Grading Jimmy G's Landing Spots (Hour 3)

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That is what makes AutoZone America's number one battery destination. Get in the zone, AutoZone. It is the Zach Gelb show, coast to coast, on CBS Sports Radio. Let's chat a little NFL from a national perspective, and we do so with Matt Lombardo. Does a great job covering the league as a senior NFL reporter for Heavy On Sports. And Matt joins us right now. Matt, what's shaking? Zachary, how are you?

I'm doing fantastic. Good to see you the last two weekends in Philadelphia, covering the Eagles in the divisional round in the NFC title game. So you're at the Senior Bowl. What was kind of the big topic of conversation there, just wondering, as usually you get some good rumors and an insight from people around the league?

Yes, Zach. I think what was really fascinating was getting everyone's perspective inside the league on what exactly the Chicago Bears going to do with the number one overall pick. Because of course you had Luke Getze, the offensive coordinator there, coaching the American team in the Senior Bowl. And he said all the right things about Justin Fields and how they built their offense around all 11 players, not just Fields, and that he's really competent in Justin. But I don't know for sure that the Bears organization is all in on Fields.

He certainly showed enough down the stretch, especially in November and December, to show that he won the starting job for the future. But the Bears have the opportunity here, and Ryan Paul's the GM does, Zach, to really jumpstart that rebuild. Because I talked to a couple sources who insisted it's plausible that they could trade back not once but twice, and still come away with a player at number three or number four, who they would have loved to pick at number one. If they traded back with the Houston Texans to number two and moved back again to the number four spot with the Colts, they still might be able to get a Will Anderson or Jalen Carter at four, and come away with multiple first round picks next year, multiple first and second round picks this year, to build a round.

So what the Bears do at the top of the board, I thought that those conversations were really fascinating down in Mobile. But the way I look at it, I would keep Fields, I liked what he showed me this year, and even though I'm a big fan of Bryce Young and I like CJ Stroud, I would prefer to move down if I was a Bears fan. Because you just talked about it, teams like Houston, the Colts, I don't know, maybe Seattle and the Lions, I think they're gonna be okay for this year with the quarterback, but maybe they want to pounce and move up. Could it be the Raiders now with Brady retiring? I think the Bears could get a Kings ransom for that number one overall pick.

For sure, and the source that I spoke to Zach said it all comes down to how far are you willing to move down. And this is a really unique opportunity for the Bears. I don't know that I would want to move much lower than five or six, depending on how the board is shaking out, because I think they really need some help on that defensive front seven. But if you can move into the number five spot or the number four spot after moving back with Houston and you execute two trade backs, Zach, that's how you jumpstart rebuilds. That's how you put yourself in a position to contend with a young quarterback still on a rookie deal, a blue-chip defender, and then multiple first-round picks the following year.

Things could get really, really interesting in the Windy City. Matt Lombardo here with us. Is it safe to say, and I don't know what the order is going to be, but the first two quarterbacks off the board this year are going to be Bryce Young and CJ Shroud, or is there still a lot of momentum from Will Levis? Well, I think it is pretty safe to say that you can flip a coin and it's either going to be CJ Shroud or Bryce Young, one and two. There's always that quarterback who comes out of nowhere after the combine, after Indianapolis. I think Will Levis can fit into that role with this year's class. But I think it would be tough to watch what CJ Shroud did and what Bryce Young did, especially in the bowl game in Atlanta, and not come away thinking that in big-time moments that those are the kind of players that you want to build around.

So I don't think anybody's jumping either Young or Shroud as the top two quarterbacks selected, at least not here as of February 3rd. So just to recap this, Matt Lombardo, what do you think the likeliest thing is that will happen with the Bears in the draft? You expect them to stay put, take a quarterback, or move back?

Most likely, I think they move back at least once. I think that it would be, I don't want to call it a pipe dream for Bears fans to execute two trade backs, but I think it's most likely that they will move ahead with Justin Fields, spend some of that cap space this offseason on revamping that offensive line, similarly to what Cincinnati did over this offseason, and then trade back and take the best defensive player available, and probably wind up with at least one additional first-round pick in 2024. And if that's the outcome in a division where who knows what's happening with Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay, it seems like the Vikings are telegraphing that they're going to try and tear it down at least somewhat this offseason, or might have to because of the top situation, and it might just come down to the Bears leaping into the conversation along with the Detroit Lions as two of the best teams in that division if we're able to pull that off and execute this offseason the right way. Matt Lombardo here with us. The last two years I didn't take the bait on Rodgers getting traded this year. I'm definitely taking the bait. I think he's gonna get dealt.

