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This is the Rich Eisen Show. No. Lions and Chargers, oh my god. Live from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles. I could make a great case that the best division in football is represented by one of those two teams on the field in Canton-Hunt.
And it's Lance throwing on top touchdowns. Today's guests. NFL network insider Tom Pellisero. Five-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Indomakin Sue. 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy.
And now. It's a rich ice center. That's right. The Rich Hidsen Show is on the air for the first time in August 2025, right here on the Roku Sports Channel, right here on this Infinity Sports Network, terrestrial radio affiliate smart enough to have us right here on SiriusXM. Channel 375, as well as the Odyssey app and odyssey.com.
We say hello to anybody out there taking in this program. We greatly appreciate it. 844-204 is the number to dial. Boy, do I love it? Coming on the air and just watching all the phone lines light up, which means you're interested in what we're talking about and we're interested in what you're having to say.
And that's exactly what we're here in business for. Tom Pellicero will join us to kick things off. Lots going on in the training camp world, certainly in terms of contracts. And Domakin Sue, the recent retiree, we had a great chat with Tyron Matthew after he hung him up. And Dama Kinsu is going to join us top of hour number two.
We'll check in with him. It's a What's More Likely Friday? We'll have some of that. I've got a top five list of Terry McLaurin possible destinations, and it's not just your team. We're going to be smart about it.
We're not just going to be cutesy about it. And we'll get to what's going on with Terry McLaurin in a moment. Brock Purdy on this program. Hey, one of my adopted children in the National Football League, along with Baker Mayfield and so many others that you guys accuse me of loving so much that they're my own children. Brock's going to be on the program at hour number three, the San Francisco 49ers quarterback.
Good to see you over there. Christopher Brockman, how are you, sir? Rich, we're back. We hit the over last night. Life is good, man.
You know what I'm saying? Did you really wager on the Hall of Fame, Daniel? What are we doing? He has a good question. What are you doing?
He has an addiction. I mean, we're 1-0 in the season. Brett Musberger is going into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Unbelievably, he hasn't been a Roselle Award winner to this point in time. I mean, the show that I do on.
on Sundays exists The show that I've been doing on Sundays for well over a decade exists because of You know what? He laid down the tracks for the NFL today back in the day.
Well, Brian Gumbel is doing his thing on NBC, right? Yeah. But anyway, he was on the air last night and he said, reminding everyone the lions are minus one. And I heard that and I'm like, is there really a line on this? How do you even set it?
It's absurd.
Well, anyway, we'll talk about this game later on, and congratulations on hitting the over. Thank you, appreciate it. You lunatic. You absolute lunatic. Good to see you, Jay Fally.
How are you? What's up, great? TJ Jefferson, I can see it from over here. The candle's lit. It's lit, man.
I'm ready to go. Apparently, it's lit in Oxnard, California. We'll get to that as well. What is happening? What is going on?
We'll get to that as well in a second. Listen. Um Terry McLaurin asked for a trade.
Now, when you are... in a contractual holdout. And you hold out, and then you hold in, and then you hold in, and you're back. That's supposed to get the juices flowing. Where I'm showing you management that's not giving me the contract that I want.
Not hitting the number that I want. I showed you, A, I want to stop being fine. And two, you know, I'm here, okay?
So let's get things going, and things apparently not going well enough. That Terry McLaurin, through his representative, we're assuming, said, I want out. Send me somewhere else. Send me to a spot that will pay me the money that I want. And interesting, we choose this photograph where he's holding up You know, it looks like he is waving goodbye right now.
Here listen. Here's where I'll go on this. We've heard this before, okay? In terms of demanding a trade, is it good? for the relationship?
No. Does this mean things are going well? Uh of course not. Does this mean it's over? No.
That it certainly does not. Let's not forget. A few years ago. There was one individual. who plays at a position that gets paid the most in the National Football League.
And is rewarded. The most, not just in terms of money, but attention and fandom and. Pressure and all that. We're talking about quarterback. Once upon a time was a quarterback who wanted to get paid.
Wanted a contract. Wasn't getting it. and decided to ask for a trade and not through a representative to the team. but used his own thumbs and pressed send. on a tweet saying I want out Just as his head coach was putting his rear end in a chair in front of the media at the owners meeting.
I'm referring to Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens and his head coach John Harbaugh, Was just sitting down in front of the media gathered to talk to the coach and the rest of the AFC coaches at their breakfast at the owner's meeting. Nothing gets more dicey. and acrimonious than that. Yada yada yada. Lamar Jackson went nowhere.
He wound up getting his contract. He is still there. He is 100%. The most popular Baltimore Raven. Everyone's wearing their Lamar jerseys everywhere.
It's all hunky-dory.
Now we'll see if he can make the Super Bowl for the team.
So Keep that in your mind's eye. Just at the receiver position. It was just at this point last year, Brandon Ayu, had been asking for trades. He was zooming with Jaden Daniels. Who we keep talking about how Daniels and McLaurin are attached.
Ayuk played college ball with Jaden Daniels in Arizona State before he went to LSU, won the Heisman Trophy, and became. the unicorn that he is in the NFL today. Brandon Ayuk said, I want it out, and he's FaceTiming with guys who he wanted to play with. I mean, he's he's putting it all all out in front of everybody. As a matter of fact, There was even an entertained idea of Trading him and a trading partner that got out.
