After Hours with Amy Lawrence PODCAST: Hour 2

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That's BetterHelp H-E-L-P dot com slash positive. You're listening to After Hours with Amy Lawrence. It seems that so many people are looking forward to our radio show, so we of course will be keeping you company. Like this particular tweet, which I really love. Unfortunately, I'm forced to listen to your show.

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I got 99 problems, but Twitter ain't one. This is After Hours with Amy Lawrence. Hope you survived your Monday. The dog days of summer, a lot going on. Vacation, certainly this time of the year, a lot to look forward to. And very soon, your favorite NFL team will be fully immersed in the heat and the humidity and the sticky and the icky for the sake of the game.

For the sake of football. Thank you for all of your kind words about my climb to the top of the Statue of Liberty. It was tight. I bumped my head twice. It was extremely sticky and icky up there. Well, no, it was sticky and steamy. It was not icky. The pictures prove it. It was worth the climb and the 354 steps and the tight spaces and the sweatiness to be able to catch the views and see the inside of the Statue of Liberty.

We climbed up the inside of the statue. So if you haven't seen the photos, I promised you Facebookers and I did in fact post them on Monday evening. So on our Facebook page, on Twitter, after hours CBS or my Twitter, ALawRadio chugging through a Monday night heading full speed toward a Tuesday morning after hours with Amy Lawrence on CBS Sports Radio. Point with 8.36 to go in the second. Carr, toss play. Jacobs gets a block from Johnson to the 30.

Cuts back inside stiff arm. 25-20. Jacobs off to the races.

Five. Touchdown Raiders. Oh, well, we heard Derek Carr in that highlight from November on Raiders Radio. But really it was about Josh Jacobs last year. What a humongous performance he had. And it wasn't just about carrying the ball out of the backfield.

It was also catching the ball out of the backfield. It was a contract year. And yet there is no contract. And he has yet to sign his franchise tender. So we now are pleased to welcome back to the show Sports Illustrated Raiders insider, Hondo Carpenter from Las Vegas. We know the deadline has passed for the Raiders and Josh to get a deal done.

How far apart were they when it came right down to it, Hondo? Well, here's what we do know. I've been reporting since the season ended that there was a very low percentage chance that they would get a deal done. I also said that they would use the franchise tag and that, again, there'd be very low chance a deal was done. But I would expect Josh to be back either just before the start of the season or literally the first week of the season. He's fully expected them to play.

So nothing's changed in my reporting in months. Here's where the issue is, Amy, is the Raiders love Josh. Josh loves the Raiders. They want to be together. The problem is, is when you both want to do a long term deal, what's your definition of a long term deal? And so, you know, I understand that a lot of running backs are very frustrated with the way the system works, but they need to be frustrated with themselves and the NFL Players Association because this is the system in the contract they agreed with. And it's in place till 2030. The deal is, is that at the running back position, they have a proven track record of a very short window of health. And so no team wants to give a humongous long term guaranteed deal knowing that the percentages are against the running back being available. You can't blame a businessman. I mean, the company that I work for and you work for, if they knew, boy, after X amount of time production goes down, they wouldn't do it for us. It's not because it's football running backs.

It's because it's business. On the other side, every running back and every athlete, for that matter, never thinks I'm going to break down. I'm always going to be healthy.

I'm always going to be the thousand yard rusher. So here is what we know. The Raiders made their last offer on Saturday. It was a offer with a couple of different options. It didn't meet what Josh wanted.

And so it was rejected. And again, everyone who understands now the Raiders have the franchise tag on them. And they can't work a deal out now until after the season. The Raiders are fully expected to play. I know Josh's teammates fully expect him to play. And all indications I'm getting from all parties is that he will show up there week one. And when they go to Denver, do I expect them to get a long term deal?

I don't think he's going to get a better offer next year than he got. I don't want to seem like I don't care about him because I love Josh. Josh is a wonderful young man. Great kid. I think he's a great football player. He's a great person. This has nothing to do with his character. He just plays a position that has a very short shelf life in the National Football League and he's experiencing it.

And he is not the only one, of course, who's in this position because Tony Pollard of the Cowboys and then Saquon Barkley of the Giants are all set to play the one year on the franchise tag. But I'm wondering, Hondo, what's your reaction to the number of running backs who took to social media to lament this situation on Monday? It seemed like they flooded Twitter. Well, I think they did.

