Hall of Famer or Not A Hall of Famer? (Hour 3)

That's what I'm talking about. It is the Zach Gelb show coast to coast on CBS Sports Radio. I respect Diana Rossini a lot, and I think she does an incredible job covering the NFL. And sometimes when you're a reporter, you get information. And it's not that you're getting clowned for the information, you're just giving out what you heard.

But you get associated with it because you're the one that's reporting the news when people are laughing at what the actual news is and not actually the person that is reporting it. So Diana Rossini said that they went through top to bottom of why Derek Carr could step in there and take this team, not just to the playoffs, but to the Super Bowl, she said on Tuesday. And they made it really personal too. They said, we believe if you come to New York and win, you could be a first ballot Hall of Famer. Like, give me a break. Derek Carr, first off, a Hall of Famer? That's one thing. A first ballot? That's a totally different thing. You know, Derek Carr, I think at this stage of his career, Hickey, would need to win multiple Super Bowls to ever be considered a first ballot Hall of Famer.

And I get it. If you go to a place like New York and you win, you'll be a legend forever. But we've seen guys that have won one Super Bowl before at the quarterback position.

I'll just say Phil Simms, for example, who are not in the NFL's Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. So just getting one does not mean that you're locked to get into the Hall of Fame. But if you just look at this, what he's done so far in his career through the first decade, pretty much that he's had in the league since he did, you know, since he entered the league. And it's like, how many great years has he actually had?

You know, is that one time where it looked like he was in that conversation with the MVP and then got hurt? But he got into the league in 2014. He's made the Pro Bowl four times. So it's not like he's been a bad player. I do think maybe his most impressive year was the year two years ago, just because of all that they had to fight through and all the horrible things that did occur. But when I look at at Derek Carr, you know, he's a good player.

He's solid. Anytime he looks like he's about to be a top 10 quarterback in the league, he falls right out of that conversation. And I know the stats are always inflated now. So we have like really after you look at that draft class of Ben, Eli and Philip Rivers, I think like that's the last draft class that you use the top 10 categories for. And passing yards and passing touchdowns, unless they just absolutely get shattered, because they're gonna be a lot of guys that could be in the top 10 that you're like, I shouldn't be a Hall of Famer. When you look at the next 10 years or so, the way that things are going to play out because it is a passing league right now.

And it's like, it used to be crazy when a guy would get 4000 yards. Now, if you don't get 4000 yards in a season, you're like a joke at the QB position. But I look at Derek Carr's career, it's been a fine career. Even if he tacks on a Superball, if he comes to the Jets, which first off is like the fact of Derek Carr winning a Superball with the Jets, even though the Jets are having a good roster, I don't buy that for a single second, even if Carr is the quarterback. But just because if he did win one Superball, that means he's in the Hall of Fame.

I don't agree with that. Like Matthew Stafford, remember that conversation we had after last year's Super Bowl hickey? Matthew Stafford, even before the Super Bowl, I thought has had a better career than what Derek Carr has had. And Matthew Stafford's been in the league longer since he got in the league in 2009.

And he wins the Super Bowl. And then people are talking about MVP. And I remember saying, or Hall of Fame, I remember saying last year, yeah, like let's go see Stafford have like three more Hall of Fame years before we just throw them into the Hall of Fame. I think now we overuse the word GOAT and we overuse the word GREAT as well. The Hall of Fame is for greatness. And I think there's a lot of times where now if you're good or very good, people then say, oh, they should be a Hall of Fame and people then bitch and complain on social media.

So anyway, we've compiled the list here. And the guys that we just automatically excluded from this, because you know Brady's got it in, you know Rogers is getting in, and you know Drew Brees is getting in. Guys that are playing right now or retired within the last five years or so, hickey has put together a list and you'll just get my thoughts if they're a Hall of Famer or not. And let me just be clear, Derek Carr is not a Hall of Famer if you could not gather that from the last five minutes. If he wins a Super Bowl in New York, do you think there's going to be an argument for him to be in the Hall of Fame? He's going to have to do a lot more than that. His, I think, Hall of Fame case would have to start with him having his next five years with Patrick Mahomes just had his last five years. Three super appearances, two wins, two MVPs.

Ridiculous stats. Right, you have to go on a Mahomes-esque tear his first five years as a starter for Derek Carr's next five years to basically consider yourself near the Hall of Fame, right? Like that's at that point. Do you see that happening? No, absolutely not. Okay, so. Now hold on, have you been listening to me the last two years of us working together?

We won't start there, okay. I thought Jay in Alaska, and I found out there was two J's in Alaska the last week when you were out on vacation. Jay in Alaska, right? Yeah, there's two J's in Alaska. Big enough to have two J's in Alaska. That both call this show.

