Michael Penix Jr’s Draft Stock Wasn’t Impacted on Monday (Hour 2)

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No long-term commitments or contracts. That's stamps.com code PROGRAM. All righty, we continue. This is Zach Yelp's show on CBS Sports Radio. Hail to the victors. Michigan, your national champions in this past year of college football. Penn State fans, Ohio State fans, hello. How you doing today? Still bitching, still complaining, still whining. Oh, I love it.

Love it, love it, love it, love it. Alabama, they go down to Michigan. And then also last night, a team that I have a lot of great respect for in the Washington Huskies.

Love Kalen DeBoer, love Michael Penix Jr. They shouldn't have been in it at halftime. They found a way to be in it. And then the second half, that's the stunning part of the game last night. Like I knew Michael Penix Jr. was not going to be as great as what he did up against Texas.

But even if there was a little bit of a drop-off, you didn't think it was going to be as far as it dropped off last night. With wide receivers dropping footballs, wide receivers turning the wrong way, Michael Penix Jr. throwing interceptions, overthrowing wide receivers. His pinpoint accuracy was at such a ridiculous level up against Texas, it's just not possible. Or it's highly unlikely to be able to be that great once again when, oh yeah, by the way, you're going up against a much better defense. And through this run, I don't think Michigan's defense has got enough credit.

And you know what makes me think that even more? I go into the newsroom during the break and I see Ryan Hott take Hickey. And he was like, yeah, Michigan's defense was fine last night. It was fine.

And he's the biggest Michigan hater in the world. He was already starting, you know, I talked about the asterisk take and I did not know that that was Maggie's take this morning. Someone brought that up to me in the YouTube chat.

I was on 90 minutes of sleep. I love Maggie and Perloff. I did not listen to their show this morning. But that rant that I went on in the beginning was kind of directed to Hickey because at halftime, I see Hickey say, oh, this game's over and we have a tainted national champion. Like, shut up, seriously. And Hickey, I would thought would be a gracious loser after pick it against Michigan in every game this year, every big game. He picked Alabama to win. He picked Washington to win. He picked Ohio State to win. He picked also Penn State to win.

He went against Michigan in every game that mattered. And you have to, before the game is even over, already start off with this jackassery that the championship is tainted. You know what, Santer?

I'm actually liking you more day by day. I'm actually, not that I never disrespected you, but I understand the role that you play here at CBS Sports Radio and how imperative it is. Because after having to deal with Hickey's takes, and then last night, I called in to the Bart Winkler show from the stadium. Like at midnight or 1 AM and Shep gets on the microphone and he has the audacity to call me a Patriot apologist because Shep had this stupid take as well. And I liked Shep, but he said the Patriots quit on Bill Belichick. The Patriots have one of, if not the worst, rosters in the league. And the Patriots have not got blown out in a football game since the Saints game in week like five or six. So Shep is like, oh, the Patriots quit on Belichick up against the Jets. They didn't quit on Bill Belichick.

They just don't have the talent. So Shep was taking a run at me last night and maybe Shep should just stick to the NBA takes, all right? Too many NFL takes from David Shephard. So I think right now, Samter, you are in a role now where you have been at CBS Sports Radio since the inception, I'm pretty sure. And you are now a locker room leader here at CBS Sports Radio and you are the veteran. You're like Eudonis Haslam, right? You've been here so long, you won so many championships.

Everyone respects Michael Samter. I think you got to smack some of these producers around. Like, you know that soccer coach, that video where he's just yelling and smacking people across the face? I think you need to smack some of your fellow producers around. Smack Hickey around, smack Shep around, and just make sure that they know that when they're going to have takes, that takes got to be a little bit better, all right? That's what I'm saying should happen here. I mean, if you're giving me permission to start smacking people around, I'll do it. I like to lead by example. By the way, HR, I'm not actually giving him permission. This is all in jest. I don't know.

I mean, I heard it. So I feel like that's kind of permission from you. I like to lead by example, as opposed to being the vocal slash physical leader in the clubhouse.

But if I do need to, you know, take matters into my own hands. Voice Mike. No, the one problem is like, listen, with Shep, great guy. But, you know, he kind of marches to the beat of his own drummer. He can be swayed if necessary. Hickey, I fear, is too far gone as far as his takes and his angles. Well, it's weird, for sure.

