Takes

Hue Jackson jumping in Lake Erie on June 1st is a total cop-out

He waited until June 1st? Kind of a cop-out. That's the biggest cop-out I've ever fucking heard. ... You can't wait until June 1st to jump in a lake.

Baker Mayfield already 'Gets It' because he won't draw a stripe on his helmet

Baker draws the Browns helmet... why don't you have the stripe on there? And he goes, well, it's because I haven't earned my stripe yet. Because that's what the browns are doing with their helmets this year... Baker gets it. Baker gets it.

The NFL's new anthem rule is a trial balloon and a needles complication

It was ridiculous that they did this in the first place. Essentially bringing up a story that they wanted to have die in the middle of the summer for no reason... They not only did that, but they didn't even do it officially. It's such a perfect NFL story because they made it needlessly complicated.

You can hear grit on a football field without seeing it

I think a lot of it for me is really what I hear, meaning when the practice starts and the pads are on, I can hear grit without actually having to see it. And sometimes during the nine-on-seven drills... I'll just kind of close my eyes and listen, you know and say okay was that a good play for grit? Was that a good toughness play?

A football team can never lose if they run the ball every single time

I've never seen a team lose a game of football if they ran the ball every single time. I haven't seen that either... If we can be successful running the football... the fans know we're running it, the opposing team knows we're running it, we're running this ball and we're going to get positive yards.

Ron Rivera and Mike Vrabel are the toughest coaches in the NFL

Mike Vrabel is probably the toughest. Ron Rivera is a tough son. Ron Rivera is a good one. To be a coach in this profession, you have to have a toughness about you in some way or another.

Lamar Jackson is the most intriguing quarterback of the 2018 draft class

But the guy that really intrigued me was Lamar Jackson. I mean, I saw you where the league's heading... him and David Johnson in the same backfield and put some speed outside. How much fun would that be coaching?

Ben Roethlisberger will play another five years

And I think with Randy Fichtner as the quarterback coach now and coordinator, [Ben Roethlisberger] will play five years.

I will get a tattoo of Blake Bortles' face if the Jaguars win the Super Bowl

I proclaimed tonight that if you win the Super Bowl, I will get a tattoo of your face somewhere on my body. Wrist, preferably.

Johnny Manziel is in it for the long haul in the CFL

[Johnny Manziel] signed with the CFL. He's going to the Canadian Hamilton Tiger-Cats... I think he's in it for the long haul.

Sack fumble is the best play in football

You know sack fumble is the best playing football, right?

There is nothing better than the deep touchdown bomb

I want to be physical, but there ain't nothing like the deep pass, man... I like the touchdown pass. I like the bomb. I like it, you know, like the Oakland Raiders go deep.

Todd Haley and Baker Mayfield on Hard Knocks will be incredible television

Todd Haley dealing with Baker Mayfield, that's going to be incredible. There's definitely going to be a scene where Todd Haley's walking Baker through the playbook, and he's like, okay, so here's our basic formation. He clicks the slide. Oh, that's a picture of my wife's tits. Sorry, I don't know how that got in there.

Josh Allen can throw a football 92 yards

He can throw the ball 92 yards. 92s, exactly.

LeSean McCoy is the best cold-weather running back in the world

You do have the best cold-weather running back in the world on your team. LeSean McCoy, for some reason, when you put him in the snow, he gets better traction.

I plan to play three more seasons in the NFL

I'm aiming for like three [more years]. That'll put me at 12 and i think that's you know that's a good [career].

A person can be judged by how they get ketchup out of a Heinz bottle

Basically, [Paul Alexander] decides that a player can be judged by how they get the ketchup out of their Heinz 57 ketchup bottle... 'When I see a large football player turn a bottle of ketchup upside down and pound at its heel with tremendous force yet with limited success, I immediately make the mental note he must either play defensive line or if he plays offensive line, he can't play for me.'