From Niners camp involving the Steelers. Yada, yada, yada, Ayuk went nowhere. He got the contract, and obviously he got hurt. The Niners are hoping that he's going to come back better than ever for a contract. That does appear to be less than market value now because When he didn't go to Pittsburgh, that left things open for the Steelers to say, hey, we'll just trade for DK Metcalf, give him the richest contract in the history of the Steelers at the position, even though he's never played a snap for us yet.
And that is where maybe McLaurin is sitting here saying, I want at least that deal, Washington. And I'll just say it again. I've not met Adam Peters. I've heard from so many people how wise and smart he is, and he comes from the Niners organization, right? And Um And clearly He does know what he is doing.
But it would be just a massive dereliction. To not figure this piece out, there's a number out there, they have to land on it. They have to. They cannot Go into Jaden Daniels' second year and say, hey, guess what? The way you did everything last year and you went.
To heights that Few people, other than maybe us and you and your family, thought you could get to as a rookie in the NFL. And the guy who helped In that process. probably in more ways than you even know. Off the field. You're going to take that guy away from him over a money deal.
We're not going to because we can't run the risk of paying him. Where at age 32, 33, he's no longer, we get diminished returns. Heck with that. 2025 is here. He made the Final Four last year.
Thank you. I don't know what McLaurin's asking. But let's get close to it. Let's get close to a number that you're comfortable with and figure it out smart enough people. involved here.
All wrong. Oh no. I don't know the answer, obviously. I'm not involved in these negotiations. I don't know if McLaurin's overshooting.
and thus shooting himself in the foot contractually and negotiating I don't know what's going on. All I know is this has to get done. And if it does not, you're going to turn to Jaden Daniels and say, hey, do it again. But with a completely Different Go to God. Who is as savvy as they come and as great as they come in the locker room and the community as well?
I don't get it, don't understand it. But I'm also not sitting here saying, oh. This is over. It's not the NBA, okay? It's not like Durant Santa went out, because then he does.
So I still think this gets done. But it doesn't look great right now. And I still feel the same way about Micah Parsons. Doesn't look great right now, but I think this is still going to get done. Our friend from Tuesday's show we had Don Iversini on?
She tweeted out that they're not talking. Second week of training camp, currently not negotiating. That's the last line of her post that started with the Parsons-Cowboys relationship has deteriorated to the point where the star pass rusher is considering drastic measures. which could include a trade request or even a declaration that he's severing his relationship with the team.
Now, I don't know what that means. He's severing his relationship with the team. That means he would have to hold out. He's under contract. He can't just say, I'm.
I mean, you could say I'm not playing. And sit at home. You could just go home, but you're giving up, you know, X amount of dollars. Yeah, you're, and I mean, And if you leave, the team can send you what's called a five-day letter or notice At the end of which, if you're not there, they can just... Say you're out for the season.
Nobody wants that. But if it really is, down to it. I keep returning what our friend Clarence Hill. of D L L S. Cowboys.
Said And again, he's the longest tenured beat rider. He said Jerry and Micah shook hands on a deal back in March. Everybody keeps reporting that as well. And that Micah did what I would have done. Like, if I had a handshake agreement with any negotiating partner.
I would then say, okay. My agent. Mm-hmm. Call my representative. Right.
I'm not going to do the long form. I'm not going to call legal. Plus, my representative needs to know what I'm shaking hands on. And they're getting a percentage of my business, also. I mean, it's as reasonable a thing to say as anything in any negotiation.
But again, it does appear that. Um The uh Cowboys were Not terribly happy about that because According to all reports. Micah's representation has not been contacted by the Joneses. And here we still are. Just going to shake his hand and then here, here's the paperwork.
Sign away your life. I don't have a sense of it. Especially like that. I don't think they think that Micah Parsons is going to bust out Microsoft Word and write up his own long-form contract. It seems that it is the numbers that they shook hand on.
the terms and the dollars and the the We have payout. That they discussed, that will at least wind up in the long form, that the representatives will hammer out. And I guess that's not, I don't know. I don't know. I just think it's.
Um Nuts. I I like we're that we're doing this. You think it's nuts? Think I'm me and Monica. Yeah.
I feel like this is just like Groundhog Day, innit? It feels like it. Like, we're waking up to I Got You, Babe, to this story every day at 6 a.m. Playing the same tape, guys. Right?
That's what it feels like, right? I've said this every year, Dallas does something that makes me feel like Bill Murray. Oh, and you're driving angry. Yeah, I'm sitting angry. Here are the Guys, I have a Terry McLaurin update, though, if you want to hear something.
Uh oh. Right, I checked Twitter. X, he's yet to unfollow Washington.
So it really isn't that he's still following Washington. Didn't Trayvon Diggs unfollow everything Cowboys last night? On Instagram, yeah.
So I'm just saying, that's the report. Terry has not gone to that length yet. Hey, listen, you know, you always look to that sort of. Window on things. That's when we first realized a few Super Bowls ago something was up between Arizona and Kyler Murray.
Yep.
So there is something real. Like, I know you're being facetious a little bit, but there is something real in that. And Diggs is. I don't know what's going on with 'cause he's upset that they Because he didn't work out with the team like he's supposed to contractually to get some sort of a bonus. And the Cowboys are like, you worked out on your own.
Yeah. So we're not paying you the bonus that you would have gotten had you been here. I can understand. that we're talking about because there's no football yet. We will talk about the Hall of Fame game from last night later on in the program.
But Micah's been going nowhere. Cowboys aren't trading him. They could force him to play on his last year of his deal and then force him to do a drastic measure, whatever that might be. I don't know what that means, severing your relationship with the team. That certainly means not being in camp.