Where are you on that front? Yeah, I'm starting to come around to that idea too, Zach. I think that if you're the Packers, you're now moving into the territory of trying to figure out what to do with Jordan Love and risk not getting anything in return for him while being kind of handcuffed to Aaron Rodgers at the back end of his career. I think that, and people that I talk to inside the league, believe that the noise about Aaron Rodgers following Nathaniel Hackett to New York is very real, and that the Jets hired Hackett because they are all in on going after Aaron Rodgers. So I think that that's a very likely destination for Rodgers, and I wouldn't rule out a team like the San Francisco 49ers. If they believe that their window is really only one or two years, if they don't believe that they're all in on Trey Lance, I think that there's a real chance that you could see them make a play for Aaron Rodgers to try to put them over the top in 2023 to make a legitimate Super Bowl run in the NFC. Now the two things off the 49ers. I don't know if the Packers, and right we've heard that right now they're not willing to trade Rodgers inside the NFC, but what was that the other day? Rodgers at the golf tournament. I know he does a lot of things that are questionable, saying I'll tell you where I'm not playing. It's San Francisco. I didn't get why he did that. Yeah, I don't understand that either. It might have just been Aaron Rodgers saying something.

We've all seen him go on certain podcasts and make some off-the-wall comments. It could be something in that mold, or it could have been a veiled shot at Brian Gudekunst because of the Packers stance of not wanting to trade him within the NFC, but if you're San Francisco and you offer, throwing a name out here, three first-round picks and two second-round picks, if you're the Packers, are you really turning that down? Are you really turning down the chance to build your franchise back up from the ground up with that kind of arsenal just because you're worried about what Rodgers might do for two years in San Fran?

I'm not sure I pass up that kind of war chest. Well, how lucrative of a return do you think the Packers are going to get back for Aaron Rodgers? Yeah, Zach, the term that I've heard a couple places is a king's ransom, so it could be significant, yes.

Okay, because I remember like a few weeks ago they said, oh it's not gonna actually be as much as what people would think. I've always thought that it's gonna be at least one first-round pick, but you think it could be like multiple first-round picks is what you're saying? I think that's in play, especially when you look at what's happening with Tom Brady now retiring, that's one fewer veteran quarterback on the board. There seems to be all kinds of uncertainty over where exactly the Raiders are going to allow Derek Carr to explore his options, and if and when they're going to give him the chance to explore a trade on his own, all of a sudden you start limiting the options, you start limiting the quarterbacks who are available, and the needs from some of these teams aren't getting any less, and if Rogers is truly available, then I could see some team wanting to jump to the top of the line, the front of the line, to pry him away from Green Bay, especially a team like the 49ers or conceivably like the Raiders who believe that they're a veteran quarterback away from winning it all. Is there anyone else in the AFC, you know, just the AFC that stands out to you because it feels like the two teams that have the most interest in Rogers right now in the AFC are the teams who've been talking about the Jets or the Raiders?

Yeah, I think those are the two. I think those would be the two most quarterback needy teams or the teams with the most young talent, especially on offense, and I think that, you know, you look at for the Raiders, they need to do something splashy, right? They need to make sure that they continue selling tickets in that stadium. They need to make sure that they keep pace with teams like the Kansas City Chiefs in their division, and now you have Calvin Moore going to Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers. They need to keep pace in that race in the West, so I think the Jets and the Raiders would make the most sense on that side of the bracket.

What about Miami? I know that they say that Tua is their guy, but the concussion conversation is so tough to avoid because he could be one more hit away from never playing football again, Matt. For sure, but I don't know that they would give up the draft capital because I think there's still some needs on that roster. I could certainly see them being in the mix for a Derek Carr. I think that he'd be a pretty ideal scheme fit, especially for what Mike McDaniel likes to do on offense, so I think that if the Dolphins are moving off of Tua or looking for Tua Tagovailoa insurance, I think that Derek Carr might be a name to watch there. Talking to Matt Lombardo, for the Derek Carr market, who are some of the teams that you're hearing on the Derek Carr front?

Yeah, I think it's the same names that we've heard all along. I think that the the Jets would be in the mix there. I think that the 49ers will be in the mix, and honestly I'm not sure that there's a better fit than Tampa Bay if they believe that that division is as wide open as it seems to be on paper. They just lost Tom Brady. They need a veteran quarterback. Their offense still has a lot of weapons with Chris Godwin potentially coming back and with Mike Evans.

