This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. You chose to hit play on this podcast today. Smart Choice. Progressive loves to help people make smart choices. That's why they offer a tool called Auto Quote Explorer that allows you to compare your progressive car insurance quote with rates from other companies.
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Granger for the ones who get it done. I want to remind y'all. This is the Rich Eisen Show. Get the drop. Drop a beat.
The first snap of 11 on 11 competition for the Cleveland Browns. Live from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles. The first true 11 on 11 QG reports to. Let me guess. Let me guess.
Let me guess. It's Pickett. Dylan Gabriel. What the hell? The Rich Eisen Show.
NBC Sports Boston Patriots Insider Tom Curran. Comedian and host Jim Jeffries. Pro Football Hall of Famer Steve Young. And now, it's Rich Eisen. Yeah, I didn't overreact to the Browns news at all.
No, not an eye opener. Welcome to this edition of The Rich Eisen Show. I'm sitting in Los Angeles. I really like the shirt I have on. I'm not going to lie.
I like the way it looks on television. I'm feeling good about myself today. I kind of like your fit today, man. I appreciate you saying that, Chris. The belt matches the shoes.
You are put together. You know, I'm just in a zone. Yeah. I'm in the zone. Yeah.
And pleased to be here on the Roku Sports channel.
So check it out if you're listening or if you're just listening. It's great. Trust me. 844-204-Rich is the number to dial. Call us today.
We've got lots of time on our hands. We got a Hall of Famer and Steve Young in our number three. Very funny, Jim Jeffries in advance of or in support of his new reality competition program on Fox called The Snake. The funny Jim Jeffries in studio hour number three. And Tommy C, it's been a while.
Tommy. Tom Carrin will be joining us on this program to tell us what's going on with Stephon Diggs in New England and what's the Patriots cooking up. And Chris Brockman did a win-loss game where the Patriots are going to be 11 and 6 this year. I'm wondering if that has to do with your current diet that you're on that we're going to talk about on this program. I'm losing my mind.
I mean, we're going to, I mean, we haven't brought it up over the last two days, so we got that working for us. And the number to dial is 844-204-Rich. Good to see you over there, Chris Brockman. How are you? Come on, I'm buttoning up.
Okay, very good. Hello, YouTubers. Jason Feller. Good to see you, Jay Feller. I don't have a button to button like you guys.
You don't ever do that. Casual Wednesday. Actually, or it's any day that ends with Y, including Felly. Good to see you over there, T.J. Jefferson.
What's up? I mean, I'm wearing a Swerve Strickland shirt. You're wearing a nice blue button-up.
So, I mean, that's just a lot of fun. Ram's house. We're all on brand. Swerve's house.
Okay, let's roll. Ram's house. Let's do it. Let's do it. Game three tonight, the NBA finals.
Got that working. Aaron Judge just hit us in the back of the head with a home run from Kansas City. What a bomb. Juan Soto heard you talking Mexican. Juan De Soto is hitting home runs.
He's got a dozen of them. Roman Anthony, first very hit. Roman Anthony, yeah, for the for the for the Red Sox who lost anyway. Listen. Oh, wow.
Oh, bro. That didn't die. He's lethal, Brock. That was the shirt. Blame it on the shirt.
We won yesterday. Blame it on the fit. Blame it on the fit. We lost. You did win.
Yeah, we lost two days ago. That's true. We did not. At any rate. Dodgers stink right now.
Hey, guys.
Sorry. Everybody just clear the decks. Aaron Rodgers is in Steelers camp and he's talking and he's talking and he's in. I mean, the whole wait, the whole wait is over. You know, the wait is over.
It was a. An interesting few months. We'll put it that way. Uh Rogers is on a handful of radar screens. The first domino of the whole offseason was, as we expected, Matthew Stafford.
Matthew Stafford saying I'm staying put in Los Angeles. Um put to rest all the East Coast Or Eastern time zone teams that were potentially interested in him, and the Steelers were one of them. Giants for another. You know, I don't know if the Jets had any thoughts at all that Stafford would come to them. You know.
Bottom line is Stafford stays put, and that means. Rogers wasn't coming here.
Now, Aaron Rodgers potentially could have stayed put in Southern California. And all you would have to do is just commute from Malibu to go over a canyon. Very geographically sound. Honestly, if you live in Malibu, the most geographically sound team in all of the National Football League is the Rams. And then also, if you want to try and win one more time, let's join up with a team that just.
Gave the Eagles their best run for the money in January and February. And, you know, Sean McVay sitting there. And Sean McVay said on Good Morning Football on this very day. And you've either seen it on NFL Network or on the show Good Morning Football GMFB Overtime that precedes this one every single day on the Roku channel. He said Rodgers was.
You know. On the radar screen, but they wanted to stick. with Stafford. Bottom line is Rodgers Didn't have the Rams as an opportunity. The Jets told him it ain't here anymore.
He might have looked at the Giants and go, Yeah, I hear you, met life, know what it's like, been there, done that. Don't want to. Be a bridge quarterback for a team that Wasn't even sniffing the playoffs. last year. and was top five in the draft.
That left the Steelers. sitting there. Would New Orleans have been an issue, potentially an opportunity for him? I don't think he considered that. As uh as he even backed that up with his own words when he told a Saints fan, hoping that he would make the saints great again.
