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Speaker 1: This is the Drive with Dale Lolly and Matt Williamson

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Speaker 1: on Home of the Black and Gold Steelers Nation Radio.

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Speaker 1: Welcome to the Drive. I'm Dale Lolly here with Matt Williamson.

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Speaker 1: It's a lovely Monday here in Pittsburgh and lots of

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Speaker 1: stuff to talk about. Today's roll into the another week.

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Speaker 1: Here is almost to the July. Yeah, by the end

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Speaker 1: of the week, will be into July. And we know

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Speaker 1: what that means. Yeah, I guess camp isn't all that

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Speaker 1: far away. I mean we are in that quiet period

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Speaker 1: if the NFL has such a thing across the league

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Speaker 1: where news is a little bit few and far between.

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Speaker 1: But the Steers are keeping us a little bit busier

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Speaker 1: than other teams busier. It has a beautiful day here

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Speaker 1: in Pittsburgh. It is It is June. A month from now.

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Speaker 1: The Steelers will be in training camp. Yes, yes, they

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Speaker 1: should report around sometime around June. Should see. So we

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Speaker 1: don't know the exactly it's not official yet, nonofficially yet,

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Speaker 1: but we're running out of days there that that news

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Speaker 1: probably comes out sometime this week. Now that they know

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Speaker 1: where training camp is going to be at. Uh, you'll

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Speaker 1: see things speed up a little bit here more. Uh,

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Speaker 1: the schedule released that kind of stuff. Um. But of

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Speaker 1: course last week the Steelers released David de Castro, signed

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Speaker 1: Trade Turner. Uh they had break we have right after

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Speaker 1: we have one off the air. Actually, I think they

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Speaker 1: heard about on the way home. They brought trade Turner

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Speaker 1: in the week before to kick the tires on him.

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Speaker 1: And apparently that was not necessarily tied into the David

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Speaker 1: de Castro news. Uh. There was hearing some rumblings that

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Speaker 1: there was someone unhappiness with Kevin Dotson in regards to

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Speaker 1: his offseason, how much work he had put in all.

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Speaker 1: I don't know how much stock I put in that.

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Speaker 1: One of my colleagues reported this, uh day on Kovakovic

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Speaker 1: Um reported over the weekend that the Steeler coaching staff

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Speaker 1: has not been real happy with thoughts In's work this offseason.

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Speaker 1: He's just kind of taking it for granted as that

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Speaker 1: he's the starter. Yeah. Um. Now, you know, when when

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Speaker 1: he was asked about the starters um or his offensive

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Speaker 1: line a couple of weeks ago, Mike Tomlins said, you know,

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Speaker 1: we've got David de Castro coming back, and then every

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Speaker 1: all the other spots are basically open. That's not the

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Speaker 1: case now. Right, Although they didn't sign Trey Turner to

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Speaker 1: not start, he's been a right guard his whole life.

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Speaker 1: I'm sure he's going to be the right guard. You know,

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Speaker 1: it makes perfect sense to me. Uh, in terms of

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Speaker 1: the de Castro situation. Um, it's bone spurs that that

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Speaker 1: is the ankle. Bone spurs and the ankle. Those can

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Speaker 1: be very painful and that's not an injury injury, that's

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Speaker 1: a wear and tear issue. Um. You know, he had

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Speaker 1: surgery on He's had two surgeries on it now and

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Speaker 1: they keep coming back. Uh, that's the problem. It sounds

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Speaker 1: like he might have another one. He's going to have

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Speaker 1: to have a third surgery. That was going to sideline

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Speaker 1: him for probably a couple of months, and so the

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Speaker 1: Steelers couldn't sider around and wait for him. I mean

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Speaker 1: two months from now is he ind of September? And

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Speaker 1: I wonder if he'd be ready week one for anyone

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Speaker 1: this year. Probably not if he's gonna have any kind

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Speaker 1: of procedure here in the near future. So you know,

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Speaker 1: he's even brought up the words retirement, and frankly, I

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Speaker 1: mean I was very optimistic that he would be the

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Speaker 1: Steeler's best offensive Lineman this upcoming year and that they'd

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Speaker 1: have a really good set of guards. But based off

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Speaker 1: of just last year's tape, the Castro wasn't the same

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Speaker 1: as he's been. You know, you don't see him getting

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Speaker 1: out pulling his actively or you know, getting off the

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Speaker 1: ball with the same um bass and popping his hips

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Speaker 1: and things like that too. And I thought he'd be

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Speaker 1: back to normal. Apparently I shouldn't have been so optimistic.

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Speaker 1: Maybe that was maybe what we saw last year was

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Speaker 1: the normal now exactly, And it happens to these athletes.

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Speaker 1: He's played a lot of snaps, you know, right thirty

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Speaker 1: one years old. It doesn't get any easier. So they

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Speaker 1: signed Trade Turner. He's twenty eight. Yeah, I think I'm

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Speaker 1: pretty fortunate. He was floating around out there, coming off

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Speaker 1: though a down season for him. Now I say that

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Speaker 1: he got traded last off season for Russell Wocoon, straight up,

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Speaker 1: straight up for Russell. It was it was kind of

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Speaker 1: a salary dump, Yeah it was. There was a new

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Speaker 1: regime in Carolina. Salary dump, different style play, you know.

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Speaker 1: Um So I'm not ready to say that the trade

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Speaker 1: Turner is anywhere near shot like when he was when

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Speaker 1: he was in Carolina. He was a really good football player,

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Speaker 1: where now all of a sudden you get changed, you

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Speaker 1: get traded to a new team. He had a groin

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Speaker 1: injury last year. Their line in general was in shambles,

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Speaker 1: which around him. It didn't help his cause, revolving doors

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Speaker 1: at the center with you know, pouncy and who not whatnot.

