WEBVTT - Hr 1: Live at Training Camp 0:00:00.360 --> 0:00:04.160 Live Covery Jump Dot twenty twenty six Steelers Training Camp 0:00:04.440 --> 0:00:09.200 on the Steelers Audio Network, presented by bud Light, Easy 0:00:09.240 --> 0:00:11.960 to Drink, Easy to Enjoy, and brought to you in 0:00:12.039 --> 0:00:16.319 part by Pennsylvania one Call Systems Dial eight one one 0:00:16.320 --> 0:00:21.639 before You dig SNT Bank People Forward Banking by Kalucy Chevrolet, 0:00:21.840 --> 0:00:25.079 serving the Pittsburgh area for over one hundred and eight years. 0:00:25.280 --> 0:00:29.080 Clearview Federal Credit Union. For every touchdown the Black and 0:00:29.160 --> 0:00:33.000 Gold Score in twenty twenty six, Clearview will donate five 0:00:33.080 --> 0:00:37.120 hundred dollars to the Light of Life Mission Listen CLEARVIEWFCU 0:00:37.200 --> 0:00:41.680 dot org and by iron Workers Local Union Number three. 0:00:41.840 --> 0:00:44.000 We don't go to the office, We build it. 0:00:45.360 --> 0:00:48.040 Good afternoon, Steeler Nation, and welcome back to the campus 0:00:48.080 --> 0:00:51.120 of Saint Vincent College. Here for another edition of the 0:00:51.280 --> 0:00:53.440 Drive on your twenty four to seven home of the 0:00:53.479 --> 0:00:55.560 Black and Gold West Shielder. Matt Williamson, we are with 0:00:55.600 --> 0:00:58.120 you for three hours as always as we will put 0:00:58.160 --> 0:01:01.760 a bow on the day's operations were Matt. Once again, 0:01:01.840 --> 0:01:04.760 Mother nature had her way and the boys had to 0:01:04.760 --> 0:01:07.360 move inside to the new rec facility behind us. 0:01:07.680 --> 0:01:09.720 Yeah, and from what I gather, I don't think these 0:01:09.720 --> 0:01:12.600 are like trade secrets or anything. That it was more 0:01:12.640 --> 0:01:16.080 of a walk through type pace and a little titan there. 0:01:16.280 --> 0:01:18.760 It's a great new facility in all, but that's ninety 0:01:18.800 --> 0:01:22.760 three guys in a note hundred yard field. And got 0:01:22.760 --> 0:01:26.080 the impression that it was kind of a lighter, more 0:01:26.120 --> 0:01:27.840 mental than physical type of workout. 0:01:28.280 --> 0:01:31.080 Yeah, there were some media people that were allowing didn't know. 0:01:31.240 --> 0:01:34.200 Yeah we we did not, but a couple of the 0:01:34.480 --> 0:01:36.399 media people were allowed in. But I don't think they 0:01:36.440 --> 0:01:39.520 really get there that I should say. They all kind 0:01:39.560 --> 0:01:42.440 of echoed that same sentence that you just had. It's 0:01:42.440 --> 0:01:44.840 a fifty we we finally we figured out some some 0:01:44.920 --> 0:01:47.080 things that we had been wondering. It's a fifty yard 0:01:47.120 --> 0:01:50.960 field with the two end zones, so it's so seventy 0:01:51.080 --> 0:01:53.880 in total, but a fifty yard field plus the end zones, 0:01:53.880 --> 0:01:56.080 which you can have a field better than you know, 0:01:56.120 --> 0:02:00.240 better than certainly the small gymnasium across the way, but 0:02:00.360 --> 0:02:02.360 still going to a handcuff you a little bit in 0:02:02.400 --> 0:02:03.480 terms of what you can accomplish. 0:02:03.520 --> 0:02:05.520 Oh yeah, especially with that many bodies too. It'd be 0:02:05.520 --> 0:02:07.640 different even if there was fifty three guys. But I 0:02:07.680 --> 0:02:10.200 mean you almost have doubled that, so, yeah, you could 0:02:10.200 --> 0:02:12.120 break up in the groups and do some things. And 0:02:12.160 --> 0:02:14.079 I don't think it was just walk through walk through, 0:02:14.120 --> 0:02:15.480 but I think there was a lot of that pace 0:02:15.600 --> 0:02:17.600 to it from what I've asked three or four people 0:02:17.639 --> 0:02:20.720 that were there, and frankly, I mean it's not again 0:02:20.760 --> 0:02:22.480 not a huge secret, but they're like, you didn't miss 0:02:22.520 --> 0:02:23.959 