I think we need a duel. So we had Jay in Alaska, the Super Raider fan. I thought that was the guy calling us. And then I know there's a J from Alaska that tweets us, but I've never heard him, I think, call this show before. And I was talking to that J in Alaska, the second one about the other J in Alaska, how we mentioned him in the Josh Jacobs interview. And he just like went along with it. And then 30 seconds into the conversation, I'm like, wait, that's not the J in Alaska that I thought it was.

That religiously calls us. And then I said, wait, you're not the super fan, super Raider fan J in Alaska. He's like, no, he had no clue what I was talking about.

So very confusing. Geez. Yeah, I think we need a duel. Only one J in Alaska should call the show. But how many times did the actual J? No, they could both call, but the actual J in Alaska, the Raiders fan. How many times he called me up and told me I'm an idiot for saying that Derek Carr's not a top 10 quarterback at any time. He looks like he's about to just jump into that conversation.

He takes three or four steps back and falls and crashes. That was pretty good sound effect there. I thought strong. Yeah. Strong. I slapped the desk really hard right there. It's amazing. The desk is still upright.

Yeah. I'm impressed. If Derek Carr's a desk, that desk would have folded.

That would have collapsed. Carr's solid. He ain't great. I've not seen anything to the first what, eight years of his career that have suggested he's a Hall of Famer. Look, solid is not bad, but solid definitely, like I said, not Hall of Fame worthy. All right, so we'll cross Derek Carr off the list of quarterbacks we're considering here for Hall of Fame candidacy. Put that in Sharpie too when you cross it off.

No erasable pen for that one. Patrick Mahomes has been in the league six years, a full-time starter for five, three Super Bowl appearances, two wins, two MVP trophies. Right now, can we say he's a Hall of Famer through five years? So here's, and this is a terrible thing to say, but like, let's say if tomorrow Patrick Mahomes had to retire from football, had like a devastating leg injury and or a spine injury, and they told him he could never play football again. Look what he's done the first five years. How can you say that he's not in the Hall of Fame?

Like, I know that we have to, we talk about longevity and stuff like that and how that matters. If he only played five or six years and he's already had two MVPs, two Super Bowl victories, another Super Bowl appearance and a Super Bowl MVP and two Super Bowl MVPs. I don't see how you could say he isn't a Hall of Famer at this point. And if his career had to end tomorrow, I think how we would project the next five years to go, which would have made it a decade and even add on and enhance that. I do think Mahomes would get in.

Let me just ask you this. I would agree with you, but people talk about Barry Sanders and his short career. Mahomes would have half the amount of years.

Yeah. Well, everyone knew how great Barry Sanders was. I'm just saying that's 10 years. A guy like Sean Alexander, a solid amount of time. Sean Alexander had a short career at a hundred touchdowns. Everyone talks about how short of his career was, had a hundred touchdowns rushing. And he, that guy's still not in the Hall of Fame, but in that QB position, he's, he's crossed off every box, like multiple MVPs.

And that's your standard. He's done that. Super Bowls. He's done that.

Like this dude is unbelievable. If he retired tomorrow, I'd have no problem voting him in the Hall of Fame. If this, you're asking me if this was my vote. Right.

Yeah. You're a Hall of Fame voter. Tomorrow, Patrick Holmes retires.

Okay. He's in. Short career to a very long career of Philip Rivers. Yes or no Hall of Famer. Yes.

And you know what does it for me? And I would probably not use this standard moving into the future because it's just such a joke, but Philip Rivers during his career made eight Pro-Balls. Also, when you look at, he has a comeback player of the year. You know, I, I know he doesn't have the Super Bowl and maybe some people will say he's a compiler, but he was so consistent. And when I look at his regular season, I know he doesn't have the postseason success. I think he's done enough over the longevity of time. Now top 10 passing, top 10 yards and touchdowns, where I do think Philip Rivers with 421 passing touchdowns and over 60,000 yards.

That's like that last wave where I really use the top 10 as, as a good kind of cutoff point. And I would put him, I don't think we'll get him the first try. I think he's gonna have to wait some time, but I do think Philip Rivers will eventually get it.

You got to turn your microphone. There we go. How about Ben Roethlisberger?

Oh, absolutely. I almost grouped him into the conversation of automatic. Like, I don't think he'll have to wait. He should get in on the, on the first try. The guy's won two Super Bowls. I didn't even win a Super Bowl MVP, but he had that great throw to San Antonio Holmes. And then there was that great catch. And that dude was just an unbelievable quarterback.

Yeah, he's, he's a hall of famer easily. And the final one from that era, Eli Manning. So that's probably him and Rivers. You know, Roethlisberger is not controversial. Rivers, I know he doesn't have the postseason success, but everyone acknowledged how good of a regular season quarterback he was. For Eli, it's kind of Kurt Schilling-like. Where Eli had some very good regular seasons. You know, Schilling was probably better in the regular season than Eli was.