Yeah, I'm not coming to New Orleans. I mean, he doused that one pretty darn quick. Yeah. So he finally is in Pittsburgh. All the conversations of why is he waiting?
Why isn't he just jumping at the chance? That's Mike Tomlin. That's. The rest of a team that made the playoffs. This is the Pittsburgh friggin' Steelers.
to paraphrase what Cam Hayward said on his own podcast, but don't say he was carping on Aaron Rodgers. He came on this program. to kind of take me to task on that. But he's there now. Look at him.
Number eight in your program. Is he number one in the hearts and minds of the Steelers fans? Maybe for some. that he didn't leave them in the lurch after all this time. But he's there.
Looked pretty damn spry on the practice field yesterday as well. Saw a lot of video of his footwork. Saw him in a golf cart with DK Metcalf, right? Yep. Saw that.
He's there. Question is, why did it take so long? That was one of the questions asked of him in his post-workout introductory. press conference in Western PA on Tuesday. Erin, you visited here over 70 days ago.
What made now the right time? Yeah, it's been a little bit. What made now the right time to sign a deal with you here? You know, I was dealing with a lot of things in my personal life. And uh some things.
improved a little bit where I felt like I could fully be all in here with the guys. Had great conversations with Mike throughout the entire process and Omar. Um But it's good to get that done and get behind us. I don't want to shortchange the guys and be. you know sign but be elsewhere mentally or physically.
So until I could be here And be all in. You know, I need to take care of my business.
Alright. Makes sense, right? Makes sense. I had stuff going on. I'm not talking about my personal life here.
Yeah. pull it out of him that he is in fact married for the last couple of months. That is a a theme that you will hear Stéphane Diggs sort of echo. When he had his press conference with Patriots Media on Tuesday, I'm not talking about my personal life with you. Um and you know Been there, done that in terms of Being in, even though I'm not all Cleared.
Schedule-wise. Or Brain space-wise, to be with the team. Remember last year's. Egyptian walkabout? That he had already planned.
And the Jets weren't going to move their Mandatory minicamp up a week because that would mean that all the other guys that might. be it the mandatory minicamp for the week that they had planned it might not stick around for a voluntary situation.
So we'll just hold it when we hold it. We'll just hold it without Aaron Rodgers and call his absence unexcused. Been there and done that. Not gonna do it, although, you know. Um The Jets are on their own island of dysfunction.
That the Steelers do not have the GPS coordinates for. This is a different organization. One that has a singular voice at the head coaching position. Who will not be pulled into a meeting after a week four loss. And tell him, how about benching our 40-year-old quarterback?
What do you think? And then, if you lose overseas, you're fired. That won't happen to Mike Tomlin as it did to Robert Sala last year. And I think Mike Tomlin. is one of the reasons why Rogers is in Pittsburgh as confirmed by him.
At this point in your life, why do you still want to? Yeah, I mean, I think that's what it is. Like, I don't I don't need it. Uh for my ego, I don't need it. to keep playing.
A lot of decisions that I've made over my career in life from strictly the ego. even if they turn out well, are always unfulfilling. But the decisions made from the soul. Are usually pretty fulfilling.
So, this was a decision that was best for my soul. And I felt like being here with Coach T and the guys that got here and the opportunity here was the best for me. And I'm excited to be here. A big attraction was Mike Tomlins. I've uh gotta get some over the years.
The way that the conversations went. Between him and I, uh between whatever it was in March or April. And uh You know the last Sunday when I called him? was uh Some of the coolest conversations I've had in the game. Definitely with the head coach.
So he's a big reason I'm here. I believe in him and excited to play for him. I think it's going to be a great relationship there. They're just too. I mean, Mike Tomlin's a foot football guy through and through.
I I know I'm treading into. Waters with some Steeler fans who are just done with Tomlin or they're sick of Tomlin or they want Tomlin. to finally win a playoff game. They're exasperated. Um But these guys are, I think, are going to be.
Attached to the hip. That's not a problem. And Steeler fans, I think, can appreciate that. As for the good for the soul sort of conversation, I mean, there might be some Steeler fans that would tell Rogers, you know, to that's maybe. Roger's showing up with some bark chewing comments right there.
It's good for the salt. Listen. Uh Bottom line is this has to work. It's gotta work. And uh Tomlin is is orchestrating it.
And um He and his quarterback attached at the hip. And um the chew on bark stuff. It will be 100% not discussed if there are wins more than losses, and if Rodgers leads them into the playoffs. and takes the field. and takes them Deeper than just the first round.
Which is why Mike Tomlin I imagine, based on everything in front of him, if Sam Darnold wasn't available for him. signable for him. Justin Fields wasn't there. enough for them to be confident enough to pay him even more than what The Jets were paying him to keep him there, or Stafford wasn't coming, and they certainly weren't going to go with Russ. This is the best option for him.
Certainly, when there wasn't anybody in the quarterback draft that would be ready to go week one, who they think is somebody worthy of. winning football games deep into the tenure. My estimation makes sense. And all you got to know is um Tomlin believes it because he was asked. What Rogers brings to the Steelers.
