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Speaker 1: Your tunes about Drive on your twenty four to seven

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Speaker 1: home of the Black and Goal Steelers Nation Radio.

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Speaker 2: Our number two of day two here inside the Biltmore

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Speaker 2: in Phoenix, Arizona, was shooler Matt Williamson. It is the

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Speaker 2: Drive on Steelers Nation Radio, joining us now a special guest.

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Speaker 2: You know his work covers the Steelers for the athletic

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Speaker 2: Mike de Fabo. Mike, what's up, dude? Are you you

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Speaker 2: enjoying the Arizona sunshine? You know, nice to get out

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Speaker 2: of the Northeast winter here for a few days.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean I'm missing those low twenties temperatures and

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Speaker 3: the bipolar whether we've been having in Pittsburgh. But no,

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Speaker 3: it's unbelievably beautiful here right now. Perfect weather. Great to

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Speaker 3: be indoors in the air conditioning.

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Speaker 2: As you guys though, absolutely we're looking forward to it.

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Speaker 2: Pretty cool party tonight here that I'm going to get

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Speaker 2: to experience for the last time I was. I was

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Speaker 2: laughing with Matt though. It brought you know, brought my jacket,

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Speaker 2: my pants, my shirt, everything forgot dress socks for the party,

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Speaker 2: So I am. I am gonna have to get some

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Speaker 2: dress so I.

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Speaker 3: Can take care of you there. I'm a good friend

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Speaker 3: like that. Oh yeah, you're all right.

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Speaker 2: I could hook you up, Okay, Matt. Matt forgot his

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Speaker 2: slacks and had to go get a pair. I forgot

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Speaker 2: dress socks. You know, we're just We're just a well

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Speaker 2: oiled machine over here.

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Speaker 3: I told you though, this is like the NFL wedding.

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Speaker 3: The first time I went to it, I texted my

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Speaker 3: wife and said, this is the best wedding I ever

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Speaker 3: have been to. There was like a twenty five piece band.

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Speaker 3: The guys were wearing tuxedos.

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Speaker 4: Yeah.

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Speaker 3: There was an old fashioned bar. I ate around the world.

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Speaker 3: I had sushi. I had Italian plate steak. Now you're

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Speaker 3: speaking carving station.

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Speaker 4: It's usually not the path I go because I'm consuming

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Speaker 4: liquor and whatnot. But the ice cream bar is unbelievable.

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Speaker 4: I mean, like, the desserts are insane. Have a petty

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Speaker 4: two for kids. Last year they had hermit crab hermit

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Speaker 4: cab races. Yeah, yeah, hermit crab races with like steeler

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Speaker 4: symbols on them and cowboy symbols on them, and you

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Speaker 4: bet on the cowboy hermit care. That's pretty alright.

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Speaker 2: I was excited for tonight now, you just put it

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Speaker 2: over pretty good with her Herman krabb R.

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Speaker 3: I mean, come on, no gambling on it. I don't

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Speaker 3: know about gambling in yeah, in this state if that's legal,

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Speaker 3: especially when it comes to Hermicraft. It's good point.

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Speaker 2: Your secret safe with me.

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Speaker 1: Don't worry.

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Speaker 2: I won't tell anybody.

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Speaker 4: Mike.

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Speaker 2: Let's jump into it with you. Obviously, some stuff, as

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Speaker 2: it pertains to hear that we want to discuss with you,

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Speaker 2: some Steelers related stuff. I want to piggyback off of

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Speaker 2: what Matt and I were just talking about in our

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Speaker 2: first hour of the show here as we kick off

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Speaker 2: our number two. What's your temperature check? What's your vibe

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Speaker 2: around this kind of current stalemate stand off between the

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Speaker 2: league and the Referees Association. Do you think that this

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Speaker 2: is just it's the right time in the calendar they're

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Speaker 2: posturing for kind of the narrative and negotiations, or do

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Speaker 2: you think this could be something that could linger, you know,

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Speaker 2: deep into the summer and close to the regular season.

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Speaker 3: I mean we've seen once before that it did linger

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Speaker 3: into the season and Aaron Rodgers was a part of

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Speaker 3: it and not a big fan of those replacement referees, right,

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Speaker 3: and referees are funny because they have a tough job

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Speaker 3: and they're not always very good at it, and it's

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Speaker 3: easy to criticize them. But when you don't have them,

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Speaker 3: and you have people that are not as prepared to

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Speaker 3: do the job, then you even see how difficult that

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Speaker 3: job really is. So you hope for quality control and

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Speaker 3: for the betterment of the game that they do get

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Speaker 3: this resolved. But again, they weren't able to last time.

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Speaker 4: So speaking to Rogers, two part question, low hanging quick answer,

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Speaker 4: do you think he's going to be a stealer in

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Speaker 4: the starter in week one? Part two, assuming that gets

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Speaker 4: done before the draft or if you don't think so,

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Speaker 4: let's go down that road too. Do you think they

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Speaker 4: draft one or not. I'm really on the fence if

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Speaker 4: it's the right move.

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Speaker 3: So, you know, it's interesting because around the combine time

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Speaker 3: I talked with people, I think at all levels of

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Speaker 3: the organization, from players who had been in communication with Rogers,

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Speaker 3: you know, through the public comments and stuff that Omar

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Speaker 3: Kahn and Mike McCarthy made, and other decision makers, and

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Speaker 3: their whole feeling was Aaron Rodgers was going to decide

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Speaker 3: sometime in March and they thought that it was likely

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Speaker 3: and there was optimism that he would sign with the Steelers.

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Speaker 3: I really got the sense that they believe that they

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Speaker 3: would have an answer coming into this meeting, and they don't.

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Speaker 4: We got one more day as a double checking the calendar.

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Speaker 3: So I think even the people who were most intimately

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Speaker 3: involved in these discussions are a bit surprised that it's

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Speaker 3: taking as long as it has. But I think that

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Speaker 3: it really is trending in that direction. I think that

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Speaker 3: the overwhelming likelihood is Aaron Rodgers is leading the Steelers

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Speaker 3: onto the field week one. Now, when it comes to

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Speaker 3: drafting a quarterback, I mean, the difficult thing is this

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Speaker 3: was supposed to be a talent rich QB class. It's

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Speaker 3: basically falling apart because you've got guys that either failed

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Speaker 3: to meet expectations like nuss Meyer, like Drew Aller, You've

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Speaker 3: got guys who chose to stay in school, and then

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Speaker 3: you've got both like the Leonora Seller guys. So really

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Speaker 3: your only option early would be Ty Simpson. I would

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Speaker 3: be almost shocked they go that route.

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Speaker 4: Me too.

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Speaker 3: I think that the fifteen college starts is going to

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Speaker 3: be such a turnoff for this team. Yep, and that's

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Speaker 3: gonna be such a deterrent for them. So then you're

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Speaker 3: talking about who else would they go for. You know,

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Speaker 3: they had a handful of quarterbacks that they met with

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Speaker 3: at the Combine. They also hosted Carson Beck.

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Speaker 4: They're gonna be familiar with nous Meyer.

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Speaker 3: They are very familiar with no Smeyer. They met with

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Speaker 3: him at the Senior Bowl, so they've already had a

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Speaker 3: sit down meeting with him. I think Carson Beck is interesting.

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Speaker 3: I know if the fan base isn't all in on him,

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Speaker 3: they seem to be very against that idea, but they

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Speaker 3: brought him in for a reason, and I think that

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Speaker 3: he's really the opposite in terms of versus Ty Simpson.

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Speaker 3: He is a guy with nearly three times as much

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Speaker 3: starting experience. Not all that good. But I think that

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Speaker 3: when you're talking about drafting a quarterback and like the

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Speaker 3: fourth round. So to answer your question, Matt, I could

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Speaker 3: see them. I could see them using like a fourth

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Speaker 3: round type pick on a quarterback, but not something early

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Speaker 3: and not something aggressive.

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Speaker 4: I don't think either one of the top two rounds

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Speaker 4: will be a quarterback. I mean, if nuss Meyer's there

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Speaker 4: in the third, I understand if another one of these names,

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Speaker 4: col Payton, et cetera. I understand, but I'm kind of

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Speaker 4: just torn. Is it worth it at all?

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Speaker 3: Yeah, it's a good point because I mean, I think

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Speaker 3: there have been times where the Steelers have had a

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Speaker 3: lot of QB two's on their roster but no QB one.

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Speaker 3: You know, it's like the guy in your fantasy football

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Speaker 3: league that tries to trade you a bunch of backups

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Speaker 3: for your starter. You know, having a Mason Rudolph, having

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Speaker 3: a Kenny Pickett and having him Mitch Trubisky doesn't equal

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Speaker 3: a QB one. You can't add them up together. They

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Speaker 3: don't all equal Ben, right, right, So build one in

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Speaker 3: the aggregate. So, I mean, it's not the word. Even

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Speaker 3: if you had Rogers come in, it's not the worst

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Speaker 3: idea to take another quarterback in the mid round, and

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Speaker 3: then that guy also get the Will Howard experience. Because

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Speaker 3: Rogers was an extremely willing mentor to Will Howard. He

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Speaker 3: should be created.

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Speaker 4: That's one of the biggest of lures. I just want

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Speaker 4: someone to hang with Rogers for a year.

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Speaker 3: And that happened from quite literally Aaron Rodgers very first

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Speaker 3: day on the practice field. I watched him there work

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Speaker 3: with Will Howard on his footwork.

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Speaker 4: Aaron Rodgers was like specifically, Yeah, when Rogers.

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Speaker 3: Wasn't even practicing, he was wearing sneakers. Yeah, he didn't

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Speaker 3: even work out, but he was working with Will Howard

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Speaker 3: and that continued throughout the year. So that would be

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Speaker 3: maybe the advantage to doing so. But I get your point.

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Speaker 3: If you use that pick on a what inside linebacker

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Speaker 3: instead safety, you know, and just saying that.

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Speaker 4: They're playing on taking one in the first round next year,

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Speaker 4: what's it get you? And you're probably cutting.

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Speaker 3: Rudoff for trading and Rudolph or or you trade that

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Speaker 3: you know, whatever fourth round pick for a pick in

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Speaker 3: twenty twenty seven, and that's part of the excess draft

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Speaker 3: capital you can use to then take your aggressive swing. So,

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Speaker 3: I mean, I could see the argument for just rolling

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Speaker 3: with the current quarterback room. So I think it probably

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Speaker 3: hinges upon how much they actually like these guys in

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Speaker 3: the draft and what does Rogers say and when.

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Speaker 4: One thing I would throw in just because I I

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Speaker 4: want our listeners to remember this. I remember vividly that

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Speaker 4: that first OTA session he had signed like five minutes before, right,

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Speaker 4: and I remember just everyone on the planet was staring

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Speaker 4: at Rogers, of course, and we were on the air

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Speaker 4: and all I could think was, this guy is so engaged.

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Speaker 4: For every second that his body is on the football field,

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Speaker 4: he's either coaching up Friarmouth or Howard or Washington or

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Speaker 4: Metcalf or he's sitting there with a quarterback coach and

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Speaker 4: the offensive coordinator getting coached up. I mean, every second

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Speaker 4: he was engaged.

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Speaker 3: And he even led a meeting every Thursday. It was

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Speaker 3: a player led meeting where he stood up in front

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Speaker 3: of the room. Will Howard was the guy on the computer,

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Speaker 3: you know, working that thing. And I think for the

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Speaker 3: most part he was very well received by his teammates. Now,

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Speaker 3: Aaron Rodgers is by his own definition, a perfectionist, and

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Speaker 3: he demanded excellence and perfection out of his teammates. Sometimes

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Speaker 3: we saw that spill over to him going and getting

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Speaker 3: in Rum and Wilson's face, But really, overwhelmingly I think

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Speaker 3: that those interactions were positive because he was demanding specific things.

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Speaker 3: And you look at Mike McCarthy's offense. The whole West

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Speaker 3: Coast offense is based on timing and precision decision, and

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Speaker 3: if a guy is not coming out of his break

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Speaker 3: when you need him to when you're at a certain

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Speaker 3: point in your drop and in your progression, it doesn't work.

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Speaker 2: And that's why and a half yards, right, not five yards,

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Speaker 2: not six yards five and a half.

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Speaker 3: That's why go like that.