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Speaker 1: So they put a lot of effort into, you know,

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Speaker 1: re restructure on the entire offensive line. I think he's

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Speaker 1: pretty good player though. Yeah, I think he's a pretty

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Speaker 1: good player. At the same time, you know, now you've

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Speaker 1: got an entirely new offensive line for the Steelers for

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Speaker 1: the most part. You know, because the guy who started

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Speaker 1: the most last season for he was Chookes of core

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Speaker 1: four and he's moving to the left side. That's your

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Speaker 1: closest thing to bring it back to him and Dotson,

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Speaker 1: I guess, are the closest thing to bringing back to

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Speaker 1: what you had. Yeah, I mean, Banner was the starter

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Speaker 1: to start the season last year at right tackles, but

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Speaker 1: he played you know, three quarters of a game. So

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Speaker 1: it's going to be interesting. Training camp is going to

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Speaker 1: be I mean, that's that's gonna be the main story

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Speaker 1: of training camp. Now think so I mean, I think

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Speaker 1: we have a pretty good idea who the starters will

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Speaker 1: be still, but it's not setting stone. And you mentioned

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Speaker 1: some of the dots and stuff too. Maybe he shouldn't

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Speaker 1: take that for granted and they could be just trying

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Speaker 1: to light a fire. That's sure where it seemed like

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Speaker 1: to me what I when you said that, Um, because

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Speaker 1: he's still their best option of left guard. I mean,

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Speaker 1: I think that goes without saying although we didn't see

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Speaker 1: a ton from him yet. Um. The key to me,

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Speaker 1: which will be hard and I wonder how many preseason

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Speaker 1: snaps we'll see you with the true starting five is

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Speaker 1: the communication stuff, you know, the blown assignments, things like that.

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Speaker 1: It might not be the week one that we see

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Speaker 1: if that's an issue or not hard thing to judge

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Speaker 1: in practice. I think what's gonna And they have four

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Speaker 1: preseason games now. I don't expect a lot of those

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Speaker 1: guys to play much in the first preseason game. I

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Speaker 1: wouldn't think, but I would think you play your line

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Speaker 1: a little bit more than you typically would. And we

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Speaker 1: talked plays a lot that we've talked about this before,

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Speaker 1: like they have some they have well, they don't have

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Speaker 1: the star power a little more depth. I think they

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Speaker 1: can feel too acceptable lines by preseason standards. So you know,

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Speaker 1: you know, if one of those guys would happen to

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Speaker 1: get hurt or you know, nicked up a little bit,

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Speaker 1: you're not as angry about it as you normally would be.

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Speaker 1: If like David, If David Decashra is on this roster,

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Speaker 1: you're not playing him a lot in the preseason, if

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Speaker 1: at all. Probably he might be zero because he's gonna

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Speaker 1: play a seventeen game schedule. Extein. You want to conserve

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Speaker 1: those snaps. I don't know who that person is now.

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Speaker 1: I mean, you gotta agree it could be Turner, but

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Speaker 1: you still have to play him. That's the you know,

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Speaker 1: he's never played a snap at a Steeler uniform. I mean,

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Speaker 1: you can't trust him yet, and you know he has

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Speaker 1: to know where everything, you know, what all the assignments

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Speaker 1: and those type of things too. He might be playing

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Speaker 1: next to a rookie center and he's gonna be the

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Speaker 1: veteran presence on the line and he's never been a Steeler,

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Speaker 1: you know, so those things definitely worry me. Um, you'd

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Speaker 1: love to establish a starting five soon and play them

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Speaker 1: meaningful preseason snaps I don't know how many of that

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Speaker 1: is or when meaningful preseason snaps together. But in order

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Speaker 1: to do that, Kendrick Greene's got to grab that job

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Speaker 1: pretty soon, you know what I mean. I mean, everyone

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Speaker 1: wants him to win the job, but does he deserve it?

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Speaker 1: As he makes you a better team right now? You

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Speaker 1: can't just hand it to him. So does he play

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Speaker 1: a lot early on? I would think, you know, even

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Speaker 1: the Hall of Fame game, maybe he's the opening starting center. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: it's gonna be interesting. You know, we've seen in the past.

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Speaker 1: For example, when they drafted t J. Want Um, he

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Speaker 1: essentially played every snap a lot. He played a lot

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Speaker 1: of snaps with the with the first team unit in

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Speaker 1: the preseason. He stayed in the game after the first

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Speaker 1: team went out, and you know, and then and then

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Speaker 1: even when he was out of the lineup, was still

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Speaker 1: going out there for special team snaps. I wonder if

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Speaker 1: green takes a similar approach. It goes out there with

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Speaker 1: the ones, you don't leave the ones out there long,

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Speaker 1: stays with the stays with the twos. Yeah, but I

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Speaker 1: mean that's a guy. What's the most games he's ever

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Speaker 1: played in the season eleven? Probably something like yeah. I

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Speaker 1: mean he said Illinois, not you know, Alabama, right, I

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Speaker 1: mean you could ask him to play twenty one games

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Speaker 1: this season. That sounds like a lot. Yeah, you only

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Speaker 1: I might not be happy about it in December when

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Speaker 1: he's worn down. Yeah, we'll see, we'll see. It's all

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Speaker 1: very interesting. A lot of moving parts here. Um, and

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Speaker 1: because of this, people are now again down on the Steelers. Wow.

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Speaker 1: This You were already saying the offensive line was going

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Speaker 1: to be a mess. Where was it was a question mark?

