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Speaker 1: Welcome back to Hour two. I am Dale Wally. He

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Speaker 1: is Matt Williamson. We are live from the Steelers of

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Speaker 1: Mini Camp sessions here at the upmc rooney Sports Complex

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Speaker 1: here on Steelers Nation Radio and ESPN nine seventy And

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Speaker 1: we just went over at Pete Prisco's top one hundred

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Speaker 1: players of a twenty twenty three list.

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Speaker 2: Can't it too much much?

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Speaker 1: Yeah, it's did a nice job with that. Uh. That

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Speaker 1: leads me to we were just talking a little bit

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Speaker 1: of what wide receivers there Matt Greg Jennings, the former

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Speaker 1: player for the Backers. Yeah, on the thirty third team

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Speaker 1: dot Com has his top nine wide receivers heading into twenties.

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Speaker 1: That's a tough that's a really tough list to crack.

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Speaker 2: I'm excited to do it, though. I mean, I'm probably

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Speaker 2: gonna be really critical of his list, but I also

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Speaker 2: don't envy him for having to make it.

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Speaker 1: No, I don't know how you picked nine, Gordon to

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Speaker 1: a list. It don't do ten. Yeah, this one goes

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Speaker 1: to eleven.

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Speaker 2: It was he torn between two guys and just said

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Speaker 2: that just stop it at nine. I don't want to decide.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, nine's a strange number to stop at.

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Speaker 2: But I mean you go thirty deep of really rusal receivers.

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Speaker 2: He's the Golden Age, real quick. And why is it

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Speaker 2: the Golden age? First of all, I think that they're

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Speaker 2: getting paid better than ever, But really, I think a

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Speaker 2: lot of it comes down to all this seven on

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Speaker 2: seven stuff people do year round now. I mean it's

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Speaker 2: starting when they're like twelve, right, exactly exactly, and.

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Speaker 1: The kids have been throwing they've been catching footballs and

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Speaker 1: throwing football since they were, you know, ten or twelve

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Speaker 1: years old and doing at a high level.

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Speaker 2: Ten months a year, twelve months a year. And some

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Speaker 2: of it's even more competitive now. I mean they do

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Speaker 2: these seven on seven tournaments, you know. And oh, by

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Speaker 2: the way, there's the shortest alignment. Yeah. I might have

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Speaker 2: something to do with it too.

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Speaker 1: Uh So his number nine guy.

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Speaker 2: He's gonna be really good, whoever he is.

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Speaker 1: I just know that Garrett Wilson, and I think it's

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Speaker 1: a little too early for Garrett Wilson to be on

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Speaker 1: the top nine list. Yeah.

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Speaker 2: I guess we'll whole judgment to see who was left

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Speaker 2: off that I would put ahead of him. But he's

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Speaker 2: really good. Wilson versus lave is a tough call for me. Yeah,

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Speaker 2: Like they're both really really good. Drake London's really good

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Speaker 2: and he just doesn't get the production because of the

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Speaker 2: way they played. But I mean the rookies last year,

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Speaker 2: That's where I was going with with the rookies last

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Speaker 2: year was a really good class. Wilson would be my one.

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Speaker 2: But would I take him over every other receiver minus

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Speaker 2: eight in the league? I don't know.

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Speaker 1: Todayah number eight is ceed Lamb. Wow, so a boom

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Speaker 1: or bust for me at times. Yeah.

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Speaker 2: So I'm going to reference Matt Harmon a lot for

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Speaker 2: this because he has a site reception perception where he

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Speaker 2: really breaks down all these guys games. And the one

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Speaker 2: thing that I wouldn't have really put together without reading

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Speaker 2: his right up on Lamb is he says Lamb is

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Speaker 2: asked to do more than any receiver in the league.

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Speaker 2: And what I mean by this isn't ends around and

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Speaker 2: throwing touchdowns and stuff like that. He's an X, he's

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Speaker 2: a slot, and he's a Z. Like he has to

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Speaker 2: learn all three positions more than any receiver out there,

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Speaker 2: which people don't think about that, but there.

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Speaker 1: Is a winfield do less of that. This year.

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Speaker 2: I think they wanted to do less of Yeah, on board,

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Speaker 2: I think that was forced because Gallup was heard and

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Speaker 2: you know, we move him around. Not that he can't

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Speaker 2: do it, but I think you want to specialize him a.

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Speaker 1: Little more number seven. And this just goes to show

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Speaker 1: you how deep this is. AJ Brown. He's a superstar too. Yeah.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean a lot of his stuff with the

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Speaker 2: Titans was catch and run, play action everyone the linebackers

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Speaker 2: bite up on Henry and.

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Speaker 1: As the Steelers last year, he take you over the top.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean he is a home run threat. He

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Speaker 2: can nickel and dime you. I thought last year was

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Speaker 2: really telling for how great Aj Brown truly is.

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Speaker 1: Six. Cooper cup the whole world news getting the football

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Speaker 1: and it doesn't matter. I mean, I will say this.

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Speaker 1: So when the Steelers last played the Rams here at

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Speaker 1: Heinz Field, they shut Cooper cup out they did four

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Speaker 1: years ago. It was but he was still Cooper cup Up.

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Speaker 1: He was still a guy that caught a.

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Speaker 2: Lot of sure, but he's also one year removed from

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Speaker 2: a Triple Crown winner.

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Speaker 1: Yeah.

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Speaker 2: I mean what he did that that year that they

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Speaker 2: won the Super Bowl pretty remarkable. And he wasn't any

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Speaker 2: worse than that before injury last year.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, he says, I like to like to classify Cooper

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Speaker 1: Cup as the Travis Kelcey of wide receivers, meaning he's

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Speaker 1: a guy who makes everything easier for everyone else.

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Speaker 2: It's go away putting it. Yeah, you know, like I

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Speaker 2: liked what Odell did with the rams, but it's a

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Speaker 2: heck of a lot easier when everyone knows the world's

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Speaker 2: going to the balls on the cup over and over

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Speaker 2: and they can't stop it. Two things about Cup that

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Speaker 2: I don't know that all of our listeners know. He

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Speaker 2: gets pigeonholed because the color of his skin, and he's

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Speaker 2: a slot that he's little. He's not little at all.

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Speaker 2: He's not welker. He's a big, strong, strapping guy. But

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Speaker 2: he's also older than you think. He came in to

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Speaker 2: the league as a pretty old dude and he's been

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Speaker 2: around a while, so I don't know if he'll maintain

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Speaker 2: that as much.

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Speaker 1: Number five is Stefan Diggs.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, what's wrong with that guy? I mean, there are

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Speaker 2: four better, right, but I mean he does it every year.

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Speaker 2: He's an elite route runner, you know, attacks every every

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Speaker 2: portion of the field, and you might think the bills

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Speaker 2: are loaded but they really haven't been. I mean, like

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Speaker 2: he's definitely the focus.

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Speaker 1: Four is DeVante Adams.

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Speaker 2: Sure, I mean erased all doubts of He's just Rogers, dude.

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Speaker 2: You know he was great last year for the Raiders,

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Speaker 2: as good a route runners you'll see tremendous.

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Speaker 1: Three is Tyreek Hill.

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Speaker 2: I mean, I know who's going to be ahead of them,

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Speaker 2: and I'm not going to fight those two names. I'm

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Speaker 2: sure I know who they are. I just think if

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Speaker 2: you ask defensive coordinators, who do I.

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Speaker 1: Want to play against?

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Speaker 2: Yeah, he's at the top of the list at any position,

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Speaker 2: just scary as could be.

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Speaker 1: Two is Jamar Chase and then one is Justin Jefferson.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, Jefferson start to his career is as good as

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Speaker 2: anyone ever frankly, And I know people throw the ball

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Speaker 2: now more so maybe that's a little skewed, but he

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Speaker 2: moves really weird, you know, like he I've heard some

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Speaker 2: defensive backs interviewed talking about Jefferson that they're joking that

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Speaker 2: he defies physics because his waist is so high and

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Speaker 2: he's so angular that some of the rules don't apply

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Speaker 2: to him. That you think his movements and I love

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Speaker 2: this comparison. I think Steeler fans will appreciate it, especially

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Speaker 2: older guys. Greg Cosell said, His almost exact words were,

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Speaker 2: I think Justin This is what Greg said is I

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Speaker 2: think Justin Jefferson is the best receiver in the league,

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Speaker 2: and as a special, special player, he reminds me almost

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Speaker 2: identically of John Stalworth. And you never think of a

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Speaker 2: seventhies guy, but that's how good Stalls was, you know

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Speaker 2: at that era when what Bradshaw throw the ball fifteen

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Speaker 2: times a game or something like that, and then he's

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Speaker 2: fighting another Hall of Famer for the ball. But you

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Speaker 2: can kind of see similarities.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, so we've now seen the entire list. No DK Metcalf, No,

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Speaker 1: who else is missing on there?

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Speaker 2: No, I mean I could scroll the league. I mean

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Speaker 2: in the East, Waddle could be involved. Yeah, in the North,

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Speaker 2: Higgins could be involved. I'd say that's about it. And

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Speaker 2: in the South, I don't think Ridley could be involved,

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Speaker 2: but I mean that's probably it in the South.

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Speaker 1: In the West, the West.

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Speaker 2: Two Chargers, but that's rich to put them at nine.

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Speaker 2: In the opposite East, you didn't have Davante Smith, not

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Speaker 2: that I would say he has to be, but he's

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Speaker 2: a really good player. Mclaurin's a really good player, but

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Speaker 2: top nine's kind of rich. In the South, A lave

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Speaker 2: to me is very similar to Wilson, h Godwin and

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Speaker 2: Evans have great bodies of work, you know, Uh, London's

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Speaker 2: and up and comer as well. In the North, I mean,

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Speaker 2: you've got Jefferson and it's probably you know, I don't

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Speaker 2: think DJ Moore.

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Speaker 1: Could quite crack that that list.

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Speaker 2: Yet neither of the Niners, neither of the Seahawks, Hopkins

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Speaker 2: not on the list, you know, So I just I'm

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Speaker 2: sure I forgot ive good ones too, you know, not

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Speaker 2: even mentioned the guys were on the field in front

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Speaker 2: of us here.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, really difficult, really good again, I mean, if your top,

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Speaker 1: if your list is top twenty, we just gave you

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Speaker 1: the guys who would be on there if we're doing

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Speaker 1: this last year. Deontay Johnson's in that list of the

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Speaker 1: top twenty easily top twenty. Yea, yeah, yeah, easily. Yeah.

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Speaker 1: You know That's why I cringe every time people talk

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Speaker 1: about other Steelers overpaid him. First of all, it's not

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Speaker 1: your money, well right, they're gonna Secondly, they could they

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Speaker 1: could afford to make that deal with Deontay Johnson and

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Speaker 1: thirsty leaders aren't cheap. He's not expensive. No, he's a bargain. Yeah.

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Speaker 2: I mean if you brought in a capologist or over

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Speaker 2: the cap guys or whatever, they would tell you.

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Speaker 1: He is a very good deal.

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Speaker 2: I mean, even if he doesn't catch an a touchdown

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Speaker 2: his life, I bet he does catch a touchdown of his.

