Aaron Rodgers Makes Demands (Hour 1)

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That's C-A-C-H-G-E-L-B. Guest wise today, three coaches that will be participating in the NCAA tournament an hour 20 from now. The head coach of the Ivy League champs at Princeton, Mitch Henderson will join us and then now at number three will be joined by Bruce Pearl of Auburn and then of course Jim Larranaga of the Miami Hurricanes as you do have a good matchup between Auburn and Iowa. A little 8-9 matchup in the NCAA tournament and for Jim Larranaga, teams who squad did go to the Elite Eight last year. Isaiah Wong is back and better than the year before. They will go up against Drake.

Miami is a five seed and they'll participate in the NCAA tournament coming up on Friday. So a whole lot to do but first up producing the extravaganza for the next four hours is no other than Hot Te Kiki. I don't know about that Hot Te Kiki. So two things on the Aaron Rodgers front. One o'clock tomorrow on the east coast Aaron Rodgers is going to do an interview with Pat McAfee.

We'll get into what that means in just a second. Then Diana Rossini and I know we joked last week that Aaron Rodgers has a few riders in his demands with the New York Jets and I made like the cheesy line of a dark cave instead of locker rooms, ayahuasca for all and then I put in Randall Cobb as well. That was probably the most serious I was out of the three with Randall Cobb in what was supposed to be a tweet that was in a joking manner but Diana Rossini today says that Aaron Rodgers is demanding to the Jets Randall Cobb, Allen Lazard, Mercedes Lewis and drum roll please, Odell Beckham Jr. Now Allen Lazard, I know it's not official, but he's agreed to terms wherever you want to put that nonsense to a contract with the New York Jets for four years, $44 million. I do believe and I've been saying this now for what two weeks that Aaron Rodgers is going to be a member of the New York Jets but let's just say by the smallest of chances that Aaron Rodgers is not on the New York Jets, the Allen Lazard deal is still a good deal for gang green that does have Garrett Wilson, that does have Elijah Moore and Allen Lazard, even though he's best friends or really close with Aaron Rodgers, he's still a good player in this league and when you look at where the money is in the year of 2023 for a player that is productive, not saying he's great, not saying he's exceptional, that is not breaking the bank in bringing in a third wide receiver or someone that could even play a number two wide receiving role. So I do like the Allen Lazard role but if you may look at this and say, I don't want Randall Cobb, I don't want Mercedes Lewis, that is what it costs when you want to bring in Aaron Rodgers because if you look at Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay, he wanted a few years ago to be more involved and wanted to be brought in the conversations when it came in getting rid of guys and also bringing guys in and you look at Green Bay, sure he had a special thing going with Devante Adams and we've seen him get his way in bringing in Randall Cobb. There was also, remember that press conference from two years ago when he came back and he was like I don't like this guy that got cut, I don't like how this guy, how he got handled at the end and we were like going through the list and we were like what did those guys do after leaving Green Bay, really nothing special. Now you can make the case Rodgers has the connection, Rodgers has the synergy with them, so those guys work together and if they would have stayed in Green Bay could they have continued to have success with those guys? Absolutely, but it's not like anyone that left Green Bay went on to have this unbelievable career where you're like, oh my goodness gracious I regret letting that guy go outside of Devante Adams, but that was different going back to the contract last year and pretty much Rodgers taking forever and Adams not being getting his tender loving care basically drove Devante Adams out and now he's with this clown show that is the Las Vegas Raiders. So I don't have a problem with these Rodgers demands and I know some people are going to say, oh well he's not going to connect with the young wide receivers in New York, no I think you're missing the point.

I believe he'll be able to connect with Garrett Wilson. I don't know how Elijah Moore will take this because remember Elijah Moore had issues with his targets last year, but what Aaron Rodgers is doing is he's trying to find the middle ground where he's blending in pieces of the Jets roster that he likes and also bringing in his guys as well. I don't think there's any harm in bringing in Allen Lazard. If you want to bring in Odell Beckham Jr., I'm for that. I'm okay with Odell Beckham Jr. becoming a member of the New York Jets. If you wind up, even if that means Elijah Moore is annoyed and you have to trade him and he gets disgruntled, if you have a receiving core of Allen Lazard, Odell Beckham Jr. and Garrett Wilson who just won the Rookie of the Year, I think that's enough for Aaron Rodgers and it's more than what he really has in Green Bay now.

