Top 5 NFL Draft Predictions (Hour 2)

Alrighty, we continue our number two of our radio program.

It is the Zach Gelb show, coast to coast, coast to coast on CBS Sports Radio. We will in about 20 minutes have Zach Kuntz coming on the tight end from Penn State and Old Dominion and getting set for the NFL draft, which Hickey is two weeks away as of tomorrow, and we'll be in Kansas City. We'll get you more details, but Maggie and Perloff will be in Kansas City. I'll be in Kansas City. Hickey will be in Kansas City. I believe JR will as well, and we'll bring you the NFL draft, and we'll have some good shows out there in Kansas City and eat a lot of barbecue. We got to start hitting up Carrington Harrison. He already extended the offer for us to kind of go on the barbecue tour with him, but we got to make sure that we follow through.

That can't just be one of those things, Hickey, that's said on the air, and then when we get out to Kansas City, Carrington Harrison just goes missing, and we don't hear from him. I'm down. I am ready to crush some barbecue.

I'm very ready. I think I'm going to be disappointed, though, by your eating performance. I'm just very skeptical of your eating just with your history in the past and some things that you're not willing to try, but barbecue. If you don't love barbecue, if you're not willing to try whatever Carrington is recommending, then I think we may have to look for a new producer around here. Had some brisket nachos a few weeks ago, and I went skiing, so I'm ready. I'm already in the barbecue mood. Oh yeah.

You didn't tell me that. Delicious. Where'd you go skiing again?

Lake Placid, New York. And you had brisket nachos? Yes. What else was in it? You had the brisket, the nachos, the chips.

What else? There was sour cream, salsa, jalapenos. You go guacamole? No. Was there a guac? Maybe. I can't remember exactly.

Maybe on top a little bit. There's one other meat that I'm blanking on. I forget. I don't know. This sounds like something you may be saying that I don't know if you actually had them because you can't really remember the order. It was two months ago.

So? Were they good? They were delicious. Oh my goodness. I've never had brisket before. It was so good. You've never had brisket before. Oh my goodness gracious.

All right. That's what turned me on there. Wow.

This has turned me onto it. I can't believe you've never had brisket before. You want to come over to Passover next year, but you get all the brisket in the world. Wow. Okay.

You can join the Gelf family. Well, no, you can't have nachos for Passover. Oh. You can't have brisket though?

Yeah, you can have brisket. Interesting. Okay. But you can't have anything with yeast in it. Oh, okay.

Which would rule out the chips of the nachos, which would ruin the whole point of nachos if you can't have the chips. Okay. Hickey's not a lover of Passover is what I just took from that. No, I've never been.

You can tell I've never been to a Passover. Not opposed. I'm trying to learn new things here. You'd have some great brisket. Okay.

Be phenomenal. Do you have some milk? No, no. Okay. I'm sure it would be delicious. How hard would you go with the brisket?

I don't know. Trust me. We'll get you over. We'll get you over if you want to come. So I am ready for... You could ask the four questions. You can lead the prayer. The four questions. Yeah, it's part of the prayer, but we'll have Hickey lead the whole prayer. I'm assuming it's not random questions. No, it's like forever.

Years and years and years and years. We're educating you here. We're helping you out here.

As you can tell, I've been to a lot of Catholic school in my life. Are you going to have meat on Friday, by the way? Oh yeah, of course. Now it's over, so you're going 100% back to meat on Friday. Yes, sir. Do you then... Will you go out of your way to eat a ridiculous amount of meat on Friday?

No. Considering I could have it six days of the week during Lent, it's like I've been starving myself of meat. So no, this Friday is not going to be a special meat overload. I don't know if there would just be cheese steaks all over the place in the studio.

Aren't you going to have a car vacation? Come here to the studio and just... Like frisk it, ham. Fogo de chao.

I'll put the hand up, slice it off. Have you ever been to Fogo de chao? No, I've only heard great things. Life-changing experience. Well, let me ask you this. Have you ever been to any Brazilian steakhouse?

Brazilian, no. Life-changing experience. I can imagine. It sounds delicious.

I would love to get there one day. You know what? Let's wait a few months. I think we should go to a Brazilian steakhouse together. Let's have a summer end. When we get to the fall, I think we go to the Brazilian steakhouse. When the steak is back in season? No. You gotta wait for the summer to pass?

In the summer, if I gotta go out to a beach and unpack it on like eight or ten extra pounds because we ate 9,000 pounds of meat at a steakhouse, then I would feel a little self-conscious. I have a little problem. That's fair. That's fair.

