Kirk Cousins Could Lead Falcons to NFC Championship (Hour 1)

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You can find Primal Kitchen at Target, Walmart, or any of your local grocery stores, or you can save 20% off your entire online order with Coke Podcast at checkout on primalkitchen.com. Live from the play show, yet not overly ostentatious, studios of CBS Sports Radio here in beautiful New York City, sitting on top of the 10th floor of 345 Hudson Street, welcome on in to a Monday edition of the Zach Gelb show across all the great local CBS Sports Radio affiliates, Sirius XM, Channel 158, the free Odyssey app, and of course streaming live on YouTube, youtube.com slash CBS Sports Radio, 855-212-4CBS, number to jump on in, 855-212-4227, and you could always get at me on Instagram where I'm straight flexing or via the good old cesspool of Twitter, at Zach Gelb, that's Z-A-C-H-G-E-L-B. We got Evan Washburn, CBS Sports NFL reporter, he's going to stop by at the top of the hour at 4 p.m. Eastern, 1 p.m. Pacific, but the chaos has already started to go down because at noon Eastern time earlier today, the legal tampering window did open in the NFL and all these deals can become official on Wednesday at 4 p.m. Eastern when the new league year does start, but there are five pretty large size moves right out of the gate to kick off this basically new NFL season, the Russell Wilson domino did fall last night, veteran minimum going to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Kirk Cousins just breaking a few moments ago, a four-year, $180 million deal, $100 million is guaranteed per Adam Schefter, he is going to land to Falcons in the running back world, we have already seen movement with Saquon Barkley going down the turnpike as he's going to land in Philadelphia, it's a three-year, $37.5 million deal that could be worth up to $47 million, 26 of it will be fully guaranteed, we don't have the details of the Josh Jacobs deal just quite yet, but Aaron Jones is entering the final year of his contract now, Josh Jacobs will join him in that backfield along with Jordan Love as Josh Jacobs is going from the Raiders to the go pack go, and even though that probably puts Stu down in the dumps, Stu I do have some good news for you, Christian Wilkins, the big fella from Miami going from the Dolphins to the Raiders, going to team up next to Max Crosby, you'll see Max Crosby's numbers just go through the roof, even more so than where they currently at as they do land the interior defense of Lyman the Raiders that is in Christian Wilkins four years, $110 million is the contract, 84.75 is guaranteed, alrighty, let's start with the quarterbacks because they're the sexiest, so you do have Kirk Cousins landing in Atlanta, you do have Russell Wilson landing with the Steelers, I think the better move is the Atlanta Falcons getting Kirk Cousins, now there is a great separation and it further shows this from the level of quarterback play in the AFC, where there is a lot of depth to the NFC, where there is not much depth, and that factors into this conversation, because there is some concern about Kirk Cousins giving him all that money that they just did, and he turns 36 in August and he's coming off an Achilles injury, but you look at who is more likely to make the playoffs this year, there's no doubt about it, it's the Atlanta Falcons over the Pittsburgh Steelers, because just for starters, the Falcons getting Kirk Cousins, to me, makes them the team to beat in the NFC South, I look at the rest of that NFC South, it's not the Saints, I can never rely on Derek Carr, if you can't win that division last year, you're not going to win it this year, we know the Panthers are nowhere close to competing, and then you do get Baker Mayfield lending back in Tampa Bay, you do get Mike Evans lending back with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but I just think the Falcons are more attractive entering this season, and they were close to Tampa Bay last year, and they had the wrong coach in place in Arthur Smith, who was tagged as an offensive mind for what he did at Tennessee, but he had really good resources in Atlanta, and he just didn't use them the right way. Like I go back to last year with the Atlanta Falcons, they tried to make Desmond Ritter a franchise quarterback, where the entire league knew that at best, Desmond Ritter would be a game manager.

So that meant they took away carries from Bijan Robinson, they took away carries from Tyler Algier, they didn't use Kyle Pitts the right way. So now bringing in a new coach, who I understand Raheem Morris is a defensive minded coach and Zach Robinson's gonna be the OC, I think just for starters, bare minimum, that gets the Atlanta Falcons two more victories. Now you bring in Kirk Cousins, you go from a below average quarterback to say what you want about Kirk Cousins because he's very polarizing. Kirk Cousins bare minimum is a good quarterback in the NFL, and you put Kirk Cousins in this division, they should win this division. They should be a playoff team. Now the question becomes, what can their apex be? And I think if everything hits, the Atlanta Falcons in an NFC that there's a lot of questions about, they could be in an NFC title game this year.

