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Now, on with the show. Live from the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, The Rich Eisen Show. Earlier on the show. NFL network analyst Charles Davis. ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller.
Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer. NFL network insider Tom Pellisero. Coming up. NFL Network Insider Ian Rappaport. NFL draft prospect Caleb Downs.
And now, it's Rich Eisen. Hour number three of day number three of the Rich Eisen Show live from the Indianapolis. Downtown Convention Center where the media is all gathered getting set for the NFL scouting combine to finally hit the field of Lucas Oil attached to the convention center. This third hour is going to be quite a wild one for yours truly. Sitting right here on the set, getting set to chat with this man, Ian Rappaport.
Then Caleb Down sits here, and then I run out the building. Our good friend Andrew Ceciliano sits down here and finishes the show with TJ and Chris Brockman. And then I'll start the NFL network coverage that you're part of as well. Getting ready to roll with the on-field drills of the defenders, sir. Yeah, I am irrationally excited about this every year.
I mean, the combine's the best.
Now, I don't get to like really watch on TV because I'm usually walking around talking to people. Right. But it's like the draft is the best. The combine is. You know, and it's senior bowl, but combine really feels like the start of it.
Right. And there's no one else who does it. And it is just. It is the best. I cannot wait.
Right. And you and DJ do an amazing job. And I love throwing you in the mix because. Everything that we're talking about right now leads to the next three weeks of activity. I mean, it's a puzzle piece that the next three weeks of activity of franchise tag decisions on Tuesday with a deadline, then what is it, nine days, eight days after that is when the new league year.
Begins with a window opening up, right? Right. And then that's what happens there affects. Decisions made at the draft. It's all one big, huge puzzle piece, and that's what starts right now.
Right, and so, like, when I'll be walking around here, and people say, Hey, what's going on? Like, what are you hearing? And I'm like, I don't know, man, all the things. And that's what this week is like. It's like, who do I run into?
Who do I hear? Like, what do I hear? Everyone's trying to find out info. Every free agent's gonna make a lot of money. All the prices are crazy.
Then you get home and you're like, all right, what's the real price? It's like, who could be traded? Who could be released? What does this mean for who they're going to end up drafting? Like, it's, it really is.
Like, there's always free agency is great, and I know for fans, it's like literally amazing. Yes. But there is always relief when it's over because it's like, all right. I have a sense for what the big picture looks like.
Now we can get into the draft and see, like, all right, what's kind of the next days of this? Yeah, settle into all that business. And plus, you never know when news is going to hit. Mike Hoskins, my coordinating producer, during the show open of our third hour, got on my ear. And I guess when I was selling soap for my show, reading.
Sure. There was video, I guess they found. Our cameras caught you on your phone showing something to Tom Pellicero and him going, Oh, hmm. I'll tell you exactly what that is. It's not news, but there is a party that I was invited to tonight.
That I would like my good friend Tom to join me at. Is that what that was? It might be mutually beneficial.
Okay, I would, I mean, Brockman is now sitting over there going, people. Brockman is not invited. Plus two, TJ's plus three. TJ can come. Here's the deal: I was able to see what it is.
Jordan Schultz is having a party at a Starbucks. And he's paying for the whole thing himself. You want a coffee? Mm.
So I've been to that Starbucks at the JW. You have? You've been back? I was there. That's where I came from.
Oh, thank you. It's a great meeting spot for, you know, you run into people, teams and agents will have to cross over from one meeting to another, so they go there. And so people are like, wow, you're back. And I'm like, where did you think I was going to go? Like, it's literally, I like coffee.
They have little sandwiches there. Like, where else would I be? Just if you're going to have the Thrilla and Vanilla part two. You gotta make sure I'm there to. I gotta be there for the past.
I mean, you would have said that last time, except like I had Garifolo there, and all he did was take pictures. You know, like I was like, hey, he's like, oh, well, I would have jumped in. I'm like, sure, after you took the picture, sent it to literally everyone, like, couldn't have sent it to more people.
So when they're like, wow, I can't believe there's a picture. I'm like, I can't believe it took this long because Mike sent it to every single person in his phone. He should have stepped in. He was more busy taking pictures. Ridiculous.
All right.
So, the story of this combine is what? What is it right now? What's everyone want to know from you? Combine-wise, specifically, obviously, Fernando Mendoza is, I think, everyone believes, going to be the number one overall pick. You know, what happens after, I think, is interesting.
Draft will be really interesting.
Some like, I know it was really not like a flashpoint quarterback like last year with Shador, but going to be a pretty good draft. The story of the other stuff at the combine is really where are all the quarterbacks going. Yes, sir. We are going to have a situation I can never remember.
