Hour 3: Live from the NFL Combine with Mina Kimes, Carson Beck & Andrew Siciliano

9:46Mina Kimes:I know.

9:47Rich Eisen:You know what I mean? I think this is where teams are thinking right now. It's like let's try and price somebody's second quarterback and see if that could be the next Darnold here.

9:56Mina Kimes:If we're talking trades, I'll throw out another name that intrigues me. Please. Tanner McKee in Philadelphia.

10:00Rich Eisen:Why is that? Yeah, there's a lot of times that I've heard his name too.

10:05Mina Kimes:Yeah, just the tape that he's put out, whether it's in the preseason or in limited starts, there's a lot to like in terms of accuracy. I would say similarities to a couple of the quarterbacks you mentioned in some way. And I think if you're a team who doesn't like this draft, and that's pretty common for the, and you're willing to part with the draft pick, but you don't want to spend a ton of money, it makes sense.

10:30Rich Eisen:Right. Mina Kimes here on the Rich Eisen show. So the rest of the combine, you're looking forward to seeing what here? Like, what are you interested in before you? Because you're here today and gone tomorrow. But what are you looking forward to seeing?

10:46Mina Kimes:Well, okay. So a lot of the, every time I say a name, I get told, no, no, he's actually not ready. He's not working out. I know. You and me both.

10:54Rich Eisen:And I'm calling the combine.

10:55Mina Kimes:I'll throw out a name that I think is incredibly athletic. I hope he's working out. I thought he was. Kenny Sadiq, the tight end out of Oregon, who is just, I think he's best tight end in the draft. And I think it would behoove him to work out because you could put on a show. He's just so athletic. I think what we've seen too, Rich, is tight ends have been producing a lot earlier than they have in the past. I'm thinking about the three tight ends last year, Warren, Loveland, Fannin Jr., all really good year one. The NFL has changed a lot. I think play callers are better at finding ways to call offense for these college tight ends as they come into the league.

11:33Mina Kimes:So if I was a team like Chargers, maybe, I don't know, who's looking for a tight, a complete tight end who blocks, too, I think he's a great name.

11:41Rich Eisen:OK. And on on the quarterback side, who do you think is the second best? Because it is you are you are. Are you of the mindset that Mendoza is? Yeah. OK, because I know some some of our colleagues feel a little bit differently on that. But Mendoza is, he is it, right?

11:57Mina Kimes:Yeah, I think pretty clearly. There's no question. There's no doubt who he is.

12:01Rich Eisen:I feel the same way. So then who's two in your mind?

12:05Mina Kimes:Yeah, you know, so I think it's going to be Ty Simpson out of Alabama. And I think, you know, with him, there's just a lot of speculation. It's like J.J. years ago coming out of Michigan. Like, he hasn't played that much. And I think it's also, you look at the season, and it was such a roller coaster. I mean, the beginning of the season looks so different from the end of the season. Even within games, you would see him make a spectacular throw and then a couple of plays later panic under pressure. So I think for whoever takes him, to me, ideally it would be a spot where he doesn't have to play immediately.

12:38Mina Kimes:Right. And I think if there's a team who thinks he's going to start right away, that would be a mistake.

12:44Rich Eisen:What do you think about the Rams? Do you think they're going to use one of their picks on any of these quarterbacks? Because I kind of feel like if you got Stafford one more time, you'd load up.

12:54Mina Kimes:That's how I feel, too. I mean, I think, yes, if it was a quarterback available mid-round, sure. But I just think that the Rams have these valuable draft picks early. The clearly pass defense was a need that was exposed during the postseason run. Personally, I would go all in on this iteration of the team because I think many of us saw that they were obviously the second best team in football this year.

13:14Rich Eisen:Are you also of the mindset that the NFC championship game was the de facto Super Bowl?

13:20Mina Kimes:Yeah, very reminiscent of Super Bowl XLVIII too, right? When the Seahawks played the 49, the famous Richard Sherry game. And then the Super Bowl was anticlimactic. Felt a lot like that this year too.

13:30Rich Eisen:So you are of that mindset.

13:32Mina Kimes:Yeah, similar, yeah.

13:33Rich Eisen:And the Seahawks need to do what to repeat?

