NFL TV Menu: Depth chart of crews; Greg Olsen to Fox #2, Tom Rinaldi joins Buck’s team; Pre-season voices

Wondering about the NFL menu of voices this fall?

After the Hall of Fame Game last week, the NFL preseason got underway on Thursday, with every team in action sometime between Thursday and Sunday.

When the league gets down to business during the regular season and launches an 18 week schedule, these are the lineups. Fox makes a big contribution adding Tom Rinaldi, a star-studded interviewer. He’s been assigned to Joe Buck’s top crew.

CBS NFL 2021 Depth Chart

Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

Ian Eagle, Charles Davis

Kevin Harlan, Trent Green

Greg Gumbel, Adam Archuleta

Andrew Catalon, James Lofton

Spero Dedes, Jay Feely

Tom McCarthy, Tiki Barber 

Fox NFL 2021 Depth Chart

Joe Buck, Troy Aikman

Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olsen

Adam Amin, Mark Schlereth

Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma

Chris Myers, Daryl “Moose” Johnston

Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez

Gus Johnson, Aqib Talib

The preseason is the only time NFL teams will have a dedicated local television feed. A few teams merely use a simulcast of the radio broadcast that they utilize during the season, but others will use established national voices, with Fox, CBS, ESPN, or NFL Network mainstays for either play-by-play or analyst positions.

Arizona: Dave Pasch, Ron Wolfley

Atlanta: Justin Kutcher, Coy Wire, D.J. Shockley

Baltimore: Gerry Sandusky, Rod Woodson, Mike Nolan

Buffalo: Andrew Catalon, Steve Tasker

Carolina: Taylor Zarzour, Steve Smith Sr.

Chicago: Adam Amin, Jim Miller

Cincinnati: Mike Watts, Anthony Munoz

Cleveland: Tom McCarthy, Joe Thomas

Dallas: Bill Jones, Babe Laufenberg

Denver: Steve Levy, Brian Griese

Detroit: Brandon Gaudin, Herman Moore

Green Bay: Kevin Harlan, James Lofton

Houston: Kevin Kugler, Spencer Tillman

Indianapolis: Greg Rakestraw, Rick Venturi

Jacksonville: Brian Sexton, Bucky Brooks

Kansas City: Ari Wolfe, Trent Green

Las Vegas: Beth Mowins, Matt Millen, Rich Gannon

LA Chargers: Spero Dedes, Dan Fouts, LaDainian Tomlinson

LA Rams: Andrew Siciliano, Aqib Talib, Mina Kimes

Miami: Steve Goldstein, Jason Taylor

Minnesota: Paul Allen, Pete Bercich

New England: Bob Socci, Scott Zolak

New Orleans: Joel Meyers, Jon Stinchcomb, Jonathan Vilma

NY Giants: Bob Papa, Carl Banks

NY Jets: Ian Eagle, Anthony Becht

Philadelphia: Scott Graham, Ross Tucker

Pittsburgh: Bob Pompeani, Charlie Batch

San Francisco: Greg Papa, Tim Ryan

Seattle: Curt Menefee, Dave Wyman

Tampa Bay: Chris Myers, Ronde Barber

Tennessee: Dan Hellie, Charles Davis

Washington: Kenny Albert, Joe Theismann

Editor’s comments:

• Adam Amin will lead Fox’ #3 team with Mark Schlereth. Kenny Albert, now at #4, has ex-NFLer Jonathan Vilma.

• Fox’ number #2 team has Kevin Burkhardt on the game call with a new partner, freshly retired Greg Olsen who’s shown much promise in audition roles. Daryl Johnston, who teamed with Burkhardt last season, now has the underrated Chris Myers on play-by-play.

• Kevin Kugler is down a notch in his second year. He’ll be breaking in newcomer Mark Sanchez, the former Jets QB.

• Gus Johnson is down the list at Fox, albeit, the network’s news release labels him as acclaimed. Gus will do a few NFL broadcasts when needed, meaning he’s being used as an extra during a heavy weekend of Fox’ NFL schedule. Johnson will have the promising Aqib Talib. Gus is Fox’  lead college football play-by-player.

• Tom Rinaldi is a big upgrade for Fox. He’ll be part of the prime game crew headed by Joe Buck. He brings an unrushed personality to the set.

• CBS’ Rich Gannon wasn’t renewed. At number #4 on the depth chart, Gumbel, 75, gets Adam Archuleta who moves up a notch on CBS’ analyst chart. 

• Of the 32 teams, eight  (25%) have no regular season NFL broadcast play-by-play affiliation.

• In Miami, Steve Goldstein follows the top-notch Dick Stockton who at times in his amazingly long career was close to the very top of the charts of play-by-players for either CBS or Fox. Dick, 78, announced his retirement after last season. Goldstein has migrated to news, serving as an occasional local anchor for CBS TV, Miami. He’s 51.

• Of the pre-season voices, those with little or no NFL broadcast experience are Justin Kutcher, Taylor Zarzour, Mike Watts, Bill Jones, Greg Rakestraw, Ari Wolfe and Bob Pompeani. Joel Meyers, a jack of all trades, no longer has a regular season gig but did in the past on TV and radio.

• New Orleans has changed its radio play-by-play voice. Zach Strief joins the club’s coaching staff and Mike Hoss is promoted to play-by-play from a role of sideline reporter. Hoss has little play-by-play experience.

• The Cowboys’ Brad Sham, the Falcons’ Wes Durham and Arizona’s Dave Pasch tell us that they’ll be traveling. It appears that the NFL is encouraging member clubs to do games live from the road. Smart move by the league. Doing those impossible to cover road games remotely looks bad for everyone involved, the stations, the teams that they’re covering and indirectly the league. With the recent acceleration of the Delta variant, let’s hope that no new curbs will be mandated by the league.

• The longest tenured among NFL announcers is Merrill Reese. It’s his 45th season as the Voice of the Eagles. He started in 1977. Merrill is beloved in Philly.