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.
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Now, on with the show. This is the Rich Eisen Show. Oh, yeah, I get it. Live from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles. Jalen Tyson drills another three-ball.
Look up for three. Got it. The Rich Eisen Show. Earlier on the show. Three-time NBA All star Richard Hamilton.
Coming up. Senior writer for the MMQB, Albert Breer. Actor Blair Underwood. And now, it's Rich Eisen. Hey, everybody.
Hour number two on the air here on Disney Plus, the ESPN app, ESPN Radio, and SiriusXM Channel 80. We say hello to our podcast listeners, even with you listening whenever you want. That's your Lord-given right to listen to us whenever you want. We appreciate you listening to any of our podcasts, whether it's Overreaction Monday or this show all three hours, no contest wrestling. TJ Jefferson, you, and OSHA Jackson Jr.
have a two-guest pod. We do, man. We have the new intercontinental champion, Pentazio. And we have another guy who's really big in the podcasting world, Chris Van Vleet, who's going to be coming in soon.
Okay. And O'Shea, will O'Shea be here early enough to appear on the program on the show? You know, O'Shea loves nothing more than to sit here at the end of the show every Wednesday and give his takes on this.
So we've got a Blair Underwood O'Shea Jackson Jr. in third hour. And me and Susie and Feller, too.
Well, no, no, I'm just talking about in studio. In studio. I'll get to them in a second. No, it's because we've got a celebrity true or false from Blair Underwood. Yes.
And then we'll talk about the Lakers' hostile work environment between J.J. Reddick and Luka Donchich with O. Shea Jackson Jr. It's his team. I'm sure he's going to have big cuts.
He knows about hostile environments. Hey, Suze, what's going on over here? What a bunch of amateurs. I mean, so many of these Lakers have had hostile environments. Are you kidding me?
I lived in one for three years. You're referring to when you covered the Shaq Kobe Phil Love. Not our house, really. Not our relationship. Although, if over three years pizzas, it might get really hostile really fast.
Ladies and gentlemen. Hey, everybody. Good to see you, Jay Felly. Hey, what's up? Her giving you the Heisman all those years?
That doesn't count as being Heisman? No, it just counts with. How do I describe it? The chase. Just part of the journey.
Yeah. You know what I mean? Part of the journey. Part of her long game, right? Is she still looking at me?
She's looking at me now.
Okay, very good. Rich Eisenhower. Oh, that's Susie Eisenhood. Thank you very much. That's my guy.
That's Charles. Charles. We led the show talking about how the Rams traded their first-round selection. This just in, they do that a lot. I can't believe this.
We'll bring this up with Breer too. Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated is joining us shortly. Um The Rams have used their first round draft choice. Since twenty seventeen, Once. They've traded every other one of them away.
The only first-round draft choice of their own that they've used since 2017 was to choose Jared versus.
So it's actually chose a pretty damn good one. Yeah, they hit it on that one. Oh, my goodness gracious. Uh, Trent McDuffie's going from Kansas City to the Rams. We led the show with that.
We've talked all about Kyler Murray being cut shortly. Um, uh, I shouldn't say that. Cut soon.
Soon. All right. Um You didn't get that joke.
Sorry. I got it. I got it. I couldn't resist. I mean, I'm just saying.
I'm just saying. I'm not saying.
So, my buddy Mike Silver of The Athletic wrote quite the story today that I think is of interest to the Las Vegas listening audience that just joined us here on our USPN radio circuit. Um Mike Silver, everyone should seek this one out in the athletic. It's quite the article. And it is Called the entitled. Max Crosby is ready to leave Las Vegas.
The sooner the Raiders accept that? The better.
Sorry, Jay Fellows. I'm just Don't shoot the messenger here. I'm just the messenger for what Mike Silver is reporting. It sure seems like Max Crosby is done with playing for the Raiders. He hasn't said it.
I know he gets pissed when everybody's talking on his behalf. You know? Nature as well as the NFL media abhors a vacuum. We hate it. We have to fill it with either Tinfoil hat conspiracies.
or rumors, conjecture, until we get ourselves an answer, damn it. I already told Lloyd that silence was golden. And all I keep thinking is: if Max Crosby was so pissed about being deactivated. In the last two weeks of the season last year, so the Raiders could tank and get a better draft choice. And that is something that he can't get over.