So, like, Really? Two years ago, Russell Wilson was cut by the Broncos and signed to the Steelers for. A million bucks, or whatever it was. A starting quarterback who was due the minimum. And we were all like, This is crazy.
This never happens. We could have like five of them this year. Seriously. Tua, if he gets released. Kyler, if he gets released.
Justin Fields, Geno Smith, Kirk Cousins, who already is making $10 million this year from the Falcons, who everything else is offset unless he gets over $10.
So he could play for. For the minimum. It's a lot of starting quarterbacks who could be cut at any moment. You know, instead of waiting till free agency, we could be talking Tua, Kyler, all those guys next week, not two weeks. Right.
Like, To what do we owe this? Is it because the cap keeps getting bigger?
So eating this type of money, even though it is still highly significant, it is more doable every passing year because the cap gets bigger? Because why are we in a situation? Where Is it just an outlier, or is this becoming something that might be a trend? I don't think it's an outlier. What I think is if you have a guy.
Like you have a starting quarterback who you drafted and it comes to a point where it's either pay them or not. And almost always the choice is pay him. Because if you don't pay him, You gotta go find another one, right? It's like every quarterback discussion, even with the Vikings, it's like, oh, are they gonna, you know, replace JJ? It's like, well, they're not gonna replace him, they're gonna add because if you were, like, you have to find someone else.
So everyone decides to pay. And what happens is, at least in these cases, you pay these guys, then you're like, Okay, well, this is not my guy anymore, and now you have no choice.
So I think it's more. Teams feeling the need to pay their quarterbacks whether they really merit those deals or not, and then having to deal with the fallout. What about Murray? Why why? Would the Cardinals be divorcing Kyler Murray?
We haven't really heard a A solid story on it. Here's the argument. And I would say this: I believe he'll get released. I don't know it for sure.
So I'm not saying, like, but here's the argument to keep him. Right? The argument to keep him is he's still a good quarterback. Yes. You're already paying him $40-something million dollars.
He's due $20 million next year if he's on the roster.
So that's guaranteed. If he's on the roster this year or on the roster. If he's on the roster this year, he's guaranteed $20 next year. That's why a release is likely for that money. But let's say you don't.
Well, then you just deal with the 20 million later, and you have your starting quarterback. And they have a new system, they have a new coach. There's a possibility that Michael Forrest says. I'm just going to keep this guy. The reason why you move on is last year was a lot.
He got injured. It was Yeah. I think probably worse than people thought, took longer than people thought. They basically benched him for Jacoby Brissette, even though he was also kind of come back from an injury. They were like, this is, Jacoby's our guy now.
And I don't know how many quarterbacks will want to go back in the building after that. Those are the arguments on both sides. But before he got hurt, is when he made that cryptic statement about the facilities that were being announced, comment where he said, if. if I'm gonna be here. That was before he got hurt.
And so something was already up. They were not good. I mean, I think he would like to be in a place that's not rebuilding. And actually, I sort of think sneakily the Cardinals have some talent. Like, they really do.
Like, I could see if they get. you know Malik Willis. I don't know. A really viable starting quarterback. Right.
They could be kind of good. Like, they got talent, but I just don't know. I think Kyler's, you reach a point within an organization where you're like, I don't think it's going to happen. I would like something new.
Okay. And is Tua that way with Miami right now? Oh, yeah. Yeah. I think.
I mean, he said it. Don't take my word. Like, Tua said, like, you know, in his locker room cleanout day, was basically like. Do you think you would benefit from a fresh start? And he was like, yeah.
Okay. Okay, all right, good to know. But now there's a new regime and that just doesn't. Listen, both Monty Osenfort and John Eric Sullivan wanted a podium, and the latter right in the chair from which you're sitting, was like, all options on the table, which means it's over. At least that's the way I took it.
Well, and I think both those GMs didn't do the deals that they're now trying to get out from, which gives them the sort of flexibility. The flexibility to say, I'm out, right. Like, I'm cleaning up on aisle. predecessor. Give me spots that you think these teams that a team would go and hire either one of these guys and say, you're our starter.
There's no competition. They're not coming in as a backup. You're the starter. Oh, well, that makes it harder.
Okay. Right? Because, like, I don't know that there's, I mean, the Jets would be one. I'd have to look at the list. Jets would be one, I know.
Right. And they can spend a little bit.
So, like. You know, and then I should also say Derek Carr potentially in the mix is. Yeah, what's the scoop there? He's property of the Saints, so they would have to trade him. It wouldn't be much, but I think they could get some draft pick compensation.
You know, he's 34. Yeah. Um And younger than I thought. Right. His shoulder, which he thought was going to be probably done forever, it's not.
Didn't have surgery, but I think he's in a good place.
So he's kind of in the mix for starting quarterback as well.
