Daniel Jeremiah: Russell Wilson Has Good Football Left

This is the Rich Eisen Show. Broncos country, let's rock. Live from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles.

I've been pleased with his progress and where he's at. Quarterback Russell Wilson, he will be released after the league year begins on March 13th. The Rich Eisen Show, today's gasps. NFL Network analyst, Daniel Jeremiah. Fox Sports college football insider, Bruce Feldman. Texas wide receiver, Xavier Worthy. Plus Emmy award-winning actor, Beau Bridges. And now, it's Rich Eisen. That's right, we're all over the map from Daniel Jeremiah to Beau Bridges, the fastest man in the history of the combine and Bruce Feldman in between. That's how we're rolling into this Tuesday on the Rich Eisen Show. It is a big Tuesday in the National Football League because we're almost at the new league year and free agency and today is the day where franchise tags are either handed out or slapped or placed or not at all and there are some big names that are up for franchise tagging or not at all and we're going to keep an eye on that all throughout this three-hour edition of the Rich Eisen Show live on the Roku channel which is free on every Roku device known to man, Amazon Fire TV. It's also free on the app that you can find the Roku channel on. There's also the Roku channel.com.

It's also on select Samsung televisions as well. Good to see you over there, Chris Brockman. How are you?

Rich, I'm great. What's up, man? We also say hello to the terrestrial radio audience that's out there listening. Sirius XM, Odyssey and more. Good to see you over there.

DJ Mikey Diaz and Deez Nuts. Good morning, Rich. You seem more engaged. Yes, the taxes are done. That's a big thing. That's a lot on the plate, you know? I understand. I know it's tough to make us sound good and make sure you're up to your fiduciary capabilities when it comes to the state of California, maybe the United States of America. Exactly.

And then there's the local Los Angeles taxes. Franchise board is real. It's a real thing, Mike. Good to see you back, Mike. I'm back. TJ, candle's lit.

Good to see you over there. Mike made me feel like he knew he was heading to the big house last night if he didn't get that. I know. I heard that, too. You know, I heard that, too. White collar.

Goodfellas prison. Well, it's good to see everybody out there today. Good to see everybody out there today. As soon as we got done with yesterday's show, Chris Brockman and I recorded the latest edition of overreaction Monday based on what we saw at the combine and what's coming in free agency. Daniel Jeremiah is going to be joining us to talk about that. But as soon as we left within a half an hour, the Denver Broncos, I think, beat everyone to the punch. I don't think I think they broke the news yesterday. I didn't see any of our highly talented information men and women in the National Football League reporting this. This was the Broncos statement from the general manager, George Payton, and the head coach, Sean Payton, saying, we spoke with Russell Wilson today to inform him of his release after the start of the league year. On behalf of the Broncos, we thank Russell for his contributions and dedication to our team and community while wishing him the best as he continues his career. As we move forward, we're focused on building the strongest team possible for the 2024 season and beyond.

We're excited to improve this off season and have the flexibility to get better through the draft and free agency. And clearly, everyone got their ducks in a row because Russ had a thank you letter to everybody but the two gentlemen that were on that statement and the owners of the Broncos. It was Broncos country. He thanked everybody in the Denver community, to his teammates. He thanked everyone in the organization. He got down to the folks in the dining halls and things of that nature. He thanked family. He thanked a pastor. He thanked everybody.

And he said, tough times don't last, but tough people do. God's got me. I'm excited for what's next. Number three, Russell Wilson. And this, I have to tell you, is one of the most shocking turns of a career in the 20 plus years that I have been covering this league. Chris, you and I remember the days when we were just doing our podcast as a TV show and just for people to listen to and download whenever they wanted. And the season opener of the 2012 season, we had everybody booked. We had no time left in our hour long show. And the guy that we had been chasing all summer long, we heard from the Seahawks saying, you got 10 minutes with him. And it was now. Right now, he's taking a break from watching film.

You got 10 minutes if you go now. We scrambled the jets and we got Russell Wilson sat down because he was a kid drafted in the third round, out of Wisconsin by the way of NC State. And even though Matt Flynn had just been signed by the Seattle Seahawks, he took the job and won it and was starting.

And we had to speak to him because he came in like a house of fire after he got drafted and then backed it up. Backed it up with Hall of Fame seasons is what he backed it up with. In the Super Bowl era, with a minimum of 150 starts, the highest passer rating of anybody belongs to Aaron Rodgers. Second is Russell Wilson with an even 100. Everybody else below them, Drew Brees, Tom Brady, Peyton Manning are just in the double digits. Russ is, as we speak today, the only player in NFL history with 40,000 pass yards and 5,000 rush yards.

That's it. He's one of the most prolific deep passers in the history of the National Football League, the next gen stats back it up. He has over 1,500 more deep pass yards, 20 or more air yards and passes, than any other player since 2016. Since entering the NFL on that day, Chris, when you and I were interviewing him, getting set to get going, since entering the NFL in 2012, he's got 115 quarterback wins.

The only one with more in that span is named Tom Brady. He was the personification of Pete Carroll's always compete mentality. Anybody who competes and does well has a shot at starting and has a shot at winning, and he made the playoffs eight times with Seattle.