You know, who ordered that code red? Mike Silver says in this article it was John Spitek, the general manager.
So that makes sense that Max is still upset because obviously the general manager is still around. It must not have been communicated very well to him, either on one part or the other part. It doesn't matter how it's communicated to him. What it communicates. long term for him.
is that You don't understand me. I'll play no matter what. That's what I'm all about. And So, yeah, we're clearly going to restart with a rookie quarterback. And I don't know if he's up for that because he, as Mike Mayock, who joined us.
On our Monday show, former GM said he's still tight with Max Crosby. He said Max wants to play in meaningful games in January and February, or clearly when the games are in January and they're meaningful about getting a high draft choice or not. He wants to play anyway, because he's Max Crosby. The article begins with this. Talking about how when Crosby in 2019 was drafted into the league and John Gruden was the coach.
Crosby would frequently Blow-up practices for Gruden on the offensive side of the ball because he just could not take it down from spinal tap 11 on every snap. He had to just go. You know what to the walls. And habitually quoting the article here habitually He, Crosby, would blow up Coach John Gruden's offensive script by charging off the edge and batting down passes, sometimes getting dangerously close to the quarterback. At one point, Gruden threatened to cut him if he kept it up.
Um Quoting said one witness. of Crosby quote His attitude was: if you don't want me to do it, then block me. And nobody was in position to challenge that.
So that's what makes Crosby tick. And he's saying Mike Silver. That Crosby being told you're not playing That it's difficult for him to come back from. He also mentioned some interesting aspects here, a name that. is familiar to Patriots fans.
Brockman might hear it all the way from his vacation across the Pacific. Alex Guerrero. Who is the um I guess one would say right-hand man of Tom Brady. His official title in Vegas is Wellness Coordinator. Um The article here from Silver refers to Guerrero as, quote, unquote, a staunch Brady ally who regularly attends practices and meetings.
purports to possess significant organizational power, informing players of impending transactions and even indicating to staff members who don't follow his instructions that their jobs may be at risk. And when you have somebody who's there. who has a sense Of power, or you have a sense that this person has power for somebody who's not there, because obviously Brady. has a Regular Sunday job on Fox, at which he gets better and better every single week, by the way. He's awesome at it.
No surprise. Quote here suffices to say that there are trust issues permeating the Raiders training facility in Henderson, Nevada.
Now, listen: the fact that there's a new head coach there, who knows what Clint Kubiak's going to install, what's going to happen, or what Clint Kubiak has been telling. Max Crosby off. To the side. But I will finish with this. the way this article finishes.
And this is the one that got me to go, oh.
Okay. This is how Silver finishes up his opinion after giving this. Information is the backdrop. If Spytech and Brady are indeed thinking long term, they'll sift through the offers for Crosby. Find a suitable trade partner and thank him for his service.
If not, Well, it's probably going to take more than a red jersey. to protect Mendoza once training camp begins. Incendiary.
Now this is Mike Silver's opinion. And you know he minces no words. That's why I love reading his stuff. And it's It's always a must read when Mike puts something out there. But if Max Crosby is going to be like Aye.
Gruden's going to threaten to cut me. I don't care. I'm not saying he's going to purposely hurt Fernando Mendoza. I don't know if that's what Mike's indicating, but the bottom line is he's going to show the rookie the ropes. the way he wants it to be shown.
And if he's been wanted to be shown the door. instead of him still being there to show someone the ropes. Then You might think about showing him the door. Can I say something to Max on behalf of Raiders fans? Please do so.
Do you want to switch your hat to do it or what? Do you want to get into the role? He follows what he chooses on where I go, either. NFL or the Raiders.
Okay. On behalf of fans. Oh, you got to drop even. Stay as long as you can. For the love of God, cherish it.
Stay as long as you can. I thought you were going to make it a passion plea to camera. That was it. I did too. I was ready for you.
Did you stay here? I mean, Suzanne. Suze, produce him. Produce him, Suze. He's my favorite player.