13:36Mina Kimes:Well, they've got to figure out what they're going to do with a lot of the free agents. There's a bunch. Tariq Woolen, Josh Jobe, who I thought was really good for them as an outside corner. Kenneth Walker, of course, the MVP, Boye Mafe, so it'll be Rashid Shahid. So they actually really have a lot of money. I say weirdly because we don't usually associate a Super Bowl team with having so much cap space. But they've drafted so well, they have some room to maneuver. So they'll be able to bring back some of those guys. I think positionally, just addressing whoever leaves, frankly, and then guard.

14:06Mina Kimes:But they're in a great spot.

14:07Rich Eisen:I think Wolin's going to be expensive.

14:09Mina Kimes:I think so, too.

14:10Rich Eisen:And I don't know what they're going to do with Kenneth Walker. What is your best guess?

14:15Mina Kimes:I think they want to keep him.

14:17Rich Eisen:Sure.

14:17Mina Kimes:But I think if what he wants is top end money.

14:24Rich Eisen:Why wouldn't he ask for it, right?

14:26Mina Kimes:Well, I would say I don't know if that's what the market looks like for him. There's a ton of really good free agent running backs, which tends to bring prices down. It's why Dallas was able to sign Javante Williams to like$8 million a year, really affordable contract. So if you're Seattle, you're like, do I want to pay twice that? knowing that we can get like a middle class running back like a Kenneth Gainwell or Rico Dowdell you know so I think or draft someone in the mid rounds yeah Dowdell is available Dowdell there's a bunch of players Algier there's a lot of really good racks so well thanks for

14:55Rich Eisen:coming on here this is so much fun I really appreciate it and anytime anytime you know that and uh are you ready for for us to all join forces I want to read run it back at the sports center and I'll do that well I mean that was part like I mean I kind of already I'm half you know halfway there with the Disney relationship. But all of us at NFL Network are fired up about the future here, even though we have no idea what it's going to look like. But I have a feeling like if we flash forward to one year from now, I think we're all going to be part of a combine coverage.

15:27Mina Kimes:I can't wait. I can't wait.

15:29Rich Eisen:Yeah. Maybe get you out there on the field yourself.

15:32Mina Kimes:That'd be fun. I've never actually done that. Is that right? I've never been there.

15:34Rich Eisen:Well, there we go. Mina Kimes right here on the Rich Eisen Show. Carson Beck is making his way to our set. And then, Andrew Siciliano will take you the rest of the way as I head off to NFL Network for night two.

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17:36Rich Eisen:And he had a ton of experience, and he also said, I am above a lot of the people that might be in my group. He was very humble about it, talking about a lot of starts, different places, overcoming injury. That sounds like a professional quarterback, right? And do you feel similar to what I just basically described, that you've already experienced a lot of what a professional quarterback experience is?

18:07Carson Beck:I mean, 100%. Again, I was at Georgia and Miami, so that's the different places. The injury, obviously, last year with the elbow and having to go through that and rehab through that. And then the experience. Again, like I just said, 40-plus games, a lot of big-time games too, being at Georgia and the top ten matchups. And then this past year, making the playoff run, playing against a bunch of top 10 teams. Again, it's been a great experience, and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

18:38Rich Eisen:What would you say to pound the table that you're a first-round draft choice, Carson Beck?

18:43Carson Beck:I think, again, my experience holds itself, and then the mental side of the game, the processing, the ability that I have there, I think is what I'm really good at and what I'm able to really bring to the table and the way that I'm able to run offense and do what I need the coach to tell me to do. Which teams have you had meetings with? shoot a lot. Have you? Yes, sir. There's a ton to go through. All right.

19:07Rich Eisen:Top 10 teams have reached out to you and sat down and put you on the grease board and stuff like that. What's the weirdest question you've been asked? The weirdest question?

19:17Carson Beck:I don't think I've been asked any weird questions. It's all been pretty straightforward. No really gotcha questions or weird questions. It's been really cool to get to sit down and have that opportunity to talk to these coaches, GMs, owners, all these you know different people that again they're they're looking for players and they got so many guys running through the door the whole entire day to you know have that opportunity to be one

19:40Rich Eisen:of those guys is really really cool well i mean there's only two guys at this combine um one is obviously the um de facto first overall selection in fernando mendoza and then there's you who played in the final game of college football this year what was that like for you waking up that morning on national championship game day. Carson, what was that like?

