Calvin Ridley Signs with Surprise Team (Hour 3)

Celebrate and save at Ashley's Anniversary Sale. With hot buys, your choice of colors starting at just $3.99. Ashley sleep mattresses starting at $2.50. Plus, receive a free adjustable base with select mattress purchases and shop top mattress brands like Stearns and Foster, Tempur-Pedic, Purple, and Beautyrest Black with 60 months special financing only at Ashley. Subject to credit approval, no minimum purchase required. Minimum monthly payment, down payment, tax and delivery may be required.

See store for details. Old Man Winter here. If I had it my way, it would stay winter all year long.

Short days, wind chill, black ice, and a good polar vortex, heaven. Wait, is it getting warm in here? Your cold snap is over Old Man Winter. Spring has arrived.

Spring. Spring is here, which means it's the perfect time to get away in the Hyundai you've always wanted. Visit the Hyundai Getaway Sales Event where you can get great deals on all of our award-winning Hyundai models like the tech-filled Tucson and Kona as well as the spacious Palisade.

Enjoy wherever you go with the peace of mind that comes with America's best warranty and three years or 36,000 miles of complimentary maintenance. But hurry in, these deals won't last. Add more joy to your journey at the Hyundai Getaway Sales Event. Now get 0% APR or up to 1500 bonus cash on the Hyundai Tucson. Now during the Hyundai Getaway Sales Event. Offers end soon.

Call 562-314-4603 for details. Your fever is high and the pressure to log in at work is too. But when you finally decide to take care of you, there's Instacart. Just because that one perfect coworker of yours is attending all meetings, camera on while she's sneezing, coughing, and aching, doesn't mean you have to do the same. Take it from us. Trying to stay on top of things will only get you further behind.

Instead, get everything from tissues and teas to cough suppressants and comforting soups delivered through Instacart in as fast as 30 minutes. If anyone needs anything, they can just redirect their questions to that one perfect coworker of yours. All righty, our number three of our radio program. It is the Zach Gelb Show, Coast to Coast on CBS Sports Radio. The new league year is an hour in. So all the reported deals that were happening on Monday and Tuesday are now sealed, signed, and delivered, and officially announced as of 4 p.m. Eastern. Still some big names that are out there as we gear up for the NFL Draft. And a lot of people are wondering where Justin Fields is going to land via trade, assuming that the Bears do take Caleb Williams, number one. And there is still a wide receiver, Calvin Ridley, who is available.

We're waiting to see what's going to happen on that front. But now joining us is Naeem Hines, who is now a member of the Cleveland Browns. And of course, Naeem is joining us today on behalf of Muscular Dystrophy Association for its iconic Shamrocks campaign for MDA Shamrocks donations of $35 or more. We'll get people a free t-shirt and people go to mda.shamrocks2024 for more information.

Make sure you give them a follow on social media at mda.org for more information on this campaign. Naeem Hines, first off, congratulations. Thanks so much for joining us. And how you been? Thanks, Zach.

Thanks for having me on the show. I've been well, had some ups and downs obviously these last seven or eight months. But I'm starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Had big news yesterday.

So things are trending up. rehab's going well and just working hard. Yeah, let me start you off with the health and then we'll get into the big decision to sign with Cleveland. Where you at from a health standpoint right now? I'm doing well.

Started running three or four weeks ago. So I should be on schedule to return before training camp or at training camp. And that's the goal. Want to go out there and get my feet wet before, you know, preseason starts and get my mind mental and the playbook down so I can be ready to go. I'm excited to be there. I'm excited for the opportunity. Really great team, really good quarterback.

And it's a playoff team. So I don't know what else I could be happier about than to have a playoff team want me in a team with Deshaun Watson as a quarterback and coach Kevin as a great play caller and coordinator. Yeah, had this whole process kind of go about. So you're obviously you're a free agent. Teams could start hitting up your agent at 12 on on Monday and it came together what it seems like rather quickly that you end up becoming a Cleveland Brown and now it's official today. So kind of take me behind the scenes of your free agency process. Yeah, so I got released last Monday.

My agent let me know the Friday before that I was being released on Monday. A little bit sad. You know, my time in Buffalo was short. I wish I was there a little bit longer.

I wish I got to play a little bit longer. But that's how the business goes. And nothing but good things to say about the bills and organization. And I'm thankful that they traded a draft pick and a player for me and gave me an opportunity. And then after that, four pop teams hit my agent up. Cleveland was, I believe, the first team to ask my agent how things look and if they could get me out there on Monday. So I was out there on Monday. A deal was offered on Monday and we figured out everything Tuesday and now it's official Wednesday. So it wasn't really that hard of a process. It felt a little bit like college, but I guess I didn't have to go on a recruiting tour, so to speak, because the first team that really reached out to me, I really liked.

They really wanted me and it seems like a perfect fit and I think I'll fit in perfectly there. And you look at this team, you know, they had a very successful season a year ago and they lost Nick Chubb because of injury. They lost to Sean Watson because of injury. You kind of look at this team and say, man, if everybody could get healthy, you start to wonder that how good they could be, especially with being a playoff team from a year ago with all those injuries.