I don't want to see him go. I totally understand that. You got to look out for the quarterback, but. We need to keep him. This is our year if he stays.
You're here to do what? Or you play, or you play the drop. I hate this game. I hate the team. That guy.
That one. No, no, no. He's already threatened to sign his own paperwork of Max Crosby means that much to you, right? Yeah, I was telling TJ and Brock: if he stays, I'm going to get the same Raider statue as him. If he goes, will you get a tattoo of his new team?
Absolutely not. He's just going to get his new team. What if it's the Dallas Cowboys? No way.
Well, here's the thing. The Raiders are apparently asking, we'll talk to Breer about it. They're apparently asking for the MICA deal: two firsts in a player. Wow. All right.
Even though he's three years older than Micah. MACA. You know what stings about this whole thing is that is sitting him so antithetical to how Pete Carroll coached, and I know that they were going to move on from him anyway. Right. But you'd s you'd almost think in so many ways that That must have been one place where Spytek and Pete just didn't see eye to eye.
Pete would never want a player to sit. to look ahead for next year. Just not who he is. And the Guerrero thing is so fascinating. Cooper and I just rewatched some of the documentary, the the dynasty, which is so fantastic.
And we were just at the Guerrero spot where the controversy started bubbling up, the tension with Belichick and Guerrero being there. And it'll be interesting to see, again, if you're saying that Silver's writing. that he can basically tell players what they want. Let them know things are coming up, what have you. Right.
Well, the thing that I think with the Guerrero stuff in New England was Tom. If I may. Finally Um Carving out some turf of his own that he felt he had earned over the years of being Tom Freaking Brady. Right? And Belichick viewed that potentially as Turfing him?
Sure. This is... you know, Tom now being in charge. and not physically being there all the time. Which leads to something that could be viewed as dysfunctional when you don't win.
100%. and could be viewed as something within the building is unhelpful if you don't win. If you win, it's just like, hey, I'm in shape. If you lose, it's just like, is everything that I'm doing being reported back to Tom? And so that's what Silver's pointing out.
That might also have a cause we might also want an exit visa from. Because this is his sixth head coach. Guy got drafted in 2019. Think about it. But there's also reasons why there was a lot of that.
Gruden could have been the coach there for the last six years if everything didn't happen the way it did years ago. But the general sense is this thing's over, and you might as well get your picks for him. and get it done. And if you do it, doing it now would be kind of the right thing to do.
So, where does he? Or doing it before the draft? Because the thing that I had. The timing was off. The thing that was so crazy, what the Cowboys did, is.
You made a deal for draft choices from Green Bay without knowing where the Green Bay draft choices were going to land for the first year of the deal. Yeah. Now, you do it, now you know exactly where the draft choices are. You know exactly who you could turn the draft choice into on the spot. You do it before the draft.
You know I'm getting from Dallas 12th overall pick. You know, getting from the Bears, what is it, 2026, 24, something like that?
So we're 27. You know, like you, you know where it is. Uh in the draft order. As opposed to doing it in the summer, plus it lingers. Plus, you know, like he's going to be there where...
Remember all that n craziness of Them standing around and training camp, not showing up here, not showing up, whatever. Not that Crosby would do the same thing, but.
So I just wanted to call everyone's attention to that. If they were going to move, like you said, a great time now because defensive players dominated this combine.
So if you. You want to get a replacement, right? I mean, I get, but Mendoza is the guy. I mean, the kid. I mean, he is going to, people are, you're going to fall in love with him.
You're going to fall in love with him. Oh, he winked at me at the combine. Oh, he did? Oh, yeah. What do you mean?
By the way, breaking news, you didn't tell me that. Big boy and just. Hey, give me a little wink. Were you wearing Raiders gear? I was not.
I was uh checked out in rich eyes and gear. Oh, maybe that's why you winked at you. Oh, just short. That's a good point. Why?
Or you like more than wave? People like our gear. I'm sure if I'm watching the Rich Eisen Show or heated rivalry with you. Ladies and gentlemen. Yeah.
By the way, there's a direct flight from Vegas to Boston. If he wants to use a direct flight, we could really use him. Let me tell you what nobody wants. How's his knee? Has anyone talked about that?