Top four amongst quarterbacks when he walked in the league to the end of the decade. And sometimes it wasn't one and done, he won two times in the playoffs. He got to the NFC Championship game all the time, and I understand the Legion of Boom had a very large reason and cause for all of that, but Russ was the man for all that time. And then towards the end of his tenure in Seattle, it began to fall off and we were pointing the finger right at Pete Carroll. The phrase let Russ cook, whenever we talk to Pete Carroll about that, he bristles because he knows the subtext of let Russ cook is you are not letting Russell Wilson do what he can do to the best of his ability. You're just trying to hold him back. You're trying to get him to be a game manager when he can wreck it. I remember Russ in those years in Seattle, he would extend plays and you couldn't put him down on the ground.

You couldn't get him. He would extend plays and then launch it. He would extend plays and then run it. He would extend plays and throw darts.

He was 100% on the way to Canton, Ohio. And he and Seattle part ways. Denver raises its hand and says, we'll take him.

And not only will they take him, they gave up a King's ransom to go get him. They flipped Seattle, their first round pick in 2012 saying, we're just going to, we're drafting Russ ninth overall. And then they give them a first round pick in 2023. They also gave them their second round selection in 2022. They gave up their first two picks in the 2022 draft and their first two picks in the 2023 draft and a sec, a fifth round pick in the 2022 draft and three players, Drew Locke, Noah Fenton, Shelby Harris, that they gave all that up for us and a fourth round selection in 2021, 22.

That's it. Not great, Bob. Because, well, hold on at the time, I just set up for you everything that Russ did in Seattle.

I know. And Denver hadn't made the playoffs since Peyton Manning left him. And they were getting a new coach in. So what better way to bring in the new coach than say, here's a guy who just put up all those hall of fame years in Seattle. And it was first game out from Nathaniel Hackett, Russ in Seattle, zero chill in the NFL scheduling department to put him in Seattle right away. Russ was terrific in that game. We made a whole hell of a meal out of Nathaniel Hackett, not letting Russ cook at the end and sending Brandon McManus out to kick it from, you know, Vancouver. Remember that? And it was just an indication that Nathaniel Hackett might not be the guy for the moment or the job or for the rut and Russ cook.

And they both fell apart, both of them. Sean Payton comes in and Sean Payton is now going to be the guy to get him done, right? And Russ did have a better year last year. Russ had a better year last year. But the three seasons last in Seattle, two in Denver.

I mean, we're showing this graphic on the screen right here. It's the same person, but it's not the same player. It's a team game. Obviously it's a coaching quarterback game and it's not all on Russ, but I have no idea. I mean, this guy was ticketed for Canton, Ohio. Ticketed through his first nine seasons in Seattle.

And now I have no idea what in the world has happened to a guy who, by the way, great in it. Want to talk about great in the community. He's got the patch. I'd want more than anything else.

Obviously you want the C on your chest. You want the Walter Payton Man of the Year patch on your chest. This is as good a dude as you can put in the community and you can hire for your quarterback job. But I cannot believe that the guy, that we have been talking about, ticketed for Canton, is now 100% in the Herschel Walker category of one of the worst trades in the history of the NFL. Because for all of that draft capital that Denver gave up, all they got was 11 wins.

That's it. 11 and 19. They got 11 wins.

11 and 19. They got 11 wins. And when they hired him, when they got him to Denver, they signed him to a five-year contract extension. Five years, $245 million, 124 guaranteed. And by releasing him, he will play a grand total of zero downs on that contract.

Zero. Because the two years in Denver was the last two years of his contract that came with him from Seattle. This year is where the contract was supposed to kick in. And the reason why they cut him is to save the $37 million salary of 2025 that would be guaranteed fully if he was on the team before March 17th. And I guess they're doing him the favor of getting him out on the market the minute the new league year hits.

So it's okay to start talking with him. And by the way, he will be a very attractive quarterback possibility for someone for two reasons. One, the entirety of his salary is paid by Denver with the exception of what you pay him. Like a million bucks. And if I'm Russell Wilson, I'm like, what's the league minimum? Pay me that. Because that's all that would get subtracted from Denver's tab.

You are sticking Denver with the largest tab possible. Can he play for free, Rich? I don't believe that's possible, but I'm sure he did ask that question of his agent at some point over the last, whatever. Can I play for free for my next team? So you are getting a quarterback with all this vast experience and history.

So it was seven plus years. The minimum is 1.6, 5 million. That's it. That's what we'll play for. And the number two, you got a guy who knows this is his last shot at being a starter. I think with a chance to make the hall of fame, that's what he wants to do. He told that to Brandon Marshall.

He wants to win two more Super Bowls. Me too. You know what? But so do we all. And I understand.

I understand. Because the bottom line is you have to feel, if you're the team that's going to hire him, that the guy from the first nine years is still in there. He's still in there. He's got to be still in there. Last year, in terms of passing touchdown, interception ratio rating, which is his forte, in rush yards, fourth quarter comeback wins.

He was tied for first. Now the reason for that might be is that's when he just goes on pure instinct and does the run around stuff and, you know, and causes all sorts of problems. And he doesn't play that way or the scheme doesn't have him play that way, or he's pushing 35 and he can't play four quarters that way anymore. That's the question about Russ that you're going to have to answer if you're, say, Pittsburgh. If you want to add Russ to the Kenny Pickett mix. Why would you not want to do that? Because you want Kenny Pickett to see if he's the guy and you don't want to look over the shoulder and see number three. I understand. But you want this guy to clear the decks. Don't you remember they got rid of Cam Newton back in the day, the Patriots?

Because they're just like, it's Mack's show. That's it. We're not going to have any of him looking over the shoulder and say, is that number one coming in? True.