So, like. You know, you have I mean you have the dolphins, you have Cardinals, the Raiders will need a sort of bridge guy, more of like the Russell Wilson mold to. Help Fernando Mendoza, but Tua and Kyler won. I mean, you're going to get them and. I certainly Kyler, right?
Yeah, but like to it with the Jets. I mean, that doesn't seem to make much sense. But where there's not a lot of places to go where you're like, all right, you're the starter. You're good. I mean, Malik Willis will probably get one.
If you're going to the Jets, you've seen the Jets are. Prepping the battleships for next year's draft. Sure. They have the picks. A lot of that going around.
There's a lot of that going around.
So you got to also look at an opportunity and take it, but you also know it might just be you're bridging. You're holding it. But that's okay, though, because let's say you're, I'm not saying it's to it to the Jets, but let's say it is.
Okay. Well, like, he's only going to sign a one-year deal for nothing. Right. He's already getting paid by the Dolphins.
So, like, they can use you, and you can use them. Go out, play well.
However many games you win, you win. Chads have plenty of picks.
So They can get up and get whoever quarterback they want next year. Win as many games as you can with Tua. Right. If he rebuilds his stock, Then he could be a starter for someone else next year. Same with Kyler, same thing.
Right. Who are in the few minutes I have left with you here, sir? Franchise Tag, uh. Let's talk about it. Pickens, one of them.
Brees Hall, one of them. Brees Hall, my guess would be more transition tagged than franchise tagged.
Okay. Um And Kyle Pitts, we already know. I don't know that there's going to be that many more. The Colts have a situation where they're going to. They're either going to sign Daniel Jones to a long-term deal or they're going to franchise tag him.
If they franchise tag him, then Alec Pierce is probably gone. And that's probably the most like interesting, dramatic one.
Okay. Because. You gotta keep your quarterback. Because like If Daniel Jones is out there, like... There's a start.
That's a real starting quarterback for somebody.
So The Colts got to keep him, and then Alec Pierce probably becomes receiver number one in free agency, said to make a lot of money. Yeah, you were saying on the show last week when you zoomed in from a. Ski chalet. I cannot believe that word. No, by the way, it sounded great.
I appreciate you doing it. That you said, get ready for Pierce to make a heck of a lot more money than you would think.
Somebody he's gonna be those are the best things in free agency, right?
Well, best is when I break it, nice to be clear instead of or me and or me and Tom. Also good. Yeah, you're your Avenger friend. Yep, my Avenger friend, yep. But the guys who, you know, it's hard to be a free agent.
It's really hard. You gotta not sign a deal that seems kind of good. Right. Lightning has to strike to get a great player to free agency. Yes, sir.
And those guys who get to cash in, it's the coolest. It is life-changing money and it is the coolest. And so, I'm looking forward to seeing some of that this year.
Okay, and what's the one aspect? Give me a free agency surprise that we're not thinking of right now. No, God. What do you got for that? You do.
A lot of trades. For involving who? Involving, you know, there's 10 new coaches. And so usually we see trades like we did today where you have a new regime. And a new scheme.
Yes. And they're like, all right, you have this guy, he doesn't really fit. You have this guy, he doesn't really fit. Let's just trade. Similar to what we just saw with the Titans and the Jets?
Yeah. Okay. Exactly. And. You know, it's like you try to find guys that fit.
So, 10 new coaches means a lot of players will probably get traded, and there's not that many good free agents.
So, trades will probably be the market.
Okay. All right, let's send you along, because I'm just only a few minutes behind you. I don't want. Yeah, you gotta come too. I know, I don't want the producers to say, wait a minute.
One-third of our on-air staff for the five-hour combine coverage is sitting in the convention center. To be fair, they know where you are. They can just turn it on. And they know where you are right now, too.
Okay, so let's go to work, shall we? I got Caleb Downs first, but thank you for being here, buddy. Absolutely. Thank you for having me.
Sorry, I crashed you and Tom's hangout. Don't apologize. That's what the combine's about. I don't apologize. Tom's fine.
Tom's doing fine. Because Tom would be like, come on, man. It's the fonts. Be careful, he might tell you to sit on it. Ladies and gentlemen, all right, we take a break.
Caleb Downs of The Ohio State Football coming up next. O'Reilly Auto Parts can help take the guesswork out of your check engine ABS or maintenance light with O'Reilly Veriscan. The service is free and provides a report with solutions verified by ASC certified master technicians. O'Reilly Veriscan can identify the most likely problem with just one scan. If you need help, O'Reilly Auto Parts can recommend a shop for you.
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How'd you wind up? Kid from Georgia at Alabama. How did that happen? I mean, I made a commitment in high school to try to push myself to be excellent. Coach Seymour's the most.
