After Hours with Amy Lawrence PODCAST: Hour 3

We've seen a lot of change in the past 20 years. But two decades later, Mountain Dew Baja Blast is still a fan favorite. Bringing you the cold, tropical lime flavor that folks can't get enough of. It takes you back to a sunny day at the beach with every delicious sip.

And don't you want that feeling all the time? Well, 2024 is the year. In celebration of their 20th Baja-versary, you can sift Baja Blast all year long. So pick up a Baja Blast wherever you are.

In stores now. Old Man Winter here. If I had it my way, it would stay winter all year long. Short days, wind chill, black ice and a good polar vortex.

Heaven. Wait, is it getting warm in here? Your cold snap is over, Old Man Winter. Spring has arrived.

Spring. Spring is here, which means it's the perfect time to get away in the Hyundai you've always wanted. Visit the Hyundai Getaway Sales Event, where you can get great deals on all of our award-winning Hyundai models, like the tech-filled Tucson and Kona, as well as the spacious Palisade. Enjoy wherever you go with the peace of mind that comes with America's best warranty and three years or 36,000 miles of complimentary maintenance.

But hurry in. These deals won't last. Add more joy to your journey at the Hyundai Getaway Sales Event. Now get 0% APR or up to 1,500 bonus cash on the Hyundai Tucson. Now, during the Hyundai Getaway Sales Event. Offers end soon.

Call 562-314-4603 for details. Your fever is high and the pressure to log in at work is too. But when you finally decide to take care of you, there's Instacart. Just because that one perfect coworker of yours is attending all meetings, camera on while she's sneezing, coughing and aching doesn't mean you have to do the same.

Take it from us. Trying to stay on top of things will only get you further behind. Instead, get everything from tissues and teas to cough suppressants and comforting soups delivered through Instacart in as fast as 30 minutes.

If anyone needs anything, they can just redirect their questions to that one perfect coworker of yours. We are halfway through our first show of the work week. Getting a jump on your Monday because there's a lot going on.

Let's go up and at them. Oh, actually painful if you're just waking up at this hour. Some of you work out early in the morning, which I could never do. I might hurt myself. I actually have a half marathon inside of three weeks now.

Don't ask me why. I wanted to do something before the honeymoon. I wanted to make sure that I was doing regular exercise and running and prepare for what's to come. We've got a bunch of hiking. I know it sounds not like a relaxing honeymoon. We've got a bunch of hiking planned for the honeymoon, not to mention a ton of exploring and traveling all over the island, the big island where we're going. And I want to be in good shape and I want to make sure we are able to do everything we want to do. And so we're both kind of doing some pretty vigorous workout prep, but also just in general, coming off of not just the wedding, but the holidays and enjoying a few extra desserts. After all the work we did to be in good shape for the wedding pictures.

Now it's time to get serious and be disciplined again. And so yeah, half marathon is the best way for me to do that. And that means the long training runs on Saturdays. Well, on Saturday morning, I got up pretty early because we had a ton of rain headed our way. Could see it on the radar, which meant I had coffee and an apple and then out the door, apple with peanut butter and then out the door. And I am not a morning person.

So it was a, I'd say about eight and a half, nine mile run, maybe eight and a half. And it took me a while. I was cold out. I liked the cold though, but it was wind chills in the thirties. And so it took me quite a while to warm up. And I had also done some lifting about 36 hours before that in which I was doing a bunch of deadlifts and lunges.

And so the legs were sore and tight and it was cold. And I'm thinking, Amy, why do you do this to yourself? Why? Every time I'm training for a half marathon, that's what I think. Why do you do this to yourself? But I do appreciate the results and the benefits. And I'm always so happy when I'm done running.

That's why I do it because of the feeling when I'm finished. It's After Hours with Amy Lawrence on CBS Sports Radio, otherwise could not work out at this hour of the morning. Our friend Mark Singleton, who is the VP of Rudolph Food, Southern Recipe Small Batch Pork Rinds. They have sponsored our trip to Las Vegas for the Super Bowl week. He walks his dogs really early in the morning, so I know it's part of his routine. And then our previous boss, the man who hired me, Mark Chernoff, he actually used to run at 3.30 a.m. Eastern Time. Believe it or not, this is a crazy story. That's how he first found me on my previous network because I would do a lot of late nights and overnights and he would be running, listening to my show. And he says, he swears, that's how he became a fan of my show and me as a host. And that's why he wanted to hire me is because he heard me.