20:01Carson Beck:It was cool. Obviously, there was a lot of emotion there and just super grateful to, you know, have made it there to have that team that we had around me, to have those coaches and all of us, all the work that we put in to be able to get to that moment, right? And everything that we worked for, obviously, it didn't end the way that we wanted to. We lost to a really good Indiana team. They were really well prepared and played. I mean, they played their butts off. They were able to obviously win in the end and we weren't, which obviously sucks. It's not how we envision it going. But again, to be able to make it to that moment with that team and to see how much work we put in through all the doubt, through all everybody said that we weren't going to be there right now.

20:43Carson Beck:I mean, we almost didn't make it into the playoffs in the first place. So again, super proud of those guys. And to wake up that morning and have that opportunity to do that was really, really cool.

20:50Rich Eisen:And then the guys, the goats on the sidelines, you know, my guy Irv with the belt hitting the Gatorade jug, Ray Lewis. He came up to you right before the final drive, did he?

21:02Carson Beck:Yeah, he did. He did come up to me. You know, he did the same thing in the Ole Miss game, which I was like, oh, my gosh. Like, you know what I'm saying? What do you mean, walk me through that? Just like, you know, when Ray Lewis comes up and talks to you on the sideline, it's a pretty cool thing. Yes. You know, I mean, that's freaking Ray Lewis, you know. So, again, my dad actually played linebacker at the Naval Academy. So, me growing up, I always wanted to play defense. He was like, now you're going to play quarterback. I guess my dad saw the potential at a young age. Yes, it's good. I always looked up to Ray Lewis.

21:35Carson Beck:He's one person that I always looked up to, wanted to be like the way he carried himself, a fierce competitor, someone who's not afraid of anything, and then to be in these playoff games in the national championship. And you got someone that I've looked up to my whole entire life. coming up and talking to me to give me encouragement.

21:52Rich Eisen:I mean, that's freaking cool. That is pretty cool. And you've had some really cool experiences and now comes spinning it at the combine. What do you want teams to think about you when you're done with your workout here on Saturday, Carson?

22:07Carson Beck:Yeah, absolutely. I think first and foremost, just that I'm a competitor. You know, this is something that I've dreamed of my whole entire life to have this opportunity to come to the combine, come compete at the combine, go throw with a bunch of other guys and just have fun, you know? So again, what their opinion of me is obviously is left up to them. But for them, I want them to know that I'm a competitor and that, you know, I'm here to work and go have fun.

22:32Rich Eisen:Because it is wide open to be a first round draft choice at the quarterback spot in this draft, Carson, right? I mean, like you're finally putting your name in for an NFL draft and you have an opportunity to compete and do for yourself what many people think might not be possible. Does that go through your head?

22:50Carson Beck:Yeah, I mean, obviously, that would be a super cool opportunity. And even just having the opportunity to go anywhere, wherever it is, right, is for me, and especially with this last year that I went through with the elbow, the injury, the surgery, rehabbing from that, to even have an opportunity to be at this combine and to have an opportunity to be drafted is a blessing within itself. So wherever I land, you know, I'll be super grateful for that opportunity.

23:13Rich Eisen:I wish you the best of luck with it, sir. Thank you so much. That's Carson Beck right here on the Rich Eisen Show. Just real quick before we let all of you go, teams take a time out sometimes to regroup and call the right play. When it comes to your home, Pella Windows and Doors always has the winning game plan. They're not just Windows and Door experts. They're experts at taking care of you and your home. At Pella, they find the products that meet your needs, and their experts install them. They do it every day, and that's why your neighbors trust them. Discover why Pella is a trusted choice for homeowners everywhere.

23:44Rich Eisen:Visit Pella.com slash Eisen today. That's Pella.com slash Eisen. We'll be back on The Rich Eisen Show from Indianapolis in a moment.

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26:09Carson Beck:The Rich Eisen Show, the podcast. We welcome you back to The Rich Eisen Show. Hi, I'm your substitute teacher. Hi, Mr. Andrew. My name is Andrew Siciliano. It's good to be back. Rich did the reverse Superman again. And he put the suit on right here, and then he ran down the hall to get over to the Combine for night number two. So, yeah, happy to sit in. And Chris and TJ are here as well. It was great after the show yesterday to walk over to Lucas Oil Stadium to sit there. You guys did not bring stopwatches, which was a bit disappointing. Well, I was using my phone. Yeah, yeah. Okay. I have multiple everything, so you can just kind of boop, boop, boop, boop, boop, boop, boop.