But then in the postseason, they just went to a different level. And when you win, if it was just one Super Bowl, I think it's a different conversation. But when you're top 10 in yards and touchdowns, and you have two Super Bowl championships and two Super Bowl MVPs, and that Manningham throw is so impressive. And then what he did on the road in some of those playoff games in San Francisco and Green Bay.

Yeah, that's enough for me. Eli Manning will be a hall of famer. How about recent Super Bowl champion, Matthew Stafford?

No. Stafford probably is going to, the hall of fame, he's probably going to not get in it because of the environment that he was around in Detroit. I think we always looked at him as a good quarterback.

I know he went to the Rams and he had that Super Bowl moment, but I think he would have needed to put together like three more hall of fame years. And those injuries do concern me, especially with what he's coming off of. And I don't know how much longer he's going to play. He's going to be back this year.

But it seemed like that was up in the air for a little bit. Right now, I don't think Stafford has done enough to get into the hall. How about Cam Newton?

Great. And I mean a great and electric MVP season. They go 15-1, they almost win the Super Bowl, but no, not enough great years for Cam to get into the hall of fame.

Two more. We believe he will be retired from the NFL at some point this offseason. Matt Ryan?

No. I know he's won the MVP. The sad part about Matt Ryan is that whether this is fair or not, because the guy was a heck of a player in the NFL.

Now, he only made four Pro Bowls, but he did win an MVP. But, Hickey, the first thing people are going to think of Matt Ryan, even though he's a really good player in this league, is that 28-3 collapse. So, Matt Ryan is a really good player in this league.

Is that 28-3 collapse? I hate to say you can have a bad moment and still make the hall of fame, but that's the first moment that I think of with Matt Ryan. And I just think he was someone that had some great seasons, but there was more very good than great. So, I would leave him on the outside looking in. And finally, let's finish up with a man who- Well, let me ask you this. I know how you answer most of these. Ryan, we never talked about. No. Okay. I don't know if that one year in Indianapolis maybe changed your line of thinking.

I know how you get very protective with those cultures. I like Matt Ryan. I think poor guy got killed this year, but no, he's not all that- And I also think there was too many years we talked about red zone struggles, too. And that's damaging on a quarterback.

How does Julio Jones not get more touchdowns in the red zone? Things like that. So, all right. Next one.

Last one. Finally, a man whose body was compared earlier this week to a sack of potatoes, Oh, Russell Wilson. You would have asked me this last year.

It would have been an easy yes. He probably has still already done enough to get in, not first ballot, but just to get in. He's a nine-time Pro Bowler. You know, he's won a Super Bowl. I know in that credit, in terms of the pecking order for that Super Bowl, we look at the defense, you look at Marshawn, you look at Pete Carroll. There's a lot of other names you get to with Russ. But if Russ doesn't get back to a level of just being good, I mean, not even great for the next three or four years, Hickey, it may cost him the Hall of Fame. I still think he'll get in because the first decade was so impressive. But you know how people's memories are.

They remember what happens recently sometimes, not what happened the last six, seven, eight years or so. I would think he's teetering. These next two years, especially, I think, will kind of determine will you get the momentum back or is it kind of what you're going downhill?

It's kind of the wheels are off the track. And the perception of Russ has changed. Like a lot of people used to like Russ and thought he was this great teammate now.

And remember, it's media members who decide these things in these meetings. I just wonder what the perception is, because it seems like every time you turn your head somewhere, it's a there's a Russell Wilson joke coming around the corner or something like that. He has been a pinata this last this last calendar year, really right about this time.

He has really taken a beating and is on nothing on the on the field, at least to defend himself. You know what? It's weird. Maybe this is just the natural cycle of the off season. Kind of hoping Russ has a rebound here next year. You know, he he gave everything I asked him for this year. Fail, fail miserably and embarrass Hickey. Now, I think you should be rewarded for that incompetence. I think he took one on the chin for the show to make you look wrong.

And now next year, I think as long as he's willing to change a little bit with his leadership style, I think I could support Russell Wilson and hope that that we get the best version of Russ coming up in twenty twenty thirty seven guaranteed to be a playoff team next year. I'm with you on this. Oh, I forgot about Scott.

You know what? Let's go. We're in. I retract the last two minutes of radio right there. Russell saved Russell.

It's OK. Well, we won't play it back ever again. Russell Wilson, I hope you fail miserably this year as much as I like Mike Westoff and Sean Paden. But if Hickey's already guaranteeing you to make the playoffs, I don't know if I could support that stance. John Michauda will join us next. We'll talk some Cowboys. You're listening to the Zach Gelb show. The Super Bowl is over, but the NFL quarterback carousel is just beginning. You could ask yourself question.