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Speaker 1: Life, you know what I mean. Yeah, yeah, that's gonna happen.

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Speaker 1: I think people are focused way too much on what

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Speaker 1: Deontay didn't do last year as opposed to what he

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Speaker 1: did do, despite the fact that he played on a

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Speaker 1: team that threw the ball and in the second half

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Speaker 1: of the season twenty five times a game.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, right. I mean, there wasn't a lot of

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Speaker 2: touchdowns to go round. I mean, they didn't have a

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Speaker 2: lot of passing.

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Speaker 1: They only threw what eleven or twelve touchdown passes as

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Speaker 1: a team. Right, That doesn't leave a lot for everybody,

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Speaker 1: you know to go out.

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Speaker 2: But the league is really valuing wide receivers and paying

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Speaker 2: them and drafting them a little higher than you'd think.

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Speaker 2: I mean, even though that there's a surplus of them

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Speaker 2: and there's stars everywhere, they're still really in demand.

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Speaker 1: Yeah. I mean those guys get paid, and that's why

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Speaker 1: I think you do have to continue drafting them. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: year in and year out, because if you have a

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Speaker 1: good one, you want to pay him. Obviously, you have

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Speaker 1: a guy that's on this list, are close to being

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Speaker 1: on this list, you pay him or you have to

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Speaker 1: make the decision as that you know happened with several

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Speaker 1: guys in this list, Well, we don't want to pay

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Speaker 1: him twenty five million dollars.

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Speaker 2: Last season was the off season of trading stud receivers,

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Speaker 2: you know, AJ Brown, Davante Adams, Tyreek Hill. I mean

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Speaker 2: they all got traded and got a lot back. It

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Speaker 2: wasn't a Jaylen Ramsey, I gotta dump.

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Speaker 1: This guy a deal.

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Speaker 2: It's like, well it's decision time.

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Speaker 1: I mean, look at the Steelers got back for Chase Claypool, right,

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Speaker 1: a great example. Receivers are valued.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, but if you're paying my homes, I can't pay

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Speaker 2: Tyreek too, even though I know he's worth it. And

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Speaker 2: if I'm paying Rogers, I can't tie you know, give

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Speaker 2: Adams that money he too, you know. So it's just

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Speaker 2: it's a tough decision. Not easy to pay both a

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Speaker 2: quarterback and a receiver.

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Speaker 1: It really isn't because you know, if you've got a

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Speaker 1: great quarterback, you would hope that he elevates the receivers.

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Speaker 1: That's the Chiefs theory. Yeah, yeah, right, if you've got

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Speaker 1: great receivers, you hope they elevate the quarterback that's the better,

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Speaker 1: one of the best of Miami theory, or the Vikes.

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Speaker 2: Are going to pay Justin Jefferson, who's number one on

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Speaker 2: this list, whether it's Cousins or whoever. Next year it

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Speaker 2: could be a rookie Justin. We need you to get

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Speaker 2: open time and time again to make his life easier.

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Speaker 1: In the case of the Steelers, and this is why,

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Speaker 1: going back to our conversation in the first segment about

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Speaker 1: George Pickens, you hope that, you know, he takes that

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Speaker 1: a big next step to help elevate Kenny Pickett as

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Speaker 1: well and vice versa. Yeah, yeah, you hope they both

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Speaker 1: elevate each other. And therefore also you know, you know,

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Speaker 1: allows Deontae Johnson to get back to doing what he does,

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Speaker 1: allows pat Freyermouth to do what he does. I know

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Speaker 1: the Steelers want to run the football, but I think

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Speaker 1: what they ideally want to do is get back to

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Speaker 1: what they did when Ben Roethlisberger was young in his career,

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Speaker 1: and that is throw early to run late.

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Speaker 2: No, I think you're right. I mean they absolutely have

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Speaker 2: to do both. I mean you can't do one of

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Speaker 2: the other in today's league. I mean, this is the

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Speaker 2: way the world works. And you can't be in the

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Speaker 2: bottom ten as a passing offense and win games in

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Speaker 2: this league over and over is I mean, it's still

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Speaker 2: is a passing league, but the foundation of the run

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Speaker 2: game is a great place to start. And you know,

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Speaker 2: it's not unique here that you know, your guys are

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Speaker 2: all kind of growing together, but it sort of is.

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Speaker 2: I mean, as young as that offense was, it's different

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Speaker 2: than you know, you give Ben a young quarterback, they're

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Speaker 2: a good big you know, a good young receiver to

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Speaker 2: groom and that they did so well in that.

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Speaker 1: Era or you know something. I mean, think about what

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Speaker 1: Roethlisberger had when he first came in. It was at

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Speaker 1: the receiver. It just the receiver position you had heinz word, Yeah,

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Speaker 1: Plexico Buris and Antoine Randell. Yeah, good point. That's not bad.

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Speaker 2: They're all really good at that point too, right, that's

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Speaker 2: a good point. So I was gonna mention this earlier.

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Speaker 2: If Deonta gets back to producing like he has the

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Speaker 2: past two years, if Pickens takes that step forward, if

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Speaker 2: both of them are on you know, wouldn't shock people

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Speaker 2: if they're on that honorable mentioned list, on the top

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Speaker 2: one hundred or pretty clearly top twenty five receivers. I mean,

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Speaker 2: I'm not talking about lofty goals. They don't need to

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Speaker 2: be the best.

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Speaker 1: Receivers in the league.

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Speaker 2: This team could still use a second round pick on

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Speaker 2: the why you know what I mean, Like, that's just

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Speaker 2: how the nature of this position is. Absolutely there's tons

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Speaker 2: of good ones coming out. Just keep grabbing them.

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Speaker 1: Yep, that's what you want to do. Hey, we're going

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Speaker 1: to take a break here. He is Matt Williamson. I

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Speaker 1: am Dale, Lolly. You're listening to the Drive here on

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Speaker 1: Steelers Nation Radio and ESPN nine seventy. We are live

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Speaker 1: from the upmc rooney Sports Complex and the Steelers taking

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Speaker 1: part in Mini Can't Practice number three. We'll be back

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Speaker 1: with more right after this. Welcome back. I am Dale, Lollie.

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Speaker 1: He is Matt Williamson, and this is the Drive on

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Speaker 1: Steelers Nation Radio and ESPN nine seventy. We are live

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Speaker 1: from the u PMC Rooney Sports Complex where the Steelers

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Speaker 1: are still practicing here. Yeah, taking on well, the advantage

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Speaker 1: of mini camp this year. Oftentimes you'll see Mike Tomlin

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Speaker 1: either cancel a practice or make it a team building

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Speaker 1: exercise kind of thing. I think with so many new

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Speaker 1: faces this year, Matt, Yeah, they've wanted to take full

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Speaker 1: advantage of these sessions.

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Speaker 2: No, I think so too. I mean there's not a

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Speaker 2: lot of standing around. I mean, just to I've noticed

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Speaker 2: that it's over these twelve practices. If special teams are

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Speaker 2: going on the yeah, the linemen are in the background

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Speaker 2: doing drills or doing things on their own, running sprints,

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Speaker 2: things like that. I don't think people are taking this lightly,

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Speaker 2: not that they did in the past, but that's definitely

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Speaker 2: stood out to me this year from the get go

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Speaker 2: is there's a lot of energy and there's a lot

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Speaker 2: of using every second to your advantage.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, and that's what you need to do because, as

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Speaker 1: we mentioned earlier in the show, if you're not getting

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Speaker 1: better in the NFL, you're probably getting worse.

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Speaker 2: Somebody else is getting better.

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Speaker 1: And somebody else is going is getting better, and that

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Speaker 1: guy's there to take your job. Yeah, it's so very

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Speaker 1: I mean you are competing, imagine, competing every day to

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Speaker 1: do your job. Imagine, so we do this, this is

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Speaker 1: what we do. Imagine if there was another show or

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Speaker 1: three shows, or thirty one or thirty one other shows,

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Speaker 1: and then and they're okay, if you guys don't do

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Speaker 1: your show better, we don't replace you with these guys.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, every walk of life has competition, and

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Speaker 2: competition probably.

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Speaker 1: Might not have a bad idea for the powers it be,

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Speaker 1: but don't get any ideas.

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Speaker 2: Guys, right, right, But like, not only are you competing

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Speaker 2: with the other teams, of course, but you're competing with teammates,

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Speaker 2: you know, for roster spots, especially you know during camp.

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Speaker 2: I mean, and not everybody is Cam Hayward isn't. But

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Speaker 2: you know you're competing against your friends.

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Speaker 1: That those guys like Cam, they'll convince themselves that they're

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Speaker 1: still competing if.

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Speaker 2: They rest underwar. I mean, Plumbrain is the best example ever, right,

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Speaker 2: I mean absolutely, guy could have easily put it in,

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Speaker 2: you know, taking it down a notch and still been tremendous.

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Speaker 2: But you know, it's not like you and I are

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Speaker 2: battling against you know, Wess and Motes. Every day, like

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Speaker 2: your friends that are in the same position room, you know.

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Speaker 2: So it is a very unique walk of life. And oh,

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Speaker 2: by the way, our vocal cords don't fail us, you know,

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Speaker 2: like these guys and these can fail them in every

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Speaker 2: intention of being great, but their body doesn't let them.

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Speaker 1: Our brain's on the other hand, well, they're in trouble.

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Speaker 1: They're a little pickled at this stage of you know.

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Speaker 1: That leads me to this piece on NFL dot Corment

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Speaker 1: and by Nick Shook, the make or Break candidates for

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Speaker 1: twenty twenty three. Players at the crossroads entering the season.

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Speaker 2: And the good players, to your point, always think they're

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Speaker 2: at the crossroads. Yeah, you know, you have to you

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Speaker 2: have to keep that edge, yep. I mean there's been

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Speaker 2: a lot of people in history that are Hall of

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Speaker 2: famers that when you get interviewed this time of year, Hey,

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Speaker 2: what are your goals this year? Well, I need to

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Speaker 2: make the team first.

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Speaker 1: You know. I don't ever remember having a conversation, for example,

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Speaker 1: with Heinz where he didn't bring up I was a

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Speaker 1: low round draft pick, and you'd be like Heines, you

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Speaker 1: were a third round draft pick. Nobody wanted me, nobody

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Speaker 1: gave me a chance, Hines, you were a third round

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Speaker 1: draft pick.

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Speaker 2: You were a top hundred pick. Thought so bad?

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Speaker 1: Yeah, it's thought the hardest road ever. Like Antonio Brown

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Speaker 1: could say people didn't give him a chance. Sure, sure,

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Speaker 1: you know Jayalen Warren.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean I'm talking about undrafted guys.

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Speaker 1: Who were undrafted, you know, random, not random McDaniel, the

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Speaker 1: defensive tackle John Randall, John R. John Randall was an

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Speaker 1: undrafted guy who's in the Hall of Fame. Small school, Yeah, right,

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Speaker 1: those type of guys. He didn't get a chance. He

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Speaker 1: got a chance, but he made the most of it.