26:53Carson Beck:And you were not caught sleeping on camera? Stop it. As – Stop. I don't think Aaron Glenn was sleeping. Come on. Okay? But there was a little point yesterday because there's a lot of dead time between you guys. A lot of dead time. And it's awful quiet in that building, too. Very, very quiet. It has been, present tense, a long week. And there was a second there where I might have done that. And I was like, nope, nope, nope, nope. Because I'd already seen on the X, the Twitter machine, that Aaron Glenn was caught on camera.

27:25Andrew Siciliano:People thought he might have been snoozing for a second. I don't think he was snoozing.

27:28Carson Beck:Rich assures us he was not snoozing. Yeah, I don't think so either. So you guys discussed that. It is, if anyone here watching in Indianapolis is going to go in, because fans can go in there, I do recommend, even though Cynthia Freeland does a really good job and Reggie Wayne down on the field keeping you entertained, It is also helpful if you have on one of your devices the ability to watch off your TV provider the coverage because it really does add a lot of context. Rich and DJ do such a great job providing historical context and the interviews in the suite. Also, they don't show you the times.

28:05Carson Beck:There is a time when they switch over to the NFL Network broadcast up on that big screen, and you can see those scores. But they do not announce it. David Bailey, 4-5-1. No, they don't do that. That's why I was keeping my own time.

28:18Andrew Siciliano:I will say, being in there for the defensive linemen, we've talked about it all show, how electric they were. The show the Ohio State guys put on. David Bailey, you just mentioned. You really can't put it in perspective unless you saw it in person. and holy smokes. Those guys are big. They're fast. They are moving. Humans are not supposed to be that big and fast and that big and strong, and they are cooking. I know Rich said it, too, and you kind of called your shot yesterday on Sonny Stiles. So did Tom Pellicero, by the way.

28:51Carson Beck:Earlier in the morning, Pellicero did that on GMFB, so we both planted that flag.

28:57Andrew Siciliano:Tommy P, friend of the show, is not here now. You are, so we're giving you the props. It was all you, baby.

29:05Carson Beck:Sonny Stiles, what he was able to do. He won the Triple Crown yesterday. Obviously, he ran the 4-4-6, which is fantastic. He had the best long jump. His long jump for perspective, his long jump or broad jump. It's like three of yous, I think. It was. It would have been the best from the entire combine last year. So it was better than Nicky Manwari, who had the best last year, went second round, had a great season for Meena Kimes, Seattle Seahawks. it would have been the best of last year. I mentioned the 40 time his... Vertical. Vertical. I'm sorry. Thank you. That's the word. I thought you were just throwing your hands up in the sky.

29:42Carson Beck:For comparison's sake, was better than Calvin Johnson in 07. So just to wrap your head around all of that.

29:49Andrew Siciliano:I gave another comp. I said Kobe Bryant's vert was only 38 inches. So that'll give you a little better understanding of how high this is.

29:58Carson Beck:And Kobe was 6 '7". right? And Sonny Stiles is 6 '4". What I do think it does realistically, and I don't know what Jets fan Rich said about this, I think it really changes the math. The Jets had a great night last night, because if they want an edge like David Bailey, if they want Arvell Reese, who by the way, we barely talked about, he didn't do the drills, but he did run a 4 '4", 6". Yeah, fast. The same as Sonny Stiles. He checked that box. If you want Reese, you now have to think about potentially Sonny Stiles if you weren't already. There's David Bailey with his 4-5-1. He told Stacey Dales during the broadcast or during that he's going to run his second because he thinks he could beat a 4-5-1.

30:40Carson Beck:He didn't. He went 4-5-4 in his second one. The Jets are in a really good position now if they want to get out because they were able to prove or those players were able to prove that there's really good talent defensively there at two now the jets have their five number ones coming up they don't have to get out they could just stick and pick the best guy there but now at least there is talent there where teams say maybe it is worth it yeah think about

31:11Andrew Siciliano:the number one two pick you mentioned the jets had a good night uh dj was on earlier talked about Arvel Reese. He's the guy with maybe more upside, whereas David Bailey put a lot of good stuff on tape. You saw the quality and the production that he produced this year. And DJ liked David Bailey at number two for the Jets, so I don't think you can really go wrong taking any of those three guys. Two is probably high for Sonny Stiles, but you saw what he did last night, the measurables. Man, oh man, that was phenomenal. I'm still blown away thinking about it.

