Jets / Browns Recap with Rich Eisen; Changing of the Guards in the NFL

at this company. The face, I've never heard that before. So you tweeted that out before. I've never heard it. The face of NFL Network, Rich Eisen Back in the studio that you built by hand. You know what, I'm looking around this studio. This this room looks absolutely nothing like not at all I used to do with the podcast. And never could I have imagined there'd be lights, there's actual cameras. Um, you know what it was was just a table and um crap against the wall. That was it.

Now this is like a legit room. This is great. How do you feel about officially titling the studio studio? You know what, Damnaschek was the one who put the crap against the wall. There was like this big Troy Paula Malu like fat head cut out. Remember up against the wall? You got this built up here. I mean, let's be real, Damna check is not getting a podcast studio belt. I understand. Let's let's be real. Let's be real.

I got nothing built. Um. What it was was me, um, trying to figure out what else I can do other than NFL total access around these parts and just do some other things outside of just the same show I would do every day. UM. And I decided to ask in my contract renegotiation the ability to do a podcast. Uh. Steve Bornstein, who was in charge of this place back then, UM, that's about it was about. Yeah, probably so UM. You know, uh, I I've known Steve forever. He was the one who

hired me at ESPN. Well he had people to hire me at ESPN, but he was the one who actually hired me for the NFL network. He asked how much it would cost. I told him hardly anything, and he's like, why are you even asking me? Like, we don't even put it in a contract. Just do whatever you want. And I'm like okay. So I did that, and then a lot of people around here would do the usual, which is like, what do you mean you're doing? What

are you doing? What? How do we? How do? There is no concept of of of figuring out what it would look like or sound like, or or support it in any way. I just kept on chugging, like the little engine that could, doing my own thing. Um. Eventually the lockout was coming. And then people in the programming department asked me if I could do it on television because they needed cheap programming. I said, I would do it as long as you called it inexpensive programming as

opposed to keep Yeah. So we we then did. We would do some of the podcast in this room when there were no cameras, and we would then go over to what is the voice over booth across the alleyway here, um, where there was one singular fixed camera on the wall. Um. You know, we used to do our updates in that room with a green screen behind it. It had the look of a hostage video. Um, and so we I did it in there in front of a green screen.

Eventually they spent the money to actually get like a shower curtain that would put the podcast logo on it, and you we would just move it across behind me for the background of it, and we put together fifty six of those, like over a year. I did it. And then Thursday Night Football came to be at the NFL network where it was just on our network, um iTunes. For an episode of that, I would love it. I

had no idea. Actually, I think they flushed them all down the toilet quite frankly around here, because you know, again this was now I'm I love the fact that there's so many uh podcasts here, and your guys obviously are a robust part of of what's being built here as well. You know, the NFL should have more than just television behind it. You guys do a great job, and it's it's terrific. I'd love that. We we did some great shows and I was very proud of it.

But then when Thursday Night Football was on all sixteen weeks essentially here on the NFL network, They're like, we, you know, the TV shows over. So then I kind of just finished the story, UH said, how about we just do like podcast television shows for kickoff, Thanksgiving and and the Draft and just around the tent pole moments.

So that was kind of a compromise, and then Direct TV called me up and said, how would you like to do it every day on the radio as well as TV here and after Dan Patrick Show, And I'm like, sold, I'd love to do it. And I literally had to sell I think the blood of my children to get that in my contract. I still have the I'm still you know I still have. But I'll be and you

very honest with you. Like Roger Goodell was one million percent um the guy who basically said let's let's do this for my show that I'm doing on Direct TV every day, and um, he's been supportive of every last thing I've ever done. So now here I am with you guys again. Personally, I like to thank you because if it weren't for you, uh starting this entire engine, I know that I'd probably be working at stopping shop in Paramus, New Jersey. I'd been promised too, but I'd

be at the old mall there you got. We'd hang out and get lunch to you. I think I once got a cake there. It's a great place. This is this is fun. Actually I didn't really think. I didn't make sense that we're going in this direction. But it's fun to talk a little oral history of the podcast business here in this building, because yeah, Rich started the

whole thing with the Rich Eyes and podcast. Damna Check came in under that rella doubt, and Dave gave Mark and I are first chance by putting on the back of our show. Then when we got together as a force and Rich was our first guest, which was kind of a really big deal for us, and uh that that to us gave us some legitimacy that you came on as our first way back when it's neat man like, I love planning flags around here. That's what I told Actually when I first got hired by Steve Bornstein, and

I got a phone call in the middle of July. Okay, like my last sports Center was in late May. When I left the sports Center said I had no earthly idea it was in fact my last sports centator for a few days left to negotiate that all went to hell, and then I got married a week later. Um, and then on my honeymoon is where I signed the NFL

network contract. And then later on that summer, I was just getting ready to transition to move from Bristol out to Los Angeles, and I got a little bit and I got a phone call from an NFL executive I had literally never heard of. I mean like, I was not very well versed in the NFL world when I got hired here. Um, I was a baseball guy on ESPN and so um. Other than Paul tag Lebu, I didn't know anybody else who was in the NFL power

structure in any way, shape or form. So I called up Bornstein and I'm like, you know, hey, Steve, I got a call from an NFL executive wants to meet with me. You know, like, what can you tell me? He goes, who was it? I'm like Roger Goodell and he goes, hang up the phone and call him now, don't talk, Like, don't say another word to me, hang up. Because he was the CEO at the time. He's always calling me. It's very annoying, but you know, I feel,

you know, but it was. It was one of those things that we just got started and it was really very exciting. And he was from the beginning from get go, like, we have hired you to do a job, go out and do it. And if anybody ever gives you grief for the job, you know, you call me up and we'll try and and fix it. And you know, so coming here starting and planning the flag for And I told him, and I told everybody else, you know, hey, you hired me to plan a flag. I'll try as

many as possible. And the fact that UM in this room is it's pretty cool. UM. And you know the reason you're the face rich as you're the face of NFL Network. You were the first face people saw in November two thousand three when they UM Network went on the air for the first time. And I was thinking about that as we look ahead now to what's going on in the NFL. UM. Back in November two thousand three, Drew Brees struggling in a second season with the Chargers

as a starter, Eli Ben and Philip Revers. Rivers were seven months away from being drafted. Yeah, I interviewed Ben on the Total Access set prior to the draft. He was here UM as a fresh faced kid out of Miami of Ohio and a prospect, and we try to get as many prospects as they were here in Los Angeles. And I interviewed him like what number would you you know why you number seven? And he said, because he

loves James Bond. He wanted to meet Jessica Alba. I mean there's like a whole interview closed way to Baggy. I mean seriously, like we have I love those flashbacks, so but I mean it interrupted. No, no you didn't. But and then Tom Brady and Bill Belichick or cruising towards a Super Bowl. So some things have changed, some things have happened, but this is this is a time

of change. Rich as someone that's been around the game as close as you have UH for years now, because you have UH Andrew Luck retiring, Foals gets injured, Sam Donald gets motto, but Big Ben and Drew brees with these injuries. Cam Um, who was such a big when when Mark and I came to the company in two thousand ten and when Cam showed up a year later that was such a huge deal. And now you don't know what's going on with his career, does feel like

a time of transition, right. I do agree with that, Um, And the neat thing is is, as of about two three years ago, a lot of the conversation was around who's going to be next. We also thought by Brady would be long gone by age forty two also, but we were wondering who is going to be that next generation is Peyton Manning was was transitioning out and retiring,

and Mahomes is a revelation. Dak Prescott has been nothing short of absolutely phenomenal, and I think is one more of those performances away from actually getting the majority of football fans to feel that he deserves the big fat contract that he's going to get. Um, you've got Wentz and golf, Josh Allen is two and oh is We're currently sitting here and you might be the Fluke whatever, but the two and o quarterbacks are also including Jimmy

g and you know, Lamar Jackson, John Watson. We're seeing that already, which is why you're beginning to see. I think maybe Daniel Jones is going to get a start because he's more mobile and obviously couldn't be less mobile, couldn't be who is That's true. So again, I think you are seeing of a transition in a way that nobody even saw coming a few years ago. Um, all right, it's great to have Rich here, and by the way, keep an eye out. Rich is a part of it.

By the way, before you transition to something else, you speed bumped over Donald has motto, I mean like you just kept about we're gonna get into you kept going like that was normal. Yeah, okay, I mean it's been richly covered this show. He was commiserating with Rich on DM about the Jets a week ago, lamenting, you know, whether or not Donald was the guy and whether the Jets were a team to be excited about or be

afraid of. And then the next day he comes down with the teenagers the disease to me, you know, do you want to get into this now? Do you want to? I don't want to mess copy of what you want to do? Did we do? You know that I can't sometimes just lay back and be a guest, but I will do that. Okay. Let me just first of all and modest our producer Erica rich should have had a rundown, by the way, do not put that on. We were

we were taking our notes from me. I really appreciate it when we came on the Rich Eyes and show. Yes we didn't. There wasn't you know. We talked for a minute beforehand just to say hi, you come and talk rundown. It was beautiful, as opposed to some of the shows here where you have to go through every single point everyone's gonna makest loose, very loose rundown. So Rich is gonna there's the run though. Rich is going to sit in with us through some news around the league.