Yeah, I'll take it. I think it's going to be fine enough. It'll be fine. Which just like nobody wants the Celtics to win? Nobody wants Max Crosby on the On the Patriots.
Well, except California. Susie Cooper and her entire side of our family. No one here. All right, let's take a break. Albert Breer here on The Rich Eisen Show.
Everybody, let's ask him what he knows. He knows a lot. That's next. This is The Rich Eisen Show. The Rich Eisen Show Podcast.
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During the plus the ESPN app and ESPN radio. Ladies and gentlemen, back from the Combine himself, Sports Illustrated, it's Albert Burr. Good to see you Albert. How are you? I want to apologize.
I have like this fancy camera that I just, for one reason or another, it does things on me that are strange sometimes that I'm not qualified to fix. You nailed it. You're good. Good to see you back.
So we're using my MacBook camera now, which is a little bit less of a professional style. Did you see the article on Max Crosby from your Combine seatmate? You and Silver were sitting together when I saw you one of those two times going to work. Did you see his article in the athletic on Max Crosby today, Albert? Yeah, I did.
Yep. Yep. Put it all together. What's the reporting on Max Crosby as we sit here right now? Sure.
I mean, I think I would start here, Rich. To understand this, you've got to go all the way back to the very beginning. And that was him injuring his. his knee back in October. At that point, you know, he...
He knew the team knew that he was going to eventually have to have surgery. The question was when. It was a pain tolerance thing to some degree.
So, you know, he was under enough pain in December that they decided to go back in and have scans a couple days before Christmas. At that point, after the scans came back. They made the decision they were going to shut him down. He didn't like that. He went and sought a couple of outside opinions.
On the knee, and those doctors outside the organization told him he could, wasn't perfect, but like he'd be okay to play out the last couple of weeks of the season. And it was communicated to him that wasn't going to happen. And the communication issue there, I think as much as anything else, was more of a Tom Brady, Alex Guerrero thing.
So that's where the disconnects come with Crosby. I think at this point, he's. He's fine with the general manager, you know, with John Spytech. He's, you know, I know he's had a chance to meet with. The new head coach, Clint Kubiak.
You know, Rob Leonard, he's very close with his position coach, was just promoted to defensive coordinator. There were all of these sort of moving pieces within the organization. But I think the big thing is the door was open to the idea of him being traded, and he was able to sort of look around and see what's out there. And so I think shutting that door is difficult if you're the Raiders and saying, no, we're not going to trade you.
So obviously, calls have come in. I think a quarter of the league, if not more, is interested in trading for him at various different prices. And now the question becomes which way this goes. But I do know there's a feeling that this is an important week, and it has been an important week all along. You know, for the simple reason that we get to Monday, free agency starts, and now teams are starting to fill out their rosters.
Cap and cash budgets are being spent. And so the teams that are pursuing Crosby would like some clarity. And for the Raiders, this is, I guess, on paper, at least the largest group of suitors they're going to have.
Okay. All right. So there's a few follow-ups here. Yep. Yeah.
It's the third rail subject to talk about Alex Guerrero and Tom Brady. It just is. It always has been. And, you know, anytime I see Guerrero, couldn't be nicer, couldn't be more of a good dude, right? You know what I mean?
And Brady is the GOAT. And everybody, no one wants to. bring him into a conversation that would piss him off.
So That said, he said Are you saying Crosby was informed by that duo about being sat in a in a way that pissed him off that he can't? Come back from that red line, yeah. Is that I mean, I think his perception was, um. You know, right or wrong, I think his perception was that what was communicated to him was he's being sat down so the Raiders could pursue the first overall pick. I mean it's that that's as tale as old as time though, right?
I mean like that can't And look, I think you have to understand the psychology of Max here, too. The psychology of Max, like, Obviously, he's a great player. He's accomplished a lot. He's self-made, you know, a former fourth-round pick who's, you know. rise to the highest level risen to the highest level at his position.
And he's only played in one playoff game. And so, you know, if you haven't had the chance to have team success over a seven-year career. You know, what are your points of pride?