31:43Carson Beck:And I'm not a Buckeye fan in any way whatsoever. Obviously, I work in Ohio State. I work in this state, rather, of Ohio. There are obviously Big Ten snark machines out there at Exco, and how did that team ever lose? Sure, sure. And one of them was sitting in that chair.

31:59Andrew Siciliano:It kind of makes you wonder how they lost it.

32:01Carson Beck:Are you calling Rich a Big Ten snark machine?

32:03Andrew Siciliano:Okay, maybe not a snark machine. I wasn't going there, TJ. But he definitely was the thought of how. Not to be confused with the George Michael sports machine.

32:12Carson Beck:No, 362-4444. 202-362-4444. I grew up with that in Washington. That was back in the day, kids, when you didn't have these devices here to give you the scores. And at the top of the hour, they would do a new one. And basically what it was was somebody at Channel 4 DC, the NBC station, picking up the phone and reading into what was then an answering machine. Whoa, whoa, what's that? All the scores. And then we would call and get the scores. And we find out now that it's moved to the seventh inning at Shea, and that's what the score is.

32:50Andrew Siciliano:Do you think all four of these Ohio State guys go in the top ten? That's been kind of what we've been talking about today.

32:55Carson Beck:So, I mean, the top ten, that's a lot. Because remember, there are going to be offensive linemen that teams need. Sure. And there is a David Bailey and there is a Fernando Mendoza and a Jeremiah Love. I think Love, so the top ten running back conversation, obviously if there's a Bajon, if there's a Saquon, then yes, you take that guy. I do think that Jeremiah Love is that guy, and he was sitting here before, and obviously I'm sure Rich loved when he said that I almost went to Michigan rather than Notre Dame. I don't know if he loved it. Okay. That was so funny. It affected him. Well, I loved it when he said that I kind of sort of did want to go there.

33:31Carson Beck:Yeah. Did I mishear that? There was Michigan Love. Oh, yeah. From Love.

33:35Andrew Siciliano:And then he told me after the interview, he goes, it was Michigan's fault I didn't go, so.

33:39Carson Beck:What's Love got to do with it?

33:41Andrew Siciliano:It's just a secondhand emotion.

33:43Carson Beck:Say it again. Got to do with it. You know that. I think he is that running back that you do try to move up if you really do need that piece. I kind of think so, too. He's that. He's that dynamic, man. He really is. Carnell Tate was on the podium today, said, I'm the best receiver in the draft because I am the complete package. I can't argue with that. I can't argue with that. I was kind of impressed, honestly, with Denzel Boston from UW, from Washington today, on the podium. He is every bit of 6 '4", standing up there. He was funny. Our Stacey Dale said, how would you describe your wingspan? You're a big guy.

34:22Carson Beck:Stacey, college basketball legend. Obviously, she had a wingspan. And he said, vacuum cleaner. Oh, it was funny. That's funny. Good line. Yeah. And he waited his turn there at Washington, behind a bunch of guys, then went on to NFL success. All he did was score 20 touchdowns in his last two years. This is not a big wide receiver class. Cardinal Tate's got size. Denzel Boston's got size. There are a lot of, like, yoked up 5 '11 dudes in this draft. I can relate as a yoked up 5 '11.

34:54Andrew Siciliano:Yes, of course.

34:55Carson Beck:There's no way you're 5 '11. You're 5 '11? You think I'm taller? No, I think you're, like, 5 '10". Wow. You're 5 '11"? Really? You're going to come at me about height? No, I know I'm not tall. Wow. I'm noted short person Andrew Siciliano. No. No. Okay, maybe you're a 5 '11". Thanks. I don't know. You got shoes on. Appreciate that. Okay. I'm 6 '3". So there's that. Okay. Yeah, you're legit 6 '3".

35:18Andrew Siciliano:I was literally just trying to make a quick joke. Okay, that's fine.