All right. Good thing that the draft is now in April so you have time to work off the barbecue. Very inconvenient time of the draft, by the way.

Shame on you, Roger. You know, why is that? Well, just it being in Kansas City, I have a wedding the weekend after that. And I'm in the wedding. So it's like, okay, I'm going to go out to Kansas City, stuff my fat face with all this barbecue. And then the next week, I'm going to have to really go in the gym and try to sweat it all out. Well, I guess the only different version of the meal better.

Yes, that is for sure. There probably won't be as much time as you think of eating before eating. Last year in Vegas, you barely had time to eat. A lot of time on the air.

That is true. Long draft show. Big meal afterwards, but it's not like we're just moseying around 20 hours for the show. Nothing to do. Let me just go to this barbecue spot when you leave.

Okay, let's go to this one and this one. That's fair. And also we can't afford to have a meat coma while we have to do a big draft show on CBS Sports Radio. Silence after like the 10th pick because you're out.

I can see it now. Crushing, you know. With the fourth pick, the Indianapolis Colts select up. Gelbin Hickey just passed out. Who is it? They had too much brisket. There's booing in the background. Who is it?

The affiliates will really start to hate us if they don't already. And by the way, have you ever been to a concert with your father? Have you ever been to a show with your dad?

I have not. Very interesting experience. So I go to Bruce Springsteen all the time with my father. My father loves Bruce Springsteen.

I love Bruce Springsteen. It's a cool bonding experience. We go to two more shows. I'm taking his best friend to one of the shows. My mom's coming for another show as well. So it's really awesome.

But as my dad gets older, there's just more bitching that that happens. We're like, you didn't notice it from 10 years ago. So we start things off. We go to the sandwich shop on Long Island before we head over to the stadium so you could get some sandwiches and tailgate in the parking lot. Now, I got a salad and a bagel. He got a wrap. Now, when they originally did Ring Us Up, the wrap wasn't included. So my salad and bagel cost about like $15 or $16 or so. Then they go, oh, sir, we actually forgot your wrap. And it was $30. My dad's sitting there bitching about spending $30 for a wrap. Or it was a sandwich he got. I got a large chicken salad. And then I also got a bagel with that.

I don't know about you, Hickey. Isn't that pretty normal for New York? $30 for that? I don't think that was that egregious for New York standards, right?

No, I mean, again, you don't feel great about it. But yes, it's not sticker shock of, wow, I can't believe this is a total ripoff. So you can never just pay. And it's always like, $30 for this.

What a joke. And I just feel awkward because we're in the store. Then how much you think parking was last night at UBS? Having never been there, only knowing it's a new arena, I will say $40. $54, which don't get me wrong. I do think that's absurd, that it's $54. And you had to buy like a parking pass in advance, he was saying.

But even with it being $54, my philosophy is once you buy it, I don't need to hear about it. And as we're pulling into the stadium, $54. And this is how long it takes to get into this bleep hole of a parking lot? And then as we're walking into the stadium, and my dad is not a choir boy, but remember, he grew up in an era where marijuana was illegal. And now since it's legal, since it's legal, everyone's just kind of lighting up as you're just walking into the stadium. So every time my dad saw someone lighting up and saw a cop nearby, he's like, the officers don't do anything. And my dad is not like Mr. Goody Goody Two Shoes, let's just say. But how many times he was making comments to cops about people smoking pot?

I'm like, dad, welcome to 2023. You go to any concert, you go down a block in New York City or anywhere around the country, all you're doing is seeing people smoking pot. I'll never forget, when we were in San Francisco for the Super Bowl, I think it was Super Bowl 50, if memory serves me right, was that Broncos Panthers? Broncos Panthers, when Cam didn't dive on the football, that's how you remember that Super Bowl.

And when Von Miller had the big strip sack as well. We were walking around and there was someone that was lighting up and my dad, he calls marijuana the reefer. So he walked past an officer and he goes, officer, you smell that reefer?

Like, as if he's like some detective. And the officer, I'll never forget, this female officer looks at him and goes, sir, welcome to San Francisco, which I thought was a great line by the officer. So that was my encounter last night with my father at the show. Now we had a great time and Springsteen is wonderful.

It's a great three hour show. We were having a blast singing, dancing, going nuts and all of that. But those are the three takeaways. My father bitching about the sandwiches. He was bitching about the parking and then bitching about how much marijuana he smelled walking into the stadium. Well, I'm with him on the parking.

Some may say if he was a woman, they call McCarran. Wow. That's I still honestly can't get over $54. That is sticker shock. That's that was legitimate gripe. I thought he had the $54 for parking.

