From Thirty for Thirty Podcasts. Brian Patter, senior defensive lineman from Miami. Gun down. The key to this case, it's Brian. An hour before he died, he was on the phone arguing with Tabaki.
This might be a hit. You want the truth. They just want a conviction. Being placed under arrest. We had to kill our monsters.
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Live from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles. Have you chatted with Mendoza? He said, I want to be the best quarterback when I take the field in the NFL. Today's guests: NFL Network Insider Tom Pellisero, the ringer NFL draft analyst Todd McShea, former NFL general manager Mike Mayoff. And now, it's Rich Eisen.
That's right. Back from the NFL Scouting Combine sitting here in Los Angeles, California. I am Rich Eisen, thrilled to be here once again on Disney Plus, the ESPN app, ESPN Radio Series XM Channel 80. Hello to all of you, 844-204 Rich is the number to dial to have a conversation here with us, Tom Pellisero, fresh back from the Combine. He will be zooming into the show.
We already have a big trade. I do believe it's a big trade to talk about with him. The rumor mill is just flying, although it was really quiet at the Combine, to be honest with you, straight up. For everybody out there, normally I have a top five list of top 10 top rumors I heard at the Kanban. I heard hardly anything.
And I'll kind of hit that later on on this program. 844-204-Rich, as I said, the number to dial two evaluators is they're going to be joining us on the program. Mike Mayock, my buddy from back in the day, one of my favorite human beings, is going to be joining us in hour number three of this show. He kind of remembered many of his. Uh moments.
From the draft back in the day when we were talking over the weekend at the Combine coverage on NFL Network, Todd McShea of the Ringer as well. Good to see you, Chris Brockman. How are you? What's up, buddy? Good to see you.
Mike Del Tufo in glasses. What's going on? Everything good over there? Want to be smarter, Rich. I want to be sold.
What's up over there, TJ Jefferson? Candles lit. Real candle. We're back. We're back, right?
I don't know. The remote control was kind of dope, but most importantly, the Cowboys connections that I made over that I will never, ever, ever sign that. That sheet.
Okay. Wow. Get that out of here. Were the connections? What?
Where you met Stephen Jones? You met the coach. You met all those people. Set Carper, that's my man right now.
Okay. You know, me and Stephen is like this. It's marvelous. And me and Shodi, I think we had a bond.
Well, Jerry spoke over the weekend. We'll play some of those sound bites. Can't wait to hear your reaction to him. Oh, there's something he said that I will be putting on the message board later. Very good.
844-204-H again is the number to dial here on the program.
So back from that NFL scouting combine. And Obviously, there are Many talented Players, bigger, stronger, faster players that can help your team. And This first round of the draft has had a lot of people in recent weeks saying, eh.
Sort of like the Larry David GIF of But after personally eyeballing a lot of these players sitting there from the 50-yard line booth on NFL Network for four days. Uh and nights. There's no question there are players who can help you. And your team in the first round. They're all really, really athletic and talented and seemingly neck up, ready to roll as well.
None more so than the most talented player I saw work out this weekend. as predicted. Jeremiah Love of Notre Dame.
Now listen My professionalism is being tested. I love it. My professionalism is being tested. With not one, not two, not three, but four potential Buckeyes going in the top ten, and not one, but two running backs going in the first round. And they could be teammates as well.
Jadarian Price. He was a really good Looking running back, I saw working out over the weekend with Jeremiah Love as well. And by the way, if both of them are in fact drafted in the first round. It would be the first set of teammates Drafted. At the same running back position.
From the same school, ever. It's never happened.
So, I got to prepare myself for the draft, but that's why I have this show to get this out of my system.
So, when I walk on NFL Network, I don't. have to say such things until Provoked. But listen. We met Jeremiah Love on Friday when he came on our show. you sat down yeah And I'll be honest.
I don't think he had any idea who I was at all. Really? Yeah, yeah. At one point, you know, when he He's mentioning about how he was at the Doke Walker Award dinner and he met somebody who was really good running back from back in the day. And I had to help him find the name of Marshall Falk.
He's like, Yeah, he's really cool. It's just like, let me tell you something about him. Again, I'm, I'm, I'm, you might be right then. I'm needing, I'm needing to get used to, not to call myself the Marshall Falk of broadcasting, but I, I'm versatile. You've been in the game for a while.