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Speaker 2: But the hindes credit. I mean, whatever motivate you. Yeah,

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Speaker 2: and if that's what you need to kickstart, get out

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Speaker 2: of bed in the morning and go be the best, right,

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Speaker 2: you know.

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Speaker 1: Go work your butt off every day. Go I have

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Speaker 1: at it. So the number one guy that he picked

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Speaker 1: twelve guys here, number one on his list, and you

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Speaker 1: could pick one hundred and twenty oh yeah yeah. But

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Speaker 1: quarterback Ryan Tannehill.

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Speaker 2: See, I don't know if I agree with that one.

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Speaker 1: You know, I think the book is kind of written

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Speaker 1: at this way.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, and I think he's better than people realize. You know,

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Speaker 2: he's had a kind of an easy life as a starter,

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Speaker 2: and that they're a run heavy team. But like he'd

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Speaker 2: make Atlanta better, you know if if Smith were to

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Speaker 2: take him, or you yeah, or you're Washington or a

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Speaker 2: team like that.

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Speaker 1: They kill for a guy like that, right, I mean

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Speaker 1: he's a quality player. In fact, you know, if I

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Speaker 1: was Tennessee, I might explore something like that. I'm surprised

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Speaker 1: Atlanta hasn't tried to do that. Or even if let's

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Speaker 1: let's say you're the Rams and like, yeah, I mean, okay,

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Speaker 1: what happens if Tannehill goes down here, if if Stafford

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Speaker 1: goes down here and you're i mean your season shot.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean I was gonna say Arizona or you know,

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Speaker 2: one of these teams. I think he's better than c. J.

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Speaker 2: Stroud's stop getting you know. Yeah, yeah, I mean I

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Speaker 2: think he's better than that type of dude. He's to me,

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Speaker 2: he's probably a top twenty quarterback.

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Speaker 1: Next up on Unlyssa's Kirk Cousins, who always created after

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Speaker 1: the career crossroads because he's always getting paid. Boy, he's

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Speaker 1: maximized his abilities. That's I'm gonna look this up real quick.

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Speaker 1: How much money Kirk Cousins has made.

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Speaker 2: It's about thirty plus now for five years or soth

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Speaker 2: I mean at least and he was a set quarterback

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Speaker 2: drafted by that team that year that was the RG

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Speaker 2: three draft. Right, he's another one, I mean.

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Speaker 1: Forty three point two million dollars.

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Speaker 2: This year guaranteed, I think too. Yeah, wasn't he the

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Speaker 2: first guaranteed guy. Yeah, he's a free agent after the year.

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Speaker 2: But I don't think he's going to be Flacco with

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Speaker 2: the Jets next year at this point. I mean, he's

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Speaker 2: going to be one of the starters. Oh, his lifetime

409
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Speaker 2: earnings have to be insane, have to be insane. Good

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Speaker 2: for you, Kirk, you like that.

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Speaker 1: He'd two hundred and one million dollars including this year,

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Speaker 1: including this year, No, that doesn't include this year. By

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Speaker 1: the end of By the end of he's making another

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Speaker 1: thirty million dollars this year, so he's over two thirds.

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Speaker 1: He'll be a two hundred and thirty one million dollars. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: and by the time he's done, he'll be over three hundred.

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Speaker 2: I have no idea who his agent is, but you

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Speaker 2: youngsters out there and need an agent called Kirks.

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Speaker 1: That worked out pretty well. Oh my God, wow, that

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Speaker 1: is insane. I don't know if that's the most ever,

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Speaker 1: but it's certainly got to be in the neighborhood.

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Speaker 2: That may be more than Brady's made on the football field.

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Speaker 1: On the football Yeah, yeah, I mean, all right, that's insane.

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Speaker 2: I mean, is that more than Ben made? I'm trying

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Speaker 2: to get guys lasted forever. Yeah, the guys will lasted

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Speaker 2: a year from right, Holy smokes, that.

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Speaker 1: Is a lot pretty good for a fourth round pick

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Speaker 1: or whatever, who is a basically a league average quarterback

429
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Speaker 1: but slightly above.

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Speaker 2: He has He had a good year last year.

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Speaker 1: He always has a good year. Yeah, you know, it's fine,

432
00:19:22,640 --> 00:19:24,159
Speaker 1: he always has a good year. He never has a

433
00:19:24,200 --> 00:19:27,600
Speaker 1: great year, right right. Michael Thomas is up next.

434
00:19:27,680 --> 00:19:29,480
Speaker 2: I'm curious what Cousins will make if he gets the

435
00:19:29,520 --> 00:19:32,400
Speaker 2: open market again next year. Oh, I mean he's still

436
00:19:32,440 --> 00:19:33,600
Speaker 2: gonna he's gonna make it at least.

437
00:19:33,440 --> 00:19:36,240
Speaker 1: But he's making He's in his early thirties. Yeah, he's

438
00:19:36,240 --> 00:19:36,920
Speaker 1: not over the hill.

439
00:19:37,160 --> 00:19:38,840
Speaker 2: No, And I don't think someone will sign him and

440
00:19:38,880 --> 00:19:40,240
Speaker 2: be like, I'm gonna use the top five pick on

441
00:19:40,280 --> 00:19:42,040
Speaker 2: a quarterback. I mean, I think he'll be the guy

442
00:19:42,080 --> 00:19:43,760
Speaker 2: that they you know, kind of like a car move.

443
00:19:43,920 --> 00:19:46,600
Speaker 1: Yeah, one of the team. Whoever gets shut out in

444
00:19:46,640 --> 00:19:49,840
Speaker 1: the in the quarterback sweep stakes in the draft, he's

445
00:19:49,880 --> 00:19:52,200
Speaker 1: gonna pivot to Kirk Cousins.

446
00:19:51,920 --> 00:19:53,960
Speaker 2: Or if Tua gets hurt again, Miami just says, I

447
00:19:54,080 --> 00:19:57,040
Speaker 2: will give you thirty five. Yeah, there's a lot of

448
00:19:57,040 --> 00:19:58,360
Speaker 2: avenues here. He'll be fine.

449
00:19:58,920 --> 00:20:01,800
Speaker 1: Michael Thomas. Not done there, Well he's not. No, Oh

450
00:20:01,840 --> 00:20:04,200
Speaker 1: my god. He might make four hundred, four hundred million.

451
00:20:04,040 --> 00:20:06,320
Speaker 2: Dollars, might make four hundred million dollars. Yeah, he plays

452
00:20:06,359 --> 00:20:08,919
Speaker 2: five more years. Yeah, I mean even in a backup

453
00:20:08,960 --> 00:20:11,160
Speaker 2: making eight million a year, you know, when he's thirty

454
00:20:11,160 --> 00:20:11,840
Speaker 2: seven or whatever.

455
00:20:11,920 --> 00:20:16,359
Speaker 1: Yeah, I like that. Not bad, Michael Thomas. Next, I

456
00:20:16,359 --> 00:20:19,000
Speaker 1: mean he is. He's been in a career crossroads the

457
00:20:19,080 --> 00:20:19,680
Speaker 1: last two years.

458
00:20:19,760 --> 00:20:22,320
Speaker 2: Really, some of these career crossroads and putting that in

459
00:20:22,320 --> 00:20:25,720
Speaker 2: printer and in quotes are almost now or never.

460
00:20:25,960 --> 00:20:28,800
Speaker 1: Yeah, Like, if it doesn't happen, you're done. I can't

461
00:20:29,000 --> 00:20:31,040
Speaker 1: I can't get down that that road again.

462
00:20:31,080 --> 00:20:33,479
Speaker 2: If you if you can't perform at this point, Michael,

463
00:20:33,520 --> 00:20:35,640
Speaker 2: you know, this is the kind of last ditch effort.

464
00:20:35,320 --> 00:20:38,400
Speaker 1: Time, speaking of which Baker.

465
00:20:38,119 --> 00:20:40,800
Speaker 2: Mayfield, Yeah, this is his last I mean we know

466
00:20:40,960 --> 00:20:43,760
Speaker 2: his last last shot. Yeah, to be a starter, to

467
00:20:43,800 --> 00:20:46,399
Speaker 2: be a starter. I mean, there's Blaine Gabbert still in

468
00:20:46,400 --> 00:20:48,120
Speaker 2: the league, you know. I mean, if you're a first

469
00:20:48,160 --> 00:20:50,240
Speaker 2: round pick in the court as a quarterback, it's hard

470
00:20:50,280 --> 00:20:51,320
Speaker 2: for you to be out of the league.

471
00:20:51,320 --> 00:20:53,640
Speaker 1: You gotta be Paxton Lynch bad, you know what I mean,

472
00:20:54,000 --> 00:20:56,119
Speaker 1: let alone the number one overall picks. You gotta be

473
00:20:56,160 --> 00:20:58,639
Speaker 1: JaMarcus Lawrence bad. Yeah, exactly, but you got to be

474
00:20:59,160 --> 00:21:03,760
Speaker 1: the worst trust Lawrence. You combined two first overall pick. Yeah,

475
00:21:03,760 --> 00:21:04,080
Speaker 1: there we go.

476
00:21:04,920 --> 00:21:06,880
Speaker 2: But I mean Mayfield, if he stinks this year, will

477
00:21:06,880 --> 00:21:09,480
Speaker 2: probably be a lifetime backup. Never gets a shot again

478
00:21:09,520 --> 00:21:11,359
Speaker 2: as a as a starter, and he makes four or

479
00:21:11,359 --> 00:21:11,919
Speaker 2: five million.

480
00:21:12,280 --> 00:21:14,920
Speaker 1: Maybe ten years ago from now he gin or Gino

481
00:21:15,000 --> 00:21:18,600
Speaker 1: Smith's that maybe maybe he gets a shot, but think

482
00:21:18,600 --> 00:21:21,359
Speaker 1: that he's walking into now. It's kind of you're gonna

483
00:21:21,400 --> 00:21:24,320
Speaker 1: no win situation big time. You never want to be

484
00:21:24,400 --> 00:21:27,159
Speaker 1: the guy who replaces the guy, right, and he is

485
00:21:27,240 --> 00:21:28,880
Speaker 1: now the guy who's replacing the guy.

486
00:21:29,000 --> 00:21:31,240
Speaker 2: And the guy had a lot around him, and the

487
00:21:31,280 --> 00:21:33,920
Speaker 2: guy replacing the guy has two holes in the offensive

488
00:21:33,920 --> 00:21:37,359
Speaker 2: line and no running game, and you know, yeah, he's

489
00:21:37,400 --> 00:21:39,600
Speaker 2: not set up that's what happens at this stage of

490
00:21:39,640 --> 00:21:41,440
Speaker 2: your career when you're him, like, you got to take

491
00:21:41,480 --> 00:21:44,359
Speaker 2: any job you can. You're not exactly set up to

492
00:21:44,400 --> 00:21:46,640
Speaker 2: be in the best situation. Yeah, he's got to take

493
00:21:46,640 --> 00:21:47,639
Speaker 2: what you can get.

494
00:21:48,080 --> 00:21:51,640
Speaker 1: Uh. Derrick Henry on this list, two Titans on the list.

