that money doesn't mean you win, it means you're interesting. That money makes the Mets interesting. Juan Soto, but it doesn't make him good. My question with Steve Cohen and the money is the Yankees Have a culture. The Dodgers have a culture. Milwaukee's got a great culture. The Cubs do. My question is, with the Mets, do you trust their culture? Cause they were a huge disappointment last year.

[Nick Swisher]

Yeah, I mean, listen, you know, obviously I don't ever really want to speak down on somebody or any group of people, but I did notice it was a little interesting this off season when Edwin Diaz and Pete Alonso couldn't have got out of there faster. It almost just seemed like they got those offers and they immediately took them. Now, Carlos Mendoza is a great friend of mine, and I love him to death, and I think he is a tremendous human being. But this is not the first time that this conversation has come up in the New York Mets locker room. So that's kind of one of those things where, you know, Uncle Stevie's money can get you so far. But at the end of the day, whether it's maybe, you know, maybe it's not the right people, maybe it's the. Not. Not the right leaders or whatever it is, but this is not the first time this conversation has come up. So there definitely has to be some things that are happening in that locker room. Because when you have someone like a Juan Soto who goes 4040 in his first year over there at Citi Field, no one expected him to do that. They were like, yeah, he'll hit 40 in Yankee Stadium. But when you go to that big ballpark over there and look what he did. Absolutely dominated last year and was the player that we all knew that he was going to be. Now, does that necessarily translate into championships? Not so much, because you need a whole group of guys to be able to do that. So I just think with where the New York Mets are right now, I mean, money is no object over there. I think it just kind of depends on where they feel like they're moving and are the decisions they're making the right ones? Because as of late, it doesn't seem like they might be the.

[Colin Cowherd]

You know, it's funny that if I said to you, take Aaron Judge out, there's no pressure on Aaron Judge. He's great. We all know that. Aaron Boone, steady hand. He and Cashman, I think, are fine for the time being. If I said to you, give me a Yankee, you do feel there's some pressure on. Cause Judge is going to be. Judge is arguably the best player in the sport. Is there. Is there a unit or a player with the Yankees where you do feel like, okay, it's time to deliver.

[Nick Swisher]

Yeah, I mean, listen, we got a lot of production From a lot of different guys last year. It's really hard to really single one certain guy out. I guess I would almost rephrase that. Question is, you know, who do I expect to come out and really do some damage this year other than someone like an Aaron Judge, obviously. Cody Bellinger just signed his contract. He's locked and loaded. His daddy was a Yankee, so he understands what a being a Yankee is all about. One of the guys that I'm really interested to watch this year is Jazz. Chisholm contract is up in a free agent year. The cat went 30, 30 last year. Could have gone 40, 40 if he stayed healthy. And that's really kind of one of the guys that I think is going to be a tone setter for this roster. Because you can't bank on Aaron Judge hitting a three run homer in the eighth inning every single game. You're going to need some other people to step it up as well. That's why I feel like this narrative about Aaron not being able to show up in the big situations in the whole nine. The cat hit.500 plus in the postseason last year. So at the end of the day, you need guys to really show up for you. And I think Jaz is one of those guys that's going to be a huge, tremendous bright light over there in New York. I think over there in the Bronx. He loves the, he loves the vibe, he loves the lights. And so I think for him, this is going to be a massive year for him. I'm really looking for a good one.

[Colin Cowherd]

Do they know when Garrett Cole is officially going to be back? What is, what are they saying inside the organization? What do we know?

[Nick Swisher]

Yeah, I think there's, you know, there's been, there's been a little bit of rumblings about when he's coming back. I think they're kind of keeping that tight to the chest. They just want to make sure that Garrett feels as good as he can to get himself back. Because listen, man, we, we still got him for some years. We still need him to be good. So if he needs to take an extra little time off, you know, that's kind of one of the things that I really appreciated about what we have with our starting staff. The fact that we have a little bit of depth and if the offense can do just a little something with the, with the staff that we're going to be throwing out there each and every day. I mean, Max Freed's been absolutely fantastic. Carlos Rodon has turned into an absolute grinder over there in the Bronx. Clark Schmidt's going to give you some productive innings. There's just so many guys that you can go to earlier in the year that being able to get a Garrett Cole back on your roster is going to be an absolute humongous boost for the boys come the second half.