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Speaker 4: Six inches in front of the numbers, not eight six

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Speaker 4: inches in front of the numbers, exactly.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, And so that's where that all came from. And

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Speaker 3: that's where I think that that's some of the extra

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Speaker 3: benefit of Rogers. Like we know that maybe his mobility

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Speaker 3: isn't what it was. The deep ball was more inconsistent

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Speaker 3: than I expected to be last year, but he still

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Speaker 3: has the arm, talent, and more than anything, he has

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Speaker 3: the mental makeup to be the leader of this offense.

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Speaker 2: Mike the FABO of the athletic with us here at

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Speaker 2: the league meetings on Steelers Nation Radio, Steelers Audio Network. Okay,

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Speaker 2: I guess then this leads me to let's say Aaron

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Speaker 2: Rodgers decides, you know what, I'm retiring. I'm sailing off

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Speaker 2: into the sunset. Maybe I don't want to face down

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Speaker 2: the replacement refs again the first couple of weeks in September.

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Speaker 2: Then what becomes the plan for the organization is it

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Speaker 2: will Howard Mason Rudolph another draft pick, you know, go

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Speaker 2: to Latrobe and see what happens. Is it bringing another

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Speaker 2: veteran type guy, A Kirk Cousins, a Derek Carr, a

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Speaker 2: Jimmy Garoppolo some of the names that are still available.

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Speaker 2: If Aaron Rodgers is not a Pittsburgh Steeler, you know

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Speaker 2: by mini camp by, you know, training camp in that

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Speaker 2: summer kind of timeline, what do you think the plan is?

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Speaker 2: What's Plan B for the Steelers if it's not number eight?

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Speaker 3: Yeah, and that'll be a good question that we'll get

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Speaker 3: to ask Mike McCarthy today. But you know, my sense

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Speaker 3: is that the Steelers do have a lot of faith

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Speaker 3: in what Will Howard. There are people, you know, Mike

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Speaker 3: McCarthy's on record praising him and talking about how much

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Speaker 3: he likes the potential of Will Howard because of his

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Speaker 3: big frame, because of the fact that he won a

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Speaker 3: national championship at Ohio State. That's all appealing to this

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Speaker 3: team and other people within the organization all are quite

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Speaker 3: high on Will Howard and his potential. I think that

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Speaker 3: Will Howard would be given an opportunity to compete for

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Speaker 3: the starting job, and then I think they would fill

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Speaker 3: up if they brought in, I think they would likely

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Speaker 3: draft a quarterback like that Day four, Day three or

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Speaker 3: round four, round three tight pick to round out the room.

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Speaker 3: But if they brought in a veteran, from what I've heard,

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Speaker 3: it would be to compete with sure the rest of

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Speaker 3: the room. Not necessarily the sign the guy give him

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Speaker 3: the QB one title.

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Speaker 4: So they currently have five picks on the first two days,

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Speaker 4: which is great. They have an immense amount of draft

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Speaker 4: capital compared to the rest of the league. Quarterback aside,

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Speaker 4: rogers aside, what positions with those five picks would you

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Speaker 4: write down in blood is going to be one of

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Speaker 4: the five?

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Speaker 3: Offensive guard surprisingly has turned into I think maybe the

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Speaker 3: most glaring hole on the roster right now. You look

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Speaker 3: at what they did in free agency. They got a

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Speaker 3: wide receiver too, They upgrade to the defensive front, added

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Speaker 3: some depth there. They got a cornerback to start to

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Speaker 3: opposite Joey Porter Junior, added some safety options. The one

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Speaker 3: thing that they really didn't do is find a legitimate

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Speaker 3: upgrade in replacement for Isaac Samalo. Now I know that

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Speaker 3: they have brock Hoffman and Spencer Anderson. The way that

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Speaker 3: I are.

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Speaker 4: Not terrible options and am I saying you're implying they

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Speaker 4: are right.

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Speaker 3: But my read on this or the way that I

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Speaker 3: would look at it. If I'm the Steelers, You've already

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Speaker 3: invested two first round picks, a second round pick, and

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Speaker 3: a fourth in the offensive line, with the goal of

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Speaker 3: this group not just being pretty good, but being dominant. Sure,

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Speaker 3: and the only way you can continue along that same

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Speaker 3: trajectory is with a guy that is an upgrade to

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Speaker 3: Isaac Samalu or a guy who at least is at

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Speaker 3: that same caliber. And so I wouldn't count out even

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Speaker 3: in the first round going with an offensive guard. But

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Speaker 3: certainly I think within the first three rounds that will

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Speaker 3: be a position that they're looking to address. Wide receiver

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Speaker 3: once felt like the obvious need, it's diminished to a

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Speaker 3: degree because of Michael Pittman. You don't feel that urgency

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Speaker 3: to get the first round guy. But I still wouldn't

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Speaker 3: be surprised if they went wide receiver first or second round.

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Speaker 3: That makes a lot of sense to me. And honestly,

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Speaker 3: going back to the offensive line, this Broderick Jones injury.

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Speaker 2: That's what I was gonna ask you next if you

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Speaker 2: had any any clarity on his next situation.

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Speaker 4: I mean, nobody a seems that being clarity.

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Speaker 3: The way I understand it, Like someone has said to me,

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Speaker 3: it's not a death it's not necessarily a death sentence

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Speaker 3: for his career.

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Speaker 2: I mean, but that's not the most encouraging framing of

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Speaker 2: it either. That's not like, oh, he's gonna be fine, like.

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Speaker 3: It's so so I think that that could it could

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Speaker 3: be something that lingers like. And the other part about

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Speaker 3: this is they likely would have or should have probably

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Speaker 3: picked up Broaderick's fifty year option because you look at

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Speaker 3: the fact that it will come in around twenty million.

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Speaker 3: Dan Moore junior allowed the most sacks in the league

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Speaker 3: and turned around and got twenty million by four years. Okay,

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Speaker 3: that's the going rate for a starting offensive tackle in

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Speaker 3: this league.

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Speaker 4: But not even good ones, right right.

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Speaker 3: So I feel like, you know, now it seems unlikely

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Speaker 3: that they would pick up Broderick's fifth year option. You know,

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Speaker 3: sooner than later you're going to need a new starting

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Speaker 3: left tackle, whether it's Week one of this season because

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Speaker 3: Broaderck's not healthy in time, or it's next year. So

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Speaker 3: I feel like all the sudden offensive tackle that looked

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Speaker 3: like they had shorted up for the long haul that's

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Speaker 3: now becoming more of a question mark for the team.

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Speaker 3: And then I guess another thing would be a nice

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Speaker 3: pick would be a true pure free safety.

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Speaker 2: With the speed speed on the back end.

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Speaker 3: You know, Jawan Briskot the team. The team thinks that

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Speaker 3: he has a versatility to play, you know, a variety

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Speaker 3: of positions within the secondary, including free safety. You know,

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Speaker 3: he was kind of inconsistent. That was kind of the

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Speaker 3: knock on him as his eye discipline wasn't really great

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Speaker 3: when he was in center field there. So if you

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Speaker 3: got a guy that you know at least gives you

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Speaker 3: another option there not to make I.

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Speaker 4: Mean you should help on special teams and yeah.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, So I think I think all those positions

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Speaker 3: would make sense. And I think, you know, in the

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Speaker 3: middle rounds, if you can get an upgrade to Blee

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Speaker 3: Harrison that linebacker.

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Speaker 2: Is that maybe you feel like a cord Aero Patterson

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Speaker 2: type situation.

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Speaker 4: In terms of yeah, getting cut.

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Speaker 3: I think they maybe have to wait and see how

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Speaker 3: the draft pans out. But I just feel like they've

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Speaker 3: got two guys in the mold like Peyton Wilson and

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Speaker 3: Patrick Queen are kind of similar where they're both that

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Speaker 3: rangy coverage inside linebacker. You know you trust him in

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Speaker 3: sub packages. But they're both better if you've got that

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Speaker 3: real downhill force, the land and Roberts type player. And

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Speaker 3: I think that Malie Carrison, I mean, he was injured

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Speaker 3: for some of the year, and I don't think that

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Speaker 3: he was what they were expecting when he was on

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Speaker 3: the field healthy. So I feel like if you and

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Speaker 3: this is a really really good inside linebacker class, good

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Speaker 3: safety too, and cornerback actually yeah, I mean they've got

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Speaker 3: all these picks and I'm naming all these positions, but

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Speaker 3: they could do all of That's the other wild thing, like,

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Speaker 3: I wouldn't even count on a corner as early as

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Speaker 3: the first round if they like a guy enough, because

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Speaker 3: I know they got I know that they got Jamel Deane.

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Speaker 3: I know that they got him. But still I think

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Speaker 3: that if they the right corner was there, I think

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Speaker 3: that they would see an opportunity.

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Speaker 2: Very interesting any any restructures or anything coming down the line.

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Speaker 2: Highsmith TJ. Watt is still still in a fine cap

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Speaker 2: position that you don't have to consider that. Yeah, you know,

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Speaker 2: I think that DK could be a candidate too. They

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Speaker 2: could go that route.

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Speaker 3: If they need to, but they don't need to right now,

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Speaker 3: and so I think that that's kind of a last

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Speaker 3: resort if they weren't a position where they had an

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Speaker 3: opportunity to bring in a player, they needed to create

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Speaker 3: the cap space. But Omar, remember, I mean, he made

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Speaker 3: his reputation by being a master with the salary cap

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Speaker 3: and moving those numbers around, and right now he's put

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Speaker 3: to Stealer is in an excellent cap position.

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Speaker 4: Right now exceptional and.

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Speaker 3: So right now you don't have to, but you know,

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Speaker 3: things could change down the line.

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Speaker 4: Last thing I go for you along those lines to

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Speaker 4: do you expect some extensions? Maybe in Camp two? You

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Speaker 4: know Porter et cetera, Herbig.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, I think that you know, all all those guys

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Speaker 3: from Omar Khan's first draft class, Benton maybe happens fast,

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Speaker 3: doesn't it. Pretty much all of them, you could make

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Speaker 3: the case that they deserve an extension. So a guy

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Speaker 3: like Joey Porter Junior, I think that probably will get done.

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Speaker 3: The one that I wonder about is Nick Herbig, because

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Speaker 3: obviously his performance merits it, and you would love to

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Speaker 3: have that guy long term. My question, and I don't

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Speaker 3: have an answer to this. I'm speculating what would he

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Speaker 3: want if.

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Speaker 4: I'd quite a bit well?

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Speaker 3: And the other question is, would you want to basically

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Speaker 3: prove yourself this year and hit the open market and

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Speaker 3: really see what your value is on the open pat

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Speaker 3: on yourself? Does he want the money now? Does he

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Speaker 3: want the security? Do they make it financially? Uh, you

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Speaker 3: know a situation that makes sense for him? Or would

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Speaker 3: he want to say I'm betting on myself this year.

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Speaker 3: I'm gonna play this out in next year. I'm gonna

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Speaker 3: be a coveted guy that more teams than just the

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Speaker 3: Steelers are going to be interested in throwing some money at.

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Speaker 2: It's a lot to ponder, a lot to consider. Great

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Speaker 2: stuff with our friend Mike the Fabo. Make sure you're

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Speaker 2: checking out all his work in the Athletic. Enjoy all

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Speaker 2: the hustle and bustle today and we will we'll see

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Speaker 2: it that we'll see at the dinner party a little

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Speaker 2: bit later.

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Speaker 3: Can't wait. I'll be saving you a spot over by

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Speaker 3: the old fashioned bar.

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Speaker 2: By the old fashion I want to see by the

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Speaker 2: herb cra I'm trying to get front row. I'm trying

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Speaker 2: to get I'm trying to get floor seating. For the

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Speaker 2: for the hermit crab race. I can't wait.

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Speaker 3: Great stuff.

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Speaker 4: Might be a Florida only thing. I don't know.

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Speaker 2: I don't know when they have like gators or something

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Speaker 2: else race.

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Speaker 4: If it was Florida, but last year was Florida and

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Speaker 4: it was hermo crabs, I don't know.

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Speaker 3: Oh boy, we'll see what We'll see scorpions or something.

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Speaker 2: Scorpio, some kind of tarantula's or something like that. We'll see.

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Speaker 2: We'll report back tomorrow. Gonna roll along here live from

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Speaker 2: the Biltmore when we return. It's all part of our

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Speaker 2: ongoing League meetings coverage here in Phoenix, Arizona. West Shuler,

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Speaker 2: Matt Williamson. It is the Drive Steelers Nation Radio on

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Speaker 2: the Steelers Audio Network.

