Lorenzo Neal, Former All-Pro Fullback

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That's BetterHelpHELP.com slash grow. Lorenzo, how are you, man? Hey, I'm great.

Thanks for having me. How are we doing, my brother? We're very well. What are your first impressions on what we've seen so far over these past two days? I just like it that there's a run on the running backs and they're not waiting around. And it's great that there's some good backs that are taken off the board. I know I'd like to see these guys continue to get paid.

I'd like to even see them get paid more than that. I know Derek Henry, two-year deal, $16 million, about eight a year. Brandon Jacobs, you saw what he did for the Raiders. That's going to be tough shoes to fill because what he did for the Raiders. I mean, this guy was a one-man wrecking machine.

If he was even, he was leaving. I like what he brought to the team. Interesting just to see the Packers go in a new direction because Aaron Jones, I thought, was a capable back. You saw what he did against the San Francisco 49ers. He was unbelievable in that playoff game. Probably should have ran him more.

And guess what? They probably would have won that ball game. But Brandon Jacobs, I think that's a great place for him. You know, the guy was the highest-paid running back, $48 million, about $12 million a year. It's just good to see. Saquon Barkley goes to the Eagles and, you know, I love it. You see Tiki give him a little shout-out and he's like, hey, man, don't call me a hater.

I showed up at camp. Even though I didn't pay it, I couldn't leave my guys out there so happy for Saquon getting the money that he deserves. Mixing, of course, to the Texans.

Austin Heckler, I kind of was surprised, thought he would get a little bit more. But, you know, the commanders, I think he's going to be well there because he's a guy that can catch the ball out of the backfield. And he can do some things.

So it's going to be interesting just to see how he fits there with the commanders. But it's a lot of movement for the running backs. And kudos to those guys, man, because I'm telling you, running backs can carry a team.

But unfortunately, the longevity is not there. So when they can get the opportunity to make the money they deserve, they need to get it. Because, you know, they're not like quarterbacks and like receivers can get 10 and 10 year deals or eight year deal. You know, it's three or four year deal because the life expectancy of a running back is just not that very long.

Lorenzo Neal is here with us, the J.R. sport show on CBS Sports Radio. So, for instance, we know Derrick Henry, sitting on 30 years old, is now a member of the Ravens. We'll be out there with Lamar Jackson. What will this mean for them in the regular season and then also the postseason? I guess they're going to save each other some wear and tear both, right? No?

No question. I think that is an interesting parallel because you have two guys that are dynamic runners. Lamar Jackson, I don't know what happened to him in that AFC game.

I thought, I think everyone said, hey, why are you trying to turn into this pocket guy now when we know that you're magic with your feet? And had the opportunity to run a couple of times and just didn't do it, didn't take off against Kansas City. You know, they held Kansas City to, what, 17 points, a really low scoring game.

Thought they played well enough to win that. Lamar Jackson just didn't take off and run enough. But I think that now you have Derrick Henry, a guy that can move the chain, who's a chain mover as well as a game changer. I think Derrick Henry, you know, with the Baltimore Ravens, the way that they're built, I think they are going to complement each other. But you've got to be careful with these two guys because Derrick Henry is very, very physical and you need him in January and December when it really crowds. Well, Lorenzo, you talk about the physicality and the life expectancy or career expectancy of the running backs at the position. How do you feel watching just this change? I feel a lot of running backs are employed as as running backs and slot receivers and they get used and abused and kind of moved out.

And that's the part that just troubles me. When you see these guys, you saw what Derrick Henry did for the Ravens. He carried that team. I mean, Derrick Henry carried the Tennessee Titans. You saw, you know, even when they paid against it, when you had the great quarterback, the greatest of all time, Brady there. He had 180 yards.

Think that playoff game. You saw the way that he actually carried his team. So it wasn't just the quarterback. This guy carried no different than Lydani and Thomas. And when he carried the Chargers, the San Diego Chargers at the time, Derrick Henry is that type of back that can actually carry his team.

And you saw that he did that and he did it more than once, more than twice. So Derrick Henry, he is a unbelievable back. And the other guys, you know, you know, they are still good back. But Derrick Henry, it's just going to be interesting to see what kind of life he has left in those legs.