[Colin Cowherd]

Nick Swisher, good energy. Nick has this energy before coffee. So that's the thing with Nick,

[Nick Swisher]

baby.

[Jason McIntyre]

All right.

[Nick Swisher]

Good to see you, too, Colin, man. Keep doing your thing, brother. I'll catch up with you later, man.

[Colin Cowherd]

All right. Nick Swisher, who I love having on the show. Special advisor to the Yankees GM Brian Cashman. Garrett Cole. There's a lot of talk about June, but, yeah. Aaron Judge. Aaron Judge hit well in the postseason last year. That. That was not the issue. This Swish is one of those guys. That energy is totally infectious. It's just absolutely great. Oh, boy. That Pukinakua situation will address that. That is. I mean, the Rams are just. They don't. They don't do nonsense. Rams are buttoned up. They don't have any instance. Any interest, by the way, in nonsense. And There was rumors two weeks ago about A.J. brown and the Rams. You know, they probably knew this stuff was going to come out. We'll talk about that Tom Pelissero later in the show.

[Nick Swisher]

Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am

[Colin Cowherd]

Pacific, on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the iHeartRadio app. Hi, this is Jay. I'm the producer of the Paulie and Tony Fusco Show. Usually in these promos, they ask you to listen to the show. I'm here to ask you, please don't

[Nick Swisher]

listen to the show.

[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.

[Nick Swisher]

Whoa, whoa, whoa. What the hell are you doing in our studio?

[Colin Cowherd]

Get him, Paulie.

[Jason McIntyre]

Ignore that fool. Listen to the Paulie and Tony Fusco show on the iHeartRadio app or wherever

[Colin Cowherd]

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[Nick Swisher]

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Code free meat at TrueNatureMeats.com well, in sports and in life, timing is just about everything. You can have all the right talent, right mindset, even have the right team. But if you don't act at the right moment, opportunity slips away. True on the field. And it's true when it comes to your health. Two words for you right now. Prostate exam. I did mine a year ago. Yeah. Are you imagining that finger right now? Relax. Prostate cancer screening starts with a simple finger free blood test. Around one in eight men in the US going to be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. But that's no reason to re clench when caught early. At localized or even regional stage, prostate cancer has a 99% five year relative survival rate. So did your tight end? Just relax.

[Nick Swisher]

Good.

[Colin Cowherd]

