REShow: Louis Riddick - Hour 1

This is the Rich Eisen Show. Live from the Rich Eisen Show Studio in Los Angeles.

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Baseball. The Rich Eisen Show. Today's guest, ESPN NFL analyst Lewis Riddick, 49ers fullback Kyle Houston. And now, it's Rich Eisen. Yes it is.

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We'll be right back. Even when you're even when they draft somebody, oh, this team drafted somebody. Well, let's wait two minutes because that draft trade that you didn't know was coming is about to acquire the rights of the guy that just was drafted by that team.

But he's still wearing the hat of the team that drafted him or the team that drafted the player is drafting him for another franchise because there's a pick swap, because there's some sort of you can't just sit back and go, oh, that's the story. For instance, James Harden opts in. To the Philadelphia 76ers 2023-24 season, he has a player option. He opts in, meaning I want to be with the Philadelphia 76ers.

That's the headline. Harden says he's picking up his player option for 30 million and change to go to the Philadelphia 76ers, right? Not so fast.

Not so fast. Because if he opts in, I guess a sign and trade can happen to the team where he wants and then he gets pizayed in the manner in which he wants to get pizayed, fully aware that the Sixers do not care to pizay him in that manner. And it looks like for the hot minute, the Knicks were one of the teams. And I thought to myself, well, that's a hot mess. And I don't think James Harden in New York City, we've already tried that one in Brooklyn, put him in Manhattan, Manhattan. And I don't know how that's working. Just as a for instance, you guys sit there.

How do you know that, Rich? Well, just as a for instance, as a for instance, you know, the Knicks had Julius Randle or still have him. And man, the way that he played so above and beyond the level of expectation, two out of the three seasons, right, or at least two out of the last three seasons, right, would make him near and dear to New York Knicks fans until he doesn't have a very good playoff series against the Miami Heat. And by the way, an appearance that the Knicks made that if you went to every Knicks fan that celebrated the first win of the season like it was game seven of the NBA finals and there was a parade coming down New York City's Canyon of Heroes. They did that after just game one. You'd you'd think they would take a look in the long run of, wow, we made the second round of the playoffs that actually happened. We won a playoff series. Really? Oh, unbelievable. They took Julius Randle's poster down on Seventh Avenue and stomped on it.

How do you think it will work with James Harden, who everywhere he has been, despite 10 all star seasons and also a future Hall of Fame enshrinement? Yes. How many people has he left completely, totally disillusioned and disappointed? All of them. How how many how many times can a man demand a trade from a team that owns his rights?

Well, well, the answer is three, three and counting. So when I heard the Knicks were involved, I'm like, are you out of your friggin minds? And then the Clippers raise their hands.

We'll take them. And it looks like he's coming here to Los Angeles. That's what it looks like to play for the Clippers and Ty Lue. And also have Kawhi and Brandon Miller's goat.

Team up with him, Paul George, which is that's the that's the whole question is, will it go down the tubes? But if I'm Steve Ballmer and anytime I don't know if you guys have noticed when you go on the old 105 freeway out of here, the Rich Eisen Show studio made famous in the movie Speed. You're leaving here and you see SoFi Stadium in the distance. Do you see what's to the right of it right now? It's beautiful. I flew you can see it from here. I'm into it like Russia from Sarah Palin's house.

You can see it, but we can actually see three days in a row. Rich, what the Clippers are building. It's beautiful. Right next to the home of the Rams and the Chargers down the street from the old home of the Lakers in the form. You want to put fannies in the seats. And the establishments that you might need to go visit games you need.

You need you need. That's one way to do it. Hey, season ticket holders Kawhi, Paul George, James Harden on its face.

Sounds great. Got to have star power. It's all about the Larry O. Certainly with Beale being introduced as a new son and, you know, Chris Paul didn't come to the Clippers. He went to the Warriors and the defending champs live in this conference in Denver and so on and so forth.

And the Lakers like are making the second round of the playoffs last year because the Clippers got clippered by the injury bug yet again. So I get it. I understand it. I get it. I get it. I get it. I get what they're up to.

