Las Vegas Raiders Insider Podcast NFL Scouting Combine Recap #5
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00:00 Hello everybody, this is Hondo Carpenter from the Las Vegas Raiders Insider Podcast.
00:06 It's great to be with you.
00:07 Of course, I'm with Sports Illustrated's Fenn Nation.
00:10 I appreciate you all having me with you today.
00:15 Late late night, got everything going, busy busy, and now back from the combine.
00:21 I want to give you a recap of the combine and some things that really stood out to me.
00:30 Some things that I think you're going to find genuinely interesting.
00:34 We're going to talk about a lot.
00:37 Start me today.
00:39 I got to drink a lot of coffee today.
00:41 I got to stay up at least till I can get this done.
00:45 So let me address a few things with you.
00:48 The Raiders were certainly on the lips of everybody.
00:53 It was on the lips of people that you ran into in the hall who you know who are coaches,
00:58 agents, NFL executives.
01:02 And you have to understand, these are people I've known, most of them for a very long time.
01:09 And in my previous combines, and this is my fifth year covering the Raiders, nothing.
01:14 You know, they may have said to me, "Hey, how do you enjoy covering the Raiders?
01:16 How do you like being in Vegas?"
01:17 Or whatever.
01:18 No, it was specific Raiders.
01:21 And a couple of times I walked up to guys to talk to them.
01:25 And while I waited, their conversation was Raiders, and there was no reason for it to
01:29 be.
01:30 That was interesting to me.
01:31 The Raiders have the attention of the NFL.
01:37 Now, that can be good and it can be bad.
01:41 In this case, I think it's very good.
01:44 Sometimes they have the attention of the NFL for things they did that didn't make sense.
01:51 This is good stuff.
01:53 A couple of things.
01:56 J.J. McCarthy, who you may remember, when I did my first mock draft, I had the Raiders
02:01 taking their first pick in the second round.
02:04 I wrote in that mock draft that I was acting as if the draft was that day, and according
02:12 to NFL executives, who I trusted as great quarterback drafters, they said if the draft
02:18 was today, you could get J.J.
02:20 I wrote all this, so you can go look and verify it.
02:23 But they said by the time the combine pro days and all that's over, J.J. is going to
02:26 be at the very top, and he won't be available here.
02:31 I concur.
02:33 Everything about J.J. McCarthy, I informally talked to guys from nine teams, and I just
02:41 asked them, "Who do you think was the most impressive quarterback?"
02:46 Just give me the top two.
02:48 And eight of the top two had J.J. and Jaden Daniels.
02:54 So I thought that was extremely interesting.
02:59 I thought that was very, very interesting.
03:01 Both of those young men really helped themselves this week in a lot of ways.
03:07 J.J. showed a snap on his pass that when you don't have to throw a ton, it's a big deal.
03:18 Now one team who's very good at drafting quarterbacks, who absolutely does their research every year,
03:24 even though they're not in need of a quarterback, said to me that the thing about J.J. is he
03:30 runs a pro-style offense.
03:32 He had a pro-style coach, and he said just his ability to analyze.
03:38 And he said in the meeting with him, they were very surprised at his ability to analyze
03:47 information so fast, just incredibly fast.
03:50 So I thought that was really unique.
03:53 I don't think this is betraying anything.
03:55 They said they gave him some information at the beginning of the interview and then comes
04:03 back at the end and he recited all of it.
04:06 He knew what they were talking about, and they were very impressed with that.
04:11 Jaden Daniels, very humble, wasn't about him.
04:18 Very impressed a lot of people.
04:20 A lot of people came away, just the character and integrity of the young man really impressed
04:29 a lot of people.
04:30 I think people already knew what Jaden could do physically, but just getting to know him
04:36 personally, they liked him a lot.
04:38 Again, him and J.J. I thought had big days.
04:40 And another guy that had a very, very great day was Spencer Rowler.
04:46 He had a good one.
04:47 A lot of teams were very impressed with him.
04:51 A lot of teams really liked him, liked his humility, liked how he explained his situation.
04:58 You know, one of the things, you may be at a school, I knew a prospect one time who was
05:05 at a school that didn't really have great coaching at his position.
05:09 So he loses his spot.
05:12 He transfers, does very well at a school that has great coaching.
05:18 So the team brings him in and says to him, "Hey, what happened over here at school?
05:22 A, wondering, is he going to trash people?