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Speaker 1: To me, it's no less of a question mark today

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Speaker 1: than it was last week or two weeks ago. I

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Speaker 1: would slightly you counted on optimistic for an unto Castro. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: you counted on the Castro to bounce back, but as

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Speaker 1: as we now know, that was probably unrealistic. Um, you

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Speaker 1: got lucky that you had a trade Turner out there,

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Speaker 1: you know who was available. I believe, I don't know

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Speaker 1: it's any different. I believe firmly the trade Turner right

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Speaker 1: now is a better player than last year's version of

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Speaker 1: the Castro. Yes, so to me, that's an upgrade. Even

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Speaker 1: though Turner is not coming off a great year, and

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Speaker 1: I think he played with the he had his own

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Speaker 1: issues fighting through as well. But I still believe in

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Speaker 1: the chance and that they signed him. I think he'll

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Speaker 1: it's I think it's still an upgrade right guard of

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Speaker 1: what we saw last year. Yes, I can agree with Art,

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Speaker 1: so that's a start. Now, there were a lot of

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Speaker 1: people clamoring for Dotson to be the starter at left

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Speaker 1: guard when Filer. After Filer got hurt and came back,

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Speaker 1: there were a lot of people say, well, Daughtson should

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Speaker 1: be the starter. Okay, I could see it, but I

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Speaker 1: wasn't ready to make that movie. Was pretty good, was

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Speaker 1: a pretty good player. I wasn't ready to make a

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Speaker 1: movie out to be Frank Yeah, you know, just his

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Speaker 1: versatility and experience. I didn't think villain a Wava had

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Speaker 1: a good, very good year. Left didn't either, especially as

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Speaker 1: a run blocker. His past blocking was fine the only

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Speaker 1: time he struggled against Carl Lawson. I'm not ready to

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Speaker 1: say the same thing at left tackle that I just

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Speaker 1: said at right guard, though that chokes right now is

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Speaker 1: better than the last than what we saw at left

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Speaker 1: tackle last year. But there's certainly potential to be. Yes,

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Speaker 1: he's allowed to get better, right, He's allowed to get better.

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Speaker 1: I wonder and you might know this better, and I'm

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Speaker 1: sure something you guys will ask him in camp. Does

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Speaker 1: he prefer the left side? He was a left tackle.

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Speaker 1: I bet if you ask him, he prefers the left side. Probably,

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Speaker 1: you know, probably. I don't think it's at the movie.

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Speaker 1: They never tell you these things. But right, I mean,

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Speaker 1: what preferred the left outside linebacker but for the run,

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Speaker 1: and that's why they made the move. You know, I

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Speaker 1: wonder if Banner and Chokes prefer Banner on the right,

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Speaker 1: Chokes on the left, or I know Banner prefers to

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Speaker 1: play right tech I thought so, yeah, And I bet

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Speaker 1: Chookes prefers the left. Just his experience there is a

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Speaker 1: college player makes what sense. Doesn't mean he's gonna better

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Speaker 1: than building a way. But we talked about this last

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Speaker 1: week before all this stuff happened. The line doesn't need

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Speaker 1: to be It doesn't need to be a top ten

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Speaker 1: line in the league. You've got it, and I don't

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Speaker 1: think it has any chance to beat to be. No,

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Speaker 1: I don't think it does either, and I don't think

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Speaker 1: that's that should be the expectation for anybody. Can it

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Speaker 1: be a top twenty? Yeah? Yeah, I think scheme will

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Speaker 1: help a lot in terms of misdirection motion. You know,

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Speaker 1: heavier bodies, friar move, um, you know, things that are

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Speaker 1: outside the lines hands last year, I think we'll see

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Speaker 1: a lot more six offensive lineman. I think we'll have

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Speaker 1: a tight end that actually blocks people. You know, those

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Speaker 1: things will help the line look better. You know that

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Speaker 1: it doesn't mean that, Um, the old line coach is

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Speaker 1: happier or you know, or unhappier with them. Um. I

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Speaker 1: do think though, in protection, they're gonna probably be asked

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Speaker 1: to hold their blocks longer than last year. I mean,

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Speaker 1: I would hope so. I mean they led the league

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Speaker 1: in terms of getting the ball out on quick this time.

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Speaker 1: I bet that's not the case because I think we'll

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Speaker 1: still see a lot of quick passing game. But there's

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Speaker 1: gonna be some intermediate digs and things like that too.

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Speaker 1: But that again, that's where the window dressing helps too.

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Speaker 1: You know, if you freeze those those edge guys just

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Speaker 1: a little bit, just a smidge to play run, that

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Speaker 1: would help. But question, so, I bet their seconds of

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Speaker 1: protection will be higher. You still have a veteran quarterback

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Speaker 1: who knows exactly what this is not to me two

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Speaker 1: thousand and eight, Um, where the line. We just didn't.

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Speaker 1: They just didn't have the talent, right, I mean you had,

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Speaker 1: you know, you guys kind of put it on bad. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: you had, you know, undrafted. I was like, in no

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Speaker 1: offense of Darnell Stapleton, but Darnell Stapleton's you know, starting

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Speaker 1: on your offensive line. We've recently seen uh Watson Wilson

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Speaker 1: in Seattle. Hey, we don't. We're not giving you much talent.

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Speaker 1: Ben was capable of that back then. He was with

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Speaker 1: his body. Now it's now it's is he capable of

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Speaker 1: that with his mind? That's key, And I think that's

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Speaker 1: that's the difference. I think, you know, when you've got

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Speaker 1: a veteran quarterback who can see, you're not gonna trick him. No,

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Speaker 1: I don't think that. Hunt resent believe that, but not

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Speaker 1: to contradict you. He's still going to have to win

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Speaker 1: with his body, but not like he used to. And

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Speaker 1: what I mean by that is show that you have

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Speaker 1: more than just a quick passing game, and that you

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Speaker 1: can complete the deep balls. And if you get Claypool

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Speaker 1: one on one, you gotta go there over and over.