I think that they could be a team to be involved both in the Derek Carr sweepstakes and for Jimmy Garoppolo if he shakes loose as well. If you had to make a prediction now, Matt, who's starting for the Niners week one? Because you've thrown out a few of these guys that are available. Now Brock Purdy is going to be out, it looks like, for six months maybe. Trey Lance is still on the roster. Week one, who do you think is starting for the Niners?

Boy, that's a tough one. You know, I think that most likely might be Brock Purdy because he's cheap, but if they go outside the organization, I still think they're going to be big players in the Aaron Rogers sweepstakes. Interesting, and really for the most part it seems like there's not been a lot of conversation about Rogers ending up with the 49ers just because from what we've been told right from from some of the reporters, and obviously you're one of them, so this is why it's compelling to me because it's different, is that the Packers really aren't considering the NFC.

They might wind up having to, right? Depending on what the offers come in, if the Jets don't blow them away and if they truly want to move off of Rogers and they think that, and if the 49ers can offer them the kind of package that they're looking for, I just don't know why they would limit the market look. We've seen it happen before Donovan McNabb gets traded within the same division.

We've seen quarterbacks go within conferences changing uniforms time and time again. I just have this sense that that might be posturing to try to get San Francisco to up their offer. Because listen, Aaron Roberts was very nearly a San Francisco 49er leading up to the NFL draft in 2020, so it's not as if this will be an unheard of scenario and a situation that probably at the bare minimum was explored between these two franchises just two years ago. Talking to Matt Lombardo, what are you hearing about the commanders? Because are they really going to go into this year starting Sam Halleck quarterback or are they going to be in play for one of these QBs? It sure sounds like it, Zach, that they're going to stick with Sam Halleck, but you know you look at some of these other teams on the tertiary of the fringes of these veteran quarterback conversations.

Teams like the commanders, teams like the Colts, teams like the Panthers. That's just going to make this offseason so wild and I do think that it might lead to a situation where whether it's Washington or Carolina or somebody else, you might see a quarterback get traded that you had no idea was even on the market because teams are just going to be pretty desperate to get their guy, especially in a year where there might only be three or four legitimate top-tier quarterbacks in this draft. Could you speculate on who that quarterback that wouldn't shock us but maybe not surprise you if he gets dealt this offseason? I couldn't think on that one, Zach, but I think that most likely I think the commanders stay in-house, but I just think that you know when you look at the outlook of the entire offseason, I really think that the quarterback movement is going to be more fascinating than the coaching carousel has been just because there are so many teams within me at that position. Wrapping up with Matt Lombardo, man if the commanders really stick with Sam Halleck, they just confuse me because they have a really, I think they have a good team when you look at some of the weapons with Jahan Dodson, obviously Terry McLaurin, their front seven.

I like what I saw out of Bryan Robinson Jr. this year. Last year they go with Wentz, it made no sense why they gave up that much and I know Howell played well the final week of the season, but I would not get what they're doing if they're starting Sam Howell week one. Yeah, I mean I guess the other option here is that if the Packers decide that they're all in on Aaron Rodgers, maybe they make a play for Julian Love. I don't think that they're in a position they might trade up to get a quarterback, but I don't know what sense that makes to give up even more draft capital. They just seem like they're a team that, kind of like the Indianapolis Colts, can't figure out that position with so much talent around them and maybe they look at Howell as this is the shot to see if they can get their quarterback situation under control with a young guy on a rookie contract while adding some other pieces around in this offseason.

It's going to be interesting, that's for sure, in a division where I think that they're a very clear-cut fourth best team. How much of a chance do you give it that Lamar Jackson gets dealt this offseason? 20%, only because I know and I've heard multiple places that there's very real frustration over how he handled the second half of this season when it comes to not showing up, you know, traveling with the team for the playoff game. There are some real hurt feelings on both sides in terms of how these negotiations have played out, but at the end of the day, Zach, the Ravens really have no impetus to trade him. They can franchise tag him twice and I don't know that they're going to want to turn the reins over to Huntley or anyone else on that roster or they would be able to go out and get another quarterback that could put them in a position that Lamar Jackson does. This just feels like it's barreling down the tracks towards two franchise tags and you figure it out from there, but again, I don't think it's a 0% chance.