In which he approaches things. So I don't think smacking around is going to do much. If anything, it's just going to make him more and more ridiculous. It's kind of amazing because we get things wrong all the time, right? It just happens. Speak for yourself. Well, buddy, you still owe me dinner because you thought that Texas was not going to jump Ohio State to get into the college football playoffs. I still think Ohio State takes Texas out any day of the week. Okay, you'll be wrong on that. And the great player Ohio State had this year was Marvin Harrison Jr. We all know that.

They didn't have anyone throw the football to Marvin Harrison Jr. because Kyle McCord is just an average quarterback and in a big spot, he'll fold and he'll make mistakes. But what I was saying was, like with Hickey, it's weird because I've said this before, I do believe that he is the most knowledgeable person when it comes to college football at this network. But still with all that knowledge, I do believe his hatred for Michigan got in the way of him actually being clairvoyant and picking things right this year.

He's very knowledgeable. He knows college football well, but it's not just his hatred towards Michigan. It's his undivided, undying love for Penn State that clouds his judgment. And I think that what happens with Hickey is that he goes against his own gut and his own knowledge and his own understanding of the sport and just is such a Penn State homer that he's going to do anything anti-Michigan, anti-Ohio State, anti everybody else in the Big Ten.

Well, it's a disease. Like these Penn State fans, they're cult members. It's not just a Penn State thing. All hardcore fans of any team are like that, whether it's Penn State or Alabama or USC or Texas, it doesn't matter. If you're a diehard fan, you're incapable of being partisan and unbiased. But I would disagree with that because I think I've picked against my team before. But you're not a diehard Michigan fan.

Yes, I am. Hold on, hold on. The point I was going to use, the Patriots. The Patriots, I picked against them in the Super Bowl the second time they went up against the Eagles. I just didn't think they were going to win the game. It wasn't mean I wasn't pulling for the Patriots.

I was. It's just sometimes you get that feeling of, oh, the other team you think is better and the other team is going to win. But here's the thing, though, you are an objective fan. You're not a diehard fan. When I talk about diehard fans. No, I am a diehard fan.

I don't know. So I just have a brain. Don't take it as an offense.

I am offended by it. OK, now I'm going to smack you around. Well, first of all, I'll take you any day of the weekend twice on Sundays. Just because you've got, you're like the size of my big toe. Just because you've got a foot and a hundred pounds doesn't mean I can't take you.

I can go low, get the ankles and take you down. A diehard fan is a more flexible, is an irrational fan whose mood and behaviors live and die up and down. Happier said based on their teams. I have never once seen you despondent or elated based off of Michigan or the Patriots or whatever. You are a fan. You're a dedicated fan. You're a passionate fan.

You're not a diehard fan in the sense of your life is dictated by the success and failures of your team. Well, when you're in the penthouse, it's tough to get frustrated. You haven't been in the penthouse for pretty long. All right. For the Patriots, the Patriots have the penthouse for 20 years.

Yes. But what I'm saying is it's been what, five years? The only time I was legitimately frustrated with the Patriots since Tom Brady has left was the Jacoby Myers play up against the Raiders where they threw the football and then Chandler Jones picked it off and they steamrolled through Mac Jones. That was the only time since Brady has left where I was irate and I left the studio and I sat on my couch for three hours after that because I was doing eye on football and I ordered pizza and then I ordered soft serve ice cream and I ate my sorrows away.

Trust me, I have a job to do. So win or lose, I show up and I deliver, but it doesn't mean that the insides of Zach Gelb doesn't feel some pain here and there from the sports team. Like when the Rangers lose in the playoffs, dejected, demoralized. When the Mets lost in the World Series, demoralized, you know, it happens.

I am human as well, even though I don't let it get in the way of giving my takes on the radio. I will say, despite the fact that I am getting so tired of Aaron Rodgers, when I was a Jets fan. Which you still are.

Yeah. I hadn't become despondent over the Jets in maybe a decade. Well, because you're numb to it.

It wasn't until the hype and the excitement around Aaron Rodgers and then four plays into the season, he went down. My wife looked at me, she was like, what's wrong with you? I've never seen you like this. I'm like, this is how I used to be as a sports fan. I'm not like this anymore because I've gotten older and I've matured and I'm a little bit less crazy.

But when things go really wrong for your teams, this is what happens. Now, here's a question I have for you. Well, hold on real quick before you ask my question.

I have to call cap on one thing. When you work in this business, no one's mature. None of us are mature. We're living in like a playpen right now. I'm not saying I'm mature.

I've matured compared to what I used to be. But here's my question for you. Yes. Of all your sports teams, who's the one who gives you the most joy or let down? The one that you're the most passionate about.