Because yeah, Christian Watson is a heck of a player. Lazard is now over to the Jets. So I think Rodgers is just trying to get the most amount of talent in there because whether you want to say it was fair or not, the last few years how many times have we bitched about an Aaron Rodgers-led team and a Packers organization not going all out to get the best group of talent in there for Aaron Rodgers?

Now is Mercedes Lewis really this great productive player? No, but there's no harm in bringing him in and I don't know if you're necessarily going to get every single person, but I think this is starting to make sense where we've been asking the question for the last few days, why is Rodgers waiting? Why is Rodgers waiting?

I think we have the answer for it now. He gave the Jets a list of demands and the Jets are now seeing how many guys they could get in and eventually they'll get those guys in like Allen Lazard today or they'll have an idea who else is attainable and how much they'll cost and then Rodgers will get traded to the Jets and I do ultimately believe maybe there will be a restructuring of the contract so he could get the guys that he wants and then you could find a way to move around whatever his number is and move it into future years and things like that so you could find a way where Rodgers is happy, Rodgers then moves around some of his money and you work together to bring in everyone in and that's what I think was really the delay and the dilemma in this and also oh yeah by the way Aaron Rodgers even though he'll never say he craves the attention, he is a drama whore, we all know that and that's what Aaron Rodgers likes, he likes even though he goes all these insiders have no clue, oh you know I laugh at all the things that are being said about me, he loves the conversation that is out there so I think it is as clear as ever especially after the Allen Lazard news today and the other dominoes that are still starting to fall that Rodgers is just oh yeah by the way randomly talked to McAfee who McAfee today said Rodgers not coming on on Tuesday and then all of a sudden after Lazard deal goes down up McAfee is going to get Rodgers on his show and it's going to happen tomorrow at 1 p.m eastern so I there is no doubt in my mind I don't think he's retiring, I don't think he's going back to Green Bay, Aaron Rodgers is playing football next year in 2023 for the New York Jets, the question just becomes will we find it out tomorrow and that's where I'm 50-50 on. I do think tomorrow bare minimum on Pat McAfee's show Aaron Rodgers is going to say I am moving on from the Green Bay Packers, I do think we will get that bare minimum the question is does he just want to say goodbye to Green Bay and then all of a sudden talk about his next team or does he want to give it a day or two buffer period where you move on you have a classy let's say goodbye and then a day or two you go to your next marriage and you go to your next organization that is where I'm caught up on that is where I'm 50-50 if I had to lean one way or another I would probably say tomorrow you get the double whammy where he goes on McAfee means he doesn't have to feed it to Schefter means he doesn't have to feed it to Rappaport, Glaser, Pelosero whoever your favorite NFL and highly respected insider is and I do believe tomorrow 1 p.m eastern after we've already seen Lazar Domino start to fall people are optimistic that Randall Cobb is going to go to the Jets as well we'll see what happens with Mercedes Lewis and Odell Beckham Jr. I do believe that all the speculation that we've had is starting to become truthful and I would say tomorrow Rodgers goes on McAfee says he's off the Packers maybe he says or he's getting traded from the Packers he's done with the Packers they reach a mutual agreement maybe they wait for it officially to be leaked out somewhere else or handled by the Packers of the Jets the announcement I don't know on that front but I do think the end is near if I was a betting man bare minimum we find out tomorrow he's done with the Packers I would probably say that it does make sense now I understand that we're talking with here where Rodgers doesn't follow logic but I would think it does make sense where Rodgers tomorrow officially says I'm done with the Rodgers and I'm going to the New York Jets so that's how I feel about it Rodgers is definitely going to the Jets he's not retiring he is not going back to Green Bay and I think we will find that out tomorrow now Hickey I have seen that you have doubled and tripled and quadrupled down on this as you did release a very entertaining video today where we basically got in a tour a tour of the hot take kicky apartment and you were in a turtleneck and you were walking around and you were like spinning in circles and you were giving your take and you said Aaron Rodgers is still not going to the Jets so now we know tomorrow he's doing