Can Giants Still Draft Shedeur? (Hour 1)

Live from the palatial yet not overly ostentatious studios of the Infinity Sports Network here in beautiful New York City sitting on top of the 10th floor 345 Hudson Street. Welcome on in to what is a Wednesday edition of the Zach Gelb show across all of our great local Infinity Sports Network affiliates, Sirius XM, channel 375, the free Odyssey app, and of course streaming on YouTube. Basketball with the NCAA tournament Matt Jones to this great job for Kentucky Sports Radio. He's going to join us coming up in an hour 20 from now. We will talk about Mark Pope. We will talk about the old head honcho at Kentucky in John Calipari and some more happenings with the NCAA tournament, but I went out to dinner last night and I went to work two blocks away from our studio.

So we figured this out and we said, OK, let's go have dinner when I get off at work and we'll sit down at Westville, you know, catch up and all that stuff at 6 p.m. Eastern Time. So I walk into the restaurant and as the meal is ongoing, I see Russell Wilson to the Giants, then followed up by Stefan Diggs to the New England Patriots. So I'm sitting there catching up with my buddy and then I have to start tweeting.

That and I have to start processing this. And my buddy's a big sports fan. So, you know, he understood it right.

He works in sports, too. So, you know, I had a good time, good meal. And this crazy NFL news broke. But I started off yesterday's show saying I really don't know how it's going to go with the second and third pick of the NFL draft.

And I sit here today on March 26 in the year of 2025 and I think I've given up. I think I'm at a point where my brain is cooked. My brain is fried and I don't have a damn clue what's going to happen with the second or third overall pick in the draft anymore because the first overall selection, which I do think Tennessee is going to keep the pick. And I do think Tennessee is going to take Cam Ward. But even if they elect to trade the pick, I still believe Cam Ward's going to be the number one overall pick. And we just did this yesterday. We went around the room and the general census between the three of us was Cam Ward's going to be number number one pick.

We got to two. Stu, myself and Samter, we all gave the answer of either Abdul Carter or Travis Hunter. And then we all said the Giants will take Chador Sanders with the third overall pick. So I started to feel yesterday that Chador Sanders was going to be the third overall pick. I even did a sports minute about it.

Right. And I sat and I said Cleveland should take Chador. The Giants should take Chador.

But now I'm sitting here and I'll say it again. I do think Cleveland and the Giants have no long term plan at their quarterback position. Right now, the Browns will be starting Kenny Pickett.

Right now, the Giants would be starting Russell Wilson. You know, newsflash here for you. If you're Andrew Berry and Kevin Stefanski or you're Joe Shane and Brian Deball and you're starting either Kenny Pickett or Russell Wilson this year, don't be surprised at the end of the season if you don't have a job. All right.

That's just the truth. You need to create some optimism. Some optimism.

Hope. Because in all likelihood, your team is not going to win a lot of games this year. So the Giants getting Russell Wilson doesn't move the needle for me. It doesn't make me think, oh, the Giants now are going to win more games to save Joe Shane and Brian Deball's job. I look at the Giants getting Russell Wilson and I think this is just added protection because last year the Giants got shut out in getting a quarterback. So this offseason, they tried for Stafford, didn't work. They realized they weren't going to get Aaron Rodgers. So they signed Jamis Winston and then they said, OK, we can't have Jamis Winston be our starter. We probably still want to draft a quarterback, I would think, with the third overall pick. But now we're signing Russell Wilson, where we now have the luxury of saying, OK, we could take a quarterback if one is there or if one isn't there.

At least we have a vastly improved starter, even though Russ is not great at this stage of his career. So I think what Joe Shane is doing is he knows that he's treading water here. He knows that he doesn't have much time left.

So he's addressing the present. And at first, when this trade did or the signing did come on out, I'm like, oh, that means the Giants probably don't take a quarterback. But now I'm looking at it as maybe the Giants heard whispers that Cleveland actually is taking a quarterback.

Or it puts them in a spot if they're uncertain and maybe these teams don't even know what they're doing right now. I always thought that was a bunch of malarkey. I always thought that was a bunch of hogwash. I always thought that was a bunch of jackassery. When teams would sit here a few weeks from the draft and be like, oh, yeah, we don't know what we're doing. But it kind of was proven to be true that sometimes these teams don't know what they're doing because I'll never forget when the Giants are taking a quarterback. I always thought that was a bunch of hogwash.

I always thought that was a bunch of jackassery. When teams would sit here a few weeks from the draft and be like, oh, yeah, we don't know what we're doing. But it kind of was proven to be true that sometimes these teams don't know what they're doing because I'll never forget when the 49ers traded up for that number three overall pick a few years ago. Chris Sims has matching tattoos with Kyle Shanahan.