Decorated college football coach ever.
So that was a way for me to learn from somebody like that, and that meant a lot to me.
So, when did you first meet him? Did he come to your high school? Did he come to your school? I took a visit there after my sophomore year. That's when I got the offer there.
Okay. So, I took a visit, met him for the first time at the camp. Um And yeah, good. And so, when he retired, that's when you were. He retired, and that was kind of a gut punch for me.
I took a couple days to learn about the new staff and everybody they hired at Alabama. Ended up deciding it was the best thing for me to leave. Sure. went with Ohio State. I had a, they were probably my second school at a high school, so it wasn't like I was picking randomly.
Right, and it was pretty much same staff, Ryan Day.
So a lot of people that I knew, a lot of familiar faces. And uh I wanted to learn Another defense, a different defense.
So that's what Coach Knowles offered me, and it was a great opportunity.
Well, I spoke last year at the combine in the draft to some of your teammates from that team, and gut punched was a way that they might have used. to describe learning that Nick Saban was retiring because nobody saw it coming, right? You had no idea? Yeah, he was. Even on that Rose Bowl day, you had no idea that he might.
Not a clue, honestly. That was probably the Rose Bowl was like the first or. Whatever, 31st, I think that was like the eighth or so. Went through eight days. I was actually looking for.
Because I was staying in the dorms of Alabama. I was looking for an apartment or a townhouse there. And then we had a meeting, came in and retired.
So it was like, oh.
Okay. The freshmen were asking me, is he serious? I was like, I was like, he doesn't joke. No, he's not joking. He's not joking.
Well, unless it was a joke or something like that, right?
Something like that.
Okay. All right, so. Interestingly enough, I asked this question also of many Alabama Crimson Tide. From Tua to Mac Jones, what's the most Angry, you made Nick Sabin at any point in time scale it down. If you ask like Terion Arnold and Kool-Aid McKinstry, I probably tell you, he didn't really get that mad at me, honestly.
So I was one of the lucky ones. Wow. I mean, I try to do things right for the most part.
Okay. So never want, like, even some of these, Tua said the Angry's teammate Sabin. was him joking about throwing that. Oh, yeah. You know, the interception, then a touchdown to win it all.
You know, like, honestly. Yeah, however. Maybe after uh We played like Texas my freshman year, and I gave up a touchdown, but it was also kind of like. He didn't want to scare the freshman in the middle of the game.
Okay. So he needed me to play well.
So it wasn't like. I don't think he was trying to scare me at that point. Maybe sometime in fall camp or something like that.
Okay. But it never was. Right. No, I never had that situation. All right, let's talk about the here and now for you.
I've seen you, Mel Kuyper had you in his mock draft drafted second overall. the concept that NFL teams Would love you, know what a difference makes you are. You're just a safety, and you can't be taken that high. How do you respond to something like that, Caleb? At the end of the day, it's not safety, it's who affects the game.
It's who affects the game on defense and you can affect the game in a lot of different ways. And I think if you watch my film, you see that I'm affecting a game in the box, in the deep part of the field.
sometimes on special teams, whatever it takes. Yeah, I feel I feel confident in my abilities at at any point, in any situation, so whatever position I get put on, put in. You're gonna have to work out. Have you mentioned this to teams? Have they asked you about?
What I just asked you at all? No. Not really. No. Can you just have a conversation with me?
All right.
Talk about ball and then go from there. Have you met with the Raiders? I'm not going to let you get away with this. You're not going down this road? I'm not going down that road.
How many teams have you met with here then? I have over half a dozen, I mean over a dozen interviews, got a couple more today, so I gotta finish it out today.
So, have you met with All the teams in the top 10? I've met with a couple teams.
Okay. Why don't you want to say who you met with? I don't know if we're supposed to, honestly. It's not like Fight Club. It's okay.
Listen, I don't think your draft stock would be affected by teams that have reached out to you. I mean, I would just rather keep it. Not do it.
Sounds very good. And so. At the end of the day, when you're there on a draft night. What Will you be thinking about when you hear your name called at an NFL draft, Caleb Downs? I mean, it's never been something that I didn't necessarily think was possible.
I mean, my family's had a lot of success. Um in terms of playing this sport. Um so I always I always thought I could do it, um but The emotion that comes out will be honestly very Even just thinking about it right now, I don't know what it is. No kidding, huh? I don't know what it'll be.
Um but It'll be an honor and a blessing, a blessed feeling to be in that situation. Do you plan on being there in Pittsburgh? Or you had that conversation she had or not? No, I think me and my family are going to decide in the next couple of days, especially after this event. Talk about it and go from there.
Are you doing all the drills? Uh we're working on a pro day. Oh, so you're just here for everything? I'm here to talk to you, man. That's what I'm here to do.