Rich, to be able to add Harden and not have to give up Paul George. I get it. I understand. But how is this one going to be different? It's, you know, a phrase we in the Jewish religion. We say we say we say we say a couple of nights a year in a Seder in Passover. How is this night different from all other nights?

It's a phrase that is said by the youngest in the room. I don't want to go too deep into the why and the Seder and the whole business understand. How is this trade and acquisition different from all other ones involving James Harden? We will find out.

Apparently this come and fall and it's going to be fun to watch. And I can't believe you can't quit James Harden. It's like when Doc left the Clippers, he went to the Sixers when Harden leaves the Sixers. I'm linked forever. I can't get away.

Rich, a phrase my high school history teacher and football coach used to use. The circus stays the same. Only the clowns change. Interesting. Well, it's amazing that we would refer to or you would refer to Harden as a clown.

This is hard. And again, how many times can I say this is his last chance to prove it when every time he doesn't an NBA team raises its hand and says, we'll give you another shot. And oh, by the way, continue to generationally enrich you to the tune of a nine figure contract, which it appears the Clippers are willing to do with Harden to give him that last big old boost. Unless the trade means he can't get signed to a long term deal and it's a one year deal.

And he will then now roll the dice at age 35 and say, I'll do that now. So for the Clippers, they'll just I don't know what what the Sixers will take. But it looks like he's coming here to Los Angeles to see if he can roll the dice with Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. And if the Sixers don't want him and won't pay him that big salary and he's not going to get it, I guess for him, get out of Philly, go to Los Angeles. He knows the area very well and and let's go and let's ride now, then now, then for the Sixers, I think this is the best possible scenario for them. Agreed. Get him out.

Didn't work out here. See you later and see what they can get and start building around and beat one last chance. And it appears, though, somebody who's sitting out there this weekend kind of interested in what's going on in Philadelphia to say, maybe I can be teamed up with Joel Embiid, according to Brian Winhorse. It's Kyrie Irving. So Kyrie might be coming to Philadelphia. I would not be surprised if we see Kyrie want to investigate what's going on in Philadelphia, if Harden moves out, if there's a window for him to come in.

He said things are getting interesting. Good luck to that, TJ, says a Boston Celtic fan and. Ask a Brooklyn Net fan how that one worked out. And so if he does, in fact, go to Philadelphia after what happened in Boston and after what happened in New York, it will be confirmed that Kyrie Irving is bringing his special brand of basketball disappointment. Faster than an Acela train down that Amtrak card. Could possibly bring him Boston, New York, Philadelphia, which means one last place for him to absolutely outrage and leave in his wake. A string of furious fans, Washington, D.C. Yeah, because there is no franchise in Baltimore.

I mean, just it's it's it's as if bam, bam, bam, bam, bam. He should get a deal with Amtrak and say, I bring basketball fury and disappointment faster than this bullet train possibly can sponsor a stretch of highway on nine ninety five. He cannot be in a quiet car, as we know. Right. He also does no quiet car championship ring to those.

Does he really? From where? Cleveland. When was that? A long time ago.

Got it. Oh, boy, we have come a long ass way from that stroll out of the arena after the initial win as a Dallas Maverick. Man of the people, man. Oh, the people.

Oh, my God. Him in Philadelphia sounds like a bad, bad mix. But if we're giving a heart and the you know what I register, let's see what he can do here in Los Angeles. Why not him in Philadelphia? And does that mean Dallas is telling him get out or he thought whatever was going on with Luca? I don't think he's going to.

Was it working out? I think he's going to be in Dallas. You think he's going to stay there? Yeah, I think there's something big brewing in Philly. And what's brewing?

I don't know, man. Just I'm hearing things. I'm reading things.

And of course, I might be hearing reading them because they are of. Oh, my God. But T.J. Eskin, what do you got for me over there? And I feel like this side of the trade is going to help the Sixers acquire players and picks. Like, oh, they not sure yet, but they want you on Terrence, man. Look, if I keep turns, man, on one of my teams, I'm very happy. But what I'm saying is what I'm saying is we're just shuffling T.J. deck chairs.