Roger Goodell will eventually implement an NFL Draft Lottery

You know that Roger Goodell is sitting at home and he's trying to figure out a way to get a lottery involved in the NFL so that he can sell a two-night pay-per-view of the NFL draft lottery.

Steve Rosenblum's column blaming Roquan Smith for getting his car robbed is a nonsensical 'Take Quake'.

Steve Rosenblum, who is provocateur, the Chicago Tribune... likes to just figure out the most nonsensical take out there... the premise of his article was Roquan Smith, who had his iPad stolen... it was his fault that he got robbed... at this point you could ask how a student athlete... is able to afford a 2018 Beamer... Steve Rosenblum... did no fact checking whatsoever and wrote this hot topic.

Zach Miller's gruesome non-catch against the Saints was definitely a touchdown

It was a touchdown. Yes, it was a touchdown... and almost lost his leg for a non-touchdown. It was crazy.

The best drafts in NFL history are built in the 2nd through 4th rounds

I think the key for us are we try to look closely at what are the things that these players that we've hit on have in common... the great drafts in our league history consist of second rounders, third rounders, fourth rounders.

Patrick Mahomes would have been the target for the Saints at pick 11 in 2017

Mahomes certainly would have been a target at 11 [in the 2017 NFL Draft]... Mahomes certainly would have been a target at 11.

Joe Flacco is an 'elite' quarterback because he won a Super Bowl

I think when you win a Super Bowl at that position, the way he played, you're elite.

Baker Mayfield is a great competitor and will be successful with the Browns

No, [Baker Mayfield] is going to be great. He's, you know what, he's just got this thing about him that... Baker, he's just like a competitor, man. Like, I was happy to see him go number one. If anybody can, like, move forward with the Browns [it's him].

I think all the quarterbacks drafted in the first round have very high bust potential

Darnold, Rosen, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, and Baker, you could tell me in three years all out of the league, and I would be like, yeah, okay. Because it's one of those things in the NFL, you just talk yourself into these guys.

Sam Darnold has the highest floor of any quarterback in the 2018 draft class

He seems like he has the highest bottom to me. If he all these guys don't work out, I think Darnold's bottom is the highest.

Big Ben will play for 3-5 more years because the Steelers drafted Mason Rudolph

Big Ben says he wants to play three to five more years. He's just saying that because they drafted Mason Rudolph. 100%. But it's so fantastic that Big Ben, the guy who was contemplating retirement last year, is now like, yeah, you know what? Pencil me in for five more years.

Every draft grade list should be required to give at least one F

Mel Kiper's grades are so fucking funny. He won't give anyone an F, which is bullshit. Like, if you do grades, you should have to give at least one F. You should have to.

Baker Mayfield will be a successful quarterback for the Cleveland Browns

I actually think this [Baker Mayfield] is going to work, and I know that's like stepping out on a very, very thin branch saying a Browns quarterback that they drafted really high might actually work, but I like Baker Mayfield. I like him a lot. I think that he is a very, very good quarterback and I like the competitiveness.

Josh Allen is a perfect fit for the Buffalo Bills because he has big hands for the cold weather

I think that's a great fit for Bills Mafia. I think it's a great fit for, you know, people forget it's cold. Cold, windy, snowy up there. Big hands. Josh Allen checks off all those boxes. Fucking awesome.

Josh Rosen is the best passer in the 2018 NFL Draft class

Josh Rosen, I like Josh Rosen. I had him ranked number one on the Big Cat Big Board because I think he's the best passer.

Jon Gruden is drafting like he is officially drunk

John Gruden is officially drunk. John Gruden traded the 10th pick for the 15th pick. So he moved back five spots in the draft and only picked up a third and a fifth... and then he picked a guy [Kolton Miller] who everyone said would be like a third or fourth rounder.

NFL running backs are entering a new age of resurgence

People are talking shit about drafting a running back. Guess what? We are now living in the resurgence age of running backs.