I put it somewhere between 20 and 25% that he gets dealt. Last thing I'll ask you, Matt Lombardo, if it goes the way that I read it, do you think it was the right call by D'Amico Ryans to pick the Texans over the Broncos? I do, only because I think that coming home meant a lot to D'Amico Ryans and I think there is some really good young talent on that roster on the defensive side of the football in Houston and depending on what happens on draft night, he's going to get a chance to coach or have the number one quarterback or worst case the number two quarterback in this class at the face of his franchise moving forward. I think there's a lot to like about the Denver job, obviously one of the wealthiest ownership groups in the sport and an ownership group that seems committed to riding the ship there with great talent on both sides of the ball too, but I don't know that if I'm D'Amico Ryans, if I look and see what happened and I'm a defensive-minded head coach and I watch what happened with Russell Wilson last year, I don't know that I stamped my ticket, staked my reputation, staked potentially my head coaching career on Russell Wilson. When I can go and get a rookie quarterback, I can hire an all-star offensive coordinator and I can try to do it at home in my hometown and a town that values me.

I think it's a great long-term play and a great long-term fit for D'Amico. Matt Lombardo, appreciate the time, thanks so much. You got it, facts, see you in Phoenix.

You got it, we'll see you out there, thanks so much. There's Matt Lombardo, we'll come on back, we'll chat about some Jimmy G destinations next. The biggest game of the year, the Super Bowl, is on Odyssey and Westwood One brings it to you, streaming live for free Sunday February 12th on the Odyssey app. The Eagles have been the NFC's best team. It's the Eagles versus the Chiefs. The Kansas City Chiefs. The Philadelphia Eagles are going to the Super Bowl again. Catch all the action from Westwood One. Your Super Bowl, your Odyssey.

Get in the game and download the free Odyssey app today. The biggest game of the year, the Super Bowl, is on Odyssey and Westwood One brings it to you, streaming live for free Sunday February 12th on the Odyssey app. The Eagles have been the NFC's best team. Touchdown Travis Kelce. It's the Eagles versus the Chiefs. The Kansas City Chiefs. The Philadelphia Eagles are going to the Super Bowl again. Catch all the action from Westwood One. Your Super Bowl, your Odyssey.

Get in the game and download the free Odyssey app today. The biggest game of the year, the Super Bowl, is on Odyssey and Westwood One brings it to you, streaming live for free Sunday February 12th on the Odyssey app. The Eagles have been the NFC's best team. Touchdown Travis Kelce. It's the Eagles versus the Chiefs. The Kansas City Chiefs.

The Philadelphia Eagles are going to the Super Bowl again. Catch all the action from Westwood One. Your Super Bowl, your Odyssey.

Get in the game and download the free Odyssey app today. You're listening to the Zach Gelb Show. Zach Gelb Show CBS Sports Radio. Hickey, if the commanders start Sam Howell, game one next year.

Am I lost here? Like, I can't understand with all the quarterbacks available. And I know he played well up against the Cowboys in that final game of the season. But, right, remember a time when Matt Flynn played well and then Russell Wilson walks in and beat him out for the job after they gave him that contract?

I don't get why a lot of people are believing, and I know what the the commanders have said about him, but there's one thing to say at a press conference. I don't get how Sam Howell is starting week one for the commanders next year. Here's the only way I can think of it happening, and I don't think it'd be the commanders, again, playing A, B, C, D, or maybe even E. Let's say if they're fixated on Aaron Rodgers, and that's maybe a possibility, let's say just a possibility. Derek Carr, like, I guess the question is who's gonna be the first domino to fall? Is it gonna be Derek Carr? Is it gonna be Jimmy G? Or is everyone gonna kind of wait and see is Aaron Rodgers the move? If Aaron Rodgers is not the first domino, I wonder if the commanders will be active and just say, you know what? Screw it. Let's just go get Jimmy G. Kind of like what they did last year with Carson Wentz, but if they wait for Aaron Rodgers, and eventually you maybe think you have a chance and he doesn't go there, and then you're sitting there like, what do we do now? That's the only way I would say that happens.

You miss out. Let me also just say this about Sam Howell, and I'm about to say something. I'm not saying Sam Howell is gonna be anywhere close to this type of player, but I'm just using it as a circumstance. At one point, we talked about Sam Howell as being a first-round pick at one point, and then throughout his college career, that obviously did fade away. There was a time where Justin Herbert was a lock to be the number one overall quarterback it felt like in the draft, and then surprisingly, he went back to college, and after that the stock did fall on Justin Herbert, but he still won six overall. But you had two quarterbacks go in front of him, in Joe Burrow and to Atunga Vailoa, and then Herbert went to six. So the stock did kind of fall on Herbert, but he still was a top six quarterback, or top six player selected in the draft in the third quarterback off the board. In a much, much, much, much, much, much different way, where Sam Howell is being talked about as potentially a first-round pick, and then his last year at UNC, they lost so much around him, and he falls into the fifth round. Is maybe Sam Howell closer to being a second-round quarterback or a third-round quarterback, and his stock just plummeted, and he's not actually as bad as a quarterback as what you would think when you get drafted in the fifth round?