something with McAfee we know Allen Lazard is going to the Jets barring something crazy going down and this is like one of those deals that's agreed upon and then when the new league year starts tomorrow on Wednesday it's like oh wait there was a hiccup another team came calling it appears Lazard's going to the Jets I think it appears that Rodgers is going to the Jets are you ready to say and I'll give a differentiating opinion here I'll give an opportunity to welcome in another voice to the show as we always do and you could jump on board as well 855-2124 CBS 855-212-4227 are you ready to say that we will find out tomorrow the decision of Rodgers or at least alter your opinion that Rodgers will either go somewhere else or be retiring before joining the New York Jets we will absolutely not find out tomorrow he's going there's no chance but do you think we will find out bare minimum that he's done with the Green Bay Packers no everyone is expecting some sort of information Aaron Rodgers his oxygen is doing the opposite of what everyone expects him to do so the news is out there from Pat McAfee that Aaron Rodgers is coming on the show and I feel like he's either last year or two years ago this exact thing happened where it's oh Aaron Rodgers is going on Pat McAfee everyone expects a decision to be made no decision was made I'm not living in Groundhog Day again I don't think we're going to or at least I'm not going to get suckered into thinking the same thing over and over and over again I would be okay floored if tomorrow we find out he's done with the Packers or he's playing somewhere else all right so that's one thing now you have been driving this this theory all the way home until the cows come home that you've been driving this idea that another team's going to get involved in the Aaron Rodgers sweepstakes so far it's been crickets crickets crickets on that front are you ready to wave the white flag on the stance that Aaron Rodgers will not be a New York Jet or are you still going to carry on even at the Lazard News that Aaron Rodgers will be playing football somewhere else next year well I will say the Lazard News changes it I put the video out before the Allen Lazard News came out there so look you want to put two and two together it makes sense but here's what I'll say I'll keep the same logic and I'm not going to move my stance because this reason again Aaron Rodgers does the opposite of what everyone expects him to do everyone is saying he's going to the Jets everyone is saying that the deal is done this is happening it also seems like he does the opposite whatever you say would you truly be shocked would you truly sit here for a guy that is unpredictable for him to be playing somewhere else or hell retire at this point I'm done predicting Aaron Rodgers so that's part of reason why I said you know what not going to the Jets I just don't see the logic at this point or any signs that we've received on why he wouldn't be playing for the Jets I think he would prefer to go back to Green Bay but that ship has already sailed and I think he has realized that where Green Bay doesn't want him anymore and this is the first offseason because when they drafted Jordan Love they didn't intend for Jordan Love to play right away with what they have said about Jordan Love I think he's seeing it okay they're done with me so I could say it wasn't me who wanted to leave it was them regardless of who speaks first the Packers are pretty much basically already talking about him in the past tense when you go back to that bizarre Mark Murphy interview at the girls basketball tournament last week at the end of the week on Friday so he's definitely done in Green Bay and I don't think he's ready to retire with all the money that is right there in front of him through this contract so I really do believe that the reason why he's delayed this is he gave the the list to the Jets all these demands uh Randall Cobb Allen Lazard Mercedes Mercedes Lewis Odell Beckham Jr unlimited ayahuasca uh darkness caves instead of locker rooms fireman ed instead of chanting jts jets jets jets is now probably gonna chant go jets go and he wanted to see the financial costs of what all these demands are going to be or the Jets get an idea of what they're gonna have to pay these guys and what their agents are gonna want and how feasible all this is and Rogers was basically saying you do this you do that you get me some of these guys I will come join your football team and then after that we'll wait and then we'll reconstruct your or reconfigure my deal that's what I think is going to happen and I would think right now that tomorrow we are going to get the news that he's done with the Packers and probably most likely that his new football home is with the New York Jets let me ask you this yes so Allen Lazard is basically done what if Joe Douglas says I don't want Randall Cobb what if he says I'm not gonna