Tom Pelissero: Deshaun Watson is Not Unbenchable.

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Learn more at AmericanExpress.com slash Amex Business. This is the Rich Eisen Show. Live from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles. Today's guests, NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero, Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Bucks wide receiver Mike Evans, actor Austin Stowell, and now it's Rich Eisen. Oh boy, do we have a show for you today here on this Friday edition of the Rich Eisen Show.

844-204-RICH is the number to dial right here on the show. Excited to talk football and football only. I don't follow any other sport in case anybody's wondering.

Wait, what? Yeah, I don't follow any other sport. I'm sorry, I know, I'm sorry. I only want to be known as Big Christmas. I understand that big, big Christmas over there. Well, anyway, welcome to the Big Hanukkah show here on the Roku Sports Channel and this Rich Eisen Show terrestrial radio affiliate Sirius XM Odyssey. Tune in and more. We say hello to all of our podcast listeners.

The Jim Jackson Show, latest episode of that popped onto your feed yesterday and also on our YouTube channel, his guest Mateen Cleaves. He breaks down the news about Kawhi Leonard being out indefinitely. My goodness gracious, right on the eve of the NBA season. That's next week. So yeah, we do talk other sports here and we will talk about that dynamite ALCS game three last night.

And then, of course, the Dodgers being one win away from having a pennant, another pennant here in Los Angeles, California. And then 844-204 Rich is the number to dial on the show. Five guests. We've got Hall of Famer Mike Evans right in the middle of this program. He doesn't do many of these shows. We always appreciate when he says yes to us calling him up to be fair and balance the team that he's going to try and beat on Monday Night Football. Their head coach of the Baltimore Ravens, John Harbaugh, will return to this program. Austin Stoll of NCIS Origins will be here in hour number three. And then two Minnesota guys, Tom Pelissera first up. And he's going to be joining us in the middle of this hour to tell us all that he knows in advance of week number seven that kicked off last night on Thursday Night Football, a game we'll talk about in a second between the Broncos and the Saints. And the governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz, the Democratic nominee for vice president in the election that's coming up in a couple of weeks time. He was at the Michigan Minnesota game. So that's the college football version of, I guess, Lions at Vikings.

So he'll break down that game. We'll talk some sports with a former coach of high school athletics. Good to see you over there, Chris Brockman. How are you? I'm great. I'm ready for the era.

The Daraque Maia shirt. You've got them? Okay, great. Let's do it. That's great. How are you?

Jason Feller. Good to see you, man. What's up?

DJ Mikey Dees and Deez Nuts is doing something somewhere else that he doesn't really need to do right now, but at least we get you when he does that sort of stuff. Thank you. That was good to see you.

My, my pleasure. TJ, do you have a gift over there? What are you smelling? I mean, I might as well, I might as well go ahead and smell the flowers as they say, since I hadn't done. How are the roses smelling now? Two days after Carl Anthony towns or three days, right?

It was surprisingly still pretty well. I was also wondering since you're holding up, I'm a coach as well. Maybe Governor Walz and I, we can exchange, maybe he'd give me some coaching tips. Well, you're quality control.

He's a defensive coordinator. Hey, you know, we can exchange information. Very good. Well, good to see you over there.

And again, 844-204 Rich is the number to dial on this program. What a beat down on Thursday night football that Sean Payton delivered to his former team in his former place of business, where they were fetting his former quarterback that he connected with in such a way that Drew Brees became a first ballot Hall of Famer in his tenure in New Orleans. And last night with it being a Drew Brees Saints Hall of Fame induction night, they got baptized instead. And it was an absolute crushing beat down that one would think is not potentially in the Broncos wheelhouse because, you know, the offense is still not on any sort of consistent tilt and that this team doesn't really have one of those beautiful football games you can hang in the football loop.

But guess what? When you look at the standings in the American Football Conference Western Division and you see the Broncos sitting there at four and three with a visit from Carolina coming up next in week eight for them as they're sitting back waiting for the Carolina Panthers to come into their town. I don't see any photographs on that standings. Do you guys see any photographs on that standings? You see any pictures? I mean, I got to squint a little bit. No, there's no pictures.

There's no pictures on it. Nope. And in the AFC standings, the Denver Broncos sitting at four and three, if the proverbial season ended today, they're in the playoffs. I like that. And you take a look at, you know, the Jets feeling all great about themselves right now because Devante Adams is coming in and, you know, they're in that sniffing it column that we always call it here on the program. And guess who the Broncos have already beaten? The Jets. So even if they start getting going, they have to be one game better than the Denver Broncos by the end of the day. Denver's already taking care of business against Las Vegas as well. The Chargers are a problem for them, but those are first-class problems to have when you have a rookie quarterback. And I told everybody when I first watched him play in that week one game in Seattle and it looked bleak.

And then that week two game for the Denver Broncos, when Denver opened up their home schedule against Pittsburgh, that's a problem for them as well, since they lost to Pittsburgh. But I saw stuff out of Bo Nix. The guy had some moxie. Or he's got the, what, Ferris Bueller in him, right? And I guess what that means is, is the kid who might be a little bit mischievous? Is that what Sean Payton was going for right there? Yeah, a little sarcastic, maybe a little cocky.

