Patriots ‘Dynasty,’ Belichick to Amazon, NFL Combine & free agency, almost robbed | Colin Cowherd

Colin Cowherd and ‘3 & Out’ host John Middlekauff discuss the latest news around the NFL. Colin & John talk about the New England Patriots documentary “The Dynasty,” Bill Belichick & Tom Brady’s run for the perfect season in 2007 and Belichick benching Drew Bledsoe for Tom Brady. Next, they talk about the salary cap raise in the NFL and which teams should be aggressive in free agency. The NFL Combine starts Monday, so what are they looking for during the week and is Caleb Williams to the Chicago Bears a sure thing? The Golden State Warriors lost to the Denver Nuggets, but is Steve Kerr a top-5 all-time coach? Colin just got back from vacation but tells an amusing story of nearly being robbed while he was out of town.

Timeline:
00:00:00 – Intro
00:04:57 – Why Patriots ‘Dynasty’ is incredible
00:15:20 – NFL salary cap
00:19:28 – NFL Draft & NFL Combine
00:26:17 – Why NFL is king
00:44:19 – Are Warriors legit NBA Finals contenders?
00:52:33 – What to look for at NFL Combine
00:55:55 – Vacation stories

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Welcome to the official YouTube channel for the Colin coward podcast go on hit the Subscribe button there you go right down there if you want to be among the first to hear my weekly takes NFL college football more right there all right off a week vacation nice to be back in the saddle

Flew cross country just landed about an hour ago John middleof former NFL scout going to the NFL combine here um this week also uh three and out his podcast go low is his golf podcast um so I got a I first of all I usually fight Delta I flew American

Airlines back I told my wife that’s the best meal I’ve ever had on a flight in my life what’ you eat it incredible so they start with fresh olives you know heated almond pistachios and then they go into this Peach salad and then they they have uh

AI tuna and then they go into tortilla soup and then they go into green beans grain bread uh olive oil piece of chicken with like a salsa on it that’s what I chose and then I waited about an hour and a half took about a half hour

That woke up and had like this Ginger and vanilla ice cream dessert I told my wife I’m like that what something’s being experimented like either profits or through the roof on American Airlines so Ty the cap to American Airlines I’m like honey I ate better than you and I was at 33,000 feet

I can’t help you and people complain about flights a lot and listen I don’t everyone’s had a bad experience here and there but I think for the most part I mean if you’re not flying Spirit Airlines it’s pretty darn good yeah I mean it’s it’s pretty darn good what we

Have in 2024 especially in this country if you live in major airports the ability to get around it can’t be ever been as easy as it is right now yeah and I I um you know one of the things years ago I started doing well I told my wife

Just we’ll fly first class this point forward let’s just do it they had a pod so I watched you know I downloaded a couple Netflix and uh Apple TV shows uh I I downloaded you know four or five episodes of stuff uh all of it was

Really really good but I you know I think sometimes like I’ve been on planes I’ve had three or four people on planes that were crazy like disruptive by and large you know most people just sit there quiet really good people i’ I’ve said this for years I’ve been a Delta Flyer

Forever forever I I think what our industry does commercial Aviation for how many people are at airports and and for the record I don’t care what you think about the economy it can’t be that bad because every flight I’ve been on for six years is packed and I know what

I’m paying for these seats and it they ain’t giving them away there’s no discounts here my flight today packed flight out packed I don’t I’m not a guy that loves private especially in the winter I’m not gonna fly it you know I if I can get a a first class seat on a

Three and a half hour flight I there’s no need for me to go private I don’t care but most of the flights are on time now if you’re if you’re taking off at Loria at 5:30 on a Friday night no you’re you’re going to sit on the tarmac

For a while but I just think I think sometimes in America we forget how good our grocery stores are like we forget how good uh and efficient our country is I I went to London about six seven years ago went to Wimbleton maybe eight years ago my hotel didn’t have air

Conditioning it was a high-end hotel and uh the toilets were inconsistent and I’m like man if you went to a Marriott you’d go to complain to management in this country I think sometimes we just complain to complain I know multiple people one that flies for United one

That flies for American they both FL uh flew fighter P or fighter jets in the Air Force how does it get any better than that that guy’s overqualified to fly us around the country that’s like having uh Trent Williams as my personal security guard I mean just it doesn’t

Get any better than that right and and that’s who a lot of these Pilots are they they served in the military flying a lot more expensive a lot more difficult uh aircrafts and those are the guys that fly us around for 40 years from basically their age 30 till when

They retire yeah I mean I couldn’t even tell you the last flight I was on that had really bad turbulence there’s always bumps could couldn’t tell you I mean I just thought I’m sitting on that American Airlines flight today and I’m thinking this you’re living I am and I

They even had this little app or something on the TV you could download and I’m watching where we’re flying and it’s like I can monitor the flight I’m sit there watching a Netflix show I want to I want to Pivot to this though cuz one of the things I download loed was

Episodes uh three and four of Dynasty yeah off the Jeff Benedict book He’s on my show in about two weeks episode 4 John I don’t know if you saw it is one of the best episodes of a documentary Sports documentary I’ve ever seen in my life the Randy Moss arrival uh the

Spygate um losing to the Giants in the Super Bowl I mean it was Robert Craft’s son said walked into the locker room and grown men were vomiting and balling and I you forget the two things so far through four episodes that you forget how big that upset of Kurt Warner and

The Rams was they were offensively ahead of their time I mean they they had a ners feel like can anybody stop them to win that game they by the way it was 143 and a half they completely shut him down they’d already won a Super Bowl a couple

Years previously I mean that team was pretty special Hall of famer’s everywhere and then you forget how historic that 18-0 team going for 19-0 you know as I watched it I I was I thought if I was interviewing Tom Brady and I said Tom take one play out of your career I

Guarantee you he’d say the David Tyree catch and when I watch that I’m like oh my God Teddy brusi is like yeah we’ve done that to people we did that to the St Louis Ramsey goes I know what they were feeling they believe now they were

The better team you know I I haven’t seen I I’ve seen the three episodes I I watched three of them on Friday night I think we also forget and it really kind of puts into context how big a balls Bill had when he made that move yeah the

