Eric Eager, VP of Sumer Sports

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I'm not a bad guy, man, but I loved being that dirty motherf***er. Now back to The Zach Gelb Show. Alrighty, final segment on a Friday. This is Zach Gelb Show coast to coast on CBS Sports Radio. We'll continue the football chatter right now with one of the brightest minds covering the NFL.

He is the VP of Sumer Sports. And that, of course, is our pal in Eric Eger. Eric, appreciate the time as always. How you been?

Zach, I'm doing well. I'm now ready for the season, man. I feel like the off-season is a little too long. Yeah, so there's been so much conversation already, and I'm with you. I love summer, but I'm ready to get to September and have the season underway. So I'll start you off with this. Who's a team that really no one's been talking about or you haven't heard a lot about that you're like, I like that team a lot more than what people are not saying?

Good question. You know, it's funny, relative to market prices, I actually like Houston better than what everybody's saying. I think if you look up and down the roster, other than wide receiver where there are some real question marks, it's actually hard to find like a real weakness of that team. And if you get some high level play out of Will Anderson and CJ Stroud in year one, that division is bad enough where I think that, you know, 10 wins is not outside the question, which is crazy, crazy to say after the last few seasons, right? Yeah, as long as Trevor Lawrence is healthy and they never allow Urban Meyer back in that locker room, I would pick the Jaguars this season.

But, you know, if they could propel themselves into second place or even third place this year, I think that's a win for the Texans. Yeah, and D'Amico Ryan is somebody, you know, who, you know, there's question marks, who's Robert Toula in New York. It's like he's gotten that team off the ground a little bit. But, you know, he's the guy that preceded D'Amico Ryan in San Francisco. So there's always going to be a comparison of how much of it is the talent in San Fran versus how many, how much of it is the coaching on the defensive side.

But if it's even a little bit of the coaching, I think you'll really help there. You have Stingley and Anderson, two third overall picks at a really premium position to that defense. And, you know, on offense, you have a pretty good offensive line and CJ Stroud going in for my former colleague at PFF, Bobby Slow, the offensive coordinator. Like I think that there's a chance there. And, you know, one of the few kind of AFC is pretty stacked.

The South is the one where you'll have some uncertainty, I think. Yeah. A team that I look at right now is the Steelers. I like the Steelers, but it's so tough to say that the Steelers are going to go make the playoffs just because the AFC, like you just said, is absolutely loaded.

Yeah. The North has an easier schedule than, you know, some of the other like the South has an easiest schedule in the AFC. But the North, you have the Ravens, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Cincinnati all have per game easier, easier schedule than the average team on a neutral field. So at least they have that going for them. I make, I give Pittsburgh about an eight and a half point win total, which is right about where the market is. But yeah, they could surprise pick.

It was actually fairly good last year. If you look at the underlying numbers down the stretch and, you know, obviously a lot of comfort behind wins, which was fun to see at the end for them. Eric Eager, I want to discuss the Rams too, as one of those teams.

I'm not buying in because it seems like a lot of guys have one foot in one foot out. And then Bobby Wagner wanted to get on out of there because he doesn't think that they're going to be all that competitive and be a championship contending team is a cause for concern. Where are you at on the buyer's market with the Rams this year? It's so on one hand, their Cardinals are in that division. And so there's, it's hard for me to think of the Rams as a tanking team because there's always going to be a team below them in that division.

But it is the NFC. And so there's always a chance. I think they, they ride it as long as they have Donald cup and Stafford healthy. I think if any one of those three gets hurt, they're going to be playing, you know, for next season.

So that that's my take. I'm not betting on them either, because it, to me, I don't know the motivation of that team. And when you look at, you know, year to year predictions, it's just always hard to infer last year. I thought Seattle was tanking and they ended up making the playoffs. So, you know, that that's kind of where I see the Rams, the very big unknown. Who knows when Kyler Murray, since you brought up the Cardinals, Eric Eager is going to come back. I know he said he was targeting week one.