And let's not pretend that agents aren't involved as well trying to get public opinion and to get public persuasion. But at the end of the day, I mean, there's still a Dalvin Cook out there. There still are very good running backs that are potentially available. And it's the position that they chose. It's the position that they play.

Their shelf life just isn't there. So they take to Twitter. I believe a lot of it was very much induced by agents trying to put pressure on teams. Someone said to me today on another interview, you know, what would you say to the running backs?

You should have picked a different position. I mean, I understand they're great at what they do. These men are tremendous athletes. Josh Jacobs is in tremendous shape. He's a terrific kid. And I call him a kid because I'm a 52 year old man, but he's a terrific young man. He's in great shape. He's a hard worker.

But let's look at something for a minute. His first three years in the league, he was a good running back, but he would take himself out of games when he needed a rest. He would get injured and need to come out. His best year was his contract year. And I said prior to the contract year, if I was the Raiders, I would not pick up the fifth year option. He hadn't shown me enough for what it would cost them. And he comes out and has a great contract year. And hey, I credit him for that.

But the point is the fourth year is what everyone remembers. So you've got to be careful, you know, if you give him a long term contract and, you know, the Raiders were willing to look at some things. They wanted some incentives. They wanted to be able to say, yeah, we're willing to pay you, but you're going to have to learn to, you know, you're going to have to take some agreements because, you know, we've got to protect our franchise. And at the end of the day, it's like I said earlier, the definition of a long term deal can be two different things to two people.

And that's where this ended up coming to where a deal couldn't be reached. We're pleased to have Hondo Carpenter back on the show with us again. Covers the Raiders for Sports Illustrated joining us from Vegas.

It's after hours here on CBS Sports Radio. So to clarify, the team would like to re-sign him or would have liked to re-sign him. They would like to keep him around. They just couldn't come to an agreement.

Correct. There was no, nothing within the Raiders that said we don't want him. If that was the case, Dalvin Cook would be here. They want him. It's just trying, and he wants to be here, but it just came down to, okay, how do we make this work? You know, and I understand a lot of Raider Nation is very angry at Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler because first of all, they're Patriots and Raider Nation will never forget the tuck roll.

And then, and it's just the fact of life, Amy. But the second thing is, is remember these fans are fans of an organization whose mantra is just win, baby. And the franchise hasn't done that. I mean, Mark Davis has had two coaches that took him to the playoffs since he's been the principal owner after his dad's passing and he fired them both.

And so the fan base is extremely frustrated because every year they buy into just win and they haven't. And so all along comes Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler. In my opinion, Dave Ziegler and Josh McDaniels have done a very good job. I mean, last year there was a lot of reasons that they took a step back, but I think that they have worked extremely hard at it. The drafting and the getting of free agents has been good, and they needed to bring some salary cap stability to this team. And Al Davis would have went out and signed Josh Jacobs to a long-term deal. And then all of a sudden in year two or three when his production isn't there, he would have had to keep them around for three years. And you know that Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler cut their teeth in an organization that said, we'd rather let you go a year early than keep you a year late. Now they believe in them, and I think that's really important. There's no animosity there.

It's just frustration that a deal couldn't be reached. Josh Jacobs says coming off a career year, as you pointed out, had a dozen touchdowns, over 1,600 yards, right now at 25 years old, certainly could be an asset in that backfield. And according to Hondo, he will be there in time for the season to begin. Now, he obviously will be the quarterback's best friend.

And that brings us to the quarterback question. What's the latest on Jimmy Garoppolo, Hondo? Jimmy's doing great. They're very happy with his progress. They're very pleased with his progress. Talked to several of his teammates who've been out with him and spent time with him. He's great. The biggest concern with Jimmy Garoppolo is not if he's going to be ready for the season.

The biggest concern is can he play 17 games. And I have said this numerous times. It's nothing new.

I'm repeating it. But in the game of football, the best ability is availability. And Jimmy Garoppolo, when he's healthy, is an elite quarterback. He's a winner. He is a great guy in the locker room. His teammates love him. He's a hard worker.

The only knock is that he's not been able to finish. And I said this before they signed him. Now, the Raiders were all in. They believed, inside that building, they believed Tom Brady was going to be their quarterback this year.

