Best of The Herd

It’s a Wednesday, we’re live, and the brackets in our shop are humming; mine didn’t nail every pick, but the crew crushed it. Two weeks out from the draft, the edge rusher debate is the headline, and Dane Brugler’s Beast drops top of the hour.

If I’m the Jets at two, I’d take the reliable edge, David Bailey. You win titles with head coach, quarterback, and left tackle; elite rushers help, but they don’t carry you, and New York can’t afford another boom-or-bust experiment.

I lean Bailey too, especially in twenty‑six. With extra firsts later, the Jets can take a swing on the higher‑ceiling guy when they’re not chasing wins right away.

For the record, Crosby, Garrett, and Watt have a rough postseason mark, which backs the point that safe at a premium spot isn’t timid. If Saleh had a cleaner runway, I’d be more open to the traits play down the board; I just don’t trust the current Jets to land that plane.

Quick Giants note: the coach‑GM power balance matters, and in a lot of buildings the head coach holds the gavel. Owners follow the big chair on the headset more than the title on the door.

We want Dexter here, and I believe he wants to be here too. It’s business, not personal, and we’re working through it with his agent.

They put the head coach out front on that, which tells you who’s driving. Before we bring in Dusty May, yes, the title game was a fistfight, and I expected the whistles to stay tucked most of the night.

On the NBA draft, I’m high on the big wing Yaxel Lenaborg because modern hoops rewards feel, spacing, and shooting more than pure pop. The non‑sprinter geniuses — think Jokic or Luka — age beautifully, while the pure leapers often don’t.

In Chicago, Jerry Reinsdorf is riding with Billy Donovan, and I’m fine flipping the usual order when the coach keeps proving it. My read is Billy had leverage, the front office didn’t, and he’s shown he wins when he has a say.

Billy wants to coach here, and that’s what matters to him. If he ever wanted a Brad Stevens‑style pivot, we’d talk, but he cares more about the team than titles.

That tracks with everything I’ve heard on Billy — no power grabs, just wants smart people and players he can grow. Now, Dusty May joins us.

How did you see the officiating and the physical tone in the title game, especially around that end‑of‑half no‑call?

The best teams foul legally, meaning they’re physical while showing hands, and both sides did that. The crew communicated, managed the emotion, and the game swung because we made a few more plays, not because of whistles.

There’s a knock on Yaxel Lenaborg’s explosiveness; does his processing translate in today’s NBA?

His processing is elite; he adjusts mid‑air or mid‑move off something he learned weeks earlier. He’s a different kind of athlete, surprises you with pop, and he’s still early in his curve.

Portal season hit the second the nets came down. What do your next few days look like?

We wrapped a Zoom before this; the grind started right after the celebration. The next two weeks are our Super Bowl if we want to be in Detroit a year from now.

When did you know Aday Mara could become a real difference‑maker?

Film from the ACB and his national team showed elite passing and footwork, and with spacing he popped. We played him through early bumps, and his growth and unselfishness lifted the whole group.

Does the Big Ten’s current run feel sustainable?

Resources, passion, and NIL give the league a yearly shot, even if a one‑game sport can be fickle. We’ll be positioned to contend every season.

Does breakfast taste different when you’re a national champ?

Not yet; we’re straight back to roster‑building and will savor it when the window opens. The work comes first.

Seven straight seasons a top‑five pick turned into a playoff team the next year; my bet is the Giants keep that streak alive. They blew late leads last season, need fewer starters than the Titans, and their division has openings to exploit.

It’s about building a group that plays as one better than anyone else, and that gives you a real shot to be the best team.

I’m a good‑luck charm — every time we bring Dusty on, hardware follows, and the staff’s brackets rode Michigan home. Dane Brugler and the Beast are up next.