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Speaker 1: You are tuned about Drive on your twenty four to

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Speaker 1: seven home of the Black and Goal Steelers Nation Radio.

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Speaker 2: It is the Drive on location all the moving and

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Speaker 2: shaking here at the annual League meetings inside the builtmore

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Speaker 2: Fabulous facility in Phoenix, Arizona. West Jeweler and Matt Williamson.

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Speaker 2: It is our number two. We will have the third

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Speaker 2: Bonus Hour today and tomorrow as well, before we fly

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Speaker 2: back across the country to our cold fake spring teas days.

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Speaker 4: I like home Western Pennsylvania or rough on home.

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Speaker 2: I love home, but I don't love the weather at home.

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Speaker 4: That's I prefer this.

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Speaker 2: Yes, the older, the older, and I think you and

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Speaker 2: I have had this conversation before. But the older and

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Speaker 2: older I get the less and less I like winter.

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Speaker 2: I grew up loving winter and loving the four seasons

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Speaker 2: and outdoor winter activities and sled riding and pond hockey

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Speaker 2: and all that stuff. But yeah, yeah, the older and older,

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Speaker 2: I get Matt, I get colder and colder, I get

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Speaker 2: softer and softer, and I enjoy I enjoy the warm

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Speaker 2: weather climbing.

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Speaker 4: I have some of that. I definitely get colder quicker.

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Speaker 4: You're like that just hits me right in my bones.

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Speaker 4: And I will say, all the single digit stretch we

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Speaker 4: had this year was unusual.

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Speaker 2: It was a rough winter. We are coming off of

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Speaker 2: a rough winter.

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Speaker 4: That was a lot. I was starting to wear on me.

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Speaker 4: But I'm still a four seasons dude. And I'll be honest.

438
00:20:40,960 --> 00:20:43,920
Speaker 4: I mean, middle of July, I'm not outside very much either.

439
00:20:44,840 --> 00:20:47,359
Speaker 4: Just a little warm for me too, exactly. It's funny,

440
00:20:47,359 --> 00:20:49,359
Speaker 4: that's what you know. A couple of the like Uber

441
00:20:49,400 --> 00:20:51,600
Speaker 4: and Lyft drivers that we've had so far have been like,

442
00:20:52,280 --> 00:20:54,320
Speaker 4: oh man, you guys might love it here now, it's great,

443
00:20:54,320 --> 00:20:56,520
Speaker 4: but just wait until July. And I was like, I

444
00:20:56,560 --> 00:20:58,760
Speaker 4: already stay inside in July anyway, that's true.

445
00:20:59,359 --> 00:21:00,840
Speaker 2: I go out and out the grass and do the

446
00:21:00,840 --> 00:21:02,359
Speaker 2: things that I have to do, tend to my garden

447
00:21:02,359 --> 00:21:04,720
Speaker 2: in the morning, you know, before the before the sun's

448
00:21:04,760 --> 00:21:07,600
Speaker 2: really hitting, and then you spend the afternoon indoors and

449
00:21:07,640 --> 00:21:08,480
Speaker 2: staying out of the sun.

450
00:21:09,200 --> 00:21:11,679
Speaker 4: One of my best buds went from Slippery Rock to

451
00:21:11,840 --> 00:21:14,760
Speaker 4: Jacksonville and lived there for a long long time. Now

452
00:21:14,800 --> 00:21:16,800
Speaker 4: he lives in Tennessee. But I mean you'd visit him

453
00:21:16,840 --> 00:21:19,119
Speaker 4: or talk to him. It's like there's a handful of

454
00:21:19,160 --> 00:21:21,479
Speaker 4: hours during the day you can't do. You just go in,

455
00:21:21,920 --> 00:21:23,320
Speaker 4: you know, you do things in the morning, you do

456
00:21:23,359 --> 00:21:27,080
Speaker 4: things in the evening. You just you just don't go outside.

457
00:21:26,119 --> 00:21:29,359
Speaker 2: They kind of schedule their sporting events and stuff like that.

458
00:21:29,440 --> 00:21:31,080
Speaker 4: Yeah, you don't even go to the pool. You don't

459
00:21:31,080 --> 00:21:31,840
Speaker 4: take the kids to pool.

460
00:21:32,000 --> 00:21:35,240
Speaker 2: It's no chance. Real quick, Matt, while we're kind of

461
00:21:35,240 --> 00:21:38,679
Speaker 2: in just storytelling and peeling back the curtain mode, we

462
00:21:38,720 --> 00:21:42,280
Speaker 2: almost speaking of our rides over here. We almost collided

463
00:21:42,320 --> 00:21:45,280
Speaker 2: with a driverless car in downtown Phoenix.

464
00:21:46,000 --> 00:21:46,679
Speaker 3: They have these.

465
00:21:46,560 --> 00:21:48,280
Speaker 4: Truths a strange intersection.

466
00:21:48,520 --> 00:21:51,840
Speaker 2: They're called whammos. It's the same idea as an uber

467
00:21:52,000 --> 00:21:54,040
Speaker 2: or a lyft or a ride share service. It's called

468
00:21:54,080 --> 00:21:58,320
Speaker 2: whammo and it's out here, and they are driverless SUVs. Yes,

469
00:21:58,560 --> 00:22:00,600
Speaker 2: last night I went to the I know this will

470
00:22:00,600 --> 00:22:03,440
Speaker 2: shock all of our listeners, but I realized last night

471
00:22:03,440 --> 00:22:06,840
Speaker 2: that my my WU baseball program was playing five miles

472
00:22:06,880 --> 00:22:08,840
Speaker 2: down the road against Arizona State. And I was like, well,

473
00:22:08,880 --> 00:22:10,719
Speaker 2: that's an easy decision. I'm going to watch some baseball.

474
00:22:11,359 --> 00:22:13,280
Speaker 2: And I was talking, you know, making some friends with

475
00:22:13,320 --> 00:22:14,960
Speaker 2: the people around me and things like that, as I

476
00:22:14,960 --> 00:22:17,000
Speaker 2: tend to do. And they were all like, when you

477
00:22:17,080 --> 00:22:18,480
Speaker 2: ride home, you got to take the whamos.

478
00:22:18,520 --> 00:22:20,080
Speaker 3: You got to take the whamos. Check it out.

479
00:22:20,640 --> 00:22:22,600
Speaker 2: I don't know how I feel around here. They are

480
00:22:22,640 --> 00:22:23,320
Speaker 2: relatively new.

481
00:22:23,240 --> 00:22:24,840
Speaker 4: Or yes, and you're the only human being in the car.

482
00:22:24,880 --> 00:22:26,680
Speaker 2: You are the only human being in the car. And

483
00:22:27,680 --> 00:22:30,080
Speaker 2: I was kind of like, I don't know. That wigs

484
00:22:30,119 --> 00:22:32,520
Speaker 2: me out a little bit. It's a little black mirror.

485
00:22:32,600 --> 00:22:34,959
Speaker 2: It's a little too black mirrorsh for me. And then

486
00:22:35,000 --> 00:22:36,840
Speaker 2: one of them almost collided with us, like in the

487
00:22:36,880 --> 00:22:39,680
Speaker 2: hotel intersection this morning, and I think it just reinforced

488
00:22:39,680 --> 00:22:41,520
Speaker 2: my thought process of staying away.

489
00:22:41,760 --> 00:22:45,560
Speaker 4: I can't possibly explain what that intersection is like, but

490
00:22:45,640 --> 00:22:46,080
Speaker 4: it's enough.

491
00:22:46,160 --> 00:22:48,359
Speaker 2: It's an odd fair to the driverless car. It's a

492
00:22:48,400 --> 00:22:49,120
Speaker 2: tough section.

493
00:22:49,320 --> 00:22:50,919
Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean I have to like come out of

494
00:22:50,960 --> 00:22:52,840
Speaker 4: our hotel, get all the way in the left lane,

495
00:22:52,840 --> 00:22:54,679
Speaker 4: which is like the third lane, and then do a

496
00:22:54,800 --> 00:22:57,920
Speaker 4: U turn to go the opposite way. And we were

497
00:22:58,000 --> 00:22:59,800
Speaker 4: driving a boat. I mean, we were driving the tight

498
00:22:59,800 --> 00:23:01,280
Speaker 4: tan So.

499
00:23:03,000 --> 00:23:05,119
Speaker 2: Yeah, give it some grace. Is that what you're telling me?

500
00:23:05,200 --> 00:23:07,720
Speaker 4: Yeah, maybe had a tough morning, didn't have his coffee yet,

501
00:23:07,720 --> 00:23:09,040
Speaker 4: you know, I mean, but it was closed.

502
00:23:11,320 --> 00:23:14,359
Speaker 2: Give the driverless cards time. It was earlier in the morning.

503
00:23:15,080 --> 00:23:16,000
Speaker 4: The challenging situation.

504
00:23:16,119 --> 00:23:17,879
Speaker 2: Let it wake up a little bit before you so

505
00:23:18,000 --> 00:23:21,160
Speaker 2: quickly to judge. All right, I'll stop throwing I'll stop

506
00:23:21,160 --> 00:23:23,879
Speaker 2: throwing stones, and maybe we'll end up riding the Whammo

507
00:23:24,000 --> 00:23:26,520
Speaker 2: before we get out of here on Wednesday. Uh, Matt,

508
00:23:26,560 --> 00:23:28,440
Speaker 2: one thing that we wanted to piggyback off. I thanks

509
00:23:28,440 --> 00:23:30,240
Speaker 2: to Mike the FABO for taking the time to talk

510
00:23:30,280 --> 00:23:32,120
Speaker 2: to us there. Make sure you're checking out all his work.

511
00:23:32,119 --> 00:23:35,680
Speaker 2: He's a grinder man, Yeah, and puts out, puts out

512
00:23:35,680 --> 00:23:37,760
Speaker 2: great work in the athletic and great coverage of all

513
00:23:37,760 --> 00:23:43,440
Speaker 2: these type of events. Contract talks, Matt obviously extensions, extensions.

514
00:23:42,920 --> 00:23:46,879
Speaker 3: Part of me obvious. There's some real stuff, really interesting.

515
00:23:47,000 --> 00:23:49,560
Speaker 2: And Joey Porter Junior feels like the top one, uh

516
00:23:50,640 --> 00:23:54,440
Speaker 2: get the premium position, gonna get done her big maybe similar,

517
00:23:54,480 --> 00:23:56,080
Speaker 2: but there is the you know, you already have two

518
00:23:56,119 --> 00:23:58,560
Speaker 2: highly paid players at that position. What exactly do you

519
00:23:58,640 --> 00:24:02,080
Speaker 2: want to spend percentage of your cap there in one group?

520
00:24:02,400 --> 00:24:05,439
Speaker 4: And I've thought about it too, like just like Mike mentioned,

521
00:24:05,480 --> 00:24:08,960
Speaker 4: he said, well, is Herbie gonna take eighty cents on

522
00:24:09,040 --> 00:24:13,080
Speaker 4: the dollar this year to stay with the Steelers? Or boy,

523
00:24:13,080 --> 00:24:14,760
Speaker 4: if I can at the open market, I know you're

524
00:24:14,760 --> 00:24:17,120
Speaker 4: not gonna franchise me with two other off side line

525
00:24:17,160 --> 00:24:20,320
Speaker 4: you know guys in my position, I would definitely make

526
00:24:20,400 --> 00:24:23,320
Speaker 4: more assuming I have a similar year. So I have

527
00:24:23,400 --> 00:24:26,240
Speaker 4: what I've had, I think he'd break break the bank.

528
00:24:26,840 --> 00:24:28,560
Speaker 4: But do you want to bet on yourself for that year?

529
00:24:28,840 --> 00:24:31,800
Speaker 4: I mean, my thoughts on just from a Steeler perspective

530
00:24:31,840 --> 00:24:35,159
Speaker 4: is I can't let that guy walk period. Under sentence,

531
00:24:35,200 --> 00:24:36,160
Speaker 4: I can't let that guy walk.

532
00:24:36,200 --> 00:24:37,760
Speaker 2: I mean, drafted them, you developed them.

533
00:24:37,800 --> 00:24:40,840
Speaker 4: He's standing, and I'm not implying this would happen. But

534
00:24:40,880 --> 00:24:43,639
Speaker 4: if that that means I have to trade Watt or

535
00:24:43,680 --> 00:24:45,920
Speaker 4: Highsmith and then draft the next one in the second

536
00:24:46,000 --> 00:24:48,840
Speaker 4: round a year from now, I'm more open to that.