I mean, read his resume. We're excited about him being here. He's excited about being here. Um, but we'll make no bold predictions, we're just going to roll our sleeves up and go to work and let our efforts do the talking. I'd be really straightforward with you.
June reps are a heck of a lot more important for a guy. Like Will Howard, at this stage of his career, than a guy who's been doing it for 20 years. And so, Whatever snaps he gets, you take away from a guy like Will Howard, and we're trying to get this collective ready for training camp.
So it's no big deal that he's showing up now. Will Howard got the reps. He's here. Read his resume. And I hope for the Steeler fans, that's the Rodgers.
That does, in fact, show up. And lights it up with DK Metcalf in a way. That leads them to the playoffs. Roman Wilson and the rest of the receiving corps can come to the fore. Let me ask you this, who most needs this to work out?
Rogers or Tom White? Rogers, because you know the way I always work at this stuff. You know the way I always look at this stuff. You know it. You know the way I look at this stuff.
What's pressure? Is pressure what we're talking about, or is pressure that you might not have a job or you might not be around anymore? The clock is ticking on Aaron Rodgers' father time is ticking. In a way that I don't think there's a ticking clock on Mike Tomlin's tenure in Pittsburgh. You don't think Tomlin's on the hot seat whatsoever.
I do not. Here's the difference, though. I mean, if Tomlin is on the hot seat and he gets fired, guess what? Like Rich said, five minutes later. If this don't work out for Rogers, it's a wrap.
He's not gonna go anywhere else. Yeah. Like he it He he will have to find something else soul enriching other than football. That's why. It is a father time-ticket clock on Ararajes.
And then in terms of whether it works out this year, it would help to have TJ Wadden. In uniform. Couldn't hurt. That's true. This was brought up to Mike Tomlin before anything else was talked about with Rogers.
Certainly, we'd like him to be here. But certainly not surprised. About where we are. We've expressed a desire to get the business done. He has as well.
And so we'll continue to work. We've been here before. Mike, is there concern about his future mutant? Yeah. Did he give you advance notice that he wouldn't?
Whatever communication transpires between he and I will remain there. Yeah, this is not his first rodeo. I'm not telling you, because if I say to him, Yeah, of course he told me he's not going to be here, it means I'm taking a side with a player against management, or you could read into that. Or if he didn't tell me about it, then suddenly I don't have a control of my own locker room, or you're telling me that there's now a rift between me and TJ Watt. I'm not telling you a damn thing about what I'm talking about with him.
And in terms of, am I concerned about his future? Hell no. Hell no It's not midnight yet, people. It's not midnight yet. Midnight might be.
The first week of training camp, right before training camp, whatever. He's gonna be there. He's gotta be there. End of story, this has to work. They're all in the same boat.
Right now, they're not all on the boat. but Rogers finally is on the boat to captain the ship. The admiral, if you will, the general. If you want to talk about field troops, we're talking about ships, Admiral. Is Tomlin, he wanted the quarterback there.
They gave it to him. The quarterback likes him. He likes the quarterback. Will it work? No earthly idea.
All I know, must see television every single time. Especially since, did you see the way the New York Post handled the arrival of Aaron Rodgers in Pittsburgh? There it is. Ha ha ha. Rodgers is Pittsburgh's problem now.
Wow. Angry X. Angry X. There you go. Week one.
Wow. Week number one.
Some back page. On CBS. Must see T V. Who's favorite in that game? Pittsburgh Steel.
Who's favorite in that game? Dude. What? It's a real question. It's proper to say the line will move when TJ Watts signs.
Okay. You're awfully sure that this is going to happen. Let me tell you. Let me tell you. Sir.
And I will say it to the camera. For two reasons. One, I'm looking at you, but I will turn to the camera. Number one is: I'm just letting you know this is intended for you even looking at the camera. And two, the reason why I'm looking at the camera is my shirt is on point.
And I wanted to see it one more time. Steelers minus three. On fleek. TJ Watt is signing. He will get the contract that will make him happy.
He's going to be a Steeler for life. Rodgers is there. They are not going to go into the season. without everybody being on board. That's it.
Thank you, the management. I like my shirt. Tip your waitress. Let's try the man of colour. Take a break.
Tommy C. will join us. Tommy. Hey, Tom Current. Tom Current.
What's going on? Hey, what's going on? Oh, look at this photo. Oh, my God. Like, Tom's welcoming us to his hotel.
Like a motto now. Nantucket Mental. What is this? We got to show this to Tom Current. Who is this man?
He's got a nice shirt, too. This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. You chose to hit play on this podcast today. Smart Choice. Progressive loves to help people make smart choices.
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Loan subject to approval and eligibility requirements. Learn more at NavyFederal.org. Back here on The Rich Eisen Show, everybody. What? Uh nothing.
Okay. Yeah. What a weird way to come back from commercial breaks. You just looked at me like sometimes I like knowing what you guys are talking about in a commercial break. I let them know what we were talking about.
We were discussing the differences between vampires and witches. That's also true. And then I was cooking up kind of a week one money line parlay. For a season. Let's talk about this.
Let's talk about this. I can't talk about Lee. Are you really? Looking at the week one lines. At a week one line.
Yeah. Before teams were even set. Or two or three and thinking if you put these together, you can make some money three months from now. 17 to 1, just throwing it out there. Jets, Chargers, Cowboys.
