Evan Washburn, NFL on CBS Sideline Reporter

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 gonna 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.

100%, 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. This feels in a lot of ways like the organization, no matter what Baltimore did with Lamar Jackson, that obviously worked out for everybody.

But hey, 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 in terms of the compensation in 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. 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. At any position really, but especially running back where it's such a grind and a beatdown 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 gangrene. I'm cautiously optimistic.

I hope it works out because I think it would be great. It would 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. If you don't have an offensive line that can protect, it doesn't matter. If they can't open holes for their multitude of running backs they've got going on right now, it doesn't matter.

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 if you're a 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 to Evan Washburn everyone's picking them to not 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 Skyler 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 them, 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, 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 bank experience that you're Jalen Hurts.

And it's one of those things where he improved 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. Ahmenrath 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 Mack Jones. What type of year does Mack Jones have this season?

Because I asked for two things this offseason. Go get a legit offensive coordinator, they 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 Mack 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 signal caller, excuse me, 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 Mack 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, his 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. I mean, 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 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.

It 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. I mean, 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. Good to talk to you.