This kid Is In his own world. But what a world we are living in with him. He is that good. And the fact is, I was looking at them eye to eye. I'm six foot flat, although I appreciate NFL network.
giving me that extra half inch when they were uh breaking me down with Jennings Dunker. uh and his beautiful mullet. Listen. This kid is six foot. doing what he's doing.
Most running backs are not that tall. They just aren't. and they're not that big and they're not that fast and they're not that good. If Ashton Genty went where he went last year. And I understand his production.
at the collegiate level. 50 rushing touchdowns in the NCAA. And The guy I'm talking about right now, Jeremiah Love, just thirty six. touchdowns. Genti had the production up there in Boise State, and you could talk about.
Level of competition and things of that nature. And I'll say the same thing about Notre Dame ducking Michigan. But. This kid Running a 43640. And in so doing, he Don't forget.
He ran a 437 41st, and we saw his dad, Jason, in the stands, just shaking his head. Didn't like it. And then he ran a second forty a thousandth of a second better. And his dad's like, yeah, okay. Jack Nicholson gift.
Here we go. Like, okay. And so you could see the intensity and where it comes from. But 4, 3, 6, 40. At six foot flat.
and two hundred and twelve pounds. is freakish. And then he leaps over people saying that's just his favorite thing to do. And he wants to play gunner in professional football on special teams. And I told him to his face, that is not happening.
That was crazy. Don't want to shatter your dreams or anything. The 43640 is the same time as Jameer Gibbs. Oh. Yeah.
That's an appropriate response, TJ. It's better than the four three eight run by Jamal Charles. And your current Super Bowl MVP and Kenneth Walker, the third. It's. Better than the 439 run by Jonathan Taylor.
You know who ran in the 4-4s? Saquon. Bijan. These are measurables that running backs have that stand out. above even his own Yeah.
Brethren. I don't think Jeremiah love I'll say it. I'm sitting there and I don't think I'm overreacting, but I don't think Jeremiah love. Even gets out of the top five now. Oh, wow.
I'm sitting here thinking Let's see what the Jets do with Brees Hall. Let's put it that way. Number one. Number two, I'm looking at Arizona. Why wouldn't they take Jeremiah Love third overall?
You just hired your new head coach, Mike LaFleur.
Okay. Offensive side of the ball. You need a lot st you need a lot there. Yeah. Aren't they in the Genti camp, though, of like the Raiders needed all this offensive line help and then they go and get the back and then can't block for the back?
I don't know. James Connor is coming off another injury, catastrophic injury. But even if not that. Even if they do take an offensive lineman, as you say, a lot of people are pegging Mauanoa, who did not work out for. uh with the offensive line group at all on On Sunday.
A lot of people are are Looking now at Tennessee at four. I understand they've got Pollard. I get it. But this kid is that good. And if I'm again, if I'm the Giants, even if I have no intention of making him the Sonic to the knuckles of Scatterboo.
I I make it known. That's this is where where I'm thinking. Mm. Because you better come get him. In the same way.
My friend. TJ Jefferson across the aisle. That The mock drafts of Sonny Styles dropping to the Cowboys at 12 have gone up and smoke like a Cheech and Chong movie. Yeah. Um I think Jeremiah Love to the Chiefs at nine has done the same thing.
See you later. See you later. So, everybody who's been out there seeing these mocks saying the league cannot let. Jeremiah Love falls to the Chiefs. Guess who's not letting Jeremiah Love fall to the Chiefs?
Forget about the league. Jeremiah Love just did it, in my opinion. And speaking of Sonic and Knuckles They have been broken up. This has been a story, you know. I didn't ask Brad Holmes about this when he was on the show this week because I just don't know what his.
You know what, what I'm going to get out of a general manager when clearly something is fluid.
Something was up with David Montgomery. Either he didn't want to be there or. He didn't like his usage. After Ben Johnson was gone. Too much sonic, not enough knuckles.
I don't know. But you saw over the weekend, Jeremy Fowler put out a report. that got aggregated. That Montgomery had asked out. And the Lions were looking for a late.