I don't think that's crazy to say whatsoever at their absolute apex. You have a young defense and a young secondary that I think is criminally underrated. On offense, you have a good old line. You have Kyle Pitts, who I think is gonna go back to being your one Kyle Pitts under a new offensive mind. Then you look at that backfield, even if Kirk has some adjustment coming off the Achilles, you could hand the ball off to an explosive weapon in Bijan Robinson and Tyler Algier, which all he's done since being in the NFL for two seasons has exceeded expectations.

Then you have Drake London. That's a team to me that they kind of fit their quarterback, where they're a good team. I don't think anyone's gonna be sitting here saying, the Falcons are great, the Falcons are elite.

But in the NFC, good could get you a long ways, and it could go a long ways. Because in the AFC, look at what the Steelers just did. First and foremost, I applaud the Steelers. I said back in December, that was the first team I mentioned when you found out that Russell Wilson got benched. I said, Russell Wilson should be a Pittsburgh Steeler. Now I knew Russ and his camp wanted to go to Pittsburgh. What I didn't know and I was extremely skeptical about was, would the Steelers be interested? And would they show legitimate interest or would you just bring in Russell Wilson for a meeting to kind of send a message to Kenny Pickett and really try to wake Kenny Pickett up who you just used the first round draft pick on two drafts ago? Well, now we know that Russell Wilson's going to the Pittsburgh Steelers. And let's not beat around the bush here.

You can lock this up. As long as Russell Wilson is healthy, he will 1000, and I mean 1000% be their starting quarterback. I talked to a source last night to try to see what Russ was promised or what Russ was told going to the Pittsburgh Steelers. And that source told me that Russell Wilson is going to get the QB one reps. And Russell Wilson will be the starter come week one.

So Mike Tomlin could dress this up, that it's going to be a competition and give you all that football coaches speak that football coaches bulge junk. We all know Kenny Pickett's not starting week one, as long as Russell Wilson is healthy and Russ is a good quarterback still. He's not the Russell Wilson that we thought was going to be a Hall of Famer. He's not the Russell Wilson that looked like he was great in Seattle and was starting to garner MVP attention and consideration. Like the last two years, it has not been good.

You know, there's the hot take of the day. It has not been good for Russell Wilson with the Denver Broncos. Year one was a disaster. And I've never seen a quarterback fall that quickly from where his stock was, what the contract was that the team gave him, how many picks they gave up. And year number one was brutal.

But in year number two, he did win some people back. Now you're not going to get a Russ that is a great quarterback. You're not going to get a Russ that is a franchise quarterback.

But on a one year deal worth one point two million dollars, it's an absolute steal because just for starters, you in a huge way, drastically improve the quarterback room that you had last year. Like, it was so bad for Kenny Pickett at times last year with the Steelers that when Mason Rudolph looked confident at the end of the season and started to win games, people just all of a sudden forgot about Kenny Pickett. So Kenny Pickett is going to be a backup.

Kenny Pickett in all likelihood is not a starting quarterback in this league. And you bring in Russ that all he has to do is manage the game. You have a Russ now that kind of goes back to where he was in Seattle with the Steelers. The Steelers are defensive minded team first.

The Seahawks, when they won, they were defensive minded team first with the Legion of Boom. You have a Hall of Fame coach or a great coach like you had in Pete Carroll. And now what you have with Mike Tomlin. And on offense, you got two pretty solid wide receivers who now I don't think will kill one another anymore since they have a competent quarterback in the room.

And you have a run game that's solid with Najee Harris and then also Jalen Warren. But the problem with the Steelers and the problem with the AFC, there's too many great or very good quarterbacks. Like if Russell Wilson signed with the Falcons and it was Kirk Cousins signing with the Steelers, I still think Kirk is the better player entering 2024. But the better move would probably have been whoever signed with the Atlanta Falcons.