You could target it. I'd be very surprised if he's on the field, but they're going to have two pretty high up picks, you know, assuming that your Texans prediction doesn't come to fruition. That could throw, throw it a little bit out of, out of proportion, but they do have their own pick and the Cardinals aren't supposed to be good. Like you were saying, will this be the final year for Kyler Murray out there in the desert, even though they just extend extended him and gave him that crazy contract? Yeah, it's weird because it landed so poorly for the Cardinals because this is the one of the years where Murray is somewhat inexpensive and it's the following year where it gets, you know, pretty, pretty deep for them, you know, with cap hits over 50 million. You know, the, the trading team that gets Murray will actually not have it be that bad because of, you know, trades you end up with the, the, the salaries and stuff, but not the prorated bonuses. So they, they should be able to trade him if they get picks one and two, I just don't see a situation where they don't go Caleb Williams as trade out of the second pick for Drake may and then trade Murray and kind of build this thing with draft picks over the next few years.

Now that, that always, that doesn't always work. The process doesn't always work as we've seen in Neil in other sports as well as this one, but to me, it would be too big of a bounty to you know, to give up, to get Williams on a rookie contract, be able to offload Murray as well as that number, you know, let's say they get the number two pick as expected with Houston. Then it would, to me, I think this would be Murray's last year in Arizona.

And as such, I don't even know if he plays it down. Eric Eager here with us. I like the commander's roster, Eric, but I have no clue what to expect at the quarterback position. What is Sam Howell going to be this year?

Weird because Sam Howell at one point before the 2021 season was the favorite to be the first overall pitch, which is crazy. He has the movement skills a little shorter, but he has the movement skills. I think to be somewhat of a player offensive lines.

Okay. For them, there are injury or two away from it being bad. And then the skill positions, as you said, the rest of the roster is really good.

They bring in Forbes from Mississippi state to add to Kendall fuller, who was wonderful last year at the corner. I agree with you that to me, the only issue is last season, the whole NFC East had better than 500 records. But their schedules were all easy this year. Washington is the fifth hardest schedule in the NFL, about two thirds of a point per game, harder than the average team on a neutral field. That's the only one that makes me a little bit concerned, but that entire division has tough schedule. So I think from that offense, you see Sam how we'll get it on the green. Eric, the enemy was very good in Kansas city.

And if they don't, if how was bad, it's not like they invested so much in them. They wouldn't just turn to Jacoby for set who has been low key pretty good at getting teams at least to like a median offensive production in his time in the NFL. Eric Eager from Sumer Sports, their vice president, when we moved to the NFC South, I kind of feel as if you have to pick the saints, but I kind of don't want to, cause I'm tired of the rollercoaster ride of emotions with Derek Carr. Do you go with the saints in the South or somebody else? As a, as a Kansas city fan, I'm going to tell you this, right? I'll never, I'll never predict Derek Carr to host the playoff game in my life.

Like there's just, like, I I'll do, I'll do anything for love, but I won't do that. And I, and I, to me, I think it's gotta be Atlanta. Atlanta has got the easiest schedule in the NFL.

It's a point easier per game. Obviously Ritter has a lot of question marks, but the, you know, there are a lot of really smart football minds that think he's, you know, okay. At least you defensively, they got really good up the middle with Kaleis Campbell, Campbell, David Onyemada, Jesse Bates.

We did a pretty good there. And then on offense, you know, my boss, Thomas, the Mitch Rock, you know, he's drafted at all those linemen and they're all got pretty good. And you put your Bush on Robinson, Tyler Algier behind there. And then, you know, they throw two good guys in, in Drake, London and Kyle Pitts.