495
00:21:51,720 --> 00:21:54,560
Speaker 1: I don't agree with that either. Well, he's he's thirty now.

496
00:21:54,760 --> 00:21:56,720
Speaker 2: I mean his career might be over soon. But yeah,

497
00:21:56,760 --> 00:21:59,560
Speaker 2: I mean he if there was a crossroads he.

498
00:21:59,560 --> 00:22:01,639
Speaker 1: Blew right, does he still have it? Does he not

499
00:22:01,720 --> 00:22:03,440
Speaker 1: have it? Does he fall off the cliff? I think

500
00:22:03,440 --> 00:22:05,520
Speaker 1: that's what that's where he's going with that. See.

501
00:22:05,520 --> 00:22:08,880
Speaker 2: What's interesting with him to me is if they are

502
00:22:09,280 --> 00:22:13,080
Speaker 2: one in four, two and six and I'm the Bills

503
00:22:13,119 --> 00:22:15,440
Speaker 2: of the Chiefs, I'm calling, hey, I'll give you a

504
00:22:15,440 --> 00:22:17,399
Speaker 2: second round pick for Derek and try to win this,

505
00:22:17,600 --> 00:22:18,120
Speaker 2: you know what I mean.

506
00:22:18,320 --> 00:22:20,000
Speaker 1: Yeah. The problem with that is he has a ten

507
00:22:20,040 --> 00:22:24,520
Speaker 1: point five million dollars base salary. He's expensive. Yeah. Dak

508
00:22:24,560 --> 00:22:27,400
Speaker 1: Prescott on this list, which I kind of get.

509
00:22:27,560 --> 00:22:31,399
Speaker 2: I mean, cowboy quarterback is Yankee center fielder. Yeah, I

510
00:22:31,440 --> 00:22:34,280
Speaker 2: mean that's a high profile thing. And leading the league

511
00:22:34,280 --> 00:22:36,359
Speaker 2: in interceptions last year is a bad look, you know,

512
00:22:36,400 --> 00:22:40,200
Speaker 2: but I mean, but I can't imagine a world where

513
00:22:40,280 --> 00:22:42,480
Speaker 2: Jerry Jones is going to move on from him after

514
00:22:42,520 --> 00:22:43,879
Speaker 2: the next seventeen games.

515
00:22:44,160 --> 00:22:46,720
Speaker 1: Yeah, but you say that and in twenty twenty four

516
00:22:46,880 --> 00:22:50,720
Speaker 1: his salary goes to fifty nine. I didn't that point. Okay, well,

517
00:22:50,760 --> 00:22:53,399
Speaker 1: then is he worth? Is he worth sixty million? Do?

518
00:22:53,400 --> 00:22:56,199
Speaker 1: Is he a sixty million dollar a year player? The

519
00:22:56,280 --> 00:22:58,680
Speaker 1: last year? Probably is not? Ye? Right? Right? Right?

520
00:22:58,760 --> 00:23:00,719
Speaker 2: So no, he needs to play better to get that probably.

521
00:23:00,880 --> 00:23:03,560
Speaker 1: Yeah. I mean you could restructure or whatever. But still

522
00:23:03,840 --> 00:23:06,040
Speaker 1: I hear what you're saying. Uh, this next guy is

523
00:23:06,080 --> 00:23:09,120
Speaker 1: the perfect candidate to make this listen. That is Russell Wilson.

524
00:23:09,240 --> 00:23:12,199
Speaker 1: Oh absolutely? Is it over? Or can you redeem it?

525
00:23:12,240 --> 00:23:15,480
Speaker 1: Can you because you're what thirty four years old? Can

526
00:23:15,520 --> 00:23:18,120
Speaker 1: you play another four years? Five years? Or is this it?

527
00:23:18,320 --> 00:23:20,880
Speaker 1: He's the Kirk Cousins draft class too. Yeah. And can't

528
00:23:20,880 --> 00:23:23,720
Speaker 1: blame coaching anymore, you know, I mean, we got you

529
00:23:23,840 --> 00:23:24,320
Speaker 1: a good guy.

530
00:23:24,760 --> 00:23:27,119
Speaker 2: You know, there's people around you. So no, that's a

531
00:23:27,160 --> 00:23:27,600
Speaker 2: great one.

532
00:23:27,720 --> 00:23:30,120
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean you were two years ago we're talking

533
00:23:30,240 --> 00:23:33,880
Speaker 1: is Russell Wilson hall of Famer? Now we're like, can

534
00:23:33,880 --> 00:23:35,320
Speaker 1: he still play? Right?

535
00:23:35,920 --> 00:23:38,120
Speaker 2: I mean, the Hall of Fame conversation is still interesting

536
00:23:38,119 --> 00:23:41,240
Speaker 2: to me too, because two years ago I thought he

537
00:23:41,280 --> 00:23:42,720
Speaker 2: could never play again and get in.

538
00:23:43,160 --> 00:23:45,960
Speaker 1: I don't know that that but his case, yeah, you know.

539
00:23:46,000 --> 00:23:47,640
Speaker 2: Like, hey, he should have quit then and he probably

540
00:23:47,680 --> 00:23:50,119
Speaker 2: would have gone in now it's less chance than it

541
00:23:50,160 --> 00:23:50,760
Speaker 2: was two years ago.

542
00:23:50,800 --> 00:23:52,399
Speaker 1: How many players can you say that about? Yeah, I

543
00:23:52,440 --> 00:23:54,720
Speaker 1: mean he's hurt his cause the last couple of years

544
00:23:54,720 --> 00:23:55,879
Speaker 1: with how he has played.

545
00:23:55,640 --> 00:23:58,200
Speaker 2: Like Patrick Peterson's increased his cause or at you know

546
00:23:58,240 --> 00:24:01,120
Speaker 2: what I mean a lot of those dudes, all right, And.

547
00:24:01,680 --> 00:24:04,120
Speaker 1: That brings me to Chase Young, a guy we talked

548
00:24:04,119 --> 00:24:08,560
Speaker 1: about earlier in the show Defensive Rookie of the Year

549
00:24:08,600 --> 00:24:11,919
Speaker 1: in twenty twenty. He's appeared since then. He's appeared in

550
00:24:11,960 --> 00:24:14,240
Speaker 1: twelve games and has one and a half sacks.

551
00:24:14,000 --> 00:24:16,600
Speaker 2: Twelve games, and they've been bad games. Twelve bad games

552
00:24:16,600 --> 00:24:20,040
Speaker 2: often great. Yeah, and is he not the same physically?

553
00:24:20,240 --> 00:24:20,680
Speaker 1: Did he?

554
00:24:21,359 --> 00:24:22,959
Speaker 2: I would have to study him to no end. Did

555
00:24:23,000 --> 00:24:25,880
Speaker 2: he win with one move and now never developed the curveball?

556
00:24:25,920 --> 00:24:26,440
Speaker 2: You know what I mean?

557
00:24:26,640 --> 00:24:28,760
Speaker 1: I can't he do that move anymore? Right? You know,

558
00:24:29,080 --> 00:24:31,240
Speaker 1: the team's figure him out. What's what's going on with it?

559
00:24:31,400 --> 00:24:33,560
Speaker 2: Is he just out there at eighty percent time and

560
00:24:33,600 --> 00:24:34,040
Speaker 2: time again.

561
00:24:34,119 --> 00:24:36,520
Speaker 1: I mean, people through it. Some people are killing Alex

562
00:24:36,600 --> 00:24:39,280
Speaker 1: high Smith because in the seven games that he had

563
00:24:39,320 --> 00:24:41,960
Speaker 1: without TJ. Watt last year, he had three and a

564
00:24:41,960 --> 00:24:42,720
Speaker 1: half sacks.

565
00:24:43,080 --> 00:24:45,080
Speaker 2: Okay, that's not a terrible You get a sack.

566
00:24:44,920 --> 00:24:48,359
Speaker 1: Every a sack every other game. I'm no mathematician here,

567
00:24:48,400 --> 00:24:49,800
Speaker 1: but that does work out to eight and a half

568
00:24:49,880 --> 00:24:51,000
Speaker 1: over the course of a Seasoneah.

569
00:24:51,080 --> 00:24:52,560
Speaker 2: Right, that's a good year. It's better than what Chase

570
00:24:52,520 --> 00:24:53,360
Speaker 2: Youngerson putting up.

571
00:24:53,359 --> 00:24:54,679
Speaker 1: That's better than some of the guys who made the

572
00:24:54,680 --> 00:24:57,520
Speaker 1: Pro Bowl last year. Khalil Mack had eight sacks last year.

573
00:24:57,600 --> 00:24:58,360
Speaker 1: It made the Pro Bowl.

574
00:24:58,440 --> 00:25:00,720
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, it's not a b for anyone.

575
00:25:00,800 --> 00:25:04,320
Speaker 1: Yeah, you know, in twelve games, Chase hung has one

576
00:25:04,359 --> 00:25:05,400
Speaker 1: and a half sacks. Yeah.

577
00:25:05,680 --> 00:25:08,440
Speaker 2: I mean, teams tell you what they think. I mean,

578
00:25:08,880 --> 00:25:10,520
Speaker 2: I know that he's been linked to the Steelers blah

579
00:25:10,520 --> 00:25:13,199
Speaker 2: blah blah, and hey, I'd be really interested if I

580
00:25:13,200 --> 00:25:16,280
Speaker 2: were any team in him. But man, I mean the

581
00:25:16,320 --> 00:25:18,280
Speaker 2: fact that they don't pick up that guy's fifty year

582
00:25:18,320 --> 00:25:19,800
Speaker 2: option is alarming.

583
00:25:19,960 --> 00:25:23,040
Speaker 1: Yeah. They linked to the Steelers as being generous. Yeah,

584
00:25:23,600 --> 00:25:27,880
Speaker 1: that's being that's being generous. Yeah, uh, this one was interesting.

585
00:25:29,200 --> 00:25:34,719
Speaker 2: Josh Jacobs, I guess yeah. I mean had a tremendous season,

586
00:25:34,920 --> 00:25:39,000
Speaker 2: had a lot of touches. Free agent again after this year. Yeah,

587
00:25:39,040 --> 00:25:40,560
Speaker 2: you know he's on the franchise tag.

588
00:25:40,720 --> 00:25:42,920
Speaker 1: Now. Is he gonna go out and get sixteen hundred

589
00:25:42,920 --> 00:25:45,800
Speaker 1: and fifty three yards again this season? I don't think so.

590
00:25:46,440 --> 00:25:48,399
Speaker 2: Like, I think he's going like at the end a

591
00:25:48,480 --> 00:25:50,919
Speaker 2: round one in fantasy Like, I'm not sure I'm on

592
00:25:50,920 --> 00:25:53,360
Speaker 2: board with that because I think his production almost has

593
00:25:53,400 --> 00:25:53,960
Speaker 2: to go down.

594
00:25:54,080 --> 00:25:56,640
Speaker 1: I mean, he's back, he's a tagged running back this year.