So the Jets beat the Steelers. The Chargers, where are they? Home for the Chiefs. Home for the actually, that's not home. That's Brazil, pal.
Oh, even better. TV. uh on YouTube right there.
Okay. And then who's the fourth who's the third one? Cowboys. Seaboat. Everyone's sleeping on the Cowboys.
The Cowboys are.
So Let me ask you this question. Let me ask you this question. I just did that for teams. I was sorting in for teams. No, no, no, no, no.
But do you, again, because you know I, A, I'm not a gambler. B, I'm not allowed to be a gambler, even if I thought about being a gambler. I'm not sure either.
Okay. Because, you know, but do you not view this like fantasy where sometimes you don't want to play someone on Thursday night? Because if they don't do well the whole weekend, potentially. I hate playing God's Day.
So then Thursday night. If you're going to do a parlay, why would you want the Thursday, Friday, Sunday thing? Wouldn't you want it all on a Sunday? No. Oh, well, you get all your action throughout the three days.
Yeah, I want action on every night. Because right now for Jimmy, Ricky. My bad. This is sickness, Rick. I want to hear some single-game parlays on each of those primetime games.
There are 1-800 numbers that we should make him call for help. He's not that bad. I'm not that bad. He's not that bad. I keep expecting to get.
I keep expecting to get a knock at the back door here from somebody yells. Have I been betting on Roman Anthony to hit a home run the last two nights? Yes, yes, I have. He has yet to, correct? No, he got a hit yesterday.
But he's got to hit a home run, and I'm going to cash it. That broken clock will be right. Yeah, of course. Back on the Red Tracking Show Radio Network. The New England Patriots.
Have Stephon Diggs in their fold. Love it. Um But It it's just looks you need him. Big time.
Okay. In the same way, I just remember when the Knicks were particularly poor. Um We were just waiting for who's going to come. Who's going to come? Who's going to be that pied piper from outside?
that says I will show up. I will be that guy. You can build the team around me, and I'm going to show everybody in the league that this is a viable spot for success. And you know The Knicks found him in Jalen Brunson. Um they tried quite a bit and it's Actually, I think ironic that right now they're supposed to be in a pole position to acquire Kevin Durant because he's the guy they put on their season ticket.
Missive to season ticket holders that, hey, stay tuned for the fall when he wasn't even on their team. He wasn't even maybe considering. That's awful presumptuous. There was. But Stefan Diggs raised his hand and said, I will come to New England.
The issue is, though, is he blew out his knee in week eight last year. Is he going to be ready for week one? No idea. Is it going to be in the middle of the season? No idea.
Do the Patriots have any idea of what he looks like?
Well, yes, he's there, but not. You know, all the time, and certainly when there was some. Um voluntary stuff. He wound up. being on a boat with his Very famous girlfriend who he showed up at the Met Ball.
Was that the first time that he and Cardi B were out and about? Yeah, and then he was courtside at one of the Knicks games. Not to turn you into TMZ over there, like the Harvey Levin of the Rich Isaac Show, but he was. This is the sort of stuff that he's bringing to New England. Um but it's also questions that he's bringing.
Like, what's up with the boat? And what was that pink stuff? And what's going on, man? Are you all in or not? Are you there or not?
Well, here was the exchange with the media. and Stefan Diggs in New England on Tuesday. Obviously, I want to be as candid with you guys as possible. I kind of like having people where I talk about my first and life with people I don't know personally. I'm pretty sure everybody here, men and women, are great people, but you know what I'm saying?
I kind of came out personally. I had a conversation with a brave audience, and I'm gonna echo everything that he said. He told me, you know, hoping everybody makes a good decision. And I had a conversation with people in the building as well.
So everything else, everything else in particular is all eternal.
So No personal questions. The only issue with that is if the personal questions actually have professional ramifications. Then we kind of need to know the answer of what's up with that. But he had the conversation with Vrabel, and obviously it's clear enough for him to still be. with the team and No worse to wear, bygones bygones, unless there is something lingering.
It's one of the main questions we have for our friend Tom. You see, Tom Curran back here on the Rich Isand Show. Our friend from NBC Sports Boston and the host of the Patriots Talk Podcast. with a very large microphone in the foreground. What's up, Tom?
How are you? I'm great. Yeah. You doing all right there, Tommy C? Everything good?
Uh-oh. Did we lose him? Uh oh, did you did you did you did it? Never should have moved it. Never should have moved it.
I'm sorry. Never should have moved it. Never should have moved it. By the way, words to live by. We don't even know even if it's not microphones.
What's going on there in New England with Stephon Diggs? Is there anything of issue? Tom. I think the way Mike Vrabel has answered every question posed about Stefan Diggs with kind of a level, a measured level of consternation. And reminding that Yeah, there's a certain standard we want to have.
It's basically: look, no more distractions. It was interesting with Diggs yesterday when he spoke to us. He wasn't. You know, opening up a vein, genuflecting, and throwing himself at the mercy of the media or the Boston sports fans and saying, forgive me, forgive me. And I don't blame him.
I mean, he's kind of a hired gun. He's been in the league for 10 years. He leads a public life. That is frequently on social media. Ain't nobody got anything on him.