That's what you want. If you wanted to see what your young quarterback can do, you clear the decks in the NFL because it's a mental game as much as it is physical, as obvious. I mean, Russ is obviously a very strong willed individual, but there has to be some doubt that creeps in his mind after what's happened over the last three years as to what in the hell has happened to his hall of fame trajectory.

Right? I mean, or any other team that might want to bring him in. I hear all this nonsense that the Jets would bring him in to back up Aaron Rodgers. Get out of here with that noise. He wants to have a starting gig this year and somebody wants to, why not New England?

Why not New England? You know? There's no downside.

You pay him hardly anything. You still take a quarterback at three then? Absolutely. Absolutely you do. Yeah. Okay. You have them get them ready.

But I mean, that's not the best plan. I mean, you need to, you need to fill up that machine with a lot of excellent young players, but I don't know. All I'm saying is he comes at zero cost essentially.

Yeah. And a huge chip on his shoulder because if this doesn't work, let's say he gets a starter's job somewhere and it doesn't work out again. Now he's all of a sudden, he's a journeyman. Is Russell Wilson going to turn into a journeyman? He doesn't want that. He wants to go to this next, you know what he wants? He wants what happened to Baker Mayfield this past year. Yeah. Where you go to a spot, you start showing what you can do, what you used to do, what you have done before. You do it again.

You take a team to a division title and to a playoff win and start showing everybody that you are not cooked. That's what he wants. I don't know if he's going to get it. I cannot believe this has happened.

844-204 Rich, number to dial. We'll talk about it with Daniel Jeremiah. Next, we also have three other guests on tap. Bruce Feldman was at the combine.

I want a college football sort of point of view on what he saw at the combine. Then we've got Xavier, the fast man worthy. He's going to be joining us in an hour or two.

And the great Bo Bridges in studio. We're all over the map. DJ, when we come back, let's talk game time tickets, people. It's the fast and easy way to buy tickets for events near you right now. All users get $100 off when they buy a big game ticket with code Vegas. 100 game time is the ticketing app that gives you complete peace of mind with your purchase. I get to see the view from my seat before I buy with game time tickets. I also have all in prices with game time tickets shows you your total upfront before you buy. Take the guesswork right out of buying tickets with game time. Right now, all game time users get $100 off a big game ticket with code Vegas.

100 restrictions apply. Visit game time.co for terms. Just download the game time app and use code VEGAS100 for $100 off a big game ticket. Or if you're not going to the game, use code EISEN, E-I-S-E-N for $20 off your first purchase.

Download game time today. Last minute tickets, lowest price guaranteed. Named one of the best personal finance podcasts. The Stacking Benjamin show with Joe and his friends makes financial literacy fun. I got an email today from the LenPenzo.com HR department. I find it really interesting. I'm an employee of one at this company. But somebody from the HR department sent me an email telling me that I had a raise.

If I just opened the attachment, I could see how much my raise was. Make sure you click on the links that are in there too. Oh, absolutely. Yeah, I can't wait. I'm excited.

Find out more by searching the Stacking Benjamins podcast, wherever you listen. Back here, one other thing about Russ that he's now going to be associated with, which I cannot believe. Largest dead cap hit ever. 85 million bucks. The Broncos are going to have to decide how they want to slice it up, depending on if they designate him a June 1st hit or not.

I don't want to get too deep in the woods. It depends on they want to spend 53 million now and 32 million next year or 35 and a half million now and 50 million the next. So it's like, how do you want to split it up?

How do you want to take your medicine? The previous largest dead camp hit ever was when the Falcons sent Matt Ryan a CBS 40 million, half of it. Yeah, it's larger than Rogers and Matt Ryan combined.

Right. And Seattle trading Russ took a cap hit too. That's two teams in the last three years that's saying, we're going to send you away and we're going to take the cap hit. And those things add up.

They add up, they add up. And that's why Russ needs to stop the bleeding now. And that's why the next team that gets him. But the question is, does he have it anymore?

I mean, that's a that's a legit question. You have to ask the it being what we saw in Seattle in those nine years of a heyday. The Raiders, would the Raiders take him? Saints?

Saints have Derek Carr, brother, and they're paying him 30 million, 30 and change. But you could have him back up, I guess, instead of Jamis. But he doesn't want to back up. He may not have a choice. He's got to, but I hear you.

We're talking about a guy who played 15 games for over 3000 yards, only eight picks. That's been my argument. And Rich has been saying like the film guys are saying it. Film guys are saying he doesn't see it. Yeah, he was terrible. Well, I mean, that's what the film.

But to the naked eye, it looks like. I hear you. I know. Back on the Rich Eisen Show radio network, sitting at the Rich Eisen Show desk, furnished by Grainger with supplies and solutions for every industry. Grainger has the right product for you.

Call clickgranger.com or just stop by. Phone lines are lighting up. Stay on hold and enjoy, hopefully, this conversation with a man who I cannot quit. I was with him for four straight days for an insane amount of time, but I miss him. He's one of the best in the business. He is Daniel Jeremiah back from the combine, just like I am. How are you doing, DJ?

How are you doing, buddy? You posted yesterday. I mean, that is impressive. I kept my cap to you on that one.

What, you mean, did my show yesterday? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

You're a 162 guy, man. You are not. No load management over there.

There isn't any management. There's a load, but I appreciate you joining me here today. Now that we are a couple of days removed, you look back at this combine and you think what? As advertised, you know, there's some times that you go into it with a thought about the draft class and maybe the strengths and weaknesses, and then you leave the combine and you're like, gosh, I don't know.