Guy was on a100 million contract when $100 million was oh yeah Drew bledo yeah number one overall pick and this is where I think football coaches they just have more juice than the other coaches in basketball and definitely in baseball because it’s more of a management League

When their gut tells them something I mean we see it all the time in football right college and pro to know that like yeah Drew doesn’t move around as well anymore right he’s been hit too much and you watch the other thing I’m watching it with my girlfriend she’s like God

These guys look bigger back then I’m like yeah Maria these quarterbacks back in the day were all 66 they were all huge when Tom and Drew are standing next to each other Caleb’s coming out he’s barely 61 these guys have him by five inches I mean Drew bledo is a strapping

Indiv visual that’s the old school quarterback and you’re watching when Drew runs and get hits by Mo Lewis I’m thinking like most quarterbacks now get out of bounds even Brock P’s faster right there there and the difference in style and you’ve been saying this forever about

Bellich he was perfectly set up for that old school football right and this is where Tom benefits obviously he took a lot in his control and was really good but we’re going to talk a lot about draft picks over the next couple months if you go to a team that sucks you have

Unless you’re an all-time transcendent Talent it’s going to be very very difficult Tom did get to begin starting on a team full of really good defensive players and clearly a really good coaching staff and he’d be the first to tell you I think a lot of these Patriot

Guys are kind of in a weird way offended by everyone talking about bich because it almost diminishes a little bit like what they had as a group was pretty special and you watch all these guys you’re like he has a pretty high level group of individuals yeah it it’s

Very omera it’s very much Secrets kept in the family that’s why man Genie I was told man Genie called Bill and said Bill I know what you do don’t do it don’t tape the Jets yeah don’t do it bill just said whatever I’m going to tape the Jets

Bill thought like it’s omera it’s the family they’re secrets you got a job because of me and it burned them you know speaking of um folks if you haven’t watched it on Apple TV you should Dynasty the book’s great as well by Jeff the the footage they have I mean is just is

Remarkable but um Ernie Adams and it made me think so Ernie Adams is just fantastic so he is bills basically and I I mean he is you know CFO kind of like you could I mean there’s nothing he’s I I would say the valet but

Uh uh he’s his Patty and you’re like no no he was off in he was off in his brains yeah and I was thinking about this and so years and years ago when I worked at ESPN George Bodenheimer was the CEO and George was really sharp but

When you’re the CEO of a major company you need a two somebody that can can call you out somebody that can watch the manua you’re doing all these meetings after meetings and I mean and George was as smart a guy that I’ve ever had the you know honor or privilege to work

Under and his two was like John Skipper who became the president and I remember when Skipper got the job he didn’t have a strong two and it really cost him and I can remember somebody in the company saying to me John doesn’t have he doesn’t have a John and it’s it’s always

Made me think about this whether it’s Andy Reid with maybe it’s a spags maybe there’s somebody on the staff is most great Co I mean let’s be honest Dave wanat Jimmy Johnson they just really trusted each other parcels and bellich where bich like Bill to trust me on this

And they they battle on this stuff Sabin has done a remarkable job in college to keep the Turn Style of coordinators coming in but um you know and you could say since Kirby Smart left the defense hasn’t been quite as good you know he went to Georgia but when you watch this

Special Ernie Adams um I don’t even know there there are moments and Damen Woody pointed this out he was considered a genius in the building it Bill often you can just see him he’d walk off the the podium at practice when Ernie retired about you know and then years later Dante caria I

Think that’s undervalued we all talk Brady but it’s Bill had people that he just he just leaned on and they all in a short period of time left and watch this for Ernie Adams who by the way is a funny guy like if there’s anybody you’ve

Ever wanted to sit and have a beer with at football it’s Ernie Adams I I heard when they were out of football well Bill wasn’t when they got fired in Cleveland and Bill went to work for parcel’s Ernie was out for a little bit that Ernie made Bill millions in the stock market

Because Ernie was just you know so brilliant he just started working on finance till he get back in the league when Bill got the head coach in New England so he if you think about it as a head coach especially when you get of his level of

Fame and wealth the hierarchy in a building is a lot like the military where where everyone kind of is intimidated by you and even when you’re having a one-on-one conversation there’s a level of I’m here you’re there it’s just a natural hierarchy of the building

Where a coach needs a a guy that he can go in close the door and have a normal human one-on-one one conversation where anything can be said and that was always what Bill had in Ernie right a guy that he had known since high school think

About that in that 2001 Super Bowl he was the guy Ernie what do you think we should do with a minute 30 left as John Madden kneel the ball kneel the ball and Ernie’s like I think we’re gas buillt let’s put the pedal to the metal and go

For it right but he that’s who he asked not Charlie Weiss not Romeo kenell not these other coaches that he’s known for a long time as well so I I’ve always thought this about Bill Bill is a very very good talent evaluator at coach right he found Josh McDaniels Brian

Flores Adam Peters Jason light all these guys cerio but eventually you run out of it and that’s what it felt like these last couple years is he just ran out of guys and he could not replenish the well and obviously the quarterback situation but I I

You know I told you I think like a month ago I think Bill should do Amazon TV and show his personality a little bit and just kind of Rebrand himself a little bit because right now the NFL owners look at him like this kudin negative guy kind of

Power they all know he’s a good coach but you Rebrand yourself a little bit a year later you got three guys begging you for their job and let’s face it right now that just was not the case which is crazy he couldn’t get a head coaching job he just couldn’t no no one

Wanted him and I also think I think about this all the time in life that no is a really powerful word that people don’t use enough and sometimes missing on a job is the best thing ever there was one great job opening this year Chargers yeah next year and it this is

Not even unlikely Josh Allen Jaylen Herz Dak Prescott um you start going at Derek Carr um there could be uh I I wrote the oh Trevor Lawrence there could be like five six high-end quarterbacks who need coaches you can’t win in this league I mean bellich che’s proof you can’t win

Big in this league without the quarterback so there’s a lot of these jobs I mean bear Caleb Williams absolutely so in a weird way Vel and Bill sit out for a year you made a ton of money golf a little bit watch games by the way Mike McCarthy not at that

Level ended up getting the cowboy gig it’s a remarkable I mean I think about this all the time I mean you’re as a you’re a former Scout you know this Co there’s an insecurity among even great coaches once you’re out you’ve got to get back in and I’ve thought about this

