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Now, on with the show. This is the Rich Eisen Show. What's the line that you get the most? The Rich Eisen Show. Who wants a mustache ride?
Live from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles, earlier on the show. Actor Jeremy Swift. PGA Tour winner Jackson Coivan. Still to come. Tampa Bay Times Bucks writer Rick Stround.
Your phone calls, latest news, and more. And now, it's Rich Eisen. Is on the air hour one. We had Jeremy Swift, the uh Britt, who plays Higgins on uh On Ted Lasso, he was here in hour number one. Hour number two, Jackson Coivan, fresh off of winning on the PGA Tour and just his third career to start as a professional.
At age 21, he joined us. I didn't tell him the story of how when I was on the practice range at the American Century Championship before the first round. I was asked by a member of the tournament um if I was playing the tournament as an amateur or a professional. Um Did I tell you that story? I think I told the person who.
Who walked up to me asking me if I was playing as an amateur or professional in this tournament? That it's similar. to being at age fifty-seven carded At a bar. that it's a compliment that you can't tell. Yeah, no.
my age, or how good at at golf I am. At which point I said, no, I'm an amateur. I need to maintain my status. You know what I mean? Like, I'm not going to forfeit a member guest opportunity just to win cash at the American Century Championship.
I have standards and I also have a long view of things. I should have brought that up to Jackson.
Next time.
Next time.
Next time.
What I did bring up to Jackson, if you missed it, what we talked about, it's going to be on our YouTube channel. It's also going to be part of our. Podcast every single day, all three hours. Check it out. YouTube.com/slash Rich Eisen show wherever you get your podcasts.
All three hours also available on Disney Plus.
Okay, we mentioned it before. It's now time to reveal. But what's more likely here on a Wednesday? Just a quick one. Kyler Murray's first snap.
Of the competition in Minnesota. I haven't seen it. Between him and JJ McCarthy. Have you seen it, TJ? I have purposely skipped through the video twice because it popped up.
All right. Is it? A massive mistake, pick six. Or is it? A huge Touchdown pass to one of his new receivers.
Big, huge bomb. Literally or figuratively? Which one is it? Pick six. Ah, what do you think?
I'm gonna say it's a bomb to my cousin Justin Jefferson for a tutty. You are half correct. Oh. 60-yarder to Jordan Addison. Oh, Kyler.
And you're J.J. McCarthy and you're like. Damn it. Oh no. Or no.
There's still more time. There's still more time. That's 60 yards. Why'd you think it was a pick six, Chris? Because that's how.
I don't know. Because usually everything's bad this time of year. All right. I mean, I'm watching Marvin Harrison drops. A.J.
Brown and Drake Mayer one for seven. You know what I mean? Come on. I'm thinking J.J. McCarthy watched that and thought, let me go get mine.
You know how this works. Do you remember that one year where the Miami Dolphins Social staff zoomed in on a throw perfect from Tua to Tyree Kell. And it was that wobbly it was wobbly. It was the the antithesis of what NFL Films has that tight spiral, and that led to one of our famous drops of uh of him in throwing a good pass. Remember that?
I I don't I don't know about you, but that looked like money. Remember you did that? That was Tua back in the day. But Kyler I don't know about you, but that looked like money from him. Oh, there is another deep ball this time, too, Justin Jefferson.
At least 45 yards. Day one about you, but that looked like money. Tyler having a camp. They got receivers. A1.
I told you the way this is gonna go. Oh, here's a J.J. McCarthy dot to Jawan Jennings. He's good guys. By the way, Jawan Jennings being added to Jordan Addison and.
Justin Jefferson. Under the radar. What if they just go like an old school college and play both guys? That's not happening. That won't happen.
But you know the way I think it's gonna go. Yeah. For those who don't know, I just think that they're going to be too curious as to what the upside is for. Kyler Murray when they get him for 1.3 million bucks. It's just going to be too big, but that's going to be what a decision that's going to be down the road, man.
The Atlanta Falcons. Decision at quarterback. Um right now. Tua versus the aforementioned Tua versus Michael Pennix. Um They got a problem on their hands because Penix isn't ready to throw 11 on 11 yet.
And Tua is Had an aggravation of something that they're refusing to identify. But uh I believe Schefter's calling it a tweaked back. I feel them for this. They'll do for them.