But before we get to that, we'll go over the last game played in Week two of the two thousand and nineteen NFL season, and it did involve my Jets and Marx Brown's hit it. Ricky, here's make Peel throwing and it felt. Tell back up here and you're in the clear Corty piece of fifty. He trended in the forty. He's going into the end Zune ten touchdown. He's a ripe back in the end hit stadium, eighty nine yards. Oh b J Indeed, Oh b J goes off on

a big day and his return to the meadowlands. Six catches, one sixty one and a touch UH and the Cleveland Browns cruise passed the undermanned UH New York Jets twenty three to three at MetLife Stadium. The Browns get back to one who won the Jets and deep trouble at owned two. With a lot more tough games coming up on the schedule, what were your thoughts Rich watching this game? Well, It's tough to pick out what the most Jets moment

is dan Um. Could it be Um blowing the sixteen point lead at home in week one in Division two Arrival that you have dead two rights because they couldn't stop turning the ball over in the first half in Jets and Building, Or could it be Um having Odell Beckham point out what is plainly obvious to so many people who cover the National Football League is that Greg

Williams has a reputation? Uh. Could it be Greg Williams then being given the podium by the Jets to make the situation far worse by saying he's never done anything like that, even though there's actual legal testimony to refute that someone on the Jet staff right. Or could it be that he then would call Odell Beckham not dynamics only have in point to the Giants as proof since they've been such great grocery shoppers of late as well.

Could it be Odell Beckham then going on that turf and ripping one off for eight nine yards through Greg Williams defense. Or could it be or could it be that the Jets have the football gods point out have something occur to their savior that points out a his

youth and inexperience. B also his tag him in a way with the moniker of unreliable because he doesn't answer the bell for weeks at a time, in a way that others who have been given the opportunity as a top five pick have been able to answer the bell all the time. Top fifteen. But let's go top, Let's go first round. Could there be an odd illness that the football gods would bestow upon this young man at the outset of a Monday night football game, just before

they take on the Patriots on the road. Could that be possible? Yes, But that's not the most Jets thing. The most Jets thing, I have saved it on my phone.

I have saved it on my phone. The most Jets thing of all of Monday Night Football was ESPN putting up a graphic during Monday Night Football of Donald's standing there with the hero shot, as they make all players do in front of a green screen to use during broadcasts of the subsequent year, standing there in the hero shot and it says out indefinitely mononucleosis in like a thousand exactly. That wasn't the most Jets moment. No, you

got to it. The most Jets moment was him then as they roll tape, pointing to the screen that you the man, I'm the man. That's right, that's right, I've got moto. Yes, the most Jets moment of all the slow handles, like the pregnant pause, like twins are kind of come out of at some point, at some point there is like an ESPN like they were having to get in the graphics. Look, I made this, it's a

great shot. We use it anyway, forgotten it. There wasn't enough time to redo the graphic and roll that nobody won't even think of. And and poor Sam, you know, because again, if I'm a quarterback in the NFL, you know, like I've got a little bit of you know, for the lack of a better way of putting it, like a little bit of Aaron Rodgers in me where I look at everything, askance. I'm always thinking that this could

turn out to be. And I'm sorry that this word is not appropriate if your podcast little douch okay, Like what like I tell him, I tell all the time here in the history of the NFL network is we've shot promos. I will not do fun with football. I will not do what they do at CBS, which is James Brown, who I love. Here's a football, Hey, Boomer, you've got it. No, coward's got it. We're not going to do the forced hilarity. I refused to do it.

I will walk it for actual chemistry. They all know here at this network, in every promotional department, if you want me to have fun with football, it ain't happening. Like I might hold it out. I might do that. They sometimes want me to take it in the right hand, flip it to the left, because it never know when it can be used that you look doc. And in the case of Sam Donald, God bless him, ESPN is like, all right, Sam, now stand there, now stand at you're

turning your left. That's it. No, a little bit more right, shoulder front, Okay, there you got it now point now, point there you go. We're gonna use that when you have motto. Okay, right. It's any man with swollen internal organs is going through enough at the moment is at risk? Man? What are we doing? They They said today that Donald told reporters that when he saw Trevor Simeon, Uh, what do you think Sam did when he was sitting in his apartment in Paramus, New Jersey, and and saw that

graphic come up. Um, by the way, I just and I want to get to the Browns mark because you deserve it, because you're back on. Sorry, you're back on. But I thought the most Jets thing of all is the only good thing that team has left to me right now is Jamal Adams and how he was playing his ass off at the end. Another story him, And that's Greg Williams written all over too. I could just imagine Bud Kilmer on the sideline being like, get his

ass out of the game anyway. So the Jets are a mess, and we know they're a mess, and with the schedule ahead, it's gonna get uglier before it gets They have their own overall selection at the quarterback in this game. Patriots don't have. Aren't haven't cornered the market on overall selected quarterback. That's a very sunny and at least at least and then I'm done, Okay, at least with the Jets having a guy named Thicking, they now have a guy named Falk just for the headline writers

in time for being a twenty two point underdog. There there is there is another world here. Where and look, nothing is that's happening to the jets here. Here's what I'm saying. Where it is? You know what I mean. It's a it's a it's a support group. It's a support group. And you're out of congratulations. Well uh look no, no, no, no, no, I know you don't only here it. Baker Mayfield is a thousand percent the real deal in a way that we've yet to see Donald b Donald seeing it. This month.

The one moment that Donald has has ever shown like, Okay, he's got it was when he overcame his own pick six mistake to start week one. Other than that or that all right, you know what, his ankles all banged up. He's coming back late in the season where he knows his coach is a dead man walking, and he's still thrown out there. Baker Mayfield has planted his flag in the middle of the Cleveland fan base and say follow

me to freedom. And he has done it. And and the throws that he we saw where our eyes popped out of our heads at the combine, Mayhawk was sitting next to me and and DJ was chiming into that deep middle throw just comes out like a cannon out of his arm. It's not just you know, the moxie, and it's not like him creating place. He's stepping back, hitting his back foot and delivering serious professional football throws with regularity. And we saw it last night. So congratulations, man,

I'm not putting. You're out. You're out, You're out, You're off. And Myles Garrett, Myles Garrett is no conscience, He's no conscious. He's coming to wreck you and correct, He's coming to wreck you. He's coming to wreck your line and steal your soul. That's what Mark has always wanted from the brand. Somebody's gonna stand up. Although, according to ESPN's Booger McFarland,

when Jamal Adams is aggressive, he's selfish. When Myles Garrett is aggressive, he's like, hey, they don't let us play anymore. And I know Booger is on your show, Um, but that that was that was awful. Bugger. Let's let's let's set up the mound mark because it's cathartic and I understand the need for that. This this was obviously a much needed win. And I'll and I'll say this, I didn't think Baker played that well last night. I thought

the Jets defense. That why Greg Williams was so furious on the sidelines after that Odell back and play was not just because the game basically got iced on an eighty nine yard touchdown, which was a killer. It was also because the Jets d really played well despite being undermanned against a far superior offensive unit, and that all

got washed away. He knew that was happening. But let's focus on where the Browns are, because not only are they back to one on one, one on one, they also have a a f C North that doesn't have Ben Roethlisberger involved anymore. And I feel like it kind of you're back to zero, You're okay, and it's time to move forward. This was a good first step. I I guess to be honest, because despite the fact that I'm out of the club, that you guys are members of it at the moment, the private world of crap

I hear you. I came out of last night's game,

not the whole lead up to the game. Was rather joyous because on this show we had spent months and we we wager sandwiches back and forth on various NFL elements in the In the Baker Donald Part two, after last year's so clearly, you know, emotionally was on Cleveland tilting towards the Browns doing what they did, and you thought, it's in New York, why not have it flipped this way and had this be the new duel between as you said, the new wave of quarterbacks that have arrived.

We didn't get that. The whole thing was a rather joyless affair. From that angle. As a Browns fan, I didn't want if you win, everyone's gonna say you should have won based on everything the way the table was set. Obviously had they lost, and there was a moment in the game where with you know, Luke Falkon there and the Jets are rolling, thought the Browns should be up in this game about three Well, there was one dry

as a Browns I'm allowed to. I'm allowed to, you said going into the game, you had a terrible psychic energy about you. Call us to trust that are gonna lose this. I did had no confidence in them winning, And I'm gonna be honest with you, I'm not We don't. You guys dealt with a lot more in the past week and it continues. I'm not gonna bemoan the Browns but I came out of it with a fair amount

of concern. And you look at the fact that they have a short week to play the Rams, they then play the Ravens on the road where they've they're about one in twenty and since next five opponents are all two and oh right, the next opponents right, Because there was in in August, we we threw around some scenarios that could be thorny for teams, and I mentioned the Browns on the show starting one in five. And it

wasn't just me trying to be wildly pessimistic. It is if there is a roadmap for that to happen because of who they're playing, and because I look at Cleveland and it just felt out before that Odell Beckham play, they they were out of sync. And even last year's Baker Mayfield inside that offense experience had a little more daring do and some trickery, and to me just I thought he was playing outside of his head and I don't know what's going on. Think Greg Williams, maybe he

knows him better. Baker Mayfield was legit confused on some of those I know that, and again he still he still was in his second year. You need n't play a full year last year, Mark and you know and and uh, what I would take out of that last night is I a few things I don't buy into. The whole should beat anybody? Okay, that whole business of Lamar did it against the crappy Dolphins. Well, you know what, No, you still have to when Hollywood Brown has two steps,

put it on him. When you do have somebody who's got mark Ingram hit the whole. You do have to hold onto the football. You do have to do the right things. You have to have the killer instinct as well. And the thing that I was totally mystified about with the Browns last night, with all the good things that we saw, I thought the line was vastly improved. I

thought the defense was just lights out. I thought Myles Garrett that is on the resume week two of the two thousand nineteen Defensive Player of the Year on Monday Night football grown ass man becoming a bigger grown ass man. I loved it. I thought it was terrific. Now my concern was what's going on with Freddie Kitchens Week one?