Having a friend who might wreck your dad's Porsche, you know? I don't know what it was, but cocky or or feeling it. He also does a lot of head-scratching things. Well, because he's still a rookie quarterback, but at the end of the day, as we're sitting here at the beginning of week seven, Bo Nix has as many wins as a professional quarterback as the first two overall picks of this draft. Jayden Daniels and Caleb Williams.

Bo Nix also has four. You are what you are in this league, and what they are is a team that, if they can run the football, I mean, Javonte Williams finally had a nice two-touchdown game. Anybody who stuck with him in fantasy was rewarded last night in that regard. Over 225 yards rushing, including Bo Nix adding a nice amount there. The passing game isn't that great, but the defense man, even without Patrick Sertan, they got it done last night, and Sean Payton puts the visor back on.

Did you notice that, by the way? He normally wears a hat as the Denver coach, but last night back in the Superdome, he put on the old visor last night, and, you know, he made it a long night for his former team, and then I do hope Drew Brees had a good time at halftime with his family and the fans cheering, because it's the only cheer that they really got to give last night was for Drew Brees in his night, that his former coach otherwise absolutely took over, and Sean Payton has to feel great about that, man. He got his rookie quarterback. He's growing him up. He's dropping his huggies a little bit more each and every week, as his mentor Bill Parcells would use that phrase, and they're four and three, sitting at home, waiting to go five and three at home against the Carolina Panthers. Then you look down the road for the Denver Broncos, get Sertan back, play some good defense. You're potentially a buyer at the deadline for a receiver.

Do you do that? Because after Carolina comes the rough stretch of at Baltimore and Kansas City, you know, he could turn back into a little bit of a pumpkin there, home for Atlanta. Can they clinch the season series by sweeping Vegas, a Monday nighter at home against Cleveland, a very late bye with four more games after that? I mean, they are in the mix for a wildcard spot as we're sitting here. That is for sure, and, you know, are they going to be Super Bowl winners this year? Doubt it, but is a wildcard spot with a quarterback who's getting all groansed up a good season for Denver after creating the largest dead cap hit in the history of dead caps for cutting the Steelers' presumptive Sunday night football starter in Russell Whitson? Is that a good season?

I think it is, and it's beginning to form. As for the New Orleans Saints, I feel for you, the fans of the New Orleans Saints, I feel for you. 2-0, 91 points and going 2-0. You know, if this was college football, the loss by the Dallas Cowboys in week two of the Saints, it would cost you with the committee even more right now. Because that Saints team is not the Saints team we have seen in the last month's time.

Now, they did have a nice game against the Chiefs up until that fourth quarter, and then Derek Carr got hurt, and we'll hit more on that in a second with Spencer Rattler, but five losses in a row, two and five, staring into the abyss, getting pounded on Thursday night football. Brandon Staley had that happen to him. He got fired. He got fired, but that was a road game against a Division opponent in Vegas.