Okay. So it was the Patriots. Now the team that gives you the most joy, the Rangers. And the reason why is because it's the one team my dad and I share in common where I have the same passion as my dad has.

And I want to see the Rangers win a Stanley Cup. You know, not that my father is ancient, but it is the drive for 65. He turned 65 this year, right? When he turned 64, I said, dad, now it's the drive to 65. He almost smacked me in the mouth and I probably deserved that. But I would like to have that moment, that bonding moment where the Rangers win a Stanley Cup and we're both like fat kids in a candy store. How old were you when they won in 94? I was in my mother's tummy. Okay. Wow.

I was born in August. Man, I was kicking when Matto scored the goal. Matto, Matto, Matto. That was a great moment. Yeah. That was the last moment. I remember like really just being a late over a championship. That was fun. And then what was the other part of that question? What the most dejected I get?

No, no. Just like which team gets you the most, like, are you the most passionate about that? You get the most up or the most down when they win and lose. Like the Mets, I'm just, I'm numb to it because I know that they're going to find the way to mess it up one way or another. But when they win that championship, that is going to be as sweet as sweet could be.

I will probably be in like an adult diaper or something like that and probably won't even be able to recognize it. Now here's a question. The Patriots have the second pick overall, right? Third, third, third pick.

I'm sorry. They may move up to, you know, to maybe draft one of the top two quarterbacks. If not, it's possible that a guy like Michael Pennix could be there or could be available and they might be interested after what you saw last night. Are you more or less interested in having Michael Pennix as your quarterback? So I'm not going to say that Michael Pennix Jr's draft stock was impacted by last night, but I think he's going to be the fourth quarterback off the board in the NFL draft. Caleb Williams will go before him.

Drake May will go before him and Jayden Daniels out of LSU will go before him as well. But that's not a bad thing for Michael Pennix Jr. Like I was looking at Ryan Wilson's latest mock draft after the game last night, he had Caleb Williams going one, the commanders trading up, then Marvin Harrison Jr. going two to the Bears. Then he had Drake May going to the Pats three and then the next quarterback to go was Jayden Daniels to the Giants six. I think that's right that three quarterbacks will go in the top five in the top six. But then he only had Michael Pennix Jr. falling to eight and the team he had him fall to was the Atlanta Falcons. And he even says that could be a little bit too early and maybe he's a little bit too high on Michael Pennix because his prospect ranking overall is 21, quarterback ranking he's fourth. So I think that'd be a good landing spot because you have weapons there like Drake London, Tyler Algier, obviously Bijan Robinson. But like a team like Minnesota, Pennix falls out of the top 10 and he could go there at 11. That would be another good destination or even Stu's team, the Raiders at 13. I don't know if Josh Jacobs will be back, but as long as Antonio Pierce is still the head coach, you will have Devante Adams in a silver and black uniform. So I don't think it's the worst thing in the world when you're a quarterback to fall down the draft board.

It may suck in the moment. You may feel like the world's ending in the moment, but you could end up going to a better team that has a lot more talent. And a lot of times where the quarterback goes is huge and either succeeding or ending up failing because of who the coach is.

And do you have enough around you to not ruin you in the first few years of your career? I was disappointed with Pennix play last night because I didn't think he was gonna play that bad. I thought he was going to drop off from the Texas game, but I think that a lot of it was you see quarterbacks get rattled when they get hit so much.

And clearly he was dealing with an injury with the ankle, but also when him and his wide receivers in the biggest game of the year just weren't on the same page. All right, this is that Gelb show on CBS Sports Radio. We will take a time out. When we come on back, the LA Rams, they are the hottest team maybe in the NFL. They won seven out of the last eight games, and they are off to the post season. They're going up against the Detroit Lions.

We all know this game is going to be marketed. Matthew Stafford going back to Detroit. Rams, Lions, big showdown this upcoming weekend. It's the game that I'm most excited for on Wildcard weekend or the NFL wants me to say Super Wildcard weekend and their rookie offensive lineman is Steve Avila, and he's going to join us.

We return in five minutes. The Rams are back in the playoffs, and we can't wait for this one coming up this weekend. Matthew Stafford of the Rams going back home against the Detroit Lions.

My favorite matchup for Wildcard weekend and now joining us. This man's having a dominant and I mean a dominant rookie season. He's Steve Avila, who's kind enough to join us.

Rookie offensive lineman for the LA Rams was picked in the second round of this past NFL draft, and he's kind enough to join us on a busy week for him on CBS Sports Radio. Steve, appreciate the time. Congratulations on all your success and how you been? I've been doing good, man. Thanks for having me.