Draft choice, third day draft choice. And He reposted that. Refuting it. Like, damn, DMO told you that.
Now is DMO. in reference as like a third person reference to himself of Demo? Oh, I guess I'm not. Told you that? Like, who told you that I want out of Detroit?
And who told you that Detroit would want a decent day three pick, possibly a fifth rounder in return? He refutes that.
Well Just moments ago, David Montgomery, Demo. Got traded for a fifth-round draft choice. Hey. And he's going to the Texans, which, by the way, is not a bad move. for all involved.
First of all, if you're getting... If you're sending him Um You know Another conference isn't a bad idea. But the Texans are also sending Juice Scruggs, a fourth rounder and a seventh rounder, to Detroit for Montgomery. as well.
So it's not a fifth rounder. It's an offensive lineman, a fourth rounder, and a seventh rounder to Detroit. That's quite a lot. Yeah, that's significant. Tom Pellisero saying it's more than just a fifth rounder.
So, Tom is going to be joining us in just a couple of minutes to talk about it. I think this is a really. Nice move by Houston, who also sent Titus Brown to the Browns today as well.
So they traded some offensive linemen. But they get David Montgomery back last year when Joe Mixon couldn't answer the bell, and they went into the season with Nick Chubb. And Woody Marks. And Woody Marks and Damien. Pierce, by the way, who went from Thousand yard rusher two years ago to not even actively dressed running back and then Cut.
Wound up in Kansas City, right? Um That running game, if it wasn't for Marks, would have been a total. Disaster. for the team.
Now Mark's comes to the fore, you think in year two he's He's the guy. But in the Nick Chubb role, David Montgomery. That's an upgrade. With all due respect to Nick Chubb, that is an upgrade. And he's going to get some usage one would think inside the 10, inside the red zone.
Like, that's a nice move for the Texans. And I if he was not happy with the usage that he had. In Detroit last year, again, let's not read into it because I didn't get anything from Demo himself. I like it.
Now for Detroit, you're sitting here going, hmm. Who's next? There's a lot of other there's a glut of free agent running backs. They might have Just spotted somebody they really like. They just saw at the combine.
Could be that. Or You know he's going to run the ball. Yeah. Someone who should touch it every damn snap, anyway. You know what I mean?
Yeah. Like, who's going to take up the slack for David Montgomery not being there? How does Jameer Gibbs sound to you? Certainly, if you're about to pay him. That's the other thing, too.
If you weren't going to pay David Montgomery, because you have to pay Jameer Gibbs now, top-of-the-line free agent resetting the market type of contract. Yeah. Then guess what you're gonna do? You're going to hand it to Jameer Gibbs and what he's going to do is run. Very well.
There were many times last year where you're like, why are they not giving it to him? Did he need a water bottle? I don't know. Yeah, I mean, obviously. You don't want to run him into the ground, but if you're going to pay him record-setting money, you're going to use him.
And you'll get somebody else other than David Montgomery. And now you've got a fourth and a seventh and an offensive lineman because you have to remake your line. That's it. That's definitely a reason why the the Lions weren't as good offensively last year. Ben Johnson being gone, changing their play call in the middle of the season.
That those are things that obviously will come out in that wash, but The line wasn't the same, and every Lions fan knows it.
So, kind of like that move right there. And to talk about it, Tom, Tommy P. Tom Policer is going to join us next right here on the Rich Island Show on Disney Plus, the ESPN app, ESPN Radio, 844-204-Rich. Number to Dow. We'll take your calls.
And yeah. Lot to talk about from the Combine that's coming up. Um The Rich Eisen Show Podcast. In a world in need of a hero, one man rises to the challenge in style. He is just driving the kids to soccer practice.
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Tom Pellicero here on the Rich Eisen Show. Our radio audience was rejoining us in the middle of your reporting there on the trade, David Montgomery to the Texans. And it's more than a fifth, right? You reported it's a fourth and a seventh, and an actual offensive line player, and an actual offensive line player got traded to the Browns from the Texans earlier. earlier in the day Juice Scruggs to Detroit and Titus Howard to the Browns.
Why are the Texans trading away? Offensive linemen in a league where offensive linemen should stay? Why are they doing that? You would anticipate this is a broader part of Nick Casario's plan here. With Titus Howard, he gets a new deal, three years and $63 million in Cleveland, but he had money that was on the book.