An absurd number of penalties and dumb penalties. They clean that up, They clean that up, which is all they need to do to win, because their talent is far superior to the Jets, especially when you, as you call them undermanned. I I didn't miss that moniker that you mentioned earlier. But before the half, you're up thirteen to three. It's third and tenor in your own forty. They called

time out. They come out and they run a running play and then go ahead and try and get the Jets to call a time out and trick them into calling time out, and burned the time out, burn of time all the way down to a minute five, And I'm like, where's the Freddie Kitchens two thousand eighteen, Baker Mayfield daring do I understand that the defense was confusing, whatever, but go hurry up. Let's go and and and and nail and nail the Jets right through the heart right

before send them into halftime down twenty three. Instead, they punt and Gaze made the mistake of from the ten yard line with Luke Falk. Let's throw one over the middle. And even if I forget, but it's Bell whoever, and I don't even know the name. He drops the ball, which gives Freddie Kitchens a free pass with the one time out he didn't have left to call. He had two left, not three. So then he gets the ball back and Kitchens gets three out of it when he

deserves zero out of it. And why would Adam Gaze think, you know what, I'm gonna try and get some points on the board with Luke Falk you when the Jets were setting the record last night for most second and twenty three's from inside their own five yard line because of the million holding penalty, you mean, call right now a little bit until it was concerned about that, Like,

what's like is Freddy focus? I think there was whispers Freddie and Todd munkin the o C who doesn't call plays, that there was some abrasive scenario between them, which you know, you want to just dismiss until it becomes a thing, and it's not a thing at this point. But there were other whispers that Freddy Kitchens was not the guy that set the offense on fire last year. They haven't, they haven't been hasn't think in the first two weeks.

I don't think Baker Mayfield's come out and it's two weeks now and come out and been as you know, aggressive has had in many big throws. He's had the big time throws, but he also has four interceptions, He's taken eight sacks. He's not as decisive. It hasn't been two great weeks for him. Maybe it is the Greg Williams factor, but you have to feel good that the defense, which I think can save their floor in terms of making it so that the offense doesn't need to be

they showed up. Then again, they're playing a Jets team, who you know, maybe even if Sam Donald was there, we would be talking about they're one of the worst teams in the league. I think that's one of the things I'm not saying. You you want Sam Donald there, of of course you do, but there's a scenario here where his absence is covering up some other issues that they have. Their offensive line has been a disaster through two weeks, and they're just a little a little inconsistent

on it. Also, that's same Brown's defense, and it wasn't the entire game, but they got worked over by the Titans for an eighteen twenty minute chunk of that game where they were tired out, and it was the offense too. But I I would say Cleveland right now is not even close to looking like a playoff team. They look like they have some issues to work out despite known talent.

Well they have, and they have a very difficult schedule coming up, but so does the rest of the National Football May I close this out with one yes, crazy asked Hinfoil had suggestion for the New York Jets. Okay, I'm here, Okay, I want to just give a little bit of a history lesson to the younger audience of the Around the NFL podcast. Okay, um, Way before the Patriots were the Patriots as we currently know them, the Jets and the Dolphins had the most bad blooded rivalry

in the American Football Conference Eastern Division, hands down. The whole bit. The eighties were all about Don Shula wedding the field for the a f C championship game because Freeman McNeil was coming into town after they let the top that they let it just rain, no tarp on the field, the old Orange Bowl, and a J. Dewey with three picks. It's terrible. So all of that, the fake Spike Dan Marino being drafted after Kenn o'bron parton

me O'Brien drafted before, just terrible. What the Dolphins are doing right now, what the Dolphins are doing right now, this naked tank job that is going on in the NFL right now, because we have to call it what it is. It is beyond the pale, because they're amassing all these picks. And Chris Greer even said it today when he spoke today, that they can have any player they want in the draft, and we know which player

they want in the draft. It's I heard about this at the draft in Dallas, three months after TWA was put in the game by Nick Saban out of the blue to beat Georgia in overtime. I heard it at that draft in Dallas. The Dolphins want to We all know that's what they want. The Jets should tell Sam stay home, Sam, Sam, stay home because we're concerned about your spleen. Whatever it's we gotta be. We're taking the long view on Sam Spleen, whatever, whatever, whatever they want

to concoct. And the Jets should tank worse. They should when the Dolphins come into town, play worse, tank worse, finish first overall, and come to the Dolphins say you want to ah too bad. You can't have him. Say to the rest of the NFL, hey who wants to and about ten teams will raise their hands and hand Joe Douglas a million picks, and Chris Greer could sit there with all of his picks and take Herbert from Oregon, which we know that now they don't cover him, and

whoever else they want. And tough, tough dolphins. We tank harder, harder, screw you over for a j Dewey and the fake spike. It's bitter, it's awesome, it'll it's nuts. It won't happen, nor should it. But it's a great idea that I want to bring to his many deer gates. The extra spiteful nature of not doing the trade I thought you were going towards. The Dolphins will be so desperate that they'll pull a dick Ricky Williams and give the Jets. It doesn't matter. You don't know what you said. Sam's

savior right now. You don't get it. Your tank was for nothing, and they have it within their power because they the Dolphins twice, the Dolphins. You could make sure that two wins and they go one. You got it, you got the single. It's in their hands. They could do it. If you thought Adam Gaze's body language is bad. Now he will collapse within himself. He will not make it to week. My problem, I'm telling Buffalo Bills is the only organization and the division with an adult in

the room. If I ever own a boat, though, I'm gonna be calling it naked tank job, naked float around on the season. By the way, this is like I saw that in cinemax. By the way, Shannon Tweed was great tank All right, So rich, do you want to sit in on news? How much? How much time? I got? No? Yeah, I got ten more minutes? All right, it's time flies when you're giving tinfoil having theories. I don't know if I'll survive, but I like the theory. Of course. It

makes look. Sam's got to have playing time. Gaze has got to have a shot. I totally get it. But what the Dolphins are doing, somebody's gotta take, somebody's gotta take. You've got to prevent it. The one person, one team that can prevent it is a team that's already owing to that's tanking without really even knowing it. Right now, the mono is doing the tank job for you for at least another three weeks. He'll come back, He'll be a shell of himself. It'll take two more weeks. They

can try as hard as they want. They'll be Owen six oh and seven because they play the Patriots twice in weeks three weeks seven. That's two losses by the time the Dolphins come to town. Here's what you do. Just lay down, literally lay down. There's a dark course there in Carolina being run by a hedge fund manager and Kyle allen Thirt, and it will be strange. The highlights will be like, why is everybody knocked down? Like bowling pins? Is Josh Rosen runs untouched for eighty five yards? Like?

It'll be what the hell? Well, you need to keep the theory? Who to announce it here? But then you're gonna have to keep down? Yeah, well why the Dolphins are doing it in playing some element of surprise? Though, you know, you know what rich Everything you're saying makes sense and it's interesting and I like it, but I also still can't believe it is September seventeen and this is what we're talking about with it. Let's do some news.

What have that happened to Gary Cooper? The strong silent time that was an American We'll get to that in a minute, a few minutes, But let's start with the rundown of these injuries. Since we last spoke to you on Sunday, we now know that Drew Brees is going to have surgery on his torn ligament in his right thumb. Rap Sheet reports that the time frame for recoveries approximately six weeks. Um sean um Sean Payton has to now move forward west with Teddy Bridgewater, who has been, let's say,

underwhelming in his limited time behind center. But now they're calling on Teddy to keep the ship afloat until Drew can come back. I think anybody who's ever met or spent time around Teddy Bridgewater wants him to succeed. But nothing we've seen from him in real game action since his catastrophic injury would give you confidence that he's going

to succeed. And last week performance against the Rams, in which he got very little help from his running game or his receivers, the game was just too fast for him. So with a week of prep does that go away? But if I'm a Sames fan, that scares me, and I'm still gonna wander in the back of my mind, should Taysom Hill be quarterback in this team? I would like to say something you hit on the name that

nobody's talking enough about. If you don't think Sean Payton sitting back here and saying, what do I have here at my disposal that I can use in the next six weeks? If you if you think the Ravens can suddenly turn on a dime last year and change their offense from Flacco to Lamar Jackson so successfully, and Sean Payton is the guy who can probably do that within literally five minutes. On the back of a cocktail napkin. I think Taysom Hill is gonna way more snaps than

anybody thinks. And I would look for who is the third string? Do they have a third string? Just resigned J T. Barrett today? Right? That was the sign, Like I was like, let's see if they sign a third QB because and that's and this is Sean Payton just because he's Sean Payton. I mean, you think, Okay, your your your goat has a thumb injury that you know is serious enough he can't grip the ball, so you're just gonna take the backup, put him out there and

your third stringer, let's make him a slot receiver. I mean who does that sort of stuff, Somebody who's got the right amount of crazy like Sean Payton. I'm telling you, I want to see it's gonna be. We're about to to the point where I'm thinking of picking him up in fantasy. I'm sorry, Don't you think that the point is to get a difference maker, not a guy who's average. Don't you think he's going to see a ton more snaps out there in the perfect time to uncork it

is in Seattle first week. Nobody's thinking fantasy player though. I don't know, But you can all those other guys you mentioned or even and you can pick any of them up off the waiver. Witers stopping him from doing it, No one stopping him from doing it. He invested a third round pick in Teddy Bridgewater, then he signed him for seven and a half million dollars. He's invested a lot of practice time. I don't think Teddy Bridgewaters looked comfortable.