They're as close as close could be. Sims got on the air and he said, oh, they're making this move. I think Kyle Shanahan is making this move to get Mac Jones. And then when the Niners eventually picked, they had a change of heart and they ended up going with Trey Lance through more of their due diligence.

Like, look at Sean Payton. He said it last year at the combine. Well, he said this year at the combine, talking about last year, this time last year, we didn't know we were taking Bo Nix.

And then they privately worked out Bo Nix and they fell in love with Bo Nix and he ended up being the 12th overall pick in the draft. So I think what the Giants are doing and it still may not be successful is they're covering. Aaron.

All right. It doesn't look like we're going to get Aaron. Let's not play this game. Russ is ready to sign. Let's sign Ross. So now we have two better quarterbacks already on the roster than whatever they threw out there last year.

And Russell Wilson and James Winston aren't great, but at least you have two competent guys in there. And then if the first pick of the draft is Cam Ward, if the second pick of the draft is, let's say, Chador Sanders, then OK, the Giants could then have that decision. Do you draft Abdul Carter?

Do you draft Travis Hunter? If the Giants see Cam Ward go one, then let's say the Brownies. Here we go. Brownies.

Here we go. They end up taking Abdul Carter. Let's say two. The Giants then have a decision. Do you go best player available, which on my big board, which is not that big of a board, would be Travis Hunter? Or do you do what can protect you and maybe give you some future hope in bringing in a quarterback in Chador Sanders? So I think all this stuff right now is a giant cluster.

You know what? I think all this stuff right now is very confusing. And I would say the Giants probably aren't trading up to one.

But I wouldn't rule that out either yet. Now, I do think Tennessee has warmed up to the idea and taking Cam Ward. I do think they should take Cam Ward, but it doesn't mean that they necessarily will. Like if I was if I was in charge of Tennessee, Cleveland.

The New York Giants and the New England Patriots. This is what I would do. Like if I was the GM for all four. Tennessee. I'm Mike Borgonzi with the Titans. I'm taking Cam Ward. I'm Andrew Berry with the Cleveland Browns. I'm taking Chador Sanders. I'm then Joe Shane with the New York Giants. I'm not feeling great because I don't have a chance to now get a quarterback. I am not taking Jackson Dart here.

And I then think you take. I would say Abdul Carter is the best player available. But the Giants just paid big money to Burns. You know, this is a make or break year for Kayvon Thibodeau. You got sexy Dexi on that defensive line, Dexter Lawrence. I would probably say for the Giants, the better fit is Travis Hunter, where you could play Hunter at defensive back and then you could throw him on the offensive side of the ball for what, 15 to 20 plays a game. And you have the speed of Malik neighbors and Travis Hunter and then a solid running back, which give credit to Joe Shane. Forget him in the draft last year and Tyrone Tracy Jr. And then the Patriots would be sitting there at four and then they should gobble up.

If Abdul Carter still there, they shouldn't even let a second tick off the clock and they should run up to that podium and already have Abdul Carter on that card and hand it over to the commissioner. So that's what I think should happen. But in terms of what will happen, I don't have a damn clue.

And I'm curious. I want to be careful when we say the word fall, because I don't think this is going to be an Aaron Rodgers fall where you go from being potentially the first overall pick and then you go in the twenties. I don't think there's gonna be Will Levis when you must be a top five pick and then you fall to the second round. Or this is not going to be Malik Willis, which must be a first round pick and then you end up going around number three. The absolute latest, latest in this game is going to be a top five pick and then you fall to the second round.

The latest, if I'm going to look at the worst case scenario for Chador Sanders that he falls to, is ninth. Because you look at this, Tennessee is not going to take him. Cleveland could. The Giants could. The Las Vegas Raiders could.

Quite frankly, I feel as if that's if I'm really being serious, that's where I should draw the line in the sand. Because I don't think Cleveland and the Giants both should pass on Chador. But just because I say that, it doesn't mean anything. But if they do both pass on him, let's say Cam Ward goes one. Cleveland says, OK, we're taking Abdul Carter to and then the Giants end up taking Travis Hunter three. Then you look at the Raiders at six because the Patriots and the Jaguars are right there, so someone to go move up to go get Chador, they could. The Raiders, I think, would be foolish to pass up on Chador Sanders. Like the Browns and Giants, I think, would be fools to pass up on Chador Sanders at this rate. But the Raiders would really be fools. But even if the Raiders end up being fools, because let's be real, still, you know, this incompetent organizations making competent decisions and the Raiders have been fools for a long time. You tell me the Jets at seven that aren't going to pull the trigger on Chador or the Saints, worst case scenario, at nine, aren't going to draft Chador Sanders. Like, I don't see a road where Chador is going to fall out of the top 10.