So Houston clears some of that off. Juice Scruggs was not making a lot. I mean, he was a second-round pick now going into year three, but they're giving themselves some flexibility. Giving up those picks in addition to Scruggs to the Lions would indicate that there was competition to go get David Montgomery. But for the Texans, listen, there's not a lot of centers out there, but if you're looking for guards, if you are looking for, let's say, kind of the second, third tier of tackle, there are some options out there in free agency.
Also, you can never overlook these deals are getting done a day after everybody watched the offensive lineman work out at the combine. I talked to a head coach about something completely unrelated earlier today who was talking about a different position group and saying, you know, we're sitting here going, who should we sign in free agency? Then after watching these guys work out, it's like, let's not even spend our money there. Let's spend our money someplace else. It's all part of this process.
I mean, it's come up in the past the possibility of moving free agency after the draft. The league has brought that up. The unions never wanted to do that because it's a way that they would look at it as depressing the market. But the fact that free agency comes first, you're still going to have teams that if they're not confident they can fill some of these holes, they're going to go out, whether it's free agency or a trade, fill those holes in advance of the draft. I would just say this: Nick Caserio is not doing anything totally in isolation here.
There's something bigger at play, and we'll find out what that is over the next seven to 10 days. What about the Lions end of it, Tom? Why trade David Montgomery?
Sonic Knuckles has been one of the better combinations, certainly in terms of scoring touchdowns, one of the most dynamic, productive combinations we've seen ever. And that's not hyperbole, Tom. Why are they breaking up Sonic and Knuckles? He was due $6 million cash this year. $4 million would have become guaranteed next week.
David Montgomery's role in Detroit had diminished over the last couple of years. And Brad Holmes referenced this earlier in the offseason that for David Montgomery, they love the guy, but if he wants the opportunity to go out and be a feature back, maybe get one more payday, he's 28 years old. That was probably going to have to take place someplace else. Jameer Gibbs is now extension eligible. We'll see based upon potentially a Brees Hall deal, if that gets done, based upon maybe a Bijan Robinson deal, exactly where the market could end up going for Jameer Gibbs.
But it's going to be big money. It's going to be probably up in the high teens. And so realistically, you're probably better off if you're the Lions, either getting an economical option in free agency or drafting a running back or two to try to fill that other role.
So it was probably best for everybody. The Lions free up some cash and cap space. The Texans upgrade, and David Montgomery gets an opportunity now to be a feature back, which was simply never going to happen in Detroit. All right, Tom Pellisero here with some breaking news on this Monday after the Combine. What's the story come out of the Combine?
I mean, is it still Max Crosby, even though we didn't really get much smoke or fire on that front over the weekend? Tom? I would say Max Crosby and his future is as big of a story as you have in the NFL right now. We talked about this last week. We've heard what John Spytech said publicly at the podium that he expects Crosby to be there, that they've got a great relationship.
They talk and text all the time. We have not heard directly from Max about how he felt about those comments, how he feels at this point about his future. I have gotten roughly 50 Instagram story alerts from Max, who appears to be in the facility shooting all 22 tape of himself making plays, showing himself boxing, shooting hoops, proving in a variety of different ways: A, I'm still a great player, B, I'm a lot closer to health than other people might think that I am. And the Raiders, even though they're not proactively making calls, I would believe that they are going to continue to get calls. And anybody who needs a pass rusher is going to be interested in this because, you know, there's Trey Hendrickson, Odafe, O.
Way. You got a few guys in free agency, but really, a trade for Max, if you're not going to draft one, is probably your best way to get an elite type of pass rusher. Those guys just don't hit the market.
So if I'm thinking, Who would be the teams that would make sense for Max Crosby? Again, I think anybody who's a contender and has sufficient cap space or the ability to create it should be involved. But a few that would come to mind would be the Chicago Bears. A team that people will remember swung another trade with the Raiders for a pretty high-profile pass rusher in Cleomack some years ago. They feel like they're close, they were right there at the end in the playoffs.