Absolutely could be the case, but for what we've been kind of talking about with this roster, where it is right now, you've got to at least try to get someone that you feel good about. Not a, I don't want to say a project, but I guess let's say a question mark on Sam Howell, which like I said, maybe we've seen other quarterbacks pan out from later rounds. You don't have to be the number one overall pick in order to be a great quarterback, but it's also a big risk when you kind of have a team that's ready to win right now, and you're gonna just go throw out a question mark, which you've been doing for the last, I mean, decade, to be nine, two decades, like they've been doing it for a while. You look at Sam Howell's numbers though, at his three years at UNC, 10,283 passing yards, 92 touchdowns passing, 23 interceptions. Pretty good numbers. Now, numbers don't tell the entire story, but it's kind of crazy that a quarterback that had 38 touchdowns, seven interceptions, 30 touchdowns, and seven interceptions, and what he had was quote-unquote a bad year in 2021, where there was expectations that he didn't live up to the hype. He still went 24 touchdowns, nine interceptions after losing all those weapons. So I just wonder, really, when you when you look at Sam Howell, just like what is he as a quarterback? I kind of think, and this is what maybe the commanders are thinking, that he's a lot better than where they got him in the fifth round. But if you're Ron Rivera, if you are anyone in that Washington team, don't you owe it to the roster to be like, we got to get some sort of like enough of the question marks or the hope projects or just like we are getting a bona fide start.

And let me just correct myself here or re-emphasize this. Once again, I don't want to see Sam Howell starting week one for the commanders, but you know what that conversation's similar to? His final year with UNC? A little bit like Jordan Love at Utah State. When Jordan Love was at Utah State, you got to remember he had that one really big year, and the year after that you had the coaching staff change.

You also had him lose like his entirety of the offensive line, and then his numbers weren't that great. And he still won in the first round. So I want to know what else, not only just what allowed Sam Howell dropping out of the first round, but what made him fall all the way to the fifth round.

Because that is a massive fall from grace. When at one point you were talked about being a first-round pick, to then going to the fifth round in a year, let me remind you by the way, where we had one quarterback go in the first round last year, and you had the next quarterback was what? It was Desmond Ritter who was off the board. Right, and then it was Malik Willis sitting after that. Malik Willis, we spent months talking about him being a first-round pick. So there was a, there could probably be a 30 for 30, I don't know how entertaining it would be, on what the heck happened to the 2022 NFL quarterback draft class.

Because you had, and maybe it's more so we all said that quarterback draft class is not that good, but we're just accustomed to at least two guys going in the first round, usually three guys going in the first round, because it's such a need position. I can't wait until we have Ron Rivera, we get Ron Rivera on at the Super Bowl every year, we have him scheduled again coming up at the Super Bowl. I'm like, that may be the interview I'm most excited for, just because I can't wait to talk to him about his quarterback conversation. I may set him down, Ron I love you, what the heck were you doing trading all those picks for Carson Wentz? I'm gonna shake his hands. Ron, I admire you. That's right.

Thank you, sir. Hickey's gonna be like, Mr. Rivera, do you need a water? We'll get you all the waters you want. All week too, not just in this interview, I will be here all week for you.

Whatever you need. Ron Rivera's gonna be like, who's this weird producer that's been following me around, all around Radio Row, being a sycophant. Yeah, now Hickey's going to the Super Bowl.

All right, very nice. And Ak, aren't you, you were very once close with Ron Rivera, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah.

In Chicago? Yeah, we used to work together. You'll have to ask him the time when Doug Buffone was gonna teach me how not to fumble. I'm sure that Ron will remember that one. Wait, there's like a story, there's an actual story behind this? Well, it was, it wasn't huge.

I mean, it would, nobody, nothing the listeners would like, but it was, but it was humorous. But yeah, Ron, Ron and I used to work a lot of Saturday afternoons together, and he'd come in and, and I'd say, hey, we having subs from Barbarino's, and I'd run out in between, I'd call, call pick it up. Did you drop the subs?

No, I never dropped the subs. You had a fumbling issue, I didn't know. No, no, no, and it was, Doug Buffone was just this football player through and through, and one day he sees me holding a Snapple, but he goes, come on, I'll show you how not to fumble. I'm like, what are you talking about? He goes, the bottle's the ball.