a whole lot as a spectator, you know. 0:02:24.120 --> 0:02:26.360 Yeah. One thing that I did want to follow up 0:02:26.360 --> 0:02:28.760 with you, Matt, speaking of kind of procedural things, you 0:02:28.840 --> 0:02:33.160 and I yesterday had kind of hypothesized what happens when 0:02:33.160 --> 0:02:35.920 an NFL team during training camp has to pause because 0:02:35.960 --> 0:02:38.800 of weather. Yeah, yeah, and then move to a different location. Yes, 0:02:38.840 --> 0:02:41.320 And we talked about like, does the clock keep running 0:02:41.360 --> 0:02:43.160 if you have one hundred and ten minutes, can you 0:02:43.200 --> 0:02:45.920 stop that time to move your location or is it 0:02:45.919 --> 0:02:48.080 as soon as the clock is running, once the sand 0:02:48.160 --> 0:02:50.440 is through the hour glass, right, it's all gone and 0:02:50.480 --> 0:02:52.959 practice is over. I asked our buddy Jerry Dulac last 0:02:53.000 --> 0:02:55.079 night and he said, you do have the ability to pause. 0:02:55.400 --> 0:02:57.760 So when the Steelers, not that it takes them very long. 0:02:57.760 --> 0:03:00.280 They're fortunate here, but still, but that could be ten 0:03:00.320 --> 0:03:03.160 to fifteen, twenty minutes to get everybody moved, to get 0:03:03.200 --> 0:03:05.520 everybody reset and in the new place, and all the 0:03:05.560 --> 0:03:08.360 equipment and different things that you need. But it is 0:03:08.840 --> 0:03:12.000 you are able to stop that time so which help 0:03:12.120 --> 0:03:12.800 help them out here a. 0:03:12.800 --> 0:03:15.720 Little bit, which I'm sure you had mentioned this earlier, 0:03:15.760 --> 0:03:17.600 and I'm glad we brought it up because we left 0:03:17.600 --> 0:03:19.720 some people hanging on that. And when you told me 0:03:19.800 --> 0:03:22.320 that you found the answer out last night you mentioned, 0:03:22.360 --> 0:03:25.120 I'm like, we should have just assumed that, you know 0:03:25.160 --> 0:03:27.240 what I mean, like, because there have been times they 0:03:27.360 --> 0:03:29.320 paused here and went to the south side, right. 0:03:29.840 --> 0:03:32.600 That's why there, because it wouldn't make much sense if 0:03:32.600 --> 0:03:35.880 they paused here and then drove sixty minutes away, yeah, 0:03:35.920 --> 0:03:37.880 and could only get twenty more minutes of practice. 0:03:37.920 --> 0:03:39.800 I mean, if you only get you know, one hundred 0:03:39.800 --> 0:03:41.880 and ten minutes of practice like the early ones were, 0:03:41.960 --> 0:03:44.440 and you even have to just go to the facility 0:03:44.480 --> 0:03:46.920 that you can basically throw a frisbee too. From here, 0:03:47.240 --> 0:03:50.000 you're still gonna waste fifteen minutes of transporting people and 0:03:50.040 --> 0:03:52.920 then walking down and getting regrouped out of one hundred 0:03:52.920 --> 0:03:54.880 and ten minutes or whatever. Of course that has to 0:03:54.880 --> 0:03:57.320 be the rule, but I guess the next step is 0:03:57.400 --> 0:04:00.480 I assume it's just sort of an honor system, you 0:04:00.560 --> 0:04:00.760 know what. 0:04:00.960 --> 0:04:01.800 That's what Jerry made it. 0:04:01.920 --> 0:04:04.720 Yeah, okay, yeah, you know, like yeah, yes, we had 0:04:04.760 --> 0:04:07.280 to pause fifteen minutes because of rain or we had 0:04:07.280 --> 0:04:10.760 to get undercover or whatever. Then we resumed at one 0:04:10.800 --> 0:04:12.320 o three or you know, right. 0:04:12.280 --> 0:04:13.960 If you're if you're two or three or four or 0:04:14.000 --> 0:04:17.240 five minutes off, okay, so it once now if you're 0:04:17.279 --> 0:04:19.520 trying to steal half an hour here and there, and 0:04:19.520 --> 0:04:20.479 then that's when we. 0:04:20.640 --> 0:04:23.200 Kept them six pm because we had that delay like. 0:04:24.040 --> 0:04:26.880 That, ain't a twenty minute delay does not give you 0:04:26.880 --> 0:04:31.039 two extra hours of practice. So little housekeeping from us, Yeah, 0:04:31.279 --> 0:04:32.600 some conversation that we don't leave. 