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Speaker 1: Not that they didn't, but you gotta put the ball

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Speaker 1: where he can make a play on and that was

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Speaker 1: the problem, and there was such a so many blades

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Speaker 1: of grass. They did not attack in the passing game,

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Speaker 1: you know, the middle of the field, the left sideline

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Speaker 1: as much. You know, So they need to show that

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Speaker 1: they can attack the whole field if the defense is

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Speaker 1: going to play them like they did last year. I agree.

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Speaker 1: That's on his arm and his willingness to stand in there.

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Speaker 1: And again it comes back to Naja Harris. Can you

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Speaker 1: play them the way that you played them last year?

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Speaker 1: If you're a defense with Naja Harris in the backfield, right,

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Speaker 1: I think it'll be a lot harder. It'll be much harder.

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Speaker 1: He'll get yardage on his own. He'll exploit linebacker coverage

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Speaker 1: things like that too. You know, if you're gonna crying

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Speaker 1: line of scrimmage and the Steelers go empty, you might

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Speaker 1: be unhappy about it. Yeah, So it's all things that

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Speaker 1: that you know. Again, I see once again, um some

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Speaker 1: people out there, particular Steelers gonna finish last in the

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Speaker 1: division because of this. Like I don't know that because

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Speaker 1: this right, I'm not saying it's an upgrade, but it

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Speaker 1: might be they might be better at that position. We

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Speaker 1: don't know. That for sure. And the Castro was a

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Speaker 1: great steeler. I mean, I think him and Fantasha slow

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Speaker 1: down as the best guards in steeler history, had a

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Speaker 1: try in his career, and maybe he still latches on

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Speaker 1: somewhere down the road and has continues it or he

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Speaker 1: hangs it up. I mean, who's to say, wouldn't it

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Speaker 1: wouldn't surprised me to see that if he's done it

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Speaker 1: when surprising and you know this better than me, but boy,

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Speaker 1: it sure seemed like Ramon and Al and Pouncy and

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Speaker 1: the Castro were a really tight unit and three buds

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Speaker 1: were gone. You know, maybe you want to come back

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Speaker 1: as much as you know, well, you know, if if

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Speaker 1: Al's still here, okay, I'll come back. I'll rehab it

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Speaker 1: and get ready. You know. By the way, he's a

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Speaker 1: super smart guy like Villain Aueva and then these others

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Speaker 1: that probably has a very successful career or second half

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Speaker 1: of life too. When he gets onto his life work

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Speaker 1: and he's thirty one years old, right, Stanford grad doing okay? Uh?

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Speaker 1: And his college roommate was Andrew Luck who not surprisingly

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Speaker 1: or surprisingly hung it up early in his right right right?

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Speaker 1: You know? Interesting? Uh? Adam Rank wrote a piece on

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Speaker 1: the Steelers on NFL dot Com over the weekend. Um

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Speaker 1: state of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Does Ben Roethlisberger have one

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Speaker 1: less Super Bowl run in him? Uh? And he raises

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Speaker 1: some valid points lit in some things that I don't

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Speaker 1: wanted to talk about here. Um, there's some stuff here.

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Speaker 1: You know how the Steelers got to this point? Um,

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Speaker 1: V I P. S. Is very important people for the Steelers,

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Speaker 1: he says, head coach Mike Tomlin number one on that list.

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Speaker 1: See that. I often use the Belichick example from a

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Speaker 1: year ago of great coaches rarely bought him out. I mean,

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Speaker 1: I believe that Patriot roster was a lot worse than

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Speaker 1: the Steeler roster and they went seven to nine. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: I mean, say what you want about six touchdown passes

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Speaker 1: all last years right out played camp at by a lot. Yeah, yeah,

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Speaker 1: he said, He said. He brings us up with with

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Speaker 1: He says, Mike, is there any way to retroactively give

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Speaker 1: Mike Tomlin an award for all the great work he's

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Speaker 1: done over the past decade. Steeler fans won't want to

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Speaker 1: hear that because they've won three playoff games in the

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Speaker 1: past decade, saying, but he says, I kind of bring

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Speaker 1: this up because Levian Bell recently said he would never

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Speaker 1: play for Andy Read again, which comes off a lot

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Speaker 1: like a kid on a birthday party who doesn't like

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Speaker 1: ice cream cake. Yeah, he said to think Tomlins somehow

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Speaker 1: managed to win games with Levan Bell, Antonio Brown, and

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Speaker 1: Ben Roethlisberger on the roster at the same time. I

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Speaker 1: don't know. It's like reading about the manager of Motley

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Speaker 1: Crue and the Dirt and wondering how he was able

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Speaker 1: to keep the band together long enough to produce so

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Speaker 1: many legendary hits. Roses. That's a pretty good example, to

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Speaker 1: be honest with him. You know, Martavis wasn't the easiest guy.

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Speaker 1: Probably there's some big personalities there that one way putting it.

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Speaker 1: You kept them on the field together, like he kept

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Speaker 1: it from blowing up, and I mean to no fall

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Speaker 1: to Tomlins. The Killer Bees didn't play as many snaps

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Speaker 1: together as everyone would have liked. I mean, it could

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Speaker 1: have been better if he would have been had a

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Speaker 1: little more injury luck, which was out of Tomlin's hands.