537
00:24:48,880 --> 00:24:51,080
Speaker 4: Then I'm just not leaking that guy walk period. I mean,

538
00:24:51,160 --> 00:24:55,920
Speaker 4: that's unless he wants Myles Garrett money, right, Yeah.

539
00:24:55,200 --> 00:24:59,119
Speaker 2: Yeah, that's that's the interesting one because Joey Porter Junior

540
00:24:59,160 --> 00:25:02,200
Speaker 2: again feels like he's going to demand a big, big chunk,

541
00:25:02,280 --> 00:25:04,200
Speaker 2: which I think he's he's certainly earned it. Sure, he's

542
00:25:04,200 --> 00:25:07,440
Speaker 2: certainly earned that right, but at a premium position at

543
00:25:07,440 --> 00:25:10,640
Speaker 2: his age. That one feels, you know, pretty pretty much.

544
00:25:10,760 --> 00:25:13,080
Speaker 4: Considering his history. And I mean I would think he

545
00:25:13,160 --> 00:25:13,840
Speaker 4: wants to be here.

546
00:25:13,840 --> 00:25:16,480
Speaker 2: They want him exactly right, exact career.

547
00:25:16,640 --> 00:25:18,160
Speaker 4: But that's an easy one.

548
00:25:18,000 --> 00:25:20,360
Speaker 2: But not an easy one. But it's a little more linear. Yeah,

549
00:25:20,400 --> 00:25:22,800
Speaker 2: it's a little more linear, whereas her big there's some roadbumps,

550
00:25:22,800 --> 00:25:25,919
Speaker 2: there's some questions what's their thought process and is like

551
00:25:25,960 --> 00:25:27,520
Speaker 2: you said, what's his thought process?

552
00:25:27,560 --> 00:25:30,320
Speaker 4: Even like you know, what's Benton Worth? You know, I mean,

553
00:25:30,359 --> 00:25:34,320
Speaker 4: I think that there's questions about that, you know, considering

554
00:25:34,359 --> 00:25:36,520
Speaker 4: his role and usage and all those things too.

555
00:25:36,640 --> 00:25:38,919
Speaker 2: I think so, And that's obviously a big part of

556
00:25:38,960 --> 00:25:41,879
Speaker 2: what we'll be covering here throughout throughout the off season

557
00:25:41,920 --> 00:25:44,119
Speaker 2: and keeping an eye on, especially when we get the

558
00:25:44,119 --> 00:25:45,760
Speaker 2: training camp time, where it feels like a lot of

559
00:25:45,760 --> 00:25:47,920
Speaker 2: those things tend to at least in recent history where

560
00:25:47,960 --> 00:25:48,840
Speaker 2: those things have gotten done.

561
00:25:48,960 --> 00:25:51,360
Speaker 3: Yeah, it's not time yet, not time yet.

562
00:25:51,280 --> 00:25:54,400
Speaker 2: But Matt, it could be time to maybe potentially extend

563
00:25:54,640 --> 00:25:56,560
Speaker 2: two pieces of the offensive line.

564
00:25:57,600 --> 00:25:59,399
Speaker 4: So you know how I get on my kicks, you know,

565
00:26:00,080 --> 00:26:00,399
Speaker 4: hold on.

566
00:26:00,400 --> 00:26:02,840
Speaker 2: Folks, this is a weird world of Matt Williamson that

567
00:26:02,840 --> 00:26:03,480
Speaker 2: we're about to die.

568
00:26:03,760 --> 00:26:07,520
Speaker 4: Yeah, And a lot of it kind of triggered when

569
00:26:07,560 --> 00:26:11,400
Speaker 4: we sat here yesterday with Chris Halleck from DK Pittsford Sports,

570
00:26:11,480 --> 00:26:13,880
Speaker 4: and you know, he mentioned and I don't think any

571
00:26:13,920 --> 00:26:15,920
Speaker 4: of us were shocked by it. He didn't break any

572
00:26:15,960 --> 00:26:21,000
Speaker 4: news that hey, the Steelers really like Spencer Anderson and

573
00:26:22,040 --> 00:26:24,280
Speaker 4: made me think, you know, like got back to the

574
00:26:24,320 --> 00:26:27,480
Speaker 4: hotel and thought it over. And I also think they're

575
00:26:27,520 --> 00:26:32,719
Speaker 4: pretty high on Cook and one of my favorite tactics

576
00:26:32,960 --> 00:26:37,639
Speaker 4: or strategies from a team perspective, and Jalen Warren was

577
00:26:37,720 --> 00:26:42,040
Speaker 4: the best recent example is again, think is those around

578
00:26:42,080 --> 00:26:45,600
Speaker 4: you think? And the God realized that a Jalen Warren

579
00:26:45,640 --> 00:26:49,840
Speaker 4: who was undrafted, Anderson who was a seventh round pick,

580
00:26:50,480 --> 00:26:54,119
Speaker 4: Cook who was undrafted, but have proven themselves to be

581
00:26:54,320 --> 00:26:58,800
Speaker 4: NFL players at a minimum and maybe even starters and

582
00:26:59,640 --> 00:27:02,760
Speaker 4: maybe long term useful.

583
00:27:02,400 --> 00:27:04,359
Speaker 2: Pieces, really good piece off the bench.

584
00:27:05,480 --> 00:27:06,879
Speaker 4: Little We've got a lot of fans.

585
00:27:07,000 --> 00:27:10,520
Speaker 2: Chris Dans, co host of the Steelers Blitz on the

586
00:27:10,520 --> 00:27:13,960
Speaker 2: Steelers Audio Network, Dragon is in the house all his definitely.

587
00:27:14,960 --> 00:27:17,320
Speaker 2: Boss Bryan you know, says you have to do three

588
00:27:17,320 --> 00:27:20,000
Speaker 2: hours with us tomorrow. So just just get prepared. Just

589
00:27:20,040 --> 00:27:20,600
Speaker 2: get prepared.

590
00:27:20,800 --> 00:27:22,160
Speaker 4: We'll loose up the vocal court.

591
00:27:22,240 --> 00:27:24,200
Speaker 2: We'll catch up. We'll catch up with Buzz at some point.

592
00:27:24,240 --> 00:27:25,439
Speaker 2: Good to see you in town, dude.

593
00:27:25,840 --> 00:27:28,199
Speaker 4: So, as I was saying, I mean, like Warren's a

594
00:27:28,200 --> 00:27:32,159
Speaker 4: perfect example that these guys are over the hump where

595
00:27:32,320 --> 00:27:33,560
Speaker 4: they're NFL players, you.

596
00:27:33,520 --> 00:27:35,240
Speaker 2: Know, without a doubt, even if they're not a bona

597
00:27:35,280 --> 00:27:38,160
Speaker 2: fide starter along on your roster, they're an important.

598
00:27:38,119 --> 00:27:41,080
Speaker 4: Useful to any team. Yes, they're they're you know, you

599
00:27:41,119 --> 00:27:44,000
Speaker 4: can win games with these guys. They could start, they

600
00:27:44,040 --> 00:27:46,560
Speaker 4: could back up. You know, I think we have said

601
00:27:46,720 --> 00:27:48,800
Speaker 4: enough of that. I mean, those three guys are all

602
00:27:49,320 --> 00:27:52,760
Speaker 4: gonna be NFL players until their career ends because of

603
00:27:52,800 --> 00:27:55,040
Speaker 4: injury or whatever. It's not like they're fighting to make

604
00:27:55,080 --> 00:27:58,400
Speaker 4: the roster anymore, or boy, we're lucky. The seventh round

605
00:27:58,400 --> 00:28:01,040
Speaker 4: pick isn't a total bust or just a pure special

606
00:28:01,080 --> 00:28:06,679
Speaker 4: team or something like that. Therefore, and the most important

607
00:28:06,680 --> 00:28:09,440
Speaker 4: part of this equation is none of those people made

608
00:28:09,640 --> 00:28:10,280
Speaker 4: any money.

609
00:28:10,560 --> 00:28:12,359
Speaker 2: You know, Like, so I've got it pulled up for

610
00:28:12,400 --> 00:28:13,520
Speaker 2: you if you want the exact nuy.

611
00:28:13,440 --> 00:28:15,320
Speaker 4: I do know them, but I'd like our listeners to

612
00:28:15,480 --> 00:28:15,840
Speaker 4: I mean.

613
00:28:15,760 --> 00:28:18,400
Speaker 2: So Spencer Anderson has been in the league for three years. Yeah,

614
00:28:18,440 --> 00:28:21,320
Speaker 2: he's made about two point seven million dollars.

615
00:28:21,440 --> 00:28:23,520
Speaker 4: He hasn't even had the chance to negotiate yet. I mean,

616
00:28:23,560 --> 00:28:26,280
Speaker 4: he signed a seventh round contract, and this is what

617
00:28:26,320 --> 00:28:28,600
Speaker 4: you get Spencer. Like it or not. He could be

618
00:28:29,080 --> 00:28:31,080
Speaker 4: Rock Party signed the same contract. You could be the

619
00:28:31,080 --> 00:28:33,080
Speaker 4: best seventh rounder out matter, it doesn't matter.

620
00:28:33,280 --> 00:28:35,640
Speaker 2: That's all part of our earlier agreement with the collective

621
00:28:35,640 --> 00:28:38,239
Speaker 2: bargaining stuff. That's all collectively bargained. If you're drafted here

622
00:28:38,280 --> 00:28:39,000
Speaker 2: here's how much you get.

623
00:28:39,040 --> 00:28:40,280
Speaker 4: Here's how much you get. It doesn't matter if you're

624
00:28:40,280 --> 00:28:41,880
Speaker 4: the best quarterback in the league or if you're a

625
00:28:41,960 --> 00:28:42,800
Speaker 4: backup left guard.

626
00:28:43,000 --> 00:28:45,360
Speaker 2: Yes, So his career running so far seven hundred and

627
00:28:45,400 --> 00:28:48,560
Speaker 2: fifty K nine to fifteen and then about a million

628
00:28:48,800 --> 00:28:52,480
Speaker 2: this past year, all that together three years, little under

629
00:28:52,480 --> 00:28:53,440
Speaker 2: a million a year.

630
00:28:53,480 --> 00:28:55,200
Speaker 4: And he's set to be a free agent half this year.

631
00:28:55,240 --> 00:28:57,600
Speaker 4: As his Cook, that's the important part of this equation.

632
00:28:57,680 --> 00:28:59,280
Speaker 3: And Dylan Cook and hey, that's good money.

633
00:28:59,320 --> 00:29:01,640
Speaker 4: But for all of our listeners of me.

634
00:29:01,640 --> 00:29:04,200
Speaker 2: And you, absolutely you and I would sign up to

635
00:29:04,200 --> 00:29:06,160
Speaker 2: make nine hundred K a year. But by NFL, by

636
00:29:06,240 --> 00:29:09,680
Speaker 2: NFL standards, that is that is not much. Dylan Cook

637
00:29:09,840 --> 00:29:12,200
Speaker 2: kind of similar, just a year behind. He's been two

638
00:29:12,280 --> 00:29:16,200
Speaker 2: years uh here with the Steelers and he has made

639
00:29:16,320 --> 00:29:18,840
Speaker 2: one point nine million dollars, so a little under a

640
00:29:18,880 --> 00:29:22,240
Speaker 2: million of years, same same kind of same kind of conversation.

641
00:29:23,320 --> 00:29:25,000
Speaker 2: So Matt, with that, I mean.

642
00:29:25,000 --> 00:29:27,640
Speaker 4: I mean, in reality, these guys have made nothing by

643
00:29:27,800 --> 00:29:30,880
Speaker 4: NFL standards. I mean is little as you basically can.

644
00:29:30,960 --> 00:29:33,280
Speaker 2: They have made very little by NFL standards.

645
00:29:32,920 --> 00:29:34,400
Speaker 4: And basically the minimum you can.

