'He’s Randall Cunningham'
Herm Edwards is connected to many moving parts in today's NFL. He got Raheem Morris started in the NFL and coached Jayden Daniels at Arizona State. With Go Long, Edwards riffs on it all.
It’s always a good time to pick up the phone and scroll to “Herm Edwards” in the Contacts file. The former NFL head coach is as brutally honest as they come in this sport — everything you’d expect watching his legendary press conferences.
Edwards worked as Tony Dungy’s right-hand man in Tampa Bay, got his shot as the head man with the New York Jets and Kansas City Chiefs. Then, after joining the dark side with us in the media for a decade, he took over as Arizona State’s football coach 2018- ‘22.
We got Edwards’ perspective on coaching in the NFL and the Buffalo Bills’ Super Bowl window for Part II of our “Smash the Window” series, which subscribers can access right here. But this conversation touched on many more topics, so I figured it was worth sharing in full below.
The former head coach finishes with analysis of one quarterback prospect he knows best.
Here’s Edwards on…
Free agency, and why he sees Kirk Cousins as a game-changer.
Raheem Morris. When Edwards was running the Jets, a kid from Hofstra approached him wanting to get into pro coaching. Now, that kid gets his second chance as a head coach with the Atlanta Falcons.
AFC East. What’s missing in Miami? (He’s no fan of Aaron Rodgers talking this much, either.)
Steelers’ quarterback gamble. Edwards believes Mike Tomlin’s formula can work.
N’Keal Harry, and the thin line between making it in the NFL and being labeled a “bust.” (Edwards coached the first-round wideout at Arizona State.)
Jayden Daniels. Before the likely No. 2 pick won the Heisman Trophy at LSU, he was Edwards’ QB at Arizona State. The coach explains why Daniels is a spitting image of former NFL great Randall Cunningham.
Go Long is completely powered by our readers.
Want to support our independent journalism and gain access to all features, all columns and all 2024 NFL Draft coverage? Join our community as a paid subscriber today.
Did anything stand out to you in free agency? Do you think any team really helped themselves in a big way this past week?
Edwards: I thought Atlanta did a pretty good job. You get Kirk Cousins. They’ve got a new coach, Raheem, he knows the importance of having a quarterback. You get a veteran guy and they’ve got a pretty good football team. They're in a division that Tampa has kind of been the dominant team in. But I mean, nine wins win it last year and they were 7-10 and really didn’t have the quarterback thing settled down. Now you get Kirk Cousins, you have some guys. You’ve got two excellent runners. You’ve got London. You’ve got Pitts, the tight end, who I think they didn’t use enough. They went and got Bates last year on the defensive side of it, and he played really well this year. So they’re a team that I think — with Kirk Cousins, he brings a spark to that offense — they can challenge. With Kirk Cousins, if he holds it together, they're a 10- 7 team. So now you might win the division.
Those interceptions last year…
It’s hard to watch, man.
Raheem was saying the truth. If they get better quarterback play, they’re a 10-, 11-win team.
You get Kirk Cousins, you get a guy that's pretty good.
Free agency wise. I thought Washington went out and got a lot of guys. Now, they’ve got the second pick, so they’re going to pick a quarterback. So we know they’re going to get a quarterback. Dan Quinn understands he’s going to get the defense playing well. The defense didn’t play well at all last year. The offense was atrocious. They gave up, what, 65 sacks? But I think they’ve gone about their way in free agency to pick up some players, some defensive guys. They got the end Dorance Armstrong there, Bobby Wagner. Austin Eckler, they get as a runner. They went and got some guys and they still have the second pick in the draft. So it’ll be interesting to see how they kind of build this team for the NFC East.
Raheem Morris joined Tampa Bay as a quality control coach a couple of years after you had left to become a head coach. But do you know him that well?
Edwards: I actually sent him down there. He was at Hofstra when I was the Jets head coach. So he played at Hofstra and then he came out during the spring and he introduced himself to me. He says, “Hey, I’d like to try to coach.” I said, “OK, just come in. You come into the meetings and all this. You can sit in the back, you can work with the secondary.” And then Monte (Kiffin) called me and was looking for a GA. And I sent him to Tampa and that’s where he got started.
What did you see in him?