I don't know what that. Like, is it that him just needing to stamp his feet?
So. Or, you know what I would do is I would go on the practice field with my cell phone, since you're just biding your time anyway. I would have my agent on the phone and I would hand the phone to Jerry Jones. I'd walk right up to him and say, David's on the phone. He wants to talk to you.
Can we just at least do this, please? Let's do this. Let's do it right here. I'm a man, you're a man. I want to stay, you want me.
Here's my representative. Just just talk and hand him the phone and walk away. Or just say, hey, someone wants to say hi to you if you really just want to be that person. You know what I mean? Because if that's really what what it needs to happen, then just do it.
That's my advice to you, Micah. 844-204 rich is the number nuts. What does Tommy P think? Tom Pellicero, where in the world is Tom Pellicero? We'll find out.
He's at training camp somewhere. That's next. This episode is brought to you by Navy Federal Credit Union. Navy Federal can help you find and finance the right vehicle with ease. And this summer, you're in the driver's seat with savings.
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Grip it and rip it. Or Everyone is talking about the comeback kid, Happy Gilmore. Happy Need. Yeah, baby! Samba baby mc9!
Abby Gilmore 2, only on Netflix July 25th, rated PG-13 may be inappropriate for children under 13. Back here on the Rich Eisen Show, 844-204 Rich is the number to dial. Tom Pellicero is going to be checking in right now. Uh and he'll tell us about the latest on McLaurin and Also Parsons. You know what?
I'm just not going to go Trey Hendrickson either. I just can't do it. I feel like that's all I'm doing. I'm just going to trifecta with the same information, people. You know?
At the end of the day, all three are going to get signed. They're all playing week one. How about that? How about that? Playing where?
And in their spots. Terry McLaurin will be lined up with a new contract for the Washington Commanders against the New York Giants in week one. And Trey Hendrickson will be trying to go for. Screw it. Joe Flacco.
In week one. When the Bengals are In Cleveland. and sitting at home at the crib, fresh off of Trying to chase down Jalen Hurts on opening night three days prior. Micah Parsons will be at the crib. You know, $100,000 ladder because I guess he's giving it to CD Lamb with his new contract.
Yeah, well, that was weird. For an undisclosed purpose that we're nosy if we're asking CD Lamb about it. How about that? Yeah. Nobody's holding out in a week one.
It's all going to get done. I don't know when, but it's August 1st. I just gave you. MICA, september fourth. And September 7th is when the others will be playing, and this will all be handled before then.
From your lips?
Well, I mean, the gods here.
Well, unless you want McLaurin to fall apart. Yeah, I hope that doesn't come. Because that would honestly, that's why I'm saying it would be derelict. That would severely handicap. I mean, sure.
Can you get through with next man up? Sure. I get it, but is it the same connection? No. Is it the same guy that was there for Jaden Daniels when perhaps he was trying to learn?
The system? Gone are the days where this man was zooming in from the front seat of his car because he was on the way out to a boys' trip and his time off during the summer. Those are gone. He's doing back together weekend.
Now he's going all over the place.
So, ladies and gentlemen, it's time to ask our friend, our usual Friday spont, Tom Pellicera, joining us here. Tommy P, where are you? Where are you, Tom? Stop number eight on the training camp tour currently in Tampa with the Buccaneers. The real feel was 104 degrees when I checked it earlier today, but I've been assured by everyone here, including Hassan Reddick, a few minutes ago, this was the best feeling day that they have had out here during the course of training camp.
It is hot. It is sticky. This was maybe not the best environment to test out the new longer hair that I've been utilizing here. Honestly, it's been 90 plus degrees everywhere I've been. This is stop number eight.
And considering that I'm spending the rest of this following week in the southeast, I'm probably not catching a break. Tom Pellisero here. With the weather and the traffic and all the hair and the whole business. And a boy. All right, let's start.
Tom. And during our pleasantries, TJ already shot a video of Chris. And I was texting it to you, and the stupidity has begun.
So let's get to the actual matters at hand. Terry McLaurin has asked for a trade. Tom. I give you the floor here. What does this mean?
What happens next? Why did he... feel the need to do this. Do you think there are certain buttons, Rich, that anybody can press when you get deep into a contract negotiation that's really not moving down the tracks for Terry McLaurin? I mean, this was apparent from the end of last season.
This goes all the way back to the Combine that there was an acknowledgement that. Terry McLaurin was not going to play on the roughly $20 million that he's owed in 2025. And the question was going to be: what would be the number that would get a McLaurin deal done? You can look at some of the other wide receiver contracts that have gotten done through the course of the offseason and certainly make an argument that Terry McLaurin should be somewhere in, you know, is it the $32, $34 million range? And certainly something that begins with a three.
The commanders who are looking at this, they're in year two of a new regime coming off of a really impressive first season, obviously, for Jaden Daniels, Dan Quinn, and company. But they're also, you know, like every team trying to think about their long-term budgeting plans and everything else. McLaurin's one of the most consistent receivers in the NFL, five straight, 1,000-yard seasons. He's a pillar in the community. He's a guy who's been a really strong locker room presence, and he's been through a lot.
I mean, it's a lot to play your whole career in Washington, the way things have been going prior to last season. I know that everybody likes to just say at times like this: pay the man. There have been conversations about it. The commanders would like to do an extension, just not at the same numbers that McLaurin is looking for. And so, you know, he had the holdout.
That it was essentially a hold in. He did have a real ankle injury that he rehabbed at the end of last season. He's on the pup list right now. And now it's a trade request. I mean, those are the buttons you can push.