So they're looking for, they just signed Cooper Rush because they're looking for camp arms right now. With all due respect to Cooper Rush, he. He's more than a camp arm, but right now he's sitting at home and he's the first quarterback to get a phone call saying, Would you like to play in the National Football League or at least come to training camp and have a shot? Because the Falcons are looking for Healthy guys to throw. That's the way they're entering their training camp season.
Yeah, Cooper Rush and a guy named Jack Strand. Ah. Doesn't that sound like something?
Sounds like a 60s cop show on Jack Strand. Russian Strand. Or it does sound like one of those new, you know. Those new fangled shows that you can watch streaming. Man.
A new guy who's on the who's on the crime case. It's Jack Strand. If you could tell me where Jack Strand went to college, you'd get a dollar. Where did Jack String go to college? Vanderbilt.
Minnesota Moorhead. Hey, everybody.
Okay. And then there's the questions that were getting answered one by one. When Kirk Cousins got signed by the Vegas Raiders, it was like. Makes sense, man. Makes sense.
You're not going to just draft Fernando Mendoza and throw him. on the field. And Aiden O'Connell's still sitting there too. I get it. They've been there, they've done that with him.
Um And he's a great guy to have in your quarterback room to. But they weren't going to go hire Clint Kubiak and go into the season with We're going to either go with Aiden O'Connell again. And go, you know, best of luck to all of us here. Trying to win games because they're done trying to draft first overall. We're just finished.
Got to start winning some games there in Vegas. And You're not going to just say we're rushing Mendoza com no matter what. Cousins was a perfect Perfect solve. You can win games with him. And in a West Coast, if you will, offense.
You have any if you if you're if you're from the Shanahan McVay. World, as Daniel Jeremiah says, you must at some point pay fealty to Kirk Cousins. And they went ahead and got the genuine article. And it's no surprise that Coach Kubiak. Said Guess who's atop the Flow chart, depth chart here.
It is in fact Kirk Cousins. You know, for every position, there's got to be competition, right? The best player has to play. And that's not just what I'm going to see. You guys are going to see it in the preseason games.
You know, we as coaches, we're going to see who the best guard is, okay, best quarterback. across the board. Everywhere on the roster.
So it's important for me to be fair to the players: is to put the best player out there. When we go out to practice tomorrow, Kirk Cousins is the starting quarterback. He's the guy. And he's going to get a ton of reps. and he deserves them because he's played really good football.
But I want Fernando and I want Aiden to push him.
Okay, so Kirk Job's yours, but you're going to be pushed. Yeah, yeah. You have the floor on that subject matter. I think that's pro football. I think every day we go out there, we all try to Work together.
you know, raise the standard every day for one another. I think every position group, we're all competing. You know, I just think that's the world we've lived in, even going back to college, is they're going to put as many good players in a room as they can and see who can come out as the guy who's. you know Taking the spot to play, but we're all kind of then supporting one another and working together.
So that's just the journey we've always been on, and it's pretty much the norm.
Okay. Okay. Mike, hit it, please. Listen, I know Fernando Mendoza just won a national championship, and I know Aiden's been here for a while, and he's a good quarterback, but. I'm Kirk Cousins.
I've been around for a long time. I've been there and I've done that. I know this offense. These guys aren't gonna push me. I'm not kidding.
I'm not the the only way that I'm gonna be pushed around here is eventually out. I also know what time it is. This is a first Overall drafted quarterback who's a really good kid. And I'm happy to, you know, mentor him and show him some ropes. But The showing of the ropes.
Is me starting. Mm-hmm. And sure, you want to call a healthy competition coach? That's fine. I'm here to support you in that regard and talk about these guys being.
You know, talented players in the quarterback room, and we're pushing one another. And I do, you know, at the very core of my being, do believe that sort of stuff. But I'm starting around here. And seen. I don't know, I I I can't you know, listen.
Now Can Fernando Mendoza be that burrow-like type player? Let's see. Let's see what's going down. At some point, he's going to get it. Do you get the schedule before we turn to speaking of borrowed the Cincinnati Bengals, four downs?
Uh raider schedule. There are some tough games, clearly. Weeks four through seven. Yeah. Weeks four through seven.
Home for Kansas City at New England, home for Buffalo, home for the Rams.
Now you're home for three of the four. That's good. At New Orleans in two week three. I understand New Orleans finished last. last year in their division.