And then some things happened that it wasn't able to happen. He's now going to be an owner and good for him. And so they go out and get Jimmy. And they have a very favorable contract for them if he's not healthy.

But they roll the dice. And they said, listen, we love Brian O'Leary. Now, they love Dayton O'Connell, the pick out of Purdue. He's a kid that if he'd come out a year early, this guy, after the 21 season, had been in the 22 draft.

People believed that he would have been a first-round draft pick. They pick him up later. And they love him. But this is a team that if Jimmy Garoppolo's healthy for 17 games, then Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler deserve all the credit in the world because they went all in on him. And if he doesn't, they deserve all of the blame.

This is their call. Mark Davis knew of it. Mark Davis signed off on it. To me, the biggest thing with Jimmy Garoppolo is not week one. Is he going to be there for all 17 games? If Jimmy's healthy all 17 games, I think the Raiders will win nine games and miss the playoffs by one.

But if he's not, I think it's going to be a very long season for the Raiders. And I think it's just going to turn the heat up even higher on Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler. Were they disappointed that Brady decided to retire?

Oh, I think there was absolute disappointment. I think they thought they were going to get him. I think that they were convinced he was going to be their quarterback. And then the situation turns out that he's going to retire. And obviously, being an owner, he's going to be involved in the franchise. He's still going to be involved. Not to the level that they wished. But yeah, I think there was absolute disappointment. I think anyone who had a chance to get Tom Brady would have been excited about it. You know, he's clearly not in his prime.

But Tom Brady, not in his prime, Amy, is still better than 90% of the quarterbacks in the National Football League. You can come in with striped throat and you're still better than 90% of the people on national radio, Amy. I appreciate that. Thank you. Although, striped throat is the worst. I would not wish it on my enemies. It's awful. I agree.

Hondo Carpenter is with us from Las Vegas here on CBS Sports Radio. Why are you not believing they're going to make a major jump in 23? Alright, well first of all, I think 9 wins is a jump from where they were if Jimmy's healthy for all 17. And here's why I would tell you I would think they would be out of the cusp of the playoffs. They have a very difficult schedule. They play in the AFC West, which arguably is one of the best divisions in all of the National Football League.

Right. They have the 10th hardest schedule. And they've got a lot of young players that are burgeoning stars. Guys that really are on the cusp.

Now, real quickly, I'll just give you some names of some guys. But, you know, they get Jacorri and Bennett out of Maryland. And this is a kid that a lot of people don't realize how well he played in college. And this is a guy I think that really has a chance to become something special. Chris Smith out of Georgia, the safety, they stole him. He's a guy that's going to be really good. Michael Mayer, this is a kid they had rated around 15th on their board. 15th best player to tight end out of Notre Dame. They pick him. This may be one of the, I mean, this kid has star potential written all over him. Aidan O'Connell.

And I could go on. There's a lot of great young players. They did go out and they go get a superstar like Marcus Epps at safety. A guy that the Eagles wanted. They just, they have so much talent they couldn't afford to keep them. There is some, you know, Robert Spillane.

Think about this kid. I think it was the last four or six games in Pittsburgh. He played every down on defense and every down on special teams. He's just an old school leather helmet wearing, blue collar, lunch bell linebacker. Totally what you expect out of Pittsburgh. They sign him. He's going to be big. Then they go get Jacoby Myers.

And, you know, what a pickup he was. They pick up Trey Tucker from Cincinnati in the draft of Speetzer, Phillip Dorsett, DeAndre Carter. I mean, their wide receiver room top to bottom are probably the most loaded in the entire National Football League. Their offensive line takes a beating because, you know, a lot of things with Derek Carr holding the football a little bit longer. But let's remember they blocked for the NFL's leading rusher that offensive line, everybody's back. They do go get a McClendon McCurtis, who they stole as a UDFA out of Tennessee Chattanooga.

I think he's got a chance to compete. So this is a team that has got a lot of talent, but it's a lot of young. So when you ask me, why don't I think it's more than nine, not more than nine wins?

It's because they're young and young players make young player mistakes, number one. But their schedule's brutal in the AFC West. And let's be brutally honest, until somebody knocks off the Kansas City Chiefs, they are the big dog. And think about San Diego. They're a coach away from being a good team. I mean, can you imagine if Sean Payton was in San Diego today?

Well, I guess Los Angeles now, excuse the chargers. But every football team in the National Football League would be nervous. That's a very good team with a very bad coach. I mean, you can always count on him to cost them a couple games a year.