Well, thanks so much for coming on. So let me first start you off when you got the phone call and you get drafted early on in the second round by the Rams. What was your first thought when you found that L.A. was going to be your new home?

Oh, man, that process was was crazy. Just I mean, there's a lot of not knowing, you know, where you're going to be at. But I mean, you know, I remember getting a call from Thousand Oaks and my first thought was like, what?

Where the hell is Thousand Oaks? But that is California. And, you know, I can't really complain. I mean, there's a lot of history back here.

You know, you know, obviously came off a Super Bowl run or they won the Super Bowl a couple of years ago. But it's exciting, man. It's a fun place to be. There's a lot of good people, a lot of great people on the team. I'm excited to be here. Obviously, you're going to be confident in your abilities.

You know what you're capable of. But sometimes it just doesn't translate well when you go from college to the NFL. How is this transition from the way that it looks from the outside looking in just been such an easy one for you? Yeah, I mean, one thing that I've always prided myself in is just taking in as much coaching as I can, whether it's from the coaches, from the players, from people's experiences. And I felt like I've asked the right questions and I feel like I've done the right things to make this transition as smooth as possible.

I'm not going to say that it wasn't hard because it kind of was. I mean, coming in, I mean, you have just such big expectations. You don't want to let people down. You don't let yourself down.

But at the end of the day, I mean, you do what you got to do. And you know, things are going to turn out. And I felt like they just panned out the way they're supposed to be this year. So two months ago, it looked like this team wasn't going to make the playoffs.

And now you guys are the hottest team in the NFL, winning seven out of your last eight games. How do you explain what you guys have been able to accomplish over the last eight games? Yeah, I mean, it's a game of inches. You know, that's really what it comes down to. A lot of the games we lost were close.

But I mean, you know, the next day we'd go into practice and we'd fix the things that we needed to fix. McVeigh definitely prides, you know, us and prides himself and being able to be mentally tough and, you know, go through things you need to go through to get to where you need to be. And I feel like we've just done that. We've had the mindset of winners. You know, we are a younger team, but we didn't let that stop us. And I feel like a lot of the things that we've done, you know, just proves that. Before your time, Todd Gurley used to have such a successful career.

But as greatest success that he had, it ended very quickly. And that's the unfortunate part of the NFL. Ever since then, L.A. has been trying to find their consistent running back. And Kyron Williams has now taken that baton this year and is making a big time statement. And he's been a big part of your success down the end of the season, down the home stretch of the season. You know him so well, blocking for him each and every week. Just what have you been seeing from your teammate that's been able to make him have this success in the final two months of the year?

Oh, I mean, as cliche as it might sound, man, the mindset, you know, you just have to have that mindset of, you know, I'm going to go and get it. And that's just definitely who he is. You know, even as a person, he definitely is a little is a burst of energy. As soon as he gets on the field, he brings the energy when we get in the huddle. And that's definitely encouraging, you know, being an offensive lineman. So, you know, I know he I knew he was he was always a good player.

I mean, when I first got here, I think he was at RB two. But I mean, you know, everything's panned out. And, you know, he's doing what he's doing. And I'm excited, you know, to be blocking for him. You have so many different people in a locker room, Steve Avila, who joins us right now. And what makes this Rams team so unique is you have guys that are accomplished, like right at the top of their craft in a Cooper Cup. You have Aaron Donald is one of the greatest defensive players of all time, Matthew Stafford, who's finally getting his respect in the league after winning a Super Bowl. But then you guys got some youngsters like yourself, like Kyron, and then Pooka Naku has been one of the best stories in the NFL this year. Just how about the dynamic and the team chemistry in the locker room right now that's brewing in LA?

Yeah, I mean, it's just it's high. I mean, I feel like it's always been like that, even when we were three and six. It's always there's not been a disconnect in the locker room ever. And that's just one thing, you know, you got to give props to with, you know, the staff here is just picking the players.

I've said this before, but you know, they've picked really good players, but they've all also picked really good men. And, you know, it's fun being around the locker room, you know, people encourage each other, people always try to pick each other up. And that's definitely why I feel like we're making a good run at this thing. You know how tough it is, and you're going through it right now, and you're excelling as a rookie in this league to see what Pooka Naku is doing right now. If it wasn't for CJ Stroud, I think any other year this guy would have been the offensive rookie of the year in the NFL.