05:24 Is he that kind of guy?"
05:26 And he talked about, and now they knew they didn't have good coaching.
05:30 He's like, "You know, that quarterback, he's really good.
05:32 And I feel like I needed to learn some more things."
05:36 And he walked out of the meeting and the general manager told the staff that was there, "That's
05:41 our guy."
05:43 We all know the coaching at school A for his position was horrible.
05:48 And he just said some things and he goes, "We're going to go pick that guy.
05:52 And oh, by the way, that guy's still in the league and still playing at a very high level."
05:57 And Spencer Rattler did very good, especially I was told with the questions about what happened,
06:01 you know, at OU with Caleb and all that, just the way he handled it, the way he talked about
06:06 it.
06:07 He didn't throw people under the bus.
06:10 And he just was very impressive.
06:12 I'm going to give you another name that I think had a very good week based on what I
06:20 have heard, was Michael Penix.
06:24 The problem is he's had so much injury history and it isn't just like one knee.
06:33 Maybe there was a bad surgery or whatever, or he rushed back, that happens.
06:38 But he's had multiple injuries at different spots.
06:42 And a lot of teams have said if Penix had not had the injury history, he'd be one or
06:49 two, but he has.
06:52 And so again, the good drafting teams understand that's a great prospect.
06:55 That's a great player, but you can't take those risks with a first rounder.
07:01 Now I think there's a great chance and I'm nearly certain he'll go on the first round.
07:07 But I just wanted you to understand it isn't to do with his talent or his character.
07:13 It's all on the injury issue.
07:15 Drake May did not hurt himself at all.
07:18 Drake May, like one guy said, he goes, "With Drake May, we had so much information.
07:23 The best I think he could have hoped for," this is according to a team official, not
07:28 Raider, but another team, "The best thing I think we could have hoped for was that he
07:33 not hurt himself."
07:34 And that's exactly what Drake May did.
07:36 Excuse me.
07:37 Bo Nix, I don't know that he helped himself.
07:45 Just I'll leave it there.
07:47 I'm not saying that he was a colossal failure or anything like that.
07:50 I like Bo Nix personally.
07:54 I like his skill set, all of that.
07:56 I don't know how some of it translates into the NFL because there's a couple of things
08:00 that people that I trust have questioned about Bo Nix.
08:06 But I just heard some things that I don't necessarily want to repeat that I don't know
08:11 that he helped himself.
08:12 I'm not saying he colossally failed himself, but I would say I don't necessarily think
08:18 he helped himself.
08:20 Caleb Williams, I mean, very little doubt somebody is going to be so impressed with
08:27 his incredibly and impressive physical ability that he's going to go one.
08:35 But I'm telling you, all of the QB people that I trust, and I told you this weeks ago,
08:43 do not think real highly of him.
08:48 Too many questions.
08:49 One guy said, "Absolute best athletic ability in this draft.
08:55 Most red flags in this draft."
08:58 And there will be a team that will pick him, and I'm sure it'll be number one.
09:03 If not, I mean two for sure.
09:07 But I have learned over the years, I don't trust what I see.
09:10 I don't trust what I think, although I certainly value that.
09:14 I think I've done it long enough that I think that there is some intelligence there.
09:20 But I would tell you the people that I do trust at the quarterback position, just way
09:26 too many concerns.
09:29 And his decisions on his medical records and testing and all that kind of stuff just concerns
09:38 people.
09:39 So let's just say, again, Caleb Williams is the most talented guy here and the most red
09:43 flags here, bar none.
09:46 But somebody is going to take him up top.
09:48 I had someone make a comment to me the other day when I mentioned on social media that
09:53 he certainly didn't help himself yet, but didn't hurt himself.
09:55 He's going to probably still be one or two.
09:57 And they were absolutely correct.
10:00 Absolutely correct.
10:01 But then all of a sudden, okay, what kind of team are you going to be on?
10:04 Are you going to be on a team of bad drafters, bad management?
10:12 If it's only about the money, you don't care.
10:16 But if it's about more than money, I'm not going to tell you who, because I don't think
10:22 that that would be fair.
10:24 It was an off the record conversation.
10:27 But I can repeat this.
10:33 One of the quarterbacks in a quarterback meeting with a team, they said to him, "We're not
10:42 a top tier team.
10:46 We're not a top 10 team drafting.