0:04:32.560 --> 0:04:33.960 You hang on that Matt. 0:04:34.040 --> 0:04:36.400 One thing that I noticed today that I wanted to 0:04:36.480 --> 0:04:39.320 run by you. And again it's been it's been a 0:04:39.360 --> 0:04:42.359 little tough sledding for us this week because Monday we 0:04:42.440 --> 0:04:45.960 got to see about thirty minutes of practice, maybe at 0:04:46.000 --> 0:04:47.960 forty minutes of practice, but a nice chunk of that 0:04:48.080 --> 0:04:50.799 was just stretching and warming up. Anyways, and then today 0:04:50.880 --> 0:04:53.599 not being able to see any I did we will 0:04:53.600 --> 0:04:56.280 do some bigger picture stuff today and I think this 0:04:56.320 --> 0:04:58.480 is kind of a good just little reset here in 0:04:58.520 --> 0:05:01.520 some ways. Ben's yeah, Ben sol Lack of ESPN dot com, 0:05:01.560 --> 0:05:05.320 who who you and I like? Visited Steelers camp a 0:05:05.360 --> 0:05:07.960 couple of days ago and he kind of uh talked 0:05:07.960 --> 0:05:11.360 to some people, had some conversations, did some observations, and 0:05:11.640 --> 0:05:14.400 outlined what he learned, what he took took away some 0:05:14.440 --> 0:05:18.159 other kind of key points from his time here in Latrobe. 0:05:18.440 --> 0:05:21.560 So best thing he saw and heard is that the 0:05:21.600 --> 0:05:24.719 defensive line is a preposterously deep unit. 0:05:25.400 --> 0:05:25.520 Uh. 0:05:26.040 --> 0:05:28.680 Everyone knows about Cam Hayward, you know, as he kind 0:05:28.680 --> 0:05:32.200 of writes here, but Keanu Benton on a contract year 0:05:32.920 --> 0:05:35.239 really you know, looking to put his best foot forward. 0:05:35.920 --> 0:05:38.800 Derek Harmon had a good first season, looking to build 0:05:38.880 --> 0:05:40.960 on that. Y A Black he set is one of 0:05:40.960 --> 0:05:43.160 the largest people in the league, and. 0:05:43.160 --> 0:05:45.720 He loves the. 0:05:46.200 --> 0:05:49.240 And he loves the veteran edition of Sebastian Joseph Day. 0:05:50.480 --> 0:05:53.080 He said, this could be, uh, he could be the 0:05:53.360 --> 0:05:56.680 kind of the the nose tackle, uh that Pittsburgh needs 0:05:57.600 --> 0:05:59.279 him and him and y A Black and what that 0:05:59.320 --> 0:06:01.680 will allow the guys to do. And then he said, 0:06:01.680 --> 0:06:03.320 you know, when you kind of factor in the edge 0:06:03.400 --> 0:06:05.039 room along with that deep. 0:06:05.040 --> 0:06:06.360 I was wondering if he was to go there because 0:06:06.360 --> 0:06:09.520 I think he should. Yeah, like the whole defensive front, yes. 0:06:10.120 --> 0:06:12.080 That you know that he thinks that that is going 0:06:12.160 --> 0:06:13.880 to be just such a strength of this team. He's 0:06:13.920 --> 0:06:16.919 excited to see how new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham is 0:06:16.960 --> 0:06:18.760 going to you know, move some guys around and try 0:06:18.760 --> 0:06:22.320 some different concepts. But just a defensive line in an 0:06:22.400 --> 0:06:24.800 edge group that has really high end talent and some 0:06:24.839 --> 0:06:25.760 really quality depth. 0:06:25.960 --> 0:06:28.560 Yeah, and it's also got age and youth and everything 0:06:28.600 --> 0:06:31.479 in between, some dudes that are in their prime leadership. 