Before like even in my profession it’s like if you’re talented just sit back and watch shows implode watch managers get you know asked stuff opens up really fast in Big Money businesses Silicon Valley Football media blah blah whatever it is Law and I think coaches sometimes

Feel like I’ve got to get a gig but I mean if if the Chargers job wasn’t open the only other job I would have left Michigan for if I was Harbaugh is Washington because they have like $80 million cap space and I actually think if they get Drake may I think I

Think he’s gonna be okay I mean what did you make this week of everybody getting more cap space because the NFL came out and announced the revenues were higher than expected the Rams now have like 43 million $42 million in cap space it doesn’t feel like that long ago that the

NFL salary cap was like $150 million does it I mean this thing is this thing has gone up at rapid speed $255 million is a lot of money and if you think about it it’s actually easier to set yourself up for the next several years because what’s 255 in five years

340 I mean it’s going to go up substantially so signing some of these contracts I do think we need to look at them a little bit differently right when you extend a guy the way they can manipulate the money on the salary cap to to add up to $255 million you need a

Lot of cap hits at 20 3040 million so it definitely makes it a lot more easy now here’s the problem salary cap bace in baseball if show he Otani and Aon and even they don’t have a salary cap but you know what I mean if a baseball

Player is hitting free agency sh Otani is hitting free agency if Kevin Durant’s a free agent he’s hitting free agency well you he Higgins franchised you’re going to see that list of like the top free agents franchise franchise franchise franchise that’s what makes football a little unique is having a lot

Of cap space in this sport most of the best quote unquote free agents never hit the open market and then to get that next tier the B player I think you pay like a 25 30% premium look at last year the best tackle on the market mlinci you

Had to give him almost 60 million guaranteed the 49ers his third contract Hargrave he gets $80 million $40 million guaranteed so you pay an ultimate it’s like you know beachfront real estate because not that many guys hit it so if it’s a starter a good starter a guy that

You know is a plug-and-play starter you pay for it right and even some of these guys that are franchised maybe they’re quote unquote available through a trade it’s like oh you know we we’d be open to trading T Higgins but we’ need your one

In the 20s and then you have to pay him $23 million a year so it’s if you want to dabble in that market it’s very very expensive it’s why me the Washington of the world I would just take a deep breath kind of let things play out the

Texans are a better example okay you already see you got some stuff if I gotta overpay a guard and overpay a linebacker that I really like who cares I got $70 million if I if I invest 35 and those two guys I I feel pretty good

About it but I already know what I got like with Washington and some of these teams let’s just try to walk before we run let’s just see how the quarterback is because yeah Drake May or Jaden Daniels whoever they end up taking I mean how often do we see these guys be

Overwhelmed or whatever then all of a sudden you gotta kind of you you want flexibility as much as possible to me the Texans are a good example like I’d be pretty aggressive here like could I go get a t Higgins could I make a trade

Right and then pay a guy like I I I’d be open to a lot of different options get in on the action with the draftking sports book an official sports betting partner of the NBA new customers who deposit $5 or more can get a no sweat bet up to

$1,000 back in bonus bets how cool of a deal is that all you have to do is download the draftking Sportsbook app now takes 90 seconds and use the code Colin C L I N this is the best deal you’re going to find new customers it’s

A no sweat bet up to ,000 if your first bet loses how cool is that only at draftking Sportsbook code is Colin the crown is yours you know one of the things things you’re going to the combine one of the things that’s great about the draft is it really has you

Know the NBA draft is fun but there’s two rounds and these guys come in at 19 and they go to bad teams so and the hit rate’s pretty low because you don’t have as much video it’s hard in the NBA NFL college draft you have minimum three

Years of film a lot of these guys come from two or three major conferences they’re playing against NFL guys so there’s misses but there’s a lot of hits as well you know and now I I I was thinking about uh one of the things in the draft that I

Was reading a story and I forget God I want to give credit to whoever did it they went back and looked at last year’s draft and graded it and again it’s not so Houston had the most successful draft so when CJ strad comes in and crushes some of it is very

Explainable they hit like on five draft picks uh number two I I know the Rams and the Seahawks were up there the Packers were at three and I got to tell you something I I I said this I liked both the Packers last two drafts is I

Sometimes wonder about this but by the way the the the Jets and the Giants terrible yeah is that I sometimes wonder and you worked in the building because Philadelphia where you work it’s a wealthy franchise there a lot of money here Green Bay I could argue over the

Last 25 years has done a better job than anybody in this league Drafting and developing and when you were in the league and my take is is a lack of an owner helpful the guys running it are just all football guys but the Packers they went to last year’s draft and the

Receivers hit and and the tight ends hit and the and I I just when I look at Green Bay I think okay they’ve had different GMS different coaches they nail quarterbacks great o line uh they always always find receivers and ends when you were in the

League um is it one of those classic The Millionaire Next Door that if you’re on a school teacher salary you’re just not going to waste as much money you’re going to be smarter than a stock broker who’s got money to right are the Packers seen as Frugal because they don’t have

The game day Revenue but when I saw that list and again I apologize for not um crediting who it was I I saw it on the plane it was best draft from last year Packers were third and I thought God when is the last bad draft the Packers

Had I think a lot has to do with you know a lot of cultures when I get rid of everyone right an a GM and a and a coach the owner gets to hire everybody and he’s always the boss he’s always hovering over everybody it goes back to

Ron wolf and holgren Ron taught all these guys right from Ted Thompson gakin had worked there forever so they’ve had the same culture in terms of management since Ron wolf showed up in the early 90s so the way they look at players they’ve always been obsessed with height

Weight speed I don’t think it has to do as much with like pinching pennies and not being able to like you know you’re the rise they’re the Yankees so you have to outthink them I just think that they’ve taught and streamlined it from generation to generation very very well

They they have a like a company culture there that I think has transcended General Managers from Ron wolf to Ted Thompson to now gakin and I think they’ve been pretty consistent back to what you’re saying with the draft of like they all know what they’re looking for because they’ve been looking for the

Same thing now for 30 years helps a lot when you have a quarterback right they they have a quarterback and they know how to surround the guy and they’ve always done an incredible job of surrounding the guy on offense I think the Ravens are a pretty good example of