If you're 40 or older, have a prostate, go to Relax. It's a blood test.com, relax. It's a blood test.com to find out if a PSA blood test is right for you. The PSA blood test can be the first step in screening. So talk to your doctor to evaluate your risk, determine when to get tested and discuss screening options and the next steps. It's easy. 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 tomy policy advocate.com. let them review your policy. You might be shocked at what you'll find. My policyadvocate.com this time of year, the action doesn't stay in one room. Basketball on the main screen. Winter competition. All day games that demand your attention. With Sonos, your entire house stays connected. Play the game in the living room, music in the kitchen. Or bring it outside when friends come over without missing a moment. One system. Incredible sound in every room from the opening tip to the final buzzer. Sonos makes game day better at home. Explore Sonos sound bars and [e-mail] 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 and the weights 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 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 from n.com Code H E R D Foreign Todd McShay Nick Swisher yeah, the the Puka Nakua situation. So there are allegations and his, his attorneys are not. They. They've dismissed it as horseplay. But Puka is facing allegations of biting a woman. So the A.J. brown rumors a couple weeks ago. A week ago. Eagles receiver, Rams probably got word of this a couple weeks ago. So, you know, the thing with Puka is I always call it the drip, drip effect. Like the faucet eventually bursts. And there have been multiple. We talked about this yesterday and the day before with Puka. His style of play, he gets dinged up a lot. Why did he drop to the fifth round? I mean, Tyreek Hill dropped to the fifth round. Antonio Brown dropped to the sixth round. And they walk in the league and you're like, how? Well, Puka dropped to the fifth round. His, his first practice, Matt Stafford's like, holy wow. He was a star. His first game in the league. I think if you dig deep enough, maybe you find some stuff. I know his brother was arrested last December, so there's just been a lot of incidents. I think they have been. There's been a lot of discussions inside the building. The Rams are very buttoned up. Maturity matters a lot. Matt Stafford, they're on his timeline here. He's got a couple of years left. They don't have time for nonsense. I don't know. I mean, these are allegations, but there have been several missteps and the Rams are just not going to tolerate this stuff. They just don't. I mean, they, they if they think you have too much ego, they, they move on. If they think you're kind of doing your own thing. Jalen Ramsey, who was a great player, boom. They'll Let you go. So I, I mean, anytime there's a top receiver and you, you know, you hear trade rumors, you know, like Stefan Diggs or Tyreek Hill or A.J. brown or George Pickens, you know, it's usually behavioral. It's, you know, and that's. I'm not, I'm not precious. I don't think everybody in a locker room is perfect. It's a big locker room. These are young men. I get it. These are just allegations. But I, I, I have been close enough to the Rams. They have no time for this. This is just not an organization that is interested. They don't even, they don't even like ego. Like you're either all in on the team or they move on. So this does not bode well. And then the tough part for the Rams is, you know, you're sitting there thinking we're favored with the Super Bowl. Like, guys, I mean, this is not the time. So again, allegations. But it's, I mean, horseplay. Biting people as an adult, like, I don't know, just, I don't buy the horseplay, just my opinion. I don't buy that at all. J. Mac with the news.

[Nick Swisher]

No, no, no, no, no. Turn on the news.

[Colin Cowherd]

This is the herd line news.

[Jason McIntyre]

All right, let's go from biting people to recruiting people. Colin James Harrison, former Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh Steeler, a legend. Listen, man, he's making moves on Joe Burrow. James Harrison is actively trying to recruit Joe Burrow from the Bungles to the Steelers. Now, I don't know if this is going to work. I'm worried. Not worried. Let me, let me take away worried. I'm just curious if this is legal. But Harrison doesn't seem to be a media member. He's just a guy with a podcast. Here he is talking about trying to get Joe Burrow to defect to the Steelers.

[Nick Swisher]

We've been having conversations. I talked to him on the phone yesterday and we've been talking about him.

[Colin Cowherd]

You know, he gonna go up there,

[Nick Swisher]

talk to Mr. Brown and see what he need to do to, you know, do whatever he need to do to maybe get into to some black and gold. I would call that a pipe dream.

[Colin Cowherd]

I don't think that's. That's a reality.

[Nick Swisher]

That's what I was. That's why I keep trying to tell. I didn't ask you about no pipe dream. Okay, well, then, yeah, okay. I've been talking, I've been talking to this man. We've been having conversations. That.

[Colin Cowherd]

That's a no. I mean, my goodness, that'd be A no brainer.

[Jason McIntyre]

So is this just, is this engagement farming on the part of James Harrison, just trying to get clicks or do you think there's any shot that this could happen?

[Colin Cowherd]

I have. You know, I think I've told you my theory on Joe Burrow. So Joe Burrow was all in on football and then I think he's grown increasingly frustrated looking around. He's a smart kid. He used to be. I used to do a podcast with him. He's a smart guy and he's a no nonsense guy. And he was kind of a conservative, no nonsense, all football kid. Dad was a coach, good kid. I think he knows, he knows the temperature. He understands. The Ravens spend money, they take big swings. The Bengals don't. They have a small scouting department. They don't take swings. The owner is, you know, default gm. You know, it's, it's not a well run organization. And I noticed in the last couple of years that Burrow in the off season and he's sending messages which is like, guys, I'm going to go have fun. I'm going to the Oscars, I'm going overseas. I'm going to go have a good time and I don't care. I'm not, I'm not going to literally give every minute to Ohio and Cincinnati when you will not go spend any money. And I, I think he is, there's, there's, he's protecting himself because Burrow is one of the most competitive people in the league. He's a total competitive freak. And the Bengals ownership isn't, they settle a lot. So I, I think Joe would move in us. He'd never say this because he understands the value of quarterback and team. I think Burrow would love to go to like the Rams if, if Stafford retired. I think he'd love it.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah, I mean, if we're being real, you know, the season was over for the Bengals in January. You think January to May he's going to be hanging out in Cincinnati. He'd be hanging out in Paris and Los Angeles. He's out here with all these Instagram models hanging out. Listen, he's got a great life. But the question is, is there any world where the Bengals would trade him in the division? I say no shot. There's. I don't care what the trade package is. I don't want to trade Burrow in the division, have to see him twice a year, excel in the postseason. I cannot imagine this happening. Right. No, there's no way the Bengals are that dumb in the front office.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, they're not going to trade him to Pittsburgh.