0:06:31.960 --> 0:06:34.280 There's a lot of money and draft picks invested, and 0:06:34.400 --> 0:06:37.120 you better get that out of that group. But I 0:06:37.120 --> 0:06:40.720 also think it's really noteworthy that the new defensive coordinator, 0:06:40.720 --> 0:06:44.359 Patrick Graham has made no bones about saying he thinks 0:06:44.400 --> 0:06:47.440 defense starts up front. He's spending obviously a ton of 0:06:47.440 --> 0:06:49.840 time with the big people as well in the hands 0:06:49.839 --> 0:06:53.680 on fashion as well as designing blitzes and stunts and 0:06:53.720 --> 0:06:56.359 simulator pressures and all that kind of stuff too. So 0:06:56.440 --> 0:07:01.040 I think you'll see their responsibilities and duties change from 0:07:01.120 --> 0:07:03.600 last year. But I also think it's a better group 0:07:03.640 --> 0:07:07.080 than last year, just because similar. But yeah, you throw 0:07:07.160 --> 0:07:08.719 Joseph Day in the mix, I think is a really 0:07:08.800 --> 0:07:11.560 nice addition that you didn't need, but you want. 0:07:12.440 --> 0:07:14.760 I think that's a great way to state it. And 0:07:14.880 --> 0:07:18.040 you know, hey, if we all know at some point, 0:07:18.120 --> 0:07:19.600 you know, Cam Heyward is not going to be at 0:07:19.640 --> 0:07:22.200 the absolute height of his powers, that's just that's just 0:07:22.520 --> 0:07:25.400 mother nature and father times when not if all those 0:07:25.560 --> 0:07:27.840 in all those things. But I think if even if 0:07:27.920 --> 0:07:31.480 Cam is a nine eighty five percent of the player 0:07:31.520 --> 0:07:33.640 that he was last year, if all those other young 0:07:33.640 --> 0:07:36.400 guys around him take a noticeable step forward, and Benton 0:07:36.480 --> 0:07:41.080 and Harmony a black and you get solid contributions from 0:07:41.080 --> 0:07:44.480 Sebastian Joseph Day, I think that that group could very 0:07:44.520 --> 0:07:48.400 easily be clearly improved from a unit that was solid 0:07:48.480 --> 0:07:48.920 last year. 0:07:49.080 --> 0:07:52.920 Yeah, and frankly, I'll even i'mluck you hard time, but 0:07:52.960 --> 0:07:55.480 I'll be shocked if Cam is only eighty five percent 0:07:55.520 --> 0:07:58.120 of last year. Yeah, I mean, like my hunches, he'll 0:07:58.120 --> 0:08:02.760 have another good year reconsider as his career. And if 0:08:02.760 --> 0:08:05.000 I'm not gonna be great, I'm just gonna hang it up, 0:08:05.040 --> 0:08:07.120 you know, And one day I'm just not gonna be 0:08:07.120 --> 0:08:10.360 playing anymore. As opposed to he's you know, at the 0:08:10.840 --> 0:08:13.720 and not looking like the player he could be. Now, 0:08:14.240 --> 0:08:17.000 I think a lot of this really goes back to 0:08:17.400 --> 0:08:20.200 you know that this is a plan of the front office. 0:08:20.200 --> 0:08:23.760 This is Omar and the whole organization saying Cam, we 0:08:23.840 --> 0:08:27.120 love you, but you we do not. You must mean 0:08:27.840 --> 0:08:30.560 to say, can't be the defensive tackle. It plays the 0:08:30.600 --> 0:08:32.679 most snaps in the league. Again, I mean, what do 0:08:32.760 --> 0:08:34.839 we I mean, you're begging for trouble, right, I mean 0:08:34.840 --> 0:08:37.560 you're really good for it, right, I mean like, okay, 0:08:37.800 --> 0:08:41.000 maybe maybe he's not on borrowed time, but that doesn't 0:08:41.000 --> 0:08:42.760 mean you have to push your luck to that degree. 0:08:43.080 --> 0:08:46.280 You know, let's get him to be Let's just drop 0:08:46.320 --> 0:08:49.840 his snapcount by one hundred or two hundred, and then 0:08:50.679 --> 0:08:54.600 all this rolls into place. Maybe your fourth quarter defense 0:08:54.679 --> 0:08:56.840 isn't the worst in the league, you know what I mean, Like, 0:08:57.160 --> 0:09:01.080 let's stay fresh for seventeen plus games. Let's stay fresh 0:09:01.160 --> 0:09:05.600 for sixty plus minutes. Because we know where things were 0:09:05.640 --> 0:09:07.680 falling apart. It's late in games and late in the 0:09:07.720 --> 0:09:10.920 season against tom competition over the years. So how do 0:09:10.960 --> 0:09:14.640 we avoid that Sebastian Joseph Day, you know, move him 0:09:14.679 --> 0:09:16.840 all over, come in and play forty snaps, but we 0:09:16.840 --> 0:09:18.720 didn't get out of anybody last year, you know. I mean, 0:09:18.800 --> 0:09:20.880 that's that's a plan, and you deal with injuries better. 