I'm like, it's a glass bottle, Doug. But anyway, so Ron and I, Ron and I used to work together. He's the greatest guy you'll ever meet, and as a matter of fact, I think this is a really a testament to who he is. When I first got to Chicago, there was a bowl of, a bowl of Rama that day for charity, and so they're introducing me to the staff, and there's this guy, they introduced me to Ron, who's sitting behind what ultimately is like the shoe counter where you get your shoes. So he's sitting behind the counter, so I have no idea, like he's got a big upper body, but I have no idea how big he is, and he says Ron, nice to meet you, and we're talking for like, I'm not kidding. And you didn't know it was Ron Rivera? I never saw him without his helmet on. I knew, I knew, I knew his career really well, but he's, I never saw him without a helmet. He's sitting behind a desk, and we talked for literally an hour, I would say.

If it wasn't an hour, maybe it was like 50 minutes, and he was like the friendliest guy, never once did even like hint that he played football. Yeah, and I'm like, and they like, oh you met Rivera, and I'm like, who's that? You know, it was Ronny, and I'm like, wait, wait, Ron Rivera, the same guy that played for, they're like, yeah.

Never, never said, I had no idea. When they were teaching you how not to fumble, did they have Rivera line up and try to tackle you? Ronny was like my, like my big brother when I worked at the station.

Really? Yeah, he was, he was. I knew you guys, I didn't know you guys were that close. He was like a big brother to me. But that's just, it's, it wasn't so much that we were that close, that's the type of personality he was, and that was the type of personality I was. But as I said, Doug, so Doug Buffone is this football player through and through, and for some reason on this Saturday morning, he wants to show me how not to fumble, and, and, and I'm like sitting there going, this is not good, and I'm like, you know, I understand, but like Doug's like, oh yeah, I'll show you, don't worry, you won't fumble, and I'm like, I'm like thinking myself, because Dougie had a very heavy hand, and if he, if I drop this, like not only do I not have anything to drink the whole day, but like there's nobody around, it's a Saturday, there's gonna be shards of glass all over, I got to clean up all the, all the iced tea that's about to spill, you know, sticky situation, and so I'm like, you know, trying to hold off Doug, and I'm like, and he comes charging at me as if, you know, I'm one of the Green Bay Packers.

Like an Oklahoma drill. Yeah, exactly, and he wraps me up, and, go to HR, you could have got a nice little lawsuit, and again, you know, he wraps me up, he's got this, and I'm holding on to this Stappel bottle for dear life, you know, and, you know, and, and, and like, and fine, so Rod happened to be walking by when this happened, and he goes, all right, all right, you know, forward progress stopped. He saved your life. That's exactly what I said to him, I'm like, Ronnie, you just saved my life. What a story. So yeah, I don't know if he'll remember that, but that's, that's one of the, one of the good ones that I, that I have with him, so it's like, like, it means more to me than it probably, anybody listening who's probably like, click, right now.

Sorry about that. You know, JR's lost his audience from the lead-in, you know. Zach Gilp shows CBS Sports Radio, so yeah, we have Ron on every year, but I can't wait to talk to him this year. First off, now we're gonna have to bring up back and, and actually see how much he remembers Rich Ackerman, but the other part, the quarterbacks, as good of a coach Ron is in DC, and also what he did at Carolina, the quarterbacks in DC talked about building the roster first, then getting their guy, and I don't think he could be that picky, then they did go all-in for Carson Wentz, which never made any sense to me, and I have a tough time thinking that Sam Howell is actually going to be the guy for them come week one, but they do a lot of bizarre things at the quarterback position, so maybe to make that conversation be less contentious and less awkward, we'll just bring up Rich Ackerman, and maybe it'll be awkward if Ron doesn't remember who he is, and then... He'll storm off immediately.

Ackerman, yeah, I have a pending lawsuit against that guy. I gotta run away from him. Maybe gonna bring you the Super Bowl, Ack. I'll take that. Gonna be awfully quiet around here. Yeah, we'll private jet you just in for the day. There you go, I like that. On the Odyssey jet, just to make sure that you have the conversation with Rich Ackerman.

Is that a paper airplane? I didn't say you were gonna get there, One Piece. I just said we'll get you on the jet.

All right, well come on back, I promise when we come on back, we'll talk about some Jimmy G destinations. Odyssey. Get in the game and download the free Odyssey app today. The biggest game of the year, the Super Bowl, is on Odyssey, and Westwood One brings it to you, streaming live for free, Sunday, February 12th, on the Odyssey app. The Eagles have been the NFC's best team. Touchdown, Travis Kelce! It's the Eagles versus the Chiefs. The Kansas City Chiefs. The Philadelphia Eagles are going to the Super Bowl again. Catch all the action from Westwood One. Your Super Bowl, your Odyssey.

