Alex Smith and Scott Zolak on Trades, Belichick's Fedora, and Super Bowl Prep
We are live from Vandy Moss in Minneapolis, and the NFL landscape has officially shifted on its axis. Right as the show starts, news breaks that the Kansas City Chiefs have traded Alex Smith to the Washington Redskins for a massive haul of guaranteed cash. PFT, as a lifelong fan of the R-words, is already processing the trauma of Dan Snyder getting into the Crown Royal and overpaying for an aging veteran.
Alex Smith is the most Redskins quarterback of all time
Alex Smith is the most Redskins quarterback of all time. He hasn't played a snap, but he is the perfect R-Words quarterback. He is a watercolor version of Brad Johnson. He is more John Beck than John Beck is. He is like Colt McCoy on the world's worst steroids.
Big Cat thinks the trade market is officially broken, especially with the Jaguars sticking by Blake Bortles. This panic from the rest of the league has created a very specific new reality where certain veterans are suddenly the most coveted assets on the board.
Jay Cutler is now the top prize in the NFL quarterback free agent market
Basically every NFL team, because guess who is now the bell of the ball? Mr. Jay Cutler. Because everyone's getting their franchise quarterbacks. Jacksonville got theirs. Washington got theirs. Who's going to get Jay Cutler?
Hot Seat and Cool Throne
Hot Seat/Cool Throne hits on the absolute state of Big Ten football and the return of Nebraska. Scott Frost is out here trying to change the culture by quite literally breaking his players' bodies, which PFT finds incredibly encouraging for the future of the program.
Nebraska is back because Scott Frost is hospitalizing players with Rabdo
Nebraska is back. Nebraska is back in a very, very big way. Scott Frost just implemented his conditioning program at Nebraska. And he got two players were hospitalized... with Rabdo, which means they're building up some muscles out there. That's a culture change.
Meanwhile, the NBA is in a state of flux after the Pistons landed Blake Griffin. Big Cat isn't buying the hype that this makes Detroit a contender, instead seeing them settling into a very specific tier of Eastern Conference purgatory.
The Pistons will be the best mediocre team in the NBA following the Blake Griffin trade
The Pistons are basically like, we are going to be the best mediocre team in the NBA. Drummond and Blake are not going to play defense. We're going to give you the five seed for the next ten years of your career in the East, and then you're going to lose to the Celtics and the Cavs.
Big Cat also takes a moment to acknowledge the Houston Rockets and James Harden's 60-point triple-double. He’s starting to think they might actually have the juice to give the Warriors a run, provided the stars align.
The Rockets can take down the Warriors if they stay hot and the Celtics steal one on the road
I am officially saying, as of this date, January 31st, I'm a believer that the Rockets, if they get hot for a couple games... Hank was explaining how the Celtics can beat the Warriors in the NBA Finals... you just win two games and then you just get lucky for two games... I'm a believer if they get hot at the right time, they're going to take down the Warriors.
Alex Smith on the Trade and the Number 1 Pick
New Redskins quarterback Alex Smith joins the show for an exclusive first interview since the trade news dropped. He handles the "check-down" jokes with grace, explaining that his job is just being a point guard for playmakers. He gets real about the psychological toll of being the first overall pick and how that label follows you into every room and onto every field.
Being the number one overall pick is a psychological burden for a young player
Being the number one pick, the, the, the weight I carried around, the expectations... I walked around with it everywhere I went... it kind of, you know, a little bit, yeah, it kind of took, you know, kind of digging myself that hole.
Smith also offers some perspective on why some young quarterbacks struggle depending on who is calling the shots. He notes that defensive-minded head coaches often create a cycle of instability that can stunt a passer's growth.
Stability is much harder for a young quarterback when playing for a defensive head coach
As a quarterback, that's the big difference, I think, between playing for a defensive head coach and an offensive head coach. As a defensive head coach, as great as it can be, you're still constantly – if you do well, your coordinator's leaving. And so the stability is always in question there.
Looking forward, Big Cat asks Smith for a scouting report on Matt Nagy, the new Bears head coach. Smith is all-in on the hire and expects big things for the future of the position in Chicago.
Mitchell Trubisky is going to light it up in the NFL under Matt Nagy
Matt [Nagy] is killer. I mean, I think Mitchell Trubisky's going to light it up. I think he's going to love it. I think they're going to do a bunch, put him in great situations. A lot of RPOs. I think he's a decent athlete, right? Do some fun stuff with him. Oh, yeah. We're going to have fun.
Scott Zolak: The Belichick Whisperer
Patriots radio analyst and recurring favorite Scott Zolak stops by the van to talk about the genius of Bill Belichick and the reality of the "friction" within the Patriots organization. While the media paints it as a civil war, Zoe thinks it’s just the natural byproduct of three massive egos driving a winning machine.
There is legitimate truth to the reported friction between Bill Belichick, Robert Kraft, and Tom Brady
Oh, there's definitely something true there. Just a little something there. Absolutely. There's something there. And I think there's always been something there from day one. I think it starts from all of them... when you have egos... it makes you dominate. It makes you want more.
Zolak doesn't see the dynasty ending anytime soon, either. He gives us the over/under on how many years the Bill and Tom show has left in the tank, and it’s bad news for the rest of the AFC East.
Bill Belichick will coach the Patriots for at least three more years
Bill will coach the Patriots. I think at least three. Three to four.
Tom Brady will play at least two more seasons after this one
And I think Tom's going to play another two after this. I think he kind of has to based on the moves they've made.
We also got Zoe's take on the coaching carousel. While Matt Patricia is heading to Detroit, Zoe thinks he actually landed in the most favorable spot of all the former Belichick disciples because of the roster construction.
Matt Patricia has the ideal head coaching job among recent Patriots departures
Patricia's got the ideal job, I think, out of any of them. They got a franchise quarterback. So, the offense is already taken care of. You go in there, you fix the defense. Now, all of a sudden, you got a competitive game because the Bears stink.
Before letting him go, Zolak admits that while Brady is the GOAT, there is one other quarterback in the league who might actually have a better natural toolbox when you look at the raw physical stats.
Aaron Rodgers is a better 'tools' quarterback than Tom Brady
Technically speaking, Aaron Rodgers is a better quarterback. I agree with that. If you're talking about the tools, Aaron Rodgers' arm is off the charts and his ability to move is off the charts. That's just a fact. If you're starting a football team, your better chance is to take Rodgers and build around him because of his pure, raw physical talent.
To wrap things up, we hit a quick Hurt or Injured for Kevin Love's hand and a special "As a White Guy" segment on the Cleveland Indians retiring Chief Wahoo. PFT manages to find a way to make the logo debate about the military, which is exactly why he's the best in the business.
Supporting the Chief Wahoo logo is actually anti-military because it represents stolen valor
Take a good look at Chief Wahoo because Chief Wahoo has one feather in his cap, right? And he's going around by Chief. This is stolen valor... that I word, is stealing valor from proper Chiefs. So if you support Chief Wahoo, then in reality, you're actually anti-military.
Bill Belichick’s airport fedora might be the most intimidating thing the Eagles see all week.