Well, it's all pros, it's pro bowls, it's being able to say that you were there. Every week for your teammates, and you answered the bell for them. And that's stuff that I think Max Crosby takes a ton of pride in.
So, like the idea of that being taken away from you, you can understand where it would cut you differently. And if you had great. A great level of loyalty to an organization and to ownership. He's very close with Mark Davis. Then The organization taking something like that away from you at the end of the season.
Would naturally chip away at your loyalty to the organization.
So I think that's sort of how all this. How all this turned into what it's turned into, you know, and it's something I've talked about the last few weeks, but you know, I think that communication issue between that at that level of the organization and the Brady Guerrero level of the organization, you know, at that was problematic for Max at the time. And we'll see where it goes from here. You know, but I can tell you this: like, people in that organization love the player. I think there's also a recognition of where they are, and some thought, I'm sure, I don't know this definitively, but I'm sure there's some thought, like we're going to bring a rookie quarterback in here hitting for Nino Mendoza in all likelihood.
And this might take two years, three years. And do our timelines match up with Naz Crosby? I think those are all fair questions to ask. No doubt. And it's also fair to say that one would think one phone call from 12 to 98 would smooth anything over anyway.
Certainly if there's a clear-cut plan with a new coach in Clinch Kubiak, it's very alliterative here, that this is all set. And he would be taken care of. In every way, shape, or form. That said, if there is a trade, you mentioned sooner rather than later is best in terms of. the the scope of of suitors, although Micah got traded at the last second in the summer.
That wasn't good, but that wasn't good for anybody, really. Um w w walk me through who who Who are the guy? Who are the teams? Who are the teams that are willing to just go ahead and knock on the door here? What do you got?
I mean, I think the Eagles would look at it because the Eagles look at everything. And they've got a high-profile free agent at the position and Jalen Phillips that is set to maybe get $20, $25 million per year next week.
So, you know, if you're having trouble getting him signed to an extension, is that something that you look at if you're Philly? Yeah. The Bears have been looking for edge help for a long time. You know, somebody to put opposite Montez Sweat. That would be another one to consider.
The Patriots, I know Crosby has a stated affinity for Mike Vrabel. Um, and Josh McDaniels is there, so the Patriots are going to have good, um, you know, good information on Max Crosby and You know, I think that that's probably their primary need is help on the edge. And they've got free agents, you know, like Caleb Vaughan Chase on at that position, too, just like Philly. They'd be another one to consider. I think Tampa's hat is in the ring.
Now, you know, we'll see where that one goes. But Tampa would be another one. Um there's a There's a large group of suitors. There's a healthy market here, which would seem to indicate that you'd be able to get a pretty good return if you can get those teams in competition with one another if you're the Raiders.
Okay, let's move on then, Albert. There was an actual trade today that will be made official next week. Field Yates, I mean, tweeted this out, and it really is so shocking when you see it in person, just in black and white. Since 2017, Les Need has used his own, his team's own first-round draft choice. On a player once.
There's Jared Verse in 2024. Otherwise, it has been. Isn't that amazing? I mean, and he nailed it.
So, and you could see the Jaguars. Uh choices were for Uh Jalen Ramsey, and then the Lions choices were for Matthew Stafford.
So it's not just anybody, right? And the Falcons one that he traded to the Falcons was for one this year. that is higher than the one that he traded. to the Chiefs.
So Trent McDuffie goes there now and Uh Walk me through what it means for both of these teams. Yes, so I'd say for the Rams, it kind of shows where they're at. It's also, I think, a little bit of a pivot philosophically on where they've been. And that if you look at like the time, the few years since Jalen Ramsey left there, They sort of started to view the corner position as a little bit disposable. You know, and that the saying I've heard from that sort of tree is that we view corners as speed bumps, not stop signs in today's NFL.
It's hard to find guys. Who can really impact the game because it's too easy to throw away from them?
So, this, like, I think feels like a little bit of a rollback of that philosophy. Maybe they took it too far, you know, and this is very clearly a need for them. They tried to fix it in season last year in trading for Roger McCreary from the Titans. You know, and I think it's also like a recognition of where they're at in that You know, they've got a quarterback. Who is 38, I believe, right?