That's absurd. And they make you walk. Now, I don't mind the extra steps, but my dad has a metal knee, but they make you walk a long ways in order to get to the state. Now they have buses and shuttles, but I wanted to get the steps in. So I said, Dad, let's go. I'll carry you if I need to. But it's for a Bruce Springsteen crowd that is a little bit older. That's a far walk for a lot of people that are in their 60s that aren't in great shape. Sad.

The New York Islanders hate their fans, making them walk 10 minutes in the parking lot. All right. Zach Gelb shows CBS Sports Radio. Okay. I have one thing to say to you. And I think you're actually going to like this. I've made a change. I now fully believe the Carolina Panthers are selecting Bryce Young.

That's not with any sourcing or any inside information. For a while, I was like 50-50, but I was leaning more Stroud than Young just because CJ Stroud was the guy that most people said they were going to pick the moment when they made that trade. Schefter keeps on saying Young, Young, Young, Young, Young, and he keeps on thinking it's going to be Young. I think Bryce Young is going to be the first pick of the draft for the Carolina Panthers.

So I know we did this a few weeks ago, so let's do this again. First five picks of the draft. Number one overall pick. Carolina Panthers are taking Bryce Young. Who do you have the Panthers taking? CJ Stroud.

Number two. I am then going to say the Houston Texans. I know there's some talk that if Young's off the board and we all know that the Texans want Bryce Young, maybe you shouldn't have won that game at the end of the season and then you would have got Bryce Young. But I do believe the Texans will still take quarterback. I will then say CJ Stroud is going to be the second overall pick in the draft. I'm assuming you're going to go the Texans taking Bryce Young in at number two since you didn't have them go in one.

That is correct. Now with the number three overall pick, it's the Arizona Cardinals. I think the Cardinals are going to make a trade. I think the Raiders are going to swoop into the three spot. I'm going Anthony Richardson.

I will agree, yes. The Titans are making a push, but I would still say the Raiders of the team at the end that gets the trade done. And it will be Anthony Richardson.

Now you being a Colts fan. And I know that you're not that high on Richardson. Do you want to see Tennessee move up to three to go get Richardson? Because you don't believe in Richardson.

Yeah, I wouldn't hate it. Give up, you know, a good amount of draft capital. Now I hope it doesn't work out because if he does, then my team is in big trouble. But in the majority chance he does not, yeah. Give up on a future, I mean trading from 11 to three, maybe a first round pick. Give that away.

Go for it. Colts will love us in this exercise. You think they go somewhere else? I think the Colts, maybe it's three, maybe it's four. I think it's inevitable that the Colts are taking Will Levis. With how much that you don't want Will Levis, I think it's going to happen. I think they will take Will Levis. Oh, that's tough for you to say.

I wish people could see you right now. It's him or Henson Hooker. I will say. Oh, Hooker's not going four. No, not four. But I think they could, there's a chance they could take Will I understand at four, then circle back to Henson Hooker. But they've talked about getting a quarterback in the draft. I don't think they would punt and hope that either Hooker falls to him at 35 or have to trade back in. And they make the pick right there at number four. Another potential Colts quarterback if they end up getting Henson Hooker with an injury pass? Well, he's 20 CL. I mean.

Just saying. Plenty of quarterbacks should come, you know, come back through that. We also had a back injury. Andrew Luck injury history. He also got hurt, you know, by sneezing sometimes. And Andrew Luck got hurt because they had no offensive line protect him. He got crushed five years in a row. It's not his fault. Fifth overall pick, I'm saying Seattle takes Will Anderson.

Same. Okay, so we disagree on the Panthers. You say Stroud, I say Young.

Then since we disagreed there, clearly we disagree with number two. But you go Young, I go Stroud. The Cardinals, I think, trade the pick. You do as well to the Raiders and it's Anthony Richardson. And then four, we think the Colts take Levis. And then five, Anderson going to the Seahawks with the fifth overall pick.

But yeah, I'm at the point where I think Bryce Young is going to be number one overall pick. Schefter just keeps on saying it. I can't doubt Adam Schefter at this point. And then Mort's also saying it now, too.

I think they know something that no one else really knows right now. And maybe this turns into a similar thing, like what everyone thought it was going to be Mac Jones when the Niners made that pick. And then it ended up being Trey Lance.

That's what I think is going to happen here. And Bryce Young should be the number one overall pick. And now I'm going to say that he will be the number one overall pick as well. Okay, we'll take a time out on the Zach Gelb show on CBS Sports Radio. Zach Koontz will join us on the other side. You're listening to the Zach Gelb show. We continue it as the Zach Gelb show coast to coast on CBS Sports Radio. Now joining us is an NFL draft prospect, played his college ball at Penn State and Old Dominion.