So I never got upset about overnights or late nights again after that because not only do they serve a purpose, but we have a lot of clearance around the country. And we get to jump on the news. What is your reaction to the start of Free Agency? Russell Wilson will be a Pittsburgh Steeler.

Good, bad and different, will it work? I do think it's fascinating and a reflection of what we've heard so far in the last couple months about the Steelers in their quarterback room and the indecision there. They are keeping Kenny Pickett, no doubt, but there's a debate internally as to whether or not it's worth any more investing, if you catch my drift, whether or not he's worth them continuing to bring him along. Again, they're likely not to cut ties with him because they've now brought in Russ and Mason Rudolph will cost them money. I don't know if Mason signs to be a backup QB. I actually hope Mason gets a chance to be a starter. But Russ is no risk and potential reward.

If he can help you bridge the gap for a million bucks, are you kidding me? They spend a million bucks on Gatorades and oranges over the course of a season, right? So this is nothing for an NFL budget or the NFL salary cap, which just increased by 30 plus million dollars this offseason. I like that the Steelers jumped in and maybe another team would have simply because of the monetary value and because of the bargain basement price. You want to talk about clearance rack.

That's Russell Wilson. Whether or not you think it's fair and maybe he becomes one of those clearance rack fines. For those of you who are big time shoppers, mom and I, we go straight to the clearance racks when we go to Kohl's or Penny's, Target. I don't usually buy clothes at Target, but any other store that sells apparel, we go straight to the clearance rack. And if you are patient and you spend your time looking, a lot of times the clothes are on the wrong hangers, the wrong sizes. It's a big mess. Stuff's on the floor. But if you rifle through, you never know what you might find.

Now it does require patience, but you can get great quality stuff for a fraction of the cost. And that's what the Steelers just did. Now they're hoping there hasn't been too much mileage on Russ. They're hoping that they can see him resurrect his career for what they need. They don't need him to be Patrick Mahomes. That would be great, of course, but that's not what they're getting with Russ. Can they be a run first offense? Can they get the production from that backfield behind an offensive line that's been revamped and definitely struggled last year? They don't need Russ to make a zillion throws. They need Russ to make the throws accurately that they ask him to make.

But the offense is decidedly different from what Sean Payton wants to do. So what's your reaction? 855-212-4227 on Twitter, ALawRadio and on our Facebook page After Hours with Amy Lawrence. Mike is in South Carolina. Mike, thanks for holding on. What's your reaction?

Amy Lawrence. I've been gone for five years. I came back. Where were you?

I've been gone. Well, I spent 11 months in the can. I had a probation offer I couldn't get away from. I spent two months homeless, living in that tent near North, South Pennsylvania, under a bridge.

Nine months in a homeless shelter and two years in a halfway house. I bought a brand new car on Friday, crashed it three days ago into the weeds. And I came back to check with CBS Sports and said you were still working.

Sure enough, I heard the music this morning and loved it. Are you OK after the car? OK. Yeah, I missed the left hand turn and went right straight into the weeds and I hit a tree, two flat tires, but it's a brand new car. I got a Kia Seltus and I love it, but they fixed it.

I mean, no damage. The airbag didn't go off, so I'm fine. You sound great, by the way. Thank you.

Well, glad to hear from you again. Well, I watched the end of the Iowa game. What a stud Kaitlin Clark turned out to be. I mean, I love the way she brought her team back. I watched, I watched the brawl. That girl took an elbow to the face in the LSU South Carolina game. The smaller girl?

Yeah, Flau'jae. I love women's sports. I'll follow any women's sport, beach volleyball, gymnastics, college basketball. I followed the WNBA, but they don't dunk and that bothers me. Do you know why they don't dunk in the WNBA? In the WNBA?

Yes, ma'am. Well, most of them can't dunk. I mean, there are a few that can, but most of them can't get up that high. Russell Wilson ending up with Pittsburgh. I'm happy for him and his wife, Sierra, but I mean, he's done. I mean, I'm glad also he didn't pull an Aaron Rodgers sign for 100 plus million and then get injured. These quarterbacks, they either don't produce or they get injured and then they don't play. I mean, the NFL, Denver is stuck with paying them whatever it is. I mean, the cap space. I just had enough. We had free agency starting Monday.

I hope somebody learns and they don't go crazy. There's not a free agent as far as I'm concerned. My Eagles, I hated to see Kelsey go, and then the Cocks just retired. But I'll be hoping that they'll rebound from last year, 11-16, losing to a 9-8 team.

That really left a bad taste in my mouth. There are actually a ton of free agents out there. The defensive side of the ball is going to be a big thing this year, though. Chris Jones, who was supposed to be the top free agent or would have been the top free agent, doesn't reach free agency.