You try to create a little bit of calamity and chaos around the team, make them answer certain questions that might not be the thing you want to be talking about through the course of trading camp. Do I anticipate that Terry McLaurin gets traded? Certainly, I would not say it's impossible. And there would be teams willing to make a Terry McLaurin trade.
However, it's August. Like we're beyond the point of where you could replace a Terry McLaurin for your team. And so this is a challenging situation as it has been. And there's still decisions that are going to have to be made if this doesn't move in terms of a new contract here. You know, at what point does Terry McLaurin declare himself cured and gets on the field?
At what point did the commanders say, hey, you got to play on this deal? You know, all those things remain to be seen, but this was the logical next step. Uh barring a a contract that really decides it's not been even close on it.
Well, I mean, we've we we went down the list at the top of the show of of trade demands that were made and everybody went back. together and Kumbaya at the end. Lamar Jackson is the biggest name that you could pretty much figure out. And Brandon Ayuk, in terms of the wide receiver department, is one of them as well.
So What what's the number? What do you think? Is it DK's number that that he's shooting at? Um, is it uh Justin Jefferson or CeeDee Lamb's number that he's shooting at? What do you think it is?
Because they have to do it, Tom. They can't trade him. And he's not going to play under the current deal. There's a number, the number exists. Tom?
Listen, you can make an argument that Terry McLaurin, just based upon how the market moves, and some of those deals you're referring to, like Jefferson got done over a year ago. You can make the argument that Terry McLaurin should be in that range. Just me thinking and having a general understanding of the market dynamics, I would say somewhere in the low 30s is probably where a Terry McLaurin deal gets done. And listen, you know, he was on a deal that three years ago was market value, but the $20 million receiver three years ago is now the $30 million receiver here. That's where you see these massive contracts like the one that DK Metcalf got.
Still the biggest deal, even after TJ Watts signed his extension. It's still the biggest money in terms of total dollars deal in Steelers history for a guy who hadn't even played a snap there. Terry McLaurin has been through a lot. This is the first year that he would even have the same starting quarterback two years in a row since he got to Washington here. But there are teams that, you know, fundamentally are going to look at a 30-year-old wide receiver and say, we're just not comfortable making that investment for years to come, which listen, every team's got to make their own decisions.
These are challenging when you're talking about third contract players. But the argument from Terry McLaurin and his agent buddy Baker, I'm sure, would be, well, if you're not going to pay him, why not trade him? Why didn't you trade him back before the draft when you could replace him? That would have been the logical. Time to do it, we're still rolling through this thing, but as you mentioned, Rich, we see trade requests every year, and it's like it's all-I don't want to say part of the playbook, but it's just we all know the different buttons you can push.
The trade demand is kind of the last. Ditch effort, the last thing that you could do here. And if Washington just continues to say, hey, we're not going to trade you, we want to sign you, but not at that number, then McLaurin's going to have to make some decisions. Is he going to ultimately show up, play on that number? Or play on an upgrade, a one-year contract that I don't think that he really has an interest in?
Or is he going to take the best deal that he can possibly get on a multi-year contract? Those are the different things that are moving forward here. We're down to about five weeks before the opener, and we'll see how it shakes. Our guy, my guy, Tom Pellicero, chiming in here from Tampa Bay Buccaneers training camp right here on the. First Friday of August on The Rich Eisen Show.
You talk about buttons pushing when you're. looking for leverage in a contractual Standoff like Terry McLaurin in Washington, our colleague from the athletic. Diana Rossini sent out a tweet today that That Micah Parsons is considering drastic measures because the relationship. has deteriorated to a certain point. And I guess the drastic measures would be leaving camp, right?
And walk me through what that would look like if that is the. the choice Micah Parsons intends to make here. I don't quite know what considering drastic measures means. I would think anybody who's frustrated in a contract negotiation would be considering all their options. You know, if you leave camp, then they can send you a five-day letter and it's all, there's all kinds of different things that would happen at that point.
For Micah Parsons, you know, you go all the way back to March and Jerry Jones has said it himself. He thought that they had a deal in place and it would have made Micah at the time by far the highest paid non-quarterback in NFL history. But Jerry also made clear that he had never actually talked to Micah Parsons' agent about that, David Mulagetta, who did over a billion dollars in contracts last year. He's not a hard guy to get a hold of. You can pick up the phone and call him.
It's just, it's all been a little bit odd. I know that, you know, Stephen Jones pushed back recently on the idea that, you know, they just like the media to keep talking about him.
So they drag these things out. They just, they kind of have this history of taking the maximum time possible, just like they did last year with CeeDee Lamb and Dak Prescott.
So for Micah, you know, he, he did the Things right in the offseason that they wanted him to do. Brian Schoenheimer challenged him up front. Shotty told me this back in March at the meeting. He had come to him basically and said, I'm going to challenge you to be a leader. I'm going to challenge you, you know, to be more present.
And Mike is always going to do his own thing. He's not going to be there through all the voluntary stuff in the spring, but he did show up. You know, he did some things in mini camp. He was on the field a little bit. He showed up the training camp, even at a time where, you know, there was nothing close in terms of a contract.
Mulageda, you know, in general, has had his guys show up, more hold-ins than hold-out types of situations. But at some point, all these guys who are holding in or out have to make the decision.
Well, how much time do I need to get ready for the season?
So, if you're going to push any of those buttons, the natural next thing would be a trade request. But the idea, the other part of that tweet said he's considering severing his relationship with the team.