sign Odell Beckham Jr and Mercedes Lewis doesn't fit what we're doing he doesn't have the negotiation power on all these guys like what if he says no we're not gonna do you may not get all of them you may not get all of them but I do think Randall Cobb is a lock I think Mercedes Lewis is a lock the tricky one I think is going to be Odell and I think the way that Joe Douglas could say is we tried for Odell but he wants 20 million dollars a year and we can't financially fit that so if and maybe they can maybe they can't I don't know and I don't know what Rogers is willing to restructure his deal as but if I'm gonna give you at least three out of the four or two out of the four I think that's enough for Rogers and here's the other thing if that's what it comes down to the Jets you have to do it because you will have egg on your face here if you went all in and you don't get Rogers I know we could all throw out Lamar Jackson I've done it you've done it it doesn't appear that the Jets are in that line of thinking even though I think it would be the better decision so the Jets are are two and deep here and Rogers you have no other options the reality of this is no one else that we know of has made a push for Aaron Rogers I know you said Miami Miami's going with with Tua Tonga by low they already picked up his fifth year option on Tampa Bay that's not a desirable situation right now the Saints have already made their move on Derek Carr the Raiders have already made their move on Jimmy Garoppolo the Jets have put all their chips in and really Rogers this is the only hand you have left so this is gonna happen I don't know how many of those guys are gonna get it get there that Rogers is demanding but this is what happens when you bring in someone like Aaron Rogers and you're not the team that drafted him we've seen in other sports and I know it didn't work out well but look at the Brooklyn Nets they had good culture they had a young up-and-coming roster Duran and Kyrie Irving come in and you hand the keys over and Aaron Rogers has wanted to be a GM practically the last few years and as good of a job as Joe Douglas has done so far he is giving the power to Aaron Rogers right now and I would say nine times out of ten the things that Aaron Rogers will want in the next two three years in New York he's going to get and I've been on the record saying this I don't think the Jets are winning a Super Bowl I don't I don't think the Jets outside of getting to the playoffs next year had these big goals now like if you're Rogers if you're the Jets are going to say we're going all in we're going to get Rogers another Super Bowl we're going to win the the franchise's first championship since Joe Namath did it in Super Bowl 3 but I don't look at this team and say even with the good defense at a young roster that bringing in Rogers who was 13 and 3 13 and 3 13 and 3 and at shortcomings in the playoffs in a in a weaker conference in the NFC all of a sudden he goes to the AFC a tougher conference I don't think you're going to win a Super Bowl they'll be improved they will get to the playoffs you have a playoff game possibly and probably to to go playing maybe more than one but that's where it is right now it's so clear he's going to the Jets and the Jets are going to do whatever it takes and the only way he's not at the Jets is if he retires and I don't think he's ready to retire it is the Zach Yelp show on CBS Sports Radio we will take a break when we come on back we talk about the confusing situation of Aaron Rogers well the Raiders they've already lost me but now they have really lost me we will talk about whatever the heck Josh McDaniel's is doing out in Las Vegas when the Zach Gelb show returns in five minutes you're listening to the Zach Gelb show that Gelb show CBS Sports Radio so I'm starting to get annoyed with my football team hot take Kiki because yes they gave me my wish of actually bringing in an offensive coordinator but as I did say last week to Tom Curran my big fear is that's all they're going to do this offseason because Bill Belichick who I absolutely love can sometimes be stubborn and when everyone says you got to go get a legit offensive coordinator and that be the main point of focus he can now say well I've done that but it does not satisfy the goal and the vision that I had this offseason of bringing in Bill O'Brien bringing in whatever offensive mind with whatever offensive background to run the offense instead of that bozo Matt Patricia and that other incompetent buffoon in Joe Judge but you also had to go add a number one wide receiver and this is the biggest problem with the Patriots post Tom Brady other than losing Tom Brady is they have not adapted their approach in terms of getting legit weapons that are much better than what you had during the Brady era like outside of Randy Moss and Rob Gronkowski I know Wes Welker was very good Julian Edelman was