He needs to pull the trigger a little faster when he's buying center. But Sean Payton's the offensive genius. There's nothing more. Just like Bill Belichick loved going eleven and five with Matt Castle more than practically anything he's probably ever done. Sean Payton wants to show that he can run this offense and that they can light people up. Whether it's with Teddy, whether it's with Tayston Hill. You're right, it'll probably be some combination of the two. But right

now he believes Teddy Bridgewater is his best option. But at this point, because you're running on a time with Breeze, no matter what I mean, they are in full blown hunt for the franchise quarterback of the future. I know you got to look at both these guys and find out what you have. You got Steve Young, that's what they keep calling on. I think Taysom Hill's is what

he's thinking. I guess by the way of Famer, if he's that good, he should be playing what Yeah, what I'm thinking is you have to You can't be looking at Teddy Bridgewater is the plug in answer without challenging him this season with Taysom Hill and then challenging with every other option you can and if Breeze goes down, well, you guys all have your laptops that I don't know if you have the ability to call it up like this, But how many how many snaps does Taysom Hill get

with Breeze. It feels like it's five six a game right with Breeze with the goat where they split number nine out wide right and sometimes they'll do it in the red zone and you're like, with that, So you don't think he'll double that with Teddy Bridgewater now and just and and and and come as close as they've ever seen to a two quarterback offense. I could see the play snaps last week. I could see he rescues him as a tight end or slot receiver when he's

your backup quarterback. Well that's why they signed J. T. Barrett. I mean, honestly, like it might make sense that to do that that when you're already on your backup. We saw last night with the Jets. I mean they almost went to didn't I did? You? Were you the one who tweeted out like yeah, I was curious, and I was like, you know, you know these assaulters confirmed it was Browning test to Lucas or brook Penning Penning. I mean, let's let's give one star where prepare for the opponent,

Where Sean preparing. It's gonna think he was playing with a bunch of backups and and and against backups. Well that's fair, but I mean but not three starts? Are four? No, but just the offensive line and that I think you're at thirty six snap slash right, how many this year? Already twenty something? We're already seeing a massive uptick, right, sandwiches and other news. Ben Roethlisberger yes out for the year. That elbow injury UM that he suffered was serious enough

that it's going to require surgery. Here was Big Ben's statement, this is shocking and heartbreaking for me to miss this much of a season and feel like I'm letting down so many people. I can only trust God's plan, but I am lely determined to battle through the challenge and come back stronger than ever next year. Crushing blow Mark

for the Steelers, who um are O and two. And this is a season that had Super Bowl expectations And now you turn it over to Mason Rudolph And I saw your twitter, Mark, and I thought the same thing watching this game that he looks like he can play

a little bit. Rudol would be interesting to see give him a full week and see if he could sling a little bit, because he seemed under control and and he made some nice throws, but please, I mean, this is a big drop off from the last season's passing leader. It is. I don't know if last year, even last year's Big Ben was the big bend that we've grown

accustomed to in general. It is interesting because Chris Mortenson reached right out to Jake Delone when he found out about this injury, and it was alone that went and had very similar Tommy john S surgery and came back the next year, went twelve and four and had one of his better years. So it's not the end of Big Ben. And the other problem is Big Ben's contract makes it utterly impossible to part with him next year

from a cap and money standpoints. So I don't I think he's still in the in the in the in the docket for next season. But Mason Rudolf. To me, these things happen fast. And if Rudolph were to have one of those seasons where he captures the imagination of the Steelers fan base and saves what looks like they're a very good team still in their defense, if they can get a little bit more on track, they've got right.

We'll get to that in a second. I mean, Mason Rudolph's in one of those interesting backup quarterback positions where you've got the it's kind of like any given Sunday scenario where you've got what's his name, the aging guy on a quad and you've got you know, we've got the new guy coming. And I kind of liked Mason Rudolph. I think he's gotta They've tried to find backups to Big Bend for a while and they've all been Jabronis. This guy is a little different, and I think the

coaching staff likes him a lot. Was it was it a guy named Mike Jabroni, Mike Jabrowni. They had ted jib Brownie not talking about the left, which wasn't a fine. Big Ben's successful. They've been drafting guys as yes, and it's exciting and we'll see how it goes. A couple of things. One, uh, shameless self promotion the grind on epics tomorrow night. Um, there's two, there's two, Yes, there's two. Features.

One is Charles Woodson with the Patriots and Dolphins, and Charles caught up with Brady and did ask him about the the tuck rule. So number one, that's number one. Number two it was also um Bettis was in Pittsburgh, um, you know, in the stadium when Ben went through all this, and he did meet up with Juju Smith Schuster and its streamed to meet when he was asking about, you know, his new role. It seems it's gonna he's not fully adjusted as to being quote unquote the man then number

one guy. It takes a lot, especially when everybody else is dropping the football left and right. Dante Montcrief is just suddenly like Edward Stonehan's um and so I'm I'm curious to see if Mason Rudolph will have the ability

to move the offense. He definitely did a better job than Ben did in the first six quarters and just his two quarters in there, Judy smith Schuster had a sign of life that you know, well, Ben Ben once an offense sort of like what Aaron Rodgers used to have, the isolation routes where the receivers have to win one on one and he's playing from empty spread formations. They bring in Mason Rudolph and they're running sort of a more normal NFL offense where the receivers don't have to

win one on one every route. So we'll see what happens Jimmy G's and the Diners are his first up. And then number two is we all know Pittsburgh Steeler fans very well. I mean I know a bunch of Obviously Damnishek is one of them. Do you and unlikable crowd? Well, that's just my opinion. Okay, understood, But do you know of any one's Pittsburgh stewdar fan one. I just want the name of one who has been comforted by the news that Jake Dilone came back. Well from this, I know,

I know, is there one? Let's see, he came back and then got the worst contracts. Love Jake, but is there a single I mean, Rudolph. Rudolph's only a second year, so if he plays well, that's a good. Problem was I was surprised if people thought, oh this is this is the end of Ben Roethberg. No, he just signed a huge contract, no reason. Why more. Let me call Jake. Jake had that same injury stealer fans. Don't worry Jake

came back. He'll be carried by his defense in his running game to the playoffs, and then he'll throw four interceptions against because maybe worse you to look at Chris Mortonson's Twitter feed from last night during Monday Night football. Just go back and look at it. I don't know. I thought it was a half scenario, but I think someone intered. Someone interpreted there were three rats, and I was thinking they're the rats jumping off the Dolphins ship.

That was all right, Well, let's get to that. Um Dolphins they draft to make a Fitzpatrick and the two thousand eighteen Yeah, would jumping in the organic fish tank? Uh? They draft Patrick first round two thousand eighteen. He expresses, you know, displeasure with the organic fish tank. He says, I want out. And the Steelers, who aren't looking to throw in the towel on the season just because Ben's out,

make a trade. Uh? They trade? Yeah, who trades twenty two year old defensive bout you choose in the first a year later? Who does that? It doesn't matter if he wants out. We're talking about and Chris carews like, hey, we told him we want you here. Man, coach wants you here, the owner who wants you here. Then the twenty two year old stays. But let's let's hear it

from I mean, what are you talking about here? Is everyone getting get out of jail free card because they asked for let's let's hear from the GM with Minka. Just one of those things. Um. You know, the player expressed that, you know, maybe time for him to change, and so we tried to make your work myself. Brian Steve had multiple conversations with him about saying we wanted them here. I mean it was a core piece and one another something like this before the kid just felt

it was time for him to move. And we told what the value was, told teams and we had multiple offers. Of course you did. He's year old, stuffs one best for the organization. He won he won the Best Defensive Back in College award like eighteen months ago. He's a guys you hold onto. Pardon me, I'm sorry. Lead to the guys you hold onto. You don't trade these guys. And here's here's a wake up call for the Dolphins

and Dolphins fans. Chris Greer Um, who I've never met and I have heard nothing but the most respectful things about. I just have to say this. He could be uh George Young and times ten like to the tenth degree, like name the some of the greatest grocery shoppers and Drafters in the history of the NFL. He could be that to the tenth degree. You draft all these guys with all these picks next year, certainly when you don't get to it, because the Jets are gonna do what

I say. But even with two of they can go Owen sixteen with two of the first year, you still have to when you hit the win it now button. Look at the Clippers. They would never have gotten Kauai and Paul George if they already didn't have the group here. Look at the Browns, your Browns who are out of purgatory. They still got enough people together on defense that when John Dorsey started turning all of these picks mostly on

offense that they had into human beings on offense. There you can win the Dolphins even with you don't have a left tackle, you don't have a defensive back like Minke of Fitzpatrick. You hold onto these people. I never thought i'd see a team voluntarily turn itself into an expansion organization like this, and it's pathetic. Even from a

competitive spirit angle, you can't win. You can't compete on a on a level playing field, and there is no more level playing field in pro sports than the borderline socialist structure or of the NFL, where you get carried along no matter what happens. Can't compete on that level, So they're stripping it down to the lowest level to give themselves an advantage in the draft. And it takes no special insight or acumen to strip your team down.