I think he just turned 38, 38 was old. And they've got a team with a ton of players who are on their rookie contracts and won't be cheap forever.
So they've got some flexibility to do this, and that's guys. You know, like Jared Verse, like Kobe Turner, like Brayden Fisk, like Puka Nakua. They've got a ton of those guys that have become really good players for them at a young age. And right now, with those guys on rookie contracts, they've got the flexibility to go and take a swing on that, on this, when that's a credit to them for drafting as well as they have. You know, and I think, you know, Trent is.
Anybody who's been around Trent McDuffie knows this is an all-pro player and an all-pro person.
So there's not a huge risk here. You know what you're getting, and he's a scheme fit for what Chris Schuler wants to do. His college coach, Jimmy Lake, is there.
So all that checks out. As for the Chiefs, like This is Like, kind of the consequence of having a roster that is top-heavy, and they're sort of on the other end of that rookie contract spectrum, right? Like, I mentioned that with all the guys the Rams have.
Well, you know, like recently, the Chiefs have started having to pay their guys.
So that's Trey Smith. That's Creed Humphrey. That's George Karloftis. That's Nick Bolton. They've actually drafted really well.
They've retained a lot of those guys, but you can't pay everybody. And they tried to do Trent last year. And Trent McDuffie wanted to do a contract at the top of the market. And Trey Smith was at the top of the guard market. And George Carloftis was getting a big deal, so they couldn't get it done then.
And they went into this offseason with a recognition. After Stingley and Sauce Gardner signed. That if this was going to get done, the number in the APY was going to have to start with a three. And so, you know, I think the way they look at it is this gives them a chance to restock a little bit, to draft well. It's a position that they've developed incredibly well.
Under Steve Spagnola with the secondary coach there, Dave Merritt. They developed Legerius Sneed, Charvarius Ward, Jalen Watson, McDuffie himself. And so, you know, like they've got confidence they can develop that position. And again, like, you just can't pay everybody. You know, so where can you cut a corner?
Where can you cheat it a little bit? I mean, they think they've sort of looked at this as that's a place where, you know, maybe we can get by. With young developmental players on the roster while we're paying guys in other positions. And oh, by the way, This might open up the door for them to go after somebody like Kenneth Walker next week. Interesting.
Okay. Now that's a nice breadcrumb right there.
So four draft choices, I know that less F's the picks, but four draft choices means McDuffie's going to get that contract extension here in L.A. Yep. Yeah, they've they've given the Rams permission.
Okay. My understanding is they've already talked, and the goal is that the contract is done upon execution of the trade.
So right now, this I think the number is 13.6 or 13.9, one of those two, that McDuffie's fifth-year option. That's the number.
So the goal for the Rams would be to have a new contract done and simultaneously execute the trade and execute a new contract. I don't know if anything is guaranteed at this point, but I think If you're making this trade, you've been apprised of what the contract negotiation has been and where Trent McDuffie's camp has been on this, which is, you know, I'm a first-team all-pro corner. I should be paid at the top of the market, which is obviously justifiable. And, you know, so, you know, if you're the Rams, you have to acknowledge this is why he's being traded.
So if we're going to trade for him, then we have to make this part of it right for him.
So I would think that they're on the same page there. They've got the permission to work out an extension over the next seven days. The trade can't be executed until next Wednesday. And my guess would be the contract and the trade happen simultaneously, although nothing's guaranteed. Few minutes left with Sports Illustrated's Albert Preer.
Walk me through Kyler Murray's market. Yeah, so I think Kyler wanted to be cut. Like, that was the ideal scenario for him. Was that. And because of the way offsets work, I won't bore everybody with a cap lesson here, but.
You know, if your guarantee, if you've been caught and your guarantee is at a number, then no other team is going to match. Then you have the ability to go play on the minimum somewhere in an offset and hand your old team the bill.
So Presuming nobody's going to pay Kyler $40 or $50 million this year, which I think is a fair presumption. You know, he's going to go play on the minimum somewhere next year, the same way, you know, Russell Wilson played on the minimum coming out of Denver when he went to Pittsburgh. And this allows for Kyler to make this a pure football decision, right? Like, what is the best move for me football-wise? Not financially, football-wise.