And really, I don't really see a path that he falls out of the first six picks of the NFL draft. I really don't. But with this Giants move and them signing Russell Wilson, let's do this the next day and answers could change because right now I'm confused. I am.

Usually I try to give you the answers. I don't got the answers today because in one breath, I look at this Russell Wilson signing as, oh, this is just Joe Shane checking all the boxes and doing his due diligence. And then another part of me is, OK, maybe he knows now Cleveland is going to take Chador with the number two overall pick.

So I don't think that this eliminates the Giants from taking Chador, but it creates a lot more uncertainty and a lot more clarity that we lack of clarity that we thought we had yesterday. So, Stu, right now, one, two and three in the draft. The Tennessee Titans, the with the second overall pick, the Cleveland Browns and then the New York Giants at three. What do you think one, two and three will be?

I think will emphasis on will. I think it'll be Camor number one to the Titans. I think the Browns will go Abdul Carter.

Who? And I think the Giants will go Chador still. So you still think they will go for Chador? Yeah.

All righty. Sampter, what's your what's your predictions here on what the first three picks of the draft will be? Well, I don't want to ruin the potential of what the Browns might be doing at the quarterback position, but I don't. You could say it if you want. If you believe this erroneous report about this, are you talking Dak Prescott? Yes.

Oh, my goodness gracious. I'm not necessarily believing it, but we can talk about it more. I think that it makes sense for both teams.

So Sampter still puts the cookies out for Christmas. Yeah. The idea of Abdul Carter and Miles Garrett together in Cleveland is you just can't pass that up. That's going to dominate offenses for a decade.

So right now, you think Cam Ward won Abdul Carter to Abdul Carter to and Travis Hunter three. I don't think Chador is going to the Giants. I think the Giants realize that outside of Cam Ward, they don't love Chador enough to waste that pick on them. So they're getting the bridges between Russell and they're going to ride with it. They're looking long term.

They're looking. They're saying we don't want to ride with Chador. We don't want to tag ourselves to that. We're going to have a one year respite where we're going to add a star like Travis Hunter to a guy like Malik neighbors. And we're going to build that way. And then we're going to there's a lot more quarterbacks, it seems like, that might be coming out next year. And maybe we'll hitch our ride with that. I'm going to be honest. I hate myself right now. You agree with after?

No, no, no, no, no, no. I'm not saying that my brain is just it's reached a dead end and we still have to do this for a month. I'm in like I hate flip flopping like this. So, so quickly, like if you tell me, OK, give a take. And then two weeks later, I alter the take.

Fine. But the take I gave yesterday is not the same take today. And just what I thought I was out, they sucked me back in. I think the Browns are taking Chador Sanders. This has been the most I have vacillated on a take ever. But I think that one is going to be Cam Ward. Two is going to be Chador Sanders. And then the Giants will take Travis Hunter at three. And I don't know if that's just me selfishly hoping that's the way that it's going to go, because I really want Abdul Carter. I think this is the most I wanted the Patriots to ever draft the player. Well, I did want Jayden Daniels last year, but I was fine with Drake May. I talked myself into Drake May. I mean, even though Jayden Daniels was incredible this year, I saw enough from Drake May that made me think he could be a good quarterback.

But I was one of the first people in on Jayden Daniels. That was the guy that I really wanted. But I don't think I've ever wanted a player more in the draft for the Patriots. Than than Abdul Carter since Vernon Golston.

And that did not work out well. Well, it worked out well for me because we ended up getting Jerrod May and we traded back. But Samter's team, which I guess the only thing that flip flops more than my thoughts on on who the Browns are going to take it to is Samter and who he's going to root for in the NFL. But Samter's team at the time, and I guess still today, ended up taking Vernon Golston, which I believe the fifth or sixth. Oh, I think it was the sixth overall pick in the draft. So I'm going to say one Cam Ward, subject to change, by the way, to Chador Sanders, three Travis Hunter.

That's where I'm at right now. But this sets up for a monster. And I mean monster NFL draft, because I think this is the most intrigue we have on a draft since when Cleveland took Baker Mayfield with the number one overall pick. Like, I think we know who number one is going to be in Cam Ward. But two, three, like we have an idea of who the players are going to be like the first three picks of the draft Cam Ward is going to be one and then two out of the next three or two out of the next guys out of the three selections are going to be either Abdul Carter, Travis Hunter or Chador Sanders.