But That's a tough spot to play in week three. People are going to be well oiled in the crowd prior to that game. Um so I'm thinking It's smart to get cousins out there. for the first two months of the season and see how it goes. Uh at the Jets at at at the niners Home for Seattle at Denver.
None of this is easy, clearly. Um there's not a lot of soft part of the schedule. Ever, you never know. Everyone always looks at Tennessee. I know everyone, when they're playing the Jets in Tennessee in the win-loss game, it's like, oh, we're going to beat them or Browns.
Okay. But we just, you never know. But it makes sense to get cousins out there for the first two months and let let Mendoza watch him prepare. And then maybe Cousins plays the whole damn first season. I don't know.
I doubt it. But it makes sense that he's starting. Week one. Cincinnati Bengals, ladies and gentlemen, is the next team on our four-downs list. Season preview of the Cincinnati Bengals hit it.
Four downs with Ridge. Here we go. Why did you suck? All right, there's so many different ways I can go with the Cincinnati Bengals four-downs, starting with the first down. The end of the story, the beginning and the end of the story is, you know, obviously Joe Burrow, but I'm not going to lead with that.
I'm leading with the defense because the whole idea is: is Burrow going to have to score 90 million points a game or not? And how good can this Bengals defense be? And the Dexter Lawrence trade is front and center in the whole damn thing. They had a 10th overall pick and they could have gotten your guy, TJ. Caleb Downs.
The state of Ohio showed the last two years what he could do. And I understand you don't build around a guy that's in the back end of your defense who could potentially step up and play in the linebacking slot and just be moved all over the place. But that said, Derwin James and Christian Gonzalez, and you know. Um Kyle Hamilton, just to name a few, can change. Your defense.
Just change it. Absolutely. Caleb Downs, you're hoping he's going to do that for the Dallas Cowboys. I guarantee Sexy Dexy, they go ahead and they get him. He's a terrific player in the center of defense.
You can change a defense from there, too. Al Golden is back for year two as a defensive coordinator. Let's just take a touchdown of game off the board and see how that works. And if Caleb Downs is balling out in Dallas and Dexter Lawrence is not performing like the Dexter Lawrence of old, we'll have a conversation. But I'm just Circling that decision prior to the draft.
Clearly, they didn't know if Caleb Downs would be available. Francis Mauanoa was taken with that draft choice that they flipped to. the giants.
So if they don't protect Burrow, Or they can't give Burrow um Enough help on defense again. Long season. We're going to hit this trade again. We're going to talk about it. Yeah.
Second down. Is the other, let's just dive into it here. Can the Bengals perhaps focus a little bit better on protecting Joe Barrow? Can we just, can we get there? Just a little.
Oh, can we be done with watching Nine run for his life? And then we got our hearts in our throat saying, just get up. Yeah. Just get up and run back to the sideline. Let's not talk about a toe.
Let's not talk about a knee. Let's not talk about anything like that anymore. Let's just get Joe Burrows standing upright, throwing touchdowns. For what you know could wind up being the best offense in the National Football League if this guy can be protected. And if you can take a defense off of the other on the field and take a touchdown off the other team's total.
Now you're talking. Third down. is how much of a microscope is Zach Taylor under? He's been the coach since 2019. Just do it.
19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26. This is year eight for him. And you're like, wow. Like, that's a long time. Dang.
Well, you know, who's holding that beer is Marvin Lewis. Who is coach of this team for 16 years? If you think Zach Taylor has been at this job long and should have a hotter seat under him. If you think that. You don't know this organization.
Marvin Lewis coached this team for 16 years. Yeah. That's what normally a Hall of Fame coach coaches a team for: John Harbaugh. Mike Tomlin.
Now then. How much of a microscope is the coach going to be under? He's got one more year after this one. Who knows, man? I know.
This team does not like paying dead money to coaches. They just don't like paying dead money. I mean. They just don't like it. Fourth down.
Fourth down. What does Joe Burrow think of everything? Every single press conference after a win, after a loss, it's going to be: what is Joe thinking? Is he wanting out of here? Is he going to pull Carson Palmer on us?
Is he happy? Is he not happy? Last year, we were all wondering that. And it came out. Oh, the reason why he's seeing all these things from a podium, it's just, well.
He's just frustrated over the injuries. He's frustrated over this. He's frustrated over that. It's not frustrating with the organization. He's not frustrated with Cincinnati.