And he's six foot seven and could be a star tight end to the NFL. And that, of course, is Zach Koontz, who's kind enough to join us right now. Zach, appreciate you doing this. How are you?

Yeah, thanks for having me on. Appreciate it. I'm doing well.

Well, I saw the numbers at the combine of four, five, five, 40, a 40 inch vertical. So I'm assuming you're 100 percent healthy after that dislocated kneecap. Is that a fair assessment at this point? Yeah, I've been, you know, rehab. Everything is going really, really well.

Very happy with where I'm at and feeling great. But we all know transferring is now pretty common nature, especially in the NCAA. You go to Penn State, you transferred to Old Dominion.

You reconnect with with rookie Ronnie, who, you know, well, two years ago had a really good season, unfortunately, got hit by the injury bug this year. There's one thing to handle that physically, and there's a lot of pain that goes through it. But how did you handle it mentally? Yeah, you know, having a great sports system, obviously, here at Old Dominion, the athletic training staff did a tremendous job with me, as well as my position coach, head coach, you know, the whole coaching staff, you know, as a whole. Obviously, you know, my teammates were there for me, you know, whenever I would need them.

And obviously, you know, I have a great, you know, sports system back home, Pennsylvania with my family there. So many people talk about your potential. Let's say if I'm an NFL GM, and we're doing a meeting, and I'm thinking about drafting Zach Koons, and I say, Zach, why should I draft you?

What's the answer? You know, I'm a guy, you know, I'm a high production guy with, you know, very low maintenance. You know, you don't have to worry about me, you know, off the field or anything like that, you know, I'm always in the facility, doing everything I can to make sure, you know, my body's feeling great. And, you know, I'm prepared every time I step out on the field. I mean, I'll do anything, you know, it takes to, you know, add, add, you know, be productive to the offense, you know, and add value.

If you reach your full potential on the field, what does Zach Koons look like as a football player in your mind? Yeah, you know, I think the sky's the limit for myself, you know, I'm very confident in my abilities as a player, you know, as a football player, you know, and being a professional. You know, I won't say, you know, I'm going to be, you know, this or that, you know, I can take things, you know, as they come, you know, one thing at a time and, you know, I'm excited for the, you know, the draft coming up, see where I'm going to, you know, be heading. And, you know, once I, once I kind of get that, you know, idea down, you know, go there and give it my all and, you know, and, you know, the rest kind of handle itself. It's such a quick moving process and you have so much that gets put on your plate in a very short amount of time. When you hear that it's now two weeks away from the NFL draft, like, has it hit you yet that in two weeks, you're going to know where you're going to start your NFL journey?

Yeah, you know, I'm excited for it. I don't know if it's, you know, necessarily, you know, really hit me yet, you know, I've still just been training, you know, just being, being my normal self, continuing with that process, you know, for me, I just feel like it's the next step in this journey. You know, it's a great milestone, something I'm extremely, you know, fortunate and grateful to, you know, be in the position that I am, you know, I've worked really hard for it and, you know, I'm going to continue that work, you know, and do what it takes to, you know, you know, play the game I love as long as possible.

Zach Kuntz here with us. I know that you come from a very athletic family. Your father played football, your brother played football. I believe your sister was a basketball player as well. Did you have pressure on you as a kid to kind of explore athletics or is it just something that you fell in love with because of it being available to you with the family background?

Zach Kuntz Yeah, you know, having four older siblings, you know, they all played sports. So, I mean, all seasons, it's kind of, you know, going back and forth, you know, you got basketball, travel ball, you know, playing baseball, obviously football all around. So, you know, I wouldn't say any pressure, it's just became, you know, it's just something that I, I've always grown up and known as a natural way of life, if you will. It was always, you know, oh, it's, you know, it's basketball season, I play basketball, I start, you know, dribbling around more often.

Oh, it's football season, you know, I'm in the football zone or, you know, track. I kind of started doing that. So, you know, it's always just been something, you know, that's very natural for me. I wouldn't say any pressure. You know, my older siblings, you know, they always keep me humbled, you know, playing in the backyard, you know, pick up, you know, football, pick up basketball, you know, tackling each other, being rough and stuff. You know, it's all been, you know, really great and, you know, I wouldn't say it'd be any pressure, just, you know, all just motivation. Could you have played college basketball, just wondering? Oh, you know, I'm very confident in my ability that I, you know, would have been able to do that. I definitely, you know, could have devoted more time to it if I, you know, obviously, we had went that route, you know, but I was, you know, pretty productive on, you know, on the court as well. I had a lot of fun doing it.