Absolutely. You know, the Browns, I played against the Browns several times, always have had a great defense. Top five defense last year was the number one defense. So it's just on our side of the ball. We got to pick it up offensively. Got to stay healthy, Nick and to Sean.

Hopefully they're coming back myself as well and let's stay healthy so we can do something. It's a great division. You know, AFC North is one of the toughest, if not the best division at football. So we know what we have to do and we know if we can do well in that division, we know we're well off in the playoffs. So that's really the focus of getting healthy.

Ken Dorsey from the Bills, my former OC is there now. So he's going to add some wrinkles, get the pass game going too, I believe. And I think that we're trending in the right direction. We just got to catch up with defense. We got to be top five in offense. Naim Hines here with us at the Zach Gelb show on CBS Sports Radio, now a part of the Cleveland Browns signing with them the other day after getting released by the Buffalo Bills. The quarterback, Deshaun Watson, you know it and I know at this sport, nine times out of 10, coming off a big football Sunday, we're talking about quarterbacks on Monday. We haven't seen Deshaun be great since 2020. What do you think your new quarterback could still accomplish in this league? I mean, I think he can still play. He has a lot of ball left in him. He's young, coming off for shoulder surgery. So, I mean, I think he'll be just fine. I mean, in Indy, I unfortunately had to play against him four or five years, and I think he can return back to that form.

He was a top five elite quarterback then. I think he still has in him. I think, you know, his last year he had to figure out things and figure out plays. And I think, you know, with Dorsey coming in and, you know, him being another year in the system, I think he'll just grow from that. And I like to think he's going back to that form that I unfortunately saw a lot two times a year in Indy. There's a lot of talent on this team, man.

We talk about yourself. We talk about Nick Chubb. You have David Njoku still there, wide receiving standpoint. Amari Cooper's phenomenal.

They trade for Jerry Judy. Elijah Moore is still on this team. Man, there's a lot of talent on this offense. We know what the defense was. There's really no excuses for this offense not to be a top five unit this upcoming season.

Absolutely. The sky's the limit for this team. We have to just put together offensively. Like I said, the defense was really great last year. So it's really obvious there's a new guy, but not really going to be, say, a leader of the team, just really just making sure the offense goes. We know what the defense does, honestly, selfishly, as a punt returner. They were number one defense in the league last year, so that means a lot of people punted.

So great opportunity for myself. But as an offense, we've got to pick it up. Deshaun's going to get with us early, and we're going to get this playbook together, and we're going to start grinding.

And the climb starts now. It started as soon as the season's over, and now free agency's going, and the climb starts for me with the Browns, with everybody. Injuries are the nasty, unfortunate part of this game. You talked about how physically you're feeling well.

How about the mental side of it? How has this past season been for you, and how do you kind of get through this to make sure that we see a big-time return? It was the hardest year of my life, just going from missing five games in my entire life, and my first game in 2022, and first practice in five years in the NFL, just was tough, just not playing.

Seeing all my guys out there playing, wishing I could help, watching my team lose in the playoffs, thinking, geez, I could help them win. But honestly, I was in a dark place probably until November or December, but even maybe even a little bit of January. But things have gone around. I started running. I started seeing a light at the end of the tunnel. I got released. The Lord helped me find a team very quickly, and the rehab's going well. So from a mental standpoint, it was real rough, and I was real down. But honestly, the past month or so has been positive, and I'm starting to see the light of the tunnel. I know what can happen, and I know that I can do it to come back. There's a lot of changes happening in Buffalo, right?

You weren't the only one that was released. They're in a bad salary cap situation. What do you kind of think about that current Bills group that still remains? Because they've been a team, right? A few years ago, they got to an AFC championship, and then since then, they've kind of just been stuck in that divisional round. I mean, I think they're still going to be a great team. I mean, Josh Allen, one of the best in the business.

I mean, as long as you got him, you can figure it out. So I know that the Bills in the front office, they're going to figure out something in the draft and then figure it out. They're going to try to get guys in there. I'm almost positive they'll return to the team they were. They've been winning the division and doing all those things in the playoffs. I believe that they will continue to do that. Josh Allen's there.

James Cook is there. The defense will step up. They always have, so I know that they'll figure it out. Yeah, it's tough to win in this league, and we know Kansas City is this unstoppable force right now, where even when they don't play their best, they still found the way to win back-to-back championships. It's just as simple as it's Kansas City's world, and we're all living it, or do you kind of sense something else with Buffalo, why they haven't been able to take that next step? I honestly, just being in the NFL, when I got in there and Patrick Mahomes started, it's kind of just like when Tom Brady was there.

It's no secret in there, so you know you have to beat him. The people that have been in the playoffs have went to the Super Bowl, Joe Burrow and Tom Brady, so you know now that's the standard. You beat them in the playoffs, you know you got a good chance.

Any person who's not looking at it like that might see it differently, but that's the team that's been there. That's the team to beat, and we are fortunately and unfortunately on that same side, so we got tested earlier, but we know if you I see if you win, you can go to the Super Bowl, so that's how I see it. Naeem Hines here with us. Were you surprised, like there's a lot of running back movement. We knew these guys were going to be available, but with how disappointing, let me say the market's been the last few years for running backs.