He's not frustrated, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. What does Joe Burrow think of everything? What will he think of everything? Everything he says from the podium is going to be parsed. and looked into and the lines being read in between.
And right now, I think he's having fun with it. Because this sound bite's clanking around from just this very day. Joe Burrow on why he picked up a telescope What? Not a transcript? Yeah.
I just thought it was cool. Just gather cool things as you get older, man. It's like uh. I don't know. Just find some cool stuff that I like.
Okay. So what are you looking at? Galaxies, um. Nebula. planets, moons, all the above.
Haliums. Hopefully one day.
Well, he's got an alien and wide receiver. We know that. Wow. Off season 26. See you on the battlefield.
And everyone's like, okay, what does this mean? What does this mean? Are you out of this world? You're excited. The fact that he's into this telescope, does that mean he's, you know, he's.
He's as cool with this team and on offense as you possibly can get. You see where I'm going with all of this? I got it, man. This team has Bloom. And bust.
Wouldn't you say? The bust is because the football gods will see To the fact that he's not healthy or somebody important is not healthy again, because Chase Brown is outstanding, and those receivers are outstanding, and this team can absolutely light it up. And if the defense is even a hair better, They can win the division. And then good luck. Good luck.
Joe Burr back in January he was Here we go. Yeah, I mean and Shamar Stewart, guy they drafted last year, carted off today. With a leg injury and it doesn't look good, don't look at the video. Really? Oh, man.
Yeah. See the football guns already? That's what I mean.
So it's already started.
Well, they didn't do much with him last year to begin with. Let's hope it's not as bad as what you're. You're intimating it. But that's my four downs on the Cincinnati Bengals, who could win the division, win the conference. The Super Bowl, we're all talking about: hey, the Rams can get back there.
Don't forget who they played in that Super Bowl in SoFi. They can do it, man. They can do it. Running a small business means every hire matters. A bad hire costs time and money, but the right one helps your business grow.
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Get started by posting your job for free at LinkedIn.com/slash Eisen. Terms and conditions apply. Rick Stroud back on the Rich Eisen Show, everybody, when we come back talking about the Bucks and all that's going on there. Yeah. The Rich Eisen Show Podcast.
Back here on the Rich Eisen Show, ladies and gentlemen, back here on the program man who knows everything about the Tampa Bay Buccaneers because his name is Rick Stroud, the beat rider for the Tampa Times. Good to see you again, Rick. How are you, brother? Good to see you. Rick, what's up, Bill?
What's up? What's up, Rich? You know, I think that maybe Vita thought he'd have a little more ballast in his wallet today, and it wasn't quite as heavy. Yeah, that was a weird one. He, you know, he's holding a blocking sled and doing all kinds of stuff, but.
The tweak, the phantom tweak raised its ugly head. That could be it, Rick. If he's been prepping for his, let's just say he keeps his wallet in the back right pocket. That's it. He's expecting that right side to weigh something.
And if it's less than that and he takes one step with his left, that could tweak. I could tweak anybody, you know? Yeah, absolutely. I think that's part of the mystery right here. It's been a weird thing.
You know, I thought I would ease into the new season on Monday and then. Villa says he wants to be traded. Then Tuesday, Baker. You know, he cuts off his negotiations and he comes back going to bet on himself again and play under his current contract. Never a dull moment down here in Tampa, man.
All right, let's take it one at a time. Let's start with Baker. What's the number? What's the number that they couldn't get to, do you think?
Well, I'm not sure the number. I would think that if I'm them, in particular, his agent, Tom Mills, I think it starts with a five. From what I understand, You know, they made, Bakerside made some concessions in terms of length of the deal, you know, whether that's that he wanted three years and he moved to. you know to two or four three excuse me i don't know what's going on with my voice But um You know, I think. To be honest with you.
There might be a little sticker shock for the Glazers at the quarterback position. They've never really paid one of these guys. I mean, Baker's going to make $40 million this year. When Tom Brady showed up, and we all know that he does the discounted thing, right? He only got 25 million, and that was just a few short years ago.
Now, You know, he did have a TB12 down the street that the entire team went to, that the ball club paid for, for all his players to go there. But I'm not sure the Bucks have ever really paid this kind of money for a quarterback.
So maybe it's just a matter of the Glazers settling in and understanding this is the market for these guys. And Baker, You back him in a corner, they know he's gonna fight, they know he's gonna play his ass off, and you know, the question is: what happens? If he doesn't have a great season, you're happy, but then could he say, Well, you didn't believe in me a year ago. Or when the season started, I'm going to find a new home.