For sure. I mean, coming when we went into camp, you know, again, he was he was making plays like that. And there's kind of like a little, you know, thing going around is like, Who is this?

You know what I mean? But I mean, I knew I've had talks with him. And he's always had that thought of, you know, I'm the best receiver there is.

And that's definitely, you know, what it took and what it takes. And you know, he's having an amazing season. That's one of my guys, man. And I'm just so happy for him. We know the rookie records that he set this year. And you know what you're doing on a football field as well as a rookie. When you have this much early success, you do start to wonder, well, what's the next level that you guys could take it to us some youngsters? That's got to be fun to think about.

Definitely. I mean, we drafted a lot of rookies. And I know that all of us can contribute. And it was very much expected of us, you know, as soon as we got drafted, you know, because just how young we were going to be. And I'm really excited for the future. I do feel like the Rams are going to have a really bright future. We definitely encourage each other.

We know it needs to be done. And you know, that's just the culture that's set around here. You walking into that locker room, it probably can be intimidating. You know, I know it's a job, but when you have Aaron Donald on the defense and Matthew Stafford on the offense, those are some pretty legendary names.

What impressed you the most so far being on the offensive side of the ball with your quarterback and Matthew Stafford? Yeah, man. He's just so locked in. He knows so much. And it's almost like mind blowing. And like, I remember thinking like, I wouldn't want anybody else, you know, back there because he just knows so much about the game that he can improvise and he knows what's coming and when it's coming.

And I just, I wouldn't expect that from someone who's younger. He's played so much ball, you know, I'm just so thankful, you know, that he's back there. So yeah. Now, I know people will say that this is just another game, but it's not right. It's a playoff game.

And then also for him, he's going back to a place that he called home for all those years. Just what has Stafford been like this weekend? I don't think you need extra motivation, but is there some extra motivation knowing what this game could probably mean personally for your quarterback? I mean, not so much geared towards that. It's so much more just geared towards, you know, winning the game. I mean, we have a story in itself of not people not having high expectations for us.

And we came in and made the playoffs. I know this is going to be, you know, a big game from him, you know, going back home to Detroit, but at the end of the day, you know, we're going to have that mindset of just going in and winning. You know, you can't really just think about a lot of that stuff when you're on the field. It's going to be a fun one to be a part of. It's going to be a fun one.

I'm sure to watch for you. But you know, at the end of the day, we're all just trying to win this game. I don't know if you guys needed more confidence because you guys have won seven out of your last eight games, but I want to ask you Steve Avila about the Ravens game, because that was a back and forth game. And even though you guys lost in overtime with the punt return, I think that was a game where people started to say, okay, the Rams didn't win that game, but they just went toe to toe with one of the best teams in the league. Did you guys feel like you gained a little confidence, even though you lost that game as bizarre as that seems to the Baltimore Ravens? I mean, yeah, but I feel like if you go back and look at our other games, that's a lot of what happened this year. Again, like I said, it's a game of inches. I mean, that second week against the 49ers, I know we stuck in there for quite a while and it came down to just a few plays.

What else? The Eagles. The Eagles came down to a few plays and I just feel like that's just a testament to what we can bring to the table. And I'm really confident after winning this last game and just our past experience about making a good run at Superbowl.

All right. When you walk in that locker room and you see Aaron Donald, you being an offensive lineman and no one who Aaron Donald is, what was your first conversation like with Aaron Donald just wondering? Oh man, it's not much talking. I'll tell you that it's a lot of people don't understand, man.

Like you grow up watching these people. I saw him on TV all the time and he's just the staple of what a defensive lineman is. I think I brought this up before, but I remember me and a couple of my buddies in college would be like, you know, how many times do you think you could block them in our head? Maybe like three out of 10 times, like blah, blah. And I went back to tell them that it would be zero because just, he's just so good at what he does. You know, he's definitely gave me a few pointers when we're on the field. You know, I'm learning going against him and that's all you can ask for, you know, it's the best of the best. And it's just such a blessing, you know, going against someone like that at practice. Yeah. And I would have to imagine when you go up against the standard in practice, it makes the game. I know you go up against great defensive players each and every week, but it makes it probably a little bit easier, right?

Yeah, for sure. I mean, mentally, it does. I mean, that's the best. I feel like that's the best you're going to see with Aaron Donald. And you know, it usually takes a couple of snaps, you know, for it in a game to see how someone's going to play it. And then in my head, I'm usually like, and Donald's better than this guy. That's usually how I carry myself. And I'm not taken away from anything because everybody is an amazing player.