Edwards: He walked up to me after a practice and said, “Hey man, I want to coach.” I said, “Who are you?” And he says, “I went to Hofstra and played DB.” And we started talking. I said, “OK, come over here tomorrow at 7 o'clock.” He shows up. And I said, “OK, I'm going to put you to work. You can help coach the secondary and sit in the back of the meeting, kind of learn what we’re doing.” And he stayed for about two or three months. And then Monte was looking for a GA and he called me and he said, “I'm looking for a young GA.” I said I got the perfect guy and sent Raheem down there.
Could you tell that there was a different work ethic to him?
Edwards: You could tell he was all-in. He wanted to learn the game. He was a focused young guy. He knew he wanted to be a coach. There was no aspirations about trying to play at the next level. He was all-in as a coach.
Gosh, he’s had a circuitous path himself.
Edwards: I mean he wasn’t ready to be the head coach in Tampa when they hired him. He wasn’t ready. He was too young and he admits it. And now he’s much more mature. He’s been around. He’ll have great rapport with his players. He’s been to some places where they’ve won a lot. So, he understands how to build a team. He knows what he’s looking for. He’s got a great defensive mind, so he’s going to be OK.
What do you think he's learned since he was coaching the Bucs then? Why was he too young then and just right now?
Edwards: The maturity. To be given that job is like, “Okay, just learning how to be a head coach…” (laughs) You’re the head coach in title, but you don’t have any experience. And it takes time. It happened too fast and he wasn’t ready for it. I’ll just leave it at that. I think he’s been around enough now. He’s been around enough coaches, he’s learned his lesson to say, “OK, I’m ready for another opportunity.” And I’m glad he got it.
If you’re the Bills, How do you mentally dust yourself off to try to get back to that game against the Chiefs?
Edwards: That’s the key. Look, they can get back to the game. The Jets will be better if Aaron Rodgers stays healthy. They’re going to be better. I mean, just having him as the quarterback. They’ve got a really good defense. They went out in free agency and they’re bringing half their offensive linemen in. All free agent guys. So they’re not trying to get them in the draft. They’re smart enough to figure that out: “We’re going to get some veteran guys and build this team.” So you’re going to have to deal with them. New England, they’re not your worrisome team. Miami, it’ll be interesting. They’ve got a lot of flash. They can put up numbers like no one can. But at the end, they went down, too. I mean they were 11-6, 4-2 in division. Tua plays well. Now they’ve got a new DC. No Fangio. They’ll be interesting defensively. Because they’ve got to get better on defense. They were OK, but in the big moments, man, they’ve got to close the game out.
Will they be better on defense? Miami lost some key players.
Edwards: They were 10th in the league. 15th pass defense. Offense is No. 1 scoring what 29 points. Defense giving up 23. I think they’ll be more aggressive. They’ll be more aggressive. (New DC Anthony Weaver) will come after you some now. They had 56 sacks. They were third in the league, so they got after the quarterback. He’ll find a way to get you in a bad down. He knows that first down is critical. They’ve got to improve on first down to get you in some second and third and longs. That’s the down in football. It's not third down. It’s first down. Can you get them in second and 8? Now they’re playing behind the chains. They make five yards on first down, man, it’s over. You are already into the next series. You know they’re going to convert third because it’s going to be third and one, third and two and they’re going to keep the ball. … Defensively they’ll be a little bit more attacking. He’s got Ramsey over there, they got Kendall Fuller now all of a sudden. They’ve got some rushers. They can rush the quarterback and the offense is the offense. You ain’t slowing that offense down.
With Tua, we get to the end of the season and we’re again left wanting more. The offense is fun to watch. But can he play outside of structure?
Edwards: They’ve got to get some offensive line, especially inside at the guard position because Tua can’t move. I mean he’s not a stiff, but he’s not a running quarterback. And when you attack him inside, right away, that gets the rhythm of this offense out. And it'll be interesting in the draft. They don’t use the tight end because this offense is, it’s a tight end-driven offense. It’s San Francisco, it’s Kansas City. It’s that kind of offense. But they don’t really have a tight end. And I think if they get a tight end, that becomes a problem now. But they don’t use the tight end a lot. Why? I don’t know. It's like, “Why doesn’t he do that?” And maybe they don’t have one right now, but if they get a tight end? I think that changes things.
That could be the evolution.
Edwards: The Bills will be right there. They’ve got to win in the big moments. That’s all.
That’s all!
