3 & Out - Massive Mailbag Part 2

Part two of the mailbag is here; hit me on Instagram at John Middlekauff, last show of the week, enjoy the long weekend, cheer on the U.S., take in the U.S. Open, and if you listen on Colin’s feed, subscribe to Three and Out and check the YouTube for extra clips—let’s dive in.

Bills and Sean McDermott: if he ever hits the market, he’s getting a job, with spots like Tampa feeling hot-seat ready, while Mike Tomlin would be the blockbuster name who draws multiple offers if he were ever available.

Why Josh Rosen is not branded a bigger bust: it ended so fast that he became out of sight, out of mind, with barely a season before a trade and then a quick fade.

Wasp saga at the house: we found a nest high up, the pro blasted it, and traffic calmed down—operation likely disrupted.

Shanahan tree and shaky clock work: offensive head coaches get tunnel vision on the call sheet, the chaos of injuries and elements piles on, and if you hesitate for a beat you burn precious seconds.

Nelly Korda’s run: she’s outstanding, and watching at Riviera underscored how the LPGA plays a different distance game even as her swing and poise travel anywhere.

Australia trip sports wish list: in the fall, you cannot beat an SEC Saturday and a Raiders home game in Vegas; it’s football season, full stop.

NFL staff with eighth graders vs high school varsity: no scheme beats the physical gap on the line and the speed on the field, unless you catch a truly awful varsity team with freaky eighth-grade outliers.

Ravens and receivers: the franchise tends to invest in trenches and defense, so unless you trade for a unicorn like Justin Jefferson, you probably need to draft and hit big; Zay Flowers is good but not a solo engine.

Bo Nix snapshot: he flashes top-tier moments and profiles as a potential top-15 guy, but he needs health and week-to-week consistency or Denver will not pay him like a long-term answer.

Saints surge pick: the schedule is rugged early on the road, but I still like them to win the division and will probably back them in August.

NFL “downward” into college idea: the league will not take on university costs and labor when the current pipeline prints money for everyone without the risk.

Interdivision jumps and bad blood: it is the business—take the best job—tension usually comes only when you try to bring coaches under contract with you.

Bieniemy and O’Shea on offense: Bieniemy’s DNA is heavy on Andy Reid’s pass game and he knows the core personnel, while O’Shea adds Patriot-style wrinkles; that group stays open-minded and will pivot as needed.

Rashee Rice clip after jail: chasing people with cameras at exits and airports is a wild job, and the whole scene looked more Maury chase than news.

Best I have seen live: high school Maurice Jones-Drew and the freaky talent of Cliff Harris, college Kellen Moore the winning machine, and in the NFL a peak JJ Watt who wrecked a game on defense and caught a touchdown for dessert.

Value of non-playcalling OCs under a playcaller: you make less, get less credit, and the head coach still designs and dials it up, though it’s a great training ground that can launch you.

Niners if they stay healthy: they are a playoff lock and can handle most of the NFC, but the Seahawks and Rams will make the division a weekly fistfight.

Lamar Jackson’s body type: the joystick runs are gone, but he is still blazing; find the weight that preserves his burst and durability as the scheme keeps evolving beyond the early Greg Roman world.

MVP plus Super Bowl odds among the elites: narratives matter, so I’d line it up Burrow, Josh Allen, Lamar, then Mahomes given a youthful roster and tougher stat path.

On savoring Mahomes: most fans never get an all-time guy, so enjoy every snap because runs like three titles in five years might not come around again.

Traveling with a baby: I do not have a playbook yet—we’re testing Tahoe with friends soon—and the prep alone feels like a two-minute drill; wish me luck on that plane ride and have a great weekend.