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Get in the game and download the free Odyssey app today. You're listening to the Zach Gelb Show. You can take a rally auto part for your car care needs.

Guaranteed low prices and excellent customer service from the professional parts people at a rally auto parts. So Hickey, when we sit down with Ron Rivera next week on Wednesday or Thursday, I forget what he's joining us, you actually think he'll remember Ack after the extensive conversation that we just had with Ack about Ron Rivera? I think so. Ack does not seem like someone who would be easy to make it up or well that's also true. He's not someone who's easy to forget. Ack's a very peculiar person. He is and I don't think he would overhype or over dramatize his relationship or you know friendship with Ron Rivera.

Yeah you don't really get Ack going on much. So the fact that we could have talked to him about like Ron Rivera for 20 minutes makes me think that that is actually a genuine relationship and that was right after Ron stopped playing football and before he went into coaching and he was doing I guess the media at the radio station that Ack was talking about. So I would say that Rivera probably remembers it.

Like Ron's a very genuine good dude and a well-respected guy so I feel like he's the type of guy that just remembers every single person that he meets. That's not like that was just like a one-off. They worked together I think for like two years or something like that so.

This was at that point what about 30, 35 years ago roughly? I wonder what kind of person Ack was if he's changed or not. Like maybe we'll see. Like the Ack that we know now is like a sweetheart right? Oh yeah.

So imagine. He's like a party animal, crazy man. Hey Ronnie remember Rich Ackerman? Yeah what a jerk that guy was.

I hated him. We got 20 minutes on this interview? Alright let me tell you 15 of you will just rip Ack.

That dude had the biggest ego I've ever met. Oh that would be awesome. That would be great.

That would just make it worth to go to Arizona just if we have Ron Rivera trashing Ack next week. I don't hate anybody but there's one man. Alright anyway so I had some thoughts here on some potential Jimmy G destinations. So I put together one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight destinations and I gave you my thoughts on them.

You tell me if you agree or disagree with my analysis. Start with the commanders. I think Jimmy G would be a really good quarterback or it would be a good destination for him to land with the commanders.

It's just money. You just sign into a contract, probably get like a two, three year deal, something like that and you look at that team they have talent there. You got Terry McLaurin, you got Johan Dotson, you have Brian Robinson Jr. I know that roster is not as good as the 49ers but it's a similar type of situation. It's the JV version of the 49ers where you have a monster front seven. I know that division is so tough in the NFC East but you got some pieces there where they just need competent quarterback play to maybe go make a run to get into the playoffs. They just haven't had a competent quarterback play the last two, three years. Would you say they're better than the Giants if they get Jimmy G next year?

Yeah. Now we don't know what the Giants are going to improve this offseason but the Giants and the commanders were neck-and-neck. They had two big games down the stretch. Now Jimmy G could also get hurt and then that goes right out the window and you're back in the same problem where you're at now where Sam Howell could be your quarterback next year but the commanders have more talent than Ross than the Giants. I'd agree that's why if you get Jimmy G a competent quarterback if he gets a healthy, it should be in the playoff mix. The Raiders I think it'd be very underwhelming. You get rid of Derek Carr, you're expecting to bring in a much better quarterback and then you bring in Jimmy G. I think it would be a move that yes there's familiarity there with Josh McDaniels but I think a lot of Raiders fans would be like eh, very underwhelming. Are we looking at this from the player or the team perspective? Let's do it from the team perspective.

I would say underwhelming. The only tough part for the Raiders is outside of Derek Carr where's the upgrade? Outside of Aaron Rodgers where's the upgrade?

It's fair. That's the thing if it's Rodgers or Buss then no matter who it is it's gonna probably be underwhelming which then Jimmy G would fall into sure but I'd say you could do a lot worse than Jimmy G. Now with Brady out of the picture they have to go get Rodgers. They got no choice now like either the Jets or the Raiders. Now Rodgers may not want to go to either but if it's between like the Jets and the Raiders one of them has to find the way to go get Rodgers. If Rodgers interested in both of them those two teams have to be as desperate as desperate could be because those teams are desperate right now. Maybe that's where the Malenbar some of the three first-round picks we had the Raiders say take them all.

Yeah we can't we got a swing here and we can't miss. I don't see how Rodgers gets stuff for three first-round picks. I think it's one and then some I could maybe see two but there's no way he's getting traded for three first-round picks.