It's you know, maybe helping them acquire assets so they could acquire another number zero player. Get out of here to be out of his current situation. Let me tell you something. Let me tell you something. Never say never. Let me tell you something. If Daryl Morey.

Turns man, oh, man, James Harden into Damien Willard and wins a championship. Wow. It should go the following. Liberty Bell.

Continental Congress, Philly fanatic Daryl Morey. That's what it should be. That's the way it should go in that order.

Morey jumps the Rocky statue. Wait a second. You left. You left Dr. J out.

You left the Rocky statue out. Excuse me. Cheesesteaks.

Cheesesteaks. I didn't stutter. I didn't stutter. Maybe I might have left one of those. I'm Smith Ballin.

Back off here. You kind of put Julius Erving. By the way, you'd have to include them rebuilding I-95 in two weeks. Honestly, what would be the biggest, the greatest rebuild I-95 being burned down and rebuilt in two weeks or Daryl Morey turning James Harden into Damien Willard? Unless he can get out of here.

Unless he can do that in 15 days. I got to go with the I-95. That was incredible. That was pretty good.

But Rich, here's what I find funny. You might need infrastructure dollars to pay Damien Willard, but I understand. The Sixers had Doc Rivers as a coach. Correct me if I'm wrong. He gets fired because apparently there is some type of head-butting with him and James Harden.

So you get rid of your coach to make the player happy and then you're going to trade the player? I don't know. Excuse me. Your fan base, I think, was somewhat done with Doc. Wouldn't you say? Yeah, but still...

So getting rid of Harden and keeping Doc would have been cool in Philadelphia? Look, you're asking too many questions right now. I'm just saying, Daryl Morey, if he does that, would be unbelievable. I'm just saying. Let's take a break. We've got football on the brain too.

Why not? This is the last month in which football players will not be breaking a sweat and being active for a training camp plus regular season plus postseason. Until... Well, I mean, you can choose the... Look, bottom line is, football's around the corner.

Very exciting. Kyle Juszczyk is on this program. Juszczyk. He's a fullback, man. He's not just a fullback.

Let's not peg him. He went to Harvard. I've never spoken to him. No? I've never met him.

I don't believe. How come he doesn't get the Ryan Fitzpatrick-Harvard treatment? Yeah, I didn't even know he went to Harvard. He just said it. We'll ask him if he knew that Ryan Fitzpatrick went to Harvard.

He did? Wait, what? We've got Lewis Riddick about to join us from the worldwide leader in sports. Utkarsh Ambudkar, who is from the hit CBS show, America's Most Wanted to Watch Network, apparently. I've heard that.

Ghosts. Yeah. He has written a beautiful, wait for it, hip-hop musical adventure on Disney Plus called World's Best. He's here in studio on Hour Number 3. He's a Wizards fan. Does he want Kyrie? He could be waiting for him at, what, is it Union Station in Washington, D.C.?

Is that what it is? It's a Union Station in Philadelphia, I know. Okay. He could be waiting for him. Is it Union Station in New York? He could be waiting for him because Kyrie's take, he took the Acela train and his special brand of basketball down to- It is Union Station, yeah. Okay. He took it from Boston to New York, potentially now to Philadelphia. Again, the Acela, there's no team in Baltimore. He might stop at the Water Gap just to smudge around there in Delaware.

Go to the Bullets Museum. All right. Let's take a break right here on the Rich Eisen Show.

Louis Riddick, let's talk some ball on this Friday show. Are you currently enjoying the show on the Stitcher app? Then you need to know Stitcher is going away on August 29th.

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With supplies and solutions for every industry, Grainger is the right product for you. Call clickgrainger.com or just stop by. You can attest to this, Chris. TJ, you've heard me say this off-air, so when I'm saying it on-air, just because he's listening as I'm about to introduce him, I'm not saying it just because he's on the phone line. How many times have I told the booking staff, Louis Riddick is an anytime guest?

That's a direct quote. 13? An anytime guest. And today is one of those anytimes. Today is anytimes?

It is correct. The Friday before training camp season, baby. In July.

The last day of June. The great Louis Riddick from the worldwide leader in sports back here in the Rich Eisen Show. How are you, sir? Rich, you're too kind, man. It's true. You really are.

