Under The Radar NFL Teams (Hour 4)

All right, he's at the Yelp show, CBS Sports Radio. Evan Washburn, NFL on CBS, gonna join us coming up 40 minutes from now. By the way, the defensive player of the week is sponsored by the Navy Federal Credit Union who proudly serves the armed forces, DoD, veterans, and their families. Their members are on the mission.

Learn more at NavyFederal.org. How about married or star to Luis Castillo? He tossed seven innings of one run ball while striking out nine in Seattle's 14-2 victory over the White Sox on Monday. Castillo won his 10th game of the season as the Mariners now have a one-game lead over the Blue Jays for the final wild card berth. Hickey, I don't know where you stand on this one, but I said it right at the All-Star break, until someone takes down the Astros, I still believe that the Astros are going to get to the World Series. And I said this last night and I'll say it again, with that being said, if the Mariners get in with their top three in their rotation, they're going to be a tough out. And the Mariners are a team just like last year.

They got hot, get a little bit more experience. This year they're getting hot at the right time. This is a baseball team right now that if they make the playoffs, and that's the big if, they get one of those wild card spots. When you have Luis Castillo, Logan Gilbert, and George Kirby, that's going to be one tough team.

One tough team to eliminate come postseason time. And I know now we all focus on the bullpen and all that. Those three starting pitchers are all phenomenal.

And a lot of teams would covet. If they get in, I'm starting to get more optimistic by the day about the Seattle Mariners. I think we had JP Crawford on right? Right at the All-Star break too?

And I even said that to him. I go, if you guys get in, you're going to be a force to be reckoned with because of the three guys that are holding the baseball at the top of the rotation. If I had to ask you right now, AL pick to go to the World Series. Who's your AL pick to go to the World Series? If you had to give me two. Two, I'll still go to the Astros. I know, not fun.

I'm sorry. Second, I'll go to the Orioles. I love the Orioles. I'm buying in.

Youth is there. They're playing great. Good pitching, good hitting.

I'm going all in on Baltimore. Yeah, but that owner though, just some bad karma there. What he did with the play-by-play broadcaster and now is already talking about how ticket prices are going to go up because it's going to be impossible to afford all the young players that they have. It's weird. The Orioles, the players are a likable story, but the owner of the team makes them a team that I'm starting to root against.

Well, he's a total clown and I would agree. It's tough because I like this team and they built it, we'll say the right way. I know it's kind of tanking and it's kind of taboo, but they drafted well, they developed really well. And to their credit, kind of like the Astros, they made the most of their losses by picking great players that have now panned out well. And you're right, it's frustrating to see already in the midst of the greatest season they're having in maybe our lifetimes, like just for how promising this young season is so far, already now with the play-by-play suspension and now again already kind of pouring cold water by saying, enjoy it now fans, because guess what?

When these guys, when Gunnar Henderson and Adlai Rutchter didn't want to get paid big money, I'm too poor, sorry, we can't do it, they're going to go somewhere else. It's pathetic. It's laughable.

It's frustrating. As a non-Oriole fan, it's frustrating that this nice season is ruined by one clown. Do you think we will get a Braves-Dodgers NLCS? Because those have been the two best teams in the NL. I'm going to say no because in baseball specifically, that is where you rarely actually get the two best teams matching up in the LCS series.

And you know who's starting to look real good and they're getting hot at the right time and they've been playing a lot better? Philadelphia. The Phillies. I will say that we get a Braves-Dodgers NLCS.

Last year it was funky, right? You ended up getting the Padres and the Phillies, two wildcard teams. I do think we will get the Braves and the Dodgers, but in baseball anything can happen, especially when you have those short series early on. So you don't believe the Braves and the Dodgers will be there, then I'm assuming you think one will get there.

Who's then that third team that you're feeling the most confidence in? I'm not trying to be a cop-out, I promise, but it's like one of those things where I never predicted the Phillies to make a run last year. So it's like it could be the Reds. The Reds get hot, they're a fun team, all of a sudden can they ride the magic getting in?

Would I be shocked? No, I can't be. So it's like one of those teams where it's like I hate to do it because I really hate, again, not fully committing to the answer, but I do not have a team I'm looking at saying, oh, they're going to be the Dodgers, they're going to be the Braves. But just seeing how baseball playoffs have been for a while now, it is always one upset primed each and every year, especially when the Dodgers are involved.