10:50 So how disappointing would it be if you fell to us?"
10:55 And the guy looked at him and said, "I have to be very careful what I tell you," he said.
11:00 I'm repeating someone, an NFL executive, but I don't want you to be able to figure out
11:04 what team I'm talking about.
11:06 But basically the kid told them all about their team and said, "I would prefer to go
11:14 to your team and lose a little bit of money on my first contract, knowing I'm going to
11:19 make it up in my second to play for you guys."
11:23 I'm not going to tell you what team, I'm not going to tell you what kid, but it was a quarterback
11:28 that made that comment.
11:30 And that team really fell in love with that kid.
11:33 That was a great answer.
11:34 So the quarterback situation now, let's talk about after the combine.
11:39 You may remember I told you before the combine to look back at last year.
11:44 I found out last year at the combine that the Raiders had checked on the cost for moving
11:50 to all the spots ahead of them.
11:54 I've henceforth told you, and you may remember last year during the draft, I told you there
11:59 was one quarterback that I thought they would go up for, but I didn't want to get into the
12:04 semantics.
12:05 I didn't want to hurt the Raiders.
12:07 And I've told you, Dave Ziegler wanted CJ Stroud, which was not going to happen because
12:13 the only quarterback that Josh wanted was Bryce Young.
12:19 And the cost was too high.
12:20 Even Josh was like, "No, the cost is too high to move up."
12:22 Then later on, it became not available, one or two.
12:28 So what I want you to understand, I told you this a few weeks ago, the closer you get to
12:32 the draft, the price goes up because then teams become solidified in what they want
12:38 to do.
12:40 So here's what we know that Washington is staying at two.
12:48 They are very content to stay there.
12:52 They want Caleb.
12:56 And I'm told that they like, it's Caleb, it's Jayden, and Drake, that they're very
13:05 content with getting one of those three.
13:08 I'm told that Caleb is one.
13:11 I believe Jayden is two.
13:17 Now I have reason to believe that, but I'll just say I think Jayden is two and Drake is
13:22 three.
13:25 Chicago I think understands that they have to get, if they're going to trade Justin Fields,
13:35 the sooner the better because the market's going to keep dropping on Justin Fields.
13:43 Now if you're a Raider, that could end up being a good thing because the Raiders did
13:49 have some interest in Justin.
13:52 I told you before, I didn't think it was going to happen.
13:55 I didn't rule it out.
13:57 But I think Chicago's cost is going to have to come way down and some other things would
14:03 have to happen.
14:05 So I'm not saying it won't.
14:07 I'm just saying I don't expect it.
14:09 But that price keeps falling.
14:11 And at some point, Chicago is going to have to make a decision to move on and do what
14:18 they need to do.
14:19 Because the cost, their return on Justin Fields is going to continue to drop.
14:24 As teams know, Caleb's a bear.
14:27 Okay, we're not going to overpay you for Justin.
14:32 Shouldn't overpay you for Justin.
14:33 I was asked yesterday, what do you think that would be a fair cost for Justin?
14:39 I think a three is a very good deal, a third rounder.
14:47 I could make an argument for a two.
14:50 I could make a legitimate argument for the two.
14:53 If I were Tom Telesco, I would probably pull that trigger at two.
15:01 All right, we'll give you a second round pick.
15:03 Done.
15:04 Take him.
15:05 Then you got two years to work with the guy.
15:08 And for all of you people that thought Luke Getzey and him hated one another, that's not
15:15 true at all.
15:16 That's not accurate.
15:17 Now, I want to go back because I think this is important to mention.
15:23 Luke Getzey has ties to J.J. McCarthy.
15:29 So I believe J.J. McCarthy is very well respected by the Raiders.
15:44 I think that they hold him in very high regard.
15:48 And so I would not rule that out.
15:52 I would not.
15:53 I don't think he's going to be available at 13.
15:57 But I wouldn't rule out the Raiders making a move.
16:02 Just my personal thoughts.
16:05 I would not rule out the Raiders making a move and going up to J.J.
16:12 Now, where do you have to go?
16:13 Well, I think it's pretty safe.
16:15 We know what's going to happen at four.
16:19 So we're just going to keep an eye on that.
16:21 I'm going to address this next week.
16:25 Address this next week, but I'll get into more of where I think that they would have
16:29 to get to to get J.J.
16:30 Again, I think J.J. is going to go high.