I mean, I don't even know what to think because, you know, up is down and down is up. But this was, you know, coming into the process, we knew about the quarterbacks, the depth there. Obviously, we didn't see the big three, but nothing changed really there.

We can have the conversation about how teams view these guys, but the strength really being the tackle class, you know, with a chance to break the record of eight tackles in the first round. And they delivered. I mean, that was that was a those were like Avengers, man. They were enormous, so athletic, so impressive. So that delivered it in the wide receiver depth.

You know, that was the other one. I told you, I thought I had had a chance to break the record of eleven of the first fifty picks being wide receivers. I think we have a real legit shot of breaking that record this year as well. So that really kind of being the strength of it.

And on the defensive side of the ball, the corners, you know, the corner depth, the corner speed, the corner athleticism. I thought that was solid as well. So do you think three quarterbacks in a row to start? I do.

I do. I just think to me, it doesn't make any sense if you're, you know, New England, I can I love Marvin Harrison Jr. and I love Roma Dunsey. Those are my second third players in this draft. But, you know, if you if you're going to not address the quarterback situation in the free agent market, then you have to take one here at three. And if you do go out and get a veteran looking at the roster, we had that conversation both on and off the air, Rich, like the roster needs so much work. And the third pick, as much as I love those wide outs, that you could be a lottery pick, you know, for somebody coming up there, a lottery ticket for somebody coming up there to get one of those quarterbacks.

Now you can amass a haul of picks to address the offense as a whole, which needs a lot of work. So who trades up? Who do you think? Based on what you were hearing and seeing, who do you think does if New England wants to trade out and goes and grabs Drake May, we're assuming he's three. What do you have there for me? Well, I think we're going to know a lot more 10 days from now.

Right. You know what happens with Kirk Cousins and how that all shakes out because, you know, walking around there and we're all talking to tons of people and, you know, the teams that that seem to be interested in that potential move would be you look at six with the Giants would not rule that out there with them obviously wouldn't cost them as much as some of the teams picking outside the top 10. But then Minnesota, if Kirk Cousins were to leave, the Raiders is one I would keep an eye on. You know, you've got Denver who's lurking around there after Russell Wilson, you know, he's gone. So there are a lot of potential teams there, you know, Atlanta, you know, what are they going to do? And again, I think Kirk Cousins fills one of those chairs. So that'll take one of the teams off the list.

Right. And then the Giants wouldn't have to trade that much to go from six to three. Do you think Drake May would be worthy of giving up draft capital to go up and get Daniel? I think he's really talented, you know, and this is, you know, I saw a little bit of your conversation yesterday with Dan and, you know, it was a great conversation. And I've talked to Dan about this too, because to me, like the Jayden Daniels, Drake May thing, and some people think, well, man, there's a big gap there, you know, and some people think it's clearly Jayden and there are some Drake May teams out there. The challenge when you're evaluating these guys is if you're going to go just strictly off of the performance last year, Jayden Daniels was the most impressive guy in the whole draft class.

And that's why I think that Orlovsky puts him up there as the top guy. Now I look at it from the standpoint of the challenge and evaluating is what we do is not just, you know, the performance that you saw, but then the projection of what they're going to be at the next level and situations are different that these guys were operating within. So I'm still a big believer in all the things Drake May can do. And I think surrounded by the right pieces, and that includes the coaching staff to be able to drill some things into them, that the upside there is enormous. So yeah, no perfect prospect.

There's risk involved with all of them. But if I were the New York Giants and I had a chance to, you know, make a move that's not, you know, incredibly costly from when, where they are going from six to three, yeah, I would entertain that. What about sticking and staying and going for JJ McCarthy? Did he push himself up in any way or is that still too early for him?

Do you think? Look, everybody that met with him, I heard real positive things. You know, everybody liked being around him. You know, obviously the winning thing is that's the calling card that he has.

The guy doesn't lose games. The arm strength is really, really good. We saw that in the workout.

You know, I was not plugged in on social media. So I guess, I guess he was getting some heat for a couple of misfires, which I think is kind of silly from the workout. But no, he's got, he's got a really live arm.

It's real easy. The ball kind of jumps out of his hand really nice. So he can spin it. He can throw it.

He didn't have the volume that these other guys have. But when you get somebody who's a really good athlete, he's won a ton of games. He can make every type of throw. He's smart.

He's a great worker, like all those things together. That's why I think we could be looking at, you know, just an insane amount of quarterbacks and we could have five quarterbacks go on like the first 13 picks, which sounds crazy. Yeah. Cause I love the way Pennick's through. I mean, that was, that was a clinic. You and I were talking about how NFL films is excited for his pro career because that spiral, right. You know, right. It's a perfect spiral for them to zoom in on every single time he throws it.

Yeah. He's it, it looked like a Nerf turbo. He's got those humongous hands. He just kind of envelops the football.

And then if, you know, I was waiting to listen to see if I could hear the whistle coming off of it. It's effortless. It's effortless the way he throws it. So, and you know, I don't think that, you know, our people say that he like really helped himself here. I'm like, well, I think anybody that studied him, that was not a surprise, you know, to see what that looked like. So I think in some ways McCarthy might've helped himself more just because while I didn't have personally a question about his arm, I think I heard some chatter about people saying, I want to see how he can really throw it. And I think, you know, seeing the force he could put on the, on the football, you know, that eased any concerns anyone would have had. Daniel Jeremiah here with me a couple of days after the NFL scouting combine on the Rich Eisen show, while we're talking about quarterbacks, Daniel, how did you take Kevin O'Connell's comment? When I got my one question in about, about Kirk cousins, you were there when he told me you get one question, you know, the day before you paste yourself, try to get them comfortable. I picked my spot.