35:20Carson Beck:We turned this into something awkward. He's got the size. Zachariah Branch, who I had never seen in person, saw him today. As a fellow small person, he was not big. Yeah. Like, there were a bunch of people going, oh, okay. Now, he plays a heck of a lot bigger and faster, obviously. He is dynamic when he is in the open field. When he's actually out there in pans and a helmet, man, he is electric. But I was, as a person who notes other small people, like he was not large.

35:54Andrew Siciliano:Is there a small person nod that you guys do? You know what I mean? Like a handshake? Tell me about Larry. When he came in, Larry David came in, we were talking a ball nod. He just said like a ball nod. I said there was a brother nod, and Larry said he knew about that. So is there like a small nod? Is there like a, you know?

36:10Carson Beck:I don't know that there's a nod. I think there's like a I see you mutual respect thing. Okay. Yeah. But no, do I walk down the street going, are there other short people here? I see this. I see you over there. Where are my short kings at? Where are you at? Yes. No. Nothing like that. Okay. No, but there's also like the whole aspect of the short joke. Every now and then, like, I'll look at the camera. I'll do the Mike Gundy here. I'm a man. I'm 50. Every now and then, somebody will drop a short joke on me. I'm like, I didn't know that. Dude, like, really? I was bar mitzvahed at this height. I'm okay with it.

36:44Carson Beck:Like, I understand. I'm not tall. If you think at my age that I'm still caught up on that, you're wrong.

36:52Andrew Siciliano:I'm over it. I mean, I was bald at 24. Exactly.

36:56Carson Beck:Like, what are we, in junior high? That's right. It's been a long time. Like, that's your comeback? Like, occasionally the social media people come at you, and you're like, really? Like, that's all you got? Where were we? Denzel Boston. Yeah, he's got all the size. I thought the quarterbacks were a bit interesting today here as well on the podium. Mendoza said. I hear he's opposite the short. He's not short. And we saw him walking out yesterday as well. When we were walking out of the stadium, he was out here going to the NFLPA with TJ Hushman-Zulli and doing the whole NFLPA orientation thing that all these players have to go through.

37:34Carson Beck:Hushman's on it? Yeah, him too. but you don't remember the commercial? But somebody at home was like, that's not his name. He's your daddy. Him too. So he said all the right things on the podium today. Yep. And, yeah, that's the headline. He was asked about, you know, what would you say to the teams, like the schools that passed him over coming out of high school? He said, nothing.

37:55Andrew Siciliano:You're right. Yeah. Like, I'm okay. He genuinely seems 100 % likable, and, like, I kind of don't like him because of that. What does that say about you? A lot. I don't know. Brockman likes a guy that has a little edge to him. I guess I like, I don't know, I like a little edge, but maybe that's his edge is that he, you know, it isn't one. He's not rough around the edges like some other players we've seen come out of the draft like Johnny Manziel, you know, just an example. You know, so we'll see. I'm excited for him. I think that talking about obviously going to the Raiders, that's going to be the best-selling jersey in the NFL next year, right?

38:26Andrew Siciliano:You'd have to think so. The Mendoza 15. Here, do you want to hear him talk about the Raiders on top of the right?

38:31Carson Beck:Sure, let's see it again. Yeah, let's see it. We have a tape. we got? Yeah, I mean, who hasn't admired Tom Brady, guys? I mean, more Super Bowl rings than anybody, anybody. So that opportunity would be fantastic. Tom Brady, I believe, is the greatest quarterback of all time by a wide margin, and to be able to have the opportunity to be mentored by him would, it would mean so much, and especially to learn, and I'm all about learning. So from day one, you know, I got to learn a lot, and it's going to be a long journey, and to have, potentially, have a mentor like that would be pretty impressive and pretty meaningful.

39:05Carson Beck:What's not to like?

39:07Andrew Siciliano:I get it. I get it. And he had a phenomenal year. Heisman Trophy, Natty, you don't see that too often. So, you know, he's very accomplished. He's going to go number one and best of luck to him.