How they transition from Aussie to dasta because dasta was his right-hand Man Forever yes right so it’s like good point when you have the cohesion like why are the Chiefs so strong right now because Andy has spags who’s never leaving I mean and who has been goes

Back for 20 years beating bellich and Brady it’s very unique to have that Kyle or McVey get a good coordinator Boom the guy’s gone they they can’t hold on to their defensive coordinator so I I I think having the cohesion the Packers is a great place to work I remember when we

Were there when I worked in the league everyone was always kind of envious of like because it was like this chill Vibe but they were winning big and it was just you’re the Green Bay Packers there was like the pressure we had in Philadelphia you felt it every day when

You went in the building they definitely don’t have that yeah I think the Chiefs really have that going on right now but a lot has to do with winning I I just think it’s it’s a very unique organization but I I do think it gets back to the the streamlined vision from

Generation to generation and they’ve all crossed you know like John Schneider hires Mike McDonald they don’t know each other they’re hoping this chemistry works because he’s good coach with the Ravens and you know he knows but it’s like you’re kind of keeping your fingers crossed you look at Harbaugh goes to the

Chargers who do they hire as a a general manager a guy he knows a guy he’s comfortable with from Baltimore so you’re like yeah it’s probably going to work out he knows John there it’s all in the family that matters like Shanahan’s had a lot of success with people he

Knows he worked with Robert solah he coached Deo Ryan Brian greasy he worked with when he was young at Tampa dad knows him we’re all comfortable with people we know right who do you hire the volume like to run your management people that you’re comfortable people

With you know it helps now they have to be talented but like when you’re all on the same page it’s a lot easier to operate and I think for 30 plus years the Packers have just had a lot of cohesion not a lot of people leave their

Coaches do you know but they their Scouts I don’t know if they pay topnotch relative to the NFL Executives but I I I sure know when they’re winning things are having success people like working there yeah you can also buy a hell of a house in Milwaukee like a king

$490,000 you know it’s it’s just it was when I saw the list uh it was like God Green Bay knows what they’re doing and to your point quarterbacks kind of make it all work you can I mean listen Brett V and Kansas City’s had some misses you forget skymore you forget him really

Quickly momes makes you forget really quickly well it’s like someone told me with the Jets a couple years ago they’re like they had all those picks in the top whatever the first couple rounds for two straight years we could we could go seven of eight they all could be pro

Bowlers if Zach’s a whiff we’re in trouble we’d go one of eight if Zach’s a hit contract extensions well what happened they went seven eight maybe not seven eight but five or six of eight and Zach’s a problem and they got issues that quarterback I mean if Jordan love

And we’re all gonna pencil him in I do think there’s a difference of kind of they got to fly under the raadar a little bit this year they started slow then they came on everyone next year is going to be looking at them like double digit wins playoff team it is a

Different pressure why I give a lot of credit to the Lions everyone took the Lions seriously this year coming in and they handled it well like it’s it’s a it’s another now laflor has success now he’s been a part of those type teams with Aaron so he’s I feel comfortable

With it but sustaining high level play year in year out that’s hard so you know there’s going to be a lot of tangible pressure on Jordan love next year so it’s it’s interesting when I this is kind of a vague um topic but I I you

I’ve always kind of measured how often I talk football I don’t work at the NFL Network nor do I want to I like to I like the NBA I like you know an October September baseball Series I like the World Cup a good UFC fight I like March

Madness I I could never just talk football and I’ve always kept the number around 65% of the show um but I was talking to a TV EXA I had a meeting about 10 12 days ago with a really smart guy and we were talking about the big 10

And he said those ratings are going to go up 15 to 20% and I had given college football about an eight-year break a Hiatus on my show uh because it got very Regional and very Southern and I’m not anti SEC but if it was all it was Alabama Georgia every and

Clemson every year for seven straight years yeah and so it’s just like listen once baseball became very local where nobody in Minnesota is going to watch the Mariners nobody in Seattle gives a rip about Tampa Bay yet a Seahawk fan would watch the Buccaneers and Baker Mayfield play so once baseball about 10

12 years ago I felt it really got local I just didn’t talk about it um college basketball is a Turn Style now between the transfer portal one and done you can’t name the starters on Duke um but it is sort of interesting I was talking to this executive about the growth of

College football he goes you’re not going to believe the numbers are going to explode and he started talking about the big 10 schedule and he’s like you’re going to get Washington Oregon or Washington Michigan Ohio State Oregon Penn State USC you’re going to have three and four games in a row all day

And it did make me think as I was off this week and I you know I kind of shut it down when I’m off I don’t watch sports I just leave and there was nothing going on anyway I’m watching The Warriors nuggets today crappy year but the biggest story in baseball last week

As the season starts uniforms you know they’re kind of sheer see-through biggest story in the NBA was how bad the All-Star game was the biggest story in college basketball was storming the court yet the NFL is the sport we talk about because we watch the games listen if you’re a fan listen to

What we talk about when people Sports casters podcasters talk football we actually talk about strategy in the games that the NFL with the growth of college football which by the way between the draft and the combine they really starting to go hand inand college basketball in the NBA are the Grand

Canyon that they have nothing in common most of the great players don’t even want to play in college basketball college baseball major league baseball college hockey they they don’t connect you know college soccer in the MLS they don’t connect college football connects with the NFL more and

More and I was sitting there this week watching people talk about sports and I thought am i g to do an 80% football show based on the audience I as I’ve said the audience drives the show what they want I follow ratings and I’m I’m sitting there thinking I I don’t want to

Work at the NFL network but John between legalized gambling people now stick through bad games this massive yeah big 10 SEC explosion where now the two conferences are going to have all the games we watch the ratings are going to Skyrocket the 12 team playoff I I was sitting there this week

And I thought Jesus you’re talking about seethrough pants in baseball is that amongst your friends when you go golf does anybody talk about anything other football football is the only thing that comes up consistently but e even and I know a couple guys and play golf with some former major league baseball

Players they talk football I mean the Bills fan a Packer fan that’s all they want to talk about and during the fall I think college football like you said think about next year Texas Alabama Oklahoma Georgia Texas LSU the SEC and the Big 10 G it’s gonna feel like NFL