And that's what my answer is. Kirk signing with the Atlanta Falcons because there's an easier road to be a playoff team by winning that NFC South and then also being a contender, determining how legitimate you kind of look at the contending conversation in the NFC. But in the AFC right now, the two best teams by far and away are the Kansas City Chiefs and then the Cincinnati Bengals. So let's just look at that division with the Steelers for starters. The two best teams in that division right now entering the season on paper, it's the Bengals and then it's the Ravens and then the Browns and the Steelers, they could jump up to maybe the second best team in the AFC North. But they're fighting right now for the third and the fourth spot unless you have a Lamar Jackson injury or a Joe Burrow injury, which we've seen a bunch of those throughout the last few years. But in that pecking order right now, it's Bengals one in the AFC North, Ravens two and then I would probably still give the slight edge to the Cleveland Browns after getting Jerry Judy this past weekend for nothing over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

But it's splitting hairs there. So the road in the NFC South and the road in the NFC is easier in the AFC. And you look at who's the three best teams in the AFC compared to the three best teams in the NFC? Well in the AFC, it's the Kansas City Chiefs, it's Cincinnati Bengals, and then you have an open discussion for the third spot. In the NFC, it's San Francisco. I think you still have to give the edge to the Detroit Lions as a second team.

But after that, this thing is wide open. Like the Eagles, I have questions about them. The Cowboys, I have questions about them.

The Rams are a good team and I think they're getting disrespected. And you look inside the NFC North, you got to give consideration to the Green Bay Packers. But if I ask that question, who are the three best teams in the NFC compared to the three best teams in the AFC? The AFC will give you probably easier answers and quicker answers because the first two spots are without a doubt unquestioned. And I still think most people would still put the Buffalo Bills, even with all their changes, in a number three. But in the NFC, after the 49ers, you could probably give me whoever you want two and three. And I don't think it's far fetched to say that the Falcons on paper and taking advantage of that division could end up being the third best team come playoff time in the NFC. But Russ with the Steelers, I don't care what they do.

They will never be viewed as the third best team in the AFC. You have a lot of great young quarterbacks in the AFC. In the NFC, this thing is so wide open, like Jalen Hurts was the guy for a year, then took a step back. Dak Prescott, he's just considered a good quarterback.

You know, Jordan Love, up and coming. Jared Goff, very good, but no one will call him great. You know, Brock Purdy, he has his detractors, but you know Brock Purdy just got to a Super Bowl with the San Francisco 49ers.

Matthew Stafford getting up in age, but had a big redemption season. So there's such a disparity between the AFC and the NFC. And I look at these two moves where the Falcons, probably on paper, are not a better team than the Steelers, but it's not by much that the Steelers are that much better than the Atlanta Falcons.

But the better landing spot and the better move and the better team that's in position to succeed in the 2024 NFL season, yeah, it's Kirk Cousins with the Atlanta Falcons over Russell Wilson with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Because even at best, even if the Steelers really hum with Russell Wilson, where's the farthest they're going? Probably a wild card round. Like even if they win the division, which I don't think will happen, they're not getting a bye in the AFC. And the max I could see Russell Wilson, if everything goes right in Pittsburgh, the max I could see him doing in year one is winning a playoff game. In the NFC with Kirk Cousins, they should win the NFC South. They should win a home playoff game. I don't think it's that far fetched with a lot of uncertainty and a lot of moving pieces in the NFC to say that the Falcons will be in the divisional round and they could win that game and be playing in the NFC title game. But that's the farthest or the furthest I'm going to go with the Atlanta Falcons. Like neither of these teams are we sitting here saying, OK, Super Bowl, here we go with the Pittsburgh Steelers or a Super Bowl rise up with the dirty birds in Atlanta.

Like that's just not going to happen. So what's the better move? Russell Wilson going to the Pittsburgh Steelers or Kirk Cousins going to Atlanta Falcons?

855-212-4CBS, 855-212-4227. It is the Zach Gelb show on CBS Sports Radio. When we come on back, Saquon Barkley landing in Philadelphia, the Raiders losing Josh Jacobs, but signing Christian Wilkins.

How are we kind of viewing the Eagles, the Packers and the Raiders with day one of the legal tampering window underway in the NFL? Coming on back Zach Gelb show CBS Sports Radio. Yo, next round is about to start.