Do I feel lucky? What does the future hold for all 32 NFL teams at the QB position? Now I'm going to give you an opportunity to spin this wheel right here. Let's spin the wheel and find out which teams we hit today. The Dallas Cowboys. How about them Cowboys? We'll talk with John Michauda right now who covers the Cowboys for the athletic. John, appreciate the time. How are you? I'm doing well.

Thanks for having me on. So when you look at Dak Prescott so far, how do you describe Dak as a quarterback these days? Um, I think he's on on certain games, certain days. I think he's, you know, top six or seven quarterback in the league and other times I think he's somewhere probably around, you know, 12 to 15, somewhere in there. He has some, I mean, really the last two games that he's played is such a great example of Dak Prescott. You know, the playoff game at Tampa Bay where you're like, man, this is one of the best quarterbacks in the league. And then he has the game against San Francisco, who albeit is one of the best defenses, if not the best defense in the league.

And it leaves you scratching your head with some of the turnover plays and then some of the plays that, you know, probably should have been turnovers that weren't. And so, um, he's, he's good enough to the point where, you know, I know that people want to, you know, the Cowboys are always in the, in, you know, headlines and everyone always wants to talk about Dak or the Cowboys net. I just, I just don't see the guy going anywhere. I think that the Cowboys are going to do things and try and make the offense better around him, but I just don't see them in a position to where, uh, they're anywhere near trying to move away from Dak Prescott and find a different quarterback. I know it was for years, we were talking about if he was going to get the extension. Now he has two years left on his deal. Would it surprise you this off season then with that being said, if they agreed to a long-term deal?

Not at all. And you know, it's something that needs to be talked about here that, um, I know that Cowboys fans won't necessarily love this, but this is a factor in it. And I will always believe that, uh, until I see otherwise that, uh, those years between Troy Aikman and Tony Romo, uh, you know, where the Cowboys didn't have a quarterback.

So that five, six years of where it was Quincy Carter, Drew Henson, guys like that. Um, yeah, Jerry Jones doesn't want to go back to that, you know, and, and as long as Dak Prescott, your quarterback, you won't go back to that. And now the flip side is, is that, you know, there's many out there that are probably questioning, well, is he good enough to win a Superbowl?

I believe he is. I think if the right pieces are around Dak Prescott is a quarterback, they can win a Superbowl. He's not going to do it like the way Patrick Holmes does it. And maybe not the way that a Joe burrow does it and a few others, but he's good enough to get you, uh, to a Superbowl. And I don't think that Jerry's willing to, uh, roll the dice and try and go in another direction, unless it was like that Prescott where when he moved on from Tony Romo's because they had Dak on the, on the rosters.

So, um, no, it would not surprise me if they gave him a contract extension this off season. With all that being said, what else do you think he needs on the offensive side of the ball to get those better performances that could maybe get the Cowboys a few rounds further in the playoffs? Well, certainly, I mean, you watch the Superbowl and those two teams, I mean, uh, Philadelphia, I thought had the best offensive line in football this year. And I thought one of the biggest keys to the chief's winning was their offensive line. Um, so the, the offensive line can always be better. I think there's a lot of people that think that this is still the same offensive line that Dak had when he came in his rookie year. And, uh, it's not, I mean, the Cowboys offensive line is still better than most, but it's not where it was, uh, at that time.

So of course they could get better there, but I think that if you could just do one move, it would be to give him another playmaker on the outside, you know, Michael Gallop coming back from his knee injury. He wasn't all the way back to what they thought he'd be this year. And then they drafted, uh, Jalen Tolbert in the third round last year, expecting him to give them something.

And he really didn't give them anything at all. And so they swung and missed after they, you know, moved on from Marty Cooper. They didn't, they didn't fill that hole. So they have to do that this off season. Do you think they regret the Mario Cooper trade? I don't think they regret the, I mean, they've said that Jerry and Steven Jones, they don't regret the Mario Cooper trade, but, uh, it's pretty clear. They have regrets about how they handled replacing him. Uh, they needed to do more. They, they, I think they, they expected Michael Gallop to be the way he was, uh, before he got hurt. And that just didn't happen. When it comes to the future of Tony Pollard, do you expect him to get franchise tag?

Is it going to be used elsewhere? No, I think he'll be get franchise tag. I mean, one, he was their second best playmaker last year behind CD lamb. And this was an offense that desperately needs more playmakers.

So getting rid of him doesn't make any sense to me. One and two, I just look at that running back franchise tag and it will over $10 million. That seems extremely affordable, uh, for what Tony Pollard brings to this offense. And also, you know, with Ezekiel Elliott, it's pretty clear when you watch him, you've already seen Ezekiel Elliott's best football. I think Tony Pollard's best football still might be ahead of him. So I, frankly, unless you can work out some type of a long-term deal, that's somewhat team friendly. I think putting the franchise tag in Tony Pollard is a pretty easy decision.