It just doesn't. It takes a patient owner and extraordinarily uh downtrodden fan base bordering on apathy, and a hierarchy of the sport willing to look the other way or perhaps more accurately, throw their hands up because they have no solution while the competitive integrity is stained for the whole thing. It's just to me, the competitive spirit of sports. You're saying, I quit, I don't want to compete in

this setting. Okay. I think they looked at though. I think they looked at Part of it was they looked at the Steelers. They see an O and two team that's starting Mason Rudolph, and they think, we got Minka Fitzpatrick. We've seen him. You're talking, this is a guy we keep. You're right, it's crazy that they trade him in Tonto, because you're just gonna have to replace them. These are guys in rookie contract that said Minka Fitzpatrick has played

a thousand snaps in the NFL. Anyone that says this guy is a future superstar is just basing it off of a draft profile. They didn't they haven't watched all of his snaps. He's been fine. He hasn't make graded out number one one amongst slot corners on PFF last year. Like he's he's had up, he sat downs, he looks fine. My point is, I think they looked at the Steelers and they thought, could this be a top five pick? If there's a chance that it is, I guess we're

just So what's the narrative here? Before I tap out? If you don't know, um, what is the narrative here? Is the narrative that Brian Flores was bringing to do your job defense to South Florida and making him uh perform in a scheme that wasn't to his That's what satisfaction or the best of his ability, that they were making him cover tight ends and it was something that

he was complaining, was upset that he was playing strong. Okay, So so the question, so the questions are don't we don't we always and and rightfully so lionized the coaches who change their scheme to fit the people that they have, right, Like, that's what we say is the mark of an excellent coach, that we will change what we do to fit what our players do. We still have a philosophy, but we're

we're we're we're flexible. So what does that say about Brian Flores that he's not going to be told what's best for the team by his his second year player. They didn't they in his mind, he was the best option to play that position because they don't have anyone to play that position, but they have someone to play slot cornerback. I'm not going to question Brian Flores is sort of defensive acumen, what's going to make his team

the best? The question is like, why why do you listen to that twenty two year old and just trade him because he's unhappy? Like it's so bizarre, And I understand the guys who want to be here. I don't want him here anymore. But then let's how do we not make this work? Right? So let me ask you guys.

It's an interesting show of faith by the Steelers, by the way, in Mason Rudolph and the team that they have, they should of course defense, it's missing only what to me, And this is why I think Mayock and Gruden went and got Antonio Brown, or Gruden got Antonio Brown and Mayok didn't. So over my dead body, um that that when you need to evaluate a quarterback, as I think Gruden still wanted to do with Derek Carr or still does even because because he's just he's he's constantly trying

to change quarterbacks or kick tires on it. To evaluate that quarterback, you have to give that player protection. You have to give that player weaponry. You have to give that player the best ability to win with your offense because your defense is strong and quarterback. So the Steelers just I mean right, the Steelers just added make of Fitzpatrick. They see what their issues are in week two. They can see over the steering wheel. Okay, we're gonna have

to get somebody at this position. They're not gonna be as talented or maybe even as young. Is this guy if we draft him next year in the first round, get him. Let's do it now, and let's evaluate Mason Rudolph right now. And of course Tomlin's one of those defensive coaches that's his forte is the second. Let's see it. I can do it. That's the thing. Like, let's see the Steelers not ruin a highly drafted defensive back. Let's see Mike Tomlin have a top ten defense in the

last seven or eight years. Hasn't happened once, and you look at the talent that they have. And I think that's one of the issues with Ben being out is a little more focus is going to be on Mike Tomlin and that's been a big problem in the first defense. Let's let's see if he can have a different speaking defense. So let me ask you this last one for for me if you don't mind, because I do have to run, but I really enjoyed this chat here. Um, do you

think we're seeing with the Dolphins? There's two choices. I don't think there's any gray area. Do you think we're seeing the coach Norman Dale moment where the fans are howling for his head and he's waving his game plan in the satchel at them. This is this is what I know, and it may be very unpopular right now, but I got this. Do you think that's what the

Dolphins are doing right now? Or they went to Stephen Ross or Stephen Ross even went to them in his front office and said, uh, to A, we gotta get him. We're gonna get him. Whatever you need to do to get him. I don't care how much you raise it down to the ground. And I trust you, Chris Greer, to put players into these spots. And it's just gonna

be an unmitigated long slog of a disaster. It's only there's really I don't think there's any gray area here because this sort of stuff doesn't wind up with a six and ten, eight and eight. And we'll see how it goes three four years down the road with the GM and coach like it's one of the two where it's gonna work out and Mile and High wins at all, or or Hickory wins at all, or we're gonna see something like your expert opinions, you guys seeing a ton

of football, what do you think? My one thing is that I think I I am open minded to the idea of what they've done to make ensure they get the number one pick and ensure they don't get the third pick and someone else gets the best quarterback and they get up they get the second helpings and they continue to win four or five games and be the

milk toast Dolphins that we've known all along. I feel like when you're allowing players to voice their displeasure and then be traded no matter what they say, it's not a precedent, that is the precedent. It just happened. And when you give up a left tackle who Daniel Jeremiah feels is a star left tackle, that's a very tough position to replace. Has the cut down gone too deep? Couldn't you have already gotten this quarterback with where you were a couple of weeks ago. Did you need to

also give up? I think it canceled the top down. Yeah, to answer your question, I think it came from the top down in January and Chris Carreer, who by the way, drafted who is there. That's is part of the confusing messaging of the entire Dolphin season. Chris Gray was there. I know he wasn't the top guy. He was the guy underneath Tannon bomb, but he was supposedly was pretty integral and drafting Menko Fitzpatrick and Ton So I think they presented this vision to try to get out of

seven and nine and they're trying. Didn't you ensure the first pick though before? I think this is an enormous leap of faith that this is all gonna work out, and I think it has the potential to cripple a once proud organization for a decade and permanently hurt the brand. I think this way too much. Chack A look of the Raiders. They had three first round picks Mayok, who is as great a talent evaluator as there is. I don't care everyone's like Cleveland Farrell? Why him and not

anyone else? Because if Mayok was on NFL Network talking about Cleveland Farrell and the Open for months, then all the fan bases that would think Mayock was crazy for taking Cleveland Farrell would be complaining to their team's general managers why didn't you listen to Mayok? Okay, So let's just say Mayok is as good as they come. He turned three first round picks into Farrell, Abram, and Jacobs. Those guys look like they are a great a material already,

and unfortunately about Abram that he's out. But even that, what does that make the Raiders eight seven and nine, six and ten, nine and seven? If they're lucky, Like, when do you start hitting the winning now button when you're the Patriots in your division? Like this is all kinds of crazy to me, and I hope it does work out. I know a ton of Dolphin fans. But so you guys don't think he's this is coach Dale. They they know what they're doing and it's gonna work.

They're gonna win it. What I don't think. I just think it's the plan under this front office, starting with the top. What have they shown that would lead you to believe they know what they're doing, that they're in on some secret that nobody else knows. Greer said something very interesting today. He made it he said, we're going to be aggressive in free agency. This is not going to be a long rebelt. He was saying, like we're playing they got in trouble in the first place, shopping

in Arch for talent. Yeah next year. I mean, he made it sound like we're going to be aggressive and this is a short, short rebuild and it's not Flora's plan. I mean, he's he must have been given assurances that he's not gonna you know, this isn't on hand, I'm gonna get act right. It's not. And again, I'll just make this last point. The Clippers would have never gotten Kauai and Paul George to come the top free agents. They would never have chosen the Clippers if they didn't

already have the idea of how to win. A coach who knows how to win in a front office that has the respective players like Kauai and Paul George, like Jerry West, and like uh Lawrence Frank. No chance which free agent in their right minds, despite how much money Stephen Ross might throw them say yeah, I'm ready, I'll go there and be part of a rebuild and try and win two three years from now. No chance. You have to have the ability to show what you're talking about, Chris.

You can build a team through free agency in the NBA, you can turn your entire franchise around and one fell swoop like the Clippers did. You can't do that in the NFL with free agency. Those players aren't available. Rich Eisen, Yes, sir, thank you for having me on. It was amazing having you here, Rich Uh and you know where to see what I think I talked too much now that you were awesome Game day morning on on Sundays after the games, you come back here and you watch the recaps rich

in the whole Gang. Also the rich Podcast became the Rich Eyes and Show Monday to Friday noon to three eastern. Uh. That's syndicated all over, but you can watch it on direct TV on the Audience channel. The Grind, The Grind on EPICS nine o'clock every Wednesday night, nine Eastern time. Yeah, I mean they're killing it too. Epics is throwing a ton of promotion at it. Um and so this week it's Bettest in Pittsburgh and Charles Woodson uh in Miami.