So, you know, extremely grateful for my time doing that. Well, you got offered by Penn State, so it's tough to say that you made the wrong decision. Your name's getting thrown all over the place for this upcoming NFL draft in a very loaded tight end class. What made you though say, okay, it's going to be football, football is what I'm going to pursue in college and also professionally? Yeah, you know, my freshman year, I mean, even eighth grade, I always, you know, it was kind of excelling at, you know, at all the sports I was doing. I was just, you know, you know, playing simple, pretty much a better athlete than, you know, the other people that, you know, we were kind of going against. I was bigger and faster and things of that nature. You know, freshman year, I was kind of feeling it out and, you know, the national recognition I got, you know, my freshman year, you know, it was a lot and, you know, I think it kind of, you know, fed into, you know, what I was able to do, obviously, on the football field and, you know, kind of hone that in, you know, with all my other sports as well. And one of the biggest reasons I took up track was I knew it would make me a better football player, help me run faster, you know, obviously stay in shape, you know, it was kind of either baseball, you know, which, you know, my high school, you know, it's a really great baseball team, you know, great tradition, you know, baseball players there, especially, you know, I, frankly, I found it boring, you know, just kind of, well, you know, it wasn't my cup of tea, which, you know, which is fine. You needed the pitch clock. That's what you needed.

Pick up the pace of play. Yeah, maybe if that was in, you know, that was in, it'd be a different story. But, you know, playing before I either struck out or I hit a grand slam, like, it was, it was no in between. So I was kind of like, yeah, I'll try track, see what that is.

And I had some water siblings that did it too. So, you know, I took that up, you know, it did really well, you know, want to get, want to stay gold, you know, and track my junior year. Yeah. Yeah.

I love it. You just casually throw that out there. Yeah. And I, I would have loved to have had my, you know, my senior would have followed it up.

Yeah. I enrolled early out of Penn state. So I didn't have a senior year for basketball or track, but, you know, had, had a really great time, you know, being able to do that. And, you know, I re I really, I'm glad that I did that, you know, going back, I still would be, you know, a three sport athlete and, you know, doing that, being well-rounded, I think it's great. I meet new people and try different things.

Zach Coons here with us. Who do you model your football game, your football career after? There are a few players that you grew up watching that you were like, okay, I try to do this. I try to take that from tight ends around the league.

Yeah. I think, you know, when I was, you know, real young, you know, watching tight ends, I think it's different. It's, it's kind of transferring to transitioning to a bit of a different position. You know, what you kind of see today, you see guys that, you know, like Travis Kelce that are, you know, you know, kid old guys were like kind of revolutionizing the position. You know, I think it's such a great time to be a tight end and kind of what's asked of them. And, you know, that's one of the things I love about the position is, is being asked to, you know, be the best part of a wide receiver. You're an offensive lineman. You're a running back.

You got to know everything that's going on. So, you know, you got to be a smart player as well. You know, seeing guys now, I've always watched, you know, Mike Kacicki, you know, big athletic guy that goes up and gets the ball. You know, Darren Waller, you know, you know, great, great guys on the field. You know, it's important, you know, it's important for me to be known, you know, and to really emulate, you know, that three phase, the three phases of the, you know, the tight end position, you know, the pass game, run block, pass protection. So, you know, those are all things, you know, take elements of different people's game, you know, watch them on YouTube or on the film, you know, old Jeremy Shockey, you know, Jimmy Graham, you know, guys dunking on the goalposts.

So, no, it's, it's, it was always cool kind of seeing those guys growing up. How's your gritty? We know Mike's gritty is horrible. Do you have a good gritty?

Yeah, I don't know if I'd be grittied out there, you know, quite yet. You know, Mike's got that for sure. But, you know, I'm sure by, by the, you know, next season, there'll be another trend going on and everybody will be doing that. So, you know, trends come and go, we'll see first NFL touchdown. You got to dunk it on the goalposts, right? That's what you're going to do.

Yeah. I don't know what those fines are talking about in the NFL. So I'm sure I'll get drafted and that will determine how, what the celebration could actually be depending on that first contract. Yeah, we'll see.

Yeah, I'm sure there's some, some, no nonsense people out there that aren't having any bets. So I think I'll, yeah, I think I'll just, you know, be in my P's and Q's, hand it to the, hand it to the official and go celebrate with my team. Just whatever you do, don't do the celebration where you fake, like the hamstring injury.