Yeah. John Machado here with us. It was clear if you watch the Cowboys last year, that Pollard was the better back when it comes to the future though of Zeke, we've heard about a potential restructure of the contract. You at least expect him on the roster. Is there a chance that he's elsewhere next year? Oh, there's definitely a chance he's elsewhere. Um, that's one of the biggest topics that we'll be going into next week when we, you know, go to the combine.

That's such a great opportunity to talk to, you know, agents. And then certainly all the Cowboys front office will be there and we'll get a lot more clarity then, you know, Jerry said at the senior bowl that, you know, he still wants Zeke back, but, uh, we'll see. I mean, there's no way that they would bring them back on his current numbers. So I think it would have to be a significant pay cut. And I don't know if Zeke will be willing to take a significant pay cut. I'm sure he'll be willing to take a little bit, but if it's, if it's too significant, then yeah, maybe he'll go, he'll be willing to go elsewhere, but no, I it's 50, 50 at best that he would be back next year. What about Odell Beckham? I know that the, the two, it seemed like they were interested, uh, later in the year and then he just wasn't healthy is the way that I understand it. Uh, what about Odell potentially joining the Cowboys this off season?

Oh, absolutely. And that potential will always be there as long as Jerry Jones, I mean, Jerry Jones, as you remember last year or during the season, when all that was going on, Jerry Jones is a driving force on that. I mean, he is, he's in love with the Odell Beckham storyline.

I mean, obviously being a, someone who was in the building when Odell Beckham made that catch, he knows the upside of Odell Beckham, obviously Odell Beckham being a key part of the, you know, Rams getting to the super bowl and even how he played early in that game before he got hurt. You know, Jerry Jones wants Odell Beckham on the team. What it'll come down to though, is if Odell wants to go to whoever the highest bidder is, it's very highly unlikely that would be the Cowboys. But if he's infatuated with the idea, uh, and you get them in the room with Jerry and they're just like, you know, Jerry can sell them on, Hey, you're the missing piece to put this Cowboys team in the super bowl for the first time in 27 years. And maybe he's willing to take a little bit less of a deal with them.

It certainly is a possibility. Uh, is the reason I refer to them on air drama Shota as the drama Dallas choking Cowboys. Cause it seems like there's a lot of times they care more about the drama than the actual winning on the football field.

I saw that Mike Fisher the other day said that through a source that the Cowboys, he doesn't know how it would happen, but they're intrigued by CJ shroud. Is that just more of the drama part of it? Or is there a little bit more to that? So I don't know if there's more to it. I haven't, I haven't heard that from any, any sources I know, but again, combine next week will be, uh, that'll be an interesting spot there. Cause I'm, you know, that stuff tends to get out cause you just have so many people in those positions of making those decisions that are available and around on and off the record.

I have not heard that. It would surprise me a little bit. Cause like I said earlier, I just think that they're completely committed to deck, but, but you bring up a good point. I mean, it is the drama.

They love that. I think if someone said that they're interested in them, I just don't see them taking at 26, willing to move up and give up what they'd have to give up. And all of that, considering where they are as a franchise, they're not that far away that, uh, that going that direction would seem like you're going for more of a rebuild. So I don't necessarily see that, but it's funny you say that about them because several of us that cover the team, we call them the Kardashians of the NFL.

And I like Mike a lot. So who knows what his source is trying to do there, but could that maybe be a message to DAC like the last two years that they've ended poorly in the post season? I don't know if they operate this way, but like, are they trying to maybe tell DAC that your, your future here is not as secure as what you may think.

It's possible. I just, I, I've never gotten this sense. Um, after games before games off season, anytime, uh, since Dax and the quarterback that from, from Jerry, from Steven, I mean, those are the main two people that are making these decisions that they're ready to move off, uh, from him or, or have any doubts about him. I've never gotten that sense from Mike McCarthy.

Uh, you know, Dax being the quarterback was a big reason he took that job. I mean, so I would be surprised if that's what they're trying to do. Um, what would be more interesting is if they drafted a quarterback, I don't see them doing it in the first or second round, but maybe, maybe in the fourth round, maybe in the fifth round, I do think they'll draft one at some point, but, uh, I think that if they did in the fourth or fifth round, that would maybe send a slight message. I just don't see the Cowboys doing something like, let's say the Packers did in draft Jordan love first round pick. Like I just, I don't see Jerry doing that.

It just doesn't, that doesn't seem like something he would do with DAC. I just still think that he believes Dax best days are still ahead. You look at this division, the Eagles had an unbelievable year. Uh, the Cowboys had another good regular season disaster in the post season, giants and commanders.