But how they're going to go and what order they're going to go, we don't have a damn clue. Stu, by the way, you sound worse today. Just wondering. Yes, it is not getting better. It is getting worse. No, I feel much better.

I do. I'm happy for now. I think we found out, though, who maybe got everybody sick. Maggie wasn't in this morning. I think she left the show yesterday early as well. That's what I've heard, at least.

Wow. Maggie gets sick a lot. I feel like every time I tune into the show, Maggie's either at home or she's out because she's sick. And I know Maggie's very serious about the job and she's very dedicated, obviously. But also, Maggie has a young child.

So, you know, young children, they bring home a lot of gook. I also feel great. It's just that little it's just my throat is just not the hair that's in your throat. Yeah. Yeah.

Sam, do you feel all right? I was struggling. I got home last night. I went right into bed.

Really? I got right into it. But like I was just exhausted, tired. And I woke up today. I feel a lot better.

Still, same thing. Scratch in the back of the throat. A little nasally.

Not as bad as Stu. But I think the three of us just something happened. Now, you know, management is listening right now. This is what I would recommend to management. I would walk in, you know, find someone that's around here. And there has to be like some competent body and say, hey, still take the rest day off. That's what I do.

I feel like you need like a nice like long. Well, I'm already off tomorrow and Friday, so that's not necessary. Oh, well, are you going to you're going to open a day tomorrow?

Yes. Ah, Stu's going to feel miraculously. Thousand percent better tomorrow. I think you also overestimate the talent that's that's back there that they can walk around. It's like, oh, hey, you know, just feeling for Stu. No, no, no. Not a good locker room leader. That bus just just rolled over people.

You know what? That's not my locker room. This is my locker room. Stu's my locker room. That's my that's my quarterback. That's my guy. That's my quarterback. I think you're like the Staphon Diggs of the locker room talking about Staphon Diggs. He's going to my Patriots.

I'll give you my reaction next. Also, what does this mean for Brandon Aiyuk as well? If you want to jump on into the NFL draft and with the Giants decision to bring in Russell Wilson means 8 8 8 7 1 0 for ISN. That's 8 8 8 7 10 for ISN 8 8 8 7 1 0 44 76.

All right. At twenty four past the hour, this is Zach Gelb show on the Infinity Sports Network. We opened up the program talking about Russell Wilson getting twenty one million dollars to go to the New York football Giants. I wonder what Russ is going to say whenever he gets introduced to the media. Is it like let's go G man? Or is it go big blue or does he get up there and he goes start spreading the news like what the heck is Russell Wilson going to say? Because we had Broncos country.

Let's ride for the Steelers. It was I think he did the here we go. I think that's what it was. But we'll see what happens when Russell Wilson does come to town with Sierra. By the way, there is a good CBS Sports Radio now Infinity Sports Network story. Are you familiar with this focaccia story that Sean Marash told for many years on the network about him and Sierra?

No, I don't think so. He was once at a Super Bowl party where Sierra was there. And Marash claims that they had a conversation and she was like laughing at his material and his jokes. And he thought there was a little bit of a of a spark. So Marash has told this. And this was the headline an awful announcing WF and producer because he told whatever stick he did here, he ended up doing down the hall there.

WF and producer Sean Marash detailed his alleged near romance with Sierra at a party. Let me tell you, I have I still like when we get mentioned in the newspaper and I get the hard copy of the newspaper. And I have some articles that are important to me that I frame. And like I have like a little display that I have in my apartment where I will have will have those articles on display.

If I'm Marash, this has to be displayed, even though he's married with a wife and two kids and has a wonderful family like this has to be displayed in your home. When the headline is WF and producer Sean Marash detailed his alleged near romance with Sierra at a party quote. I believe if we both weren't married, she would have considered going home with me and close quotes.

What are we doing here? Seriously? So I guess they were at a Super Bowl party together. Marash thought there was a spark. And then Sierra probably felt like she was just like helping out like a make a wish kid.

And then the next thing you know, Marash thought that he was going to get lucky here. What the heck did you just bring in? So Santa wasn't here for the first two to three minutes of the segment. And I'm like, where the heck is he? You came in. What is this package that you have?

No, no, no, no. In front of you. What is that?

Well, you got to turn the microphone on. But what is that? It's like a bouquet of flowers or Italian baguette? It's a bouquet of flowers. It's National Women's Day. Oh, so they have flowers.