Cause that gets me each and every time when someone fakes a hammy injury, I always fall for it. Yeah. No, I feel like that'd be bad Juju, honestly, if I were to do that, something like that.

So yeah, you're not going to be seeing that from me. When you take the field in the fall, what do you think is going to be going through your mind with the journey that you've been on your family background as well, when you get ready for your first regular season NFL game? Yeah. You know, obviously different uniform, you know, different spot, you know, different teammates, things, things of that nature. But you know, it's something I've done my entire life. You know, I love the game of football and you know, it's given me so many great opportunities on, obviously on the field, you know, off the field as well, building a lot of relationships.

But you know, it'd just be another game. Obviously, you know, there'd be, you know, you have those nerves, but you know, nerves, nerves are good. You know, you mean, it means, you know, you care, you know, you know, it's, it's kind of in that, in that area, but you know, you prepare well, you know, the days leading up to the game, those nerves go away very quickly.

Cause you know, at the end of the day, you're going out there and you're playing ball. Last thing I'll ask you, Zach Koons, everyone keeps on talking about your upside and your potential with that. There's going to be people that are going to doubt you with the injuries, having to transfer from Penn state to old dominion. What do you say to people that doubt Zach Koons having a successful NFL career?

Yeah. You know, I think that, you know, as many people that are out there that are going to build you up, there'd be the same people that, you know, try and bring you down. You know, at times everybody has their favorite and you know, if it's not your favorite, they'll find a way to, you know, manipulate it any way they can. You know, especially this year as a tight end class, I think there's a lot of great talent. You know, I think I proved with myself, you know, just from a raw athleticism standpoint, you know, that, that I, you know, I'm, I'm the most athletic guy that you kind of have.

And, you know, it's, it's not a, you know, a common thing to, you know, kind of have those, kind of have those features and things that, you know, I'm able to do, you know, just from a raw athleticism standpoint. But, you know, I think there's, there's a lot of guys, you know, there's, there's numerous examples. You can see someone who does something in college and, you know, there are different players, you know, once they get to the league and, you know, look at a guy like Tom Brady, who, you know, he's not a first round draft pick.

He's the, you know, one of the greatest, if not the greatest quarterback of all time. So, I think a lot of people try to, you know, label you as something, you know, earlier on. You know, I'm 23 years old and, you know, you have guys playing there in their, you know, their 30s, playing the game, you know, 5, 10 years. The, you know, your game kind of transforms a little bit and you learn a lot. And I think a lot of people don't necessarily put that into perspective. They think, oh, you are this year, you know, that's the type of player you are. But, you know, everybody's growing, everybody's learning, they're learning from different teammates, you know, they have different quarterbacks, they have different offensive schemes. So, I think all those things kind of play a factor.

And a lot of times people want to label you as one thing or another and just keep you as that and not want to really change your perspective on that. You know, it's a changing, fast changing game. You know, you see a lot of, you know, different, you know, at least from the offensive side of the ball, a lot of people, you know, coordinators trying some different things and, you know, different players in different positions, you know, at different spots. So, I think of myself as someone who can play, you know, any position on offense. You can line me up anywhere on the field and I'm going to get the job done at a high level.

And, you know, I'm excited to, you know, be able to showcase that on Sundays. You don't just become quick overnight or can jump really high overnight. But with all that being said, did the 4-5-5-40 and the 40-inch vertical at all surprise you? You knew that that was something you were expecting to do?

No, not a surprise to me. I know it's something, you know, I've obviously always been capable of doing. Obviously, coming off, you know, my surgery and everything, I was really only running for probably four or five weeks full speed before I even had the combine. I truly believe I'd had, you know, an entire, like the whole entire draft process or, you know, pre-combine process, you know, training-wise, probably even could have done a little bit better.

Wow. Run, maybe even run a little bit faster and, you know, jump, maybe jump a little higher, things like that. But, you know, at a point, it's just kind of splitting hairs. If you run a, you know, you're fast, you're fast. And, you know, obviously, you know, teams know that now, especially for me. But, you know, I think it was important to be able to show that, like, yeah, I'm long, I'm tall, and people, you know, kind of like you said, there would be a lot of people that are like, oh, he's not fast. He's just, you know, long strides or like things like that. Oh, he's not jumping high. But, you know, being, you know, being like 6'8'' and being able to jump as high as I can, you can put the ball 12 feet in the air and I'm going to go get it.

You know, I can't, I don't care if a DB has 40-inch vertical, he's not reaching up where I am. Well, hey, great answer. Love the conversation today. Good luck in the next two weeks.

And we're excited to see where you're going to land. Thanks so much for doing this. Yep.