646
00:29:34,680 --> 00:29:37,680
Speaker 2: And so where you draw the Jalen Warren. Parallel is

647
00:29:37,720 --> 00:29:39,959
Speaker 2: when you have these guys that have clearly proven they

648
00:29:39,960 --> 00:29:43,040
Speaker 2: belong on NFL rosters. They belong active on an NFL side,

649
00:29:43,040 --> 00:29:45,720
Speaker 2: whether it's a starter, whether it's a backup. They're useful,

650
00:29:45,760 --> 00:29:48,720
Speaker 2: they belong on NFL game days, dressed on the field,

651
00:29:48,760 --> 00:29:50,360
Speaker 2: on the sideline in some capacity.

652
00:29:51,080 --> 00:29:54,080
Speaker 4: One might be a starting left tackle the right and

653
00:29:54,280 --> 00:29:54,880
Speaker 4: if he isn't.

654
00:29:55,160 --> 00:29:57,480
Speaker 2: These guys have not made much money, and you might

655
00:29:57,480 --> 00:30:00,280
Speaker 2: be able to get them at a pre me in

656
00:30:00,320 --> 00:30:01,840
Speaker 2: price right now. You might be able to give them

657
00:30:01,840 --> 00:30:06,200
Speaker 2: a good deal for the team, but would also allow

658
00:30:06,280 --> 00:30:08,720
Speaker 2: them to make some legitimate money for the first time

659
00:30:08,760 --> 00:30:09,960
Speaker 2: in their football playing career.

660
00:30:10,000 --> 00:30:13,560
Speaker 4: That's the thing I mean. So Mike brought up Dan Moore.

661
00:30:13,920 --> 00:30:16,520
Speaker 4: I don't think it's insane to say Cook could have

662
00:30:16,600 --> 00:30:19,200
Speaker 4: a Dan Moore like season if he was your starting

663
00:30:19,240 --> 00:30:23,000
Speaker 4: left tackle for seventeen games. Hits the open market and

664
00:30:23,000 --> 00:30:24,760
Speaker 4: I don't know if he'd get twenty because he doesn't

665
00:30:24,760 --> 00:30:27,080
Speaker 4: have quite the background, But maybe he gets fifteen and

666
00:30:27,160 --> 00:30:29,680
Speaker 4: someone looks at him as a starting left tackle. Good

667
00:30:29,680 --> 00:30:33,560
Speaker 4: for him, that'd be great. Or you just locked both

668
00:30:33,600 --> 00:30:35,760
Speaker 4: them up now that you know what I mean, Like

669
00:30:35,760 --> 00:30:37,040
Speaker 4: I always think about it. I don't know if these

670
00:30:37,040 --> 00:30:40,200
Speaker 4: guys are married, I don't know if they have kids, whatever,

671
00:30:40,520 --> 00:30:44,239
Speaker 4: But hypothetically they're young people that have families that are

672
00:30:44,280 --> 00:30:46,600
Speaker 4: going to or have a wife or a fiance or

673
00:30:46,640 --> 00:30:50,160
Speaker 4: whatever they do on their personal life. Do you think

674
00:30:50,760 --> 00:30:54,400
Speaker 4: Missus Anderson or missus Cook would be like, so the

675
00:30:54,440 --> 00:31:00,360
Speaker 4: Steelers offered you two years, five million per year, three

676
00:31:00,480 --> 00:31:05,280
Speaker 4: million guaranteed. Do you think his family's gonna be like, nah.

677
00:31:04,960 --> 00:31:07,720
Speaker 2: No, but just wait another year. Let's see what happened.

678
00:31:07,800 --> 00:31:11,360
Speaker 4: We can double your earnings with one signing bonus, and you're.

679
00:31:11,200 --> 00:31:14,240
Speaker 2: Gonna check here at some point in June or July.

680
00:31:14,560 --> 00:31:16,600
Speaker 4: Yeah, and then every week for the rest of the

681
00:31:16,640 --> 00:31:19,360
Speaker 4: next two years, on Monday or whatever, you're gonna get

682
00:31:19,440 --> 00:31:21,480
Speaker 4: a much bigger check than we've ever been used to.

683
00:31:22,080 --> 00:31:24,960
Speaker 4: You have job security, you know, two or three years ago,

684
00:31:25,000 --> 00:31:26,000
Speaker 4: you even know if you were going to do this

685
00:31:26,040 --> 00:31:28,080
Speaker 4: for a living, or you're gonna be an accountant or

686
00:31:28,080 --> 00:31:32,160
Speaker 4: a football coach or whatever. Buy him on I mean,

687
00:31:32,200 --> 00:31:34,160
Speaker 4: it's not even like eighty cents on the dollar. Buy

688
00:31:34,280 --> 00:31:36,400
Speaker 4: him at thirty cents on the dollar. Even if he's

689
00:31:36,440 --> 00:31:38,880
Speaker 4: not your starting left tackle or starting left guard.

690
00:31:39,000 --> 00:31:41,080
Speaker 2: It's still fair money that you're paying to a quality

691
00:31:41,120 --> 00:31:43,920
Speaker 2: backup at a position you can't find a positions that

692
00:31:44,040 --> 00:31:45,680
Speaker 2: everybody in the running.

693
00:31:46,760 --> 00:31:49,440
Speaker 4: And they do like both these people, and I know

694
00:31:49,480 --> 00:31:51,280
Speaker 4: everyone's like Matts Talwk and I have both sides his mouth.

695
00:31:51,280 --> 00:31:53,320
Speaker 4: He wants to draft a guard slash tackle in the

696
00:31:53,320 --> 00:31:55,480
Speaker 4: first round. Yeah, yeah, still gonna do it, get greedy,

697
00:31:55,520 --> 00:31:57,400
Speaker 4: I'm still gonna do it. I'm still gonna do it,

698
00:31:57,440 --> 00:31:59,960
Speaker 4: you know, like because I want nine of these dudes

699
00:32:00,080 --> 00:32:01,880
Speaker 4: can all play because there's a shortage.

700
00:32:02,000 --> 00:32:04,000
Speaker 2: Matt we and we also just two years ago, don't.

701
00:32:03,880 --> 00:32:06,160
Speaker 4: Thinking more gold? Thanks? You want some more gold? No,

702
00:32:06,200 --> 00:32:08,080
Speaker 4: I got it off. No, I'll think more.

703
00:32:11,280 --> 00:32:11,960
Speaker 2: Two years ago.

704
00:32:12,080 --> 00:32:14,600
Speaker 4: If gold cells for rept deal with I have gold

705
00:32:14,600 --> 00:32:16,320
Speaker 4: cells for one hundred bucks in ounce, and you can

706
00:32:16,360 --> 00:32:17,920
Speaker 4: give it to me for twenty bucks an ounce. I'm

707
00:32:17,920 --> 00:32:18,400
Speaker 4: gonna buy it.

708
00:32:18,440 --> 00:32:20,560
Speaker 2: No, I have too much. That's too much of a

709
00:32:20,600 --> 00:32:22,440
Speaker 2: good deal to put it it. Don't need that much.

710
00:32:22,480 --> 00:32:23,840
Speaker 2: I don't want to get greedy over here.

711
00:32:23,680 --> 00:32:26,280
Speaker 4: In a safe space for it.

712
00:32:26,320 --> 00:32:28,800
Speaker 2: And I think too, and I think to the ultimate

713
00:32:28,960 --> 00:32:33,560
Speaker 2: reason or ultimate kind of why you want to over

714
00:32:33,680 --> 00:32:37,480
Speaker 2: prepare at this position? Remember two years ago, twenty twenty four.

715
00:32:37,680 --> 00:32:39,800
Speaker 2: By the time the Steelers had made it to Week three,

716
00:32:40,160 --> 00:32:43,959
Speaker 2: they were down three significant bodies for the year on

717
00:32:43,960 --> 00:32:47,160
Speaker 2: that offensive line. Now, you started with Herbig, You started

718
00:32:47,160 --> 00:32:49,320
Speaker 2: with Nate Herbig as your center, and we all think

719
00:32:49,440 --> 00:32:51,480
Speaker 2: there's a good chance at some point maybe Zach Fraser

720
00:32:51,480 --> 00:32:54,200
Speaker 2: would have usurped him. Probably, but he gets injured for

721
00:32:54,240 --> 00:32:55,360
Speaker 2: the season in training camp.

722
00:32:55,400 --> 00:32:56,800
Speaker 4: But the day he got injured, he was a start.

723
00:32:56,920 --> 00:32:58,600
Speaker 2: He was a starter, and at worst case he would

724
00:32:58,600 --> 00:33:01,200
Speaker 2: have been your six man off the bench, could play guard, center, guard,

725
00:33:01,480 --> 00:33:04,240
Speaker 2: you know, a great piece to have. Faltonu, who was

726
00:33:04,240 --> 00:33:06,560
Speaker 2: your first round pick, hurt in training camp, hurt again

727
00:33:06,600 --> 00:33:08,320
Speaker 2: in the second game of the year, out for the

728
00:33:08,360 --> 00:33:11,520
Speaker 2: rest of the way. James Daniels, who before that had

729
00:33:11,520 --> 00:33:13,560
Speaker 2: been your biggest free agency signing and was one of

730
00:33:13,600 --> 00:33:15,800
Speaker 2: your quality pieces on that offensive line. What was it

731
00:33:15,840 --> 00:33:18,680
Speaker 2: week three or week four in Indianapolis, out for the year.

732
00:33:19,040 --> 00:33:21,240
Speaker 2: So all of a sudden, you think, man, we've got

733
00:33:21,400 --> 00:33:24,240
Speaker 2: eight offensive lineman, nine offensive lineman who can really play,

734
00:33:24,320 --> 00:33:26,800
Speaker 2: and before you even get to the end of September,

735
00:33:26,960 --> 00:33:28,239
Speaker 2: three of those guys are done for the year.

736
00:33:28,320 --> 00:33:30,960
Speaker 4: Yeah, and Dale and I talked about this a ton

737
00:33:31,040 --> 00:33:33,320
Speaker 4: when they drafted McCormick, like they don't need that guy.

738
00:33:33,800 --> 00:33:35,120
Speaker 4: That's the one extra at the time.

739
00:33:35,160 --> 00:33:37,000
Speaker 3: I mean they drafted too.

740
00:33:37,960 --> 00:33:39,600
Speaker 4: I'm like, they really don't need to take another guard,

741
00:33:39,600 --> 00:33:42,080
Speaker 4: but I'm so happy they did because he was a guy.

742
00:33:42,160 --> 00:33:44,120
Speaker 4: When we did mock drafts, we picked a lot for

743
00:33:44,160 --> 00:33:46,360
Speaker 4: the Steelers as like a third round guy. You know,

744
00:33:46,440 --> 00:33:48,680
Speaker 4: we were high on McCormick rightfully, so we kind of

745
00:33:48,720 --> 00:33:51,640
Speaker 4: nailed it. And Okay, you don't really need to take

746
00:33:51,680 --> 00:33:54,280
Speaker 4: three in the first four rounds, but get greedy and

747
00:33:54,320 --> 00:33:57,240
Speaker 4: it paid off huge. It's a great example for taking one.

748
00:33:57,360 --> 00:34:01,040
Speaker 4: More so, even back to Cook and Anderson. Okay, Cook

749
00:34:01,080 --> 00:34:03,840
Speaker 4: doesn't win your starting left tackle job, you draft Kaitlin

750
00:34:03,880 --> 00:34:06,720
Speaker 4: Proctor and he's great. Or Cook does win and he's

751
00:34:06,800 --> 00:34:10,960
Speaker 4: not particularly good. Okay, if he's not particularly good. A

752
00:34:11,040 --> 00:34:13,719
Speaker 4: contract like guy threw out four million or five ye year,

753
00:34:13,760 --> 00:34:15,719
Speaker 4: six yearllion a year, I don't even care exactly what

754
00:34:15,840 --> 00:34:19,239
Speaker 4: numbers are, but it's not gonna be fifteen. You can

755
00:34:19,280 --> 00:34:20,960
Speaker 4: get out of a no time. You could cut that

756
00:34:21,000 --> 00:34:23,680
Speaker 4: guy tomorrow if he falls on his face.

757
00:34:23,440 --> 00:34:23,600
Speaker 3: And.

758
00:34:26,440 --> 00:34:29,399
Speaker 2: The most minimal impact possible on your dead cap money

759
00:34:29,640 --> 00:34:30,840
Speaker 2: very ray be a blip.

760
00:34:30,600 --> 00:34:33,480
Speaker 4: On the radar, or more likely you happen to draft

761
00:34:33,520 --> 00:34:36,680
Speaker 4: past him. He's played right tackle, he's played left as

762
00:34:36,680 --> 00:34:39,280
Speaker 4: all those dudes do. You can't come in his undrafted

763
00:34:39,320 --> 00:34:41,000
Speaker 4: free agent and be like, I'm only a left tackle.