I love this for him because he handled his business the right way at the beginning of last year with the contract dispute. So, yeah, he's off the table. But, for instance, Josh Allen, not the quarterback, the pass rusher, he's on the table. There are a bunch of guys from defensive secondary that are available. So, yeah, it could be defense-heavy free agency, not to mention the quarterbacks. Well, I hope Barkley goes nowhere. He can get rot in New York as far as I'm concerned because I'm not a Giants fan. And this razzle-dazzle offense, which was in the NFL the last couple of years, it's not going away. You know what I mean? If the Eagles would just go with a power back and be able to succeed in defense, they would actually change their level. Like, I always played Tennessee, played baseball.

Anything about a power back to Eric Henry, I love that kind of football. I'm glad to be back and I'm glad to be listening to you. You take care of yourself and enjoy your honeymoon. You too, Mike. Be safe. As for the Tennessee Titans, they're undergoing a huge transition, too. Ryan Tannehill gone.

According to Matt Verderam, who joined us from Chicago in Sports Illustrated last hour, they're likely going to start Will Leviss and give it another shot. It's kind of a mixed bag at the end of his rookie year. Remember, he had this incredible debut, what was it, four touchdown passes? Four or five touchdown passes.

But that didn't last. And so he definitely needs some tutelage and they need a stronger offensive line in front of him. They no longer have a Derek Henry. So I love what Matt had to say about the running backs that are available and the fact that because it's not a draft that's heavy in running backs, there are likely to be more offers for these guys who are available. And think about what happened this time last year. Running backs did not have jobs heading into training camp.

It's a little bit like spring training and baseball and Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery, unless I miss them signing over the weekend. But that's what happened last year with the running backs and they were fit to be tied. Remember, Austin Eckler led this unified front, this call that they all got on. We talked to Mark Ingram on Radio Row. If you missed that conversation, it was a month ago in Las Vegas and he had very strong words for NFL franchises, though later rebuffed by also a former running back and stealer, Merrill Hodge. Anyway, really great debate about running backs. You've got Saquon, you've got potentially Austin Eckler, obviously Derek Henry, who would be my first thought considering how he ended last season. But what are you willing to pay them and will they sign or will they try once again to be unified and hold out until they get some respect?

Whatever that means to them. It's after hours with Amy Lawrence on CBS Sports Radio. On our social, we're asking the reaction to Russell Wilson and we'll wait to see what happens with Kirk Cousins. He is taking meetings. Of course, we thought Baker Mayfield would, too. And he ended up back in Tampa before free agency ever began. Real good deal for him.

I'm happy for him. And I I know that people can say he bet on himself. No, he took the only job that was available. He took the only job that was available multiple times. He hit rock bottom and has climbed his way back up into a starting job. And for that, he had to learn some real tough lessons about humility, about gratefulness, about leadership, about running his mouth.

About ego, all of those things. I like this version of Baker Mayfield. We actually adopted Baker last season because we were so thrilled to see him try to resurrect his career.

Hello. Yeah, became a more likable figure. I would say, honestly, there was a public sentiment in favor of Baker after the way he was treated by Cleveland and then just the various stops along the way. But he said to make 30 million dollars guaranteed this coming season, 30 million in twenty five with two thirds of it guaranteed and then 40 million in 2026. There's also extra incentive money to the tune of millions. And so it's a three year deal for potentially one hundred fifteen million dollars if he meets all incentives, and I'm assuming a lot of that is Super Bowl related, but then 50 million guaranteed. And this is after a one year deal last season worth.

Are you ready? Four million dollars. I think most people know I know Baker's at a different place in his career. Most people would tell you that Russell Wilson is a better quarterback than Baker Mayfield at the height. Maybe not.

Maybe it's a debate. But Russell is older now. So you ask him to do things differently as a QB. But he's signing with the Steelers on a prove it deal, and if he does see a spike in his career numbers or a spike in his numbers and a resurgence in his career, like Baker Mayfield, he'll likely get another deal.

It won't be for fifty five million dollars. He's not setting the market again. Neither is is Mayfield. But the Bucks had some really good wins last year on the road at the Vikings to open the year. Led them to the playoffs along with the defense.

Let's be honest. The Todd Bulls defense. In the final month of the regular season, couple of comeback wins in there. His twenty eight touchdowns were top seven in the NFL and a career best for him, actually. So he had career numbers last year. He deserves to be rewarded. I'm glad.