These are true stories, though. I'm not lying. You are an anytime guest and I appreciate you coming on.

Always. I appreciate you. All right, let's chop it up. The team we're not talking about, we should be talking about. Give me the team we're not talking about, that we should be talking about.

Louis Riddick, what do you got for me? You know, I know we've talked about this team. Okay. But people don't want to buy in. And that's Seattle. Oh, okay. You have the floor.

I don't want to buy in. And you know what? I think it's because, well, I know it's primarily because of the division that they're in. And people think that that division will ultimately be won by the San Francisco Kyle Shanahan's.

And that's like the primary reason why. They're like, everyone's like, Kyle's a better coach than everyone. Kyle can do this. Kyle can call up this. Kyle can do that. Kyle can figure out anything. It's like, I get it. Look, I love Kyle Shanahan as much as anybody.

I do. But you look at what, and the second part is because, you know, even though San Francisco has as much uncertainty surrounding their quarterback position as any team in the NFL that is considered a Super Bowl contender. Any team. We don't know who the quarterback is going to be for them.

And we don't know how it's going to work out. People still believe no matter what Gino Smith did last year. It's like, well, it's Gino Smith though, dude. Like, come on, anybody, you know, broken clock can be, you know, right twice a day. I mean, he just got lucky last year. It just worked out for him.

They don't believe. John Snyder, like right now, if you look at the best GMs in the league right now, as far as what they've done over the past two, three years and restocking their roster. You have to go with Brett Beach in Kansas City. You have to go with Howie Rosen in Philadelphia.

And John Snyder is right there with what he's done to this roster and how they've revamped it. People thought Pete Carroll was on his way up. Pete forgot about football. Pete doesn't. Pete rode the backs of Cam Chancellor and Earl Thomas and Marshawna. He didn't do it.

It was just all those guys. People thought that Pete couldn't coach. There's no way he can catch up to, you know, modern day football. This team has a young offensive line with two new stud book and offensive tackles. They've got speed versatility at wide receiver. They've got a absolute stable running back now with with Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet on defense. They've got arguably who could have been a guy who could have been the defense rookie of the year last year and Tariq Woolen. They get the best corner in the draft this year in Devin Witherspoon, who we all love and I know you've seen him. You know how good he is.

Yep. Bobby Wagner comes back. Gordon Brooks is a burgeoning star. I mean, they've got players, man. You didn't even mention the press. You didn't even mention the press.

Jamal Adams. You didn't even mention the press. The press is coming back. Look, in that division, that division's wide open. It's right there for them to take this year. It's right there for them to take this year and then go on and really get on a run. The team of the year had last year and I thought last year they were a playoff caliber, wildcard type of team.

When I saw him in the preseason, went out there for training camp and people said, you need to find a new job because analyzing football isn't the job for you. There's no way Seattle is going to be that good. They'll be a top five drafting team. This is their year. It's kind of like Kansas City. Last year wasn't so few Kansas City this year either.

It's a whole different subject. But Seattle is that team. It's that team this year that could surprise everyone in the NFC, period. And they were a top five drafting team with the pick they got for Russell Wilson. And you didn't even mention Jackson Smith and Jigba, who may be the offensive rookie of the year.

Even with all of the quarterbacks that were drafted in the first round. Period. No question. When I said they had a versatility at wide out in that room, think about the different body types, Rich, that you have right there, which is exactly what you're looking for.

Right. You have D.K., who's the freak. You have Tyler Lockett, who's like probably the most when you talk about under the radar, not talked about excellent wide receivers in the NFL. Tyler Lockett can do it all. Deep ball threat, run after the catch threat, slot threat.

He can do whatever you want. Jackson Smith and Jigba is just is the same way. People think, well, you're just a slot guy at Ohio State. No, he's not. Talk to Brian Hartline.

Talk to Ryan today. Watch the tape of Jackson. He can do it all. They believe that Ohio State and he was better than a lobby that it wasn't that he was better than a lobby. Now, I'm not going to say he's as good as Harrison.

No, I'm not going to put him in that category. Right. This kid can go rich. They got players, man.