That's a, I'm a professional spot picker. But what'd you make of his answer where he's like, he's a process guy and he, he basically said, he's going to hit free agency. Daniel.

Yeah. He, I think he wants to listen to what's out there, you know, and look, I, you know, I sit there and look at it and go, okay, well, you're, you're playing indoors. You're, you know, the system really well.

You have a great relationship with Kevin. You're thrown to the best wide receiver in the NFL and Jefferson. You also have a stud tight end and a stud number two receiver and a solid offensive line.

Like, why would you ever want to leave Minnesota? But I, I, to me, the Atlanta thing is that's what this feels like, Hey, I want to talk to the Falcons. And is there a huge difference in the money that's being put on the table between those two teams? Because Atlanta, Hey, also plays indoors. We know about the weapons that they've had a young talented, the weapons that they have both in the backfield, as well as out at the receiver position and a solid offensive line. So they have some, they have some really intriguing pieces in place there, but that's what this feels like to me is let's, let's talk to the Falcons. He's got a history there with the offensive coordinator as well.

So there's be some familiarity. That's, that's what it looks like to me is that this is Kirk wanting to learn everything about the Atlanta Falcons and then putting those two, two offers on the table. And now Daniel, Jeremiah, let's talk about Russell Wilson. It's amazing because the, I guess let's put it this way, certainly the first several combines we worked with together.

Okay. We're, we're all about when we're looking at quarterbacks, who's going to be the Russell Wilson, who's going to be the one in the middle of the third round. And we could even have that conversation here. And I would refer to Russ as the prototype of the diamond in the third round rough. And now it's just a totally different conversation about Russell Wilson around the combine and around the NFL. And you, you know, obviously had a front row seat for a handful of his starts with Denver, your last Chargers Broncos game that you called for Chargers radio was Jared Stidham's first start after Russ got benched. So you're a perfect person to ask this, the general question of what's happened to Russell Wilson.

Well, it's interesting. We just went from one conversation to the next because him and Kirk cousins, same draft, both, you know, third, third, fourth round picks both go on to have tremendous success. Then we look at where they are right now, Kirk cousins hitting the market, and we're talking about how high does that number go above, you know, 40 million and now Russell's been cut.

And because of the offset in the contract, rich, he's, you know, you could get him for really, really cheap. I still think he has, I think he still has good football left. I think it's, it's efficient, you know, manage the game, Russ versus, you know, the dynamic play creator that we saw from the Superbowl teams, you know, that was going to happen. I mean, that's, I think when you look at how quarterbacks age, Kirk cousins, even coming off of Achilles, you know, athleticism is not really required to play the game the way he plays it. Athleticism is a key component to what makes Russell Wilson, Russell Wilson.

So as that starts to decline, you know, his value isn't quite as great, but rich, I look around and, you know, I don't buy the fact that there's 32 quarterbacks better than Russell Wilson, this version of Russell Wilson at this point in time. And the fact that you're going to get a veteran with experience and you should be able to get them on the cheap, I think makes him, you know, an attractive option for teams. Well, I'm sure the fact that he can say I'll play for the league minimum, which I imagine he will do because there's the offset. Whatever he makes from another team is how much less Denver has to pay him. And I mean, I'm not to ascribe anything to Russ. I imagine he'd like to stick Denver with the largest tab it can be stuck with. So I'm not saying he's not an attractive option for people financially.

I'm just, what do you see on tape, on film? Because the conversation you just said about people having where, hey, the physical skill set that he needs to be the old Russ that cooked doesn't maybe exist anymore. And he needs to be the game manager guy. I'm wondering if there's that struggle internally with him on that front as well right now.

And that's how I lay that at your feet. Yeah, that's interesting. I just, to me, when you watched him last year and you watched him and end of half situations and an end of game situations, and, you know, there was, I think he had three comeback wins last year as well as went down the field several times before the half and a two minute situation where it was put on him. And he still has some of that. I mean, that's not, I don't want to make it sound like he can't do it. I just think you have to pick your spots and he can do it. And I thought I saw in those key moments he made plays the Buffalo game on Monday night's a great example.

You know, after we find out after the fact, he had been told he didn't even know he was going to start. So with all that swirling around, I still think he can play winning football is the way that I would describe it. And I think if you've got a team with some pieces in place, I look at the Pittsburgh Steelers and I'm like, man, that just makes too much sense to me because you bring him in to me, it's a, it's an upgrade over Kenny picket. You've got a good defense in place. They've added to the offensive line. I think you'll see them continue to add to the offensive line this year. Broderick Jones last year's really came on and played well. You know, they they've brought over Somalo from the Eagles who played well, so they've added good pieces there.

They've got the two good running backs that has kind of a Seattle vibe to it to me, rich. And I think you get them on the cheap. Uh, it's pretty attractive. Uh, the offset thing, by the way, is fascinating to me because I, I had that when I got, when I got let go in Cleveland and I got put on Randy Lerner scholarship, I had 18 months left on my contract. So I got offered a couple other scouting jobs and, and I'm explaining this to my wife and she goes, so you can stay home and help me with the four kids under 10, um, for the same amount of money, or you can go travel 150 nights a year and not make a dollar extra. I go, yeah, that's how it works.