Appreciate it. You're listening to the Zach Gelb Show. Zach Gelb Show, CBS Sports Radio. So, Hickey, we've both been pretty much in lockstep with the idea that Lamar Jackson has played his final game as a Baltimore Raven. And then out of nowhere, you heard there was some rumors that the Ravens were interested in Odell Beckham Jr., but that Odell signs a one-year deal with the Baltimore Ravens worth up to $18 million.

Fifteen of it is guaranteed. And I just saw a video about an hour ago of Odell Beckham landing in Baltimore and his introductory press conference with the Baltimore Ravens is going to be tomorrow. Now, another big part of this story is that Lamar was actively recruiting Odell, Perry, and Rappaport to join the Baltimore Ravens. So it's like, if you were actively recruiting someone to go there, then you do intend to be a part of that team for this season. Now, it doesn't seem as if the Ravens and Lamar are anywhere close to reaching a deal, but with there being no interest so far around the league, is Lamar warming up to the idea or accepting the idea that he's going to be playing on the franchise tag this year, maybe in Baltimore?

That could change. All it does is after the draft, it takes one team to end the Lamar Jackson sweepstakes. But it is weird with, I guess, the relationship that Lamar and Odell have. And they were what, partying together over the weekend? I saw that one video in the club where Lamar looked like he wanted no part of going out with Odell.

I'm assuming that was an actual video from this weekend and not from years ago. But that kind of makes me say, wait a second, maybe Lamar is going to be back in Baltimore this upcoming year. It doesn't change it for me because the determining factor is going to be the money, right?

Yes. Lamar did not request a trade away from Baltimore because they didn't give him a number one receiver or they're not running the offense he wants. It's all about the contract. Like you said, right now, if you're Lamar, you look around, you're getting no offers. So realistically, so you have to plan on probably being back in Baltimore next year. So why not try to add Odell and the team comes calling either you're going to get a new deal and the room's going to match it, or they're going to blow them away. You're going to get a new deal and you're going to go to new team.

That's the one thing too. If let's just say, I don't know, give me a team that you think could be interested in Lamar Jackson. Let's just say the Atlanta Falcons.

Okay. Who were interested in Deshaun Watson and have done everything in their power to indicate that they're not interested in Lamar Jackson a year later, which doesn't make any sense, but okay. Let's say Arthur Blank says, all right, I'm going to change my tune. We're going to go give Lamar $245 million deal over five years. 200 of it is fully guaranteed.

200 of it is fully guaranteed. I kind of am starting to think that the Ravens will say, okay, another team did the negotiations. That's what they were willing to do. It doesn't mean we have to give Lamar a fully guaranteed deal, like what he reportedly wanted. And I do think the Ravens would match it at this point, even with how ugly this has been and how at the introductory or the, the pre-draft press conference, they wouldn't even put the media, ask questions about Lamar, like what's going to happen tomorrow? Odell's there. Is Chad Steele going to be like a moron again and go, you can't ask about Lamar Jackson? And you know, Odell won't give a crap. Odell's going to love tomorrow. That's, that's going to be a big day for Odell Beckham when he meets the media. And of course he's going to talk about Lamar.

I, you know, I'll say this. I guarantee Odell tomorrow will speak for Lamar. Like, he'll say Lamar's, Lamar is going to be the quarterback next year.

Like that, that's the most fascinating part. If I'm a media member in Baltimore, tomorrow, Hickey, you know, Zach Gill from whatever paper in, in Baltimore, Odell, is Lamar going to be your quarterback this year? Do you know with a hundred percent certainty that Lamar is going to be your quarterback this year? You play Odell, how do you answer that tomorrow? How do you think Odell answers that tomorrow? How do I think he'll answer that tomorrow? I think he'll say yes.

Right? I think he'll want the headlines and I think of course I wouldn't sign here if Lamar wasn't going to be my quarterback. Forget about the guaranteed money that he got that no one else was going to give him. He only signed here to play with Lamar. I'm sure that he'll really, really kind of lay into that. We could also sniff through that BS.

Yes. He really wanted to play with Aaron Rodgers. The Jets weren't giving him $15 million, except I, who was it?

I think it was Tiki Barber today when I was driving around. I heard Tiki say that the cap hit for Odell next year is only like four or $5 million. Put in some signing bonus.

I think it was also, it may have been Ian Rapport. I think this was the contract. I could be wrong. I think you saw about Odell when they're going to put some voidable years on there to spread it out. Like next year, it's 12 million. So it's like, it's low.

Yes. The cap hit is not going to be $15 million itself. It's going to be lower, but he's still getting $15 million guaranteed.