[Jason McIntyre]

But, But a team like the Rams, you know, hey, Matt Stafford walks away, you know, we're not going to pay Puka because he's an off the field mess all of a sudden. And we got room. We can, we can take Burrow. What do you want? We'll give up all the picks. We don't care. And maybe players too. So. Yeah, I, I think the, you know, the time Burrow is going to be spending in Cincinnati is probably getting near the end. What, a year or two more?

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, I, it's this, this feels so Rams, you know, but, you know, they've got Stafford for two more years, so

[Jason McIntyre]

I would not count out Jerry Jones in Dallas. That's right. Got a couple more years.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[Jason McIntyre]

Jerry Desperate would throw the kitchen sink at Burrow. I would say it's worth keeping an eye on. By the way, the Steelers still stink and have no quarterback. All right, let's move on to the Denver Broncos. Colin, this is your team. You really got behind them early last year. A rare good call by you. Well, now they got Jalen Waddle and this team is kind of stacked on offense. They got a new play caller in Davis Webb, which I'm curious about. But an appearance on the NFL network. Running back J.K. dobbins believes Denver has too many weapons. It's like, pick your poison. Here we go.

[Nick Swisher]

I think we're going to do some things that people they weren't expecting. And then we got, we got another guy that just came in and, and Jalen. Yeah, not bad.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[Nick Swisher]

Poison, because we got Courtney certain. We got the young fat Brian. We got a great online. We got everything right. We gotta, we got an embarrassment of riches on this team of talent, you know, so I'm excited.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, they do. I mean, they have the best roster in the mission. I don't think that's. I, I mean, I thought Jalen Waddle, I thought of first, a third, a fifth. I thought it was a little rich. But if you go look at the history of Sean Payton when he has a dominant number one receiver, I still think, I mean, when you have Waddle and Cortland Sutton and now you've got Franklin, they still have Mims kid Pat

[Jason McIntyre]

Bryant that he mentioned. He showed some things last year. He's a promising young guy. I'll just say this, you know, you said it was maybe rich giving up those picks. Colin, the more people I've asked about the NFL draft, this is a weak draft. I know people are trying to hype it. With this Ty Simpson nonsense. It's a downdraft. There's just not a lot of top end blue chip talent. That's next year's draft where it's absolutely stacked. So I don't. We'll see if they gave up too much. I think Denver looks like a. They project as like a 12 win team next year.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah. What's their over unders? Is it 10 and a half? 11? What is it?

[Jason McIntyre]

Well, if the, if the Ravens is eleven and a half like you said, there's no way the Broncos is any lower. It has to be right around there, right?

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah. I mean I think, I think Denver's roster. Best rosters in the league. Rams. Eagles. Denver Rams.

[Jason McIntyre]

Eagles. That sounds about right. I think Denver's probably the leader in the afc. I know some people want to say Chiefs. I'm not buying that.

[Colin Cowherd]

I mean boy, they have the Broncos at nine and a half wins. It's almost disrespectful. I love Denver.

[Jason McIntyre]

Well, I'm going to Vegas soon. I will be betting that if it's indeed nine and a half win.

[Colin Cowherd]

Come on.

[Jason McIntyre]

Are you sure?

[Colin Cowherd]

That's what it says.

[Jason McIntyre]

Nine and a half.

[Colin Cowherd]

That's the best. That's one of the best bets on the board. Nine and a half.