She goes, uh, what are we talking about here? So that's why I started my, I started messing around with the media a little bit. That's so funny.

Oh my gosh. Daniel, Jeremiah here, a few minutes left with him at move the sticks. Uh, and of course the move the sticks podcast with Bucky Brooks right here on the Rich Isaac show, Bucky's on our show on Wednesday. So, um, then where does Justin Fields land brother? You know, I mean, that's that, this doesn't appear to be such a simple, oh, we're going to draft Caleb, uh, or as Daniel Orlovsky said, he thinks they should draft Jayden Daniels, which would be fascinating.

What a night in Detroit that would be for us. Um, but what, where, where does Fields wind up here? You know, to me, and this is just on the outside looking at no one side information, but just looking at it, it feels like Atlanta, you know, wants to see what happens with Kirk cousins.

If Atlanta could get Kirk cousins in the fold, then Atlanta's out for Justin Fields. And then we start talking about, you know, okay, where is it? You know, is it new England? You know, does Pittsburgh get involved here? Um, you know, what does that look like for those teams? I have a harder time finding a, you know, a great fit new England I've advocated for, but I've never heard anything, um, you know, from anybody walking around the combine, talking to folks that that was in play.

It made sense to me on the outside because you take fields, um, say that costs, you pick 34 at the most. Um, now you could auction off that third pick and really build around Justin Fields. But Atlanta is the one, I think if Atlanta doesn't get Kirk cousins, I think that would be a natural fit, uh, for them to get into Justin Fields. But if they do get Kirk cousins, uh, I'll tell you one place the bears wouldn't want to send Justin Fields in Minnesota.

I'm saying is in division, right? And then the Raiders might need him, but Luke gets, he's the offensive coordinator there. And we just had him. He, that's the guy who made him play like a robot, according to him, until things got a little bit more fluid towards the end.

That's why I'm sitting here saying where, where does he go? And I think he is, um, wow. If you're Justin Fields, you are rooting, um, for, for Kirk cousins to post something on Instagram, doing the skull clap. I mean, that's what you are.

That's what you were rooting for every day. Wow. Okay.

So, uh, who else, who, who's the defensive player that's most likely to crack the top 10, do you think? Well, I mean, Dallas Turner, you know, running in the four fours, which, uh, uh, which I was told by the way that it was, I, you know, that the Cardinals are trying to tell me that Monty Ostenfort was reacting to something else that had been said within the suite. I'm not buying it rich. I'm not buying that. No, we cut to him after Dallas Turner, Randy, you kind of, Ooh, you know, I don't know, unless somebody was telling him like a scary story in the combo while one of the best defenders was running, you know? Okay.

All right. It was fantastic. That's the one. I mean, I love, I love, uh, when you on Mitchell, uh, put on a show, the corner from Toledo, he's got a chance if you need a corner. I mean, I think him and Terry and Arnold, Terry and Arnold, I found out after the fact, um, had, had a hamstring, you know, coming into the workout. So he'll run at his pro day.

He's going to run faster than the four or five flat that he ran. He had a phenomenal field workout, but I think both those guys, both those corners are top 15 picks. Uh, and then Dallas Turner and, uh, and Jared verse from Florida state who tested really, really well. I'd say those four guys, you know, would have a shot, but I'm telling you, man, it's the top of this draft. It's going to be quarterbacks.

It's going to be tackles. It's going to be wide receivers. And so speaking of wide receivers, Xavier worthy, I've got him coming up later on in the program. Where does he get drafted? Did he pop himself on the chief's radar screen? Is the last pick in the, in the first round, Daniel, did he do that? He's got to be in the mix. I mean, he's got, he's got good tape too. You know, the big issue with him was drops, you know, two years ago, he was way up there. That's why I was going, that's where I was going. I cut that down.

He cut that down this, this year, almost in half. Um, so did a better job of catching the ball, but you know, the speed is big time and everything he does, he makes look real easy in terms of the movement. I selfishly, I wanted to see him get out there and catch the ball a little bit. Um, but we'll have to wait till, uh, till we get to the pro day for that one. All right.

Last one for you, Daniel. Um, listen, I've heard from so many people, uh, about your pouring your heart out at the end of our combine coverage for Chris Mortensen. And, you know, it kind of, um, I think took some people by surprise that you were so close with him. You know, they might have missed that wonderful moment during the 2020 draft because it was COVID and, you know, life was kind of nutty at the time, uh, where you shared your story and your backstory with him. But I, I'd love to just give you the floor here and, and talk about more one, one more time or another time or as much as you'd like, or not at all. Cause I know again, uh, how much he meant to you and how broken up you still are about it.

Yeah. You know what, first of all, I'll start with this rich, the, uh, man was a hard day, you know, getting, getting through that day and then get a chance to share a little bit. I thought I'd be able to keep it together.

That, that didn't happen. Um, but the interesting thing about grief is, yeah, I woke up, uh, yesterday. So the day after, and I know it's so down the day before I woke up with this just odd, joyful, thankful feeling of just all the years and all the memories, um, that I got to share with Mort. So it's interesting how that works, you know, and I think that was, you know, just, uh, just a really cool thing to be filled with such gratitude, but I've met him when I was, uh, uh, I met Mort when I was a senior in high school. Um, and, uh, he came to the super bowl was out in, uh, was out in San Diego and, uh, he, he loved my dad. He listened to my dad on the radio. That's how I got to meet him. So he wanted to go see my dad at my dad's church. And then my dad knew him. So of course my dad invites him to lunch.