They rarely truly get to where they're supposed to every year. Well, can you finally admit though that the Phillies aren't a bad team? You told me when you were laughing, and I'm a Mets fan, but you were laughing at me when we had that conversation.

It was me, you, Pete Hoffman, who works down the hall, and you guys are both still optimistic about the Mets. And I said, they still have to get over Philadelphia, one of the teams that they were looking to try to pass when you guys still thought they were in it. And I said to you guys that the Phillies are a better team than the Mets, and that's coming from a Mets fan.

And you guys both laughed at me and said I was like the biggest city in the world. Can you finally admit that the Phillies are a good baseball team? To the Phillies' credit, they are a good team this year. They have managed to make their World Series run last year, and so far have now lost all momentum this year, their credit. And they got off to a bad start, just like how they got off to a bad start last year.

And then they find the way to get hot at the right time. I will say this, I will be rooting against the Braves though this year. If I had to pick one team to not win the World Series, it was weird because the Braves a few years ago were like a likable team, but with just how much crap the Braves have talked and being a Mets fan as well.

And also like it's Barrett Salih really, the great college football writer who I love. I'm a big fan of Barrett Salih, but him and the cockiness about his Braves, which he should have, it makes me want to root against the Atlanta Braves. I should have no reason outside of just being a Mets fan, but I'm like the Braves, you look at them, you admire what they've built and they have a great team and they have an all star superstar team. But when you had that little arrogance factored into it, yeah, I'm okay if the Braves don't end up going all the way this year.

Would be more than fine. Like if you could pick one team to not win the World Series this year, wouldn't it be the Braves? This is so tough. I hate the Phillies. I despise the Phillies. I hate the Braves. But, but the Phillies are a likable team this year. You have Bryce Harper, how he's playing, it's crazy. Trey Turner got off to that bad start and they gave him a standing ovation.

He starts playing a little bit better. I even, a Mets fan, fellow Mets fan, one of my best friends, biggest Mets fan I know, he even said, pains me to say it, but the Phillies are a likable team this year. Doesn't mean like he's sitting there saying go Phillies, but objectively, if you take your twisted mind out of this just for a second, outside of being a Mets fan, there's no reason to hate the Phillies this year. Really not.

I don't think I'm being biased when I say this. I don't think there's a likable thing about the Phillies. So what makes them so unlikeable?

Their being. I don't like Bryce Harper. Trey Turner's been up and down. Guy's been playing hurt all year.

To say the least. Aaron Knowles overrated. He stinks. I cannot say the Phillies. Cannot say they're fans. I hate the Braves. I hate their fans.

Both teams arrogance. It's because you're a Mets fan though. Well, yeah, I'm saying if you are not, I can't do that. I can't. I don't know.

Yeah, I'm just playing the game here. I can't play that game. I can't.

I can't. You will not give me a national radio to say the Phillies are a redacted word. But you can do that because I remember when I was here weekend overnights and we were talking about the Washington Nationals, the Nationals the year they won the World Series up against the Astros. We're a likable team.

Oh, I'll agree that 100%. So you could be a likable team and you can't stay in the team. Like even the year when the Braves went on that great run and won the World Series, pains me to say the Braves were a likable team. You could despise them in terms of they're in your division. And now I don't think the Braves are a likable team.

But when they won the World Series, there weren't a lot of reasons to hate the Atlanta Braves. But anyway, your World Series prediction is what? If you take a guess right now, who you put in the World Series, I will say Astros, Braves, Astros win it. Okay, I'm going Astros, Dodgers, Dodgers win it. I will take the Dodgers to win the World Series. Zach Gelb shows CBS Sports Radio real quickly.

I want to do this exercise here. Three teams that need to be talked about more in the NFL. And what I mean by this is I'm going to give you a team and they're not a lock to make the postseason or it's teams that we don't really talk about a lot. That's going to be the definition here. So like three teams that need to be talked about more, you know who your teams are that are pretty much a lock to make the postseason and teams that are maybe flying under the radar before we start the season.

I'll give you three here. I think the Steelers are flying under the radar. Not a lock to make the playoffs whatsoever.

The AFC is loaded. But their skill position players are better than what people give them credit for. Pat Frymuth is a really good tight end. Najee Harris had two successful years in the NFL.

I like George Pickens a lot. And Kenny Pickett, we got to see if he could take that next step this year. And defensively, they were banged up a year ago. I think the Steelers are a team with Tomlin as a coach. They're always going to be in it.