very good but the Patriots could cut corners and they could hide up and cover the warts that they've had on the offensive side of the ball because number 12 was back there leading the entire team and getting the most out of pieces that weren't the most ideal now when you have Mac Jones you have a young quarterback who you wasted his second year in the NFL after what was an encouraging good first year and I do believe Mac Jones can be a good quarterback in this league but I don't know what the ceiling is of Mac Jones because they wasted last year without a sharp offensive mind and also his best receiver was Kendrick Bourne or Jacoby Myers and for some whatever the reasons were Matt Patricia but Kendrick Bourne in the doghouse which was just pure stupidity and now Jacoby Myers on what was a good deal today a three or 33 million dollar deal he goes to the Raiders and I didn't think you had to keep Jacoby Myers but when it was that cheap it would have made sense for the Patriots to keep Jacoby Myers so unless they're going out there and trading for DeAndre Hopkins or they're getting Gabe Davis like a weapon that kind of moves the needle a little bit and I don't think the Bills are making a trade with the Patriots in division but unless there is something that's going to happen in a domino that's going to fall that's going to make me or a hickey I have a legitimate concern that pretty much this Patriot season is going to be a waste next year and we're not going to know how good Mac Jones could be because they're telling Mac right now you got the offensive minded coach that's the guy that you wanted now you got to figure out the rest of it and if it's just Damian Harrison or Andre Stephen and really nothing else that's a problem. At what point do you say to yourself and does Robert Kraft say to himself look this is the definition of insanity we're doing the same thing over and over again and a change has to be made. You know what I think is going to happen it goes in years like whatever you ask for only one thing will happen one time a year like we asked for I asked for an offensive coordinator number one wide receiver that offensive coordinator happened then next year the number one wide receiver will happen I do think that the Patriots missed the playoffs this year I don't think Belichick will get fired I don't think we are there yet but I do believe the talks start to pick up and his seat starts to get warmer and warmer and then I do think the year after that is going to be a major major major year for Bill Belichick because you got to remember the first year after Brady the cam just did not work out okay you didn't really expect much you make the playoffs so you give people a taste of getting back to the postseason last year was a disaster if you go two straight years of missing the playoffs that's when I start to think people start to think about changes it doesn't mean that he gets run out of town because the six super ball championships do buy him some time but then I would think three straight years of missing the playoffs would really make Robert Kraft start to rethink things because the tough part now look if you trade for DeAndre Hopkins everything's forgiven I would say so it's like you know if they trade for DeAndre Forget everything I just said right so obviously there's still time and that trade has not been made so you're not out you know there's still a chance to redeem yourself but you're right you look at the Patriots fifth most cap space right now in the NFL 30 million dollars it's not like you had no room to afford the Kobe Myers contract it's like you had an overdose of receivers where you had to get rid of one or two if you were going to next year like I said with no real weapons to help Mac Jones and the weapons you got the last two years have not been very good and now you go in there with no help around them again not even not firing Bill as a coach take away GM responsibilities bring someone in there actually actually can pick players and build a roster so that's one of the areas that Bill's really I think struggled the last few years especially and here's the thing if Devontae Parker is healthy I think he's a good number two option if Kendrick Bourne is allowed to play I think he's a number a good number two option like those are two guys if they're your second and third wide receiver I'm okay with but they don't have a number one so if you're not going to give Jacoby Myers and I don't think Jacoby Myers is the number one but if you're not going to give him the 11 million dollars a year that he was asking for that he ended up getting with the Raiders you then have to bring in a number one and right now and things could change from now until after the draft remember last year we saw AJ Brown get traded right we've seen Tyreek Hill get traded we've seen guys get moves to Fon Diggs a few years ago it has happened that's got to happen