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Call 562-314-4603 for details. More running back news. We already know Tony Pollard is leaving the Cowboys to go to Tennessee. Josh Jacobs has said goodbye to Stuart Kovacs and said, don't let the door hit you where the good Lord split you as he's off to the Green Bay Packers.

And you have Saquon Barkley saying goodbye to the Giants and hello to the Eagles. If you recall the Packers last year, when you had the uncertainty regarding the contract situation with Jonathan Taylor before he inked that lucrative extension in the middle of the season with the Indianapolis Colts and you had the holdout and you had all the contentious relationship where Jim Irsay like brought him onto the RV, it was all weird. There was a time where it was reported that the Packers displayed some interest in getting Josh Jacobs. And that was a year ago in the fall or in Jonathan Taylor. And that was a year ago in the fall where people were like, whoa, you're trying to go get Jonathan Taylor when you already have Aaron Jones on the roster and A.J.

Dylan. It was like the running back market, though, is supposed to be decreasing and you're trying to go add basically two really good running backs and then another solid depth piece that you already had on the roster. Well, now a year later, things have changed because A.J. Dylan's a free agent and now you bring in Josh Jacobs. But that comes at the expense of the breaking news that we just found out momentarily moments ago is that the Green Bay Packers have failed to reach a restructure of a contract with Aaron Jones, who had one year one year left on his deal. And now Aaron Jones is going to hit free agency. So the Green Bay Packers have now said goodbye to Aaron Jones, according to Adam Schefter. I've reached an agreement today with free agent running back Josh Jacobs. The Packers inform running back Aaron Jones that he is being released per source. Jones now will be a free agent.

I don't know about you, Samter. I am surprised that of all the positions that the running back position from where the conversation has been the last two, three years has been this active today. Now, I have not seen the numbers yet on Josh Jacobs.

I've not seen the numbers yet on Tony Pollard, but we've seen the numbers on Saquon Barkley. And I think we could learn something with the numbers on Saquon Barkley, who gets a three year thirty seven and a half million dollar deal that could be worth up to forty six point seven five million dollars and twenty six fully guaranteed. Saquon Barkley actually made a smart approach here where a year ago he took the franchise tag and then it got renegotiated a little bit, but he basically got his ten, eleven million dollars, twelve million dollars for one season.

And then the following year, he basically deferred that and waited and he was available. The Eagles wanted him. And this Eagles deal is fair for both sides because I don't care what the total money is like the hey, it could be worth up to forty six point seven five.

And right now it's three for thirty seven and a half. The fully guaranteed is the big number. And that's at twenty six million dollars. And that was kind of right in the ballpark, anywhere from twenty two to twenty eight last year that we were talking about, what would have had to got done and what would have had to have been given for the Giants to get a deal done with Saquon Barkley last offseason. So maybe this is the start of the approach from other running backs. Like, yes, if you could get Jonathan Taylor money, if you get Christian McCaffrey money and things like that, you take that money or Nick Chubb money, you take that when you could get it. But if the market's really not that much in your favor and you've reached the end of your contract, it's not the worst thing for a running back to go cash in for a year on a franchise tag. And maybe you could sweeten it with some incentives and you get a little bit more than what the franchise tag was.

And then the next year you just wait to pretty much get what you would have got the year before anyway. So I kind of like the approach by Saquon and in this process, too. And I have a lot of respect for the Giants.

I like Joe Shane. But since they couldn't get the deal done, I just read a report during a break. The Giants didn't get a chance to make an offer.

Now, you could say you had enough time to go make an offer if you wanted to. But I don't blame Saquon whatsoever in the way that he played this. And I actually think he played it masterfully because he got the money last year.

Then he gets his fully guarantee that he probably got last year, just a year later after making what, an additional 10 or 12 million dollars. And then boom, you stick it to the Giants in the process by going down the turnpike to Philadelphia and say what you want about the uncertainties and the ambiguity regarding the future of Philadelphia. But the Eagles right now are on that short list of teams in the NFC that you consider a Super Bowl contender. And now you get to play with Jalen Hurts upgrade over Daniel Jones. There's upgrades at the wide receiver position on that roster easily.