This one was a home game against an out-of-conference opponent. However, the guy who coached that team, that has to leave a mark. in Vegas this one was a home game against an out-of-conference opponent however the guy who coached that team that has to leave a mark he's like I'm I don't want to coach anymore I need a break maybe it's from New Orleans hangs out at Fox for a year goes to Denver two seasons later 33-10 on Drew Brees night absolutely smoked it looked awful and it featured everything it featured ineffectiveness on offense it featured a defensive touchdown at the end that was an absolute kick in the nards because that game was already over and the defense the defense got run over Richard Sherman at halftime said the defense was playing as if they wanted their coach fired hmm which was brought up to the Dennis Allen afterwards and he said that he disagreed with that but this was the general sense of Dennis Allen after the game last night as the team falls to two and five we're the only ones that can get us out of this okay nobody it's not like it's not like we're gonna have a draft in the middle of the season you know nobody's gonna gonna be coming in here to be the Savior we're gonna have to do it ourselves and and you know hopefully we'll begin to get some guys back because look early on in the season we played good football so I know this team has it in them okay I got two tapes that show me that this team has good football in them and and it's got good coaching in them but right now we're not playing that way and and obviously there's multitude reasons why and we got to figure out how to get back to playing that that type of football now that's a reasonable statement wouldn't you say I mean it's reasonable there is if you look at the tape what happened against Carolina in week one in that Dallas in week two there's Olave there's Raheed Shaheed there's Derek Carr they are really banged up there's Taysom Hill there's Marshawn Lattimore at one point throughout the season and he got hurt again last night and I mentioned Olave and Shaheed and Carr and I mentioned everybody that I just mentioned because they got hurt they're not there Taysom Hill and unfortunately for the Saints Spencer Rattler is the latest example in the NFL of a team relying on a quarterback who is not ready to play professional football at all 100% not at all and there's no way to get these kids ready for when the time comes and the only answer is you cannot have a raw rookie backing up your veteran quarterback in the NFL I'm loath to say anymore because you never know how ready the kid could be there but for the grace of the football gods go the Falcons right now we're assuming Michael Pennix is ready if Kirk Cousins has an oblique injury crop up at the end of a Monday night football game like what happened to Derek Carr and the Saints this kid's not ready and I know you're you're high on Spencer rattler and there's a reason why a lot of folks should be because he's a talented kid he's played a lot of football he is not ready to play professional football yeah and he's being thrown in the mix against a Broncos team that is marauding on defense and can sack you they were not ready I mean if Derek Carr's not coming back for another week or two because this oblique injury is hurt I mean this this T and this is not a it's not denigrating Spencer rattler at all it's about a system in the NFL where kids are pushed up higher maybe for either cap reasons or for reasons that you don't want to have another veteran backing up a veteran because the first veterans looking over his shoulder or what have you I happened to the Jets last year it's happening right now to the Dolphins because Tua went down your backup quarterback better be ready like Joe Flacco your backup quarterback better be ready because if he is not your season is toast almost on the spot nine times out of ten and the Saints are in that situation right now yeah but then you look at what Brock Purdy did I think a lot of it is coaching and just getting these guys ready to play well and also weapons around obviously it's I am generalizing and I appreciate saying that was in a really tough spot last night there's no Shaheed there's no Taysom Hill right a lot of his top options right not available and there he is on a short week against the Denver Broncos who blitzed 90 million percent of the time but he's not ready man tough spot he's not ready but he looked okay last and the reason why Purdy might have been ready is yeah maybe it's coaching but that's Debo that's Kittle that's McCaffrey I mean that kind of helps when you come out of the chute yeah what were they supposed to do last night I think this game was gonna go this way I understand that no matter what and which is why I'm saying if you have a quarterback that can actually play football professionally in a highly capable manner you can overcome the rest of the stuff but there's too many teams out there with backup quarterbacks who cannot do it they cannot do it and there is no system to get them ready for it and again if I'm an owner in the NFL and I understand I'm talking about a short week and they're who the Saints are missing and everything like that but I'm talking about what their issue is not just over the last two games but over potentially the next two for them there is no system if I'm an owner in the NFL I am calling in my friend like Kurt Warner and a whole bunch of other retired quarterbacks and a bunch of coaches and let's come up with a system you know I understand that somebody might get hurt playing in another league or playing you know practicing a little bit more but we have to come up with some way where somebody like Spencer Rattler isn't thoroughly unready as it appears I just say there's not a lot of guys there's just there's not there's not a lot of good backs out there man unfortunately I think the Steelers are in a great position that's another one right there you know I mean like I have what a position they are in and the question is is are we really gonna see Russell Wilson one of the many questions I'm about to ask Tom Pelosero and then he's the first of our next two guests who are from the state of Minnesota Tim Walz the governor of Minnesota will join us to talk some football and break down some Lions and Vikings before Monday Night Football's Mike Evans and John Harbaugh join us that's that's our two and so what's more likely Friday as well we'll take a break we'll come back Tom Pelosero will join us and I'm told he's in a different setting this time for business owners like you the American Express business platinum card works just as hard as you do to help you pursue your passions with its world-class business and travel benefits you can get more for your business wherever it takes you the Amex business platinum card offers a flexible spending limit that adapts with your business enabling you to flex and adapt as your business evolves and you'll earn five times membership rewards points on flights and prepaid hotels booked on Amex travel calm so that going that extra mile for your business is even more rewarding see how the Amex business platinum card gives business owners like you the tools and rewards to do more of what you love not all purchases will be approved terms apply learn more at American Express dot-com slash Amex business let's talk O'Reilly Auto Parts people you love their jingle you're gonna love their friendly helpful service even better because they're in the business of keeping your car on the road and the parts knowledge they have it's all you need for your maintenance and repairs they've got thousands of parts and accessories in stock either in store or online so you never have to worry if you're in a jam the team at O'Reilly Auto Parts can test your battery for free in or out of your car if it needs to be replaced they'll find you just the right battery for your vehicle need your windshield wipers replaced a brake light fixed or quick service they'll help you there and 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You know I keep going back to the meeting we had pre-production with Mike Vrabel last year before the Ravens and the Titans in London. About Will Levis. Right and we're like how's Will Levis looking and he says I have no idea.

Right. We don't have the time to rep him you know we do have some practice reps for him he does get out on the field but if if we had to throw him in a game I have no idea. That's a lot with the collective bargaining agreement and the way the practice schedules are now. That's what I'm saying it's just the latest example and and and and if I'm again if I'm in the league I'm also like there but for the grace of the football gods goes any of our broadcast partners who have a nationally televised game up against two baseball games including one that was off the rails.

I don't want that and and again there's a lot of injuries its circumstances but it's also that the and I don't mean to put it on Spencer Rattler I'm not. But was he ready to face Vance Joseph and the rest of that defense last night on a short week? Like Dennis Allen the entire time all week I'd have been going you know I'm hoping I you know I believe in the guys I believe in this but deep down heart of hearts he would have been going yeah I don't know about this one guys. You know he would never say that. It's not like he looked completely inept on Sunday he looked fine he put up some good numbers they moved the ball a little bit they scored some points.

Is he ready to play quarterback in the NFL? I would think you could ask that question for about 60% of the league. And that's thus my point. Yeah. Thus my point. But that's a league issue not specific. Which I get it I'm just saying what's going on with the Saints is indicative of the larger picture yeah and there but for the grace of football gods go anybody the Dolphins are there right now the Jets were in that world last year. This has been going on for years.