Have you been surprised how quickly the running backs have been able to get their deals this offseason? No, the running backs are dying breed, but the game is also changing and it's a little bit different now because you know it doesn't matter what you say. You need a pass catcher. You need somebody there to check the ball down. Even we've seen guys who aren't known as pass catchers like Derek Henry. You've seen it when he's done the passing, catching screen, scoring 80 yards, so I think the position might be dying, but the game is evolving and guys like myself and honestly every running back is asked to catch the ball, so it doesn't matter if you're my size or 6'2", 220, you're gonna have to catch the ball in a passing game and on third down because you need to beat a security blanket for your quarterback. If this was five years ago and you knew what you knew the running back position was going to be, would you try to play another position?

What? No, I wish I was five years younger. Like when I was coming out, all the guys are bigger. You know the guy from Miami, he's my size.

I've seen in the past two or three years, I've seen the increase in scat backs selfishly, so I always feel like I'm a little bit before my time. It's been great to see a lot of guys and running backs my size come in the league making such an impact like Devin from Miami and I've seen a lot of guys, Kenneth Gainwell, a lot of scat backs, who are getting a lot of love now that I won't say that I felt in 2018, so I'm really happy for the position in that aspect. Now before we let Naeem Haim run a few more minutes with him, we'll talk about a few things that you're working with today just coming up in a second, but I know that you're focused on your own and your own team and everything like that and you had to go through this process as well, but when you see Derrick Henry, since you mentioned him land in Baltimore and you see Saquon Barkley land in Philadelphia, just how do you kind of process that because, man, with those quarterbacks and Hurts and Lamar Jackson, now you get a running back like that, I just don't know how defenses are going to stop them. Saquon, I know everybody in that division defensively is upset because they knew he was leaving and he stayed right in the NFC East.

I think that's going to be really good. He has the best offensive line. He's probably been around. They do really good schemes up there for him. They do really schemes in Philly, and I'm sure they're going to have great schemes for him, and as far as Derrick Henry, Lord, I'm tired of seeing him on the other side.

I thought I got away from him when I went to Buffalo. Derrick's a good guy, great player, even better person. He has Lamar, great quarterback. I mean, they're going to be hard. They're going to be tough to beat, and we got to see him twice a year, so we get to see and match up and see how we are in that playoff race. They're a playoff team.

They can disguise the limit for them, so it's going to be great to have that test early. Man, and the division you go to, I know you're happy you don't have to go up against Myles Garrett anymore and maybe get hit by him, but geez, with some of the defenders in this division, especially with TJ Watt in Pittsburgh, it's a tough division with a ton of defense. It's a hard nose conference. I can say that I respect the AFC North a lot.

Every time I played the Browns, the Bengals, every team in the division, you know it's the Ravens. It's a tough division. That Wednesday practice is a little bit different.

You got to hit a little bit. You know that there's probably going to be some junk talk in the game, so you just go ahead and you mentally get your mind ready to have a blue collar type of day, and it's a blue collar type of conference. I'm a blue collar type of player, and I'm excited for that opportunity to go out there and see what I can do. Tell me what you're doing today with Muscular Dystrophy Association. I know this is a cause that's near and dear to you. Well, my first stop, just I'm excited to go to Cleveland because everywhere I've been with the Muscular Dystrophy Association, I've been able to meet families, and that's how I really got started.

Just having a mother that has limb girdle muscular dystrophy and not really having a friend or families or know anybody like that, that's the one thing that's helped me with my partnership with the Muscular Dystrophy Association. This is my fourth year as a national spokesperson, and today I'm here to talk about the MDA Shamrocks. It's the nation's largest fundraiser campaign for St. Patrick's Day, and it's really simple. Basically, you go to participating retailers.

You can find that on mda.org, but any participating retailer, you will see Shamrock. You can round up to the nearest dollar or donate whatever you're willing to donate. If you donate more than $30 or $35 or more, you'll get a shirt like I have right here with even a scan on the back that you can donate to, but it's really that simple. You can just round up or donate whatever you're willing to, and to find out more about that, you go to mda.org slash shamrock 2024.

Well, it's a wonderful cause, and we really do appreciate you shining some light on it today. Before we let you run, what do you hope to accomplish this season? You talked about, obviously, the accident that occurred, the injury and how tough it was for you this past year, but now starting to get back onto a football field, knowing your next destination. What do you hope to accomplish individually as you get set for this upcoming season in the fall?

Honestly, I think the first thing is personal. I've taken time since my surgery. I'm working on getting my real estate license in two different states, taking classes in school, and lastly, just starting to work in the community. As soon as I get to Cleveland, I want to start meeting families from the MDA and just doing things around the community in that way and trying to be a positive impact on the field. I just want to, first off, get through the season unscathed and healthy, have an opportunity to prove to the league I'm healthy and do whatever happens after this one-year deal. After that, just getting my catches. I'd love to be in consideration for player of the year, but there's so many things I would like to do just to start me getting back and staying healthy and helping this team win.

I would love to win a division. If you don't mind me asking, because I remember when the story happened, it was a jet ski accident. What actually happened that led to the injury? Honestly, with some people, person wasn't paying attention. I stopped. They were right behind me. Long story short, it was like Final Destination. Honestly, I was riding in the wake zone, stopped. Somebody behind me wasn't paying attention, and I got hit. It was really just the story of it. Very unfortunate. I was on a jet ski for about three minutes getting gas.