But at the end of the day, you know, I see the best at practice. Do you feel like you guys have gotten the respect that you deserve? Because, you know, obviously everyone's going to talk about the 49ers going to the Super Bowl. But if the 49ers don't get to the Super Bowl this year, I think you guys can be right there in the NFC, especially with you guys playing your better football here and your best football in the final two months of the season.

Yeah, for sure. I mean, I feel like we still have a lot left to prove. I feel like there's a lot, you know, people are saying about how look, you know, plays a role and how we got to what we got.

But you know, I just from on the inside, man, it's truly hard work. It's truly just the dedication and people pouring their hearts into this game. And it's just such an exciting feeling to feel exciting to see, you know, people lock in and be that type of player they need to be to play playoff ball.

So this next game is definitely going to be amazing. You know, I look back at your team headed into this season. People wondered what Stafford and cup would be coming off injuries. There was all this retirement speculation with McVeigh and then also with Aaron Donald from those four guys in particular. Did you sense like a little extra something this year when all four of those guys were doubted heading into this season from afar? I mean, for sure. I mean, I feel like they knew how young we were going to be.

And they knew that, you know, the leaders that they are, they might need to, you know, show us around a little bit more. But at the end of the day, I feel like a lot of what they were doing was leading by example. For, for example, Kobe Turner, who's been under Aaron Donald's wing the whole year. It's so nice to see how much he's improved from camp, because I go against him every day, too. But from camp to where he's at now and just seeing him, you know, tie the sack record, that's just, you know, the testament of having that role model in the locker room.

And that's definitely what those four guys bring. You've never played, obviously, an NFL playoff game before with this being your first go at it in the NFL. Can you take anything from the experience at TCU, especially with what you guys were able to do up against Michigan a year ago in that semifinal game?

Or is it totally different? Oh, man, I've, I don't think I'll know until after the game's over. But I will say, I mean, having all your having all the eyes on you in that national championship game, I feel like it would settle a little bit more nerves, you know, going into this game, you know, because I feel like I've been there before. And that game went as worse as you possibly could think. So, you know, hopefully we don't, you know, do anything worse than that, which I don't think will happen. It'll be a good game.

So yeah. Well, I love offensive lineman. I played a little bit in high school, but I wasn't good enough to do anything more than that.

So I always have a soft spot. What'd you play? I cover center, please. That's offensive here. And I was, I was a left tackle, you know, in my JV nine, I won the Comac High School offensive lineman of the year. Come on. Love that. Hey, let me know, man.

Let's go. Yeah, no, you know, you know, Matt rule wanted me to walk on the temple football team, but I was too busy being a part of a fraternity drinking and having fun and just announcing the football games. But what I was going to say with the offensive line for you, you know how it is.

No one really gives you credit. They only talk about you when you have a penalty or Matthew Stafford gets hit. What do you want people to know about you individually and the type of player that you are for the Rams? Oh man, my mindset going into this year was that I didn't want to, and you can probably find this up in an interview, but I did not want to be a rookie. Like that's the last thing that I didn't want to make a rookie mistake. I didn't want to look at a rookie. I didn't want to look like a rookie. I didn't want to be scouted as, as a rookie, like, Hey, we got to attack this guy. And I just want people, you know, when I'm playing to see that, you know, this guy looks like he's been playing for years in the NFL.

So last thing I'll ask you just wondering, cause right. A lot of people grow up. They said they want to be a professional athlete. When did you realize that you had something from a talent wise that was a little extra special where this is not only a dream, but it could be a reality for you. Man, it was a while. I mean, I didn't even, I couldn't have not even thought like when I was the kid, football was just something I did.

And I feel like that changed as soon as I got my first offer, which I remember getting it. And I was like, what the, but UNT had offered me and I was like, wow. Like I guess I'm really am good. But one thing that definitely got me to that place was that I was just doing what I could and doing what I like.

What's how can I say? I was trying to maximize, you know, my time in high school. I was maximizing my time at practice. I was maximizing my time in the weight room and I feel like all of that, you know, unfolded into that, that first offer. So, and I could possibly say the same thing about the NFL, man, in college, you know, I was just, I had my head down and I kept working. I didn't really worry about being in the NFL and you know, my last two seasons, you know, that's when I really started getting looked at and that was a really encouraging feeling.

And I was like, Hey, maybe I can do this for a living. And here we are. Absolutely love that answer. Well, Hey, continue to success. Good luck and enjoy this upcoming weekend. And we appreciate you joining us for a few minutes. Appreciate you, man.