0:09:21.080 --> 0:09:25.040 Yeah, it's it's it's absolutely I think a solid plan. 0:09:25.160 --> 0:09:26.960 That's the way you outline it there. It makes a 0:09:27.000 --> 0:09:30.040 ton of sense, and you're right, it's just you can 0:09:30.080 --> 0:09:32.280 almost sometimes with these guys, I think, especially when they 0:09:32.280 --> 0:09:34.280 get to Cam. Heyward's age less can be more. 0:09:34.559 --> 0:09:35.120 It has to be. 0:09:35.160 --> 0:09:37.360 It has to be. Yeah, uh, And I think we 0:09:37.440 --> 0:09:40.160 see that with some veteran guys around the league, And Hey, 0:09:40.200 --> 0:09:42.120 it's amazing what you got out of Cam last year, 0:09:42.120 --> 0:09:44.319 the level that he played at, the amount of snaps 0:09:44.760 --> 0:09:46.880 and just consistent health that he had across the board 0:09:46.960 --> 0:09:47.520 last season. 0:09:47.720 --> 0:09:49.640 You're tempting faith, but you better know you. 0:09:49.720 --> 0:09:51.800 Better not be banking on that every single year and 0:09:52.640 --> 0:09:53.840 counting on running them back. 0:09:54.000 --> 0:09:56.080 It's amazing you've gotten this much out of them, and 0:09:56.120 --> 0:09:58.839 it's amazing you could even consider doing it again. It's 0:09:58.920 --> 0:10:00.760 really because he did it to him. It's amazing. I mean, 0:10:00.760 --> 0:10:04.600 it's simply incredible. The ironman, the toughness, and I don't 0:10:04.600 --> 0:10:07.040 think he's the problem in the fourth quarters by any means, 0:10:07.080 --> 0:10:08.720 I mean, I wish they all played like Cam Hayward 0:10:08.720 --> 0:10:10.720 in the fourth quarter of the eleven that are out there. 0:10:11.120 --> 0:10:16.680 But again, he is human, you think, But man, you 0:10:16.720 --> 0:10:18.920 do not want to just keep testing and say, oh, 0:10:19.000 --> 0:10:21.960 just keep eating eating innings and expect you to mow 0:10:22.000 --> 0:10:23.400 everyone down with fastballs. You know. 0:10:24.640 --> 0:10:28.200 He has also in here Ben Solac's breakdown of what 0:10:28.240 --> 0:10:32.440 he learned at Pittsburgh Steelers camp on ESPN dot com 0:10:32.480 --> 0:10:35.520 one fantasy football nugget. In his breakdown here too, Matt 0:10:35.840 --> 0:10:39.160 He says, I can't get a lean on Jalen Warren 0:10:39.200 --> 0:10:41.719 and Rico Dowdell, but I'm confident both will be used 0:10:41.800 --> 0:10:44.839 enough to be playable in any given week. Dado is 0:10:44.840 --> 0:10:47.160 a more than capable receiving back, and I think he'll 0:10:47.160 --> 0:10:50.360 bite into Warren's catches more than most people might realize. 0:10:50.520 --> 0:10:53.280 Warren is a spectacular tackle breaker, and I think he'll 0:10:53.280 --> 0:10:56.400 bite into Dowdel's carries more than most people realize. The 0:10:56.400 --> 0:10:58.360 Steelers will have to be a run heavy team is 0:10:58.400 --> 0:11:00.520 they will need a strong play action game to get 0:11:00.559 --> 0:11:01.479 any explosives. 0:11:02.760 --> 0:11:06.000 Totally get that, uh, And I get the hunch just 0:11:06.080 --> 0:11:09.560 chatting with people, no one's like divulged house secrets or anything. 0:11:09.600 --> 0:11:13.960 But I do think the Warren Doubtle combination will be 0:11:14.120 --> 0:11:20.040 less situational than the gain Well situation or Nause's the 0:11:20.080 --> 0:11:22.840 early down guy. Warren's third downs, I mean, I think 0:11:22.880 --> 0:11:27.199 that they're gonna be semi hot handish, you know, first 0:11:27.200 --> 0:11:30.400 and ten, just take this series and if you get. 0:11:30.240 --> 0:11:31.920 It, pick up a six yard run on first. 