I was actually on the way back to the dock, and that's when it happened. It's unfortunate, but I've learned from it. I know that I won't be on a jet ski or do anything like that until I retire.

I know what I was supposed to learn from it. I know that I won't put myself or my team in position to lose me for the season or for me to even go through this again. It's unfortunate, but hey, I think you're going to have a good season in Cleveland.

Excited to see what you guys are going to do with that team that is brewing. Appreciate the time today. Appreciate you informing us about the cause, and good luck and good health. Thank you so much. Thanks for having me on the show, Zach.

You got it. There he is, Nahim Hines, joining us on the Zach Geld show on CBS Sports Radio. You see how quickly that moves in the NFL circles. You're on the bills, then you get released with a bunch of the changes they make, and now he finds a new landing spot in Cleveland. And that's a player with a lot of potential going from Indianapolis to then Buffalo, what he could do in the return game, what he could do coming out of the backfield. And you hear him speak, and obviously you only want to root for a guy, especially with the unfortunate injury that did occur. I believe that was like right over the summer, right before the start of the season last year.

And you heard how tough it was on him personally. So wish him nothing but the best in Cleveland. Okay, it is Zach Geld show on CBS Sports Radio. We will take a break when we come on back.

Louisville has fired their head men's basketball coach once again. Who are some brands in college football, college basketball that used to be iconic that now are saying, are they ever going to get their act together again? We'll discuss. Celebrate and save at Ashley's anniversary sale with hot buys your choice of colors starting at just 399 Ashley sleep mattresses starting at 250 plus receive a free adjustable base with select mattress purchases and shop top mattress brands like Stearns and Foster temperpedic purple and Beautyrest black with 60 months special financing only at Ashley subject to credit approval.

No minimum purchase required minimum monthly payment down payment tax and delivery may be required C store for details. Listen up, I won't sugarcoat. This is the longest cold flu analogy season we've ever seen. But we're not alone. We've got instacart. Sure, you may be a coughing snot faucet who just wants mommy but you're not giving up. Not when cold medicine fragrant herbal teas and honey shaped like bears can be delivered through instacart in as fast as 30 minutes. Now let's go win the sick playoffs. Daddy, I just want my suit.

Oh, sorry. Sport app says it'll be here in a few minutes instacart for the win. Shall I take your order? Or do you need a minute?

Yes, I'll be ready. Just buying a car on Carvana. What? It's super convenient. I already got pre qualified in two minutes.

All I had to do was answer a few questions. What? That's handy. Yeah. Now I'm customizing my down and monthly payments. What? That's an exquisite deal. And just like that Carvana is delivering my car in a couple days. What? Oh, yeah.

Sorry, I'll have the burrito. Visit Carvana.com to finance your next car financing subject to credit approval delivery fees may apply. Get ahead of postage rate increases this year with stamps.com. It's like your own personal post office sign up with promo code program for a four week trial plus free postage and a free digital scale.

No long term commitments or contracts that stamps.com code program. Wow. We have breaking news. It is the Zach Gelb show on CBS Sports Radio. And it has to do let me see this correctly.

Yeah. With Calvin Ridley. Stu, hit the sounder.

We have breaking news on the Zach Gelb show. So remember we were told Calvin Ridley was basically deciding between going to New England or staying in Jacksonville. He ain't going to New England. And he's not staying in Jacksonville.

According to Ian Rappaport, the Tennessee Titans are signing Jaguar star wide receiver Calvin Ridley, completing their free agency with a splash rap sheet says it's a stunner. The 29 year old Ridley gets a four year contract. How much do we think it's worth, guys? Samter, four year deal.

How much do you think it's worth? Let's say 21 a year. Let's go four years. Forty four million.

No, no, I'm sorry. Four years. Eighty. Eighty four million.

That's good. Four years. Eighty four million. Twenty one a year. Four years.

My math is in my head. Multiplying four years. Eighty four million with, let's say, thirty five million guaranteed.

All righty. Stu, I'll go four years. Seventy five million. A little over four years. Ninety two million dollars.

Fifty million guaranteed on a contract negotiated by David Malghetta and Reza Hessman. Well, I mean, there's no doubt as to why he decided to go to the Titans, because they just signed in Rudolph from the Steelers. He wants to catch balls from Mr. Mason Rudolph. You know what? I'm not going to tolerate the level of disrespect that you display constantly, habitually to one Will Levis. Will Levis likes to eat bananas that have the peel on them. Will Levis likes to put mayo in his coffee.

And I think because of those grotesque food choices, you allow that to prevent you from giving Will Levis a fair shot. Will Levis was solid down the stretch. I remember like watching Amazon Prime and Richard Sherman was saying not that he's the judge, jury and executioner, but Richard Sherman was saying that they have a guy that looks like he could be a franchise quarterback. This move shows that I know that you're joking a little bit with Mason Rudolph.

I know he's signing there, but. A guy like Will Levis, they're they're telling you with this move that they believe in Will Levis or they're going to put him in a position to succeed, because we saw when the Dolphins had Tua, they're able to go get Tyree kill and they're able to go get Jalen Waddle. The Eagles with Jalen Hurts before he popped off, they got A.J. Brown and Devante Smith.