But yeah, it is terrible that you see these guys, what they do. And then at the age of 30, they're out to the passer and they don't now want to pay them. It's usually that's what's so tough about running backs. It's different than any other position because after four years of running back, you want to they want to decrease the value after six or seven years before they want to decrease the value. But as for a quarterback, offensive linemen, different positions after five, six, seven years, they're getting these huge, massive contracts. But the running back, they start to digress instead of increase. Former Pro Bowl fullback, 16 years in the NFL, Lorenzo Neal is here with us.

That's on the running back side. We know that we had some big names kind of move around in the quarterback rooms as well. Kirk Cousins is now a member of the Atlanta Falcons. Russell Wilson now a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Which player do you think is going to have more of an impact this upcoming season? Yeah, I think when you look at Atlanta, I think that they have some young players and I think Kirk Cousins is the type of guy they need as a leader, a guy that can go in and say, look, we're going to win. And he's just a good guy.

You know, he's a leader of men. So I think that he's going to have some success. But I'm going to tell you a team that's ready to win now. And I think they go deep into the playoffs. And I think right now, the what Russell Wilson wants to accomplish in a way that he played in Denver that bounced back here last year and still didn't have necessarily all the weapons, didn't have a great offensive line, didn't have necessarily the greatest receivers. I think Russell Wilson, when you think about where he's going to a stellar team that plays great defense, he's going to a team that he's not going to have to carry.

He's not going to necessarily have to go and carry this team. I think this team, in some essence, kind of remind you of that legion of boom. I'm not saying they're better, but you think about the Steelers and think about Seattle and their heyday. They were dependent on that defense. The Steelers is that type of team that can play great defense. And now you have a quarterback that is a game changer and a quarterback to get the ball distributed to the right guys and also can and can escape and make plays with his legs. I think the Steelers, I think that Russell Wilson is going to have the biggest impact out of those two guys.

Wow. So do you feel, Lorenzo, that he got a raw deal in Denver? Did he get a raw deal on his way out of Seattle?

Why do you feel like he didn't have so much success the past couple of seasons? Yeah, I think when you look at Seattle, I think it was just time. I thought Denver, when you look at Denver, I thought that was a bad deal. I thought that when you look at it, kudos to Russell Wilson for getting this contract the way it is. You look at Denver, they got to pay this guy $38 million. The Steelers win only paying this guy minimum $1.2, $1.6 million.

They're in a great situation. You have arguably a future Hall of Fame quarterback, a Pro Bowl type of quarterback of the Steelers. And now you're only getting him for probably one of the lowest paid quarterbacks in the league because Denver let him go.

So he has some guaranteed money. I thought Denver because Denver wasn't ready. Denver's team is not necessarily, I don't think, a playoff team. I think Sean Payton, he said, look, I want to build my way. Denver said, look, we're going to bring Sean Payton in here. We're going to give him the keys to this car and we're going to let him ride this and we're going to let him drive this. And that's exactly what he did. He said, look, this is not my guy. I don't care what type of quarterback he's been in the past.

I'm going in a new direction. So kudos to the Denver Broncos giving, you know, Sean Payton that type of credibility and give him that type of leeway. I don't think it was necessarily the best decision on Sean Payton, who I know very well. I think he's a good coach. I think Russell Wilson got a bad deal on that one. Lorenzo Neal here with us.

The JR Sportbreeze show on CBS Sports Radio. Well, let's talk about a team that you made even more your bones with that happens to be the Chargers. Might be in a different city, but we know they have a different coach. They have a young quarterback.

What is hardball going to bring to that team and how are they going to compete, if at all, in the AFC? How long is it going to take? It's not going to take long.

I'll tell you right now. And this is crazy. I know you say, God, lo, I know you're drinking this hardball Kool-Aid. I remember hardball being at Stanford. Look what he did with luck. Look what he did with that team. You look at Stanford. Stanford's known for its education.

Stanford's a great school. But think about the players that he got there. What did he do against USC against UCLA against those teams? He ran them out of the stadium.

How did he do it? He was physical. Think about when he was at the University of San Diego. What did he do with that team? He made them physical. What did he do with the San Francisco 49ers, with Alex Smith and a quarterback that could run, but not just throw the ball and, you know, and the quarterback that they had.

Think about those two quarterbacks. They weren't game changers. They were game managers. They were good quarterbacks. They weren't great.

They weren't elite. But look what he was able to do with those guys. So when you think about what hardball brings to the table, a knowing, personally, good coach. I played for his brother, John, when he was at the University of San Diego. He would come over to the Chargers facility.