We should be talking about them more. The next team I'll give you, the Seattle Seahawks. I think a lot of people are like Hickey, where they look at the Seahawks and they go, oh, easy to say Geno Smith won't repeat what he did a year ago. That NFC stinks outside of Philadelphia and San Francisco. You can't really feel confident about any of the teams in the NFC in terms of being a Super Bowl contender. But I look at the Seahawks, and I know Jackson Smith and Jigba just got surgery.

We'll see when he comes back. You still have DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. You got the two young running backs in that back field. You got a good young up and coming secondary. That Seattle team is a team that I don't think we're really talking about them a lot because we gave them so much praise last year where people just go, OK, you had that one good year without Russell Wilson. Now you're gonna be able to do it again. And then finally, my third team here, teams that need to be just talked about a little bit more.

I'm telling you, these teams are gonna be great. The Washington commanders. The enemy stuff, I think. Let a lot of steam out of that engine. In terms of some positive momentum that was occurring. It could be overblown. I don't get what Ron Rivera was doing.

It was very stupid, if you ask me. It was kind of like Sean McDermott throwing more gasoline on the fire with the Staphon Diggs situation. But you look at that roster. I know Terry McLaurin's now dealing with Turto, but if he's able to get through that, he's great.

You got Johan Dotson. I like Brian Robinson Jr. now gonna be there, thankfully, for a full season. That front seven had a bad year last year, but there's a lot of talent there. If Sam Howell could just be average of that NFC, they could swap places with the Giants, where last year the Giants were the third team to get in from the NFC East.

And it was by a very close margin. Remember, you had those two games that they were battling out, commanders and the Giants. That is, to me, a team in the commanders that the only reason we talked about them this offseason was because Daniel Snyder sold the team to Josh Harris and you had the Ron Rivera, Eric B.

Enemy, player hole situation. Those three teams are just teams that I give you that I think we should talk about a little bit more. And for the commanders and Steelers, don't be surprised to make the playoffs this year. And for the Seahawks, I've been saying this all season long, they could be the third best team in the NFC. Hickey, who are the three teams in the NFL? Not locks to make the playoffs, teams that you think aren't getting talked about enough.

I would say the Cleveland Browns, lot of talent on that roster. Obviously, a lot hinges on how Deshaun Watson plays, but the pieces are there where kind of going back to the opening segment, not a lot of excuses for Deshaun Watson. They don't play well and aren't in the playoff conversation. Let them make the playoffs.

You got what you need for the most part there to at least be in the mix bare minimum. That's one. Hold on, let me just, I'll comment on each one.

Sure. The Browns, the one thing that concerns me is Kevin Stefanski knows he's coaching for his job. He needs to make Deshaun Watson happy because that organization's going to side with Deshaun Watson over Kevin Stefanski. The most consistent player on the Browns offense recently has been Nick Chubb. We know what Deshaun Watson can be.

If he knocks off the rust, he was showing signs of a top seven, top five quarterback in the NFL. I just wonder how much they go away from their most consistent offensive player in Nick Chubb. Cause I thought down the stretch in the six games that Watson came back, they were trying to make Deshaun Watson, and I know he's paid to do a lot, but they were going away from really what's been their bread and butter as of late. And that's being a team built off a great offensive line and Nick Chubb running the football. Now we know Watson's going to throw the ball a ton, but I just wonder what the splits look like.

And that's a concern for me because I think it may swing too much in Watson throwing the football more than I would like it. All right, who's your next team? I hate to say it, the Tennessee Titans.

Yeah. They are a team that I don't think is going to make the playoffs, but to Mike Vrabel's credit for all of the attrition they suffered last year, they were fighting for the division the last game of the season with Joshua Dobbs. They were seven and three at one point. They were, and they lost every game after that. But they still lost their quarterback, got banged up everywhere, but they still have, forgive it, Ryan Tanno. They have Derrick Henry, you add DeAndre Hopkins. They got some pieces on defense.

Mike Vrabel arguably is a coach who does more with less than any coach in the NFL. I don't think they're gonna make the playoffs, but they definitely do respect or deserve, I should say some respect at least being the conversation. Now, can you admit like you don't despise the Jacksonville Jaguars? Is that fair?

Not yet, no. A team that's in your division though, but how fun would this be? Jonathan Taylor gets traded, the Jags make the playoffs, and then Tennessee makes the playoffs as well. And you send two teams from the AFC South and then not Indianapolis. That'd be wonderful. That would not be great.