[Jason McIntyre]

Show me the weak group of the position players they. That they have.

[Colin Cowherd]

They're not great at tight end.

[Jason McIntyre]

Oh man, that's the end of the world. I mean they're loaded at receiver. Good running back room. Your guy Bo Nix. Now the play caller is the big question. Do we know anything about Davis Webb?

[Colin Cowherd]

No, but I. At some point he had job offers

[Jason McIntyre]

around the league that I need more than that.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, I think I trust Peyton's call on that.

[Jason McIntyre]

All right, we'll wrap up with LeBron and the Lakers. Austin Reaves has really become a stud this year. Should have been an all star if not for that injury. He's dunking on people. He's crossing them up. He had that heroic moment against the Nuggets with a purposely missed free throw. Well, Reaves joined LeBron and Nash on the Mind the Game podcast and listen to LeBron's first reaction about playing with Reaves back in 2021.

[Colin Cowherd]

The first thing I noticed. It's kind of funny. We always talk about this.

[Nick Swisher]

He didn't play like a white boy. It was very different. His, his wiggle was very different.

[Colin Cowherd]

His, his game kind of. It.

[Nick Swisher]

It showed a pro and that's what I saw. That's what I saw early on.

[Colin Cowherd]

So as soon as training camp Started. I kind of made it a point to. To kind of beeline it to him

[Nick Swisher]

and kind of kind of force something into him, maybe even before he even saw it.

[Colin Cowherd]

Push belief. Push that belief and that confidence like you belong here. Yeah. And Austin, go look at his stat line. He just gets better. You can. You can watch certain players and you can see the time in the gym. Like, that's a guy is to be undrafted. Is he the best undrafted player of all time? He's got to be in a discussion, isn't he?

[Jason McIntyre]

Oh, that's a good one. I will look into that. That might be.

[Colin Cowherd]

Jokic is the best second round player. Yeah, I think he's the best.

[Jason McIntyre]

He was excellent.

[Colin Cowherd]

He's the best undrafted player certainly up there.

[Nick Swisher]

We'll.

[Jason McIntyre]

I'll dig into it in the commercial. Let me ask you, Colin, the timing. Now, I don't know when this was recorded. Could have been all star break, who knows? But the timing of this drop of LeBron and Austin Reeves sitting side by side on a podcast together, very copacetic and happy.

[Colin Cowherd]

Hmm.

[Jason McIntyre]

It's almost like LeBron is deferring to Austin. Hey, Luka's the one. LeBron, this guy's the two. I'm not the two. This guy who I'm having on my podcast, he's the two.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, LeBron is incredibly intentional. Nothing with LeBron is random. No tweets are random. Everything with LeBron and this is not a criticism. He's all business. You know what I mean? So LeBron's a very intentional guy. Is, you know, he's. We gotta give LeBron credit. He's. He's willing to do the role guy. And that, That's. That's a big ask.

[Jason McIntyre]

The messaging here about really gassing up Austin reaves as a stud and LeBron taking a back seat is just another stroke of genius from the king. And I know people don't like LeBron. That's fine. But the reality is he does want to stay in Los Angeles. His family wants to stay, his daughter every. They want to be here, and LeBron's doing what it takes to stay here.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, smart. You know, J. Mac with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The herd lie news that, that. That Denver Broncos nine and a half's a weird number. I don't even understand that. Like, Ravens eleven and a half. That's the smartest under bet on the board. Broncos 9 and a half, the smartest over bet on the board. Like that. I don't. I don't get the numbers is you know Bo Nix that injury is. Let's see, the Chiefs have tied for the highest over under in the AFC West. So you have the Chiefs and the Broncos at the same number. That's really interesting. Now again, I think there's you know, there's a that just paying respect to Reed and Mahomes and beach and the Hunt family. It's paying respect to the culture. Now live in Chicago, it's the Herd. Be sure to catch live editions of

[Nick Swisher]

the Herd weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific.