It has yeah and it's time to address it is what I'm saying. I agree with you. Very good. Back on the Rich Eisen Show radio network I'm sitting at the Rich Eisen Show desk furnished by Grange with supplies and solutions for every industry. Granger has the right product for you.

Call clickranger.com or just stop by. Tom Pelissero has stopped by and he's in a a very bucolic setting it appears outdoors. Joining us here on the Rich Eisen Show. How you doing there Tom? I'm doing great.

What's up to my boys in the studio? That's the word I was thinking. Don't you think? It's very nice. It's gonna be 73 degrees today in Minnesota on October or whatever the date is 18th.

You do not pass up the opportunity to be out in these elements. Look at that. The leaves are turning.

Behind you does that play left to right or right to left? I can't tell. This is my neighbor's backyard. I'm currently between houses.

They don't know I'm doing this so I don't know the legalities of the whole situation but it's nice. I should have just moved right here. Very good. Tom Pelissero. Now that we got that out of the way. What a big game in Minnesota this weekend. We're talking about it later with the Governor of Minnesota.

Tim Walz is joining us. We're doing a couple of Minnesota conversations to start this. What's your sense of Vikings-Lions?

Let's just go with that one writ large before we get into some information-based conversation. I think it's a huge game. I had an interesting conversation yesterday with the former Vikings linebacker Ben Lieber who now works in the media here. He was making the case that for as big of a game as this is for either team if they lose this you still feel like it's not that big of a deal because you're up at the top of the division.

You got a long way to go. I feel the opposite especially for the Vikings because remember they come on the following Thursday night out there in LA and play the Rams. They got two games in five days.

