3 & Out - NFL Offseason Mailbag: Mendoza Overhyped? Herbert, Hurts, or Darnold? Criticism for Dak?

What is going on, everybody—quick check-in from Los Angeles before I bounce home, swing through Sacramento for a buddy’s celebration, and see if the dress pants still button; peptides are helping, and today’s a heavy mailbag while teams hunker down for draft meetings.

Fire me questions on Instagram, subscribe to the Three and Out feed, and I may hop on YouTube Sunday night with a Masters reaction from my brother’s Starlink-powered office.

Do I miss scouting and will I rank prospects? I’ll dig in next week, but this class feels light on star power; the quarterback group isn’t deep, and while backups like Mac Jones can stick for a decade, true first-rounders are scarce.

Everyone does the same mock; I’d rather highlight a favorite, an overrated name, and a few traits I value than crank out a copycat board.

On Mendoza: the money with Cousins was structured, and I expect Mendoza to be the Week One starter; he’s big, accurate, processes fast, and he’s tough, which fits the Shanahan-Kubiak tree where you don’t need a cannon to excel.

He took a brutal shot in that Ohio State game and popped back in, which told me plenty; in this class, context matters because the alternative “project with more upside” really isn’t there.

Lake Tahoe timeshare panic check: if that rate is for all three nights, you stole one; summer Tahoe is paradise—cold drinks, blue water, paddle boards, and chill energy—while winter’s great if you ski, but I’m out on injury risk.

On the Vrabel–Russini Sedona photos: it screams private investigator, but I’m not piling on; relationships aren’t one-size-fits-all, kids are involved, the internet loves dunking, and I don’t have the energy to moralize other adults’ choices.

It’s obviously what it looks like, but I’m not a journalist chasing purity points; careers may feel the splash differently, and access questions linger, yet I’d rather not join the mob.

Jed York not knowing about a smaller signing like Kirk doesn’t bother me; good owners sign off on the big checks, not every depth add, though his public note about Aiyuk was unnecessary.

Sports on streaming is messy but permanent; the leagues follow Amazon, Peacock, and Netflix because that’s where the money and inventory live, so we either bundle smartly or pick our battles.

Handing the first pick to the Super Bowl winner to curb tanking misses the NFL reality; outside of a late-game or two, teams try to win every week, which isn’t the NBA’s world.

NIL and super-conference money kept a lot of underclassmen in school, which thinned this draft; if eligibility becomes unlimited in a breakaway model, the NFL will have to collaborate on caps or limits so talent doesn’t get stuck.

On quarterback contracts: don’t give elite money to non-elite players; deals for guys like Tua, Kyler, or Daniel Jones never made sense to me, while short, cheaper bets on competent starters can work.

The Rams playing hardball with receivers is instructive; franchise when you must, but avoid locking into great money for good players.

If I’m starting fresh next season, I’m taking Herbert; playoff stumbles are real, but the talent is too good, and with Harbaugh he’ll get more cracks at it.

Bucs fan pushback on Jason Licht noted, but he drafted the core, navigated Brady, transitioned to Baker, and kept them competitive; if this year falters, I see Bowles on the clock more than Licht, and I lean Saints in the division.

Dak absolutely gets heat; the Eagles have been deeper lately, and while narratives skew, quarterbacks at that pay grade learn to tune out the noise.

Your neighborhood bar closing on Easter Monday during a big game is baffling for a sports spot; that’s when you’re supposed to be open.

OJ on a new Bills stadium honor? He was acquitted, but I’d leave it off; plenty of fans don’t grasp the history’s weight, and that’s a lot to celebrate on a wall.

Would I go full-time on The Herd? Three and Out is my home base and business; Fox appearances are separate and fun, I’m staying in Arizona, and I’m always game to do more of what we do here.

Weekend plan: enjoy the Masters, and give me a Rory–Scottie Sunday; Bryson blew up, Rahm struggled, so a duel at the top would be sweet—have a great one and I’ll talk to you soon.