Best of The Herd

Live from Chicago, big show today—coaches hired, free agents placed, draft in the books, and my first post‑draft Herd Hierarchy coming up; Sean McVay is stopping by soon, and we’ve got a lot to hit.

On the Rams and Ty Simpson: big organizations make decisions months ahead, and Sean McVay’s fingerprints were on this the whole time; they’re managing a respectful, delicate succession while honoring Matthew Stafford, so ignore the body‑language conspiracy stuff.

SGA just swept Phoenix and has been absurd late in games—he’s basically automatic in the fourth; the mid‑range isn’t dead when you’re great at it, and he’s the league’s steadiest closer even if he’s not a made‑for‑TV dunk show.

Pittsburgh has told Aaron Rodgers, in so many words, that they’re setting the terms now; they value leadership and clarity over mystery, and the tender makes that plain.

Herd Hierarchy, post‑draft: I weigh coaching moves, free agency, the draft, and injuries—good teams draft for specific needs; headline notes—Rams sit at the top after targeting a future QB and adding help, Bills are way up for offensive reinforcements, Seattle’s in the bubble, Denver and Detroit are solid, the Chiefs land lower than usual but I’m buying their added juice with Mahomes healthy, and the Chargers crack it after rebuilding the line while Houston surges behind a nasty defense and line upgrades.

Bills that high feels rich to me, and the Lions make me nervous now that protection has turned into a need; I do appreciate seeing Kansas City back where they belong.

The Chiefs had a targeted draft and got their spark back at key spots; when the owner, GM, coach, and quarterback are aligned, they keep solving problems.

They were already heavy on offensive line investment, so the real priorities were the front, the secondary, and a credible run game; they landed the top corner, strong line help, and a back who forces defenses to respect the run as Mahomes gets right.

On Ty Simpson optics: McVay knew, managed the moment, and protected the room—he’s elite at reading people, and you do not spike the ball during a veteran’s extension talks.

Even if everyone’s aligned, I question the strategy—when you still have a Hall‑of‑Fame quarterback playing at a high level, I’d spend every asset on right now rather than the understudy.

Back to Rodgers: this tender says the Steelers are done with the enigma and will control timing, offers, and availability.

They should move on entirely; forty‑two‑year‑old starters who hit Week One basically do not exist outside Brady, and you cannot build culture around a part‑time plan—the juice is not worth the squeeze.

On the Lakers, LeBron’s been intentional and brilliant; I’d ask for a big pay cut and a May‑June focus so the cap can bring help while we manage his mileage.

He’s still one of the best playoff drivers and the league’s model leader, so a pay cut would be charity, not necessity; give him the ball in key stretches and this version of the Lakers hums, especially compared to Phoenix unraveling around Durant.

Big picture with SGA: greatness beats trends—the mid‑range thrives because he owns it late, and even with the flopping gripes, he just keeps closing games.

He’s sensational, the embellishment is needless, and a healthy Lakers group would love to test him in a series.

Alright, save the weird TV recs for later—radio’s strong, you always bring the weird, and this is The Herd.