Like it's just the quarterback. And when I think about an easy schedule, they're going to be ahead a lot. They're going to be able to run the football stay ahead of the chains and they're not going to really stretch out Desmond Ritter too much. So that's, that's a good pick. I think Carolina is another sneaky one too, where with Frank Reich and, and Bryce young and, and no, you know, draft picks to speak of next year, they're going to be competing to win this year as well.

So motivation won't be a factor. I just think you got to fade new Orleans in a situation where everybody's getting old and they're, they're counting on Derek Carr, who, when he started a game last year in new Orleans against the saints, didn't cross the 50 yard line. Are you from Kansas city? I went to grad school near there. So I became a Chiefs fan. Yeah. What's your barbecue joint of choice.

I went out there for the draft. I love Jack stacks. Jack stacks. Good. Joe's is the one that sponsors my podcast, the red gold and bold show, which I, I love a lot gates. I w you know, is good as well.

Like you really can't go wrong. But Joe's is kind of near and dear to my heart. Yeah. The lines there are always ridiculous, but a excellent, excellent barbecue indeed. Wrap it up with Eric Eager, VP of sumer sports.

All right. Let's get to the guy that everyone's been talking about for three years. Aaron Rogers, you're one with the jets.

What do you expect? I don't think they win that division, but I do think that the ceiling is sort of a Tampa Bay 2020 like run Rogers numbers last year were very similar to Brady's in his final year in new England. The jets have a great defense, much like Tampa did in 2020. It was hidden a little bit that Tampa 2019 defense was hidden by the fact that Jamis through 30 interceptions.

So their points for a game weren't great, but their underlying metrics are good. You know, inserted Brady, everything came together. I think that that could happen with the jets. And also similar to the bucks in 2020, the saints are a lot like, uh, you know, the, uh, a lot like the bills are right where they're, they're very good, but they haven't gotten over the hump and, you know, uh, Tampa Bay got blown out by the saints twice in the regular season and ended up beating them in playoffs. I think that that's the ceiling Rogers, his only super bowl win as a, as a, as a quarterback has come from the six seed.

And I think that that would be the path for them. If they were to end up winning would be to kind of figure it out over the course of the year, win 10 or 11 games, get a wild card, uh, and then Aaron Rogers turn it on in January and February. So from out with the old, didn't with the new Jordan loving Green Bay, you're number one as a starter.

I know he's been there for the last few years. Your expectations are. That's the team in the NFC North, that if you look at market prices, that's the one to bet because you know, Matt LaFleur doesn't get, in my opinion, enough credit from taking a guy in Rogers who had struggled to the point where they drafted Jordan love in the first place due to MVPs three consecutive 13 win seasons.

I think, you know, Jordan love just draws between the lines colors between the lines. I think that it will be an effective offense with Christian Watson, Aaron Jones, uh, you know, and the tight ends they drafted as well as a decent offensive line. I think the Packers are going to surprise people and compete in a weekend. When you look at that NFC North with all that you just said, are you picking the Vikings or lines or do you go with the Packers? I'm not picking the Vikings. I think the Vikings are like the easiest phase this year, the 13 wins, but the minus one point differential or minus point differential. To me, that's the team that's in transition and I wouldn't be surprised to see them win, you know, five or six games this year. The bears, I think are a year away. So to me, it's only Detroit and Green Bay. And even though I think mathematically Detroit should be the favorite, I think Green Bay will surprise people. Okay. Eric Eager, Saquon and Josh Jacobs.

The deadline is approaching coming up on Monday at 1 PM Eastern. I think Saquon gets a long-term deal. I don't think Josh Jacobs will.

What say you on the official prediction? I don't hate the prediction for Jacobs that, that, um, you know, the Las Vegas Raiders, who knows what they're doing. Uh, they're kind of in between land between rebuilding and trying to compete. They're not going to be competitive. So I don't see a point for them to go after Jacobs. Uh, I think that they play it out. Uh, I agree with the Barkley thing, even running back to the top of their game. If they take a year off the market doesn't handle that very well. We saw that with Lady on bell at Pittsburgh.