And I think for all of us, like we've all sort of had Minnesota marked as the best destination for a quarterback now. And so he'd have the ability to go in and maybe go into a competition with J.J. McCarthy to be the quarterback there and get the chance to do what Sam Darnold did, you know, a couple of years ago in Minnesota.
So I'd have Minnesota at the top of the list. You know, there are other teams that I think for financial reasons would be attracted to Kyler. You know, and certainly, you know, the Dolphins would be on that list, the Jets would be on that list. But, you know, to me, like the Colts, if like something isn't to work, if. If Daniel Jones, you know, like if If something weird happens there, then the Colts I think would be attractive to Kyler.
Would he go there as an insurance policy against? Against Daniel Jones's Achilles, I don't know, but that would be another one to kind of look at. But that would be, I think, where the market would be for him. What's the transition tag decision timeframe for Jones? Does it match up for because Kyler's not going to want to sit around and wait for anything like that, right?
So. Like that that that's a ticking clock. There, that's one follow-up question. And then, if you wouldn't mind fashioning into your answer there. Does that mean a quarterback competition in Minnesota?
Or is Kyler would go there fully knowing? It's JJ's week one gig, and he's there as a much better option than Carson Wentz from last year, Albert. Yes, I think Minnesota is of a mind to create a competition for JJ. And I know I can tell you factually that like really going back to the middle of last year, they've had You know, like an eye on what's our next reclamation project. And they viewed that as a potential path for them because it worked out so well a couple of years ago with them taking on Sam Darnold as a reclamation project.
So, like, that's the way I'd view that. What was your other question, Rich? My other question was the timing of Daniel Jones's decision. Oh, Jones. Yeah.
I would say ASAP on that. Like, they, so the reason they transitioned him. Um and the reasoning on it. Is So like his Camp, I think, is right now of a mind. That we should be making $100 million over the next two years.
And that sounds like a lot, but that's based on, and that ask is based on where the franchise tag is, right? And so the franchise tag, you put two tags together, it comes out to roughly 96 over two, which is close to 100, so round up. And he's looking for about $50 million per year. The transition tag. Takes that leverage point away from the player side, right?
So you're not working off of that number, off of a number above 43 anymore. You're working off of a number that's above 37. And it also gives Daniel Jones a chance to go out and look on the market if he wants to.
So, you know, I like the if you look at it right now, like it would be the Colts put something in front of him as far as a long-term deal, or he can sign the one-year tender at just over $37 million. It gives, like, I think a little bit more flexibility. It allows for the player to go and explore the market on his own. It's risky, of course, because you risk losing the player. And there's another piece to this that I think is interesting, which is the Alec Pierce situation, which they would like to get Alec Pierce re-signed.
I think Alec Pierce is going to sign for somewhere between $25 and $30 million somewhere. But Pierce has communicated pretty clearly to them that he wants to know who his quarterback's going to be before he signs.
So there are some moving parts there that I think you have to consider. And it's an interesting situation for sure for the Colts. My guess would be that Daniel Jones is back there. I think he wants to be there. The team wants him to be there.
But obviously, putting the transition tag on him instead of the franchise tag does open some new questions. All right, last one for you. The Cowboys are clearing the cap space for who? What do you think? What are they doing?
I mean, I would say Crosby would be somebody who'd be on the radar. Um,. I I I wouldn't look at the clearing of cap space as necessarily a precursor to a huge move, but it does give them some flexibility to work here. to fit the George Pickens tag here. You know, so like there are, you know, I think a few moving parts with that, but I would say.
Like if there was somebody that I'd circle and say like, yeah, that's who they'd go after. And they'd be interested in as far as just a big ticket item there, it would probably be Crosby, who, by the way, I believe went to high school in the Dallas area. Yeah, he went yeah, Collyville. He went from Collyville, Texas. All right.
Four bucke guys in the top ten? Albert? Yeah, do you want to talk about Caleb Downs and that message? No, I mean, I guess I've got about two minutes. If you, if you have, I'm happy to give you the floor on that.