So I just walk, I come into the house after church and Chris Morton's and sitting at my dining room table. Um, and that's where I met him. And then he would, he came to some of my college games. He would fly me up to Bristol, Connecticut when I was in college, just to let me be a fly on the wall and get to visit with Stuart Scott and get to visit with Lee Corso and all these guys. And then he would have me intern for him at the draft.

And I literally would sit off to the side and answer his phones. Um, uh, and, and, and that's kind of what helped me get going. I remember when I got let go with Cleveland and I was in, I was interested in getting into the TV world, doing broadcasting. He said, he gave me the advice you need to start a Twitter page. And I didn't even know what Twitter was.

This is like 2009. It just kind of got going. So I'm on vacation in Alaska on a cruise, rich. And, um, I go to the internet cafe about three days and I haven't checked my email. I go in there and I have like, like 2000 emails and it's all the people that have followed you on Twitter. I didn't know how this works. And so if I'm like go through and I find an email from more, it said, Hey, I just told people to follow you on Twitter.

You might want to tweet exclamation point, exclamation point. So that's how, that's how I started. It kind of grew this, this, uh, Twitter following, which led to me getting radio interviews, which led to ESPN calling and doing the draft with ESPN news and doing, you know, first take many, many, many years ago. And that kind of launched this whole, whole side of my life. So I owe him so much. And he was, he's a, he was so fun loving and such, just a great given guy. And it's been neat to see all the tributes, uh, pour in right.

And universally loved right there, like the outpour outpouring is an understatement. And, and, and that just obviously speaks so many volumes. Uh, I would be remiss if I didn't follow up. What is it like to answer Chris Mortensen's phones during a draft, Daniel, like who was on the other end of the line when you were doing it? It was, uh, it was general managers.

It was head coaches. Um, I distinctly remember, uh, Andrea Kramer, Colin, cause I think she was with one of the teams at one of the sites. She's like, I need to talk to him. I'm like, I'm like, Andrea, he's, he's on the air. I can't. And I'm, I don't know what the right answer is.

Am I supposed to get him? Like, I don't know how this works, but she had some good stuff, uh, that she wanted to, to pass along, but it was, yeah, it was a, it was definitely, I mean, as a, as a kid, as a, as a college kid who loved the draft, it was a dream. Oh my gosh.

Answering Chris Mortensen's phones during a draft that that is something. And, um, and it was beautiful. Again, the way you poured your heart out, brother, you are, you're, you're truly special. And I love working with you.

I just absolutely love working with you. It's just a blast. The four days are a blur.

It's like Xavier, where are these second 40? You know what I mean? It just goes by so fast when I'm hanging with you. Well, I I've got, you are the best it's it is.

It gets more fun every year. I don't know how that's possible, but I do want to ask you one thing before we leave. And then maybe Brockman, if you can see this, you ever see like the ads that come through Instagram, they're like trying to pitch you stuff. And they, they, this one, the, uh, timer, have you seen this one where they have like the little timer and it's like, so you can be productive and you can like set the timer. I think I'm probably the only one who's ever bought one of these things, but I literally bought it. It took like two weeks to ship.

It was quite a while and it's, it turns out it's really bedazzled. Um, so my kids, my kids have really been making fun of me. I was just trying to be more productive.

I didn't know if anybody else had ever bought anything off of an Instagram ad for sure. A hundred percent. Sure. You know, you know, so don't worry about it, Daniel. I mean, we're not judging you.

Not until we say goodbye, then we'll judge you. Yeah. I mean, you know how it works. Yeah. And by the way, like a stopwatch off Instagram ad. Brockman, this thing was like, Hey, you set, you give yourself a task and then you set this little alarm, like, Hey, I got to watch and finish a player within 30 minutes. And then I just pushed the button. That's pretty cool.

Actually. My wife goes, my wife goes, I have one of those and she holds up her phone. I love it. Daniel, Jeremiah here on the rich eyes and shown as we discussed on, uh, on the broadcast.

If they start measuring first downs digitally and using the technology, he will have to change his Twitter handle to add, remove the sticks. So that might be coming. Daniel, get ready for that. Yeah.

I gotta, I gotta workshop that one. Okay. Take care of yourself, Daniel.

You'll be well. See you soon. The great Daniel Jeremiah right here on the rich eyes and show.

Can't believe he buys stuff off Instagram. What a loser. Is he gone? I will take a break. We're back on the rich eyes and show in a moment. Welcome to talk about all the ultimate small rewatch podcast title transference aired October 27, 2004 director James Marshall writers, Todd Slavkin, Darren swimmer. I really liked this episode and I'm surprised that you don't like it as much as you thought you did.

I actually respect your opinion more than I respect my own in general. When you say things are good and I check them out, they are jumping now or catch up on any of the past seasons of talk Ville on YouTube or wherever you listen. Hi there. Sorry for the interruption, but are you enjoying the show on Google podcasts? You should know that the Google podcast app is going away this spring.

That's right. Going away gone as in no longer available. You can still enjoy the show elsewhere though. Try out Spotify or Amazon music, or maybe tune in is more your style, whatever app you switched to. Be sure to follow.

So you never miss the next episode and thanks for listening wherever you listen. So you put it up as a poll question during, uh, our, uh, open of the show, Chris. I did.