Can Russell Wilson follow that same model? It's after hours on CBS Sports Radio. Conners in California. Connor, what do you think about Russ to the Steelers? They should take my call.

I mean, I really love your show. So my thoughts are that I agree with the move. It's a great I think it's a great spot for us. Great landing spot.

Kind of saw it coming a mile away. But I think, you know, I think a big concern is definitely the can the old line keep this guy protected? Then he makes like stupid decisions like he likes to hold on to the ball for a long time and he likes to get out of the pocket real really too soon.

And so, you know, there's some of the concerns. Hopefully the old line can keep up with the with him. And so that's probably the I would I would also call him an average quarterback. I absolutely not.

He's not as good as Baker Mayfield. OK. Yeah, no, no, not at all. And in the.

Yeah, that's what I got to say about that. And then I wanted to talk about Caitlin Clark quickly. That was all right. Sure.

So you show the mystic men out there. I hope Caitlin Clark has humbled you because, you know, she's a truly a great, great athlete. And and obviously she's making some she's done some big things.

And so just I'm sure it's a great inspiration for other women and men athletes. Yes. Yes.

Not just young girls, but young boys as well. Absolutely. Thanks for taking my call. Appreciate it. All right.

Because I talk to you. Appreciate it. Yeah. I just go back to what Sabrina Inesk you said when she and Steph Curry went mono, mono or mono, mono when they were at the NBA All-Star break. And the fact that she not only showed up and did herself proud, but this is carrying the mantle for women's basketball.

Right. If you can shoot, you can shoot. If you can play, you can play.

Who cares what your gender is? And we're seeing the draw, the charisma. The ability to perform under pressure.

The joy. And obviously the talent and skills and abilities of Caitlin Clark, but not just her. The veteran Hawks around her. Hawkeyes. I should say the veteran Hawkeyes around her. They really had to step up when she was not shooting well. On Sunday afternoon to start, she started out over eight from three. Right. This was not her best shooting night.

Maybe tired, maybe tired legs. But boy, was she setting up her teammates playing defense and facing the toughest defenders that the Huskers could throw at her. And then rallied. And her team did, too. She is a lot of fun. The Hawkeyes are a lot of fun. They've become this, I think, favorite going into the tournament because we want as much as we can get with Caitlin, but also hoping that her fans follow her to the WNBA. Yet another superstar who can drag fans with her. Even if you never watch the WNBA game in your life, but you love Caitlin Clark, you'll tune in.

Maybe decide that you like the product, the pro level as well. On Twitter, after hours, CBS on our Facebook page, too. Navigating our way through this first night into the wee hours of NFL legal tampering. I mean, let's just call it free agency. What's your reaction to Russ in the Steel City? Does he fit there? And Mac Jones, no longer a patriot. Kirk Cousins, what's the best option for him?

Falcons fans, do you want him? Eight, five, five, two, one, two, four, two, two, seven. It's after hours with Amy Lawrence on CBS Sports Radio.

You are listening to the After Hour. If you're the cooking queen in your house like I am, let me drop a kitchen hack that's been a total game changer for me. Primal Kitchen.

I'm always on the go juggling a million things like work deadlines and school pickups. So finding time to eat right is tough. Primal Kitchen makes it super easy to whip up meals that check all the right boxes like honest ingredients I trust and delicious flavor. They have everything from unsweetened ketchup to barbecue sauce, avocado oil mayo. You'll want to eat by the spoonful and dressings that double as marinades.

Genius, right? If you want to make quick, simple meals, you can feel good feeding yourself and your family. Trust me, Primal Kitchen has you covered.

You can find Primal Kitchen at Target, Wal-Mart or any of your local grocery stores, or you can save 20 percent off your entire online order with Code Podcast at checkout on primalkitchen.com. Shall I take your order or do you need a minute? Yes, I'll be ready. Just buying a car and caravana. What? It's super convenient. I already got prequalified in two minutes.

All I had to do was answer a few questions. What? That's handy. Yeah, now I'm customizing my down and monthly payments. What? That's an exquisite deal. And just like that, Carvana is delivering my car in a couple days. What? Oh, yeah. Sorry, I'll have the burrito.

Visit Carvana.com to finance your next car. For me, just being the best version of myself, everybody's got bad days, but I need to bring that energy and that passion that I've always had that's got me to this point and just keep carrying that on. This is After Hours with Amy Lawrence. Baker Mayfield. And before that, Gene Deckerhoff on Buccaneers radio.

The band is back together. Baker and Mike Evans. And actually, I'm here for it. I like the combination. I love Mike Evans in a Buccaneers uniform. And I can imagine that there were some trepidation from him and from the Steelers.