Light I think the NFL I’ve said this forever I don’t know if it’s going to last forever my entire life like I’m almost 40 does that 40 Years of dominating when I was growing baseball was huge the 90s with the Yankees basketball with Michael Jordan but for

The foreseeable future I don’t see how that Gap I the All-Star Game guys actively talk like why would we even try to participate Anthony randone who’s making $245 million you see that story he’s like yeah baseball’s not even a priority it’s like well I think for $250 million probably probably don’t want to

Say that buddy you know it’s like can you imagine an NFL I I think the relatability sometimes with the and I don’t even blame these guys because you’re getting $250 million guaranteed some of these basketball players I I played I played golf last week during the allar break with a guy that calls

NBA games and he was saying one problem is and he’s on a pretty high level team but he just sees around the league is you it’s always like you have to Max everybody out well you can’t lose them well is the guy a maxed player like we

Had to Max Zion did you or I mean did you have to because the NFL you don’t have to and you would not and so everyone making all this money if I don’t care who you are if you’re 25 years old and you’re basically guaranteed to get an astronomical amount

Of money you’re going to be jaded in the way you think about everything Y where in football it still has this old school meritocracy that if you do not produce within two years I’ve seen it forever it’s why when I used to go to Niners

Camp a lot like I’m not going to make a too big a deal about a third or fourth round pick because every year I’ve seen that third or fourth round pick by the time training camp ends the undrafted free agent’s beating him out and might

Even beat out the starter and all of a sudden two undrafted free agents are starting guys are coming from everywhere every team I don’t care if you’re a playoff team or a shitty team and they’re that’s kind of like relates to our life you got to produce whatever you

Do you either generate Revenue get your job done or you kind of get replaced where I think in basketball and baseball it’s kind of like scholarship once you get paid like I can’t what am I gonna do with you even in football you’re GNA see so many names this week you’re like God

I thought that guy was under a long-term contract you’re like yeah we’re thinking about cutting him if you won’t take a pay cut we’ll thinking about trading them so basically every guy I we could probably name 30 guys that like Untouchable in the NFL a lot of them are

Quarterbacks and then a lot of like highlevel Trent Williams Travis Kelce like those type guys but basically every other name you go half the Pro Bowl roster you’re like yeah they could move on from that guy yep and I I think basketball and baseball used to have an

Element of that and definitely their guys were wired like working in like local television in in the Bay Area and meeting a lot of guys that played in the 80s and 90s they had that attitude in baseball and basketball I can be replaced I can be cut they were very relatable individuals

It’s why Charles Barkley’s like one of the biggest PV stars of all time he’s relatable I think it’s much more difficult for the modern guy in that sport to be relatable because you’re making hundred million guaranteed whether you’re good or bad no one has a problem when you’re good getting paid

But you’re like is this guy even Jordan P’s making 130 million dollars he’s like the worst player in the NBA yeah well and i’ I’ve talked to a handful execs and I’ve brought this up before they laugh at the NBA structure they’re like what a joke they make fun NFL guys I

Remember having this conversation a couple years ago when the CTE thing came down and a lot of these Northeast media types who don’t understand the passion for football in the midwest or college football they’re like yeah it’s the end of the NFL I’m like you’ve been in the

Northeast way too long where baseball still talked about on sports radio a lot I’m like football’s not going anywhere it’s way too big to fail there’s way too much money and they’ve cleaned it up then nobody hits at practice anymore once the season starts by the way you

Get to the Super Bowl usually the teams that get to the Super Bowl are missing maybe one starter like everybody’s got the yeah I mean guys are healthy ners and Chiefs were healthy yeah so there’s a you know the Chiefs a few years ago missing their tackles and it was like

Yeah that’s what happens but one of the things the structure of the NFL is the structure of most of our Lives you’re tradable cutable firable and I never understand fans like this is like where fans I I look at fans and I just think you guys are out of your mind this

Idea I want my guy to get the bag that I don’t want many players to get the bag because it limits my flexibility I am always rooting for the team to sign a reasonable contract so it gives the team flexibility I mean this idea like dax’s got a $300 million net worth after

His next contract he’s fine like but you’re not you’re not fine if you overpay players but it it is interesting the NFL’s the only Sport and I will say the MLS and hockey are the closest NBA and baseball are a mess that it’s like you just I talked to a former hockey guy

That played 15 years I I didn’t know who he was but we started bsing he was one of the most relatable individuals I had to Google after I God this guy play they have a relatability to the way they talk and the way they interact they’re

Actually I’m like this guy can talk to anyone in here and could have got along it it was very impressive yeah I met a guy at a bar in Naples one time NHL guy he was a Brun I didn’t know him Googled him same but I also think they have a

Very tight cap and stars get paid everybody else makes a good living not an insane living uh and I’m not anti um I always said this I’m not anti- players making money I’m not anti- Mobility um but in any business if you’re paying BNC employees a money you’re going to have a

Problem and I do think and again I love NBA playoff basketball um I really do it’s one of my favorite things but I I I NFL guys they look Executives owners they look at the NBA and baseball and they just laugh at their structure well

I think one power of the NFL like you said about a random fan will watch not his team and know their players I also think because the power listen we can argue over the franchise tag whether it’s fair or not it’s one of the healthiest things for the business by a

Mile because when Kevin Durant or Aaron judge or sh Otani when they hit free agency there is no mechanism to keep them and in those leagues guys turn over a lot which is not great for the league well if I’m the Kansas City Chiefs I would imagine bottom 10 Market in the

NFL if I want to keep Patrick Mahomes his entire career or the Packers with Rogers aarre I can until I choose to get rid of them and that’s healthy for my Organization for the league the chiefs were just in a Super Bowl and they’re easily now I would say one of the most

Recognizable brands in the NFL because of Patrick and that’s not really possible like in the NBA if the Nuggets make the NBA Finals it’s not great they would much rather have the Steph Curry or Lebron in the NBA Finals where in the NFL it helps to have the Niners there

But if it had been the Lions maybe it’s not 120 what is 115 million people still watching the super it doesn’t impact and that’s where I think the NFL has dwarfed everyone that they’re no longer dependent on markets the Brands their brands Changed by the player by the

Quarterback who you know if Josh Allen’s healthy he’s going to be on the bills for 15 years and it’s always been like that yeah if you go back 10 years the CTE check whenever it was it was remarkable to listen to so many sports Riders it was like guys you’re toned