Could Max Cross be somebody that be somebody that puts them over the top and elevates that pass rush? I think that would be a fit. I could see Buffalo, you know, they've got some things they've got to work out in terms of their salary cap and how they're going to devote their resources in this offseason with Joe Brady coming aboard as a first-time head coach and also changing over the defense now with Jim Leonard calling the plays there. But you know, for Max to come in and join that team that's been looking for a closer, they've taken swings at it, signing Von Miller years ago. I could see that being a fit.
And then the one that everybody wants to keep talking about, and I do believe that it makes sense, is with the Cowboys. Max is from that area. He trains in the offseason with CeeDee Lamb. The Cowboys have ammunition. They don't have any day two picks this year, but they got two first rounders.
They've got enough cash and cap flexibility. Jerry Jones has indicated they're going to be aggressive, and I believe a lot of that aggressiveness is going to be focused on the defensive side of the ball. What is that price tag going to be? Is it a first-round pick and more? Are the Raiders going to draw a hard line at getting two first-round picks?
All those remain open-ended questions. But if we're just looking at this from a leverage perspective, when do you maximize your leverage? I would say it's sometime before the market opens one week from today. Because the moment some of these teams that need pass rush help go and spend that money someplace else, you start to run out of suitors, kind of like the Bengals did last year with Trey Hendricks. Max Crosby is different than everybody else who is available.
He's 29 years old, coming off of a knee surgery, but still very much in his prime, a culture changer behind the scenes. Obviously, one of the best defensive ends, edge players that we have in the entire NFL. He's different, but you still need the money to pay him, and you need the picks, the ammunition, maybe a player to go and acquire him. The moment you start making other moves, it becomes harder.
So, if the Raiders are going to trade Max Crosby, there's no hard deadline on it. He doesn't have like a conversion or anything like that that makes it from a contract perspective necessary. But I have to believe the Raiders are approaching this that if they're going to trade him, doing so before next week would make sense.
Well, even before the draft, obviously, I mean, that would have to be the deadline. And the Cowboys fascinate me in that regard because if they end up trading Micah. and using the draft choices they get to go get Max Crosby. I understand Crosby's four years older, but he's also a different. Guy in a locker room, it's a different, it would be a different setup.
And certainly, If I'm the Raiders, I'm intrigued by that 12th overall pick based on all those defensive linemen. I just saw workout at the combine. If you can get Mendoza and one of them. Um you might you might be tempted. on that front, even though Max Crosby means so much.
It's interesting. The thing is fascinating to me. But the Cowboys, aren't they? In the worst cap-hell of any team in the NFL right now. Obviously, things can be massaged, but right now they're almost 60 million under.
you know over the cap. Tom. There's different contracts that they can dip into and create cap space pretty easily, doing simple conversions on Dak Prescott, among others. They'll get them back closer. There's also the possibility you could trade a player in a deal to go get a Max Crosby, which would help alleviate some of that.
And when you go back to the Micah Parsons trade, you know, there's a lot of different ways that you could look at it. And that's one of those rich defining trades that we'll all be talking about for years to come and analyzing it and hyper-analyzing it. But if you look at it from this perspective, if in the end, based on where all these picks ended up going and what they did with them, if they traded Micah Parsons, in essence, for Kenny Clark. Coinan Williams and let's say Max Crosby. That's a pretty good haul that allows you to accelerate your rebuild as opposed to just taking those picks, drafting players, and hope they develop into those types of core talents.
Tom Pellisero here on The Rich Eisen Show. When does the quarterback market pop? One. This is one of the ongoing mysteries in part because those guys who have the guarantee triggers in their contracts, those all come after the start of the league year. Here's what I mean in very simple terms.
We'll know by tomorrow what happens with Daniel Jones and the Colts. They've been trying to get a long-term deal done. If they can't, I would anticipate that they tag Jones. It may be the transition tag, which is at a lower number, but we'll see what direction that goes. Everybody else, in terms of namely Malik Willis and what his market is going to be, those players will become free agents on Monday.
And so some of the same teams that might be going, all right, what is the right number to go get a Malik Willis? Or if you're going to in a different bucket, sign a Joe Flacco or a Jimmy Garoppolo or whether it's Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson. There's some big names that are available. You may have to make those decisions before you have final knowledge on whether any of these other guys are going to end up getting cut. The prevailing sense within the league is besides Kirk Cousins, Who we know based on his contract is going to be released on March 11th.