Well, I mean, good luck. You've got. You're on the fifth-year option. They've got two franchise tags and they've played out with their quarterback. Why wouldn't they do it with the pass rusher?
Again, Micah has all sorts of platforms. He's got a podcast. He's not afraid to post things on Xcript. There's any kind of number of things that he could do. If you remember back last year, CD Lamb said nothing.
You know, Mike has talked a few times. You talked to our Jane Slater on the Insiders last week, but CD said nothing, except then Jerry made a comment about the contract negotiations and CD sent like a sly one-sentence tweet out there. Everyone's like, oh man, he's firing back at Jerry here. This is just, I hate to say it, but this is the normal course of business for the Cowboys. Micah can request a trade.
It's something that back on Super Bowl Sunday, Ian Rappaport and I, in our story on this being the offseason of the pass rusher, which definitely has been the case, we mentioned that they had had internal discussions going back to last year about. Is it the right thing to keep Micah and have a really top-heavy roster with Dak, CD, and Micah eating up about half your salary cap? Or should they trade him for a boatload of assets? But again, Rich, I come to this. If you were gonna trade a Micah Parsons, you don't do it now.
It's not impossible. We saw Khalil Mack get traded late in the process several years ago. We've seen other training camp types of trades, but there's very little. You could, obviously, you could trade them for other players at the same position. That's always a possibility.
I never say never on any of this, but if you were trying to maximize the value for Micah Parsons August 1st, It's not the time.
So we'll see what he ends up doing here. But for every lever pulled, there's a counter lever that the team could pull here, including finding Micah Parsons at a time that to this point does not seem like they've been doing since he showed up to game. My God, top of August. This is still going on. I mean, so I guess, again, and I'll be honest with you, man, I feel like it's Groundhog Day.
We're talking about it every single day. Is it really just come down to it? Hey, I thought we had a handshake agreement. You wanted me to talk to your agent, who I then act like I don't know who he is, even though he's done a billion dollars of deals. Is that really?
Is that why we're at where we're at? Like where like, and then they're not negotiating at all? Right now, there's a there's a lot of reasons for it, um, you know, in terms of and some must involve Micah too, I imagine, like, because that's what the Joneses keep saying as well.
Well, that was where the handshake was: Micah and Jerry.
So, obviously, at that time, it seemed like, all right, we're in a we're in a good place, but that was that was four months ago. I mean, we're in a different, we're in a different spot at this point. Right, we know this. I know I've mentioned it on the show before, Rich, but the Cowboys' history has been long deals. They want to do five, six-year extensions, strong cash flow up front, but then they buy up those team-friendly gears on the back end.
Well, Lulageta is far from the only agent who prefers to do shorter-term deals. Why would you want to hit your client sign a six-year contract and be 30 years old when you're clamoring for a new one here versus do let's call it a four-year contract and get a night another bite at the apple you know well before before you turn 30? That's also a dynamic here. You know, Jerry, just the way that he moves, the things he says publicly. I mean, you saw all kinds of people talking when Jerry made those comments about the time my.
He had missed. He overstated the number of games he had missed, and talking about Dak got hurt. And, you know, anytime you're talking about these high-paid guys, and well, you know, they might not even be out there playing, and it's because of injury, that's something that doesn't always sit well with certain corners of the locker room either.
So, a lot of different things. You know, all logic would tell you Micah Parsons is a cowboy in 2025, but what plays out in the 30-what are we down to about 34 days until they're opener? We'll find out. It's still pretty early before it gets late. And it's a good point of you making right there, Tom, before we move on about the.
The short-term contracts because you want your contract to come up before you're 30. Because take a look at the ages of all the guys we've been talking about over the last few weeks. TJ Watt turns 31 this year, Trey Hendrickson turns 31 this year, Miles Garrett turns 30, and McLaurin turns 30 in the middle of September. And they're all been the guys that we've been talking about since the Super Bowl up to this point. Tom Pellisero here on the Rich Eisen Show.
What are you learning in Tampa? What's the scoop there? What's the word? What's the storyline? What do you got for me?
Well, the biggest news before practice that I reported is that Baker Mayfield is not out here today. He followed through, my understanding, on pass yesterday, hit his hand on a shoulder pad, which I did this to Todd Bowles. I'm like, that's gotta be that, that would be my worst fear as a head coach. It's just like the average play, and all of a sudden it's a thumb and it's cracked and it's eight weeks. But he's like, hey, we gotta, it's gotta be full contact.
It's football. There's gonna be stuff that happens. But he said it's probably gonna be a day and then Baker's gonna be back out here. They put him through the full battery of tests yesterday. My understanding is it revealed nothing.
That was precautionary. He's just got a contusion. He's got a bruise on his hand. It's nothing long term. Baker's tough.
They're just being very careful with him right now. I'd say, you know, beyond that, Mike Evans and Todd Bowles mentioned this too. This is one of the best he's looked and the freshest he's looked in a long time, which is pretty amazing when you're talking about a guy. Going into the 12th year of his career, Chris Godwin's not out here yet. He's ahead of Tristan Wurf's bulls told us in terms of just being able to get back on the field, both recovering from significant injuries.
But they got dudes out here, Rich, in terms of the playmakers on offense. When Emeke Abuca, of course, is the first round draft pick. Godwin, when he gets back, Mike Evans, Dylan McMillan, who had a really good year. Bucky Irving certainly is somebody who's emerged. Kate Otten as well.
They're going to be able to score some points. And maybe the thing they're most encouraged about here, too, is what they're seeing with some of the young players on defense. Benjamin Morrison has been everything that they've been looking for so far, coming off an injury at Notre Dame. And then they also had another corner that they drafted who's been playing in the nickel for him through the course of camp.