It seems like they're still building. We'll have a better answer after this off season. How far away do you think the Cowboys are from, from maybe winning the NFC East again?

Yeah, I don't think they're very far at all. I mean, uh, they're already in a good spot just because nobody has won the division in back to back years, going back to the early two thousands of those Eagles teams. So it's the only division in football that's like that, you know, every other division it's like within two or three years you have a team that's won it back to back years. So, uh, I mean, the Eagles are almost, you can almost count them out at this point because I just, I mean, it doesn't matter how good a team is and how much you think they're set up. They have longterm success in this, in this division.

It just, it doesn't happen for some reason. So no, I think the Cowboys are right there. I mean, I think that Eagles are still a better team, uh, even with some of their losses, you know, on the coaching staff and the loose and some players in the route, I think they're the, they're the favorite still. And, but even in the entire NFC, I mean, outside of the 49ers, maybe you had another team in there. I mean, I still think the Cowboys are one of the three or four best teams in the NFC. Um, and, and that's again, why I just don't see them going in a direction where they would try and add a young quarterback like CJ Stroud.

Yeah. And for me, it puts even to your point, even more pressure on Dak because Jalen hurts. Look what he just did this year. Rogers, I think is leaving the NFC and you kind of expect them to get traded. You know, this, this NFC is begging for someone to go dominate it for the next five years or so. And you know, the Cowboys are consistently there. They just haven't got the job done in the post season. And I mean, that's why ultimately Jerry Jones went with Mike McCarthy as the head coach is because he had so much sustained success in green Bay, you know, yeah, they had the super bowl in 2010, but there was just a long run there where every single year the Packers were in it.

And let's be honest, the Packers dominated the NFC North at that time. And so, you know, before Mike McCarthy got here, you know, Jason Garrett would have a one really good year and then they would drop and then they have a good year and then they drop. And really to be honest with you last year, we thought that that was going to happen again here because of, you know, Dak hurts his thumb and the season opener, he's going to be out.

We were thinking five, six, seven, maybe more games. And it just looks like it was setting up for that. And then Cooper rush comes in, kind of keeps the ship afloat. I mean, to be honest with you, it's like everyone looks at it as a disappointing season down here because they lose the San Francisco and they lose the divisional round. Can't get back to the NFC championship game, but I mean, the stability that Mike McCarthy has shown as head coach is just something that really hasn't been done down here in a while. John, before we let you run, does Dan Quinn just have the best agent in the world? Cause I always feel like we hear about him potentially becoming the next Cowboys coach or getting a job somewhere else. And he keeps on staying as the DC. I think that Dan Quinn has the experience of being a head coach in the NFL and knows that probably his next shot might be his last one.

So he's being really picky about it. And the fact that, let's be honest, there's a lot of talent in this defense. And when you have Micah Parsons and some of the pieces that they have there, if you don't have that right spot that you're going to go to, to be a head coach, I don't know if it's necessarily the most intriguing thing for him. I know he's being paid very well. He's one of the highest paid, if not the highest paid assistant coaches in football. But it has been interesting because these last two off-seasons, I would have bet money that he would have taken one of his head coaching jobs and now he's back for year three. And obviously that was so far, that's been the biggest positive and it's really not been close to this Cowboys off-season. Last thing I'll ask you, we know Sean Paden and Jerry Jones are close. That was rumored before the start of the season, even at times during the season as well.

Did that ever have any legs or not so much? No, I mean Jerry, okay, now if they would have really dropped off, let's say after Dak got hurt and this would have been another down year and you're riding that same cycle, like I said, one year up next year down, maybe then, but I never got this sense last year during the season. Especially after they won with a backup quarterback winning four out of five like that, I just didn't think there was any chance that he was going to move off the McCarthy for another year. Now if you said that Sean didn't take that job, he's still out there and then a year from now, yeah you can revisit it. But I really thought that Mike sealed it up with how they played without Dak and Jerry has just seen this Cowboys team too often when the starting quarterback hasn't been there, kind of falter.

And so no, I didn't think that there was like a real chance of that happening. Oh, and then the other fact is this isn't a team that does anything really significant in free agency. They add and build this roster to the draft.

So the fact that you're going to have to give up picks to get Sean Paden, that really made it unlikely to me. Covers the Cowboys for the athletic. Make sure you check him out. John Machoda here with us on the Zach Gilb show. John, appreciate it. Thank you. Anytime. Thanks for having me on. There you go. John Machoda with us on CBS Sports Radio.

You can think of Riley Auto Parts where your car care needs get guaranteed low prices and excellent customer service from the professional parts people at O'Reilly Auto Parts. You're listening to the Zach Gilb show. Time for your daily news brief. We get you caught up on the rumors, reports and reconnaissance from the day in sports. Alrighty, let's listen up to a tug of eye. Lois says he's practicing judo to help prevent concussions.