AJ Brown, Devante Smith both would easily be the number one wide receiver for the New York Giants. And then even without Jason Kelce, that Eagles offensive line is still 10 times better than what the Giants have to offer. And you have an offense that has done a spectacular job running the football. And now you add Saquon Barkley and you line him up in the red zone next to Jalen Hurts with Dallas Goddard as a tight end. And the other weapons that we mentioned, you have fun trying to stop that Eagles offense as long as everybody could stay healthy.

And that's the big thing. Saquon needs to stay healthy, but the Eagles improve their team today. I know we saw DeAndre Swift land in Chicago. He was a good one year player gets to go back home, played for the Eagles, and now he's off to Chicago and he got some money. But the Eagles today have improved their team. And this is the first time really since the season ended that there's been something positive with the Philadelphia Eagles.

So Santa, I commend Saquon with what he's done. And not only that, I'm surprised how many running backs are off the board. And I think it's running backs just kind of being more understanding of what the market is for them now and being fairer with after basically seeing the last two years, them get shut out for the most part as a, as a unit, as a whole to see this many running backs going right now without knowing the details of all these deals.

I think the running backs now have a better understanding, a more realistic with their place and where it is in the sport right now. I agree. I think honestly this, this feels more exception than rule though. This doesn't feel like this is going to happen. You think it's a fad?

I think it's not even a fad. I think this is just specific to this year because there are like six or seven legitimate pro bowl, all pro quality running backs available all at once. Derek Henry, Josh Jacobs. Now we have Aaron Jones, Tony Pollard, Saquon Barkley. You got guy after guy, yeah, I said Derek Henry. There's so many guys who are available, right? Austin Eckler is like the worst of them. And Austin Eckler was a pro bowl, all pro caliber guy just two years ago.

It's not a wear and tear in that body. A hundred percent. So I think that this feels a little bit different just because we've seen so many guys that are out there, but it is going to be interesting. It's going to be very interesting to see if they can parlay this into real money or this is just kind of like a one year thing because there's like six or seven guys out there all at once. And you know, I guess if the NFL colluded and just were like, we're just going to keep the market down, then so be it.

At the end of the day, if you have like eight guys out there, supply and demand, there's just going to be a lot of teams going after a lot of guys. So you have Tony Pollard landing in Tennessee. You have DeAndre Swift landing in Chicago. Saquon is off the board going to the Eagles and the Raiders lose Josh Jacobs and he goes to the Green Bay Packers. So now the right, the three big names remaining, Aaron Jones is because of the Jacobs deal becomes a free agent. He's released by the Packers. You have Derrick Henry, who's still on the board.

And Samter just mentioned Austin Eckler out of those three guys. Who do you think is most likely to land with the Baltimore Ravens? Because we just saw Jalen Hurts right as a mobile quarterback gets Saquon Barkley. Lamar Jackson just had his second MVP season, but that team did jack in the playoffs. They won one game.

They played one good half against the Texans, and then they failed to show up as an offense at home up against the Kansas City Chiefs. Out of those three running backs, Jones, Henry, Eckler, who winds up with the Baltimore Ravens, I'm going to stick with the prediction I made last week that it is Derrick Henry, but you could argue from a fit perspective, it may be better that Aaron Jones actually winds up with the Baltimore Ravens. I think Eckler feels like the best option there.

Like that's a RPO offense. I love Derrick Henry, but he's not an RPO kind of guy necessarily, right? You need a guy who can run on the edges, up the middle, catch the ball out of the backfield. He has to be a multiple threat. And I think the best of the multiple threats there is Eckler. Aaron Jones is great also.

He could probably work there too. But there's guys like Gus Edwards is one of those same guys who could just like hand the ball off, go up the gut and make a, you know, get a, get a few yards. But here's the problem with the Ravens. The Ravens have to stop settling. I feel like the Ravens are the one team that they go, okay, we have Lamar Jackson. We'll be fine. You know, I know that they've tried in the previous years to go get a number one receiver in the draft. It hasn't worked out with Rashad Bateman.

I was encouraged year one with safe flowers. You know, Mark Andrews is a special tight end that I know he got hurt and then came back. I think you got to go get a little bit more firepower and not wait to bring in someone like Odell Beckham years after he's passed his prime.