595
00:25:57,240 --> 00:25:59,800
Speaker 1: If I were him, I mean, do you do you

596
00:25:59,800 --> 00:26:02,160
Speaker 1: think about pulling the Leveon Bell here and sitting out

597
00:26:02,200 --> 00:26:05,760
Speaker 1: training camp and taking it taking it from there? Because

598
00:26:06,000 --> 00:26:07,560
Speaker 1: I don't know if he signed his tag yet or not.

599
00:26:07,680 --> 00:26:09,800
Speaker 1: They rode you hard last year, really hard.

600
00:26:09,800 --> 00:26:12,879
Speaker 2: And increased your stock and made your money. Yeah, but

601
00:26:13,000 --> 00:26:14,960
Speaker 2: two or three years of that in a row, you're

602
00:26:15,000 --> 00:26:15,600
Speaker 2: not gonna last.

603
00:26:15,680 --> 00:26:18,840
Speaker 1: Yeah. I mean there are cases out there, Le'Veon Bell

604
00:26:18,920 --> 00:26:21,240
Speaker 1: being one of them where that doesn't work out so

605
00:26:21,280 --> 00:26:23,080
Speaker 1: well for the back, No, no doubt. I mean he

606
00:26:23,119 --> 00:26:24,760
Speaker 1: made money, but he didn't he let.

607
00:26:24,680 --> 00:26:25,439
Speaker 2: Fifteen million on it.

608
00:26:25,480 --> 00:26:27,160
Speaker 1: He didn't last, right, I mean.

609
00:26:29,440 --> 00:26:31,719
Speaker 2: For a running back, what lev Bell to me is

610
00:26:32,880 --> 00:26:36,040
Speaker 2: an unbelievably bad financial decision. Yeah, I mean, just you

611
00:26:36,080 --> 00:26:37,920
Speaker 2: only get five or six good years in the league,

612
00:26:37,920 --> 00:26:39,879
Speaker 2: and you're going to take one year of getting nothing,

613
00:26:40,000 --> 00:26:42,480
Speaker 2: you know. I mean, if I'm in your financial advisor,

614
00:26:42,560 --> 00:26:44,720
Speaker 2: I'm like, that makes no sense to me. And the

615
00:26:44,720 --> 00:26:47,600
Speaker 2: fact that Barkley is playing that game, that's fine.

616
00:26:47,600 --> 00:26:50,680
Speaker 1: In June, Barkley is in a different situation as well,

617
00:26:50,680 --> 00:26:54,000
Speaker 1: because he was a first round draft pick. Yeah, and

618
00:26:54,040 --> 00:26:57,520
Speaker 1: so he got paid up front he made and Bell

619
00:26:57,600 --> 00:26:59,800
Speaker 1: did at the same time. I mean, I can remember writing,

620
00:27:00,320 --> 00:27:02,280
Speaker 1: you know when that was all, when that was all happening,

621
00:27:03,000 --> 00:27:05,800
Speaker 1: when the Steelers first put the franchise tag on Le'Veon

622
00:27:05,800 --> 00:27:08,200
Speaker 1: Bell and it was like, I want to say eight million.

623
00:27:07,920 --> 00:27:09,600
Speaker 2: Or whatever it was that day. It makes sense that

624
00:27:09,640 --> 00:27:09,960
Speaker 2: was as.

625
00:27:09,920 --> 00:27:11,719
Speaker 1: Much as he had made to that point in his career,

626
00:27:12,080 --> 00:27:14,000
Speaker 1: and he left that on the table, and then he

627
00:27:14,080 --> 00:27:16,800
Speaker 1: didn't come back the next year, so he was again.

628
00:27:16,960 --> 00:27:20,119
Speaker 2: So he made the eighth from that tag, but didn't

629
00:27:20,119 --> 00:27:23,359
Speaker 2: the year after it when he sat Yeah, Okay, I

630
00:27:23,440 --> 00:27:26,159
Speaker 2: don't don't understand that financially at all. Yeah, I mean

631
00:27:26,160 --> 00:27:28,359
Speaker 2: I understand trying to make a point, and maybe money's

632
00:27:28,359 --> 00:27:28,760
Speaker 2: not everything.

633
00:27:28,800 --> 00:27:31,640
Speaker 1: He ended up making forty four million dollars in his career.

634
00:27:32,440 --> 00:27:34,040
Speaker 2: He signed a big deal with the Jets.

635
00:27:34,040 --> 00:27:35,960
Speaker 1: You know, but he you know, he got some money

636
00:27:35,960 --> 00:27:38,840
Speaker 1: from some of the other like he So he made

637
00:27:39,440 --> 00:27:42,080
Speaker 1: off of his rookie deal four point one two million

638
00:27:42,600 --> 00:27:45,359
Speaker 1: as a second round player. That's not crazy, right. The

639
00:27:45,400 --> 00:27:48,040
Speaker 1: franchise tag the first time was twelve point one two So, yeah,

640
00:27:48,040 --> 00:27:49,720
Speaker 1: you're going to play for that because it's three times

641
00:27:49,720 --> 00:27:51,560
Speaker 1: as much money as you've ever made. And then the

642
00:27:51,680 --> 00:27:53,920
Speaker 1: year after year after was the fourteen to five. I

643
00:27:54,200 --> 00:27:56,760
Speaker 1: thought he left fifteen on the yeah, and he decided

644
00:27:56,760 --> 00:27:58,159
Speaker 1: not to play on that. So then he made he

645
00:27:58,240 --> 00:28:04,520
Speaker 1: got he got fifty two million dollars from the Jets.

646
00:28:04,840 --> 00:28:06,640
Speaker 1: You see all of it, the contract he didn't see

647
00:28:06,640 --> 00:28:09,440
Speaker 1: at all. Yeah, then a million dollars from the Chiefs,

648
00:28:09,720 --> 00:28:11,760
Speaker 1: two hundred and fifty two thousand from the Ravens to

649
00:28:11,960 --> 00:28:13,920
Speaker 1: three hundred and forty three from the Ravens, two ninety

650
00:28:13,920 --> 00:28:17,399
Speaker 1: seven from the Ravens, and one one million from the

651
00:28:17,480 --> 00:28:21,520
Speaker 1: Ravens again, and then one million from I don't even

652
00:28:21,560 --> 00:28:24,119
Speaker 1: remember him being with San Francisco but apparently no or

653
00:28:24,200 --> 00:28:27,040
Speaker 1: no is that San Francis, Tampa Bay. I remember that either,

654
00:28:27,440 --> 00:28:30,560
Speaker 1: but I don't know. I mean Barkley or the big

655
00:28:30,600 --> 00:28:32,320
Speaker 1: money was left on the table.

656
00:28:32,440 --> 00:28:35,959
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean his best year in terms of earning

657
00:28:36,000 --> 00:28:39,400
Speaker 2: potential and probably as a player he made. He put

658
00:28:39,440 --> 00:28:40,240
Speaker 2: nothing in his back.

659
00:28:40,320 --> 00:28:44,880
Speaker 1: In terms of actual money that he made cash paid out,

660
00:28:44,880 --> 00:28:47,040
Speaker 1: it was thirty one million dollars okay, So he couldn't

661
00:28:47,080 --> 00:28:48,520
Speaker 1: have got all the Jets money. So if he'd have

662
00:28:48,560 --> 00:28:50,840
Speaker 1: played on the franchise tag with the Steelers, he'd gotten

663
00:28:50,840 --> 00:28:53,880
Speaker 1: fourteen in addition to this to the sixteen that he

664
00:28:53,880 --> 00:28:57,400
Speaker 1: had already made earning. You're already there. You're already there,

665
00:28:57,400 --> 00:28:59,880
Speaker 1: I thought, and I'm more I think about it. We

666
00:28:59,920 --> 00:29:03,000
Speaker 1: just talk Kirk cousins made in their primes. Who is

667
00:29:03,040 --> 00:29:03,680
Speaker 1: the better player?

668
00:29:03,760 --> 00:29:05,840
Speaker 2: And quarterbacks at least can play a long time, right,

669
00:29:05,880 --> 00:29:08,640
Speaker 2: I mean back, you better take every possible earning year

670
00:29:08,680 --> 00:29:09,920
Speaker 2: you can cash in.

671
00:29:10,480 --> 00:29:16,160
Speaker 1: Yeah, which brings us to AJ Dillon making this list. Why,

672
00:29:16,520 --> 00:29:18,400
Speaker 1: I don't know. It's a free agent after the year.

673
00:29:18,400 --> 00:29:19,400
Speaker 2: He seems like he must be.

674
00:29:19,520 --> 00:29:22,480
Speaker 1: He probably is. Yeah. Has seven hundred and fifty plus

675
00:29:22,560 --> 00:29:24,600
Speaker 1: yards rushing in five touchdowns in each of the last

676
00:29:24,600 --> 00:29:25,160
Speaker 1: two seasons.

677
00:29:25,160 --> 00:29:27,400
Speaker 2: So this, yeah, this would be for He's probably made

678
00:29:27,440 --> 00:29:29,480
Speaker 2: for him, like what Lev did on his rookie year.

679
00:29:29,520 --> 00:29:32,520
Speaker 1: So is he is he is somebody going to trust

680
00:29:32,600 --> 00:29:34,840
Speaker 1: him to be there? Bell Cow I don't know how.

681
00:29:35,160 --> 00:29:37,200
Speaker 2: He almost needs Jones to get hurt to even prove

682
00:29:37,640 --> 00:29:39,280
Speaker 2: you get the opportunity.

683
00:29:38,800 --> 00:29:40,959
Speaker 1: Or do they move on from Jones and go with

684
00:29:41,080 --> 00:29:44,000
Speaker 1: AJ Dillon is their lead back? Maybe and maybe that's

685
00:29:44,000 --> 00:29:45,960
Speaker 1: why he that that I guess would be why he's

686
00:29:46,000 --> 00:29:47,240
Speaker 1: on this list.

687
00:29:48,240 --> 00:29:50,400
Speaker 2: I guess you could make an argument that he's Robin

688
00:29:50,680 --> 00:29:53,680
Speaker 2: or he just needs more touches, you know, Yeah, Okay,

689
00:29:53,840 --> 00:29:54,560
Speaker 2: I could see why.

690
00:29:54,400 --> 00:29:57,800
Speaker 1: You're and with him. I guess you're you're looking at

691
00:29:58,440 --> 00:30:00,480
Speaker 1: a good running back who does have a lot of

692
00:30:00,480 --> 00:30:01,040
Speaker 1: wear and tear.

693
00:30:01,360 --> 00:30:03,480
Speaker 2: Yeah, right, right right. I mean if he does hit

694
00:30:03,560 --> 00:30:05,560
Speaker 2: free agency, you could see people saying, oh.

695
00:30:05,520 --> 00:30:08,080
Speaker 1: That's a borrow. He's twenty twenty six, twenty seven years old,

696
00:30:08,280 --> 00:30:09,920
Speaker 1: but he doesn't have a lot of there's still a

697
00:30:09,960 --> 00:30:11,640
Speaker 1: lot of tread on the tires here. We can get

698
00:30:11,760 --> 00:30:13,480
Speaker 1: three or four thousand yard seasons out of.