[Colin Cowherd]

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[Colin Cowherd]

code free [e-mail] well, in sports and in life, timing is just about everything. You can have all the right talent, right mindset, even have the right team. But if you don't act at the right moment, opportunity slips away. True on the field and, and it's true when it comes to your health. Two words for you right now. Prostate exam. I did mine a year ago. Yeah, are you imagining that finger right now? Relax. Prostate cancer screening starts with a simple finger free blood test. Around one in eight men in the US Going to be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. But that's no reason to re clench when caught early. At localized or even regional stage, prostate cancer has a 99% five year relative survival rate. So did your tight end. Just relax. Good. If you're 40 or older, have a prostate, go to relax. It's a blood test.com, relax. It's a blood test.com to find out if a PSA blood test is right for you. The PSA blood test can be the first step in screening. So talk to your doctor to evaluate your risk, determine when to get tested, and discuss screening options and the next steps. It's easy. 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 my policy advocate.com let them review your policy. You might be shocked at what you'll find. MyPolicyAdvocate.com Every sports fan knows step away during a close basketball game, a gold medal moment, or a win or go home matchup. And that's when everything happens. Unless you've got Sonos. With Sonos, you can group your sound bar with the kitchen so the game follows you while you grab a snack. Head outside during a break, add a portable spoon speaker and the game comes with you. Big moments deserve big sound everywhere you are. Explore Sonos sound bars and [e-mail] 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 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 mdrive4men.com the code is heard H E R D for 25% off your first order mdrive4men.com Code H E

[Jason McIntyre]

R D UFL Kickoff weekend is just two days away. A new season of spring football starts Friday night on Fox when a new franchise starts. The Louisville Kings take on the Birmingham Stallions. Then on Saturday we got D.C. st. Louis on ESPN and Houston Dallas on Fox. And the weekend wraps up with Columbus at Orlando Sunday night on espn. The UFL season kicks off Friday night on Fox.

[Colin Cowherd]

To his brother who played at Maryland. He's starting quarterback for Houston.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yes sir.

[Colin Cowherd]

Rick Neuheisel is coaching Dallas. Last year, 46 former UFL players made the NFL opening day roster. So that I've said this before, you can see the NFL bodies. Your offensive lines aren't Going to be close to as good. But receivers, backs, linebackers, quarterbacks. Mack Corral's playing. The kid that played at Ole Miss is playing to. His brother's playing Kellen Mond at Texas A and M. So quarterback, receiver, running back, db. Pretty good talent. So we're having a. We're having a debate. So during the commercial break where we basically screw off and eat snacks, there was some video that came in. Ty Simpson, his pro day. And you know, I'm not a big, you know, pro day combine. Whatever. So the staff says he looks bigger than 6:1. I think he looks 6:1. I don't take a lot from pro days. Yeah, I mean he doesn't look big to me. He looks smallish. Baker Mayfield, 6:1. I think Baker's got a better arm. He's got. This kid's got a decent arm. I, I think, I do think he is a franchise quarterback talent now. I guess the best way to say it is I think franchise quarterbacks come in two boxes. The first box, and this is rare. Will succeed eventually regardless. Like Sam Darnold to me, was going to succeed eventually. He was too talented not to succeed eventually. Baker Mayfield was going to succeed eventually. And then there's guys that they need to land in the right place. I think Simpson's one of those. Is that I think it could. He could just disappear. He's got to get, you know, a clever offensive guy. Got to get some pass protection. He's not a real big guy. His arm's good enough. It's not great good enough. And you know his film. I mean, this is Todd McShay last hour on Mendoza versus Simpson as quarterbacks.

[Nick Swisher]