Deaf you you don’t you have never lived in the South you don’t get Texas it was a lot of Northeast Sports writers it was a lot of this high-minded remember Sports Illustrated started out covering fencing had to be like persu waited to cover football there is this sort of

Highminded um view of you know college football and football and it’s like guys it’s it’s it’s the best run sport you know there there was a great moment in the Dynasty series with Roger Goodell remember U when they got rid of the tapes put a hammer to him got rid of the

Spygate tapes yeah and there was this media guy why’d you get rid of the tapes and he said well because the punishment had been handed out well but what about and he said no the punishment had been handed out there was no need for the tapes well I

Mean why and gell said tapes get out he goes like these got out he goes we destroyed him and it shut the reporter up but the reporter he wanted so badly Goodell got hammered for that that he destroyed the tapes and the point was there was no value in those tapes once

The spines and suspensions were handed out bich was find half a million dollars at the time anytime a lot of money but at the time he wasn’t making what he’s making now yeah yeah and and so Goodell gets a lot of crap because I think by and large the media doesn’t like power

But like Dana White and Goodell I’d argue are the two best like commissioner CEOs of their sport they’re both Dana’s highly defiant and Goodell think about how big that industry is what’s the last look at how leagues have dealt with societal changes cultural changes strikes I’ve always thought Goodell mostly because um

Goodell doesn’t Pander to the media he’ll I’ve had dinner with him and drinks you can ask Roger anything he literally I asked him on the air one time he came on my show and I said Roger I love your sport I don’t know what a catch is my friends don’t know what a

Catch is he acknowledged live on the a he goes yeah calling it’s a problem that year they changed it in the Super Bowl Eagles remember in that Super Bowl they the ball was juggled and they allowed it what commissioner would have done that I think when I watched the dynasty um it

Was another reminder that the NFL is incredibly well-run and Goodell really has his buttoned up how about the the part when Robert Craft bought the Patriots that he bought the surrounding area CU he knew the value in that that no one I was like what a genius can you imagine the level

Of business savviness that it takes to even because he’s thinking that before he even has the money and the level of no wonder he’s one of the better owners in the NFL no wonder his you know he’s being talked about like he is to be able

To make a move like that yeah so for people wondering the stadium wasn’t great but in I think historically it was like the worst in the the NFL a lot of people thought yeah it was in fact they threatened to go to Hartford at one point and so bought the he bought the

Land around the stadium so if you bought the stadium he was gonna you know he would be making all the money around it with shops and restaurants no I think I think um what I appreciated about all that is that you know craft was a patriot fan he

Was that’s all he was he was a patriot fan yeah and all these owners when they buy the team when Jerry Jones bought the team Jimmy Johnson told me for the first year financially Jerry was like going to card dealers and trying to get ads like

He’s like we do we weren’t the Cowboys it’s like you had to overpay craft by the way the first couple years they were not rolling in it no I one thing and I said this on the podcast last week you might not have seen because you were vacationing but gerod Mayo they clearly

Have a huge push from the Patriots to be like we love the media now you guys are our friends our assistant coaches know your importance and I don’t even and I’ve heard good things he’s an impressive guy I don’t even necessarily blame him for saying that because it’s

Clearly coming from Jonathan and Robert I think they are too obsessed like yeah bill could be an who cares no one the media does has no pull in the narrative once you start playing games if you win it doesn’t matter how nice he is if you lose it doesn’t none of it

Matters he’s only going to be so yeah they could write great articles for the next six months the moment he starts 0 and four and Jaden Daniels is throwing seven interceptions and one touchdown you got a problem on your hands no matter how much they like the guy they

Will turn on you every time so I understand the crafts they just want some they want more Smiles it’s all the reason bich got run out of town he started losing it wasn’t because his press conferences and I just think you’re it’s it’s a human you know it’s

Natural reaction to want to Pivot off what you just had in relationships with coaches we see it all the time look craft Parcels a-hole Pete Nice Guy belich like Parcels now gerod Mayo like a Pete Carroll happy and I I just I think they’re obsessed with the wrong

Thing right now in New England and I I do wonder if they got something coming their way that this gonna be a lot more difficult than they realize yeah and I also think um I think you know I’ve had people ask me this before why the

Athletes come on your show and I think well I got a big reach and um I’m not Mike Wallace I can ask a tough question I but um by and large most athletes have secondary incomes or you know projects or Charities and we always mention them but I

Think the reality of athletes and sports is they largely don’t need the media um that’s why I’ve always appreciated let’s pivot to the NBA here it’s why I’ve always appreciated LeBron James it doesn’t matter if it’s a local Regional telecast or national LeBron always stops to talk to the Press always Michael did

This too Jordan was great Kobe was really good at this stuff some guys aren’t but you know as as LeBron’s season winds down I think the Lakers have Championship length LeBron ad I don’t think they’re championship team I think Boston and Denver just feel like better than everybody but I do want to

Talk about the Warriors for a second because generally speaking as I was you know they’ve gone a bit of a heater I think they’ve won eight of 10 played really really well they put Klay Thompson on the bench and they brought this rookie in who they drafted to be

The next clay the pods kid Brandon pods like and he is frankly he’s got I mean even during draft night you’re like he he kind of plays like clay he’s got an edge to him he’s a little salty and then kaminga now has become like a pretty consistently good performer Wiggins is

Playing a little better now generally you know sha and Kobe breaks up the heedles break up Michael Jordan you you can get really bad really fast but I’m sitting watching I’m sitting watching The Warriors over the last two weeks and I’m like okay that’s the last Dynasty and I’m like now kinga’s kaminga

Is a real player and Clay’s Off the Bench klay’s by the way he had a heater playing the Nuggets clay Off the Bench is a totally different expectation than clay starting and I’m like I know they have a rookie but I watch them and I’m like okay they don’t match up well with

Denver almost nobody does Lakers do a little because ad can defend yic but you know the Bay Area very well are we gonna have because it doesn’t work this way when dynasties end they go into the freaking tank Durant left they want another one then they step back and I

Watched them in the last two weeks and I’m like you know what Steph’s still a top five six player Draymond still a catalyst offensively excellent defensive player clay Off the Bench two young guys that can actually score pods can score kaminga can score wi looks a lot better