This via up and Adams. I'll be doing judo on Fridays, just so that I can kind of figure out, you know, like, understanding my body and how to fall and that's what judo does. Probably more dangerous than ever, man. Not not trying to be a dangerous person in that way.

Just just trying to help help understand myself. So pardon me for my ignorance on this picky. And like you heard back in the day, how like Vince Lombardi want his players doing ballet for like the lineman on their footwork and things like that and other players as well. He said he wants to practice judo to help prevent him to learn how to fall properly to try to help prevent the concussions. I'm not an expert in judo. That would concern me a little bit with to a tongue of my love that maybe you would suffer a concussion while participating in judo.

No, right. I have no idea what his training's like. I would assume probably he's getting clobbered, but it's obviously I'm assuming to help make sure his neck doesn't snap back when he falls on the ground like he has in previous times.

So I don't know if that's. But if you're learning how to fall, you think someone else is grappling with you and trying to put you on the ground to then teach you how to fall right now? It's a controlled environment. So maybe it's just a lesser chance of an injury, but I would be concerned.

Put it this way would not shock me if someone reads out from the dolphins to his agent and go, Oh, remember this clause in your contract that says you can't do X, Y and Z. Yeah, Judo is one of those things that we do consider to be a little bit dangerous. I'll say this. It could be. It could be risky, right? Like if you're learning how to fall, maybe do herself could help the risk.

I would say in this case is worth the reward. But I also think there's a big difference from Judo in a controlled environment to them when a linebacker is running at you full speed. Well, 100%. Yes.

And obviously you can get concussions multiple ways, but how you fall. But I would say at this point, anything can hit. It can't hurt. It can't hurt. Alex Ingold says two will be motivated to prove everyone wrong next season. This is on the Adam Schefter podcast.

Two is awesome. And to be able to see just that his smile and face and getting him back on the ground, just that his smile and face and getting him back in the facility where when he was getting back into meetings and we're going through things like it's cool to see that dude just being himself, being healthy, being happy. I know he's talking about Judo classes now to learn how to fall, right? And it's like, oh, really? Yeah, I have no doubt that that man is going to be on a mission next year. So it's gonna be fun to watch.

Here's my one thing, and I don't know how you feel about this Hickey. And everyone knows the risks of football by now. I think it's going to be tough to watch Tuatunga Bailoa play football next year.

You know, just as a viewer and someone that cares about the players, I know Tua can make his choice and he's electing to continue to play. But if he takes a bad hit or like you said, it doesn't even need to be a bad hit. He falls the wrong way.

His head hits the turf and then he gets up and he's stumbling. That's going to be tough to see with what we've seen this year, especially in those two circumstances within four days of each other. Oh, without a doubt.

Yeah. And if you're the Dolphins again, I mean, just take the human element out of it for a second. Like it's also a risk you're taking of entrusting your franchise of the guy who is one fall or one hit away from maybe having his career be over in a season next year where you are still trying to go all into a Super Bowl. And I hate to say it in terms of an injury front. And like last year we thought it was a make or break year for Tua. He showed enough and then unfortunately had the bad ending with all the concussions. Like this is really a make or break year where it goes beyond just football play. Like if he suffers a concussion this year, I don't know how then you plan to move forward with him because then that's going to be at least three concussions that we just know of within the last year or so if he suffers another one. And it's probably more than that because when they say it was a back and wasn't actually a concussion.

I don't think anyone believes that. Tariq Woolen from the Seahawks. Roast Russell Wilson's physique. This was on the two up, two down podcast.

Good name. Seeing him in person. It was pretty funny because like on TV and stuff, you see him like, like from college stuff, you're like, okay, he look in shape on TV, but you see him in person.

It's like weird. He like a sack of potatoes. He athletic and he'll go wherever. Like literally when I seen him, I'm like, dang, I ain't nothing. He was built like the end.

He was short, you know, I'm, I'm tall anyway, but I was like, damn. So I think Tariq could be maybe one of the more underrated personalities in the league. Like I think this year from the rookie class, we all gravitated towards sauce Gardner. I think Tariq Woolen is just as entertaining.

It's not more entertaining. Like sauce. Gardner had a great year. He was the better football player this year. And Tariq did a wonderful job, right? Led the, or co-led the NFL in interceptions, made the pro ball.

Like he was unbelievable, but that is a, that's a great quote. I've never heard someone refer to someone that is like, I don't think Russ is in bad shape. Like when you think of a potato, you think of a, a short stocky fat guy, right?

Because you're talking about a sack of potatoes, you think wide at the, you know, at the love handles. Does he have moves? Does Russell Wilson have moves? I don't think so.