Like I would go get a little more firepower and ready to go firepower right now. And my one concern and you know me, I love Austin Eckler comes on the show a bunch. I just know how much good football he has left. Like I was alarmed with what we got to see from Austin Eckler this past year where you did see a rapid decline. Now they didn't treat him well contractually. The situation, the coaching staff was a mess with the chargers anyway. I still know what Derrick Henry could be, may not be a great fit, but I think you find the way to make it work with Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry.

But if it came down to Aaron Jones or Austin Eckler, I just think Aaron Jones has more football left in the tank and we've seen it more recently in his situation this past year in Green Bay compared to what Austin Eckler did with the Los Angeles Chargers. By the way, the Tony Pollard contract expected to be three years, $24 million, eight five five two one two four CBS eight five five two one two forty two twenty seven. Let's go to Braden in Georgia. First up on the Zach Gelb show on CBS Sports Radio, Braden, what's happening? Go ahead, Braden.

Hi. So, yeah, so I think the Kirk Cousins deal is very good. I don't think Justin Fields would have been more worth it because that's what people are saying down here in Atlanta on ninety two nine. So I think they were just going to quarterback away.

So I do predict the Falcons to win the division this year. And I don't I don't see Russell Wilson doing that great in Pittsburgh just because of the offensive line around him and like pick it. And those quarterbacks have struggled. And on the running back core, yeah, it's running backs these days are just like a rinse and repeat kind of thing like like like they people say they were recycled so much. And the Chargers, I do believe Jim Harbaugh wanted Jacobs and Barkley. So he needs to get he needs to tell whoever.

Well, Braden, thanks for the phone call. I get the point that you're making how running backs are by committee now. And if you look at the last decade of Super Bowl champions, it has been running back by committee with the Patriots, with the Eagles, with the Kansas City Chiefs. I never expected the Chargers to go big name hunting for a running back because that team has a lot of holes. That team is in a salary cap position right now that is not favorable.

And they have to trim so much of the fat as it is right now. So pretty much the way that I look at it is to go get a great running back and give money. I think it's an added luxury because there's been so many teams and the teams that win. And I'm not saying that you don't want to have like a great running back yet helps when you get a Christian McCaffrey. But the teams that win Super Bowls have done a great job in rotating two or three running backs and having those legs fresh. So I don't think you have to overpay at that position whatsoever. But then you have a team like the Eagles who their offense is pretty much set and you can make the finances work.

Yeah, I don't fault them whatsoever for landing a player like a Saquon Barkley. All right. It is Zach Gelb show on CBS Sports Radio. Come on back. Sam just got a few questions. I got a few answers. We do the segment every Monday and Friday. It's called onside offside update time.