Sorry, not Steelers. Buccaneers wide receiver room about what it would be like to transition away from Tom Brady to Baker Mayfield. They gave him a shot. They worked with him and he delivered career numbers in twenty twenty four three four three. It's like a password combination or a lock on your gym locker.

It's also a Sunday night into a Monday. So, you know, twenty twenty three career numbers for him. And now he cashes in.

He's been a lot of money in his NFL career for the number of stops that he's had along the way. It's After Hours with Amy Lawrence on CBS Sports Radio asking your reaction to Russell Wilson playing in black and gold next next season. While the Broncos, Jay, you ready for this? You have to be listening. I need your full attention. While the Broncos pony up thirty eight million dollars. I didn't want you to miss it. You can't miss that. Eight five five two one two four two two seven.

They're not horsing around. How many can we get? I think I'm done. David is in Florida. David, welcome to After Hours.

What do you think about the QBs? Hey, Amy, great to hear you again. I'm retired United States Army and I'd always work late at night and I'd listen to you while I was on duty. So it's nice to talk to you. Thank you.

No, thank you for your service, sir. I got on Baker Mayfield when he came out of college. I thought Baker Mayfield had talent. I loved him. And when he came into the NFL to Cleveland, I thought he was doing really well. He took him to the playoffs. And I kind of like a quarterback like that. Heck, he's kind of, you know, sassy and buck system, you know, does what he wants to do. I kind of like a quarterback like that. And then all of a sudden Cleveland trades him. I was kind of shocked. And then he went to Tampa Bay and it's like half a made a great deal. I didn't I don't know what the trepidation trepidation is about signing Baker Mayfield.

If you could please clue me in because I love the guy and I still love him. Yeah, I think a couple of things. Number one, he had a massive ego. Right. And so he was a little bit emotional and everything was about Baker. And he was the center of attention. He needed to grow up a little bit. So that was part of it. Also, he could be kind of petulant.

Right. And there was talk that in the locker room, as you talk about the sassiness that it would turn into something else and wasn't great for a locker room or for relationships. I know he played hurt his last season in Cleveland, had a propensity for making poor decisions because he was a gunslinger writer, had that gunslinger mentality. And yes, can he make most of the throws on the field? Sure. But there's no reason to be taking risks just so you can be the superstar.

You can be the man and putting your team in a tough position. So I think all of those things combined, but also the team thought that they could upgrade with Deshaun Watson. And so he and Baker weren't going to coexist in the last couple of years of Baker's career, have humbled him, have shown him how quickly this can disappear. I think now when he fights and when he puts everything he's got into it, he's got a little more wisdom, a little more experience, a little more life experience, if you will. And actually, I think his wife either is pregnant or just had a baby, too. So he's about to be a new father.

I think, Jay, if you want to confirm that to me. So I think it's really neat that he's grown up and he's actually developing into a man who can be a leader because of what he's been through. He can stand in front of a locker room and have credibility, but also he recognizes how fleeting this career can be and not to take it for granted by being an ass. Reminds me of that guy who plays Iron Man, the actor, I forget his name.

Robert Downey Jr.? Yeah, I got a lot of respect for that guy because he went down hard and he came up more like a relative. If I could, one last thing, money in the NFL. I've been following the NFL since the early 1970s and it was sacrilege to get caught gambling or doing anything with Las Vegas and stuff like that. Now, fast forward to today, the NFL is in bed with all this money and they were kicking people out prior to all this in the NFL for gambling and fixing games. And it's only made the game worse as far as referees. The referees, I think, in just my opinion, I think the referees all of a sudden go blind for some reason. Why? Your guess is good as mine, but if there's money in the NFL, think about it. Your opinion, please. There's no part of the officiating that has anything to do with gambling, in my opinion. And here's why.

A couple of reasons. Number one, those guys would lose their careers and reputations. They would never get another shot.

Remember the disgraced Tim Donaghy. But also, no one can keep a secret these days. In 2024, people don't keep secrets.

So if one, two, three, four people know, those people tell people, whether it's family, whether it's that kind of secret burns a hole in people's minds and hearts and mouths. And so I just don't believe that that many people could keep a secret, that there was something being rigged. So also, again, if it ever got found out, the NFL would be ruined. These owners would be ruined. What about all the money that's all of a sudden come in and they're all the gambling? Are you seeing a lot of officials getting rich on gambling? I don't know their personal finance.

No, no, they're not. Again, the NFL monitors all these things. In fact, the NFL has access to their personal devices. That's how they keep catching players.