I mean, you would, is that what Tariq is inferring? Hey, by the way, Hickey, if you had to compare anyone to a potato around here at CBS sports radio, who would that be? Last week you asked me who the fat guys are.

This week is what's next. You're going to be, who will take a bag of milk? Whose body's in the shape of a bag of milk, huh?

855. I think it'd be easier to ask whose body does not look like a potato around here. Once again, I'm putting you a skinny guy in a tough spot here. Cause then, you know, there's going to be a lot of large people. I'm just going to stay in my lane.

I know those are one of those things I will not comment on. It's kind of the crazy how far Russell Wilson has fallen where a rookie could come into the league. Also, like the only way Tariq knows him is from just right from my knowledge, just seeing him before that game. And that was the first week like he was your teammate. So it's not like, you know, that's should have been when Russia, it's not like it's like week 18 and okay.

Let yourself go eating a little bit. Yeah. Supposed to be peak shape week one. Well, Sean McCoy doesn't think Eric B enemy will have success with the command.

Is this courtesy of FS one? What's his value? What makes him a good office coordinator?

See, the problem is a lot of these people that go on social media, Oh, he should be the guy for the job. They haven't played there. They're not in the locker room. I've been in the rooms where he's coaching and he has nothing to do with the past game at all.

Right. When the plays are designed, that's Andy Reid. When you talk about officer coordinators, I could tell you what makes Brian day ball with the giants of very, very good coordinator. I could tell you what Andy Reid or Doug Peterson, but when I asked about, um, Eric B enemy, what makes him good?

When we watched the film or practices and we correct the, the, the YRC was the running backs of the quarterbacks. He doesn't talk in there. And he really talks in there, but he has no real responsibility. So I don't want to dismiss those comments right away from LaShawn McCoy. Cause he was there.

And we haven't heard that yet. Most of the times, especially when it's a player that's in Kansas city currently, they talk very positively about Eric B enemy, but like Tyree kill, I think carries a lot of weight in this discussion because he was a star player for the Kansas city chiefs and he's no longer there. So there's no reason why he needs to remain loyal to Eric B enemy. Like even this year, I don't want to say that he kind of screwed over Patrick Mahomes, but he started praising the accuracy of two a tongue of my love.

He's the most accurate quarterback that ever played with all that stuff. Tyree killed, tweeted out shady mad, EB talking to Eric B enemy, told him to tuck that ball. Like when I see that, when I see that, then it's like, okay, how much is this just sour grapes with McCoy was at the end of his career and just didn't get along with Eric B enemy because maybe Eric B enemy was just honest with him, which is something that you would want.

Inequality out of the head coach. I don't want to totally dismiss it. And then I don't want to say, Oh, well, all the current chief players that defend the enemy.

And I know the enemy's now with the commanders. Then you can maybe take that with the grain of salt because what else are they going to say? But then you have someone like Tyree kill, who's away from the situation.

Isn't afraid to speak his mind, basically say, yeah. Shady's just annoyed because EB was honest with it. I could be wrong. Didn't McCoy say something about Andy Reed, like disparagingly too? I think that was Le'Veon Bell.

Okay. I was going to say there's a running back that I, okay, maybe you're right about that. Because shady McCoy is a, is a big fan. I, you know, from Andy Reed, I guess going back, yeah, they were together in Philly and with the Eagles. Yeah. And then it blew up with, uh, with Chip Kelly there. Okay.

I was going to say just maybe it was sour grapes toward the chiefs overall, but it is just towards Eric, the enemy. Yeah. And then, uh, finally, let's get to Kelly Eco who covers the rockets. He says he believes there's a 70% chance that James Harden will be a rocket next year, courtesy of KPRC.

I'm from that a seven out of 10. Okay. When the smoke goes fire and, you know, James loves the city. He loves those guys on the roster, young players in Houston. He has ties to the city businesses. His home is here and crazy things have happened.

So don't call me crazy, but you might be seeing something different. All right. Imagine that's how it ends. You'll leave the rockets. You had enough. You go to Brooklyn. You had enough with Kyrie. You go to Philadelphia where Dallas is there.

Who's your guy. And then you go back to Houston. I only have one logical conclusion from that. He misses the strip clubs in H town.

That's the only thing I could say. And you know what made that makes all the losing worth it. Then he left because he didn't want it.

You know, you want to win and not lose. And now he's going back because of the strip clubs. It was Le'Veon Bell. Le'Veon Bell said he would never play again for Andy Reid, promising he would retire first before playing for Big Red. So he was annoyed. Made good on that promise. He went to boxing instead.

That's right. It is the Zach Gelb show on CBS Sports Radio. I got 10 NFL predictions for you. Things that are going to happen this offseason when we return in five minutes.