I mean, it was a bag with pink stuff in it. We can all presume it was some kind of a mood enhancer. We don't know what it was. It could have been crushed up bare aspirin if he wanted to say that.
So to him, he probably looks at it as a mountain out of a molehill. And maybe His teammates would as well. I just think that the Patriots themselves are looking at the situation. In totality, and saying What? It isn't The same thing as any number of Extra legal activities that a guy could have been involved in, but it's just a distraction.
Can we not have those? And that's why I think this is really interesting with the physical that is attached to Diggs' money, because Diggs has come out and looked really good, Rich, compared to what we expected. And He said yesterday, look, I'm a dog pulling at the leash. And the Patriots most likely are going to slow play, clearing him to play and giving him the final physical. I don't know that.
They might have had a conversation, but I can see that being kind of a bubbling subplot between the two sides. I'm feeling good. Can I have my physical? We can start my payments of $12 million, please. And the Patriots said, not yet.
Not yet. Hmm.
So there's some more miles to go. before we have an answer to if there's any there there. Tom. Yeah, he did sidestep the question of whether he had taken the physical. He began with, and I don't think so.
And that would be my presumption, too. If you're still in a state of recovery, which he is from his ACL, you haven't yet been cleared fully and passed the physical that is attached to his contract, as Mike Florio has done a good job of detailing. Diggs is in a situation where until he passes the team's physical, He doesn't get any money.
Now, I'm sure they're paying his way back and forth to camp and minicamp and everything else, but he's not getting. His contractually agreed upon $12 million worth of signing bonus.
So if I'm Diggs, I'm saying I'm ready to go. Feel good. I'll take the physical whenever you want. And the Patriots can certainly say, We're doing what's best for you, but there can be. At least if Diggs is looking at it, he said, they don't want to give me the money until they can tell I'm all fully on board here.
Which we've seen him be fully on board since the Great Pontoon boat incident of 2025. In terms of when he gets paid, usually guys get paid during the season. Is it possible he doesn't take his physical until? you know, they they put him on pup or something like that, and and then he I'm just wondering, when's midnight in this situation? I'm always looking for when everybody considers it's midnight.
This time of year, Tom. Too much speculation on my part if I started guessing, Rich, honestly. And Verbal is very attuned to what we say. On these shows. Let's So I'm not going to guess and say I know when midnight is.
Um But I do th see it being an interesting dynamic between the two sides. If one guy's saying, I'm good, I'm good, I feel good over here, look at me. Jumping up and down. I mean, he looks ridiculously, you know, fast, and he's taking part in a lot of stuff for a guy seven months off an ACL. Mm.
But until he passes, he doesn't get any money.
Well, I mean, he's a supremely talented player, and if healthy. Is exactly what the doctor ordered there in New England.
So I imagine. You know, everybody there is working towards making it work, right? To making it happen. That's the point. They want Steph Diggs to play football.
So that's the upshot of this whole thing, you know, as we in the media speculate on. different threads that we can pull to see if there's an issue here or there. In the end. They want it to work out. Diggs wants it to work out.
Drake May wants it to work out. Robert Kraft wants it to work out.
So, my presumption is it will work out because. He doesn't have a litany of, again, extra-legal. Dust ups. that accompany him to New England. No, not at all.
And I bring that up for two reasons. One, just to be obviously fair. And two, you just said Vrabel's listening. And if that's the case, should I say I'm looking forward to seeing him at the American Century Championship in Tahoe? Should I you know, if he is listening right now, do I do I remind him of the last four Novembers?
Uh, in college football? Uh, do I do that sort of thing if he's if he's if he's listening right now, you know, or I say hello, a little provocative at the same time? Kind of like him, kind of like him, a needler. He can be provocative. Yes, he'll go right back at you.
Especially if he knows he's going to give you the needle. See, he more finds out if you say something that's really sensational, and then you somehow it will pass back to a. A WTF. Does he have so? Does he have his own bears?
Like, how much of the Belichick way is shown back up now that he's there and McDaniels is there? Just like old times, Tom. It's a different way of doing it.
Okay. It's a different way. Bears Bill wouldn't come. It's different. It's very interesting because he's, you know, as you know him.
He'll just say directly, what was that? Do you know what you're talking about there? Oh, no, I'm speculating.
Well, stop speculating. And he's not listening necessarily to this show, but God bless the aggregators. No. God bless the aggregators. But in all seriousness, though, I mean, we could snap back to this point last year, and Gerard Mayo is going through it for the first time, and this question is about whether he is, in fact, up.
To the challenge up for the moment, you know, things that he would say in the media get. A lot more parsed and picked apart than obviously a former coach of the year in Vrabel coming back with his red jacket and everything. Uh how how different is it? And Does it remind you of the good old days? In any way, Tom.
It's far different. It's far more And this is not a slight to Mayo, it's far more organized. You have experienced coaches on the offensive line, experienced coaches in the wide receiver room, guys with history together, whether it's McDaniels and Vrabel, or defensive guys with some of the defensive guys. Doug Marone as the offensive line coach. It's just a fleet of experienced coaches who know each other well, who understand what they want to do.