Wiggins has played much better I gotta tell you John the West outside of Denver everybody’s got an issue like everybody I I think one thing the Warriors have is their a throwback I mean these guys have played together forever I mean you watch the Phoenix Suns they’ve been together for 10 minutes you

Know this how can you have any faith in most of these teams beside Denver they’ve been put together over the last 18 months the the Warriors are much more like a 90s or 80s teams where the group has played together forever how about Steve Kerr’s contract right like he’s

Not in it for the rest of his life but as long as Steph is there and Draymond is there and now they have some young players so yeah I wouldn’t want any part of these guys in in a big game the length I mean last year the Lakers

Annihilated him in that series length but and and Clay was terrible so to me if Clay is the day and age of 14 through 18 is gone right ACL and a but if he is just a solid I can trust six out of the seven games to be in the high teens in

One of those games he gets westbr Westbrook Off the Bench for the Clippers is he’s at Mr energy yeah they they def I saw Draymond said on his podcast he’s like I’m telling you we can compete for a championship this year like their cohesion their group they got Chris Paul

Coming back G Payton’s healthy now I me and Steph is one of the most remarkable players in the history of sports and still like when he’s going is one of the best players in the NBA the key to them though is is Draymond who’s playing really well and Clay because Steph last

Year like what else do you want him to do against the Lakers it was everybody else so they just need clay to me clay if he can be like a B for them and then at moments a B+ a minus against good teams in the first or second round then

Yeah hell yeah they could make a run yeah you know it Steve CER how about you see their value when Steph showed up it was like $325 million that’s what l bought the team for now I I don’t think they would sell for this because so much

Is dependent on Steph who’s 36 37 years old forbs valued them at over 8 billion oh I think so the arena is the arena it’s a cash cow it’s one of the only Arenas yeah yeah and I also that they own so that’s that’s a huge thing

Yeah I think that’s a a huge component to it it’s interesting so I covered Steve Kerr for a couple years in Portland and that team also had the governor of Oregon like Chris Dudley so it was team that had like problem guys and then two get arrested in like Mayors

And it just was a fast sabonis was a fascinating player to cover Damen Damon stmy uh Pippen but Kerr’s remarkable so Kerr is part of the greatest NBA team ever and hit some of the biggest shots yeah he’s now one of the best coaches he’s largely considered sort of a has

Got kind of a Phil Jackson Feel where there’s a psychology a psychological impact an expertise Beyond just X’s NOS so he’s a uh uh on the greatest team created uh one of the best coaches of all time um as a general manager it’s first of all it’s it’s impossible this

This league is if you don’t have great players you you’re not a great GM he was he was clearly capable he was a tremendous broadcaster I mean I thought he was I think he’s one of the best analysts in any sport I thought Kerr was

A riot he was quick he was Nimble he was funny player broadcaster coach like Kerr in my lifetime Phil played marginal player Phil coached great GM disaster broadcaster no like Steve Kerr has moved into an area I mean I don’t know what the compass broadcaster coach player he is

One of the most significant people in league history I I think just people have taken him for granted because he looks so young people forget that he’s an older guy now he he’s moving into a Pat Riley stage where I’m like this is an all-time top five guy in league

History and wasn’t he part I mean he was one of the key guys on some of those great teams at Arizona I mean he’s been basketball royalty for since the moment he was 18 19 years old I think we say this a lot of times in scouting like

This guy could do whatever he wants could run a bank could start his own company could be a football player and it’s usually with f you know pton Manning Tom Brady Drew Brees usually fall under that I think we look at Steve a little different because he was a role

Player but like that was really the the like his lowest level of accomplishment in terms of his ability right everything else he’s been Michael Jordan at like he’s clearly one of the best coaches in the NBA he’s one he’s now the highest paid guy uh he he was he was an elite he

Was a all-time great shooter he just wasn’t very big he just had physical limitations but Michael trusted him I mean the Last Dance like Steve I’m coming to you right trust him that way Phil swore by him Phil begged him to take the Nick’s job and the media loves

To call Phil The Village Idiot but for a long time in my life Phil was the cream of the crop and Joe lob who was an old school kind of just like George steinbrener killer I mean refuses like has gone all in on this guy now for a

Decade so he went there and Steph Curry basically went to the Warriors like I’m not playing for anybody else so one of the greatest players in the history of the sport basically looked at management like you better figure this out okay he told Marcus Thompson the athletic like I

I wanted Steve to stay and put our contracts together that’s the guy thatd be like Michael Jordan going you know and Kobe the way they talked about Phil that’s the way they talk about Steve Kerr so I think he’s just one of those rare guys he could have been a

Politician he he could have been an executive he was but in any other industry uh obviously he’s just a basketball addict and I think basketball got lucky that how many guys of his level would have because the last thing that came was was coaching he did everything else right he broadcasting he

Was General Manager business stuff it’s like I really want to coach It’s usually the other way around the guy coaches first kind of gets burned out and does all the other stuff he actually did the hardest thing last now he he he got lucky lucky is the wrong word he made

The right decision because he had options instead of going to the Knicks he went to the Warriors and obviously it changed the trajectory of his basketball life but when you just think like Basketball Hall of Famers he’s got three rings with the bulls he’s got two rings

With the Spurs he’s got four rings with the with the Warriors and they’ve lost a couple finals right how many finals the guy been to probably like 15 so you’re going to the combine so give me a thumbnail sketch a three minute former NFL scout John middleof give me a

Three-minute thumbnail what you’ll be looking for uh I I think talking to people about you know the media and the people that do the draft and I appreciate it takes a lot of work but their opinions mean very little to actual teams and it’s very like there are some things

There is going to be you know most people are going to have Caleb as the number one pick but I I heard Michael Lombardi say this last week like Marvin Harrison’s not the number one guy on some teams I’ve talked about some of these teams are going to have players

That you might not have thought might be their favorite running back in the draft their favorite defensive back in the draft and this is the time of year the coaches get involved it’s a it’s a weird industry the all the Scouts have been watching all these guys for now a couple

Years the coaches have not watched them play at all besid maybe like a Saturday night at the hotel watch five minutes but beside the quarterbacks they haven’t watched the linemen and stuff well they meet these guys for the first time and we’re all human beings you like a guy