So you just don't know how that works.
Well, I mean, if I'm. Baker. I'm hoping they just can't wrap their arms around paying a quarterback. that amount of money as opposed to sitting there, they don't believe in him. You know, I mean, for him to come in after Brady and then I think that's a good idea.
I think he's outstanding. And he's the type of guy that I would want to go to battle with. Really. And he's one of those guys on the opposing side, you're like, I can't stand him. You know, so he's got that going for him.
But for him to do what he's done so far um and then I know he's making 40 this year. At some point in time, though, in success, if whoever they. Do you have at some point on the buccaneer side after Baker, whenever that is? Hopefully, it's somebody young and generationally brilliant. You're going to, I mean, 50 million will be a beer hold at some point in time in this league, Rick, you know?
Yeah, no, that's absolutely true. And I do think that if you look at where he ranks right now in terms of. You know, his salary and what he's accomplished. He should be arguably a top 10, no more than top 12 quarterback, probably a top 10 quarterback. Those guys are making 50 million.
I mean, just down the street, Trevor Lawrence is making over 50 million. Yeah, he's 31 years old. The only cause for pause, and I don't think the Bucs worry about this necessarily. He's one of three quarterbacks that have started 51 games in the last three years, with Josh Allen and Jared Goff being the other two. But Baker does wear down.
You know, like he puts himself out there almost to a fault at times. Last year, he was on the injury report with eight different injuries. It definitely affected him, rich, down the stretch. I know they got up to a five and one, six and two start. Then they lost seven of nine.
He was throwing a lot of fourth-quarter interceptions. He went from. 14 touchdowns, I think, and two interceptions to nine touchdowns and eight interceptions, or something like that, or 10 and nine. And it wasn't good. He did not play well.
Now, he had no offensive line. You know, they were obliterated up front, especially inside of the guard position. They couldn't run the football very effectively. Bucky Irving was hurt.
So many things went wrong last year. And then they also have a new offensive coordinator to replace Josh Bazard.
So it wasn't all on Baker, but. He's 31, and the way he plays, he plays like he's Josh Allen, but he's not as big as Josh Allen.
So that might be a little concerned too at some point.
So then, obviously, him circling a wagon, he's used to it. Um so he's doing it again here. Um how how do you think he's taking it? What do you think, Greg? I think this is where Baker lives.
I really do. You know, he came in here one year, four million dollar make it contract, some pseudo competition with Kyle Trask, who's out of the league now. And he embraced that and he lit it up. You know, the next year, of course, he got the three-year hundred million dollar deal, which was great for him at the time. I finally got some security.
He loves Tampa, Rich. He said he wants to make this his forever home, whether he plays here or not. The fan base absolutely loves him. I think the ownership loves him. I know that the players do, and I know that Jason Light and those guys do.
I just can't understand. Usually, when you have two sides that want the same thing, you can work it out. And like I said, I think he made concessions on the number of years, but for whatever reason, they've had a tough time wrapping their hands around what his value should be. And I don't really understand that because I know what it is to this franchise and to this team. You either got a guy or you don't.
And you can win a Super Bowl with Baker Mayfield. I believe that. We saw Sam Darnold do it.
Now, your team has to be better. Their defense was horrible last year. They've completely, you know, revamped that. They've hired new coaches on that side of the ball.
So, you know, if they can protect him, he can take you a long way. But I'm not, this one's a little puzzling to me. But look, he bets on himself all the time, right? I mean, this is. Walk on at Texas Tech, walk on in Oklahoma, win the Heisman.
You know, this is where he feels the most comfortable sometimes. And it's a debt, like I know you never see Never in this league, but it's definite, like, they're not talking. Contract between now and week one. This thing is done because Baker said it's done and he's a man of his word, etc. That's it.
I mean, you never say never, but I do think that's Baker's mentality. I feel like when he set that deadline, that was it.
Now, Mike Evans set a similar deadline several years ago, and they stopped talking. And he played the season, he got his thousand. And a couple of days before free agency, they gave him what, you know, a two-year, $52 million contract, which they thought would make him a buck for life. Little did they know he had more life and he's in San Francisco. But, you know, the weird thing about this is, Rich, is that you just take.