16:34 I know a couple of quarterback people that told me if they that I when I say quarterback
16:40 people, I call them quarterback people because they've been proven good drafters of quarterbacks.
16:46 One guy told me, he goes, if we were sitting there and we draft well, so we're never at
16:51 one.
16:52 But if we absolutely had to have a quarterback in this draft, I would go to my owner and
16:55 say, I don't care what the cost, get McCarthy.
16:59 This is a very successful drafter.
17:04 Incredibly successful drafter.
17:06 So when he tells me, I tell my owner, let's go, let's go get McCarthy.
17:16 That to me speaks highly.
17:19 But again, a lot of interesting pieces here, a lot of stuff moving and flowing, but coming
17:26 out of the combine, that's kind of the latest on what I have for you on the quarterbacks.
17:29 Now, Terry and Arnold did not run a four five.
17:32 I mean, excuse me, did not run a four three, which we had been told by someone from Alabama
17:38 that in a private workout last week, he had run a four three.
17:45 We asked him about it, about the four three, and he didn't really answer.
17:52 Just didn't answer.
17:57 But he ran a four or five twice.
18:00 That is not as concerning to me as maybe to others, because when you put the tape in against
18:07 super fast guys, it's not like he struggles.
18:11 He knows how to use his body and his technique.
18:13 He's very technique sound.
18:16 I think at his pro day, he'll get that down in the four fours, which if he does, he's
18:20 fine.
18:21 So if you're looking at guys, potentially for the Raiders to peg at 13, I think Terry
18:30 and Arnold has to be in there.
18:31 There's a couple other guys.
18:33 There's several guys that I think are going to be in that window that are immediate impact
18:37 players.
18:38 Latham, the offensive tackle from Oregon State.
18:43 I apologize that I just don't know how to pronounce his name.
18:46 And my name is Hondo and I get called everything.
18:48 And it's just disrespectful if you can't get somebody's name right.
18:52 And I'm trying.
18:54 So please forgive me.
18:55 But the young man from Oregon State, super impressive.
18:58 He impressed everybody.
19:03 So there's a lot of guys and I'm going to get into that later as we get closer to the
19:07 draft kind of pegging it down.
19:10 Now, very quickly, and then I want to get to more stuff.
19:13 I'm going to have my second mock draft for the Raiders coming out on Monday.
19:19 I really encourage you.
19:20 And so moving forward from now on, mock draft Mondays between now and the start of the NFL
19:26 draft.
19:27 I'll be doing my mock every week based upon what I'm hearing.
19:31 Sometimes the Raider pick shifts because I'm hearing some other interests.
19:36 If I had to say right now, I think Caleb one, Jaden two, Dre three, Marvin Harrison four.
19:50 That's what I believe right now, how the thing will play out.
19:54 And I have reason to believe that with each.
19:59 So we're going to leave that right there.
20:01 But I'll come back and I'll deal more with that next week as I discuss and talk about
20:07 what's going on among the draft and all of that with you.
20:10 I want to talk about another issue that I think is really big.
20:16 Tomorrow, I'm going to be addressing the Michael Lombardi comments about AP.
20:23 I have very interesting feelings.
20:28 A lot of you have asked me to comment.
20:30 I'm going to.
20:32 Let's party.
20:33 And I'm going to be very blunt and very honest and analytical.
20:38 And we'll just leave it right there.
20:43 And you guys can make any opinion you want.
20:45 I am going to tell you if anyone thinks that it even remotely bothers AP, you're wrong.
20:56 If anything, I would venture to say to you that he finds it entertaining.
21:03 Just giving an opinion.
21:07 So whatever.
21:09 I'll be addressing those on Monday.
21:11 And I want to talk now about free agency.
21:16 We're getting closer to that kicking in.
21:18 And I am going to.
21:23 So today I think is the third.
21:25 Let me look.
21:26 Yep.
21:27 Yep.
21:28 Today's the third.
21:29 So starting on Monday, the 11th, I'm going to be doing a ton of digging in on free agency.
21:36 I am going to tell you that I think the Raiders next week, you're going to be hearing a lot
21:43 of information, but I think the Raiders are going to be absolute players in free agency.
21:51 I think that you're going to see Telesco be a lot like Dave Ziegler, who did a tremendous
21:56 job with the Raiders salary cap.
22:00 There were some decisions that were made that weren't Ziegler's, such as he didn't want
22:05 Jimmy Garoppolo.