Last year was. Mayo with Alex Van Pelt. And The Marcus. Covington in his first year as a defensive coordinator and the wide receivers coach in his first year. With young wide receivers, it was just And that's why they set such a low bar.
with the media and outwardly. For themselves, it's going to be a building year, it's a foundational year. I hope we don't struggle with what. Robert Kraft said, but that notion that it was an apprentice year and a building year, I think, seeped through the organization to the point where it got to: well, this year really doesn't matter. And There was a a lax attitude that seeped through the team.
This year, Mike, I think, is extremely urgent with everything he's doing. He's not talking like Bill used to talk about this is a teaching camp, it's not competitive. Every day, Mike is talking about competition. Every day, you can hear him. Speaking to the veterans and the better players look I expect the most from our best players.
Saying that What we need to first is to find guys who don't do stupid things. Because right now, we're not good enough to take advantage of other teams doing stupid things because we do stupid things ourselves, or at least that's what he's seen.
So he needs to get to a point where. They could take advantage of other teams' stupidity. And he said that before, and I've kind of heard him say it time and again during these OTAs. Yeah. I mean, let's not forget how he used some clock management.
Um Loopholes against Belichick famously. I mean, like Vrabel comes to the table. I mean, he's a former coach of the year for crying out loud. I mean, and so obviously it's going to be different, but me just seeing that photograph of McDaniels with Diggs, I can only imagine McDaniels connected to Drake May. That alone.
Right? That alone. Should be significant a significant Upgrade for this kid in exactly what this kid needs. The last guy who wore number 10 had his best time. Um obviously in in a in an ultimately unsuccessful Tenure in New England.
Mac Jones had had his gritty in the Pro Bowl year with McDaniels. Being his OC. And I can only imagine what this looks like. What has it already been? boots on the ground looking like.
Tom, do you think that's the one? It looks good. It looked really sketchy. The first OTA that we saw, there were four picks for May. They came in like nine passes.
It looked like he was thinking a lot. He was hesitant. His fundamentals weren't good. And then the next two we saw, and then these two days of minicamp, he's looked. Much, much, much better.
And I think that's incrementally what you're going to see. And we asked Nick Daniels about that four-pick day. and said what you would expect a coach to say in May. Every play is good. The good ones are good 'cause they're good.
The bad ones are good because it's given us an opportunity to learn something. And you can see that May from last year at this time until training camp, he made. Massive progress. And just in these three weeks, he's made progress. They have better players around him, they have a better offensive line.
Um on paper at least. It should just be exactly what you would hope for May. But what's interesting too is The expectations, which are so high because of McDaniels and Vrabel and Mays, you know. Second year jump that's presumed. That If it isn't good.
you will have to try and be resilient and deal with. The slings and arrows of Well, I thought you guys were going to be good this year. Why are you two and two? Why are you three and five? And that can certainly happen to a building team.
Yeah, I I don't in my estimation, I think Vrabel's going to handle that. Just fine. You know what I mean? And I think the fan base might be, you know. disappointed in not having expectations met.
If that happens, But just the fact that this has been put in a place, right? that this is the coaching staff. And also the draft. I think it gives some confidence, not to speak for the Boston sports fan, but I know a few. It's just there's a confidence that there is There's adults in rooms now.
That are making the right decisions. The guys on the screen, the 11 draft choices. Everyone on my set, when I asked who had a great draft, Mentioned the Patriots on NFL Network. And I'm wondering, what's the general sense of how many of the guys on the screen are going to be starters? are going to have the opportunity here.
Tom? I would say the first three. And we're also seeing. Where's our guy Chase on? Is he on there?
No, he's not on there. I would say the first three. Campbell is entrenched there, left guard. Travian Henderson is definitely trying to, I think, fit into the Josh McDaniels. Third back.
Third down back role. Like James Williams, like a James White role? Is that what you're saying? Yeah, he's looking like a Jimmy White. Jimmy White?
um a kevin falk and that's great but he is bigger than James White. He's a better runner than James White was. He could be more Rex Burkheady. And have that role because you still have Stevenson who's a good player, and Antonio Gibson, I think, had a really good year last year.
So they have a running back stable. They have a spot receiver, they have multiple spot receivers that can get available in the middle of the field. Is Kid Efton Chisholm the third? I think it was Eastern Washington. He was undrafted.
He's ridiculous. Every single practice. to the point where We get the blowback from our local media who's not there on the radio. Oh, who's your little hero this year? Who's your little pet guy?
It's Efton Chisholm III. And I'm like, he's really friggin' good. Why don't you guys come down here? We're doing all the work. Come down here and watch for a minute.
Instead of sitting there back there and taking our work and making fun of it. Yeah, let's get involved in the Boston media. Take the sausage with us. Exactly where I want to be, right in the middle of that. All the chips.
But there's, I mean, there's optimism, man. That's what that's. And you know what? You know what?
Okay. The cyclical nature of football in the AFC East, they were at the bottom of the Ferris wheel.
Now rich. Is the Ferris wheel turning?
Okay, not say Buffalo's still sitting pretty up there. Yeah. And they should be. Yeah. But are the Jets and Dolphins cycling down?
to a point where the Patriots could turn around and go, what? Wait, we were. Not really. I don't know, Tom. I think maybe the Dolphins are on the Ferris wheel, but the Jets are on their own ride.