Thank you so much. We'll see y'all. You got it. There is Steve Avila from the LA Rams rookie offensive lineman stud rookie offensive lineman Rams lions from a talk show host perspective. This is a dream matchup with the reunion this weekend, Stafford going back to Detroit, right?

Golf going up against his old team in the LA Rams. This is going to be a heavyweight fight this weekend. Alrighty, this is that Gelb show on CBS Sports Radio. We will take a time out. We'll come on back. We'll take you some of the biggest stories of the day with some audio with the news brief, but update time first. Here is the act man. Time for your daily news brief.

We get you caught up on the rumors, reports and reconnaissance from the day in sports. And this portion of the show is brought to you by Wesley Financial. Stuck in a timeshare and want out, contact Wesley Financial Group now and get a free timeshare.

Exit information can at wesleyfinancialgroup.com. Here is DJ Moore of the Chicago Bears. He was asked, did he speak to the front office about keeping Justin Fields as their quarterback? I did. And like I said, when it come out, whatever happens happens and maybe it's what I said they do or not. It's really not up. It's not up to me, but just to have a voice on it is pretty good. And they seem receptive to you. It wouldn't be receptive to me.

I just smile and everything. He also gave like a smirk there as if they assured him that Fields is going to be back. I don't know if he will be, but it's got to be a top five off season storyline. Like where's Belichick going to go if he gets fired? Will Harbaugh go back to the NFL? Where's Mike Vrabel's next landing spot with him getting fired today by Tennessee? And you also got to see, are the Bears going to trade the number one overall pick? That's definitely a top five storyline of this off season.

Here's Arthur Blank, the owner of the Falcons. Was it a mistake to not pursue Lamar Jackson this past year? Was it a mistake not to pursue Lamar Jackson? I don't think so.

I think that it's easy to say yes. You know, given his year, he's obviously an incredible player. We did not have a cap space. You know, we felt we had an answer in Ritter, a younger player without that kind of contract that would have kept us from actually building the team we wanted to build. That's not a good formula.

We want to be able to raise our own children and keep our own children as best we can. Ah, but you were willing to give up multiple draft picks and pay Deshaun Watson a bunch of money and then a year later you weren't willing to do so for Lamar Jackson. Hmm. I wonder what the reason is. Hmm. Let me think. Oh, yeah, that's because all the other owners didn't want to give Lamar Jackson a fully guaranteed deal.

Then make him an offer that wasn't fully guaranteed and bare minimum you'd have to see if the Ravens would match it or not and if they didn't all you'd have to give up was two first round picks. That's a bad answer by Arthur Blank. Here is Jerry Jones on one of his 9,000 interviews that he does with 105.3 The Fan with our guys Sean and RJ. Jerry Jones when asked about people saying he was non-committal about the future of Mike McCarthy as the head coach of the drama Dallas Choking Cowboys. I was a little surprised. I don't know how I could be any clearer coach McCarthy's under contract for next year.

And so that's not an issue. Secondly, I couldn't be more pleased with what he's done and how he's coached. So that's it and I'm so I've said I couldn't be more pleased with what he's done and I really mean it. He has he has really made a as big a difference from his head coaching vantage point as anybody could from any vantage point in the NFL. He's the big difference this year. You can agree and I think this way and you could think that Mike McCarthy's underappreciated as an NFL head coach, but you could be pleased now and let's say by the end of this weekend. I don't think they're going to lose the Packers.

You could then get annoyed and that could be enough for you to go from being pleased to them. Maybe making a change what we've learned about Jerry Jones not only week to week. It's day to day and you never know what he's going to say. Here is Kirk Cousins. He's going to be a free agent at the end of the year. What do you take a hometown discount to stay with the Minnesota Vikings? Another really good question and one I've thought about pretty much my whole 12 years is that question.

I do think it's important to be aware of. I think that God has blessed me financially beyond my wildest dreams. So at this stage in my career the dollars are really not what it's about. He's not going to play for free. We know that.

He's still going to get paid a nice salary, but if maybe taking five million less gets the Justin Jefferson deal done and then you could go get another player locked up and secured and done, I think that'd be a good approach by Kirk Cousins. Alrighty, let's get to the topic that I've been dreading. Here is Jimmy Kimmel on Aaron Rodgers' comments about him probably going to be winding up on the Epstein list. This was on the Jimmy Kimmel live show on ABC. When you hear a guy who won a Super Bowl and did all the State Farm commercials say something like this, a lot of people believe it. A lot of delusional people honestly believe I am meeting up with Tom Hanks and Oprah at Shakey's once a week to eat pizza and drink the blood of children. And I know this because I hear from these people often. My wife hears from them. My kids hear from them.