And then eventually he went to New York and two years later, he's out of the league entirely. So I think Barkley is going to sign a deal. I don't know if it's going to be in that Camara or McCaffrey range, but I think he will sign a deal and he will be the cornerstone of that often.

Which 49 or talk quarterback, do you think we're talking about the most at the end of the year with the quarterback relay that they've been playing the last few seasons? I do think odds are it's pretty, but I'd like to see lands. I just like would like to see the upside there. I think Purdy is a solved problem. He's very good.

It's funny. He trained with former Iowa state quarterback stage Rosenfels who also played for Shanahan. He kind of knew the answers to the test before he even got drafted and it showed, I just don't think there's a lot of upside there. Um, and Lance to me has the, has the upside.

I'd like to see him play and be successful. Would you rank it right now? Eagles one 49ers two in the NFC. I would, but if I were betting, I'd bet and seem like Detroit or Dallas to get the one seat as opposed to those two. I just think they're, they're, there's too much riding on the Eagles who have lost both coordinators and the niners who we don't know who their quarterback is. A team I also like, and I don't think they're going to win the division, but I think they could be a really strong wildcard team is Seattle. They have so many weapons on the offense side of the ball. My question, just Eric eager is how much regression occurs this year with Gino Smith?

Yeah, it's a good one. Eight and a half wins wins over to me as one of the better vets in the wind total market, which is pretty beaten up right now and efficient. So I agree with you wholeheartedly. The thing about Gino is he regressed in the second half last year. So I think if Seattle is a smart coaching staff, which I think they are, I think Pete Carroll proved a lot of us wrong over the last couple of years.

Um, they'll, they'll address the things that went poorly. He, he faded down the stretch last year. So I hope that bringing in Smith Najibah, you know, get to, you know, the two rookie tackles last year are going to get better in year two. I think there'll be better offensively, especially because it wasn't like, you know, uh, Gino was good the whole year and, you know, he, he tricked us into it. He faded at the end last year.

And I think that they'll do things to address it and, and deal, you know, give them a good second season as a starter in Seattle. Last thing I'll ask you, Eric Eager, VP of sumer sports, Antonio Brown's name is back in the news, but this time, surprisingly, he didn't do anything. Just DK Metcalf said, he's the greatest wide receiver of all time. We could push aside that comment, but it brings up the hall of fame.

I've said it for years. Antonio Brown is a Royal pain in the ass, but he was a great football player. And if I was voting for the hall of fame, I would put him in. How do you kind of look at the eventual hall of fame candidacy for one Antonio Brown? Yeah, I think, look, if we get, if we're going to put, you know, the hall of fame is full of people who have been similar to Antonio Brown.

So, uh, unless we're going to go back and take them out, I think you have to put Brown and Brown has been one of the best players at his position ever. He's not first. I mean, that's ridiculous, but he's one of the best ever. And I think, uh, he probably deserves to be in campus. He's the VP of sumer sports. We always love talking with him. One of the brightest minds covering the NFL right now.

He's Eric Eager, Eric. Appreciate the time. Have a good weekend. Exactly.

Take care. There he is. Eric Eager, the VP once again of sumer sports.

And that's actually all the time that we do have for you today on a Friday edition of the Zach Gelb show. Big thanks to Brian Jack McKeon for producing this extravaganza. Also like to thank BYU quarterback Keaton slovis for stopping by and Green Bay Packers.

Great defensive tackle in Kenny Clark. We'll be back on Monday. Hope you have a great weekend. It will be the return of hot take Hickey and also coming up on Monday.

Chargers running back and fantasy football star for a lot of you, Austin Eckler, always love when he joins us, he's going to stop by. So we can't wait to get going for another week of the Zach Gelb show on CBS sports radio. Have a fun but safe weekend. And we'll talk to you Monday at 6 p.m. Eastern, three Pacific. Alrighty. We out. Bye-bye.

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