It's Mr. Toad's wild ride. It's all over. It's a lot more, dude. It's a lot more horizontal and all the hell all over the place.
But. The Jets could be on the way up too. You never know. That's the beauty of the regenerative spirit of the NFL. And I just wanted to have you on a.
talk about what's going on over there.
So I appreciate the time, Tom. Let's do it again. Oh my God. It's a pleasure for me. Thank you.
These are the things I like to do. Excellent. Thank you. Before you have a tremendous summer, you'll be at Edgewood and Tahoe. I will indeed.
I'm going to be at the American Century Championship.
Some people think that if they have a sense of humor, they're going to stick me with Vrabel and A.J. Hawk in the first round. That's hilarious. Is that hard on the street? I have no idea how I'm going to be paired, but a couple of my friends are like, you're going to get stuck with Ohio State guys.
I'm like, that's awesome. Yeah, that would, no, awesome is a different word for me. Vrabel wouldn't even mention anything about Frabel. I don't want to play with Vrabel because my game is not uh Up to snuff where oh my god, it'll be a four and a half hour, five hour spoiled walk. Start close.
Okay, Rich? That's it. Just start close. Start working from 50 yards in. Don't even go to the range.
Okay. Get your chipping down. Thank you. Get your long pitching down.
Okay. If you round the green stuff down, get your putting down.
Okay. Then work your way back. Thank you, sir. Tom Carr and everybody giving me information, advice. And confidence.
Good to see you, Tom. Thanks again, brother. See you, buddy. The best of the best out there. Tom Curran.
Can't believe you didn't mention his promo picture. Oh, that's right. Is he still on? Wait, Tom, don't move. Don't move.
Don't move. Yeah, before we go. Can we pop that up? Tom, we used this promo photograph before we went to break to promote you. What is this?
That's blue steel. What is this? Where is this? What is this? You know, we have a marketing arm that sometimes, I guess, has a budget.
Yeah. And they need to get through that budget. They say, can we do some. Can we do some sizzle shots of currant? Sizzle shots of currant.
That's a fantasy football name. Write that down. Sizzle shots of current.
So good. AB, a fantasy football name, man. Let me see the avatar. Let me see the avatar. Let's go.
It's Curran looking all inviting. Come on. Hey, welcome to my bistro. That's what it says to me. Can I interest you in a four-bedroom, three-bath?
That's right. Have I got a mortgage for you? What goes through your mind when you hear everybody wants one of you? Everybody's trying to hire a coach that's you. Yeah.
You got to get this guy that's you. They want one of you. What do you think of it? What goes through my mind is, you know, it's flattering and humbling, Rich, but it's a result of the success we've had as a team. And, you know, it's just like, no, but it's, you know what, though, it is true, though.
Like, we got great coaches on our staff. We got good players, you know, so much in alignment with Les and his, you know, his group. And, you know, it's a great reflection of our organization and what we've done. And I think, you know, that's the biggest thing. And to see guys that we've worked with over the last couple of years get opportunities with Matt and with Zach Taylor, you know, they're deserving of it because of what they've done on their own merit.
And when they go in and compete for jobs, people say, man, we can see this guy leading our organization. And, you know, I'm looking forward to seeing those guys thrive. Have you told Kingsbury that he has a job because of you, too? No, that's the Cliff got his deal on his. Own.
Okay, no, I'm sure he did. I know you were knocking on his door, too, to join your staff. I know that.
So you're going to be able to do that.
Well, you pants him, according to Shafter. I got him good, didn't you? Yeah, I think you told that to Schefter. I did. You totally.
What did you do to him?
Well, uh. Basically, you know, he obviously has a pre-existing relationship with Patrick Mahomes. He was out here doing some things and Cliff was having dinner with him and a group of people and we have a mutual friend and I tricked him into thinking that, you know, he was tampering and that he was going to lose some picks. It was. That's what you changed somebody's name in your phone to Roger Godell?
I did. Our mutual friend, he. Yeah, sure. I couldn't let anybody go on too long.
So, our mutual friend, a guy named Chaz Gessner, I put his number in my phone as Roger Goodell and had him send me a text that said, you know, hey, this is tampering. You know better than this. You guys are both, you know. And I showed it to Kingsbury and I said, you know, Mr. Goodell, he never texts me.
I said, you better call Steve Khan right now. And his face, he was like, he said, I thought I was going to throw up. He's like, that's wrong. I mean, I couldn't let it go on for more than 30 seconds. It was.
It was a good but a bad joke, man. I mean, he's like, you ruined dinner, man. But it was. You know what?
Just hearing you with Kingsbury, just seeing you with Les Sneed and seeing you with Weddell. And I feel like that episode of Seinfeld, where I'm hanging out with all the beautiful people and all the great hair right now. You know what I mean? Like, right. All these hair guys, I feel like I'm in a different club.
Ladies and gentlemen, Sean McVay and all of his appearances on our YouTube channel, youtube.com/slash Rich Eisen Show for all. Of that. 844-204-Rich is the number to dial here on the program. That was interesting with Tom. I think um There's cause for optimism.
There really is. I'll say what Tom won't say.
Okay. We're back.
Okay. I mean, we're back. I don't know what that means. What does that mean? We're back.