Do they really? Yeah, you can make your own bouquet. So I made a bouquet for my lovely wife. And then they also have a chocolate fountain with Rice Krispie Treats, Oreos, pretzels, apples.

They got banana. Can you do me a favor? Yeah.

Can you walk in just with the flowers and the plate? I just want to see something because I could barely see from from where you are because there's so much crap that just sitting in front of there. And by the way, is it me in the studio? Very bright today.

But the lighting in the studio looks very bright. Oh, look at this. Can I take one of these?

Take one of these. What is what is this? A banana. That's.

Oh, that's an apple. Let me just hold the plate because this is going to get messy. Oh, yeah. Hold on. Hold. Oh, they got a gram. Oh, my God.

See, we're all saying we're sick. And now hold the. Oh, thank you.

That's very nice. Let's see. Mm hmm. That's delicious.

Right. One bite, by the way. Let me see the flowers by the way.

Hold on. We'll get chocolate on them. Oh, that's a nice. Those are nice flowers. They got some roses.

They still got flowers out there. Oh, yeah. We got to get there quick. OK. During the next break. OK. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you very much. I'm like Elvis. So maybe I'm a rash is in the hallway right now. Getting a bouquet of flowers, not for his wife, but for Sierra. Now, when fan goes to training camp this year. And by the way, I think they just send this to training camp, too. I think whenever fan goes to training camp, we should go to training camp, too, for the Giants, at least. They got to get Russell Wilson on.

Right. And if Morash is going to say these erroneous things, doesn't he have to tell Russ? Hey, I thought I had once had a spark with your girlfriend. Now, there was also a story over that is not white. There's also a story where Morash I guess he lost the bet. And he had to, like, cover his body in bird seeds. And he had to sit in a park and basically like pigeons, which, by the way, is that not the most mortifying thing ever?

Go to New York City covered in bird seeds and have to get pecked basically by a bunch of rats that are birds in pigeons. So that's basically what Morash once did. But it was something Aaron Rodgers related. I forget what it was. And he told Aaron Rodgers about this. Aaron Rodgers was like, all right, great story, buddy.

Maybe you should go tell that at a party one time. And Rodgers wanted to know a part about it. So I'm waiting for the Sierra Morash Russell Wilson kind of trifecta meeting maybe at Giants training camp this upcoming year. Anyway, so we have Russell Wilson going to the Giants, then Stefan Diggs goes to the Patriots. I'm curious about your guys's thoughts on this, because it gets reported as a three year contract worth $69 million.

Right. More money than I thought Stefan Diggs was going to get. But then I find out it's only $26 million guaranteed. Stu, good move or a questionable move by the New England Patriots? Good move. I think they could have gotten one of these better receivers in the market, but they didn't. So I think he's a very nice fallback option. Samter, good move or bad move?

I agree it's the same thing. Good fallback. But it just shows they struck out on so many other guys like DK and obviously, you know, T. Higgins stayed. But there were options out there that they could have gotten that would have been not coming off an injury.

That may have had a little bit better production, not on the tail end of their career. And for a young quarterback like Drake May, having a guy like Stefan Diggs who can be a malcontent and can cause drama in the locker room. I think it's an OK move considering it was their only other option. But it worries me that maybe he can, you know, impact Drake May in a negative way. So I actually I understand what you're saying. But everywhere Stefan Diggs has gone, it's a good start. It's just a a bad ending. Like you look at what he did with in Minnesota.

Impressive. Then you look at what happened really in Buffalo. Josh Allen was up and down, right? There were questions about what Josh Allen could be. Stefan Diggs goes to Buffalo. Josh Allen turns into a star. And I think Josh Allen benefited from Stefan Diggs. Also, Stefan Diggs benefited from Josh Allen because I thought I viewed Stefan Diggs when he's coming over from Minnesota. It's a very good wide receiver.

I had some good seasons. But then we viewed him as a great maybe top five, top seven, top eight wide receiver in the NFL. So I like this move because even though he's coming off a torn ACL, he instantly becomes the best pass catcher on the New England Patriots. You give your young quarterback a piece to work with.

The job can't be done yet. But also at his age, I think he's what, 31 or he may be 32, Stefan Diggs. But at his age, you know, you do wonder what's going to happen coming off the ACL. He's 31 up to 32 in November at the end of November. So he's 31 entering this season. Can he bounce back and still be a thousand plus yard wide receiver?

Yeah, absolutely. But how much Russ is there going to be to knock off and how easily we'll be able to knock off that Russ? You know, personally, I'm with Samter and Stu, I'd rather have DK Metcalf on this team. I would have loved T Higgins, but this is the third option.