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Speaker 1: Bell is certainly an example, but AB's the best example

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Speaker 1: good this. Yes, I mean he kept him on quote

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Speaker 1: the straight and he got him as a productive football

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Speaker 1: player longer than I think most coaches would have. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: I would agree with that, Yeah, right. His number two

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Speaker 1: is is Ben Roethlisberger. For obvious reasons, he says he's

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Speaker 1: done it. Roethlisberger's outlasts of both Eli Manning and Philip

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Speaker 1: Rivers from the Fame two thousand four draft class. Um,

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Speaker 1: Roethlisberger needs a Roethlisberger like season to reach some nice

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Speaker 1: career milestones. He is three thousand, ninety three yards passing

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Speaker 1: yards away from passing Rivers for fifth on the all

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Speaker 1: time list. Possible, he needs twenty nine touchdown passes to

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Speaker 1: join Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, and Brett Farve

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Speaker 1: as the only quarterbacks with four passing touchdowns. Again, i'd

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Speaker 1: be what fourth or fifth? How many names he's said there, Um,

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Speaker 1: I'm sure he's aware of those. Yeah. You know, Aaron

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Speaker 1: Rodgers needs thirteen to get to join that group as well.

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Speaker 1: And that's that's a pretty lofty group. That that's pretty

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Speaker 1: lofty group, right, And it's some big names. Yeah, all

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Speaker 1: time stuff. Not that it's gonna hurt or help is

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Speaker 1: all the fame case. I mean, that's done. No, matter what,

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Speaker 1: you may could never play another game, or be horrible

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Speaker 1: this year or be there when m VP. He's still

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Speaker 1: going and I think his first ballot. But those are milestones,

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Speaker 1: I mean, and they're not easy ones to get to know.

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Speaker 1: I mean, he needs to play all seventeen probably to

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Speaker 1: get to him and have a good year. Yeah, this

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Speaker 1: is where it gets interesting, says Projected Team m v

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Speaker 1: PS T J Watt. It's not surprised, not surprising, right,

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Speaker 1: Um'll probably my preseason vote right now too. Yeah, he

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Speaker 1: said he's deserving a Defensive Player of the Year status

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Speaker 1: that last season. Having talent like this and they're still

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Speaker 1: on a rookie deal allows Pittsburgh to continue to have

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Speaker 1: solid players across the board. But he's gonna need to

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Speaker 1: be even better this coming season since Budd pre walked

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Speaker 1: this spring. But how much of the pre success them

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Speaker 1: from playing with what he said? It kind of feels

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Speaker 1: like the Titans signed this year's Robert Quinn. I tend

390
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Speaker 1: to agree. I don't think what needs to be better? No,

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Speaker 1: I mean, I am about fighting with Adam Rank here.

392
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Speaker 1: I mean, it's just what doesn't need to do anything more? Right,

393
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Speaker 1: he keeps it up. I'll take it. Keeping your level,

394
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Speaker 1: you know, you're stay healthy, you'd be the same player

395
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Speaker 1: we've seen. Alex Highsmith can have some success across from you.

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Speaker 1: Maybe not to the level Bud Dupree, maybe not. I

397
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Speaker 1: would know. I don't expect if they're in the same neighborhood,

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Speaker 1: and I don't expect to see Bud Dupree or you know,

399
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Speaker 1: Alex Highsmith go out this year and have eleven sacks

400
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Speaker 1: in the first eleven games or whatever. It was a

401
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Speaker 1: bud head last year. But I expect him to beat

402
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Speaker 1: single man protection. But if he if he finishes the

403
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Speaker 1: season with eight, no, I'll take that without question. I mean,

404
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Speaker 1: this is a team that you know you had, You

405
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Speaker 1: had Joey Porter at the height of his his talents

406
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Speaker 1: in two thousand five. Clark Hagan's was the number two guy. Yeah,

407
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Speaker 1: I don't expect the Hagans. He's fine. Yeah, he's a

408
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Speaker 1: he's an NFL starter, but he's not a special player. Uh.

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Speaker 1: This is the other interesting part here. One breakout star.

410
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Speaker 1: He's Cameron Sutton. It's a good one, yeah, he says.

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Speaker 1: Sutton is expected to be starting cornerback for Pittsburgh this season,

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Speaker 1: fulfilling the annual tradition of the Steelers where they lose

413
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Speaker 1: some stud and yet somehow have a more than capable

414
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Speaker 1: replacement waiting in the wings. I think he fits that mold.

415
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Speaker 1: I mean, is he gonna be a star? I don't know.

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Speaker 1: I mean he could be. I think he could be

417
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Speaker 1: as good as Nelson or Hayden were last year. And

418
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Speaker 1: that's the top twenty quarterback in a corner, especially with

419
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Speaker 1: a great pass rush. Corner depth worries me a lot.

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Speaker 1: Little Sutton doesn't worry me whatsoever. No, I'm not worried

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Speaker 1: about him at all. And people looking at the Steelers

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Speaker 1: secondary and sing all, there's you know they they've they've

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00:21:20,920 --> 00:21:23,680
Speaker 1: lost too much. They lost Mike Kilton and Steven Nelson.

424
00:21:24,000 --> 00:21:25,919
Speaker 1: I mean, I wish they had four corners, I trusted.

425
00:21:25,960 --> 00:21:29,160
Speaker 1: I wish they had another camera in Sutton that would

426
00:21:29,200 --> 00:21:30,680
Speaker 1: go a long way. That would go a long way.