Next week it's Snoop with DeAndre Hopkins when he comes here to Los Angeles hanging out with him. Um, why were we not? We're not pulled into this like this is this is how this is now. It's rolling, you know, And that the idea they contacting some great Hall of famers to hang out with their former teams or with players and all showing about how long of a slog of a season it is the Grind and um, and

keep an eye out in the months ahead the NFL Onebration. Yeah, talk more about we'll talk about that because you're spending a lot of personal, well professional one on one time with Bill Belichick himself. So we need to get you in your back. You know you're a Jets fan. You mean, my boy, be square? Are you allowed to do? I did have an underlying question is what did he eat when he was here? I don't know why. I just want to know what sort of plates of food? Can

you watch and take notes as he eats? Rich and then we'll talk about November a little human you mean, like, no, he's a human being, Okay, I mean I didn't. I didn't watch him eat things. I didn't see what. He's got a great sense of humor. Well, so he don't need to have I need more details. We all do on this. That's the type of commented chance. Like everyone

always says that what does he eat? Well? Just like you guys, probably at some point at all you all got your plates of food, and like, does Belichick have diet principles he holds too? Or what did you did you watch him eating like a giant kings like he wasn't like chewing like a turkey leg? Yeah, I don't know. Agin assumes everyone just eats giant hunks of rabbie. I don't want to I just want to know what I didn't. I didn't take notes or or um but um in

the green room area. I was out of him Collinsworth and me the only one who ordered the egg whites. You are how else would we know that had he not been there? Well that I learn, And that's how Eisen has been getting sub six seconds even as the ages working out for it. I'm working out. I know, Chris Westling, I don't think I could run. Which one of us are? Which one of us can scare you the most? If you had to take us on in that race, just by I question which one you'd say

I need to practice a little bit harder or less? Uh? I'm Westling to me is a man who's been refocused in life. Uh, and a man who has now got a better half. Um. But Rosenthal strikes me as a little uh what was that, rang Rangy? Yeah, you might be able to I'm putting the miles in each week right now, pick him up and put them down now correct analysis. But all right, rich eyes and thank you buddy. Thanks all right, rich is out the door, and thank you to the face. Once again. We will keep going

with the news now. So you know, by the way I mentioned before whatever happened to Gary Cooper? So you got make a Fitzpatrick who says I don't want to be here anymore, and they just send him out of town. Now, Jalen Ramsey, the star quarter cornerback of the Jaguars, he has requested at trade uh following brewing tensions with the organization that being the Jaguars, rap Sheet reported on Monday night.

Rap Sheet cited a number of reasons for Ramsey's frustration with the team that drafted him fifth overall, in among them being the confrontation he had with coach Doug Marone in the first quarter of the team's Week two lost to the Texans. I just want to I want to say this and feel free to disagree with me. I know you do feel free. Um, whatever happened to Gary Cooper? Why? What is Jalen Ramy supposed to be a leader of this team? And is this how the league is now?

When the tough gets when the going gets tough, you said, get me out of here. I mean, he's supposed to be the face of this franchise and now maybe things are so bad behind the scenes that we don't know that he um that he he feels it's toxic and

it's not a healthy place for him. But this just feels like it feels like a guy that once there's adversity, says, send me somewhere else, Send me to the Patriots, send me to a team that's that's going in the right direction rather and you know what, I'm going to be part of the solution here. This is a little on my radar some of this behavior. I'm saying, sure, but there's no Gary Cooper's in with to use that analogy

on either side. Jalen Ramsey was very composed and I thought mature interesting in his press conference today, and one thing he made clear that Jaguars are the one that put the trade stuff out there, and he he just said, all I can say is that there's no that we requested the trade that we made sure a hundred percent my agent and we've circled back on this that that would not get out. We did not want it to be a distraction for the team. The Jaguars put out

there because they want to trade them. They want to get the most that they possibly can for him before they have to pay him, because it sounds like they don't want to. Let's let's listen to Ramsey. But yeah, I wanted to talk as soon as I could today just because I don't really want it to be a distraction for my teammates getting ready for a game on Thursday. And right now, I'm still a part of the Jacksonville Jaguars, and I'm you know, I'm happy about that. I'm getting

ready for the game as well. Uh, And that's what my focus is right now. I've been in the meetings, I've been taking my notes, I've been getting ready for I walk those in our practice and everything that we gotta do. Idea. Well, I think what Greg's point, that's that's a writer talking. Fans don't care who released. Fans care that this guy asked for a trade from the franchise, not that he's not the one who put the story out there. He's the one asking for Gary Cooper thing.

It's like if they wanted, if they're worried about it, being like candle your business, you know, keep keep it quiet, let's not have a distraction. They're just they're just businessmen that are trying to get the most that they possibly can for him. They don't care about this, Greg. It is a Gary Cooper free zone. And Greg is correct about that. But that's the case all over the league.

And I think that we are dealing with players who we're telling Gary Cooper and the time that we're discussing is when butlayers anyways had zero personal direction or power nobility to direct their own careers. Now they're feeling incredibly empowered, and in any of them are probably being told by older players, don't do it the way we did. We

didn't have a choice. You do, and me, I don't like it if I'm a fan and watching Jalen Ramsey roll into camp and a Brinx truck right away, you're when you're telling me, I don't want to be a distraction, So I'm gonna talk about it now you already are. If you have to address this, you've already become a distraction. But in general, the distraction seems to be the players aren't all in for the next five or six or

seven years. There are times, and we're getting to it, if you have a certain amount of star power, you can direct your way out of a losing situation. They're talking about the Chiefs is someone that's whispering talking about. But I agree with That's why I'm talking Garret Cooper because the idea what you want and the face of the franchise and a guy that was that, um, if they have a good relationship, is going to get paid by the Jaguars. You imagine he's he's that talented as

a star. But I just I don't like the idea, and I think leadership is so important with the organization, and some of the things from Jalen Ramsey and the last year or so to me have turned me off, and I would imagine it might have turned the Jaguars off as well. And I know it's always it's very popular to always say, well, the team's wrong. Do never support the team, always support what the player is doing.

But sometimes this to me makes a situation in Jacksonville when he as a leader, should be working towards getting this team out of the rut and getting the season back on track. Instead we have this entire soap opera playing out and the season is just gonna go first period. But he also shut down DeAndre Hopkins. It does raise like last week he balled out, he played one of his better games. You know that that he's played last

week to me that he's trying. But since when has that been something that we need to say, Well, he's still trying. I guess I thought it. It does raise interesting questions like who is more important to the organization, him or Doug Moron him Tom Coughlin. Now they say, by the way they pay him that the players are more important. Tom Coughlin and Doug Morone have you know, objectively done a much worse job at their jobs over the last few years. They decided to pay some offensive lineman.

They decided to play Mark Easilee, They decided to play pay Blake Bordles, They draft one defensive player, have they paid? They drafted Leonard four Nette over you know, so they've had their own issues. That doesn't mean that everyone should go in and request to trade. But I don't know. Douglar own has had a laundry list of issues with people wherever he's been, and that's part of the personality there.

But I just would say no one's question if Jalen Ramsey is trying harder he's talented, I'm not, but talent has nothing to do with leadership. And I don't see someone who over and over reminds me of the core leader on a team when he's creating these issues over and over and going to magazines and you know, generating toxic comments about quarterbacks from the league. That's part of today's game, and that's fine, But I don't have to say that's the guy I want running my locker room. Necessarily,

it's fair to wonder where he wants to play. We know it's not Dallas. He's already come out and said he'd never played for the Jones family. Um, this is a guy who thinks he knows more than the coaches. We can see that from his comments and his behavior. He doesn't like authority. He isn't like the hierarchy of the coaches telling him what to do. So to me, it's fair to wonder where he wants to play on field.

Out of all the cornerbacks under twenty eight years old, this guy is most likely to go to the Hall of Fame, I think, and I think Stephan Gilmore has been the best corner in the NFL for about the last year and a half, but before that it was Ramsey and he's probably Most people probably think that Jalen Ramsey is the most talented cornerback in the NFL. Fans asking why Stephan Gilmour is not on their team. I mean,

it's like these guys move around there. I'm sure we can find, you know, exceptions, but you're not usually looking at your cornerback as as you're, you know, team leader. If you just kind of look at your best players supposed to be your team leader. I'm just saying that, for whatever reason the position, that's just sort of the history of the position. I would be interested to see how much they get for him. I mean, if if Minca's worth one first round pick and Laramie tuns is

worth what he's worth. I know you have to pay Jalen Ramsey, but there's reportedly asking for two first That sounds about fire up the app the GM. At GM, hey, we have a for the first time, we have a guy that is gonna wear a gold jacket, uh in about twelve years. He is just entering his prime. He is the guy that will put you over the top. Give it to us. This feels like an Eagle situation.