Although, Sonny Styles is just, for me, he's the hottest guy on planet Earth right now.
So, yeah, I mean, I think like Carnell Tate and Arvel Reese were kind of, you know, comfortably in that range going into the combine. You know, Caleb Downs, too.
Sonny Styles knocked his meetings out of the park. The only question with him is how you value the position. Right. You know, because there are some teams that just don't value off-ball linebackers that. That high, you know, regardless of how they test or any of that.
So, but his meetings went great. You know, he is an A-plus kid. I don't know if you had the chance to sit down with him, but all the way around, like a really great kid and is going to meet well. And, you know, I think the experience in the Matt Patricia defense helps him too. You know, Caleb is interesting because I saw out there what you saw out there and, you know, in our text group there with the financial advisor to the stars, Don Woo.
We went over this. You know, I would say I try to check everything, you know, and I would caution people to looking at anything that has fake at the beginning of the handle and taking it seriously. I checked with ahead of this appearance because you and I had communicated a little bit on this. I checked with five different teams. last night on Caleb Downs medicals.
I got three, were not worried about it at all. I got one like minor tendonitis in his knee. I got one wear and tear in his knee.
So I don't think it's a massive concern for people that are drafting up there in the top 10. I think if he were to fall, it would have more to do with what I just mentioned with Sonny Styles, which is the positional value argument, but not because of anything that's wrong with him medically. Downs may have been the best player on that team at the end of the day. You know, that's how Tom is. The most impressive thing about him is like when you watch him play and he hits somebody, they stop.
I've said that, you know. I mean, you do not get extra yards against him. And he's another one. He's like a son of an NFL player, just like Sonny Styles and just a plus person who started for Nick Saban as a true freshman at Alabama.
So, you know, I think he's another one who I think will have a good long career and how highly you value. Value him in the draft, you know, probably relates directly to how you see the safety position. Albert, you're the man. Thanks for the time.
Sorry for the camera issues. I know this thing's my Zoom settings, somebody's going to have to help me. Because what was distracting me is my camera was moving with my head there, too.
So I got a lot of things to work out there. I need you to people. Have them give me a IT person. Have them give me a call. Add Albert Breer, everybody.
Check it out. Thanks, Albert Breer, on the program right here from Sports Illustrator. We got to beat it so we can get in some advertisements. Back with more in a sec. The Rich Heisen Show, the podcast.
844-204-Rich, number two dial.
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Everywhere. Visit pella.com slash Eisen today. That's pella.com slash eisen. Um lots to talk about off of that.
So The Cowboys don't think that they're creating cap space for a big splash, although they could. If Max Crosby's coming, one way to create the space is apparently they're going to go back and redo some more contracts and have about over 60 million in cap space. That's what I'm hearing the goal and the plan is. Yeah. So.
Yeah, he could fit Max in there. Especially when you're ready to bust the budget, Rich. Kyler Murray's going to have his choice where to go. His choice Yeah? Obviously, he's not going to depose a quarterback who's there, but for teams that are in the quarterback market, he's going to choose.
So, where do you think he's going to go, though? Yeah. It seems like The Minnesota Vikings are determined to make my guy compete for his job. He doesn't like this. I mean,.
No, I don't. No, I don't. But I wasn't in the building. And J.J. McCarthy wasn't available every week.
And They they want to make them earn it. I guess. And so Kyler Murray is I just don't know if he's going to be the choice. Geno Smith could be a choice. For that.
But it sounds like Minnesota could be a spot. Miami could be a spot. If he wants to go to the Jets. The Jets will start him week one, and he will go to New York City. He's got Garrett Wilson there, and he's got Brees Hall here.
And he's got Frank Reich dialing up the offense. If he wants to go to media market number one and give the Jets a whirl, I think they'll do that in a heartbeat. In a heartbeat. But then he's got to deal with that media market.
Well, I mean, he's going to get more follow-up questions than he's had in Glendale, that's for sure. Absolutely. And if. If a ball hits off his face mask and he fumbles it, he's going to hear more about it than what he did maybe in Arizona. That is for sure.
But New York's New York. The Rich Eisen Show Podcast. Mm-hmm.