this year for New England you got to go get the AJ Brown for Jalen Hurts you got to go get the Tyreek Hill for Tua Tunga Vailoa this is the Fon Diggs for Josh Allen Mack Jones I don't know what he he's going to be but you look at Jalen Hurts and Tua and you look at Josh Allen did anyone see great things and like unbelievable things on the football field before you started to actually go get talent Brady cover that up for years now you have to go and change and alter your approach and bring in the big guns they have to do it well that has to be your ultimate goal for 2023 forget the playoffs if you have if we are sitting here in January of 2024 and at least you have an answer one way or another on Mack Jones I would say that season is is a success where they make the playoffs tonight secondary but at least if you can identify if the quarterback you have is the guy going forward I would say okay fine and part of getting that answer is putting the right pieces around him and I don't think you can get a true answer on Mack Jones if we're sitting here at the wide receiver room you have now going into 2023 and that's what he's working with and then this is the problem if you don't get a number one wide receiver this year and you wait till the next year then you're on year number four and you go through year number four you could pick up his fifth year option before the start of next season but then it's like okay you got to eventually pay him or you just let him ride out that fifth year and then maybe Bill walks after that maybe it breaks the Schuler record and he walks away after that and then he says okay everyone else's problems are in the hands of somebody else whoever the next head coach is in New England now on the other side of this Jacoby Myers goes to the Raiders I was a little bit caught off guard by that but when that move does go down I thought to myself okay that meant the end for Hunter Renfro well I was wrong on that it meant the end for Darren Waller who we were all over this story a year ago if you recall at the draft there was rumors that Darren Waller was going to get traded to the Packers we had Darren Waller on and the story blew up because he said he talked to McDaniel's and the new regime and they said they aren't going to trade him so this makes me think this has been in the works for a year they just didn't pull the trigger last year and I saw some report that at the deadline they could have got a second round pick back from the Green Bay Packers at this year's deadline for Darren Waller and now all you get back is a third round pick from the New York Giants first off Giants you made a heck of a trade but I don't get this move for the Raiders because if you're going to trade someone trade Renfro you just brought in Jacoby Myers and you line up Josh Jacobs Devante Adams you have Jacoby Myers and Darren Waller and now you have Jimmy Garoppolo in there who's fine as a quarterback but those are better options than maybe keeping Renfro and getting rid of Darren Waller and now there's this report from Vic Tafer that 10 days ago that Josh McDaniel's by mistake I don't know if there was any ill intentions here leaked out that Darren Waller was getting married and then Darren Waller was annoyed at Josh McDaniel's for doing that because he wanted to keep it private so I don't know if that beef reignited these trade talks and maybe Josh McDaniel's like how dare Darren Waller have any attitude with me or how dare he get annoyed at me for something that's a private matter and on his front and something that should have never got out and maybe he said bleep that we're just going to trade him for whatever we could get and the Giants they helped their young quarterback but for the Raiders I just don't know what they're doing because they do have talent on that roster but you still got to fix that offensive line you still got to fix that defense I know they got Epps today but the Raiders are really making me scratch my head and I just don't get what they're trying to accomplish and that's a problem yeah I don't know the direction they're going for because in one sense you think okay they're going for the playoffs because you signed Jimmy G you you know you uh which were called Adams a year ago franchise Josh Jacobs as well so at least this year you made it seem like okay we're still gonna make a playoff push and look I get he's been hurt the last two years and that's been a big problem he's just 14 games so Darren Waller Darren Waller's availability has been a major problem for the Raiders but he's still very very talented tight end if you were going for the playoffs you'd still rather take the chance of him being on your roster than not especially for the return you're getting in the third round pick is not exactly great so it's like what are you trying to accomplish are you trying to be a playoff team are you trying to just you know rebuild and