Best of The Herd

Live from Chicago, lots on the board today, and I’ll start with this: the Knicks-Hawks shouldn’t be a coin flip; New York finally looked like the higher seed, but this matchup was supposed to be handled in five without drama.

Jalen Brunson can cook, but the real question is why Atlanta keeps hanging around when the East is soft and the Knicks were elite late-game all season; this is what it should have looked like from the jump.

On the star front, LeBron at forty-one being more available than Luka in his athletic prime says everything; you can’t live at the top of the usage charts and expect to be fresh for June, and playing off the ball more is the fix Luka hasn’t embraced.

Quick NFL twist: Pittsburgh played chess with a tender on Aaron Rodgers, capping his market; he was wildly underpaid last year relative to his production and never made it a thing, which tells you he still loves ball.

Sean McVay joins us—there was talk of a ‘secret’ pre-draft meeting with Ty Simpson and a lot of noise about your reaction in the room; what really happened and when did you decide he was the pick if he fell?

It was a standard private visit to watch tape and get to know him, nothing cloak-and-dagger, and our process was driven by film, fit, and thorough vetting.

Once we knew Ty could translate what we ask—protections, timing, movement—we looped in Matthew, gave him the why, and he handled it like the MVP and leader he is.

People said you were one player away and should’ve gone with a splash at another spot; how do you balance win-now with the long view, and keep the Stafford relationship tight through an extension?

Every year resets, there are no guarantees, so we make choices that serve the team short and long term, then communicate them clearly with the people they affect.

Comfort with tough conversations is part of trust; last offseason’s hard talks actually strengthened our bond, because candor with respect is how you last through the grind.

You also grabbed Miami’s C.J. Daniels, who keeps popping on tape; surprised he was still there?

We were thrilled; he’s got a real body of work and adds depth and toughness to a room we like, and we see a path for him to compete for snaps.

About the draft-room clip—your body language became a headline; would you handle that moment differently?

I’d be more mindful so we don’t create noise that distracts from the message, which is full respect for Matthew and the desire for him to play as long as he wants while we develop the next guy the right way.

Greg Olsen is here; you’ve lived the veteran reality of teams drafting your replacement—what’s Stafford likely feeling?

Every vet feels that sting at some point, but Stafford’s secure in himself and his place, so this isn’t a threat to him or this season given how he’s playing and how that staff operates.

Back to that Rodgers tender—smart leverage by Pittsburgh or risky?

Once I dug into the mechanics, it made sense; if you can get Rodgers at a reasonable number relative to starters around the league, the value is obvious despite the age column.

Tight ends went fast again; what sparked the boom?

Defenses went lighter to stop explosive passing, so offenses countered with big bodies and versatile tight ends to force heavier personnel, then threw over it; the pendulum keeps swinging and smart staffs are exploiting it.

Play the rookie or park him—how do you handle a first-year quarterback?

If the roster won’t get him beat up, play him and let him learn through reps; if the environment is a mess, protect him until it isn’t, because development can be harmed by survival mode.

Oregon’s Kenyan Sadiq is a smaller tight end by prototype; what’s the key for him?

His pass-game juice got him drafted, but being serviceable in the run game keeps him on the field on neutral downs, which sets up better matchups and more impact.

One for the kids: if it’s not quarterback, what position would you choose today?

Edge rusher is gold because a handful of disruptive snaps changes games and careers, and that hybrid slot defender who can cover and support the run is becoming a premium role.

Good stuff, Greg—always thoughtful, always fun; appreciate you making time in the offseason.