You look at Sean Payton, who I think is one of the best offensive minds in the game of football, he's clearly going to be able to know what to call for Russell Wilson. You obviously know we have an Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes. I mean, it's a brutal part of the division in the conference, and that schedule is just a reality. They're going to be in a dogfight every single game. I'm pretty sure that's what was predicted last year about the ASC West, and it didn't quite happen. The one major difference, Chiefs haven't changed, they're still the kings of the West, but one thing that has changed, no more Derek Carr. So, Hondo, hang on, got to get to a quick break, but I want to ask you about no Derek Carr in the building.

And also, Las Vegas feels like the center of the sports world, or at least the leagues want it to be that way. We'll have more with Hondo Carpenter from Las Vegas, Sports Illustrated Raiders Insider. It's After Hours with Amy Lawrence, CBS Sports Radio. That's A-U-D-A-C-Y, Odyssey. Hondo Renfro with a beautiful grab, and got away from a defender, took off to the end zone. You're listening to After Hours with Amy Lawrence.

Call Amy at 855-212-4CBS. It is going to sound a whole lot different on Raiders radio this season. No more Derek Carr, he was the longest tenured Raider.

Man, he had seen so much change, a revolving door. Coaches, general managers, teammates, of course. That includes his BFF, Devante Adams, who joined the team last year. But now Carr is not in the AFC West, or the AFC for that matter.

It's After Hours with Amy Lawrence. A couple more minutes with our friend Hondo Carpenter, who covers the Raiders in Las Vegas for Sports Illustrated. Hondo, Derek Carr cast a very large shadow in that organization.

Had been there the better part of a decade, going back to when he first won the job. What's it like to cover the team without him? First of all, in the interest of fair disclosure, I consider Derek a friend, and I love him. Love his family. I love everything about Derek Carr. I'm proud to say I know him. I have a lot of family in New Orleans, and I told him you're going to be proud to have Derek as your quarterback.

But I think he's better off not being in Las Vegas, and I think Las Vegas is better off for not having him. Derek took a beating leading this franchise, and it was a difficult road for him. He was at times a counselor. At times he was a captain. At times he's a coach. At times he was a leader. At times he's trying to figure out stuff for him.

He's a consummate professional. It's weird not having him. But it's one of those situations where I believe that Derek would say, and I'm not quoting him, I'm just giving him an opinion, that, you know what, a change of scenery was probably pretty good for him, and I think it was good for the Raiders.

Just both teams need to go. I can tell you this, Derek does not and did not hate Dave Ziegler and Josh McDaniels. They did not hate him. I can tell you the reason they gave Derek the contract they did was because they fully expected him to be here long term. I reported this at the time, and I stand by it.

It's accurate, and Josh has never denied it, even when we talked about it on the record. Part of the reason that he took this job, remember, he could have went anywhere, was because of Derek Carr. It just didn't work, and I think that the franchise had just been through so much. I remember when Henry Ruggs' incident happened. The owner didn't come out and talk. Derek did. That had nothing to do with Derek.

Derek didn't make Henry Ruggs drink that night at Topgolf. Derek Carr didn't get behind the wheel, and yet there's Derek Carr up there saying, he'd text me earlier in the day, could I have done more? Derek gave his heart and soul to the franchise, and at the end of it, there was no Super Bowl.

So it didn't get the result that the fans wanted or he wanted, and I think the divorce was good for both. But it is different, but I'm happy for him, and I'm happy for the Raiders. I'm going to tell you, if there are Saints fans listening, you should be happy. You've got a really good quarterback, and I think it's going to be fun to watch the Saints this year. Excited to see how that plays out, because you can tell that he's rejuvenated and ready for a fresh challenge, and boy does Derek Carr love a challenge.

He does. So Hondo, before I let you go, I like to ask this of people who live in Vegas, and I know you haven't been there your whole life or anything, but there's WNBA with a championship, the NHL with the Stanley Cup. Of course, football is there now. Baseball is moving in soon. Super Bowl will be there in February. There's all kinds of events that are taking place. Is there anything hotter than the Vegas sports scene right now? The weather. 119 the last three days, Amy. Listen, you know it's hot when you've got a great air conditioning and it doesn't work in your car. I mean, it's 119 outside and 94 in your truck.