Until you found out where I went to school. Yeah, I mean, I shouldn't have.
Somebody should have told me that I was.
Well, I mean, listen, it's okay. Oh, it's fully okay. We're reaching this year, so I'm great. I got my gold pants. I'm good.
Okay. All right.
That's okay, I can hear that too. Yeah, it's okay. But you're a guest, so I try to be as accommodating as I possibly can. They try to, I mean, for me, honestly. Who's there?
First of all, who's day? Who's they? Everybody.
Okay. Everybody.
Honestly, like the game is just the game.
So when we play them, it just turns into. A regular football game. Can you say their name? Can you say my school's name? Michigan.
Okay. Yeah. See, you're an adult. I'm a regular girl. You are an adult.
You are a mature individual. This doesn't need to be said sometimes. I mean. Ha ha ha ha.
Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't.
Okay. So you did not choose Ohio State? Because Michigan beat you at Alabama. You wanted another shot at them. No, no.
That wasn't the ring. There were no grievances for losses or anything like that. That's what it is after the fact.
Okay, and you have your ring, too. Yeah, it is what it is. You got your ring. You've won it all. By the way, three years in a row for the Big Ten.
Who's the SEC? Nobody. Very much so. You know what I mean? Like, I understand you're from SEC country.
You got that in your resume. You know, I got it. I understand. Everybody always asked me that, but I mean, they won the past three years. Can't really say anything else.
You know, and it all started with one school. Yeah, you know. Michigan, they started off that year. Yes, sir. I mean, that game, they beat us, so it is what it is.
It is what it is.
Well, thank you for coming on here, Caleb Downs. I really can't wait to see what you do. In the NFL, and I do hope you hear your name as soon as you'd like on draft night. And then at some point, you and I can have a conversation. You'll tell me who you spoke with here.
Okay, come up. We'll go over that. You can have a conversation after the fact. I look forward to that. That's Caleb Downs, right here, from The Ohio State University, getting set to ball out in the National Football League.
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Post your first job and get $100 off your job post at linkedin.com/slash Eisen. That's linkedin.com/slash Eisen. Terms and conditions apply. Andrew Ciciliano will take you the rest of the way. I'm heading off to NFL Network for the on-field drills.
We'll chat again shortly. Uh The Rich Eisen Show, the podcast. It's the Rich Eisen Show, everybody. As Rich said, he's going to run down the hall and do another television show. My name is Andrew Ciciliano.
Happy to be here. Hey, by the way, you guys know everyone at home, obviously, Chris Brockman and TJ Jefferson. We are getting the band back together. We don't have a name yet for this band. We were messing with the replacements, the replaceables, the Three Times Dope.
Three Times Dope. There you go with your old school hip-hop. Come on, totally fine with me.
Okay. You like that? I mean, I was going Avengers. You know, we were talking about the Avengers earlier. I can go Guardians of the Galaxy.
Am I Groot? I am Groot. I mean, you can be Star Wars since you're sitting in the top charitable. I mean, it's fine with me. But Groot's the smallest of them.
Well, Groot is the tree. Right. I don't know. We're off the rails already. I just want to say this.
Disney Plus. Yeah, watch Avengers and all the programming on Disney Plus. Very well done. When you're done with us, I commend Rich. Because, look, it is a long walk to Lucas Oil Stadium down the hallway here at the convention center.
He was ready, he was prepared. He finished up with Caleb Downs. He stepped over there off camera. He was into a suit. Yeah, real quick.
I mean, usually Superman goes into the phone booth and goes from suit. To the cape and the costume. Rich went from the sweater, I believe, to slacks to tie to jacket. He goes offset and bam. Like that.
He's into a suit and he's flying down the hall.
Now he's going to do about seven hours of TV. Seven hours. Yeah, fantastic. Defensive linemen and head rushers. Let's go.
All right, so we're here until the end of the show and we're kicking around ideas what to do other than discuss old school hip-hop hip-hop because no one cares about that other than us. And we stumbled upon Mel Kuyper. Not actually Mel, but his most recent mock draft. Yeah, 2.0. I want to make certain and make it clear: we are not here to mock Mel's draft.
No, no, no, no, no. We're not mocking drafts. We're going through. I want a mocking draft. You know, it's like this is Mel's 2.0.
I want one every single day. Like, tomorrow is 3.0, and Friday is. It's today Thursday. What's today? Today is Thursday.
Saturday, I want four points. Like, I want draft mocks every single day until the actual draft. I'm going to mock people out, though, bro. That's going to be a good thing. No, it's mock draft season.
This is what I want. Feed it to me. You do realize that every ESPN.com and every NFL.com editor. Has pitched that to their draft people and all the draft people collectively push back. No, no, no, no, no.