Well, I mean, actually, you know what? In 2023, the wins don't matter, so it's fine. Send the Titans to the playoffs.

Okay. There you go, Mike Vrabel, my gift to you. Finally, this team I will admit is very top heavy and needs lady luck, injured eyes to go their way. AFC or NFC? Big time, NFC.

NFC team, and repeat what you just said? Very top heavy. Very top heavy.

Very top heavy. In the NFC. One injury will derail their season. Not a lock to make the playoffs. Not a lock whatsoever. Is it Kirk Cousins with the Vikings?

No. It's not the Vikings. No, not the Vikings. Very top heavy. Could be a good, interesting team to throw in here too.

I probably overlook them. You know what? The Vikings are a good one. I think they're going to win the division.

Very top heavy. Oh, I know who you're going with. Does this fit the theme of Hickey doubling down with his bad predictions from a year ago? I guess it depends on what prediction I'm referencing. So I did make a few.

So possibly, possibly. So last year you said Baker was going to make the playoffs with the Panthers. Now you think Baker's going to make the playoffs with the Bucks. That's right. You said the Broncos were going to the Super Bowl. This year you're saying they're just going to make the playoffs.

That's right. And they are not, since they're not in the NFC, not in this conversation. Last year you said the Los Angeles Rams have the easiest path ever back to another Super Bowl. Coming off a Super Bowl championship.

They are top heavy. The rest of their roster stinks, but they got three good names. Cooper Cup deal with an injury. Stafford coming off an injury. Donald coming off an injury.

Plague season. Those are the three names, right? That's the top heavy team. And I would include Sean McVay too, as a very good head coach. But yes, they are a team that was decimated by offensive line injuries last year. Their line still stinks. They're healthy though.

I think they're better than what they're getting credit for. They're healthy. And you have a healthy offensive line.

Matthew Stafford, Cooper Cup, Aaron Donald. There's still talent on that team. You know, with a really good head coach. But again, one injury here, one injury there, and they are totally screwed. But that's a team they stay healthy.

One foot in, one foot out. I don't think that's a, you know, I think it's a team that come December will be like, oh wow, Rams are in it. Yeah, I can't take that team seriously. Too many one foot in, one foot out guys in that organization right now. And Bobby Wagner crawling back to the Seahawks and begging to leave the Rams to go back to the Seahawks. Tells me everything I need to know about the Rams for this upcoming season. Zach Gelb shows CBS Sports Radio. Evan Washburn going to join us 20 minutes from now. News Brief next.

Hi, this is Shannon Storms-Badour, Real Housewife of Orange County, an entrepreneur. When my company Real for Real started selling our health products online, we struggled to ship our orders out quickly and without error. But ShipStation's simple dashboard made it easy to manage orders from every marketplace. Plus, with ShipStation, we get up to 84% off USPS and UPS rates.

Automate your shipping with ShipStation. Go to ShipStation.com slash Audible. Go to ShipStation.com slash audio for a free 60 day trial.

That's ShipStation.com slash audio. You're listening to the Zach Gelb show. Time for your daily news brief. We get you caught up on the rumors, reports and reconnaissance from the day in sports.

Alrighty, news brief time on CBS Sports Radio. So Aaron Rodgers is going to play in the Jets final pre-season game and make his Jets debut up against the Giants. Robert Salah, why he's not worried about playing Aaron Rodgers in the final pre-season game. You can't coach scared. You can't play scared.

You can slip out of your car and have something happen to you. But knock on wood, everyone will be fine. You see some of the great ones out there. You know, Kent City's playing their guys. Buffalo's playing their guys.

It's not uncommon. You could always play the hindsight game or the fearful game. But what's in the best interest for our team is to go out there and play some football together. Usually pre-season games mean nothing. I think this is Aaron Rodgers playing to the Jets fan. Oh, I want to go through a touchdown pass up against the Giants.

I think this is stupid. This has been such a great offseason for the Jets and such a positive offseason for the Jets. It would be so same old Jet where Rodgers somehow gets hurt in this game up against the Giants. I don't think there's any benefit to playing Aaron Rodgers. And if Aaron Rodgers wants to make a point up against the Giants, you could do that in Week 8. I don't think there's any need to play Aaron Rodgers in this game. I would not do it.