Edwards: You know what? If they don’t look out, they’re becoming like the Cowboys. Cowboys can’t win in the playoffs. Cowboys can win. They’re going to win 10, 12 games every year. But they don’t win in the playoffs. And the Buffalo Bills have got to figure it out. They’ve won some games in the playoffs. But when you think about it, when you look at that over there and you go, “OK, who are we dealing with?” You’re going to deal with the Ravens. You’re going to deal with the Bengals when the quarterback’s back. As bad as the Steelers were last year — as bad as we think they were — the record was 10-7. Here’s the kicker. They were 5-1 in the division. They had the best division record. The Browns supposedly have gotten better. I want to see it. Kansas City is Kansas City. The Chargers, beware of the Chargers. They’re going to be better. Harbaugh, that team’s going to look a little bit different on offense. They’re going to run the football. Herbert ain’t going to have to worry about… he’s going to be a play-action quarterback. They’re going to run it. They’re going to take time off the clock. They’re going to slow the game down. They’re going to be better. They’re going to be a physical football team. The Chargers.”
Mike Tomlin and Russell Wilson. You know Tomlin well. I think he came to Tampa the next year. But I feel like if somebody’s paying you 85 million to get the hell out, that’s a problem. How is this going to go down in Pittsburgh?
Edwards: What’s going to happen is, he kind of fell into the Seattle Seahawks. Because the Pittsburgh Steelers, they play defense. They’re not a high-flying offense. They want to take some shots down the field. They want to run the ball and defensively they’re going to beat you up. And as bad as it was last year with that quarterback situation, they had the best division record. They were 5-1 and they won 10 games! So if Russell Wilson doesn’t screw it up — now, if he does, they’ve got Fields sitting there. So they’ve got two quarterbacks. Russell Wilson is the guy right now. He’s the one that has all the experience, plays most games. He’s in an offense that is the Seattle Seahawks offense. When he had the Legion of Boom defense behind him. He’s a pretty good quarterback.
But he’s 35 going on 36. We're talking Allen, Mahomes and Burrow and Herbert, all these QBs. It’s a different way to try to win the way you’re describing.
Edwards: But Tom Brady, Captain America squashed all that. That’s what Aaron Rodgers is trying to do. Aaron Rodgers just needs to shut up and play. Stop talking.
He came out and said that he doesn’t want any distractions. And then what happened? He’s the distraction.
Edwards: Oh my God. He can’t help himself. I think the older quarterback in today's world— because how you protect him, and rightly so because you paid the guy all this money — it's a different game. If you sit in the pocket, they can’t touch you. They can’t hit you. It’s illegal to hit the quarterback now. Did you know that? In the pocket, you can’t hit the guy.
You cannot breathe on him.
Edwards: It’s unbelievable. And this is why the offensive line is so important, especially for guys that can’t get away anymore. You’ve got to have guards because that’s where you’re affecting them: When you come right at those guys that don’t want to move out the pocket. It’s not the tackle so much because they’ve got to go around the tackle. When you hit the A and the B gaps, are you big enough and stout enough in there to let the quarterback sit in the pocket?
Arthur Smith will get Russell on the move. That’s not what Sean Payton wanted to do. He’s thinking this is Brees.
Edwards: I’m telling you, it’s going to be the Seattle Seahawks offense! That's Pittsburgh. They’re going to run the ball. They’re going to take time. Ten-possession game. Defense will get a couple of turnovers: Just don’t screw it up, Russell Wilson.
Hey, maybe they’ll even trade for your guy at Arizona State, Brandon Aiyuk?
Edwards: I think (the 49ers) are going to get him signed. They don't want him to get out of there. I think John and them get him signed.”
He’s too talented. You know him better than anybody.
Edwards: He’s a good player, man.
When did you realize it at Arizona State?
Edwards: When he first got there. He was a JC guy. He didn’t get a lot of love early because we had N’Keal Harry, who was the first-round pick for New England. He had too many followers, man. That’s what killed him. That poor kid.
He had hanger-on’ers. And it was like, “C’mon, N’Keal.” Because talent-wise? He’s got enough talent. He’s a big, strong physical receiver to catch the ball. And then he went to New England. That was the worst place for him to go because it just didn’t fit. That didn’t fit him. But Aiyuk, you could tell he was going to be good. He was good. He just didn’t get a lot of love early because of obviously N’Keal. But then he came on — he came with Jayden (Daniels) — and they were like two peas in the pod. When Jayden needed somebody or Jayden got outside the pocket, it was those two guys making plays.
The difference between a guy breaking out and being a “bust” is a lot thinner than people realize, right? You’ve got N’Keal. You see the talent up close.
Edwards: Talent sometimes can be a curse. I’ve always said that. If you don't use it correctly, it could be a curse to you.
