So, the first NIC came in the mail yesterday and it worked.
It was the first NIC I ordered. INTEL 82574 CT Chipset Gigabit 1000Mbps Desktop PCI-Express Network Adapter Card - Newegg.com
I did get ESXI 6.5 to install with no issues.
P.S. I am running into other issues but I'll open another tread. For now the original issue is solved. Now on to the next step.
Thanks,