764
00:34:41,000 --> 00:34:43,279
Speaker 4: I'm Anthony Munoz I can do whatever I want. No,

765
00:34:43,600 --> 00:34:46,080
Speaker 4: you've had to do everything. So he's like your six guy.

766
00:34:46,080 --> 00:34:49,200
Speaker 4: If Faltanu goes down, if you're going to continue to

767
00:34:49,200 --> 00:34:51,480
Speaker 4: play six offensive lineman, it could be Cook, it could

768
00:34:51,520 --> 00:34:54,319
Speaker 4: be Anderson. Anderson came in the league as a seventh

769
00:34:54,360 --> 00:34:57,280
Speaker 4: round pick. He's played both guards, He's played some center.

770
00:34:57,440 --> 00:34:59,120
Speaker 4: Even his rookie camp he played a little bit of

771
00:34:59,200 --> 00:35:02,160
Speaker 4: right tackle, even played the sixth offensive line spot, which

772
00:35:02,160 --> 00:35:04,640
Speaker 4: is a little different. So there's a lot of usage

773
00:35:04,920 --> 00:35:08,200
Speaker 4: usages for these guys even if they don't start. And

774
00:35:08,239 --> 00:35:11,320
Speaker 4: if they do start and they're your fifth weekest starter,

775
00:35:11,480 --> 00:35:13,160
Speaker 4: you have four guys that are better than them. That's

776
00:35:13,200 --> 00:35:15,800
Speaker 4: a pretty good line, not bad, that's a real good line.

777
00:35:15,880 --> 00:35:19,000
Speaker 4: And the depth is super important. And just buy cheap.

778
00:35:19,600 --> 00:35:23,319
Speaker 2: I mean at a position where everybody needs help. Even

779
00:35:23,360 --> 00:35:25,360
Speaker 2: if whoever we think is the best offensive line in

780
00:35:25,360 --> 00:35:27,480
Speaker 2: the NFL in twenty twenty five, if you went to

781
00:35:27,520 --> 00:35:29,480
Speaker 2: their offensive line coach, he'd say, I'd still like to

782
00:35:29,480 --> 00:35:31,120
Speaker 2: add a piece here. I'd still like to get a

783
00:35:31,160 --> 00:35:33,719
Speaker 2: little bit better there. Even the best offensive lines still

784
00:35:33,760 --> 00:35:36,480
Speaker 2: would like better depth, would like a little bit more quality.

785
00:35:36,560 --> 00:35:39,480
Speaker 2: It's a it's a position where the demand greatly outweighs

786
00:35:39,480 --> 00:35:39,840
Speaker 2: the supply.

787
00:35:40,080 --> 00:35:43,640
Speaker 4: Yeah, and frankly, if you went to that o line coach,

788
00:35:43,680 --> 00:35:46,160
Speaker 4: whoever it is the best line in the league. Eagles

789
00:35:46,160 --> 00:35:48,920
Speaker 4: in their prime, you know Stoutlin, you know, went over there,

790
00:35:50,560 --> 00:35:54,880
Speaker 4: Dickerson Peters like, Hey, could you use Spencer Anderson or

791
00:35:54,960 --> 00:35:56,600
Speaker 4: Dalvin Cook or not? Dalvin Cook?

792
00:35:56,960 --> 00:35:57,959
Speaker 3: Dylan Cook, Dylan Cook.

793
00:35:58,560 --> 00:36:02,719
Speaker 4: Yeah, would love to have him. What if you have

794
00:36:02,760 --> 00:36:05,839
Speaker 4: to give him four millionaire? Yeah, I absolutely would love

795
00:36:05,840 --> 00:36:07,840
Speaker 4: to have it. He may not beat out Lane Johnson

796
00:36:07,880 --> 00:36:08,840
Speaker 4: in my lotto, but.

797
00:36:08,840 --> 00:36:10,319
Speaker 2: We might need him a week. We might need him

798
00:36:10,320 --> 00:36:13,399
Speaker 2: in week eleven. Speaking of offensive lineman, the great start,

799
00:36:13,600 --> 00:36:14,719
Speaker 2: two times Super.

800
00:36:14,480 --> 00:36:17,640
Speaker 4: Bowl champion Linman money, he likes that.

801
00:36:17,800 --> 00:36:21,719
Speaker 2: He likes that we like paying offensive lot whenever they want.

802
00:36:23,680 --> 00:36:24,160
Speaker 4: They're heavy.

803
00:36:24,200 --> 00:36:27,600
Speaker 2: He's ready to negotiate the contracts here. But I'm I'm

804
00:36:27,680 --> 00:36:29,279
Speaker 2: I think it makes a ton of sense, Matt, and

805
00:36:29,320 --> 00:36:30,960
Speaker 2: I think the Jayalen Moore an example is a great

806
00:36:30,960 --> 00:36:31,719
Speaker 2: parallel and just.

807
00:36:31,640 --> 00:36:32,239
Speaker 4: The time to do it.

808
00:36:32,239 --> 00:36:32,880
Speaker 3: It's time to do it.

809
00:36:32,880 --> 00:36:34,320
Speaker 4: They're only going to go up in value.

810
00:36:34,840 --> 00:36:35,680
Speaker 2: Get it done now.

811
00:36:35,960 --> 00:36:37,319
Speaker 4: And if they fall in their face, they fall in

812
00:36:37,320 --> 00:36:37,840
Speaker 4: their face.

813
00:36:37,640 --> 00:36:39,520
Speaker 2: And it doesn't really hurt. It doesn't hurt you on

814
00:36:39,560 --> 00:36:42,399
Speaker 2: the back end very much at all. Let's close down

815
00:36:42,400 --> 00:36:44,640
Speaker 2: the second hour of the show. When we return bonus

816
00:36:44,680 --> 00:36:47,160
Speaker 2: hour still to come, we might have another surprise guest

817
00:36:47,239 --> 00:36:48,960
Speaker 2: or two that will nap for you as we roll

818
00:36:49,000 --> 00:36:53,440
Speaker 2: along here, West Schuler Matt Williamson live from the Builtmore

819
00:36:53,560 --> 00:36:56,560
Speaker 2: in Phoenix, Arizona, about two thousand miles away from our

820
00:36:56,600 --> 00:37:00,840
Speaker 2: studios in Bridgeville. All part of the NFL Annual League meetings.

821
00:37:00,880 --> 00:37:04,600
Speaker 4: Here on Steelers Nation watch with Max's tonight at the party.

822
00:37:04,600 --> 00:37:10,920
Speaker 4: By the way, all buddy, this this jot down notes

823
00:37:11,000 --> 00:37:12,760
Speaker 4: of what Max consumes tonight.

824
00:37:12,800 --> 00:37:14,920
Speaker 2: By the time he's done eating those hermit crabs, might

825
00:37:14,920 --> 00:37:15,919
Speaker 2: be able to beat him in a race.

826
00:37:16,040 --> 00:37:18,799
Speaker 3: Yeah, yep, yep, West Yueler, Matt Williamson.

827
00:37:18,840 --> 00:37:21,520
Speaker 2: It is the Drive Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers

828
00:37:21,560 --> 00:37:22,240
Speaker 2: Audio Network.

829
00:37:22,880 --> 00:37:25,520
Speaker 1: Your tunes about Drive on your twenty four to seven

830
00:37:25,600 --> 00:37:29,840
Speaker 1: home of the Black and Goal Steelers Nation Radio.

831
00:37:34,200 --> 00:37:36,400
Speaker 2: Closing down the first or the second hour part of

832
00:37:36,400 --> 00:37:39,120
Speaker 2: me here of the Drive live at the NFL Annual

833
00:37:39,320 --> 00:37:42,240
Speaker 2: League Meetings and joining us now a special guest ESPN

834
00:37:42,360 --> 00:37:47,600
Speaker 2: senior reporter very special, formerly of Western Pennsylvania, formerly covering

835
00:37:47,600 --> 00:37:50,120
Speaker 2: the Pittsburgh Steelers for ESPN, used to stay in La

836
00:37:50,120 --> 00:37:52,439
Speaker 2: Trobe and the same dorm wing as myself and Matt

837
00:37:52,480 --> 00:37:56,360
Speaker 2: Williamson not too long ago. Jeremy Faller, what's up, partner?

838
00:37:56,400 --> 00:37:56,879
Speaker 3: How you doing?

839
00:37:57,160 --> 00:37:59,320
Speaker 5: Just have good man? We were just a few legends

840
00:37:59,320 --> 00:38:03,040
Speaker 5: dorming it up together. That's it, that's living the frat life. Yeah,

841
00:38:03,360 --> 00:38:03,920
Speaker 5: very much so.

842
00:38:04,080 --> 00:38:06,759
Speaker 4: We I heard you were a formidable player on the

843
00:38:06,800 --> 00:38:09,080
Speaker 4: hoop court at Saint Vincent too, the rumor has it

844
00:38:09,120 --> 00:38:09,640
Speaker 4: back in the day.

845
00:38:09,680 --> 00:38:11,040
Speaker 3: Yeah, I could play a little bit, yea play a

846
00:38:11,040 --> 00:38:11,319
Speaker 3: little bit.

847
00:38:11,320 --> 00:38:12,879
Speaker 5: I still try to play, but as you know, I'm

848
00:38:12,880 --> 00:38:14,680
Speaker 5: getting I'm in my mid forties now, so it's tough

849
00:38:15,120 --> 00:38:15,840
Speaker 5: tough to get around.

850
00:38:15,880 --> 00:38:17,640
Speaker 2: Gets a little bit tougher. He's got the height though,

851
00:38:17,680 --> 00:38:20,200
Speaker 2: for sure does Jeremy Faller. Well, thanks for taking the time.

852
00:38:20,200 --> 00:38:20,319
Speaker 3: Man.

853
00:38:20,400 --> 00:38:22,040
Speaker 2: Let's jump into it here. I'm sure you know where

854
00:38:22,040 --> 00:38:24,880
Speaker 2: we want to start. What's the latest on Aaron Rodgers,

855
00:38:24,920 --> 00:38:26,960
Speaker 2: what are you hearing? Are we any closer to the

856
00:38:26,960 --> 00:38:28,759
Speaker 2: finish line than the start of this thing?

857
00:38:29,160 --> 00:38:29,360
Speaker 3: You know?

858
00:38:29,480 --> 00:38:31,160
Speaker 5: I yeah, I wish I could tell you there was

859
00:38:31,200 --> 00:38:34,040
Speaker 5: some sort of one year or two year deal finalized

860
00:38:34,120 --> 00:38:36,719
Speaker 5: right now, but I just don't since a lot of

861
00:38:36,760 --> 00:38:39,200
Speaker 5: momentum at the moment. That's not a reason to worry.

862
00:38:39,239 --> 00:38:41,319
Speaker 5: I just you know, when I checked with people with

863
00:38:41,400 --> 00:38:43,120
Speaker 5: the team, they said, hey, you know, hopefully we find

864
00:38:43,160 --> 00:38:46,120
Speaker 5: some out before the draft, but uh, there's really no

865
00:38:46,239 --> 00:38:48,600
Speaker 5: firm timeline right now. So I think it's in the

866
00:38:48,640 --> 00:38:50,920
Speaker 5: same place. I still expect him to be a Steeler,

867
00:38:51,680 --> 00:38:54,000
Speaker 5: and uh, you know, it seems like the relationship is

868
00:38:54,040 --> 00:38:56,680
Speaker 5: good and it was a good experience for him, and

869
00:38:56,719 --> 00:38:59,759
Speaker 5: Mike McCarthy knows him well, but they haven't had to

870
00:38:59,760 --> 00:39:02,479
Speaker 5: pivot yet to anything else. So it's just with Aaron

871
00:39:02,520 --> 00:39:05,360
Speaker 5: Rodgers and his timelines for multiple off seasons, like, it's

872
00:39:05,400 --> 00:39:08,719
Speaker 5: always been an unpredictable proposition, so it's hard to really

873
00:39:08,760 --> 00:39:11,359
Speaker 5: know exactly what to expect. You know. I know they've

874
00:39:11,360 --> 00:39:13,560
Speaker 5: done a pretty good amount of homework on this draft class.