You have triggers in the contracts of Geno Smith and Tuatonga Vailoa that don't hit until next Friday the 13th, and a Kyler trigger that doesn't hit until Sunday the 15th.
So if you're coming down to it, you might think, all right, we're just going to sign this guy when he gets cut for the minimum. But if one of those teams decide to hold the player you're going after, you might be more motivated just to go out and at least get an insurance plan before those insurance plans dry up. That's one of the reasons this quarterback market is so difficult to project right now. I wouldn't think that all those teams, the Raiders, the Cardinals, the Dolphins, drag this all the way out into the end of next week. Based on the fact those guys have guaranteed money, the players technically can't be released until next Wednesday, March 11th.
But you could tell them, you could announce it, you could do a lot of different things that would allow the market to start moving. But right now, I've talked to many of those teams that are eyeing those players, and to a certain degree, While they're working behind the scenes, they are frozen a little bit by not having firm and final word from those teams of exactly how this is going to play out. All signs are pointing to Tua becoming available. If they can't trade him, which has always seemed like a complicated situation, he would be released, I presume, prior to March 13th.
So that would be next Thursday. And then with Kyler Murray, it seems like things are pointing that direction, but Kyler has not been told what the firm and final word is. I believe he would have a really robust market if he were cut and be able to sign for the minimum. And Geno Smith would have a market. But, you know, if you're the Raiders, we've kind of talked about the Raiders within this lens of, well, they're drafting Fernando Mendoza, we think, at number one overall.
So they've got their quarterback. What if Clint Kubiak doesn't want to play him out of the gate? What if the best thing for an RPO heavy quarterback in his college career is to sit back behind a veteran and learn until they feel like he's really ready to hit the ground running on. A Raiders team that's doing a ground up rebuild. If that is the scenario you have in your head, do you just keep Geno Smith, who you're already paying 18 and a half this year?
He'd have another $8 million vest if he's still on the roster on March 13th. Do you move on from Geno, whether it's via trade or cut, and maybe sign one of these other guys that you potentially can get for the minimum or close to it? Of all the teams that we've talked about, and there are a bunch that need quarterbacks from the Vikings, the Steelers, the Dolphins, and the Cardinals, presuming that they move on, the Colts, depending what happens with Daniel Jones, among others. The Raiders are another team that, depending what they do with Geno Smith, don't rule out them being players in that same market, probably not spending much money to do it, but looking to add potentially another veteran to that room as well. Man, and this is all going to pop in the next week, right?
I mean. Pretty much at this point by Monday, we should get a better indication of where these things are going because every single Team That you're referring to, that's going to cut their quarterback or potentially deal him. Um has another team that's wondering if they're available to be had. Because they've been cut or not. Like, there's going to be too many people needing answers.
To let this thing linger. And then there's, you know, Rodgers, who says he's going to let the Steelers know sooner rather than later, or at least that's the assumption. We haven't heard a single thing from him. That's another one. You know, if the Steelers, we've talked a lot about Aaron Rodgers, and he's been in communication with Mike McCarthy.
He spoke recently with Omar Khan, but we're a week away from the free agent negotiating window opens, which was the soft target for having a Rodgers decision. To this point, as I sit here, we don't have an Aaron Rodgers decision.
So even the Steelers, they like Will Howard, but you're not just going to go, well, Will Howard, that's the room for the year, him and Mason Rudolph. You're acquiring somebody somehow. Do they become players for, let's say, a Kirk Cousins, who I know that if things had fallen differently last year, could have been a consideration in Pittsburgh. These are all intertwined here, Rich. And I'm not even being cryptic, as I often am.
I'm just literally saying the teams themselves don't firmly know so many different things, and so much of this quarterback market is going to be defined by. who becomes available, that there is a lot of uncertainty. One of the things that we'll get a pretty clear idea of by this time, one week from now, is what is the Malik Willis market and does he take out one of those starting jobs? If the money goes crazy, it's going to eliminate some people from being in that mix. I mean, Malik is, I've always liked Malik going back to meeting him at the Senior Bowl.