427
00:21:30,800 --> 00:21:33,280
Speaker 1: Doesn't mean they didn't draft one this year or get one,

428
00:21:33,680 --> 00:21:36,240
Speaker 1: and it could be Anton Brooks. Yeah. I mean again,

429
00:21:36,280 --> 00:21:38,280
Speaker 1: I harp on this over and over, and I mean

430
00:21:38,320 --> 00:21:42,520
Speaker 1: it for every team. Second day picks in particular of

431
00:21:42,640 --> 00:21:45,520
Speaker 1: last year's class have not shown their faces yet in

432
00:21:45,560 --> 00:21:47,959
Speaker 1: the NFL, right you know, they are total unknowns. The

433
00:21:48,040 --> 00:21:49,920
Speaker 1: name goes for the Jordan's Loves of the World guys

434
00:21:49,920 --> 00:21:52,399
Speaker 1: that have played none. Um. But I think the Steelers

435
00:21:52,440 --> 00:21:54,960
Speaker 1: have a couple of those guys that are this year,

436
00:21:55,000 --> 00:21:57,240
Speaker 1: but particularly last year and even the year before justin

437
00:21:57,320 --> 00:22:00,280
Speaker 1: Lane that we just don't know yet, and they're moves

438
00:22:00,359 --> 00:22:04,719
Speaker 1: indicate that they're high on them. Um. But what if

439
00:22:04,760 --> 00:22:07,360
Speaker 1: Hayden gets old this year? You know that's gonna happen

440
00:22:07,440 --> 00:22:09,760
Speaker 1: one day, and this is a year they couldn't afford

441
00:22:09,800 --> 00:22:12,280
Speaker 1: that to happen. Um. But I think Sutton is a

442
00:22:12,280 --> 00:22:16,679
Speaker 1: great choice for that is I have no worries about Sutton. Yeah,

443
00:22:16,720 --> 00:22:20,960
Speaker 1: he has a road map. I would also put Bush

444
00:22:21,000 --> 00:22:24,560
Speaker 1: in that category. Yeah, you know, breakout star potential, and

445
00:22:24,640 --> 00:22:27,800
Speaker 1: even Claypool, like I think he's just scratch the surface.

446
00:22:28,000 --> 00:22:30,440
Speaker 1: Deante Johnson. I mean they've got you know, That's why

447
00:22:30,480 --> 00:22:33,359
Speaker 1: when I when I look at these people predicting you know,

448
00:22:33,800 --> 00:22:37,280
Speaker 1: five and twelve or whatever something like them finishing last

449
00:22:37,800 --> 00:22:40,439
Speaker 1: I'm sorry, I don't see it. They've got more talent

450
00:22:40,520 --> 00:22:43,879
Speaker 1: across the board than Cincinnati, and they still have as

451
00:22:43,960 --> 00:22:46,840
Speaker 1: much talent across the board as Baltimore. I think they

452
00:22:46,840 --> 00:22:50,280
Speaker 1: win five games with Rudolph taking every snap. Yeah, I

453
00:22:50,280 --> 00:22:52,040
Speaker 1: mean I really do, if not more, I mean I

454
00:22:52,040 --> 00:22:55,320
Speaker 1: think that's they're there. They're the floor for those guys.

455
00:22:55,880 --> 00:22:59,240
Speaker 1: I mentioned Claypool just because his rookie year really wasn't

456
00:22:59,320 --> 00:23:03,040
Speaker 1: much different than uk Metcalfs. He could take that step

457
00:23:03,080 --> 00:23:05,119
Speaker 1: forward and all of a sudden be wow, that's one

458
00:23:05,160 --> 00:23:07,400
Speaker 1: of the best ten receivers in the league. I think

459
00:23:07,440 --> 00:23:10,480
Speaker 1: that's very possible with him. Uh, he's got their their

460
00:23:10,560 --> 00:23:13,920
Speaker 1: their three heat games a Week one at Buffalo, Week

461
00:23:14,080 --> 00:23:20,760
Speaker 1: eight at Cleveland, in Week thirteen at Baltimore, UM, Browns

462
00:23:20,800 --> 00:23:24,520
Speaker 1: and Ravens without question or there's some He says. The

463
00:23:24,520 --> 00:23:26,639
Speaker 1: Steelers got steam rolled by the Bills last year in

464
00:23:26,680 --> 00:23:28,880
Speaker 1: the middle of their three game losing streak. I think

465
00:23:29,880 --> 00:23:32,720
Speaker 1: that team wasn't a steam roll. We talked about a

466
00:23:32,760 --> 00:23:34,439
Speaker 1: couple of times. I mean they were within you know,

467
00:23:34,480 --> 00:23:36,360
Speaker 1: they were driving down the field to get with it

468
00:23:36,440 --> 00:23:39,760
Speaker 1: within a score late in that game. That's not getting

469
00:23:39,760 --> 00:23:43,280
Speaker 1: Steamers steam roll. They were highly competitive for most of

470
00:23:43,320 --> 00:23:47,040
Speaker 1: that game, and um, the better team won. Yeah, I

471
00:23:47,040 --> 00:23:48,879
Speaker 1: mean there's a good question. I mean Diggs became a

472
00:23:48,880 --> 00:23:53,240
Speaker 1: big problem. Ben's interception was massive and probably the game changer,

473
00:23:53,320 --> 00:23:55,639
Speaker 1: you know, self inflicted wound. You can't have against what

474
00:23:55,720 --> 00:23:56,920
Speaker 1: I think is one of the best three or four

475
00:23:56,920 --> 00:23:59,560
Speaker 1: teams in the league right now. Yeah. Then the Week

476
00:23:59,600 --> 00:24:06,360
Speaker 1: eight game at Cleveland, I said, speaking of getting steam rolled, Um,

477
00:24:06,480 --> 00:24:09,000
Speaker 1: the Steelers, you want to talk about getting steam rolled?

478
00:24:09,520 --> 00:24:12,040
Speaker 1: The first meeting between the Steelers and Browns last year,

479
00:24:12,560 --> 00:24:15,720
Speaker 1: that was a steam roll was I mean, that wasn't

480
00:24:15,720 --> 00:24:18,480
Speaker 1: even close to being competitive at any point in that game,

481
00:24:18,680 --> 00:24:21,560
Speaker 1: to the point where Baker Mayfield they pulled him kind

482
00:24:21,560 --> 00:24:26,600
Speaker 1: of quit so he wouldn't get killed anymore because he

483
00:24:26,640 --> 00:24:30,479
Speaker 1: may not be the same person afterwards. Um, people forget that.