0:11:31.679 --> 0:11:35.160 Down, or if you're gassed, don't be afraid to come 0:11:35.200 --> 0:11:36.720 out because I'll get your right back in. You know, 0:11:36.840 --> 0:11:38.800 I got another suitable dude here. That they're gonna be 0:11:38.840 --> 0:11:41.920 somewhat interchangeable. Well, the only thing I'll differ from what 0:11:41.960 --> 0:11:45.240 I just said said though, is third and long, not 0:11:45.280 --> 0:11:48.200 necessarily every third. I can't believe it will be doubtful 0:11:48.400 --> 0:11:49.120 just because. 0:11:48.800 --> 0:11:51.080 Of how much Warren excels and pass protection. 0:11:50.760 --> 0:11:52.720 Come and catching the ball, I mean, as an more 0:11:52.840 --> 0:11:55.360 just accomplished route runner, and he's better in protection. But 0:11:55.960 --> 0:11:58.559 if everyone's healthy and it's everything's equal, although homework could 0:11:58.600 --> 0:12:00.240 do a little bit of that too, he's good in 0:12:00.280 --> 0:12:03.280 protection and he's a good third down guy. Yes, yes, 0:12:03.400 --> 0:12:04.760 I'm assuming he's a maged team, but. 0:12:04.920 --> 0:12:07.559 I think so too. But I also really want to 0:12:07.600 --> 0:12:10.920 see what his uses looks like on Thursday when we 0:12:10.960 --> 0:12:13.760 get into preseason, into that game of course against the 0:12:13.800 --> 0:12:15.840 Green Bay Packers. It's coming up a little over forty 0:12:15.880 --> 0:12:19.040 eight hours from now at Akersure Stadium. Final. 0:12:19.240 --> 0:12:21.640 Couple's happening to see this by the total coincidence, But 0:12:21.679 --> 0:12:24.520 our buddy Tyler just sent us a tweet that Ben 0:12:24.600 --> 0:12:27.320 Soley put out saying, and we could talk about it 0:12:27.400 --> 0:12:29.040 or not, but I'm want to get back to his article, 0:12:29.080 --> 0:12:31.320 like you mentioned, But you're a team with an aging 0:12:31.360 --> 0:12:34.760 starter quarterback Steelers, Rams Jets, how much would you offer 0:12:34.760 --> 0:12:36.480 for JJ McCarthy. 0:12:37.880 --> 0:12:40.280 Well, I personally wouldn't offer much because I don't I 0:12:40.280 --> 0:12:40.800 don't believe it. 0:12:40.800 --> 0:12:43.000 I didn't like him coming on a Michigan. Yeah, I'm 0:12:43.000 --> 0:12:45.280 aiming bigger. I mean right, I'd rather go after Anthony 0:12:45.360 --> 0:12:46.760 Richardson then JJ McCarthy. 0:12:47.080 --> 0:12:48.160 Oh that's a good one. 0:12:48.200 --> 0:12:50.200 We will. There's no room for any of that though here, 0:12:50.480 --> 0:12:51.880 Like what are you gonna do with another one? You're 0:12:51.880 --> 0:12:53.880 having a hard time getting four and involved. 0:12:54.040 --> 0:12:56.640 We will do some around the league stuff here in 0:12:56.720 --> 0:12:59.400 this first hour. But yes, Kyler Murray named the starter 0:12:59.480 --> 0:13:02.440 for the Kings today, which obviously they. 0:13:03.520 --> 0:13:06.240 See I mean, that was just like, we don't even 0:13:06.280 --> 0:13:07.960 have to fake it anymore. 0:13:08.000 --> 0:13:10.240 I think that was inevitable the day he signed the contract, 0:13:10.400 --> 0:13:12.200 just they just needed some time to let it seem 0:13:12.280 --> 0:13:15.760 like there was a process playing out. Other notes here 0:13:15.840 --> 0:13:20.080 from Solac that he's his takeaways from Steelers camp. The 0:13:20.120 --> 0:13:22.640 buzz in Pittsburgh is at thirty year receiver Roman Wilson 0:13:22.640 --> 0:13:26.280 has rounded a corner and developed workable chemistry with Aaron Rodgers. 