So Jason Light, the GM, has been one of the better drafting GMs within the league. That's why they always have a very strong roster. Just traveling around to teams, Rich, I would say there's a lot of people who, you know, when the topic of the FC South comes up to say, That's still the best roster in the division. It's just a matter of for them when they get into the playoffs, can they get over the hump? All right, where else have you been before I let you go?
And then I'll pick and choose as to what training camps. I might be interested in asking a question about before I let you go. Where else have you been? I was in Detroit on the first day. First thing you notice there is you don't hear Aaron Glenn's voice when you walk in.
Still really fiscal. I saw like five guys get laid out in the practice. I mean, it's a classic. Dan Campbell type of team. They're really encouraged about Jameson Williams.
That's one of the names that kept coming up over and over, as well as the rookie receivers that they drafted. For the Bills, that was my second stop on Sunday in Rochester. They practiced through like a 20 or 30 minute complete and utter downpour, which you don't always see in the NFL. You know, Josh Allen's Josh. We got a chance to talk with him.
He got married. He got a $330 million contract, but still going about his business the same way. James Cook showed up on time. He looks really good. He's a little bit thicker in the upper body, which they like.
And so that's a guy that to keep an eye on here. Obviously, his contract situation is still playing out, but he's looked really good in the early portion of camp. I did a double dip on Monday. Hung out with the commanders. Maybe the biggest thing there, besides obviously the McLaurin stuff, is defensively, they've really remodeled that whole thing.
The entire secondary, there's only two guys left in the cornerback group who were even on the team last year. They thought that was a weakness. They injected talent at every level of that defense. Obviously, they've got one of the oldest rosters in the NFL. They're managing that.
They just added Vaughn Miller. Vaughn's not doing a ton left, a ton yet in terms of on the field. But I talked to Joe Witt Jr., who said Vaughn's also, you know, in the meeting rooms. He's like running a sort of tutorial, teaching all the young guys his pass rush moves.
So that alone, you know, is a bonus there. Then I rolled up to the Ravens training camp. You know, Lamar is Lamar. I got a chance. I showed Lamar a photo of the two of us together the day after he got drafted.
And he, you know, he lit up with a big grin on his face. It's amazing to think back. To that day, and the first question to the coaches who were up there at the podium that next day, I remember it, you know, clear as day, was. What position is Lamar playing? That's a pretty wild first question when you think back to this guy went in two NFL MVPs since they're loaded.
They got a ton of corners, which they come out like five or six legit corners. Part of that's because, in that division, especially when you're going up against the Cincinnati's, you got to be able to roll deep at that position. And match up. I went to the Jets. You know, I talked to there and Glenn after practice.
There's a lot of comparisons there to when he came in with Detroit and with Dan Campbell and the way that they turned that thing around. I'm just telling you, Rich, like looking at that team. They got more talent across the board than the Lions did. The Lions had Jared Goff and they had a good offensive line. The Jets have, you know, the Lions didn't have anybody like Sauce, they didn't have anybody like Garrett Wilson, they didn't have anyone like Quinn Williams.
Um, you know, how is that all going to come together? A lot of that's going to come down to Justin Fields. And so, the process they're going through after he dodged, you know, the near-death experience, according to social media, when he got his toe stepped on, it's about figuring out what does he do well, and now how do we build an offense around those things? You know, he doesn't have to play, he doesn't have to be a 70% completion guy, just make more plays down the field that's going to get teams out of you know that single high safety coverage that they play where everybody's down and fending against the run. Then, all of a sudden, you got more shots on the outside.
That's kind of the give and take, um, you know, that they're looking at there. And then I was in Cincinnati yesterday, probably the best news there, Rich, was indoor practice because it was an absolute monsoon out there. But now it's one day, all right. I don't want to overstate it, but in that one day at practice, the defense. Yeah.
Looks good. The defense has all these young, really fast dudes.
Some of them are coming back from injuries, but DJ Turner had like five pass breakups in that practice. DJ Ivey is back from his injury. There's no Trey Hendrickson clearly out there yet. But Jamar Stewart, they're, you know, I talked to Al Golden before practice. They're not looking at this as, well, he missed a time in the spring.
He's got a lot to learn. No, they're throwing it at him and they want him to be a big factor this year. Anytime that you're breaking up passes intended for T. Higgins and Jamar Chase with Joe Burrow back there. You know, I even said this to Joe.
I'm like, I know you want to complete every pass, but aren't you kind of looking at that? Like, hell yeah, we need a little bit of that. He's like, no doubt. You know, there is an element of that. They all know where their shortcomings were.
They were the team nobody wanted to see on offense down the stretch. And nobody did have to see him in the playoffs because the defense faltered here. We'll see how much of an improvement they make, different scheme. They're going to be more multiple this year. I'm just telling you, that one day, you can see what Duke Tobin and Dunning and company have done in terms of building, especially the speed on the back end.
They're going to be really young in the secondary. Dax Hill is on his fifth year option is like the veteran of that group. But if they can stay healthy here, you would hope that they're going to be better than they were a year ago. Tom Pelicero right here on their chising show. Just put them in 100-degree weather, wind him up, and let him go.
Near-death experience.
Well, the three words he referred to, Justin Fields getting his toe stepped on. A couple days ago.
So you're heading to where Miami, Duval, as well? Again, the could have thought through this through this one a little bit differently here, Rich, but I am entirely in the southeast for the rest of this trip.