He made the most of his opportunities. We know his downfield passing numbers are off the charts, but it is a really, really small sample size. Does somebody feel confident in Malik Willis enough to say, we're going to give you 20, 25 million a year? Is it possible the number comes in under that? If the number is under 20 million, and I'm not saying that it will be, but if it were, that might bring some other teams into play.
Even a team like the Vikings that we've talked about repeatedly as being in the market for the bare minimum quarterback. If you got another bite at the apple here on a young quarterback to come in and potentially compete with J.J. McCarthy, there's just a plethora of different ways that this entire thing can. go. I would say the first step of this Which we'll get word on in the next 28 hours here is what's happening in Indianapolis with Daniel Jones.
Is it possible they get a deal done? I don't sitting right here, you know, right now, believe that's going to happen. Then do they franchise tag him or do they transition tag him? If you transition tag him, that means now he can sign an offer sheet someplace else. The Colts may well match it, but it would at least leave that door cracked open ajar for other teams to go, even for a guy coming off an Achilles.
He played at a really high level when they started 7-1 last year. It'd be one more thing for these teams to evaluate. Yeah, we had Chris Ballard on during the combine. I did not get the sense that somebody other than Daniel Jones is their quarterback in the fall. Like, I don't think he's going anywhere.
They're going to figure that thing out one way or another. Franchise tag to maybe kick the can down the road and figure it out. Before I let you go, what are the other tag situations? This is a four. P.M.
Eastern Tuesday deadline on that, Tom. What do you got for me here?
Well, let's start with the Jets and Brees Hall. And their GM, Darren Moogie, said at the Combine that if they can't get a deal done with Brees, then they are planning to tag him. They are still working on that. It's not, the door is not completely slammed shut on getting a Brees Hall deal done. But he's the top running back on the market.
And so we'll see exactly how this plays out. If they can't get a deal done, I know there's been a lot of talk about the transition tag. I wouldn't be surprised if it's the franchise tag instead. You're talking about only a $3 million difference from 11 to 14. It would, you know, prevent one of those situations like I'm talking about with Daniel Jones, where if you transition him, somebody else can sign him to an offer sheet that makes it more complicated for you to match and re-sign the player.
We'll see what direction that goes, but would not be a surprise to me if Brees Hall ends up getting the franchise tag by 4 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday. Trey Hendrickson in Cincinnati is another really fascinating one because he would be the top defensive end if he hits the market. It has always seemed logical that he is going to hit the market, but the Bengals have refused to rule out the possibility of using the franchise tag on him, possibly setting up a tag and trade situation. Because the moment that Trey would get tagged, I would imagine, based upon what's happened the last two years, that he's going to go through the roof.
He doesn't want to be staying in Cincinnati. He doesn't want to have his movement restricted. Again, we'll find out. There's been nothing clearly communicated on that front. To this point.
Certainly, Trey Hendrickson would be one of the top free agents. And that might be it, Rich. I'm not anticipating this being. A big tag here. You know, George Pickens, Kyle Pitts have already gotten the franchise tag.
The Colts are going to use it, whether it's on Daniel Jones or potentially on Alec Pierce. The Jets, again, barring a deal, to intend to use one on Brees, and maybe the Bengals. That's four or five tags in a league where, you know, it's not uncommon for us to have eight to ten of those. I think that that speaks in part to the realities of the tags that at some positions are just completely prohibitive. I mean, there's some good linebackers that are going to hit free agency this year, whether that's Quay Walker, Devin Lloyd, but a $27 million tag number is just not realistic.
Nobody's going to do that. And there's also some other players that are going to hit free agency that I believe are going to have really strong markets. It's a pretty short list, but take a John Franklin Myers, not a household name, never been to the Pro Bowl, but position scarcity drives a lot of this. There are virtually no defensive, true defensive linemen, interior players, defensive tackles that are going to hit free agency. I've seen people projecting John Franklin Myers.
Is getting 10 to 12 million. I'll say this one, Rich. Don't be surprised if that number has a two in front of it when JFM hits free agency.
Okay. And Kenneth Walker, the Super Bowl MVP walks? Is that what happens? I would be surprised. It would be really hard to franchise tag Kenneth Walker.