875
00:39:13,600 --> 00:39:15,600
Speaker 5: I don't know what that means. It's because it turned

876
00:39:15,600 --> 00:39:18,160
Speaker 5: out to be not an overly strong one depth wise,

877
00:39:18,200 --> 00:39:19,680
Speaker 5: but you know, maybe in the middle rounds do they

878
00:39:19,719 --> 00:39:22,040
Speaker 5: look at somebody and then you know you have the

879
00:39:22,080 --> 00:39:24,520
Speaker 5: Will Howard conversation. I mean when you talk to people

880
00:39:24,520 --> 00:39:27,240
Speaker 5: with the team, they do speak up Will Howard.

881
00:39:27,400 --> 00:39:30,120
Speaker 4: Do you think that's real? Huh? Yeah, they're at least

882
00:39:30,200 --> 00:39:31,480
Speaker 4: enthusiastic about them.

883
00:39:31,360 --> 00:39:34,080
Speaker 5: Or probably I mean, right, I think they're layers to it.

884
00:39:34,239 --> 00:39:36,480
Speaker 5: He's a layer discussion. Do I think that they're high

885
00:39:36,520 --> 00:39:38,719
Speaker 5: enough on him where he's you know, he's got to

886
00:39:38,719 --> 00:39:41,600
Speaker 5: start right now? No, but I was told they were

887
00:39:41,640 --> 00:39:44,520
Speaker 5: really impressed by how he handles the huddle, how he

888
00:39:44,600 --> 00:39:47,560
Speaker 5: handles the operation, like he was ahead of the game

889
00:39:47,600 --> 00:39:50,680
Speaker 5: with that stuff, with like the nuances of the position.

890
00:39:50,800 --> 00:39:53,400
Speaker 5: So because of that they do like them.

891
00:39:53,440 --> 00:39:53,640
Speaker 4: Now.

892
00:39:53,680 --> 00:39:54,879
Speaker 5: Do I think they're ready to start them?

893
00:39:54,920 --> 00:39:55,520
Speaker 4: No, but.

894
00:39:57,000 --> 00:40:00,000
Speaker 5: Yeah, it's somewhere in the middle. I are they overset

895
00:40:00,000 --> 00:40:02,440
Speaker 5: telling him a little bit in the absence Aaron Rodgers? Maybe,

896
00:40:03,040 --> 00:40:05,279
Speaker 5: But I do think there's genuine interest in what he

897
00:40:05,320 --> 00:40:06,400
Speaker 5: can do and how he can develop.

898
00:40:06,560 --> 00:40:09,839
Speaker 4: So you mentioned pivoting away from Rogers. Did you didn't

899
00:40:09,880 --> 00:40:12,440
Speaker 4: have any inclination that they were in on Kyler Murray

900
00:40:12,760 --> 00:40:16,040
Speaker 4: or they would go to a Cousins or a car

901
00:40:16,160 --> 00:40:18,959
Speaker 4: or anything like that if Rogers fell through or maybe

902
00:40:18,960 --> 00:40:20,400
Speaker 4: that is a possibility at this point.

903
00:40:20,320 --> 00:40:22,560
Speaker 5: I just haven't heard anything hard to pass with that.

904
00:40:23,040 --> 00:40:25,000
Speaker 5: I definitely don't think they were in on Kyler Murray

905
00:40:25,960 --> 00:40:28,480
Speaker 5: or any of the quarterbacks that signed, you know, Jingo Smith.

906
00:40:29,280 --> 00:40:32,120
Speaker 4: Willis was ever cross your mind, really either. That was

907
00:40:32,160 --> 00:40:34,399
Speaker 4: the one I thought is different than all the red Yeah.

908
00:40:34,480 --> 00:40:36,239
Speaker 5: I mean, I think they evaluated it, but I never

909
00:40:36,280 --> 00:40:37,759
Speaker 5: got the sense they were going to be in on it.

910
00:40:37,760 --> 00:40:41,640
Speaker 5: It was really Miami Arizona for that one, was my sense. Yeah,

911
00:40:41,960 --> 00:40:44,719
Speaker 5: So it'll be interesting to see what the Rams do

912
00:40:44,800 --> 00:40:46,600
Speaker 5: because it looks like they'd like to bring back either

913
00:40:46,640 --> 00:40:49,760
Speaker 5: Garoppolo or maybe sign Kirk Cousins as a backup. Whoever

914
00:40:49,800 --> 00:40:52,080
Speaker 5: doesn't sign with the Rams, they'll still be out there.

915
00:40:52,520 --> 00:40:52,680
Speaker 4: You know.

916
00:40:52,719 --> 00:40:53,719
Speaker 5: Does Pittsburgh just want to.

917
00:40:53,719 --> 00:40:56,040
Speaker 4: Give a name Cousins to the Raiders?

918
00:40:56,400 --> 00:40:59,399
Speaker 5: Yeah, that's a good one. Yeah, I do think, Well, yeah,

919
00:40:59,440 --> 00:41:02,239
Speaker 5: we're playing, don I know the Raiders. We're in talks

920
00:41:02,239 --> 00:41:04,359
Speaker 5: with Joe Flacco before he signed with Cincinnati, but they

921
00:41:04,400 --> 00:41:06,319
Speaker 5: just couldn't come to an agreement. So he's like, well,

922
00:41:06,360 --> 00:41:08,600
Speaker 5: forget it. I'll just go play for Cincinnati again, so

923
00:41:08,760 --> 00:41:10,960
Speaker 5: because of that, they can pivot to Cousins. I do

924
00:41:11,000 --> 00:41:13,399
Speaker 5: think that might be the play. But does Pittsburgh want

925
00:41:13,400 --> 00:41:14,960
Speaker 5: to get involved in one of those two guys, is

926
00:41:15,000 --> 00:41:16,800
Speaker 5: just to have an extra option?

927
00:41:17,160 --> 00:41:17,839
Speaker 3: I still don't.

928
00:41:17,880 --> 00:41:20,520
Speaker 5: Since they are doing that, which tells me that it's

929
00:41:20,520 --> 00:41:22,120
Speaker 5: probably going to be Rogers, but we just don't have

930
00:41:22,200 --> 00:41:23,160
Speaker 5: any evidence of that yet.

931
00:41:23,239 --> 00:41:24,920
Speaker 4: Do you think Carr will be in the league this year?

932
00:41:25,880 --> 00:41:26,920
Speaker 5: I don't really.

933
00:41:26,920 --> 00:41:29,080
Speaker 4: You don't think there's enough people banging down his door

934
00:41:29,160 --> 00:41:29,839
Speaker 4: after year off.

935
00:41:29,840 --> 00:41:31,680
Speaker 5: I think the window has passed, especially when you sit

936
00:41:31,719 --> 00:41:34,799
Speaker 5: out a year. You know, it was kind of a

937
00:41:34,840 --> 00:41:37,200
Speaker 5: clumsy exit in New Orleans with the injury and the

938
00:41:37,200 --> 00:41:39,680
Speaker 5: thirty million dollars. I don't know. I don't sense teams

939
00:41:39,680 --> 00:41:40,759
Speaker 5: are clamoring to sign him.

940
00:41:40,760 --> 00:41:45,640
Speaker 2: No, okay, Jeremy twenty two days until the NFL Draft opens,

941
00:41:45,640 --> 00:41:48,200
Speaker 2: of course on the north shore of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Go

942
00:41:48,239 --> 00:41:49,960
Speaker 2: ahead and get in line for the tunnels. Now, if

943
00:41:50,000 --> 00:41:52,840
Speaker 2: you're trying to make it on time. Do you feel like,

944
00:41:52,840 --> 00:41:55,000
Speaker 2: with the sense that it's not the strongest draft class,

945
00:41:55,120 --> 00:41:59,400
Speaker 2: and particularly at the quarterback position, we could see less movement,

946
00:41:59,840 --> 00:42:02,920
Speaker 2: more static draft. This year than than typical years.

947
00:42:03,680 --> 00:42:06,520
Speaker 5: Possibly, It really depends on how you view a Ki

948
00:42:06,640 --> 00:42:09,520
Speaker 5: Simpson for example, Like you know, I've todd to teams

949
00:42:09,560 --> 00:42:11,319
Speaker 5: who think he could go in round one, but it's

950
00:42:12,560 --> 00:42:15,520
Speaker 5: it's tough because you know, not all teams value him

951
00:42:15,520 --> 00:42:17,280
Speaker 5: as a first round pick either as far as a grade.

952
00:42:17,320 --> 00:42:19,080
Speaker 5: You know, So does this go the way of Shador

953
00:42:19,160 --> 00:42:23,240
Speaker 5: Sanders where he falls, or does he become an option

954
00:42:23,400 --> 00:42:25,840
Speaker 5: kind of like Jackson Dart last year where he was

955
00:42:26,120 --> 00:42:28,719
Speaker 5: ascending more towards the draft. Then you have the New

956
00:42:28,800 --> 00:42:31,080
Speaker 5: York Giants come in in the late first round to

957
00:42:31,120 --> 00:42:32,719
Speaker 5: make a trade to get them, you know, could you

958
00:42:32,719 --> 00:42:35,279
Speaker 5: see somebody do that? So I still think he'll probably

959
00:42:35,320 --> 00:42:37,440
Speaker 5: go in the first somewhere, but I don't think he'll

960
00:42:37,440 --> 00:42:41,160
Speaker 5: be high. I think it'd be more later. And yeah,

961
00:42:41,200 --> 00:42:43,440
Speaker 5: outside of that, there's just aren't a lot of slam dunks,

962
00:42:43,480 --> 00:42:45,160
Speaker 5: you know, Garrett Nessmira, I still think it'll be a

963
00:42:45,239 --> 00:42:48,880
Speaker 5: Day two pick somewhere. And if you go back to

964
00:42:48,880 --> 00:42:50,920
Speaker 5: his twenty twenty four tape was pretty good, you know.

965
00:42:51,040 --> 00:42:54,040
Speaker 5: So you know, Drew aller and at Penn State has

966
00:42:54,040 --> 00:42:55,840
Speaker 5: a lot of ability, but a lot of questions, Like

967
00:42:55,880 --> 00:42:59,200
Speaker 5: there's just a lot of polarizing prospects at that position

968
00:42:59,280 --> 00:43:03,400
Speaker 5: that's gonna be h more so for the mid rounds,

969
00:43:03,560 --> 00:43:05,879
Speaker 5: you know, mid to late rounds of just I don't

970
00:43:05,920 --> 00:43:08,400
Speaker 5: sense a lot of movement outside of Mendozo.

971
00:43:08,160 --> 00:43:12,400
Speaker 4: One, including the quarterback market. But I think overall, you

972
00:43:12,400 --> 00:43:15,560
Speaker 4: think it's safe to say that the league is coveting

973
00:43:15,600 --> 00:43:18,680
Speaker 4: picks for next year's draft more than this year's draft.

974
00:43:18,800 --> 00:43:21,239
Speaker 4: It's does the Steelers can dump a third round or

975
00:43:21,239 --> 00:43:23,239
Speaker 4: for the six round or second round or next year.

976
00:43:24,040 --> 00:43:26,120
Speaker 4: It might be harder to swing than you think.

977
00:43:26,200 --> 00:43:27,160
Speaker 5: It does seem that way.

978
00:43:27,400 --> 00:43:27,920
Speaker 4: It's funny.

979
00:43:28,040 --> 00:43:31,239
Speaker 5: I feel like I hear every year from other teams, I, oh,

980
00:43:31,239 --> 00:43:33,160
Speaker 5: it's not a really strong draft and they're only like

981
00:43:33,360 --> 00:43:36,439
Speaker 5: text year tenor TWL first round picks and next year's

982
00:43:36,520 --> 00:43:37,120
Speaker 5: draft is better.

983
00:43:37,200 --> 00:43:37,480
Speaker 4: Yeah.

984
00:43:38,000 --> 00:43:40,400
Speaker 5: I feel like that's the conversation a lot. And this

985
00:43:40,520 --> 00:43:42,680
Speaker 5: year's draft was supposed to be a good quarterback draft

986
00:43:42,680 --> 00:43:45,320
Speaker 5: if you ask people eight months ago, and then it wasn't.

987
00:43:45,400 --> 00:43:49,640
Speaker 5: So it's always fluid and yeah, but I do sense

988
00:43:49,640 --> 00:43:53,400
Speaker 5: at least from a quarterback position, there's supposed to be more.