And you go to the shop and they're like, you don't need to charge it. Welcome to Vegas, sir. Let me just say this. First of all, Raider Nation is going to hate that I say this, Amy, but Allegiant Stadium is the number one draw for fans who are not Raider fans. So what happens is this is the number one destination city. So if you're up in Chicago, negative 20, and you've got eight inches of snow, do you want to go to Soldier Field? Do you want to, hey, let's just wait, save our money, go to Vegas, go spend a Friday, Saturday, Sunday, fly home Monday and catch a game.

So it's been really hard. Mark Davis has taken a bunch of criticism that he didn't deserve for the price of tickets. The problem is, is a lot of people came in and bought those tickets for resale.

Mark didn't outprice anybody. And so you see a lot of fans from other teams because it's the number one destination city. I have a buddy who last year, him and his wife, he's a high school football coach, she's a nurse in another state, and their childhood team that's not from the state that they live in was coming to Vegas. They used to have tickets at Soldier Field.

They got rid of them. And it cost them five grand for two tickets on the 40-yard line lower bowl. And they flew here, had a great weekend, and still paid less than what they would have for season tickets.

And they were in air conditioning. They got Vegas. They got all the stars, the halftime shows.

This city is on fire. Now, I'm from Michigan, so I'm a Red Wing guy. I love hockey. And so I'm an old-school hockey guy, so I admit the first time I go to watch the Golden Knights, and it's a Vegas show. And the hockey was great, but all the ambiance, I'm like, what is going on here? Why is nobody watching?

And so it's different, but it's absolutely fun. Nobody puts a show on like Vegas. Everybody in America should come to see one game at Allegiant Stadium.

The city's on fire from it. And so people will say, well, it's not the biggest city. Why was it going to have every sports franchise? Because it may not be the biggest, but everybody comes here.

So think about this one, the A's. No one goes to Oakland for vacation unless they have family there. And I'm not ripping Oakland.

I've been there before. It's a beautiful city, and I love it. But if you're thinking about places to go, it isn't like Oakland's top of mind. But now, all of a sudden, if you're a person that's sitting in New Jersey, and you just say, for whatever reason, you love the Phillies or you love the Yankees or the Mets or whatever team you love, hey, let's go out to Vegas and watch three Yankee games or three Philly games or whatever and enjoy Vegas. I mean, hotel rooms are cheap. Airfare's cheap. And there's always going to be a built-in crowd here.

It's going to be amazing. Now, the difference is the Golden Knights have a home ice advantage where the Raiders don't, because they were born here. They didn't move here. So everybody that lives in Vegas is a Golden Knight fan.

But not everybody that lives in Vegas is a Raider fan, because a lot of them had loyalties to other teams. So when they come, they go fill it up. But it's okay, because those airports and those hotels are rocking with people coming from all over the country. Exciting. Looking forward to seeing what else lands in Vegas. But we know the Super Bowl is headed there. Follow Hondo on Twitter at hondocarpenter, covering the Raiders with all their changes.

New regime, maybe a major jump this year for Sports Illustrated. Good to catch up with you again, my friend. And congratulations on the new addition to your family. Well, thank you and congratulations to you. You are just the best in radio. And let me tell you, one of the things that I appreciate and long before you were my friend, I used to tell my daughter, my daughter is very beautiful. And I would say, you know, if you get into media, don't get in because you're pretty.

Get in because you're smart and good. Right. And I've always I've always loved that about you, Amy. You're a beautiful person inside and out. But I love that when I listen to you, I learn stuff. I love the guests you have on. You are such a quality addition to our profession. And I honor you and I appreciate you.

Oh, thank you. That's so kind of you, Hondo. And any time people tell me that their daughters listen or they want their daughters to listen, that makes me happy. My two nieces, I tell them all the time, it's better to be a role model than a supermodel. I'm not sure they believe me, at least at this age. But yeah, always wanted to get into radio because I didn't want to be known for what I look like.

I didn't want my career to be based on what I looked like or didn't like. So that's a great compliment. All the intel you need about the Raiders as they get set to open camp. Other teams will start with their rookies on Tuesday. Can't believe it. It is here. It is so here. You know what else is here? SEC Media Day.

So we'll get to those as we head through this edition of After Hours. And I'm sure. Well, you know what? I can't speak for Miles Sanders, but did you hear what he said about Andy Dalton? Marco Bulette, he is here in studio.