Josh Rosen's concussion history is a major red flag for NFL teams

My biggest concern with Josh Rosen is – He had two concussions last year where he missed games, right? ... What we know about brain injuries now— If that guy, after he gets drafted third by the Jets, let's say, and it's $30 million guaranteed ... if he gets a concussion in September... I would be – there's a big risk there.

Quentin Nelson is the best player in the 2018 NFL Draft

I think the best player in the draft is Quentin Nelson, but I'm a biased O-line lover. ... He's a guy at night before I go to bed, I might put on some Quentin Nelson highlights just to watch him.

Josh Rosen will fall further in the draft than people think

I'm going to go with Rosen to fall. Really? I think Darnold goes one. I think maybe some Barkley or a quarterback at two. I think Mayfield at three. I think [Rosen] ends up falling faster than people think.

Derrius Guice will be a better NFL running back than Saquon Barkley

I have a hot take for you. I think the best running back in the draft is [Derrius] Guice. ... Two years ago, I thought Guice was going to be the better NFL prospect than Leonard Fournette, and Fournette had a great rookie season. I still think Guice is going to be better than him.

NFL offensive line play is getting worse every year

I wouldn't take a quarterback moving forward that couldn't [extend the play] because O-line play is starting to deteriorate. All these colleges, they get less time with the guys. NFL, the new CBA, they get less time with the guys. And the O-line play in the league as a whole is getting worse and worse every year.

The Cleveland Browns will draft Sam Darnold with the first pick

I think the Browns are going to take Sam Darnold. I think so, too. And I think it's going to be the biggest mistake of their life. I think it's going to haunt them for the next 12 months.

John Elway falls in love with any quarterback he sees in person

I think John Elway's problem is that he just loves every quarterback. As a former quarterback, he will love you if he sees you, where if you wear a football, if you throw a football in front of him, he's like, I'm in love with this guy. He's awesome.

Sam Darnold is the best quarterback in the draft and will be picked #1 by the Browns

I think of the group, I would put Darnold first, and I think Cleveland, my gut tells me Cleveland's going to take him at one.

Josh Allen has the highest upside but the lowest floor of any player in the draft

I kind of look at this like Josh Allen's got the biggest upside of maybe any player in this draft, but he also has got a low floor.

Lamar Jackson will require a team to completely change their offensive scheme to build around him

I think somebody's going to commit to him in the first round and say, philosophically and schematically, we're buying into this kid, and we're going to change everything we do and build around him.

Saquon Barkley is a clean prospect and every bit as good as Fournette, Elliott, or Gurley

I'll tell you right now, the Barkley kids are every bit as good as any of those guys [Fournette, Ezekiel Elliott, Gurley] and totally clean off the field as well.

Arkansas center Frank Ragnow will be a surprise first-round pick

I think a surprise first-round pick is going to be offensive center Frank Ragnow from Arkansas... Nobody's talking about him, and I think he's gone in the first round.

The Minnesota Vikings are never going to win a Super Bowl

The Vikings are never going to win a Super Bowl... It's just not the cards, though.

Tom Brady and Bill Belichick actually hate each other

Tom Brady, on the other hand, I think he hates Belichick. I think they hate each other.

The NFL should fine quarterbacks for receiver head injuries if the pass leads them into danger

Micah Hyde... came up with a new idea that actually makes a lot of sense about finding players for helmet-to-helmet hits. He thinks that quarterbacks should be fined for their receivers getting hit in the head if the quarterback leads them into danger. I don't hate it.

The Browns are smokescreening everyone by pretending to like Josh Allen with the #1 pick

Everyone thinks they're going to take Sam Darnold, but they're making a lot of moves for Josh Allen. And everyone says they like Josh Allen, but it's a smokescreen. And they have the first pick.

Football is a six-inch war focused on running the ball

We've got to run the ball. I mean, that's football. That's what this game's all about. It's a six-inch war. If you can't move people, you can't win. And, you know, that's the name of the game, no doubt.