Josh Allen, before he really put it together, they got Staphon Diggs. The Jaguars losing Calvin Ridley to a divisional rival to Tennessee. This is Tennessee saying we are really going to find out if Will Levis is going to sink or if he's going to swim this offseason, you know, this upcoming season, because you bring in an offensive mind to coach in Callahan and now you go get him a number one weapon in Calvin Ridley.

And I'm not someone that usually likes to use the word overpay because it's not my money, so I don't care really how you spend it. But this is a fat contract. I was I was not anticipating Calvin Ridley to get a four year deal with ninety two million dollars in it, with 50 million fully guaranteed. So they're they're trying to to see if Will Levis is their guy or not. And this is a big time move by Tennessee. But man, four years, ninety two million dollars, that's a whole lot of cash. But it's worth it if you find your your quarterback because of this and Will Levis.

The only concern I would have is when you have a guy like DeAndre Hopkins and you have Calvin Ridley, I could be the quarterback of that team and throw for 4000 yards. All you have to do is all you have to do is throw the ball. And that's why as much as I want to like Will Levis, I've had him on my shows. He sang on a show with with us with Maggie and Pearl off a couple about a year and a half ago before the draft.

He's a he's a great guy. I think he's a good quarterback. But when you watch the games, he just when he was successful, he just threw the ball up to DeAndre Hopkins.

Yeah. One game where he touched them. And then he just caught everything because he's DeAndre freaking Hopkins and people wrote him off way too early and he just made plays. But when DeAndre Hopkins was getting doubled, Will Levis, he couldn't do anything else.

His entire offense was predicated on DeAndre Hopkins. So that's what concerns me is when you surround a mediocre quarterback with all pro talent like Hopkins and Ridley. Yeah, he's going to throw for yards. He's going to make plays. He's going to look good in that passing offense because who wouldn't?

What NFL quarterback would not look good with those two wide receivers at their disposal? So I worry that we're going to see kind of a false flag here with Will Levis that maybe he's going to look better than he really is. And the Titans are going to get caught in that no man's land because they're not going to be as good as his stats show that he is. I think it's way too premature either way, if I'm being honest, to have an actual evaluation about Will Levis as a quarterback.

Like I can't sit here and confidently say he is the guy, but I can't sit here and tell you that he isn't the guy. He gave you a few moments last year where you said, OK, better than expected, better than I thought. But you look at it now because you kind of forget that DeAndre Hopkins even on that team because it was a two year deal. But you have Hopkins now with Calvin Ridley and they also signed Tony Pollard too, who I think is a fine running back when it's a one to punch. They have Tajay Spears there.

So you have a nice little one to punch there. You're going to be able to get an evaluation on Will Levis this year. And that's the most important thing. And remember, it's not as if this was a first round pick. You got him in the second round. So if Will Levis isn't that dude, you can still survive as an organization, but you do have an older wide receiver in DeAndre Hopkins that, you know, Calvin Ridley's there for what, probably two years bare minimum when you guarantee someone 50 something million dollars.

But he is on a four year deal. You're assembling a roster that I don't think the Tennessee could be a playoff team this year, but they could be a scrappy first year team that could go win you seven or eight games. And they do that this year. That's a win with the first true year of of Will Levis starting.

And it's kind of crazy. Like look at Tennessee and then look at the team I root for in New England. Tennessee just brought in a brand new head coach. The New England this year just brought in a new head coach as well. Look at the talent on just the offensive side of the ball that they have in Tennessee already.

And look at the lack of talent that New England has. I respect Rand Carthon and I respect what Callahan's doing right now is they're not just waiting. They're not just being patient. They're not only going to just solely build through the draft, they're being super duper aggressive and they're going and getting established names. Even if you think they're a little bit older.

And if you have some questions about them, they are going out and getting established names already. And they're going to give their and they're going to give their quarterback a chance to succeed. Unlike my team that saw Mac Jones make the playoffs year one. And then after that, they never got him a number one wide receiver like at the Patriots that had DeAndre Hopkins. I would have been through the roof. They would had just Calvin Ridley.

I would have been through the roof because it's been the best wide receiver that they had there in quite some time. Now you got both of those guys on one team with Tony Pollard with another complimentary back. It's a nice job by Tennessee in a league where you got to get the quarterback. We'll still see if he's going to be the quarterback, but you could rebuild rather quickly in the NFL. And here's another thing. Tennessee sit in the draft at the seventh overall pick.

What happened? You could go now two directions. You could even go three here. You could maybe get at seven Malik neighbors.

You can maybe get at seven aroma dunes. I don't know if he'll be there at seven, but it's a possibility. Marvin Harrison Jr is probably going for to the Cardinals. You want to go get, I don't know if you need to do this at seven, but you want to go get a tight end. You know, maybe you go draft a Brock Bowers, but you can go get another playmaker skilled position player to add to this group with knowing that DeAndre Hopkins is probably only playing one more year there. Or you could beef up the offensive line at seven, seven or maybe that's where the first defensive player in the draft goes.

Because Chicago has taken Caleb Williams. Washington is going to most likely be selecting a quarterback. The Patriots are either probably going to trade back or take a quarterback. Arizona, I think has taken a wide receiver. Chargers probably go offensive. The giants probably go in quarterback.