699
00:30:13,520 --> 00:30:15,800
Speaker 2: Him, and people might not realize this because he's so

700
00:30:15,880 --> 00:30:18,280
Speaker 2: build big in the way he's built. He's a very

701
00:30:18,280 --> 00:30:21,240
Speaker 2: capable receiver. It's just Jones's job there. Yeah, he's not

702
00:30:21,280 --> 00:30:23,280
Speaker 2: as capable as Jones. Yeah that there's no crime to

703
00:30:23,440 --> 00:30:25,720
Speaker 2: keep up with the joke. Gave up with the joneses man.

704
00:30:26,280 --> 00:30:29,480
Speaker 1: The final guy on this just two more. Actually the

705
00:30:29,520 --> 00:30:32,719
Speaker 1: next guy on the list is Tua tagovy loa. No question,

706
00:30:32,920 --> 00:30:34,720
Speaker 1: no question at all, no question.

707
00:30:35,240 --> 00:30:38,280
Speaker 2: I mean, what's funny to me everyone's talking about the

708
00:30:38,280 --> 00:30:40,880
Speaker 2: Burrow and Herbert extensions. They're on the horizon. Happened in

709
00:30:40,920 --> 00:30:43,479
Speaker 2: any second. Now, it's the same draft. They're all drafted

710
00:30:43,520 --> 00:30:45,200
Speaker 2: within two spots of each other, you know. I mean,

711
00:30:45,240 --> 00:30:48,480
Speaker 2: like he's exact same situation. Hurts already got extended because

712
00:30:48,480 --> 00:30:51,320
Speaker 2: he's a year less to play with. Well, you got

713
00:30:51,320 --> 00:30:52,680
Speaker 2: to make that same decision on Tua.

714
00:30:52,880 --> 00:30:55,040
Speaker 1: Yeah, and can he make it through a season without

715
00:30:55,080 --> 00:30:55,960
Speaker 1: getting hurt? Yeah?

716
00:30:56,080 --> 00:30:59,000
Speaker 2: Right, right right, I mean he's been on the field.

717
00:30:59,040 --> 00:31:02,240
Speaker 2: Marriage between him in this new offense was very good.

718
00:31:02,520 --> 00:31:05,280
Speaker 2: But he's also a certain type of quarterback, and then

719
00:31:05,400 --> 00:31:06,800
Speaker 2: catered the offense to him.

720
00:31:06,880 --> 00:31:10,600
Speaker 1: He was he had injury problems in college. If he

721
00:31:10,680 --> 00:31:14,920
Speaker 1: were coming out after having three concussions or two serious

722
00:31:14,960 --> 00:31:19,840
Speaker 1: concussions in one season like he had last year. His

723
00:31:19,960 --> 00:31:21,960
Speaker 1: draft stock will be hurt by that big time.

724
00:31:22,280 --> 00:31:25,680
Speaker 2: I mean, look at his career going back to Bama,

725
00:31:25,920 --> 00:31:28,120
Speaker 2: Like I think he had a knee or an ankle.

726
00:31:28,200 --> 00:31:32,240
Speaker 2: At Bama, he had a really really serious, scary Bo

727
00:31:32,400 --> 00:31:33,480
Speaker 2: Jackson like hip thing.

728
00:31:33,560 --> 00:31:35,080
Speaker 1: Yeah, you know that he got over.

729
00:31:35,800 --> 00:31:39,320
Speaker 2: He certainly has had injuries since he's been in the league,

730
00:31:39,720 --> 00:31:42,760
Speaker 2: quite a few, multiple concussions as we know, amongst other things.

731
00:31:43,200 --> 00:31:45,680
Speaker 2: And he finished the last season hurt, you know, like

732
00:31:46,200 --> 00:31:47,800
Speaker 2: he got cleared from concussion protocol.

733
00:31:47,840 --> 00:31:50,120
Speaker 1: They had to start Skylar Thompson in their playoff game.

734
00:31:50,600 --> 00:31:52,960
Speaker 2: Yeah yeah, yeah, I mean he got cleared from concussion

735
00:31:52,960 --> 00:31:57,000
Speaker 2: protocol in like May and the season was way over.

736
00:31:57,200 --> 00:32:00,239
Speaker 1: Was talking about I guess I'm gonna come I can

737
00:32:00,280 --> 00:32:00,880
Speaker 1: play this year.

738
00:32:01,000 --> 00:32:03,840
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, so he's never not really been hurt. Yeah,

739
00:32:03,880 --> 00:32:06,160
Speaker 2: I mean since we've known who he was coming on

740
00:32:06,200 --> 00:32:09,120
Speaker 2: the field pulling Jalen Hurts off in the National Championship game.

741
00:32:09,160 --> 00:32:11,440
Speaker 2: I mean since then, he's really had a hard time

742
00:32:11,480 --> 00:32:12,840
Speaker 2: staying out there. And he's not very big.

743
00:32:13,160 --> 00:32:15,280
Speaker 1: The final guy on the list, I guess he's added

744
00:32:15,280 --> 00:32:17,440
Speaker 1: a lot of weight, like some people think he's looking pudgy.

745
00:32:17,680 --> 00:32:20,000
Speaker 1: Some of the reports like he's looking thick and yeah,

746
00:32:20,000 --> 00:32:21,360
Speaker 1: you know, I don't know if that's good or bad.

747
00:32:21,640 --> 00:32:23,840
Speaker 1: The final guy in the list is Austin Ekelar.

748
00:32:24,960 --> 00:32:27,840
Speaker 2: I mean he kind of made a public statement, Hey,

749
00:32:27,880 --> 00:32:31,080
Speaker 2: I want traded or I want paid. He's like twenty

750
00:32:31,160 --> 00:32:33,440
Speaker 2: eight though, Yeah, I mean, like the ship's probably sailed

751
00:32:33,440 --> 00:32:34,080
Speaker 2: on getting.

752
00:32:33,880 --> 00:32:36,080
Speaker 1: Begin you're kind of talking about a guy doesn't have

753
00:32:36,160 --> 00:32:39,360
Speaker 1: a lot of wear and tear, given how he's been used.

754
00:32:39,600 --> 00:32:42,160
Speaker 2: Yeah, do me a favorite fe don't mind. Look at

755
00:32:42,160 --> 00:32:45,280
Speaker 2: his career earnings, it's like nothing. I mean he went

756
00:32:45,320 --> 00:32:50,120
Speaker 2: to like Colorado School of Mining or something. I mean

757
00:32:50,120 --> 00:32:52,560
Speaker 2: he went to some on school I've never heard of.

758
00:32:53,160 --> 00:32:54,040
Speaker 1: So it took him.

759
00:32:54,000 --> 00:32:58,160
Speaker 2: Years to get paid, and then he got underpaid. And

760
00:32:58,200 --> 00:33:01,280
Speaker 2: this guy's a first round picking fantasy. Every years, he

761
00:33:01,400 --> 00:33:02,680
Speaker 2: keeps himself in rare.

762
00:33:02,720 --> 00:33:04,920
Speaker 1: Eighteen touchdowns in each of the last two Sea's.

763
00:33:04,720 --> 00:33:08,160
Speaker 2: Superstar and he's made nothing and now his window may

764
00:33:08,160 --> 00:33:10,960
Speaker 2: be even gone to get a payday again, because I

765
00:33:10,960 --> 00:33:13,520
Speaker 2: mean he's at that magic age where nobody pays backs.

766
00:33:13,680 --> 00:33:16,040
Speaker 1: Yeah, he's working on a four year, twenty four and

767
00:33:16,040 --> 00:33:19,240
Speaker 1: a half million dollar contract now, Yeah, which means here

768
00:33:19,240 --> 00:33:22,280
Speaker 1: the years are making nothing. Yeah, for his career, he

769
00:33:22,320 --> 00:33:24,800
Speaker 1: has made twenty point nine million dollars.

770
00:33:25,000 --> 00:33:26,400
Speaker 2: That's one of the best backs in the league for

771
00:33:26,400 --> 00:33:28,040
Speaker 2: three or four years. Yeah, I actually thought was lower

772
00:33:28,040 --> 00:33:30,520
Speaker 2: than that, but I mean it's he's been a bargain

773
00:33:30,560 --> 00:33:31,160
Speaker 2: since day one.

774
00:33:31,320 --> 00:33:34,120
Speaker 1: Yeah, he'll he'll bump pump that up to twenty seven

775
00:33:34,160 --> 00:33:35,320
Speaker 1: million after this season.

776
00:33:35,400 --> 00:33:39,680
Speaker 2: Like if Jalen Warren is as good as Echolar, it's

777
00:33:39,680 --> 00:33:41,520
Speaker 2: so unfair to the player, you know, like he's not

778
00:33:41,560 --> 00:33:43,400
Speaker 2: going to make anything for quite a while. I mean,

779
00:33:43,440 --> 00:33:45,479
Speaker 2: it's a bargain for any team. And that's just I mean,

780
00:33:45,520 --> 00:33:47,800
Speaker 2: I'm not blaming the Chargers or anything. It's just how

781
00:33:47,800 --> 00:33:48,880
Speaker 2: the league is set up right now.

782
00:33:48,920 --> 00:33:51,640
Speaker 1: It's rot I will say this, people you know are

783
00:33:51,680 --> 00:33:54,920
Speaker 1: average list, which again is much like us. Don't make

784
00:33:54,960 --> 00:33:57,880
Speaker 1: a you know, a million dollars a year. You might,

785
00:33:57,960 --> 00:34:00,160
Speaker 1: but I don't. My paycheck every week is not a

786
00:34:00,160 --> 00:34:04,880
Speaker 1: million Monday, right. They moved to Los Angeles during his

787
00:34:04,920 --> 00:34:08,880
Speaker 1: career there, and you go from being in San Diego,

788
00:34:08,920 --> 00:34:12,680
Speaker 1: which you know, high high cost of living, to Los Angeles,

789
00:34:12,680 --> 00:34:15,319
Speaker 1: which has ridiculous cost of living, like to buy an

790
00:34:15,360 --> 00:34:18,399
Speaker 1: average house. Yeah, in the LA area, you know, you're

791
00:34:18,400 --> 00:34:20,959
Speaker 1: spending over a million dollars, that's just for an average house.

792
00:34:21,080 --> 00:34:22,520
Speaker 2: Nobody talks about that kind of stuff.

793
00:34:22,840 --> 00:34:25,480
Speaker 1: You know, he's probably you know, if he goes out

794
00:34:25,480 --> 00:34:27,359
Speaker 1: and buys, they would call it a mansion. He bought

795
00:34:27,360 --> 00:34:30,440
Speaker 1: three million dollar mansion. No, that's just a you know,

796
00:34:30,719 --> 00:34:32,120
Speaker 1: the same as a house that you would buy in

797
00:34:32,320 --> 00:34:35,719
Speaker 1: in you know, Swicktly, you know, nice area, yeah, right, right, right.