So I will be hitting. I saw the Bucks. I'll hit the Dolphins tomorrow, then the Saints, Falcons, Panthers, Jaguars. That will round out my 13-camp in 12-day tour. And it's a ton of fun, man.
It's a ton of fun just watching these teams back to back and being able to compare the vibe and the tempo and all these things. The Dolphins, again, the subject matter du jour is Tua being really open about the Tyreek Hill. I'm out of here comment and being open about how Tyreek needed to sort of Um, commit, you know, do some penance with his teammates. And, but the thing I'm really keen about is that back end of that defense. I mean, they're, they, they're.
They changed out a lot, obviously, and they're also banged up. And that's a major concern, I think, that's right now in terms of injuries that we're seeing all over the place. I would say this: like, I'll have every trade and every transaction in front of me, Rich. Right. But I don't remember.
I don't remember another team in my time covering this league. Changing as much at this stage in the year as the Dolphins have. I mean, they made two trades. During 4th of July week, like after OTAs and Minicamp and everything were over, we were shipping off Jalen Ramsey, who they'd been shopping for months. Bringing in Maka Fitzpatrick, also shot, shipping off.
Johnu Smith, then trading for Darren Waller. Then they get into camp and they sign Jack Jones, who frankly was available for a reason. And, you know, there's still some moving parts there. I mean, Chris Grew's been very active through the course of this offseason. But with Tyreek, remember, they made the choice.
We're going to trade Jalen Ramsey. I know Grew made an offhand remark about when he was asked if you trade Tyreek too. And he said, well, if somebody wants to give me a couple ones, nobody realistically is going to give him anything close to that. He'd be lucky to get a single one for him. But they are fully proceeding as if Tyreek Hill.
was going to be on that team. And you know, listen, Tyreek. Was through a lot last year. You know, some of it not his fault, some of it definitely his fault. And I'm not totally shocked.
You know, Tua, we think of Tua as being kind of a quieter guy, but it's very apparent from the coaching staff on down, they want to try to get the best out of Tyreek. And listen, if Tyreek goes off, I know he's talking about 2,000 yards, let's say even 1,500 yards. If he has a good year and we're not talking about, Other things in Tyreek Hill's life this season, he might have one more big contract in him. I mean, there's just not many dudes who bring that flamethrower speed like he does. They need that guy along with Dalen Waddle, along with Darren Waller.
We'll see who else they potentially might bring in as this thing rolls forward here. But they need those guys because when Tu has been healthy and the playmakers have been on the field, they have been a pretty potent offense, which will cover up some of those moving parts on the defense.
Well, when you're filling in in this chair 10 days from now for a couple days, Tom, rest assured. Full-on air conditioning. Don't you worry. It's indoors. We're good.
It's all good. We're holding up. We're holding up. I got a lot of fans here right now. This is, you know, nice.
Clouds. This is a pretty good shot here. I got that framed up pretty good. Nice, you did. Tom, Tommy P.
Tommy P. Tom, you're on fire. You're the best, Tom. Thanks again, brother. That's Tom Policero here on The Rich Eisen Show.
Framed up and looking great. The McDonald's snack wrap is back. You brought it back! Ranch snack wrap, spicy snack wrap. You broke the internet.
For a snack. Snack wrap is back. Bada ba-ba-ba. Gatorite is the number one proven electrolyte blend, designed to hydrate better than water. Uh So you can lose more sweat.
and raise your game. Gatorade. Is it in you? This November, I'll be celebrating 22 years at NFL Network. It'll be 22 years ago this November that NFL Network began.
Uh this November, thirty-one years ago. I will celebrate my first day on the job as a television broadcaster. Reading, California. That's awesome. In November of 1994 is when I went on the air.
Very green. A lot of hair. Reason why I bring this up is because you know how I said I was Cleaning out my office the other day, finding a bunch of stuff that I've saved. Susie accused me of being a major pack rat, guilty, is charged. But.
I found this piece of paper. What it is, it's a folded up piece of paper. You can see it says personal on the top. And it says Richard Eisen, okay. Richard Ezon.
That's it right there.
Okay. And so, um, Three months into my tenure at KRCR Television in Reading, California, the beautiful Reading Chico market and the. North state of California might News director Cal Hunter pulled me inside a Conference Room Sat me down. I literally thought I was getting fired. Not kidding.
I'm like, what's happening? Uh-oh. Because he starts by saying your probationary period is over. I'm like, I had no idea there's a probation period. Like his secret probation.
Single, single, single, single, single, secret probation. And he then slid this piece of paper across the table to me. And you can see it's closed with three Staples, right? You can see the staples.
Okay. And so I, you know. Went like this to make sure I didn't rip the paper. He's watching me open it. And what it was, he said, it's your raise.
Hey! And put up on the screen here, you could see. Um the uh piece of paper That you could see I was making $650 an hour. Yeah. It's a departmental correspondence signed by Cal Hunter, but you could see my new...
Salary is blurred out. The reason why we're blurring it out is we're turning this into a special edition of Residual Rich. Hit it. Hit it. Pay that me and his money.
All right, if I was making $6.50 an hour, what was my raise to 1994? Five. It's three months in it. I started in November of 94. February of 95, February 16th.
Of 1995. It was effective three days before. I had no idea. I'm going to say you went from 650 to 675. 675.
He thinks that my raise was a mere quarter. Yes.
Okay, very good.
Alright. I'm just telling you 825. 825. Closest without going over TJ Jefferson. I went from $6.50 an hour to what an hour.