39:15Carson Beck:And a year ago today, as we're all sitting here, maybe not in these chairs, but as we're all sitting here a year ago today, nobody, this many people, could have ever projected Mendoza going number one. Zero humans. So as we look ahead to the 2027 draft, the greatest draft of all time, of course. This one's not good, and that one is going to be good, which is not really the case. Just remember, there is a chance that a quarterback that we have not even begun to contemplate could be the number one overall. Well, that's two years in a row. It's Mendoza this year, it's Cam Ward last year. Now, the difference being is that Cam Ward is a really interesting guy coming out of Washington State, and a year ago in the transfer portal.

39:58Carson Beck:Maybe he goes to Ohio State. Remember, I think it was Chris Carter who mentioned something or Ryan Clark online. I can't remember. Then he might go to Miami. Then he might go in the draft. He was kind of like the free agent that everybody wanted on the college quarterback circuit. Then he ended up in Miami. He was part of the conversation. People liked Mendoza at Cal. They did. But I don't know that anyone was talking about this.

40:24Andrew Siciliano:You couldn't have seen this past season coming. Definitely not.

40:26Carson Beck:Not at all. Stephen Jones was sitting in these chairs earlier, and the Cowboys have now officially placed the franchise tag. My friend Jory Epstein at Yahoo, with whom I do a show there every day inside coverage, check it out, says it is not the exclusive tag. So he could potentially go negotiate with whomever. No one is going to give the Cowboys two number ones for George Pickens. The days where somebody plants a flag on a franchise tag and says we're going to give up those two number ones, that day is over. So$28 million. I think he's going to sign it. And if you're the Cowboys, I think you reasonably have to ask.

41:08Carson Beck:Because most people say, oh, we're going to put the tag on, and then we're going to work out a long-term deal. I don't think the Cowboys want to work out a long-term deal. You were saying this, sir. What makes you say that? Because I'm interested. I think that they think that George Pickens, again, on a prove-it-to-me one-year$28 million, is safer organizationally than guaranteeing three times that money in a long-term deal.

41:37Andrew Siciliano:It's a business move.

41:39Carson Beck:If George Pickens were to hit the open market right now, he'd clearly get a big bag. How many teams, though, would go, do we really want to guarantee three to four years for him? Are we certain that we'll be happy with that deal three years out? Now, the Cowboys and Steven sat right here and said, hey, we want him here a long time. But does long time mean a series of franchise tags? Or at least two. You never want to go to a third.

42:07Andrew Siciliano:That's an excellent question, man. I guess my thing is wildly uncertainty. Well, because Mike Tomlin gave up on him. That's why. There's a reason, George.

42:17Carson Beck:This is not character assassination here. But we don't know what this is. It's well documented. There's a reason he went to the second round. Yeah. There's a reason Mike Tomlin said, we're good.

42:28Andrew Siciliano:Which, you know, when he dealt with some of the other players that he had to deal with, I know that red flags were being raised. Sure. You stuck with these guys and you let this guy go.

42:37Carson Beck:I'm not saying bad guy get him out of our building. I'm not saying that at all. But I am saying, do you really want to lock him up for major guaranteed money? Or are you comfortable with, you know what, we like the franchise tag here. Most teams use the tag as a placeholder. I think the Cowboys are using it as, that's your one-year deal,$28 million.

43:01Andrew Siciliano:Yeah, or motivation. Look, we saw what type of production George was able to throw out when he was playing for potentially a new deal. He was unbelievable last year, especially when C.D. Lamb was out. And so maybe you throw that in front of him again. Hey, look, we're going to give you$28 million. Thank you for your service last year. You were spectacular. You deserve it. Let's see you do it again. Earn it again. And maybe that's the type of carrot that George might need.

43:28Carson Beck:Consider this as well. If you were to give him a long-term deal, C.J., I'm sorry, C.D. makes$35 million? In that neighborhood. It's in that neighborhood. Okay. So with the market naturally going up, the cap was announced at$301 today. So that goes up. $301,$301 million. Yeah,$22 million boost from last year. Okay. So you're going to give him more than$35. Let's say it's$37. On a new deal, you mean. On a new deal, annually, APY. Which means$60,$35,$30. you're going$132 million on quarterback, wide receiver, wide receiver out of 301 with an entire other roster to fill out. Now, the Bengals did allocate all those resources to one position room, and they go quarterback, wide receiver, wide receiver, and that's a lot of money.