reload and maybe have an eye on 2024 2025 it seems like they're in between they don't have an idea and that's part of the issue I have with right now this entire regime and it's not like Josh McDaniels gets the benefit of the doubt or should get the benefit of the doubters ever really going to communicate anything great and here's the other thing this contract is pretty much nothing for Darren Waller like I know the base salary is like 11 something million dollars a year but you look at the dead cap they could have got out of it after this year for nothing so I if all you're getting back is a third round pick and I get it there's value in a third round pick but are you going to draft a player that's better than Darren Waller has the upside of Darren Waller most likely no and if so like I know you can say good scouting but you probably just got lucky it is the Zach Gelb show on CBS Sports Radio we will take a break we'll take your phone calls on the other side 855-212-4 CBS 855-212-4227 but when we come on back Austin Eckler has received permission to talk to other teams what is a good landing spot for Austin Eckler if they can't find a way to figure out the contract demands out there in LA with the charges we'll get to that on the other side you're listening to the Zach Gelb show Pixar just to follow up from our conversation a segment ago about the Patriots and right now them not getting a number one wide receiver we've been talking about this via trade I know Bill Belichick's draft record in terms of selecting wide receivers early on in the draft has been horrendous whether it was Chad Jackson um Nikhil Harry but you could span the names of of many years if let's just say and what do they pick 14th or 15th I forget what it was that they select who is perceived to be the best wide receiver in this draft in Jackson Smith and Jigba would that be enough for you in terms of okay New England got their number one wide receiver and you could have Jackson Smith and Jigba as your number one wide receiver Kendrick Bourne and Devante Parker whatever order you want two and three because we didn't get into that angle of the conversation I don't know about enough as a number one I guess the only way I would say okay I get it is if the Patriots are uber aggressive in trading for DeAndre Hopkins and let's just say they got a big or the Cardinals took a team with a little bit of a higher pick and you missed out like if you tried your damnedest to get Hopkins missed out then it's okay here Smith and Jigba is our guy and we're going to see how he develops I would say okay you tried if your whole plan is we're going to have a rookie receiver come in and develop right away to where he's going to be number one just like that a little worried about that I would double dip because what is Hopkins going to going to cost you remember the last deal was basically you got a bag of footballs for him if you were the the Houston Texans which was crazy and maybe Bill O'Brien ends up helping you this time around for what he did in Houston now could help you get him to New England I know him and O'Brien have to figure out that relationship and where he's at and if it's even feasible but like what a two or like what a two or a three like Darren Wall just went for a third round pick so maybe at best if you're the if you're the cardles you get a two for DeAndre Hopkins and I don't even know if you're going to get that like maybe it's a three that is a conditional three that turns into a two and that's a pretty damn like really not a great price that you have to pay to go get him I would absolutely do that and I would go give up a two or three whatever it costs for DeAndre Hopkins and maybe it doesn't even cost it to maybe it's just a three or four you give up that for DeAndre Hopkins and then you still draft the receiver in your top 15 pick in the draft and you double dip like what the Eagles and the Dolphins did except you do it all in one off season like you look at the Eagles they got Jalen Waddle or excuse me the Dolphins got Jalen Waddle the entire re-kill different off seasons back to back the Eagles drafted Devante Smith then got AJ Brown so go trade for DeAndre Hopkins or try to go trade for DeAndre Hopkins and still go back around with your top 15 pick and get a wide receiver and then if you tell me the receiving core is Jackson Smith and Jigba or Johnson from TCU and you also have DeAndre Hopkins with Kendrick Bourne and in addition to that Devante Parker and you have two good running backs and Ramondre Stevenson with Damien Harris like okay I can start to see the resemblance of a more than competent offense that we could find out if Mac Jones is the guy or not. I will be honest I forgot about the Bill O'Brien and DeAndre Hopkins dynamic which could put a damper. Could complicate things. But I'll throw this out there. If there's one guy that can make it work though it's Belichick.