Like Tennessee is a team that no one has talked about leading up to the draft, but they could now double down or triple down on putting their young quarterback who was a second round pick last year in a position to succeed. You already got Pollard. You already have Hopkins. You already now have Calver Ridley. You could now either go protect it up front or get another skill position player, or you go get a defensive player, whoever the best defensive player in this draft is.

There's a lot of flexibility there. And you're in a division where the Texans seem to be the team now. Jacksonville, I think they bounce back. The Colts, they've done a good job retaining Jonathan Taylor.

They've retained Michael Pittman Jr. We got to see Anthony Richardson healthy. This AFC South in a weird way has become intriguing. Like last year, this time we said the AFC South sucks. The AFC South miserable. The AFC South lifeless. Kind of looked at it like the NFC South. Wherever wins that division, that'll be the one playoff team. And you won't even think about the other teams. But all four of those teams now legitimately have interests. The Texans, you could make a case of Super Bowl expectations now, or a Super Bowl window with CJ Stroud, Will Anderson, Danielle Hunter.

That's phenomenal. And D'Amico Ryans. They changed that thing and turned that thing around in one offseason. You then look at Jacksonville.

Trevor Lawrence, you've got to think sort of bounce back. And even though you lost Calvin Ridley, you still have, you know, at the wide receiver spot, the guy that just brought in for Buffalo, Gabe Davis. And then you also have Christian Kirk. You still have Evan Ingram there. You got to fix that defense a little bit. But Josh Allen's still in the fold there on the franchise tag.

So you got pieces there. Then you see the Colts. The Colts were almost in the playoffs. And they would have just had John Taylor on the field at the end of the game. They could have made the playoffs. And they didn't even have their quarterback last year.

And now Tennessee is slowly putting together a team where no one's gonna say they're good, but they could be scrappy and they could build something with the names that they brought in on the offense side of the ball last season. So right now, knowing how good the Jaguars are supposed to be and how good we've seen the Texans become, and now with the Titans and now with the Colts, just very early preseason, offseason ranking of the AFC South teams. So one to four, who's going to win the division is what you're asking right now?

Yeah. Just who are the ranking them in order of who are the four best teams? Texans, Jaguars, Colts, Titans. Which is what it was before the signing, but it feels like the Titans are much closer to the Jaguars and the Colts now. Like I wouldn't be surprised if the Titans finished second in the division at this point.

Put it this way. If you would've asked me last week, do you think Tennessee is going to be good or bad? Last year, this upcoming year, I would say bad, probably say really bad. Now you see the way that this week plays out.

I could say they could be average. They could be maybe looking like they have the potential to be a good squad. Now, the other interesting part of this was the whole draft compensation for Ridley to the Falcons for the trade. When he went to Jacksonville in the first place, had he signed with Jacksonville before the four o'clock deadline today, a second round pick would have gone to the Falcons.

Now they don't. So the Jaguars had an incentive to not sign him before free agency started. Now, granted teams could tamper, but the Jaguars had an incentive to wait until after four o'clock today.

And it's possible. Maybe, I don't know what Calvin Ridley was thinking, but if the Jaguars didn't care about that extra round of draft pick, maybe they would have gone a little harder to sign Ridley and made sure that the deal was signed before the four o'clock deadline. They may have lost all the talk over the past couple of days was how this, the Jaguars waiting until after four o'clock today was driving the price up, driving the price up, driving the price up for a potential Ridley deal. He just got 23 million a year. Could they afford that? They just paid Christian Kirk not that long ago at the wide receiver position. They just gave Davis. Yeah, that's what I'm saying. Which is why had they signed him earlier weeks ago before the deadline today, had they signed him before like weeks and weeks ago and just say, hey, here's 1920, maybe Calvin Ridley takes it.

Maybe. But because they were waiting and all the other wide receivers were off the board and team that the Patriots and Titans were desperate, the money kept going up to the point where the Jaguars couldn't sign him anymore. But they could have agreed to a contract like wink, wink, hush, hush, and just wait until March 13. So we don't have to give you give up that pick.

I don't think the whole lot. I didn't think the pick really played that much of a factor into this. I think what it was, the way that I look at this, Jacksonville didn't give him a great offer. It was a fine offer, but probably not a great offer. New England gave him a sizable offer for whatever the reasons were.

He didn't want to go to New England. And it seems like just from the reporting of this with how much Rappaport said, this is a shocker, a stunner. It seems like Tennessee kind of came in at the 11th hour and just blew both New England and Jacksonville out of the water. And I respect Tennessee doing that. But that's exactly my point had the Jaguar said, all right, here's the deal for 19 or 20 million a year. And they did this two, three weeks ago around the tag deadline. Maybe they get the deal done, but because the Jaguars waited and waited and waited, because they were trying to not lose a second round pick that it allowed.