Don't give it away. Do you think that he intended to say what he did about Andy Dalton or just slipped out and he forgot who he was talking about? No, I listened to it. He knew exactly what he was saying.

All right. We will play it for our listeners coming up from our affiliate in Charlotte, WFNZ, the Mac and Bone Show. And we've had those guys on our show before. Miles Sanders, new member of the Carolina Panthers. And he had some strong words for Andy Dalton. Second down and five ball at the 13.

Hurts gives it up against Sanders. Jason Kelsey. What an unbelievable job. Kelsey joined my lot off that left side. You can see the alley created on the left side and Miles Sanders has used his feet to get the ball into the end zone.

This is After Hours with Amy Lawrence. Miles Sanders is one of those running backs that actually does have a home and change teams this offseason from the Eagles with their radio network. Meryl Reese and company to the Carolina Panthers. And I say that because there are not only several high profile running backs that still do not have jobs for the upcoming season. For instance, Dalvin Cook and Ezekiel Elliott. There are others, to be sure, but you've also got running backs who are disgruntled about playing on the franchise tag. And it's a trio of backs in Saquon Barkley, in Josh Jacobs, who we just talked about with Hondo Carpenter in Vegas. And then also Tony Pollard of the Cowboys, who is supposed to be taking over for Ezekiel Elliott as the number one guy in Dallas. And those are the only three players that did not end up with long term contracts after they were tagged. So there's a lot to say about this position, a lot of strong opinions about this position as well.

It's After Hours with Amy Lawrence, CBS Sports Radio. So Miles Sanders is now a member of the Carolina Panthers, getting acclimated with new system, new quarterbacks, new offense. Of course, there's a lot of that going on in Carolina, right? If you think about who they had last year versus what they have this year. And I mean that from the top down, coaches, quarterbacks, certainly running backs too. Miles Sanders and everybody else are getting adjusted.

It's not just him. They need name tags, actually, but he could be a great addition for their new quarterbacks. So right now it's Bryce Young, they move up in the draft, and with Frank Reich, they take him number one overall. But they also have to bring in a different backup in Andy Dalton. So Miles Sanders coming off a year in which he led the Eagles in rushing with nearly 1,300 yards, also at 11 touchdowns. Now he takes his talents to Carolina. You know, just that big old region called Carolina.

In Charlotte, our affiliate is WF&Z. And on the Mac and Bone show, they asked him about the rookie quarterback, the number one overall draft pick, Bryce Young. He's their early last one leaving. The main thing, a part of his game that I've noticed is his pocket presence is amazing to me and he has a quick release. And he makes smart decisions too, so he doesn't really force passes and he has a nice touch, a lovely touch on the ball. And yeah, he's a big fan. He's like a humble, cocky, not cocky, but like he's cocky in a humble way.

He's cocky in a humble way. I think there's probably a lot of athletes that would fit with that description. Miles Sanders expected to be the starting running back for Bryce Young. So again, the experience, the veteran presence, certainly the skill. And then they bring in Adam Thielen, who was with the Vikings for years. He's supposed to start at wide receiver. Hayden Hurst as they're starting tight end.

They really have retooled a lot under Frank Reich. Matt Corral, if you remember, was drafted last year. Would have been the starter because neither Sam Darnold nor Baker Mayfield worked. If Corral had been hurt, would he have a Liz Frank injury, I think? Some kind of a foot injury.

I think it was Liz Frank. He was out the whole season and got hurt in training camp and was never playing, was never going to play. They essentially shut him down. And I was so bummed for him because I really believe he could have made the most of an opportunity there. And maybe that would have signaled a starting opportunity, whether for the Panthers or somewhere else.

Now he's listed as the third string quarterback behind Andy Dalton and Bryce Young. And you know how it is in pro sports, especially in football. The window is there. It's open and then it's closed and it's locked. And sometimes those chances never come around again.

Sometimes the windows never open again. Because he's cheap, he's on a rookie deal. They have no reason to get rid of him. Most teams, while they may only have two active quarterbacks on game weekends, they'll carry three. Matt will get some reps.

He'll get some experience. We don't know how the season will go. Remember, more than half the teams in the NFL use multiple quarterbacks every year because of either injuries or ineptitude. So it's not like you can assume that Bryce Young or the Panthers will get through this season with just one guy.

