Ex-New England Patriots WR Julian Edelman dishes on Tom Brady during ManningCast: He's a 'babe' guy

A TV camera showed Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski talking to each other in the final minutes of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ 30-10 victory over the New York Giants on "Monday Night Football," and inquiring minds wanted to know.

What were they saying?

Peyton Manning posed that question on the latest edition of the ManningCast to the ideal guest: Julian Edelman, the retired wide receiver who with the New England Patriots won three Super Bowl rings with Brady and Gronkowski - the quarterback-tight end tandem now with the Bucs.

Edelman imagined some dialogue between the two players, then revealed something about Brady.

In that conversation on the sideline, Brady would address Gronkowski as “babe.’’ As in, ‘You had a great game, babe.’ ”

Explained Edelman, “Lot of babes. TB’s a ‘babe’ guy.’”

This prompted a response from Phil Mickelson, who was a guest on the ESPN2 broadcast last week with Peyton and Eli Manning.

Tweeted Mickelson: “Found out on the ManningCast that TB’s a “babe” guy. The reason this is so disappointing is he called me babe when we were partners in The Match and I thought I was the only one. Now to find out he calls everyone babe really crushes my heart.’’

Could Bills Parcells have coached today's QBs?

Bill Parcells, head coach of the New York Jets in 1997, said the team would have drafted Peyton with their first pick that year had Peyton left the University of Tennessee early. But Parcells, the two-time Super Bowl-winning coach with the New York Giants, said he wouldn’t have made it through the 28 interceptions Peyton threw as an NFL rookie.

“We definitely would have drafted him, but I would have probably cut my throat at about (interception) number 15, so I wouldn’t have seen those additional 13,’’ Parcells said.

Parcells, 80, also said his methods might not have worked with today’s quarterbacks.

"Probably not,’’ he said. “I was a little abrasive ... from time to time. But when I first started, I had Phil Simms. I had the exact right guy because he wasn’t afraid to fire back at me and I was lucky to have him.’’

Kevin Hart has football start (well, maybe not)

You might not have heard about Kevin Hart’s illustrious football career. Eli said he was aware of Hart, the 5-foot-4 comedian, having played in only one football game.

“I also played in a football league in Thailand,'' Hart said. "I’m not sure if you have the background on that, but that’s where I crushed. In this league in Thailand, there was one season where I threw for, I think it was like 800 and something yards as a 12 year old, which was unheard of.

“I made news over there and that’s when I had the opportunity to play football for real," Hart said. "But chose to come back to the States to pursue my education and that kind of fell in my lap. But for a minute, it was football in Thailand.’’

Exactly.

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The path for women in NFL

Condoleezza Rice, the former Secretary of State, said during her guest appearance that she sees a possible for path for women who aspire to be offensive or defensive coordinators in the NFL.

“I think the next breakthrough is to see if women can find their way into, say, position coaches, because if you’re a position coach you’ve got a shot then at coordinator,’’ she said. “I’ve never thought that you’re just going to put a woman in there. You’re going to have to have somebody who goes through that progression.’’

She also acknowledged the progress women have made in the NFL, with 12 women currently serving as coaches and two women serving as game officials.

“I’m really proud of what women in the NFL are doing,’’ Rice said. “It’s high time because you do not have to have played this game necessarily, with all due respect to present company, to understand it and I think to coach it well.’’

The reality about fantasy football

Edelman said he has a fantasy football team, but here’s the strange part: He did not draft Tom Brady or Rob Gronkowski.

“I drafted Patrick Mahomes,’’ he said with a laugh, referring to the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback. “At the beginning of the season it was killing me, so I had to make a big-time draft and get old Matt Stafford.’’

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: ManningCast: Julian Edelman dishes on Tom Brady. Bill Parcells on QBs.