THE HERD – Hour 3 – Ben Johnson & Caleb Williams Year 2, Watch Out For The Cowboys

You know what never gets enough love? The assist. The build-up matters in soccer and in life, and that’s the energy I want today.

On my over–unders, I’ve got the Chiefs a tick under because the division’s loaded and they’re aging in spots, I like Green Bay, I don’t buy the Saints as a twelve‑win team, I think the Giants are undervalued, and I’m out on the Jets at that number; what jumps out to you?

Kansas City still profiles as really good, though receiver depth and Mahomes’ knee are real worries, and Spags can get young defenders up to speed fast. I’m bullish on the Chargers with healthier tackles, better coaching for Herbert, and intriguing young wideouts, and I like your Giants over.

I’ve got Cleveland over because Andrew Berry keeps stacking smart drafts, and there’s quiet buzz that Shadour was underdrafted and looked sharp in OTAs; if that heat meets a couple early wins, it could snowball. Are you buying the Shadour story?

There’s a real competition brewing, and Todd Monken can tailor the offense to whoever wins it because he’s succeeded with all kinds of quarterbacks. If their young pieces hit on offense and defense, his scheme gives either Watson or Shadour a strong runway.

On Brennan Sorsby, every evaluator I talked to loves the talent and hates the judgment; the supplemental draft path felt cleaner than this mess. What’s your read?

He’s a big, loose athlete with a creative play style, the high end looking like the Mahomes or Caleb genre and the low end like the Zach Wilson outcome, and he could’ve played into the top five if he stayed in school. If you’re a team that punted on a 2026 quarterback, spending a second or third now could solve it early and free you to use a premium 2027 pick on a blue-chip non‑QB.

Caleb Williams said year two with Ben is way easier, which reminds me of Goff’s leap with McVay; do you see that kind of jump coming?

He was raw, Ben Johnson deliberately made it hard early, and now they want more layups and fewer hero throws, just like Daboll did with Josh Allen. The aim is fewer spectacular plays and more easy ones, which should make the whole thing more efficient as it matures.

We love fading Dallas, but stack their top talent and it looks elite; are we sleeping on the Cowboys?

If the reworked front hits and the two wideouts play like true ones, they’ve got the bones of a top team, but they need to be good enough at left tackle, corner without Diggs, and running back.

Great stuff, my friend. I’m fully converted on this World Cup thing thanks to my kids, and it’s been a blast to keep on during the day.

Same here. I’ve got Portugal grinding, and my son’s all‑in on Ronaldo, so the house is loud.

J‑Mac, you glanced up at the screen—what’d you see?

Erling Haaland’s debut was a show, two goals at twenty‑five, and he’s a nightmare number nine. And yes, there was a bicycle that got waved off, which still had the room buzzing.

He looks like his country’s identity in cleats—there’s a Gronk vibe to how overwhelming he is in the air.

Quick pivot to the Knicks being called America’s team; the ride was electric, but I’m not sure that label sticks.

They feel very East Coast and Villanova‑driven, and the ratings pop is also NYC’s size and how we now count bars and lounges; Wemby’s magnetism helped too, and close finishes always carry the drama.

Different media eras matter, and those nineties box scores were plodding compared to this year’s pace.

Sports docs romanticize a lot, and the one I still want is the Wizards‑era Jordan story because teammates hated it and he wasn’t the same, which would make a brutal, honest film.

Broncos note: Bo Nix is back on the field post‑ankle and should be full go for camp, but that early schedule is a gauntlet, so expect some turbulence.

It’s a brutal first six, the kind you’d hope the league would smooth out, and it barely eases even when Arizona shows up.

On NBA building blocks, I love Brunson’s rise and had him over Tatum, but let’s not ignore that this is still a tall man’s league, and being fun to watch can skew how we rank guys.

Marino’s legend doesn’t come with rings, so let’s not make that the only bar, and one smart question—does Brunson’s run change how you build?

No, he’s a glorious outlier, not a blueprint; there isn’t a deep history of marginally explosive small guards carrying playoff runs.

Trae Young had a flash run too, so maybe this nudges teams to re‑scout smaller guards who are wired like Brunson.

Brunson’s different because of his feel, toughness, and relentless work; you can’t root against him, and it’s a perfect place to land because, like we said at the jump, every great finish starts with a great assist.