But here's the jumping off point that I struggle with. You got Mendoza that just everything screams what it takes to be in the NFL. Six, four and a half. 236 at the combine, 35 starts. If I had to take a quarterback number one overall, I am taking Mendoza because it. It looks like. And the experience is that of what quarterbacks in the league. Everyone in the league is 30 plus starts that you would consider a good starter. Except for the two guys who are superhuman. Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah. I mean you. You do as a general manager there. There are so many games. I have friends. In fact one text me last night. Executives. And then league. And there are. There are certain things that are realities like who's representing them, what position do they play, you know, and a lot of these Alabama quarterbacks have not done well as pros. And that's Not Ty Simpson's fault, but he sat for years and years. I like that he's been in the program a while. He doesn't wow me. I do think he's better than I believe J.J. mcCarthy. That's my opinion. I think, I think he's better. I wasn't a JJ guy. I think he's better than Kenny Pickett. I wasn't a big fan. I don't think though I'll give you an example. I don't think he's as talented as Malik Willis. I think Malik Willis to Miami. I think Malik Willis is really good, but he played at Liberty, so he's a late bloomer. So I think Ty Simpson's fine. I think he has a nice arm and moves pretty well. So my, my, my, my take is he's a late first, early second pick. Jackson Dart, I think is plays with a little more confidence and moves a little better. They both have good enough NFL arms, you know. And by the way, I hear something that I think matters. One of the reasons I said Jackson Dart would eventually succeed, I thought he was more of a second round quarterback. I said he had three years of Lane Kiffin. So Lane Kiffin's coached in the NFL and then he goes from Lane Kiffin to Brian Dabel. So Jackson Dart got elite college coaching. Well, he also had Nick Saban and Kalyn DeBoer. So like Jackson Dart, you know, he's playing in the SEC, so he's playing against NFL elite first, second round bodies everywhere, Georgia's, LSU's. That helps. He also got Kaylin. DeBoer is a great coach, offensive coach. So I think that one of the things that helps Jackson Dart, Jackson had a elite offensive coach, plays in a conference that has the most NFL bodies on average and played in a lot of big games and a lot of tight games, big stadiums, television games. So Jackson Dart came out and he's like, hey, I'm playing with confidence. All that stuff is the same for Ty Simpson. I think that that helps him a lot. Sec, you're seeing elite defensive, Ed Drushers defensive tackles. You're getting the best of the best. You're playing in big stadiums, TV games, lot of pressure with great offensive coaching and NFL receivers. So there's a Jackson Dart comp. To me, stylistically they're not the same guy. But Jackson Dart's not a really big guy. They're two, you know, good looking young guys that move pretty well, that have good arms. I don't know if they're plus arms, but they're Good arms. Jackson plays with insane confidence. We'll see about Ty there. But yeah, I mean I. Somebody's going to draft. I don't think he's ready to play today but I didn't think Jackson dart was but you know, the three years Elaine Kiffin it paid dividends. And Brian Dabel, very good with quarterbacks. Had Josh Allen paid dividends. So, you know, prime example is for instance if he went to Pittsburgh with Mike McCarthy. Yeah. People are saying Pittsburgh. Well, it's different. The Tomlin Group I didn't think had the offensive sensibility. A bit tone deaf, couldn't run the ball consistently. Mike McCarthy is good with quarterbacks. So I if he went to Pittsburgh and sat behind Aaron Rodgers for a year, that would work. McCarthy would be great for him. McCarthy's had Cooper Rush and Dak and Aaron McCarthy's been around the block. That's about as good as he could do. Stable ownership in Pittsburgh. I like their running game. I think their own line's pretty good. I think now that McCarthy's in house, I mean I honestly, if I had to pick a spot for him, it's not a big media town. He wouldn't have to play right away if Aaron Rodgers came back, you know, you could say, well, they have Aaron and Will Howard. Okay, you couldn't have Will Howard and Ty Simpson both taking reps. So I, Pittsburgh works to me trying to think of another team. I, I'll throw it out there. Detroit. I mean they like Jared Goff. He's expensive, but he's a pocket quarterback. Simpson moves around a little bit, you know, but I, I think for me Fernando Mendoza is bigger. Played a great schedule, was unbelievable in late game situations. I think his ball placements insanely good. Fernando Mendoza is like Daniel Jones. Deceptive speed when you get him out. Tough. Great leadership qualities and he's 64 and a half. I like my quarterbacks like my furniture. Hard to move big and hard to move. So I, I like Fernando Mendoza. Johnny Manziel watch them play live. His thoughts on Mendoza.

[Nick Swisher]

I think he's going to continue to get better. I think he throws as I was

[Colin Cowherd]

watching him at the national championship game.