To this feels like an Eagle's Jeffrey Chadiah of NFL Network has reported that the Chiefs are not interested, and if you look a little bit deeper, they've got to pay. Patrick Mahomes they've gotta pay Chris Jones. I don't know if they've got the draft pick Ammo either to get him. UH. Let us move on. Yes, it has finally happened UM for the New York Giants, they are making the switch at quarterback. The team announced Tuesday that rookie Daniel Jones

will start UH this week and going forward. The move sends two time Super Bowl m VP Eli Manning UH to the bench. He'll be a backup UH and mentor role as they say, UM pat Irmer said in a statement that they spoke on Tuesday morning told him that we are making a change and going with Daniel as a starter. Eli was obviously disappointed and you would as you would expect, but he said he would be what he has always been, a good teammate and continue to

prepare to help this team win games. So it has happened. We one of our our first sandwich prop of the season. UM does not cash out for anyone. Mark. You are the closest you had week one, week two, weeks two when Daniel Jones would replace Eli Manning. And I'm not going to give you one of these eighteen month campaigns where I should have won this I did not win it. I lost. Good no horse shoes and hand grenade scenario here. I mean the other one is completely legitimate, legitimate, the

Philly Special. This one I am willing to because I'm logical not beat the drum on this. I lost. Okay, good, very big of you. So the Jones will be the starter. And West, Um, I know you've been pounding the drum on this um for a couple of years now that it was time for Eli fireworks going off at West's house.

Well it's finally happened. Well. I think, first of all, Eli deserves respect for starting two six games in the NFL, leading his team to two Super Bowls, and really engendering extraordinary levels of loyalty from his organization and former teammates like NFL Networks own Shawn O'Hara, who still have his back to this day and are questioning the organization for

benching him. It does on the subject of leadership. This guy clearly has had it his entire career and had it in spades, and I think he deserves a ton of respect for that. That said, I've been saying this for two and a half years, and the way NFL a now is his works. Guys like Kirk Cousins, Mitch Robinski, Josh Allen, they've all got critics, they've all got haters, and every other week those haters are skeptical that they're right.

They're like, well, maybe I'm looking at this wrong. Trobiski is on break, on track to break records for the Bears. You know, Cousins looks great. Never in two and alf years, as I thought, have I thought Eli has been anything other than washed up. I think they made this move a couple years too late. I don't understand why they paid him what they paid him this year, and I

don't understand what the organization was doing all offseason. Daniel Jones playing so well in camp and especially the preseason was a big factor here. I wish I had written in one of those preseason winners and losers. It's up to Eli when he gets banned, because the second there two games under five hundred, that's probably the time. You know, I wish I had gone Week three, they lose the right out of the thing. I think I was thinking week five, they'd be one at three. Doesn't matter. Daniel

Jones played awesome. That's the problem. I mean, the the worst excuse, And this is what the Giants kept saying was, well, you know their defense is terrible, and you know what does it really meant? Well, that doesn't mean you still tried out one of the five or six worst quarterbacks in the league. You I think their offense could be pretty good. And by the way, we heard forever, oh the protect If the protection was better, who could It's

been perfect through two weeks. The last problem that they've had in their two regular season games has been pass protection. That has not been a problem. I I would it's to me if you're a Giants fan, I don't know what. I don't know what if or Giants fan you want to work out and not work out. But it suggests to me that Pat Shermer is something a little bit more uh than a Manchurian candidate in this whole you know scenario, because he this had to have been how

he felt for a long time. He's been talking up Daniel Jones while everyone else was killing the team for drafting him. He was saying in the early rookie minicamps everything this guy is processing information. I like him a lot. So I feel that Pat Schremer finally had to be given a shot to run the offensive way he wanted to. That's out of your Dale Jones. You're walking into a scenario where you've got almost no healthy wide receiver's encounter

right now. It's a it is a rather one dimensional attack where they seem to be out of ideas on how to fool anyone after the first quarter. From the two games I've seen, there is better protection in the past, but it's not a great situation of walk into the defense. Isn't helping you out, but they needed to do it.

It's not great, but it could be worse because and now we get to see it because Dave Getleman, who put everything on the line and he did not have a good offseason, Dave Gentleman, but when he took Sae Juan Barkley with that pick and passed on all those quarterbacks, um, everybody killed him. And see Juan Barkley has turned into arguably the best running back in the league and a guy that can be potentially, uh you know, potentially like

a all time talent. Now he's got Daniel Jones in the lineup, so now we'll see, Um, if Dave Gotlman is a guy that has a future with the Giants because if Jones looks like a guy who can play, if he makes strides, and they did for all the Giants mistakes and paying Eli, and there's a lot of money on the hook for Eli and that was all bad. But that's not our money. It's it's it's a done deal now. Um, they did get him in early here,

it is the middle of September. He's gonna have essentially close to a full season if he stays healthy to develop as a rookie passer, and if he does develop well and the Giants flash, David Guttlman is going to come out of this feeling good and have job security, as does Pat Shermer. So you you look at the Giants and you see they might be a little interesting to watch now. It's certainly wasn't the case West with Eli. At this point. Well, I think you're gonna see a

different offense. You're gonna see the r p O s that all these other young athletic quarterbacks are running. And we'll see what Pat Shermer's made of as a play caller. He got this job for a reason. I think good for Sequon Barkley. Yeah, and I think Pat Sheremer had to tell the front out, and I think Gettelman is he's an ELI guy, even though he took Daniel Jones. He's as loyal to ELI as anyone had to be. Like, if I'm gonna get fired, give me a chance to go with to show you what I can do with

Daniel Jones. Because Pet Sheremers not surviving this. It's like they're not Pet Shermer's not gonna be their coach in four years unless he can somehow get Daniel Jones to look really good and maybe win some games too, but especially make Daniel Jones look good this year like he is in a one year window, or they'll be moving

on to another coach. That's actually why I went with Week two, because I think these things tend to happen quicker in the regular season when suddenly you have a whole coaching staff, their families have all moved to this air you and you gotta tell your assistant coaches were

stuck with this guy for the next ten weeks. And why isn't Jake Cruden having the same conversation about Dwayne haskins um And yeah, ELI has gotten He's been a punching bag for a couple of years now, not just in this room, but in the media and on Twitter, he's become something of a joke. But I think the reason why I and we'll talk more about Eli when he retires, maybe we'll come as soon as a few

months from now. But I think maybe one of the reasons why in this studio I always kind of defended him as having been in New York when he had his rise, and the fact that he not only was at times a very competent quarterback, and of course what he did and beating Bill Bell Chick and Tom Brady twice in the Super Bowl, which you can never take away. People always slept on a what a good um Uh, what the iron man aspect of a guy that's there every week and how many teams struggle. Look at the Jets,

they're on their third quarterback in three weeks. Eli Manning every week was there? Uh. And he also did it right. He was a good guy with the media, he was involved with the community in terms of charity work. He's a good guy. And I just think he was a great pick for the Giants. And and I don't know, you we could argue about Canton when the time comes um,

but I mean they nailed the pick. He's one of the guys where the person will it could propel him right into the Hall of Fame if there's any question, because the person's kept some people out for years and years. I'm not saying I could care less about the Hall of Fame, but sneaky fun to watch. Like in two thousand eleven. There was only a couple of those seasons, but at that moment in two thousand and eleven especially, he completed about as many low percentage How did he

possibly do that? You shouldn't have even tried it type of like amazing throws late in that season. And even though he didn't have a great Super Bowl, necessarily in a very good one, like he was the reason that they won that Super Bowl more more than he made a couple of huge throws in that Super Bowl too. We talked about the Mario Mannahan throw is the best throwing Giants history. The helmet catches the most famous throw.

But you know you could have that career You've taken a second minus maybe Twitter existing where my face is being magnetized day after day every time something happens to anyone. But all right, let's move on. Um, Cam Newton aggravated that foot spring he suffered in the preseason, and maybe that shed some light on why he has not looked

like himself in the early going this season. Um. He did not practice on Tuesday, rang alarm bells, then rap Sheet and Tom Hells or Pellicero reported that his status is up in the air for Sunday against the Cardinals. UM. I believe since that reporting it is is it a done deal or is it still up in the air right now about Newton's availability Either way, Uh, the guy's not healthy and and Greg we he didn't play healthy.

Uh in Week two and again this is the guy they need him to be, Cam Newton and he's just not that guy right now. People have tried to determine when the injury happened. It looked like it was. I think it was in the second quarter of Week one. At that point, he was seven for eight against the Rams and you can see the play where it happened. And he hasn't played very well since, so there's kind of a one to one comparison. We can talk about

it again Thursday. We don't need to, uh, you know, bemoan it, but it sounds like it's a long term injury. Just the way they're talking about it does not seem like it's something that, hey, he's got a chance to place. It sounds like something that could be a few weeks here with Kyle Allen, which is, you know, puts all the more pressure on on a GM and a coach who I think knows that they need to make the playoffs this year, or or a new owner might just

change it. I would just mention, and I you know, not Cam Newton, is you're gonna replace Cam Newton? And I that very good chance he's just there next year, no questions asked. But you can get out of his contract for a song for nothing. And I just that feels like a team where the table is set for a massive look differently looking Carolina Panthers team next year. Coach, quarterback,

everything weirder things have happened. I mean, I like the idea of Kim Newton, But when is the last time we felt like this was a fully healthy quarterback who no questions asked. It's gonna be the iron Man scenario we just talked about last November. That offense was awesome with North North Turner before he heard his shoulder it was. It is just feels like it's always something with him though.