They got players in Seattle is for real. I'm going to jump right back. Well, I never got off.

I'm still on that train. And I think that team, for me, I think they win the West. Lewis Riddick.

I think they take it from San Francisco. Lewis Riddick here on the Rich Eisen Show showing up on the last day of June, for sure. All right. Let's choose an AFC team that nobody's talking about that we should be talking about. And the interesting thing is, is that we could just identify those teams. I could give you just a list to choose from because everybody's talking about the AFC. So the AFC teams that fewer people are talking about, you could pretty much putting anybody not name. Or you could put the entire AFC South if you want to throw Jacksonville in there.

Then you've got then you've got the Browns and the Steelers and the Patriots. Pretty much everybody else has been talking about the AFC West pretty much. Unless you think we're overlooking the Broncos because in the same way that everybody thought Pete was washed. And clearly we learned last year he wasn't.

Folks are saying Russ is washed. I'll give you the floor on that one. Lewis. Yeah.

You know what? I'll the team I would be I'd be looking at really would be Jacksonville. I mean, look, I'll just mention Denver really quick. Who?

Sure. You know, Sean Payton as well as anybody. Look, Sean, I think is one of the great, great coaches of our time period. When you talk to him for production meetings for television, this guy, you know, most coaches one, you know, want to get you in and out of there. They're kind of like, I don't have time for this, man. I'm trying to prepare my team.

It's Saturday, whatever. Sean Payton gives you an absolute Ph.D. education on roster building, player utilization, scheme, strategies, tactics every single time. I come away from his meetings every single time going, this dude can coach. This is a guy who about the GM and he was a free agent. I'd go, I'd like his no nonsense.

He's little gruff, little edgy, very knowledgeable ballast player. So, yeah, I think Denver is going to be better than what people think they're going to be. Unfortunately, they're just in a meat grinder of the division with the best team in football. But Jacksonville for sure, for sure is the team and the South is going to be better overall.

OK. But Jacksonville has got dudes, man. And Doug Peterson is a fantastic coach. Their defensive coordinator, Mike Caldwell, is going to be an up and coming under the radar head coaching candidate.

He's going to get some interviews this year. Calvin Ridley, what Calvin Ridley is going to do for Trevor Lawrence and what Trevor is going to do for Calvin Ridley. Calvin is going to burst back onto the scene as being that guy who when he left, before he left and was suspended, I thought was the best route runner in the NFL.

Period. He can run any route and absolutely break your ankles, tear your ACL, dislocate your. This guy is a route running just genie. And he is going to do wonders for this outside passing game for for for Jacksonville.

Now, it really does. It comes down to for me how this offensive line continues to evolve, especially at the tackle position, because now, you know, they're going to have to start a rookie in Nanton Harrison that left tackle because of the suspension of Cam Robinson. They're going to have a new right tackle in Walker Little. But the running back, Travis, ETN, the stud tank Bigby from Auburn, the running back they got in the third. I thought, take one of the best running backs in the draft in the third round. He's going to be another one of those guys where I look back and go, how the hell did Tank Bigby last to the third round? He's going to be that that kind of guy. This Brenton Strange, who they drafted from Penn State, the tight end, him and Evan Ingram will be as good as a pass catching duo as there is in the NFL. I know people are going to go, damn, Lewis, you're always so like positive on all these. Not everybody can be this good. But you know me, man, as I don't like guys, I'll say I don't like guys. I like this team and they are going to be explosive on offense and defensively. They've got athletes galore everywhere.

It's really going to come down to you. Look, Mike has got this is where I think it's going to all come together. Mike is a young up and coming defensive coordinator. He's got a bunch of guys on this on the defensive side of football that are fantastic freaking athletes who are young and are still trying to figure out how to play together and make plays in the biggest of moments. I think that's all going to come together because Doug Peterson as a leader and as a person, I couldn't be higher on any coach in the NFL as I am on him as far as the guy who's already won a Super Bowl. But now it's kind of like trying to put his name back in the upper echelon of coaches again. So I think Jacksonville, if you in here, here's really what makes it all go and the story makes it all go.