[Nick Swisher]

Throws a really good ball, has a

[Colin Cowherd]

lot of zip on his passes, reads coverage very well.

[Nick Swisher]

He obviously had some good help at the receiver point and the team that

[Colin Cowherd]

they had last year at Indiana.

[Nick Swisher]

The situation he's going into is going to call for a lot of patience. Brock Bowers, you know, genty rebuild some of the offensive line, get a defense. You keep Max Crosby, like have Some patience with it.

[Colin Cowherd]

And I feel like this kid is going to be very good. He more than impressed me being around him at the Heisman. It's interesting when I've talked to executives about Fernando Mendoza, there's a lot of people that like him. I tend to like him a lot. I said yesterday, Fernando Mendoza's got the aggressiveness of Andrew Locke, the toughness of Andrew Locke, the deceptive athleticism of Daniel Jones. He's a bigger, stronger Matt Ryan to me. And Matt Ryan's a very good court one, an mvp, went to a Super Bowl. I think he's a bigger, stronger plus arm. Matt Ryan. That's what I think he is mostly a pocket guy, but he's got a little Daniel Jones deceptive speed and he's, he loves to throw the ball down the field. Like Andrew Luck. Smart, grateful, humble, tough. It's not Andrew Luck, the talent, but there's, there's components to it I really like.

[Jason McIntyre]

All right, Colin, let me jump in here. I don't want to bash Ty Simpson's pro day, but I do have a question. So something popped up on social media this week. You know, these guys are looking for stats to knock Mendoza. This one was kind of eye opening. Okay. All right.

[Colin Cowherd]

All right.

[Jason McIntyre]

Do you know how many 300 yard games Mendoza had last year in college football in his final season in college?

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, they played a lot of good defenses. Iowa, Ohio State.

[Jason McIntyre]

How many, how many did he have?

[Colin Cowherd]

Six.

[Jason McIntyre]

He had one 300 yard game. Mendoza. Okay, now I'm not saying that's end all be all, but some of these guys went through last 17 years in the NFL Draft. Quarterbacks who had one or fewer 300 yard game in their final college season. Okay. Christian Ponder, I'll let you, you know, you know what his career was like. JJ McCarthy, one 300 yard game.

[Colin Cowherd]

Jake Locker, I was not a Locker fan.

[Jason McIntyre]

And Tim Tebow. That's it.

[Colin Cowherd]

So can I throw?

[Jason McIntyre]

I'm not knocking Mendoza. I'm not saying 300 yards is the end all be all. It's just, it's an interesting data point. That's it. It's not huge. It just makes you at least think like, damn.

[Colin Cowherd]

Okay, can I, can I push back on that?

[Jason McIntyre]

Please do.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, yeah. Indiana blew people out. Their point differential was 100 points higher than any other team.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yes.

[Colin Cowherd]

So they didn't throw the ball late when they asked him to throw it late. Miami, Penn State, he was great.

[Jason McIntyre]

He was clutch.

[Colin Cowherd]

But they were, you know, I mean, they just did not ask him to throw the ball.

[Jason McIntyre]

Well, that was your argument for J.J. mcCarthy. Hey, let's just run the ball with Harbaugh and these great running backs.

[Colin Cowherd]

The difference is McCarthy literally had a game in which he in the second half, he didn't throw a pass, telling me the staff didn't necessarily trust him. There was never any question that Signetti loved him and that he was very, very good. I mean, they asked him to throw how many times against like Miami? Those fourth down throws.

[Jason McIntyre]

Clutch city.

[Colin Cowherd]

I mean, they he was unbelievable. Oregon, Iowa, Ohio State, late. He was unbelievable. I don't think they're the same player. I I am a huge Fernando Mendoza

[Jason McIntyre]

fan because, you know, people who tune in get 15 seconds. Oh, you guys hate Mendoza. I love him. I would take him one period. End of story.

[Colin Cowherd]

All right, that settles that. All right, Final hour Want to thank Nick Swisher and Todd mcshay. They were money.

[Jason McIntyre]

Let's just break down Ty Simpson video for the final hour.

[Colin Cowherd]

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