Possibly. Or maybe Jack Easterby. If Hopkins is off the table just because of the past relationship what about I think this would be acceptable a Courtland Sutton trade and Jackson Smith and Jigba. Broncos reported they're looking to dish a receiver doesn't sound like they have a priority either one.

I'm not thrilled to Jerry Judy so I'm not sure I'd be going crazy about him. Courtland Sutton is solid but I don't think he's the number one. You get him with I'm saying if you can pair him and just get another solid receiver with Jackson Smith and Jigba to take some pressure off of him.

Okay. You get you know again if like you said you like Devante Parker. I think he's similar to Parker and Bourne.

Healthy. It's a tough spot for the Patriots to be in in a year where wide receivers in for agency are not plentiful slash great and not a lot of right now right now disgruntled wide receivers that want out. And I don't think T. Higgins is getting traded anytime soon. Duke Tobin basically said that's your problem if you want T. Higgins. He's not going anywhere. Yeah I don't know like is a Tyler Lockett or is an older guy like that possibly available probably not you would think right now.

855-2124 CBS 855-212-4227. Patrick in Arkansas wants to jump in on a conversation that we were having earlier about the Jets and Aaron Rodgers. Patrick what do you got? Zach how are you?

Happy legal tampering day number two. If Joe Douglas strikes out again on a quarterback and they don't make the playoffs he needs to be fired. He has had too many opportunities to try to upgrade that position. There is a 26 year old MVP who you can go out and figure out what he's worth. Why would you trade for a 39 year old who doesn't know what he wants to do? It's a fair question and I will say to you that if I was the GM I'd rather go give Lamar Jackson the deal and hope that it works out with Lamar Jackson. But if you do go down that road and then the Ravens say okay we just wanted someone else to make the offer and then we're going to accept then I know Rodgers would still be available but then who knows if Rodgers would basically want to be the sloppy seconds.

Let's just say to put it politely in this equation. They've made they've called their shot they have said for the next two three years Rodgers is going to be their guy and we're going to see how far that could take the New York Jets. But at this point I hear the conversation about Lamar we've talked about this going back to last week.

I think we're already past that. It's going to be Rodgers now if Rodgers comes out tomorrow and says surprise I'm retiring or surprise I'm back in Green Bay that will reignite that Lamar Jackson conversation but you pretty much have to put it on the back burner right now because until Rodgers is not on the Jets I will think that he's going to be on the Jets for next year. By the way our guy Austin Eckler and this is bizarre timing on this we got a thank you note today a handwritten thank you note from Austin Eckler. He's been on the show a bunch and he just thanked us for having him on and getting his name out there more.

I don't think he needed our help by any means because the guy is a tremendous player but that's what the note said. It was a very nice note from Austin Eckler and I see Austin Eckler is having some failed contract talks with the Los Angeles Chargers and not only that the Chargers have granted him permission to go seek a trade and talk to other teams. Now a few destinations here Hickey everyone's going to say the Bills would make a ton of sense everyone's going to say the Philadelphia Eagles. I know the Eagles today signed Rashad Penny and Miles Sanders not going to come back but those two are going to come back. But those two would be the first two destinations that I think of.

After that I'll give you a few more. The Miami Dolphins it seems like they're in on every deal. Remember John Schneider used to say well we'll be in on every deal that's just the way that we operate. It feels like that's the way Chris Greer and Mike McDaniel are running their football team. The Chicago Bears with Ryan Paul seem to be in on everyone. They got DJ Moore.

They got Chase Claypool. Go at Austin Eckler into that backfield and help your young quarterback in Justin Fields. I'll give you two more here and then the same division and the same division as the Bears too. The Lions I know you have DeAndre Swift. If you can't get a new deal done with Jamal Williams or you want to upgrade and you want to go all in for it and you have an opportunity Austin Eckler would be a phenomenal addition to that team. And finally if the Lions don't end up working out maybe Minnesota comes calling because there's been some talks about potentially Dalvin Cook being traded. Maybe the Chargers just say okay we'll take on the Dalvin Cook contract and we'll give you Austin Eckler and we'll see what else has to come back into return. But those are some destinations that I've thrown out there. Hickey any destinations outside the Bills, Eagles, Dolphins, Bears, Lions and Vikings that you may say could be a fit for one Austin Eckler? Probably no, no. I think those are the perfect ones. No Cowboys?

No they're not gonna get rid of no no cap room for that. Tony Pollard and Austin Eckler because Eckler's great as a receiver. He is. He dominates you on the ground and then through the air as well. Zach Gelb's show CBS Sports Radio we will take a break when we come on back we will talk about Lamar Jackson and his wonderful tweets.