You know what's happened since last season? Mike Evans. Takes less money to leave and go to the 49ers. That was a hurt. That was a bite out of the bucks.
They felt bad about that. They understood it, but they felt bad about it. Levante David retires.
Okay, that's fine. Then Vita Bea says he wants to be traded, not I'm gonna hold in or I want a new country. I wanna be traded, I wanna be out of here. And then Baker, of course, you know. Pulls the deadline on him and says, I'm done talking.
So I just wonder, and I asked Chris Godwin about this today. You heard him talking about it, but you know, what really Goes on in the locker room, and those guys get together and say, Geez, man, you know. Baker Mayfield didn't get his extension and Mike is gone. And Vita is a player we cannot replace. Todd Bowles told me that last preseason.
There's one guy on defense I cannot plug in Uh, for and that's Vita Veia.
So It's been a bumpy start to the season, but they'll pull it together. All right. Well, let's take a couple of those things one at a time. A few minutes left here with Rick Stroud. Uh from Tampa.
So Vita Vea says, I want out, because clearly, whatever the conversations on the contract were so. To his dissatisfaction, that he's now he's officially demanded a trade. Um So the question I ask you is If I had a GoPro on Jason Light, What would it have been when he found out what Howie Roseman signed Jalen Carter to yesterday, Rick? I don't know, man. There's a certain lounge down the street on Dale Maver he might have run to at some point.
Right. Yeah, you know, and that's the thing, right? We talk about sticker shock, and the only problem is that Vita's on the wrong side of 30. You know, he's 31 years old, and he signed that deal four years ago. He still has one year left, but it's 17 million.
He's not even in the top 10, and he should be. I'm not sure why they can't just, you know. Cooler heads prevail, find a way to bump him up at least for this year. Then he becomes a free agent. Maybe that's not, you know.
Good enough for what he wants, but the guy's still a beast. He's played the most snaps the last few years that he's ever played. And I don't know how this defense works without him. They've done a lot, Rich, on defense. I mean, they brought in new linebackers, they drafted Jeremiah Trotter.
We know about Ruben Dane Jr. could be defensive rookie of the year candidate.
So they've done a lot to get better. But without Vita Vea, it's a different defense, man. You just can't imagine how different it would be. You know, by the same token, he's out there wearing number 50. He's holding the blocking sled, even with his bad back.
Uh, you know, holding the holding the mat.
So I really, it doesn't feel like he's going anywhere to me.
Well, I mean, again, that that's the way it works for most players in the NFL. Like, ask for a trade all you want. It's just not going to happen. You know, like, this isn't the NBA, although it isn't the NBA for some. Um I it's just rare that it is for defensive tackles.
But, you know, Dexter Lawrence got traded, but I kind of think Vita Vey is in a different category, with all due respect.
So I don't know how that we'll have to keep an eye on that as things move on. Uh last one for you here, Rick. Why did Mike Evans leave the Buccaneers? Great question. I've thought about it.
I think a part of him saw that wide receiver room when they drafted a Mecca Abuka last year. Jalen McMillan's coming back. Chris Godwin's in tenth year. Tez Johnson, they got Ted Hirsch this year in the draft. Mike still had things he wants to accomplish.
That's a thousand catches, whatever it is. The streak broke, but he's had five coordinators in five different years. I think he wants to win. I think he wants to win a Super Bowl. And I think he looked at the 49ers.
They played them the last few years out there. The atmosphere is really good. He's got continuity with the coaching staff. God bless Kyle Shanahan. Hopefully, he recovers completely.
But I think he had. You know, this, if not now, when moment, you know what I mean? Felt like he left the room in a better place than he found it. And his targets, Rich, were probably going to go down. you know, and so here's a chance for him to go out there, start fresh with a storied franchise and maybe win a Super Bowl and walk off that way.
Well, and I the reason why I finish with this is because it it kind of encapsulates everything that we've just talked about for the last few minutes, Rick. is that, you know, Vita Vera says, I want to trade. Baker Mayfield says, We're done talking for the moment because these things didn't go their way. Um and if Mike Evans says I need to ring chase before I retire. elsewhere.
That that kind of Makes any underpinnings of, hey, there's Ruben Bain. Hey, we, you know, did win the division four years in a row before last year. That kind of. takes those legs out. from any hope.
I agree. Rich, I've said it. I don't know if it's true. We haven't heard from the front office or Jason Light. They're laying low.