44:20Carson Beck:The T. Higgins deal, if you really dig down into it, there is an escape clause after this one year. They're not going to, but it's not nearly the guaranteed money that, from what I understand, truly was reported. but how much money when you have to rebuild that defense, and a lot of that is with young players and they have two number ones, do you want allocated to those three jobs? That's a great point.

44:46Andrew Siciliano:I mean, look, you mentioned Cincinnati. They did it. They haven't made the playoffs. They haven't won a lot of games.

44:51Carson Beck:And they had statistically the worst tackling team in organized football. So I don't know.

44:57Andrew Siciliano:I don't know, man. But then Stephen Jones sat here, TJ, and he saw what we saw at Lucas Oil on Thursday night. And is very impressed. Would you want Dallas sitting at 12? Probably not going to get one of those three defensive stouts that we saw. Do you want him to move up and get one of those guys? Yeah, this is all wide open, right? You take these two first. Do you move down to get more picks? I would. That's kind of what my thinking was. They're at 12 and 20. 12 and 20. I don't know, man, but I think that's what I love about this whole process is we're going to find out very shortly what's happening.

45:38Andrew Siciliano:You know, I'm not a guy in their meeting rooms. I don't know what these guys are. I know, but could you imagine Sonny Stiles with the star in his head? Speaking of Sonny Stiles, you have a list. We have two minutes. Oh, let's go. Let's go. Well, you know, Sonny Stiles was the talk of the combine, right? Yes. So it made me think based upon what we were talking about yesterday. So I'm just going to give you a quick TJ's top five, right? And these are my top five favorite people named Stiles. Very simple. Stiles upon Stiles upon Stiles is what I have. I love this, dude. All right, coming in at number five, we have singer, actor from Run Direction, Harry Styles.

46:13Andrew Siciliano:Oh, yes. You know, he's got that watermelon song that was really hot. That's very good. I've heard it. People like that. Then we got future NFL star, Sonny Styles. Okay. And then we have actress. You know, 10 things I hate about you. Okay. Julia Stiles. Julia Stiles. Right? I got about her. And then number two, from the locks, Andrew, I know you love this. We got Stiles P. I get bah, bah, bah. You love Stiles P. Oh, okay. I got it now. Yes. And number one, of course, one of the greatest wrestlers of all time, just retired. You know, I'm big into wrestling. That's my man, the phenomenal AJ Stiles.

46:44Andrew Siciliano:And that is TJ's top five people named Stiles based upon Sonny Stiles wrecking the combine.

46:50Carson Beck:Okay. That last guy was also the guy you mentioned yesterday? Yesterday. Yesterday.

46:55Andrew Siciliano:No relation to Sonny. I saw Harry Styles once at Swingers Diner in West Hollywood. At like two in the morning. Okay. Shout out to Gangnam Styles. That could have been on the list. How's Gangnam Style? Gangnam Style. That's what I said. One more. Oh, you have one more. We didn't do that, though. Good. Put Gangnam Style in there.

47:11Carson Beck:You're a stylist.

47:12Andrew Siciliano:How about that? I even think about that.

47:14Carson Beck:Atta boy. Good to see you, Andrew.

47:16Andrew Siciliano:Thanks for coming by. Yeah, man.

47:17Carson Beck:Thanks for having me. Thanks for letting me steer the ship here, the final couple minutes. What is Cleveland going to do at six? That was next thing I was asking. Offensive line, wide receiver, Carnell Tate, you tell me. I don't think it's going to be a quarterback, I'll tell you that. Because they badly need offensive line help. I would love a Carnell Tate sitting there, I'm just saying. Okay, okay. I'm just saying, wear the Chris Cardocky jersey, make it a Browns jersey. So long, everybody.

47:43Rich Eisen:Thanks for listening to the Rich Eisen Show podcast. You can watch and listen to the Rich Eisen Show live weekdays from noon to 3 Eastern on ESPN Radio, Disney +, and on the ESPN app, The Rich Eisen Show, the podcast.

48:03Andrew Siciliano:Shot clocks, big shots, upsets, aces, TGL playoffs are here. First, Atlanta Drive starts their repeat run against Los Angeles Golf Club. Then, Rory's Boston Common Golf and Tiger's Jupiter Lynx face off in their playoff debuts. Who will advance? Keep up. It's playoffs. Tune in Tuesday, March 17th at 6.30 p.m. and 9 p.m. only on ESPN and the ESPN app.