You don’t like a guy and these biases and these like the coach and the Agents all the agents are there this is the NFL business convention right all these GMS are going to talk to agents how much is my player going to cost how much if I

Wanted to trade for this guy what contract would I need to give him so the number one priority at the combine is actually not the college kids it’s free agency which is in like 3 weeks to find out the cost of everything how much is

It going to cost to extend my player if I can trade him all the other GMS are there what type pick could I get for this guy okay Brandon IU the Niners I want to give him an extension what’s that number that’s numberers a little pricey what could we get for them you

Can find out all this information all these guys are doing back room deals remember a couple years ago when Russell was was traded it was like John Schneider and Payton were meeting in their hotel room you could do all these secret things there because everyone’s

There it we all talk on the phone and text an email there’s nothing like doing a deal with someone in person and all the decision makers are in the NFL are there in person now some of the head coaches don’t go now but like their general managers are running point for

Them so you just there’s a lot of action going on because ultimately the draft is still like whatever two months away so there’s still a lot of information to be cleaned you bring these guys to your facility but to me the number one priority which is kind of ironic because

You think the NFL combine the draft it’s actually the players in the league if in terms of like how much like Russell Wilson okay if when Denver Cuts him if I’m the Raiders we’d be interested in Russell Wilson would he play for us for $1.5 million right because Denver’s got

To pay him $39 million like what does what does his representation want do they think they want another team to give him five so they can double dip and get 45 or would they be cool for playing like we want him we think he can win here he’s getting 40 million no matter

What would he play in the league minimum so all these conversations are that’s what Tesco is doing or anyone interested in Russell trying to find out like when he gets cut how much does he want to play for what does his what are his asss what are his wants like where’s he at

Mentally so it’s just it’s like a huge convention to try to figure out the business side of and and now you know the salary cap what numbers I can pay guys uh that’s a Hu this is the agent Feeding Frenzy this next week Colin the agents are licking their lips going to

This bad boy trying to get their guys paid my wife and I John bought a place in Rhode Island because I went there for 10 years when I worked at the other place and we vacation took our kids there so we sold our house in LA in like

July and we bought a place in August uh next to a beach in Rhode Island so it’s always been one of my favorites you show be the pics of the party it looked good yeah it’s nice so and that’s that’s where I’ll retire in the summer and fall

In about 12 years 10 12 years whatever um and so Friday night we go out with friends and then we come home at 9:30 and we pull into the driveway my wife and I and there’s a car parked in my driveway now you got to remember this is

A summer summer town there nobody’s lights are on except ours so I’m like what’s going on so I pull in behind the car and I walk up to it with my phone you know I don’t know what’s going on got lights in the house there somebody robbing my house so I go

Up there and I asked this young girl she rolls her window down and her dog starts barking I said um can I ask why you’re here and she says she pauses well I uh yeah I just wondering if your house is for sale and I’m like oh I’m getting robbed

It’s 9:30 there’s no for sale sign I’m getting robbed her boyfriend’s in the house so I call 911 give him the address well the Westerly Rhode Island police fantastic like three dudes three cars wasn’t a lot of action apparently they came flying down the street and we’re

Kind of on a point so it’s not easy to get to so uh the and they were great guys I mean they were just total Pros it really made me feel good about this town I’m like these guys really are buttoned up they were young fit look you right in

The eye they were ready to kick ass and take names on the guys house yeah they weren’t effing around and I’m like in the house okay what’s that was someone in the house well so the guy goes there are cars running first of all shouldn’t be here

Cars running and I said there’s no lights on so my takeaway was either she thinks because Taylor Swift lives 10 houses away I said much bigger than my house obviously I said does she think this is Taylor Swift’s house is it a mental health issue so they talked to

Her and it was uh she was very confused um you know made certain claims that didn’t make make any sense so then you feel sympathy you’re like okay yeah then I had to then the cops went into the house three of them you know they were

Ready to go then I followed in and in this house is hundred years old my basement has 10 doors I mean it’s it’s a maze of doors and we’ve been fixing it up for five six months so um and so I tried to E I tried to email the Wester

Police the next day it was so damn hard to find an email I just was going to email a sergeant and say hey your guys are great you got good dudes there man they were total Pros but um you know it’s so I guess my point is

Um when we discovered that Taylor Swift was 10 houses away I was like that doesn’t hurt property value no now I’m like you think she was looking for Taylor Swift or she just kind of off on her own I just said I because there’s been stories of multiple people like

Being around the property I mean Taylor Swift’s the biggest star in the world yeah the biggest star beautiful talented so um it it really did make me think oh my God because this this young lady had no idea who I was I mean she doesn’t

Care uh but I got I got my wife in the car I’m here to protect my wife like right like I’m out of the car I got the phone I’m like yeah you know but so that she didn’t want to hear your thoughts on Baker Mayfield’s next contract nah

Wasn’t really interested in the combine breakdown not so anyway the point was I had a great week off I love where I went it’s unbelievable but there was a little drama there and also and I love Rhode Island but Rhode Island’s got a unique history very unique history that you

Know buddy seon was a mayor of Providence Providence Federal Hill it’s where the mob hung out so you know Rhode Island’s the Wild Wild West in government I almost I have a a wine store business in Connecticut with my friend Brian you know we thought about

Moving into Road Island and it was like okay no thanks you got to pay someone 20% off the top just to operate oh John you don’t know the half of it 20% so and by the way I love Rhode Island because of its history it’s so unique it’s a

Little wild wild west they do their own thing but earlier that night the place I was at I went and I it was a very uh interesting place I won’t give the name out but I I asked asked the people that took me there I’m like they got 30

People in this area there’s 12 people in the restaurant how the hell do they fund it my friend goes oh yeah it’s run by the mob and I’m like so between I went to a place run by the mob I mean they had like 30 people and I’m like there’s

Eight people having dinner this doesn’t make any sense I mean it was just and then between that and the young lady who um I think thought I was Taylor Swift my Friday was it was full of it was full it was a lot of John Gotti Colin coward and Taylor

Swift on the same street what a crazy ass Friday for me glad I’m home uh in quiet Los Angeles John middleof enjoy the combine buddy I will take it Easy