I mean, heavens. Last year, three different QBs. You consider PJ Walker as well. And two different head coaches. Now they've got a third one. Three different head coaches in the span of a calendar year. And it's the NFC South. It's wide open. The winner last year was below 500.

So everybody's getting used to everybody else and everything. But Miles Sanders is in no way uncertain. In no way does he have a lack of confidence in his quarterbacks. Now you heard what he had to say about Bryce Young. What about his assessment of Andy Dalton? I have a good feeling about these guys. These guys work.

And that's the main thing I've noticed in OTAs. We've got a very, very good young quarterback that's being mentored by a very, very, very good quarterback. Coach Kieser all the same. Andy Dalton. I'm sorry. What did he say? It was buzzing there. Coach Kieser all the same.

Andy Dalton. I'm sorry. There's no way I could have heard you correctly. Just again, the buzzing, the connection. I'm sorry. Can you hear me now? Do you hear me?

What did you say? Coach Kieser all the same. Andy Dalton. It certainly sounds like Miles Sanders said future Hall of Famer Andy Dalton. Huh.

Well, that's interesting. Do you know the number of times that I have had people scream at me, call me names, certainly insult my intelligence when I tell you that Eli Manning is a future Hall of Famer? People get irate over that debate.

I don't even think it's a debate. I'm telling you, I'll guarantee it. I guarantee very little in this world, certainly not in the sports industry, because I don't think there's much that's a sure thing. I mean, if it was, why would we watch?

That's what I love about sports is that really doesn't go according to script or plan. But Eli Manning is a Hall of Famer and will be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. And I wouldn't be surprised if he's a first ballot Hall of Famer either. You know ball.

Thank you, Manny. Something else that I say that people get upset about, Philip Rivers, also a Hall of Famer. That's where you lose me. Now, I don't think he's a first ballot guy, but I do think he will end up in the Hall of Fame by sheer virtue of his numbers and where he ranks among quarterbacks.

Now, I get it. The NFL is more and more tilted toward passing offenses. It's more and more tilted toward quarterbacks racking up huge numbers. Ultimately, when maybe it's a softer year on the ballot and it's an extensive process, even if Philip Rivers doesn't get into the Veterans Committee, he's getting into the Hall of Fame. He is. Andy Dalton is not. Unless something insane plays out in the latter stages of Andy Dalton's career, meaning, all right, I'm spitballing here. He has been in the league, what is it, 12 seasons now. He's about to play for his fifth team in five years.

Hall of Famers generally don't do that because if you are a future Hall of Famer, you are likely to not be let go by the team that you play for with your future Hall of Fame skills. Cincinnati was his last year. 2019, excuse me, was his last year in Cincinnati, then Dallas. And actually, I mean, he played a lot of games in Dallas, too, because of the injuries.

Remember, that was the 2020 year with the injuries to Dak Prescott, 21, Chicago, 22, New Orleans, Cincinnati, Dallas, Chicago, New Orleans, now Carolina. I like that Miles Sanders, booby, if you will, has extreme confidence in the guys who will be handing him the ball and he's got their backs. I have no issue with Miles Sanders.

But there's no way or very little way, as in a teeny tiny itsy bitsy little way, that A.J. Alton will make the Hall of Fame. He still has years left.

He does. He still has some time in the NFL. As long as there is a team willing to give him a job, I suppose he could somehow turn into a reincarnation of Tom Brady late in his career and lead a team to a Super Bowl. Although, to be fair, in Tom Brady's first year in Tampa, it was the defense that was the leader on their way to a Super Bowl. I mean, Dalton's got a lot of years and a lot of touchdowns and a lot of yards. He does not and will not have a lot of Hall of Fame votes. Hope he's a Hall of Famer, Andy Dalton.

That little nugget on our Charlotte affiliate WFNC on the Mac and Bone show with Miles Sanders. Again, I'm proud of him. Good for you. Own it. Own it. These are your quarterbacks. You own it.

You got their back. But five teams in five seasons is not Hall of Fame material. Eli Manning, yes. Unequivocally, yes. Phillip Rivers, yes.

Though it may take a little longer. Andy Dalton, negative Ghost Rider. Hey, we're halfway through the show. How did that happen?

I've got an icky story for you coming up next. It's After Hours with Amy Lawrence, CBS Sports Radio.