Probably nothing will happen. But I would just get to the regular season at this point up on the Jets. Here's Shane Steichen, the coach of the Colts, who says Jonathan Taylor's future won't be a distraction. Now the Colts have given Jonathan Taylor permission to seek a trade. I'm aware of obviously the reports of JT, but my focus right now is on this football team, these joint practices, and these guys running the lights. What the heck did he just say? I couldn't hear a single word he just said with that audio.

He said that he's aware of JT's stories, but he's focused on getting the Colts ready to play in this upcoming preseason game. Good response by Shane Steichen. Don't give anything more than what you need to give there. And that was all you needed to give. Ron Rivera, talking about a coach that sometimes gives too much, says Sam Howell is playing like a franchise QB. I thought he handled that extremely well.

I did. There's a lot of pressure, obviously, and we know how important the quarterback position is in the league and how important it is in this area. We've been looking for one, and I think we have an opportunity to have a guy that has a chance to be a really good football player for us. And let's hear from that man, Sam Howell.

He says the commander's offense is loaded. Yeah, I mean, we have so many weapons, and you said seven guys, but we have 20 guys. Obviously, we probably can't keep them all, but we have so many guys that can make plays with the ball, and they get their chance. So really, all I try to do is try to get the ball out of my hands as quickly as possible and give those guys a chance to do what they do best.

And I'm just so blessed with the talent I have around me, for sure. Now, I'm not saying that Sam Howell should have ever been the first overall pick in the draft, but there was a time where going into a season, he's projected to be the number one overall pick, and then he goes back to UNC, right? And he didn't have his two running backs and his two wide receivers, and then he falls all the way to the fifth round. I'm not saying Howell will ever be as good as a number one overall pick, but I don't think he was as bad of a quarterback as it would suggest for a quarterback going in the fifth round. He seems like a second or third round type of guy, and those guys could go on to have very successful careers in the NFL. I'm just curious to see what he could do. I think the Commanders could be a good team this year.

I think they just need him to be a game manager, and I'm very curious to see what Sam Howell brings to a football team this year. John Harbaugh reacts to the dumbest win streak in the history of sports. That's the 24-game preseason win streak for the Baltimore Ravens that came to an end last night at the hands of the Washington Commanders.

And I just told our guys, you know, you're proud of it, of course, you appreciate it, but the thing that you're proud of is all those games are mostly just like that. You know, preseason games that people want to write about, some of you in here, want to write about and say they don't mean anything, because you never played the game. You never were out there in a preseason game. You never were fighting for a spot on the team. And yet you have the audacity to say that the effort that somebody puts into that to win and fight and win a game like that is meaningless.

It's only always meaningless out there, what you just saw. If you like football, is that a meaningless football game? You know, I can't respect anybody that says that because of the effort these guys put into it. That's what you're proud of, and that's why I'm so proud of these guys for the way they fought. It doesn't matter, win or loss. It matters the way they went about their business tonight, and I'm proud of them for that always will be.

He's exactly right. It doesn't matter if you win or lose. So why do you need the verbal diarrhea in the first 50 seconds of that John Harbaugh? Like, what are we doing there? There's a difference in appreciating an effort to go make a team, but people throwing, and I think a lot of it is in sarcasm, this parade, like, oh, they won 24 games a row in the preseason. The coach even said it doesn't matter if you win or lose.

So, Hickey, that makes no sense to me why he just went on a fiery rant there. Stop it. I like it. You nerds.

Get back in your mother's basement. If you say the preseason, it doesn't matter. That matters. He's about to cry on the podium losing a 24-game winch. I love it.

Oh, geez. Finally, here is D'Amico Ryan saying he won't name a starting QB until week one. We'll have a starter in Baltimore. It's the same as I said previously. You guys will see the starter when we get to Baltimore.

It's a giant waste of time. Ready? We're going to say it on three, Hickey. The starting quarterback of the Houston Texans come week one will be one, two, three. CJ Shroud. He did have a strong last game though last year. He went into the offseason with a lot of momentum.

Please, you know me and you have grown accustomed to this throughout the years. If you have a young quarterback and the young quarterback is ready and there's no one there to prevent him from getting on the field, you play the young quarterback. Ask the Steelers how it worked out last year with Mitch Trubusky playing him for the first few games and the Texans, if they have to put Davis Mills out there for the first few games, it's a giant waste of time. Zach Gelb's show CBS Sports Radio will take a break. One of the best side of the reporters in the business, NFL and CBS's very own Evan Washburn will join us on the other side. You're listening to the Zach Gelb show.