They actually have access to their personal devices and what they're doing in terms of their activities. And, you know, in terms of where they're spending money, that kind of a thing. And so, no, I am willing to bet my entire career on the fact that these officials are not making money or throwing games. Also, one bad call or missed call does not change the outcome of a game. It's not that simple.

And so I don't believe that's the case. But I do agree with you that it's completely hypocritical that the NFL used to look down its nose and disdain gambling and sports betters. And now the attitude is if you can't beat them, join them.

I mean, that's the attitude. They're going to be making money. These sports books and, you know, all the states that are allowing sports gambling now, they're making money hand over fist. And what the NFL loves more than integrity is money.

Right? And the owners want money. And so they're willing to say, hey, the landscape has changed, which is true. The United States and the sports betting situation has changed. So we need to get in on it. And their line to us will be, this is how we can control it. Right?

If we're partnering with sports books and gambling options and all that jazz, if we are, we're part of it, that way we know it's not compromising our integrity. Okay. If I may, one last thing.

Yeah, please, quick. What do you think about trading the Dallas Cowboys linebacker, the one coming up here in a minute, Parsons, Michael Parsons. I would trade him and keep the quarterback and 88 together because they need to have that Moxie going together and try and get about maybe at least two first round picks for Micah or maybe three or get it.

Why? What are you going to find in the draft that's better than Micah? I wouldn't do it maybe this year, maybe next year, but I would keep that in mind because right now I would say that the players, they got so much power when it comes time for a contract, especially Micah. He's the greatest player at the NFL. But he's worth it. But he's actually worth it. For teams that are going to invest, he's worth the money.

But yeah, I agree. So why not take that and invest in maybe two or maybe three number ones and then maybe you might get lucky again in those number one picks. But you might get lucky, David, but you already have one of the best defensive players in the NFL.

So to me, it's too risky. Number one, number two, Micah Parsons is fantastic for business. He's a superstar.

There is no guarantee you let go of him, that you'll ever find something that even remotely fills that void. See, I disagree with that. As much as people love draft picks and I get that they can be valuable, there is no guarantee that who you pick in the draft is going to pan out. You've got a proven defensive superstar who impacts games and helps you win.

Why trade him? But you know what? I agree with you on that part. But if you notice about Micah, late in the season, he doesn't show up.

And I think within the next two years, I think his productivity is going to go down because of the NFL. Well, then let's talk about it then. That's why I'm saying I would trade him.

Well, let's talk about it then. You can't preemptively trade him now. Correct. I'm saying when it's time I can trade him, I would.

Okay. Well, at that point, he probably wouldn't be worth three first round draft picks, but I got you. But what if you didn't get for him, I would get because he's one of those type of players. That's the point of trading. You mean like a superstar defensive player?

No. I'm sorry, man. I'm just not with you there. You're not going to find Micah Parsons in the draft. Well, if you have three draft picks, three years is a good possibility.

Unless you might even get one or two. Okay. I'm so sorry. I'm running late up against my break, so I have to let you go.

We'll just have to disagree on that. But thank you, David. I appreciate your service to our country as well. 855-212-4227 on Twitter. After Hours, CBS, what's your reaction to Russ wearing black and gold? That's my CBS Sports Minute. Also on our Facebook page. Good to have you with us. Good morning to you.

You are listening to the After Hours Podcast. Hyundai models like the tech filled Tucson and Kona, as well as the spacious Palisade. Enjoy wherever you go with the peace of mind that comes with America's best warranty and three years or thirty six thousand miles of complimentary maintenance.

But hurry in. These deals won't last. Add more joy to your journey at the Hyundai getaway sales event. Now get zero percent APR or up to fifteen hundred bonus cash on the Hyundai Tucson.

Now during the Hyundai getaway sales event offers end soon. Call 562-314-4603 for details. When something happens to your car, you might say.

But what you really need to say is something that can actually help. Like a good neighbor. State Farm is there.

Just like that. State Farm is there to help you file your claim right on the State Farm mobile app. So just remember, like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. State Farm, Bloomington, Illinois.

Love the flexibility of working in all sorts of places? Working on the go seamlessly requires a strong network like T-Mobile. We have America's largest 5G network, so whether you're on a video call at the park or uploading large files to the coffee shop, we have the 5G speed you need. Whatever takes you on the go, T-Mobile's got you covered. Find out more at T-Mobile dot com slash network today. Coverage not available in some areas.