What do you got? I did. Let's let's hit it. All right. So, uh, this is based on the gambling odds on Russ's next four teams, the likelihood.

So I just put up, where should he play next year? Patriot Steelers, Falcons Raiders Steelers are the favorite. Uh, and it's pretty split actually Raiders, 30%, uh, Steelers, 27%, Patriots, 26%, Falcons, 18%. I just don't, I'm, I'm sorry. I don't see Pittsburgh doing it. I don't see him doing it. But for a million bucks, what does it hurt to have a three-way competition? It's not the money. Mason Rudolph is a free agent.

He had to, he would have to come back. Right. Right.

It's not the money. It's just the principle of where it's not just that, like what, what if Russ signs, right. Gets beat out by, uh, by Kenny Pickett. Then his career's over.

Right. So why would he want to sign in a spot where it's a running of a risk of being over? If you don't think you can beat out Kenny Pickett, it's not that your career's over.

Anyway, you don't think you don't need, why would you want to sign somewhere where we're going to put you in a competition? Unless that's the only option there. Cause unless that's the only option, good weapons, unless that's the only option he wants to go somewhere like Baker, where it was a competition with Kyle Trask. And then Baker gets a spot and there's Evans and then there's Godwin and then there's Rashad White. And then there's that defense and there's that coach.

Isn't that what Pittsburgh is? Right. But there's no Kyle Trask. That's Kenny Pickett, a first round pick from a couple of years ago that they're going to put their thumb on the scale.

They want him to succeed. Kyle Trask is better than Kenny Pickett, right? I don't know where you get that one from. We haven't seen Kyle Trask playing like three years. But I've seen Kenny play. Back on the Rich Eisen show here. We're just having a conversation, our radio audience just returned. We're having a conversation about where Russ is going to wind up. And our poll question right now, has the Steelers winning it right now or the Raiders are winning it right now?

Raiders are winning it. That one makes sense to me. That one makes sense to me where he's going to be placed in a competition with, I guess, with Aidan O'Connell. But why would he sign somewhere and then all of a sudden it's like, hey Michael Penix, the job's yours. Right?

Yeah. He wants to go to a spot where it's like, that's your gig. You have the gig.

It's your gig. So is he going to wait till after the draft? I have no idea how this is going to play out. I have no idea. I mean, the four teams that are on our list, right? For our poll question.

This is based on the Pittsburgh, New England. Yeah. Atlanta and the Raiders. Okay. So Atlanta is going to first play.

The first thing they're playing is Kirk Cousins. Seems like it. Okay.

That's the one. I saw that. So they're playing to see, they're playing that one out. Yeah.

So that's going to take a few days. Pittsburgh, I'm telling everybody what I heard again at the Combine and what everybody's talking about is they love Pickett. They want to see what he can do with a full season where he's healthy and he has an offensive coordinator like Arthur Smith. They might add a couple pieces and go to work and bringing Mason Rudolph to have maybe a healthy competition amongst guys that everybody knows and knows the system and knows the city and knows the building and knows everything else. I don't see them just saying, even though Russell Wilson is dirt cheap, to say, come on in Russ and we'll throw it. Now it's a three man competition. And why would Russ want to go to someplace where it's a three man competition?

The Raiders are okay. He's in the division. He can go to Denver twice and beat him.

That's not a bad choice right there at all. Certainly if they take somebody like say JJ McCarthy or Pennix and say, let's give you the year off plan. Russ has an opportunity to throw to Devante Adams.

Okay. I'd be up for that. You know, going to a spot where Antonio Pierce has got the building where exactly the way he wants him. Josh Jacobs coming back? I don't know about that. The running back market. We'll talk about that. There's a whole, I mean, if Saquon's not getting tagged, then I don't think Jacobs is getting tagged. This is going to be a wild next couple of weeks about that.

So I don't know. The Raiders are something I'd be interested in if Russ, just off the bat, about everything that's gone on there and what I can do for them there. Bruce Feldman coming up in studio.

You know what I'm saying? Like the coach is not going anywhere, right? He's already proved himself unlike his first coach in Denver. And then Sean Payton, man, I'll tell you what. I mean, Sean Payton has the full faith and credit of ownership to come in and say, let's take an $85 million cap head over the next two years. And let's basically try and build this team with $85 million tied behind our back over two years. And then the general manager who makes this deal to get Russ and then sign him, he's got to be thankful, thanking his lucky stars. Normally, one of those things, the trade doesn't work out or signing somebody to a large contract that you have to eat a large amount.

One of those two things will get you. Together, he's still there. Negative times a negative. He is positive, right?

The old math equation. Well, one thing about true and true equals true. I don't think they're worried about a lack of funds coming into the building. So maybe there's a cap. I know, but I'm just saying the big scheme of things for their business. You can't just say, hey, we'll just raise some money at the local Walmart. You know how this stuff works? They might funnel some extra funds under the table. You got to rebuild this roster with $85 million just sliced straight off.

They don't want to win. Well, coming up, we also have Dak talking about the whole all in thing. My goodness. Our two is going to be great. Bruce Feldman and then somebody much faster. Xavier worthy movies, TV shows, books, podcasts, and more. It's what women binge with Melissa Joan Hart and her friend Amanda Lee. We have Lauren Bosworth with the Hills. So what is like your number one question from fans? The primary question I still get asked was what is it real in 2024 to me as a surprising question to get, because I feel like everybody has been through the reality TV gauntlet at this point. What women binge wherever you listen.