You're 5-0. You're atop the division but you're facing the team in the Lions that I don't think anybody wants to face right now especially after what they just did. To the Dallas Cowboys if you were to lose this game at home against the reigning champs in your division and then have to turn around play a Thursday night game that'll feel like a massive game or else you based upon the state of the NFC North right now you can go from first to worst in a five-day span. So I think the buy came at the right time for the Vikings. Aaron Jones it seems like it is trending in a good direction. They made that trade for Cam Akers the other day but as I reported right after breaking the trade you know that was not about like a long-term concern with Aaron Jones it's just they get another back who goes back to the Rams days with Kevin O'Connell's the second year in a row that they traded for Cam Akers to provide them with some running back depth. Sam Darnold's been beat up you know he had the knee and then he got hit on the knee again in the London game and so he was a little bit gimpy here but they're they're pretty healthy as a team and oh yeah they could be getting TJ Hawkinson back here as well. So the Lions they're just they're so tough and the way that they went into Dallas and you know Rich I don't know if that was a Dan Campbell getting his revenge for the you know as a former Cowboy player not getting an opportunity to get that job some years ago I don't know if that was Ben Johnson just with you know pure revenge at the officials for calling back a tackle eligible touchdown by running not one not two but three tackle eligible plays in that game including a hook and ladder to Panay Sewell the Lions are just a really fun team to watch they do obviously you know we'll get a taste of what they're gonna look like without Aiden Hutchinson everything I've been told is they are you know poking around kicking the tires on any potential opportunities here but they're not in a rush for this week they made a signing of the Cincinnati's practice squad they're gonna give some different guys a look here at Brad Holmes is an aggressive GM I fully anticipate he's gonna continue to explore potential edge rush opportunities here but you know you look at the rest of that team you look at the way they responded in that game Aiden Hutchinson goes down with just an absolutely gruesome looking injury they did not miss a beat and kept pounding the Cowboys into the turf is it possible Hassan Rettich could wind up there where are we on the Hassan Rettich as a chance to find a new home thanks to Drew Rosen house is a rival front where are we on that front Tom I would certainly say it's fair to tell you rich that Drew Rosen house would love Hassan Rettich to end up in Detroit he'd love him to end up any place that might give him the multi-year deal that he's been seeking I did not get a sense when I checked on that a couple days ago that there was anything in progress with the Lions again you know whether it's it's Hassan Rettich who his situation you know remains fluid at this point and it's ongoing whether it's calling on a Miles Garrett is it calling on a Max Crosby any number of these different guys on teams that are you know right now kind of on that that brink right of are we gonna be full-on fire sale mode are we going to be you know trying to get back into it I don't think the Amari Cooper trade was an indication that the Browns are punting on the entire season but it was a guy who's in a contract year you get a third-round pick and you're figuring okay he you know wasn't overly thrilled to be there after he was his name came up with the branded IU talks anyway so you get the pick you lose a couple more of these games remember it's the trade deadline this year after years of discussion of the GM Advisory Committee they did move it back a week so it's now on November 5th which means you get you have three games instead of two left for some of these teams to figure out okay should we be in buy mode should we be in sell mode should we stay in pad teams off a little bit more information and that quite possibly we're just gonna lead to more activity over the next 18 days here is it possible Tom Palacios are joining us here on the rich has a show how are the Saints taking in that beat down of a Thursday night loss on Drew Brees night obviously they are bit by the injury bug quite a bit and that's one way to look at it but this team was once upon a time 2-0 they've lost five in a row and it just looks absolutely brutal what's the sense of how how the the Saints front office and also ownership is taking this five-game losing streak right now let's start with with ownership here Gail Benson who took over when Tom Benson passed away she's never really had to make a move remember Sean Payton decided to retire and then take a year off and then obviously he came back with the Broncos but then Dennis Allen was an in-house hired she's got people in that building like Dennis lotion Mickey Loomis that have been there a long time and I would assume that she would lean on those we don't really have a track record a lot of times when you're kind of projecting out at what point an owner would be thinking about making a change you go okay this team never does until after the season this team's got an itchy trigger finger sometimes when he Johnson goes ahead and fire somebody after five games and he did not have a history of doing that we don't really have a guide for how Gail Benson is looking at this the injury thing is real for the Saints a big part of their offense when they've played well this season when they had those two big games early a lot of it was you know they were hitting deep shots to Rashid Shaheed now all of a sudden he's out for the season Chris a lot of they didn't play last night because the concussion you haven't had Derek Carr the past two games now because of his oblique injury he quite possibly we back for their next game but you've been devastated along the offensive line you don't have your center right ram checks but not the entire season so you're shorthanded with that as well it's a tough it's a tough type of a spot for the Saints to be in at this point you know I think that we just kind of have to see how things play out moving forward here I have no reason believe as I sit here right now to believe that they're gonna make a change especially given that you know these last two games and starting a rookie fifth round pick quarterback in Spencer Rattler here but certainly you know if things don't turn we certainly never speculation about Dennis Allen's job at the tail end of last season I would certainly anticipate that that's gonna be in the mix as well that's just what happens when you're in year three you're on a five-game losing skin and all of a sudden you know one of the teams was a pleasant surprise through two weeks right now is just an injury riddled mess and they can't stop the losing streak Tom Pelissero from NFL Network my colleague from the NFL media group here on the rich eyes and shown as usual Friday spot do we see Russell Wilson Sunday night because all points to the answer of yes that we absolutely will and if so what's your reporting as to why well when I first reported that on I believe it was Tuesday amidst everything else that happened on Tuesday were there like three trades that day and then the Russell Wilson news as well the way that it was explained to me was he's gonna get first team reps this week and that is going to point toward him being the starting quarterback he had not had the first team reps you remember last week when Mike Tomlin said was Russ is gonna be back full participant but he's gonna take second team reps to not disrupt Justin Fields preparation all of a sudden that what it's Russ is getting first team reps and remember the only announcement that Mike Tomlin has ever made about his starting quarterback was late August when he said Russ is the starting quarterback you're foreign to team but they just haven't been scoring a ton of points you look at the passing numbers I think fields has a shade over a thousand passing yards through the first six games here we've seen flashes of the run ability and as Tomlin made absolutely no bones about the other day when he was asked if Russell Wilson bring that same threat with his legs and said no he does not this is gonna be a different type of an offense here but we know that you know George Pickens has been frustrated at times with the you know the lack of opportunities that he sees in the passing game the Steelers have been in on all these wide receiver trades I would say I'm not you know big in the prediction business here rich but if I had to guess I'd say the Steelers probably had a wide receiver still before the trade deadline here even though Mike Tomlin wants to win games by running the football and by playing good defense you want that play action element you want to be able to hit those deep shots Russell Wilson you know for whatever flaws he said through his career he has been historically one of the most accurate downfield passers and that's where a lot of his productivity came in Seattle so you know Tomlin if they put it well himself when he said even though he was not you know confirming the Russell Wilson starting