I'm OK with this being the third option. And I think you'll be more good than bad for the Patriots. Now, with that being said, I do kind of feel that this takes the Patriots out of the running for Brandon. Ayuk, where Brandon Ayuk wanted to the Patriots want to Brandon Ayuk last year. Brandon Ayuk didn't want the Patriots. Then Brandon Ayuk gets hurt. And now the Niners are kind of getting cold feet on a deal that maybe they didn't want to give him last year, but they ended up having to give him.

So I look at Brandon Ayuk and this is something that hasn't been talked about a lot. We are zeroing in on April 1st. We are one, two, three, four, five, six days away from April 1st. Now, you may say, Zach, what's a big deal with April 1st, April Fool's Day, right?

No. Well, it is April Fool's Day, but Brandon Ayuk's 2025 option bonus of twenty two point eight five million, which is fully guaranteed, is due on April 1st. So the Niners are going to keep Brandon Ayuk then. Right. This deadline will come and go.

And so be it. But if they're going to trade and they got to trade him before April 1st. And I would be surprised as the Patriots or that team that was kind of like left out of the dance for a wide receiver, if after giving this deal to Diggs, then from now until April 1st, they end up trading for Brandon Ayuk. Now, the one other thing that I saw earlier was Scott Zolack, our friend, color analyst for the Patriots.

Unicorn show ponies. Where's the beef? It's one of the greatest calls of all time. Kembrell Tompkins touchdown back left end zone. One of the things that he had mentioned earlier in the day is that the Patriots are also in the market for Tyler Lockett. And if you can pull in Tyler Lockett and Stefan Diggs, that might change the outlook overall.

Put it this way. It's a fine receiving corps. You don't it's not a great wide receiver corps, but it weathers the storm early on. And it doesn't keep you from getting, in my opinion, anyone of big significance.

Like Ayuk is not to me big significance. He's a nice player. Good player. I might be excited. They got him. I'd be more excited. They got him the last year when I wanted him now coming off an injury.

And, you know, I'm safe. Stefan Diggs coming off an injury and he's a lot older. But I don't think the way that people viewed Brandon Ayuk last year is the same this year. And also the Niners need to keep him. You got rid of Deebo Samuel. The Niners need to keep Brandon Ayuk, in my opinion, with the with the uncertainty surrounding that team. But if they could get Tyler Lockett and your receiving corps is Tyler Lockett, Stefan Diggs. Remember, they signed Mack Collins, who doesn't wear any shoes. And, you know, if Kendrick Bourne could bounce back. And you also have, you know, Demario, Pop Douglas who's solid.

You know, we'll see what happens with Keishon Booty. You like already they have improved this receiving corps. It's still not like I'm not blown away by this receiving corps. You're not winning a Super Bowl with this receiving corps, but you're giving Drake May a chance to succeed. Now, the Patriots got to patch up this offensive line because this offensive line still stinks.

So I'm in on the Diggs move. And also, if let's say this is the end of the road for his career and right. He's never able to recover from this ACL and he's still rusty. It's only twenty six million guaranteed. So basically the only one that be freaking out about that number is probably Gary Myers. But it's basically like a two year deal. If you think about it, even though it's a three year deal worth sixty nine million.

But when it's twenty six million guaranteed, you could probably get out of it after two years with the guaranteed only being twenty six million. All right. We'll take a break. Matt Jones is going to join us. And I said Mac Jones there for a second. Matt Jones is going to join us from Kentucky Sports Radio coming up at four twenty p.m. Eastern, one twenty p.m. Pacific today. When we come on back, we have a loaded news brief for you. So let's get to the latest update.

Here's Zach. Time for your daily news brief. We get you caught up on the rumors, reports and reconnaissance from the day in sports.

All right. It's time to ask the pros. The listener gets us a question brought to you by rally auto parts. Simply tweet your question at INF Sports Center at that. I'll be using the hashtag as the pros be listening later in the show, we might answer your question.

Think about the 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. Let's go to Daniel Jeremiah on the Pat McAfee show. Maybe a surprise pick coming for the Patriots at number four. If you don't get Abdul Carter or Travis Hunter, I would add a little line to the end of best available. I would say best available player that can help your quarterback. So it looked I would be looking on the offensive side of the ball and Ashton Gente. I have him as the I think the number three player in the draft. So if you just go on pure best available player, it'd be Gente. And if you're obviously looking on the offensive side of the ball, he's the you know, he would be the guy there from the offensive side of the ball standpoint. So I just feel like that's got to help unless you can get Abdul Carter like somehow Abdul Carter there.