I don't want that. That's why you have a lot of NFL.com mock drafts that are pushed out by people in the newsroom that even when we worked in the newsroom, we'd go, Well, I don't know this person. But this person has a mock draft online? That's right. Because I would get a call from people in Cleveland or wherever going, hey, can you get me in contact with this person?
Because our local Sports Talk Radio show are interesting to have this person on because I can't believe they had us taking this guy a 20%. I'm like, I've worked here for 13 years. I don't know who this person is. But evidently, they have a mock draft on NFL.com. I was there five years.
No one asked me to do a mock once. That's a shit. Maybe that was a sign. What's that tell you? Anyway, let's do a mock draft.
We're not. We're going to look at Mel Kuyper's most recent mock draft. Yeah, let's do a mock draft. Do we need to do Fernando Mendoza at one? No, it feels like that's a foregone conclusion at this point.
But Caleb Downs, too, there you go. That's exciting.
So let's discuss that. Caleb Downs was just sitting here. I loved his glasses. Yeah. I loved his answers.
He kind of looked like Bryce James a little. Did you pick him on that? I could see that. Yeah, right? I also think he is the safest pick in this draft.
Jeremiah Lilley maybe would be the other. But I think Caleb Bounds is by far the safest pick in this draft. Why is that?
Well, you saw the guy, you heard the guy, and you're impressed. He's a great footballer. In all aspects.
Now, might he. We might get out of here in Indianapolis and you go, because he's only doing the meetings. Why didn't he do the drills? Is he afraid of the. Forget about that.
No, put on the tape. I'm with you. It felt like when he was one of those kids, if he could have gone in the first round after his freshman year, and then after his sophomore year, he would have gone in the top 15. But, you know, rules dictate he's got to do the three seasons at Ohio State. And yeah.
Now, after his third season, he's a top five player. Mel's got him two. You say safest. I've just talked myself into it. I'm with you.
Okay. I don't think there's any way on earth he goes to. And that's not a slam on him. Right. I just think that at two, you need.
impact, impact, impact players, and they are going to talk themselves out. Are they safety? and they're going to go for an edge rusher. Or an R. Vel Reese.
You see Borg. Push him back a little? Maybe you could do that if somebody really wants him. But I also don't think that this is a draft, after being here all week, where anybody truly wants to trade up. And if they do, You're not going to get the price that you would have in years past.
No one wants to give up 2027 picks. We've talked ad nauseum, and we will for the next eight weeks that nobody wants to trade out of next year's first round. I like Caleb Downs, I think he's the safest pick. I was having this conversation earlier today, and somebody pushed back and said, maybe they do take him because he is the safest pick, and because, hey, just hit a double. We have five first round picks over the next two years, so just hit a double.
I don't have to hit a home run.
So maybe he is the guy. I don't know. He's more than a double, though, right? Right, but he's safe. Like I know.
Double is the four. You know what I mean? Right, doubles the floor.
Okay. I'm good with that. I'm good with that. David Bailey at three, I'm good with that. R.
Vel Rees or or Vel. Vel. At four, I'm sorry. Bailey at three, R. Vill Reese at four.
The fantasy tackle doesn't get until five.
Okay. And then you have Carnell Tate at six. I'd like Carnell Tate at six. Everyone in Cleveland would love, I'm talking Browns fans and Buckeye fans, would love the weapon. You need people that can score the football.
but they badly need offensive line. If Fano and Tate are there, like if your number one wide receiver and your number one O-lineman are both there. That's the Bengals conundrum from a few years ago where it was Ramar Chase or Penne Sewell. Or If you have two out of three between Fano Maui Noah, the right tackle from Miami, and Carnell Tate, I honestly don't know. What the Browns do.
And if you don't know... We're two months away. We're not going to know because you got to be able to do it. You're in the building. You're in the building.
Can you say what it's like there? What people are thinking? I know you can't give too much. They need an offensive line. They still don't know if Joel Batonio is going to play another season.
They have a deadline of March 10th, right at the start of the new league. Your free agency is two weeks away for Batonio to decide, and they've given him that time whether or not he wants to come back and play another season. And if he does, it doesn't take offensive line out of your draft at all because realistically, even if he comes back, you have only three and a half, you have three and a half starting positions you need to fill. Like there's this idea that all five guys are gone. That's not true.
You have Dewan Jones coming back from injury, and he has been a starter for parts of three seasons, but has had trouble staying healthy.
So, one way or the other, he's going to be your left tackle, more likely your right tackle. The problem with this draft is that the best offensive lineman in this draft, the guys. Thano. Maui Noah at the top of this draft. are right tackles.