Which is not crazy to me. Like I remember we had the conversation, remember the initial report that came out, he was looking for $20 million a year. And I said, he may get to 20 with incentives, but I was thinking probably more. I remember having this conversation. I said two for 30, where it was genuinely $15 million a year.

So when you, when you throw a bunch of darts at the dartboard, eventually hit a bullseye. Eventually it wasn't a two-year deal here, but it was a one year deal for 15 with incentives that gets you up to 18. And what I'm also interested in, in seeing how he answers. Did you see the report from Connor Hughes of SNY? Which was? That after Lamont Odell got the offer from the Ravens, he immediately called the Jets.

Will you match? I don't fault him for that. He wanted to go to the Jets. We all know that. You'd rather be a three on the Jets than a one with Lamar. The Jets match. He's he's a jet.

Oh, absolutely. So I'm saying like he, he would rather go to New York, not be the number one guy and play with Aaron Rogers compared to be the number one guy in Baltimore and play with Lamar. He's I know you could say he's made all the money in the world, but he already has a ring. I know he'll still believe in his abilities, but I don't think anyone looks at Odell anymore as a great player. Like he's good. I wouldn't say you view him as a great player still in the year of 2023. I think after getting that ring and I don't fault Odell for doing this, Odell is going to the place that makes the most sense.

And that's spelled with the C not with an S to be clear. I'm with him. I think he's only on the Ravens primarily because of the money. So I had to play with Lamar Jackson. It's not that he knows Lamar Jackson is going to be in Baltimore, but he'll talk it up as if that's right. He's going to 100, you're 100% right. They're going to talk it up tomorrow. Lamar's my guy can't wait to play with him.

The money was irrelevant to me, even though it's the only thing that actually mattered in these negotiations for him. You're learning. I'm very proud of you. Yeah. I don't think Hickey from two years ago would be able to decipher that. Some people I feel like are easier to see through than others. And I will admit it's a fault of mine. I do tend to take people. You think people are really like more than I should. Yeah. I'm not saying this makes Odell a bad person.

It clearly doesn't. When you play this violent sport, I would do the same thing at this point. You already have the ring. You're not going to get a ring in either place.

So go to the place that gives you the most money. But there's no doubt in his way, from a marketing standpoint too, I know you can market yourself anywhere these days, but he wanted to go back to New York. Even though that's kind of like an overblown storyline, he's going back to New York. He played for the Giants, not the Jets. But remember you had that stupidity when he returned to MetLife Stadium with the Browns going up against the Jets. It's like Odell makes his homecoming.

I'm like, wait a second. I know he played at MetLife Stadium, but when did he play for the Jets? You know that money is the end all be all, but I think also being in New York was important to him as well. In an ideal world, he wished he got the money from the Jets. That's where he wanted to go. There's no doubt about that.

So here's what I'm saying. I think Odell going there, yes, it's number one about the money, but I don't all of a sudden rush to say, now this means Lamar is going to get an extension from the Ravens. But it does make you think, even if you go past the money a little bit, that maybe Lamar is starting to expect that he'll be in Baltimore for one more year. And if they don't get a deal done after this year, I know they could tag him again. But if you're the Ravens, you can't risk tagging him again next year, having him play out on that tag next year, and then you not issuing him a third tag because of how expensive it would be. And then you just let him go for a compensatory third round pick. So I know next year it could technically get done in the offseason, but if it doesn't get done this offseason, it does make you think that Lamar is going to play elsewhere, but you may have to go through one more year of being in Baltimore. Because if you don't get a team that bites at the draft, you're not after the draft, you're not after the draft, and gives you a deal, and the Ravens, let's just say, don't match it. If that doesn't happen, then it's looking more and more likely that Lamar is going to be back in Baltimore. What about this one possibility? Yeah. If the sale goes through, let's say in May.

That's a good one. New ownership, without a chance. I don't know how quickly that process takes.

Like, I don't know with Warriors, and then the league accepting it, and all of that. I don't know how long that process takes, when the sale is reached upon how long it takes for the new owner to take over. But I guess you could work basically what the new owner wants to do.

But I think that could be, that should be a destination now. And for whatever the reasons are, the commanders basically tell you, well, we're in roster building mode for the first time. You've been saying that you build the roster first thing, we'll get the quarterback two years ago. Ramon Rivera said that. Ramon Rivera said that. So that doesn't make any sense to me. We'll see if this picks up, but for now with like no movement, I think Lamar is saying, all right, let's have a contingency plan in place in case if I do have to play in Baltimore, and that means we'll take Odell with the Ravens.