0:13:26.800 --> 0:13:29.720 I'm not sure how many snaps he will get behind 0:13:29.760 --> 0:13:33.440 DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman junior, where you know, he 0:13:33.520 --> 0:13:35.160 might even be one of the guys that they don't 0:13:35.160 --> 0:13:38.520 want on the field in heavy, heavy run usage situations, 0:13:38.840 --> 0:13:42.000 so he'll be probably relegated to more clear passing sets. 0:13:42.040 --> 0:13:45.199 At this time, I assume Bernard would be the better 0:13:45.240 --> 0:13:48.240 blocker even in his rookie year. I only say that 0:13:48.280 --> 0:13:50.280 just because Bernard has not played a football game. 0:13:51.760 --> 0:13:54.640 His next bullet point actually says that that he's better 0:13:54.679 --> 0:13:58.120 on blocking assignments in some of the finer details during 0:13:58.200 --> 0:13:59.479 eleven on eleven's. 0:13:59.200 --> 0:14:03.120 Okay, Bernard, yes, I totally get that. Now you aren't 0:14:03.160 --> 0:14:05.640 on a speaking to McCarthy, you're not on a Harbaugh 0:14:05.920 --> 0:14:08.360 led Michigan team without doing something. You're not going to 0:14:08.400 --> 0:14:10.520 just walk around out there in a heavy run team 0:14:10.520 --> 0:14:13.079 when you're winning the national title. He's just not very 0:14:13.080 --> 0:14:15.520 big or powerful, But I do think he'll stick his 0:14:15.559 --> 0:14:20.560 nose in, he'll effort. And I also think what Ben 0:14:20.600 --> 0:14:22.720 doesn't mention here is they are going to play a 0:14:22.720 --> 0:14:25.240 fair amount of twelve. I'm sure and neither one of 0:14:25.240 --> 0:14:27.760 those guys will be out there in twelve, but it 0:14:27.800 --> 0:14:29.960 looks like he's coming around. I'm starting to buy in. 0:14:30.280 --> 0:14:34.760 Speaking of tight ends, Ben Solak asked Brian Angelico, who 0:14:34.800 --> 0:14:36.560 of course was a tight ends coach for a long 0:14:36.640 --> 0:14:39.520 time in the league, as if he has ever quote 0:14:39.800 --> 0:14:42.880 if he has ever coached anyone like Darnell Washington, and 0:14:42.920 --> 0:14:45.320 he said maybe just Josh Oliver would be the only 0:14:45.360 --> 0:14:46.120 one similar. 0:14:46.280 --> 0:14:49.680 Yeah, he's smaller but still power. 0:14:50.360 --> 0:14:52.640 Yeah, yeah, every bit of two hundred and eighty maybe 0:14:52.680 --> 0:14:55.640 even two hundred and ninety pounds, And looking for him 0:14:55.680 --> 0:14:57.840 to open things up in the play action passing game 0:14:57.960 --> 0:15:00.800 this season. What Darnell watching and brings to the offense 0:15:00.840 --> 0:15:03.640 cannot be understated in value for a quarterback like Aaron 0:15:03.720 --> 0:15:05.920 Rodgers who needs clean pockets to operate. At this point 0:15:05.960 --> 0:15:08.120 in his career, having a tight end who is essentially 0:15:08.160 --> 0:15:10.480 a sixth offensive lineman is particularly valuable. 0:15:10.720 --> 0:15:14.760 Couldn't agree more. We've sung his praises forever. He's one 0:15:14.800 --> 0:15:16.280 of my favorite Steelers. I think he's one of the 0:15:16.280 --> 0:15:18.920 most unique players in the league. I think, you know, 0:15:19.040 --> 0:15:22.120 I often use these examples of and I'm not picking 0:15:22.120 --> 0:15:24.480 on Connor Hayward, but when they would trust Connor Hayward 0:15:24.520 --> 0:15:26.920 out there, I think the defense said thanks. I think 0:15:26.920 --> 0:15:30.360 when you put Adam Thielen out there, Valdez Scantling, a 0:15:30.360 --> 0:15:33.400 lot of these guys that the offense says, thank you. 0:15:33.440 --> 0:15:36.600 That guy's not that hard to play against. Darnolt Washington 0:15:36.640 --> 0:15:38.440 is not the best tight end in the league, but 0:15:38.480 --> 0:15:42.120 he's one of the hardest to play against. Yeah, it 0:15:42.160 --> 0:15:42.800 sure matters. 0:15:44.280 --> 0:15:46.880 Two more here from Ben Solack of ESPN dot Com. 0:15:46.920 --> 0:15:51.040 His takeaways from the Steelers so far is that FALTONU McCormick, 0:15:51.040 --> 0:15:53.120 and Zach Fraser form about as good of a young 0:15:53.160 --> 0:15:55.960 offensive line bedrock as you could find in this league. 