They're not left tackles. And you have to decide: can I take a guy in Maloinoa and maybe play him at right tackle or right guard? Or can I take Fano, who played left tackle early in his career, and flip him back over there? If I don't take my O-lineman here, do I like my O-lineman at 24? That's when they have to figure it out.
That's when you're like, okay, Carnell Tate's there. I know he's a number one wide receiver. Let's just go for it. That could be it, right?
Okay, so they're going offense one way or the other. At seven, the commanders have Sonny Stiles. This is Bell Kuyper's mock draft. The linebacker out of Washington. Tom Pellicero, who was in this chair earlier today.
Tom was on NFL Network this morning and said that Sonny Styles, and I've heard the same thing. No relation to AJ? No relation whatsoever. Thank you. Is that a wrestling reference?
Yeah, you know he does. That's no idea what you're talking about. Fury Styles, or you know, it's all good. We got it. Let's keep them in.
He's related to Lorenzo Styles. Oh, there you go.
Okay. We're talking football here.
Okay, they are related? Yes. Who's AJ Styles? The phenomenal, he's a wrestler. One of the greatest of all time, just retired.
I know not of the actors you speak of. Andrew has his weird thing with wrestling. We don't get it. It was just an aside for a while. I was a little bit making a joke for one.
It popped. It popped. Sonny Styles is going to be the talk tomorrow morning. Write it down. Friday morning, your headline will be, Sunny Styles destroys the combo.
And Sonny Styles is going to go ahead of Caleb Downs. Doesn't mean he's going to be a better football player, but he is going to destroy the compound. This is my two cents, and we are two months out. He is going to be that good. See, nobody goes in the top five.
Yes, I do. He is 6'5 ⁇ . Or maybe he goes in the top six. He's not going to go at six. He's going to go in the top seven.
I think he goes ahead of Caleb Downs. He is 6'5. He's 240 plus. And he is going to run and jump like nobody at his size at linebacker. That we have seen in a long, long, long time.
Yeah. So for people watching, Andrew, like who would be your Sonny Styles comp? I don't know what, that's a great question. I don't know what a comp would be for him. He was a safety.
and they moved him two years ago up to linebacker. As a sophomore at Ohio State, he's playing at that size.
Now he's put on some weight at safety. Like he is. He's a freight driver. He's like Mel Blunton. No, thank you.
Yeah, he's a nightmare. He's a football legacy, Buckeye legacy. He's going to be great. Makai Lemon at eight. Mel has Makai Lemon at eight.
Jeremiah Love at nine. You know what's interesting here? Because we all know the Chiefs need a running back. Jeremiah Love with Patrick Mahomes. I mean, that would be really good.
Yeah, we can't let that happen, Andrew. I think I speak for just about 31 franchises when I say, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Jeremiah, I love, no, no, no, you can't go to the Chiefs, bro. There are a lot of people that think the Chiefs will be very active in the free agent running back market.
So if Brees Hall comes free. They jump on him. If Kenneth Walker gets out the building, he's going to get paid, right? They jump on him. Might have some competition from the Texans.
for the latter, for Kenneth Walker. But if not, Jeremiah love to the Chiefs? Oh baby. Man, they've been shopping in the discount aisle. for the last five, six years at running back.
If they go out and they get the blue chip back. Yeah. Out. Dynasty continues. Yeah, because I mean, you talk about the Saints being a good spot there with Alvin Kamara's future unknown.
Do they jump ahead of. New Orleans and go to seven just to ensure that they get him? Is it that type of situation with Jeremiah? Or does someone come from the back end, middle, late, you know, teens in the first round, and jump ahead of Kansas City knowing that everyone thinks that he's a great spot for them? I mean, you could see some action here for Jeremiah Williams.
Absolutely. And after Carnell Tate, is there a wide receiver that you love so much? There are a bunch of 5'11 wide receivers. In this draft, I'm 5'11. I'm not drafting you top 10.
That's kind of my point. How are your hands? You know, not bad.
Okay, not bad. He was a quarterback, not a restaurant. He's a little older these days, but, you know. He threw the ball. You didn't catch it.
No, exactly. Continuing with Mel Kuiper's mock draft. Yeah, just saying that. He has Ruben Bain, and this was two days ago, Ruben Bain at 10 overall. And this was before the arm-length size reveal today.
Yeah. You down with the short arm king? It absolutely means something. And people can laugh at it. I'm not tall.
I don't have long arms. I'm not mocking anyone's arm size. Ruben Bain can rip my arms off right now. Kevin Nealon in SNL, it's got to be disappointing for the big Russian, and I would be standing there with no arms. But let's give the context here from Matt Miller.
ESPN's Matt Miller. At 30 and 78 for Ruben Bain. He would be, he would have the shortest arms. for an edge rusher drafted in the first round since at least, in other words, that means as far back as we can go, at least 1999.