798
00:34:35,960 --> 00:34:37,839
Speaker 2: So I always use these examples of people don't talk

799
00:34:37,840 --> 00:34:40,200
Speaker 2: about because it doesn't affect the athletes as much because

800
00:34:40,239 --> 00:34:43,040
Speaker 2: most of them are millionaires. But when Walt Harris next

801
00:34:43,040 --> 00:34:46,319
Speaker 2: door who hired me, became Stanford's head coach, he more

802
00:34:46,400 --> 00:34:48,200
Speaker 2: or less asked the whole staff, hey, do you guys

803
00:34:48,200 --> 00:34:49,920
Speaker 2: want to go to Stanford with me? And guys like

804
00:34:49,920 --> 00:34:52,000
Speaker 2: the running back coach are like, I would be losing

805
00:34:52,040 --> 00:34:54,719
Speaker 2: fifty percent, you know, to go from Pittsburgh to to

806
00:34:56,080 --> 00:34:56,600
Speaker 2: that area of.

807
00:34:56,640 --> 00:34:59,800
Speaker 1: San Francisco area, sister property values are really at a

808
00:34:59,800 --> 00:35:00,760
Speaker 1: cret they're crazy.

809
00:35:00,840 --> 00:35:03,200
Speaker 2: And then the opposite was true. When I went to Akron.

810
00:35:03,600 --> 00:35:07,960
Speaker 2: We hired a defense and offensive coordinator from the NC

811
00:35:08,160 --> 00:35:12,080
Speaker 2: tar Heels and Duke and they sold these little houses

812
00:35:12,120 --> 00:35:15,279
Speaker 2: in that area and bought giant homes and acron you know,

813
00:35:15,360 --> 00:35:17,120
Speaker 2: like the fan and the kids all got their own

814
00:35:17,200 --> 00:35:20,319
Speaker 2: huge rooms, backyard pools. You know, like, man, we made

815
00:35:20,320 --> 00:35:22,680
Speaker 2: a fortune flip in our homes. Yeah, but the coaching world,

816
00:35:22,760 --> 00:35:26,960
Speaker 2: that happens like yearly, right right, I mean that's a

817
00:35:26,960 --> 00:35:27,439
Speaker 2: big deal.

818
00:35:27,880 --> 00:35:30,359
Speaker 1: It is a big deal. That's the list that Nick

819
00:35:30,400 --> 00:35:33,680
Speaker 1: Schuk put together. Anybody on the Steelers that you believe

820
00:35:33,719 --> 00:35:35,120
Speaker 1: is at a career crossroads.

821
00:35:35,880 --> 00:35:38,600
Speaker 2: You hate to say it, but guys like Nausea are.

822
00:35:38,680 --> 00:35:41,759
Speaker 2: I mean, you're a year away from talking fifty year options.

823
00:35:41,800 --> 00:35:44,320
Speaker 2: They're far from a slam dunk anymore. For anybody.

824
00:35:44,400 --> 00:35:46,799
Speaker 1: It's hard to pick up a fifth year option now,

825
00:35:46,880 --> 00:35:47,080
Speaker 1: you know.

826
00:35:47,200 --> 00:35:50,799
Speaker 2: I mean any first almost any first round pick from

827
00:35:50,800 --> 00:35:53,399
Speaker 2: that draft class is at a career crossroads unless you've

828
00:35:53,520 --> 00:35:55,759
Speaker 2: clearly made it. If you're on that top one hundred list,

829
00:35:55,800 --> 00:36:01,200
Speaker 2: you're probably safe, but you know it's you're your future becomes.

830
00:36:00,960 --> 00:36:01,879
Speaker 1: Uncertain very quick.

831
00:36:02,120 --> 00:36:04,479
Speaker 2: Yeah, I agree, Like we talk, oh, fifty year option

832
00:36:04,600 --> 00:36:05,440
Speaker 2: and franchise them.

833
00:36:05,440 --> 00:36:07,839
Speaker 1: Well, fifty year option is not that attractive running back.

834
00:36:07,880 --> 00:36:08,879
Speaker 2: It's not necessarily that bad.

835
00:36:08,960 --> 00:36:10,920
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's not. That's one of the beauties have taken it.

836
00:36:11,040 --> 00:36:13,400
Speaker 1: Back in the first round. Absolutely, we're gonna take our

837
00:36:13,400 --> 00:36:15,840
Speaker 1: final break here before we end the show. So he

838
00:36:15,920 --> 00:36:18,479
Speaker 1: is Matt Williamson. I am Dale Lully. The Steelers getting

839
00:36:18,520 --> 00:36:21,160
Speaker 1: ready to wrap up their final Mini Can't practice here

840
00:36:21,160 --> 00:36:24,160
Speaker 1: from the upmc rooney Sports Complex. We'll be back with

841
00:36:24,239 --> 00:36:27,960
Speaker 1: more on ESPN nine seventy and Steelers Nation Radio right

842
00:36:27,960 --> 00:36:38,920
Speaker 1: after this. Welcome back. I'm Dale LULLI he is Matt Williams,

843
00:36:38,920 --> 00:36:41,560
Speaker 1: and we are live from the upmc rooney Sports Complex

844
00:36:41,600 --> 00:36:43,680
Speaker 1: here where the Steelers are getting set to wrap up

845
00:36:44,040 --> 00:36:47,280
Speaker 1: Mini Can't Practice number three. And Matt, that will wrap

846
00:36:47,360 --> 00:36:50,719
Speaker 1: up our ongoing coverage here on Steelers Nation Radio and

847
00:36:50,880 --> 00:36:55,000
Speaker 1: ESPN nine seventy from these events here at the facility.

848
00:36:55,680 --> 00:36:59,319
Speaker 1: And I just wanted to talk about in these final

849
00:36:59,360 --> 00:37:01,719
Speaker 1: few minutes of the sh show what we've learned here

850
00:37:02,000 --> 00:37:03,840
Speaker 1: from these sessions.

851
00:37:04,320 --> 00:37:07,279
Speaker 2: Less than people would probably guess, to be honest with you,

852
00:37:07,360 --> 00:37:09,480
Speaker 2: I mean, the soups are delicious, and.

853
00:37:11,520 --> 00:37:12,960
Speaker 1: I told you that when we first started.

854
00:37:13,000 --> 00:37:16,319
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, you hooked me on the Steeler soups.

855
00:37:16,000 --> 00:37:16,600
Speaker 1: That's for sure.

856
00:37:18,280 --> 00:37:20,759
Speaker 2: A couple of notes is I keep going back to

857
00:37:20,840 --> 00:37:25,080
Speaker 2: this that I really think the attitude, energy, weather, environment,

858
00:37:25,239 --> 00:37:28,400
Speaker 2: everything has been very, very positive. As much as I

859
00:37:28,400 --> 00:37:30,440
Speaker 2: can remember of any of these sessions that I've been

860
00:37:30,480 --> 00:37:33,360
Speaker 2: a part of over the years, I think it stood out.

861
00:37:33,200 --> 00:37:33,480
Speaker 1: To me.

862
00:37:35,120 --> 00:37:39,720
Speaker 2: Every new Stealer that sat down with us, I really

863
00:37:39,760 --> 00:37:42,239
Speaker 2: liked their personality. So yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean in

864
00:37:42,320 --> 00:37:44,520
Speaker 2: terms of just being I wish they were my neighbor,

865
00:37:44,560 --> 00:37:45,799
Speaker 2: you know. I mean, I don't think I can block

866
00:37:45,800 --> 00:37:48,919
Speaker 2: and tackle yet or who knows, but they really were

867
00:37:49,040 --> 00:37:51,040
Speaker 2: interesting human beings and smart.

868
00:37:51,239 --> 00:37:53,239
Speaker 1: And I think that's not an accident either. Yeah, you know,

869
00:37:53,280 --> 00:37:56,920
Speaker 1: I think you're right about that. I've learned that. And

870
00:37:57,000 --> 00:37:58,840
Speaker 1: this is actually I can't say that I've learned this,

871
00:37:58,960 --> 00:38:01,400
Speaker 1: but I think a lot of fans would be interested

872
00:38:01,440 --> 00:38:06,759
Speaker 1: in this. I think Steelers see themselves as big time contenders.

873
00:38:06,920 --> 00:38:09,480
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think deep down they're kind of quietly smiling,

874
00:38:09,560 --> 00:38:12,240
Speaker 2: twisting their mustache a little bit like, Oh, you're gonna forget.

875
00:38:12,040 --> 00:38:14,279
Speaker 1: About us, That's fine. You know, I don't think we're

876
00:38:14,280 --> 00:38:17,279
Speaker 1: going away. We're the sleeping giant here. We haven't had

877
00:38:17,280 --> 00:38:19,840
Speaker 1: a losing or not a losing seit. We haven't finished

878
00:38:19,920 --> 00:38:22,920
Speaker 1: last in the division since nineteen eighty eight. And we're

879
00:38:22,960 --> 00:38:25,520
Speaker 1: not going about this to say, oh, we're gonna do

880
00:38:25,560 --> 00:38:28,080
Speaker 1: that this year, right. You know, we haven't had a

881
00:38:28,120 --> 00:38:30,759
Speaker 1: losing season under Mike Tomlin in nineteen years. We're not

882
00:38:30,800 --> 00:38:33,839
Speaker 1: about to just concede that this year. No, I don't care.

883
00:38:33,880 --> 00:38:37,280
Speaker 1: They don't care what everybody else in the AFC has done,

884
00:38:37,360 --> 00:38:39,879
Speaker 1: and they've improved their roster to go for it again

885
00:38:39,920 --> 00:38:40,319
Speaker 1: this year.

886
00:38:40,480 --> 00:38:42,759
Speaker 2: And they never would admit it, but I bet deep

887
00:38:42,840 --> 00:38:46,319
Speaker 2: down the powers that be realized last year was going

888
00:38:46,400 --> 00:38:48,840
Speaker 2: to be you know, you're gonna take more punches than

889
00:38:48,880 --> 00:38:52,080
Speaker 2: you probably dish out. And now that's if that's as

890
00:38:52,080 --> 00:38:53,560
Speaker 2: low as you go, little.

891
00:38:53,320 --> 00:38:56,040
Speaker 1: Ropo dope there last year. Now you're coming out swinging.

892
00:38:56,120 --> 00:38:58,239
Speaker 2: Now you come out swinging. You know that we can

893
00:38:58,280 --> 00:39:01,600
Speaker 2: really build on the lumps we took last year, especially

894
00:39:01,600 --> 00:39:03,480
Speaker 2: in the first half of the year, and we're not

895
00:39:03,520 --> 00:39:04,520
Speaker 2: going away anytime soon.