See 5G device coverage and access details at T-Mobile dot com. Everybody loves the Cinderella story. And, you know, for him to come back after having a couple of years, down years, everybody counting him out for him to come in with a positive attitude and just the confidence that he has. He won a lot of he won the well, he won the entire team over pretty quickly. And that's and then you to follow a player, the best of the GOAT, Tom Brady. Those are tough shoes to follow. And I'm not saying that he's Tom Brady whatsoever, but, you know, guys got to have a lot of confidence to come into a team, come and play for a team after Tom left.

This is After Hours with Amy Lawrence. Jason Light, Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager. How do you like Baker staying in the pewter, pewter and crimson? Is it pewter or pooter? One time I had that conversation with my mom and we as we said it out loud, we laughed so hard we couldn't we couldn't even speak for a good like 30 seconds.

Because when you say it out loud, then you realize, well, hello, it's not pooter computer. There you go. They should change the spelling on Twitter. A-LOL radio. What's your reaction to any of these quarterback moves, including Russell Wilson?

We'll give you the latest at the top of the hour. And then we got part of that conversation with Matt Verteram of Sports Illustrated joined us in the second hour and we played a little game. Well, first of all, he torched the Broncos.

Second of all, we played a game. Name the starting quarterback for 2024. I think you guys might like to play along. Maybe we should bring it back as the audience participation option for our Monday night show, because legal tampering will be hot and heavy on this Monday, Tuesday to start the week. 855-212-4227. Let's talk to Rick, who's in Cleveland. Rick, welcome to After Hours CBS Sports Radio. Hey, Amy, thanks for taking my call. I've listened to you for a long time. Never called before, but I always like your takes. I like all your just nice and unbiased. So good to hear your voice.

Appreciate all you guys do. So I'll tell you right now that I was never a big Baker Mayfield fan when he was coming out of college. I was a little skeptical when we drafted him. It took me a little while, but I became a fan. You know, we finally finally had a guy that won us a playoff game. And I can go back to my text messages from years ago when they got to Sean. I was telling my buddies that I said, we need to give Baker one more year, let him get healthy and see what he can do.

And I really my words came back to come true. Like I knew the guy is a fighter. He was he was a perfect Cleveland guy. You know, all of us Cleveland people. We get beat up in the national media. We've been through all the thick and the thin with the Browns. OK, some of it's deserved, Rick. Some of it's deserved. For sure.

For sure. But as a lifelong Browns fan, I thought for sure we had got over that hill. We got we got a guy. We got a good coach. And then we just we we sold our farm and and had to get to Sean. And now everybody's beating us up again is like the biggest the biggest boss.

You know, you wasted all your draft picks and you got no money. I like where we're headed still. I think to Sean's going to come back this year, but I still wish we would have had all those draft picks and gave Baker another shot. So it does it does sting a little bit to him. I'm glad he's getting paid. Good for him. And I just felt all along that he was going to have a comeback and and it came true. Let's say here's the thing about Baker. He's a different person, different man, different leader now than he was when he came out of Oklahoma. All brash and bold and cocky and entitled.

And this you know, this is my world and we all revolve around me. He's a different guy now and he's a lot more likable. And I would agree with you and a lot of respects there. I want him to succeed now because I feel like he's just a better leader. Not just that, but a smarter decision maker on the field. But at the same time, it might look different.

And I don't know if it would or not for you, Rick, but it might look different to a lot of Cleveland fans. If Deshaun Watson had panned out to this point, but he has not. Right.

So they paid him. Is it two seasons now? Largely a lot of time injured, a lot of time in which he's been ineffective. And so now we're looking at what four seasons. By the time he gets back on the field in twenty four, four seasons in which he has not played more than a handful of games. That's tough. So it's easier to have buyer's remorse twenty twenty.

And I'm not saying that's what you're doing. But I think if Deshaun Watson had panned out right away, maybe it wouldn't feel it wouldn't feel quite so much like the one that got away with Baker Mayfield. But yeah, the Browns hitch there. And by the Browns, I mean the front office hitch their wagon to Deshaun Watson star. And for now, they're stuck with him even more than what the Broncos did with Russell Wilson.

For sure. And definitely in my case, it's not buyers are more like I wanted Baker to stick around and I wasn't a big fan of Deshaun to begin with. And then I just kind of proved my point more is when he gets hurt.

And that's easy to say. But this is the year for Deshaun. Deshaun's got to prove it this year. But but in my opinion, we should have stuck with Baker paid him. You know, we wouldn't had to pay him that much money.