So you can say it means nothing. And I believe Ruben, when he says that nobody brought it up in his meetings. Right. Right. We asked him yesterday.
Right. Rewaid as much. Historical context, and I'm here for people breaking molds. Historical context tells you. He'd be the first.
He'd be the first. Now, is that a Bengals thing to do? That is a Bengals thing to do.
Now, is that you as radio voice of the Cleveland Browns saying that, Andrew? There's some snark there.
Okay, cool. But remember, last year they did exactly the opposite. They drafted Shamar Stewart out of A ⁇ M, who was height, weight, speed, built like a Greek god, with zero production. He had three and a half sacks his entire college career, or the last year, whatever. Right.
In two years. He had no production. and they took him.
So this would be the exact opposite. This is the amazing production guy with very poor measurables. He doesn't fit the measurables, right. But is he the type of guy that you take those measurables and you kind of ball them up and you Kobe them into the trash and go, I watch him. Kobe them in?
Yeah, you know when you throw in trash, you're like, Kobe? And you throw it in. I've never done that, no. Right. Actually, it's a running joke in the Browns radio booth.
That whenever I turn around during a break to try to throw something, to try to Kobe something, if you will, into the trash. You miss? Oh, it is Brick City. Yeah. But it's a Masonry's convention.
It is. It is Brick City. And when I do hit one, Let's say right before kickoff. That's a good sign. It's a good sign.
Yeah. So from now on, you only hit like two or three shots during the season? There were five.
Okay, good, okay. There were five.
There were five wins. Come on now. There were five.
If it were only two, the Browns would have an important overall overall play. That was the funny thing about the end of the season. Those two wins at the end, which were very gratifying together against division opponents. Without those two wins, we'd be having a Mendoza party right now.
So in Cleveland, you'll probably yell Elo instead of Kobe. Craig Thrilo. You know, just yellow. Much like Tom Pelocero here, amazing mullet Craig Thrilo had. But yeah, Andrew, is he the type of guy that you take those measurables and you go, all right, we're going to put those aside.
We see what this man can do. Yeah, I've watched this dude play football. I know that he's a game wrecker. I would like to think so. But do you do that at 10?
And that is the question. Yeah. And is this true enough? Is this draft the draft? Because, and Matt Miller, I had him on my Yahoo show a couple of days ago, Matt Miller said he only had like 11.
He has his story at NFL.com, I'm sorry, ESPN.com. He only has like 11 first-round grades.
So do you do it here? Cool. If he's one of those players you have the first round grade on, sure, why not? Yeah, okay. I don't think so, but maybe.
For two months out. Mauinoa, Mel has him going 11. Is he a tackle or is he a guard? I don't care. He's good.
Delaine, the corner from the Cowboys at 12. Gerard McCoy to the Rams at 13. That's the pick they got for James Pierce. when they traded out and the Falcons traded up last year. McCoy's not working out.
He blew his ACL out early last year. If he had not been hurt. He's probably the number one corner in the draft. The question is: will teams be able to see him work out at Tennessee, at a private workout, and truly see him up close? To know if they're cool on the medical after coming back from the ACL.
Jordan Tyson, you know who his brother is? Richard Tyson from 30 o'clock high. That was good. Thankful. His brother plays for the Cavaliers.
Oh. You don't? You know the other Tyson? Nope. First-round pick from last year?
Not a Cats fan. 15 points a game? Right. Oh, that's his brother? That's his brother.
Okay. You didn't know that? No. Okay. I hadn't even thought about it.
Maybe he would go seven. Oh. I don't know. And then C.J. Allen, 15.
Peter Woods, who's not working out today at 16. Zion Young, who's hysterical on the podium yesterday, he had people cracking up at 17. Dylan Thieneman. At 18, if you go back to Purdue three years ago, they had Tyrone Tracy, Nick Scordon. Dylan Thieneman, and Deion Banks, who could go bottom one, top two.
Okay. And the team was not good. But they had all that first round, second round talent. Tyron Tracy, I believe, third round. Falk.
Messador, whatever. You get my point. How many of those do you think are right? That's not anti-Mel. It's just we're two months out.
No, no, no. We still have lots of time. I still can't get enough of this. It gives you a good idea of who you're going to be looking out for, who we're going to see on Thursday and Friday in Pittsburgh this year. I love this time of year when the mocks come out.
So I can't get enough of it. Like I said, every day, new mock, give it to me. I mean, Monday, the mocks are going to look totally different, though, right? Once the workout's done, yeah, yeah, for sure. For sure.
If you had to do a mock, we have five seconds for your favorite NFL network insider. I give you the first choice. Hold that thought. That's coming up. Thanks for listening to the Rich Eisen Show podcast.
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