Alrighty, we continue. This is the Zach Gelb show coast to coast on CBS Sports Radio. Football season is approaching so let's go out to the hotline right now and welcome in one of the great sideline reporters for the NFL on CBS and that of course is our pal Evan Washburn. Evan, how you been? I'm doing well, Zach. How are you, man?

Well, I'm doing fantastic. So I actually saw you the other day filling in on inside college football. You sitting next to Brian Jones with some sight with your luscious locks and then the big burly beard from on Brian Jones. Who has the better hair? Is it what's on top of your cabeza or what's on Brian Jones' cheeks?

Wow, you're bringing the hard questions right out of the gate. I'm going to stick with my hair based off of longevity. I mean Brian's been rocking that beard for a few years now but I've known him before the beard and he didn't know me before the hair. But I can't believe you walked out of that show or watching that without being more floored by his jacket as opposed to his chin lettuce. Yeah, what was that? A teal jacket yesterday for Brian Jones? I remember watching it during a break and I said, okay, BJ's making a statement to start the year. He can pull off jackets that we can only dream of. A hundred percent.

I would not have that fashion style. Evan Washburn here with us. So the big NFL news yesterday, Jonathan Taylor has been given permission to seek a trade. The Colts a few weeks ago when he requested that trade said that we're not trading him before the season or during the season. Were you surprised to see that they have now given him permission to seek a trade?

No, I'm not surprised. I mean this feels unfortunately like a lot of situations contractually over the years and obviously it's heightened because of all the discussion about the running back position as a whole. But this feels in a lot of ways like the organization, no matter what Baltimore did with Lamar Jackson, now that obviously worked out for everybody.

But hey, here, go test the market. See what you can get because I have to imagine they feel pretty confident, at least Chris Ballard does, that there's not going to be the return that they're looking for from in terms of the compensation and a trade. And then the long-term deal that a team would have to then agree to Jonathan before making the trade. So to me it feels like, hey, go see what's out there. We think you're going to be disappointed by it and maybe that allows you to come back to us and feel better about our situation. It kind of reminds me a little bit of the Austin Eckler situation because they gave him permission to seek a trade and Austin has said this to me on this show, it's kind of funny that they wanted a whole lot for him but then they weren't willing to increase that contract more than what, like 1.75 I think it was million dollars in incentives. That's what it kind of feels like here directly to the Austin Eckler situation.

Agreed. And I would think too that there's going to be, because they really would, I have to imagine, want to have Jonathan there, Taylor, and maybe this gives them the opportunity to come up with something contractually that they feel good about and then once he knows the market, he can begrudgingly accept. I kind of threw this number out there yesterday and I'd be curious if it gets it done. If they give him like $14 million a year over four years but only give like the guarantee about $25, $26 million, so easy to probably get out of after two years, do you think that's enough or is it going to be one of those things where Jonathan Taylor wants more than Christian McCaffrey money? Wow, I mean I'm sure he would want it, I just don't see how that in the current marketplace is something that's close to realistic. I mean your numbers sound good, I haven't grinded on exactly where they stand in their cap and then also with maybe what he's made clear is something that he'd be acceptable to him.

To me it seems beyond even just the money in the moment, it's the security and some of that long term deal that you get with a deal that obviously teams aren't interested in right now. And like we're saying Evan Washburn, running backs really have no leverage. Nick Chubb even said it after that meeting that they had a few weeks back that there's really nothing we can do right now, speaking from a running back perspective. Most likely right when the season starts and when the season ends you think Jonathan Taylor will be on the Indianapolis Colts and he doesn't get dealt?

I do, I do. I think he's too smart to not recognize the importance of one, playing this year and accruing that season but also making the money that he is guaranteed. And I think it still seems like there's hope to in those last days before the season where sometimes we will see deals get done that the Colts can find a way to give him something to make him feel like this was not all for naught and then he's not a frustrated player returning because at any position really but especially running back where it's such a grind and a beat down for those guys.

You don't want somebody that's not pleased kind of having to line up week in and week out. Evan Washburn here with us. Are you buying in on all the hype surrounding the Jets? It seems like nothing could go wrong right now for gang green.