My poor mailman hears from these people. And now we're hearing from lots more of them thanks to Aaron Rodgers. The laughing is weird to me. Like I don't find Jimmy Kimmel funny, but this is like a pretty serious topic. And you know, I'm not saying Jimmy Kimmel was in the wrong here because Aaron Rodgers is in the wrong, but the force and the fake laughter just seems bizarre when you get into the tone of the whole issue about this. Well, he was trying to make light of it and make some jokes.

So I guess to try to keep it from being too serious. I didn't find anything funny if I'm just being honest. Well, I also cut it.

I mean, it was a nine minute rant, so I cut it in a way that maybe the laughter wasn't necessarily based off of what he just said. And here is a Kimmel doubling down and then ripping Aaron Rodgers on ABC. I spent years doing sports. I've seen guys like him before. Aaron Rodgers has a very high opinion of himself because he had success on the football field. He believes himself to be an extraordinary being. He genuinely thinks that because God gave him the ability to throw a ball, he's smarter than everyone else.

The idea that his brain is just average is unfathomable to him. He put on a magic helmet and that G made him a genius. Aaron got two A's on his report card. They were both in the word Aaron.

Aaron Rodgers is too arrogant to know how ignorant he is. Now, if there was ever going to be laughter, I think it's the two A's in his name. I thought that was pretty good. That's where I would use the fake laughter there. Well, first of all, it was real laughter.

It was just it sounds fake, though. But you can blame me. I cut it in a way that maybe the laughter was there when it wasn't. I'm not blaming you whatsoever.

I was just trying to find the best way to take eight minutes and condense it down into two small clips. We know Santhors on the Jimmy Kimmel side. I didn't need to hear the laughter, but and I don't blame you for being the Jimmy Kimmel side. Rogers in the wrong. So Rogers, right? Tune in.

We'll be the McAfee show tomorrow. Blah, blah, blah. He is defined about his beef with Jimmy Kimmel. I totally understand how serious an allegation of pedophilia would be. So for him to be upset about that, I get it. Did you watch the quote?

Because that's exactly what I said verbatim. What I said on the show. OK, I'm not stupid enough, even though you think I'm an idiot and you made a lot of comments about my intelligence, but I'm not stupid enough to accuse you of that with absolutely zero evidence, concrete evidence. That's ridiculous. I hope that you'll give the same type of energy to these heinous crimes when they do come out and the names do come out.

And there is an inquiry into it that you gave to other subjects that I actually mentioned that you spent a lot of time working on. So I'd like to put this to bed. It's funny because they have a personal beef, clearly, and now it's very public. And then you're getting into a serious topic like this and they're allowing their beef Rogers beef to then basically infer that Kimmel did something. It's just it's messy. It's ugly and it's a bad look for Aaron Rodgers. Here is Aaron Rodgers on people calling Kimmel a pedophile because of his comments.

That sucks. And I condemn that one hundred percent. Like, shut your mouth.

Any type of name calling us ridiculous. And I'm not calling him one. And neither should you. So it's not backing me up or making me feel good if you're doing that.

Let me make that crystal clear. I don't take any excitement. So don't do that in my name. Don't do that at all.

Like, those are serious accusations meant for people who are on the list. But I'm not calling him one. No one should. Don't do it in my name. Like, that's not cool. I'm not about that.

And I have no, you know, no love for anybody doing anything. I don't even like Kimmel, but I think Rogers comes off as an ass here. He really does. He comes off as an ass and he's just got to stop.

Like, I used to find those interviews with McAfee entertaining and I used to find them good. And I thought it humanized Aaron Rodgers. But the last few weeks, it's like enough.

It really is enough. And it's it's kind of get an embarrassing for Aaron Rodgers. I'm sure people will get in my mentions now and call me a snowflake and call me an idiot.

Call me a moron and a dope. But Rodgers thinks he looks good here, but he doesn't look good. The one thing I didn't hear in any of the comments and I didn't listen to the entire hour of Aaron Rodgers, but I didn't hear the word. I'm sorry, because he's not or apologize. I didn't hear any of that. Does that shock you? I wasn't expecting Rodgers to apologize. No, I really care if he did or he did him, but he's in the wrong here. But he'll keep on saying that his his quotes were taken out of context and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Just ridiculous. Well, Jim Harbaugh leave Michigan. We discuss next.