I get it. But man, like if you draft Travis Hunter, you play him at receiver. He helps. He helps Drake made this this first pick after a defensive heavy free agency.

It just feels like, man, this has got to be a pick that's going to help Drake. May I've only considered three players for the Patriots? Abdul Carter, Travis Hunter, Will Campbell.

It's only three I thought of. If you tell me they draft Ashton Gente, who that would be a really Zach Gail pick and it would be Vrabel like. Right. Because Rabel had a success with Derek Henry. Now, they do have Ramondre Stevenson there, but that's not as the lead of a back as an Ashton Gente.

I just think with all the holes that they have, it's early to early for the Pats at four to go with Ashton Gente. Here is Mike Rabel. Don't at me with Dan Dacich. Dacich? Dacich? Yeah, I don't know why I called him Dacich.

Dacich on Drake May. Well, I see a young, athletic, talented, full of potential playing that excited to build this team around. And in a large part of the reason, you know, why why I wanted to be here, that that talent level, to be able to build around him and to be able to grow and help him lead and run an offense and run a football team.

It's something that I'm excited about. He can throw from in the pocket. He can throw off the platform. He can run. He can scramble.

You can design some things for him. So I think you have pretty much every everything in the playbook that you could possibly want available. It's not just a pocket passer is not just a guy that's going to go to run.

So there's a lot of different ways that we're hoping that he can be successful. We will go from one young quarterback in the draft last year to the next. Now let's listen up to J.J. McCarthy was on with up and Adams with K. Adams. And let's hear how J.J. McCarthy's knee is feeling.

The knee must be doing pretty well, huh? Fantastic. Yes.

Yes. I mean, I would say I'm 100 percent. But, you know, thank you. Cheers to that. But, yeah, just staying consistent with the rehab process and not wavering from that.

And just staying disciplined with all the outside stuff and making sure, you know, I'm not chopping too much wood and doing all that fun stuff. So, you know, he could be the starting quarterback. This idea that he wasn't going to be ready for training camp and oh, he may not be ready for the start of the season. And oh, they're going to sign Aaron Rodgers.

Please give me a break. Let's go to Jordan Schultz, NFL and Fox podcast. He says I remember he had the T. Higgins Jamar chase scoop before anybody else with the contract. Jordan Schultz says the Bengals will not be trading Trey Hendrickson. My understanding of the Trey Hendrickson situation, Dave, is that the organization and ownership are fully prepared to move forward and attempt to negotiate a deal with them. I don't believe they want to trade him at all. And I actually would say after talking to multiple people involved that they have now reached the conclusion that a trade is really off the table. So that's great news for Bengals fans.

Yes or no? Around the room, Trey Hendrickson will be on the field week one for the Cincinnati Bengals. Stu?

I think he might hold out. OK. Week one, he'll be there. On the field?

On the field. OK. I agree. I think that they will find the way to get this thing rectified.

It's going to get messy like it got messy last year and they'll find the way to get the deal done. All right. Let's go to LeBron James. He was on the Pat McAfee show and LeBron James in an hour, 15 minute interview with Pat. This is LeBron James on the Stephen A. Smith feud.

He's like on a Taylor Swift run right now. Oh, yeah. Yeah, we're watching.

We're awesome. It started off with I didn't want to address it. I didn't want to address it. I wasn't going to address it. But since the video came out, I feel the need to address it.

Are you kidding me? If there's one person that couldn't wait to the video to drop so you could address it is your ass. Like seriously. And like another. He completely like missed the whole point. The whole point. Never would I ever not allow people to talk about the sport.

Criticize players about what they do on the court. That is your job. When you take it and you get personal with it, it's my job to not only protect my damn household, but protect the players. You know, and I think and I think a lot of the media, including him, and I know he's going to he's going to be happy as hell. He's gonna be smiling from ear to ear when he hears me talking about it. Oh, my God. He's going to get home and grab some ice cream out of the freezer and sit in his chair in his tighty whities on the couch.

I hope I hope at some point you two do get a chance. But you're like, relax, bro. Like, relax.

Like, seriously. I would have asked two things. What was so personal that Stephen A. Smith said? And the other thing, why did you confront him during a game?

That's what I would have asked. I thought LeBron was giving you like a winning answer the first 30 seconds. And good move by him, right? Because like the two big guys at ESPN are Stephen A. Smith and Pat McAfee.

You do. That's like a petty spot. LeBron going on with Pat McAfee.

Let's be real. But I think towards the end, like the last 30 seconds, LeBron kind of lost me. So I would say that's not a win or a loss for LeBron there.