484
00:24:31,200 --> 00:24:35,120
Speaker 1: And then the Week thirteen game versus Baltimore. Uh, he said,

485
00:24:35,160 --> 00:24:37,359
Speaker 1: this is the Steelers first game against their blood rivals.

486
00:24:37,400 --> 00:24:39,320
Speaker 1: The two teams will also close out the season in

487
00:24:39,359 --> 00:24:42,240
Speaker 1: the historic Week eight teen, seventeenth game at the regular season.

488
00:24:42,520 --> 00:24:46,639
Speaker 1: Is that the short week one too? Yes? Yeah, I

489
00:24:46,640 --> 00:24:48,679
Speaker 1: mean that's gonna be a challenge. The Steelers swept the

490
00:24:48,720 --> 00:24:51,879
Speaker 1: series last year. People forget that. They swept the Ravens

491
00:24:51,960 --> 00:24:53,320
Speaker 1: last year. And now one of those was against the

492
00:24:53,400 --> 00:24:55,600
Speaker 1: Ravens jvs. But it was also on a Wednesday night,

493
00:24:55,640 --> 00:24:57,560
Speaker 1: a week after the game was supposed to be playing,

494
00:24:58,000 --> 00:25:00,639
Speaker 1: and then you had to turn around play Washington Sunday

495
00:25:01,040 --> 00:25:03,439
Speaker 1: like it was. There was nothing normal about that. No,

496
00:25:04,600 --> 00:25:07,640
Speaker 1: I still think this team goes five D in the division,

497
00:25:08,280 --> 00:25:09,959
Speaker 1: not better, if not better. I mean, I don't think

498
00:25:10,000 --> 00:25:11,760
Speaker 1: they're gonna go oh and four against the Ravens and

499
00:25:11,800 --> 00:25:16,000
Speaker 1: brown Yeah. History show is much different, he said. The

500
00:25:16,000 --> 00:25:18,440
Speaker 1: Steelers look can they look more like the eleven oh

501
00:25:18,440 --> 00:25:20,560
Speaker 1: Steelers and not the team that stumbled down the stretch.

502
00:25:20,600 --> 00:25:23,359
Speaker 1: They had a plus one twenty nine point differential to

503
00:25:23,440 --> 00:25:25,720
Speaker 1: the first twelve weeks last year. People want to say

504
00:25:25,720 --> 00:25:29,800
Speaker 1: they were super the most overrated team in history. Plus, yeah,

505
00:25:29,880 --> 00:25:36,240
Speaker 1: you're averaging winning by ten points a game. Um, Steve

506
00:25:36,240 --> 00:25:38,720
Speaker 1: any other nuggets in there? You know? He said? Is

507
00:25:38,800 --> 00:25:43,800
Speaker 1: Nag Harrison next? Great? Steelers running back Pittsburgh Evers peuiest

508
00:25:43,880 --> 00:25:45,840
Speaker 1: rushing yards in the game at eighty four point four

509
00:25:45,920 --> 00:25:48,399
Speaker 1: yards per game over the Serry, the second lowis and

510
00:25:48,400 --> 00:25:52,240
Speaker 1: club history since nineteen That was nineteen sixty six. Team

511
00:25:52,240 --> 00:25:55,560
Speaker 1: beat him average seventy eight yards per game. They had

512
00:25:55,640 --> 00:25:58,000
Speaker 1: five hundred and seventy three rushing yards in their final

513
00:25:58,080 --> 00:26:01,720
Speaker 1: ten games of last season, five seven yards rushing you average.

514
00:26:02,119 --> 00:26:04,239
Speaker 1: I mean they gave it. They gave up trying at

515
00:26:04,440 --> 00:26:07,480
Speaker 1: at points that they didn't trust it. Many times we've

516
00:26:07,480 --> 00:26:10,160
Speaker 1: often talked about I'm sure Ben checked out or run

517
00:26:10,760 --> 00:26:13,879
Speaker 1: a lot and probably will less this year. Yeah, I

518
00:26:13,880 --> 00:26:16,960
Speaker 1: would imagine. Yeah, so that's gonna get better. I think

519
00:26:16,960 --> 00:26:19,360
Speaker 1: it has to get better. With you and I blocking

520
00:26:19,480 --> 00:26:21,640
Speaker 1: on the offensive line, it would be better the Vikings line.

521
00:26:21,720 --> 00:26:24,520
Speaker 1: You know, the Vikings conversation is a really good one. Um.

522
00:26:25,640 --> 00:26:28,760
Speaker 1: The head fantasy writer for Pro Football Focus, mentions this

523
00:26:28,800 --> 00:26:31,800
Speaker 1: all the time that out of their top ten ranked lines,

524
00:26:32,320 --> 00:26:34,400
Speaker 1: there was four running backs that were in the top

525
00:26:34,440 --> 00:26:37,520
Speaker 1: four and running in fantasy points. In their bottom ten

526
00:26:37,640 --> 00:26:42,400
Speaker 1: ranked offensive lines, there was four running backs. Yeah. Facts

527
00:26:42,440 --> 00:26:46,680
Speaker 1: are important. Yes, contrary to popular belief, they can help. Yeah.