But this is not the vibe you want in that locker room. You know, guys are represented by the same agent sometime. They're looking around. This is a team that's rewarded their players in the past. I mean, Antoine Winfield Jr., Tristan Wurfs, Luke Gedeck, you can go on and on.
But for whatever reason, you know, these are two mainstays of their franchise, and it didn't happen for either one. And then, like you said, Mike decides I got a better chance to win a Super Bowl somewhere else. If I was trying to message this thing in the PR department, I don't know how I'd do it. You know, I don't know how I put a good spin on this, but.
Somehow, some way, they gotta play football and put this behind them. But it's a story for now, and it may be until they resolve it. Yeah, I mean, as you know, crazier things have happened. You're opening at Cincinnati. You know, Baker likes winning in that state and planting a flag right in the middle of the field.
And then three three in a row at home. Although, you know, you got multiple opponents with playoff hopes and previous seasons with playoff appearances. that come uh before you start playing your own division. I mean At that point in time, Todd Bowles could just, you know, do his usual terrific coaching gig, getting some people believing, and then off you go. Who knows?
But I I know right now it doesn't feel great. it doesn't for a Buck fan, so Yeah, no, I understand. We'll see what tomorrow brings. Appreciate the time, Rick. You'd be well.
We'll chat again soon.
Okay, thanks. Thanks, Rich. You have me. Ladies and gentlemen, Rick Stroud back on the Rich Eisen Show, everybody. See, you wouldn't even ask him about Tom Brady.
That's right. Usually, that's all we would do. I mean, he's still on. Do you want to ask him about Tom Brady? I mean, he's gone now.
Whew, doesn't sound good. I know it doesn't, but it's. June 29th. July 29th. July.
July. It's July 29th, thank you. It's July twenty ninth. I know, we still have six weeks or so to the season. Right.
But, you know. Dikes. I'll tell you this, man. If it's the owners are just like, it's a tough bill for us to swallow paying a quarterback 50 million bucks just because they did it down the road in Jacksonville with their first overall drafted quarterback doesn't mean we have to do it with ours, even though we weren't the ones who drafted them. Doesn't mean we have to do that.
But at some point in time, it is the cost of doing business. Like, you're not going to get goats who are just, I'll give you a hometown discount. They're just not going to get and then win a championship with them. They just don't just drop anywhere. And if they do drop, their names aren't Tom Brady.
Other than that one time. See where I'm going with that? I mean, it is the cost of doing business. But it's not like they don't pay anybody. I mean, Tristan Wurfs has got a massive contract.
That's true.
Okay. We will take a break and finish up this program. Let you know what's going on on tomorrow and Friday as well. We've hit the middle of the week right here on the Rich Eisen Show. Final segment when we return.
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Loans originated by SoFi Bank NA member FDIC terms and conditions apply, NMLS 696891. O'Shea Jackson Jr. is here on his usual Wednesday spot for no contest wrestling with you and TJ later on. Good to see you, sir. How are you?
Good to see you as well. I am. Terrific. Ah, you had to think about that. There was a pause.
Was that a dramatic pause? Is that your app? Always dramatic pause. Your chops on display. I want to take a quick call because Toby in Wyoming has been waiting for an hour and a half.
What's up, Toby? You there? Toby. Flight three, Mikey. Hey, how are you doing, Rich?
What's up, Toby? How are you? Doing good.
So I had a quick question, and I'm going to apologize in advance for possibly getting an argument started between Brock and TJ. Oh, I don't have a problem with that. Oh, Shea, do you have a problem with that if Brock and TJ start arguing here?
Sounds like a good day.
Sounds like a good day.
Any day ends in Y. Exactly. All right, Toby, you've got the floor.
So it seems like we've had a lot of what's more likelies today.
So I'm going to go ahead and top off with another one. All right. So, kind of cross sport one here for you. What is more likely my Carolina Panthers? winning the NFC South.
Or Chris's Boston Celtics being a top three seed in the East. Yes.
Okay. So that's your what's more likely? Yeah, Celtic Celtic. Once we trade for Steph Curry. Top three.
In the East.
So you got the Knicks and the Sixers. And then that's where you'd be slotted in, huh? Right there? Three? We'll be ahead of Philly, but sure.
Why would you be ahead of Philly? Why would you be ahead of Philly? We're a better team than them. Says who? You got Paul George now.