We went over to London last year before they played Denver and did their game for ESPN plus. Talk to Doug extensively about Trevor Lawrence's maturation as a quarterback and how he had to basically almost be like rehabilitated and kind of had to really be infused with confidence after, you know, the struggle he had as a rookie, not just on the field, but just with his confidence and with the way he was coach and the way he was supported and not supported and how he was, you know, he's basically was the adult and organization his rookie year, which is unfair for him. And how you could see as the season went on leading up to the way he played in the postseason, how this guy was just making huge strides week after week with his maturation and how he was starting to play like that guy who they said was a can't miss guy. Year two in Doug's system, what do you think is going to happen to this dude now that he's got the best route running the NFL and Calvin Ridley? All these tight ends, a young up and coming offensive line that's a little green on the edges that's got it, but they'll get better. And these running backs, what do you think is going to happen with this football team? They're going to explode.

They're going to absolutely explode. I also think, you know, he's been through, as you just pointed out, Trevor Lawrence, Lewis Riddick, he's been through the trials in the fire from, as you pointed out, being the adult in the room in his first year, which is an outstanding elbow thrown in the direction of Urban Meyer, which, you know, you had me at hello on that front. And then two, coming out of that London game, he had a terrible London game and it was that moment where Lawrence turned his season, everyone pointed back when they made the playoffs, that was the moment where he's like, I'm not making these mistakes anymore.

And then the mistakes happened in the playoffs and Peterson didn't panic. They wind up winning and going to Kansas City. So they have, they have the momentum, but you know, if you're going to start talking about coaches, as you mentioned about Sean Payton, who are all world hall of famers in terms of not only their coaching, but also the way they conduct themselves in broadcast meetings. You got Mike Tomlin and I just, and I'm wondering about the Steelers though, right? We're not talking about them because we all, because we all think that last year's quarterback class really wasn't all that compared to this year's compared to next year's and Kenny Pickett got all the experience that's necessary going into a year or two. And I liked that they drafted the kid out of Georgia to protect him and then Joey Porter Jr. to put on the back end. Their draft was really good, I think, and why can't they kind of surprise and throw their hat in the wild card if not division ring? What do you got for me there? Look, I think the wild card rings for sure.

But, you know, it's an absolutely, to use the phrase, meat grinder. I mean, there's just so many teams. I mean, you could have four, you could say all four teams in the East can make the playoffs. You could say that if you believe that New England, especially if they wind up getting a guy like DeAndre Hopkins, you could say that. So, in Pittsburgh, I just don't think they're going to win their division. As much as I love Mike, and you know I love Kenny, and I think they are fantastically explosive on the outside at wide receiver. I think the running backs are solid.

Look, I think Najee's solid. And I really like Jalen Warren as the number two. Their offensive line still scares me because it's still a work in progress. It's really been their Achilles heel over the past two to three seasons.

It's been the issue. They can't run the football. They can't protect. Quarterbacks have to get the ball out quick. They can't push the ball down the field.

They're always in second and long type of situations because they can't run the football effective. Is Broderick Jones going to make that much of a difference? Is a core of four going to be that much better at right tackle? Is James Daniels going to be that much better at right tackle?

I don't know. In the AFC, these other teams, man, I mean, Kansas City can run the rock. I mean, Baltimore is going to be able to run the rock.

Baltimore's offense is going to be exponentially more explosive this year. Cincinnati, with Kansas City, it's 1 and 1A. And that's Kansas City and Cincy. Cincy may be the second best team in the NFL, at the very least third best behind Philadelphia. So Pittsburgh's there. I mean, defensively, they're going to play good ball.

They just are. Keanu Benton, who they drafted out of Wisconsin, I remember seeing Mike standing down at the Senior Bowl, watching this dude, and sitting there and like coaching him individually. And Mike wasn't even a coach in the Senior Bowl.

He was coaching the guy up. I was like, Pittsburgh, I'm going to draft this dude. There's no question about that. And Joey Porter, we know the bloodlines.

We know how motivated he is, Joey Porter. I mean, this is so many things going in their favor. Yeah, and Pittsburgh's Pittsburgh. They're just a top-notch organization.