896
00:39:04,840 --> 00:39:08,400
Speaker 1: Yeah. I think that's one percent correct. And I know

897
00:39:08,440 --> 00:39:10,800
Speaker 1: they go for it every year. They try to compete

898
00:39:10,800 --> 00:39:12,960
Speaker 1: every year, but some years, you know, are more realistic

899
00:39:13,040 --> 00:39:15,600
Speaker 1: than others. Get your cap in order and get your

900
00:39:15,680 --> 00:39:18,080
Speaker 1: quarterback situation order. I think with that, with the depth

901
00:39:18,120 --> 00:39:21,360
Speaker 1: that they've added, with the quality of depth that they've added,

902
00:39:22,320 --> 00:39:25,600
Speaker 1: they can withstand injuries at a lot of positions that

903
00:39:25,719 --> 00:39:28,680
Speaker 1: other teams won't be able to do. I think that

904
00:39:28,719 --> 00:39:31,560
Speaker 1: they'll be able to compete at a higher level late

905
00:39:31,600 --> 00:39:33,680
Speaker 1: in the year because of that depth, because you could

906
00:39:33,719 --> 00:39:35,840
Speaker 1: you don't have to play Cam Heyward eighty plus percent

907
00:39:35,880 --> 00:39:38,840
Speaker 1: of the snaps this year. Things of that nature that

908
00:39:38,960 --> 00:39:41,239
Speaker 1: allows you when you're into January and you're playing some

909
00:39:41,280 --> 00:39:45,319
Speaker 1: tough games in battling that that were of attrition, you're

910
00:39:45,360 --> 00:39:46,920
Speaker 1: not going to be battling it quite the same way

911
00:39:46,960 --> 00:39:47,839
Speaker 1: as some of those other teams.

912
00:39:47,920 --> 00:39:50,720
Speaker 2: Yeah, hundred percent. I mean not to put a negative

913
00:39:50,719 --> 00:39:52,719
Speaker 2: spin on it, though, but I do. I would like

914
00:39:52,800 --> 00:39:55,879
Speaker 2: to see, Okay, who are the next stars though? At

915
00:39:55,880 --> 00:39:58,680
Speaker 2: that top one hundred list. I really like this roster.

916
00:39:58,760 --> 00:40:00,880
Speaker 2: I like the moves they've made. I like the depth,

917
00:40:01,320 --> 00:40:03,480
Speaker 2: a lot of big people, a lot of physicality, a

918
00:40:03,520 --> 00:40:05,360
Speaker 2: lot of good personalities as we mentioned.

919
00:40:05,360 --> 00:40:08,480
Speaker 1: But okay, who's the the guy that we're not? Somebody

920
00:40:08,520 --> 00:40:10,840
Speaker 1: needs to take those steps. A couple couple of players

921
00:40:10,880 --> 00:40:12,640
Speaker 1: need to make that step and be those next.

922
00:40:12,719 --> 00:40:14,640
Speaker 2: Marvin lew Yeah, you know, you know the guy you're

923
00:40:14,680 --> 00:40:16,600
Speaker 2: not kind of thinking of that boom next thing you

924
00:40:16,640 --> 00:40:18,719
Speaker 2: know is, wow, he's one of the better players at

925
00:40:18,719 --> 00:40:20,319
Speaker 2: his position or something along those lines.

926
00:40:20,320 --> 00:40:21,399
Speaker 1: Who's that next guy?

927
00:40:21,480 --> 00:40:21,680
Speaker 2: You know?

928
00:40:21,840 --> 00:40:23,400
Speaker 1: Yeah, no, I'm with you on that. When t J.

929
00:40:23,480 --> 00:40:25,600
Speaker 1: Watt got here, people didn't look at him as that guy. Again,

930
00:40:25,719 --> 00:40:28,520
Speaker 1: you'd love it to be Kenny Pickett. Absolutely, absolutely. I

931
00:40:28,520 --> 00:40:30,240
Speaker 1: mean that's the one you want more than anything, of course,

932
00:40:31,719 --> 00:40:39,320
Speaker 1: anything else. Soups are good food is learning whether it's good.

933
00:40:39,480 --> 00:40:43,400
Speaker 2: Yeah. They we were joking at lunch that they should

934
00:40:43,480 --> 00:40:45,799
Speaker 2: call it Stealer Soup and all the different soups they

935
00:40:45,840 --> 00:40:47,960
Speaker 2: have in there should be a giant eagle and all

936
00:40:48,000 --> 00:40:49,359
Speaker 2: the proceeds go to some charity.

937
00:40:49,400 --> 00:40:51,719
Speaker 1: They should there Stealership marketing department should run with that.

938
00:40:51,800 --> 00:40:53,040
Speaker 2: Yeah, credit us with that idea.

939
00:40:53,120 --> 00:40:58,400
Speaker 1: Absolutely. One final thing I learned here, I like the

940
00:40:58,520 --> 00:41:00,120
Speaker 1: energy of the young coaching staff.

941
00:41:00,320 --> 00:41:01,680
Speaker 2: Yeah, another good point. Yeah.

942
00:41:01,680 --> 00:41:05,280
Speaker 1: Absolutely. This is a team that traditionally, in Mike Tomlin's tenure,

943
00:41:05,280 --> 00:41:08,480
Speaker 1: has had a little bit of an older staff. You know,

944
00:41:08,880 --> 00:41:10,920
Speaker 1: we saw Keith Butler walk through here earlier.

945
00:41:11,640 --> 00:41:13,240
Speaker 2: You know, I mean there's some old time great assistant

946
00:41:13,280 --> 00:41:16,200
Speaker 2: coaches that lasted year a long time, but it's also

947
00:41:16,200 --> 00:41:17,720
Speaker 2: fun to have new, young energy.

948
00:41:17,800 --> 00:41:19,960
Speaker 1: But now that that has flipped and Mike Tomlin is

949
00:41:19,960 --> 00:41:22,680
Speaker 1: not the more established coach. Now you can afford to

950
00:41:22,680 --> 00:41:25,719
Speaker 1: bring in some of that youth at your you know,

951
00:41:25,840 --> 00:41:29,480
Speaker 1: positions below you and allow them.

952
00:41:29,280 --> 00:41:32,200
Speaker 2: To blossom and do the thing and right communicate with

953
00:41:32,239 --> 00:41:35,360
Speaker 2: the staff or the kids of the kids, the players

954
00:41:35,400 --> 00:41:37,200
Speaker 2: a little bit better too, you know, a little bit younger,

955
00:41:37,440 --> 00:41:40,080
Speaker 2: a littlettle bit less of a generation gap maybe than

956
00:41:40,120 --> 00:41:42,239
Speaker 2: some of the other position coaches in the past. And

957
00:41:42,320 --> 00:41:44,640
Speaker 2: not they were bad, you know, but like, no, you're right,

958
00:41:44,840 --> 00:41:48,160
Speaker 2: and it's an exciting time. I mean, the NFL is

959
00:41:48,200 --> 00:41:50,920
Speaker 2: so smart that these months I always call the you know,

960
00:41:50,960 --> 00:41:54,320
Speaker 2: the Eternal Optimism time, you know, draft up until opening kickoff.

961
00:41:54,400 --> 00:41:57,000
Speaker 2: But I'm more optimistic about this team than I have

962
00:41:57,120 --> 00:42:00,319
Speaker 2: been in the last couple of Junes. Oh yeah, yeah,

963
00:42:00,600 --> 00:42:01,160
Speaker 2: without question.

964
00:42:01,480 --> 00:42:05,399
Speaker 1: And I was relatively optimistic, you know, the last two seas.

965
00:42:05,440 --> 00:42:06,600
Speaker 1: I thought they could have to I thought they could

966
00:42:06,600 --> 00:42:08,759
Speaker 1: get to nine or ten wins to sneak into the playoffs.

967
00:42:09,440 --> 00:42:12,000
Speaker 1: I feel differently about I think this team cannot just

968
00:42:12,080 --> 00:42:14,880
Speaker 1: only can not only get into the playoffs. I think

969
00:42:14,920 --> 00:42:15,800
Speaker 1: they can make some noise.

970
00:42:15,920 --> 00:42:17,799
Speaker 2: I mean, what if they're a top five rushing team,

971
00:42:17,960 --> 00:42:21,080
Speaker 2: you know, and with the schedule they have. They're beating

972
00:42:21,120 --> 00:42:25,120
Speaker 2: teams by seven, eight points and just clamping the doors down. Yeah,

973
00:42:25,880 --> 00:42:28,919
Speaker 2: in a coach Cower fashion, you know. Yeah, halftime lead

974
00:42:29,080 --> 00:42:32,000
Speaker 2: is not that it's over, but man, you're gonna have

975
00:42:32,000 --> 00:42:33,000
Speaker 2: a tough time coming back again.

976
00:42:33,080 --> 00:42:35,160
Speaker 1: Yeah, because we're gonna continue to score, but we're gonna

977
00:42:35,160 --> 00:42:39,040
Speaker 1: score on these long, sustained running drives that are gonna

978
00:42:39,040 --> 00:42:40,759
Speaker 1: eat clock and you're not gonna have time to come back.

979
00:42:40,760 --> 00:42:44,200
Speaker 1: And oh, by the way, the defense is pretty good. Yeah, yeah, exactly.

980
00:42:44,200 --> 00:42:46,680
Speaker 2: You know, it's you know it, come out of halftime

981
00:42:46,800 --> 00:42:48,839
Speaker 2: or thirty minutes left on the clock, you have a lead,

982
00:42:49,480 --> 00:42:53,040
Speaker 2: and you control the ball for seventeen eighteen of those minutes, well,

983
00:42:53,360 --> 00:42:55,000
Speaker 2: and you rush the passer or the other twelve.

984
00:42:55,160 --> 00:42:55,319
Speaker 1: You know.

985
00:42:56,080 --> 00:42:58,880
Speaker 2: That's that's what they're striving to do here. And if

986
00:42:58,880 --> 00:43:00,520
Speaker 2: pick a play as well in the first you can

987
00:43:00,560 --> 00:43:00,839
Speaker 2: do that.

988
00:43:01,320 --> 00:43:05,200
Speaker 1: Right, right, that's going to do it for our show here, Matt,

989
00:43:05,520 --> 00:43:10,760
Speaker 1: we've learned something, Matt like soup. We think the Steelers

990
00:43:10,800 --> 00:43:12,759
Speaker 1: might be pretty good. That's kind of a summation of

991
00:43:13,239 --> 00:43:16,560
Speaker 1: where we're at here. Absolutely had a lot of fun

992
00:43:16,600 --> 00:43:19,880
Speaker 1: doing this on a daily basis. Again during the off season,

993
00:43:19,920 --> 00:43:21,600
Speaker 1: we'll go back to our three day a week Monday,

994
00:43:21,600 --> 00:43:24,440
Speaker 1: Wednesday Friday schedule for the Drive, so you can hear

995
00:43:24,520 --> 00:43:28,680
Speaker 1: us every day like that on Steelers Nation Radio. Subscribe

996
00:43:28,680 --> 00:43:30,839
Speaker 1: to that wherever you get your podcasts. We have other

997
00:43:30,880 --> 00:43:32,880
Speaker 1: good content on there as well. You want to hear

998
00:43:32,920 --> 00:43:36,759
Speaker 1: all that too, and that's going to do it here

999
00:43:36,800 --> 00:43:40,120
Speaker 1: from the upmc rooney Sports Complex. I'm Dale Lolly. He

1000
00:43:40,239 --> 00:43:42,920
Speaker 1: is Matt Williamson. We want to thank CJ here on

1001
00:43:43,000 --> 00:43:46,240
Speaker 1: site keeping us on the air justin Becken Studio as well,

1002
00:43:46,520 --> 00:43:48,160
Speaker 1: and we want to thank you for listening to this

1003
00:43:48,320 --> 00:43:50,920
Speaker 1: edition of the Drive on Steelers Nation Radio.