And I don't really see the transition tag being an option. Doesn't mean they can't get a deal done. But it would be really tough financially and otherwise. All those guys that Seattle has coming up, you know, between Devin Witherspoon, Jackson Smith and Jigba, among others, that are up for contract extensions. If the market's right, you know, John Schneider is always going to, he's never going to slam the door on any player.
But a $14 plus million dollar franchise tag, I know how important Kenneth Walker was in the playoff run, and of course, winning Super Bowl MVP, but tagging him just doesn't seem realistic for where they are right now. And so I do believe that Kenneth Walker is going to get an opportunity to see his market. Tom, thanks again. I will reach out to you maybe later in the week, get you back on here, and it'll be interesting to see if you're suited and booted or you're just casual. We'll find out.
We are suited, booted, and ready for at least the next two weeks, Rich. Anytime, night or day, I will sleep in the suit. Tom Pellisero, everybody. Check him out on The Insiders on NFL Network and NFL Plus right here on the Rich Heisen Show. All right, lots to take in.
Also, your phone calls: 844-204-Rich. Number to dial. Max Crosby with a star on the side of his helmet. Two cents, TJ Jefferson. I got it.
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What if. What if I told you? What if. The Micah Parsons Trade for the Dallas Cowboys In the long run, MACA turns out to be... In favor?
And one by. Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys. What if that is in fact the case? Because again The way that you acquire and then turn into more assets. When you trade someone away.
Yeah. Tom Palisero just said if they land Max Crosby. And they could basically say, listen. We we know what the compensation comp is because we're the ones Who created it? That's true.
For somebody four years younger than Max.
So we know what the compensation should be for Max Crosby. If anybody knows what the market bears, it's the one who said it and created it. It's us. And if you want Max to wind up in a spot where he'd be happy. And if you want to not see him.
more than but once every four years, like a comet. Like a comet. You know, Ailey Crosby. Every 86. Bye, bye bye.
Listen, I'm not a scientist. I don't play one on TV. I'm just telling you the way it can be sold. Um That's not a bad idea. And if you get Max and Quentin Williams and Kenny Clark.
Oh. And that's the way that you fill out your defensive line by trading away, Micah Parsons. God, if you're listening, help. How can anybody sit here but say, oh my goodness? Which is why, you know, Jerry doesn't mind when you send slingers and arrows in his way if he's playing the long game.
He loves it.
Now interestingly enough George Pickens has been franchise tagged. And the guy Um Who he needs to be negotiating with. For a longer term deal. Is David Mulligetta. Who is the agent of Micah Park?
Yeah, that part. Who Jerry claimed to not know that? No, no, that's not. Apparently, in talking about the possibilities of negotiating with him and how it's still fine, I don't. I think he confirmed they still haven't met.
Regarding his representation, I can clearly. work with his agent. Not clearly to you, but clearly to me. I have no issues. We haven't met.
As you well know, but we haven't met, but to the end that we can have discussion about him and other players that he represents. We understand the angst that's there, how he's representing and his goals of. maximizing the dollars. And he clearly is accomplished enough to know the alternative to that is our job of managing the club and the salary cap and getting as much mileage out of the cap as we can. No mistake about how much we want George Pickens to be a part of our future.
And I would uh want all of our fans to rest assured. That I have every intention of working very good with his agent. I have no reason to have an issue other than the fact that he represented Parsons, and we ended up making a trade with Parsons. But you all heard me say before, that had little to do with his involvement Uh that was more about just the situation, criticize me or not, about what Parsons was worth and a decision on our part. Here's the one thing I know that George Pickens is not going to do, even though Steven Jones went on Friday's show on us and said that Jerry and George had already spoken, and George was excited about still being a Dallas Cowboy.
He loves being a Dallas Cowboy. The one thing that George Pickens is not going to do is shake Jerry's hand and say, We've got a deal. 'Cause that's the way you wind up on the Green Bay Packers. Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah, we can't have that again. Hey, George is in a great spot, man. Where where everybody's looking at 88 maybe. And he's doing his thing, and the run game's working, and the tight end game's working, and the offensive side of the ball. I am not worried about for the Dallas Cowboys.
I'm happy with that. And if they're able to take the 12th overall pick and instead of using it on a young defender, get Max Crosby for it. The Rich Eisen Show Podcast. Mm-hmm.