I'm cautiously optimistic. I hope it works out because I think it would be great and be fun to see that organization, that team up there with the best in the AFC but it's finally starting to be brought to light largely based off of what we've seen in joint practices and Aaron Rodgers lending words to it. But if you don't have an offensive line that can protect, it doesn't matter. And if they can't open holes for their multitude of running backs they got going on right now, it doesn't matter.

So that needs to get cleaned up. They're not going to all of a sudden overnight become the Eagles' O-line or the Colts' O-line for that going back to Taylor's situation. But I do think that there's reasons to obviously be hopeful with your Jets fan because there's just so many pieces around them and they seem to be embracing one another in a good way.

You do a great job each and every Sunday giving us stories on the NFL and CBS broadcasts with the phenomenal booth and team that you're a part of. Is there a bigger story this year entering the season than the Jets? Because I know it's not just only hard knocks but with the Rodgers storyline in the last few years it feels like they are the biggest story entering this season.

No, I don't think to start the year right now there's a bigger story but I just think to me what I keep going back to is just the AFC as a whole. I just can't remember in my now 10 years doing this of a year where it's just this loaded and there's going to be good teams, good quarterbacks left out of the postseason and that's just not usually the case. You look at a team like Buffalo, a year ago if we were talking Evan Washburn everyone's picking them to only get to the Super Bowl but win the Super Bowl. I think everyone right now says they're a good team but with how last year did play out in that divisional round and a very performance on Wild Card Weekend against Skylar Thompson, people are starting to doubt Buffalo. I'm just fascinated, I was talking about this the other night, what we see from the Bills this year because now they were the pick last year, people are starting to doubt them and when you have a moment of adversity like that I'm just curious to see how they come out swinging.

I'm bullish on the Bills, Zach. I think being a prisoner to that one game, it's the last game you saw, it was ugly but what they went through in the back quarter but really the back half of that season, not just the DeMar Hamlin thing which is separate to it all in terms of life and literally death on the field. But the injuries they had, the Micah Hyde injury, the Von Miller injury, they were banged up and then Josh Allen got hurt in that Jet game. So I just think that they've come back fully healthy and improved in some areas, not shiny star ones like the Jets obviously. But that team to me has some scar tissue that I think will benefit them this year and much like I am with the Bengals, I just think that if you've been hanging around the party, and by party I mean a Super Bowl and winning that thing the last few years, I like when you've had that experience even if it's ended in disappointment because I think it puts you in the proper perspective heading into the year. And I think most people right now would say it's the Chiefs 1 in the AFC, it's the Bengals 2, but then that third spot is open for debate a little bit. Do you still think it's Buffalo when you say you're bullish on them that they're still clearly in your mind a top 3 team in the AFC?

No doubt. I like the idea of it still being Kansas City, Cincinnati and Buffalo and then the rest of the teams you need to show us over the first few weeks of the season, really the first six weeks of the season, whether you're Baltimore, whether you're the Jets, whether you're the Chargers. Are we going to see a bounce back from the Broncos, from obviously Jacksonville now in the conversation? Those are the teams that we need to see which you're going to do the first six weeks for me to feel comfortable putting you in that group of three that I still feel have separated themselves going into the year.

Evan Washburn here with us. What are your expectations? I know it's not year one, but it's his first true year as a starter for Jordan Love replacing Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay.

I just want, my expectations are tempered. It's show that you're competent, that you can do this job, not to the level of Aaron Rodgers, that seems to be ridiculous, he's a Hall of Fame quarterback, but show that you're somebody that they can at least feel comfortable giving the keys to for the next two, three years. I know they've signed him through this year and there's a lot of sort of a proven situation for him, but show that you feel comfortable moving forward and you're not immediately hopping into the next draft cycle looking for a signal caller. And that to me would be a win and then just incremental improvement from there and you're looking at a positive situation and then the hope is after maybe a couple years of banked experience that you're Jalen Hurts.

And it's one of those things where he improves more than I've seen a quarterback improve over the course of his first three years in the league and I think that's what you would want from somebody like Jordan Love. When you examine that NFC North, a lot of people say the Lions are the favorite to win that division. I still go with the Minnesota Vikings. I think the Vikings will regress from 13 wins a year ago, but I still got to see more out of Detroit. Where is the Evan Washburn belief level with the Lions? I think I want it to go well, so just for that fan base and I think it would be good for the league to have them relevant in a real way and look, there's no secret. They're a fun team to cover, to watch because of Dan Campbell's personality and some of the players they have. Imanrath St. Brown I think is an absolute star. So I think the hope is that the Lions can live up to the expectations of being the debut team along with the Chiefs and that's not done out of just randomness.