He's 38. And I would agree but that again I guess the only situation where that maybe could come to fruition is the Raiders saying we have this is like it's Rodgers there's no bust we're not going back Dan the boats or was it burn the boats? If I'm Mark Davis then I'm stepping in and saying yeah. David Zeigler and Josh McDaniels I'll go get a deal done to get Aaron Rodgers and not give up three first-round picks. The Jets if they get Jimmy G it's weird now LaFleur is not there I know he's still got Salah. I think a month month and a half ago we would all be like yeah Jimmy G to the Jets makes sense. I just think Carr even though I don't think Carr is is really fit for New York I do think Carr and Rodgers are better options than Jimmy G for where the Jets are currently constructed. It's a pipe dream I'll admit it but I if you want to throw Lamar Jackson there as well like there are three quarterbacks that I could see Jets fans circling before we get to Jimmy G. The tough part with Jimmy G and Jimmy G may be a better quarterback than Derek Carr but Jimmy G is available what every other year? I'd rather have Carr just because not that I think Carr is wonderful because at least for guys that are pretty much neck-and-neck at least Carr gets on the field. Jimmy G's more accomplished but Carr is on the field more and I don't want to have one of the situations why we're a Jets fan which I'm not where you go with Jimmy G and then Jimmy G does what kind of happens all the time with Jimmy G as an injury. I'd much rather go with Carr. Well the good news is it's an even year next year so he's gonna be good to go. 2019, 2021, 2023. Dolphins.

Here's my thought. Why would Jimmy Garoppolo go to the Dolphins? I think it's a good destination but I still think Tua is going to be there and let's say even if they started Jimmy G week one if he doesn't play well then they're gonna go back to two or maybe they start Tua from the start. I don't think Jimmy G would want to go to the Dolphins because it's not a guarantee that he starts. And if you're the Dolphins and you're looking to bring in another quarterback I don't think you're gonna go from let's say a guy who's injury riddled in Tua to a guy who's injury prone in Jimmy G. Ravens. If they trade Lamar I don't think Jimmy G's a bad option. Jimmy G doesn't really have much of an ego. He'll be okay without there being these elite wide receivers there and you know it's kind of manage the game and really have that defense win.

Win games like 20 to 17 I think Jimmy G could do that. It's not a bad option. It's a drop-off from Lamar but if you trade Lamar there's worse situations to have a gap guy, a bridge guy.

I think the word's perfect. A bridge guy right? Whether it's drafting someone later on or you try to take a big swing later on like Jimmy G for a year or two with this team still competitive and can make the playoffs good option. The Titans. My reaction would be how much better than Tannehill because Jimmy G and Ryan Tannehill are similar in one way in that in the big moments and I know Jimmy G right? Tannehill's been an AFC title game. Jimmy G has been in two NFC title games and a Super Bowl but in the big moments it seems like as you move further and further along eventually Jimmy G meets his match when the stage gets the brightest and he has his shortcomings.

I think it's similar to kind of Tannehill. And less mobility if you want to kind of you know run that similar offensive they've been running recently where you kind of have the quarterback do you know have a quarterback keep. Jimmy G's not gonna do that. The Cardinals. I don't think Jimmy G would want to go there because you may only be the starter for half the season. If Murray is able to come back halfway through the year money's gonna dictate Kyler Murray being the starting quarterback there. And even if he's out the full year I'm not sure if the Cardinals want to win. Like if they trade DeAndre Hopkins and let's just say they're very extra careful with Kyler. And you're bringing in a new coach you just brought in a new GM Monty Osenford. It's it's a wash year. You might as well just you know get as high as you can at that point. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

It would be a fine option. Brady though is a much better quarterback as you know than Jimmy G and look how much they struggled last year. Like it's a fine bridge guy but I don't think that team's gonna be all the sudden a team that you look at is that is a threat with Jimmy Garoppolo as quarterback. I would say division leader right now. Bucks. Not saying much. No now again right they just won at eight and nine.

I would still say you bring Jimmy G. I would at least respect that they are still going for it. Okay. Zach Gelb shows CBS Sports Radio five questions five answers when we return. We'll do a little on sides off side. Back in five you don't want to miss it. Make sure you follow us Twitter and Instagram at Zach Gelb.

Z-A-C-H-G-E-L-B. You can see all the behind the scenes coming up next week when we make our trip to Arizona in the desert. Your odyssey get in the game and download the free odyssey app today. The biggest game of the year the Super Bowl is on Odyssey and Westwood One brings it to you.

Streaming live for free Sunday February 12th on the Odyssey app. The Eagles have been the NFC's best team. Touchdown Travis Kelce. It's the Eagles versus the Chiefs. The Kansas City Chiefs. The Philadelphia Eagles are going to the Super Bowl again. Catch all the action from Westwood One. Your Super Bowl. Your Odyssey. Get in the game and download the free odyssey app today.