Yeah. For now. And and by the way. Yeah. It's PG 13 playoff P.
Yeah. Let's be let's be what playoff series was that? Let's be respectful. Calmdale. Boston?
A little Paul George disrespect that. Thank you, TJ. But still. Toby, did you spark the argument that you wanted or were just a little bit uh too uh Less argumentative than you wanted right there. To give my two cents on the situation, I honestly think LeBron is going to plug in.
Way more than what people are really giving it credit for. Because I mean, you know, he took the back seat. both Luca and Austin are eaved last season. But and of course, Stephen was an absolute animal in that series against Houston. And then obviously they just ran into the unstoppable force that is the Oklahoma City Thunder.
So um I just I I just foresee him plugging in really well. Um They really need a good passer. I feel like with Maxie, like Maxie definitely is there, but he's not on LeBron's level as far as a passer.
So, I think having him facilitate everything, I think it's just going to mesh really well. And then, obviously, I don't know. No disrespect to Paul George. Kind of overrated, if I'm being honest. How about that?
Just feels like it just never really feels like he's panned out where he's gone. Not the first time he's heard that. Thank you, Toby, in Wyoming, everybody. Toby gets it. Starting five, according to ESPN.com in Boston.
Derek White, Baylor Scheierman. Yeah, bless you. Paul George, Jason Tatum, Mitchell Robinson. Yeah. Thief in the night you starting five according to ESPN.com of the Philadelphia 76ers.
Tyrese Maxey, Vijay Edgecombe, Jalen Brown, LeBron James, and Joel M. Bede. Is that an Elson Brand jersey? Apparently, it is. Woo.
Okay. Oh, Anfery Simon's on that team, too. There he is.
Okay. So, this means we can put somebody in the dunk contest and not have to cut somebody who eventually goes on the starter. Oh, nobody's talking about that LeBron KCP reunion. Yeah, yeah, 'cause it's last week. Yeah.
Well, last week. Paul George is probably going to average more points per game than LeBron, right? Oh, God. I mean, it's only one ball.
Somebody's got to take a big hit. And it's just like Hello? Who cares when your team's stacked? I don't care about being top three. Like, I don't know.
Like, Toby, that's fine. I just want to get it. You turn in that clipper card yet? Not yet. I want to st get health, stay healthy, and get into the playoffs and then get busy.
Yeah, boy. Top three would be great, but the clipper card. The clipper card. That you think that TJ should handle.
Okay. Let's not forget. LeBron comes here, gets teamed up with Anthony Davis. Yeah, right.
So the Clippers are like, we got to get ourselves a dynamic duo. Let's go knock on Kawhi's door. And his answer is like, the only way I'm answering is if you get Paul George.
Okay. Paul George comes here, yada, yada, yada. SGA goes to Oklahoma City, but let's just leave that aside. Paul George comes here. You know what's the bed here?
Winds up in Philadelphia. Yeah. Okay. TJ. TJ's like, really?
I can't escape this guy. But the fact that he winds up in Philadelphia. Lands him eventually, Jalen Brown for his team, and then lands LeBron because of all that.
So, Paul George going to the Clippers. It took a while to benefit TJ, but it has.
Well, did I follow that uh bouncing ball? I mean, I I had no problem.
So my question though in the minute we have left here, how did you feel hearing about how much LeBron decided I'll just take that from Philadelphia as opposed to 5x that to stay in Los Angeles. Um, that's the only thing that really upset me. Him leaving, like, you know, I I I spoke about that. He's able to do whatever he wants. He delivered here in Los Angeles and I'm all good.
But like the contradictory reports are just like annoying as hell. And it it It's never the player that you really are upset at. It's his fans, his standem, if you will. But, like, yeah, dog, just cut the cap. Cut the cap, is all I'm saying.
He basically said, I will take cents on the dollars to not play for the Lakers. But, like, just get tired of the narrative: like, LA didn't do nothing for you that you asked for. Cause, like, I mean, trading the core for AD, all right? And then we got DeMarcus Cousins, it didn't work out, but we got him, and all right, that didn't work out, and then Caruso walks away so we could keep the clutch guy, THT, and he's.
Nowhere to be found.
So, like, you know, like this. Yeah, yeah, bro. I'm all for Brownie. That's a USC alum right there. Ladies and gentlemen, we still got LeBron James.
That's the way we finish today. The Rich Eisen Show Podcast. Mm-hmm.