22:08 But it was what it was.
22:09 And a lot of that Garoppolo money is off the books now.
22:11 So it didn't cost the Raiders.
22:13 So that was good news.
22:15 But I think you're going to see Telesco.
22:18 And one of the advantages of Telesco is in Los Angeles with the Bolt.
22:24 He you know, the ownership family did a lot of the contracts and that kind of stuff.
22:32 That wasn't all Tom at all.
22:35 In fact, when Tom was there and got fired and nobody thought he was a candidate for
22:42 the Raiders, I certainly didn't.
22:46 Somebody in that organization told me, man, he got robbed and everyone's talking about
22:50 the salary cap.
22:52 It wasn't even him.
22:54 So that was before this person even knew that he was a viable, none of us know he's a viable
22:59 candidate for the Raiders job.
23:01 So Telesco is going to follow a lot of what Dave Ziegler did.
23:08 Very disciplined.
23:09 He's not going to overpay for anybody.
23:13 But he's going to be extremely fair.
23:15 He's going to prioritize re-signing Raiders.
23:18 That will endear him to the locker room.
23:21 That will endear him.
23:23 Now having said that, I want to talk about Josh Jacobs.
23:28 The Raiders want him back.
23:30 That is unquestioned.
23:33 He has emphatically to me and to others made it clear he wants to be a Raider.
23:39 That's fact.
23:41 Here is the issue though.
23:43 It's going to be what are the Raiders willing to pay?
23:48 There is going to be a ton of free agent running backs available.
23:53 Now I am hearing that Saquon is probably going to Texas.
24:00 And I'm hearing two or three teams for some of the other backs.
24:04 I'm not hearing any other teams at this point for Josh.
24:10 Although I think there are some other teams that would want him.
24:12 I think his focus is on being a Raider.
24:15 So the question is going to be will his management team and Josh and Telesco be able to come to a value that the Raiders don't overpay?
24:31 I can tell you this right now.
24:33 The Raiders will not overpay for Josh Jacobs.
24:37 It's not going to happen.
24:39 They're going to be very fair.
24:41 They're not going to try to undercut him either.
24:43 They're not going to try to go cheap on him.
24:45 So the issue is you never know what is somebody else willing to pay.
24:50 So let me give you an example.
24:52 I was having a meal with an executive this week who said something to me.
25:00 Actually he was eating.
25:02 I was having a cup of coffee because it was a second meal.
25:04 But he said to me there's always somebody willing to overpay, seemingly to overpay.
25:12 So let's say the Raiders think he's worth X and the other team says he's worth Y.
25:19 Okay.
25:20 Then you have to look at you have to move.
25:22 You're familiar with your territory.
25:25 The cost is irrelevant, but familiarity.
25:28 You know this locker room.
25:30 You know this staff.
25:32 The other one is does the other state have income taxes?
25:35 What's the cost of living in the other state?
25:39 I've told you this numerous times.
25:40 I'm not getting into politics.
25:41 I'm just being truthful.
25:43 I know free agents who purposely did not go to California because of its, compared to other places, overwhelming the tax burden.
25:59 Not just in income, I mean state income tax, but other taxes who just said no, I'm not willing to go there for the taxes.
26:07 Because it would just, their agents showed them lists.
26:10 One player at one time was a good friend of mine.
26:12 Threw this report on my desk, but threw it where him and I were sitting.
26:17 And he threw it to me.
26:18 He goes, look at that.
26:19 And I go, and there was the three teams that had made my friend free agent offers.
26:24 And his agent had went through and said, for the home you have now, this is what it would cost in all three states.
26:31 Here's what this state is going to cost you in state income tax across all three states.
26:35 And here's what this state's going to cost you in ancillary taxes.
26:38 Meaning maybe a sales tax, maybe property taxes, whatever.
26:43 And he went through and said, well, this state, the same house I have now is cheaper in this state.
26:48 The same house I have now has no state income tax and the state, and this, excuse me, start over.
26:55 This state here, I can buy the same house that I have now cheaper than the other two.
27:02 Check one.
27:04 This state, three cheaper income taxes because there's none.
27:08 The other two have some.
27:10 All right.
27:11 And then the third one is ancillary tax.
27:13 These other two states have a lot of higher sales taxes, higher property taxes.