We would have had our draft picks. So like I said, Deshaun has got to do it this year. And I think he will and I think he'll stay healthy. But yeah, he is definitely going to he's got to he's got to pay his dues now because all that money he got, you know, he's he's got to put up or shut up. So again, thanks for the call. I really appreciate it. Thanks for listening, Rick.

We're glad to talk to you for the first time in Cleveland. By the way, Jay did confirm that Baker and his wife, Emily, have a baby due in April. So that's neat. Again, these things change people. Dak Prescott and his I think it's girlfriend. I don't think they're married.

They have their first child together. Fatherhood. It can change a lot of people. And in the case of Baker Mayfield, I don't think he's the same quarterback today. If he hadn't gone through the last two years, we see things differently now. And I actually like the quarterback that he is now.

And I think even if there's a little zip knot on the ball or even if he feels like there's money that he lost or. And I agree the Browns treated him with disdain. I hate how they treated him. I don't like it at all, even if he was deserving of it for being a punk some of the time.

I don't think that they treated him well or professionally. But the fact is, he's better now for it. How often can we say as human beings that we go through adversity? We get knocked down. We fail miserably. It's humiliating.

We're embarrassed. But that very often builds character, builds heart, builds depth. It underscores our commitment and determination. It makes us stronger.

I mean, those are not just lines in a Hallmark card or in a Christina Aguilera song. They're true. It's after hours here on CBS Sports Radio. Really quickly before the top of the hour, you know, we're getting into the college hoops madness, which is awesome. Purdue, one of the top stories coming into this next iteration of March Madness.

Why? Well, because they were a one that lost to a 16. The second ever in college basketball history on the men's side, Zach Edie. He's one that you can't miss on the court.

He's ginormous. He makes a huge impact. And he had a senior night on Sunday.

Also, Purdue retired his number. It's crazy. I mean, just kind of makes you reflect on every every moment of the last four years. It makes you think about your first game here, kind of what you were going through, what you're feeling at that moment. First championship last year. It's so many moments going through your head when you're kind of looking back. I'll never I'll never be able to walk on that floor and play a game in Mackey in front of that sold out crowd again.

So it makes you a little sad. It's always going to be one of my favorite four year stretches of my life. He's the most successful class we've had here. So it speaks volumes. You've had the most wins in the Big Ten the last 10 years. So I think that sometimes that gets brushed to the side at Purdue. But it doesn't get brushed to the side by the people we compete against. They know. So I don't think we resonate with everybody nationally.

I don't think we resonate with everybody within the Midwest, but we resonate with the people we compete against. Oh, I think it's pretty hard to miss him and not resonate over Zach Edie or ruminate, if you will. Seven foot four Purdue senior returned to school for this reason. He's playing with an injured leg, but had twenty five points, 14 rebounds against Wisconsin. And first while we're celebrating Caitlin Clark for all she's done, Edie is the first Big Ten player with twenty two hundred points and twelve hundred rebounds in his career.

And so Purdue right now sitting at number three in the rankings selection show is next Sunday and they are expected to be one of the top four seeds. It's after hours with Amy Lawrence on CBS Sports Radio. We've seen a lot of change in the past 20 years, but two decades later, Mountain Dew Baja Blast is still a fan favorite, bringing you the cold tropical lime flavor that folks can't get enough of. It takes you back to a sunny day at the beach with every delicious sip.

And don't you want that feeling all the time? Well, twenty twenty four is the year in celebration of their 20th Bajaversary. You can sip Baja Blast all year long.

So pick up a Baja Blast wherever you are in stores now. Old man winter here. If I had it my way, it would stay winter all year long. Short days, wind chill, black ice and a good polar vortex.

Heaven. Wait, is it getting warm in here? Your cold snap is over, old man. Winter spring has arrived.

Spring. Spring is here, which means it's the perfect time to get away in the Hyundai you've always wanted. Visit the Hyundai Getaway Sales Event, where you can get great deals on all of our award winning Hyundai models like the tech filled Tucson and Kona, as well as the spacious Palisade. Enjoy wherever you go with the peace of mind that comes with America's best warranty and three years or thirty six thousand miles of complimentary maintenance.

But hurry in. These deals won't last. Add more joy to your journey at the Hyundai Getaway Sales Event. Now get zero percent APR or up to fifteen hundred bonus cash on the Hyundai Tucson. Now during the Hyundai Getaway Sales Event.

Offers end soon. Call five six two three one four four six zero three for details. When something happens to your car, you might say.

But what you really need to say is something that can actually help. Like a good neighbor. State Farm is there.

Just like that. State Farm is there to help you file your claim right on the State Farm mobile app. So just remember, like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. State Farm, Bloomington, Illinois.