So I've been knowing hardball and his family for years. I'm telling you right now, he is going to change the attitude. He is going to change the face of the Chargers. The Chargers are no longer going to be a team that's soft. The Chargers are no longer going to be a team that gets scored 65 on.

Chargers are going to compete and they are going to compete right away because that's just who hardball is. And he's got the talent on that team. When you think about the safety, he's got one of the best safeties in the league.

You've got one of the best young quarterbacks. And oh, yeah, by the way, hardball is going to get a running back in this draft. And he's going to get somebody that can tote the male. They're going to be physical. And I think now when you have a quarterback that is going to his efficiency level is going to go up, they're going to run the ball. He's going to hire higher proficiency because of the fact hardball is going to do more play action. They're going to run the ball.

And I think you're going to see Herbert really, really excel because the way that hardball is going to throw the ball. Look no further than Michigan. Michigan.

What did they do in the second half? Look at that national championship. You know, shout out the board from Fresno State. Love to coach the board like that. We talk a lot at Alabama now. I love coach the board.

And look at what he was able to do. The Washington that second half every team in the second half you watch Michigan. They usually won that second half and they usually always won the fourth quarter. I expect hardball to get it done with the L.A. Chargers and Lorenzo. Final question for you, man. You talk about physicality and the NFL and what hardball is going to bring to the Chargers. The position that made you an all pro at fullback.

We don't see a lot of them. And there's a lot of cases over the years that we've seen even more of the NFL rules kind of favor of the offense in a vertical game. What are your thoughts just from a fan perspective and a former player about how the game has evolved? Yeah, I think it's sometimes the game involved in the right way protecting guys defensive player across the middle. I get it. But football is a contact sport. I think you've got to I think you've got to make this game continue to make it physical because that's what it is.

You can't discontinue to say let's take this and let's keep taking these things away. I think the fullback position is one of the most disrespected positions in the game. And that's why I was pulling for the Niners to win the Super Bowl because you see what huge check brought to the table. You saw him in the passing game. You saw him in the running game.

He was really, really, really effective. And, you know, that's another guy that people aren't talking about what huge check does for that Niner often. But also Christian McCaffrey, I think, guys, undoubtedly, he's going to be the highest paid running back in the league. It's not over yet. I think the 49ers wrap this guy up and make him the highest paid running back.

But I do believe that the fullback position will be coming back, especially in L.A. with the Chargers, because Harbaugh, he's going to run that fullback. Are you going to go back out there and play? You got some more gas left? Oh, you better believe it.

I'm looking pretty in the face and slimming the waist right now. You better watch out. Lorenzo Neal here with us on CBS Sports Radio before you get back out onto the field. Where can people follow you, your work on air, all the other great things that you're doing, Lorenzo? Absolutely. You can check me out on Instagram.

It's just Lorenzo Neal. Go there. I'm a great follower. Got a lot of things happening. I also work with 95-70 game during the season coming in and doing all during the season. I have a pre and a post game.

So absolutely love that. And also on KPIX Channel 5, always in the bay. And also I do the Believe Network. You can check me out on the Believe on the Chargers. I'm on the Believe Network, bringing the Chargers, breaking it down every single week. So check me out on Believe Network. So all the Valley casinos, they play it.

It's a national show. So check me out. Thanks for all the pups, brother.

No doubt about it, Lorenzo. Looking forward to checking you out. And I'll look for you on the field, OK?

I'll stay tuned. I got one play. You're going to have to come get me after that, bro.

You got to come get me off the field. After the end of a good fight, you deserve an ice cold reward. Medela, the mark of a fighter.

You've earned this rich golden lager with a crisp, refreshing taste. Because you know the bigger the fight, the better the reward. You put in the hours, the energy, the tough labor. You are a fighter. Medela is your reward. Medela, the mark of a fighter. Frick responsibly.

Beer imported by Crown Import, Chicago, Illinois. What's the first thing you do if you'd had more time in the day? Take a nap? Read a book?

Talk with a friend? When you know what's important to you, it's easier to fit it into your schedule. Therapy can help you figure that out. BetterHelp offers affordable online therapy that comes to you. Start the process in minutes and switch therapists anytime. Learn to make time for what makes you happy with BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com slash grow today to get 10% off your first month.

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