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Baseball lives right here on the free Odyssey app. Zach Gilb shows CBS Sports Radio it's time to ask the pros where you the listener gets asked us a question brought to you by O'Reilly Auto Parts simply tweet your question at CBS Sports Radio at Zach Gilb using the hashtag ask the pros be listening later in the show we might answer your question think O'Reilly Auto Parts where your car care needs get guaranteed low prices and excellent customer service from the professional parts people at O'Reilly Auto Parts. I'll get to on-site off-site in just a second 855-212-4CBS 855-212-4227 let me take Tony and Toronto though quickly first Tony what's happening good afternoon. I'd like to talk about Russell Wilson what a mistake by Pittsburgh like you look at this what is their desire what do they want to do with a coach like Tomlin you know who's getting on in years hasn't won the Super Bowl in a long time do you think taking in Wilson you're gonna win a Super Bowl this year I don't think so so you know but are you gonna win one with Kenny Pickett I would say probably the same odds so therefore you did nothing the same odds I don't see how you could say it's the same odds well I feel so strongly this guy Wilson you've seen what he did in Seattle he caused a disturbance there he won a Super Bowl Denver no no I'm talking about don't go about pass pass way back let's talk about recent years he was a distraction there sure you're not wrong on that he was a distraction in Denver a lot of players talking to talk about him you know saying you know his own office his own entourage yeah that's not the time but a lot of players in Denver that like who cares what they say there's not a lot of good players in that roster to begin with well all I'm saying is this you know what they say go fish and cut dates or whatnot to the old adages if you really want to move on move on maybe you need to do a real cleaning and whatever it is Pittsburgh especially maybe even for respect for Coleman I guess that who's been a very good coach and you know he'd love to win another but Tony here's the thing I don't get how this is a mistake it's 1.2 million dollars for a starting quarterback in this league that's nothing no I understand even if he came and he paid Pittsburgh what I'm saying is you're not doing the fiduciary responsibility you have to the organization for the club for the fans to put on what you think will be a step forward or multiple steps forward like if they had signed cousins I'd say yes absolutely they got something that could potentially yeah we could maybe even make it to a championship game or something not with Russell Wilson no it is not a it's not an unfair take by you and I look at Russell Wilson I think at best they make the playoffs and win one playoff game with everything and I mean if everything goes right but it's clear that this is a past year for the Pittsburgh Steelers they're in a transition once again on the offensive side of the ball where they know they don't have their franchise quarterback you bring in Russ and I think that does improve the football team by how much that's a different conversation but this isn't breaking news to anyone the Steelers used to have this Super Bowl or bus standard we are long away from those days of the Pittsburgh Steelers we have not gone into a season in a while at least five plus years if not more than that I'm saying this the Pittsburgh Steelers are legitimate Super Bowl contender this another year we don't view them as a legitimate Super Bowl contender but I can't fault them for improving that quarterback room because it's clear Kenny Pickett isn't that dude let's go to on-site offside Stu hit it it's taking on the most polarizing issues in sports which side of the line of scrimmage will he end up on offside defense number 69 it's onsides offsides with Zach Gelb on CBS Sports Radio alrighty Sam so what do we got cooking today now to the Bengals place the franchise tag on T Higgins the star wider has reportedly requested a trade as the team has refused to sign a long-term deal with him onside offside the Bengals need to keep Higgins if they hope to win the Super Bowl for this season yes onside I would keep T Higgins for this year and then you try to explore life after that season you know he's not going to be there long term but I got Burrow coming back from the injury you have Jamar chase even if it could get a little ugly at times I would keep T Higgins but if not there's a bunch of teams that should be interested Green Bay Packers should be interested the Houston Texans should be interested New York Jets should be interested but right now Cincinnati do not trade and keep them for one more season so I say onsides the Bengals need to keep T Higgins if they hope to win a Super Bowl now Chris Jones signed a monster extension to stay with the Chiefs inking a five-year 158 million dollar contract with a hundred and one million guaranteed the deal makes Jones the highest paid defensive lineman per year and has the fourth most guaranteed money at signing of any defensive lineman onside offside Chris Jones is a top five defensive lineman in the entire NFL onsides and I'll go as far to say this as much as I love Aaron Donald and Aaron Donald's one of the greatest defensive players to ever lace him up and we know he's easily going to the Hall of Fame I'm not saying Chris Jones had a better career but right now Chris Jones is a better player than Aaron Donald Chris Jones is everything that you could ask and he comes up in the big clutch moments as well you remember the first Super Bowl the Chiefs won he knocked that ball down at the line of scrimmage that we know the pressure that he caused in this latest Super Bowl everything you want in a player from the production on the field to clutch moments and then also being a leader in that locker room Chris Jones is check check check so yes he's a top five defensive lineman in the NFL onsides now as expected the Eagles Fletcher Cox has announced his retirement during longtime teammate Jason Kelce in I guess you can call unemployment Cox was a six-time Pro Bowler but just once did he make an all-pro team onside offside Fletcher Cox is a Hall of Famer so interior defense alignment like this is so tough to evaluate because their stats all aren't always so gaudy he did have 70 career sacks and he's on the NFL 2010 all decade team and you look back from that Eagles team that won the Super Bowl for Hall of Famers when you think of that group Jason Kelce easily Lane Johnson easily and then it is probably Fletcher Cox I don't think he'll get in on the first or second or third try but he will eventually get in but it's kind of crazy when you look back from a Super Bowl championship team and the first three names that you think about to go to the Hall of Fame from that group are two offensive linemen and then a defensive lineman I think it will take a little time but yes for what I've seen in the NFL Fletcher Cox to me there was always respect you knew he's one of the better defensive linemen in the game at times underappreciated nationally but I do think he's a Hall of Famer onsides.