Yeah, but that's where my disconnect is. But my disconnect there is because once again, I don't think they would have ever gave this kind of offer and whatever they could offer, they probably did offer. And even if he was going to accept that, they would have just had him wait until this day. They would have had him wait. There's no way that they were going to give up that pick. And also, you could have agreed to the contract behind the scenes and then just wait until this happened to then make it official. No, but that's the thing is by waiting until this happened, you give a team like the Titans the opportunity to jump in. So that's why waiting until this moment was a terrible mistake for the Jaguars. But they didn't have those resources to give that offer where it automatically makes some signs. But they could have given it to him in 1819 and maybe he would have I don't know if they could have.

I don't know if they could have. I honestly don't talk is from all the NFL insiders was that it's a huge mistake for the Jaguars insiders. Did you see this from this was from I mean, I'm just I was reading this over the past on social media. You read on Deadspin or something like that? No, no, no. From like I'll have to go through and see exactly which guys were saying it.

I forget. But I was reading article after article, tweet after tweet about how the Jaguars are probably going to lose out on Calvin Ridley because the price is being negotiated. People didn't expect him to come back.

But because they were waiting, not because of any other reason. I don't think the speculation was that because the Jaguars are waiting, the price is going to continue going up to a point where the Jaguars can't match it anymore. And they're going to lose him had they just said, hey, here's 19 million a year, 20 million a year. Maybe they keep him three, four weeks ago.

But now they lost that opportunity and he's going to a rival. The Jaguars are in trouble. I will agree to disagree on this one. I don't think Calvin Ridley is my opinion. This is the opinion of people around the NFL last week.

That's fine. I think we're trying to use too much of our brains here. There's they could not have got if they would have been able to. Calver really wanted to stay there. He wanted to stay there, but they've already spent so much money on Christian Kirk. They then agreed to this deal with Gabe Davis. Once they agreed to that deal with Gabe Davis, they said we'd rather have Gabe Davis at his price compared to Calver Lee at whatever he wanted.

Now, here's the interesting thing that will determine it. What were the Gabe Davis numbers? I have not seen the Gabe Davis numbers, but what Gabe Davis signed for Koli Calvin really wasn't willing to sign for because they would have gave that money to Calvin Ridley. I would imagine. And now look at the deal that Calver Lee got.

It's a complete overpay, but it ends up working out for Calver Lee update time. Here is the Ackman rich Ackerman. Old man winter here. If I had it my way, it would stay winter all year long, short days, wind chill, black ice, and a good polar vortex.

Heaven. Wait, is it getting warm in here? Your cold snap is over old man. Winter spring has arrived. Spring is here, which means it's the perfect time to get away in the Hyundai you've always wanted. Visit the Hyundai getaway sales event where you can get great deals on all of our award-winning Hyundai models like the tech-filled Tucson and Kona, as well as the spacious Palisade. Enjoy wherever you go with the peace of mind that comes with America's best warranty and three years or 36,000 miles of complimentary maintenance.

But hurry in. These deals won't last. Add more joy to your journey at the Hyundai getaway sales event. Now get 0% APR or up to 1500 bonus cash on the Hyundai Tucson. Now during the Hyundai getaway sales event. Offers end soon. Call 562-314-4603 for details. Now no purchase necessary.

Open to US residents 18 plus subject to official rules at BajaBlast.com and 615-24, void where prohibited. What's the first thing you do if you'd had more time in the day? Take a nap, read a book, talk with a friend. When you know what's important to you, it's easier to fit it into your schedule. Therapy can help you figure that out. BetterHelp offers affordable online therapy that comes to you. Start the process in minutes and switch therapists anytime. Learn to make time for what makes you happy with BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com slash grow today to get 10% off your first month.

That's BetterHelp, H-E-L-P.com slash grow. So just getting back to this Calvin Ridley deal real quickly. It's $23 million a year.

So let's just kind of reel back in what I think happened here in this conversation. So Jacksonville and Calverley signing with Tennessee, if you're just tuning in, $23 million a year. It's a four-year deal, $92 million. So earlier in the week, Jacksonville agreed to a deal with Gabe Davis. It was $13 million a year, $39 million over three years. So I got to imagine with what Ridley ended up getting, which was 23 a year, and Gabe Davis was at 13 a year, I would say the offer per year to Ridley was probably anywhere between $16 to $18 million from Jacksonville. And the reason why I say that is because the way that it was reported earlier today was it was between New England, it was between Jacksonville. New England gave a very, very good, strong offer. So if the offer that tops it was $23 million a year, I got to think New England was given $19 or $20 million a year. So if Jacksonville comes in anywhere between like $16 to $18 million and that's all they could afford, I can't really crush them for losing Calveridly. And they said to themselves, they're fine with losing Calveridly when you could get Gabe Davis for $13 million a year. And don't get me wrong, I think Calveridly is a better wide receiver than Gabe Davis.

There's the hot take of the day. But it's not as if now Jacksonville is crumbling because of this move. You have still Christian Kirk, Evan Ingram, and now you have Gabe Davis. Your quarterback, the pressure is on Trevor Lawrence. This is not as if just because you lose Calveridly to a divisional rival, it's like, oh, the sky is falling.

We can't save ourselves. If that's the case, then Trevor Lawrence isn't a franchise quarterback. We talk about quarterbacks under pressure. I said to Sean Watson the other day, is the most under pressure.

I still stand by that. But Trevor Lawrence is under a lot of pressure this season because this is now going to be his fourth year in the league, getting close to that extension territory. Year one, wasted by Urban Meyer. Year two, successful.