what he said was we've been good in some areas where I feel good start but don't confuse good with great they're looking at this position like they are other positions the plan was always for Russell Wilson to be the starting quarterback here let's take a look at that plan and maybe a game two games three games down the line if it's not improving or it's taking steps back then Mike Tomlin's not gonna be afraid to go back to Justin Fields yeah and it's like there's nothing financial that mandates one start over the other either Tom Pelissero here on the Rich Eisen show who else was in on Devante Adams and or Amari Cooper that didn't get him Tom it's the same teams that are in on all these trades let's speak you know specifically on Devante Adams even though I mean I think that I said on this show and I was still in it for a few weeks ago like it would be a surprise if it doesn't end up being the Jets despite the Saints making a run at it the bills were in on it the Steelers were in on it there were other teams that checked as well it seemed like Devante was probably gonna go to the Jets there are a couple reasons for that obviously for Devante playing with Aaron Rodgers in a system that he knows being up to speed quickly that all mattered but also for the Raiders they did not want to pay a portion of Devante Adams contract and they told some of those other teams like the Steelers like the bills we're not going to do that well those teams couldn't go there from a release the bills could not go there from a money perspective and so what are the bills do well they get Amari Cooper who Cleveland had paid almost 19 million dollars of his 20 million dollar salary and a cap move back in March so they get Amari Cooper here for like 800 grand that's part of the dynamic we always talk about like what the pick is and even though on paper these are both third-round picks that are moved obviously there was a pick swap involved in the Cooper deal and the Adams deal can go to a two but they're both basically basically third round picks here but a lot of times in order to get that type of capital you're gonna have to pay the contract down that's what we saw Denver do a few years ago with Vaughn Miller they got I think a second and a third round pick for a guy in a contract here and it worked out for the Rams because they won the Super Bowl and part of that was they paid it down to the minimum that's gonna be some one of the questions here you have to have the salary cap space the rules say the acquiring team has to have the salary cap space at the time of the trade so for some teams like the bills that are tighter you either have to a get a guy on the cheap like Amari Cooper or B get the trading team to pay that contract down so who else potentially could be in the wide receiver market Saints again we're in on Devante Adams I would anticipate that they're in on the other wide receivers who become available although again at this point at two and five how much he really given up for a rental type of situation what about Steelers continue to be in on wide receivers what about the Ravens I got John Harbaugh later yeah the Ravens have been I think at least you know Eric Dacosta always is one of the GM's just kind of always in on every deal how he Roseman's in that same category I would bet how he's having wide receiver not that he needs one but he always wants to be informed if somebody's gonna get moved and see if hey maybe there's a there's an opportunity here you know the Ravens thing was funny because you know I was told that there was a presentation actually before the Ravens played the Raiders in that game the coaches give different types of presentations and part of one of the presentations was about like Edgar Allan Poe being a part of Baltimore culture and he wrote the Raven and all these things so Devante post that that photo of Edgar Allan Poe everyone's going he's gone to the Ravens there was nothing down the line at that point and it might have just been stuck in Devante's head from the team meeting a couple of weeks before I mean this is the thing we're all gonna have the Instagram and the Twitter alerts on and see it and there's gonna be cryptic stuff and you know listen over the past five years especially more and more we've seen the players realize hey whether you're available and something is real or maybe it's not and you just start posting cryptic stuff maybe you can kind of you know generate some type of a market that otherwise wouldn't have been there just by getting people calling and going what's going on with that guy nice I got two more for your Tom Pelissero a blunt question to start is Deshaun Watson unbenchable in Cleveland he's not unbenchable you know the Browns are gonna have some hard decisions to make there been you know a lot of rumblings about what potential changes could come there they end up that the shakeup that they do is to trade away at their number one wide receiver who probably was not particularly again happy in Cleveland at this point you know you could do other things like you could change the play collar you could make assistant coaching changes but Kevin Stefanski's had a lot of success means a two-time NFL coach of the year or the reason he's done it you know calling the plays throughout you know with Watson there's a few things to remember here one he is coming off of major shoulder surgery and if you talk to anybody who's had any quarterback any baseball pitcher or whatever that's coming back from basically a reconstructive type of surgery that first year might not feel right the ball might not come out of your hand the way they used to you know your mechanics might look a little bit different I'm not an expert on quarterback mechanics but there are definitely times where when Deshaun Watson rears back and throws the ball it doesn't look quite right so you're working your way through all of that second part of this is yes he is fully guaranteed money he's got you know 46 million dollars in 2025 and 46 million in 2026 that is fully guaranteed if the Browns were to say we are going to cut bait after this season let's say you did a Brock Osweiler style trade and you set draft picks with Deshaun Watson just to unload the money and I don't really you know see a scenario where another team would pay all 92 million maybe there'd be a you know a split where the Browns pay part of it to offload him you'd have pretty close to a net zero cap impact in 2025 but you're still paying cash out the door and giving up additional picks to offload a player who again based on where he is coming off the injury standpoint you're still thinking that it probably can't remain this bad maybe it can you know if you read that story that the ringer somebody sent me the other day you know that was comparing Deshaun Watson's efficiency stats right all the advanced statistics like EPA first down yards per pass attempt and whatnot he's at the bottom not just in the NFL right now he's near the bottom in like the last couple decades like the other names in all these lists are like 2002 David Carr and Jimmy Carson and Jamarcus Russell these are not names you ever want to be on any list with and Deshaun Watson is down there so back to the original point is he unbenchable you know I think that the you know to the extent of being you know the idea of benching Deshaun Watson a lot of it just comes down to you know what do you feel like gives you the opportunity to win right now is Jamis Winston better they watch them every day in practice they're not of the mind that that's gonna be you know an instantaneous upgrade here they do think that there's things they can do to help Deshaun Watson and to get him playing better make no mistake about it right now again just what the numbers say in the advanced statistics he's probably the worst starting quarterback in the NFL right now and they have to find ways to try to make it more efficient or else you're gonna be talking about some of those scenarios like the one I just laid out after this season in the couple minutes I have left Tom the fact that we've seen him around and he travel with the team and he looks clear-eyed and his minimum stay requirement on IR ends after the Dolphins take on the Colts I think there's a general sense amongst of the fans of the NFL that too is just gonna come right back in and be there for the Miami Dolphins in their next game after this one a home against Arizona is that accurate we don't have total clarity yet I believe he still has to get clear by the independent neurologist which really shouldn't I don't anticipate being an issue because he's gone and seen all these experts around the country and nobody to this point has told him you can't or shouldn't play football you know it's it's I think I understand why people have the visceral reaction to to the idea of to a tongue of I love playing football because you know it's not just that he's had multiple concussions it's that he's suffered two of the scariest most you know those types of moments that are seared in your brain for all the people watching at home you know the way that his body everybody's body reacts differently to concussions you see the fencing posture which is something that Tua has exhibited that doesn't necessarily mean that his concussion is worst it definitely