But what these two injuries he's had with the shoulder in this foot are obviously serious enough that he's a totally different quarterback when he's trying to play through them. Sometimes quarterbacks can play through injuries and be close to themselves. He is a shadow of himself. And for what it's worth. Jonathan Jones of the mm QB, a former Panthers beat writer, says he believes Kyle Allen is definitely starting this week and he would wager the field over Cam Newton in

week four two. Kyle and look great, by the way in week seventeen. Didn't look quite as good in the past. Uh, that's what's happening in the news, alright. So it's a supersized edition of the Around the NFL podcast with Rich Eyes And do you think Rich liked the face as a nickname? Did? What? Did you guys think he was prepared to be skept? It cool? But you want him over? I mean, what's not to like about it? I think it it's core. It's sort of saying you're the dude,

you're the man. He wasn't sure what you were getting at I don't think. I mean, wouldn't you like it if? I wouldn't mind if if you know, this will never happen. But down the road you were known as like the face of NFL network or the core typist of NFL dot com. That feels more achievable, core type that feels achieve core typist. It's the fingers of NFL dot com over there. Once you explained it to him, I felt like he was on board. I mean, I felt like

I had to explain it there. Yeah, I'm not sure. Yeah, there. It did feel like a mixed reaction. I'm not sure. What if I find a knife in my tire when I get to my car, I'll know probably the lanyard wielding security people. Um West, I love by the way that you're clashing with security. I feel like you're carrying on my legacy I've kind of moved away from and my war with him. Um, but you are picking up the torch, you're taking the baton, and you're fighting the good.

Do you know why. I know that they have no hand to play here, because if it's important enough, they wouldn't to just let it go after a week last time, they just let it lapse for a year and then now they're like, oh, it's important to wear a lang. I don't know if the audience knows, but West, when he tried to enter the property today, was told take out your lanyards show. How about the audience, I'm pretty sure they don't know. Now they do. I mean, it's

I don't conversation to your point. It is the second time this has come around. I think these corporate mantras. Obviously they got the security group together well that these things have a half life. By a month from now, no one's gonna be asking you you put up a strong resistance, West, and you've seen a shot to security right now because you you didn't. You were like one of my my children, who knows. Okay, it's a new

school year. We're gonna put down some new rules, and if they just fight against it as hard as they can, after a week and a half, those rules will be out there. Well, it's a stupid rule. You don't have grown men to wear lanyards around their neck. So it feels like you're strangled by a lazy person all day. Please they might be singling you out there. I mean, none of us the three of us. I think they've got got his picture up on the wall and I've

been stopped. I've been stopped, but I like what I did. I took a different text. I said, you know what, thank you for letting me know. I absolutely will address it. I appreciate you telling me. And then we went our separate ways. I never won one again. Well, you don't want to get on the lanyard bad boys lists announcing, you know, and they have they have the pictures just

in there back in their little hot back. They want to know you work here, so that if someone's walking around without a lanyard, then we know that there's you're my belt loop and put it through the exchanger every day when I come through. So they whatever for someone who prances around with the Ricky Hollywood as her Twitter handle, you were surprising on board with this, with securities take on this, like you know, West, it would be a

good idea for you to wear this. But you would think like Ricky who walks around with her black jeans with the holes and the knees, and she's like, I'm a bad girl, I'm part of youth culture like that, she wouldn't fall in line with this whole policy of management. It's it is a surprise. Okay, yeah, let's circle back on our third three of the show. We can talk about it. Then the show is a little long. Hit us up if you think the show is too long.

Also stop heading up Mark and Dan asking us or them how they're feeling, like as their hearts are breaking. Yet can you see if Dan is okay? Mark, it's the same thing constantly. It's not helping. And by the way, I'm fine. I processed the grief of the end of the Jet season on last Thursday's show, so I watched Monday's game with a sense of detachment that was already over, and sure enough it was over. Just a general role here in life. Some people, when they're suffering, they need space,

not smothering. Twitter is not about space, And I know people mean, well, sorry, I'm not trying to get on you. I just don't think it's helping to ask and then tag Mark and Dan in that I'm rock and roll Ricky Hollywood, but I follow the rules like Sue me. I don't know, Like it was this screaming about like security threats. It's a jarring juxtaposition. I think you can understand where we're coming from. That's all. It's like burned

security to the ground, doors open all the way. Well, there was like a gun you know, seminar that we all had to take. It was like an eight hour thing on NFL security that you bozos just like sat like past that you didn't have to go to that. The security guy who's curity guy who says hi to me every day and holds conversations with me, knows who I am and doesn't need a lanyard to identify me. All right, Thursday Night Football put a pin in it an a f C South showdown between the Tennessee Tytoons

one and one. After that dispiriting home loss to the Colts, now travel to the big Chlorine Tank in Jacksonville to face the Jaguars and um, greg this is a very interesting matchup between I'll sell it the Titans. You find it interesting, but I'm trying to sell it to the

greater public. The Titans, which they could not have looked better in the second half against the Browns on the road, got everybody sucked in and then looked very much like the old Titans in week two, Which who's the real Titans? In nine? In two thousand nineteen and the Jags anytime you this is a caged animal game, West cornered animal game. Oh and two, everyone knows your season is over in the NFL um when you go and three with the added element caged animal of your cornerback trying to get

out of the cage before the game exactly. Uh so there you go. I'll stretch it up that way, Greg, caged animal game against the Titans team that we really don't know who they are yet. We've seen a ceiling and a floor already. It's and and a quarterback in Jacksonville that sort of resembles a you know, a cute fury caged animals gardener Gardner. Minshew looked fine in his first start, but this is a perfect matchup for Tennessee to get right. Not only did they kind of wipe

the floor with Jacksonville. If I remember a few times a year ago, they're a vetter in secondary who should be able to swarm and kind of swallow this Jaguars offense, which was very condensed the week ago. This is just so there's such a limited team, they're so thin, you know how sometimes you hear oh Dak Prescott He's completed eight passes, you know, two different receivers in the first half.

They've six Jaguars period have caught passes this year. They don't have a backup running back, their offensive line is very thin, and they were struggling to pick up blitz Is. It's just a lot to ask for Minshew, who I think is doing a good job, and their defense to carry them. I think when you have, you know, the b line through both games was that despite some big players on offense for the Titans against the Browns, Marcus Mariota, he's not a quarterback that propels any offense he's in.

He seems to hold you back. And and one and one thing that I find interesting about a team like the Titans versus others is that you get Adam Humphries and you mentioned on Sunday Danny finishes Week two with negative two yards. I thought he was gonna be, uh the perfect thing for Marcus Mariota and a j Brown

big game Week one, really nothing in Week two. And it's just you cannot count on the Titans attack week to week outside of I think you know, Henry potentially on the ground has been consistent since last November so one of the better backs in the league. They're gonna need him to be big in this game. But I do trust every other element of the Titans and their defense, and to me, I'd be surprised that they don't win this by ten points or more. They're the better all

around team. I expect him to win. But you never know when a Jaguars defense is perfectly capable of shutting down the Tennessee Titans, who are not dynamic on offer. I mean they shut down the Texans. The Texans I think one of their touchdown I believe was on a very short field. Otherwise they did a great job and that was without in Gockway and boy A don't know if they're back, but they got pressure on Watson and

that's two weeks in a row for Watson. But Watson that didn't shut the offense down against New Orleans mansho Mania Thursday night. All Right, I'm you know what, I'm gonna be open minded about it. Mark, I'm not. I never gonna be be on the Minshew bandwagon. Like I said, I made that decision, so I'm watching it from the outside.

But he seems like a likable enough kids think the bandwagon I mean, it feels like there was a big send off party, like when you say goodbye to a boat where a lot, But then you know, it's it's a hundred miles out at sea and it's lonely, and we're you know, we're gonna have to be reminded that the bandwagon is still moving across the country here, Erica. You know, message me like ten minutes ago. We need to move this along, you know, But we do have one sound drop that I got I prepared, so we

might as well use it. Probably one of the most unpleasant auditory moments in NFL press conference history happened today with Jalen Ramsey. Let's hit it. Oh, oh that is Jalen Ramsey cracking. Let's do it again. Oh that's gross. How bigger n That's the loudest knuckle cracking you heard. I mean he's probably got big hands, So I imagine that's actually a good question. If you have bigger bones, bigger finger's, bigger hands, you crack louder. I guess you would.

I think right. I love this podcast because we came out of it were like, let's let's move let's move the rest of it along. We spend five minutes on. Now we're talking knuckle cracking. Um. Alright, so that's it for Tuesday's show. Thank you for everybody, uh for listening, and we'll be back on Thursday night. Uh, well, we'll be back Thursday with our preview show. We're working out the details. Yes, we were in dialogue with our listeners via social media about how we're going to handle the

show roll out with Thursday Night Football. Internally, it has not been locked down, but we're leaning towards releasing the Thursday Night Football recap um as its own mini pod on Thursday nights and getting out the preview episode earlier in the day. Um, that's probably where we're gonna go with it, but you'll find out soon enough. Prepare your complaints. Dan Hanses signing off our Quiet Storm, The Mailman, The Face, the Old Boss and mis Rule Bottleer behind the Glass until Thursday m hm