It's just that the ASC is just so damn, I mean, it's so strong. And that's not hyperbole, man. I mean, these teams are good. Exactly. And it does appear, Louis, that Dalvin Cook is about to join the conference.

So that's my last one for you here. Which team does Dalvin Cook put, if you will, over the top or into the mix to be put over the top? Because he has his choices, you know?

Yeah. Miami Jets, Denver, you know, New England folks are even throwing that out there the last few days. And supposedly he's got contract offers on the table. Which one do you think, if he joins Team X, fill in the blank, that he puts over the top, Louis? I think the team of those that you mentioned that he really can really give a real boost to is New England. Because Ramondre Stevenson needs a running mate.

He does. And those two guys together, I think, would be a hell of a dynamic duo. Look, I like the idea of him going down to Miami and just making them even faster and more explosive. Look, I think for Mike McDaniel down there, he needs to be willing to call running plays and run the football with more frequency in order to get the kind of return on investment from a Dalvin Cook that you really want. On top of the fact that he's already got most of it, he's already got Jeff Wilson Jr. and they distracted A-Chain out of A&M. So A-Chain is probably the second, third fastest guy in the NFL now.

So I don't know if he really puts them over the top. But New England, for sure. The team that I keep saying that I don't understand why they're not in the running back market is Dallas. Look, Tony Pollard is coming off of a significant lower leg injury. Tony Pollard is not a bell cow back. Tony is a rotational guy who needs a running mate. He needs to be with someone else who he can split the load with so you can keep him fresh, especially coming off of a lower leg injury. You put Dalvin Cook in Dallas with Tony Pollard, now we're really talking.

But there hasn't been a damn peep about it. So I'm like, okay, well, maybe Tony Pollard is a Wolverine and everything's good. I don't know, because Zeke's still out there and Fournette and Kareem Hunt and Saquon's not signing a tender right now. And Josh Jacobs might not even show up for week one. And that's the conversation we had Miles Sanders on the other day. And he read the tea leaves like, hell yeah, I'll sign a deal for six million per. And said it sucks to be a running back right now. And you read reports that Dallas might give CeeDee Lamb 25 mil a year or something like that. And I'm just wondering, what's going on?

Why won't running backs be valued to the point where, again, Bijan and Jamir Gibbs are drafted top 12? I don't get it. I don't understand this, what's happening. I'll tell you why. And it's not it's not like I'm telling you something that you don't know. I'm just it's this here.

And I want to pull this up here real quick so I can I mean, I can name off the top of my head. I like it. If you want, I'll tap dance. I'll tap dance because we didn't get the PowerPoint. So we don't have it to show on the screen. People hear these names when you hear these names.

This is going to be why these guys won't get paid. OK, James Cook, second round. Ramond Stevenson, fourth round. Bruce Hall, second round.

J.K. Poppins, second down. Joe Mixon, second round. Nick Chubb, second round.

I mean, so Damien Pierce, second round. Jonathan Taylor, second round. Derek Henry, second round. Javonte Williams, second round. Isaiah Pacheco, seventh round.

Tony Pollard, fourth round. People are saying, well, why pay up when I can just in the draft wait for a cheaper alternative that's going to give me the return on investment I need to play at a high level? Or why? How about how about I just lower the market so much to the point where you have no other choice? I don't need to pay up.

I don't need to take that risk. It doesn't match up for me. It doesn't match up for me as a team builder to pay you something that's way out of my cost structure, especially considering looking at all these other teams that are getting the kind of production they're getting out of these guys.

Who are second, third, fourth, seventh round. I mean, that's just the way GMs are looking. They just are.

And they're going, hey, but you know what? Wide receivers, it's hard. There aren't too many seventh round wide receivers that are blowing it up and tearing it up right now. There aren't too many free agent wide receivers on average that are just tearing it up.

We're going to pay up for that position. We just are. The passing league, these guys who are freaks are going to get their money.

They just are. And even some of the guys who aren't are going to get their money because we're going to throw this football 45, 50 times. It's a quarterback driven league.

They need their weapons on the outside. And we've got to cut costs somewhere. And there's places where we can find great value and that's running back. Like it or not, it doesn't mean it's not important. It doesn't mean we don't need one.