though is worse to look at for Tua though you know these are decisions that he and his family and his doctors and his representatives have to make everything that Tua has done has suggested that he does intend to play again you know how quickly is he playing at a to a type level what happens if God forbid he suffers another concussion this season I mean those are all things that are part of the conversation I mean if he suffers another concussion this season in all likelihood we're not going to see him again in 2024 you run that risk on every single play that you're out there as a quarterback and you know I think that I think Mike McDaniel probably doesn't get enough credit for the type of game he's called I mean think about this rich as a play caller and you've got to come up with schemes and you got to develop an offense that yes you know Tua has a quick release and he processes fast and all that you've basically got to put together game plans each week that account for hey we got to minimize how many times this guy hits this guy can't get hit we can't have a scenario where there's a free rusher and he just you know sucks it up and gets hit in the chest and might hit his head on the ground and so the play that he gets hurt on is Tua trying to do a little bit too much he's got the first down for some reason instead of just going down sliding whatever he tries to lower his shoulder into somebody and his you know his head hits into Damar Hamlin's chest or bicep whatever it was and he gets his neck bent awkwardly and you know the the lights go out on him I mean that's something that you obviously he knows intellectually you shouldn't do but at some point the football player takes over you know it's just it's how it's gonna be honestly where it's for the rest of Tua's career and I think that we all hope that he has a long and healthy career for as long as he wants to have it but you're always gonna have that that risk that exists that he could suffer another concussion and we'll be right down you know in this cycle again but the last time we went through this was back in 2022 it was the same word from doctors which is listen you're at no more risk for a concussion than anybody else who's playing professional football here you've got to make the decisions at that time he made the decision to come back he played all of 2023 and the first chunk of 2024 without an issue now we're back in this spot maybe it's a year two years three years and he's concussion free and we stopped thinking about it but it's always got to be in the back of to his head it's always got to be in the back of Mike McDaniel's head once he gets back on to the field and again we'll see how quickly all those other things come back to him but what we've seen from Tua is he is resilient he is a tough dude there's only so much as you can push yourself through when you're dealing with a brain injury and I think that you know when he gets back onto the field everybody's just gonna be rooting for you know this guy to stay healthy because when he's on the field it's pretty fun to watch Tom appreciate it grab a rake I think your your neighborhood appreciate that as well go grab that when the wind when the wind starts coming through here we might get a few yeah I'll do my best beautiful Tom Pellis arrow right here in his usual Friday spot in the rich eyes and show now the leaves turning if there was only another sport other than football to talk about Wow we'll do that though that's next this is the rich eyes and show don't go anywhere what an hour or two we've got coming up three guests but when you think about businesses that are selling through the roof like aloe or skins sure you think about a great product a cool brand and brilliant marketing but an often overlooked secret is actually the businesses behind the business making selling and for shoppers buying simple for millions of businesses that business is Shopify nobody does selling better than Shopify with shop pay that boost conversions up to 50% meaning way less carts are going abandoned and way more sales happening so if you're into growing your business your commerce platform better be ready to sell whatever your customers are scrolling or strolling on the web in your store in their feed and everywhere in between businesses that sell more sell on Shopify upgrade your business and get the same checkout skins uses sign up for your $1 per month trial period at Shopify comm slash Westwood one all lowercase go to Shopify comm slash Westwood one to upgrade your selling today Shopify comm slash Westwood one talk is Jericho with me Chris Jericho goes deep and gets personal with your favorite pro wrestlers including MJF John Moxley Adam Copeland will Osprey timeless Tony storm even stone-cold Steve Austin listen to and follow talk is Jericho on the free Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcast do it now says the learning tree thanks guys back here on the rich eyes and show yesterday what a delightful in studio appearance from Mila Kunis and TJ Jefferson offered to give the flowers that Carl Anthony towns gave to you to troll you for the Cowboys 47 to 9 lost the hands of the Lions you wanted to basically say hey why don't you take some of these flowers home and I said no no you can't do that I mean yeah you didn't well I'm glad that I'm glad that you didn't give them away because those nine Cowboys colored roses if you wanted to send them somewhere send them to the Prescott's they're engaged how about that that's right all right congratulations there's their baby MJ Sarah Jean and all this is oh hi so what is this high mom what is that what is the ones he say it says hi mommy I'm sure daddy has a question for you oh will you marry me nice very nice congratulations to the Prescott's a growing family love it you want to send them your flowers I'm gonna have to do that the nine roses send him I'll send them a four for his number ah you'll keep five yeah okay that's a field goal and a safety well we know the field goals automatic that's right yeah Brandon Aubrey automatically he's getting the six at least so they are they gonna are they gonna are they gonna sack Brock Purdy in his end zone is that what it is maybe that's it maybe that's it that's fine questions is Carl Anthony towns send you flowers each week after a cowboy loss like what's next oh we're not gonna lose any more games okay so we won't find that out Chris what do you think cat I think it's more like a family and I grow hair don't lose the florist number don't lose the florist number he sends cash fantastic fantastic back on the Rich Eisen show radio network so yesterday watching the American League Championship Series Cooper did not watch it with his friends oh what happened how'd that turn they were he was hoping to watch some of it at school they weren't they weren't gonna show it at school I got I don't know after after hours okay so I can't you kind of wish he did watch it with his friend no no no no it was great dude it was amazing I mean what a game that was incredible right so it's 3-1 Yanks down 3-1 Soto is walked and then in comes Klossé and I turned to Cooper and I'm like Coop there is no bigger gutting moment in baseball then either tying the game up or beating the other team's closer yeah like this is the moment and in all the love Jesus it was two and a half hours of watching the Yankees go down in order Matthew Boyd's terrific I mean in that that Guardians bullpen is as advertised and so I'm sitting here waiting but here comes judge to the plate and I'm like this is the moment where they can flip the entire day in series because beating the other team's closer is it's it's the most gutting way you can we can gut the Guardians right here if judge does what we hope him to do and he does and that thing went out like a laser a laser absolutely okay an opposite field laser and he was daring him to do it Klossé was pitching him away away away like well judge go to go with it and he did oh and then I hit the the unexpected that Stanton would follow to give them the lead that was unbelievable and you know he turned around he sort of pirouetted and he twirled to bark at his own dugout and the Guardians thought that meant he thought he was looking back at first he missed the base I think he might have missed Cooper left the room thinking they were going to overturn the combat we're good we're good we're good and then the Yankees got a an insurance run in the ninth and no idea that my phrase to Cooper about how hey the Yankees can gut the Guardians by tying the game up against their closer that it would absolutely be flipped on the Yankees who with one more out to take a 3-0 lead in the manner of what I'm talking gutting had Luke Weaver who has been unhittable since taking over for Klay Holmes essentially at the place and John Kenzie Noel big Christmas steps to the plate and what ensued is Brian Anderson of Turner sports at his absolute finest hit it What a call, you get goosebumps even though it's so gutting and it's so just incredible and then you know extra innings and no ghost runner which by the way, thank goodness, can you imagine a playoff game like this gets decided because of a friggin' ghost runner? I honestly think they should get rid of the clock for the playoffs. No, I've got no problem with it.