Just like a split decision. Now, let's hear LeBron James. Remember, same guy that talked about Anthony Edwards two weeks ago. I understand why he doesn't want to be the face of the NBA, because a lot of weird energy that media and former players do provide when talking about the sport. Here is LeBron James saying the current NBA players would dominate the 70s on the Pat McAfee show. You trying to tell me Giannis wouldn't be able to play an NBA game in the 70s? He wouldn't be able to do it. Giannis and the Kupo would have 250 points in a game in the 70s.

250. Is that Kuzi? When was Kuzi playing? Kuzi's blocking up fucking Giannis.

He's saying 70s, not 50s. And there's no disrespect. Like, there's no disrespect. But like, seriously, like Kyrie Irvin. They would have called him a witch. They would have called him a witch. No, no, they would have told Kyrie, you know how they used to tell Lou Alcindor at the time that he couldn't dunk in high school games? They would have told Kyrie, you're not allowed to dribble anymore.

That's what they would have told him. Dribbling is out rude. So I think that's weird energy from LeBron.

250? Like, do I think that Giannis could play in the 70s? Yeah, duh.

Do I think LeBron could play in the 70s? Yeah, duh. But you're doing the same thing that you're criticizing the old guard for doing with the NBA Now, just in the reverse way.

You're basically crapping on their product. So I thought LeBron came off insufferable here. Here was the one that pissed me off the most, if I'm just being honest. Brian Windhorst has carried the water for LeBron James for years.

For years, he carried his water. This is LeBron James taking an unnecessary shot at Brian Windhorst. Listen up.

I see a lot of s***, too. Like, I seen Brian Windhorst on one of these shows not too long ago. Wendy! Wendy, you guys played together in high school. Yeah, this guy says he's like my f***ing best friend.

These guys are just weird. Brian Windhorst ever said that? You know, I wonder what show LeBron was watching. Maybe it was like the same book that he once claimed that he was reading that never actually happened. Like, what are we doing here? That was ridiculous, that was unnecessary, and there was no reason for LeBron to take a shot at Brian Windhorst when everyone thinks that Windhorst just carries your water for all those years.

But I don't think Brian Windhorst has ever claimed, at least to my knowledge, that he's LeBron's best friend. I was really going to sit down and watch this entire thing later. After just hearing three clips, yeah, thanks, but no thanks. I'm good.

I'm good. Nick Wright, interesting options for Kevin Durant's next team. This is on First Things First. Two totally unrelated people, both of whom have reputations for knowing things that other people don't know, have said to me, watch out for Durant in Boston. I don't know even the pieces that would work, and it feels a lot like what Durant got killed for with Golden State before, so it doesn't make sense.

And that assumption is that they don't win the championship. What would they be giving up to get Kevin Durant? Like at this stage of their career, obviously you're not giving up Tatum.

I'm not giving up Jalen Brown. So it's like, what else have you given up to go get Kevin Durant and make the salaries match, too? But if KD goes to Boston, that's very Golden State-like. It's not as Golden State as Golden State was, but that's very, you're not bus driver, you're still more of the bus rider, in the words of our pal Charles Barkley. Here's Rick Wells, MAV CEO and the Luka Doncic to trade this on the Mavericks radio network. Time, wins and losses, we'll tell whether the deal was a good deal or a bad deal. I just am going to promise to our fans right now, whatever trust we have lost or whatever concerns they have, we're going to earn it back because we're going to do this the right way and we're going to win championship.

Yeah, good luck with that. Alexander Ovechkin closing in on Wayne Gretzky's record, here was goal 889 last night, John Walton, Capitals radio network. Back near wall, tie up in the hash mark, Pronus weak side, Ovechkin, he scores! Alex Ovechkin scores from the left, that's, this game is tied and Ovechkin picks one up here in Winnipeg. It's goal 889, he needs five to tie, he needs six to break Wayne Gretzky's all-time record.

An electrifying moment here in downtown Winnipeg, Ovechkin draws one closer. So he has 11 games left in the season, I wonder if he's going to tie or break the record, you would think he would at least tie it. If I'm the NHL, I don't think it's the worst thing with how great they've been this year, if we wait until next year for him to break it. You know, could you maybe tie it this year, break it next year? If I'm Gary Bettman, I'm kind of saying I hope you're one away from tying at the end of the regular season so we can carry this story and people could care about hockey early on next season. That would just be me, but incredible that he's going to be about to break the record because that was a record a lot of us thought would never be broken. We'll take a timeout, we're coming on back. Could Dak be on the move? We'll discuss next.