But it just means this. We're going to pay these guys. We're not going to pay you because history has shown we can find more of guys like you much more so than we can at wide receiver or corner or pass rusher. And that's just the way it's going to work out. And look, I love the running back position. We know how important it is, man.

We know how important it is. You know, we've had this exercise for the great 50s, the greatest 50 teams in the history of the NFL. And looking back on some of the great teams going all the way back to the 60s, 50s, late 80s, 90s, all these teams had great running backs.

So running back's been important and it's always going to be important. But they're just not going to pay up for it now because, you know, recent history is just not on running back's side. And it's not going to be for the foreseeable future. And they're just going to have to deal with it. I know. And because all of those names that you mentioned, they may not get their second contract. That's right.

Because a new version of them is showing up to make sure they're not getting paid. It's wild. Hey, Lewis, look for my call during training camp and then beyond. Thanks again for the time here. Have a great summer. You got it, man. You got it.

That's Lewis Riddick from ESPN, the worldwide leader in sports. We'll take a break. I know you're already looking at me about something that he just said. It was OK. That's why we have more time. It's a three hour show, baby.

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Here on the rich ice and Joey for four to a rich number to dial. So my gosh, it's sort of like a Charlie Brown episode over there. What was that? It was awesome. OK, so Louis Riddick said he looked at the top 50 great teams of all time. Right. And he said there's a great running back on each of them.

And then looked over at you and you looked at me like, you know, you want you want to push back on that? Yeah, the 2007 Patriots had terrible running backs. I know.

I knew you were going there. The Patriots, the first year that they they want to well, Antoine Smith, right? Antoine Smith. Corey Dillon might be the best, you know, name running back. They have the 1600 yards, which is why, again, the 04 season. You could just it just the big name offensive players, the Patriots, just jump out at you because it's all, if you will, with the ultimate of respect to the what Troy Browns and the David Pattins.

Right. You know, role players, with the exception of Edelman, Welker, you might a touch of Amendola, Gronk. Yeah, but Welker didn't win. Welker didn't win a ring. Randy Moss didn't win a ring. And obviously Moss is the one that jumps out. Moss and Gronk and Edelman are the ones that jump out at you.

Right. Look, I don't know what's going to break this running back thing. I don't think we're going to see it.

No, definitely not. Because when when let's just say Melvin Gordon wants to get paid. We have Eckler.

Eckler wants to get paid. Right. Well, we have.

Whoever they're getting next. When was the last time it might it might be Emmitt Smith that the rushing champ won a Super Bowl. You know, we talk about the end.

You got the Google there in front of you. I'm about to look it up, but we know the stat. You know, Kurt Warner, the last MVP to win the Super Bowl.

Right. Until Mahomes just did it. When's the last running back to do it? We can't pay you, Dalvin. We got Alexander Madison. And then when Madison wants his contract, we can't pay it because we just, you know, we'll go in the draft. Nick Chubb, you know. Is he going to get a second contract?

Sure. I mean, another contract. That's what I'm saying.

We don't have the numbers here in front of me. I'm just saying that guys don't get paid. And the reason why they don't get paid is because the next group of people that that that Lewis Riddick just read off of who are second round picks, fourth round picks, seventh round picks like Isaiah Pacheco. Sorry, though, you can't get paid because we'll just get a younger version of you that prevented another veteran from getting paid.

Who was the younger version of that veteran that we didn't want to pay? You see, I'm saying it just who's going to break it? Is it because has Jonathan Taylor been paid yet? He's not there yet. Who's going to get who's going to break it? McCaffrey seems to be the one who's broken it. He's a little older. He's 27. Is Saquon going to stand his ground? What's going to happen? Jacobs, who they let. Hit free agency because they didn't pick up his fifth year option and then he led the league in rushing. I mean, he is not a happy camper, you would think.

No, no, definitely not. And Tom Palacios said he might even show up week one that that won't last, though. Even Emmett. Remember, Emmett held out for two weeks. And then the Cowboys went 0 and 2 and they're like, uncle. And then they won the Super Bowl because he was Emmett friggin Smith. Amazing.

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