I've got no problem with it. At any rate, David Fry comes to the plate. He had a big hit, a big home run against the Tigers and this one against Clay Holmes. When Clay Holmes came in though, you knew.

Of course, get out of here. Oh, I can think about you and Coopie and Shmae Holmes. Shmae Holmes, we were just looking at each other but Coop's like, no, he's been pitching well dad and I'm like, oh okay and then he gives up a lead off hit and sure enough, two outs again, Fry at the plate.

I believe this is the great Tom Hamilton with the call locally in Cleveland. Here it comes. Swung on, hit high, hit deep to left, there she goes. How about that? A walk-off, two-run home run to the bleachers and left by David Fry and the magical 2024 season is not done by any means. It's still a series now and it's incredible. I couldn't really obviously say to Cooper, I'm like, this is the moment to gut the Guardians because you can do it against the other team's closer and then they do it and then the Guardians do it against the current Yankees closer and the guy, he replaced his closer with two, two out, two-run home runs. Unreal.

One to tie it, one to win it, what a game. Baseball at its finest and I woke up this morning sick to my stomach and I'm like, did I eat something last night? Oh yeah, I ate it. A sandwich from the Guardians who are a terrific baseball team and this is a series in the ALCS. That is unbelievable.

Hour two coming up with Governor Walz. Our friend, Andrew Siciliano, was at the game. He was there and he was sitting behind home plate for Noel's home run. He was filming and he posted on Twitter and then he hits it and his phone drops because he's so excited. Of course, which is great and good for him because he's probably in town getting ready to call the Browns and so that I totally understand and I, you know, people would understand that I'm like all rise and then I stay off my phone, you know, and I understand you and Sarah tweeting out stuff, you know, I mean, you guys are really enjoying it and it's okay because you hate the Yankees and that's your right to do that.

Yeah, I do hate the Yankees. I know that. What was I, I didn't tweet out anything bad. No, you didn't. You're just talking about the pageantry. It's so great. You're loving it. That's all right. I see it all.

I don't know why, I don't know why you're trying to ruin my job. I thought I just handled that straight down the middle. That was an incredible baseball game, brother. You're still leading the series, right?

Did I, did I miss something? That's the way it happens in a baseball series. Like, yes, you can switch it the next day because there's a game coming right up, but that'll linger.

I mean, if the Guardians take an early lead and then, meanwhile, it does appear the National League Championship Series is over. I just thought maybe, maybe because it was on the 20th anniversary of the Dave Roberts game. No, I know, which is two days later.

Oh, I saw that too. You know, I thought like, do I retweet, I really literally thought to myself two days before that, do I retweet the Aaron Boone home run anniversary and just at you knowing that you would take that advantage. And I decided to just be a bigger man about it. Did you win the World Series that year? I forgot.

I decided to be a bigger man about it. I forgot. Okay. Everybody be nice. Let's get Minnesota nice when we come back. Okay. Sims Complete. Check us out on the Believe Network. Appreciate it. Just search Believe, B-L-E-A-V, wherever you listen.