27:17 And for him, they said that for the same amount of money being offered, going to three, this is what you're going to make over your three year deal.
27:24 It was a no brainer, but his agent did all of that.
27:27 So those are all things that Josh is going to have to consider.
27:33 And he will.
27:35 So I was asked today by several of you in emails, do I think Josh re-signs?
27:42 I think that very high percentage that Josh re-signs if all things are equal or better than the Raiders.
27:56 But if he's being offered silly money, silly money, remember Aguilar was here, great wide receiver.
28:05 The Raiders really wanted him.
28:07 But the Patriots that year had a ton of money.
28:09 Bill Belichick knew he was kind of under pressure.
28:12 So what did he do?
28:13 He overpaid to go get Nelson.
28:16 The Raiders didn't keep him.
28:18 That's the situation that I think the Raiders are in right now.
28:21 Josh wants to be here.
28:22 The Raiders want Josh.
28:25 But is somebody willing to just go way over?
28:29 And it is what it is.
28:32 I'm going to completely guess right now.
28:36 But I think a three-year 25 to $27 million deal would probably be where the Raiders would sign him.
28:57 Now, would the Raiders able to get out probably after two?
29:02 Now, certain things happen in year two.
29:04 I can see year three being guaranteed.
29:06 That's purely a guess, but it's not a speculative guess.
29:11 It's based on what I'm talking to people and hearing what do you think is a very fair price for Josh.
29:17 So if he were to get a three-year $27 million deal but $18 million guaranteed or a three-year $25 million deal, $16 million guaranteed, I think that's the sweet spot.
29:35 Would the Raiders, if somebody else came in big, maybe go a little higher?
29:40 Maybe.
29:42 I mean, I think that's what Tlesko has said.
29:47 He prioritizes signing his free agents.
29:49 But it's going to be very interesting to watch.
29:51 That's kind of where I think that the Josh Jacobs thing is going to handle.
29:54 And you know what?
29:56 If somebody comes in and offers Josh stupid money and he takes it, who blames the guy?
30:01 He's got his family to take care of and it's a business.
30:04 And he's already in that fifth year.
30:10 So his shelf life is not much longer.
30:12 And other than one year, which was his original fourth year, he's never played a whole season.
30:21 He's not stayed healthy.
30:23 So you can't emotionally attach yourself to Josh, even though I just think the world of him.
30:28 He is a tremendous young man.
30:30 I really like him a lot.
30:32 This is absolutely nothing personal.
30:34 If there wasn't a salary cap, you just pay him.
30:37 Great kid.
30:39 But he hasn't.
30:40 And he knows that.
30:41 He hasn't shown a track record of staying healthy.
30:44 So you can't go out and pay a ton of money to somebody that hasn't shown the best ability is availability.
30:51 So coming out of the combine, that's where I kind of think this is going to roll and where that's going to be settled.
30:57 I will tell you there's going to be a market for Jermaine Illuminor.
31:02 A good market.
31:04 I think one team that has him targeted is the New York Giants.
31:08 Where Bracilla is now.
31:10 Carmen likes him a lot.
31:13 And he likes Carmen.
31:15 And he's very flexible.
31:17 His ability to flex to tackle the guard is a really big deal.
31:22 Now, I can see a scenario where the Raiders sign him, move him to guard.
31:30 So you got Colton, empty guard spot because you move Dylan to center.
31:38 Jermaine Illuminor on a rookie.
31:40 Do you go back and hire Greg Van Roe, who was super highly respected, had some a little bit of adjustments early, but he came in late.
31:50 He's a key guy that if you can get him, get him at the right price.
31:55 Or are you able to take a right tackle and subsequently put a guard in there?
32:02 Or is there a guy that maybe you think you can play a Thayer Montford at that other guard spot if you don't get a tackle and leave Jermaine Illuminor?
32:16 Whatever.
32:18 It's going to be really interesting to watch how this goes through.
32:21 I've told you this before, but I heard it again yesterday and I want to repeat it, was that Tom Telesco spent invaluable amounts of time really watching a ton of film and learning about every Raider player.
32:38 I said it before, I'm going to say it again because I think it's very important that you understand this.
32:43 The relationship between Telesco and Pierce has impressed a ton of people.
32:50 Just the way it has been handled.
32:53 The respect, the relationship, all of it has just been extremely impressive.
33:00 So I think that's a really, really thing to know that he's listening.
33:05 He's listening.