Maybe you stop working as hard? What do you mean by that?
Edwards: You’ve got so much talent and you think, “I got this.” You ain’t got it. Because the problem is, you’re going into a league where everybody’s got talent and you’ve got to work at it. You’ve got to have work ethic. You’ve got to focus in on football. Football’s got to be the No. 1 thing. It can’t be what football provides you.
He’s with the Minnesota Vikings, so it looks like N’Keal isn’t done yet.
Edwards: He’s with Minnesota and I’m hoping he gets a shot there. Because, see, what I did with him, he’s got good speed. He’s not a burner. He’s got good enough speed — but he’s strong and powerful. See what I did in senior year, I put him in the slot. I moved him around. So I said, “Man, you need to be a slot receiver. You’re a big physical guy.” He ain’t going to beat you off the line with his speed. He’s strong, he’s physical. Put this guy in the slot.
Anything else on your mind?
Edwards: The draft’s going to be fun. I’m thinking my boy, Jayden, is probably going to go to Washington.
What do you see in him? What makes him special?
Edwards: His maturity, how he’s grown up. And one thing he could always do — he could throw the ball down the field. And he’s unique as a runner. You don’t know how fast he’s running until you get on the field: “Oh, this dude's running, man.” And the thing he doesn’t do, he doesn’t turn the ball over a lot. That’s the one thing he understands: Don’t turn the ball over. But I just think he has matured. I had him for three years and we have a really, really good relationship. He's a great kid, man.
Everybody’s watching the highlights til their eyes bleed. But what’s he like as a leader, as a person day to day?
Edwards: He’s good, man. Early in his career, he didn’t talk a lot. He had to learn how to be a leader. He led by his play. But I think he understood as he got older and matured, he’s got to be more boisterous. You’ve got to pick your spots. I always told him, “Pick your spots, man.” And so I think he’s done that and I think he’s got a chance to be really good.”
Here’s what one scout told Bob McGinn at our site about Jayden Daniels: “I don’t know if I’ve ever seen anybody like him. He could be a running back. He was the closest thing I’ve seen to Mahomes. But he actually might be better because he’s faster and a better runner and much better pure athlete.”
Edwards: Here’s who he is, here’s who he is. Close your eyes and think about this when I say his name: Randall Cunningham. He’s Randall Cunningham. Randall was with us toward the end of my career, too. He’s Randall. He’s Randall.
How are they similar?
Edwards: The length. The height. Their body build. Their arm talent. Almost similar. Jayden might be a little bit faster, but I don’t know. Randall could run, too. They’re about the same.
I was surprised to see Jayden is 6 foot 4.
Edwards: He’s Randall Cunningham.
And if you dropped Peak Randall Cunningham into today's NFL, holy.
Edwards: It’s Jayden Daniels.
I know we all are assuming Caleb Williams is the best of the best…
Edwards: Look. All these guys, Williams and Drake Maye, all these guys, you want ‘em all to be successful. I do personally. Because the league's better when the quarterback play is good. And when you don’t have good quarterback play, the games are bad. So you want these guys to be successful. You really do. That’s always been my deal. Especially quarterbacks. You want those guys, regardless of when they go, who they go to. … It makes them more competitive.
There are a lot of scouts who do view this as a historic group, too.
Edwards: A lot of them have playing time where all of a sudden, Jayden, he played in 56 college football games. So, Covid helps these guys. He came back another year. Look at the numbers. You go, that dude played a lot of college football games. That’s a good thing! They got more experience. There’s nothing wrong with that. Yeah, he played in 55 college football games and Penix played what, in 48 of them. J.J. McCarthy played in 40. Drake Maye played, now he’s the short one. He only played in 30. And Caleb Williams played in 37.
Bo Nix played more than anybody in NCAA history.
Edwards: Bo Nix played in 61.
We love what we don’t see and what we don’t know. But if you're able to look at 40, 50, 60 games, you’re going to get a good sense for a guy.
Edwards: You get a lot of information. The kid Hartman at Notre Dame, he played 60. The film ain’t going to lie, man, it’s like, “Here’s his career, man. Look at it. What does it tell you?”
ICYMI:
Smash the Window, Part I: ‘Don’t ever stop’
Smash the Window, Part II: The Super Bowl Plan
Randall was a freak but he could never win the big ones. Even with those Buddy Ryan defenses and a 15-1 Vikings team. If I’m Jayden I’m not thrilled with the comparison.