So I'm with you. I think the Vikings will be right where they were a year ago, maybe not with the fortune that they had down the stretch in a lot of those games, but to me it's a Lions-Vikings division. Evan Washburn, I know two weeks ago I saw an interview you did with Mac Jones. What type of year does Mac Jones have this season?

Because I asked for two things this offseason. Go get a legit offensive coordinator that did that and then also a number one wide receiver. I know they brought in Juju Smith-Schuster, but I don't view him as a number one. Do they have enough at wide receiver for Mac Jones to bounce back this season? Well I think they have enough for him to bounce back as a team and much of that is just having some real professionalism at the play caller position and somebody that's experienced doing it at a high level in Bill O'Brien and just sort of settled things down. I can't sit here and say that their pass catchers, their wide receivers really threaten you the way a lot of the other guys in that division and the AFC do, so that's concerning if you're Mac Jones. But I just think they're going to play a brand of football that isn't going to lean on explosive guys on the outside separating.

They're going to need some of that at times because you can't just be ground and pound. But it's clear the way they're built right now and how good their defense is going to be. This is Bill Belichick continuing to zag against the league with how this team is built. Two more with Evan Washburn, NFL on CBS.

Great job on the sidelines. Broncos or Browns? Who do you believe in more for this upcoming year with both those quarterbacks?

Wow, that's a good one. I think Browns based off of just how much talent they have. It's such a mystery right now because we have no idea what version of Deshaun Watson we're going to get. But if they were to click in any sort of way, that team's not just built to be better than the Broncos. They're built to win the AFC North and really make a run at it. And they have that much talent when you spend time at training camp and then just kind of going through. They're too deep.

But they, to me, seem like a group that's still searching for a true identity. And look, I think the Broncos will be better. I think Sean Payton will get the most out of Russell Wilson.

But what is that right now? I think there's more question marks around the Broncos, even though there's even though there's obvious depth with Cleveland. And last thing I'll ask you here, Evan Washburn, in the NFC, we know the Eagles are one. And then in at number two, it's the 49ers. Who's the third best team, in your opinion, on paper in the NFC? I like Seattle. I think they're going to be a team that's going to really fly under the radar early in the year. And then I think they're going to be there with San Francisco, obviously, in that division. And then Philadelphia. I like what they're building. I think Geno Smith, that wasn't just a flash-in-the-pan kind of season. That was something that they can build on.

And then hopefully this Jackson Smith and Jigba injury isn't something that lingers because he clearly is the star ready to break out, much like Garrett Wilson did a year ago. So to me, it's Seattle is somebody we're not talking enough about. And then maybe Atlanta. They seem to also be a sexy pick.

Wow. See, I think Atlanta, and we're in some alignment thinking here, I think Atlanta will win that division. And I know the NFC is not that talented, but to be the third best team in the NFC, that would really be something with the Falcons. Oh yeah.

I mean, look, this is a real long shot, if you will. But I just think that sometimes your road can make you the third best team. And we've seen in the AFC, the Titans have been the top seed in years where we didn't maybe feel they were the best team. And look, maybe that was proven out with their playoff performances.

But just based off of the environment you have to work through week in and week out. And as you mentioned in that division, that seems to be the worst in the NFL this year. I think that could set up nicely. Evan Washburn, NFL on CBS. Always appreciate the time and the insight. We'll do it again soon. Thank you. Thank you.

Good to talk to you. There he is, Evan Washburn, NFL on CBS. His great job on the sidelines with the broadcast booth of Ian Eagle and also Charles Davis. And that's all the time that we do have today on the Zach Gelb show on CBS Sports Radio. Also like to thank Merrill Hodge for joining us earlier in the program and also my producer extraordinaire, Hot Take Kiki. You can always give me a follow on Instagram and Twitter, at Zach Gelb.

That's Z-A-C-H-G-E-L-B. Alrighty. Appreciate you all for listening. We will be back tomorrow at 6 p.m. Eastern, 3 Pacific. Major guest alert for a Wednesday edition of the Zach Gelb show. Prime Time will be in the house.

The head football coach at Colorado, Deion Sanders, will be stopping by. Always enjoy our conversations with Prime Time. Alrighty. We out. Talk to you tomorrow, everybody. Bye bye.

Peace. Visit Photoshop.com and pounce on your free trial today.