528
00:26:46,760 --> 00:26:49,080
Speaker 1: So you know, I think, uh, you know, this is

529
00:26:49,080 --> 00:26:52,479
Speaker 1: a team that is not bereft of talent. No, this

530
00:26:52,560 --> 00:26:54,679
Speaker 1: is a team that I think their skill talent on

531
00:26:54,800 --> 00:26:58,600
Speaker 1: offense is scary, way better than everyone wants to give

532
00:26:58,640 --> 00:27:01,800
Speaker 1: a credit for. You know, with a friar mouth and

533
00:27:02,119 --> 00:27:04,160
Speaker 1: Washington Is, guys are gonna have a hard time seeing

534
00:27:04,119 --> 00:27:06,480
Speaker 1: in the field. Those guys are good young players. Yeah,

535
00:27:06,480 --> 00:27:08,320
Speaker 1: you know what I mean, I mean, I think there's

536
00:27:08,320 --> 00:27:11,800
Speaker 1: a wide array of versatility there too. Yeah, it's gonna

537
00:27:11,800 --> 00:27:13,520
Speaker 1: be interesting. I think I think that, you know, one

538
00:27:13,520 --> 00:27:15,720
Speaker 1: of the most overlooked things here is, you know, what's

539
00:27:15,720 --> 00:27:18,520
Speaker 1: met Canada gonna bring to this offense? What's it gonna

540
00:27:18,560 --> 00:27:20,960
Speaker 1: look like? Yeah, what's it gonna look like? Because I

541
00:27:21,000 --> 00:27:23,760
Speaker 1: think that's the thing that first month of the season.

542
00:27:24,480 --> 00:27:26,600
Speaker 1: You could take some teams by surprise, you could take

543
00:27:26,600 --> 00:27:28,720
Speaker 1: some you could come out and you know it's not

544
00:27:28,800 --> 00:27:30,560
Speaker 1: the same old Steeler as well, They're just gonna do

545
00:27:30,600 --> 00:27:32,680
Speaker 1: this and this is what it's gonna look like. This

546
00:27:32,760 --> 00:27:35,119
Speaker 1: isn't meant to be a hot take. But if the

547
00:27:35,200 --> 00:27:38,520
Speaker 1: expectations are for the Steelers defense to be a top

548
00:27:38,600 --> 00:27:41,960
Speaker 1: five unit and the expectations are for the Steelers defense

549
00:27:42,000 --> 00:27:46,359
Speaker 1: to our offense to be a bottom eight unit, I

550
00:27:46,400 --> 00:27:48,480
Speaker 1: think I'll bet on the offense, you know what I mean,

551
00:27:49,040 --> 00:27:50,640
Speaker 1: at the cost them getting Like if one of those

552
00:27:50,680 --> 00:27:53,000
Speaker 1: are gonna let me down, I think that there's a

553
00:27:53,000 --> 00:27:55,200
Speaker 1: better chance the defense lets me down than the offense.

554
00:27:55,320 --> 00:27:58,320
Speaker 1: And yeah, I just don't see the defense falling apart

555
00:27:58,359 --> 00:28:01,000
Speaker 1: unless they're just crushed by injuries. I worry about a

556
00:28:01,040 --> 00:28:04,119
Speaker 1: couple you know, the second inside linebacker, the third and

557
00:28:04,200 --> 00:28:08,720
Speaker 1: fourth corner overall depth. But there'll be two guys maybe

558
00:28:08,720 --> 00:28:11,280
Speaker 1: it's Davis or Buggs or somebody we don't talk about

559
00:28:11,359 --> 00:28:13,880
Speaker 1: much that is that takes a step forward this year. Yeah,

560
00:28:14,000 --> 00:28:17,280
Speaker 1: guys are allowed to get better, right right, Maybe Ulysses

561
00:28:17,320 --> 00:28:19,080
Speaker 1: Gilbert is the guy I thought he could be. You know,

562
00:28:19,600 --> 00:28:22,440
Speaker 1: someone's gonna be better if I'm gonna trust the process.

563
00:28:22,440 --> 00:28:25,080
Speaker 1: I'm gonna trust the process. That again, I've seen over

564
00:28:25,119 --> 00:28:29,320
Speaker 1: and over again here over the years, where they have guys,

565
00:28:29,400 --> 00:28:32,000
Speaker 1: they always have guys ready to step in, even if

566
00:28:32,000 --> 00:28:35,040
Speaker 1: you don't think that's the case. It's just less obvious

567
00:28:35,119 --> 00:28:36,640
Speaker 1: to us this year because we didn't have We dont

568
00:28:36,640 --> 00:28:38,520
Speaker 1: get to see them as we didn't get to see him,

569
00:28:38,640 --> 00:28:40,760
Speaker 1: And I'm not so certain they don't. They have a

570
00:28:40,800 --> 00:28:43,720
Speaker 1: little more cap space now. They may add a defensive

571
00:28:43,720 --> 00:28:47,920
Speaker 1: player with the Houston or somebody like that. That's you know,

572
00:28:48,160 --> 00:28:50,400
Speaker 1: even Navy Williamson. I don't know. I mean that's somebody

573
00:28:50,400 --> 00:28:53,960
Speaker 1: that can play. Yeah, so we'll see but all interesting

574
00:28:54,120 --> 00:28:56,560
Speaker 1: and uh, we'll see how it works out. But we're

575
00:28:56,600 --> 00:28:59,160
Speaker 1: gonna take a break. Uh. He is Matt Williamson I'm

576
00:28:59,200 --> 00:29:02,000
Speaker 1: Dale Lellye with thank you Kellnersky for keeping us on

577
00:29:02,040 --> 00:29:04,040
Speaker 1: the air over the course of the show, and we

578
00:29:04,080 --> 00:29:05,920
Speaker 1: want to thank you for listening to this edition of

579
00:29:05,960 --> 00:29:10,280
Speaker 1: The Drive on Steelers Nation Radio. H