33:06 If you want to know, do I think the Raiders are moving up and do I think that the Raiders are going to select a top three pick?
33:18 I don't.
33:20 The cost is just brutal.
33:24 It doesn't mean though if costs were to change that they wouldn't.
33:29 But if I were making a guess today, I don't think the Raiders will move up into those top three.
33:37 I don't.
33:38 But I think that they're going to do a lot to gather a ton and continue to look.
33:45 I can tell you this.
33:48 I was told yesterday that no decision has been made on what to do.
33:57 No.
33:59 Absolutely none.
34:01 So anybody you're hearing this is what the Raiders are doing, that's not accurate.
34:05 I think the Raiders are looking at a lot of scenarios.
34:09 I think they have a three in mind of what they want to do.
34:16 I don't think they've settled on any of the three yet.
34:19 And I don't think all of the three are relying on them.
34:24 For one of them for sure, two of them for sure, it would take somebody else agreeing to do something.
34:31 So I just think for right now no decision has been made.
34:34 It was a very successful combine for the Raiders.
34:38 I was very highly impressed with how Tom Telesco handled it.
34:44 And talking to players, coaches, agents, executives around the league,
34:50 one guy told me who knows Telesco very well, one guy told me, he goes, "Tom's a new man.
34:58 It's like he is out of the oppression of the Bulls."
35:03 I thought that was pretty interesting.
35:06 He goes, and he said, "I'm so glad," he was one of the guys that I told you when Tom got the job that went to bat for him with me.
35:14 He said to me, and this is an NFL executive, he says, "I've always thought Tom was super smart.
35:19 And a tough spot."
35:22 And he made the most of it.
35:24 And it was great to just see how he and his people moved around the chessboard this week.
35:29 So I think it was a great week for the Raiders, great week for the Silver and Black, and you guys are Silver and Black, so it was a great week for you.
35:36 And they came out with a ton of information.
35:38 We wrote a voluminous amount of articles, and we've got more coming.
35:43 Videos, all of it.
35:45 I can't thank you all enough for clicking, subscribing, and sharing.
35:51 Please don't stop.
35:54 Nobody brought you the amount of information that we did from the combine.
35:59 And it was all free.
36:02 And I want to give a big shout out, Aidan Champion, to Carter Landis, Braden Reedy, great stuff.
36:11 And we just tried to bring you as much information.
36:13 They're out there doing that stuff while I'm working, agents, executives, coaches, trying to get as much information as I can.
36:20 Now, I have an article coming tomorrow that you do not want to miss.
36:24 It is my latest question and answer article.
36:28 And it's not like, you know, I've been trying to do these on video.
36:31 And tomorrow I'm going to do more on video as well, answering your questions.
36:38 But it is a bunch of your questions on the Raiders.
36:41 And one of the questions that I got, and I have waited and sat on, Sally sent it to me a while ago, is the rumor that the Raiders had Tom Brady, but Gruden didn't want him.
36:57 And Sally asked me if they didn't want him, why?
37:01 And I'm going to answer that question.
37:05 Ton of detail and a bunch more.
37:07 I got a lot of other stuff coming.
37:09 A lot of nuggets.
37:11 Don't miss that article.
37:13 It's going to publish, I think, at noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific in Vegas.
37:17 But check that article out.
37:20 Read it.
37:22 I think you're going to get a lot of insight, a lot of information that you're going to find very, very interesting.
37:29 So I want to thank you all for watching and listening, subscribing.
37:33 When you go to SI.com/NFL/Raiders, remember, upper right-hand corner, when you go there, it says newsletter.
37:40 Click it.
37:41 If you sign up, it's 100% free.
37:43 We will not spam you, but three days a week we'll send you an email with our best articles.
37:47 You'll never miss anything again.
37:49 In fact, a couple of you have mentioned in comments that you love that email, and I want to thank you for doing that.
37:55 I appreciate you.
37:56 Follow me on Instagram, @HondoSR.
37:58 Follow me on X, formerly known as Twitter, @HondoCarpenter.
38:02 From all of us to all of you, I hope you have a wonderful day.
38:06 I appreciate you.
38:07 Now, next week -- well, I'll tell you about it next week.
38:10 But don't forget Monday's article you don't want to miss and a lot more.
38:14 I appreciate you all.
38:15 That's my combine recap.
38:17 Have a good day, everybody.