0:15:56.240 --> 0:15:58.320 And if Maxie Honatchorre can stay healthy and win the 0:15:58.360 --> 0:16:01.120 right tackle job, Pittsburgh as something here. 0:16:01.240 --> 0:16:04.120 I'm glad he recognized that, you know, like, it's easy 0:16:04.160 --> 0:16:06.360 for us to say we're excited about the young No 0:16:06.520 --> 0:16:09.320 line and we've seen all the resources go in, but 0:16:09.360 --> 0:16:11.680 I've gone out and said things to the extreme of 0:16:11.960 --> 0:16:14.920 I would not trade this line for any other in 0:16:15.000 --> 0:16:19.960 terms of investments going forward. Youth Now, you can maybe 0:16:19.960 --> 0:16:21.800 convince me on one or two we could. You know, 0:16:22.120 --> 0:16:24.720 Alton Slater are pretty nice pair of tackles and you know, 0:16:24.880 --> 0:16:27.680 things like that. But for him to compare that, like 0:16:27.720 --> 0:16:30.120 on a national level, to say that this could be 0:16:30.160 --> 0:16:33.880 an enviable group compared to thirty one other teams, not 0:16:34.080 --> 0:16:35.720 just oh, it's so much better than it used to 0:16:35.800 --> 0:16:38.520 be when Moore was out there at left tackle and 0:16:38.520 --> 0:16:41.640 guys like that. I think it's you know, spot on. 0:16:41.720 --> 0:16:42.840 And Ben does get work. 0:16:43.240 --> 0:16:46.160 He does. And then the last thing here from Ben 0:16:46.240 --> 0:16:49.080 Solak is that basically, when you consider the size and 0:16:49.160 --> 0:16:53.600 the physicality of the wide receivers, when you consider Darnel Washington, 0:16:53.680 --> 0:16:57.160 Pat Fryarmouth and rookie fifth round of Riley Noah Kowski, 0:16:57.480 --> 0:16:59.880 the Steelers are really going to challenge teams that want 0:16:59.880 --> 0:17:02.360 to play with light boxes and a nickel personnel. 0:17:02.640 --> 0:17:05.160 Yeah, I don't know that enough people have caught up 0:17:05.200 --> 0:17:07.560 to this, but it seems to me, and it's just 0:17:07.680 --> 0:17:11.160 an observation, but we've talked about a little bit. Almost 0:17:11.200 --> 0:17:15.440 everyone that this team has added since Mike McCarthy took 0:17:15.480 --> 0:17:19.240 the job has been a plus sized player. For the 0:17:19.280 --> 0:17:20.840 two things that have really stood out to me is 0:17:20.960 --> 0:17:24.479 size for the each respective position, Like I think that's 0:17:24.520 --> 0:17:27.679 why they went doubt on not game well. And versatility. 0:17:27.760 --> 0:17:29.879 You know, guys that can align. Pittman can align in 0:17:29.960 --> 0:17:32.639 several locations. You know, Hoffman can play in a lot 0:17:32.680 --> 0:17:36.600 of different spots. But almost everybody they've added is a 0:17:36.640 --> 0:17:40.119 big person for their position, And boy is it going 0:17:40.160 --> 0:17:43.840 to be obvious to anyone looking on when they tried 0:17:43.880 --> 0:17:49.919 out Dowder or Warren, Friarmouth, Washington, Pittman and Metcalf who 0:17:51.080 --> 0:17:55.720 that's one hundred pounds heavier than anyone else's. Yeah. Yeah. 0:17:55.760 --> 0:17:59.680 And then as the as the offenses get smaller around 0:17:59.720 --> 0:18:02.600 the league, defenses get smaller. Yeah, the defenses get smaller, 0:18:02.600 --> 0:18:04.760 the offenses start to get bigger again, and. 0:18:04.680 --> 0:18:07.520 Teams play nickel against that. I mean, I'd be real 0:18:07.560 --> 0:18:08.080 careful with. 0:18:08.040 --> 0:18:10.919 That if you're looking for a matchup card that you 0:18:11.000 --> 0:18:13.679 can easily pinpoint at this point in the process with 0:18:13.680 --> 0:18:15.400 the Steelers, I think that would be high on the list, 0:18:15.840 --> 0:18:17.040 very high on the list for this offense. 0:18:17.160 --> 0:18:17.320 Yeah. 0:18:17.359 --> 0:18:19.840 Yeah, So there's a little bit of a breakdown from 0:18:19.880 --> 0:18:23.679 Ben Solak, a national voice and name that Matt and 0:18:23.680 --> 0:18:25.920 I think does really good work, and his observations from 0:18:25.920 --> 0:18:28.880 being out here at Steelers camp a few days ago. 0:18:29.160 --> 0:18:31.159 We're gonna get to our first break. Let's get to 0:18:31.200 --> 0:18:34.040