You used to win the division every year and be a Super Bowl contender every year. That's not what you are this year. Not yet. But nobody thought Washington was that last year either.
Okay. Okay, you're gonna lose week one. To who? The Raiders. No chance.
No chance. What are you talking about? No chance. I think there's a chance and I think deep down you know there's a chance and I think right now it's a bit. Oh, I don't think we're losing to the Raiders at all.
But you don't think there's a chance that you lose to the Raiders? You're the ones who went into Cincinnati last year and beat the Bengals. And that was dumb. Should have been the number one pick.
Well, the first win and the last win of the season. We're both stupid. A bookend of dumb. I smell a bet. By the way, bookends of dumb is the flip side to sizzle shots of current.
If that was a 45 back in the day. I've got an interesting call to action coming up here based on what we're about to talk about. Um And later on in this hour, we will hit you up with What's going on with certain holdouts? Or hold ins. Or hold ins, or guys like Micah Parsons getting ready to be paid.
I like to hold in, all that sort of stuff that's coming up. But Chris Brockman. You are on day three of a specific diet that's going on with you? Man, what are you? Yeah, we're doing this like watermelon cleanse sort of thing.
I saw this on Instagram, so it's like. Dumb to begin with, but this dude lost 10 pounds in five days eating nothing but watermelon. And I'm like, oh man, I really need to do that. Because this weekend, I'm going to this debutante ball in Pasadena for Sarah's goddaughter. And so we're going with their family and everything.
And I had to rent a tuxedo that had tails and all this stuff. And I just wanted to look nice and I mean not look like a you know a dancing penguin. And so I'm like, let's see if I can thin out for the week. And so I'm on day three and I'm really hungry. How much have you lost already?
I'm down six pounds in like two and a half days. Because you're eating only watermelon. I'm eating only watermelon. I did, I did. Meaning for breakfast and for lunch and for dinner.
Yeah, today I actually switched it up and went pineapple.
So and then I did cheat last night and had a 100 calorie beef stick because I was really hungry. But I'm doing my best. I feel like if I can get over the hump today, I'm kind of going to coast into the weekend. How do you know there's a hump?
Well, like the Wednesday hump. There's always a hump. The Wednesday hump. We have so many snacks in the back. You know how tempting it is?
Those pretzel bites with the peanut butter? I get it. Really hard to not have any. I work here too. Yeah.
But you really are only eating watermelon. Is there any way you're preparing it or you're just nope? I'm just. People have asked me if I'm putting salt or anything. Nope, just.
I ate a whole water the last two days I got one of those, you know, little watermelon from the store. Yeah. I mean there is There's stands all over this town where they can put on lemon or lime. You'd probably not be able to get it because they're being snatched off the street and sent someplace. Yeah.
Since they're the uh Villains around here. But at any rate, that's what you're doing? That's what I'm doing. Huh. Yeah, yeah.
And you're. Succeeding so far. I know. It's it's all f yeah, it's all for this thing. It's all for our friends and family.
Okay. How hungry are you? Extremely.
So that's my call to action: I want people to, what's the craziest thing you've done to lose weight fast? Not healthy, but I feel like you go on a fruit cleanse diet, TJ? I need to go on a diet, period. But look, here's what you're going to find odd, despite the ugly stereotype that has lasted for years. I don't like watermelon, believe it or not.
Really? Why is there a you know neither do I because genetically engineered? There's no seeds in it. I'm the only one in my house that does not eat watermelon. I'm the only one if we're going to be just straight, honest, and open like we are.
I think as a little kid, I did see those pictures and heard that stare. And I think that mentally being serious with you, mentally that messed me up to the point where I don't like it. And I am one of the only people of any color, race, religion, ethnicity, I think, that doesn't like watermelon. I don't either. I just think it's so good.
I need to point this out though. Yeah. We're burying the lead here, and you may not know the lead because I've known this man. How long have I known you now? 15 years now?
Yeah, yeah. One of the first moments you ever appeared on the Rich Island podcast was to explain why you hurt yourself. With your girlfriend. What happened with your girlfriend at the time? I fell out of an avocado tree.
He fell out of an avocado tree. And I had, I think I still have a scar. It was like over a foot long. And this man, one of the first stories he ever told on the Rich Island podcast, fell out of an avocado tree and hurt himself because his girlfriend was into avocados. Yeah.
Okay. You never telling me.
Now, if I had told that man back in that day, That one day he would eat only watermelon for three consecutive days. With the idea of keeping on going because he needed to lose weight for a debutante ball. Yeah. Uh-huh. Because that is what his mother of his child.
was taking him to. What would that What would that avocado tree boyfriend say? He probably would have said, child. I don't even know who you are anymore. It's been quite a journey since it's called Full Circle, Ish.
Yeah, yeah. This is a dream. Yeah, yeah. This guy, you are evolved. Nightmare.
He's changing. I need to look good in my rented tuxedo for a debutante ball, so all I'm going to do is eat watermelon for you. Picking it up tomorrow, so I'm Jim Jeffries coming out. The United States Soccer Federation presents the U.S.
Soccer Podcast. Inside the opening, 45 seconds. What a goal! With that cannon of a I'll leave it. Never miss a game.
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