Year three, disappointing. This is a big directional moment for Trevor Lawrence and how we're going to see his career talked about and how people are going to project his career into the future. So that's just how I kind of think, just my guesstimation and how the contract did go down between Calvin Ridley and Jacksonville, New England, and Tennessee.

But it winds up $23 million a year for him to wind up with Tennessee. It's time to answer, ask the pros question of the day. It's brought to you by O'Reilly Auto Parts. Kenny in Louisville says, Zach, who do you think will be the next Louisville men's basketball coach? Kenny Payne right in this question? I hope not after getting fired after two years. You could submit a question by tweeting at CBS Sports Radio at Tech LBS and hashtag ask the pros.

Think about the auto parts where your car care needs guaranteed low prices and excellent customer service from the professional parts people at O'Reilly Auto Parts. I have three names for Louisville. One I think is a dream.

The other two I think are very realistic. The dream big time candidate that they need to go get, or at least do everything in their power to get. And then as long as this guy just wants to stay there, then there's nothing you could do. Scott Drew. Scott Drew's at Baylor. Baylor's a good job.

You won a national championship there. You could get a better job than Baylor for a guy that won a national championship at Baylor, especially remember the circumstances that Scott Drew did take over in all those years ago. So Scott Drew will probably use Louisville to enhance his own situation at Baylor, but that's fine.

That happens all the time in college athletics, so I'm going to think that you can't get Scott Drew. So when you can't get Scott Drew, the first phone call you need to make after that is the Dusty May at FAU. And I think Dusty May is going to be in a bidding war, and there's going to be a bidding war between Ohio State, who needs a new men's basketball coach, and Louisville. And we'll see what job he takes, because I think this is going to be his final season at FAU. Now, let's say Dusty May, I'm wrong, he wants to stay at FAU, or Dusty May takes Ohio State over Louisville. The call after that needs to be Pat Kelcey at the College of Charleston. He has done now in two spots, Winthrop and Charleston, he has done a really good job. But it's just showing you that right now at a job like Louisville, Dusty May is a big time name until Final Four.

Pat Kelcey, tremendous energy. Ten years ago, you're not thinking that Louisville is hiring someone like a Pat Kelcey, but it'd be a really good hire. But it's showing you where the Louisville job is right now.

It's in a really bad spot. You look at teams that used to be great in college basketball, you know, Indiana, Louisville, their jobs haven't been hot as of late. They've been rotating coaches, seems like every few years. You know, in college football, we're far from the days of Miami being great.

We're far from the days of Florida being great. Nebraska, obviously, Matt Rule's trying to get it right there. And it looks like Trev Alberts is about to go to A&M, the AD, so maybe there's some alignment issues there in Nebraska. And then you look at Notre Dame, Notre Dame has been good. And under Brian Kelly, went to an Astra Championship game, he's been great. Went to an Astra Championship game, went to another college football playoff, whatever they get in the big games, they fall off. And Notre Dame has the appeal and the aura still. But I don't say that they're a great football program right now. Like the way we look at them, they could be great. But on the field, I think they're just stuck in that good category. You know, a little bit different because Notre Dame's consistently in there compared to what Miami, Florida, Nebraska have been as of late. But you have some major brands that were legendary brands and still are big brands. But now they need the right guy in there. And I think if you can't get an established guy like Drew at a at a good program and one national championship, that a guy like Dusty made FAU that got them to the Final Four is extremely attractive.

And then also Pat Kelce as well. Old Man Winter here. If I had it my way, it would stay winter all year long. Short days, wind chill, black ice and a good polar vortex.

Heaven. Wait, is it getting warm in here? Your cold snap is over, Old Man Winter. Spring has arrived.

Spring. Spring is here, which means it's the perfect time to get away in the Hyundai you've always wanted. Visit the Hyundai Getaway Sales Event where you can get great deals on all of our award winning Hyundai models like the tech filled Tucson and Kona as well as the spacious Palisade. Enjoy wherever you go with the peace of mind that comes with America's best warranty and three years or 36,000 miles of complimentary maintenance.

But hurry in. These deals won't last. Add more joy to your journey at the Hyundai Getaway Sales Event. Now get 0% APR or up to 1500 bonus cash on the Hyundai Tucson. Now during the Hyundai Getaway Sales Event. Offers end soon. Call 562-314-4603 for details. Celebrate and save at Ashley's Anniversary Sale with hot buys your choice of colors starting at just $399. Ashley's sleep mattresses starting at $250 plus receive a free adjustable base with select mattress purchases and shop top mattress brands like Stearns and Foster, Tempur-Pedic, Purple and Beautyrest Black with 60 months special financing only at Ashley. Subject to credit approval, no minimum purchase required.

Minimum monthly payment, down payment, tax and delivery may be required. See store for details. We've seen a lot of change in the past 20 years, but two decades later Mountain Dew Baja Blast is still a fan favorite. Bringing you the cold tropical lime flavor that folks can't get enough of. It takes you back to a sunny day at the beach with every delicious sip.

And don't you want that feeling all the time? Well 2024 is the year. In celebration of their 20th Bajaversary, you can sip Baja Blast all year long. So pick up a Baja Blast wherever you are. In stores now.