Now after tagging receiver Michael Pittman the coach gave their star wideout a three-year 71 million dollar deal with 46 million guaranteed he had 109 catches for 1,100 yards last year and is averaging 98 catches and 11 just under 1,100 yards the past three seasons so onside offside Michael Pittman is a true number one wideout so when I say a true number one wideout my definition is that you're a top 10 wide receiver in the league and then after that I think there's a conversation of are you a one or are you a two and I think there's a lot of guys that are in between a one and a two that you kind of deem one and a half guys I thought Michael Pittman Jr. out of USC should have been a first round pick he was not he did go in the second round I think so far with rotating cast of characters at the quarterback position the results for Pittman have been there but I still don't know if I view him as a top 10 wide receiver in the league so I think he's one of those one and a half guys like he to me is kind of like Christian Kirk with the Jacksonville Jaguars where you know you have a solid wide receiver you know you have a very good wide receiver but you need another piece in the wide receiving room to really get the best production out of that offense so I'm gonna say offside when you ask me is Michael Pittman Jr. a true number one wide receiver I found that interesting that there's only 10 guys and outside of that you're not number one wide receiver so only a third of the NFL teams have a number one wide out so like it there's a few guys that you could consider top 10 wide receivers that fall just short so if you want to say okay the number extends like 13 or 14 that's fine but am I shaking in my boots about Michael Pittman Jr. no and that's how I kind of view a number one wide receiver like the Patriots what they don't have a number one wide receiver on their team but just because you're first of the depth chart doesn't mean that you're a true bonafide number one wide receiver in the NFL I like Pittman he's good I just don't think he's great and that's what I kind of referred to for number one wide receivers great wide receivers now Jim Harbaugh took over a talented Chargers team that has underachieved with Brandon Staley but was also facing severe cap issues now reports here the team is shopping Joey Bosa Khalil Mack and star wideout Keenan Allen onside offside with all of these different potential changes on the roster you still expect Harbaugh to win at least seven games in 2024 yeah because he has the quarterback and then also Harbaugh just knows how to win everywhere he goes so if you're gonna set the bar of seven games next season and also it's gonna be a total culture shock in a positive way for that team yeah I think the Chargers will win at least seven games next year even with all the moves and I saw that Joey Bosa's mom was trying to get Joey Bosa to go to the Niners and team up with her other son so how about that but onside here you still expect Harbaugh to win at least seven games in 2024 now last night's SEC women's championship game between LSU and South Carolina ended in a wild brawl that saw six players get ejected now all six of those players including game talk Gamecock star Camila Cardozo will likely miss the first game of the NCAA tournament is that true because I saw that was first reported and they came back from the broadcast and they said only one of the players is going to be suspended so by rule if you're ejected for a fight you're automatically suspended for the next game including tournament games however they have to have a full report on who was ejected for what reason so if you were ejected for fighting it's an automatic one game suspension if you were ejected for other reasons leaving the bench this and that you might be able to escape by but as of right now all six of those players as we as we see it now will likely miss the first game in the NCAA tournament so onside offside suspending those six players for one tournament game is a reasonable punishment offside I like everyone likes to get up in arms about things I will not get up in arms about that small fight that occurred yesterday like that was a kerfuffle that was not like a brawl that was not like a melee I don't think anyone really needs to seriously be suspended and and cost them NCAA tournament games okay there we go that's onside offside this is that Gelb show on CBS Sports Radio Evan Washburn NFL on CBS is going to join us on the other side as this has been a free agency frenzy day I know it's technically the legal tampering window but you've had a lot of things come to fruition today as Kevin Bayard is signing a two-year deal this was from yesterday with the Bears we also do know that you have Kirk Cousins going to Atlanta four years a buck eighty one hundred guaranteed Russell Wilson vet minimum to the Pittsburgh Steelers Saquon Barkley on a three-year deal twenty six fully guaranteed to the Philadelphia Eagles Josh Jacobs to the Packers released is going to be Aaron Jones and then Christian Wilkins lands a behemoth contract four years a hundred and ten million dollars eighty four point seven five Tony Pollard going to Tennessee as well so we'll continue to keep you updated Evan Washburn will join us on the other side and the Cardinals just signed Sean Murphy funky old man winter here if I had it my way it would stay winter all year long short days spring is here which means it's the perfect time to get away in the Hyundai you've always got on the Hyundai Tucson. 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