989
00:43:53,520 --> 00:43:55,719
Speaker 4: More options at least, yeah.

990
00:43:55,640 --> 00:43:58,120
Speaker 5: Just the first round, maybe a little more flair at

991
00:43:58,120 --> 00:43:59,319
Speaker 5: the position than you have this year.

992
00:43:59,680 --> 00:44:02,360
Speaker 2: Jeremy Fowler with us here on the Drive on Steelers

993
00:44:02,480 --> 00:44:05,879
Speaker 2: Nation Radio, the Steelers Audio Network. All right, Jeremy, one

994
00:44:06,640 --> 00:44:11,239
Speaker 2: both or neither Miles Garrett AJ Brown trades from their

995
00:44:11,239 --> 00:44:13,680
Speaker 2: current organization one of those guys. Both of those guys,

996
00:44:13,719 --> 00:44:15,799
Speaker 2: neither of those guys playing for a new team in

997
00:44:15,880 --> 00:44:16,479
Speaker 2: twenty six.

998
00:44:16,920 --> 00:44:21,640
Speaker 5: I'll say AJ Brown traded Miles Garrett stays. I mean,

999
00:44:21,640 --> 00:44:25,439
Speaker 5: the Browns have been pretty you know, definitive, I think,

1000
00:44:25,520 --> 00:44:27,680
Speaker 5: and that they're not trading Miles Garrett. Maybe there's a

1001
00:44:27,680 --> 00:44:29,719
Speaker 5: little wiggle room there. It's just hard to believe because

1002
00:44:29,719 --> 00:44:32,319
Speaker 5: they're not a good team and you figure he can

1003
00:44:32,320 --> 00:44:33,080
Speaker 5: go somewhere.

1004
00:44:32,760 --> 00:44:35,080
Speaker 2: And win, but really cash in on them now, Yeah.

1005
00:44:34,920 --> 00:44:36,920
Speaker 5: Yeah, just I don't know, it doesn't It doesn't make

1006
00:44:36,920 --> 00:44:39,600
Speaker 5: a lot of sense for them to trade them. You know,

1007
00:44:39,680 --> 00:44:43,239
Speaker 5: he's clearing away their best player. You know, he's still

1008
00:44:43,239 --> 00:44:45,480
Speaker 5: good enough to help win games on his own at times,

1009
00:44:46,360 --> 00:44:48,480
Speaker 5: and the Browns do, even though they're in transition, they

1010
00:44:48,520 --> 00:44:51,160
Speaker 5: do expect to be better offensively this year, So it

1011
00:44:51,160 --> 00:44:52,839
Speaker 5: doesn't make a lot of sense. He Aj Brown, that's

1012
00:44:52,880 --> 00:44:55,040
Speaker 5: been building for months. You know, I've tout to people

1013
00:44:55,800 --> 00:44:57,920
Speaker 5: with other teams back in October and November who were

1014
00:44:57,960 --> 00:45:00,120
Speaker 5: sort of projecting that they would have to trade them.

1015
00:45:00,760 --> 00:45:03,720
Speaker 5: And Howie Rosen's message this week is well, AJ Brown's

1016
00:45:03,760 --> 00:45:05,520
Speaker 5: an Eagle for now, and that's all I can say. Well,

1017
00:45:05,600 --> 00:45:08,239
Speaker 5: a month ago he was saying, you know, you don't

1018
00:45:08,239 --> 00:45:10,120
Speaker 5: want to trade away really good players. Yep, So the

1019
00:45:10,520 --> 00:45:14,680
Speaker 5: tune is different now where it seems like it's inevitable.

1020
00:45:14,719 --> 00:45:16,480
Speaker 5: I would say it just depends on when, you know.

1021
00:45:16,520 --> 00:45:18,160
Speaker 5: But I just I don't think he wants to be

1022
00:45:18,200 --> 00:45:20,600
Speaker 5: there either, so it just makes sense to move on

1023
00:45:20,680 --> 00:45:21,160
Speaker 5: at this point.

1024
00:45:21,440 --> 00:45:23,200
Speaker 4: Last thing I go for it is along those lines, too,

1025
00:45:23,600 --> 00:45:26,560
Speaker 4: is do we think Max Crosby is now a Raider

1026
00:45:26,560 --> 00:45:27,560
Speaker 4: and not going anywhere?

1027
00:45:27,840 --> 00:45:28,160
Speaker 3: Well?

1028
00:45:29,280 --> 00:45:32,400
Speaker 5: Yes, I would say the draft is always a time

1029
00:45:32,400 --> 00:45:33,759
Speaker 5: where things can heat up a little bit, and we're

1030
00:45:33,760 --> 00:45:36,840
Speaker 5: talking about timelines. Right now, it's sort of dormant, you know,

1031
00:45:36,960 --> 00:45:39,560
Speaker 5: late April, does somebody make a move at him, try

1032
00:45:39,600 --> 00:45:41,520
Speaker 5: to buy low on him a little bit compared to

1033
00:45:41,560 --> 00:45:43,239
Speaker 5: what the Ravens would have given up with the two

1034
00:45:43,239 --> 00:45:45,440
Speaker 5: first round picks. I don't think the Raiders want to

1035
00:45:45,440 --> 00:45:47,759
Speaker 5: do that at this point because they know they can't

1036
00:45:47,800 --> 00:45:50,520
Speaker 5: get a great return and it didn't work out. You

1037
00:45:50,560 --> 00:45:52,080
Speaker 5: have the stigma of the knee issue, but then you

1038
00:45:52,160 --> 00:45:53,840
Speaker 5: also have a really good player back in your building.

1039
00:45:53,920 --> 00:45:56,440
Speaker 5: So it seems like both sides are willing to move

1040
00:45:56,480 --> 00:45:59,200
Speaker 5: forward to each other for now and then you know.

1041
00:45:59,160 --> 00:46:02,600
Speaker 4: But almos like a trade deadline thing. The Lions call

1042
00:46:02,680 --> 00:46:05,040
Speaker 4: them the trade deadline and yeah, no, you can still

1043
00:46:05,080 --> 00:46:05,439
Speaker 4: have them.

1044
00:46:05,800 --> 00:46:09,120
Speaker 5: Yeah, Like, there's a scenario that is workable. Right, if

1045
00:46:09,160 --> 00:46:12,560
Speaker 5: you go into the season, he shows he's healthy training

1046
00:46:12,560 --> 00:46:15,080
Speaker 5: camp early in the year, playing really well five or six, Yeah,

1047
00:46:15,320 --> 00:46:17,279
Speaker 5: he's not an issue, then maybe you do it at

1048
00:46:17,280 --> 00:46:19,160
Speaker 5: the deadline. I think that probably makes the most sense.

1049
00:46:20,000 --> 00:46:21,920
Speaker 2: One more for you before we let you go, Jeremy,

1050
00:46:22,120 --> 00:46:26,200
Speaker 2: what's your temperature gauge heat check on this standoff between

1051
00:46:26,200 --> 00:46:29,279
Speaker 2: the league and the NFL Referees Association. Are we going

1052
00:46:29,320 --> 00:46:32,600
Speaker 2: to have another replacement ref scenario? Is it still just

1053
00:46:32,680 --> 00:46:36,120
Speaker 2: in the posturing and the kind of narrative phase of this,

1054
00:46:36,200 --> 00:46:38,560
Speaker 2: and you think something will get done before the season.

1055
00:46:39,040 --> 00:46:42,960
Speaker 2: What's your confidence level on all this, man?

1056
00:46:43,280 --> 00:46:46,360
Speaker 5: Well, I think it is some posturing going on, Yes,

1057
00:46:46,400 --> 00:46:49,759
Speaker 5: but the league is prepared to hire replacement refs and

1058
00:46:50,000 --> 00:46:52,600
Speaker 5: they're prepared to do it. Here pretty soon. So that

1059
00:46:52,680 --> 00:46:56,880
Speaker 5: does apply some pressure. It's complicated because those guys, I

1060
00:46:56,920 --> 00:46:59,880
Speaker 5: feel like, take more scrutiny now than they ever have. Sure,

1061
00:47:00,080 --> 00:47:01,680
Speaker 5: so I think as a result, they're fighting for their

1062
00:47:01,760 --> 00:47:05,560
Speaker 5: rights a little stronger, more fervently, you know. So that's

1063
00:47:05,560 --> 00:47:07,879
Speaker 5: why I could take some time. It's a concern. It's

1064
00:47:07,880 --> 00:47:10,400
Speaker 5: probably the biggest concern here. You know, the League has

1065
00:47:11,200 --> 00:47:14,560
Speaker 5: nudged people around it and inside it to not talk

1066
00:47:14,600 --> 00:47:18,000
Speaker 5: about this stuff, and you know, but the negotiations have

1067
00:47:18,120 --> 00:47:20,840
Speaker 5: really gone anywhere. Usually like to see at least a

1068
00:47:20,840 --> 00:47:23,160
Speaker 5: little progress by now. So I think that's the biggest concern.

1069
00:47:23,280 --> 00:47:25,319
Speaker 5: So and anything's on the table with that. I mean,

1070
00:47:25,360 --> 00:47:27,920
Speaker 5: it feels possible that you could have issues here. And

1071
00:47:27,960 --> 00:47:31,040
Speaker 5: really the bigger conversation is, you know, the League office

1072
00:47:31,040 --> 00:47:33,799
Speaker 5: in New York has their kind of mothership now where

1073
00:47:33,800 --> 00:47:36,399
Speaker 5: they have one hundred cameras, They got this big control room. Yep,

1074
00:47:36,680 --> 00:47:38,560
Speaker 5: they can start to make more calls. They're going to

1075
00:47:38,600 --> 00:47:41,799
Speaker 5: vote this week on whether they should be able to

1076
00:47:42,560 --> 00:47:45,960
Speaker 5: intercede on like, let's say something on sportsmanlike that happened

1077
00:47:46,400 --> 00:47:48,279
Speaker 5: that they can identify and throw a flag on from

1078
00:47:48,280 --> 00:47:51,960
Speaker 5: New York. So it's going that way, and that's looming

1079
00:47:52,040 --> 00:47:54,040
Speaker 5: large in these discussions, as well as how much influence

1080
00:47:54,080 --> 00:47:55,080
Speaker 5: will New York continue to have?

1081
00:47:56,080 --> 00:47:58,839
Speaker 2: Great stuff as always, Jeremy Fowler, you see them all

1082
00:47:58,840 --> 00:48:02,560
Speaker 2: over the place Sports, NFL Live, ESPN dot Com. I

1083
00:48:02,560 --> 00:48:04,160
Speaker 2: assume you'll be you'll be in Pittsburgh here in a

1084
00:48:04,160 --> 00:48:05,400
Speaker 2: few weeks for the draft, obviously.

1085
00:48:05,520 --> 00:48:06,279
Speaker 3: I don't think I will.

1086
00:48:06,560 --> 00:48:08,919
Speaker 5: Yeah, I'm usually in Connecticut for the draft, just doing

1087
00:48:08,960 --> 00:48:11,800
Speaker 5: things locally. I'd love to, though, I need to lobby

1088
00:48:11,840 --> 00:48:12,000
Speaker 5: for that.

1089
00:48:12,200 --> 00:48:15,400
Speaker 2: Get get back to your former stomping grounds.

1090
00:48:15,560 --> 00:48:16,239
Speaker 5: It's gonna be fun.

1091
00:48:17,280 --> 00:48:17,680
Speaker 3: It's sure.

1092
00:48:17,719 --> 00:48:19,439
Speaker 2: It's sure. Will, It's sure, Will. Jeremy, thanks for taking

1093
00:48:19,440 --> 00:48:20,440
Speaker 2: the time, man. We appreciate it.

1094
00:48:20,440 --> 00:48:20,839
Speaker 5: Thank you.

1095
00:48:20,960 --> 00:48:23,120
Speaker 2: Jeremy Fowler here to close down hour number two, the

1096
00:48:23,200 --> 00:48:26,400
Speaker 2: bonus hour, third hour of the show. Here from the

1097
00:48:26,440 --> 00:48:29,880
Speaker 2: Builtmore in Phoenix, Arizona, on the other side, West Shouler,

1098
00:48:29,960 --> 00:48:33,319
Speaker 2: Matt Williamson. It is the drive Steelers Nation Radio on

1099
00:48:33,360 --> 00:48:34,680
Speaker 2: the Steelers Audio Network.