So I would say $650 plus. I don't know what you're doing, the math. It's a little bit. Just give me a number because we're, you know, we're running out of time. $7.80.
$7.80. So you think my raise was $1.20. Yes.
No, $1.30. You think it was over almost $2. I think they valued you. It's like a 30% raise. You got to look at that.
They knew what they did. The winner is Chris Brockman because I made from $6.50 an hour. Two $690 an hour. 40 cents an hour raise. I mean, 690, nice.
Thanks. It's very nice. It sure was. I went out and bought myself a candy bar. Did you take it?
That is why I saved this piece of paper. That's incredible. Uh let's go to Dante in San Jose, California. What's up, Dante? How are you guys doing?
What's going on in your mind, sir?
So, I had some time to think about the question you asked last week about what you would give up for your favorite team to win a championship.
Okay. And I think for a nine or Super Bowl, I think I'd give up my master's and my recent acceptance to law school. Oh, my goodness. Oh, your master's degree that you earned and your recent acceptance to law school Yeah. Dante, DNA, we don't need this anymore.
That's an inferno. How old are you, Dante? I'm 26, so I've never seen a Super Bowl win in my life.
Okay, but you've seen them make the Super Bowl. I mean, hold on now, man. You've got to feel the overtime with the lead. Geez, I mean, you're a big fan, but. What else would you do if you're not...
You need to afford the tickets. Seriously. Three super losses. Kind of. Kind of heartbreaking.
Well, before you do that, Dante, Dante, before you do that, stick around hour three. I'm interviewing Brock Purdy and see if you feel any better about your chances. Just stick with the master's degree and. for the time. I think even Jed York and John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan and everybody there would say.
It's all good. And of course, Nick Bosa would say, What's a degree?
Well, I mean, you know where he went to school. Thanks for the call, Dante. Thanks for the call, Dante. Very excited. Dante, be good, man.
Masters and law school acceptance. First of all, I thought he would say, like, when I went to the masters, I saved my tickets or I got a master's shirt. No, no, no. No, you made a master's degree. Literal master's degree.
Jeez. All right. I don't know, Chris, you and I, we've seen, you know, nine Super Bowls in our lifetime. Would you? A lot.
Would you give up your job to see your team win one? No. Oh. But again, you've seen them win. Yeah.
You've... really seen them win. This guy's never seen them win. Never. That's a chunk.
Because as I point out, the Niners have a longer Super Bowl winning year. You're right pointing that out. In the Cowboys. I know. I know, but we don't want to lend any more details to anything south of that.
It don't matter.
Okay. I mean, it does. Raiders. Don't be a thing unless you got that ring. Raiders have made the Super Bowl.
Yeah, they won the year before I was born, and I missed that one.
So, yeah, that don't count. I mean, I'm not giving up my job, though. Right, well my screen went to junior college. You went to junior college for eight years? Yeah.
Is that where you learned remediation of mold? No, that was afterward.
Okay. Or schooling. Oh, is that where you got your master's? Uh no, it was just an AA.
Okay, very good.
Eight years for an AA.
Okay, very good.
Alcoholics and not what it is. That's not what it is. I'm glad that you're the spec is real. Probably was sharing. My bad.
I'm old school. Dude, I won't. Nice mold school. I like that. Just to go back to the residual, Rich, I was, when he called me into the office, they're in fired.
Why wouldn't I? Your heart was just pounding, wasn't it? I don't know. Why would you? I don't.
Did you do anything? No, I was my on-air style was like some things that I also saved. I don't know where I can, I definitely saved them. Were the call sheets after hours? Because I did the 11 o'clock.
Sports. And there was no, in the small market television station, there was nobody manning the front desk phones at 11:30 at night when I went on the air for the 11 o'clock news.
So there would be an answering service. And you get the readout the next day of some of the messages that were left. And the message was like, who is this guy? What is he doing? What is he saying?
You know? There was this a town called Weed, California.
So, whenever that school got beat, weed got smoked, weed got whacked. You know what I mean? Like, that's what I would say. That was your stuff? Yes, the great Anderson High School up there.
Their nickname was the Cubs. And they were really good at wrestling.
So, what I did one time is I had. The sweet Mike Mangus, who is the sports director, who's probably never seen anybody like me in my entire life, I had him as Vince McMangus, and I was the junkyard cub. to preview a big actual wrestling match. which offended the people who really were into Real wrestling, you know what I mean? Amateur wrestling.
And they were calling me up that So I was nervous. Yeah. And he slides this across the table and makes me open it in front of him with the stapled it shut. It was just the two of us, like, he took me in private. It was weird from start to finish.
He took me in private. Why more than one staple? With three of them. Oh, my goodness, staples. Look how ripped it is.
But I saved it. And he's like, congratulations, you got a raise. And I'm like, oh, that's great. And it's like 40 cents an hour. I still haven't cracked seven bucks an hour.
But I loved my job and it led to obviously yada, yada, yada here. I am Michael Rosenbaum. I am Tom Welling. Welcome to Talk Bill, where it's fun to talk about small books. We're going to be talking to sometimes guest stars.
Are you liking the direction Plois is going in? Yeah, because I'm getting more screen time. That's good. But mostly it's just me and Tom remembering. I think we all feel like there was a scene missing here.
You got me, Tom. Let's revisit it. Let's look at it. See what we remember. See what we remember.
I had never been around anything like that before. I mean, it was so fun. Talk, Bill. Talk, Bill. I just had a flashback.
Follow and listen on your favorite platform. Let's get into it.
